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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie isn't winning himself any fans in Philadelphia -- especially not after Jan. 18.

Christie was co-hosting WFAN's "Boomer and Carton Show" when he insulted the Philadelphia Eagles fanbase. It started out with him talking about the grief he gets for being a Dallas Cowboys fan in New Jersey.

"The hostility, I will tell you that, I take for being a Cowboys fan, and this is what I say to Giants fans all the time, and Eagles fans, now Eagles fans I understand it from a little more because the Eagles do suck, and they've sucked for a long time," he said. "And their fans are generally angry, awful people."

So what do those "generally angry, awful people" think of Christie's words? We took to the streets of Philadelphia to find out. Check out some Eagles fans responses in the video at the top of the post. And, fun fact, Andy Tobias, who is featured at the end of the video, is actually from New Jersey.

Former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell wasn't a fan of Christie's statements either, calling Christie "not bright enough."

Want more Philadelphia coverage? Check out this link for all our coverage of the City of Brotherly Love.

And if you liked this video you may like these...
Freebie Saturday at Kmart

Kmart offers a free item every Saturday to kids 12 and under (while supplies last). January 21, a granola bar is offered; other weeks I've seen items with a value around $1. If you have a carload of kids, it might be worth a stop. No purchase necessary.

Dawn Marron, Esq.

You might want to hit Kmart also for going-out-of-business deals. Sears Holdings, which owns both Sears and Kmart, has announced the closings of 108 Kmart store and 42 Sears stores, including four Sears and six Kmarts in Pennsylvania.

The Sears store at the Capital City Mall in Lower Allen Township is closing. The two Kmart stores that are closing are located at 5600 Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township and 1890 Fruitville Pike in Manheim Township. The Kmart in Hampden Township is expected to close in mid-February and the Kmart in Manheim Township is expected to close at the end of March.

If you happen to visit one of the stores scheduled to close, special clearance rules will apply. You can find amazing deals, but use caution, and don't expect business as usual.

This advice is for all closings, not just Kmart: Coupons might be rejected. Inventory might be trucked in from the depths of other stores. On makeup, food and other perishables, double-check expiration dates. Returns will be limited.

If a store is in bankruptcy, a conservator will be in charge of the sale, and will post special rules. Tip: if you don't see the court information posted in the store somewhere prominent, it is a sale, not a true going-out-of-business bankruptcy. Real bankruptcy sales usually include the sale of fixtures, too.

Coupons on Fire

As you prepare for your Saturday Kmart shopping trip, download the app for CellFire.com. This company is owned by Catalina, the folks who bring you those magic coupons from the little printer by the cash register.

The app works similarly to my favorite SavingStar.com. You click on the coupons and they are added to your account digitally. Then you link your store loyalty cards to the app. Kmart, Weis and RiteAid are included in the list of stores that participate.

Here's the big difference: When you purchase an item that has a CellFire coupon, the amount is immediately deducted at the register. In contrast, SavingStar requires you to pay first and get a rebate later.

For example, if you buy Pepperidge Farm goldfish and have a CellFire coupon for 50 cents off one, then you pay 50 cents less to the cashier. With a SavingStar coupon, you would pay that 50 cents to the cashier and have it rebated to your account later.

Another quirk for CellFire is that the coupon is offered specifically by store. I loaded up the digital coupons on Monday and saw Annie's Organic food coupons for Weis but not RiteAid even though the products are sold in both stores. Don't rely on your memory here. You can print a list of what has been loaded to each card, and make an accurate estimate of your final cost.

Only one digital coupon per item will be deducted which means if you loaded digital coupons from the store site, these coupons will not stack. Only one will be deducted. You can still use a paper coupon with this digital coupon, but the company "does not encourage it."

Coupon class

Do you want to learn how to save with coupons on a regular basis? My free beginner class will be at the New Cumberland Library at 11 a.m. Jan. 21. Mark your calendar now.

DAWN MARRON is a lawyer and self-proclaimed crazy couponer. Reach her at CouponerDawn@gmail.com
Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge H. Geoffrey Moulton Jr. has announced his campaign for his first full-term on the Superior Court.

"I've seen our justice system from every angle and I know it works best when we ensure that every person is treated fairly, regardless of race, income, gender, or zip code," said Moulton in a news release. "That's why I'm seeking a full term on the Superior Court. I was honored to be appointed by Governor Wolf and now I want to build on our success and make sure that every person who comes to our court has equal access to justice, and address every case with integrity, honesty, and transparency."

Moulton, 58, was appointed to the court in August 2016 and unanimously confirmed by the state Senate. Prior to this appointment, he served as deputy general counsel in the Pennsylvania Office of General Counsel. A tenured professor at Widener University School of Law for almost two decades, he has served in roles ranging from deputy special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program to chief counsel to U.S. Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-Delaware) during the drafting of the Affordable Care Act and the confirmations of U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagen.

Additionally, Moulton served two stints as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

A lifelong Pennsylvanian, Moulton was raised in Maple Glen. He attended Amherst College and Columbia Law School, where he was editor of the Columbia Law Review. He lives in Oreland, Montgomery County.
Jalil Aziz - multimedia main

Jalil Ibn Ameer Aziz as provided by Dauphin County prison.

With his trial just weeks away, the lawyer for Harrisburg's home-grown terrorism suspect Jalil Aziz is asking a federal judge to bar prosecutors from mentioning Aziz's online chats about buying captive slave women.



Telling the jury about Aziz's messages concerning the prices and availability Yazidi women and girls held by the ISIS terror group in Syria and Iraq would needlessly bias the jurors against Aziz, Assistant Federal Public Defender Thomas A. Thornton contends.



"Introduction of the communications regarding Yazidi women at trial will arouse the jury's sense of horror and instinct to punish," Thornton wrote in a motion he filed in U.S. Middle District Court this week. "Any appeal to that volatile emotion by the government should be rejected by this court."



"It is already very difficult to ensure that Jalil Aziz gets a fair trial," Thornton added. "Introduction of evidence regarding Yazidi women will make that nearly impossible."



Chief Judge Christopher C. Conner has given the U.S. Attorney's Office until next week to respond to Thornton's plea.



Thornton is right about the slave women issue stirring emotions. The treatment of the Yazidi religious minority within the crumbling ISIS "caliphate" has been barbaric.



As Thornton noted, after the Yazidi were engulfed in the ISIS takeover of northern Iraq, the conquerers began a forced conversion to their brand of radical Islam. Yazidi men who didn't convert were killed. Yazidi women and girls were offered for sale via encrypted cell phone apps.



Federal investigators claim Aziz's solicitations about buying women were included in electronic communications they intercepted that show Aziz was actively trying to support ISIS. The 20-year-old was arrested in December 2015 after heavily-armed federal agents raided his parents' home in the 1700 block of Fulton Street.



Prosecutors claim Aziz used Twitter and other online sites to aid others who were trying to get to Iraq and Syria to join ISIS. They say he also helped distribute ISIS propaganda and its "kill lists" of Americans it wanted to see assassinated.



Thornton claims the chats about buying slave women are only tangential to the government's case and so should be suppressed. "The charges against Mr. Aziz involve providing material support to a designated terrorist organization, solicitation to commit a crime of violence and transmitting a threat to injure," he wrote. "Yazidi women do not have anything to do with the charges."



The defense hasn't had much luck in its prior pleas to Conner.



Recently, the judge rejected a defense request for access to material regarding the government surveillance that led to Aziz's arrest. That information is being kept confidential on national security grounds. The secrecy is hamstringing his efforts to defend Aziz, Thornton has claimed.



Conner wrote in an opinion that he has reviewed the information Thornton sought and concluded the government followed all legal requirements in obtaining the data that it claims proves Aziz was acting as "an agent of a foreign power." Nor does the refusal to disclose it to the defense impair the rights of Aziz, who is an American citizen, the judge concluded.



Another pre-trial argument that is ongoing involves whether prosecutors should be allowed to use two backpacks seized from Aziz's home as evidence during his trial. Prosecutors say those are "go-packs" typical of those used by terrorists. Thornton claims they are irrelevant to the prosecution case and so should be suppressed.



In opposition to Thornton's suppression motion, the prosecution team contends the packs are vital to show Aziz's terrorist talk was more than just fantasy. Items they contained included a kitchen knife and ammunition magazines, prosecutors note.



Also, such packs are depicted among photos Aziz sent out online as he touted his alleged support for ISIS, they claim. They cited a Twitter post in November 2014 that Aziz titled "Life goals." It included photos of firearms and of a heavily-armed ISIS fighter carrying a rifle, a machine-gun and the terror group's flag.



Aziz's trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 6.




A 17-year legal battle to protect Pennsylvania's environment ended quietly in federal court this week.



It concluded when the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs and state and federal environmental officials reached agreement on how to ensure land tainted by coal mining is properly reclaimed.





A settlement has ended a 17-year legal battle by an environmental alliance to ensure abandoned Pa. coal mines are properly reclaimed.

The pact approved by U.S. Middle District Senior Judge Sylvia H. Rambo closes the docket on a lawsuit the 70,000-member federation commenced against the state Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Department of the Interior in October 1999.



The group took the federal and state governments to court on grounds that they weren't meeting requirements to ensure bonding and other financing was in place to guarantee the reclamation and treating of toxic waste from abandoned coal mines.



In the interim, much progress has been made in that vein, federation officials said in court filings. That progress included new government guarantees, the creation of special reclamation accounts and the allocation of millions of dollars toward such cleanups.



Government assistance has been provided to ensure mine owners can secure enough bonding to cover all reclamation costs. Regulations now require that treatment of mine wastes will be perpetual.



The settlement also requires the governments to pay the federation $585,601 in legal costs. Of that, $205,048 is to be paid by the feds, records show.




Editor's note: This is the third in a series of six stories that will run Wednesday and Thursday, as PennLive reporters return to the areas of the state they visited in September when they were taking the pulse of voters ahead of the election. Called "Six Pennsylvanias, Entering the Trump Era," this second phase aims to capture residents' hopes and fears ahead of Friday's inauguration.

PHILADELPHIA - Visit Philadelphia's mostly heavily Democratic neighborhoods on the eve of this presidential transition and you find a mixture of:

Sadness (over the departure of America's first African-American president);

Defiant challenge (in demands that Donald Trump address the litany of problems he so publicly defined over the past year-and-a-half);

Determination (that, whatever comes, they can outlast this).

That's the brew of emotions stirring in the City of Brotherly Love, which, just for the record, chose Hillary Clinton over Trump in November by a greater than 5 to 1 margin.

It would be wrong to say there is no apprehension.

Consider this from Leroy Robinson Jr., the proprietor of Leroy's Barber Shop on Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia:

"He's just a wildcat to me," Robinson said of the incoming president, "and we don't know which way he's going to go. ... But he's brought a lot of hatred out, so to me, this climate is very dangerous."

There is even a little dread.

"I'm personally horrified," said Angela Fifer, a Drexel University employee who explained she is worried about what she sees as Trump's "hot-headedness" as displayed regularly on his Twitter feed.

"I have little nieces, and I don't want a nuclear bomb to go off because he couldn't control his temper," Fifer said.

But clearly, the biggest part of the mood on the streets here is one of resiliency.

Many Philadelphians interviewed by PennLive during a walking and driving tour of the city's neighborhoods last week said they are now willing to give the new president a chance to be their president, even if he's not their choice.

And repeatedly, members of the city's African-American plurality expressed hope that Trump and what some pundits have called his "Team of Billionaires" will lift the American economy to new heights.

"If he does produce major job creation and that trickles down to us, it could be very beneficial," said Bilal Qayyum, a community organizer based in the largely middle-class neighborhoods of Northwest Philadelphia.

Obama, for all of his plusses as a president, Qayyum noted, seemed ever careful to avoid putting his focus on the plight of African-Americans, perhaps bending over backward to show the nation that a black president would not just be a president for blacks.

Trump, on the other hand, directly challenged African-American voters during the 2016 campaign to consider alternatives to the Democratic Party with this blunt pitch last August: "You live in poverty. Your schools are no good. You have no jobs. What the hell do you have to lose?"

Most African-American voters did not take Trump up on his deal: According to national exit polls, the Republican nominee only received 8 percent of the black vote nationally. Clinton won 88 percent.

But as of Friday he will be president, so they want him to prove that he meant what he said.

"My thing to Trump is: 'OK, what are you going to do now?' " Qayyum said.

"The flip side is that he's crazy enough to do something. ... I could see Trump trying his best to do something so that he could come back in three years from now, running for office: 'I told you, black folks, I was going to do something. And I'm trying to do something.' "

If he gets buy-in from the Congress, Qayyum continued, "He could target dollars in economic development coming to the cities that would support development of black-owned businesses.

"[Former President Richard] Nixon did that. Nixon ... created affirmative action programs to support development of black businesses."

Some voters did express concern about backsliding on civil rights, though most suggested those kinds of fears are running highest among groups like Muslims and undocumented immigrants, both of whom were regular punching bags at Trump's campaign rallies.

"There's a lot of uncertainty about what the future of immigration is going to look like here in the United States," said Maria Sotomayor, civic engagement coordinator for the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition.

"I know people in mixed-status families [where some members are legal residents, and others undocumented] who are very worried about what's going to happen to some of their family members.

"I think that anxiety is becoming more real as the inauguration day gets closer," she added.

PICC and other groups, Sotomayor said, have responded this fall with ramped-up community education programs designed to make sure everyone knows what to do if immigration agents come to their home.

Some African-Americans reached for this story also said they're a little concerned about the Trump presidency, but to a person they said they're more than ready to push back if they see voting rights or other anti-discrimination protections coming under attack.

For example, Robinson clearly believes Trump won in part on "hate-mongering." But while finishing a trim on customer Thomas Brown Friday, he said he's ready, following the exhortation of First Lady Michelle Obama, to go high.

"African-Americans are survivors. We've conquered a lot of hurdles," the 59-year-old Robinson explained. "So we're going to make it through this. Maybe he [Trump] won't last."

"Some of the best organizing we did in the African-American community as far as empowerment was when we had Richard Nixon president, and Frank Rizzo as mayor," Qayyum, who is 70, noted last Friday.

"We survived that," he added, his voice trailing into quiet laughter.

Worry, not panic

There were 108,000 Philadelphians - roughly 15.4 percent of the city's Nov. 8 electorate - who voted for Donald Trump. It goes without saying that they're tremendously excited about how this election turned out.

Their voices will be reflected more brightly in the other parts of this series.

But the overwhelming voice heard here these days is one of sadness from the city's large Democratic base over the end of the Obama era.

It's still a little jarring, too, because so many here believed America was going to make a new kind of history with Hillary Clinton this year, instead of what appears to be a near-complete reversal of course.

40 years of shifting politics in Pa

The following map shows county-by-county results of presidential elections in Pennsylvania from 1976 to 2016. The chart at the bottom shows how the state voted as a whole. Use the slider at the top to change the year.

Robinson worries about the future of Obamacare, the medical insurance program that helped him see specialists and get treatment that, for years before, he hadn't been able to afford.

Fifer, the 36-year-old Drexel staffer who only moved to Philly this winter, is worried about Trump's education policy and what she sees as gathering forces arrayed against the landmark Roe v. Wade decision on abortion rights.

Qayyum said he's worried about unnecessary war.

But worry, it should be noted, does not mean panic.

Ashley Green, a 20-year-old retail clerk and community college student from North Philadelphia, noted the president isn't king, and there will be limits to Trump's power.

Then, there is the buffer zone provided by a layer of local Democratic office-holders, ranging from Mayor Jim Kenney to Gov. Tom Wolf.

Kenney, for instance, vowed this week to keep Philadelphia a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants, despite Trump's stated support for punishing cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

"I'm concerned, but it doesn't mean we're going to walk it back," Kenney told a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter. "That would send a terrible message to our immigrant population that somehow we're being threatened by a Congress or a state legislature that we're going to walk it back and throw it under the bus."

Many members of what was Trump's loyal opposition say they are also newly politically energized.

"The biggest thing is that I want to get involved in politics," said Fifer, a Clinton voter just moved from New York who said she wants to do her part to turn Pennsylvania blue again.

"I mean, if bad things happen, it will be a fight," Green agreed. "But I hope it doesn't have to go down to that. I'm just praying for the best."

But it was Diane Caffee, the owner of a small greeting card and gift shop on Ogontz Avenue in West Oak Lane, who perhaps best captured the feeling of wait-and-see serenity shared by many.

The 68-year-old shopkeeper said she's hoping Trump -- who during the campaign appealed to largely white, disaffected voters -- will prove to be a better president for all than many of his opponents think, if only because the stakes have changed.

"I believe that once you become president some of the thoughts and your mindset are changed, and I just, my faith is that he's going to be better than he thinks he's going to be.

"I think there's a faith factor involved in that that he's not aware of yet."
richard-poplawski-1a7ff0b5788f91ef.jpg

Richard Poplawski, center, is escorted by Allegheny County Sherriffs after being sentenced to death by lethal injection for the killing of three Pittsburgh Police officers Tuesday, June 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

An execution date has been set for a Pittsburgh man convicted and sentenced to death for the killing of three police officers in a 2009 ambush-style attack.

The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office said an execution date of March 3 has been set for the killer, Richard Andrew Poplawski.

In April 2009, Poplawski killed police officers Eric G. Kelly, Stephen J. Mayhle and Paul J. Sciullo II during a domestic disturbance at Poplawski's home in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Stanton Heights.

According to TribLive.com, the state Supreme Court upheld Poplawski's conviction and death sentence in December, but federal appeals remain available to him.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf continues a de facto moratorium on the death penalty, using his power to issue temporary reprieves in each instance where an execution is imminent until a report is received from a bipartisan commission studying the state's death penalty, his office tells PennLive. The office was unable to provide an estimate for when that report might be completed.

In the 37 years since Pennsylvania reinstated the death penalty, only three people have been executed -- and they waived their right to appeal, TribLive reported.

Pennsylvania last executed an inmate in 1999.
driver's license

These driver licenses will continue to work for ID at federal facilities through at least early June, thanks to a federal government extension on Pennsylvania's compliance with REAL ID security requirements.

(file photo)

Life just got a little easier for many Pennsylvanians Thursday.

That's because, thanks to an extension granted by the federal Department of Homeland Security, our state has been given until early June to show compliance with "REAL ID" security upgrades.

The extension forestalls - to the great good fortune of event planners, delivery truck drivers and anyone else headed for federal offices, courthouses or military bases - the federal government's refusal to recognize Pennsylvania driver's licenses as a valid form of identification.

The extension was issued by the Obama Administration Thursday after Gov. Tom Wolf and legislative leaders committed, in writing, to put in effect a plan to fully comply.

For some, that represents surrender.

Sen. Mike Folmer, a Lebanon County Republican and a leader of the successful 2012 fight against the REAL ID requirements because of concerns about privacy rights, told PennLive Wednesday he is now ready to concede.

But only grudgingly.

State Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon (PennLive file)

"The feds have rattled their swords and they've scared enough folks and they won, and I get that," said Folmer, who had initially hoped that enough states would reject the program that it would collapse.

At this point however, only seven states, counting Pennsylvania, are still out of step with the federal / state program designed to improve the reliability and accuracy of all state-issued identification documents.

REAL ID sets minimum standards for identification forms, including driver's licenses. It also prohibits federal agencies from accepting licenses and identification cards from states that don't meet these standards.

Proponents have said the enhancements should make it more difficult for terrorists to evade detection by using false IDs.

Folmer said he remains unconvinced of that, noting that criminals could still subvert the new systems simply by obtaining a fraudulent Social Security Numbers and birth certificates.

The protections would also do nothing, he believes, to impede a home-grown criminal like Timothy McVeigh, who bombed a federal office building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

Folmer, and others around Harrisburg, concede that at this point, continuing the fight will only disrupt Pennsylvanians' lives.

"But I don't see how this is going to make us any safer," Folmer said.

Wolf, in a statement announcing the truce with the Department of Homeland Security, praised leaders of the Republican majorities in the state House and Senate for their pledges of cooperation.

"I thank the leaders in both chambers for making this commitment to fix state law to allow for us to come into compliance," Wolf said, expressing his hope that "we can resolve this in an efficient and timely manner before residents face any additional challenges."

Pennsylvania falls short of the mark now for these reasons:

The state doesn't put a Homeland Security-approved security markings on our driver's licenses.

It doesn't require "in person re-issuance" of a license or other formal identification card when there is

If the extension had not been granted, Pennsylvania driver's licenses, by themselves, would no longer have been considered a strong enough identification to grant access to federal military bases, courthouses or nuclear power plants, as of Jan. 30.

By 2018, the ability to board commercial air flights would also have been jeopardized.

Now the frenzied searches for passports or other forms of federally-acceptable ID can be put on hold.

DHS officials, in granting the extension, also told state leaders Wednesday that additional extensions may be granted, as needed, once the state has at least completed its plan for meeting all REAL ID requirements.
Legacy of Winter Storm Jonas: Better communication, preparation

A year ago this weekend, the midstate was digging out from under a record 30.2-inch snowfall in Harrisburg.

The historic Nor'easter of Jan. 22-23, 2016, had its share of heroes, casualties and lessons to be learned.

In all, it affected more than 100 million people in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region, dropping 2 to 3 feet of snow, creating blizzard conditions in some areas and coastal flooding that exceeded Hurricane Sandy at the southern New Jersey shore.

It topped the previous record of 25 inches on Feb. 11-13, 1983. Snowfall across the state ranged from to 35.5 inches in Somerset to 20.8 inches at Philadelphia International Airport.

At least 36 people died in the storm that stretched across the eastern U.S., The Associated Press said.

In the midstate, at least eight people died of causes related to the storm, including heart attacks.

This storm will also be remembered as the one in which about 500 vehicles were stranded on the Pennsylvania Turnpike between Bedford and Somerset.

Jonas taxed local and state snow removal resources and budgets, and some residents were not happy with how long it took plows to get to their streets.

"It was one of those strange events where we got almost all the snow of the year in one weekend," said Richard Flinn Jr., director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

A challenge for forecasters

The most difficult part of forecasting the Jan. 22-23 storm was determining the northern cutoff for heavy snow, meteorologists say.

Craig Evanego, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in State College, said they were talking early in the week about the potential for a major storm that weekend.

"From what I recall it was a fairly well-forecast storm," he said, but deciding where snowfall totals would sharply drop off was the tricky part.

"Areas to the south, for several days leading up to the storm we had very good consensus that they were going to get really creamed," said Dave Dombek, senior AccuWeather meteorologist.

"This was signaling it was not going to be a run-of-the-mill, lah-de-dah storm. It was going to be an epic proportion storm somewhere," he said.

Still, Dombek said they didn't have a good handle on how much snow the areas north of the Mason-Dixon line would get until 24 to 36 hours out.

The northern cutoff ended up in Centre County, Evanego said.

Tussey Mountain had 18 inches, but State College got only 7 inches, Dombek said. On Interstate 80, it was only 2 inches, and a little further north, an inch.

Technically, the storm wasn't a blizzard everywhere, since that requires significant falling or blowing snow with visibility of less than a quarter-mile and winds in excess of 35 mph.

But it did reach blizzard proportions for a few hours at the height of the storm Saturday in southern York and Lancaster counties, Evanego said.

Evanego said he doesn't believe they've made changes to the forecast models they use as a result of the storm.

"I don't recall one significantly outperforming one or the other. It got to the point all were showing a big snowfall," he said.

Here's a chronology of the storm:

Tuesday Jan. 19

NWS estimates a major storm up to a foot of snow to the Harrisburg area could be on the way for the weekend.

Wednesday Jan. 20

Forecasts are still varying from 6 inches to as much as 2 feet.

Airlines begin letting travelers rebook flights in advance of the storm.

Forecasters are sure areas like Washington DC were going to be pounded, but aren't certain how far north the storm would stretch.

Thursday Jan. 21

NWS issues a winter storm warning for the weekend, predicting 6-16 inches, with highest amounts near the Maryland line.

Gov. Tom Wolf declares a state of emergency ahead of the storm.

Friday Jan. 22:

NWS predicts 12-18 inches and issues a blizzard warning. Snow begins falling around 4 p.m., and continues through late Saturday.

AccuWeather raises snowfall estimates to 2 feet this evening.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike lowers speed limits and imposes truck and trailer restrictions on Friday evening

At 5:21 p.m. Jan. 22, a tractor-trailer runs off the turnpike and blocks lanes at milepost 155.5 westbound. It takes an hour and 50 minutes to clear the accident, and a 5.6-mile backlog develops.

At 7:40 p.m., several tractor trailers get stuck trying to get up Allegheny Mountain at milepost 123 westbound. By 8:55 p.m., a three-miles of backlog has formed, worsened by release of the earlier backlog.

At 9:07 p.m., maintenance crews stop traffic at milepost 132.2 west, as part of a construction-project traffic plan, to prevent additional westbound vehicles from entering the construction zone at milepost 129, and a 7-mile backlog develops.

PennDOT crews plow local streets so that cars could get to emergency gates on the turnpike.

Saturday Jan. 23

A northern shift in the storm results in snow totals upped to 24-30 inches for the midstate.

The turnpike is shut down between New Stanton and Breezewood to aid stranded drivers and is also closed from Breezewood to Somerset due to heavy snow.

Some motorists remain stranded as late as 6 p.m. Saturday on a 7-mile stretch from the Allegheny Tunnel to Bedford.

The Pa. National Guard is called out to aid in rescuing stranded motorists.

Most towns enact travel bans so roads could be cleared more easily.

Sunday Jan. 24

Some municipalities begin to lift travel bans. But in some areas, cars are left along streets, and some streets remain unplowed as late as Monday.

Monday Jan. 25

Many schools are closed today and Tuesday as the cleanup continues.

PennDOT, National Weather Service, Pa. Turnpike and more conduct after-action reviews of the storm.

February

During state senate committee hearings on the storm response, Pa. Turnpike Commission Chair Sean Logan says they had relied on a forecast the afternoon of Jan. 22 for about 8 inches, and didn't get the updated forecast of 1-2 feet until nearly 10 p.m. Friday night.

In its after-storm review, NWS says the winter storm warning for this section of the turnpike didn't start until 7 p.m. Friday. But forecast briefings Thursday and earlier Friday indicated an earlier start of snowfall was possible.

As snow started falling earlier than expected Friday, briefings were given, but the storm warning time wasn't adjusted.

March

President Barack Obama declares a major disaster exists in Pennsylvania due to the historic storm that dumped more than two feet of snow on much of the state Jan. 22-23.

April

The turnpike issues an after-action report listing 22 improvements to prevent future storm backlogs.

The Historic Nor'easter of January 2016 by NOAA
Harrisburg shooting.jpg

A male victim was rushed to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after he was shot in the leg in Harrisburg Wednesday night.

(Eric Veronikis)

HARRISBURG - A male victim was rushed to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after he was shot in the leg in Harrisburg Wednesday night.

Police responded to the report of multiple shots fired in the 1400 block of Market Street, near the intersection of North 15th Street, at about 6 p.m.

Emergency crews found a male victim who had been shot in the leg at the scene, said Harrisburg police Sgt. Tyron Meik. Police do not have a suspect in custody, Meik said.

Meik said he did not know how many shots were fired. As police investigated, about 10 evidence markers were placed around the scene, which sits about a block away from where the city's first homicide of 2017 occurred on Jan. 9.

Market Street, between North 14th and North 15 streets, was closed until about 7:15 p.m.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Harrisburg police via Dauphin County emergency dispatch at 717-558-6900.
A Northumberland man is in Dauphin County Prison, accused of robbing the BB&T Bank branch in Pillow Tuesday.

State police at Lykens said Jacob Lynn Snyder, 25, was arrested near Treverton in Northumberland County on Tuesday

The incident happened about 11:15 a.m. when a man entered the bank on Market Street and demanded money. He fled along Route 225 into Northumberland County, where he was captured with the assistance of the Zerbe Township Police Department and PSP Stonington. That was about

Charges against him include with robbery, terroristic threats, theft, receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, fleeing and eluding police officers and driving with a suspended license.

The investigation remains active, state police said Thursday.
Mr. Boyd at public meeting.jpg

Mr. Boyd, at center with turban and goggles, was a regular at city council and community meetings in Harrisburg. Here, he was attending a meeting last June of midtown residents concerned about crime after the killing of a man walking home from a wedding.

(PennLive/The Patriot-News)

HARRISBURG--He was the man everyone in Harrisburg knew.

But most people in Harrisburg knew very little about him.

Oliver Boyd, a community activist who was known simply as "Mr. Boyd," died this week after a lengthy stay in Harrisburg Hospital. He was 66.

Mr. Boyd agreed to a one-on-one interview in December 2015 with the city's television station.

Mr. Boyd spoke publicly at nearly every Harrisburg City Council meeting in recent years, advocating for the homeless and the Broad Street Market and criticizing nonprofits that he thought weren't effectively serving residents.

Mr. Boyd held city leaders' feet to the fire, regularly calling them out to their faces at public meetings if he thought they had dropped the ball. But he always spoke of Harrisburg as "my great city."

"Mr. Boyd showed you can have power without having these seats," City Councilman Cornelius Johnson said at a public safety committee meeting Wednesday night. "He left an example of how important it is to advocate for issues you feel strongly about."

Besides his omnipresence at city council meetings, Mr. Boyd, with his trademark turban, also attended most community meetings, memorials, and rallies across the city, never turning down a chance to hold the microphone.

While Mr. Boyd spoke his mind, the details of his life remained a mystery to most people. That's because he avoided talking about himself. Instead, he preferred to spend his time speaking for the underserved and those who could not speak for themselves.

"I do push buttons with people," he said in a December 2015 interview with the city's television station, WHBG. "But I do believe in the law. I do believe in legality. My biggest complaint about our great city here is that people do not understand that they are infringing on peoples' civil rights and that really gets me very upset."

The city's television station featured Mr. Boyd in a one-on-one interview as part of its "Who's Who in Harrisburg" series. In the interview, the city's communications director asked him to share his first name.

"My name is Mr. Boyd," he told Joyce Davis. "That is my first and last name. That's who I am."

He said he was born in Harrisburg and grew up in both the Mount Pleasant and uptown areas. He said his mother was stabbed to death in a homicide in the city when he was eight or nine years old. His father also died in a homicide in the city when he was in his early 20s.

"I came from a sordid background," he said. "That is one reason I do what I do."

Mr. Boyd said he "participated in couple riots in the city," during his youth. "I am one that knows the city from the north to the south, the east and west. So when I look at what's going on in the city now, it reminds of the time and the era of the Civil Rights movement of the 60s."

Mr. Boyd declined to reveal what, if any professional jobs, he held as an adult, but he indicated that he had an important job in Washington D.C. at one point.

When a friend "dared" him to return to Harrisburg to help advocate for the homeless in about 2007, he did.

Mr. Boyd once lived on the streets, just to experience homelessness, he said, but he was not himself homeless.

"I never open my mouth about anything that I haven't experienced," he said.

Mr. Boyd walked streets and alleys in the city, at all hours, leading some people to conclude he was homeless. But he was extremely well-read and spoke five languages fluently, including Spanish and Creole, a French-derived language.

When asked for his greatest accomplishment, Mr. Boyd said he had helped to "wake the city up, to wake the politicians up."

But politicians didn't always want to hear what he had to say, he said. More than a few years ago, he said, he would get tossed from city council chambers and told not to return or he would be arrested.

"The truth hurts," he said of why former city officials gave him the boot.

Mr. Boyd was a wiry man of small stature, yet his directness and piercing stare could intimidate some people.

"Underneath that sometimes abrasive and often prophetic exterior was a gentle soul who sought connections with people," said Sheila Dow-Ford, executive director of the nonprofit Impact Harrisburg. "He was always concerned."

Councilman Westburn Majors said he was saddened to hear of Mr. Boyd's death.

"Mr. Boyd was passionate about the city of Harrisburg and a tireless advocate for the homeless," Majors wrote on his Facebook page Wednesday. "I will always remember the conversations I had with him at the Broad Street Market. While we did not always agree on tactics, we shared the same goal, which was to see this great city prosper."

Although Mayor Eric Papenfuse was a frequent target of Mr. Boyd's barbs at public meetings, the mayor was among the city officials who visited him in the hospital.

"Harrisburg is going to miss his model of engaged citizenry," Papenfuse said. "He let people know what he felt."

Johnson also visited Mr. Boyd in the hospital, relaying that city officials missed his presence at recent council meetings.

"He said he still has his eye on us," Johnson said. "He was still joking and we laughed...His spirit will be unmatched. There aren't a lot of people who would do what he did."

Mr. Boyd's family would appreciate any help with funeral costs, Papenfuse said.

Arrangements are still being made for the service, but people who are interested can send donations directly to the Major Winfield Funeral Home at 704 North Front Street in Steelton with a notation for Mr. Boyd.
WILLIAMSPORT -- A major Clinton County drug dealer will no longer serving a life sentence thanks to President Obama.

What the president did for John Winkelman Jr. Tuesday by commuting his life sentence to 30 years is something federal courts on numerous occasions refused to do.

Winkelman, 61, was one of 10 individuals from the Renovo area indicted in 2001 in what authorities claimed was a $2 million ring that distributed kilogram amounts of cocaine over a four-year period.

The ring was based mainly out of Wink's Bar, owned by his brother George and was destroyed by arson in December 2000, and a motorcycle club building. George Winkelman is serving a 40-year sentence.

John Winkelman was found guilty of multiple counts of conspiracy to distribute drugs, possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine plus a count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The late U.S. Middle District Senior Judge James F. McClure Jr. in December 2003 sentenced him to life in prison plus five years followed by 10 years of supervised release.

Since then, Winkelman has filed numerous appeals, all of which had been denied. The most recent denial was by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in 2014.

Even with the commutation, he will be in his 80s before eligible for release from prison.

The Winkelman brothers were the only ones of the 10 not to plead guilty. McClure found George Winkelman was responsible for the distribution of more than 15 kilograms of cocaine dating back to 1986.
Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of six stories that will run Wednesday and Thursday, as PennLive reporters return to the areas of the state they visited in September when they were taking the pulse of voters ahead of the election. Called "Six Pennsylvanias, Anatomy of a Swing State," this second phase aims to capture residents' hopes and fears ahead of Friday's inauguration.

The Trump House in suburban southwestern Pennsylvania stands as a reminder of the passion that surrounded the 2016 election here.

The bold red, white and blue home on State Route 982 in Unity Township is no longer the tourist hot spot it was in the fall. Leslie Rossi, who owns the Westmoreland County property but resides elsewhere, said she received about 2,500 visitors each day at the peak season.

She shares stories of visitors who came to the house wary of President-elect Donald Trump but left with a new understanding of him and the perspective of his supporters. She tells of senior citizens who never before voted but felt encouraged by this election, and fathers who brought rebellious teenage daughters to hear other visitors' stories in hopes of changing their minds.

"It's pretty fascinating what it turned into," she said. "I became really well-rounded, learning about the voters and what was driving them, so I became even more invigorated."

And while that fervor has quieted, the Trump House still gets enough traffic that Rossi has no plans to repaint or remove campaign signs, but she also stopped entertaining guests there after Election Day. So for now, the house just sits.

Enthusiasm and the lack thereof

Trump's win in southwestern Pennsylvania, and the state at large, boils down to two factors: a motivated Republican voter base combined with low turnout for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

In southwestern Pennsylvania, the president-elect promised to bring more jobs to an area that has been hurting since the steel industry collapse. That message resonated with voters who have largely been ignored by candidates in recent elections.

"I've worked at a lot of presidential elections for the past 20 years, and I've never seen this sort of enthusiasm," said Dave Majernik, vice chairman of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County. "I was only surprised he didn't win by a higher margin. This year, all the way up to Election Day, people were still getting signs."

Out of the entire southwestern Pennsylvania region -- composed of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties -- Allegheny was the only county where Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in November.

And with 56.6 percent of the popular vote, she won Allegheny with the lowest percentage since 1996, when President Bill Clinton earned 52.8 percent of votes here. More recent Democratic candidates Al Gore (56.7 percent), John Kerry (57.2 percent) and Obama (57 percent in 2008 and 56.7 percent in 2012) all fared slightly better.

"The Democrats took the working class for granted," said Taylor Goel, Pittsburgh coordinator for ANSWER Coalition, an anti-war grassroots organization. "That was one of the main reasons they lost, was the lack of participation in these swing states. They didn't vote because they weren't moved by her message and saw her as a corrupt Wall Street candidate."

ANSWER is sending a busload of protesters to the inauguration from Pittsburgh, along with buses from other cities. It is one of several organizations planning protests on Inauguration Day and this weekend, including a women's march on Washington and sister marches throughout the country.

Pittsburgh women's march director Tracy Baton also wasn't surprised by the results of the election, based on her experiences volunteering throughout the campaign.

"I worked over the summer registering voters in parking lots. In the America I lived in [before this election season], if you walked up to someone, they'd either say, 'Yes' or 'No, thank you,'" Baton said. "The first time someone snarled at me, I was taken aback."

That harsh reaction surprised her more than the lack of enthusiasm for Clinton. She said there just weren't enough voters coming out to polls in the city.

40 years of shifting politics in Pennsylvania

The following map shows county-by-county results of presidential elections in Pennsylvania from 1976 to 2016. The chart at the bottom shows how the state voted as a whole. Use the slider at the top to change the year.

Hopes, fears and conflict

Trump's nomination brought out vocal supporters and equally vocal detractors. Friends and families have found conflict in dealing with each other during this election season, including Rossi and her longtime Democrat mother.

They have a difficult time being together, given the popularity and fame of the Trump House.

"I was at Eat'n Park with my mom recently, and people came up to me because they recognized me," she said. "My mom was so mad she got up and went out to the lobby because she didn't want to hear it. I told her it's changed my life, and this is how it's going to be."

Greensburg resident Robert Dittman, initially a Bernie Sanders voter, avoids politics "like a rabid dog" because his best friend is an avid Trump supporter. Dittman expects Trump's presidency will be anything but moderate.

"I am expecting to see our country upended completely," he said, referencing the president-elect's relationship with Russian President Vladmir Putin. "We have much to fear."

Others fear what Trump's presidency will mean for the environment and natural beauty of southwestern Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh resident Michael Rennie is worried the administration will weaken or dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency, and activist Goel is concerned about the effects of increased fracking in the region.

Hope, however, can be found across the board. Supporters are hopeful Trump fulfills his campaign promises to help the economy, while detractors are looking forward to what they can do and preparing for resistance.

"I'm feeling determined to remain hopeful," said Pittsburgh resident Elizabeth Gombert. "One of the silver linings with this is that, seeing all of the things out of my control, this has illuminated some of the things I can do in my community."

In terms of people who feel negatively affected by Trump's election and what it means for their communities, Baton emphasized the importance of standing together.

"We have a shifting terrain of disenfranchisement. I expect to see more involvement from all groups to sustain liberty and sustain our rights," Baton, Pittsburgh women's march director, said. "People of color's voices, and women's voices, and LGBTQ people's voices, and differently abled people's voices are part of the mix, but we don't even know who is the next person who is going to be part of that."

An anti-Trump sign posted on Murray Avenue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood Tuesday, Jan. 17.

Seeking an alternative

Throughout the election season, it was easy to find anti-Trump and anti-Clinton sentiment. Now with the election passed, few yard signs and stickers remain, but graffiti and vandalism are a regular feature.

Many are still upset about having to vote for the "lesser of two evils," a cliche before this election that will likely continue.

"I really liked [Gary] Johnson, but didn't feel like I could vote for him," said Greensburg resident John Pearson, who voted for Trump in November. "And the way I felt is what's wrong with the system."

Most of his co-workers voted against Clinton, he said, but not all ended up supporting Trump.

One of ANSWER's goals in organizing on Inauguration Day is to spread their message that the working class deserves more of a say in national matters, and we should not be limited to this two-party system.

"That's what the ruling class is most afraid of, is when poor people join together independent of race, gender, immigration status, whatever," Goel said.

"It is our duty to not only reach out to some of these people who are already progressives and frustrated with the Democratic Party," he added, "but it's also our responsibility to go and talk to these Trump voters who really voted for Trump not because they are racists or white supremacists but because they had legitimate economic and social grievances."

What comes next?

"Everyone is kind of holding their breath waiting to see what happens," Pearson said. "Modern manufacturing jobs in the area would be great, but it depends on what he brings."

That sentiment of uncertainty was echoed by leaders of local Republican committees, who hope to retain Trump's invigorated voter base.

"What we are hoping to see is that that translates to an administration that remembers where its votes came from and understands the message that carried Donald Trump to the White House, and as part of it, carried Congress at the same time," Korns said.

All too often, he said, the national government focuses on California, New York and other largely liberal areas. He described being told by national leaders that "people should just move" if they are unhappy with their representation.

Said Majernik,"The Republican Party establishment has to be smart and learn from what happened in this election nationally and try to translate it to the local level."
Trump in West Chester

Donald Trump supporters yelling at demonstrators. Donald Trump supporters and demonstrators faced off outside of the Hollinger Field House on the campus of West Chester University where Donald Trump spoke on Monday, April 25, 2016. Daniel Zampogna, PennLive

(Daniel Zampogna, PennLive )

By Jay Ambrose

It is here, it is upon us, it is the utterly, totally, completely impossible presidency of Donald Trump, and he has opportunities galore to rejuvenate the best in this country. Some of his ideas could get us there as he is also reversing the worst of President Barack Obama.

Jay Ambrose (Tribune News Service photo)

Will it happen? Will he make America great again? No.

That, at least, is the judgment of maybe half the country, and some of those who fear him most outline a different trajectory if he is not stopped.

What they talk about is economic ruin, a collapse of the Western alliance, trade wars, perhaps hot wars, civil rights catastrophe, media mangling and internal disruption, perhaps foreshadowing the crippling of America.

All of that and more is at least possible, not least of all the disruption, but right now it is mainly coming from the critics. Some seem willing to lower any standards they dubiously may have had to strike out at him. We're talking about hysterical, unruly protestors.

About endless, hyper-efforts to delegitimize Trump's constitutionally valid election. About Democratic members of Congress not so democratically boycotting the inauguration and thereby America's tradition of transferring power peacefully.

About the anti-Trump equivalent of the Obama birther story getting energetic circulation after a governmental boost. About bias ruling too much of the news. To be fair, a sidekick in all of this is Trump and a wagging tongue way out ahead of thoughtful consideration.

Especially disturbing _ his tweets. These one-sentence kerpows do not bring us together. They are simplistic, they are arguments in the same way a nasty finger gesture is an argument and they indicate something scary.

It is immaturity out of control, although this kind of direct communication with the people does have its pluses.

What Trump needs is a tweet editor. He also needs to heed what President Barack Obama did not, namely constitutional constraints.

He needs to work with Congress, not least of all with House Speaker Paul Ryan, as exceptional a lawmaker as you will find in Washington these days. Trump's Cabinet picks are mostly excellent, often counter-balancing him on issues where he goes most amiss, even if some of his other picks do not.

He needs to listen to his Cabinet, Ryan and others, not try dictating. Maybe then he will be wary of Russia. He will support NATO. He will avoid disastrous trade tariffs. He will not spend us into more debt that could spell crisis time.

A Republican House and a Republican Senate, a genuine effort to negotiate with Democrats, could be the way to grand achievements, especially if he does not buy into doing too much too quickly, the "First 100 Days" trap.

One thing he can do in a hurry is get a tow truck to haul away the Obama executive orders evading the rule of law through unilateral action the Constitution does not allow.

He should move quickly on repatriation of corporate money overseas that could do enormous good on these shores.

Corporate tax reform? You bet. Nothing could do more to produce more jobs.

Tackling Obamacare should be carefully, judiciously approached. Nothing could do more to liberate and energize the country than to get rid of the overload of regulations that, to the extent they are decipherable, sometimes conflict with each other and often mangle common sense.

He could help us whip the current crime rise and save lives all over the country. His Supreme Court appointments could well be supreme, saving us from a nine-person oligarchy.

The big, big thing is to trash the worst of the Obama legacy. It was about political incompetence in league with worship of the state and what it tried to do was carry us further to an America out of touch with its founding principles.

Obama thought he would transform America. He got a start in all the wrong directions, and now we need a Trump rescue

Jay Ambrose is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service.
Donald Trump

In this photos taken in September, President-elect Donald Trump is treated to a "laying of the hands" from members of the Pastors Leadership Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

By George F. Will

He flabbergasts the Human Race

By gliding on the water's face

With ease, celerity and grace;

But if he ever stopped to think

Of how he did it, he would sink.

-- Hilaire Belloc, on the waterbeetle

Leaving aside the missing element of grace and the improbability of his ever stopping to think, Donald Trump is the waterbeetle of politics. His feral cunning in manipulating the masses and the media is, like the waterbeetle's facility, instinctive.

George F. Will

The 72 days of transition demonstrated a stylistic seamlessness with his 511 days of campaigning, which indicates that the 1,461 days of his term that begins Friday will be as novel as his campaign was.

Its theme was often a pronoun without an antecedent, his admirers explaining their admiration by saying that "he tells it like it is." Fortunately, a theme of his transition has been a verbal shrug: "Oh, never mind."

He won by stoking resentments that his blue-collar base harbors about the felt condescension of elites. He has, however, transitioned with ease and celerity away from the most vivid commitments that made his crowds roar (prosecuting Hillary Clinton, making Mexico pay for the wall, banning Muslims from entering the country, deporting 11 million illegal immigrants within two years, restoring torture because "it works" but even "if it doesn't work," etc.). He shows an interesting disinclination to disguise his condescension toward those he effortlessly caused to roar by giving verbal prompts that he has now abandoned.

Candidate Trump intimated a foreign policy less reliant on military measures than the policies of some recent presidential predecessors. But the most riveting moment of the transition received less attention than did Trump's tweet snit about Meryl Streep.

The moment was when Rex Tillerson, Trump's designated secretary of state, told the Senate that China's policy of building and militarizing islands in the South China Sea is "akin to Russia's taking of Crimea" and that America should tell China that "your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed." China might not quietly accept this U.S. Navy blockading of the islands.

Tillerson might be right: China is directly challenging the fundamental U.S. interest in freedom of the seas. And Lord Curzon's reported axiom for diplomacy is often correct: Know your own mind and make sure the other fellow knows it, too.

But combined with Trump's tweeted promise to prevent North Korea from making good on its vow to test a ballistic missile capable of reaching the continental United States ("It won't happen!"), Tillerson's statement indicates that the Trump administration might soon be militarily active.

A Trump campaign pledge that has survived the transition is his promise to revive manufacturing by imposing protectionism. Michael Froman, Barack Obama's trade representative, notes that "95 percent of consumers, 80 percent of purchasing power and the fastest-growing markets for our products are outside the United States," so if other nations reciprocate U.S. protectionist measures, there could be "an outflow of manufacturing from the U.S."

The World Economic Forum that convenes every winter in Davos, Switzerland, will conclude Friday just as the Trump presidency begins. It has been well said that Davos is where billionaires tell millionaires what the middle class feels. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended. He is advocating a Chinese alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the U.S. initiative that probably was dying before Trump's election killed it. The Communist leader offered an almost Thatcherite defense of free trade, which America's president-elect opposes.

The Washington Examiner's Tim Carney reports that Trump's choice to be commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, who was a registered Democrat until nine daysinto the transition, has praised China's central direction of its economy using five-year plans. Ross favors a U.S. "industrial policy" whereby government would "decide which industries are we going to really promote -- the so-called industries of the future."

Ross's confidence in government's clairvoyance and planning dexterity might reflect the fact that, as Carney reports, he has done well by buying steel and textile companies that then profited from tariffs on steel imports and from textile import quotas.

Perhaps these views are not shared by Trump's choice to be director of the National Economic Council -- Gary Cohn, another Democrat -- or by Trump's choice to be treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, whose party affiliation is not publicly known.

As transitioning gives way to governing, Trump will continue to flabbergast. The past really is prologue, so we have been warned.

George F. Will is a columnist for The Washington Post, where this piece first appeared.
Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania's new attorney general, released a new code of conduct Thursday as part of his pledge to reinforce a commitment to ethics in the office.

Shapiro, a former Democratic Montgomery County commissioner, was elected in November following the fraught tenure of Kathleen Kane, a Democrat who was convicted of felony perjury and other charges last year.

The new code was a key part of Shapiro's campaign. He also created new chief integrity and chief diversity officers, the first time such positions existed in the attorney general's office.

"We will apply the law without fear or favor and infuse integrity in all that we do," Shapiro said Tuesday, at his swearing-in ceremony, "so we can focus on best protecting you."

Shapiro's new code of conduct includes requirements such as "serving the interests of the citizens of Pennsylvania above his [or] her own" and "safeguarding all confidential information."

On the latter point, Kane's criminal conviction was based on the leak of secret grand jury information she orchestrated in an act of reprisal against professional adversaries.

A number of office employees were also implicated in an exchange of lewd and offensive emails, most of them dating from six to ten years ago.

The code includes language requiring employees to "[carry] out their duties and directives without discrimination, without partiality, and without demonstrating or articulating insensitivity to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, ancestry, disability or genetic information."

The new code is included in its entirety below.

PA OAG Code of Conduct by PennLive on Scribd
unemployment-compensation-picket.jpg

Members and representatives of the Service Employees International Union Local 668 staged an informational picket outside the CareerLink center in Harrisburg on Thursday about the need to address problems in the state's unemployment compensation system from the recent furlough of 521 Department of Labor & Industry employees .

(Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com)

Two Republican senators see Auditor General Eugene DePasquale's decision to audit a now-defunct unemployment compensation-related fund as an essential step toward providing more timely assistance for the state's jobless in obtaining unemployment benefits.

A dispute over funding between Gov. Tom Wolf's administration and the Legislature has wreaked havoc with state's unemployment compensation system.

The jobless encounter busy signals and long waits when trying to contact an unemployment compensation service center. Now, some are also finding delays in receiving their jobless benefits.

The audit is expected to answer questions about where the $178 million went that was put into the Department of Labor & Industry's Unemployment Compensation Service and Infrastructure Improvement Fund over the past four years.

"At a time when taxpayers are demanding greater accountability, we need this hard-eyed look at the financial and operational aspects of the centers," said Sen. Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland County, who is the incoming chair of the Senate Labor & Industry Committee, along with the committee's former chair, Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Luzerne County.

They said it appears money in this special temporary fund that was intended to upgrade the system was instead spent on underwriting basic operations.

When the Legislature failed to extend the fund's life for another year, Wolf closed three of seven unemployment compensation service centers and furloughed 521 workers.

"Pennsylvania is left with a system that by all accounts is unequipped to serve the jobless, who are owed timely assistance," the senators said.

Workers who were furloughed, along with representatives from the Service Employees International Union Local 668, staged an informational picket outside the CareerLink Center in Harrisburg on Thursday. Similar events are being held around the state at CareerLink offices.

A union official said they were there to educate people about the reason behind the delays in receiving benefits or getting assistance from the unemployment compensation offices. They also asking visitors to contact lawmakers to demand they do something to rectify the situation.

"Citizens of Pennsylvania are the victims here," said

JoAnne Sessa, the union's secretary/treasurer. "Citizens of Pennsylvania are not being served and that's a disgrace."

A compromise bill that the House passed that would have provided another year of funding to help run the unemployment compensation operation included a requirement for an audit as an accountability measure. The Senate failed to pass that bill before the legislative session ended. That led to Baker and others to request the audit to inform future decision-making.

DePasquale responded to those calls on Thursday by announcing that his auditors would begin immediately looking into matters related to the Service and Infrastructure Improvement Fund.

"I thought it was important with my department's tools to go in and do an independent audit of this to find out exactly how the money has been spent and to work through some of the issues that are either real or perceived in this," DePasquale said in a conference call with reporters. "Then come up with realistic recommendations in a timely fashion to help the administration and the Legislature as they move forward in the budget process this year."

He is breaking from his prior practice of not putting a deadline on his auditors by asking them to complete their work by early April to help inform the administration's and Legislature's decisions about future funding for the department.

Wolf spokesman J.J. Abbott noted the administration supported the compromise bill the House passed along with its audit requirement. He said, "Despite the Senate's failure to pass that bill and reauthorize the funding to keep centers open, the administration still supports any effort to find additional ways to strengthen existing accountability in the system."

Sen. Scott Wagner, R-York County, who partially took credit for the Senate's decision to apply the brakes to the legislation providing another year of funding, welcomed the forthcoming audit.

"I think it's a great idea. I think he's going to find things," Wagner said.

A visit to the unemployment compensation call center in Erie on Wednesday and seeing old computer equipment sitting on desks convinced Wagner more than ever an audit was warranted.

"I'm telling you this place is out of control," he said.

Meanwhile, furloughed Labor & Industry employee Bret Resch of Camp Hill, who worked in a call center, is left feeling angry over how the funding dispute has impacted not only him and his co-workers but the state's unemployed.

"I think some decisions were made without all the facts that were available," he said. "The delays and call waiting times and claim delays are part of that. It wasn't thought out very well before they did it. So we need our jobs back to help the claimants."

*This story was updated to include Wolf spokesman J.J. Abbott's comment and the center in Erie that Sen. Scott Wagner visited was corrected.


Editor's note: This is the fourth in a series of six stories that will run Wednesday and Thursday, as PennLive reporters return to the areas of the state they visited in September when they were taking the pulse of voters ahead of the election. Called "Six Pennsylvanias, Entering the Trump Era," this second phase aims to capture residents' hopes and fears ahead of Friday's inauguration.

LUZERNE COUNTY - Despite President-elect Donald Trump's win in Luzerne County by wide margin over Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, voters in this northeastern county, like many parts of the country, have mixed emotions about the man who is moving into the nation's highest office on Friday.

Some are enthusiastic; some pessimistic. Some are taking a wait-and-see approach. Others say prayers are needed.

The economy in Luzerne County, home to about 320,000 Pennsylvanians, has seen its shares of ups and downs over the years, much like the terrain upon which it sits.

Many coal-mining jobs have been lost, replaced by blue-collar work at industrial parks that have helped push the average weekly wage of workers in the county to the bottom fourth of the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Democrats outnumber Republicans, but this county has shown a willingness to look past party registration of candidates running for president and vote for the person who they think will make for a better America. In November, 58 percent of voters there voted for Trump and 38 percent for Clinton, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.

40 years of shifting politics in Pa

The following map shows county-by-county results of presidential elections in Pennsylvania from 1976 to 2016. The chart at the bottom shows how the state voted as a whole. Use the slider at the top to change the year.

To the area's congressman, Lou Barletta, there was very little question that Trump is the right person for the job. He was one of the first members of Congress to endorse the international business tycoon and is proud his county and Pennsylvania, as a whole, played a key role in delivering a victory for the Republican presidential candidate in November.

"I believe he is bringing hope to so many people across the country," Barletta said. "For years, people felt that Washington hasn't been listening to them and now they feel they have a champion coming in. Someone who listens to the people."

One message that Trump delivered during his campaign that gave reason for optimism to those who work in the coal industry was a pledge to reopen the mines and get miners back to work. That caught the attention of those in Luzerne County and elsewhere whose livelihoods depend on the coal industry.

Among them is 26-year-old mining engineer Justin Emershaw. He voted for Trump. After hearing Clinton's negative remarks during the campaign about coal, he said Trump struck a nerve with the coal industry when he talked about reopening mines.

"The industry is really hurting," said Emershaw, who works for Coal Contractors Inc. in Hazleton. "We need somebody who's really going to make a change with it."

On a personal level, the 2014 Penn State graduate said he admired the fact that Trump is an outsider who speaks his mind. Emershaw said Trump's speech announcing his candidacy was the first political speech he ever fully sat through and listened.

"Everything he talked about made sense to me. It wasn't sugarcoated. It was real-life issues that we're faced with, so I felt that it'd be worth it to give him a try," said the registered Republican, who said he votes more on a candidate's qualifications than their party affiliation.

A Clinton supporter, barber Samuel Jimenez, said he isn't ready to jump on the Trump bandwagon just yet but is willing to give the new president a chance.

"Let's give him an opportunity to see what he can do. That's all I can say," he said. "He's good at business. It's a change. It could be for the better."

But Wilkes University political scientist Tom Baldino is doubtful. He saw Clinton as a flawed candidate but voted for her anyway, seeing her as the best option for his county, the state and nation as a whole.

He thinks there will be unpleasant trade-offs that come from Trump's policies. Trump wants to bring back coal, which could create a few hundred mining jobs. But he said that could come at a cost of an increase in environmental issues that could harm the health of millions of people.

Trump might engage in trade wars that might create jobs to make goods that are now imported, but it could cost jobs for Pennsylvanians who produce goods that are exported.

He also sees Trump and the Republican majorities in Congress favoring policies that will force Americans to make choices that government previously made for them and it could lead to maybe not higher taxes, but higher user fees.

For instance, with health care, Trump talks about health insurance for everyone. But he believes what Trump, along with GOP congressional leaders and Health and Human Services-designate Tom Price, are really saying is they want to give people access to health insurance at a lower cost without offering details about the higher out-of-pocket costs that people will incur when they go to use it.

"They want health insurance that actually discourages people from using doctors and hospitals unless you absolutely have to," Baldino said. "So then people get to decide what they want. It's all about choice."

About the only thing Baldino is optimistic about when it comes to Trump is that he's confident the new president will shake things up. He added, "I'm pessimistic about the consequences of things being shaken up."

Also worried is Bellalma Rivera, a 41-year-old mother of six who stopped by the Hazleton Area Public Library on Tuesday to print out some paychecks from her job at Amazon. The Hazleton resident voted for Clinton but figures she has little choice now but to accept Trump as her president. Still, she doesn't like the things Trump says, how he has treated women, and what she senses is his dislike for Hispanic people.

She is particularly troubled about how that perception has impacted her 13-year-old son, who fears it could heighten racial tensions at school between Hispanic students and white students.

"So you know, it's like a little worried about how things might change for them, how things might change for us," Rivera said.

Sitting at a nearby computer searching for job opportunities with the county was 52-year-old security officer and chauffeur Stephen Malinchock of Hazleton, who said Americans should be worried - but not about having Trump as their president.

"We're fulfilling biblical prophesy at racehorse speed and that's not good for the United States," he said. "But I think God has put a man in office who will be able to weather and make correct decisions in these very, very tough times that we've not seen the worst of."

Malinchock, who voted for Trump, said he believes the new president will provide steady leadership. He said Trump possesses life experiences that will help him and the common sense to know that if he can't do something, he'll look to people who know how to do it.

"I think he'll do well if he keeps his eyes on that and keeps his trust in the Lord," he said. "He has weathered some serious storms financially, personally, corporately and he's learned from those things. ... He has a brashness about him but he has a determination and a proven ability to weather hard times and come out on top."

Still, he said Trump can't do it alone. "He's going to need our prayers now more than ever."

Like Malinchock, Hanife Long, a 52-year-old housewife who was an avid Trump campaign volunteer, felt a spiritual connection with Trump. The registered Republican, who was born in Turkey and became a naturalized American citizen in 1996, said she felt it the day Trump announced he was running for president and prayed to God to lead him to victory.

She said it is Trump's integrity that appeals to her most. Policywise, the wife of a retired serviceman, likes Trump's interest in strengthening the military and improving the economy. She noted how his election has set Wall Street on an upward trajectory. Long also believes Trump will lead to a better future for the next generation.

"He is a good man. He has a big heart on his chest. He loves this country and when you love the country, you automatically love the people," she said. "Now Americans have to get involved. This is not going to happen on its own. They need to begin to respect their own country."
An RCMP officer turns away a motorist y at the intersection of White Lake and Willowbrook roads south of Penticton. The area was shut down following the discovery of a body in January.
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Outgoing Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrives at his Langevin office in Ottawa, Wednesday Oct. 21, 2015. The former prime minister says Donald Trump's presidency is a major source of international uncertainty that will "reverse" seven decades of U.S. foreign policy.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Dennis Oland arrives at Court of Queen's Bench in Saint John, N.B. on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017. Two men have been charged with assaulting Oland while he was imprisoned in a federal penitentiary in New Brunswick.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
B.C. Minister of Health Terry Lake speaks about the latest statistics on illicit drug overdose deaths and fentanyl-detected overdose deaths during a press conference at the press gallery at Legislature in Victoria, B.C., Wednesday, January 18, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a town hall in Sherbrooke, Que. on Tuesday, January 17, 2017. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has received nine complaints related to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's French-only answers to English questions at a public meeting in Quebec. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
FILE - In this Nov. 11, 2014, file photo, former President George H.W. Bush acknowledges the crowd at his presidential library before his son former President George W. Bush discusses his new book "41: A Portrait of My Father" in College Station, Texas. Former President George H.W. Bush, who has been admitted to a Houston hospital with pneumonia, has used a motorized scooter or a wheelchair in recent years because of vascular parkinsonism, a rare syndrome that mimics ParkinsonAos disease. The condition is undergoing a reappraisal as some experts challenge conventional thinking about its causes. (Bob Daemmrich/Texas Tribune via AP, Pool, File)
Orlando police Chief John Mina walks past the updated wanted poster of Markeith Loyd during a news conference at Orlando Police Department to announce the capture of Loyd, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. The suspect in the fatal shooting of an Orlando police officer was captured Tuesday night after eluding a massive manhunt for more than a week, authorities said. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
Boyne City Middle School to host viewing of new Rambler Fieldhouse

From 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Boyne City Public Schools will welcome students and community members to an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new facility.
Tillerson finding U.S. Senate confirmation tougher than thought-Trump

The New York Times / Doug Mills

Rex W. Tillerson, the nominee for secretary of state, at his Senate confirmation hearing. "I think it's tougher than he thought," Trump told the crowd during a VIP dinner attended together Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

WASHINGTON

Petroleumworld.com 01 19 2017

President-elect Donald Trump quipped on Tuesday that his secretary of state choice, Rex Tillerson, is finding his Senate confirmation tougher than his days as chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil Corp when he could cut deals with foreign nations.

Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence appeared together at a VIP dinner featuring nearly 150 diplomats from countries around the world along with U.S. lawmakers and members of the Trump White House who will take power on Friday.

"I think it's tougher than he thought," Trump told the crowd, noting that Tillerson was in attendance. "He goes into a country, takes the oil, goes into another country. It's tough dealing with these politicians, right? He's going to be so incredible," Trump said.

Tillerson has faced tough questions from some senators about his warm ties to Russia as a top U.S. oil executive. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, a Republican, has said he might vote against Tillerson.

At the black-tie dinner, both Trump and Pence sought to reassure countries that might be concerned about the "America First" agenda they plan to pursue that could lead to rewriting the NATO alliance and trade deals

"The truth is and this may be news to many of you but I'm not sure that the national media here in America completely understands the president-elect," Pence said in introducing Trump.

"He's going to stand tall on the world stage," Pence added. "Donald Trump will be a president who puts American 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."






Mastercard has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to explore the potential use of the Mastercard Aid Network to simplify the delivery of hepatitis C treatment in a resource limited setting with high disease burden.

The Mastercard Aid Network is a non-financial digital solution that helps facilitate the distribution and tracking of aid funds. Organizations such as World Vision and Save the Children have successfully used this technology for emergency and ongoing humanitarian relief efforts in the Philippines and Yemen.

The collaboration with Gilead is the first instance where the closed-loop, points-based Mastercard Aid Network would be used in a healthcare context.

An estimated 150 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C, with the vast majority of those people living in low- and lower-middle income countries. Many of these countries lack government funded national treatment programs for hepatitis C, the majority of healthcare expenditure being through out-of-pocket payments.

This initiative builds on an ongoing effort to use our technology to advance the Sustainable Development Goals  and to enable people to lead better, more autonomous lives, said Leigh Amaro, senior vice president, Enterprise Partnerships, Mastercard. In slightly more than a year, the Mastercard Aid Network has helped international aid organizations increase their impact in some of the most distressed communities. By combining our digital technology with Gileads medical expertise, we look to have the same effect in delivering health services to those people who need it the most.

Under the MoU, the parties will discuss the development of a digitized tool, including a monitoring and evaluation feature, that healthcare providers can use in a small-scale pilot to facilitate successful treatment outcomes.

Our goal is to expand access to effective treatment for chronic hepatitis C, said Gregg Alton, executive vice president, Corporate and Medical Affairs, Gilead Sciences. In exploring the potential use of this technology in a resource poor setting, we hope to better provide essential medicines and services to patients.

Unlike in so many disease areas, in hepatitis C we have a cure, said Charles Gore, president of the World Hepatitis Alliance. The issue is facilitating affordable access to treatment for the tens of millions who need it. We have to explore smart and innovative mechanisms that simplify the treatment process, cut out inefficiencies and help drive down costs. This initiative, which combines access to hepatitis C treatment with the Mastercard Aid Network platform and civil societys ability to deliver on the ground, is exactly the sort of public-private partnership that we need to explore.
Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. announced that the Board of Directors has appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, Daniel P. Hansen, to the additional post of Chairman of the Board.

Mr. Hansen succeeds Thomas W. Storey who will remain on the board as a director. The Company also announced that Jeffrey W. Jones has been appointed to lead independent director, succeeding Dr. Bjorn Hanson, who will also remain on the board as a director and will continue his role as Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Jones will also continue his role as Chair of the Audit Committee.

Mr. Hansen has served as the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer and been a member of the board since the Company's formation in 2010. He also serves on the board of the American Hotel and Lodging Association and is a member of multiple advisory councils for brand companies in the lodging industry. Under Hansen's leadership, the Company has nearly quadrupled in size to an enterprise value of $2.4 billion and more than 80 hotels across the country.
The Asia-Pacific region could offer increasing opportunities for global pork exporters looking forward, including the UK, according to AHDB Pork.

The big question, however, is whether or not the UK pork industry will be able to capitalise on the regions growing markets.

The Asian middle class is projected to expand rapidly over the coming years, with two thirds of the worlds middle class living in the Asia-Pacific region by 2030, according to the OECD, said AHDB Pork, adding that the FAO also expects the consequential increase in wealth to raise meat consumption in the region to around 80kg per capita by 2030.

In addition, with low domestic efficiency and backyard production systems still dominant in the region, it is likely that imported products will be required to meet demand.

During 2016, of course, China was the big news on the global pork market with imports more than doubling on year earlier figures. Going forward, however, the extent of Chinese demand for imported pork in 2017 remains uncertain.

Even if import demand does remain strong, competition between pork exporters is becoming increasingly tight, said AHDB Pork. While the Chinese market may become more challenging, other developing Asian destinations could potentially offer other opportunities for expansion.

The UK currently has access for pork in the Philippines, South Korea and Japan while other countries in the Far East could also be promising export destinations for the UK, if access can be obtained. Vietnam is a key example, as is Taiwan.

AHDB Pork also warned, however, that while it is clear there are opportunities for pork exporting nations to target the Far East region in the coming years, these opportunities will not be without challenges.

Despite this, AHDB Pork added, with the uncertainty surrounding the future of UK-EU trade relations in light of Brexit, exploiting the opportunities presented by the growing Asian markets may become increasingly important for the future of UK pigmeat exports.

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Thailand and Australia Hits Record High Visitors from Malaysia in 2016

It is another awesome year for Tourism Authority of Thailand Malaysia and Tourism Australia Malaysia and all the Australia States Tourism Boards for 2016. Malaysian arrivals to Thailand and Australia at record high for 2016. This shows Malaysians still enjoy traveling despite the weakening of Malaysian Ringgit.

Thailand received a 3.36% increase to 3,533,826 (from 3,418,855) tourists from Malaysia. This numbers exclude Malaysians transiting in Thailand and Malaysians staying in Thailand for less than 2 nights. China was still number one with 10.34% increase to 8,757,466.

However, for FIT (Frequent Individual Travellers), Malaysia is still number one.

Australia on the other hand welcomes Malaysian visitor arrivals for YE October 2016 increased by 16.3% over previous year to 384,836. The leisure segment increased by 31.1%. The total spend for YE September 2016 increased by 8% to A$ 1.2 billion; with holiday spend increasing by 19%.

There were challenges as Malaysia Airlines cut Brisbane route in 2nd half of 2016 and also reducing flights to a few cities in Australia. The currency exchange rates didnt help either and yet Australia received record visitors from Malaysia.

Congratulations to Tourism Authority of Thailand Malaysia. There are many hard-working individuals in Tourism Authority of Thailand Malaysia working non-stop to make the numbers possible. Special thanks to Kun Amman, Richard, Somboon, Nana and the rest for supporting us for so many years.

Congratulations also to Tourism Australia Malaysia, Destination New South Wales, Tourism Victoria, Tourism Western Australia, Tourism of Queensland, Tourism South Australia, Tourism of Northern Territory, Tourism Tasmania and Tourism Canberra. Special thanks to Elaine, Shamila, Karen, Siew Hoon, Kathleen, Vivian, Ee Lian for the support also.

We wished Tourism Authority of Thailand Malaysia and Tourism Australia Malaysia to have an awesome year for 2017.

Read all our stories on Thailand Here and on Australia Here.

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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A jealous husband has been jailed for life for stabbing a mum-of-three to death before calling the police to say: "I have just killed my wife".

Drunken Robert Bance, aged 53, used a ceremonial Commando dagger to stab Victoria Bance in the heart after a night out.

Police and paramadics found she had suffered 23 knife wounds, including 14 deep stab wounds to the chest  any of which could have been fatal.

Father-of-eight Bance later told officers they had rowed after she had told him to leave their Leigham home, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

The former plumber added: "She went for me and that is when I went for the knife on the side."

Bance called the police to admit the murder, but minutes earlier when she was still alive he had fobbed off call handlers saying nothing was wrong.

"This was a murder committed in a cold and deliberate rage"

Jailing him for life with a minimum tariff of 15 years, Judge Paul Darlow told Bance: "This was a merciless and prolonged attack and the terror and pain she must have experienced in those minutes does not bear thinking about. This was a murder committed in a cold and deliberate rage."

He said the phone call from the 999 operator had given Bance the chance to take stock  but he lied about what was happening and killed his wife.

Judge Darlow said that the evening had "turned sour" when Bance had seen his wife talking to another man in a Barbican pub.

He had stormed off, leaving her to get home with no phone and no money.

Bance will serve at least 15 years before he can even be consider for parole, which is not automatic.

Bance's barrister, Nicolas Gerasimidis, said Bance had killed a "woman he loved".

Bance, wearing a black polo shirt, spoke only to plead guilty to murder on October 9 last year during a hearing which lasted an hour.

He was due to face a trial in April but entered his plea after a psychiatrist could not provide him with any defence.

Bance, who gave up his job to care for his poorly wife, sat with his head bowed in the dock. He showed little reaction to the sentence, nodding to supporters at the back of Courtroom 3 as he was taken away in handcuffs.

Simon Laws QC, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the couple had been together for four years and married for two. He added the relationship was "neither happy, nor unhappy" and punctuated by regular arguments  but no reports of any previous violence.

Bance had eight children of his own and Mrs Bance had two sons aged 19 and 13 and a 12-year-old daughter.

Mr Laws said that Mrs Bance blamed the defendant after the 12-year-old left home to live with his natural father.

The barrister said Mrs Bance had twice contacted the police but never to report an offence. She told the force three months before her death that she wanted to leave Bance  but was too scared to do so.

The court heard that the defendant was drinking every day.

Mr Laws said Mrs Bance, a former pupil at Lipson Community College, had been left with injuries after a botched operation. He added she was bed-ridden on occasion and her husband was registered as her carer.

Mr Laws said the family had lived on the pay-out for medical negligence but by last October the money was running out.

He added they went out on October 8 and were later tracked on CCTV, smiling and chatting and holding hands going to the pubs including Popworld in Union Street, OMG and the Three Crowns in the Barbican.

But Mr Laws said that Bance walked away alone, leaving his wife with no money nor phone.

Mrs Bance walked and then got a taxi home, telling a neighbour that he had become angry when he saw her chatting to another man in the Three Crowns.

The court heard that when she went back to her own home, Bance was there. Luckily, none of the children were in the house.

Mr Laws said that Victoria Bance made a 999 call from her mobile at 1.25am, but was only able to cry out.

He said that there were beeps on the line as if someone was trying to grab the handset.

Mr Laws added: "Clearly there was a struggle going on."

A call handler rang back but Bance answered calmly, telling her nothing was wrong. But his wife can just be heard in the background shouting their address in Grimspound Close.

The next call Bance makes from his own phone a few minutes later, saying "I have just killed my wife."

Distressed and struggling to tell his address, he said: "I have stabbed her, she is dead."

Police arrived within five minutes to find Victoria Bance lying on their bed.

She has a slight pulse but was pronounced dead at hospital at 2.48am. A pathologist later said that the injuries were not survivable.

Mr Laws said the murder weapon was a 17-centimetre long Commando knife, a gift to his father from 42 Commando Royal Marines to his father for work done many years before.

The court heard that Bance had kept the weapon "within easy reach" in the bedroom.

Judge Darlow read statements from the eldest son and his father.

Nicolas Gerasimidis, for Bance, said: "This was totally out of character. It was a sudden temporary loss of control."

He added the defendant had suffered "traumatic amnesia" which meant he could only recall the first two knife blows.

Mr Gerasimidis said: "He is clearly remorseful. It is in every sense a tragic case. Your honour is dealing with a man who has killed the woman he loved. That is something he will have to live with for the rest of his life.

"He is a good man who has made a very bad mistake."

He added that Mrs Bance had blamed him for the departure from the family home of her 12-year-old son, who had just left to live with his own father.

Mr Gerasimidis handed in character references from friends, some of whom attended court to support the defendant.

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Stephen Davies said outside court: "Bance admitted what he had done very soon afterwards. He did not try to hide anything that he had done.

"It is just a tragic incident. From our point of view it was very quick from incident to sentence and we can only hope this will help the family move on."

Police confirmed after the case that the Independent Police Complaints Commission are investigating the force's conduct. Inquiries are mandatory when officers have contact with murder victims in the 24 hours before their deaths.

A spokeswoman said: "Due to the ongoing investigation, which we are co-operating fully, we are unable to comment further at this stage."
A Little Elm, TX, police officer was shot and killed Tuesday afternoon after police approached a man carrying a gun in a residential area, according to authorities. The suspected shooter was later killed after an hours-long standoff, reports USA Today.

Officers responded to the home around 3 p.m. CT after residents reported seeing a man with a gun, officials said. After being told to drop the weapon, the suspect began shooting at officers from inside the house, Lt. Orlando Hinojosa said. Detective Jerry Walker was hit, officials said at a news conference. He later died at the hospital.

Walker, 48, was a father of four and an 18-year veteran of the force.

The suspected gunman was found dead around 10 p.m, The Dallas Morning News reported. He had holed up in a house in the 1400 block of Turtle Cove Tuesday evening, surrounded by police and SWAT.
A Lake County, IN, sheriffs officer shot a person who shot his police dog Wednesday afternoon in northwest Indiana, according to authorities.

About 3 p.m. the officer conducted a traffic stop in Gary, and a passenger ran from the car, according to Indiana State Police. The sheriffs officer and his K-9 partner, Blade, followed the person who ran from the car down an alley toward railroad tracks that were north of the stop, state police said. At some point near the tracks, the suspect fired shots at the officer and struck the police dog, police said.

The officer returned fire and struck the fleeing suspect, who was taken to a Gary hospital with life-threatening injuries, police told the Chicago Sun-Times.

The dog was taken to an animal hospital and is reportedly stable.
Lea County (NM) Sheriff Steve Ackerman died in a single-vehicle crash described as a rollover near Encino in Central New Mexico on Tuesday night. (Photo: Lea County SO)

Lea County (NM) Sheriff Steve Ackerman died in a single-vehicle crash described as a rollover near Encino in Central New Mexico on Tuesday night.

New Mexico State Police are completing the investigation in which Ackerman was pronounced dead at the scene. No other passengers were in the vehicle, Lubbock Online reports.

Information on the Lea County website shows Ackerman was elected in 2014 and began serving his term on Jan. 1, 2015. His biography shows he had been with the department since 1991.

No further information was released.
A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest for Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017:

FLU PREVENTION: Rep. John Forbes, an Urbandale Democrat who is a licensed pharmacist, took matters into his own hands Thursday to help control a flu outbreak at the Statehouse. Forbes and two legislative interns who are Drake University pharmacy students, set up a makeshift flu-shot dispensary behind the House chambers for legislators, staff or others interested in getting a flu shot. Forbes said the state Capitol building can be "a cesspool of bacteria" with many people coming from all around Iowa and beyond with a mix of germs or maladies they share in close quarters with others. Forbes took to the House floor to announce Thursday he was offering flu shots to any and all takers and up to nine lawmakers planned to take him up on his offer. House Majority Leader Chris Hagenow, R-Windsor Heights, said illness this week cut into the number of legislators in attendance during a week abbreviated by a state holiday on Monday and the presidential inauguration on Friday.

SCHOOL DRESS CODES: A Senate Education subcommittee on Thursday discussed but did not take action on legislation that would authorize Iowa school officials to adopt a mandatory uniform policy covering an individual school or the entire district. Senate File 31 would provide for the mandatory uniform policy -- in addition to the dress code policy currently authorized under state law -- if the local school board determines that a mandatory uniform policy is necessary for the health, safety, or positive educational environment of students and staff in the school environment or for the appropriate discipline and operation of the school. The bill, offered by Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, provides that a mandatory uniform policy is not a violation of state law -- which establishes that public school students have the right to exercise freedom of speech -- if the policy is viewpoint neutral, is reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns or protects students from sexually explicit, indecent, or lewd speech. Subcommittee chair Sen. Tom Green, R-Burlington, said he supports the bill because it gives districts local control but Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, viewed the proposed change as an infringement on free speech. "What problem are we trying to solve?" he said. Green said he expected the panel would hold a follow-up meeting on the legislation yet this session.

WORKPLACE DRUG TESTING: Iowa's workplace drug-testing law would be expanded to include hair samples under a bill that cleared a Senate Labor and Business Relations subcommittee on Thursday. Senate File 32 would amend current state law which permits private-sector drug testing on samples of an employee's urine, saliva, breath and blood under approved federal standards. Representatives of employer groups supported the measure while union lobbyists and worker advocates said Iowa's current law is adequate and working. Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, said the expansion would send the wrong signal to prospective employees from to move to Iowa from other states or veterans returning to the workforce. GOP senators who voted to send the bill to full committee said it would enhance the safety of Iowa workplaces and was a less-intrusive way to get a sample than testing blood or urine.

READING HELP: Schools in five Iowa cities have been selected for a new customized Iowa Reading Research Center literacy improvement program. Center officials say the two-year initiative will provide expert training in literacy instruction, need-based improvement planning, and continuous support to four local education agencies in order to bring improved literacy outcomes for students facing multiple challenges. The partnering schools selected include the Grant Wood Area Education Agency Shelters and Detention Classrooms in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, Fort Dodge Alternative High School, Midland Park School in Eldora and Waverly-Shell Rock Lied Center. "Each school has identified an important literacy issue affecting its students, and the potential outcomes are representative of the positive impact we can make when educators and researchers work collaboratively," said Deborah K. Reed, director of the Iowa Reading Research Center. In total, the two-year initiative has the potential of impacting more than 425 students across the four partner schools, she said.

AMENDING IOWA GUN LAWS: A state senator wants to lift restrictions on possessing a machine gun, a short-barreled rifle or a short-barreled shotgun in Iowa. Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, introduced a bill Thursday that seeks to eliminate the state's prohibitions on possessing weapons that are regulated under federal law. "This is part of a larger move to withdraw Iowa law from exceeding federal law in several areas. The basic theme is: let's not restrict Iowans' freedom further than federal law does," said Schultz. He said Senate File 108 was drafted with gun enthusiasts, hobbyists and sportsmen in mind. "They are legitimate sporting tools for recreation under federal guidelines and as such I don't we should regulate them beyond what the federal government does," he said.

STABLE FUEL PRICES: Retail gasoline prices in Iowa generally were unchanged over the past week, holding steady at about $2.36 per gallon for a statewide average, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Iowa's price was slightly higher than the $2.34 a gallon national average and 52 cents higher than one year ago. Retail diesel fuel prices in Iowa were down two cents a gallon from last week's price with a statewide average of $2.48. One year ago diesel prices averaged $1.98 in Iowa. On the heating fuels side, propane prices were up two cents from last week's report, with a statewide average of $1.21 per gallon. Home heating prices remained steady from last week, ending with a statewide average of $2.07, while natural gas prices rose 10 cents to $3.31/MMbtu.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "That is one of these phony solutions in search of a fake problem. It's totally misguided. Not a single dollar from the state is used for abortion at Planned Parenthood." - Senate Democratic Leader Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids in discussing Senate File 2, a bill scheduled for subcommittee action next week that would seek to defund Planned Parenthood by stipulating that state money could not go to women's health clinics that include abortion as one of the services they offer.
A Rolette County, ND, Sheriffs deputy and a suspect were killed in a shootout Wednesday night following a vehicle pursuit near Devils Lake.

Rolette County Sheriff Gerald Medrud told the Grand Forks Herald the incident started around 6:30 p.m. with the pursuit of a stolen pickup. The male suspect led four officers on a chase through Rolette County.

A shootout began when officers caught up to the pickup at a back roads intersection. Media reports indicate the shooting occurred during a traffic stop near Belcourt.

Medrud said the suspect was killed, but it's unclear if he was shot by law enforcement or if he took his own life.

The names of the fallen officer and suspect have not been released and no other officers were injured during the shootout, Medrud said.
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During his final press conference, President Obama thanked the press and demonstrated to Donald Trump how the President Of The United States supposed to treat the free press.

Obama thanked the press and said, I have enjoyed working with all of you. That, of course, doesnt mean that Ive enjoyed every story that you have filed, but thats the point of this relationship. Youre not supposed to be sycophants. Youre supposed to be skeptics. Youre supposed to ask me tough questions. Youre not supposed to be complimentary, but youre supposed to cast a critical eye on folks who hold enormous power, and make sure that we are accountable to the people who sent us here.

President Obama understands how the president and press relationship is supposed to work. The media is not a presidents cheering section. The free press does not exist to give the president good publicity. Presidents dont get rate the media as good or bad based on the tone of the coverage.

Compare Obamas respect for the free press with Donald Trump calling Buzzfeed a pile of garbage and screaming at a CNN reporter that he is fake news.

The free press exists to inform the public and hold those in power accountable. The incoming Trump administration is doing everything that it can to make sure that the public has as little information as possible, and that there is no accountability to the American people.

President Obama put Trump to shame with a single statement. Donald Trump is about to find out that he cant tweet his way around the press. Obama behaves in the way that people expect their president to conduct himself, while Trump acts like a low-grade reality television who is obsessed with his own PR.

The United States of America is losing a president and gaining a circus.
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In what could be his last great act of service to his country as president, Obama called Donald Trump and the Republican claims of voter fraud fake news.

Video:

The President said:

The reason that we are the only country among advanced democracies that makes it harder to vote is  it traces directly back to Jim Crow and the legacy of slavery and it became sort of acceptable to restrict the franchise (ph). And thats not who we are. That shouldnt be who we are. Thats not when America works best. So I hope that people pay a lot of attention to making sure that everybody has a chance to vote. Make it easier, not harder.

This whole notion of election  voting fraud, this is something that has constantly been disproved, this  this is fake news. The notion that there are a whole bunch of people out there who are going out there and are not eligible to vote and want to vote. We have the opposite problem. We have a whole bunch of people who are eligible to vote who dont vote. And so the idea that we put in place a whole bunch of barriers to people voting doesnt make sense. And then the  you know, as I said before, political gerrymandering that makes your vote matter less because politicians have decided you live in a district where everybody votes the same way you do so that these arent competitive races and we get 90 percent Democratic districts, 90 percent Republican districts, thats bad for our democracy too. I worry about that.

President-elect Trump regularly tweets about voter fraud.

After the election, Trump blamed his popular vote defeat on voter fraud:

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

Obama was correct to call the Republican claims of voter fraud fake news. There is no evidence to support Trumps claims. Even Trumps own vice president-elect admitted that Trumps voter fraud claims were only an opinion.

The biggest provider of fake news in the US isnt a cable news network or a posting on Facebook. The largest provider of fake news in this country is Donald Trump and his Twitter account. Only 4% of Trump statements have been graded as completely true.

Voter fraud is the cover story that Republicans use to carry out their voter suppression strategies. Obama held nothing back at his last press conference as president, and that included reminded everyone that Donald Trump doesnt only accuse others of fake news. He creates it.
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With Wednesday nights announcement from a Trump transition official that the president-elect has chosen ex-Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to head up the Agriculture Department in his administration, the incoming president made some history  for all the wrong reasons.

For the first time in nearly 30 years, there will be no Hispanic members in the presidents cabinet. One by one, Trump filled his cabinet without any attempt to appoint Hispanics to one of the positions. His final pick of Perdue seals the deal that none will hold any of the key posts.

The first Latino appointed to a presidents cabinet came in 1988 during Ronald Reagans presidency and continued to serve in George H. W. Bushs administration after Reagan left office. Each of the three presidents that followed  Clinton, W. Bush, and Obama  have each appointed at least one Hispanic member to their respective cabinets.

That will end on Friday when Trump officially takes office surrounded by potential cabinet members that are largely lacking in diversity.

As expected, advocacy groups from across the country are reacting harshly to the news.

Were extremely worried. This is anti-democratic, said Hector Sanchez, chairman of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, according to the Dallas Morning News. By not including Latinos in the Cabinet he is just showing how he is planning to govern.

As disappointing as Trumps appointments have been, theyre also unsurprising.

After all, Trump launched his presidential campaign with a speech that denigrated Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists. He has repeatedly vowed to build a wasteful wall on the southern border and promises to deport more than 11 million undocumented immigrants that are already living in the country.

His decision to not include members of this growing demographic in his cabinet suggest that he plans to govern in the same way that he campaigned for a year and a half  without an emphasis on inclusion or any acknowledgment that America is an increasingly diverse place.
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Republicans are already acting drunk on their own power as tempers got heated after Republican Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) told Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) to take a Valium during the confirmation hearing for Trump Treasury nominee Steven Mnuchin.

Video:

.@SenPatRoberts to @RonWyden: Ive got a Valium pill here that you might want to take" pic.twitter.com/GO6661dv3Y  CSPAN (@cspan) January 19, 2017

Roberts said, Sen. Wyden, Ive got a Valium pill here that you might want to take for a second round.

Wyden told Roberts that a lot of people are waiting, and to be brief.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said, I just cant quite believe that you would say that to a distinguished Senator from Oregon.

Roberts replied, I said that to the President Of The United States at one time.

Brown shot back, Perhaps you did, but I just hope that doesnt set the tone for 2017. This is just outrageous.

Committee chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch tried to regain control, and Roberts did a classic non-apology apology.

Wyden repeated that there are many colleagues waiting to ask questions, and Roberts angrily responded, Fine, Ron. Im done.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren noted why Democrats are so outraged:

.@SenPatRoberts says @RonWyden should take a valium? Maybe more Senators should be outraged by Wall St bankers that steal people's homes.  Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) January 19, 2017

Trumps Treasury Secretary nominee is part of the crowd that caused the great recession. Instead of going to jail, people like Steve Mnuchin are going to be running the US economy. More Senators should be as angry as Sen. Wyden, and for Pat Roberts to act like it is no big deal to be turning the keys to the US economy over the same Wall Street forces that nearly caused a second Great Depression was the height of arrogance.

This isnt going to be the last contentious hearing during the Trump years. Democrats are fighting for the American people, Sen. Roberts dismissal of the legitimate concerns of a majority of Americans is a symptom of a political party that is already choking on its own arrogance.
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Republican Senators are begging Democrats to work with them and rescue them from their Obamacare repeal mess.

Here is Republican Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) on CNBCs Squawk Box:

Johnson said, My thought process is lets start working with Democrats, lets transition to a system thatll actually work that Democrats are talking about. They want to fix it, lets fix it for the benefit of the American public.I think more and more people are, as theyre starting to take a look at the daunting task of how do you start repairing the damage of ObamaCare, realizing its not particularly easy.

To translate, Republicans realize that repealing Obamacare is going to cause massive damage to the health care system, so they want Democrats to help them, and by help Republicans mean take blame for the millions of American lives that they are about to wreck.

Everyone knew that this was coming. Less than two weeks ago, President Obama warned Congressional Democrats not to rescue Republicans on Obamacare repeal.

Trump and Republicans have painted themselves into a corner. They began the repeal process without a replacement bill. If they repeal the ACA without a replacement, the consequences and the political blowback will be immediate.

For years, Congressional Republicans have created crisis after crisis and then turned to Democrats and President Obama to bail them out. As of tomorrow, Republicans will be on their own. Republican Senators can beg Democrats for their help, but they are going to get nothing.

Republicans didnt have to repeal the ACA. Trump and the Republican Congressional majority could have left the law in place and fixed anything they felt that needed fixing. The Republicans chose to kill this law and take health care away from tens of millions of people.

Democrats arent riding to the rescue. Republicans are on their own, and will be held accountable for their own decisions.
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Today

A shower or two possible this evening with partly cloudy skies overnight. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

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A shower or two possible this evening with partly cloudy skies overnight. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
DES MOINES | Legislative Democrats said Thursday school officials are warning they will face larger class sizes, teacher layoffs and other cutbacks that will affect educational quality and offerings negatively even if they receive the 2 percent boost in state aid Gov. Terry Branstad has proposed.

Minority Democrats say K-12 schools have been underfunded for six years and are slipping  especially in rural areas -- at a time when more expectations are growing for education to be a key driver in producing the skilled workforce needed to bolster Iowas economic future.

This is a crucial time. If we dont invest in our kids now, we will pay for it later, said Rep. Sharon Steckman, D-Mason City, in discussing results of a survey of 140 school administrators that found nearly 83 percent favoring a boost in state aid to K-12 schools of 4 percent or higher in fiscal 2018.

The survey of school superintendents found that 71 percent envisioned larger class sizes, 61 percent expected to have to lay off teachers, 58 percent would reduce class offerings and 65 percent expected to delay purchases of up-to-date textbooks and classroom materials if they receive 2 percent aid.

Part of the problem with the low funding has been our rural districts and all of you know that when a school dies in rural district, that town dies, too, and so were forcing small districts to make terrible decisions for their communities, Steckman told a Statehouse news conference.

Her comments came at a time when Republicans who hold majorities in the House and Senate are working to identify up to $118 million in spending cuts to erase a projected shortfall for the current budget year. They are doing that before turning to next years level of state aid to K-12 schools, which they hope to decide by mid-February.

We continue to make very good progress, said House Majority Leader Chris Hagenow, R-Windsor Heights, of negotiations with Branstad on the fiscal 2017 de-appropriations bill. I think were very close.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, was optimistic lawmakers could complete work on the current-year spending cuts next week and then turn their attention to the school funding issue. GOP leaders said neither chamber had settled on a school aid funding level yet for fiscal 2018.

Branstad proposed a 2 percent boost for each of the next two fiscal years. Legislative Democrats said Thursday that is not enough and they feared GOP legislators would settle on an even lower funding level.

Two percent is not adequate and the conversation Im hearing from legislative Republicans is theyre going to be less than that and thats something were very concerned about. We need Iowans to speak up, Hogg said. We are very concerned that this is doing long-term damage.

He also expressed concerns Branstad and Republicans were looking at major mid-year cuts to higher education when the state has options to deal with a shortfall at a time when revenues are strong and reserves are full rather than paring back spending in ways that are comparable and in some cases larger that the cuts that the Culver administration made in 2009.

Dix said the state was put in this position due to Democrats who previously controlled the Senate with a never-ending appetite for taxpayers money before losing their majority in the 2016 election.

Thats what has really led to the situation that were in, Dix said in an interview. This is a spending problem, a spending problem that the Democrats really pushed. I dont know why we would want to take their advice when their advice has led us to the problem we are in currently.
HIBBING  A Rochester man was shot by two Hibbing police officers on Friday and remains in critical condition.

On Jan. 13, at around 12:45 p.m., two officers responded to a 911 call of a person with a gun in the 2900 block of Third Avenue East in Hibbing. When the officers arrived, they encountered a man, later identified as Che Jones, 24, of Rochester, outside of the residence and carrying a gun, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

According to the BCA's preliminary investigation, Jones fled on foot after the two officers ordered him to drop his weapon. They pursued him behind the home where Jones allegedly pointed his gun at the officers. Both fired their weapons, hitting Jones.

The officers were identified as Kurt Metzig, a 19-year veteran with the Hibbing Police Department, and Cody Loewen, who has been with the police department for three years. Both officers were placed on standard administrative leave, according to the BCA.

Jones remains hospitalized at Essentia Health-St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth. According to a GoFundMe page created by Darci Moore, who identified herself as Jones' mother, police told her that Jones was "shot in the face, arm, and chest or back."

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The page stated that Jones remains in critical condition.

An individual injured prior to the officers' arrival was taken to Fairview Range Medical Center, where the person was treated and released. The circumstances regarding that portion of the incident is still under investigation.

The Chisholm Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, Minnesota State Patrol, Lake Superior Drug Task Force and Hibbing Fire Department all assisted on scene.

Once the investigation is complete, the BCA will turn its findings over to the St. Louis County Attorney's Office for review.
DES MOINES  With Secretary of State Paul Pates Election Integrity Act still in draft stage, Democrats on the House State Government Committee complained it was hard to ask questions about his proposal to require all voters to present ID cards before casting their ballots.

We were hoping today is to have the bill before us  so we could ask about what it does and about problems and pitfalls, Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, said about the bill still being drafted by the Legislative Services Agency. Part of the concern and angst we have about opening this up today is there are so many questions we have.

Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines, was equally perplexed by the lack of anything more than a one-page explainer.

Without a bill its hard to ask specific questions, he said, adding that made the discussion kind of meaningless.

He did make clear his opposition, telling Pate that there were only 31 credible instances of fraud in the billion votes cast between 2000 and 2014.

I have a better chance of getting struck by lightning. Twice, Hunter said.

Pate addressed several questions about the mechanics of his proposal during an hour-long presentation and question-and-answer session. He emphasized that it gives voter participation and election integrity equal priority, and would require more of election administrators  his office and county auditors, but not be a burden on voters.

Pate proposes changes to bolster Iowa election integrity DES MOINES | Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate on Thursday proposed a $1 million upgrade to 

Hes calling for voter identification  including existing Iowa drivers licenses, passports and military IDs  be required and signatures be verified at polling sites. Eligible voters, out-of-state students and others who lack approved identification would be issued free ID cards including a personal identification number that would be required for all absentee ballot requests.

Hes calling for a soft roll-out of the new voter ID procedures beginning with city and school elections this year. No one would be turned away if they didnt have their ID as long as they can verify they are who they say they are. The mandatory use of the new procedures would begin in 2018  after the 2018 general election.

Hes also calling for post-election audits to affirm result and illuminate problems.

Other changes would include the use of electronic pollbooks to replace voluminous paper pollbooks at every precinct. Pate said 72 of 99 counties already use pollbooks.
It sounds like a tragedy straight out of Shakespeare.

On Jan. 7, as Karen J. Fawcett and her husband, O.J. Fawcett, were preparing to move into their new home in the Twin Cities, Karen suddenly became ill and died at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

Fawcett, whose lifelong commitment to the arts included many volunteer duties with the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, was 77. She and O.J. were moving from Winona to the Twin Cities to be closer to their sons and grandchildren, and to the art scene they loved.

"It's a huge loss for the community, and for me personally," said Doug Scholz-Carlson, artistic director of the Great River Shakespeare Festival. "Going out into the lobby after a play and not having her there is going to be strange."

Fawcett started the Friends of Will group of festival supporters, organized and trained festival ushers and volunteers, and early on set up a mechanism for individual donations to the festival, Scholz-Carlson said. "She had a knack for perceiving what the need was and stepping in to fill that need," he said.

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One of those perceived needs was tapping into the potential audience in Rochester. "She was the one who started the outreach to Rochester," Scholz-Carlson said. "She made the connection to all those people."

"She knew how important Rochester is to the festival," said Jeanne Skattum, of Rochester, a festival board member.

In typical fashion, Fawcett did more than just drop in on Rochester. She attended theater openings, arts events and local arts meetings, even making the drive from Winona on snowy winter nights.

"I'd turn around and see her and say, 'I didn't know you were coming for this,'" Skattum said. "And she would say, 'Oh, I wouldn't miss this.'" In recent years, Karen and O.J. became regulars at Rochester Repertory Theatre plays.

"I've known Karen since I was in college," said Skattum, who worked in summer theater at Winona State University. "She and O.J. were great supporters of the theater and of me. They were always there for me."

Karen Nelson was born March 5, 1939 in Park Falls, Wis., graduated from high school in Grand Marais, Minn., and attended Northwestern Hospital School of Nursing. She married O.J. Fawcett in 1962 and moved to Winona, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing. She was a pediatric nurse at Winona Clinic and directed early childhood development programs in Winona Public Schools. Along the way, she immersed herself in the local arts and theater community.

"She just loved the arts, anything she could do for the arts, especially for young people," Skattum said.

During the summertime Shakespeare festival in Winona, Fawcett could be found driving actors to and from the airport, arranging housing and hosting the cast for lasagna dinners. They didn't forget her. "We were at her funeral, and actors flew in from around the country," Skattum said.

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Fawcett is survived by her husband, O.J., two sons, and five grandchildren. Condolences may be placed online with Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home of Winona; fawcett-junkerfuneralhome.com. Interment is in Woodlawn Cemetery, Winona.
The city will wait a little while longer to find out whether the Rochester City Council will give heritage preservation protection to the Days Inn building on West Center Street.

The Days Inn building, formerly the Hotel Carlton, is at First Avenue Northwest, just east of Mayo's Methodist Hospital. The city's Heritage Preservation Commission, after a review of the site, had asked the council to decide whether the building should be protected under the heritage preservation ordinance.

The council set a public hearing for Wednesday evening, but the developer asked for the hearing to be delayed. It was rescheduled as part of the council's Feb. 6 regular meeting.

The development group, Rochester Development I, LLC., has proposed a 17-story tower for the site that includes both the 97-year-old hotel building and parking lots to the north. The project would include a hotel, commercial and residential space. Hammes Co., of Madison, is the main consultant on the project proposal. The redevelopment is known as Heart of the City North, after the Destination Medical Center subdistrict where the project would be located.

The council had previously delayed the developer's land use applications to make its decision on the building's historic status, and the council had requested additional information from a third party consultant, Collaborative Design Group.

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That report was not yet finalized, said Aaron Reeves, assistant city administrator. The added time would give the consultant, Bill Hickey, more time to answer his remaining questions on the redevelopment. The report should be finalized by next Wednesday, Reeves said.
Slightly more than a year after taking her position, Megan Johnston is out as executive director of the Rochester Art Center.

"She is no longer with the art center as of yesterday," Brad Nuss, president of the art center board, said Wednesday.

Nuss declined to give a specific reason for Johnston's departure. Johnston did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Johnston started at the art center on Oct. 1, 2015, coming from The Model, an art center in Sligo, Ireland. Johnston, a Stillwater native, said at the time she wanted to return to the Midwest after earning her doctorate degree in Northern Ireland.

Asked what comes next for the art center, Nuss said "We're looking at appointing an interim director, and then we'll look for a permanent director." He said an interim would be appointed within a couple of weeks.

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The art center, which is attached to the Mayo Civic Center complex has endured a couple of tough years financially with construction of the civic center expansion making access to the art center difficult.

"There have been a lot of changes," Nuss said, "but this has nothing to do with the civic center."

The Rochester Art Center will open an Andy Warhol exhibition Feb. 4.
Taxicab franchises in Rochester could soon be operating under a new set of city rules. The Rochester City Council on Wednesday moved forward with proposed de-regulations to its taxi standards, a policy change prompted by the city's move to allow ride-sharing services including Uber.

Taxi franchise representatives had asked the city council to remove several regulations that had set for the taxi industry when the council previously considered a transportation networking company ordinance. That ordinance change allowed for ride-sharing services including Uber and Lyft.

Taxi representatives, seeking a fair playing field with the new competition, asked the council to remove regulations on taxis and allow taxis to function more like ride-sharing services. Two Rochester taxi companies  Yellow Cab and Med City Taxi  had been working to find common ground in suggesting regulation changes.

Those companies had come to a conclusion, said Aaron Reeves, assistant city administrator, at a Wednesday council meeting.

The major compromise had come in the city's requirement for a minimum number of taxis to establish a franchise. Yellow Cab had suggested five; Med City compromised at 10.

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The regulation changes also included removing some language that set flat rates for certain cab rides; removing some requirements for cabs to have identifying colors and company lettering; removing a requirement for taxi drivers to complete Certified Tourism Ambassador Training; and other changes that would have prevented taxis from operating both as cabs and as ride-sharing vehicles.

The council agreed to move the taxi ordinance changes on to the next stage in its approval process, a formal ordinance reading. The ordinance will require two readings before the council to be approved.

Neither Uber nor Lyft have begun operating in Rochester since the council approved its transportation networking company ordinance.
WABASHA  A proposed 55-room hotel along the Mississippi River in Wabasha has been scuttled by the court of public opinion.

Blaine Marcou, part of the development group looking to build a hotel next to the National Eagle Center in downtown Wabasha, said negative stories in the news scared away a trio of investors in the project, effectively ending the hotel development before it began.

"We had three different parties who wanted to do this development with the Eagle Center," Marcou said. "They saw the bad press and pulled out of it."

The project would have included 55 rooms with many balconies facing the river, conference space and a seawall where boats could pull alongside and dock, he said.

"There were some squeaky wheels out there trying to derail this," Marcou said. "We were ready to go, and our equity partners said, 'We want to be the heroes. We don't want to be part of this cat fight.'"

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The opposition in town, Marcou said, came mainly from people associated with the AmericInn and a local bed and breakfast he did not mention by name.

City administrator Chad Springer said the end of the deal  which Marcou said would have cost between $6 million and $7 million and brought in $190,000 in taxes  came as a shock.

"It's a huge surprise," Springer said. "There's some opposition, but there are a lot of people who are for it. I'm very shocked, at least at the point we're at this soon."

Springer said the city has spent about $150,000 in the past several years studying what to do with the empty riverfront lot where the hotel would have been built.

The city also had approved the sale of the land  contingent on several factors including approval by the Eagle Center  for $1 and a $683,830 business subsidy agreement with Grand Eagle Hospitality

All that is wiped out with the end of the project. Springer said while there was a vocal minority against the project, many people, including business owners, supported the project but did not speak up publicly for fear of reprisals.

"I've talked to a lot of people," he said. "They don't want to put their name out there for fear of retribution."

The same thing happened, he said, when the Eagle Center was built. "And that turned out to be a great deal for the city," Springer said.

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Rolf Thompson, executive director of the Eagle Center, said he was expecting the project to go forward and that the Eagle Center would be part of the developers' plans.

"We were expecting we'd be a part of it in order to meet the expansion needs of the Eagle Center," Thompson said. "We thought there would be a lot of synergies, and it could be a very positive thing for the Eagle Center and the region."

With the project ended, Thompson said the Eagle Center would move forward with plans to expand on its own instead of in partnership with Grand Eagle Hospitality. "The bottom line for the National Eagle Center is the need to expand for the need of our services. We need to expand, and we hope we'd be able to use some of the riverfront property."
WABASHA  An early Donald Trump supporter, Paul Kruger declared to his son that if the New York businessman won the White House, he wanted to go to the inauguration.

True to his word, Kruger set to work the day after the November election making travel plans and trying to get tickets for the event. The Wabasha dairy farmer said he wanted a chance to be around fellow Trump supporters and see the swearing-in for himself.

"I've been on board with Trump for a long time," Kruger said. "He's a businessman. I'm a dairy farmer, and my kids and I milk 300 cows.

"Smart businesspeople get ahead in life," he added. "Trump is really a smart businessman, and it takes those kinds of people to run the country."

Kruger and his son, Paul Kruger Jr., will be among those gathered outside the U.S. Capitol on Friday morning for the inauguration ceremony. An estimated 700,000 to 900,000 people are expected to attend. During the ceremony, Trump will be sworn-in as the 45th president of the United States.

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The younger Kruger said he is excited to be making the trip with his dad. The 22-year-old police officer said he is eager to witness the historical event.

"I've always liked politics ever since high school, so it will be fun for me," he said.

While Democrat Hillary Clinton ended up winning Minnesota in November, Trump dominated in rural counties throughout the state. In Wabasha County, Trump won 60 percent of the vote.

For the elder Kruger, this is the first time he has traveled to Washington, D.C. The 59-year-old said he backed Trump because he believes he will make needed changes to the country.

"I look at it like this: If you or me run a checkbook like the government runs a checkbook, we'd be in trouble. And Don Trump is going to change that. He's going to shrink the government," he said.

The biggest hurdle for the Krugers proved to be getting inauguration tickets.

"Boy, they were really hard to get. We've been trying since Nov. 8," the dad said.

In the end, they were able to get tickets from newly elected 2nd District Republican Rep. Jason Lewis' office. While in D.C, they will also be meeting a relative who is driving up from South Carolina for the big day.

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Republican Party of Olmsted County Chairman Aaron Miller said local Republicans are feeling optimistic as Trump takes over.

"There is a new sheriff in town. It will be interesting to see whether he is able to keep a lot of the campaign promises, and I think there's a lot of hope on the Republican side that he does stay true to his word and roll back back some of the executive actions and fix health care and really start to unleash the economy," Miller said.

As for Paul Kruger, he said he is not sure whether he will be able to see much given how many people are going to the inauguration, but he doesn't mind.

He added, "I'm just really happy about going."
There is no doubt that we all want to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It is an undisputed national treasure, and we're fortunate that it is in our own backyard. That said, anyone implying that potential mining activities would destroy this pristine area shows a lack of understanding of the strict existing environmental and regulatory protections at the state and federal levels.

Twin Metals Minnesota, the company for which the federal government denied renewal of its mineral leases, has yet to even propose a project. The federal leases in question have been in place for more than 50 years and have been twice renewed by the federal government without controversy and with acknowledgment that the leases pose no adverse environmental impacts.

Renewal of the leases is necessary for Twin Metals to continue engineering and environmental studies that will inform the eventual project plan submitted to agencies for comprehensive environmental review under state and federal law. To deny renewal of these long-standing leases and to take further action to bar new mineral permits and leases on federally owned lands in northeastern Minnesota are arbitrary actions that ignore long-established federal law and processes for regulating the mining industry.

These federal decisions also deny the public the opportunity to evaluate mining projects on their merits at the appropriate time as outlined in the existing review process. In a recent survey released by Mining Minnesota and Twin Metals Minnesota, 81 percent of survey respondents in northeastern Minnesota agreed that "potential coppernickel mining proposals in Minnesota should be allowed to go through the rigorous state and federal environmental review process, and granted permits if environmental protection standards are met."

Copper, nickel and precious metals are used in materials like cellphones, medical devices and cars that make modern life possible. The demand for these minerals means mining will occur, and we have the opportunity to ensure it happens in an environmentally sound manner rather than with less rigorous safety requirements in other countries.

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Thankfully, new technologies are available to allow mining and the environment to coexist. Just look at the Eagle Mine in Michigan. The mine has been safely producing copper and nickel in Michigan's Upper Peninsula  an area with a climate very similar to that of Minnesota  since 2014. Between 2011 and 2025, the mine's direct and indirect impact is estimated to generate $4.3 billion for Michigan's economy.

The Eagle Mine project closely parallels the opportunities we have right here in Minnesota to bring an economic boon to our state.

Recent federal decisions hinder the ability for responsible natural resource development to occur in our state and provide much-needed jobs to hardworking men and women. A proposed two-year pause in the process ignores established and lawful processes and the realities of our economy.

Greater Minnesota continues to suffer after the Great Recession.The Blandin Foundation's Rural Pulse Survey found that incomes remain low and there are grave concerns about the vulnerability of the economy. Potential mining projects will bring relief to areas that are hurting and provide family-sustaining careers in a variety of industries.

Mining projects will generate thousands of jobs once operational and each job in the mining industry creates approximately two additional positions in spinoff industries, according to a study conducted by the Labovitz School of Business and Economics at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

We're already benefitting from copper-nickel mining projects under development in Minnesota. For example, PolyMet Mining has invested more than $200 million in its project since 2006 and Twin Metals Minnesota has invested more than $400 million since 2010. These investments are creating real jobs today for Minnesotans and supporting the growth of our state's economy.

We cannot be afraid of progress. We cannot ignore the law or the will of the people. We must not applaud recent decisions by the federal government. We need to allow responsible companies to follow a predictable review process, because it works.

Russell Hess, of Plainview , is political coordinator of the Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota and a board member of Jobs for Minnesotans.
Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo issued a statement yesterday after meeting with senior Department of Defense officials regarding the possible use of Agent Orange in Guam during the Vietnam War.

Today I met with senior Department of Defense officials to discuss claims that Agent Orange was used on Guam during the Vietnam War," Bordallo stated in a release. "I appreciate the departments quick response in meeting to discuss my concerns. This was an initial meeting to discuss the deep concerns that have been raised in our community, and the Defense Department has asserted that Agent Orange was not used on, stored or transshipped through Guam during the Vietnam War. I look forward to reviewing their records that support this claim and continuing to engage with the Defense Department and local stakeholders so that we have all the facts on this issue.

Letter to the Air Force

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According to Post files, Bordallo wrote to the U.S. Air Force on Jan. 6 inquiring about the claims that Agent Orange was used at Anderson Air Force Base in the 1960s and '70s. Bordallo stated that she had "heard these claims from constituents and from other service members that have served on island."

Information was provided in a press release.
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A Guam-based helicopter transport company whose Guam and Saipan helicopters and flying certificates were seized in a raid late last year had two fatal, maintenance-related crashes about two decades before the raid.

Hansen Helicopters Inc.s attorney, David Lujan, wasnt immediately available for comment yesterday. Lujan had filed court papers earlier this week indicating the business wants an evidentiary hearing and to obtain a copy of search warrants the FBI executed in October and November last year to get an idea of the reason for the raids.

The U.S. Attorneys Office, which signed off on the search and seizure of several of Hansens helicopters, airworthiness certificates and registration certificates for 15 aircraft on the business fleet, also was unable to comment if the fatal crashes from many years ago had to do with what sparked the ongoing investigation.

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The FBI also seized three helicopters at a Hansen facility in the state of Georgia and a helicopter registered in the Philippines, for which Hansen was providing maintenance, according to the business filing in the federal court.

Helicopters grounded

The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits an aircraft owner from operating the aircraft without airworthiness and registration documents, so the 15 helicopters at issue have been grounded since the FBI conducted the search between October and November last year, according to Lujan, in a motion filed in court earlier this week.

Lujan is asking the court to order an evidentiary hearing and to try to get the helicopter businesses aircraft and certificates released.

The U.S. Attorneys Office neither confirms nor denies an ongoing criminal investigation to the public.

However, Stephen Leon Guerrero, an assistant U.S. attorney in Guam, wrote in a Jan. 9 letter to Lujan that no search warrant information would be turned over to Hansen because the matter continues to be part of an ongoing criminal investigation.

The U.S. Attorneys Office described the investigation as being in a pre-indictment phase, which means neither the business nor people involved in the business had been charged in court.

The National Transportation Safety Board has two records of fatal crashes involving Hansen.

On June 20, 1997, one man died and another was seriously injured when a Hansen helicopter crashed in the Pacific Ocean.

The pilot involved in the crash had not attended any factory training courses on the specific helicopter involved in the accident, according to the NTSB.

'Non-standard parts' found

And non-standard parts were found on the inside of what the NTSB report called a trim switch.

The examination and subsequent disassembly revealed that the switch had been disassembled and then reassembled, according to the NTSB.

The switch is not a repairable item, according to the report. No repair manual or spare parts programs exist for this switch.

The helicopter in the 1997 accident was used to spot tuna for a fishing ship called M/V Granada. The location of the accident site was about 2,000 miles southeast of Guam, according to the NTSB.

In another fatal accident, on Aug. 26, 1996, a Hansen helicopter crashed in waters near Guam, resulting in one death, according to NTSB records. The probable cause of the accident, according to the NTSB in a report, was the loss of tail rotor control due to improper maintenance.

The search last year confiscated Hansen logbooks, according to documents the company filed in federal court, in an attempt to get its helicopters and other property released by federal authorities.

Company 'economically injured'

Hansen has already been economically injured by the seizures and would be irreparably injured by denying return of the registrations and certificates, as the FAA prohibits an aircraft owner from operating the aircraft without such documentation, which means that the 15 helicopters at issue have been grounded since the seizures, according to Hansen.

The U.S. Attorneys Office agreed to release the logbook for one aircraft.

However, any other logbooks, airworthiness certificates and registration that were seized, cannot be released because of the ongoing criminal investigation, according to Leon Guerrero.

We will not agree to release a copy of the affidavits in support of both the Guam and CNMI Search Warrants, Leon Guerrero wrote to Lujan. This is a criminal matter in which there is an ongoing investigation. Such production will be made once this criminal matter is filed in court.
In other words

In the summer of 1858, Abraham Lincoln stood before his state convention and warned, "a house divided against itself cannot stand." The apt re Read moreThe danger of an island divided
Anti-Semitism is resurgent around the world, and the U.S. is not immune. Yesterday a bomb threat was phoned in to a Jewish community center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, which operates an early childhood facility:

Following the threat, a teacher at the Sabes Jewish Community Center posted a photo online of the cribs that had been moved outside.

In less than a day, the photo with a heartrending caption was shared thousands of times by users on Facebook.

You see a lot of pictures in the news from incidents of bomb threats and other horrible events, but I feel this picture says so much, Angie Arnold wrote. These 4 cribs held 18 babies as we pushed them out of the building until we loaded them into our cars to take them to a safe location. When the staff came back to the building after the all clear, it made my heart stop to see these cribs sitting in the empty parking lot.

She continued, How do people make threats like this on buildings full of innocent children? Im praying for our country tonight and our children.
Since James Taranto has given up his daily Best of the Web column for the Wall Street Journal, others need to fill in the gap, especially his Bottom Story of the Week category. And here is another story out of Canada showing that were losing our minds:

Moby Dicks Restaurant Barred as an Offensive Name VANCOUVER, B.C. (CN)  A business in Vancouver, B.C., has sued its building council for blocking the lease of its restaurant property to Moby Dicks fish-and-chips franchise, because the council says the word Dick is offensive. Plaintiff Mengfa International bought a unit in a commercial building in 2010 and in 2014 leased it to an Asian-fusion restaurant, The Change, for five years. The Change fell on hard times, though, and in May 2015, Moby Dick Restaurant, a fish-and-chip franchise, agreed to a lease and purchase arrangement. The building council wouldnt allow it. It insisted that the word Dick in Moby Dick was an offensive term, Mengfa says in its Jan. 9 lawsuit.

Oh for Gawds sake. The real absurdity, though, is the fact that the news report thought it necessary to explain that Moby Dick actually involves a literary reference:

The Moby Dick name and logo are not offensive to the public, given its literary significance and fame. . . The story, of course, tells the tale of Captain Ahab, obsessed with finding and killing a great white whale which cost him half a leg. The book ends with its narrator (Call me Ishmael) floating on a coffin in the ocean after Moby Dick smashes the whaling ship and kills everyone else in it.

Irony deprived as the media is these days, I guess no one thinks to note that the obsessed Ahabs of our day are the forces of political correctness determined to sniff out any microaggression anywhere. (Though I wonder how this might have played out if Ahab had been after a whale of color instead of a clearly oppressive homicidal white whale?)

Only one thing to do. Yes, you guessed it correctly, with apologies to Anthony Weinera dick pic:

The great prankster Dick Tuck (heh) was not available for comment, apparently because you cant print his name in the newspaper any more.
At Tom Prices hearing yesterday, the Democrats focused on alleged ethics problems. One involved the purchase of Zimmer Biomet stock. John has discussed this purchase which was directed by Prices stockbroker as part of ongoing management of the congressmans investments.

A second involved the purchase of Innate Immunotherapeutics, an Australian biotech company. The decision to make this purchase was Prices. There is a dispute between Price and Sen. Patty Murray about what the nominee told the Senator, during his courtesy visit, regarding the circumstances of the purchase. Whatever those circumstances, the fact that Price directed this purchase enabled Murray and others to question him about advocacy in Congress that may have served that companys interests.

I want to focus, though, on a third ethics issue, one raised by Sen. Al Franken.

Franken began by getting Price to admit that smoking is bad for ones health. Great lawyering, Al.

Having brilliantly set Price up, Franken pulled his ace. Isnt it true that you, Tom Price, a medical doctor, have owned tobacco stocks?

Price responded that such stocks would have been purchased through a mutual fund and that, like most people, he didnt know all of the stocks that were in his funds. He suggested that many Senators, Franken probably included, have owned tobacco stocks through mutual funds.

Franken didnt back off. He said he found it very hard to believe that Price didnt realize he owned tobacco stock. Franken rested his case and moved on.

But later, Sen. Johnny Isakson pointed out that Franken owns Phillip Morris stock in a mutual fund. Franken could be heard protesting this is different from mutual funds.

Thats true as to Zimmer Biomet and Innate, but not as to the tobacco stocks that Franken clownishly injected into the proceedings.

There wasnt much to laugh at during the DeVos and Price hearings before the Senate Health, Labor, Education & Pensions Committee. Fortunately, we can usually count on Al Franken for comic relief.
Donald Trump has been criticized for declaring NATO obsolete. In my view, the truth of Trumps statement depends on what he meant by obsolete.

If Trump meant that NATO is no longer useful, I think he is wrong. If Trump meant, as he seemed to, that NATO needs to be revised and restructured, I think he is right.

Im not the only one. Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post reports that French Air Force Gen. Denis Mercier, the senior NATO commander based in the U.S., agrees with that Trump NATO is obsolete in the second sense described above.

Mercier acknowledges that NATO has some structures that are obsolete. He cites aspects of the NATO bureaucracy that are duplicative and could be streamlined.

Is this part of what Trump was complaining about? I dont know. He seemed mostly to be complaining about members not paying their fair share.

However, it may be worth noting that Mercier holds the position with NATO formerly held by James Mattis, Trumps nominee for Secretary of Defense. Perhaps Mattis has told Trump that aspects of NATO are obsolete and that this is part of what Trump had in mind.

Mercier is clear that he does not consider NATOs role as a bulwark against Russian aggression to be obsolete. Like Trump, he favors talking with Russia, but adds we always talk better with Russia when we are strong.

I doubt that Trump disagrees with this comment. But whether the president-elect appreciates (or will come to appreciate) the Russian threat the way Mercier, and for that matter Mattis, does remains to be seen.
When Barack Obama speaks, especially without a teleprompter, you can almost see the zzzzzzs rising over the heads of his audience. You can only listen to platitudes for so long. But then, suddenly, Obama will come out with a falsehood so other-worldly that you sit up and say, WTF was that?

This was one such moment in todays press conference:

OBAMA: We are the only country in the advanced world that makes it harder to vote rather than easier. And that dates back. Theres an ugly history to that that we should not be shy about talking about. QUESTION: Voting rights? OBAMA: Yes, Im talking about voting rights. The reason that we are the only country among advanced democracies that makes it harder to vote is  it traces directly back to Jim Crow and the legacy of slavery and it became sort of acceptable to restrict the franchise. And thats not who we are. That shouldnt be who we are. Thats not when America works best. So I hope that people pay a lot of attention to making sure that everybody has a chance to vote. Make it easier, not harder. This whole notion of election  voting fraud, this is something that has constantly been disproved, this  this is fake news. The notion that there are a whole bunch of people out there who are going out there and are not eligible to vote and want to vote.

Making it harder to vote means requiring identification in order to prevent voter fraud. Is the U.S. really, as Obama says, the only country in the advanced world that imposes such a minimal requirement?

Of course not. In fact, we are pretty much the only country that doesnt. John Fund provides useful background:

Almost all industrialized democracies  and most that are not  require voters to prove their identity before voting.

***

The vast majority of countries require voter ID  usually photo ID  to prevent fraud and duplicate votes at the polls. Our neighbors do. Canada requires voter ID. Mexicos Credencial para Votar has a hologram, a photo, and other information embedded in it, and it is impossible to effectively tamper with. Confidence in the integrity of elections has soared since its introduction in the 1990s. At a 2012 conference in Washington at which election officials from more than 60 countries met to observe the U.S. presidential election, most were astonished that so many U.S. states dont require voter ID.

They were right to be astonished. Yet President Obama says the effort to ensure ballot integrity traces directly back to Jim Crow and the legacy of slavery. This is idiotic. When Democrats imposed Jim Crow laws across the South in the wake of Reconstruction, they relied on poll taxes and ridiculously difficult or ambiguous testsadministered only, apparently, to African-Americans who hadnt finished a certain grade levelto maintain Democratic Party control. Voter ID had nothing to do with it. But no one ever said that Barack Obama knows anything about history.

Obama repeats the Democratic Party talking point that there is no such thing as voter fraud. A person wise in the ways of the world probably wonders, if there isnt any voter fraud going on, why are the Democrats so vehemently opposed to the ballot integrity measures that are used in virtually every other country? The answer, of course, is that voter fraud is no myth.

Because voter fraud laws are so rarely enforced, we dont have a good idea how extensive the problem is. But here in Minnesota, the Minnesota Voters Alliance has done yeoman service in uncovering many instances of fraud:

A new voter fraud case before the Minnesota Supreme Court claims 1,366 ineligible felons have cast at least 1,670 fraudulent votes in recent statewide elections, possibly tipping the outcome of close contests, including the 2008 U.S. Senate race.

That race, won narrowly by Al Franken, allowed the passage of Obamacare.

Court papers demonstrate how the incomplete list of ineligible voters provided to local election officials routinely allows felons, wards of the state, immigrants [who are not citizens] and other ineligible persons to register and vote. The 1,366 identified felons who have been permitted to vote is believed to be only a fraction of the true total, the 110 page court petition filed by MVA and former Rep. Kirk Stensrud states. Cooperation from the [Democratic Party] Secretary of State would have allowed for a more complete accounting of the number of ineligible persons who have been permitted to vote.

Unlike other ex-presidents, Obama hasnt promised to go away. Indeed, he isnt, in physical terms, going anywhere: he has bought a mansion in his real home town, Washington, D.C., and will stay there for the foreseeable future, readily accessible to the Democratic reporters who cheered on his failing administration. And if called upon, he is ready to come out of retirement.

If, for example, as he said today, there are explicit or functional obstacles to people being able to vote, to exercise their franchise. In other words, voter ID. If more widespread adoption of voter ID laws is all it takes to draw Barack Obama back into the political fray, God help us. Unlike Hillary Clinton, we havent seen the last of him yet.
Normally Im able to keep my equanimity in the face of the relentless stupidity of the media and even academia, but once in a while something sets me to full boil. Such as this headline and story in the Washington Post, which is beyond a disgrace even for the worst of the comPosters:

Now lets pause and note that reporters are not responsible for headlines, so for the moment we should only say that the Post headline writer should be fired first thing tomorrow morning. After all, do you really want to employ a headline writer so clueless that he/she would write that a person who lost an eye to a terrorist bombing is being eyed for a White House job?

Anyway, to continue with the copy:

Computer scientist David Gelernter, a Yale University professor who has decried the influence of liberal intellectuals on college campuses, is being considered for the role of the Donald Trumps science adviser. Gelernter met with the president-elect at Trump Tower in New York City on Tuesday, according to press secretary Sean Spicer.

Again, let us stop here and note that Kaplans story so far does not say that Gelernter decries intellectuals, but rather, liberal intellectuals. But fiercely! So how does anti-intellectual get in the headline? As I say, this headline writer should be fired. To continue:

Gelernter is a pioneer in the field of parallel computation, a type of computing in which many calculations are carried out simultaneously. The programming language he developed in the 1980s, Linda, made it possible to link together several small computers into a supercomputer, significantly increasing the amount and complexity of data that computers can process. Since then he has written extensively about artificial intelligence, critiquing the fields slow progress and warning of AIs potential dangers. In 1993, Gelernter was seriously injured by a letter bomb sent by Ted Kaczynski, the anti-technology terrorist known as the Unabomber.

Some other time, perhaps, we can talk a bit more about where and how the Unabomber learned his leftist anti-technology ideology. Hint: it involved leftist intellectuals at Harvard. It has long been rumored that the Unabomber had a heavily marked-up copy of Al Gores Earth in the Balance in his cabin in Montana. Gore was at Harvard around the same time as Kaczynski, learning the same early post-modern nihilism. The FBI has never confirmed whether Kaczynski had Gores book. I asked a senior FBI agent I once knew about it. He professed not to know. But see also Alston Chase, Harvard and the Unabomber: The Education of an American Terrorist. If anyone has moral standing to critique leftist intellectuals, its David Gelernter. To continue:

Beyond computer science circles, Gelernter has made a name for himself as a vehement critic of modern academia. In his 2013 book, America-Lite: How Imperial Academia Dismantled Our Culture (and Ushered in the Obamacrats), he condemned belligerent leftists and blamed intellectualism for the disintegration of patriotism and traditional family values. He attributed the decline in American culture to an increasing Jewish presence at top colleges. (Gelernter himself is Jewish.)

Lets just stop right here, as Kaplans story doesnt get any better from here on. The invocation of intellectualism here is obviously an ideological caricature. Vehement critic? Its pretty clear that if you dissent from the liberal orthodoxy of the universities, for Kaplan it makes you a vehement critic.

Ive only met Gelernter once, but Ive read many of his fine books and articles. This can be stated as categorical, objective truth: Intellectually, Sarah Kaplan isnt fit to carry David Gelernters jockstrap. She should be fired, too, for such a shoddy piece of journalism.

And people in the media wonder why Trump, and much of the population, think the media is the enemy.

UPDATE: A Facebook friend points me to a Time magazine profile of Gelernter:

Inside the house, evidence of the mind of Gelernter is everywhere. The towering walls of booksincluding his own works on computer science, religion, popular culture, history and psychology. His works of artsome abstract, some powerfully figurative, like the life-size evocations of the great kings of Israel inspired by Christian tomb art at the Basilica of St. Denis outside Paris. Musical instruments fill the floor space. Flamboyantly colored birds survey the scenea purple parrot in a cage near the kitchen and a multihued macaw named Ike that presides over the family room. Gelernters conversation runs in torrents from the prophesies of Isaiah to the subtleties of Gothic engineering to the proper design of graphical user interfaces. Indeed, the breadth of his interests and the range of his thoughts can be overwhelming. Gelernter expresses sympathy for the graduate students in his new seminar on software design at Yale, which has been his academic home for most of his life. The students are flummoxed, he reports, by their professors extensive discussion of medieval architecture, specifically the so-called strainer arches at Wells Cathedral in Somerset, England. Wrought from massive stone blocks and installed nearly 700 years ago to prevent the church from collapsing, these arches are as strong as steeland as lovely as butterfly wings. His reason for dwelling on the subject, he explains, is that all truly great designs are beautiful as well as functional. I try to tell them, if youre going to do anything good in software, it will be beautiful. Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy has called Gelernter, who pioneered breakthroughs in parallel processing, one of the most brilliant and visionary computer scientists of our time.

But because he disagrees with liberals, hes a Spiro Agnew level anti-intellectual to the Washington Post.

Well do more updates if the Washington Post does the right thing and takes down this risible article.
A lot of people are thinkingand hopingthat Trump will be the third term of Ronald Reagan. Certainly his cabinet is to the right of Reagans first cabinet in many ways, and we have the experience of the Reagan years to appreciate better the massive opposition of what people are starting to call the deep state, a more accurate term perhaps for the menacing character of the administrative state.

I stumbled across a speech Reagan gave in 1977 that states the modern problem very well:

But how much are we to blame for what has happened? Beginning with the traumatic experience of the Great Depression, we the people have turned more and more to government for answers that government has neither the right nor the capacity to provide. But government, as an institution, always tends to increase in size and power, not just this governmentany government. Its built-in. And so government attempted to provide the answers. The result is a fourth branch added to the traditional three of executive, legislative, and judicial: a vast federal bureaucracy thats now being imitated in too many states and too many cities, a bureaucracy of enormous power which determines policy to a greater extent than any of us realize, very possibly to a greater extent than our own elected representatives. And it cant be removed from office by our votes.

The last sentence here raises the central issue of Trump and Trumpism. The administrative state has dug in even more deeply since the Reagan years (a process that really started under Nixon, but thats a long story for another time), and will be even harder to root out now.

Tevi Troy offers an important survey and tour of the scene in the current issue of Commentary, Will There Be An Internal Revolt Against Trump? Tevi very nicely gives a shout out a key line in my forthcoming book: That bureaucratic government is the partisan instrument of the Democratic Party is the most obvious, yet least remarked upon, trait of our time. Tevi goes through all the tricks bureaucrats use to frustrate a president or cabinet member it disagrees with. A useful primer that every Trump appointee ought to read.

My favorite example is one I have been saying for years:

An obstinate employee cant be fired, as we have seen, but can be offered a job at the same level in North Dakota or another distant state. This does not have to be done too often before the word spreads that the politicals know how to use the tools at their disposal and that they are willing to employ them.

Forget North Dakota. I think Trump should build a large federal building in Nome, Alaska, and send as many DC bureaucrats there as possible.
WASHINGTON | Thirty-six Mason City High School students and six adults, under the direction of history teacher John Lee, arrived in Washington D.C. Thursday and will attend Friday's inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States. Lee led a similar excursion of students for the inauguration of President Obama in 2012.
Quote: why the assumption that it would be a US flagged base?



no one would, i assume, think that either the RAF or USAF has the money or inclination to reactivate a mothballed base and build significant infrastructure there for just a handful of aircraft to operate from - when the RAF RC-135 fleet is at full chat there'll still often only be one in the UK, how many USAF RC-135's are usually sat on the ramp at Mildenhall?



if such a thing happens i'd put good money on the US put its visiting RC's at Waddington..

Waddington isn't the TARDIS that many seem to think it is - how many more types can you fit in there? And remember it's not just the actual jets you'd need to consider; Eng, Logs, accommodation etc all need to be factored in.And don't just think USAF RC-135s. When you consider they also operate 135 variants such as the OC-135 and the E4 out of Mildenhall, not to mention AAR then it starts to make sense to consider a centralised 135 facility for all types.
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MASON CITY | A Mason City woman who pleaded guilty to selling methamphetamine to an undercover buyer was given a deferred judgment this week.

Cierra Kirsten Schmith, 27, was put on probation for five years on one felony count of methamphetamine delivery. A $1,000 civil penalty was suspended.

3 Mason City residents arrested in meth investigations MASON CITY | Three Mason City residents police say sold methamphetamine to undercover buyers

If she successfully completes probation, the conviction will not appear on her criminal record.

Schmith pleaded guilty to the charge in November. A second count of meth delivery was dismissed due to a plea bargain.

Schmith was arrested in May following an investigations by the North Central Iowa Narcotics Task Force. She was accused of delivering meth twice in November 2015 to someone cooperating with the task force.

-- Mary Pieper
MASON CITY | During his last full day in office, President Barack Obama cut short the sentences of 330 federal inmates, including two Mason City men convicted of dealing crack cocaine.

Tyrone Sturdivant, 47, who had a 29-year sentence he received in 2006 amended to a life term in 2010, had that sentence commuted Thursday to 20 years in prison.

Reginald Gardner, 50, who began serving a 32-year prison term in 2004, had his sentenced commuted to 19 years and six months.

The commutations for both men are conditional upon their enrolling in residential drug treatment.

With his final offer of clemency, Obama brought his total number of commutations granted to 1,715, more than any other president in U.S. history, the White House said. During his presidency Obama ordered free 568 inmates who had been sentenced to life in prison.

Mason City woman's meth sentence commuted, advocates celebrate MASON CITY  The prison term has been commuted for a Mason City woman hailed by an advocacy 

The final batch of commutations  more in a single day than on any other day in U.S. history  was the culmination of Obama's second-term effort to try to remedy the consequences of decades of onerous sentencing requirements that he said had imprisoned thousands of drug offenders for too long.

Obama repeatedly called on Congress to pass a broader criminal justice fix, but lawmakers never acted.

Sturdivant, who authorities say was part of a large drug ring in the Mason City area, was found guilty in July 2005 of conspiring with others from 2001 through 2004 to manufacture crack cocaine and to distribute powder and crack cocaine.

Evidence at trial showed he distributed more than 20 grams of powder cocaine to individuals working with law enforcement. Other evidence presented at trial established his involvement in the distribution of more than 350 grams of crack cocaine.

After receiving a 29-year sentence, Sturdivant appealed the U.S. District Court's denial of his motions for acquittal and for a new trial.

Prosecutors filed a cross-appeal and won after arguing in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that Sturdivant's three prior felony drug convictions meant he should receive a mandatory life sentence.

The circuit court found the district court erred in refusing to to apply a drug conviction in Michigan because of a clerical error indicating the conviction was in Missouri.

Gardner was arrested in June 2003 after the Special Operations Group of the North Central Iowa Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant at a house in Mason City.

As the task force rolled up, Gardner ran into the house and barricaded himself with two other people inside a bedroom. Officers forced entry. During their search they found $850 cash, marijuana, 122 grams of cocaine, nearly 10 grams of crack cocaine and ammunition for a .380-caliber handgun.

Gardner was sentenced to 30 years in prison after a federal jury found him guilty of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. He received an additional two years in prison for violating terms of a supervised release on previous drug charges.

To be eligible for a commutation under Obama's initiative, inmates had to have behaved well in prison and already served 10 years, although some exceptions to the 10-year rule were granted. They also had to be considered nonviolent offenders, although many were charged with firearms violations in relation to their drug crimes.

Obama personally reviewed the case of every inmate who received a commutation, often poring over case files in the evenings or calling his attorneys into his office to discuss specifics. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates said the administration reviewed all applications that came in by an end-of-August deadline  more than 16,000 in total.

Neil Eggleston, White House counsel, said Obama had been particularly motivated to grant clemency to inmates who had turned themselves around in prison.

He said one inmate had trained and obtained a commercial driver's license through a prison program, despite having a life sentence that all but assured he'd never get to use it.

"The ones who really stuck home for the president and me are the ones who got their GED, they worked, they took courses in anger management, they took courses in getting over drug abuse issues, they remained in contract with their families," Eggleston said.

Obama has long called for phasing out strict sentences for drug offenses, arguing they lead to excessive punishment and incarceration rates unseen in other developed countries. With Obama's support, the Justice Department in recent years directed prosecutors to rein in the use of harsh mandatory minimums.

Earlier in the week, Obama commuted most of the rest of convicted leaker Chelsea Manning's sentence, arguing the Army intelligence analyst had shown remorse and already served a long sentence.

Yet Obama will leave office without granting commutations or pardons to other prominent offenders who had sought clemency, including accused Army deserter Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He also declined to pardon former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
Chuck Laudner, the Rockford man who ran Donald Trump's Iowa presidential campaign, knew what would be the key to Trump's political success back in the days when many of us didn't think he had a chance.

The Trump campaign was unique, he said. "Everything's different. That's kind of the whole point," said Laudner in an interview with the Globe Gazette in December 2015.

"Donald Trump has changed politics as usual," he said. "The media can't tear him down. The establishment can't tear him down. You can go anywhere, and if you're wearing a Trump button you've started a conversation."

He was right. The man who changed "politics as usual" will be sworn in Friday as the 45th president of the United States.

Trump first appeared in North Iowa on June 4, 2015, about two weeks before he officially announced his candidacy.

"They are clowns, absolute clowns. They don't know what they are doing," he said.

I was among the throng of journalists packed into an area sectioned off at the back of the ballroom whom Trump singled out at start of his speech, pointing to us and calling us "the most seriously dishonest people in the world."

I thought to myself, "Hey fella, you don't even know me," but his barb came as no surprise.

The thing I remember most about his appearance in Clear Lake is the number of expletives he used, rolling easily off his tongue every few moments.

"We're going to knock the s--- out of ISIS," he said.

Later, he said the idea that terrorists' families are not aware of terrorist activities being planned is "b---s---."

He said as a businessman, he donated thousands of dollars to politicians from both parties over the years.

"I give to everybody," he said. "And when I call, they kiss my ass.

"Before this country goes to hell, we better get it away from the politicians," said Trump.

Coarse language aside, he had a message that resonated with the crowd that night and resonated with the nation 10 months later.

"What we have going is a movement," he said. "What we have used to be called the silent majority. I call it a noisy majority."

The crowd roared its agreement.

When I look back on Trump's appearance in Clear Lake that night, several thoughts come to mind.

I wonder what his inaugural address will be like and, later, his State of the Union message?

I think about the ominous task he has of trying to bring a divided nation together -- if he tries.

And I think about how Chuck Laudner summed up Trump and his success in those few words: "Everything's different. That's kind of the whole point."
Ladies and Gentlemen,

First and foremost, I should like to thank wholeheartedly the President and the Director of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations  Mr. Dan Meridor and Mr. Laurence Weinbaum for inviting me to the Polish-Israeli conference dedicated to cooperation of our countries in the international arena. I also wish to thank Director Sawomir Debski for making Polish Institute of International Affairs part of the project.

Poland and Israel enjoy very good relations, and our nations have shared more than a thousand years of mutual interaction. Therefore, it seems advisable that experts should jointly reflect on perspectives of cooperation in the international space. Even more so, given the fact that over the last few years history has accelerated dramatically. New challenges and threats have emerged to which we should find a common answer.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In my opening address I would like to outline the directions of my foreign policy. I am firmly convinced that the process of building permanent and mature relations between nations should be based not on short-term interests but rather on shared principles and values. That is why the priorities of my policy focus on two universal notions: the notion of SECURITY and the notion of COMMUNITY. In a world engulfed by conflicts, grappling with increasingly brutal acts of terrorism, the sense of security and belonging to a community is the basic desire of our societies.

The best guarantee of global peace and security is solidarity-based, consistent and determined defence of order founded on international law. The key element thereof is the significant strengthening of the deterrence and defence potential in all places where factors are involved which constitute a real threat to stability and peace. Whatever the nature of such a threat might be  conventional or hybrid one. One should ensure that everyone who, even for a short while, tempts to the logic of the "law of force, with the use of military means, instantly understands that it simply does not pay off. It is precisely this mechanism that underpins the true "force of law.

Therefore, it is the strategic goal of the Republic of Poland to implement, as soon as possible, all decisions taken by the North Atlantic Alliance at the Warsaw NATO Summit. It predominantly refers to the establishment of the enhanced forward presence of the Alliance in the so called Eastern flank, as well as more intensive cooperation with NATO partners in the Baltic Sea region and in the East. Everywhere where nowadays aggressive actions are undertaken which undermine the European order based on international agreements.

Security through deterrence does not exclude a dialogue. Quite on the contrary  we have always been and will continue to be ready for dialogue. However, for such a dialogue to be effective, it has to be conducted from the position of trust in one`s own defence potential. This is precisely the reason why Poland has been gradually increasing its spending on the Armed Forces while modernizing them dynamically at the same time. We count on the Polish-Israeli cooperation in the field of defence.

Still, a responsible security policy needs to go beyond its direct neighbourhood. In my conversations with the Allies, I have repeatedly stressed that Poland is opposed to the so called "regionalization of security and its rationing across given areas. Globalization and the nature of contemporary threats make vulnerable also those countries which are situated far away from the direct source of threat. Furthermore, should we consider security an important value, then we have to acknowledge that, as such, it is indivisible. In other words  that all our Allies deserve it equally.

Driven by responsibility in that sense of the word, Poland is involved in fighting threats in the Middle East and in the Mediterranean. We are an active member of the international coalition against the so called Islamic State. As part of the operation Inherent Resolve we have deployed two military contingents: an airborne contingent carrying out reconnaissance tasks and a contingent for training purposes. In this context, I would like to commend Israel`s actions aimed at fighting terrorism, including its active cooperation with Egypt in order to eliminate Daesh structures in Sinai. This is a proof of the significant role that the State of Israel plays in stabilizing the situation in the region.

A responsible security policy also involves humanitarian and development aid in the conflict-stricken regions. Driven by care for those suffering due to the war in Syria, Poland has increased its commitment in the Middle East. Moreover, we have been taking an active part in stabilization efforts of the situation in the Mediterranean, which is volatile due to massive migration flows onto the European continent. Today I am satisfied to say that Poland was among those EU states which consistently stressed, right from the start, that the migration crisis has to be tackled at its real, direct source. And humanitarian aid has invariably been one of the key instruments in that respect.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Republic of Poland is aware that for Israel the fundamental challange in the Middle East region is presented by its relations with the Palestinian side. We are consistent in our support for initiatives aimed at working out a two-state model of peaceful coexistence. We believe that the reopening of peace talks is possible, however without imposing concrete outcomes, which should be achieved in the course of direct negotiations. The resulting lasting peace should take into consideration the interests of both parties, including the security of the Jewish State, acknowledgment of Israel by the Arab States, as well as complete normalization of mutual relations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Tensions and conflicts in the contemporary world are creating ever deeper divisions in the international arena. They feed on particularistic interests and lack of mutual trust. This is perceived by our societies who appreciate the value of community among states, both: the one built on the political level, as well as the economic one. We need to remember that together we are always stronger and have more opportunities to act. Therefore, Poland wishes to develop cooperation among nations on three platforms: the regional, the European and the global one.

We`ve been consistently forging closer relations with our East-European partners. They extend beyond the Visegrad Group. We have also initiated the so called "3 Seas cooperation, spanning countries from the Baltic, to the Adriatic to the Black Sea. We are committed to a better integration of the region in terms of transportation and energy infrastructure. In order to intensify cooperation in these fields, we have decided to host in Poland the 2nd Summit of the 3 Seas States, which is scheduled to take place in a few months, in July 2017, in Wroclaw.

Being a responsible member of the European Union, Poland is an advocate of European unity. Though, the way the situation in Europe evolves, demonstrates that the EU is in need of some indispensable changes. They should serve to enhance its democratic legitimacy and increase EU citizens` trust in its institutions, as well as boost its economic competitiveness and its standing in the international arena. With our involvement in solving the current problems we want to make Europe stable enough to undertake the common effort of introducing reforms in the European Union.

The transatlantic bond is of special importance to us. The United States is the pillar of stability in the Euro-Atlantic world, as well as our main Ally in the international arena. Therefore, we are committed to enhancing our mutual relations in such areas as: defence, energy and innovation. We count on fruitful cooperation with the new US administration in this respect.

In the global perspective, we want to develop economic cooperation wherever a potential for that exists. In my capacity as President of the Republic of Poland, I am especially committed to translating top-level contacts into active investment cooperation. This includes also countries on continents distant from Poland, such as the Far East or Africa.

Having said that, I wish to express my satisfaction with the high volume of economic exchange between Poland and Israel. Nevertheless, we can still see a big potential for deepening our cooperation in the sector of innovations and high technologies. Isreal unquestionably is one of the leaders in the area of innovation. That is why I have brought with me representatives of Polish start-ups, young and innovative buisnesses who hope to establish cooperation with Israeli companies. I hope that my visit will give a strong impulse to furthering Polish-Israeli economic relations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Warsaw is becoming increasingly important as the centre of politics in Central Europe. It is proved by the growing number of foreign experts in the capital of my country. New think-tanks are opening their branches there, foreign research institutes are also making their presence. I am truly satisfied that this year Warsaw will see the opening of the American Jewish Committee office. Another demonstration of Poland`s increasing importance, I believe, is cooperation between the Israel Council on Foreign Relations and the Polish Institute of Foreign Affairs. It is my great hope that we will witness its further development in the future.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Security and community are the two values of fundamental importance for Poles. Looking at Israel`s history I can clearly see how significant they are also for the Jewish Nation. I wish to share with you my great hope that these values will continue to serve as pillars of a permanent partnership between our states and our nations.

Thank you for your attention and may I wish you fruitful discussions!
Your Excellencies the Ambassadors,

Distinguished Ministers,

Mr President,

Rabbi,

Mr Chairman,

All distinguished assembled Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen!



I am very happy that I am able during my visit to the State of Israel to participate in this ceremony in the Menachem Begin Heritage Centre. For the exhibition inaugurated today reminds us of common historical experiences that bring the Polish and the Jewish nations together, and of the values that underpin our friendship, such as freedom, security, tolerance, mutual respect, solidarity and friendship.

I am particularly pleased to be able to meet you in this very centre, named after Menachem Begin, born in Brest on the Bug River as Mieczyslaw Biegun; then in the rank of officer cadet of the Polish Army he came to Israel in 1943 as one of Polish army soldiers under command of general Wladyslaw Anders. And it was here, on this soil at his own request he was dismissed from the service in order to be able to join the struggle for a Jewish state of Israel, whose member of Knesset he was for next ten terms in office, from 1949, the state that he ruled then for six years as prime minister.

A similar decision, like that of Begin, was then taken by about 2.5 thousand Polish soldiers of Jewish origin. Polish military commanders and political leaders of the government of the Republic in exile fully understood the reasons motivating Jews and did not hinder such choices. Poles took leave of their Jewish colleagues, former fellow prisoners exiled in Soviet labour camps and then brothers-in-arms from General Anders army wishing them success in the struggle to restore their own state. They wished them success realizing that the same path led them to free Poland and to the creation of Israel: the path of armed struggle.

This way, in the life of Menachem Begin and a whole generation of Zionist Jews, educated in schools of interwar Poland, where along with young Poles of the Kolumb generation 1920, they were acquainted with the output of the great romantic poetry, patriotic poetry, in the life of the Jews who ardently desired their own state to be formed, a traditional Polish motto was embodied: "For our freedom and for yours". The freedom that the Jews together with the Poles defended on many occasions in the past and for which they stood up in arms together as citizens of the Republic of Poland.

For one thousand years, Poles and Jews lived together in one country, and Poland was for them a welcoming land: Polin, where they found shelter, fleeing persecution suffered in other countries of Europe. Thanks to the royal patronage and legal guarantees granted to them, Jews were safe, able to benefit from tolerance and freedom to profess their religion, and intensely developed their own culture and spiritual life. That is why in the 16th century Cracow Communes Rabbi Moses Isserles termed Poland paradise for Jews - paradis Judaeorum.

Most unfortunately, the Republic of friends, which for centuries we were shaping together, working for the common good, building nationwide the welfare of the countrys families, towns and villages, collapsed in the wake of aggression by Hitler's Third Reich in 1939 and in the wake of the Holocaust, which German Nazis brought to our soil. This way, the occupiers murdered six million Polish citizens, including three million Polish Jews. Such a planned destruction was an unimaginable crime.

This tragedy changed the course of history and the destinies of our nations. After World War II, the Jewish people built their own state, while Poland re-emerged on the map of Europe within its new borders, enslaved by the communist regime, and after half a century regained sovereignty and true independence. But the Poles and Jews continue to share many centuries heritage of coexistence in the Republic of Poland, in Polin where we jointly built prosperity of our nations and in defence of which we often stood in arms shoulder to shoulder to counter the invaders. I am happy that the exhibition recalls this important aspect on historical experiences shared by Poles and Jews.

Ladies and Gentlemen,



Living for centuries in the Polish state, Jews worked hand in hand with Poles to build prosperity of the society as a whole and took on their responsibility for the Home Country. Polish Jews went into annals of history of the Polish armed struggle, and the traditions of our joint fight for Polands independence date back to the 18th century. Let me quote a few examples:

During the Kosciuszko Insurrection in 1794, when Poland opposed the aggression of the tsarist Russia, an Orthodox Jewish Light Cavalry Regiment was formed, consisting of 500 cavalrymen under the command of Colonel Berek Joselewicz. He defended the Praga district of Warsaw against the Russian army and suffered heavy losses in combat. The commander himself - like many other Jews - later fought in the Polish Legions of General Jan Henryk Dabrowski in Italy and in the army of the Duchy of Warsaw, and died in 1809 in a battle with the Austrians near Kock. He fell for Poland.

A symbolic figure for Polish-Jewish fraternity in the struggle for the freedom of the Home Country is also Micha Landy: 17-year-old student of the Warsaw School of Rabbis, who died from a gunshot, wounded by Russian soldiers, who were quelling a patriotic demonstration on the Warsaw Castle Square in 1861. Like many contemporary Polish Jews, he considered himself a Pole of Jewish faith. At the moment when he suffered a fatal wound, he was heading the demonstration and carrying a crucifix, taken from the hands of an earlier wounded Catholic monk.

Poles and Jews fought together for freedom of the Republic of Poland in the national uprisings: the November Uprising of 1830, in the January Uprising of 1863, during World War I in the Polish Legions of Jozef Pilsudski. In 1918, the independent and democratic Poland, as soon as it gained independence, immediately recognized Jews as rightful citizens of the country. Hand in hand with Poles and representatives of other nationalities, they served in the Polish Army, defending the reborn Home Country against the Soviets in the war of 1920 and the Germans in 1939. The names of the Polish soldiers of Jewish nationality appear on the lists of those killed in the Battle of Bzura against the Wehrmacht, and those murdered by the NKVD in Katyn.

When on April 19, 1943, the Uprising in the Warsaw ghetto broke out, as Mr President has pointed it out already, two flags were flown over the Muranowski Square, with the headquarters and stronghold of the Jewish Military Union, composed of Jews, the pre-war Polish Army soldiers: the blue-white flag and the white and red one. These two flags - Jewish and Polish - were visible from afar. They aroused particular fury of the part of the Nazis because they were a symbol of our common resistance against the murderers, against the invaders. Survivors of the ghetto continued to fight later along with the Poles in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. Again, they were fighting and dying - for the freedom of Polish, for his freedom as citizens

Jews fought together with Poles for freedom, territorial integrity and security of the Republic of Poland, for they defended the country that gave them ample opportunities and prospects. In the Polin land for centuries Jewish identity was taking shape, Jewish culture and spiritual life were developing.

It was in Poland that Europe-wide famous rabbis worked, like Elijah Zalman - the Gaon of Vilna, which was called after the Jerusalem of the North. Here a great, mystical Jewish renewal movement: Hasidism was formed. Here famous tsaddiks worked miracles, like Elimelech of Lezajsk, whose grave attracts every year Jews making pilgrimages from around the world. In the Republic of Poland, Jewish religious life flourished with great intensity. Even much discussed heretical sects, ushered in by statements of Sabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank, had their root here.

Liberties enjoyed by Polish Jews were unprecedented. Local government, made up religious communities existed since the Middle Ages, enjoying royal protection and autonomy visa vis municipal authorities. From the 16th to the 18th century, it has also its supreme authority: the Sejm of the Four Lands for Jews from the Polish Kingdom, holding sessions in Yaroslavl and Lublin, as well as a separate Sejm for Lithuanian Jews convened in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Such a broad autonomy, with its own treasury and tax administration and the judiciary, was a unique phenomenon all across Europe. These institutions have been considered to be the nucleus of parliamentary system of the Israeli nation up until today.

In the Polin land, Jews participated actively in economic life, they ran their own trade and financial activity in cooperation with partners from other countries east and west of Poland. Economic contacts made by Jewish entrepreneurs, merchants and bankers reached far beyond the borders of the Republic of Poland. The evidence of broad prospects and the great momentum exemplified by the activities of Polish Jews is, for example, Gaspar from Poznan, who in the 15th century, travelled to Palestine, Egypt and India, where he met Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama and since then cooperated with him. In modern times, the Polish Jewish community had to its credit a whole number of prominent men of science and culture, who greatly contributed to the whole of humanity, for the development of the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

We, Poles and Jews, we are the heirs of our long and rich Polish-Jewish common history. We have had unique experiences, equally and beautiful, and dramatic ones. We are jointly the heirs of the Republic of friends, which saw the birth of many prominent representatives of the Jewish people, including the founders and leaders of the State of Israel, such as David Ben Gurion, and Menachem Begin himself.

Finally, we are witnesses responsible for memory and truth, especially the truth about what happened in Poland, occupied by the Germans, during World War II. I am confident that adhering to our shared values we will together build good future to both our nations and states, working together in various fields.

Thank you very much.


STONE HARBOR  The states new acting director of tourism told local business owners Thursday he is looking at ways to promote one of New Jerseys leading tourism destinations.

With 30 miles of beaches, Cape May County is the second leading tourist destination in New Jersey outside Atlantic County, generating 15 percent of the states tourism revenue.

Jake Buganski, New Jerseys acting director of travel and tourism, called Cape May County the states bread and butter when it comes to tourism.

Business owners were eager Thursday to hear what he could do to help boost tourism in the county and to bring more funding.

Id like to know your opinion, as Cape May County is probably one of the highest contributors of the occupancy tax and probably one of the lowest receivers, Freeholder Marie Hayes said of state tourism funds.

Tourism, New Jerseys seventh largest industry, has a total economic impact of $43.4 billion and employs more than a half-million people.

Buganski, speaking at the chambers monthly meeting at The Reeds at Shelter Haven Thursday, said the division should take Cape May Countys contribution into consideration when awarding grant money, which it now does not.

Fifteen percent of all tourism in the state in one county is nothing to sneeze at, he said.

The bigger problem lies in the allocation of occupancy tax dollars, Buganski said, which the division does not have power to change.

He said revenue from the 5 percent tax for hotels and motels is split: $16 million for arts and culture, $9 million for tourism and $2.4 million for history initiatives.

Thats all the money that we have in the state to promote tourism, he said. Were at a real disadvantage as far as thats concerned.

Buganski said the division will focus on leveraging the Jersey Shores heritage in its marketing campaign. A new heritage tourism website will be rolled out next month.

In addition to generating revenue, the countys tourism industry generates a large portion of its employment. Buganski said the Division of Travel and Tourism is working with higher-education organizations to make sure students receive training and remain in the community for employment.

Buganski, a Gloucester County native, was appointed in December after working as president of the visitors bureau in the Southern Finger Lakes of New York. He also was executive director of Visit South Jersey, one of the states official Destination Marketing Organizations.
TUCKERTON  Shannon Sobiech teaches history at Pinelands Regional High School.

But this year, she is sharing her classroom with Spanish teacher Hiram Ortiz, who lost his classroom last year when the school had to close nine rooms due to structural damage near an exit stairwell.

Its a challenge, said Sobiech, who also shares her desk with Ortiz.

One day, he accidentally picked up some her students essays with his own work.

We try to respect each others space, she said.

In November voters narrowly defeated a $53.6 million bond referendum that would have fixed the high school and made other upgrades and repairs to both the high school and junior high school.

On Tuesday, the district will try again, asking the same three questions and hoping they have done a better job explaining why all the work is necessary.

School Business Administrator Stephen Brennan said they are trying to reach out to people who may not have realized the severity of the situation.

They held a forum at the high school so visitors could see the scaffolding at the entrance and fencing that closes off the damaged wing.

The scope of the work goes beyond the damaged wing and reflects maintenance due since the high school was built in 1979. The roof leaks, and tiles are peeling on the upper floors near leaky windows.

Doors are scheduled to be replaced. Brennan had a hard time getting one unlocked during a tour.

The roof is at the end of its useful life, he said. Water is starting to penetrate. It is a clash of everything happening at once.

The junior high school has similar issues. During a recent storm, it rained in the shop class.

High school Assistant Principal Darren Hickman said the loss of nine classrooms resulted in some creative restructuring of classes, including having some teachers share classrooms. He said no classes were canceled, but teachers will have to use multiple classrooms during the day, depending on what room is open.

Teachers have been team players, he said. But they cant do the same things as when they are in their own rooms.

Ortiz and Sobiech said they are making their arrangement work. They said the arrangement does affect their teaching.

During prep periods the affected teachers have to roam around looking for an open spot to work since their classroom is being used by another teacher. If they forget something in the classroom, they typically do without rather than disturb the other class.

I teach in two different classrooms and keep all of my stuff in a third, said Ortiz, who has taught in the district since 2007. I have to take time to get set up and then shut down in each classroom, because it is not mine. Students are great, but they are losing several minutes of class each day. It is disorienting.

The bond referendum is divided into three questions. The first, which includes the major repairs at both schools, will cost $46.8 million, with about 40 percent, or $18 million, coming from state aid. That question must pass for any work to be done on the second two questions.

Other work includes a new HVAC system at both schools that will add air conditioning, something now only available in select rooms.

Brennan said with allergies and other health issues, the air conditioning is now more of a necessity than a luxury, especially since the schools are used almost year-round by students and the community.

These really are community schools, he said. We have adult schools here, and community meetings. The high school was a major evacuation site during Hurricane Sandy.

The district has posted a video made by students on its website, along with detailed information on the work to be done at both schools, the cost and the impact on the tax rate in the four affected communities that make up the regional district  Bass River, Eagleswood, Little Egg Harbor townships and Tuckerton.

The polls will be open from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Details of all three questions, the cost and impact on property taxes are online at pinelands regional.org/copy-of-ref erendum-information.
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A New Jersey Supreme Court ruling Wednesday opens the possibility for more affordable housing to be built in towns across the state.

Affordable housing advocates lauded the decision, which will require towns to include a 16-year gap period  when the Council on Affordable Housing was not operating effectively  in its calculation for its present obligation.

This ruling means that thousands of lower-income and minority families will be given the opportunity to live in safe neighborhoods, send their children to good schools and work at jobs where they live instead of traveling hours commuting each day, said Colandus Kelly Francis, chairman of the board of directors of the Fair Share Housing Center and vice president of the Camden County branch of the NAACP.

Attorney Jeffrey Surenian, who represented the respondent, Barnegat Township, called the ruling a mixed bag.

He said the high courts decision made clear that trial judges have wide discretion in defining the prospective need and give towns an opportunity to re-examine the numbers based upon the decision.

However, Surenian said the Supreme Court erred in concluding that a fair-share obligation is cumulative based on a previous Mount Laurel decision, among other misstatements.

The decision comes after a March 2015 Supreme Court ruling that dismantled the Council on Affordable Housing and directed Superior Court judges to oversee affordable-housing obligations on a town-by-town basis.

In July 2016, a state appeals court overturned a ruling by Ocean County Superior Court Judge Mark Troncone requiring towns to account for 16 years of housing needs when COAH was not operating effectively  known as the gap period from 1999 to 2015.

The Fair Share Housing Center and the New Jersey Builders Association appealed to the Supreme Court. Arguments were heard in November with 13 Ocean County towns as respondents.

In a decision released Wednesday, Justice Jaynee LaVecchia wrote that the courts deciding the obligations for municipalities must include that gap period when calculating present need.

The municipalities argued the gap period was already included in the calculation for present need and that creating a new gap period obligation was not under the courts authority.

LaVecchia noted in her decision that as of the date of the opinion, of the 13 towns included in the appeal, only Barnegat had not resolved its gap-period housing obligation.

Statewide, about 300 declaratory judge actions were commenced after the Supreme Courts 2015 decision. According to LaVecchia, 71 settlements have been reached.

LaVecchia noted the courts decision will impact other unresolved declaratory judgment actions brought by municipalities seeking to take advantage of the prospect of immunity offered by the process created in this courts 2015 decision.

COAH was developed after a series of rulings in the 1970s found New Jersey towns are required to provide a fair share of housing for low- and moderate-income residents.

It had developed two rounds of housing obligations for municipalities but was unable to develop third-round rules, which led to a series of court decisions that culminated in its being deemed defunct.
The number of inmates at the Atlantic County jail has remained steady  about 700 people  in the three weeks since bail reform aimed at drastically reducing jail populations took effect, county officials said.

Whether sweeping changes to the bail system will have the desired effect remains to be seen, according to some South Jersey lawyers and officials.

But the immediate impact has been people who are not considered a threat to flee or endanger others are being released without bail, said Cumberland County Warden Robert Balicki.

There are so many people here that couldnt get out because they couldnt afford $100, Balicki said. On the other hand, you had gangsters that could get out because they had the money. So its a good thing so far.

Balicki said the population of the Cumberland County jail has stayed around 300 inmates for the past few years. But he hopes the number will eventually drop by 25 percent.

In Atlantic County, Jay McKeen, a spokesman for the Prosecutors Office, said a lot of preparation went into implementing the reforms, but its too early to tell how successful they are.

The county recently announced the cost of the reforms are $800,000 this year, less than the $2.5 million previously estimated. County Executive Dennis Levinson said cooperation by the Prosecutors and Sheriffs offices reduced the number of people needed.

Lawyers across the region are also getting used to the new law.

One of the biggest issues for them involves the pre-trial detention hearings, which are held within 48 hours to determine whether an inmate can be released.

For attorney John Tumelty, whose law office is on New York Avenue in Atlantic City, one of his concerns involves whether defense attorneys get to cross-examine the arresting officer, a witness or be presented with evidence during the hearing.

So far it seems that they can do this without a witness or evidentiary hearing, he said. This is going to become increasingly important, but you never really know how something as pervasive as this is going to go until it actually gets started.

Northfield attorney Michael Myers also expressed concern about the hearing, saying an innocent person charged with a violent crime may be detained without bail and have to sit in jail for months until found not guilty during the trial.

On a purely human level, this should bother a lot of people, because these detained individuals have yet to even be convicted of a crime, he said.

Among the people most affected by the new law have been bail bondsmen.

Shawn Samonski, a bondsman at AA Bail Bonds in Pleasantville, said business has been terrible since the new law took effect.

He said they have been dealing with bonds on municipal levels and are still collecting money from people who were arrested before Jan. 1.

Its not dead yet. Were trying to hang on, he said.
State funding of schools would cut property taxes

Is Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo serious with his claim that his top priority as a state senator would be to lower property taxes? In four years as assemblyman with the advantage of being in the majority Democratic Party, the only taxes he has worked to lower are those of the Atlantic City casinos.

I would love to hear his detailed plan. The only way property taxes are ever going to become affordable again is to get the cost of education off the backs of the property owners and into the states budget, in accord with the N.J. Constitution. If education benefits everyone, then everyone should be paying for it.

Anything else is just the empty promise of a typical politician.

Janis Hetrick

Scullville

Let UN help Chicago

There has been too much killing on the streets of Chicago. The liberal-controlled government there has chosen to not participate in successful relief for its citizens. It also refuses to accept federal help. The body count continues to rise.

I have the perfect solution. Send in the United Nations forces. Chicagos mayor and police force may accept aid from this international force, since the UN has the same political goals as Chicago  hate America first, second and third, but keep asking for more money.

Howard Levine

Egg Harbor Township

Questions about liberals

Webster defines liberals as those who are broadminded, tolerant ... marked by generosity and openhandedness.

If we are to take this dictionary definition literally, may I suggest that many who claim this label seek another nomenclature?

Is it liberal for college professors to flunk those students who do not share their political ideology? Is it liberal for those same universities to bar speakers from graduation exercises who might dare espouse anything but a liberal point of view? Is it liberal for the Hollywood establishment to blacklist those actors who dare claim to be conservative? Is it liberal for celebrities to boycott the upcoming presidential inaugural activities because, in their view, the wrong person was elected  and chastise those who agree to perform? Finally, is it liberal to label those who dare disagree as deplorable and intellectually inferior?

I think not in every case.

Matthew Costanzo

Northfield

Balanced power is strong

Funny, it takes a progressive like Bernie Sanders to remind the Republican-led Senate of Donald Trumps promise not to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. One of the things that makes America strong is the balance of power.

Peter Gladue

Galloway Township
The administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Region 2, which includes South Jersey, spent the past seven years shouldering responsibility for everything from Superfund sites to federal clean air and water laws and pesticide rules.

Its a big job, especially in New Jersey, which has more Superfund sites than any other state.

But as a presidential appointee, Region 2 Administrator Judith Enck now must resign.

Every regional administrator changes with the new administration, she said. All are legally required to resign by noon Friday.

A new Region 2 leader has not been announced.

She said she hopes the Trump administration will follow the lead of past Republican administrations in supporting the EPAs work.

She called Region 2, which includes New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and eight federally recognized Indian tribes, one of the strongest EPA regions in the country, with 820 professional staff and an annual budget of $650 million.

My great hope is that people stay out of their way, and they continue to enforce environmental laws, she said of the regions staff members. Let them ... tackle the really ressing issues of the day, which include water quality, climate change, solid waste disposal and cleaning up New Jerseys toxic legacy.

But both Trump and his EPA administrator nominee, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, have said things that are cause for concern, Enck said.

Trump has called climate change a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese, she said.

Pruitt said in a confirmation hearing Wednesday in front of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that he does not think climate change is a hoax. But his lawsuits against the EPA while state attorney general have many people worried.

I appreciate the work Judith did on two key priority issues for us  the Passaic River cleanup and establishing long-term plans to reduce or eliminate combined sewer overflows, said state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin.

New Jersey Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel said Enck didnt always agree with environmentalists, but there was always respect.

Enck was open to allowing the federal Superfund site at the former Shieldalloy plant on the Newfield/Vineland border to bury and cap its 50,000 pounds of low-level radioactive materials, while Sierra Club sided with DEP and wanted it removed, he said. The materials will be moved to an out-of-state disposal site.

But thats an argument among friends. Both wanted the site cleaned up, Tittel said.

Protecting the environment shouldnt be partisan issues, Enck said.

Region 2 has fared very well with Republican administrations in the past. I hope that continues, she said.

President Barack Obamas decision to take the Atlantic Ocean out of consideration for future oil and gas drilling was particularly important for New Jersey coastal communities, Enck said.
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.




MELBOURNE, Australia and DRESDEN, Germany, Jan. 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (Telix) is pleased to announce a product development partnership with Therapeia GmbH & Co KG (Therapeia). Telix will add Therapeias ACD-101 theranostic program for glioblastoma to its pipeline of advanced theranostic radiopharmaceutical products. Telix also has secured the option to acquire Therapeia under pre-agreed terms. The financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed.



ACD-101 is a synthetic amino acid that targets the L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1), which is strongly over-expressed in many aggressive malignancies, including glioblastoma, multiple myeloma, melanoma, gastric, breast, prostate and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). ACD-101 has been studied clinically with both diagnostic radiolabels (for imaging with Positron Emission Tomography  PET) and therapeutic radionuclides. ACD-101 demonstrates favourable therapeutic biodistribution and kinetics, and is actively transported across the intact blood-brain-barrier into tumour cells. ACD-101 potentially offers therapeutic benefit as a monotherapy, and in conjunction with other therapeutic agents, including radiotherapies (external beam therapy, microspheres, brachytherapy, etc.), due to its radiosensitization effect.

CEO Chris Behrenbruch stated, ACD-101 is a unique multi-action agent that has the potential to deliver something really new to the management of several very challenging malignancies, particularly glioblastoma. Early patient experience in Germany has demonstrated promising therapeutic results and we are excited to be working with the Therapeia team to take this program forward to Phase II and beyond.

Therapeia Managing Director, Dr. Andreas Kluge added, We are delighted become part of the Telix team and to add this program to Telixs stable of theranostic radiopharmaceuticals. The radiopharmaceutical space has lacked commercial critical mass for decades, and has only just started to gain the clinical and product development momentum it truly deserves. Only by building a portfolio of best-in-class products and financing them appropriately, can we expect to see the field deliver on its enormous clinical potential. Dr. Kluge joins Telix as a Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer.1

About ACD-101

ACD-101 is a synthetic amino acid that targets the L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1), which is over-expressed in many malignancies, including glioblastoma, multiple myeloma and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). LAT1 forms part of the tumour metabolome, harnessed by tumour cells to grow at the expense of surrounding healthy cells. LAT1 has been recently identified as promising drug target in oncology. Over a hundred patients have been successfully imaged with ACD-101 to study biodistribution and kinetics, including in patients with inoperable brain tumours. Clinical pilot studies for the therapeutic forms of ACD-101 have commenced in Europe.

In glioma, ACD-101 is actively transported over the intact blood-brain-barrier into tumour cells overexpressing LAT1, conveying a unique triple mode of action consisting of 1) a targeted radiation toxicity, when administering radiolabeled forms of ACD-101 (131I, 211At), 2) a direct cytostatic effect combined with 3) an intrinsic radiosensitizer effect, enhancing the activity of both, internal and external radiation therapy. The fact, that pathologically increased amino acid uptake is central function in any tumour disease, suggests that ACD-101 may have very broad clinical applicability.

About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited

Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (Telix) is a clinical-stage biopharamaceutical company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Telix is developing an advanced portfolio of clinical-stage products that address significant unmet medical need in oncology, particularly renal, prostate and brain (glioblastoma) cancer. Telixs pipeline consists of theranostic radiopharmaceuticals, agents that can be used both diagnostically (via PET imaging) and therapeutically to patient benefit. Telix is an unlisted public company. For more information go to www.telixpharma.com.

About Therapeia GmbH & Co KG

Therapeia is a privately-held company headquartered in Dresden, Germany. Founded by Dr. Andreas Kluge, it is developing ACD101 for both imaging and therapy, in several important oncology settings.

____________________

1 Dr. Kluge remains the CEO of ABX CRO, a leading radiopharmaceutical clinical research organisation
THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

If you are in any doubt as to what action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own financial advice from your stockbroker or other independent adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

If you have recently sold or transferred all of your shares in Welney plc, please forward this document, together with the accompanying documents, as soon as possible either to the purchaser or transferee or to the person who arranged the sale or transfer so they can pass these documents to the person who now holds the shares.

WELNEY PLC

(Incorporated in England and Wales with Registered Number 05660908)

Directors:

Darren Edmonston (Chairman)

Cameron Luck

To the Shareholders of Welney PLC

Dear Shareholder

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - 11.00 a.m. on 13th February 2017

I am pleased to enclose the notice of the Company's Annual General Meeting, to be held at 11.00 a.m. on 13th February 2017.

The ordinary business of the Annual General Meeting will be to receive and adopt the accounts of the Company to 30 June 2016, to re-appoint the auditors, and to re-elect directors.

You will find set out at the end of this document a notice convening the AGM to be held at

Manor of Groves, High Wych, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, CM21 0JU.

.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN



A Form of Proxy is enclosed, for use at the AGM. Whether or not you intend to be present at the AGM, you are asked to complete, sign and return the Form of Proxy to the Company's registrars, Share Registrars Ltd, The Courtyard, 17 West Street, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7DR, as soon as possible but in any event, so as to arrive no later than 11.00 a.m. on 9th February 2017. The completion and return of a Form of Proxy will not preclude you from attending the AGM and voting in person should you wish to do so. Accordingly, whether or not you intend to attend the AGM in person, you are urged to complete and return the Form of Proxy as soon as possible.

2. RECOMMENDATIONS

The Directors consider that the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM are in the best interests of the Company and Shareholders as a whole. Accordingly, the Directors unanimously recommend Shareholders to vote in favour of the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM.

Yours faithfully

Darren Edmonston

Chairman

WELNEY PLC

(Incorporated in England and Wales with Registered Number 05660908)

Notice of Annual General Meeting

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting ("Meeting") of Welney plc ("Company") will be held at the offices of Manor of Groves, High Wych, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, CM21 0JU on 13th February 2017.

You will be asked to consider and vote on the resolutions below. Resolutions 1 to 3 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions.

ORDINARY RESOLUTIONS

To receive and adopt the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2016 together with the directors' report and auditors' report on those accounts.

To re-appoint Welbeck Associates as auditors of the Company to hold office until the conclusion of the next general meeting at which the accounts are laid before the members and to authorise the directors to fix their remuneration.

To re-appoint as a Director Cameron Luck, who retires in accordance with Article 106 of the Articles of Association of the Company.



By Order of the Board

Dated 18 January 2017

Notes:

1. To be entitled to attend and vote at the meeting (and for the purpose of the determination by the Company of the number of votes that may be cast), shareholders must be entered in the register of members of the Company at 11:00 a.m. on 9 February 2017 (or, in the event of any adjournment, at 11:00 a.m. on the day which is two days before the date fixed for the adjourned meeting). Changes to the register of members after the relevant deadline will be disregarded in determining the rights of any person to attend and vote at the meeting.

2. A member entitled to attend the meeting is entitled to appoint another person as his proxy to exercise all or any of his rights to attend and to speak and vote at the meeting. A member may appoint more than one proxy in relation to the meeting provided that each proxy is appointed to exercise the rights attached to a different share or shares held by the member. A proxy need not be a member of the Company. Appointing a proxy will not prevent a member from attending and voting at the meeting in person.

3. A form of proxy for use in relation to the meeting is enclosed. To be valid, the form of proxy and any power of attorney or other authority under which it is signed (or a notarially certified copy of such power or authority) must be deposited with the company secretary not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for the holding of the meeting or any adjourned meeting.

4. As at 4 January 2017 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this notice), the Company's issued share capital consisted of 1,545,511,405 ordinary shares of 0.1p each. Each ordinary share carries the right to one vote at a general meeting of the Company and, therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company was as at 4 January 2017.

Proxy Form

For use at the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held at Manor of Groves, High Wych, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, CM21 0JU on 13th February 2017 at 11.00 a.m.

Before completing this form, please read the explanatory notes below.

I /We being a member of the Company appoint the Chairman of the meeting or (see note 4)











as my/our proxy to attend, speak and vote on my/our behalf at the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held at 11.00 am. on 13th February 2017 and at any adjournment of the meeting.

I/We direct my/our proxy to vote on the following resolutions as I/we have indicated by marking the appropriate box with an 'X'. If no indication is given, my/our proxy will vote or abstain from voting at his or her discretion and I/we authorise my/our proxy to vote (or abstain from voting) as he or she thinks fit in relation to any other matter which is properly put before the meeting (including any motion to amend any resolution or to adjourn the Annual General Meeting).

RESOLUTIONS For Against Vote withheld 1. To receive the Company's annual report and accounts for the 12-month period ending 31 December 2015 (ordinary resolution) 2. To reappoint Welbeck Associates as auditors to the Company (ordinary resolution) 3. To reappoint Cameron Luck as a director of the Company (ordinary resolution)

PLEASE SIGN WHERE INDICATED AND THEN COMPLETE THE REQUESTED DETAILS BELOW IN BLOCK CAPITALS

......................... ..............

Signature of shareholder or common seal/signature Date

of duly authorised officer/attorney of corporate shareholder

...................... .....................

Print name of signatory Print name of shareholder where signed on behalf of a shareholder

Notes to the proxy form

1. The full text of each resolution to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting is set out in the Notice of Annual General Meeting contained in the circular to shareholders of the Company dated 18 January 2017. Shareholders should read the resolutions set out in the Notice of Annual General Meeting together with the explanation of the resolutions set out in Part I of the Circular.

2. As a member of the Company you are entitled to appoint a proxy to exercise all or any of your rights to attend, speak and vote (on a show of hands and on a poll) at a general meeting of the Company.

3. Appointment of a proxy does not preclude you from attending the meeting and voting in person.

4. A proxy does not need to be a member of the Company but must attend the meeting to represent you. To appoint as your proxy a person other than the Chairman of the meeting, insert their full name in the box. If you sign and return this proxy form with no name inserted in the box, the Chairman of the meeting will be deemed to be your proxy. Where you appoint as your proxy someone other than the Chairman, you are responsible for ensuring that they attend the meeting and are aware of your voting intentions.

5. You may appoint more than one proxy provided each proxy is appointed to exercise rights attached to different shares. You may not appoint more than one proxy to exercise rights attached to any one share.

6. To direct your proxy how to vote on the resolutions mark the appropriate box with an 'X'. To abstain from voting on a resolution, select the relevant "Vote withheld" box. A vote withheld is not a vote in law, which means that the vote will not be counted in the calculation of votes for or against the resolution. If no voting indication is given, your proxy will vote or abstain from voting at his or her discretion. Your proxy will vote (or abstain from voting) as he or she thinks fit in relation to any other matter which is properly put before the meeting (including any motion to amend any resolution or to adjourn the Annual General Meeting).

7. To appoint a proxy using this form, the form must be:

completed and signed;

sent or delivered to, Share Registrars Limited, at Suite E, The Courtyard, 17 West Street, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7DR or by e-mail to proxies@shareregistrars.uk.com or fax: 01252 719232 and

received by the Registrar no later than 11.00 a.m. on 9th February 2017.

8. In the case of a member which is a company, this proxy form must be executed under its common seal or signed on its behalf by an officer of the company or an attorney for the company.

9. Any power of attorney or any other authority under which this proxy form is signed (or a duly certified copy of such power or authority) must be included with the proxy form.

10. In the case of joint holders, where more than one of the joint holder's purports to appoint a proxy, only the appointment submitted by the most senior holder will be accepted. Seniority is determined by the order in which the names of the joint holders appear in the Company's register of members in respect of the joint holding (the first-named being the most senior).

11. If you submit more than one valid proxy appointment, the appointment received last before the latest time for the receipt of proxies will take precedence.

12. In order to revoke a proxy instruction you will need to inform the Company by sending a signed hard copy notice clearly stating your intention to revoke your proxy appointment to Share Registrars Limited, at The Courtyard, 17 West Street, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7DR. In the case of a member which is a company, the revocation notice must be executed under its common seal or signed on its behalf by an officer of the company or an attorney for the company. Any power of attorney or any other authority under which the revocation notice is signed (or a duly certified copy of such power or authority) must be included with the revocation notice.

In either case, the revocation notice must be received by the Company no later than 11. 00 a.m. on 9th February 2017. If you attempt to revoke your proxy appointment but the revocation is received after the time specified, your proxy appointment will remain valid.
TAIPEI, Taiwan, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 4ipnet today announced the successful deployment of its Wi-Fi connectivity and guest access solutions at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), a nonprofit research institution and the center of the Biotech Campus Gatersleben in central Germany.

As an internationally renowned botanic genome research institution, it is essential for Leibniz IPK's Wi-Fi network to provide comprehensive coverage and reliable connectivity for its researchers. To meet this objective, the top priority of the institution's IT department was to upgrade the existing legacy Wi-Fi network to a reliable solution based on the latest 11ac standards.

"Given that we receive so many types of users on a regular basis, it is crucial for us to provide campus-wide Wi-Fi coverage and multiple user authentication methods," said Torsten Reuner, senior administrator of the institute's wireless infrastructure. After evaluating several vendors' Wi-Fi solutions, Leibniz IPK decided on 4ipnet as their final choice.

4ipnet WHG-series WLAN gateway-controllers are unique from other solutions available by integrating user authentication, role-based access policy enforcement, and centralized AP management into the same box. Furthermore, the Service Zone feature allows a single WHG gateway to simulate multiple independent virtual networks, each with their own user roles, access policies, and customized login pages.

With two 4ipnet WHG405 deployed, Leibniz IPK is able to offer Wi-Fi service tailored for individual user groups. Guests are assigned to the first service zone and authenticated via the built-in local user-database with accounts generated using 4ipnet's WTG keypad-based ticket printer solution. The second service zone is configured for visiting research fellows, where users are authenticated by 802.1X directly with their home institution's "eduroam account", facilitating an even more seamless login experience. The third service zone "ipk" is reserved for the institute's employees only.

As for the wireless connectivity, IPK deployed 4ipnet's EAP757, EAP767, and OWL630 access points to accommodate the various research laboratories, lecture halls, libraries, guesthouses, and outdoor facilities. The built-in enterprise-grade features of 4ipnet APs help IPK meet the demand of higher density environments, delivering a reliable user experience.

Up to date, Leibniz IPK is extremely satisfied with 4ipnet's Wi-Fi solution, as Mr. Reuner shared his user experience with great zeal, "Thanks to 4ipnet, we are able to implement a stable and optimized WLAN infrastructure. We look forward to completing the rest of Wi-Fi deployment with 4ipnet in early 2017."

About 4ipnet

Founded in 2002, 4ipnet designs and delivers innovative solutions for secure guest Wi-Fi connectivity. The company is focused on providing a personalized and disruptive approach to addressing complex Wi-Fi environments, ensuring a high-performance, flexible, and cost-effective wireless experience. With integrated user access control, social media insights, and tiered hotspot billing, 4ipnet's platform empowers businesses with new opportunities for value-added services and Wi-Fi monetization. For more information, please visit www.4ipnet.com.

SOURCE 4ipnet
USAID Office of Inspector General Moves to Stop Theft of U.S.-Funded Commodities

CONAKRY, Guinea, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, an investigation by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Inspector General (OIG) led local authorities in Guinea to arrest 8 individuals for illegally selling drugs to fight malaria. The arrests came after weeks of joint investigative work by OIG and the Guinean National Gendarmerie to secure evidence of theft, diversion, and resale of U.S. Government-funded antimalarial commodities.

OIG opened its investigation based on reports from U.S. Government staff that USAID-funded commodities, typically made available at no cost, were being unlawfully sold in Conakry's public marketplaces. This week's law enforcement action involved nearly 100 local police officers who acted to apprehend individuals in five separate marketplaces with OIG providing logistical support. The investigation is ongoing.

The U.S. Government fights malaria through the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), which focuses on 19 countries in Africa, including Guinea. Malaria is endemic in Guinea and causes more deaths there than any other disease. PMI funding in the country has exceeded $72 million since Fiscal Year 2011 and amounted to $15 million in Fiscal Year 2016 alone. Additional U.S. funding supports malaria programs under the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

"Making each U.S. foreign assistance dollar count is critical and the theft, diversion, and resale of life-saving drugs means they're not going to Guineans who need them most," said USAID Inspector General Ann Calvaresi Barr. "Fraud of any kind is unacceptable, but profiting illicitly from health programs is especially egregious. We pursue these cases aggressively and ask anyone with information about the theft of these commodities, in Guinea or elsewhere, to contact our office immediately."

In Guinea, OIG continues to seek specific information on the logistics, operational methods, and procedures used in the theft of U.S. Government-funded antimalarial commodities and by the suppliers of counterfeit medicine.

Any person with knowledge of these activities is urged to contact OIG:

OIG conducts independent investigations and audits to make U.S. foreign assistance programs more efficient, effective, and accountable. Information reported to OIG is treated in confidence and OIG protects the identity of each person providing information to the maximum extent provided by law.

Recently, OIG expanded its fight against fraud, waste, and abuse in U.S.-supported malaria programs throughout Africa. Its "Make A Difference" (MAD) campaigns in Malawi, Benin, and Nigeria publicly call for citizens to oppose theft and counterfeiting of antimalarial commodities and to recognize the dangers they present. Special MAD Malaria hotlines in these countries offer monetary rewards for information about abuses in malaria programs. Anyone with information should contact OIG:

Malawi

Call 800 00 847 (toll free)

Nigeria

Call 8099937319 (toll free from the Etisalat mobile network)

Benin

Call 81000100 to be connected via operator to 855-484-1033 (toll free)

Worldwide

Email: madmalariahotline@usaid.gov

Related Links

www.usaid.gov/oig



SOURCE USAID/OIG
RAMALLAH, Palestine, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

On January 18, 2017, Arab Palestinian Investment Company (APIC) issued new five-year bonds with a total nominal value of US$35 million in a private subscription with the participation of nine banks and companies from Palestine, Jordan and Bahrain. APIC's General Assembly recently approved the issue in its extraordinary meeting held in Ramallah.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160519/370006LOGO )



Receipt of subscription requests totaling US$80.5 million and representing 230% of the subscription offer

In a statement, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of APIC Tarek Aggad said that the bond issuance holds many advantages for the company and its future plans, including optimizing the company's capital structure. Aggad added, "There has been a big demand for subscription in APIC bonds, which was oversubscribed by 230%, and subscription requests totaling US$80.5 million have been received. If anything, it demonstrates the great appetite and trust APIC enjoys from the financial markets. It is also a reflection of the solid performance demonstrated by the company on the financial, operational and credit fronts."

The subscribers of the US$35 million bonds are: Arab Bank, Palestine; Bank of Palestine, Palestine; Bank of Jordan, Palestine; Cairo Amman Bank, Palestine; Cairo Amman Bank, Jordan; Usoul for Arab Company, Bahrain; Quds Bank, Palestine; The National Bank, Palestine; and the National Insurance Company, Palestine.

Aggad also indicated that a number of the banks that subscribed to the first issue in 2012 have renewed their subscriptions for this second issue. This further demonstrates the ongoing and increasing interest and trust of existing bondholders throughout the past five years by cementing their relationship with APIC.

It is worth mentioning that APIC bonds are structured with a bullet repayment after five years, with a call/early payment option; are privately issued and are not traded nor listed on any stock exchange; are not convertible into shares; represent senior debt; and are collateralized with 110% collateral coverage ratio.

APIC is a foreign public shareholding investment company listed on the Palestine Exchange (PEX: APIC). Its investments are diverse across the manufacturing, trade, distribution and service sectors in Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates through a group of nine subsidiaries: Siniora Food Industries; Unipal General Trading Company; Palestine Automobile Company; Medical Supplies and Services Company; National Aluminum and Profiles Company (NAPCO); Sky Advertising and Public Relations Company; Arab Palestinian Shopping Centers (BRAVO); Arab Leasing Company and the Arab Palestinian Storage and Cooling Company.

APIC is also one of the main founders of the Palestine Electricity Holding Company, the Palestine Power Generating Company and has a stake in the Bank of Palestine.

For more information:

Fida' Musleh/ Azar

Manager of Investors Relations and Corporate Communication

Tel. +970 (or 972) 2-297-70-40

Email: fida@apic.com.jo

Website: http://www.apic.ps



SOURCE Arab Palestinian Investment Company (APIC)
BEDMINSTER, N.J., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Matinas BioPharma Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:MTNB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative anti-infectives for orphan indications, announced today the successful completion of its tender offer to amend and exercise certain categories of existing warrants, which expired at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 13, 2017. The gross cash proceeds from the warrant exercises were $13.5 million with net cash proceeds, after deducting warrant solicitation agent fees and other estimated offering expenses, totaling approximately $12.7 million.



We are pleased with the significant participation in our warrant tender and extremely grateful to our loyal shareholders, commented Roelof Rongen, Chief Executive Officer. Strategically leveraging this self-financing mechanism not only simplifies our capital structure but importantly significantly improves our financial strength and better positions the Company for an up-listing to a national securities exchange in the near future. Additionally, proceeds from this transaction will help us to further advance our lead anti-infective product candidates, MAT2203 and MAT2501 beyond key clinical data readouts during 2017.

As of the expiration date, an aggregate of 30,966,350 original warrants were tendered by their holders and were amended and exercised, representing approximately 84.31% of the Companys 36,728,612 warrants included in the tender offer. SternAegis Ventures, through Aegis Capital Corp. acted as the warrant solicitation agent.

Complete terms and conditions of the offer were set forth in the offer to amend and exercise, Letter to Holders of Original Warrants and other related materials that were filed as exhibits to the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO filed by Matinas BioPharma Holdings, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on December 14, 2016, as amended and supplemented by Amendment No. 1 filed on January 5, 2017 and Amendment No. 2 filed on January 19, 2017. Copies of the offer to amend and exercise, Letter to Holders of Original Warrants and other related materials are available on the SEC's website, at www.sec.gov.

About Matinas BioPharma

Matinas BioPharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative anti-infectives for orphan indications. The Company's proprietary, disruptive technology utilizes lipid-crystal nano-particle cochleates to nano-encapsulate existing drugs, making them safer, more tolerable, less toxic and orally bioavailable. The Company's lead drug candidate MAT2203, currently in Phase 2, is an orally-administered, encochleated formulation of amphotericin B (a broad spectrum fungicidal agent). The Company has an open Investigational New Drug (IND) application for MAT2501, currently in Phase 1, which is an orally-administered, encochleated formulation of amikacin (a broad spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic agent) for acute bacterial infections, including non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) and multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacterial infections.

The Company's lead anti-infective product candidates, MAT2203 and MAT2501, position Matinas BioPharma to become a leader in the safe and effective delivery of anti-infective therapies utilizing its proprietary lipid-crystal nano-particle cochleate formulation technology. For more information, please visit www.matinasbiopharma.com and connect with the Company on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+.

Forward Looking Statements: This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the Company's strategic focus and the future development of its product candidates, including MAT2203 and MAT2501, the Companys plans to apply for listing on a national securities exchange, the anticipated timing of regulatory submissions, the anticipated timing of clinical studies, the Companys ability to identify and pursue development and partnership opportunities for its products or platform delivery technology on favorable terms, if at all, and the ability to obtain required regulatory approval and other statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "could," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain additional capital to meet our liquidity needs on acceptable terms, or at all, including the additional capital which will be necessary to complete the clinical trials of our product candidates; our ability to successfully complete research and further development and commercialization of our product candidates; the uncertainties inherent in clinical testing; the timing, cost and uncertainty of obtaining regulatory approvals; our ability to maintain and derive benefit from the Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP), Orphan and/or Fast Track designations for MAT2203 and MAT2501, which does not change the standards for regulatory approval or guarantee regulatory approval on an expedited basis, or at all; our ability to protect the Company's intellectual property; the loss of any executive officers or key personnel or consultants; competition; changes in the regulatory landscape or the imposition of regulations that affect the Company's products; and the other factors listed under "Risk Factors" in our filings with the SEC, including Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Except as may be required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Matinas BioPharma's product candidates are all in a development stage and are not available for sale or use.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Axfood has signed an agreement to acquire Eurocash Food AB. Through the acquisition Axfood will further strengthen its leading position in the discount food retail segment while at the same time entering the cross-border shopping segment. Axfood has also reached an agreement with Norgesgruppen to, contingent upon clearance of Axfood's acquisition from the Swedish Competition Authority, sell 49% of the shares in Eurocash to Norgesgruppen.

Eurocash is the second-largest food retailer along Sweden's border with Norway, with eight stores and sales of approximately SEK 1.2 billion. The group has good profitability and approximately 280 employees.

The acquisition and conceived transfer to Norgesgruppen marks a deeper collaboration between Axfood and Norgesgruppen, which was previously based on purchases of certain private label products.

Commenting on the deal, Anders Stralman, President and CEO of Axfood, said: "The acquisition of Eurocash is part of our strategy to grow sales and strengthen our market share in Sweden. At present Axfood does not have any food retail stores along the border with Norway. We will now gain access to the growing cross-border shopping segment  a market with sales of some SEK 14 billion.

"The partnership with Norgesgruppen will give us valuable experience, and we look forward to running Eurocash together with them."

Runar Hollevik, President and CEO of Norgesgruppen commented: "We currently have good cooperation with Axfood and see the acquisition of Eurocash as an opportunity to strengthen our relationship. To offer even better stores going forward it is important that we increase our knowledge about markets outside of Norway."

Axfood is currently the primary supplier of Eurocash via Dagab. After the acquisition Eurocash will be consolidated in the Axfood Group and will be included under Willys in the segment reporting. However, the business will continue to operate under the Eurocash brand.

The seller is the Norwegian company Conceptor Handel AS. The ownership change will not entail any personnel changes for Eurocash.

"We are happy to see Axfood and Norgesgruppen as the new owners of our seven Eurocash stores and the Stromsund Mat store in Sweden," comments Vidar Lyhus, Chairman of the Board of Conceptor and Eurocash. "At the same time, we are proud to have been pioneers in the cross-border shopping segment and about developing the company over the past 20 years."

Ronnie Egeland, President of Conceptor, comments: "The stores' roughly 280 employees will gain solid industrial owners that are known for developing good concepts in the food retail sector. The management and employees will thereby become part of two groups focused on future long-term growth."

Axfood's acquisition is contingent upon antitrust clearance from the Swedish Competition Authority, and the subsequent transfer to Norgesgruppen is contingent upon approval from the European Commission. Axfood's initial acquisition is not contingent upon approval of the subsequent transfer to Norgesgruppen.

The acquisition will have a positive impact on Axfood's earnings per share.

For further information, please contact:

Anders Stralman,

President and CEO,

Axfood AB,

Tel: +46 70 293 16 93

Karin Hygrell-Jonsson,

CFO,

Axfood AB,

Tel: +46 70 662 69 70

Cecilia Ketels,

Head of Investor Relations,

Axfood AB,

Tel: +46 72 23 606 43

Ingrid Solberg Gundersen,

Director of Communications,

Norgesgruppen AS,

Tel: +47 975 14 495

Ronnie Egeland,

President,

Conceptor AS,

Tel: +47 922 04 864

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/axfood/r/axfood-and-norgesgruppen-acquire-eurocash-food-ab,c2169377

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Main/1306/2169377/616294.pdf Axfood and Norgesgruppen acquire Eurocash Food AB

SOURCE Axfood
SHANGHAI, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Opening of official retail channel in China helps to cool down massive product demand from Chinese cross-border shoppers in Germany. Chinese Cross Boarder Shoppers causes massive out-of-stock in Germany.

The power of Chinese overseas retail shoppers has again caught the attention of international media. This time several German media channels have covered the story "First milk powder, now shampoo - Chinese consumers, again, go crazy for our products" - now Chinese cross border specialists have discovered the German anti-hair loss caffeine shampoo brand "Alpecin".

One of Germany's biggest newspapers F.A.Z. reports that the massive interest of Chinese importers, especially for the well-known anti-hair loss product "Alpecin" has led to a situation where major German retailers had to surrender to a vast demand and eventually to overall out of stock situations.

Dr. Wolff and the retailers are considering to limit sales quantities for Alpecin in Germany to avoid further out-of-stock situations on the shelf.

Price rally and out-of-stocks in China are not be expected.

While Chinese consumers are searching for new ways and channels to purchase Alpecin products from abroad, not knowing if the products are real or fake. There is a safer and quicker way to purchase the Caffeine Shampoo Brand. The company has already set up in China in April 2016.

Alpecin launched the 3 best selling products in over 2.000 Watsons stores in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou etc., and the brand has also initiated online distribution via the online platform Tmall. The brand pledges to its Chinese customers that all its products, whether sold in Germany or China, preserve the same quality standard.

"We are very happy about the trust of the Chinese customers in our products. We know that this trust is mainly based on the ideal of quality "Made in Germany" says CEO of Dr. Wolff Mr. Eduard Doerrenberg. Knowing that this massive demand for infant formular in Germany led to a massive price increase in Asia "we are not willing to repeat that price ralley. We have a regional stable pricing strategy and will not take advantage out of the current situation."

Alpecin, a product developed by the scientific research team of the German company Dr. Wolff in the year 1930 is a product that prevents hereditary hair loss. According to studies, 80% of men that suffer from hair loss are prone to that problem due to genetic reasons. Alpecin's main ingredient that battles this kind of hereditary hair loss is "caffeine". It penetrates the hair root and promotes longer hair growth phases and therefore prevents hair from falling out early.

Dr Wolff Group

Now led by the fourth generation of its founding family and with well-established brands including Alpecin and Linola as well as Plantur, Biorepair and Vagisan, the Bielefeld-based Dr. Wolff Group and its 600 employees continues its global growth. Since its founding, the company has maintained a strong emphasis on research and scientifically demonstrable benefits of its products for solving problems such as hair loss or skin disorders. In 2016, the group recorded the most successful year in its 111-year history. With newly opened markets in Europe and Asia, and new skin products, the company achieved sales of provisional 290 million euros, reporting a new record result. Dr. Wolff is active in more than 40 countries. More information can be found online at: http://www.drwolffgroup.com/de/.

press contact Dr Wolff group

Marcel Klopping

Tel.: +49(0)-521-8808-226

mail: pr@dr-kurt-wolff.de

SOURCE Dr. Wolff-Gruppe
DUBAI, UAE, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Decision made in response to sharp rise in demand for emergency aid

IHC to expand a further 300,000 square feet of space for aid provisions

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, has commissioned work to triple the size of his International City of Aid (IHC) to streamline and strengthen operations to support aid agencies. Upon completion, the IHC will now stretch for a further 300,000 square feet, totalling 404,000 square feet.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/459342/IHC_1.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/459343/IHC_2.jpg )

Intensifying conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Nigeria and other trouble spots have led to mass displacement of over 65 million people and a sharp rise in the need for emergency aid in the form of food, shelter, and medicine. Demand for such aid is now at its highest level worldwide since World War II and aid agencies need additional warehousing and logistics support to cope.

The expansion has been approved in order to meet the urgent demands of leading UN and NGO agencies trying to cope with this rising demand, most notably the Red Crescent, UNHCR, ICRC, and the World Food Programme. Specifically, the new space will help IHC members better pre-position stocks in the event of new pandemics, natural disasters and more armed conflicts and conduct more training of aid workers.

Founded in 2003, the International Humanitarian City is already the world's largest humanitarian logistics hub and has nine United Nations agencies as members plus nearly 50 NGOs and businesses working in the aid sector. When it moved to its current location in Dubai Industrial City near Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum Airport in 2011 it tripled in size, but demand for more space has continued to climb rapidly.

The IHC has played a pivotal role in first responses to crises in places as far away as Haiti and Vanuatu, but is especially critical in moving goods to trouble spots in the MENA region and East Africa.

SOURCE International Humanitarian City Dubai
HONG KONG, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Erik Prince, Chairman of Frontier Services Group (FSG; HK 500) was interviewed by Becky Anderson on CNN in a segment first broadcasted on 15 January 2017. During the interview Erik discussed a new creative approach to solving the Libyan migrant crisis, following an OpEd published in the Financial Times earlier this month.

The solution focuses on using a public/private partnership to train and support the Libyan administration, thereby halting the flow of thousands of migrants travelling by sea to Europe. The plan involves providing logistical support in Libya, training and equipping Libyan forces with the private sector providing key leadership, intelligence co-ordination, communications and medical support, ultimately stopping migrants from ever reaching the dangers of the Mediterranean.

The full interview can be viewed on the following link:

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2017/01/18/erik-prince-blackwater-anderson-intv-ctw.cnn

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 :



International media - contact Marc Cohen or Aaron Bass, The PR Office:

E: FrontierServicesGroup@theproffice.com

T: + 44 20 7284 6969



SOURCE Frontier Services Group
AMSTERDAM, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

2,500 celebrate historic groundbreaking in one of Africa's neediest countries for a $14m solar field to advance economic and social development

Amid the lush and rolling hills of Mubuga, 100 km outside the Burundian capital of Bujumbura, 2,500 people came yesterday to celebrate the festive ground-breaking for a 7.5 MW solar field that will add 15% to the East African country's generation capacity. In a colorful and drum-accented ceremony attended by government officials, international investors, religious leaders and the diplomatic community, Gigawatt Global, the leading frontier solar and social development enterprise, announced the $14 million pioneering project in one of the world's least developed nation.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/459171/Gigawatt_groundbreaking.jpg )

"Empowering economic and social development is at the heart of our green energy business," said Michael Fichtenberg, VP for Finance and Business Development of Gigawatt Global. "This high impact development investment supported by leading international financial institutions signals that Burundi is open for development and business."

This will be the largest private international investment in the power sector in Burundi in nearly 30 years, with the power being sold for 25 years to REGIDESO, the national electric company. "We are very excited at the groundbreaking of the Gigawatt Burundi solar field," said His Excellency Come Manirakiza, Burundi's Minister of Energy and Mines. "After their success in Rwanda, Gigawatt Global has proven it can be relied on to deliver efficient, clean renewable energy at reasonable cost, contributing greatly to our economy and society. We look forward to the speedy completion of this project, and are thankful for the collaboration and cooperation with Gigawatt Global as energy in Burundi is a clear priority."

Gigawatt Global, an American-owned Dutch developer, is a founding member of the White House Power Africa initiative and financed and developed the first commercial scale solar field in continental sub-Sahara Africa (outside of South Africa) in neighboring Rwanda in 2014.

The project has been supported by a grant from the Energy and Environment Partnership (a Finland, UK, Austrian fund) and the Belgian Investment Company for Developing countries (BIO) to cover the relevant studies. The project is also supported by African-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP) and the Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP), currently engaging in project due diligence.

"This project is a great example of Burundians, Americans and other international partners working together for the economic development of Burundi," said Anne Casper, U.S. Ambassador to Burundi. "The success of this project will be a positive signal to other potential investors, who are watching Gigawatt Global and the Government of Burundi to see if investing in Burundi is stable, predictable and easy to do. We are working together very hard and very closely -- the U.S., Burundi, the Netherlands, and Gigawatt Global -- to make this project a success -- to enable the whole country to get energy and this will lead to the country's economic development."

U.S. Power Africa Coordinator Andrew Herscowitz underlined the importance of Gigawatt Global's work by saying, "As a founding Power Africa partner, Gigawatt Global continues to demonstrate its industry leadership with this investment in Burundi."

HE Hendrikes Verwein, the Dutch Ambassador to Burundi, said, "The Kingdom of the Netherlands supports Gigawatt Global and commits to assist the company in the pursuit of its investments. The Kingdom of the Netherlands expresses its wish that the contractual commitments included in the agreement protocols for the construction of the solar plant in Mubuga be rapidly implemented."

"Gigawatt Global is expecting to deploy $2 billion in renewable energy projects in Africa as partners of the White House Power Africa initiative in the coming years as renewables are taking the lead in power generation in Africa and emerging markets," said CEO Josef Abramowitz. "We are targeting sub-Sahara Africa as a high impact and high growth market, with a portfolio of small, medium and large power projects in the highest priority development areas."

The construction and interconnection of the project to the national grid is expected to be concluded in Q4 of 2017.

Contact:

Josef Abramowitz

+972-54-692-2008

Josef@GigawattGlobal.com



Michael Fichtenberg

+257-757-33011

+972-54-976-0092



SOURCE Gigawatt Global
RAANANA, Israel, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

A recent Harvard clinical research of almost 800,000 lives demonstrated that MedAware's new data-driven technology establishes a ground breaking path to eliminating prescription errors and potentially saving millions of patients affected by it, annually.

clinical research of almost 800,000 lives demonstrated that MedAware's new data-driven technology establishes a ground breaking path to eliminating prescription errors and potentially saving millions of patients affected by it, annually. The study reveals that MedAware's data-driven approach identified prescription errors, which were missed by existing clinical decision support (CDS) systems, while demonstrating a high degree of accuracy.

In fact, three-quarters of alerts generated by MedAware's system were directly relevant to identifying potentially life threatening prescription errors.

Raanana, Israel - (Jan. 16, 2017) - MedAware, an algorithm-rich software startup dedicated to eradicating prescription errors, is pleased to report today the findings of a landmark study carried out by Harvard Medical School.

The study analysed records from almost 800,000 patients in order to assess the efficacy of MedAware's innovative and unique solution, and the results have provided a comprehensive validation of MedAware's disruptive solution.

Dr. David Bates, a leading national Patient Safety expert and opinion leader, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health said:

"It has been hard to find medication errors which come completely out of the blue - likely a medication used only in pregnant women which is ordered for an elderly male - but this approach detects orders which appear to be anomalous in some way, and it represents a very exciting new way to pick these errors up before they get to the patient."

Dr. Gidi Stein, MD, PhD, MedAware's Co-Founder and CEO stated that:

"Minimizing these errors is clearly of the utmost importance, as at the end of the day, it's our patients and loved ones who are at risk, and we must do everything in our power to reduce that risk. We need to find innovative ways to identify and eliminate errors, while reducing alert fatigue - hence our solution."

The findings, published on 19 January 2019, in the Journal of American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA) revealed that MedAware's technology establishes a new standard for prescription alerts and patient safety vis-a-vis traditional rule-based systems. These out-dated solutions, can only detect a fraction of the actual errors, only those that they were pre-set to identify, and these solutions are not built to identify random or complex errors. Moreover, since current CDS systems are not patient-specific and not self-adaptive, they suffer from high false alarm rates, directly contributing to a phenomenon known as "alert fatigue", where physicians simply learn to disregard alerts.

"There is a need for innovative solutions to address the current prescription errors that result in substantial morbidity, mortality, and wasteful healthcare cost. MedAware's medication error detection system appears to have the ability to generate novel alerts that might otherwise be missed with existing clinical decision support systems", said Dr. Ronen Rozenblum (Project Co-investigator and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School).

The report found that MedAware's technology both identifies errors otherwise undetected and minimizes challenges associated with provider alert fatigue, and thus could reduce prescription errors with high accuracy, reducing medical costs and saving lives.

In the US healthcare market, more than $20bn is lost, annually, as a result of prescription errors and their consequences. Beyond the financial ramifications, it's clear that errors in prescriptions can, and are, very damaging to patients, leading to prolonged illness, contraction of new disease and often death. Prescription errors are also found to be one of the main causes for extended lengths of stay and hospital readmissions.

Harvard Medical School chose to assess MedAware's technology, as they were particularly interested in evaluating the new types of alerts generated by the MedAware system, which are mostly unaddressed by current systems. Dr. Gordon Schiff, PI and Associate Professor Harvard Medical School said:

"Clinical decision support to alert for potential medication problems has a long way to go to achieve the goal of meaningfully and effectively alerting clinicians, without missing too many errors while at the time not over-alerting busy doctors (for errors that not important or relevant for that patient).

Our study of the MedAware system found that it was able to generate alerts based on screening for "outliers" some of which might be missed with existing CDS systems."

The study conducted by Harvard was carried out on almost 800,000 lives at the Brigham and Women's Hospital's (BWH), Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice (CPSRP); as well as making use of retrospective data from Partners HealthCare BWH and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) homegrown outpatient electronic health record (EHR).

A full abstract of the study was first published in JAMIA and available 19 January 2017, in full .

About MedAware

MedAware is an algorithm-rich software company developing machine learning enabled decision support solutions, is the developer of the MedAware Rx Alert solution, dedicated to eradicating prescription errors. MedAware harnesses patterns from thousands of physicians treating millions of patients to identify and alert on prescription errors in real-time.

The company's self-learning, self-adaptive system has proven to dramatically reduce healthcare costs while improving patient safety, outcomes, and experience. MedAware's flagship product is the first in a suite of decision support solutions that transform real physician practice data into actionable clinical knowledge.

http://www.medaware.com/

MedAware, Ltd. MedAware was not involved in any of the coding scheme development, chart review, data analysis, data interpretation, or manuscript preparation for the Harvard Study.

About the technology

Analyzing historical electronic medical records, the system automatically generates, for each medication, a computational model that captures the population that is likely to be prescribed the medication and the clinical environment in which it is likely to be prescribed.

This model can then be used to identify prescriptions that are significant statistical outliers given patients' clinical situations, i.e., medications that are rarely or never prescribed to patients in similar situations, such as birth control pills to a baby boy. Such prescriptions are flagged by the system as potential medication errors.

Contact Information:



Contact The PR Office for Media: Marc Cohen, Raj Aujla, Oli Sonenfield



T: +44(0)20-7284-6969

M: +44(0)7919-887-036

E: MedAware@theproffice.com



SOURCE MedAware
PARIS, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

LINGERIE, MON AMOUR - A unique show and declaration of love to French Lingerie.

French Lingerie performs on the catwalk on January 22, 2017 at 8pm in Paris, at Pavillon Cambon.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458203/Cover_Emblematique.jpg )



For the first time ever, the most beautiful French Lingerie brands will gather in the heart of Paris to present their new collection to a selection of international influencers and buyers at a unique and unprecedented fashion show. (on invitation only)

LIVE STREAMING SHOW at 7.30 pm (Paris time)

Fashionistas from around the world will be able to follow the show and after-show "Lingerie, Mon Amour" live with backstage access on http://www.lingeriefrancaise.com, on January 22, 2017.

Organized by Promincor-Lingerie Francaise the Association for the Promotion of the Corsetry Industries and supported by "DEFI - La Mode de France", the Committee for the Development and Promotion of the Clothing Industry, this poetic and enchanting show will highlight the most beautiful pieces of 14 major lingerie brands (Antigel, Antinea, Aubade, Chantelle, Empreinte, Eprise, Epure, Implicite, Lise Charmel, Lou, Louisa Bracq, Maison Lejaby, Passionata and Simone Perele) and of 5 French designers (Elise Anderegg, Madame Aime, Maud & Marjorie, Paloma Casile and Yse).

Based on the theme of Parisian romanticism, "Lingerie, Mon Amour" is a tribute to the know-how and creativity of French Lingerie around the world.

French Lingerie, acclaimed worldwide...

Turnover of French lingerie industry :  800 million*.

Exports of French lingerie:  495 million** (consistently rising). French lingerie exports represent more than 60% of turnover!

In value terms, France retains its position as Europe's largest exporter of bras ( 323 million***) worldwide.

SOURCE Promincor-Lingerie Francaise
BANGALORE and WARREN, New Jersey, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Mindtree, a global technology services company, announced its consolidated results today for the third quarter ended December 31, 2016, as approved by its Board of Directors.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140416/681203 )



"Strong deal closures in this quarter are testimony to our expertise-led transformation capabilities. We continue to be seen as a primary partner for both the 'run the business' and 'change the business' technology initiatives of our clients," said Rostow Ravanan, CEO & Managing Director, Mindtree. "We are confident that these competencies and our distinctive culture keep us well positioned to succeed in the current dynamic environment. "

Key Financial Highlights:

Quarter ended December 31, 2016

In USD terms: Revenue at $192.2 million (decline of 0.4% q-o-q* / growth of 4.7% y-o-y) Net profit at $15.3 million (growth of 8.1% q-o-q / decline of 28.3% y-o-y)



*constant currency growth of 0.4%

In Rupee terms: Revenue at INR 12,953 million (decline of 0.01% q-o-q / growth of 7.1% y-o-y) Net profit at INR 1,031 million (growth of of 8.8% q-o-q / decline of 26.7% y-o-y)



Other Highlights:

Clients: 348 active clients as of December 31, 2016 First client added to $100 million category $10+ million clients grew by 1 to 17

People: 16,099 Mindtree Minds as of December 31, 2016 Trailing 12 months attrition is 16.1%

Multi-year and multi-million dollar wins with leading global clients:

A diverse financial services company: Mindtree will provide application maintenance via a managed services model along with supporting distribution, digital, mobility and data applications

A global IT services company: Mindtree chosen as a strategic partner for system integration, digital and infrastructure services

A leading consumer credit reporting agency: Mindtree chosen as a preferred partner for application development and infrastructure support services

A world leader in lawful monitoring and intelligence solutions: Mindtree chosen as strategic partner for product development, analytics and digital initiatives

A leading publishing and events company: Mindtree will provide application support and maintenance services for their ERP platform

A leading beauty care company. Mindtree will provide digital services to build a large and complex platform support their corporate marketing transformation

A leading international tobacco group: Our subsidiary, Bluefin Solutions, will provide system integration services for SAP Business Planning & Consolidation and Data Warehouse on SAP HANA

Awards and recognition:

Named as a leader for Application Outsourcing Capabilities among Midsize Offshore Vendors by Forrester Research

Positioned in the leadership zone for product engineering and embedded systems by Zinnov in the Zinnov Zones 2016 Product Engineering Services report

Recognized by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) for excellence in corporate governance

(ICSI) for excellence in corporate governance Announcements

The Board of Directors, at its meeting held on January 19, 2017 Recommended an interim dividend of 20% (INR 2 per equity share of par value INR 10 each) for the quarter ended December 31, 2016 Approved the extension of Mr. Krishnakumar Natarajan's tenure as Executive Chairman to June 30, 2020



Note: The financial results above are in accordance with Ind AS for the quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2016. Accordingly the figures for previous periods have been restated in accordance with Ind AS.

About Mindtree

Mindtree [NSE: MINDTREE] delivers digital transformation and technology services from ideation to execution, enabling Global 2000 clients to outperform the competition. 'Born digital,' Mindtree takes an agile, collaborative approach to creating customized solutions across the digital value chain. At the same time, our deep expertise in infrastructure and applications management helps optimize your IT into a strategic asset. Whether you need to differentiate your company, reinvent business functions or accelerate revenue growth, we can get you there. Visit http://www.mindtree.com to learn more.

Safe harbour

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks, and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.

Visit us at http://www.mindtree.com.

For more information, contact:

India

Debi Senapati

Mindtree

+91-99805-56784

Debi.senapati@mindtree.com

United States

Andrea Dunbeck

Matter Communications

978-518-4555

adunbeck@matternow.com

Europe

Imogen Nation

Hotwire

+4420-7608-4675

imogen.nation@hotwirepr.com





SOURCE Mindtree
MANCHESTER, England, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The UK-Japan Nuclear Industry Forum 2017 was held at the British Embassy in Tokyo this week, with companies from Japan and the UK meeting to discuss opportunities for working together more closely.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458827/NuGen.jpg )

Representatives from the UK nuclear industry - including NuGen and Toshiba, Britain's Energy Coast Business Cluster and the Nuclear Industry Association - attended the event which was arranged by the UK Government's Department for International Trade.

NuGen CEO, Tom Samson, welcomed the opportunity for nuclear new build and decommissioning companies from the two countries to meet and explore opportunities for working together.

"Both countries are at the leading edge of the nuclear industry, have a wealth of experience and have a great deal to offer each other in helping progress projects such as Moorside."

Moorside is set to become the engine of the Northern Powerhouse - providing 3.8GW of electricity from a sustainable source. West Cumbria already has strong links with the Japanese nuclear industry in the research and decommissioning sector, and with over 70 years of experience of the industry and more than one third of the UK's civil nuclear sector based in the region close to Moorside, the region is rightly known as the UK's Centre of Nuclear Excellence.

Picture:

UK-Japan Industry Forum 19117.jpg, caption: "L-R Sam Hounslow (NuGen's Head of Commercial Development), Gary Shuttleworth (Corporate Affairs Director, NuGen), Dr Keith Franklin MBE (Department for International Trade) and Alastair Evans (Head of Government Affairs, NuGen)."

NuGen is a UK nuclear company owned by Toshiba and ENGIE. When fully operational, the planned Moorside reactors will have a combined capacity of up to 3.8GW gross, enough to power up to six million homes. The first of the three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors is targeted to come online in the mid-2020s. NuGen's Moorside Project will help support the UK Government's low carbon and energy security objectives at a time when existing power plants are retiring and low-carbon generation is required to meet national and international commitments.

Construction of the new reactors will create thousands of skilled jobs over the next decade, and the project is expected to significantly boost the local, regional and national economies, with a large portion of the development and construction programmes accessible to the UK supply chain. AP1000 is a trademark of Westinghouse Electric Company LLC. All rights reserved.

SOURCE NuGen
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Gallium Arsenide Components Market 2017-2021" report to their offering.

The global gallium arsenide (GaAs) components market to grow at a CAGR of 4.26% during the period 2017-2021.

Global Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) Components Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global gallium arsenide (GaAs) components market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the sales of GaAs components worldwide. The report also includes a a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.



Market vendors expand their business, improve their market share, and gain access to new technologies through strategic alliances, collaborations, and M&As. These collaborations help provide better solutions based on the latest technologies to customers. In January 2016, RFMD merged with TriQuint Semiconductor to form Qorvo, which is one of the leading RF solution providers in the market currently. In addition, Avago Technologies and Broadcom entered a merger agreement in May 2016, and Skyworks Solutions acquired Advanced AnaIogic Technologies in 2012. The collaborations among vendors are expected to have a positive impact on the growth of the market during the forecast period.



According to the report, Shipments of smartphones will reach more than 2 billion units by 2020 due to the availability of low-cost smartphones in emerging markets such as China and India and increasing internet penetration worldwide. This is a significant increase from around 1.4 billion units in 2016. The growth in the shipments of smartphones will drive the demand for GaAs components used in mobile handsets, particularly GaAs power amplifiers. Smartphones currently require more GaAs content, as they need many frequency bands to accommodate 3G and 4G networks.

The increasing demand for tablets is also contributing to the market growth. Tablet shipments are estimated to reach about 430 million units by 2020 from almost 290 million units in 2016. There are many local market participants that have started introducing tablets in their respective countries, such as Micromax in India and Xiaomi in China, and the number of such vendors is expected to increase during the forecast period.



Further, the report states that the availability of alternative devices is a major challenge faced by the market. Since 2012, GaN, SiGe, LDMOS, and CMOS devices have emerged as alternatives to GaAs devices. Power amplifiers use GaN and LDMOS devices while SiGe devices are increasingly used in low-noise amplifier (LNA) applications. CMOS power amplifiers are being used in entry-level phones and are expected to be used in smartphones as well. Therefore, the end-user segments served by GaAs components are now being targeted by these alternative technologies. This could significantly lower the demand for GaAs components during the forecast period.

Key Vendors:



Skyworks Solutions

Qorvo

Broadcom

Other Prominent Vendors:



Advanced Wireless Semiconductor

ANADIGICS

Analog Devices

MACOM

Murata Manufacturing



Key Topics Covered:

Part 01: Executive summary



Part 02: Scope of the report



Part 03: Research Methodology



Part 04: Introduction



Part 05: GaAs wafers



Part 06: Market landscape



Part 07: Market segmentation by end-user



Part 08: Geographical segmentation



Part 09: Key leading countries



Part 10: Market drivers



Part 11: Impact of drivers



Part 12: Market challenges



Part 13: Impact of drivers and challenges



Part 14: Market trends



Part 15: Buying behavior



Part 16: Vendor landscape



Part 17: Appendix



Part 18: Extras



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/fbfzq3/global_gallium

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Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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SOURCE Research and Markets
ORO VALLEY, Ariz., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tautachrome, Inc. (OTCQB:TTCM) today announced that it has been updated by its patent attorney, Benjamin Urcia of the patent firm Bacon & Thomas in Alexandria, Virginia, and the U.S. Patent Office on the timelines of issuance and examination of its patent and patent claims. The Company also explained its intentions regarding the use of the KlickZie technology it is developing under the protection of the allowed and pending claims.



Tautachromes KlickZie patent applications are currently being pursued in two principal areas: Trusted Imaging and Talk-to-the-Picture communications.

The Trusted Imaging patent area has a cloud-based component that certifies the authenticity of pictures and videos made in a KlickZie-equipped smartphone. As we announced on December 22, 2016, all of the authentication claims in this patent area have been allowed. Publication of this patent could occur from one to three weeks from today. The other KlickZie claims are being pursued in two separate patent applications making for a total of three patents in the Trusted Imaging patent area: one allowed and two pending.

The breakthrough novelty of KlickZie technology is that it is able to provide evidence-grade trustability of its pictures and videos, and the trustability it provides is a property of the pictures and videos themselves. Trust goes with the imagery. It doesnt matter where the imagery goes or who handles it. Its not a property of the chain of custody of the imagery, evidence lockers for the imagery, handling procedures for the imagery, or anything else of that sort. This is huge for certain companies and entities, and Tautachrome is working very hard on a relationship with a Fortune 50 company for which this will have great value. In addition, this technology makes every consumer smartphone a trusted imager, an absolute game-changer for society.

The Talk-to-the-Picture patent area adds an element to the pictures and videos that are made in a KlickZie-equipped smartphone that we call activation. An amazing thing happens when activated imagery is a part of the ordinary image making of smartphone users. It turns out that KlickZie activation adds a new world of usefulness to these pictures and videos. When you come across an activated picture, you can communicate with the author of the picture, or with others who have seen the picture or are seeing the picture at that moment, whether you know these people or not and wherever they may be on earth, merely by clicking or touching the picture (touch-to-comm). The picture itself makes the communication happen. It does not matter where or how you come across an activated picture, you can engage it, interact with it, or share it, just by touching or clicking it.

In addition, what happens to an activated picture from its creation onward gets invisibly added to the pictures data and can be tracked into the future. Activated pictures can answer many questions. For example, in a group photo you could ask: Have any of the people in my contacts list interacted with this picture? Are any of them engaging it right now? Who else besides my contacts have already engaged this picture in some way? Who took it, where and when?

Our studies have shown us two things about activated imagery. The first is that our interactive and engageable activated imagery will act like a new language on the web, replacing text. The second is that our user base will grow to more than a billion users in record time, and will continue to grow after that to most of the smartphone users on the planet. The reason for this second factor is that every activated picture or video acts as an advertisement to anybody who sees it, shouting out Im amazing! Im free! Download me now! Monetizing such large user bases has been shown repeatedly to be both possible and extremely profitable.

The Talk-to-the-Picture patent application was filed with the US Patent Office (USPTO) fifteen months ago in August 2015, and has been caught in the giant patent backlog. We have requested and received a prediction-letter from the Patent Office which stated that examination of our application is estimated to occur in approximately seven months. The letter also stated The USPTO is dedicated to minimizing [backlog], and we are targeting resources to help address backlogs...

"We want our investors to know that our intention is to build out our technology, products and organization with no waiting. Patents are great and we expect to achieve all of our patent goals in due time. But nothing will stop our progress in funding and developing Tautachromes flagship KlickZie technology. When patents catch up, they will help cement and protect our competitive position," said Dr. Jon Leonard, CEO.

About Tautachrome, Inc.

Tautachrome, Inc. (OTCQB:TTCM) is an emerging growth company in the developing digital imagery technology sector. Tautachrome has revolutionary smartphone-image authentication allowed patent claims and breakthrough patents pending, including Talk-to-the-Picture social networking and trustable imagery-based interaction.

Forward-Looking Statements: Statements made in this press release are forward-looking and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, general business conditions, managing growth, and political and other business risks. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this paragraph and the risks and other factors detailed in Tautachrome's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Tautachrome undertakes no duty to update these forward-looking statements.
Represents Safanad's second data center investment

NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Safanad Limited ("Safanad"), a global principal investment firm, is pleased to announce it has acquired its second data center operation in partnership with Industry Capital.

Responding to increasing demand for critical data center capacity in key geographic locations, CentralColo Holdings ("CentralColo") announced that it has acquired through an affiliated venture the 280,000-square foot Tysons Technology Center in Vienna, Virginia and CentralColo will be the operator. The project is strategically located just off the Washington DC beltway, equidistant from downtown Washington DC and Ashburn Virginia, within the Tysons Corner market, which constitutes the largest office submarket in the greater Washington DC metro area and is the twelfth largest employment center in the country. The property consists of a 200,000-square foot Tier 3 data center and an 80,000-square foot office building and campus on 14.5 acres.

Today, the connectivity-rich data center features 9 megawatts of capacity for anchor enterprise customers that include some of the world's largest hyper scale cloud and network providers, as well as government organizations. Total occupancy of the project exceeds 75% and CentralColo plans to add an additional 4 megawatts over the next twelve to eighteen months. CentralColo has already introduced the first new customer to the data center, Atlantic Metro/InfoRelay, a leading cloud, network, managed services, and managed hosting provider.

In addition to the proximity of the project to Ashburn which affords the occupants tremendously low latency and multiple connectivity options, the site has the added advantage of having a multitude of backbone network connections which are diverse to the Ashburn network. The data center is currently connected with 14 premiere telecommunication and fiber carriers with others expressing interest in establishing a presence in the facility based on CentralColo's plans for additional enterprise, government and service provider customers coming online.

CentralColo is an operator of data centers offering both hybrid IT and colocation services to a global client base. In August 2016, Safanad and San Francisco based investment firm, Industry Capital, announced a partnership to invest in CentralColo. CentralColo's first facility is in the heart of Silicon Valley, providing hosting and connectivity services to a broad array of customers. CentralColo is positioned to address the needs of both mission critical IT loads, cloud services/solutions and high density compute requirements such as data analytics, research and development, testing, warehousing, and staging platforms.

"The Tysons Technology Campus with its highly desirable location within the Northern Virginia market now gives us the perfect East Coast asset to complement our first project in the Silicon Valley," said Ken Parent, Chief Executive Officer of CentralColo. "These two assets provide the company with a strong platform for growth as we look to continue to expand in additional markets and support our customers with a variety of connectivity and hosting services supporting hybrid IT solutions."

Craig Kahler, Director of Private Equity at Safanad, added, "We are thrilled with this strategic acquisition as it positions CentralColo as a premier data center operator and further strengthens our partnership with Ken and the CentralColo team."

For Safanad Media Enquiries: info@safanad.com / +971 4 312 9700

About Safanad

Safanad is a global principal investment firm that invests in real estate, private equity and public markets. As principal investors, Safanad preserves and grows wealth through a disciplined industry focused investment approach that builds relationships with exceptional management partners and top industry leaders. With offices in New York, Dubai and London, the firm seeks to identify global investment opportunities poised to deliver consistently attractive returns, where the firm's capital and investment expertise support value creation. For more information, visit www.safanad.com

About Industry Capital

Industry Capital is a private equity firm investing in real assets globally. Industry Capital and its affiliated entities maintain top-tier track records across investment platforms. In addition to its real asset platforms, Industry Capital owns an interest in wealth management firm, Osborne Partners Capital Management, that manages portfolios on behalf of high-net-worth individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.industrycapital.com

About CentralColo

CentralColo owns and operates regulated data centers and provides IT services for hybrid IT solutions. This includes fiber connectivity, high power and efficient cooling, colocation services, and metered power down to a single circuit. CentralColo's first facility is a large carrier neutral, network dense and cross connect friendly Tier III data and compute center with over 8 MW of IT load in the heart of Silicon Valley. The Company is expanding nationally and recently announced the acquisition of a 200,000 square foot data center in Northern Virginia. For more information, visit www.centralcolo.com.

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/393371/Safanad_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Safanad Limited
OXFORD, England, January 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Global Business School Oxford (GBS Oxford) has announced that it will offer a number of scholarships and bursaries to successful applicants who are accepted for the next MBA intake, which begins 1st February. This unique MBA blended learning programme, which enables students from all over the world to pursue their studies while in employment and is accredited by London Metropolitan University, combines the very best of the Oxford tutorial system with the best of digital learning.

The Dean of GBS Oxford, Professor David Faulkner said, "we are deeply committed to bringing about change in the world through learning. Our mission is to ensure that an MBA is not simply limited to those who can afford both the normally stratospheric business school fees and the immense time commitment and impact that can have on careers. We believe that our MBA programme will enable a new generation of students to achieve their goals. We are therefore delighted to be able to say that through the generosity of benefactors we are offering a limited number of scholarships and bursaries to successful applicants for the February intake."

Ten scholarship places are available at 4,500 for the full year-long MBA. This is a once only offer to coincide with the launch of the new online MBA, delivered in partnership with London Metropolitan University. A limited further number of scholarships and bursaries are also being offered on merit.

The programme commences on 1st Feb, 2017; this offer closes at 1500 GMT Friday 27th Jan 2017.

Please contact mba@gbso.co.uk for further details.

Contact:

Fernanda Askin - Tel: +44 (0) 1865988372

SOURCE Global Business School Oxford (GBS Oxford)
LONDON, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

VPNsandmore.com has extended it partnership with Prepaid Financial Services (PFS), an e-money and alternative banking provider, to offer Direct Debit payment solution to over 15,000 of its customers.

VPNsandmore.com is Europe's leading supplier of expatriate management services, including issuing satellite television viewing cards, internet services, and VPNs. Partnering with PFS has enabled VPNsandmore.com customers to continue to pay for UK services via an alternative banking solution, allowing them complete control of their spending while abroad.

Steven Rose, Sales Director, VPNsandmore.com said: "It's not always easy to manage finances in the UK when you live abroad. Our relationship with PFS has continued to evolve and over the years we have had a number of payment methods which PFS have facilitated on our behalf. Initially, we used physical prepaid cards, but most recently the facilitation of Direct Debit payments has added an even more efficient means by which our customers can make their payments."

Mr. Rose concluded: "This additional service has made things quite a lot easier for both ourselves and our customers as there are no expiration date on Direct Debit accounts, unlike the original physical and virtual prepaid cards."

Noel Moran, CEO, PFS said: "We first started working with VPNsandmore.com in 2011 and as PFS's FinTech solutions evolved, we identified several of our clients who would benefit hugely from using our Direct Debit payment facilities. VPNsandmore.com was a natural fit due to the locational restrictions of its customers."

PFS has now successfully rolled out numerous projects which use Direct Debit functionality as it continues to grow its innovative alternative banking solutions.

Notes to editors:

About Prepaid Financial Services:

Prepaid Financial Services (PFS) is an award winning payments technology specialist offering a comprehensive range of e-money and banking solutions including e-wallets, physical and virtual prepaid cards and current accounts in the UK and the Eurozone. Authorised and regulated by the FCA in the UK, PFS has passported its e-money license across the SEPA region to enable card issuance throughout the region.

Founded in 2008, PFS is now one of the fastest growing issuers in Europe, with programmes live and active in 25 countries with the ability to transact in 22 different currencies. Its products and cutting-edge technology platforms are utilised by governments, local authorities, mobile networking operators, banks and corporates globally.

PFS has been listed within the top 25 fastest growing technology companies in the UK by the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 for 3 consecutive years and most recently ranked number 108 in Deloitte's EMEA Technology Fast 500.

For more information about PFS payment solutions please contact sales@prepaidfinancialservices.com

SOURCE Prepaid Financial Services (PFS)
CONAKRY, Guinea, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This week, an investigation by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Inspector General (OIG) led local authorities in Guinea to arrest 8 individuals for illegally selling drugs to fight malaria. The arrests came after weeks of joint investigative work by OIG and the Guinean National Gendarmerie to secure evidence of theft, diversion, and resale of U.S. Government-funded antimalarial commodities.

OIG opened its investigation based on reports from U.S. Government staff that USAID-funded commodities, typically made available at no cost, were being unlawfully sold in Conakry's public marketplaces. This week's law enforcement action involved nearly 100 local police officers who acted to apprehend individuals in five separate marketplaces with OIG providing logistical support. The investigation is ongoing.

The U.S. Government fights malaria through the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), which focuses on 19 countries in Africa, including Guinea. Malaria is endemic in Guinea and causes more deaths there than any other disease. PMI funding in the country has exceeded $72 million since Fiscal Year 2011 and amounted to $15 million in Fiscal Year 2016 alone. Additional U.S. funding supports malaria programs under the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

"Making each U.S. foreign assistance dollar count is critical and the theft, diversion, and resale of life-saving drugs means they're not going to Guineans who need them most," said USAID Inspector General Ann Calvaresi Barr. "Fraud of any kind is unacceptable, but profiting illicitly from health programs is especially egregious. We pursue these cases aggressively and ask anyone with information about the theft of these commodities, in Guinea or elsewhere, to contact our office immediately."

In Guinea, OIG continues to seek specific information on the logistics, operational methods, and procedures used in the theft of U.S. Government-funded antimalarial commodities and by the suppliers of counterfeit medicine.

Any person with knowledge of these activities is urged to contact OIG:

OIG conducts independent investigations and audits to make U.S. foreign assistance programs more efficient, effective, and accountable. Information reported to OIG is treated in confidence and OIG protects the identity of each person providing information to the maximum extent provided by law.

Recently, OIG expanded its fight against fraud, waste, and abuse in U.S.-supported malaria programs throughout Africa. Its "Make A Difference" (MAD) campaigns in Malawi, Benin, and Nigeria publicly call for citizens to oppose theft and counterfeiting of antimalarial commodities and to recognize the dangers they present. Special MAD Malaria hotlines in these countries offer monetary rewards for information about abuses in malaria programs. Anyone with information should contact OIG:

Malawi

Call 800 00 847 (toll free)

Nigeria

Call 8099937319 (toll free from the Etisalat mobile network)

Benin

Call 81000100 to be connected via operator to 855-484-1033 (toll free)

Worldwide

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE USAID/OIG

Related Links

www.usaid.gov/oig


NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Activated alumina is primarily used as desiccant, adsorbent, catalyst, and catalyst carrier in water treatment, oil & gas, and pharmaceuticals, and the Claus process. It is a highly porous material with high surface area. This ensures superior moisture absorbing capabilities. Activated alumina also offers superior mechanical and thermal shock absorbing properties. It is produced through dehydroxylation of aluminum oxide.



The report estimates and forecasts the activated alumina market on the global, regional, and country levels. The study provides forecast between 2016 and 2024 based on volume (tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2015 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the product segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage. The study includes drivers and restraints for the activated alumina 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 activated alumina 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 activated alumina and global average price trend analysis.



The report includes Porter's Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the activated alumina market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users and countries 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 activated alumina between 2016 and 2024.



The study provides a comprehensive view of the activated alumina market by dividing it into end-user and geography. The activated alumina market has been segmented into reaction catalyst, oil & gas, water treatment, biomaterial, and others. The oil & gas segment has been further bifurcated into gas dehydration and liquid dehydration. End-user segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends, and the market has been estimated in terms of volume (tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) between 2016 and 2024.



Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for activated alumina in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Additionally, the report comprises country-level analysis in terms of volume and revenue for end-user segments. Key countries such as the U.S., Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, India, China, South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil have been included in the study. Market segmentation includes demand for individual end-users in all the regions and countries.



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 Albemarle Corporation, Axens, BASF SE, Porocel Industries, Honeywell International Inc., and Sumitomo Chemicals. 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).



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.



The global activated alumina market has been segmented as follows:



Activated Alumina Market  End-user Analysis



Reaction Catalyst

Oil & Gas

Gas Dehydration

Liquid Dehydration

Water Treatment

Biomaterial

Others (Including Pharmaceutical, etc.)

Activated Alumina Market  Regional Analysis



North America

U.S.

Canada

Europe

Germany

France

U.K.

Italy

Spain

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

India

Japan

ASEAN

Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

GCC

Egypt

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04239919-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



http://www.reportlinker.com





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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) (the "Company" or "Albemarle"), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, today announced the early tender results of its previously announced tender offers (the "Maximum Tender Offers") to purchase for cash up to a maximum repurchase amount of its 1.875% senior notes due 2021 and 4.150% senior notes due 2024 described in the table below (such notes, the "Maximum Tender Offer Notes").

As of the early tender date and time of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on January 18, 2017 (the "Early Tender Date"), according to information provided by D.F. King & Co., Inc., the tender and information agent for the Maximum Tender Offers, a total of 533,330,000 aggregate principal amount of the 2021 Notes (which have the highest acceptance priority level) had been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn in the Maximum Tender Offers. Since the principal amount of 2021 Notes tendered will exceed the Aggregate Maximum Repurchase Amount, none of the tendered 2024 Notes will be accepted for purchase pursuant to the Maximum Tender Offers and no Maximum Tender Offer Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date will be accepted. Withdrawal rights for the Maximum Tender Offer Notes expired on the Early Tender Date. The table below sets forth the aggregate principal amount and percentage of the 2021 Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn by the Early Tender Date. The 2021 Notes will be subject to proration as described in the Offer to Purchase (as defined below), based on conversion from Euros to U.S. Dollars as described in the Offer to Purchase.

Up to the $325,215,000 Aggregate Maximum Repurchase Amount (a)

of the Outstanding Notes Listed Below

Title of Security CUSIP/ISIN Number Principal Amount Outstanding Acceptance Priority Level U.S. Treasury Reference Security/ Interpolated Rate Bloomberg Reference Page Fixed Spread Early Tender Payment (b) Principal Amount Tendered Percent Tendered of Principal Amount Outstanding 1.875% senior notes due 2021 (the "2021 Notes") ISIN: XS1148074518 700,000,000 1 Interpolated Mid-Swap Rate ICAE1 35 bps 30.00 per 1,000 533,330,000 76.19% 4.150% senior notes due 2024 (the "2024 Notes")(c) CUSIP: 012725AC1 ISIN: US012725AC13 $425,000,000 2 2.00% U.S.T. due 11/15/26 PX1 85 bps $30.00 per $1,000 $229,435,000 53.98%

(a) The Maximum Tender Offers are subject to an Aggregate Maximum Repurchase Amount of $325,215,000, which was calculated as $500,000,000 (converted into U.S. Dollars where applicable as described in the Offer to Purchase) principal amount less the $174,785,000 aggregate principal amount of the 2020 Notes (as defined below) that were validly tendered and accepted for purchase in the Any and All Tender Offers (as defined below). The Company will allocate the Aggregate Maximum Repurchase Amount to purchase Maximum Tender Offer Notes as more fully set forth herein.

(b) The Total Consideration (as defined below) for Maximum Tender Offer Notes validly tendered prior to or at the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase is calculated using the applicable Fixed Spread (as defined below) and is inclusive of the Early Tender Payment (as defined below).

(c) The 2024 Notes will not be accepted for purchase.

The Maximum Tender Offers were made pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the offer to purchase, dated January 4, 2017 (the "Offer to Purchase"), and the related letter of transmittal and notice of guaranteed delivery (collectively with the Offer to Purchase, the "Tender Offer Documents"), including the offers to purchase for cash (a) any and all of its outstanding 3.000% senior notes due 2019 (the "2019 Notes") and 4.500% senior notes due 2020 (the "2020 Notes") (such tender offers, the "Any and All Tender Offers"), and (b) up to an aggregate principal amount of Maximum Tender Offer Notes that will not exceed $325,215,000 (the "Aggregate Maximum Repurchase Amount"), equal to $500,000,000 (U.S. Dollar equivalent as set forth on the cover page of the Offer to Purchase) principal amount less the $174,785,000 aggregate principal amount of the 2020 Notes that were validly tendered and accepted for purchase in the Any and All Tender Offers.

Holders of Maximum Tender Offer Notes were required to validly tender and not validly withdraw their Maximum Tender Offer Notes prior to or at the Early Tender Date to be eligible to receive the Total Consideration (as defined below), inclusive of an amount in cash equal to the amounts set forth in the table above under the heading "Early Tender Payment" (the "Early Tender Payment").

The "Total Consideration" payable for each series of Maximum Tender Offer Notes will be a price per $1,000 or 1,000 principal amount of such series of Maximum Tender Offer Notes equal to an amount, calculated in accordance with Schedule A or B, respectively, of the Offer to Purchase and with reference to the Settlement Date (as defined below), that would reflect a yield to the applicable call or maturity date of such series of Maximum Tender Offer Notes equal to the sum of (i) the Reference Yield (as defined below) for such series, as determined as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on January 19, 2017, the business day following the Early Tender Date, plus (ii) the fixed spread applicable to such series, as set forth in the table above (the "Fixed Spread"), in each case (as set out in the calculation in Schedule A or Schedule B, respectively) minus accrued and unpaid interest on the Maximum Tender Offer Notes from, and including, the most recent interest payment date prior to the applicable Payment Date up to, but not including, the Settlement Date. The "Reference Yield" means (i) with respect to the 2024 Notes (which are denominated in U.S. Dollars), the yield of the applicable reference security listed in the table above for such series and (ii) with respect to the 2021 Notes, the Interpolated Rate (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) for such series. The Total Consideration includes the Early Tender Payment for the applicable series of Maximum Tender Offer Notes set forth in the table above.

Holders will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on Maximum Tender Offer Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase from the applicable last interest payment date up to, but not including, the date the Company makes payment for such Maximum Tender Offer Notes, which date is anticipated to be January 20, 2017 (the "Settlement Date"), in the case of the Maximum Tender Offer Notes tendered prior to or at the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase.

In the Any and All Tender Offers, a total of $366,837,000 was tendered including $192,052,000 aggregate principal amount of 2019 Notes (excluding $135,000 aggregate principal amount of 2019 Notes tendered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures described in the Tender Offer Documents, but as to which the holders did not complete performance of the delivery requirements under such procedures) and $174,785,000 aggregate principal amount of 2020 Notes (excluding $406,000 aggregate principal amount of 2020 Notes tendered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures described in the Tender Offer Documents, but as to which the holders did not complete performance of the delivery requirements under such procedures).

Albemarle will fund the Maximum Tender Offers with the net proceeds from the previously completed sale of its Chemetall Surface Treatment segment. The Maximum Tender Offers are being made to reduce the Company's outstanding debt.

The Maximum Tender Offers will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on February 1, 2017, unless extended or earlier terminated. Because the Maximum Tender Offers have been fully subscribed as of the Early Tender Date, holders who tender Maximum Tender Offer Notes after the Early Tender Date will not have any of their Maximum Tender Offer Notes accepted for purchase. Any Maximum Tender Offer Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date, together with all Maximum Tender Offer Notes (other than the 2021 Notes that are accepted for purchase after proration) tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date, will be returned to the holders thereof as described in the Tender Offer Documents.

Information Relating to the Tender Offers

BofA Merrill Lynch is the Sole Dealer Manager for the tender offers. Investors with questions regarding the tender offers may contact the Sole Dealer Manager at (888) 292-0070 (U.S. toll-free), (980) 387-3907 (collect) or +44-20-7996-5420 (London). D.F. King & Co., Inc. is the tender and information agent for the tender offers and may be contacted at (800) 967-4617 (toll-free) or (212) 269-5550 (collect). The Tender Offer Documents may be downloaded from D.F. King & Co., Inc.'s website at www.dfking.com/alb/ or obtained from D.F. King & Co., Inc., free of charge, by calling (888) 542-7446 (U.S. toll-free) or +44-20-7920-9700 (London); bankers and brokers may call (212) 269-5550 (collect).

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to buy, or the solicitation of an offer to sell, any of the above-referenced securities and the tender offers do not constitute offers to buy or the solicitation of offers to sell securities in any jurisdiction or in any circumstances in which such offers or solicitations are unlawful. The full details of the tender offers, including complete instructions on how to tender securities, are included in the Tender Offer Documents. Holders are strongly encouraged to read carefully the Tender Offer Documents, including materials incorporated by reference therein, because they contain important information.

About Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and refining catalysts. We power the potential of companies in many of the world's largest and most critical industries, from energy and communications to transportation and electronics. Working side-by-side with our customers, we develop value-added, customized solutions that make them more competitive. Our solutions combine the finest technology and ingredients with the knowledge and know-how of our highly experienced and talented team of operators, scientists and engineers.

Discovering and implementing new and better performance-based sustainable solutions is what motivates all of us. We think beyond business-as-usual to drive innovations that create lasting value. Albemarle employs approximately 4,100 people and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings and other information regarding our company, its businesses and the markets it serves.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. These risks include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to complete either of the Maximum Tender Offers and reduce its outstanding indebtedness and the other risks identified in the Offer to Purchase, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 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. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update the forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Albemarle Corporation

Related Links

http://www.albemarle.com


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) (the " Company " or " Albemarle "), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, today announced the pricing, as set forth in the table below, of its previously announced tender offers (the " Maximum Tender Offers ") to purchase for cash up to a maximum repurchase amount of its 1.875% senior notes due 2021 (the " 2021 Notes ") and 4.150% senior notes due 2024 (the " 2024 Notes "; together, the " Maximum Tender Offer Notes "). Since the aggregate principal amount of 2021 Notes tendered will exceed the Aggregate Maximum Repurchase Amount (as defined below), none of the tendered 2024 Notes will be accepted for purchase.

The table below sets forth the information as to pricing and Total Consideration (as defined below) for the Maximum Tender Offers.

Up to the $325,215,000 Aggregate Maximum Repurchase Amount (a)

of the Outstanding Notes Listed Below

Title of Security CUSIP/ISIN Number Principal Amount Outstanding Acceptance Priority Level U.S. Treasury Reference Security/ Interpolated Rate Bloomberg Reference Page Fixed Spread Early Tender Payment Principal Amount Tendered Total Consideration (b) 1.875% senior notes due 2021 ISIN: XS1148074518 700,000,000 1 Interpolated Mid-Swap Rate ICAE1 35 bps 30.00 per 1,000 (b) 533,330,000  1,067.85 4.150% senior notes due 2024 CUSIP: 012725AC1 ISIN: US012725AC13 $425,000,000 2 2.00% U.S.T. due 11/15/26 PX1 85 bps N/A (c) $229,435,000 N/A (c)

(a) The Maximum Tender Offers are subject to an Aggregate Maximum Repurchase Amount of $325,215,000, which was calculated as $500,000,000 (converted into U.S. Dollars where applicable as described in the Offer to Purchase, as defined below) principal amount less the $174,785,000 aggregate principal amount of its 4.500% senior notes due 2020 that were validly tendered and accepted for purchase in the offers to purchase for cash any and all of its outstanding 3.000% senior notes due 2019 and 4.500% senior notes due 2020. The Company has allocated the Aggregate Maximum Repurchase Amount for purchase of Maximum Tender Offer Notes as more fully set forth herein. (b) Per 1,000 principal amount, as described below. The Total Consideration (as defined below) for the 2021 Notes validly tendered prior to or at the Early Tender Date (as defined below) and accepted for purchase is calculated using the fixed spread therefor referenced in the above table, and is inclusive of an amount in cash equal to the amount set forth in the table above under the heading "Early Tender Payment". (c) The 2024 Notes will not be accepted for purchase.

The " Total Consideration " listed in the table above for each 1,000 principal amount of the 2021 Notes was determined at 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof, which is the business day following the early tender date and time of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on January 18, 2017 (the " Early Tender Date "). The Total Consideration for the 2021 Notes includes an amount in cash equal to the amount set forth in the table above under the heading "Early Tender Payment". Only holders of the 2021 Notes who validly tendered and did not validly withdraw their tenders at or prior to the Early Tender Date are eligible to receive the Total Consideration for such 2021 Notes accepted for purchase.

As of the Early Tender Date, according to information provided by D.F. King & Co., Inc., the tender and information agent for the Maximum Tender Offers, a total of 533,330,000 aggregate principal amount of the 2021 Notes (which have the highest acceptance priority level) had been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn in the Maximum Tender Offers. Since the principal amount of 2021 Notes tendered will exceed $325,215,000 (the " Aggregate Maximum Repurchase Amount "), none of the tendered 2024 Notes will be accepted for purchase pursuant to the Maximum Tender Offers and no Maximum Tender Offer Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date will be accepted. Withdrawal rights for the Maximum Tender Offer Notes expired on the Early Tender Date. The table above sets forth the aggregate principal amount of the 2021 Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn by the Early Tender Date. The 2021 Notes will be subject to proration as described in the offer to purchase, dated January 4, 2017 (the " Offer to Purchase "), based on conversion from Euros to U.S. Dollars as described in the Offer to Purchase, assuming an FX rate of 1.0591 USD = 1.00 EUR (as reported on the Bloomberg screen page "FXIP" as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof).

The Maximum Tender Offers will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on February 1, 2017, unless extended or earlier terminated. Because the Maximum Tender Offers have been fully subscribed as of the Early Tender Date, holders who tender Maximum Tender Offer Notes after the Early Tender Date will not have any of their Maximum Tender Offer Notes accepted for purchase. Any Maximum Tender Offer Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date, together with all Maximum Tender Offer Notes (other than the 2021 Notes that are accepted for purchase after proration) tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date, will be returned to the holders thereof as described in the Offer to Purchase and the related letter of transmittal and notice of guaranteed delivery (collectively, the " Tender Offer Documents "). The settlement date for the Maximum Tender Offer Notes is expected to be January 20, 2017.

Albemarle will fund the Maximum Tender Offers with the net proceeds from the previously completed sale of its Chemetall Surface Treatment segment. The Maximum Tender Offers are being made to reduce the Company's outstanding debt.

Information Relating to the Tender Offers

BofA Merrill Lynch is the Sole Dealer Manager for the tender offers. Investors with questions regarding the tender offers may contact the Sole Dealer Manager at (888) 292-0070 (U.S. toll-free), (980) 387-3907 (collect) or +44-20-7996-5420 (London). D.F. King & Co., Inc. is the tender and information agent for the tender offers and may be contacted at (800) 967-4617 (toll-free) or (212) 269-5550 (collect). The Tender Offer Documents may be downloaded from D.F. King & Co., Inc.'s website at www.dfking.com/alb/ or obtained from D.F. King & Co., Inc., free of charge, by calling (888) 542-7446 (U.S. toll-free) or +44-20-7920-9700 (London); bankers and brokers may call (212) 269-5550 (collect).

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to buy, or the solicitation of an offer to sell, any of the above-referenced securities and the tender offers do not constitute offers to buy or the solicitation of offers to sell securities in any jurisdiction or in any circumstances in which such offers or solicitations are unlawful. The full details of the tender offers, including complete instructions on how to tender securities, are included in the Tender Offer Documents. Holders are strongly encouraged to read carefully the Tender Offer Documents, including materials incorporated by reference therein, because they contain important information.

About Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and refining catalysts. We power the potential of companies in many of the world's largest and most critical industries, from energy and communications to transportation and electronics. Working side-by-side with our customers, we develop value-added, customized solutions that make them more competitive. Our solutions combine the finest technology and ingredients with the knowledge and know-how of our highly experienced and talented team of operators, scientists and engineers.

Discovering and implementing new and better performance-based sustainable solutions is what motivates all of us. We think beyond business-as-usual to drive innovations that create lasting value. Albemarle employs approximately 4,100 people and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings and other information regarding our company, its businesses and the markets it serves.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. These risks include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to complete either of the Maximum Tender Offers and reduce its outstanding indebtedness and the other risks identified in the Offer to Purchase, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 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. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update the forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Albemarle Corporation

Related Links

http://www.albemarle.com


ATLANTA, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Allstar Financial Group is pleased to announce a partnership with Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies. Allstar Underwriters, Inc., a division of Allstar Financial Group, will operate as Berkshire Hathaway GUARD's exclusive representative for Commercial Auto Reinsurance Facility business in the state of North Carolina. David Brett, President of Allstar Financial Group, commented, "Allstar is excited to be representing a company as well respected in the industry as GUARD; we look forward to a successful program."

Allstar Underwriters strives to continuously adapt to the changing economic climate and the demands that are put on clients. According to Brett, "At Allstar, we feel it is paramount to have partners that offer comprehensive products for our clients. This new partnership provides a solid and proficient one-stop business insurance platform with an additional program necessary to the North Carolina marketplace." Lyle Hitt, Berkshire Hathaway GUARD's Executive Vice President of Property and Liability Insurance, stated, "Allstar's commitment to their agency plant and dedication to servicing their agents makes us very excited about our partnership with Allstar Underwriters, Inc. We look forward to a bright future together."

Allstar Underwriters, Inc. is a division of Allstar Financial Group, an Atlanta based holding company with multiple specialty MGA's across the country. Allstar Underwriters offers Commercial & Personal lines insurance products throughout the Southeast.

Additional information about Allstar Underwriters can be found at www.AllstarUnd.com

Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies is a group of four insurance carriers  AmGUARD, EastGUARD, NorGUARD, and WestGUARD  that writes business insurance policies nationwide, offering the following coverages in select areas: Workers' Compensation, Businessowner's (Property/Liability), Commercial Auto, Commercial Umbrella/Excess, Professional Liability, and Disability. Each of the organization's carriers are rated A+ ("Superior") by A.M. Best  a leading source of independent rating information on the insurance industry.

In October of 2012, GUARD was acquired by National Indemnity Company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway  an international holding company with diverse interests that include insurance and reinsurance.

Products are available through contracted independent agents and brokers. To learn more, visit www.guard.com.

SOURCE Allstar Financial Group

Related Links

http://www.allstarund.com


TROY, Mich., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Altair today announced a business collaboration with Oracle to build and offer High Performance Computing (HPC) solutions on the Oracle Cloud Platform. This follows Oracle's decision to name Altair's PBS Works as its preferred workload management solution for Oracle Cloud customers.

Altair PBS Works running on the Oracle Cloud Platform offers independent software vendors (ISVs) faster time to market on a proven HPC platform to address markets such as Oil & Gas, Insurance Information Processing and the internet of things (IoT). The Altair HPC advantage is the ability to quickly jumpstart an ISV interested in HPC with short time-to-market for their solutions on a proven platform.

"The Oracle Cloud Platform provides superior performance in terms of price, predictability, and throughput, with a low cost pay-as-you-go cloud model," said Sam Mahalingam, Chief Technical Officer, Altair. "We are delighted to partner with Oracle to provide High Performance Computing (HPC) solutions with Altair's PBS Works for the Oracle Cloud."

Altair has served the HPC market for over a decade with award-winning workload management, engineering, and cloud computing software. Used by thousands of companies worldwide, PBS Works enables engineers in HPC environments to improve productivity, optimize resource utilization and efficiency, and simplify the process of workload management.

"Altair is a longtime leader in HPC and cloud solutions," said Deepak Patil, Vice President of Product Management, Oracle Cloud Platform. "Their unique combination of HPC and engineering expertise makes PBS Works Oracle's preferred workload management suite for High Performance Computing on the Oracle Cloud."

The Oracle Platform promises to offer HPC users superior performance in terms of price, predictability, and throughput.

As part of the collaboration, Altair will work closely with Oracle to develop turnkey solutions allowing users to access cloud HPC resources in the Oracle Cloud Platform from any web-enabled device. These solutions will leverage Altair's industry leading PBS Works job scheduling solution on the Oracle Cloud to enable intuitive web portal access and secure workload management for rapid, scalable access to Oracle Cloud Platform HPC resources.



Initial solutions will target life sciences, energy, and academia increasing HPC demand to run compute-intensive workloads including DNA sequencing, advanced simulations, and big data analytics to test new concepts or products in virtual space.

For more information on Altair's PBS Works and HPC cloud offerings, visit www.pbsworks.com/overview.

About Altair

Altair is focused on the development and broad application of simulation technology to synthesize and optimize designs, processes and decisions for improved business performance. Privately held with more than 2,600 employees, Altair is headquartered in Troy, Michigan, USA and operates more than 45 offices throughout 20 countries. Today, Altair serves more than 5,000 corporate clients across broad industry segments. To learn more, please visit www.altair.com.

Media Contact:

Altair Corporate/ Americas

Biba A. Bedi

+1-757-224-0548 x 406

[email protected]

SOURCE Altair

Related Links

http://www.altair.com


WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Food Tank (FoodTank.com), in partnership with The George Washington University and the World Resources Institute, will hold a one-day summit entitled "Let's Build Better Food Policy," Thursday, February 2, 2017 from 9AM to 5PM EST. The summit will take place in the Jack Morton Auditorium at The George Washington University.

Please direct inquiries to Food Tank Media Outreach Associate, Thomas Moes, at 312-800-3913 or [email protected]. A limited number of press passes are available.

Food Tank Summit

The event will bring together 35+ experts including business executives, government officials, policymakers, nonprofit leaders, farmers, union leaders, chefs, and more. Interactive panel topics include Creating Resiliency in Food and Agriculture, Cultivating Global Food Security, Healthy Local and Regional Food Systems, and the Next Farm Bill. Expert journalists and food advocates will moderate each panel.

Confirmed speakers include (in alphabetical ordermore to be announced soon): Chuck Abbott, Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN); Leo Abruzzese, The Economist Intelligence Unit; Chef Jose Andres, ThinkFoodGroup; Allison Aubrey, National Public Radio (NPR); Eliza Barclay, Vox.com; Chris Bradshaw, Dreaming Out Loud, Inc.; Emily Buck, U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance; Tim Carman, Washington Post; Mary Cheh, DC Councilmember, Ward 3; Fran Drescher, Cancer Schmancer Movement; Shenggen Fan, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); Joe Glauber, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); Dan Glickman, Aspen Institute Congressional Program; Matt Herrick, Story Partners; Julie Howard, Michigan State University; Jason Huffman, Politico; Roger Johnson, National Farmers Union (NFU); Mike Koch, FreshFarm; Tricia Kovacs, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); Kathleen Merrigan, The George Washington University; Ted Monk, Sodexo; Danielle Nierenberg, Food Tank; Anne O'Connor, Organic Valley; Marc Oshima, AeroFarms; Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME); Janet Ranganathan, World Resources Institute (WRI); Emmy Simmons, AGree; Roger Thurow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs; Kip Tom, Tom Farms; Eric Trachtenberg, McLarty Associates; and Ambassador Darci Vetter, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

The entire event will be broadcast on a free livestream at FoodTank.com and on Facebook Live at facebook.com/TheFoodTank/. More than 15,000 people from around the world streamed the last Food Tank Summit in Chicago, while there were one million organic views on Facebook Live.

Following the Summit, all attendees are invited to a reception hosted by Restaurant Nora (America's First Certified Organic Restaurant). For more information, including ticket purchase options, please click here: www.eventbrite.com/e/lets-build-better-food-policy-2017-food-tank-summit-dc-tickets-26771991748.

WHO: 35+ experts and top leaders across all sectors of the food industry

WHAT: One-day summit hosted by Food Tank, The George Washington University, and World Resources Institute

WHEN: Thursday, February 2, 2017 from 9AM to 5PM EST. For more information: https://foodtank.com/summit

WHERE: Jack Morton Auditorium at The George Washington University, 805 21st St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20052

Last year's D.C. Food Tank Summit brought together 70+ speakers for a completely sold-out event (400 in-person attendees) from more than 25 states. There were more than 30,100 livestream participants from more than 125 countries. This year, Food Tank will hold inaugural summits in Boston and L.A., while expanding globally in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The final 2017 summit will be held Chicago, IL.

About Food Tank

Food Tank (FoodTank.com) is focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. We spotlight environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity, and poverty. Food Tank creates networks of people, organizations, and content that push for food system change.

SOURCE Food Tank
NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ovid Therapeutics, a privately held biopharmaceutical company committed to developing medicines that transform the lives of people with rare neurological diseases, today announced the appointment of Jacqueline A. French, M.D., a world-renowned expert in the treatment of epilepsy, to its Scientific Advisory Board.

With our recent collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502) to develop OV935 for orphan epileptic encephalopathies along with our preclinical research programs, we have established a solid foundation in developing treatments for rare disorders of epilepsy. The appointment of Dr. French to our Scientific Advisory Board furthers our commitment to this area as a core focus of the company with the goal to develop transformational medicines for patients and their families, said Matthew During, M.D., DSc, FACP, FRACP, president and chief scientific officer of Ovid. Dr. French has been deeply involved in the development of many of the key drugs in this area. In addition, she has spearheaded recent discussion with the FDA and EMA to create new clinical trial designs in epilepsy. With her experience as a preeminent clinical and research-focused epileptologist, we believe she will make a significant contribution to our thinking and approach. We are proud to have her as a member of our Scientific Advisory Board.

New understanding of the causes of epilepsy are emerging, giving rise to the opportunity to develop new therapies. This is particularly critical for many of the less common forms of epilepsy where few treatment options exist, said Dr. French. With Ovids strong neurology capabilities, interesting clinical and preclinical assets, and commitment to these rare but important disorders, I am excited to partner with their team so together, we can take a meaningful step in the development of treatments with the potential to have a significant impact on the lives of people with epilepsy.

Dr. French is a professor in the Department of Neurology, director of Translational Research & Clinical Trials in Epilepsy, and a neurologist at the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at NYU Langone Medical Center. She is also a founder and director of the Epilepsy Study Consortium, an academic group that has performed a number of early-phase clinical trials in epilepsy. She chaired an American Academy of Neurology (AAN)/American Epilepsy Society (AES) committee that developed two guidelines on the use of new antiepileptic drugs and has helped create guidelines for the International League Against Epilepsy. She currently serves as chief scientific officer of the Epilepsy Foundation. Previously, she was president and served on the board of the AES and was the secretary of the American Society of Experimental Neurotherapeutics. She has authored more than 200 articles and chapters, is the editor of three books and lectures internationally on clinical trials and the use of antiepileptic drugs. She was the 2005 recipient of the AES Service Award and the 2013 Epilepsy Foundation Hero award. Dr. French received a medical degree from Brown University. She completed her residency in neurology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and completed fellowships in epilepsy at Mount Sinai Hospital and Yale University.

About Ovid Therapeutics

Ovid Therapeutics is a privately held, New York-based, biopharmaceutical company using its BoldMedicineTM approach to develop therapies that transform the lives of patients with rare neurological disorders. Ovids drug candidate, OV101, is currently in development for the treatment of symptoms of Angelman syndrome and Fragile X syndrome. Ovid is also developing OV935 in collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited for the treatment of orphan epileptic encephalopathies.

For more information, visit http://www.ovidrx.com/.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the success of Ovids strategic focus or development programs and Dr. Frenchs contributions to Ovids drug development programs, including OV935. Words such as may, believe, will, expect, plan, anticipate, estimate, intend and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of unknown risks, assumptions, uncertainties and factors that are beyond Ovids control. All forward-looking statements are based on Ovids expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Ovid expressly disclaims any responsibility to update any forward-looking statement contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Wombat Security Technologies (Wombat), the leading provider of cyber security awareness and training, today announces the release of its annual research report, The State of the Phish. The report reveals some positive trends, including a 64% increase in organizations measuring end user risk from 2015 to 2016. However, 76% of infosec professionals still report their organizations being victims of a phishing attack and 51% said the rate of attacks is increasing  both data points are decreases from 2015 to 2016, illustrating that while training and education is working, the threat of attacks continues to remain high.

The third annual State of the Phish report analyzed data from tens of millions of simulated phishing emails over 12 months  a 155% increase in the number of emails looked at in the previous report  as well as more than 500 survey responses from infosec professionals and more than 2,000 answers from employed computer users in the U.S. and the U.K. on their phishing knowledge and behavior.

Thirty-eight percent of infosec professionals who reported a phishing attack cited a disruption of employee activity as the largest impact on their organization compared to data loss or compromised accounts. According to the 2015 Ponemon Institute paper, The Cost of Phishing and the Value of Employee Training, lost employee productivity is the largest cost associate with phishing at roughly $1.8 million for a 10,000-person company.

Consumers were surveyed to test knowledge awareness not only on phishing, but also ransomware. When asked, "What is phishing?", 65% of those surveyed in the U.S. answered correctly. However, 52% were not even able to make a guess on "what is ransomware?". End users who don't recognize or understand the risks of ransomware are also unlikely to practice safe behaviors such as properly backing up files which can reduce the effectiveness of a ransomware attack.

"Social attacks take advantage of employees trying to be helpful so it stands to reason that social awareness of attack methods plays a critical role in protecting against phishing," said Eric Ogren senior security analyst at 451 Research. "Enterprises with corporate phishing education programs empower employees to help protect themselves and the business."

Despite an increase on the general awareness of the concept of phishing, end users continue to make their organization vulnerable through other risky behaviors such as checking personal email on work devices and keeping work data on their personal devices. The consumer survey showed a key cultural difference between U.S. and U.K. employees in how much they blur the lines between work and home. In the U.S., 49% of those surveyed reported checking their work email on their personal phone compared to 29% in the U.K.; and 50% of the respondents in the U.S. admitted to checking personal email on their work computers compared to 31% in the U.K.

"Staying vigilant and implementing a Continuous Training Methodology is key to securing organizations," said Joe Ferrara, President and CEO of Wombat. "We've seen an increase in organizations making an investment in an end user security training and awareness program with 66% of infosec professionals now measuring their organization's susceptibility to phishing and 92% training end users on how to identify and avoid phishing attacks."

Other key findings:

Simulated phishing fail rate: End-users are more likely to fall for a simulated phishing email they would expect to find in their work inbox rather than a consumer related item. One of the highest Wombat phishing template average failure rates is 34% from a message called "Message from Administrator" that asks the user to click on the link if they feel they received the message in error or didn't sign up for a certain account.

End-users are more likely to fall for a simulated phishing email they would expect to find in their work inbox rather than a consumer related item. One of the highest Wombat phishing template average failure rates is 34% from a message called "Message from Administrator" that asks the user to click on the link if they feel they received the message in error or didn't sign up for a certain account. Spear phishing: 61% of companies reported experiencing a targeted attack, or spear phishing.

61% of companies reported experiencing a targeted attack, or spear phishing. Patching updates: While Wombat's ThreatSim simulated phishing tool showed that customers made significant improvements in patching out-of-date software from 2015 to 2016, there are common pieces of software that remain out-of-date: Adobe PDF (31% of the time), Microsoft Silverlight (17%), Adobe Flash (12%) and Java (8%).

While Wombat's ThreatSim simulated phishing tool showed that customers made significant improvements in patching out-of-date software from 2015 to 2016, there are common pieces of software that remain out-of-date: Adobe PDF (31% of the time), Microsoft Silverlight (17%), Adobe Flash (12%) and Java (8%). Technology protection: Overall changes in technology utilized by organizations to reduce the risk of phishing includes the addition of email/spam filters (94%), advanced malware analysis (63%), outbound proxy protection (48%), and URL wrapping (31%).

Overall changes in technology utilized by organizations to reduce the risk of phishing includes the addition of email/spam filters (94%), advanced malware analysis (63%), outbound proxy protection (48%), and URL wrapping (31%). Industry breakdown: Several industries have shown a high percentage of improvement in click rates year over year. These include: professional services (47%), technology (32%), energy (27%), telecommunications (26%) and finance (19%). These large improvement percentages are driven by their commitment to training programs and measurement.

About the State of the Phish

The third annual State of the Phish report evaluated data from tens of millions of simulated phishing emails sent over a 12-month period from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016  a 155% increase in the number of emails analyzed in the 2016 report. Additionally, survey data from both infosec professionals and end users was incorporated to provide a better understanding of what the impact and knowledge-base of phishing was in 2016. While not a scientific study, the report offers insight into what proactive organizations are doing better to train their end users to identify and avoid phishing messages. You can download the full report here.

About Wombat Security Technologies

Wombat Security Technologies provides information security awareness and training software to help organizations teach their employees secure behavior. Their SaaS-based cyber security education solution includes a platform of integrated broad assessments, as well as a library of simulated attacks and brief interactive training modules. Wombat's solutions help organizations reduce successful phishing attacks and malware infections up to 90%. Wombat, recognized by Gartner as a leader in the Magic Quadrant for Security Awareness Computer-Based Training Vendors, is helping Fortune 1000 and Global 2000 customer in industry segments such as finance and banking, energy, technology, higher education, retail and consumer packaged goods to strengthen their cyber security defenses.

SOURCE Wombat Security Technologies

Related Links

http://www.wombatsecurity.com


LONDON, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Anti-hypertensive Therapeutics in Asia-Pacific Markets to 2022 - Increasing Prevalence of Hypertension Drives Market Growth despite Weak Pipeline



Summary



Hypertension is a serious and common medical condition characterized by elevated blood pressure. It is commonly seen in the aging population, and in people with sedentary lifestyles and obesity. As one of the most significant preventable causes of death worldwide, early diagnosis of the condition is crucial to improve health outcomes. Hypertension is the key risk factor for stroke; according to the National Stroke Association (NSA), two-thirds of patients who suffer a stroke have hypertension.



Hypertension itself does not manifest any symptoms, but direct damage can occur to various organs due to high blood pressure. In cases of hypertensive emergency (where blood pressure is higher than 180/110mmHg) patients have reported headaches, breathlessness or malaise due to heart failure and kidney failure. Whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, hypertension requires attention and appropriate changes in lifestyle or medical treatment



The marketed products landscape for hypertension comprises a wide range of treatment options, which includes angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, renin inhibitors, and diuretics. These are used both as monotherapy and combination therapy (including fixed-dose combinations), and the proportion of patients treated using the various therapy approaches varies from country to country.



The high prevalence of the disease is a substantial contributor to healthcare costs and is a major cause of morbidity. However, awareness of hypertension is low among physicians, patients, and the public, leading to a high level of undiagnosed and untreated cases.



Scope



The Asia-Pacific antihypertensive market will be valued at $27 billion in 2022, growing from $19.1 billion in 2015 at a CAGR of 5.1%. Hypertension prevalence is a prominent contributor to market size in the assessed countries. The market is mostly dominated by generics, and there are only a few patented products.

- Will generics continue to dominate treatment?

- How do the elderly populations and their associated risk factors affect prevalence?

- What effect will the patent expirations of currently branded therapies have on market value?

The current anti-hypertensive therapeutics pipeline is weak, comprising 112 molecules in various stages of development, dominated by small molecules.

- Which molecular targets appear most frequently in the pipeline?

- Is there potential for the pipeline to address unmet needs within the anti-hypertensive market?

Analysis of clinical trials since 2006 identified that anti-hypertensive products have a high rate of attrition.

- How do failure rates vary by product stage of development, molecule type, and mechanism of action?

- How do other factors such as average trial duration and trial size influence the costs and risks associated with product development?

The market forecasts indicate that Japan will contribute the most to the Asia-Pacific market value, due to the high annual cost of therapy. Growth in market size is projected to vary considerably across the five assessed markets.

- How will the annual cost of therapy and market size vary between the five Asia-Pacific markets?

- How could changes in risk factors such as aging population, metabolic disorders and high salt intake influence the market?

- Various drivers and barriers will influence the market over the forecast period.

- What are the barriers that limit the uptake of premium-priced therapeutics in the assessed countries?

- Which factors are most likely to drive the market in these countries?



Reasons to buy



This report will allow you to -

- Understand the current clinical and commercial landscape by considering disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, prognosis, and the treatment options available at each stage of diagnosis, including a clinical comparison of marketed therapies.

- Visualize the composition of the anti-hypertensive market in terms of the dominant therapies, and their clinical and commercial standing. Unmet needs are highlighted to allow a competitive understanding of gaps in the market.

- Analyze the anti-hypertensive pipeline and stratify pipeline therapies by stage of development, molecule type and molecular target.

- Consider market opportunities and potential risks by examining trends in hypertension clinical trial size, duration, and failure rate by stage of development, molecule type, and mechanism of action.

- Predict anti-hypertensive market growth in the five Asia-Pacific markets with epidemiological and annual cost of therapy forecasts across India, China, Australia, South Korea and Japan. The forecasts will provide an understanding of how epidemiology trends, new drug entries, and patent expirations will influence market value.

- Identify commercial opportunities in the anti-hypertensive deals landscape by analyzing trends in licensing and co-development deals.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3172450/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

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For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

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LONDON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Global antimicrobial coatings market to witness CAGR of 12.1% during forecast period"

The antimicrobial coatings market is projected to reach USD 4.19 billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 12.1% from 2016 to 2021.



Antimicrobial coatings are a type of powder coatings that are used to prevent microbial growth on surfaces and thus prevent the spread of infections. Active ingredients and resins are the main constituents of these coatings. With the same physical and performance characteristics as standard coil coatings, antimicrobial coatings are available in polyester, urethane, epoxy, acrylic, and PVDF paint systems. Antimicrobial coatings are finding increased usage in various applications such as, indoor air / HVAC, medical, mold remediation, building & construction, foods & beverages, textiles, and other applications. Increasing demand from the medical application due to the growing awareness and per capita healthcare expenditure is driving the global antimicrobial coatings market.



Issues related to the demonstration of the efficacy and functionality of antimicrobial coatings is a major restraining factor in the antimicrobial coatings market.



"Silver product type to register fastest growth in antimicrobial coatings market"

The use of silver antimicrobial coatings in all applications is growing very fast. Efficient, flexible and the use of their germicidal properties against a wide variety of microbes are driving the demand for this product type. Silver antimicrobial coatings release silver ions over a period at a slow rate, which prevents microbial growth.



"Medical is the fastest growing application of antimicrobial coatings"

Medical is estimated to be the fastest growing application segment of the antimicrobial coatings from 2016 to 2021. Medical is projected to be the largest application, owing to the increased demand for use against hospital acquired infections in the healthcare industry. Growing awareness and increasing stringent regulations requiring the use of antimicrobial coatings in healthcare applications in developed countries are projected to drive the medical application at a high rate during the forecast period.



"North America is the largest and the fastest-growing market for antimicrobial coatings"

The North American region is estimated to be the largest and the fastest-growing market for antimicrobial coatings. The high growth rate in the region is due to the increasing demand from the U.S., which is estimated to be the largest market for antimicrobial coatings in the North American region, followed by Canada and Mexico. The U.S. is also estimated to be the fastest-growing market in the region. Growth in the medical devices, building architecture, indoor air / HVAC systems, and other applications have increased the demand for antimicrobial coatings.



Extensive primary interviews were conducted to determine and verify the market size for several segments and subsegments and information gathered through secondary research.



The break-up of primary interviews is given below.



- By Company Type - Tier 1  37%, Tier 2  47%, and Tier 3  16%

- By Designation - C level  46%, Director level  36%, and Others  18%

- By Region - North America  26%, Europe  30%, Asia-Pacific  22%, Middle East & Africa  9%, and South America  13%.



The companies profiled in this market research report are, AkzoNobel N.V. (Netherlands), BASF SE (Germany), Diamond Vogel Paint Company (U.S.), Axalta Coating Systems (U.S.), Nippon Paint Company Ltd (Japan), PPG Industries Inc. (U.S.), Royal DSM (Netherlands), RPM International Inc. (U.S.), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), and The Sherwin-Williams Company (U.S.), among others.





Research Coverage:

This research report categorizes the global antimicrobial coatings market on the basis of application, product type, and region. The report includes detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the global antimicrobial coatings market such as, drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. The detailed analysis of key industry players provides insights into business overviews, products & services, key strategies, investments & expansions, mergers & acquisitions, and recent developments associated with the market.



Reasons to Buy the Report

The report will help market leaders/new entrants in this market in the following ways:



1. This report segments the global antimicrobial coatings market comprehensively, and provides the closest approximations of market sizes for the overall market and subsegments across verticals and regions.



2. The report will help stakeholders understand the pulse of the market, and provide them information on the key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.



3. This report will help stakeholders understand the major competitors and gain insights to enhance their positions in the business. The competitive landscape section includes expansions, new product developments, and mergers & acquisitions.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4604336/



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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PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology giant, Apple, recently collaborated with Scheufelen, a German-based paper mill that has been in business over 160 years, to utilize their heaven 42 paper in their newly released coffee table book titled 'Designed by Apple in California'. The limited-edition coffee table book, released to the public in November 2016, highlights 20 years of Apple design and innovation. The book showcases the company's technological advances utilizing photos, taken by famed photographer Andrew Zuckerman, and printed on the perfect white paper, heaven 42.

"To collaborate with Apple, an iconic and forward-thinking brand, just made sense. As stated by Apple, the luxe coffee table book 'pays tribute to the company's meticulous process of design, engineering and manufacturing,' which seamlessly aligns with our core brand message and rich 160-year history," said Dr. Ulrich Scheufelen, Honorary Chairman of Scheufelen.

heaven 42 is the only coated paper that is absolutely white. Scheufelen produces heaven 42 from highly pure, natural, raw materials, and offers the highest level of whiteness of all coated papers in the world. The perfect choice for print objects where extreme contrasts, absolute color brilliance and special haptic qualities are required. It is also ideal for combining with brilliant white uncoated papers. The absolutely white, soft, dull paper surface guarantees excellent print results in any application.

By using heaven 42, Apple was able to provide their customers with images that have precise line contours for the finest structures, patterns and dots. Every product detail is visible and clearly discernible as a result of the extreme difference between absolute white and deep black. heaven 42 provides the optimum screen-dot definition for perfect reproduction of half-tones, shaded colors and blended colors. In turn, this allows for the best print results to give loyal consumers the best possible product and make them part of the Apple experience.

"We strive, with varying degrees of success, to define objects that appear effortless. Objects that appear so simple, coherent and inevitable that there could be no rational alternative," said Jony Ive, Apple's Chief Design Officer. "The idea of genuinely trying to make something great for humanity was Steve's motivation from the beginning, and it remains both our ideal and our goal as Apple looks to the future," said Ive. "This archive is intended to be a gentle gathering of many of the products the team has designed over the years. We hope it brings some understanding to how and why they exist, while serving as a resource for students of all design disciplines."

The books are in limited supply and are available in two sizes, a smaller version (10.20" x 12.75") that starts at $199, and a bigger book (13" x 16.25") that starts at $299.

For all press inquiries and to request additional information on Scheufelen, please contact Kelly Wolf, from Neff Associates, directly at 215-627-4747, ext 300 or via e-mail at [email protected]. To view Apple's press release on the launch of Designed by Apple in California, please click here.

About Papierfabrik Scheufelen GmbH + Co. KG

Papierfabrik Scheufelen specializes in developing high-quality coated premium papers and boards that are now exported to more than 40 countries. Each year, the roughly 330-strong workforce at the Scheufelen site in the German town of Lenningen produces up to 140,000 tonnes of high-quality coated, wood-free premium paper and premium board from FSC/PEFC-certified pulp.

The paper brands phoenixmotion, heaven 42 and bvs/bro and the premium packaging board phoenolux launched in March 2015 are available in various grammages and finishes. Typical applications for these papers include high-end annual reports, image brochures, advertising brochures, high-quality books, art prints and calendars. A wide range of substance grammages from 160 to 410 gsm and laminated grammages from 480 to 700 gsm make phoenolux ideal both for graphic applications and for packaging in highly discerning segments such as cosmetics, beauty, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages. What's more, it can also be used for folding cartons and displays of all kinds.

Both quality and environmental protection are key to Scheufelen's paper production operations  the tradition-steeped company is the only paper manufacturer in Germany with its production site in a biosphere reserve.

SOURCE Scheufelen
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Applied Food Sciences, Inc. (AFS) demonstrates a commitment to innovation in food, nutrition and life sciences with the grand opening of a Midwest-based Innovation Center in Iowa City, Iowa. The Austin-based company, Applied Food Sciences, is a natural ingredient supplier specializing in botanical extracts for food, beverages and supplements. The newly opened Research and Development Center, is a multi-million-dollar investment located at the University of Iowa BioVentures Center (BVC) featuring molecular biology labs, advanced analytical and materials research laboratories, and a pilot production plant.

"AFS chose the BVC as our home for innovation for a number of reasons," states Chris Fields, VP of Scientific Affairs at Applied Food Sciences. "The University of Iowa is home to a strong work ethic, a high level of professionals, and culture of innovation in the areas of Biotechnology and Food Science. What makes us the most excited is the opportunity to collaborate with other innovative companies in the areas of food technology, then merge those lessons learned with our expertise in life sciences."

One of the primary goals at the new Innovation Center is to help foster the growth of plant-based science; how the evolution of food fits into the current and future food supply and how it can help to not only continue to feed the growing population, but also make it healthier, and more nutritionally sound.

AFS believes having a great location in the Midwest United States moves them that much closer to both the farmers who feed the community and processors who utilize plants for added-value end products.

"We are creating the ideal environment to foster collaborative teams with the mission of touching all aspects of how advances in food sciences can produce long term significance to the positive impact on health and wellness," echoes Loretta Zapp, CEO of AFS. "This new center is evidence of our commitment to our customers and the enhanced value we strive to bring to their products. AFS is excited about these additional resources that will add even more value to our current offerings that include supply chain sustainability, innovation, formulation and manufacturing support."

To learn more about Applied Food Sciences visit appliedfoods.com or contact their VP of Sales & Innovation Jackson Zapp [email protected]. Customers can also call 512-732-8300 or set up a meeting at Expo West in Anaheim, CA March 9-12, 2017.

Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12614458

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Applied Food Sciences, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.appliedfoods.com


CALABASAS, Calif., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ArmaGen, Inc., today announced that it has appointed Mathias Schmidt, Ph.D., as chief executive officer, as well as a member of ArmaGen's board of directors. Dr. Schmidt brings to ArmaGen more than 17 years of executive management experience focused on the research and development of biotherapeutics and pharmaceuticals.

"Mathias is a seasoned biopharmaceutical executive with the diverse experience and skillset necessary to lead ArmaGen to its next phase of growth," said Stuart Swiedler, M.D., Ph.D., ArmaGen's Chairman of the board of directors. "As a company, we have made significant progress in advancing our pipeline of clinical assets, and the Board looks forward to Mathias' leadership as we complete the ongoing studies in MPS I and MPS II and drive toward other important corporate milestones."

"I am honored by the opportunity to lead ArmaGen at this point in the company's evolution," said Dr. Schmidt. "With a strong platform for delivering biologics across the blood-brain barrier and two compounds currently in clinical development, ArmaGen has the potential to transform not only the treatment of rare pediatric diseases such as MPS I and MPS II, but also treatment of major central nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis."

Dr. Schmidt held various positions with Takeda Pharmaceuticals and its subsidiaries since 2001, including oncology drug discovery, early alliance management and head of biologics. Since joining Takeda California in 2012 as Vice President of Biological Sciences, he built a highly functional biotherapeutics unit serving all therapeutic indications and all research sites within the global Takeda organization. He joined the pharmaceutical industry in 1999 after working for several years at various cancer hospitals in Germany and the U.S. In 2011, Dr. Schmidt was awarded the venia legendi in pharmacology from the University of Konstanz. He earned his Master's in Biotechnology from the University of Stuttgart and received his Ph.D. in molecular oncology from the Tumor Biology Center of the University of Freiburg.

About ArmaGen

ArmaGen, Inc., is a privately held biotechnology company focused on developing revolutionary therapies for severe neurological disorders. The company is developing a robust pipeline of innovative therapies for the treatment of neurological complications of lysosomal storage disorders such as Hunter syndrome (MPS I), Hurler syndrome (MPS II), metachromatic leukodystrophy, Sanfilippo A and B syndrome, as well as central nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. ArmaGen's pipeline is based on decades of scientific leadership in engineering therapies to cross the blood-brain barrier and a dominant intellectual property portfolio. The company is advancing its pipeline through licensing and collaboration agreements, in-house development programs, and future partnering opportunities. For more information, visit www.armagen.com.

Contacts:

ArmaGen, Inc.

Derek Kelaita

Vice President, Business Development

818-252-8200

[email protected]

For media inquiries:

Alex Van Rees

SmithSolve LLC

973-442-1555 ext. 111

[email protected]

SOURCE ArmaGen, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.armagen.com


TACOMA, Wash., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer is often regarded as peak whale watching season in the Pacific Northwest, but with the help of one special humpback whale, word is spreading that whale watching in Washington is year-round. "Speckles", a young humpback affectionately nicknamed by Island Adventures Whale Watching for the speckled pattern on its back and tail, is fast becoming a local celebrity in Puget Sound.

The small whale was first photographed swimming in Saratoga Passage in March 2016 by Jill Hein, a board member with Orca Network. Since then, Island Adventures has encountered Speckles on many of their winter whale watching tours that started in November from downtown Seattle. For the last two months, the little humpback, likely just 2-3 years old based on size, has taken up temporary residency near Point Defiance in Tacoma, where its tall blows and tail can be seen from shore.

"It was love at first sight," shares whale enthusiast Kristina Trowbridge who joined Island Adventures on Monday in hopes of finding Speckles. "When I first saw this little whale, it brought tears to my eyes." Shane Aggergaard, President of Island Adventures, notes this experience as astounding. "Running from five different departure locations gives us a good insight to patterns. This type of consistent behavior is unlike anything we've seen in recent memory."

In 2016, whale enthusiasts noticed a rise in humpback sightings throughout the Salish Sea during a year some have dubbed the "Humpback Comeback." Island Adventures reported seeing more than 80 humpbacks in a single trip from their Port Angeles location last summer. With the number of humpback whales on the rise, this trend looks to continue into 2017, and could lead to more humpbacks wintering in Puget Sound.

Alisa Lemire Brooks, Whale Sighting Network Coordinator for Orca Network, encourages citizens to report all local whale sightings either through their Orca Network Facebook page, or through their website www.orcanetwork.org. Reports are compiled and sent to organizations like Cascadia Research Collective to identify individual whales and learn more about whale behavior.

In addition to humpback whales, Island Adventures has encountered Southern Resident Killer Whales, transient orcas, and a gray whale so far during their winter season from Seattle. "There's some cooler weather out there," Aggergaard recounts, "but winter whale watching is hot."

For more information on whale sightings, visit www.orcawhales.com.

Shane Aggergaard

360-293-2428

[email protected]

Related Images

image1.jpg

image2.jpg

image3.jpg

Related Links

Recent Whale Sightings

SOURCE Island Adventures

Related Links

http://www.orcawhales.com


Bai aired its first Big Game ad, a regional spot titled " Horse Whisperer ," in 2016. "When we saw the impact that last year's commercial had on our brand awareness and engagement, we knew we had to do something again, but on a national stage," said Ben Weiss, Founder and CEO of Bai.

Adds Weiss, "Fortunately, we were able to turn to our Chief Flavor Officer who played an integral role in the development of this spot. Justin has been working closely with our team on several new projects and we are excited to see them all come to life in 2017. This is just the beginning."

Bai announced its partnership with the award winning actor and musician in November 2016. As part of his role, Timberlake is involved with new flavor innovation, product launches, marketing campaigns and digital content, among other initiatives.

Founded by Weiss in 2009, Bai delivers refreshing, flavorful beverages with better-for-you ingredients. Both Bai and Bai Bubbles offer fresh fruit flavor and antioxidants with no artificial sweeteners and only 5 calories and 1 gram of sugar per serving. Bai Antiwater offers antioxidants in the form of a super-purified bottled water. Bai is now the fastest growing brand in the enhanced water category.

For more information on Bai, visit www.DrinkBai.com and follow Bai on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DrinkBai), Twitter (www.twitter.com/DrinkBai) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/DrinkBai).

ABOUT BAI BRANDS

Bai is an innovative beverage company that brings great taste and better ingredients together at last. It's Bai and Bai Bubbles lines offer fresh fruit flavor and antioxidants with no artificial sweeteners and only 5 calories and 1 gram of sugar per serving. Bai also produces Antiwater, an antioxidant-infused, super-purified bottled water. The company was founded by 20-year beverage industry veteran Ben Weiss in 2009 and has grown rapidly with its products distributed by Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. Bai Brands was named one of Inc.'s 500 fastest-growing private companies in 2014, as well as one of America's 20 Most Promising Companies by Forbes in 2015. For more information, visit www.drinkbai.com.

SOURCE Bai Brands

Related Links

http://www.drinkbai.com


TREVOSE, Pa., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Baja Fresh Mexican Grill (www.BajaFresh.com), the fast-casual fresh Mexican food chain, announced today a grand opening celebration in honor of its newest Baja Fresh location in Trevose, Pennsylvania on January 19, 2017. The new Baja Fresh is conveniently located at 551 East Street Road in Trevose. The grand opening event will include a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. and is open to the public.

The new Baja Fresh restaurant in Trevose is owned by franchisee Jigar Patel, who has been in the restaurant industry for the past six years. "I have been a huge fan of Baja Fresh since I was in college. I liked it so much, I would eat there at least three times a week," said Patel. "I believe the quality fresh ingredients and delicious Mexican flavors far exceed those of other fast casual restaurants and I can't wait to welcome the community to our newest location."

This 2,500 square foot Baja Fresh restaurant, located inside a recently developed shopping center called The Shops at Emerald Walk, encompasses Baja Fresh's latest interior restaurant design, service and customizable menu. Guests will also notice a distinctly new interior incorporating the use of natural recycled woods, stone and warm colors in this updated design, in addition to a more accommodating family-friendly seating plan.

For more information, please visit www.BajaFresh.com.

About Baja Fresh

Baja Fresh serves handmade, fresh Mexican flavors for lunch, dinner, dine-in or take-out, all in a spacious and new contemporary environment. All entrees are made with fresh, all natural, hormone free, chicken, fire grilled steak, line caught seafood and slow roasted pork carnitas. Don't forget the handmade guacamole and salsa bar hosting six salsas made fresh every day, all day. Founded in 1990, Baja Fresh operates or franchises 165 restaurants in 26 states as well as restaurants in Dubai and Singapore. In 2016, Baja Fresh became part of Kahala BrandsTM, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of 18 quick-service restaurant brands and approximately 2900 locations in 28 countries.

For more information about Baja Fresh or Kahala Brands visit www.BajaFresh.com or www.KahalaBrands.com.

2016 Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. BAJA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL and BAJA FRESH are registered marks of Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. All other marks are property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Baja Fresh

Related Links

http://www.bajafresh.com


SOUTH HILL, Va., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CCB Bankshares, Inc., (OTC Pink: CZYB) welcomes Cynthia L. Bishop as Senior Vice President and Human Resources Leader. Bishop brings experience in strategic planning, leadership, benefits management, compensation strategy, full-cycle recruiting, training, and performance management with her.

With over thirty years in the financial industry, Bishop is no stranger to the banking industry. She received her certification in Human Resources Management from J Sargent Reynolds College in Richmond Virginia, after which she earned designations as a Human Resources Management Professional and Professional in Human Resources. Prior to joining the CCB team Bishop was the Director of Human Resources for Call Federal Credit Union located in Richmond, Virginia. "I personally believe that human capital is the largest and most important asset to any company," says Bishop. "After a short conversation with the executive team at CCB, I knew we shared the same beliefs and it would be a hand-in-glove fit."

President and CEO James R. Black commented, "It is a great pleasure to have Cindy join the CCB team. Her core values, professional skill sets and experience complement our team and bank well. With her leadership and focus on our most valuable asset, our employees, we expect to further accelerate our momentum and success."

Cynthia currently resides in Chester, Virginia where she enjoys spending time reading, playing the piano, and interior decorating. She takes every opportunity to travel and spend time with her two sons and granddaughters.

CCB Bankshares, Inc. is a Virginia state-chartered bank holding company headquartered in South Hill, Virginia and parent company to Citizens Community Bank. It operates six branches, three in south central Virginia and three in northern North Carolina, as well as a loan production office in Clarksville, Virginia. For more information and additional financial data, please visit www.myCCB.bank.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that concern future events which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Any such statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses by the Company and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances and at the time at which such statements are made. The Company's actual results, events and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by any forward-looking statement. The Company has no responsibility to update such forward-looking statements.

SOURCE CCB Bankshares, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.myCCB.bank


English Finnish

OUTOTEC OYJ PRESS RELEASE, JANUARY 19, 2017 AT 3:00 PM

Outotec to deliver concentrate filtration plant for Toquepala copper project in Peru

Outotec has been awarded a contract by Southern Copper Corporation, a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico S.A.B de CV. ("Grupo Mexico"), for the delivery of concentrate filtration plant to the Toquepala concentrator expansion in Southern Peru. The contract value exceeds EUR 15 million and it has been booked in Outotec's 2017 first quarter order intake.

Outotec's scope of delivery includes the engineering and supply of a filtration plant consisting of automatic pressure filters, ancillaries and control as well as related installation supervision and commissioning services including spare parts. The equipment and services will be delivered mostly during the second half of 2017. The expansion is expected to increase the annual production capacity by 100,000 tons of copper.

"We are pleased to have been given the opportunity to deliver the filtration plant to the expansion project of the Toquepala copper operations. Our comprehensive portfolio of dewatering equipment enables us to tailor efficient and environmentally sound solutions and services for copper concentrate processing", says Kimmo Kontola, head of Outotec's Minerals Processing Business Unit.

For further information please contact:

OUTOTEC

Kimmo Kontola, President - Minerals Processing business unit

tel. +358 40 822 7100



Eila Paatela, Vice President - Corporate Communications

tel. +358 20 529 2004, +358 400 817 198

e-mails firstname.lastname@outotec.com

DISTRIBUTION:

Main media

www.outotec.com
DALLAS, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Big Outdoor, LLC ("Big Outdoor" or the "Company"), a premier Out of Home marketing and advertising sales company, today announced that Bob Johns has been named Chief Revenue Officer, effective immediately. Big Outdoor is a portfolio company of SunTx Capital Partners, LP.

As Chief Revenue Officer, Mr. Johns will work closely with Big Outdoor's management team to leverage the Company's diverse portfolio of iconic Out of Home assets  bringing consumers and brands together on multiple levels. Mr. Johns will be based out of the Company's New York office and travel extensively to key market locations.

Mr. Johns brings over twenty years of experience across real estate, media, sales management and business development to Big Outdoor. He joins Big Outdoor from Sensory Interactive, a leading digital signage consulting firm, where he served as Director of Revenue Management and Strategy. While with Sensory Interactive, Mr. Johns worked closely with real estate owners / developers across the United States to recognize the value of existing and new signage opportunities, and negotiated marketing partnerships to maximize the long-term revenue potential of signage assets.

Brad Berkley, CEO of Big Outdoor, said, "On behalf of our entire organization, I am delighted to welcome Bob to our executive team. Bob is a seasoned industry veteran with outstanding expertise in the signage industry. As our Chief Revenue Officer, he will play a crucial role in driving continued growth for the Company."

Mr. Berkley added "Over the last 6 years, Big Outdoor has established itself as a premier and fully integrated outdoor advertising company. Our recent projects reflect Big Outdoor's core strategy of working hand-in-hand with real estate partners to develop innovative advertising opportunities for brands at prime advertising locations in leading cities across the United States. We look forward to announcing a series of new partnerships and high-profile engagements in the months to come."

Mr. Johns said, "I am thrilled to join the Big Outdoor family, and excited to be working with the Company's top-notch sales and development teams to continue forging client partnerships and expanding the Company's already impressive national footprint of Out of Home displays."

Bio of Bob Johns

Prior to Sensory Interactive, Mr. Johns worked at Outfront Media (formerly CBS Outdoor) for fifteen years in numerous positions, responsible for sales management, revenue growth, market operations and asset development. Most recently, he served as Outfront's Vice President of National Sales/General Manager, where he managed relationships with national media agencies and brand marketers while overseeing the New York market. Mr. Johns began his career with global media agency Carat. He attended the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, graduating with a degree in Television and Radio.

About Big Outdoor

With offices in Los Angeles, Dallas and New York, Big Outdoor has established itself as a fully integrated, privately-held outdoor advertising company. Its primary focus is to build relationships with key real estate partners while enhancing the value of their properties through highly visible advertising solutions. For more information, please visit www.bigoutdoor.com.

About SunTx Capital Partners

SunTx Capital Partners, LP, is a Dallas, TX based private equity firm that invests in middle market manufacturing, distribution and service companies. SunTx specializes in supporting talented management teams in industries where SunTx can apply its operational experience and financial expertise to build leading middle-market companies with operations typically in the Sun Belt region of the United States. The capital committed by SunTx comes from the principals of SunTx as well as from institutional investors, including leading university endowments and corporate and public pension funds. More information about SunTx can be found at www.suntx.com.

For additional information, please contact:

Daniel Yunger / Ethan Lyle

KEKST

(212) 521-4800

SOURCE SunTx Capital Partners

Related Links

http://www.suntx.com


- 21-percent more car2go trips taken in 2016 than 2015

- car2go membership rose by 43-percent to 2.2 million

- Highest membership growth in Madrid, Berlin and Vancouver

- Vehicle utilization increased by approximately 40 percent between Q4 2015 and Q4 2016

STUTTGART, Germany and AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- car2go keeps growing. In financial year 2016, the market leader in flexible, one-way carsharing grew its customer base by 43-percent to 2.2 million global members. Every 1.4 seconds, a car2go member takes a trip in a car2go vehicle in one of the service's 26 car2go cities spread across North America, Europe, and Asia.

In financial year 2016, car2go, the market leader in flexible, one-way carsharing grew its customer base by 43-percent to 2.2 million global members.

In North America, Vancouver leads car2go membership with approximately 120,000 local members. In the U.S., Seattle leads with more than 85,000 members. Every 3 seconds, a car2go member in North America takes a car2go trip, with more than 32 million trips taken since launch.

In 2016, car2go's global network of nearly 14,000 vehicles were rented more than 22 million times, a 21-percent increase compared to 2015. Globally, car2go's greatest 2016 customer growth was seen in the cities Madrid (+96,000), Berlin (+47,000), Vancouver (+26,000) and Hamburg (+26,000).

Utilization of car2go vehicles increased by approximately 40-percent between Q4 2015 and Q4 2016. As a general rule, the more frequently shared vehicles like car2gos are moving members around a city, the better carsharing fulfills its purpose to help people easily and affordably get from point A to point B while helping to reduce their city's overall road congestion. This is because shared vehicles do not take up scarce parking space as often, and they more frequently replace private cars, which are increasingly expensive and inconvenient to own in dense cities.

Olivier Reppert, global CEO of car2go Group, is optimistic for 2017: "Carsharing is a very dynamic growth market. car2go will continue to grow our business in the coming year, too  with new fleets, new offers, and new products."

"car2go is an integral part of our comprehensive mobility offerings," said Klaus Entenmann, CEO of Daimler Financial Services AG. "Millions of people all over the world are using our mobility services, and they all have one thing in common: they want up-to-date, flexible, and spontaneous mobility in their city  without owning a car."

About car2go

car2go is the market leader in the free-floating car-sharing sector and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler AG. With the car2go carsharing concept, smart and Mercedes-Benz vehicles can be hired anywhere and anytime at affordable (per minute) prices. The vehicles can be found, booked, and paid by using a smartphone. The car2go carsharing service has been operating since 2008. It is internationally available at 26 locations (14 in Europe, including 7 in Germany, 11 in North America, and 1 in Asia in Chongqing/China). Transnational usage is possible within Europe and North America. The approximately 14,000 vehicles have been rented over 72 million times by more than 2.2 million customers. Purely electrical fleets with a total of 1,300 vehicles are available in three locations (Stuttgart, Amsterdam, and Madrid). Thus, car2go is one of the largest providers in the electric vehicle carsharing sector. The car-sharing provider's global headquarters is in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, near Stuttgart. car2go's North American headquarters is located in Austin, TX.

Daimler at a glance

Daimler AG is one of the most successful automotive companies in the world. With its business divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the vehicle manufacturer is one of the largest suppliers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles. Daimler Financial Services offers financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance policies, capital investments and credit cards as well as innovative mobility services. The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in 1886. As a pioneer of automotive construction, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility today: the Group's focus is on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior automobiles that appeal to and fascinate its customers. Daimler invests continually in the development of alternative drive systems  from hybrid vehicles through to pure electric vehicles with batteries or fuel cells  with the goal of making emission-free driving possible in the long term. Additionally, the company emphatically promotes accident-free driving and intelligent networking, right through to autonomous driving. Daimler sees living up to its responsibility to society and the environment as both an aspiration and an obligation. Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all countries of the world and has production facilities in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa. The brand portfolio includes in addition to Mercedes-Benz, the world's most valuable premium automobile brands, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and Mercedes me, the brands smart, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, FUSO, Setra and Thomas Built Buses and the Daimler Financial Services brands: Mercedes-Benz Bank, Mercedes-Benz Financial, Daimler Truck Financial, moovel, car2go and mytaxi. The company is listed on the Frankfurt and Stuttgart stock exchanges (stock exchange abbreviation DAI). In 2015, the company sold around 2.9 million vehicles and had a workforce of a total of 284,015 employees. The turnover was 149.5 billion euros, the EBIT amounted to 13.2 billion euros.

SOURCE car2go

Related Links

http://www.car2go.com


"Tom Frieden has led CDC through some of the world's most complex public health crises, including the recent response to Ebola and Zika, as well as health threats from smoking to cardiovascular disease to birth defects. His commitment to rigorous science and willingness to confront dangerous threats on many fronts inspires public health professionals everywhere," said CDC Foundation Board Chair Doug Nelson. "We are pleased to honor Dr. Frieden's remarkable public health leadership and vision through this fund that will help future leaders protect the health of America and the world."

The Tom Frieden Future Leaders Fund will build on Dr. Frieden's life-saving legacy by enhancing and amplifying the impact of three programs that represent some of Dr. Frieden's passions: the Public Health Associate Program (PHAP), the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) and the Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS) fellowship program. The fund will help fill existing gaps, increase impact and facilitate innovative opportunities in areas including enhancing program curricula and recruitment efforts; enabling involvement in emerging outbreaks for EIS teams; engaging additional expert faculty; and increasing partnerships to connect graduates with public health job needs.

PHAP is a competitive, two-year, paid training program that assigns associates to public health agencies and nongovernmental organizations in the United States and U.S. territories to work alongside other professionals across a variety of public health settings.

and U.S. territories to work alongside other professionals across a variety of public health settings. EIS officers are boots-on-the-ground disease detectives who support more than 100 public health investigations each year in the United States and worldwide.

and worldwide. The LLS fellowship program prepares early-career laboratory scientists to become future public health laboratory leaders. Formed under Dr. Frieden's leadership, the inaugural class of seven LLS fellows began in July 2015 .

Notably, the United States is experiencing a public health workforce crisis. Some estimates indicate 250,000 more public health workers are needed to maintain current capacity.

During his nearly eight-year tenure as CDC director, Dr. Frieden has worked to control health threats from infectious diseases, respond to emergencies and battle the leading causes of suffering and death in our nation and around the world. Among his many achievements, Dr. Frieden served as a CDC EIS officer from 1990 to 1992, conducting many epidemiologic investigations, including outbreaks of measles, typhoid, cryptosporidium and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. From 1992 to 1996, as a CDC assignee, he led New York City's program that rapidly controlled tuberculosis, including reducing cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis by 80 percent. While working in India for five years as a CDC assignee to the World Health Organization, he assisted with national tuberculosis control efforts. The program in India has treated more than 10 million patients and has saved more than three million lives. Also, as Commissioner of the New York City Health Department from 2002 to 2009, prior to his role as CDC director, Dr. Frieden directed the city's effort that reduced the number of smokers by 350,000, and reduced teen smoking by half.

To learn more about the Tom Frieden Future Leaders Fund, or to make a donation, visit http://www.cdcfoundation.org/tom-frieden-future-leaders-fund.

About the CDC Foundation

The CDC Foundation advances the mission of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through effective philanthropy and public-private partnerships that protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. Established by Congress more than two decades ago, the CDC Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that has launched nearly 900 programs and raised more than $662 million through partnerships with philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals. The CDC Foundation currently manages more than 300 CDC-led programs in the United States and in 85 countries. For more information, please visit www.cdcfoundation.org.

SOURCE CDC Foundation

Related Links

http://www.cdcfoundation.org


BURBANK, Calif., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Five-time GRAMMY winning and best-selling recording artist Celine Dion will perform an all-new original song, "How Does A Moment Last Forever," for Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast." The song will also be included on the film's soundtrack.

Written by eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken ("The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin") and veteran lyricist and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice ("The Lion King," "Evita"), "How Does A Moment Last Forever" is an emotional ballad about holding onto life's precious moments. Portions of the song are performed throughout the film and interpolated into the underscore before Dion's full-length version debuts in the film's custom main-on-end title design.

Says Dion, "Being a part of the original 'Beauty and the Beast' was such a magical experience in my life, and I'm truly honored to be a part of this film again."

President of Music for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Production, Mitchell Leib, approached the artist on behalf of the project with the idea of recording one of the three new songs written for the film. "Celine was the unanimous choice of the filmmakers and studio to perform this song," says Leib, "And everyone involved with the film is thrilled she agreed to be part of this new live-action adaptation."

Dion originally performed the duet "Beauty and the Beast"  featuring Menken's haunting melody and two-time Oscar-winner Howard Ashman's unforgettable lyrics  with Peabo Bryson for the animated film. The song became an instant classic and went on to receive an Academy Award, Golden Globe and three GRAMMY Awards.

Menken also provides the film score along with new recordings of the classic songs from the animated film written by himself and Ashman. The original motion picture soundtrack will be released by Walt Disney Records on March 10, 2017. The pre-order is available now at http://disneymusic.co/BeautySndtrkP.

About the film:

The story and characters audiences know and love come to spectacular life in the live-action adaptation of Disney's animated classic "Beauty and the Beast," a stunning, cinematic event celebrating one of the most beloved tales ever told. "Beauty and the Beast" is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a Beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle's enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast's hideous exterior and realize the kind heart of the true Prince within. The film stars: Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle's father; Josh Gad as LeFou, Gaston's long-suffering aide-de-camp; Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, the candelabra; Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Audra McDonald as Madame de Garderobe, the wardrobe; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, the feather duster; Hattie Morahan as the enchantress; and Nathan Mack as Chip, the teacup; with Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.

Directed by Bill Condon based on the 1991 animated film "Beauty and the Beast," the screenplay is written by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos and produced by Mandeville Films' David Hoberman, p.g.a. and Todd Lieberman, p.g.a. with Jeffrey Silver, Thomas Schumacher and Don Hahn serving as executive producers. "Beauty and the Beast" will be released in U.S. theaters on March 17, 2017.

For more information on Walt Disney Records' releases, like us on Facebook.com/ disneymusic or follow us at Twitter.com/disneymusic and Instagram.com/disneymusic/.

SOURCE Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The power of Chinese overseas retail shoppers has again caught the attention of international media. This time several German media channels have covered the story "First milk powder, now shampoo - Chinese consumers, again, go crazy for our products" - now Chinese cross border specialists have discovered the German caffeine shampoo brand "Alpecin".

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/459178/Dr_Wolff_Group_Alpecin_caffeine_shampoo.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/459179/Dr_Wolff_Group_Alpecin_caffeine_shampoo_with_Asian_label.jpg )



One of Germany's biggest newspapers F.A.Z. reports that the massive interest of Chinese importers, especially for the well-known Caffeine product "Alpecin" has led to a situation where major German retailers had to surrender to a vast demand and eventually to overall out of stock situations.

Price rally and out-of-stocks in China are not be expected.

Chinese consumers are searching for new ways and channels to purchase Alpecin products from abroad, even if they are not knowing if the products are real or fake. There is a safer and quicker way to purchase the Caffeine Shampoo Brand. The company has already set up in China in April 2016.

Alpecin launched the 3 best selling products in over 2,000 Watsons stores in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou etc., and the brand has also initiated online distribution via the online platform Tmall. The brand pledges to its Chinese customers that all its products, whether sold in Germany or China, preserve the same quality standard.

"We are very happy about the trust of the Chinese customers in our products. We know that this trust is mainly based on the ideal of quality "Made in Germany" says CEO of Dr. Wolff Mr. Eduard Doerrenberg. Knowing that this massive demand for infant formula in Germany led to a massive price increase in Asia we are not willing to repeat that price rally. We have a regional stable pricing strategy and will not take advantage out of the current situation."

Alpecin Caffeine Shampoo, a product developed by the scientific research team of the German company Dr. Wolff in the year 1930 is a product that recharges and cleanses the hair to promote natural hair growth. Alpecin's main ingredient that helps hair to feel stronger is "caffeine". Apply the shampoo once a day and massage into hair and scalp. Leave it on for 2 minutes before rinsing it out.

Dr. Wolff Group

Now led by the fourth generation of its founding family and with well-established brands including Alpecin and Linola as well as Plantur, Biorepair and Vagisan, the Bielefeld-based Dr. Wolff Group and its 600 employees continues its global growth. Since its founding, the company has maintained a strong emphasis on research and scientifically demonstrable benefits of its products for solving problems such as hair loss or skin disorders. In 2016, the group recorded the most successful year in its 111-year history. With newly opened markets in Europe and Asia, and new skin products, the company achieved sales of provisional 290 million euros, reporting a new record result. Dr. Wolff is active in more than 40 countries. More information can be found online at: http://www.drwolffgroup.com/de/.

press contact Dr. Wolff Group

Marcel Klopping

mail: [email protected]



Pictures accompanying this release are available in the AP PhotoExpress feed using ref# PRN861912 and PRN861914

SOURCE Dr. Wolff-Gruppe
JACKSON, Mich., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of CMS Energy today increased the quarterly dividend on the company's common stock by 7 percent, to 33.25 cents per share, up from 31 cents per share.

Based on Wednesday's closing price for CMS Energy common stock, $42.19, the dividend represents an annualized yield of 3.2 percent.

The first quarter dividend for the common stock is payable Feb. 28, 2017, to shareholders of record on Feb. 3, 2017.

Patti Poppe, CMS Energy's president and chief executive officer, said the Board's decision to increase the current dividend to $1.33 per share on an annualized basis reflects the successful execution of the company's business strategy.

"We continue to make significant capital investments that serve our customers and create value for our investors," Poppe said.

"Our long-term business plan calls for 6 percent to 8 percent annual earnings growth, and our quarterly common stock dividend has increased 10 cents, or nearly 38 percent, in the last five years. We expect to continue to increase our dividend as we execute our strategy and increase our earnings."

CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS) is a Michigan-based company that has an electric and natural gas utility, Consumers Energy, as its primary business and also owns and operates independent power generation businesses.

For more information on CMS Energy, please visit our website at www.cmsenergy.com. To sign up for email alert notifications, please visit the Investor Relations section of our website.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in Rule 3b-6 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Rule 175 of the Securities Act of 1933, and relevant legal decisions. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements should be considered in the context of the risk and other factors detailed from time to time in CMS Energy's and Consumers Energy's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Forward-looking statements should be read in conjunction with "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION" and "RISK FACTORS" sections of CMS Energy's Form 10-K and Consumers Energy's Form 10-K each for the year ended December 31, 2015, and as updated in CMS Energy's and Consumers Energy's subsequent Forms 10-Q.

CMS Energy's and Consumers Energy's "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION" and "RISK FACTORS" sections are incorporated herein by reference and discuss important factors that could cause CMS Energy's and Consumers Energy's results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Investors and others should note that CMS Energy and Consumers Energy post important financial information using the investor relations section of the CMS Energy website, www.cmsenergy.com and Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

SOURCE CMS Energy
HONG KONG, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CNOOC Limited (the "Company") (SEHK: 00883, NYSE: CEO, TSX: CNU) today announced its business strategy and development plan for the year 2017.

The Company's net production target for 2017 is in the range of 450 to 460 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE), of which approximately 64% and 36% are produced in China and overseas, respectively. The net production targets set for 2018 and 2019 are 455 million to 465 million BOE and 460 million to 470 million BOE, respectively. The net production for 2016 is expected to be approximately 476 million BOE.

There will be 5 new projects coming on stream during the year, of which the Penglai 19-9 oilfield comprehensive adjustment project and the Enping 23-1 oilfields in China have commenced production. The other three projects, namely phase two of the Weizhou 12-2 oilfield project in China, the BD gas field in Indonesia and the Hangingstone project in Canada will commence production as scheduled in the year. Currently, nearly 20 projects are under construction.

In 2017, the Company plans to drill 126 exploration wells and acquire approximately 13 thousand square kilometers of 3-Dimensional (3D) seismic data.

The Company's total capital expenditure for 2017 will be in the range of RMB60.0 to RMB70.0 billion. Of that amount, the capital expenditures for exploration, development and production will account for around 18%, 66% and 15% respectively. The Company will maintain prudent fiscal management and enhance capital efficiency to facilitate sustainable development.

Mr. Yuan Guangyu, President of the Company, said: "We will maintain prudent financial policy and improve capital efficiency in response to the continued challenge posed by low oil prices. Also, we will optimize the Company's asset portfolio and focus on return to make steady progress in all businesses."

Mr. Yang Hua, Chairman and CEO of the Company, commented: "In 2017, we will balance both short-term and mid to long-term development, pursue quality growth, increase profitability-oriented production volume in order to bring better return for our investors."

Notes to Editors:

More information about the Company is available at http://www.cnoocltd.com.



This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding expected future events, business prospectus or financial results. The words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors the Company believes are appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will meet the expectations and predictions of the Company depends on a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause the actual results, performance and financial condition to differ materially from the Company's expectations, including but not limited to those associated with fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas prices, the exploration or development activities, the capital expenditure requirements, the business strategy, whether the transactions entered into by the Group can complete on schedule pursuant to their terms and timetable or at all, the highly competitive nature of the oil and natural gas industries, the foreign operations, environmental liabilities and compliance requirements, and economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China. For a description of these and other risks and uncertainties, please see the documents the Company files from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report on Form 20-F filed in April of the latest fiscal year.

Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company cannot assure that the results or developments anticipated will be realised or, even if substantially realised, that they will have the expected effect on the Company, its business or operations.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Ms. Michelle Zhang

Deputy Manager, Media / Public Relations

CNOOC Limited

Tel: +86-10-8452-6642

Fax: +86-10-8452-1441

E-mail: [email protected]

Ms. Iris Wong

Hill+Knowlton Strategies Asia

Tel: +852-2894-6263

Fax:+852-2576-1990

E-mail: [email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150819/8521505396LOGO

SOURCE CNOOC Limited

Related Links

http://www.cnoocltd.com/


VALLEY COTTAGE, New York, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

"The US$ 5.49 Bn global cognitive systems spending market will witness a massive hike in the revenues, reaching a whopping US$ 21.46 Bn by the end of 2026. Over the 10-year assessment period 2016-2026, the global cognitive systems spending market will expand at a healthy CAGR of 14.6%, gaining a healthy incremental opportunity of over US$ 15 Bn." - Future Market Insights

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161020/430874LOGO )



The advent of technology has created an inevitable need for human-machine communication that increasingly compels individual users as well as enterprises to employ machine intelligence for better, facilitated, and organised work. This, being the most prominent factor driving the cognitive systems spending, Future Market Insights identifies few other key influencers associated with the growth of cognitive systems spending market assessed for the next decade.

Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2616

Cognitive technology has been undergoing constant evolution, fuelling the demand in various end-use sectors.

Following developed market, developing regions are increasingly augmenting their IT spending on cognitive systems, which will be one of the predominant factors uplifting the cognitive systems spending in emerging economies.

As adoption of intelligent Personal Assistants is surging, the applications of Natural Language processing technology is also likely to experience a significant rise in terms of sales revenues.

In a recent market outlook titled "Cognitive Systems Spending: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026 ," Future Market Insights throws light on all the critical factors related to current market condition and future prospects. The report offers detailed insights into all the market segments, including regional analysis.

Regional analysis reflects emergence of developing markets

North America will continue to hold the strongest foothold in the global market with around 65% market value share in 2026. This US$ 3.5 Bn regional market is anticipated to attain a value of US$ 13.83 Bn by the end of 2026, followed by Western Europe, Latin America, and APEJ.

Emerging countries are expected to witness evident growth throughout the assessed period. Latin America will demonstrate the fastest CAGR of 15%, primarily driven by the market growth in Brazil and Mexico. From around S$ 500 Mn at the beginning of the forecast, this region will reportedly reach beyond US$ 2 Bn by the end of the period. Japan and APEJ are also anticipated to expand at the respective CAGRs of 14.9% and 14.8%.

Regional market drivers

Soaring commercialisation of predictive analytics within North America (especially the U.S.) will remain the key driver to North America's market growth.

(especially the U.S.) will remain the key driver to market growth. Rapidly proliferating demand for cognitive systems in healthcare sector and substantial adoption of Natural Language processing cognitive technology are expected to be responsible for Latin America's growth. Moreover, consistent innovation in the comprehension economy will further push the market for cognitive systems analytics in Latin America .

growth. Moreover, consistent innovation in the comprehension economy will further push the market for cognitive systems analytics in . Favourable government initiatives and increasing IT spending on cognitive systems will foster the APEJ market.

Towering adoption of cognitive systems for personalized learning, coupled with growing popularity of predictive analytics will continue to accelerate the Japanese market.

Preview Analysis on Global Cognitive Systems Spending Market Segmentation By Product Type - Hardware, Software and Services; By Deployment Type - Public and On-Premise; By Technology Type - Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning and Automated Reasoning; By Verticals - Banking, Education, Government, Healthcare, Insurance, Manufacturing, Securities & Investment Services, Telecommunications, Transportation and Other Industries (Cross Industries, Discrete Manufacturing, Process Manufacturing, Retail): http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/cognitive-systems-spending-market

Segmentation analysis based on product type, technology, deployment, and application

By product type, services will be the largest and fastest growing segment with over US$ 12 Bn revenues estimated for 2026 end. While this segment is likely to expand at an impressive 15.1% CAGR, it will hold over 58% value share in 2026, gaining 250 BPS over the period of forecast. Software will remain the second largest segment with over US$ 5 Bn revenues in 2026, accounting for over 25% share.

On the basis of technology, Natural Language processing segment is expected to continue preeminence and surpass a value of US$ 13 Bn by the end of 2026, gaining nearly 1000 BPS during the forecast period. This segment will grow at a CAGR of over 16% and capture more than 60% share of the total market revenues in 2026. Automated reasoning, followed by machine learning segment, will represent decent growth in revenues, accounting for over 20% and over 19% of the market value towards the close of 2026, respectively.

Based on deployment, on-premise will remain the leading segment with over 66% market value share by the end of the assessment period, surpassing US$ 14 Bn in values. While this segment will possibly register a robust CAGR of 14.9%, public segment is also likely to witness significant expansion at a 14% CAGR over 2016-2026.

By application, banking segment will attain over US$ 6 Bn revenues in 2026, contributing more than 28% share to the entire market revenues. Healthcare segment will witness the highest CAGR of 15.8%, reaching around US$ 4 Bn that will reportedly account for over 17% share in 2026 market value. Insurance will remain the third largest application segment.

Companies heating up the market competition

New product launches based on technological advancements continue to take the centre stage for key players.

Competitive pricing will be the key to enhanced sales revenues and better market position over the next few years.

M&A will remain one of the prominent growth strategies among leading companies.

Speak with Analyst for any Report Related Quires: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-2616

While International Business Machines Corp (IBM) continues to rule the roost with almost 54% market revenue share, Accenture Plc., HP Inc., Microsoft, and Intel Corporation are experiencing intense competition on the global market landscape. Attivio, Wipro Limited, COGNITIVE SCALE, and IPSOFT INC. are also among the key market players partaking in the heating competition. Among these, IBM, HP, and COGNITIVE SCALE have a strong application presence in banking, healthcare, education, manufacturing, retailing, and security. Other notable players include EMC, Alteryx, SE, DtaStax, Hortonworks, Teradata, Cloudera, and Continnum Analytics.

More From FMI's Cutting-edge Intelligence:

Earphone And Headphone Market Segmentation: By Product Type - Wired, Wireless; By Price - Premium, Mid-Price, Low Price; By Application - Corporate, Gaming, Media And Entertainment, Personal, And Sports; By Key Regions - North America , Western Europe , APEJ, Japan , Eastern Europe , Latin America And MEA: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/earphones-headphones-market



Segmentation: By Product Type - Wired, Wireless; By Price - Premium, Mid-Price, Low Price; By Application - Corporate, Gaming, Media And Entertainment, Personal, And Sports; By Key Regions - , , APEJ, , , Latin America And MEA: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/earphones-headphones-market Workstation Market Segmentation By Product Type - Tower Workstation, Mobile Workstation, Rack Workstation, Blade Workstation, All-in-One Workstation; By Operating System - Windows, Linux, Unix; By Application - Digital Content Creation, Economic/Finance, Engineering, Scientific, Software Engineering, Other Commercial: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/workstation-market



Segmentation By Product Type - Tower Workstation, Mobile Workstation, Rack Workstation, Blade Workstation, All-in-One Workstation; By Operating System - Windows, Linux, Unix; By Application - Digital Content Creation, Economic/Finance, Engineering, Scientific, Software Engineering, Other Commercial: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/workstation-market Mass Notification Systems Market Segmentation By Application - Interoperable Emergency Communication, Integrated Public Alert and Warning, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery and Business Operation; By Solution - In-building Solution, Wide-area Solution and Distributed Recipient Solution; By Product Type - Hardware, Software and Services; By End-user Vertical - Ommercial, Education, Energy and Power, Healthcare, Defence, Automotive, Transportation and Logistics and Government Institutions: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/mass-notifications-systems-market

About Us

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends.

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SOURCE Future Market Insights
Since the beginning of 2014, Combined Insurance has hired more than 3,100 veterans and family members. The company is committed to hiring 3,000 more veterans and family members by the end of 2018.

"Bob has more than thirty years of experience as a proven military and business leader and we are excited to welcome him to our team," said Doug Abercrombie, Chief Agency Officer at Combined Insurance. "Bob's longstanding tenure within the insurance industry, leading large sales, operations and military initiatives, along with his years of honorable military service to our country make him an ideal fit for our company and this position."

Wiedower comes to Combined after fifteen years at USAA in a variety of sales, marketing, and operations roles. He is also a decorated veteran, having spent 22 years in the United States Marine Corps where he retired as a Commanding Officer.

During his time in the USMC, Wiedower led a squadron during combat operations and achieved the highest operational readiness rates in the squadron's history. His squadron was also selected as the CY 2000 Marine Corps Aviation Association's Prowler Squadron of the Year.

This year, Combined Insurance was ranked once again as a Top 10 Military Friendly Employer for 2017 by G.I. Jobs Magazine. This is the fifth consecutive year that Combined Insurance has made the top 10 employer list and third consecutive year in the top 5the company was previously named the Number One Military Friendly Employer in the nation in 2015 and 2016.

Combined Insurance has an A+ (Superior) financial strength rating by A.M. Best, one of the world's top insurance rating firms. The company has also been recognized for seven consecutive years on Ward's 50 Top Performing Health-Life Insurance Companies list.

For more information about veteran careers at Combined Insurance, visit combinedinsurance.com.

About Combined Insurance

Combined Insurance Company of America (Chicago, IL) is a leading provider of individual supplemental accident, disability, health and life insurance products and a Chubb company. Combined Insurance is committed to making the world of supplemental insurance easy to understand. With a tradition of nearly 100 years of success, Combined Insurance has an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau, is one of Ward's Top 50 Performing Life-Health Insurance Companies and was named a Top Military Friendly Employer in 2017 by G.I. Jobs  marking the sixth consecutive year the company has been named a Top 5 Military Friendly Employer.

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/CombinedIns

Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/CombinedInsuranceUnitedStates

Connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/combined-insurance

View our videos on YouTube: youtube.com/user/CombinedInsuranceUSA

Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/combinedinsurance

Read more on our blog, Supplementally Speaking: combinedinsurance.com/blog

About Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: chubb.com.

SOURCE Combined Insurance

Related Links

http://www.combinedinsurance.com


One of the leadership development programs the Foundation supports is Hope Station, a youth leadership program in Carlisle, PA. "Our five-year partnership with Comcast has helped Hope Station to lift up the entire neighborhood by tackling our most difficult problems," said James Washington Jr., Executive Director. "This is done through education, technology, job development and most importantly, teaching our children to become leaders by learning to respect themselves and others."

Another youth leadership program supported by the Foundation is the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh's Beyond School Walls program, an ongoing partnership between Comcast and Sto-Rox Middle School. "Comcast's employees understand the needs of the children we serve and have consistently supported their Littles year after year," said Jan Glick, Executive Director. "Each time we consider adding another Beyond School Walls program we asked the company to visit the Comcast program as an example of perfection."

The 30 big / little matches among at-risk children and adult mentors has helped the students improve academic success, feel more socially accepted and demonstrate healthier attitudes against "risk behaviors," including controlled substance use, bullying, and breaking rules in school.

In addition, The Arc of York County received a grant to support assistive and adaptive technology. "The Arc of York County is thrilled to be able to offer our Technology Education Course to York Countians with disabilities thanks to the generous funding from the Comcast Foundations," said Josh Leik, Director of Operations. "Over the next year, dozens of individuals will have an introduction to computers or will build upon existing skills to better enable them to fully participate in their community."

In Pittsburgh, Best of the Batch Foundation supports students by providing technology and school-readiness programs in local communities. "Best of the Batch Foundation is pleased to continue our partnership with the Comcast Foundation as we bring state of the art technology to our students," said Founder and President, Charlie Batch. "Thanks to the new equipment, like 3-D printers and 3-D pens that we will be able to purchase for our Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math Club, we will create new learning outlets and open doors to careers and opportunities."

Additional organizations receiving Comcast Foundation grants in Comcast's Keystone Region include:

Sarah Heinz House Boys & Girls Club, Pittsburgh

& Girls Club, Boys & Girls Club of Western PA

Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg

Spanish American Civic Association, Lancaster

Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh

of Centro Hispano Daniel Torres , Reading

, Reading Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club, Morgantown

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region, Harrisburg

Easter Seals of Western & Central PA , Pittsburgh

of Western & , Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh / Digital Connectors

of / Digital Connectors Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region, Greensburg

YWCA, Wheeling

Strong Women Strong Girls, Pittsburgh

Boys & Girls Clubs of Chambersburg and Shippensburg

and Crispus Attucks , Lancaster

Including the support in Comcast's Keystone Region, the Comcast Foundation donated $19 million in 2016 to nonprofit organizations in the communities it serves nationwide. In addition to the grants from the Comcast Foundation, Comcast also responds to community needs through local sponsorships and in-kind support, such as airing public service announcements, employee volunteerism, and providing technology equipment and services to organizations across the country.

"Comcast is proud to award these grants to our partner organizations to connect and strengthen the communities we serve," said Christine Whitaker, senior vice president of Comcast's Keystone Region. "Thanks to the tireless and extremely important work of these nonprofit organizations, our region is a better place to call home."

About the Comcast Foundation

The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment prioritiesexpanding digital literacy, promoting community service, and building tomorrow's leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated $195 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.

SOURCE Comcast Cable

Related Links

http://www.comcastcorporation.com


MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OEM Corporation has partnered with reBOOT Canada to deliver essential technology to underserved Canadians through a unique partnership that will donate up to $750,000 cash over three years, and work towards solving the often-overlooked technology gap.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0ea6c48f-1a62-40ec-9ef5-084593f48bb0

OEM will manage transportation, delivery, warehousing and donor account management to reBOOT Canada, which provides refurbished computers, ongoing education and wireless access to some of Canadas most tech-challenged youth, families and not-for-profit organizations.

The cornerstone of the relationship is built on OEMs ability to attract corporate partners to participate in the program and get like-minded companies engaged.

This is about starting with the basics. Kids use computers for school work, parents need access to crucial government services, and families stay in touch more closely, says Jack McSorley, OEM Corporation founder and Chief Executive Officer. These are things many of us take for granted. Its also about a shift in corporate IT thinking  re-use needs to be the new recycle process.

OEM brings the highest level of professionalism and commitment to their work, says Francisco Rota, Executive Director at reBOOT Canada. Were confident that their services will enhance the reBOOT Canada donor experience and become a key piece of our reach and growth as we serve communities across the nation.

While the primary source of computers will come from Canadian business, GTA-based individuals are also encouraged to donate their older systems and peripherals using the online donation form at http://www.rebootcanada.ca/donate.html.

To make it easier for individual donations, reBOOT has a free 15-minute parking drop-off service at their newest location in Toronto at Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Avenue.

Donations can also be dropped off at OEM Corporation, 2301 Royal Windsor Drive, Unit #2, Mississauga, Ontario and reBOOT Canada offices at 251 Charlotte Street in Peterborough. All corporate and individual computer donations come with charitable tax receipts, according to federal regulations.

We see the deeper win in working with reBOOT Canada to connect directly with donors, adds McSorley. Were looking forward to extending the awareness of their important activities and help close the gap in access to technology and the Internet across the country.

A few of the unique and vital services that reBOOT provides is Parkdale Wi-Fi access through the reBOOT reLAY Neighbourhood Network, offering free access along Queen Street West in Toronto. As well, reBOOT works with at risk youth in the Jane and Finch area to learn about computer sales and service and get vital on-the-job experience.

About OEM

OEM Corporation is a Canadian company based in Mississauga that provides secure and sustainable end-of-life IT management services. We remove, report, repair and repurpose end-of-life IT assets, with the environment always a priority. We work with mid-sized companies through to Fortune 500 corporations, as well as healthcare, educational institutions and all levels of government. To ensure secure data erasure, OEM uses Blancco, the global leader in data erasure. OEM is fully R2 licensed, is ISO 14001 certified, and follows the Basel Convention protocols. Our clients include AGF, Maple Leaf Foods, Ryerson University, Rexall and Intact Insurance. Learn more at www.oemcorp.com, or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

About reBOOT

reBOOT Canada is a registered charity whose mission is to bridge the digital divide for individuals, families and charities by providing subsidized and reliable access to technology, software, computer education and the internet. Visit them at www.rebootcanada.ca.
TREVOSE, Pa., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/-- The Comcast Foundation awarded more than $1.86 million in grants to 49 nonprofit organizations located in Comcast's Freedom Region, which serves Greater Philadelphia, New Jersey and northern Delaware, in 2016. The grants support programs aimed at the Comcast Foundation's areas of focus  expanding digital literacy, promoting community service, and building tomorrow's leaders.

Boys & Girls Clubs chapters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware; Philadelphia OIC and The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation in Philadelphia are among the many local organizations that are making a meaningful difference in the community and were supported by the Comcast Foundation this year.

"Support from the Comcast Foundation has provided SEAMAAC  Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition  the infrastructure to increase access to computers and the Internet for low-income immigrants and refugees residing in South Philadelphia," said Amy Jones, SEAMAAC's Director of Health & Social Services. "With a valued and trusted partner like Comcast, SEAMAAC is able to help thousands of immigrants and refugees' in Philadelphia substantially improve their computer literacy and workplace skills to advance the condition of their lives here in the United States."

"Comcast is proud to award these grants to our partner organizations to connect and strengthen the communities we serve," said Jim Samaha, Senior Vice President of Comcast's Freedom Region. "Thanks to the tireless and invaluable work of these nonprofit organizations, our Region is a better place to call home."

Organizations receiving Comcast Foundation grants across the region include:

Arcadia University

Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia

Asociacion Puertorriquenos en Marcha

Aspira of Pennsylania

Barnes Foundation

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex , Hudson & Union Counties

, Hudson & Union Counties Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County

Boys & Girls Club of Camden County

Boys & Girls Club of Gloucester County

Boys & Girls Club of Hudson County

Boys & Girls Club of Union County

Boys & Girls Club of Vineland

Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware

Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia

Center For Family Services

Center for Literacy

Committee of Seventy

Congreso de Latinos Unidos

CONCILIO

Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation

Enterprise Center

Esperanza USA

Financial Executives Research Foundation

Girl Scouts Heart of NJ Council

Girls Incorporated of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey

& Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Harvard Business School Club of Philadelphia

HISPA

Latin American Action Committee of Montgomery County

Latin American Community Center

LAEDA

Magee Rehabilitation Hospital

Mission Kids

Need in Deed

Norris Square Community Alliance

People for People of Philadelphia

Peoples Emergency Center

Philadelphia OIC

Philadelphia Outward Bound Center

Rodney Street Tennis and Tutoring Association

and Tutoring Association SEAMAAC

SquashSmarts

Strawberry Mansion Neighborhood Action Center

Sultan Jihad Ahmad Community Foundation

Taller Puertorriqueno

Teenshop

Urban League of Hudson County

of Variety Club Camp and Development Center for Handicapped Children

Including the support in Comcast's Freedom Region, the Comcast Foundation donated more than $19 million in 2016 to nonprofit organizations in the communities it serves nationwide. In addition to the grants from the Comcast Foundation, Comcast also responds to community needs through local sponsorships and in-kind support, such as airing public service announcements, employee volunteerism, and providing technology equipment and services to organizations across the country.

About the Comcast Foundation

The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment prioritiesexpanding digital literacy, promoting service, and building tomorrow's leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated more than $195 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.

SOURCE Comcast Cable
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- California consumers and small business owners saved $246 million on their insurance in 2016 thanks to public rate challenges brought by Consumer Watchdog under insurance reform initiative Proposition 103.

2016 Savings from Consumer Watchdog Rate Challenges Under Proposition 103

Company Savings Allstate Homeowners $34,200,000 Commerce West Auto $8,200,000 Low Cost Auto Program $2,370,000 State Farm Homeowners $156,000,000 State Farm Commercial $8,300,000 State Farm Dwelling $35,000,000 United Financial Auto (Progressive) $1,700,000 Total $245,770,000

At the same time, State Farm is in San Diego Superior Court trying to reverse some of those homeowner rate savings, and a refund ordered by Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. Consumer Watchdog and Consumer Federation of California represent consumers in that proceeding, through Prop 103's public participation process.

On Tuesday, the state Court of Appeal in Sacramento heard an appeal by Mercury Insurance and industry trade groups of a 2009 order requiring Mercury to cut unjustified insurance rates. The insurers are asking the court to overturn California Supreme Court cases that upheld the Proposition 103 regulations barring excessive rates.

And reports indicate the Personal Insurance Federation is looking to sponsor legislation targeting Prop 103's public participation process this year. The funded public participation or "intervenor" process was created to level the playing field and ensure consumers have the resources to hire the technical experts  including economists, actuaries, geologists and attorneys  needed to go up against the insurance industry's deep pockets.

In the face of these industry attacks on Prop 103's insurance reforms, it is no surprise that insurers were also the voice behind critics of the public participation process in a recent Sacramento Bee article.

Since 2002, Consumer Watchdog rate challenges have saved policyholders $3.2 billion on their auto, home, condo, earthquake, commercial and medical malpractice insurance rates.

"$3.2 billion in savings from Consumer Watchdog rate challenges are 3.2 billion reasons the insurance industry wants to prevent consumers from having a voice to challenge excessive insurance rates," said Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog. "Prop. 103 is the insurance industry's white whale, and consumers' ability to inspect their books for price-gouging is the feature insurers hate most of all."

"Twenty eight years after the voters passed Proposition 103, the insurance industry is mounting a multi-pronged legal assault across the state on the reforms that have kept rates low for motorists and homeowners in California," said Harvey Rosenfield, the author of Proposition 103. "But the courts have emphasized that the insurance industry has no constitutional right to rip us off."

Recently, two opponents of Proposition 103 began speaking out against the public participation or "intervenor" process in the media, without disclosing that they speak for the insurance industry.

One, William Gausewitz, lobbied for the insurance industry for more than a decade, representing the American Insurance Association and Farmers Insurance before becoming a regulator. After leaving government Gausewitz returned to the insurance industry, representing them at law firm Michelman & Robinson in 2009, and is currently a shareholder in the Greenberg Traurig's insurance regulatory practice. A second is the right-wing R Street Institute, where two of six board members are from the insurance industry, State Farm and RenaissanceRe.

Proposition 103 requires insurance companies to open their books and justify rates before they are approved. It also funds consumer groups to participate in that scrutiny. Although consumer organizations challenge only a small fraction of rate filings, the process is highly effective. For every 30 cents paid to Consumer Watchdog and its outside experts in rate challenges, consumers saved $100.

California drivers have saved over $100 billion since voters passed Prop 103 in 1988, according to a 2013 report on state auto insurance regulation by the Washington DC-based Consumer Federation of America. The report found that California is also the only state in the nation where auto insurance rates have gone down since 1988, by 0.2%, while the average rate increase across the nation was 47%. Although many states require insurance companies to get approval for auto rate changes, California is the only state with a funded intervenor process. California's auto insurance market is the 3rd most competitive in the nation, and auto insurers' profitability in California is above average.

See the chart of rate savings from Consumer Watchdog rate challenges, 2002-2016: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/sites/default/files/ratesavingschart-1-3-17.pdf

Read the Consumer Federation of America report: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/whatworks_nov2013_hunter-feltner-heller.pdf

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog

Related Links

http://www.consumerwatchdog.org


"With support from CyberScout, the ITRC has been able to heighten its efforts in tracking breaches nationwide by seeking out information on breach incidents through direct contact with numerous states' attorney general offices as well as by submitting Freedom of Information Act requests," said Eva Velasquez, President and CEO, ITRC. "For the past 10 years, the ITRC has been aware of the under-reporting of data breach incidents on the national level and the need for more state or federal agencies to make breach notifications more publicly available. This year we have seen a number of states take this step by making data breach notifications public on their websites. The ITRC Data Breach Report 2016 now includes information from more than a dozen state agencies," Velasquez added.

Since 2005, the ITRC has been identifying data breaches in five industry sectors. In 2016, the business sector again topped the list in the number of data breach incidents, with 494 reported, representing 45.2 percent of the overall number of breaches. This was followed by the healthcare/medical industry (377 incidents), representing 34.5 percent of the overall total. The education sector (98) followed at 9.0 percent, the government/military (72) at 6.6 percent and the banking/credit /financial sector (52) at 4.8 percent.

Leading Types of Data Breaches

In 2007, the ITRC began adding categories to identify data breach incidents by the "type of occurrence." For the eighth consecutive year, hacking/skimming/phishing attacks were the leading cause of data breach incidents, accounting for 55.5 percent of the overall number of breaches, which is an increase of 17.7 percent over 2015 figures. Of these, many were a result of CEO spear phishing efforts (also known as business email compromise schemes) in which highly sensitive data, typically information required for state and federal tax filings, was exposed. As early as February, the IRS had already seen a 400 percent surge in this type of activity prompting both consumer and industry alerts addressing this issue.

Breaches involving accidental email/internet exposure of information was the second most common type of breach incident at 9.2 percent of the overall number of breaches followed by employee error1 at 8.7 percent. With the exception of hacking, all other categories reflected decreases from 2015 figures.

"For businesses of all sizes, data breaches hit close to home, thanks to a significant rise in CEO spear phishing and ransomware attacks. With the click of a mouse by a naive employee, companies lose control over their customer, employee and business data. In an age of an unprecedented threat, business leaders need to mitigate risk by developing C-suite strategies and plans for data breach prevention, protection and resolution," said Matt Cullina, CEO of CyberScout and Vice Chair of ITRC's Board of Directors.

Since 2010, the ITRC has been tracking breaches involving Social Security numbers (SSNs) and credit card/debit card numbers. Exposure of SSNs was evidenced in 52.0 percent of the overall number of breaches in 2016, representing an increase of 8.2 percent over 2015 figures. Exposure of records involving credit/debit cards at 13.1 percent, reflects a decrease of 7.4 percent from 2015. With that said, it is important to remember that most data breach notifications or media reports do not include the type of information exposed. The spike in SSN exposures is in clear alignment with the surge of CEO spear phishing attacks, which target this type of information.

Adam Levin, Chairman and Founder of CyberScout, said, "The database compromises of 2016 confirmed yet again that breaches are the third certainty in life and we are all living in a constant state of cyber insecurity. Hackers and identity thieves continue to evolve. They are very sophisticated, extremely creative and dogged in their pursuit of what is ours. More than half of the breaches reported by the ITRC included the skeleton key to our lives: the Social Security number. This trend, which has accelerated since 2015 when just four breaches exposed over 120 million Social Security numbers to state-sponsored hackers and cyber criminals represents the point of no return for millions of Americans. While credit and debit card numbers can be changed, SSNs cannot. Therefore, monitoring and damage control become even more important than ever before. Consumers must become better informed as to the risks inherent in this dangerous digital world, be more alert to the signs of individual compromise and know what to do to contain and reverse the damage or take advantage of identity theft protection services offered by their insurers, employers or financial services firms."

Regarding the reporting of the known number of records exposed, half (50.7 percent) of the overall number of breach notifications did not include this information. However, due to the mandatory reporting requirement for healthcare industry breaches affecting 500 or more individuals, 84 percent of the healthcare breaches publicly stated the number of records exposed. It should also be noted that several large scale breaches in 2016 which only involved usernames, passwords, or emails while included on the list, did not specify the vast number of records exposed because this type of information does not typically trigger most data breach notification laws.

"The ITRC has always been dedicated to portraying an accurate picture of what is happening with data breaches in the United States. As such, it makes every effort to update categories and methodologies to better capture patterns and trends," said Karen Barney, ITRC Director of Research and Publications. "Going forward, we hope both businesses and government reporting organizations will continue to be more transparent about the details of breached information so we may better inform consumers on the types of risks involved with the exposure of various types of personal information."

About the ITRC Breach List

The ITRC Breach List is a compilation of data breaches confirmed by various media sources and/or notification lists from state governmental agencies. Breaches on this list typically have exposed information that could potentially lead to identity theft, including Social Security numbers, financial account information, driver's license numbers and medical information. This data breach information, and available statistics, have become a valuable resource for media, businesses and consumers looking to become more informed on the need for best practices, privacy and security measures in all areas  both personal and professional.

About the ITRC

Founded in 1999, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) is a nationally recognized non-profit organization which provides no-cost victim assistance and consumer education through its toll-free call center, website and highly visible social media efforts. It is the mission of the ITRC to: provide best-in-class victim assistance at no charge to consumers throughout the United States; educate consumers, corporations, government agencies, and other organizations on best practices for fraud and identity theft detection, reduction and mitigation; and, serve as a relevant national resource on consumer issues related to cybersecurity, data breaches, social media, fraud, scams, and other issues. Visit http://www.idtheftcenter.org. Victims may contact the ITRC at 888-400-5530.

About CyberScout

As the industry leader for over 13 years, CyberScout has been setting the gold standard for identity and data defense services  from proactive protection and education to successful resolution. Formerly IDT911, CyberScout combines boots-on-the-ground experience with high-touch personal service to help commercial clients and individuals minimize risk and maximize recovery. To learn more, visit www.cyberscout.com.

Media Contact

David Heffernan

SHIFT Communications

[email protected]

1 This category also includes negligence, improper disposal and loss

SOURCE CyberScout

Related Links

http://cyberscout.com


Offering more than 25 years of invaluable sales and operational leadership, Keating joins Davidson from Starwood Hotels & Resorts, where she held numerous property, area and regional management roles. Most recently she served as senior vice president of franchise operations for North America, where she and her team supported over 260 franchised hotels, spanning five full-service brands and representing over $5 billion in sales. Prior to this, Keating served as SVP of operations for Starwood's largest managed region. Her first decade in the industry consisted of standout director-level roles at world-class companies, including Omni International Hotels & Resorts and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

"Colleen is an exceptional leader, a strong strategist and a relentless competitor. Her passion for performance and accountability will complement our culture and inspire our teams to achieve an even higher level of success," said Thom Geshay, chief operating officer of Davidson. "I look forward to working with her and the rest of our Davidson and Pivot teams in driving innovation, creativity and best-in-class results for our property owners."

Davidson Hotels & Resorts, and its lifestyle and luxury operating division, Pivot Hotels & Resorts, is one of the industry's preeminent hotel operators, specializing in branded and lifestyle full-service and upscale urban select-service hotels. For more information about Davidson Hotels & Resorts and Pivot Hotels & Resorts, visit www.davidsonhotels.com or www.pivothotels.com.

About Davidson Hotels & Resorts

Davidson Hotels & Resorts is an award-winning, full-service hotel management company providing management, development/renovation, acquisition, consulting and accounting expertise for the hospitality industry. Amassing one of the purest full-service hotel portfolios in the industry, Davidson, along with its lifestyle and luxury operating division, Pivot Hotels & Resorts, specializes in independent and branded assets in the upper-upscale to near-luxury segments including 43 hotels, nearly 13,000 rooms and 1.4 million square feet of meeting space across the United States. A trusted partner and preferred operator of Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and Starwood hotels, Davidson delivers hospitality and creates value for owners with every single hotel. More information can be found at www.davidsonhotels.com.

For More Media Information:

Taylor Newsome

The Zimmerman Agency  850.668.2222

[email protected]

SOURCE Davidson Hotels & Resorts

Related Links

http://www.davidsonhotels.com


RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Online enrollment for Project Plant It!, the free environmental education program created by Dominion Resources to teach children about the important role of trees in the ecosystem, is now open across regions served by Dominion. The program is available for children of all ages and grade levels, including those in schools, scout troops, civic groups, environmental clubs and other entities. A hallmark of the program is the distribution of free redbud tree seedlings in honor of Arbor Day.

"Project Plant It! is one of the many ways Dominion supports educators and invests in local communities," said Hunter A. Applewhite, president of the Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources. "This innovative tree-planting program for children aligns with our mission to promote environmental stewardship in a fun and meaningful way." Dominion recently was named by Forbes magazine and its partner JUST Capital to the prestigious "JUST 100" list of the best corporate citizens in the United States.

Educators, group leaders and parents who are interested in participating can register by going to projectplantit.com and clicking on "Register Now" from the home page. If the zip code is confirmed as being in an eligible area up to 25 free redbud tree seedlings can be requested. Seedlings will be shipped to arrive in time for Arbor Day (April 28, 2017). The deadline to register is Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 or while supplies last.

The website provides a variety of free educational resources to educators and parents, including lesson plans that support third-grade learning standards for math, science, language arts and social studies. All of the lesson plans can be downloaded at no charge from the website and they can be adapted easily to all grade levels from preschool through college. In addition, the website features interactive games and instructional videos about trees, along with a variety of outdoor activities that families can enjoy together.

This program will distribute 50,000 redbud tree seedlings in 2017. The states served by Dominion include Connecticut, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Colorado, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. The latter four states are new this year as a result of Dominion's recent merger with Questar Corporation.

Project Plant It! was established in 2007 to educate children, plant trees and improve the environment. The tree seedlings are grown and shipped to participants in April by the Arbor Day Foundation, a longtime partner with Dominion. In 2017, more than 400,000 tree seedlings will have been distributed to children in states where Dominion operates. According to the Virginia Department of Forestry, this equates to about 1,000 acres of new forest if all of the seedlings are planted and grow to maturity.

For more information about Project Plant It!, visit www.projectplantit.com.

About Dominion

Dominion (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy. The Dominion Foundation is dedicated to improving the physical, social and economic well-being of the communities served by Dominion companies. The Foundation supports nonprofit causes that meet basic human needs, protect the environment, promote education and encourage community vitality. For more information, visit www.dom.com.

SOURCE Dominion

Related Links

http://www.dom.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Come work for Domino's and earn more! Domino's, the number one pizza company in New York City, is looking to hire 200 new team members across its corporate-owned stores. All of the new positions offered are for delivery drivers, customer service representatives and assistant managers.

"We are excited to offer additional jobs throughout the area," said Bob Machin, Domino's director of corporate operations in New York. "If you are looking for your first job, a new opportunity or to transfer from your current job to the number one pizza company in New York City, Domino's is hiring and we pay more. Enthusiastic and positive-attitude leadership is our philosophy, and we're in search of team members who reflect that so we can continue to do what we do best  make great pizzas and deliver them with exceptional service."

The starting wage for delivery drivers is $12/hour in addition to mileage reimbursement and tips. Domino's pays to train its team members and scheduling is flexible. Assistant managers make $13.50-$14.50/hour and receive benefits. Domino's offers health benefits, food discounts and accelerated career development to all eligible team members. In fact, 90 percent of Domino's franchise owners began their careers working in a store or as delivery drivers.



The continued success of Domino's across the nation, and specifically the growth and success of the New York City stores, increases the need for additional support from enthusiastic employees.

"Domino's is a fun place to work," said Machin. "Our company truly provides a fantastic opportunity to those who show initiative and a desire to advance. Whether you're looking to grow with our company and have a long-term career or need a part-time job with flexibility, Domino's is the place to be."

Those who are interested in applying for a position should visit jobs.dominos.com.

About Domino's Pizza

Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, with a significant business in carryout pizza. It ranks among the world's top public restaurant brands with a global enterprise of more than 13,200 stores in over 80 markets. Domino's had global retail sales of over $9.9 billion in 2015, with more than $4.8 billion in the U.S. and nearly $5.1 billion internationally. In the third quarter of 2016, Domino's had global retail sales of nearly $2.5 billion, with over $1.2 billion in the U.S. and nearly $1.3 billion internationally. Its system is comprised of independent franchise owners who accounted for over 97% of Domino's stores as of the third quarter of 2016. Emphasis on technology innovation helped Domino's reach an estimated $4.7 billion annually in global digital sales at the end of 2015, and has produced several innovative ordering platforms including Facebook Messenger, Samsung Smart TV, Apple Watch, Amazon Echo, Twitter and text message using a pizza emoji. In late 2015, Domino's announced the design and launch of the DXP, a purpose-built pizza delivery vehicle, as well as Piece of the Pie Rewards, its first digital customer loyalty program.

Order  dominos.com

AnyWare Ordering  anyware.dominos.com

Company Info  biz.dominos.com

Twitter  twitter.com/dominos

Facebook  facebook.com/dominos

Instagram  instagram.com/dominos

YouTube  youtube.com/dominos

SOURCE Domino's Pizza

Related Links

http://www.dominos.com


ATLANTA, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Amy Alderman will soon have her work placed in the spotlightliterally. The board certified plastic surgeon, who specializes in breast augmentation as part of her private practice at the Swan Center for Plastic Surgery in Alpharetta, will perform a live surgery demonstration at the 33rd Annual Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons Atlanta Breast Surgery Symposium, taking place January 20-22, 2017. The breast augmentation procedure will be telecast live to doctors around the world.

Dr. Alderman comments on being one of only four surgeons selected to perform a live surgery demonstration at the symposium: "It's a tremendous honor to be able to demonstrate my surgical approach to my peers, who represent some of the greatest minds in plastic surgery. The Atlanta Breast Surgery Symposium is considered the premier conference on aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery in the United States, and I am excited to receive this unique opportunity."

Specifically, Dr. Alderman will perform a primary breast augmentation, placing breast implants for a patient who is receiving the surgery for the first time. As she performs surgery, Dr. Alderman will explain her technique and field questions from audience members in real time. The procedure will take place at Northside Hospital, from which it will be broadcast via closed circuit television to the Intercontinental Hotel, the conference site, as well as streamed online internationally.

About Dr. Amy Alderman, Distinguished Atlanta Breast Augmentation Surgeon & Leader in Research

Educating other plastic surgeons is familiar ground for Dr. Alderman, who served as Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the prestigious University of Michigan Health Systems residency training program for several years prior to joining the Swan Center in 2010.

Nationally recognized as an expert in cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery, Dr. Alderman is frequently invited to instruct at medical conferences and regularly serves as an examiner for the American Board of Plastic Surgery. She has published more than 70 articles, contributed to multiple medical textbooks, and received the Outstanding Achievement in Plastic Surgery Research award from the Plastic Surgery Foundation in 2014 for her research into improving surgical outcomes and women's access to reconstructive breast surgery.

She relates her passion for research and plastic surgery teaching experience to the upcoming symposium: "A robust framework of research and education is vital to sustain the highest standard of patient care in plastic surgery. Meetings like the Atlanta Breast Surgery Symposiumwhich allow us to collaborate and share our unique approaches to surgery, discuss each other's research, and learn from one anotherhelp us grow as individual surgeons and advance the field as a whole, ultimately benefitting patients in terms of superior safety, enhanced recoveries, and beautiful aesthetic outcomes."

In addition to her live surgery demonstration, Dr. Alderman will present at two roundtable discussions during the conference, sharing her perspectives on primary breast augmentation with "Subglandular Breast Augmentation: When the Good Outweighs the Bad," and discussing the latest advancements in breast augmentation and mastopexy (breast lift) techniques with "National Breast Implant Registry: What You Need to Know."

Those interested in learning more about Dr. Alderman's practice should contact the Swan Center for Plastic Surgery at 770-667-0904 or visit www.swancenteratlanta.com.

About the Swan Center for Plastic Surgery: The Swan Center for Plastic Surgery in Atlanta is a practice of board certified plastic surgeons that specialize in cosmetic surgery procedures. The group's commitment to patients and quality of results have made it one of the busiest plastic surgery practices in the Southeast, located at 4165 Old Milton Parkway, Suite 200, Alpharetta, GA, 30005. Learn more at www.swancenteratlanta.com or read the Swan Center's reviews.

Media Contact: Rachel Wischow, The Swan Center for Plastic Surgery, 770-667-0904.

SOURCE The Swan Center for Plastic Surgery

Related Links

http://www.swancenteratlanta.com


ATLANTA, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Eagle Hospital Physicians, a physician-led hospitalist management firm for hospitals across the U.S., announced today that its Chief Medical Officer, David Gates, M.D., has achieved the Certified Physician Executive (CPE) designation from the Certifying Commission in Medical Management. Dr. Gates joins an elite group of approximately 2,400 other CPEs internationallyphysicians who go beyond the clinical to earn credentials in executive management, leadership, and communication.

"We are extremely proud of Dr. Gates and his passion for excellence in everything he does," said Talbot "Mac" McCormick, M.D., President and CEO of Eagle Hospital Physicians. "He exemplifies our culture at Eagle, where we have a consistent focus on advancing our skills and our expertise to serve our hospital partners better. This designation is not easy to achieve, and it illustrates Dr. Gates' commitment to his role as leader of our growing hospitalist team."

A board-certified internist, Dr. Gates joined Eagle in 2011 as a hospitalist and has been a full-time executive with the company since 2012. In addition to his medical degree, Dr. Gates has a Ph.D. and an MBA. A graduate management degree or 150 hours of tested management education is required for the CPE designation, as well as at least one year of leadership experience and completion of a four-day capstone project. Each individual's project concludes with a six-minute video presentation demonstrating leadership values, style and philosophy.

Dr. Gates completed his capstone in November 2016.

"The CPE is a designation that recognizes both education, experience and training for physicians that step from the clinical side into the administrative arena," said Dr. Gates. "I felt that in combination with the other things I have done to enhance my career and my preparation, the CPE designation was appropriate." Endorsed by the American Association for Physician Leadership, the CPE designation has become a benchmark of quality and expertise for physicians in management positions.

What does Dr. Gates' CPE designation mean for Eagle? "As physicians, we are trained in medical school to take care of patients, but the qualifications are different when you transition to leading others, and physicians end up developing leadership and communication skills indigenously," Dr. Gates said. "As CMO, I am focused on raising the bar in terms of the qualifications and skillsets of our medical directors to lead, inspire, and manage others. We encourage our physicians to 'up their leadership game' early in their careers, so they can be prepared to take on an executive role when the time comes."

About EHP

EHP supports hospitalist programs in hospitals across the U.S. Led by physicians who are pioneers in the hospitalist movement, the company delivers turnkey hospitalist programs, multi-specialty telemedicine programs, physician recruitment and support services, and Clinical Performance Management (CPM) services to in-house hospitalist programs. With years of experience in hospital leadership and thousands of successful client engagements, EHP shares its expertise through tailored solutions that meet the evolving needs of hospitals today. For more information, visit www.eaglehospitalphysicians.com.

Media Contact:

Jan Sisko

Carabiner Communications

O: 678.461.7438

M: 678.591.2022

[email protected]

SOURCE Eagle Hospital Physicians

Related Links

http://www.eaglehospitalphysicians.com


FREDERICK, Md., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- En-Net Services, LLC (En-Net), a Frederick, MD based company, has received an exclusive manufacturer award on behalf of CirrusWorks network performance devices for the 2017 PEPPM contract that began on January 1, 2017.

PEPPM (pronounced PEP-um), (Pennsylvania Education Purchasing Program for Microcomputers) is the largest technology bidding and purchasing program in the country. Established in 1982 for education agencies, PEPPM is a nationally affiliated group of agencies coordinated by the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU), a regional educational service agency incorporated by Pennsylvania Legislative Act of 1971, in Pennsylvania.

The network performance technology, developed by CirrusWorks, Inc., is radically different from traditional bandwidth optimization tools. The lightweight appliance uses mathematical algorithms to optimize Internet traffic during peak congestion periods, capturing maximum available capacity and ensuring fair and efficient bandwidth allocation among competing users on a school's network.

"Schools, libraries and public facilities are seeking next generation technologies to help them cope with the explosion of video and heavy data streams on their WiFi networks, said Ed Floyd, Director of Marketing and Business Development at En-Net Services. "After extensive review, we are proud to include CirrusWorks on our roster of network performance equipment for WiFi infrastructure."

"At CirrusWorks, our mission is to improve the online learning experience through better, smarter and faster Internet performance," said David Giannini, CEO of CirrusWorks. "Web-based learning and one-to-one initiatives are pushing school bandwidth to its limit during peak usage periods, when it matters the most. CirrusWorks helps smooth out those spikes in Internet traffic, ultimately controlling costs and improving performance on a school's WiFi network."

About En-Net Services - En-Net Services has 21 years of being focused on providing public sector agencies and contractors with state-of-the-art solutions designed to enhance the security and efficiency of their information systems. En-Net Services offers complete hardware, software and cabling solutions, as well as full integration services. Established in 1996, En-Net Services has built long term relationships by pursuing one common goal: Provide high quality products and services at exceptional values with unparalleled customer service. For more information visit www.en-netservices.com.

About CirrusWorks - CirrusWorks is the leader in next-generation bandwidth optimization technologies. Its proprietary Governor product optimizes traffic during peak congestion periods to ensure fast and reliable Internet performance for all users all the time. CirrusWorks is enabling organizations to improve network performance and avoid costly bandwidth upgrades in a simple, efficient and cost effective manner. For more information, visit www.cirrusworks.net.

About PEPPM - PEPPM is a cooperative purchasing program for schools, universities, and other public agencies operated by the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU), a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This past year the PEPPM program served nearly 1,600 public agencies in U.S. by providing piggy-backable purchasing contracts to the public sector, thereby lowering total cost of acquisition in 47 states across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.peppm.org.

Related Links

The Governor and How It Works

CirrusWorks & Higher Education

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE CirrusWorks

Related Links

https://www.cirrusworks.net


Scientific Beta's Multi-Beta Multi-Strategy (MBMS) Low Carbon offering now exceeds USD 2 billion in assets under replication

ERI Scientific Beta, the smart beta index provider offshoot of EDHEC Risk Institute, has announced that assets tracking its smart beta indices had reached USD 12.3bn as of December 31, 2016. In terms of geographical distribution, these assets come from North America (60%), Europe (35%) and Asia-Pacific (5%).

Compared to December 31, 2015, this amount of assets under replication represents growth of 45%.

Among the drivers of this growth we can cite the success of the launch in 2016 of an offering reconciling a low carbon objective and multi-smart-factor portfolio construction, since this new series of multi-beta multi-strategy low carbon indices now represents more than USD 2 billion in assets under replication.

Another driver of the growth in assets replicating Scientific Beta indices is their performance. The Scientific Beta multi-smart-factor indices have a live track record that shows annualised outperformance of over 2% compared to their cap-weighted benchmark.1

Commenting on the announcement that assets tracking Scientific Beta indices had broken through the USD 12bn mark, Noel Amenc, CEO of ERI Scientific Beta, said, "Scientific Beta's success over the past four years is due in no small part to the fact that its investment philosophy has proven attractive to major institutional investors throughout the world. This investment philosophy is based on three major principles: the importance of controlling the risks of the investment, because the alternative choice to the cap-weighted index means that one takes different risks, and these risks must be controlled; the essential diversification of the specific risks of the benchmark to produce robust risk-adjusted performance and avoid good long-term investment ideas being called into question by poor short-term performance due to poor diversification; and the concern for robustness, which implies that the design of an index must rely on academic consensus and not on innovations drawn from optimising the returns or the in-sample characteristics of the strategy proposed."

1The average live outperformance across all Scientific Beta developed regions of Scientific Beta Multi-Beta Multi-Strategy (Equal Weight and Relative Equal Risk Contribution) indices is 2.06% and 2.20% respectively. This live analysis is based on daily total returns in the period from December 20, 2013 (live date) to December 31, 2016, for the following developed world regions - USA, Eurozone, UK, Developed Europe ex UK, Japan, Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan, Developed ex UK, Developed ex USA and Developed. The benchmark used is a cap-weighted portfolio of all stocks in the respective Scientific Beta universes.
HONG KONG, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Erik Prince, Chairman of Frontier Services Group (FSG; HK 500) was interviewed by Becky Anderson on CNN in a segment first broadcasted on 15 January 2017. During the interview Erik discussed a new creative approach to solving the Libyan migrant crisis, following an OpEd published in the Financial Times earlier this month.

The solution focuses on using a public/private partnership to train and support the Libyan administration, thereby halting the flow of thousands of migrants travelling by sea to Europe. The plan involves providing logistical support in Libya, training and equipping Libyan forces with the private sector providing key leadership, intelligence co-ordination, communications and medical support, ultimately stopping migrants from ever reaching the dangers of the Mediterranean.

The full interview can be viewed on the following link:

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2017/01/18/erik-prince-blackwater-anderson-intv-ctw.cnn

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 :



International media - contact Marc Cohen or Aaron Bass, The PR Office:

E: [email protected]

T: + 44 20 7284 6969



SOURCE Frontier Services Group
SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Extra Space Storage Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: EXR) announced today it will release financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2016 on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 after the market closes. The Company will host a conference call at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 to discuss its financial results. Hosting the call will be Extra Space Storage's CEO, Joe Margolis. Joining him will be Scott Stubbs, Executive Vice President and CFO.

During the conference call, company officers will review operating performance, discuss recent events, and conduct a question-and-answer period. The question-and-answer period will be limited to registered financial analysts. All other participants will have listen-only capability.

To Participate in the Telephone Conference Call: Dial in at least five minutes prior to start time.

Domestic: 855-791-2026 International: 631-485-4899



Conference ID: 56345078





Conference Call Playback:





Domestic: 855-859-2056 International: 404-537-3406



Conference ID: 56345078



The playback can be accessed beginning on February 22, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. ET through February 27, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. ET.

The conference call will also be available on the Company's website under Investor Relations at www.extraspace.com. To listen to a live broadcast, go to the site at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time in order to register, download and install any necessary audio software. A replay of the call will also be available for 30 days on the Company's website.

Full Text of the Earnings Report and Supplemental Data

The full text of the earnings report and supplemental data will be available at the Company's website at www.extraspace.com immediately following the earnings release to the wire services after the market close on Tuesday, February 21, 2017.

For those without Internet access, the earnings release will be available by mail or fax, on request. To receive a copy, please call Extra Space Storage Investor Relations at (801) 365-1759.

About Extra Space Storage Inc.

Extra Space Storage Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust. As of December 31, 2016, the Company owned and/or operated 1,427 self-storage properties in 38 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The Company's properties comprise approximately 960,000 units and approximately 107 million square feet of rentable storage space offering customers conveniently located and secure storage units across the country, including boat storage, RV storage and business storage. The Company is the second largest owner and/or operator of self-storage properties in the United States and is the largest self-storage management company in the United States.

For more information, please visit www.extraspace.com.

SOURCE Extra Space Storage Inc.

Related Links

http://www.extraspace.com


WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Statement of Robin Koval, CEO and President, Truth Initiative on today's news from the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report ( MMWR) that finds the FDA's The Real Cost is associated with an estimated 348,398 U.S. youths aged 1118 years who did not initiate smoking during February 2014March 2016.

"The evidence released today once again, underscores the life-saving and cost effective benefits of tobacco public education," Robin Koval, CEO and President, Truth Initiative. "It is imperative that we continue powerful counter marketing campaigns like FDA's The Real Cost, CDC's Tips From Former Smokers, and our own truth campaign to protect our nation from the deadly consequences of tobacco. The youth smoking rate is at a record low of 6 percent and we can't take our foot off the gas. The tobacco industry is spending more than 9.6 billion a year to market their deadly products and campaigns like truth and The Real Cost are crucial to keeping young people motivated to be the generation that ends tobacco for good."

About Truth Initiative

Truth Initiative is a national public health organization that is inspiring tobacco-free lives and building a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco. The truth about tobacco and the tobacco industry are at the heart of our proven-effective and nationally recognized truth public education campaign, our rigorous and scientific research and policy studies, and our innovative community and youth engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using tobacco. The Washington D.C.-based organization, formerly known as Legacy, was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. To learn more about our work speaking, seeking and spreading the truth about tobacco, visit truthinitiative.org.

SOURCE Truth Initiative
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Feeding America congratulates former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue on his nomination as Secretary of Agriculture. It is our sincere hope that as Agriculture Secretary Mr. Perdue will prioritize combating hunger, an issue that affects families in every single county in America. With more than 42 million Americans struggling with food insecurity, it is clear that the lack of consistent access to food is an uphill battle for far too many children and families.

"We look forward to working with Mr. Perdue and urge him to support a Farm Bill Reauthorization that strengthens vital federal nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which connects millions of families with resources to purchase supplemental food, and The Emergency Food Assistance Program, which provides U.S. grown commodities to low income Americans through food banks and other emergency feeding organizations. The USDA has a strong tradition not only of effectively administering federal nutrition programs, but in pursuing policies that help strengthen rural communities nationwide, an issue that also heavily impacts food-insecure Americans.

"While the Feeding America network of 200 food banks and the 60,000 food pantries and meal programs they serve across the country play a vital role in connecting families facing hunger with the resources they need, they cannot reach every American who struggles with hunger without strong support from our government leaders. We look forward to working with Mr. Perdue to highlight the strong impact the federal nutrition safety net, the private sector, and charities have in addressing hunger, and on policies that would help strengthen this vital public-private partnership."

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Contact:

Zuani Villarreal

312.641.6532

SOURCE Feeding America

Related Links

http://www.feedingamerica.org


IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- American consumers and businesses were overwhelmed by an estimated 29.3 billion robocalls in 2016, based on the YouMail Robocall Index, the nation's first comprehensive guide that compiles the scope and location of the worst robocalling hotspots across the country by area code.

This news marks the first time that any source has tracked the nation's collective robocall problem over an entire calendar year. In 2016:

U.S. phones were inundated by an estimated 2.4 billion monthly robocalls, which equals 79.6 million daily robocalls on average, or 921 robocalls for every second of the year.

Five major cities were blitzed by more than 1 billion robocalls each, including Atlanta , Dallas , New York , Chicago and Houston .

, , , and . The 15 most egregious robocalling numbers for the year were controlled by debt collectors for banks, phone companies, cable firms or retailers.

The country's single most active robocalling line was controlled by a bank debt collector that placed some 306.2 million calls.

Columbus, Ohio , earned the dubious distinction as the American city placing the most robocalls for the full year, with some 771.3 million outbound calls made in 2016.

YouMail provides iPhone and Android apps that act like an automated virtual assistant to replace the mobile voicemail service of its users. As a result, the YouMail service has answered billions of calls for its users, providing a wealth of data on the bad behavior of robocallers. YouMail uses algorithms to detect any automatically dialed calls, blocks them by playing an "out of service" message, and then aggregates that calling data to create the YouMail Robocall Index.

"YouMail's first-ever detailed snapshot of robocalling activity across the country for an entire year highlights the staggering extent of this problem," said Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail. "That problem could have been considerably worse, if not for YouMail stopping nearly 500 million robocalls from being made to its users over the past year. We're glad that we're making a real difference in helping consumers fight back."

Monthly Robocalling Snapshot for December

U.S. phones were hit by an estimated 2.3 billion robocalls in December, a decrease of 1.4% over November but a 60% increase over the same month one year ago. That pace equals 75.2 million calls made per day on average, or 871 robocalls placed every second during the month.

Atlanta received more than 102 million robocalls in December, marking the 13th straight month that the city has topped the YouMail 50 Most Robocalled Cities in America list. In addition, three Atlanta area codes made the list of 20 Most-Robocalled Area Codes in December, with Atlanta's 404 area code ranked #1 nationwide based on 46.5 million calls received.

Pittsburgh jumped 11 spots from #55 to #44 on the Most Robocalled Cities list in December, based on an 11% monthly increase to 16.1 million calls received in December. Other cities posting notable increases for December included #2 Dallas (up 8% over November), #7 Baltimore (+5%), #12 Phoenix (+5%), #36 Austin, TX (+5%), and #46 West Palm Beach, FL (+5%).

Texas  where everything is bigger  got socked by the most statewide robocalls in America for the seventh consecutive month, with 283.1 million calls received. More than one-third of cities (38%) on the 50 Most Robocalled Cities in America list for December were based in the South. Fort Lauderdale's 954 area code rose two spots to #5 on the Most Robocalled Area Codes list, with 25.9 million calls received. Other high-ranking area codes in the South included Memphis 901 (#10), Charlotte 704 (#11), Columbia, SC 803 (#18), and Orlando 407 (#19).

Inbound Robocalling "Lowlights" from December

Atlanta continued its reign as America's #1 Most Robocalled City for the 13th month in a row, receiving 102 million robocalls in December. Atlanta area code 404 also continued to rank as the most robocalled area code per capita, with 46.6 million calls received, or 38 calls for each person on average.

Residents in 12 cities received robocalls at least every other day in December. Those metro areas included Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, Memphis, Little Rock, AR, Macon, GA, New Orleans, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Birmingham and Houston.

Outbound Robocalling "Lowlights" from December

Los Angeles maintained its position as the city generating the most monthly robocalls, with an estimated 59.4 million calls placed in December. Dallas, Columbus and Phoenix also placed more than 50 million robocalls each in December. Columbus posted the biggest jump in outbound calls for the month, with 27% more calls in December versus November. Other big gainers included Phoenix (up 25% month over month), Dallas (up 11%) and San Francisco (up 11%).

Texas made the most robocalls in December, with 186.7 million calls placed. Arizona had the biggest statewide increase in outbound robocalls during December with 51 million calls placed, a 21% monthly gain over November. Other states showing big increases in their monthly robocall output included Ohio (up 10% to 102.4 million calls) and California (up 9% to 183.9 million calls).

Houston was the only city with three area codes ranking in the Top 20 Robocalling Area Codes, including the Houston 832 area code (#11), 281 area code (#13) and 713 area code (#15). Dallas also had two area codes reaching the Top 20 list, including area code 469 (#10) and 214 (#19).

For more information about the YouMail Robocall Index or to view the latest report, please visit: http://robocallindex.com. To join the YouMail Robocall Index mailing list, please write to: [email protected].

About YouMail, Inc.

YouMail, Inc. is the leading provider of intelligent, cloud-based telecommunication services. The company's flagship service provides an automated virtual receptionist that replaces the subscriber's voicemail on iPhone, Android, and Windows phones. This service stops robocalls, provides free conference calls, and delights callers by instantly greeting, routing, and responding to callers, personally and memorably. YouMail also provides data on problematic phone number behavior, through a reverse phone lookup service that allows anyone to identify and comment on suspicious numbers, an application program interface (API) that any telecom service provider or third-party developer can use to determine whether a number is problematic, and the YouMail Robocall Index, which since its launch in in September 2015 has emerged as the nation's definitive source on robocalling data for telecom carriers, smartphone and app companies, and public policymakers.

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., YouMail, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is privately funded.

Contact:

Matt Russell for YouMail

Lumina Communications

[email protected]

646-741-8359

SOURCE YouMail, Inc.
NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) will launch a Master of Fine Arts degree program in Fashion Design in the fall 2017 semester. A program of the School of Graduate Studies, it is the first MFA in Fashion Design within the State of University of New York system, of which FIT is a part, and incorporates elements that distinguish it from similar graduate programs in the United States and Europe.

FIT's Fashion Design MFA centers on practice-based research and is open to students with varied experience in creative areas ranging from apparel design to fields such as architecture, engineering, and software development. The curriculum for this two-year, full-time program is founded on the steady development of an original concept proposed by each student at the time of application. As students pursue the degree, they will explore their individual design concepts in the context of history/future, theory, philosophy, and practice within a structured and richly mentored environment. The curriculum will focus on research methodologies and critical thinking skills that support innovation and invention in design, fit, cut, construction, silhouette, and materiality. The program's goal is to lead students through the process of translating inspiration into malleable design ingredients and solutions.

Each student will investigate and evolve their thesis over the four semesters, charting an individual course through core concepts which, addressed sequentially, will create a distinct path of discovery. The core concepts are:

Play : Working with faculty mentors, each student will explore the possibilities of their thesis with freedom, openness, and intent to take it in unexpected directions.

: Working with faculty mentors, each student will explore the possibilities of their thesis with freedom, openness, and intent to take it in unexpected directions. Focus : Each student will have a specially selected industry partner who will advise on sharpening and clarifying the idea, creating initial prototypes, and defining the market.

: Each student will have a specially selected industry partner who will advise on sharpening and clarifying the idea, creating initial prototypes, and defining the market. Edit : Based on the best ideas, strongest samples, and fortuitous "accidents" from previous thesis phases, students will develop, design, and prototype their collections.

: Based on the best ideas, strongest samples, and fortuitous "accidents" from previous thesis phases, students will develop, design, and prototype their collections. Conclude: Each student will present a collection of at least 12 looks or an equivalent, along with a paper explaining their thesis process. They will defend their thesis to a select panel of industry experts. Collections will be shown to investors, industry leaders, and other important audiences through an exhibition, a publication, and a presentation, providing a highly visible platform to showcase the work.

This thesis process will be supported by coursework, experiential research, and mentoring by faculty and industry experts. Each student's final body of work will be viable for production.

"The relentless pace of fashion can hinder innovation, so here the design process will slow down to allow experimentation and reflection, and ultimately, a different way of looking at it," said Jonathan KYLE Farmer, creator, professor, and chair of the program. "Students will come to us with an idea that they feel could one day make an impact on the fashion world. The program will help guide each student in realizing their visiondesigning fashion into the future."

The 60-credit program includes courses such as The Fashion Activist, which will encourage new thinking around sustainability and design ethics; business courses that will offer practical knowledge and insight into existing industry models; and the course craft:OLOGY, which will inspire each student's design fluency and creative confidence through the lens of time in reference to craft and technology. The FIT community at large will be invited to attend and observe open critiques, open studios and work-in-progress exhibitions. Students will also have access to the vast resources of FIT's Gladys Marcus Library and Special Collections, and direct access to The Museum at FIT and its collections. There will be two international field experiences, designed as Making Seminars. One will explore past, present, and future ideas and practices around how clothes fit, with students making clothes for diverse body types. The other will investigate the relationship between fashion's local and global production systems, adopting ideas and processes explored in farming and agriculture.

"The creative is the technical is the creative. You can't separate them," explained Farmer. "The more you understand how something works or how it has been done before, the more you can manipulate it, change it, and take it to a new place. Clothes are only ever going to be the names they have already been given, that inherited understanding of what a shirt is, what a coat is, and so on. What evolves garments is how they are made, what they are made from, and how they fit the body. Technology is what moves design forward. It then is the designer's job to inject the emotion, the meaning, and the soul into the clothes. This is what transforms clothes into fashion."

Jonathan KYLE Farmer is a practicing designer who has taught internationally, including at Parsons School of Design and the University of East London. He holds an MA in fashion women's wear from London's Royal College of Art.

"The School of Graduate Studies at FIT is thrilled to add this essential degree program to its portfolio," said Dean Mary Davis, who has led the school since 2012. "We are excited to give highly talented and creative individuals from around the globe the tools and support they need to reinvent the field of fashion design, and, as a public institution, we're proud to make this program accessible, affordable, and available to a wide array of students. We can't wait to see the change this new generation of leaders will bring to our campus, our city, and the world."

The program is targeted to:

Fashion students graduating with a BFA in fashion design;

Individuals within the creative arts and design fields;

Individuals with a BA who have worked in the creative industries;

Individuals with an interest in designing for a specialized category.

About FIT

The Fashion Institute of Technology, a part of the State University of New York, has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology for more than 70 years. With a curriculum that provides a singular blend of hands-on, practical experience, classroom study, and a firm grounding in the liberal arts, FIT offers a wide range of outstanding programs that are affordable and relevant to today's rapidly changing industries. Internationally renowned, FIT draws on its New York City location to provide a vibrant, creative community in which to learn. The college offers nearly 50 majors and grants AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees, preparing students for professional success and leadership in the global marketplace. Among notable alumni in fashion are Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Amsale Aberra, Reem Acra, Brian Atwood, Dennis Basso, Francisco Costa, Norma Kamali, Nanette Lepore, Bibhu Mohapatra, Ralph Rucci, John Bartlett, and Michelle Smith. Other prominent graduates include Leslie Blodgett, creator of bareMinerals; international restaurant designer Tony Chi; Nina Garcia, creative director, Marie Claire; and Joe Zee, executive creative officer, Yahoo Style. Visit fitnyc.edu.

Cheri Fein

Executive Director of Public and Media Relations

212 217.4700

[email protected]



SOURCE Fashion Institute of Technology

Related Links

http://www.fitnyc.edu


ALLEN, Texas, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Payment service provider Forte Payment Systems (www.forte.net) announced plans to hold an educational webinar designed to help tax county treasurers within the state of Indiana understand and implement the newest payment methods to accept in-office payments. Entitled "EMV Chip Cards and eChecks in 2017: What Your Indiana Organization Needs to Know about Payments," the webinar will take place Wednesday, February 1, 2017 at 3:00 PM EST.

Hosted by government payment specialist Josh Budd, attendees will learn how Indiana organizations can leverage powerful payment options like EMV-ready credit card terminals and eCheck acceptance for in-office payments. With growing advancements in payment technology and changing regulations, it has never been more important to understand the current terrain and how it affects your organization.

"With EMV migration in full swing, Indiana treasurers and other government officials need to be aware of the newest regulations and how to remain PCI compliant for all payments processed," said Josh Budd, Strategic Manager of Government Sales at Forte. "This webinar will teach the basics of PCI compliance and EMV, as well as how to implement eCheck (ACH) transactions online and by phone so that payments are secure and easy to manage."

Josh Budd has over 15 years of experience with government payments. Previously the Deputy Director of the Illinois State Treasurer's Investment and Electronic Payments Division, Josh has extensive knowledge with the card association rules, regulations, PCI compliance and eChecks.

Attendees of the webinar will receive a free, in-depth analysis of current processing behaviors with an expert at Forte. To sign up for the webinar, visit http://bit.ly/2iKs37I

Forte will also be exhibiting at the Indiana County Treasurer's Association (ICTA) Conference taking place in March. To arrange a meeting with Josh Budd while at the conference, email [email protected].

About Forte Payment Systems

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Allen, Texas, Forte Payment Systems is a leading provider of innovative electronic payment solutions. Offering unique and scalable enterprise-class solutions, Forte helps organizations of all sizes build, manage and perfect the way they take payments. A single source solution provider, Forte offers full stack APIs and dynamic processing services for developers and merchants who seek comprehensive and robust web, mobile and retail options. Find out more information at www.forte.net.

SOURCE Forte Payment Systems

Related Links

https://www.forte.net


LONDON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Summary

The Future of the Mexican Defense Industry - Market Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2021, published by Strategic Defence Intelligence, provides readers with detailed analysis of both historic and forecast defense industry values, factors influencing demand, the challenges faced by industry participants, analysis of industry leading companies, and key news.



Key Findings

- The Mexican defense budget values US$5.4 billion in 2016, and registered a CAGR of -1.38% during the historic period. Mexico being one of the largest oil and gas exporters in the North America and Latin American region, was hit hard by the fall in energy prices, which prompted the government to cut back on overall government spending. As a result, the Mexican defense budget contracted for two consecutive years 2015 and 2016 by -8.10% and -12.75% respectively, which had an impact on the overall CAGR between the periods 2012-2016.



- On a cumulative basis, the country is expected to invest US$30.3 billion for defense purposes, of which US$4.2 billion is earmarked for capital expenditure to fund defense procurements. The government's well-defined military modernization plans to counter influence of narco-terrorists, drug traffickers and weapon traffickers is expected to fuel procurement of defense equipment.



- The MoD is expected to invest in Military-IT (Networking), Multi-mision helicopters, Corvettes and MRO facities for corvettes maintenance and transport aircrafts over the coming years.





Synopsis

This report offers detailed analysis of the Mexican defense industry with market size forecasts covering the next five years. This report will also analyze factors that influence demand for the industry, key market trends, and challenges faced by industry participants.

In particular, it provides an in-depth analysis of the following:



- The Mexican defense industry market size and drivers: detailed analysis of the Mexican defense industry during 2017-2021, including highlights of the demand drivers and growth stimulators for the industry. It also provides a snapshot of the country's expenditure and modernization patterns



- Budget allocation and key challenges: insights into procurement schedules formulated within the country and a breakdown of the defense budget with respect to the army, navy, and air force. It also details the key challenges faced by defense market participants within the country



- Porter's Five Force analysis of the Mexican defense industry: analysis of the market characteristics by determining the bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitution, intensity of rivalry, and barriers to entry



- Import and Export Dynamics: analysis of prevalent trends in the country's imports and exports over the last five years



- Market opportunities: details of the top five defense investment opportunities over the next 10 years



- Competitive landscape and strategic insights: analysis of the competitive landscape of the Mexican defense industry. It provides an overview of key players, together with insights such as key alliances, strategic initiatives, and a brief financial analysis





Reasons To Buy

- This report will give the user confidence to make the correct business decisions based on a detailed analysis of the Mexican defense industry market trends for the coming five years



- The market opportunity section will inform the user about the various military requirements that are expected to generate revenues during the forecast period. The description includes technical specifications, recent orders, and the expected investment pattern by the country during the forecast period



- Detailed profiles of the top domestic and foreign defense manufacturers with information about their products, alliances, recent contract wins, and financial analysis wherever available. This will provide the user with a total competitive landscape of the sector



- A deep qualitative analysis of the Mexican defense industry covering sections including demand drivers, Porter's Five Forces Analysis, Key Trends and Growth Stimulators, and latest industry contracts







Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/1592766/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Serving up nearly four million requests a day, the SageWorks data center is heavily relied on by major financial industry organizations, including one fifth of the USA's banks. To meet the needs of its customers, the Software as a Service (SaaS) company needs its systems to remain responsive and available, without fail. With such an active on premises data center, load balancing technology addresses critical needs.

However, the company was experiencing support challenges with its incumbent F5 Big-IP ADC, and the product's user interface was complex and difficult to navigate. This drove SageWorks to look for a new solution: KEMP Technologies.

"I had experience load balancing Exchange and SharePoint environments using KEMP solutions with great success," said Tom Hearn, SageWorks' Senior Technology Manager. "In fact, the KEMP support experience was the best I've ever had. The product knowledge of the team is phenomenal and their user interface is significantly easier to follow than F5."

The initial Virtual LoadMaster implementation for the test/dev environment was completed in just 45 minutes, and two additional physical LoadMaster units, for the data center's active / passive clusters, were deployed in just three hours.

The main benefits included a significantly easier to use GUI, improved security, and a higher quality of service. Features including SNIB certificates and SSL offloading reduced overall maintenance time, which has reduced patching time for the new devices in about 20 minutes for both devices, which is six times faster than before.

Media Contact

David Quaid

[email protected]

Director of Inbound Marketing

KEMP Technologies

+1 (646) 885-6697

SOURCE KEMP Technologies

Related Links

http://www.kemptechnologies.com


AMSTERDAM, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid the lush and rolling hills of Mubuga, 100 km outside the Burundian capital of Bujumbura, 2,500 people came yesterday to celebrate the festive ground-breaking for a 7.5 MW solar field that will add 15% to the East African country's generation capacity. In a colorful and drum-accented ceremony attended by government officials, international investors, religious leaders and the diplomatic community, Gigawatt Global, the leading frontier solar and social development enterprise, announced the $14 million pioneering project in one of the world's least developed nation.

Michael Fichtenberg of Gigawatt Global greets Burundian dignitaries and the diplomatic community in a festive groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for the company's second African solar field.

"Empowering economic and social development is at the heart of our green energy business," said Michael Fichtenberg, VP for Finance and Business Development of Gigawatt Global. "This high impact development investment supported by leading international financial institutions signals that Burundi is open for development and business."

This will be the largest private international investment in the power sector in Burundi in nearly 30 years, with the power being sold for 25 years to REGIDESO, the national electric company. "We are very excited at the groundbreaking of the Gigawatt Burundi solar field," said His Excellency Come Manirakiza, Burundi's Minister of Energy and Mines. "After their success in Rwanda, Gigawatt Global has proven it can be relied on to deliver efficient, clean renewable energy at reasonable cost, contributing greatly to our economy and society. We look forward to the speedy completion of this project, and are thankful for the collaboration and cooperation with Gigawatt Global as energy in Burundi is a clear priority."

Gigawatt Global, an American-owned Dutch developer, is a founding member of the White House Power Africa initiative and financed and developed the first commercial scale solar field in continental sub-Sahara Africa (outside of South Africa) in neighboring Rwanda in 2014.

The project has been supported by a grant from the Energy and Environment Partnership (a Finland, UK, Austrian fund) and the Belgian Investment Company for Developing countries (BIO) to cover the relevant studies. The project is also supported by African-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP) and the Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP), currently engaging in project due diligence.

"This project is a great example of Burundians, Americans and other international partners working together for the economic development of Burundi," said Anne Casper, U.S. Ambassador to Burundi. "The success of this project will be a positive signal to other potential investors, who are watching Gigawatt Global and the Government of Burundi to see if investing in Burundi is stable, predictable and easy to do. We are working together very hard and very closely -- the U.S., Burundi, the Netherlands, and Gigawatt Global -- to make this project a success -- to enable the whole country to get energy and this will lead to the country's economic development."

U.S. Power Africa Coordinator Andrew Herscowitz underlined the importance of Gigawatt Global's work by saying, "As a founding Power Africa partner, Gigawatt Global continues to demonstrate its industry leadership with this investment in Burundi."

HE Hendrikes Verwein, the Dutch Ambassador to Burundi, said, "The Kingdom of the Netherlands supports Gigawatt Global and commits to assist the company in the pursuit of its investments. The Kingdom of the Netherlands expresses its wish that the contractual commitments included in the agreement protocols for the construction of the solar plant in Mubuga be rapidly implemented."

"Gigawatt Global is expecting to deploy $2 billion in renewable energy projects in Africa as partners of the White House Power Africa initiative in the coming years as renewables are taking the lead in power generation in Africa and emerging markets," said CEO Josef Abramowitz. "We are targeting sub-Sahara Africa as a high impact and high growth market, with a portfolio of small, medium and large power projects in the highest priority development areas."

The construction and interconnection of the project to the national grid is expected to be concluded in Q4 of 2017.

Contact:

Josef Abramowitz

+972-54-692-2008

[email protected]

Michael Fichtenberg

+257-757-33011

+972-54-976-0092

SOURCE Gigawatt Global

Related Links

http://gigawattglobal.com/


BOSTON, Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In its mission to humanize the digital experience, harmon.ie today unveiled new capabilities of its Information Governance solution that make the right thing to do, the easy thing to do for the typical employee. harmon.ie now gives organizations an easy way to properly manage important emails and documents as business records in SharePoint without asking employees to complicate their daily routine.



When organizations try to force workers to add more steps, or in many cases new services or apps, to their daily routine, compliance initiatives fail, noted Bruce Miller a leading expert on electronic recordkeeping and principal at RIMtech Consulting. Missing critical emails and documents can become massive litigation risks. Ultimately, organizations need to make it easy for workers to comply with governance directives by simplifying the experience for them. It could mean the difference between compliance and non-compliance.

In a recent research report, harmon.ie found that capturing important emails remains the biggest compliance roadblock. harmon.ie makes information governance a seamless part of employees current email regimen. harmon.ie allows organizations to keep the human at the center of the compliance initiative by giving the workers ultimate control, while eliminating human error and reducing employee resistance. By employing simple Outlook rules to give workers an intuitive way to dictate which emails need to be stored for compliance, the email capture procedure can be automated by the user.

Technology is useless if it isnt easy to use. SharePoint can become a document graveyard if employees dont embrace the tool or use it the right way, and you cant manage what your users dont upload or classify, notes Ron Surette, former director general of digital preservation and CIO of the Library and Archives of Canada. Employees dont have time to manually specify metadata or classify every email they want to store as an email of record in SharePoint. harmon.ie provides an accurate, easily accessible digital paper trail. It turns a complex process that workers simply wont do, into something extremely simple that they willingly embrace.

Information workers decide what is captured, classified and uploaded automatically as records in SharePoint. For example, a worker can create a standard Outlook rule that says that all emails with Project Alpha in the subject line need to be saved as records in SharePoint. Once the rule is applied, all subsequent emails with the text Project Alpha in the subject line will automatically be uploaded and classified  making saving important emails effortless. If the user prefers to do it manually, harmon.ie still simplifies the process by enabling them to drag and drop emails into designated folders, even when offline, for classification and storage in SharePoint.

Todays workers are bombarded with an incessant stream of emails, and most spend most of their workday checking their email  they live and breathe Outlook for the majority of their workday, added Yaacov Cohen, CEO of harmon.ie. Trying to capture and archive every single email is completely unmanageable, and extremely costly. Solving the current email governance problem is all about making the solution part of workers preferred user experience. We are trying to make it almost instantaneous for users to properly capture and classify important emails and associated documents, as well as retrieve them when neededall within Outlook.

To learn more about how harmon.ie is humanizing the last mile of email capture for information governance, register for one of the webinar sessions on February 1, 2017.

About harmon.ie

harmon.ie humanizes the digital experience by providing a suite of user experience products that empower todays distributed workforce to get work done on their own terms. We put the human in the center, insulating information workers from technology complexity and allowing them to complete workplace tasks directly from the friendly confines of their email client. Thousands of enterprise customers count on harmon.ie to provide humanized information governance, collaboration, knowledge retention, and email and records management using SharePoint, Office 365 and other collaboration tools. harmon.ie is a Microsoft Partner of the Year Finalist and an IBM global partner.

Follow harmon.ie on Twitter and LinkedIn.
"Costa Rica has seen a steady rise in international arrivals and the country's worldwide appeal aligns with our development strategy deeply rooted in expanding into desirable locations," says Marco Roca, global head of hotel development at Hard Rock International. "We look forward to electrifying the destination with a musically-charged differentiated product never before seen in the area."

The 294-room modern retreat will be centrally located just 30 minutes from Liberia International Airport, providing travelers with easy access to Papagayo's Gulf and Peninsula. Recognized as one of the country's most popular resort destinations, guests of this Hard Rock Hotel will be treated to secluded landscapes, natural wonders, eco-adventure excursions and an up close look at Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity. Additionally, the hotel will be managed by Blue Diamond Resorts  a leading operator with a proven track record of delivering high quality resort experiences throughout the Caribbean's most discerning locations.

"We're excited to bring such a world-class, award-winning brand to Papagayo that will raise the standard of cool and contemporary for Costa Rican all-inclusive resorts," says Jordi Pelfort  Managing Director, Blue Diamond Resorts (Sunwing Travel Groups Hotel Division). "With a passionate fan base and proven track record of delivering memorable experiences through landmark hotels and resorts, we look forward to collaborating with Hard Rock International and welcoming visitors of all ages to Costa Rica's first Hard Rock Hotel."

In true Hard Rock style, the resort will boast brand exclusive offerings, such as a full-service Rock Spa featuring relaxing and recharging treatments and The Sound of Your Stay music amenity program offering free in-room Fender guitar checkouts. Vacationers seeking the ultimate experience will have the opportunity to upgrade their room to the Rock Royalty Level and enjoy VIP services including preferred room locations, personal assistants, upgraded bath amenities and one-of-a-kind music perks. Hard Rock Hotel Papagayo, Costa Rica will cater to multigenerational leisure travelers with several family-friendly offerings, such as the brand's two signature hangouts exclusively for younger rockers, Teen Spirit and Hard Rock Roxity Kids Club. In addition, plans call for a vast array of dining options, ranging from an all-day buffet restaurant to four a la carte eateries, including a North American steak house, an Asian restaurant, an Italian trattoria and an internationally inspired eatery.

Through music appreciation and an imaginative environment, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos delivers products for the varied aspects of life  work, play and personal sanctuary. For more information or to book a stay at any of the Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, please visit www.hardrockhotels.com.

About Hard Rock International

With venues in 74 countries, including 175 cafes, 24 hotels and 11 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company's two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, Fl., both owned and operated by HRI parent company The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Bali, Chicago, Cancun, Ibiza, Las Vegas, Macau and San Diego. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include Valencia, Innsbruck, Yangon and Chengdu. New Hard Rock Hotel projects include Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Berlin, Dubai, London, Los Cabos, New York City, and Shenzhen, Dalian and Haikou in China. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

About Sunwing Travel Group

One of the largest integrated travel businesses in North America, Sunwing Travel Group is comprised of Sunwing Vacations, the leading leisure tour operator in Canada; Sunwing Airlines, Canada's premier leisure airline; Signature Vacations, one of Canada's leading tour operators for all inclusive package vacations and Vacation Express, a growing tour operator in the United States together with the Group's own travel retail businesses SellOffVacations.com and Luxe Destination Weddings. Blue Diamond Resorts is the Sunwing Travel Group's own hotel management company, an innovative organization that operates popular resort brands like Royalton Luxury Resorts, Memories, CHIC All Exclusive, and Starfish, across the Caribbean, Cuba and Mexico; while NexusTours provides destination management services to individuals, agencies, tour groups, corporate businesses and tour operators.

www.sunwingtravelgroup.com

For More Media Information:

Lauren Harrison/Jill Chandler Trudeau

The Zimmerman Agency  850.668.2222

[email protected]

SOURCE Hard Rock International

Related Links

http://www.hardrock.com


SEATTLE, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Headset, Inc., a leading retail analytics firm for cannabis-related businesses, announced today it has closed $2.5 million in financing as it ramps up its sophisticated suite of data products.

Hypur Ventures, a leading-edge venture capital fund headquartered in Arizona, and Salveo Capital, a Chicago-based private-equity fund specializing in cannabis sector investments, have partnered with Headset to provide a deeper, richer set of tools for the emerging market.

"With this most recent fundraising, we are excited to be able to accelerate development and adoption of Headset products across all legal cannabis markets," said Cy Scott, co-founder and CEO. "Headset is well positioned to help the cannabis industry make more informed business decisions supported by retail transaction data."

As the cannabis industry matures -- eight states now have legalized recreational use and another 29 have medical marijuana programs -- business intelligence is the key differentiator among successful and failing enterprises. Legal U.S. cannabis sales skyrocketed 17 percent to $5.4 billion in 2015. Most analysts forecast 25 percent compound annual growth in the next five years, expanding to market to 21.8 billion by 2020. As a comparison, this explosive industry growth curve mimics that of the cable TV business in the 1990s, which enjoyed a 19 percent annual growth and the broadband internet industry of the 2000s (29 percent).

For years, cannabis company's struggled to tap into this revenue stream, suffering from a lack of actionable data insights that would inform business decisions. Headset, with its proprietary analytics, gives clients the information and tools to grow their business.

"Headset specializes in seeing ahead of the curve in terms of trends and innovation in the hyper-competitive cannabis market," said Hypur Managing Director Christopher Male. "There's a lot of synergy with the ecosystem of the Hypur Ventures portfolio."

"Salveo Capital is excited to be partnered with Headset and its team," said Managing Partner Michael Gruber. "Actionable data is critical to running a successful business, and Headset is empowering brands, product manufacturers, and retailers with insights not available previously. Headset's products will be a critical tool to a cannabis company's success."

With the $2.5 million infusion, Headset moves into 2017 in a strong position to help businesses as the new legal landscape expands. It will help close the information gap that has hampered companies in this emerging industry.

For more information or to request a free demo of the Headset platform please visit www.headset.io

About Headset

Headset provides customized business intelligence for the cannabis industry. Its clients receive up-to-the-minute data -- sales trends, emerging sectors, hot products, and more -- that help make business decisions Headset's proprietary data set helps clients identify new areas of opportunity, keep tabs on the competition, and tailor product development to reflect actual, real-time consumer data. Headset delivers a seamless user experience, making it a platform clients use with ease and simplicity, not the steep learning curves common with other business software.

About Hypur Ventures

Hypur Ventures is a venture capital fund focused on investing in businesses that provide leading-edge solutions to the complex challenges facing this fast-growing market, leveraging each other's strengths for strong returns while revolutionizing the cannabis industry.

About Salveo Capital

Salveo Capital is a private equity fund dedicated to supporting high growth businesses supporting the legal cannabis ecosystem, with a focus on companies across a few sectors: information, data & analytics; financial payments & services; medical products, formulations & delivery; ag-tech & grow systems; and business services.

SOURCE Headset

Related Links

http://www.headset.io/


PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HempStaff is a medical marijuana recruiting and training agency working only in the Medical Marijuana Industry. With Tuesday's announcement, that Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana cultivation and dispensary applications were available, entrepreneurs are gearing up to compete for these business permits. Both the cultivation and dispensary license application asks the same two very important questions.

1) What is your employee training and qualification plan?

HempStaff

2) What are the steps in your plan to be open in six months after receiving your license?

HempStaff's Marijuana Industry Recruiting is there to assist cannabis businesses with all their employee needs. With so many other things to worry about, staffing and training can be one of the easiest things to delegate when starting a cannabis business. HempStaff can be the answer to both questions. Let the trained professionals at HempStaff help find the most qualified, trained employees to get the business up and running. Our recruiters will get exact requirements before beginning their search. We'll background check them before an offer letter is sent and they come with a 90 day guarantee. So, if they are terminated with cause or they leave for no reason within 90 days, we'll replace the candidate at no charge to you. For more information on visit their website.

HempStaff's Dispensary Training Course is designed to prepare participants to work in a medical marijuana dispensary and provide them a serious advantage when seeking employment. The four hour course offers participants the training about cannabis and cannabis products along with all the information to keep up-to-date with Pennsylvania's medical marijuana laws. Students are required to take and pass a twenty-question, multiple choice exam with a score of at least 75% to get a HempStaff Dispensary Agent Certification.

HempStaff has trained and certified more than 1,700 dispensary agents nationwide and continues to hold classes across the United States. Classes are currently scheduled for Saturday, February 11th in Philadelphia and February 25th in Pittsburgh. Those who have already taken the HempStaff course have provided exceptional feedback about the training.

You can get more information or purchase a seat to these classes at HempStaff.com.

About HempStaff

HempStaff is a marijuana industry recruiting, staffing and training agency specializing in finding management level employees, such as master growers, extractors or dispensary managers. HempStaff is known as the industry leader in Marijuana Industry Dispensary Agent Training. For more information, visit HempStaff.com.

Related Images

image1.jpg

image2.jpg

image3.jpg

SOURCE HempStaff, LLC

Related Links

http://www.hempstaff.com


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Six valuable .CLUB premium domain names are up for auction in the domain industry's most premier domain name auction that is currently taking place online on the NameJet website in conjunction with the live RightOfTheDot domain name auction that will be held at NamesCon 2017 on January 23rd from 3 PM  6 PM PST.

The domain www.diamond.club is up for auction at NamesCon The domain name www.casino.club is up for Auction at NamesCon.

.CLUB, one of the leading and most used new domain extensions, broke records at the first NamesCon auction in 2015 with the sale of Wine.club for $140,000. This year .CLUB is offering six names with special appeal to the high-end luxury and casino industries, with five of the six names offered with no reserve.

"We are excited to be in the Casino capital of the world to offer great names such as Casino.club, Diamond.club, Luxury.club and more. We've had great success working with Monte Cahn of RightOfTheDot and NamesCon and NameJet," said Colin Campbell, CEO and Founder, .CLUB Domains LLC. "This auction is easy to participate in, live at NamesCon or online, so it is a great opportunity for both investors and brands who want to obtain a category killer domain name."

Many luxury brands already use names like "Diamond," "Gold" and "Silver" for their loyalty and affinity clubs, making these strong keyword domain names extremely valuable and marketable assets.

A NameJet account is required to participate in the online and live auctions. Bids for domains may be placed now on the NameJet website. RightOfTheDot will conduct the live auction with World Champion Auctioneer Wayne Wheat on Monday, January 23, 2017 at 3:00 PM Pacific Time at the NamesCon Domain Industry Event at the New Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Here are the six .CLUB names in the auction with links to bid now on NameJet:

www.Champagne.club

www.Luxury.club

www.Diamond.club

www.Gold.club

www.Silver.club

www.Casino.club

About NameJet:

NameJet, LLC, a joint venture between eNom, Inc., a subsidiary of Rightside and Network Solutions, LLC, a subsidiary Web.com, is the world's leading domain name auction platform. Launched in 2007, NameJet has since processed more than 200,000 domain auctions on its award-winning and easy-to-use website. With an exclusive inventory of expired and deleted domains from several of the largest registrars, plus top-quality premium name listings and best-of-breed drop catching services, NameJet is the industry's most trusted auction and aftermarket services provider.

About RightOfTheDot, LLC:

Lead by Domain Industry Pioneer Monte Cahn, RightOfTheDot is a licensed business & domain auction company, Internet consulting and advisement firm specializing in new and existing TLD strategy, Contention Resolution Services, board advisement, premium domain market positioning, sales and services. Monte was Founder and former CEO of Moniker.com, former President of SnapNames.com and former Sr. VP of DomainSponsor.com. Monte Cahn and RightOfTheDot have been involved in more than $370MM in domain sales since 1995.

About .Club Domains, LLC

Led by Internet entrepreneur Colin Campbell, whose prior successes include Tucows Interactive and Hostopia.com, .Club Domains, LLC was formed for the purpose of becoming the .CLUB gTLD registry. The company also provides financing and services to support entrepreneurs building businesses around a .CLUB domain name. With more than 930,000 domain names sold to date .CLUB leads the pack of new domain extensions in premium sales and usage. More information and links to register .CLUB domains are available now at http://www.get.club.

For more information, please contact:

Jeffrey Sass

.Club Domains

970-367-7277

[email protected]

SOURCE .CLUB Domains, LLC

Related Links

http://www.get.club


SAN RAMON, Calif., Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hill Physicians Medical Group has been selected to participate in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS') Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model in 2017. Through the Next Generation ACO Model, Hill Physicians and CMS will have a direct, positive, and immediate impact on the care of more than 19,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Northern California.

The Next Generation ACO Model is part of the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS') efforts to create opportunities for providers to move an increasing percentage of Medicare payments into models paying providers based on the quality rather than the quantity of care provided. 2017 marks the second performance year for the Next Generation ACO Model.

"We are excited to be part of the Next Generation ACO Model and will utilize our expertise to improve the care for Medicare patients," said Amir Sweha, M.D., CMO of Hill Physicians Medical Group. "This initiative is focused on improving continuity and coordination of care consistent with our goals of assuring improved patient experience and better outcomes of care."

To support this initiative, Hill Physicians is partnering with Evolent Health, a company that provides an integrated value-based care platform to the nation's leading physician groups and health systems. The partnership will initially focus on network strategy development, risk adjustment services and implementing Evolent's clinical best practices and technology platform, IdentifiSM.

Evolent CEO Frank Williams said, "The selection of Hill Physicians to participate in the Next Generation ACO Model by CMS reflects the continued commitment of the organization to further improving the quality of care delivered at lower costs. We're looking forward to collaborating with such a respected and innovative provider organization on enhancing healthcare for Californians."

"It is truly an honor for Hill Physicians Medical Group, to be chosen by CMS, especially given the highly selective nature of the process," said David Joyner, CEO of Hill Physicians Medical Group. "This is an important recognition of many years of hard work by our physicians and care managers. We are excited to work in partnership with Evolent Health to serve the Medicare beneficiaries in this Model."

The Next Generation ACO Model participants represent a variety of provider organizations and geographic regions, and were selected through an open and competitive process from a large applicant pool which had to fulfill specific eligibility criteria.

About Hill Physicians Medical Group

Hill Physicians Medical Group is the largest independent physician association in Northern California and is a nationally known leader in innovative healthcare. The Integrated Healthcare Association and California Association of Physician Groups have recognized Hill Physicians as one of the top-performing medical groups in the state. Committed to serving healthy lifestyles, Hill Physicians offers extensive health education services to its patients, including health screenings and self-help through its online information portal at www.HillPhysicians.com.

About Evolent Health

Evolent Health partners with leading health systems to drive value-based care transformation. By providing clinical, analytical and financial capabilities, Evolent helps physicians and health systems achieve superior quality and cost results. Evolent's approach breaks down barriers, aligns incentives and powers a new model of care delivery resulting in meaningful alignment between providers, payers, physicians and patients. For more information, visit www.evolenthealth.com.

SOURCE Hill Physicians Medical Group

Related Links

http://www.HillPhysicians.com


MUSCATINE, Iowa, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HNI Corporation (NYSE: HNI) announced a change in its Chief Financial Officer and its President, HNI International.

Kurt A. Tjaden who has served as Chief Financial Officer of HNI Corporation since August 2008 has been appointed President, HNI International, a significant and strategically important business unit of HNI Corporation. Mr. Tjaden will continue as a Senior Vice President, HNI Corporation reporting to Stan Askren, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, HNI Corporation.

"Kurt has provided strategic direction and keen insight leading our finance functions and driven value creation for shareholders and members. With his unique capabilities and previous international experience, we are pleased Kurt will now be leading our international businesses," said Mr. Askren.

Prior to joining HNI Corporation, Mr. Tjaden had significant experience working in Asia for Whirlpool, Gateway, and Procter & Gamble. He possesses a strong background and knowledge of the Asia Pacific region.

Marco V. Molinari, Executive Vice President, HNI Corporation and President of HNI International has elected to retire after over 13 years of service. "I'd like to personally thank Marco for his many years of dedicated and valuable service to HNI Corporation. His contributions to the Corporation have been significant. I wish him all the best in his future," said Mr. Askren.

Marshall H. Bridges has been appointed Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of HNI Corporation, reporting to Mr. Askren.

"I am pleased to have Marshall take the next step up in his successful career at HNI Corporation as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. We are fortunate to have such a capable and experienced candidate ready and able to fill this critical role. As indicated by his track record and previous experience at HNI Corporation, I expect Marshall will immediately be a strong contributor to our operations and business strategy," said Mr. Askren.

Mr. Bridges joined HNI Corporation in 2001, and has served as Vice President Investor Relations and Treasurer, HNI Corporation; Vice President, Finance, Allsteel; and Vice President, Finance, Contract Furniture Group. He possesses significant finance, business strategy and transactional experience.

About HNI Corporation

HNI Corporation is a NYSE traded company (ticker symbol: HNI) providing products and solutions for the home and workplace environments. HNI is a leading global provider and designer of office furniture and the leading manufacturer and marketer of hearth products. We sell the broadest and deepest selection of quality office furniture solutions available to meet the needs of every customer through an extensive portfolio of well-known and trusted brands. Our hearth products are the strongest, most respected brands in the industry and include a full array of gas, electric, wood and biomass burning fireplaces, inserts, stoves, facings and accessories. More information can be found on the Corporation's website at www.hnicorp.com .

For Information Contact:

Jack D. Herring, Treasurer, Director of Finance and Investor Relations (563-506-9783)

SOURCE HNI Corporation

Related Links

http://www.hnicorp.com


ST. LOUIS, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

WHO: Equifax Workforce Solutions, a leader in human resource compliance, analytics and verification services, and a business unit of Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX)

WHAT: Will present an educational webinar, titled, "Wage audit compliance: How states and employers can reduce the compliance burden."

WHEN: Wednesday, January 25, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. EST (3:00 p.m. CST / 2:00 p.m. MST / 1:00 p.m. PST)

WHERE: To register, visit: http://workforce.equifax.com/WageAuditWbnr?source=news.

DETAILS:

Many states have increased the frequency with which they conduct wage audits, while others have enacted fines related to improper or incomplete wage audit responses  both of which can create real risk for employers. Yet, everyone, employers and state agencies alike, benefits from efforts to reduce improper payments. As a result, state agencies and third party administrators are collaborating to help reduce the employer risk, instances of claims fraud and the administrative burden related to wage audits.

During this webinar, attendees will learn how Equifax Workforce Solutions worked with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. to design a technology solution that delivers against state expectations, while simplifying the fulfillment of wage audit requests. The webinar will also explore the process improvements pioneered by the Kansas Department of Labor that have been adapted and adopted by other states to help simplify wage audit response requirements while still identifying improper payments.

In addition, attendees will learn about the risks facing employers for non-compliance, as well as the costs to employers for improper payments and fraud. The speakers will also explore why wage audits are so important, why it is critical for state agencies to receive wage audits in the required formats and how improper payments and fraud place additional burdens on unemployment insurance programs while increasing costs for employers.

Attendees: Business leaders, HR practitioners and compliance professionals interested in learning more about how their organizations can overcome the challenges of the wage audit process are encouraged to attend this informative presentation.

This session is part of a series of educational webinars presented by Equifax Workforce Solutions.

About Equifax

Equifax powers the financial future of individuals and organizations around the world. Using the combined strength of unique trusted data, technology and innovative analytics, Equifax has grown from a consumer credit company into a leading provider of insights and knowledge that helps its customers make informed decisions. The company organizes, assimilates and analyzes data on more than 820 million consumers and more than 91 million businesses worldwide, and its databases include employee data contributed from more than 6,600 employers. Equifax Workforce Solutions, an Equifax business unit, is a leading provider of human resource compliance, analytics and verification technology and services.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs approximately 9,400 employees worldwide.

Some noteworthy achievements for the company include: Ranked 13 on the American Banker FinTech Forward list (2015); named a Top Technology Provider on the FinTech 100 list (2004-2015); named an InformationWeek Elite 100 Winner (2014-2015); named a Top Workplace by Atlanta Journal Constitution (2013-2015); named one of Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies (2011-2015); named one of Forbes' World's 100 Most Innovative Companies (2015). For more information, visit www.equifax.com.

Note to editors: Trademarks and registered trademarks referenced herein remain the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Equifax Inc.

Related Links

http://www.equifax.com


SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a last minute action by the outgoing administration, the National Highway Traffic Administration today ended its probe of the fatal crash of a Tesla in Florida last May by wrongly blaming the driver instead of the car's "Autopilot" technology, Consumer Watchdog said.

"NHTSA has wrongly accepted Tesla's line and blamed the human, rather than the 'Autopilot' technology and Tesla's aggressive marketing" said John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog's Privacy Project Director. "The very name 'Autopilot' creates the impression that a Tesla can drive itself. It can't. Some people who apparently believed Tesla's hype got killed. Tesla CEO Elon Musk should have been held accountable."

Closing the investigation came as part of a series of "midnight actions" by the outgoing Obama Administration's Transportation officials favoring the self-driving car industry. On Monday, Martin Luther King Day, the Department of Transportation's Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation, co-chaired by GM CEO Marry Barra, met for the first time.

Wednesday NHTSA denied a petition filed in January by consumer advocates, including Consumer Watchdog, seeking a rulemaking requiring automatic emergency braking on all new cars.

"The is no reason for this unseemly haste, unless DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx and NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind are positioning themselves to go through the perpetual revolving door and land a job in the industry they were supposed to be regulating." said Simpson. "We have called on them to pledge not to do so, but they have not."

NHTSA's report closing the investigation said, "NHTSA's examination did not identify any in design or performance of the AEB or Autopilot systems of the subject vehicles nor any incidents in which the systems did not perform as designed."

Consumer Watchdog said the problem has been the way Musk and Tesla have hyped Tesla's abilities, including videos of both Musk and his wife with their hands off the steering wheel.

View a Consumer Watchdog video revealing the company's hype here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDv9TEXtHzw

"NHTSA is simply too cozy with the industry it is supposed to be regulating," said Simpson.

View NHTSA's report closing the Tesla investigation here: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2016/INCLA-PE16007-7876.PDF

Visit our website at www.consumerwatchdog.org

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog

Related Links

http://www.consumerwatchdog.org


ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kalorama Information has identified five important news items in the IVD industry for the month of January 2017. In vitro diagnostics companies are announcing partnerships to advance cancer genetics, both by making sequencing data easier to interpret and by pushing the boundaries of liquid biopsy. Meanwhile, scientists have developed a 20-cent centrifuge for developing countries, doctors are contending with potential false positives in a Zika test, and CMS has begun collecting market data to set new laboratory reimbursement rates for 2018. Here are the top in vitro diagnostics stories of January 2017. Kalorama covers the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) market and all of its test segments in its report, The Worldwide Market for In Vitro Diagnostics, 10th Edition.

Computers Bring Cancer Genomics Closer to the Clinic: Illumina, Inc. announced this month that it will partner with IBM Watson Health in an effort to standardize and simplify interpretation of cancer gene variants. The added computing power will help scientists interpret results more quickly, according to a press release, reducing a week's worth of digging through medical literature, clinical trials compendia and professional guidelines to minutes. Watson for Genomics software will be available bundled with Illumina's TruSight Tumor 170 solid tumor profiling panel in early 2017. Though it is intended for research use, diagnostic laboratories can take the process through validation for CLIA certification and use the technology clinically. Meanwhile, Illumina also announced a collaboration with Royal Philips to incorporate Illumina's sequencing into Philips' IntelliSpace Genomics clinical informatics platform for cancer, which also incorporates data from radiology, immunohistochemistry, digital pathology, medical records and lab tests into an integrated dashboard.

Though this partnership also is intended for research only, the press release notes that the collaboration will move precision cancer diagnosis out of the realm of academic centers and "unlock the value of genomics for a much wider group of laboratories and care providers."

Coming Soon, Largest Liquid Biopsy Panel Ever: Guardant Health announced this month that it is partnering with several major pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, Merck and Pfizer, to develop a 500-plus-gene liquid biopsy panel. This will be the industry's largest commercially available liquid biopsy panel, according to a press release, and will speed cancer trials and drug development. A single blood draw would quickly screen a cancer patient for virtually every targeted therapy clinical trial available, Guardant says. The company currently offers Guardant360, an in-house liquid biopsy that tests for 73 cancer genes in advanced solid tumors. The expanded panel will be available in mid-2017. Guardant Health also plans to release a CLIA-certified version for its pharmaceutical partners, the press release says. The Guardant360 uses a "digital interference engine" in its Digital Sequencing platform to detect tumor DNA circulating in blood with few errors or false positives.

"We are now confidently detecting a single molecule of mutant circulating tumor DNA in a 10mL tube of blood drawn from an advanced cancer patient," said Helmy Eltoukhy, Guardant Health CEO and co-founder in a statement.

A discussion of recent developments in circulating tumor DNA, as well as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and tissue biopsies is available in a recent Kalorama Information blog post called, "CTCs, cfDNA and Tissue Biopsies: A Comparison". Also, these technologies and the markets for them are fully explored in Kalorama Information's report, Cell-free DNA Markets.

DIY Paper Centrifuge Enables Low-tech Point-of-care Diagnostics: Researchers at Stanford University reported this month in Nature Biomedical Engineering that they had made a cheap, human-powered paper centrifuge that could be used in resource-poor areas as the starting point for in vitro diagnostics. The 'paperfuge,' as they call it, was inspired by a whirligig toy dating from 3,300 BC. It costs about 20 cents, requires no electricity and can separate pure plasma from whole blood in less than 1.5 minutes. Their goal was to find an alternative to the traditional centrifuge, which is large, expensive and requires electricity. With the paperfuge and blood from a fingerstick, they were able to obtain red blood cells for hematocrit, as well as pure plasma that could be used for rapid diagnostic tests. With 15 minutes of spinning, they achieved adequate separation to test for malaria and other parasites.

The scientists experimented with materials beyond paper, and even made a version of the hand-operated centrifuge out of a silicon-based polymer for microfluidics that might one day integrate with lab-on-a-chip devices.

"The in-depth analysis of a simple toy has provided broad inspiration for developing human-powered, instrument-free POC devices," they write. "The variety of materials (paper, polymers) and rich design landscape offer potential for electricity-free integrated POC devices."

Caution Urged as Some Zika Tests Yield False Positives: The FDA issued a safety alert in late December about a serological test for Zika virus, after Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp) noticed the test was delivering more false positives than expected. The FDA said it's not clear if the problem is with the testing facility or with the test itself, the ZIKV Detect IgM Capture ELISA by InBios International, Inc., but urged doctors to consider any positive serological result preliminary and to wait for confirmatory testing before making any clinical decisions. While the FDA has yet to approve a test for Zika virus, it granted Emergency Use Authorization in 2016 for several tests, including ZIKV Detect IgM Capture ELISA. LabCorp noticed the false positives after migrating from the CDC's Zika MAC-ELISA test to ZIKV Detect. Both tests performed well in the past, according to the FDA's statement, but "the CDC confirmed less than half of those presumptive positive results captured by LabCorp through the ZIKV Detect test."

First Payment Records Due to CMS This Month: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) begins collecting market data this month from many clinical laboratories under the final rule of the 2014 Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA). Laboratories that meet certain criteria have three months to report their payment rates and corresponding volumes for tests ordered by private payers in the first six months of 2016. CMS will use the data to calculate weighted median payment rates to be paid by Medicare starting in 2018. The new pricing could drastically cut Medicare reimbursement for routine, high-volume tests, according to the Kalorama Information blog post, "With Final Rule, PAMA Set to Spark Changes in Lab Market and IVD Strategy".

Because rates for these tests will be based on data from large clinical labs with high economies of scale, Medicare may reimburse small labs below cost, making these tests unfeasible to perform at decentralized locations.

A full discussion of the PAMA rule and its implications, and other new stories is available at the Kalorama Information blog at www.kaloramainformation.com . For more information regarding the impacts of PAMA and the Affordable Care Act on the U.S. IVD market, Kalorama Information offers United States Market for In Vitro Diagnostic Tests which is available at http://www.kaloramainformation.com/United-States-Vitro-10133262/.

About Kalorama Information

Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies the latest in independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare; as well as a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased through Kalorama's website and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com.

We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog on our company website.

Press Contact:

Bruce Carlson

212 807 2262

[email protected]

SOURCE Kalorama Information
VANCOUVER, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - INCA ONE GOLD CORP. (TSX.V: IO) ("Inca One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard A. Mundie to its Board of Directors (the "Board") effective immediately. Mr. Mundie has numerous years of executive leadership experience with key organizations in the global mining sector. He is a well-respected Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant and his career included roles in finance, corporate development, marketing, and mergers and acquisitions.

Mr. Mundie began his career at Bethlehem Copper which was acquired by Cominco. At Cominco he continued to progress his career into senior financial roles. In June 1992, he joined Teck Resources Limited ("Teck") as Vice President of Special Projects, and went on to serve in a number of executive roles including Vice President Marketing, Vice President of Commercial, Vice President of Asian Affairs and as Teck's Chief China Representative.

Mr. Mundie, over the past couple decades, has served as an independent director for a number of TSX and TSX Venture listed entities, and for many of these he has held the position of Chairman of the audit committee. Currently Mr. Mundie serves on the board of directors of Taseko Mines, where he is also the audit committee Chair.

Mr. Mundie obtained his Chartered Accountancy designation after graduating from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

"We are extremely pleased to have Richard join our Board and bring his many years of executive experience to Inca One," stated Edward Kelly, Inca One's President and CEO. "As we enter our next phase of business we look forward to shaping our Board with experienced business leaders with a track record of strong oversight and good governance."

The Company would also like to announce the following departures from its Board of Directors.

After a lengthy tenure of over six years Mr. Phu Van Bui has resigned as Director of Inca One in order to focus more time towards his geological consulting business. The Company would like to thank Mr. Van Bui for his years of service and we wish him well in his future business.

The Company would also like to announce that Mr. Brian Antenbring resigned as Director after Inca One's most recent Annual General Meeting. The Company would like to thank Mr. Antenbring for his guidance and wish him continued success in his principal business enterprise.

About Inca One

Inca One is a Canadian-based mineral processing company with a gold milling facility in Peru, servicing government-permitted, small-scale miners. Peru, a highly mineral-rich country, is one of the world's top producers of gold, silver, copper and zinc, with substantial production coming from small scale miners who need government permitted milling facilities to process their mineral (such as the Company's Chala Plant).

On behalf of the Board,

Edward Kelly,

President and CEO

INCA ONE GOLD CORP.

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.

Statements regarding the Company which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements due to factors such as: (i) fluctuation of mineral prices; (ii) a change in market conditions; and (iii) the fact that the Company has limited operating experience with its Chala plant and future operational results may not be accurately predicted based on this limited information to date. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to update any changes to such statements. Inca One believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included herein should not be unduly relied upon.

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 these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

SOURCE Inca One Gold Corp.

Related Links

http://www.incaone.com


KENNETH TOLSON NAMED CRAWFORD U.S. PROPERTY & CASUALTY CEO

ATLANTA (Jan. 19, 2017) - Crawford & Company (NYSE: CRD-A and CRD-B), the world's largest publicly listed independent provider of claims management solutions to insurance companies and self-insured entities, today announced that it has named Kenneth Tolson chief executive officer of its U.S. Property & Casualty group, a business unit operating within the U.S. Services division of Crawford. Tolson will be responsible for the company's U.S. field operations and catastrophe services groups.

"With over 27 years of tenure at Crawford, and a track record of building strong teams and achieving results, Ken will be instrumental in growing our customer base with the support of a very talented team," said Larry Thomas, president and CEO of Crawford U.S. Services.

Tolson most recently served as senior vice president for the Broadspire Accident & Health division. Prior to that, he was CIO for the U.S. Property & Casualty division and led a team that developed the claim self-service portal known as MyClaimsAgent.com, which enables customer ownership of the claim process and remains a key domestic product. He is also a former U.S. Property & Casualty division region manager at Crawford.

"I look forward to helping the company further demonstrate our ability to exceed customer expectations during routine business operations as well as in times of catastrophe," said Tolson. "We are excited about our future as we develop faster end-to-end claims services based on our technology and professional expertise."

Tolson is a graduate of North Carolina State University and also holds the Associate in Claims (AIC) and Chartered Insurance Operations Professional (CIOP) designations.



About Crawford

Based in Atlanta, Crawford & Company is the world's largest publicly listed independent provider of claims management solutions to insurance companies and 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.

About Broadspire

Broadspire, a leading global third-party administrator, offers casualty claim, medical management, accident and health, and disability and leave management solutions, helping increase employee productivity and reducing the cost of risk through early intervention, professional expertise and data analytics. As a Crawford Company, Broadspire is based in Atlanta. Services are offered by Crawford & Company under the Broadspire brand in countries outside the U.S.

###

Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f0d54bca-f498-412d-be09-18d419e30ab9

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1b4f8eae-0ce2-43f5-b922-c24127651e74
LONDON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Quick Overview



This study addresses the FY 2016 world market for discrete inductors, beads and cores with FY 2017 forecasts and long-term forecasts to 2021. This study-ISBN #1-893211-99-1 (2016)- is one of Paumanok's premier and most popular titles and represents the results of continual data collection on the subject of magnetic components for almost 30 years. The study addresses why the global market for discrete inductors is expected to outperform other passive components in FY 2017. The study begins with a global market overview that describes each sub-set of the global magnetic components market, followed by a technology overview that addresses inductor, bead and core materials and discrete inductor, bead and core component configurations, followed by a detailed global market analysis that addresses value, volume and pricing for inductors, beads and cores by type and configuration. It breaks down demand for inductors into the individual component sub-markets (Multilayered ferrite beads and bead arrays; chip coils; molded case wirewound chips; SMD wirewound coils, thin film ceramic chip inductors; axial leaded inductors, radial leaded inductors, and ferrite cores) and shows 13-year historical market development.



The global market for discrete inductors is addressed based upon the value and volume of consumption by end-use market segment in multiple key segments, including handsets, automotive, computers, power supplies, TV sets and defense, medical, oil & gas and other specialty sub-categories requiring electromagnetic compatibility, noise suppression at frequency and the flux features of the ultra-small magnetic components. An expanded analysis of demand by region has been included in this year's edition of this popular report, including country-by-country consumption analysis for discrete inductors in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Market share data is given for the world's top ten manufacturers of discrete inductors, and profiles are offered on more than 35 brand name vendors. A short term forecast (one year) and long-term forecast (five-year) for consumption by world region and end-use product market segment is given to 2021; Complete market intelligence and share data is given for the top 36 manufacturers of inductors, beads and cores. The study also includes detailed forecasts in terms of value, volume and pricing by end-use market segment, key end-product market and by inductive component type and configuration to 2021. Also in this edition, a key technology analysis of materials consumed in the production of discrete inductors is given including metals and ceramics and a look at the technology direction of "Next Generation" Inductors as they make their way onto the market offering volumetric efficiency and operation at new frequency allocations. An important report for manufacturers of discrete inductors, distributors of discrete inductors and buyers of discrete inductors.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3025880/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


The laser's high pulse energy combined with short pulse duration, high repetition rate and excellent beam quality makes it the ideal production tool for various precision high throughput materials processing applications found in today's microelectronics, LED, medical device and solar industries. Examples are cutting of brittle materials including sapphire and glass, as well as 2.5D surface shaping, thin-film patterning, surface etching and metal stent cutting just to name a few.

This ground breaking new product is easy to integrate into production systems, thanks to its compact size, rugged OEM-style package and user friendly interface options. It has been manufactured, shipped and is currently available to the market. The laser represents another milestone in AdValue Photonics' strong commitment to the industrial materials processing market.

AdValue Photonics representatives will be at the BiOS and Photonics West 2017 exhibits in San Francisco, California, USA to discuss this and other products available. We will be at Booth #8636 for BiOS and Booth #6015 for Photonics West.

About AdValue Photonics:

AdValue Photonics is a leading manufacturer of innovative fiber lasers for the materials processing, sensing, scientific and medical applications. Founded in 2007, with a reputation for delivering groundbreaking products based on its proprietary technology, the company leverages its unique capabilities in specialty glasses and fibers to optimize the performance and reliability of its fiber lasers.

For more information, please visit: http://www.advaluephotonics.com

Contact:

Dr. Katherine Liu

Director of Marketing & Sales

+1 (520) 790-5468

[email protected]

SOURCE AdValue Photonics

Related Links

http://www.advaluephotonics.com


TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Customers want to hear stories from peers, not brands: this is what companies can now achieve with Upshot, a new customer story generation tool from Influitive, the advocate marketing experts. Upshot helps marketers generate and spotlight authentic customer stories with ease. Influitive also announced significant advancements to its flagship advocate marketing platform, AdvocateHub.

Upshot, as part of an advocate marketing program or on its own, helps companies drive their relevant social proof through their customers' voices. It simplifies story generation: marketers can source, create, distribute, and report results effortlessly. Upshot enables companies to:

Identify customers with authentic, relevant, on-narrative stories

Craft exceptional stories that speak from the customer's voice

Accelerate the story generation process inexpensively and effortlessly

"Upshot was very easy to use and the online platform gave us visibility into the production stages. It lifted a big burden from us of taking the time to interview the client and write the story," said Summer Palma, Marketing Manager at On-Site. "The success story captured much more quantitative data than I anticipated. I also like that it's less salesy and more focused on how our client is solving a problem  their voice comes out in the writing."

"We have cracked the code on efficient, authentic customer story generation. Upshot can craft stories that are more effective but with less hassle and at a lower cost," said Mark Organ, Founder and CEO of Influitive. "Many companies struggle to create the volume of stories required to influence potential buyers. The reality is that in today's environment, companies need numerous stories for a diverse set of user types and use cases. Upshot enables a high volume of authentic stories for marketers."

Updates to AdvocateHub include the following:

Peer-to-peer messaging and personalized profiles enable a more vibrant community and authentic advocate engagement.

New workflow management and reporting enhancements facilitate the scaling of programs to thousands of advocates.

Benchmark reports provide insight on how communities are performing in comparison to others on the platform which improves short and long term planning.

Email deliverability reports measure the effectiveness of emails to the community by providing visibility into email open and click rates.

Read more about Influitive's Upshot in CEO Mark Organ's blog post: Cracking The Code On Better Customer Stories.

Contact Sales at Influitive

About Influitive

Influitive is driving the shift from company-centric marketing to advocate marketing. Influitive helps B2B companies to spark, build and sustain a movement behind their brands through the voice of their most passionate advocates. Influitive's advocate marketing platform is purpose-built for driving deep human engagement at scale  persistently engaging customers, employees and partners to participate wherever advocacy happens. Influitive makes marketing investments better, giving companies an overwhelming advantage in expanding reach, accelerating sales revenue, and increasing customer retention and growth. To learn more, please visit www.influitive.com.

SOURCE Influitive

Related Links

http://www.influitive.com


Since its introduction to the kitchen over 100 years ago, there's been no significant innovation to stainless steel cookware - often known for tarnishing when exposed to high heat and easily scratching. For culinary professionals and enthusiasts alike, NanoBond brings the most advanced technology to the kitchen, delivering a full line of cookware that introduces modern science to timeless culinary craftsmanship with molecular titanium. NanoBond offers incredible resilience, lasting beauty and the cleanability to maintain its brilliance for generations.

NanoBond leverages a patented titanium based nano-technology that creates thousands of superdense nano layers of titanium alloys bonded to stainless steel. This enables the cookware surface to be four times harder than typical stainless steel. The result is a chemical free, extremely durable cookware that's resistant to staining, scratching, salt pitting and provides superior performance. Thanks to a pure aluminum core, it is also 35 percent more conductive than other aluminum clad cookware.

"As visionary culinary professionals, we examined the industry and worked with the most revered chefs, engineers and scientists to uncover what was missing in culinary cookware," said Stanley Cheng, Founder/Proprietor of Hestan. "By blending innovative technology with culinary expertise we were able to create a cookware line unlike anything the industry has ever seen."

Beginning tomorrow, NanoBond will be available for purchase exclusively at Williams Sonoma and williams-sonoma.com.

"Hestan is truly a leader in innovation, redefining what's possible in the culinary space for professional chefs and home cooks alike," said Janet Hayes, President of Williams Sonoma. "As the exclusive launch partner of NanoBond, we witnessed Stanley and the Hestan team perfect every detail of this revolutionary cookware line, exceeding all expectations in terms of performance and durability. After much anticipation, we are thrilled to bring it to market and share it with our customers."

The full NanoBond cookware line ranges from $149.95 - $520.00 and includes the following pieces:

 1.5qt covered saucepan

 2qt covered saucepan

 3qt covered saucepan

 4qt covered saucepan

 5qt covered saute

 8qt covered stockpot

 14" covered wok

 8.5" open skillet

 11" open skillet

 12.5" open skillet

 3qt covered soup pot

 3.5qt covered sauteuse

 5qt covered essential pan

The NanoBond 10 piece set is also available for $1,499.95 with an MSRP value of $1,900.00 and includes the following pieces:

 1.5qt covered saucepan

 3qt covered saucepan

 8qt covered stockpot

 3.5qt covered saute

 8.5" open skillet

 11" open skillet

To view the entire collection, visit: www.williams-sonoma.com/hestan.

Napa Valley based Hestan has invested over $60 million in developing innovative technologies and kitchen products to elevate the culinary experience. "I've seen firsthand how much time and thought has been invested into developing the NanoBond line, starting with its very first prototype in 2014," said Chef Corey Lee. "The Hestan team's commitment and drive are clearly reflected in their cookware."

Hestan innovations span the culinary category including Hestan Vineyards - well-respected small-batch wines developed in Napa Valley, Hestan Smart Cooking - a guided cooking system that will forever change the cooking experience, and award-winning Hestan Commercial and Hestan Outdoor. To learn more about NanoBond and the Hestan sub-brands visit http://www.Hestan.com.

About Hestan

Based in Napa Valley, California, and founded by cookware icon Stanley Cheng, Hestan is a culinary brand made up of innovative chefs, vintners and engineers who are reinventing the way we cook. From the molecular structure of cookware to the technique of cooking itself, Hestan is forging new culinary ground with thoughtful design and ceaseless passion. Hestan is shaking up the category by establishing a brand that is forward thinking and brings true vision through investing in developing innovative technologies and kitchen products for the Hestan brand. Hestan is made up of six distinct sub-brands: Hestan Vineyards, Hestan Commercial, Hestan Outdoor, Hestan Residential, Hestan Culinary and Hestan Smart Cooking. For more information visit http://www.Hestan.com.

About Williams Sonoma

Since its founding by Chuck Williams in 1956, the Williams Sonoma brand has been bringing people together around food. A member of Williams Sonoma, Inc. portfolio of brands, Williams Sonoma is a leading specialty retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home, providing world-class service and an engaging customer experience. Products include cookware, cooks' tools, cutlery, electrics, bakeware, food, tabletop and bar, outdoor, cookbooks, as well as furniture, lighting and decorative accessories. Each store offers cooking classes and tastings conducted by expert culinary staff. A comprehensive gift registry program for weddings and other special events is available in stores and online. On williams-sonoma.com and the Williams-Sonoma blog, Taste, customers can find recipes, tips, and techniques that help them create delicious meals and wonderful memories. Williams-Sonoma is also part of an active community on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube.

SOURCE Hestan
"One in four people video conference every day but have no way to easily share the content from the whiteboards outside of their corporate meeting rooms or home offices," said Nic Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Kaptivo. "We live and work in an accelerating digital and connected world. We saw the important need to ensure the whiteboard, a key productivity tool that so many rely upon, wasn't being left behind."

Kaptivo uses proprietary software and patented computer vision technology to automatically identify and extract only important content while providing a crisp and clear image archive of all board changes. This means that Kaptivo can eliminate people in front of the whiteboard and other visual distractions such as background shadows, reflections and old marker residue left on the board. Other key Kaptivo benefits include: eliminating the need to take notes or photos of the whiteboard, automatically capturing an intelligent archive of all board content changes; "rewinding" the whiteboard to a particular point in the meeting to see how an idea developed and sharing a timeline of content that is generated as a PDF document -- all without any change to the whiteboarding workflow.

Key Kaptivo Features Include:

Easy Share

Share the live whiteboard image remotely to any web browser on any device

Screen-share in video conferences to all participants anywhere

Capture & Save

Automatically capture an image archive of all board changes

Download and share the whole meeting as a multi-page presentation.

Determines changes multiple times per second to grab individual snapshots

Secure

Meeting access approvals

No media storage required

SSL data encryption

Simple Installation

Works with any size of whiteboard or glass board up to 6' x 4'

As easy as hanging a picture frame - no technical skills needed

Takes typically less than three minutes to set up

Wi-Fi connectivity

No extra software to install.

Browser-based interface.

Works with the whiteboards enterprises and individuals already own

How to Get a Kaptivo

Kaptivo is now available on Staples.com and on Amazon Launchpad, a unique program that showcases innovative products from startups to millions of Amazon customers. Kaptivo customers who purchase through Amazon or Staples will benefit from trusted customer service and fast and (with Prime membership) free shipping benefits. Additionally, both on-line retailers provide purchasing solutions that let registered businesses and their designated associates (users) shop for associated business supplies. People who have a business user account can easily purchase on behalf of their employer from either retailer. Customers can also buy on kaptivo.com.

About Kaptivo, Inc.

Kaptivo was developed by Nic Lawrence and Adrian Cable, who met as graduate students in the Engineering Department of Cambridge University. Since then they've been developing cutting-edge optical technology, image processing and embedded software to create products that solve real problems and are easy to use. The founders have built their entire careers making products that enable people to collaborate, communicate and become more creative together. With team members in Silicon Valley, California and Cambridge, UK, the company uses Kaptivo every day to be more productive. For more information please visit kaptivo.com.

SOURCE Kaptivo Inc.

Related Links

http://www.Kaptivo.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BTS Biogas, a global technology leader in the biological transformation of organic waste into energy and organic fertilizer, today announced that it has raised a significant round of funding with a new US-based investor group. The acquisition and recapitalization investments were led by Virtual Equity Partners, LLC with participation from additional experienced investors. The new funding will fuel the acceleration of BTS Biogas's strategic entry into the United States with several large plant projects and strategic partnerships.



Headquartered in South Tyrol, BTS Biogas is the market leader in Italy and a pioneer in sustainable, clean and recyclable energy. BTS Biogas serves industrial and agricultural companies, local authorities, food industry, refuse disposal and composting plants. The company processes organic waste materials, byproducts from alimentary industries, residues and agricultural by-products and energy crops into electrical energy, thermal energy (heating and cooling), organic methane (for fuel and grid feed-in) and organic fertilizers.

BTS has built over 200 operational biogas plants in the last 10 years with plants in The United Kingdom, France, Czech Republic, Poland, and Switzerland. Recently the company signed plant construction deals in France, Japan and Thailand. The move into the United States coincides with BTS Biogas's international expansion efforts throughout the European Union and abroad.

"Working with highly experienced investors with tremendous resources is certainly a critical first step in entering the United States market in earnest." said Gianluca Visconti, Head of Marketing for BTS Biogas. "In this industry, the U.S. market is in its relative infancy and given our position as an established market leader, our track record of successfully building and operating plants throughout Europe and industry leading design and engineering, we project great success with our move into the United States."

BTS Biogas customers include some of the top Agritech firms in the world and BTS Biogas plants are deployed by major firms who are demonstrating their commitment to the environment, clean energy and organic fertilizer.

"Virtual Equity Partners is excited about its investment in BTS Biogas due to the enormous market opportunity represented by the biological transformation of organic waste to energy, and the innovative technical work BTS Biogas has completed from a research and development perspective," said Shawn Kreloff, Managing Partner at Virtual Equity Partners. "BTS Biogas offers a unique approach to plant automation and optimization. We believe they have the best plant technology, highest safety standards and the most sophisticated support operation in the world. How often can you improve a company's top and bottom line while simultaneously generating clean energy, remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and return valuable organic nutrients to the soil?"

Shawn Kreloff is Managing Partner of Virtual Equity Partners, and has more than 25 years' experience in technology investing having overseen $100+ million in capital raised, representing $2.5 billion in enterprise value.

About BTS Biogas

Since its founding in 2008 BTS Biogas has been a major catalyst in the global growth and acceptance of biodigester technology and research. "As a group of scientists, the BTS Biogas team has found a way to not just help our customers with the most efficient plant technology, but to simultaneously make a real impact on reducing pollution and providing organic soil amendments," said Michael Niedebacher, CEO and founder at BTS biogas. "As a clean energy and organic fertilizer company, BTS Biogas is uniquely positioned to empower our customers and partners to generate extraordinary revenue while simultaneously improving the air, water and soil quality."

SOURCE BTS Biogas
BOSTON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Komand today announced the general availability of its security orchestration and automation platform and the formal closing of the company's $1.25M seed round. Komand's platform has been in private beta testing with major companies including Acquia since July, and has proven to cut the time required to detect, investigate, and respond to security incidents by up to 83 percent. The company's funding round was financed through Hack Secure, and led by Mike Egan with participation from Hack Secure and Stonehammer Capital.

Komand's orchestration and automation platform enables companies to automate time-intensive security tasks and processes for streamlined security operations. The solution acts as an orchestration layer helping companies gain more value from their current suite of security tools. With 80+ plug-ins and over 150 actions, the Komand platform empowers teams to build these automated workflows without writing a single line of code so that resource-strapped teams can focus their valuable time on the most strategic aspects of the security equation. The robust plug-ins allow teams to integrate tools with dynamic workflows that automate tedious tasks, while still employing human decision-making when necessary. With Komand security teams everywhere can now execute tasks faster, save time and money, increase productivity, and speed up time-to-response.

"Security operations teams today are overwhelmed," said Jen Andre, founder and CEO of Komand. "As a former SOC analyst, I know first-hand how frustrating it can be to work with disparate systems and time-consuming manual processes. We've built Komand to help security teams connect these systems and automate tedious tasks. With the gains in productivity we enable, security professionals can use their expertise to respond to security events faster and with better accuracy."

Security teams will see notable time savings and productivity gains per alert and across overall security operations with Komand. The platform also acts as a force multiplier for accuracy by allowing security organizations to keep their people focused on detailed analysis, not jumping from system to system to manually fetch dataa process that leads to a high margin of error.

"Komand's ability to orchestrate existing tools yields increased velocity and productivity for our security teams by increasing workflow automation," said Craig Chamberlain, director of security research at Acquia.

Komand can be used for email phishing prevention, host privilege escalation investigations, compromised credentials containment, malware investigations and containment, and automated vulnerability assessments, among many other valuable use cases for the platform.

"Jen, Cort Johnson and I have been thinking about this space for some time. The concept was really born from our collaboration on Hack Secure. I invested in Komand early on, not just because of the veteran team with its successful track record, but because we've seen time and time again the need for efficiency in the security space," said Chris Lynch, co-founder and general partner at Accomplice VC and co-founder of cybersecurity investment syndicate Hack Secure. "With the launch of Komand, we look forward to seeing how companies put the platform to use and quickly realize the many benefits of high-velocity security operations."

To learn more about the Komand platform, reserve a spot in the upcoming demo webinar, which takes place on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 2pm EST. You can register for the webinar here.

About Komand

Komand is a security orchestration and automation platform that gives security teams the power to quickly automate and streamline security operations, with no need for code. Teams can integrate their tools, build automated workflows, and utilize human decision points to accelerate incident response and move security initiatives forward, faster. Komand was founded by Jen Andre, an industry veteran whom formerly co-founded Threat Stack, with a team that boasts a cybersecurity pedigree from Mandiant, Symantec, IBM, CounterTack, MITRE, and OpenNSM.

Contact

Gwen Betts

Director, Customer Experience

[email protected]

617-398-7158

SOURCE Komand

Related Links

https://www.komand.com


LANSING, Mich., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Liquid Web, LLC (www.liquidweb.com), a $100 million managed hosting provider focused on web-reliant professionals, today announced the acquisition of Chicago-based managed web hosting company, WiredTree. This acquisition follows the completed purchase of Rackspace's Cloud Sites business unit late last year.

While most of the largest hosting and cloud providers are either focused on very small website hosting or infrastructure services for very large enterprises, Liquid Web focuses its managed hosting products and high-touch support on tech-savvy, web-reliant professionals. These professionals rely heavily on the web and cloud to grow their businesses or to power multiple websites and applications. They need a reliable, secure partner who is building products for them and guaranteeing 100 percent power and uptime. Liquid Web is that partner.

"With the addition of both WiredTree and Cloud Sites, we further our mission to empower web professionals worldwide to create content and commerce without worry," said Liquid Web CEO Jim Geiger. "For web professionals whose websites fuel their businesses, we understand they need a partner to provide both a technological advantage and support, with a broad portfolio of products and a whatever-it-takes attitude. We're purposefully building a smart, easy, flexible experience that does just that  on our fully owned infrastructure, which is backed by the most helpful humans in hosting."

For WiredTree's customers, the acquisition means better infrastructure, no change in pricing and superior support with access to Liquid Web's 250 Red Hat, Linux and Windows-certified technicians who are available 24x7x365 by phone, email or chat. In order to ensure a seamless and hassle-free transition, Liquid Web has created a specialized migration team to work directly with customers as their scheduled upgrades occur.

"As their managed hosting provider, we want our newest customers to know that we are willing to go above and beyond to help them succeed," said Geiger. "We look forward to creating an exceptional business partnership and would like to welcome each WiredTree customer to the Liquid Web family."

About Liquid Web

Liquid Web delivers reliable, highly-available, secure and hassle-free hosting fueled by our Heroic Support. The company empowers its employees to go above and beyond to make life easier for professionals who create the content and commerce on the ever-changing web  so they can focus on the work they love. With over 30,000 customers spanning 150 countries, the company has assembled a world-class team, global data centers and an expert group of 24/7/365 solution engineers. As an industry leader in customer service, the rapidly expanding company has been recognized among INC Magazine's 5000 Fastest Growing Companies for the last ten years. Liquid Web is part of the Madison Dearborn Partners family of companies. Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC ("MDP") is a leading private equity investment firm based in Chicago. For more information, please visit www.liquidweb.com, or read our blog posts at http://www.liquidweb.com/blog. Stay up to date with all Liquid Web events on Twitter and LinkedIn.

PR Contact

Rachel Talaska

[email protected]

SOURCE Liquid Web

Related Links

http://www.liquidweb.com


DETROIT, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Lisa Lange, ANP-BC, AOCN, of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, has been promoted to vice president of the Clinical Trials Office (CTO), effective immediately. Lange brings 26 years of experience as a nurse and nurse practitioner, specialized in clinical oncology care and research. She has been with Karmanos for 19 years, increasing her managerial and administration responsibilities during her tenure.

Lisa Lange, ANP-BC, AOCN, of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, Mich., has been promoted to vice president of the Clinical Trials Office. Lange is responsible for coordinating, facilitating and reporting on clinical trials throughout Karmanos Cancer Institute's system-wide network. She has overall administrative responsibility and oversight for the daily operations, managing more than 140 full-time clinical research personnel. Karmanos offers one of the largest clinical trials program in the nation, giving patients access to more than 100 promising new treatments often available only at Karmanos.

In her new position, Lange is responsible for coordinating, facilitating and reporting on clinical trials throughout Karmanos Cancer Institute's system-wide network. Her responsibilities complement the Protocol Review and Monitoring System, and ensures the validity and accuracy of the centralized database for tracking and reporting, as well as ensuring quality control. Lange has overall administrative responsibility and oversight for the daily operations, managing more than 140 full-time clinical research personnel. She reports directly to the associate center director of Clinical Sciences and works closely with physician senior leadership to ensure study compliance, education and centralized training for researchers and staff members.

"Lisa's clinical and research expertise, analytic and problem-solving skills, as well as her kind and calm approach with patients and staff, make her an excellent choice for vice president of our Clinical Trials Office," said Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO, Karmanos Cancer Institute. "Her leadership experience has contributed to making our CTO one of the largest in the country, with a higher patient accrual. Working with our medical team, clinical trials participation will continue to be enhanced system-wide, giving cancer patients throughout the state of Michigan better access to innovative treatments often not available elsewhere."

Prior to her promotion to VP, Lange served as the interim director of the CTO since May 2016, and as director of the Eisenberg Center for Translational Therapeutics (Phase l) for two years prior. In these positions, she fulfilled the Clinical Protocol and Data Management functions for the Core Center Support Grant that helped secure Karmanos' National Cancer Institute designation as a comprehensive cancer center, an honored distinction that Karmanos has held since 1978. Lange worked extensively in Phase l since 2003.

"I'm honored to work with the exceptional team of professionals at Karmanos, as well as the inspiring patients we see every day," said Lange. "Not only do they understand the importance of clinical trials, they realize that by their participation they are helping to advance new cancer therapies that could potentially be the next standard of cancer care."

Lange received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1989 and her Masters in Nursing in 1998, both from Wayne State University. In addition, she received a certificate in the Psychology of Aging and Well Being in 2016; and she also holds certifications as an Adult Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse.

About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

Located in mid-town Detroit, Michigan, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, a subsidiary of McLaren Health Care, is one of 47 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Karmanos is among the nation's best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 physicians and researchers on faculty at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and supported by thousands of volunteer and financial donors, Karmanos strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. Its long-term partnership with the WSU School of Medicine enhances the collaboration of critical research and academics related to cancer care. Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., is the Institute's president and chief executive officer. For more information call 1-800-KARMANOS or go to www.karmanos.org.

SOURCE Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

Related Links

http://www.karmanos.org


NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Wealth-X, in collaboration with Warburg Realty and Barnes International Realty, today released the first edition of the "Global Property Handbook"  a review of the luxury real estate market that explores the buying habits of the world's wealthiest people. The report names London, New York and Tokyo as the most popular for ultra-high net worth (UHNW) individuals  those with a net worth of $30 million or more  and lists Cuba as one of the top emerging markets for real estate developers.

"This report is the first-ever attempt at putting the global real estate market into perspective," says Frederick Warburg Peters, CEO of Warburg Realty. "Using the resources of three companies, we've taken a deep dive into where the world's highest earners are living, playing and investing  and explored the practical, emotional and financial factors involved in their buying decisions."

The Global Property Handbook reveals that 10% of UHNW individuals own five properties or more. To help map these properties, the report includes the new "Alpha Cities Index," which ranks the overall attractiveness of a city for wealthy individuals when considering a luxury real estate purchase. The top five cities from the Index are detailed below:

London, UK : Unmatched in its appeal to the wealthy, from culture to financial security, despite recent tax reforms. New York , US: Vying closely for the number one spot, with the largest ultra-wealthy population and scores of the top-class universities. Tokyo, Japan : A luxury shopping destination and the wealth center of Asia , Japan's capital fuses tradition with financial strength. Sydney, Australia : A lifestyle like no other, with beaches, sunshine, culture, and commerce, its buoyant property market maintains value. Paris, France : A haven for culture, entertainment, shopping, and finance, the City of Light is a magnet to the wealthy property buyer.

Beyond these premier cities, the Global Property Handbook identifies the top emerging luxury destinations for wealthy real estate buyers. In addition to Cuba, this list includes global capital cities including Lisbon, Portugal; Berlin, Germany; and Tel Aviv, Israel.

The report also features the Global Luxury Residential Property Index, which tracks the top 10% of the residential property market (by median sales price) since 2010. This year, the Index shows that prices peaked in 2015 and fell during the first half of 2016. As a result, only the properties with an optimal combination of practical, emotional, and financial benefits have continued to grow in value.

"As a share of total net worth, real estate holdings tend to fall as you increase your personal wealth. So someone with a net worth of $10 million might own a $5 million apartment, but if you have a net worth of $100 million, you're less likely to own $50 million worth of real estate," says Clelia Warburg Peters, President of Warburg Realty. "I think there was a misunderstanding of the depth of the market on the part of many developers."

"We're proud to have collaborated with Wealth-X and Warburg to create the benchmark for global luxury real estate research and insights," says Thibault de Saint Vincent, President of Barnes International Realty. "At a global level, the luxury property market is performing well, in what is a challenging environment. Looking ahead, international diversification of real estate will be particularly important, as there can always be local threats due to economic and political factors."

Please follow this link to access the full report.

About Wealth-X

The global leader in wealth information and insight, Wealth-X boasts the world's most extensive collection of hand curated dossiers on the ultra wealthy and produces unparalleled high net worth market research. www.wealthx.com

About Warburg Realty

With a longstanding tradition of extraordinary service, Warburg Realty has remained at the forefront of the industry for 120 years as a true example of premium brokerage, and is one of the last privately held residential real estate firms in New York City. Warburg's offices include its 7,000-square-foot flagship at 654 Madison Avenue, a Flatiron location at 18 West 21st Street, and a new Tribeca office at 124 Hudson Street. www.warburgrealty.com

About Barnes

Founded over 20 years ago, today BARNES is a major player in international luxury real estate. BARNES brings its clients global expertise to advise them on their international real estate investment decisions while offering tailored local support. http://www.barnes-international.com/

SOURCE Warburg Realty

Related Links

http://www.warburgrealty.com


ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Planned Systems International, Inc. (PSI), a leading provider of information technology (IT) solutions and services for the federal government, announced it has named Richard Lehosky as Vice President of Homeland Defense Solutions.

In this role, Lehosky will lead the companys growing sector focused on IT solutions supporting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Lehosky will be responsible for achieving PSIs operational objectives by contributing information and recommendations to strategic plans, supporting PSI growth initiatives, managing senior-level customer relationships, and overseeing delivery of solutions and promises to clients.

Lehosky has over 30 years of proven experience successfully leading and delivering on major challenges in IT operations, serving both commercial and government sectors. Prior to accepting the position of VP of Homeland Defense Solutions, he served in various roles at ActioNet, SAIC, and ACE Info Solutions, where he was successful in expanding services, improving performance, and leading IT services growth.

Chief Operating Officer, Mike Snyder, said, Im very pleased to welcome Richard to our Program Operations Senior Leadership Team. He brings a stellar record of success that will be crucial to PSI as we continue to address the increasingly critical needs of our clients in achieving their missions and goals through IT and other management solutions initiatives.

About Planned Systems International, Inc.

Founded in 1988, PSI is a CMMI-DEV Level 3, CMMI-SVC Level 3, ISO 9001:2008, ISO/IEC 20000-1:2005, ISO 27001:2005, and ISO 14001:2004-certified enterprise IT solutions and management consulting services provider in Health IT and Data Integration & Analyses. PSI has a stellar record of performance and award-winning experience, and core capabilities in: Requirements Gathering & Design; Enterprise Architecture & Design; Software Development & Maintenance; Systems Integration; Testing Services; Web & SharePoint Development; Cloud Computing; E-Learning - Instructional Design & Delivery; Service Delivery & Customer Care; Medical Modeling & Simulation; Big Data Analytics & Business Intelligence; Mobility Systems; Theatre Systems Support, and Advisory & Assistance Services.

PSI earned a solid reputation for applying state-of-the-art technologies and the industry's most successful methodologies to support business solutions for the Defense Health Agency, Veterans Affairs, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, Corporation for National and Community Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other Government clients.

Visit PSI online at www.plan-sys.com.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LUNGevity, the nation's leading lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, today announced the launch of the LUNGevity Lung Cancer HELPLine, a free phone service through which a team of professional oncology social workers will be available to address the emotional, practical, and information needs of people diagnosed with lung cancer, their families, and caregivers.

This year, more than 240,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer, which means that hundreds of thousands of lung cancer patients, family members, and caregivers will be responsible for navigating a disease that is likely unfamiliar to them. The LUNGevity Lung Cancer HELPLine will serve as a vital resource and source of support for all affected by the disease.

LUNGevity has partnered with CancerCare, the leading national organization providing free, professional support services and information to help people manage the emotional, practical, and financial challenges of cancer. CancerCare's team of professional oncology social workers are uniquely qualified to address these needs. For nearly 73 years, CancerCare has provided free support services to cancer patients aimed at alleviating distress, helping them to obtain the best possible outcomes from their treatment.

Those seeking assistance can call LUNGevity's new toll-free HELPLine, 844-360-LUNG (5864), from 9:00am  5:00pm ET, Monday through Friday to:

Receive immediate access to reliable educational resources and programs

Get personalized information about lung cancer and treatment options

Learn effective ways to cope with cancer including managing emotions such as depression, anxiety, or sadness

Improve communication with their health care team and loved ones

Get referrals to financial assistance resources for needs including pain medication, homecare, childcare, medical supplies, transportation for treatment, and copayment assistance related to chemotherapy and targeted treatment therapies. (Provided to those who meet CancerCare's eligibility guidelines; subject to funding availability.)

Depression, anxiety, strains on relationships, loss of motivation, and financial burdens are commonly experienced by lung cancer patients and can compromise a patient's ability to complete treatment. LUNGevity developed the Lung Cancer HELPLine to help patients, their caregivers, and families combat these symptoms by offering direct and personalized support for callers across the nation.

"Providing lung cancer patients, their families, and caregivers with the resources and tools they need to address every phase of this disease is a priority," said Andrea Ferris, President and Chairman of LUNGevity Foundation. "Our goal in setting up this HELPLine is to add dimension to these efforts and provide an additional resource to individuals affected by lung cancer to ensure that no one has to navigate this disease alone."

The HELPLine will join a number of other critical resources LUNGevity has created to support the needs of lung cancer patients, their caregivers, and loved ones, including Clinical Trial Finder, LifeLine Support Partners, and the recently launched Lung Cancer Navigator Mobile App. Charitable funding for the HELPLine was generously provided by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Genentech. For more information on LUNGevity, please visit www.LUNGevity.org.

About lung cancer in the U.S.

About 1 in 15 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime

More than 224,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year

About 60%-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers

Lung cancer takes more lives than the next four deadliest cancers (colorectal, pancreatic, breast, and prostate) combined

Only 18% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it's caught before it spreads, the chance for 5-year survival improves dramatically

About LUNGevity Foundation

LUNGevity Foundation is firmly committed to making an immediate impact on increasing quality of life and survivorship of people with lung cancer by accelerating research into early detection and more effective treatments, as well as by providing community, support, and education for all those affected by the disease. Our vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer. For more information about LUNGevity Foundation, please visit www.LUNGevity.org.

About CancerCare

Founded in 1944, CancerCare is the leading national organization providing free, professional support services and information to help people manage the emotional, practical and financial challenges of cancer. Our comprehensive services include counseling and support groups over the phone, online and in-person, educational workshops, publications and financial and co-payment assistance. All CancerCare services are provided by oncology social workers and world-leading cancer experts. Headquartered in New York, NY, CancerCare maintains three additional locations in Norwalk, CT, Ridgewood, NJ and Syosset, NY. To learn more, visit www.cancercare.org or call 800-813-HOPE (4673).

SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation

Related Links

http://www.lungevity.org


PUNE, India, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Market Research Future published a half cooked research report on the Global Micro-irrigation Systems Market that contains information from 2016 to 2022. Micro-irrigation Systems Market has been estimated to grow over 5% post 2022.

Market Overview

Micro-irrigation is an approach to irrigation which helps to reduce the water demand; it has been driven by commercial farmers in dry regions of United States of America and Israel in farming areas where water is scarce. Many parts of the world are now using micro-irrigation technology especially small scale farmers in developing countries are slowly adopting this technique. A number of organizations are looking at the way to reduce the cost of micro-irrigation and coming up with different innovative approaches such as drip irrigation and pipe irrigation.

Market Forecast

Global Micro-irrigation Systems Market is mainly driven by increasing concern over exhausting water resources and need of efficient use of water especially in regions where water is scarce. Many local governments are encouraging farmers to implement Micro-irrigation Systems as a standard practice to conserve water which is also driving market growth. Reduction in rainfall due to climate change and pressure to fulfil demand of quality products is supporting the growth of market.

These factors will play a key role to grow Micro-irrigation Systems Market at CAGR of 5.2% during forecast period.

Access the market information presented through more than 60 market data tables and figures spread in 110 numbers of pages of the project report "Global Micro-irrigation Systems Market"

Browse Micro-irrigation Market Report Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/micro-irrigation-systems-market

Downstream Market Analysis-

Depend upon amount of water available and type of a crop and farming method, different types of micro-irrigation techniques are used. Drip irrigation system is considered as most efficient micro-irrigation technique. People from South Australia have recently developed the new micro-irrigation technique named "Measured irrigation" which basically operates on rain water and sunlight. Farmers from developing countries prefer to buy affordable and efficient micro-irrigation technique and it is mainly influenced by government initiatives in that particular region. Irrigation system based on real time sensor is becoming popular in developed countries.

Key Players:

The major key players in Micro-irrigation Systems Market are Akplas (Turkey), Netafim Ltd Corporate (Israel), Jain irrigation systems (India), Irritec (Italy), Rivulis (Israel), Hunter Industries (U.S.), Antelco (Australia), Lindsay Corporation (U.S.), The Toro Company (U.S.) and Weishi Huifa Machinery Plant (China)

Request a Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1949

Competitive Analysis:

In recent years many key players have introduced new Micro-irrigation Systems. Netafim has launched its next generation low flow drippers whereas Toro introduced Aqua traxx flow control pipe to increase efficiency to save more waters.

Regional Analysis

The global Micro-irrigation Systems Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Among this North America region has major market share followed by Europe and APAC. Mexico, U.S., India, Australia and France are major importers of Micro-irrigation Systems from last few years. Micro-irrigation is being newly implemented in developing countries especially from Asia and Africa.

Browse Related Reports:

Mechanized Irrigation Market: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/mechanized-irrigation-market

Agrochemicals Market: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/agrochemicals-market

About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.

In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.

Contact:

Akash Anand,

Market Research Future

Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers

Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar,

Pune - 411028

Maharashtra, India

+1 646 845 9312

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Market Research Future

Related Links

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com


Mindshare also announced the appointments of Frank Puma to Managing Director, Digital Investment Lead for the New York market; and Emma Witkowski to Managing Director, Digital Investment Lead for the West Coast and Atlanta markets. They join Jason Smith, Managing Director, Digital Investment Lead for the Chicago market, to form the regional leadership structure, reporting to Peterson. The moves strengthen Mindshare's services and more directly facilitate an integrated team approach across investment, planning and strategy.

"Christine's fierce instinct for strategic media investment ensures the best opportunities for brand engagement. Combined with her holistic investment experience across all channels, her influence will be felt by all Mindshare clients continuously honing their digital strategies," said Adam Gerhart, U.S. CEO, Mindshare. "With Emma, Frank and Jason on the team, we have experienced regional leadership to work closely with our digital strategists, planners and client teams to develop adaptive programs that truly make media a competitive advantage for our clients."

Christine Peterson

Peterson joins Mindshare from Initiative, where she served as Managing Director of Investment and was responsible for investment across all media channels. Prior, she led MRY's blended media offerings across channels and structured their strategic distribution approach in the U.S. Christine has also held roles at Publicis and Carat.

"Christine's expertise will bolster the innovation and creativity of Mindshare's digital investment in the U.S. and I look forward to close collaboration with her as part of GroupM's larger digital investment organization," said Susan Schiekofer, Chief Digital Investment Officer, GroupM North America. "She has the insights-focused approach and competitive spirit that is requisite to being part of GroupM."

Frank Puma

Puma joined Mindshare in 2014 as Director, Digital Investment. He has been actively involved within the digital industry for over 16 years, with experience across all forms of digital media, including display, search, mobile, video and social. His eight years at GroupM include a stint as Maxus's Group Planning Director. Puma recently won a Gold Cannes Lion and Silver Effie for his work with Volvo. Frank also recently won the Cynopsis Digital Planning and Buying award.

Emma Witkowski

Witkowski joined Mindshare in 2014 as Director, Digital Investment for Los Angeles. She has 16 years of industry experience, having worked at agencies such as OMD and Carat. She started her career in London as a TV buyer, before moving up to lead a TV trading team. She then transitioned to digital; in her first digital role, she masterminded and implemented the setup of a digital buying team. Emma was recently named one of the winners on Cynopsis Digital's inaugural "It List," honoring top leaders across digital media.

Jason Smith

Smith joined Mindshare in 2016 as Managing Director, Digital Investment Lead for Chicago. He brings more than 13 years of industry experience to his role. He joined from Horizon Media, where he served as VP of Digital Media Activation, leading the agency's digital strategy, partnership development, and training/education initiatives. During his time at Horizon, Smith also led digital planning and integration for brands across numerous business verticals, including insurance, finance, wholesale foods, and many more.

ABOUT MINDSHARE

Mindshare is a global media agency network with billings in excess of US$34.5 billion (source: RECMA). The network consists of more than 7,000 employees, in 116 offices across 86 countries spread throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Each office is dedicated to forging competitive marketing advantage for businesses and their brands based on the values of speed, teamwork and provocation. Mindshare is part of GroupM, which oversees the media investment management sector for WPP, the world's leading communications services group. Visit us at mindshareusa.com or MindshareInTheLoop.com and follow us on Twitter @mindshare_NA and facebook.com/MindshareNA.

About GroupM

GroupM is the leading global media investment management group serving as the parent to WPP media agencies including Mindshare, MEC, MediaCom, Maxus, Essence and m/SIX, as well as the programmatic digital media platform, Xaxis, each global operations in their own right with leading market positions. GroupM's primary purpose is to maximize the performance of WPP's media agencies by operating as leader and collaborator in trading, content creation, sports, digital, finance, and proprietary tool development. GroupM's focus is to deliver unrivaled marketplace advantage to its clients, stakeholders and people, and is increasingly working closely for the benefit of clients with WPP's data investment management group, Kantar. Together GroupM and Kantar account for over 50% of WPP's group revenues of more than $20 billion.

Discover more about GroupM at www.groupm.com.

Follow @GroupMWorldwide on Twitter

Follow GroupM on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/groupm

SOURCE Mindshare North America

Related Links

http://www.mindshareworld.com


CHENGDU, China, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The award ceremony for 2016 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 China (Deloitte TF50 China) was held in Wuhan on November 16, 2016. Five enterprises based in Tianfu Software Park, Chengdu achieved Deloitte TF50 China ranking. They are Chengdu Pengwan Technology Co., Ltd. (Pengwan Technology), Chengdu Chaoyouai Technology Co., Ltd. (Baicizhan), Chengdu Tsixi Technology Co., Ltd. (Chengdu Tsixi Technology), Chengdu Androidmov Technology CO., Ltd. (Androidmov Technology) and Chengdu TapEnjoy Technology Co., Ltd. (Chengdu TapEnjoy), which respectively ranked 21st, 25th, 33rd, 37th and 48th with three-year cumulative growth rates of 1069%, 908%, 739%, 658% and 538%.

Meanwhile, LionMobi and Medlinker, both based in Tianfu Software Park, as well as Truck Alliance, whose main brand 56QQ was successfully hatched by Tianfu Software Park. Lab, were crowned as Deloitte China Rising Stars.

At the award ceremony, Deloitte published the 2016 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 China Report. According to the Report, enterprises included in the Deloitte TF50 China list this year all exhibited strong growth, as the average three-year cumulative growth rate increased by 60% than the previous year. And 22 out of the 50 enterprises had a three-year cumulative growth rate of more than 1000%. The software industry made up the largest part (as many as 34%) of the list. The proportion of the internet and media industry increased to 32%, and that of the communication industry was 10%.

Cities in central and western regions displayed eye-catching performance this time. A total of 18 Chengdu-based and Wuhan-based enterprises made it to the Deloitte TF50 China list, among which eight were from Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone. According to relevant officials, Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone was the first to cooperate with Deloitte on regional TF20 program in China.

Po Hou, Deloitte's China Technology Media and Telecommunications Managing Partner, believed that there were two reasons for that. On the one hand, with the continuous increase in the prices of production factors in first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, enterprises which witnessed high growth at an early stage were put under the pressure caused by the rise in cost. On the other hand, by virtue of the supporting policies issued by the national government in recent years, the vast population in the locality as well as the superiority of geographical locations, cities in central and western regions successfully improved employment and business environment, narrowed the gap with first-tier cities and attracted numerous high-tech enterprises to settle.

This year marks the 12th anniversary of Deloitte TF50 China. Deloitte had held regional competitions in multiple cities, including Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Wuhan, before it published the Deloitte TF50 China list. It explored the patterns and trends of technological innovation by discovering leading regional technology enterprises. Winners of regional competitions automatically qualify as candidates for Deloitte TF 50 China. Once an enterprise achieves Deloitte TF50 China ranking, it automatically becomes eligible for entry to Deloitte TF500 Asia Pacific program.

SOURCE Chengdu Tianfu Software Park
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- National Bank Holdings Corporation (NYSE: NBHC) announced today that the Board of Directors approved a cash dividend to shareholders. The quarterly cash dividend of seven cents ($0.07) per share of common stock will be payable on March 15, 2017 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 24, 2017.

About National Bank Holdings Corporation



National Bank Holdings Corporation is a bank holding company created to build a leading community bank franchise delivering high-quality client service and committed to shareholder results. National Bank Holdings Corporation operates a network of 91 banking centers located in Colorado, the greater Kansas City region and Texas. Through the Company's subsidiary, NBH Bank, it operates under the following brand names: Bank Midwest in Kansas and Missouri, Community Banks of Colorado in Colorado, and Hillcrest Bank in Texas. More information about National Bank Holdings Corporation can be found at www.nationalbankholdings.com.

For more information visit: bankmw.com, cobnks.com, hillcrestbank.com or nbhbank.com. Or, follow us on any of our social media sites:

Bank Midwest: facebook.com/bankmw, twitter.com/bank_mw, instagram.com/bankmw;

Community Banks of Colorado: facebook.com/cobnks, twitter.com/cobnks, instagram.com/cobnks;

Hillcrest Bank: facebook.com/hillcrestbank, twitter.com/hillcrest_bank;

NBH Bank: twitter.com/nbhbank;

or connect with any of our brands on LinkedIn.

Forward Looking Statements



This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements contain words such as "anticipate," "believe," "can," "would," "should," "could," "may," "predict," "seek," "potential," "will," "estimate," "target," "plan," "project," "continuing," "ongoing," "expect," "intend" or similar expressions that relate to the Company's strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements involve certain important risks, uncertainties and other factors, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such statements. Such factors include, without limitation, the "Risk Factors" referenced in the Company's most recent Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), other risks and uncertainties listed from time to time in our reports and documents filed with the SEC. The Company can give no assurance that any goal or plan or expectation set forth in forward-looking statements can be achieved and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not intend, and assumes no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE National Bank Holdings Corporation

Related Links

http://www.nationalbankholdings.com


HOUSTON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas is home to the Permian Basin, North America's most active oil-producing region. The Lone Star State also represents nearly one-third of the nation's refining capacity and boasts a second-to-none network of midstream assets. That's why Hart Energy developed its annual MIDSTREAM Texas conference and exhibition, to give industry professionals a comprehensive look at midstream business activity from the state's premier shale plays to its massive Gulf Coast refining complexes. With the resilience of the Permian Basin region, the third annual, state-wide conference will be hosted in Midland, TX and is set for May 23-24, 2017.

Themed "The Heart of the Midstream", the full-day event will address latest challenges and relevant advancements to help lead midstream operators, upstream producers, service and supply companies, financial investors and others navigate changing markets in 2017 and beyond.

"Texas is an essential part of the nation's midstream network and is viewed as the industry indicator for what's ahead," said Paul Hart, Midstream Business editor-in-chief and conference host. "This year's conference is the perfect opportunity for industry executives to discuss how to stay ahead of evolving opportunities and challenges."

This year's conference agenda is filled with keynote presentations, panels and industry spotlights speeches discussing the future of midstream activity across the state. More than 20 executives will discuss growing production and takeaway demand, how downstream business changes affect midstream operations, and Texas' evolving legal and regulatory environment. Attendees also get hands-on product and technology demonstrations on the event's exhibit floor and enjoy 10+ hours of networking opportunities to connect with industry leaders.

For full conference details or to register, please visit MidstreamTexas.com.

About Hart Energy

For more than 40 years, Hart Energy editors and experts have delivered market-leading insights to investors and energy industry professionals. The Houston-based company produces award-winning magazines (such as Oil and Gas Investor, E&P and Midstream Business); online news and data services; in-depth industry conferences (like the DUG series); GIS data sets and mapping solutions; and a range of research and consulting services. For information, visit hartenergy.com.

Contact: Gabriel Geller

713.260.6448

SOURCE Hart Energy

Related Links

http://www.hartenergy.com


LONDON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Noble Corporation plc (NYSE:NE) today announced that its report of drilling rig status and contract information has been updated as of January 19, 2017. The report, titled "Fleet Status Report," can be found on the Company's Website www.noblecorp.com, under the "Investor Relations" section of the Website.

About Noble Corporation plc

Noble is a leading offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry. The Company owns and operates one of the most modern, versatile and technically advanced fleets in the offshore drilling industry. Noble performs, through its subsidiaries, contract drilling services with a fleet of 29 offshore drilling units, consisting of 15 semisubmersibles and drillships and 14 jackups, focused largely on ultra-deepwater and high-specification jackup drilling opportunities in both established and emerging regions worldwide. Noble is a public limited company registered in England and Wales with company number 08354954 and registered office at Devonshire House, 1 Mayfair Place, London, W1J 8AJ England. Additional information on Noble is available at www.noblecorp.com.

SOURCE Noble Corporation

Related Links

http://www.noblecorp.com


FORT MYERS, Fla., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Like most perfect couples, some flavors are simply "meant to be." That was the thought behind Norman Love Confections' 2017 Valentine's Day Collection, Perfect Pairs, which combines two compatible and delicious gourmet flavors inside each individual piece to create a box of chocolates that is truly unique. This latest line of chocolates from award-winning pastry chef Norman Love includes pairings like Strawberry Banana, Lemon Raspberry, Peaches and Cream, Raspberry Champagne, Chocolate Vanilla Swirl, Coconut Pineapple, White Chocolate Mint, Peanut Butter Marshmallow, Coffee Hazelnut and Vanilla Caramel. Perfect Pairs make the perfect Valentine's Day gift, and will be available to pre-order from www.normanloveconfections.com on January 23 and in-store starting January 30.

Norman Love Confection's Perfect Pairs artisan chocolates make an ideal Valentine's Day gift.

The Perfect Pairs Valentine's Day Collection is available with an assortment of Norman Love Confections' Signature flavors in gift boxes of all sizes, or in limited-edition heart-shaped gift boxes.

The limited-edition 10-piece heart-shaped gift box includes all the 2017 Valentine's Day flavors and is available for $27 .

flavors and is available for . The 24-piece heart-shaped gift box filled with all ten chocolates from the 2017 Valentine's Day collection and an assortment of chocolates from the Signature Collection and is available for $55 .

Online pre-orders for the Perfect Pairs Valentine's Day Collection start January 23, with shipping beginning Jan. 30, and will be available for sale in-store Monday, Jan. 30 through Tuesday, Feb. 14 at Norman Love Confections' chocolate salons in Fort Myers, Naples and Estero.

CLICK TO TWEET: "Looking for the perfect Valentine's gift? Check out @normanlovecandy for their Perfect Pairs flavors and other chocolate gifts."

Founded in 2001 by Norman and Mary Love, Norman Love Confections creates and distributes handcrafted artisanal chocolates from its corporate headquarters at 11380 Lindbergh Blvd. in Fort Myers. The award-winning Fort Myers-based chocolatier has been lauded more than a dozen times by a leading consumer ratings magazine, including recognition six times for producing the best ultra-premium chocolates in the nation. Forbes.com included Norman Love Confections BLACK collection on its list of the nation's top 10 truffles; The Huffington Post listed it among the six best U.S. destinations in its Chocolate Lover's Travel Guide; and USA Today named Love as one of its top 10 entrepreneurs for 2014. In 2015, Love partnered with a team of Southwest Florida chefs to present a six-course meal at the James Beard House in New York. In 2016, Love was named as the inaugural inductee of Dessert Professional Magazine's Chocolatier Hall of Fame. For the past two years, Norman Love Confections was ranked among the top 10 shops in the world for chocolate lovers by U.K. media outlet Daily Telegraph.

Norman Love Confections has two Chocolate Salons in Fort Myers as well as in Estero and Naples, and Artisan Gelato by Norman Love is next door to the Fort Myers salon, off Daniels Parkway east of I-75.

Chocolates, gift baskets, sipping chocolate and Love's book, "Artistry in Chocolate, A Story of Love," also can be ordered online. In addition, Norman Love Confections chocolates and desserts are offered on 18 Princess Cruises' ships through the "Chocolate Journeys" partnership and at independent retail locations throughout the U.S. For more information, visit www.normanloveconfections.com, follow @normanlovecandy, or call 239-561-7215.

Media Contact:

Gabby McNamara, GMAC Communications, [email protected], (908) 461-5260

SOURCE Norman Love Confections

Related Links

http://www.normanloveconfections.com


ALBANY, New York, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The North America Facial Injectables Market is quite monopolistic in nature with one player dominating the overall market dynamics. As of 2016, Allergan Plc., held a share 62.0% in the regional market. The company dominance is a result of the strong brand value of its drugs like Botox & Juvederm. Presently, Botox is leading the market and is expected to retain its stance all throughout 2024.

According to the research report, the North America facial injectables market is expected to reach a valuation of US$5.8 bn by the end of 2024 as compared to US$2.1 bn by the end of 2015. Between the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the global market is expected to rise at a CAGR of 12.0%.

U.S. to be Frontrunner in Regional Market with Changing Lifestyles of Consumers

The overall market has been segmented into the U.S. and Canada on the basis of geography. Out of the two countries, the U.S. is expected to assume the lead in the overall market due to a high demand for botulinum toxins and dermal fillers. Improving lifestyles and growing preference for minimally invasive surgeries are expected to drive the demand for facial injectables across the U.S.

In terms of products, the market is segmented into botulinum toxin, hyaluronic acid, collagen, and particle and polymer fillers. Of these, the botulinum toxin segment held a leading share in the global market in 2015 as it is predominantly being used for correcting lines, creases, and wrinkles. Thus, between 2016 and 2024, the botulinum toxin segment is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 12.7%.

Download PDF Brochure of Research Report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18515

Synthetic Facial Injectables with Long-lasting Effects Propel Demand

Development of synthetic products with polymers and particles has upped the demand for facial injectables across North America. The new products have a longer shelf-life, which prolongs the need to re-treatment. Thus, the widening availability of facial injectables that tend to have permanent effects is driving the demand for products in the overall market. Furthermore, as the frequency of treatment is reduced it has also brought down the cost of facial injectables treatment, thus making it affordable.

The market for facial injectables across North America has also been flourishing against the backdrop of growing preference for minimally invasive surgeries. Thus, the growing inclination toward minimally invasive procedures in dermatological applications is expected to drive the overall market. The growing focus on aesthetics and physical attractiveness are proving to be the persuasive factors in the propelling demand for facial injectables in North America. Changing lifestyles, rising disposable incomes, and altering understanding of beauty and attractiveness is encouraging several users to opt for facial injectables that can reverse the signs of aging to restore the youthful glow.

Side Effects of Facial Injectables Challenge Market Growth

The strength of aforementioned market drivers is likely to be challenged by a few restraints in the North America facial injectables market. The possibility of allergic reactions due to the involvement of living organisms and related chemicals and enzymes is anticipated to hamper the growth of the overall market. Furthermore, side-effects such as edema, bleeding, and bruising are also expected to restrain the growth of the regional market. The poor reimbursement policies associated with facial injectables are expected to curb the spending on these expenditures in the near future.

Request For Discount On This Report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=18515

This review is based on Transparency Market Research's report, titled "Facial Injectables Market - North America Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024."

The North America facial injectables market has been segmented as follows:

North America Facial Injectables Market, by Product Type

Botulinum Toxin

Hyaluronic Acid

Collagen Porcine/ Bovine-Based Human Based

Particle & Polymer Fillers (PPF) Polymethylmethacrylate Beads (PMMA microspheres) Poly-L-Lactic Acid Calcium Hydroxyapatite



North America Facial Injectables Market, by Treatment

Facial Pain

Wrinkle Treatment

Lip Augmentation

Others

North America Facial Injectables Market, by End User

Hospitals

Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Cosmetic Centers

Dermatology Clinics

Physician Clinics

North America Facial Injectables Market, by Country

North America U.S. Canada



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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

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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
CALGARY, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Oncolytics Biotech Inc. ("Oncolytics" or the "Company") (TSX: ONC) (OTCQX: ONCYF) today announced that Matt Coffey PhD, MBA, has been appointed to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Dr. Coffey had been serving as the Company's Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since early November 2016.

"Dr. Coffey has transitioned seamlessly into his new role and, together with the expanded senior management team, has rapidly crafted plans to advance a range of clinical and operational initiatives," said Wayne Pisano, Chairman of Oncolytics' Board of Directors. "After careful consideration and review, taking into account his extensive knowledge of REOLYSIN, tenure with the Company, and efforts to date, the Board has determined that Dr. Coffey is ideally positioned to lead Oncolytics' ongoing efforts to move a first in class immuno-oncology viral agent through late-stage clinical testing."

A co-founder of the Company, Dr. Coffey completed his doctorate degree in oncology at the University of Calgary with a focus on the oncolytic capabilities of the reovirus. The results of his research have been published in various respected scientific journals, including Science, Human Gene Therapy, and The EMBO Journal. Dr. Coffey has held progressively senior roles with Oncolytics including, Chief Operating Officer since December 2008, Chief Scientific Officer, Vice-President of Product Development and Chief Financial Officer.

About Oncolytics Biotech Inc.

Oncolytics is a Calgary-based biotechnology company focused on the development of oncolytic viruses as potential cancer therapeutics. Oncolytics' clinical program includes a variety of later-stage, randomized human trials in various indications using REOLYSIN, its proprietary formulation of the human reovirus. For further information about Oncolytics, please visit: www.oncolyticsbiotech.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that Oncolytics expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the impact on Oncolytics and its clinical program of the change in senior management of Oncolytics, and other such matters are forward-looking statements and forward-looking information and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks related to the statistical sufficiency of patient enrollment numbers in separate patient groups, the availability of funds and resources to pursue research and development projects, the efficacy of REOLYSIN as a cancer treatment, the tolerability of REOLYSIN outside a controlled test, the success and timely completion of clinical studies and trials, the Company's ability to successfully commercialize REOLYSIN, uncertainties related to the research and development of pharmaceuticals and uncertainties related to the regulatory process. Investors should consult the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the Canadian and U.S. securities commissions for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Oncolytics Biotech Inc.

Related Links

http://www.oncolyticsbiotech.com


MAPLE GROVE, Minn., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Community Emergency Assistance Program (CEAP) and Keystone Community Services benefited by receiving donations from TopLine Federal Credit Unions 18th annual Gratitude Tree Holiday Toy Drive held during the months of November and December. TopLine members and employees generously donated toys, cash and gift cards to brighten up the holidays and bring joy to many children this holiday season.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b7a0041-b9a2-4c7e-ae47-da7d74174739

Employees were able to participate by donating toys and money to CEAP and Keystone's Holiday Drive in exchange for a Denim Days sticker, allowing them to wear jeans to work on specific days during the eight-week program. TopLine members could leave unwrapped gifts for children in need under the Gratitude Tree at any TopLine location, and then choose an ornament from the tree as our way of thanking them for their generosity.

TopLine is committed to helping our communities, and a special thanks goes out to our employees and members who were so generous this season, said Tom Smith, TopLine Federal Credit Union President and CEO. We were able to donate nearly 600 toys along with over $900 in gift cards and cash to our charitable partners to help make the holidays a little brighter for families in our communities.

Through CEAPs Toys of Joy Holiday Program, families were able to select three toys and stocking stuffers for each child. CEAP was able to serve 578 families with more than 1,650 children, and distributed over 18,000 items including winter clothing, toys, stocking stuffers and blankets.

Keystones Gift of Hope program provided gifts for children along with household goods for the adults in each family. Keystone was able to provide toys, clothes, gifts and household items for 100 families this holiday season. Thanks to the generosity of our community, 640 people (480 children and 160 adults) had their spirits boosted this holiday season.

Since 2002, TopLine Federal Credit Union employees and members have been involved in several programs each year to benefit CEAP and Keystone. In addition to the annual toy donations these efforts have included drives for childrens back-to-school supplies, helping with food and clothing donations for families in need, and volunteering for Meals on Wheels.

CEAP (Community Emergency Assistance Programs), serving Hennepin and Anoka Counties, is a community-based, non-profit agency that partners with other resources to assist people in need. The mission of CEAP is to stabilize individuals and families in financial distress and to maximize their ability to live independently and with dignity. Visit www.CEAP.com to learn more.

Keystone Community Services is a community-based volunteer organization in St. Paul that helps thousands of low-income individuals and families in the East Metro Area. Keystones mission is to strengthen the capacity of individual and families to improve their quality of life. Visit www.keystoneservices.org to learn more.

TopLine Federal Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesotas 13th largest, with assets of more than $390 million. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit cooperative offers a complete line of financial services, as well as auto and home insurance, from its five branch locations  in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Plymouth and in St. Pauls Como Park  as well as by phone, mobile app and online at www.TopLinecu.com. Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington Counties and their immediate family members. Visit us on our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TopLineFederalCreditUnion.
NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SecurityRI, a leading full-service IT security company specializing in providing comprehensive security strategies to protect businesses of all sizes, teamed up with Overbrook Academy, an accredited, international boarding school for girls, to provide protection from data breaches and any vulnerabilities to their students and faculty during the relocation of the academy. A breach can happen to any organization at any time. The ITRC Data Breach Reports-2015 Year-End Totals Report states, in 2015 alone, over 169 million personal records were exposed, stemming from 781 publicized breaches across the financial, business, education, government, and healthcare sectors.

"We were tasked with the safe relocation of the academy's network and server room, installation of roaming Wi-Fi and a surveillance system throughout the new campus, the set-up of two computer labs and all staff and resident computers, as well as several other assignments," said Marc Ranaldi, CIO of SecurityRI. SecurityRI's methodology for projects starts with a full diagnostic and strategic planning approach that involves the identification of all vulnerabilities that need to be addressed and monitored for safety. The process allows for proper planning and design and ensures protection of confidential data and credentials. All SecurityRI's clients' information is stored in encrypted, secure cloud based data bases, with roles and permissions strictly granted.

"When the decision was made to relocate the school, we were concerned on how we could keep the school functional during the process while maintaining and assuring the safety of our students," said Kelly Carello, assistant business manager at Overbrook Academy. "From initial evaluation, to the setup of our secure access control system, all computers, iPads and monitoring systems, the transition to our new location was flawless." SecurityRI's full audit of the academy's network design allowed them to properly architect the new network as well as setup and run a full parallel network before the move date providing a seamless transition with zero downtime during the transition.

"Evaluation of the new campus exposed the need for complete rewiring of the location to be network and camera installation ready and provide a quicker installation of the complete surveillance system once onsite," said Ranaldi. "The day of the move, our security officers assisted in the safe transport of servers and watched over all areas of the campus while proper installation of fire and safety monitoring was installed and tested. We are committed to designing custom security solutions that fits our customer's needs. With the integration of technology and superior security officer services, we were able to provide a complete security solution that gave Overbrook Academy's directive team peace of mind and allowed them to focus on their students and the school," Ranaldi concludes.

About SecurityRI

SecurityRI has been serving businesses in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for over 35 years. We are an organization of security professionals committed to serve and protect. We hold ourselves accountable to the principles of Integrity, Professionalism, Compassion and Teamwork. SecurityRI started as a small private investigation firm in 1981, and has grown into a multifaceted corporation offering a wide range of services from physical security, video surveillance solutions, network security, IT services and more. SecurityRI is privately-held and headquartered in North Providence, Rhode Island. To find out more, please visit www.securityri.com.

Contact:

Juli Dexter

SecurityRI.com

401.256.6115

[email protected]

SOURCE SecurityRI.com

Related Links

http://securityri.com


HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of State Pedro A. Cortes is a recipient of the 2017 Civic and Public Service Award by the Martin Luther King Jr. Salute to Greatness.

Secretary Cortes, who is in his second tenure as Secretary of State, received the award Saturday, January 14, at the Salute to Greatness Awards Dinner held in Flourtown, PA. The event was organized by the Trina Antoinette Adams Center for Keeping Children First, Inc. in partnership with the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, GA. The Salute to Greatness Award was started by Coretta Scott King as a means of maintaining the philosophies and teachings of Dr. King. The annual awards dinner is an opportunity to acknowledge those who epitomize and exemplify the hopes and the "Dream" of Dr. King.

"Secretary Cortes has faithfully worked to help make Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream a reality," said The Honorable Judge Doris Smith-Ribner, a 2016 Salute to Greatness Award recipient who nominated Secretary Cortes. "He actively works toward the betterment of maintaining MLK's beliefs, devotion and dedication by restoring hope through his vision for ensuring civic excellence and public service for all."

Secretary Cortes received his second appointment as Secretary of State from Governor Tom Wolf in 2015. He previously served in the post from 2003 to 2010. In his first tenure, Secretary Cortes was the first confirmed Latino Cabinet member in the Commonwealth and became the longest-serving Secretary of State in Pennsylvania history.

He was also the first Pennsylvanian to serve as President of the National Association of Secretaries of State in the Association's 104-year history.

Cortes began his commonwealth government career in 1993 as a caseworker with the Department of Public Welfare. Subsequently, he worked as a recruiter and attorney with the State Civil Service Commission and was the Executive Director of the Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs for two Pennsylvania governors. Prior to his most recent appointment as Secretary of State, Cortes was a partner with the law firm of Haggerty, Goldberg, Schleifer and Kupersmith.

The Secretary has been the recipient of numerous awards, including: Hispanic Business Magazine's 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the United States; Multicultural Affairs Congress' Delaware Valley's Most Influential Latino; Legal Intelligencer's Diverse Attorney of the Year; and The Pennsylvania State University Alumni Fellow.

Cortes earned a Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration from the University of Massachusetts, a Master of Public Administration from Penn State University, and a Juris Doctor from Penn State Dickinson School of Law.

The other recipients of the 2017 Salute to Greatness awards were: Harvey Bryant, M.D., Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service; Lois Schmidt, Lifetime Achievement Award for Equality; Dr. Richard C. Glazer, Esq., executive director of the PA Innocence Project, Salute to Greatness Freedom Award; Marissa Boyers Bluestine, legislative director of the PA Innocence Project, Salute to Greatness Legislative Reform Award; Nilam Sanghvi, staff attorney at the PA Innocence Project, Salute to Greatness Pro Bono Award; Hayes Hunt, Esq., partner at the law firm of Cozen O'Connor, Salute to Greatness Justice and Social Equality Award; and Tyrone Jones, Salute to Greatness Profile of Courage Award.

MEDIA CONTACT: Wanda Murren, 717.783.1621

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of State

Related Links

http://www.state.pa.us


ANNAPOLIS, Md. and GAITHERSBURG, Md., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PharmAthene, Inc. (NYSE MKT: PIP) and Altimmune, Inc., a privately-held immunotherapeutics company targeting infectious diseases, announced today the signing of a definitive agreement for the merger of PharmAthene and Altimmune in an all-stock transaction. Altimmune's current investors include Novartis Venture Fund, HealthCap, Truffle Capital and Redmont Capital. The combined company will be a fully-integrated and diversified immunotherapeutics company with four clinical stage and one preclinical stage programs. The proposed transaction does not affect PharmAthene's previously announced special one-time cash dividend of $2.91 per share of common stock.

"A merger with Altimmune is an ideal strategic match. It fulfills our stated goal of continuing to build value for PharmAthene shareholders after we distribute the SIGA litigation proceeds on February 3," commented John M. Gill, President and Chief Executive Officer of PharmAthene. "By combining forces, we will diversify our portfolio into attractive commercial product opportunities and leverage our capabilities for developing next generation anthrax vaccines."

Bill Enright, President and Chief Executive Officer of Altimmune, added, "The merger allows Altimmune to leverage PharmAthene's existing U.S. public company infrastructure, providing access to the capital markets, which is essential to the continued development of immunotherapeutics clinical programs including NasoVAX, NasoShield and HepTCell that leverage Altimmune's proprietary platform technologies."

Details of Proposed Merger

The merger has been unanimously approved by both Boards of Directors and is subject to the approval of PharmAthene and Altimmune shareholders, and other customary closing conditions. Under the terms of the merger, Altimmune will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of PharmAthene in an all-stock transaction. PharmAthene will issue shares of common stock to Altimmune shareholders such that Altimmune equity holders will own 58.2% of the fully-diluted equity of the combined company. The combined company, which will operate as a public company under the name Altimmune, is expected to trade on the NYSE MKT under the ticker symbol ALT.

Bill Enright, Chief Executive Officer of Altimmune, and Elizabeth Czerepak, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Corporate Development of Altimmune, will serve in their respective positions for the combined company. The new Board of Directors will be initially comprised of three PharmAthene directors and four Altimmune directors. The combined company's headquarters will be located in Gaithersburg, MD. At closing the combined company is expected to have approximately $20 million in cash and cash commitments.

Clinical Stage Product Pipeline

The combined company's clinical stage product candidates following the merger will include:

NasoVAX: an intranasal, single dose, state-of-the-art recombinant influenza vaccine that in preclinical studies demonstrated early universal activity. Phase 2 is expected to commence during mid-2017 with initial data expected in 4Q17.

an intranasal, single dose, state-of-the-art recombinant influenza vaccine that in preclinical studies demonstrated early universal activity. Phase 2 is expected to commence during mid-2017 with initial data expected in 4Q17. HepTcell: a first-in-class immunotherapeutics for chronic hepatitis B with the potential to offer a functional cure. Phase 1 is ongoing with data expected 4Q17.

a first-in-class immunotherapeutics for chronic hepatitis B with the potential to offer a functional cure. Phase 1 is ongoing with data expected 4Q17. SparVax-L: a next generation lyophilized anthrax vaccine (NIAID funded) that may be stored at room temperature and provides extended shelf life. A Phase 2 bridging study is anticipated to begin during the second half of 2017 with data anticipated during 2018.

a next generation lyophilized anthrax vaccine (NIAID funded) that may be stored at room temperature and provides extended shelf life. A Phase 2 bridging study is anticipated to begin during the second half of 2017 with data anticipated during 2018. NasoShield: an intranasal, single dose, first-in-class anthrax vaccine (BARDA funded) that based on preclinical studies may offer protection within a few weeks of administration. A Phase 1 trial is expected to begin during the second half of 2017 with data anticipated during the first half of 2018.

Preclinical Product Pipeline

In addition to the clinical stage product candidates, the combined company has one preclinical program, Oncosyn, driven by Altimmune's proprietary Densigen synthetic peptide technology investigating the utility of this platform in immuno-oncology indications.

Piper Jaffray & Co. has acted as an advisor on the transaction to Altimmune.

Important Additional Information about Proposed Merger

This communication is being made in respect of the proposed merger involving PharmAthene, Inc. and Altimmune, Inc. PharmAthene will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, a current report on Form 8-K, which will include the merger agreement and related documents. In addition, PharmAthene intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC, which will contain a joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials, and plans to file with the SEC other documents regarding the proposed transaction. The final joint proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to the stockholders of PharmAthene and Altimmune. The joint proxy statement/prospectus will contain information about PharmAthene, Altimmune, the proposed merger and related matters. STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS) AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING A DECISION ABOUT THE MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS. In addition to receiving the joint proxy statement/prospectus and proxy card by mail, stockholders will also be able to obtain the joint proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about PharmAthene, without charge, from the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov) or, without charge, by directing a written request to: PharmAthene, Inc., One Park Place, Suite 450, Annapolis, Maryland 21401, Attention: Investor Relations.

This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities in connection with the proposed merger shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Participants in Solicitation

PharmAthene and its executive officers and directors may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from PharmAthene's stockholders with respect to the matters relating to the proposed merger. Altimmune and its officers and directors may also be deemed a participant in such solicitation. Information regarding PharmAthene's executive officers and directors is available in PharmAthene's proxy statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 29, 2016. Information regarding any interest that PharmAthene, Altimmune or any of the executive officers or directors of PharmAthene or Altimmune may have in the transaction with Altimmune will be set forth in the joint proxy statement/prospectus that PharmAthene intends to file with the SEC in connection with its stockholder vote on matters relating to the proposed merger. Stockholders will be able to obtain this information by reading the joint proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes available.

About PharmAthene, Inc.

PharmAthene is engaged in the development of a next generation anthrax vaccine that is intended to improve protection and safety while having favorable dosage and storage requirements compared to other anthrax vaccines.

About Altimmune, Inc.

Altimmune is a clinical stage immunotherapeutics company focused on the development of products to stimulate robust and durable immune responses for the prevention and treatment of disease. The company has two proprietary platform technologies, RespirVec and Densigen, each of which has been shown to activate the immune system in distinctly different ways than traditional vaccines.

PharmAthene Forward-Looking Statement Disclosure

Any statements made in this press release relating to future financial or business performance, conditions, plans, prospects, trends, or strategies and other financial and business matters, including without limitation, the potential closing date of the transaction, the amount of PharmAthene's net cash at closing, the prospects for commercializing or selling any products or drug candidates, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, when or if used in this press release, the words "may," "could," "should," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "predict" and similar expressions and their variants, as they relate to PharmAthene, Altimmune or the management of either company, before or after the aforementioned merger, may identify forward-looking statements. PharmAthene and Altimmune caution that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, which change over time. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or historical experience include risks and uncertainties, including the failure by PharmAthene or Altimmune to secure and maintain relationships with collaborators; risks relating to clinical trials; risks relating to the commercialization, if any, of PharmAthene's or Altimmune's proposed product candidates (such as marketing, regulatory, product liability, supply, competition, and other risks); dependence on the efforts of third parties; dependence on intellectual property; and risks that PharmAthene or Altimmune may lack the financial resources and access to capital to fund proposed operations. Further information on the factors and risks that could affect PharmAthene's business, financial conditions and results of operations are contained in PharmAthene's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.sec.gov.

Other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in PharmAthene's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 filed with the SEC, and in other filings that PharmAthene makes and will make with the SEC in connection with the proposed transactions, including the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus described above under "Important Additional Information about Proposed Merger." Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The statements made herein speak only as of the date stated herein, and subsequent events and developments may cause our expectations and beliefs to change. While we may elect to update these forward-looking statements publicly at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date after the date stated herein.

SOURCE PharmAthene, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.pharmathene.com


The move comes just three months after Congress passed a bill allowing VA to offer these services. WWP led a coalition of partners to advocate on Capitol Hill to keep our nation's promise of providing care that matches the sacrifices of our wounded warriors. Partners and veterans service organizations including WWP, Disabled Veterans of America  , Bob Woodruff Foundation, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and others were part of the group. Campaign efforts included letters to members of Congress, an online petition, thousands of emails to lawmakers, and social media posts to raise public awareness. WWP brought several families on multiple trips to Washington, D.C. to personally share their stories with members of Congress and their staffs.

"It shouldn't take an act of Congress for veterans to start a family," Christy Lynch said during one of those trips. Her husband, Jeff, suffered a traumatic brain injury following explosions during two deployments in Iraq.

In addition to fertility treatment already offered, VA will provide coverage for assisted reproductive technologies including in vitro fertilization (IVF) to veterans who lost the ability to procreate because of a service-connected injury. They will also provide the treatment to spouses of veterans with those injuries. The new benefit through VA will essentially match what has been available to active-duty service members through the Department of Defense.

Veterans interested in receiving fertility treatment should contact their local VA for more information about scheduling an appointment. Those with injuries not already service-connected can contact WWP for information about filing a claim and gaining access to the new benefit.

WWP takes advocating on behalf of veterans seriously. WWP efforts have led to warriors and their caregivers gaining more than $2.5 billion in benefits. Learn more about policy efforts at https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs/policy-government-affairs.

About Wounded Warrior Project

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) connects, serves, and empowers wounded warriors. Read more at http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/about-us.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project

Related Links

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org


DAYTON, Ohio, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Reynolds and Reynolds Company today announced the release of the Reynolds LAW Vermont F&I Library, a comprehensive catalog of standardized, legally reviewed finance and insurance (F&I) documents for new car and truck dealers in the state of Vermont.

"We are pleased to announce the new LAW Vermont F&I Library," said Jerry Kirwan, senior vice president and general manager of Reynolds Document Services. "Regulatory scrutiny is an ongoing pressure on automotive retailers, and the LAW Vermont F&I Library is a tool designed to help dealers meet compliance obligations and manage risk."

Reynolds' industry-leading forms specialists alongside Reynolds' outside legal partners regularly review the documents in the library for legal sufficiency with the latest automotive regulations.

Kirwan noted that because the documents in the library are written in consumer-friendly language, they can help dealers to establish a clearer, more efficient F&I process. A more efficient F&I process can help lead to a better overall customer experience with the dealership.

The printed documents in the LAW Vermont F&I Library are also available in digital format, which can help facilitate the conversion to laser-printed transactions and e-contracting. Reynolds Document Services maintains licensing agreements with all major providers of electronic F&I (e-F&I) solutions.

About Reynolds LAW Brand Documents

Reynolds' LAW brand is well established as one of the most trusted brands in the automotive industry. LAW documents are available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and have been endorsed by a number of state automobile dealers associations and leading automotive finance institutions.

The flagship product of the LAW brand is the Reynolds LAW 553 Universal Retail Installment Sale Contract, the most widely accepted document in auto finance. The Reynolds LAW 553 is regularly reviewed by industry experts to help keep pace with new legislative and regulatory developments.

Reynolds and Reynolds was founded in 1866 as a business forms printer. Since the 1920s, Reynolds has been known as the leader in serving automobile dealerships nationwide with standard and custom business and vehicle sales and service documents to help dealers manage their operations more efficiently and serve their customers more effectively.

About Reynolds

Reynolds and Reynolds is a leading provider of automobile dealership software, services, and forms to help dealerships deliver better business results and transform the customer experience. The company is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with major operations in Houston and College Station, Texas, and Celina, Ohio.

(www.reyrey.com)

SOURCE The Reynolds and Reynolds Company

Related Links

http://www.reyrey.com


MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE symbol: RHI) today announced it expects to release fourth-quarter 2016 earnings results on Thursday, January 26, at approximately 4:15 p.m. EST. Robert Half management will conduct a conference call at 5 p.m. EST on January 26, following the release. The dial-in number is 877-814-0475 (+1-706-643-9224 outside the United States). It is recommended that participants dial in five minutes before the call begins. The password to access the call is "Robert Half." A taped recording of this call will be available for replay beginning at approximately 8 p.m. EST on January 26 and ending at 11:59 p.m. EST on February 26. The dial-in number for the replay is 855-859-2056 (+1-404-537-3406 outside the United States). To access the replay, enter conference ID# 48653573. The conference call also will be archived in audio format on the company's website at www.roberthalf.com.

Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm and a recognized leader in professional consulting and staffing services. The company's specialized staffing divisions include Accountemps, Robert Half Finance & Accounting and Robert Half Management Resources, for temporary, full-time and senior-level project professionals, respectively, in the fields of accounting and finance; OfficeTeam, for highly skilled administrative support professionals; Robert Half Technology, for project and full-time technology professionals; Robert Half Legal, for project and full-time staffing of lawyers, paralegals and legal support personnel; and The Creative Group, for interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals. Robert Half also is the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm that helps companies solve problems in finance, technology, operations, governance, risk and internal audit.

Robert Half has staffing and consulting operations in more than 400 locations worldwide.

SOURCE Robert Half

Related Links

http://www.roberthalf.com


CHICAGO, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryerson Holding Corporation (NYSE: RYI), a leading distributor and value-added processor of industrial metals, announced today that it acquired The Laserflex Corporation (Laserflex), a privately-owned metal fabricator with locations in Columbus, Ohio and Wellford, South Carolina. Laserflex specializes in laser fabrication metal processing and welding and further enhances Ryerson's existing fabrication and metals processing capabilities. Laserflex employs more than 100 employees at its two locations and has annual revenue of approximately $25 million.

"As Ryerson approaches its 175th year in business as an industry leader and iconic industrial brand, we are delighted to welcome Laserflex to our company. Laserflex and Ryerson share a passion for creating great customer experiences in the advanced fabrication of metal parts for a wide variety of original equipment manufacturers. Laserflex is an integral fit to our strategy focused around speed, scale, value-add, culture and analytics," said Eddie Lehner, Ryerson's President and Chief Executive Officer.

Added Kevin Richardson, Ryerson's President, South-East Region, "The Laserflex management team has built an excellent company over the past 20 years, and we have worked closely with them as both a customer and a supplier of value-added services."

Ken Kinkopf, President and Chief Executive Officer of Laserflex, stated, "Our Laserflex team is excited to join Ryerson and we look forward to growing and expanding our laser processing and other precision metal fabrication services throughout Ryerson's expansive commercial network."

About Ryerson

Ryerson is a leading distributor and value-added processor of industrial metals, with operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and China. Founded in 1842, Ryerson employs around 3,500 employees in approximately 100 locations. Visit Ryerson at www.ryerson.com.

SOURCE Ryerson Holding Corporation

Related Links

https://www.ryerson.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Safanad Limited ("Safanad"), a global principal investment firm, is pleased to announce it has acquired its second data center operation in partnership with Industry Capital.

Responding to increasing demand for critical data center capacity in key geographic locations, CentralColo Holdings ("CentralColo") announced that it has acquired through an affiliated venture the 280,000-square foot Tysons Technology Center in Vienna, Virginia and CentralColo will be the operator. The project is strategically located just off the Washington DC beltway, equidistant from downtown Washington DC and Ashburn Virginia, within the Tysons Corner market, which constitutes the largest office submarket in the greater Washington DC metro area and is the twelfth largest employment center in the country. The property consists of a 200,000-square foot Tier 3 data center and an 80,000-square foot office building and campus on 14.5 acres.

Today, the connectivity-rich data center features 9 megawatts of capacity for anchor enterprise customers that include some of the world's largest hyper scale cloud and network providers, as well as government organizations. Total occupancy of the project exceeds 75% and CentralColo plans to add an additional 4 megawatts over the next twelve to eighteen months. CentralColo has already introduced the first new customer to the data center, Atlantic Metro/InfoRelay, a leading cloud, network, managed services, and managed hosting provider.

In addition to the proximity of the project to Ashburn which affords the occupants tremendously low latency and multiple connectivity options, the site has the added advantage of having a multitude of backbone network connections which are diverse to the Ashburn network. The data center is currently connected with 14 premiere telecommunication and fiber carriers with others expressing interest in establishing a presence in the facility based on CentralColo's plans for additional enterprise, government and service provider customers coming online.

CentralColo is an operator of data centers offering both hybrid IT and colocation services to a global client base. In August 2016, Safanad and San Francisco based investment firm, Industry Capital, announced a partnership to invest in CentralColo. CentralColo's first facility is in the heart of Silicon Valley, providing hosting and connectivity services to a broad array of customers. CentralColo is positioned to address the needs of both mission critical IT loads, cloud services/solutions and high density compute requirements such as data analytics, research and development, testing, warehousing, and staging platforms.

"The Tysons Technology Campus with its highly desirable location within the Northern Virginia market now gives us the perfect East Coast asset to complement our first project in the Silicon Valley," said Ken Parent, Chief Executive Officer of CentralColo. "These two assets provide the company with a strong platform for growth as we look to continue to expand in additional markets and support our customers with a variety of connectivity and hosting services supporting hybrid IT solutions."

Craig Kahler, Director of Private Equity at Safanad, added, "We are thrilled with this strategic acquisition as it positions CentralColo as a premier data center operator and further strengthens our partnership with Ken and the CentralColo team."

For Safanad Media Enquiries: [email protected] / +971 4 312 9700

About Safanad

Safanad is a global principal investment firm that invests in real estate, private equity and public markets. As principal investors, Safanad preserves and grows wealth through a disciplined industry focused investment approach that builds relationships with exceptional management partners and top industry leaders. With offices in New York, Dubai and London, the firm seeks to identify global investment opportunities poised to deliver consistently attractive returns, where the firm's capital and investment expertise support value creation. For more information, visit www.safanad.com

About Industry Capital

Industry Capital is a private equity firm investing in real assets globally. Industry Capital and its affiliated entities maintain top-tier track records across investment platforms. In addition to its real asset platforms, Industry Capital owns an interest in wealth management firm, Osborne Partners Capital Management, that manages portfolios on behalf of high-net-worth individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.industrycapital.com

About CentralColo

CentralColo owns and operates regulated data centers and provides IT services for hybrid IT solutions. This includes fiber connectivity, high power and efficient cooling, colocation services, and metered power down to a single circuit. CentralColo's first facility is a large carrier neutral, network dense and cross connect friendly Tier III data and compute center with over 8 MW of IT load in the heart of Silicon Valley. The Company is expanding nationally and recently announced the acquisition of a 200,000 square foot data center in Northern Virginia. For more information, visit www.centralcolo.com.

SOURCE Safanad Limited
ALEXANDRIA, Pa., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Kathy Manderino continued the 'Jobs That Pay' tour at ACCO Brands (ACCO) in Alexandria today. After the manufacturing tour concluded, she participated in a local business roundtable discussion, followed by a tour at PA CareerLink Huntingdon.

"ACCO's state-of the-art facility showcased what the future of manufacturing looks like in Pennsylvania," said Sec. Manderino. "The company works closely with PA CareerLink Huntingdon to create a pipeline of qualified, highly-skilled employees to meet future manufacturing needs and provide good paying jobs for local residents. This type of public-private partnership is a win-win for the community."

ACCO Brands manufacturers and distributes office and consumer products including notebooks, tablets, filler paper, index cards and envelopes. Sec. Manderino's tour highlighted the production line of Five Star notebook products.

Following the tour, Sec. Manderino participated in a business roundtable discussion featuring representatives from Containment Solutions, Huntingdon Fiberglass, L&I's Altoona Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce, Huntingdon County Business and Industry, PA CareerLink Huntingdon, and the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Development Board.

"I often refer to the JTP tour as a 'listening tour,'" said Sec. Manderino. "Today's meeting provided an invaluable opportunity to hear directly from local businesses, economic development professionals and stakeholders about what the future workforce development needs are in this region."

Following the roundtable, Sec. Manderino visited PA CareerLink Huntingdon, to learn more about the services it offers to job seekers and employers in the county.

PA CareerLinks are a proactive advisor for employers and candidates of nearly any industry, experience, or background. PA CareerLinks work to match employers with qualified and skilled candidates, provides labor market insight, and help prepare job seekers to meet the needs of a competitive employment landscape.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sara Goulet, 717-787-7530

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

Related Links

http://www.state.pa.us


Hyderabad, Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

The report, "Nanotechnology Market By Type (Nanocomposites, Nanofibers, Nanoceramics, Nanomagnetics); By Application (Medical diagnosis, Energy, ICT, Nano-EHS); By End-Users (Electronics, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Textile, Military) - Forecast (2016-2021)", published by IndustryARC, the global nanotechnology market revenue is forecast to grow at 16.9% CAGR to reach $12.83 Billion by 2021.

Browse 18 Market Tables, 66 Figures spread through 179 Pages and an in-depth TOC on "Nanotechnology Market (2016 - 2021)"

http://industryarc.com/Report/15022/nanotechnology-market.html

Nanotechnology has the potential to solve problems related to human civilizations, pertaining to both basic needs and aspirations for a comfortable life. Even though nanotechnology involves the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular and supramolecular scale, the particular technological goal is of precisely manipulating atoms and molecules for fabrication of macro scale products, also now referred to as molecular nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is evolving towards becoming a general-purpose technology by 2020, encompassing four generations of products with increasing structural and dynamic complexity:

Passive nanostructures



Active nanostructures



Nano systems



Molecular Nano systems



Opportunities for Nanotechnology Commercialization:

Huge expectation from the society: By knowing the advantages and benefits of nanotechnology, people are waiting for the breakthrough of nanotechnology products in all areas of the consumer requirements in the society.

Opportunity for new innovative product development: Based on substantial advantages and hence expected huge demand for nanotech products, there are infinite opportunities for new product development in different areas of the society.

Opportunity for both small business and mega business players based on their investment capacity: Since nanotechnology products vary from simple cosmetic product to screen infrared rays from skin to artificial food products to self-generating molecular motors, depending on the interest and capability of firm, it can focus on a particular type of product so that both small and financially strong business firms have opportunity in nanotechnology product development and marketing.

Opportunity for new product development for entrepreneurs in their existing field itself so that they can use their experience: Being general purpose technology, nanotechnology provides scope for existing firms to upgrade their products/services. Hence, the existing entrepreneurs can plan to improve their products by improving them using nanotechnology features for improved performance.

The new discoveries and innovations get patent protection to commercialize their inventions, so that the investment of the firms will not be wasted due to their right to get patent protection for their inventions. The new technology gives an opportunity to explore new business and sustainable earnings through the use of systematic commercialization process.

Request Sample PDF Brochure @ http://www.industryarc.com/pdfdownload.php?id=15022

Challenges for Nanotechnology Commercialization

New inventions based on new technology, usually attract attention due to their ingenuity, but a product must also be useful and compelling, enabling it to be used in everyday life. The objective of the firm is to identify a market for its new products. From a business perspective, the steps to be followed for the successful commercialization of a nanotechnology based product include market size, market potential, and the economic scenario of the countries and the people who use such products. Common challenges faced by nanotechnology firms are:

Time Lag: The average time delay between research, completion, and commercialization of a nanotechnology product can lie between three to five years. The banks and other financial funding agencies, find this time lag to be a major detriment due to the fact of the block of their capital.

Valley of Death: This is the gap between a positive scientific result of a researcher and obtaining supporting funds for commercialization and prototyping of the product. Since the cost of commercialization is very high compared to the invention cost of the product, usually, the scientist who invented the product may not have the interest in commercialization, but the firms invested for such research have to spend to en-cash its business opportunity.

Lack of infrastructure: Nanotechnology product based research is expensive and requires costly instruments. The lack of infrastructure retards the progress of new product invention.

Lack of standard for evaluation: A major obstacle for developing Nano-products is the lack of standards for evaluation of performance at different stages of research. Because of this, normalizing standards by which nanotechnologies can be evaluated are lacking which affects the patenting process.

Bureaucratic delays: Patent policies take up to thirty-six months to respond to a single application, a serious problem when even a slight delay can be detrimental. Due to lack of a coherent policy on technology transfer from universities to start-up businesses and a considerable red tape must be dealt with for any such transfer using black ocean strategy.

Dearth of funding: Since the research in nanotechnology is capital intensive due to the state-of-the-art instruments requirement, firms face challenges in obtaining funding. Thus, commercialization of nanotechnology products requires huge investments which small to medium firms cannot secure easily.

Lack of trained professionals: The lack of sufficiently trained scientists, engineers, technicians, and researchers in the field is another barrier. This is mostly due to lack of addition of Nano science and technology in the engineering and science syllabus.

Sustainability in the market: The final challenge for the firms is maintaining the sustainability for the commercialized product or service for longer time to get the return on investment and expected profits through planning and executing proper marketing strategies.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have recently emerged as one of the most important classes of nano materials having enormous potential to spark off the next industrial revolution. CNTs' unique and extraordinary properties such as extremely high electrical and thermal conductivities make it an ideal candidate for electronic devices. This product falls under the Nano composites market segment, which is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 16.6% during the forecast period between 2016 and 2021.

Europe accounted for 33% market share in global nanotechnology market revenue in 2015 after Americas region and is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 15.6% to reach $3.98 billion by 2021. APAC region is projected to grow at a rate of 20.9% CAGR during the forecast period 2016-2021. On aggregate, the global nanotechnology market revenue is forecast to grow at 16.9% CAGR to reach $12.83 billion by 2021.

Nano composites dominate the market with a share of 65% and generating revenues of $2.92 billion in 2015. It is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 16.6% to reach $8.17 billion by 2021, which is mainly attributed to the growing demand from the end user segments. Increasing emphasis on renewable and sustainable energy sector with the use of low cost materials fuels the growth of nanotechnology market in the energy and environment sectors. Growing demand for efficient and cost-effective healthcare treatment and diagnostics is yet another driver which propels the adoption of Nano-materials in drug delivery and medical devices sector

The major areas of nanotechnology research include nanoscale science, development of nanoscale materials as well as modeling of nanoscale devices, materials and interactions. Potential nanotech markets tend to arise from the telecom and information technology industries. Moreover, research activities in the electronics and semiconductor industry as well as pharmaceuticals industry will also account for a significant market share of the global nanotechnology market in the upcoming years. Sizeable investments in the nanotechnology companies would foster the development of new products and processes.

Following are few key players profiled in this report as part of the market landscape analysis:

Applied Sciences Inc.



Asahi Kasei Corporation



I. du Pont de Nemours and Company



Catalytic Materials LLC



Donaldson Company, Inc.



US Research Nanomaterials, Inc.



Ablynx NV Nanophase Technologies Corporation, Acusphere Inc., Altair Nanotechnologies Inc., Carbon Nanotechnologies Inc., Evident Thermoelectrics, Glonatech S.A., Isotron Corporation, Luna Innovations Incorporated, Molecular Manufacturing Enterprises Incorporated, Moore Nanotechnology Systems,LLC, Nanometrics Inc., Nanophase Technologies Corporation, Nanoscale Corporation, Nanosys Inc., Nanoworld AG Oxford Instruments PLC, Particular GmbH, PEN Inc., SouthWest Nano Technologies Inc., Unidym Inc., Zyvex Technologies Corporation NanoInk,Inc & many more.

The market has also been analyzed for four geographic regions which include North America, APAC, Europe and Rest of the World.

Inquiry before buying report @ http://www.industryarc.com/inquiry-before-buying.php?id=15022

Why buy this report?

Get a detailed picture of the Nano-technology market.



Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change.



Understand the competitive environment, the market's major players and leading brands.



A five-year forecast method is used in order to assess how the market is predicted to develop.



Browse Related Reports:



Nanowire Battery Market: By Applications (Energy Generation, Consumer Products, Controllers and others); By Nanowire Type (Metallic, Semiconducting, Insulating, Molecular); By Region - Forecast (2015-2020)

http://industryarc.com/Report/15094/nanowire-battery-market.html

Nanocellulose Market: By Type (Cellulose Nanocrystals, Cellulose Nanofibrils, Bacterial Cellulose); By Applications (Paperboard And Plastics, Food Packaging, Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, Paints, Coatings, Water-treatment, Others)-Forecast (2015 - 2020)

http://industryarc.com/Report/11681/nanocellulose-market-analysis.html



About IndustryARC:

IndustryARC is a research and consulting firm that publishes more than 500 reports annually in various industries, such as Aerospace & Defense, Agriculture, Automotive, Automation & Instrumentation, Chemicals and Materials, Energy and Power, Electronics, Food & Beverages, Information Technology, Life sciences & Healthcare.

IndustryARC primarily focuses on Cutting Edge Technologies and Newer Applications of the Market. Our Custom Research Services are designed to provide insights on the constant flux in the global demand-supply gap of markets. Our strong analyst team enables us to meet the client research needs at a very quick speed with a variety of options for your business.

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IndustryARC at #GWF2017 - http://industryarc.com/Article/7697/iarc-ceo-speaking-at-geospatial-world-forum-2017.html
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven-time Olympic medalist Shannon Miller will provide the keynote address at Meetings Quest in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hosted by Meet AC and presented by Association News, Meetings Quest is the nation's longest-running series of educational and networking events for association, corporate, government and religious meeting planners and will be held March 1415 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa.

Miller remains the most decorated Olympic gymnast in American history. She is the only American to rank among the top 10 all-time gymnasts and is the only female athlete to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame twice. She has won 59 international and 49 national competition medals, more than half of them gold. At Meetings Quest, Miller will discuss how the gold-medal mindset leads to victory, whether at the Olympic Games, in an exhibition hall or in a boardroom. Through her Olympic and personal experiences, Miller explains ways to overcome even the most difficult obstacles. She relied on these insights in her fight against ovarian cancer. The lessons she learned are designed to help meeting planners with their day-to-day challenges so that they can understand the steps it takes to be a successful leader in both work and life.

"It is an honor to feature Shannon Miller at Meetings Quest in Atlantic City," said Timothy Schneider, president and CEO of Schneider Publishing, which publishes Association News and organizes Meetings Quest. "Shannon's incredible professional and personal achievements are sure to serve as an inspiration to attendees and guide them on their own path to success."

Miller's accomplishments go beyond being a decorated athlete. After retiring from Olympic competition, Miller received her undergraduate degrees in marketing and entrepreneurship from the University of Houston and her law degree from Boston College. She launched her company, Shannon Miller Lifestyle: Health and Fitness for Women, which encourages women to make their health a priority through programs, education and awareness. Miller is also the author of "It's Not About Perfect: Competing For My Country and Fighting For My Life."

For additional information, visit MeetingsQuest.com or call (877) 577-3700. Click here to read more.

Tweet: Seven-time Olympic Medalist Shannon Miller to Deliver Keynote Address at @MeetingsQuest @Meet_AC @ShannonMiller96 bit.ly/2iJE2ik

Media Contact:

Ann Shepphird

(310) 577-3700

SOURCE Meetings Quest

Related Links

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INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Shepherd Community Center has received a grant of $7.5 million as part of Lilly Endowment Inc.'s commitment to helping human service organizations that strive to improve the lives of low-income individuals and families and strengthen their communities in Indianapolis and throughout the state.

Shepherd will use Lilly Endowment's generous grant to increase their capacity through facility improvements including the expansion of their farm services and the creation of an energy efficient kitchen and facilities. Shepherd will also be able to focus its fundraising efforts toward program needs thanks to Lilly Endowment's support of facility costs and management, helping to create increased opportunity for Shepherd staff to engage new donors and federal grant makers.

Shepherd Community Center CEO, Jay Height said, "This grant is truly transformational, as it insures our ability to help families break the cycle of poverty for coming decades. It is built upon the sacrificial giving of more than 2500 givers who for more than 31 years has invested in the lives of those we serve in the near-eastside of Indianapolis. Much has been accomplished and this gift ensures more in the days and years ahead."

Lilly Endowment is making a total of $100 million in grants to 15 organizations through this initiative to help them enhance their long-term impact by building stronger financial futures. Many of the organizations will use their grants to establish endowments or fortify an existing endowment so they can have more flexibility and greater capacity to work strategically. These grants complement Lilly Endowment's regular support for human service organizations, including grants to the United Way of Central Indiana.

The organizations provide a variety of services to help low-income individuals and families. Ten of the grants are supporting community/neighborhood centers. Five of the grants will help organizations that frequently collaborate with community centers, providing counseling and other mental health services; food programs; daytime services to homeless individuals and families; and education, employment and health services.

"The grants offer transformative opportunities for the organizations to secure strong financial futures," said Ace Yakey, Lilly Endowment's vice president for community development. "Unlike support for day-to-day operations, these funds will help each organization strengthen its financial infrastructure so it can serve more people over the long-term and weather unexpected financial challenges. These grants do not alleviate the need for the organizations to attract ongoing support for their efforts. Indeed, we hope the grants will help them more effectively attract support for their important work."

Lilly Endowment selected Shepherd Community Center and the others in the initiative because they are critical to community efforts to serve at-risk residents in their neighborhoods. By doing so they help build social capital, which is critical for addressing the range of challenges neighborhoods face.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family - J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli - through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. The Endowment is primarily committed to the causes of community development, education and religion and has a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and its home state, Indiana.

Contact:

Jay Height

[email protected]

317-375-0203

Related Files

FAQHUMANSERVICES.docx

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Shepard Community Center
LONDON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Summary

The Australian market for tobacco products is in long-term decline due to strong anti-tobacco laws, high taxes, and low smoking rates among consumers. However, as of 2015, smoking tobacco accounted for 10.9% of all tobacco consumption, up from 6.5% in 2005, indicating a consumer shift away from manufactured cigarettes to slightly cheaper alternatives, such as smoking tobacco. Nevertheless, the highly regulated nature of the Australian tobacco market will limit the abilities of smoking tobacco brands to capitlize on their growing popularity in the longer term. This category is dominated by two major tobacco companies, BAT and Imperial Tobacco, which utilize local production and imports to maintain the smoking tobacco market in the country.



Key Findings

- Smoking tobacco accounted for 10.9% of the tobacco market in 2015.

- Smoking tobacco consumption is forecast to grow to 2,050 tons in 2016 compared to 1,597 tons in 2004.

- Imperial Tobacco dominates the market with a 61.5% volume share, as of 2015.

- Per capita smoking tobacco consumption is forecast to decline from 88.4g a year in 2015 to 73.4g in 2025.



Synopsis

Smoking Tobacco in Australia is an analytical report that provides extensive and highly detailed current and future market trends in the Australian tobacco market. It covers market size and structure along with per capita and overall consumption. Additionally, it focuses on brand data, retail pricing, prospects, and forecasts for sales and consumption until 2025.



Reasons To Buy

Get a detailed understanding of consumption to align your sales and marketing efforts with the latest trends in the market. Identify the areas of growth and opportunities, which will aid effective marketing planning. The differing growth rates in regional product sales drive fundamental shifts in the market. This report provides detailed, authoritative data on these changes - prime intelligence for marketers. Understand the market dynamics and essential data to benchmark your position and to identify where to compete in the future.





Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3382260/



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

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LONDON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This research study analyzes the market for solvent-based inks in terms of revenue (US$ Mn) and volume (kilo tons). The solvent-based inks market has been segmented on the basis of product, printing type, end use applications, and geography. The report features a detailed regional segmentation with market growth forecasts for the 2016?2024 period. For the research, 2015 has been considered as the base year and 2016 the estimated year, while all forecasts have been given for the period from 2016 to 2024. Market data for all the segments has been provided at the regional and country-specific levels from 2016 to 2024. The report provides a broad competitive analysis of companies engaged in the development of solvent-based inks technologies for the solvent-based inks business. The report also includes key market dynamics such as the drivers, restraints, and opportunities affecting the global solvent-based inks market. These market dynamics are analyzed in detail and are illustrated in the report with the help of supporting graphs and tables. The report also provides a comprehensive analysis of the market with the help of the Porter's Five Forces Analysis model, which helps in understanding the five major forces that affect the structure and profitability of the global solvent-based inks market. The forces analyzed are the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes, and the degree of competition.

The high-level analysis in the report provides detailed insights into the solvent-based inks business globally. There are currently several drivers for the market. The most prominent drivers include rapid growth in the packaging industry along with growth in the digital printing industry. Market attractiveness analysis was carried out for the solvent-based inks market on the basis of product type, printing type, application, region, and country. Market attractiveness was estimated on the basis of common parameters that directly impact the market.

On the basis of printing type, the market has been segmented into lithographic, gravure, flexographic, screen-printing, letterpress, and digital. On the basis of product type, the market has been segmented into vinyl inks, vinyl-acrylic inks, epoxy inks, polyurethanic inks, and cellulose inks. By application, the solvent-based inks market has been segmented by various end-use applications, including packaging, advertising, tags & labels, books & catalog, office stationery, magazines, newspaper, and other applications.

In terms of geography, the market has been segmented into five regions: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. China is expected to remain the dominant market for solvent-based inks, with demand reaching 275.7 kilo tons by 2024. A zero tax agreement between ASEAN and China has created a stable position for ASEAN, which is expected to expand at a CAGR of 3.2% between 2016 and 2024.

India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Favorable government regulations and emergence of medium and small enterprises in India have contributed significantly to the solvent-based inks market.

Key players in the solvent-based inks market are Tokyo Printing Ink Mfg. Co. Ltd., Dainichiseika Color & Chemicals Mfg. Co., Ltd., Sun Chemical Corporation, Flint Group, Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd., Lawter Inc. , Yansefu Inks and Coatings Pvt. Ltd., Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA, Sakata INX Corporation, Huber Group, Zeller+Gmelin GmbH & Co. KG, ALTANA AG, Wikoff Color Corporation, SICPA Holding SA, Fujifilm Sericol India Private Limited, Royal Dutch Printing Ink Factories Van Son and T&K Toka Co., Ltd. The report provides an overview of these companies, followed by their financial details, business strategies, and recent developments.

Solvent-based Inks Market: By Printing Type

Lithographic

Gravure

Flexographic

Screen-printing

Letterpress

Digital

Solvent-based Inks Market: By Product Type

Vinyl Inks

Vinyl-Acrylic Inks

Epoxy Inks

Polyurethanic Inks

Cellulose Inks

Solvent-based Inks Market: By Application

Packaging

Books & Catalogue

Advertising

Tags & Labels

Office Stationery

Magazines

Newspaper

Others

Solvent-based Inks Market: By Region

North America

The U.S.

Canada

Europe

The U.K.

France

Germany

Spain

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

ASEAN

Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

GCC

Egypt

South Africa

Rest of Middle East and Africa

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4239935/



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

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SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sovereign Health, a national behavioral health system, is set to launch an open house event to commemorate the opening of its new El Paso treatment facility. The event will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 7, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. MST at the Sovereign Health Treatment Center located at 415 East Yandell Drive, El Paso, Texas 79902. The open house will feature a luncheon and a raffle, as well as a tour of the El Paso facility. To RSVP, email Jeanette Lisalda or call 949-202-2332 ext. 1218.

"At Sovereign Health of El Paso, we provide comprehensive dual diagnosis treatment to patients in need," said Jessica Acker, LPC-S, LMFT, program director at Sovereign Health of El Paso. "We're proud to open our doors to the El Paso community for this special event and give attendees the opportunity to learn more about the treatment and services we provide. We look forward to meeting fellow members of the behavioral health community and attendees looking to get more information about the full spectrum of care we give to our patients."

Sovereign Health's Chief Clinical Officer, Anthony Mele, Psy.D., will be available during the event to meet with members of the El Paso behavioral health treatment community. In addition, the Texas facility's clinical leadership will also be in attendance, including Ms. Acker andNatalie K. Bellman-Seeskin, Ph.D., site training director for the El Paso facility.

Sovereign Health of El Paso specializes in behavioral health treatment for adults dealing with mental health and substance use disorders. The treatment facility offers a full spectrum of levels of care, including detoxification, intensive residential treatment and an intensive outpatient program. Sovereign Health of El Paso offers treatment for both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking patients. Individual, couples and family therapy, as well as personalized treatment plans are available for the best approach possible to meet each patient's needs.

About Sovereign Health

One factor that differentiates Sovereign Health from other treatment providers has been its ability to offer separate mental health and addiction/dual diagnosis treatment programs at its facilities. Sovereign Health provides treatment for mental health disorders including trauma, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as treatment for cognitive deficits and eating disorders. Sovereign's patient population includes adults and adolescents. In addition, Sovereign Health proudly serves active U.S. military personnel and returning war veterans. For more information, visit www.sovhealth.com.

SOURCE Sovereign Health

Related Links

https://www.sovhealth.com


"We are pleased to welcome Doug and Daniel to our management team, as both will be highly effective contributors to our ongoing scientific and business development efforts," said Reenie McCarthy, Stealth's Chief Executive Officer. "We also look forward to Jim's elevated role in clinical development strategy, where he will continue to support our ongoing efforts of bringing mitochondrial therapies to patients. We have confidence that their combined experience will help us manage our pipeline in both rare and common diseases and navigate important milestones in the year ahead."

Dr. Weaver has more than 30 years of experience in both academic and industry settings, including an extensive background in the design and operation of multi-center clinical trials of new therapeutics for cardiovascular disease. He has served as a past president of the American College of Cardiology, as a healthcare consultant for Navigant Consulting, Inc. and as Vice President and System Medical Director of Cardiovascular Services for Henry Ford Health System. He received his M.D. from Tufts University School of Medicine.

Mr. Geffken brings more than 20 years of experience in the life science industry to Stealth. Previously, Mr. Geffken served as Chief Operating Officer of Seaside Therapeutics, Inc. and as the Chief Operating Officer or Chief Financial Officer of several publicly traded and privately held life science companies. He is Founding Managing Director of Danforth Advisors, LLC. Mr. Geffken received his M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.

Dr. Carr has been with Stealth since 2014 as Vice President of Clinical Development. He has 20 years of industry experience in the areas of clinical development, medical affairs, lifecycle management, new product planning and global marketing. Previously, he served as Executive Director in the Global Cardiovascular Franchise at GlaxoSmithKline and a clinical faculty member at the University at Buffalo-SUNY School of Pharmacy. He received a Pharm.D. from the University of Minnesota.

About Stealth BioTherapeutics

We are a privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of therapeutics for diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction. Our lead product candidate, elamipretide, has shown activity in improving mitochondrial function in both preclinical and clinical studies. We are investigating elamipretide in three primary mitochondrial diseases  mitochondrial myopathy, Barth syndrome and Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy  as well as in heart failure, Fuchs' corneal dystrophy and dry age-related macular degeneration. We are developing our second product candidate, SBT-20, for central nervous system disorders. Our mission is to be the leader in mitochondrial medicine. To learn more information about us and our pipeline, visit www.stealthbt.com.

Media Relations

dna Communications

Kate Contreras, 617-520-7088

[email protected]



Investor Relations

Stern IR

Beth DelGiacco, 212-362-1200

[email protected]

SOURCE Stealth BioTherapeutics

Related Links

http://www.stealthbt.com


An authority on comparative constitutional law, Choudhry wrote the introductory chapter and co-edited the constitutional law series with fellow law professor Tom Ginsburg of the University of Chicago Law School.

"Constitution Making" recounts examples of various constitution-making situations and their results. In the book, Choudhry outlines the recent wave of constitution-making decisions made by struggling democracies in the Arab springs, South Africa, and Spain. All the while pointing out that even stable democracies like Chile, have called for a new constitution because they want an improved document untainted by their difficult past.

Published by the academic press Edward Elgar Publishing in December 2016, "Constitution Making" is available for purchase online. This volume ensures a wide geographic and historical coverage of circumstances in which constitutions are made.

For more information visit: http://www.e-elgar.com/shop/constitution-making.

About writer and co-editor Sujit Choudhry:

Sujit Choudhry, the I. Michael Heyman Professor of Law, University of California at Berkeley Law School, is an internationally recognized authority on comparative constitutional law. He has in-depth field experience as an advisor to constitution building processes, including in Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Ukraine. He has lectured or spoken in over two dozen countries. Professor Choudhry's research addresses a broad variety of issues in comparative constitutional law.

About writer and co-editor Tom Ginsburg:

Tom Ginsburg, the Leo Spitz Professor of International Law, University of Chicago Law School, focuses on comparative and international law from an interdisciplinary perspective. He holds a BA, JD, and PHD degrees from the University of California at Berkeley. He currently co-directs the Comparative Constitutions Project, an effort to gather and analyze the constitutions of all independent nation-states since 1789.

Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Sujit Choudhry
DALLAS, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TeamSupport, a top B2B help desk and customer support software solutions company, today announced the launch of their new and improved service level agreements (SLAs) feature, improving its best in class SLA functionality. The new functionality is based on customer feedback and designed to make the process of managing various SLA contracts easier, including ones with local time zone provisions.

The enhanced SLA function allows users to more effectively track their contractual SLA responsibilities and focus on critical response time commitments. It is fully customizable and flexible to enable users to manage even the most complex SLA agreements, making it easier to handle a wide variety of SLA obligations.

The rollout includes a new "pause" feature that allows users to suspend SLAs when necessary, such as when tickets are in pending status because the agent is waiting for customer response or based on weekends or holidays when SLA terms aren't in force. Users can also set SLA triggers to accommodate business hours or set custom hours based on client needs. This is helpful when agents are serving customers in different time zones or those who keep different business hours. The upgrade also includes the ability to associate SLA triggers to products at either the product or customer level for even more precise control of detailed service agreements.

Another important new feature is the ability to clone SLAs, which makes creating new SLAs fast and easy for users: Instead of reentering SLA parameters, users can clone an existing SLA and make modifications as necessary to get it up and running quickly.

The release also debuts a new tab under the customer record that makes it simple to see what SLAs are assigned to the customer and view a history of violations, if any. This feature makes it easier for companies to manage the business relationship, which is critical for companies that provide customer support to other businesses.

"Our best ideas for new features always come from TeamSupport customers," said Robert C. Johnson, CEO of TeamSupport. "In business to business support one of the most common things we hear is how difficult it is to manage multiple unique SLAs. There wasn't a great solution out there, so we designed one. As one TeamSupport user put it, with these improvements we've 'leapfrogged everyone in the industry,' and the credit goes to our customers."

Created by B2B support professionals for support organizations, TeamSupport provides tools that help companies collaborate effectively to resolve individual tickets and manage the overall customer relationship. The launch of these powerful new features delivers the flexibility businesses need to step up their customer support offering. To learn more, please visit www.teamsupport.com.

About TeamSupport

TeamSupport, based in Dallas, Texas, is an online help desk and customer support application built specifically for business to business support. Built by a team of veteran software company executives, TeamSupport has won many industry awards, including being ranked on CRM Magazine's elite list of Rising Stars recognizing the industry's most innovative and growing CRM-related software solutions. Learn more about why TeamSupport is one of the best help desk software solutions today and the trusted customer support software provider to prominent business clients worldwide by visiting www.TeamSupport.com.

SOURCE TeamSupport

Related Links

https://www.teamsupport.com


The acquisition of Planview by Thoma Bravo is a strong validation of Planview's vision for the work and resource management (WRM) category. As today's market dynamics put organizations under increasing pressure to accelerate the translation of strategy into execution, WRM represents a comprehensive approach across a broad range of work and resource types to increase innovation capacity, improve time-to-market, and accelerate digital transformation. Thoma Bravo, known for pursuing profitable investments with the goal of increasing business value through operational improvements, growth initiatives, and strategic add-on acquisitions, recognizes the distinct opportunity Planview has to establish WRM as the next enterprise application growth category.

"Planview is on an exciting journey that is redefining our company, the market, and the value we can provide to our customers," said Greg Gilmore, CEO of Planview. "We see WRM as a mainstream opportunity that leverages our expertise in project portfolio management (PPM), collaborative work management (CWM), and enterprise architecture (EA), but brings them together in a way that addresses the broader strategy-to-execution challenge organizations have, from teams to the enterprise. We are excited to partner with Thoma Bravo, who shares our deep commitment to further accelerating this strategic vision, continuing to drive innovation, and strengthening our worldwide leadership position in this emerging category."

"We are thrilled that Planview will be joining our family of portfolio companies and to have this opportunity to work closely with their team, lending our expertise in enterprise technology and strategic growth. It is very exciting to partner with a company that has such a clear vision and is at a pivotal moment in the transformation of its industry," said Holden Spaht, a managing partner at Thoma Bravo. "Planview has continued to outperform its industry peers in both execution and innovation, and we look forward to accelerating and promoting Planview's ongoing success."

"It has been a privilege to work alongside Greg and the executive team as they've driven Planview to be the market leader in their industry," said Peter Sobiloff, managing director at Insight Venture Partners. "We look forward to continuing our relationship and partnering with the team at Thoma Bravo in this new phase of growth."

Founded in 1989, with a mission to help companies realize their resource potential, Planview has built a comprehensive portfolio of solutions to serve organizations and teams of all sizes and levels of maturity, including:

Planview Enterprise   portfolio and resource management for global enterprises

 portfolio and resource management for global enterprises Innotas   project and portfolio management (PPM) for maturing organizations

 project and portfolio management (PPM) for maturing organizations Troux   enterprise capability and technology management

 enterprise capability and technology management Projectplace  collaborative work management for teams of all sizes

Planview headquarters will remain in Austin, Texas. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2017. William Blair is acting as the exclusive financial advisor to Insight Venture Partners and Planview during the transaction. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Planview

As the global leader in work and resource management, Planview makes it easier for all organizations to achieve their business goals. We provide the industry's most comprehensive solutions designed for strategic planning, portfolio and resource management, new product development, work collaboration, and enterprise architecture. Our solutions span every class of work, resource, and organization to address the varying needs of diverse and distributed teams, departments, and enterprises. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Planview's 700 employees serve more than 3,000 customers worldwide through a culture of innovative technology leadership, deep market expertise, and highly engaged communities. For more information, visit planview.com.

About Thoma Bravo

Thoma Bravo is a leading private equity firm focused on the software and technology-enabled services sectors. With a series of funds representing more than $17 billion in capital commitments, Thoma Bravo partners with a company's management team to implement operating best practices, invest in growth initiatives and make accretive acquisitions intended to accelerate revenue and earnings, with the goal of increasing the value of the business. Representative past and present portfolio companies include industry leaders such as Blue Coat Systems, Deltek, Digital Insight, Global Healthcare Exchange, Hyland Software, PowerPlan, Riverbed, SolarWinds, SonicWall, Sparta Systems and TravelClick. The firm has offices in San Francisco and Chicago. For more information, visit www.thomabravo.com.

About Insight Venture Partners

Insight Venture Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth software, mobile and internet companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Founded in 1995, Insight has raised more than $13 billion and invested in more than 250 companies worldwide. Our mission is to find, fund and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on growth expertise to foster long-term success. For more information on Insight and all of its investments, visit http://www.insightpartners.com or follow us on Twitter: @insightpartner.

Media Contacts:

Planview

Jane Kovacs

[email protected]

+1 512 596 4582

Thoma Bravo

Matthew Gorton

[email protected]

+1 212 776 1161

SOURCE Thoma Bravo; Planview

Related Links

http://www.thomabravo.com


DETROIT, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) announced today that attendance for Wednesday, Jan. 18 was 59,301 attendees.

"I had the opportunity to greet the students and witness the enthusiasm they exhibited to be at the show and see them immerse themselves in future mobility technologies that are shaping our industry was truly inspiring," said Sam Slaughter, 2017 NAIAS Chairman.

Through NAIAS Education Day, now in its 13th year, over 4,000 students from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, received a customized experience based on the classes that are attending. These young individuals had the opportunity to become further engaged by taking part in pre-and post-show lesson plans, brief tours hosted by experts in their fields of interest, hands-on activities, and attending fascinating career-based presentations throughout the day.

Tomorrow NAIAS and the PNC Foundation will welcome more than 400 Detroit Public Schools (DPS) pre-K students to the show Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, for Preschool Education Day. PNC is hosting the pre-K students in support of Grow Up Great, its $350 million, multi-year bilingual initiative in early childhood education.

"PNC's support of NAIAS Preschool Education Day reflects our strong corporate commitment to early childhood education in Detroit and communities served by PNC," said Ric DeVore, speaking on behalf of the PNC Foundation. "Over the past seven years, PNC has brought more than 2,300 DPS preschool students to this world-class show in an effort to spark an interest in math and science at an early age."

Preschool Education Day will begin with a welcome from Ric DeVore, PNC regional president for Detroit and Southeast Michigan, followed by hands-on educational activities focusing on science, technology, reading, engineering arts and mathematics (STREAM) education. Designed to spark curiosity and foster imagination, the activities will include a coloring contest, an Arts and Scraps project, and a group photo and a number of other age-appropriate workshops on the show floor.

"This event gives us the opportunity to reach the very youngest members of our community to create a better understanding of the auto industry and to build awareness of the place they might someday hold in that industry," added Slaughter.

Stay up-to-date on NAIAS happenings and events planned throughout the week by visiting the NAIAS website.

The auto show continues through Sunday, Jan. 22. Public Show ticket prices are $13 for adults, $7 for seniors and children 7-12 (6 and under free when accompanied by parent or guardian).

Auto show information and recommendations for experiencing Detroit while in town can be found at naias.com.

About the North American International Auto Show

Now in its 29th year as an international event, the NAIAS is among the most prestigious auto shows in the world, providing unparalleled access to the automotive products, technologies, people and ideas that matter most  up close and in one place. Administered by executive director Rod Alberts, the NAIAS is one of the largest media events in North America, and the only auto show in the United States to earn an annual distinguished sanction of the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles, the Paris-based alliance of automotive trade associations and manufacturers from around the world. For more information, visit naias.com.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for highlights and updates.

2017 NAIAS Dates:

The Gallery  Saturday, January 7, 2017

AutoMobili-D  Sunday-Thursday, January 8-12, 2017

Press Preview  Monday-Tuesday, January 9-10, 2017

Industry Preview  Wednesday-Thursday, January 11-12, 2017

Charity Preview  Friday, January 13, 2017

Public Show  Saturday-Sunday, January 14-22, 2017

SOURCE North American International Auto Show

Related Links

http://naias.com


Dublin, Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Oil Free Air Compressor Market Analysis By Product, By Technology, By Application And Segment Forecasts, 2014 - 2025" report to their offering.



The global oil free air compressors market is expected to reach USD 15.2 billion by 2025

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.

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.

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.



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.



Key Topics Covered:



1 Methodology and Scope



2 Executive Summary



3 Oil Free Air Compressors: Market Variables, Trends & Scope



4 Oil Free Air Compressors: Product Estimates & Trend Analysis



5 Oil Free Air Compressors: Technology Estimates & Trend Analysis



6 Oil Free Air Compressors: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis



7 Market Categorization 5 Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis



8 Competitive Landscape

Atlas Copco

FS Elliot Co., LLC

Hanwha Techwin

Ingersoll Rand Plc

Sullair LLC (Acquired by Accudyne Industries)

Sundyne (Acquired by Accudyne Industries)

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xkt5pv/oil_free_air




CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), has obtained an exclusive license from Metis Design Corp. to a carbon nanotube (CNT) heater based technology for aircraft electrothermal ice protection. This technology was co-developed by Metis Design Corp. and the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This technology supports the aerospace industry's growing need for more durable, lightweight, damage-tolerant and low-power ice protection systems. Aircraft ice protection systems remove or prevent ice from accumulating on the leading edges of wings, stabilizers, and engine nacelles. Once implemented on aircraft, UTC Aerospace Systems' electrothermal ice protection systems with CNT technology will deliver uniform heat distribution, enhanced damage tolerance and improved fatigue resistance in a lightweight system.

"Thin layers of carbon nanotubes have several emerging and exciting aerospace applications. This technology strengthens UTC Aerospace Systems capability to deliver the most innovative solutions for aircraft ice protection systems," said Dr. Mauro Atalla, Vice President, Engineering and Technology, Sensors & Integrated Systems, UTC Aerospace Systems. "CNT technology is ideally suited for our ice protection product line, and we have already seen positive customer feedback from testing conducted at our icing wind tunnel. Metis Design has developed this technology over several years and has demonstrated its feasibility in several projects."

UTC Aerospace Systems' Sensors & Integrated Systems business is a leading supplier of pneumatic de-icing, ice detection and electrothermal ice protection, with a presence on hundreds of aircraft types. The use of electrothermal ice protection systems is expected to grow as new aircraft become "more electric," which will result in a shift away from energy-inefficient bleed air systems. Products built with CNT enable the use of lightweight heaters, have lower thermal inertia and increased damage tolerance compared to traditional electrothermal systems. "I am excited to add CNT capabilities to our de-icing offering, enhancing our innovative product solutions for our customers," said Justin Keppy, President, Sensors & Integrated Systems, UTC Aerospace Systems.

Metis Design is a technical consulting firm that focuses on structural health monitoring and multifunctional materials. Integration of the new systems with CNT technology will take place at the UTC Aerospace Systems facility in Uniontown, Ohio, with support from Metis Design in Boston and the United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, CT.

UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services integrated systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries. UTC Aerospace Systems supports a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and customer service facilities. Follow the company on Twitter: @UTCAeroSystems.

United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries. To learn more about UTC, visit the website at www.utc.com or follow the company on Twitter: @UTC.

SOURCE UTC Aerospace Systems

Related Links

http://www.utcaerospacesystems.com


TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -

Canada's oldest publisher of children's books, Tundra Books, is excited to announce plans to mark its 50th anniversary in 2017, including the launch of an illustration award to honor Tundra's trailblazing founder, May Cutler, and a dynamic new logo designed by award-winning Canadian branding and design agency Viva & Co.

The May Cutler Emerging Artist of the Year celebrates May Cutler's mission to introduce children to art and artists. This annual honor will be given to a debut illustrator for his or her illustration work on a book published by Tundra. The book will receive an enhanced marketing plan, and the illustrator will be presented with a special edition. Tara Walker, Publisher, Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers, and Vice President, Penguin Random House Canada, says, "The May Cutler Emerging Artist of the Year acknowledges a new picture book illustrator who exemplifies all the things May valued so dearly: artistic talent, a unique approach to picture book illustration and a passion for children's literature." The inaugural recipient of the award is Prince George, BC-based artist Madeline Kloepper for Little Blue Chair, a picture book written by Cary Fagan (available January 24/17).

Walker says, "We're so delighted to be presenting Madeline with this honor. We were immediately drawn to the sweet, winsome faces of her characters in Little Blue Chair, full of quiet emotion and subtle expression, and the way she captures intimate everyday scenes and vast landscapes with equal beauty and curiosity. Her art is so assured and has such a classic feel, and she's brought Cary's wonderful story to life in such a sensitive and poignant way that it's remarkable to think this is her very first picture book."

As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, Tundra also unveils a new logo designed by Canadian design firm Viva & Co. and its founder and Managing Director, Frank Viva. The new logo marks the publisher's first logo rebrand since its founding in 1967 and will first appear printed on books published in fall 2017.

Viva, who is also a distinguished author and illustrator of books for children and an artist known for his New Yorker covers, says, "We were really gratified that Tundra approached Viva & Co. to help them with a new identity system launching in time for their 50th anniversary (and Canada's 150th). I have long admired this remarkable Canadian children's book imprint. Having published two books with Tundra while working closely with the current team, I know that May Cutler would be proud of the astonishing renewal and reinvention going on there. Our goal was to create a fresh but timeless logo that was unmistakably Canadian  one that would last for the next 50 years."

Walker says, "To have a logo designed by our beloved author and friend Frank and his team is truly the best birthday present we can give ourselves. From the moment we first considered a new logo for Tundra, we thought of Frank and Viva & Co. Frank's great love of books, his artistry and his innovative design sense made him and his agency the obvious choice. We are honored to publish Frank Viva and consider him to be one of our country's great tastemakers."

Kristin Cochrane, President and Publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, says, "Good publishers have a strong vision of the kind of books they want to send out into the world and great publishers have the strength and perseverance to see this come true. May Cutler was a great publisher, one who blazed a trail for children's publishers to come.

I am sure that she would be as proud as I am of what Tundra has become and for all the accomplishments of its team. Tundra's new logo is, in part, an homage to May. It is distinctive, playful and is a wonderful nod to our northern heritage. It's everything we had hoped for  and more."

Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers is home to three imprints: Tundra, Puffin and Penguin Teen. In addition to our successful Canadian and U.S. publishing programs, we are recognized internationally for our beautiful, award-winning books. Our list boasts a stellar roster of bestselling Canadian and international authors and illustrators, including Kelley Armstrong, Isabelle Arsenault, Jonathan Auxier, Linda Bailey, Cary Fagan, the Fan Brothers, Chris Hadfield, Rachel Hartman, Marthe Jocelyn, Susan Juby, Sophie Kinsella, Kyo Maclear, Julie Morstad, Susin Nielsen, Shane Peacock, Caroline Pignat, Lemony Snicket, Ashley Spires, Teresa Toten, Frank Viva, Nicola Yoon, Moira Young, Eric Walters, Melanie Watt.

For further information and high-resolution images, please contact:

Pamela Osti, Publicity & Marketing Manager

Tel: 647-788-3980

[email protected]

SOURCE Penguin Random House Canada Limited
BOSTON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A study conducted as part of a School of Communication research course at Emerson College found that Twitter could demonstrate the influence of word of mouth on movies. Specifically, the study found a strong correlation between sentiments expressed on Twitter and movie revenue.

Exhibit 1: Hashtags v. Revenue Exhibit 2: High v. Low Performers

Historically, word of mouth has been thought to be a primary determinant of a movie's success. This is evident by the absence of a formula to guarantee a predictable return on investment and the lack of other reliable predictors such as genre, cast and budget. As a result, recommendations from moviegoers, whether positive or negative, can have a significant impact on a movie's performance.

This study consisted of manually coding a sample of 12,000 tweets out of a universe of 800,739 tweets from 17 movies in the fall of 2016. The movies selected for this study were those that were scheduled for wide-release and were not holiday-themed or released around the holidays to eliminate the possibility of data being skewed by unique audiences. In particular, hashtags used by studios to promote their films were used to define a pool of tweets related to these movies.

To conduct the analysis, a random sample of 400 hashtags were analyzed each week after the release of each movie for as many weeks up to four weeks that the data would allow. For several low performing movies, researchers were only able to gather a week of data and, in other cases, they weren't able to gather any data at all. In the end, out of the 17 movies for which researchers collected tweets, only 11 had at least a week of data that met their sample size criteria.

Once the tweets were coded, researchers then compared the average weekly sentiments with the average weekly percentage change in revenue for each movie. Weekly revenue was defined as the percentage change from weekend to weekend to allow researchers to compare this data to another study which used this methodology. The correlation analysis between tweet sentiments and revenue found an r value of .75, which indicates a strong relationship since a correlation coefficient of .5 is considered high, .3 is considered medium and .1 is considered low. And, even though the sample size of 11 movies is small, this analysis found a p value of less than .01 which means that there is a 99 percent chance of it being accurate. Exhibit 1 below illustrates the relationship between hashtags and revenue.

Moreover, this study was developed to further confirm the findings of another study conducted by this group of researchers on the relationship between word of mouth and movie revenue. This earlier study used revenue as a proxy for word of mouth to see if significant differences could be found between high-performing films versus low-performing films.

Conducted in the fall of 2015, this study analyzed the role of word of mouth on Oscar-nominated movies and Razzie-nominated movies over the previous 20 years. Then these movies' average percentage change in revenue over their initial four weekends was averaged during this period as shown in Exhibit 2. This resulted in an average percentage change between Oscar nominees and Razzie nominees of -30 percent.

"This study offers more evidence of the influence of word of mouth on movies," said Owen Eagan, an Executive in Residence in the Department of Communication Studies. "Specifically, it confirms our earlier research regarding the significant relationship between movie buzz and revenue."

To request a copy of the study, please contact Owen Eagan at [email protected]

Contact: Owen Eagan

781-831-2494

SOURCE Emerson College
PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR), world leader in cancer treatment equipment and software, has been honored for its commitment to sustainability with inclusion on a prestigious list of the world's most sustainable companies for the third year running. Varian is one of only two U.S. healthcare equipment companies on the Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations list, announced today during the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland.

"We are proud to be recognized once again for our commitment to sustainability and this will spur us on to continually improve our efforts," says Dow Wilson, Varian's chief executive officer. "Our company's mission is to help save lives around the world and we seek to do this in ways that benefit the communities in which we operate."

To determine the final list, Corporate Knights analyzed over 4,600 companies against global industry peers using twelve quantitative key performance indicators. The full ranking is published in the annual Global 100 issue of Corporate Knights magazine as well as online at http://Global100.org

"The inclusion of Varian in the Global 100 ranking for the third year running is a reflection of its continuous dedication to sustainability," said Michael Yow, lead analyst at Corporate Knights. "Varian is clearly an industry leader in terms of sustainability performance and disclosure."

Varian, with global revenue of $3.2B and over 50% of sales from outside the US, operates globally with significant production facilities in the United States, Europe and Asia. The company makes a yearly submission to the Carbon Disclosure Project and publishes an annual report measuring its performance against defined goals. The 2016 Varian Sustainability Report can be found at www.varian.com/about-varian/citizenship

About Varian Medical Systems

Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California, focuses energy on saving lives by equipping the world with advanced technology for fighting cancer and for X-ray imaging. The company is the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiation. The company provides comprehensive solutions for radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy and brachytherapy. The company supplies informatics software for managing comprehensive cancer clinics, radiotherapy centers and medical oncology practices. Varian is also a premier supplier of X-ray imaging components, including tubes, digital detectors, cables and connectors as well as image processing software and workstations for use in medical and industrial settings, as well as for security and non-destructive testing. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 7,700 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, and China and sales and support offices around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com or follow us on Twitter.

Press Contact

Neil Madle

Varian Medical Systems

+44 7786 526068

[email protected]

SOURCE Varian Medical Systems

Related Links

http://www.varian.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- North America Veterinary Radiography Systems Market: Overview



Visualization of the internal parts of the body using X-ray techniques is known as radiography. Radiography is a technique for recording and generating an X-ray pattern to provide image after exposure of radiation. There are two major type of radiography systems, direct X-ray and Analog X-ray. Digital X-ray systems use digital radiography technology that captures the image directly into the flat panel detector without the use of cassette. Analog X-ray systems include devices that use film or CR cassette based technology for medical imaging. It is the oldest technology in the veterinary radiography system market which has been replaced by digital X-ray. This report analyzes the current and future prospects of the veterinary radiography system market based on type of product, technology, application, end user and geography.



North America Veterinary Radiography Systems Market: Research Methodologies



The research is a combination of primary and secondary research, conducted for understanding and arriving at trends, used to forecast the expected revenue of the major radiography techniques in the near future. Primary research formed the bulk of our research efforts with information collected from in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry experts and opinion leaders. Secondary research involved study of company websites, annual reports, press releases, investor presentations, analyst presentation and various international and national databases. The report provides estimated market size in terms of US$ Mn for each Product type, application, end user and geography for the period 2014 to 2024, considering the macro and micro environmental factors. The revenue generated from each product was calculated by considering number of products used in the procedures and their market demand as per their use, number of product launched, average cost of products of each sub segment, trends in industry, end user trend and adoption rate across all the geographies. The revenue generated for applications was calculated on the basis of prevalence of diseases in animals.



North America Veterinary Radiography Systems Market: Scope



The market report comprises an elaborated executive summary, which includes market snapshot that provides information about various segments of the market. It also provides information and data analysis of the market with respect to market segments based on type of product, application, end user and geography. The market overview section of the report analyzes market dynamics such as drivers, restraints and opportunities that influence the veterinary radiography system market in the current and future scenario. The report also provides value chain analysis of the market that describes the sequence of activities involved from manufacturing to their final reach to the end users.



North America Veterinary Radiography Systems Market: Competitive Landscape



Market share analysis among the market players is analyzed to signify percentage share of the major players operating in the market. All these factors will help the market players to decide about the business strategies and plans to strengthen their positions in the global market. Based on geography, the market has been analyzed for countries of North America, U.S. and Canada.



The report also profiles the major players in the market and provides various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments. Major companies profiled in the veterinary radiography system market report are



Sound-Eklin- VCA Company, Idexx Laboratories, Canon, Inc., Fuji Medical Systems, Carestream Health, Cuattro Veterinary, iM3/Durr Medical, Sedecal, and Vetel Diagnostics and some other players who are involved in the veterinary radiography system market.



North America Veterinary Radiography Systems Market has been segmented as follows:



North America Veterinary Radiography System Market, by Product

Digital X-ray

Direct

Indirect

Analog X-ray



North America Veterinary Radiography System Market, by Technology

Computed Radiography

Digital Radiography

Film Screen Radiography



North America Veterinary Radiography System Market, by Application

Orthopedic and Rheumatology

Cardiology

Oncology

Nephrology

Others



North America Veterinary Radiography System Market, by End User

Hospital

Clinics

Diagnostic Centre

Research Centre



North America Veterinary Radiography System Market, by Country

U.S.

Canada

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04617436-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


SAN DIEGO, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtua Partners announced today that it has acquired 51 acres of undeveloped land in the Southeast submarket of Phoenix, Arizona in Queen Creek. Virtua plans to mine and sell the surface materials and negotiate a long-term lease to a sand and gravel operator. Once mined, Virtua plans to sell the site to new investors. The land was purchased out of REO for $19,542 per acre, or $0.45 per square foot.

Sand & Gravel on Site Surface Materials

"This is a phenomenal location, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work on this project," said Quinn Palomino, Principal of Virtua Partners. "The thriving Southeast Phoenix market is exciting to be a part of, and we look forward to working on this exclusive opportunity."

Virtua's business plan also allows for the flexibility to complete entitlements of single family residential lots on site to sell to homebuilders if deemed a more profitable strategy. The property would be developed by Virtua's Phoenix based affiliate, Quyp Development.

The property is located in Pinal County with spectacular desert views of the San Tan Mountain Regional Park. The property has frontage and ingress/egress on North Gary Road, and utilities are to the site. Nearby communities include the Gila River Indian Community to the immediate south and Johnson Ranch to the northeast.

The project was capitalized with $1.3MM of equity and no debt. Versant Commercial Brokerage Inc., an affiliate of Virtua Partners, assisted with the capital raise. Boustead Securities underwrote the securities, and Property Dimensions Group represented the buyer.

About Virtua Partners:

Virtua Partners sponsors a variety of commercial real estate projects across the country. Through its affiliate, Versant Commercial Brokerage, Inc. (www.versantcre.com), Virtua restructures undercapitalized commercial real estate, providing the debt, equity, and improved management necessary to stabilize distressed assets. Through its affiliate, Quyp Development, Virtua sponsors development projects. Clear Vista Management (www.Clearvistamanagement.com) provides asset management services across the portfolio.

Our network of relationships, sophisticated analyses, and experience in deal structuring give us unique capabilities to revitalize challenged properties.

Please visit http://www.virtuapartners.com to learn more about our investor services.

Media contact:

Derek Uldricks

[email protected]

619-764-9633

SOURCE Virtua Partners, LLC
English French

JCDecaux awarded 17 advertising street furniture contracts in French regions in 2016

Paris, 19 January 2017 - JCDecaux SA (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, announced that, following a series of competitive tenders, it was awarded 17 advertising street furniture contracts in French regions in 2016 (three new contracts, and fourteen renewals or extensions). The cities involved represent a population of around 2,087,000 inhabitants.

These contracts cover 1,732 advertising panels, including digital ones. The local authorities that selected JCDecaux are: Anglet, Arras, Bayonne, Bray-Dunes, Communaute d'Agglomeration du Boulonnais, Croix, Cusset, Dives-sur-Mer, Henin-Beaumont, Limoges, Marcq-en-Baroeul, Marseille Provence Metropole, Nice, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Sainte Maxime and the STACBA, Syndicat de Transports de l'Agglomeration Cote Basque Adour (two contracts). Among these 17 contracts, three are new contracts (Cusset, Sainte Maxime, Bray-Dunes), enabling JCDecaux to enter new areas.

As a committed partner, JCDecaux shows its dedication to municipalities by developing high-quality street furniture services, including digital technology that can display real-time city information, and by supporting urban mobility with equipment dedicated to the new Bus Rapid Transit services. All of these displays make cities more welcoming, comfortable, accessible, and are in harmony with the urban environment.

Jean-Charles Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and co-CEO of JCDecaux, said: "We are very happy to add those 17 contracts to our national portfolio, in addition to the 14 contracts awarded in the Ile-de-France region in 2016, expanding and strengthening JCDecaux's national network and reinforcing our commitment to quality, digital innovation and sustainable development. Having worked alongside local authorities for more than 50 years, we remain highly attentive to their needs, which we seek to address on an ongoing basis by enhancing our service and advertising offerings and by proposing solutions that are in step with the transformation of urban areas. We are delighted that a large number of local authorities have placed their trust in JCDecaux's street furniture business model and our know-how and expertise, thereby consolidating our position as number one in outdoor advertising in France and worldwide, for the greatest benefit to cities, citizens and advertisers and their brands."

Key Figures for JCDecaux

2015 revenue: 3,208m, H1 2016 revenue: 1,617m

JCDecaux is listed on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris and is part of the Euronext 100 index

JCDecaux is part of the FTSE4Good and Dow Jones Sustainability Europe indexes

N1 worldwide in street furniture (524,580 advertising panels)

N1 worldwide in transport advertising with more than 230 airports and 280 contracts in metros, buses, trains and tramways (395,770 advertising panels)

N1 in Europe for billboards (177,760 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in Europe (731,390 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in Asia-Pacific (236,760 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in Latin America (62,860 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in Africa (32,840 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in the Middle-East (16,280 advertising panels)

N1 worldwide for self-service bicycle hire: pioneer in eco-friendly mobility

1,129,410 advertising panels in more than 75 countries

Present in 4,435 cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants

Daily audience: more than 390 million people

12,850 employees
New Delhi, Jan 15 : A 29-year-old criminal, wanted to stand trial in cases of attempt to murder, violations of the Arms Act and land grabbing, was arrested here, the Delhi Police said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Rahul Rathi, is a resident of Bahadurgarh in Haryana, and was involved in many criminal cases. He was declared a proclaimed offender by a local court and was evading arrest since 2013.

"Rahul was arrested in a raid after the police team received a tip-off when he came to meet one of his associates at Dwarka intersection on Saturday night," Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) (Crime) Ravindra Yadav said.

"On questioning, he told police that he had studied up to intermediate and earlier worked as a field boy in a private company in Gurugram. He later plied a private taxi for a year and came in contact with bad elements who carried illegal arms with them," Yadav added.

Rahul also started carrying pistol with him and was apprehended on March 11, 2011, with an illegal weapon in Chhwala area. He was tried, convicted and sentenced to jail, but later was freed on bail, Yadav said.

"He came in contact with Pardeep, who was involved in cases of land grabbing and other criminal activities and started doing crimes after joining his gang. He joined Anil Pehalwan gang in 2013," the police officer added.
Kabul, Jan 16 : Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa that those who recently launched attacks in Afghanistan "lived, were recruited and operated freely in Pakistan and no action was taken against them", a Presidential Palace statement said on Monday.

Ghani's allegations came during a phone call with Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Bajwa, who telephoned the Afghan President on Sunday to condemn recent attacks in the country.

General Bajwa offered intelligence cooperation and border management to stop illegal cross-border movement, the army said.

The offer came following attacks in Kabul, Kandahar and Helmand in which at least 60 people, including five UAE diplomats, were killed. Taliban claimed the attacks in Kabul and Helmand and denied involvement in the Kandahar attack, which they blamed on the internal power struggle between officials in Kandahar.

"In his telephonic talk, President Ghani vowed to take revenge from the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks and said his country is ready to ensure security of his country," a statement from Ghani's office said.

"He again described terrorism and extremism as a serious threat for the region and the world and said that lack of determination to fight against the common threat could pose dangers to Pakistan itself and the region," the statement added.

President Ghani said he wants "serious talks" to discuss Kabul's future relationship with Pakistan.
New Delhi, Jan 16 : A court here on Monday remanded a suspected female Manipuri militant of the proscribed KCP (Poirei Meitei) outfit to judicial custody until January 31.

Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh sent Inugbamsanatombi Devi to judicial custody after Delhi Police did not seek her custody.

She was arrested on Thursday along with Khoirom Ranjit, a Commander-in-Chief of KCP (Poirei Meitei), who is in police custody until January 19.

They were involved in a number of terror activities like lobbing of grenades, shootouts, killings, planting bombs and running an extortion network.

According to police, Inugbamsanatombi and Ranjit were arrested on Thursday morning from Mayur Vihar in east Delhi, while another accused Pukhrihongbamibomcha was arrested later in a separate raid in Manipur based on information provided by Ranjit.
London, Jan 16 : US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday told a British newspaper that he will offer to end sanctions against Russia in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal with the Kremlin.

In an interview with the Times of London, Trump said he wanted nuclear weapons arsenals of the world's two biggest nuclear powers -- the US and Russia -- 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 was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

However, on December 22 Trump tweeted 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 leader Vladimir Putin also called for the strengthening of "strategic nuclear forces".

In Monday's interview, Trump said the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), an alliance formed to counter the military power of the former USSR, has become obsolete.

Trump also criticised Russia for its intervention in the Syrian war, describing it as "a very bad thing" that had led to a "terrible humanitarian situation".

In Moscow, Members of Parliament gave a mixed reaction to Trump's statement on the sanctions imposed by the Obama administration on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

Konstantin Kosachev, head of the upper house of parliament's International Affairs Committee, was cited by RIA Novosti news agency as saying that getting the sanctions annulled was not a goal in itself and not worth making security concessions for.

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 favoured.
COVINGTON, La., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Globalstar, Inc. (NYSE MKT:GSAT) announced today that the Company will present at a series of investor meetings hosted by J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Cantor Fitzgerald on January 30 and 31 in New York. Jay Monroe, Chairman and CEO, Tim Taylor, Vice President, Finance, Business Operations and Strategy and John Dooley, Managing Director, Jarvinian will be in attendance.

At this time, Globalstar will further discuss its U.S. terrestrial spectrum plans and process for international terrestrial authorities as well as discuss infrastructure and user equipment ecosystem development.

Presentation material used for the meetings will be posted on the Companys website in advance of these meetings. For more information on Globalstars terrestrial spectrum authority, visit Globalstar.com/Spectrum.

About Globalstar, Inc.

Globalstar is a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services, leveraging the worlds newest mobile satellite communications network. Customers around the world in industries like government, emergency management, marine, logging, oil & gas and outdoor recreation rely on Globalstar to conduct business smarter and faster, maintain peace of mind and access emergency personnel. Globalstar data solutions are ideal for various asset and personal tracking, data monitoring and SCADA applications. The Company's products include mobile and fixed satellite telephones, the innovative Sat-Fi satellite hotspot, Simplex and Duplex satellite data modems, tracking devices and flexible service packages. For more information, visit www.globalstar.com.

Note that all SPOT products described in this press release are the products of SPOT LLC, which is not affiliated in any manner with Spot Image of Toulouse, France or Spot Image Corporation of Chantilly, Virginia. For more information, visit www.globalstar.com.

Investor Contact Information:

Email: investorrelations@globalstar.com

Safe Harbor Language for Globalstar Press Releases

This press release contains certain statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, such as the statements regarding our expectations with respect to actions by the FCC contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts, involve predictions. Any forward-looking statements made in this press release are believed to be accurate as of the date made and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results or developments may differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, and we undertake no obligation to update any such statements. Additional information on factors that could influence our financial results is included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.
Seoul, Jan 18 : The Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday began a hearing to decide whether to order the arrest of Samsung group President Lee Jae-yong for alleged bribery, a media report said.

The judges are expected to rule on the arrest of the Samsung heir by the end of the day following testimonies of the prosecution and the defence, EFE news reported.

The South Korean Prosecutor's office on Monday filed an arrest warrant against Lee over evidence of Samsung's multimillion-dollar donations to foundations and companies allegedly controlled by Choi Soon-il, nicknamed the "female Rasputin" and a close friend of President Park Geun-hye, in return for business favours.

Samsung allegedly paid some 43 billion won ($35.8 million) to a Germany-based company owned by Choi and to two other non-profit foundations linked to her so that Park's government would support a controversial merger between two Samsung affiliates in 2015.

During his interrogation last week, the Samsung chief admitted to the prosecution that he made donations, but denied that they were in exchange for business favours from the authorities.

In addition to bribery, the prosecution also accuses Lee of perjury for having offered a different version during a Parliamentary testimony last month.

Prosecutors are also investigating the possible involvement in the case of three other senior executives of the Samsung group, including the Vice President of the conglomerate, Choi Gee-sung.

On Tuesday, Choi's niece Chang Si-ho admitted to the same court that she blackmailed Samsung in collaboration with her aunt, whom she described as the brain behind the corruption plot that has rocked South Korea and led to Park's impeachment.

Choi, 60, who has been imprisoned since last November, denies all charges against her, including abuse of power, blackmail and attempted fraud.
Washington, Jan 18 : Outgoing President Barack Obama has commuted the majority of the remaining prison sentence of Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning, who was convicted of stealing and disseminating 750,000 pages of documents and videos to WikiLeaks.

The President on Tuesday took the decision to free the transgender US Army soldier on May 17 after overruling the objections of Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.

Manning had been sentenced to 35 years in military prison in 2013 for leaking hundreds of thousands of documents to WikiLeaks.

The decision by Obama rescued Manning, who twice tried to kill herself last year, from an uncertain future as a transgender woman incarcerated at the men's 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, the New York Times reported.

The President also pardoned James Cartwright, the former vice chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who pleaded guilty in October last year to the charge of making false statements to federal investigators in 2012.

Cartwright was questioned about leaking top secret information on US efforts to cripple Iran's nuclear programme to two journalists.

Cartwright, 67, served 40 years in the US Marine Corps and was widely regarded within the military for his technical acumen and work in the areas of nuclear proliferation, missile defence and cybersecurity.

A former intelligence official termed the decision to commute Manning's sentence as shocking. He said the move was "deeply hypocritical given Obama's denunciation of WikiLeaks' role in the hacking of the (Democratic National Committee)".

The material, which the former soldier leaked and WikiLeaks published in 2010, included a classified video of a US helicopter attacking civilians and journalists in Iraq in 2007.

The video titled "Collateral Murder" depicts a 2007 air strike in Baghdad during which a US helicopter crew fired at and killed innocent journalists. The video has been viewed millions of times and is considered a major turning point in the Iraq War.

When she was initially imprisoned in 2010, Chelsea Manning was still known as Bradley Manning.

Manning also fought for treatment for her gender dysphoria while imprisoned, which includes a sex reassignment surgery A something the military has no experience providing prisoners with.

Though found guilty on 20 out of 22 possible charges (including violating the US Espionage Act), Manning was acquitted of the most serious one -- aiding the enemy, which could have earned her a life sentence.

Manning in a hearing apologised for "hurting the US" and said she had mistakenly thought she could "change the world for the better".

She was also demoted from private first class to private and dishonorably discharged.

Nancy Hollander, an attorney for Manning, told CNN the former soldier has been "nervous the last few days". She learned of the commutation around the time Obama made the announcement.

"She knows she's going to be free," Hollander said.

Asked to describe the difference between the situations of Manning and former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who is living in exile in Russia after leaking state secrets, a source in the White House said there was a "fundamental difference".

Snowden on Tuesday tweeted his support, urging her to "stay strong a while longer".

President-elect Donald Trump did not immediately comment on the matter, but when asked about WikiLeaks in the wake of the releases in 2010, he had said: "I think it's disgraceful. I think there should be like death penalty or something."

Human rights activists and lawyers for Manning celebrated the decision.

Chase Strangio, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented Manning, said he was "relieved and thankful".

"Manning exposed serious abuses, and as a result, her own human rights have been violated by the US government for years," Margaret Huang, the group's executive director, said.

Republican members of Congress, however, expressed outrage.

"This was grave harm to our national security," Senator Tom Cotton, Representative from Arkansas, told CNN.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, denouncing Manning's "treachery", said she "put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation's most sensitive secrets".

Republican Senator John McCain said the President's decision was "a grave mistake that I fear will encourage further acts of espionage".

Obama has commuted 1,385 sentences and issued 212 pardons, more than the total granted by the past 12 presidents combined, the BBC reported.

A presidential commutation reduces the sentence being served but does not change the fact of conviction, whereas a pardon forgives a certain criminal offence.
New York, Jan 19 : Reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who was robbed of jewellery in Paris last year, will reportedly shoot for the film "Oceans Eight" involving a jewellery heist.

The film's shooting has been going on at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for days, with star cameos to recreate the Met Gala for a dramatic heist scene.

Kardashian was seen headed to the set with her sister Kendall Jenner on Monday. According to sources, the Met Gala scene involves the theft of a high-end necklace in a museum bathroom.

Sources said Kardashian is in the film, although it's not clear if she is a victim or a famous face in the crowd, reports pagesix.com.

The movie's main cast includes Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson and Mindy Kaling.

On Monday, in one of her first public appearances since the robbery, Kardashian was back in a gown to film the scene in which the all-female cast pulls off a jewellery raid.

An insider said: "We were surprised Kim showed up for filming. She had seemed totally traumatised by her Paris robbery. But then she will still appear in a movie that glamorises a jewellery heist."

Kardashian's representative confirmed she has a cameo in the movie, but declined to comment further.
Paris, Jan 19 : French anti-terrorist services estimate that there are about 700 French residents in the ranks of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

They also added that there are around 1,000 who still reside in France but would like to join the terrorist organisation, Efe news reported.

LoAc Garnier, head of the Counter-Terrorism Coordination Unit (UCLAT), said in an interview on Wednesday, that it is not known the level of danger of each of those jihadists, who face difficulties in entering Syria and Iraq, while secret services are working to uncover their ideology.

At the same time, about 200 IS fighters have been identified to have been in Syria or Iraq but have returned to France, and others who still want to return, but the restrictions on Turkey's borders and the military situation make their trip more difficult.

According to UCLAT, in the areas controlled by IS, there are some 290 French women, or women who are French residents, and 460 French children, one third of whom have been born there.
Beirut, Jan 19 : Damascus expressed its rejection of Saudi Arabia and Qatar participating in the peace talks on Syria scheduled for January 23 in Astana, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad said.

Miqdad said in an interview on Wednesday with that his country will only discuss the issue of Qatar and Saudi Arabia participation in the talks when they give up their support for terrorism, Efe news reported.

The minister warned that those who support terrorism will play no role at the meeting in the capital of Kazakhstan.

As for a hypothetical participation of United States representatives, the Syrian official said that anyone who wants to work honestly to reach a solution to the Syrian crisis must take part in the talks.

Miqdad recalled that Washington has banned support for terrorist groups, pressured Turkey to close its borders with Syria and punished those who finance and arm terrorism, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The peace talks on Syria in Astana are included in the truce agreement currently in force in the Arab country, which was reached thanks to an agreement between Russia, allied with the government of Damascus, and Turkey, which supports the opposition.

Kazakhstan is ready to host Syrian peace talks in Astana, Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov recently said.

"We'll provide more information once the participants and the format have been decided. Kazakhstan is ready for the talks," Abdrakhmanov added.
New York, Jan 19 : An Indian-American man has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for a $1 million insider trading scheme involving the failed Apollo Tyres bid to takeover Cooper Tire, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Amit Kanodia, 49, was sentenced in Boston by Federal Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, who also imposed a $200,000 fine and 100 hours of community service and ordered the forfeiture of the $242,500 illegal profit he made.

A jury had found the real estate entrepreneur guilty of securities fraud and conspiracy after a six-day trial last October, but he was sentenced only now.

Kanodia's ex-wife was a lawyer for Apollo Tyres and he heard from her about her company's plans to acquire the US-based Cooper Tire in 2013, according to the office of the federal prosecutor for Massachusetts.

He tipped off two of his friends, Iftikar Ahmed and Steven Watson, about the proposed acquisition and they bought shares and options of Cooper Tires, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, prosecutors said.

When the takeover plan was unveiled in June 2013, the share prices shot up by 41 per cent giving the two friends a profit of more than $1 million and they gave Kanodia a share of it, according to officials.

Ahmed fled to India when he was charged with insider trading and is believed to be still in India. US authorities consider him a fugitive from justice.

Ahmed, a Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi and Harvard Business School graduate, has also been charged with embezzling $54 million from the investment company Oak Investment Partners, where he was a general partner.

Watson, who admitted his guilt and turned approver, testified against Kanodia. He was fined $25,000 and given two years of probation in November last year for insider trading. He also had to give up almost $170,000 in illegal trading profits.

The Apollo Tyres plan to takeover Cooper Tire ultimately failed by December 2013 mainly because unions in the US and the management and workers at its Chinese subsidiary opposed the deal.
Washington, Jan 19 : Barack Obama held his last press conference as the President of the US to offer an assured outlook for a country governed by Donald Trump who is slated to take charge on Friday, a media report said.

"At my core I think we're going to be OK," Obama said on Wednesday during the conference at the White House.

"We just have to fight for it, work for it, and not take it for granted."

"I know that you will help us do that," CNN quoted the President as saying.

In his question-and-answer session with reporters, Obama said that after two terms of political warfare with Republicans, he was emerging unbowed in his faith in the US and its citizens. But he continued to express concerns about his successor's stance on Russia and his readiness for office.

"I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad," Obama said.

"I believe tragic things happen. I think there's evil in the world, but I think at the end of the day, if we work hard and if we're true to those things in us that feel true and feel right, that the world gets a little better each time."

Conceding that Trump may not take his advice on issues, Obama said he would avoid weighing in on specific policy matters during his post-presidency, using his time instead to write and "not hear myself talk so darn much", CNN reported.

Obama also took advantage of the conference to defend the importance of guaranteeing freedom of the press, given that the president-elect has openly insulted several media outlets that he said are "dishonest".

He said that a free press is "essential" to US democracy, and he took pains to provide an example to his successor by taking questions during the press conference from a wide variety of journalists: progressive, conservative, Latino, African American, foreign and a one specialising in reporting on LGBT rights issues, Efe news reported.

Obama also defended some of his recent moves as President, including his decision to eliminate the "wet foot, dry foot" policy on Cuban migrants, which he said represented "a carryover of an old way of thinking that didn't make sense in this day and age" within the context of normalising relations with Cuba.

He also said that it made sense for him to commute the prison sentence of former US soldier Chelsea Manning, who in 2010 leaked numerous secret documents to WikiLeaks and who will be able to leave prison in May.

Despite Republican criticism, Obama said that he felt "very comfortable" with his decision on Manning, who "has served a tough prison sentence" after "due process was carried out," and he added that he did not agree with the idea that her release sends a message that people who leak classified documents will remain unpunished.

He also defended his decision last December to have the US abstain from voting in the UN Security Council on - and not veto - a resolution condemning Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, saying that he felt it was important to "send a signal, a wakeup call" to Israel that the time for implementing a two-state solution in the region may be ending.

Obama also referred to Trump's recent remarks on the possibility of ending sanctions against Russia for its interference in Ukraine in exchange for cuts in the US and Russian nuclear arsenals.

"The reason we imposed the sanctions ... was not because of nuclear weapons issues, it was because the independence and sovereignty of a country, Ukraine, had been encroached upon by force, by Russia. That wasn't our judgment, that was the judgment of the entire international community," he said, going on to advise Trump not to "confuse" the issue of Ukraine with nuclear matters.

The president closed the press conference on an optimistic note despite the fears of many regarding Trump's election win and what it may portend for US domestic and international policy, Efe news added.
New York, Jan 19 : Accusing Facebook of racial bias in hate speech censorships, 77 advocacy groups have written a letter to the social media giant asking it to be more transparent about its censorship decisions.

In the open letter, the advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), on Wednesday asked the social network to be more transparent about its censorship decisions and sought a report that compiles data on the company's censorship decisions, tech website CNET reported on Thursday.

In the letter, Facebook was accused of a lack of transparency and racially-biased censorship under which, it disproportionately censored posts from "people of colour" -- especially posts with political speech and critiques of law enforcement.

"Even as activists have been censored for political speech and for posting images critical of government actors -- including police officers -- Facebook's third-party complaint process has failed to prevent the spread of violent threats and harassment by white supremacist hate groups on your platform," the letter read.

The report pointed out that the "third-party complaint process" is Facebook's practice of hiring outside groups to sort through posts flagged as potential hate speech.

Last year, a woman used the Facebook's Live Video service to live-stream a video of her fiance, Philando Castile, after he was shot by police. Facebook temporarily removed the video and faced flak for doing so.

Similarly in September, Facebook initially took down a post that featured the iconic Vietnam War photo "Napalm Girl" because it featured a naked child.

Facebook, which has 1.79 billion users. later clarified that it only removed content if it celebrated or glorified violence, not if it's only graphic or disturbing.

"A Facebook spokeswoman said the company received the letter and is reviewing it," the report noted.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The Home Ministry is likely to hand over the Kanpur train derailment case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday, sources said.

The move follows the NIA's request to the ministry to transfer the case.

On Wednesday, an NIA team reached Bihar's Motihari district to investigate the alleged role of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence behind last November's Indore-Patna Express train derailment near Kanpur that claimed over 100 lives.
Panaji, Jan 19 : The 2012 assembly polls were largely centred on the man of the moment, Goa's seniormost BJP leader who promised hope and change: Manohar Parrikar.

In 2017, however, after much water has flowed under the Mandovi bridge gently caressing the parked offshore casinos, after the mining ban, after unfulfilled promises to cut down corruption and after his elevation as Defence Minister, the spotlight is now on five personalities, each of whom is playing a defining role as February 4 looms closer.

Parrikar, as Defence Minister, continues to carpet-bomb the BJP cadre with his charm and industry, amid opposition barbs over his constant visits to Goa.

The indefatigable Parrikar has, nevertheless, gone on to attend more than 30 "vijay sankalp" rallies organised by the BJP across Goa. His sheer presence completely overshadows Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar in the campaign. Currently, Parrikar is fire-fighting dissent from sitting legislators who have been denied tickets.

His significance to these elections isn't lost on his rivals. "It is more of an election of Manohar Parrikar individually, rather than that of BJP or the RSS," Congress General Secretary for Goa Digvijaya Singh told IANS.

Over in the Congress, Parrikar's guile is somewhat met by state unit President Luizinho Faleiro, who, over the last few weeks, through clever selection of candidates and out-manoeuvring aggressive alliance-seeking parties, has helped gain lost ground for the party, which was in tatters since its battering in 2012.

Reduced to an unprecedented nine MLAs and with BJP poaching two of its "winnable", but tainted, MLAs -- Mauvin Godinho and Pandurang Madkaikar -- the late revival engineered by the former Congress Working Committee member could see the outfit gain a few more seats.

The party's gumption and confidence can be gauged by its rejection of a formal alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party and Goa Foward, and its decision to allot a big chunk of seats to fresh candidates.

"We may have made mistakes in the past, but we've apologised for it. We are here now to win people's hearts, not just the elections," Faleiro maintained.

Former PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar has allied with both Congress and BJP-led governments in the past but 2017 presents him an opportunity to vault to chief ministership.

With the BJP weakened by anti-incumbency, the formal absence of Parrikar and the effects of demonetisation, Dhavalikar's Maharashtrwadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has ambitiously spread its wings this time, contesting 26 of the 40 assembly seats, leaving the rest for alliance partners Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) and Shiv Sena.

The three parties are gunning for the same Hindu conservative vote that the BJP had successfully cornered in 2012. While he claims the alliance is going strong, Dhavalikar, who is its mutually-accepted chief ministerial candidate, doesn't deny the possibility of a post-poll alliance with the BJP.

"I cannot tell you that now... Sometimes in politics you have to adopt Chanakyaniti," said the son of a former temple priest.

Meanwhile, the former high priest of the RSS in Goa, Subhash Velingkar, continues to torment the BJP and its leaders, whom he has criticised (at one poll rally, he even described the BJP cadre as dogs) for their neglect of regional languages, especially in primary schools.

His role and that of the GSM are proving to be a thorn in the BJP's flesh. Neither the Congress, nor the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), nor the MGP has been able to match the intensity of Velingkar's accusations and singularly anti-BJP campaign, which has the RSS and the BJP cadre in a bind.

"The BJP and Parrikar have betrayed Goa. They deserve to be packed off," Velingkar told IANS.

The "unputdownable" Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also continues to salvage some hope for the AAP, whose campaign in Goa appears directly proportionate to the party co-founder's visits here. With the party's chief ministerial candidate Elvis Gomes struggling to add spark to its campaign, the burden may have to be borne by Kejriwal, whose party is also campaigning in Punjab.

Kejriwal, who initially claimed the party would win 35 seats in Goa, has shied away from the seat-count in recent meetings. "We have seen all politicians, from the BJP, Congress, MGP. Politicians will not do now. We need ordinary people from Goa to go to the legislative assembly," he said.

(Mayabhushan Nagvenkar can be contacted at mayabhushan.n@ians.in )
BOHEMIA, N.Y., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scientific Industries Inc. (OTCBB:SCND), announced the resignation of Roger B. Knowles, a Director of the Company and the appointment of Mr. John Watkins as his duly elected successor. Ms. Helena R. Santos, Chief Executive Officer and a Director stated that the Company was extremely grateful for Mr. Knowles dedicated service to the Company as a Director since 1965 and wishes him well in his retirement. Mr. Watkins is a partner with the law firm of Reitler Kailas & Rosenblatt LLC, the Companys chief corporate counsel.



I am delighted to announce the addition of this esteemed individual to our Board. Mr. Watkins brings years of expertise in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, and joint venture transactions across a broad range of industries from biotechnology to manufacturing and banking, among others, said Helena Santos.

About Scientific Industries

Scientific Industries designs, manufactures, and markets a variety of laboratory equipment, including the Genie and Torbal brand products; produces and sells customized catalyst research instruments, and the research, development and production of bioprocessing systems and methods. Scientific Industries products are generally used and designed for research purposes in laboratories of universities, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, chemical companies, and medical device manufacturers.

Statements made in this press release that relate to future events, performance or financial results of the Company are forward-looking statements which involve uncertainties that could cause actual events, performance or results to materially differ. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of these statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as to the date hereof. Accordingly, any forward-looking statement should be read in conjunction with the additional information about risks and uncertainties set forth in the Companys Securities and Exchange Commission reports, including our annual report on Form 10-K.
Damascus, Jan 19 : The Islamic State (IS) terror group has killed 12 people in different parts of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, including its famous Roman theatre, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) said on Thursday.

The SOHR said the victims included four civilians -- among them two professors -- and four soldiers, who were taken captive by the terrorists amid recent clashes in Palmyra, after the IS regained control of the city on December 11, Efe news reported.

The remaining four victims were members of rebel factions, taken prisoner by IS militants during fighting in Al-Qalamoun, north of capital Damascus.

The organisation said the four civilians were beheaded on Wednesday at the Palmyra Museum square, while the others were shot dead at a former Russian army base and at the theatre.

The IS recaptured Palmyra after launching an offensive against Syrian armed forces on December 8.

The terrorists gained control of Palmyra for the first time on May 20, 2015, but were driven out by the Syrian army 10 months later, aided by aerial support from Russia.

During its dominion over the city, the feared terrorist group carried out killings at the theatre, including in July when 25 Syrian soldiers were shot dead by underage IS recruits.

During the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D., Palmyra -- whose Greco-Roman ruins are a Unesco World Heritage Site -- was a prominent cultural hub and a nexus point for caravans travelling the Silk Road, an oasis of civilization in the midst of the central Syrian desert.
Tehran, Jan 19 : A 16-storey commercial building collapsed in Iran's capital Tehran on Thursday with dozens trapped under the debris.

At 8 a.m., the fire started from the eighth and ninth floors of the building and soon spread to the upper floors, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 54-year-old building was very fragile and was ravaged by fire despite firefighters' efforts, rescue officials said.

At least 30 people were injured, most of them firefighters.

Dozens of others, including some shop owners, were reportedly inside the building when it came crashing down.

However, there were no reports of any casualties.
Colombo, Jan 19 : The Sri Lankan government is seeking to attract more European tourists and has appointed a senior official as a tourism consultant to focus especially on the European continent, officials said on Thursday.

Tourism Minister John Amaratunga on Thursday said the country hopes to attract more Europeans who are traditionally identified as good spenders with demand for high standards as several international hotels have now opened in Colombo, Xinhua news agency reports.

"Today with so many hotels coming up, we need to redouble our efforts to attract more Europeans to our country," Amaratunga said.

Sri Lanka's tourism industry has witnessed a positive growth in recent years with India and China being the leading sources of tourists. Europeans once formed the bedrock of Sri Lanka's tourism industry.

Sri Lanka received over 2 million tourists in 2016 and the government hopes to achieve a target of 4 million tourists per year by 2020.

Amaratunga said earlier this month that Sri Lanka hopes to attract 2.5 million tourists this year.
London, Jan 19 : The first freight train from China to the UK has rolled into London, more than two weeks after it left the Chinese port city of Yiwu, media reported.

The train reached its destination on Wednesday, CNN Money reported.

The journey covered nearly 8,000 miles.

"It is hoped this will further improve trade ties between China and the UK," said Richard Doubtfire, seafreight director at Brunel Shipping & Liner Services, one of the two British companies handling logistics for the journey.

The China Railway Express train left Yiwu on January 1. It passed through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France over the course of its 18-day trip before entering the UK through the Channel Tunnel.

The train was packed with 34 containers carrying clothes, shoes, suitcases and other goods made in China. It will run as a weekly service, similar to trains China Railway already operates to Germany and Spain.

The Yiwu-Madrid route is currently the longest rail journey in the world.

During the trip, the train's locomotives have to be changed due to different railway gauges in the countries it passes through.

London is the 15th European city to be added to Chinese overseas train routes, China Railway said in a statement.

The Yiwu-London route forms part of China's "One Belt One Road" trade initiative, often referred to as the new Silk Road, a network of historic trade routes.
Bengaluru, Jan 19 : In the wake of 15 schoolchildren dying in a tragic bus accident in Uttar Pradesh, reportedly due to foggy conditions, a renowned atmospheric scientist has called for an immediate end to practices that include the operation of traditional brick kilns in the region and the burning of crop residue in Punjab.

The accident at Etah, in which 16 schoolchildren were also injured, reportedly took place under bad weather conditions and poor visibility.

Ramesh Singh, a professor at Chapman University in California who is currently visiting his Varanasi home town, said the government must stop operation of old brick kilns responsible for injecting black carbon and suspended particles in the atmosphere that contribute to the haze.

In particular, the Varanasi region -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency -- "is densely populated by brick kilns which emit black smoke", Ramesh Singh told this correspondent in an email.

"The operation of these old kilns must stop and they should be replaced by non-polluting kilns using new technology to minimise fog and protect the health of people living in the Indo-Gangetic Plain," the scientist added.

Ramesh Singh, who was formerly at the Indian Institute of Technology - Kanpur had studied the dynamics of atmospheric aerosols and cause of the poor air quality over the Indo-Gangetic Plains by analysing data from NASA satellites.

"We found that the main cause of atmospheric pollution and poor air quality in this region is dense population of coal-based power plants, brick kilns, and now growing vehicles on the highways," he said.

Ramesh Singh said his studies have shown that burning of crop residues in Punjab in the months of October and early November "causes fog, haze and smog depending on the meteorological conditions, wind speed and direction and relative humidity, with the smoke plume dispersed over the entire Indo-Gangetic Plain."

"Since the last two decades, we have observed growing fog, haze and smog in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and, during the winter season, visibility becomes so poor that people cannot see objects even 10 metres away," he said. "Cancellation of flights, late running and cancellation of trains are regular features in this region."

Although the central government initiated steps to stop the burning of crop residue in Punjab, Uttarakhand and western UP, "farmers are still burning their crop residues and the smoke spreads over the major cities in the Indo-Gangetic Plains," Ramesh Singh said.

Pointing out that Varanasi experienced "thick fog" late last year, he warned that "people will face more problem in years to come", if no action was taken to stop emissions from brick kilns. The emissions provide very high concentrations of particulate matter that can lead to health problems, he said.

"It is good that Prime Minister Modi has decided to build a Cancer Institute in Benaras Hindu University," he said, "but people must demand an end to the operation of old brick kilns that spew black carbon."

(K.S. Jayaraman is a senior journalist who speicalises in writing on science. He can be contacted at killugudi@hotmail.com)
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Budget passenger carrier SpiceJet on Thursday said it will relaunch its twin daily direct flights on the Delhi-Surat route effective from March 26 next.

The airline has offered an all-inclusive introductory promotional fare starting at Rs 2,257 for travel to Delhi from Surat and Rs 2,299 for travel to Surat from Delhi for a limited period.

According to the low cost carrier (LCC), the new flight is part of the company's enhanced summer schedule and will further augment its connectivity in the domestic sector.

"While the year 2016 has witnessed a sharp growth in air passenger traffic, a large count today still remains untapped who travel from tier II cities," Shilpa Bhatia, Senior Vice President, Commercial, SpiceJet, was quoted as saying in a statement.

"Surat being an important economic hub of Gujarat, has always been a critical market for us, especially from the point of view of serving our business travellers."

Currently, SpiceJet operates 340 average daily flights to 45 destinations, including 39 domestic and six international.
Kannur/Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 19 : A 52-year-old BJP worker was hacked to death near Kannur, two days after a senior national BJP leader warned the CPI-M of dire consequences if it did not stop political murders.

Santhosh, 52, who hails from Dharmadom near Kannur, was alone in his home when unidentified assailants hacked him to death late on Wednesday night.

Angry Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers called for a day-long shutdown in Kannur district on Thursday.

The shutdown came amid the ongoing 57th Kerala School Arts Festival in which more than 12,000 school children from across the state are taking part.

The state BJP leadership decided to exempt the festival from the day's shutdown.

State CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan denied his party's role in the murder.

"The CPI-M has nothing to do with what happened last night at Kannur. We have spoken to the state police chief to see that those behind the incident be brought before the law," Balakrishnan told reporters here on Thursday.

But BJP state President Kummanam Rajasekheran said while the festival is going on in Kannur, CPI-M workers are engaged in a "festival" of murders.

"Two months after peace talks was held in Kannur, this is the fourth BJP activist who has been murdered. We are approaching the Union Home Secretary with the demand for posting of central forces in Kannur," Rajasekheran added.

Vice-Chairman of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Kerala and Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a statement issued here on Thursday said that the political violence unleashed against BJP workers in Kerala is unacceptable in a civilised democracy.

"The writing on the wall is clear. The end is nearing for out of date, violent Marxist philosophy and peoples' support to the BJP-led NDA is growing.

"If the Government of Kerala does not identify and punish the culprits, I will request the Government of India to step in with CBI and identify each and every one of the conspirators behind the violence, including the highest ones," said Chandrasekhar.

Kannur district in Kerala has always witnessed political murders where the BJP and the CPI-M have lost several of their cadres. The death of Santhosh is the eighth murder that has taken place after the CPI-M led Pinarayi Vijayan government took over in May, 2016.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Domestic mobile wallet platform MobiKwik on Thursday appointed Daman Soni, former head of instant messaging app LINE India, as Vice President for Growth.

In his new role, Soni will be responsible for achieving user growth targets and supporting the marketing function.

"I am pleased at receiving the opportunity to lead growth for MobiKwik at a time when the mobile wallet industry is at the cusp of its evolution," said Soni in a statement.

Soni previously headed the Indian market for the LINE suite of apps.

He has also headed Telecoms Business Development for Infosys in Britain and was associated with north Indian states for Nokia.
Chandigarh, Jan 19 : The Haryana government on Thursday announced that new polytechnics being set up in the state would be run in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode in collaboration with leading industrial houses.

The intent behind this move is to give a decisive push to technical education and bring the courses offered in perfect sync with the industry demand,.

"These will turn out industry-ready students and ensure hundred per cent placement," Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who chaired a meeting of the Technical Education department here on Thursday, said.

"A new scheme is also being prepared for the meritorious but poor students desirous of getting education in private technical institutes of their choice. Under the scheme, 50 per cent fees would be reimbursed by the state government while the remaining 50 per cent would be contributed by the institute under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)," a spokesperson said here.

Khattar directed officers of the department to invite reputed industrial houses to run these polytechnics by forming societies.

"While the state government would make available infrastructure and building, the polytechnics would be run by these societies," the spokesperson said.

"The chairman of the society would be from the industrial house and to ensure participation of the Panchayati Raj institutions, chairmen of zila parishads concerned would be made members. Grant-in-aid would also be provided by the state government to these polytechnics as required," added the spokesperson.

The Haryana government is setting up 13 new polytechnics in Haryana of which six would be run by the state government and the remaining would be managed by such societies.

"These polytechnics include government polytechnics at Indri and Malab (Nuh), Government Polytechnic Mandkola in district Palwal, Government Polytechnic Chhapar (Bhiwani), Government Polytechnic Nanakpur (Panchkula), Government Polytechnic Dhamlawas (Rewari) and Government Polytechnic Sector-26, Panchkula," the spokesperson added.

Haryana has a large presence of industry, IT (information technology) and software sectors and the corporate sector near national capital Delhi. Most of this is concentrated in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Panipat, Sonipat, Rohtak and Jhajjar.
Davos, Jan 19 : Describing Kashmir as the unfinished agenda of Partition, Pakistan's ex-army chief General Raheel Sharif on Thursday said normalcy will return to the region only after the long-standing dispute is resolved.

The former army chief made these remarks while addressing the "Pakistan Breakfast" event on the sidelines of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in this Swiss mountaintop city.

The session was arranged by the Pathfinder Group of Pakistan in its efforts to promote the country at the forum which is attended by the world's leading political and business personalities.

Raheel Sharif stressed that the Kashmir issue should be resolved according to the aspirations of the people and resolutions of the United Nations to achieve durable peace in South Asia. "Pakistan needs peace but the core issue is Kashmir, which has to be resolved first," he said.

The restive Himalayan region suffered a rise in violence last year after the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani on July 8. Jammu and Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but both claim it in full.

In reply to a question whether peace and economic prosperity could be achieved in South Asia without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, the former chief of the Pakistan Army said: "There are three words to explain how to move forward and these are Kashmir, Kashmir and Kashmir."
CLEARWATER, Fla., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On February 18th, the Haitian Mission Par La Foi is holding their Raise the Roof Haitian themed event in the Fort Harrisons Crystal Ballroom. They will be raising funds to put a roof over their orphanages school.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/14bcaa5f-9d46-440a-8662-5ff74d9cdeee

The Haitian Mission Par La Foi is a non-profit organization organized and run by Ms. Marlene Berthelot, Haiti native. They take care of 25 children in their orphanage and educate them in their school in Haiti.

While in Florida, I got connected with the Scientology Volunteer Ministers and I knew that our partnership would go a long way, said Ms. Berthelot. Then I found out about using the Fort Harrisons facilities for a fundraiser for my organization and I just had to take that opportunity.

The Raise the Roof event will begin with an introduction from Ms. Glendy Goodsell, Executive Director of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Florida.

Brian Ward, President for the Volunteer Ministers, will describe the Volunteer Minister Tools for Life, specifically the section on the Study Technology.

The Scientology Tools for Life provides workable solutions to everyday problems. One of those is a technology on how to study, developed by L. Rob Hubbard, Founder of Scientology, said Mr. Ward. This information is available on our website at no cost.

Ms. Berthelot will talk about the orphanage and her 25 children. She will explain that the school is in need of a roof and encourage the guests to make a donation to put it there.

For more information or to attend the event, please call the Scientology Volunteer Minister Center at (727) 467-6965.

The Fort Harrison Religious Retreat:

Since its construction in 1927, the Fort Harrison has been the home for many community events and charitable organizations. The Fort Harrisons current owner, the Church of Scientology, has hosted over 500 community events there since a top-to-bottom restoration in 2009. The Scientology religion was founded by humanitarian and philosopher, L. Ron Hubbard, and incorporated in 1954. To learn more, visit www.scientology-fso.org.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : A court here on Thursday extended till January 24 the police custody of suspected KCP (Poirei Meitei) militant Khoirom Ranjit.

Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh allowed Delhi Police to quiz Ranjit for five more days after he was presented in court following the expiry of his seven-day police remand.

Delhi Police sought extended custody of Ranjit, allegedly a Commander-in-Chief of the militant outfit, and told the court that he was trying to set up a terror base here and planning terror strikes.

The police said his custodial interrogation will help unearth the entire conspiracy.

The court also sent Ranjit's accomplice Pukhrihongbamibomcha to five-day police custody after he was presented before it on a transit remand.

According to police, Inugbamsanatombi Devi and Ranjit were arrested last week from Mayur Vihar in east Delhi, while Pukhrihongbamibomcha was arrested from Manipur on the basis of information provided by Ranjit.

Devi is undergoing judicial custody till January 31.

The accused were allegedly involved in terror activities and running an extortion network.
Ranchi, Jan 19 : Four legislators belonging to two opposition parties in Jharkhand were suspended on Thursday till March 31 for indiscipline in the house.

The four legislators who have been suspended include Amit Mahto, Polush Soren, Shashi Bhushan Samad of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Irfan Ansari of Congress.

The Disciplinary Committee of the Jharkhand assembly moved the proposal regarding the suspensions on Thursday which was passed by voice vote.

Satyendra Nath Tiwari, a BJP legislator and head of the Disciplinary Committee, submitted the report in the house.

Jitu Charan Naik, a BJP legislator, had complained against these legislator regarding a November 23, 2016 incident in the assembly.

The legislators are accused of standing on the reporting table and spraying foam on the speaker when Chief Minister Raghubar Das had tabled amendments in two land acts.

The amendments were passed by voice vote.

The winter session was washed away due to protests over the Raghubar Das government's move to amend two land acts -- Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act (SPT).

The amendments were passed by voice vote in the winter session of the state assembly despite stiff opposition from opposition parties. After amendments in both the acts, the agricultural land could be used for non agricultural purposes.

The entire opposition had come to the well of the house on November 23 last to protest the amendments.
Patna, Jan 19 : At least three Jain pilgrims were killed and four injured by a speeding truck in Gaya district of Bihar on Thursday, police said.

A speeding truck hit a group of Jain pilgrims, who were walking on the side of the Grand Trunk road on the way to Gaya from Jharkhand, near Bhadiya village under the jurisdiction of Barachatti police station, a district police official said.

"Two Jain pilgrims died on the spot and one succumbed to injuries at the hospital," police said.

The injured pilgrims have been admitted in a hospital in Gaya, about 100 km from Patna.

The driver of the truck fled after the incident.

Police have lodged a case.
Kathmandu, Jan 19 : In an effort to impart growth to Nepal's agricultural sector through enhanced facilities, India has assisted the Himalayan nation install 2,700 shallow tubewells to meet irrigation needs in the Terai region.

Nepal's Minister for Irrigation Dipak Giri and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae on Thursday inaugurated the Nepal-Bharat Maitri Irrigation Project under which New Delhi gave an NRs 256.72 million (1 INR 1.60 NR) grant to Kathmandu for procurement and installation of pumps for 2,700 shallow tubewells (STWs) in 12 Teraian districts.

The project has been implemented in Saptari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara, Parsa, Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Dang, Kailali and Kanchanpur districts, an Indian embassy statement here said.

The implementation of the programme was started in January 2015 and completed in December 2016, as per the scheduled completion period of two years.

The installation of shallow tubewells in the Terai has already begun benefiting the farmers who earlier depended on rainwater for irrigation.

"Now, all-season irrigation facility is available to the farmers in these districts and this is expected to irrigate about 8,100 hectares of land.

"The project is helping in lifting the socio-economic status of a large number of farmer households by augmenting the production of wheat, rice and seasonal fruits and vegetables," the embassy said.

Recognising the potential for growth in the agriculture sector of Nepal with enhanced facilities, the Indian government has in the past extended financial assistance for installation of Deep Tubewells (DTWs) and Shallow Tubewells in various parts of the Terai region.

India has earlier installed 1,000 STWs in Dhanusha and Mahottari districts that enabled irrigation of 3,000 hectares of arable land. Similarly, 22 DTWs in four Terai districts were installed in 2008, benefiting around 1,100 farming households by ensuring irrigation in 880 hectares of land.

Likewise, 350 STWs have been installed in Siraha district with financial assistance of the Indian government, benefiting about 950 households by facilitating irrigation of 1,050 hectares of land.

The multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme has been contributing to the development of Nepal in the form of various large and small development projects, said the embassy.

These development projects, mainly in the sectors of education, health and infrastructure development, have been undertaken in response to the local needs and in partnership with the Nepal government to support socio-economic development of the country, it added.
Bhubaneswar, Jan 19 : Turkey has expressed interest in Odisha in several sectors including tourism, infrastructure and social housing, an official announced on Thursday.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Arda Ulutas, the Consul General of Turkey in Hyderabad, held a discussion here to harness investment potentials in the state.

"Glad to discuss investments from #Turkey in tourism and infrastructure sectors of #Odisha with Arda Ulutas, Consul General of Turkey," tweeted Patnaik.

"I told the Chief Minister we are ready to start and to improve our relationship with the State of Odisha and we can have many common projects in the field of tourism and social housing," said Arda Ulutas.

He said a delegation from Turkey would visit Odisha to explore the potential in the state.
Kolkata, Jan 19 : British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson on Thursday held discussions in a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The discussions were held on several areas of collaboration between his country and West Bengal during the 40-minute meeting.

Johnson suggested that cycle tracks should be introduced on main roads to improve traffic and battle environmental pollution.

"If you want to improve traffic and air pollution (situation), you have to invest in low carbon transport. We had a massive reduction in number of people getting killed and injured with proper measures in place," the foreign dignitary said later.

Johnson, on a day's trip to the eastern metropolis, called on Banerjee at the state secretariat Nabanna in neighbouring Howrah district. The foreign secretary was accompanied by several other senior British officials.

Banerjee described the discussions as "excellent".

"We had an excellent round of discussions on many areas of collaboration between Britain and Bengal," she said.

Banerjee said the long term ties between the eastern state and Britain, and collaboration in sectors like industry and education figured during the deliberations.

Johnson, also a former Mayor of London, was on a visit to the city to take forward the British partnership with West Bengal and hold discussions with a cross section of Bengal society on prospects for furthering Bengal-Britain business and people-to-people partnerships.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Global terror network Islamic State mostly recruited educated Indian Muslims belonging to middle income groups, according to a confidential National Investigation Agency (NIA) data that breaks a common myth that radicalised youth are mostly impoverished illiterates.

As per analysis of the data accessed by IANS, 28 of the 52 arrested Islamic State suspects were in the age group of 18-25. Twenty were between the age of 25 and 40 years and four were above 40.

NIA officials said they were "shocked" to learn that all the arrested persons were educated and were radicalised by the recruiters of the network that has established an Islamic caliphate in its governed parts of Syria and Iraq.

The NIA data said 20 of the arrested Islamic State supporters were graduates and some even had degrees in technology or engineering.

Twelve had diplomas, four had attended school up to Class 12 and 13 were matriculates. Three even held post graduate degrees.

"Eighty per cent arrested IS accused had formal schooling while 20 per cent went to madrasa," according to the data analysis.

Nine of the arrested suspects belonged to the upper income group, 30 were from middle income group and 13 from the lower income group.

The counter-terror agency said it had filed charges and supplementary charges in six of the 12 Islamic State cases referred to it by the central government last year. It said the agency was still searching for 35 identified absconding suspects.

The agency officials said investigation was on in eight cases.

According to the data, 12 of the arrested were from Maharashtra, 10 from Hyderabad, 11 from Kerala, five from Karnataka and West Bengal each, four from Uttar Pradesh, two from Rajasthan, three from Tamil Nadu and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

It further said 50 per cent of the arrested IS sympathisers followed Ahle Hadith -- a puritannic Islamic school of thought, 30 per cent Tablighi Jamat -- a worldwide movement to preach fundamentals of Islam, and 20 per cent Deobandi -- the puritanical, revivalist Sunni Muslim movement that began in north India in 1867 and now carries a huge influence in Bangladesh, Pakistan and also parts of the United Kingdom.

The data pointed out that none of the arrested "are the followers of Barelvi" -- again a north Indian Sunni Islamic movement that believes in the synthesis of Sharia and Sufi thoughts. It also carries a lot of clout in South Asia.

The data said 15 per cent recruits were converts from Christianity or Hinduism.

On January 22 and 23 last year, the NIA conducted over two dozen raids in coordination with state police forces and other agencies across the country and till the end of the year 52 Islamic State supporters, including a foreigner, were arrested.

The agency in its chargesheets had alleged that terror sympathisers were seeking to establish an Islamist caliphate in India -- Junoodul-Khilafa-Fil-Hind -- and recruited Muslim youth to terrorism at the behest of Syria-based Shafi Armar alias Yusuf-Al-Hindi.

According to the NIA, Armar, a resident of Karnataka's Bhatkal district and a senior Islamic State leader managing India recruitment, was in touch with the accused through social media networks.

He trained them how to prepare IEDs, identify training venues and provide logistics support for terror strikes.

(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)
Mumbai, Jan 19 : As the battle for the upcoming civic elections hots up, ruling alliance partners Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are trying to upstage each other by announcing sops for Mumbaikars.

Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray revealed a wide-ranging free health cover -- to be named after Shiv Sena founder, the late Bal Thackeray -- for all citizens not covered under any government scheme.

He also unveiled plans for major concessions in property tax rates, one of the cash-cows of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

While the party will scrap property taxes for homes measuring 500 sq.ft. or a regular one bedroom-hall-kitchen flat, there will be concessions for houses measuring 500-700 sq.ft., or a regular two BHK flat, Thackeray said.

Additionally, housing societies which are implementing rain water harvesting (RWH) scheme shall get further discounts in property tax, he said.

With an earning of around Rs 10,000 crore, property tax forms a significant chunk of the revenue of the India's biggest and richest civic body.

BJP city chief Ashish Shelar countered by making his own set of announcements and said the proposal to discontinue property tax for 500 sq.ft. homes was also proposed by a BJP legislator to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Shelar promised that Mumbaikars would be exempt from coughing out the 13 per cent Road Tax until all city roads were made smooth and pothole-free. The BMC rakes in over Rs 600 crore annually on this count alone.

Assuring scrapping of water cess until every Mumbai gets round-the-clock water supply, Shelar wondered that with such a huge annual budget and deposits, what has the Shiv Sena done for the city all these years.

On his part, Thackeray assured that the sops would not entail any additional tax burden.

"The BMC has an annual budget of Rs 37,000 crore and deposits of around Rs 53,000 crore. It is financially capable of bearing these expenses for the next five years, 2017-2022," he said.

Taking a potshot at the BJP, he said that "the party would fulfil its promises on returning to power and it would not be a 'jumla' like the 'Achhe Din' poll promise".

Interestingly, the separate announcements to lure the voters came even as the two allies in the civic body, Maharashtra and the Centre, have locked horns to share the 227 seats for the February 21 BMC elections.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang on Thursday urged the central government to intervene and get halted the ongoing construction by Myanmar of a fence along the India-Myanmar border in Nagaland.

The fence, once constructed, may cut off 3,500 acres of arable land in Naga villages.

Zeliang, who met Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday also said that the movement of Nagas along both sides of the border would get adversely affected and harm their living.

"Border fencing is also not in tune with the Free Movement Regime shared by both India and Myanmar," Zeliang told Singh.

He also said that "unlike India's borders with Pakistan, people along India-Myanmar borders have been living peacefully together since time immemorial and there is no need for border fencing as far as these areas are concerned".

"The communities living on both sides of the border in these areas have very close cultural and social affinities and there are instances where people hold land on both sides of the border," Zeliang said.

According to a statement by the Nagaland government, Zeliang also told the Home Minister that the fencing would also affect the Act East policy -- which intends to improve trade and communications across the India-Myanmar border.

The statement also said that Zeliang was told the Union Home Ministry has already written to the External Affairs Ministry to take up with the Myanmar government not to proceed with border fencing on their side.

The construction of border fencing from border pillar number 139 to 146 along the India-Myanmar border would affect mostly the Khiamniungan Naga tribe -- numbering over 3,000 -- and their 3,500 acres of cultivable land.

Earlier, a delegation from the Eastern Naga People's Organisation (ENPO) and the India-Myanmar border village council approached the home and defence ministries to halt the fence construction.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : More blue collar workers travelled on Emigration Check Required (ECR) passports from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar under the government's eMigrate system than any other state in the country last year, a senior official said on Thursday.

While Uttar Pradesh accounted for 30 per cent of such workers to emigrate to the 18 ECR countries in 2016, Bihar accounted for 15 per cent, Protector General of Emigrants (PGE) M.C. Luther told the media here while giving an update of the eMigrate system.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala, traditionally seen as the main source states of such workers, accounted for 7 per cent and 6 per cent respectively last year.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait are the preferred destinations of these workers, according to Luther.

Asked what was the reason for the numbers going up in the northern states while going down in the southern states, Luther said that one of the major reasons was job availability in the state concerned.

"Nobody wants to travel abroad if he has got a job next door," he said.

"Number two, it is also related to drought... We have tracked the top 10 labour-sending districts and what is the pattern."

According to the PGE, the pattern coincides with drought.

"Because with drought, there is no job in agriculture or industry, so they leave for a place to earn their livelihood to support their families. So, it is co-related," he said.

As of December 2016, around 1.5 million emigration clearances have been granted under the eMigrate system.

The eMigrate system was rolled out by the government in May 2014 to regulate emigration for overseas employment.

Among other features, it allows tracking of emigrants country-wise and reach out to them when in need, preventing the activities of illegal recruiting agents, rescue or repatriate emigrants in distress, registration of stakeholders (employer, recruiting agent and employee) and swift and online grievances redressal system.

According to Luther, 89,930 employers from the 18 ECR countries are registered with the government.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Uniserve Communications Corporation (the Company) wishes to announce that at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for January 19, 2017, each of Messrs. Nicholas Jeffery, Hashim Mitha, Earnest C. Beaudin, Michael C. Scholz, Walter Schultz, Kelly Walker and Thorsten Gutsche will stand for election to act as Directors of the Company as approved by its Shareholders for the ensuing year. Mr. Albert Lim, the former Interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company, will not stand for relection as a Director. At this time, the Company wishes to thank Mr. Lim for his contribution to the Company since his joining the Board in July of 2014, and wishes him every success in his future endeavours.



The new addition to the Board is Mr. Nicholas Jeffery who currently resides in London, England. Mr. Jeffery is currently the Director of Data Centre Solutions CBRE and is responsible for client NPD and migration strategies as well as Smart City Solutions. Mr. Jeffery was also the former Managing Director of PSINet Europe and part of the executive team that took the business from a circa $30m loss to $15m profit in two years. PSINet was acquired for $15m out of chapter 11 and was sold for $150m two years later to Telstra and Interroute.

The Company further wishes to announce the closing of its 35,000,000 Unit private placement at $0.05 per Unit, originally announced in its October 13, 2016 press release, the terms of which were revised pursuant to its December 19, 2016 press release. The Company further announces that it will issue the 35,000,000 Units, with each Unit consisting of one common share and one transferrable share purchase warrant, with each warrant exercisable into one additional common share of the Company at $0.05 per share during year one, and $0.06 per share during year two to the date of expiry, being January 23, 2019 (the Units) in the next few days. The proceeds derived from the 35,000,000 Unit placement will be used to satisfy the settlements disclosed in the Companys December 7, 2016 Press Release and the balance for working capital. A finders fee is payable pursuant to this placement by way of 5% cash and a brokers warrant equal to 8% of the total raised by the finder of $9,250 in cash and 296,000 in brokers warrants issued on the same terms and conditions as the Units. In addition, a finders fee will be paid to a finder of warrants only being equal to 12.5% of the total raised by that finder, of 1,037,500 warrants issued on the same terms and conditions as the Units.

In addition, the Company wishes to announce that the terms of the repricing of the 6,500,000 Warrants expiring December 2, 2017, as announced in its December 19, 2016 press release, have been further revised in that the price of the Warrants will be reduced to $0.07 per share from $0.10 and the term of exercise extended from December 2, 2017 to March 31, 2018, subject to receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval. The Company confirms that the reduction in the exercise price is to better reflect the Companys current market price and that as permitted by the TSX, the number of Warrants, as amended, to be exercised by insiders is limited to no more than 10% of the total held by insiders, distributed pro rata among those insiders holding warrants.

ABOUT UNISERVE

Uniserve Communications Corporation (TSX-V:USS) is a leader in the integration and delivery of voice and data services over multiple IP networks directly and through wholesale partnerships to businesses and retail consumers throughout western Canada.

Uniserve currently has over 13,000 active business, residential and wholesale customers combined, providing over 45,000 active services.

Uniserve offers a comprehensive portfolio of managed services ranging from data storage, disaster recovery, firewalls, application hosting and a redundant resilient network, all backed by 24/7 technical support.

This news release was prepared on behalf of the Board of Directors, which accepts full responsibility for its contents.

Learn more at www.uniserve.com or at www.sedar.com.

Michael C. Scholz

Chairman of the Board

For more information please contact Mr. Mark Stanton at 604-395-3908 or email us at mark.stanton@uniserveteam.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Management has prepared this release and no regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. The statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements. Such statements are based on managements estimates, assumptions and projections using available information. Uniserve cautions that actual financial results could differ materially from the current expectations due to a number of factors.
Kolkata, Jan 19 : President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday cautioned the media to be more alert in presentation of news taking into account differences of opinion.

The President iterated there was no place for intolerance in democracy, whether in the fourth estate or elsewhere.

Speaking at the 35th anniversary of Bengali daily "Aajkal", Mukherjee said the three elements of parliamentary democracy -- debate, discussion and dissention -- should be dealt with utmost care to avoid any turmoil.

"The media needs to be more alert in presentation of news taking into account differences of opinion," he said.

Averring that running a newspaper was a difficult task, he said handsome investment, as well as a modern mindset open to technological evolutions was needed to make it more modern.

A pictorial album and book on the president, published by "Aajkal", with another book titled "Saint Teresa", a booklet on 35 years of the daily and a book of poetry by West Bengal Governor K.N. Tripathy titled "I am the Love" were presented to Mukherjee.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : A day after it registered a preliminary inquiry against Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to probe alleged irregularities in the 'Talk to AK' campaign, the CBI on Thursday paid a surprise visit to Delhi government's advertisement department.

A team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths visited Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP) office at Delhi Secretariat and collected documents relating to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's "Talk to AK" media campaign.

"Our team visited the DIP office in Delhi Secretariat to collect some documents to probe the allegation of improprieties and violation of extent rules and regulations in award of work pertaining to the Delhi government's media campaign 'Talk to AK'," a CBI official told IANS.

Sisodia alleged that the CBI was "acting on instructions" from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who, he said, was rattled by AAP's resolve to send Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia, who it accuses of having links with international drug mafia, to jail.

"After we said we will send Punjab's druglord Bikram Majithia to jail, they (BJP) filed a CBI case against me," Sisodia said.

"Modiji, your CBI threat will not be able to protect your favourite druglord in Punjab (Bikram) Majithia. His countdown has already begun," he added.

Sisodia added that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had no political future left.

"They (BJP) are rattled as they are not winning Uttar Pradesh elections, while we are winning Punjab and Goa. That is why they are doing just anything in frustration," Sisodia said.

Challenging Modi, the Deputy Chief Minister added that he was not scared.

"Go ahead, call your CBI and arrest me. I am not scared," he tweeted.

Soon after CBI's surprise visit to DIP office, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Modi had turned the investigative agency into a "Laughing stock".

The CBI on Wednesday registered a preliminary inquiry against Sisodia and some unnamed state government officials to probe alleged irregularities in the 'Talk to AK' media campaign.

The campaign was Kejriwal's interactive session with the public, in which people could reach out to the AAP leader through social media.

Sisodia had then said that he would be expecting CBI raids at his home and office on Thursday.

"CBI team reached advertisement department of Delhi government. Modiji, I was waiting for it since morning at my home and my office," Sisodia tweeted on Thursday after the agency's surprise visit.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal claimed the CBI was scared of Sisodia.

"Today (Thursday) Manish (Sisodia) kept waiting for the CBI, but it did not turn up. Till now people used to fear CBI, but it is for the first time when CBI is fearing someone," Kejriwal tweeted.

AAP Delhi Convener Dilip Pandey also accused Prime Minister Modi of targeting the party to protect Majithia.

"Just when Kejriwal on January 17 announced April 15 as the date when Majithia will be sent to jail, Modiji got hurt and unleashed CBI after AAP leaders," Pandey told reporters.

He added that Kejriwal and AAP's popularity in Punjab was bothering Modi.

"It is because of this Modiji is using CBI to file false cases against AAP leaders and ministers.

"But AAP is going to form governments in Punjab and Goa, and we will send all those culprits in jail who are looting the public money," he added.

Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain said there was no irregularity in the "Talk to AK" programme.

Jain alleged that all the allegations were baseless. "This is deliberately being done to frame and defame the government," he added.

The CBI on Wednesday had also registered a preliminary inquiry in the appointment of Satyendar Jain's daughter Soumya Jain as adviser to the Delhi government's Mohalla Clinic project.

"If the Centre had to use CBI against Soumya and Sisodia, they could have done it six months ago or after February 4. But see the timing, it is being done in view of the Punjab elections," he said.

"They want to disrupt our campaign in Punjab and divert public attention," Jain alleged.

Both Sisodia and Jain are star campaigners in the Punjab assembly elections, where AAP is contesting against the ruling BJP-Shiromani Akali Dal combine, and the Congress.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday asked the ministry's Secretary to look into the issues raised by the newspaper industry with regard to implementation of latest wage board recommendations and proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST).

A statement issued by the Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Minister said that he has taken note of the concerns expressed by the newspaper industry reported in the media.

"If required, necessary consultations with the stakeholder ministries will also be initiated to address the issues," the statement said.

Naidu also said that he will meet the representatives of the industry for detailed discussions.

An editorial in 'The Times of India' on Thursday called for review of the wage board and removal of non-journalist staff from its ambit.

It also said that the new GST regime must ensure zero rating of newspapers, so as to fulfil its guiding principle that tax rates will be kept the same as or lower than the current levels of duty.
Chandigarh, Jan 19 : The nomination papers of 695 of the total 1,941 candidates for the February 4 assembly elections in Punjab have been rejected on various grounds, official sources said on Thursday.

"As many as 1,243 nomination papers were found valid whereas 695 papers were rejected. Three cases have been kept pending," an official spokesperson of the Chief Electoral Office said.

For the Amritsar Lok Sabha by-election, five nomination papers were rejected while 120 were valid.

As many as 1,040 nomination papers were filed on Wednesday, the last day for filing of nominations for the 117-member Punjab assembly.

The withdrawal of nominations can be done till January 21.
Kabul, Jan 19 : Afghanistan has strategic ties with the US and, under the new government, relations between Washington and Kabul will further improve, the Afghan chief presidential spokesman said on Thursday.

"Afghanistan has strategic and firm relations with the US. We are confident that Afghanistan's ties with the US will further strengthen under the new US administration," Mohammad Haroon Chakhansori told a press briefing.

In 2012, Afghan former President Hamid Karzai and outgoing US President Barack Obama signed a strategic deal in Kabul and Obama declared Afghanistan as a major non-NATO ally of the US.

Chakhansori said that Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and US President-elect Donald Trump had already discussed relations between the two countries and exchanged views on different topics during a recent telephone conversation.

On Wednesday night, Ghani and Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah offered their farewell to Obama in a phone call, the Afghan Presidential Palace said earlier on Thursday.

"President Ghani appreciated continuous cooperation of the US in the eight-year tenure of President Obama, whose strategic decisions played a key role in the fight against terrorism and development of Afghanistan," it said in a statement.

Ghani told Obama that "your role in establishing strategic relations between the two nations has founded fundamental partnerships, which will remain strong for decades. Therefore the people of Afghanistan appreciate and will always remember your leadership in this regard."

President Ghani also wished Obama and his family success in their future endeavours, the statement noted.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The government on Thursday appointed Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma as the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Verma, a 1979 batch officer of Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, was appointed to the post almost one-and-a-half months after the superannuation of previous incumbent Anil Sinha on December 2.

After Sinha's retirement, Additional Director of CBI Rakesh Asthana, a 1984 batch Gujarat cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, was handling the charge as interim Director.

Verma's appointment will be for a period of two years from the date of assumption of the charge of his office. Although he is due to retire in July, the government could give him an extension.

His appointment as the CBI director is his 24th posting in his 36-year career as a police officer.

Verma, who started his career as an Assistant Commissioner of Police (under training) in Delhi Police in December 24, 1979, was one of the front runners for the CBI Director's post and has been the Delhi Police chief for the last 11 months.

A three-member Appointment Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi selected Verma for the coveted post. The selection committee has Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Justice of India, or his nominee, as its other members.

A list of about 45 eligible IPS officers was sent to the Prime Minister's Office for consideration as the next CBI Sirector. The names of senior IPS officers Krishna Choudhary, Aruna Bahuguna and Mathur, among others, were doing the rounds as strong contenders for the top post.

One of the senior-most officers in the country, Verma was earlier the Director General of Tihar prisons from August 2014 to February 2016 and the police chief of Mizoram between July 2012 and September 2013.

He has served as the Special Commissioner of Police in Intelligence, Vigilance and Administration departments of Delhi Police.

Verma has also served as the Director General of Police in Puducherry between December 2008 and January 2011 and as the Joint and Special Commissioner of the Delhi Police Crime Branch between August 2007 and December 2008.

Verma's tenure as police chief till now has been without any controversy.

Senior police officers say though many Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs have been arrested during Verma's tenure, the ruling party has not vociferously accused him of working for his political bosses.
Kolkata, Jan 19 : President Pranab Mukherjee's convoy got stranded in a traffic bottleneck for a few minutes after it took a wrong turn on a city road on Thursday.

The President was headed to attend the 35th anniversary of the Bengali daily "Aajkal". But, instead of taking the Eastern Metropolitan bypass, the convoy drove on to the Park Circus connector.

The cars remained stranded for two-three minutes due to the clogged traffic.

However, traffic policemen on duty quickly cleared the route and the convoy resumed its journey.
Guwahati, Jan 19 : The Assam government has decided to establish a Skill City in the state, said Assam's Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship Minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary, on Thursday.

The minister added the government has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ITE Education Services, Singapore.

He said the Skill City would be a centre of excellence where different schools of trade will be introduced to cater to the students from Assam and northeastern region.

"Skill training on housekeeping, chef, bakery and confectionery will be provided by faculty members of the ITE Education Services, Singapore," he said.

The minister added that a team from the Department of Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Assam had recently visited Singapore in this regard.

"The government is expecting a team from the ITE Education Services, Singapore to visit the state in February this year to share their views and vision with the government of Assam," Patowary said.

"The skill centre will have school on creativity and designing where government is contemplating of roping in faculty members from Japan to provide training on graphic designing, film making and animation and video games also," Patowary said.

"It will also have additional schools on driving, automobile and floriculture where government is planning to bring in faculties from South Korea and Taiwan respectively. Besides, the skill city will have schools on innovation (multi-sectoral skill training) and electronics too," he added.

"The Assam government will organise a 'Skill Summit' in March this year to provide a platform for all the stakeholders in the skilling and employment sectors and to facilitate skill development training and placement programmes," he added.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : A six-year-old boy died as he accidentally fell into an open drain here, police said on Thursday.

The drain was adjacent to a park of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

The incident took place around 3 p.m. when the boy -- Danish, a resident of Malviya Nagar area in south Delhi, went to the park to play.

The boundary wall of the drain was broken at some places due to which Danish accidentally fell there, a senior police officer said.

Some children called out the people for help but Danish had already drowned.

After some efforts by the local residents, he was taken out of the drain and rushed to a hospital, the police officer said.

He was declared brought-dead on arrival and the body sent for post-mortem examination.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Reacting to the Supreme Court's ban on Jallikattu, the Congress on Thursday said it was a part of Tamil Nadu's intrinsic tradition.

The party also said people of the state have the right to preserve their traditions.

The Congress also said that the central and state government must find an amicable solution to it.

"People of Tamil Nadu have a right to preserve their culture and tradition which is intrinsic to the lifestyle and time honoured practice of Tamil Nadu. Jallikattu is a part of that intrinsic tradition," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

"A mechanism has already been put in place statutorily and administratively also to ensure that no cruelty of any nature takes place.

"Therefore it is time that the centre and Tamil Nadu government take into consideration the peaceful and dignified protest of people of Tamil Nadu particularly the youth and farmers," he added.

On Thursday Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam met Modi in Delhi and urged him to promulgate an ordinance.

While Modi assured support to the state government's steps, he skirted the main demand citing the matter as sub-judice.

The Congress also said that its modalities, sensitivities and mannerism would need to be worked out by the centre and state government.

"We really appreciate the dignified and peaceful manner in which people have put forward their viewpoint bereft of any violence and bereft of any sectional hatred.

So, it is time that both the governments took stock of the situation, respect the sentiment of people of Tamil Nadu on Jallikattu and found an amicable solution," said Surjewala.

The ongoing massive protests in support of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu looks set to intensify with train blockades, worker strikes and continuing student protests state wide.

The trigger for the stir to intensify was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the demand to promulgate an ordinance enabling the holding of the traditional bull-taming sport citing the matter as sub-judice.
CLEARWATER, Fla., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Saturday the 7th of January, The Way to Happiness Association of Tampa Bay, a group inspired by author, humanitarian and founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, participated in a cleanup at beautiful Sand Key Beach in partnership with Keep Pinellas Beautiful. Keep Pinellas Beautiful is a non-profit organization that works with businesses, schools, neighborhood groups and local governments to keep the environment free of litter and pollution.



Clearwater beaches topped the list of TripAdvisors Top Beaches in 2016. Clearwater is a beautiful town and its beaches are the best in the world. We feel a responsibility to maintain that standard in keeping with the precept from The Way to Happiness: Safeguard and Improve Your Environment, said Tanja Cranton, the Executive Director of The Way to Happiness Association of Tampa Bay.

The Way to Happiness is a common sense moral guide written by L. Ron Hubbard. The Way to Happiness is available in 112 languages, with some 115 million copies distributed in 186 nations. The campaign to distribute the book has been embraced by more than 257,000 groups and individuals. It holds the Guinness World Record as the single most-translated nonreligious book and fills the moral vacuum in an increasingly materialistic society.
Accra, Jan 20 : Ghana is prepared to join forces with India and all other stake-holders to fight terrorism and its associated violence around the globe, Foreign Minister-designate Shirley Ayorkor Botchway has said.

Opening a two-day conference by Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) on 'Indian-West Africa Partnership for Enhancing Security, Development and Growth,' she commended India for the successful partnership it had created with West African countries and pledged the county's support to cooperate with India "and all other stake-holders in combating terrorism and other kinds of violence, not only in West Africa, but the world at large'.

Botchway said India continues to invest in West Africa despite the insecurity problems facing the region.

She also said time has come for more cooperation to create the stability required for the right atmosphere to support more investment to bring about development.

She drew a link between security and development and said, "there can be no development without security", adding that, lack of security inhibits investor confidence and consequently derails economic growth and development.

Botchway said though many African countries were experiencing growth, there was still a long way to go in translating these achievements into sustainable development and creating employment opportunities because majority of the region's teeming youth have become "vulnerable targets of extremist groups".

"The rising threats of global terrorism and the presence of groups like Boko Haram and the Arab Maghreb in some parts of the sub-region means that, more than ever, we need to address security challenges, abject poverty and the lack of development, protection in the course of these efforts, basic civil and human rights," she said.

She commended India for the growth in trade with West Africa and described the financial support for projects across the region especially Ghana, clearly presents India as "a strategic partner," adding that, the consistent and impressive cooperation with the trade sector needs to be extended to other areas of cooperation, such as human resource development, agricultural cooperation, energy generation and the fight against terrorism.

Indian High Commissioner, Birender Singh Yardav said the choice of Ghana for the conference was because of the country has lived to its image as a "beacon of strong and robust democracy not only in West Africa but the entire African continent".

Yardav said India's relationship with West Africa has resulted in a partnership that has developed a trading relationship that led to the growth in trade with the region accounting for approximately, 40 per cent of India's trade with the entire African continent worth $72 billion.

He was hopeful that the conference would examine the "challenges confronting the implementation of agreed frameworks and find out ways to resolve the obstacles impending the faster implementation of agreed upon agenda of the two sides".

The deputy director ICWA, Ajaneesh Kumar said India had provided several opportunities to African countries and mentioned the importation of pulses from Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi as some of the agricultural gains that farmers in West Africa could replicate.

(Francis Kokutse can be contacted at francis.k@ians.in )
Bengaluru, Jan 20 : Two persons, including a Yemen national, were arrested for allegedly molesting a woman at a pub in the city last week, police said on Thursday.

"The accused -- Ricky alias T. Uttappa and Ayub Ali, a Yemeni -- were arrested on Wednesday after the victim filed a complaint on January 15 that she was groped and molested on January 13 night outside a pub on Brigade Road in the city centre," Additional Commissioner of Police Hemant Nimbalkar told reporters here.

The case was registered at the Banaswadi police station under sections 354 and 273 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

"During the investigation, we have seen a video footage of the incident from the CCTV camera installed at the pub. We traced and identified the culprits, who confessed to have hugged and kissed the victim," said Nimbalkar.

The victim, however, admitted that she had a drink at the pub and was drowsy when the duo had accosted her.

"The accused have also confessed to have picked up the victim from the pub and dropped her in the city's eastern suburb where she resides on that night in their car but drove away when she started screaming," recalled Nimbalkar.

Police also seized the car the accused used in the incident.
New Delhi, Jan 20 : Uttarakhand Congress on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the State Election Commission requesting it to postpone the Annual Combined Commanders' Conference to be held in Dehradun.

The Conference will also be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

The party also said that the conference should not be held during elections as it will have impact on the polls in the state.

"On January 21, an Annual Combined Commanders Conference is being organised in Dehradun. Both Prime Minister and Defence Minister will be present in this conference. This is being publicised politically as well," said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat while briefing media persons.

"We have given a memorandum to the State Election Commission. We have requested that the conference not be held during the election time. This conference can be held after February 15. They will be most welcome then," he added.

Rawat further said: "The BJP in Uttarakhand have made it clear that they are contesting this election in prime minister's name. The Commanders Conference will be widely publicised, as it has the PM's participation. This can impact the elections."

The Congress also said this is like denying a level playing field. "This is against the directives of the Election Commission. The PM is participating in this conference to take political advantage," said Rawat.

"According to media reports, this conference was to be held at the China border, Sikkim. Then why is it being held in Dehradun? Commanders conference is a show of strength. It should happen in operational areas. It should happen in Pathankot," he added.
Dakar, Jan 20 : Adama Barrow was sworn as Gambian President on Thursday at the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, capital of Senegal.

Barrow, who officially became the third head of state of his country, after Dawda Jawara (1970-1994), and Yahya Jammah, in power since 1994 through a coup d'etat, was sworn in in front of Sheriff Tambedou, President of the Gambia Bar, Xinhua news agency reported.

Senegalese Prime Minister Mahammed Dionne, foreign ambassadors to Senegal and officials from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) attended the ceremony.

A candidate of the coalition of seven opposition parties, Barrow, staying in Dakar since Saturday, was declared the winner of the presidential election on December 2, 2016 by the Independent Electoral Commission.

But he was unable to take over the presidential power in Banjul because his election win was recognised and then challenged by then President Yahya Jammeh, who refused to cede power to him despite the steps taken by the heads of state of the ECOWAS.

On Wednesday, a few hours before the end of Jammeh's official mandate, the National Assembly of The Gambia passed a resolution to extend his mandate by three months, exactly the period of time of a state of emergency declared by Jammeh on January 17.

The armies of Senegal and ECOWAS are positioned along the Gambian border for a possible military intervention.
Rio De Janeiro, Jan 20 : The situation inside the AlcaAuz prison, the largest in the Brazilian city of Natal, is "out of control" after the latest clash between rival groups of inmates, the Governor of Rio Grande do Norte state, Robinson Faria, admitted on Thursday.

EFE news quoted the Governor as saying that he had asked the federal government to send the armed forces on Thursday to try and halt the "war" being waged inside AlcaAuz, which was "taken over" by inmates on Saturday.

"They're setting fire to buses in reprisal for the separation of the factions in the prisons. The two bands are taking reprisals against the government. The situation is much more serious than yesterday. We need immediate help," Faria said on Thursday in remarks to local CBN radio.

The incidents at the prison began on Saturday, when 26 inmates, most of them members of the Rio Grande do Norte Crime Syndicate (SDC), were killed on the orders of the First Commando of the Capital (PCC), the two criminal organisations that are facing off.

Police on Wednesday night gained access to the prison and authorities ordered the transfer of 200 inmates in a move to end the violence, but the clashes continued on Thursday and officials admit that more prisoners were killed, although no concrete figures have been provided.

According to aerial images taken by local television stations, the prisoners are separated by a barricade fashioned of mattresses and wood in the prison yard, but a group of inmates tore part of it down and a pitched battle between the factions broke out.

Police tried to contain the violence by firing rubber bullets and tear gas from watchtowers.

Several inmates were injured and had to be removed in carts by other prisoners.

The fighting between the criminal groups spilled over into the streets of several cities in Rio Grande do Norte on Thursday morning in a wave of attacks on buses and police stations.

Faria said this week that if police entered the prison there could be a repeat of the Carandiru episode, referring to the 1992 deaths of 111 prisoners at that prison, most of them killed by police gunfire.

Now, however, the Governor has expressed confidence that the armed forces can guarantee security in the streets and the police can end the violence within AlcaAuz.
Islamabad, Jan 20 : At least four terrorists including a militant commander were killed in shoot-out with police in Sheikhupura district of Pakistan on Thursday, local Urdu media reported.

The millitant commander was identified as Rizwan alias Asif Chotu, the chief of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ), a Punjab-based banned outfit involved in carrying out sectarian attacks in the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

Police said he killed hundreds of people and had a bounty of $30,000 on his head.

Formed in early 1990s, the LeJ is considered one of the most extremist Sunni terror group of Pakistan and is accused of killing hundreds of Shia Muslims across the country since its formation.

The group was banned by former President Pervez Musharraf in 2001.

The group also claimed many sectarian attacks including bomb blasts and attacks on Shia pilgrims' buses in the country's Balochistan province over the last few years.

Another killed militant was the Chief of the LeJ in the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The terrorist Noor ul Amin had a bounty of $10,000 on his head.

Dawn News said that acting on an intelligence tip-off, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police set up a special picket to snap check vehicles carrying suspected militants on the Sheikhupura-Lahore Road in the country's east Punjab province.

The CTD officials said that seven terrorists riding four motorbikes tried to ride past the picket when the policemen signalled them to stop for checking.

The bike riders changed their route after seeing the police, and opened fire while fleeing.

Four militants were killed in the shoot-out while three managed to flee.
Islamabad, Jan 20 : Days after a series of attacks killed nearly 60 people, including five UAE diplomats in Afghanistan, Pakistan said on Thursday that increasing foothold of terrorist organisations in the country is a growing concern for not just Pakistan but other countries in the region and beyond.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria told his weekly briefing that a number of independent studies and assessments have established that the factors impeding reconciliation and stability in Afghanistan are internal to Afghanistan, Xinhua news agency reported.

To a question about remarks by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that those who were behind the recent attacks "live, operate and recruit in Pakistan," he rejected it as baseless allegations.

"The accusatory approach is unhelpful towards efforts for peace. Pakistan has suffered from the menace of terrorism and has made unparalleled sacrifices," the Pakistani spokesman said.

"We have done more than any other nation in the world in the fight against terrorism. Pakistan has highest stakes in the peace and stability in Afghanistan. No country gets affected more than Pakistan due to instability in Afghanistan," he said.

He said Pakistan remains committed to a meaningful engagement with Afghanistan to address the common challenge of terrorism, adding Pakistan is willing to extend all possible cooperation to Afghanistan, particularly for sharing the achievements and experience in the field of counter-terrorism and border management.

The Taliban had claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in Kabul and Helmand on January 11, and no group has yet claimed responsibility for the Kandahar attack on the same day, in which the diplomats were killed.
CLEARWATER, Fla., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Saturday, January 14th Elmira Terkulova, a Russian Scientologist and classical pianist, in Clearwater for Scientology Services, entertained guests from all over the U.S. and Russia at the Scientology Information Center in Downtown Clearwater.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/20c539c7-128f-4ea1-9e6e-dc7d4b3cbfbc

Ms. Terkulova not only shared her music but also challenged the audience to, Flourish and prosper and Be Competent for the New Year.

These concepts arent just words or ideas to me. I have lived them, I have benefited from them and they help push me forward. These precepts are simple and can help anyone who applies them to their lives, said Ms. Terkulova.

The precepts are covered in The Way to Happiness, a common sense moral code for better living written by humanitarian and founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard to which Ms. Terkulova attributes her success and inspiration.

My songs capture the struggle often found in life and the celebration of overcoming those challenges: Time to Act, Open Your Eyes, Soul and Beautiful Life, said Terkulova.

Ms. Terkulova was born in Russia after the fall of the Iron Curtain. As a child, she always dreamed of being a pianist and studied piano for seven years, but never had the confidence to perform. Two years ago Elmira found Scientology which she credits with giving her the confidence to perform.

The Scientology Information Center is housed in the lobby of the historic Clearwater Building. It is open daily from 10 am to 10 pm for all to learn about Scientology, the beliefs and ongoing humanitarian programs. The center includes a full biographical display of the life and legacy of L. Ron Hubbard, Scientologys Founder. It also hosts tours, and makes its conference room available to social, civic and nonprofit groups.

The Center will host monthly concerts featuring local and international artists covering classical, Broadway, and opera music. For more information, please contact Amber Skjelset, the Centers Manager, at 727-467-6966 or e-mail her at amber@cos.flag.org

To learn more, visit www.scientology-fso.org

About the Church of Scientology:

The Scientology religion was founded by humanitarian and philosopher, L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in the United States in 1954 and has expanded to more than 11,000 churches, missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 nations. Scientologists are optimistic about life and believe there is hope for a saner world and better civilization, and actively do all they can to help achieve this. Based on L. Ron Hubbards words, A community that pulls together can make a better society for all.
We are excited to be the first credit union in California to offer these products. We believe the Pre-Approval products are an industry game changer." Nader Moghaddam, CEO Financial Partners CU.

CURateReset, the provider of Loan Reset, Acquisition and Retention Software, today announced Financial Partners Credit Union has agreed to license its full suite of products. Financial Partners Credit Union, headquartered in Downey, CA, has over 77,000 members and more than $1.2 billion in assets and is the first California credit union to join the CURateReset network of credit unions. The agreement with CURateReset provides Financial Partners Credit Union with a simple, easy and attractive digital solution to retain existing loans and generate more loans.

CURateResets three primary product programs are:

Rate Reset  for Auto, Mortgage and Personal Loans:



CURateReset enables a member to reset existing loans they have with a credit union without the cost and hassle of refinancing.

Credit union selects members for program inclusion based on their internal requirements and CURateReset automates the member outreach, reset, and the closing documentation.

For the credit union, CURateReset automates loan retention so loan originators can focus on new business.

LoanGEN  for Loan Acquisition and Recapture:



Recapture member mortgages, auto loans, personal loans and credit cards at other financial institutions as well as showcase products to attract new members.

Members can design their custom auto payment and move their existing loans over to your credit union.

LoanGEN  for Pre Approval Campaigns:



Credit union selects members to receive offer, submits data to CURateReset, a personal URL or PURL is created, and inserted into an email, snail mail, or text.

Members can select the options offered, execute the required documents, and authorize the balance transfer to their new account.

Financial Partners is a very well respected and influential credit union. said Joe Brancucci, President, CURateReset. We are thrilled that they are the first Califorina credit union to join our growing network of credit unions. Offering our full suite of digital products to their members will yield positive results for the member, the credit union and the industry as a whole.

Financial Partners prides itself on delivering innovative and creative solutions to help our members save money and time. CURateResets products are a natural strategic fit as they help us deliver on our vision of building lifetime financial partnerships with our members and create even greater member value. said Nader Moghaddam, President and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Partners Credit Union. By putting the member in control, empowering them to make the best financial choice for their family and doing it all online, we can deliver an experience that sets us apart.

We are excited to be the first credit union in California to offer these products. We believe the Pre-Approval products are an industry game changer. Credit Unions that arent taking advantage of the most innovative and creative products will continue to lose ground to their competitors. added Moghaddam.

About CURateReset:

CURateReset offers award winning products that allow the member to be in control of what has historically been routine administrative tasks that are time consuming for both front line and support staff. Both Auto RateReset and Mortgage RateReset, products successfully tested and adopted in the market, allow a member to reset the term of an existing auto loan, personal loan or mortgage based on credit union criteria. The software promotes loan retention at a very low cost, and provides a member with a favorable view of the member advocacy of the credit union. The LoanGen products make it simple and fast for a credit union to acquire or recapture member automobile loans, mortgage loans, personal loans and credit cards. For more information on CURateReset visit http://www.CURateReset.com.

About Financial Partners Credit Union:

Celebrating its 80th year and headquartered in Downey, CA. Financial Partners is a full-service financial cooperative focused on delivering personal banking, home loans, wealth management services, member business loans and financial education to working adults and their families. With more than 77,000 members and over $1.2 billion in assets, Financial Partners membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Orange County, most of LA County; is employed in the healthcare industry; or is an active or retired member of the uniformed services in San Diego to San Francisco. The credit union has 18 branches from San Diego to Woodland Hills. The Credit Union has a five-star, excellent rating from Bauer Financial, received the DataTrac Great Rate award and was named Best Member Value by CUNA. Learn more at http://www.FPCU.org.

Media Contacts

Keith Kelly

Rate Reset

703.926.8626

kkelly(at)ratereset(dot)com
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LiteSheet Solutions (LiteSheet) has introduced the industrys latest darling with the BriteCor VaporTight (BVT) premium grade fixture. This gasketed fixture sits at the top of leaderboard for its energy saving and high performance abilities. LiteSheet continues to push industry standards in regard to sustainability and reducing the worlds carbon footprint. The VaporTight series is fully patented and equipped with LiteSheets AC Direct BriteCor technology that eliminates the failure prone driver found in conventional LED lighting.

LiteSheets BVT fixture has received professional industry feedback that it maximizes clean aesthetic lines and offers the greatest ease of installation and elimination of maintenance against its competitive set. The BVT has been coined as one of the most reliable VaporTight fixtures when compared against the top 5 distributors of LED lighting products. One of the key differentiators is the reduction of costs due to its mounting system and tough diffusers, providing significant installation and labor costs savings.

The BVT fixture is designed for indoor and outdoor applications that require dust and water resistance. 20% of LiteSheets existing customer base has purchased the BVT as an add on for adjacent parking garages, cold storage environments and new customers have purchased for agricultural applications and wet locations. LiteSheet has been contacted for bulk order installation within new construction and retrofitted locations because of its ETL approved AC Direct technology and DLC certification, which qualifies the fixture for energy rebates.

LiteSheets engineering team challenged standard specifications to ensure the BVTs never seen before technology creates dramatic shifts in the marketplace. As a result, the fixture provides 450,000 hours MTBF of continuous operation. The companys head of operations, Debbie Cebry, states, the BVT has solicited the most positive response that we have seen throughout the testing process for its technological advances.

The BVT continues to remain on pace with the rest of LiteSheets portfolio by offering constant lifetime output of over 120 lumens/watts. LiteSheets CEO, Roger Whyte, states that this is only the beginning of what the marketplace can expect to see from LiteSheet as it relates to LED innovation and our dynamic product roadmap that we have planned for first half 2017. Whyte has gone on record to say that, unlike our competitors, we are offering first looks to our upcoming confidential product releases to any customer that contacts our team via sales@litesheet.com.

As a result of LiteSheets extreme growth in the past 6 months, the company has recently moved into its new corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility located in Forest, Virginia. All LiteSheet products are available with warranties for up to 15 years backed by insurer Lloyds of London, fully patented and are 100% proudly manufactured in the USA.

https://www.facebook.com/Litesheet

https://twitter.com/LiteSheet

https://www.linkedin.com/company/litesheet-solutions

About LiteSheet Solutions, LLC, http://www.litesheet.com

LiteSheet Solutions, LLC, is the Adaptive AC LED Technology Company that develops and commercializes products for the commercial and industrial lighting market. The founders have combined their extensive knowledge of lighting technologies and manufacturing processes to create highly efficient lighting with reduced production costs. The result is the most economical, environmentally friendly, and sustainable LED lighting available.
Were very excited to be energizing these groups in a new and different way. Its not a traditional networking event, but its a format that makes it more memorable. We get to shoot, drink and mingle with local and Fortune 500 companies."

Not many B2B networking events offer the ability to fire a Springfield SOCOM 16 .308 Rifle and then sample bourbon, wine and locally drafted beers to break the ice, but thats exactly what the GCO Consulting Group and BOOST LLC are doing when they host Bullets, Bourbon, and Business at Silver Eagle Group shooting range in Ashburn on February 2nd.

Bullets, Bourbon, and Business is the brainchild of Scott Davidson, CEO of The GCO Consulting Group and Stephanie Alexander CEO of BOOST LLC. Davidson and Alexander, wanted to bring their contacts and clients together for a mutually beneficial evening of business networking combined with fun and came up with the formula for Bullets, Bourbon, and Business.

Its a natural thing for us, Davidson says. We work with a lot of Federal Government, Military, IT and specifically Cyber contracting companies every day, both veteran owned and civilian, and we know many of them would have mutual interests if they had a chance to sit down and talk. But we didnt want to have a traditional networking event. We wanted to bring companies together in a unique, fun atmosphere.

And what better way than with Bourbon and Bullets? Participants can shoot up to ten firearms after being trained by firearms instructors. After the shooting is completed, they can enjoy several different types of bourbon and wine provided by the great organizations such as Boulder Crest Retreat winery and many others in the ranges private room. Its networking with a different social twist where people can blow off steam, shoot rounds, and have more fun than they would at a traditional meet and greet.

Although the event is not focused on specifically on veteran owned businesses, a large portion of the 70 companies attending are veteran owned and operated. But its not just for business owners. For an added incentive Weve opened it up to veterans who are thinking about getting into business too, Davidson says.

Attending the event are well known organizations like The Veteran Success Resource Group, govmates, The American Legion, the National Veteran Small Business Coalition, and Ranger Up apparel as well as local companies like Boulder Crest Retreat, Venable LLP, Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton LLP, Nine Line Tactical, and The Constantine Group.

Were very excited to be energizing these groups in a new and different way, Alexander says. Its not a traditional networking event, but its a format that makes it more memorable. We get to shoot, drink and mingle with local and Fortune 500 companies. Who wouldnt like that?

No one apparently. The event was near fully booked within days of being announced. Bullets, Bourbon and Business will take place Feb 2 from 4:30 to 8:30 at the Silver Eagle Group shooting range in Ashburn, Virginia.

The GCO Consulting Group (formerly Vets GSA) provides proposal writing services for GSA Schedules, post award consulting support, strategic consulting services, CVE certification support, and 8A application preparation services. Find them online at http://www.govconops.com

BOOST LLC provides government compliant back-office operational support and candid business advice, combining experienced and trained professionals with the drive of entrepreneurs to enable businesses to become successful with government contracting. Find them online at http://www.boostllc.net
Rosenthal's blog is broken into two parts, the first available Thursday, January 19th and the second next Tuesday, January 24th.

Growers Supply and Ed Rosenthal announced their partnership a month ago, and today Rosenthal has released his first article on Growers Supplys greenhouse-dedicated website, GrowSpan.com. The article is broken into two parts, the first available Thursday, January 19th and the second next Tuesday, January 24th.

In his article Efficient Marijuana Cultivation: Part 1, Rosenthal will focus on the manipulation of growing cannabis and its advantages. You can read the blog here.

In Part 2, Rosenthal will touch base on the vegetative, pre-flowering stage of cannabis growing and techniques to use for increased production. After readers finish the article, theyll have a greater understanding of how to successfully grow cannabis and what GrowSpan and Growers Supply materials can help them achieve it.

Rosenthal has been deemed the Guru of Ganja for decades and has gained recognition due to his advocacy for marijuana use. His unique insight has led to an extensive publication history and millions of books sold. With substantial knowledge and experience, Rosenthal has influenced growers not just in the United States, but all over the world.

To read Part 1 of Rosenthals blog, click here. Make sure you go back to Growers Supplys blog next Tuesday to read part 2. The blog can be found at http://www.growspan.com/about-us/in-the-news/.
Zanny Minton Beddoes Discussions on the drivers of economic change in the U.S. and abroad continue to be of great interest to business executives who are closely watching what the next administrations impact will be.

Saint Marys University of Minnesota (http://www.smumn.edu) announced today that its 2017 Hendrickson Forum will feature Zanny Minton Beddoes, the first female editor-in-chief of The Economist. The Tuesday, April 25, 2017 event, Whats Next? Making Sense of a Global Economy, is presented by Saint Marys Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership. The 2017 event marks the Hendrickson Forums 10th anniversary.

Were looking forward to Minton Beddoes presentation; she brings unrivaled expertise and insights on the many factors at play in the global economy, said Audrey Kintzi, Saint Marys vice president for development and alumni relations who leads the Hendrickson Forum. Discussions on the drivers of economic change in the U.S. and abroad continue to be of great interest to business executives who are closely watching what the next administrations impact will be.

At the Hendrickson Forum, Minton Beddoes will discuss the interplay of democracy, demography, technology, energy, and government policies as the ultimate drivers of economic change. Her presentation will outline her prospects for further economic recovery, how the economy and policy will evolve, and points on why shale gas, cheap energy, and big data will be significant players.

As The Economists editor-in-chief, and former Washington editor, economics editor, and business affairs editor, Minton Beddoes delivers unmatched insights and global perspectives on the various economic elements at work in presentations that are constantly evolving along with global economic conditions and circumstances.

Her work has earned two of the highest journalist honors obtainablea 2012 Gerald Loeb Award for economic journalism and Journalist of the Year, awarded by the Wincott Foundation for financial journalism. She has also been published in Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy, has testified before Congress on the introduction of the euro, and is a member of the Research Advisory Board of the Committee for Economic Development and a trustee of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

A frequent TV and radio commentator, she is a contributor to NPRs Morning Edition, The Diane Rehm Show, and To the Point with Warren Olney. She has also appeared on shows including Real Time with Bill Maher, Charlie Rose, PBS Newshour, and Starting Point with Soledad OBrien. Minton Beddoes joined The Economist in 1994 as emerging-markets correspondent before holding her most recent position of business editor. Previously, she spent two years as an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and prior to that worked as an adviser to the Minister of Finance in Poland.

The Hendrickson Forum is a luncheon event, held on Tuesday, April 25, 11:30 a.m.1:15 p.m., with check-in and networking beginning at 11 a.m., at the Saint Marys University Center on the Saint Marys University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus on Park Avenue in Minneapolis. The event is open to the public and general admission tickets are $50 per person, which includes lunch. Advance registration is required. More information and online registration is available at: http://www.smumn.edu/HendricksonForum.

The program also includes a presentation of the Hendrickson Medal for Ethical Leadership. The recipient of that award, given by the Hendrickson Institute, will be announced at a later date.

This year marks the 10th annual Hendrickson Forumone of the universitys premier events. Minton Beddoes will join a distinguished roster of former speakers: Jon Huntsman, Jr., James Stavridis, Sheila Bair, Ian Bremmer, Sue Gardner, Jacqueline Novogratz, Dr. Marcelo Suarez-Orozco, John Howard, and John Micklethwait. While the topics have varied by year, themes have centered on ethical business leadership in our increasingly global economy.

About the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership

The Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership is an educational enterprise of Saint Marys University of Minnesota and serves as an educational and transformational resource to the community. Founded in 1994 and located in Minneapolis on the Twin Cities Campus of Saint Marys University of Minnesota, the institute serves both current and emerging leaders. It is an academic resource for Saint Marys University of Minnesota and the community, and a forum for exploration of ethical issues. As part of its mission, the institute strives to provide programs that encourage and develop ethical, globally oriented leaders, offer integrative leadership models, promote ethical principles that are practical, and infuse leaders with an appreciation of spirituality and free enterprise. For additional information, visit http://www.smumn.edu/HendricksonInstitute.

About Saint Marys University of Minnesota

Saint Marys University of Minnesota awakens, nurtures, and empowers learners to ethical lives of leadership and service. At Saint Marys, students find in every classroomwhether in person or onlinea relationship-driven, person-centered education. Through intense inquiry, students discover the truths in the world and the character within. Founded in 1912 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Saint Marys University of Minnesota enrolls 5,800 students at its residential undergraduate college in Winona and its Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs, based in Minneapolis but extending worldwide. Saint Marys offers respected and affordable programs in a variety of areas leading to bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees, as well as certificates and specialist designations. Learn more at http://www.smumn.edu.
Aston, PA: Premier Physical Therapys newest location is open at 5201 Pennell Road, Aston PA 19014. Local residents are likely familiar with the location as it was previously Hennesseys Restaurant, conveniently located on Pennell Road (route 452) in Aston, Delaware County. Premier is excited to continue and expand their quality of care throughout the Delaware Valley.

Services available at Premier Physical Therapy in Aston include:



Physical therapy  Personalized treatment plans, developed in partnership with patients, provide rehabilitation for different issues including back and neck pain, sport, work or auto injuries, muscle strains and sprains or joint replacement therapy.

Workers compensation Customized treatments to meet the needs of each case and offers work conditioning programs and workers compensation services to provide the stabilizing, strengthening, and conditioning necessary for work simulation and return-to-work.

Graston Technique Graston Technique is a soft-tissue release technique that uses six patented stainless steel instruments of different shapes and sizes to fit the body as needed. The instruments are used to detect and treat scar tissue and soft-tissue restrictions that may be contributing to a patients symptoms.

Additionally, Premier Physical Therapy will provide:



Convenient hours include early mornings and evenings. Free onsite parking.

Prompt scheduling of each initial evaluation within 24-48 hours of the patients phone call or online request.

Ongoing patient education on diagnosis, treatment plans and prescribed home-exercise programs.

Consistent communication between therapist, physician and patient regarding progress.

Premier Physical Therapy in Aston

5201 Pennell Road

Aston, PA 19014

Phone: 610-874-9710

Fax: 610-874-9723

http://www.premierortho.com

ABOUT PREMIER ORTHOPAEDICS

As a full-service orthopaedic practice, Premier can treat any orthopaedic condition. Our physicians are highly skilled individuals serving the area with a wide variety of expertise related to orthopaedic care.

No matter a patients age, Premier is dedicated to providing the highest level of care possiblefrom initial visit through rehabilitation. Whether youre in need of a consultation, surgery or therapy, Premier physicians always take the time to explain all options and create a customized treatment plan that works for you.

With more locations throughout Chester and Delaware counties than any orthopaedic provider, Premier specializes in the diagnosis and care for a wide range of orthopaedic injuries. With over 60 physicians, over 20 physician offices, 15 physical therapy locations, three MRI facilities, and two urgent care centers, everything you need is practically right in your backyard.
We are thrilled to announce this first Vib hotel, which we hope will be the first of many in Turkey and around the world, said Senior Vice President of International Operations Suzi Yoder.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of the world's first Vib hotel in the city of Antalya.

Vib  Best Westerns new hip, chic, boutique concept and lifestyle brand  re-imagines the Best Western hotel experience for todays traveler who is seeking innovation, technology integration and style with an authentic, local flavor.

Vib Antalyas stylish, inclusive and youthful spirit is reflected in the combination of contemporary design and affordable style, where communal engagement is at the center of the experience. The essence of Vib is brought to life by the technology incorporated throughout and the stylish design elements that define Vib, including signature seating, local artwork and murals.

Vib Antalya allows guests to keep moving at a high speed. It facilitates its guests connectivity in public and private. Wi-Fi, USB access, and power ports are widespread throughout, while LED mood lighting creates different ambiences and spaces.

Contemporary guest rooms, ranging from standard to suite, are outfitted with a pod style coffee maker, RFID technology Bluetooth electronic locks, art TV with LinkSinc and eConcierge technology, a signature LED lit rain showerhead and a handheld showerhead. Smart TVs in guest rooms allow for streaming on-demand content, while a customized media wall electrifies local attractions. Every bedroom makes a statement with a tribute to customization. Its where travelers can be themselves at work or at play, and an individualistic mindset is given center stage.

Vib Antalya hotel amenities include a Bistro Stop area  serving premium food and coffee, a state of the art fitness center, and gaming cabanas  offering guests reasons to stay in. There are also plenty of options for going out.

Vib Antalya delivers the ultimate urban experience. It puts a vibrant social scene right at the feet of each of its guests. Vib Antalya blends urban sensibilities with thoughtful design to encourage interaction between people and places.

We are very proud to open the first Vib Hotel in the world  as Vibs unique array of amenities meets todays traveler expectations. We are confident that this exceptional hotel will become a firm favorite among travelers to Antalya, said Mustafa Cengiz, Vice President of Guncem Turizm A.S.

We are thrilled to announce this first Vib hotel, which we hope will be the first of many in Turkey and around the world, said Senior Vice President of International Operations Suzi Yoder.

For more information on Best Western Hotels & Resorts historic year, please visit the all-new bestwestern.com.

# # #

About Best Western Hotels & Resorts:

Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers seven hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western, Best Western Plus, Best Western Premier, Executive Residency by Best Western, Vib, BW Premier Collection and GLoSM. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including nearly sixty percent of the brands North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award in 2016, Business Travel News ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western in the top three upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands for three years in a row, and Best Western receiving five consecutive Dynatrace Best of the Web gold awards for best hotel website. Best Western has also won eight AAA/CAA Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brands commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAAs 56 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Nearly 30 million travelers are members of the brands award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. Best Westerns partnerships with AAA/CAA and Harley-Davidson provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.

*Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Headquartered in International Falls, Minnesota, Rainy Lake Medical Center transitioned to utilizing Clairmont Financial Group, LLC as their group health insurance broker. The community healthcare organization, now the firms northernmost client, maintains a state-of-the-art facility and offers a broad range of services from ophthalmology to pediatric care.



Clairmont Financial Group, a full-service employee benefits firm, will provide group health insurance to Rainy Lake Medical Center. The healthcare organization, which previously maintained a traditional group insurance program, selected the firm in part because of their experience managing self-funded health insurance programs. A self-funded health plan allows organizations to maintain their own, independent health insurance as opposed to purchasing a fully-insured plan from an insurance carrier. By selecting a self-funded plan, companies are able to keep insurance costs lower by pocketing the profit margins that would typically go to an insurance carrier. Rainy Lake Medical Centers self-funded health plan will begin with the 2017 calendar year.

While Clairmont Financial Group, LLC has clients that are located nationally, Rainy Lake Medical Center is their largest account in the state of Minnesota outside of the metro area. They represent the firms continued efforts to grow their presence outside of the Twin Cities.

The partnership began with the 2016 Open Enrollment Period.
Dr. Timm Neu, general counsel, cleverbridge

cleverbridge, a provider of global subscription billing solutions, announces cleverbridge general counsel Dr. Timm Neu will present at the cologne IT summit_ 2017 to be held January 26 at the International Chamber of Commerce in Cologne, Germany. Dr. Neu will participate in the Avoiding confusion with regards to the legal aspects of increasing digitalization" panel discussion from 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Joining Dr. Neu on the panel will be Dr. Fabian Schuster, lecturer and honorary professor for IT law at the University of Cologne, and moderator Patrick Ruppert, from Lawyal Rechtsanwalte. The panel will discuss topics such as digitalization and related regulation, aiming to provide a corporate perspective on these issues for non-lawyers. One of the major independent IT industry and management congresses in Germany, the cologne IT summit_ brings together representatives from politics, business and science to address the challenges and opportunities of innovation in an increasingly digital economy.

As general counsel of cleverbridge AG, Dr. Neu focuses on international IT/IP, business and contract law. He also leads strategic and corporate legal consulting, international negotiations, and the management of the companys Legal department. With cleverbridges Legal team, he specifically ensures cleverbridges compliance with multi-national regulatory requirements and consumer protection laws affecting ecommerce purchase processes, customer approvals and terms and conditions. Finally, Dr. Neu coordinates the legal aspects of cleverbridges expansion and service diversification.

For more information on cologne IT summit_ 2017, visit http://www.cologne-it-summit.de. To learn more about cleverbridge, please contact inquiry(at)cleverbridge(dot)com or visit http://www.cleverbridge.com.

About cleverbridge

cleverbridge provides global subscription billing solutions that help companies build long-term customer relationships and grow recurring revenue streams. With its flexible, cloud-based billing and monetization platform, cleverbridge integrates seamlessly with client systems, simplifies subscription business models and delivers an optimized online customer experience. Leveraging cleverbridge expertise, technology and services, clients monetize products and services more effectively, rapidly expand their global subscriber base and maximize customer lifetime value. Headquartered in Cologne, Germany, cleverbridge has offices in Chicago, San Francisco and Tokyo. For more information, visit http://www.cleverbridge.com.
Telos Partners, LLC formally announces the launch of its unique suite of services to the life sciences industry. The company was established by Joel Batts and Kurt Burgess to address the unmet need of connecting scientific, regulatory and publication output to corporate business objectives. With decades of life science experience ranging from start-ups to large-cap environments, Telos Partners simplifies the process of earning return on scientific and regulatory investment.

The companys core offerings include scientific services, which leverage pre-clinical and clinical research planning and execution for substantiating new claims. Publication services are delivered with the conviction that peer-reviewed science is the currency by which clinician adoption, reimbursement and leading market position are earned. Regulatory services complete the suite by securing and maintaining access to key global markets. The firm leverages the relationship between these three core areas with an aim to create strong, stable business valuations.

The value proposition of Telos Partners rests on our unique service combination, but also on our extensive knowledge of life within the life sciences industry, said Batts. Weve lived and led on the same side of the fence that we will now serve, by offering clients a meaningful experience through active listening, and on-time, on-budget solutions.

Burgess added, Telos Partners was formed on the belief in value beyond the project. We are not only accountable for delivering strategy and execution with utmost care, but for delivering it in a way that creates enduring return on investment for our clients.

On January 19th, 2017, both partners will join other industry leaders to deliver a presentation on the essential role peer-reviewed publications have on the value of life sciences organizations. The event will be hosted by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS titled: Publish or Perish  Creating Value for Publications". Registration is available at the following link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/publish-or-perish-creating-value-through-publications-tickets-28952873825

About Telos Partners, LLC

Telos Partners is a group of seasoned scientific, regulatory and publication professionals who serve the life sciences industry. With decades of combined experience ranging from start-up to large-cap environments, we thrive under pressure and savor the excitement of completing mission-critical projects. For more information, please visit http://www.telospartnersllc.com/
Ocean Tomo, LLC Ocean Tomo has executed over 1000 engagements involving IP worth in excess of $10 billion.

Ocean Tomo LLC, the intellectual capital merchant banc firm, announced today that the Ocean Tomo Transactions team served as transaction advisor in the sale of three patent portfolios closing in December, 2016. Ocean Tomo represented a start-up company in the sale of Voice Over IP(VoIP) technology sale, advised a private company in the sale of medical technology and served as transaction advisor to a global public company in the sale of patents relating to digital printing technology.

James Trueman, Managing Director of Ocean Tomos Advisory Services, noted many of the assets that sold in December had broad geographic coverage, including the United States, Europe and Asia, demonstrating demand for high-quality patents and technology with significant global application.

About Ocean Tomo, LLC

Ocean Tomo, the Intellectual Capital Merchant Banc firm, provides companies with financial services related to intellectual property and intangible assets. Practice offerings include financial expert testimony, valuation, strategy consulting, investment advisory, innovation management consulting and transaction brokerage. 

Our Opinion, Management, and Advisory Services are built upon more than two decades of experience valuing intellectual property in the most rigorous of venues  State, Federal and international courts. Our financial, market and technical experts provide a unique understanding of the contributory value of proprietary innovation. This is the cornerstone of our business. This insight permeates every practice and client engagement.

Collectively, Ocean Tomo professionals have:



Executed over 1000 engagements involving IP worth in excess of $10 billion;

Successfully closed transactions where disruptive technology played a key role, with cumulative value in excess of $750 million;

Conducted over 300 valuation engagements and 500 financial damages expert testimony engagements.

Ocean Tomo assists clients  corporations, law firms, governments and institutional investors  in realizing Intellectual Capital Equity value broadly defined.
The caring climate at the school feels genuine and palpable. Bonnie Regan, parent and nominator

Saint Andrews Episcopal School is pleased to announce that it has been selected the 2017 recipient of the Project Cornerstone Asset Champions Award for Caring Middle School Climate. The Award recognizes the schools efforts to intentionally promote a more caring climate where all students are supported and empowered to achieve.

I nominated Saint Andrews for this award because in just a few months of being part of the school community, I could tell that it was a very special place. What stood out to me is the emphasis on personal relationships, and the way that students feel known, valued, and included, stated sixth grade parent and nominator Bonnie Regan of San Jose. The caring climate at the school feels genuine and palpable.

Saint Andrews Episcopal School was first reviewed and selected from all nominees by a nomination committee made up of adult and youth volunteers from the community. Following that recommendation, the Project Cornerstone staff verified the references listed in the nomination and a final selection was made.

Founded in 1961, Saint Andrews Episcopal School has long made character education a priority in its curriculum. The school adopted the CHARACTER COUNTS! curriculum more than 10 years ago to provide a common vocabulary for students from Pre-Kindergarten through middle school. The Six Pillars of Character are discussed regularly and intentionally as part of classroom experiences. Additionally, faculty members implement practices from Responsive Classroom (https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/) and Development Designs (https://originsonline.org/developmental-designs) to build social-emotional skills and to foster safe and joyful classrooms and schools where children can thrive.

I love that Project Cornerstone describes this Award as Celebrating Upstanders. That language mirrors our efforts to develop students who go beyond simply recognizing when something is wrong, but then act to make it right, said Head of School Erik Carlson. Saint Andrews has a commitment not only to academic excellence, but also to inclusivity and service. These are hallmarks of an Episcopal education.

Mr. Carlson and Middle School Head Tom Burgess will attend the Asset Champions Breakfast on March 24 at the Santa Clara Convention Center to receive the award, along with winners from other categories, such as Positive Peer Influence and Adult Role Model. The Asset Champions Breakfast has been celebrated since 2003 and has grown into a community celebration that includes approximately 1,000 community members. The breakfast will honor the individuals and organizations whose ongoing commitment to building positive relationships with young people helps make Silicon Valley a better place for young people to live and grow.

About the YMCA of Silicon Valley and Project Cornerstone

YMCA of Silicon Valley is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, YMCA of Silicon Valley serves 200,000 members and participants  regardless of age, income or background  by nurturing the potential of children and teens, improving health and well-being, and providing opportunities to give back and support our neighbors. The organization collaborates with 150 community partners and delivers programs and services at 10 health and wellness facilities, a resident camp and more than 350 school and community sites. Through public, private and government support, YMCA of Silicon Valley provides nearly $14 million each year in financial assistance and program subsidies to enrich the lives of children, adults and families who otherwise could not afford its services. For more information, visit: http://www.ymcasv.org.

Project Cornerstone, an initiative of YMCA of a Silicon Valley, is a collaborative whose mission is to build a community that values children and youth. We achieve this mission through programs that strengthen families, neighborhoods, communities, and schools, and by ensuring that young peoples needs are addressed in public policy. For more information, visit http://www.projectcornerstone.org.

About Saint Andrews Episcopal School

Founded in 1961, Saint Andrews Episcopal School is a coeducational, Pre-K through 8th grade day school. Saint Andrews offers a traditional academic program with enrichment in the areas of the studio and performing arts, physical education, Spanish, technology, character development, and community service. The school aims to educate the whole child, developing as fully as possible the intellectual, spiritual, physical, and social capacities of each student. For more information visit http://www.st-andrews.org/.
SFI developed a tactical go-to-market plan that allowed TXU (Energy) to quickly establish a presence in a newly targeted middle- market geography. They incorporated their processes and management tools into our organizational requirements.

Sales Focus Inc. (SFI), a Maryland-based sales outsourcing company, announced today that it has launched six new clients into the US market.

Over the past 20 years SFI has been recognized as the worlds leader in Intelligent Sales Outsourcing Solutions. Over the past 4 weeks SFI has launched six new clients into the US market. The new clients include: Panacea Pro, Campseekers, Contentmart, Stress Pal, Ariello, Inc. and Royal Palm Pharmacy. These new clients provide services in the Health Care, Pharmaceutical, IT, and Insurance sectors.

As the leader in providing Sales Outsourcing Solutions we have worked with some of the worlds largest organizations; however we continue to work with many small and mid-sized organizations that need a Complete Sales Solution. We do not put boundaries on our clients, they can start as large or as small as they would like in any region of the US or globe. We do both inside and outside sales, so we have a solution to fit every organization. Our goals are simple, make our clients successful, said Sales Focus, Inc. founder and CEO Tony Horwath.

Due to the expansion of its intelligent sales solutions products and programs, Sales Focus, Inc. has enjoyed three-year growth of 217% and has been the recipient of multiple honors and awards. The firm appeared on the list of Inc. 500/5000 fastest growing companies in 2012 and 2013. It was named one of the Fastest 50 by SmartCEO magazine in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, and was listed on Build 100 and Tech 2000 as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States. In 2016 Sales Focus was Awarded the Excellence Award for Client Services, Smart CEO Future 50 and Excellence Award for Recruiting.

Were proud to have the privilege of working with some of the worlds most recognized brands, such as Sprint, NRG Energy, General Electric, British Petroleum and AT&T, to name a few, said Horwath. With our continued growth and expansion into new services and new markets we continue to focus on our core commitments to our clients, Immediate Revenue Generation, Reduced Cost, Brand Protection and providing Sales Intelligence.

ABOUT SALES FOCUS, INC.

Sales Focus, Inc. is a sales solutions provider that focuses exclusively on developing dedicated sales teams for organizations that require a greater sales reach in the United States and Globally. Founded in 1998, Sales Focus Inc. pioneered the sales outsourcing industry by deploying dedicated outsourced sales teams that are recruited, trained and managed to meet each clients revenue goals. Sales Focus Inc. utilizes its S.O.L.D. process to build a sales plan, implement the plan and manage inside sales or feet-on-the-street, business-to-business sales teams that excel in client acquisition in the SMB marketplace. To discuss Sales Focus, Inc.s cost containment and profit enhancement solutions, or for more information about Sales Focus and their other innovative products, call 410-442-5600 or visit the website at http://www.SalesFocusInc.com and request a free white paper.
AGiRepair announced the opening of its new repair facility in Texas, called AGiRepair Tx, located outside the Dallas metro area. The company specializes in precision mobile device repair and is a high-volume wireless repair parts distributor.

As we continue to experience consistent growth, were always looking for new ways to improve the service we offer to customers, said John Yetsconish, Executive Director of AGiRepair. Our Texas repair facility will allow us to strategically support school districts and businesses located in the central and western part of the country. The company currently facilitates all business operations out of its 84,000 square foot state-of-the-art repair facility located in Pennsylvania.

With over a decade of experience in the technology repair industry, AGiRepair is highly recognized for its innovative and advanced technical capabilities, specializing in LCD repair. Their clientele includes over 2,500 strategic corporate partners and 1,600 educational institutions.

The company prides itself on having the repair capacity to quickly and efficiently handle high-volume repairs. With over 100+ expert technicians, all repairs are backed by a 1 year warranty, performed in Class 10,000 clean rooms, and include free inbound and outbound shipping.

###

About AGiRepair

AGiRepair is a recognized leader in the mobile device repair and wireless repair parts industry, with a steadfast commitment to offering cutting-edge technology repair solutions. For over sixteen years, some of the largest retailers, corporations, repair depots, and educational institutions have entrusted AGiRepair as their essential partner.

AGiRepair is a division of AssetGenie Incorporated; headquartered in Greensburg, Pennsylvania with additional locations in Carrollton, Texas; Hudson, Wisconsin; and Shanghai, China.

More information about AGiRepair is available at http://www.agirepair.com or by calling 888-325-5713.
Warrington-based K&M Home Enhancements, a privately held remodeler known for its unique space ideas, white-glove remodeling method, superior craftsmanship and exceptional customer service, is now Arch Signature Remodelers.

The announcement comes on the heels of a successful 2016 in which the company realized record sales growth and customer satisfaction. Arch Signature Remodelers is in contention for a Contractor of the Year (CoTY) Award for one of its 2016 projects. Arch Signature Remodelers also completed more bathroom remodels and deck construction in 2016 than any prior year. The company achieved a 90% on-budget rate and a 95% on-time project completion rate  a first in its history  and resolved all timeline overages within a day.

After reviewing the companys performance and portfolio, partners Kyle Adamczyk and Mike Stanwick, both natives of Warrington, knew their brand identity was due for an overhaul.

Were perfectionists, said Adamczyk. And our perfectionism is evident in every remodeling project were hired for. For us, its right angles, smooth surfaces, and a painless experience for the homeowner. Theres no other way to do it.

It was time our company image matched our process, Adamczyk added.

The just-revealed Arch Signature brand name was inspired by a speech given by Napoleon Bonaparte upon the groundbreaking of the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, the famous Paris monument. In Napoleons remarks, he noted that the beauty of the arch would pale in significance to the beauty which lay beyond it  a notion that Adamczyk and Stanwick realized perfectly embodied the promise of their business. The brand package includes updated sales and marketing collateral, a responsive website (http://www.ArchSignatureRemodelers.com), and a new tagline, "The Gateway to Your Dream Home."

A lot of homeowners find the remodeling process disruptive, said Stanwick. Were known for our Pain-Free Promise  and that includes guaranteeing our customers wont find dust and debris everywhere.

Arch Signature Remodelers has retained Silverdale, Pa.-based Simpatico Studios (http://www.SimpaticoStudios.com) for the rebrand and for ongoing marketing strategy. Simpatico was chosen after review of proposals from other independent consultants and Bucks County ad agencies.

To celebrate the rebrand, Arch Signature Remodelers will offer complementary whole-home cleaning for select interior remodeling projects until the end of 2017.

For more information about Arch Signature Remodelers, please visit http://www.ArchSignatureRemodelers.com.

About Arch Signature Remodelers, Inc.

Arch Signature Remodelers has served the Central Bucks area and beyond for more than a decade. Beginning as masonry contractors in 2006, founders Kyle Adamczyk and Mike Stanwick have since gone on to create some of the most distinctive residential spaces including bathrooms, kitchens, man-caves, patios and decks. The partners continue in a hands-on capacity to this day, each personally managing and guaranteeing every project. Arch Signature Remodelers holds Remodeling Specialist certifications through the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).

Learn more about Arch Signature Remodelers at http://www.ArchSignatureRemodelers.com
3D printed polymer structures containing TiO2 nanoparticles at 0, 1 and 5% by dry weight (L to R). Chemical activity of the TiO2 nanoparticles suppresses the fluorescence of the host poly polymer. Developing new ways to trap gases like carbon dioxide and hydrogen and methane will have huge implications for our environment and society

Source: STAM Headquarter Office , National Institute for Materials Science

(Tokyo, 19 January 2017) Intense interest in results demonstrating the chemical reactivity of nanocomposites in 3D printed structures on social media leads to STAM 2016 Altmetrics Award.

People (secretly, sometimes) love having control. They love to be able to design and create and build. 3D printing facilitates this kind of creative control, suggests Matthew Hartings, a researcher at the American University. With the technologies that we are developing, we are adding a 4th dimension to 3D printing: chemistry.

Despite the interest 3D printing has attracted, in chemistry so far the technique has been confined to producing structures to help research other materials and structures  such as reactionware - rather than producing structures to be studied themselves. As a chemist, printed things are kind of boring, explains Hartings. I wanted 3D printed objects to be able to do chemistry after they were printed.

Together with researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Food and Drug Administration, Hartings has demonstrated that titanium oxide nanoparticles blended into a 3D printed polymer not only enhance the mechanical properties of the structure but also the chemical properties. The Science and Technology of Advanced Materials paper reporting the results attracted so many references in mainstream and social media that it has been awarded the journals 2016 Altmetric Award. For Hartings winning the award was a gratifying indication that their research was breaking out of academia and attracting interest from non-specialists.

Chemistry with nanoparticles embedded in a 3D-printed polymer composite is possible because polymers are innately permeable. However Hartings points out that the polymer used in the reported results is not optimally suited to the kind of chemistry they are trying to support, leaving lots of room for future work.

I'm really interested in the way that our 3D printed nanocomposites can store and filter gases, says Hartings. Developing new ways to trap gases like carbon dioxide and hydrogen and methane will have huge implications for our environment and society.

Background

3D printing

3D printing describes a production process - also referred to generically as additive manufacturing. It was first invented in the 1980s as a process whereby 3D objects were produced by printing a sequence of cross-sectional layers. Subsequent contributions from different inventors around the world developing the technique, including software developments for stereolithography file formats as well as hardware enhancements. Today the term also refers to printed plastic extrusion processes as described by Hartings and colleagues.

3D printing has demonstrated potential in tissue engineering where structures have been seeded with living cells. However until the present work 3D printed structures were generally regarded by chemists as inert objects.

TiO2 nanoparticles

Titanium dioxide is a semiconductor that occurs with a crystalline structure in several different forms including brookite, rutile and anatase. It is photocatalytic under UV light, particularly in the anatase form. In the form of nanoparticles it has enhanced photocatalytic properties due to the increased surface area.

The polymer host

Although embedded in a composite when 3D printed in the current work, the polymer host is permeable allowing access between the titanium dioxide nanoparticles and other chemicals in the environment.

The two polymers most prevalent in 3D printing are polylactic acid and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The researchers used acrylonitrile butadiene styrene because they noticed more decomposition in the polylactic acid during extrusion. However they note that other polymers may make better hosts for future chemical applications of 3D printed structures.

Reference

Matthew R. Skorski1, Jake M. Esenther1, Zeeshan Ahmed2, Abigail E. Miller1,3 & Matthew R. Hartings1, The chemical, mechanical, and physical properties of 3D printed materials composed of TiO2-ABS nanocomposites, Science and Technology of Advanced Materials 17, 89-97 (2016).

1. Department of Chemistry, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC, 20016, USA

2. Thermodynamic Metrology Group, Sensor Science Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA

3. Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC, USA
Steve Stroker I am looking forward to my association with Red Rock Strategic Partners. Their commitment and success in helping organizations and people grow is consistent with my desire in helping others.

Red Rock Strategic Partners is pleased to announce the recent hire of Steven Stroker, who will join the Red Rock team as Senior Partner. Steve, who most recently served as Regional Director for R.W. Baird, will be leveraging his 35 years of experience and roles to help Red Rocks clients achieve their business objectives.

I am looking forward to my association with Red Rock Strategic Partners, Stroker said. Their commitment and success in helping organizations and people grow is consistent with my desire in helping others.

Matt Johnston, CEO of Red Rock said, Our organization has made a commitment to not just providing our clients with business strategy but really working side by side to drive execution and deliver change and results. To accomplish this objective, our team has to be made up of professionals who have held positions in these firms and come with a track history of experience and success. Steve brings 35 years of experience in multiple key business roles within the wealth management space. More importantly, he comes with a passion for the business and tremendous integrity. I could not be more excited for Steve to join our team.

Prior to serving as Regional Director at R.W. Baird, Steve spent nearly 25 years at Smith Barney and Morgan Stanley. Steve was a financial advisor, branch manager, complex director and regional director. He also served as Head of Professional Development for Morgan Stanley.

Steve graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Finance and Economics. He received his Masters in Management from Northwestern University Kellogg.

Red Rock Strategic Partners works with distinct markets which include financial institutions and middle market privately held firms. They are recognized as an extension of the management team focused on accelerating profitable growth, maximizing business value and addressing ongoing business and personal issues of the owners and leaders.

For more information, please contact Jessica Mobley at 706-319-7255, email jmobley(at)redrocksp(dot)com or visit the Red Rock website at http://www.redrocksp.com.
Mo & Jada hard at work. We believe a work-life balance bolsters the communities and environments we choose to live, work, recreate and thrive in. Bravo to our pack members, Ruffwear's employees, for being the difference we want to see in the world."

It started as a request from a friend. While trying to give her dog Moqui a drink during a mountain bike ride, Patrick Kruses friend Liz emptied half of her water bottle into a plastic bag and held it while the Rhodesian Ridgeback took a few slurps. Moqui then walked away panting, and Liz was left holding the bagshe couldnt set it down without losing the water and didnt want to dump what was left back into her water bottle. You need to do something about this, Liz said, challenging Patrick to develop a solution.

Twenty-two years later, Ruffwear is leading the outdoor performance dog gear category it created and has become one of the top businesses to work for in the US. Ranked #76 in Outsides Best Places to Work for 2016, as Patrick Kruse, Founder/R&D Director explains, its about passion, staying true to your core values and appreciating the bond between humans and their dogs.

Ruffwear is honored to be one of the progressive companies selected for Outside Magazines 100 Best Places to Work, said Kruse. We believe a work-life balance bolsters the communities and environments we choose to live, work, recreate and thrive in. Bravo to our pack members, Ruffwear's employees, for being the difference we want to see in the world. And thanks to Outside Magazine and its effort to shed light on the benefits that happiness brings to the success of people, and in turn, the success of business.

As one employee explained, I feel as though this company is really an extension of my family. I truly care for and respect everyone that I work with. We work hard, but we have fun, as well. Plus, we take our dogs to work - which I personally love. How can you not be happy with your fuzzy friend sitting next to you.

RUFFWEAR BRAND VALUES

Woven throughout Ruffwears Values Statements, core components show the important role of the dog at Ruffwear:



We believe dogs make us whole and that our relationship with our dogs is shaped by the adventure we sharedogs are our trail-mates, our biking buddies, our working partners and our constant companions.

We believe a happy dog is a dog outside; we find joy in sharing outdoor adventures with our companions, and sharing those adventures with our community.

We believe in protecting wild places where dogs and people play.

We believe in and support the critical role of working dogs in our society.

Along with recognizing the value that dogs bring to the Ruffwear brand, the company prioritizes time outside for employees and their dogs. With paid days off to test gear, a portion of race registration fees covered, and active involvement in organizations that protect open spaces for dogs and humans to enjoy and those that connect adoptable dogs with outdoor-loving humans, Ruffwear shows that humans and dogs are both integral to the companys success.

DOGS AT WORK

Its no surprise that dogs are central to the Ruffwear brand. And each day, a crew shows up to the office to provide assistance with product and fit testing and to contribute to a positive, low-stress work environment.

On most days, we have more dogs than people in our office; dogs of all shapes and sizes, said Ruffwear founder, Patrick Kruse. This allows us to stay focused on building gear from the dogs perspective while also keeping humans needs in mind.

At least twice a week, someone from the product team comes by and tries something on

Riggins or borrows him for a special project, said Allison Miles, Community & Events Specialist. I think he likes to feel useful when he comes to the office!

For more info on the dogs who work at Ruffwear each day, please visit the Ruffwear blog.

ABOUT RUFFWEAR

Ruffwear's mission is to build performance dog gear to enhance and inspire exploration for outdoor adventurers and their human companions. Ruffwear Performance Dog Gear combines technology, quality, fit, function, and safety to facilitate its belief that every dog is an explorer.

Ruffwear is committed to enhancing the lives of all dogs and their human companions through relationships with Best Friends Animal Society and The Conservation Alliance. Through its Ruff Adventure Dog adoption program with Best Friends, Ruffwear covers the cost of adoption fees and travel expenses for newly adopted dogs from their Kanab, Utah Sanctuary, as well as a new Ruffwear collar and leash to go home with. To date, 50 dogs have been placed in their forever homes through the program. By protecting wild places for their habitat and recreation values through membership in The Conservation Alliance, Ruffwear works to ensure there are plenty of wild, open spaces for dogs and their humans to enjoy together.

Based in Bend, Oregon, Ruffwear sells their products through specialty pet and outdoor retailers as well as at http://www.ruffwear.com. Ruffwear can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more info on this and other Ruffwear Business Unusual stories, please contact Kate Ketschek, kate(at)revolutionhousemedia(dot)com or 603-828-1050.
RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Brinks Company (NYSE:BCO), the worlds premier provider of secure logistics services, will host an Investor Day on March 2, 2017, in New York City. The company will provide an overview of its markets, operations, financial metrics and long-term goals. Presentations will be given by Doug Pertz, president and chief executive officer, Ron Domanico, executive vice-president and chief financial officer, and other senior business leaders. The presentations will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m. ET.



A live audio webcast of the meeting will be available through a link on the companys website, which is accessible via http://www.brinks.com/. Copies of the presentation and related materials will also be available on the website.

About The Brinks Company

The Brinks Company (NYSE:BCO) is the worlds premier provider of secure transportation and cash management services. For more information, please visit The Brinks Company website at www.Brinks.com or call 804-289-9709.
This new visa program makes it easy for clients to visit Belarus and work with Specific-Group in person. Visiting our development centers in Minsk and Grodno allows clients to develop great relationships with their IT team

The nation of Belarus just announced a new free 5-day visa program for travelers who fly into Minsk National Airport (MSQ). For clients of Specific-Group  one of the worlds leading outsource software development and IT companies  its the perfect opportunity to spend a full business week collaborating with developers at our brand-new offices in Minsk, staffed with Europes best software and development talent.

As a global technology provider with worldwide offices, one of Specific-Groups main challenges is connecting with clients one-on-one and giving them opportunities to interface with our talented teams of developers and executives.

This new visa program makes it easy for clients to visit Belarus and work with Specific-Group in person, said Specific-Group CEO Marco Stubits, speaking from the companys U.S. & Latin American headquarters in Miami. Visiting our development centers in Minsk and Grodno allows clients to develop great relationships with their IT team, which is invaluable. Video chat, email and phone calls are great, but nothing can replace the power of in-person collaboration.

The visa program, which aims to increase business trips and tourism by people holding regular passports, is open to foreign citizens from 80 different nations  all of Europe/the EU, Brazil, Indonesia, the U.S., Japan and others  who wish to stay in Belarus for up to five days. Learn more about the program directly from the government of Belarus.

Among Specific-Groups many services is TeamEngine  a headhunting and hosting model that guarantees smooth IT outsourcing. We recruit, hire and retain dedicated software development teams tailored to each clients particular needs. We can even organize a hiring event and interview pre-selected candidates, so when clients land in Minsk, they head straight to our office to shake hands with the most qualified candidates.

With access to top tech talent, Specific-Group is the ideal partner for building a dedicated software development team in Eastern Europe with global expertise, strong work ethic and financial flexibility. We take responsibility for staff organization, administration and infrastructure, while clients take on project and team management, so they can retain full control over scheduling and product delivery. Each clients dedicated IT development team is integrated into their corporate structure and works exclusively for their company. Our dedicated development centers give clients instant access to advanced IT infrastructure, optimized skillsets, and software technology thats perpetually refined and updated.

Clients from major global industries such as banking, education, eCommerce, property management, manufacturing, and many others rely on Specific-Group for custom software and enterprise-level application development; IT infrastructure planning, build-out and maintenance; outsourced IT staffing and management and more.

More About Specific-Group

Specific-Group was founded in 1998 as a sole proprietorship in Vienna, Austria. Since then, we opened consulting offices in several countries, like the USA (Miami), Germany (Munich, Langenfeld) and Slovakia, with development centers in Belarus (Minsk/Grodno). Specific-Group currently employs more than 200 consultants, project managers, software developers, business analysts, testers and UI/UX designers at eight locations in five countries. Our principal areas of business are custom software development, strategic skills management, project work and the creation of digital products and services. Our long-term success is due in part to our proprietary methodology  the entire company delivers IT projects aligned with a tried-and-true procedural model that seamlessly and successfully takes projects from planning to launch.

For more information, contact Specific-Group via our website or by calling 786-916-2452
CANDL Team We are excited to immerse ourselves in the Techstars program and continue to build out our hardware, software and services platform, comments Jason Talley, CTO & Co-founder of CANDL.

CANDL, Inc. will represent the Atlanta startup community at Techstars Boulder beginning at the end of January. CANDL, founded in April 2016, makes getting online while traveling internationally simple, secure, and affordable. CANDL provides a portable, state-of-the-art SIM-less Global WIFI Hotspot that business travelers and digital nomads can use to stay connected at up to 4G/LTE speeds in more than 150+ countries.

We chose CANDL because of its dynamic leadership team and their big vision for solving a large problem - the need to stay connected when traveling internationally, shares Natty Zola, Managing Director for Techstars Boulder. We were very impressed with their team, business model, and technology roadmap, and are excited to work with CANDL by bringing them into the Techstars ecosystem.

Historically, Techstars companies go on to average more than $2M raised in outside capital after the program and more than 90% of the companies who have gone through a Techstars program are either still in business or acquired since the program began in 2006. CANDL is the first hardware-based startup from Atlanta to attend a Techstars program, and will be the second Atlanta-based company to join Techstars Boulder, sharing this accomplishment with SalesLoft, which attended this prestigious program in 2012.

We are absolutely thrilled to be a part of Techstars Boulder 2017, shares CEO & Co-founder, Tom Cox. The program will give us access to a huge community of mentors, strategic partners, investors, and fellow entrepreneurs around the world. Techstars will help us accelerate our growth and build a really great company.

The Techstars Accelerator in Boulder has a history of producing some of the most exciting startups in the industry such as Digital Ocean, Sphero, SendGrid, and Revolar. Nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in the heart of Boulder, the program started in 2007 and was the first Techstars accelerator program.

We are excited to immerse ourselves in the Techstars program and continue to build out our hardware, software and services platform, comments Jason Talley, CTO & Co-founder of CANDL. Building a platform as complex as CANDLs takes a breadth of knowledge and experience that can be difficult to come by for a startup and Techstars gives us immediate access to those resources.

CANDLs mission is to Connect Global Citizens. We believe that connectivity is a fundamental human right and were finding ways to connect people when and where they need it most, adds Tom Cox. With the revenue we generate from our first product line, we can help refugees and disaster survivors around the world get connected as well."

After the completion of the Techstars program, CANDL will return to Atlanta in May and take up permanent residence at the ATDC accelerator located near Georgia Tech in Midtown.

About CANDL, Inc.

CANDL keeps international travelers connected simply, securely and affordably in 150+ countries. Our 4G/LTE Global WIFI Hotspot provides a high-speed connection to local cellular networks around the world at a fraction of the cost of roaming fees and without the hassle of dealing with SIM cards. Users can purchase a CANDL Go hotspot and pay only for the data they use, which can be used anywhere in our 150+ country footprint. No SIM cards, data limits, speed throttling, or confusing contracts. Our vision is to help connect global travelers as well as those in need. A portion of our revenue will go towards our goal of reconnecting one million displaced and disconnected refugees and disaster survivors around the world by 2021. We believe that connectivity is a fundamental human right, and being online should be available to everyone. For more information, visit http://candl.co.
Little Rock's historic Dreamland Ballroom will be hosting a CD release party for the Wildflower Revue this Saturday. The Wildflower Revue is a southern girl-group overflowing with mountain melodies, hillbilly harmonies and epic tales of sin-soaked outlaw heroines. The group echoes Patsy Cline, Emmy Lou Harris, Lucinda Williams and The Dixie Chicks. The debut CD is a premiere of ten original songs, and three covers and is described as "an homage to traditional country/folk/ Americana, with a unique and current texture all its own."

The Wildflower Revue formed in 2015 by Arkansas musical artists Amy Garland Angel, Bonnie Montgomery and Mandy McBryde (along with Nick Devlin, Bart Angel, Brent LaBeau, Geoff Robson and Jeff Coleman, Matt Stone, Steve Brauer and Richard Reynolds).

Machine Inc. is presenting this night of music and celebration with The Wildflower Revue to benefit Friends of Dreamland at the Dreamland Ballroom on Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 8:00 pm - 11:30 pm CST. The event will be held on the third floor of the Arkansas FlagandBanner.com building known as Dreamland Ballroom.

Tickets are available online at Event Brite.
Dermatology Associates We are excited to partner with the Center for Dermatology, said Geoff Wayne, CEO of Dermatology Associates. Their great reputation continues to build our market-leading presence while enhancing convenience and care for the patients of North Texas."

Dermatology Associates is pleased to announce its partnership with the Center for Dermatology and Cosmetic Laser Surgery(CD&CLS or the Center) in Plano, Texas, with additional locations throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex including McKinney, Flower Mound, and Grapevine. The well-respected group of specialists includes four board-certified physicians, five certified physician assistants, two light nurses, and one cosmetic laser specialist.

CD&CLS has won numerous awards and accolades from patients and physicians alike, including the prestigious D Magazine Best Doctors Award for 6 years in a row, Living Magazine Best Dermatology Practice, Best Place for Botox, and Most Compassionate Doctor. Comprehensive care is offered for patients of all ages, and preventative dermatology is an important foundation of care.

The collaboration between Dermatology Associates and CD&CLS will allow the highly-specialized and skilled providers to operate autonomously and make all clinical decisions, with the additional support of: management, human resources, physician recruiting, compliance, information technology, payor relations, and financial support provided by Dermatology Associates. This will allow the newest and latest findings, technologies and innovations in medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology to be available to all current and prospective patients of the practice.

Bryan Selkin, MD, Chief Medical Director of the Center, states, By partnering with Dermatology Associates, I can now spend even more time on direct patient care and clinical activities, as they assist with the administrative and managerial aspects of operating a large practice. Its a partnership that will allow me to provide care in ways that wouldnt have been possible alone, allowing many cutting edge developments in our field to be an easier reality for our patients.

We are excited to partner with the outstanding team at the Center for Dermatology, said Geoff Wayne, CEO of Dermatology Associates. Their great reputation continues to build our market-leading presence while enhancing convenience and care for the patients of North Texas. As the preeminent Texas-based dermatology practice support organization, we are uniquely positioned to offer the best experience for physicians and patients.

Ancillary services such as surgical (Mohs), phototherapy, and cosmetics will all expand as the physicians make decisions and recommendations based on clinical data and new developments in the field. Dermatology Associates will provide the infrastructure and IT support to further upgrade electronic systems to make all aspects of patient flow and care as efficient as possible.

The providers at CD&CLS have many areas of expertise and keep up to date with the newest procedures and developments in their field. Dr. Bryan Selkin graduated from the renowned Harvard University Dermatology Program as chief educational resident and won the outstanding teacher of the year award. Dr. Gilbert Selkin has extensive training in maxillofacial surgery, facial reconstruction, and the oral cavity, and offers a wide range of surgical and cosmetic procedures. Dr. Mara Dacso is one of the few dermatologists in the area who is board-certified in both dermatology and dermatopathology, giving her profound insight into various presentations of skin disease. Dr. Angel Puryear specializes in all aspects of dermatology including medical, surgical, and cosmetic procedures. Together, the interests, experience, backgrounds, and certifications of CD&CLS providers allow for outstanding collaboration and care for patients.

This partnership continues Dermatology Associates momentum of successfully aligning with high-quality, board-certified dermatologists, and further strengthens its leadership position in Texas.

If you would like more information about Dermatology Associates, or if you have any questions regarding the partnership with CD&CLS, please contact one of the team members listed below:

Dermatology Associates

Geoff Wayne

Chief Executive Officer

Geoff(at)dermatologyassociates.com

Dr. Bryan Selkin, MD

Medical Director, CD&CLS

BSelkin(at)dermatologyassociates.com

Scott Wells

Chief Development Officer

SWells(at)dermatologyassociates.com

Brent Ohlsen

Director of Corporate Development

BOhlsen(at)dermatologyassociates.com

About Dermatology Associates

Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Dermatology Associates provides comprehensive practice management services to over 80 board-certified dermatologists across more than 50 locations in Texas, Kansas and Missouri. Dermatology Associates is focused solely on supporting providers so that they can focus exclusively on delivering high-quality care to patients. By leveraging the benefits of a broad group platform, Dermatology Associates physicians are able to maintain professional autonomy while the business aspects of practice management are handled by its team of experts.

About ABRY Partners

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, ABRY Partners is an experienced and successful private equity investment firm focused on media, communications, healthcare services, insurance services, business and information services. Since its founding, ABRY has completed more than $62 billion of transactions, representing investments in more than 550 properties.
Dennis McLain, GCF CEO and President, presents the Halifax County Schools board members a check for $22,000 for washers and dryers in an effort to improve attendance.

Goodwill Community Foundation, (GCF), donated $22,372.00 to Halifax County Schools to purchase and house commercial washers and dryers at all ten schools in the district. The washer and dryer initiative is an effort to increase student attendance and engagement. By meeting this basic need of having clean clothes, Halifax County Schools recognizes that there are external factors derailing efforts to educate its students.

Many children in Halifax County Schools are missing school because they did not have clean clothes to wear and we decided something had to be done, according to Halifax County Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric Cunningham, Many of our children come from low-income homes and if money was tight, the laundry wouldnt get done at all. Some have a washer and dryer at home but the electricity was shut off.

Because of the stigma associated with the lack of cleanliness, students will miss days from school, causing them to fall farther and farther behind academically. The washer and dryer initiative is just one step toward deepening wrap around support for the student. Dignity is what its about, according to Reverend Dennis McLain, president and CEO of Goodwill Community Foundation, and cleanliness is a key component to dignity.

This donation from Goodwill Community Foundation demonstrates its commitment to Creating opportunities for a better life in the lives children. Rev. McLain said, Serving this basic need will be transformational for every single child who needs this resource. GCF commends Halifax County Schools for recognizing the needs of its students. If in some small way, as a result of this gift, a child can have some sort of dignity, we believe that Halifax County Schools can touch a life in a very extraordinary way.

The process of laundering student clothes will be customized and may vary from school to school. There will be a total of 14 sets of commercial washers and dryers purchased for the following schools: Enfield Middle School (two sets of washers/ dryers); William R. Davie Middle School (two sets of washers/dryers); Inborden Elementary School (one set washer / dryer); Pittman Elementary School (one set washer/dryer), Aurelian Springs Elementary School (one set washer/dryer); Everetts Elementary School (one set washer/dryer), Hollister Elementary School (one set of washer/dryer); Scotland Neck Elementary School ( one set washer/dryer); Northwest Halifax High School ( two sets of washers/dryers); Southeast Halifax High School (two sets of washers/dryers).

About Goodwill Community Foundation (GCF)

Goodwill Community Foundation (GCF) continues to be a leader in an era of change by providing the training required for the emerging world where technology is integrated into everyday life. The GCF Community Foundation, a Durham-based tax-exempt organization, provides employment, fresh produce and volunteer opportunities, family services for parents with children with disabilities and free accounting services to youth programs across eastern North Carolina. All GCF programs are funded through revenue generated from the value of donated items to 40 Goodwill Community Foundation stores throughout eastern North Carolina. For more information on GCF, visit http://www.GCFGlobal.org.

About Halifax County Schools

Halifax County Schools is a PK-12 school district. That consists of six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. Halifax County Schools is committed to providing appropriate educational programs that will allow all students to achieve at a high level of success. http://www.halifax.k12.nc.us.

###
Students in Michigan build solar devices for rural hospital in Africa

-- Devices have potential to save lives

Contact: Leah Twilley, GVSU University Communications, (616) 331-2221, twilleyl[at]gvsu[dot]edu

MEDIA NOTE: Video and photos of students installing the devices at the hospital are available to use: http://gvsu.edu/s/0lN

A group of graduate students at Grand Valley State University created devices that provide solar power when electricity fails at a rural hospital in Malawi. They recently made the 22-hour trip to southeastern Africa to deliver and install the devices.

Embangweni Mission Hospital is located in an area where electricity is often disconnected, and the results can be fatal. Martha Sommers, an American physician currently working in Madagascar, frequently experienced this problem when she spent time at the hospital performing emergency surgeries, like C-sections.

"When the power went out, we relied on a flashlight and we no longer had the ability to use a suction tool to clear fluid from wounds," Sommers said. "This happened many times when we were working to save a mother and her child. Many times the patient died."

To combat this problem, students in the engineering master's degree program created a portable power system for the hospital in 2012. The system was used so often that hospital staff requested more devices. Led by engineering professor Heidi Jiao, students created three Solar Suction Surgery Systems (S4) in 2016. The S4 can provide power for up to two days. Each system has five outlets: two provide light, one provides suction and two are used to charge electronics. A solar panel is connected to the charge controller which is used to control the output power.

Last fall, a Grand Valley group delivered the new devices to the hospital. Members of the group included Justin Melick, digital media developer, and engineering graduate students Sofia Fanourakis and Patrick McCarthy.

The trio spent a week at the hospital and its two remote clinics, installing the solar panels and training employees, including the hospital's only physician, Ishmael Nyirenda. He said his team uses the original power system every single day.

"Each day, there's a period of at least six hours when we don't have electricity," Nyirenda said. "We depend on power to sterilize equipment, perform surgeries and resuscitate babies and patients."

While the devices provide immediate help, Fanourakis and McCarthy are planning for the long term through data tracking. They are tracking power outages and the performance of the devices. The data will be used to help fund new devices and raise awareness about the need.

Jiao will continue to offer the solar-power system as a group project in one of her classes. "Some of our constant questions are 'How do we make this project sustainable?' and 'How can we help other areas in need?'" she said. "Malawi isn't the only area we're looking at; we want to help other underserved areas in Africa and even in the U.S."

The group partnered with a campus organization to make the system's design publicly available on a new open-source website called solaRescue (http://www.gvsu.edu/solarescue). The website was created by Teaching Through Technology (t3), a multidisciplinary group of Grand Valley alumni and students. The group encourages the use of technology to serve the global community.

For more information, visit http://www.gvsu.edu/solarescue.

About Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley State University, one of the 100 largest universities in the nation, attracts more than 25,000 students with high-quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities. Grand Valley is a comprehensive university serving students from all 83 Michigan counties and dozens of other states and foreign countries. Grand Valley offers 87 undergraduate and 37 graduate degree programs from campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids and Holland, and from centers in Muskegon, Traverse City and Detroit. The university is dedicated to individual student achievement, going beyond the traditional classroom experience, with research opportunities and business partnerships.
The Pearl Mist sets sail on its inaugural Cuban voyage. Photo by Michel Verdure.

Pearl Seas arrived today in Havana on its inaugural Cuban Cultural Voyage, making the line one of the first to travel to Cuba in the New Year. Guests will travel to Havana, Trinidad, Santiago, and more on the 10-night people to people cultural exchange that circumnavigates the island.

We are thrilled to offer guests a comprehensive Cuba itinerary and appreciate the support that we have received from the Cuban government in making such an extensive itinerary possible, says Timothy Beebe, spokesperson for Pearl Seas Cruises.

During their first day in Havana, guests may tour the city in a classic American car or visit Ernest Hemingways home, Finca Vigia. In the evening guests have the option to visit The Tropicana Club, a world-renowned cabaret or The Buena Vista Social Club at the Havana Cafe, which will feature Cuban music of the 1950s.

The entire itinerary focuses on the Cuban people says Beebe. The people-to-people exchange mission guides each experience and allows guests the opportunity to learn about Cuban culture. With an 11 day cruise focused only on Cuba, Pearl Seas itinerary will visit more places than other cruise lines to provide a truly unique experience.

This visit is the first of many for the Pearl Mist, with 11 sailings scheduled this spring and even more planned for the fall. Pearl Seas Cruises has more Cuba trips planned for 2017 than any other cruise line.

About Pearl Seas Cruises:

Pearl Seas Cruises operates cruises all over North American aboard the new 210 passenger Pearl Mist. The line focuses on providing an intimate experience and personalized service in the most unique places. Popular itineraries include the Canadian Maritimes, St. Lawrence Seaway, Great Lakes, New England and Cuba cruises. To learn more about Pearl Seas, visit http://www.pearlseascruises.com or call 800-983-7462.
Design, Build & Install HVAC Equipment "CAPS retirement plan is a priority for the business because it gives us a good shot at competing for talented employees, and because its the right thing to do", per Taylor Norris

Custom Air Products & Services, Inc. (CAPS) is a full-service heating, venting & air conditioning (HVAC) company that specializes in the design, manufacturing, installation, modification, and servicing of HVAC equipment for the industrial, commercial, off-shore and health care markets. The Houston-based business has more than 300 employees and is one of the largest privately-held, full-service HVAC companies in North America. In a recent interview with the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA), CAPS CEO Taylor Norris shared some thoughts about CAPS retirement plan and policy priorities.

PSCA: You are an advocate for CAPS 401(k) and for your employees retirement security. Why do you offer a plan and why is this important to you?

Norris: "CAPS retirement plan is a priority for the business because it gives us a good shot at competing for talented employees, and because its the right thing to do. We believe in the value of helping every one of our employees save for their own retirement because it builds confidence and creates peace-of-mind. I personally spend a lot of time promoting our 401(k) and stressing to our employees the need to save for retirement because I have witnessed first-hand the benefits of these plans. I have also witnessed a few devastating situations where employees had nothing when they retired, and it was profoundly troubling to me."

PSCA: Does your management team see a connection between an employees level of financial wellness and their productivity or engagement at work?

Norris: "Not only do we see a connection, we believe the connection is important and it is our job to show employees the path to be successful. Being prepared for an unknown future is part of that path for success, and we use our 401(k) plan to reduce employee concerns about a cloudy retirement. We dont want employees to worry about what happens to them as they approach their golden years, so we use the 401(k) to reduce the uncertainty. It also helps our productivity when we take problems off of the employees plate. It is often better to help an employee solve their personal finance problems here, because we know employees who are happy at home are more satisfied when they are at work. We believe that helping an employee save for retirement can potentially help create a stable home life for both the employees and their family. We believe the adage 1+1=3 applies here."

PSCA: In a few days, you will be in Washington, DC, for various Presidential inaugural activities. Given that one of the new administrations top priorities is tax reform, are there any concerns you have about preserving the tax-favored status of defined contribution savings plans?

Norris: "As an employer sponsoring a 401(k) plan, CAPS wants leaders in Washington to understand what our company and the PSCA are trying to do for employees. We believe the voluntary approach to retirement savings is better than forcing people to save for retirement. Forcing people to do anything seldom gets the desired result. Educating people is more likely to get them to buy in, and choose for themselves to think about and plan for their own future. We also want our representatives in Washington, DC, to understand that proposals to reduce annual savings limits or cap lifetime savings in these plans could be counter-productive. Nobody can predict the cost-of-living in the future, but its a safe bet that it will keep rising. Why would we want to go backward when future retirement needs are uncertain? We need people to save more, not less."

About Custom Air Products & Services

Custom Air Products & Services, Inc. is a full-service heating, venting & air conditioning (HVAC) company that specializes in the design, manufacturing, installation, modification, and servicing of HVAC equipment for the industrial, commercial, off-shore and health care markets. CAPS employees are committed to providing exceptional custom design and quality workmanship at competitive prices. Custom Air Products & Services currently occupies six (6) modern facilities totaling over 250,000 square feet in size. In addition to the manufacturing hub, these buildings include administrative and engineering offices, training facilities, and a parts department. CAPS services are provided to customers throughout the United States and Mexico while their manufactured products have been delivered to sites around the world. Currently CAPS has equipment operating on six (6) continents and in 52 countries.

About the Plan Sponsor Council of America

The Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) is a diverse, collaborative community of employee benefit plan sponsors, working together on behalf millions of employees to solve real problems, create positive change, and expand on the success of the employer-sponsored retirement system. With members representing employers of all sizes, we offer a forum for comprehensive dialogue. By sharing our collective knowledge and experience as plan sponsors, PSCA also serves as a resource to policymakers, the media and other stakeholders as part of our commitment to improving retirement security for millions of Americans. For more information, visit http://www.psca.org.
John Paul Gallardo, D.D.S, P.A. and William P. Lamas, D.M.D., M.S. are excited to announce that they will be hosting the next study club in Miami, FL for Dental ED on February 9th, 2017 at CIBO Wine Bar in Coral Gables, FL. The educational event will bring together some of the areas most respected professionals in restorative and general dentistry. Februarys Study Club will begin with a dinner and social hour at 6 p.m. and the presentation will begin at 7 p.m.

Once a quarter, Gallardo & Lamas host the Miami Study Club. As authorized periodontists to provide continuing education credits for other dentists, each session is led by some of dentistrys most respected educators and practitioners. A warm and cozy atmosphere at CIBO Wine Bar provides a casual time for dentists in the area to increase their knowledge in the field as well as discuss mutual cases and patients.

Regardless of the setting, anytime colleagues get together in the same room there is always something to learn, said Dr. Gallardo. I never fail to walk away without a pearl whether I am teaching or just sitting in the audience.

The Miami Study Club is part of Dental ED, an international organization bringing together a wide range of dental professionals to further their educational interests. Each session begins with an in-depth talk regarding current dental technologies, trends, and cutting-edge research. Started in 2004, Dental ED has become a leader in dentistry training, offering a variety of study clubs and courses for professionals across the globe. Each session connects with the worlds most respected educators using live, interactive-web conferencing technology.

The Miami periodontics and implant dentistry office was founded in 1994 by Dr. Gallardo. In 2004, Dr. Lamas joined Dr. Gallardo to bring patients from all over the world more than 25 years of experience in the field of implant dentistry and periodontics. Dr. Gallardo attended the University of Miami, New York University, and Boston University. Dr. Lamas is an alumnus of Barry University, the Florida College of Dentistry, and Baylor College of Dentistry-TAMUS. Both doctors are highly respected in the fields of periodontics and implant dentistry. The office offers patients same-day dental implants, sedation dentistry, the innovative All-on-4, as well as gummy smile correction and wisdom teeth removal.

Februarys Study Club will be held at the CIBO Wine Bar, located at 45 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. Dinner and social hour will begin at 6 p.m. with the presentation to follow at 7 p.m. Dental professionals attending will be awarded with 2.0 continuing education credits for their attendance. Anyone interested in attending should RSVP by contacting Amelia Gonzalez at Amelia(at)miamiperio(dot)com or calling 305.447.1447.
Mo (center) and Alisha (right) Charlo sign a Ziggi's Coffee franchise agreement with Brandon Knudsen (left), founder and president of the Colorado-based company. When researching franchise opportunities, it was important for us to find one that would have a great track record of success, provide flexibility for our family and offer a strong support system and Ziggis fit all of those requirements.

Ziggis Coffee, a quickly growing coffee shop and drive-thru franchise, announced today that it has signed another single-unit franchise agreement, which will continue to strengthen its presence in its home state of Colorado. This is the second signed agreement since the company announced it would start franchising for the first time in its 12-year history in July of last year.

Leading the companys expansion are first-time franchisees, Mo and Alisha Charlo, of Longmont, Colorado. With the desire to follow in the footsteps of entrepreneurs in their family, this husband and wife duo knew Ziggis Coffee was the perfect opportunity for them to start their own business based on the experience theyve had with the company for several years.

We grew up with Ziggis Coffee in our community and have seen the tremendous growth and success the owners, Brandon and Camrin, have had with their business model over the years, said Alisha Charlo. When researching franchise opportunities, it was important for us to find one that would have a great track record of success, provide flexibility for our family and offer a strong support system and Ziggis fit all of those requirements.

Not to mention, they have incredible sustainably-sourced coffee and the fastest and friendliest service weve ever experienced at any coffee shop, said Mo Charlo. We want to bring that same level of quality and service weve experienced with the brand to the Northern Colorado community we will be a part of.

Ziggis Coffee is currently on a fast track of growth with eight existing Colorado locations and an additional one to be built early this year. The company is excited to continue this momentum to expand the brand and add locations throughout the country both corporately-owned and franchised units in the coming months.

The Ziggis Coffee family is so excited to welcome Mo and Alisha, said Camrin Knudsen, vice president and co-founder of Ziggis Coffee. It amazes us to see our brand continue to rapidly grow and we are proud to have the opportunity to serve different communities through our franchisees.

Individuals who are interested in franchising with Ziggis Coffee can find more information at http://www.ziggiscoffee.com/franchise and are encouraged to get in touch with the Franchise Team by filling out an online inquiry form.

About Ziggis Coffee

Ziggis Coffee, the leading specialty coffee shop and drive-thru franchise, is dedicated to serving only the finest sustainably-sourced coffee, uniquely handcrafted drinks, and amazing, locally-made breakfast, lunch and snack options. Founded in 2004, the Colorado-based company is on a mission to elevate the standard of service within the coffee shop industry. From specializing in a variety of great-tasting coffee and food items to providing fast and friendly service, the Ziggis Coffee brand is focused on creating a positive experience that is faster, more authentic and convenient for the demand of consumers seeking higher-quality coffee and food options on the the go. In addition to its distinctive menu and superior service, Ziggis Coffee is also committed to making a positive difference in the local communities it serves. With eight existing Colorado locations, and additional units in development, Ziggis Coffee is positioned to quickly grow its presence in a variety of communities across the U.S. To learn more about Ziggis Coffee and its franchising opportunities, visit http://www.ziggiscoffee.com/franchise or follow Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods Helping Hungry Homes initiative, a program focused on alleviating hunger across the country, joined forces with Kroger to donate 30,000 pounds of protein to Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. The donation, which is equivalent to more than 120,000 servings, will help alleviate hunger across the Blue Ridge area, where one in ten Virginians struggle with hunger.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c98a01d5-324f-4549-bf23-efe814ae78ad

We could not serve thousands of families in need throughout our community without generous donations like this one, said Michael McKee, chief executive officer for Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Smithfields protein donation will make a significant impact on our fight against hunger, which is not only a concern during the holiday season, but throughout the year.

Representatives from Smithfield and Kroger presented the donation to Blue Ridge Area Food Bank at a local Kroger location this morning. During the event, members from all three organizations spoke to the importance of donations to the Blue Ridge area. In this community, more than 140,000 individuals are considered food insecure and one in six of those are children.

At Kroger, we are dedicated to helping all our communities grow and prosper, which is not possible without proper nutrition, said Allison McGee, spokesperson for Krogers Mid-Atlantic Division. As a national food retailer, we understand the importance of good food to our community and are proud to partner with Smithfield in a new community to provide such a large donation to Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

Smithfields donation to Blue Ridge Area Food Bank was the second donation of the 2017 Helping Hungry Homes nationwide hunger-relief tour. Throughout the annual tour, Smithfield will partner with local retailers to provide food banks with large-scale protein donations.

Smithfield is honored to partner with Kroger and provide protein to families living in the Blue Ridge area, said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. We hope this donation will inspire others to become active members in the fight against hunger.

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 45 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 Blue Ridge Area Food Bank

Founded in 1981, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is the largest organization alleviating hunger in western and central Virginia. Headquartered in Verona, VA, the Food Bank serves 25 counties and eight cities through distribution centers in Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Winchester and Verona. The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank distributes nearly 24.6 million pounds of food annually to 114,400 people each month through a network of 215 community partners  food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, schools, churches and other non-profit groups. The Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, a national food bank association that supports 200 food banks across the United States. For more information, visit www.brafb.org.

About Krogers Mid-Atlantic Division

The Mid-Atlantic Division operates 121 stores, 118 pharmacies and 92 fuel centers in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio. Headquartered in Roanoke, the Mid-Atlantic Division is dedicated to making a difference in the communities it serves by supporting hunger relief, womens health, our troops and their families, and local schools and grassroots organizations. Kroger is also a strong supporter of the Salvation Army, American Red Cross and organizations that promote the advancement of women and minorities. In 2016 Krogers charitable giving is $287 million. Fortune magazine named Kroger the most generous company in America. For more information, visit www.kroger.com.
Bridget L. Moore "I am excited about being a part of an organization that has contributed 40 years of excellence in the field of dance," says Bridget L. Moore.

The Board of Directors of Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) is pleased to announce it has selected international choreographer and Dallas native Bridget L. Moore as its new artistic director. Ms. Moore will start her new position with the 40-year old dance institution on February 1, 2017.

Ms. Moore has a long history with Dallas Black Dance Theatre and the Dallas performing arts community. She graduated from Arts Magnet High School, now Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (BTWHSPVA) in 1989 and attended The Ohio State University, graduating with a BFA in Dance, with a concentration in Choreography in 1993. Ms. Moore went on to earn a MFA in Dance from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts in 2006. Ms. Moore toured professionally with Ronald K. Brown's EVIDENCE, A Dance Company, in New York City. She later returned to Dallas to teach at her alma mater BTWHSPVA.

For the past three years, Ms. Moore served as a dance professor at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea, while crisscrossing the globe choreographing new works for dance companies. In May of 2016, a group of Ms. Moores students were featured as guest artists in DBDTs Spring Celebration, performing the world premiere of BOUND.

Ms. Moore takes over the artistic direction of DBDT from Founder Ann Williams, who is currently the artistic advisor. Ms. Williams founded the company in 1976. Since that time it has grown to be the 10th largest minority arts organization in America, the fourth largest black dance company in the nation and the oldest continuously operating professional dance company in the City of Dallas. Dallas Black Dance Theatre is a resident company of the AT&T Performing Arts Center at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre located in the Dallas Art District. During its 40-year history, DBDT has performed on five continents, in 15 countries and 31 states, including two Olympic Cultural events. Over the years, more than 4 million arts patrons and 2.6 million students, have experienced the dance company's performances and educational outreach programs. DBDT serves more than 100,000 people annually, including more than 20,000 youth in grades K-12 in Dallas-Fort Worth area schools.

DBDT Board Chairman Gilbert Gerst states, Following a year-long search, we are excited that Ms. Moore will take the artistic helm of DBDT, and we are confident that she will help Dallas Black Dance Theatre reach our highest purpose, mission and vision.

DBDT Founder Ann Williams says, Bridget is a dynamic leader who brings great experience and commitment to the art of dance. Her passion for choreographic development and her artistic knowledge will serve us well as we enter into this new era. I look forward to her effectively leading this organization.

The vitality of the arts is driven by collective experiences and communities and preserves it as part of culture. As a native of Dallas, I look forward to returning to America as the new Artistic Director of Dallas Black Dance Theatre, says Bridget L. Moore. I am excited about being a part of an organization that has contributed 40 years of excellence in the field of dance. It is my aim to honor the legacy of Dallas Black Dance Theatre and continue to move forward the vision of Mrs. Ann Williams.

This position brings Ms. Moore full circle, who credits Dallas Black Dance Theatre with kindling her interest in dance as a career. Dallas Black Dance Theatre came to my elementary school through an arts and education program. The dancers from the company taught classes once a week for a short period, explains Ms. Moore. At the time, I didnt know much about dance as an art form, but I understood how to move my body and I loved to dance. I had the opportunity to attend performances by the company through the same program, and I believe the exposure sparked my curiosity.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre Founder Ann Williams nominated Ms. Moore for the Princess Grace Foundation Choreography Fellowship Award. "I went through the application process and received a choreography fellowship from the Princess Grace Foundation in 2012. It was an honor to be acknowledged with this prestigious award, but it was equally an honor to work with a critically acclaimed company such as Dallas Black Dance Theatre," says Ms. Moore.

Ms. Moores first work for Dallas Black Dance Theatre was entitled, Southern Recollection: For Romare Bearden. Subsequently, she created another dance, entitled Unearthed, for DBDT during the Cultural Awareness series in February 2016.

Chairman Gerst adds, We are thrilled that Ms. Moore will be coming to Dallas Black Dance Theatre and we look forward to working with her and welcoming her back home to Dallas.

About Dallas Black Dance Theatre

Founded in 1976 by Ann Williams, Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) is the 10th largest minority arts organization in America, the fourth largest black dance company in the nation and the oldest continuously operating professional dance company in the City of Dallas. The mission of Dallas Black Dance Theatre is to create and produce contemporary modern dance at its highest level of artistic excellence through performances and educational programs that bridge cultures and reach diverse communities. With an ever-expanding national and global audience, the company employs a diverse, multi-ethnic troupe of dancers performing for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Located in a historic facility at the eastern end of the thriving downtown Dallas Arts District, Dallas Black Dance Theatre is a nationally and internationally recognized professional modern dance company. DBDT engages the cross-cultural community through contemporary modern dance presented from the African American experience. Dallas Black Dance Theatre is a resident company member of the AT&T Performing Arts Center  Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre located in Dallas's Art District.

During its 40-year history, Dallas Black Dance Theatre has performed on five continents, in 15 countries and 31 states, including two Olympic Cultural events. Over the years, more than 4 million arts patrons and 2.6 million students, grades K-12, have experienced the dance company's performances and educational outreach programs. DBDT serves more than 100,000 people annually, including more than 20,000 youth in grades K-12 in Dallas-Fort Worth area schools. DBDT offers community outreach services through workshops, lecture/demonstrations, master-classes, residences, mini-performances and student matinees that are designed level-specific for elementary, middle, high school and university students. Another 40,000 youth and adults are reached through local, national and international festivals, tours, special performances at universities, social service agencies, professional and corporate organizations, civic events and community venues.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre is comprised of five performing companies and its training Academy. Dallas Black Dance Theatre's professional company, DBDT, consists of 12 full-time professional dancers performing a mixed repertory of modern, jazz, African and spiritual works by national and international choreographers. DBDT: Encore! (formerly DBDT II) features eight artists of rising excellence from across the nation that support DBDT's growing local and regional educational outreach.

Dallas Black Dance Academy, the official school of Dallas Black Dance Theatre, celebrates 43 years of delivering dance instruction to a community of diverse backgrounds. Over 500 students participate weekly in 50 dance classes of ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and African at DBDT studios for ages four to adult. The academy has three performing ensembles: Allegro, DBDT's premier academy ensemble, Senior Performing Ensemble, and Junior Performing Ensemble.

For more details visit http://www.DBDT.com and http://www.dbdt.com/academy.
"The Right Place is delighted to partner with a forward-thinking company like athenahealth to make patient discharging more efficient," said Katherine Chambers, Co-Founder and CEO of The Right Place.

The Right Place, a digital health startup that enables hospitals and post-acute care providers to more quickly match and discharge patients to the right place of care, today announced that athenahealth, Inc. has become a strategic investor via its More Disruption Please (MDP) accelerator program.

"Integration and improved care coordination are important parts of athenahealth's strategy to become the healthcare internet," said Brad Shelsy, Vice President of Corporate Development at athenahealth. "We're pleased to be working with The Right Place to help post-acute providers and hospitals provide high-quality, high-value care through a more efficient bed, referral, and patient placement process."

In January 2016, athenahealth launched the More Disruption Please Innovation Challenge, an initiative that brings together healthcare entrepreneurs and innovators to build cloud-based solutions that solve hospitals' biggest pain points. After winning the 2016 Innovation Challenge, The Right Place noted a strategic alignment with athenahealth and began collaborating more closely on strategies to address gaps in care coordination through improved communication between care teams.

"The Right Place is delighted to partner with a forward-thinking company like athenahealth to make patient discharging more efficient," said Katherine Chambers, Co-Founder and CEO of The Right Place. "We estimate that 80 percent of hospitals rely on phone, email, and fax to coordinate available beds for patients needing nursing home care. With 40 percent of all hospital discharges requiring some level of post-acute care, our solution offers a significant improvement in a fraction of the time over current processes and, importantly, allows the key stakeholders to track patient outcomes through the post-acute stay."

The Right Place formally launched its bed and referral management mobile solution in November 2015 to help skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) manage bed inventory in an easy-to-use mobile application which then allows them to make smarter decisions about patient referrals. The solution is already helping more than 60 SNFs optimize their bed capacity and includes a digital bed board, paperless hospital referrals, and instant Medicare eligibility check. SNFs can also create, edit, and share referral data as a team so everyone is informed about bed availability and incoming referral details anytime, anywhere.

About The Right Place

Founded in 2013, The Right Place was started by healthcare and technology veterans committed to improving the hospital discharge and patient care coordination process in order to deliver a better patient experience, help reduce hospital readmission rates, and lower healthcare costs. The Right Place is a digital health platform that uses the cloud, mobile apps, and data analytics to provide a more fluid and efficient process for healthcare systems to match and discharge post-acute care patients to the right place of care, while creating better value, transparency, and outcomes for healthcare providers, accountable care organizations (ACOs), caregivers, and most importantly, patients. For more information, please visit http://www.therightplace.com.

About 'More Disruption Please'

Health care needs less distraction and more disruption. Through collaboration and seamless integration on an open cloud platform, More Disruption Please offers innovative solutions to help health care professionals thrive in the face of industry change and pressure.

athenahealth, through its MDP program, partners with innovators, entrepreneurs, providers, and companies that are passionate about disrupting established approaches in health care that simply aren't working, aren't good enough, or aren't advancing the industry. The MDP network brings together a community of great minds looking to improve the status quo in health care. The MDP Accelerator invests in high-potential, early-stage startups and provides resources and customer access critical to their scalability and success. The athenahealth Marketplace delivers solutions seamlessly integrated with athenaNet, enabling providers to get the most out of their care giving experience. For more information, please visit http://www.athenahealth.com/more-disruption-please/more-disruption.
We have mission-critical clients with a global footprint

Axon Global, a Cyber Strategy and Innovation company announced it is welcoming the Hon. Rene Pena, a twelve year veteran and elected prosecutor for the State of Texas District Attorneys office. He has extensive experience mapping, tracking and attributing complex financial, human trafficking and other nefarious transactions concerning U.S. and international threat actors. Combined with his private sector business experience, Mr. Pena brings a powerful set of tools and approaches to the cyber enterprise risk management sector. Further, his South Texas border experience has already become invaluable to Axon, as it executes contracts concerning the countrys Strategic Border Initiative.

Axon Global provides cyber counter-intelligence, cyber enterprise risk management services, and is recognized as a leader in its field by the Department of Homeland Security, and by the U.S. Secret Service Office of Strategic Intelligence. President & CEO, Israel Martinez states, We have mission critical clients with a global foot-print. Renes years of experience understanding complex organizations, interfacing with law enforcement, and the complexities in privacy vs. security within U.S. and internationally, will be instrumental to their success. This is not the first time weve asked him on-board over the years, its just the first time hes said yes.

Mr. Penas experience serving multiple crime-fighting committees for the State of Texas, under Governors Perry and Abott, will also be bring unique insight for Axon. Mr. Pena joins an experienced team of executives, including; a former CEO of an NYSE publicly traded company; a senior advisor to F500 directors and CEOs; A fifteen-year award winning veteran of the intelligence community; a former chief general counsel for the NSA; a cadre of experts in cybersecurity, project management, cyber-warfare specialists; and Israel Martinez, who serves as CEO. Martinez has also been supporting the President Elect Transition Team in Cyber since August.

Rene Pena further commented, Cyber security is now recognized as one of the most significant risks to national security, and cyber innovation is one of the most significant ways to mitigate those risks. Ive served the state of Texas for 12 years experiencing the front-line evolution of human trafficking and other crimes into cyber. I now look forward to serving my country at a national and international level, through the private sector  on a new front line, in cyber-crime and global cyber economic threats to our national security.

Axon Global, with offices in Dallas, Washington, D.C. and NASA Kennedy Space Center, is also recognized by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), for Exemplary Board Leadership, where they advise F100 and Global 1000 board members in Cyber Enterprise Risk Management. Since 2003 Clients cross all major industries including F500 global companies, Mid-Market Companies, private equity, academia, U.S. government allies, the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Information Systems Agency, and currently with the Department of Homeland Security Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, where they are contracted in "cybersecurity, . Control systems security, supply chain risk management...across the spectrum of security coordination... enhancing the protection of critical infrastructure and government networks and systems that are vital to National Security and the Nation's economy. Axon also serves as a sr. advisor to the American University Kogod Cyber Governance Center and the Global Institute of Cyber Security Research partnered with NASA and NATO, and the HMG Strategy Group.
Building out a world-class team in Bostons vibrant tech hub is a critical part of serving both U.S. and international customers.

Smartsheet the worlds leading SaaS platform for managing and automating collaborative work, today announced the company is opening a new Boston office, its second location after its headquarters in Bellevue, Washington. As one of the worlds fastest growing tech companies, Smartsheet currently has more than 460 employees with plans to bring on 300 new hires in 2017 to help serve its growing customer base, which includes over 65,000 brands and half of the Fortune 500.

Located in a historic building in Bostons Leather District, the new office will have the capacity for up to 140 employees focused on sales, customer success and support. Smartsheet selected Boston because, similar to the Seattle area, it has a vibrant tech scene with a strong talent pool. With a new east coast location, Smartsheet can better serve customers in eastern U.S. and European time zones. Boston-based employees will work from WeWork until the office officially opens in Q2.

Our expansion to the east coast is a direct reflection of the tremendous demand we're seeing in cloud collaboration, said Mark Mader, CEO of Smartsheet. Building out a world-class team in Bostons vibrant tech hub is a critical part of serving both U.S. and international customers.

Consistently recognized as a great place to work, Smartsheet was featured as a Highest Rated Private Cloud Company to Work For in a new list by Battery Ventures and Glassdoor released in August 2016. Employee reviews on Glassdoor also praise the passionate and accessible senior leadership, work-life balance, amazing company culture, belief in the product and top-notch talent. In addition, Smartsheet was twice recognized as one of Seattle Business Magazines 100 Best Companies to Work For, included in Deloittes Technology Fast 500 list, and named on Forbes 2016 Cloud 100, the definitive list of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world.

To view Smartsheets current job openings, visit http://www.smartsheet.com/careers.

About Smartsheet

Smartsheet is the worlds leading SaaS platform for managing and automating collaborative work. Its award-winning solutions deliver value for tens of thousands of paying customers and millions of information workers across more than 190 countries. Recently named to the Forbes Cloud 100 list of the worlds best cloud companies, customers like Cisco, Salesforce, the GSA, Google, and over half of the Fortune 500 use Smartsheet across a range of departments to launch more than 15,000 new projects and processes every day. To learn more, visit http://www.Smartsheet.com.

Smartsheet is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and as of January 2017, has 463 employees.
Applied Systems today announced that Romero Insurance Brokers Ltd. has selected Applied TAMCloud as part of its digital transformation strategy. Designed specifically for the needs of the insurance industry, the Applied Cloud will provide Romero Insurance Brokers the data security and business continuity, flexibility and scalability for optimal business performance.

Growing businesses require the flexible operations model provided by the cloud whilst not sacrificing data security and reliability, said Simon Mabb, managing director, Romero Insurance Brokers. By moving to the cloud with Applied, we can rely on the worlds largest cloud platform built specifically for the insurance industry, ensuring it supports our unique business needs, increases data security, and allows our staff to focus on selling and servicing.

Applied TAMCloud utilises Applieds leading purpose-built cloud platform and services designed for the insurance industry, providing reliable and secure delivery of software applications and anytime, anywhere access to business information. The Applied Cloud provides a flexible operating environment with scalability for business growth, stronger business continuity protection and increased mobile access to business information. Applied Clouds service team manages and maintains all hardware upgrades, Applied software updates and system testing processes, increasing brokers investment value by reducing time and expenses spent managing these processes and ensuring availability of the latest software capabilities. The Applied Cloud provides access to operations recovery, backup encryption, redundancy technology and active failover data centres, whilst maintaining 99.95 percent uptime.

The pace of business and expanded connectivity is requiring insurance brokers to increase business agility through cloud-based software, said Jeff Purdy, senior vice president of International Operations, Applied Systems. In partnering with Applied, Romero Insurance Brokers is among more than 5,000 businesses and 70,000 users across four countries whom rely on Applied Cloud to run their business.

About Applied Systems

Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognised as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the worlds largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applieds people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.
From stand up paddle boards to super yachts and everything in between, there's something for everyone at the Seattle Boat Show

The countdown is on. The 70th annual Seattle Boat Show is ready to make a splash, cruising into town on Jan. 27 and running through Feb. 4, 2017. Its the largest show on the West Coast and attracts visitors from across the country and around the globe. From stand-up paddleboards to superyachts and everything in between, it features more than 1,000 boats and yachts in two locations, three acres of the latest and greatest gadgets and gear, 400+ exhibitors, 200+ free seminars and advanced training classes for a fee. Theres also tons of fun to be had at the show. Highlights this year include:

UncorkedOpening Night, Friday Jan. 29, 5pm  9pm

Showgoers can sniff, swirl and sip their way through the show, tasting a variety of award-winning Washington and California wines while shopping for the boat of their dreams. (At CenturyLink Field Event Center)

Guinness World Record Attempt for Largest Origami Fish Display

The show is attempting to set a Guinness World Record for the most origami fish on display and anyone gets to participate. Families can make it a fun activity to do together at home by following these detailed printable instructions or watching this video. When they come to the show they can drop their fish off at the Information Booth (W-56), see the fish created by kids at Bellevue Children's Academy and Willows Preparatory School and check on the progress towards the goal of 1,500 fish. Or, while at the show pick up some origami paper and make some fish onsite. (At CenturyLink Field Event Center)

Guinness World Record Attempt for Largest Knot Tying LessonSunday, January 29, 9:30 am

Knot just for seasoned boaters, landlubbers too can participate. Participants will learn three knots from a certified sailing instructor. Rope is provided and the first 500 participants will receive free admission to the show and a free Seattle Boat Show hat. Details and directions for admission can be found at: http://www.seattleboatshow.com/knottyingrecord.html (In the stands at CenturyLink Field)

Chowder ChompSaturday and Sunday, Jan. 28 and 29

Six of Seattle's elite seafood restaurants will be battling it out for the title of Best Boat Show Chowder. Showgoers will enjoy free samples of delicious chowders from Pike Place Chowder, Ivars, Seattle Fish Co., Bar Harbor, Flying Fish and McCormick & Schmicks and then can vote for their favorite. The Seattle Boat Show will donate $2,000 on behalf of the winning restaurant to the non-profit, Salmon for Soldiers. (At South Lake Union)

Kids Zone

Kids can enjoy time on the water using the Aqua Paddler boats, build a wooden toy boat, participate in a scavenger hunt, test a trampoline or join the staff of Beach Camp at Sunset Bay for sandcastle building, wakesurf balance boarding and fun photos at the Beach Camp Photo Booth. (At CenturyLink Field Event Center)

See the floating portion of the show from the water with complimentary boat rides

The 20-minute guided tours are in all-electric 21-foot enclosed, heated Duffy boats. Its a fun way to see the show from a new perspective. Blankets are provided for an added snuggle factor. (At South Lake Union)

Free Admission MondayThursday after 5pm

Attendees who bring a non-perishable food donation for Northwest Harvest will receive free admittance to the show. (At CenturyLink Field Event Center)

Womens DayMonday, Jan. 30

Women can attend the show for free and enjoy a slate of seminars designed specifically for women, by women boaters. Its the perfect opportunity to meet, learn and get inspired by some of the most experienced and talented women boaters around. Visit Seattle Boat Show to print the complimentary pass. (Women are free at both locations. Seminars are at CenturyLink Field Event Center)

Sails & AlesFriday Feb. 3, 5pm  9pm

What better combination than hops and props? That's whats on tap for Sails & Ales, the craft beer night. Attendees will be able to cruise the show with ale in hand and enjoy the best of NW brews and boats. (At CenturyLink Field Event Center)

Show Details: A free shuttle runs continuously between CenturyLink Field Event Center and South Lake Union. For a complete list of exhibitors, seminars, travel packages and ticket prices, please visit http://www.SeattleBoatShow.com.

Social Media:

Twitter: @SeattleBoatShow

Facebook: /SeattleBoatShow

Instagram: /SeattleBoatShow

Hashtag: #SeattleBoatShow2017 #SeattleBoatShow

Photos: Show photos available at http://www.seattleboatshow.com/photo-gallery.html
VisualSP Training for Office 365

Just-in-Time Learning provider to introduce its latest in-context, on-demand product to Microsoft users during an upcoming webinar.

Enterprises in many industries have been migrating their workforces to the cloud with Microsofts Office 365 online platform. While migrations present challenges in several areas, employee transition has been a key stumbling point.

Despite a robust training ecosystem, employee onboarding to Microsoft Office 365 has not always resulted in a smooth transition. Individual users have also struggled at times to quickly adopt the online platform. Now, both enterprises and personal users have a solution that helps them learn Office 365 apps inside the user environment. And they can see the solution for themselves by attending a detailed, online public presentation of the VisualSP Training for Office 365 to be held on January 24, 2017.

VisualSP, a leader in helping users adopt Microsoft SharePoint, has extended its successful on-demand learning approach to the entire Office 365 suite because the company realized there is a broader need among both business and personal users.

We have found that the same learning challenges that users face with respect to learning SharePoint exist for Office 365, said VisualSP founder and CEO Asif Rehmani. Now, we want to help enterprise workers, but also individuals who struggle with learning the platform.

Two of the critical failure points of traditional training methods are memory retention and attention spans, according to Rehmani, an experienced SharePoint trainer and Microsoft MVP. Many reports indicate that much of what we learn in a classroom is lost within hours after we leave the training room. And studies have shown that the average attention span has diminished by over 50 percent since 1998.

VisualSP Chief Revenue Officer Mark McDermott explained the need to host a public event to introduce the revolutionary product. Company leadership acknowledged that a release like this  a product that has never been seen before  was well-suited for a virtual presentation. People will be curious, theyll have questions. We wanted to make this grand launch interactive, and provide as many details as possible.

VisualSPs grand launch webinar will be held at 12:00  1:00 pm EST, Tuesday, January, 24. To reserve your seat, visit the webinar registration page. Attendance is limited, so interested parties are encouraged to sign up early.

To learn more about the breakthrough VisualSP Training for Office 365 solution, click here.

*****

VisualSP has been a leader in e-learning/performance support integration with SharePoint since 2004. The company introduced its on-demand, inline Help System for SharePoint to assist end users in developing mastery over common SharePoint tasks. In 2016, VisualSP expanded its technology solutions to online Microsoft products. The company is led by Microsoft MVP and MCT Asif Rehmani. To learn more, visit http://www.visualsp.com.
Girl Up Champion Cara Delevingne meets with refugee girls waiting to be transported to a settlement at UNHR's Kuluba Transition Center in northern Uganda. Photo credit: Edward Echwalu When it comes to the refugee crisis, we cant turn away. Seeing the statistics is important, but meeting and talking with the girls is another thing entirely.

British model and actress, Cara Delevingne joined Girl Up, the United Nations Foundations adolescent girl campaign, this past week on a learning trip to Uganda in support of its partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Delevingne met with refugees and visited refugee entry points and settlements throughout the region to learn more about UNHCRs response to the South Sudanese refugee crisis and its educational programming for refugee girls.

As a Girl Up Champion, Im proud to bring awareness to their partnership with UNHCR supporting education for refugee girls, said Delevingne. When it comes to the refugee crisis, we cant turn away. Seeing the statistics is important, but meeting and talking with the girls is another thing entirely. We cant let the rest of the world be ignorant on the problem. We need to tell people whats going on and how they can help.

More than 460,000 refugees have arrived in Uganda from South Sudan since July 2016, at the rate of more than 2,000 per day. Within 24 hours of crossing the border, UNHCR provides refugees with a hot meal, medical assistance, and transport to a settlement to begin rebuilding their lives again. On the learning trip, Delevingne talked with refugee girls and saw the impact of Girl Ups partnership with UNHCR, which fundraised to help provide 4,414 girls with the uniform, textbooks, and supplies to go to school for a year.

Were so grateful to Cara for using her voice to show the world the magnitude of the refugee crisis in Uganda, and for helping Girl Up build our by girls, for girls movement around the world, said Anna Blue, Deputy Director of Girl Up.

For girls in Uganda, education is protection. Among refugee populations, girls who are out of school are the most vulnerable to sexual violence, child labor, and child marriage. While more than 60% of refugee children in northern Uganda attend primary school, the number is just 5% for secondary school, with many girls dropping out even earlier due to family pressure to marry early or help at home. To learn more about how to support Girl Ups partnership with UNHCR for refugee girls education, visit girlup.org/CaraInUganda.

###

About Cara Delevingne

Cara Delevingne is one of the most recognizable faces in the world. In addition to her huge successes in fashion, she has a burgeoning and exciting acting career. She is also an influential voice in the world of social media, amassing over 35 million followers to her Instagram.

In 2012, Delevingne made her film debut in Joe Wrights Anna Karenina alongside Keira Knightley.

Most recently she was featured in DC Comics Suicide Squad and will star in Luc Bessons Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets set to be released in 2017.

Previously, Delevingne can be seen in Paper Towns opposite Nat Wolff, Michael Winterbottoms The Face of an Angel, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last September, starring Kate Beckinsale and Daniel Bruhl, Joe Wrights Pan starring Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried, Rooney Mara and Garrett Hedland,  Suicide Squad alongside Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Ben Affleck. With her true British style, classic beauty and inimitable attitude, Caras rise has been meteoric. She has been the face of Burberry advertising for several seasons, working with Mario Testino, and starring with actor Eddie Redmayne, Jourdan Dunn and Edie Campbell.

Her personal interests include music  Cara is an aspiring musician and she also has a passion for yoga and meditation.

About Girl Up

Girl Up, the United Nations Foundations adolescent girl campaign, supports the empowerment of girls everywhere. Since its launch in 2010, the campaign has funded UN programs that promote the health, safety, education, and leadership of girls in developing countries and built a community of nearly half a million passionate advocates  including Girl Up Global Advocates Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan and Latin American business leader Angelica Fuentes.

Our youth leaders, representing more than 1400 Girl Up Clubs in 85 countries, stand up, speak up, and rise up to support the hardest to reach girls living in places where it is hardest to be a girl.

Learn more at GirlUp.org.

About the United Nations Foundation

The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the worlds most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by philanthropic, corporate, government, and individual donors. Learn more at: http://www.unfoundation.org.

About UNHCR

About the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR): The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. It also has a mandate to help stateless people. In more than six decades, the agency has helped tens of millions of people restart their lives. Today, a staff of some 7,190 people in more than 120 countries continues to help some 36.4 million persons.
On the heels of its successful launch of RansomFree, the free anti-ransomware product that blocks 99 percent of ransomware variants from encrypting files, Cybereason today released the results of its first consumer ransomware survey. In 2016, nearly 10 percent of consumers fell victim to a ransomware attack. The average ransom paid by victims to regain access to their files was $500. And 52 percent of survey respondents havent heard of ransomware.

Ransomware has been around for more than a decade, but became an epidemic in 2016. The FBI estimates that consumers and businesses paid $1 billion in ransoms last year. Consumers, mom and pop businesses, hospitals, law enforcement agencies, state and local governments, law offices and municipal rail systems were all victimized.

Interesting Ransomware Survey Findings



Cybereason asked consumers what types of personal information they fear losing the most. Ranking first at 52 percent was credit card/social security numbers. Second at 31 percent was photos/videos. Third at 10 percent was tax/medical documents, followed by emails at 5 percent and art work at 2 percent.

If victimized by a ransomware attack, 41 percent of consumers said they wouldnt pay the ransom because they didnt think their files would be released upon payment. Sixteen percent of respondents wouldnt pay because they thought the ransom was too expensive and 15 percent of respondents wouldnt pay the ransom because they didnt care if they lost their files.

Not a day went by in 2016 without individual hackers or crime groups successfully launching ransomware attacks, and its safe to say that more of these attacks will occur in 2017, said Uri Sternfeld, senior security researcher, Cybereason. "The increased frequency of ransomware attacks makes it imperative for consumers and businesses to fortify their defenses. Without appropriate file backup and ransomware protection, people risk losing data like pictures, documents, financial reports and academic work.

Cybereason RansomFree, a free anti-ransomware software, was designed to protect PCs running Windows 7, 8, 10, as well as Windows Server 2010 R2 and 2008 R2. RansomFree uses behavioral and proprietary deception techniques to target the core behaviors typical in ransomware attacks. Unlike traditional antivirus solutions, RansomFree does not rely on malware signatures, enabling it to target a broad variety of advanced ransomware strains, including fileless ransomware. Once RansomFree detects ransomware attempting to encrypt files, it immediately stops the process. To learn more about RansomFree and download the product, visit: https://ransomfree.cybereason.com/

About Cybereason:

Founded by members of the Israeli intelligence agencys elite cybersecurity Unit 8200, the Cybereason platform mirrors the founders expertise in managing some of worlds most complex hacking operations. The Cybereason Detection and Response Platform leverages big data, behavioral analytics and machine learning to uncover, in real-time, complex cyber attacks designed to evade traditional defenses. It automates the investigation process, connects isolated malicious events and visually presents a full malicious operation. The platform is available as an on-premise solution or a cloud-based service. Cybereason is privately held and headquartered in Boston with offices in Tel Aviv, Tokyo and London.

For more information, please visit:

Website: http://www.cybereason.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Cybereason

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Cybereason

For more information, contact:

Bill Keeler

Director, Public Relations

bill.keeler(at)cybereason(dot)com

(508) 414-7755 (cell)

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/cybereason
We believe that excellence is in the details, and we work hard to provide evidence of that in every aspect of our program.

Doodle Bugs! Childrens Learning Academy has earned the 30th spot on Exchange Magazines Top 50 List, an annual ranking of North Americas largest for-profit child care organizations.

I attribute our continued growth and success to our teams strong commitment to providing the absolute best in child care services, said Anthony Insinna, company President and CEO. We believe that excellence is in the details, and we work hard to provide evidence of that in every aspect of our program. From our innovative Bravo! curriculum and enrichment programs to our state-of-the-art facilities and highly qualified faculty, we aim to exceed families expectations.

Doodle Bugs! Childrens Learning Academy has grown to 14 centers with two more on the way. Currently, Doodle Bugs! operates centers in New York, Pennsylvania and Florida. Insinna and his sisters, Clarine Insinna and Anna Insinna Zavatti, established the company in 1992 in East Amherst, NYthis month the company celebrates their 25th Anniversary.

When we opened our first center  with one student!  our goal was to reinvent child care in Western New York. Now, we serve more than 3,300 happy families along the east coast and remain extremely proud of the work that we do, remarked Insinna. As we continue to grow, we keep our sights set on continuously building a community of happy children, happy parents and happy teachers.

About Doodle Bugs! Childrens Centers

Since 1992, Doodle Bugs! has been building a community of happy children, happy parents, and happy teachers and is recognized as the leading child care and early education program in Western New York. In recent years, the local company has expanded into Pennsylvania and Florida. Doodle Bugs! provides high quality child care and preschool programs that are second to none and exceed families expectations for nurturing child care, early learning, safety, and convenience. For more information, visit http://www.doodlebugs.com.
Kevin Lovell I was attracted by Stanley Consultants excellent reputation that spans across multiple USACE districts. The company is large enough to punch above its weight class but small enough to be nimble and responsive to client needs. Kevin Lovell

Kevin Lovell has joined Stanley Consultants as a Senior Project Manager. Assigned to the Federal and International Group, his focus is on project and program management for Department of Defense projects worldwide. Stanley Consultants is a consulting engineering firm that provides program management, planning, engineering, environmental, and construction services worldwide. Lovell is based in the firms Chicago office.

After a distinguished 21-year career, Lovell recently retired from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as the Chicago District Deputy Commander. He was second in command of the 200-person organization and oversaw an annual $150 million design and construction program. Prior to that he was the first Engineering Analyst to serve in the Armys Office of Business Transformation at the Pentagon and helped establish the Armys Energy Initiative Office.

The new position with Stanley Consultants fits Lovell like a glove. The companys areas of focus  military, water/wastewater, energy  were my areas of focus at the USACE, said Lovell. I was attracted by Stanley Consultants excellent reputation that spans across multiple USACE districts. The company is large enough to punch above its weight class but small enough to be nimble and responsive to client needs.

During his military career Lovell was awarded three Army Bronze Stars, and multiple Meritorious Service and Campaign Medals. This including a Bronze Star for leading the first engineering unit to deploy to central Asia after 9/11, which was the first Army construction unit to deploy equipment by air.

He is active in the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), currently serving on the organizations National Board of Direction and national committees. He remains active in the local SAME Chicago Post, and is active in the local International Facility Management Association (IFMA) post. Lovell is also a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI.)

Lovell is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He has a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from Marquette University, and a masters degree in management, with a project management concentration, from the University of Maryland University College. He is a certified Project Management Professional.

#

About Stanley Consultants: Founded in 1913, Stanley Consultants is a global consulting engineering firm that provides program management, planning, engineering, environmental and construction services worldwide. Recognized for its commitment to client service and a passion to make a difference, Stanley Consultants brings global knowledge, experience and capabilities to serve clients in the energy, water, transportation and Federal markets. Since 1913, Stanley Consultants has successfully completed more than 25,000 engagements in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and in 110 countries. For more information on Stanley Consultants, please visit http://www.stanleyconsultants.com.
Bosendorfer Klimt "A sincere tribute to precious materials and secessionist art, this Klimt model is not only beautiful in design, but it also has the incomparable Bosendorfer sound with its unparalleled number of diverse tonal colors," says Simon Oss, Yamaha.

Is it a piano or is it art? This latest addition to the Bosendorfer Artist Series pianos is decidedly both. Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), one of the most famous artists of Viennese Art Nouveau, and Bosendorfer, one of the most respected names in piano manufacturing, represent the epitome of Austrian culture and dedicated craftsmanship. The resulting Woman in Gold grand piano  available as 214VC (7) and 200 (67) models  is a musical tour de force, visually enhanced by Klimts definitive masterpiece from his Golden Phase.

Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, a wealthy entrepreneur and art connoisseur, commissioned Klimt to paint a portrait of his wife, Adele Bloch-Bauer, in 1903. Klimt travelled to Italy, and, inspired by the gold-decorated church mosaics he saw, translated this ancient art form to contemporary art. To create the portrait, Klimt produced more than 100 sketches and studies, and experimented with various techniques for applying extensive amounts of silver and gold leaf to the oil painting. Bosendorfer was equally exacting in creating this homage to one of Austrias most noted artists.

Like its predecessor, The Kiss, Bosendorfer relied on sophisticated reprographic techniques to transfer a high-resolution image of the original painting to the inside of the pianos lid. Skilled artisans then applied gold leaf to the art and lavishly gilded the music desk and tops of the legs, masterfully reflecting the golden expression of Art Nouveau. The Klimt model is limited to 25 instruments and each Grand Piano carries an individually crafted brass plate indicating its number.

A sincere tribute to precious materials and secessionist art, this Klimt model is not only beautiful in design, but it also has the incomparable Bosendorfer sound with its unparalleled number of diverse tonal colors, says Simon Oss, premium piano marketing manager, Yamaha Corporation of America. Traditional Austrian craftsmanship and heritage perfectly complement Gustav Klimt's inimitable Viennese Art Nouveau style, reflecting a symbiosis of all levels of Austrian cultureart, music and craftsmanship.

Each piano includes the exclusive book Gustav Klimt / Josef Hoffmann: Pioneers of Modernism, which focuses on the Modernist Movement at the turn of the century, and was published at an exhibition at The Belvedere Museum in Vienna.

Pricing and Availability

Bosendorfer Artist Series Klimt Woman in Gold (MSRP: Size 200, $169,999; Size 214, $184,999) will ship in January 2017.

For more information, visit the Yamaha Booth at the 2017 NAMM Show in the Anaheim Marriott Hotel, Marquis Ballroom, January 19-22, 2017, or visit http://4wrd.it/BOSENDORFER

-END-

About Bosendorfer

Bosendorfer was founded in 1828 in Vienna, Austria and has been the instrument of choice for many of the worlds most famous artists and composers. This limited production, handcrafted instrument remains one of the most sought after instruments for musicians, institutions, and piano enthusiasts worldwide.
Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Attorney Mark Scott has joined the firms Austin office as a Member.

Im excited to be joining Dickinson Wrights dynamic intellectual property practice in Austin, said Mark Scott. Dickinson Wright is a well-known law firm with a strong presence across the U.S. and in Canada, and is now expanding into the Texas market. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Austin and across the country to provide our clients with high-quality intellectual property legal services.

We are very excited to welcome Mark Scott to Dickinson Wrights Austin office, said Darrell Windham the managing member of the firms Austin office. Marks knowledge, experience and expertise in intellectual property and patent, especially in the semiconductor and software markets, complement and strengthen the quality of legal services that we provide to our clients. Mark will be a great asset to our team.

Mr. Scott focuses his practice in the areas of intellectual property, including patents, copyrights and trademarks. He assists businesses that produce innovative products and services with securing a competitive edge in the marketplace, protecting the fruits of innovation, and monetizing creations.

Mr. Scott is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Texas Bar Associations Intellectual Property Section, and the Austin Bar Association. He is recognized as a leader in his field by Texas Super Lawyers and is listed as an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property. Mr. Scott received his B.S. from Texas Tech University and his J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law.

About Dickinson Wright PLLC

Dickinson Wright PLLC is a general practice business law firm with more than 425 attorneys among more than 40 practice areas and 16 industry groups. Headquartered in Detroit and founded in 1878, the firm has seventeen offices, including six in Michigan (Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw) and ten other domestic offices in Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Nashville and Music Row, Tenn.; Las Vegas and Reno, Nev.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Washington, D.C. The firms Canada office is located in Toronto.

Dickinson Wright offers our clients a distinctive combination of superb client service, exceptional quality, value for fees, industry expertise and business acumen. As one of the few law firms with ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification, Dickinson Wright has built state-of-the-art, independently-verified risk management controls and security processes for our commercial transactions. Dickinson Wright lawyers are known for delivering commercially-oriented advice on sophisticated transactions and have a remarkable record of wins in high-stakes litigation. Dickinson Wright lawyers are regularly cited for their expertise and experience by Chambers, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and other leading independent law firm evaluating organizations.
Steve Polgar accepting the President's Lifetime Achievement Award "Congratulations on receiving the President's Volunteer Service Award, and thank you for helping to address the most pressing needs in your community and our country. -President Barack Obama

Childrens Learning Foundation, an educational charity, announced today that Steve Polgar was honored with the Presidents Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award signed by President Barack Obama. At just 33 years old, Steve Polgar is very young to receive the Presidents Lifetime Achievement Award. This is one of the last awards bestowed by the 44th President of the United States as Barack Obamas presidency is coming to an end.

Congratulations on receiving the President's Volunteer Service Award, and thank you for helping to address the most pressing needs in your community and our country. Your volunteer service demonstrates the kind of commitment to your community that moves America a step closer to its great promise. Thank you for your devotion to service and for doing all you can to shape a better tomorrow for our great Nation. -President Barack Obama

Steve Polgar found a love for volunteering in High School, teaching senior citizens how to use computers. As a Freshman in college he went on to become the founder of Childrens Learning Foundation in 2002. After college while working, Mr. Polgar made time to volunteer for American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and other charities. He mainly focused on helping the groups fundraise for their main yearly events. He volunteers his time and uses his large network of contacts to build a stronger nation through community service.

Steve Polgar is an Agent at New York Life in Melville, NY. Outside of his career, he is President and Chair of Childrens Learning Foundation and a Board Member and Treasurer of Long Island Atheists. Steve Polgar grew up in Oneonta, NY, graduated from Delaware Valley University, and currently lives in Bay Shore, NY.

https://www.facebook.com/stevepolgarnyl/

The President's Volunteer Service Award is a civil award bestowed by the President of the United States. The Lifetime Achievement Award was established to honor volunteers that volunteering at least 4000 hours to charities and nonprofits without any payment or reimbursement. The award can be granted to individuals, families, and organizations located throughout the United States.

Childrens Learning Foundation is a 100% volunteer organization with the mission to make learning fun and interactive for students. This is done by funding schools, educational programs, and projects of teachers.
Bob Cocco, Vice President of Business Development I've always had a passion for innovation, said Bob Cocco, vice president of business development at EM. EM ARRAY second screen technology is my empty canvas to help our clients continually improve meeting impact.

Educational Measures LLC (EM), the leader in live meeting analytics and engagement technology, announced today the hire of Bob Cocco as Vice President of Business Development with a focus on the pharmaceutical industry. Bob Cocco combines experience with live meeting engagement and interactive presentation tools to help leading pharmaceutical companies make the move toward next-generation live meetings.

We are seeing a groundswell of new opportunities arising for investigator meetings, speaker training, advisory boards and meetings across the entire pharmaceutical event spectrum, said Marc Crawford, co-founder and CEO of EM. Pharmaceutical meeting planners are hungry for increased engagement and analytic-driven decision making to improve the effectiveness of their full meeting mix. We continue to hire experienced executives to meet that demand.

Mr. Cocco has been involved in the pharmaceutical meeting industry, providing enterprise solutions for more than twenty-five years. He has served in operations, account management and business development roles working extensively with meeting organizations to cost effectively improve communications with internal and external audiences. His strengths are strategic meeting management and implementing interactive meeting technology and processes with his clients. Bob has a B.S. in Marketing from Niagara University and lives in the Philadelphia area with his wife and two daughters.

I've always had a passion for innovation, said Bob Cocco, vice president of business development at EM. Creating things from scratch and living in constant change are ingredients that makes me thrive and enjoy what I do. About a year ago I encountered Educational Measures at a conference I was attending and the technology they provided blew my mind. EM ARRAY second screen technology is my empty canvas to help our clients continually improve meeting impact.

About Educational Measures

Educational Measures is the leading provider of live meeting analytics and engagement technology. Our next-generation EM ARRAY second screen technology takes ordinary meetings and turns them into dynamic experiences. Live meeting data and analytics drive actionable insight for continual improvement. Our customers increase audience engagement by up to 20X, surprise attendees with more than 25 interactive capabilities and continually improve meeting impact with data driven insight. Educational Measures and Educational Measures ARRAY are trademarks of Educational Measures LLC.
GoodCompany Ventures was remarkably effective in its early days as one of the first social impact accelerators, said Garrett Melby, Managing Director of GoodCompany Ventures. We were thrilled to have the quality of program recognized by the White House

GoodCompany Ventures is pleased to announce the public launch of Climate Ventures 2.0, a global accelerator focused on Agriculture and Water Systems Resilience, and its call for applications for $250,000 of GCV Impact Grants.

GCV completed Phase I of CV2 with the publication of its Water and Ag Innovation Assessment, developed with Rockefeller 100 Resilient Cities and Wharton. Now, GoodCompany Ventures will kick off Phase II: a global sourcing campaign to identify ten emerging innovations that best respond to the needs identified in our research, in areas such as Water Quality Monitoring, Agriculture Runoff and Stormwater Management.

Each of the ten selected companies will receive a non-equity $25,000 GoodCompany Ventures Impact Grant to fund their participation in GoodCompany Ventures rigorous three-month accelerator program. To identify the most groundbreaking adaptive innovations for agriculture and water system resilience, GoodCompany Ventures has mobilized multiple platforms to drive a global talent search:

a. GCV has created a proprietary Pipeline Partner Network, comprised of over 80 organizations with a social reach >5mm followers to distribute our call for applications.

b. GCV is sponsoring an OpenIDEO Global Challenge, designed to crowd-source energy and creativity on these issues from tens of thousands of participants, to be launched next month.

c. GCV has partnered with USAID to host online interaction with Climate Ventures 2.0s own investment, industry and policy experts on its Global Innovation Exchange, a community of over 20,000 innovators and experts.

d. GCV will manage its application and review process on F6S, a network designed to match accelerators and investors with over 1.5mm members

Candidates for the GCV Impact Grants can APPLY HERE: https://www.f6s.com/applyclimateventures2.0

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through March 15th.

For more information about the Climate Ventures 2.0 program, visit http://climateventures2.globalinnovationexchange.org

Climate Ventures 2.0  The Climate Data Initiative was founded in March of 2014 as a call to action by the Obama Administration. It leverages the Federal Governments vast and open data resources to stimulate the kinds of innovation and entrepreneurship that can empower Americas communities and businesses to take action against climate change and prepare for the future.

Climate Ventures 2.0 (CV2) is uniquely positioned to draw on the resources committed to this global White House program to spur public/private responses to climate threats. To date, the CDI has attracted commitments from leaders across all affected sectors:

Technology: Google, Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, HP, EMC, ESRI

Consumer: Walmart, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle, Monsanto, Mars, Kellogg

NGO: United Nations, World Bank, Rockefeller, USAID, Red Cross, WWF

Academic: MIT, Columbia, Chicago, Wharton

Here is what entrepreneurs can expect:



A non-equity $25,000 GoodCompany Ventures Impact Grant per selected team

The most rigorous business and financial development programming, averaging $10mm in investment per cohort

One-on-one mentoring from policy experts, Fortune 500 industry advisors and investors.

Connection to global network of advisors, investors and peers through USAID's Global Innovation Exchange

Free 24/7 office support for cohort, within Benjamins Desk, Philadelphias largest entrepreneur co-working network.

Access to $75,000 in pilot funding for regional implementations, with opportunities for global replication within the Rockefeller 100 Resilient Cities Network

Opportunity to pitch for investment at private investor demo-days in NYC, DC and SFO

ABOUT WILLIAM PENN FOUNDATION -- The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the greater Philadelphia region through efforts that increase educational opportunities for children from low-income families, insure sustainable environment, foster creativity that enhances civic life, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. In partnership with others, the foundation works to advance opportunity, insure sustainability, and enable effective solutions. Since inception, the foundation has made nearly 10,000 grants totally over $1.6 billion

http://www.williampennfoundation.org

ABOUT GOODCOMPANY VENTURES GoodCompany Ventures provides entrepreneurs the resources to adapt new technologies to unmet social needs, including partnerships and proprietary programs to: reframe persistent social problems as market opportunities; design solutions that optimize projected impact; develop business models to take their innovations to scale; foster pilot opportunities to demonstrate market demand; and attract investment capital to fuel their impact. To date, our graduates have raised over $60mm in private capital to generate a projected $5bn in social impact.

GCV is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Our work is made possible with support from leadership organizations including Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Knight Foundation, Halloran Philanthropies and the William Penn Foundation,

http://goodcompanyventures.org

White House Quote:

Through his Climate Data Initiative, President Obama is calling for all hands on deck to unleash data and technology in ways that will make businesses and communities more resilient to climate change, said John P. Holdren, President Obamas Science Advisor. The commitments being announced today answer that call by empowering the U.S. and global agricultural sectors with the tools and information needed to keep food systems strong and secure in a changing climate.

GoodCompany Ventures Quote:

GoodCompany Ventures was remarkably effective in its early days as one of the first social impact accelerators, said Garrett Melby, Managing Director of GoodCompany Ventures. We were thrilled to have the quality of program recognized by the White House when they asked us to develop this program, and we want to recognize and thank the William Penn Foundation for their generous, innovative and groundbreaking support that allows us to launch this global program.

Media Inquiries:

Catherine Griffin, Managing Director

Catherine(at)GoodCompanyGroup(dot)com.
Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has again taken advantage of the opportunities presented by changing times. This time, the moves simultaneously advance the firms strategic objectives in several of its core areas: real estate, fund formation, private equity, M&A, and tax, by adding six highly regarded shareholders and related teams to its London office. These groups join from the London offices of King & Wood Mallesons (KWM).

Private equity fund lawyers Steven Cowins and Marc Snell, real estate transactional lawyer Matthew Priday, corporate/private equity/M&A lawyers Michael Goldberg and David Fitzgerald, and tax lawyer Clive Jones, have all joined as shareholders from KWM, along with related support teams.

During these times of disruptive change and turbulence in the legal profession, we remain committed to being one firm with one culture, focused on delivering excellence and results to our clients in our set of core practices in a disciplined manner," said Richard A. Rosenbaum, the firm's Executive Chairman. "We are not a verein and we have never done a large merger. We are not trying to be everywhere doing everything, or the biggest. But, we are certainly trying to be the firm clients turn to when they want the best and the greatest value where we are and in what we do, and the firm top talent joins for our respectful, empowering, collaborative, non-political, and merit-based culture. Under Paul Maher's leadership, we have built a first-class office in London, with strong M&A, corporate, tax, capital markets and other areas, including real estate. These new additions bring focus, a high talent level, and new capabilities to our London team in their practice areas, consistent with our usual approach of finding excellence and value for our clients in a changing world.

Adding this top-tier group allows us to further develop the firms strategy to grow practices in markets key to our clients today and in the future. The teams experience and focus add resources in areas we consider to be most strategic: real estate, private equity, M&A and tax, on a global scale, said Paul Maher, who serves as a Vice Chair of Greenberg Traurig and the Chairman of the London office.

The firms Global Corporate & Securities Practice, including M&A and private equity attorneys, saw dramatic growth in 2016 when nearly 90 attorneys joined. Its Global Real Estate Practice also grew significantly with the addition of more than 30 attorneys in Europe and more than 50 globally since 2015. These groups often work together under the firms collaborative, global platform to serve clients as the real estate, corporate and capital markets practices have increasingly intersected to fulfil client needs.

Greenberg Traurig is a dynamic firm which has particular strengths in areas which are most important to our clients, such as private equity, fund formation and real estate globally. We are looking forward to working with Greenbergs existing teams to cement our position as a leading private equity real estate team in the market, Cowins said.

We are excited that these renowned shareholders and their teams are now part of the firm. We can look forward to the continued collaboration between our more than 2,000 attorneys, situated in 38 offices in key legal markets, who focus on the goals of our clients in a wide range of matters in core, relevant and related disciplines, said the firms Global Real Estate Practice Co-Chairs Robert J. Ivanhoe and Corey E. Light in a joint statement.

About Greenberg Traurigs Private Equity and Fund Formation Practice

Greenberg Traurigs Private Equity Practice, covering both fund formation and transactions, utilizes the collective experience and resources of the firm to help clients achieve their goals. An experienced team of private equity attorneys leverages the firms unique geographic platform and extensive range of practice and industry capabilities across the firm, which distinguishes Greenberg Traurig from other large firms.

About Greenberg Traurigs Corporate & Securities Practice

Greenberg Traurigs Corporate & Securities Practice is comprised of more than 400 lawyers who advise public and privately held companies on global mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, underwritten and syndicated offerings, commercial finance and syndicated lending, cross-border transactions, and general corporate matters. The groups industry experience includes transactions in a wide range of fields, from the pharmaceutical, medical devices, and life sciences fields, to representations involving clients in the aviation, banking, energy, health care, manufacturing, technology, and telecommunications sectors.

About Greenberg Traurig's Real Estate Practice

Greenberg Traurigs Real Estate Practice is a cornerstone of the firm and recognized leader in the industry. The firms real estate attorneys deliver diversified and comprehensive legal solutions for property acquisition and investment, real estate funds, development, management and leasing, financing, restructuring, and disposition of all asset classes of real estate. The team draws upon the knowledge and experience of more than 300 real estate lawyers from around the world, serving clients from key markets in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. The groups clientele includes a broad range of property developers, lenders, investment managers, private equity funds, REITs, and private owners. The firms real estate team advises clients on a variety of matters across a broad spectrum of commercial, recreational, and residential real estate, including structured equity and debt and the hybrids.

About Greenberg Traurig

Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. A single entity worldwide, GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the second largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2016, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.
Lincoln Crawford's Wall of Courage Inspired a City of Cincinnati to issue Proclamation for Courage Day "We believe our veterans, who have demonstrated courage and sacrifice to our country deserve to be honored," said Gretchen Aichele

The Mayor of the City of Cincinnati, John Cranley, proclaimed January 18, 2017 to be designated as Courage Day and presented to Lincoln Crawford Care Center because of the outstanding care and respect given to their aging veterans. Lincoln Crawford has provided care to veterans from all branches of the Armed Forces dating back to World War II. Lincoln Crawford recently unveiled their Wall of Courage and their Courage Medal of Honor.

We believe our veterans, who have demonstrated courage and sacrifice to our country deserve to be honored, said Gretchen Aichele, Administrator at Lincoln Crawford. Our Wall of Courage features photos of our veterans and allows us to show our gratitude for their service.

Aichele went on to say that aging with dignity requires that same courage that they know so well. Its not easy to accept that they have provided help to many, and now it is time for them to receive help from others. Photos of the veterans are prominently displayed over the Pledge of Allegiance, showing their commitment to those who have served, as well as to the freedom they courageously fought to secure.

Lincoln Crawford has proudly served the Greater Cincinnati area for more than 100 years and has seen veterans of all ages, branches and ranks come through their doors. The idea for the Wall of Courage came when Aichele determined it was time to give back and show admiration for these men and women who reside either temporarily or permanently in their facility. We see a lot of courageous, elderly people who are faced with battling both temporary and permanent changes in their life style and health, Aichele said.

Lincoln Crawford Care Center is located in North Walnut Hills, a community within the City of Cincinnati. They provide short term rehabilitation as well as long term care. Their state-of-the-art rehab division is one of the leading facilities for those recovering from stroke, heart attack or traumatic injury. They are fully staffed with physical, occupational, and speech therapists.

The Wall of Courage is located in the main entrance hall for every visitor, resident and guest to view. We are pleased to be able to honor them and the Proclamation from the City of Cincinnati takes this honor one step further, Aichele said.

For more information about Lincoln Crawford Care Center, contact:

Gretchen Aichele, Administrator

1346 Lincoln Avenue

Cincinnati, OH 45206

513-861-2044

http://www.lincolncrawford.com
Make no mistake, trooper Dermyer was a hero who gave his life in the highest form of service, and this charity event will help support his family while honoring his memory

Tribble Insurance Agency, a family owned and operated firm offering asset protection and financial planning services to the eastern Virginia region, is inaugurating a charity event to honor Chad Phillip Dermyer, a local police trooper who was shot and killed serving his community.

While on duty last year, Chad Phillip Dermyer and his fellow officers were conducting routine stops of suspects when one of them, a violent career criminal, suddenly produced a handgun and opened fire. Officer Dermyer was critically wounded and rushed to the VCU Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries. Trooper Dermyer was 37 years old and is survived by his wife and two young children.

Make no mistake, trooper Dermyer was a hero who gave his life in the highest form of service, and this charity event will help support his family while honoring his memory, says Trip Tribble, owner and executive manager of the Tribble Insurance Agency.

To broadcast updates on the charity event and gather support from local communities, Tribble and his team are making connections with readers over social media platforms and an email bulletin system. Further efforts to generate publicity for the event will include a feature story scheduled for publication in Our Hometown, a monthly online periodical produced by Tribble Insurance: http://tribbleinsuranceagency.com/Our-Hometown-Magazine_39.

The charity event honoring officer Dermyer marks the 10th charitable cause supported by the Tribble Agency over the last year and a half. As members of the national charity support network Agents of Change, Tribble and his team are committed to hosting additional charity events for nonprofits in the eastern Virginia region on a bimonthly basis.

All those who wish to know more about the charity event honoring fallen officer Dermyer, and those who wish to take action and be part of the event, are invited by the Tribble Insurance team to visit the following page: http://tribbleinsuranceagency.com/Honoring-a-Fallen-Hero_30_community_cause. Readers interested in learning more about other charitable endeavors undertaken by the Tribble Insurance Agency can bookmark the firms list of Community Causes here: http://tribbleinsuranceagency.com/community-cause?page=1.

About Tribble Insurance Agency

As a Personal Finance Representative in Ashland, agency owner Trip Tribble knows many local families. His knowledge and understanding of the people in his community ensures that clients of Tribble Insurance Agency are provided with an outstanding level of service. Trip and his team look forward to helping families protect the things that are most important - family, home, car and more. Tribble Insurance Agency also offers clients a preparation strategy for achieving their financial goals. To contact an expert at Tribble Insurance Agency, visit http://tribbleinsuranceagency.com/ or call (804) 550-0900.
Our new blog post is about our renewed corporate commitment to giving Miami the best in sliding glass door repair and fleshing this out into meaningful action items one customers at a time

Express Glass & Board Up, Miami's favorite sliding glass door repair service company, is proud to announce a new post on its commitment to being the best sliding glass door service for the city in 2017, one customer at a time. Though it may sound simplistic, the commitment to being the best is more complicated than it may sound at first glance.

The New Year is a time for people to remind themselves what is most important. Self-improvement goals can include tackling home improvement goals," explained Yani Santos, general manager of Express Glass. Our new blog post is about our renewed corporate commitment to giving Miami the best in sliding glass door repair and fleshing this out into meaningful action items one customers at a time.

To read the new blog post for 2017, please visit http://www.expressglassfl.com/blog/sliding-glass-door-repair/2017-resolution-best-miami-sliding-glass-door-repair-company/.

There one can review details for sliding glass door repair and window replacement for Miami and the surrounding Florida community. Details about how sliding glass door issues affect a home and 24 hour emergency glass repair are also ready for review. Interested parties, including journalists and bloggers, are urged to read the content-heavy post on sliding glass door repair at http://www.expressglassfl.com/home-window-repair/sliding-glass-door-repair/.

Self-Improvement and Home Improvement Goals Merge for Sliding Glass Door Repair

New Years resolutions can combine self-improvement and home improvement for both customers and businesses in Miami. Waiting several hours or days after placing a call to fix a broken patio door should not be acceptable; quick and professional service by a friendly glass technician should be the norm in Miami. This is the thrust of this important blog post for 2017 as a "corporate resolution."

Although Miami can have a reputation for healthy coastal living, a few locals might benefit from evaluating certain habits. A lazy attitude about exercising and completing home improvement projects may have started to backfire. Maybe the last doctors visit ended with a prescription to ramp up the exercise or face heart disease problems in the future. It could be time to purchase running shoes for a new jogging routine. Maybe a broken patio door has started to leak water into the home during recent storms. It may be time to call a sliding glass door repair in Miami to finally get the job done!

As a company, Express Glass & Board Up tries to practice what it preaches. Accordingly, this new post outlines its 2017 commitment in the sliding glass door repair industry. The company has renewed a commitment to being the best glass repair service. The new blog post outlines this in a very public fashion, as the firm gears up for an exciting and prosperous 2017 for the Miami glass repair community.

About Express Glass Repair and Board Up

Express Glass and Board Up Service Inc. is a family owned and operated glass repair business with more than 20 years of experience. Their professional technicians and the large variety of inventory make Express Glass the top glass door repair service. If customers are looking for Miami sliding glass door repair or West Palm Beach glass repair as well as glass repair in Delray Beach, please reach out to the company for a free estimate. If customers need a 24/7 Sliding Glass Door repair service in Miami or Boca Raton or Miramar, technicians are standing by. The company specializes in sliding glass door repair and window glass repair; technicians will handle any glass replacement situation efficiently. Home or business glass repair is the company's main priority.

Express Glass Repair and Board up

http://www.expressglassfl.com/
Solo 401(k) Plan in a Nutshell Second Edition To Be Released January 20, 2017

Adam Bergman, IRA Financial Group partner and author of the leading book on self-directed solo 401(k) plans: Solo 401(k) Plan in a Nutshell" is proud to announce the release of the second version scheduled for January 20, 2017.

The second version of the book Solo 401(k) Plan in a Nutshell offers an in-depth summary of the advantages of benefits of the IRS approved Solo 401(k) plan and highlights the reason behind its increased popularity amongst the self-employed and small business owners with no full-time employees. The book was written to provide a simple buy yet informative handbook the self-employed and small business owners better prepare themselves for retirement by understanding the exciting advantages of establishing a Solo 401(k) Plan. The second version of the book will include the updated plan contribution rules for the 2017 taxable year, as well as more detailed information on after-tax plan contributions, and new case law on the prohibited transaction rules. It is important that people interested in learning about the Solo 401(k) plan have updated and current information on the Solo 401(k) plan rules," stated Adam Bergman, author of the book

Adam Bergman is a senior tax partner with the IRA Financial Group, LLC, the markets leading provider of Self-Directed IRA LLC and Solo 401(k) plans. Mr. Bergman is also the managing partner of the law firm The Bergman Law Group, LLC. In addition, Mr. Bergman is a recognized expert on IRAs and 401(k) Plans and is the founder of the BergmanIRAReport.com and the Bergman401KReport.com. Mr. Bergman is also a frequent contributor to Forbes.com on the topic of self-directed retirement plans.

Adam Bergman, IRA Financial Group partner, has written six books the topic of self-directed retirement plans, including, The Checkbook IRA, Going Solo, "Turning Retirement Funds into Start-Up Dreams," "Solo 401(k) Plan in a Nutshell," "Self-Directed IRA in a Nutshell," and in "God We Trust in Roth We Prosper."

Mr. Bergman has been quoted in a number of major publications on the area of self-directed retirement plans. Mr. Bergman has been interviewed on CBS News and has been quoted in Businessweek, CNN Money, Forbes, Dallas Morning News, Daily Business Review, Law.com, San Francisco Chronicle, U.S. Tax News, the Miami Herald, Bloomberg, Arizona Republic, San Antonio Express, Findlaw, Smart Money, USA Today, Houston Chronicle, Morningstar, and American Lawyer on the area of retirement tax planning.

Prior to joining the IRA Financial Group, LLC, Mr. Bergman worked as a tax and ERISA attorney at White & Case LLP, Dewey LeBoeuf LLP, and Thelen LLP, three of the most prominent corporate law firms in the world. Throughout his career, Mr. Bergman has advised thousands of clients on a wide range of tax and ERISA matters involving limited liability companies and retirement plans. Mr. Bergman received his B.A. (with distinction) from McGill University and his law degree (cum laude) from Syracuse University College of Law. Mr. Bergman also received his Masters of Taxation (LL.M.) from New York University School of Law.

IRA Financial Group is the market's leading provider of self-directed IRA retirement plans. IRA Financial Group has helped thousands of clients take back control over their retirement funds while gaining the ability to invest in almost any type of investment, including real estate without custodian consent.

Founded by top law firm tax attorneys, IRA Financial Group, has helped over 12,000 clients self-direct their retirement funds and invest over $3.8 billion in alternative assets, such as real estate and precious metals.

To learn more about the IRA Financial Group please visit our website at http://www.irafinancialgroup.com or call 800-472-0646.
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In an article focusing on the incoming Trump administration's efforts to shrink federal bureaucracy by cutting spending, The Hill reports that President-elect Donald Trump intends to "entirely" eliminate the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Both endowments are independent federal agencies, and each was formed in 1965.

The NEH, dedicated to "promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans," is, according to its website, "one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States." The NEA, according to its website, "funds, promotes, and strengthens the creative capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with diverse opportunities for arts participation."

A spokesperson for the NEA, when reached for comment on the report, said that the agency is "not speculating on what policies the new administration may or may not choose to prioritize or pursue."

Last August, the NEH announced more than $4 million in grants for book-related projects, while the NEA in December named 37 writers to fellowships for the fiscal year 2017. The NEA fellows, chosen from a pool of more than 1,800 applicants, each received $25,000 for "the time and space to create, revise, conduct research, and connect with readers." The NEA also awarded grants for literary publishing projects to nonprofit organizations including Archipelago Books and the Kenyon Review.

In fiscal year 2015, the NEH had an operating budget of $146,021,000, and requested a $147,942,000 budget for FY 2016. The NEA budget, in FY 2015, was $146,021,000, which was increased to $147,949,000 in 2016. Within a projected federal budget, according to the Congressional Budget Office, of $3.9 trillion for the fiscal year 2016, the NEH and NEA's budgets combined total less than 0.0075% of federal costs.

For FY 2017, the NEA asked for a budget of $149.849 million, while the NEH requested $149.848 million. President Obama called for a $4.15 trillion federal budget for FY 2017.

Nicholas Fleisher, an associate professor in the linguistics department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, tweeted similar numbers more succinctly (Fleisher's numbers include the budget for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which the incoming administration is reportedly considering privatizing):

The combined annual budgets of NEH, NEA, and CPB ($739m) would fund the Pentagon ($585b) for 11 hours https://t.co/QDr5n339Jp  Nick Fleisher (@nickfleisher) January 19, 2017

Of that $739m, the bulk ($445m) is for CPB https://t.co/md8gekileC. NEA/NEH each under $150m https://t.co/aKPC5IOOAu https://t.co/lrsLcim4Cx  Nick Fleisher (@nickfleisher) January 19, 2017

Reaction to the report has been swift, and highly critical, including the use of the hashtag #SavetheNEH on social media platforms. The National Humanities Alliance, an advocacy group which, according to their website, is "dedicated to the advancement of humanities education, research, preservation, and public programs," published a blog post shortly after the news broke, imploring readers to "help us nip efforts to defund NEH in the bud."

In a statement following The Hill's reporting on January 19, PEN America executive director Suzanne Nossel argued that the Trump administration's plan to abolish the NEH and NEA would "usher in a new Dark Ages in America" were it to be implemented. She called the plan "an outrageous abdication of the U.S. government's proud history of support for groundbreaking research and creative endeavors that have served as engines of innovation and bolstered America's stature as a haven for free thinkers and a global leader in humanity's shared quest for knowledge."

The release of The Hill's report came not just on the eve of the inauguration, but on the eve of the American Library Association's midwinter conference in Atlanta as well. At last June's ALA annual conference in Orlando, NEH chairman William D. Adams spoke to the importance of the humanities within a healthy democracy, as PW senior writer Andrew Albanese reported. There is no democracy without the act of memory, Adams said, adding that the humanities and democracy are deeply and permanently intertwined in the history of the life of this country.

Adams further noted that the NEH has made roughly 63,000 grants to individuals and cultural institutions across the country in its history, totaling $5.3 billion. Libraries, he added, were a major recipient of that support, with the nearly 3,400 library grants awarded over the last 50 years totaling $515 million, plus another 80 grants to the ALA, beginning in 1971.

This article has been updated with further information.
Omar Saif Ghobash, the United Arab Emirates ambassador to Russia, underlines some of the issues young Muslims are likely to face in a world of extremism and Islamophobia in Letters to a Young Muslim (Picador, Jan.). The book, which is comprised of 27 letters written to his sons, argues against religious radicalism. Like many fathers, the ambassador hopes his words are met with an open mind, especially by his eldest teenaged son.

I have specifically said to him that I dont want him to read the book just out of obligation to me and that he could read it in his own time, Ghobash told PW. I dont want him to feel burdened by my desire to tell him things.

Drawing on his personal experiences, Ghobash explores what makes young Muslims vulnerable to radical interpretations of Islam in the book, including illiteracy as well as unemployment, which millions of Arabs face today. Extremism makes sense to young men who dont necessarily have any meaning in their lives and dont see a way forward, said Ghobash. It appeals to male testosterone and adrenaline, and it takes care of the impatience that young men often have.

Rather than being influenced by a minority of extremists, Ghobash suggests young Muslims take their own way forward in faith. I want my sons generation of Muslims to realize that they have the right to think and decide what is right and what is wrong, what is Islamic and what is peripheral to the faith, he writes in the book. It is their burden to bear whatever decision they make.

Ghobash emphasizes the importance of doubt when finding a voice that is true to Islam and considering religious ideas, even though doubt has a negative connotation in the Arabic world. Doubt often implies atheism, said the author. But actually, between doubt and atheism, there is a tremendous amount of work that can and should be done [in terms of religious beliefs].

The book is also written for those interested in learning more about Islam, and Ghobash encourages readers to combat Islamophobia by embracing the differences among Muslim practices. Both Muslims and non-Muslims can come face-to-face with the great and legitimate diversity of Islamic expression, he said. This diversity opens up the possibility of tolerance and appreciation.

Marketing and publicity for the book includes a national advertising campaign; a national media campaign with coverage in NPR, TIME, and more; select author events, targeted outreach to foreign policy and political organizations; and a library and academic marketing campaign.

"One of the author's hopes was to present some possible ways to think about being Muslim in the 21st century," said Picador publisher Stephen Morrison. He has broad and unique life experiences that we thought informed his writing and worldview: we felt that it was a book only he could write.
As plans are finalized for President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration, the wave of lawmakers raining on his parade grows.

There is yet time, however, for them to rethink their misguided decision to boycott this unparalleled American celebration of the peaceful transition of power many democratic freedom fighters around the globe can only marvel at.

Many of the 50 or so Democratic members of the House who have said they will skip Fridays ceremony took to social media to explain why.

Rep. Keith Ellison, for example, tweeted, I will not celebrate a man who preaches a politics of division and hate. I wont be attending Donald Trumps inauguration.

Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., asked her Twitter followers what she should do. After receiving an overwhelming response on the twitter poll, Ive decided not to attend the inauguration of President-elect Trump, she tweeted.

Thats hardly surprising given that 85.7 percent of her district went for Hillary Clinton. But what of the nearly 10 percent of voters who backed Mr. Trump? Doesnt she have a duty to represent them, too?

Democrats who choose to absent themselves from the events are free to do so. And its not as though GOP lawmakers havent skipped Democratic presidential inaugurations. For example, many Mitt Romney backers left town rather than watch President Obama sworn in for a second term.

We also suspect that, had he lost, Mr. Trump would have stayed away and tweeted angrily about why. But as Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., writes, 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.

We worry, too, that the planned boycott of the inauguration of the most polarizing presidential candidate in recent U.S. history doesnt bode well for the end of gridlock in Washington or the softening of the angry politics ripping our nation apart.

It also misses the point of an event that should transcend politics. Those who plan to attend, including new U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, and Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa City, will join the nation in celebrating democracy, not a leader whose policies they oppose.

By standing up at his inauguration, Democratic leaders demonstrate that they respect our nations institutions but are ready to fight for what they believe in after Donald J. Trump becomes the nations 45th president.

For example, Rep. Bustos said, Despite my vehement disagreement with President-elect Trumps behavior and billionaires-first agenda, I plan to stand with Presidents Obama and Clinton, Secretary (Hillary) Clinton and Democratic leaders who are committed to fighting for the values that we believe in and I still plan to attend the inauguration. Shell follow that Saturday, she said, by joining a march in Chicago to to send a message that the true majority rejects President-elect Trumps politics of divisiveness, and we will hold him accountable.

How very American.
CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP)  When Kimberly L. Dahlen was appointed the first female associate judge in the First Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois in 1990, not everyone was happy to see a woman on the bench.

At the start of one of her first cases, a male juror asked whether she was actually a judge; when she told him she was, he said she didn't look like one.

She asked him, politely, what a judge was supposed to look like.

"He said, 'Well, probably older, heavier, balder and (with) whiskers,' or something to that effect . and I laughed and said, 'Well, I'm sure as I get older, I'll look older, and I'll probably have the thinning hair. I may have whiskers somewhere I don't want them.' And everybody laughed, and we went on," she said.

Dahlen, who on Jan. 1 retired from the position she held in Jackson County for nearly 27 years, said she didn't let sexism get under her skin.

"You know, people grow up in different areas and have different thoughts (about) things, and it's all in the way that I think you handle things. You make light of it and go forward, or if you can correct it in a polite way, then you correct it in a polite way," she said.

Dahlen, 62, grew up in Nashville, Illinois, where her father co-owned a grain elevator. The eldest of seven children, she graduated from high school in 1972 and went on to study business administration at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Terra Haute, Indiana. From there, she attended law school at Southern Illinois University.

She was assigned nearly every type of case throughout her tenure as an associate judge. She found the juvenile docket to be rewarding; she was grateful for the opportunity "to say something maybe that might stop a child from going to prison," she said.

Former Jackson County State's Attorney Mike Wepsiec, who worked alongside Dahlen for years, characterized her judicial approach as "firm but fair."

"She had expectations for the attorneys that appeared before her, and you tried to live up to them," Wepsiec said.

Dahlen said she developed a reputation as "strict" among some of her peers.

"I truly believe that the courtroom is a special place, and that as a judge, you have an obligation to conduct business in a special way for that special place  which means there needs to be decorum, there needs to be a process, people need to be treated with respect and you need to move things along so that people can go to where they need to go," she said.

She served on several committees with the Illinois State Bar Association, a practice that pushed her to write and to keep abreast of what was going on with the law in Illinois.

As she grew older, Dahlen became more concerned with helping young lawyers hone their skills. She'd make them do memorandums of law, or ask them for case law when they made statements she didn't agree with.

"I think sometimes that we as judges have to step back and say, 'How can I make this whole system a better system?' So sometimes I think judges have to be teachers, too, in the courtroom," she said.

She didn't tend to let criminal cases get her down; she focused on the facts and how to apply them to the law, she said. But Dahlen  who lives in Carbondale with her husband, Michael, an attorney  also didn't take the responsibility of the job lightly. She'd sometimes wake up at midnight to jot down notes about a case, or wrestle with whether she was making the right decision.

"I tried my best to be fair and to do what was right and to be prepared in the courtroom, to be ready for what was going on. . A good judge is somebody that listens, and listens to both sides, and then makes an informed decision based on what the facts are in the law that's there for us," she said.

Wepsiec said Dahlen had "the highest integrity."

"She looked at things objectively and followed the law. That's all you can ask of a judge," Wepsiec said.
Brenda Barnes, an Augustana College graduate and board member nationally recognized as a business leader, died Tuesday after suffering a stroke at her home in Naperville. She was 63.

The first in her family to attend college, Ms. Barnes graduated from Augustana in 1975 and began a storied corporate career that included leading PepsiCo North America and Sara Lee. She also served on the boards of Avon, The New York Times, Sears, Starwood Hotels and Lucasfilm  as well as Augustana, on and off, for more than two decades, completing her last term in October 2016.

On Wednesday, Augustana College President Steve Bahls recalled her recovery from a 2010 stroke.

"One of the magics of her gift to Augustana  she not only provided us with great leadership, continued mentorship to students and faculty members, she spoke openly about her illness, her determination to come back," he said.

"She was responsible for the big step forward Augustana took about 15 years ago  increasing its enrollment, student diversity, marketing more aggressively and program expansion," Mr. Bahls said. "She remained a very active person in her community. She handled success with determination and handled disappointment with grace and determination.

"She made the point again and again that it was Augustana that gave her the opportunity to advance from her very humble upbringing," he said. "She told me she had the privilege of serving on major corporate boards, but the most satisfying was the Augustana board."

Fortune magazine on Tuesday called Ms. Barnes "the most powerful woman in the packaged goods industry in the 1990s" when she headed Pepsi. She left that job in 1997 to spend time with her three young children.

"Who would have thought, with all the work I did, that quitting would be the thing that put me on the map?" Ms. Barnes said in a 2014 talk at Augustana's Olin Center.

Ms. Barnes later became CEO of Sara Lee, serving until 2010 when she had a massive stroke. That same year, she was ranked 10th on Fortune's Most Powerful Women.

"There's no place for people being mean at any leadership level," she said in 2014. "People don't have to like you, but you have to get respect from people. I showed respect and I got respect. As a result, people supported me."

Mr. Bahls said she was a role model, particularly for Augustana's women students.

"The message for our students, particularly women, was 'You define your own role,'" he said. "'Don't let society tell you how to be a successful woman. Do what's right for yourself.'"

Kai Swanson, special assistant to the president at Augustana, said Ms. Barnes "saw the way the college changed lives.

"She had an inherent scrappiness," he said. "She never let any societal presumptions stand in her way; she was an extremely hard worker."

He added much of her business success stemmed from "a very well-grounded personhood.

"She knew who she was," he said. "She had an inner confidence that transcends intellect and acumen, to a real bedrock spiritual strength."

The PepsiCo Foundation honored Ms. Barnes with a $1 million gift to Augustana for the construction of the PepsiCo Student Recreation Center, which opened in 1995. Mr. Swanson said she declined the college's proposal to name the building for her.

She also donated $1 million in 2013 for Augustana's Center for Student Life. Mr. Bahls said Augustana plans to find a way to permanently honor her contributions to the school, from which her three sisters also graduated.

Funeral arrangements for Ms. Barnes are pending.
Chicago Ald. Ameya Pawar, the first Democratic Party candidate to formally announce his candidacy to challenge Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, said in Moline on Wednesday that he wants to "change the narrative" about the role of government.

He said government, whether local, state or national, is getting a bad name from those claiming and repeating "that everything government does is broken or evil or corrupt." However, he said, government "created the largest middle class we've ever seen after the Great Depression," citing the New Deal, Civil Rights Act and Great Society programs.

"So I think government can be a force for good," he said on a visit to the Quad-Cities on Wednesday to attend a Democratic Party rally. "And that means you have to elect people who believe in government and not people who want to run government like a business. So I think that means going out and talking to people and changing the narrative.

"I think we need a progressive vision for Illinois."

No other Democrat has formally entered the gubernatorial race, though several people, including U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, of Moline, have said they are considering a run.

Ald. Pawar, 36, announced his candidacy on Jan. 3. He was first elected to the Chicago City Council in 2011 and before that was a program assistant for Northwestern University's Office of Emergency Management. He holds two master's degrees from the University of Chicago: an MA in social service administration and an MS in threat and response management.

He is a member of the city council's Progressive Reform Caucus and is the first Asian-American member of the city council. Mr. Pawar is a native of Evanston, the son of immigrants from Mumbai, India.

He favors a progressive, or graduated, state income tax so the very wealthy "pay their fair share." This is a key element at funding education more equitably throughout the state, so that it's not reliant on property taxes that favor valuation-rich Chicago suburbs.

He also favors universal day care and criminal justice reforms.

"It doesn't matter where you go in Illinois, it's poor people being incarcerated for substance abuse and mental health issues," Ald. Pawar said. "That's got to change."

He criticized Gov. Rauner's turnaround agenda as helping foster a "race to the bottom" by seeking to curtail public sector unions and collective bargaining. Seeking to reduce the abilities to bargain for livable wages harms the middle class, he said.

In addition, "I think the fact that we're holding up the state budget for nonbudget-related items like term limits is immoral," he said. He also noted that he has "term-limited" himself on the Chicago City Council and won't serve after 2019.

"I term-limited myself on the idea that change is good, but I also recognize that term limits as a structural reform is really just about do you want powerful politicians or powerful bureaucrats? Where do you want the institutional knowledge? It's not a panacea. It's not like people are going to say, 'They instituted term limits, let's move 10,000 jobs to Illinois. That's ridiculous."
ROCK ISLAND  The community room at the police department went to the dogs Wednesday night as four-legged police officers Basco and Alex were on display.

The Rock Island Police Department held their monthly Community Crime Prevention meeting Wednesday night at the police station, 1212 5th Ave.

The two Belgian Malanois dogs were imported from Holland and cost about $9,000 dollars each.

Basco is 5years old, and Alex is just 1 1/2.

At the meeting, the dogs were allowed to search the room for planted drugs. Later, officers allowed the dogs to attack them in the parking garage, showing off their strength and speed.

Both the dogs and their handlers go to 10 weeks of training and stay with their handler for the duration of their working life. Chief of Police Jeff Venhuizen said after training costs are figured in, it costs the department between $30,000 and $40,000 for each dog.

"Ultimately, that is the ultimate potential sacrifice these dogs make for their handlers, to make sure it is safe for them to go first and they have that encounter with the bad guys first, rather than having an officer potentially ambushed," Chief Venhuizen said. "They are expensive but very valuable and worth the expense. They make our job easier."

Unlike other jobs, K-9 officers take their dogs home with them and must continue to work on training the dogs to be more social. The handlers also practice scenarios at home as well.

Upon retirement, the dogs are first offered for purchase to their handlers for just one dollar.

"We can't just give them away because they are city property and the law says we have to sell them," Chief Venhuizen said.

Chief Venhuizen reported that December was a busy month for the department, and that crime was up 20 percent versus the same month in 2015. Police responded to 16 vehicle burglaries and nine shots-fired incidents, among others. He attributed the crime increase to the weather being warmer than usual.

Lieutenant Tim McCloud said the shots-fired calls were mostly isolated incidents, with the majority of them being drug-related.

In 2016, the department responded to 202 vehicle burglaries, with 90 percent of them being unlocked. Lt. McCloud said the department plans on increasing the informational campaign for residents to lock their vehicles.

"They are just looking for unlocked vehicles and whatever they can steal inside of them," Lt. McCloud said.

Other than the media, only one person attended the meeting. Chief Venhuizen said the department still plans on holding the meetings as part of the departments commitment to reach out to the community.
DAKAR, Senegal (AP)  A West African regional force charged into neighboring Gambia late Thursday to support the country's newly inaugurated president, while longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh showed no sign of stepping down.

The troops moved in shortly after Adama Barrow was inaugurated at Gambia's embassy in neighboring Senegal, after a final effort at diplomatic talks with Jammeh failed to secure his departure. His mandate expired at midnight.

Senegalese military spokesman Col. Abdoul Ndiaye confirmed to The Associated Press that the first regional troops had crossed into Gambia and were on their way to the capital, Banjul. AP journalists saw at least 20 military vehicles gathered at the border town of Karang.

In his inaugural speech, which took place under heavy security, Barrow called on Jammeh to respect the will of the people and step aside. The new president also called on Gambia's armed forces to remain in their barracks as the regional military intervention got underway.

Outside Gambia's embassy in Dakar, Baal Jaabang held up a freshly framed portrait of Barrow, already printed with the words: "His Excellency Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of Gambia."

"I'm extremely delighted, so wonderfully happy today," he said. "But now the situation risks moving into fighting. No Gambian  in the diaspora or back home  wants our country to face fighting."

Barrow had come to Senegal last week at the urging of West African mediators, who had feared for his safety amid the political crisis.

He arrived at the embassy to cheers of joy from hundreds of Gambians who had gathered, with national flags, for a glimpse of the new president.

"Our national flag will now fly high among the most democratic nations of the world," Barrow said after the ceremony.

Barrow was declared the winner of the Dec. 1 election and at first was congratulated by Jammeh in a phone call aired on state television. But once it was suggested that Jammeh could face criminal charges linked to human rights abuses during his long rule, he backtracked and challenged the vote in court, alleging irregularities.

In recent days, Jammeh has tried to stay in power by declaring a state of emergency, while lawmakers voted to extend his mandate by three months.

Jammeh on Thursday remained at his official residence and intended to stay there, said an official close to the administration who was not authorized to speak to reporters. If the regional force is going to arrest Jammeh, it will have to be there, the official said.

Many of Jammeh's loyalists will resist, the official added.

But there were signs that some in Gambia's military might not put up a fight. One soldier with close knowledge of the situation said several barracks had indicated they would support Barrow. The soldiers spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.

Gambia's army is estimated at well below 5,000 troops.

Jammeh may try to cling to power for a few more days but he is becoming increasingly isolated, said Alex Vines, head of the Africa program at Chatham House in London.

"After the inauguration of Adama Barrow, the trickle of power flowing to him will become more of a flood," Vines said. "Jammeh clearly believes leaving Gambia in a hurry is an option  his aircraft has been on standby at Banjul airport for two weeks," he added.

African nations began stepping away from Jammeh, with Botswana announcing it no longer recognized him as Gambia's president. The African Union earlier announced that the continental body would no longer recognize Jammeh once his mandate expired.

Congratulations to Barrow began pouring in, including from British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the U.N. chief in a phone call with Barrow expressed his "full support."

Thousands have fled Gambia in recent days, including a number of former cabinet ministers who resigned.

But as news of Barrow's inauguration spread, many people hugged and cheered, chanting "New Gambia, new Gambia!"

"It's unbelievable! Today I can say anything. I am the happiest man on earth," said Lamin Sama, a 35-year-old in Banjul. "For 22 years we couldn't say anything, we were like slaves."
One teenager alone can climb to the top of Featherhead Hill, but it takes two to ascend to the heights of Mount Stupid.

Last week, according to the Associated Press, two teenage girls slipped through the fence at the abandoned Joliet Correctional Center to explore the empty facility. The trouble began when one of the girls, as wjol.com put it, "accidentally locked herself in a cell."

I quibble with the idea of calling this an accident. A car that runs a red light and hits you causes an accident that no amount of caution could prevent. But when you're driving a 25-year-old pickup you bought for fifty bucks from Jack's Jalopies and you hit a car because the brakes fail, the bald tires have the gripping power of a pair of chopsticks, the steering wheel has come loose in your hands and you can't see anything because rain is pouring through the opening where the windshield used to be, you're not the victim of an accident. You're a teenager.

The simple act of locking yourself in a prison cell without the assistance of a judge or jury would qualify anyone for the Bonehead of the Year Award. But we're not done listing these young ladies' accomplishments

You or I would have pondered the situation, offered up prayers of thanksgiving for the invention of the cell phone and called the police. But you and I are not teenagers. When you're a teenager in trouble, you call anybody but the police: the animal shelter, the DMV, your cousin in Milwaukee or, in a particularly severe emergency, another teenager. In this case, the girls called the fire department. This is probably because calls to the Department of Parks and Recreation were going to voicemail and they'd never heard of the County Board of Assessments.

(To be fair, teenagers are not the only people who suffer from muddled thinking during times of crisis. If you've ever listened to a police scanner in the rural Midwest, you know it is commonplace for old ladies to call 911 to report heart palpitations, chest pains and shortness of breath and then ask that rescue vehicles not use sirens or flashing lights; in other words, "I'm dying, but I don't want the neighbors to know").

Our two teenage girls had to wait a while for the fire department to arrive. Firefighters are adults who understand that a girl locked alone in a cell in an empty prison isn't in life-threatening danger. In fact, for the 45 minutes she spent behind bars this kid was probably the safest human being in northern Illinois. The rescuers broke through the walls and freed her -- sort of. She and her friend now face charges of trespassing, consequences their teenage brains had convinced them they could avoid by calling the fire department instead of the police.

If I seem overly critical of these youngsters, please know I bring some expertise to the subject. I have been an actual teenager. I have stayed up until sunrise learning the guitar chords to "Mr. Tambourine Man" on the night before the final history exam. I have suffered the consequences. I still know the chords to "Mr. Tambourine Man" but can't remember anything about the Teapot Dome Scandal.

So, with the authority of a former teenager, I advise our two young friends that if they'd paid attention in civics class, they would have known that prison is, in general, something you break out of, not into. Its not a hard, fast rule, but learning to make subtle distinctions like this will take you a long way.
Go To The Polls And Pull The Lever

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Stadler had previously been selected as the preferred bidder for the SFr 45m ($US 44.5m) contract in November 2016.

The trams for Ostrava will be assembled at Stadlers plant in Prague, which will work closely with Czech suppliers. The first vehicle is due to be completed in March 2018.

The 2-section unidirectional trams will be 24.9m long and be able to carry up to 188 passengers, including 61 seated. The trams have wide doors and a wheelchair ramp for efficient boarding. They will be fully air-conditioned with a maximum speed of 80km/h.
The contract runs from January 1 this year to December 31 2026 and calls for the operation of 25.1 million train-km per year, a 7% increase compared with the previous contract. The agreement covers the operation of 118 conventional long-distance services a day, including 20 overnight trains (30 at weekends).

The previous contract expired in 2014 and was extended for two years without any changes to terms and conditions.

Under the new contract the government will pay Trenitalia 347.9m to operate the Intercity and Intercity Night network in 2017, increasing to 365.9m in subsequent years. Trenitalia says the contract sets stricter quality criteria than the preceding agreement with a system of incentives and penalties governing punctuality, frequency and cleanliness.

Trenitalia says the new contract will ensure financial sustainability and enable it to revitalise inter-city services through a 300m investment in technology and modernisation of rolling stock. By the end of 2017, the average age of Intercity rolling stock will fall from 25 years to 15 years and the fleet will gradually be refurbished with a new interior and exterior livery.
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, the ranking member of the Senates mass transit subcommittee, met today with U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary-designate Elaine Chao to impress upon her that advancing the Gateway project to replace the aging Hudson River rail tunnels must be the nations top transportation infrastructure priority in the Trump Administration.

Gateway is one of the largest and most complex transportation projects in the country. Failure to complete the project in a timely manner would be a disaster for businesses and commuters in our region, and to the nations economy. I dont believe we can be successful in this effort without the support of the Department of Transportation, Sen. Menendez said.

The senator walked Secretary Chao, who led the U.S. Labor Department under President George W. Bush, through the complexities of the Gateway project, noting that it has bipartisan support from both New Jersey and New York governors, the states four U.S. senators, and regional transportation agencies.

The Obama Administration has made Gateway a priority, placing the project on the Presidential Dashboard to expedite permitting and environmental reviews. USDOT is also a party to the Gateway Development Corporation (GDC), created to oversee the project, and controls discretionary funds that will be critical to fulfilling the federal funding obligation to complete the project, notably from the New Starts program. The Hudson tunnels and century-old Portal Bridge are already in the New Starts pipeline for funding.

The Northeast Corridor accounts for $3.6 trillion in economic activity, or one-fifth of the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The cost of a disruption in rail service through the Hudson tunnels, which were severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy and nearing their end of life, would cost an estimated $100 million a day.

Its vital that we have a new set of Hudson tunnels complete before we have to repair the existing ones. If we lost just one tunnel, wed go from 24 trains an hour down to six to accommodate two-direction traffic, said Sen. Menendez. During the meeting, the senator also stressed the need for a robust infrastructure investment planthat includes actual funding, not just tax breaks and financing gimmicksto address the nations $90 billion state-of-good-repair backlog, while creating a 21st Century transportation system.
As Donald Trump prepares to assume the presidency of the United States, the contest with China for influence in Asia continues apace. Since President Barack Obama announced the rebalance or pivot to Asia initiative in an address to Australia's parliament in 2011, the U.S. has carried out a number of measures designed to bolster its influence in a region that is projected to play an increasingly central role in driving global economic growth. In addition to increases in force presence and posture, U.S. forces have fielded numerous advanced systems. Complementing the military moves, Washington has stepped up bilateral and multilateral engagements.

Major developments, such as the planned rotation of 2,500 marines through Darwin, Australia, and the decision to deploy 60 percent of U.S. naval and air forces to Asia by 2020, have gained widespread attention. But the U.S. has also carried out a large number of smaller, corresponding measures. Washington has stationed four attack submarines at Guam and begun to rotate four new Littoral Combat Ships in Singapore. It has inked the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the Philippines, although its status remains unclear amid strained bilateral ties. To counter threats from North Korea, the U.S. has expanded missile defenses in Alaska and Guam, while South Korea has agreed to host a ballistic missile defense system.

The Asia-Pacific region has clearly become the priority region for the deployment of the most advanced U.S. weapons and technologies today. Washington has sent the new Zumwalt-class destroyer and the latest Virginia-class submarine to the Pacific, while replacing the forward-deployed USS George Washington aircraft carrier with the more capable Ronald Reagan. The U.S. has deployed the advanced F-22 fighter, the F-35 joint strike fighter and the P-8 patrol airplane to its Pacific allies. Washington has also added its latest early warning aircraft, two AEGIS destroyers and a second TYP-2 missile defense radar to forces in Japan.

Stepped-up American diplomatic outreach to China and its neighbors has supplemented these military moves. During his presidency, Obama met at least nine times with Chinese President Xi Jinping. U.S. relations with Myanmar and Vietnam warmed considerably, demonstrating the strength of American appeal. Moreover, the U.S. has repeatedly sent top officials to the region and participated in various multilateral venues such as the Shangri-La Dialogue. The military has done its part in promoting engagement, as well. The U.S. Army, for example, has expanded a region-wide multilateral training partnership program known as Pacific Pathways, which includes Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan....

The remainder of this commentary is available on worldpoliticsreview.com.

Timothy R. Heath is a senior international defense research analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation and a member of the Pardee RAND Graduate School faculty.

This commentary originally appeared on World Politics Review on January 19, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
This article is one of a series of stories about Michigans agricultural economy. It is made possible with funding from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development . Read the rest of the series here. It might be frosty outside. But just because it's January, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy homegrown Michigan produce this time of year. In fact, it could be as close as your neighborhood grocery aisle.Mastronardi Produce is a Canadian grower, headquartered in Kingsville, Ontario, that specializes in hydroponic greenhouse cultivation, a form of growing that makes use of mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil. Because it grows indoors, the company is able to offer its SUNSET brand of produce year-round at Michigan grocers like Meijer, Whole Foods, Aldi, Costco, Sams Club, Trader Joes, Walmart, and Target.What's more, since it operates a greenhouse in Coldwater the grower is also able to provide consumers with Michigan-grown produce. The Coldwater facility supplies state retailers with SUNSET tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, and cucumbers, and during the chilly months it also grows it's WOW (Wonders of Winter) line of strawberries.Due to its south central Michigan location, the Coldwater operation allows the grower to harvest, pack and deliver its produce to customers throughout the Midwest in a timely fashion, often on the same day it's picked.Completed in 2014 (and operational since 2012), the 60-acre Coldwater facility is Mastronardi Produce's most state-of-the-art indoor growing operation. The greenhouse relies on a variety of technologies including grow lights (and LED research lighting) to control temperature, humidity, water, and light conditions, allowing for optimal crop growth. Automated harvest carts, and radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are also used to increase efficiency and to keep track of produce."Compared to field farming, greenhouse growing is much more efficient, yielding 12 to 20 times more produce in the same area. It also reduces water consumption drastically, and allows us to use natural, integrated pest management instead of chemical pesticides to manage any harmful insects," says Daniela Ferro, a spokesperson for Mastronardi Produce. "Of course, this also means that frigid Michigan winters wont harm our protected crop, so consumers can enjoy local produce all year long.In addition to providing consumers with Michigan produce, the company has also been a boon to the state's workforce, hiring local workers at all levels of employment at its Coldwater greenhouse and Livonia distribution center, the company's largest depot in North America.As for the relationship with the state's retailers, it's been a mutually beneficial one: the embrace of grocers have allowed the Coldwater operation to flourish while keeping store shelves stocked with the local produce their customers value. Due to the high interest in keeping things local, it's also worth noting that Mastronardi Produce goes the extra mile when it comes to guaranteeing where their fruits and vegetables come from."Because were greenhouse grown, we also have an enhanced food safety and traceability program, which allows us to trace product back to exactly where it came from," says Ferro. "Our proactive approach to food safety, paired with our innovative products and dedication to flavor and quality means that retailers have the satisfaction of knowing theyre providing their consumers with safe, high-quality produce year-round.The Michigan-based grocery chain Meijer has been purchasing Mastronardi Produce for over 40 years and offers Michigan-grown tomatoes at each of its 230 stores, which are spread over six states."Meijer offers our customers fresh, vine-ripened Michigan-grown tomatoes year-round, thanks to Mastronardi Produce's state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse in Coldwater, Mich.," says Meijer spokesperson Christina Fecher. "We also offer locally-grown sweet peppers in colder months grown at that greenhouse.The grocery chain ensures that Mastronardi Produce and other growers meet their own high corporate standards by sending in a team of experienced buyers to check out their suppliers' farms and growing facilities.Keeping things local has been a priority for Meijer since the chain opened its first store in Greenville back in 1934. And the local produce options that the SUNSET line allows the grocer to offer are really appreciated by shoppers."Not only is buying local produce the right thing to do, it's what our customers want and deserve. Today, Meijer works with more than 125 local growers, which we define as growers within our six-state footprint," says Fecher. "Of those, 92 are located in Michigan. We are also currently one of the largest purchasers of local produce in the markets we serve.Peter Anastor, Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's (MDARD) Agriculture Development Division, has seen Mastronardi Produce's Coldwater facility and he's impressed."Mastronardi is sort of a driver of what's going on in Michigan as far as hydroponics now, pretty amazing facilities," he says, "and I think it's definitely a good glimpse at what the potential future of agricultural growing is going to be.Right now, this type of indoor growing is only a small component of the state's agricultural economy; the only other facility that MDARD is regularly involved with is Kilbourn Produce, a family-owned hydroponic operation in Marshall, Michigan that grows red bell peppers.But the prospects are promising. Anastor thinks the attraction of locally grown produce, in terms of environmental sustainability and the desire to support Michigan jobs, combined with the efficiencies of hydroponic growing, like being able to control the growing conditions and harvest crops year-round, represent a wonderful economic opportunity.While the indoor ag industry is still in its early stages, MDARD has been talking with possible investors. For its part, Anastor says his agency is happy to talk to potential business operators and help connect them with prospective employees, identify a good location and work with the MEDC and other state departments on permitting and incentives.And as technology makes the field more efficient, he expects interest in setting up new operations in the state will grow."Looking out at the next decade, I think we're going to see more of this type of growing," says Anastor. "It's something we are keeping an eye on and are very interested in."
Russia allowed not to abide by ECHR ruling on 1.9 bln compensation to Yukos

ST. PETERSBURG, January 19 (RAPSI) - The Constitutional Court has allowed Russia not to pay 1.9 billion compensation awarded to former Yukos shareholders by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), RAPSI reports from the courtroom on Thursday.

According to the Court, the ECHR ruling contravenes the Russian Constitution.

Russia is free to deviate from its obligations if it is the only way to avoid violation of the Constitution, Chairman of Russias Constitutional Court Valery Zorkin said reading the ruling.

The European Court of Human Rights must respect the sovereignty of Russian Legislation, the ruling reads.

Zorkin qualified the European system of human rights protection as fundamental and called to reach a compromise in the current situation.

Russias Justice Ministry has filed a request with the Constitutional Court seeking to study the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling regarding 1.9 billion compensation to former Yukos shareholders.

The request for the Constitutional Court to review ECHRs July 31, 2014 ruling in Yukos vs Russia case was signed on October 12, according to the Ministrys press-service. It was prepared based on the Ministrys conclusion on the impossibility of following through with the ECHR ruling and reports of the Federal Bailiff Service and the Federal Tax Service.

The Justice Ministry believes that obligations put on Russia by the ECHR are based on the Convention of Human Rights in interpretation conflicting with the ones of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

In December, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe announced that it expects Russia to abide by its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and pay former Yukos shareholders the awarded compensation.

In the summer of 2014, the ECHR ruled that Russia must pay 1.9 billion in compensation and 300,000 of legal expenses to former Yukos shareholders.

At the end of 2015, Russia's Constitutional Court was granted the right to recognize decisions of international courts, including Strasbourg based European Court of Human Rights, as non-executable. The legislation was developed taking into account the respective Constitutional Courts ruling establishing that each case of the ECHR decision implementation should be reviewed individually and these decisions should be executed only on the principle of supremacy of the Russian Constitution.

The Council of Europe expressed its concern with the ruling of the Constitutional Court: "Member States of the Council of Europe are bound by the European Convention on Human Rights to implement decisions of the Strasbourg Court. We are examining the Constitutional Courts decision and will communicate our position in due course," statement of the Council reads.
Russian city files bankruptcy petition against Sibmost construction company

MOSCOW, January 19 (RAPSI)  Tomsk city department for management of municipal property filed a bankruptcy claim with the Novosibirsk Region Commercial Court against one of the largest Russian bridge construction companies Sibmost, court documents read on Thursday.

Hearings in this claim were postponed until February 17 because documents were filed improperly.

In December 2016, the Seventh Commercial Court of Appeals dismissed an appeal filed by Orion construction company over refusal to review its bankruptcy claim against Sibmost.

A similar claim filed by the Regional Road Repair and Construction Directorate of Tomsk Region is currently being reviewed by the court.

Earlier, several other companies, including Sibtech-invest company, unsuccessfully filed bankruptcy petitions against Sibmost. In June 2016, a claim filed by one of Mechels subsidiaries, Mechel Service was dismissed after Sibmost repaid its debts.
High-ranking investigator to stay in detention

MOSCOW, January 19 (RAPSI, Yevgeniya Sokolova)  The Moscow City Court has upheld a lower courts ruling to extend detention for the First Deputy Head of the Investigative Committees Moscow Directorate, General Denis Nikandrov, who stands charged with taking a large-scale bribe, RAPSI correspondent reports from the court on Thursday.

An appeal against the ruling of the Lefortovsky District Court filed by Nikandrovs defense was dismissed. Nikandrov, who claimed that his sight got worse after being put in detention, will stay there until March 19 , 2017.

In December, the court extended the detention of Nikandrov and the head of the Investigative Committees Internal Security Directorate Mikhail Maksimenko for three months.

On July 20, Maksimenko along with several of his high-ranking colleagues, including his deputy Alexander Lamonov and Nikandrov, were put in jail. Earlier, they have been arrested by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of receiving a large-scale bribe.

According to the FSB official website, the agency, along with the Investigative Committee, is carrying out a probe into the criminal case against the suspects over alleged abuse of office and receiving bribes from some representatives of the criminal community.

In late July, various media outlets reported that Maksimenko and his colleagues had been arrested as a part of the investigation into a criminal case over extortion of 8 million rubles ($123,400) that involved alleged gang leader Zakhariy Kalashov also known in the criminal world as Shakro Molodoi.
Russian programmer arrested in Spain on suspicion of cyberattacks  report

MOSCOW, January 19 (RAPSI)  Russian programmer Stanislav Lisov has been arrested in Spain on suspicion of implication in cyberattacks, various Russian media reported Thursday.

Police have arrested the Russian national on the request of Interpol and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the airport in Barcelona, Russia Today (RT) quoted his wife Daria Lisova as having said. He was put in the Brians prison in Martorell, a town near Barcelona, in Catalonia. Charges reportedly have not been brought against Lisov yet.

The Russian embassy was officially notified of Lisovs arrest, according to RIA Novosti. Russia has forwarded a request to the Spanish authorities seeking to inform about reasons and details of the arrest.

Lisov, the resident of the city of Taganrog, is engaged in support and development of websites in Russia, according to his wife. The spouses went to Spain on vacation.

In October 2016, Russia was accused of organizing hacking attacks against the U.S. election systems. However, American authorities presented no evidence of Russias involvement in cyberattacks allegedly aimed to affect the presidential election results in the U.S.
Kentucky recently made two excellent policy moves to increase freedom and lower the cost of government. It enacted a Right to Work statute and repealed its prevailing wage law. Congress should follow the state's lead and enact Right to Work nationally and repeal the federal prevailing wage law.
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On Monday, Jan. 2, Shaker Sister Frances Carr died at the age of 89. She had been a Shaker for almost 80 years and passed away at the Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake in Maine.

Through my own research interest in the area of Christian rituals, I have developed an interest in the Shakers and Shaker history, especially related to the Era of Manifestations in the mid-19th century. That was the period when the Shakers performed elaborately choreographed forms of ritual dance and sang sacred songs during their Sunday worship (usually open to the public).

And so it was with a pang of sorrow that I read Sister Carrs obituary. She had been a member of the community since 1937, when the Shakers (who called themselves the United Society of Believers in Christs Second Appearing) had taken her in as a 10-year-old orphan.

According to one point of view, Carr was the last Shaker. In the mid-20th century, as the number of Shaker villages dwindled to two (Canterbury in New Hampshire and Sabbathday Lake in Maine), members of the Canterbury group felt strongly that the church should be allowed to die out. They insisted that Shaker membership had been closed since 1965 and that no new members would be accepted by either remaining Shaker community.

However, the members at Sabbathday Lake stressed the autonomy of each local community. Quietly, a few younger people became associated with the Maine community in the 1960s through the 1980s. The two remaining members of this community, Arnold Hadd and June Carpenter, are listed as members today.

Regardless of which side one might take, the death of this last Shaker is at least the symbolic close of an era. At one point in time, Shakers were quite a notable element in the religious and cultural life of United States. Even today, from my perspective, Shaker insights and way of life have much to offer.

The history of Shakers

To begin with, the Society of Believers grew steadily in the United States from 1774, the year their founder, the English visionary and preacher Mother Ann Lee, arrived in New York with a few of her followers.

At first met with some resistance and even violence, Mother Ann started public preaching, prophesies, and Spirit-inspired singing and dancing.

She insisted that Christ had already returned in glory from the dead, as he had promised in the gospels. She urged those who accepted this truth to respond by confessing their sins and then gathering together to live new lives in more perfect societies.

A Dec. 23, 1978 photo of Eldress Bertha Lindsay, left, and Gertrude Soule decorating their artificial Christmas tree at Canterbury, New Hampshire.

Believers dissolved their marriages in order to live in communal villages, practicing strict celibacy as brothers and sisters. Those who had children allowed them to be raised by the community; they also took in orphaned and unwanted children.

They held all of their goods in common, made their own clothes, constructed and invented their own tools and architecture, and lived their days according to a specific order in work and prayer. Apart from one urban community in Philadelphia, composed largely of African-American Shaker women, Shaker villages were agricultural communities, self-sufficient for the most part, supporting themselves by selling their produce and crafts. Most notable of these were packaged seeds, a joint venture of several Shaker communities marketed as the Shaker Seed Company.

Decline of the community

For almost 100 years, Shaker communities grew and expanded in the eastern United States. In the first part of the 19th century, there were more than 20 Shaker communities housing some 6,000 members, concentrated largely in New England and New York but scattered in other states as far west as Kentucky and as far south as Florida.

However, during the second half of the 19th century, the Shaker movement began a long decline. American society was going through a period of rapid transformation, sparked both by the Civil War and the impact of the Industrial Revolution.

Against this backdrop, many elements of Shaker life seemed at best antiquated (for instance, their determined rejection of the world) and at worst repellent (especially their insistence on mandatory celibacy). The number of aspirants wishing to join dropped and people began to leave Shaker communities. The remaining Shaker population was rapidly aging.

Slowly, Shaker village after Shaker village closed and the land was sold to local towns or private individuals. One example is the Shaker village in Shirley, Massachusetts, which was repurposed as a boys reform school for decades (1908-1972); some of the land was then used for a new prison.

A June 8, 2015 photo of an archaeological dig at the Shaker village in Enfield, New Hampshire.

Sections of 15 others, including Sabbathday Lake, were preserved as historical sites through the National Parks Service, and are still open today for tours and workshops.

A few Shaker songs, originally used during ritual dances or prayer services, survive in folk and classical music such as composer Aaron Coplands Appalachian Spring. One, Simple Gifts, is still taught and sung in schools, churches and by professional musicians.

Today, most people use the term Shaker in the same way as they would Amish, as an adjective designating a simple, hand-crafted style of design in clothing or furniture, like Shaker sweaters or Shaker furniture.

Lasting legacy

But regardless of whether or not the Shakers actual communities survive the 21st century, many believe their influence has shaped and will continue to shape American thought and culture in more than one way.

Members of the society, for example, were early proponents of gender equality , based on the fundamental teaching of Mother Ann that all believers were radically united in Christs second coming (not without some internal struggles on how that should be best expressed after her death). Christ was already present, they believed, within each of them and among them as a community; therefore, harmony was a key element in the structuring of all Shaker communities.

Teams of both sisters and brothers served in leadership roles as Elders and Eldresses, and Mother Ann continued to be the touchstone figure for all of the communities. Narratives about Mothers life, words and actions, collected at various points during the Shaker experience, continued to highlight her venerated position as suffering woman, formidable prophet and spiritual mother.

Believers were also determined pacifists, holding that warfare was antithetical to true Christianity. Throughout the history of the United States, they refused to serve in the military and protested against conscription. During the Civil War, they were among the first groups to receive conscientious objector status or an official exemption from military service based on their religious beliefs, along with the Quakers.

Members of the society stressed a simplicity of lifestyle, expressed in a strong sense of responsibility and adaptability in their daily actions and decisions. They accepted both science and religion as part of Gods truth, and so never rejected technological advances, just the materialism that tended to come with them.

They abhorred waste. Visitors and guests at mealtimes were reminded to Shaker their plate or to take what they wished but leave no uneaten food on the plate. Shaker buildings were simple but practical; furniture was plain but sturdy, and designed for convenient storage. Believers were considered to have well ordered farms, and were efficient and scientific in their methods, not afraid to adapt their methods to differences in agriculture in different states and environments.

Why death is necessary for fullest bloom

Certainly, there are elements of the Shaker gospel and harmony that simply do not carry over into the 21st century, such as the insistence on mandatory celibacy for all members or the expectation of visions from diverse spirits.

But Shakers rejection of the world does offer us today some insightful reflections on contemporary issues such as their pacifism when confronted by terrorism; their mutual love and respect in the face of gender and racial divisions; and their cheerful blending of prosperity and simplicity as a response to the wasteful nature of many materialistic cultures.

Like the seeds they once nurtured and sold, the Shakers were themselves seeds and catalysts in American society. And as noted in the Gospel of John, in the New Testament,

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Marked as it may be by sadness, perhaps their inevitable individual death is necessary in order to reach their fullest bloom and bear their richest fruit within the culture that survives them and cherishes their memory.

Their vision of a human society united in harmony with one another and with the natural world can offer many lessons.
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.
Jorge Benitez is the director of NATOSource and a senior fellow 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.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been deploying more and more forces in a strategic piece of Russian territory that lies in a vulnerable area of NATO geography. How President-elect Donald Trump responds to this challenge will be one of the first tests of his new administration.

The Russian exclave of Kaliningrad hosts significant military capabilities and lies between NATO members Poland and Lithuania. Over the years, the Russians have deployed so much firepower in this small territory deep inside NATOs eastern borders that NATOs former top military commander, retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, testified to Congress in February that Kaliningrad is a very militarized piece of property  a fortress of A2AD [anti-access/area denial].

Since then, the situation has gotten even worse. In addition to the advanced S-400 missiles with a 250-mile range already stationed in this area, in October the Russians deployed Iskander-M nuclear-capable ballistic missiles in Kaliningrad. These missiles have a range of more than 300 miles, which means they are capable of reaching six NATO capitals: Warsaw, Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, Copenhagen, and Berlin. Also in October, the Russians announced that they deployed Bastion land-based coastal defense missile launchers in Kaliningrad. These supersonic missiles have a range of about 190 miles and cover the heart of the Baltic Sea, threatening maritime access to NATOs Baltic members.

As if this arsenal of Russian missiles wasnt cause enough for concern, Putins most recent act was to move two missile corvettes (the Serpukhov and the Zeleny Dol) from their base in the Black Sea to Kaliningrad. These Russian warships are equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, which Putin used to demonstrate his ability to strike inside Syria from as far away as the Caspian Sea. In fact, the Kalibr missiles have a range of more than 900 miles and from Kaliningrad can reach most NATO capitals.

It is no wonder that the former commander of U.S. and allied air forces in Europe, retired Gen. Frank Gorenc, warned that NATO needs to come to "the realization that we don't have complete air dominance," and that in a crisis, significant parts of NATO territory would be contested airspace.

Trump Must Choose

How will Trump respond to Putins latest military moves near NATOs borders? It depends on who he listens to on this issue. Retired Gen. James Mattis, President-elect Trumps choice for secretary of defense, has already pointed out that Putin  is out to break NATO apart." Mattis will probably recommend a robust and thoughtful U.S.-NATO response to deter Putin from escalating his arms race in Eastern Europe. The retired Marine general is also likely to increase the pressure on European allies to move outside of their comfort zones and contribute more capabilities for regional defense and multinational activities. This will appeal to Trumps stated desire during the presidential campaign for European allies to bear a fairer share of the costs of European defense.

Such efforts might prove insufficient, however. Trump has been very reluctant to admit the danger and damage of Russian actions against the United States. The most public example of this is Trumps dismissal of the role of Russia in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee. Even though the U.S. intelligence community has briefed him on the evidence pointing to Russias role in these cyberattacks, Trump refuses to blame Putin, let alone hold him accountable. In a recent tweet, Trump publicly dismissed the evidence collected by U.S. intelligence, tweeting If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act? Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?

If Donald Trump is unwilling to stand up to a direct attack by Putin on the heart of American democracy, the legitimacy of our elections, it is unlikely he will stand up to Putins military provocations in far-off Europe.
As fury dies down over the Obama administrations abstention on Resolution 2334 and Donald Trumps inauguration dawns, heres a suggestion on the intractable Israeli-Palestinian deadlock.

Various solutions are in the mix: One-state, two-state, three-state, no-state outcomes. Envisioning two Palestinian states rather than one might make good sense.

The first state would be built in the West Bank, the second in Gaza. Not West Palestine and East Palestine, i.e. not two halves of one state, but separate states, perhaps autonomous republics, with the question of merger deferred until circumstances change, if ever indeed they do.

It has long been understood that any Palestinian state entity would be autonomous but not fully sovereign, with control over internal affairs but limited sovereignty in defense and security arrangements. Security would be guaranteed by outside powers, including Israel first of all. A Palestinian state would be launched with substantial economic aid from outside and would be embedded in new transnational economic structures.

Demilitarization has long been accepted by Palestinian Authority negotiators. While it needs police forces, a Palestinian state doesnt need an army. Outside powers would provide external security, and demilitarization guarantees that a Palestinian state could not threaten Israel.

To accept a two-Palestinian-state formula is a sacrifice by Palestinians against the goal of a single contiguous nation-state. For Israel, on the other hand, two Palestinian states create not greater danger but greater security. The neighboring states, Jordan and Egypt, are not asked to make sacrifices either. The issue is whether Palestinians have reason to take the deal.

Four other options have been discussed, none of which breaks the deadlock.

The first is the familiar two-state solution. Through negotiations, a new, contiguous State of Palestine is created. Israel and the new state live side-by-side in peace and security.

The second is the so-called one-state solution of the Israeli nationalist right, i.e. Greater Israel. It involves annexation of the entire West Bank and East Jerusalem, including the Palestinian population, minus people subsidized to leave, or perhaps expelled. There is no Palestinian state at all in this scenario. For demographic reasonsIsrael could not long remain a Jewish stateremaining Palestinians would have to be denied equal Israeli citizenship, resulting in legal apartheid. Critics who say Israel is already heading toward a one-state apartheid country cant explain why even a Greater Israel government would blindly annex to the point of apartheid, trading Israels democracy and all international credibility for more land.

The so-called three-state solution is the third possibility. It would recreate governance in the Holy Land as it existed from the 1949 Armistice Agreements through the 1967 Six Day War. Gaza would revert to Egypt, which occupied it in 1949 and then lost it in 1967. The West Bank would revert to Jordan, which had incorporated it in 1950, also losing it in the Six Day War. A three-state solution means no Palestinian state at all. The very idea of a distinct Palestinian people would be put into question. The three-state motto is that a Palestinian state already exists: Its Jordan.

Why and how Egypt and Jordan should accept Gaza and the West Bank is a mystery left unanswered. And why West Bank and Gaza Palestinians would accept national dissolution and distance from Jerusalem is no clearer. Neither is the question of why the United States and other outside powers would make themselves complicit in a nationalist Biblical Greater Israel. The three-state solution is in effect a recipe for more war and chaos in the Middle East.

A no-state solution is the fourth alternative. Israels real policy, in this version, is to prevent any kind of Palestinian state. The real strategy is sitting tight, keeping powder dry, always being prepared for war, and outlasting outside pressures. Gaza continues to be governed by Hamas, Israel continues its control of the West Bank, and settlement expansion proceeds incrementally. How long this policy is sustainable is a question of controversy. Critics say it would lead inevitably to a one-state solution, if this last is not interrupted by major war meantime.

Against these alternatives, the virtues of two Palestinian states are clear, both as a goal and in terms of negotiations.

Creating two Palestinian states deflects the issue of territorial contiguity, deferring it to some future moment when circumstances will have changed.

Two timetables are possible, including deferring a state solution for Gaza as long as necessary. The West Bank has priority. The peace process becomes relevant again. West Bank Palestinians have an incentive to conclude an agreement earlier rather than later. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said there will be no Palestinian state without Gaza, but this could be taken as an opening gambit, and in any case Abbas is on his way out.

Can Gazas future be deferred indefinitely? Is it morally justifiable?

This is the issue of dealing with Hamas, in two respects: its rejection of Israel and its significance in the wider Islamist movement of which it is an instance. Here there are only questions. What responsibility does Hamas leadership feel toward the people of Gaza? What happens in five years, 10 years or beyond? Would the strategy remain the same if a West Bank Palestinian state were established, exposing Hamas politically and militarily? Geographically locked between Israel and Egypt, Gaza would be prey to possible international military intervention.

A West Bank state, and an eventual Gaza state, would need incorporation into wider structures to prosper. Economic and perhaps political confederation would involve at least Israel, Egypt, and Jordan, with the prospect of wider arrangements in the Middle East with Arab states and perhaps Turkey, and even with the European Union.

Outside powers would have strong reasons to help post-deadlock Palestinians. The moral principle is that Palestinian demands for dignity and respect are valid, and the international community is not indifferent to their suffering.

For Israel, the benefits are also clear: an end to the conflict including a pledge of no more Palestinian claims, an end to contestation of Israels legitimacy, a solution to the problem of how Israel can be both a Jewish state and democratic, and a basis for political de-escalation among Israelis themselves.

What about Jerusalem? The future of Jerusalem is the issue of issues. But its not unresolvable, even recognizing that Israels government always controls the agenda of what is possible. Beyond this is a discussion too long even to begin here.

Why would the West Bank Palestinians accept the proposal of two Palestinian states, one in the near future, the other a deferred and hypothetical promise that abandons the population of Gaza for the time being?

Geopolitical analyst George Friedman asserts, the Palestinians cant accept a state divided between Gaza and the West Bank, without any transport under their control, and Israel cannot give up its positions on the Jordan River line since it is their main defensive position against possible future conventional attack by Arab states whose future orientations may be different than todays. Therefore it is impossible to create an Israel-Palestine two-state solution.

The problem of contiguity, as stated above, can be deferred. As to Israels security, the Commanders for Israels Security, an organization of more than 200 of Israels former highest ranking government, military and intelligence personnel, has presented a deep study of how a multi-layered national and international security system could guarantee a two-state solution. The two-Palestinian-state solution is covered implicitly by this plan.

Look at the deadlock geopolitically from the Palestinian point of view. They are in no position to propose terms to Israel. Geopolitics is, as Friedman says, the belief that power determines outcomes.

West Bank Palestinians ultimately have to give, and Gaza will ultimately follow. This means they have to reconstitute and stabilize their own leadership, because ultimately Palestinians are responsible for themselves.
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New York City will continue to enlist a private, multinational bank to collect debt from thousands of delinquent property owners for at least four more years, following a 10-0 Finance Committee vote on Wednesday.

The controversial tax lien salea one-day event in May where the city sells off the right to collect outstanding property, water and sewer fees to a private trust managed by the Bank of New York Mellonbrings hundreds of millions of dollars into city coffers each year. But social justice advocates argue that it is also perpetuating a cycle of property neglect and tenant abuse by landlords, primarily in low-income communities of color.

Once debt belongs to the private trust, interest compounds rapidly. A recent report from Public Advocate Letitia James's office focused on 22 multi-family buildings that have entered the tax lien sale an average of five times since 2010. Many of these buildings, from Crown Heights to the South Bronx, are rent stabilizedpart of the city's dwindling stock. They are in severe disrepair, and harbor vacancies.

When the debt on these delinquent properties becomes untenable, advocates say, landlords tend to sell. "The landlord flips the building, and the only people who are going to buy it are speculators who, in order to make their money back, are going to kick long time tenants out," said Cea Weaver, research and policy director for New York Communities For Change, a grassroots organizing group.

Following today's committee vote, the full City Council approved the extension of the tax lien sale by a vote of 45-1. "I am tired of speculators knocking on our doors," said Councilmember Rafael Espinal, who represents East New York, before casting the only 'no' vote.

The sale impacts nonprofit organizations, as well. Students at Fordham University recently mapped 89 nonprofits that ended up in the 2016 tax lien sale, including food pantries, churches, and after school care programs. While nonprofits can be exempt from the sale, organizations are required to reapply for an exemption each yeara process advocates say is too onerous for small organizations to keep up with.

Today's vote codifies a slightly-amended version of the sale, which was instated under former mayor Rudy Giuliani as a way for the city to quickly collect on property tax debts that had ballooned during the 1970s fiscal crisis. Amendments focus on improving communication between the Department of Finance and property owners who owe taxes: more warning phone calls and emails. The city will also instate more flexible debt-payment plansmonthly, as well as quarterlyand access to financial counseling for at-risk property owners.

"The Lien Sale Program is an important tool to ensure the equitable contribution to critical City services, but it must also be transparent, fair, and flexible when necessary to provide help to those property owners who are struggling financially," said Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, who chairs the City Council Finance Committee, on Wednesday. "This legislation represents meaningful steps towards these important goals."



468 West 145th Street in Hamilton Heights, with the boarded up windows, has gone through the tax lien sale for five consecutive years (Google Maps).

Also on Wednesday, the Public Advocate introduced legislation that would create a so-called "preservation trust," which could purchase the debt on some of the buildings in serious disrepair and, unlike the Bank of New York Mellon, work with building owners (or, in a foreclosure situation, nonprofit developers) to preserve affordable apartments.

While the city already has the discretion to pull buildings from the tax lien sale and provide them with Housing Preservation and Development funding for repairs, the public advocate has argued that a preservation trust would ensure that many more buildings are rehabilitated. Her bill would also exempt apartment buildings with at least three hazardous violations per apartment from the sale (the current threshold is five), as well as apartment buildings that have been through the sale at least two times within the last four years.

Advocates had hoped the preservation trust would be included in the renewed tax lien sale legislation voted in today, but were encouraged by the public advocate's bill, which already has the support of Councilwoman Ferreras-Copeland. On Wednesday, Ferreras-Copeland called the preservation trust idea "intriguing."

Still, the bill would allow HPD to decide which buildings, beyond the very most distressed, escape the tax lien sale. "The city is going to need to use the preservation trust," said Weaver, of NYCC. "Pass it, and use it."

Ferreras-Copeland acknowledged advocates' concerns on Wednesday. "There is still a lot of work to be done to safeguard property owners," she said.

While the legislation approved today doesn't include language exempting nonprofits from the sale, Ferreras-Copeland assured that the Department of Finance will work closely with churches, food banks, and other organizations with outstanding debts. "The Department of Finance has clarified that if an organization is working with the agency to resolve their tax exemption status, the property will be pulled from the lien sale in almost all cases," she said.

"Enactment of this bill does not represent the end of the conversation," Ferreras-Copeland added.

Paula Segal, an attorney with the Urban Justice Center and longtime proponent of tax lien sale reform, said Wednesday that while the council member's words are encouraging, they don't change the fact that the city failed to codify more robust reforms into law.

"None of this is enforceable," Segal told Gothamist. "It's good to have this on the record, but this legislation does not actually direct the Department of Finance to do any of the things [we asked for]."
University of Georgia police responded to a report of damaged property at the Hunter Holmes Academic Building on Jan. 29.

According to a police report, the exterior front glass door of the African Studies Institute on the second floor of the building was shattered.
The location for the Women's March on Chicago on Saturday has changed again after the number of expected attendees more than doubled in two days.

Organizers now anticipate more than 50,000 people will attend. On Tuesday, that number was 22,000.

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The new site is still adjacent to Grant Park but is on Columbus Drive just north of Jackson Drive, where participants will gather for a rally at 10 a.m. Attendees will march about 11:30 a.m. west on Jackson to Federal Plaza.

The original route also was shortened to accommodate the growing crowd. Organizers rejected plans to circle back to the rally site, opting instead to end the march at Federal Plaza. The march route now runs straight west along Jackson.

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"Due to the number of totally passionate women and their allies participating, the city has agreed to close Columbus," march co-chairwoman Ann Scholhamer said. "We're really excited about this. It really guarantees enough room for our marchers."

Last week, organizers announced they were slightly relocating the rally from Grant Park's music shell to avoid damaging the grass after the forecast called for unseasonably high temperatures and rain. The rally was to be held on Jackson at Lake Shore Drive.

Organizers are confident they will be able to handle the increased numbers and have added enhanced safety measures, said Carrie Kiley, who is coordinating logistics for the march.

"We're not expecting any issues, but we definitely want to be safe and make sure we are taking every precaution, especially since it has grown to this magnitude," Kiley said.

While the changes in location may have caused some confusion, they are the result of weather and increasing interest, not inexperience, Kiley said. Early in the planning process, organizers brought on people with ample know-how planning such large-scale events, she said.

When the number of expected attendees surpassed 50,000, city officials agreed to the Columbus and Jackson location, much to organizers' delight, Kiley said.

Other measures to accommodate the expected larger crowd include the doubling of portable bathrooms to 150, she said.

The amended permit for the rally and march had not yet been completed as of Thursday afternoon, but city officials said they anticipated the route will remain the same and that street closures will not change significantly.

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Later Thursday, the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications released a statement saying the city has been "an active partner in the comprehensive planning process for the march to ensure the appropriate staffing and resources are allocated for the event, while also ensuring appropriate coverage throughout the city.

"Due to the size of the event," the statement continued, "the City's public safety and infrastructure departments met again with the organizer yesterday to review, adjust and finalize plans. As always, the City will ensure the First Amendment rights of those participating in the march as well as the safety and security of residents and visitors in the area."

The march is one of more than 250 scheduled to take place globally in solidarity with the Women's March on Washington one day after the President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. More than 200,000 people are expected to participate in the nation's capital. The marches aim to draw attention to women's rights, racial justice and equality.

On Saturday, those attending the Chicago march are encouraged to take public transportation and to come up Congress Parkway or Balbo Drive because Jackson will be closed off, Scholhamer said. People with disabilities who have their parking placard visible can be dropped off at Columbus and Monroe Street.

CTA Blue, Brown, Green and Orange lines will have increased capacity between 5 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, officials said in a news release Thursday. CTA bus service near the rallying point and march route could be affected with reroutes and delays due to street closures, so officials suggest customers entering or leaving the area budget extra travel time.

Metra will have expanded capacity on its lines, and officials say service Saturday will be equal to that offered during the busy summer festival season. Lines including the UP North, UP Northwest, UP West, BNSF, Rock Island, SouthWest Service and Metra Electric will have extra capacity, officials said in a news release Thursday.

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There is no Saturday service on the North Central Service and Heritage Corridor lines.

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Because several platforms remained closed for construction on the north side of Union Station, some lines may not accommodate extra capacity, and will instead have an extra scheduled outbound train. Those lines include Milwaukee North, which will have an extra train depart Union Station at 2:25 p.m., traveling express to Glenview and then making all stops to Fox Lake, officials said.

The Milwaukee West line will have an extra train departing Union Station at 1:50 p.m., which will make all stops to Elgin except Grand/Cicero, Hanson Park, Mars, Mannheim and Big Timber.

A bicycle warning will be in effect Saturday, meaning Metra customers who wish to bring their bikes on the trains may not be able to because of the higher numbers of riders expected, officials said.

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In simple terms, it refers to a deduction allowed in income tax, irrespective of expenses incurred or investment made by assessees.

Indivjal Dhasmana reports.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Standard deduction for personal income tax might return after 12 years in the Union Budget for 2017-2018, if the finance ministry accepts the recommendations of the tax simplification committee chaired by former judge R V Easwar.

Sources say the panel, in its second report given recently to the ministry, has suggested doing so.

Standard deduction was given as a lump sum benefit towards cost to income till 2003-2004.

In simple terms, it refers to a deduction allowed in income tax, irrespective of expenses incurred or investment made by assessees.

"Standard deduction is simple to administer," said Amit Maheshwari, partner, Ashok Maheshwary & Associates.

For the deduction, there was no need for a taxpayer to keep proof of expenses such as bills. Then finance minister P Chidambaram did away with standard deduction for salaried personnel in 2004-2005, on the reasoning that there was an equivalent increase in the basic exemption limit and other deductions.

It was then abolished after the tax exemption ceiling on investment was raised to Rs 1 lakh.

The standard deduction slab was Rs 30,000 for total income under Rs 5 lakh a year and Rs 20,000 for income over Rs 5 lakh.

The Easwar panel has reportedly not recommended any particular rate or amount for standard deduction.

It wants smaller deductions given in income tax to be done away after standard deduction comes back. The panel has called for reviewing medical reimbursements.

Restoration of standard deduction will not affect the threshold for income tax exemption, currently Rs 2.5 lakh a year.

In its first report, the panel suggested revision of the threshold and rates on tax deduction at source. These formed part of the previous Budget.

The 10-member panel has also suggested incorporation of 'masala' bonds (issued abroad but denominated in rupees, not the local currency) in the Income Tax Act, to bring clarity on the capital gains tax on these.

The report also went into non-resident taxation, assessment procedure, property income and salaries, among others.

"Review of the non-resident tax issue, of Section 9 with respect to section 195 of the Act, has been examined by the committee, which forms a major chunk of litigation," said a source.

These sections talk about the income deemed to accrue or arise in India from payments to a non-resident, be it salaries, technical fees, capital gains and royalties, and the procedures.

The issues pertain to whether income will be classified as business profit or fees for technical services or some other head, all of which have different rates.
First case filed after new norms come into force, NCLT admits plea.

The National Company Law Tribunal admitted on Wednesday an insolvency petition filed by UB Engineering Ltd, part of the Vijay Mallya-owned UB Group.

Its Mumbai bench, where the petition was filed, appointed insolvency professional A K Mehta to initiate the process.

This is the first such case NCLT has admitted (under the new law), a person who was part of the filing process told this newspaper.

Following the NCLT decision, UB Holdings, which has 37 per cent of the equity, loses control over the affairs. Failing a resolution, the company will go for liquidation. It owes Rs 450 crore to five banks and went to the Tribunal earlier this month.

Mehta, advocate with Delhi-based Dhir & Dhir Associates, declined to comment. An e-mail to the UBEL company secretary did not get a response.

Explained a source, Since there is no support from the promoter, going to NCLT under the new code might help the company get buyers.

The source added the employees and the management felt this was the best option, considering the amount of pressure from creditors, both secure and unsecured.

The source further said, The promoter being Vijay Mallya, bankers had not accepted the restructuring proposal and the company could not book new orders for two-three years. Hence, the company had to apply to NCLT to survive.

Axis Bank, YES bank, Corporation Bank, IDBI Bank and Laxmi Vilas Bank are UBELs lenders. The company has classified term loans, cash credits and other facilities taken from banks as Other Current Liabilities. At the end of FY16, these were Rs 434.9 crore, according to the annual report.

Though listed, the stock has been suspended from the BSE. Its market captalisation had earlier eroded to Rs 13.5 crore.

UB Engineering specialised in engineering projects, infrastructure, on-site fabrication of structures, installation, testing and commissioning of electrical and mechanical equipment.

It also has pre-qualification credentials in electrical sub-station projects up to 400 Kv.

However, like some of its sister concerns, which have suffered after the series of problems emanating from Mallyas failed airline venture, Kingfisher, it has been struggling to service its debts.

The banks had classified the account of the company as a non-performing asset with effect from April 1, 2014.

Other than this case, an insolvency petition filed against Innoventive Industries has been accepted. Unlike UBEL, Innoventives creditors had moved NCLT.
Over 4 mn bank accounts could be dormant, suspects tax department.

About four million bank accounts have come under the scrutiny of the income-tax department, as officials observed a sudden surge in deposits in these accounts after demonetisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8. The last date to deposit old notes in banks was December 30.

According to the latest data, close to six million accounts each received more than Rs 2 lakh since November 8. Total deposit in these accounts was about Rs 7 lakh crore till December 30.

Of these, balances in 0.7 million accounts matched with the data of the tax department. About Rs 30,000 crore cash was deposited in dormant bank account or non-functional accounts, which had not shown any activity over a long period.

The deposits in such accounts are expected to increase significantly in the coming days, said a senior tax official.

Based on such data, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has asked the taxman to list out the name of banks and the respective dormant accounts which have registered a sudden outflow during the demonetisation period, official added.

Such activity indicates concert between bank and Reserve Bank of India officials who are suspected of misusing dormant accounts for money laundering, said another tax official who is investigating the matter.

Some of these dormant bank accounts were also used for RTGS transfer and withdrawal after November 8. The information has been shared with the both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate for investigation under anti-money laundering laws, he added.

The CBI, too, was investigating the role of RBI and bank officials. The agency had launched a preliminary enquiry against 35-40 officials of various public sector banks and the RBI, said a source.

Besides, banks have also been directed to ask account-holders, who did not furnish PAN or Form 60 at the time of opening bank account, to do so by February 28 this year.

According to the latest CBDT notification, banks, cooperative banks and post offices will have to report all-cash deposits between April 1 and November 8.

The ED carried out surveys and enquiry of records operation at 50 bank branches across the country to detect money laundering and hawala dealing instances through these channels. They had scrutinised transaction records and account statements, based on vital inputs gathered from their insider informer.

This was a nationwide operation across New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai. The agency arrested two Axis Bank employees working at a branch in New Delhi while probing a similar instance under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

RBI had also suspended two erring officials, arrested by CBI, in connection with illegal conversion of Rs 2 crore of demonetised currency.
The end of newspaper reporting will produce a landscape so barren that it will be terrifying, says Aakar Patel.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

I will write in this column, as often as I can, about the future. Meaning what we can anticipate in the next few years, when most of us will still be around.

It is said that those of us who will live on to about 2045 or so might live forever. That being the year by when it will have been possible to create an artificial intelligence so superior to man's that all of our problems, including the biological, will be resolved.

But 2045 is far away. Three decades of change at the pace of technology's exponential growth will produce a world a hundred times more different in 2045 than 2016 is from 1986, a year I remember vividly. And we will explore and speculate on some aspects of it in time.

Today, let me look at a shorter time frame and at a field I know well: The medium this column is being printed on. (The column first appeared in Business Standard newspaper.)

How long do newspapers have? My guess is another four years.

By December 2020, we will all (those of us who are still around) have written our farewell columns.

The newspaper will have lost the paper. The physical object will no longer exist and the reason is not that difficult to understand:

It will make no economic sense. It already makes no sense. A 24-page broadsheet newspaper costs about Rs 14 to produce -- that's just the paper and the printing. It sells for Rs 4, of which a part is spent on distribution.

Who or what pays for the other 80 per cent? Advertisements, which must also pay for the other costs: Journalists and staff, plus the things a business needs.

This model is becoming unsustainable given the competition from modern media, which is appropriating a larger share of advertising every year. And it is being helped along by the shrinking number of newspaper buyers and readers in India.

The annual readership survey has not been published in India for over two years, but we don't need data to notice that fewer people bother with newspapers.

This trend of newspaper decline has been recorded in Europe and America for decades, but because the newspaper there is not cheap (being about Rs 40 or more per copy) the decline has been long and slow.

In India, it will come so quickly that it will take us aback.

Unless existing readers can be convinced to pay more for their news, and this has been tried unsuccessfully so often that we can forget about it, there is a grim inevitability about the trajectory of the industry.

The only thing left is to guess when the thing will crash. My money says before December 2020.

The question is: Having lost 'paper', will the newspaper retain at least 'news'? No, it cannot.

No daily news publication today makes enough online subscription and advertising revenue to sustain a team of editors and beat reporters, the core of a newspaper.

When Donald Trump won, publications like the New York Times and the Guardian pleaded for money from readers, saying their reporting was particularly needed in this time.

It has come to this. Newspapers are begging us to keep them in business as the water goes over their heads.

It could be argued that something will replace the newspaper, or already has, for instance television news or social media.

The limitations of the TV format have made that industry focus on debate and opinion rather than reporting. This will not change.

And Twitter, however many people are plugged into it, is no real substitute for a network of reporters who work on beats.

Crowd-sourced and unedited and unverified information is a different thing from the formal and focused material produced by beat reporters paid to return to the same material daily.

So we must assume that 'news,' as we now know it, will also vanish with the newspaper.

There are probably 5,000 or so full-time newspaper reporters in India today. Their input will go missing.

There will still be opinion and analysis, as there is also today online, but the hard stuff will be gone.

This will cripple democracy and human rights.

Issues already underplayed or ignored by media today, such as the happenings in Kashmir, the Northeast and the Adivasi belt, will disappear from the national conversation.

Of course, rural stories have long found no place in English papers, but the end of newspaper reporting will produce a landscape so barren that it will be terrifying.

The interesting thing is: Most of us will be around to see it.

The cultural move to digital is also affecting other areas. It may surprise readers to learn that Bollywood revenues are flat because the number of tickets being sold in cinema halls is falling.

One would think that it is a growing industry poised in a decade to take on Hollywood. No. Fewer Indians are going to the movies.

That number has been dropping for several years so we cannot blame demonetisation or anything else.

The fact is that people are watching and listening to stuff on their mobile phone. The material there is often just as entertaining as what is to be found in the multiplex -- and it's usually free.

There is some scope for film producers to make a little money from digital -- Netflix, the caller tune, the ringtone, the wallpaper and so on.

For the newspaper proprietor there is none and he will have to start making hard choices across India only a few months from now.

Newspapers will lose first paper and then news, and the first sinkings will be coming up soon.

The best thing about a quality newspaper is, for me, its serendipity.

You flip its pages and come across unexpectedly, on your own, without a link from someone else, a good read.

I will miss that most, and I hope I can provide a few such moments for you in the time we have together.
'We have not seen even during Vajpayee's time what Modi and the BJP has adopted now,' says Colonel R Hariharan (Retd).

Colonel R Hariharan (retd), who served as head of intelligence for the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990, had earlier spoken to Rediff.com on the One Rank One Pension issue when military veterans were on hunger strike at Jantar Mandir in New Delhi.

Colonel Hariharan joined the Indian Army in 1962 when India went to war with China and served for 29 years.

He tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier that politicians and bureaucrats have not understood how the army functions.

Do you feel there are reasons for ex-servicemen to be dissatisfied with the way OROP is implemented?

OROP is like a symptom. During Indira Gandhi's time, after the 1971 war, OROP was abolished. Till then, from the British times, OROP existed.

Since then, the struggle has been going on by veterans to get OROP back. Many cases were filed too.

And in the last few years, it became an electoral issue especially in Punjab, UP and Haryana from where lots of people are in the army.

The Congress party had promised OROP, but did not deliver; they just paid lip service to the issue.

(Punjab Congress leader) Captain Amarinder Singh was at the forefront of the demand. Modi also had promised during the elections to implement OROP and the ex-servicemen had rallied around him.

But what he delivered was not the definition accepted by Parliament and also the Supreme Court.

These people have coined a new one and not the earlier definition for various reasons, and implemented after a lot of delay.

Even now, the full amount has not been paid.

There are other anomalies in the Sixth Pay Commission and that is because they do not understand how the army functions.

The politicians are not interested and they have left it to the bureaucrats. This was pointed out by the K Subrahmanyam Committee also after the Kargil War.

According to the rules of conduct of the Government of India, who is responsible for national security? The defence secretary. And it is to be executed by the army.

It is like the responsibility is with somebody and execution is with somebody else.

With all respect to the brilliance of the IAS officers, they may not have much clue about the whole thing.

Shashi Tharoor has written a book in which he talks about a junior bureaucrat representing India while an experienced general had to sit silently at the UN Peacekeeping Conference. That was because the bureaucrat has the responsibility.

This kind of anomaly has damaged the relationship which was direct with the government.

I had served at army headquarters and I had seen the files where the chief of army staff wrote directly to the prime minister.

When did this change take place?

I don't know. You should find out.

This issue has been sidelined successfully over the years because of the ignorance of defence affairs by the politicians.

I am sure Nehru did not mean it when he said India did not need a military and only needed the police force as we are a peace loving nation.

Partially, the army is also responsible for this mindset because it was one of the successful instruments in protecting the British colonial interests as it was put together by the British from the (East India) Company days.

At the time of Independence, the commander-in-chief was high in the honour of precedence. Later the civil service took over.

Was it because the army did not assert itself that the bureaucracy got an upper hand?

Initially, they did assert. Sam Manekshaw did.

Politicisation of army chiefs might have happened successfully in due course. I don't have any proof, but I can quote any number of incidents where the chiefs of the armed forces were politically appointed.

For example, General (B M Kaul came during Nehru's time and was entrusted with the 1962 operations though there were much experienced officers there.

I think it was around that time that politicisation of defence appointments took place.

I don't want to comment about the later appointments because they are all retired and alive.

But there is a dynamic change in the kind of people who come to the army. The social dimension of the troops has changed. The jawans of today are better educated.

I don't think the political leadership of the country has understood the change in the dynamics.

They have simply abdicated the responsibility to the babus.

The net result is that these guys form an interface between the army and the political leadership.

General V K Singh, when he was chief of the army staff, wrote a letter to then defence minister A K Antony noting the deficiencies which made the army unfit for the war, right from ammunition to rifles to artillery guns.

The minister passed the buck to the general. Then he wrote to the prime minister too. Do you know what happened then?

I don't know who leaked the letter. Some people in Parliament wanted to take action against General V K Singh for writing to the prime minister, saying he was plotting to seize the government. This kind of distortions suited the media too.

OROP came after a lot of struggle of one year. (Defence Minister Manohar) Parrikar himself said he didn't understand the functioning of the army.

It took him one year to understand the complications of OROP.

Is the five-year revision the only reason for dissatisfaction now?

I don't want to go into the details now. There are other issues too like, for example, how the disability pension is calculated.

What I want to say is all the three chiefs have written so many times pointing out the anomalies before the Pay Commission and after the Pay Commission. What happened?

There is a word in English, glitch. That is what has happened.

The only thing that has happened is, some urgent procurement has been ordered.

You talk about Make in India when you have an R&D that has not been able to design a rifle, the basic weapon suiting the army's requirements.

After the Kargil War, the deficiencies have been pointed out, but even night vision devices are not there. It is nice talk about a fitting reply!

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says his is the government that finally implemented the OROP...

Yes, he has implemented it, only the concept.

I am not for a confrontation with the government.

At least, Parrikar now understands while Antony never understood and never showed any emotions or remorse.

He (Antony) has been under the helm of affairs all along.

With a crony corrupt system, we kept on buying 10-year-old technology.

I am sorry to say, in this country the corrupt guys have more influence than the army.

I don't think it will change because nobody seems to be changing the narrative.

You feel Modi's gesture of celebrating Diwali with the jawans will not strike a chord?

Let us not be naive. The guy in the army has a higher qualification than a rural guy. Even the rural guys are not impressed with Rahulji's visit to the villages and eating with them. Those days are gone with Indiraji.

Today, when you have access to information, it is a different era. Every rural guy has a smart phone and he is exposed to information.

You mean people want action and not tokenism?

They want action and results. Mere activity is not enough; they want results.

Everybody attacked Rahul (Gandhi) after what he did after the suicide of the ex-serviceman.

All veteran groups directly attacked the politicians who used them.

Tell me who are these veterans? They are the people whose children are in the army.

The rich guys or the ministers don't send their children to the army; only the army veterans' children go. The jawans are fully aware that the veterans are making an effort.

Though the prime minister asked his party and his ministers not to talk about the surgical strikes, do you feel they are trying to take political advantage? Do you feel they handled it in a mature way?

All parties and even the media took advantage of it. What do you mean by political advantage? That they must behave like the Congress?

Perhaps there is overhype, but then that is part of Modi's style.

Modi is a totally different man. It is a totally different party and they have a totally different agenda.

Why do we expect a different leadership to behave like the past ones?

I call the earlier way the inefficient way and not a mature way.

I don't think the surgical strike was done to take political advantage. It is the other way round.

It is part of the BJP's strategical narrative which Modi is executing. It's totally different from the Congress' narrative.

It's part of a big jigsaw puzzle that is pointed to place.

Pakistan was given enough opportunities to change its policy of sponsoring terrorism to attack India.

Even Modi's visit to Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter's wedding was done with an intention. It was the last chance.

Whatever it is, the surgical strikes came after three attacks.

There was a distinct change in Pakistan's attitude after the Pathankot attack.

The army is like Betal sitting on Nawaz Sharif's shoulders as far as India and strategic policies are concerned.

What happened was part of an overall narrative.

Modi is adopting a different strategic approach to national security. That is why China has hurriedly announced the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor). Pakistan is a country submerging in debts.

Why is China doing this? Because Modi's narrative is different.

Modi is assertive, not aggressive whereas the Congress government was a status quo government.

In fact, we have not seen even during (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee's time what Modi and the BJP has adopted now.

It could be because Vajpayee did not have this majority in Parliament.

IMAGES: TOP: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with soldiers in Himachal Pradesh. Photograph: Kind courtesy @narendramodi/Twitter

BOTTOM: Colonel R Hariharan. Photograph: Sreeram Selvaraj
Outgoing United States President Barack Obama offered a parting message of hope for a country governed by Donald Trump, assuring Americans that were going to be OK, even as he vowed to speak up if the countrys core values are threatened.

"At my core I think were going to be OK," Obama said as he concluded his final news conference at the White House.

"We just have to fight for it, work for it, and not take it for granted," he said.

Have offered best advice to Trump

Obama said that he has given his best advice to his successor Trump to whom he would pass on his baton on January 20.

"I have offered my best advice, counsel about certain issues both foreign and domestic," Obama said, describing his conversations with the president-elect.

"And my working assumption is, is that having won an election opposed to a number of my initiatives and certain aspects of my vision for where the country needs to go, it is appropriate for him to go forward with his vision and his values. I don't expect that theres going to be enormous overlap," Obama said.

However, he said any effort to enforce systematic discrimination, erode voting rights, muzzle the press or round up young immigrants, would cause him to speak out.

"There's a difference between that normal functioning of politics and certain issues or certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake."

During the campaign, Trump vowed to ban Muslims from entering the United States and deport millions of illegal immigrants.

After Trumps victory in the November 8 presidential elections, Obama has met his successor only once, but the two leaders have spoken over phone quite frequently with the last one being reported to be on Monday.

"I won't go into details of my conversations with President-elect Trump. They are cordial. At times theyve been fairly lengthy and theyve been substantive. I cant tell you how convincing Ive been. I think youd had to ask him whether Ive been convincing or not," he said when asked about the details of his conversations.

Obama said it may be that on certain issues, once Trump comes into office and he looks at the complexities of how to, in fact, provide healthcare for everybody -- something he says he wants to do or wants to make sure that he is encouraging job creation and wage growth in this country, that may lead him to some of the same conclusions that I arrived at once I got here.

"But I don't think well know until he has an actual chance to get sworn in and sit behind that desk. I think a lot of his views are going to be shaped by his advisors, the people around him -- which is why it's important to pay attention to these confirmation hearings," he said.

"I can tell you that -- this is something I have told him -- this is a job of such magnitude that you can't do it by yourself. You are enormously reliant on a team. Your cabinet, your senior White House staff, all the way to fairly junior folks in their 20s and 30s, but who are executing on significant responsibilities," he said.

Constructive relationship with Russia in our interest

On Russia, Obama said having a constructive relationship with Kremlin is in the interest of America and that of the world, but at the same time he justified his decision on imposing sanctions.

"I think it is in America's interest and the worlds interest that we have a constructive relationship with Russia. Thats been my approach throughout my presidency. Where our interests have overlapped, weve worked together," Obama told reporters.

At the beginning of his term, Obama said, he encouraged Russia to be a constructive member of the international community, and tried to work with the government of Russia in helping them diversify their economy, improve their economy, and use the incredible talents of the Russian people in more constructive ways.

He noted that his own overtures to Russia were frustrated by an adversarial spirit when Vladimir Putin regained the presidency.

He said the US imposed sanctions on Russia not because of nuclear weapons issues.

"It was because the independence and sovereignty of a country, Ukraine, had been encroached upon, by force, by Russia. That wasn't our judgement; that was the judgement of the entire international community," he said.

"What Ive said to the Russians is, as soon as youve stop doing that the sanctions will be removed. I think it would probably best serve not only American interest but also the interest of preserving international norms if we made sure that we dont confuse why these sanctions have been imposed with a whole set of other issues, Obama said in response to a question.

He warned Trump to think through foreign policy decisions that may be domestically popular, like his vow to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

"Its a volatile environment. What we have seen in the past is when some unilateral moves are made that speak to some of the core issues and sensitivities of either side, that can be explosive, he said.

Refraining from reacting to the decision of several Democratic lawmakers to boycott Trump's inauguration, Obama said, All I know is Im going to be there. So is Michelle. And I have been checking the weather, and I'm heartened by the fact that it won't be as cold as my first inauguration because that was cold.

Youre supposed to ask me tough questions

Speaking on media, Obama told reporters that they are supposed to be skeptics and not sycophants.

"I have enjoyed working with all of you. That does not, of course, mean that Ive enjoyed every story that you have filed. Thats the point of this relationship. Youre not supposed to be sycophants, youre supposed to be sceptics, Obama told members of the White House Press Corps at his last news conference.

"Youre supposed to ask me tough questions. Youre not supposed to be complimentary, but youre supposed to cast a critical eye on folks who hold enormous power and make sure that we are accountable to the people who sent us here, he said.

His remarks gains significance given that there is talk among the incoming Trump Administration on moving the press corps out of the White House to the OldExecutiveOfficeBuilding next door.

Will spend time with my girls

Obama said his two daughters Sasha and Malia surprise, enchant and impress him more and more every single day as they grow up.

"You know, every parent brags on their daughters or their sons. If your mom and dad dont brag on you, you know you got problems. But, man, my daughters are something, and they just surprise and enchant and impress me more and more every single day as they grow up, Obama siad.

"And so these days, when we talk, we talk as parent to child, but also we learn from them, he said.

Obama said he thinks it was really interesting to see how Malia and Sasha reacted to the US election results.

"They were disappointed. They paid attention to what their mom said during the campaign and believed it because its consistent with what we've tried to teach them in our household, and what Ive tried to model as a father with their mom, and what weve asked them to expect from future boyfriends or spouses, he said.

"But what weve also tried to teach them is resilience, and weve tried to teach them hope, and that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world. So you get knocked down, you get up, brush yourself off, and you get back to work. That tended to be their attitude, he said.

Obama said neither of them intends to pursue a future of politics.

He said now his priorities would be to do some writing, spend some time with his two daughters and Michelle.

"I want to do some writing, I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much. I want to spend precious time with my girls," he said.

Want to see a woman, a Hindu, a Jew, a Latino as Prez one day

Pitching for racial diversity in the United States, President Obama hoped to see a woman, a Hindu, a Jewish or a Latino president in the future, asserting that deserving people rising up from race and faith define Americas strength.

"If, in fact, we continue to keep the opportunity open to everybody, then yes, were going to have a woman president, were going to have a Latino president, and well have a Jewish president, a Hindu president," Obama said.

"Who knows who were going to have? I suspect well have a whole bunch of mixed-up presidents at some point that nobody really knows what to call them. And thats fine, he said in an apparent reference to the racial, ethnic and religious mix of people in America.

He was responding to a question if he expects another black president.

In 2008, Obama created history after being elected as the first black president of the United States in a landslide victory. He was re-elected for second term in 2012.

Obama will be succeeded by Donald Trump of the Republican Party at the inauguration on Friday.

"I think were going to see people of merit rise up from every race, faith, corner of this country, because thats Americas strength. When we have everybody getting a chance and everybody is on the field, we end up being better, Obama said.

Referring to the fact that more than half of American medals at Olympics came from women, Obama said the reason is because the US had the foresight several decades ago, with something called Title 9, to make sure that women get opportunities in sports.

This is why women compete better, because they have more opportunities than folks in other countries, he said.

However, Obama said he worries about inequality because he thinks that if the country is not investing in making sure everybody plays a role in this economy, the economy will not grow as fast.

"I think it will also lead to further and further separation between us as Americans, not just along racial lines," he said.

"There are a whole bunch of folks who voted for the President-elect because they feel forgotten and disenfranchised. They feel as if theyre being looked down on. They feel as if their kids aren't going to have the same opportunities as they did," he said.

Obama said that the people don't want to have an America in which a very small sliver of people are doing really well and everybody else is fighting for scraps.

"Because thats often times when racial divisions get magnified, because people think, well, the only way Im going to get ahead is if I make sure somebody else gets less, somebody who doesn't look like me or doesnt worship at the same place I do. Thats not a good recipe for our democracy, he said.

Commuting Mannings sentence was entirely appropriate

President Obama defended his decision to commute the 35-year sentence of Chelsea Manning, a transgender solider convicted of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, arguing that she has served a tough jail term.

"Lets be clear, Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence. So the notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital, classified information would think that it goes unpunished I dont think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served, Obama told reporters.

"It has been my view that given she went to trial, that due process was carried out, that she took responsibility for her crime, that the sentence that she received was very disproportional, disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received, and that she had served a significant amount of time, that it made it sense to commute and not pardon her sentence, he said.

He said that the justice has been served and he feels very comfortable.

"A message has been sent that when it comes to our national security, that wherever possible, we need folks who may have legitimate concerns about the actions of government or their superiors or the agencies in which that they try to work through the established channels and avail themselves of the whistleblower protections that had been put in place, he added.

"...with respect to Chelsea Manning, I looked at the particulars of this case the same way I have for the other commutations and pardons that I've done, and I felt that in light of all the circumstances that commuting her sentence was entirely appropriate, he said.

No alternative to two-state solution in Israel-Palestine issue

Obama said that he continues to be significantly worried about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the status quo is unsustainable, and dangerous for the people in the region as well as for America's national security.

"I continue to be significantly worried about the Israeli-Palestinian issue. And Im worried about it both because I think the status quo is unsustainable, that it is dangerous for Israel, that it is bad for Palestinians, it is bad for the region, and its bad for Americas national security, Obama said.

He said when he came to office wanting to do everything he could to encourage serious peace talks between Israel and Palestine and that his administration invested a lot of energy, time and effort in these eight years.

"Ultimately, what has always been clear is that we cannot force the parties to arrive at peace. What we can do is facilitate, provide a platform, encourage. But we can't force them to do it, he said.

Stressing that there is no alternative to a two-state solution, the outgoing US President said that he has said this to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Ive said it inside of Israel. Ive said it to Palestinians, as well, he added.

"I dont see how this issues gets resolved in a way that maintains Israel as both Jewish and a democracy, because if you do not have two states, then in some form or fashion you are extending an occupation, functionally you end up having one state in which millions of people are disenfranchised and operate as second-class residents. You cant even call them citizens, necessarily, Obama said.

Talking about Donald Trump's stand on the issue, Obama said, So the President-elect will have his own policy. The ambassador, or the candidate for the ambassadorship obviously has very different views than I do. That is their prerogative.

Thats part of what happens after elections. And I think my views are clear. Well see how their approach plays itself out, he said while responding to a question on the Israeli policy of the incoming Trump Administration.

In an apparent reference to Trump's plan to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Obama said that sudden unilateral moves could be explosive.

Noting that the United States is the biggest kid on the block, Obama said it is right and appropriate for a new President to test old assumptions and re-examine the old ways of doing things.

All photographs: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
School was open despite DM's order to the contrary. Orders have been issued to cancel its recognition.

Twelve minor school children and their bus driver were killed and 35 kids injured when their vehicle collided with a lorry amid dense fog on Aliganj-Paliyali road near Etah, Uttar Pradesh early morning.

District Magistrate Shambhu Nath had earlier put the toll at 15, but officials later confirmed 13 deaths.

The bus was carrying students to J S Vidyaniketan school which had opened flouting the district magistrate's orders to keep all schools up to class VIII closed till Friday in view of intense cold, officials said.

The mishap occurred near Asadnagar village under Aliganj Kotwali police station area in Etah, which is four hours drive from the national capital.

The deceased were in the 5-15 years age bracket.

This is the second incident in six months in the state involving school kids after a school mini-bus was hit by a train at an unmanned railway crossing in Bhadohi district which left 8 children dead and 14 others injured.

Nath said soon after getting the news, senior officials rushed to the accident spot and supervised rescue and relief operations.

A crane had to be deployed to retrieve the bus which lay mangled as a large crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene.

Gas cutters were used to open up the body of the bus for rescuing the trapped children.

Nearly 20 injured students were rushed to government hospitals in Etah, Saifai and nearby Aligarh. Some were sent to local private hospitals.

Nath said orders have been issued to cancel the recognition of the school whose manager and principal defied the district administration's directives and opened the school.

An FIR is being lodged against the school management.

Eyewitnesses said the truck, coming from the opposite direction at a high speed, hit the bus which overturned under the impact of the collision.

The front portion of the bus was ripped open under the impact of the collision. (MORE) PTI COR SAB SMI Those killed have been identified as Akash (40 bus driver), Himanshu (9), Vikas (5), Lavish (11), Sunny (14), Anuj (10), Shivani (11), Kishan (6), Pankaj (13), Radhika(15), Nikki (12), Diksha (9) and Rishabh (6).

Taking a serious note of the accident, ADG (Law and Order) Daljit Chaudhay said district officials have been asked to carry out a thorough check of vehicles ferrying children to school on certain parameters as there has been a spurt in such mishaps.

In a similar incident in Farrukhabad district, a van carrying children of VHL Public School collided with another vehicle, injuring nine children and the driver in Kampil police station area on Thursday morning.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the death of children in the mishap.

"Anguished by the tragic accident in UP's Etah district. I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole passing away of young children," he said in a tweet.

"I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest," he said.

IMAGE: Crowd gathers at the site of mishap as rescue work continues. Photograph: ANI
The Tamil Nadu government will soon take steps to enable holding of Jallikattu event with support from the Centre, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Thursday said after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We will take steps with the backing of the Centre. You will soon see (the steps). Wait, good will happen," he told reporters after the meeting in which he urged the Central government to issue an ordinance to enable the sport to be conducted.

Modi told the chief minister that he fully understood the sentiments of Tamil Nadu people on the Jallikattu issue.

"I am aware of the feelings of the people," Modi was quoted by the chief minister as having told him.

However, Modi virtually indicated his government's inability to promulgate an ordinance on allowing Jallikattu noting that the matter is sub-judice but he assured that the Centre would support any steps taken by the state government on this.

"While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the prime minister observed that the matter is at present sub-judice," the PMO said after the meeting.

At the same time, it said, "The Centre would be supportive of the steps taken by the state government."

With regard to the drought situation in Tamil Nadu, Modi assured Paneerselvam that all possible assistance would be provided to the state.

A central team would be deputed to Tamil Nadu shortly to assess the drought situation, the PMO said.

Panneerselvam also recalled that All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Sasikala has written a letter to the prime minister seeking Centre's ordinance to hold the sport.

The chief minister said that he told the prime minister that Jallikattu is an age-old heritage of Tamil Nadu and a sport symbolising bravery and that it should be allowed.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear a plea related to public protests taking place on Chennai's Marina Beach over the issue of the banning of the bull taming sport of Jallikattu.

A bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar refused to hear the plea filed by lawyer, Raja Raman, who sought that the court should hear the matter pertaining to public protest in Marina beach.

The apex court however, asked the lawyer to file appropriate plea in the Madras high court for relief.

Raja Raman in his plea mentioned the matter before the apex court and pleaded that this court should take suo motu cognizance in the case.

"The public there in the Marina beach were staging a peaceful protest, but the police were even not allowing the protesters to take food and water. So this court should take suo motu cognizance in the matter and hear it," the petitioner said.

In Chennai, pro-Jallikattu protesters continue to stage demonstrations for the third consecutive day at Marina Beach demanding that the ban on the bull taming sport be lifted and a strict action be taken against animal rights group PETA.

In Madurai, District Collector Veeraraghava Rao said that the protests against the ban on Jallikattu in the last few days had been peaceful.

He told the protesters that the government was taking "all efforts to organise Jallikattu."

"Jallikattu is part of Tamil culture and was necessary to protect the culture. Just as we rear cows in our house and do pooja, we also rear bull and hold bull games... it was in our culture. There is nothing wrong in fighting for protecting the culture. But it should be peaceful", he told them.

Those participating in the protest were being provided food and water. They are at the same venue since the agitation started, he said.

In Tiruchirappalli, protests continued for the the second day and it did not affect the normal life of people.

The protesters wanted an order from the Supreme Court, which imposed a ban on Jallikattu, in favour of the the sport striking a balance between the sentiments of Tamil Nadu people and the animal lovers.

The protesters also demanded a ban on PETA, which opposes the bull taming sport.

In Puducherry, students of various educational institutions continued their agitation in favour of the bull taming sport boycotting classes for the second day.

Thousands of students from various institutions and volunteers of various youth outfits were holding protests in the sprawling AFT mill ground on Puducherry-Cuddalore road raising slogans in support of Jallikattu and seeking ban on PETA.

Members of various non-political outfits also formed a human chain in the city to register their solidarity with the agitation.

IMAGE: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: @PIBIndia/Twitter
In yet another incident of political violence in Kannur, a Bharatiya Janata Party worker was stabbed to death allegedly by Communist Party of India-Marxist activists at Andaloor in Dharmadam, the constituency of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The attack on Santosh, 52, took place on Wednesday night when he was alone in his house.

In another incident on Thursday morning, a country bomb was hurled at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Karyalaya at nearby Thaliparamba. Though none was injured, the window panes of the office were damaged.

Though Santosh was rushed to the hospital, he died on the way, Kannur Superintendent of Police K P Philip told PTI.

The BJP is observing a hartal in the district, where the 57th state School Arts festival is now on. Shops and businesses have downed shutters and vehicles are off the roads.

A tense situation prevailed for nearly three hours as the BJP wanted to take out the funeral procession of Santosh in front of the festival venue. When police denied them permission, the workers squatted on the road and protested.

However, following intervention of Kannur Collector Mir Mohammed Ali, the ambulance carrying the body and two cars were allowed to proceed by police.

There were stray incidents of stoning at various places in Kannur during the hartal.

Meanwhile, the ruling CPI-M denied that its party workers were behind the murder.

"The CPI-M was not responsible for the murder. Those who carried out the attack will not be protected," party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told reporters at Kochi.

Kodiyeri said he had spoken to the DGP and asked him to bring to book those responsible for the attack and added that it was doubtful if the murder was due to political rivalry.

CPI-M Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan demanded a comprehensive probe and said the party was not behind the act.

Opposition leader in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala alleged that there have been eight political murders after the CPIM-led LDF government came to power in May 2016.

In the constituency of the Chief Minister, who looks after the Home portfolio, four political murders had taken place so far, he said in a statement.

KPCC President V M Sudheeran urged the BJP and the CPI-M to stop violent politics.

Meanwhile, the BJP demanded that central forces be deployed to bring peace in Kannur in north Kerala. The party will make this demand before the Home Secretary, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan, said at Kottayam.

"In Kannur city when government is organising the school arts festival, CPI-M workers are killing people in party controlled villages", he alleged.

Within two months of peace talks chaired by the chief minister, four BJP workers had been killed and several others seriously injured, he said.

BJP workers waved black flags at the chief minister at Kasaragod where he was attending a function. they were removed from the spot by police.
I am offering the solution to a problem most Republicans don't know they have -- that they can be outmaneuvered and thrown on the defensive endlessly, on nearly any issue, because they accept as true Democrat lies about the Republican Party. To correct that misperception and to help the Republican Party get 'back to basics' is why I'm a man on a mission.

A few years ago, after one of my speeches, a man told me "Do you know what your problem is? You're too far ahead of your time!" My efforts to show Republicans how they would benefit from celebrating the heritage of our Grand Old Party have been arduous, but if this were easy someone else would have already done it.

Among my speech topics are Reconciling the Tea Party and the GOP; Barack Obama, the Worst President Ever; Socialism, the new Slavery; Appreciating the Heritage of our Grand Old Party; Returning to the Founding Principles of the United States; The Womens Rights Achievements of our Grand Old Party; Abraham Lincoln, Republican; Frederick Douglass, Republican; Martin Luther King and the Republican Civil Rights Legacy.
The National Investigation Agency on Thursday claimed that terror attacks at army installations in Uri and Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir were carried out by Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.

A senior NIA official claimed that one of the four terrorists involved in the attack on the army camp in Handwara managed to flee.

The terrorists had attacked the camp of 30 Rashtriya Rifles camp in Langate in Handwara in October last year. While three attackers were killed by the security forces, one is believed to have escaped, the official said, adding they were looking into it.

Heavily armed terrorists had stormed the army base in Uri sector in September and killed 18 soldiers.

There is proof indicating role of LeT behind Uri and Handwara attacks, he said.

Earlier, it was claimed that Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad was behind the attack.

The NIA is looking into both these cases.

The investigation in Uri attack case will gather pace soon as the agency officials earlier could not visit the points of ingress to verify certain leads due to shelling from across the border, the official said.

A team of officials is now likely to visit the area from where the terrorists might have entered and attacked the Uri camp, he said.

Talking about the Handwara incident, NIA officials said they recovered cell phones of Samsung and Huawei companies. These phones worked without SIMs using latest technology and manipulating its configuration, he claimed.

"The NIA had written to both Samsung and Huawei seeking details of these cell phones including information on shipments. Huawei had informed us that the phone was shipped to Pakistan. We are still awaiting response from Pakistan," the official said.

There are other documents and proof in possession of the NIA that points towards LeT's involvement in the attack, he said.

Besides, the cell phones' Global Positioning System sets and wireless system were found from the slain terrorists behind the Handwara attack. The NIA is in the process of getting information from Mauritius and Japan about the companies there which would have made these instruments, the official said.

Investigators have also found a diary from one of the slain terrorists and verifying a phone number, believed to be of one of their associates, mentioned there. They also claimed misuse of social networking sites Facebook and Twitter by the terrorists for communication, he said.
United States President-elect Donald Trump has arrived in Washington to kick off his inauguration festivities.

IMAGE: US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump arrive aboard a US Air Force jet at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US January 19. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Trump arrived in a military plane, without media on board, just after noon Thursday at Maryland's Joint Base Andrews. He was joined by his wife, Melania, and other members of his family.

Joined by his family, wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and sons Don and Eric, Trump will take the oath of office as the leader of the world's most powerful nation on Friday as hundreds of thousands of people descend on Washington to both support and protest his inauguration.

Trump, who enters the White House with the promise of transforming US politics over the next four years, began his day with tweeting: "The journey begins and I will be working and fighting very hard to make it a great journey for the American people. I have no doubt that we will, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Trump's swearing-in on Friday noon, a date and hour set by the US Constitution, will be attended by his unsuccessful Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton, three former presidents and numerous other dignitaries.

The Republican billionaire has no previous political or military experience and has never held a public office before.

Following his election last November, his advisers had hinted that he could split his time between the White House and New York City, returning to his Trump Tower in Manhattan for the weekends.

His wife Melania, however, will stay on in New York with their 10-year-old son Barron as he finishes his school year in the city.

Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner will move to Washington with their children, as Kushner takes the role of senior adviser to the President.

IMAGE: Workers prepare for the inauguration of US President-Elect Donald Trump at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters

The 35-year-old businessman-turned-political strategist played a key part in his father-in-law's presidential campaign.

Ivanka, touted to be the most powerful First Daughter, has said she plans to take time to settle her three young children into their new home and schools in Washington.

"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 Organisation and my eponymous apparel and accessories brand," she had said. "I will no longer be involved with the management or operations of either company."

IMAGE: Sources close to Trump said that his inauguration speech will last about 20 minutes, the same as Obama's first inaugural in 2009. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Just hours before Trump departed New York City, for the final time as a private citizen, he took to Twitter to quote a American Christian evangelist Reverend Franklin Graham to say he is not the one to have divided the country and pledged to work hard for the American people.

"'It wasn't Donald Trump that divided this country, this country has been divided for a long time!' Stated today by Reverend Franklin Graham," Trump tweeted quoting the evangelist and missionary.

After taking over from outgoing US President Barack Obama, Trump is widely expected to sign a number of decrees on Friday and then on Monday, on issues ranging from immigration, Obamacare to environment.

Sources close to Trump said that his inauguration speech will last about 20 minutes, the same as Obama's first inaugural in 2009.
In the event of a triangular contest the winning party will need about 40 per cent of the votes polled.

And it is here that the votes of the numerically smaller communities will come into play.

IMAGE: The inclusion of Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel, a Kurmi leader from eastern UP, in the council of ministers was seen as consolidating backward caste votes, especially in the eastern parts of the state. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

Small is big when it comes to electoral politics in caste-ridden Uttar Pradesh where even a minuscule sub-caste becomes a force to reckon with and lesser known political parties representing them seem to be reaping the benefit.

Come elections, these smaller political outfits make their presence felt in a big way as they can influence the outcome in the high stakes elections this time.

These parties also matter for mainstream political parties like the BJP and Congress because of the support they enjoy among certain castes.

The little known Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party is forging an alliance in eastern UP with the BJP, which is also in talks with the Janwadi Party-Socialist, headed by Sanjay Singh Chauhan.

The Apna Dal headed by Union Minister Anupriya Patel is already an NDA ally.

Seeking to leave its mark in cow belt politics, the Peace Party, the Nishad Party and the Mahan Dal are also expected to throw their hats in the ring.

With certain castes and sub-castes likely to leave an imprint on UP politics, it was definitely not out of the blue when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav recently cleared the file carrying the names of 17 Other Backward Castes for inclusion in the scheduled castes list.

While Akhilesh sought to score a brownie point by this move, BSP chief Mayawati sought to checkmate him by trashing the decision as nothing but an 'election stunt', though it was her government that had sent the recommendation to the Centre earlier.

The 17 sub-castes which the government wants included in the scheduled castes category are: Kahar, Kashyap, Kewat, Nishad, Bind, Bhar, Prajapati, Rajbhar, Batham, Gauriya, Turha, Majhi, Mallah, Kumhar, Dheemar, Dheewar and Machhua.

Though individually each has a very small vote share, together, they make up a significant chunk of votes.

The OBCs are roughly 44 per cent of UP's electorate, the Dalits 21 per cent, the Muslims 19 per cent, and the upper castes 16 per cent.

Yadavs, the core of the SP's base, are numerically and socially dominant among the OBCs.

But the 200-odd non-Yadav OBCs together account for over double the Yadav population. They include the Kurmis, Koeris, Lodhs, Jats and Sunars, while the Pasis and Valmikis are the large groups among Dalits.

The Peace Party of India won four assembly seats in the 2012 UP assembly polls and plans to forge an alliance with the Nishad Party to contest all the 403 seats.

The PPI has its support base among Muslims and contested 200 seats in 2012 with the Apna Dal as its ally.

The Nishad Party banks on the votes of fishermen in parts of eastern UP where the Nishad community has a sizeable presence.

The Mallah community, which makes up around 4.5 per cent votes, is divided into 27 sub-castes, and has a good presence in roughly 125 constituencies along the rivers in UP, where they contribute to the victory and defeat of candidates.

In eastern UP itself, another party -- the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party -- is reported to be giving touches to seat sharing arrangements with the BJP.

The outfit enjoys support among the Rajbhar caste present in several constituencies in the belt.

In places like Badaun, Etah, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur and Farrukhabad, the Mahan Dal has emerged as an important player. It had allied with the Congress in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

The party enjoys support among the politically active Shakya, Maurya, Kushwaha and Saini communities.

In Bareilly and its neighbouring areas, the Ittehad-e-Millat Council plans to contest a dozen seats, but has not taken a final call.

Speculation is rife that another faction of the Apna Dal, headed by Krishna Patel, may be accommodated in eastern UP by the Congress, which is in talks with the ruling Samajwadi Party for a 'maha-gathbandhan'.

The BJP, which has considerable upper caste support in Uttar Pradesh, has been promoting non-Yadav OBCs like its UP state chief Keshav Prasad Maurya, and Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal.

The BJP recently inducted former BSP national secretary Swamy Prasad Maurya in the party, and made another Maurya leader, Keshav Prasad Maurya, its state unit chief.

Mauryas, also called Kachhis, Kushwahas, Sainis and Shakyas, are Koeris, and numerically significant in eastern UP.

The BJP hopes to repeat its spectacular Lok Sabha performance in 2014, in which it won 42.3 per cent votes, almost double the SP's 22.2 per cent and the BSP's 20 per cent.

Interestingly, in assembly elections, the BJP's performance has gotten successively worse on every occasion since 1996, when it peaked at 32.51 per cent.

The BJP won 20.12 per cent votes in 2002, 16.97 per cent in 2007, and 15 per cent in 2012.

The Kurmis -- who have surnames like Verma, Patel and Gangwar -- and weavers are the most aggressively wooed communities in this election.

These castes are the biggest among the smaller castes in the state.

The ruling SP is not oblivious to the need to reach out to non-Yadavs. SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav brought back his friend-turned-foe and prominent Kurmi leader, Beni Prasad Verma, in May, and made him a Rajya Sabha MP.

The BJP has deployed Anupriya Patel to woo Kurmi voters.

She is the daughter of Sonelal Patel who, as the BSP's general secretary back in 1994, had organised a Kurmi Rajnitik Chetna Maha Rally in Lucknow against the Yadav domination of OBC politics.

Sonelal Patel founded the Apna Dal in 1995. Anupriya, the Lok Sabha MP from Mirzapur, was made a Union minister in the last Modi reshuffle with an eye on the UP elections.

The BSP has deployed five leaders from different backward castes to reach out to their respective caste groups.

Party MLC Suresh Kashyap has, for example, been asked to work on the Kashyap-Nishad caste group.

Weavers -- both Hindus and Muslims -- too have caught the attention of political parties ahead of the elections.

This caste group is spread across UP, with a sizeable concentration around Varanasi.

Momins are Muslim weavers, while Taanti and Tantuwe are Hindus.

Apparently with an eye on their votes, Prime Minister Narenda Modi had last year launched the 'Ustad' scheme in his constituency Varanasi to help weavers.

For the last many elections, Muslims have been voting for the party that is seen as capable of defeating the BJP, and switching between the SP and BSP.

Upper castes have mainly backed the BJP in recent elections.

In the event of a triangular contest the winning party will need about 40 per cent of the vote polled.

And it is here that the votes of the numerically smaller communities will come into play.
On January 20, the United States will hold its 59th inaugural ceremony to swear in President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

The event, held at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, will be unlike other presidential swearing-in ceremonies in memory, marked by surging COVID-19 cases, the January 6 attack on the Capitol building by supporters of US President Donald Trump and Trump's plan to not attend the swearing-in ceremony.

As the world prepares for President Biden, Roshneesh K'Maneck looks back at US Presidential inaugurations -- from James Buchanan in 1857 to Donald Trump in 2017.

(Please click on the image for a high-resolution photograph)

The first known photograph of an inauguration at the Capitol, still under construction, was at the inauguration of James Buchanan on March 4, 1857.

400 gallons of oysters were eaten at Buchanan's inaugural party.

Photograph: Library of Congress/Reuters

In 1865, in the aftermath of the horrific American Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln was re-elected, he spoke of moving the nation forward: 'With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.'

It was the first time that African Americans took part in the inaugural parade.

Photograph: Library of Congress/Reuters

William McKinley delivers his inaugural address as outgoing President Grover Cleveland listens in, March 1897.

McKinley's inauguration was the first recorded by a motion picture camera.

Photograph: Library of Congress/Reuters

US President-elect Woodrow Wilson and President William Howard Taft laugh on the White House steps before departing together for Wilson's inauguration, March 1913.

Wilson's inauguration had quite a few event-crashers when members of the suffragette movement marched on Washington, DC.

Photograph: Library of Congress/Reuters

Warren Harding waves to the crowd after being sworn in on the east portico of the Capitol, 1921.

Harding's inauguration was the first to feature an automobile, used to transport the President-elect and outgoing President Wilson to and from the Capitol.

Photograph: Library of Congress/Reuters

President Calvin Coolidge rides in a car during his inaugural parade, 1925.

Coolidge's second oath was administered by the only chief justice who was a former President, William Howard Taft.

Photograph: Library of Congress/Reuters

President Herbert Hoover delivers his inaugural address, March 4, 1929.

At the end of the year, the Roaring Twenties would come to an end and the Great Depression would begin.

Photograph: Library of Congress/Reuters

In 1937, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the first President sworn in on January 20, a practice followed till date.

During FDR's second inauguration no Bible was available to take the oath. A policeman offered his to cover for the mistake.

Photograph: Library of Congress/Reuters

In 1961, John F Kennedy became the first and so far the only Roman Catholic sworn in as President.

And it was here that America became highly aware of how influence and status are part of fashion.

Jacqueline Kennedy helped design her own outfit with designer Ethel Frankau of the Bergdorf Custom Salon. The outfit included an exterior cape.

Photograph: Library of Congress/Reuters

$3.5 million donations poured in for Jimmy Carter's inauguration in January 1977.

Rosalynn Carter's gold-trimmed dress was the same she wore to her husband's inauguration when he was sworn in as Georgia's governor six years earlier, designed by Mary Matisse.

Photograph: Marion S Trikosko/White House Photo/Library of Congress/Reuters

Ronald Reagan was the first President not to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.

The reason: The Great Gipper's inauguration in 1985 has been the coldest to date -- a miserable -7 degree Celsius.

Photograph: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library/Reuters

Michael Jackson appears on stage with President-elect Bill Clinton, his daughter Chelsea and Diana Ross during the celebrations at the Lincoln Memorial for the inauguration in 1993.

A whopping 14 balls were held in William Jefferson Clinton's honour after he was elected President.

In 1997, his second inauguration was the first to be broadcast live on the Internet.

Photograph: Reuters

George W Bush and Laura Bush during the Inaugural parade, 2001.

Bush, the 43rd President, was the second father and son to be President -- his Pappy, George Herbert Walker Bush, was the 41st President.

John Adams and John Quincy Adams, the second and sixth Presidents, were the other father and son Presidents.

Photograph: Reuters

In 2009, Barack Obama became the first African-American to be sworn in President, also the first to be born in Hawaii.

A record 1.8 million people attended the inauguration -- the largest number to date.

Photograph: Chuck Kennedy/Reuters

In 2013, Obama toook the oath of office on a Bible that belonged to Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Donald Trump takes the oath of office with his wife Melania and son Barron at his side, during his inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington on January 20, 2017. An estimated 300,000 to 600,000 people attended the public ceremony held at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. According to reports, private donors put up $107 million to usher Donald Trump into office.

Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
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No Excuse: Freezing Conditions in Greece

Publisher Refugees International Publication Date 10 January 2017 Cite as Refugees International, No Excuse: Freezing Conditions in Greece, 10 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880b19f4.html [accessed 5 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

As snow and freezing temperatures impact refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants currently living in make-shift shelters in Greece, Refugees International urges the Greek government and the European Union to immediately provide adequate warm accommodations for those enduring harsh winter conditions in Greece's refugee camps. While temperatures have been particularly low over the past few days, with snow falling on the Eastern Aegean islands as well as on the Greek mainland, the winter itself was predictable. That men, women and children seeking protection are left in the cold without adequate shelter could and should have been prevented.

Refugees International visited camps in northern Greece and on the islands of Lesvos and Chios in late October 2016. The asylum-seekers we met readily described their exposure to the cold and rain and their worries about the coming winter. Judging from the state of winter preparation RI encountered during our visit, it was apparent that, unless urgent action was taken, not all of the asylum-seekers would be provided with adequate shelter and protection from the winter's cold. And indeed, at this time, not all are protected from the current frigid temperatures. While UNHCR is providing accommodation for 20,000 people in hotels, apartments, and with host families and a number of people are in prefabricated houses in camps, the current situation raises serious concerns about why it took so long to move people into more adequate accommodation and why so many people are excluded from such measures. For instance, the more than 1,100 asylum-seekers who were living in tents in the Petra Olympou camp near Mount Olympus, one of the camps that Refugees International visited in October, were only transferred to hotels and apartments provided by UNHCR at the end of November, after winter weather had already started to set in.

As 2017 begins, the list of humanitarian crises around the world is long, starting with the crises in Syria and Iraq and including South Sudan, Somalia, and many more. Greece and the EU have no place on that list.

The exposure of asylum-seekers to the freezing temperatures is all the more shocking as there appears to be no shortage of funding. The EU Commission has awarded EUR 186 million (out of an allocated EUR 198 million) to UN agencies, including UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, the Red Cross/Red Crescent, and to non-governmental organizations to provide adequate shelter as well as cash assistance for refugees and migrants in Greece. The European Commission has provided EUR 14 million to UNHCR alone to prepare camps for the winter. The Commission has also provided the Greek Ministry of Defense with EUR 88.8 million to improve conditions for refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants, including through shelter and accommodation.

In this context, the European Commission's plan to resume returns of asylum-seekers to Greece, under the EU's Dublin Regulation, is all the more alarming. Such returns of asylum-seekers by member states to Greece as their first country of arrival in the EU have been suspended since the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Greece's reception conditions amounted to inhuman or degrading treatment. Greece continues to be unfit to receive more asylum-seekers as adequate conditions continue to be lacking.

Every year, RI travels the world to document the living conditions of displaced people. Typically, we encounter crisis situations with tens or hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced people left without options in countries without properly functioning institutions, few or no security mechanisms, and frequently with little or no funding to address crises. Greece is a member of the European Union, the largest economy in the world. The EU has provided the Greek government and humanitarian organizations with considerable funds to improve conditions for refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants. And while it has been particularly cold in Greece over the past few days, winter was by no means an unpredictable or unexpected event.

The Greek government must live up to its obligations to provide adequate reception conditions for the people under its jurisdiction and work together with humanitarian organizations to ensure that effective assistance reaches the people who require it, including not only the most vulnerable, but all those in need of shelter.

The Greek government and international organizations  including UNHCR  and non-governmental organizations that have received EU funding to improve conditions for refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants in Greece must be accountable for the way they are spending these funds, and the EU must play its role in ensuring accountability and transparency. The Greek government must live up to its obligations to provide adequate reception conditions for the people under its jurisdiction and work together with humanitarian organizations to ensure that effective assistance reaches the people who require it, including not only the most vulnerable, but all those in need of shelter. Longer-term policies are also urgently needed. All EU member states must face their responsibilities and accept asylum-seekers from Greece. So far, other EU countries have only relocated 7,280 asylum-seekers from Greece under the EU's relocation scheme, a small fraction of the 63,302 to which they have committed.

As 2017 begins, the list of humanitarian crises around the world is long, starting with the crises in Syria and Iraq and including South Sudan, Somalia, and many more. Greece and the EU have no place on that list.
Gambia: State of Emergency no license for repression

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 18 January 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Gambia: State of Emergency no license for repression, 18 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880b26d4.html [accessed 5 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.

Soldiers Arbitrarily Detained as Political Crisis Deepens

President Yahya Jammeh's declared state of emergency in Gambia provides no justification for a crackdown on peaceful dissent around the January 19, 2017 deadline for the new government to take office, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today.

Since 15 January, security forces loyal to President Jammeh have arbitrarily detained at least five officers and enlisted men suspected of opposing Jammeh's bid to remain in office. Since Jammeh rejected the 1 December, 2016 election results on 9 December, Gambian authorities have arbitrarily arrested opposition sympathizers and closed four independent radio stations. The state of emergency raises fears of further repression against opposition supporters around the planned 19 January inauguration of president-elect Adama Barrow. Many Gambians have fled the country out of concerns for their security.

"Respect for human rights must not be a casualty of the current political crisis," said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International's West and Central Africa deputy director. "The declared state of emergency must not be used as a pretext to crack down on peaceful dissent."

Jammeh and Gambia's National Assembly, which his party controls, on 17 January declared a 90-day state of emergency. If authorized by the National Assembly, this would empower Jammeh to suspend certain basic due process rights, including the prohibition on detaining individuals without charge.

In announcing the state of emergency on state television, Jammeh said that "civil liberties are to be fully respected" but that "acts intended to disturb public order and peace" were banned.

Several Gambian youth organizers told Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch that they anticipated Gambians would take to the streets on 19 January to celebrate Barrow's inauguration. "We're not scared anymore," one said. "We just want this to be over." One Gambian activist who said that intelligence officers detained and beat him on 10 January, said that they warned him, "If you try to do anything on January 19, we will crush you like bedbugs."

Since 15 January, authorities have detained and held incommunicado at least five members of the armed forces -- including Capt. Babucarr Bah, Capt. Demba Baldeh and Lt. Col. Hena Sambou - for supporting or planning to support Barrow. Sources said the soldiers are believed to be detained at the National Intelligence Agency and have had no contact with family members.

The arrests contradict an executive order announced by Jammeh on January 10 that there would be "no arrests" until 31 January.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced that it is preparing a military force led by Senegal and Nigeria for possible intervention if Barrow is prevented from assuming the presidency. Should an ECOWAS intervention occur, all measures need to be taken to ensure the protection of civilians and respect for human rights, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said.

President Jammeh publicly conceded defeat the day after the December 1 election, but then rejected the results on December 9. His refusal to accept the election results has been widely condemned internationally, including by the United Nations Security Council, the African Union, and ECOWAS.

On 13 January, the African Union stated that it would cease to recognize Jammeh as the legitimate president of Gambia on January 19, and warned him of "serious consequences" should his action lead to "political disorder" or "human rights disaster." Barrow is currently in neighboring Senegal for protection although plans are still under way for him to be sworn in as president on 19 January.

"The protection of human rights should be at the core of any solution to Gambia's political crisis," said Corinne Dufka, West Africa Director at Human Rights Watch. "If ECOWAS deploys military force, all sides will need to ensure the safety of civilians."

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Amid outpour of sympathy, UN emergency responders aid bombed Nigerian camp

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 18 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Amid outpour of sympathy, UN emergency responders aid bombed Nigerian camp, 18 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880b31740d.html [accessed 5 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.

18 January 2017 - United Nations humanitarian helicopter and emergency medical personnel are in north-eastern Nigeria following a military airstrike that hit a displacement camp killing dozens of people, including aid workers, and wounding a reported 100 others.

The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) airlifted eight Nigerian Red Cross Workers from the camp in Rann locality as part of the emergency response. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also said the response included nearly 900 lbs of emergency medical supplies.

The Nigerian army also deployed a medical team and is working with humanitarian partners to ensure maximum support to the affected people, OCHA reported.

The camp is located in Rann, which has been under the control of the group Boko Haram for the past several years, and out of reach to aid workers.

Around 43,000 people are estimated to be internally displaced and struggle with food shortages as a result of the fighting and bad roads.

Edward Kallon, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, said called yesterday's airstrike an unfortunate tragedy that befell people already suffering.

UN humanitarian officials are also questioning how a military airstrike ended up striking the displacement camp. Intermingled with messages of sympathy and solidarity with the victims, UN agencies called for a full investigation and greater measures to protect civilians doing forward.

The head of the UN Refugee Agency, Filippo Grandi  who met with Nigerian refugees in Borno last month  called the airstrike a truly catastrophic event and called for a full accounting so that the causes are known and measures put in place to ensure this does not happen again.

The Nigerian Government has announced that it would investigate the airstrike.

An UNHAS helicopter being fitted with stretches to convert it into a medical evacuation flight prior to the aircraft taking off for Rann, Nigeria. Photo: OCHA Nigeria/Peter Lundberg

In a message yesterday, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) stressed the importance of protecting civilians in complex humanitarian emergencies.

UNICEF stands in solidarity with our humanitarian colleagues, and the dangerous conditions they work in, said UNICEF Director for Emergency Programmes Manuel Fontaine. The aid workers who lost their lives were working to save others.
At Security Council, top UN political official outlines status of resolution on Iran's nuclear programme

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 18 January 2017 Related Document(s) Security Council resolution 2231 (2015) [on Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear programme] Cite as UN News Service, At Security Council, top UN political official outlines status of resolution on Iran's nuclear programme, 18 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880b36040c.html [accessed 5 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.

18 January 2017 - Briefing the United Nations Security Council on its resolution 2231, which endorsed a plan of action on Iran's nuclear programme, the top UN political official called on the international community for continued support and contribution to the implementation of the agreement.

"[The UN] has not received any report, nor is aware of any open source information regarding the supply, sale or transfer to Iran of nuclear-related items undertaken contrary to the provisions of the resolution," said Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman.

"On an encouraging note, [UN] Member States have made greater use of the procurement channel process through which the transfer of nuclear-related items is approved by the Council on the basis of recommendation provided by the Joint Commission," he added, noting that since July last year, five new requests were submitted through the channel, three of which were approved while two were under consideration.

In his briefing, Mr. Feltman told the Council that the no information was received regarding Iranian ballistic missile activities or ballistic missile-related transfers to the country undertaken contrary to the relevant provisions of the resolution.

On the third issue - arms-related transfer - the UN official pointed to the information, contained in the report, on the seizure of an arms shipment by the French Navy in the northern Indian Ocean in March last year, as well as another arms seizure off the coast of Oman, in February 2016, by the Royal Australian Navy. He noted that seizures bore "strong similarities" to a seizure reported in June 2016 (and contained in the previous report of the Secretary-General).

"[We] look forward to the opportunity to examine the arms seized in all three instances and obtain additional information in order to corroborate the information provided and independently ascertain the origin of these shipments," said Mr. Feltman.

He also raised particular concern over a televised statement by a top Hizbollah official that it receives its salaries, expenses, weapons and missiles from Iran.

Further, Mr. Feltman informed Council members of Iran's participation in an arms exhibit in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, in March 2016, and that that all items exhibited were returned to Iran.

VIDEO : UN political affairs chief reaffirms will to resolve Iranian nuclear issue

Adopted unanimously in July 2015, resolution 2231 endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was signed earlier that month by the five permanent members of the Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States), plus Germany, the European Union (EU) and Iran.

The agreement set out a rigorous monitoring mechanism and timetable for implementation, while paving the way for the lifting of UN sanctions against Iran.
Top UN humanitarian official in Syria allocates $19 million for emergency response in Aleppo

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 18 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Top UN humanitarian official in Syria allocates $19 million for emergency response in Aleppo, 18 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880b39540e.html [accessed 5 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.

18 January 2017 - Amid an overall scale-up in relief operations in Syria, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the country, Ali Al-Za'tari, approved today $19 million from the Syria Humanitarian Fund to sustain immediate life-saving and early recovery assistance for tens of thousands of people in war-ravaged Aleppo.

"Families from east Aleppo are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance such as food and non-food items; and registration of birth, death, marriage and family papers and other legal services, Mr. Al-Za'tari said, adding that many people are also returning to severely damaged homes in the midst of winter while others have no home left to return to and are staying in shelters or with family members.

"The UN is committed to reaching all people in need wherever they are with shelter, water, food, nutrition, health, protection, education, and early recovery and livelihood support," he stressed.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCAH), the UN and its implementing partners have significantly scaled up operations to address the most urgent needs and pave the way to recovery efforts in Aleppo.

This Syria Humanitarian Fund allocation is part of these efforts, and will finance immediate assistance in all affected neighbourhoods of eastern Aleppo, as well as to collective shelters and other priority areas in Aleppo city where internally displaced people are staying.

In addition, the funds will also provide residents of eastern Aleppo and displaced people with early recovery and livelihood interventions and support the rehabilitation of basic services and rubble removal to create the conditions for people to return to their homes.

OCHA says that in 2016, UN agencies and partners operating in Syria and cross-border disbursed more than $220 million for programmes and services to people in need in Aleppo city, which included $14 million from the Syria Humanitarian Fund.

The Syrian Humanitarian Fund is a multi-donor humanitarian pooled fund which disbursed $46 million in 2016 to UN agencies and international and national non-governmental organizations in Syria. It is managed by the OCHA Syria office in the capital, Damascus.
Mali: UN condemns suicide bombing of Gao military camp as 'direct attack' on peace process

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 18 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Mali: UN condemns suicide bombing of Gao military camp as 'direct attack' on peace process, 18 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880b3bf40c.html [accessed 5 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.

18 January 2017 - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the suicide-vehicle attack earlier today perpetrated against a military camp in the northern Mali city of Gao that reportedly left at least 50 people dead and dozens injured.

According to the UN Integrated Multi-Dimensional Stabilization Mission, shortly before 9:00 a.m., a sucide vehicle exploded inside the OMC (Operational Coordination Mechanism) camp in Gao. The camp is home to the elements of the Armed Forces of Mali, the Platform and Coordination of Azawad Movements (600 in total) which are tasked with leading the joint patrols envisaged by the 2015 Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Guterres offered his heartfelt condolences to the Government of Mali and the bereaved families, the Coordination of Movements of Azawad and the Platform. He also wished a speedy recovery to the injured and called for swift action to bring those responsible for this attack to justice.

Mixed patrols are one key interim security measure of the peace agreement aiming at curtailing insecurity in northern Mali pending the full restoration of State authority. "The Secretary-General urges the parties to continue to work to fully implement the provisions of the peace agreement and to do all they can to prevent such attacks," said the statement.

"This despicable act reinforces the United Nations' determination to support the people of Mali, the Government and the signatory armed groups in their quest for peace, their fight against terrorism and their efforts to uphold the peace agreement," it concluded.

Meanwhile, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Herve Ladsous, at the opening of a regularly scheduled briefing to the UN Security Council, also condemned the bombing,which he denounced as a "direct attack" on the peace process and an attempt to undermine recent progress on security arrangements,

"We condemn with the utmost firmness this cowardly and ignoble attack [] which was clearly aimed at derailing the peace process by undermining trust between the signatory parties and the people, "as well as counteracting recent progress in implementing the security arrangements of the peace accord, he stated.

Yet he stressed: "This incident underlines once more that accelerating the implementation of the [agreement] remains the only avenue possible for achieving peace and reconciliation in Mali and I once again urge all signatory parties to fully engage in its implementation. We do not have much time left."

VIDEO: Herve Ladsous, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, has paid tribute to victims of the suicide attack which happened in Mali.

Progress in implementation of the Peace Agreement

Continuing his briefing, Mr. Ladsous said that more than 18 months after the signing of the peace accord, "very little significant progress has been made," despite some positive steps.

"The implementation of the interim institutional and security arrangements has stagnated and remains undermined by persistent disagreements and lack of trust between the signatory parties," he added. "Fragmentation of armed groups, especially within the Coordination of Azawad Movements, and the repeated attempts by dissident groups to undermine the peace process, also hampered the implementation."

With only five months remaining until the end of the interim period, he said that the absence of tangible results is of major concern "and leads me to wonder about the real will and commitment of the signatories of the peace process."

As such, it is of paramount importance to restore the confidence of the Malian population in the peace process. He noted that MINUSMA continued to receive reports of serious violations of human rights "committed by armed groups and State actors." Mr. Ladsous also stressed that the implementation of the development strategy for northern Mali, more than a year after the international conference for the economic recovery and development of Mali, had not yet begun.

VIDEO: Mahamat Saleh Annadif, Head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, explains how MINUSMA's contribution to the disarmament, disarmament and regroupment process will improve security in the country.
RSF urges Montenegrin court to drop charges against reporter

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 18 January 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF urges Montenegrin court to drop charges against reporter, 18 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880b4fb0.html [accessed 5 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Montenegrin authorities to abandon the proceedings against Jovo Martinovic, an investigative reporter whose trial on a charge of supporting a drug trafficking ring will continue tomorrow in the capital, Podgorica.

A specialist in covering organized crime for such leading international media as The Economist, Financial Times and the CAPA press agency, Martinovic is facing a possible 10-year jail sentence. Held for 15 months, he was finally freed provisionally the day after the third hearing in trial, held on 4 January.

Martinovic was arrested on 22 October 2015 along with 17 suspected members of a drug trafficking network known as the "Pink Panthers." He has insisted on his innocence ever since his arrest, claiming that his only links with organized crime were those of a reporter.

"The main defendant in this drug trafficking trial, a former Pink Panthers member, pleaded guilty on the first day and told the judge that Jovo Martinovic was innocent," said Pauline Ades-Mevel, the head of RSF's European Union-Balkans desk. "We urge the court to now drop all charges against this journalist and to end the proceeding against him."

Montenegro is ranked 106th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index.
On 25 November 2016 the French Ministry of Economy and Finance issued a recommendation requiring retailers to label food products from Israeli settlements with the exact place of origin, as to ensure consumers are not misled. That is, explicitly adding the expression 'Israeli settlement' or equivalent in brackets.

This recommendation answers to the pressure of NGOs and civil society who have welcomed progress in the implementation of the EU Interpretative notice on indication of origin of goods from the Occupied Territory.

This positive step is part of a set of measures States, the EU and the UN have taken in recent years to condemn business involvement in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and improve the global standard of expected conduct for all business enterprises thanks also to the pressure of the campaign Made in Illegality. In March 2016 the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) passed a resolution to establish a database of all business enterprises involved in the construction, maintenance and growth of the settlements [1]. Since 2009, the UK has implemented voluntary guidelines for labeling, distinguishing West Bank products made in Israeli settlements from Palestinian West Bank products. Similar guidelines have been put in place by Belgium and Denmark.

However, while these are positive and important steps, FIDH believes that European consumers should not be the only ones responsible deciding whether or not they wish to support illegal settlements through the purchase of goods and products. It is first and foremost the responsibility of States and the EU to take all necessary measures to ensure that they do not recognize and contribute to the maintenance of illegal settlements. This would require a ban on the importation of products from the settlements, since trade with the Israeli settlements only reinforces their viability.
Sudan: Continuing judicial harassment of 5 defenders from TRACKs and the Director of ZORD

Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 18 January 2017 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, Sudan: Continuing judicial harassment of 5 defenders from TRACKs and the Director of ZORD , 18 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880b75f4.html [accessed 5 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 has been informed by reliable sources about the continuing judicial harassment against five human right defenders working at the Centre for Training and Human Development in Sudan (TRACKs) [1], namely Mr. Al Hassan Kheiry, a computer technician, Ms. Arwa Elrabie, the Administration Manager, Ms. Imany-Leyla Raye, a student volunteer, Mr. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, the Director, and Mr. Midhat A. Hamdan, a trainer, as well as against the Director of Zarqa Organisation for Rural Development (ZORD) who had delivered training for TRACKs, Mr. Mustafa Adam, as well as the arbitrary detention of the last three (see background information).

According to the information received, on January 10 and 12, 2017, new court sessions were held before the Khartoum Central Criminal Court. This was the nineteenth hearing since the opening of the trial on August 24, 2016.

On January 10, the Court heard the testimonies of two witnesses. First, the Ambassador of Sudan before the United Nations in Geneva was brought to the bar to report on the negative impact on Sudan diplomatic relations with foreign actors of the alleged activities of the defendants. He claimed that, even though civil society organisations are allowed to work and report on human rights violations, these reports must not have any political content and must be submitted to the government for approval before being disseminated to foreign bodies. He was also asked to give his opinion on films found during the search, such as the documentary Beats of the Antonov and the movie Attack on Darfur.

Secondly, a specialist in film montage was brought as witness to discuss the credibility of the scenes in Beats of the Atonov and Attack on Darfur. He stated that the films aimed at tarnishing the image of Sudan in the eyes of the viewer.

On January 12, 2017, the judge interrogated the six defendants on their relations to TRACKs, their involvement with the centre and the various activities conducted. Mustafa Adam was also questioned regarding his relation to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The next hearing will take place on January 19, 2017 at 12 pm. During this session, the judge will decide whether the charges should be dropped or confirmed.

The Observatory recalls that the six human rights defenders are facing crimes against the State, which carry the death penalty (see below).

Three of them remain arbitrarily detained in Al-Huda prison in Omdurman, namely Messrs. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Mustafa Adam and Midhat Afifi Hamdan, despite a United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) decision requesting their immediate release.

The Observatory also expresses concerns regarding the deteriorating health of Mr. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, who suffers from a heart condition and does not have access to appropriate medical care in prison.

The Observatory urges the Sudanese authorities to release immediately Messrs. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Mustafa Adam and Midhat A. Hamdan and drop all the charges against them and against Mr. Al Hassan Kheiry, Ms. Arwa Elrabie and Ms. Imany-Leyla Raye, since they only aim at sanctioning their legitimate human rights activities.

Until all charges are dropped against them, the Observatory urges the Sudanese authorities to ensure that the conditions of detention of the three above-mentioned human rights defenders are humane, and that all judicial proceedings against the six are carried out in full compliance with their right to a fair trial, as protected under international law.

Background information:

On March 26, 2015, approximately ten plain-clothed National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) agents raided TRACKs' premises, during the last day of a training on "social responsibility and active citizenship". No search warrant was presented and computers and documents belonging to TRACKs were confiscated. Mr. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar was detained for one day following the raid and later released on bail.

Following the raid, on April 16, 2015, Mr. Adil Bakheit, member of the Board of Trustees of the Sudan Human Rights Monitor (SHRM [2] was arrested and charged with "joint acts in the execution of criminal conspiracy, undermining the constitutional system, waging war against the State, calling for opposition to public authority by use of violent or criminal force, publication of false news, and impersonating a public servant".

In May 2015, Mr. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar was charged with a number of crimes, including "criminal conspiracy", "undermining the constitutional system" and "waging war against the State" and later released on bail.

On June 3, 2015, Mr. Adil Bakheit was released on bail.

On February 10, 2016, Mr. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar received a phone cal from the NISS Prosecution Office of Crimes against the State, he was informed by the prosecutor that after 11 months of looking into the five laptops and the server of the centre, they did not find any evidence to support the charges made against them and therefore they decided to drop the

case. The prosecutor also informed him that NISS had two weeks to appeal their decision. If NISS did not appeal within the timeframe, then Mr. Mukhtar should come to the NISS Prosecution Office in order to collect his laptops and the server that had been confiscated.

On February 29, 2016, NISS officers raided for the second time TRACKs offices without any warrant and brought the staff present in the premises to the police station in order to interrogate them for 12 hours on TRACKs' activities, including on their relation to the Al-khatim Aldan Center for Enlightenment (KACE) [3]. Moreover, the NISS officers severely threatened, verbally abused and ill-treated them for hours.

On May 22, 2016, Messrs. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Mustafa Adam, Midhat A Hamdan, Al Hassan Kheiry, Ms. Arwa Elrabie and Ms. Imany-Leyla Raye as well as three other TRACKs staff, Ms. Nudaina Kamal, accountant, Mr. Khuzaini El Hadi and Mr. Al Shazali Ibrahim Al Sheikh were summoned to the NISS Department in Khartoum. Only two of them were questioned and further threatened in relation to their personal activities, including their activism and sources of income, while others were kept waiting before all the individuals summoned were placed in custody pending further investigations.

Ms. Nudaina Kamal was released shortly after her arrest on the same day. Ms. Arwa Elrabie and Ms. Imany-Leyla Raye were released on bail on May 30; Messrs. Hassan Kheiry, Khuzaini El Hadi and Al Shazali Ibrahim Al Sheikh on June 7, 2016.

On August 15, 2016, Messrs. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Mustafa Adam and Midhat Afifi Hamdan were transferred to Al Huda prison after spending almost three months in a narrow cell with poor ventilation and access to food, no access to medication and limited access to toilet at the State Prosecution office and were charged for the same offences.

On August 24, 2016, the trial against Messrs. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Mustafa Adam, Midhat Afifi Hamdan, Al Hassan Kheiry, Ms. Arwa Elrabie and Ms. Imany-Leyla Raye on charges under the 1991 Criminal Act of "criminal conspiracy" (Article 21), "undermining the constitutional system" (Article 50), "waging war against the State" (Article 51) and "espionage" (Article 53) [4] opened before the Khartoum Central Criminal Court.Such offences are classified as crimes against the State and carry the death penalty. Messrs. Midhat Afifi Hamdan and Mustafa Adam are also facing charges under Article 14 of the Information Crime Law. These charges relate to accusations of producing, setting, sending, storing or promoting indecent content through internet, computer or alike that affect public order or morals. They carry additional sentences of imprisonment up to ten years and a fine.

On August 25, 2016 the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) adopted a decision [5], which found the deprivation of liberty of Mr. Al Hassan Kheiry, Ms. Arwa Elrabie, Ms. Imany-Leyla Raye, Mr. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Mr. Midhat Afifi Hamdan, Mr. Mustafa Adam, Mr. Al Shazali Ibrahim Al Sheikh, Mr. Adil Bakheit, and Mr. Khuzaini El Hadi to be arbitrary and thus in violation of their rights as enshrined in Articles 9.2 and 19 of the ICCPR and 19 of the UDHR.

On September 22 and 29, 2016, the Prosecutor showed a number of personal pictures and materials found on the laptops of the defendants [6], although completely irrelevant to the charges and in blatant breach of their right to privacy and property. Furthermore, the Prosecutor claimed TRACKs' activities were used to carry on the work of KACE despite being shut down by the authorities in 2012.

The Prosecutor also claimed that TRACKs was operating without being registered as a training centre, since their licence ended on March 27, 2015. However, TRACKs' application to renew their licence in due time, which included the payment of registration fees to the National Centre for Training, has been delayed by the authorities due to "internal issues". The status of their application is therefore still pending, which nonetheless enables TRACKs to legally operate under Sudanese legislation.

The hearing of September 29, which started with two hours delay due to the late arrival of both Prosecutor and Investigator, was eventually suspended due to a power cut.

On October 6, 2016, the Prosecutor continued showing evidence allegedly found on Mr. Mustafa Adam's laptop and without any relevance to the proceedings. Amongst the documents brought forward, some of them were allegedly including "information about the Sudanese regime" [7].

The Prosecutor also presented the registration form filled out by TRACKs to the National Center for Training. In this document, TRACKs requested to be registered as a centre that works on trainings covering a wide scope of issues such as NGO, time and project management as well as proposal-writing, negotiations, conflict analysis and youth capacity-building. The Prosecutor argued that TRACKs was not registered to carry out trainings on human rights and human rights monitoring.

Lawyers of the defendants requested evidence to be stamped by the forensic laboratory and cross-examined.

On October 13, 2016 a power cut led the hearing to be held in a very small courtroom on the ground floor, thus preventing many journalists, activists, family members of the defendants as well as a diplomatic staff member from entering the room despite their protests, in breach of the principle of publicity of debates.

During the hearing, the Prosecutor continued showing evidence allegedly found on the laptops of the defendants. These included evidence completely irrelevant to the proceedings, such as a list of names of invitees to the Human Rights Council and a letter addressing the German Democratic RepublicThe defence had to point out that this country does not even exist anymore.. Amongst the documents brought forward were also a report on human trafficking in Sudan addressing the role of state forces as well as Mr. Mustafa Adam's membership to the International Criminal Court Coalition.

On October 22, once more, the Prosecutor showed evidence allegedly found on the defendants' laptops. Amongst these were reports about workshops and training sessions on the human rights situation in Sudan, as well as on the rights and protection of human rights defenders under international law.

In his final attempt to portray TRACKs and its members as working against the Sudanese State, the Prosecutor blamed the organisation and its work for the "negative opinion" the International Criminal Court (ICC), the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) have of the Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir, and for the economic sanctions adopted against Sudan. According to him, "TRACKs' activities are responsible for the demise of the State".

In addition, the Prosecutor focused part of his intervention on a former member of KACE, who is neither physically in Sudan, nor a member of TRACKs or part of this case. In spite of these elements, and without any evidence provided, the Prosecutor nonetheless argued that TRACKs was "working alongside him to support the military opposition in Darfur".

During the same October 22 hearing, two journalists were prevented from entering the courtroom. In particular, Mr. Adil Color, Al-Ayam journalist, had his press card confiscated and was forced to leave the courthouse following acts of harassment against him while trying to cover the trial. As for journalist Mr. Ibrahim al-Safi, he was stopped at the door, and taken to an office downstairs before activists intervened to take him out.

On November 10, the trial resumed with an hour delay. On that day, the defence team proceeded to the cross-examination of the investigator representing the States Crimes Prosecution Office on the evidence and arguments provided by the Prosecutor. The latter denied any knowledge of the international human rights framework, and of the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation in Darfur despite the Prosecutor's previous attempts to blame TRACKs and its members for the "negative opinion" the ICC, the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) have of the Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir, and for the economic sanctions adopted against Sudan (see background information).

The defence team also claimed that the investigator had committed some procedural irregularities with respect to the search warrants and seizures that took place within TRACKs premises.

In addition, on November 10, two journalists were violently arrested and briefly detained by NISS officers. Namely, Mr. Ibrahim al-Safi and Ms. Amel Habbani's phone were searched for allegedly taking pictures inside the courthouse. The security officers slapped Ms. Habbani as she refused to hand in her cell phone.

Further hearings dedicated to the cross-examination of evidences presented by the investigator by the defence and the State prosecutor team took place on November 17, 22 and 29, 2016.

On December 6 and 13, 2016, the court heard several witnesses, including NISS officers.

On December 27, 2016, the court heard two witnesses presented by the State Crime Prosecutor.

Furthermore, Mr. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Ms. Arwa Elrabie, Ms. Nudaina Kamal and Mr. Adil Bakheit are also facing the similar charges in another court case related to another raid conducted at TRACKs' offices on March 26, 2015. The case was dropped on February 2016 by the State Crimes Prosecution Office, and re-opened by the same on August 15, 2016. Their first hearing should have taken place on August 24, 2016 but has already been postponed three times and no date for the next hearing has been set yet.

Actions requested:

The Observatory urges the authorities of Sudan to:

i. Release immediately and unconditionally Messrs. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Mustafa Adam and Midhat A Hamdan and guarantee in all circumstances their physical and psychological integrity;

ii. Drop all charges against Messrs. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Mustafa Adam, Midhat A Hamdan, Al Hassan Kheiry, Mrs. Arwa Elrabie and Ms. Imany-Leyla Raye, as they only aim at sanctioning their human rights activities;

iii. Put an end to any kind of harassment, including at the judicial level, against them, as well as against all human rights defenders in Sudan, and ensure in all circumstances that they are able to carry out their activities without hindrances;

iv. Conform to the decision of the UNWGAD of August 2016;

v. Conform in any circumstances with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in particular its articles 1, 6 and 12.2;

vi. Ensure in all circumstances respect for the right to a fair trial as enshrined in Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR);

vii. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Sudan.

Addresses:

Mr. Omar Hassan Ahmadal-Bashir, President of Sudan; Fax:+249183783223

Mr. Awad Al Hassan Al Nour, Minister of Justicer; Fax:249183764168/ +249183770883; Email: mo[email protected]

Mr. Ibrahim Ahmed Ghandour,Minister of Foreign Affairs; Fax:249183772941

Mr.Ismat Abdelrahman Zeinalabdin, Minister of Interior;Fax:+249183779383/ +249183776554; Email:[email protected]

Advisory Council for Human Rights, Rapporteur; Fax:+249183770883

H.E. Mr. Mustafa Osman Ismail Elamin, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva; Fax:+41227312656 / +41227161970; Email: [email protected]

Embassy of Sudan in Brussels, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 124, 1050 Brussels, Belgium. Fax: 0032(2)6483499, Email:[email protected]

Please also write to diplomatic representations of Sudan in your respective countries.

***

Paris-Geneva, January 18, 2017

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu , the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:

E-mail:[email protected]

 Tel and fax FIDH +33(0)143552518 / +33143551880

 Tel and fax OMCT +41(0)228094939 / +41228094929

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5] See Opinions adopted by the UNWGAD at its 76th session, 22-26 August 2016 available at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Detention/Opinions/Session76/34-2016.pdf.

[6] The materials shown in Court were film documentaries, 41 pictures of one taken during workshops or meetings and several personal pictures taken during private time with friends.

[7] In reality, these were forms for an International Criminal Court (ICC) witness-protection programme run by the US Embassy.

[8] The defence had to point out that this country does not even exist anymore.

Footnotes

[1] TRACKs is a Sudanese NGO providing training on various topics relating to human rights and information technology.

[2] )See the Observatory's Urgent Appeals SDN 001 / 0415 / OBS 033 and SDN 001 / 0415 / OBS 033.1, published on April 21 and May 18, 2015.

[3] KACE aimed to develop democratic modes of behaviour, to encourage freedom of thought and freedom of scientific research, and to reinforce peaceful and civilized debate amongst different groups and sectors of the society. Sudanese authorities shut down KACE in late 2012 on allegations of working to topple the regime.

[4] Previously the charges included Article 65 "criminal and terrorist organisation", but on October 20, the Prosecutor did not require its application and instead added Article 21 to the charges. Article 21 reads "when an offence by two or more persons in execution of criminal conspiracy between them, each of such persons shall be responsible for that offence in the same manner as if it is committed by him alone, and shall be punished with the penalty prescribed therefore". Since the other charges carry the death penalty, it is believed that this article could also be used by the Court to hand down such a sentence.

[5] See Opinions adopted by the UNWGAD at its 76th session, 22-26 August 2016 available at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Detention/Opinions/Session76/34-2016.pdf.

[6] The materials shown in Court were film documentaries, 41 pictures of one taken during workshops or meetings and several personal pictures taken during private time with friends.

[7] In reality, these were forms for an International Criminal Court (ICC) witness-protection programme run by the US Embassy.
Azerbaijan: Censorship of main opposition paper

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 18 January 2017 Cite as Article 19, Azerbaijan: Censorship of main opposition paper, 18 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880b7c74.html [accessed 5 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.

ARTICLE 19 has submitted an alert to the Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists, raising concerns about unacceptable pressure on Azadliq - Azerbaijan's oldest opposition newspaper:

"Azadliq, the main opposition newspaper in Azerbaijan, has been forced to stop publishing following the arrest of their financial director, Faiq Amirov, and ongoing financial pressures from state-owned or affiliated companies.

Faiq Amirov was arrested on 20 August 2016 on charges of "inciting religious hatred" and "infringing the rights of citizens under the pretext of conducting religious rites", after police allegedly found materials produced by Fethullah Gulen in his apartment and car. He is currently being held in pre-trial detention, accused of being an imam in the Gulenist movement. Rights groups believe the charges to be unfounded and politically-motivated; while Amirov has denied that the Gulenist materials are his, believing that the police planted them among his belongings. Amirov faces between two and five years in jail if convicted. According to his lawyer, Amirov has been denied medical treatment while in jail.

Azadliq has long faced financial pressures, which have been exacerbated by Amirov's arrest, resulting in the paper's inability to pay the state owned printer a 20,000 manat (approx. 10,000 EUR) debt. The printer subsequently refused to work with the paper, and it has not been published since September 2016. Azadliq was unable to pay this debt on two grounds: first, Azadliq's bank have refused to recognize Azadliq's new financial director, meaning that the newspaper cannot access its funds. Second, according to a newspaper spokesperson, Azadliq was owed and 70,000 manat (approx. 35,000 EUR) by the state-owned distribution company GASID.

Since being forced to stop publishing, the online version of Azadliq has reportedly faced repeated attempts to block access to the website."

According to Qurium, the hosting provider of Azadliq's website, there have been five incidences since 28 November in which they recorded significant issues with the site's ability to load, significantly restricting the ability of people inside Azerbaijan to access the site.

By monitoring the site's performance, Qurium have identified repeated attacks on the site, which they believe to constitute engineered bandwidth throttling and network congestion. This slows the site's ability to load, and can completely restrict access to the site within Azerbaijan. In the most severe incident, on 15 December 2016, the site was fully unreachable within Azerbaijan from 7:30 AM UTC until 12 PM UTC.

The most recent blocking incident took place on Saturday, 24th December 2016 (00:00 Baku time), the 27th Anniversary of Azadliq Newspaper. Since then, Qurium have noticed a change in strategy in attempts to block access to the site. They report that the site is now experiencing DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks, and have also registered that an unknown actor is performing vulnerability scans of the website, which seek to identify weaknesses that can be utilised to facilitate blocking.

Copyright notice: Copyright ARTICLE 19
Counter-Containment: Russia Deploys S-400 Complexes to Crimea

Publisher Jamestown Foundation Author Sergey Sukhankin Publication Date 18 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Cite as Jamestown Foundation, Counter-Containment: Russia Deploys S-400 Complexes to Crimea, 18 January 2017, Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 2, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880cbd54.html [accessed 5 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.

Link to original story on Jamestown website

Franz Klintsevych, a high-ranking member of the Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament), denounced the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), on January 8, for their activities in the Baltic Sea region. According to Klintsevych, who serves as the first deputy chairman of the Federation Council's Defense and Security Committee, the US and NATO have allegedly "turned Europe into a powder keg." The senator also warned that Russia's response to these activities would come soon and be "harsh and decisive" (Newkaliningrad.ru, January 8, 2017). Recently, similar wrathful comments by Russian officials were also made in reaction to the deployment of additional US military equipment to Germany as well as the fact that approximately 4,000 American soldiers are to be deployed to seven eastern NATO countries, ranging from Estonia to Bulgaria (Deutsche Welle, January 6).

One could have expected that the Russian response threated by Klintsevych would primarily be limited to the Baltic Sea region. Indeed, this area has already been subjected to pervasive militarization in recent years, with Kaliningrad oblast increasingly occupying a prominent place in the Kremlin's regional geopolitical aspirations (see EDM, July 11, 2016; October 12, 2016; November 7, 2016). Yet, as it turned out, for now Moscow's promised retaliation seems instead to have mainly materialized in the southern direction.

On January 13, it was announced that Russia had deployed S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile complexes on the territory of illegally annexed Crimea. In fact, as underscored by several Russian officials, this advanced anti-air missile system was tested in Crimea during the Kavkaz 2016 war exercise, held primarily on the territory of the Southern Military District last August (Rosbalt, January 13, 2017). According to Lieutenant General Viktor Sevastyanov, who commands the 4th Army of the Russian Air Force and Air Defense Forces, the deployment of such formidable weaponry as the S-400 will not only complement already exiting air defences there but also extend Russia's air control over the area for "hundreds of kilometers" (Interfax, January 13).

Designed by Almaz-Antey Central Design Bureau in the late 1990s, the S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft weapon system (NATO classification: SA-21 Growler) was officially introduced in 2007. Its main tasks are primarily concerned with targeting aircraft (both strategic and tactical), ballistic missiles and hypersonic targets. The reported effective kill range of this system varies, depending on the source, from 60 to 400 kilometers. According to Russian military experts, the complex is able to simultaneously track up to 300 air targets, irrespective of their altitude of flight or speed. Incidentally, this complex has been used by the Russian military operating in Syria, at Khmeimim, where Russia's permanent air base is located (RIA Novosti, November 26, 2015). It has also been claimed that this type of weaponry could be effectively used against the R-17 Elbrus (NATO terminology: SS-1C Scud-B) as well as the United States' Tomahawk subsonic cruise missile.

Lieutenant General Sevastyanov further announced, on January 14, that "additional numbers of S-400 Triumf complexes are to be deployed on the territory of Crimea" (Interfax, January 14). During his press conference in Feodosia, the military official did not specify the exact number or the tentative dates of the deployment. He did, however, promise that this information would eventually be disclosed. He also claimed that with the deployment of these complexes, the Crimean peninsula's military potential will have grown exponentially within a brief interim.

Signs of the imminent militarization of the Black Sea region by Russia were clearly visible as early as 2014, soon after Crimea's annexation (see EDM, September 24, 2014; December 9, 2014). However, it was during the summer of 2016 that the deployment of S-400 complexes to the peninsula was first publicly raised by the former commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vladimir Komoyedov. In the meantime, it should not be forgotten that S-400s (along with the Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery system) were publicly exhibited in Kerch, on November 19, 2016, as part of a military recruitment campaign entitled "Contract serviceyour choice." Taken together, these demonstrative actions by the Kremlin in broader terms highlight the Russian government's determination to act assertively and decisively to accrete additional military might to the country's southern flank. This may (and is likely to) have serious and far-reaching consequences for the balance of power and security in the Black Sea region, putting under immediate jeopardy not only Ukraine but adjacent members of NATO.

In addition to these recent tangible actions in Crimea, Russia has also been conducting similar steps on its northwestern flank for some time (see above) with plans for additional deployments. On January 13, it was announced that four S-400 Triumpf divisional units would be deployed on the territory of the Western Military District over the course of 2017 (TASS, January 13). According to the Russian Federation Council, which plans to host a special session in Kaliningrad this coming July devoted to border security, "Kaliningrad oblast is one of the key regions in terms of Russian national security. The level of military preparation of the entire Western Military District [] depends on Kaliningrad" (Newkaliningrad.ru, January 3, 2017).

These actionsthe simultaneous militarization of two flanksmeans first of all that Moscow is trying to conduct its own policy of "containment" with respect to NATO by putting pressure on the Alliance's most vulnerable areas. The (re)emergence of two major Russian military outpostsKaliningrad and the Crimean Peninsulaare bolstering the development of an "arc of pressure" stretching from the Baltic to the Black Seas. Another element of this Russian regional military build-up is tightly associated with an attempt to enflame anti-US sentiments in Europe as well as undermine unity among the Europeans. For instance, Vladimir Kozin, a member of the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies, has openly accused the US and NATO of "keeping Europe in constant distress" while simultaneously urging for Moscow to apply greater pressure on European countries (RIA Novosti, January 10). Indeed, the recent deployment of the S-400s to Crimeaas well as such planned deployments to Kaliningradare carefully designed by the Kremlin to push all these goals.

Copyright notice:  2010 The Jamestown Foundation
Saakashvili's Party in Georgia Splits in Two

Publisher Jamestown Foundation Author Giorgi Menabde Publication Date 18 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Cite as Jamestown Foundation, Saakashvili's Party in Georgia Splits in Two, 18 January 2017, Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 2, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880cc4a4.html [accessed 5 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.

Link to original story on Jamestown website

In a January 12 press briefing held at the United National Movement's (UNM) central offices, the majority of the party's leaders and most of its popularly recognizable members collectively declared their decision to leave UNM. The defectors from Georgia's largest opposition party said they lost all hope that UNM's founder, former Georgian president (20042013) Mikheil Saakashvili, or his supporters could constructively resolve the party's past and future internal disputes (Civil Georgia, January 12).

The sharpest rebuke came from top UNM official and former Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava, who just a week earlier was released from prison on appeal. He had been serving a long sentence on charges of employing party activists in Tbilisi's municipal structures while mayor (Civil Georgia, January 6). "One person is responsible for dismantling the partythe person who established the party," Ugulava stated, referring to Saakashvili. The UNM founder "no longer radiates leadership," Ugulava added. Moreover, he renounced Saakashvili's repeated calls for UNM to not participate in electionswhich Saakashvili asserted were being falsified by the ruling Georgian DreamDemocratic Georgia (GDDG)and for his party's members to give up their seats in the legislature following the disappointing October 8, 2016, parliamentary elections (see EDM, October 27, 31, 2016). "The party that rejects elections as a method of political struggle is no longer a partyand yes, we will prepare for municipal elections," Ugulava declared (Civil Georgia, January 12).

The former president remains abroad, in Ukraine. Until last November, Saakashvili served as the governor of Odesa province, and he recently established a new Ukrainian opposition party (see EDM, November 14, 16). Appearing in live video links beamed into Georgia, Saakashvili repeatedly criticized his Georgian companions-in-arms willing to participate in elections and retain their seats in parliament (almost all have). He has even accused them of "collusion" with "the Russian oligarch"as he often calls billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Georgian Dream.

However, disagreements over participation in parliament as well as divergent assessments of Georgia's democratic process or prospects for a peaceful power transition were not the only reasons for UNM's split. In fact, particularly after Saakashvili's departure from Georgia, most UNM party leaders had been unsuccessfully urging him to scale back his active intervention in domestic political life. Upon leaving the country in 2013 and taking up Ukrainian citizenship to work in that country's government, Saakashvili was stripped of his Georgian citizenship. Georgian law expressly forbids foreign nationals from engaging in political activities inside Georgia (Georgiatoday.ge, December 4, 2015).

For this reason, the position of UNM party chairman has remained vacant. But all attempts by the party leadership to elect a new head were met with active resistance from Saakashvili, who alleged that the process was designed to push him out (Kommersant, January 12). Most recently, Saakashvili and his remaining supporters within UNM blocked a suggestion to hold a small party congress to resolve the chairmanship issue (Civil Georgia, January 17). Instead, a large forum of 7,000 delegatesmost of whom still consider "Misha" (Saakashvili) to be the party's "main resource"will gather in Tbilisi on January 20.

Saakashvili faces charges of four criminal counts of embezzlement of public funds and abuse of office, which were levied against him by the Georgian Dream government. As such, political analyst Mikhail Getsadze argues, the former president believes he will never be able to return to power in Georgia through regular elections. Rather, he must once again lead a revolution (Ghn.ge, November 11, 2016). However, the vast majority of UNM deputies believe this approach is undemocratic and dangerous.

Soon after the public UNM split, Mikheil Saakashvili wrote on his Facebook page, "The rule of losers is over Our people showed their strength and did not allow the implementation Ivanishvili's plan to distance me from the United National Movement and take over [the party]." He maintained that despite all the defections, the true strength of UNM would be visible at the January 20 party congress: "The party is as united and as strong as it has ever been in the last four years, since tens of thousands of our activists regained control over the party" (Civil Georgia, January 12).

Former speaker of parliament David Bakradze categorically disagrees with such optimistic estimates. Notably, the party leadership had tried to nominate him for the post of UNM's chairman instead of Saakashvili. But having defected, Bakradze is now officially helping to establish a new opposition party under the name "European Georgia" (Civil Georgia, January 13), though he has emphasized that the struggle against "Ivanishvili's regime" will continue. He promised that his faction would cooperate with UNM against the ruling GDDG and declared as goals ousting the GDDG government through the democratic process and bringing back "development and progress to the country" (Civil Georgia, January 12).

Following its split, UNM will be represented by only six members in parliament, while the newly formed European Georgia faction will have 21 sitting legislators. Gigi Ugulava is considered the head of the new opposition party. In 2012, he was regarded as the most probable successor to Saakashvili as president of Georgia; but later, serious disagreements arose between them. Ugulava himself makes no secret of the fact that he was ready to inject some intra-party competition to UNM, which Saakashvili rejected. According to Ugulava, the former Georgian president refused to recognize the new political realities on the ground following UNM's decisive electoral defeat in 2012 (Ipress.ge, January 12).

At the upcoming UNM congress, Saakashvili's supporters will face no more obstacles to maintaining the status quo: the post of chairman will stay vacant, while Saakashvili will remain the party's informal leader. Saakashvili will continue to direct UNM's activities from Ukraine, where he will simultaneously lead his Ukrainian opposition party, "The Union of New Forces," and act as an aggressive critic of President Petro Poroshenko (RFE/RL, November 11, 2016).

Most Georgian experts are convinced that UNM's division will only weaken the democratic forces in the country. Arguably, each of the spun-off "factions" of UNM will be politically and electorally weaker than the former single, united party. "Unfortunately, Georgian elite did not show the ability to negotiate and generally failed to demonstrate the precious culture of compromise," according to political scientist George Lezhava. In his opinion, a deficient political culture and the prevalence of personal or group interests have not only undermined UNM but also damaged the country itself. Lezhava contended that Georgian voters are unlikely to reward the fracturing of UNM at the ballot box, thus further damaging the country's pro-Western political forces (Ghn.ge, January 12).

Copyright notice:  2010 The Jamestown Foundation
Visa-Free Travel to Belarus and the Dawn of a New Era in the (Dis)Information Wars

Publisher Jamestown Foundation Author Grigory Ioffe Publication Date 18 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Cite as Jamestown Foundation, Visa-Free Travel to Belarus and the Dawn of a New Era in the (Dis)Information Wars, 18 January 2017, Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 2, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880ccb04.html [accessed 5 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.

Link to original story on Jamestown website

Minsk has introduced visa-free regulations for entering Belarus for no more than five days, if arriving via Minsk National Airport, for citizens of 80 states. The decree applies to all of the European Union, the United States, Japan and many other countries (Belta.by, January 11, 2017). No visa-free entrance to Belarus applies if one travels through Russiain that case one would need both a Belarusian and a Russian visa. Already some Russian media outlets have slammed Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei for betraying Moscow (EaDaily, January 9), whereas the Belarusian foreign ministry's spokesperson retorted that these publications were "foolish" (Salidarnasts, January 11).

Tensions between Russia and Belarus are nothing new, but their severity these days is without precedent. A conflict over natural gas prices, which was repeatedly reported to be nearly resolved, is still there: Belarus has not yet repaid what Russia estimates to be a $400 million debt, accumulated since January 2016 (due to Belarus's underpayment for gas). In retaliation, Russia decided to decrease deliveries of crude oil, while Belarus temporarily raised its transit fee for natural gas by 7.7 percent. Multiple Belarusian food processors are presently excluded from the Russian market due to allegedly exceeding the content of harmful substances (Novaya Gazeta, January 10). And even habitual optimists on Belarus-Russia relationships have turned into doomsayers when reflecting on what else is yet to come (ImhoClub, January 5).

In December, three Belarusian citizens, Yuri Pavlovets, Dmitry Alimkin and Sergei Shiptenko were arrested for publishingon Russian web sites Regnum, EurasiaDaily, and Lenta.ruarticles allegedly denigrating Belarus (see EDM, December 12, 2016). Their case has eclipsed any other single news item emanating from the country. The prosecution has not yet formulated its case, but there has been no shortage of reactions. They fall within four types: 1) unqualified support for the arrest; 2) unqualified condemnation; 3) dismissal of the publications' content while suggesting that Pavlovets, Alimkin and Shiptenko's arrest exceeds the severity of their imputed misdeeds and therefore presents a precedent for future denials of any freedom of speech whatsoever; or (4) calculated action by professional provocateurs.

The first type of reaction, exemplified by Belarus Segodnya, the country's major daily, is typical of Belarusian officials and Westernizing nationalists alike (Belarus Segodnya, December 11, 2016; Belorusskii Partizan, December 9, 2016). Unusual bedfellows, they stress that Pavlovets, Alimkin and Shiptenko's imputed actions go beyond freedom of speech as they openly cast doubt on the existence of Belarusians as a national group.

Aside from Regnum's own denunciation of the arrest (Regnum, December 9, 2016), the second kind of reaction was issued by the publicist Andrei Gerashchenko, who himself was previously accused of biases identical to those of the arrested authors (RitmEvrazii, December 12, 2016).

The third reaction was from more sophisticated personalities like Alexander Feduta, a philologist who, in 20102011, spent 100 days in jail for his alleged role in fomenting the post-election protests (Feduta, December 9, 2016), as well as Victor Martinovich, a writer (Budzma, December 13, 2016).

The fourth reaction is by sophisticated and well-informed pundits. Thus, Kirill Koktysh, a native of Minsk working for the Moscow Institute for Foreign Relations, the principal alma mater of Russian diplomats, suggests that the sham behind the entire endeavor is right from the playbook of the late Boris Berezovsky, Russia's most famous provocateur. Because few Russians would pay attention to Regnum, the articles by the three above-cited imprisoned authors were primarily intended to spook Belarusians, as many of them would assume Regnum's ideas reflect Kremlin policy. Once indignation in Belarus reached a certain levelwhich judging by the harsh opinion expressed by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka himself (Lenta.ru, January 7, 2017) and by the Belarusian foreign ministry (Naviny.by, December 22, 2016), it already hasit could be used to spook influential Russians, thus sustaining income for a few writers and their supervisors (Koktysh, December 14, 2016).

To be sure, the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately reacted not to the said publications but to the pronouncement by General Leonid Reshetnikov, the director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, in which he claimed that the Belarusian language was created in 1926 by the Communist Party and that Belarus is an inalienable part of Russia (Naviny.by, December 22, 2016). This pronouncement, however, only developed the thread of thought established by the said freelancers.

Some of Regnum's publications rather confirm the provocation hypothesis by stretching reality to the breaking point. Thus, according to an article in Regnum written by Anatoly Shlykov (most likely a pseudonym), it is the likes of Nikolay Statkevich who should be taken into custody in Belarus, not the valiant trio committed to a cordial alliance between Russia and Belarus. Statkevich, a 2010 presidential hopeful who stayed in prison for 5.5 years because he declined to ask Lukashenka for clemency, has recently again denounced the Lukashenka government as illegal and unprepared to defend Belarus in the face of potential Russian aggression. However, Statkevich was not arrested because he is, according to Shlykov, the only leader of the Belarusian opposition in whom the West is ready to invest not just millions but billions of dollars so as to create a parallel army in Belarus. Part of its members would be implanted in the regular army to neutralize it; the other part would be new recruits with rifles and laser tag guns (Regnum, December 13, 2016).

If levels of disinformation can be categorized based on who consumes it, just like the trophic levels of an organism depend on a position it occupies in the food chain, from the lowest (e. g., grass) to higher (e. g., a grasshopper) and to still higher levels (a rat and then a snake), then the story painted by Shlykov is probably intended for a grasshopper's consumption at best. It is likely, however, that a decline in the quality of schooling observed in most post-Soviet countries has spawned quite a number of "grasshoppers" who would believe a Shlykov-like message before some of them generate a demand for more sophisticated deception like that spread by Reshetnikov.

While US intelligence agencies have recently emphasized refined Russian patterns for swaying public opinion (e.g., by RT), unduly little attention has been paid to the lowest level in the disinformation chain. That is where it all begins. The relationship between the world's closest allies, Russia and Belarus, is a case in point: Russia's Regnum is thus arguably the advance guard in the modern disinformation wars. After all, the greatest ideas are the simplest.

Copyright notice:  2010 The Jamestown Foundation
Gambia: State of Emergency No License for Repression

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 18 January 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Gambia: State of Emergency No License for Repression, 18 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880cf3e4.html [accessed 5 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.

President Yahya Jammeh's declared state of emergency in Gambia provides no justification for a crackdown on peaceful dissent around the January 19, 2017, deadline for the new government to take office, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today.

Since January 15, security forces loyal to President Jammeh have arbitrarily detained at least five officers and enlisted men suspected of opposing Jammeh's bid to remain in office. Since Jammeh rejected the December 1, 2016, election results on December 9, Gambian authorities have arbitrarily arrested opposition sympathizers and closed four independent radio stations. The state of emergency raises fears of further repression against opposition supporters around the planned January 19 inauguration of president-elect Adama Barrow. Many Gambians have fled the country out of concerns for their security.

"Respect for human rights must not be a casualty of the current political crisis," said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International's West and Central Africa deputy director. "The declared state of emergency must not be used as a pretext to crack down on peaceful dissent."

Jammeh and Gambia's National Assembly, which his party controls, on January 17 declared a 90-day state of emergency. If authorized by the National Assembly, this would empower Jammeh to suspend certain basic due process rights, including the prohibition on detaining individuals without charge.

In announcing the state of emergency on state television, Jammeh said that "civil liberties are to be fully respected" but that "acts intended to disturb public order and peace" were banned.

Several Gambian youth organizers told Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch that they anticipated Gambians would take to the streets on January 19 to celebrate Barrow's inauguration. "We're not scared anymore," one said. "We just want this to be over." One Gambian activist who said that intelligence officers detained and beat him on January 10, said that they warned him, "If you try to do anything on January 19, we will crush you like bedbugs."

Since January 15, authorities have detained and held incommunicado at least five members of the armed forces  including Capt. Babucarr Bah, Capt. Demba Baldeh, and Lt. Col. Hena Sambou  for supporting or planning to support Barrow. Sources said the soldiers are believed to be detained at the National Intelligence Agency and have had no contact with family members.

The arrests contradict an executive order announced by Jammeh on January 10 that there would be "no arrests" until January 31.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced that it is preparing a military force led by Senegal and Nigeria for possible intervention if Barrow is prevented from assuming the presidency. Should an ECOWAS intervention occur, all measures need to be taken to ensure the protection of civilians and respect for human rights, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said.

"The protection of human rights should be at the core of any solution to Gambia's political crisis," said Corinne Dufka, associate Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "If ECOWAS deploys military force, all sides will need to ensure the safety of civilians."

Background

President Jammeh publicly conceded defeat the day after the December 1 election, but then rejected the results on December 9. His refusal to accept the election results has been widely condemned internationally, including by the United Nations Security Council, the African Union, and ECOWAS.

On January 13, the African Union stated that it would cease to recognize Jammeh as the legitimate president of Gambia on January 19, and warned him of "serious consequences" should his action lead to "political disorder" or "human rights disaster." Barrow is currently in neighboring Senegal for protection although plans are still under way for him to be sworn in as president on January 19.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Title Report to the Government of the Netherlands on the visit to the Netherlands carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 2 to 13 May 2016

Publication Date 19 January 2017

Country Netherlands

Citation / Document Symbol CPT/Inf (2017) 1

Cite as Council of Europe: Committee for the Prevention of Torture, Report to the Government of the Netherlands on the visit to the Netherlands carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 2 to 13 May 2016, 19 January 2017, CPT/Inf (2017) 1, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5880d2204.html [accessed 5 November 2022]
New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/19/2017 --Glamira is now a well-known name in jewelry today. Known for their stunning wedding and engagement rings and timeless custom jewelry designed with a modern appeal, Glamira is also known for their collection of custom jewelry featuring precious and semi-precious stones, including birthstones.



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A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017
CHEYENNE, Wyo.  In grizzly country, comments by President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for education secretary that schools should have guns on campus to protect against the bears aren't a punch line.

Betsy DeVos' remark Tuesday to a Senate committee that state and local officials should decide whether guns might have a place at schools caused a big stir in some parts of the country after mass shootings have claimed scores of innocent young lives.

But in places such as Montana and Wyoming, the issue is more about safety than politics. Grizzlies attack hunters, tourists and others while they are deep in the backcountry and sometimes even on a quick hike near home. The bears have killed six people in the Yellowstone National Park area since 2010. A grizzly killed a mountain biker last summer in Glacier National Park.

Grizzlies in growing numbers roam a wide area around a tiny elementary school in Wapiti, Wyoming, 30 miles east of the park, which has a tall fence to keep the carnivores off the playground.

"I would imagine that there is probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies," DeVos, a native of Michigan who has spent decades advocating for charter schools, told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Actually, there isn't a gun on the campus, because having one would violate federal law, said Ray Schulte, superintendent of the district west of Yellowstone National Park that includes the Wapiti K-5 school.

However, he is open to letting local school boards decide what's best for their students.

"It may not be the right decision for certain school districts," Schulte said Wednesday. "But when you're in rural areas and you're maybe 15 or 20 or 30 minutes away from anybody who could respond to an event, it does make sense that you might have somebody on staff who is armed and able to respond to an emergency."

That's hardly an unusual opinion in Wyoming, where elected officials at all levels are sympathetic to gun ownership. A bill introduced in the Legislature last week would allow guns on campus at Wyoming's community colleges and four-year public university.

In Montana, a bill allowing students, faculty and others to carry concealed weapons at colleges and universities was narrowly defeated in 2015.

The Wyoming proposal and one to allow guns at government meetings have caused little commotion.

Nobody is clamoring for guns in K-12 schools  yet. In the meantime, the tall fences put up at Wapiti Elementary and another Yellowstone-area school, Valley Elementary, seem to be working.

"It makes sense, because there are bear in the neighborhood," Schulte said. "It's kind of a wild place."

Wild or not, shooting a grizzly is not an act to take lightly.

The bears remain a federally protected threatened species. Killing one except in a clear-cut case of self-defense  a scenario difficult to imagine at a school surrounded by a tall fence  is punishable by up to six months in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Also, only a well-placed shot from a powerful rifle or handgun would be likely to stop a grizzly, which in the Rocky Mountain region can reach 700 pounds and sprint up to 45 mph. Even in Wyoming, the average assistant principal or art teacher would need a good deal of practice to pull that off.

Still, some advocates are appalled that DeVos could suggest guns are OK on certain campuses.

"It's clear that Betsy DeVos barely understands the very real issue of school violence, or the risks of guns to our youngest and most vulnerable citizens, and American students deserve better," Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said in a press release.

The Missoulian contributed to this story.
A health care bill vetoed by Gov. Steve Bullock in 2015 that would allow patients to develop direct contracts with their doctors has resurfaced in legislative discussions this year.

Sen. Cary Smith, R-Billings, introduced Senate Bill 100 to the Public Health, Welfare, and Safety Committee on Wednesday. The measure would allow patients to negotiate contracts with their primary care providers  from doctors to dentists  for the cost of their care. Such agreements typically outline a flat fee paid monthly or yearly to receive an agreed upon list of services and another list of fees for additional care.

Its clear this is not insurance, Smith said.

State Auditor Matt Rosendale carried a similar bill in 2015 when he represented a Glendive district. It passed the Senate and House largely along party lines with many Democrats questioning why it was needed when federal law requires everyone to have insurance and suggesting the lack of regulation around the contracts could leave some people vulnerable. Bullock summarized those concerns in his veto letter.

SB 149 has been touted as cutting insurance-related administrative expenses. Yet the bill does not prevent providers from selling these plans to some patients while accepting insurance for others meaning the provider carries the same insurance-related overhead, but receives another income stream at the consumer's expense, he wrote. (The 2015 bill) is bad for Montanans, because it allows providers to charge unnecessary fees for service already covered by insurance and fails to deliver the administrative savings it promises.

Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, asked Smith many of the same questions at Wednesdays hearing.

Do you have any reason to believe he wouldnt veto it again? she asked.

The climate is changing. Were looking at different things now with a new administration, Smith said, referencing incoming President Donald Trump and promises from a Republican-controlled Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act. I was fully aware this was an uphill battle. I think things have changed. I think we need to have this conversation take place.

Bullock Spokeswoman Marissa Perry said the governors staff is monitoring Smiths bill but declined to say if he was more open to considering the proposal given possible shifts in federal health insurance policy.

Governor Bullock is closely following what unfolds in Washington, D.C., and has expressed his concerns if Congress votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act without first proposing a viable replacement, ripping away healthcare from tens of thousands Montanans, she wrote in a statement.

About a dozen states have passed similar bills in recent years, driven, in part, by a national lobby group for direct providers that has widely shared model legislation.

Smiths bill is being supported by the Montana Medical Association and a handful of other medical-field organizations, as well as Americans for Prosperity, a conservative advocacy group. No one spoke in opposition to the bill.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (C) attends a special session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to discuss the plight of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jan. 19, 2017.

Malaysias prime minister urged the Myanmar government on Thursday to end reported violence and discrimination against the stateless Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state where security forces have allegedly carried out atrocities against the group.

Premier Najib Razak warned that Islamic extremists could use the plight of the Rohingya, who are considered illegal immigrants from Bangladesh by Myanmars Buddhist-majority population, as a way to radicalize the minority group, which is denied basic rights.

Myanmar army soldiers stand accused of killing civilians, torturing villagers, raping women and girls, and setting homes ablaze in Rohingya communities during a security sweep in northern Rakhine following deadly attacks on border guard stations last October.

The government and army have denied the allegations and blamed the attacks on Rohingya militants who received training and financial help from abroad.

Many have suffered appalling deaths, and those that have lived through the atrocities have witnessed or endured unspeakable cruelty, Najib was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying during a special meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The intergovernmental body of 57 member nations met in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to discuss the plight of the Rohingya in Rakhine state.

For a start, the killing must stop, he said. The violation of women and girls must stop.

The Rohingya cannot wait

Contacted by RFAs Myanmar Service, the Myanmar government declined to comment on the OIC meeting.

Tensions between Muslim-majority Malaysia and Myanmar over the treatment of the Rohingya have risen in the last several weeks.

Early last December, Najib led a rally of thousands in Kuala Lumpur to protest what he called the Myanmar governments genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya.

At the time, he also urged the United Nations and OIC to take more active roles in the latest Rohingya crisis, which has caused an exodus of about 65,000 refugees to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, according to the U.N.

[T]he government of Myanmar disputes the terms genocide and ethnic cleansing, but whatever the terminology, the Rohingya cannot wait, Najib said in opening remarks at the OIC session.

Malaysia is sending a food flotilla for the Rohingya in Rakhine state and is providing 10 million ringgit ($2.24 million) for humanitarian relief.

The Myanmar government has previously vowed to turn the flotilla back unless the organizers in charge of the mission apply for permission to enter Myanmar territory.

A decision to allow the aid mission to enter the country would help create a more positive image of Myanmar, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said at the OIC meeting, the countrys New Straits Times reported.

Not only [would] we welcome the commitment by the government of Myanmar, but we would also like to assist them by giving a positive impression to the international community towards what is happening in Rakhine State, he was quoted as telling reporters at the meeting.

Solo protest against Malaysia

Back in Myanmar, Myat Hsu Mon, a former political science student, carried out a solo protest against the OIC meeting by marching from Yangon University to the Malaysian embassy.

She had also sent a letter to the Malaysian embassy, asking that the country respect the rights of the 135 ethnic groups on Myanmars official listwhich does not include the Rohingyaand reject the OIC meeting to discuss Myanmars problem in a foreign country.

Fifty-seven OIC countries held a meeting in Malaysia to discuss a Myanmar problem, she told RFAs Myanmar Service. It is direct interference in and an insult to Myanmars sovereignty. I cant accept it; and thats why Im protesting.

Myat Hsu Mon said she will join others to protest if her solo effort is not effective in preventing Malaysia from interfering in Myanmars affairs.



Reported by Thant Zin Oo for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Soldiers from the Kachin Independence Army move towards the frontline near the town of Laiza in northern Myanmar's Kachin state, Oct. 14, 2016.

The Myanmar military has seized a key command base and two others belonging to the ethnic Kachin Independence Army (KIA) as skirmishes continue between the two armies in Kachin state near the border with China with no apparent let up in sight.

The office of Myanmar commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said Wednesday that government forces captured the 12th battalion of the KIAs third brigade 12 in the town of Mansi in Bhamo district of Kachin state.

No government troops were killed or injured, but some KIA troops were killed, the announcement said.

Government troops from brigade 88 and military operation command headquarters (MOC) conducted a ground attack on the KIA command base from which the ethnic armed group directed illegal logging activities, Min Aung Hlaings office said.

The government army seized 20 buildings, 108 tons of logs, four logging trucks, two jeeps, one motorcycle, five weapons, and some receipts related to logging at the base in Mansi, the announcement said.

The Myanmar forces also captured two other Kachin outposts following a series of assaults since Jan. 13 that have included aerial and artillery bombardments, the Democratic Voice of Burma reported.

The fighting forced more than 200 local residents to flee to safety in nearby villages.

We withdrew our troops for three days, said Major John Aung, commanding officer of KIA battalion 12. They [the government army] had four to five battalions and attacked us for four or five days by aircraft.

Some military affairs observers in the border area said more skirmishes may be likely because the government army is increasing its troop numbers, according to Myanmar media reports.

Government soldiers have seized various KIA outposts and battalions in Kachin state in other clashes since then, resulting in an increase in the number of internal refugees and civilian deaths.

The KIA teamed up with three other ethnic armed groupsthe Arakan Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Taang National Liberation Armyto launch coordinated attacks on Nov. 20 on 10 government and military targets in and around Muse township in war-torn northern Shan state, about a three-hour car drive from Mansi.

The increased hostilities in both Kachin and Shan states have endangered an ongoing national peace process that the countrys de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has made a main goal of her civilian-led government that came to power last April.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Advocates for grocers, convenience stores, the state food bank network and the state Department of Public Health and Human Services spoke Wednesday in opposition to a bill that would prevent people who receive federal assistance to buy food from using those dollars to purchase energy drinks.

House Bill 153, carried by carried by Rep. Vince Ricci, R-Laurel, would direct the department to apply for a waiver to the USDA to prohibit the use of SNAP, or Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, dollars to buy energy drinks such as Red Bull. SNAP was formerly known as Food Stamps.

Ricci told the House Human Services Committee he doesnt believe energy drinks are nutritious food and that the SNAP program is intended to help people purchase nutritious food.

I think a healthy drink would be Muscle Milk, fruit juice or vegetable juice, Ricci said. My intent is to remove a non-nutritional product from the nutrition program.

Jamie Palagi, a division administrator at the Department of Public Health and Human Services, said that states that have attempted to get federal waivers to prohibit the purchase of soda with SNAP dollars have not been successful.

Our primary reasons for opposing this bill is its inefficient and would be a waste of taxpayer dollars simply because its not allowed, she said.

Others who spoke representing the non-alcoholic beverage industry, grocery stores and convenience stores said it would make their jobs more burdensome to have to determine what is not SNAP-eligible and put clerks in the position of having to correct customers on what they can purchase.

Some on the committee pointed out that apple juice can have almost as much sugar as energy drinks and coffee or some teas can have more caffeine.

Discussion between committee members grew slightly strained as Rep. Ellie Hill Smith, D-Missoula, said Ricci wanted to be the food police of the poor.

Ricci objected to the statement, saying All Im trying to say is  SNAP is for healthy foods, my argument is energy drinks are not a health food.

Committee chairman Rep. Kirk Wagoner, R-Montana City, reminded committee members to be civil after another exchange in which Rep. Jessica Karjala, D-Billings, questioned if Ricci was really looking out for families.

Karjala said that families who do not receive SNAP benefits make the same grocery choices as those who do.

A USDA report released in November found no major differences in the expenditure patterns of SNAP and non-SNAP households. About 40 cents of every dollar of food expenditures by SNAP households was spent on basic items such as meat, fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, and bread. Another 20 cents out of every dollar was spent on sweetened beverages, desserts, salty snacks, candy and sugar. The rest is spent on items such as cereal, prepared foods, dairy products, rice, and beans, according to the report.

Rep. Tom Burnett, R-Bozeman, spoke in support of the bill, saying that its been a pet peeve of his for a long time. He told the committee too much federal money is spent to buy unhealthy items.

Its time to make this program live up to his name, he said.

Past Legislatures have attempted to pass similar bills for several years, though all have been struck down.
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
An increasingly clear picture is emerging of Turkmenistans economic problems and their effects on its population, thanks to RFE/RLs Turkmen Service and sites like chrono-tm.org, habartm.org, and fergananews.com.

Joblessness is rising and many employed people aren't getting paid on time. There are shortages of basic goods and long lines as people wait to purchase rations of cooking oil, sugar, flour, meat, and other items.

But there are also other indicators of an ailing economy.

RFE/RL's Turkmen Service, known locally as Azatlyk, has reported on a suspected anthrax outbreak in the northern province of Dashoguz. People there say cattle are showing signs of the sickness.

Turkmen authorities have not said anything about it, but they almost never do, or would.

In areas of southern Kazakhstan, not adjacent to but not far from Turkmenistan, there have been officially reported cases of anthrax among cattle, and Turkmen authorities recently ordered the closure of their border with Kazakhstan. So its possible that is what is afflicting cattle in northern Turkmenistan.

Large areas of Central Asia are routinely given over to the herds, so such local outbreaks are recurrent and easily recognizable to locals.

In the case of Dashoguz, part of the problem seems to lie in the rising price of antianthrax vaccines, which is likely to have discouraged some herders from vaccinating their cattle.

Poultry is also dying off in some regions.

Azatlyk reports that some of the owners of those animals appear to be selling that meat along roadsides at half the cost of state stores. In some cases, livestock and poultry owners are hurriedly slaughtering their animals before they might show signs of disease.

Turkmenistan devalued its currency, the manat, by some 23 percent in early 2015 but has taken no further steps on the currency to complicate foreign trade. Additionally, Turkmen authorities have limited the amount of hard currency available not just to citizens but also to businesses. So purchasing vaccines, or medicines more broadly, has become much more expensive.

That makes it more difficult for Turkmenistans people to buy foreign-made products and for Turkmenistans government to stock up on potentially necessary items. Cuts have to made somewhere during hard economic times.

The government appears to have failed to purchase sufficient vaccines for Hepatitis A, for example. There was an outbreak of Hepatitis A in areas of Turkmenistan in November that mainly appeared to affect young schoolchildren.

In Dashoguz Province, not only did many children become ill with Hepatitis A, but some doctors misdiagnosed the symptoms. In at least two cases, doctors operated on children for appendicitis before learning the children had Hepatitis A, underscoring deficiencies in Turkmen health care.

Just after New Year's, a report said Russian company Vektor-Bi Algam would be sending vaccines for Hepatitis A.

While that is some consolation, the average citizen of Turkmenistan still faces financial problems buying medicines. Azatlyk reports that the price of medicine has roughly doubled since January 1.

Many medicines and vaccines are apparently unavailable at state pharmacies. Workers at private pharmacies in Turkmenistan, speaking on condition of anonymity, complain that nearly all medicines and vaccines are produced outside Turkmenistan, forcing those businesses into using black-market rates that heavily debase their manats.

It's a grim start to 2017, which President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has declared the Year Of Health in Turkmenistan.

With contributions from RFE/RL's Turkmen Service

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.
Rumors of DarthPutinKGB's death are greatly exaggerated.

DarthPutinKGB is not dead.

DarthPutinKGB has neither had a terrible "accident" nor has be been sent to the Twitter Gulag.

DarthPutinKGB is, in fact, alive and well and will rear his head again very, very soon.

Trust me.

How do I know? Well, I've been in contact with him. And the funny thing is he insisted on answering my questions in 140-character sentences.

The DarthPutinKGB Twitter feed, which has more than 85,000 followers, has been dormant since New Year's Day, when the popular Vladimir Putin impersonator tweeted: "Americans will celebrate New Year's Eve 2017 on Moscow Time."

DarthPutin's absence has even sparked fears about his safety. 

But not to worry, he's safe and sound -- and lurking in an undisclosed location.

And, oh, by the way, he says his security services have taken note of everybody's reaction to his absence.

"Those followers who worried about me have my thanks. I have noted the names of every person who did not express concern," he said.

Some have suggested that Twitter may have suspended the account like it temporarily did in May, and in the process sparked a wave of Twitter outrage.

But rest assured, this time DarthPutin's three-week absence is entirely voluntary.

And nearly three weeks of silence from the usually prolific tweeter has even grabbed headlines in the Russian media, which claimed the feed is a parody backed by the U.S. government -- and now the funding has dried up.

"They are parodies of media. That's why no one can tell them apart from us," DarthPutin said.

So where's he been? And what's he been doing?

Well, he says he "just decided to take a break" after the holidays.

"I also needed to find a guy called Christopher Steele and serve him sushi. Still working on that," he said, referring to the retired MI6 agent who reportedly produced a dossier claiming that the Russian government had gathered compromising materials on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

But he'll be back very soon. Really. He told me so.

And after all, if you can't trust the man who said you should never believe something until the Kremlin denies it, well, then whom can you believe?
A new citizens' alliance, Stop Operation Soros, was announced in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, on January 17. One its founders, Nikola Srbov, explained its purpose in a press conference.

"The Foundation Open Society, operating under the Soros umbrella, used its funding and personnel to support violent processes in Macedonia," he said. "It has monopolized the civil society sector, pushing out any organization which disagrees with the Soros ideology."

Another activist of Stop Operation Soros said that the main goal of the initiative will be the "de-Sorosization" of Macedonia.

What is behind this apparent upsurge of anti-Soros sentiment in Macedonia?

Nikola Gruevski, the head of the Macedonian ruling party (VMRO-DPMNE), also recently called for a "de-Sorosization" of Macedonian civil society. He said that the George Soros-funded Foundation Open Society Institute (FOOM) will not be prevented from operating in Macedonia but warned that he would not allow "foreign interests" to dominate the public sphere.

Gruevskis attacks on foreign NGOs are surprising, given that many of his closest political allies, VMRO-DPMNE party members, and supporters of his government have had close links with FOOM. Several, including Gjorge Ivanov, who is now president of Macedonia, lawmaker Ilija Dimovski, and Jovan Donev, Macedonia's ambassador to London, have served on FOOMs boards or in executive functions, while others have received scholarships and funding.

Yet in recent interviews and speeches, Gruevski has accused the NGOs and the opposition of trying to topple his government. The attacks on NGOs come in the wake of the December 11 general election in Macedonia, which his party -- in power since 2006 -- won with a reduced number of seats in parliament and which moves forward unsure of the continued support of its coalition partners. Gruevski is also under a cloud of suspicion related to the wiretapping scandal in which several members of VMRO-DPMNE and its business associates have been implicated.

"Gruevski sees Soros as the father of liberalism and a great threat to his authoritarian manner of running the country," Arsim Zekoli, a public relations expert told RFE/RLs Macedonian unit.

Probably unaware of these developments, Soros published an essay under headline Open Society Needs Defending, which resonates perfectly with events in Macedonia:

"I am an 86-year-old Hungarian Jew who became a U.S. citizen after the end of World War II. I learned at an early age how important it is what kind of political regime prevails. The formative experience of my life was the occupation of Hungary by Hitlers Germany in 1944."

Soros says that it is unlikely that he and his family would have survived if his father had not been prescient enough to arrange for false identities for all of them, and others.

After the war, he escaped from then-communist Hungary to England. As a student in London, he read the philosopher Karl Popper, under whose influence he developed his own philosophy:

"I distinguished between two kinds of political regimes: those in which people elected their leaders, who were then supposed to look after the interests of the electorate, and others where the rulers sought to manipulate their subjects to serve the rulers' interests. [] I called the first kind of society open, the second, closed."

Although he admits that the binary classification is "too simplistic," he still finds the distinction between open and closed societies useful and has dedicated his life to defending the former and actively opposing the latter. However, he feels that we have reached a critical moment, when open societies -- and the democratic institutions and civic organizations that sustain them -- are under threat everywhere:

"I find the current moment in history very painful. Open societies are in crisis, and various forms of closed societies -- from fascist dictatorships to mafia states -- are on the rise. How could this happen? The only explanation I can find is that elected leaders failed to meet voters' legitimate expectations and aspirations and that this failure led electorates to become disenchanted with the prevailing versions of democracy and capitalism. Quite simply, many people felt that the elites had stolen their democracy."

The disillusionment with what to many critics appears as sham democracy was clearly apparent in the recent antigovernment protests in Macedonia, a response to the wiretapping scandal and evidence of government corruption. Gruevski tried unsuccessfully to shut down the probe by the Prosecutor-General's Office, which only further enraged his opponents.

The recent scapegoating of foreign NGOs, and Soros in particular, appears designed to shift public attention to outside interference and consolidate his partys weakening hold on power.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.


The families of five missing Pakistani activists denounced what they called a "malicious" social media campaign accusing the men of blasphemy, a highly charged allegation that can have deadly consequences in Pakistan.

The five men had stood against religious intolerance and at times criticized Pakistan's military. They all vanished within days of each other earlier this month.

No group has claimed responsibility for their abduction and security agencies have denied involvement.

Meanwhile, the blasphemy accusations against the activists have been multiplying on Facebook and Twitter, triggering a flood of threats.

"This campaign can only be meant to divert public sympathy away from our plight and the plight of our loved ones, who have been illegally abducted," the families of Salman Haider and Waqass Goraya said at a press conference in Islamabad on January 18.

Haider, a leftist writer and professor, disappeared in early January along with liberal bloggers Goraya, Aasim Saeed, and Ahmed Raza Naseer, as well as Samar Abbas, the head of an antiextremism activist group in Karachi.

The missing activists have been accused of blasphemy not only in numerous online posts but also by at least three television commentators. One of the first blasphemy allegations appeared on January 9 on the pro-military Pakistan Defence page on Facebook. A site administrator said it was posted by an anonymous contributor.

Blasphemy is punishable by execution in Pakistan, and the allegations endanger the activists by making them and their families potential targets for vigilantes.

In 2011, a Pakistani governor, Salman Taseer, was assassinated by his bodyguard after calling for reform of the blasphemy laws. His killer was hailed as a hero by religious hard-liners, and tens of thousands of supporters attended his funeral after he was executed last year.

A group called Civil Society of Pakistan filed a police complaint over the weekend against the missing men, demanding that they be charged with insulting the Prophet Muhammad, a crime in Pakistan that carries a mandatory death sentence.

The society's chairman, Tariq Asad, said the organization filed the complaint in outrage after reading about the case.

"Every Pakistani has awareness of this issue and many have asked us to take this up," Asad told Reuters.

Both Pakistan Defence and Civil Society of Pakistan dismissed suggestions that they were part of a coordinated campaign.

Activists said that the blasphemy accusations against the five were worrying, and have filed a countersuit demanding that they be halted. They said the online campaigns are intended to silence progressive voices and are carefully coordinated.

The accusations have already prompted several liberal online commentators to close their social media accounts, activists said.

"The intensity of it is very worrying," Shahzad Ahmed, director of cybersecurity group Bytes for All, told the Reuters news agency.

"There is mainstream media, social media: the way it is being projected and repeated, the kind of force that they are using is unprecedented."

With reporting by AFP and Reuters


CHISINAU -- The political system in Moldova looks increasingly dysfunctional. And the big winner from that might end up being Russia.

More than two months after legislative elections in Moldova gave a narrow victory to parties favoring European-integration policies, the tiny country finally has a new government in place.

But the installation of a minority government -- even one that seems committed to the pro-European policies of the previous government -- is an ambiguous victory at best. Dependent for support on Moldova's notoriously fickle Communist Party, the new government could collapse at any time -- and that could trigger yet another national parliamentary election and further erode public enthusiasm for democracy.

And that would be good news for Moscow, which has actively sought to deflect Chisinau from its European-integration agenda and to draw it into the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union.

"What we have seen in recent years is a process similar to what happened in Russia under [President Boris] Yeltsin," says Vladimir Socor of the Jamestown Foundation. "The fact that his system was presented to the public as a democracy discredited the very concept of democracy in the eyes of many Russian voters."

He adds that the current situation in parliament "requires new combinations on a daily basis" to maintain "ad hoc majorities that can change rapidly and without warning."

Journalist Natalia Morari adopted a similar view in a recent blog post. "Our country is falling apart," she wrote on February 17. "More and more people are realizing this, and fewer attempts are being made to combat it."

Losing Majority

On February 18, Chiril Gaburici, a 38-year-old businessman with no political experience, was approved as the head of a minority government. Deputies from the two parties represented in the government, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party, needed the support of deputies from the Communist Party in order to get the necessary majority in parliament.

It was a patchwork solution after the three pro-Western parties were unable to come together to form a government that would have been backed by the parliamentary majority they control. In the end, one of those three parties, the Liberal Party, walked out of the talks and did not vote for the Gaburici government.

It remains unclear how the little-known Gaburici's name was thrown into the mix, but Communist leader Vladimir Voronin did say publicly in late January that the prime minister should be "a businessman" who will "serve the country and not be on his knees in front of the political parties." Other observers argue that a further mixing of business and politics is exactly what the notoriously corrupt Moldovan political system does not need.

Outgoing Prime Minister Iurie Leanca -- Moldova's most popular politician, whose bid to form another government was rejected by the Communists -- said he knew and respected Gaburici, but refused to vote for the minority government, saying a tactical alliance between the liberal parties and the communists cannot work.

"I am firmly convinced that a minority government will not be able to function because it will be entirely dependent on the position of Voronin," Leanca told RFE/RL. "They will only pass what he approves of."

'A Step Backward'

The necessity to court Voronin's support means -- at the very least -- the new government will have to take a slower, more piecemeal approach to European integration, as Voronin's electorate is largely pro-Russian and he cannot afford to lose more voters to the rival, and staunchly pro-Moscow, Socialist Party.

"This will create a brake that will appear whenever parliament must face key questions connected with reforms," says Anatol Tiranu, director of the Politicon analytical center in Chisinau.

In addition, Leanca "had relations and enjoyed credibility with European partners," Roman Chirca, director of Chisinau's Market Economy Institute, told the IPN website. "In comparison with the Leanca government, the Gaburici government is like a step backward."

The failure of Moldova's liberal parties -- which have controlled the government since 2009 -- to present a united front in support of their European-integration agenda continues to present an opening for pro-Russia parties. The openly pro-Russia Socialist Party is the single largest party in parliament, with 25 mandates. The pro-Moscow Patria party was barred from participating in the November elections, but continues to be a political force and hopes to gain ground in upcoming local polls.

Storm Clouds On The Horizon

Analyst Socor sees "two massive dangers" looming for Moldova in the current situation. "[First,] an even more dramatic comeback by the Socialist Party in the local elections that could take place in July, although there is a proposal to postpone them until September," he says. "I also fear the resurgence at the local elections of [Patria, led by businessman] Renato Usatii. That part is a foreign project, a Russian project that runs counter to Moldova's national interests and security."

"The second great danger: snap parliamentary elections," he adds.

Berlin-based political analyst Anneli Ute Gabanyi says that after the two months of bruising negotiations needed to produce the new government, "the image of Moldova's politicians is quite deplorable."

Even if the minority government is able to survive this year and get through the local elections, the parliament will have to elect a new president in 2016 -- a feat that requires 61 of 101 votes and that is a perennial problem for Moldova's deeply divided legislature. Failure to elect a president would also trigger early elections.

Socor says that Moldova's problems are not just a divided electorate, but a "collapsed institutional system." The country has held four parliamentary elections -- including two snap elections -- since April 2009. "The system itself does not work," he says. "And the attempt to describe this system as democratic and pro-European discredits the terms 'democratic' and 'European' in the eyes of many Moldovans.

In the village of Sadova, about 30 kilometers northwest of Chisinau, locals are skeptical and disheartened. "Now we cannot trust anybody," one man told RFE/RL on February 18. "Only in God. In the villages, people have no work. Now people will start breaking into houses to steal."

"I have the feeling that our Moldova is sinking into the mud completely," added another.
KYIV -- When a mocha-colored food truck appeared on a downtown street here last year, it looked like something that would be better placed in the foodie havens of Portland or Brooklyn. Much of its menu was in English, but what stuck out most was the logo: a caricature of U.S. President Barack Obama, sporting that wide smile and those big ears recognizable the world over.

It's the Obama Burger Truck. And it's the creation of 25-year-old entrepreneur Pavlo Oliynik, who says he's not really into politics and doesn't have a strong opinion about the American president's time in office.

"The name of truck, Obama, was picked just to let people know that we have American cuisine and that's it," he told me in English as a thick beef patty, crispy bacon, an egg, and a fresh bun coated with melting cheese -- the key ingredients of his signature Obama Burger -- sizzled on the griddle behind him. "Obama is just, like, the simplest association with the U.S."

Something odd happened in Ukraine during Obama's presidency: his name and likeness emerged as a marketing ploy to peddle consumables and other light fare. Oliynik's is not even the only "Obama burger." A restaurant in the eastern city of Mariupol, near the front line of Ukraine's simmering conflict with Russia-backed separatists, also offers one. There are Obama nesting dolls on offer at tourist-friendly markets throughout the Ukrainian capital. And borrowing from Obama's autobiography and iconic "Hope" campaign poster, a brewery in the western city of Lviv bottles an Obama Hope Stout.

Such gimmicks are frequently tainted by racism seemingly fueled by the high degree of ethnic homogeneity in Slav-dominated Ukraine, whether in the dark tones of the beer or the black buns of the burgers in Mariupol.

Still, the United States' first black president is generally well-liked in Ukraine, although the praise is not unreserved.

"His self-irony and self-criticism are impressive -- perhaps they're just a [mark of] high political culture that is not yet prevalent here in Ukraine," Rostislav Sosnovyy, who is from Bakhmut in the war-torn east, said of Obama. When it comes to supporting Ukraine, however, "I find it difficult to assess what was in his power, and the consequences of these actions."

"Strong allies are important and necessary, and any support is helpful," Sosnovyy said.

Some attack Obama for what they say has been Washington's failure to provide Ukraine with security assurances stemming from the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, under which a newly independent Ukraine surrendered its former Soviet nuclear arsenal.

But whatever the specific grievances, Ukrainian dissatisfaction with the Obama administration has been fueled in part by the cautious Western responses to Russia's invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014, as well as the separatist conflict that prevents Kyiv from reasserting control over parts of Luhansk and Donetsk.

"Unfortunately, we cannot say that [Ukraine] had U.S. President Barack Obama's strong support," Foreign Policy Research Institute Director Hryhoriy Perepelitsya told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service in a recent interview.

Perepelitsya complained that Obama "distanced himself from the Ukrainian problems and, in fact, passed the initiative to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian conflict...to the Europeans, as he believes that it is a case for Europe and Russia, not America."

[Obama] never supplied lethal weapons to our country, but he managed to impose sanctions against Russia and against Vladimir Putin's cronies ... That's probably been stronger than any military assistance, actually."

Many Ukrainians shrug at the level and quality of U.S. assistance over the past three years and complain that Obama did not visit their country -- as presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton did before him -- to deliver a strong message to Moscow that Washington has Kyiv's back.

That was unlikely under the calculus Obama described to The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg for the article The Obama Doctrine. In it, the U.S. president stated plainly, "The fact is that Ukraine, which is a non-NATO country, is going to be vulnerable to military domination by Russia no matter what we do."

Many Ukrainians would have liked to see the United States provide Ukraine with lethal military aid -- especially early on in a conflict that has now killed more than 9,750 people -- to bolster their defenses against a more powerful Russia.

One of the counterarguments, voiced in Kyiv and elsewhere by opponents of such arms supplies, is that delivering weapons to Ukraine would escalate tensions with Russia and spark more pitched battles like those in 2014, at the height of the war.

There has been support from Obama, though. Since the Ukraine crisis erupted into violence in early 2014, the United States has committed more than $1.3 billion in foreign assistance to Kyiv for crucial political and economic reforms, as well as training and equipment for the country's armed forces.

"Unfortunately, we cannot say that [Ukraine] had U.S. President Barack Obama's strong support."

And in March 2014, Obama targeted Russia with sanctions over its seizure of Crimea and its backing of pro-Moscow separatists in Ukraine's east.

One of Obama's last acts in the White House was the extension, on January 13, of all U.S. sanctions against Russia through March 2018 -- a move that appeared designed to make it harder for incoming U.S. President Donald Trump to roll them back after his January 20 inauguration.

Political consultant and Kerch native Taras Berezovets talked recently about the importance of the outgoing U.S. administration's efforts in Ukraine between sips of the hefty, 8-percent-alcohol Obama Hope Stout at the Pravda beer pub on Khreshchatyk Street, Kyiv's main drag.

"He never supplied lethal weapons to our country, but he managed to impose sanctions against Russia and against [Russian President] Vladimir Putin's cronies within a week after they began their military offense in Crimea," Berezovets said. "Those sanctions have been devastating for the economic situation in Russia. That's probably been stronger than any military assistance, actually."

He also cited U.S. financial aid and training for Ukraine's national police force as a major show of support. "It happened because of Obama's vision," he said.

No one knows how much support Ukraine can expect from the Trump administration.

But Kyiv -- perhaps spurred by the U.S. president-elect's suggestion that he might consider recognizing Crimea as Russian territory and his admiring remarks about Putin -- has not waited around idly to find out.

Burned by some senior Ukrainian functionaries' public disparagement of Trump and support for his Democratic opponent, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during the campaign, the government in Kyiv has warned officials to scrub their social-media accounts of posts critical of Trump.

President Petro Poroshenko's administration also hired a lobbying firm in Washington to help cozy up to Trump's team.

But not everyone in Kyiv cares about wooing the new U.S. administration.

Back at the Obama Burger Truck, Oliynik, who usually steers clear of political talk, said customers have been asking whether he will begin to offer a Trump burger anytime soon. Some even offered suggestions for how to dress the burger, including topping it with a bun resembling the president-elect's famous coiffure.

But Oliynik said there are no plans for a burger named after one of America's most widely copyrighted names, and he is not having any of it.

"We wrote on the window [of our food trailer] that jokes about Trump are not funny," he said.
12 This image of wild horses is one of Shapiev's most popular images on Instagram. "It was taken near the border with Georgia. We had to ask the border guards' permission to go down there," he says. "It was bright sunlight and the wind was playing on the water. Then I saw these horses."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a visit to the small Balkan state of Slovenia amid tensions between Moscow and the West over the Kremlins role in Ukraine.

Slovenia, an EU and NATO member, has maintained friendly relations with Moscow even as it joined EU sanctions against Russia for its support of pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine and its annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

Slovenia has described Putin's one-day visit as strictly informal, but said his talks with officials would also focus on economic and bilateral issues.

But EU diplomats told Reuters that they fear Russia is lobbying friendly European states, including Slovenia, to erode the bloc's unity on sanctions against Moscow.



"Russia is constantly trying to find a way around the sanctions, targeting countries it thinks are softer. They are trying to kill the sanctions with a soft approach," one of the diplomats said.



The diplomats said Italy, Greece, Hungary, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Bulgaria were among Russia's main targets.

Putin on July 30 attended the centenary commemoration of a chapel in the Julian Alps that was erected in honor of over 100 Russian and other World War I prisoners of war who died in an avalanche while building a mountain road for the Austrian army in 1915.

At the small, Orthodox-style wooden church, Putin said Russia was ready to help strengthen security in Europe and the world.

"So that we not only remember the horrors of war, but together work on strengthening mutual understanding, trust and security in Europe and the world," he said as hundreds looked on, including Slovenian President Borut Pahor.

Earlier, Pahor had told Russia's TASS news agency that Putin's visit was a chance to pay respect to the traditional friendship of Slovenia and Russia, despite some differences in the two countries' relations over their positions on certain pressing issues,

The tight security for Putin's visit included closing the country's main highway to Austria, which caused huge traffic backups.



Putin's trip has angered Ukrainians living in Slovenia, who protested on July 30 in front of the Russian embassy in the capital, Ljubljana. Dozens of protesters held banners reading "Putin is a Terrorist" and chanted "Long live Ukraine!"

Before Putins arrival, Ukraine's ambassador to Slovenia, Mykhailo Brodovych, said the Russian presidents visit was "negative."

"These commemorative events are just a pretext for Putin to demonstrate that he is normally accepted in the country that is a member of the EU and NATO," Brodovych wrote on his webpage.

While in Slovenia, Putin was also due to unveil a memorial to Russian soldiers who died during World War II at the main cemetery in Ljubljana.

The Russian president is expected to meet with top Slovenian officials during his visit.

Slovenia, a country of 2 million people, became independent from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. It joined NATO and the EU in 2004.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and Interfax








Turkmenistan is apparently having enormous economic problems. The country's system is so opaque that it is always difficult to know much about what is going on there. But the recent decision to scrap the two entities that were overseeing the oil and gas sector and to restructure the management of that industry give the impression that the authorities in Ashgabat are getting desperate.

The hydrocarbon sector, particularly natural gas, is critical not only to Turkmenistan's economy but to its authoritarian political system also. There have been large-scale layoffs in the sector this year.

What does the restructuring mean for Turkmenistan, a country with the fourth-largest gas reserves in the world, and why were changes necessary? How bad is the situation in the country's hydrocarbon sector? And is there a way out of this for Turkmenistan?

Those were some of the questions discussed at a Majlis, a panel, organized by RFE/RL's Turkmen Service, known locally as Azatlyk.

Muhammad Tahir, soon to be RFE/RL's Washington-based media relations manager on Asian affairs, moderated the panel. Participating from Baku, where he was attending a conference, was legendary energy expert John Roberts, a resident senior fellow at Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center and Global Energy Center at the Atlantic Council. From Scotland, our extremely knowledgeable friend Dr. Luca Anceschi, professor of Central Asian Studies at Glasgow University, took part in the Majlis again. I would have been happy to sit back and just listen to those two but I need to earn my paycheck, so I said a few things.

Roberts started the talk by going to the heart of the matter, noting, "The only real source of income that Turkmenistan has is from gas." Anceschi followed that up by saying Turkmenistan has "essentially a mono-resource economy."

So the need for restructuring of the gas and oil industry, the major provider of revenue for the country, sends a signal that there are some serious concerns within Turkmenistan.

'Deck Chairs On The Titanic'

President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov issued a decree on July 15 that abolished the Oil and Gas Ministry and the State Agency on Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources. The latter was the more important entity, being subordinate to the president's office.

But it is not clear what purpose the restructuring serves. Anceschi said the changes "probably won't affect [Turkmenistan's hydrocarbon industry] in any significant way." Roberts said, "I think you'll probably find that this is no more than moving the chairs around as the Titanic sinks. There isn't any real rational understanding."

The decree divided the state oil company, Turkmennebit, and the state gas company, Turkmengaz. It made them, as "legal successors" to the state agency, separate entities, vaguely under the control of the Cabinet of Ministers. But the decree also says "relevant work on international oil and gas projects [is] entrusted to the State Concern Turkmengaz."

Roberts explained Turkmengaz has the greater experience and has proven "in relative Turkmen terms" to be an efficient organization. This contrasts with recent problems at Turkmennebit. A multimillion dollar embezzlement scandal was recently uncovered at Turkmennebit and in late June there were reports that a reservoir tank at the Turkmenbashi oil refinery caught fire, killing at least several people less than two weeks after a new fire-fighting facility was commissioned at the refinery.

The basic functions of the former Oil and Gas Ministry now fall to the Cabinet of Ministers, specifically to Deputy Prime Minister Yashgeldy Kakaev, a veteran of Turkmenistan's gas sector. Anceschi recalled that, among the regular purges that occur in all sectors of the government and key industries, "Kakaev survived, [and] is still the man in charge of TAPI (The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline), is still the man in charge of many other projects, so it seems to me that we can consider him now the most powerful figure in the gas industry."

'Impossible Job'

Roberts said of Kakaev: "He thinks very carefully before he says anything and he is actually occasionally open to new ideas. It might be quite interesting now that he is no longer, as it were, one of the top two people, but is the undisputed person."

But Roberts cautioned, "[Kakaev] has got the most impossible job you could have in energy on his plate right now, which is mainly trying to find how Turkmenistan can break out of its energy isolation at a time when it has no cash and when international interest in Turkmenistan is probably at an all-time low."

Anceschi gave an example of what Kakaev has to deal with by noting, "revenues are actually decreasing quite drastically, whereas the amount of gas that they are selling is pretty much stable."

So barring the appearance of new gas customers, it seems there is little Kakaev, or the changes in the gas and oil industry, can do to stop Turkmenistan's economic decline.

The panel agreed that new ideas and policy changes are needed. Roberts pointed out that Turkmenistan's mentality toward gas sales needs to change.

"The Turkmen for two decades...kept wanting to think big, 30 [billion cubic meters] to India, Pakistan, and India, 30 bcm or maybe more, maybe 40 or 50, to Europe."

Roberts said Azerbaijan has approached Turkmenistan at least four times in the last two years to discuss sending "5 bcm, maybe as much as 10 bcm" but Turkmenistan appears to have shown little, if any, interest in the plan. The Turkmen government, Roberts said, "never understood that if things go bad, you need to think small."

Onshore Vs. Offshore

The subject of onshore contracts came up several times during the discussion.

Many large foreign companies have shown interest in investing in Turkmenistan but only if they could get rights to develop sites on the Turkmen mainland and share in the profits.

The Turkmen government has been loath to give any contracts to develop sites on its territory, but is less concerned at signing deals with foreign companies for exploration and development at Turkmenistan's offshore sites in the Caspian Sea. The sole exception is the China National Petroleum Corporation that works a gas field on the right bank of the Amu-Darya River.

Anceschi said, "Obstructing the entry of foreign actors to onshore development is no longer sustainable."

This would prove problematic for the isolationist Turkmen government, which obsessively controls its onshore sites and, more importantly, the opaque bookkeeping for the revenues.

Roberts suggested that granting onshore contracts might now be Turkmenistan's last hope for turning its unfortunate economic situation around, and at this point even that might not be enough.

"It's probably far too late, but should a major international company come to [President Berdymukhammedov's] attention with a suggestion for a combination of construction of a major external pipeline in exchange for a direct stake in the upstream sector, he should look very carefully and change, if necessary, whatever regulations would prohibit such an arrangement."

The panel discussed these topics in more detail and looked at other issues connected to Turkmenistan's gas and oil industry. And audio recording of the Majlis session can be heard here:

Listen to or download the Majlis podcast above or subscribe to Majlis on iTunes.
Two of the three bills heard on the Senate floor Wednesday that would change rape laws in Montana sailed through with unanimous votes, but one that would lessen the penalties in so-called Romeo and Juliet cases received some pushback on its way to passage.

Senate Bill 22, carried by Sen. Sue Malek, D-Missoula, and Senate Bill 29, carried by Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, both at the request of the Law and Justice Interim Committee, passed without any opposition, 48-0.

SB 22 would allow for a civil proceeding to terminate the parental rights of a rapist if a judge finds convincing evidence. SB 29 would revise the definition of consent to remove the requirement of force when determining if a rape occurred, among other changes.

The Senate heard more pushback on Senate Bill 26, also carried by Malek at the request of the interim committee. The body passed the bill through second reading 36-12. Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, said he worried the bill, which would lessen potential penalties for nonviolent sexual assault without consent conviction between teens ages 14-18, would be in conflict with state law that says teens under the age of 16 cannot consent.

Sen. Jedediah Hinkle, R-Belgrade, also questioned if children under the age of 16 were mature enough to understand sexual acts and give consent.

If the bills pass third reading they will move onto the House. Several other interim committee bills addressing rape laws are making their way through the House and Senate as well.
The Russian Constitutional Court has declared that Moscow has no obligation to comply with a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling that it pay nearly 1.9 billion euros ($2 billion) to shareholders of the defunct oil company Yukos.

Court Chairman Valery Zorkin pronounced the decision on January 19, saying that the Strasbourg court's judgments "cannot overrule the [Russian] constitutions priority in the Russian judicial system" and that the ECHR ruling violated the human rights of Russian citizens.

The court said the ECHR ruling violated Russia's constitution by seeking to force the Russian government to pay a large amount money that should instead be spent on domestic Russian needs.

Once Russias largest oil company, Yukos was broken up and sold at auction after CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky was arrested on financial crimes charges in 2003.

Khodorkovsky, who spent 10 years in prison, says his arrest and the breakup of Yukos were aimed at punishing him for challenging President Vladimir Putin and handing the company's assets to the state.

The former shareholders say the dismantling of Yukos was illegal and politically motivated and sued Russia in 2004, seeking $98 billion in compensation.

In 2015, Russia adopted a law saying that its constitution supersedes ECHR rulings.

Daniel Holtgen, spokesman for the secretary-general of the Council of Europe, called the Russian court's decision a "matter of concern" and said that the council's member states, which include Russia, "are bound by the European Convention on Human Rights to implement decisions of the Strasbourg Court."

With reporting by AP, dpa, Interfax, TASS and RIA
Russian authorities warned that they could retaliate against U.S.-based media and social networks if state-backed Russian channel RT's access to social networks is restricted, a threat that came amid what the network called a "war" targeting its digital reach.

The January 19 warning from the state communications oversight agency, Roskomnadzor, came after RT said it had been "blocked from posting content to its Facebook page" until late on January 21, a time period that it emphasized includes U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

RT suggested that Current Time TV, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, was at least partly to blame.

Current Time denied any involvement.

Facebook said later on January 19 that RT's access had been fully restored and said it was entirely inaccurate to suggest the temporary block was linked in any way to outside factors or events.

"We are looking into the reasons behind the temporary block," a Facebook spokesperson told RFE/RL in an e-mailed statement. RT said that the "as yet unexplained blackout" lasted about 20 hours.

In the warning a few hours earlier, Roskomnadzor chief Aleksandr Zharov said that "if the unprecedented pressure put on RT by American media and social networks leads to restrictions on the work of the Russian TV channel, we will have to take active measures in response."

"Many American media outlets work in Russia, including television channels, [and their] rights and responsibilities are equal to those of other media outlets," Russian state news agency RIA quoted Zharov as saying. He did not mention any specifics.

'This Is War'

The Facebook blockage coincided with claims by RT that it had received an inquiry from YouTube asking if the network or any of its employees were under sanctions, and that a U.S.-based web analytics company, Dataminr, had terminated its contract with RT without explanation.

The claims by the network come amid heightened scrutiny of RTs role in the American political landscape after U.S. intelligence this month accused it of serving as a pillar of a Kremlin campaign to meddle in the November 8 presidential election.

Both the Kremlin and RT have dismissed the allegations, including that the alleged interference was aimed at helping President-elect Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton in the election, as ludicrous.

U.S. officials have accused the network, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has said should try "to break the Anglo-Saxon monopoly on the global information streams," of being little more than a Kremlin propaganda arm, a charge RT rejects.

Responding to YouTube's alleged inquiry concerning sanctions, RT Editor in Chief Margarita Simonyan wrote on Twitter: "This is war."

Simonyan is also the editor in chief of Russia's state media behemoth Rossiya Segodnya. The media holding's director, prominent television anchor Dmitry Kiselyov, was among numerous Russian officials sanctioned by the EU in response to Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula.

The EU sanctions largely mirror those imposed by the United States, though Washington has not slapped Kiselyov or RT employees with the visa bans and asset freezes mandated by the sanctions.

Neither YouTube nor Dataminr immediately responded to requests for comment on January 19.

Facebook Furor

RT said that a "misplaced live streaming rights strike" during its broadcast of President Barack Obama's final news conference on January 18 appeared to have "triggered the ban" on elements of its Facebook page, suggesting it believes it was wrongly accused of copyright violations.

In a report on its website, it added that Simonyan "said she wasn't surprised that RT had been blocked from posting on Facebook following a complaint from Current Time TV."

Current Time said it was not involved in any way.

"Our channel did not file any complaints regarding RT's transmission of the Obama press conference," said Current Time's acting director, Daisy Sindelar. "The blocking of RT is not the result of any action on our part."

Responding to a question from RT about the issue during a regular news briefing on January 19, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged the channel to make a detailed appeal to international free-speech protection groups and also seek "official responses from organizations that blocked...broadcasts."

Zakharova said that Russia "regularly encounters attempts to use technical pretexts to block not only the TV channel RT but other Russian media outlets as well," alleging that "all methods are used -- from censorship without explanation to thought-up reasons," state news agency TASS reported.

The RT report referred to Current Time as "a part of Radio Liberty, financed by the U.S. Department of State."

RFE/RL is an independent corporation funded by the U.S. Congress. The U.S. government is not involved in its operational or editorial decisions.

With reporting by Carl Schreck in Washington
Turkish authorities have arrested two suspects, including a police officer, in connection with the assassination of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov.

A court in Ankara ordered the arrest on January 19 of two suspects, police officer Sercan Baser and vendor Enes Asm Silin.



Two other suspects were ordered not to leave the city while investigations are under way.

Karlov was shot dead on December 19 at a photo exhibition in Ankara by Mevlut Altintas, an off-duty policeman who shouted "Don't forget Aleppo" and other words that seemed to refer to Russia's involvement in the Syrian civil war.

Russia and Turkey have backed opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, but their ties have improved substantially after being badly strained when Turkey shot down a Russian warplane along the Turkey-Syria border in November 2015.

They are now jointly supporting peace talks set to start on January 23 in Kazakhstan, and Russia said that they carried out joint air strikes against Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria for the first time on January 18.

Based on reporting by Hurriyet, Anadolu, and Yeni Safak
VIDEO REPORTS

What do we mean by the post-Cold War liberal international order?

Some parents in Moscow have protested a new textbook being used as part of the national school ethics curriculum, claiming it propagates Russian Orthodox Christian teachings.

A protest by oil workers in western Kazakhstan against the closure of a confederation of independent trade unions is growing in magnitude as it approaches the end of its second week.

Tajikistan's president has appointed his eldest son as mayor of the country's capital, Dushanbe.

OTHER NEWS

U.S. President Barack Obama said sanctions imposed on Russia for annexing Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula should not be linked to discussions of reducing nuclear arsenals, but should remain in place until Moscow reverses course on Ukraine.

President-elect Donald Trump's pick for United Nations ambassador said during her confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate on January 18 that Moscow cannot be trusted, but added that Washington will need the Kremlin's cooperation on counterterrorism efforts and other challenges.

The Russian Constitutional Court has declared that Moscow has no obligation to comply with a European Court of Human Rights ruling that it pay nearly 1.9 billion euros ($2 billion) to shareholders of the defunct oil company Yukos.

Russia says it conducted its first joint air strikes with Turkey against Islamic State targets in Syria on January 18, operations signaling improved ties between the two nations that back opposing sides in the Syria conflict.

Turkish authorities have arrested two suspects, including a police officer, in connection with the assassination of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov.

The Russian nongovernmental election monitoring organization Golos (Voice) has received the 2017 international Democracy Defender Award from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The first deputy chairman of Ukraines Parliament has quoted figures from Russias Foreign Ministry indicating that 170,000 Ukrainians received Russian citizenship in the wake of Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014. (in Russian, Current Time TV)

Bosnian Serb nationalist leader Milorad Dodik has dismissed U.S. sanctions imposed against him, and called on Bosnia-Herzegovinas government to declare the U.S. ambassador persona non grata.

Turkish police on January 18 rounded up 27 people mostly from Central Asia, who they said were linked to an Uzbek man suspected of carrying out a New Years Eve attack at a nightclub in Istanbul.

The office of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's son has been moved to the former presidential headquarters in the Central Asian nation, stoking speculation that Rustam Emomali will be tapped to succeed his father.

A recent poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, triggered by new legislation in the Duma, has found that 33 percent of respondents are aware of domestic violence in the families of their friends; 10 percent personally experienced violence in their own family; and 19 percent condone the use of physical force against their spouses and children. (in Russian, Current Time TV)

RFE/RLs investigative program Schemes has found that dozens of unoccupied historic buildings in Ukraines capital Kyiv have passed into the hands of private owners who have no interest in the buildings architectural or historical value, but aim instead to sell or develop them as commercial properties. (Ukrainian Service)
Authorities in the Russian city of St. Petersburg have arrested a Tajik national on extremism charges.

A spokeswoman for the Kirov District Court said on January 19 that Farhod Nurmatov, who is suspected of being a member of the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir organization, was sent to two-month pretrial detention.

A total of nine people linked to Hizb ut-Tahrir have been arrested and brought to trial in St. Petersburg since 2014. Most of them have been sentenced to long prison terms.

Six more alleged members of the group were arrested in November.

Russia's Supreme Court banned Hizb ut-Tahrir in 2003, designating it a terrorist organization.

The London-based Sunni political organization is also banned across Central Asia.

Hizb ut-Tahrir seeks to unite all Muslim countries into an Islamic caliphate but says its methods for reaching that goal are peaceful.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax
ON MY MIND

In a piece featured below, Olga Oliker of the Center for Strategic and International Studies raises an interesting and relevant question: Will Russia continue to play the role of international spoiler after Donald Trump becomes the U.S. president tomorrow?

On one hand, it is hard to imagine Moscow abandoning this strategy when it appears to be yielding dividends.

But on the other, continuing it risks upsetting a possible new reset and turning Trump into an adversary -- one much less predictable than his predecessor.

Likewise, another thing to watch -- especially as Russia enters a new political season culminating with the March 2018 presidential election -- is what effect the Trump presidency will have on domestic politics?

Anti-Americanism has been a staple in Russia's political discourse and such a source of legitimacy for Vladimir Putin's regime for so long that abandoning it will leave a gaping hole that will need to be filled with something.

IN THE NEWS

In her Senate confirmation hearing, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for United Nations ambassador, sharply criticized Russia saying Moscow cannot be trusted. She added that Washington will nonetheless need the Kremlin's cooperation on counterterrorism efforts and other challenges.

U.S. President Barack Obama said sanctions imposed on Russia for annexing Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula should not be linked to discussions on reducing nuclear arsenals, saying instead that the sanctions should remain in place until Moscow reverses course on Ukraine.

In his final major speech in office, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said that Russia poses the biggest threat to the "liberal international order" and warned that "further" Russian attempts to meddle in Western elections should be expected.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is expressing confidence that Donald Trump will support Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression despite his desire to mend ties with Moscow.

Russia says it has conducted its first joint air strikes with Turkey against Islamic State targets in Syria, operations signaling the improving ties between the two nations that back opposing sides in the Syria conflict.

A Russian computer programmer who was accused of conducting illegal missionary work after giving a lecture on yoga has been cleared of the charges by a court in St. Petersburg.

Russian authorities have launched a fresh investigation targeting a former teacher in the country's western region of Oryol who was convicted of inciting ethnic hatred and sacked from his job for writing a pro-Ukraine poem.

A Russian nongovernmental election monitoring organization called the Golos movement has received the 2017 international Democracy Defender Award from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Ukrainian lawmaker Nadia Savchenko has caused controversy by suggesting that Kyiv must accept Moscow's grip on Crimea for the time being if it wants to regain control over eastern territory held by Russia-backed separatists.

WHAT I'M READING

Today's Must Read: Molly McKew On Why Russia Is Winning

In a piece in Politico, Molly McKew, a former adviser to the Georgian and Moldovan governments, dissects Moscow's strategy of undermining the United States and the American response, arguing that "Russia is already winning."

"What's happening isn't about hacking, or cybersecurity, or fake news. It isnt about BuzzFeed, or everyones new favorite buzzword, kompromat. In the most important sense, it isnt really even about Donald Trump. The leaders in the Kremlin dont care about any individual American winning or losing. They care about America as a nation losing," McKew writes.

"On the fields of this new hybrid war, few want to accept that Russia is already winning. The Kremlins campaign of disruption has succeeded in deepening divides in our society, tarnishing a considerable cross-section of our leadership, eroding faith in our institutions and propelling Russia to the center of our political life.

"It has helped turn us against each other and our allies, and made us distrust the very tools and institutions that can give us clarity on the threats we face. Russia has won a series of small but cascading victories against us, the cumulative effect of which is absolutely crushing."

Decoding Putin

In The Atlantic, Julia Ioffe decodes Putin's recent press conference and claims the Kremlin leader is trying "to claim the role of senior partner in [the] relationship with the U.S."

Power's Speech

In Vox, Zack Beauchamp evaluates the recent speech by Samantha Power, the outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, in which she diagnosed the threat from Russia.

Let's Make A Deal

In Republic.ru, Moscow-based foreign affairs analyst Vladimir Frolov explains why Trump's suggestion that sanctions be eased in exchange for a lifting of sanctions is both welcome and unwelcome in the Kremlin.

The Spoiler's New Game

Olga Oliker of the Center for Strategic and International Studies has an insightful piece asking: Will Russia continue to play the role of spoiler?

The Pros And Cons Of Putin's Populism

Alexander Baunov has a longish piece on the Moscow Carnegie Center website looking at the Putin regime's alternative use and abandonment of populism.

Foreign Policy Improv

Mark Galeotti of the Institute for International Relations in Prague has a piece in BNEIntellinews on Russia's ad hoc foreign policy.

The Money Trail

It appears the FBI and other U.S. law-enforcement agencies are also investigating a potential Russia-Trump money trail.

On Their Own?

Alexandra Hall Hall, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and former U.K. Ambassador to Georgia, argues that "it is time for all countries affected by Russia's hostile activities to be more proactive in defending their interests --without relying on US leadership".

Trouble In Russia's Military

Moskovsky Komsomolets has a report on how Russian soldiers who served in hot spots in the 1990s are now being asked to return their supplemental combat pay. Paul Goble, who flagged the story, has a good write-up about the issue on his blog, Window On Eurasia.

Fake News In Ancient Rome

Izabella Kaminska of The Financial Times has an interesting piece on a "lesson in fake news from the info-wars of ancient Rome." The piece looks at how "Octavians strong but fabricated narrative helped him defeat Mark Antony"
WASHINGTON -- With hundreds of thousands descending on Washington to celebrate -- and protest -- Donald Trumps presidential inauguration, the U.S. capital is bracing for a ceremony whose pomp has been overshadowed by extraordinary tensions.

A day before Trump formally takes the oath of office, workers on January 19 continued ringing the central district surrounding the National Mall with long walls of 4.5-meter-high chain-link fencing and concrete vehicle barriers.

Sand-filled dump trucks could be seen parked on some city streets, to serve as additional security barricades.



During the day, pounding rock music echoed across the mall from a soundstage outside the Lincoln Memorial as technicians tested equipment ahead of a January 19 evening concert where Trump was expected to speak briefly.



After arriving in Washington on a military plane at midday, the Republican president-elect and other dignitaries attended a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Ceremony, where many of the U.S. war dead are buried, across the Potomac River.

Trump pledged both to bring "real change" to Washington and to unify the deeply divided county in brief remarks to thousands of supporters after attending the concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

"We're going to unify our country," Trump said. "We're going to do things that haven't been done for our country for many, many decades. ... It's going to change, I promise you."

On January 20, Trump will take the oath of office in a ceremony held in its traditional location on a stage erected on the west side of the U.S. Capitol. Following a luncheon, he and family members are expected to participate in a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue directly to the White House.

"I can tell you it will be a humbling and moving day for the president-elect and his family," Vice President-elect Mike Pence told reporters in Washington on January 19. "We are all ready to go to work for the American people."



Officials said as many as 900,000 people could cram into Washington for the ceremony, and the departing secretary of homeland security said police would be aiming to separate Trump supporters from protesters to avoid clashes.



"The concern is some of these groups are pro-Trump, some of them are con-Trump, and they may not play well together in the same space," Jeh Johnson told MSNBC.

Profile: Donald Trump, America's Next President

At least three different protest marches are planned over the weekend, with the largest, called the Womens March on Washington, scheduled for January 21. At least one pro-Trump demonstration, organized by a group of motorcyclists, is planned for January 20.

After a bitter and divisive electoral campaign, Trump enters the White House with some of the lowest public approval ratings of any president in 25 years.



A Gallup poll released on January 13 showed that a clear majority of Americans disapprove of Trump -- the lowest rating of an incoming president since Bill Clinton took office in 1992, when Gallup began polling the White House transition.



Confirmation hearings for Trumps cabinet nominees this week have been marked by often testy questions from lawmakers, particularly Democrats, amid concerns about the nominees qualifications and potential conflicts of interests.



Those concerns prompted a rebuke from Trump spokesman Sean Spicer, who singled out the man who is now one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.



"Its about partisan attacks and ethical questions. ... Their quality and integrity is unquestionable," Spicer told reporters.



Spicer also suggested Trump could issue executive orders immediately after -- or within days of -- taking office on some of his signature issues: immigration, job creation, and manufacturing.



Executive orders are essentially constitutionally legal decrees that dont need approval from Congress, a tool that President Barack Obama has used liberally in his final years in office as a way to circumvent Republican opposition.



"You see a president who is committed to uniting this country," Spicer said.



Trump, meanwhile, raised eyebrows again this week when he proposed holding more military parades in Washington and New York.



"Being a great president has to do with a lot of things, but one of them is being a great cheerleader for the country," Trump said in an interview with The Washington Post published this week. "And were going to show the people as we build up our military, were going to display our military."



"That military may come marching down Pennsylvania Avenue. That military may be flying over New York City and Washington, D.C., for parades. I mean, were going to be showing our military," he was quoted as saying.

With reporting by AP and AFP
Turkish police on January 18 rounded up 27 people mostly from Central Asia, who they said were linked to an Uzbek man suspected of killing 39 people at a New Year's party in an Istanbul nightclub.

The state news agency Anadolu said Turkish antiterrorism squads raided seven addresses in the northwestern city of Bursa, arresting 27 people mostly from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Some detainees were from China's minority Muslim Uyghur community and 15 were women, it said.

Anadolu said police took 29 children into protective custody and seized 15 mobile phones set up with fake identity cards at one house that was connected to a Tajik citizen who police said acted as a liason between the extremist group Islamic State (IS) and foreign nationals..

The Hurriyet newspaper reported that the suspected gunman, Abdulkadir Masharipov, confessed to police and told them he had initially been instructed by IS leaders in Raqqa, Syria, to target Istanbul's famed Taksim Square, but changed his target at the last minute to avoid heavy security around the square.

IS claimed responsibility the day after the attack on the exclusive Reina nightclub, and said it was revenge for Turkey's military involvement in Syria.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, Hurriyet, and Anadolu


Several county sheriffs demanded Thursday that the state pay actual costs for housing state inmates -- two years after legislators capped what it pays.

Because the Montana Department of Corrections does not have enough space to house all the people sentenced to prison, the state pays county jails to hold them instead. State law requires the department to pay reasonable rates, a term that has been subject to debate for a decade or more. A few years ago, county officials negotiated with the department to develop a formula that reflects actual costs. The 2015 Legislature decided to place a cap on what they paid that falls short of what it actually costs many counties to house those inmates.

Rep. Donald Jones, R-Billings, said House Bill 230 would put an actual-costs formula into state law. He told the House Judiciary Committee the change is necessary to make sure the state does not pass its costs to local taxpayers.

Counties are taking higher-level prisoners and getting paid less. It really doesnt make sense, he said.

Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder said it costs about $100 a day to house an inmate at his detention center. The state capped its rate at $69 a day, or $72.50 if a county can show it does not have room.

Thats a shift of $215,000 onto the taxpayers of Yellowstone County  Even with the higher rate, its still $121,000, said Linder, noting his county is the only one to successfully appeal for that higher rate. If were going to have state inmates, we need to get paid what it costs to house them.

It costs about $115 a day to house an inmate at the Montana State Prison and $390 at Pine Hills Correctional Facility, which houses youth offenders and operates a pilot program for some inmates aged 18 to 24. Those rates are not an apples-to-apples comparison with county detention centers because the state provides additional programming, treatment and security not typically available at local facilities.

About 2,500 inmates are currently housed in state facilities. The number held in county detention centers has ballooned, which law enforcement says is largely the result of a spike in meth use. In fiscal year 2013, the daily average was 248 state inmates in county jails and that rose to 415 this year, according to information presented to the Legislative Finance Committee in September. That has resulted in the department spending about $3 million more than initially budgeted for in the 2016 fiscal year, a gap that the Legislature might backfill even as it considers continued rising costs. Increasing the cap from $69 a day could drive costs up even more.

In some counties, including Yellowstone and Lewis and Clark, holding state inmates exacerbates existing overcrowding. Linder said his jail has held more than 500 inmates for several months, nearly double the designed capacity.

We dont have room for them, but were accepting them, he said, noting the county currently is holding 80 state inmates and another 80 people being detained for state probation violations.

When the state dropped its rate, Gallatin County decided to stop helping the state hold inmates except some that have been sentenced in local courts.

At $69, it wasnt worth us housing state inmates, Sheriff Brian Gootkin said, noting his county had never calculated those state reimbursements into the overall budget so it was easier to stop accepting inmates. We do not count on that money. Thats where we were a different than some counties.

Some sheriffs said its a myth that counties make money off housing state inmates, arguing they would rather have the state fix its capacity problem. They also noted that most state prisoners require more intense supervision and treatment than most locals who end up in jail and therefore are more expensive and dangerous to house.

Rep. Kathy Kelker, D-Billings, asked Jones if a compromise could be reached.

The state has wanted to have a cap, she said. We want a solution that doesnt shift the cost to local folks, but we also want a solution thats being prudent. So Im wonder about a cap in terms of some particular county not getting way out of line. It could be a range so we could do budgetary planning for the state and have an outside range.

Jones said he would be willing to discuss it, but only if the cap was reasonable and not an arbitrary, too-low figure as it is now. He noted that no matter what the bill looks like if it passes Judiciary and the full House, the measure will end up being reviewed by the Appropriations Committee, of which he is a member.

Im sure itll be down there, he said. What they do, who knows.
Iranian media has reported that Turkmen naval vessels fired on an Iranian fishing boat killing one of the fishermen and sinking the boat.

The Tehran Times reported on February 1 that the incident happened in December when Turkmenistan's navy "shot a number of fishermen in the Caspian Sea without prior warning."

IRNA reported the surviving Iranian fishermen were taken into custody by Turkmen forces and as yet "there is no exact information about the fate of [the] crew."

IRNA called the attack "a move beyond diplomatic norms and contrary to international law," while the Iran Daily said it was "against international conventions."

Such incidents are rare between Iran and Turkmenistan but the status of the Caspian Sea and its maritime borders are still not settled between the countries surrounding it -- Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran.

The Caspian Sea has also become a transit route for narcotics coming from Afghanistan and all the Caspian littoral states have been building their naval and maritime security forces.

Based on reporting by the Tehran Times, Iran Daily, and IRNA


Based on reporting by ITAR-TASS and RIA Novosti

Turkmenistan is celebrating a national holiday on August known as "Melon Day."Since 1994, the second Sunday of August has been an official holiday recognizing the importance of melons in Turkmenistan's culture and history.Multiple fairs and market venues lure guests with displays of golden melons, inviting them to taste melons grown in Turkmenistans different regions.Awards also are being presented on August 11 for different melon-related competitions in towns and cities across the country.Festivities in Ashgabat on include concerts in parks and public squares.Turkmenistans melons have been praised for centuries by writers familiar with the crop -- including medieval Arab travelerand Mughal Empire founderLocal melon growers say 400 of the worlds 1,600 melon varieties have historical links to Turkmenistan.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is expressing confidence that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will support Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression despite his desire to mend ties with Moscow.

In interviews with The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Reuters at the Davos economic summit in Switzerland on January 18, Poroshenko said supportive statements from Trump's cabinet nominees in confirmation hearings in the past week have given him reason for optimism.

"We are enjoying the strong bipartisan support" in the United States, Poroshenko told the Journal. "I am absolutely sure that the continuation of our cooperation with the United States will be very effective."

Poroshenko said that he plans to visit Washington next month and he hopes to meet with Trump. He added that he respects the choice of voters in Western democratic elections and "is ready to work with any leaders."

In the Journal interview, he warned against lifting sanctions against Russia -- something Trump has suggested he might do -- saying it would be "dangerous" for the security of the West.

In the Reuters interview, he said Trump's backing of the sanctions would show the United States is "great again."

Based on reporting by Reuters, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, and TASS


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.
In a rare public protest in Uzbekistan, a group of retirees recently took to the streets to demand that their local government drop its newfangled debit-card system and pay their pensions in cash.

The protest was captured in an undated, minute-long video posted on Facebook on January 18. It shows a crowd of mostly elderly men and women assembled outside the government building in Denov, the capital of the southern Surkhondaryo Province, to air a number of grievances.

High on the list is that the debit-card system used by the government to pay pensions is not working.

"We are not getting our money that was paid by plastic," says Namozbobo Boymurotov, an octogenarian clad in a traditional black coat and hat. "Everyone here has come with the same demand."

Under the system first introduced in 2004, the state started to transfer benefits and salaries to banks, from which recipients could access their cash only by using debit cards. Uzbeks have long complained that cardholders pay high fees for card transactions.

"They should pay our money. Until when are you deceiving us?" one unidentified protester shouts in the video (below), posted to the page of a 8,000-strong public group called the Team Of President Mirziyaev's Supporters.

"They are telling us: 'Please go home, we'll pay.' But they are not paying our pensions," another unidentified protester complains, referring to local government authorities.

When contacted by telephone, Denov Deputy Governor Dilmurod Allaberdiev told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service that he was unaware of the video and the protest itself.

"We are paying pensions on time," Allaberdiev said. "No one has protested here."

Since the system was introduced, the state has made it compulsory for retailers, including private merchants in bazaars, to install card-payment devices.

Uzbekistan's Central Bank has touted the success of the system, saying more than 17 million cards were in circulation in 2016 -- covering nearly half of the country's 32 million inhabitants.

The protesters in Denov beg to differ, saying that banks take between 22 and 27 percent in commission when customers withdraw their money in cash. Others complain that many private vendors in bazaars and on the streets, especially in rural areas, refuse to accept the cards -- even if they have payment terminals.

Antigovernment protests are rare in Uzbekistan, where the government of former President Islam Karimov suppressed all forms of dissent until his death in September 2016. His successor, Shavkat Mirziyaev, has vowed to largely continue Karimov's domestic and international policies.

The new video, however, comes just weeks after Mirziyaev issued a decree titled On Additional Measures For Further Improvement Of State Support System For The Elderly And Disabled.

The document instructs local governments to provide social and financial support for the elderly. One measure includes setting up special leisure and health centers where the elderly can gather to mingle with each other, read books, play chess, and even get free meals.

Written by Farangis Najibullah based on reporting by RFE/RL's Uzbek Servicems
Russia launched more kamikaze drones on infrastructure and civilian targets in southeastern Ukraine, officials said on November 4, as extensive damage to the power grid left millions of Ukrainians without electricity, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to accuse Moscow of "energy terrorism."

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Valentyn Reznichenko, the governor of the Dnipropetrovskov region, said the Ukrainian military destroyed eight Iranian Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones in the region's southern Nikopol district.

"Our air defense did a great job this night. Eight enemy Shaheds downed," Reznichenko wrote on Telegram. It was the second day in a row that Nikopol was targeted by Russian drones.

Reznichenko said Russian troops also pounded four settlements in the same district -- Myrivska, Chervonogrigorivska, Marganetska, and Nikopolska -- with Grad rockets and artillery fire, damaging a gas pipeline and a power line and destroying residential buildings.

Russian troops regularly bombard the Dnipropetrovsk region, one of Ukraine's steelmaking hubs, with various types of weapons.

Moscow denies its attacks on civilians in Ukraine.

Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on November 3 that millions of Ukrainians were temporarily without power due to the Russian attacks.

"Tonight, about 4.5 million consumers have been temporarily disconnected from energy consumption," Zelenskiy said. "The very fact that Russia is resorting to energy terrorism shows the weakness of our enemy. They cannot beat Ukraine on the battlefield, so they try to break our people this way."

Russia has been targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and other civilian buildings with missile, drone, and artillery attacks for several weeks amid a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has driven Russian troops out of the northeast and pushed them back in the east and southeast.

Over the past days, however, despite heavy fighting, there has been no significant change on the ground on the eastern and southern Ukraine fronts, with preparations building for a fight over the southern city of Kherson.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry accused Moscow of forcibly deporting Ukrainian citizens from Kherson to Russia.

"The Russian occupation administration has begun mass forced relocation of residents of the left bank [of the Dnieper River] of the Kherson regionto the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea or the Russian Federation," the ministry said in a statement on November 3.

Similar deportations are also being carried out by Russia in the Zaporizhzhya, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions, as well as in Crimea, the ministry said.

Russia in September proclaimed to have seized the partially occupied Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Luhansk, and Donetsk following referendums condemned by Kyiv and the West as shams.

Volodymyr Saldo, the Russia-appointed head of Kherson, announced on October 31 an expansion of what Russia has called the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens. Saldo said he was moving people further into the region or to Russia because of the risks of a "massive missile attack."

Just three days earlier, the Russian-installed officials announced that the evacuation process in Kherson region had ended.

Kyiv reiterated on November 3 that it saw the move as a "deportation." It also said reports continue to circulate about the alleged mining of the Nova Kakhovska hydroelectric power plant by Russian troops.

Zelenskiy previously said that Ukraine suspects Russia has mined the dam and units of the power plant on the Dnieper River, and that if it were blown up, more than 80 settlements, including Kherson, would be in danger of flooding.

The Foreign Ministry statement also accused Russian troops of looting industrial, cultural, educational, and medical institutions, as well as private houses and apartments.

Russian forces also removed roadblocks in Kherson. The head of the Kherson regional military administration, Yaroslav Yanushevich, believes that they did this to create the illusion that Russian forces have left the city.

WATCH: Near Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region, Ukrainian forces often rely on artillery from the 1970s and '80s. The front line there is one of the most hotly contested areas. The soldiers say that although the Soviet-era weaponry is old, it is still very effective.

It was also reported that the Russian flag was removed from the Kherson regional administration building. The head of the joint coordination press center of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine, Natalya Humenyuk, said that this could be a provocation.

The loss of Kherson, which Russian troops captured in March in the early days of the war, would signal a significant retreat.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, asked to comment on the battlefield situation in southern Ukraine, said he believes Ukrainian forces in the Kherson region have the capacity to retake the territory on the west side of the Dnieper River and Kherson city from Russian troops.

With reporting by Reuters
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on January 17 appeared to clarify his pledge to accept U.S. extradition now that President Barack Obama has pardoned former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.

Melinda Taylor, who serves on Assange's legal team, initially told the Associated Press he would stick to his offer last week to accept extradition if the White House granted clemency to Manning, who was imprisoned for the biggest leak of classified materials in U.S. history to WikiLeaks in 2010.

But Taylor later told AP and AFP that Assange would like the U.S. Justice Department instead to announce it will not pursue charges against him and is closing its investigation of WikiLeaks and ending its "war on whistle-blowers."

Assange has been living at Ecuador's embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden on sexual-assault charges. He says he has long feared if he leaves the embassy he could be extradited to the United States to face criminal charges, although no formal charges have been filed against him.

WikiLeaks and Assange have been under investigation for years for publishing thousands of highly sensitive leaked documents from the United States.

In particular, WikiLeaks is under FBI investigation for its central role last year in an alleged Russian scheme to influence the U.S presidential election through the hacking and publishing of internal Democratic e-mails.

The White House, in shaving more than 30 years off Manning's prison sentence and ending her sentence on May 17, said it was not influenced by Assange's offer to come forward when it made the decision to pardon Manning.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
Tajikistan is officially a full member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).



Tajikistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 2 expressed satisfaction, citing the country's 12-year effort to join the grouping.



The WTO approved Tajikistans accession in December and named March 2 as the official entry date.



Tajikistan becomes the 159th member of the WTO, following Kyrgyzstan as the only WTO members so far from among Central Asia's five post-Soviet republics.



Russia was recently admitted after longstanding grievances against Moscow by member Georgia were addressed.



With additional reporting by Interfax
A bill to provide $100,000 to encourage schools to enhance their music and art programs through community partnerships passed through the House Education Committee on Wednesday.

All seven Democrats and four Republicans voted yes on House Bill 167, carried by Rep. Jeremy Trebas, R-Great Falls. The bill would provide grants for schools who want to bring community artists and musicians into the classroom.

Tuition bills

Two more expensive bills, House Bill 161 and House Bill 185, were tabled.

House Bill 161, carried by Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre, would have reimbursed state schools that provide tuition waivers, primarily to veterans, American Indian students and the orphans of peace officers and firefighters. Although the amount would fluctuate with enrollment each year, 2015 would have required approximately $3.8 million from the general fund and state special revenue.

According to data from the Montana University System, public colleges and universities waived $3,007,151 for American Indian students, $157,487 for veterans and $6,117 for officer and firefighter orphans in fiscal year 2015.

Bachmeier introduced an amendment on Wednesday to implement the law in 2019 instead of 2017. The amendment failed and House Bill 161 was tabled.

This same type of legislation or bill request could be brought forward in 2019 rather than committing to that at this time, Rep. Sue Vinton, R-Billings, said.

House Bill 185, carried by Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, would have reduced or eliminated tuition at community and tribal colleges in Montana. The program would have appropriated $2 million in the next biennium.

Before voting, Rep. Bryce Bennett, D-Missoula, said he graduated in 2007, but still has $10,000 of debt after attending an in-state school and working throughout.

The burden on students has never been higher, he said. I think this is an important pathway for them to have that opportunity.

Casey Schreiner, D-Great Falls, said passing the bill would provide a return on the Legislatures investment. He said Montana is facing an inevitable shortage in the workforce, and the Legislature should do everything possible to prepare students to qualify for upcoming positions. He said he and his wife pay almost $500 a month in student loans, which is money that could be going back into the local economy if people werent burdened with debt.

This bill is a game changer, he said. I would submit to you the money on this investment will be life-changing and paradigm-shifting for Montana.

Rep. Lola Sheldon Galloway, R-Great Falls, said she was concerned students who benefited from the program would leave Montana and work in a different state.

Other bills

Before tabling bills that came with a hefty price tag, the committee heard a bill carried by Dave Fern, D-Whitefish, to encourage schools to offer a dual language immersion grant program beginning in kindergarten or first grade. Schools that participate would be required to spend at least half the day learning a language other than English. The program would appropriate $150,000 from the general fund to the Office of Public Instruction. Fern said he understood if the committee needed to adjust the appropriation to pass the bill out of committee.

Fern also introduced House Bill 192 to raise the legal dropout age from 16 to 18. A similar bill has been introduced in legislative sessions before, but hasnt passed. In the 2015-2016 school year, 1,470 students dropped out. The bills fiscal note assumes 20 percent of those students would stay in school if the law changed and it would cost $879,469 in fiscal year 2018. If passed, OPI does not anticipate it will have to hire more teachers or staff to accommodate the additional students.

Kelsen Young, whose two teenage sons dropped out of high school, testified in favor of the bill. She said it was difficult for her sons to immediately access resources such as an alternative school or GED classes.

A young person has a difficult time finding employment and not really having a clear direction for those teenagers to be engaged in society, Young said. Then youre a young person just trying to survive.

The committee expressed concern that the bill doesnt grandfather in current dropouts or establish a method for dropouts to return to school. If a child who dropped out was under 18 when the bill went into effect, they would have to return to school or would be in violation of Montanas truancy laws. The bill doesnt specify who would track those students down and monitor their return.
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I'm going to make every effort to update this regularly. Don't be afraid to prod me, via email, Twitter (@timcainhr) or Facebook. These are the posts so far in my rankings of my favorite Beatles songs. Follow along daily at that same Facebook page.

Ranking The Beatles: No. 217. Dizzy Miss Lizzy (Help! [UK], Beatles VI)

I'd feel badly about any song I put at the bottom of this list. What makes it easiest is this is clearly my least-favorite Beatles song.

216. Long Tall Sally (Long Tall Sally EP, The Beatles Second Album)

I just like Paul McCartney better when he's doing his Little Richard on songs he wrote.

215. Words Of Love (Beatles For Sale, Beatles VI)

Ringo plays a suitcase on this version.

214. Every Little Thing (Beatles For Sale, Beatles VI)

Clearly, I'm not a big fan of Beatles VI.

213. Till There Was You (With The Beatles, Meet The Beatles)

Because of the way he sings myooooo-sic on this song, Creem magazine gave Paul McCartney the Wimp Rock Lifetime Achievement award. (Or something similarly insulting.)

212. Mr. Moonlight (Beatles For Sale, Beatles '65)

What does it say when my favorite recording of this is the Star Club bootleg?

211. Flying (Magical Mystery Tour)

I often hear claims that this is the most-played Beatles song because it's used as a time-filler bump leading into other radio program. The only time I've heard it on the radio was when I've played it.

210. A Taste of Honey (Please Please Me, Introducing The Beatles)

I can't imagine what this sounded like when they were punks in Germany playing it.

209. Kansas City - Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey (Beatles For Sale, Beatles VI)

For me, this song has always suffered from being too slow.

208. Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby (Beatles For Sale, Beatles '65)

Funny lyrics. My parents were always amused when they heard me singing it.

207. Bad Boy (A Collection Of Beatles Oldies, Beatles '65)

John Lennon was really much tougher than this song, which says a lot.

206. Magical Mystery Tour (Magical Mystery Tour)

I always thought it sounded like a commercial, which is probably how Paul McCartney intended it.

205. The Fool On The Hill (Magical Mystery Tour)

Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder of The Moody Blues are playing harmonica.

204. The Long And Winding Road (Let It Be)

Paul McCartney never thought so, but the string arrangement on this song gives it needed gravitas.

203. Rock And Roll Music (Beatles For Sale, Beatles '65)

They were just working too hard to write the songs demanded of them.

202. And I Love Her (A Hard Day's Night)

They only played this live once, on a BBC radio show.

201. What Goes On (Rubber Soul, Yesterday and Today)

Hearing the instrumental track isolated on one channel of Capitol Records' awful stereo mixes was an eye-opener. And not necessarily in a good way.

200. It's All Too Much (Yellow Submarine)

Writer George Harrison complained in retrospect about the horns. He should have complained about the on-and-on ending as well.

199. You Won't See Me (Rubber Soul)

John Lennon called Anne Murray's version of this his favorite Beatle cover.
The U.S. Department of Justice gave instructions on how to work around its own strict rules for spending money seized in investigations to Virginias top prosecutor, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Law enforcement agencies participating in investigations with federal counterparts can share proceeds of seized assets under Equitable Sharing programs run by the Justice and Treasury departments. Both agencies have clear rules that generally prohibit the use of such money for salaries and pay raises.

However, the Justice Department suggested a workaround in a PowerPoint presentation obtained from the office of Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring after the AP raised questions about significant pay raises for several of Herrings employees at a time when state workers pay was stagnant elsewhere. Some staff attorneys salaries rose as much as $15,000 in a year  one had a 30-percent increase.

The presentation advises that instead of using the seized money to pay for raises, agencies can use it to cover routine costs  such as maintaining vehicle fleets  and then redirect money already budgeted for maintenance into salaries.

The PowerPoint says redirecting money in that manner is acceptable so long as your overall budget does not decrease.

Virginia received more than $100 million in asset forfeiture money under a joint state-federal settlement with Abbott Laboratories for an anti-seizure drugs off-label marketing. Herring spokesman Michael Kelly said raises were made possible in part by using some of the funds to pay allowable expenses involving the agencys rent, vehicle maintenance and operational costs.

The Abbott settlement money was administered by the Treasury Department, but Kelly cited the PowerPoint as justification for using the funds to make raises possible. He said the PowerPoint was part of 2015 training for accountants in the state attorney generals office.

Created under a 1984 law, equitable sharing programs allow the federal government to share assets seized from wrongdoers with state and local law enforcement. The Justice Department said it has shared nearly $500 million in assets to those agencies in fiscal 2015; the Treasury Department, more than $163 million.

Justice spokeswoman Erica Lacy said the PowerPoints advice is in line with the prohibition on using shared federal funds for salaries. She said the PowerPoint shows how money thats already been budgeted can be used but doesnt encourage dependency on equitable sharing funds for future salaries.

Critics, however, say the Justice Department is undercutting its own rules.

What kind of a message does that send? That its OK to cut corners and get around the rules that you wrote, said attorney Brad Cates, who ran the departments asset forfeiture program in the 1980s.

The program is part of the broader asset forfeiture practice, which civil liberties groups and some in Congress criticized because it enables law enforcement to seize possessions such as cars and money without an indictment or evidence of a crime.

Justice Department guidelines say the ban on using asset forfeiture funds for salaries is designed to protect the programs integrity and ensure that agencies dont have  or appear to have  a financial incentive to seize funds or property.

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder broadly revamped the asset forfeiture program in 2015, but critics said improper incentives persist.

Robert Johnson of the libertarian nonprofit Institute of Justice said the PowerPoint guidance seems to violate the spirit  if not the letter  of the Justice Departments own equitable sharing guidelines.

And Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin said the federal rules barring use of asset forfeiture funds are window dressing and the PowerPoints advice highlights the need for reform. He expects the new GOP Congress to be sympathetic to calls for reform, adding, Well be revisiting this issue big time.

Sensenbrenner sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch seeking an explanation about the presentation AP shared with him. Lynchs office didnt respond to him.

Herring spokesman Kelly said the raises are needed to attract and keep top-notch attorneys. Herring raised the pay floor for 64 attorneys, with a median raise of about $7,000, Kelly said.

The Treasury Department praised Herrings office in a letter last year for how it has handled the Abbott settlement money.

Elsewhere last year, Virginia scrapped planned across-the-board raises for state employees amid budget problems. The head of the Virginia State Police recently complained that low pay was creating morale problems and a shrinking workforce.

Del. Robert B. Bell, R-Albemarle, said Herrings move was unfair to other state workers.
In the unlikely event that Laurence Alan Stewart II ever comes back to Virginia after he is returned to a Montana prison, a lengthy incarceration will await him.

Stewart, 29, was sentenced Thursday in Stafford County Circuit Court to two life sentences plus 40 years for a series of pipe bombs he set off in 2012 targeting police officers and his ex-fiance. He pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted capital murder and two counts of terrorism.

There is little chance, however, that Stewart will serve any of his Virginia time. The former Stafford resident is already serving seven life sentences in Montana for other pipe bomb-related incidents.

According to the evidence presented by Commonwealth's Attorney Eric Olsen, Stewart set off explosives on Oct. 30, 2012, at the Stafford homes of his former fiance, Stafford Detective Greg Bender and a Fredericksburg residence where Stafford Lt. Deuntay Diggs used to live. Bender and Diggs were involved in prior cases involving Stewart.

No one was injured in the blasts, but there was considerable property damage, Olsen said.

Stafford authorities quickly identified Stewart as a suspect and searched his home for evidence. They found receipts for items used in making pipe bombs and internet searches for the addresses of multiple Stafford Sheriff's Office personnel, including then-Sheriff Charles Jett.

The address Stewart found for Diggs was one where he was no longer living. At the time of the bombings, Stewart was wanted for protective order violations involving the former fiance.

A nationwide lookout was issued for Stewart following the bombings and he was stopped for speeding in Montana the next day by a highway patrol officer.

While examining Stewart's license, Trooper Joe DeJong learned that Stewart was wanted in Virginia. Stewart sped away in the stolen car he was driving while DeJong was waiting for backup.

During the ensuing pursuit, Stewart tossed a number of pipe bombs at pursuing officers. None of the officers were hurt, but several reported feeling their cruisers shake and being struck by shrapnel.

He was carrying a gun when he was finally cornered after a foot chase, but he was taken into custody without injury. He was convicted of seven counts of attempted deliberate homicide by a Montana jury in 2013 and given seven life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Though it appears that Stewart will die in a Montana prison, Olsen said it was important that he be held accountable for his Stafford crimes. He was extradited from Montana last month will be returned to that state shortly.

Stewart agreed to plead guilty even before a trial date had been set for his Stafford charges. Court records indicate that he was motivated by a desire to leave the Rappahannock Regional Jail as soon as possible.

He wrote a letter last year in which he requested information on how to plead guilty to his Stafford charges by video without leaving Montana.
DECATUR  The farming background of President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be the nation's next agriculture secretary is encouraging to local farmers.

Trump announced plans Thursday to nominate Sonny Perdue for the position. Perdue was the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction and a farmer's son who built businesses in grain trading and trucking.

Agriculture secretary is the only Cabinet post for which Trump, who will be inaugurated Friday, had not announced a selection.

It's nice for him to have some ag background, said Mike Stacey, the Macon County Farm Bureau president who farms near Illiopolis and has been involved with the group's legislative efforts.

Stacey said farmers will continue to be concerned about the issue of safety net prices as the next Farm Bill is developed. Farmers don't want to depend on government payments like they have the past few years, he said.

Some regulations need to go away, Stacey said.

Stacey isn't concerned that Perdue will be coming from a southern state unlike what has been typical of picks for agriculture secretary. He said working together is important and opportunities exist for leaders such as Perdue to visit the Farm Progress Show to be held Aug. 29-31 in Decatur to learn more about the agriculture industry.

One of the issues facing farmers and agribusinesses in Central Illinois is overreach by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, said U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, a member of the House Agriculture Committee.

"I hope this administration will work with us to give farmers a greater say when it comes to policies impacting the industry and make it easier for families to maintain their farms and businesses to grow and create jobs," Davis said.

Agriculture secretaries are often from the Midwest, where corn and soybeans dominate the markets. U.S. farm policy has long been favorable to those crops, and congressional battles over massive farm bills every five years often divide along regional lines. Southerners have pushed for subsidy programs that are more favorable to rice and cotton, which can be more expensive to grow.

The last three agriculture secretaries were from Iowa, North Dakota and Nebraska. The last one from a Southern state was Mike Espy, who served from 1993-1994 and was from Mississippi.

Perdue, 70, who comes from the small city of Bonaire in rural central Georgia, would be the first Southerner in the post in more than two decades. He is not related to or affiliated with the food company Perdue or the poultry producer Perdue Farms.

Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert Jr. said the group welcomes Perdue's nomination.

Illinois Farm Bureau members are relieved that President-elect Trump has finally named an agriculture secretary and are hopeful Perdue is quickly confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Guebert said.

Farm Bureau members are confident that Perdue has the leadership skills necessary to run an agency with a $155 billion budget and more than 100,000 employees scattered across nearly every county in the nation. Illinois farmers will be counting on Perdue to be a strong and influential advocate for farmers and U.S. agriculture within the administration, before Congress and with the non-farm public.

Many farm-state lawmakers and agriculture groups grew concerned as Trump approached his inauguration without having named an agriculture secretary candidate. Earlier Thursday, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley tweeted that he was frustrated with the process.

"NEED Ag leader w dirt under finger nails 4farmers," he wrote.

Perdue began his political career as a Democrat in the Georgia Legislature in the 1990s. After switching his allegiance to the Republican Party, he was elected governor in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. The victory over an incumbent Democrat completed Georgia's shift to a solidly Republican state, ending generations of Democratic control of state government.

Despite the seismic political change, Perdue showed little interest in pushing big programs or signature legislation during his two terms. Instead he focused on finding ways to save money while improving customer service by state agencies  such as reducing wait times for renewing driver's licenses. He often referred to himself as Georgia's CEO.

Perdue didn't rely only on his business acumen as governor. A devout Southern Baptist, he also found a place for faith in his administration. In 2007, when a withering drought gripped Georgia and neighboring states, he held a prayer rally in front of the Capitol in Atlanta to pray for rain.

Under Perdue's watch, Georgia adopted tough food-safety regulations after a deadly U.S. salmonella outbreak was traced to Georgia-made peanut butter. He moved the state office that issues water permits for irrigation and other agricultural uses from Atlanta to rural south Georgia, where it would be closer to farmers. And Perdue poured millions of state dollars into Go Fish, a program that aimed to lure bass fishing tournaments to the state.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Congressman Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County, released the following statement today announcing his nomination of several southwest Roanoke County students from the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia to our nations service academies as members of the graduating Class of 2021:

Todays students are tomorrows leaders. At our nations service academies, students have the opportunity to receive a quality educational experience and training to become the next generation of leaders. It is my honor to nominate these young men and women to compete for an appointment to a service academy. I am confident that the students selected for an appointment will serve the United States with distinction. Folks in the Sixth District can be proud of these nominees. I wish them the best and thank them for being willing to serve their country.

The following is a list of southwest Roanoke County residents who have been nominated to attend the service academies listed below:

U.S. Air Force Academy

Jared Harvey, son of Patty and Martin Harvey, is a senior at Hidden Valley High School and a resident of Roanoke.

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Evans Edwards, son of Anne and Evans Edwards, is a senior at Faith Christian School and a resident of Roanoke.

Jared Harvey, son of Patty and Martin Harvey, is a senior at Hidden Valley High School and a resident of Roanoke.

U.S. Naval Academy

Lucas Arnold, son of Laura and Scott Arnold, is a senior at North Cross School and a resident of Roanoke.

Evans Edwards, son of Anne and Evans Edwards, is a senior at Faith Christian School and a resident of Roanoke.

Jonathan Baker Haviland, son of Elizabeth and Beckton Haviland, is a senior at Cave Spring High School and a resident of Roanoke.

Ann Jackson, daughter of Deborah Jackson, is a senior at Cave Spring High School and a resident of Roanoke.

Ryan Mitchell, son of Leslie and Scott Mitchell, is a senior at Hidden Valley High School, and a resident of Roanoke.

Banner Plumb, son of Leanna and Mnason Plumb, is a senior at Cave Spring High School and a resident of Roanoke.

Jack Thompson, son of Teryn Gaynor and Craig Thompson, is a senior at Hidden Valley High School and a resident of Roanoke.

Click here for the complete Sixth District list of nominees.

Submitted by Beth Breeding
RICHMOND  Prior to installing a municipal broadband network in Rockbridge County, students at the local high schools could not use the internet while other students were completing standardized tests for fear the network would crash.

At a Wednesday news conference to oppose a Virginia bill that could limit municipal broadband initiatives, Scott Robertson, executive director of the Rockbridge Area Network Authority, talked about the positive effect government-funded broadband has had in Rockbridge, Buena Vista and Lexington and at Washington and Lee University.

Local governments, private entities and the university worked together to create the Rockbridge network in 2009 with a mix of private, public, local and federal funds.

Theres just no comparison to 2013 that makes any sense and the school districts now can deploy the latest learning tools and content, which before, they couldnt, Robertson said.

The Virginia Broadband Deployment Act proposed by Del. Kathy Byron, R-Bedford, aims to reduce local government spending of taxpayer dollars to build broadband networks in areas already covered by private providers. Byrons bill does support municipalities building such infrastructure in underserved areas.

Since The Roanoke Times first reported Byrons bill last week, the chairwoman of the state Broadband Advisory Council has received angry emails from readers across the country. One subject line read, I hope you and your family die of cancer, Byron said on the House floor Wednesday.

Byron railed against a Roanoke Times editorial that called the bill the most dangerous bill now pending before the General Assembly. She said the editorial writer probably hadnt read the bill.

House Bill 2108, the Virginia Broadband Deployment Act, comes directly from my experience and service chairing the broadband advisory council, Byron said. Thats why the bill places a priority on delivering broadband access to Virginians who do not currently have it.

Private telecommunications providers, some of Byrons top campaign donors, have opposed municipal broadband in Roanoke and across the country. Verizon is Byrons second highest campaign donor and she has received other donations from the Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association, AT&T, Comcast and CenturyLink, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Roanoke City Councilman Ray Ferris said the bill promotes favoritism toward legacy internet service providers.

If you read House Bill 2108, you cannot come away with any other conclusion other than it is capital corporate cronyism at its best, he said.

Local business people, not local government, led to the creation of the Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority, Ferris said. Those business people called for additional services and faster internet speeds and commissioned a study that showed the need was widespread, he said.

Officials from the Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority joined others from Franklin, Orange and Louisa counties and Roanoke city to criticize Byrons bill Wednesday. They stressed the impact municipal broadband networks can have on local learning, economic development and driving private providers costs down through competition.

What worries representatives from the broadband authority and the Rockbridge network is a clause in the bill that disallows municipal networks from expanding into areas already serviced by private providers, which local officials claim could effectively kill the municipal broadband authorities.

The bill does not prevent localities from creating municipal broadband networks, but it keeps those institutions from falling victims to costly mistakes like the corruption that overwhelmed the Bristol Virginia Utilities Authority, Byron said. Instead, the controversial bill codifies taxpayer protection recommendations.

The private sector has struggled to keep up with the growing demand for additional internet service and faster speeds, which can impede economic development, said Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke.

Some businesses pass on Roanoke Valley locations because company officials discover they cant get internet service, Rasoul said. Then, there are other Roanoke businesses like the software company Meridium that want access to multiple service providers.

Internet and access to high-speed internet is a basic human right now because its just that link to education, its that link to information, its that link to peoples livelihoods and thats why were so passionate about it, Rasoul said.

Sen. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, who heads the Commerce and Labor Committee said he expects somewhat of a frosty treatment should the bill make it to the Senate committee. Byrons bill must first make it through the House Commerce and Labor Committee.

Byron and her bills supporters will host a news conference Thursday to discuss the broadband bill.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., says he opposes Donald Trump's choice for health secretary, Georgia congressman Tom Price, but supports South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

The failed vice presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket also said he has serious concerns about Trump's pick for education secretary, the billionaire school-choice advocate Betsy DeVos of Michigan.

Kaine's committee assignments allowed him to question all three this week as the Senate moves toward confirming Trump's Cabinet choices.

Kaine on Tuesday grilled DeVos during her hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Video of the exchange, in which DeVos wouldn't directly answer some questions, generated attention online.

Kaine said in an interview Thursday that he had concerns going in to the hearing and was not comforted by DeVos's answers on accountability and requiring compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for any school that receives tax money.

He asked DeVos about past remarks in which she said public school was a dead end and a 2015 comment in which she said, "Government really sucks, and it doesnt matter which party is in power."

Said Kaine: "I don't mind a champion of choice, but I do want a secretary of education who can champion public schools, too."

Democrats were chagrined that their time to question DeVos was limited, and they asked Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the committee chairman, for a second hearing once senators receive information on DeVos from the Office of Government Ethics, an independent office that provides a report on cabinet nominees.

While he hasn't said whether he'll eventually support DeVos, Kaine said he opposes Price to be health secretary because Price wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act and cut money for Planned Parenthood, which Kaine said is the health care provider of choice for tens of thousands.

Kaine said he looked for evidence that Price, a surgeon and former professor at Emory University School of Medicine, supports a "broad health care safety net" and "I just really can't find the evidence there."

Kaine gave Haley a warmer reception Wednesday during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committee.

"I like governors," Kaine said. "I think Nikki Haley brings a number of positive virtues to the table."

He asked her about her support for international press freedom, and the two disagreed on details of the 2015 deal between Iran and other countries over Iran's nuclear capabilities.

Kaine said he wants Haley to speak out about mistreatment of the press in other countries. "It's going to be very hard for her to do that if a President Trump betrays authoritarian tendencies with respect to the press in this country," he said.

Cabinet nominees need 51 votes in the Senate for confirmation. Republicans have 52 votes. When asked if he expects any nominations to fail, Kaine said it would be up to the GOP. DeVos and Rex Tillerson, the retired CEO of ExxonMobil CEO nominated to be secretary of state, "have raised significant concerns on the Republican side." Kaine previously announced his opposition to Tillerson's confirmation.

John Whitbeck, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said in a statement he is "pleased that, for once, Senator Kaine has given into common sense by recognizing that Gov. Haley will make an outstanding ambassador to the U.N.

"However, it is extremely disappointing that Kaine would scuttle two overly qualified nominees for no other reason than partisan politics. But after abandoning all of his previous principles to become Hillary Clinton's running mate, it isn't surprising."

Kaine will have good seats for Friday's inauguration. He said that as he watches Trump and Vice President-Elect Mike Pence sworn in, he'll feel the disappointment of loss. But he said the best coping mechanism is delving into his work as a senator.
While the sun is still sleeping on Inauguration Day, Wendell Johnson will be out the door, headed to D.C.

The retired steelworker from Bedford County will arrive just in time to make a beeline to the National Mall to see the nations 45th president sworn into office.

I wanted to be there for this moment in history, said Johnson, a supporter of Donald Trump who faithfully predicted to all who had asked that the Republican candidate would take the election.

Its going to be a new beginning, he said of the inauguration ceremony. I think the first thing hes going to do is eliminate a lot of Obamas executive orders, and Im thankful for that.

In those same pre-dawn hours, Margaret Breslau will be on the move, leading a group of Blacksburg protesters to the Navy Memorial, where one of the days largest demonstrations is expected to take place.

This is a resistance march, said Breslau, chairwoman of the Blacksburg-based Coalition for Justice. People feel compelled to take a stand.

I think hes a dangerous person to have in office, Breslau said of Trump. The setbacks well have, if you gut the EPA, gut unions, if you want to defund public education, once you go back like that its very hard to move forward again. Its going to be very challenging. Thats why we protest.

On Friday, a day forecast to be warm but rain splattered, Trump will officially shed the elect from his title amidst crowds projected to reach 800,000 to 900,000, counting both supporters and protesters.

The convention-defying businessman takes command of a divided nation, buoyed by a GOP-controlled Congress, but dogged by historically low approval ratings  though Trump himself has characteristically shrugged off those weak ratings and vowed to unify the country.

Friday is going to be interesting. Im not sure what to expect, said Harry Wilson, a political analyst and director of Roanoke Colleges Institute for Policy and Opinion Research.

Of course, that is the same answer Im going to give to you about what to expect after Friday. This is Donald Trump. Who knows what youre going to get? he added of the brash incoming president.

For Johnson  whos traveling by train and plans to spend the night at Union Station because of the shortage of affordable D.C. hotel rooms  a Trump presidency means an economic revival, particularly for struggling industrial sectors.

The company stock that rounds out his pension fund shot up 50 percent the day after the election and can only climb higher from here, he said.

Basically, what I would say is, remain calm and buy coal and steel, he said. The outlook is just tremendous.

To Breslau, who for years owned a fair-trade store in Blacksburg, Trumps Cabinet picks are already sounding alarm bells.

The next four years hold some dark days ahead, for sure, she said. But she added she finds hope in the number of people, including many whove never been politically active before, moved to speak out and take action.

I think youre seeing this incredible shift in ordinary people, not activists or organizers, but ordinary people who feel a tremendous need to do something, she said.

People arent just crawling under the covers, she said. I think its going to be a very intense four years.

A Trump fan since childhood

Cameron Johnson had no way of knowing he was writing to a future president when he sat down at age 8 with his notebook paper and pencil.

It was 1993 and the Roanoke fourth-grader knew just one thing about the New York billionaire: He was the guy who owned the swanky hotel that MaCaulay Culkin turned upside down in the big holiday movie hit Home Alone 2.

Johnson, already a precocious, aspiring entrepreneur and bound for a family trip to New York, wrote to Trump and told him how much he wished he could see the rooms where Home Alone 2 was filmed. He addressed the envelope with the only information he could think of: Donald Trump, Plaza Hotel, New York City.

It was the longest of long shots. But the family was later surprised with the news that Trump had arranged for them to stay in the same suite as the perpetually lost Culkin and get a personal tour of FAO Schwartz.

It obviously had an impact on me, said Johnson, who recounts the story in an opening chapter of his business advice book, You Call The Shots.

The book, released in 2007, touts a supportive quote from Trump himself.

Thats the Trump I know. He was always kind and generous with me, said Johnson, who was on hand to greet Trump during last years campaign rallies in Roanoke and wholl be in the seats surrounding the U.S. Capitol to see him take the oath of office.

The improbability of the paths that led them both to this moment isnt lost on the Roanoker who started his first business at age 9 and is now president of Magic City Ford.

I think its going to be a special moment for me, Johnson said of the swearing-in. If I could have predicted back then that Id start all these different businesses and hed be president, anyone would have thought I was ludicrous.

Johnson added he felt Trumps business-minded outlook is coming at a time when its sorely needed in government.

Especially now, with the national debt at $19 trillion, he said. Lets get the focus back on keeping companies here and not making taxes so high that they get creative to lower their effective rate. Bringing as much capital as possible back to the United States is only going to create jobs and do great things.

Since Trumps election, the consumer confidence index has hit a 13-year high, Johnson noted.

Its clearly going to be an interesting four years, he said. But if he can keep proving people wrong, he can win over even his naysayers.

Hes got a lot to prove. But I think he performs the best when his back is against the wall.

Moved to march

Hannah Hopkins sat stunned as she watched the results roll in on election night.

The graduate student  whod proudly cast her ballot for the first major-party female presidential candidate earlier that day  said it took time to absorb the outcome.

There was a real moment of despair and not really understanding how this could happen, she said. Because I felt like we were on the right side of history.

Hopkins, 29, had always shied away from discussing politics, uneasy with the contentious arguments that could result.

Besides, she said, the public debate had long seemed to be trending her way, with issues like womens rights and marriage equality gaining greater and greater steam.

I guess it seemed like things were handled, she said. Then after the election, I think like many people, I realized, oh, it isnt handled. And if you want things to change, youve got to get involved and be someone who helps change them.

On Saturday, Hopkins will join thousands of others in D.C. for the Womens March on Washington, her first time plunging into this type of activism.

The march, which will be paired with local sister marches in Roanoke and more than 600 other communities, was timed to make a statement on the first full day of the new administration.

The rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonized, and threatened many of us, organizers wrote in the marchs mission statement.

We are confronted with the question of how to move forward in the face of national and international concern and fear.

For Hopkins, moving forward means seeking out ways to effect change, at all levels of government. In Virginia, shes been dismayed to see a state legislator propose a version of the bathroom bill, since defeated, and the House of Delegates endorse a resolution unofficially proclaiming the anniversary of Roe v. Wade as the Day of Tears.

I think its important to resist those types of legislative agendas, she said, adding she hopes to join those who work to promote an inclusive, rather than exclusive, philosophy.

When she steps into D.C. on Saturday, she wants to be part of an inspiring message, letting others know they are not alone and not powerless.

I think thats a wonderful energy to channel into a group of people that size, she said. I hope, ultimately, that we can change our country and change the world for the better, each in our own small way.

A widening gulf

In the grand tradition of inaugural addresses, Trump may reach for a soaring, unifying message when he takes center stage Friday.

But hell be addressing a nation that has been inexorably moving further and further apart, divided along lines both political and geographic, said Wilson, who this semester is teaching two courses on polarization in the United States.

This is not something that has just happened, he said. The polarization has become almost systemic and is built into our everyday interactions  We surround ourselves with people who think like us.

The gulf has been widening through administrations of both parties and likely will continue to trouble the nation, he added.

Trying to read the tea leaves of the next four years remains a tricky business, Wilson said. Trump was a candidate like the country had never seen before.

Hes quite likely to be a president like weve never seen before, Wilson said. Good, bad or indifferent, but different.
Three of Virginias four Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives plan to boycott the inauguration of Donald Trump.

Rep. Donald McEachin, the new congressman in Virginias 4th District, and Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Fairfax, issued statements Wednesday saying they would join Rep. Don Beyer, D-Alexandria, in boycotting the Friday inaugural. Rep. Robert C. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News, will attend, according to his office.

McEachin and Connolly said Trumps verbal attack on Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, the civil rights activist who said Trump would not be a legitimate president, factored into their decisions.

Trump insults and denigrates a man who is a true hero, who has dedicated his life to civil rights, human rights and equal justice, who has shed blood for these values, McEachins statement said. McEachin said will be in his district with constituents on Friday.

I have never seen a campaign that was based so much on hatred, his statement said. I have never seen a campaign where a foreign power intervened to get one candidate elected and where the candidate did not even acknowledge, let alone condemn this behavior. Im not sure what there is to celebrate.

Connollys statement said what he called sordid aspects of Trumps behavior should not become a new norm:

Instead of unifying us, he has reveled in driving wedges between us. His disparagement of an entire religion; his racist rants about minorities; his resurrection of white supremacy; his ridicule of the disabled; his blatant misogyny and boasting of unwanted sexual advances; his intimidation of the press; his repugnant attack on civil rights hero John Lewis; and his disturbing defense of and advocacy for Vladimir Putin  a KGB thug  threaten our democratic institutions. How can I celebrate that?

The decision by the three Democrats to boycott the inauguration is disappointing but unsurprising, said John Whitbeck, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia.

The peaceful transfer of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy. The fact that these three Democrats cant set aside partisanship to celebrate what would be a momentous occasion regardless of which party won says a great deal more about them than it does about President-elect Trump.
CHARLOTTESVILLE  Anxious for a decision about the future of Charlottesvilles public monuments to Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson, many residents were enraged Tuesday when they were left without an answer from the city council.

Mayor Mike Signer struggled to maintain control of the meeting as attendees lashed out at perceived slights against African-Americans and those who see Confederate monuments as symbols of white supremacy, slavery and the Jim Crow era.

Things became tense moments after the council voted 2-2 on a motion to move the citys statue of Lee from Lee Park to McIntire Park, per a recommendation from a community commission the council convened last year.

Signer and council member Kathy Galvin opposed the measure, citing potential ethical dilemmas, legal challenges, financial hurdles and public outrage . Councilor Bob Fenwick chose to abstain, prompting several shouts of shame and coward from some upset with the votes outcome .

Fenwick criticized the statues and said he would not vote to retain the statues in the park. But he added that he believes there are many opposed to moving the statues or who feel indifferent to them and said the city needs to prioritize other efforts aimed at creating an equitable city.

He specifically mentioned funding for a public park field house , jail diversion programs and increased contributions to community agencies that provide public assistance.

City staff estimated that moving either statue could cost approximately $350,000. Attorneys for the city have noted that legal challenges could result from a decision to move the statues, which the state considers to be war memorials.

As part of the discussion about the statues, the council unanimously agreed to consider a proposal from Councilor Wes Bellamy to fund a scholarship and several social initiatives that would increase city spending by about $150,000.

That, however, did not sway Fenwick, who said he wants to negotiate with councilors to gain support for several measures hed like funded in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Enough symbolism. Enough with the declarations, proclamations, good intentions and written promises. We have been down that road before  more than once, Fenwick said. Its time to show me the money. If these words tonight have any meaning, they will find their way into the city budget. Its time to invest in our citizens.

Shortly after the initial vote to move the statues, the meeting descended into a vitriolic back-and-forth between the councilors and a majority of the attendees who advocated removing the statues.

About five years ago, Councilor Kristin Szakos said at a Festival of the Book event that shed be interested in seeing the statues removed from the city. Last year, Bellamy called for the removal of the Lee statue.

The council responded to those calls last spring by putting together a commission to study the idea, along with other ways the city can publicly present its history as it relates to race.

In November, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces unanimously agreed to send a number of recommendations for ways the city can repair race relations and celebrate otherwise forgotten and seemingly disregarded aspects of its history.

As for the statues of Lee and Jackson, the commission recommended they be moved to McIntire Park or recontextualized in their place. Either decision hinged on contextualization so that the legacy of the statues and that of the Confederacy can be displayed in a broader context.

For Mr. Fenwick, who earlier tonight was criticizing this council for not doing what our commissions ask us to do, I find it very troubling that all of the work done this past year to dismantle racism and create an equitable community, everything we have stood for, its undone by this vote, Szakos said.

A nearly hour-long discussion after the initial vote had no result. After going back and forth and taking two breaks, the council was unable to agree on a course of action.

What Fenwick did was a cowards exit, Blue Ribbon Commission Chairman Don Gathers said. That was six months of work thats amounted to absolutely nothing.

I really thought the council was going to go one way or another, he said. But to stay stagnant is just not acceptable to myself, the commission or the citizens of Charlottesville.

While many left Tuesdays meeting feeling defeated and furious over the councils inaction, others were pleased to see the council deadlocked on the matter.

It is one thing to advocate for something, but you demonize the people youre forcing to pay for your liberal agenda, city resident John Heyden told the council in the public comment period earlier in the meeting.

Signer said Tuesday night that the topic of the statues could come before the council again but that it may be difficult to have at least three councilors agree to put it on a future agenda.

The question will be whether there will be an appetite among my colleagues for revisiting the pain and chaos that attended Mr. Fenwicks actions and statements, Signer said.
RICHMOND  Considering the uncertainty hovering over the future of health care at the federal level, Virginias hospitals are asking the states lawmakers to take a do no harm stance on state health policies.

During a news conference at the General Assembly building Wednesday, the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association encouraged legislators to restrain themselves during this years session, particularly regarding Certificate of Public Need, or COPN, reform.

Congress repeal and possible replacement of the Affordable Care Act would have a major impact on hospitals across the country, the association contends, including in Virginia.

Health care providers and patients have been through considerable transformation and upheaval over the last years, and it appears we will be in store for even more dramatic changes in the future, said Toni Ardabell, CEO of Bon Secours Virginia Health System and a member of the associations board of directors. That change could fundamentally alter our health care system and our patients access to our care.

A contested issue between hospitals and physician groups, Virginias COPN program requires anyone who wishes to build a new hospital or imaging facility go through an application process with the state.

Hospitals claim COPN protects them in light of the billions they spend every year providing charity care to state residents. Opponents of the program claim it stifles competition and limits access.

As a business leader, I believe in a free market, said Bryan Stephens, president of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. But an honest discussion of COPN requires an open acknowledgement that health care simply is not a free market.

A free-market system requires a level playing field; we dont have a level playing field. Repealing COPN would make an already uneven playing field even more slanted. And that concerns the business community.
DECATUR  A special art exhibit featuring psychedelic posters and memorabilia has been in the planning stage for two years.

Or maybe it's been 50 years.

The exhibit Peace, Love, Posters begins Friday, Jan. 20, at Kirkland Fine Arts Center's Perkinson Art Gallery at Millikin University. The opening reception will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26. The event is free to the public.

Visitors will be able to view authentic items from the 1960s and 1970s as well as sit on furniture, listen to music and read magazines from the time. The largest portion of the exhibit is the collection of more than 200 posters. Most of the pieces are rock 'n' roll artistry, with a few political views mixed in.

The posters will be displayed in the west side of Perkinson's main gallery. Other artistic pieces, such as album covers, clothing and furniture, will be in the east area.

It is an event. It is more than just an exhibit, said Ed Walker, Millikin University associate professor of art.

The posters are from the collection of Decatur resident Marc Willis. After his brother died four years ago, Willis inherited approximately 400 rare and vintage posters, along with other pieces of his brother's life found in nine storage units.

It took me two years to go through it all, he said.

His brother, Harold Reece Willis, Jr., was a collector. After he was discharged from the Navy in 1963, he returned to San Francisco where his family had lived. Reece attended many of the concerts and shows advertised on the posters in his collection.

He was there at the beginning of the hippie culture, Willis said.

According to the curators of the exhibit, the posters are still highly collectible. Most of the artwork is in near-mint condition with signatures by the artist or publisher. Current prices range from $10 to $35,000.

Unlike pop-culture artwork made for this generation, the posters in the collection were created by typography.

They were all created by hand with no computers, Willis said. They weren't just hitting a button and flipping them out.

Millikin student Sydney Doherty visited Willis's home two years ago with other students studying typography in Walker's class. Majoring in graphic design, she decided to take on the project of curating the exhibit. Doherty spent her summer photographing, organizing and cataloging each of the 400 pieces in the collection.

Now I'm an expert at reading psychedelic fonts, she said. They are almost impossible to read if you haven't practiced.

The artwork has hand-drawn and hand-written elements throughout each piece. According to Doherty, this made each poster more elaborate with the variation of color and design, all created during just one era. The styles of art were so different, she said. And the artists were producing the posters every week with new ideas.

An artist herself, Doherty found an appreciation for the era. She also found a connection between her generation and the turmoils of the 1960s and 1970s.

The art of this generation shows us how we as artists now can control and be a part of societal issues, she said.

The curators' plans are to get others to visit the exhibit who wouldn't normally attend an art opening. They understand many of Millikin's art exhibits are designed for the academics in the college.

This is more of an experience, Doherty said.
DECATUR  People listen to and use poetry for various reasons: to fight injustice, find peace, or as a way to pursue a romantic interest.

Poet Chazaray Carson has invited other artists, including musicians and comedians, to a performance highlighting poetry and the spoken word.

I've asked people in the show who want to share, whether it's singing, poetry, comedians, he said.

The poetry and comedy show Laughing But Serious will be on stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Masonic Temple. Tickets are $20.

The last poetry event Carson brought to the area was in 2013. He has since heard requests for a return show. Ten acts have agreed to appear to provide original and clean performances. Each artist brings their own personal style and talent, whether spoken or in song.

Decatur native Tebe Zalango not only recites his poetry, but also performs with his guitar. He has performed throughout North America, including Toronto, Atlanta and New York. He has a natural admiration for poetry not only in reciting it but also in hearing the art. Although he is also a musician, his music is not categorized as rap.

The rhythm and breathing of poetry is different than rap, he said.

The show is a combination of comedy and music designed not only to entertain but to inform, and to laugh about something, Zalango said.

The show also has a serious side. LaKeysha Queen La Greenwood is described as a spoken word artist. She speaks her poetry from memory. The atmosphere is laid back during her poetry session. Greenwood describes her poetry as her truth with deep meanings.

"I'm not an overly emotional being. Poetry is my outlet, she said. I found healing and I'm hoping to heal others by what I bring to the table."

The event will be hosted by St. Louis comedian Charles Spinks. Carson invited his friend to the show because of his growing local popularity. I've got fans right in Decatur, he said.

Spinks tries to keep his comedy up-to-date with current events during a clean show. Really, it's whatever people want me to do, he said.

Many of the acts are from Central Illinois, including Greenwood. The poet first stepped in front of a microphone less than a year ago, but has been writing poetry for a few years. Like many poets, she has found she thrives on the face-to-face interaction.

"To feel the energy, you can tell who you've touched," she said.
CHICAGO (AP)  University of Illinois' board of trustees on Thursday endorsed an ambitious plan from the system's president to increase enrollment by nearly 15 percent at its three campuses over the next five years.

University of Illinois President Tim Killeen presented the plan to the Board of Trustees at their meeting in Chicago. The plan's goal would have more than 93,600 students enrolled at the school's campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield over the next five years.

The effort will expand academic programs and opportunities for Illinois students and minorities as a means of curbing the number of students going out of state for college, Killeen said. Statistics show 45 percent of Illinois high school graduates enrolled at four-year colleges and universities in 2015 were going to out-of-state institutions, the university said  up from 29 percent in 2002.

Trustee Jill Smart said Illinois has to compete with out-of-state schools that offer discounted costs to Illinois students.

"For some people that's a lot of money," Smart said, according to The (Champaign) News-Gazette.

Killeen said the proposal will give "more students the opportunity for a world-class education that will transform their lives and seizing on our opportunity to serve the needs of the state by expanding the pipeline of talent that is so critical to its future."

The university system already has seen enrollment grow in recent years with officials saying 12,700 students have been added since fall 2006. The latest efforts would increase system-wide enrollment by more than 12,100 students from about 81,500 last fall to 93,600 in fall 2021.

Separately, the board of trustees extended a freeze on its base tuition for in-state freshmen for a third consecutive year. The school noted that trustees made the decision despite the lack of a state budget that has reduced government funding for the University of Illinois system for the last two years.

Also Thursday, trustees elected anesthesiologist Dr. Timothy Koritz of Roscoe to be the board's next chairman.

Three trustee terms expired Monday, and the university system is awaiting Gov. Bruce Rauner's appointments to those positions.
A MAN accused alongside his two brothers of child sex offences claimed this week that the allegations were down to a misunderstanding.

When Tayab Dad, was asked by his defence counsel at Sheffield Crown Court, Miss Rukhshanda Hussain, about accusations of rape, he said: I never did it  there has been some misunderstanding.

Prosecutor Miss Sophie Drake challenged him: What is her misunderstanding? and he said: She must have got the wrong person.

Asked who she (his accuser) was mixing you up with, the defendant answered: I dont know.

Tayab Dad is on trial alongside his brothers Basharat Dad (32) and Nasar Dad (36).

The brothers are accused of 20 offences between them, while two other men also face charges.

The Dad brothers, who all gave evidence this week, were identified to police by two women, both schoolgirls in 2001 when their offences allegedly happened, neither of whom can be named.

One told police Nasar and Basharat Dad had locked her in an Eastwood flat, giving her alcohol and drugs before raping her.

The brothers worked or socialised in a fireworks shop on Fitzwilliam Road, Eastwood, owned by their family, the court heard.

The girls told police they too would socialise in a back room at the shop, describing its layout.

They said that they were both taken to nearby flats, where one or more of the brothers allegedly had sex with them.

But the Dad brothers each insisted that they did not remember their accusers ever spending time in the back of the shop.

Basharat Dad admitted first meeting one  who told police he was a big part of her life  in an alleyway in town and having sex with her years later in a car after picking her up in Canklow.

But he denied having had any sexual contact when she was a child.

Asked by defence counsel Mr Michael Brady whether he knew his other accuser, Basharat Dad answered: Yes, but he denied having had any sexual contact with her.

Basharat Dad was arrested in 2001 after one complainant made allegations against him.

Asked by Miss Drake what he had thought of the woman then, he initially said he couldnt remember but when the prosecutor pointed out that he had called the girl a slag and dirty when questioned by police, he admitted he had a low opinion of her.

He denied pressurising the girls into sex and refusing to take no for an answer.

Nasar Dad said he had worked in the fireworks shop in 2001 but had never seen his accuser in the shop nor had any sexual contact with her.

Asked about a false imprisonment claim, he said: No, Ive never locked anyone in any room or flat.

Nasar Dad said he had given a no comment police interview as his solicitor had not been present and he had wanted legal advice before co-operating.

Tayab Dad said he had a girlfriend in 2001, with whom he would have sex in a basement below a neighbouring takeaway, but insisted other girls had not been taken into the back room or nearby flats.

The defendants were asked how their accusers described the back of the fireworks shop if they had never been in there and each described a glass door in the front room of the shop which people could see into the back room through.

Basharat Dad (32), of Eldon Road, Eastwood faces six counts of rape, two of sexual intercourse with a girl aged under 13, five of indecent assault.

Nasar Dad (36), of Cranworth Road, Eastwood is charged with two counts of rape, two of sexual intercourse with a girl aged under 13, two of inciting indecency with a child.

Both are also accused jointly of false imprisonment.

Tayab Dad (34), of St Lawrence Road, Tinsley is accused of rape.

Matloob Hussain (41), of Doncaster Road, Thrybergh is charged with sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13.

Mohammed Sadiq (40), of Oxley Grove, Broom is accused of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13.

All men deny all of the charges against them.

The trial continues.
AngloGold Ashanti mulls 30% reduction of carbon emissions by 2030 AngloGold Ashanti has come up with a new carbon emissions reduction target which seeks to achieve a 30% absolute reduction in its Scope 1 and Scope 2 Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2030, as compared to 2021. This will be achieved through a combination...

Lucara Q3 revenue, output drop Lucara Diamond, which wholly owns the Karowe mine in Botswana, realised $49.9 million in revenues in the third quarter of 2022 compared to $72.7 million in the comparative quarter. The revenue includes $46.5 million from the sale of 99,301 carats and...

Gemfields to auction 187,775-carat cluster of emeralds Gemfields is set to auction a 187,775-carat cluster of emeralds discovered at its 75%-owned Kagem mine in Zambia in March 2020. Viewing of the Kafubu Cluster commenced on 31 October and bidding will close on 17 November.

Tiffany jewellery pieces to highlight Jewels & Jadeite auction in Hong Kong Jewellery pieces by Tiffany & Co, including those by renowned designer Jean Schlumberger, are among the highlights of Bonhams Jewels and Jadeite auction in Hong Kong on November 26, 2022.
Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma said although the countrys alluvial diamond deposits are depleting, there are still diamonds in kimberlite pipes that are economical.

"There are opportunities to develop diamond deposits in the country. Although some mining deposits are depleting, there are still kimberlite dykes that are worth exploiting and can be highly worthwhile, he was quoted as saying by IdexOnline.

We want to continue to be active in the diamond sector and market our special diamonds.

we are [now] full partners in the Kimberley Process and diamond trading is being conducted successfully.

Sierra Leone joined the Kimberley Process (KP) in 2003 following the end of its civil war.

KP data shows that the country produced 500,000 carats of rough diamonds in 2015, down from 620,181 carats in 2014.

Meanwhile, Israel's Ambassador in Sierra Leone, Paul Hirschson, said the West African country had business opportunities.

The Israeli Embassy and its team are ready to help all Israelis with projects," he said.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




ALROSA President Andrew Zharkov takes part in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The working agenda of the president of ALROSA aimed to exchange views during working meetings at the industrial community forum Mining & Metals and the WEF System Initiative on Future of Consumption. Zharkov plans to take part in the plenary session of the Forum, as well as a number of bilateral contacts with prominent representatives of the world mining industry and potential partners of ALROSA. On the final day of the forum, Zharkov is scheduled to participate in the session on the Business Cooperation with Russia.

This year, the World Economic Forum is held in Davos, Switzerland, from January 17 to 20. The main topic of the 47th Forum is the flexible and responsible leadership. The Forum expects around 3,000 participants from 70 countries.




CP

Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP) has announced the appointment of Keith Creel as the companys president and CEO effective Jan. 31. The change follows E. Hunter Harrison's decision to retire from the railroad.

CP says Harrison is taking vacation leave effective immediately through Jan. 31. Creel will take on the CEOs duties throughout this timeframe.

Hunter has made enormous contributions to CP, and we are forever grateful for his years of service, said Andrew F. Reardon, chairman of the board. We have a tremendous CEO-in-waiting in Keith Creel. Keith and his team are ready to formally take the reins.

The Class 1 says Harrison discussed with CPs board his retirement from the railroad and possible arrangements that would allow him to seek opportunities involving other Class 1 railroads. After negotiations, review of independent legal advice and deliberation, the railroad says its special committee recommended to the board that CP and Harrison enter a separation agreement.

Leaving CP is bittersweet, Harrison said. I have had a wonderful experience and depart with many friends and with full confidence in Keiths ability to build on the great success we have enjoyed.

CP agreed to terms of the separation agreement outlining a limited waiver of Harrisons non-competition obligations. Representatives say Harrison has agreed to terminate all his roles with CP, relinquishing all benefits and perquisites he is permitted to receive from CP in the future, including his pension.

Harrison also agreed to surrender for cancellation all of his vested and unvested equity awards, excluding a segment of his vested options he was allotted upon joining CP in June 2012.

The total benefits and awards Harrison will forfeit is valued at about CA$118 million (US$88.5 million), with the value of the equity awards surrendered determined based on their in-the-money value relative to CPs current trading price of shares.

CP and Harrisons previously-established consulting agreement will be disregarded. Harrison will not offer CP any consulting or related services following his retirement. CP also reinforced Harrisons non-solicitation obligations regarding senior CP employees, and he has agreed to sell all of his CP shares by May 31, 2017. CP says the railroad will not have any role in Harrisons future pursuits.
BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP.AX,BLT.L,BBL,BHP), Vale SA (VALE) and their Brazilian iron-ore joint venture Samarco Mineracao SA entered into a preliminary agreement with the Federal Prosecutors' Office in Brazil regarding the Fundao tailings dam failure on 5 November 2015 that killed 19 people.

As part of the Preliminary Agreement, Samarco and Vale and BHP Billiton Brasil expect to provide security of BRL 2.2 billion or $675 million to support social and environmental remediation programs.

The Interim Security comprises a charge over Samarco's assets of BRL 800 million or approximately US$245 million, insurance bonds of BRL 1.3 billion or approximately US$400 million, and liquid assets of BRL 100 million or approximately US$30 million.

Any restart of operations at Samarco is subject to a separate set of negotiations with relevant parties and will occur only if it is safe, economically viable and has the support of the community. Resuming operations would require government approvals, the granting of licenses by state authorities, the restructure of Samarco's debt, and the completion of commercial arrangements with Vale regarding the use of its infrastructure.

The Preliminary Agreement also requires Samarco, Vale and BHP Billiton Brasil to advance BRL 200 million (approximately US$60 million, 100 per cent basis) of the funding obligations under the Framework Agreement to Programs for the municipalities of Barra Longa, Rio Doce, Santa Cruz do Escalvado and Ponte Nova. The funds are to be advanced within 90 days after signing of the Preliminary Agreement.

During the period that the Interim Security is in place, it will, subject to Court approval, replace the BRL 1.2 billion injunction or approximately US$370 million issued in the BRL 20 billion Civil Claim. In addition, the applications by the Federal Prosecutors for the BRL 7.7 billion injunction or approximately US$2.4 billion in the BRL 155 billion Civil Claim and the BRL 20 billion asset freezing order or approximately US$6 billion in the criminal proceedings commenced by the Federal Prosecutors in Brazil against Samarco, Vale, BHP Billiton Brasil and others will be suspended.

The parties have agreed that the Interim Security will remain in place until the earlier of 30 June 2017 and the date that a final settlement arrangement is agreed between the Federal Prosecutors, and Samarco, Vale and BHP Billiton Brasil. If a final settlement arrangement is not agreed by 30 June 2017, the Federal Prosecutors may request reinstatement by the Court of the BRL 1.2 billion or approximately US$370 million injunction.

On 2 March 2016, Samarco, Vale, BHP Billiton Brasil and the Brazilian Authorities entered into a Framework Agreement for the remediation and compensation of the impacts of the dam failure. The Federal Prosecutors are not a party to the Framework Agreement.

The Preliminary Agreement outlines the process and timeline for negotiation of a settlement of the BRL 155 billion or approximately US$47.5 billion Civil Claim relating to the dam failure.

The Preliminary Agreement provides for the appointment of experts to advise the Federal Prosecutors in relation to the social and environmental impacts of the dam failure, any revisions to the social and environmental remediation programs under the Framework Agreement and for the ongoing assessment and monitoring of the Programs. Samarco, Vale and BHP Billiton Brasil will provide existing studies and research to the expert advisors.

The expert advisors' conclusions will be considered in the negotiations of a final settlement arrangement with the Federal Prosecutors, which is expected to occur by 30 June 2017 under the timeframe established in the Preliminary Agreement.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Spain's foreign trade deficit decreased in November from a year ago, as exports grew faster than imports, figures from the Economy Ministry showed Thursday.

The trade deficit dropped to EUR 1.25 billion in November from EUR 1.65 billion in the corresponding month last year.

Merchandise exports grew 8.5 percent year-over-year in November and imports increased by 5.3 percent.

During the January to November period, total trade deficit of the country was EUR 16.3 billion, which was 27.1 percent lower than in the same period of 2015. Exports rose 1.6 percent to EUR 233.7 billion, marking the series historical high for this period.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
Crude oil futures inched higher Thursday morning, even after the International Energy Agency warned that OPEC's supply cuts may not re-balance oil anytime soon.

"It is far too soon to see what level of compliance has been achieved," said the IEA, which advises advanced industrial economies on energy policy. "The market awaits the outcome of the output deal."

WTI light sweet oil was up 60 cents at $51.67 a barrel, taking back some of yesterday's losses.

Traders considered yesterday's supply data from the American Petroleum Institute.

The API reported a larger than expected 5 million barrel draw in commercial crude supplies in its Wednesday report. The Energy Information Department releases the government's figures this morning.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has signed a new production deal with Netflix Inc. (NFLX) that will make the online video streaming service the exclusive home for his new comedic projects.

As part of Seinfeld's exclusive deal with Netflix, twenty four brand new episodes of "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" will being streaming exclusively on Netflix in installments in late 2017, with subsequent installments following in 2018 and beyond.

In addition, fifty-nine previous episodes of the Emmy-nominated series will also be aired exclusively on Netflix at the same time.

The comedy series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, features Seinfeld joining friends for a cup of coffee and a drive in a classic car, sharing stories along the way.

Seinfeld will also film two, all-new stand-up shows exclusively for Netflix members globally. The first show will arrive on Netflix later this year.

In addition, the high-profile comedian will help develop scripted and non-scripted comedy programming for Netflix, with additional elements of the deal to be announced later.

Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix said, "Jerry is known the world over as both a great TV innovator and beloved comic voice. We are incredibly proud to welcome him to the Netflix comedy family."

"When I first started thinking about Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, the entire Netflix model consisted of mailing out DVDs in envelopes. I love that we are now joining together, both at very different points," Seinfeld said.

Netflix has already secured new comedy specials from Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock. In November 2016, Netflix confirmed plans for three new comedy specials starring Dave Chappelle. The specials will be co-directed by Chappelle and Stan Lathan.

Netflix made a deal reported to be worth $40 million in October 2016 with stand-up comedian Chris Rock for two stand-up specials. The move saw the return of the Emmy-nominated comedian to television as a stand-up comic following an eight-year absence.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The U.S. Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin Corp. are reportedly nearing a deal worth $9 billion for F-35 fighter planes.

President-elect Donald Trump had earlier heavily criticized the Pentagon for overspending on defense contracts. He had specifically noted the F-35 as an example on how Lockheed takes advantage of the defense budget. Trump even asked Boeing to explore pricing for an alternative to the costly fighter jet.

"The F-35 program and cost is out of control", Trump tweeted in December. "Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th."

"Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!" Trump tweeted.

The news of the new deal was first reported by Reuters. According to the report, the deal would lead to a drop in the price of each F-35 to below $100 million.

The DoD expects to spend $391 billion on the supersonic warplanes in the next few decades.

F-35, which was initially expected to enter full-scale production in 2008, has become the world's most expensive weapons project with estimated cost of about $379 billion.

The F-35 is a fifth-generation fighter jet that is designed to be largely invisible to radar, fly faster than the speed of sound and incorporate advanced sensors.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
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 SA Commercial Prop News

From left to right: Fundzos Nomvula Mdluli; Saul Gumede, Property Sector Charter Council chairman; Minister of Public Works, Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde; and Portia Tau-Sekati, Property Sector Charter Council CEO Image gallery



The Property Sector Charter Council on Friday 10th June hosted a seminar on the transformation in the property industry and the way forward  ahead of the gazetting of the sector charter  to ensure that the industry members understand the implications to the sector and business at large.

The property sector remains one of the key economic sectors in the South African economy, estimated at R4 trillion in total value (49% and 52% attributed to commercial and residential sectors, respectively).

It is because of the recognition of the importance of transformation as a critical imperative for all South African economic sectors that the Property Sector Charter Council commits to strive for transformed property relations in South Africa and to promote a vibrant growing property sector, said Portia Tau-Sekati, chief executive officer of the Property Sector Charter Council.

The Property Charter stakeholders including the public sector, property service providers, property owners, regulatory bodies and other interest groups participating in the private sector met to discuss progress made since the adoption of the Property Sector Transformation Charter.

It is expected that the Property Charter will unlock obstacles to property ownership and the effective participation of all South Africans in the property market.

This seminar marks a major step in a process started many years ago by the late Minister of Public Works, Stella Sigcau, said Saul Gumede, chairman of the Property Sector Charter Council.



The road that has been travelled since the adoption of the Property Sector Transformation Charter in 2007 speaks volumes about our commitment and willingness to conclude the work of those who have come before us, said Gumede.

Tau-Sekati said this seminar launches the education and awareness drive around the Property Charter and brings into effect the commitment and buy-in of support of transformation and empowerment by all signatories through the sector charter, by driving implementation in order to achieve key milestones and targets.

The Property Sector Charter is only a guiding document of how transformation and empowerment could be achieved in the property sector. The true delivery and effects will be seen in the implementation of the charter by its stakeholders, said Tau-Sekati.

Transformation remains a key delivery for the Minister of Public Works, Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde. It is through the Property Sector Charter that as government  the single biggest property owner (with property holding of about R400 billion) and biggest tenant and client in the South African property sector  we become a major catalyst for change in property ownership.

We aim to promote the objectives contained in the BBBEE Act of enabling meaningful participation of black people including women, youth and people with disabilities to achieve sustainable development and general prosperity, says Minister Mahlangu-Nkabinde.

Through its Ministry the Department of Public Works acknowledges its crucial role in the transformation of the property sector.

It realises that the success of the Property Sector Charter depends on the full co-operation and commitment of government departments and private sector organisations involved in the property sector.

With the gazetting of the sector charter it means real work begins and the true measure will be how we successfully implement the charter in line with the following targets:

Unlock obstacles of ownership and participation in the property market by black people

Achieve a substantial change in racial and gender composition of ownership and control, whilst promoting employment equity, in order to encourage diverse organisational cultures

Promote property development and investment in rural and under-resourced areas which enhances basic infrastructure, encourages investment and supports micro and small enterprises

Create a platform to increase the pool of intellectual capital amongst black people, particularly women, in the sector by contributing towards increased investment in skills development and training of existing and new black professionals.

The aim of the seminar was also to establish how government could work with the private sector on initiatives that show clear commitment and concrete interventions that support empowerment aligned to the charter, said Tau-Sekati.
By SA Commercial Prop News

The SA Chamber of Commerce and Industrys Business Confidence Index (BCI) for March declined by 3.8 index points to 95.7 after rising by 2.4 points in February 2012, the body said.

The March 2012 reading is the worst since March 2009, when the BCI stood at 93.1, it said.

SACCI said in March 2009, however, the business cycle was in a downward phase toward a trough in December 2009. The BCI was 8.5 points below the level of March 2011 after a year-on-year decline of 2.4 points in February 2012.

The global uncertainty, coupled with a tentative local outlook, contributed to all sub-indices being either negative or neutral on a monthly basis, said SACCI.

It said three of the six financial sub-indices were negative and three were neutral on a month-on-month basis in March 2012, thus echoing restraint in the business mood. The real economic environment was also biased towards the negative from February to March 2012, with all of the seven sub-indices being negative or neutral.

A negative picture also emerged from the annual year-on-year comparison in March 2012. Nine sub-indices made less of a contribution than a year ago, compared to only four sub-indices being negative in February.

Only one real economic sub-index (utility services) and two financial sub-indices (real financing cost and metals prices) made positive contributions (y/y) to the BCI in March 2012.

SACCI suggested that promoting a greater focus on the investment side of the economy and shifting resources away from the consumption side, could result in the creation and maintenance of economic assets. That, complimented by skilled human capital, would secure a more optimistic and less volatile business mood.
Following deep concern expressed by RBI employee unions over alleged government interference in the affairs of the central bank and opposition protests on the issue earlier this week, RBI Governor Urjit Patel has asked staff members to "zealously guard" the integrity of the institution.

"Let me emphasise that one thing we should all zealously guard is the integrity and reputation of our organisation and any act belittling the same should deserve zero tolerance from all of us," Patel said in an email in his first address to Reserve Bank staff after taking over as governor in September last year.



"I am confident that all of us working together will rise to the occasion and face these challenges in a manner befitting the reputation of this esteemed organisation," Patel said in a reference to the Centre's recent demonetisation measure banning Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes that is being implemented by the RBI.





"During the year gone by, we have continued our efforts at restoring macroeconomic stability in the economy. While the policy actions have already shown positive effects, nevertheless, they are work in progress and need to be fine-tuned constantly to keep pace with the challenging environment," he said.



The RBI employee unions last week, in a letter addressed to Patel, expressed their deep concern over alleged interference by the central government in the affairs of the apex bank.



The letter asked the Governor whether a recent media report, according to which the Finance Ministry had deputed a Joint Secretary-level officer to the RBI to oversee its currency chest operations, is true.



"If true, this is most unfortunate and we take strong exception to this measure of the government as impinging on the RBI's autonomy and its statutory as well as operational jurisdiction," the letter read.



On Wednesday, hundreds of Congress party protesters gheraoed the RBI office in New Delhi and elsewhere, shouting slogans denouncing demonetisation and the Centre's role in "destruction of the RBI's autonomy".



Also on Wednesday, Patel appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance and told them that Rs 9.2 lakh crore of new currency notes have been put in circulation since the high-value currency notes were demonetised on November 8.



In another revelation about how the crucial decision on demonetisation was taken by the RBI at a day's notice, Patel also told the Parliamentary panel that the RBI had been "advised" by the government on November 7 to hold a board meeting on the issue.



The demonetisation move, designed to combat black money, counterfeit currency and terror financing, has provoked a major cash crunch, while the RBI has come under fire for the slow pace of re-monetisation, as well as for the number of flip-flops it has committed in announcing measures to deal with this unprecedented measure.
Even though cheap tariff is hurting the revenues of Reliance Jio, as in the case of other networks, it also presents an opportunity for the latest entrant to fine-tune its network to gain traction among users, says a telecom expert.

"The relatively low tariff of Jio is the opportunity also to further fine-tune their network itself because there are gaps, there are issues in network-optimisation," Mahesh Uppal, director of telecom consultancy firm Com First told BTVi in an interview.

"So while the company gets its network up to speed, it is good idea for them to makeover -- through out of necessity -- and by actually giving cheap or free services," he said.



He felt that the free services will continue for some time and this is not great news for the sector in the sense that it is hurting revenues all across the board.





"But it is certainly not bad news for the customers in the short term at least because they will have the benefit of cheap broadband services," Uppal said.



"For any new entrant, the only way to differentiate the product or get people to use their services is to compete aggressively on price. So freebies are the norm when a company enters the market for the first time," he added.
The central government on Thursday said it expects the first flight under its ambitious 'regional connectivity scheme' (RCS) to operate by next month.

"The first RCS flight is expected to be operated by late February or early March," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said here. "We have received a very encouraging response from operators to the RCS."

"In the first phase of bidding under the RCS, the AAI (Airports Authority of India), which is the implementing agency for the scheme, has received 43 initial proposals from 11 bidders covering 190 RCS routes," the minister said.

"The initial proposals are now open for counter-bidding."

According to the minister, the final bids under the RCS will be awarded by February 3.

The minister pointed out that the scheme is a "game changer" for the Indian aviation sector, as it will not only augment the number of operational airports but also increase the total count of schedule operators.

"Currently, we have 75 operational airports in the country, based on the initial bids, the number of operational airports will go up to 118 airports," Sinha elaborated.

"The scheme will also raise the number of schedule operations. As out of the 11 bidders some will start to provide scheduled flights for the first time."

The last date of counter-bids submission against these initial proposals is February 1.

The routes will be awarded to the bidders who quote the lowest requirement of viability gap funding (VGF) against such routes.

Last year, the government launched the RCS which is a key component of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP), whose main objective is to "enhance regional connectivity through fiscal support and infrastructure development."

The objective of RCS, christened as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) is to enhance air passenger traffic in the country by stimulating demand on regional routes.

The UDAN scheme will be in operation for a period of 10 years.

The operations under the scheme are intended to provide air connectivity to un-served and remote routes with airfare being capped at Rs 2,500 for an hour's journey of around 500 km.

The allocation of routes under the scheme will be based on a reverse bidding mechanism, with selected airlines getting a VGF, apart from various other financial concessions for a period of three years.

The central government is expected to provide concessions in the form of reduced excise duty and service tax, and the state governments will have to lower the VAT (value added tax) on ATF (air turbine fuel) to one per cent or less.

Besides, the state governments would not charge on security, and fire services and electricity, water and other utilities would be provided at concessional rates.

On their part, airport operators shall not impose landing and parking charges and terminal navigation landing fees. They would also offer discounts on route navigation facility charges.
Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts has been roped in to lend her voice for a character named SmurfWillow in the upcoming animated comedy film "Smurfs: The Lost Village".

"Smurfs are such a fun part of our animated culture. They were popular when I was a child and they were popular when my kids were little. It's fun to be part of such a sweet group that continues to entertain young people," Roberts told people.com.



Apart from Roberts, the film also includes Demi Lovato as Smurfette, Mandy Patinkin as Papa Smurf and Rainn Wilson as the evil wizard Gargamel.





The story follows the Smurfs as they race Gargamel to find the mysterious Lost Village and uncover the biggest secret in Smurf history. Using a mysterious map as guidance, the adorable blue friends embark on a roller-coaster journey through the Forbidden Forest -- filled with action, danger and more than a few laughs.



"Smurfs: The Lost Village" will also mark a return to animated films for Roberts, who previously voiced characters in the 2006 family films "The Ant Bully" and "Charlotte's Web".
Oscar winning music director A.R.Rahman has announced that he will observe a day-long fast on Friday, along with members of the Nadigar Sangam -- the South Indian Artistes Association -- to express solidarity with people protesting against the ban on Jallikattu.

"I'm fasting tomorrow to support the spirit of Tamil Nadu," Rahman posted on Twitter on Thursday.

Various artistes of the Tamil film fraternity will participate in the fast in support of Jallikattu, the ancient and popular bull-taming sport.



Thousands of young men and women here have demanded not only an end to the ban on Jallikattu but also a ban on People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which opposes the sport.



In Jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to hang on to the animal's hump for a stipulated distance or for a minimum of three jumps by the bull.



The Supreme Court banned Jallikattu in May 2014, saying that bulls cannot be used as performing animals including bullock-cart races. Since then, people have been urging the central government to take steps to allow the sport.



Various celebrities from southern cinema, including Rajinikanth, Kamal Hassan and Vetrimaaran have supported the protest against the ban.
The trend may be changing with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, but Bollywood heroines still have a long way to go. At least the talented actresses of 90s certainly are being discriminated against this reality. Why else are then talented actresses like Madhuri Dixit, Kajol and Juhi Chawla not getting good offers. And everyone knows how beautiful and talented they are. And this is exactly what was bothering Shahrukh Khan because all these ladies have done some block busters with these once leading ladies of Bollywood. And this is what he said recently while talking to a periodical: Madhuri, Juhi and Kajol are such beautiful women and wonderful actors. I'm a star because of them; they've taught me all that I know. Whenever I can, I try to get them to act in my movies. But we have to realise that this is a business at the end of the day, however much you may think it's a creative field. It pays the bills. It's a dichotomy in many ways. Films are an art; you can call it art that is tacky, fantastic, offbeat, edgy, superb, not-understandable - but it's art. Yet, this art is not based on how beautiful the outcome is like how a Monalisa is judged purely on her smile. Market forces define the art of cinema. A majority of the audience wants to see younger people. People define what they want to watch and the filmmakers follow suit. "
The much-anticipated 10th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) kicked-off here Thursday morning with renowned poet and lyricist Gulzar and celebrated American poet Anne Waldman delivering the keynote address and mystic Sadhguru and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje joining them on the stage.

The morning began with the very famous Shillong Chamber Choir presenting a wonderful rendition of "Vande Mataram", among others.

In his keynote address, Gulzar congratulated the festival organisers on completing 10 years, while also reminding them as well as other writers, to remain grounded as they prosper.

"I am scared to sit on a high chair where legs do not touch the ground. Sometimes I ask myself what difference has my writing made? Each one of us should look within to find such answers. It is after asking yourself that you get the answer that you are getting distracted.aceYou cannot distract the entire society because they have a collective consciousness. You have to ask why you are writing what you are writing," Gulzar said.

He also referred to India as a "happy country" and said that the poetry from the northeast is the most appealing to him.

"There is no place where there are so many writers and thinkers as in India. We are a happy country. Where there is light, there is a festival of light; there are kites and there is a festival of kites and we desperately needed a festival of writers, here we have one," he said.

Gulzar also shared his experience of reading poetry from various languages. "I have read and translated poetry from dozens of languages but the poetry from the northeast is the most appealing. It is an injustice to call them regional languages. They are all national languages," he contended.

Vasundhara Raje thanked the organisers of the lit fest for transforming the landscape of the Pink City and for permanently etching a place for Jaipur on the world map.

"This is one of the high points of the year. I personally look forward to the coming together of many writers and young children to this great gathering every year," she said before counting the various achievements of her government in the fields of education, water preservation, cleanliness and women's empowerment.

In his opening remarks, festival producer Sanjoy Roy said that at its onset 10 years ago, nobody could have imagined that the world will come together to participate in the literary event.

"JLF has always believed that it is a place for freedom of expression, a place of equity where everybody gets a fair chance and a place which is free. In places where there is equity the only thing that can bring about change is knowledge and education," he said.

"From Wellington to Washington, writers who try and make a sense of the world around, have gathered here and anybody can come and hear them, interact with them," added Roy.

Considered among the most popular of such events, the festival will host over 250 authors, leaders, thinkers and popular icons while revolving around the theme of "The Freedom to Dream: India at 70".

Festival producer Namita Gokhale threw light on the series of events and the themes that are all set to be explored over the next five days.

"We live in the best of times and the worst of times but the power of words and literature remain intact," she said.

The sessions will touch upon a multitude of ideas and themes, including the freedom to dream, which explores India today in the context of its history as well as its future, Translations and World Literature, Women and Marginalised Voices, Sanskrit and Colonialism and the Legacy of the Raj.

Festivalo-director William Dalrymple reminded the audience that as the sun sets in Jaipur during the course of the five days, hundreds of young students, who have gathered from different parts of India and cannot afford a hostel or a hotel, head to the Jaipur railway station and spend their nights on the platform.

"When you go to New York, you pay 250-500 dollars to attend a literary gathering. Here you have the greatest minds of the world and you can hear them for free," Dalrymple said.

Celebrated American poet Anne Waldman, during her address, mesmerized the audience with her poetry recital. She also impressed upon the need to encourage reading, saying: "We will have a total chaos without books, literature and library."

The event concludes on January 23.
One militant was killed and a soldier was injured on Thursday during a gunfight in north Kashmir's Bandipora district, police said.



Following a tip-off, security personnel surrounded the Khosa Mohalla area.

LeT commander Abu Musa was killed in the encounter with police and security forces in Bandipora (Hajin).



This triggered the gunfight, leaving Abu Musa dead and the soldier injured, the police added.




Security forces in Kashmir on Thursday gunned down Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Abu Musaib, a nephew of Mumbai 2008 attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, police said.

"According to our information, the foreign terrorist killed in an encounter with the security forces in Hajin area of Bandipora district today (Thursday) was the nephew of LeT top commander, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi," Director General of Police S.P. Vaid told media.



The militant, identified as Abu Musaib, was killed and a constable of the special operations group critically injured in the gunfight.





Security forces surrounded Khosa Mohalla in Hajin area following specific information. When challenged, the militants sheltering inside fired at the security forces which triggered a gunfight.



Lakhvi, who is wanted in India for his role in the November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks is out on bail in Pakistan. The attack left 166 people, mostly foreigners, dead.
In the wake of 15 schoolchildren dying in a tragic bus accident in Uttar Pradesh, reportedly due to foggy conditions, a renowned atmospheric scientist has called for an immediate end to practices that include the operation of traditional brick kilns in the region and the burning of crop residue in Punjab.

The accident at Etah, in which 16 schoolchildren were also injured, reportedly took place under bad weather conditions and poor visibility.



Ramesh Singh, a professor at Chapman University in California who is currently visiting his Varanasi home town, said the government must stop operation of old brick kilns responsible for injecting black carbon and suspended particles in the atmosphere that contribute to the haze.



In particular, the Varanasi region -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency -- "is densely populated by brick kilns which emit black smoke", Ramesh Singh told this correspondent in an email.



"The operation of these old kilns must stop and they should be replaced by non-polluting kilns using new technology to minimise fog and protect the health of people living in the Indo-Gangetic Plain," the scientist added.



Ramesh Singh, who was formerly at the Indian Institute of Technology - Kanpur had studied the dynamics of atmospheric aerosols and cause of the poor air quality over the Indo-Gangetic Plains by analysing data from NASA satellites.



"We found that the main cause of atmospheric pollution and poor air quality in this region is dense population of coal-based power plants, brick kilns, and now growing vehicles on the highways," he said.





Ramesh Singh said his studies have shown that burning of crop residues in Punjab in the months of October and early November "causes fog, haze and smog depending on the meteorological conditions, wind speed and direction and relative humidity, with the smoke plume dispersed over the entire Indo-Gangetic Plain."



"Since the last two decades, we have observed growing fog, haze and smog in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and, during the winter season, visibility becomes so poor that people cannot see objects even 10 metres away," he said. "Cancellation of flights, late running and cancellation of trains are regular features in this region."



Although the central government initiated steps to stop the burning of crop residue in Punjab, Uttarakhand and western UP, "farmers are still burning their crop residues and the smoke spreads over the major cities in the Indo-Gangetic Plains," Ramesh Singh said.



Pointing out that Varanasi experienced "thick fog" late last year, he warned that "people will face more problem in years to come", if no action was taken to stop emissions from brick kilns. The emissions provide very high concentrations of particulate matter that can lead to health problems, he said.



"It is good that Prime Minister Modi has decided to build a Cancer Institute in Benaras Hindu University," he said, "but people must demand an end to the operation of old brick kilns that spew black carbon."
With the Punjab assembly polls turning into a three-horse race for the first time, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and deputy, Sukhbir Singh Badal, face the most serious electoral challenge of their careers.

Unlike on earlier occasions, when the contest was a straight fight between the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) combine and the Congress, the emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Punjab's political scene has spiced up the poll scenario, with three-cornered contests on most seats.



And to make things tough for the ruling Akali Dal, the Congress and the AAP have fielded strong candidates against the Badals.



Thus, for the first time in Punjab's political history, the February 4 assembly election will witness the biggest political fight for the Lambi assembly seat -- hitherto the elder Badal's pocket borough -- with Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh, a former Chief Minister (2002-2007), throwing down the gauntlet. Badal, 89, has been representing the seat since 1997.





"I am contesting from Lambi as I want to teach a lesson to those who have looted and ruined Punjab. I will make a man out of him (Badal)," said Amarinder Singh, who turns 75 in March and has announced that this is the last election of his political life.



However, playing it safe, Amarinder Singh is also contesting his home seat of Patiala-Urban.

The Akali Dal has tried to spice up the contest for this seat by fielding Gen J.J. Singh, the first Sikh chief of the Indian Army and former Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.



It was the AAP which first upped the ante on the Lambi seat by fielding Delhi lawmaker Jarnail Singh, who came into the limelight for throwing a shoe at the then Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, in Delhi in 2009, to take on Badal senior.



Lambi falls in the Malout subdivision of Muktsar district of southwest Punjab. It is part of the Bathinda parliamentary constituency which is represented in the Lok Sabha by Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Badal (Sukhbir Badal's wife and the Chief Minister's daughter-in-law). Badal village, where the Chief Minister hails from, is part of this constituency.



The AAP has made the election for the Jalalabad assembly seat, held by Sukhbir Badal, interesting this time by fielding sitting Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur, comedian-turned-politician Bhagwant Mann.

The Congress has stirred the pot further by fielding Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu for the seat.

However, both Mann and Bittu are playing it safe as both will continue to remain MPs even if they lose against Sukhbir Badal.



"I welcome them (to Jalalabad). They will lose their security deposits. Let them have some fun by roaming around here," said Badal junior, who is upbeat about his and the Akali Dal's prospects.

At both Lambi and Jalalabad, the attempt by the Congress and AAP is to corner the Badals on their home turf, bog them down in their constituencies and curtail their campaigning elsewhere.
The 2012 assembly polls were largely centred on the man of the moment, Goa's seniormost BJP leader who promised hope and change: Manohar Parrikar.

In 2017, however, after much water has flowed under the Mandovi bridge gently caressing the parked offshore casinos, after the mining ban, after unfulfilled promises to cut down corruption and after his elevation as Defence Minister, the spotlight is now on five personalities, each of whom is playing a defining role as February 4 looms closer.



Parrikar, as Defence Minister, continues to carpet-bomb the BJP cadre with his charm and industry, amid opposition barbs over his constant visits to Goa.



The indefatigable Parrikar has, nevertheless, gone on to attend more than 30 "vijay sankalp" rallies organised by the BJP across Goa. His sheer presence completely overshadows Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar in the campaign. Currently, Parrikar is fire-fighting dissent from sitting legislators who have been denied tickets.





His significance to these elections isn't lost on his rivals. "It is more of an election of Manohar Parrikar individually, rather than that of BJP or the RSS," Congress General Secretary for Goa Digvijaya Singh told media.



Over in the Congress, Parrikar's guile is somewhat met by state unit President Luizinho Faleiro, who, over the last few weeks, through clever selection of candidates and out-manoeuvring aggressive alliance-seeking parties, has helped gain lost ground for the party, which was in tatters since its battering in 2012.



Reduced to an unprecedented nine MLAs and with BJP poaching two of its "winnable", but tainted, MLAs -- Mauvin Godinho and Pandurang Madkaikar -- the late revival engineered by the former Congress Working Committee member could see the outfit gain a few more seats.



The party's gumption and confidence can be gauged by its rejection of a formal alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party and Goa Foward, and its decision to allot a big chunk of seats to fresh candidates.



"We may have made mistakes in the past, but we've apologised for it. We are here now to win people's hearts, not just the elections," Faleiro maintained.



Former PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar has allied with both Congress and BJP-led governments in the past but 2017 presents him an opportunity to vault to chief ministership.



With the BJP weakened by anti-incumbency, the formal absence of Parrikar and the effects of demonetisation, Dhavalikar's Maharashtrwadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has ambitiously spread its wings this time, contesting 26 of the 40 assembly seats, leaving the rest for alliance partners Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) and Shiv Sena.



The three parties are gunning for the same Hindu conservative vote that the BJP had successfully cornered in 2012. While he claims the alliance is going strong, Dhavalikar, who is its mutually-accepted chief ministerial candidate, doesn't deny the possibility of a post-poll alliance with the BJP.



"I cannot tell you that now... Sometimes in politics you have to adopt Chanakyaniti," said the son of a former temple priest.



Meanwhile, the former high priest of the RSS in Goa, Subhash Velingkar, continues to torment the BJP and its leaders, whom he has criticised (at one poll rally, he even described the BJP cadre as dogs) for their neglect of regional languages, especially in primary schools.



His role and that of the GSM are proving to be a thorn in the BJP's flesh. Neither the Congress, nor the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), nor the MGP has been able to match the intensity of Velingkar's accusations and singularly anti-BJP campaign, which has the RSS and the BJP cadre in a bind.



"The BJP and Parrikar have betrayed Goa. They deserve to be packed off," Velingkar said.



The "unputdownable" Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also continues to salvage some hope for the AAP, whose campaign in Goa appears directly proportionate to the party co-founder's visits here. With the party's chief ministerial candidate Elvis Gomes struggling to add spark to its campaign, the burden may have to be borne by Kejriwal, whose party is also campaigning in Punjab.



Kejriwal, who initially claimed the party would win 35 seats in Goa, has shied away from the seat-count in recent meetings. "We have seen all politicians, from the BJP, Congress, MGP. Politicians will not do now. We need ordinary people from Goa to go to the legislative assembly," he said.


At least three Jain pilgrims were killed and four injured by a speeding truck in Gaya district of Bihar on Thursday, police said.

A speeding truck hit a group of Jain pilgrims, who were walking on the side of the Grand Trunk road on the way to Gaya from Jharkhand, near Bhadiya village under the jurisdiction of Barachatti police station, a district police official said.

"Two Jain pilgrims died on the spot and one succumbed to injuries at the hospital," police said.

The injured pilgrims have been admitted in a hospital in Gaya, about 100 km from Patna.

The driver of the truck fled after the incident.

Police have lodged a case.
The Home Ministry is likely to hand over the Kanpur train derailment case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday, sources said.

The move follows the NIA's request to the ministry to transfer the case.



On Wednesday, an NIA team reached Bihar's Motihari district to investigate the alleged role of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence behind last November's Indore-Patna Express train derailment near Kanpur that claimed over 100 lives.
Describing Kashmir as the unfinished agenda of Partition, Pakistan's ex-army chief General Raheel Sharif on Thursday said normalcy will return to the region only after the long-standing dispute is resolved.

The former army chief made these remarks while addressing the "Pakistan Breakfast" event on the sidelines of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in this Swiss mountaintop city.

The session was arranged by the Pathfinder Group of Pakistan in its efforts to promote the country at the forum which is attended by the world's leading political and business personalities.



Raheel Sharif stressed that the Kashmir issue should be resolved according to the aspirations of the people and resolutions of the United Nations to achieve durable peace in South Asia. "Pakistan needs peace but the core issue is Kashmir, which has to be resolved first," he said.





The restive Himalayan region suffered a rise in violence last year after the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani on July 8. Jammu and Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but both claim it in full.



In reply to a question whether peace and economic prosperity could be achieved in South Asia without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, the former chief of the Pakistan Army said: "There are three words to explain how to move forward and these are Kashmir, Kashmir and Kashmir."
Bill Self, Kurtis Townsend won't be on sidelines for KU's first four games
The father of a Samoan woman who claims to be carrying the marks of Jesus Christs suffering could be stood down from being a Pastor of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (C.C.C.S).

The Samoa Observer understands that the future of Reverend Opapo Soanai, who currently looks after the Siufaga C.C.C.S, is under scrutiny.

A source said the issue is being considered by the Elders Committee.

Repeated attempts to get a comment from the Chairman of the Committee, Reverend Tavita Anesone were unsuccessful.

Rev. Soanai told the Samoa Observer he is aware of the reports but as of yesterday he was still the Minister at Siufaga.

As of today, I havent received any confirmation or official word from the Church in relation to the issue, he said.

We (are) still with the Matagaluega and we are still pastoring here at Siufaga. Thats all I can say for now. Maybe its better to get an official comment from the Elders of the church.

The Samoa Observer was told that one of the issues is the difference of opinions at the Matagaluega Falelatai. Members of the Matagaluega are apparently divided over whether Rev. Soanai should continue at Siufaga.

Contacted for a comment, Reverend Elder Tautiaga Senara declined. He said it would be better to get a comment from the Elders Committee.

Last year, Rev. Soanais daughter, Toaipuapua Opapo Patrick, claimed to be experiencing the passion of the Christ and was carrying the marks of Jesus Christs suffering.

Rev. Soanai has been a strong supporter of his daughter who has since converted to Catholicism. He accompanied her to Rome recently where her stigmata claims are being investigated.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer last year, Toa said converting to the Catholic faith is the only way she can continue her mission from God.

I am a messenger and I want to continue the work that I have been sent to do, she said.

I know the majority of the people misunderstand almost everything I say, they twist it. But being chosen by God as a messenger is something I did not ask for. He chooses whoever he wants as a messenger.

Toa said she could not wait for the leadership of the C.C.C.S to make up their minds about accepting her and most importantly the messages she was receiving from God.

We dont have that much time to prepare and get things done because God gave us this mission to complete right on time, she said. So we dont want to just sit around and wait for everyone to agree. We wanted to continue our mission and I feel this is the only way.

She added that while she continues to be fully supportive of her parents' work as Church Ministers of the C.C.C.S, some recent developments have left her with no choice but to become a Catholic.

The elders of the church (C.C.C.S) are trying to stop us from spreading the messages and my father was instructed to distant himself from whats going on with me, she said.

He was told to remove the statues from inside the church.

Toa said she feels sad about this.

God didnt say which religion is true and which is not, there is only one Church before God and that involves people who believe in him.

Its not doing what makes you happy but its about doing what you are called to do.
While most people have been critical about the many changes in Samoa, Taalolo Tikeri begs to differ.

The 38-year-old father from the village of Vailima told the Village Voice that changes are good because it shows we are moving forward.

To me personally, I believe that changes are good for us, he said.

There is no bad thing about it. I know a lot of people say that technology is bad for us.

But I dont agree with that. You see these things were made for good reasons. Its just the way we use it thats causing all these troubles.

We are living in a world where changes are happening and it keeps evolving from time to time.

So we cant just sit while the whole world is moving forward.

He went on to say that instead of complaining about the changes, our people need to accept and adapt the changes we have in our societies.

The thing is, most of these things are new to all of us. But we should just accept it and give it time before we say its bad and its not good for us.

And like I mentioned before, technology is good. But its how we use it and the purpose we use it for.

Technology is one of the things that people are blaming for the changes we have now.

He went on to say that technology is helping out with a lot of developments we have now.

All the projects we have now depend so much on technology to help us out with the work load.

Most of us these days just sit and let the machines do the work for them. We can also communicate better with our families and friends overseas using technology.

I believe that with all the changes we have in Samoa these days, it is actually good for all of us.

But some people use it for the wrong purposes and that is why we have so many problems.

The way I see it, our people are not making the most of it by using these for the right reasons.

As for the changes, Taalolo said the only thing we can do is accept and adapt the changes we have in Samoa.

Changes are not only happening in Samoa.

It is happening around the world because we are all moving forward.

We just need to adapt to the new changes and make the most of it by using it for the right reasons.
The $5.7million market at Vaitele once described as a gold mine by the former Minister of Finance, Faumuina Tiatia Liuga, has instead become a flop. Now the government is looking for someone to develop it. It is a last desperate attempt to recover the money spent on the multimillion-tala project. What do you think should be done to the market? Misiona Simo asked in todays Street Talk and this is what people said:

Soo Aiono, 25,

Fasitoo uta.

I like it how they made this market but the only problem is the market is too far at the back.

I think thats why not many people come here to do their shopping because they dont want to waste their time coming here when they know that they sell better stuff at the market in Apia.

I think thats why not many people come here. I think they should sell it to a Chinese businessman.

Lua Pisigaoto, 48,

Saleimoa.

You hardly see anyone here because I think we should only have one market. Most people usually go and do their shopping in town.

I think the only thing they can do is really lower the rent to attract more shops here. When you have shops here, people will come.

Alamoni Sae, 51,

Vaitele Fou.

I dont usually go there thats why I dont know much about this. But I can just see from here that not that many people go to it.

What I know is that its too far back and the road is very bad if you walk.

I think the government should find a way to recover the millions wasted there.

Epe Feata, 40,

Matautu Lefaga.

People hardly come to buy stuff from here. I even went in there and had a look but they dont have that many products.

I think there were only four of them selling bananas and some other stuff compared to the market in town which is full and a lot of people go there to buy their food.

I think they should turn the place into some sort of hotel or an accommodation for people from Savaii to use when they come to Apia. Charge them $10 a night but at least they are making some money.

Vito Vaifale, 29,

Leauvaa

What Im thinking right now is that the government should think first of fixing the bathrooms here in the market.

Ive seen it, its really bad. Basic things like that will attract people and business to a place.

Its sad because it has a lot of potential but the whole concept has been poorly developed.
Re: P.M. understands businesses well

I wonder how much of the tourism growth can be directly attributed to Stuis administration?

This is a classic example of the workings of the cause and effect principle!

People build hotels in Samoa for a number of reasons, possibly one of which is their love for Stui.

Similarly tourists travel to Samoa based on their curiosity about Samoa, the cost of travel and their love of Stui.

Samoas world exposure through the feats of Manu Samoa on the rugby field does not result in more rugby tourists visiting the country, no these people have come because of their love for Stui.

Oh, by the way, Virgin Blues efficient operations, lower fares and more profit for Samoa through its profit sharing arrangements enabled more Samoans to fly home as tourists and as a testament of their love for Stui.

That is a fact.

Vai Autu
Dear Editor,

Thank you Mr. Editor for continuing to raise this issue about the roads.

The road problem here in Samoa is not a new issue under H.R.P.P and PM Tuilaepas leadership. Ive written letters in the past about the corrupt deals between the H.R.P.P members who are associated with the road contractors.

The only genuine company that is fixing the roads properly are the Otts. Their contracts come directly from Asia Development Bank (A.D.B)  the rest of the contractors are associates of the H.R.P.P and they are shonky. H.R.P.P uses them for boomerang deals.

The government tells the people that theyre building a road worth $20 Million. They spend a couple of $Millions and the rest of the money goes back into the pockets of the officials and the MPs who are associated with these shonky contractors. Now its come back to haunt PM Tuilaepa.

Every time the public raise their concerns about the states of our roads, PM Tuilaepa and his goons deny the problem. They then take a picture of the road at Vaitele, which was built by the Otts, and post it up to fool the tourists and the Samoans living overseas yet the people living here in Samoa know the Truth - but P.M. Tuilaepa does not care because he suffers from a mental illness.

Heres a picture of the potholes at one end of the Vaitele road and only in

Samoa youd find multiple potholes like these  you cannot avoid them.

These potholes however are nothing compared to the other potholes found on our roads throughout the country.

Some potholes are big enough for you to dive in for a swim. Were these potholes one of the reasons behind PM Tuilaepas decision to change the year of the imported vehicles to Samoa because he knows theres no money to rebuild these roads properly?

To buy a new car anywhere around the world, it will last you up to 20 -

30 years. You buy a brand new car here in Samoa, after 4  5 years, your car will be needing spare parts. Not only is the public paying for low quality fuel at the pump, they have to endure the potholes!

Now we have a $1.7+ Billion debt. I predicted that our debt this year will be way over the $2 Billion mark. So where is the H.R.P.P going to get the money now to fix these roads?

Watch PM Tuilaepa come back with the biggest lie to fool the people and blame the media again. Well, this picture is not from the media.

Ive been saying this many times before that PM Tuilaepa has been fooling the country for 10s of years and has been running this country with a blank cheque. Now its hitting everyones pockets here in Samoa especially those living overseas.

PM Tuilaepa and H.R.P.P are yet to build those bridges that were damaged by Cyclone Evans.

PM Tuilaepa must step down now. MP Papalii Niko Lee Hang must be appointed as the new Prime Minister of Samoa to fix PM Tuilaepas mess and to clean up the corruption within this government which is long overdue. Enough is enough.

Mebahel Raguel
The bitter row between two senior H.R.P.P members, Peseta Vaifou Tevaga and Laauli Leuatea Polata'ivao, continued before the Supreme Court this week.

This time, the latest twist in the long-standing dispute sees Peseta and his lawyer, Leuluaialii Olinda Woodroffe, asking the Court to remove a Court-appointed Manager for Local Partners and Associates Company.

Peseta is up against Laauli, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Apulu Lance Polu and Martin Schwalger.

With Justice Lesatele Rapi Vaai presiding, Semi Leung Wai is representing Laauli and other shareholders of Local Partners.

On Wednesday, Leuluaialii argued that interim Manager, Tagaloa Faafouina Sua, should be removed for reasons he has not done anything to develop the company financially since his appointment by Court on December 2015.

But Mr. Leung Wai opposed the motion.

Tagaloa wrote twice to the Court to explain the financial situation of the company, he told the Court.

In December last year, lawyer Lealiifano Iopu Tanielu who was representing Leuluaialii at the time met with Semi and Lesa to discuss the appointed Court managers letter in regards to the financial situation of the company.

Therefore give Tagaloa a chance to respond because as I understood Tagaloa has not been served with the letter discussed by Leuluaialii.

But Leauluaialii wants her client, Peseta, to take over as Interim Manager.

According to a sworn affidavit by Peseta, he argues that the Court-appointed Manager has acted in breach of his duties and has failed to act in the best interests of the company.

The plaintiff submits that the Court-appointed manager has failed to exercise the care, diligence and skills of a reasonable Court-appointed Manager. The Court-appointed manager has failed to act in the best interest of the company local partners, as is evidence by the following facts:

By Order of the Supreme Court dated 21 December 2015, Tagaloa Faafouina Sua (hereafter the Court-appointed Manager) was duly appointed the interim manager who will be responsible for the daily administration and financial affairs of the Second Plaintiff; Local partners and Associates Ltd.

The first Defendant was to be provided by the first defendants, within 14 days from the date of the order, financial statements of the second plaintiff since incorporation in 2013.

It is implicit in the Court order that the Court-appointed Manager had the right and power to request other information, particularly the informations relating to payments of the products sold and hire of property, from the first defendants. (see paragraph (4) of the Court Order).

Approximately a year after the Court-appointed manager was appointed, the manager wrote to His Honour Justice Vaai by letter dated 19 December 2016 providing a brief update of the current situation of the Companys affairs.

In paragraph 1, the Court-appointed Manager said that the Companys Account (0712833001) with Samoa Commercial Bank (SCB) has insufficient funds to pay operating expenses.

The Court-appointed a mangers letter of the 19 December 2016 is unprofessional, as it is full of self-assertions without any evidence to prove the statements given to the Court by way of a brief update.

In paragraph 1of the said letter, written approximately a year after his appointment, the Court-appointed manager made assertions with no evidence in support of his assertion, in paragraph 1 of his letter of the 19 December 2016, saying that: From October 2016 to date the directors Apulu Lance Polu and Laauli Schmidt have been paying from their own funds, wages of the skeleton staff required to maintain the Vaitele factory and Savaii storage depots at Salelologa and Fagaee including utility costs such as electricity, water bill etc.

With respect, these unsupported statements, shows poor management, lack of care and attention, recklessness and failure in his obligations to act in good faith and in the best interest of the company.

The plaintiff submits that the Court appointed manager had a duty to notify the Court and all the Directors of the Company of the financial position of the Company in October 2016, if what he says is correct.

He had a duty to act in good faith to all persons including the plaintiff. The manager breached his duty to act in good faith, by working closely with Poly and Laauli Schmidt, and deliberately left the plaintiff uninformed.

The plaintiff was never informed. Laauli Schmidt is not a director of the Company, Local Partners and Associates (Second Applicant/Plaintiff).

Leuluaialii and her client also questioned the payments for the sale of nonu juice in May and October last year. They claimed that the payment was stored in a different account.

The Court-appointed Manager, aided and abetted in continuing wrongdoings committed by the first and second Defendants, Apulu Lance Polu, Martin Schwalger and Laauli Leuatea Schmidt.

After his appointment in December 2015, an order for 20,000 litres of Nonu Juice was provided to ZhongSa (Xiamen Investment Co. Ltd, China. The Chinese Company was Invoiced USD$47,400.00 by Samoa Nonu Delight, Vaitele, Apia Samoa.

There is no evidence provided to the Court in the letter by the Court appointed Manager, in his letter dated 19 December 2016, to explain why an order provided by, and using Nonu Juice of the Local Partners and Associates is been invoiced under the name Samoa Nonu Delight (see exhibit B of the plaintiffs affidavit of 20 December 2016).

The question is: Did the money received from this order of the 3 May 2016, go to the account of Local Partners and Associates at SCB? Mrs Woodroffe asked this same question, to the Court-appointed Manager, Faafouing Sua, but Mr Sua refused to answer this question.

The plaintiff submits that the Court-appointed Manager misled the Court by his statement in paragraph 1 of his letter of 19 December 2016, wherein he said (without evidence) that:

...from mid October 2016 to date, the directors Apulu Lance Poly and Hon Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt have been paying from their own funds, wages of the skeleton staff required to maintain the Vaitele factory and Savaii storage depots at Salelologa and Fagaee including the utility costs such as electricity, water bill etc..

I refer your Honour to Attachments to paragraphs 3,4,5 and 6 of the plaintiffs affidavit sworn on the 20th December 2016. The said attachments provide evidence of substantial sums of money being paid for the supply of NONU Juice to companies, outside of Samoa, on the 3 May 2016; 30 October 2015; 7 December 2015; 13 October 2015.

In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, the Nonu Juice is believed to be the Nonu Juice belonging to, and supplied from the Nonu Juice of the second defendant, the Local Partners and Associates.

However, Invoices and payments are issued under a variety of different names. Cash payments are paid to/or are received by persons, who are not Directors of Local Partners and Associates, for example, in paragraph 3.9 of the plaintiffs affidavit, sworn on the 20 December 2016, he attached as Exhibit J a copy of a receipt 838538 dated 27/7/2015, evidence of cash payment of $34,383-82 sene, made to Heather Schmidt.

All evidence of payments made for Nonu Juice in late 2015 and in 2016, adds up to a substantial sum of money paid to various Banks and people. The people who controlled, directed and received these substantial sums of money were Apulu Lance Polu, and Hon Laaulimalietoa Leuatea Schmidt.

Taking the evidence referred to in paragraph 2.5 above, the plaintiff respectfully submits that the Court-appointed Manager has either turned a blind eye to payments being paid for Nonu Juice, to accounts other than accounts of Local Partners and Associates, or it can be constructed that he failed in his duty to act in the best interest of Local Partners and Associates; or he has aided and abetted in the wrongdoings of Apulu Lance Polu and Hon Laaulimalietoa Leautea Schmidt.

The Court-appointed manager had a duty to provide evidence to support his allegations in paragraph 2 of his letter. He failed to do so, but made statements that showed his lack of professionalism in the carrying out of the duties allocated to him by the Supreme Court.

In paragraph 3 of the Managers letter, the Court-appointed Manager said that he was unable to prepare the accounts in a rushed manner.

The Court-appointed Manager had a whole year from December 2015 to December 2016, to collect, assess and inform the Court of the position of Local Partners and Associates. He has failed to do so.

The Court-appointed managers failure, has led to the proclaimed financial difficulties of Local partners and Associates referred to in paragraph 1 of the Court-appointed Managers letters of 19 December 2016.

Finally, we refer to paragraph 6 of the Court-appointed Managers letter of the 19 December and endorse his statement that Local Partners and Associates Nonu juice business is a potentially rewarding investment.

The plaintiff submits that the Court-appointed Manager has contributed to Local Partners and Associates, bleeding financially but his failure to act in good faith, failure to act in the best interest of the Company, and by his failure to act independently of Apulu Polu and Hon Laaulimalietoa Leautea Schmidt.

Mr. Leung Wai objected to the appointment of Peseta as an Interim Manager.

Justice Lesatele has adjourned the matter until 30 January 2017 to set a hearing date.
An intensive three-day Search and Rescue training for the Maritime Unit of the Police ended on Wednesday.

The training was delivered by two senior staff members from the Rescue Coordination Centre in New Zealand.

Training Manager, Kevin Banaghan was assisted by Watch Leader, Dave Wilson.

He said the short course was conducted at the request of the Police Maritime Wing.

The trainees worked very hard throughout the course and achieved some excellent result, Mr. Banaghan said.

I am confident that if a person is reported missing or in distress, the Samoa Police Maritime Wing are in a far better place to respond to coordinate a response.

There is still some work to be done around general maritime safety and S.A.R prevention but I am confident, given time, Samoa will improve in this area also.

The focus on the training was on search and rescue (S.A.R) governance, S.A.R Coordination, S.A.R response and general maritime safety.

Some of the topics and discussions were around; Global S.A.R Systems, Technology in S.A.R, Search planning and information gathering.

The course was well supported by Police and other authorities including government ministries such as Fire Services, Ministry of Works Technology and Infrastructure, Samoa Ports Authority and representatives from the commercial sector.

The course finished with a day long S.A.R Exercise where all trainees had to work together to solve complicated S.A.R incident.
The Land and Titles Court could be separated from the Civil and Criminal Courts. That is one of the options being considered by the government

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, revealed this during his weekly media session.

The plan follows the findings and recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry tasked to investigate the work of the Land and Titles Court Judges.

In its report tabled by Chairman of the Inquiry, Lopaoo Natanielu Mua, the Commission makes 30 recommendations on ways to address concerns raised by members of the public, especially in relation to ways to speed up the process.

The Inquiry also recommends a restructure of the Land and Titles Court. As part of this, Parliament has been urged to appoint two Vice Presidents to help the President.

The report is very good, said Tuilaepa. You know how you get so full after eating a starchy taro (talo mapo), thats exactly how we feel with the findings of this report.

He praised the work of the Commission, describing all the Commission members as big fishes.

There was no one else other than the big fishes (lauia) in the Commission. And the way I see it, the majority of our party (H.R.P.P.) support the idea to separate the two Courts.

They support the idea to detach the Land and Titles Court from the Criminal and Civil Court.

The Courts in Samoa are currently under the authority of a Judiciary Commission chaired by Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu.

According to Tuilaepa, the belittlement of L.T.C. is the main reason they are considering the change.

That is why we are trying to balance out the importance of these Courts and then we will assign lawyers for the separate courts. A lot of M.P.s agree with this idea.

Tuilaepa is also mindful that the change would cost money.

We need to make sure we have enough money if we want a new change.

The Inquiry was headed by Member of Parliament and Chairman, Lopaoo Natanielu Mua. Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Nafoitoa Talaimanu Keti was the Vice Chairman with members including Lauofo Fonotoe Meredith, Aliimalemanu Alofa Tuuau, Ili Setefano Taateo, Faaulusau Rosa Stowers and Faumuina Wayne Fong.

The Inquiry was ordered by Prime Minister Tuilaepa on the back of a growing number of grievances about the performance of the Land and Titles Court.

But when the Commission set out to begin its work, they hit a snag. As the Acting President of the Land and Titles Court, the Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu, wrote to the Commission to object to the decision by Parliament.

In a letter dated 5 July 2016, Chief Justice Patu not only expressed his objection, he also informed the Commission that no Judge of the Land and Titles Court would appear before the Commission.

But that wasnt the only problem. The former President of the Land and Titles Court, Tuala Tagaloa Kerslake also refused to appear before the Panel, despite being asked three times through official letters from the Commission.

In its report to Parliament, the Commission noted its disappointment and frustrations about the decision by the Chief Justice and Judges not to cooperate.

The Commission noted that under the Legislative Assembly Powers and Privileges Ordinance 1960, they could have summoned all the Judges to appear but they chose not to out of mutual respect.

But what will happen if the Judges continue to object?

Nothing like that will happen, said Tuilaepa.

Once we pass a law then thats it. You have to remember, the foundation of their work is based on the laws that are being passed by Parliament.

Once Parliament passes a law, then they have to do it. This thing about the strike, nothing like that will happen.

We have given them the report and that is their last chance. But if we go into the depth of things, the real answer will come out on what the Speaker of the House and the Cabinet members agree upon.
WASHINGTON (AP)  In its final hours, the Obama administration on Thursday released the last of three installments of documents belonging to Osama bin Laden that were seized in a 2011 raid that killed the al-Qaida leader in his secret compound.

Tracking down and killing the man behind the 2001 terrorist attacks on America is one of President Barack Obama's greatest accomplishments.

Intelligence officials have been working for more than two years to declassify the hundreds of documents captured in the raid.

The last batch consisting of 49 documents include letters to and from bin Laden, his deputies and his mother.

The documents also include a running disagreement between bin Laden and al-Qaida's affiliate in Iraq, which morphed into the Islamic State group. Those militants are currently the top target of U.S. counterterrorism efforts.

The Pentagon announced Thursday that the U.S. Air Force attacked a pair of IS military camps in Libya, seeking to eliminate extremists who had escaped the former IS stronghold of Sirte

Bin Laden is responsible for orchestrating the 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S. that killed nearly 3,000 people.

The attacks drastically changed America's footprint abroad and challenged some of the most basic tenets of the U.S. Constitution in an effort to detect terrorists before they strike.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Inmates threw rocks at each other and set up barriers Thursday inside a Brazilian penitentiary where 26 prisoners were recently killed in confrontations, raising tensions amid a wave of prison massacres that have rocked Latin America's largest nation.

Live images on Globo television showed hundreds of prisoners in the yard of Alcacuz Penitentiary outside the northeast city of Natal. Inmates appeared to be separating themselves into two groups with makeshift barriers of pieces of wood, mattresses and other material. Injured prisoners were seen being carried off. No prison guards could be seen.

"We need help immediately," Robinson Faria, the governor of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, told CBN radio.

Faria said he had asked President Michel Temer to immediately dispatch troops from the Armed Forces. Beyond the prison, Faria said he wanted the troops to help patrol the streets of Natal, where several buses were burned late Wednesday. Authorities said they were investigating whether the burning was connected to turmoil in the prison.

Maj. Eduardo Franco, a military police spokesman, told The Associated Press that both a riot squad and an elite special forces group were on hand and could be called on to intervene. Up until now, police were only guarding the outside of the prison to keep inmates from escaping and shooting tear gas to break up fighting.

"We are avoiding a direct confrontation with the gangs," said Franco. "Military police are only using non-lethal weapons so we don't get blamed if dead bodies are found later."

Franco said several inmates had been injured, but he didn't know how many and said it was too soon to know if any had died.

Confrontations between two gangs in the prison erupted over the weekend, resulting in the 26 deaths. Many of the dead were dismembered. Authorities said members of the Sao Paulo-based First Command, Brazil's largest criminal gang, known by the Portuguese acronym PCC, fought with local gang Crime Syndicate of Rio Grande do Norte.

On Wednesday, a heavily armed military police force entered the prison without violence. Authorities said they transferred 220 inmates to other prisons to avoid more clashes.

Brazil is experiencing a wave of prison killings from warring gangs. At least 126 people have died since the beginning of the year.

Security experts say the trigger was the breakup of a long truce last year between the PCC and Red Command, a large gang based in Rio de Janeiro. They say several smaller gangs are forming alliances with the Red Command to slow the PCC's reach.
On the eve of inauguration day, UCLA economist Lee Ohanian told a local audience Wednesday that President Donald Trumps policies may not achieve his desired levels of economic growth and job gains.

Speaking to the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerces annual cross-border vision lunch, Ohanian said restricting immigration, erecting trade barriers and imposing new import tariffs, as Trump has proposed, are just the opposite of what is needed.

One thing that came from President-elect Trump was the trade deals werent working for us, Ohanian said.

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But he said numerous economic studies show that the average household actually benefits to the tune of $10,000 a year in lower prices paid for imported goods.

That statistic suggests maybe they are working for us, he said.

One example of counterproductive trade policy? Ohanian points to U.S. subsidies and import quotas for the sugar industry that date to the 1790s. American sugar prices range between 100 and 180 percent of world levels, he said, and consequently, candy makers have relocated to Canada where sugar costs less.

For every sugar job we saved, we lost three confectionery jobs, he said. These are the types of indirect effects economic policies often have.

On immigration, Ohanian said while Trumps focus has been on keeping out unskilled, undocumented workers, it is the high-skilled workers the U.S. should be going after. He noted that half the Fortune 500 companies were founded by an immigrant or the child of an immigrant.

He also noted that many high-skilled immigrant workers are educated at UC San Diego, UCLA and other universities and then managed to stay legally in the U.S. to work.

Many others wish they could remain here permanently after graduation but unless they can exchange their student visas for work visas, they have to return to their home countries  and the U.S. economy loses out.

We dont make it very easy for them to do that, he said.

Ohanian said Trump would like to create 25 million jobs over the next 10 years and double the GDP growth rate to 4 percent. But with the accelerating retirement rate of aging baby boomers and the declining educational attainment levels in American schools, he said a looming talent gap could make those goals unattainable.

The only way we can replace those (productive workers) is by bringing in more people, he said.

Fifty years ago, he said American education and Californias in particular were at or near the top of the world. High educational achievement translated into high productivity. But now in the U.S. 15-year-olds repeatedly rate below their peers in many other countries  a situation that bodes ill for future economic success.

Since 2009 thats really been the main challenge our country faces, he said. In particular this is going to confront our younger people, and the main challenge that faces President-elect Trump and Congress, as well as state and local government, is to improve productivity growth.

Ohanian, who was an adviser to previous Republican presidential candidates, called NAFTA a great piece of legislation that reduced trade barriers with Canada and Mexico. But if NAFTA is renegotiated as Trump hopes, he said one benefit that Mexico might push for is an expansion of free-trade zones along the U.S. border.

That would get more U.S. capital going to Mexico  and Mexico has a very bright economic future, Ohanian said.

Trump speaks of bringing back manufacturing jobs from abroad. But Ohanian said the new reality in todays world is that certain things can be manufactured at a lower cost outside the U.S. American workers can compete by demonstrating a higher productivity rate on other things here.

However, he did agree with Trumps call for lowering corporate income taxes.

Thats one of the reasons why were losing a lot of jobs, he said, since companies find it more economical to expand where rates are lower.

As Trump settles into the White House, Ohanian said he hopes the new president will listen to his advisers and change course if necessary.

I hope Trump is a guy that can pivot and change if something isnt working the way he wants, he said.

roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley
The U.S. Federal Trade Commissions decision to file a lawsuit against Qualcomm for anti-competitive tactics could end up being reconsidered with the transition to the Trump administration.

Wall Street analysts speculated on that possibility in a series of reports Wednesday following the FTCs announcement that it was suing Qualcomm in a Northern California Federal Court for anti-competitive patent licensing practices.

Bernstein Research Analyst Stacy Rasgon wrote that the incoming administration is likely to appoint three Republicans to the five-member Federal Trade Commission -- given current vacancies and pending departures.

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In other words, the possibility exists that this could end sooner rather than later, said Rasgon of the FTCs lawsuit.

Timothy Arcuri, an analyst with Cowen & Co., was more direct. We believe it is likely a Trump-led FTC ends up withdrawing the complaint, he said in a research note.

The FTC currently has two vacancies. It voted to bring the lawsuit along party lines, with two Democrats in support and Republican Maureen Ohlhausen objecting, saying in a written dissent that the lawsuit is based on a flawed legal theory and flimsy evidence.

The FTCs Democratic Chairwoman, Edith Ramirez, is stepping down in early February. Fellow Democrat Terrell McSweenys term is up in September. No more than three members of the FTC can be from one party.

The fact that the dissent was from Republican Commissioner Ohlhausen leads us to believe that the full complement of Trump appointees  a 3-2 Republican majority  would vote to withdraw the lawsuit, Arcuri wrote.

Even so, the legal issues surrounding Qualcomms patent licensing have created headwinds for the company.

In addition to the FTC, South Koreas anti-monopoly regulator fined Qualcomm $865 million last month based on similar allegations. Investigations are underway in Europe and Taiwan.

The San Diego company vigorously denies wrongdoing and said it will fight the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the FTC.

Qualcomms technology is inside nearly all 3G/4G smartphones. The company sells semiconductors used in mobile devices, and it licenses its large patent portfolio to smartphone manufacturers, charging royalties based on the wholesale price of the phone.

The FTCs lawsuit alleges that Qualcomms abuses its dominant market share in cellular modems to extract higher patent royalties under a no license-no chips policy, gave Apple rebates in exchange for being the exclusive cellular modem supplier for iPhones from 2011 through 2015, and refuses to licenses key standard essential patents to rival chip companies such as MediaTek or Intel.

Qualcomm denies the claims, saying it has never threatened to withhold chips from any smartphone maker in order to obtain unfair licensing terms.

Qualcomm had a significant performance advantage over rival chip makers in cellular modems from 2011 to 2015  the time when it allegedly paid Apple for exclusivity. Starting last year, Apple began using Intel for about half of its iPhone cellular basebands as it caught up.

And in her written objection, Ohlhausen says while the FTCs lawsuit dances around the notion that Qualcomm charges elevated rates for standard essential patents, it fails to allege that Qualcomms royalties are unreasonable.

That pleading failure is no accident, she wrote. It speaks to the dearth of evidence in this case.

Rasgon, the Bernstein analyst, said the third allegation over the refusal to license standard essential patents to rival chip makers  a charge also made in by South Korean regulators -- is the one that could be a problem to Qualcomms business model.

We would view such a mandate as a potential Qualcomm Technology Licensing killer, he said. As such, we would expect a vigorous fight from the company.

Qualcomm contends wireless standards bodies require essential patents to be licensed to fully compliant devices, not the components inside those devices. So its not mandated to offer licenses to chip making rivals. That has been the case for two decades.

If the FTC goes forward with the case, it should take at least 18 months to wrap up, said Christopher Rolland of Susquehanna Financial Group. And these types of disputes are not new for Qualcomm.

While subject to numerous penalties from numerous jurisdictions throughout the years, Qualcomm has successfully negotiated their right to royalties on an ongoing basis, Rolland wrote in a research note.

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mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com;

Twitter:@TechDiego

760-529-4973
StockTwits, an 8-year-old Twitter-like social network for trading enthusiasts, has acquired San Diego-based finance startup SparkFin.

The move is designed to attract more younger users to StockTwits existing community of around 1 million registered users. Terms were not disclosed, but SparkFin had raised $1.4 million in funding prior to the deal.

Launched last year, SparkFin is similar to Yahoo Finance but fine-tuned for a millennial crowd looking for tips on where or how to best invest their extra cash. The companys mobile app, which specializes in generating human and machine-created stock lists, is being shuttered on Jan. 23. Instead, some of SparkFins lists and features will be incorporated into StockTwits web and mobile apps.

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One of the places we felt like we could do a better job was in working with younger or novice investors, said Ian Rosen, CEO of StockTwits. SparkFin has developed a great way of engaging people who dont know where to start.

The acquisition is meant to build on StockTwits efforts in broadening its appeal beyond super-savvy investors. Last year, the company launched Money Badger, an online site publishing tips for younger folks.

Currently, New York-based StockTwits touts an active membership of 250,000 people who send an average of 140,000 messages a day.

Right now, there is an enormous transfer of wealth between generations, Rosen said, adding that this younger demographic wants to invest in their own singular way. We are looking to create experiences that also helper newer generations invest.

StockTwits, which has two staffers based in San Diego, and SparkFin have been intimately intertwined since the latters inception. StockTwits Co-Founder and Chairman Howard Lindzon invested in SparkFin through his fund, Social Leverage. The companies also share office space at the co-working venue DeskHub in Little Italy.

SparkFins team of four will join StockTwits and remain in the San Diego office.

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jennifer.vangrove@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1840 Twitter: @jbruin
The drumbeat of new multifamily housing in Vista may be growing a little louder, with more apartment and condo proposals coming down the citys planning pipeline.

The Vista Planning Commission got a peek this week at the latest planned developments, which include 72 townhomes along busy South Santa Fe Avenue, 124 townhomes on East Vista Way and a four-story 17-unit apartment building on North Santa Fe, a quarter-mile from the citys downtown core.

None of the three projects are in the final approval stage, but they are among roughly 2,200 housing units  mostly condos, townhomes and apartments  newly built or planned throughout Vista.

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The building boom comes as apartment rents are quickly rising and the vacancy rate in North County is less than 3 percent.

City officials say the projects will help meet the housing demand and boost city revenue as property owners develop land that has sat vacant for years.

But frustrated Vista residents say the city is overlooking the combined effects of such dense growth, including worsening traffic and how the projects will impact existing residential neighborhoods.

This is our quality of life that you are making decision on, Vista resident Teri Collins told the Planning Commission on Tuesday.

Ursula Sack pointed out not just the hundreds of planned apartments and condos in the works, but the scores more single-family homes also in Vistas pipeline. Sack is a leader of the grassroots Guajome Alliance for Responsible Development, or GuARD, which focuses on developments in the citys north end.

The cumulative impact of all these projects must be considered before you approve one, Sack said.

Speaking against a plan to build 124 for-sale townhomes on East Vista Way, Sack noted that the so-called Enclave at Delpys Corner is close to where traffic routinely backs up. Thousands of drivers travel East Vista Way each day to and from state Route 76.

Plans to build housing at the southeast corner of Vista Way and Foothill Boulevard have long been in the works. However, those proposals have continued to shrink over the years, with the developer scaling back the number of units, lopping the proposed buildings from three stories to two, and switching from apartments to townhomes.

The newest iteration would see 24 two-story buildings spread across the 16-acre site, a big grassy hill dotted with rock outcroppings. Foothill would provide the only entrance in and out of the development.

Some residents said theyre still concerned, but are pleased that the plans are shrinking.

Now, we have gotten to something that we can deal with, speaker Tom Fleming told the commissioners. A long-time Vista resident and business owner, Fleming is a former member of the commission.

The Planning Commission also looked at a bid to build 72 for-sale townhomes along South Santa Fe Avenue at Mar Vista Drive  another project that has shrunk repeatedly over the years, thanks to pushback from neighbors.

In August 2014, the City Council approved a plan to build a 96-unit apartment complex in three-story buildings at the vacant and oddly shaped 4.6-acre site.

But there were strings attached  before people can move in, the developer must build a traffic circle down the road on Mar Vista at Avocado to help alleviate back-ups for drivers headed between the freeway and South Santa Fe.

The council also said construction of the project would have to begin within three years  a deadline that expires in August. If the city and residents dont back the scaled-down plan for 72 townhomes, the landowner  who has tried to accommodate the concerns of neighboring residents  still has the right to develop the larger apartment complex.

Also Tuesday, the Planning Commission reviewed the design of a proposed 17-unit apartment complex on North Santa Fe. Even though the four-story structure would be among the taller buildings in the area, a block south of East California Avenue, no one spoke out against the project, or questioned whether it would alter the character of the neighborhood.

There are other large projects ahead, among them a bid to build 179 apartments just off East Vista Way and not far from Townsite Road. The buildings would go up on the former site of the Sycamore Green Mobile Home Park, now empty, abandoned and crumbling but tucked behind trees. The would-be developer is Monarch Group  the same developer behind the high-end Monarch at Shadowridge apartment complex on Thibodo Road.

Another developer wants to put up more than 300 apartments on a vacant lot just south of a Stater Bros. shopping center on North Santa Fe, a few blocks from Vista High School.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT
In Seattle, they duck into coffee bars to escape the rain. In Chicago, they seek out coffee houses to beat the oppressive cold/wind/heat/humidity (fill in the blank).

And here in (mostly) sunny, laid back San Diego? Well, this java joint is jumpin.

Every day, scores of independent specialty coffee houses and roasters fuel county residents with hot, cold, pulled or pour-over brews from Vista to La Jolla, South Park to Santee. And this Friday through Sunday, a buzz-worthy event will set coffee lovers in search of some of the regions best joe. The fourth annual Caffeine Crawl will showcase more than 25 local roasters, cafes and shops through guided tasting and touring routes.

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San Diego is one of the select cities where Caffeine Crawls are held, said the events founder.

We focus on 12 cities around the country that just nail it, crush it. And we find that cities that have created a really good craft beer culture  coffee is right next to them, said Jason Burton, who is based in Kansas City but attends all the crawls. Burton will be one of the San Diego guides this weekend.

San Diego is certainly in the top three of underrated coffee scenes  theres been a huge jump in the past two to three years, Burton said.

And while theres plenty of national recognition for local craft beers, getting the word out on coffee here has been more of a grind.

San Diegos coffee scene is pretty humble  L.A. and San Franciscos are more loud, look at me. I think San Diego definitely has the same level across the board. Theres so much talent there, Burton said.

He said a diversity of expertise in San Diego is one the countys strengths, citing two of the shops on the crawl. At North Parks Caffe Calabria, for example, the menu is inspired by its Italian heritage, and they carry it over to the cocktails with coffee. If youre coming here to get a meal, were going to talk to you about what coffee goes with that, Burton said.

And at Banana Dang, in Oceanside, the owners Puerto Rican roots will be celebrated during the crawl, with a single-origin Puerto Rican coffee to be served with a culinary treat straight from the island.

Similar to a pub crawl, like-minded coffee drinkers will sample different brews and get to know the people behind the bar. Each stop will last about 25-30 minute and the routes have five to six stops.

But unlike craft brew crawls, participants in the Caffeine Crawl can walk, bike or drive to the various stops on the multi-mile routes (some of which are already sold out). Except for a possible case of the jitters, tour-goers wont have a need a designated driver.

Its not abut consumption, its about quality, Burton said of the tours. But youre getting caffeine. You will have energy after.

Create your own crawl

If your preferred route is sold out or you just want to plot out your own roastery road map, get some friends together to create a custom caffeine crawl. Choose one neighborhood or fan out across the county. Just drink plenty of water in between java stops. (Caffeine may or may not cause dehydration but it likely will make you have duck into the loo a lot.)

Heres my hopped-up, personalized San Diego-centric route:

Wake up!

Start the day with a jolt of small-batch roasted pour-over Gaslamp Blend from Achilles Coffee Roasters, 703 Ash St., downtown San Diego. (619) 738-8652 or the Roast Coast coffee cart in the Gaslamp at 345 Sixth Ave. achillescoffeeroasters.com

Breakfast

Head up to Lofty Coffee Co. in Solana Beach or Encinitas for some Keeping it Classy espresso roast and fresh-baked pastries. Energized, go for a fuel-ed ujp run on the beach 132 S Cedros Ave., Solana Beach and 90 N Coast Hwy 101. (760) 230-6747 or loftycoffee.com

Late morning re-charge

Sip on some cold brew made from the Trinity 3 Bean Blend at The Kings Craft Coffee Co., owned by former San Diego Charger Cory Withrow. 14530 Espola Road, Poway. (858) 842-3717 or thekingscraft.com

Lunch

Head to Liberty Public Market for eats then have a barista at The WestBean Coffee Roasters pull you a cup of creamy, nitro-infused cold brew. Like with Guinness, youve got to let the head settle (and you probably need the caffeine time-out). 2820 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma (also downtown San Diego). thewestbean.com

Last shot

Before heading home to bounce off the walls, hit the Nespresso boutique tasting bar for a sip of (gratis) Altissio espresso, while stocking up on coffee capsules. Then power shop like you never have before. Inside Bloomingdales Fashion Valley or at the new Nespresso store, Westfield UTC. nespresso.com

Did you know?

Bird Rock Coffee Roasters continues to rack up the awards. Its most recent coffee kudo: a No. 1 ranking for the Kenyan roast in Coffee Reviews list of Thirty Best Coffees of 2016.

Caffeine Crawl

When: Friday-Sunday

Where: Various locations

Tickets: $26-$35 depending on the route

Online: caffeinecrawl.com/san-diego-tickets

Non-ticked event: A free breakfast meet-and-greet will be held from 10-11 a.m. Sunday at Ryan Bros.Coffee, 1894 Main St., Barrio Logan. Open to all but 50 people max.; RSVP at caffeinecrawl.com/sd-breakfast

Twitter: @sdeditgirl

michele.parente@sduniontribune.com
Ray Kroc and Joan Smith make sweet music together at a piano the first time they meet in The Founder, director John Lee Hancocks alternately pitch-perfect and gauzy chronicle of the rise of the legendary McDonalds fast-food magnate.

Kroc, who later bought the San Diego Padres, was worth an estimated $500 million when he died here in 1984. He is played by Michael Keaton, in a remarkably well-calibrated portrayal. Smith is portrayed by Linda Cardellini, who makes an impact in just a few short scenes.

That both Kroc and Smith were still married to others when they met in 1957 in St. Paul is made clear, although theres little hint of an affair. That Kroc would marry and divorce a second time before Smith agreed to become his third wife is left unsaid. Ditto the fact Smith had a daughter from her first marriage, chain-smoked and cited Krocs violent, ungovernable temper when she filed for divorce from him in 1971, which is about when The Founder abruptly concludes. (For the record, Smith opted not to divorce.)

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The Founder

Rating: PG-13

Where: Wide release

Running time: 1 hour, 55 minutes



The inclusion of these key details would have made for a richer  if more ethically troubling  film. But theres still plenty thats troubling about Krocs ethics in The Founder. Its the latest work from Hancock, whose feel-good hits  2013s Saving Mr. Banks and 2009s The Blind Side  lacked any characters as remotely menacing in their reptilian malevolence as Keatons Kroc.

As The Founder begins, Kroc is a down-on-his luck milkshake machine salesman with big, if undefined, dreams. Those dreams grow much bigger after he meets Dick McDonald and Maurice Mac McDonald (played, respectively, by Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch, both terrific).

The two brothers opened the first McDonalds in San Bernardino in 1948 and essentially created the fast-food concept that wowed Kroc and changed the way Americans, and much of the world, consumes. They reluctantly agree to let him sell McDonalds franchises  Do it for America! he implores them  a move that soon leads to his improbably lucrative rise and their inglorious downfall.

Or as Dick tells Mac after realizing the error of their ways: Theres a wolf in the house and we let him in.

An actor who packs force into even a fleeting twitch, Keaton makes Krocs gradual transformation from a brash huckster into an even more brash success story a cinematic tour de force. Few of Krocs biggest and best ideas are really his own, but he seems happy to claim them regardless, using bluster, chicanery, false humility or whatever else is the job requires.

It is surely coincidental that The Founders national opening on Friday coincides with the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump. But if anyone would have embraced Trumps Make America Great slogan 60 years before Trumps rise  and then co-opted it as his own marketing tool The Founder leaves no doubt Kroc would have been first in line.

In a sly visual touch, as he becomes more and more of a corporate behemoth and singular brand, Krocs hair color and his skin tone both gradually take on an orange-tinged patina that seems to allude to Trump. Another nice visual touch is the way that Krocs business suits gradually improve in quality, mirroring his ascent.

Then there are the bygone-era-celebrating indoor and outdoor sets in The Founder, which often suggest what Norman Rockwell could have achieved had he ditched painting for life as a top Hollywood set designer.

With his every-man, hang-dog expression and the single-minded, force-of-nature relentlessness he imbues in Kroc, Keaton dominates every scene.

Watching him engage in a series of devious machinations, sometimes even before Kroc appears fully aware of their existence, is a treat. So is the supporting cast, in particular the McDonald brothers and Laura Dern as Krocs long-suffering first wife, Ethel, whose American dream slowly withers as her husbands grow ever more expansive.

If the scenes set in San Bernardino make that Southern California city appear far more hilly and verdant than it ever was, well, they were actually shot in Georgia.

Likewise, if the America of the 1950s seems more racially integrated than it actually was, well, that mirrors the idealized, fairy-tale imagery director Hancock favors. Yet, as The Founder ultimately attests, not all fairy-tales have happy endings.

Twitter @georgevarga

george.varga@sduniontribune.com
These days, not much thought is given to the typewriter, a now-quaint machine that is straightforward and simple to use: Press down on a letter and that letter shows up on the inserted piece of paper. But the invention of the typewriter in the late 1800s revolutionized business practices and sent thousands of women into the workforce.

Naturally everyone wanted to have one.

But how do you create a typewriter for a language that has no alphabet? That was the dilemma the Chinese faced. Their language is based on more than 70,000 random characters.

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Its seemingly an oxymoron. For most peoples way of thinking a typewriter requires letters to work, said Thomas Mullaney, a professor at Stanford University, who holds a doctorate in Chinese history. He has a collection of Chinese as well as Japanese typewriters, two of which will be on display at the San Diego Chinese Historical Museums new exhibit Radical Machines: Chinese in the Information Age.

With no keyboard, Chinese engineers decided they had to think radically, Mullaney said. A solution was vital for the Chinese to retain their culture and keep up with technology.

The answer was a machine with a tray filled with 2,500 character blocks. Typists needed to memorize the location of all the characters. To make things less cumbersome, characters were moved about the tray to clump frequently used words together.

While the Chinese typewriter is still often scoffed at for being cumbersome (hip-hopper M.C. Hammer named the dance movements in his 1990 U Cant Touch This music video the Chinese typewriter because of the frenzied way he envisioned typists would have to work), the predictive technology now found in computers and smart phones is a direct result of the thinking that went into optimizing the Chinese typewriter, Mullaney said.

We live in California and know the history of computers. What we dont immediately recognize is what the role of the Chinese typewriter was in the development of it, said Tiffany Wai-Ying Beres, the museums executive director.

The exhibit will display a 1971 Chinese typewriter and a 1930s Japanese typewriter that works the same way. This is the first stop on an international tour for the curious machines that look like paper cutters with paper rolls on them.

Its an impossible object. In theory, it should never exist, but it does exist, Mullaney said.

The MC Hammer video is also part of the exhibit, as are photos of typists from the late 1940s.

It was only 70 years ago, but it feels like a completely different era, Beres said.

The evolution of print in China from calligraphy to wood block and moveable type will also be explored. Artifacts include a rare Imperial Bible dating from 1894 and Chinese medicine books.

Its an exhibition for all ages, Beres said of the show, which will also include an interactive display where visitors can input Chinese characters. Its a fun story, its an international story, and its highly relevant.

Radical Machines: Chinese in the Information Age

When: Jan. 21 to April 16. Tuesdays through Saturdays 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays noon to 4 p.m., closed Mondays.

Where: San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Extension, 328 J St., downtown

Tickets: $5; free for children under 12

Phone: (619) 338-9888

Online: sdchm.org
A century ago this month, women were among the first Americans in history to picket the White House.

For almost two years, 24 hours a day, six days a week, women peacefully and silently paraded in front of President Woodrow Wilsons home with signs that implored him to reconsider his traditional stance on equality and pass a national suffrage act.

They protested because others could not.

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Known as the Silent Sentinels, over 200 of the women picketers were eventually arrested for obstruction of justice and endured harsh conditions and physical abuse in a local jail. Several continued to protest by going on hunger strikes; they endured forced feedings.

Yet they remained committed to the goal of universal suffrage. As a direct result of their efforts, the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920.

On Saturday, the day after President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration, hundreds of thousands of protesters plan to join together in Washington, D.C., and in cities around the nation in support of womens equality.

In memory of the Silent Sentinels, as we gather together in solidarity and in the spirit of democracy, we must be mindful of our obligation to be a voice for women who are unable to publicly advocate for themselves -- including women in the military.

We must protest because they cannot.

After all, there can be no doubt that we are entering an age of unprecedented political uncertainty. The Republican-controlled Congress has vowed to abolish the Affordable Care Act, which currently provides an untold number of women free access to birth control and prenatal care.

The President elect has publicly stated that he will install judges on the Supreme Court who will ensure the demise of Roe versus Wade, ending a womans right to choose.

Trump has also referred to the policy that opened ground combat jobs to military women as a form of social engineering, raising the serious concern that he will reinstate the ban once he takes office.

Military women should be concerned.

Trumps cabinet picks are almost exclusively white men, with retired infantry generals from the most conservative branch of the military  the Marines  tapped to lead the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense.

For comparison, under President Barack Obamas tenure, 36 percent of his cabinet positions were held by women, and 41 percent were non-white men.

Trump, on the other hand, has tapped women for only 20 percent his cabinet positions.

The lack of diversity in Trumps cabinet will no doubt have a negative impact on minorities over the next four years.

But even under the Trump administration, civilian women will still be able to rely on protections afforded by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1965 to fight against discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

This landmark legislation prohibits employers, universities ,and colleges from explicit and implicit discriminatory practices on the basis of sex, race, religion, or national origin

As a result, women are now able to serve as police officers, prison guards, and firefighters jobs that were previously held only by men.

Unfortunately, the military is not subject to Title VII provisions, which leaves service women in a particularly vulnerable position with the new administration.

Until the ban on women in ground combat was lifted by the Obama administration in 2015, women were prohibited from jobs like the infantry simply because of their gender.

And since Title VII does not apply to the military, the Marine Corps has been able to maintain segregated bootcamp for men and women despite decades of data which substantiates the practice actually puts female recruits at a decided performance disadvantage.

Incidentally, the Marine Corps also has the highest rate of sexual assault against women, which points to systemic cultural issues related to gender problems that could be remedied if Title VII protections were afforded to military women.

The difficulties service women face as a result of a lack of Title VII protections are further exacerbated by restrictions to the free speech and freedom of expression of military members.

The federal courts have long upheld the argument by the military that such restrictions are inherent to the ability to maintain unit discipline.

However, the liberal interpretation of what makes conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline and the ambiguity of what substantiates conduct unbecoming, makes any attempt to engage in acts of constructive dissent problematic.

Considering the extreme conservative views of members of the Trump administration, there is good reason to believe that over the next four years, military leaders will be free to apply a much broader interpretation of what makes conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline.

This fear will probably prevent many active duty women from participating in the various marches planned for January 21st across the country.

Now more than ever, military women need advocates who will work to eliminate gender bias and obstacles to their success.

As the Silent Sentinels demonstrated 100 years ago, we each have the opportunity to be a voice for members of society who have been rendered mute through systematic discrimination and abuse.

The Womens March on Washington, and all of the sister marches throughout the nation, will be a powerful call to the powers that be that women are united, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or background and we will be heard.

And so Saturday, I march for service women everywhere.

Kate Germano writes about the challenges faced by service women, the policy change that opened all military jobs to women and the need to desegregate Marine Corps recruit training. A retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, Germano is chief operating officer of Service Womens Action Network, though the opinions expressed here are hers alone. You can reach her at germanoki@gmail.com.
Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan gave $1 million Wednesday to an independent campaign to defeat school board president Steve Zimmer.

The donation swamps other contributions so far in what have become the most expensive school board races in the country.

Earlier this month, United Teachers Los Angeles, the local teachers union, put $150,000 into an independent campaign on behalf of Zimmer. In the March city elections, the two-term incumbent faces three challengers: attorney and former teacher Nick Melvoin; Gregory Martayan, who runs a communications and public relations firm; and Allison Holdorff, a parent who served on the board of Palisades Charter High School.

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Among the candidates, Melvoin had raised the most money through Dec. 31, the date of the most recent reporting period. The total for his campaign was $270,031. Zimmer had raised $85,393; Holdorff, $74,791; and Gregory Martayan, $62,225.

Riordan has endorsed Melvoin and also contributed directly to his campaign. But the limit for direct contributions is $1,100 while there are no donation limits for campaigns not under the control of a candidate.

In his previous campaign, four years ago, Zimmer and his supporters framed billionaires large donations to defeat him as an arguing point in favor of his reelection. The teachers union, with some assistance from other unions, spent enough on his behalf to get that message out.

The committee to defeat Zimmer is called LA Students for Change, Opposing Steve Zimmer for School Board 2017. The group is newly formed, and theres some ambiguity over its purpose in state records, where it is listed as: Zimmer for School Board 2017; LA Students for Change, Opposing Steve. It has not yet filed spending or contribution reports with the state.

Riordan has frequently been at odds politically with the teachers union, dating back to his time as mayor, although he did enjoy a close friendship with the late Helen Bernstein, the former UTLA president who was serving as his education adviser when she died in 1997.

Riordan and philanthropist Eli Broad, who consistently oppose union-backed candidates, frequently donate big money to defeat them.

During the last school board elections two years ago, the major conduit for money to fight union-backed candidates was a political action committee controlled by California Charter Schools Assn. Advocates, which has close ties to the state charter schools association.

Zimmers District 4 covers much of the Westside and stretches north into the San Fernando Valley.

Two other seats on the seven-member Board of Education also are up for grabs.

In District 2, which includes central L.A. and surrounding neighborhoods, incumbent Monica Garcia will not face a well-funded opponent. The teachers union has opposed Garcia but appears unwilling to take her on.

District 6, in the east San Fernando Valley, is an open seat. The union backing is going to community organizer Imelda Padilla. The traditional union opponents, including Riordan, seem to be coalescing around charter school teacher Kelly Gonez. The other candidates in the race are parent and loan officer Araz Parseghian, former state legislator Patty Lopez, neighborhood activist Gwendolyn Posey and animal-rights educator Jose Sandoval.

howard.blume@latimes.com

@howardblume

christine.mai-duc@latimes.com

@cmaiduc

UPDATES:

6:15 pm: Updated with additional detail about the opposition to Zimmer and union-backed candidates.
Searchers discovered a body amid the wreckage of a small aircraft that was found Wednesday on a snowcapped slope in the Angeles National Forest near Lake Hughes, authorities said.

The Mooney M20J airplane was flying from Tehachapi to Torrance on Thursday when it disappeared, according to Allen Kenitzer, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Los Angeles. Authorities presumed the plane had crashed and search crews had been looking for signs of wreckage ever since.

Local authorities say that only the pilot was on board, Kenitzer said.

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At about 10 a.m. Wednesday, members of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Special Enforcement Bureau spotted the aircraft and notified deputies in the area, said Shirley Miller, a spokeswoman for the sheriffs Santa Clarita Valley Station.

The downed aircraft was discovered in the vicinity of Forest Route 7N23 and Pine Canyon Road, she said. At least one person was found dead, Miller said.

The bureau later tweeted photographs on the planes wreckage.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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Soon after Donna Wheeler became a detective at the Southeast Community Police Station, which serves Watts and surrounding areas, she started having trouble breathing.

Her respiratory problems were worse at the end of a workday, she said. When she was on vacation, her symptoms improved. Her doctor diagnosed her with asthma caused by irritants in her environment.

Wheeler is one of about 115 LAPD officers and civilian employees who have filed worker compensation claims alleging that their respiratory issues are caused by unsanitary conditions at Southeast Community Police Station, including mold and bird feathers in the ceiling vents, that have existed since 2008.

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The city of Los Angeles recently commissioned a report from mold consultants, who inspected vents in the stations detective area. The report, completed in November, did not find a microbial health hazard but recommended that the city should try to reduce the mold.

We can accept our jobs being dangerous on the streets, but it shouldnt be dangerous at the police station, said Jerretta Sandoz, vice president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file officers, at a news conference outside the station Wednesday.

Sandoz said that LAPD commanders have tried to remedy the situation. Rather than the Police Department, she said, the city of Los Angeles is to blame.

LAPD officers answer phones in the lobby of the Southeast Community Police Station, which has been found to have black mold on the ceiling HVAC vents. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times )

On Dec. 23, attorneys for the union sent a letter to the LAPDs facilities management division asking that the city take immediate action to remove the mold and inspect the entire station.

It always comes down to money, Sandoz said. Replacing the air conditioning, cleaning the drains  its money, is my thought.

Tony Royster, general manager of the citys General Services Department, said in a written statement that the city will begin ridding the station of mold later this month.

Based on an inspection of the heating and air conditioning system requested by LAPD in a portion of Southeast Area Community Police Station, the Citys General Services Division on Dec. 15 ordered cleaning to eradicate mold found in the systems ductwork and registers, said the statement from Royster, who oversees building maintenance. Work will begin the week of Jan. 30 and is expected to be completed by Feb 10, 2017. In addition, GSD will conduct a full inspection of the station, and eradicate any mold found elsewhere in the building.

LAPD spokesman Josh Rubenstein said in a written statement that the department has acted quickly to develop a plan for addressing the mold problem.

While we understand the mold spore levels do not pose a serious health risk, we are working with the Los Angeles General Services Department to remove it from the building, the statement said. It is our priority to ensure that LAPD employees and the community feel safe in our stations.

Elizabeth Silver, general counsel for the union, said the cluster of respiratory illnesses among Southeast Community Police Station employees is unusual and has not occurred at other stations.

The entire station needs to be examined and cleaned up the same way they would clean their own home, Silver said.

In the stations lobby on Wednesday, a police officers first response when a reporter asked for a tour was to point to the ceiling.

You can see it right here, he said.

The lobbys ceiling vents were streaked with a black substance. The same was true of vents in the watch commanders office, the records room and the detective room. In the mens showers, the wooden benches were mottled with a black substance, and the air vent was covered in a gray, dusty substance.

On the roof, two dead pigeons lay next to a ventilation unit that circulates air through the building. The nearby concrete was covered in dirt and bird droppings.

In front of the station, a flagpole teetered at an angle, its base nearly severed by an intoxicated driver who rammed into it on Jan. 2.

Wheeler, the detective, said she remains at Southeast because there are not many equivalent jobs at other stations.

Pretty much, we just want the city to clean it up, said Wheeler, 56, who investigates auto thefts. Its disgusting that we have to work in an environment like this every day.

cindy.chang@latimes.com

For more news on the Los Angeles Police Department, follow me on Twitter: @cindychangLA

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UPDATES:

5:50 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from a city official indicating that the city will begin mold cleanup at the station later this month

4:50 p.m.: This article was updated with an additional quote from Wheeler and more description of the police station.

This article was originally published at 2:35 p.m.
A Lucerne Valley man was charged with murder Wednesday, months after his bed-ridden wife died in a fire that engulfed their home.

Donald Wayne Jenman, 68, faces one count of murder in the death of his wife, Lynda Cestone, according to a San Bernardino County Superior Court complaint. Cestone, 56, had suffered a stroke in 2010 and had been confined to her bed ever since, according to authorities.

Authorities said he set the blaze that killed his wife and at least a dozen cats.

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Jenman was arrested Friday following a nearly eight-month long probe into the mysterious fire that swept through the couples home in the 9800 block of Mesa Road on April 19.

Witnesses had called authorities about 4:30 a.m. to report elderly residents possibly unable to evacuate from the home, according to a San Bernadino County Fire Department statement. Half of the 1,400-foot-home was engulfed by flames, fire officials said.

When firefighters arrived, they found Jenman outside the single-story structure, suffering from smoke inhalation and burns. He was taken to a regional burn center.

Firefighters entered the home and found hoarder conditions, according to the department. The clutter allowed the blaze to spread rapidly and complicated efforts to fight the flames.

As firefighters battled the blaze, a portion of the homes roof collapsed over a bedroom. After the fire was extinguished, firefighters found Cestones body.

Firefighters also discovered at least a dozen dead cats inside the home.

Arson investigators discovered a gas supply line had been disconnected, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department.

Suspicious of the fires origin, arson investigators called homicide detectives to the scene.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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Should the San Diego Police Departments policy of deploying find-and-bite police dogs to locate and capture potential suspects be considered a severe  and unconstitutional  use of force?

An 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals contemplated the question Wednesday as it reheard arguments in a lawsuit brought by Sara Lowry, a woman who was bitten by a police dog as she slept off an alcohol buzz in her Pacific Beach office building one night.

The hearing is the second time the court has considered the San Diego federal case. A three-judge panel ruled 2-1 in Lowrys favor in April  that the departments dog policy could be considered a severe use of force and the case should be decided by a jury. But the 9th Circuit then accepted the city of San Diegos request for a larger en banc panel to rehear the case in San Francisco.

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Lowry, who worked for a data consulting firm, had gone out for drinks with co-workers on Feb. 11, 2010, and returned to her office. She had fallen asleep on her office couch and unknowingly tripped a security alarm when she got up to use the restroom.

Within minutes, San Diego police Sgt. Bill Nulton and his police dog arrived, along with two other officers. Nulton shouted for the person to come out and warned that a police dog would be released, according to police. Getting no response, he sent the dog in, off leash, but followed closely behind.

The dog quickly pounced on a figure under a blanket on the couch, biting Lowry through the lip. The officer called the dog off.

Lowry required three stitches.

Police said in court papers that the sergeant used the dog per department policy  to find a potential suspect and bite and hold that person until the handler arrives and gives further instruction. The officer has discretion when to let the dog off leash.

This is a case about a dangerous animal, Lowrys attorney, Nathan Shaman, argued Wednesday.

When asked when the use of a find-and-bite dog would be reasonable, the attorney replied the situation would require an officer to have strong information to suggest the suspect is armed and/or dangerous, or that the crime in question is fairly serious, and that there be no other members of the public at risk.

The attorney then argued against the use of police dogs completely. I dont think its necessarily unreasonable if we remove the K9 from the scenario and not have it available at all. Thats just how police used to have to investigate. We have a persons life at risk, thats still a huge issue.

To which Judge Richard Tallman interjected: No, two lives at risk, he said, referring to the police officer.

You want a decision from us that no K9s may be deployed in police work?

Attorney Donald Cook, who argued on behalf of the National Police Accountability Project, said that if police want to use dogs to find and bite, then the dog must be held to the same use-of-force standard as the human police officer.

The city doesnt get a pass because it was the dog that inflicted the injury, Cook argued.

Deputy City Attorney Stacy Plotkin-Wolff said the citys policy complies with the U.S. Constitution and that the officer makes a decision to deploy a dog only when there is reasonable suspicion to do so.

You know for a fact that a human is going to suffer a bite wound? Judge Alex Kozinski challenged.

Most likely, Plotkin-Wolff replied.

That, Kozinski said, means the city may be deliberately indifferent to the possibility that an innocent person will be injured.

Plotkin-Wolff disagreed and said the way the dog is deployed also makes a difference. In this case, the officer was close behind and able to control the dog with his commands quickly, before there was more serious injury.

Officers need to be able to act accordingly, the deputy city attorney said. Theres no way of knowing if a person, a burglary suspect, is armed. To require them to go in and investigate without a dog, putting themselves at risk, is inconceivable, she said.

The citys attorney said that police dogs that are trained to find and bark rather than bite are not necessarily less forceful, because they are also trained to bite if the suspect moves. In this case, Plotkin-Wolff argued that barking would have likely startled Lowry awake, causing a dog bite.

Say you, Kozinski fired back. Thats just a guess. Why not have a jury look at this? Why is your guess better than my guess?

Attorney Denise Rocawich, who spoke on behalf of several law enforcement groups, said the Los Angeles Police Department trains its dogs to find and bark, and to bite if a suspect moves. She said studies have shown that bite ratios in the city actually increased, having the opposite intended effect.

Its a highly controversial issue in the K9 training world, Rocawich said of the two methods.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
Among those watching Donald Trumps inauguration as Americas 45th president Friday will be 62 students from La Jolla Country Day School. This is the third time in a row the private college prep school has sent a group to Washington, D.C., for the event  and the first time that some of the teens werent sure they wanted to go.

Talk about teachable moments.

The students signed up months in advance, including one who requested a spot all the way back in the spring of 2015, well before Trump was viewed as a viable candidate for the Republican nomination, let alone a possible winner in the general election.

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His victory upended not just conventional wisdom but almost every pre-election poll, and it was a bitter pill for some to swallow after a rancorous campaign that exposed deep divides in the publics feelings about what kind of country America is and what kind of country it should be.

Students who backed Hillary Clinton and were expecting her to win found themselves shocked and disappointed. They thought they were going to see history made with the first woman sworn in as president. Thats what happened eight years ago, when the Country Day students watched the first black president, Barack Obama, take office.

What exactly would they be witnessing with Trump? Teens being teens, their emotions ran high.

Trip organizers called a meeting after the November election. You can stay home in protest, the students were told. Refuse to embrace the results. Thats what Trump had threatened to do if he lost. Thats what dozens of Democratic legislators are doing by boycotting the inauguration Friday.

Or, said Jonathan Shulman, chairman of the schools history department, you can decide that its important to keep the system operating, to go and participate in the process.

He told them, Who are the people you dont see eye-to-eye with, the people who look at Hillary Clinton the way you look at Donald Trump? This is a chance to meet them, to speak with them, to help all of us move forward.

And besides, he said, theres a demonstration, the Womens March on Washington, planned for the day after the inauguration. You can go to that, too, he pointed out.

Only one of the students dropped out.

History is being made

Officials are expecting a crowd of about 800,000 for the inauguration. About 240,000 of them have tickets for the swearing-in ceremony, held at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. The rest will gather along the Mall, where large screens will display the ceremony, which begins at 9 a.m. West Coast time. It will be followed by a parade and a series of inaugural balls. The weather forecast calls for a high of 50 degrees, with a 70 percent chance of rain.

A handful of the La Jolla Country Day students received tickets, which are free and were distributed by members of Congress and the Trump inauguration committee. Its not known how many other San Diegans have made the trip to Washington, but each member of the House of Representatives was given 150 to 175 tickets to distribute.

Rep. Darrell Issa said his office received more requests for tickets than were available. The Vista Republican reached out to Democratic colleagues who either wanted to be under-represented or didnt have the demand. We were able to pick up dozens and dozens of tickets for our constituents.

Among those who received tickets are 10 people from the Camp Pendleton Wounded Warrior Project, Issa said.

Cheryl Mitchell, owner of Camm & Associates, a San Diego marketing and advertising firm, said she is attending the inauguration to show her support for Trump. I believe in what he says, she said. Ive been a business owner for 28 years and we need a change. We need someone who understands business. I think he wants to unite everyone in the country. Its important we stand behind him.

Trump also has the backing of FaithAurora Robinson, one of the Country Day students. At 16, the sophomore wasnt old enough to vote, but she said shes interested to see what kind of changes the new president will bring to the economy and foreign policy. Its exciting, she said. History is being made with the election of a president who comes from outside the political system.

Her school, which dates to 1926, when a cottage on Coast Boulevard housed four students, now has about 1,150 enrolled. They range from the Tiny Torreys, age 3, whose annual tuition is $14,000, to the high schoolers, whose tuition is $32,000. The school has been at its current site on Genesee Avenue since 1961, but the school draws students from all over the county and beyond. More than 70 different ZIP codes are represented in the student body, according to administrators.

When Shulman came to the campus more than a decade ago, he started thinking about taking students to a presidential swearing-in. He grew up in Washington, D.C., and remembers it as a place that didnt get all that excited about traditional holidays but did for inaugurations.

Thats Washingtons Christmas, he said.

He saw going there as a chance for the students to witness history unfolding. Inaugurations, after all, are where incoming presidents sometimes speak words that become woven into the tapestry of what it means to be an American.

Abraham Lincoln talked about the better angels of our nature. Franklin Roosevelt said the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. John F. Kennedy urged citizens to ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.

In 2009, 34 Country Day students went for Obamas first inauguration. They watched the ceremony and then fanned out around the Mall, interviewing people about what life was like when they were teenagers. Four years later, 50 students went when Obama was re-elected, also recording interviews for a digital archive the school is calling Voices of the Mall.

To go on the trips, students are asked to write essays about past presidents and inaugurations. Shulman tells them: Dont do this unless the historic moment matters to you.

This year, there was added incentive. Dan Norland, a history teacher at the school, has a connection to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. His mother, Mary Hartnett, is one of Ginsburgs authorized biographers. I begged my mother to beg Justice Ginsburg to meet with us, he said.

About two dozen students, those with a particular interest in the law, met with Ginsburg Wednesday after listening to oral arguments at the Supreme Court in the morning. They went to the court after flying on a red-eye that got them to D.C. about 5:30 a.m.

For Fridays inauguration, theyll be getting up about 3 a.m. to make their way to the Mall. About half the students plan to attend the Saturday morning Womens March, which organizers expect will draw 200,000 people. Its billed as a way to promote womens equality and defend other marginalized groups.

Students who dont go to the march will visit the Smithsonian museums.

A learning process

Gabrielle Stryker is one of the students who was uncertain about going to the inauguration after Trump won. At 17, she couldnt vote, but her ballot would have gone to Clinton, she said.

Hes not the candidate I supported, but I realized its important to listen to people who dont see things the way I do, said the senior, who is headed to Tufts University next year. Its good to put myself in situations where Im not comfortable and learn from it.

Arielle Algaze, 18, voted in the election, for Clinton. The Yale-bound senior said she doesnt support Trumps proposed policies  not by a long shot  but she sees value in being there for his inauguration. Its a historic moment, something I will be able to tell my children about some day, she said.

Its unclear, though, what kind of a lasting effect the trips have had on students. Last week, as the current group was preparing for its trip, Matt Wylie, 20, who went to the 2013 inauguration, stopped by to chat with Shulman, his former teacher. Wylie, now a college student in Michigan, said he vividly remembers how Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Republican, gave one of the talks at the ceremony for Obama, a Democrat.

When he was asked who he voted for this time, Wylie ducked his head. I didnt vote, he said.

You didnt vote? Shulman said. You were in Michigan, a battleground state, and you didnt vote?

I know. I feel guilty about it, Wylie said.

You should feel guilty, Shulman said.

Another teachable moment.

Staff writer Rob Nikolewski contributed to this story.
UC San Diego researchers are playing big roles in an innovative, nationwide clinical trial to see whether 80 rare cancers can be treated with drugs from the breakout field of immunotherapy  where patients own immune systems get supercharged to battle tumors.

Each of these malignancies represents too small a share of the overall cancer universe to merit its own studies. But when brought together under a major trial funded by the National Cancer Institute, researchers said they have the opportunity to shed new light on how the human immune system reacts when the bodys cells develop deadly mutations.

This is one of the more important national clinical trials that I think weve ever done, said Dr. Elad Sharon, a senior investigator in the institutes Investigational Drug Branch.

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The study is scheduled to start enrolling participants in June. Researchers will use Opdivo and Yervoy, both made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, to treat the wide range of rare cancers  from Acinar Cell Carcinoma to Vulvar Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Relying on two medications to attack so many kinds of malignancies might seem under-powered, but experts said these drugs act very broadly. They rev up the bodys existing immune system, with the goal of enabling it to more effectively identify, go after and eliminate cells that have undergone genetic mutations.

Mutation is a central feature of all cancer cells, so it stands to reason that immunotherapy drugs should be wide-ranging so they can target myriad types of mutations. Pharmaceutical companies aim for the largest categories of disease when they conduct clinical trials, and in the world of oncology, Opdivo and Yervoy have brought about miraculous recoveries for some patients suffering from melanoma, lung tumors and other common forms of cancer.

For the new clinical trial, scientists and physicians want to determine whether similar success can be had against rare cancers.

Its coordinators intend to tap the NCI-MATCH program, which conducts genetic testing to connect patients with clinical trials, to enroll about 300 people from across the country.

The genius of this strategy is that it extends the possibility of joining a significant trial to patients with cancers that typically wouldnt be high-volume enough to merit such attention on their own, said Mark Laabs, founder and chairman of The Rare Cancer Research Foundation in Durham, N.C.

He said a few other studies have taken this basket approach, but the new effort appears to be a first.

This is the only one of this very small group of trials that I know of that is focusing exclusively on rare cancers, Laabs said.

The project will be run by SWOG, a cancer research collaborative with nearly 1,000 member organizations in the United States and six other countries. Formerly known as the Southwest Oncology Group, the collaborative will provide therapy at member centers close to participants homes. The data collected will be analyzed by researchers at UC San Diego and Northwestern University in Chicago.

UC San Diego is home to the clinical trials principal investigator, Dr. Sandip Patel, and its co-director, Dr. Razelle Kurzrock, chief of the hematology and oncology division at the universitys Moores Cancer Center in La Jolla.

Kurzrock, who created a clinic for rare tumors at UC San Diego, said she is drawn to helping patients who have the bad luck of being diagnosed with conditions that just dont occur often enough to get adequate attention from scientists, doctors and drug makers.

Individually, theyre rare. But cumulatively, they represent about 22 percent of all cancer patients, she said. Thats a huge unmet need.

By examining many different cancers, she added, there is great potential for gaining new knowledge about why immunotherapy drugs have immense and nearly immediate results for some malignancies and yet do little to nothing for others. A central feature of the upcoming trial is that all participants will undergo genetic testing as part of their treatment, Kurzrock said. Having that genetic information on hand is critical to spotting patterns across different types of cancer, she explained.

The next step in immunotherapy is to understand specifically which of the mutations in cancerous cells trigger the immune system. Were not there yet, but exploring that question is a big part of what well be doing in this trial, Kurzrock said.

While a 300-patient trial might not seem large to people who follow the development of mainline drugs by pharmaceutical giants, Kurzrock said it is actually a big study for rare cancers. Often, such projects require an international effort to recruit 100 to 150 participants.

She and Sharon, the National Cancer Institute investigator, said they see this clinical trial as a kind of survey to determine which rare cancers show the strongest responses to Opdivo and Yervoy. The plan is to expand in areas that show the most promise.

We definitely intend for this trial to be expandable as we learn more, Sharon said.

Its heady stuff for rare cancers to be getting such attention from the research community. Laabs, the chairman of The Rare Cancer Research Foundation, said it is refreshing to see an approach so similar to the one used to scrutinize common cancers.

I view these kinds of trials as making rare-cancer patients equal siblings to common-cancer patients in the way they are served by the medical research community, Laabs said.

The trials formal name is DART, which stands for Dual Anti-CTLA-4 & Anti-PD-1 blockade in Rare Tumors. A full description of the research effort can be found by going to clinicaltrials.gov and searching for DART cancer.

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paul.sisson@sduniountribune.com

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsisson
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Mexicos most notorious drug kingpin, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, who gained fame for his daring prison escapes and an interview with Hollywood stars while a fugitive, has been extradited to the United States to face trafficking and other charges, authorities from both countries said.

A plane carrying Guzman landed Thursday night at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, N.Y., according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The long-awaited extradition of the leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel came on President Obamas last full day in office and the eve of President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration.

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The timing, after months of unsuccessful appeals by Guzmans legal team to block the move, caused considerable speculation on social media and elsewhere.

They decided not to give Trump an early victory with the extradition of El Chapo, Alejandro Hope, a security analyst, said on Twitter.

One of Guzmans lawyers, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, told Mexican radio that he had an appointment to meet his client at a prison in the border city of Juarez at 1 p.m. but never got to speak with him.

They had me waiting two hours and hearing helicopters, and they told me there was a Code Black, Rodriguez said. I thought it was a change of prison and not the extradition.

Many analysts had concluded that Guzmans extradition was inevitable but that various legal appeals would drag the process well into 2017. Last year, Mexican authorities predicted that the extradition would probably take place in February of this year.

Mexicos Foreign Ministry confirmed the extradition after various news reports that Guzman had been moved from his prison in Juarez to the international airport there.

The Associated Press, citing a senior U.S. official, said that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of Guzman in Juarez, which is across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas, and that a plane carrying him departed for New York at 5:31 p.m. EST.

The Justice Department said he was flown to Long Island because of a legal reason.

Guzman faces six separate indictments throughout the United States  for drug trafficking, murder, money laundering and other charges  but the one filed in the Eastern District of New York contains a provision that he must enter the United States in that district.

U.S. authorities gave no word on whether he would remain in New York, though Brooklyn has long been seen as his likely destination.

Federal prosecutors there last year revised an indictment to drop charges that would make the accused drug lord subject to the death penalty, which had been a sticking point in negotiations between the U.S. and Mexico.

In extraditing the convicted kingpin to the United States, Mexico has washed its hands of its most high-profile inmate, a folk hero to some and a headache for government officials.

In 2001, he broke out from another high-security Mexican prison by hiding in a load of laundry, most likely with help from bribed prison staff.

He remained on the lam for 13 years and during that time helped turn the Sinaloa cartel into one of the worlds most powerful drug trafficking organizations. The syndicate moved massive amounts of Colombian cocaine through Mexico to the United States.

One of the worlds most-wanted fugitives, he was recaptured in Mexico in February 2014.

Then in July 2015, Guzman broke out of the maximum-security Altiplano prison near Mexico City through an underground tunnel. He was captured last January in the western coastal city of Los Mochis, but not before he had granted a secret interview to actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo.

Guzman remained under heavy guard in Mexican custody until his extradition Thursday.

Last year, a Mexican judge granted approval to extradition petitions from U.S. federal prosecutors in San Diego and southern Texas.

In California, Guzman faces charges of conspiracy to import and possess cocaine for the purpose of distribution. In Texas, he faces various charges including criminal conspiracy, crimes against public health, organized crime, firearms violations, murder and money laundering.

Guzmans attorneys filed unsuccessful appeals to keep him from being tried in the U.S., a country with a much stronger justice system than Mexico.

Still, Guzman may welcome the conditions of a new prison system. Over the last year, the inmate complained that he was subjected to psychological torture at the Federal Social Re-Adaptation Center No. 9, the maximum-security prison in Juarez.

Everything has become hell, Guzman told a doctor in a report made public last year. Guzman, whose cartel is responsible for countless deaths and other brutalities, said the psychological conditions in the prison were worse than any physical violence.

They have not beaten me, but I would prefer that, he said, describing a prison cell where the lights were kept on 24 hours a day and his only human contact was with masked guards.

They do not let me sleep, Guzman said.

National Security Commissioner Renato Sales Heredia disputed that in an interview with a radio journalist last year.

The truth is he has not been subjected to torture, of course, or any degrading or inhuman treatment, he said.

McDonnell and Linthicum reported from Mexico City and Wilber from Washington. Cecilia Sanchez of The Times Mexico City bureau and Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report.

ALSO

Money launderer for El Chapo gets 8 years in U.S. prison

El Chapo says hes depressed by prison life, complains of psychological torture

Murder, torture, drugs: Cartel kingpins wife says thats not the El Chapo she knows

UPDATES:

7:42 p.m.: This article was updated with information about Guzmans arrival in New York.

6:12 p.m.: This article was updated with information about a Guzman lawyer and additional background.

4:40 p.m.: This article has been updated with background information and political analysis.

3:55 p.m.: This article has been updated with staff reporting.

It was first published at 2:58 p.m.
Donald Trumps pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency cast doubt on whether California should continue to have power to impose its own emission rules for cars and trucks, an authority the state has enjoyed for decades that is also the cornerstone of its efforts to fight global warming.

Oklahoma Atty. Gen. Scott Pruitt said at a contentious confirmation hearing Wednesday that he cannot commit to keeping in place the current version of a decades-old federal waiver that allows California to set emissions standards stricter than elsewhere in the United States.

In recent years, California regulators have used the waiver to force automakers to build more efficient vehicles, which has helped the state cut its greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks by nearly a third since 2009.

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More than a dozen other states have adopted the California standard as part of their own efforts both to clean their air and fight global warming.

Pruitt held out the possibility that he might take that power away during a hearing in which he also battled Democrats over his skepticism about aspects of climate science, his financial relationship with oil and gas companies, and his plans to substantially curb the EPAs role in fighting pollution.

Although Pruitt said he accepts that human activity is affecting the climate, he expressed doubt over the mainstream scientific consensus that the warming is happening at a catastrophic pace that must be confronted with aggressive actions.

The ability to measure with precision the extent of [human] impact and what to do about it are subject to continued debate and dialogue, Pruitt said.

Pressed by Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) about whether he intends to leave Californias authority in place, Pruitt would only say, I dont know without going through the process to determine that. One would not want to presume the outcome.

His comments were met with strong protests by Democratic lawmakers in Washington and Sacramento. They charged that Pruitt, a self-styled crusader for states rights, is less committed to the principle when states pursue policies that reduce the profits of big corporations.

If the Trump administration did succeed in eliminating Californias waiver authority, the loss would be a major setback for the states environmental policies.

The waiver was initially granted decades ago as the state grappled with an air quality crisis triggered by the traffic-induced smog that settled over Los Angeles and other cities.

The state expanded its use of that power in 2009, when, after years of fighting with federal regulators and car manufacturers, California officials and the then-new Obama administration agreed to expand the waiver to incorporate Californias landmark effort to fight climate change. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has been a key function of the waiver since that agreement was struck.

Pruitts hedging on the issue comes as California regulators have expressed confidence that the new administration would not interfere with homegrown efforts to shift the state economy away from fossil fuels. But their confidence has been based on the assumption that certain federal environmental policies, like the waiver and tax credits for wind and solar energy, would endure.

When you say review, I hear undo the rights of the states, Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, which has adopted many of Californias standards, told Pruitt.

Its troublesome because obviously what weve heard all day is how much you support states rights when it comes to these issues. But, now when it comes to the right of California or Massachusetts or other states right to be able to reduce carbon pollution, you say you are going to review that.

We are fearful what review would actually result in, Markey said. I think it is going to lead to you undoing that right of states to be able to provide that protection.

Pruitt would say only that he could make no promise that California and other states will keep their waiver.

As Pruitt sparred with committee Democrats, Californias chief regulator of air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, Mary Nichols, was testifying in Sacramento about the importance of the waiver to her agency, the California Air Resources Board.

Any failure to renew the waiver, state Senate Leader Kevin de Leon said in an email, will be met with full resistance up and down the state.

Pruitt is among the more controversial of Trumps Cabinet picks, a longtime ally of the oil and gas industry who has built his career around fighting the agency he now seeks to run. He has sued the EPA 14 times since becoming his states attorney general  often alongside oil and gas companies. He argues the agency has acted inappropriately in its robust enforcement of clean air and clean water rules that he says should be left to state discretion.

As head of the EPA, he would be empowered to undermine the signature Obama administration effort to combat global warming  a policy he has crusaded against.

Regulators are supposed to make things regular, Pruitt said at his hearing, to fairly and equitably enforce the rules and not pick winners and losers.

He charged that the issue of climate change had been overtaken by emotion and incivility. We should not succumb to personalizing matters, he said.

The hearing follows a weeks-long assault by environmental groups against Pruitt that began the day Trump named him to lead the agency. One of the groups, the Environmental Defense Fund, said it had never lobbied against an EPA selection until now.

Democrats on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee took up the fight on Wednesday, accusing Pruitt of ignorance of climate science, a disregard for millions of Americans whose health is being harmed by air pollution and an inappropriately cozy relationship with big energy companies.

Pruitts close ties with energy companies were repeatedly brought up by Democrats as the hearing got underway. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon presented a letter Pruitt sent to the EPA protesting its enforcement of methane rules.

The letter was written almost entirely by Devon Energy. Pruitt had changed just a few words.

A public office is about serving the public, Merkley said. You used your office as a direct extension of an oil company rather than a direct extension of the public health of the people of Oklahoma.

Pruitt said sending the letter written almost entirely by an oil firm was appropriate.

The letter sent to the EPA was not sent on behalf of any one company; it was particular to an industry, he said. There was concern expressed by many in the industry about the overestimating that occurred in relation to that methane rule.

Times staff writer Chris Megerian in Sacramento contributed to this report.

evan.halper@latimes.com

Twitter: @evanhalper

ALSO:

Trumps approach might seem new, but Arnold Schwarzenegger tried it first. It was a disaster.

Despite scorn and criticism, these Latino voters dont regret voting for Trump

Repealing Obamacare without replacement would hike premiums 20% and leave 18 million uninsured, report says

UPDATES:

3:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information throughout.

9:50 a.m.: This story was updated with the start of the hearing.

This story was originally published at 3 a.m.
Regional leaders are gearing up for two key events next week related to homelessness: a one-day resource fair on Wednesday and a count of local homeless people on Friday that helps determine San Diegos allocation of federal aid.

Organizers of the resource fair, called Project Homeless Connect, say they need 130 more volunteers and donations of blankets, sweatshirts, ponchos, closed-toe shoes, backpacks and non-prescription reading glasses.

Details about that event, which will take place in downtowns Golden Hall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 25, are available at sdhc.org

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Organizers of the homeless count say they need 100 volunteers. Details about that event, which is countywide and runs from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Jan. 27, are available at rtfhsd.rog.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer on Wednesday praised the collaborative nature of both events.

This is a great example of the city, the county, the entire region  our providers coming together for the future and really helping men, women and families that really need that help, Faulconer said.

The resource fair, which 1,200 people attended last year, includes helping homeless people get identification cards for job searches, tips on Social Security benefits, flu shots, medical screenings, clothing, haircuts and information about shelters and housing.

In addition, Father Joes Villages will provide 1,200 meals that day.

Deacon Jim Vargas of Father Joes said the event is a good opportunity to connect with homeless people and possibly persuade them to get help.

This is the 11th consecutive year of the fair, which is organized by the San Diego Housing Commission and other groups.

County Supervisor Ron Roberts urged volunteers, particularly in North County, to sign up for the annual homeless count, which takes place rain or shine.

Getting this right requires literally hundreds of volunteers, he said. People who are going to walk the streets, peek in the canyons, and check out the parks and find the homeless people wherever they might be, including our shelters.

Golden Hall is located at 202 C St. People donating items should do so between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Donations already received include 7,000 pairs of socks from Stance; 1,000 hygiene kits from the Downtown Fellowship and 500 jackets from the San Diego Rescue Mission.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
An Anaheim police detective shot a kidnapping and murder suspect in Old Town early Thursday, authorities said.

Investigators had been looking for Luke Lampers for a week after he was suspected of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and killing a man at an Anaheim hotel.

The girl escaped from the Old Town E-Z 8 motel where she was being held, and Anaheim police went there Wednesday night to look for Lampers. He ran from them, and was wounded when a detective fired several rounds at him, Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt said Thursday.

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He said officers found a gun believed to be Lampers, but they dont know if it was used in the Anaheim slaying.

Wyatt said the ordeal for the 23-year-old woman began on Jan. 11. Lampers, 35, is suspected of kidnapping her at gunpoint from the Crystal Inn on Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim, where she was staying with another man.

They returned to the inn 20 minutes later so she could gather some of her belongings, Wyatt said. He said the woman was stopped from going into the room by Douglas Navarro, 49, whose mother worked at the inn.

Police believe Lampers got out of his car, shot Navarro and forced the woman back into the car. Navarro died at a hospital. Wyatt said witnesses identified Lampers as the shooter.

We worked 24 hours a day. We considered (the woman) to be kidnapped and at risk, and Lampers armed and dangerous, Wyatt said.

Late Wednesday night, Anaheim investigators learned that the woman had escaped and called her father to say she was in San Diego.

Detectives met with her in Clairemont. Then they went to the E-Z 8 motel on Pacific Highway, near Interstate 5, in Old Town to find Lampers, San Diego police homicide Lt. Mike Holden said.

He said he did not know how the woman ended up in Clairemont.

Anaheim police asked San Diego police to help stake out the motel. Officers were there when Lampers drove up in a stolen car. Wyatt said the Anaheim detectives approached him, but then he got out of the car and ran.

They chased him to the back side of the Caltrans building on Taylor Street. One detective fired at Lampers, wounding him once.

Holden said San Diego officers joined in the chase, but he didnt know if they were close enough to witness the shooting.

Holden and Wyatt said they do not know why the Anaheim officer shot Lampers. Lampers is not believed to have fired at the officers.
A man was killed by a hit-and-run driver whose car swerved out of control in Paradise Hills Thursday morning, San Diego police said.

The 49-year-old victim was grabbing an umbrella out of his parked vehicle when he was hit by the silver four-door Lexus ES 330, police said.

Police later found the car but had not made an arrest. Officials did not say where or when the vehicle was located or whether the suspect had been identified or found.

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Police said the hit-and-run driver was heading east on Albemarle Street and crossed double-yellow lines near Seabreeze Drive about 7:15 a.m. The car sideswiped the parked vehicle, then hit the victim, who was thrown a short distance onto the road.

Neighbors who head the collision rushed out and started CPR on the injured pedestrian, but he died. He was identified as Jose Luis Padron by the Medical Examiners Office.

The driver kept going east. The car had damage to the front, left and drivers side, and the windshield may have cracked on the drivers side, police said.

Police blocked off the road and interviewed neighbors, looking for anyone who may have seen the vehicle.
A plumbers torch sparked a fire that heavily damaged a Paradise Hills home Thursday, a San Diego fire official said.

A family of two adults and a child, with two dogs, were displaced by the fire. The Red Cross was assisting them.

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The fire broke out in an upstairs bathroom in a two-story house at Ruthupham Avenue and Alonquin Way about 11 a.m., San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Capt. Joe Amador said.

Smoke quickly filled most of the house and the attic. It took firefighters about 15 minutes to douse most of the flames, Amador said.

Investigators determined the fire caused an estimated $60,000 in damage.
A woman precariously stuck on a steep, snow-covered slope in the San Bernardino Mountains was airlifted off the ridge Monday by members of the San Bernardino County sheriffs and fire departments in a tricky and dramatic helicopter rescue.

Jennifer Fujita of Irvine was hiking down Devils Backbone Trail with her brother when she slipped and slid some 50 feet down a rocky ridge. She managed to stop herself from plummeting further by digging her ax into the ice, sheriffs officials said.

Her sibling called 911, relayed their GPS location and a rescue team was dispatched.

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Fujita was spotted about 3.30 p.m. on the snow-packed ridge at an elevation of 9,200 feet, not far from the summit of Mount Baldy where winds were reported to be gusting at 45 mph. Rescuers determined that she was in a high-risk area which meant that she would have to lifted off the ridge using a hoist as the copter hovered overhead.

San Bernardino County Fire Department Captain Eric Spies was lowered some 130 feet down to the 34-year old as chopper pilot Corporal Mike Gilley battled the winds. Spies undid her backpack, which toppled hundreds of feet down the cliff, and put Fujita in what is called a hasty rescue harness.

Spies said Give me a bear hug, OK? As the copter blades whirled above he then instructed her to lift up. Youre going to hug me as tight as you can, he said.

OK, she can be heard replying before she is airborne and successfully lifted to the chopper.

The risky and successful maneuver was all recorded all caught on tape and posted on the departments Facebook page where the crew is receiving plenty of accolades.

AMAZING work by all. Running against the sunset, too. Thank you, all, for your service & having a positive & happy outcome on this rescue, wrote one woman.

Wowza! That helicopter pilot had mad skills and so did the guy who rescued her. Amazing, said another.

Another person summed it up by writing, True HEROS.

Fujita was flown to Cow Canyon Saddle where she was released to medics.

619-293-1710

debbi.baker@sduniontribune.com

twitter.com/Debbi_Baker
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For all their happy pageantry  marching brass bands on parade, solemn invocations, evening gowns at the balls  our inaugurations expose some of the biggest tensions that define the American presidency.

President Barack Obama gives his Inaugural address on the West Front of the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, during the ceremonial swearing-in ceremony during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, Pool) (/ AP)

At the founding of our republic, monarchs led nearly every other nation. Even as democratic systems spread, most countries adopted parliamentary systems where legislatures chose prime ministers to head their governments, often alongside a ceremonial head of state to hover above the partisan fray.

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But the U.S. presidency falls somewhere between: A head of government that assumes office on behalf of a political party, yet is expected to be a unifying head of state for all Americans.

As our first elected president, George Washington was conscious that he was setting precedent for this new position as head of a republic. He had resigned his command of the Continental Army a few years earlier, despite calls for him to keep his wartime powers and rule the nation as a dictator or king. Yet he and his supporters also saw how his vast prestige could help support a fragile new government. So instead of simply taking his oath of office, the only constitutionally mandated element of an inauguration, they turned Washingtons ascension to the presidency into a show  one that publicly reconciled the compound, if not contradictory, roles bestowed on Americas top post.

The result blended the trappings of European monarchs with heavy nods to the presidencys democratic foundations. In many ways, the inauguration looked like a coronation, with throngs of adoring lookers-on, invocations of the divine, and a gun salute. But the new president wore a plain brown suit to the affair, held at Federal Hall in the then-capitol, New York. He used his inaugural address to show humility at the task to which the voice of my country called me, and drew attention to his solemn pledge to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Washington set another powerful precedent eight years later: After two elected terms, he retired. His refusal to cling to control provided reassurance to those who feared the power of a single executive. It also set the stage for peaceful, regular transitions.

After Washington, most of Americas presidents decided to keep up the pageantry of the inaugural inauguration too. In 1797, Oliver Ellsworth became the first chief justice to administer the oath of office when he swore in John Adams. Thomas Jeffersons first inaugural was also the first to take place in the new capitol of Washington, and his second featured the first parade. James Madison had the first inaugural ball in 1809. And in 1981, Ronald Reagan shifted the ceremony from the Capitols East Portico to its West Front, allowing more of the public to witness the event from the National Mall.

Inaugurations seek to show stability during contentious transitions. But divisiveness can still undermine democracys big day. Between Abraham Lincolns election and inauguration in 1861, seven Southern states declared their secession from the Union and began forming the Confederate States of America. Rumors spread of plots to prevent Lincoln from reaching the capitol to ascend the presidency, so the president-elect disguised himself and took a night train through pro-slavery Baltimore to reach Washington on time. Artillery companies guarded Capitol Hill and sharpshooters lined his Pennsylvania Avenue route on Inauguration Day.

Despite the drama, Lincoln used his first address to strike a conciliatory tone, telling Southerners, We are not enemies, but friends. It was all for naught. Within six weeks, the Civil War had begun. But America did have a properly sworn-in president at the helm.

Even in the absence of a secessionist movement, partisanship can undercut aspirations for inaugurations to celebrate national unity.

In 1829, Andrew Jacksons new presidency marked a stark, populist departure from those of incumbent John Quincy Adams. Following a bitter election fight, his inauguration became more victory party than reconciliation. The outgoing president Adams didnt show. But, fitting the new everyman order, a rowdy crowd of over 10,000 supporters did.

Just as many inaugurations are remembered for presidents-elect who tried to smooth bumpy handoffs. In 1801, Jefferson, the first president to come from a different party from that of his predecessor, declared, We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists.

In 1933, the outgoing Herbert Hoover and incoming Franklin D. Roosevelt, who openly loathed each other during a rocky transition, shared a lift to the new presidents inauguration. Hoover mostly scowled as FDR tipped his top hat to the crowds.

But Hoover honored the tradition that, with rare exception (assassination, resignation, natural death and a few 19th-century cases of animosity), the outgoing president has always made some sort of symbolic show on Inauguration Day. Its perhaps the ceremonys most powerful symbol of the peaceful passage of power.

Skinner teaches political science at Johns Hopkins and George Washington Universities. He wrote this for Zocalo Public Square.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was famous for his fireside chats  evening radio addresses that helped sell the policies of the New Deal and, later, the events of World War II. His successor, Harry Truman, became the first president to address the nation through a television broadcast, announcing the end of Americas occupation of Japan.

Today, President-elect Donald J. Trump fires off 3 a.m. tweets that drive the days news, draw comments from world leaders and echo among his 20 million followers. During the campaign, Trump used Twitter as his mouthpiece, inciting opponents and amplifying the narrative he wanted his base to hear.

Trump wont be the first social media president. Barack Obama was an early adopter, joining Twitter in 2007, just a year after the company was founded. In the 2008 election, he dominated his opponent on social media, with 112,000 Twitter followers to Sen. John McCains 4,600.

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By the 2012 election, his campaign had a presence on nearly every social network, including Pinterest and Foursquare. As president, he went live on Facebook from the Oval Office, answered questions on YouTube and Reddit, and debuting a custom Snapchat filter for the State of the Union.

But like Ronald Reagan  who perfected what Roosevelt and Truman started, having become a master of radio and television thanks to his years in Hollywood  Trump appears eager to show his predecessor how its done. He intends to leverage Twitter not just as another broadcast channel but as a key part of his administrations strategy.

This raises the question of whether President Trump will actually want to take on @POTUS, the official Twitter account of the president. Early in his second term, Obama created @POTUS as a separate entity from his personal account, which currently is run by Organizing for Action. Since it was launched in 2013, @POTUS has sent 345 tweets and accumulated nearly 14 million followers  quite a few less than @RealDonaldTrumps 20 million followers and 34,000 tweets.

Back in October, the White House released its digital transition plan, outlining how the changeover will unfold. On Jan. 20, all of the content on the presidents official social media accounts will be archived by the National Archives and Records Administration. For Twitter, usernames will be appended with 44 and archived (e.g., @POTUS44 and @VP44). For Instagram and Facebook, archived information will be accessible through instagram.com/obamawhitehouse and facebook.com/obamawhitehouse. A similar approach will be used on other platforms like Tumblr, YouTube and Medium. Like presidential records from the analog era, the preserved information will be available to the public.

But Obama wont have to start from scratch in his digital life after the White House. @BarackObama, the unofficial account from his campaign, has more than 80 million followers. This massive following shouldnt be a surprise. Obama has been through two very expensive presidential campaigns, and has eight years under his belt as leader of the Free World (of course, hes still 15 million short of Katy Perry).

Officially, the president-elect has said he wont be using @POTUS  presumably since he has more followers and it would be a bad deal. But, President Obama also had more followers when he took office. Surely, he had some good reasons to separate the two?

At first glance, this separation parallels the legislative branchs approach to social media use, but with fewer restrictions in practice. In the House of Representatives, for instance, members are subject to a number of restrictions on official account usage and often have a separate personal account. These include a prohibition on grassroots lobbying, and bans on campaign fund-raising or endorsements of particular firms or products. In short, theres a wall between campaign or business activity and the official duties of their office.

While the president is exempt from many constraints normally applied to the political activities of executive branch employees, members of his official staff are not. As long as Trump does all of his own tweets, this may be OK (aside from the security issues). But if he wanted to use any official resources to run his account, it could create problems. Complications could ensue if he blended White House resources with those of his re-election campaign or business activities.

Even if he uses a personal account, all his Twitter activity (including deleted tweets, favorites, mentions and DMs) would likely be considered presidential records under the Presidential Records Act, subject to archiving and publication after his term in office. Additionally, his DMs may get caught up in the Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments of 2014s restrictions on nonofficial electronic messaging accounts. Of course, were dealing with new territory, and the president has considerable discretion in the enforcement and interpretation of these rules. Nonetheless, one can see why Obama wanted to avoid the unnecessary headaches.

Whatever account name he uses, Trumps use of Twitter will continue to be at the center of his administration. Trump is paving the way for other public officials to embrace the social media age and use platforms to better engage with their constituents. Trump uses social media as it was meant to be used, to engage in a conversation and interact with his base directly. It may take some experimentation to get the balance right and figure out what restrictions to impose across different levels of government.

Meanwhile, it should not take Trump long to surpass Obamas spot as the biggest public official on social media. Like him or not, theres no denying that hes making Twitter great again.

Graves is a senior fellow and technology policy program director at the R Street Institute. Moss is technology policy fellow at the R Street Institute. They wrote this for InsideSources.com.
During a tech summit meeting in December 2016, President-elect Donald Trump pledged his aid in helping top technology executives continue to innovate. Its alarming, however, that no one sitting at the table represented the heart of the American tech industry  small and midsized companies. Even Twitter was left out, because the social media trailblazer was deemed too small.

While Trump himself promised to do anything we can to help the tech industry, he must keep in mind that the core of innovation comes from smaller businesses as well, not just from the Silicon Valley elite. If innovation is truly going to be one of this administrations key pillars, these innovators must have a voice.

The needs and challenges of small and medium firms are vastly different from large companies. Had the Trump transition team included representatives from these smaller employers at the tech summit, concerns shared would have included, We are not sure we are going to be able to make payroll this month, or I need to find 10 software developers to finish version 1.0 of our product. These are the kinds of challenges small and midsized tech companies face that dont often apply to the tech giants.

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Had representatives from smaller innovators been invited to the conversation, they also would have communicated their dependence on a strong patent system to thrive. Therefore, the incoming administration should be mindful of the damaging impact of overly broad patent legislation, which could undermine the rights of all patent owners, and hinder the ability of smaller tech enterprises to attract private capital funding and guard against patent theft.

Another common challenge for these businesses is attracting and retaining talent. As the war for talent continues to escalate throughout technology clusters around the country, the shortage of skilled technology workers has become the top issue. This fierce competition for talent has posed a threat to their ability to expand, develop new technologies and sustain growth.

Trump should work to ensure that his promise to help create more jobs in the tech industry will include small and medium innovators. On a more micro level, regional tech leaders, organizations, and universities are working to help these smaller firms attract and retain more talent, however more support is needed from federal and state leaders.

While San Diego is home to tech giants such as Qualcomm, ViaSat, Sony and Intuit, the regions flourishing tech community is primarily made up of small and medium-sized companies. This is especially true of San Diegos software companies, which collectively account for $12.2 billion in total annual economic impact and more than 100,000 jobs. Its imperative that we continue to foster the growth of these companies.

I urge both the Trump administration as well as state and local leaders to consider specific programs to assist these firms.

In addition to traditional tech priorities such as repatriation, tax reform, H1-B visa increases and the importance of trade agreements, we should examine legislation that would promote the recruitment and retention of talent.

Solutions might include tax incentives for organizations that elect to assist in the repayment of student debt, and incentives to accelerate student placement in the workforce, perhaps through subsidizing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) internships.

According to the Small Business Administrations Office of Advocacy, small firms accounted for 63 percent of the net new jobs created between 1993 and mid-2013 (or 14.3 million of the 22.9 million net new jobs). Since the end of the recession, small firms accounted for 60 percent of the net new jobs. Small firms in the 20-499 employee category led job creation.

Americas innovation ingenuity and competitiveness depend on our ability to keep smaller companies on a healthy growth trajectory. The success of these enterprises comes from access to capital, a solid talent pool and a fair regulatory environment.

Lets keep America innovative and competitive by supporting our small and midsized technology companies.

Carroll is executive director of Tech San Diego, a local trade organization that provides a unifying voice for San Diegos technology community, fostering growth and business acceleration through collaborations between industry, education, and government. His organizations website: techsandiego.org.
President Barack Obamas legacy is unusual for its complexity. The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board understands the view of many Democrats that Obama would have been able to get more done in a less partisan atmosphere. But both parties contributed to Washingtons dysfunction. Like Obama, President George W. Bush was seen by political rivals as an illegitimate pariah. Ultimately, the 44th president will be judged on what he got done and what survives Congress and the 45th president. In our estimation, Obamas record is mixed. For simplicity, our review follows in four categories.

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The good: Obamas election as the first African-American president was a powerful symbol in a nation that was long officially hostile to blacks  and not that long ago. While talk of a post-racial America was uncomfortable to some and unrealistic to many, Obama nominated the nations first two black attorneys general and its first Hispanic Supreme Court justice and appointed what would have been, with Senate confirmation, its first Muslim federal judge.

This symbolism has a resonance that goes far beyond our shores. Obamas global travels and his many televised town halls and meetings with students have not only improved the United States reputation, theyve helped restore the image of America as a beacon for the world.

His patience and persistence also paid off as he presided over the recovery following the Great Recession, oversaw the operation that killed Osama bin Laden and built international support for the 2016 Paris accord on climate change, demonstrating decisive leadership, at least on these issues.

The Affordable Care Act, for all its flaws, deserves praise as well. This editorial board has long predicted the current problems Obamacare faces. Yet the ACA provided health insurance for 20 million previously uncovered Americans and reset the health care debate from indifference about the uninsured to insurance for everybody, as President-elect Donald Trump vowed last week. Its provision letting children remain on their parents policies until age 26 was an inspired way to help young adults.

The president has also been a force for criminal justice and education reform, pardoning record numbers of prisoners and persuading many states  with California an unfortunate exception  to focus on improving teacher training and metrics.

The bad: In 1945, there were 41 people working for every American receiving Social Security benefits. By 2030, there will be two workers for every American receiving Social Security and Medicare benefits. If any issue needs a president to bend the arc of history, it is this one. But Obama, like Bush and Bill Clinton before him, not only gave up on entitlement reform after grasping the political pain involved in such changes, he basically stopped talking about this gigantic problem.

On foreign policy, Obama inherited an awful mess and then  heeding the wishes of most Americans  began to disentangle our nation from its painful wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was wise to end the U.S. isolation of Cuba. But Obamas initial failure to assess the threat posed by the Islamic State remains baffling and hints at naivete about jihadisms powerful appeal. And in Syria, to the disappointment of many U.S. allies, Americas hands-off approach to the civil war helped trigger a massive refugee crisis with such far-reaching fallout that it appears to be remaking European politics. It is not just self-serving for Obama to insist that his options were either a full-on ground war against the Assad regime or occasional airstrikes. It is wrong.

Meanwhile, China has continued to expand its presence in the South Chinese Sea and to cultivate better ties with neighboring countries without a meaningful U.S. response. It was once inconceivable that such traditional U.S. allies as South Korea might choose to partner with China. No more.

Given all this and Russias growing cyber threat, it is impossible to look at where America stood in the world on Jan. 20, 2009, and where it stands now and conclude our nation is a safer place.

The ugly: The Obama administration has been the least transparent and the most antagonistic toward the media since the Nixon administration. A 2013 report by the Committee to Protect Journalists documents case after case of whistleblowers being punished and public documents being kept from the public. So much for Obamas promise to lead the most transparent administration in history.

The unknown: If the deal struck with Iran by the U.S. and other world powers prevents the long-feared nuclear confrontation between Iran and Israel, it should be viewed as a success. If it also achieves what Obama envisions  establishing a Middle East balance of power that yields stability and a less radical Tehran  it will be a triumph for the ages. If.

If the Precision Medicine Initiative the president launched with his 2015 State of the Union speech lives up to its promise, it could radically reduce human misery and increase life expectancy. Dr. Eric Topol of the San Diego-based Scripps Research Institute is co-leader of the project, which is built on the idea that tailoring treatments to individuals based on their genetic makeup and health histories makes far more sense than a one-size-fits-all approach. If it succeeds, it will be remembered as akin to the Manhattan Project for medicine. If.

Our mixed conclusions wont sit well with the many partisans in our polarized nation. But an administration has so many duties that it is hard to fathom anyone declaring a president to be a total success or an utter failure. We believe Barack Obama falls into neither category  and we think Americans wont stop arguing about it for decades.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: UTOpinion
Regarding Trump to enter office with lowest presidential approval rating in four decades (Jan. 18): Why would anyone believe what the pollsters are now saying about Donald Trumps agenda and approval ratings after what they did to him during the election cycle?

Political polling can no longer be trusted to be an accurate reflection of what people think of their leaders and government. It is too easy to stage questions that give the desired result the pollster is looking for.

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Cliff Lindroth

San Diego

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy.

E-mail letters@sduniontribune.com

Mail: Andrew Kleske, Reader Outreach Editor San Diego Union-Tribune P.O. Box 120191 San Diego, CA 92112-0191.

You can also leave a comment below

GOP disguises reason for hating Obamacare

David Slika (Unclear why GOP wants ACA repealed, Jan. 18) asks why the GOP is committed to repealing the Affordable Care Act, which helps most Americans, especially low- and middle-income families, and brings needed reforms to our health care system.

Simple, repeal is a massive tax cut for the 400 or so who make more than $1 million a year. The ACA funds expansion of Medicaid and shores up Medicare with a 3.8 percent surcharge on unearned income (capital gains) for families making more than $250,000 a year. Most of it will be paid by the super rich.

Repeal will give them billions and blow a hole in the deficit. The ACA is fixable, but the tax cut cant be justified. So the GOP hides its intent by attacking Obamacare and demanding total repeal.

The GOP will throw a tub full of babies out with the tax bath water to fool the people while serving their oligarch masters.

Vincent F. Biondo Jr.

Del Mar Heights

Hunter taking his cues from Trump playbook

Based on ongoing reporting by the San Diego Union-Tribune, it appears Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, is attempting to ride the coattails of Donald Trump.

With regard to his personal use and misappropriation of campaign contributions, Hunter suggests media coverage of the investigative status of his campaign spending is inaccurate and uses the Riverside Press-Enterprise to disseminate his comments.

Hes now changing the conversation with his recent confiscation of Capitol artwork. An ethics committee report on Hunters spending in excess of $60,000 is pending. Not to mention, Hunter backed the failed attempt to eliminate the Office of Congressional Ethics.

Talk about the tail wagging the dog.

Linda Kalescky

Carlsbad

Hillary Clinton lost Obamas third term

President Obama says he could have won a third term had he been able to run.

He did run, and lost. Only difference was that this time he was wearing a pants suit.

Steve Aldridge

San Diego

Single-party rule has harmed California

An alternative title for Brian R. Clacks commentary Dangers of party, partisanship may put nation at risk (Jan. 12) is Our rigid partisanship is unhealthy for California.

Alleged evils of partisanship that he bewails pertain to California, only more so. One party rules the state. That same party shamelessly stokes the fires of fear of the federal government for (potentially) enforcing federal law.

I read nothing in his piece about the dire situation in California.

Eric Smith

Kensington

Brown should see how San Diego commutes

Regarding California bullet train: Here we go again (Jan. 16): I have a solution for the governors reluctance to cancel the bullet train. Have him ride up and down on our potholed streets in a horse-drawn wagon with metal rimmed wheels and wooden seats until he relents. We can call it buck boarding.

Fred Scharar

San Diego

* * *

I see the first part of the bullet train from Merced to Shafter, just north of Bakersfield, originally scheduled for completion this year, may not happen until 2024.

When will this nightmare end? There are so many on the gravy train, whether consultants, lawyers, engineers, lawyers, realtors, lawyers, environmentalists (and did I mention lawyers?), that who knows. It is such a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Jan Bourgeois

East Village

Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
Its time: Donald Trump is being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States of America.

Our nations capital is decorated and prepared to welcome the masses of people who will arrive to see (or even protest) the traditional event. Heres a quick list of 9 things to know about Trumps inauguration.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump arrive aboard a U.S. Air Force jet at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S. January 19, 2017. (REUTERS / Jonathan Ernst)

What is it?

The inauguration is made up of several events to celebrate and make official the transfer of power from one president to another. The new president, in this case Trump, is sworn in with 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."

When is it?

Its all happening on Jan. 20. The ceremony itself will begin at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time (11:30 a.m. Eastern Time) on the west front of the Capitol. The oath of office and the inaugural address will take place around noon. A parade will follow at about 3 p.m. and the inaugural balls are scheduled to begin around 7 p.m.

How can I watch it?

Major networks like Fox, CNN, CBS and ABC will stream the proceedings on television and online (you may need to log in to your TV provider to watch).

The White House will also stream the event on its website here.

Youtube is partnering with several news organization as well. Heres a list of Youtube channels to watch.

What happens at the inauguration ?

The day usually starts with the president-elect attending some sort of worship service. Trump will join in the tradition of attending a service at St. Johns Episcopal Church next to the White House.

Then Trump and President Barack Obama will have coffee together in the White House before riding to the Capitol together. The swearing-in ceremony will take place with remarks from religious and political leaders and musical performances. Trump is expected to take the oath of office around noon.

Events throughout the day include an official luncheon, a parade and inaugural balls. View the full list of events here.

Who attends the inauguration?

The events are open to the public, but the up-close seats go mostly to family, friends and members of Congress and other politicians. CNN has reported that former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George Bush will attend with their wives. The Obamas will also attend.

Who wont be attending?

A long list of Democratic lawmakers have chosen to boycott the ceremonies for a wide range of reasons related to Trumps policy decisions and actions during his campaign. That includes San Diego Rep. Juan Vargas.

Former president George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara will also not be in attendance for health reasons.

Whos performing?

Toby Keith , 3 Doors Down, The Piano Guys and Lee Greenwood are some of the acts performing at events surrounding the inauguration. Jackie Evancho, a former contestant on Americas Got Talent, will sing The Star-Spangled Banner.

The Missouri State University Chorale, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Radio City Rockettes are also slated to perform.

Hows the security?

The area around the Capitol will basically become a security fortress. The Washington Post reports 28,000 security officials will be involved in protecting 100 square blocks.

People planning to attend (tickets are required for much of the area) have to arrive via metro stations.

Hows the weather looking?

The National Weather Service is predicting a 90 percent chance of rain Friday with a high of 47 degrees.

The rain is predicted to begin after 9 a.m. and continue throughout the day, and winds of 3 to 7 mph are expected.

Will you be watching? Make sure to follow the Union-Tribunes Ideas & Opinion section on Twitter and Facebook for coverage.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin
The Miss Poway and Miss Teen Poway Scholarship Pageant is returning for its 55th year with orientation meetings at 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22 and Sunday, Jan. 29.

Anyone wishing to participate in this years pageant, which will be held on April 1 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, must attend one of these orientation meetings.

The pageant is open to any girl living in a Poway Unified School District ZIP codes (92064, 92127, 92128 and 92129) who is unmarried and between the ages of 12 and 24.

Anyone wishing to participate in this years pageant, which will be held on April 1 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, must attend one of these orientation meetings.

The meetings are about an hour long and will provide all the needed information about participating in the pageant. The meetings will be held at the Poway Community Center in the Bill Bond conference room. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend with their daughters.

The pageant is sponsored by the Poway Kiwanis Club.

There are three categories in the pageant, Miss Poway, for girls ages 17 to 24, Miss Teen Poway, for girls ages 15 to 16 and Miss Junior Teen Poway, for girls ages 12 to 14. The teen category was added to the pageant in 2004 and the junior teen category in 2014.

More than just a beauty pageant, the Miss Poway and Miss Teen Poway Scholarship Pageant aims to find young ladies who will act as youth ambassadors to the city of Poway, according to a press release from Sharon Gruber, the pageants director and event coordinator.

Miss Poway Court will represent the best that Poway has to offer. She is poised, comfortable in social and civic situations and has a willingness to serve the citizens of Poway. Miss Poway Court will meet the mayor, all the members of the city council and most importantly, the residents of the city of Poway at the many local events. They will shake hands, pose for many pictures and bend down and place their crown on many young girls heads, said Gruber.

During their year-long reigns, the three queens and their courts will spend between 150 to 200 hours doing community service and personal appearances. Some of these activities include the City of Poways Old-Fashioned Fourth of July celebration, Poway City Council meetings, the Train Song Festival, the annual Poway Days Parade, the Poway Rodeo, the Rancho Bernardo Spirit of the Fourth parade, serving a meal to wounded service members at Balboa Naval Hospital, volunteering at the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and volunteering at the City of Poways Easter egg hunt.

In the eight weeks leading up to the pageant, the contestants will be trained in several skills, including public speaking, job interview skills, how to dress for an interview and even self-defense.

We at the Miss Poway Scholarship Pageant hope that the contestants and winners have an incredible experience that will remain in their memories and heart for a life time. The friendships and skills obtained are so important to these young ladies. We want them to become the leaders of tomorrow. We want them to spend a life time in service of others. We want them to have fun while they are doing their community service, said Gruber.

For more information on the orientation meetings or the pageant itself, contact Sharon Gruber at 619-823-8832 or misspoway@gmail.com or visit misspoway.com. Pageant details also can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.

Email: news@pomeradonews.com
A large crane carefully lifted Poways iconic steam locomotive onto a flatbed truck Wednesday morning, marking the start of a long process to replace its boiler.

Poway-Midland Railroad volunteer used the restored San Francisco cable car to push the stripped-down, 8-ton engine into place so that it could reach the crane. Once the lift was completed, the separate engine cab was added to the truck for a trip to a Commerce, California company that will manufacture and mount a new boiler.

The 1907 Baldwin steam engine was taken out of service a year ago after a routine state inspection determined the often-patched boiler was no longer serviceable. The city advertised for bids and Hercules Powered Equipment won the $360,500 contract. The costs will be split evenly between the city and the railroad volunteer organization, which has been given 15 years to pay its share.

If all goes well, the locomotive should be back in service in the fall, according to the railroads Chuck Cross, president of the railroad volunteers

Other rolling stock operated by the railroad, including a 1950 Fairmont speeder car, an 1894 Los Angeles Yellow Line trolley car and a 1906 San Francisco cable car, will continue to operate at Old Poway Park.

Email: editor@pomeradonews.com
The states highest court has declined to review an appellate court decision that hundreds of satellite charter campuses are illegally operating outside the districts that authorized them.

Growth in satellite charters has stirred turf wars and costly litigation throughout San Diego County and the state.

Without comment, the California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a petition for review filed by a Northern California charter. That means the October 17 decision by the 3rd District Court of Appeal stands.

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The appellate ruling overturned a lower court ruling in a lawsuit filed by the Anderson Union High School District claiming a charter illegally opened a satellite campus in its jurisdiction.

Megan Macy, a lead attorney representing the Anderson district, said the case settles disputes over how to interpret the California Charter Schools Act.

I think we are done with this one, Macy said

The Anderson ruling was a blow to the charter sector because it said a charter school cannot operate mini-campuses, called resource centers, outside its home district in its resident county.

The California Charter Schools Association said it was deeply disappointed by the Supreme Courts denial, and would work to minimize the negative and immediate impact as a result of the uncertainty from the decision on charter school students and families.

Satellite charters will be encouraged to submit petitions to become full-fledged charters in their resident districts, the state advocacy association said in a statement released Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of California students attend these mini-charters that operate in malls, office parks and other venues.

The appellate ruling reverses the lower court decision which sided with the charter that was authorized by the nearby Shasta Union High School District. The lower court said it was legal for a charter to operate a resource center, as such campuses are officially called, in the neighboring Anderson district.

State law allows independent-study charters to operate satellite campuses in their home district and in neighboring counties. Charters have long assumed that the law also allows satellites in districts throughout their resident county.

School districts have complained about mini-charters popping up without their knowledge, raising questions about oversight of local schools.

The San Diego Unified, Grossmont and Sweetwater Union High School districts have sued the Julian Union Elementary School District and its Julian Charter School over resource centers that have cost those districts students and state attendance funds. The districts have said they are unable ensure academic or financial oversight at the storefront centers they did not authorize.

Charter organizations with schools in multiple counties could redistribute management of their campuses as charters are allowed to operate storefront centers in adjacent counties under the law. The San Diego-based Altus Institute operates several charters  including Audeo, Audeo II, and the Charter School of San Diego  and their resource centers in several counties.

New legislation could allow charters to continue the practice of operating resource centers outside their authorizing districts within their county.

Of Californias roughly 1,200 charter schools, more than 275 are non-classroom based programs  including 43 in San Diego County.

The petition filed with the state Supreme Court states that more than 63 percent of students enrolled in satellite charters are poor and more than 46 percent are Latino or African American. The mini-campuses employ roughly 2,000 people, most of whom are teachers, attorneys said.

Charters are publicly funded schools that are independently operated and free of state and local education rules in exchange for a promise to raise student achievement with innovative means.

The court case involves non-classroom-based charters, which offer a hybrid education that typically combines independent-study with classroom instruction. In 2008, 72,459 California students attended such schools, a figure that nearly doubled to 141,752 last year.

Nearly 40,000 students in California are estimated to be attending satellite campuses affected by the lawsuit.

About 20 percent of San Diego Unified students have transferred to charters, with the district projecting that figure to reach 30 percent in a decade  largely due to growth of independent-study charters.

San Diego Unified and other districts have expanded online programs to compete with charters and make use of technology that makes it easier to supplement classroom instruction with teacher-guided independent-study programs.

Dozens of far-flung charters and resource centers have been authorized by East County districts, including some that that were forged mostly for the money.

Steve Van Zant was convicted of a felony violation of the Political Reform Act earlier this year for abusing his position as superintendent of the Mountain Empire Union School District.

Under his leadership, Mountain Empire approved 13 charters (all but one were non-classroom-based) to operate in other districts between 2008 and 2013, with some of them going on to hire his EdHive charter consulting business. In addition, he personally received stipends equivalent to 5 percent of the districts charter revenue under his employment contract negotiated with the school board.

maureen.magee@sduniontribune.com

Twitter:@MaureenMagee
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Poway school district did not violate the First Amendment rights of a high school calculus teacher when it ordered him to remove classroom banners that referred to God.

The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came in the case of Bradley Johnson, a teacher at Westview High School in Rancho Penasquitos. The appeals court reversed a 2010 decision by U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez, who concluded that the school district had infringed on Johnsons rights and ordered the district to allow him to put the banners back up in his classroom.

Johnson had for many years displayed large banners  about 7 feet wide and 2 feet high  with various phrases on them.

One, with all the words in uppercase, reads: In God We Trust, One Nation Under God, God Bless America and God Sheds his Grace On Thee. Another says: All Men Are Created Equal, They Are Endowed By Their Creator, with the last word all written in uppercase.

The appeals court relied on previous U.S. Supreme Court cases that said governments can limit the free speech rights of public employees in the workplace. Appeals court Judge Richard C. Tallman wrote the school district was within its rights to order Johnson to remove the banners.

Just as the Constitution would not protect Johnson were he to decide that he no longer wished to teach math at all, preferring to discuss Shakespeare rather than Newton, it does not permit him to speak as freely at work in his role as a teacher about his views on God, our Nations history, or Gods role in our Nations history as he might on a sidewalk, in a park, at his dinner table, or in countless other locations, Tallman wrote.

Johnsons lawyer promised to appeal and criticized the court for a ruling that he said would allow a school district to restrict teacher speech only to points of view that the district found acceptable.

Anyone who respects freedom of speech should be troubled by this, said Robert Muise, a lawyer with the Thomas More Law Center, a law firm that takes cases advocating for the religious freedom of Christians

Johnson and the school district have been battling in court since 2007, when he was told that the banners had to be removed. After Benitezs ruling last year, he put them back up.

Theyre still up, Johnson said Tuesday, after the school day ended. I havent been told to take them down yet.

Although Johnson and his lawyer said they would appeal, the president of the Poway school board, Penny Ranftle, said in a statement the district is hoping to move forward without further calls on our limited resources in defending this lawsuit.

Johnson has been a teacher for three decades and began teaching at Westview in 2003. He is also a faculty sponsor of a Christian club at the school, the court said. He has displayed the banners since 1982 in his classrooms, and said they were patriotic messages with no religious purposes.

The district said that they communicate a Judeo-Christian viewpoint that is at odds with the nonreligious educational mission of public schools.

Jack Sleeth, the districts lawyer, said Tuesday that Johnson could display banners with the same patriotic messages  such as one extolling the Bill of Rights, for example  without being as focused on religion as the current banners are.

Johnson was never disciplined for displaying the messages but was told they had to be removed, Sleeth said.

This is a situation where we had good people with different opinions on this issue who took this dispute to court, Sleeth said.

As part of his defense, Johnson noted that other classrooms display religious-themed messages. One room has Tibetan prayer flags, and another has a poster of Mahatma Ghandi, the late political leader of India who advocated for nonviolence.

But the court said the messages for those items were different. The Tibetan flags, for example, are in a science teachers room and are used when teaching about Mount Everest and the fossils there. That showed they are intended to stimulate scientific interest, not religious pressure, the court said.

The case drew the attention of several advocacy groups, including the San Diego chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which sided with Johnson but on different grounds. David Blair-Loy, the ACLUs legal director, said the school district was correct to tell Johnson to remove the banners because they violated the constitutional ban on government endorsement of religion.

But, he said, allowing the Tibetan prayer flags to be displayed was unfair and meant the district was preferring one religious display over another. He said the court should uphold Benitezs ruling but on the grounds that Johnson was being treated differently than others.

Blair-Loy said Tuesday that the appeals court ruling goes too far and could be used to infringe on the academic freedom of high school teachers to say things that do not adhere to district-approved curriculum. In the ruling, the judges said academic free speech exceptions dont apply to high school or elementary school teachers.

If a teacher deviates in any way, shape or form from the exact letter of the school curriculum, they have no free speech protections, he said. Thats the danger I see potentially coming from that part of this opinion.
The Sifting and Winnowing plaque mounted on the front of Bascom Hall on the UW-Madison campus.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP)  Unidentified gunmen killed a colleague of environmentalist leader Berta Caceres, who was slain almost two weeks ago in similar circumstances, Honduran authorities said Wednesday.

Two men shot Nelson Garcia to death Tuesday after he returned home from helping evicted Indians move their belongings. Police had removed the Indians from land they were squatting on not far from Garcias home in the hamlet of Rio Chiquito, 120 miles (200 kilometers) north of Tegucigalpa.

A police statement called the killing an isolated act of violence unrelated to the slaying of Caceres.

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But the organization that both Caceres and Garcia belonged to described Garcias death as part of the governments constant harassment of Indian groups. Both activists were Lenca Indians and belonged to the Indian Council of Peoples Organizations of Honduras.

The council said in a statement that repression, intimidation and threats against colleagues who are fighting to recover lands to plant and preserve nature have worsened in recent days.

There are about 400,000 Lencas in Honduras and neighboring El Salvador.

Caceres won the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize for her role in fighting a dam project on a river that the Lencas consider sacred.

The Dutch development bank, known as FMO, announced Wednesday that it is suspending its operations in Honduras because of the killings. The bank finances about $86 million worth of projects in Honduras.

Given the current situation, with ongoing violence, FMO decided to suspend all activities in Honduras, effective immediately, the bank wrote in a statement. This means that we will not engage in new projects or commitments and that no disbursements will be made, including the Agua Zarca project, which Caceres opposed.

We have called upon the Honduran government to do anything in their power to stop the ongoing violence and killings in their country, the banks statement said.

The U.S. Embassy in Honduras said in a statement that on behalf of the people and Government of the United States, we condemn the murder of civil society activist Nelson Garcia yesterday. Coming so close to the murder of his colleague Berta Caceres, his death is cause for particular concern.

We expect the Government of Honduras will fulfill its commitment to lead a thorough and fair investigation and bring anyone connected to his murder to justice, the statement added.
JERUSALEM (AP)  In a Lithuanian forest, an international research team has pinpointed the location of a legendary tunnel that Jewish prisoners secretly dug out with spoons to try to escape their Nazi captors during World War II, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Wednesday.

The tunnel, located in the Ponar forest, known today as Paneriai, outside of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, is the site where some 100,000 people, including 70,000 Jews, were killed and thrown into pits during Nazi occupation.

In the quest to find the tunnel, the team of archaeologists, geophysicists and Jewish historians from Israel, the United States, Canada and Lithuania did not want to disturb any human remains in the mass burial pits at the site.

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So the researchers used scanning technology called electrical resistivity tomography  the same kind used in mineral and oil exploration  to map out the path of the 34-meter (112-foot) -long tunnel.

To find a little glimmer of hope within the dark hole of Ponar is very important as humans, said Jon Seligman, an archaeologist with Israels antiquities authority, who participated in the expedition.

The tunnel shows that even when the time was so black, there was yearning for life within that, he added.

Toward the end of the war, the Nazis sought to erase the evidence of their mass killings. Jewish and Soviet prisoners were brought to the Ponar forest from Stutthof concentration camp. With their legs chained, they were forced to dig up the mass graves, collect bodies and burn them.

The prisoners were dubbed the Burning Brigade and they lived in fear that once their task was complete, they too would be killed.

According to accounts, one prisoner, Isaac Dogim, was piling decomposed corpses when he recognized members of his own family, including his wife. He identified her by the medallion he had given her for their wedding.

He is credited with organizing the escape.

At night, the prisoners were held in one of the pits used in the killings. For three months, some of the prisoners secretly dug an underground tunnel to escape.

Then on April 15, 1944, in the middle of the night, 40 prisoners filed off their chains and fled through the narrow tunnel. Guards quickly discovered them and many were shot, but 11 prisoners managed to escape to the forest, reach partisan forces and survive the war.

It is a very important discovery, because this is another proof of resistance of those who were about to die, said Markas Zingeris, director of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum in Vilnius.

A Lithuanian archaeologist discovered the tunnel entrance in 2004, and the museum called on the research team to search for the entire tunnel. The team traced the length of the tunnel and found the tunnel exit. Their quest is the subject of a forthcoming documentary by the science series NOVA, premiering in the U.S. next year.

Last year, the same research team used ground penetrating radar to discover parts of the old Great Synagogue of Vilna, which was demolished by Soviet authorities after the war. The team is now excavating at the site to uncover the history of Jewish life in Vilnius.

There were 500 years of creativity, a vibrant community, said Seligman, the archaeologist, referring to Jewish history in Lithuania. We cant just look at the Holocaust.

___

Associated Press writer Liudas Dapkus contributed from Vilnius.

___

This story has been corrected to show the length of the tunnel is 34 meters, not 35.
Since the rainy season began on Oct. 1, San Diego has recorded 6 of rain, about 1 above normal. Forecasters say it is possible that the city will get another 4 from the three storms that are about to hit the region. That could put San Diego at 10, the amount that it averages for an entire year, by next Tuesday.

We sought an explanation for this wet start to the rainy season from Richard Minnich, an earth sciences professor at UC Riverside. The interview has been slightly edited for continuity.

Q: The advisory (from UC Riverside) said that you expect the barrage of storms to continue into March. Does your remark include Southern California, in addition to Northern and Central California?

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A year ago, Southern California received far less rain than other parts of the state. Have the dynamics changed?

A: The stormy weather pattern since December is related to this years sea surface temperature anomalies across the Pacific Ocean that has shifted the jet stream south of its normal position to central and southern California instead of far northern California, Oregon and Washington.

The sea surface temperature anomaly can be described as follows: Colder than normal waters across most of the North Pacific Ocean south to latitude 35 degrees from Japan to California, and warmer than normal temperatures immediately south of this first anomaly in the subtropics.

Together these anomalies have increased the oceanic temperature gradient at our latitude across the Pacific, which feeds back to the atmospheric jet stream. This means the jet stream and associated storms will reach Southern California more frequently than usual, and the storms are bringing subtropical moisture (sometimes atmospheric rivers), so far at unusually high levels.

So far the heaviest precipitation has occurred in Central and Northern California, but the current modeled episode is bringing the jet stream to Central and Southern California. By the way, the storminess of this year has little do do with the El Nino Oscillation. (We are presently in a weak La Nina.)

Q: Do you think that San Diego will end up with far more rainfall than normal by the time winter is over? And do you have a sense of how much rain is plausible?

A: If the models through next Monday are perfect--a big caveat--the storm totals would likely bring this years totals to normal (10") for the entire season (October 2016 to September 2017). I would not be surprised that San Diego and Riverside reach 15 inches this year and Los Angeles 20 inches.

Minnichs deeper analysis of the wet pattern were experiencing:

The word barrage is too strong, in the sense that it will not be a pattern of continuous storms into March. Rather we should expect additional episodes of storm series similar to past episodes in December and early January, and the next one from Wednesday to next Tuesday.

There will be breaks in storminess like we have just experienced the past 5 days, when Southern California can dry out. According to todays weather models, during this next storm series we will have three cyclones and cold front passages on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday-Monday, with light spotty rain on Saturday, and possible showers Tuesday.

The first storm is moderate, the second storm is intense, and the third storm the strongest of the three (in the models, but this can change).

With respect to impacts, the most positive feature of these storms is that snowlines will be relatively low, 4,000 to 5,500 feet. This means mountain watersheds, subject to high precipitation predicted to be as high as 10 inches, will accumulate snow that will not directly contribute to storm runoff into the rivers.

Although this may not be extremely helpful in the lower mountains of San Diego County, this is very important with respect to runoff from the high San Jacinto, San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains surrounding the Los Angeles Basin.

In addition, these storms will move fast through our region, so that sustained rains for days and high runoff is unlikely. There will still be street flooding, and ponding and the usual urban problems. The jet stream is remarkably strong in the weather models and so there will be high winds in the mountains. The flood control systems of Los Angeles and San Diego will be tested but will likely do fine during this storm episode.

Since I live in Riverside, I do not have personal experience with San Diego hydrology, but from what I have read I believe the weakest link to the flood control system is Mission Valley. There may be other areas. The other positive impact is the prospective end of the 5-year drought. Reservoirs in the Sierra Nevada that contribute to the California aqueduct and the Owens Valley aqueduct are filling rapidly from past storms.

Twitter: @grobbins

gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com
San Diego County residents were busy gearing up Wednesday for a series of storms expected to soak the region over the next several days, potentially causing widespread flooding and other problems.

Im worried, said Autumn Pickering, a longtime San Marcos resident whos lived in her home about a year. The last time it rained, it flooded our garage.

She and her daughter Sarah, 13, were filling up free sandbags at the San Marcos public works yard on Mata Way on Wednesday, hoping to keep the water at bay.

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Its about the path of least resistance, said Randy Cruz, who also was shoveling sand into bags in San Marcos. I have probably 6 to 8 feet I have to shore up.

Sandbags are like insurance, he said.

I dont want to come home to flooding, Cruz said. I want to come home and be dry.

Up to 5 inches of rain could fall along the countys coastline by Tuesday, with the inland valleys getting up to 6 inches, mountain slopes seeing up to 12 inches and the high desert getting 3 inches, according to the National Weather Service. The highest mountains in San Diego County could get 3 feet of snow.

Cities throughout the region are offering sandbags and warning residents to prepare for rain starting today and stretching into Tuesday. Forecasters say it could be the foulest period of weather to hit the region since 2010.

San Diego firefighters and lifeguards will be on extra alert to the likelihood of flooding and possible rescues as the storms hit, said San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Capt. Joe Amador.

They will double-check and triple-check that all their gear is on their rigs, Amador said Thursday.

If the rain turns significant, city lifeguard river rescue crews will be posted at some of the most dangerous flooding spots along the San Diego River in Mission Valley and along the Tijuana River. During hard storms, they typically have a few rescues of people in vehicles that stall out in water too deep for them to drive through, Amador said.

He noted, too, that fire and lifeguard stations no longer provide sandbags to the public. They are available at various city recreation centers.

Oceanside had a stockpile of 5,000 sandbags available for residents at the city operations center on Oceanside Boulevard, said Public Works Director Kiel Koger. The sand and empty bags are free, while pre-filled bags are $1.50 each.

Winter storm preparations have been underway since the fall, Koger said. Workers have cleared debris from channels and storm drains, mowed drainage basements and easements, swept trash from streets, and inspected and re-inspected drainage structures and detention basins.

We have a routine we go through every year, Koger said.

Storms so far this season have brought an average amount of rainfall after several years of drought. However, the ground is becoming saturated, so run-off will increase as the rain continues.

So far Oceansides largest river, the San Luis Rey, is barely flowing, Koger said.

A couple more good storms, and it should start, he said. Its when you get a couple inches in an hour or two, thats when you start getting problems.

Other cities also are watching their waterways.

Escondido city workers will be closely monitoring creeks and checking construction projects where water runoff could become a problem, City Manager Graham Mitchell said.

Our creeks are always of particular concern, Mitchell said. Most our creeks are channelized so its just making sure there are no blockages.

He said recent rains were a good wet run for the city to help us know where some our problems areas are. For instance, a blockage in a tributary creek in the Country Club area was cleared this past week, he said.

Many cities in the county have a head start on the rough weather because last year they prepared for an El Nino that never arrived.

We feel like we are in good shape, said Craddock Stropes, a senior management analyst in Carlsbad.

Streets and parks maintenance crews will be on duty through the weekend in case any problems turn up, she said.

A complete list of sandbag locations in San Diego and every other city in the county can be found at the countys 211 website.

Vista gave out more than 180 sand bags to residents on Tuesday and Wednesday, said Moises Verdin at the citys public works yard.

Theyve been trickling in all day, Verdin said Wednesday. I guess the words gotten out about this.

San Marcos warned residents that streets near San Marcos Creek are closed whenever there is significant rain, the usual ones being Bent Avenue, Via Vera Cruz and Discovery Street. Any closures will be clearly marked, and can begin or end without notice.

Large and potentially damaging surf is expected on Friday and Saturday, according to a beach hazards statement issued Wednesday by the weather service.

High surf will develop Thursday and increase to 10 to 16 feet on Friday, then subside somewhat on Sunday, and increase again Monday, according to the weather service.

Staff writer Pauline Repard contributed to this report.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com
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Barry Levenson, majority owner and curator of the cash-strapped National Mustard Museum, says he will close in May if a Dane County committee doesnt OK a cheap sale of the business to a third party and agree to take a $124,000 loss on a loan made to help the one-of-a-kind operation move from Mount Horeb to Middleton in 2009.

Levenson, 68, said he wanted to retire soon and didnt believe the mustard-themed shop and memorabilia collection could generate enough revenue to pay back the 10-year, $200,000 loan from the countys Community Development Block Grant Commission. The loan is due in less than three years, with only about 20 percent paid back so far and $164,391 of the debt now outstanding.

The business isnt making money, and even if he closed now and had a fire sale, Levenson told the commission in a Jan. 3 memo, the value of the assets used to secure the loan, originally made by the former state Department of Commerce, would come to less than $5,000, according to Levenson and his accountant, Robert Roth.

It is doubtful selling 6,000 jars of mustard (all beyond their best by dates), and the tins and pots we have acquired, would bring in very much money, Levenson said. They are valuable only as the collection of the museum, and it is unlikely anyone would want to buy it.

Instead, in what Levenson called a compromise, the museums store manager, who was not named, wants to buy the business for $40,000 and have the balance of the loan  equal to about $124,000  forgiven by the county commission.

I believe that with her business knowledge and experience, she can make the Mustard Museum viable, but only if free from the burdens of the ... loan, Levenson said.

The commission is scheduled to consider Levensons pitch Thursday at a 5:30 p.m. public meeting at Sun Prairie City Hall, 300 E. Main St. One of the seven commission members, Dane County Sup. Dave Ripp of Waunakee, said he was prepared to vote yes on the idea.

This is probably the best option the county has, because hes getting further and further behind, Ripp said Wednesday, noting the museum has struggled since 2011, with periods of interest-only or no payments granted. I dont see it turning around. The money isnt there.

It wasnt the best backed loan, Ripp added. Jars of old mustard  I dont know about you, but I wouldnt pay much for them. Theyre only valuable as a museum.

The loss on the loan, part of a revolving fund financed by federal Housing and Urban Development dollars, wont directly cost Dane County anything, Ripp said.

Also Wednesday, Middleton officials agreed to forgive 75 percent of a roughly $13,000 loan it made to the museum, provided the commission approves Levensons proposal.

(The museum) is a valuable asset to our retail business sector in Downtown Middleton, and we appreciate your efforts to cut costs and keep your retail profile through these seven years since the Great Recession, City Administrator Mike Davis said in a letter to Levenson.
Retirees in Wisconsin who worked for a state or local government agency in most parts of the state can expect a small boost in their pension checks this spring.

Retired public employees, whose pensions are paid through the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), will get a bump that averages at least $300 to $400 a year, starting in May, a state agency said Wednesday.

The nearly 200,000 retirees receiving pensions from the retirement systems Core Trust Fund are expected to receive a raise of between 1.3 percent and 1.9 percent this year, the Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) said.

Most retirees in the system worked in public service for 22 years and earned an average annual pension of about $23,000, said ETF spokesman Mark Lamkins.

That works out to an increase of between $299 a year, or $24.92 a month, and $437 a year, or $36.42 a month. More precise raises will be determined in March, Lamkins said.

Pension adjustments are made each year, based primarily on how well the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) staff does in managing money in the pension systems trust funds.

In a time when many public pension funds across the country are struggling with issues related to under-funding, SWIB has helped fuel one of the best funded pension systems in the U.S., protecting and growing the assets that more than 600,000 members of the WRS count on for a more secure retirement, Michael Williamson, SWIB executive director, said in a statement.

In 2016, the Wisconsin Retirement Systems Core Fund had a preliminary return of 8.5 percent and a five-year preliminary return of 8.1 percent, the Investment Board said Tuesday. The 2016 return beat SWIBs benchmark of 8.0 percent, which is based mainly on stock market index returns.

The Core Fund is the primary fund that supplies pensions for all retirees who are members of the Wisconsin Retirement System. It is diversified, with holdings in stocks, bonds, real estate, loans and private equity, and its impact is smoothed over five years.

As of Dec. 31, 2016, the Core Fund had a preliminary market value of $89.3 billion.

The Variable Fund is a smaller, all-stock account in which nearly 40,000 retirees choose to participate. Its impact corresponds with its results each year. As of Dec. 31, 2016, the Variable Funds preliminary value was $7 billion.

The Variable Fund ended 2016 with a preliminary return of 10.6 percent, ahead of its benchmark of 10.4 percent, and a five-year preliminary return of 12.1 percent.

Participants in the Variable Fund can expect to see an increase of 4 percent to 8 percent in that portion of their pension payments, ETF said.

Last year, Core Fund payments rose 0.5 percent while Variable Fund payments took a 5 percent cut.

Public employees who participate in the WRS but do not yet receive pensions will see a boost of 7.6 percent to 8 percent in their Core Fund accounts. Those with money in the Variable Fund will get a 9 percent to 13 percent hike in those account balances, ETF said.

The Wisconsin Retirement System is the ninth-largest public pension fund in the U.S.
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/19/2017 -- The cochineal is an insect from Dactylopius coccus family, from these insects natural food color dyecarminis derived. The female insect is dried and then dye is extracted from dried insect as well as from eggs. This extract is further mixed with calcium or aluminum salts to use as dye. Carmine is primarily used as a colorant in foodand in lipsticks. Cochineal extract is being used as colorant since centuries, it has wide applications as natural colorant into food, textile, medicine and personal care products. The cochineal insect farming is done to grow the particular insects for red color dye. The origin of cochineal insect is seen in Peru and Mexico.



The insects are grown on specific type of cactus plant these insects grow on the moisture and nutrient contents of the cactus leaves. Insects are then collected and sun dried to produce extract. Dried cochineal, contains 17 % to 24% carminic acid, is carefully extracted in an acidic, aqueous, alcoholic solution to produce red, orange color dye.



Request for sample report: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2497



Cochineal Extract Market Segmentation:



Cochineal extract market is segmented on the basis of its form, application and region. On the basis of forms, cochineal extract market is segmented into powders and liquid form. The cochineal extract is available in both water soluble as well as oil soluble. Cochineal extract market is segmented on the basis of its applications as food and beverages, textile/fabric, cosmetics & personal care, pharmaceuticals and others etc.



Cochineal extract market demand is considerably high in the food and beverage market segment as it is considered as natural color option where synthetic color is prohibited, and hence demanded as colorant in various food products such as bakery and confectionary, beverages, dairy products etc. Thus, food and beverages market segment is dominate market for cochineal extract. In cosmetics & personal care market segment cochineal extract is mainly used as colorant in skin care products, lipsticks, face powders, rouges, and blushes etc. Applications of cochineal extract in fabric/ textile segment is comparatively lesser as numerous new and synthetic color dye options are being invented, however in few of the markets it's still popular. In pharmaceutical market segment cochineal extract is basically used for color pills and ointments, however this segment comprises very small share of total market. Others market segment includes cochineal extract uses in the manufacturing of artificial flowers, paints and crimson ink.



Cochineal extract market is further segmented on the basis of regions as North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan, Japan, Europe, and Middle East and Africa. Latin America is major export market of cochineal extracts, Mexico and Peru being major regional producers. In European markets France is the major importer for cochineal extract. Due to various government bans on the uses of synthetic food colorant in Japan , Japan is also a becoming major importer for cochineal extract in coming years.



CochinealExtractMarket Drivers:



Cochineal extract is in high demand in several application sectors across the world. Principle factors driving market demand are continuous rising demand natural colorants. As synthetic colorant had proven allergic and hazardous for health, natural color market demand is high. Also rising market demand for natural products based cosmetics and skin care products is becoming another market driver for cochineal extract. Various government such as Japan has banned synthetic color uses in food and beverage products, this is driving natural colorant market demands such as cochineal extracts.



Request for TOC: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2497



CochinealExtractMarket Restrains:



Cochineal extract has no known health risks, number of people have been found to experience occupational asthma, foodand cosmetic allergies due to use of product containing cochineal extracts. Increasing vegan food culture and adoption of 100% plant food concept, many consumers are not ready to accept animal products and not preferring product labeled with cochineal extract or carmine as an ingredients. These are the main restraints for cochineal extract market.



CochinealExtractMarket Key Players:



Maximum amount of cochineal extract is produced in Mexico and Peru and get exported into global markets. Key players operating in cochineal extract market are DDW The Color House, Gentle world, Xian LiSheng-Tech Co., Ltd, Chr. Hansen Holding A/S, Colores Naturales EIRL, Lake Foods, and many of the local Mexican and Peru market players extract the cochineal product like Earthue, Biocon del Peru.
Oakland, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/19/2017 -- Stephen Hopkins was from Hampshire, England. He married his first wife, Mary, and resided in the parish of Hursley, Hampshire. They had three (3) children: Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles; all baptized there. It has long been claimed that the Hopkins family was from Wortley, Gloucester, but this was disproven in 1998 with the discovery of his true origins in Hursley.



http://mayflowerhistory.com/hopkins-stephen/



Stephen Hopkins went with the ship Sea Venture on a voyage to Jamestown, Virginia in 1609 as a minister's clerk, but the ship wrecked in the "Isle of Devils" (Bermuda). Stranded on an island for ten months, the passengers and crew survived on turtles, birds, and wild pigs. Six months into the castaway, Stephen Hopkins and several others organized a mutiny against the current governor. The mutiny was discovered and Stephen was sentenced to death. However, he pleaded with sorrow and tears. "So penitent he was, and made so much moan, alleging the ruin of his wife and children in this his trespass, as it wrought in the hearts of all the better sorts of the company." He managed to get his sentence commuted. Eventually the castaways built a small ship and sailed themselves to Jamestown. How long Stephen remained in Jamestown is not known. However, while he was gone, his wife Mary died. She was buried in Hursley on 9 May 1613, and left behind a probate estate which mentions her children Elizabeth, Constance and Giles.



Stephen was back in England by 1617, when he married Elizabeth Fisher, but apparently had every intention of bringing his family back to Virginia. Their first child, Damaris, was born about 1618. In 1620, Stephen Hopkins brought his wife and children Constance, Giles, and Damaris on the Mayflower (child Elizabeth apparently had died). Stephen was a fairly active member of the Pilgrim group shortly after arrival, perhaps a result of his being one of the few individuals who had been to Virginia previously. He was a part of all the early exploring missions, and was used as an "expert" on Native Americans for the first few contacts. While out exploring, Stephen recognized and identified an Indian deer trap. And when Samoset walked into Plymouth and welcomed the English, he was housed in Stephen Hopkins' house for the night. Stephen was also sent on several of the ambassadorial missions to meet with the various Indian groups in the region.



Stephen was an assistant to the governor through 1636, and volunteered for the Pequot War of 1637 but was never called to serve. By the late 1630s, however, Stephen began to occasionally run afoul of the Plymouth authorities, as he apparently opened up a shop and served alcohol. In 1636 he got into a fight with John Tisdale and seriously wounded him. In 1637, he was fined for allowing drinking and shuffleboard playing on Sunday. Early the next year he was fined for allowing people to drink excessively in his house: guest William Reynolds was fined, but the others were acquitted. In 1638 he was twice fined for selling beer at twice the actual value, and in 1639 he was fined for selling a looking glass for twice what it would cost if bought in the Bay Colony. Also in 1638, Stephen Hopkins' maidservant got pregnant from Arthur Peach, who was subsequently executed for murdering an Indian. The Plymouth Court ruled he was financially responsible for her and her child for the next two years (the amount remaining on her term of service). Stephen, in contempt of court, threw Dorothy out of his household and refused to provide for her, so the court committed him to custody. John Holmes stepped in and purchased Dorothy's remaining two years of service from him: agreeing to support her and child.



Stephen died in 1644, and made out a will, asking to be buried near his wife, and naming his surviving children.



BAPTISM: 30 April 1581 at Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England, son of John and Elizabeth (Williams) Hopkins.

FIRST MARRIAGE: Mary, possibly the daughter of Robert and Joan (Machell) Kent of Hursley, co. Hampshire, prior to 1604.

SECOND MARRIAGE: Elizabeth Fisher on 19 February 1617/8 at St. Mary Matfellon, Whitechapel, co. Middlesex, England.

CHILDREN (by Mary): Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles.

CHILDREN (by Elizabeth): Damaris, Oceanus, Caleb, Deborah, Damaris, Ruth, and Elizabeth.

DNA HAPLOGROUP: R1b-M269



The Mayflower was hired in London, and sailed from London to Southampton in July 1620 to begin loading food and supplies for the voyage--much of which was purchased at Southampton. The Pilgrims were mostly still living in the city of Leiden, in the Netherlands. They hired a ship called the Speedwell to take them from Delfshaven, the Netherlands, to Southampton, England, to meet up with the Mayflower. The two ships planned to sail together to Northern Virginia. The Speedwell departed Delfthaven on July 22, and arrived at Southampton, where they found the Mayflower waiting for them. The Speedwell had been leaking on her voyage from the Netherlands to England, though, so they spent the next week patching her up.



On August 5, the two ships finally set sail for America. But the Speedwell began leaking again, so they pulled into the town of Dartmouth for repairs, arriving there about August 12. The Speedwell was patched up again, and the two ships again set sail for America about August 21. After the two ships had sailed about 300 miles out to sea, the Speedwell again began to leak. Frustrated with the enormous amount of time lost, and their inability to fix the Speedwell so that it could be sea-worthy, they returned to Plymouth, England, and made the decision to leave the Speedwell behind. The Mayflower would go to America alone. The cargo on the Speedwell was transferred over to the Mayflower; some of the passengers were so tired and disappointed with all the problems that they quit and went home. Others crammed themselves onto the already very crowded Mayflower.



Finally, on September 6, the Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England, and headed for America. By the time the Pilgrims had left England, they had already been living onboard the ships for nearly a month and a half. The voyage itself across the Atlantic Ocean took 66 days, from their departure on September 6, until Cape Cod was sighted on 9 November 1620. The first half of the voyage went fairly smoothly, the only major problem was sea-sickness. But by October, they began encountering a number of Atlantic storms that made the voyage treacherous. Several times, the wind was so strong they had to just drift where the weather took them; it was not safe to use the ship's sails. The Pilgrims intended to land in Northern Virginia, which at the time included the region as far north as the Hudson River in the modern State of New York. The Hudson River, in fact, was their originally intended destination. They had received good reports on this region while in the Netherlands. All things considered, the Mayflower was almost right on target, missing the Hudson River by just a few degrees.



As the Mayflower approached land, the crew spotted Cape Cod just as the sun rose on November 9. The Pilgrims decided to head south, to the mouth of the Hudson River in New York, where they intended to make their plantation. However, as the Mayflower headed south, it encountered some very rough seas, and nearly shipwrecked. The Pilgrims then decided, rather than risk another attempt to go south they would just stay and explore Cape Cod. They turned back north, rounded the tip, and anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor. The Pilgrims would spend the next month and a half exploring Cape Cod, trying to decide where they would build their plantation. On December 25, 1620, they had finally decided upon Plymouth, and began construction of their first buildings.



The End of the Mayflower: "Mayflower's End," by Mike Haywood. The Mayflower returned to England from Plymouth Colony, arriving back on 9 May 1621. Christopher Jones took the ship out on a trading voyage to Rochelle, France, in October 1621, returning with a cargo of Bay salt. Christopher Jones, master and quarter-owner of the Mayflower, died and was buried at Rotherhithe, co. Surrey, England, on 5 March 1621/2. No further record of the Mayflower is found until May 1624, when it was appraised for the purposes of probate and was described as being in ruins. The ship was almost certainly sold off as scrap.



The claim, first originating from J. Rendel Harris' book The Finding of the Mayflower (1920), that the Mayflower ended up as a barn in Jordans, England, is now widely discredited as being a figment of an overzealous imagination on the tercentenary anniversary of the Mayflower's voyage, combined with a tainted oral history. None of the evidence has withstood subsequent investigation. Regardless of the lack of evidence for its authenticity, it has been featured in National Geographic on several occasions and is a tourist destination. It is important to realize that in 1624, when the ship was scrapped, it was not at all famous, and nobody would have thought twice about letting it rot away.



Women of Early Plymouth: Governor William Bradford reported that the Pilgrims were worried that the "weak bodies of women" would not be able to withstand the rigors of a trans-Atlantic voyage and the construction of a colony. Prior to the Mayflower, very few English women had made the voyage across the ocean.



Sir Walter Raleigh's Roanoke colony arrived in Virginia in 1587, and amongst those 120 colonists there were 17 women: a baby girl, Virginia Dare, was born after arrival. When re-supply ships came from England, they could not relocate the people. The colony had mysteriously disappeared, and was never seen again. The Jamestown Colony was founded in 1607, but relatively few women had yet made the voyage and taken up residence there.



The Pilgrim husband, as head of the household, had an important and difficult decision to make. Building a colony would be hard on a woman's "weaker body." It might be safer and healthier to leave her behind, and have her come later once the houses were built, and the general safety and successfulness of the colony were better established. But that could be several years. Could he live several years without his wife? How strong was his wife anyway, could she really handle it? Was it right to put your wife's life in danger in this manner?



As the Mayflower left England for America, there were 18 adult women on-board. Three of them, Elizabeth Hopkins, Susanna White, and Mary Allerton, were actually in their last trimester of a pregnancy. All the adult women on the Mayflower were married; there were no single women--although there were a few teenage girls nearing marriageable age.



While no women would die during the Mayflower's voyage, life after arrival proved extremely difficult. In fact, 78% of the women would die the first winter, a far higher percentage than for men or children. Dorothy Bradford was the first woman to die, and the only woman who died in the month of December. While many of the men, including her husband, were out exploring on Cape Cod, she accidentally fell off the Mayflower into the bitter cold waters of Provincetown Harbor. Most of the women's death dates were not recorded, but we do know that Rose Standish died on January 29, Mary Allerton died on February 25, and Elizabeth Winslow died on March 24. Most of the women died in February and March.



The extremely high mortality rate among women is probably explainable by the fact the men were out in the fresh air, felling trees, building structures and drinking fresh New England water; while the women were confined to the damp, filthy and crowded quarters offered by the Mayflower, where disease would have spread much more quickly. The two-month voyage was long enough; the women, however, remained living on the ship for an additional four months while the men built storehouses and living quarters on shore. Many of the sick were no doubt cared for on-board the ship by the women, increasing their exposure to colds and pneumonias. William Mullins died on February 21, apparently on-board the Mayflower since his will was witnessed by the ship's captain and ship's surgeon. His wife Alice and son Joseph had not yet died, but it wasn't too long before they did, orphaning their teenage daughter Priscilla in the New World.



Only five women survived the first winter. One of the five survivors, Mrs. Katherine Carver, died in May of a "broken heart," her husband John having died of sunstroke a month earlier. Weak bodies or not, by the time of the famous "Thanksgiving," there were only four women left to care for the Colony's fifty surviving men and children. The four women were Eleanor Billington, Elizabeth Hopkins, Mary Brewster, and Susanna (White) Winslow.



http://mayflowerhistory.com/women



Oakland, California General Society of Mayflower Descendant, Adam Paul Green (Ancestor Stephen Hopkins / Gen.No. 86,723) Reveals New Geneology Resource Website for Local Enthusiasts http://www.news.adampaulgreen.com



Adam's hard work and creativity helped him land this job of a lifetime. He obtained incredible business experience there and spent years innovating, improving processes and setting sales records. Although this dream job in Traditional Corporate America was a fun challenge for him, and something he truly enjoyed mastering, Adam's natural entrepreneurial spirit kept nudging him to do something more significant with his time and talents.



http://www.MyChocolatePod.com

http://www.Facebook.com/AdamPaulGreen



Since 2001, Adam has been involved in the Health and Wellness Industry as a successful Entrepreneur, Broker, Product Developer and Manufacturer of Cosmeceutical products. During his career, he has worked with some of the most recognizable Fortune 500 businesses along with many top international Network Marketing companies. Adam has consistently proven his unique ability to help his clients achieve their goals through creative Distribution-Channel Placement, innovative Product Development and custom Manufacturing. Adam currently owns three profitable businesses.



http://www.ImAdamGreen.com



About MayflowerHistory.com

MayflowerHistory.com, the Internet's most complete and accurate website dealing with the Mayflower passengers and the history of the Pilgrims and early Plymouth Colony. The website was first created back in 1994 (when the web was still mostly text!) as a simple, but complete, passenger list of the Mayflower. It has grown over the past twenty years as the author, historian Caleb Johnson, has researched and compiled material.



http://mayflowerhistory.com
Omaha, NE -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/19/2017 -- Stephen Hopkins was from Hampshire, England. He married his first wife, Mary, and resided in the parish of Hursley, Hampshire. They had three (3) children: Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles; all baptized there. It has long been claimed that the Hopkins family was from Wortley, Gloucester, but this was disproven in 1998 with the discovery of his true origins in Hursley.



http://mayflowerhistory.com/hopkins-stephen/



Stephen Hopkins went with the ship Sea Venture on a voyage to Jamestown, Virginia in 1609 as a minister's clerk, but the ship wrecked in the "Isle of Devils" (Bermuda). Stranded on an island for ten months, the passengers and crew survived on turtles, birds, and wild pigs. Six months into the castaway, Stephen Hopkins and several others organized a mutiny against the current governor. The mutiny was discovered and Stephen was sentenced to death. However, he pleaded with sorrow and tears. "So penitent he was, and made so much moan, alleging the ruin of his wife and children in this his trespass, as it wrought in the hearts of all the better sorts of the company." He managed to get his sentence commuted. Eventually the castaways built a small ship and sailed themselves to Jamestown. How long Stephen remained in Jamestown is not known. However, while he was gone, his wife Mary died. She was buried in Hursley on 9 May 1613, and left behind a probate estate which mentions her children Elizabeth, Constance and Giles.



Stephen was back in England by 1617, when he married Elizabeth Fisher, but apparently had every intention of bringing his family back to Virginia. Their first child, Damaris, was born about 1618. In 1620, Stephen Hopkins brought his wife and children Constance, Giles, and Damaris on the Mayflower (child Elizabeth apparently had died). Stephen was a fairly active member of the Pilgrim group shortly after arrival, perhaps a result of his being one of the few individuals who had been to Virginia previously. He was a part of all the early exploring missions, and was used as an "expert" on Native Americans for the first few contacts. While out exploring, Stephen recognized and identified an Indian deer trap. And when Samoset walked into Plymouth and welcomed the English, he was housed in Stephen Hopkins' house for the night. Stephen was also sent on several of the ambassadorial missions to meet with the various Indian groups in the region.



Stephen was an assistant to the governor through 1636, and volunteered for the Pequot War of 1637 but was never called to serve. By the late 1630s, however, Stephen began to occasionally run afoul of the Plymouth authorities, as he apparently opened up a shop and served alcohol. In 1636 he got into a fight with John Tisdale and seriously wounded him. In 1637, he was fined for allowing drinking and shuffleboard playing on Sunday. Early the next year he was fined for allowing people to drink excessively in his house: guest William Reynolds was fined, but the others were acquitted. In 1638 he was twice fined for selling beer at twice the actual value, and in 1639 he was fined for selling a looking glass for twice what it would cost if bought in the Bay Colony. Also in 1638, Stephen Hopkins' maidservant got pregnant from Arthur Peach, who was subsequently executed for murdering an Indian. The Plymouth Court ruled he was financially responsible for her and her child for the next two years (the amount remaining on her term of service). Stephen, in contempt of court, threw Dorothy out of his household and refused to provide for her, so the court committed him to custody. John Holmes stepped in and purchased Dorothy's remaining two years of service from him: agreeing to support her and child.



Stephen died in 1644, and made out a will, asking to be buried near his wife, and naming his surviving children.



BAPTISM: 30 April 1581 at Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England, son of John and Elizabeth (Williams) Hopkins.

FIRST MARRIAGE: Mary, possibly the daughter of Robert and Joan (Machell) Kent of Hursley, co. Hampshire, prior to 1604.

SECOND MARRIAGE: Elizabeth Fisher on 19 February 1617/8 at St. Mary Matfellon, Whitechapel, co. Middlesex, England.

CHILDREN (by Mary): Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles.

CHILDREN (by Elizabeth): Damaris, Oceanus, Caleb, Deborah, Damaris, Ruth, and Elizabeth.

DNA HAPLOGROUP: R1b-M269



The End of the Mayflower: "Mayflower's End," by Mike Haywood. The Mayflower returned to England from Plymouth Colony, arriving back on 9 May 1621. Christopher Jones took the ship out on a trading voyage to Rochelle, France, in October 1621, returning with a cargo of Bay salt. Christopher Jones, master and quarter-owner of the Mayflower, died and was buried at Rotherhithe, co. Surrey, England, on 5 March 1621/2. No further record of the Mayflower is found until May 1624, when it was appraised for the purposes of probate and was described as being in ruins. The ship was almost certainly sold off as scrap.



The claim, first originating from J. Rendel Harris' book The Finding of the Mayflower (1920), that the Mayflower ended up as a barn in Jordans, England, is now widely discredited as being a figment of an overzealous imagination on the tercentenary anniversary of the Mayflower's voyage, combined with a tainted oral history. None of the evidence has withstood subsequent investigation. Regardless of the lack of evidence for its authenticity, it has been featured in National Geographic on several occasions and is a tourist destination. It is important to realize that in 1624, when the ship was scrapped, it was not at all famous, and nobody would have thought twice about letting it rot away.



Omaha, Nebraska General Society of Mayflower Descendant, Adam Paul Green (Ancestor Stephen Hopkins / Gen.No. 86,723) Announces New Geneology Asset Website for Local Enthusiasts http://www.news.adampaulgreen.com



The Mayflower was hired in London, and sailed from London to Southampton in July 1620 to begin loading food and supplies for the voyage--much of which was purchased at Southampton. The Pilgrims were mostly still living in the city of Leiden, in the Netherlands. They hired a ship called the Speedwell to take them from Delfshaven, the Netherlands, to Southampton, England, to meet up with the Mayflower. The two ships planned to sail together to Northern Virginia. The Speedwell departed Delfthaven on July 22, and arrived at Southampton, where they found the Mayflower waiting for them. The Speedwell had been leaking on her voyage from the Netherlands to England, though, so they spent the next week patching her up.



On August 5, the two ships finally set sail for America. But the Speedwell began leaking again, so they pulled into the town of Dartmouth for repairs, arriving there about August 12. The Speedwell was patched up again, and the two ships again set sail for America about August 21. After the two ships had sailed about 300 miles out to sea, the Speedwell again began to leak. Frustrated with the enormous amount of time lost, and their inability to fix the Speedwell so that it could be sea-worthy, they returned to Plymouth, England, and made the decision to leave the Speedwell behind. The Mayflower would go to America alone. The cargo on the Speedwell was transferred over to the Mayflower; some of the passengers were so tired and disappointed with all the problems that they quit and went home. Others crammed themselves onto the already very crowded Mayflower.



Finally, on September 6, the Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England, and headed for America. By the time the Pilgrims had left England, they had already been living onboard the ships for nearly a month and a half. The voyage itself across the Atlantic Ocean took 66 days, from their departure on September 6, until Cape Cod was sighted on 9 November 1620. The first half of the voyage went fairly smoothly, the only major problem was sea-sickness. But by October, they began encountering a number of Atlantic storms that made the voyage treacherous. Several times, the wind was so strong they had to just drift where the weather took them; it was not safe to use the ship's sails. The Pilgrims intended to land in Northern Virginia, which at the time included the region as far north as the Hudson River in the modern State of New York. The Hudson River, in fact, was their originally intended destination. They had received good reports on this region while in the Netherlands. All things considered, the Mayflower was almost right on target, missing the Hudson River by just a few degrees.



As the Mayflower approached land, the crew spotted Cape Cod just as the sun rose on November 9. The Pilgrims decided to head south, to the mouth of the Hudson River in New York, where they intended to make their plantation. However, as the Mayflower headed south, it encountered some very rough seas, and nearly shipwrecked. The Pilgrims then decided, rather than risk another attempt to go south they would just stay and explore Cape Cod. They turned back north, rounded the tip, and anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor. The Pilgrims would spend the next month and a half exploring Cape Cod, trying to decide where they would build their plantation. On December 25, 1620, they had finally decided upon Plymouth, and began construction of their first buildings.



Women of Early Plymouth: Governor William Bradford reported that the Pilgrims were worried that the "weak bodies of women" would not be able to withstand the rigors of a trans-Atlantic voyage and the construction of a colony. Prior to the Mayflower, very few English women had made the voyage across the ocean.



Sir Walter Raleigh's Roanoke colony arrived in Virginia in 1587, and amongst those 120 colonists there were 17 women: a baby girl, Virginia Dare, was born after arrival. When re-supply ships came from England, they could not relocate the people. The colony had mysteriously disappeared, and was never seen again. The Jamestown Colony was founded in 1607, but relatively few women had yet made the voyage and taken up residence there.



The Pilgrim husband, as head of the household, had an important and difficult decision to make. Building a colony would be hard on a woman's "weaker body." It might be safer and healthier to leave her behind, and have her come later once the houses were built, and the general safety and successfulness of the colony were better established. But that could be several years. Could he live several years without his wife? How strong was his wife anyway, could she really handle it? Was it right to put your wife's life in danger in this manner?



As the Mayflower left England for America, there were 18 adult women on-board. Three of them, Elizabeth Hopkins, Susanna White, and Mary Allerton, were actually in their last trimester of a pregnancy. All the adult women on the Mayflower were married; there were no single women--although there were a few teenage girls nearing marriageable age.



While no women would die during the Mayflower's voyage, life after arrival proved extremely difficult. In fact, 78% of the women would die the first winter, a far higher percentage than for men or children. Dorothy Bradford was the first woman to die, and the only woman who died in the month of December. While many of the men, including her husband, were out exploring on Cape Cod, she accidentally fell off the Mayflower into the bitter cold waters of Provincetown Harbor. Most of the women's death dates were not recorded, but we do know that Rose Standish died on January 29, Mary Allerton died on February 25, and Elizabeth Winslow died on March 24. Most of the women died in February and March.



The extremely high mortality rate among women is probably explainable by the fact the men were out in the fresh air, felling trees, building structures and drinking fresh New England water; while the women were confined to the damp, filthy and crowded quarters offered by the Mayflower, where disease would have spread much more quickly. The two-month voyage was long enough; the women, however, remained living on the ship for an additional four months while the men built storehouses and living quarters on shore. Many of the sick were no doubt cared for on-board the ship by the women, increasing their exposure to colds and pneumonias. William Mullins died on February 21, apparently on-board the Mayflower since his will was witnessed by the ship's captain and ship's surgeon. His wife Alice and son Joseph had not yet died, but it wasn't too long before they did, orphaning their teenage daughter Priscilla in the New World.



Only five women survived the first winter. One of the five survivors, Mrs. Katherine Carver, died in May of a "broken heart," her husband John having died of sunstroke a month earlier. Weak bodies or not, by the time of the famous "Thanksgiving," there were only four women left to care for the Colony's fifty surviving men and children. The four women were Eleanor Billington, Elizabeth Hopkins, Mary Brewster, and Susanna (White) Winslow.



http://mayflowerhistory.com/women



Adam Paul Green was born to a multi-talented beauty queen Mother and a Father who, in addition to being a US Army Spy and a Counter-Intelligence Special Agent, was also a highly accomplished entrepreneur. Adam was taught at a young age that, in both life and business, loyalty is a requirement for success. He's had the honor of working directly with his father in several of the family businesses. In fact, this is where he learned crucial entrepreneurial skills and honed his talents with international business strategies and venture capitalism.



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Adam earned his Bachelors of Science Degree in International Business and Marketing from the University of Utah. He was hand-picked by the President of the University's renowned School of Business to compete with dozens of other ambitious nationwide-graduates for the opportunity to secure a lucrative job within a prestigious Fortune 100 company.



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About MayflowerHistory.com

MayflowerHistory.com, the Internet's most complete and accurate website dealing with the Mayflower passengers and the history of the Pilgrims and early Plymouth Colony. The website was first created back in 1994 (when the web was still mostly text!) as a simple, but complete, passenger list of the Mayflower. It has grown over the past twenty years as the author, historian Caleb Johnson, has researched and compiled material.



http://mayflowerhistory.com
Fleetwood, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/19/2017 -- Watkins Architect, an architectural firm with experience providing design services for a diverse set of clients and industries, has gathered examples of their design work for car showrooms and auto dealerships into a portfolio available on their website. Watkins Architect, based in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, also maintains a portfolio of their design work specific to over a dozen other industries and categories including businesses, schools, restaurants and religious buildings.



Watkins Architect's car showroom and automotive dealership design portfolio begins by noting that the architectural firm has in the past provided these services to clients throughout Pennsylvania and in other locations throughout the United States. The introduction to their portfolio of work also acknowledges Watkins' flexibility, listing their experience in providing design services for dealers of RVs, SUVs, boats and trucks as well as car dealerships. The variety of services provided to these dealerships, according to the information in the portfolio, includes design, renovation, additions and facade upgrades.



Watkins Architect's car showroom and auto dealership portfolio also includes a listing of the specific ways the architecture firm has been able to implement their design services for their auto-sector clients. The firm has experience in the design and renovation of the many particular areas of an automotive dealership. The showroom, service garage area, vehicle wash area, commercial truck service bay, body shop, sales offices, parts warehouses and service & parts counters are all listed to have been designed, renovated, added or upgraded by Watkins Architect.



The portfolio goes on to provide more than a dozen specific examples of Watkins' auto dealership design services. Each example includes a series of pictures of the finished product, as well as details related to the specific rooms and size of the dealership the firm worked with.



Further information can be found at http://www.watkinsarchitect.com/portfolio_automotive.asp



Piazza Honda of Pottstown in Limerick, Montgomery County, PA and Steve Moyer Subaru in Leesport, Berks County, PA are the first two case studies included in the portfolio. For Piazza Honda, Watkins describes their design of the dealer's new 31,600 square foot dealership. For Steve Moyer Subaru, Watkins notes that they provided initial design services for their two-story dealership and then, 12 years later, also designed a 6,000 square foot expansion, as well as a facade upgrade and renovation, to bring the client up to date with the new Subaru design standards.



About Watkins Architect

Watkins Architect was founded in 1995 and merged with Synergetics Architects of Reading, Pennsylvania in 2012. The company prides itself on the wide range and depth of their experience providing design services across many industries. Watkins has won multiple design awards, maintains all relevant certifications and is a provider of LEED certified sustainable design services, as well.



Contact:

Watkins Architect

Address: 29 West Main Street, Fleetwood, PA 19522

Phone: 610-944-5536

Email: yourteam@watkinsarchitect.com

Website: http://www.watkinsarchitect.com
A duo of researchers from the United States and Australia has used an imaging technique to reconstruct the brain architecture and neural networks of the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), the most iconic animal of Tasmania.

The thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger or the marsupial wolf, was a carnivorous marsupial and the apex predator in Tasmania.

This species looked like an amalgam of several animals. It is one of only a few marsupials to have a pouch in both sexes.

The animal was the size and shape of a medium-to-large size dog, but had tiger-like stripes running down its lower back and an abdominal pouch.

The fossil record shows that the thylacine appeared about 4 million years ago in Australia. By the 20th century it was extinct, or extremely rare, on the mainland but was still found in Tasmania, the island state off Australias southern coast.

The species demise can be directly attributed to the bounty scheme in place from 18301914 that resulted in the killing of several thousand animals and indirectly to the loss of its habitat from farming activity.

The last known thylacine died in 1936, in Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart, Tasmania, and little is known about the species natural behavior. The only records of behavior in their natural habitat are stories passed on by farmers, hunters, and trappers.

However, some behaviors can be inferred from brain structure, so Dr. Gregory Berns of Emory University and Dr. Ken Ashwell of the University of New South Wales scanned thylacine brains and reconstructed neural connections.

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to scan two thylacine brain specimens, both of which were about 100 years old.

Only four surviving specimens of the brains of Tasmanian tigers exist, and the study gained access to two of them, the authors explained.

One was provided by the Smithsonian Institution, taken from a male Tasmanian tiger after it died at the National Zoological Park in 1905. The other specimen, loaned to the researchers by the Australian Museum in Sydney, came from an animal that died during the 1930s.

Dr. Berns and Dr. Ashwell also compared the structure of thylacine brains with that of Tasmanian devil brains.

They found that thylacine brains had larger caudate zones than Tasmanian devil brains.

This suggests that thylacines devoted more of their cortex to complex cognition, particularly action planning and possibly even decision making.

This fits with the ecological niches of these two animals: Tasmanian devils are scavengers while thylacines were hunters, and the latter foraging strategy entails more planning.

The natural behavior of the thylacine was never scientifically documented, said Dr. Berns, corresponding author of a paper describing the research, published this week in the journal PLoS ONE.

Our reconstruction of its white matter tracts, or neural wiring, between different regions of its brain is consistent with anecdotal evidence that the thylacine occupied a more complex, predatory ecological niche versus the scavenging niche of the Tasmanian devil.

The thylacine appears to be an example of convergent evolution, filling a similar niche that members of the canid family did elsewhere, Dr. Berns added.

Its interesting, however, that the thylacine brain is very different than the canine brain, despite the physical resemblance of their bodies.

_____

G.S. Berns & K.W.S. Ashwell. 2017. Reconstruction of the Cortical Maps of the Tasmanian Tiger and Comparison to the Tasmanian Devil. PLoS ONE 12 (1): e0168993; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168993
[NAIROBI] A new genomics array tool developed specifically for genomic and epidemiological research in Africa could enable researchers to efficiently study the genetic diversity of African populations.



Africa is the birthplace of human evolution and has the highest amount of genetic variations. Most existing genotyping tools, however, are for European populations, according to Julie Collens, who is responsible for market development within Illumina, a US-based organisation involved in genomics research and the development of the tool.



This tool will not only be critical for understanding African diversity and how that correlates to disease [in Africa], but could potentially improve our understanding of disease and diversity in other global populations, Collens adds.



Collens told SciDev.Net that members of the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) consortium, with support from UKs Wellcome Trust and the US National Institutes of Health, selected samples previously obtained from Africa and evaluated them with more comprehensive genome sequencing.

This array will be an important step forward in filling the present gap in our understanding of genomic diversity in Africa. Julie Collens, Illumina

The objective, she said, was to characterise genomic diversity in African populations and to try to understand how the genomics relates to diseases and disorders that affect these populations.



The application of genomics in Africa has been underrepresented, says Colleen, noting that the array is expected to be available later in 2017.



Because of the differences between global populations in rates of infectious disease risk, having the ability to link genetic findings in African populations specifically to the diseases that are most likely to affect those same populations will be key in understanding how genetics and the environment contribute to diseases, according to Collens.



Understanding disease and genomics in the context of specific populations affected allows researchers to develop more specific interventions, preventative measures, and treatments, she explains. This array will be an important step forward in filling the present gap in our understanding of genomic diversity in Africa and in understanding the genetic factors contributing to disease.



Michele Ramsay, a professor at the division of human genetics, University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, says that African populations are genetically diverse, and this tool will be very useful for researchers in conducting genome-wide association studies in multiple populations for many different traits and diseases.



It will be the best array developed to date for this purpose and I hope it will be widely used, not only by members of the H3Africa consortium, says Ramsay, who is exploring genomics and environmental health risks as a project within the H3Africa consortium.

It will take some time for the research findings and new knowledge to have an impact on healthcare provision, but we are always keeping our eyes open for important discoveries that can be translated into a clinical setting.

But Ramsay tells SciDev.Net that the development of the H3Africa array is still expensive. The appropriate implementation of tests in a healthcare setting requires additional funds and skills, thus making it a longer process.This is the reason that we need to develop more capacity for genomic and molecular research in Africa, Ramsay adds.
Recently, the reports of Vietnamese wooden blue boats venturing into the federal water of many Pacific countries and Indonesia have attracted a lot of attention. These illegal fishing methods were criticized and the international media made an open appeal to stop them.

These boats have limited electric equipment and can easily cross international borders without being detected. Over the past many years, they have been detected fishing illegally near the states of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Caledonia. In 2016, 13 of such boats from Vietnam were found near Indonesia and were blown up by the Indonesian Navy, The Wall Street Journal reported.

However, the boat burning and sinking strategy seems ineffective. More and more number of blue boats are still found near many Pacific countries, trying to catch reef fish and beche de mer.

Pacific fisheries advisor Francisco Blaha from New Zealand suggested that the best possible way to stop these illegal fishing boats is by making Vietnam officially acknowledge the country of origin of these vessels and implement appropriate measures to stop them.

RNZ reported that this might be done by levying "economic sanctions on Vietnam, placing tariffs on its seafood exports or getting the EU to issue it with one of its yellow cards signifying concern with Vietnam's lack of effort to control illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing."

"So here is a yellow card, we need to have a serious dialogue, if you don't fix this we are going to put a red card on you and that means that anything that was caught by vessels of your country will not be able to enter the European Union," Blaha suggested.

As per Blaha, such strict impositions will draw the attention of the Vietnamese government towards this international issue and it might be resolved at their end.

The local authorities find it difficult to track these Vietnamese blue boats because they are already overloaded with tracking the large fleets of boats trying to sneak in for the tuna resources in the region.

The time has come when countries realized that the infamous "Vietnamese boat burns for fishing illegally" is not working any more.
Evolution, as humans all know by now, has shaped us. It will continue on shaping people's future. Because of all the new things humans discovered in the past two millennia, it should come as a no-brainer that humans are becoming more intelligent. Otherwise, the human population would not have been over 7 billion strong.

However, it seems that the opposite is true. A study by the genetics firm decode in Reykjavik, Iceland, discovered that people's brains are changing the perception on education. To put it simply, News Australia reported that those who were born in 1910 were more likely to embrace education more than those born in 1975.

The study, which was published by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last month, took note of the decline. CEO Kari Stefansson stressed that as a species, "We are defined by the power of our brains," which meant that education helps train and refine our mental capacities. However, they found it fascinating that genetic factors that linked to more time spent in education is rare in their study that consisted of a genetic database of over 100,000 Icelandic citizens.

While this could have dire implications once proven, this study has actually been already proven, albeit by circumstantial evidence. Previous studies showed that smarter people -- especially those that seek higher education -- tend to have fewer children. This means that the smarter populations in Iceland have actually been contributing less to the collective national gene pool. Still, it seems that the time spent in school itself is not the only thing to blame for the fall of fertility. It has been written in the genes, as those predisposed towards education also already tend to have a predisposition towards rearing children later on in their lives.

Science Alert added that there are more people who are getting access to education. So even if less educated people have more offspring, non-genetic factors could also play a part, like more schools and a vast resource of knowledge could eclipse the said "dumbing down" effect.

"If we continue to improve the availability and quality of educational opportunities, we will presumably continue to improve the educational level of society as a whole," Stefansson said in a statement. "Time will tell whether the decline of the genetic propensity for education will have a notable impact on human society."
NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered what looked like drying mud cracks that could possibly prove wetter conditions on Mars.

The Christian Science Monitor reported that the Curiosity rover recently found potential evidence of ancient lakes on Mars. Once proven, the discovery would support what NASA scientists hypothesized about the Red Planet's wetter conditions prior to the long periods of drought.

"The ancient lakes varied in depth and extent over time, and sometimes disappeared," said Curiosity project scientist Ashwin Vasavada from at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Vasavada added that the team had seen "more evidence of dry intervals between what had been mostly a record of long-lived lakes."

According to researchers, the cracked layer of the terrain, which had been covered by sediment prior to erosion, may have been formed billions of years ago.

"It looks like what you'd see beside the road where muddy ground has dried and cracked," said Curiosity science team member Nathan Stein. "Even from a distance, we could see a pattern of four- and five-sided polygons that don't look like fractures we've seen previously with Curiosity."

The recent findings may shed light on Mars' habitability. However, the new data show that the Red Planet continues to go down further on the negative.

The rover travels about 30 feet per hour depending on its power supply as well as the visibility, steepness, slippage and other features of the Martian surface. It has been treading the Red Planet and drilling rocks for geological data since 2012, thus showing signs of malfunction and weariness.

According to NASA, the Curiosity mission was designed for a decade-long probe. However, scientists at Mars Science Laboratory are now hoping it could survive further uphill investigations.

Despite the rover's glitches, investigators still continue to receive more details to provide precise conclusions on the planet's habitability.
Reports show that China has been under a series of smog issues. However, the Chinese local weather bureaus have been ordered to stop issuing alerts for smog.

Sun Daily reported that an internal memo was posted on China's Twitter-like social media platform called Weibo. It stated that China's Meteorological Administration local bureaus said last Tuesday to "immediately stop issuing smog alerts."

The state media reported that there are some disagreements between the Chinese environmental protection ministry and local authority forecast. Hence, the removal of the warning alert is needed. However, the move has created a criticism that the government just wanted to cover up the scale country's air pollution.

As follows, one commentator online wrote on Weibo that, "Before, they cheated us separately, and now, they are going to cheat us together." And another one also replied, "Even though they are working on a unified alert standard, they should not stop the existing alert system."

The smog has been in the headlines and topics of debate in the country for nearly three years since the Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, declared a "war on pollution." To warn the public, a three-level color coded system was used. The color starts from yellow for the least severe up to red for the top level.

However, Sky News reported that the certainty of the smog alert system is debated online regularly. The public is questioning discrepancies between alerts issued by the different authorities in different locations.

The internal memo stated that the county and city authorities may continue to release fog alerts for low visibility.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, Bejing issued its highest fog alert after the city was covered in thick smog for a couple of days. The flights, ports and schools are disrupted. However, the Chinese capital only issued "orange" warning it is the second to the highest level for smog. It led some people to ask whether the application of the warning was an attempt to cover up pollution information.
Porter, a stylish coffee and sandwich shop, is hidden behind the bike store Motorless Motion Bicycles on West Washington Avenue. Yet people are finding it.

The shop, which also offers an excellent selection of grocery items, is all about convenience, and about food that can be eaten on the go. The menu features many hand-held items that make silverware unnecessary.

What you really want from Porter is its substantial but compact breakfast sandwich ($9). Id been in a bad mood the morning I ordered it, and the sandwich began to turn things around for me.

The sandwich had smoked ham, sharp cheddar, red onion, stone-ground mustard and an over-medium egg in a tender, warm brioche roll from Stalzys Deli (all of Porters bread comes from Stalzys). The onion and mustard make it pretty hearty for the first meal of the day, but this is January in Wisconsin. We all become more hardy this time of year.

The menu is divided into breakfast items and lunch items. It defines breakfast as between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., and lunch from 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., but if the staff isnt too busy, they are glad to blur those lines.

The avocado toast ($6) is another great breakfast choice with thick slices of ripe avocado on top of thickly cut caraway rye with lemon zest and radish. It could have used more sea salt and sesame oil, which, if they werent listed on the menu, would have been hard to detect.

The Porter Pocket ($7.50), meanwhile, was firing on all cylinders. The portable quiche or hand-held pie had a delicious shell and was stuffed with scrambled eggs, smoked bacon cubes or lardons, leeks and aged Swiss cheese. It came in an attractive wax paper wrapper and was steaming hot inside.

Those looking for sweet over savory wont be disappointed with Porters yogurt parfait ($5), which layers Greek yogurt, plump blueberries, thinly sliced strawberries and granola homemade with pecans, almond slivers, walnuts and sunflower seeds, among other things. A touch of honey and maple syrup sweetens the deal.

Looking beyond breakfast, the salade nicoise ($11) was masterful, with big chunks of canned Spanish bonito tuna and mildly hot Spanish pickled peppers. A fantastic anchovy vinaigrette was applied modestly.

Vegetarians will be pleased with the veggie sandwich ($10) which comes on light rye bread that is oiled and grilled on a panini press. The mix of vegetables was unique and included marinated artichokes, roasted shiitake mushrooms, oven-dried tomatoes and roasted red pepper. Melted provolone bound the ingredients together.

Porter serves a few bakery items, most made in-house, including cranberry muffins ($3) with a streusel top, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies ($2.50) and homemade granola bars ($2) .

All the bakery Ive had at Porter has been moist and delicious, even the day-old stuff for $1.50. If youve got to work through lunch or dinner, bring along one of Porters granola bars, made with peanut butter, dried cranberries and chocolate chips. Theyll make you reconsider eating a packaged one again.

Drip coffee, from North Carolina roaster Counter Culture Coffee, is $1 with any sandwich. Otherwise, its a reasonable $2 for an 8-ounce cup.

The coffee is brewed strong, so if you take cream, youll need more than usual. Porter puts out pure cane, rough-cut sugar cubes. Its the same sugar the shop sells on its shelves.

Porter stocks a well-curated selection of grocery items, including many used in the menu. You know, stuff that not only looks pretty, but that you might actually want to buy: Sassy Cow milk, Potters crackers, Gail Ambrosius chocolates, eggs, habanero carrot sticks, olives, pasta salad, fresh mozzarella, brie, yogurt, maple syrup, packaged beets. There are also bottles of wine and spirits.

The cafe is the first part of Gilbert Altschuls ambitious redevelopment of the historic Milwaukee Road Depot. His plans call for a six- or seven-vendor farmers market, but until those plans are fully realized, the cafes food selection can be handy for those who live or work nearby.

Altschul, 33, redefined pizza in 2013 with Grampas Pizzeria on Williamson Street, then added Gibs Bar next door.

He opened Porter on Nov. 28 and eventually plans to get the train cars that block its view moved. The whole project, including a taco restaurant called Bandit, should be complete by this time next year, he said.

Cant wait to see how he elevates the simple taco.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Travel Nurse across America, an Arkansas-based health-care staffing agency, has acquired a local competitor, Trinity Healthcare Staffing Group.

Though terms of the deal were not disclosed, Florence County records show that Trinity Healthcare Staffing Group on Sally Hill Farms Boulevard has a total value of $873,897 and sits on 5.25 acres. Two adjacent parcels are owned by the same limited liability company and valued at $40,000 apiece, but its unknown if that land is also part of the deal.

It is an acquisition, but we really see it as two companies joining forces, said Scott Knox, vice president of marketing for Travel Nurse. Our cultures are very well aligned.

Knox said Travel Nurse has a little over 120 employees while Trinity has about 80 employees. There will be very minimal attrition, he said, putting the number of layoffs at less than five.

Both have been in business since 1999 and Travel Nurse a cross America has always been impressed at how Trinity developed over the years, he said. They have always had a high set of standards and core values and thats something that was very important to (Travel Nurse) and it made sense for both companies.

The Florence office will stay fully operational, he said, with the goal to retain as many employees as possible. Matt Floyd, the CEO of Trinity, will stay on board for the short term, he said, without delving further into details. Gene Scott, the CEO of Travel Nurse, will remain in that role.

In a press advisory, Travel Nurse bills itself as a health-care staffing agency that places travel nurses in all 50 states. As part of the deal, Travel Nurse also acquires Trinitys facility focused brand Simpli Fi Managed Services, which provides health-care workforce service to hospitals across the country.

Its our mission to raise the bar on how the entire travel nursing industry services both nurses and client facilities, Scott said in the advisory. The cultures of both companies align so well with each other, its clear that our combined efforts will deliver this increased value. We are excited to see whats in store for our future as we join forces and become a stronger company.

The acquisition will further the ability of Travel Nurse to supply travel nurses with a wider variety of travel assignments as well as provide clients with a larger pool of nurses.

By combining two companies that have already established formidable teams and resources, we can improve the services we provide to our existing travelers and clients, and become a better option for those who are seeking a new agency partner, said Matt Floyd, who founded Trinity Healthcare Staffing Group.

Travel Nurse said a 2015 survey conducted by Staffing Industry Analysts ranked Travel Nurse across America 11 th in the category of largest U.S. travel nurse staffing firms; Trinity was ranked 17 th and the deal will put Travel Nurse in the top five.
FLORENCE, S.C. -- The 56th Anniversary District Conference of the South Carolina Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. will convene on January 20-21, 2017, at the Florence Civic Center located at 3300 West Radio Drive, Florence, South Carolina.

The Conference theme is SC Alpha: Creating Success through Economic Empowerment, Political Advocacy and Community Service!

Highlighted public events for the conference include a public program recognizing leaders, a step show competition and a Miss Black and Gold Pageant.

The public program will also allow the South Carolina Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., to remember and recognize the men and women who were killed on June 17, 2015, at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church, in Charleston.
Dr. Tom RoopThe long shadow cast by a giant of a man is now awash in heavenly lightOn earth he will live for lifetimes in the memories of menin heaven he will live for all eternity in the company of GodKnown for both his breadth of knowledge and his magnanimous spirit, Dr. Tom Roop, died at his home in Florence, South Carolina, on Saturday, January 14, 2017, after a valiant battle with cancer. Tom was born the eldest son to Robert Way Roop and Eva Marie Westrom in Niagara Falls, New York, on April 25, 1937. He flourished among twelve siblings.He is survived by his beloved wife of 39 years, Angela Mangum Roop. He cherished his two sons: Timothy Jay Roop (Katy) of Charleston, SC, and Jonathan Michael Roop (Olivia) of Florence, South Carolina. He was the proud grandfather of Andrew, Jordan, and Sarah Roop. He prized his relationship with each of his eleven brothers and sisters: Judy R. Redell of Oswego, NY; Elaine R. Thomas of North Truro, MA; Dot R. Mowery of North Truro, MA; Anne R. Ellis of Saratoga Springs, NY; David Roop (Shelley) of Whitehall, NY; Daniel Roop of Rochester, NY; Nina Roop of Gansevoort, NY; and Liza R. Way of Albuquerque, NM. He was pre-deceased by: brother, John Roop of Williamstown, MA; half-sister, Mary Schneider of West Monroe, NY; and half- brother, Robert Roop of West Monroe, NY. He took as his own his sisters-in-law: Dianne M. Duncan (pre-deceased, John) of Laurens,SC; and Marilyn M. Lee (Dennis) of Bluffton, SC. He was blessed with 22 nieces and nephews and a host of great nieces and nephews.Upon Tom's graduation from Denison University in Granville, Ohio, in 1959, he began teaching Biology at East Aurora High School in Lancaster, New York. He earned his Master's Degree in 1963 at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. In 1972 he took his Ph.D. from Florida State University. Now Dr. Tom Roop, he accepted a teaching position at the then young Francis Marion College, now Francis Marion University. Here he enjoyed an illustrious career. He was awarded the Francis Marion College Distinguished Professor Award in 1980. Later he received the Helm's Award for the South Carolina Top Science Educator of the Year. During his tenure at Francis Marion, he was named the J. L. Mason Professor of Health Sciences and Professor of Biology and Coordinator of Biology Pre-Professional Programs, an endowed Chair. Based on a nomination set forth by one of his students, Dr. Roop was named to the 2000 Edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers. In 2005, he received the Service Award from the South Carolina Academy of Science. He proudly served as the Ars-Medica Society faculty advisor. The preparation of his students brought an outstanding acceptance rate to medical schools in the state and across the nation. He was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society. Noteworthy is the fact that Dr. Roop helped found the South Carolina Governor's School of Math and Science. He also worked tirelessly with the South Carolina Academy of Science, serving in various capacities: Board Chair; Chair of the Teacher of the Year Committee, and Judging Coordinator. He was tapped to serve on the Board for the prestigious South Carolina Academy of Science. He was an enthusiastic supporter of Art's Alive, serving on their steering committee for 10 years. Dr. Roop retired from Francis Marion University in 2004 as Professor Emeritus.Far beyond his many professional accomplishments, Tom valued most his relationships with his students. He taught and inspired generations of nurses, doctors, teachers, and others. He stood ready to open his mind and heart to each and every one of his students and by so doing, welcomed them as "family." Long after their graduations, his life continued to be fueled and warmed by their outpouring of love and affection. He was a teacher in the finest sense, a mentor and a friend. For almost 40 years they gathered from across the country for an annual camp out reunion near Mount Mitchell in Western North Carolina. Culminating this annual ritual was a surprise gathering at Cheraw State Park in 2011 . It was every teacher's dream: former students stood in testimony to his impact upon their lives. It was a watershed moment for a man who counted it a privilege to share with his students a journey of friendship while exploring and revealing the wonders of creation. Tom was a shining example of leaving the world a much better place than he found it. Let it be known that Tom knew Him who was the Giver of his life's many good and perfect gifts: his wife; his sons; his family; and his friends. On Saturday, January 14, 2017, at 11:35 a.m. he entered a full fellowship with the Architect of all Creation, the Maker of all Mysteries, and the Author of Men's Souls-- -Jesus Christ. He once again graduated with honors.A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 21, 2017, at Francis Marion University in the Chapman Auditorium (formerly McNair Auditorium) at 2:00 pm. Visitation will be held prior to the service at the Wallace House, home of Dr. Fred Carter, President of FMU, on the campus from 12:00 1:30 pm. Memorials may be made to the Tom Roop Scholarship Fund, FMU Education Foundation, P.O. Box 100547, Florence, SC 29502-0547, or to the charity of one's choice. Please send messages to the family at the obit section of www.stoudenmiredowling.com.
Even though Morning News citizen columnist Tom Sheehy and I had a disagreement on military points of views, I have mostly enjoyed his articles. He has in most of his articles taken the time and trouble to write correct articles.

Vietnam was a tangled-up mess as far as command in 1966-67 when many units worked together as a team. I read Col. Sheehy's article based upon his loss of a friend in Vietnam, and I felt sorry for his loss. I only had a few friends, because I was not allowed to talk to but a few people. One friend came back one night all cut up from hand-to-hand combat; he was flown out to the offshore hospital ship. I had to pack up his things, and I never saw or heard from him again.

On the day that I was born in Dillon, there were three of us boys born on the same day. We were friends growing up. One of these boys was killed on Sept. 4, 1967, in Long Khanh, Vietnam, while serving with K TRP, 3 rd SQDN, 11TH Armored Cavalry of the United States Army. Many of us lost friends in Vietnam and later because of Vietnam. Even though I never became a permanent part of any unit, I did see guys who died that were part of the Army, Marines, Koreans, South Vietnamese Military, etc. I felt the loss of these guys even though I did not get to know these guys. I spent most of my time around DaNang and Chu Lai, but I went to Hue, Phu Bai, Dong Ha and many many outlying villages.

Enough of that. The real reason for writing today is to agree with Sheehy's article titled Fix the real problem and keep taxpayers informed published on Jan. 11. I believe that schools of today are a far cry from the schools of the 1950s and the 1960s. When I went to school, we had A, B, C and D classes so that the students in each class could be taught at their appropriate speed of learning. Even though ballplayers were given special treatment as to their grading, the regular students' grades were not ever curved unless almost all failed on a test and the teacher deemed the test too hard.

In 1979, I took a refresher course at a technical. In one course I finished with a grade of 99 plus 3 extra points for an extra question. The professor called me into his office and told me that everyone else had failed the course and that he did not know what to do. I told him that it was OK with me to pass everyone else because I did not care, for I knew what I had made.

I believe that too many students may be passed today that do not deserve to be passed. If schools and colleges are passing students who are not truly making their grade and who then get a diploma, how can we trust these people who may not have the knowledge that their diploma endows them?

JOHN H. BETHEA

Marion
Chris Rickert | Wisconsin State Journal Urban affairs, investigations, consumer help ("SOS") Follow Chris Rickert | Wisconsin State Journal Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Maybe Im not all that sharp first thing in the morning, but if the almond milk my wife buys were more accurately labeled, I probably would have never poured it on my Honey Bunches of Oats.

Almond-infused filtered water doesnt sound like it would be good on cereal, no matter how many sliced bananas you add.

It was with labeling conundrums in mind that Wisconsins Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin last week introduced a bill that would provide fairer warning to people like me.

Known as the Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday, or DAIRY PRIDE Act, it would require the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on companies that label their products as milk, cheese, yogurt or some other dairy product when the products contain no actual dairy.

The bill might sound like a sop to a powerful industry from a politician looking to curry its favor in a state proudly nicknamed Americas Dairyland  and it is. Fake dairy backers can also correctly note that anyone with half a brain knows that soy milk, for example, doesnt come from a cow.

And yet Baldwin and her dairy backers have some legitimate complaints.

For one, definitions of dairy products do not come with a lot of wiggle room.

Federal regulations already define milk as the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows, and UW-Madison Center for Dairy Research director John Lucey notes that there are Standards of Identity for yogurts and most cheeses, where they state that those products must be made from milk.

Sure, Merriam-Webster provides secondary definitions of milk and cheese as a liquid resembling milk in appearance and something resembling cheese in shape or consistency, respectively, but those are just arbitrary nods to increasing product variety. There are no allowances in the definitions of chicken or beef for vegetarian chicken or beef, after all.

Second, just because the makers of fake dairy products list their ingredients and put photos of almonds or soybeans on their almond and soy milks doesnt mean they arent misleadingly labeled.

Im 95 percent sure almonds arent mammals with tiny udders that produce milk for baby almonds, and yet when I took that carton of almond milk out of the refrigerator for the first time, I did so because I was expecting it to have the taste and consistency of what it called itself: milk.

Expectations of dairy pleasure are the reason why makers of fake dairy use dairy words in their product names. Dairy sells. Something resembling cheese in shape or consistency doesnt.

This is not to say consumers willfully ignore the many obvious signs that they are buying a fake dairy product, but neither can they ignore the delicious associations they make when they see the words ice cream or cheese.

If the makers of fake dairy want their products to trip similar kinds of neural triggers, they are welcome to make their products taste better and come up with their own words to describe them.

Milk, though, is taken.
In court Wednesday, facing the man who shot him and left him a quadriplegic, Greg Pongratz made it clear how he feels about Sophea Mouth.

Asked to describe the man who shot him and where he was in the courtroom, Pongratz was blunt, calling him the weak coward over there in the white shirt.

Wednesday marked the first day in Mouths first-degree intentional homicide trial. He is charged with shooting Pongratzs friend and neighbor, Tom Dreger, to death on Nov. 13, 2015, at the auto repair shop that Mouth operated at 2001 Freeport Road. Pongratz, 53, who was standing next to Dreger, 70, was shot in the face but survived.

Mouth (pronounced mooth) is also charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide for shooting Pongratz. The trial will last into next week.

In his opening statement Wednesday, state Assistant Public Defender Stan Woodard didnt deny that Mouth shot Dreger and Pongratz but told jurors that Mouth shot them in self-defense because he felt threatened by Dregers demeanor and by the physical stature of the two men.

Woodard also said that he will present witnesses to testify about past confrontations between Dreger and Mouth.

This is a case in which a little man was confronted by two big men, Woodard told the jury, calling Dreger a bully.

A criminal complaint describes Mouth as 5-foot-8 and 145 pounds, while Woodard described Dreger in court as about the same height but around 300 pounds.

Pongratz is about 6-foot and testified that he was in good shape then.

(The case is) about whether under the law Mr. Mouth was privileged to use the force that he used, Woodard said.

Fatal confrontation

The shootings came after Dreger, who was selling the property to Mouth on a land contract, foreclosed because of missed and late payments. After prevailing in court, and after a 45-day redemption period had ended, prosecutors said, Dreger and Pongratz went to the business to change the locks. The two sides disagree on whether Mouth was to have vacated the property by then.

Pongratz, who had never met Mouth before, testified that Dreger didnt expect to find anyone in the business. But Mouth and two other men were there working on a car.

A friend of Mouth who was in the shop, Mark Gerke, testified that he heard an argument between Mouth and Dreger, and while voices were raised, he said he didnt hear threats or curse words from Dreger. He said he didnt hear Pongratz speak at all.

Then suddenly, Gerke said, he heard a gunshot, and looked to see Mouth standing with his arm extended, a black gun in his hand. Gerke said he heard more gunshots, ran and called 911.

Pongratz also testified that while there was an argument, there was no physical contact between Dreger and Mouth. He said Dreger was armed only with a couple sheets of paper that he was showing to Mouth.

Pongratz said he had a telescoping baton in his pants pocket, which he carried into unfamiliar places when he worked alone as a real estate appraiser. He said he never threatened Mouth with it and doesnt think Mouth ever saw it.

He was a coward

Woodard pressed Pongratz on cross-examination about when it was that Pongratz decided to put the baton into his pocket and whether it was because he had seen people in the business when he and Dreger drove up. But Pongratz said he grabbed it because the building, which was supposed to be empty, looked run-down and sketchy.

Pongratz also testified that Mouth never asked Dreger to leave before pulling out the gun and firing.

If he would have had the courage he would have, Pongratz said. But he didnt. He was a coward.

As he grew tired of questioning under cross-examination, Pongratz let more of his feelings about Mouth be known. That little piece of (expletive) coward blew my head off, Pongratz said.

Mouths defense team wont present evidence, as it had initially intended, that Mouth suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his earlier life in Cambodia, which acted as a trigger to the shootings. That assertion was withdrawn after a defense expert report failed to appear in a timely fashion.

Circuit Judge Nicholas McNamara barred mention of the Khmer Rouge, the brutal regime that once ruled Cambodia. He also barred use of the phrase castle doctrine, finding that jurors hearing it would be confused by its legal meaning in Wisconsin compared to other states.
Madison police Officer Matt Kenny, who fatally shot Tony Robinson almost two years ago, will return to patrol duty this year.

South District Capt. John Patterson said Kenny will be moved to street patrol in the South District within the year, but that it will not be during the next change in assignments in the coming weeks.

"We still need to make plans," Patterson said. "It is my understanding that at some point in the year, he will return to street patrol."

Police spokesman Joel DeSpain said Kenny is out among the public when the mounted patrol is on duty, which is one of his current assignments, but added that's been the case since 2015. Kenny is also assigned to the training center.

Kenny fatally shot Robinson, 19, who was unarmed, in the stairway of a Williamson Street apartment house on March 6, 2015, saying Robinson charged him after he responded to a call of a person acting erratically and punching people in the street. The use of lethal force was ruled lawful by Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, and an internal review ruled that Kenny did not violate department policies.

Robinson's grandmother Sharon Irwin is organizing a protest Sunday at the South District station, 825 Hughes Place, against Kenny returning to street patrol.

"We want Matt Kenny off our streets," Irwin said in her announcement of the rally, adding, "The fear among community members that he will kill again is deep and growing."

The police union contract allows officers to select a preference for where and what shift they want to work, based on seniority, but that's no guarantee an officer will get assigned accordingly, according to Jim Palmer, head of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association. Palmer said he "wouldn't be surprised" if Kenny did request returning to patrol duty.

"He was cleared of any wrongdoing," Palmer said. "He is entitled to pick his shift but decided to work elsewhere (mounted patrol and training) for two years."

Irwin said she hopes the department does not assign Kenny to patrol duty and said, "They can always change their mind."

Palmer said Wisconsin was the first state and still is only one of three states to require an independent investigation into officer-involved deaths.

"He was exonerated," Palmer said.
Madison Police Department spokesman Joel DeSpain said Za 'Nia Johnson was recovered and is safe. He said her father, Kody Johnson, Sr. remains at large.

The Madison Police Department is asking for help in locating a missing 9-month-old girl.

Za 'Nia Johnson is believed to be with her father, 27-year-old Kody K. Johnson, police said. Johnson has refused to return the girl to her mother, and police have probable cause to arrest him for felony child custody interference, Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said Wednesday.

Attempts by detectives to reach Johnson, who has no permanent address, have been unsuccessful, police said, and his whereabouts are unknown.

Johnson may be going by "King Kwali El-Bey," and he may refer to his daughter as Za 'Nia "Karimah El-Bey," DeSpain said.

Anyone with information on them is asked to call Madison police at 608-255-2345 or the Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014.

Police list the incident as happening on Jan. 4 around 4:25 p.m. on the 1300 block of MacArthur Road.
Madison police are searching for a woman who allegedly stabbed a man in the chest during a disturbance Wednesday night.

The incident was reported at about 11:45 p.m. in the 2100 block of Pike Drive.

The 44-year-old woman, who has no permanent address, and the 44-year-old man, who lives at the Pike Drive address, were in an argument in his apartment before she allegedly stabbed him in a common hallway outside the apartment.

"The police department has developed probable cause to arrest the suspect for first-degree reckless endangerment," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

"It appears the male victim and female suspect have known each other for years," said Lt. Timothy Radke. "During a disturbance between the two, the male was stabbed in the chest."

He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment, but his injuries appeared to be non-life-threatening, police said.

No description of the suspect was given in the police report.
The theme for the forum is 'Shaping Our Tourism Journey Together'.

Speaking at the opening gala Wednesday, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the spirit of regional cooperation is all the more important in these uncertain times.

In many countries mood is to go it alone but ASEAN is an important life raft to build up cooperation, he said.

ATF 2017 also coincides with the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN.

PM Lee said tourism is an area where ASEAN can create win-win benefits.

'As people become affluent they want to travel and explore.

'Because ASEAN countries have fast growing middle classes, and as our people become better off (and) more affluent, more of them want to travel to see the world. At the same time, ASEAN itself offers an enormous richness of attractions.That is why tourists from around the world want to visit Southeast Asia.'

ASEAN hopes to increase its number of international arrivals by 10% to 121m. To achieve this goal, PM Lee outlined necessary efforts such as reducing red tape, strengthen air links, and also building up cruise tourism.

He said ASEAN is well-positioned to promote cruise tourism.

'We have archipelagos to rival the Aegean, Caribbean, or South Pacific. Year-round tropical weather, calm waters and diverse and attractive destinations within short sailing distances.'

He stressed that developing cruise tourism is a multi-lateral effort. 'We need to develop port infrastructure to receive bigger and newer ships and work with cruise providers to create attractive itineraries with multiple stops for tourists.'

He said Singapore is happy to be the lead coordinator for the ASEAN Cruise Development Initiative.

PM Lee reiterated, 'we need to work together closely to make these happen, and harness opportunities under the "Cruise Southeast Asia" brand.'

In an earlier Singapore media briefing at the ATF, Oliver Chong, executive director of communications and marketing capability, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), talked about recent efforts such as a tourism MOU with Indonesia which had a cruise component.

He said Singapores second cruise centre has been a major boost for cruise development with more ships calling.

Working with fellow ASEAN members is important in opening up areas that will help industry, from port development and capability to the training of travel agents, he remarked.

'Cruise is a nascent industry here and so STB is also working closely with cruise lines,' he added.

During the ATF, tourism ministers will be engaging in dialogues and exploring cruise development in region.

At Thailands media briefing, Thai Tourism Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said Thailand had received 32.6m visitors in 2016 which was an increase of 9% year-on-year. Bangkok, Phuket and Chon Buri were its top three destinations.

Thailand is aiming for some US$50bn in tourism receipts in 2017, which would constitute a 10% y-o-y increase.

When asked about cruise infrastructure development he said Thailands cruise sector stands to gain from mega-investment projects under the countrys East Economic Corridor plan.

The next ATF will be held in Thailand in 2018.
The market has been rifted with speculations that OOCL, the container arm of Orient Overseas International Limited (OOIL) could be up for sale amid the ongoing consolidation of the global container shipping sector.

The media report wrote that state-owned Cosco Shipping is in the process of preparing a bid valued at more than $4bn to acquire its competitor OOCL. Cosco Shipping Lines, the container arm of Cosco Shipping, and OOCL are members of the Ocean Alliance that is scheduled to start operations in April this year.

Analyst Drewry mentioned earlier that OOCL would be a good buy given its established reputation and track record of profitability even in tough markets.

At present, Cosco Shipping Lines is the worlds fourth biggest carrier with a carrying capacity of some 1.58m teu and accounting for around 7.5% of global market share, behind Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and CMA CGM. OOCL is the worlds eighth biggest line with a carrying capacity of 575,000 teu accounting for 2.8% of market share.

There have been unconfirmed speculations that Frances CMA CGM is also potential buyer of OOCL, but Wall Street Journal cited sources saying that Cosco Shipping has made more progress on acquisition deal.

It is not a surprise if the Chinese government steps in to orchestrate a marriage between a mainland shipping giant and a Hong Kong counterpart, Xiong Hao, assistant general manager of Shanghai Jump International Shipping, told South China Morning Post.

The consolidation of the container shipping sector has seen CMA CGM buying out Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) which owns APL, Maersk Line acquiring Hamburg Sud, and the merger of Hapag-Lloyd and United Arab Shipping Co (UASC).
"A merger has never been an option for Yang Ming, and it won't be," chairman Bronson Hsieh told a media event, Reuters reported. "Over the past 10 years, the five shippers with the highest profit margins have been smaller players. Smaller companies do not necessarily have to be merged," he said.

Loss making Yang Ming is currently the eighth largest container line in the world with a 2.8% share of capacity according to Alphaliner.

Similarly sized Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) is the latest box line to be subject of M&A talk with Cosco Shipping reported to be lining up a bid for the Hong Kong company.

In December Yang Ming sold its headquarters building for $59.6m as it looked to mitigate losses. Yang Ming is 33% state-owned and it has been suggested by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator that it be merged with Taiwan International Port Co.
Total traffic totalled 46.7m tonnes, a 0.3% year-on-year rise  more impressive than it might seem because the 2015 figure had been inflated by a large amount of ro-ro traffic displaced from neighbouring Calais owing to industrial action and migrant unrest at that port.

Broken down by separate traffics, containers rose 7% to 341,000 teu, coal by 6% to 5.4m tonnes, other solid bulks by 9% to 2.4m tonnes, and liquid bulk by 2% to 4.3m tonnes. Grains were down 8% to 2.8m tonnes - because of Frances very poor harvests last year - while ro-ro dropped even greater in volume by 2% to 16m tonnes, described by the port as "a rebalancing to normal after the extraordinary result in 2015 but still very satisfactory."

Announcing the results at a press conference in Lille, Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque (GPMD) ceo Stefane Raison said the port did not merely wish to defend existing markets but also target new ones. In particular, Raison pointed to the start-up of LNG shipments into the port, as well as expansion of the existing container terminal plus launch of a public consultation on the building of a new one.

The ports chief commercial officer Daniel Deschodt detailed to Seatrade Maritime News how the existing Flanders Terminal, is operated by an eponymous company controlled by Terminal (owned 51% by CMA CGM Group and 49% China Merchants Holdings International) with quay length of 1.2 km and water depth up to 16.5 m.

The expansion project, to be ready by end-2018, will add another berth of 400 m adjacent to the existing one, allowing the simultaneous berthing of two Ultra Large Container Ships rather than only one at present, and raising capacity from 650,000 teu to 900,000 teu.

After that a public debate will be launched in September, he continued, into the digging of a new basin inland of the existing Flanders Terminal. A new terminal located there could be gradually phased in over the period 2020-2040, growing port capacity to an eventual 3.5m teu.

Container traffic is certainly on the increase, Deschodt said it is expected to reach 400,000 teu this year, which would represent highly impressive 17% growth. Cooperation with French rail operator SNCF was also on the increase, he added, fuelling Dunkirks ambitions to become an important multimodal hub for the surrounding Hauts-de-France region  also including the ports of Calais and Boulogne, specialising in passenger ferry traffic and fish processing respectively  and beyond.
A former Tomah Veterans Administration Medical Center doctor accused of overprescribing opioids has agreed to surrender his medical license, documents released Wednesday show.

David Houlihan signed an agreement with the state Department of Safety and Professional Services on Jan. 10, the documents show. The state Medical Examining Board accepted the agreement on Wednesday, finalizing it.

Houlihan must surrender his license permanently and never reapply for one in Wisconsin. In exchange, DSPS agreed to drop its investigation into three complaints against him and not seek reimbursement for its investigative and attorney costs.

The deal means Houlihan will have to close the psychiatry practice he opened in La Crosse after he was fired from the Tomah VA in November 2015. His attorney, Frank Doherty, didnt immediately return a voicemail.

The agreement brings to a close one of the last lingering threads from a 2014 investigation into the Tomah VA which found doctors were overprescribing opiods, earning the facility the nickname Candy Land. Some patients called Houlihan Candy Man because he so freely prescribed painkillers.

Months after the investigation closed, 35-year-old Marine veteran Jason Simcakoski died from mixed drug toxicity at the facility days after Houlihan added another opiate to the 14 drugs Simcakoski was already prescribed.

The Medical Examining Board in July found probable cause that Houlihan engaged in unprofessional conduct in his overall practices. The board had already determined there was probable cause that Houlihan was unprofessional and negligent in his care for Simcakoski.

The board suspended Houlihans license in March after it learned hed opened the psychiatry clinic but an administrative law judge reinstated it a month later, concluding the board didnt prove the suspension was necessary.

A VA report from 2015 concluded that patients at the Tomah facility were more likely than patients at other VA hospitals to receive high doses of painkillers.

The report also said there was an atmosphere of fear among staff members that affected patient care.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2017-25

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Jennifer A. Diamantis has been named Chief of the Enforcement Divisions Office of Market Intelligence, which is responsible for the collection, analysis, and monitoring of the hundreds of thousands of tips, complaints, and referrals that the SEC receives each year.

Before arriving at the SEC in September 2016 to become Deputy Chief of the office, Ms. Diamantis held various positions in the private sector and at federal agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission. She supervised, investigated, litigated, and managed enforcement actions and oversaw the implementation of complex regulations in the financial space.

The previous Chief of the Office of Market Intelligence, Vincente L. Martinez, left the SEC last summer, and Ms. Diamantis has been serving as Acting Chief since she arrived.

Within a short time, Jennifer has enhanced the Office of Market Intelligences critical mission of overseeing the SECs collection, evaluation, and dissemination of the vast array of market intelligence that we receive, said Stephanie Avakian, Acting Director of the SEC Enforcement Division. Jennifers rich work experience as a manager and supervisor and her dedication, expertise, and skill make her an ideal fit for leading the office.

Ms. Diamantis said, I am honored to lead the team of dedicated professionals charged with the critically important task of leveraging the valuable intelligence we receive from the public to protect investors, and look forward to continuing to cultivate relationships with our regulatory partners to further this mission.

Before joining the SEC staff, Ms. Diamantis held various roles at the CFPBs Division of Research, Markets, and Regulations, most recently Managing Counsel. Before that, she served as Supervisory Counsel in the FDICs Enforcement Section and Senior Trial Attorney in the CFTCs Division of Enforcement. She also was a partner at the law firm of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP.

Ms. Diamantis received her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1999, and earned her bachelor of arts degree with honors from the University of Florida in 1996.
One of Wisconsins big three Republicans has finally made it to the White House. Not the unintimidated governor whose high-flying presidential bid crashed. Not the policy wonk and vice presidential nominee turned reluctant Speaker. But the corporate lawyer and party insider with the funny name who lost his only race for public office.

Kenosha Countys Reince Priebus, 44, takes the reins Friday as President Donald Trumps chief of staff, a gatekeeper position some describe as the second most difficult job in the world under normal circumstances.

Priebus will have the added challenge of working for the first president since Dwight Eisenhower without elected experience. Moreover, Trump carries high unfavorable ratings, lost the popular vote, faces criticism from members of his own party for his still murky dealings with Russia, disdains the press, and can ignite firestorms with a tweet.

Hell also contend with other Trump advisers, such as conservative firebrand Steve Bannon and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. But hell benefit from a vast network of Republican allies, a keen understanding of the political dynamics in Washington and a longtime friendship with House Speaker Paul Ryan of Janesville, the 2012 vice presidential nominee.

As chief of staff hes got to keep everything moving smoothly, said former New Hamphsire Gov. John Sununu, who served as chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush. Thats going to be his toughest challenge.

Priebus was not available for an interview, but colleagues described him as having the work ethic and long-term strategic thinking that make him well-suited to run the office of a temperamental, impulsive president.

Reince always wanted to run for Congress when we were younger  that was his dream, said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, who met Priebus when they were teenagers and later lived in the same off-campus apartment at UW-Whitewater. Ironically he probably has more power and influence than he would have ever had having run for office.

In his roles first as state GOP chairman from 2007 to 2011 and since then as Republican National Committee chairman, Priebus raised money, created the message, recruited volunteers and developed strategy, all preparing him for his latest job, Vos said.

Its all about building relationships, getting the agenda done, developing a strategy to accomplish it, Vos said. And thats why when he hired Reince I thought that was probably the best decision Donald Trump has made so far.

Former state Democratic Party Chairman Joe Wineke, who served at the same time as Priebus, said when he sees Priebus these days on national TV he recognizes the cautious reserve of a Michael Best & Friedrich lawyer.

Theres still the attorney in him, Wineke said. Some of the outlandish things he has to say to defend his new boss  I would have to believe he has to privately go home and gargle his mouth with soap.

Wineke noted Democrats won control of the Assembly for the first time in 16 years in 2008, when he led the state GOP, and Republicans failed to unseat President Barack Obama in 2012, when he led the RNC.

But in both cases Priebus stayed at the helm and went on to help secure major victories, with Republicans sweeping into power in Wisconsin in 2010 and claiming the presidency in 2016, a feat once thought improbable, if not impossible, given Trumps volatile candidacy.

Ryan, the 2012 GOP vice presidential nominee, provided a statement calling his longtime friend a born leader.

Reince is a person defined by hard work, determination, grit, ability and trust, Ryan said. Reince and I are working together with President-elect Trump to make sure that we come out with a unified government that gets things done.

A Wisconsin first

Priebus will be the 26th person to hold the title of White House chief of staff since the position was formally created during the Truman administration. He will be the first from Wisconsin to hold the position.

Reinhold Reince (rhymes with pints) Priebus was born in Dover, New Jersey, but his father, a union electrician, and mother, a Sudanese immigrant of Greek ancestry, moved to Wisconsin when he was 7. He grew up in Kenosha and still owns a house in the village of Somers, a politically diverse microcosm of the state. He has two children with his wife, Sally, whom he met in high school.

Priebus grew up an acolyte of Ronald Reagan. Former Gov. Tommy Thompson recalled first seeing Priebus as a middle school student attending his rallies for governor in 1986.

Hell never forget where he came from, I can assure you of that, Thompson said. He still carries Kenosha in his back pocket.

At UW-Whitewater, Priebus joined a fraternity, which helped smooth over his geekier political tendencies and eventually win election as student body president, Vos said.

Ron Buchholz, then an adviser to UWW student government, recalled Priebus being the kind of student who got involved in campus politics because he was service-oriented, rather than a partisan ideologue.

Hes somebody who made people feel good, Buchholz said. Hes very nimble at relationships. A little less dogmatic, and more pragmatic.

After getting a law degree from the University of Miami in Florida and joining Milwaukee-based law firm Michael Best & Friedrich, Priebus began working his way up in the world of Republican politics.

In 2004, Priebus decided to run for state Senate against two-term incumbent Bob Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie.

It was my toughest race and you could see his qualities to move up in the Republican Party, Wirch said. He was very good at shaking the money tree.

By Trumps side

That fundraising skill set was critical when he became RNC chairman, defeating his predecessor Michael Steele, whom he had helped elect in 2009. On his first day in office Priebus was told the party was $20 million in debt, probably wouldnt be able to make payroll that week and all of the major fundraisers were jumping ship, recalled Charlie Black, a national Republican strategist.

Priebus won back the fundraisers through phone calls and personal visits.

He was a success at managing a big enterprise that was in trouble, Black said. He has the trust and confidence of the president. Thats critical in the chief of staff but its hard to come by with Donald Trump.

Priebus weathered the contentious 17-candidate Republican primary by sticking to the rules and avoiding favoritism  he was instrumental in getting the candidates, including Trump, to sign a pledge that they would support the eventual nominee, Vos said.

During and after the Republican National Convention, Priebus was constantly by Trumps side, trying to influence him by, for example, insisting that he use a teleprompter for his acceptance speech, said Mary Buestrin, one of Wisconsins two RNC members.

Throughout the election he also paid close attention to what was happening across the country, said David Hoppe, who served as Ryans chief of staff for the past year.

I think he earlier than a lot of Republicans, particularly at the national level, understood what President-elect Trump was doing and how he was attracting the interest and support of blue-collar Americans, Hoppe said. He clearly believed from what he had done in Wisconsin that thats part of, and should be a part of, the traditional Republican coalition.

Working-class focus

Priebus emphasized that focus on the working class during a brief return to Wisconsin last month. At a party in his honor in Milwaukee, he told the crowd: We are and we will be the party of the working man and working woman, according to attendees.

Wirch, the Democratic senator who defeated Priebus, said thats a change in tone from when he was running as a trickle-down-economics conservative in 2004.

I think hes just become a Trumpster now, Wirch said.

Former state Sen. Ted Kanavas, a longtime friend, said Priebus speech was less about Trump and more about his personal journey from a working-class family to the Oval Office, something Priebus credited friends and colleagues for helping him attain.

At the end of the day he did a great job holding everything together during a chaotic time for the party, Kanavas said. Thats exactly what I think youre going to get out of Reince Priebus, chief of staff.


To further shed light on the history and diversity of Arab American cuisine in the region, Metromode visited three Middle Eastern markets located in the Warren corridor: a bakery, a meat market and a supplier of spices, nuts, coffees, candies.





Shatila Bakery



Looking for a bite of baklava on Warren Avenue? Shatila Bakery has that and a whole lot more. Founded in 1979, Shatila is a Dearborn institution dedicated to supplying its customers with plentiful varieties of Middle Eastern sweets, ice creams, and French pastries.





Rasmieh Saab. Photo by Doug Coombe.

"Everyone has their own little spin on it, the filo dough with nuts and the syrup," Shatila tells Metromode. "We have different kinds of fillings. We have cashews, and we recently started doing almond, and then we have the traditional pistachio filling as well."



The shop's homemade ice cream comes in a variety of flavors, including chocolate, vanilla, mango, pineapple, coconut, and pistachio. There are also cakes, including wedding cakes, and homemade chocolates for sale, but don't expect much bread; it's not that type of bakery. The closest is sesame bread that is part of a syrupy cheese pastry called kanafeh. Customers can also order coffee, tea and fresh juices, which they can enjoy along with their pastries in an elegant dining area that features marble tables and a grove of indoor palm trees.



Tania's father Riad founded Shatila Bakery in 1979, not long after he immigrated to Michigan from Lebanon.



"When he immigrated here, he noticed at that time there was such a small Arab-American population; there wasn't a niche for pastries," Shatila says. "He saw there was a demand for it, but it wasnt being met, and it was something that was always interesting to him, so he combined those two things and made it happen."



In its early days, Shatila was just a small shop at a different location along Warren. After relocating to a spot on Schaefer for a few years, though, the family finally opened the doors to its current spacious Warren location in 2004. Beyond this, the Shatilas also operate a West Bloomfield shop and a Dearborn factory, where their sweets are made.



Over the years, Shatila has developed quite a reputation, to the extent that they regularly get out of state visitors and ship their products all over the country. Shatila attributes this success to her father, who passed away in 2013.



"Honestly, without our father, none of this would have been possible," she tells Metromode. "His hard work and dedication and his strong work ethic... and quality product. He [didn't] skimp on anything."



Al Ameer restaurant and meat market



A mainstay of the city's culinary scene, Al Ameer has offered Lebanese food like shawarma, fattoush, hummus, tabouli, chicken kaftah, and shish kabobsnot to mention more traditional American fare like lamb chops and fried chickento hungry patrons for several decades now. Founded in 1989, Al Ameer is one of only a pair of Dearborn Middle Eastern restaurants to remain from a group of five that launched in the 1980s. Today its grown into a chain that includes locations in Canton and Dearborn Heights.



And while you might be familiar with the restaurant, you might not know that Al Ameer also has its own meat shop, located at 12732 Warren right next door to the Dearborn eatery. It's a skinny little market with attractive tilework, a meat counter and a small area designated for making cuts.



Khalil Ammar. Photo by Doug Coombe.

Khalil Ammar, who owns Al Ameer with partner Zaki Hashem, tells Metromode the market offers customers the same high-quality meat that the restaurant uses in its meals; And they're 100 percent halal, a term used to designate meat that's slaughtered and prepared as prescribed by Muslim law.



"Just beef, unless somebody orders lamb," he says of the shop's offerings. "I can sell lamb too." Tania Shatila, who owns the sweet shop with her mother and two sisters, says Shatila's Middle Eastern offerings stick closely to Lebanese sweet traditions. She adds that the shop is best known for its baklava, a sweet pastry made with many thin layers of dough."Everyone has their own little spin on it, the filo dough with nuts and the syrup," Shatila tells Metromode. "We have different kinds of fillings. We have cashews, and we recently started doing almond, and then we have the traditional pistachio filling as well."The shop's homemade ice cream comes in a variety of flavors, including chocolate, vanilla, mango, pineapple, coconut, and pistachio. There are also cakes, including wedding cakes, and homemade chocolates for sale, but don't expect much bread; it's not that type of bakery. The closest is sesame bread that is part of a syrupy cheese pastry called kanafeh. Customers can also order coffee, tea and fresh juices, which they can enjoy along with their pastries in an elegant dining area that features marble tables and a grove of indoor palm trees.Tania's father Riad founded Shatila Bakery in 1979, not long after he immigrated to Michigan from Lebanon."When he immigrated here, he noticed at that time there was such a small Arab-American population; there wasn't a niche for pastries," Shatila says. "He saw there was a demand for it, but it wasnt being met, and it was something that was always interesting to him, so he combined those two things and made it happen."In its early days, Shatila was just a small shop at a different location along Warren. After relocating to a spot on Schaefer for a few years, though, the family finally opened the doors to its current spacious Warren location in 2004. Beyond this, the Shatilas also operate a West Bloomfield shop and a Dearborn factory, where their sweets are made.Over the years, Shatila has developed quite a reputation, to the extent that they regularly get out of state visitors and ship their products all over the country. Shatila attributes this success to her father, who passed away in 2013."Honestly, without our father, none of this would have been possible," she tells Metromode. "His hard work and dedication and his strong work ethic... and quality product. He [didn't] skimp on anything."A mainstay of the city's culinary scene, Al Ameer has offered Lebanese food like shawarma, fattoush, hummus, tabouli, chicken kaftah, and shish kabobsnot to mention more traditional American fare like lamb chops and fried chickento hungry patrons for several decades now. Founded in 1989, Al Ameer is one of only a pair of Dearborn Middle Eastern restaurants to remain from a group of five that launched in the 1980s. Today its grown into a chain that includes locations in Canton and Dearborn Heights.And while you might be familiar with the restaurant, you might not know that Al Ameer also has its own meat shop, located at 12732 Warren right next door to the Dearborn eatery. It's a skinny little market with attractive tilework, a meat counter and a small area designated for making cuts.Khalil Ammar, who owns Al Ameer with partner Zaki Hashem, tells Metromode the market offers customers the same high-quality meat that the restaurant uses in its meals; And they're 100 percent halal, a term used to designate meat that's slaughtered and prepared as prescribed by Muslim law."Just beef, unless somebody orders lamb," he says of the shop's offerings. "I can sell lamb too."



Ammar, who emigrated to the U.S. from the United Arab Emirates in 1984, tells us he gets the meat from a slaughterhouse up north in Walton Junction, Michigan. Although the restaurant owner has a butcher on staff, he's more than willing to make the cuts himself when necessity calls. Asked for the secret that allowed Al Ameer to thrive all these years, Ammar says its simply due to hard work and dedication to making the best food possible.



"I make all the food myself," he says. "I work seven days a week. I'm behind the counter every single day."



Hashems Nuts and Coffee Gallery



Hashems Nuts and Coffee Gallery occupies a pretty special spot among the Arab markets of Dearborn. Popular with the public, it also enjoys a healthy fan base among restaurants and markets in the Detroit area and beyond.





Adam Hashem. Photo by Doug Coombe.



As the name suggests, the shop sells a wide assortment of nuts and coffee, but it also offers a generous variety of herbs, beverages, candies and packaged and bulk food products. Examples of Hashem's offerings include: California Walnuts, Iranian pistachios, dried mangos, Turkish delight candies and Aleppo pepper, a very rare spice. The spices are salt-and-preservative free and (along with the coffee) are ground right in Michigan at Hashem's processing facilities. According to owner Adam Hashem, his company is the "number one provider of Turkish coffee in America" and sells spice blends to about half of the Middle Eastern restaurants in the region.As the name suggests, the shop sells a wide assortment of nuts and coffee, but it also offers a generous variety of herbs, beverages, candies and packaged and bulk food products. Examples of Hashem's offerings include: California Walnuts, Iranian pistachios, dried mangos, Turkish delight candies and Aleppo pepper, a very rare spice. The spices are salt-and-preservative free and (along with the coffee) are ground right in Michigan at Hashem's processing facilities.



"We are provider of unique, high-quality items from around the world," says Hashem, who describes his shop as offering a "boutique-style product" at "bulk food prices."



The story behind the market is a fascinating one, with an origin that can be traced back to 1959 when Hashem's grandfather, a village healer who lived in Bint J Bail, Lebanon, opened the family's original store.



"People started coming more and more for common ailments," says Hashem. "He started with the herbs and treatments, and then he decided to open up a shop [that sold] herbs, spices, nuts, coffees, candies. Basically, the traditional stuff, where if anyone was to be a guest in your home, you greet them with all these items."



Later his grandfather, Abu Ali Sheik Theeb, expanded his business and began roasting coffee and nuts. Hashem's father, Al, came to Michigan with his mother in the 1970s to escape the war in Lebanon and eventually decided to continue the family business by opening his own shop in Dearborn in 1985.

Since that time the operation has grown from a 900-square foot building that accommodated both retail and processing facilities, to four stores (another Dearborn location, a Livonia shop and a Dearborn Heights flagship store that also sells meat) and two processing facilities encompassing 30,000 square feet.



With all this going on, it would be easy to stick to the business side of things, but Hashem tells Metromode he also believes his shop serves a vehicle to encourage cultural understanding in the region.



"We're not just a store that sells products, we are a provider of knowledge and information," Hashem says. "We always introduce people to the Arab culture and to the Muslim traditions. And anything that you have a question about, theres an open forum here. It's something that we take pride in!"







We hope you enjoy reading about these places as much as we enjoy visiting them. Read more This is part of a series on Metro Detroit's rich tapestry of ethnic markets. We're looking at how these centers of our cultural heritage reflect and celebrate the history and diversity of our region.We hope you enjoy reading about these places as much as we enjoy visiting them. Read more here

If you want to pick up some chicken shawarma for dinner, or perhaps some falafel and fresh-baked pita bread, chances are you're contemplating a trip to Dearborn.Arab Americans make up 42 percent of the city's population, according to U.S. Census estimates. The city is also home to the Arab American National Museum and has a rich Arab American history that stretches back many decades. And that cultural heritage has translated into a diverse array of ethnic eateries across the city.Arab Americans first came to the Metro Detroit area in the late 19th Century, working at whatever jobs were availablewith some making their living as traveling vendors. In these early days, Arab immigrants came mostly from the area we now call Lebanon, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire, and most were Christian. Immigration picked up in the early twentieth century with the rise of automobile manufacturing."When the auto industry developed in Metro Detroit, Arab Americans heavily congregated around automobile plants. Discriminatory policies against African Americans meant there were plenty of jobs at auto plants for European and Arab immigrants," Mason Christensen, an archivist with the Dearborn Historical Museum, tells Metromode.At first, a small Arab American community developed around Highland Park, the site of Henry Ford's first auto plant. And that's where the first mosque in the U.S. was built. When the famous industrialist finished constructing the first phase of his legendary Rouge Plant in Dearborn in 1918, however, the Arab American community followed him there."For most of Dearborn history, Arab Americans largely lived in the area known today as the 'Southend.' This is the residential area around Salina school and Dix Avenue. The area was close to the Rouge Plant, full of small houses, and full of different nationalities.""More than 50 different languages were reportedly spoken in the neighborhood through the 1950s. As the decades went on, the Arab population of the Southend gradually increased," he adds. "By the end of the 1930s, Shia and Sunni mosques were operating in the neighborhood."Civil unrest and wars in the Middle East during the '60's, the '70s and '80s led to another wave of immigration, primarily of Lebanese Shia Muslims and Yemenis, as well as Chaldean immigrants to Northern Detroit. Towards the end of the '70s and in the 1980s, Arab Americans began moving to the east end of Dearborn as well, a turn of events that resulted in the development of the Warren Avenue business district where many popular Arab restaurants and markets are located today.
NASA could boost the number of astronauts living on the International Space Station as early as this year if an unusual flight opportunity through Boeing pans out.

As part of a settlement with Russia's RSC Energia, which manufactures Soyuz capsules, Boeing has rights to seats on Soyuz capsules during station taxi missions planned for this fall and spring, as well as options for three more seats during flights in 2019.

By then, NASA hopes to break its dependence on Russia for flying crews to the station, a research laboratory that flies about 250 miles above Earth. Since the end of the shuttle program in 2011, Soyuz capsules are the only spaceships available to fly crews to the station.

In a solicitation released on Tuesday, NASA said it was considering making the extra Soyuz buy through Boeing because "no other vehicles are currently capable of providing these services in Fall 2017 or Spring 2018."

NASA already has bought rides from Boeing and from SpaceX aboard commercial space taxis, which are still in development. Originally planned to be available in 2018, the NASA solicitation acknowledges that the new vehicles are not expected to begin fully operational flights to the ISS until 2019.

Having seats on Soyuz capsules flying in 2019 provides a backup plan if the new commercial spaceships are delayed.

RELATED: SpaceX Must Still Prove That It Can Safely Launch Astronauts Into Space

"As part of Boeing's proposal to NASA, they would have the option for three seats in 2019, which they can choose to exercise, or not. This ensures access for U.S. astronauts by essentially having three seats as a back-stop if unforeseen delays occur in commercial crew deployment, allowing the ISS to be crewed and science to be conducted," Boeing wrote in an email to Seeker.

The extra seats in 2017 and 2018 would give NASA the ability to add a fourth U.S. crewmember to the station's staff. Russia meanwhile is cutting its three-member crew to two, a cost-saving move triggered after delays in launching a new Russian science lab.

The Soyuz seats were offered to Boeing as part of a settlement with Energia, which was the primary owner and Boeing's partner in another space launch company called Sea Launch.

Boeing declined to say how it would charge NASA for the Soyuz seats, but said that the price would not be more than what the U.S. space agency would pay if it purchased the seats directly from Russia.

NASA's last contract with the Russian space agency Roscosmos for Soyuz seats, announced in August 2015, was for six seats covering flights through 2018, at a cost of $82 million apiece.

Boeing did not say if the price would be more than what NASA will pay for rides on its CST-100 Starliner capsule, which is scheduled for an unmanned test flight in June 2018.

RELATED: Commercial Space to Smash the Astronomy 'Funding Wall'?

SpaceX, which will provide rides for NASA astronauts aboard its Dragon capsules, declined to comment.

NASA said buying extra Soyuz rides from Boeing won't impact its other crew flight contracts with Boeing and SpaceX.

"NASA has ordered six crew-rotation missions from each commercial crew provider under the Commercial Crew transportation Capability contract. The missions will fly following NASA certification," spokeswoman Tabatha Thompson wrote in an email.

"The seats in 2017 and 2018 present a unique opportunity to increase U.S. research, which can benefit greatly from additional U.S. crew time. For 2019, although U.S. commercial transportation providers are making good progress, having an option that protects for delays or problems in certification is a sound approach and has been recommended by agency external review bodies," she wrote.

NASA expects to begin negotiations with Boeing for the Soyuz seats later this month. Responses to the solicitation are due Jan. 27.

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The scimitar-horned oryx, an animal once hunted to extinction in the wild, is continuing a return to its native North Africa, thanks to a reintroduction program now in its second release phase.

This week, a group of 23 of the antelopes will be released to a nature preserve in the African nation of Chad, New Scientist reports. It's the second such batch of re-introductees, with 25 oryx having been released successfully to the preserve in August 2016.

The scimitar-horned oryx was hunted nearly wiped out by hunters seeking its distinctive horns. Habitat loss and persistent drought conditions also contributed to its near demise.

However, the animal never completely disappeared, thanks to worldwide zoo breeding programs. The August 2016 group of oryx were delivered from Abu Dhabi to the Ouadi Rime-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve in Chad, which is also the settling site for the new group of 23 animals.

RELATED: Resurrected From Dead, Oryx Returns to the Wild

When the first transplanted oryx arrived in Chad in 2016, it was the first time in three decades that the species had been in the country. The creatures were outfitted with GPS collars to keep an eye on their movements and allow scientists to get an idea how they were behaving, as they acclimated to their new home. Here's some Smithsonian footage of one of them being released:
At the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, Ore., nearly a dozen female prisoners dressed in faded jeans and loose blue shirts close their eyes and inhale. And then exhale.

They are gathered in the prison's chapel, guided by the voice of Transcendental Meditation (TM) instructor Blaze Compton, who gently instructs them to begin meditating. They close their eyes and think of their own personal mantra, a meaningless sound that enables their minds to settle down to a quieter state. As they do, a calm envelopes the room. Within minutes, their breathing slows even further and they begin to experience quiet minds, deep physical relaxation. Together, they temporarily transcend the physical confines of jail for a more peaceful state of mind.

This scene played out twice a day over the course of four months while these women participated in the first study of its kind to explore whether Transcendental Meditation could reduce the stress of past traumas in female inmates. The results, published this week in "The Permanente Journal," show what similar research has shown on other groups, including veterans and refugees, that a practice of TM significantly reduces the symptoms of trauma and could work as a therapeutic aid.

"TM has been repeatedly shown to transform the lives of inmates and contribute to a greater sense of freedom, optimism and an overall improved quality of life," Sanford Nidich, who led the study and serves as director of the Center for Social and Emotional Health at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, told Seeker. "Practice of the TM program produces positive changes in the brain functioning of individuals, resulting in more coherent and orderly thinking, improved executive functioning and less reactivity to stress," he said.

For the study, Nidich enlisted a total of 22 inmates who had at least four months left of incarceration. Eleven subjects were randomly assigned to either the TM group or a wait-list control group that went through the program at a later date. The average age of the women was 44.5 years, and 80 percent of them were white.

Twice a day, the inmates practiced simple meditation techniques for 20 minutes and some attended 30- to 40-minute group sessions twice a week over the course of four months.

Female inmates that practiced the TM program showed a significant reduction in total trauma symptoms such as the shock of disturbing memories, thoughts, and dreams, of repeatedly reliving trauma and physical reactions when being reminded of the trauma experience. The inmates also reported that the meditation reduced the trouble they had falling asleep and staying asleep as well as eased feelings of jumpiness or being easily startled.

The study comes at a time when women are becoming the fastest growing population in U.S. prisons, and carry the burden of proportionally higher amounts of traumatic experiences, from "sexual and emotional abuse to lifestyles with lots of drugs and alcohol and lack of a formal education," Compton said.

RELATED: What Are the Benefits of Meditation?

Compton admitted that his role instructing the female inmates introduced some hurdles. For example, one inmate came back to him following her first session and told him that she heard that meditation is the work of the devil. "I never saw her again," he said.

However, many of the other females discovered great benefits from practicing TM, and Compton periodically witnessed the women with "tears in their eyes and a content smile" as they meditated. He also saw small bursts of "cheerful relief, happiness and gratitude" during sessions.

At the end of the study, the impact on some prisoners was quite profound. One woman was taken off of her depression medication fairly soon into the study, while another had her depression medication reduced. Another inmate was able to overcome her insomnia and night terrors by using what she learned during her TM sessions.

In a report that Compton shared with Seeker, one female prisoner involved in the study said that she has experienced "emotional releases of old painful memories" and when practicing TM, "felt very calm and somewhat 'over' the incidents." Although she suffers from chronic pain from arthritis and joint deterioration, she noticed a decrease in her pain level since practicing TM.

Another inmate, who continues to practice, said that when she misses her daily TM sessions, she "slips back toward my depressive behavior almost immediately." Yet another shared that her thoughts are "less and less painful." She added: "I've been relaxed and overall calm. I've stopped taking Prozac (with the doctor's approval), and I am not depressed at all."

Compton hopes to conduct more studies with a larger number of participants over a longer period of time.

"I have been blinded by rage for the last four years almost nightly, until now," another inmate said. "I am able to feel a real sense of peace now and happiness - even in prison."

WATCH VIDEO: Which Kind of Meditation Is Better for You?
As anyone who's ever been to Tokyo can tell you, the Japanese are very serious indeed about their toilet technology. Restrooms in Japan, both public and private, are jammed with an array of gizmos and doohickeys that can be profoundly disorienting to a first-time user. That button might mean "flush," and then again it might mean "close lid" or... hmm, perhaps "undercarriage wash."

This week, Japanese officials made some moves to address the problem by establishing a standard system of pictograms to be adopted by all manufacturers in the industry. Going forward, this set of eight symbols will be deployed throughout all public facilities in the country.

At the official launch event in Tokyo - as we say, Japan is serious about these things - representatives from the nation's nine major manufacturers unveiled the new official system of symbols. The plan has been in the works for quite some time, evidently, in response to tourist complaints that Japanese bathrooms are terminally confusing.

The Japan Sanitary Equipment Industry Association cited a 2014 study, in which 25 percent of foreign respondents said they were unable to decode the various images used on buttons in high-tech bathrooms. There's probably a "bum steer" joke in here somewhere, but we're trying to run a classy operation.

RELATED: Golden Toilet: It's Good to Be King

The new initiative is part of the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Public officials are also planning an overhaul of street signs, safety indicators and other common public markers.

As to the bathroom pictograms, the eight new symbols are designed to instruct visitors, via language-neutral pictograms, how to activate the "long flush" and "short flush" options; the front and back cleansing and drying functions; the heated seat option; automatic open-and-close; and the off button. Many Japanese bathrooms also have automated music, temperature and deodorizing systems, but you're on your own there.
Archaeologists may have finally found the lost kingdom of Rheged, the most elusive of all the sixth century kingdoms of Dark Age Britain. The mysterious kingdom was pre-eminent in northern Britain in the sixth century, but faded into obscurity after it was deliberately destroyed in the beginning of the following century. Historians had speculated that the kingdom was headquartered in Cumbria, a county in north west England, but no evidence of it was ever found. Then digs carried in 2012 at Trusty's Hill, which overlooks the Fleet valley in Galloway in south-west Scotland, revealed clues of the presence of a royal stronghold. "Our excavation revealed all the hallmarks of an early medieval royal site," Ronan Toolis at GUARD Archaeology in Glasgow, told Seeker. The discovery is detailed in a new book, "The Lost Dark Age Kingdom of Rheged," which is being released Saturday. RELATED: Royal Palace Found Near King Arthur's Birthplace Toolis and co-author Christopher Bowles found that in the decades around 600 A.D. the summit of the hill was fortified with a timber-laced stone rampart. They also recovered remains of supplementary defenses and enclosures along the lower-lying slopes, revealing that Trusty's Hill was fortified. "This is a type of fort that has been recognized in Scotland as a form of high status secular settlement of the early medieval period," Toolis said. "The evidence makes a compelling case for Galloway being the core of the kingdom of Rheged."

Little is known about Rheged. Fragments of early medieval historical records and medieval poetry indicate the kingdom was particularly powerful under the warrior king Urien, whose prowess was celebrated by his court-bard Taliesin. Toolis and Bowles discovered that anyone approaching the summit of the hill passed through a symbolic entrance way defined by Pictish carvings on one side and a large rock-cut basin on the other. The Picts were a tribal group of people who lived in what is today eastern and northern Scotland during the Late Iron Age and Early Medieval periods. "It was a rite of passage where early medieval kings were perhaps anointed and ceremonies performed," Toolis said. RELATED: 'Cursed' Medieval Well Found in England He noted the entrance way bears a close resemblance to one found some 180 miles north at Dunadd hillfort, the royal center for the kings of Dalriada in what is now Argyll and Bute. There, an entrance way with Pictish carving and a rock-cut basin was also found. The king's hall may have stood at the highest part of Trusty's Hill on the west side. On the slightly lower area on the eastern side, the archaeologists found a workshop that produced metalwork of gold, silver, bronze and iron. The team also unearthed e-ware, a type of pottery imported from continental Europe, which indicates the royal household was part of a trade network that linked western Britain with Ireland and continental Europe. Other activities at Rheged included the spinning of wool, preparation of leather and feasting.
Imagine doing astronomy where grease won't stay greasy, where it's nighttime all day during the winter, and where nighttime temperatures fall to -100 Fahrenheit. Well, there's a hardy group of astronomers that enthusiastically do that, year-in, year-out, at Antarctica's South Pole Telescope.

The South Pole is a harsh environment, but it's excellent for astronomy due to its dry atmosphere (water vapor interferes with observations). Researchers at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics are even considering building a telescope at a site called Dome A, about 1,000 miles from the pole and a long trek from habitation.

What is it really like to work down there for up to a year, which is the typical over-winter stay of Antarctic personnel? According to University of Toronto experimental cosmologist Keith Vanderlinde, who spent 11 months there over the winter, it attracts a certain type of person who doesn't necessarily need the company of other people to work well. His group vacillated between being super-social in shared quarters, and choosing to retreat individually to their own quarters. He also saw people "going toasty" (this Antarctic slang for changed behavior comes from bread turning into toast) as they grappled with months of isolation away from families.

"People who didn't work outside at all, they got toasty very quickly. You develop a short fuse," Vanderlinde told Seeker. "People develop a 1,000-mile stare and stare at the wall for an hour and not do anything."

RELATED: How Science Is Keeping Antarctica Ungoverned

Vanderlinde came to the National Science Foundation-funded South Pole Telescope in 2008 after his Ph.D., when the facility was just in its second year of operations. It was a half-hour trek from the living quarters to the telescope, where Vanderlinde and a colleague checked in to make sure the telescope was staying healthy. Overall the work went well, except for occasional mechanical issues. He recalled, for example, one time when the power went out on a Sunday night, which required a long warm-up procedure that Monday to get the telescope up and running again.

The conditions are harsh, but Vanderlinde says the science is worth it. The telescope is mapping out the cosmic microwave background (CMB), which is the leftover energy from when the universe was first expanding. It can best be seen in microwave wavelengths. As the CMB shines through galaxy clusters, Vanderlinde says, some light scatters off hot electrons and can show up as an excess of energy.

"By looking at these little shadows, you can figure out where all of the largest structures in the universe are," he said. Over time and with observations from the South Pole Telescope's first camera, he said, scientists can also learn how galaxy clusters grew in different eras of the universe, and how dark energy - the ill-understood force that is causing the universe's expansion to accelerate - works.

The second-generation camera on the South Pole Telescope measures the intensity of the light and polarization, or how light is oriented related to the direction where it came from. As the CMB is lensed through galaxies and other structures, scientists can measure how large clumps of matter form over time, which in turn tells them how gravity works. Oddly, he said, tiny particles called neutrinos significantly impact how structure forms in the universe, and how gravity pulls gas and dust together into clusters and galaxies. So by looking at the big scale, scientists can better constrain how massive neutrinos are.

RELATED: BICEP2 Gravitational Wave 'Discovery' Deflates

In 2014, another South Pole telescope called BICEP2 detected polarization modes (known as B modes) that were originally interpreted as gravitational waves, or ripples in space-time that form from gravitational interactions. However, further study revealed a more mundane explanation: the polarization came from dust in our own galaxy.

Would Vanderlinde over-winter again? He's made several summer visits since then, but he said once was enough. "After I left I had recurring nightmares that I went back for another winter," he said. "It was not in any way a bad experience, but at the end you're done ... and the idea of doing it again didn't appeal to me."

Vanderlinde will deliver a public lecture on his experiences later this month in Toronto, Canada. If you can't make the talk, you can watch a TEDx presentation he gave last year on south pole science, or read his blog from his year in Antarctica.

WATCH VIDEO: The Race To See The Black Hole At Our Galaxy's Core
In Chile, a secret conflict known as the Arauco War between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people has been on-going for almost 500 years. The war started in the 1500s when the Spaniards sought to take control of Araucania, which at the time had been the homeland of many indigenous people groups, including the Mapuche.

At the end of the first 280 year battle, the Chilean military succeeded in taking control of Araucania. Since then, the Chilean and Mapuche people have continuously clashed over land, which has led to many brutal and violent encounters between the two groups.

Seeker Stories reporter Kyle Thiermann traveled with Nicolas Rios, a Chilean journalist to the heart of the conflict, to learn how the centuries-long war has affected the Mapuche people and the nation as a whole.
The hoverbike demo represented a bright spot on a gray winter day this month at the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

Rising into the cold air above a snow-speckled field, the full-sized electric quadcopter prototype has the capacity to haul up to 300 pounds. It had come a long way since the tiny proof-of-concept that took flight three years ago. Back then, when U.S. Army leaders first started looking into a hoverbike that could resupply soldiers, the UK-based company Malloy Aeronautics caught their eye.

The company's aim is for their hoverbikes to autonomously deliver aid, people, and equipment. Led by Aussie Chris Malloy, they made headlines in 2014 with a small-scale flying motorcycle with four rotors that could carry a robot. One of the biggest advantages to the design was that it flew like a helicopter, but without the risk of rotor strike because the propellers are protected.

Currently the company is working on a project led by the U.S. Army to develop what they're calling a "joint tactical aerial resupply vehicle" or JTARV for short. Partners on this project include the Marine Corps and the Office of Naval Research. Ultimately the goal is to produce a fully autonomous hoverbike that can hit speeds of at least 60 mph, according to the Army.

Tim Vong, associate chief of the Army Research Laboratory's Protection Division, compared the hoverbike concept to Amazon.com for the battlefield. "Anywhere on the battlefield, soldiers can potentially get resupplied in less than 30 minutes," he said in a press statement. "We want to have options like that."
"Restoring" trust in government. Adhering to the "rule of law." Giving local officials more influence over federal regulation. Climate change is "not a hoax," but climate science is "subject to debate."

These were the themes on display Wednesday during the fiery Senate confirmation hearing for Environmental Protection Agency administrator nominee Scott Pruitt. Senators questioned him intensely on his doubts about climate change and his long history of filing lawsuits against the very agency he has been nominated by President-elect Trump to lead.

Given Pruitt's combative history toward the agency - and Trump's promises to promote nearly unfettered fossil fuel development while wiping away regulations controlling carbon emissions - a Pruitt-led EPA could undo or weaken the Obama administration's climate regulations that gave weight to the U.S. commitment to curb greenhouse gas pollution under the Paris Climate Agreement. And that could undermine global progress on climate change and help obscure the threat Americans face from global warming.

In an early exchange that set the tone for Democrats' sharp criticism of his record, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., chastised Pruitt for not recognizing how rising seas caused by climate change are harming Rhode Island's seafood industry, which is harming fisheries off the state's coast.

RELATED: Trump Picks Strident Foe of EPA to Lead the EPA

"I see nothing in your career that you will give those fishermen any confidence that you care for their wellbeing one bit," Whitehouse said.

Like Interior Secretary nominee Ryan Zinke before him on Tuesday, Pruitt said anger among those unhappy with the federal government demands sweeping change in how it enforces regulations.

Those talking points are becoming common among Trump administration nominees who insist that Obama-era regulations have stifled economic progress, hurt jobs and need to be drastically changed, even as the economy has continued to grow and unemployment has returned to the low levels of 2008 prior to the Great Recession and Obama's presidency.

"People in this country are really hungry for change," and it's important for the EPA to assess how "we reprioritize as a nation," Pruitt said.

The EPA is the primary environmental regulator in the U.S. and is required by law to keep America's air and water clean and free of toxic chemicals and other pollutants. The Supreme Court ruled that the federal Clean Air Act requires the EPA to regulate carbon emissions. In 2009, EPA scientists found that carbon pollution harms human health because it causes global warming.

If confirmed, Pruitt said he would reject the idea that regulators should pick "winners and losers," a phrase often used by opponents of climate regulations when referring to laws and climate policies that bolster low-carbon forms of renewable energy such as wind and solar instead of fossil fuels.

Regulations, he said, "shouldn't favor any sector of the economy."

Pruitt, while agreeing that climate change is not the hoax President-elect Donald Trump says it is, said "civil discourse is absent in climate change." Pruitt falsely claimed that scientists' ability to measure the extent of humans' impact on climate change is "subject to debate and dialogue."

In fact, established climate science has shown that carbon emissions from burning coal, oil and natural gas for transportation and electricity have overheated the atmosphere and are the primary cause of climate change.

Pruitt suggested that Obama administration regulations that aim to protect the environment and stop climate change have exceeded the government's legal authority to do so. Those regulations have led people opposing them to distrust the federal government and feel as though they have little control over how they are being regulated, he said.

Pruitt, who has long represented oil and gas companies seeking to stymie environmental regulations, said current EPA regulations to cut air pollution are "dictatorial" over each state's role in cutting air pollution.

As Oklahoma's attorney general, Pruitt has sued the EPA 14 times. He is currently suing the EPA - a case filed by 24 states - to stop an Obama administration regulation requiring existing coal-fired power plants to cut the carbon pollution driving climate change.

RELATED: Public Climate Info Could Be Threatened Under Trump

That regulation, the Clean Power Plan, is the Obama administration's most sweeping climate policy. It showed the rest of the world that the U.S. is serious about drastically cutting its greenhouse gas emissions in order to prevent global warming from reaching dangerous levels as required under the Paris Climate Agreement.

During the hearing, Pruitt said that the Supreme Court required the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act because of carbon's role in global warming.

But, the Obama administration went too far in doing so, he said.

In their lawsuit against the EPA, Pruitt and 23 other states claimed that the Obama administration violated the Constitution by going too far in mandating that states change how they generate electricity in order to cut carbon pollution. That claim has been vigorously disputed by environmental groups and states eager to uphold the Clean Power Plan.

"The climate is changing," Pruitt said. "The job of (EPA) administrator is to carry out statutes as passed by this body. In response to the CO2 issue, the EPA administrator is constrained by statutes."

Several court cases against the EPA that Pruitt is involved in as Oklahoma attorney general are ongoing. When asked if he as EPA administrator would recuse himself from those cases, Pruitt refused to say if he would do so voluntarily.

"I have every willingness and desire to recuse as directed by the EPA Ethics Council," Pruitt said. "If directed to do so, I will do so in those cases."

Throughout the hearing, Pruitt refused to say whether he believes the EPA should go out of its way to cut carbon pollution to address climate change. While insisting that the EPA should follow the letter of the law when regulating carbon emissions, he suggested the future of the agency's requirement to cut climate pollution may be uncertain even though the Supreme Court has ruled that carbon dioxide must be regulated under the Clean Air Act.

If the GOP-controlled Congress chooses to change the law to remove carbon dioxide as a pollutant, it has the power to do so.

"The EPA - there's currently an obligation to deal with the issue," Pruitt said. "There is a legal obligation presently for the administration to respond through proper regulations."

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Most schools in Wisconsin would be considered failing in academic achievement under a new state report card model that state superintendent candidate John Humphries released on Thursday.

Humphries, a former Dodgeville School District administrator, said at a press conference Thursday that his proposed report card system would revise the standard for what it means for a school to be meeting state standards in academic subjects and would institute a letter grade system for schools and districts.

He said the revision is necessary because the current system should be more honest and transparent about how well schools are educating students. The system rates schools higher than student proficiency rates indicate, he said.

Fundamentally, the ratings are very likely to go down because that represents how our kids are actually doing, Humphries said of his proposal. Youve got to have the honest conversation  its not a warm and fuzzy kind of a thing to be telling people, but they need to know the truth.

Academic achievement would be one topic on which schools would be graded under Humphries proposal. Other areas include student academic growth and how well schools close academic achievement gaps  all areas that are part of the current system.

The proposed report card model would require 80 percent of a schools students to be proficient to receive an A for academic achievement. A school would get an F if fewer than 50 percent of its students are considered proficient.

Under that measure, the Dodgeville School District where Humphries recently worked as the director of state and federal programs, would be rated as failing in elementary and middle school math and language arts and high school language arts, according to DPI data.

Incumbent state Superintendent Tony Evers, who oversees the Department of Public Instruction which developed the current system, called Humphries proposal questionable math.

Tom McCarthy, spokesman for the DPI, said few schools in the state would be rated higher than an F in academic achievement under the proposal.

Humphries acknowledged the number of schools rated higher than failing would be quite low because we dont have the academic outcomes that the state should.

Humphries is one of three candidates seeking to unseat Evers, who was first elected state superintendent in 2009.

Evers said its ridiculous to consider most schools failing in academic achievement.

The thing that bothers me the most is when we created this report card, the governor sat next to me, with (GOP Sen.) Luther Olsen and (former GOP Rep.) Steve Kestell, and we created a report card that actually got national recognition, said Evers.

Having someone from on top to say this is the way it should be, I think, is a questionable tactic and dismissive of the good people that we have in this state.

McCarthy said Humphries proposal is strikingly similar to the proficiency standards in the report card the state already uses.

On Thursday, Humphries criticized Evers effectiveness, saying Wisconsin has the distinction of having the largest gap in academic achievement between white and black students and that the gap has not closed during Evers tenure.

Humphries said his report card proposal is one way to address the gap.

To close the achievement gap we have to have an honest conversation about where those gaps lie, said Humphries.

He said if a school district like Milwaukee, where hundreds of students are attending schools with low performance ratings isnt rated failing, then that keeps people from intervening appropriately.

When asked whether districts or schools with fewer than half of their students rated as proficient should be labeled as not meeting state standards, Evers said the Education Commission of the States has described the states report card as one of the most transparent in the country in describing schools quality.

So outside experts disagree with him, he said.

Humphries also wants schools that persistently do not meet state standards after years of intervention to be converted into private voucher or charter schools, or a new model of public school or some other governance model.
Press Release

January 19, 2017 Legarda Bats for Regulation of Plastic Bags Use as Report Says More Plastic than Fish in Oceans by 2050 Senator Loren Legarda today renewed her call for the regulation of the use of plastic bags to help prevent oceans from carrying more plastic than fish as projected in one study. Legarda made the call as she noted a 2016 report, The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the Future of Plastics by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which showed that the world produced 20 times more plastic in 2014 (311 million tonnes) than it did in 1964 (15 million tonnes) and at this rate, oceans are expected to contain more plastic than fish (by weight) by the year 2050. "Plastic bags are ubiquitous components of the world's consumer culture. These non-biodegradable plastic bags symbolize the throwaway culture that we have developed. We cannot go business as usual as it pollutes our oceans and water, and even the air when burned," she said. The Senator also noted that the Philippines, together with China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, is considered among the top contributors of plastic trash dumped into the sea. The five countries are spewing out as much as 60 percent of the plastic waste that enters the world's seas (Ocean Conservancy, 2015). In line with this, Legarda filed the proposed Plastic Bags Regulation Act under Senate Bill No. 430, which aims to strictly regulate the production, importation, sale and use of plastic bags. "This proposed measure discourages the use of plastic bags and encourages the use of native reusable bags made of organic or recycled materials, and reusable containers made of glass or non-toxic and non-hazardous materials," she said. Under the bill, a point-of-sale store will be prohibited from providing the consumer with plastic bags for the purpose of carrying or transporting items or products purchased. This will put the use of single-use plastic bags to a minimum. Only plastic bags that are used to contain fresh fish, meat and poultry products, and primary plastic packaging used to pre-pack food items and in the manufacturing of finished products for sale in the general market are excluded from the prohibitions under the bill. The disposal and management of plastic waste shall be done in accordance and pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which Legarda principally sponsored and authored. Legarda explained that the bill would also address the concerns of affected employees and workers of the plastic industry. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will develop programs for alternative livelihood opportunities for the affected employees and workers. "As the problems of pollution, environmental degradation and severe weather shifts escalate, all sectors of society must act with urgency. Citizens should make conscious efforts to change daily routine and practices to produce a positive impact on our environment. Companies must change their economic mindset, wasteful production processes and packaging methods--from the use of seemingly cost-effective plastic bags into investing in long-term reusable and recyclable bags which are more sustainable in the long run," Legarda concluded.
Press Release

January 19, 2017 Legarda Bats for Enhanced Resilience of Electric Coops Senator Loren Legarda today stressed the importance of enhancing the resilience to disasters and climate change impacts of electric cooperatives in the country. Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committees on Climate Change and Finance, made the statement during the committee hearing on the proposed Electric Cooperatives Disaster Management Fund under Senate Bill No. 1253 authored by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. "I support this measure as it provides funds for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and preparedness of electric cooperatives. If our mindset, actions and budgeting are towards enhancing the resilience of our electric cooperatives, then the damage or adverse impact after a natural hazard strikes will be significantly lower," she explained. At present, disaster-affected electric cooperatives apply for a calamity loan with an interest of 3.25% per annum from the National Electrification Administration (NEA). Legarda requested for the Commission on Audit (COA) reports on the calamity loans and grants to electric cooperatives to examine how these funds have been utilized. "We want to know which among the 121 electric cooperatives have accessed these calamity loans and grants and if there are those who did not receive such assistance. Through these reports, we can see which cooperatives need assistance in terms of building resilience. There could be cooperatives that are more resilient and thus have not accessed these grants or loans, we can use them as model for the other cooperatives," she explained. The Senator stressed the importance of undertaking vulnerability risk assessment as well as tapping renewable energy sources of electricity, which are cost-effective, clean and resilient. "Our electric cooperatives and the whole energy sector must be resilient because electricity is very important when natural hazards strike. Disturbances in the energy system upset economic activities and cause distress to other critical infrastructure sectors, like transportation, water supply, communications and public order," Legarda said. The Senator hopes that the proposed bill will be approved by both houses of Congress and enacted into law by March 2017 so that funding will already be included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2018. Meanwhile, Legarda also inquired about the status of power restoration in areas affected by Typhoon Nina last December, especially those in the Bicol Region. Electric cooperatives in the Bicol Region have been given until January 31, 2017 to fully restore power in the whole region, but they said they have not yet received in entirety the needed funding support from NEA. Legarda said the concerned electric cooperatives, the NEA, and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) should closely coordinate and fast-track the funding process, noting that there are available government funds. The NDRRM Fund still has P3.943 billion continuing appropriations from the 2016 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and P15.750 billion in the 2017 GAA. Legarda reminded the NDRRMC that since the 2017 GAA only has a one-year availability timeframe, the agency needs to utilize the combined funds from 2016 and 2017 GAA by December 31, 2017 or it will revert to Treasury.
Press Release

January 19, 2017 'High-profile karumal-dumal crimes could nudge restoration of death penalty' The policemen who kidnapped and murdered a Korean national, despite the reported payment of a P4.5 million ransom, may end up as poster boys for death penalty, Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto predicted today. "Yung ganitong mga kaso, na sapin-sapin na mga krimen, ang nagbibay ng impetus sa kampanya na ibalik ang bitay," Recto said. Recto stressed that "in principle I remain against capital punishment" but conceded "that cruelty and impunity inflicted in crimes like the one that victimized the Korean is beginning to define what a super heinous crime that may be punishable by death is." "In terms of how dastardly a crime is, we are seeing examples of a higher bar in which death penalty, in the eyes of its advocates, could be imposed," Recto said. "Ito yung mga complex crimes, halimbawa kinidnap ang isang minor, drinoga, tinorture, sinaktan, pinagnakawan, ni-rape, tapos pinatay pa at sinunog pa. Yung ganoong karumal-dumal na krimen ang may taglay na powerful emotional argument for death penalty," he said. "Pero kung ordinaryong pagpatay lang o carnapping at wala nang iba pang aggravating circumstances, sa tingin ko hindi 'yan masasama sa catalog of crimes punishable by death. Kulong lang habambuhay," Recto said. Recto acknowledged that the debates on death penalty "will be infused with actual examples of heinous crimes in which the demand for a greater restitution is high." "It will go beyond theories and studies. Actual examples will be used by both sides. The pro will parade examples of heinous crimes. While the antis will cite successes of the power of rehabilitative justice," he said. "Tulad halimbawa ng isang Abu Sayyaf na nandukot ng isang dosenang tao, pinahirapan, ginutom, ni-rape, tapos pinugutan ng ulo. How can these be arguments for clemency?" he said. Recto said the long list of crimes of punishable by death won't pass muster in the legislature. "Kung Noah's Ark of crimes punishable by death, hindi papasa. Pero kung limited sa super heinous, na blood curdling, truly atrocious complex crimes, diyan magkakatalo." Recto said the final vote will be influenced by a large constituency in the middle of the death penalty question. "Merong mga advocate ng death penalty sa lahat ng krimen. Sa kabilang banda, meron naman absolutely no death penalty kahit gaano ka-heinous. Ang decisive tingin ko yung sa gitna. Those who will limit the scope of the bill that it only covers the truly monstrous and wicked acts, and install safeguards against abuses, and provisions for automatic review by the Supreme Court," Recto said. Recto said he was only "explaining the legislative terrain, the policy atmosphere under which the great debate will happen, for the benefit of all concerned." Recto said a needed companion measure of the death penalty bill is one to modernize the police force and reform the judicial system. "The certainty of arrest and conviction is a better deterrent against crime. Maraming akyat bahay ang nagkakaroon ng lakas ng loob kasi alam nila na wala namang pulis na nagpapatrol o kung tawagan man ay matagal rumispunde dahil walang gasolina ang patrol car, " Recto said.
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As the first of three winter storms moved into the Bay Area Wednesday, gusts up to 50 mph made the evening commute dicey.

Following a day of rain, heavy winds picked up in the afternoon, and the National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for the entire Bay Area for the rest of the night.

Most all of the Bay Areas bridges  including the Bay Bridge, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge  had wind advisories in effect in the afternoon and into the evening. The California Highway Patrol urged drivers to slow down on the spans.

Officer Andrew Barclay, a spokesman for the CHPs Marin division, said his office hadnt seen any major accidents Wednesday, despite the wet and windy weather that made for driving tricky.

Weve had a lot of experience recently with storms, so hopefully people are wising up a little bit as to how to drive a little more appropriately in the rain, Barclay said.

Steady winds blowing upwards of 30 mph were registered in some places, with the most severe gusts expected along the coast and in the hills of the East Bay farther inland.

Forecasters cautioned that the winds were strong enough to down trees  as the Bay Area was still recovering from the last batch of storms that ripped down hundreds of trees, including the famous Pioneer Cabin Tree that had stood for some 2,000 years in Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Calaveras County.

In the North Bay, Muir Woods National Monument was closed for the third time in two weeks as a safety precaution after several of its massive redwoods toppled during last weeks heavy rain.

On the Peninsula, nearly 90 flights were canceled at San Francisco International Airport, and delays there were averaging more than an hour per flight.

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @michael_bodley
Citing the millions of dollars it has paid to comply with court-ordered reforms to its Police Department, the Oakland City Council has balked at renewing contracts with consultants who are steering the 14-year-old effort.

Instead, the council opted to extend the agreements with compliance Director Robert Warshaw and his consulting group, Police Performance Solutions, for only two months while a council committee takes a closer look at the contracts. Oakland taxpayers have spent more than $13 million on court monitors and equipment since settling a landmark civil rights case in 2003.

The councils move drew immediate criticism from attorneys who filed the class-action lawsuit against Oakland.

Its shocking  it seems almost illegal to me, lawyer John Burris said when contacted by phone Wednesday. Burris helped represent 119 plaintiffs in the lawsuit over a group of West Oakland police officers, known as The Riders, who allegedly beat plaintiffs, planted evidence and fabricated police reports.

Council members, however, vented frustration that so much money and time has been spent on the compliance effort and that troubles in the department have persisted.

I know we dont have a lot of say because this is court-mandated, but I think we ought to be able to make some sort of comment to the court, said City Councilwoman Desley Brooks, who made the motion at Tuesdays council meeting to extend the two contracts  worth a combined total of $815,000 annually  for two months. It passed unanimously.

Brooks said she wanted to give the citys Public Safety Committee, which she chairs, a chance to vet the agreements. She also pushed her colleagues to delay approving a $75,000 payment for extra services that Warshaws group provided last year amid a massive sexual misconduct scandal that jolted the city.

I dont know that were getting our moneys worth, the councilwoman said.

The move comes at a high-stakes moment for Oakland, which last year was roiled by a string of police disciplinary cases, most notably the sexual misconduct scandal and the abrupt departure of three chiefs in nine days. Some city officials expressed shock that these incidents could take place at a time when Oakland was under a microscope, and several council members questioned whether the court-mandated program is working.

Its been an ongoing renewal, said Councilman Noel Gallo, who supported Brooks motion to stall and scrutinize the contracts. This is a time for the council (to) talk seriousness about providing safety, not just wasting taxpayer dollars.

A new police chief, Anne Kirkpatrick, will take office Feb. 27, and all eyes are on her to transform the culture of a department that Mayor Libby Schaaf famously compared with a frat house. Separately, U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson, who has overseen Oaklands mandatory reforms and who appointed Warshaw to evaluate them, said he plans to retire in August. The case will at that point be assigned to a new judge, and questions loom over what that means for Oakland  which until last year had almost fully complied with a program that only the court can end.

Burris said uncertainty about the future and frustration over costs dont give the council a right to torpedo the whole reform effort. He said the councils move undermines the independence of the court monitor.

The implicit notion here is that the council has to approve of what hes doing for him to get another contract extension, Burris said. They (the council members) are saying, If we like what you report, well pay you.

He noted that the council doesnt have the authority to review Warshaws work or fire him  only a judge has that power.

Yet public records indicate that the cost of federal court oversight has put a huge strain on a city that is perennially strapped for resources. A Chronicle report last year showed that since 2003 Oakland has spent roughly $13.6 million on court costs, audits and monitors.

Those fees spurred criticism from many city officials, including former Police Chief Anthony Batts, who butted heads with Warshaw before leaving in 2011. Questions mounted after last years spate of misconduct cases, in which officers were accused of public drunkenness, assault and sending racist text messages. The battered department made national headlines in June, when a teenager claimed she had sex with more than a dozen Oakland police officers, and several from other Bay Area agencies.

Alarmed by these scandals, Brooks on Tuesday accused Warshaw of trying to conceal them from the public.

We had a number of issues that if we have a monitor, we should know about things much sooner than we knew about them, she said. The reports we get of late are cut-and-paste, and we arent getting any analysis about whether the work thats required under the contract is being done.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

In an email to The Chronicle, former Chief Batts praised the councils decision for being courageous and wise.

Since taking the reins, Warshaw and Police Performance Solutions have failed to remedy the departments woes, Batts wrote. He said that when he was recruited to Oakland from the Long Beach Police Department, officials said that Oakland would be out of its federal consent decree within six months.

It has been seven additional years and numerous mayors, city administrators, council members, legal counsel, and police chiefs  with one common denominator, the Warshaw group, Batts wrote. A very very lucrative contract for Mr. Warshaw.

Warshaw was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

Henderson declined to comment through his clerk, and its unclear how he will react if the City Council tries to alter the terms of Warshaws contract.

He has cracked down on Oakland officials in the past, threatening to hold public contempt proceedings in 2005 because the police had failed to make adequate progress, he said.

Council President Larry Reid, who has held his elected position on the council for two decades, warned his colleagues Tuesday that their decision could lead to a confrontation with the outgoing judge.

Trust me, Reid said, you will hear from Judge Henderson.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @rachelswan
Work continues to undergo seismic changes, with some 70 million Americans  36 percent of adults  now self-employed or doing informal work, a number expected to continue rising. With that in mind, several dozen entrepreneurs and labor experts gathered in a San Francisco office tower on Wednesday to hash out the opportunities and challenges presented by these shifts.

We hear from people that this world is built for the steady paycheck  and theyre in a new world, said Cassie Divine, head of QuickBooks Self-Employed at Intuit, the Mountain View financial-software company that is making a concerted effort to serve entrepreneurs, including co-sponsoring the conference.

I see people creating their own livelihood that is fulfilling and meaningful, said Claudia Viek, CEO of San Franciscos California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity, a nonprofit that supports new small businesses and was the other co-sponsor. They will be as influential as megacorporations in influencing our economy.

A group of self-employed people told their stories. After being laid off, attorney Josh Garber, saddled with $250,000 in student loans, decided I could no longer depend on the traditional job market for financial or emotional stability. It was a roller coaster.

He now finds legal clients through UpCounsel. I dont just do this for the money, he said. I do it for utility and happiness. I have a no-pants policy: I dont take work if it requires me to wear pants. This makes me happy and gives me the ability to travel all over the world.

Making money by selling goods is the most common type of informal work, according to research from Marysol McGee, senior community development analyst at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve.

Three people who do just that spoke  and all had in common that they also do side gigs. Victor Sandifer turned his love of fashion into a business called Run the World Clothing, but drives for Lyft when he has bills due or wants to go on a trip. Brianna Williams created Catrinas Popcorn  an homage to her mom, who ran Cats Cajun Corn  and supplements her income by working for Handy, Envoy and DoorDash. Terra Williams sells vintage clothes through Etsy and works part time in a vintage clothing shop.

Sandifer and Williams are fairly typical of folks working for on-demand, online labor markets like Lyft, Uber and Taskrabbit. More than 80 percent of those services workers use them as a source of supplemental income, rather than full-time endeavors.

Those on-demand workers are students, retirees, folks who need more money and want to hustle on the side, said Marco Zappacosta, CEO and co-founder of San Franciscos Thumbtack. This isnt going to provide the future of work, especially when you assume that these jobs are some of the most at risk of (being lost to) automation. Think robot cars replacing Uber and Lyft drivers, for instance.

Instead, Zappacosta sees the type of local services found on Thumbtack as the nonroutine, non-tradeable jobs that will stick around even while automation and artificial intelligence consume the jobs of bookkeepers, truck drivers and even radiologists. Thumbtack allows carpenters, caterers, cleaners and others to pay small sums to contact clients seeking their services. With more than 250,000 active professionals, the 500-person company books more than $1 billion worth of business for them a year, he said.

He cited Bureau of Labor Statistics data that 95 percent of jobs created from 2014 to 2024 will be in local services.

As much as technology can destroy jobs, it can also help create them, he said.

Being able to do professional work online allows people to live in lower-cost areas like Chico, Bakersfield and Fresno, and still reap the benefits of the wage premium work created by the tech economy, said Michael McGeary, head of policy for Mountain Views Upwork. It brings the vitality of this region to other communities, he said.

Its not all sunshine, however. McGeary ducked pointed questions about whether overseas workers use Upwork to underbid Americans for freelance professional jobs.

We exercise no control over that level of pricing, he said. Im not sure what sorts of creative solutions there can be.

Upworks middleman role can be an impediment, because it represents companies and individuals seeking professional services who want the lowest possible bid, as well as those offering the services, who are seeking the best possible remuneration. There are limitations about what we can do, given where we sit straddling both sides of that marketplace, McGeary said.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
The U.S. Labor Department accused Oracle on Wednesday of wage discrimination in favor of white men and of hiring discrimination in favor of Asian Americans, in a lawsuit that could cut off federal contract dollars to the Redwood City technology giant.

A review of employment practices since at least January 2014 at Oracle headquarters, which employs more than 7,000 of the companys 45,000 full-time U.S. workers, found that white men were paid more than women, African Americans and Asians with similar duties and qualifications, the department said.

During the same period, the department said, Oracle has favored Asian applicants, particularly those from India, over whites, African Americans and Latinos in recruiting and hiring for product development and technical positions. The company offered referral bonuses that encouraged its heavily Asian workforce to recruit other Asians, the lawsuit said.

Oracle has also refused to turn over some company records on pay, hiring and employee complaints of discrimination, said the lawsuit, filed with the Labor Departments Office of Administrative Law Judges on President Obamas next-to-last full day in office. Attorney Janet Herold said the department based its findings of discrimination on other Oracle data and interviews with employees and job applicants.

The suit seeks damages for the affected workers and job applicants, and cancellation of Oracles federal contracts until the company complies with laws against discrimination.

Federal contractors are required to comply with all applicable antidiscrimination laws, Thomas Dowd, acting director of the departments Office of Federal Contract Compliance, said in a statement.

The suit is politically motivated, based on false allegations, and wholly without merit, Oracle said. Oracle values diversity and inclusion, and is a responsible equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Our hiring and pay decisions are nondiscriminatory and made based on legitimate business factors including experience and merit.

Asked about its claim of political motivation, Oracle declined further comment. Co-CEO Safra Catz joined Donald Trumps transition team last month, while remaining with the company, and has endorsed the president-elects plans to reduce taxes and business regulations.

Separately, Oracle agreed in April to donate $200 million in funds and technology to Obamas program to subsidize computer science instruction in public schools.

The Labor Department filed suit against Palantir Technologies of Palo Alto in September, accusing the company of hiring discrimination against Asians. The company has denied discriminating. Palantir was co-founded by Peter Thiel, an adviser to Trump.

The Labor Department said it notified Oracle of its findings of discrimination in March and tried to negotiate a solution before filing the suit.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
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A woman accused of groping at least three customers and employees at a Vacaville Walmart this week was found by police after authorities circulated her photo online.

The woman, whose name was not released, was contacted by officers Wednesday but was not immediately arrested after being questioned by police, who declined to release more information citing the sensitive nature of the investigation.
A 28-year-old counselor accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl he met at a Redwood City youth home was arrested in San Jose last week, authorities said Thursday.

Francis Caceres of Mountain View was arrested Jan. 12 on suspicion of committing lewd acts with a child. The arrest was made at another youth home in San Jose where he works.

Police learned on Dec. 27 that Caceres was accused of having a sexual relationship with the teenage victim.

Investigators discovered that Caceres and the victim met while he was a counselor at Your House South in Redwood City, where the teen was a resident. The home provides temporary lodging for children with family problems or who have run away from home.

Caceres was fired in August from his job at the youth home before police began their investigation, according to Detective Sal Zuno, a spokesman for the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office. Caceres had not been aware of the investigation, he said.

Zuno said staff at the shelter told police that Caceres had been fired over personnel issues, but it was not clear if those issues were related to a relationship with the teenage resident. Police said there was no indication that Caceres had engaged in sexual relationships with other residents.

Authorities found evidence of his relationship with the teenage victim outside the youth home, but declined to disclose what it was. There was no evidence of any crimes occurring inside the Redwood City youth home, Zuno said.

Caceres was arrested at his new youth counseling job at Tayler Group Home in San Jose. Representatives for both youth homes were not immediately available for comment.

He was being held on $100,000 bail at the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Anyone with information, including possible victims, can call Sheriffs Detective Joe Cang at (650) 259-2417 or email jcang@smcgov.org. To remain anonymous, call the anonymous tip line at (800) 547-2700.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
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Without warning, the Oakland Unified School District has decided to stop paying AC Transit to run buses to several city schools, something the transit agency says will jeopardize service for hundreds of students.

Officials in the cash-strapped district said Wednesday that they were ending the $2.25 million annual contract with AC Transit, effective immediately. The school district has been paying for bus service for nearly 20 years without realizing that AC Transit ran buses to schools in other cities for free, Oakland schools officials said.

They disclosed their decision in an email to parents this week.

Our district was the only school district that paid AC Transit to run lines for our students, although our Oakland students also still continue to pay individual fares to use the buses, district spokesman John Sasaki said in the email.

Officials also cited district finances as another reason to cut off the payments, alluding to a proposed $30 million in cuts this year and next to cover projected costs.

The district notified AC Transit officials on Jan. 9, acknowledging in a letter that the news was likely to come as a shock. The district has not heard back, Sasaki said.

AC Transit said in a statement to The Chronicle that the move will likely result in a reduction of supplementary bus service if a replacement for the funding isnt found. The service costs the agency $4.45 million a year, spokesman Robert Lyles said.

School district officials told parents, however, that they didnt expect any disruption in current bus routes.

We expect them to continue the same service that was provided before and during the contract, Sasaki said. However, OUSD is unable to provide the transportation itself.

AC Transit has also provided extra bus service to Alameda, West Contra Costa, Hayward, Newark and Fremont school districts over the years as well as to some private schools, typically offering more buses on existing lines to get students to and from schools.

The service that AC Transit provides to Oakland includes specially created routes that begin or end at schools, which other districts dont have, Lyles said. The bus service provides extra buses and security on regular routes to accommodate heavy loads of students, he said.

AC Transit has long run special buses to Skyline High School and Montera Middle School, among others, which are located in the Oakland hills and not along regular transit lines. The buses run only on school days.

At Skyline High, hundreds of students streamed out of class Wednesday afternoon and hurried to the line of AC Transit buses waiting at the curb. The school is remote, located near the top of a hill above Highway 13.

Xayne Bledsoe, a sophomore, said the bus was the only way he could get to school from his home in the Dimond District.

It would take forever to walk, he said. I need it to come to school and to get wherever I need to go.

COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California.

Joel Evans, 15, was among the few students who didnt board a bus. His father typically picks him up, but thats not an option for many of his friends and classmates, he said.

Some people cant get rides from their parents or dont have anyone else to get a ride from, he said. They would be stuck otherwise.

For years, the Oakland school district used state funding designated for transportation costs to pay AC Transit for the service. In 2013, that money was folded into general funding for schools, yet the district continued to pay. The payments should have stopped then, but didnt, district officials said.

It was unclear whether the school district would seek to recoup previous payments. AC Transit, however, believes the school district owes it $675,000 in back payments for transportation already provided.

Lyles urged school officials to come back to the table to work it all out.

Safe transit from home and school has been our commitment to Oakland students and parents for 20 years, he said. So we implore OUSD to schedule a meeting with our staff to ensure the continued safe travels of students.

Jill Tucker and Michael Bodley are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com, mbodley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker, @michael_bodley
The extraordinary week of visual art exhibitions, events, sales and parties that has generically come to be called Fog, after the art fair Fog Design + Art at the center of the storm, delivered as promised.

A new fair in town, Untitled, San Francisco, is an offshoot of a successful Miami market. It seemed to double the energy of past years, extending it across the city, from a large pier at Fort Mason to a gargantuan one in Dogpatch.

In between, there were openings of exhibitions at every turn. The city saw the debut of three entirely new commercial gallery spaces  Berggruen, Adrian Rosenfeld and one I have not yet visited, Capital. There were much-anticipated performance art projects, an arm-long list of lectures and symposia, and an international museum conclave. There was also a good amount of socializing and celebrating  see Chronicle columnist Leah Garchiks excellent reports.

Fog Design + Art supports the San Francisco Museum of Art through the gala opening and sponsorship donations; direct proceeds and any profit from the fair itself goes to White Rain Productions, which is contracted and overseen by a volunteer committee. The gala was a sellout, with 1,600 tickets sold; 8,000 people visited the fair over its four-day run. That largely public-benefit structure is just one of the things that distinguishes Fog from other such efforts. Unlike most fairs, galleries handling objects ordinarily seen in a design context are given equal billing to high-end art dealers, which gives the event a pleasant domestic feel. And though galleries must compete for the right to rent space, organizers are sure to include some of the best of the Bay Area, so it still feels like home.

This years show was the best in its five-year history. Among New York galleries, James Cohan brought a large and eye-catching work by Ethiopian artist Elias Sime, who has garnered much attention from museums for works made from discarded circuit boards, stitched together with reclaimed computer wire. And Yossi Milo went all-in on abstract photography with a small but intensely graphic group exhibition.

Bay Area stalwart Berggruen continued a recent tradition of testing new-to-the-gallery artists at the fair with precise and painstaking collages of ink splashes suggesting colorful galaxies by Mark Fox, who last showed at the Anderson Collection at Stanford University, and works by Brad Kahlhamer completed during a recent residency at Headlands Center for the Arts. Hosfelt Gallery showed images by Stefan Kurten of high Modern architecture that could have been mistaken for old Kodacolor negatives, but were intricate drawings.

On walking into Untitled, San Francisco, the first people I saw were Miami collectors Don and Mera Rubell. It might have been a sign that the earth has shifted beneath the San Francisco art market, though it could also be that they had been invited by the fair to discuss the topic of How Art Transforms Neighborhoods with Minnesota Street Project co-founders Deborah and Andy Rappaport.

All that makes Fog feel comfortable  with its soft echoes of the staid and elegant Art Dealers Association of America show held at New Yorks Park Avenue Armory each March  is exactly what Untitled eschews. There was no carpeting in the walkways  indeed, there was very little heat in the building on the rainy afternoon of the VIP opening. I found the layout of booths chaotic, though many visitors called it energetic. Most galleries showed not just new work, but less well-known artists. Thematic shows were the exception rather than the rule. It all made for a heady, if demanding, experience.

Fog is intentionally limited to 45 dealers; Untitled seemed to have twice that many (organizers did not respond to requests for attendance and participant numbers). A number of Untitled booths were given free to Bay Area nonprofit art groups, who made good use of the opportunity. Dena Beard, director of the Lab, sat alone at a desk in the middle of an aisle, exposed so she could expose others to her unconventional program. The Contemporary Jewish Museum sold tchotchkes and logo wear advertising an exhibition of the comically earnest, gay and Jewish artist Cary Leibowitz.

Courtesy Anat Ebgi

The showstopper among the commercial gallery booths was a hyper-real painting nearly 9 feet wide brought by Los Angeles dealer Anat Ebgi. The work of 36-year-old Chris Coy, it combined fragments stolen from the 18th century French artist Jean-Honore Fragonard with elements that appeared to be computer generated. Rendered in silvery blue tones, it gave the feeling of a world built of mirrors and mercury glass.

Both fairs assembled frenetic schedules of conversations, panel discussions, luncheons and other official offerings. In addition, SFMOMA staged a daylong apologia related to its controversial 100-year loan agreement with the family of Doris and Don Fisher.relatedlinks:::undefined

Yours, Mine, and Ours: Museum Models of Public-Private Partnership comprised four panel discussions. Each was meant to include not only museum leaders, but also major donors. At points, Latin American art collector and private museum founder Patricia Cisneros was to appear, then Sheika Hoor Al-Qasimi of Sharjah Art Foundation in the United Arab Emirates. In the end, however, only Bob Fisher, representative of the Fisher family and president of the SFMOMA board, showed up, prompting moderator Sarah Thornton to quip, I think they all chickened out.

Fisher and SFMOMA director Neal Benezra restated the museums unalloyed enthusiasm about their arrangement, deflecting any discussion of its limitations. Fisher said it is a loan and not a gift because once you give something away, its gone forever. Benezra said, We placed a bet. And that was that.

The highlight of the day was a discussion between two museum professionals who work for privately funded museums in authoritarian countries. Kate Fowle, chief curator of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow, and Lars Nittve, founding director of M+ in Hong Kong, questioned the very definition of public. Do we take the concept to mean the state, or the mass of private individuals who share a home and culture?

Frances Morris, director of Londons Tate Modern, described her museum as one that embraces unauthorized audience activism. Manuel Borja-Villel of Madrids Reina Sofia said his ideal public is somebody that is active; somebody who has agency.

As symposium attendees filed out at days end, unanswered questions about SFMOMAs responsibility to an empowered public beyond its major donors still hovered in the air.

Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1
In solidarity with the brave demonstrators who are marching on Washington and peacefully protesting in their own cities, said an email from Altman Siegel Gallery at the Minnesota Street Project, the gallery will be closed on Saturday, Jan. 21. As a cultural institution committed to fighting the sexism, racism and xenophobia expressed by the incoming administration, Altman Siegel invites its community to assemble and take action on this upcoming inauguration weekend.

On Saturday, the day of the Womens March in San Francisco, only five of the 17 galleries at Minnesota Street will be open. The closings are in keeping with the #J20 Art Strike first organized in New York, which is formally about closing on Inauguration Day Jan. 20, but extends to Saturday in order to allow gallery workers to participate in the marches.

If we lose you as a supporter, said an email from Eleanor Harwood about the decision to close her gallery, I am sorry to see you go. I really do wish you the best, even if we politically disagree; however, I can not be silent.

Some San Francisco art dealers who, while agreeing with the need to express discontent with a new administration they feel will be hostile to supporting fine art and the arts in general, wonder whether being closed is the right tactic. He would like to shut down contemporary art, said Catharine Clark, whose gallery in the nearby DoReMi district on Utah Street will be closed Saturday to allow staff to march.

The George Lawson Gallery on Potrero Avenue will close Friday and Saturday, as an expression of concern and dismay over the policies and position of the incoming administration, and the Brian Gross Gallery, also on Utah Street, will be closed on Friday in solidarity with the strike, said Gross. But Im wondering if we arent cutting off our nose to spite our face, said Clark. What I want to do is for all of us to show up at artists studios, museums and performances. ... It is our duty to give voice to divergent opinions. Clark added that she doesnt want to do what she thinks the new administration wants us to do, to be quiet.

Southern Exposure art space will also be closed Friday and Saturday in solidarity with the strike. But after discussing the matter via email, administrators of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Museum of the African Diaspora and the Contemporary Jewish Museum decided to remain open. We wanted to create places for people to come to, said YBCAs Deborah Cullinan. (YBCA will be free on Friday and Saturday; MoAD and CJM will be free on Friday.)

But maybe the new administration has already had an effect. A San Diego gallery sent word of Barbie, an exhibition of oil paintings of Barbie dolls. Artist Judy Ragagli employs an arduous process of specialized mixing of oil colors that few artists have been able to master. ... The effect of her process and style culminates in a cohesive vision of the beauty and grace of Barbie.

 Will Durst says his last best hope is that he puts his hand on the Bible and bursts into flames. Got to be a 50/50 shot.

Are you feeling wistful that youre not enough of a mover or shaker to be at Davos? This press release just in: UN Goodwill Ambassadors and master chefs Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca, known as the Roca Brothers, will present a new chocolate bonbon to raise awareness on food waste and hunger during a gala dinner tonight at the World Economic Forum 2017.

Department of mayhem:

Of course, careful reader J. Raoul Brody pored over the recent Chronicle story about a woman who, allegedly, ran over her ex-boyfriend with a car Wednesday and dragged his body around in circles before driving away. So Brody noticed the (fitting) comment by a detective in Hercules, where the alleged crime took place: Domestic violence situations can take many turns.

Furthermore, Michael Collins was at the Highest Heaven religious art exhibition at the Crocker Museum in Sacramento when he heard one woman looking at the art asking another, Wasnt he beheaded? Well, yeah, said the second. But Im not sure thats how he died.

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

Presidents come and go, but we have each other.

Woman to woman, overheard at Starbucks on Noriega by Madison Junker
Public concern about the treatment of farm animals has reached such a critical mass that most major food corporations  from McDonalds to Nestle  have recently announced some kind of policy about the welfare of livestock and poultry they purchase, whether its a transition to cage-free eggs or antibiotic-free meat.

Thats why it may be surprising to learn that the federal government is basically uninvolved in regulating animal welfare at the farm, except with new rules for USDA-certified organic poultry and livestock. So while the elephants and tigers that perform in the soon-to-close Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus are protected under the federal Animal Welfare Act, farm animals arent.

In the absence of any rules for virtually all of their lives, farm animal welfare is increasingly being dictated by a number of states that are creating their own laws, and also food retailers that are creating their own standards, says Paul Shapiro, vice president of policy at the Humane Society of the United States.

California has its own animal welfare standards after Proposition 2 went into effect in 2015, basically outlawing battery cages for chickens, and other states have passed similar measures. For food companies, 2015 and 2016 were the years of cage-free egg pledges. The newest development is for food-service companies like Sodexo to promise to serve broiler chickens raised in a more humane way.

Connor Radnovich/The Chronicle

Food retailers often partner with animal-welfare organizations to develop standards. They set guidelines, usually with a phase-in period, that require the poultry and livestock producers they purchase from to adapt their farming methods.

Here are the issues that animal welfare advocates expect to be on the front burner in 2017.

What are the guidelines for label claims like grass fed or antibiotic-free?

Although there arent federal rules around how animals are treated at the farm, the U.S. Department of Agriculture does have guidelines about how companies use claims on labels such as raised without antibiotics or grass fed. Yet overall, the standards are mostly about paperwork.

Perhaps because of the growing popularity of welfare claims, the USDA proposed new guidelines in September 2016 for these claims and the type of documentation needed to make them, called the USDA Animal Welfare Assessment Program. However, the rules rarely involve farm inspections. Producers can set their own standards and send in a signed statement saying, for example, that they didnt use growth hormones.

We have yet to see what this will mean for the lives of farm animals, says David Coman-Hidy, executive director of the Humane League. But, he adds, Im for anything that leads to better transparency. For the food consumer its hard to know what any of these labels mean.

Connor Radnovich/The Chronicle

How does USDA organic certification fit into that discussion?

Things are different for livestock and poultry with the USDA organic certification, which now has enforceable animal welfare standards signed in by the Obama administration in its final days of office.

The main difference is new minimum space requirements and a more meaningful requirement for outdoor access. For example, laying chickens will each get roughly 1 square foot indoors and 2 square feet outdoors, depending on their size. Producers must comply within a year, except for the outdoor requirement, for which they have three years.

Its a lot compared to what they have now, says the Humane Societys Shapiro. Its not the bucolic image you see on egg cartons with the pasture and little red barn, but it is a big improvement.

Before, outdoor access could mean a small enclosed porch on the outside of the barn with concrete floors. Now, it has to be truly outdoors and have some real dirt for scratching.

Meat industry groups like the National Pork Producers Council are opposed to the new rules.

These new standards will present serious challenges to livestock producers and add complexity to the organic certification process, creating significant barriers to existing and new organic producers, said council president John Weber, in a press release.

Craig Lee/The Chronicle

Speaking of the lives of chickens: What role do big food companies play?

Broiler chickens make up almost 90 percent of the individual farm animals slaughtered annually in the U.S. for domestic consumption, according to the Humane League.

The vast majority of meat chickens are bred to grow so quickly that they reach 9 pounds in their 42 days of life, which means they experience high rates of illness, injuries and mortality, the Humane League says. The organization encouraged Aramark, Compass Group, Centerplate, Delaware North and Sodexo  food-service companies that serve millions of meals at universities, stadiums, museums, parks and corporations  as well as the restaurant chains Panera, Shake Shack and Chipotle, to agree to stop buying chickens that have been bred to grow extremely fast.

Were looking to raise birds that are not just bred to suffer, that are bred with some consideration to the quality of their lives, says Coman-Hidy of the Humane League.

The companies have also said they will require producers to shift to less stressful slaughter practices and provide more living space for birds, following guidance from Global Animal Partnership, an animal welfare rating program.

In response, the National Chicken Council released an industry-funded report about the additional amounts of land, water and feed that would be needed to raise slower-growing chickens because of the larger space requirements and the breeds smaller meat yield and longer life (roughly two weeks longer).

For Californians, It should be unfathomable to even think about anything that would increase water usage, especially without any knowledge of measurable improvements to the welfare of the birds, said Tom Super, National Chicken Council spokesman, in an email.

What about cage-free eggs in California?

Its been two years since Californias Prop. 2 was implemented, requiring producers to give egg-laying chickens enough space to turn around freely and extend their limbs, but how have things really changed?

For one, the state produces a lot fewer eggs. Compared to 2014, when there were 15.4 million commercial laying hens in California, there were around 12 million in 2015 and roughly 11.5 million in 2016, according to USDA data.

Last year, UC Davis poultry specialist Maurice Pitesky said it was because a lot of small farms couldnt afford new facilities, or couldnt compete financially while raising fewer birds.

While many of the surviving California producers have since shifted to cage-free production, others have not, Shapiro says.

The problem is that a lot of California egg producers are not complying with Prop 2, and still selling their eggs in the state and getting away with it, says Shapiro, who worked on the original Prop. 2 campaign.

On the other hand, critics of the law say its unenforceable because it doesnt spell out the exact amount of space required.

Regardless, Shapiro is concerned that Prop. 2 could be under threat of repeal since the Trump transition team said in November, as Politico reported, that it would make it a priority to keep individual states from dictating policy for food growers.

Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan
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In the middle of a tempest, winds howling and heavy rain whipping about outside of the gleaming $64 million building at Fell and Franklin streets on Wednesday, Jan. 18, the SFJazz Center celebrated its fifth gala. Guests in designer suits and stilettos breathlessly hustled inside for the centers annual gala  an evening featuring an all-star cast of jazz musicians, including the SFJazz Collective, saxophonists Joe Lovano and Joshua Redman, guitarist Bill Frisell, vocalist Mary Stallings, and trumpeter Terence Blanchard.

Zakir Hussain, the North Indian tabla maestro who was on hand to receive the SFJazz Lifetime Achievement Award, flew in from Bangalore for the occasion.

He brought many things with him, said SFJazz gala chair Tim Dattels inside the venues Robert N. Miner Auditorium, as patrons took their seats. He brought the monsoon  and he brought his fathers tablas.

Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

Over the past few years, the focus of the gala has shifted away from the party atmosphere and more toward the music.

This years reception was among the leanest, with a brief cocktail soiree  largely celebrity-free  featuring a performance by the SFJazz High School All-Stars serving as a warm-up for the lengthy concert and after-party jam.

The SFJazz Center has defied the odds since opening in 2013, in part due to its creative programming choices, thriving as other jazz venues across the country have shuttered.

We are not afraid to cross genres or cultural divides, said SFJazz founder Randall Kline, by way of introduction to a transcendent collaboration between Hussain and the Kronos Quartet on the song Tonight Is the Night.

The set list for the evening echoed that sentiment, mixing classical and big-band, fusion and Bollywood.

The gala served as a sort of homecoming for several players who performed for the organization over the decades: Redman, whose first gig for Kline was as a Berkeley High School sophomore in 1984; Frisell, a former SFJazz resident artistic director who paid tribute to the late vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, a founding member of the SFJazz Collective; and Stallings, a previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, who showed up for a sultry rendition of Angel Eyes.

Its great to have the SFJazz family here, said Kline, who started his Jazz in the City series of concerts in 1983 and persevered through the years, bringing the SFJazz Center to fruition and standing proudly on its stage to mark the milestone anniversary.

The celebration continues through Sunday, Jan. 22, with a series of SFJazz tributes for greats who called the Bay Area home. Stefon Harris pays homage to Hutcherson on Friday, Jan. 20.; Redman organizes a Saturday, Jan. 21, event for the San Francisco tenor sax titan Joe Henderson; and Miguel Zenon is music director for the Sunday, Jan. 22, set in honor of John Handy.

Hussain and Handy closed out the party on Wednesday with a sweet, simple jam  the saxophonist turning around and beaming as the tabla master performed with lightning-speed precision and proficiency, sitting cross-legged on a rug, surrounded by half empty water bottles, his jacket and a duffel bag.

Following a film clip in which luminaries like Herbie Hancock, Michael Tilson Thomas and Alonzo King heaped praise on Hussain, Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart, a friend since 1970, showed up to honor him in person.

This man, Hart said, has probably put more time in the groove than anybody else in the world.

Aidin Vaziri is The San Francisco Chronicles pop music critic. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MusicSF
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Mayor Ed Lee has officially condemned Trump's proposed Muslim registry.

Following in the footsteps of NYC's mayor, Lee vowed that San Francisco would never partake of such a registry.

"I am totally, 100 percent opposed to any registry that identifies anyone because of their religion or race," Lee said during a press conference held at the Islamic Society of San Francisco on Friday night. He went on to compare the idea to Japanese internment camps and the Chinese Exclusion Act.

During the same conference, Lee also announced a "multi-pronged effort for the continued support of immigration legal services."

Lee had previously dedicated $3.8 million to support the needs of San Francisco's robust immigrant community, and allocated an additional $1.5 million to expand immigrant legal and social services following the election of Donald Trump.

The mayor has also pledged to donate close to $14 million to immigrant-related causes in the next two years, and will increase that number if needed.

The mayor was joined by Supervisor Malia Cohen who has been outspoken in her disgust with Trump's registry proposal.

"Our country made a horrendous mistake with the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and we have no interest in participating in systems that would repeat that history," she said.

Lee's statements come just days after Rex Tillerson's confirmation hearing. When asked what he thought of the Muslim registry idea, Trump's pick for Secretary of State said, "I would need to have a lot more information over how such an approach would be constructed."

Tillerson said he does not support Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the country.

Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.
The rich get richer, and the poor get  Trumped. Thats the message of the latest Oxfam report on the growing chasm between the super rich and the rest of us. Weve now reached the stunning point where just eight men  eight!  own as much wealth as the poorest half of humanity. Bay Area billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison, as well as their fellow tech moguls Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, are among these eight  which sort of calls into question the whole notion of the tech boom as the great spreader of wealth that we keep hearing about from the likes of Mayor Ed Lee and other corporate-friendly politicians.

The Oxfam report sent shudders through the World Economic Forum, the elite conclave of international business and political leaders and their celebrity courtiers that is holding its annual conference in Davos, Switzerland, this week. The privileged gathering already had its bubble burst by the populist uprisings that have rocked the United States and Europe.

For years, the exclusive Davos club  which includes such regulars as Bill Clinton and the Wall Street crowd that dominated his and President Obamas administrations  clung to the belief that globalism would produce rising benefits for all sectors of society. But these benefits never materialized for millions in Britain who voted to leave the European Union and those in America who tipped the Electoral College to Donald Trump.

So, the anxiety is rampant this week as international movers and shakers come together in the quaint Swiss town to discuss the economic and political future. The concern for delegates attending this years meeting isnt that their forecasts are wrong, but that their worldview is, reports Bloomberg-Businessweek. Ironically, the business publication wondering if Davos is now part of the problem is owned by one of those eight wealthiest men in the world  Michael Bloomberg.

Personally, I could never understand the mentality of wealthy hoarders who are driven to accumulate more and more capital at the expense of others. How much fortune do these people need to feel good about themselves? As Oxfam noted, the super rich are accumulating wealth at so fast a clip that it wont be long before we see the first trillionaire (!) in history. To put this in perspective, the report dryly observed, you would need to spend $1 million every day for 2,738 years to spend $1 trillion.

Meanwhile, Oxfam interviewed women workers in a Vietnamese garment factory who toil 12 hours a day, six days a week and still struggle to survive on the $1 an hour they are paid. The fruits of their sweatshop labor are enjoyed by CEOs of brand-name fashion companies who are among the most lavishly paid executives in the world.

Its labor-gouging practices like this  as well as tax dodging and gaming of the political system  that allow the grotesquely rich to keep widening the wealth gap, according to Oxfam. What are the chances that political reforms in the new populist era can substantially narrow this outrageous gap?

Very slim, according to Stanford University history Professor Walter Scheidel, author of The Great Leveler, a new history of wealth inequality from primitive times to the present that is provoking wide debate. Scheidel writes that government efforts to narrow wide income disparities through redistributive policies like progressive tax and labor reforms have historically fallen far short of their goals. For substantial income-leveling to occur, there must be a violent societal restructuring of an exceptionally intense nature. Four different kinds of violent ruptures have flattened inequality: mass mobilization warfare, transformative revolution, state failure and lethal pandemics. I call these the Four Horsemen of Leveling.

Scheidels views have been criticized as too bleak by liberal scholars, who insist that major progress can be made on economic inequality without the four major shocks to the system enumerated by the Stanford historian. Some say pessimistic, I say realistic, he told me in a phone conversation this week. Scheidel finds the marginal reforms advocated by liberal economists like Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz to be both insufficient and politically unrealistic, unless societies are subjected to the sort of enormous stress that shook the 20th century: world war, Great Depression and communist revolution.

Even if Bernie Sanders had won the presidency, he wouldve faced major structural obstacles to change, Scheidel said. The preconditions need to be in place before radical changes can take place. Any individual leader confronts the same barriers. Even a wild card like Trump.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Scheidel predicted that Trump  despite his populist promises  will only widen the wealth gap. While Scheidel doesnt see Trump in the same mold as Hitler, the incoming presidents vision of a corporate state  with leading industrialists and bankers in direct control of government agencies  corresponds to the classic definition of fascism. The rich got richer in fascist Germany, too, noted Scheidel. Hitler allowed them to keep more profits while wage controls were imposed on workers and labor unions were destroyed.

History doesnt predict the future, Scheidel said. But its possible that as America becomes more politically polarized, we could see more social unrest which could become violent.

All of us who prize greater economic equality would do well to remember that with the rarest of exceptions, it was only ever brought forth in sorrow, he ominously concludes his book. Be careful what you wish for.

Were a long way from the kind of political collapse Scheidel writes about in his book. But, before we reach that point, will the global elite now meeting in Davos stabilize the world by undertaking ambitious income-leveling reforms? Has the 1 percent ever willingly sacrificed a substantial portion of its wealth for the greater good, I asked Scheidel? He laughed. I think you just answered your own question.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist David Talbot appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Email: dtalbot@sfchronicle.com
Spilling secrets comes with public responsibility and personal cost. Thats the burden that Chelsea Manning has accepted and Edward Snowden has not. Its one reason that President Obama is right to favor one over the other.

In a major surprise, Obama is commuting Mannings 35-year sentence to time served, roughly seven years. Manning is the Army intelligence soldier who gave a mountain of secret documents to WikiLeaks, which released the details of military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

It was illegal and ill-advised, though the stolen material made for riveting reading printed in this newspaper and others. Manning was arrested, pleaded guilty and has served a sentence, partly in solitary confinement.

The presidents commutation  which isnt a full pardon  has drawn ridicule from critics who say national security was weakened by Mannings action. But no one has been tougher on this score than Obama, whos gone after nearly a dozen reporters and government figures involved in leaks.

The presidents turnabout is worth examining. Hes relenting on Manning because of her time served, an admission of guilt, and the extent of the damage done. The seven-year stretch is a tough sentence, Obama said at his final press conference. I feel very comfortable that justice has been served."

Snowden, who is asking for similar legal consideration, isnt a comparable case, much as it might appear. His disclosures carried real shock value that woke up this country about government eavesdropping, unknown outside the secret world of the National Security Agency. But he went way beyond that by disclosing other information that jeopardized intelligence work.

Unlike Manning, Snowden hasnt taken responsibility. This week he won extended asylum in Russia, where hes lived since 2013. Its the worst possible safe harbor, given Moscows aggressive efforts to undermine American institutions and influence.

Theres also a plain reality check: a leak-averse Obama isnt about to excuse the best known secret spiller. Snowden wants forgiveness, but his argument for presidential intervention is far less compelling than Mannings.
Mental health advocates are worried that President-elect Donald Trump will undermine disability rights. Civil justice advocates fear that his nominee for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., will unravel the Department of Justices power to police the police. These two domains converge on how law enforcement handles people such as Sean Moore, a 42-year-old man with schizophrenia, who was shot and wounded in San Franciscos Ocean View neighborhood on Jan. 6.

Many Republicans oppose the U.S. Justice Departments use of investigations and consent decrees to change police practices. In the context of mental illness, though, these tools are of critical importance. Fear of legal liability can improve response in departments that have already implemented reforms, while spurring action in the many departments that have not.

According to press reports, Moore aggressively engaged with officers outside of his home when they responded to a disturbance call. At one point he kicked an officer and later punched another in the face, knocking him to the ground. When Moore advanced, that officer shot him in the stomach and groin. De-escalation strategies may have been tried but clearly werent effective.

What makes this situation especially frustrating is that San Francisco has been a leader in this area of policing. Officers receive crisis intervention team training and the department works with mental health professionals. The department even has a Crisis Intervention Specialist Team at the ready  but it did not come to the scene on Jan. 6.

If San Francisco police cant get their response to people like Moore right, what hope is there for other police departments?

We suggest that the Trump administration extend the Americans with Disabilities Act to cover investigations and arrests of people like Moore. Title II of the act, which prohibits discrimination by state and local governments against people with disabilities, should be used as leverage to enforce higher standards of policing. Even proactive departments, such as San Franciscos, appear to need outside monitoring and assistance.

Under the Obama administration, the disabilities act was used to review police practices related to people with mental illness. For example, the Department of Justice found the Baltimore Police Department in violation of the law for its failure to train officers in crisis response and to deploy trained officers to crisis situations. The North Miami Police Department is under federal scrutiny for a violation of the disabilities law after last years shooting of a behavioral health therapist attending to his patient.

If the next U.S. attorney general continues the practice of investigating police departments for disability act violations, then it will give the mayor, chief of police and city risk management attorneys more incentive to improve performance. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2014 that the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to arrests of mentally ill individuals. In October, the city of San Francisco paid $1 million settlement for a police shooting of a mentally ill woman.

This focus will encourage a different set of questions. Instead of was the shooting justified?, the typical approach when officers use of force is challenged, the disabilities act encourages asking, Was the persons disability reasonably accommodated during a police encounter? Was avoidable suffering or indignity caused by the actions of an officer?

Information sharing and preparation make it less likely that force will be required. For example, had police been informed of Moores illness on the way to the call, or had waited for the crisis team after the initial encounter, a shooting may have been averted. In the absence of immediate danger, an informed, go slow approach should be the standard.

More significant, though, will be the effect of the U.S. Department of Justice attention in other cities. According to a Washington Post database, police killed approximately 250 people showing signs of mental illness in 2016. The Treatment Advocacy Center estimates that at least one in four and as many as half of all fatal police shootings involve individuals with untreated mental illness. And, of course, injury occurs in many more.

With so many severely mental ill people falling through the cracks in mental health care systems  and that is the root cause of the problem  police will continue to be the front-line response to those in crisis. Federal enforcement of the disabilities act is needed to improve departments who have not begun the process of change or have been resistant to it.

Kim Hendrickson manages police/behavioral health programs in Shoreline and Poulsbo, Wash. Sally Satel is a psychiatrist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
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WASHINGTON, D.C.  Veteran activists  the ones who protested George W. Bushs inauguration in 2001 and have been in the streets working for same-sex marriage and climate protections since then  said Wednesday that they were feeling extra tension in the nations capital in the hours before President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office Friday.

Feeling little of that tension were the thousands of Trump fans streaming into town to celebrate the improbable ascendancy of the neophyte politician who  as their red caps read  promises to Make America Great Again. Theyre confident the wealthy New Yorker will change gridlocked Washington, despite taking office with the lowest approval ratings of any president in decades.

Separating the two sides, for the most part, on Friday will be miles of fencing, much already lining the streets Wednesday as a security lockdown descended on Washington. Police dogs were sniffing everywhere around the National Mall, streets were barricaded, and it was hard to travel more than a few steps around the iconic monuments without seeing uniformed law enforcement.

Organizers predict 100,000 demonstrators will participate in the many protests, while the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency expects 900,000 people to attend the inauguration in the shadow of the Capitol, roughly half the number who attended President Obamas first swearing-in.

Unlike Obamas debut in 2009, scores of protesters have been pouring into town for days to prepare for jamming Trumps first day. Many attribute the unsettling vibe in the air to a fear of the unknown. The president-elect has promised so much  from killing the Affordable Care Act to banning Muslims to building a border wall  and yet has been so vague in spelling out specific plans that no one knows what to expect on day one.

Theres a sense of urgency thats different, said Lacy MacAuley, an organizer with DisruptJ20, an all-volunteer crew coordinating many of the anti-Trump protests.

In a sign of many Americans anger and frustration with the political system, DisruptJ20 organizers have been planning to protest at the inauguration since May.

We werent happy with the major candidates. But when Trump won, this took on a life of its own, MacAuley said.

The tensions have gotten personal for activists like her who are more publicly known. Standing inside St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church in the citys Columbia Heights neighborhood, where DisruptJ20 activists have been organizing and living for weeks, MacAuley showed one of the many texts she has received recently: Dear Terrorist, it reads, Hope you go to jail or get executed for treason.

The street theater of some of Fridays demonstrations will look familiar to many Bay Area residents, said MacAuley, who lived in San Francisco a decade ago. The main demonstration will feature a gigantic moving wall, a symbol of the opposition to Trumps promise to build a wall on the U.S-Mexico border.

Other demonstrators plan to block 12 public entrances to the event Friday. Some will link arms, some will dance, and some plan yet-to-be-revealed actions that will probably lead to them being arrested, organizers said. DisruptJ20 plans call for actions by Black Lives Matter, climate change activists, labor, feminists and LGBTQ groups.

Longtime San Franciscan and Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin, who estimates that she has been arrested 150 times in protests over the decades, said Wednesday that never in my lifetime have I seen anything like this.

People are feeling like we are walking to the edge of the abyss and we dont know whats there, Benjamin said as she stood in the Code Pink House in Washington, a longtime hub of activism. Upstairs in the two-story home are 5,000 of the pink cat-eared hats that supporters have knit and donated for demonstrators to wear in Saturdays Womens March on Washington.

Mike Kepka/By Mike Kepka/special to the Chronicle

Its a mixture of anger and anxiety and fear, Benjamin said. Its different this time. Its not just around one issue like Bush and the (Iraq) war. Its about our whole country.

Not all of the events have been somber. On Wednesday night, hundreds of activists kicked off the weekends counterprogramming with a Queer Dance Party, shimmying and tossing glitter in the upscale Maryland neighborhood where Vice President-elect Mike Pence has been renting a house before he takes office.

In a rented home in Washingtons swank Kalorama neighborhood not far from where both President Obama and Ivanka Trump will soon be living, the co-founder of the campaign to legalize recreational cannabis in the District of Columbia has been overseeing the rolling of 8,400 joints to be given out for free  keeping the activists within the bounds of local law  on Friday.

This is strictly a gift, DCMJ co-founder Adam Eidinger said of the stunt to promote federal cannabis legalization. Were giving them to everyone  Republican Trump supporters, everybody. Theres probably going to be a line down the street a mile long.

The protests seem somewhat overblown to many of the arriving Trump supporters.

Im really excited to be here. Its probably a once-in-lifetime opportunity, so its pretty amazing, said Dominique Reyes, an 18-year-old high school student from Houston who was posing for photos with dozens of his classmates near the Capitol. Theres always going to be protesters. If something happens, Ill just have to figure out my backup plan.

Curtis Beaty traveled to Washington from Climax, Ga.  population about 290 whole whopping members of that wonderful community. The longtime farmer is attending his first presidential inauguration because he wanted to see Trump do what the hat said: Make America Great Again.

Make us be respectable in the world, Beaty said as a way of defining what great means to him. I feel this country is not the superpower it has always been. So many countries slap us in our face now, and we let them get away with it.

As he stood watching workers put the final touches on the stage where the Trump presidency will be inaugurated, Beaty said he isnt concerned about protesters causing disruptions.

Im from Climax, and we get down like four flat tires on a Ford Pinto with grass growing up through the floorboards, he said of his lack of intimidation. So bring on all the protesters, bring the whole world on. The inaugurations going on and were going to make America great again.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
San Franciscos Laguna Honda Hospital has been fined $100,000 for safety violations that led to the death of a patient, the California Public Health Department said Thursday.

The fine is the most severe penalty regulators can level under state law.

The incident occurred in November 2014, when the patient, unnamed in the state report, fell out of his wheelchair while on an outing to a movie theater.

According to the investigation, a hospital staff member  a nurse assistant and driver who has been with Laguna Honda since 2009  failed to lock both wheels of the patients wheelchair and then briefly left the patient alone on a curb.

While the staff member was not looking, the wheelchair rolled off the curb and the patient fell, landing face-first on the ground. The patient suffered a severe head injury and a broken hip. He died two weeks after the fall.

The patient had been living at Laguna Honda since July 2004. He had dementia, among other chronic conditions, and relied on a wheelchair due to balance and weakness problems.

Patient records indicated he should have been in the line of sight of hospital staff members at all times when he was in his wheelchair, the state report said.

In response to the citation, Laguna Honda officials created a plan, approved by the state, to prevent similar incidents. The staff member was reassigned from driving duties, though his current assignment was not included in the state report.

We made immediate changes to how our outings are conducted, and there have been no accidents since, Mivic Hirose, executive administrator of Laguna Honda, said in a statement Thursday. We are confident that our outings are now safe.

Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @erinallday
The state Supreme Court has cleared the way for a nonprofit dance school at the San Francisco Presidio to seek damages for the losses it incurred by having to relocate when Caltrans demolished its building to make way for restructuring the Doyle Drive approach to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The state Department of Transportation paid the Presidio Performing Arts Foundation $107,000 in 2011 for the property loss it sustained when the department seized and destroyed the building the foundation had leased from the Presidio Trust since 2003. But the foundation said it suffered additional, uncompensated losses in student enrollment and public appeal by having to move to a less-desirable location.

A Superior Court judge refused to send the foundations claim of lost business goodwill to a jury. Although an economic analyst estimated that the foundation lost $781,000, the judge found that it had failed to establish the worth of its goodwill before the relocation. A state appeals court overturned that ruling in November, and on Wednesday, the states high court unanimously denied review of Caltrans appeal, allowing jurors to decide the value of the foundations losses.

Although for-profit companies have been compensated for losses to their reputation and customer appeal caused by damage to their property, this is the first ruling in California to set standards to measure the loss by a nonprofit, said the foundations lawyer, Martin Fineman.

The foundation, established in 1998, teaches dance courses, mostly to low-income youths, and presents performances. Foundation officials said they had to cancel their 2010 summer program, including a fundraising benefit, because of the impending demolition, and lost about half of their usual enrollment of 400 students.

They leased another Presidio building, on Arguello Boulevard, in September 2011, but said it was smaller and more expensive, had less parking and was less accessible to transit.

Economist Justin Regus testified that the foundation typically spent more than it took in each year, but had an additional $62,500 shortfall in 2010-11, which he attributed entirely to lost goodwill created by the move to its new headquarters. Overall, Regus said, the foundation had lost $781,000 worth of goodwill.

Caltrans countered with an economist, Ricardo Goni, who said there was no evidence that the foundation had any measurable goodwill before the relocation or that anyone would pay money for a company that suffered losses every year. Superior Court Judge Lynn OMalley Taylor agreed with Goni and rejected the foundations claim for damages.

But the First District Court of Appeal said the foundation had indicators of goodwill before the demolition, including its favorable location and its sterling reputation for quality and stability.

All those were affected by the relocation, and a jury should decide whether they affected the foundations economic value, and if so by how much, Justice Henry Needham said in the 3-0 ruling, issued Nov. 3. The ruling became final when the state Supreme Court denied review.

The case is People (Caltrans) vs. Presidio Performing Arts Foundation, S238914.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
Shareholders of the former Hewlett-Packard Co. cant sue the Palo Alto technology company or its successor firms for securities fraud under former CEO Mark Hurd, who resigned over a 2010 scandal involving an actress that sent HPs stock price plunging, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

Although Hewlett-Packard, and Hurd himself, had touted the companys ethical standards as a central element of its character, its code of conduct was aspirational  merely a goal, not a binding promise to shareholders, said the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

Allowing a suit over a companys failure to live up to its proclaimed values could turn all corporate wrongdoing into securities fraud, Dana Christensen, a federal judge from Montana temporarily assigned to the court, said in the 3-0 ruling. The panel upheld a 2014 ruling by U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of San Francisco dismissing the suit. Hewlett-Packard split into two firms, HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, in 2015.

The lead plaintiff in the proposed class-action suit, the retirement fund of Retail Wholesale & Department Store Union Local 338, said revelations of Hurds conduct and his resignation cost shareholders $10 billion.

Hurd became HPs chief executive officer in 2005 and avoided implication in a 2006 controversy over the companys surveillance of its employees. HP then proclaimed a renewed commitment to ethical behavior, with Hurd writing in a preface to the companys code of conduct that employees must build trust in everything we do by living our values.

In 2010, actress Jodie Fisher, who had worked for HP as an independent contractor introducing Hurd to new clients, accused Hurd of sexually harassing her, and also alleged that he had given her confidential information about an impending merger.

Investigators hired by the companys board rejected those allegations  without interviewing Fisher but found that Hurd had lied to the board about his relationship with Fisher and had doctored expense reports about their meetings. Hurd acknowledged violating HPs ethical standards and was allowed to resign, with a $36 million severance package. He was quickly hired as co-president of Oracle Corp., where he is now one of two CEOs.

Arguing for the right to sue for securities fraud, the plaintiffs lawyers said HPs proclamations of its strong code of conduct had proven to be both false and material to its stock value. The drop in stock prices after Hurds departure confirms the markets view of materiality, lawyers said in a court filing.

But Christensen, in Thursdays ruling, said the companys statements  like its commitment to live by its values  were commonplace in the business world and were neither capable of objective verification nor material to stockholder decision-making.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
This time last year, Twitter was under fire.

The embattled social media company had just lost its only black engineering manager  one of just 49 black people employed among the companys nearly 3,000-person U.S. team  because he felt unsupported and alone.

As racial tensions nationwide played out in hashtags and tweets, some of the social networks users also began questioning its commitment to supporting people of color.

Thats when Twitter decided to set some goals: By the end of the year, the company said, it would increase the number of its employees who are women or underrepresented racial minorities.

Its goals were modest: upping the number of women in the companys U.S. offices from 34 to 35 percent, and the number of non-white and Asian employees from 8 to 9 percent.

On Thursday, Twitter announced it had met most of its 2016 diversity goals.

Our commitment to inclusion and diversity is fundamental to who we are and crucial to the effectiveness of our service, wrote Jeffrey Siminoff, Twitters vice president of inclusion and diversity. One-and-done measurements dont apply here, so were again setting representation goals for 2017.

Though Twitter did improve its diversity, the strides were small and the goals it had set at the outset of 2016 trailed some of those set by other tech companies. That may have been why the company was so successful.

Pinterest, the online scrapbooking service that long led the charge toward a more inclusive and diverse workforce among tech firms, set more aggressive hiring goals than Twitter did. It missed those goals by a wider margin.

Pinterest had set a goal that 30 percent of its engineering workforce would be female by the years end, but it reached only 22 percent. It has pulled back its goals for 2017 to reflect a more modest ambition: 25 percent female engineers by the end of this year.

Just having good intentions around diversity hadnt been enough, so we thought setting goals would help us focus across the company, wrote Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann in a blog post. We didnt make as much progress as wed like, but we learned a lot thats going to help us create an even more diverse Pinterest next year.

The company pointed out that of its engineering interns, 49 percent were female.

Twitters 2017 aspirations again move the mark only slightly  a few percentage points here and there.

The microblogging firm wants to up the number of women in technical roles from 15 to 17 percent and the number of underrepresented minorities in technical roles from 9 to 11 percent. Thats a difference of about 120 people, about 60 women and 60 black and Latino employees.

Setting measurable goals allows companies to zero in on diversity benchmarks rather than attempting to tackle a complex problem with no immediate solution, experts said. Making those benchmarks public also holds companies accountable.

Twitter, which pledged to increase the number of women in leadership positions from 22 to 25 percent, saw a jump to 30 percent after the company filed five vacant country-head positions with women.

Overall, Twitters gender gap closed slightly as the company exceeded its goal of one percentage point. Twitter went from 34 to 37 percent female in 2016.

Twitter also went from having no underrepresented minorities  blacks, Latinos and Native Americans  in leadership positions after Leslie Miley, the engineering manager, departed, to having racial and ethnic minorities make up 6 percent of the companys leadership.

All told, the company met its goal of increasing its ratio of underrepresented minorities to 11 percent.

The company fell shy of its effort to push the percentage of women working in technical roles at the company from 13 to 16 percent.

We know that the effects of our actions  many of which were new for 2016  cannot be immediate, Siminoff wrote. And we will continue to come together with and learn from our industry peers, in the spirit of doing better not just for ourselves but for the industry as a greater whole.

Twitter has pushed some of its numbers to best those of the tech industry as a whole, though not by much. Women make up about 30 percent of jobs in the tech industry, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but about 37 percent at Twitter.

Meanwhile, black and Latino workers comprise about 11 percent of Twitters workforce, but make up at least 15 percent of the tech workforce at large.

For companies the size of Twitter, experts said, the onus doesnt fall solely on recruitment, but also on retention.

Thats where Joelle Emerson comes in. Her company, Paradigm, a consulting firm that focuses on diversity and inclusion, was called in to help Twitter and its employees learn what unconscious bias is and how it may affect them  and their co-workers  day to day.

Unconscious bias, or deeply held biases that may influence unequal treatment of workers who are not white and male, exists across all levels of a company, Emerson said, but can be particularly powerful when it comes to hiring.

Paradigm worked to train Twitters global workforce of 3,860 in what unconscious bias is, and how to be aware of it and mitigate its effect. She said that by surveying employees before and after the training, the company was able to see the extent to which it had an impact.

What we were able to find is our workshop not only raised awareness  which is the baseline goal of any training  but it also motivated people to do things differently, she said. This really helps when it comes to team dynamics and drafting interview questions and rubrics ... so (hiring managers) can ensure theyre applying the same standards to all candidates.

Twitter also credited its own employees for pushing the company to be more inclusive and aware of issues facing various communities.

Marissa Lang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mlang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: marissa_jae
George Beall, a son and brother of U.S. senators from Maryland whose prosecution of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, a former governor of the state, for bribery led to Agnews resignation in 1973, died Sunday in Naples, Fla. He was 79.

The cause was cancer, said his wife, Carolyn Campbell.

Mr. Beall (pronounced Bell) had been the U.S. attorney for Maryland for two years when he opened an investigation into systemic corruption in Baltimore County, specifically between public officials and those seeking architectural, engineering and paving contracts.

The inquiry took an unexpected turn when an engineer, Lester Matz, admitted that he had been paying Agnew kickbacks in exchange for contracts for years  first when Agnew was the Baltimore County executive, then when he was governor of Maryland and vice president.

I was absolutely stunned, Mr. Beall said in a speech in 2003. I, like everyone else in the country, thought the vice president was the pillar of rectitude. He was an imposing, handsome, well-spoken, strong individual who spoke not just passionately but eloquently about principles and morality.

Agnew was more than that. A biting speaker, he zealously played the hatchet man for Richard Nixon, whose presidency was becoming imperiled by the widening Watergate scandal that would lead to his resignation in 1974.

Agnew took on the news media with particular relish. Using speechwriters words, he called critics of the administrations Vietnam War policy nattering nabobs of negativism and protesters an effete corps of impudent snobs.

Mr. Beall and Agnew were Republicans. Mr. Bealls father; J. Glenn Beall; and his brother, J. Glenn Beall Jr., were senators. Agnew appointed Mr. Beall to the states Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. And a framed photograph of Agnew hung in Mr. Bealls office. It was inscribed, With very best wishes to George Beall  a very able U.S. attorney.

Barnet D. Skolnik, an assistant U.S. attorney who worked on the case against Agnew, said party affiliation made no difference to Mr. Beall.

The bottom line, he said, is, we took it to George and he said: Fellas, do what you have to do. Keep me posted on a more or less daily basis. But youve got a green light. Take it wherever the evidence takes you. He said what he should have said.

Skolnik added, referring to the investigation, We didnt care that Agnew was a Republican, but we were concerned it could be shut down for political reasons.

Two more witnesses came forward to further implicate Agnew. One of them, Jerome B. Wolff, who ran Marylands roads commission, had an attic filled with documentation that detailed every corrupt payment he participated in with then-Gov. Agnew, Mr. Beall recalled in the speech.

It was a treasure trove that was tested to prove its authenticity, he said.

Mr. Bealls fears that the case would be taken away by the Justice Department or handed off to Archibald Cox, the Watergate special prosecutor, were allayed by Elliot Richardson, the attorney general. Richardson was jolted by the evidence against the vice president and encouraged Mr. Beall and his team to continue their investigation.

It wasnt a question of whether Agnew had been bribed, Skolnik said. There was little doubt of that early on. But the doubt had to do with whether admissible evidence of a quantity and strength and cohesiveness could be developed to the very high standard of what you would need to indict a sitting vice president.

Once the investigation became public, in August 1973, Agnew defended himself with characteristic vigor. He called the charges against him damned lies. He accused the Justice Department of trying to indict me in the press by leaking information that he was being investigated for possible bribery, extortion, fraud and conspiracy.

Agnew conceded that he had received campaign contributions from contractors, but said he had been unaware of any corruption.

The facade fell away on Oct. 10, when Agnew resigned the vice presidency and pleaded no contest to one count of tax evasion for defrauding the government of $13,551.47 on his federal income tax return for 1967. He was fined $10,000 and avoided prison time.

In federal court in Baltimore that day, Mr. Beall submitted a presentation of the evidence against Agnew, saying he had sought and received cash payments of more than $100,000 while in elective office. The 40-page document elaborated on what Mr. Beall said was Agnews pervasive acceptance of payments for eight years.

Two days later, Nixon nominated Rep. Gerald R. Ford to replace Agnew. Even more eventfully, on Oct. 20, Nixon accepted the resignation of Richardson for refusing to fire Cox and dismissed William D. Ruckelshaus, the deputy attorney general, for not following an order to discharge Cox. Nixon himself fired Cox.

George Beall VIII, whose familys roots in America date to the 17th century, was born in Frostburg, Md., on Aug. 17, 1937. He was one of three sons of J. Glenn Beall and the former Margaret Schwarzenbach, a homemaker. He graduated from Princeton University and the University of Virginia School of Law and was a clerk for Chief Judge Simon E. Sobeloff of the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Beall was appointed U.S. attorney in 1970, at age 32, and resigned in 1975. He remained in private practice, specializing in commercial litigation. He was occasionally asked to run for senator, but declined. He was also a lawyer for the Baltimore Ravens until they were sold by Art Modell.

We were in a box for every home game for eight or 10 years, Campbell said.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Beall is survived by a daughter, Rebecca Beall DiSabato; two stepsons, James C. Alban IV and Nicholas Guy Alban; a stepdaughter, Tobey Frederick; 16 grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. Two previous marriages ended in divorce.

Prosecuting Agnew was the most high-profile case in Mr. Bealls career, but he rarely discussed it. Campbell said he spoke about it publicly only three times.

Stephen J. Immelt, chief executive of the law firm Hogan Lovells, where Mr. Beall was a partner until his retirement several years ago, said in an interview: You could, if you asked him enough questions at the right time of evening, get him to tell you a little bit behind the headlines. It was, in many ways, an unforgettable experience, and one that shaped him and gave him strength.

Richard Sandomir is a New York Times writer.
MINNEAPOLIS  President Obama has denied a clemency request by American Indian activist Leonard Peltier, who has spent most of his life in prison in the killing of two FBI agents in South Dakota in 1975, Peltiers attorney said Thursday.

His attorney, Martin Garbus, said they received a letter from the White House on Wednesday night saying their application to commute his sentence to the 40 years hes already served has been denied.
Waves higher then 30 feet are expected to roll into Bay Area beaches this weekend, as yet another storm hits Northern California, forecasters said.

Swells will gradually increase beginning Wednesday night and into Thursday before peaking late Friday night and Saturday morning, said Carolina Walbrun, a forecaster with the National Weather Service based in Monterey.
WASHINGTON DC - Former Illinois Republican 2016 Primary Senate candidate James Marter has welcomed Illinois Review readers to follow him on Facebook during the Trump Inauguration.



Marter met up with a group of Republicans from Kendall County, Illinois

We'll update as Marter, who lost the 2016 GOP primary to Mark Kirk before Kirk lost the 2016 General Election, posts on his personal Facebook page. He began Thursday before noon:
Noor Salman willingly helped her terrorist husband carry out a shocking massacre at an Orlando nightclub and then tried to thwart law enforcement officials who questioned her after the gunman lay dead among his 49 victims, federal prosecutors allege.

But an attorney and a family member of the 30-year-old mother disputed those claims, describing her instead as a victim of domestic abuse whose only concern was her young son, and who was oblivious that her husband, Omar Mateen, was planning the deadly rampage at the Pulse nightclub.

Whether Salman will be convicted of aiding and abetting by providing material support to a terrorist along with obstruction of justice  charges to which she pleaded not guilty Wednesday at her arraignment in Oakland federal court  will play out over the coming months when the case moves to Florida.

But before the case leaves the Bay Area, where Salman was arrested at her Rodeo home on Monday, attorneys will argue whether the defendant should remain in federal custody without bail or be granted conditional release.

Her bail hearing on Feb. 1 may provide some information into how the government believes Salman was involved in the June 12 attack, which as of now remains unclear.

If they know at some stage she was a willing participant, they want to send the message: Dont help a would-be terrorist, even if its your husband, said Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a former federal prosecutor.

She said its somewhat unusual for the U.S. attorneys office to prosecute spouses in criminal cases, but by bringing the aiding and abetting charge, prosecutors appear to believe that Salman was in some way involved before the attacks.

The question is: How willingly she was involved, how much she knew and how much she did to stop it, Levenson said.

Salman had told investigators that she drove her husband to the club, about two hours from their Fort Pierce, Fla., home sometime before the attack, according to reports citing anonymous senior law enforcement officials.

She was also reportedly with him when he bought the ammunition used in the killings. Mateen died in a shootout with police after a three-hour standoff at the club, during which officials said he declared an allegiance to the Islamic State.

Salmans uncle spoke publicly on her behalf over two days of court appearances that began Tuesday and vehemently insisted that his niece is innocent, saying she was under an abused life.

He added that Mateen worked as a security guard and had guns, so buying ammunition was not unusual. The day Mateen bought the bullets at a Walmart, Salman went with her now 4-year-old son to the toy section, the uncle said.

If you really know Noor, you know she would not do anything to hurt anybody, he said.

Salmans attorney, Linda Moreno, described the same plight of abuse and said it kept her client ignorant of her husbands behavior.

Noor Salman had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night, she said in a statement Monday. Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands.

Mateen appeared to have a history of being an abuser before marrying Salman.

In an interview with CNN after the Orlando killings, Mateens ex-wife, Sitora Yusufiy, described being tortured, held hostage and physically abused by her husband.

Every time I would try to call my family, he would actually abuse me while I was on the phone with them, she told CNN. I would try my best to talk with them so I could hear their voice and try to mask it because I didnt want them to worry either.

The two divorced, and in 2011 Salman met Mateen through an online dating site and married in Hercules within months, she told the New York Times.

The seven-month delay in charging the case  as Salman remained out of custody  signals that the decision by prosecutors didnt come easy, said McGregor Scott, the former head of the U.S. attorneys office in Sacramento, who now works as a private criminal defense attorney.

What that tells me is there was a vigorous debate on whether to charge the case, he said.

But in general, Scott said, the FBI has zero tolerance in terrorism cases, where accomplices are often involved.

If they find another agent whom they can prove was involved in a crime, theyre going to prosecute to send a message, he said. Simply because the shooter is dead, the case doesnt just go away.

But Mateen didnt appear to be the kind of terrorist wrapped in an elaborate plot with overseas co-conspirators who had planned an attack on U.S. soil.

Instead, the shooter was described by President Obama as a likely homegrown extremist, inspired and radicalized online. And whether Salman will spend her life behind bars will be in the still-guarded details of the case.

We really have to wait and see what the facts are on the case, Levenson said.
CHICAGO - Not only will Republican Governor Bruce Rauner be staying in the state rather than going to the Trump Inauguration, so will at least three Democrat members of Illinois' congressional delegation, and others are still undecided.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) was the first Illinois member to announce his boycott.

I cannot go to [the] inauguration of a man whos going to appoint people to the Supreme Court and turn back the clock on women and turn back the clock on immigrants and the safety and freedom that we fought for them.

Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) said he "fully supports the peaceful transfer of power, but has chosen to spend the district work week with those who have elected him to represent them in Congress."

Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) - considered by Illinois social conservatives as one of them - is too busy to attend, a spokesman said.

"Congressman Lipinski prefers working in his district and spending time with his wife to watching the inauguration ceremony and attending parties in Washington," the spokesman told Crain's.
Want to turn your anger into action? Check out the below for direct actions that YOU can take to fight back right now. Stay up to date on upcoming issues and actions by signing up for Jan Schakowskys email newsletter and by following www.facebook.com/schakowskyforcongress!

1. Sign this Petition to Protect the ACA and Ask 10 Friends/Family/Coworkers to sign up, too!

To sign up or get more information, visit https://www.barackobama.com/protect-obamcare/

2. Attend the Womens March on Washington on January 21st!

To sign up or get more information, visit https://www.womensmarch.com/

3. Attend the Womens March on Chicago on January 21st!

To sign up or get more information, visit http://womens121marchonchicago.org/

4. Tweet at Governor Rauner about protecting Medicaid!

Sample language Hey .@GovRauner, stop delaying and do your job! We need a budget that doesnt hurt our community!

5. Email Government Accountability Office about auditing Donald Trump!

Suggested statement: "I'm contacting the GAO in support of an audit of our incoming President Elect's finances, to prohibit conflicts of interest that would prevent him from carrying out the responsibilities of the office without corrupt influence."

Emails: siggerudk@gao.gov, minellit@gao.gov, and congrel@gao.gov

6. Tweet at Donald Trump about protecting the ACA, Medicare, Medicaid, and Planned Parenthood!

Sample language .@realDonaldTrump don't #MakeAmericaSickAgain. Hands off ACA, Medicare, Medicaid, and Planned Parenthood!

7. Call your State Legislator and tell them to repeal the Illinois Abortion Trigger Law!

Find your State Representatives contact information here

Find your State Senators contact information here

8. Fight back against Donald Trumps injustice by volunteering at the Inaugural Service Day for Social Justice in Chicagohelp the people he is hurting!

To sign up or for more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/ChiServDay/
Do you earn minimum wage, part time, because thats all youre capable of, or because thats all you could find? If you run a business, is that business as productive and lucrative as it could and should be, or would it be a hundred times better if the economy at large were booming, as it should be?

In the end, though, the numbers that really matter are these: how many people are in the workforce, and how many are outside it? And how many of those working are in fact working to the best of their potential?

We talk about unemployment numbers so many statistics, so many challenges. People looking for work, people whove given up looking 5% judged this way, 10% judged that way it seems we have talked about joblessness  especially industrial joblessness  for decades, actually, ever since the industrial age began.

These are the questions on which economists, and government officials, must concentrate.

America has driven too many whole industries offshore, by crippling taxes, destructive regulations, oppressive bureaucracies, greedy unionizers, and activists with an axe to grind leaving devastation and poverty in their wake. The time has come to welcome employment  of all kinds!  back to the United States.

The Jobs We Know

There was a time when people who wanted to work in manufacturing would start out on the line, rise from assemblyman to shift lead, then to foreman, then to plant manager perhaps venture out on their own, or move from company to company. The variety in wages  between an entry level job on the line and the middle class level of the plant manager, and hopefully, eventually, the upper class position of the company owner  was what inspired the young to get started, and what made upward mobility possible.

You may start at the bottom, but if youre good and you work hard, in a good economy, you can end at the top.

This happens in every industry, both the industries we still have and the ones weve lost. So this still happens where we make cars, pumps, furniture, firearms, and all the other industries we still have in America.

And it still happens elsewhere, where they make the products weve lost  toys, clothing, so many industries. People still start on the line, climb up to shift lead, then foreman, then plant manager, then owner but now they they do it in China, India, Nicaragua, South Korea because weve driven these industries  and opportunities  out of the United States.

The key expectation of the incoming administration is that we will stop driving companies away. We will stop using punitive taxes and crippling regulations to clear our nation of employers. America will again be a mecca for domestic expansion, aggressive entrepreneurship and foreign investment at least, that is the hope, if it goes as expected, and if foolish trade protectionism doesnt counteract the good policies.

So we think of the steel industry, and rejoice: there will again be jobs for steelworkers. The return of toys and textiles may bring the same opportunities for molders and assemblers, cutters and tailors. So many industries should be reawakened across the America landscape though of course each will meet with varying levels of success.

We therefore look to a time, hopefully not too far off now, when assemblymen, welders, CNC operators, and every other kind of blue-collar laborer will again have opportunity to ply their craft and shine.

The Jobs We Forget

There is, however, a secondary aspect of this job market, just as important, perhaps even more so, that is rarely discussed  and thats all the other jobs  the non-manufacturing line jobs  that manufacturing brings.

Described above was the obvious path  and yes, its the path of numbers. A 1000-person manufacturing company may well have 900 people on the line, as entry-level assemblers, finishers, packers, team leads, foremen, etc. But in addition, the company produces another hundred jobs that arent on the line at all, and are just as critical for the economy.

This 1000-man manufacturing company must have an engineering department, an accounting department, a quality team and a Health/Safety/Environmental team, maybe a lab for testing and a couple onsite nurses in case of injuries. The site must have a sales force, perhaps both outside salesmen and inside customer service buyers to bring in the raw materials for manufacture; a legal team to review contracts and trade compliance, and a transportation/logistics team to handle warehousing and shipping. Plus facilities, human resources, I.T....

These blue collar industries, in fact, require a great deal of "white collar" workers as well!

The presence of that 1000-man company is therefore not only important to produce work for the 900 people on the line  both skilled and unskilled  its also critical for the office personnel, creating generally better-paying jobs for accountants, lawyers, product managers, marketing executives, engineers, MIS directors, and so forth.

When we complain about a failed economy that has shed so many factories, we must remember that we have shed both kinds of employment  so when an economic boom enables the creation of new factories, we must also remember that we are creating so many other jobs too. A steel factory doesnt just employ steelworkers, it also employs accountants, salesmen, buyers, clerks, management

And the lines between the two are not as extreme as one might expect. People on the line may take evening classes and get their degrees, then break through that wall into the main office, changing their collars from blue to white. The path to CEO runs through both areas; there have always been CEOs who started on the assembly line and others who started in the mailroom.

When we speak of bringing back industries, we often hear complaints: But we dont want THOSE jobs; they dont pay well! and Have you seen the starting salary working at a toy factory? Who wants THOSE jobs?

But such complainers dont understand that the starting salary is NEVER what you want a company for. You dont want to stay in that role your entire career; its a place to get your start. A first job, perhaps to help pay your way through college, perhaps to get something on the resume before looking at a more desirable career

But for many, its the starting point in the business world from which the employee discovers his path. Move from the line into transportation, or into quality, or into purchasing or sales or engineering or stay on the line and move up to foreman and maybe even plant manager. To each the path that works for him.

When there are businesses, all doors are open to you. And when there are no businesses, all doors are shut.

This has been one of the special pains of the workforce challenges of this past generation: fifty years ago, a bad economy meant that the company stayed in business, but shed a lot of employees from manufacturing  they still needed office people, even for reduced sales. Today, companies may move to other countries or shut down entirely, shedding both blue and white collar jobs alike.

While politicians should of course have always valued both groups, they didnt, necessarily.

The fact that the Obama recession has been as bad for attorneys, salesmen, buyers, marketers, and management as its been for assembly line workers may have had a silver lining, as the straw that broke the back of politicians blaming the business cycle and absolving themselves of responsibility or blaming the unemployed. So many people of all kinds have been out of work these past few years (95 million outside the workforce today), politicians cannot just blame the unemployed as being lazy anymore.

The Supporting Economy

There is one more aspect to consider: the interdependence of businesses.

When we shop at our local Walmart or K-Mart, we may notice that a product was made in China, and we grumble, because there was once a US business making that product, employing all the different kinds of employees described above.

But even then, we often forget about the companies that support that manufacturer.

That factory hires a landscaping firm for its exterior and a cleaning firm for its interior. It buys raw materials (the ore and minerals for a steel factory, the fabric and thread for a clothing company, the plastic resin for an injection molder), and at least some of these raw materials come from nearby. While some are imported, at least a decent percentage of raw materials will be local to the manufacturer.

So when the manufacturing process is driven from the USA to China, India, or South Korea, those local raw materials suppliers also lose some business, and some will eventually go out of business themselves. Those landscaping and cleaning firms lose a customer. The laborer-placement and executive recruiter firms that had supported the factory lose a customer as well.

Who else supports a business? Everyone else in the community! When a factory closes, nearby restaurants shut down, because they used to cater to its employees, and to vendors making sales calls there. The hotels take a hit as well; they used to rent rooms for the night to those traveling salesmen and to customers coming in for training or sales conferences.

Who else in town depended on that factory being there? Everyone. Every local store, dry cleaner, plumber and electrician, even if they never did business directly with the factory, depended on doing business with its employees. When the factory closed, their employees no longer shopped there, and perhaps even moved away to greener pastures.

We see this effect most when we look at whole cities devastated by the loss of an industry, like Gary, Indiana or rural towns devastated by the loss of a single big employer, like the Midwest mining towns that collapsed when the Obama administration shut down their mines.

The Diverse Economy

We therefore cant escape the fact  if we think about it  that all businesses are interconnected, whether the name of the industry sounds like a desirable one or not. That hard assembly job may not be the most desirable role on earth  sewing suit coats or assembling toys, making pumps or filters or a thousand other boring industrial products

but the presence of those jobs is what creates the opportunities for all the desirable jobs. If a too-low minimum wage or a ridiculously strict federal regulation kills an industry, what it really kills is a whole community. Drive out the steelworker or the coal miner, and you have driven out the restauranteur and the carpenter, the electrician and the builder, the salesman and the buyer, the lawyer and the CPA, the software whiz and the mechanical engineer, the hotelier and the dry cleaner.

The lesson of the Obama Recession has been that losing one industry kills all industries. We have seen whole towns destroyed, whole communities rendered inescapably jobless (just take a drive off the interstate, on minor highways through rural America, and you'll see the real devastation of the Obama economy).

But the lesson of the Trump Boom  if the Trump-Pence economic plan isnt hamstrung by Democrat opposition or protectionist booby-traps, anyway  will be that the corollary is also true: That when you allow a dormant industry to again rise to prominence, the prosperity will spread, like the proverbial ripples from a pebble in a pond. As JFK famously said, over half a century ago, "A rising tide lifts all boats."

The business that arises or expands will hire all kinds of people, and the whole community will benefit.

We must love steel, and toys, and textiles, and small industrial products, and large industrial products, and medium industrial products, not only because we love the product in question or the workers most closely associated with it

...but also because every other career  blue collar and white collar alike  depends on it as well.

The long awaited recovery cant start soon enough. Heres praying that nothing slows it down!

Copyright 2017 John F. Di Leo

John F. Di Leo is a Chicagoland-based Customs broker and international trade professional. He has worked for American manufacturers for the past 20 years; prior to that, he worked in international transportation. In the 1980s, he served on the boards of the Illinois Right to Work Committee and the Illinois Small Business Mens Association.

Some will find this column incredibly unnecessary, just a listing of the pronouncements of Captain Obvious. But it was written because  to too many in the media, academia and the political class  these obvious facts will be a revelation!

Permission is hereby granted to forward freely, provided it is uncut and the IR URL and byline are included.
California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein strongly suggested Wednesday that she will run for re-election in 2018.

Although she said she has not yet made up her mind, Feinstein told KQED-FM that as long as I feel I can get things done, and I can, then I think I benefit the people of my state as opposed to someone new coming in.

When reporter Scott Shafer responded that she sounded as if she were running, Feinstein said, Well, thats sort of true.

Feinstein, 83, was first elected to the Senate in 1992. She is the oldest member of the Senate and has risen to its top ranks in seniority. As the new ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, she is set to lead any fight over President-elect Donald Trumps nomination to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Ambitious California Democrats are waiting for Feinstein to make up her mind about 2018. Blocked from higher office by party veterans who have held power for decades, several contenders would surely announce their candidacies should Feinstein decide not to run. Potential candidates include Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, hedge fund millionaire-turned-environmentalist Tom Steyer and state Senate President Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles.

With the states top-two primary system enabling a Democratic challenger to reach the November runoff, some might decide to take on Feinstein even if she does run for re-election.

Im not suggesting any candidate is going to oppose her at the moment, said Larry Gerston, a political science professor emeritus at San Jose State University. But I think for anybody to assume that somebody at that age has a clear shot may be a bit of an overreach.

If she ran and won, Feinstein would be 91 at the end of her next six-year term.

Feinstein had a pacemaker installed last week, a scheduled procedure that she fit in after leading a daylong Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., to be attorney general. Her office said the procedure was undertaken out of an abundance of caution. Feinstein returned to work after one day of rest at home.

Feinstein said in the radio interview that if I can produce, and I can produce, and I can continue to produce, then I will continue to produce. If I believe I cant, either by health or any other way, I won't. But as long as I believe I can, I will.

She said she will make a formal announcement about the 2018 campaign at an appropriate time.

Carolyn Lochhead is the San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com
It seems that someone in Russia is excited about the pending inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump ... excited enough to mint a series of silver and gold coins with Trump's likeness.

Associated Press Television News captured footage (seen above) of one of the coins made at Art-Grani, a Russian metal-working company based 650 miles outside of Moscow, according to CBS News.

One side of the well-crafted coin is an image of Trump in profile, with an American flag background. The other side features a bas relief image of the Statue of Liberty, along with the words, "In Trump We Trust."

The coin reportedly weighs a hefty two pounds and is about 5 inches in diameter.

The director of the company, Vladimir Vasyukhin, was quoted by APTN as saying, "There are more hopes associated with Trump with regards to the lifting of sanctions; maybe the environment (between the U.S. and Russia) will change."

The art company has previously made other coins commemorating other events and people: It has issued a coin for Vladimir Putin and another celebrating the seizure and annexation of Crimea, as the Huffington Post pointed out.

The group would reportedly like to present a coin to Trump himself, and has apparently reached out to Russian diplomats to set up a presentation.

Only 45 coins have been made in total, with five made out of gold and the rest made in silver, CBS News reported, with the silver version not yet having an official price, but promised to cost a "few thousand dollars."

If procuring your own limited-edition Trump coin from Russia is a bit out of your coin-buying budget, Groupon is also offering a BOGO deal on a "24K gold clad tribute coin" for $9.99.
Unions representing 26,000 San Francisco municipal employees have reached a tentative agreement with the city to extend existing contracts by two years, averting a bargaining process that was set to begin later this month.

The tentative agreement, which is subject to member approval, calls for a raise of 6 percent over two years. A 3 percent raise would take effect on July 1. Another 3 percent increase would take effect in July 2018.

However, the second increase would be delayed by six months if the city in March 2018 projects a budget deficit of more than $200 million. Current predictions show a budget deficit of $119 million for the 2017-18 fiscal year and $283 million the following year. But the city is required to balance the budget, and city officials said they expected the trigger only to take effect in the event of an economic recession or large federal funding cuts.

The agreement covers all city employees except those in the fire and police departments, whose agreements were not up for negotiation. Covered workers include nurses at Laguna Honda and San Francisco General Hospital, parking enforcement officers, librarians, civil engineers, building inspectors and managers, among many others.

The city negotiated separate agreements with the 33 unions, although the key provisions are similar for all of them. The negotiations were coordinated through the Public Employee Committee, a consortium of public sector unions.

Mayor Ed Lees offer to extend the existing contracts, instead of renegotiate them, was a first in recent history, according to union leaders. In the typical bargaining process, negotiations would have begun later this month and lasted through mid-May, and touched on everything from health care benefits to staffing levels.

A spokeswoman for Lee declined to comment on why he sought contract extensions instead.

We are hopeful that we will reach an agreement with each union that provides a fair cost-of-living increase, while maintaining the citys flexibility to respond to potential financial challenges arising at the federal, state and local levels, spokeswoman Ellen Canale said in an email.

While the city is in strong financial shape, sales-tax revenue and hotel-tax revenue are growing at a slower rate than last year. Even more worrisome for city officials is the prospect that President-elect Donald Trump will follow through on his threat to cut federal funding for cities like San Francisco that provide sanctuary to those in the country without proper documentation.

It really seems to be a time we need to be working together and supportive and not in an adversarial forum for four months. Thats the main motivation for people on the union side, and I think people on the city side as well, said Bob Muscat, executive director of Local 21 and chairman of the Public Employee Committee.

Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreen
Driver's Licenses? Again?

Ha! Gotcha. This has nothing to do with immigrants getting driver's licenses. Or little to do with it. We think. A new proposal cruising around the Legislature would automatically register people to vote when they show up to get a driver's license. There's already a national law requiring the MVD to give you the chance to register to vote, but more states are considering some after-market mods to the "motor voter" law. It's a proposed constitutional amendment, meaning voters would have the final say on the measure. If only there were a way for your car to automatically drive you to the polling place...

Budget Spackling

The first order of business for lawmakers on day two of the legislative session was to

in this year's budget (the fiscal year ends June 30). Nearly $70 million may seem like a lot of spackle, but it's a workable proposition in a $6 billion budget. The fiscal touch-up is not pretty. The money comes from cash reserves held by public schools, from building-repair funds, wildlife protection plans and other things that were important enough to fund until now.

Thanks for the Work, Your Total Comes to [REDACTED]

That's actually a generous retelling of SFR's attempts to

Gov. Susana Martinez has paid attorney Paul Kennedy over the years. Jeff Proctor explains how the attorney general's office concluded the governor's stonewalling is a violation of New Mexico's public records law and why that doesn't seem to matter to the Martinez administration.

Antenora

So, some guy

from the Little Library of Barelas. Again. It's one of those free libraries that pops up on the street; a rich part of life as a kid in a part of Albuquerque that's rich in culture, but not so much in cash. You know, the kind of kids' library where if you steal all the books, you go straight to the

of Dante's hell.

Action!

Albuquerque and Santa Fe are

high on a best-of list. If you're making movies and living where you do it, as many indie filmmakers and crew members do,

says the Duke City is the No. 8 large city to be in and the City Different ranks second among small cities.

It's About to Be Official

The state went for Hillary Clinton in November, but hundreds of New Mexicans

to Washington DC for the swearing in of our nation's 45th president, Donald J Trump. Every New Mexico congressional representative and senator will be there, as will our governor and Albuquerque's mayor. Others are making the trip to join in planned protests of Trump's victory.

Just Because You're Our Mascot Doesn't Mean You Belong Here

New Mexico is among 19 states

for how it handles the reintroduction of endangered species. In 2015, Gov. Susana Martinez' administration refused to give the US Fish and Wildlife Service a permit to release Mexican gray wolves into part of their original range. The feds did it anyway, arguing the survival of a species trumps state concerns.

Thank You, May We Have Another

After a welcome whopper of a storm last weekend, Santa Fe and the rest of west and central New Mexico are

snowy end to the week. The first chance of snow in our fair capital city is tonight, so make this the day you splurge and buy that fancy new ice scraper.

Thanks for reading! The Word left the last glass of OJ for you.

Santa Fe Reporter
Warehouse Group, which is cutting costs by amalgamating its retail divisions, has hired Baycorp's New Zealand general manager Donna Cooper to run its financial services unit.

Cooper will join the country's biggest listed retailer on March 13, Auckland-based Warehouse said in a statement. Before her Baycorp role, Cooper worked at American Express. She will report to the finance unit's board, although the business will report through chief financial officer Mark Yeoman.

"The financial services board and I are looking forward to Donna joining the business, leading its future strategy, and realising the potential of financial services to support our retail customers," chief executive Nick Grayston said.

Earlier this month Warehouse bundled its flagship 'red sheds' with the stationery division, and joined online sporting goods unit Torpedo7 with the Noel Leeming business, with a view to stripping out "significant cost" by cutting duplication across the groups, and prompted the exit of executive Simon Turner, who was in charge of the 'red sheds'.

The finance unit, which was launched in 2015 offering credit cards, insurance products and a pre-paid mobile brand, is expected to face a writedown in goodwill in the first-half accounts, and chair Joan Withers told shareholders last year the board was reviewing the outlook for it to break even in 2018.

Warehouse shares fell 0.4 percent to $2.75 and have gained 11 percent over the past 12 months.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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NEW DELHI: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India maintain a positive outlook on the future in terms of business confidence and employment growth, a Facebook survey revealed on Wednesday.

Among the businesses surveyed in the country, 48 pct of SMEs are positive about the current state and 62 pct are positive about the future, revealed the "Future of Business Survey" done in the collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank.

"With the positive confidence and outlook shown in India, small businesses are clearly capitalising on today's digital opportunities. The more we can understand those connections and how they can fuel economic growth, the more we can help," said Ankhi Das, Director of Public Policy for Facebook India and South Asia, in a statement.

Job growth data also showed a positive trend in the country. Of the SMEs surveyed, 28 pct showed an increase in number of employees in the last month and 56 per cent expect number of employees to increase in the next six months.

Small businesses employ close to 40 pct of India's workforce, contribute 45 pct to India's manufacturing output and nearly eight percent of the country's GDP.

Among the SMEs, "the most common uses of online tools were to show products/services (61 pct); advertise to potential new customers (60 pct) and communicate with customers and suppliers (55 pct)," the findings showed.

The percentage of women in leadership and top management roles remains at 11 per cent in the country, it added.

"Small businesses in India are looking abroad to grow their business online. Almost 18 pct of SMBs in India engaged in international trade (data surveyed between October-December 2016) compared to 16 pct for February-July 2016 period," the survey said.

"This is a time to connect more. And the more connected small businesses in India are to their own economy and to the international economy, the more success and growth they can enjoy," Das added.

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Donald Trump's Win May Effect Infosys Profit Margin
WASHINGTON: Underlining India's key role in South Asia, a prominent Indian-American Republican closely associated with vice president-elect Mike Pence has said that Indo-US ties will further strengthen under the incoming Trump administration.



"President-elect Donald Trump and Vice president-elect Pence are aware that India will play a key role in South Asia for US and a great strategic partner in global development," Raju Chintala, from Pence's home State of Indiana, said.



"The new administration under leadership of President Trumpw ill continue to strengthen and widen relations between India and US, especially defence and commerce," said Chintala who landed in Washington DC from Indianapolis as part of the Republican delegation from Indiana to participate in the presidential inauguration and various related events including the presidential ball on Friday night.



"It will be a rewarding partnership for both India and the US," Chintala said.



"Terrorism is another area that Trump administration will collaborate with India," Chintala said hoping that Trump will focus on eradicating ISIS and terrorism during his tenure.



As Indiana Governor, Chintala said, Pence had planned to visit India this year.



"Pence wanted to visit India and recognises potential exports for US companies," he said, adding that the vice- president elect is very much keen to enhance business and trade relationship with India.



Born and raised in the Nalgonda District of Telangana, Chintala has known Pence for more than a decade now and is known as a close acquaintance of the vice president elect ever since he was a member of the US House of Representative and thereafter became Governor of Indiana.



Since graduating from the Indiana Leadership Forum in 2004, Chintala has advised federal and state elected officials; actively served in political campaigns at the city, state, and federal levels.



He is one of the only few Asian Americans to seek elected office in the State of Indiana; and worked on behalf of the Republican Party in other capacities.



He was an alternate delegate from Indiana at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last summer.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With piano music in the backdrop, Hato Japanese Cuisine in Dongan Hills serves as a peaceful oasis for sushi lovers.

The new Japanese restaurant opened in late December with sparse digs. The dining room features three booths on one side and a banquette that runs along the other, marked by a white-washed brick wall.

Yet this is all the more tender of a setting to offset Hako's deep and delicious bowls of ramen. A Spicy Pork Belly version features baby bok choy plus oodles of thin noodles. Braised pork or the bellies lend richness to "tonkotsu" broth made creamy from the yolk of a soft-boiled egg. Pork belly makes it smoky.

Other "broth noodles" float roasted duck with scallions or shrimp in shoyu broth.

House specials include sizzling squid, chicken, tofu, beef or shrimp for $12 to $18 and "pasta" entrees -- Zaru Udon or that topped with Spicy Cod Roe, Grilled Pork Cutlet, beef tips, grilled salmon with avocado and seafood -- cost $12 or less.

Rice dishes can be fried with an egg and served hot but otherwise feature beef, shrimp teriyaki, tempura-ed proteins and chilled, raw fish.

With sushi, presentations can be woven with prawn heads or wrapped with delicate rice paper.

Special rolls include the "White Ninja" -- spicy 'white tuna', shrimp, mango and cucumber with spicy eel sauce -- and the "Fort Hamilton" -- eel, kani, seaweed salad, crunchies and avocado topped with spicy mayo and eel sauce. The latter is a nod to a special at the restaurant's initial location in Brooklyn called Tengu Sushi and Noodle House.

Hato means "dove" in Japanese although a server at the Dongan Hills house said the word here can be expressed more like "food that comes from the chef's heart."

Hato Japanese Cuisine is located at 1434 D Richmond Rd., Dongan Hills; 718-668-2838. The restaurant is closed on Mondays but otherwise open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 11 p.m.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- SILive readers, your passionate comments about our coverage of the season premiere of MTV's "Are You The One?" were seen, read and heard.

Loud and clear.

Alas, after his "scandalous" television debut last week, Eltingville's Mike Cerasani is back on the small screen to find love, party hard and win some cash. This week. the ladies had the upper hand or in this case, nose, in the challenge dubbed, "Love Stinks."

The challenge consisted of all contestants getting blindfolded as the women of the house, literally, sniffed out the male contestant they wanted to go on a date with.

After making their choice, both contestants have to make it to the buzzer to lock in one of the three spots available for a "getaway" date.

MORE THAN JUST THE "STATEN ISLAND PLAYER"

While the challenge winners were on their dates, Cerasani poured his heart out to his ideal "perfect match", contestant Casandra Martinez, about his -- less than perfect -- family life.

He revealed that his mother's financial problems have left her "dead broke" and his father lives in a psychiatric center to confront his problems with drugs and alcohol.

Martinez said Cerasani has shown his genuine side to her -- and proudly tan, coiffed and ripped young man is "more than what he looks like."

THE 'TRUTH' RESULTS

The couple the contestants sent into the truth booth, Andre Siemers and Alicia Wright, were no match. No beams of light illuminated during the matching ceremony, which means their potential grand prize of $1,000,000 (yeah, $1M) was cut in half.

ABOUT THE SHOW

With the usual total of contestants being 20, "Are You The One?" is bigger, and arguably better, than ever. The hit dating show, set in the Dominican Republic, puts 22 singles together to fall in love and win the cash prize of a million bucks.

"I wanted to find my match and see how it feels to have a conversation with someone that was chosen for me by a professional," said Cerasani. "Some people would make jokes about how I'm a 'guido' and all that. I don't care, though. I was being me, I was owning it."

Throughout the show, the singles will compete with one another for the chance to go on dates and get alone time with those they feel the strongest connection with. The rest of the house have to vote for one couple a week to head into the "Truth Booth" that determines if the couple selected is a "perfect match."

It all comes down to the matching ceremony. At the end of each episode, the singles come together, choose who they think their "perfect match" is and host Ryan Devlin reveals how many couples are right using beams of light.

Tune in to MTV at 9 p.m. Wednesdays to follow S.I.'s Mike Cerasani on his reality TV journey to find "true love." Full episodes are up on MTV.com.
122 Precinct, New Dorp

The 122nd Precinct held its monthly community council meeting Wednesday night, where Commanding Officer Ebony Washington announced the expansion of the NYPD's neighborhood policing program to the precinct. (SI ADVANCE/JIN LEE)

(Jin Lee)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A citywide effort to improve the relationship between the NYPD and the communities it serves is coming to the 122nd Precinct, Deputy Inspector Ebony Washington announced at Wednesday night's community council meeting.

No specific start date was given, but a town hall meeting will be held in February to better introduce it to communities, said Washington, commanding officer of the 122nd Precinct.

The program brings neighborhood coordinating officers to the precincts. These officers are expected to become focal points of the community, dealing with people's day-to-day complaints.

Each of the officers was handpicked by Washington and has previous experience in the precinct, he said.

The program already exists in the 120th Precinct, where it has been a success with people in the community, Washington said.

In addition to the announcement of the new initiative, Washington also said people should be aware of ATM skimmers in the area, because the NYPD had noticed an increase in duplicate bank cards being used.

One attendee at the meeting said his wife had fallen victim to the practice, and that duplicates of her card had been used as far away as Missouri and Virginia.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Martha Hernandez will be one of millions of people tuning in to watch Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th president of the United States outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

Hernandez, an undocumented immigrant who lives in Port Richmond, will be listening closely to Trump's inaugural address to hear what his plans are for his first days as president -- as they could directly impact her and her family's future.

"I'm in limbo," said Hernandez, a Port Richmond resident. "I don't know what is going to happen."

Her fear, and the fear of all the undocumented immigrants in the Staten Island community, stems from Trump's campaign promise to deport the population of 11 million immigrants living illegally in the United States.

In Trump's latest video speech, he says he will "investigate all abuses of visa programs that undercut the American worker."

Within his first 100 days in office, Trump vows to remove the more than 2 million criminal immigrants from the country.

Favio Ramirez-Caminatti, executive director of El Centro del Inmigrante in Port Richmond, said that most of the immigrants he speaks to have many concerns, particularly about their family, due to Trump's "tough campaign" against immigrants.

"A lot of people are concerned about their jobs, about their families and about what can happen," Ramirez-Caminatti said, noting that it's not just immigrants who are concerned -- as Trump offended many groups during his campaign, including "minorities, women, African-Americans, people with disabilities and prisoners of war."

FAMILIES FEAR SEPARATION

Ramirez-Caminatti said that some families are particularly worried when Trump talks about deportation, as they have children who are citizens, but they may have parents or spouses who are illegal immigrants.

"Most of the immigrants we have here -- the population we have here -- is mixed families...So when you talk about deporting people, you are talking about destroying a family, separating a family. That is the big concern we hear here," he said.

Jovanny Guerrero, 25, was born in America to parents who were undocumented immigrants. This makes him what many have dubbed an "anchor baby" -- a term he doesn't like but is very familiar with.

"I feel bad because I know people will suffer, just like I know people are suffering now," said Guerrero, a Port Richmond resident, noting immigrants fear of what's to come.

He said he feels fortunate that his parents eventually became "permanent residents" by getting amnesty under the Clinton administration in 2005, but added that it's still a hard road for them, and even for him, as immigrants still face discrimination.

"Even though I was born here, people see me on the street and they don't say, 'Oh look. He's a citizen.' I still get discriminated whether I'm American or Mexican, no matter where I go what they see is my skin, unfortunately."

Some illegal immigrants still hope that Trump will not carry out his plans for deportation as he has talked about.

"He does have a loud mouth, but hopefully it doesn't become reality," said Lucio Pena of Silver Lake.

Ramirez-Caminatti said that if Staten Island's illegal immigrants are deported, it will impact the borough's entire community -- as the local economy will be affected.

El Centro del Inmigrante provided more than 4,000 jobs for undocumented immigrants on Staten Island during the last fiscal year, Ramirez-Caminatti noted, and all workers are required to pay taxes using a tax ID number. He explained that undocumented immigrants are business owners, workers and customers throughout our borough.

"Deport everyone here in Staten Island and at least 60 percent of the businesses will need to close. The prices will rise and who will pay for deportation? We will --the people who pay taxes here," Ramirez-Caminatti said.

ELECTED OFFICIALS AWAIT DETAILS

South Shore Councilman Joe Borelli, a co-chair of Trump's campaign in New York, said he is not sure how Trump will carry out his plans for deportation.

"I'm waiting to hear details of the same plan they are, as there are dozens of unique circumstances that need to be addressed and can't be generalized," said Borelli, who will be at the inauguration on Friday.

Borelli said that illegal immigrants who have committed criminal acts should be worried when Trump takes office, as the president-elect has promised that their deportation will be done within his first 100 days.

"If a person has committed a crime while they are here, they should feel anxious about their stay," said Borelli.

BUILDING A WALL WON'T HELP

While Trump has said throughout his campaign that he plans to build a wall along the U.S. southern border and make Mexico pay for it, not everyone agrees that will help stop immigrants from coming illegally.

Hernandez said Trump's 10-Point Plan for America, which includes "working on an impenetrable physical wall on the southern border, on day one," is flawed because it doesn't take into account the determination of those looking for a better life.

"They are going to find a way -- probably it will be more risk -- still people who have no choices to live better, they will find a way to do it," Hernandez said.

REASONS FOR COMING TO U.S.

Hernandez came to this country for the opportunities she did not have at home.

"It was a lot of fear to come here but also was a great decision to make things better for my family back home," she said.

In Mexico, Hernandez says she was a "college girl" but needed money to complete her studies. She decided to come to America but faced many obstacles trying to get the legal documentation necessary.

She did not own properties and did not have much money saved -- two key factors the government asks when determining if you should get documentation to come to the United States.

"My father worked in the Mexican Army. His income is not even enough to survive," she said, noting that her mother would do odd jobs like buying things and reselling them to earn extra money to live.

While Hernandez started out working at a clothes factory in Manhattan, she now is her own boss, working with the global nutrition company Herbalife. Starting her own business in which she can work from home is something that never would have been possible in her own country.

That's one of the reasons she can't imagine going back to Mexico.

SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW?





Hernandez said all she can do now is be prepared for whatever happens on Friday, and in the days ahead.

"I have a Plan A and a Plan B," she said.

Plan A is to continue to try to get her documentation, as Hernandez is currently working with an immigration lawyer.

Plan B is to go back, which she notes will be difficult.

"It (Mexico) has nothing to offer," Hernandez said. "There's no jobs. ..most people don't have a place to live. They don't have families there...people are really going to suffer and families are going to suffer."

Hernandez said her children, ages 13, 10 and 3, don't want to go back either and know that if she is deported, they will have to leave their home, school and family here. Her older son has talked to her about it, while her middle son just cries when he thinks about what could happen.

"He doesn't want to leave his country," she said.
NWS CIMMINO

Jessica Cimmino with her husband, Ralph, and children, Ralphie, 3, and Gabriella, 5, in a family photo taken at Christmas in their Annadale home. Jessica died in a traffic accident days later, on Jan. 6, while on her way to work in Long Island. (Cimmino family photo)

A Go Fund Me page was started by family and friends to benefit three-year-old Ralphie Cimmino, left, and his sister, Gabriella (Gabby), 5, whose mother, Jessica, was killed in a traffic accident. (Family photo)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- School families and the community are pulling together to help the family of a young Staten Island mother who died in a car accident earlier this month.

The Parent-Teacher Association of PS 36, in Annadale, is collecting gift cards and other items for the family of Jessica Cimmino, 40, who died Jan. 6 when her car ran off the road, into the woods off the Meadowbrook State Parkway in Long Island. She had been on her way to work as a middle-school teacher in the Merrick School District, her husband said.

According to her husband, Ralph, who works as an electrical mechanic with Con Edison in Brooklyn, the family is waiting for the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Jessica Cimmino was the mother of 3-year-old Ralph Jr., known as Ralphie, and 5-year-old Gabriella, known as Gabby, who is a kindergarten student at PS 36. The family lives in Annadale.

"It's our hope that we as a community can bring some comfort and make things a little easier during this most difficult time," said PS 36 PTA president Jenn Gravagna.

She said that gift cards and donations have been pouring in since the school sent home a letter with students last week.

Parents at Holy Child Preschool, where Ralphie is enrolled, have also pitched in to help, and a Go Fund Me page, "The Ralphie and Gabby Cimmino Fund," has already raised more than $60,000, to go toward the children's education and college fund.

Cimmino, who described himself as a "private person," said he is grateful for all the efforts to aid the family.

"I am grateful, from the bottom of my heart, for all the support and prayers we have received." he said.

The couple met at the Jersey Shore in 2006, and were married in 2010, Cimmino said.
nws garbellotto

Nicole Garbellotto, 34, was found dead in a cell at the 120th Precinct On Dec.8, police said. (Photo from gofundme page)

(Third-Party-Submitted)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The family of the Brooklyn woman who died at the 120th Precinct stationhouse last month has filed a suit against the city -- including two Staten Island hospitals -- seeking information about her death.

Donna Rosa is the petitioner in the suit and the mother of Nicole Garbellotto, the 34-year-old found unconscious and unresponsive in a holding cell at the St. George Precinct on Dec. 8.

The suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court Thursday, claims Garbellotto died either in NYPD custody at the 120th Precinct stationhouse or at Richmond University Medical Center, West Brighton.

"...Ms. Garbellotto was killed by the respondents' failure to address her obvious medical needs, despite their obligation to do so," said family attorney David Rankin in the suit.

The respondents are the city, Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island University Hospital, and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA).

Garbellotto was found unconscious and unresponsive in the holding cell at around 4:35 a.m., and when EMS responded to the scene, she was pronounced dead, police said.

The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.

However, sources previously told the Advance that there was no use of force in the incident and the woman didn't appear to have drugs on her in the holding area.

Garbellotto had been arrested by 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. 7, an MTA spokesman said.

FDNY/EMS administered the Narcan anti-overdose spray, and she was transported to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze for evaluation.

Garbellotto was treated at the hospital before TBTA officers transported her to the 120th Precinct stationhouse for processing on charges of DWI and operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, police said.

A hospital spokeswoman confirmed the woman was treated and released.

The suit asks the responding officers and medical personnel who treated Garbellotto be identified.

It also seeks all the key records pertaining to the incident, including medical treatment of prisoner forms, 911 calls, photos, video recordings, ambulance reports, arrest reports and prisoner movement sheets, according to court documents.

"The responsible parties must not be allowed to have their tortuous behavior hinder the prosecution of a civil action," Rankin wrote in the suit.

"All the allegations will be reviewed once we are served," said a spokesman for the city Law Department.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Mariners Harbor man accused of gunning down a mother and her son in their community last year, and who was later shot himself by cops, has been found mentally unfit to stand trial, his lawyer said Thursday.

The determination, recently made by two psychiatrists during a court-ordered exam, means Anthony Morales doesn't understand the charges against him and can't aid in his defense.

Morales, 50, is scheduled to appear Monday in state Supreme Court, St. George, for a conference. Prosecutors can either confirm the results then or contest them and seek a hearing, said Mark J. Fonte, Morales' lawyer.

"The findings confirm my initial assessment that this individual suffers from severe mental deficiencies," Fonte said.

If prosecutors affirm the evaluation, the defendant would be placed in a secure psychiatric facility and periodically assessed to determine if his condition improves while under care.

A justice had ordered the tests in November at Fonte's request.

Prosecutors did not immediately comment on the case.

The defendant was wounded on March 28, 2016, when authorities captured him in Pennsylvania, four days after he allegedly slayed Idelle Rivera, 47, and her son, Anthony Rivera, 21, on March 24.

According to a criminal complaint, the slayings occurred between 6 and 6:12 p.m. outside 20 Roxbury St., only steps from the victims' apartment building.

Morales lives in a different apartment in the same building of the Mariners Harbor Houses complex as the mother and son did, according to police.

Idelle Rivera was shot once in the head, while her son was hit with three bullets in the head. Jose Ramirez, then 22 and a friend of the younger Rivera, was shot nine times about the body.

Authorities were exploring the possibility that a dispute over an auto sparked the shooting.

Shortly before the slayings, Anthony Rivera had sold a car to the suspect, who was unhappy with it and wanted a refund, a source with knowledge of the police investigation told the Advance.

In an exclusive interview at his hospital bed after the shooting, Ramirez told the Advance the Rivera family had an ongoing feud with Morales regarding a stolen radio antenna from the suspect's vehicle.

Morales lit out for Pennsylvania afterward, sparking a multi-state manhunt.

Investigators tracked him to West Brunswick Township in Schuylkill County, about 125 miles west of Staten Island.

Morales was shot 10 times on March 28 when he ignored repeated commands from authorities to put up his hands before he made a sign of the cross, reached toward his waist and brandished a gun, police told reporters.

Morales was rushed to Reading Hospital in critical, but stable, condition, police said.

He was later extradited to Staten Island.

Prosecutors have said the gun recovered in Pennsylvania was the same weapon with which the defendant had shot and killed the Riveras and shot and wounded Ramirez.

In June, prosecutors filed a seven-count indictment charging Morales with two counts each of first- and second-degree murder and single counts of attempted first- and second-degree murder and second-degree criminal weapon possession.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- He should have mailed the letter.

Cops found stolen postage stamps in the jacket pocket of Kevin Harding, 48, when he was arrested on Saturday for burglarizing and stealing a car from a West Brighton residence, according to the police report and the criminal complaint.

Harding, who was on parole for a prior burglary conviction, allegedly broke into a residence down the block from where he lives on Lawrence Avenue, according to police and the criminal complaint.

The suspect shattered a window in a back door to enter the home on Jan. 7. In addition to the stamps, Harding allegedly took cash and car keys. The suspect then was captured on surveillance video as he allegedly took the wheel and drove off in a car that was parked in front of that residence, according to the criminal complaint.

Harding faces a slew of charges including burglary, unauthorized use a vehicle, grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, according to the criminal complaint.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Are you smelling a foul chemical odor on the South Shore of Staten Island on Thursday morning?

Emergency radio transmissions indicate that many calls have been made to the FDNY of natural gas or other chemical odors from various locations on the South Shore.

The smell likely has been wafting over from New Jersey, according to emergency radio transmissions.

An FDNY spokesman was unable to confirm the odor reports.
Page Content

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, as part of its I AM KING Program, is organizing a male empowerment panel discussion entitled Man to Man  Straight Talk, A No-Holds Barred Conversation for Saturday January 28th 2017 from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Philipsburg Cultural Center. The evening will be centered around two themes; Manhood 101 and the Role of a Man. The discussion on Manhood 101 will focus on questions such as What it means to be a man? and How do I be a man? as well as discuss the challenges and conflicting ideologies of manhood. The second discussion of the night will focus on the Role of a Man and will be centered on topics such as fatherhood and relationships. For both discussions, there will be two panels leading the discussion; one panel of youngsters and one panel of older men. The goal is to stimulate and facilitate discussions between these two groups of men and get their views of manhood from their perspectives. Participation will also be encouraged from the audience as persons will have the opportunity to participate in the discussion and ask questions and/or give their opinions. Entry to the event is free and the general public, especially men, are encouraged to come out and participate in this very vital discussion.





This Panel Discussion forms part of a trilogy of events for the I AM KING Program. In December, a male empowerment youth forum under the theme Managing my Reality was held where approximately 180 young men between the ages of 15 and 20 years old had the opportunity to discuss prevalent issues and topics affecting them today. After this upcoming panel discussion, the organizing committee will gather the information and pointers that came out of both events and host a stakeholders session where a plan to further stimulate male empowerment in 2017 and beyond will be devised.





If you would like more information on the I Am King Trilogy of Events, please feel free to contact Project Manager Janelle Presentacion at 542-3904 or via email at janelle.presentacion@sintmaartengov.org .




Page Content

On Tuesday January 17th, His Royal Highness King Willem Alexander and Her Royal Highness Queen Maxima, received Minister Plenipotentiary Henrietta Doran-York, among other guests, to their annual New Years Reception at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.





Attending the reception on Tuesday were several hundred guests representing Dutch society, including Prime Minister Mark Rutte and most members of the Kingdom Council of Ministers.





The Kings New Years reception, has become a tradition, which focuses each year on different groups, and this year the focus went on teaching professionals and school administrators.





After being greeted and welcomed by the Royal couple, H. E. Minister Plenipotentiary Doran-York used the opportunity to express best wishes for 2017, on behalf The Honorable Prime Minister, the Government and the people of Sint Maarten, whom she represents.





The Ministers Plenipotentiary of Curacao, H.E. Mrs. Eunice Eisden, and of Aruba H.E. Mr. Juan David Yrausquin, were also in attendance at the Kings New Years reception.









Photo: H.E. Minister Plenipotentiary Doran-York of Sint Maarten, flanked by H.E. Minister Juan David Irausquin of Aruba and H.E. Minister Plenipotentiary Eunice Eisden of Curacao at the Palace






Teddy Kunhardt '08

(Kunhardt Films photo) Teddy Kunhardt '08(Kunhardt Films photo)

A profile of the longtime U.S. finance mogul, Becoming Warren Buffett was produced by the award-winning production company of Teddy Kunhardt 08. The documentary premiered Jan. 30 on HBO, and now it's coming to Skidmore. The film will be screened Monday, March 6, at 7 p.m. in the Tang Museum's Somers Room; a Q&A with Kunhardt will follow. The event is free and open to the public.

Told primarily in Buffetts own words, the film includes never-before-seen home videos, family photographs, archival footage, and interviews with his family and friends.

The film is directed by Kunhardts father, Peter, who founded the production company (CNN interview here). The firms documentaries on American presidents, Oprah Winfrey, Pete Seeger, and other subjects have appeared on PBS and other major media outlets. Now with Teddy sharing the helm, Kunhardt Films recently won another Emmy, this one for Jim: The James Foley Story.
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Sales growth in the ACT has driven a surge in business confidence despite concerns about excessive red tape.

Business confidence rose 11 points as 61 per cent of surveyed businesses reported feeling positive in their prospects, despite a fall in sales for some in the December quarter, according to the latest quarterly Sensis Business Index.

Business confidence in the ACT has improved in the last quarter. Credit:Chay Talanon

Sensis chief executive John Allan said the lift in results was driven by strong sales among businesses anticipating a positive year.

"Looking to the year ahead all of the expectations are positive, with the ACT recording the best results for sales and wages," he said.
ACT parliamentarians say they will work with Mike Baird's successor on cross-border issues, after the NSW premier announced his surprise departure on Thursday.

Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry said the territory government had managed to build a successful working relationship with the premier.

NSW Premier Mike Baird and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr at the 2015 COAG.

"Our relationship with NSW is very important," Ms Berry said.

"The ACT Government wishes Mike Baird well in his retirement."
Good Morning Canberra!

Forecast wet weather will be a welcome change for our region's firefighters with a 95 per cent chance of showers predicted today.

But it won't last. Clear skies and sunshine are set to arrive on Saturday with temperatures reaching 30 degrees, followed by a cloudier Sunday with a slightly warmer top of 31 degrees.

Get out and about this weekend as rain is forecast again early next week.

Now to the news...
A Canberra woman feared for her life as her partner allegedly pinned her to the ground and held a knife to her neck as he threatened: "I'll f----ing kill you, I'll cut your throat."

The Watson man, 41, is also set to fight allegations he sliced the woman's leg with scissors as he held her down and had burned her skin when he threw hot coffee on her during their 18-month relationship.

He pleaded not guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court to 14 charges including assault causing actual bodily harm, threatening to kill, choking, and property damage linked to 10 alleged episodes involving his former partner.

Court documents said the woman detailed the alleged abuse in a recorded family violence evidence in chief interview on New Year's Day.

In one incident, the man allegedly knocked his former partner to the ground outside Watson shops and caused her to hit her head on the ground in September 2015.
A long-standing backlog of unassessed ACT Heritage nominations is delaying the legal protection of some of Canberra's most historic sites, including Manuka Pool and the Kingston shops.

The backlog peaked at 320 nominated places or object in 2008 that had not been assessed and has been reduced, but still stands at about 136 nominations at the end of June last year - the latest figures the territory government would provide.

Kingston and Barton Residents group president Rebecca Scouller and member Nick Swain have called for heritage protections to be improved at Manuka Pool and other listed, or nominated, sites across Canberra's inner south. Credit:Karleen Minney

But the delays the backlog is causing has prompted calls from the Kingston and Barton Residents Group, among others, for the government to update heritage listings for several landmarks across the inner south to include the social contribution of the buildings.

Among them, the group has urged the listings for Telopea Park, Manuka Pool, Manuka Oval precinct, the Forrest Fire Station and the Kingston shops be updated.
Shares in troubled infant milk formula group Bellamy's Australia tumbled to new long-term lows on Thursday as directors ratcheted up their criticism of dissident shareholders who are seeking board control, as the company pursues plans aimed at reviving its fortunes.

The shares fell another 2.5 per cent to a new long-term closing low of $3.93, falling below the $4 mark for the first time since mid-2015, as the board of the troubled company issued a detailed letter to shareholders arguing against proposed moves to unset the board.

Tasmanian entrepeneur and Kathmandu founder Jan Cameron says she is not a "board person".

One of Bellamy's co-founders, Jan Cameron who is better known as a co-founder of the Kathmandu retailing chain, has petitioned for a shareholder meeting to be held to consider ousting the four independent directors from the Bellamy's board. The meeting is to be held on February 27 in Melbourne.

Ms Cameron has claimed that shareholders with as much as 35 per cent of Bellamy's capital under their control want to unseat the board, although a large portion of this would appear to be held by the Black Prince Private Foundation which has 14.4 per cent of the capital.
Victoria has enjoyed a massive job surge in the past year, strong enough to keep the nation's employment market growing as the mining boom winds down.

Nationally the past year was the worst for job creation since 2013.

New official statistics show that the nation as a whole had a net gain of 91,500 jobs, as the winding down of the mining boom continued to dampen the economy.

Victoria '100 times better than NSW'
A deal that has returned Vegemite to Australian hands has delighted Dick Smith, the most vocal critic of the yeast spread's foreign ownership so much that he has pumped $250,000 into the product's new owner, Bega Cheese.

The ASX-listed dairy producer revealed it would buy Vegemite and a host of other Kraft products from the American giant Mondelez for $460 million on Thursday morning.

"We are buying an iconic brand in Vegemite," Bega executive chairman Barry Irvin said. "These iconic brands alongside the Bega brand are strong building blocks to enable Bega Cheese to become a great consumer goods business."

Entrepreneur and foreign investment critic Smith said it was fantastic and "wonderful for Australia" for the spread, which first went on sale in 1923, to be back in local hands as profits would now remain in Australia.
If Mike Baird's resignation as NSW Premier on Thursday caught the public and the media by surprise, some of his Liberal Party colleagues were speculating two months ago that the end might be nigh.

Those rumours were precipitated by Mr Baird's inexplicable delay in reshuffling his ministry after deputy premier and Nationals leader Troy Grant resigned on November 14. His deferral of a reshuffle (against the advice of his deputy, John Barilaro) quickly led to suggestions Mr Baird might quit in January. Others were saying he would go later in the year, or perhaps early in 2018.

Mr Baird's public demeanour late last year was subdued, and justifiably so. His government's credibility and authority had been damaged by opposition to Sydney lockout laws, and the reversal of the greyhound racing ban had proved personally embarrassing for the Premier.

For some MPs to have begun openly speculating on a departure date so soon after these setbacks suggests Mr Baird's mood around Macquarie Street was very low indeed. We now know that he was enduring tough family times as well, with both parents and a sister suffering ill health.
However they still connive to keep good people out and demonise them by calling them "boat people". They have forgotten their roots and the boats  Alexander, Charlotte, Friendship and others  upon which they arrived. Civilisation? Peter Snowdon, Aranda Australia Day, not a date that is particularly pleasing for Aborigines, said Aboriginal activist Michael Mansell: "The British were armed to the teeth and from the moment they stepped foot on our country, the slaughter and dispossession of Aborigines began."

Genocide, loss of country, deaths in custody, lower life expectancy, higher incarcerationrates, interventions, ineffective governments, lack of services, intergenerational trauma and racism. We "whites" certainly have transformed the lives of Indigenous Australians by ourinvasion. Chris Doyle, Gordon Kyrgios shows class I found it genuinely sad watching yet another Nick Kyrgios "office" meltdown, because I reckon he is an inherently decent and intelligent young man; though a bit of an anti-hero in this era of "saints" Roger andRafa.

But amid the on-court turmoil, I noticed something that explains why so many of his playing peers, unlike the hypercritical commentariat and Twitter ghouls, speak so well of him. Not only after match point was he gracious to his victor, Andreas Seppi, but as he walked off the arena he warmly tapped him on the shoulder in further acknowledgment of a match wellplayed. Sure, Nick needs a good kick up the backside every now and then from those who care. But the lynch-mob mentality that prevails also needs to be put in its place. Give him time.

Peter Day, Queanbeyan, NSW Bumper hypocrisy Jenny Goldie (Letters, January18) is concerned about the population implications of Westpac's "Bump Savings Account" for 2017 newborns which, to quote Westpac, will "help ensure the next generation enjoys the same quality of life we do". Given Westpac's refusal to rule out funding Adani's Carmichael coalmine, its "Bump Account" is sheer hypocrisy. The mine will have a catastrophic impact on global warming and blight the future of these 2017 newborns if, indeed, they have any future at all in an overheated planet. Patricia Saunders, Chapman

Heated argument Now it is official, the global average surface temperature in 2016 was the highest in the instrumental record, making it the third record year in a row. So much for the alleged "pause". Of course the record temperatures were in part due to a strong ElNino, but there were also strong ElNinos in 1982-83 and 1997-98. Each of these years has had higher temperatures than the one before: 2016 was a whopping 0.35degrees hotter than 1998. Whichever way one looks at it, the upward trend over the past 40-odd years has been inexorable and shows no signs ofabating.

Australia saw unprecedented bleaching of the northern third of the Barrier Reef, death of huge swaths of mangroves in the Gulf of Carpentaria, and fires in the wet highlands of Tasmania. As the ElNino dissipates, we will see temperatures return to and drop below the long-term trend. The sceptics will update their templates to allege no significant warming since 2016. But it will not be long before last year's temperatures becomenormal. Within the next couple of decades we will have another strong ElNino and the records will be smashed again. Meanwhile, Australia increased its carbon emissions last year and the government is allegedly considering a loan to the Adani Carmichael project.

How long will it take before individually and collectively we take serious action to turn this process around? Paul Pentony, Hackett Who needs trees, why not aim for maximum avenue ugliness Recent correspondents (letters, January 17, 18, 19) debate the virtues of kurrajongs versus eucalypts as a replacement tree species for Northbourne Avenue. Why use trees at all? The tram is inherently ugly, not only financially and as a non-transport option but in real life.

It will be running under ugly wires on ugly rails inside a canyon of ugly, oversized concrete boxes, each spawned in the loading-dock school of architectural ugliness. The main road entrances to the ACT each recently gained two huge advertising signs on oversized rusted girders, presumably decommissioned from the shipyards at Gdansk. Bunda Street shows us how a job-lot of old drain covers transform a streetscape, and let's not start on the uglinesses of Flemington Road, Gunghalin town centre, the lakeside container depot, Wright, and infill flats everywhere, or on the horrors yet to come at West Basin. For Northbourne Avenue I propose we continue as we've begun, since we are doing so well. Dump a heap of scrap metal where each tree was, add a six-metre concrete gargoyle by each road crossing, and let's aim for maximum ugliness and maximum developer profits throughout the ACT. John Trueman, Downer

Spare that tree After last Friday's winds, we have all become more aware of the state of our city's trees. The verdict must be, 'not good'. Drive around central Canberra and you see trees half dead and dying, branches extended precariously over footpaths and roads and wilted leaves. Trees do not just have aesthetic value; they provide homes for birds and insects and they provide shade. Trees oxygenate the air and catch dust and grime, reduce effects of pollution and enable excess water to penetrate the soil and so help prevent floods. Trees have a significant effect in improving our health and wellbeing.

TV detectives frequently advise each other to 'follow the money,' when investigating a case. Apparently, the ACT government has allocated a paltry $900,000 a year for the city's trees. I wonder how this compares to money spent on sport or public transport, the relative luxury of a light train or the arboretum? It is all about priorities. In a normal household, food comes before party dresses; basics before luxuries. Where do trees come  a basic or a luxury? We must decide.

Margaret Atcherley, Forrest The Canberra Times editorial ("Canary in the Coalmine/Destroying Canberra to save it", January 11) refers to the real stakeholders in Canberra, the people who live in, and love, this city. Many people have invested a lot in Canberra as residents  time and love. They chose to come and live here and many have chosen to remain here. Even ordinary citizens who are residents have invested a lot of money. If being a stakeholder means having an interest, that investment needs to be weighed up. The current DA to put an outrageously high building into the Curtin shops values the development at just under $15million in construction costs, on a block of land already leased by the developer with unimproved value $848,000.

This is less than $16 million all up. Half of an average street of houses, about 25 properties, has a monetary value that is more than that. Curtin has around 2500 dwellings  its residents have invested 100 times as much in Curtin as this developer is proposing. Add in the surrounding suburbs who use Curtin as a group centre and even from a bean-counting point of view, this community has put up a lot more stake than the developer. So who are the real stakeholders here? The residents and the communities deserve to be listened to.

Chris Johnson, Curtin Disease taking hold The "no holds barred" trashing of Canberra continues, as outlined regularly in letters to the Canberra Times e.g. Colin Smeal (Letters, January 18). The article by Juliet Ramsay ("West Basin's path to urban awfulness", January 18, p16) provides an excellent overview of the disease now taking hold in earnest. Consultation processes are a farce, as flagged by Chris Emery (Letters, January 17).

I read the latest contributions in a cafe in Curtin, only to be reminded of what is occurring when walking through the Curtin Shopping Centre, with citizens seeking signatures with the sign "Development threat to Curtin Square, Rally 11 am Saturday 21 January". The Manuka Oval development plans by stealth should have been signal enough to the Canberra populace. Apparently not, it seems. Murray May, Cook Greens off-colour Juliet Ramsay's excellent article ('West Basin's path to urban ugliness', January 18, pp. 16-17) raises many questions but the one that fascinates me is what is the objective of the Green Party?

It is clearly not making Canberra green. The Labor Party is beholden to the unions which may explain why they are happy to desecrate parts of Canberra in the name of development but the Greens? The ACT Greens must be the only green party in the world so set on co-operating in the destruction of natural beauty. Perhaps that is what happens when they become part of government. J. J. Marr, Hawker

Glaring safety issue In September last year we had the example of a new block of units in Franklin being issued with a Certificate of Occupancy by the relevant government directorate  on advice from the (private) certifier  despite the fact that at least half of the units did not have electrical power connected. To date, no explanation has been advanced as to how and why this was allowed to happen. Now we learn, courtesy of Chris Emery of Reid ("Public ignored on high rise", letters, Jan 17) that the project design in the Development Application for the BAC site in Braddon does not comply with the building fire regulations! How can a DA for such a project be accepted with such glaring non-compliance on occupant safety?

Paul E. Bowler, Holder TO THE POINT BABY BUMP BONUS One reads some amazing letters to the editor in the Canberra Times, but the worst I've seen in recent times are the comments by Jenny Geldie (Letters, January17) stating her opinion that the $200 "Baby Bump" account bonus offer by Westpac will result in unneeded major population growth. Surely she can't be serious. Heather McMillan, Greenway

PROVING A NEGATIVE According to the Canberra Times (editorial, January 18, p.14) those welfare recipients currently subject to debt-recovery processes will be offered the option of an internal review of their situation "conditional to them being able to prove they received no prior letter". Proving a negative? How? Judith Erskine, Belconnen CONTRAST IN STYLES Starkly contrasting events east and west of the Atlantic. The US places power in the hands of a TV guru now dogged by his own contradictions, dribbling racism and misogyny, superbly contemptuous of convention. In Britain, on the other hand, Brexit deliberations proceed with quiet dignity.

Barrie Smillie, Duffy A SMALL VICTORY My Centrelink pension has fallen by 0.58per cent this year. That's not so bad, though, because my superannuation rose by 1.1per cent. In dollar terms, the rise was 2.26 times the loss. It's good to win occasionally, even if only by a few hundred cents. Gary J.Wilson, Macgregor CHANGING DECKCHAIRS

Just like changing the deckchairs on the Titanic, Malcolm Turnbull's effort will have a similar outcome. D.J.Fraser, Currumbin, Qld. Hunt. Sinodinis. Deckchairs. Titanic. Paul McElligott, Aranda I suppose one is entitled to feel some disappointment that there weren't more changes in the recent ministerial "reshuffle", particularly as Mathias spent so much effort and money in his quest to find Malcolm the new Broome.

Brian Smith, Conder TRUMP A NEW YELTSIN Is it just me, or do others see a resemblance between President-elect Trump and Boris Yeltsin? Whereas Yeltsin was drunk on alcohol, the Donald appears drunk on narcissism. Mike Quirk, Wanniassa UNREPRESENTATIVE
Gene Cernan, the US astronaut who has died aged 82, became famous as the last man to leave his footprints on the moon on December 13, 1972, when he climbed the ladder of the lunar module of Apollo 17, having previously made a vital contribution to the space program on the Gemini 9 and Apollo 10 missions.

Cernan made his debut aboard Gemini 9 in 1966, when he became the third person (and second American) to walk in space, a mission which very nearly put him into permanent Earth orbit. Cernan was attached to the spacecraft with a long "umbilical cord". But the cord kept getting in the way of his manoeuvres and his spacesuit did not appear to be cooled.

Gene Cernan in Canberra last year. He admitted to struggling to adjust to normal life after his time in space. Credit:Jamila Toderas

Cernan spent two hours and seven minutes outside Gemini 9 and was supposed to make his way from the front of the capsule to the rear. But as he got hotter, his heart rate increased dangerously and his helmet fogged up. As a result, he was unable to complete his walk and did not have a chance to test a new jetpack. But the lessons learnt brought improvements that have made spacewalks from the International Space Station almost routine.

Cernan's first Apollo flight was as pilot of Apollo 10, commanded by Tom Stafford, in May 1969  a dress rehearsal for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's Apollo 11 moon landing two months later.
Mike Baird proudly declares "This state will never be the same again" ("Live: NSW Premier Mike Baird retires from politics", smh.com.au, January 19). I agree but for different reasons. Baird lists his achievements as economic management, investment in health and education, the poles and wires leasing, infrastructure and growth, the environment, investment in social housing and integrity measures. But public outcry , on many platforms, has been consistent and widespread - from Randwick to Orange. So let's be honest and rephrase the above measures in a different light - economic growth benefiting developers and investors while housing affordability deteriorates; selling off vital public assets for sports stadiums; drastic cuts to TAFE; lack of transparency in costing works and dealing with private enterprise; Westconnex; destruction of heritage tress and houses; forced and unfair property acquisitions; forced council amalgamations; selling off and destruction of landmark heritage buildings in the city; mass forced evictions of social housing tenants; regressive amendments to native vegetation laws and rights to protest, and the attack on ICAC. Baird's exit leaves this state all the poorer for his undemocratic and bullying reign.

Marie Healy Hurlstone Park

NSW Premier Mike Baird announces his retirement at a press conference on Thursday. Credit:Janie Barrett

One can only wish Mike Baird and his family well. The Premier has presented a human face for conservatism amidst too many ugly visages. TS Eliot wrote, "The last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason." While this might apply to some other politicians and, though the Premier has experienced falling polls and internal party dissent, it is not hard to believe that in retiring for profoundly distressing family reasons Mike Baird is doing the right thing for the right reason.

Ron Sinclair Bathurst
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has praised an Australia Day billboard featuring two Muslim Australian girls in hijabs, and backed the wearing of Islamic dress in public.

The billboard, promoting a government-funded Australia Day event in Melbourne, was controversially taken down after threats were made to advertising company QMS.

Meanwhile, in another incident likely to offend Muslim Australians, West Australian Premier Colin Barnett said he would encourage Muslims not to wear the burqa face-covering in public, because "it's not part of our culture".

But Mr Dutton, whose previous comments have at times outraged migrant and Muslim communities, defended the billboard and the donning of Islamic dress during an interview on Thursday.
A vice-president of the NSW RSL has become the first member of the scandal-plagued institution to bow to pressure and stand aside.

Peter Stephenson, a Vietnam veteran, called on the rest of the 11-member state council to also step down and make way for a caretaker amid an expense rorts affair that has plunged the RSL into crisis.

In a letter, Mr Stephenson said: "As a consequence of detrimental press reports regarding former state president Don Rowe and allegations in the Sydney Morning Herald that state branch had covered up the extent of Don's presidential expenses, I have determined to voluntarily stand down from state council temporarily to allow any investigations to take place unhindered."
Ellen DeGeneres has farewelled Barack Obama with a touching tribute on Thursday, paying particular attention to his work on marriage equality.

The talk show host said Obama's dedication to legalising same-sex marriage  an issue on which he shifted during his time as president, after only supporting same-sex civil unions when he originally ran for office in 2008  had altered her life.

Ellen DeGeneres has farewelled the Obamas. Credit:YouTube

"I want to personally thank him for changing my life," DeGeneres said. "I am a legally married woman because of him, and so is my wife."

DeGeneres married Australian actress Portia De Rossi in August 2008, when same-sex marriage was legalised in the state of California. When Proposition 8 threatened to redefine marriage in the state as between a man and a woman, DeGeneres was one of many celebrity opponents of the amendment, which Obama also opposed.
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 they're pointed at, and since we find it natural to empathise with those close to us, decisions driven by empathy tend to be tribal. Spotlights have narrow focus, and so empathy is innumerate, favouring 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.

Can we feel each other too much? Yes, argues Paul Bloom. Credit:Stocksy

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. Isn't it essential to share the experiences of those we love, our friends, our children and our romantic partners?

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."
Republican men seem to see it differently. Just over half thought it was a good time to be a woman, while only 41 percent of them thought it was a good time to be a man. President-elect Donald Trump's rhetoric has appealed to people who feel this way. At his victory rally in Cincinnati in December, he said about women: "I hate to tell you men, generally speaking, they're better than you are. Now, if I said it the other way around, I'd be in big trouble." Dennis Halaszynski, 81, is a retired police captain in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and a registered Democrat who voted for Trump. "It's easier being a woman today than it is a man," he said in an interview. "The white man is a low person on the totem pole. Everybody else is above the white man." Women "should be highly respected," he said, but they are no longer unequal: "Everything in general is in favour of a woman. No matter what happens in life, it seems like the man's always at fault."

Democrats of both genders were much more likely to have felt unequal because of some aspect of their identity  68 per cent, compared with 47 per cent of Republicans. Gender, race and religious views were the biggest reasons. The only reasons Republicans were more likely than Democrats to feel unequal were their religious views and military status. There is overwhelming support for gender equality in work, life and politics: 93 per cent of respondents said they believed in it. But 43 per cent of male Trump voters said it had already been achieved. Only 20 per cent of those polled overall, and 12 per cent of women, agreed. The disparity is partly because people define equality very differently, based on their politics and gender. A majority of respondents said the following things affected women's rights and equality: unequal responsibilities caring for children, violence against women, a focus on women's beauty and sexuality, the lack of women in political office and positions of power, sexism, racism, equal opportunities in the workplace, and access to birth control and abortion. But in almost every instance, Republican men had a different view. For example, 51 per cent of respondents but 24 per cent of Republican men said a lack of women in political office affected women's rights.

Fifty-seven per cent of respondents overall and 36 per cent of Republican men said unequal responsibilities caring for family affected women's rights. Even men who said women were still treated unequally underestimated the sexism that women experience. While 41 percent of women said they frequently or sometimes heard sexist language in their daily lives, 26 per cent of men thought their partners did. Fifty-four per cent of women said they had been touched by a man in an inappropriate way without consent, while 31 per cent of men thought their partners had. About 40 per cent of women said acts of sexism would be more likely because Trump won, including sexual assault and feelings of entitlement among men to treat women as sexual objects. About a third of respondents said they were less tolerant of sexism in their own lives as a result of Trump's victory, and 43 per cent of parents said it made them teach their children about sexual assault and consent.

"People seem to feel validated in their racist and sexist beliefs right now," said Tayler Lien, 22, a mixed-race college student in Las Vegas who voted for Hillary Clinton. "It's a little bit scary." There was widespread support among large majorities in both parties for policies that would help women, like equal pay and paid leave. These have been rallying cries for feminists and progressives, and Republicans have traditionally opposed them. Congress failed to act on those policies during the Obama administration, but Trump has said he would push for them. Ninety percent of the respondents and 86 percent of Republicans supported the idea that the next president and Congress should work on equal pay laws. Eight-nine percent of respondents supported policies improving access to high-quality, affordable child care, and 87 percent supported paid family and medical leave. Policies concerning reproductive rights were the exception to the bipartisan support. Forty-three per cent of Republicans and 82 per cent of Democrats said they supported work toward protecting a woman's right to abortion from the next president and Congress, and 40 per cent of Republicans and 80 per cent of Democrats opposed getting rid of the part of Obamacare that offers birth control without a copayment. Loading
Drones are all the rage. The demand for drones is astronomical, with the value of the industry set to balloon from $US2 billion ($2.6 billion) in 2016 to an estimated $US127 billion by 2020, according to figures from consulting group PricewaterhouseCoopers.

But with the demand for great flying fun, comes considerable responsibility. Accidents can and do happen. As recently as August last year, a rogue drone smashed into a car on Sydney's Harbour Bridge.

Drones offer great flying fun but must be operated with considerable responsibility. Credit:Joe Armao

While the British tabloid, The Mirror, reported that a drone was a mere 6 metres from colliding with a commercial airliner as it attempted to land at Manchester Airport in July 2016.

To help our readers avoid any potential drone-related disasters, Fairfax Media approached Australia's Civil Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA) to find out the key things you need to keep in mind when flying your drone this summer.
The school's success in turning around its HSC results has caught the eye of the Department of Education, which has chosen it to partner with the University of Wollongong to develop excellence in teacher professional learning. This is how they did it. "In 2012, we achieved really ordinary HSC results and we shouldn't have," said Mrs Wall. "We have students who are very capable but they're not actualising their capabilities. So I called a meeting of the executive, and said, what are we going to do?" First, they evaluated the whole school, interviewed parents, staff and students, and identified key problems. Poor communication with parents stood out, and so did the quality of teaching and learning.

To work on the first problem, the school instituted parent workshops at the start of each term from Term 4 in Year 11, where teachers laid out clearly the language of the HSC, expectations and requirements, and advice on how to prepare for exams. "The parents sit down with students and teachers and get an understanding of what they should see their child doing at home, what they should hear them talking about, and giving them the language to engage with their child's study," said Mrs Wall. "We say to the parents, it's a partnership, our kids can't succeed without us all working really hard together." Attendance at first "wasn't fantastic", but word of mouth spread in the community about how useful the sessions were, and Mrs Wall said now, four years on, the expectation is that every child and their parent or carer attends each workshop. The school created an HSC study centre three afternoons a week in the library, funded with additional Gonski money and run by an experienced former Head Teacher in the newly created position of senior student coordinator.

"Her role is not to teach, it is to track, support and mentor every single HSC student," Mrs Wall said. "So she meets with every student weekly and keeps track of where they're at." Ms Jackson said the HSC study centre was very important to the students. "It was such a quiet environment and a lot of us had siblings or a house where we couldn't focus as well. Everyone around you was working so we were all motivated to do the same." She said that as the year went on, even students who had not been interested in the study centre were attending, so much that Year 12 students requested a fourth afternoon a week. Teachers took turns to attend and provide extra help in their subject area. In Year 11, all students do a comprehensive interview with the senior student coordinator to discuss their goals and areas where they might need extra support.

In addition, Year 12 students all have a teacher mentor of their own choosing, to help with motivation, workload management, and general advice. Based on the professional development research of UK Emeritus Professor Dylan Wiliam and more recently working with Australian researcher Anne McIntyre from the University of Stanford in California, teachers were given extra training to improve their effectiveness. This centred on how best to give feedback and drive each student's individual progress. If it sounds like a lot of work for the teachers, Mrs Wall won't disagree. "We have high expectations for everyone," she said. Ms Jackson achieved an ATAR high enough to get into the combined arts/law degree at the University of Wollongong.

"I can't rave enough about Woonona," she said. "I've got lots of cousins about to start high school and I tell them all, you've got to send them to Woonona. "The teachers, I can't thank them enough. You can do well for yourself, but just to see all the effort the teachers put in, you feel like you owe it to them to at least try." The key things Woonona HS did: * created high expectations for students and teachers * parent workshops throughout HSC year

* HSC study centre in the library after school three days a week * extra maths tutorials held by teachers before school * employed a senior learning coordinator * individualised learning goals and effective feedback Loading
When VCE results were released, Jakob Cobby became the first person in his family to finish high school.

And on Wednesday, when main round tertiary offers hit thousands of students' inboxes, he became the first to be accepted into university.

The former Thornbury High School student was accepted into his first preference  a bachelor of laws and global studies at Monash University.

Jakob was among seven VCE students who agreed to be filmed by Fairfax Media when they received their ATARs in November. There were plenty of gasps, deep breaths and "oh my gods".
Mike Baird introduced himself to the people of NSW nearly a decade ago with an inaugural parliamentary speech in which he voiced his love for his community and his family and an ambition to rebuild trust in party politics by championing three basic reforms.

His record on having those reforms embraced and introduced is mixed.

That night in 2007 Baird said that he was often asked whether his first loyalty was to his party or his community, and said that in order to restore faith in the system politicians must be able to vote freely not only over matters of conscience, but over those matters that directly affected their local communities.

"We [the Liberal Party] need unity on the essentials and wisdom and strength in areas of conscience and community," he said.
Paramedics have been told they should continue to wear their polyester-blend uniform shirts despite complaints about overheating in summer, in the second part of a stoush in the Industrial Relations Commission.

Two paramedic unions and NSW Ambulance appeared at the IRC in Sydney on Wednesday, with a commissioner saying it is his "strenuous hope" the disagreement can be resolved soon.

A NSW ambulance work shirt soaked with sweat. Credit:HSU

The issue began when the Australian Paramedics Association (APA) and the Health Services Union told their members to take off their heavy over-shirts during recent NSW heatwaves.

Both unions told paramedics they should wear their short-sleeved cotton under-shirts if it was too hot, as well as wearing an Ambulance-branded fluoro vest, cap and name tag.
Two police officers have allegedly been splashed with a drug after they pulled over a car in the inner Sydney suburb of Redfern on Thursday.

NSW Police said officers from Redfern Local Area Command stopped the car, which had two people inside, on Redfern Street at around 4pm.

It's alleged the officers had a conversation with the male driver and female passenger before they searched the car and uncovered several litres of Gamma Hydroxybutyric acid, a liquid more commonly known as GHB.

Police say the drug, which is also known as "fantasy" or "grievous bodily harm", was found in three one-litre bottles.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said the passenger "attempted to pour a liquid from one of the bottles" after it was discovered.
Good morning

Pack the umbrella before you leave: we are headed for a sunny day with a top of 30 degrees in the city and 31 at Parramatta with late afternoon or early evening thunderstorms. A strong wind warning has been issued for Sydney. The weekend looks perfect - 26-27C and sunny.

'She will surprise some people'

The likely new premier, Gladys Berejiklian. Credit:Louise Kennerley

A new premier will be elected in the Liberals' party room on Monday. The likelihood is that the premier to emerge will be Gladys Berejiklian. And she may have some surprises in store, writes James Robertson here.
A woman was critically injured when she plunged several metres from the balcony of an apartment on Sydney's lower north shore overnight.

The 26-year-old is in Royal North Shore Hospital with critical head injuries after she fell from the second storey of the apartment complex on Epping Road in Lane Cove about 11pm on Thursday.

Another resident in the complex called triple zero after hearing the woman scream, and finding her in the courtyard of an apartment below. The woman landed on concrete, and may have struck a fence when she fell.
Clive Palmer's absent nephew risks arrest if he does not return to Australia next month to give evidence to a court examining the collapse of Queensland Nickel.

Clive Mensink has been summoned to return from Europe to face questioning but reportedly has no plans to cut short his European holiday.

Clive Mensink is so elusive, even his own uncle claims he doesn't know where he is.

His absence had been notable throughout his uncle's appearances in the Federal Court in September, where he was variously described as being in the UK and "up towards the Arctic".

Liquidators had wanted to question the Townsville company's sole director about its collapse under about $300 million in debt, costing almost 800 jobs, but were told he had no immediate plans to return.
A neighbour has reportedly broken down the front door to rescue a Brisbane man in his 80s from his burning home.

Police said the Coorparoo man turned on a pedestal fan and went to sleep, before waking about 12.15am as his house began to burn.

The fan was believed to have sparked the fire.

"The flames were near the fan," a spokeswoman said.
The teenage son of a church pastor has faced a Queensland court charged with rape.

The 19-year-old, who cannot be identified, is facing several charges including two counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and three counts of indecent treatment of a child.

Police allege the offences involved children aged between 11 and 13 and occurred between November 2015 and December 2016 at a private residence.

The teen was granted bail after appearing in Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday.

As part of the conditions of his bail, he is banned from using or accessing the internet and must abide by a nightly curfew.
An alleged bikie who was nabbed by police on the roof of a Gold Coast home clad only in his designer jocks has faced court.

Garry Brush, 28, has been remanded in custody after a brief appearance at Southport Magistrates Court on a return-to-prison warrant.

The alleged Lone Wolf gang member, who was wearing nothing but his Calvin Klein trunks as he was arrested on the rooftop, is set to return to court via video-link on February 2.

AAP
While emojis look odd in formal writing - think important emails, and online articles like this one - they are used by almost everyone in text messages and on social media.

However despite their widespread use, the study of emoji use is in its infancy.

Emojis are a key part of how young people communicate.

So, in an article recently published on Trends in Cognitive Sciences, a group of international researchers from Australia and the UK are calling on other researchers to study our use of emojis.

"Emojis provide us with an insight into human behaviour in the digital age," Australian Catholic University researcher Dr Stephanie Malone said.
STM Goods (the new name of STM Bags) have long been a favourite for storing digital gear. The Sydney-based company makes its laptop bags tough. So tough, I've only just retired an old STM gym-style backpack that I bought back in 2009.

For the past few weeks I've been carrying all my stuff in a Moroccan Blue STM Prime. Like the Tardis, this tiny little bag fits a lot more inside than you would expect. On a recent trip to the US, the STM was loaded with a MacBook Pro, a DSLR camera, two lenses, a plethora of cables, tablet, Kindle, large headphones, a bunch of batteries, notepad, pens and a water bottle.

STM's backpack is a lot more spacious than it looks.

There were plenty of compartments to keep everything separated, hidden pockets for valuables such as a passport, colour-coded straps to easily see which pocket you were opening, and side pockets for easy access to the water bottle. And all of this fitted in a bag small enough to slide under an economy airline seat, and comfortable enough to wear all day long.

STM backpacks are simply the most comfortable way of carrying a large amount of digital gear. The shoulder straps are nice and wide and well padded, and the back of their bags are always sturdy and supportive. The killer feature is a suspended sling for the laptop that lifts the laptop a little, so the weight of your device doesn't drag you down. It also provides your laptop with a little more padding and protection from the outside world.
Another man accused of being a member of a crime syndicate behind a plan to import $60 million of cocaine has appeared in court.

A day after four men appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court accused of masterminding a plan to import 186 kilograms of cocaine in a former Japanese whaling vessel, one man fronted the court on Thursday following an extradition from Queensland.

All five men are charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of cocaine.

A sixth man is also understood to have been charged but is yet to face court.
Several members of the Tiba family have been convicted of serious violent offences - including Bassam Tiba for the manslaughter of Richard Haddara - and drug crime.

He remains in a stable condition in the Royal Melbourne.

It is understood Omar Tiba, 27, from Coolaroo, was shot when an unknown gunman got out of the car and started firing.

A man shot by a balaclava-clad gunman at Campbellfield shopping plaza on Tuesday was a member of a north-west crime family.

A wave of violence was allegedly connected to a family feud between the Tiba, Haddara and Chaouk families several years ago.

Armed crime detectives are still investigating the motive behind Tuesday night's shooting. The gunman and up to three associates are still at large.

Up to four men in a white or cream car drove up to the victim in the Campbellfield Plaza car park about 9.30pm on Tuesday before one got out and started firing, Detective Inspector Steve Clark said.

A shopping centre security guard heard gun shots, ran outside and found the man lying on the ground with at least three gunshot wounds, Channel Nine reported.

"He heard some shooting, he ran down to see what it was, and he saw a man on the ground, bleeding," the security guard's colleague, Thomas Yoannis, said.
The owners of the soon-to-be closed Hazelwood power station have conceded the bill to rehabilitate the mine and demolish the ageing plant will run to almost three-quarters of a billion dollars.

In an extraordinary development highlighting the broader cost of brown coal-fired power, Hazelwood's majority owner, French energy giant Engie, has upgraded its rehabilitation cost estimate by more than half a billion dollars.

The figure was revealed in financial documents quietly lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission 10 days ago.
An alleged middle-aged "catfish" who, police say, posed online as a woman so as to lure other men to a Port Melbourne property, will face court charged with several sexual offences.

Detectives have been told the man allegedly contacted men via online classified websites including Locanto and Craig's List claiming to be a woman, a police spokeswoman said.

A man will face court after allegedly luring men to a Port Melbourne property using a false online profile. Credit:AP

She said three victims then attended a Pickles Street property, believing they were meeting a woman.

Police said a 40-year-old Port Melbourne man was charged on Tuesday with two counts of rape, an attempted rape, living on the earnings of a sex worker, sex work without a licence and possessing a drug of dependence.
A man in his 20s is in a critical condition after a stabbing in Melbourne's south in the early hours of Friday morning.

Police were called to an address on Raleigh Street, Windsor, shortly after 2am after reports of two men fighting.

A Victoria Police spokesman said the men had left the scene by the time police arrived.

"A man in his 20s presented to a nearby hospital with stab wounds," he said.
Police are hunting for a brazen thief who targeted an elderly woman in a Mundaring Shopping Centre on Saturday.

At around 10.55am on Saturday, a 79-year-old Stoneville woman was shopping at a supermarket on Hartung Street.

Her brown handbag was zipped up in the front of her trolley.

As the victim began to browse in the fruit and vegetable section, another woman with a leopard headscarf approaches her.
A Perth man has had stitches in his face after being trampled by a police horse at the Roe 8 site after joining mass protests against the clearing of bushland in Coolbellup for the four-lane highway.

Fremantle carpenter Billy Amez said he had never protested before but had decided to go and show support on Thursday because he believed strongly that the project had too high an ecological cost.

"I was sitting on the outside of the fence, committing no offence, exercising my right to peacefully protest  doing nothing, essentially," he said.

"A police officer to my right told me it was OK to sit there but not against the fence, so I started moving forward but then I had a horse on top of me and an officer shouting at me to move.
Tigerair has been given the tick of approval from the Indonesian Government to resume flights in and out of Bali from February 3.

A Tigerair spokesperson said the airline had secured approval to use its Airbus A320, after the airline was forced to ground several of its flights when the government made changes to its 'administrative requirements'.

Tigerair

"Tigerair plans to resume its normal Bali flying schedule from 3 February 2017, subject to final procedural approvals being secured," she said.

But the news isn't all good, with flights between Australia and Denpasar between Friday January 20 and Thursday February 2 cancelled indefinitely.
A Waikiki man has been charged after a Rockingham family's Christmas was ruined by two callous thieves, who allegedly made off with their car packed with presents in the early hours of Christmas Day.

Police spokeswoman Susan Usher said just after midnight two people broke into a home on Rothbury Parade, taking various items from the home, including three motorcycle jackets, a Trek racing bike and a drum kit.

Police say the thieves made away in a stolen car filled with Christmas presents. Credit:WA Police

The robbers then loaded the loot into the resident's Nissan Murano, which was parked in the garage and already packed with Christmas presents.

The thieves fled in the stolen car, which still hasn't been located.
Washington: Democrats sliced holes in billionaire Betsy DeVos' credentials to be the next US Education Secretary at a confirmation hearing on Tuesday, raising doubts whether President-elect Donald Trump's pick will win approval in the full Senate.

The nomination of DeVos to head an agency that sets policy for younger children and universities and also administers a college financial aid program of $US1 trillion has outraged Democrats who believe the Michigan Republican wants to dismantle public education.

"Do you think if you were not a multi-billionaire, if your family had not made hundreds of millions of dollars in contributions to the Republican party, that you would be sitting here today?" asked Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who recently ran to be the Democrats' presidential nominee.

Democratic Senators have made their opposition clear in recent days in letters, speeches and most notably at the hearing.
At a meeting in Greece, the 40-year-old Surinamese scion hashed out the details with one of the Mexicans and two purported representatives from Hezbollah. For $US2 million cash upfront, Bouterse would provide secure facilities in Suriname where the Shiite militant group could train 30 to 60 men. He would also supply rocket launchers, land mines and other weapons that could be used to strike US targets.

Dino Bouterse thought hed struck the deal of a lifetime. It was July 31, 2013, and the head of Surinames counterterrorism force - who also happened to be the presidents son - had been carefully cultivating what he hoped would become a lucrative relationship with a pair of Mexican drug smugglers. They had already piloted a line for shipping cocaine from Suriname, through Trinidad and Tobago, and on to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but the Mexicans had in mind a vastly more profitable side venture: building a Hezbollah base in Suriname and arming the Lebanese militant organisation against the Americans.

Dino Bouterse: facing a life sentence plus 15 years. Credit:YouTube

That couldnt have been further from the truth. A little more than a month later, Panamanian police arrested Bouterse at the airport in Panama City and extradited him to New York, where he had been indicted on drug-trafficking charges. Then, in November, US authorities unsealed a second indictment that charged Bouterse with providing material support to a terrorist organsation. The Mexican narcotics smugglers, it turned out, were US Drug Enforcement Administration informants who had been wearing wires the whole time. Their conversations and text messages with Bouterse were later made public in the unsealed indictments.

The episode was more bizarre than sinister. But it serves as an unsettling reminder that Surinames leading political family has long been involved in unsavoury, seedy and outright criminal activities. The Hezbollah threat may have been entirely concocted by the DEA - a clever ploy to bring down the reckless younger Bouterse - but the willingness of Surinamese officials to accommodate a terrorist group so close to the United States should serve as a wake-up call for Washington, which still maintains military ties with Paramaribo. That Suriname is also a thriving narcostate ought also to be cause for concern.

Located on South Americas north Atlantic coast and bordering Brazil to the south, the Republic of Suriname is nestled between Guyana and French Guiana, a French overseas territory perhaps best known today for its European spaceport and as the former site of the Devils Island penal colony. It is South Americas smallest country and is suffocatingly isolated from the rest of the continent. As noted travel writer John Gimlette wrote in 2011, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana have never felt part of South America. The [three] are the odd ones out; theyve never been Spanish or Portuguese; theyve never known machismo, or Bolivar, or liberation theology; and theyre so isolated that theres only one road that links them to the rest of South America.

But barriers - physical or cultural - have not kept the former Dutch colony entirely cut off from the outside world. During the Cold War, the United States, on high alert for communist mischief-making in the Western Hemisphere, worried that Suriname would enter the Caribbean Marxist-Leninist firmament headquartered in Fidel Castros Havana. More recently, the country has been a transshipment point for drugs bound for markets in Western Europe. Porous borders, a vast interior with little government presence, and significant corruption have helped secure Surinames position as a criminal entrepot. According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, it ranks among South Americas top five transshipment points for European-bound cocaine.
Berlin: Islamic State is using "headhunters" on social media and instant messaging sites to recruit disaffected young people in Germany, some as young as 13 or 14, the head of the country's domestic intelligence agency said on Thursday.

Hans-Georg Maassen also drew parallels between the militant Islamist group and past radical movements such as communism and Adolf Hitler's National Socialists that also tried to lure young people keen to rebel against their parents and society.

"On social media networks there are practically headhunters who approach young people and get them interested in this (Islamist) ideology," Maassen told foreign reporters in Berlin.

He cited the cases of a German-Moroccan girl, Safia S., 16, who is accused of stabbing a policeman at a train station in Hanover in February last year, and a 12-year-old German-Iraqi boy who tried to detonate two explosive devices in the western town of Ludwigshafen in December.
Baghdad: Iraq's government forces said on Wednesday that they had gained control of the eastern half of Mosul, three months after they began an assault to retake the northern city from Islamic State militants.

The Iraqi advance - the biggest military operation in the years since the United States ended its occupation of the country in 2011 - was aided by US air support and military advisers. But after weeks of heavy fighting and high casualties in areas of Mosul east of the Tigris River, the older and more densely populated western neighbourhoods of the city remain in Islamic State hands.

An Iraqi soldier waves the national flag as security forces patrol on the eastern side of Mosul, Iraq, on January 18. Credit:PA

The advance came as Russia and Turkey conducted their first joint air operations on Wednesday in Syria, bombing IS positions in and around the north-western town of al-Bab, where US jets also struck militant targets this week.

The operations, which one Russian general described as "unprecedented", came as Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted that he had a "working breakfast" in Washington with Michael Flynn, US President-elect Donald Trump's designated national security adviser.
On Friday January 20 in the United States (Saturday morning, AEDT), two months after he was elected, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

Australian viewers will be tuning in early Saturday morning to catch the official swearing-in ceremony in Washington. The theme of the country's 58th inauguration is the same as Trump's winning campaign slogan: "Make America Great Again".

So here is what you need to know:

When does it take place?
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PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) is pleased to announce Ms. Isabel Mosk will be the keynote speaker of its 2017 Annual General Meeting (AGM) Thursday 26th at Great Bay Sonesta, 6 pm. Isabel Mosk is an internationally renowned expert on the use of social media and digital destination marketing.

Ms. Mosk is an online strategist, her company Sherpas Stories help destinations with the translation of online, content and social media marketing. She is also an expert in the international platform Digital Tourism Think Tank (DTTT). Previously, she set up the European office of worldwide digital marketing agency Think, based in Vancouver, Detroit, Sydney & Amsterdam. Ms. Mosk has been a member of the marketing and technology group for the European Travel Commission and has been a guest lecturer at tourism schools. She continuously shares her travel experiences on her website ViveLeVoyage.

SHTA has embarked on a home grown branding Sint Maarten and marketing initiative and sees these as highly important instruments for attracting tourists, businesses and investments to the island. During the recent Crystal Pineapple Awards, SHTA invited local Sint Maarten creatives Loic Bryan, Ronny Busby, Arun Jagtiani, Tremor Donovane and Eduardo Dehaay to present their ideas and artwork for a potential Sint Maarten campaign; which was done in collaboration with SHTA. The brand initiative was also presented and feedback from the +300 Tourism industry professionals in attendance incorporated into the project.

Based on her expertise, Ms Mosk will share her opinion on the results of this project thus far and share advice to participating SHTA companies. Next to the SHTA branding project, she will reflect on the Expedia and TripAdvisor campaign launched last year by the SHTA and Sint Maarten Tourist Board.

SHTA is happy to cooperate on the keynote address with its newest member TUI, who has assisted SHTA in air travel for this interesting thought leaders to visit Sint Maarten. Next to welcoming ten other new SHTA members at the AGM meeting, SHTA is honored to have one of the worlds largest travel organizations joining its ranks as of 2017 with TUI.

The SHTA Annual General Meeting is to be held at Sonesta Great Bay Hotel at Thursday January 26th doors open at 5:30 pm, meeting to start at 6pm and will be followed by a mixer for all attendees. As SHTA would like topic of branding to be top of mind for the entire country of Sint Maarten, interested non-members and members of the public can attend with an advance email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Opes Advisors relocates Santa Barbara office

Posted by Publisher Internet

SANTA BARBARA, CA  (Marketwired)  01/18/17  Opes Advisors, a financial services firm with headquarters in Cupertino, California is relocating its Santa Barbara office to a more convenient location in the Presidio Avenue area of downtown at the end of this month. The innovative mortgage lending firm has been helping Santa Barbara-area residents achieve their dream of homeownership since 2014.

Opes Advisors Santa Barbara sales manager and senior mortgage advisor, Liz Heitmann, said, Our new location in the beautiful Presidio Avenue neighborhood will better accommodate our staff and be even more convenient to our clients and real estate associates. We now offer more loan choices than ever, and our clients appreciate our focus on jumbo loan options for the Santa Barbara market. The new office is in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, in the beautiful, Presidio courtyard behind the US Post Office and just blocks from the former office in the Financial District. The date for a grand opening celebration will be announced shortly.

Founded in 2004, Opes Advisors has grown to become a leading mortgage bank on the West Coast and the 26th largest in the U.S. Its innovative approach is different from that of traditional mortgage lenders; Opes helps borrowers look at the home buying decision in the context of their other financial goals, allowing them to preview the outcome of their choices. Clients benefit by having the confidence to make effective financial decisions about one of their biggest lifetime purchases  their home.

Combined with our office in San Luis Obispo and the new office we opened in Pasadena last year, the Santa Barbara location is key to helping us provide financing services to residents in both the Central Coast and Southern California region, said Susan McHan, CEO, Co-Founder and President, Mortgage Bank of Opes Advisors. Im thrilled to say that, as a Santa Barbara native with three decades of experience working in the local real estate and lending community, Liz Heitmann has led her team of experienced mortgage advisors in building a reputation for honesty, integrity and extraordinary customer service in that community.

has developed the first real estate decision technology to fuse mortgage lending services with financial advice, providing clients with a personal financial model that empowers more effective life decisions, such as buying a home. As both a leading, full-service mortgage bank and financial advisory firm, the company offers a wide range of competitively-priced mortgage programs, as well as financial advice and investment management from its Wealth Management division. Opes Advisors has 39 locations in California, Oregon, and Washington. Discover more information at .

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Media contacts:

WAV Group Communications

206-866-1220 Cell/Direct/Text

Communications Manager

Opes Advisors

650-931-0619
LinkedIn and DataSift Join Forces to Provide Data-Driven Marketers with Advanced Insights into the Worlds Largest Online Professional Network

SAN FRANCISCO, CA  (Marketwired)  01/18/17  DataSift today announced a strategic partnership with LinkedIn and unveiled PYLON for LinkedIn Engagement Insights to provide marketers around the globe with advanced insights into the activities and interests of over 467 million professionals.

LinkedIn Engagement Insights is a privacy-first analytics offering from DataSift that equips marketers with an in-depth understanding of key audiences, their interests and engagement with content, and how they interact with brands on LinkedIn. With these insights, marketers can inform and optimize advertising planning and measurement, brand building activities, and content marketing on LinkedIn. DataSifts approach to data processing provides an environment that allows for results to be aggregated, giving marketers audience-level insights while respecting LinkedIn members privacy and preventing private member data from being collected or viewed.

Fully customizable and adaptable for a variety of use cases, LinkedIn Engagement Insights allows marketers and agencies to improve the use of the LinkedIn platform:

 Research the behavior of high value audiences on LinkedIn and validate assumptions. Confirm audience segments by analyzing the job titles, locations, and skills of audiences who are engaging with relevant content on the network. New audience segments can also be identified based on their engagement with content that intersects with a brands existing audience.

 Gain a greater understanding of what topics, types of content and creative resonates most with key audiences. Use content insights to better shape and inform content marketing strategies on LinkedIn, create more compelling content for target audiences and more effectively measure success on LinkedIn.

Analyze brand sentiment and understand how audiences engage with their brand, products or services on LinkedIn relative to industry competitors and peers.

Being able to make data-driven decisions is vital for us to increase the reach and success of our clients campaigns on LinkedIn. So, we were very interested in getting more data from LinkedIn, an extremely valuable and solid source of information for advertisers, said Eleonore Laubier, Business Integration Lead at Publicis Media. We started using LinkedIn Engagement Insights with UBS, one of our biggest global clients, and were so impressed by the results that weve started integrating it into our Connected Intelligence tool for all of our clients. We now have a more in-depth understanding of our clients target audiences and can use the data to optimize campaigns on LinkedIn, as well as create and target custom audiences. It has also enabled us to identify the audiences generating the highest engagement and interest around our clients industries and key topics, and surface related trends that clients can capitalize on.

Partnering with DataSift will enable LinkedIn to provide access to better data-driven insights so that marketers and agencies can improve engagement with their target audiences and deliver positive ROI on LinkedIn  all in a way that respects member privacy, said Russell Glass, VP of Products at LinkedIn. LinkedIn Engagement Insights is a major milestone in our efforts to empower marketers to make more informed media planning decisions that can help them be more successful on our platform.

LinkedIn Engagement Insights is powered by DataSifts PYLON technology, which processes LinkedIns live newsfeed of published content and the engagement surrounding it (clicks, impressions, shares, likes, comments.) PYLON for LinkedIn Engagement Insights then applies Artificial Intelligence (AI) to understand the text within posts and articles, identifying the topics, companies, and products mentioned. The advanced analytics allows marketers to perform multidimensional analysis across audience and engagement data and unlock valuable, actionable insights.

Until now, there has been very little data available for gaining insights on content for professionals, said Benjamin Borch, Managing Director at Motley, part of the Dentsu Aegis Network. LinkedIn Engagement Insights changes this, providing us with a deeper understanding of the content and topics that are trending with different audiences. There is a limited amount of content that people can consume and our clients are now battling with news sites, as well as their competitors, to capture peoples attention. Having visibility into the content that resonates with professionals enables our clients to produce impactful, high-quality content that engages their audience and this is invaluable.

LinkedIn Engagement Insights will open up powerful new ways for our clients to plan, design and deliver their advertising campaigns on LinkedIn, said Jamie Tedford, Founder and CEO, Brand Networks. They will have the ability to discover valuable information in real-time and rapidly apply it to active campaigns to achieve the best possible results. LinkedIn Engagement Insights promises to create a new high-water mark when it comes to actionable insights for social advertising.

Our partnership with LinkedIn highlights the future of the intersection between data-driven marketing and human data intelligence, explains Tim Barker, CEO, DataSift. LinkedIn Engagement Insights fundamentally re-invents marketers campaign planning and delivery, providing access to rich audience, content and engagement data. Were looking forward to working with LinkedIn on advancing the use of privacy-first data to inform marketing decisions on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Engagement Insights is available today from DataSift as an API, enabling the broad ecosystem of agencies, adtechs and martechs to integrate LinkedIn Engagement Insights into the tools that marketers use every day.

DataSift is the leader in Human Data Intelligence. Every day, DataSift transforms billions of items of human-created data into business intelligence. DataSifts privacy-first PYLON platform extracts actionable intelligence without compromising consumer trust. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in San Francisco, DataSift has operations in New York, Reading and London, UK, and Canada. DataSifts powers an ecosystem of developers that deliver solutions for agencies, application builders, and brands. More information can be found at datasift.com.
Higher Logic Acquires Socious to Solidify Leadership in the Online Community Space

WASHINGTON, DC  (Marketwired)  01/18/17  , the leader in cloud-based community platforms, today announced it has acquired , a community software company focused on serving the non-profit and B2B enterprise markets. This acquisition accelerates Higher Logics continued drive to provide organizations with the industrys most complete engagement platform along with world-class services  all designed to help organizations retain and grow members and customers.

Organizations increasingly recognize that revenue growth and market expansion depend on more engaged members and customers, said Rob Wenger, CEO of Higher Logic. As separate companies, Higher Logic and Socious took complementary approaches to empowering our clients to achieve this goal. The addition of Socious, along with , helps us deliver innovative products and services to the market faster.

Higher Logic was recently named a Leader in the inaugural IDC : Worldwide Online Communities 2016 Vendor Assessment, which notes that building relationships with customers will be the most important business priority over the next 12 months. The combined company will support more than 270,000 communities, totaling more than 37 million community members. This includes the nations foremost non-profits and associations, such as ASAE, as well as enterprises, including Discovery Education.

This is a great opportunity for two passionate community providers to come together and further enhance online community software, says Paul Schneider, CEO of Socious. We offer some great community features and tools that will complement Higher Logics overall engagement platform, and were looking forward to working with the entire team to create the best community solution for members and customers.

Higher Logic is an industry leader in cloud-based community platforms. Organizations worldwide use Higher Logic to bring people all together, by giving their community a home where they can interact, share ideas, answer questions and stay connected. Our goal is to help your organization with deeper engagement and meaningful interactions for your members, customers and prospects. Everything we do  the tools and features in our software, along with our services, partnerships, best practices  drives our ultimate goal of making your organization successful.

Founded in 2002, Socious offers software and services to help associations and user communities take a members-first approach to growing and engaging their membership. Sociouss MemberCloud platform manages millions of members for many of the worlds top associations and companies. Socious provides a full range of professional services to help organizations manage their membership, grow their community, and plan events.

Amanda Orr

Kickstart Consulting for Higher Logic

+1 (202) 248-6766
CORRECTION  Apica Announces Carmen Carey as New CEO at Apica

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN  (Marketwired)  01/18/17  In the news release, Apica Announces Carmen Carey as New CEO at Apica issued earlier today by Apica, we are advised by the company that the image caption should read Carmen Carey, Apica CEO instead of Carmen Cary, Apica CEO. Complete corrected text follows.

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN  January 18, 2017  , a leading provider of performance-as-a service solutions, has named Carmen Carey as CEO to support its strategy and rapid global expansion. Carey, who brings a wealth of experience in taking companies through high-growth periods, will build on the successes of Founder and CEO Sven Hammar who moves into the Chief Strategy Officer role at the company.

Carey is an experienced technology executive whose career to date encompasses leadership roles as an executive in fast growing global technology companies. She was most recently CEO of Big Data Partnership (acquired by Teradata in 2016) and previously COO of MetaPack, CEO of ControlCircle and COO of MessageLabs.

Apica names Carmen Carey as new CEO, Sven Hammar appointed Chief Strategy Officer:

I am excited to welcome Carmen to Apica as our Chief Executive Officer. Her deep industry experience and passion will lead Apica through the next phase of customer-focused innovation and global expansion, said Sven Hammar, Founder and newly appointed CSO at Apica. As an industry veteran, she brings an abundance of domain experience in leading companies focused on scaling the business.

Carey joins Apica to build on the companys continuing momentum as the performance-as-a service industry is responding to the rapidly evolving Internet economy and need for organizations to adopt aggressive digital agendas requiring them to deliver solutions faster while also maintaining the highest levels of quality.

This is a pivotal time for Apica as performance-as-a-service solutions are now an integral ingredient to ensure the successful delivery of mission critical services and applications. Many businesses today are realizing the need for rapid digital transformation and differentiation, and quality, customer experience and speed-to-market are all critical success factors that Apicas comprehensive testing and monitoring platform supports, says Carey. I am thrilled to be joining Apica at such an exciting time in the market and look forward to working with the team to drive our growth and expansion plans as we look to deliver value to an increasing portfolio of enterprise customers.

To underpin Apicas global expansion plans, Carey will be based in the companys New York office.

Twitter:

LinkedIn:

Leading enterprises rely on Apica Web Excellence Suite to test and monitor their mission critical business systems, APIs, web and mobile applications. Apica enables businesses to get real time performance, uptime and detailed capacity insights ensuring outstanding end user experience and optimized IT-operations. Apicas suite  available as SaaS, on-premise and hybrid solutions  is trusted by 400+ leading brands globally. Apica has offices in Stockholm, New York, London and Santa Monica. To learn more about Apica, visit

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Growing Need of Security-enabled Services is bolstering Global Incident Response Services Market through 2021

Albany, New York, January 19, 2017: Market Research Hub (MRH) has announced the inclusion of a latest market research study to its comprehensive group of research reports. This 114-page research study, titled Global Incident Response Services Market Report 2017 offers precise analysis of the global market with a deep focus on the growing prospects during the forecast period of 2011 to 2021. The information collated under this study is a mix of both primary and secondary research.

Request For Sample Report: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=909058

The report starts by defining incident response services and explaining their importance in a number of applications. In this following section, an overview of the global incident response services market is presented which encapsulates product overview and detailed segmentation of the industry. At present, the demand for incident response services has been growing widely because these services enable organizations to effectually address sophisticated security incidents, reduce data loss, business impact and provide long-term solutions to protect against future attacks. Some of the major aspects driving the market include the rise in security breaches targeting enterprises, increased complexity of cyber-attacks and improved return on investments.

The market segmentation is also represented in the next section. According to the research, the market has been segmented on the basis of types, applications and geography. In terms of geography, key regions analyzed in the report are Europe, North America, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. On the other hand, by type it has been categorized into:

Cloud Security

Application Security

Database Security

Endpoint Security

Network Security

Also, incident response services are used in several applications, such as Banking, financial services & insurance, Healthcare, Manufacturing, IT-enables services, Retail and others. Most companies fear losing data as it can have an opposing impact on businesses and can significantly hamper the companys reputation, profits and can also lead to overlooked business opportunities and lower productivity. So the need of incident response has become vital for business organizations. The incident response capability increases the readiness to respond to security incidents with an efficient and coordinated response service. Furthermore, it also analyzes the challenges expected to hamper the growth rate during the forecast period, besides highlighting the emerging trends and opportunities that will pointedly define the future development of the market.

Major companies in the global market are listed below:

Symantec Corporation

IBM Corporation

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

Honeywell International, Inc.

Intel Corporation

Dell, Inc.

Rapid7, Inc.

BAE Systems

Fireeye, Inc.

Verizon Communications, Inc.

Browse Full Report with TOC: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-incident-response-services-market-research-report-2017-report.html

Additionally, competitiveness in the market on the basis of manufacturers is also discussed in the study along with insights on production, revenue, price, capacity, production market share and revenue market share for 2015 and 2016.
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The Sandy Island school was built in the 1930s by Archer and Anna Huntington, founders of Brookgreen Gardens.
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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.

Happy birthday, New Horizons! Today marks the 11th anniversary of the launch of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which flew by Pluto in 2015. To celebrate, the New Horizons team is hosting a live webcast today at 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT) to discuss the historic Pluto flyby and the tantalizing adventures that still lie ahead.

Now hundreds of millions of miles past Pluto, the spacecraft is currently on its way toward the outskirts of the solar system with its eyes set on another distant target: 2014 MU69, a small, icy rock inside the Kuiper Belt. It is scheduled to fly by there on Jan. 1, 2019.

You can watch the New Horizons team's discussion on the New Horizons Facebook page. To ask a question, you can log in to Facebook and leave a comment on the live video there. You can also follow the event live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA. [New Horizons' Epic Pluto Flyby: Complete Coverage]

During the webcast, several team members will speak about the mission's biggest discoveries so far. Some contenders on that list may include Pluto's giant, heart-shaped feature known as Sputnik Planitia, its underground ocean, and the strange relationship between Pluto and Charon, its largest moon.

Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
What's causing so many galaxies in the universe to die before their time? A new study sheds some light on this galactic murder mystery.

A galaxy is said to "die" when it stops forming new stars. These form from thick clouds of gas that become extremely cold, causing the clouds to condense and collapse into solid, compact objects. Most attempts to explain galactic death focus how that cold gas is lost or used up inside a galaxy.

The new study instead looks at a mechanism that sweeps gas out of star-forming galaxies at a rapid rate, potentially leading to their doom. Prior studies have looked at this mechanism in galaxies that reside in large groups known as galaxy clusters. But stripping could also be the dominant cause of death in galaxies that don't live in large clusters, which is the case for most galaxies in the universe, said the authors of the new paper. [Top 10 Star Mysteries of All Time]

Over the course of a typical human lifetime, most galaxies appear to sit still. But these immense collections of stars, gas, dust and other objects are actually moving through space. Galaxies move when they are pulled on by the gravity of other, nearby galaxies or by dark matter, the mysterious material that is five times more common in the universe than "regular" matter. Most galaxies (including Earth's own Milky Way) are thought to have a halo of dark matter surrounding them; these dark matter halos can pull rather dramatically on smaller galaxies that live outside galaxy clusters, the researchers said.

"During their lifetimes, galaxies can inhabit halos of different sizes, ranging from masses typical of [the halo around the Milky Way galaxy] to halos thousands of times more massive," Toby Brown, leader of the study and a Ph.D. candidate at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) and Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, said in a statement from ICRAR.

As a galaxy gets dragged around through space, it may pass through clouds of intergalactic plasma (an electrically charged gas). The plasma acts like an atmosphere and creates drag on the gas inside the galaxy, sweeping it out into space in a process called ram-pressure stripping, Brown said.

"You can think of it like a giant cosmic broom that comes through and physically sweeps the gas from the galaxies," Brown said.

Ram-pressure stripping is known to affect galaxies that live in large galaxy clusters (containing more than 100 galaxies), where large amounts of dark matter also influence the motion of individual galaxies, the statement said.

"This paper demonstrates that the same process is operating in much smaller groups of just a few galaxies, together with much less dark matter," Brown said in the statement. The study examines 10,567 satellite galaxies, or those that exist outside large galaxy clusters; Brown said in the statement that "Most galaxies in the universe live in these groups of between two and a hundred galaxies."

The authors were able to study such a large population by using a technique called stacking, which makes it possible to learn about a population of objects that are very faint by combining the data from all of the objects and determining the average characteristics of the population.

"We've found [that] this removal of gas by stripping is potentially the dominant way galaxies are quenched by their [surroundings], meaning their gas is removed and star formation shuts down," Brown said.

There are multiple hypotheses about how star formation can be halted in galaxies. Many dead galaxies are thought to have used up all their cool, star-forming gas in a process called strangulation. Galaxies that have been strangled tend to have high levels of "heavy" elements that are formed in stars. Galaxies that had their gas rapidly removed may contain lower levels of heavy elements, because the gas is removed before stars can form, past studies have found.

The study was published online in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on Nov. 23, 2016.

Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
GREENBELT, Md.  The man who will soon become the acting administrator of NASA said he expects some members of the incoming Trump administration's landing team to stay on at the agency after the inauguration.

NASA Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot, the agency's top civil servant and who will thus become acting administrator Jan. 20, told an audience at a Maryland Space Business Roundtable luncheon here Jan. 17 that he expects continued support for the agency in the near term once the new administration takes office.

"We've got a good foundation in all the areas that we're looking at, all the areas that we do, whether it's our journey pushing people farther into deep space or it's our Earth science mission, aeronautics or space technology," he said. "We've got great support and I don't see that changing as we move forward." [Related: What a Trump Administration Means for NASA]

Lightfoot said he's had good relationships with the agency review team, widely known as the landing team, assigned to NASA by the incoming administration's transition office. That landing team, which grew to eight people by late December, formally disbands Jan. 20 when Donald Trump is sworn in as president, ending the transition.

However, Lightfoot confirmed that some members of the landing team will stay on at the agency, at least temporarily, as presidential appointees. "Some are going to stay as part of the 'beachhead team,' which is the next round," he said. "They're ready to get going."

That would be consistent with past presidential transitions, where some members of the landing team stayed at NASA after the inauguration as appointees, while others returned to their previous positions outside of government.

He hinted that the landing team members have suggested what plans the Trump administration has for NASA. "They've got lots of good ideas that they're telling me about," he said, not elaborating on those ideas. "So we'll see how it works when we get there and reality of running a big agency actually kicks in."

Any changes immediately after the inauguration will be constrained by what Lightfoot called the "$19.3 billion question," or NASA's budget. The agency is operating under a continuing resolution (CR) that funds NASA and other federal government offices at fiscal year 2016 levels through April 28. Congress will have to act by late April to either pass a fiscal year 2017 appropriations bill, or simply extend the CR through September, as many expect.

"The bottom line is that we're going to keep rewriting textbooks, we're going to keep making the discoveries that we make all the time," he said at the end of his speech, which primarily reviewed what NASA has done in the last year and what it has planned for 2017. "We're going to keep getting ready to push humans farther and farther into space. That's what NASA's supposed to do."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
The missile-detecting SBIRS Geo-3 satellite, which is scheduled to launch on Jan. 20, 2017.

A U.S. military satellite designed to detect enemy missiles is scheduled to launch Friday night (Jan. 20), and you can watch the liftoff live online.

If all goes according to plan, a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket will loft the third Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) satellite Friday at 7:42 p.m. EST (0042 GMT on Jan. 21) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. ULA will provide a live launch webcast via YouTube, beginning at 7:22 p.m. EST (0022 GMT). You'll also be able to watch the rocket launch here when the time comes, courtesy of ULA.

The launch was scheduled for Thursday night (Jan. 19) but was pushed to Friday because of a sensor issue and the intrusion of an aircraft into restricted airspace.

The aerospace company Lockheed Martin built the satellite, known as SBIRS Geo-3, for the U.S. Air Force. As the name suggests, two other SBIRS spacecraft are already aloft; SBIRS Geo-1 and SBIRS Geo-2 launched in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

"SBIRS, considered one of the nation's highest-priority space programs, is designed to provide global, persistent, infrared surveillance capabilities to meet 21st-century demands in four national security mission areas, including missile warning, missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness," ULA representatives wrote in a brief mission description.

Specifically, the SBIRS satellites help the military determine where enemy missiles launch from and where they are headed, ULA representatives added.

SBIRS Geo-3 was originally supposed to launch in October 2016, but the liftoff was delayed while Lockheed investigated an issue with an engine component. This issue arose on an unrelated satellite that features the same component, not SBIRS Geo-3 itself, Lockheed representatives have said; the latter satellite has been given a clean bill of health.

A fourth SBIRS Geo satellite is slated to launch late this year.

Editor's note: This story was updated late Thursday, Jan. 19, to include details about the launch delay and its Jan. 20 second attempt.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
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Gangs of US Navy "Killer" Boats Will Roam the Seas







Trento, Italy (SPX) Jan 18, 2017





What have been appositely referred to as the "military's smartest toys," robot boats have just become a lot smarter, and so has the US Navy. It has taken the US government some time, but its team of researchers and developers have begun to discover the effectiveness of swarming by means of autonomous boats - Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) or Autonomous Surface Craft (ASCs). The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is committed to the idea of robot boats and the impact they can have in both defensive a ... read more
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The twisting of his image first began after the terrorist attacks in Brussels in March. Anonymous.Kollektiv, a Facebook page notorious for its agitation that has since been deleted, posted a link to a photomontage that included the selfie and a photo of one of the Brussels terrorists, Najim Laachraoui. The accompanying caption read: "Dumb, dumber, Angela: Did Merkel take a selfie with one of the Brussels terrorists?"

Over the Easter holiday, the post went viral. Then, in early June, the image was used in a posting with the heading, "the violence-importing selfie queen" (a reference, of course, to Merkel).

Internet-Speed Defamation

Anas Modamani's case is indicative of the sheer speed and momentum with which defamation can be spread on the internet. It shows how it can be reused in new contexts without the ability to hold anyone accountable. It demonstrates how powerless those affected by such attacks can be made to feel.

The concept of "fake news," which has been a focus of intense discussion in recent weeks, can be so abstract that it is difficult to grasp or pin down. Modamani's case shows what can happen when lies about an individual are constantly circulated on the web in ways that weren't even possible only a few years ago.

More recently, the photo of the selfie began circulating again in December. Someone had used Photoshop to superimpose the image onto a photo of the semi-truck used in the terrorist attack in Berlin, with the caption: "Merkel's dead." A week later, Modamani's image began circulating again, only this time it had been distorted. Modamani's face has been made thinner in an attempt to make him look like one of the five Syrians arrested in Berlin, suspected of having set fire to a homeless man and his belongings at Christmas.

"They're against Angela Merkel, not against me," Modamani says. "But I want it to finally stop."

A Problem that Won't Go Away

At some point, he hopes he will be able to fly back to Syria or to Lebanon to see his parents and siblings, who stayed behind, and he is concerned that airport authorities will find his image on the internet with the word "terrorist" next to it. He fears that he will meet a woman and she will Google his name. He is afraid that the defamation will haunt him for years to come.

Modamani says people sometimes write to him on Facebook and ask him nastily when he plans to finally return to Syria. He says he can't always find the right German words to reply. He even stopped using Facebook for a few weeks, but now he is back online because of the latest photomontage. He wants to see what is being written about him.

His host mother Anke Meeuw sees a lot more than he does. She clicks through the profiles of people who are making defamatory postings and is well-connected with groups active in the fight against hateful agitation on social networks. She says she now ignores most posts that fall "under the radar" -- in other words, things that don't go viral.

A Small Victory

Sometimes she writes to people who share the postings. And often it gets ugly. After the attacks perpetrated by refugees in the towns of Ansbach and Wurzburg, the Bavarian state chapter of the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party posted its own photomontage. It included images of the attacks in Wurzburg, Reutlingen and Ansbach. Underneath was the image of Merkel and Modamani, although his face had been slightly pixilated. The text read: "Migrant terror in Germany: Without Merkel, the perpetrators wouldn't be here." It included the hashtag #Merkelsummer.

In response, Meeuw wrote a letter to the head of the party's Bavarian state chapter. In it, she described what these associations mean for her, her family and their foster son. The politician then deleted the image, but also blocked her from the page, she says. A minor victory.

The 41-year-old says she has an even deeper reason for fighting back. She wants to prevent "right-wing populist agitation from becoming socially acceptable." She tells her foster son: "We have to take action against this -- otherwise it will never stop."

A Lawyer Who Is No Stranger To Facebook

An acquaintance put her in touch with Chan-jo Jun, a lawyer from Wurzburg who has attempted several times to hold Facebook legally accountable for disseminating hateful speech on its platform. So far, he has made a considerable effort and attracted a lot of attention, but he has not been successful legally.

Jun is now seeking a temporary injunction to prohibit people like AfD politicians from sharing the posting about the homeless man, but also obligating Facebook to ensure that the image can no longer be shared and that it will be automatically blocked. He's basing his legal argument on Paragraph 186 of the German Criminal Code on "defamation," which prohibits the assertion or dissemination of a fact about a person which may defame that person or negatively affect public opinion about that person unless it can be proven true.

Should it be Facebook's job to filter out defamatory content before it is posted? The current standard is that social media platforms like Facebook only have to take problematic content down after they have been informed about it. In practice, however, it doesn't happen often enough.

Jun says the problem is that Facebook's own community standards, its internal guidelines on what needs to be deleted, is much more loosely formulated than German law. And that's why problems keep popping up for people like Modamani.

Facebook: We Take Responsibility 'Very Seriously'

For its part, Facebook asserts that it adheres to Germany law. The company has since deleted all posts that are listed in the temporary injunction request.

Asked for a response, a company spokesperson sent the following statement: "When we are informed of content that is in clear violation of German law, we respect this and delete the content in compliance." But: "a whole lot" of the content that gets reported "does not violate German law." The company also states that it takes its responsibility very seriously.

To test how seriously Facebook takes such reports on a daily basis, I reported one image disparaging Modamani as a vile criminal. After our meeting, I used the report function to register a complaint about a photo suggesting Modamani had been involved in the attack on the homeless man.

The image had been posted by a certain "Dorothee K." (or some user pretending to be a woman, since Facebook identities can never be truly verified) at 4:06 a.m. on Dec. 28. The user has more than 1,800 friends and most of the postings on her profile are about Islam, along with many links to pages filled with conspiracy theories. From this page alone, the image with Modamani got shared 67 times.

Limited Reporting Options

Facebook's reporting options still aren't suitable for instances like this. The network has announced that it will soon add the "It's a fake news story" to the pull-down menu of reasons a story is being reported in Germany. Those reported stories would then be reviewed by community fact-checkers. But it will take several more weeks for the system to become operational.

Of all the bad options available, I click through to find the most appropriate one. "I think it shouldn't be on Facebook," "It's annoying or not interesting," -> send to Facebook for review.

I sent the message at 9:46 a.m. At 6:57 p.m. the same day, I received a message on my mobile phone. That went fast.

A "message from the help team" informed me that Facebook had reviewed the photo in question and added: "Although it does not violate our community standards, it was still right to inform us." According to the message, defaming a 19-year-old as a vile criminal is not a violation of Facebook's community standards.

The help team also provided an additional suggestion, noting how I could block Dorothee K. Blocking, though, merely means that neither of us would be able to view each other's profile or contact each other again on Facebook.

It makes it sound as if it is about something personal, as if the error was made on the part of the person who reported the content. The fact is that the responsibility lies with the people who create and disseminate such defamation. In the case of Anas Modamani, it is likely he will still be dealing with the consequences of these images for years to come.

"I love Facebook -- I found an apartment through the network," he says during our meeting. "But I also hate Facebook because this Photoshop stuff simply never ceases."
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STAMFORD  Looking ahead to spring and summer, residents and businesses will likely face restrictions due to the ongoing drought.

But even with rules in place limiting water use, data provided by the mayors office show Stamford  which shares a reservoir system with Greenwich, New Canaan and Darien  has lower spikes in usage during warmer months than neighboring towns.

Dariens water use surges 150 percent when temperatures are at their hottest, versus a 30 percent increase in Stamford, according to 18 months of Aquarion Water Co. billing data analyzed by Mayor David Martin. Greenwich uses 130 percent more water during warm months, and New Canaan ups its intake 110 percent.

Make no mistake: With more than 122,000 residents, Stamford takes in millions more gallons than its smaller neighbors. In the summer, however, the citys average household water use peaks at 5,000 gallons per month, while Greenwich reaches 23,000 gallons per household in a city of 62,000.

Martin attributes the spike to lawn watering, which has been banned in towns and cities across the state as the drought persists. Fairfield County is still in the midst of a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which has tracked the regions drought for the past 31 months.

The big numbers are in irrigation, and thats where we have to focus, Martin said.

Martin has proposed an ordinance requiring irrigation contractors to install rain sensors and provide clients with instructions for turning off their systems, measures he hopes will preserve whats left in reservoirs.

We dont have enough rain, he said, so if we want to save the water we have in place, you have to do it through summer irrigation.

Martin plans to meet with irrigation companies in March to discuss the ordinance, should the Board of Representatives approve it. The proposal is set to be advertised for a public hearing.

Watering bans

The mayor has met with elected officials to drum up support for a coordinated water conservation effort.

I dont want to impose hardship on the city of Stamford while the town of Greenwich has been spraying their green grass, and vice versa, Martin said.

Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei, whose town has enforced a watering ban, agreed with the need for collaboration. Clearly there needs to be a more regional or statewide approach to establishing a uniform conservation proposal, he said.

Empowered by town ordinance, Greenwich has limited water use and banned all outdoor watering since fall. It has helped us achieve a reduction in use, but it doesn't have the same weight as if it were a state requirement, Tesei said.

Besides the outdoor watering ban, Aquarion has asked all customers to cut usage by 20 percent while its reservoirs are critically low. Stamfords two reservoirs, North Stamford and Laurel, are at 44 percent capacity; the 20-year average is 80 percent. The reservoirs serve mostly Stamford and surrounding communities.

Water isnt owned by any one community, even though reservoirs are domiciled in one community, Tesei said. The Aquarion system is a system of repositories that feed a system.

Unsightly piping

Stamford, Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan residences have wells in areas not served by Aquarion.

Peter Fazekas, spokesman for the utility company, did not have data about the breakdown of wells versus public hookup in the towns it serves.

Aquarion is working to identify its top 100 users, but has not released data about which towns top the list.

To redirect water from fuller reservoirs in the Bridgeport system, the utility installed a temporary pipe to redirect 4 million gallons of water a day to Stamford, New Canaan and Greenwich.

New Canaan First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said usage in his town dropped once residents were made aware of the water emergency.

Were part of a region and our region is suffering, Mallozzi said. If it means that weve had to put up with some unsightly piping to make sure water is getting to everyone, then were doing our part.

An earlier version of this article gave incorrect percentage increases for water use in Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan and Darien.
T he chief executive of Barclays gave his firm backing to the City of London on Thursday, insisting it will remain the top financial centre whatever the political fallout from Brexit.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Jes Staley admitted to concerns about transition periods while Britains exit from the EU is negotiated, but said London will fend off attacks from Frankfurt and Paris.

I dont believe the financial centre of Europe will leave the City of London, he told the BBC. There are all sorts of reasons why I think the UK will continue to be the financial lungs for Europe.

He added that with the US and the UK economies doing well, there is reason for optimism: A political crisis doesnt necessarily translate quickly into an economic crisis.

Staley added: Were going to have to make an adjustment to the Brexit move, but its going to be one that will be manageable for Barclays, and will not threaten London as a centre of finance for Europe, and will not threaten the activities of Barclays in London. We are a British bank and are committed to the United Kingdom.

On overtures from foreign cities, he said: Its very interesting that one minute no one wants bankers in their backyard, the next they are inviting you over to a barbecue.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said on Thursday that financial services will be a priority for the Government in its Brexit negotiations. Six months from now well have a much clearer idea of where we collectively feel we can go, Hammond said, noting that a huge proportion of Europes financial transactions pass through the City of London.

It emerged that Goldman Sachs is considering moving 1000 bankers to Frankfurt and some back-office staff to Warsaw. Lloyds is likely to pick Frankfurt as a base for the 3% of its business that is outside the UK.

Barclays chairman John McFarlane said passporting rights were key to negotiations.

We want a standstill arrangement for three years, that would kick in after the Governments negotiations on Brexit are finished, he added.

With Wall Street expecting a loosening of regulation under President Trump, Staley backed the Dodd-Frank regulation separating the big banks trading and retail arms.

He noted that Barclays investment banking arm has lately performed well, but suggested a lid will be kept on bonuses.

We need to generate a fair return for shareholders, and need to compensate our people for performance. You know, if we go back to the days of using money to attract talent, I think thats very bad for the culture of the company.
B ritish Land flagged up a clutch of chunky London leasing deals in the pipeline on Thursday, despite potential headwinds from Brexit.

The companys shares are 20% down since last Junes referendum but the developer and landlord said it was in talks with 10 occupiers taking up potentially 1.4 million square foot of space across its three London campuses at Broadgate, Paddington and Regents Place near Euston.

Were having a number of talks  a couple have dropped away, but theyve been replaced by others and weve made substantial progress with the ones that are ongoing, chief executive Chris Grigg said.

Theres some chunky old deals potentially in there which, if we pull them off, will be good for us and reassuring for the market.

Tenants are in a position to drive a harder bargain, however, amid Brexit uncertainty, forcing landlords to offer longer rent-free periods on leases.

He added: Since Ive been in this job Ive never found anybody whos woken up and wants to pay me more money A year ago we saw evidence of rising rents  thats certainly flattened off.

Some City analysts still have their doubts and shares dipped 12.75p to 605.25p.

Liberum Capitals David Brockton warned: In an uncertain period for UK commercial real estate, British Land is more exposed to risk than its closer peers: its higher proportionate exposure to City Offices could underperform as occupier demand gradually softens, the EU referendum implications are resolved and new supply materialises. Legacy single-let non-core retail is also susceptible to occupier weakness.

British Land is also behind the biggest property deal of the year so far, selling its 50% stake in the Citys Cheesegrater tower for a reported 500 million.
I nvestecs head of mining is hoping to be the Citys very own Poldark as he picked up his spade for the most ambitious exploration programme in the long history of Cornwalls mining industry.

Cornish Lithium, a private company run by Investecs Jeremy Wrathall, has secured the rights to hunt for lithium, which is used to power electric cars.

Lithiums presence in Cornwalls underground hot spring brines has been known since the middle of the 18th century, when the hit BBC television show is set, but there was no market for the metal at the time.

This is going to be the largest exploration effort ever done in Cornwall. Its a historic day."

Post-Brexit, its vitally important we start a new industry in the UK, said Wrathall, who is looking for deals with car companies such as Jaguar Land Rover.

Wrathall, who is looking for 5 million in funding, added: We have now sewn up by far the biggest portfolio of rights to explore than anyones ever done [and] yes, I have been watching Poldark.
T he chief executive of Barclays gave his firm backing to the City of London on Thursday, insisting it will remain the top financial centre whatever the political fallout from Brexit.

Halfords on Thursday warned that price rises on bikes are inevitable after the pounds plunge in value, but promised its increases would be more modest than competitors.

British Land has flagged up a clutch of chunky London leasing deals in the pipeline, despite potential headwinds from Brexit.

Investecs head of mining is hoping to be the Citys very own Poldark.

Royal Mail chief executive Moya Greene has praised Britains postmen for their hard work over Christmas, just as she prepares to cut their pensions.

BHP Billiton and its partner Vale will settle a multi-billion Samarco dam disaster claim within the next five months after agreeing to the nuts and bolts of a deal with Brazilian prosecutors.

Troubled NCC is banking on extra work as businesses become more fearful of hacking, the cyber-security said as its long-standing chairman stepped down.

Fashion house Thom Browne is to open its first British store in a Mayfair street that is being transformed into a hub for international brands.

Utilities firm Severn Trent might be the frontrunner in the water fight over Dee Valley, but the takeover will not be enough to prevent the Footsie groups profits from trickling lower.

Moneysupermarkets sales fired on all cylinders last quarter as families went further to try to save the pennies.

Secrets of My Success

Kenny Wilson, the boss of Cath Kidston, discusses playing for Aberdeen FC and running a retailer.

Comment

Russell Lynch thinks that although Brexit may be the historic challenge at the top of Theresa Mays in-tray, she also needs to confront our bigger problems.

Anthony Hilton discusses why HR experts deserve respect from bosses.

Jim Armitage says Brexit means the City will have to suffer some painful sacrifices.
F ashion house Thom Browne is to open its first British store in a Mayfair street that is being transformed into a hub for international brands.

The New York company, which counts Michelle Obama among its celebrity fans, has signed a deal with landlord Trophaeum to open a shop in Albemarle Street within months.

Property sources said outdoor fashion house Moncler had also just signed a deal with Trophaeum on a shop in the street.

Trophaeum director Matt Farrell said: Albemarle Street continues to go from strength to strength. 2017 is set to be an exciting year with more signings and the opening of ISABEL, sister restaurant to Casa Cruz in Notting Hill.

The property firm, which buys buildings for European investors and has built a portfolio of properties on Albemarle Street, has been giving the area a major makeover.

Shoe firm Casadei, a favourite of Katy Perry, opened a shop on the street last year and in 2015 Aquazzura and fashion accessories firm Faliero Sarti opened their first British shops there.
T he Prime Ministers open for business speech at Davos was delivered to an internationalist audience which is largely unsympathetic to Brexit (though it is much more exercised by Donald Trumps view of globalisation), but she went out of her way to address their concerns. The vote to leave the EU was, she said, intended to build a truly global Britain. So far from being a vote for isolationism, Brexit is no rejection of our friends in Europe. She also insisted Britain is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-faith country, which was perhaps intended to take the sting out of her earlier dictum about those global citizens who are citizens of nowhere  many of that group being in front of her. If rhetoric alone could win friends, Mrs May would have lots of them.

As for her insistence that the global elite must be mindful of the underlying feeling that there are some companies, particularly those with a global reach, who are playing by a different set of rules to everyone else, she is echoing a sentiment that is now a new orthodoxy.

She is right too in her insistence that Britain has strengths it can offer the world. The Justice Secretary, Liz Truss, identifies one of them today in her summit with leading law firms. She promised to protect Britains status as the worlds biggest legal capital  a status which is worth some 25 billion a year. More importantly, it adds to the countrys historic reputation for probity, integrity and fair dealing. English contract law has evolved over centuries and it is used in contracts between individuals and countries which have little to do with England or the UK. Then there is the reputation for professionalism of the English legal profession and the independence and quality of the judiciary  however much the judges may occasionally irritate us. And if England is the centre of the legal world, London is the centre of the centre.

Our justice system could of course be improved, notably the efficiency of the courts. But the Government is right to do what it can to safeguard the lawyers position. It should sign up to the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements immediately after Brexit  it cannot do so while we are in the EU  and seek a replacement for Europes Recast rule. This is crucial. Lets look to our strengths; right now we must make the most of them.

Theresa May lectures super-rich at Davos as Brexit plan backlash grows

Start smart charging

The London Assembly transport committee has stated the obvious in its new report, London Stalling, which calls for the plethora of pollution and congestion charges to be replaced with a single road pricing scheme.

A new version of the congestion charge is long overdue. Its a blunt instrument, which does not recognise the extent to which travelling in different areas at different times of day in different vehicles can have a huge effect on congestion and pollution. The report calls on Transport for London to introduce a system whereby motorists pay more for driving at peak times, and for longer, on gridlocked roads. It could be imposed across London, recognising that the most congested areas may be outside the existing C-charge zone. The technology exists to make it possible  Singapore has had such a charge for years  so lets use it.

London stars again

Billie Piper makes a welcome return to the cinema this April after a 12-year absence, with talented co-star Riz Ahmed. Her new film, City of Tiny Lights, is set in the capital and she says it will show London complete with its many colours and cultures. The films production companies are all based in London  our resurgent film industry is a star in its own right.
W hen we launched our campaign to tackle food waste and food poverty last year I asked whether voluntary food donation targets as enshrined in the Courtauld Commitment 2025 could really work. Our revelation  that supermarkets donate just three per cent of their edible food surplus to charities  has sparked calls for a radical new approach. Sadiq Khan, Jeremy Corbyn, FareShare charity boss Lindsay Boswell and even Sainsburys chief executive Mike Coupe have all demanded suppliers be forced by the Government to do more. But from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) we hear little. All approaches to Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom and her under-secretary Therese Coffey have fallen on deaf ears.

This week an investigation got under way to put Leadsom on the spot. The all-party Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs met yesterday to grill food bosses about their lacklustre response to tackling waste.

MPs are said to be seeking some form of government intervention  and any recommendation made by the committee will oblige Leadsom to consider it formally. Its about time. In the five months since we launched Food for London it has become clear that the only way to move the dial on food waste is for the Government to intervene  by imposing incentives or sanctions. Some MPs support a cash subsidy to cover costs faced by firms that donate food to charities. FareShare estimates this cost to be 100 a tonne, and reckons that a 10 million subsidy would liberate 100,000 tonnes of surplus food annually. That translates into 238 million meals, enough to provide 4.6 million people with a meal a week  and enough to pretty much eradicate food poverty.

Another option is to adopt a punitive model. In France, supermarkets larger than 400 square metres face a stark choice  find a charity to hand over your surplus to or pay a 3,000 penalty. Defra is not keen on this approach, yet it is effective. The French distribute 100,000 tonnes of surplus food compared to just 13,000 tonnes here.

Two things must happen if we are to achieve this quantum leap. Food suppliers need to make food donation a core part of their business plan, not an optional add-on. Pret A Manger is a positive example of this. But companies also need to incentivise store managers, because it is at individual outlets where waste happens. It is easier for staff to dump surplus food in a waste bin than it is to worry about the hassle of finding a potentially unreliable charity.

Thats where our campaigns flagship charity, The Felix Project  which acts as a middleman, picking up surplus food from suppliers and delivering to charities  offers an elegant solution. Others like FareShare, FoodCycle and City Harvest also operate in the space. But all face the difficulty of getting suppliers to give them their surplus produce.

A Government incentive or sanction would shift the balance of power by changing who needs whom. The result would be thousands of tonnes more food going to feed the hungry. Win-win.

You would think this to be an attractive outcome for the Government. So you have to wonder what special interests it is pandering to by not doing it. You only have to walk through Londons West End and observe how rough sleepers have proliferated to see what a shameful dereliction of duty this is.
I t ruins a mans life, doesnt it, being accused of sexual assault? Thats what were always told. If a case is dropped or the man is found not guilty, we hear how hes endured a living hell; that he fears he will always be tainted; that the allegation will linger  a personalised black cloud perpetually above his head.

Except. Except. Except. Tomorrow, the 45th President of the United States will be sworn in. And Donald Trump isnt just a man whom a dozen women have accused of sexual assault (claims he denies), he is one who is on tape bragging about groping and kissing women without their consent. President Pussy-Grabbers life seems remarkably unmarred by that. The same cant be said for his accusers.

It emerged this week that one of the dozen, former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos, is suing him for defamation. Her lawyer says Trump used his national and international bully pulpit to denigrate Zervos and his other accusers. Shes brave: before the election a woman who claimed Trump raped her when she was 13 (a claim Trumps spokesman described as a complete fabrication) dropped her lawsuit, having reportedly received death threats.

Perhaps you think this is all just Trump exceptionalism. The rules dont apply in any other way to The Donald; why should such allegations, all denied, damage him? But Trump is indicative of something broader. Power, privilege, money and fame are cushions against accusations. They help them disappear. They muffle any critical clamour. They can even buy you a get-out-of-trouble pass.

Casey Affleck, star of Manchester by the Sea, is currently the front-runner to win the Best Actor Oscar. He was also accused of a catalogue of abuses in 2010 by the producer and cinematographer who worked with him on the mockumentary Im Still Here. One of the women claimed Affleck ordered a crew member to remove his pants to flash her, even after she objected, and that he tried to manipulate her into sharing a hotel room with him. The other claimed Affleck crawled into bed with her while she was sleeping; she says she awoke to find Affleck caressing her back. Affleck has denied all this  a settlement was reached for an undisclosed sum  and later said he was hurt and upset by the claims. But these allegations didnt stop him getting hired, nor now being Oscar-tipped  again, a life unmarred.

Its starting to resemble a terrible game of bingo. A President accused of sexual assault? Tick. An Oscar-winner too? Well find out next month.

I dont doubt that false accusations of sexual assault  which a 2013 study by the Crown Prosecution Service found to be rare, incidentally  can be devastating. But sexual assault  which isnt rare  destroys the lives of so many victims. And right now youd understand if they looked at the world and felt aghast.

Macho Manchester is emotionally barren

As the credits rolled at a screening of Manchester by the Sea, the stranger next to me declared  in a voice so loud the entire audience could hear  Thank God! He then asked, booming again, if I had hated it too. I shuffled away, wishing I were wearing one of those arrow T-shirts with a slogan: Im not with stupid.

Still, I agreed with him. Because despite the fervid reviews I found the 137-minute film about 137 minutes too long. A friend told me Id need tissues; my eyes stayed as dry as a dust devil.

I think its a flawed film. Theres a plot twist so obvious its as though theres a siren blasting out DISASTER IMMINENT until it happens. And I didnt care about its wreckhead protagonist Lee, played by Casey Affleck with a perma-miserable, basset-hound face.

Women are sidelined. Theyre nags to be humoured then ignored (even when theyre right that you should stop taking drugs with your buddies as your kids are trying to sleep). Or theyre drunks. Or they cry. The film is a waste of Michelle Williams, whos in about five scenes as Randi with the bad hair. The film seems to believe male emotion has an intrinsically higher value than womens. Even though it is largely expressed by beating up random people in bars.

Puppy love is so worth the pain

I became a godmother at the same time I became a dogmother. Its made me ultra-aware of the similarities between having a puppy and a baby. You have to fish horrors out of mouths. At 4am, sleep interrupted again, you think its lucky theres no hotline to call to hand them back. Conversations with your partner become dominated by another beings bowel movements. You will never again feel your hands or flat are clean  however hard you scrub  after tidying up something unspeakable.

And your life has improved immeasurably by their arrival.

* Within hours of Theresa Mays big Brexit speech the banks responded. HSBC reckoned 1,000 jobs in London could move. Ditto UBS. And when they say move, they mostly mean redundancies here and hiring in another country.

Hooray, said some, were finally thwacking the masters of the universe! Except the big earners are mobile. Its more like, hit the poor IT workers and support staff!

Seven months after the EU referendum, many in The 48 Per Cent remain livid. Ive been wondering what will happen if that anger gets stoked by job losses. I have a horrible feeling were going to find out.
Review at a glance









A traversal of Schuberts complete Lieder  and there are more than 600 of them  such as the Wigmore Hall embarked on last year inevitably results in evenings of uneven quality. The task of dispatching a dozen of the songs from the composers teenage years, few of them familiar, even fewer at all memorable, fell to the young Austrian baritone Georg Nigl.

It didnt help that it took some time for his voice to settle in, though one wonders how familiar he was with the songs, since he was gazing more intently at the score in front of him than at his audience.

Things looked up  as did Nigl  in the second half, which he began with an eloquent, wonderfully still delivery of Abschied. Here too Andreas Staiers fortepiano came into its own, his treble notes evoking the glassy lakes and plaintive woodland echoes.

The splendidly rich lower end of Nigls range remained rather more secure than the top, where the tonal emission was not always smooth. But this was less of a problem in the hearty Irdisches Gluck (Earthly Happiness) or the boisterous Erntelied (Harvest Song). Nachtstuck, another impressive Mayrhofer setting, was also sensitively done.

For an encore, Nigl apologised for repeating Abschied, but its lamenting Farewell!, touchingly intoned, seemed an apt way to take his leave, and this is a song that really does linger in the memory.

Series continues Feb 2, Wigmore Hall; wigmore-hall.org.uk

Visit standard.co.uk/arts for the latest news and reviews from Londons arts scene

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L ondoners are spoilt for choice when it comes to public art - its everywhere, from Trafalgar Square to the sculpture trail in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

But there are also plenty of lesser-known spots hiding gems. If youre strolling around your local area outside of Central London at the weekend, you may just stumble on a masterpiece - or there may even be one waiting at your train station.

Art in unexpected places is ubiquitous in London, and it's a great way to learn more about the city's history. Heres our guide to just a few of the pieces you can spot when youre out and about.

The Victoria Lines tiles

Tompagenet on Flickr under Creative Commons

Ever taken the time to notice that every station on the Victoria Line has a different tiled pattern? They were put in when the line was opened in 1969, and created by different leading artists. Brixtons design plays on the stations name by showing a ton of bricks, while Warren Streets is, unsurprisingly, a warren.

The Meeting Place at St Pancras station

Gareth1953 on Flickr under Creative Commons

Sculptor Paul Day has created a number of major works, including a commemoration to the Battle of Britain that was unveiled in 2005. However, its his sculpture The Meeting Place in St Pancras International that really captures the eye - stroll over to your platform and you cant miss the 30ft bronze statue of a couple embracing, as if one were about to get on a train and leave for a long journey.

Dr Salters Daydream at Bermondsey Wall East

Brighton on Flicker, Creative Commons

Alfred Salter is a much-loved figure for Bermondsey. He and his wife were famous for their community work in its slums in the early 1900s, offering free healthcare before the creation of the NHS.

The sculpture shows Salter and his wife Ada watching their daughter, who died from Scarlet fever at the age of nine, playing with a cat. Money was raised to replace the sculpture - created by Diane Gorvin - after it was stolen in 2011. It was at this time that Ada was added too.

The Cable Street Mural

LondonMatt on Flickr, Creative Commons

The side of St Georges Town Hall in the East End is alive with colour thanks to a mural painted between 1979 and 1983 to commemorate the 1936 Battle of Cable Street. It saw the police clash with protestors as they tried to protect Oswald Mosleys march of members of the British Union of Fascists. It took 150 gallons of paint to create, and is inspired by Diego Riveras brand of social realism.

Pigs on the Thames Walk

Minkymonkeymoo on Flickr, Creative Commons

Walk back along the river from Greenwich and youll find Mudchute City Farm. On the way towards Deptford, youll stroll past a number of sculptures, including pigs, a donkey and some foxes.

The Mandela Way T-34 Tank, Bermondsey

Maxf on Flickr under Creative Commons

This old tank, affectionately nicknamed Stompie, was used in the Prague Springs and then brought to London for the filming of Richard III. Local businessman Russell Gray bought a plot of land but was refused permission to build on it by Southwark Council, but as he had the permissions to do so, he placed the tank on the plot with the gun pointed toward Southwark Councils buildings. It is now regularly covered in different types of political graffiti.

Stockwells Deep Level Shelter

LondonMatt on Flickr, Creative Commons

This was one of eight deep-level shelters built under London Underground stations in the Second World War to protect Londoners from air raids. Stockwells is now used as a document-archiving warehouse, and has been decorated as a war memorial. The painting was created by Brian Barnes and pupils from Stockwell Park School in 1998.

Brixton Station

(TedandJen on Flickr, Creative Commons) / TedandJen, Flickr Creative Commons

Brixton Station has a few surprises for commuters. On the platforms are sculptures of a man and woman waiting peacefully for a train, always very nonplussed by delays or rail strikes. As you walk up the stairs, theres a giant mural on the walls depicting food that can be bought at the markets.

Chopin memorial at the Southbank Centre

LondonMatt on Flickr, Creative Commons

The Southbank Centre is a haven for art and culture, and there is a large Nelson Mandela memorial outside one of the entrances. But harder to spot is this Chopin sculpture which faces Queen Elizabeth Hall. It was a gift from Poland in 1975 but moved in 2011 when the Southbank Centre was being redeveloped. Created by Bronislaw Kubica, it actually contains an urn with earth from Chopins birthplace (Zelazowa Wola) within it.

Whittington Stone in Archway

Schnappi on Flickr, Creative Commons

Right next to the Whittington Stone pub is a sculpture of Dick Whittingtons cat, said to be in the spot that he heard the Bow Bells, which he thought were sending him a message that he could expect good fortune.

This article was brought you in association with Hiscox Home Insurance, providers of expert cover for valued homes, art and high-value items. Visit hiscox.co.uk/home to find out more.

For more Hiscox:

How do millennials get into art buying?

How to make social media work for you as an artist

Would you buy a painting online
G ary Barlow was banned from the West End while writing songs for his new musical, he has revealed.

The Take That star joined co-writer Tim Firth at the Phoenix Theatre to unveil 8,000 model sunflowers on the outside of the building before the shows opening night this month.

The flowers were a favourite of John Baker, whose death prompted his widow and her friends from a Womens Institute in Yorkshire to strip off for a fundraising calendar that inspired the original Calendar Girls script.

Barlow co-wrote new show The Girls, based on the film and stage versions of the story, with Firth who laid down the law to his song-writing partner.

He said: When we started talking about doing a musical I said to him, What should I go and watch? and very cleverly he said, Do me a favour and dont go and watch a single show in the West End because I want you to do what you do, I dont want you to start impersonating a West End songwriter.

So what he did was feed me lyrics and titles of songs and I would go away for six weeks, then come back to him with a six- or seven-track album.

The pair wrote about 80 songs between them before narrowing that down to around a dozen for the show, which opens at the Phoenix after sell-out runs in Leeds and Salford.

It is the third version of the story after Firth brought it to the stage and cinema with Helen Mirren and Julie Walters.

Barlow said Firth had done a brilliant job of moving the story on, adding: Weve had great fun developing the children of the women, the husbands of the woman who didnt really feature in the film or the play at all.

Bringing the daughters and sons to it has brought a whole new light to it and youth as well.

The magic for me has been that Im usually the one who writes the songs and then sings them and the magic is to write this work and then sit in the audience and watch it. It is unbelievable to see audiences clap and cry to what you have written.

Buy tickets for The Girls with Evening Standard Tickets

Visit standard.co.uk/theatre for the latest news and reviews from Londons theatre scene.

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T he West End musical Wicked will be defying geography as it goes on a regional tour of the UK.

The hit show will be visiting ten different venues across the UK and Ireland from February 2018 next year.

The show, which is based on Gregory Maguires novel and is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, has been at the Apollo Victoria Theatre since 2006. It celebrated its tenth birthday last year with a host of celebrations.

The tour will kick off at the Bristol Hippodrome, before heading to Liverpool Empire Theatre, and Birmingham Hippodrome.

It will then head to Edinburgh Playhouse, followed by Leeds Grand Theatre, Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin, Sunderland Empire, and Mayflower Theatre in Southhampton.

The tours final stretch sees it visit Wales Millennium Centre and Palace Theatre Manchester, ending on January 5, 2019.

West End classics: Wicked 1 /10 West End classics: Wicked West End classics: Wicked Tristram Kenton West End classics: Wicked Matt Crockett West End classics: Wicked Matt Crockett West End classics: Wicked Matt Crockett West End classics: Wicked Matt Crockett West End classics: Wicked Matt Crockett West End classics: Wicked Matt Crockett West End classics: Wicked Matt Crockett West End classics: Wicked Matt Crockett West End classics: Wicked Matt Crockett

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F or someone on the cusp of Hollywood superstardom, with its fans, foes and endless requests for selfies, Anya Taylor-Joy is refreshingly off-duty around strangers. She stoops to stroke someones puppy outside The Ivy Kensington Brasserie where we meet, cheerfully asks for a cigarette lighter from a passerby and gives me a massive hug as a greeting.

The Bafta Rising Star nominee, 20, is in the middle of a full-on press tour for M Night Shyamalans latest thriller, Split, and only arrived in London on a flight from New York an hour before we meet. Wearing a short leather miniskirt with bare legs despite the cold, her blonde hair pulled back in a jaunty high ponytail, shes quick with smiles and laughter and her mood seems high-octane and excitable  but isnt she tired?

I dont sleep, she explains blithely. Ive been an insomniac since I was seven. I used to be very frightened of that alone time. But then I was like, its more time to create: I can read, I can write, I can sing. Its a superpower. I need very little sleep. And, of course, theres more time to act. Since her breakout role in Robert Eggers chilling New England horror film The Witch in 2015, shes starred in Morgan, a slick thriller about an artificially created human and directed by Luke Scott (son of Sir Ridley), and she played Barack Obamas girlfriend in Barry, Netflix Originals biopic about the outgoing Presidents university years. Later this year comes Thoroughbred, another psychological horror, with the late Anton Yelchin, then another psychological thriller, Marrowbone, the much-hyped debut from director Sergio G Sanchez  and all this from someone who admits horror movies, including her own, scare the s*** out of her. Surely that makes acting a bit of a nightmare? Its my therapy, says Taylor-Joy, sipping an iced-black coffee. When I first started acting, people were quite worried for me. They were like: What kind of world are you going into? I was like, Are you kidding? I love what I do so much that you cant not eat, you cant hurt yourself, you cant, you know, do whatever. I loved it so much. Acting saved my life. Its a surprisingly dark statement from someone so outwardly joyful, but theres clearly more to her than surface charm.

Christopher Kane dress, 1,345; shoes, 545 (christopherkane.com/gb) / Piczo

In Split, out this week, in which she stars alongside James McAvoy, she plays a victim of abuse. It affects one in three women, Taylor-Joy says. When she first read the script she cried for hours, because my characters are incredibly real for me and I was just in so much pain for her, she says. No one should ever have to endure that, and I dont know where people get off thinking that they own other womens bodies, because you are the only owner of your body and no one is allowed to touch you without your consent. A lot of people in society think that if something like thats happened to you, youre tainted. Its never the persons fault, its always the abusers fault.

At the moment she is living out of a suitcase. Home, she concedes, is a difficult concept for her: the youngest of five brothers and sisters, she was born in Miami to a Scottish-Argentinian father and an African-Spanish-English mother. Her dad was an international banker but gave it all up to race motorboats. So she was raised in Argentina until the age of six, then moved to London aged eight, where the family lived in Victoria.

Taylor-Joy in Split with James McAvoy / Supplied by LMK

When I was younger I didnt really feel like I fit in anywhere. I was too English to be Argentine, too Argentine to be English, too American to be anything. Her accent, involuntarily she says, suffers from a sort of linguistic Stockholm syndrome: in England, she sounds more English, in Ireland, more Irish, full of clipped Kensington consonants and long American vowels. Its really difficult for my personal life, but for acting its awesome.

She had a tough time at school. She loved drama classes, winning prizes for house drama at Queens Gate, and got straight As in history, English, drama and classics. But the kids just didnt understand me in any shape or form, and I was really badly bullied. In what way? I used to get locked in lockers, you know, barred from classrooms, not invited to things. It wasnt pleasant. At one point, her classmates used Facebook to tag her in a picture of a fish. My eyes were really far apart  thats a thing. She spent a lot of school crying in bathrooms, or in books and still says she never spends any time looking in mirrors.

Carven top, 330; skirt, 410 (carven.com) / Piczo

Were social creatures, she continues, and we dont do well when were not accepted, or when we feel like we dont belong anywhere. There were episodes of anxiety, which shed rather not revisit here  shes previously referred to mental-health hiccups. But she holds no grudges. Kids are mean. And if they dont understand something, theyre meaner.

When she was 14, she used her savings to move to New York, and at 16, she left school to pursue acting. Her family were terrified, she says. All of my brothers and sisters called me to tell me I was ruining my life. I cried hysterically. Was it worse because she was the baby of the family? I mean, maybe. I think because my siblings are so much older than me, I grew up around adults and I never thought of myself as a child. My parents raised me as if they always trusted me.

At the Gotham Independent Film Awards last year / FilmMagic

At 17, she was scouted by Storm Managements Sarah Doukas  the woman who first spotted Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne  in a story that begins as if it wont end well: walking her dog, she was followed from outside Harrods by a black car, which picked up pace as she did. This guy just stuck his head out of the window and shouted: If you stop, you wont regret it. She did stop. Which is so stupid, so dumb, the worst slasher-flick line ever. Inside was Doukas, who gave Taylor-Joy her card, said shed love to help and, that if she wanted to bring her parents in to meet her, she should. And then as she drove away she was like: By the way, never stop again. Thats the dumbest thing Ive ever experienced.

In The Witch / Alamy Stock Photo

There were only three shoots before getting her break as an actor. On a LOVE magazine shoot with the Downton Abbey cast, she told Allen Leech (who played chauffeur Tom Branson in the show) she wanted to be an actor, and he said leave your name and number and expect a call. She wound up with an audition for a role in The Witch, which she got. The film first showed at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. I saw myself on screen for the first time and I was terrified, she says. I was convinced I would never act again. I never actually figured that I couldnt act. But everyone else loved it.

The roles came quickly: intense fight scenes with Kate Mara in Morgan, playing Obamas fictional girlfriend Charlotte (an amalgam of three of his real girlfriends) in Barry, and most recently Casey in Split, an abductee of James McAvoys mentally unwell Kevin, who suffers dissociative identity disorder. She and McAvoy pranked the s*** out of each other. There was a brief tiff with Night, she says (but who is now so close to her that he calls her up to keep tabs), after she left her script in her trailer over the weekend. I think he thought Id been careless, that I didnt care, that Id been childish. I expressed how severely sorry I was but defended myself a little bit, you know.

How did he respond? He was like: Oh s***, Im not talking to a child, Im talking to someone who takes her profession incredibly seriously and is desperate to do a good job for me. Although shes often underestimated, that tends to work in your advantage. She pauses. Theres very little that men are afraid of more than a young woman with power. Theyre like, F***, I dont know what to do. Maybe a crying woman. Theyre more scared of a crying woman. Theyre like, Stop leaking! Fix it!

Currently single, Taylor-Joy describes her dream man as Eddie Redmayne, although hes happily married and I want him to stay that way. She is often in London and when here likes to take herself to Seven Dials to people watch, or go to restaurants alone with a book (shes a vegetarian and hates cruelty to animals). Isnt she worried that fame might take that from her? She blanches. It just happens to be a side effect of something that I love to do. And Im terrified of that. Im really scared. But Im not scared enough to stop doing something that I love doing.

She has American citizenship as well as British, and voted for Hillary Clinton because: I didnt want the orange man in the White House. (She originally planned to vote for Bernie Sanders, however.) Ive never understood prejudice in any shape, way or form, I just dont get it. Everybody bleeds, everyone has a heart, end of discussion. It doesnt matter their sexual orientation, it doesnt matter their colour, it doesnt matter their faith. Brexit stung too. London was a dark place for a couple of days, but I went out dancing that night. I went to The Dolphin where we were all hanging out and I was amazed at all these young people talking about politics, and they were incensed. And I was like  hell, yes, this is basically saying we are responsible for the world we are creating. You cant just sit with your iced latte, scrolling through Twitter and liking a couple of posts. You have to get out there and create the world.

Split is in cinemas on 20 January.

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I ts Chinas best-selling spirit with over 600 years of heritage, so why in the West is it still hiding? asks barkeeper Marco Matesi as he draws a scarlet flask of Hong Kong baijiu at Manettas Bar in the velvety underbelly of Flemings, Mayfair. Its the weirdest product  in a good way, continues the suave Sicilian, swivelling off the lid, unleashing a fantail of overripe mango and aniseed aromas. Theres no reference point to such extremity in Western spirits, which is why it deserves its own page on my menu.

Pronounced bye, Joe, baijiu often soars above 50 per cent alcohol, its base mostly led by hardy, tall, crimson-tipped sorghum, patiently fermented in mud pits, then distilled, then rested in clay jars. In modern China, baijiu tends to be ceremoniously shot in small glasses, fast re-filled to the encouraging cry, Ganbei! Such a jovial conveyor can lead to unexpected scenarios. I recall being summoned to sing Sinatras version of Yesterday to the Mayor and cronies of cashmere capital, Ordos, Inner Mongolia. But, even inebriated, I remembered to respectfully clink my vial lower than my comrades; a bow in miniature.

I advise sipping, not shooting, quality baijiu, including instalments such as Kweichow Moutai, which finishes with smooth soy sauce and almond notes (118.80, at SeeWoo in Chinatown); strong, sour plum-scented Shui Jing Fang Wellbay (74.90, alexanderandjames.com), which harks, phoenix-like, from the ruins of a 600 year-old distillery; and rich, gravy-like Kweichow Maotaizhen 9 (167, thewhiskyexchange.com).

Noting no bartender likes an easy ingredient, Matesi has tamed baijiu in a gateway cocktail. Year of The Rooster convincingly fuses baijiu and London gin with jasmine, sage and cherry nuances.

As well as Manettas, you can count off your abacus a wealth of atmospheric bars offering baijiu cocktails during the annual baijiu festival, held from 27 January to 12 February. (baijiucocktailweek.co.uk)

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S ri Lanka only fully opened up to tourism in 2009 after the end of its 25-year civil war, resulting in an unspoilt coastline unlike anywhere in the world.

Join the boho-chic set in the fortified city of Galle (pronounced Gawl) where Portuguese and Dutch colonial architecture melds with a tropical setting to create a magical market-town feel.

Stay

For understated chic, you cant beat Fort Bazaar, an exquisitely designed 18-bedroom boutique hotel in the heart of Galle Fort. Not only is it an unbelievably cosy bolthole, its central location also makes it the perfect starting point for discovering the delights of the old town. On your way back to the airport near Sri Lankas biggest city, Colombo, end the trip on a high note at sister hotel The Wallawwa, with its colonial-inspired interiors and unforgettable palm-fringed swimming pool. B&B rooms including afternoon tea at Fort Bazaar start at 107 per night (teardrop-hotels.com/fort-bazaar) and 115 per night including afternoon tea and minibar at The Wallawwa (thewallawwa.com)

The Wallawwa

Eat

Try a traditional Sri Lankan curry, such as the fragrant seafood badum, at the smart Amangalla hotel, but not before a classic gin-and-tonic sundowner on its grand terrace while the native purple-faced langur monkeys play in the trees above. The Fort Printers up the road is also a great choice for a romantic supper in a pretty courtyard  and dont leave before trying the colourful salad thalis at Poonies kitchen.

(aman.com/resorts/amangalla; thefortprinters.com)

Shop

The Barefoot brand is famous in Sri Lanka for its thoughtful practices and investment in its workers. Visit its Galle outpost for beautifully woven linens. For art, look to KK the Collection on Galles Pedlar Street, which stocks modern pieces by local artists, while Stick No Bills is famous for its classic Sri Lankan posters. (barefootceylon.com; sticknobillsonline.com)

Sri Lanka boasts some of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world

See

Take a tuk-tuk ride up to the Talpe Beach Club, located on an isolated pristine beach just 20 minutes from Galle. Commandeer a sunlounger, order a king coconut and while away a few hours reading or watching the stilt fishermen at work, one of the most photographed sights in Sri Lanka. If you have more time, some of South Asias most beautiful beaches are but a few hours drive away (or hop on the train  Sri Lanka boasts some of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world). Visits to Mirissa, Tangalle and the surfers paradise of Dikwella should be at the top of your list.

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D ishoom, N1C

At Dishooms Kings Cross location, head down to The Permit Room for one of its house sharbats. A distant cousin of the French sorbet, these turbo-charged fruit punches are all the rage back in Mumbais Irani cafes. The alcohol-free menu here is short and sweet, and features a knockout watermelon version (with spearmint, lime and sea salt) as well as the house favourite virgin chaijito  a delicious blend of coriander, mint, chai syrup and soda. Overall, a thumbs up from us. (dishoom.com)

Oliver Dixon / Imagewise

Redemption Bar, W2

Redemption Bars spoil yourself without spoiling yourself attitude is what underpins its clever alcohol-free cocktail menu. Pull up a stool at the brightly lit bar and think green  our favourite sip is the lettuce spray cocktail, a nourishing mix of iceberg lettuce, lime, cucumber and birch syrup. The classic margarita gets a makeover here too, made with coconut water, lime and agave syrup, playfully served in a salt-rimmed coupe over ice. (redemptionbar.co.uk)

Try a beetroot and sage kombucha, left, or a zingy lemon, ginger and turmeric spritz at Behind This Wall

Behind This Wall, E8

Hidden below a shopfront in Hackney Central, Behind This Wall has a fun speakeasy vibe, all homegrown ingredients and rustic decor  and the drinks to match. Look to the iced-tea cocktail list and try the zingy ginger tea concoction (booze-free and one to stave off any budding colds  double win). The neighbourhood venue also does great oysters served with kimchi consomme and spicy Korean gochugaru pepper powder. Looks like the secrets out. (behindthiswall.com)
H ome is...

Mid-city Los Angeles  I have a little Spanish house that has touches of London in it, such as a street sign of Rayners Lane where I grew up, and pieces from Kenya where my family are from.

Where do you stay in London?

The Soho Hotel. Its one of the many cool hotels in the city but I like it because its super central and its close to Taro, my favourite ramen place on Brewer Street. They do a chicken teriyaki dish for under a tenner and its incredible.

Best place for a first date?

I like Notting Hill. Theres nothing cooler than browsing the antiques at Portobello Market, eating a crepe or popping into E&O for some Asian food.

Alamy Stock Photo

If you had to be locked in a building overnight which would it be?

The top of The Gherkin  Im not scared of heights and that would be a pretty amazing view of the city at night.

Best thing a cabbie has said to you?

A driver, who was getting very existential on one journey, told me: If you add another o in god, it makes good. I think people should do things in the name of good, not god, and the world would be a better place. His name was John.

Your biggest extravagance?

Art. The most important (and personal) piece I have is a vintage Enter the Dragon poster. Im the biggest Bruce Lee fan and hes the reason I got into the industry. This was the film I would watch through the bannisters, past my bedtime, as a child.

Warner Bros/REX/Shutterstock

Where do you go to let your hair down?

If you see my hair right now, youd know that a hairdresser is a very foreign notion for me.

Best piece of advice youve been given?

The Indian philosopher Vivekananda once said: We are what our thoughts have made us and I think thats a beautiful quote.

The last album you downloaded?

I stream a lot of Ben Howard on Spotify. His voice is very raw but still has a worshipful quality to it. Theres a song I listened to on repeat before filming Lion called Promise.

What would you do as Mayor for the day?

Free Nandos for everyone for the day, with a dispensary at every street corner.

Alamy Stock Photo

Your earliest London memory?

Going with the entire Patel family  all the uncles and aunties, there were about 20 of us  down to the cinema in Harrow to watch Titanic. It was the first time I saw my dad cry. I guess the old hand on the glass scene also adds to the memory. It was a coming-of-age moment.

Who is your hero?

Will Smith. I used to rush home from school to watch The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air every day and I had the same pop-out ears and haircut as he did.

Lion is in cinemas now.
W hen Alex Klein was 12, his beloved laptop was smashed. Now 26, the tech impressario sees it as a pivotal moment: Someone near and dear to me got angry at me, picked up the laptop I was spending all my time on and smashed it against the floor. At first I was upset  but it was the first time Id really seen the inside of a computer properly. And then I started building my own.

That was the start of what became Kano, Kleins child-friendly, build-your-own computer kits that give 10-year-olds better computing abilities than most adults. Its named after Kano Jigoro, who invented judo, and its not just for children  those who have built Kano hardware include Boris Johnson and musician Nile Rodgers.

When we meet at Kanos Whitechapel HQ Klein is articulate and funny, with a blunt Harry Potter haircut, navy fleece and irresistible enthusiasm for getting everyone, everywhere, computer literate. He is one of the Standards Young Progress Makers speaking at the Roundhouse on January 25, at an afternoon of microtalks, panel discussions and performances for Londoners aged between 18 and 25.

British-born Klein moved to Seattle with his parents when he was nine. He was always an arts kid  until he saw The Matrix at 10. It was like a religious experience for me. Thats when I learned to code. To try and see the patterns behind things. The second definitive moment came two years later when that computer was smashed.

Returning to the UK for a Masters in political economy at Cambridge, Klein discovered the Raspberry Pi  the little brain at the heart of Kano. A credit card sized-single-board computer, open and hackable, it had been created by a team of Cambridge professors to promote understanding of computers and had already sold a million copies to hacking fanatics using it, for example, to stream videos. But not enough children were interested in the tiny, intricate circuit board with its 400 page-long dummys guide. Thats where Klein came in.

Egged on by his six-year-old cousin, who wanted a build-your-own computer as simple and fun as Lego, so no one has to teach me how to do it, Klein took this naked, raw bit of kit, and packaged it up attractively with primary coloured add-ons such as screens and wires, a cute, cartoon-led step-by-step manual and stickers. In a world where everyones carrying smartphones in their pockets, says Klein, why arent we interrogating how these are made and what the ideas are that make them run? Kano breaks down that barrier between user and technology.

Daniel Hambury

With help from friend and co-founder Yonatan Raz-Fridman, an Israeli programmer, backing from his tech investor uncle Saul Klein (that six-year-old cousins father) and an oversubscribed Kickstarter campaign, the first Kanos launched in 2013. Loaded with software that lets users play Minecraft and draw pictures, they were an instant hit. Today theyre stocked in every Toys R Us and Barnes & Noble in the US.

While the packaging and simplicity of the kit is child-friendly, Klein insists that people of all ages can benefit from Kano. We design with kids in mind because their attitude is the one we think more people should adopt. When youre nine youre questioning your parents and teachers, youre interested in taking things apart, seeing how they work. We think that kind of attitude gets buried by your job.

The best apps for Londoners 1 /16 The best apps for Londoners Zip car Join, reserve, unlock and drive  it really is that simple. The capitals preferred car clubs app gives 24/7 access to cars and vans in your neighbourhood and lets you extend or cancel reservations on the go. Free Uncover Sick of being stuck on waiting lists? You need Uncover, which redistributes cancelled reservations at some of the capitals top restaurants, including The River Cafe and Nobu. Not for planning freaks, though  tables typically become free at 40 minutes notice. Free Uber So popular its become a verb, this private driver service has revolutionised travel in the capital. Its speedy and affordable, making it a welcome alternative to the night bus. Free Santander Cycles Launched this summer, the official app for Boris fifth child can be used to search for nearby docking stations and check bike availability. Theres also a journey planner featuring easy, moderate and fast routes to satisfy all cycling tribes. Free Plume Air Report This new app has been downloaded by 3,000 Londoners. Sensors gathering air pollution data submit updates every hour, resulting in a scale that ranges from fresh to extremely polluted. Free Nightcapp Heres an app that will have booze hounds raising their glasses. NightCapp is a map that pinpoints more than 1,500 London watering holes that stay open past 11.30pm. It also shows users when a bar is about to close by highlighting it in orange. Better get moving. Free Money Dashboard An award-winning budget planner, this helps you keep track of personal spending across multiple accounts, pay off credit cards and even makes suggestions on how to manage your finances better. Free Her Promising to introduce women to a lesbian that hasnt slept with any of your friends, this revamped dating app includes queer-themed news and blogs, upcoming event notices and an improved algorithm-matching system. Free FoodMood This new startup, which reckons its Tinder for food, pledges to narrow down your choice of lunchbreak destinations. Hit yum or yuk on photos of dishes in your area. Juvenile, but strangely addictive. Free Daily Yoga This offers more than 50 yoga sessions, as well as a database of 500 yoga poses. Suitable for all levels, programmes include yoga aimed at specific areas of the body and weight loss. Namaste to that. Free Coffee Meets Bagel Billed as the anti-Tinder, this new kid on the block delivers just a single match to users once a day. Coffee Meets Bagel uses Facebook profile information to recommend suitors based on friends of friends. Neither coffee nor bagels are included. Free. Bristlr Do you have a beard? Perhaps youd like to stroke one on a regular basis? This can be arranged. Unlike other dating apps, Bristlr is unashamedly all about hooking up the hairy with the hairless. Theres even a beard-rating option for aficionados. Free

So while the average Kano user is nine- and-a-half theyve had 45-year-olds using it to build websites, 16-year-olds in Kosovo automating the position of solar panels and a teenage boy in Sierra Leone building a radio station. Boris Johnson and Mike Bloomberg raced to build a Kano computer at London Tech Week, while Theresa May namechecked the company on her visit to India last year. Klein wants it to be age and gender neutral, speaking to anyone interested in how this chaotic world works.

That includes Kano staff members, of whom there are 60, from more than 20 different countries. Kanos London HQ has all the markings of a tech start-up. Fake grass on the floor? Check. Meeting fort (aka meeting room) built from Kano packaging? Check. The walls are covered with pop-art style image created with MakeArts, Kanos most popular programme. Theres a ping-pong table, of course, and a Japanese gong. Klein talks of ritual week wins: Whenever theres a win  closing a new project, coding a new program  you bang that gong, and everyone gets a free drink. Everyone loves working here. We dont accept anything less than absolute loyalty. (Hes only half-joking).

Flexible working is encouraged, whether that means logging in from a cafe or bedding down on a picnic table in the communal area to tap on your MacBook (every Kano employee has an Apple laptop, despite Kleins jokes about taking down the monopoly Apple has on computational creativity). Klein has no plans to stop.

The latest win was crowdfunding a code-your-own camera. Photography used to be an art. Now everyone takes photos in the same way and sees the results immediately. But theres a whole lot of ideas that go into taking light, focusing it onto a chip, turning those sparking transistors into an image you see on screen. Why should we just use pre-packaged filters created by geniuses at Instagram and Snapchat? With Kano, Kleins implication is, we can all be those geniuses.

Follow Frankie McCoy on Twitter: @franklymccoy

Young Progress Makers will be at the Roundhouse on January 25. For more details go to: standard.co.uk/ypm. To buy tickets for the event go to: roundhouseorg.uk/ypm. #ESYPM
O n the wall of the bar beneath SOASs student union is a quote from the Chinese civil rights lawyer Ni Yulan, entreating us all to strive for equality. This is at the heart of what the union considers its mission. Its executive includes both a people of colour officer and two anti-racism officers, while one of its four co-presidents is tasked with addressing equality and liberation.

Earlier this week the union was again in the headlines for its efforts to address racial inequality. In a report called Degrees of Racism the student union asked that all academics must be prepared to acknowledge... they are capable of racism.

A proudly-progressive stance is part of SOASs draw. Russell Brand and political activists are among its current student body, alongside more typical students (one on SOAS steps was debating the merits of cigarettes versus spliffs when I visited), while Jemima Khan received her MA there in 2003. The school is diverse: its 5,900 students hail from 133 countries, and it likes to celebrate this diversity.

But according to Avrahum Sanger, president of SOASs Jewish Society (JSoc), there is a minority that doesnt feel able to express itself. He believes there is an anti-Semitic sickness in the heart of Bloomsbury.

Some students tell me they are too scared to wear the star of David, or speak Hebrew, and Israeli students dont want to attend Jewish events because theyre afraid of being singled out, he tells me. Even I feel uneasy when I go into the student union. And yet someone from the student union...  he wouldnt be drawn on who  ...told me that the anti-racism officers didnt have a mandate to address anti-Semitism as it wasnt in their manifesto. Anyway, the only form of anti-Semitism people think of here is Hitler.

The Israel-Palestine conflict dominates discussion of global affairs at many universities but nowhere more so than at SOAS. In 2015 the union held a referendum where it voted to boycott Israel. And last year, it held an Israeli Apartheid Week to raise awareness of Israels apartheid policies over the Palestinian people. A Jewish student claimed that justified criticisms of the Israeli government from students sometimes morph into attacks on the Israeli state, which can morph into attacks on the Jewish community.

Those who are pro-Palestinian often say that being anti-Israel is not being anti-Jewish, but Gideon Falter, chair of the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, argues this is more complex: Israel is the place from which Judaism originates and where half of the worlds Jewish population lives. It is the religious and cultural heart of Judaism. To tell Jews that they will be treated as pariahs unless they renounce all religious and cultural connection to Israel and Israelis is anti-Semitic.

Sanger isnt alone in being concerned. In December the cross-bench peer Baroness Deech told The Daily Telegraph that amongst Jewish students there is gradually a feeling that there are certain universities that you should avoid  definitely SOAS.

Student politics: SOAS / Matt Writtle

The Jewish community there is small. A 2016 freedom of information request found that 39 SOAS students declared they were Jewish when they applied (students were not obliged to state their religion), although Sanger says only about seven are active.

He has just put forward an emergency motion for the union general meeting (UGM) calling for equality for Jewish students. The UGM was initially supposed to be at 5pm today but was postponed last night until Tuesday. Sangers requests include kosher sandwiches going on sale again in the JCR shop (SOAS insists kosher food is still available, but Sanger claims he has been unable to find it for months). He also wants to establish either a Jewish prayer space or a multi-faith room.

In the past there was a multi-faith room in the Vernon Building, which closed when SOAS relocated to a single site in Senate House last year, and yet SOASs website still lists that room as open to all. It also says that the prayer rooms in Russell Square are dedicated to Muslims only, segregated into Room L65 (in the basement) for male Muslim prayer and the Brunei Gallery prayer room for female Muslim prayer.

A spokesperson for SOAS said the school is looking to replace the multi-faith room and that, as part of the University of London, our students have access to facilities across the wider University.

Sanger, 22 and in his final year studying economics, also wants the student union to help JSoc organise a workshop on anti-Semitism in freshers week, to appoint a Jewish officer and to mandate the anti-racism officer to work with that officer.

The Jewish community at SOAS is small / Matt Writtle

He reels off a catalogue of events that have disturbed him. A Jewish student was told by a fellow student: The Jews should have chosen Uganda. In October the SOAS Palestine Society planned to hold a discussion titled Decoupling Judaism and Zionism in Palestine Advocacy, with the aim to examine the borderline between Judaism and Zionism in the debate over Israel-Palestine and to determine where to draw the line between combating the weaponisation of anti-Semitism and identifying real instances of anti-Semitism. JSoc was not consulted, nor involved. I think thats disgusting, says Sanger. The event was eventually cancelled.

Falter sees this as an attempt to define anti-Semitism, telling Jews what they are allowed to find offensive. Can you imagine inviting a speaker to tell black or gay students that they are no longer allowed to be offended by certain types of racism or homophobia? There would be a national outcry.

A month later the Israeli Embassy accused SOAS of letting racist conspiracy theories go unchallenged during a talk by Thomas Suarez at the Palestine Society. Suarez was recorded describing Zionism as a racial, fascist movement. A SOAS statement said the event was not a SOAS organised or run event but was organised by a student society, which operate under the auspices of the students union  a separately constituted body from the school itself. Sanger doesnt find this an acceptable response: Universities should be accountable.

And last April, Mark Regev, Israels new ambassador to the UK, met with SOASs director Baroness Amos. This sparked graffiti on campus: F*** Regev, Amos + Israel BDS or else. BDS is shorthand for the campaign to boycott, divest or impose sanctions on Israel.

Sanger also points to a 2015 vigil on SOASs steps where among those pictured and mourned was Muhannad Shafeq Halabi, who killed two Israeli men in Jerusalem: This is not welcoming to Israelis  effectively celebrating their murder.

However, a 2016 freedom of information request found that between January 2015 and March 2016, there was only one anti-Semitic incident reported to university staff, and that no students had made complaints to the university alleging anti-Semitic abuse. How does Sanger explain that? Theres a distrust between the union and Jewish students  they dont feel theres anyone to complain to there. And with regards to the university, I think people dont know the process of making a complaint  its complicated.

This issue isnt new to SOAS: it has long been referred to by some in the Jewish community as the School of Anti-Semitism  but nor is it unique to SOAS. In recent years, the Left and university societies have been engulfed in a series of rows over alleged anti-Semitism.

Prior to speaking to Sanger I had asked Dr Deborah Johnston, SOASs pro-director (learning and teaching)  in an interview largely about the Degrees of Racism report  about anti-Semitism on campus.

There are a wide range of opinions expressed here at SOAS  that doesnt mean we endorse them all, she said. We have been working closely with the Jewish Society to ensure they feel welcome and are comfortable being visible. In a later statement, SOAS added that the expression of anti-Semitic views is not permitted.

Johnston added that Amos met with Sanger at the beginning of the academic year (which he confirms, as well as noting that Amos has been supportive of Holocaust Memorial day), and that the university is home to the Jewish Music Institute and has a strong academic programme in relation to Israeli studies.

A SOAS academic  who described the university as the most politicised campus in the entire country  had previously told me that there had been protests at the mere existence of this Israeli studies course. Johnston responded: And these are the kind of issues we look at regularly. Where issues come up, we consider are we doing this in the right way, taking into account our staff and students? If you think of the regions SOAS studies, they are all complex.

Everybody I spoke to  whether staff or student  agreed that SOAS is a very politicised place. Some saw this as a boon, others as a mixed blessing.

Campaigning is part of the ethos, a student who finished last year says. A large part of this is a backlash against its colonial roots  SOAS was founded in 1916 to boost Britains political dominance over swathes of Asia and Africa by teaching colonial administrators the languages and cultures of the people they would rule over. So Decolonising SOAS is spray-painted by the pool table in the bar and a popular SOAS society is called Decolonising Our Minds: We say lets decolonise X to each other as a joke, its part of the way students here talk, the student adds.

A more critical student feels a Left-wing strain of thinking is too dominant. Any opinions that challenge the Left are always thoroughly challenged by a large number of students. This can be very alienating.

However, he is in favour of shining a light on Israels faults: SOAS is openly pro-Palestine. I dont consider that a bad thing although there are a tiny handful of students that go out of their way to attack the views of anyone who is pro-Israel. Most pro-Palestinians Ive met are not extreme in their views [but] some have more negative outlooks on the situations and towards Israelis. Jewish people or pro-Israelis at SOAS are rarely involved in any disputes  Id say one or two times a year  as there is a stigma towards being pro-Israel.

Sanger wants the university and union to address this stigma, alongside making the campus more tolerant to Jewish students. SOAS isnt yet a no-go zone for Jewish students, he says. But its becoming increasing difficult as one to study here.

Follow Rosamund Uwin on Twitter: @RosamundUrwin
Y ou may only have eyes for each other, but breathtaking views and magnificent sunsets wouldnt do any harm to that picture. With the pound buffeted by Brexit, plenty of couples will be looking for romantic retreats within the UK this year.

At home, Cornwall  still basking in a golden, Poldarkian glow  is a stand-out star for 2017. The county is overflowing with new and newly-renovated boltholes to explore, from the beautiful Old Quay House Hotel at Fowey (theoldquayhouse.com), to the extraordinary Nomad near Widemouth Bay. This incredibly cosy property (new to uniquehomestays.com) is a combination of showmans wagon and rustic bothy, and sits in its own picturesque paddock, complete with a hot-tub ideal for stargazing from.

Scandinavia should also be on your wishlist for 2017. Were entering a dormant phase of the solar cycle, meaning that from next year the Northern Lights will become weaker and less frequent for the best part of a decade.

The Old Quay House, Fowey

The good news is that theyll be as vibrant as ever between now and March, with a number of romantic ways to enjoy them. The pick of the bunch is in Norway  recently visited by Prince Harry and new girlfriend Meghan Markle  where The Aurora Zone (theaurorazone.com) is offering a new tour of the countrys far north for couples. Dog sledding, snowmobiling and reindeer safaris are all optional, but the real brownie points are earned in the bedrooms: luxury glass-roofed wooden cabins, ideally positioned for spotting the Aurora Borealis from your double bed.

See the Northern Lights / Alamy Stock Photo

With Valentines Day also visible on the horizon, those with a more direct approach to seduction might consider the brand new Fun & Frolics package at Amsterdams ultra-hip artotel (artotelamsterdam.com). The risque deal includes a pair of signature Horny Mule cocktails on arrival, dinner for two and a guided tour of the citys famous Red Light District.

Arguably the ultimate escape for two is a road trip, and there are some fantastic options to consider, particularly in Canada with canadianaffair.com. But the pick of the bunch is the 12-day self-drive tour of Chile with tambotravel.com  to coincide with British Airways first direct flights from London, which began on 3 January. The mouthwatering itinerary takes in everything from Santiago to the incredible Serrano glaciers, breathtaking Torres del Paine National Park and thundering waterfalls of Petrohue.

Those wishing to push the boat out even further  ideally into perfect turquoise waters  should look to Indonesia. A number of the archipelagos islands are starting to emerge from Balis shadow, with great deals to be had in what is still relatively unexplored paradise. In particular check out Sumba, where Coconut Cove  a new boutique surf school for beginners  has just opened. Ampersand Travel (ampersandtravel.com) is offering packages to the island, staying at the Nihiwatu (nihiwatu.com), which was recently voted the worlds best hotel by Travel+Leisure magazine.

Nihiwatu in Indonesia / Melissa Dive

In the Indian Ocean, the spotlight this year will fall on northern Madagascar, where Miavana (timeandtideafrica.com/miavana), a hotly anticipated luxury eco-lodge, opened its doors in December. Located on its own island and encircled by white sand beaches, its already being tipped as a major A-list destination for 2017. Direct flights from Johannesburg to nearby Nosy Be add to the appeal  and the potential of adding a safari beforehand or afterwards. Honeymoon planners take note!

Follow us on Twitter @eslifeandstyle
P lot your way out of the winter gloom and turn your attention to family globetrotting for the coming 12 months.

Its a headline year for Canada as 2017 marks the 150th anniversary of confederation, so the whole country will be in the mood to celebrate. A raft of events are planned across the country on 1 July to mark the date.

Active families can have a ball exploring its vast, majestic wilderness from its Eastern seaboard and Prince Edward Island to the awe-inspiring beauty and wildlife of Banff and Lake Louise further west. Whats more, Parks Canada (pc.gc.ca) has announced free entry to all its 46 national parks, historic sites and maritime conservation areas for 2017. Audley Travel (01993 838 700; audleytravel.com) has a 16-day self-drive itinerary suitable for families from Vancouver to Banff. The price includes return flights, B&B accommodation and car hire from 2,600 per person for four.

Lots of people are already imagining themselves unfurling their towels on a Greek beach this summer  Greece topped the list as Thomas Cooks (thomascook.com) most searched for single destination over the festive period. Its countless beaches and family-friendly resorts are the perfect solution for many.

The Halkidiki coastline

In April, one of these, the Ikos Oceania (0808 111 0131; ikosresorts.com), set on a dreamy sliver of white beach on the Halkidiki coastline, will reopen following an upgrade that includes 10 new interconnecting family rooms, 22 new one-bedroom family suites and nine two-bedroom family suites. Doubles start from 180 per night, room only.

In April, the Eagles Palace resort, also in Halkidiki, will unveil its new sea view villas overlooking the dancing turquoise waters of the Aegean. Scott Dunn (020 8682 5000; scottdunn.com) offers seven nights from 1,850 per person based on a family of four including flights, half-board accommodation and two places at its Explorers Kids Club.

Camel rides in Oman

Tipped as one of the places to visit this year by Lonely Planet in its Best in Travel 2017, Oman has been quietly positioning itself as the less glitzy alternative to Dubai with more of a sense of Old Arabia. There are plenty of reasons to go, not least the 2017 opening of the gigantic Majarat Oman waterpark outside Muscat with another planned for Salalah later this year.

Anantara (anantara.com) has recently opened two resorts in the Sultanate  one of these is the Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara on the southern coast. Its ideal for families looking to get a bit further off the beaten track. As well as the dreamy white sands by the Arabian Sea and the nearby Unesco World Heritage-listed archaeological site of Al Baleed, inland there are mountains, lush valleys and plunging waterfalls to discover. Doubles start at 235 per night, room only.

The June 3 launch of British Airways (ba.com) new twice-weekly flights from London Heathrow to Brindisi in Puglia, Italy, will only increase the popularity of this sunbaked, southern Italian region. Well-heeled families flock to the ultra-luxurious, child-friendly Borgo Egnazia (00 39 80 225 5850; borgoegnazia.com) and its collection of hotel rooms, apartments and villas resembling a traditional Apulian village close to the beach at Savelletri di Fasano. Doubles from 200, room-only.

Dolce CampoReal Resort, in Turcifal / Powder Byrne

The Portuguese capital Lisbon is having a moment thanks in part to the the opening of the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology on the banks of the Tagus River. Powder Byrne (020-8246 5300; powderbyrne.com) has just introduced the Dolce CampoReal Resort, in Turcifal, to its family portfolio. As well as the benefits of its expertly staffed creche and childrens clubs, families can also choose between hotel rooms and villas set within the grounds  plus its not far to the beaches of the west coast and half an hour from the capital. Prices start at 788 per person B&B, based on two sharing during July and August if booked 90 days ahead.

Finally, for the truly forward thinking, on 25 January booking opens for Club Meds (clubmed.co.uk) flagship, family-friendly French ski resort Grand Massif Samoens Morillon, opening at the end of the year. Prices from 1,241 per person, based on two sharing.

Follow us on Twitter @eslifeandstyle
W hile Europe holds abundant thrills, sometimes it pays to venture further when travelling. And with London continuing to build a better long-haul network than any other city, there has never been a better time to go the distance.

Japan is an excellent all-rounder for a safe but singular holiday with a relatively weak yen making it decent value for UK visitors. At once familiar, but completely unique, it has adapted and perfected aspects of modern western society while retaining its millennia-old traditions.

Supercharged cities such as Tokyo and Osaka buzz with vitality, while destinations such as Kyoto, the countrys ancient capital, and Nara are hotbeds of Japanese culture. Outside the cities, things are equally beguiling with options ranging from diving around the subtropical island province of Okinawa, to some of the worlds best ski and snowboard resorts in the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido.

Southeast Asia is also a long-term favourite for Brits seeking something exotic. While the paradise beaches and Buddhist culture of Thailand makes it a reliable choice, emerging nations such as Vietnam and Cambodia are catching the eye of adventurous travellers seeking the road less trodden.

In Vietnam, the countrys central region packs in a broad concentration of must-see attractions including a wealth of historical and natural draws. For culture the regions three UNESCO World Heritage sites stand out. These encompass the imperial capital Hue, the ancient port of Hoi An and the Cham ruins of My Son.

Hoi An, Vietnam / Alamy Stock Photo

The region is just as effective as a leisure destination. China Beach, which runs continuously from Danang to Hoi An, is rated as one of the worlds best, while the hotels fronting the sand are among Vietnams best and include options such as the recently rebranded Four Seasons Nam Hai. For many tourists, Hoi An is the highlight of Central Vietnam. A one time trading port, the town has some of Vietnams best-preserved architecture, tremendous shopping and a lively restaurant scene.

Cambodia, meanwhile, is now ready to stake its claim as a viable option for a blissful beach break in Southeast Asia thanks to a number of significant new and recent hotel openings. Once an out-of-the-way frontier region, Koh Kong province has become a hub for eco-tourism with guests exploring its virgin rainforest, sleepy rivers as well as charting exciting routes through the mysterious Cardamom Mountains.

Further east, the city of Sihanoukville has had a bit of a beach makeover, while nearby islands offer a castaway experience every bit as alluring as that of Thailand, with resorts such as the award-winning Song Saa, Alila Koh Russey and the about-to-open Six Senses Koh Krabey providing the ultimate in barefoot luxury.

Miami ( Alamy Stock Photo) / Alamy Stock Photo

Other top long-haul beach destinations, meanwhile, include Barbados, Sri Lanka and Florida. Barbados is perhaps the most user-friendly of all the Caribbean islands. There are numerous daily direct flights to the capital Bridgetown from the UK, while accommodation ranges from the new all-inclusive boutique SoCo Hotel to world-famous Sandy Lane resort.

Sri Lanka has come into its own as a holiday destination in recent times after being stymied by decades of civil war. Its coastal regions offer paradise beaches and good value resorts. However, it offers more than sun, sea and sand. It has myriad wildlife-spotting opportunities while fabulous hiking and white-water rafting can be found in its lush, mountainous interior.

Florida is something of a perennial for UK holidaymakers due to its year-round friendly climate and blockbusting theme parks. Miami, meanwhile, is earning a reputation as one of the most sophisticated cities in the US thanks to a burgeoning art and cultural scene and acclaimed dining venues.

A red-eyed tree frog in Costa Rica Alamy Stock Photo) / Alamy Stock Photo

For something a bit more active, Costa Rica is growing in popularity thanks to its stunning reef and rainforest landscapes, which offer scope for everything from hiking up volcanoes to observation of tropical marine life.

Whether it is scouting out the Far East or communing with nature in Central America, theres plenty to be said for broadening your range.

Follow us on Twitter @eslifeandstyle
N ine Black Lives Matter have insisted their protest worked after being convicted for chaining themselves together and blocking a key route leading to Heathrow Airport.

Chanting "if they do not give us justice, we won't give them peace", they blocked the M4 southbound spur road to the busy London airport on August 5 at about 8.25am, Willesden Magistrates' Court heard.

Four protesters held a large black banner that said "This is a crisis" while six others formed a human chain on the ground. They had linked their arms together using hollowed fire extinguishers filled with wire mesh and concrete.

The nine people on trial, who said they were Black Lives Matters campaigners, had denied wilfully obstructing the highway but were found guilty on Thursday.

Protest: Nine members of the group were in court / PA

Speaking after his conviction, Joshua Virasami, 26, of Hounslow, said: "The media is reporting about Black Lives Matter and racism in our country today because protest works. This protest worked.

"A conversation around the violence of institutional racism has been reignited, but a simple conversation is never enough."

Naomi Mabita, 23, of Manchester, said: "If people want to challenge us for causing a one-hour inconvenience, surely they'll want to challenge a system that sees families wait over 20 years for justice?"

Raj Chada, who represented the activists, said they were "disappointed in the verdict" but that the focus should remain on the issues they were protesting about.

Road block: Black Lives Matter protesters cause delays at Heathrow (@WailQ/PA ) / @WailQ/PA

Arresting officer Sergeant Christopher Jackson told the court: "It was utter chaos, to be honest. 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 and the people laying on the floor.

Chains: Protesters lie on the tarmac, blocking the main entrance to Heathrow / @WailQ/PA

"There were people who seemed to know the protesters but were not involved in it stood on the side of the road.

"Members of the public were angry and shouting at the protesters."

Also convicted at court were Sita Balani, 29, of Southwark, Liam Barrington-Bush, 32, Aditi Jaganathan, 27, both of Tottenham, and Ewa Jasiewicz, 38, of Tower Hamlets.

Heathrow protesters stage 'die-in' demo over airport expansion

Aadam Muuse, 24, of no fixed address, Alison Playford, 38, of Greenford, and Mark Weaver, 36, of Beverley, East Yorkshire were also found guilty.

They were all ordered to pay between 261 and 523 each, according to Hodge Jones & Allen, the law firm representing them.

Another protester, Taylor Offoh, 20, of Penge, had already accepted a caution.

Black Lives Matter is an international movement set up in the US following the killing of black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida in February 2012.

It began as a way to unite the African-American community to campaign against violence and alleged systematic racism towards black people.

The protest marked the fifth anniversary of the death of Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old black man who was shot dead by police in Tottenham, north London, sparking riots across England.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.
A n eco-entrepreneur who exposed himself to a police officer after being thrown out of an exclusive Soho private members club has been spared prison.

Mattijah Sedlak, 29, was caught half-naked in the kitchen area of Blacks Gentlemans Club, at the end of a pub crawl through central London with friends.

Staff persuaded him to put his trousers back on and led him outside following the incident on June 11 last year.

However, when the entrepreneur, who launched environmental consultancy ecoLife in 2012, was later sat with a police officer, he undid his trousers and exposed himself again.

At Southwark crown court today, Judge Robbins banned him from Soho for the next six months and imposed a 12-month community order with a night-time curfew until mid-April

Its a worrying case in some ways, he behaved completely out of character and he still maintains he was entirely innocent and someone must have spiked his drink, he said.

He undoubtedly shows remorse and is apologetic, but how much insight is shown is another matter.

Sedlak was acquitted at trial of sexual assault but found guilty by the jury of indecent exposure.

Police had been called when Sedlak was discovered half-naked in the kitchens, and he encountered two officers at a bus stop in nearby Bourchier Street after leaving the club.

The businessman became distressed when he realised he had forgotten his bag in the clubs kitchen, and while one officer went to retrieve it, the other stayed with Sedlak.

The PC said Sedlak made lewd comments and asked if the officer was interested.

The officer said he told Sedlak to behave, but then felt a hand touch him and looked over to see Sedlak touching himself intimately.

Following his arrest, Sedlak claimed his drink must have been spiked and denied both charges against him.

He had also become aggressive after his arrest, the court heard, grabbing on to a tree to avoid being dragged to the police van.

Polish-born Sedlak moved to the UK five years ago, having already trained as a paramedic, working as a carer and a horse trainer before helping to launch ecoLife.

Sedlak, of Tonbridge, Kent, was acquitted of sexual assault, but convicted of exposure.

He was also ordered to pay 1400 costs on top of his sentence.
C hildren as young as 12 are running drugs from London to market towns in a racket feared to be a new child exploitation grooming scandal.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd today faced calls for a national strategy to tackle the menace of gangs running "county lines' drug trafficking networks to seaside resorts and the Home Counties.

In an unprecedented move councillors from 19 London boroughs have joined forces to call on the Home Secretary to crack down on the problem, saying vulnerable young people were being exploited by older gang members.

The "county lines" phenomenon involves criminal gangs in London using dedicated mobile hotlines and drug mules to expand their operations into towns and cities hundreds of miles away.

Criminals target vulnerable youngsters, including young girls, and force them into running heroin and cocaine to under-developed drugs markets in seaside resorts and country towns.

Earlier this year a London drugs kingpin was jailed for 12 years after a court heard he dispatched couriers with drugs on National Express buses to dealers in Plymouth.

Antony Okopie was jailed for 12 years for sending drug runners on coaches as far as Plymouth

Antony Okopie, 29, operated form his flat in Peckham sending two consignments of heroin and cocaine a week, splashing the spoils on designers clothes and luxury cars such as a Range Rover and a Mercedes.

At one time he was a VIP Harrods shopper.

In a letter to the Home Secretary, the London councillors, all lead members of their boroughs children's services, have asked for a meeting to develop a national response to the issue.

The letter states: "We believe that County Lines has the potential to be the next grooming scandal, following the child sexual exploitation scandals we have seen in Rotherham, Oxfordshire and elsewhere in recent years."

It adds: "Just as society treated girls groomed for Child Sexual Exploitation as criminals complicit in their own abuse, we are in danger of repeating this mistake with the vulnerable young people exploited by adults through County Lines.

"As London Boroughs we can take a lead in stopping this phenomenon, but we need national support, otherwise we will always be one step behind the gangs.

The letter also adds: "Vulnerable children from London as young as 12 have been found in locations as far afield as Cornwall and South Wales."

The cross party initiative by boroughs is being led by Islington councillor Joe Caluori who said today: "We have seen in Islington how organised gangs are trying to minimise their risks and maximise their profits by grooming and exploiting vulnerable young people to run drugs, money and even weapons to remote locations.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd is facing calls for a new national strategy to tackle the problem / PA

Our local assessment showed that vulnerable young people in Islington and right across London are at risk of involvement in county lines drug dealing."

He added: "This problem crosses local authority and police boundaries, and by its very nature requires a national solution from the Home Office.

"We all need to work together on this to safeguard vulnerable young people  and urgently.

The call comes after a report by the National Crime Agency in 2015 warned that 181 urban gangs had sent more than 800 people to market towns and coastal areas to deal drugs.

Scotland Yard estimates that nearly all London gangs are now engaged in running county lines to towns as far afield as Wales and the north of England.

An NCA report last year further warned that gangs were engaged in serious violence, including kidnap, the use of guns and other weapons and ruthless debt control.

Criminals targeted young people and adults with mental health problems to be drugs runners while young girls were often controlled by gang members and subjected to sexual violence.

The letter from councils says there is a "growing concern that the Home Office has not so far taken the action necessary to enable a co-ordinated and consistent approach."

It also states: Furthermore, we believe that a commitment must be made to prioritising prosecuting those who organise the County Lines, rather than the young people caught up in them, including the use of anti-slavery and trafficking legislation."

A Home Office source said: "The Home Secretary is clear she wants to see this tackled. We're talking about highly organised criminal gangs pushing class A drugs and exploiting young and vulnerable people."

"We're considering all options to make sure law enforcement have the powers they need to close this down".

Minister for Vulnerability, Safeguarding and Countering Extremism Sarah Newton said: "Gang and youth violence has a devastating impact on young people, their families, and local communities, and has no place in a safer Britain that works for everyone.

"Our Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation programme prioritises action to tackle county lines, protect vulnerable locations and safeguard vulnerable young people exposed to gangs.

We are working with law enforcement agencies and local charities, amongst others, to tackle this problem and have formed a new partnership with the Institute of Community Safety to support local areas facing gang problems, including county lines.
A district judge and his former lover are facing jail for stealing 1 million from clients of their law firm to fund their party lifestyle.

Simon Kenny, 61, and his assistant Emma Coates, 47, ransacked the customers funds at CK Solicitors in Selsey, West Sussex for four years.

Coates paid off four mortgages, spent 15,000 on a log cabin and hot tub and bought a Range Rover, as well as taking 12 friends for a lavish trip to a resort in Barbados with the stolen cash.

But while she and Kenny lived a life of luxury, their accountant became so depressed that he killed himself.

Kenny, who has business interests in the Far East, told staff he had moved cash to offshore accounts because of the Northern Rock bank crisis.

He and Coates had been lovers, but their affair cooled in 2010 and they later blamed each other for the con, which led to the closure of CK Solicitors and a major investigation by the Sussex Police major fraud unit.

Kenny was suspended from his role as a deputy district judge at a county court in Sussex while he stood trial at Southwark crown court for two counts of fraud.

Jurors heard that when the companys reporting accountant Robert Foskett discovered the fraud, in 2011, he committed suicide.

In his suicide note, he wrote: I am so sorry but the pressure mounts on me. I was lured into signing an audit certificate by Simon Kenny which I should not have. He assured me funds would be in the following week from his family trust but that became untrue.

Mr Foskett also left a note to his secretary which read: It has been revealed to me that I think with Simon Kenny we have tumbled on a fraud that is probably 300,000, it may even be 600,000 or even more.

Quite nasty... unfortunately when people do this sort of thing they dont care a damn who gets hurt.

A third defendant, Stephen Hiseman, 60, a fee earner from CK Solicitors, was also involved in the fraud, swindling two clients out of tens of thousands of pounds.

The Solicitors Regulatory Authority shut down CK Solicitors in May 2011, but within months Coates had set up another firm, Coates and Co, and stole 85,000 from an elderly clients will when she died in 2011.

A jury convicted Kenny, of Catsfield, near Battle, East Sussex, of two counts of fraud totalling 1 million after he made fraudulent transfers of monies between the firms client account, office account, and himself.

He denied involvement in the crime and even claimed Coates must have hacked his email account and sent messages in his name to pull off the scam alone.

Coates, of Selsey, was convicted of two counts of fraud totalling more than 415,000, but she was cleared of another two counts of fraud.

They were both remanded in custody until sentencing on January 27.

Hiseman, of Morzine, France, was freed on bail after being found guilty of two counts of fraud, to be sentenced on the same date.
A woman has died days after she was left fighting for life following an alleged hit-and-run in east London.

Two women were found critically injured after they were hit by a red Range Rover while crossing the eastbound carriageway of Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, early on Sunday.

Police were called at about 5.45am and London Ambulance Service paramedics rushed both women, aged 42 and 29, to hospital.

The 42-year-old woman died in the early hours of Thursday and the 29-year-old remains in a critical condition.

The car did not stop at the scene but was traced to an address in Walthamstow.

Two people - a 28-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman - were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

They have both been bailed to dates in late March.

A Met Police spokeswoman said: Next of kin have been informed. We await formal identification.

A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.

Anyone with information can call the witness appeal line on 020 8597 4874 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Alternatively, tweet police via @MetCC
A man has admitted posting Islamophobic stickers around a park in west London.

Detectives found stickers on notice boards in Lillie Park, Fulham, in October last year.

They then discovered more offensive stickers around the park, Hammersmith Magistrates Court heard.

Between October 18 and December 13, residents reported spotting similar things in the nearby Lillie Road Recreational Ground.

Patrick Collier, 40, was arrested in connection with the stickers.

Collier, from Fulham, pleaded guilty to intentionally causing racially and religiously aggravated harassment, alarm and distress at the same court on Friday.

He was handed a 12-month Community Order and must carry out a 35-day rehabilitation course.

DS Sanj Bhanot from Hammersmith and Fulham Community Safety Unit said: "Hate crime is unacceptable and any offence is of great concern.

"This investigation was a great display of joint partnership working, involving the Community Safety Unit, Fulham Safer Neighbourhood Team, Parks Police and Fulham Council who collectively applied both covert and overt methods, which resulted in Patrick Collier being arrested and convicted for these offences.

"If you've been a victim of hate crime you can report it to police over the phone by calling 101 or if it's an emergency you should call 999.
A young man needed emergency surgery to save his eye after being punched to the ground and lashed around in the face with a belt.

A thug repeatedly beat the 27-year-old with the belt as he lay defenceless on the ground in the unprovoked attack in east London, police said.

The young victim was set upon as he walked with two friends through Limehouse late at night.

Detectives said two black men tried to speak to him, prompting him to turn around - at which point he was punched in the face and knocked to the floor.

It was then that one of the suspects repeatedly struck him with the belt as he lay defenceless on the ground in Three Colts Street, near Commercial Road.



CCTV footage: Police have released images of men wanted in connection with the attack / Met Police

The victim was left with a fractured cheekbone following the attack which happened just before 3am on July 3 last year.

Detectives have released CCTV footage which shows two men running from the scene of the attack, carrying a belt.

The first suspect is described as aged between 28 and 32 years old with tied black braids.

The second is believed to be between 28 and 30 years old with braided hair described as sprouting at the sides, police said.

Officers have urged anyone who may have been leaving bars and pubs in the area at the time of the attack to come forward.

Police arrested a 24-year-old in connection with the incident on October 13 last year on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent.

He has been re-bailed to return on a date in mid-February.

Detective Constable Ami Henderson, the investigating officer from Tower Hamlets' Community Safety Unit, said: "This was a vicious, unprovoked attack that has left the victim extremely distressed. This area would have been busy at this time as people left pubs and bars nearby.

I would urge any witnesses or anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant it seems, to contact us so we can bring those responsible to justice."

Any witnesses or anyone with information can call Tower Hamlets' Community Safety Unit on 0207 2754601 or via 101 or @MetCC.

Information can also be reported anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A luxury watch store in central London has been targeted in a smash-and-grab raid by "axe-wielding" robbers for the second time in six months.

Four raiders smashed their way through the windows of the Piccadilly Chronext store just before 11am on Thursday.

Police said they pulled up outside on mopeds before breaking their way in.

Flying Squad officers arrived on the scene but the robbers had already fled with a number of items.

A photo of the Mayfair boutique, which buys and sells high-end watches, showed the shattered glass as forensics officers carried out their investigation.

Raid: An axe lies in the middle of the pavement / Tom Powell

Charles Clements, 56, a hog roast vendor at the next door In Out food court, said he saw an axe on the pavement after the police arrived.

He said: "I saw the police go flying by, went out to see what was going on and there was a great big axe on the middle of the pavement.

"There was also a breezeblock just inside the shop.

"The robbers must have disappeared very quickly as I didn't hear anything until they'd gone.

"Apparently they escaped through the gates of the food court."

Investigation: Police at the scene in Piccadilly / Tom Powell

The same store was hit last August by a gang of armed moped thieves who were tackled to the ground by police as they tried to escape.

On that occasion, the raiders used an axe to get inside the store, leaving with more than 1m worth of goods.

Detective Constable Richard Watson suffered a bleed on the brain and a fractured skull as he clung on to one of the mopeds.

In November, four men were jailed for more than 38 years over the raid.
A mother has told how a Google search helped save her nine-year-old sons life by indicating that he was displaying the symptoms of a brain tumour.

Claire Lloyd, 39, typed in child with persistent vomiting when son Jack had been sick for a week and medication from his GP had failed to have an impact.

She found the HeadSmart website, which lists the most common signs of childhood brain tumours, and she and postman husband Peter planned to speak to the GP again the next morning.

But when Jack later began to suffer severe head and neck pain they took him to A&E at Princess Royal hospital in Orpington. Two hours later their world fell apart when a CT scan showed he had a brain tumour.

Jack was transferred to Kings College hospital, in Denmark Hill, where a rare pineal tumour was found in the centre of his brain.

He underwent emergency surgery that day to release a life-threatening build-up of fluid. Three weeks later, on October 14, Jack had a 12-hour operation to remove as much of the non-cancerous tumour as possible.

There was further drama when he had two huge seizures six days later, nine hours after being discharged home. His 12-year-old sister Holly raised the alarm.

The drugs Jack was given to stop the seizures caused severe breathing problems on the way back to hospital.

The ambulance was intercepted by a Londons Air Ambulance fast-response car and its specialist medics intubated Jack - taking over his breathing - by torchlight in a supermarket car park.

The family, from New Addington, told their story today in support of a campaign to further reduce the time it takes to diagnose childhood brain tumours. About 500 children and young people are diagnosed each year and a quarter will die.

Since HeadSmart was launched by the Brain Tumour Charity in 2011, the average diagnosis time has fallen from 13 to 6.5 weeks. Campaigners want to get it down to under four weeks.

Ms Lloyd, a mother of four and former nursery nurse, said: We are so thankful that we found HeadSmart that day.

"Having that information was vital in getting Jack the care he needed quickly. It played a huge part in saving his life.

That was when we knew we had to get him to hospital. Because of what wed read, we didnt hesitate to take him to A&E.

Jack in hospital: His vision is now improving

Jack, who has autism and Type 1 diabetes, lost 80 per cent of his vision and his short-term memory. Because of the tumours position, neurosurgeons were forced to leave its base untouched.

Ms Lloyd said Holly and brothers Callum, 18, Ryan, 14, were incredibly proud of Jack.

He has been so courageous and strong, she said.

His ability to smile throughout his surgeries has been incredible. He continues to be the amazing, smart, funny, kind and cheeky boy he was before this nightmare journey began.

His vision is almost fully restored and his short term memory has improved a lot. He still gets tired very easily and processing some information is taking a bit longer than before the surgery.

"He will need to take anti-epilepsy medication for at least a year but thankfully he has had no more seizures.

HeadSmart, a partnership with Nottingham university and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, was relaunched on Monday at the Royal College of General Practitioners. Doctors were taught the signs of childhood brain tumours.

Hayley Epps, of the Brain Tumour Charity, said: Brain tumours kill more children in the UK than any other type of cancer. HeadSmart has two aims: to save lives and reduce long-term disability by bringing down diagnosis times.
O ver 1,000 protesters are set to attend a demonstration to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square.

The #StandUpToTrump protests are planned all over the UK on Friday - the day the President-elect will take office.

They have been organised by campaign group Stand Up to Racism in solidarity with campaigners in the United States.

The Facebook event says: The effects of a Trump presidency is set to be felt all over the world as racism, sexism, homophobia and bigotry is normalised through the voice of one of the most powerful and visible figures in the world.

US Embassy: The protest will be in Grosvenor Square / EPA

The demonstration has been backed by more than 50 MPs, including Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott and Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry.

The group claims that the President-elect has a long history of racist outbursts.

Celebrities attend anti-Trump protest instead of inaugural concert

He has said 'laziness is a trait in blacks', described Mexican immigrants as 'criminals' and 'rapists', and condoned the beating of a Black Lives Matter activist at one of his rallies, it goes on.

Campaign groups: A protestor dressed as Donald Trump outside the US Embassy / PA

He has also said women should be "punished" for having abortions, and chillingly sought to downplay the severity of sexual violence, dismissing boasts of sexually assaulting women as 'locker room talk'.

Activists in the US have called protests for the day of his inauguration - we stand in solidarity with them and will be protesting at the US embassy in London.

The protest will meet at the Embassy in Grosvenor Square at 5pm on January 20.

Enigma: Donald Trump will take office on Friday / AP

It will coincide with Mr Trumps inauguration ceremony  which will officially start at midday in Washington (5pm GMT).
A toxic air red alert was issued across London today, with millions of people urged to consider taking it easy to protect their health.

Mayor Sadiq Khan raised the alarm about a filthy cloud of pollution for the first time this year at thousands of bus stops and all Tube stations.

City chiefs advised commuters, cyclists, joggers, drivers and pedestrians to avoid busy, pollution-clogged roads.

Mr Khan said: The extent of our air quality crisis means that I have triggered a city-wide alert, ensuring Londoners have all the information possible.

"Its crucial that London- ers who are vulnerable, such as asthma sufferers, are able to take appropriate measures to protect themselves.

Toxic smog forecast: breakdown by London boroughs

Pollution was predicted to reach high  the same as red  in at least seven boroughs and the City as a cloud of toxic air from Germanys industrial heartlands was set to sweep in, smothering a swathe of central and west London.

Scientists at Kings College London said: There is a good chance that particulate pollution will continue to rise into the high threshold across London.

The particulate pollution was expected to mix with locally produced nitrogen dioxide, much of which is spewed out by diesel vehicles.

Toxic air pollution lingers over the capital (Carl de Souza/ AFP PHOTO ) / AFP via Getty Images

The high alerts were issued early this morning for Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, the City, Kingston and Hounslow  with the rest of the capital rated moderate.

AirText messages from City Hall before 8am to the worst-affected boroughs stated: High air pollution forecast for Thursday. Consider spending less time outdoors, take medication. If unwell contact GP.

By mid-morning, air quality warnings were being sent out to 2,500 bus countdown signs and river pier signs, electronic update signs in the entrances of all 270 Underground stations and 140 road-side message signs on the busiest main roads into London, with instructions to switch engines off when stationary to reduce emissions.

Loading....

A red alert is issued when the scale indicating air toxicity stands between seven and nine out of 10. It hit nine yesterday near MI6s Vauxhall HQ.

City Hall issues a London-wide alert if more than four boroughs, exclud- ing the City, are forecast to hit high air pollution.

When filthy air rises to that level the official health advice is: Anyone experiencing discomfort such as sore eyes, cough or sore throat should consider reducing activity, particularly outdoors.

Adults and children with lung problems and adults with heart problems should reduce strenuous physical exertion, especially outside. People with asthma may find they need to use their inhaler more often. Older people should also reduce physical exertion.

A City of London Corporation spokesman said: This spike in air pollution is a huge health problem. We encourage pedestrians, cyclists, joggers and drivers to use our free City Air app for lower pollution travel routes.

Research has shown that air pollution inside cars can be particularly bad. A black warning  10 on the toxicity scale  would trigger an alert urging all of the public to reduce physical exertion, particularly outdoors, especially if you experience symptoms such as cough or sore throat.

The Kings College London experts were forecasting that an area of high pressure over the continent would continue to bring cold and settled weather, with near calm conditions at the start of the day.

Air mass back trajectories indicate that air arriving in Greater London will have passed over industrialised and urban areas of Germany and the near continent, they added.

The imported particulates will combine with local emissions which have been poorly dispersed over the previous 24 hours.
A helpful whos who guide for Donald Trump, who may be about to receive the nuclear launch codes but isnt great with names. Just ask Michael Gove, who explains in this weeks Spectator that Trump isnt exactly sure of the difference between EU heavyweights Donald Tusk (pictured above left) and Jean-Claude Juncker (right) .

The President-elect told me that he was delighted that hed been congratulated on his election by the very fine gentleman who was the head of the European Union Gove writes.  Mr Juncker? I ventured. Ah, yes, he replied.

It was a good question from Gove: adjectives of that nature attached to Juncker are rare. But before Jean-Claude starts preening, it seems Trump may have misdirected his compliment-bomb. The European president who rang to congratulate the President-elect was not European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, but European Council president Donald Tusk. Our handy pictorial cheat-sheet may help.

But Gove doesnt think its a problem. Many of my colleagues will, Im sure, regard Mr Trumps error as proof of the folly of electing an unschooled barbarian to the White House, writes Gove. I think it says rather more about the problem of having five different, unelected presidents of the EU.

For all of today's Diary click here.

Follow The Londoner on Twitter and Facebook here.
S adiq Khan has said he fears businesses may leave Europe altogether and head to Hong Kong or Singapore if the UK leaves the European single market.

Speaking to CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he implored the Prime Minister and European friends to ensure a so-called hard Brexit is avoided.

The mayor argued that without the economic benefits of access to the single market some businesses may decide to leave London and go not just to maybe Paris, Madrid or Berlin, but may leave Europe altogether and go to Hong Kong, Singapore, or elsewhere.

He said: There is a concern that if we no longer have access to a single market some of these banks and investment firms may leave London.

Theresa May addresses an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland / EPA

They don't want to leave London, they love being in London, we're the cultural capital of the world, we've got the greatest theatres, restaurants and all the rest of it.

And what's important is our Prime minister gets it because if it is the case that we lose access to a single market, if it's the case that firms leave London, we'll be poorer as a result and future generations will be let down.

Mr Khan emphasised his view that a hard brexit would not just be bad for London and the UK but bad for Europe too.

He added: I'm quite clear speaking to business leaders, executives, entrepreneurs and innovators, that access to a single market, the continued ability to attract talent, is important for jobs, growth and prosperity.

Money talks: delegates gathering in Davos for the World Economic Forum / EPA

It's one of the things I'm doing, not just lobbying the British government but lobbying businesses to impress upon their governments the fact that a hard Brexit would be bad for London and bad for Europe too.

It came as Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a speech at the forum in Davos calling on global leaders and business chiefs to work together in order to bring the benefits of free trade to every corner of the world.

In a major speech on Tuesday, she confirmed Britain would leave the single market, hinted at a cap on European Union migrants and said the final Brexit deal would be put to a vote in Parliament.

She also warned Brussels she would walk away from talks if offered a bad deal, as she set out her Brexit vision for the first time.
T heresa May lectured the worlds richest people today on the need to make the global economy work better for ordinary families.

The Prime Minister told the elite of the capitalist system meeting in Davos that too many citizens felt anxious about being left behind.

As Mrs May spoke, a backlash was in full swing against her Brexit strategy - but there was good news from one of the biggest banks over the future status of the City of London.

In the latest developments:

A French MEP said Boris Johnson was not a very nice neighbour after he caused a future by comparing President Francois Hollande with a World War II prison camp guard.

Europes commissioner for the economy backed leaders who said Britain must not be allowed too generous a Brexit deal, saying: It cannot be better to be out than in.

The chief executive of Barclays predicted Europes financial system will stay based in the city of London, declaring: I think the UK will continue to be the financial lungs of Europe

Speaking at the World Economic Forum meeting at the Swiss ski resort, Mrs May said Britain had chosen the momentous change and uncertain road of leaving the European Union in order to be in control of its own destiny once again.

Theresa May addresses an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland / EPA

She told her audience of political and business leaders: We must heed the underlying feeling that there are some companies, particularly those with a global reach, who are playing by a different set of rules.

Reform, she said, was absolutely crucial if we are to maintain public consent for a globalised economy and the businesses that operate within it.

Her speech was more expansive than her keynote address in London on Tuesday, where she set her opening negotiating stance for Brexit talks.

Mrs May did not repeat her threat to walk away without an exit deal if she was refused fair trade terms.

Theresa May's Brexit speech - five key points

She said her aim was for Britain to become the global champion of free trade.

Following Boris Johnsons quip about Francois Hollande resembling a World War II prisoner of war camp guard, French MEP Sylvie Goulard demanded: I would say to all parties, in the UK and Europe, to avoid threatening tones. Sometimes Mr Johnson is not a very nice neighbour.

To the Foreign Secretarys claim that Mr Hollande and other EU leaders were threatening punishment beatings for the UK escapers, she retorted: Nobody wants to punish the British people ... This is not punishment. If you are a member of a club you have rights and duties; if you are not a member you dont have the duties but you dont have the rights.

She also hit out at Mrs May for threatening to walk away without a deal, saying that would be akin to leaving without paying the bill.

Causing controversy: Boris Johnson / AFP/Getty Images

Pierre Moscovici, the French-born European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, echoed the prime minister of Malta by saying Britain must not be allowed too good a deal.

It cannot be better to be out than in, he said. It cannot be so. You cannot have all the advantages of being in the club when you are out.

However, he did not fully rule out access to the single market even if Britain refused to keep EU free movement, suggesting there is scope for a deal.

Economic summit: Davos / Shutterstock / Boris-B

Speaking to the BBC in Davos, he said Brexit would damage all parties, because we are and we must remain strong partners. To us you must understand that it is also a wound.

Barclays chief executive Jes Staley said the bank was looking at routing some of its activities through its operation in Ireland and Germany but the bulk would remain in the UK.

He told the Today programme: I dont believe that the European financial centre will leave the City of London.

I think the UK will continue to be the financial lungs for Europe. We may have to move certain activities ... but I think its going to be at the margin and will be manageable.

Toyota chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada warned that the car firm was now looking at how it can survive Brexit.

He told the Financial Times: We have seen the direction of the Prime Minister of the UK, (so) we are now going to consider, together with the suppliers, how our company can survive.

Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, warned the UK there is still likely to be pain ahead. Before the referendum, Ms Lagarde had said leaving would mean quite bad to very, very bad consequences for the UK. Last night she merely said: We are still of the view that it will not be positive all along and without pain.
F ewer European tourists visited London in the three months after the shock Leave win in the Brexit referendum, official figures reveal today.

They fell by about two per cent from 2.98 million to 2.92 million between July and September when the Continent was reeling from the historic victory for the campaign to quit the European Union.

However, visits from North America were up by four per cent at 906,000 and the overall total of 5,197 million foreign vistors to the capital was down just 0.8 per cent on the record total for 2015.

London tourism bosses are likely to see the virtually unchanged summer figure as a success for Sadiq Khans London is Open campaign launched in the aftermath of the June 23 poll.

They also point to a strong bounce in bookings later in the year, particularly from US and Chinese visitors looking to take advantage of the 15 per cent slump in the value of the pound.

The number of package holiday bookings from American tourists is up over 25 per cent and up 40 per cent from China compared to last year.

Bernard Donoghue, director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, said: We have seen a really, really strong end to the year and the same positive trajectory going into 2017. Christmas and New Year were very strong with lots of people coming over for shopping.

Attractions that have been particularly popular in recent months include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre, the Beyond Caravaggio exhibition at the National Gallery and the New Tate Modern extension.
T he British Army has sent tanks through the Channel Tunnel for the first time to test the rail network in case urgent action is required in eastern Europe.

Five armoured vehicles were loaded on to wagons and sent to France and back in the exercise just after midnight on Tuesday night.

The drill was planned well in advance in order to test the speed and efficiency of sending vehicles and equipment to mainland Europe by rail in the event of a crisis with Russia.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) kept coverage of the drill low key with just a single tweet and picture sent out, stating: @BritishArmy moving tanks through Channel Tunnel in long-planned test tonight  means we can move kit by rail as well as sea & air.

The tunnel, which links Folkestone in Kent to Coquelles near Calais, has previously been used by the army to transport supplies and equipment but never armoured vehicles, the Daily Telegraph reported.

An MoD spokesman said: The Army successfully conducted an exercise to test the viability of using the Channel Tunnel to move vehicles and equipment to mainland Europe, adding to the existing range of options available and increasing the agility of our Armed Forces.

It comes as Britain prepares to send 800 soldiers and a small number of tanks and drones to Estonia in the spring as part of a Nato plan to support the Baltic states in the face of Russian aggression.

But those tanks will travel from a base in Germany and not the UK.
M issing RAF serviceman Corrie McKeague was an active member of a swingers' website, his mother has revealed.

Suffolk Police said his account on the Fab Swingers website, which boasts over 130,000 daily users, is part of the investigation into his disappearance from Bury St Edmunds on September 24.

The 23-year-old, from Fife, was last seen in the early hours of the morning after becoming separated from friends while leaving Flex nightclub.

It comes a week after Mr McKeagues girlfriend April Oliver, 21, who also uses the site, revealed she was pregnant.

Mother Nicola Urquhart with her son's pregnant girlfriend April Oliver / PA

The airmans mother Nicola Urquhart confirmed the pair used the swingers' site in a lenthy message on the familys Find Corrie Faceboook page.

She said: Corrie and April were on dating sites, they are young and were enjoying themselves. They were both seeing other people, this has not been hidden.

April and Corrie had a Fab Swingers account. To the haters, get over it. This is none of your business.

Missing: Corrie McKeague was last seen in Bury St Edmunds / EPA

April could have easily deleted her account as I could have deleted Corries. However, what was far more important than a little embarrassment was that the police were informed immediately and given every ability to ensure this did not have anything to do with Corries disappearance... which they are still doing. I only hope they have had the time to carry out all investigations.

Fab Swingers describes itself as a "free website created for swingers by a genuine swinging couple".

Last seen: CCTV image showing the last place Mr McKeague was recorded. / EPA

A Suffok Police spokesman said: "We are aware of the social media and websites Corrie was using. This is part of our investigation."

Miss Oliver, from Norfolk, discovered she was pregnant in October - just weeks after Mr McKeague's disappearance.

She said: "I've had to make a massive decision by myself. I was hoping and praying that he'd come back so we could make the decision together."

She added that she had been on holiday in America when her partner disappeared and had found out she was pregnant a few weeks after her return.
P rince Harry today declared his determination to lead the fight to save the African Rhino.

Harry, who announced he is now Patron of Rhino Conservation Botswana, said in a video shot while in Botswana: The rhino is one of Africas most iconic species.

"This is a black rhino, an animal that deserves the utmost respect, so to be able to be sitting next to her is incredibly special.

"The black rhino has been reintroduced into Botswana and its numbers are increasing here, while numbers are decreasing elsewhere.

On a mission: Prince Harry in Botswana / Rhino Conservation Botswana

"If we cant save these animals, what can we save?

On becoming Royal Patron of RCB, Harry added: Ive been lucky enough to visit Botswana for more than 20 years and am incredibly fortunate to be able to call it my second home.

"Being Patron of RCB is an opportunity to give something back to a country that has given so much to me.

Leading role: Prince Harry / Rhino Conservation Botswana

Its about time we start celebrating and supporting the countries that are taking the lead in conservation.

Founded in 2014, RCB is an international organisation that monitors and protects black and white rhinos it helps rescue from poaching hotspots across southern Africa and move to Botswana.

Here, thanks to the government's robust anti-poaching laws and the support of the military, the rhinos can thrive  and ultimately become one of the last great hopes for the survival of their kind.

Prince Harry visited Botswana last September, and joined an RCB operation to fit electronic tracking devices to critically endangered black rhinos, which had been moved to the Okavango Delta.

Working as part of a small team, Harry helped with tasks including clearing thorn bushes from around sedated rhinos so that tracking devices could be fitted, monitoring the animals breathing and heart rate, administering oxygen, covering the rhinos eyes to protect them, and helping to keep the animals cool with water.
A t least six British nationals, including a two-month-old baby, have been killed in a minibus crash in Saudi Arabia.

The minibus, which was carrying 12 passengers, is believed to have crashed while travelling between Mecca and Medina on Wednesday afternoon local time.

Four of those killed were from the same family in Manchester, including the two-month-old baby, according to the Manchester Evening News.

The other two were a couple from Glasgow.

Glasgow Central Mosque named the victims as Mohammad and Talat Aslam, parents of five, from the Newlands area of the city.

A statement said: "Mr Mohammad Aslam and Mrs Talat Aslam, the parents of Shehla, Saba, Omar, Osman and Haroon, have returned to the mercy of Allah.

"On Wednesday January 18 they had just completed Umrah and were travelling in a minibus to visit our beloved Prophet's Masjid in Madina.

Tragically they were involved in a fatal accident.

Four members of another family from Manchester were also killed in this tragedy.

Other Britons were injured the crash and were taken to Medina Hospital.

The group were performing Umrah  a non-mandatory pilgrimage made by Muslims.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said the Britons who were injured in the crash were being provided with assistance.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office told the Standard: "We are supporting the families of six British people who have sadly died following a road accident in Saudi Arabia.

"We are also helping several more British nationals who were injured in the crash.

Our thoughts are with the victims and their families at this very difficult time."
A n assistant head who was kicked out of teaching after being caught viewing animal porn is fighting to be allowed to return to the classroom.

David Kingston, 38, believes he was wrongly struck off the teaching register after evidence emerged in 2013 that he had "viewed bestiality images" while at home with his partner.

He was then a "highly regarded" assistant head at St Lawrence Roman Catholic Primary School in Feltham, but quit the post as police probed his online activity.

Despite facing no criminal charges, then-Secretary of State for Education, Nicky Morgan decided Kingston should be barred from the classroom indefinitely.

However, Kingston is now challenging the decision in the High Court, arguing the punishment handed down in 2015 was "excessive".

Stuart Brady, for Kingston, told Mr Justice Dove it had never been proven Kingston viewed the animal porn with a sexual motivation.

At a National College for Teaching and Leadership misconduct hearing, he was found to have been a "passive participant", viewing the illegal porn - which his partner searched for - and not looking for it himself.

The hearing found Kingston's misconduct was "at the lower end of the scale" and did not merit striking him off.

However Ms Morgan imposed a ban, saying the NCTL panel had "not taken sufficient account of the public concern that would arise, and that public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if the conduct found proved in the his case were not treated with the utmost seriousness."

Mr Brady told the court: "As the conduct took place away from school there was no question of it having any impact on his behaviour as a teacher in school.

"The making of the prohibition order was not appropriate, was excessive and disproportionate, and was wrong."

Mr Brady also claimed the Secretary of State was wrong to intervene, and Kingston's ultimate fate should have been decided by the misconduct panel.

Mr Justice Dove reserved his decision on the case and will give his ruling at a later date.


A cancer patient who inspired millions by dancing while still hooked up to medical equipment has died.

Ana-Alecia Ayala, who was suffering from a rare uterus cancer, died at a Dallas hospital on Wednesday.

More than nine million people have watched the video of her dancing in hospital with viewers describing her as an inspiration.

In the footage Ms Ayala can be seen smiling and laughing as she performs internet dance craze TZ Anthem with her chemo buddy Danielle Andrus.

Ms Ayala posted the video on Instagram in October with the caption: Who says cancer and chemo have to get your down? Well have the last laugh!

She added: We want to show the world that dancing and laughter is the best medicine.

The 30 second clip soon went viral and Ms Ayala was invited on the Ellen DeGeneres show.

Ms Ayala was diagnosed with a rare uterus tumour in December 2015. It later spread to her ovaries and stomach.

Her friends paid tribute on her Facebook page to a bright soul and said they were deeply moved by her courage and bravery.
F rom Jingle Bells to Amazing Grace, Barack Obama has never been shy when it comes to belting out an impromptu tune.

During his time in office, the outgoing president has often found times to share his crooning with the world, be it at press conferences, official church visits or Christmas celebrations.

This includes the moment he sang Jingle Bells with Father Christmas as he switched on the National Christmas Tree at the White House last year.

Back in 2012, he joined Blues legend BB King singing Sweet Home Chicago in the presence of Mick Jagger.

And who could forget his rendition of Amazing Grace during a eulogy to one of the victims of the Charleston shooting.

It's not clear what Mr Obama will be doing following his presidency, but he has no plans to retire from political life.

He said last year: "I'll go back to doing the kinds of work that I was doing before, just trying to find ways to help people.

"Help young people get educations, and help people get jobs, and try to bring businesses into neighborhoods that don't have enough businesses. That's the kind of work that I really love to do."
D onald Trump is facing competition for the limelight during his inauguration with two other national leaders also due to be sworn in within days.

The business mogul will follow in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt and John F Kennedy when he delivers his inaugural address outside the US Capitol building in Washington DC.

But on Thursday, the new leader of Gambia could also be sworn in, following an election that has sparked a political crisis in the small west African state.

Former London Argos security guard Adama Barrow, elected in December and since sheltering in Senegal for safety, told followers on Wednesday: Our future starts tomorrow.

Donald Trump's inauguration: What actually happens?

However, incumbent President Yahya Jammehs term in office has been dramatically extended for a further three months by legislators the country.

New president: Adama Barrow speaks during a rally in Gambia / REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

The move has led to more than 26,000 people fleeing the country amid fears of military intervention.

Austria will also swear in its new leader shortly after Mr Trumps big moment.

Alexander Van der Bellen, who saw off a challenge by anti-immigration candidate Norbert Hofer, in Decembers election will be inaugurated on January 26.

An independent backed by the Greens, Mr Van der Bellen bagged 53.3 per cent of the vote.

Speaking after his win, he told supporters: It is not an exaggeration if I say that today we see a red-white-red -- the flag of Austria -- as a signal of hope and change.
A zoo has euthanised the 49-year-old grandmother of slain gorilla Harambe.

Zoo Miami's aging "matriarch" gorilla, Josephine, reported to be the grandmother of the male silverback killed in Cincinnati, died on Wednesday just before reaching the age of 50.

Harambe was shot to death by zoo staff on May 28, moments after a young boy climbed a barrier and fell into the ape's enclosure.

The loss of Josephine marked the third death of an African lowland gorilla on display at a US zoo this month, including Tuesday's demise of a 60-year-old female named Colo in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday.

Josephine, who was born in the wild in 1967 and arrived in 1983 at Miami's zoo, had been in declining health in recent years, with medical tests showing no chance for recovery from various terminal conditions, the zoo said in a statement.

After finding her barely able to move on Wednesday morning, zoo staff "made the very difficult decision to humanely euthanise her," and the procedure was performed later in the day, according to the statement.

Josephine gained attention in 1984 by giving birth to the first gorilla born in captivity in Miami.

Twenty-five years later doctors performed rare cataract surgery on Josephine, who by then was nearly blind, implanting two artificial human lenses in her eyes to successfully restore her vision.

According to the Miami Herald and other local media, Josephine's offspring, a male named Moja, eventually was moved to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas, where he sired several other gorillas in captivity, including Harambe.

Josephine's death comes a day after Colo, who was the first gorilla born in captivity and lived to become the oldest known member of her species, was found dead in her enclosure at the Columbus Zoo.

Earlier this month, a 32-year-old male gorilla named Bebac, died after being diagnosed as suffering from heart disease.

Gorillas can live for 50 years or more, both in the wild and captivity, though such a long lifespan is rare. They rank as the world's largest primates and are listed as endangered due to loss of habitat, poaching and susceptibility to disease.
T his is the moment rescue workers first entered a four-star hotel in Italy where 30 people are missing after an avalanche  with many people feared dead under metres of snow.

Emergency services battled through the night on Wednesday in a bid to save holidaymakers and staff thought to be inside the stricken Hotel Rigopiano in the town of Farindola.

However, a snowstorm and blocked routes made access to the hotel difficult until they finally made a break-through this morning.

In the footage, recorded by Italian broadcaster Rai, piles of ice and rubble can be seen clogging up stairwells and smothering festive decorations.

The eerie clip, which is a minute-and-a-half long, shows the interior of the classy hotel completely devastated as the camera pans around.

There is an empty lounge and foyer before the camera reaches a stairwell which is piled high with debris which reaches as high as paintings hanging on the walls.

The snow can be seen blocking entire doorways as rescue workers continue to search for signs of life inside.

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Earthquakes hit the central Abruzzo region on Wednesday, including one with a 5.7 magnitude, but it wasn't immediately clear if the temors triggered the avalanche.

Italy Avalanche - In pictures 1 /25 Italy Avalanche - In pictures The Hotel Rigopiano was engulfed in snow when the avalanche struck. Up to 30 people are feared dead Vigili del Fuoco A rescuer clears snow in front of the Rigopiano Hotel, following the avalanche in Farindola, Italy Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico/The National Alpine Cliff and Cave Rescue Corps (CNSAS) via AP Rescue workers in vehicles pave the way to hotel 'Rigopiano', buried an avalanche in the Abruzzo region near Farindola, Italy Vigili del Fuoco Rescuers work in front of the Rigopiano Hotel hit by an avalanche Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico/The National Alpine Cliff and Cave Rescue Corps (CNSAS) via AP These two cars were upturned and buried by the force of the snow Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico/The National Alpine Cliff and Cave Rescue Corps (CNSAS) via AP A rescuer stands in front of the Rigopiano HoteL Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico/The National Alpine Cliff and Cave Rescue Corps (CNSAS) via AP Workers dig their way through deep snow that covered the hotel EPA A wall of snow and debris in the hotel lobby AP Rescuers dig through a snow drift in an effort to find survivors A helicopter and rescue workers en route to the hotel Rigopiano after it was hit by an avalanche in Farindola (Pescara), Abruzzo region Italian Mountain Rescue/EPA A rescue worker digging through the snow Sky News It is not thought any Brits were involved in the tragedy Italian Mountain Rescue/EPA The hotel was hit amid heavy snowfall in the alps after a long dry spell Italian Mountain Rescue/EPA Emergency vehicles en route to the hotel Italian Fires Department/EPA An ambulance drives in Campotosto village after the earthquake Claudio Lattanzio/EPA The village of Campotosto in central Italy has seen heavy snowfall in recent days Claudio Lattanzio/EPA Locals sit in a rescue centre after the avalanche Claudio Lattanzio/EPA A tractor fitted with a snow plough clears a road in the Italian village Sky News Rubble and debris of a destroyed building covered with snow are pictured in the damaged central Italian village of Amatrice, after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region Adreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images

The hotel is based in the Gran Sasso resort, about 30 miles from the coastal city of Pescara, and offers a spa, swimming pool and relaxation area.

Bodies had been recovered from the building after part of the roof collapsed, local media reported.

Snow inside the Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola where 30 people are reported missing following an avalanche / REUTERS

On its website, Italian news agency Ansa quoted the head of a rescue squad that reached the hotel as saying "there are many dead."

At least 30 people have been reported missing, officials said.
M ichelle Obama has thanked supporters for the honour of a lifetime in a touching final message as First Lady.

Addressing 6.5 million followers on Twitter, Michelle shared a picture of herself and outgoing US President Barack Obama enjoying the views from the White Houses Truman balcony.

She wrote: Being your First Lady has been the honor (sic) of a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

The emotional tweet comes ahead of President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration tomorrow.

Trump will be sworn in as 45th President of the United States around 5pm (GMT).

Donald Trump's five most explosive tweets

Michelle also shared a clip of her taking a final stroll through 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with pet dogs Sunny and Bo.

Michelle Obama walks through White House for last time

The 30-second video shows the trio take in grand rooms in the house before the Obama family move to nearby Kalorama where their youngest daughter Sasha will finish high school .

In her final speech to the nation Michelle said previously: Being your first lady has been the greatest honor of my life and I hope I've made you proud.
S adiq Khan has called on Donald Trump to recognise the "huge contribution" different religions have made to US society.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Mayor of London said people around the world looked to America and its approach to pluralistic and diverse society as a model.

He told CNBC: Im looking forward to President Trump recognising the huge contribution Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and others, those of no organised faith have made to the USA and to the west generally.

He added: "If you look at the USAs history, youll know the importance of immigration to the USA and the importance of being a diverse society.

And I am sure President Trump will understand the importance of the message the USA sends a friend, to people around the world, but also as a pluralistic society.

Mr Khan has been a vocal critic of Mr Trump, speaking out against his campaign proposal to ban Muslims entering the United States.

He rebuffed the President-elect's suggestion he could be the exemption to his proposed ban warning the policy would fuel extremism.

The mayor accused Mr Trump of having an ignorant view of Islam and making the world less safe.

But after Mr Trump won the election in November Mr Khan challenged the president-elect to heal divisions.

He told the Standard at the time: Its no secret that Im no fan of Donald Trump or the way he has conducted his campaign, but he has clearly won the US presidential election.

I hope Donald Trump will now do everything in his power to unite people and bring divided communities back together. I wish him well.
A teenager kidnapped as a baby 18 years ago has defended the woman who took her from a Florida hospital.

Kamiyah Mobley, 18, was raised as Alexis Mangio, after being snatched from her biological mothers arms in 1998.

Gloria Williams, 51, raised the girl as her own but was arrested in South Carolina on Friday and charged with kidnapping and interference with custody.

Now, Miss Mobley has spoken out to defend the woman she believed was her mother.

She said: I understand what she did was wrong. But, I dont feel like just look at my life itself.

I understand that one mistake but it wasnt all bad. Everything that came out of it was not bad.

The picture released by police in the search for Kamiyah Mobley 18 years ago / EPA

For the people that have had missing kids, this gives them hope.

Speaking of her upbringing, the teenager added: She raised me with good morals, respect. She made a big impact on my life.

Gloria Williams was arrested and charged with kidnapping / EPA

Ms Mobley was only eight hours old when she was taken from her young mother by a woman posing as a nurse at Jacksonville's University Medical Centre.

A massive search followed, with helicopters circling the hospital and the city on high alert.

Thousands of tips came in over the years, but the baby had disappeared.

Some months ago, the young woman "had an inclination" that she may have been kidnapped, local authorities said, but did not confirm why she suspected this.

The case broke thanks to a tip received by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, said Robert Lowery, a centre vice president.

The centre reached out to cold case detectives at the sheriff's office and Ms Mobley provided a cheek swab for DNA analysis that proved the match, police added.
T he Obamas are spending their last night in the White House and by the end of the day tomorrow it will be official - Donald Trump will be the 45th president of the United States.

If Mr Trumps time as President-elect is anything to go by, it will be a rollercoaster ride, but heres how the 58th presidential inauguration is supposed to pan out:

Thursday

Wreath laying ceremony: Arlington Cemetery. 3:30-4 pm (8.30pm - 9pm UK time)

Welcome celebrations: 4-6 pm (9pm - 11pm UK time) Donald Trump and Mike Pence are expected to make appearances at the welcome celebration at the Lincoln Memorial to watch performances by school choirs and marching bands.

Friday

Inauguration events begin: 9.30am ( 2.30pm UK time) Its tradition for the departing and incoming President to have a brief meeting at the White House before travelling together for two miles to the Capitol.

Inaugural swearing-in ceremony at the US Capitol: 12 noon (5pm UK time) President Trump is sworn in on a specially-built 10,000 square foot platform in front of the Capitol building.

The ceremony will include faith readings and prayers, an invocation, speeches and a benediction as well as performances by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and 'America's Got Talent' alumni Jackie Evancho, who will sing the National Anthem.

Inaugural parade: 3pm (8pm UK time) More than 8,000 people are expected to parade down Pennsylvania Avenue as the President, Vice President and their families are escorted from the Capitol Building to the White House.

Inaugural balls: 7-11 pm (Midnight - 4am Saturday morning UK time). Bill Clinton attended 14 of them in 1997 and Barack Obama went to 10 in 2009. How many will President Trump visit? No one is saying.

Saturday

National prayer service: 10-11 am (3pm - 4pm UK time) Participants pray for the president, his cabinet, the countrys leaders and the country itself.
W ikiLeaks founder Julian Assange stands by his offer to go to the United States now that Chelsea Manning is being released, he told a press conference.

Speaking from the Ecuadorian embassy in London via social media, he signalled there would be "many discussions" on his future before Manning leaves prison in May.

He welcomed Barack Obama's decision to free the former soldier jailed for handing over classified documents to the anti-secrecy organisation.

The outgoing US president used his final hours in the White House to allow Manning to go free nearly 30 years early.

The transgender former intelligence analyst, born Bradley Manning, said she had passed on government and military documents to raise awareness about the impact of war.

Mr Assange, who has been living at the Ecuadorian embassy since the summer of 2012 for fear of being extradited to the US, praised campaigners for their role in the decision.

He was interviewed in the embassy in November in the presence of prosecutors from Sweden, where he faces a sex allegation.

He denies the claims, but insists he faces extradition to the United States for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks if he leaves the embassy.

WikiLeaks tweeted last week: "If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ (Department of Justice) case."

Asked whether he will now leave the embassy, he said: "I stand by everything I said, including the offer to go to the United States if Chelsea Manning's sentence was commuted.

"It is not going to be commuted until May - we can have many discussions to that point.

"I have always been willing to go to the United States provided my rights are respected."

Mr Assange said there has been a seven-year long attempt to build a prosecution against him and WikiLeaks in the US, and his name is on several warrants and subpoenas.

"As of this year it is active and ongoing," he said.

Mr Assange said if it took him going to the US to "flush out" the case being prepared against him, or to drop it, then "we are looking at that".

He said the UK's Crown Prosecution Service had refused to confirm or deny whether there was an extradition request from the US.

Mr Assange said he loved what WikiLeaks was doing, adding it had published more than 10 million documents that had never been made public before, which had contributed to justice and led to innocent people being released from prison.
The Mooresville man whose boat struck and killed a 17-year-old girl on Lake Norman on July 4, 2015 received probation for the incident.

Keith Cerven, 50, submitted a no-contest plea to involuntary manslaughter on Wednesday in Iredell County Superior Court.

Initially, Cerven was charged with involuntary manslaughter, boating while intoxicated and operating a motor vessel in a reckless manner. The last two charges were dismissed.

Cerven received a sentence of 30 months of supervised probation. If he violates probation, he'll receive a prison sentence of 16 to 29 months.

Superior Court Judge Julia Gullett also required Cerven complete 60 months of restitution payments totaling $14,396.06 for the funeral funds of the victim, Sheyenne Marshall, who was a rising senior at Cox Mill High School. Marshall was struck while kneeboarding in the McCrary Creek area of the lake at about 8 p.m.

After the hearing, defense attorney Ken Darty said Cerven wanted closure for the events that occurred that day.

My client is extremely remorseful about the accident and would have liked to have (the victim's) family in the courtroom so he could have apologized directly, Darty said.

Marshall played softball at Cox Mill.

Sheyenne demonstrated a deep love for God and the church and for other people, Student Pastor Justin Roper said during a vigil for Marshall in the days following the incident.

Marshall's death led to the creation of "Sheyenne's Law," signed into law by then-Gov. Pat McCrory in June 2016, which made boating while impaired a felony.

The 24-foot pontoon boat was returned to Cerven.
An Iredell County Superior Court judge granted a motion to pursue the death penalty for a man accused of murdering a Cool Springs woman and raping a juvenile family member over Christmas weekend.

Judge Julia Gullett approved the district attorney's motion during a hearing Wednesday in Iredell County Superior Court.

Gary Love, 47, looked at the floor while Assistant District Attorney Mikko Red Arrow read the following charges Love is facing: first-degree murder, 10 counts of statutory sex offense with a child, sexual servitude of a child, taking indecent liberties with a child, first-degree kidnapping and assault on a female.

The charges stem from an incident that Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell called "demonic."

Robin Denman, a 46-year-old veteran and mother of three, was beaten to death in her Cool Springs Road home, according to court documents. She was found inside a bathtub hidden under a pile of clothes.

Around 7:30 a.m. on Dec. 26, deputies went to the home after a teenage family member living with Denman sent a text message to a friend for help.

While being questioned by deputies at the home, Love ran out the back door. He was arrested shortly after, according to a search warrant.

Love held the teenage family member captive in a closet and she was only let out to be raped, according to reports. The girl is now staying with family members.

Love had been living with Denman for around three months after moving from Ohio, according to reports.

Loves defense attorney, Ken Darty, did not object to Red Arrow's contention that there is proficient evidence that meets the statutory factors to proceed capitally.

Love left the 10-minute-long hearing with his hands and feet shackled. He is incarcerated in Raleigh.

THE NEXT STEP

Darty said he will continue to attempt to avoid a death penalty trial, which he called "archaic and outdated."

Hopefully North Carolina will get on board with the rest of the country," he said.

Using state funds, Loves defense attorneys will hire an expert investigator, a psychologist and a mitigation specialist who will provide a detailed account of Loves history. Darty said it will be at least 2019 before the case goes to trial, barring a plea deal.

Thomas Maher, executive director of the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services, said the cost of a capital trial is four times the amount of a non-capital one.

In the last two years, there have been nine capital trials in North Carolina, according to Gretchen Engel, executive director of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation. Since 2001, the amount of capital trials has decreased from 75 to 80 per year in the 1990s to fewer than 10 today, she said.

Engel attributes the decrease to a perfect storm of factors.

In 1994, the ability to offer life without parole was granted for first-degree murder. In 2001, defendants facing first-degree murder were automatically given an attorney from the North Carolina Offices of Indigent Defense Services, which specializes in defending murder suspects.

In addition, Maher said, more frequent exonerations of suspects caused more jurors to question the appropriateness of the death penalty.

North Carolina hasn't executed a prisoner since 2006.

North Carolina citizens are moving away from imposing the death penalty," Engel said.

There are two men from Iredell County currently on death row: Rayford L. Burke and Andrew Darrin Ramseur. The last Iredell man executed by the state was Ricky Lee Sanderson in 1998.

Love's next court appearance is scheduled for May 29.

--

BY THE NUMBERS

2 percent of proceeded capital cases ended in a death verdict.

58 percent of proceeded capital cases ended in a conviction of second-degree murder or less.

84 percent of potential capital cases ended in a conviction of second-degree murder or less.

12 percent of potential capital cases ended in a voluntary dismissal.

43 executions in North Carolina since 1984.

150 North Carolina inmates sitting on death row; 147 men and three women.

$106.92 per day to keep inmates in the highest custody available, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
A2 highway Bucharest - Constanta is fully open to the traffic for all the categories of vehicles, in the context when on Thursday morning, at 7:30, the highway section between Drajna Noua and Fetesti was reopened, the National Company for Road Infrastructure Administration (CNAIR) informs.

Furthermore, starting from 8:00, drivers can also go on the section of the DN 3 national road, between Lehliu Gara and Chiciu.

"We announce that you can drive in winter conditions and it is absolutely necessary that all the drivers respect the indications and recommendations of the Traffic Police, as well the set restrictions", the company says.

Additional information regarding the state of national road network can be obtained at the dispatch of the National Company for Road Infrastructure Administration, phone numbers 021/264.33.33, 021/9360, on the website of the road company or on its Facebook and Twitter pages.

agerpres.
The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of Social-Democrats, Liviu Dragnea, had a meeting in the United States with the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from House of Representatives, Devin Nunes, on which occasion he assured him that Romania will continue to be involved at the same level in the fight against terrorism.

"I had yesterday a discussion to the point with Mr Devin Nunes, the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from House of Representatives of the United States of America. The discussed topics regarded the fight against terrorism and the common threats that regard our states, in the context of very firm messages sent on this matter by the President-elect Donald Trump. I have assured him that Romania will continue to be involved at the same level, and he has expressed his appreciation on the way the collaboration between the USA and our country has evolved in this regard", Dragnea specified on Thursday in a Facebook post.

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea, had a meeting in the United States with the chairman of the House of Representatives' Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, on which occasion he assured him that Romania will continue to be a pillar of trust in transatlantic relations.

Also on Wednesday, Liviu Dragnea met with Michael Flynn, the national security adviser in the new Trump administration, with whom he had a "very good informal discussion". On this occasion, Dragnea assured him that the current Government in Bucharest will respect Romania's engagement to allocate 2pct of the GDP to defence.

agerpres.
Romania's Embassy in Rome, has received information according to which three Romanian nationals - one adult, two persons under age - could be in the hotel that has been hit by an avalanche in Farindola, the Abruzzo region of Italy, on Thursday informs in a release, at the request of agerpres, the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE).

Romania's Embassy in Rome has urgently contacted the local authorities to get additional information.

At the same time, the Romanian Embassy in Italy and the General Consulate of Romania in Bologna monitor the situation, keeping permanently in touch with the local authorities, being prepared to grant consular assistance if necessary, the MAE adds.

According to the source, the rescue operations are underway, but hampered by the severe weather conditions and the damage caused by the avalanche upon the building.

The MAE reminds that the Romanian citizens affected could ask for consular assistance by dialing the following numbers of the Romanian Embassy in Rome: (0039) 06 835 233 58, (0039) 06 835 233 56, (0039) 06 835 233 52; (0039) 06 835 233 44 and of the General Consulate of Romania in Bologna: (0039) 051 5872120, (0039) 051 5872209, their appeals being redirected to the Support and Contact Centre of the Romanian citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and taken over by the call centres' operators on a permanent basis or could dial the diplomatic mission's emergency number: (0039) 3451473935 or the consular office's: (0039) 349 1178220.
ST. CHARLES  The original developer of New Town St. Charles has unveiled plans to tack on 160 acres to the new urbanist-themed development  providing space for 850 new homes to be built beginning in 2019.

Greg Whittaker, who heads NT Home Builders, says it likely would take five to seven years to complete the estimated $250 million addition.

Like the original New Town site which opened in 2005, the new tract will feature modern homes of various sizes and price tags on an old-style street grid with easy walking to shops, recreation and eateries  along with lakes and canals.

Its more of the same, Whittaker said, although he said the lots typically would be a little bit bigger than those in the existing development.

However, he said how many of each type of New Town home will be built depends on market demand.

The St. Charles City Council last month approved a development plan, rezoning and annexation of the tract, which is southwest of the original site. The new area is now farmland.

The city doesnt have a lot of tracts of this size left, said Bruce Evans, the citys community development director. Anytime we can get development on this scale, its a huge plus for the city.

Whittaker said he also expects to build 200 to 250 new homes over the next two years on vacant land on the original New Town site.

Meanwhile, he said on Dec. 28 he regained his role as overseer of the New Town plan through his current company.

That role had been taken over during the recession by a consortium of banks  WBI Resolution LLC  after Whittakers previous company went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009.

New Town, which is north of Highway 370, now has about 1,500 homes with roughly 3,500 residents. The majority of homes were put up by Whittakers companies, although other builders have been involved as well.

Evans, the city official, said the addition of 160 acres to the nearly 700-acre New Town site more than offsets the 93 acres on its southeast edge removed by the city in 2014.

That was to make way for a suburban-type, lower-density subdivision called Charlestowne Crossing by another developer, Tom Hughes.

The citys decision then was over the objection of many New Town residents who worried that the more conventional subdivision would negatively impact New Town and its future.

More than 900 people signed petitions against changing the New Town zoning rules for that area.

At the time, council members supporting the change pointed out that no other developer had stepped forward to propose anything for the 93-acre site.

Work on Charlestowne Crossing is underway, with about a quarter of the 234 homes built or under construction.

Charles Luebke, one of the critics of the 2014 split-off and a New Town resident since 2008, said Thursday that he and other residents are pleased to hear of Whittakers expansion plan.

Everybody is pretty happy with it, said Luebke, whose architectural firm also is in New Town. It all has to do with the housing economy turning around.

He added that Whittakers return to overseeing the project is important. He said the bank entitys goal was to sell ground and didnt have the same level of commitment to making this what it is that Greg Whittaker has.

As he did with the original New Town plan, Whittaker has hired a planning firm headed by Miami architect Andres Duany to help design the 160-acre addition.

The company was initially known in new-urbanist circles for its development of Seaside, Fla., in the 1980s.

Whittaker also retained Duanys firm in developing a New Town project in metro Kansas City. Work began last year on that development, called New Town at Harmony, in Independence, Mo.

The recession spurred Whittaker to drop earlier plans for a Kansas City area new-urbanism venture  New Town at Liberty, Mo.
The Trump team is considering giving a top antitrust post to a former U.S. trade commissioner whose hands-off views on competition have at times failed to withstand court scrutiny.

Joshua Wright, a conservative law professor who heads President-elect Donald Trump's transition team for the Federal Trade Commission, is under consideration to lead the Justice Department's antitrust division, two people with knowledge of the deliberations said. Others may also still be in the running.

The post would give Wright oversight of corporate mergers. A Republican who served as an FTC commissioner from 2013 to 2015, Wright promotes a laissez-faire approach to antitrust enforcement and has been outspoken about how consolidation can benefit consumers.

The president-elect met with Wright on Monday, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said. Wright declined to comment about being under consideration for the position. If nominated, he would have to be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate.

Wright would take the post as the Obama administration wraps up one of the most active periods in antitrust enforcement, opposing deals in the cable television, oil services and health insurance markets. The division is currently reviewing major mergers, including proposed tie-ups between AT&T and Time Warner, Bayer and Monsanto, and Dow Chemical and DuPont.

Both the FTC and the Justice Department enforce antitrust laws against anticompetitive conduct as well as overseeing merger reviews. But Wright would have more power at the Justice Department than he did at the FTC. At the antitrust division, he would be the key decision-maker about whether to approve mergers or file lawsuits to block them, while the FTC requires a majority vote by the five-member panel for enforcement actions.

In a New York Times column in November, Wright criticized calls among some progressives for stepped-up antitrust enforcement. He said the view that higher concentration in an industry necessarily leads to reduced competition and price increases is flawed.

"The quiet consensus among antitrust economists in academia and within the two antitrust agencies is that mergers between competitors do not often lead to market power but do often generate significant benefits for consumers  lower prices and higher quality. Sometimes mergers harm consumers, but those instances are relatively rare," he wrote.

Some of Wright's FTC dissents have been contradicted by the courts.

After the agency filed a lawsuit to block Sysco Corp.'s takeover of US Foods, Wright tweeted that he had "no reason to believe" the deal violated federal law prohibiting anticompetitive mergers. That view was rejected by a federal judge who sided with the rest of the commission and blocked the deal.

He also opposed the FTC's decision that McWane Inc., a supplier of iron-pipe fittings used in municipal water systems, engaged in illegal conduct to maintain a monopoly. Wright said the case lacked evidence that McWane harmed competition. A federal appeals court later said Wright was relying on a heightened standard of proof that had no support in the law.

Wright has opposed some of the Obama administration's biggest efforts to protect consumers, including the open-internet rule known as net neutrality. Regulating internet providers under a decades-old law "is sort of like Intel using a hammer and a sickle to manufacture semiconductors," he said in a 2015 speech to members of the Federalist Society, a conservative Washington policy group.

He also spoke out against the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, saying it would likely cause more harm than good for consumers.

Wright, who has written research funded by Google Inc., is a senior counsel and member of the antitrust practice in the Washington office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, which also does work for Google. He is also executive director of the Global Antitrust Institute and a professor of law and economics at George Mason University, where he specializes in antitrust law, economics and consumer protection, according to the firm's website.

The Justice Department antitrust division has been run by Renata Hesse since April 2015. She led its opposition to Comcast's proposed takeover of Time Warner Cable, which the companies abandoned. The division also filed lawsuits seeking to block Anthem's merger with Cigna and Aetna's tie-up with Humana Inc., both of which are awaiting rulings.
NEW YORK  Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. will pay $50 million to resolve a U.S. lawsuit accusing it of illegally providing beneficiaries of government health care programs discounts and other incentives to fill their prescriptions at its pharmacies.

The settlement, announced by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara on Thursday, resolves a whistleblower lawsuit that the government joined related to the national pharmacy chains Prescription Savings Club program.

Bharara said Walgreens allowed beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid to take part in the Savings Club program even though doing so violated a federal law against paying those beneficiaries discounts so they would choose Walgreens.

Walgreens written materials about the Savings Club program, and its own internal policy, stated that beneficiaries of government health insurance programs were not eligible to participate, according to court filings related to the settlement.

Nonetheless, the company offered employees bonuses for enrolling people in the program without checking whether they were eligible, Bharara said.

As a result, he said, hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries were enrolled in the program.

Walgreens acknowledged as part of its settlement that government beneficiaries were improperly enrolled .

About $46 million of the settlement will resolve claims by the federal government and the rest will go to states, which help administer Medicaid.

The former Walgreens pharmacy manager who filed the whistleblower lawsuit, Marc Baker, will get about $9.7 million of the federal governments portion of the settlement.

We entered into this agreement to avoid the delay, expense, and uncertainty of litigation, and did so without any admission of legal liability, Walgreens spokesman Jim Cohn said in an email. He said the company still offers discounts to customers who are not government beneficiaries through the Savings Club program.
The one dish at Monas I can recommend without reservation might also be the menus greatest mistake. The dish is an appetizer of bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Gorgonzola ($7.95), a two-bite haute bar snack guaranteed to win you a return invitation to the coolest Super Bowl party in town. Can you tire of the contrast from crisp to chewy to creamy, from fatty savor to mellow sweetness to salty tang? I cannot.

These bacon-wrapped dates are a holdover from the menu at Modesto Tapas Bar & Restaurant, which Brendan Marsden and Julie Block Fernandez closed last August, ending a 15-year run on the Hill. After a two-month makeover  less a wholesale renovation than a brightening up  the business partners reopened the space as Monas, an American-Italian joint.

Its definitely not Italian-American like what youll find at the other restaurants on the Hill or St. Louis, really, Marsden told me a few weeks before Monas opened. Instead, Monas food would be inspired by regional American cuisine but presented in an Italian way.

He was right. Monas approach to Italian and American cuisines is unlike anything else on the Hill or in St. Louis. But the menu that he and executive chef Carlos Hernandez, also returning from Modesto, have developed doesnt measure up to the restaurants previous incarnation at its best. That might be an unfair comparison to make  this is an entirely different concept, after all  except that Modestos bacon-wrapped dates are right there on the menu, daring you to make it.

The heart of Monas menu is pizza, the dough stretched paper thin and baked until crisp. This Roman-style crust will of course remind St. Louisans of their native pizza. The specialty pies will not. Here you find the regional-American influences Marsden described. The Muffaletta ($13.95) drapes slices of salami, mortadella and coppa over the house red sauce and tops the meats with cheese and an olive salad.

I approached this pizza with trepidation  how could it not be too salty?  but it was the most successful of the varieties I tried. The coppas spice and the mortadellas meaty backbone smoothed out the saltiness, and the piquancy of the olive salad was more like giardiniera than tapenade. This execution of balance and boldness was lacking in other pizzas. Sliced Calabrian chiles tried to ignite the Smoked Chicken ($13.50) pie, but the signature chicken was dry and not very smoky, especially in comparison to the accompanying bacon and smoked tomato.

Those chiles would have been welcome on the Sausage & Kale ($13.50), one of Monas white pizzas, which are served with a garlic-bechamel sauce as the base. Its an elegant arrangement of marinated kale, crumbled sausage and whole cloves of garlic confit, but the sausages flavor was muted, and it sank the pizza into a morass of polite flavors. The D.F. ($13.75) refers to Mexico City, and the pizza approximates a street taco: pork belly, caramelized onion, pineapple and an avocado salsa. I like the idea, but the toppings are distributed across the pizza in such a way that getting the full effect in one bite is rare.

Monas pizzas make for a far better menu centerpiece than its pastas. The linguine ($17.95) tosses the noodles with barbecue shrimp, Creole butter, grape tomatoes and fried lemon. The result doesnt resemble any Creole fare Ive eaten. Instead, its a blunt progression of too salty, acrid (presumably from the lemon) and, on the finish, slightly bitter. For all that, the linguine is preferable to the gnocchi ($16.95), as unappealing a dish as I can remember eating, a travesty and an embarrassment. The gnocchi are like scoops of gnocchi-shaped mashed potatoes; they dissolve on the palate like nothing-flavored ice cream. They swim with stringy pork-belly meat and caramelized onions in what the menu calls a roasted-corn cream sauce but what on my plate was an oily, separated and vaguely cream-flavored mess.

(One decent pasta? The spaghetti and meatballs from the kids menu. My wife and I kept taking bites from our daughters plate because we couldnt stand much more of the linguine or gnocchi.)

I found a less offensive but persistent sloppiness  or disaffection  in the restaurant as a whole: no one waiting at the host stand to seat diners; unbalanced cocktails served over so many ice cubes that they are diluted before they arrive at the table; inexplicable gaps between ordering a drink and receiving it. Did the kitchen even bother seasoning the baked-eggplant dip ($4.95), a starter? In truth, it conveyed less eggplant flavor than the unadorned, roasted vegetable does. It had been anti-seasoned.

Monas bid for a snack to rival the bacon-wrapped dates in our affection might be the garlic knots ($7.25), soft, airy breadsticks served with a provolone fondue for dipping, though even after you stir in the tomato confit scooped atop this fondue, the cheese sauce lacks the tang and heat of a good queso or the heartiness of rarebit. But once youve finished your order of bacon-wrapped dates and the memory of Modesto begins to fade, I suppose these will have to do.

Where Monas, 5257 Shaw Avenue  One star out of four  More info 314-772-8272; monasjoint.com  Menu Pizza and pasta with regional-American influences  Hours Lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday
The last time we caught up with Lumineers drummer Jeremiah Fraites was June of last year, just before the bands performance at the Peabody Opera House. At that point, the group, which also includes vocalist/guitarist Wesley Schultz and cellist Neyla Pekarek, had just released its second album, Cleopatra, and was selling out theaters like the Peabody all across the country  and indeed, around the world.

Thanks to the albums continued success  no sophomore slump here  the Lumineers have made the leap into arenas, and this summer the band will play at even larger venues by opening a number of stadium shows for U2.

Fraites, phoning in from his home in Denver just before leaving for tour rehearsals in Omaha, Neb., is cautious but optimistic about how the bands material  some of it raucous, sure, but some of it hushed and intimate  will be received by arena-size crowds.

Its all new territory, he says. Were trying to come up with set lists and stage designs and trying to figure out How do you fill a room like that without losing connection that you have with your fans? Or, How do you make the show interesting without overdoing it with crap like fog and lights and blah blah blah? You have to do some of that stuff, but its gonna make for a very interesting tour.

He adds with a laugh, Anybody coming to these shows will see us not really know what were doing, but were going to try and do it well.

In fact, Fraites thinks the answer might be in traveling a more subtle, less obvious path.

One thing weve learned from playing festivals is that bands tend to play big shows fast and loud, he says. That works in the short game, but I think long-term, if you can make the crowd get quiet, thats a real feat. If you tell people to scream, theyll scream  thats a standard move.

But, say we play something like Long Way From Home. Thats a very intimate song about Wes dad slowly passing away from cancer. If you can get people to be quiet and listen to a song like that, its an accomplishment.

People want to hear songs like Ho Hey and Ophelia, which is great. But the deeper cuts or quieter cuts  that will be the real test.

Our motto is, just give people good music, and the rest should follow.

Opening for U2 will be slightly surreal for the band as well. Fraites just turned 31 years old, and the U2 tour is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Irish bands breakthrough album, The Joshua Tree.

I grew up in a world where U2 was always massive, Fraites says. Theyre bigger than a band; theyre celebrities. Its hard to wrap your head around them as human beings.

But it made me think, and it made me do some research. Bono was 27 when he made that album. And it was their fifth album. That means they were making music at 17 or 18. So, yeah, human beings did write With or Without You and Where the Streets Have No Name. And the fact theyre going out for this 30th anniversary tour tells me theyre going out with a purpose. They dont need to do this anymore. Theyre still trying to find ways to make it exciting.
EAST ST. LOUIS  A St. Louis-area man died after crashing into a traffic light pole on Route 3 Thursday morning.

The 2009 Dodge Caliber broke apart on impact, and its engine was dislodged and landed on Eighth Street, nearly 50 feet from the mangled car. The crash scene is in East St. Louis just north of Sauget.

Master Sgt. Jeff Snyder of the Illinois State Police said the victim, 27, was driving north on Route 3 toward the Poplar Street Bridge when his car drifted to the right and struck the traffic light pole about 5:45 a.m. The victim had been wearing a seat belt, Snyder said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. The victim's name has not yet been released.
State prosecutors announced Thursday they will not file criminal charges against former Fox Schools Superintendent Dianne Critchlow, whose spending had been criticized by a state audit.

The office of St. Charles County Prosecutor Tim Lohmar made the announcement, saying the case is now closed.

The review of the investigation is now concluded, Lohmar said in a statement, with a finding that there were no violations of the criminal laws of the State of Missouri, and consequently, no criminal charges will be filed.

Lohmar had been appointed special prosecutor in the case in November, at the request of Jefferson County Prosecutor Forrest Wegge.

In November, federal prosecutors came to the same conclusion, saying that no federal laws had been violated.

We are thrilled with the outcome, but not surprised as we have always known Dr. Critchlow is innocent, said Critchlows attorney, Brandy Barth.

Barth blames John Brazeal, the districts chief financial officer, and Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway, whose office issued a scathing report last May.

They lied and made a mockery of the district, Barth said. They defamed her mercilessly for 2 years.

In Galloways state audit, Critchlow was accused of acting almost daily to spend taxpayer money intended for classrooms for her own benefit. Over two years ending in 2014, the audit alleged that Critchlow racked up about $100,000 in questionable expenses on three school district credit cards for things such as iTunes gift cards, shampoo, watches, wedding gifts and a garlic press.

The audit accused Critchlow of manipulating her own salary without board approval by drawing up contract adjustments and signing them with the boards electronic signature to net about $20,000 over two years beyond what the school board had agreed to pay her.

And Critchlow double dipped, the audit also alleged, by requesting and receiving reimbursement for some of the personal purchases made on the district credit cards  essentially paying herself with district money for the goods she was getting for free.

Lohmars office said the audits findings were considered, along with the investigative report prepared by the FBI.

Galloway issued a statement defending her audit.

My office stands by the facts included in the independent audit report. The former superintendent used taxpayer dollars to personally benefit herself and a select few individuals close to her at the expense of the students, families and staff of the Fox School District. Whether those facts rise to the level of a criminal prosecution is at the sole discretion of the prosecuting attorney, Galloway said.

Barth said the allegations that Critchlow used public funds for personal benefit were false and that her client fully cooperated with all the investigating agencies that were involved.

Barth said Critchlow plans to file a lawsuit. Critchlow is no longer working because of the defamation, Barth said. She couldnt get hired to do anything.

Critchlow, who lives in Arnold, is spending time with her two infant grandchildren. She couldnt be happier this nightmare is over, Barth said.
JEFFERSON CITY  As promised, Republicans who control the House and Senate are making quick work to transform Missouri into a right-to-work state.

On a 100-59 vote Thursday, the House gave final approval to a measure that prohibits labor unions from requiring dues from members it represents.

The debate now moves to the Senate, where Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard said the issue is on a fast track toward Gov. Eric Greitens desk.

He dismissed an expected attempt by labor officials to put the measure before voters in the form of a ballot initiative.

Well beat it back, the Joplin Republican said.

And, the Senate sponsor, Sen. Dan Brown, R-Rolla, dismissed concerns that the measure could be upended by a legal challenge.

We have done our due diligence and most of these have held up in court, Brown told reporters following the House vote.

In the House, 15 Republicans broke ranks with their party to oppose the measure. One Democrat, Rep. Courtney Curtis, D-Ferguson, voted yes.

After years of facing a sure-fire veto from former Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon, lawmakers are confident Greitens will sign the measure.

Supporters say adding Missouri to the roster of 27 right-to-work states merely gives workers a choice when it comes to paying union dues. They predict more companies will seek out Missouri to build factories

This bill right here will do nothing to bust unions, said Rep. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville.

We need to do whatever we can to create good paying jobs, added Rep. Charlie Davis, R-Webb City.

Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, who sponsored the measure in the House, argued that the change would not result in lower wages for Missouri workers.

Opponents say the changes will lead to a weakening of unions by leaving them with fewer financial resources to lobby legislatures and bargain with employers for better wages and working conditions.

I didnt think this was going to happen in my time being up here. This is a big deal for the state. This is horrible, said Rep. Clem Smith, a Democrat from St. Louis County who works as a unionized aircraft assembly mechanic.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time workers in union shops earn more than their nonunion counterparts. In 2015, the most recent figures available, the median weekly salary for union members was $876 compared with $833 for nonunion workers.

Opponents now are banking on an attempt to collect enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot in 2018. The proposed constitutional amendment is being pushed by Missouri AFL-CIO President Mike Louis.

Today, uber-rich CEOs around the country are celebrating their win over Missouris working families, Louis said in a prepared statement. The government is one step closer to overreaching into the private contract negotiations between businesses and their employees, and each of their chosen representatives  the businesses lawyers and the employees elected unions, through deceptive right-to-work regulations that are wrong for Missourians.

The legislation is House Bill 91.
JEFFERSON CITY  State senators began work on yet another attempt to make sure Missourians can use their driver's licenses to get on planes and work on military bases Wednesday, hearing testimony on two bills designed to bring the state into compliance with the federal REAL ID Act of 2005.

The law was meant to prevent a repeat of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by requiring states to use documents like birth certificates and search national immigration databases to verify applicants' identities before handing driver's licenses out.

But in 2009, a provision requiring states to keep and share databases of those documents spooked Missouri legislators, who passed a law forbidding the Department of Revenue from complying with the law.

Now, contractors and truckers say they're having trouble getting into federal facilities like Whiteman and Scott Air Force Bases and Ft. Leonard Wood. The Department of Homeland Security announced last year that Missouri needs to get in compliance or its residents will need passports at airports in Jan. 2018.

Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, and Sen. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, think they have a compromise. Their bills would direct the Department of Revenue to begin implementing REAL ID standards, but allow Missourians to choose whether or not they want a REAL-compliant license.

"There is a group of people very concerned about the government having their information, and I respect that," Silvey said. "But I don't think their reluctance to comply should keep other people from working and traveling."

Missouri is one of 7 noncompliant states without an extension from the federal government, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Without new IDs, residents will need to additional identification to board flights starting Jan. 22, 2018.

Exiting those dismal ranks would be a relief for Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, director of the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

"I get calls on a daily basis about what's going to happen on Jan. 22, 2018," she said. "My counterparts across the country ask me all the time why we're not compliant, and I don't have an answer."

The Department of Revenue estimates it'll take around two years to get into full compliance with the law, but Silvey said passing his or Rowden's bill would garner an extension from the federal government.

Despite the outcry from airports and contractors, a compromise will likely face some resistance in the Senate.

Will Kraus, R-Lee's Summit, remained unconvinced by the two-pronged approach, saying he wanted to wait for President-elect Donald Trump's administration to weigh in.

Kraus also objected to what he called a contradiction of his 2013 bill banning the Department of Revenue from retaining scans of license credentials.

"Our private documents should stay private," he said. "(The bill) does acknowledge individual rights, but it's still an issue of federal overreach where we need to push back."

The committee plans to vote on the bills next week.
JEFFERSON CITY  Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-St.Louis, has spent much of her time at the capitol targeting priorities like improving education in urban schools, reducing racial bias in policing and seeking redress for North St. Louis County residents living near nuclear waste.

But on Wednesday, she had Russia in her sights.

With even President-elect Donald Trump acknowledging last week that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee during the run-up to last year's election, Chappelle-Nadal wants state and local goverments to pull taxpayer money out of there.

Her bill would prohibit state and local governments from investing in Russian companies or contracting with companies who do business there. It would also require divestment of current holdings and cancellation of existing contracts.

"Missouri taxpayers should not be forced to send their hard-earned dollars to a country that undermines and attacks America," she said. "You don't invest in someone who hacks your elections and your democracy."

According to the Joint Committee on Public Retirement, at least $17.6 million in state money is currently tied up in Russian companies between between the state employee pension fund and the University of Missouri System's retirement fund, at least $17.6 million in state money is currently tied up in Russian companies.

The state treasurer's office, MOSERS and the University of Missouri System were not immediately available for comment Wednesday.

President Barack Obama has already issued federal sanctions against Russia for its efforts to influence the 2016 election, but Chappelle-Nadal is far from the first Missouri politician to wade into foreign policy in recent years.

State Treasurer Eric Schmitt filed a bill last session as a senator to ban investment in countries the State Department says sponsor terrorism. The bill, a state-level response to Washington rancor about the Iran nuclear deal, died in the Senate.
WASHINGTON  A new president who has flouted convention at many turns will be bound, for a few hours at least, to the tradition and history of Americans peaceful transition of power.

Donald Trump will become the nations 45th president at midday Friday.

A Missourian will introduce him, and Trump will later parade down an avenue whose prominence in American history is due, in part, to St. Louis.

A divided country will be reflected in the thousands who have arrived to witness this quadrennial swearing-in ceremony, and in protesters gathering with them.

And on Saturday, thousands more are expected for a womens march against the new president.

The inauguration ceremony on the Capitols west front will commence with music at 8:30 a.m. Central time. Blunt is expected to speak about 10:15 a.m. The swearing-in begins just after 10:45 a.m., and Trumps much-anticipated inaugural address will follow.

At the center of the inaugural ceremonies will be Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, the first Missourian to chair the Joint Congressional Committee on Inauguration Ceremonies since Congress took over the ceremonies in 1901.

Trump has been particularly interested, and maybe more than usual, in getting to work, said Blunt, who met for about 80 minutes with the president-elect last week in New York.

And my sense is over the last two or three weeks, as he has had time to think about the moment of becoming president and the message that that sends not only to our country but all over the world, that the events themselves have become more significant to him than they might have been.

Outgoing President Barack Obama and Trump are scheduled to have traditional coffee at the White House before the actual swearing-in, then ride together to the Capitol.

After the inaugural ceremony, where Trump is expected to deliver a relatively short speech of about 20 minutes, Blunt will co-host a traditional lunch honoring the new president and vice president in the Capitol.

Over a menu of Maine lobster, Gulf shrimp, beef with dark chocolate and juniper jus and potato gratin, Trump will be toasted with California wines. Nineteenth-century Missouri artist George Caleb Binghams painting, Verdict of the People, will be featured  despite an online petition to keep it from being shown in Trumps honor.

Following a tradition that began as an impromptu procession trailing Thomas Jefferson after his swearing-in in 1801, a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House will follow about 2 p.m. Central time.

The capitals most famous thoroughfare owes its promenade prominence to President Ulysses Grant, who lived in St. Louis before the Civil War.

When efforts to move the nations capital to St. Louis began, Grant responded by spearheading public works projects that improved Pennsylvania Avenue and concentrated new federal buildings along it.

Three official inaugural balls will commence at 6 p.m. Central time, with unofficial ones around town. The Heartland Ball, co-sponsored by state societies of Missouri and Illinois and other states, was scheduled for Thursday night.

Blunt, who practiced the ritual last weekend, will introduce speakers. Trump will be sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts on two Bibles: a personal one given to him as a child, and the one used in Abraham Lincolns first inaugural in 1861. Vice President-elect Mike Pence will be sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

A chorale from Missouri State University will sing one of the musical numbers.

Obama, who also was sworn in on Lincolns Bible at his two inaugurals, will be among dignitaries on stage, as will Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated in the November election.

Members of Congress will also be on a temporary stage, built across the Capitols west facade and designed to hold 1,600 people. The crowd is expected to fan out on the Mall rolling gently toward the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

But some, including Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, will not attend. After Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., called Trump an illegitimate president because of alleged Russian interference in the election last year, Trump fired back on Twitter, saying Lewis had failed to help inner cities. Several dozen Democratic members of the U.S. House said they would not attend in protest.

Blunt said almost every inaugural has members of Congress who stay away.

Plenty of people on that platform, he said. It doesnt hurt for a couple dozen people not to be there.

Everyone from Bikers for Trump to advocates for marijuana legalization have planned gatherings.

Blunt said he was confident that police and other security services were ready to respond to threats to disrupt the ceremony. Peaceful protests, he said, are part of the mosaic of the day.

Of all the things that could go wrong on the day we send this message of transition of power to the world, people exercising their right to protest is not one of them, Blunt said.

This, he said, is such a great opportunity for us every four years to show the world how democracy is supposed to work.
WASHINGTON  For Missouri Republican Party Treasurer Pat Thomas, who literally wears her support of Donald Trump on her right arm, watching the new president take the oath of office Friday will cap months of work.

Beauty salon owner Helen Petty tried to console her distraught 11-year-old son as he cried the morning after Trumps election, and the two of them planned to ride an overnight bus to protest his administration Saturday at the Womens March on Washington.

These two Missouri womens different paths to the nations seat of power reflect Trumps divisive road to the presidency. Some 86 percent of Americans in a Pew poll released Thursday described the country as more divided than in the past. Hundreds of Missourians like Thomas and Petty are coming to the capital for Trumps inauguration as the 45th president of the United States. Supporters have packed tuxedos and evening gowns for the balls and receptions celebrating their victory; opponents are bringing their marching shoes and protest signs.

Off the street and behind the security cordons, the ceremony itself will draw worldwide attention  including from Missouri, a one-time swing state where Trumps 18-point margin of victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton illustrated the way his campaign resonated in the Midwest. For first-time inauguration attendees such as Thomas, it will culminate an already exciting election season.

A longtime Republican volunteer, Thomas went to a Trump rally over the summer in Colorado, where her 22-year-old son worked as Trumps state political director. After his speech, Trump stepped down from the stage to mix with the crowd. Thomas thought the candidate would be shaking hands, but instead he was signing things with a black permanent marker.

I was just like, Thanks, youre a great candidate, and he just reached over and drew on me, said Thomas, who served as a delegate in the summers Republican National Convention. He drew a big check mark on my arm, and he goes, See, now you wont forget to vote for me.

Initially a bit shocked  I wanted to be like, look, buddy ... I am not someone whos going to forget to vote  she now looks back on it as a moment that revealed something about his character: I think it gives you a small little insight about a personality, that somebodys just like, Oh, hey, she doesnt have anything (to sign), here, well make a mark, she said. Kind of funny, kind of lighthearted.

The dawn of the Trump era has others feeling more grim.

There is a lot of generalized anger, said Petty, 35, who helped organize a caravan of three buses to take about 160 people to the march. She remembers feeling upset about the re-election of George W. Bush in 2004, but that seemed less visceral and less urgent.

This time, she said, the victor is a total megalomaniac, narcissist, sociopath. She said she struggled to explain to her son, Teagan, how such a man could become president.

Petty remembers the two of them watching the debates together, and how he reacted so negatively to Trumps words: I didnt have to tell him that that was wrong.

Missouri Republicans said they expect Trumps inaugural speech to include more traditional notes of unity and a vision for the future  and less like his rowdier rallies.

He realizes that theres a divide in the country, and I would anticipate hes going to try to pull the country together, talk about things that we can work on together, said Ron Fitzwater, chief executive of the Missouri Pharmacy Association.

Fitzwater also attended the Bush inaugurations in 2001 and 2005. Early in the 2016 cycle he was a supporter of Jeb Bush, but he found him lacking the charisma of his father and brother  in fact, it seemed to Fitzwater that he might not have even wanted to run for president. Meanwhile, Trumps outsider message and underdog attitude drew him in. He live-streamed Trumps rallies, and regrets never making it to one in person. It wouldve been fun, he said.

Still, he expects an inaugural ceremony fit for a Bush. Im anticipating that, overall, hes going to bow to tradition and I dont think the actual ceremony will be much different, he said.

Thomas points to Trumps speech immediately after winning the election as a sign that he will adopt a more presidential tone.

I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important to me, Trump said at the time.

Nevertheless, the last week alone has seen Trump use Twitter to lambast people who displease him, from civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., to outgoing CIA Director John Brennan.

That kind of behavior demonstrates to Petty why the Womens March is so important. She hopes demonstrators will come away Saturday feeling encouraged to take a larger role in local politics, where it can be easier to have an impact.

Im not diminishing the march in any way by saying this  its definitely a feel-good, solidarity moment. However, I think thats often necessary for people to kind of like drag themselves out of the depths of hopeless. Because its easy to feel wildly unpowerful, Petty said.
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 Lewis 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.

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 African-American 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 Lewis district.

As for education, black attainment has risen steadily in recent decades; nearly a quarter of African-American adults have college degrees, compared to slightly more than one-third of white adults. The story in home ownership is similar: gains paralleling those of whites, but starting from a lower baseline and thus not having reached full parity.

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.

Eugene Robinson

Copyright The Washington Post
I took my children into the voting booth with me and later my grandchildren so they could learn the procedure and why it is so important.
Michael Mears as Bertrand Russell in This Evil Thing. Photo: Mark Williamson W2/1/17/5770

This Evil Thing, Michael Mears at the Kempe Studio, 15th January

When the subject of the heroes of the First World War comes up, your thoughts naturally turn to the million British soldiers killed in action, or the two million injured  many of them horrendously maimed.

Here, in this original solo work, the plays author and lone actor, Michael Mears, turns our attention to the men who refused to fight, and asks us to understand their heroism.

The Non-Conscription Fellowship was founded by Fenner Brockway and Clifford Allen in November 1914. After conscription was introduced in 1916, the movements leaders were jailed, and Bertrand Russell and Catherine Marshal stepped in as chair and secretary. This Evil Thing tells that story but also that of the conscientious objectors (COs) themselves. Around 16,000 COs refused to sign up. Many of them were forcibly enlisted and then subjected to military punishments; a number were taken to France to face execution (although this was later revoked).

At the heart of This Evil Thing is the story of Bert Brocklesbury, a 25-year-old teacher, Methodist lay preacher and absolutist (meaning he refused to serve even in a non-combat role) from Yorkshire, who lends the facts of the play personality and warmth.

In the production Michael plays around 52 characters. It opens with him stuck in a ditch 3ft by 2ft and 10ft deep as he depicts a conscientious objector confined there for days as punishment. The ditch is filled with water and he must stand on two narrow wood planks. It is a horrendous feat of endurance and a harrowing sight, but it makes a clear point: these men werent cowards, far from it, they were willing to suffer and even die for their moral principles.

How a lone actor with few props (the planks of wood are two small upturned drawers on which he balances) in the intimate drawing room of the Kempe Studio conjures such a visceral scenario is testament to Michaels exemplary acting and his superbly crafted play. The actors sole assistant is a clever soundtrack  choral song, gunfire, judges decrees, Pathe-style news bulletins and the like, which lend the performance dimension and texture.

Michael switches seamlessly between his many roles: hes a stretcher-bearer ducking fire on the front, a barking sergeant, a worried girlfriend, a troubled dad, an army officer, a philosopher, a politician, a campaigner the effect is of a master storyteller at work as Michael weaves the compelling tale of peacemakers fighting against the tide of popular opinion and the iron-fist of the military. The story is so absorbing, however, you dont really notice the acting process. Like most in the room, I am smitten by this revelatory tale of the conscientious objectors and their plight, as if rethinking truths we had previously taken for granted. Like the conscientious objector stuck in that dark hole, we look up and see the light.

How amazing.

This Evil Thing is on again locally at Sibford School, Sibford Ferris, on Friday, 3rd February at 3pm, and the school is extending the audience to include a limited number of free seats that are being made available to the general public. Anyone wishing to attend should contact the schools community development officer, Ali Bromhall, on 01295 781216 or e-mail her at abromhall@sibfordschool.co.uk
OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo talks to the media after his meeting with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela January 16, 2017. REUTERS/Marco Bello

By Dmitry Zhdannikov

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Oil stocks around the world need to decline by at least another 270 million barrels to reach a five-year industry average for OPEC to be able to say the markets are becoming balanced, OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo told Reuters.

"The primary goal is to accelerate the stocks drawdown," Barkindo said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"We are already seeing stocks coming down from the high levels. Our eyes will continue to focus on the level of drawdown to bring the level near a five-year industry average," he said.

"Stocks have already come down to below 3 billion barrels in OECD commercial stocks. The delta now (with the five-year average) is around 270 million," he said.

OPEC's latest monthly oil market report, issued on Wednesday, said OECD commercial stocks stood at 2.993 billion barrels in November.

Barkindo said the stocks drawdown would help rebalance the market and establish the "equilibrium oil price" that will encourage investments in the sector after two consecutive years of capital expenditure cuts by state and private firms around the world.

OPEC agreed to reduce output in tandem with non-OPEC Russia and several other producers in December, in the first such move in 15 years. Barkindo said he believed Russia was playing a long-term game with OPEC.

"I have no doubts in Russia's commitment to continue to participate with us and solidify this platform effectively establishing a stabilizing forum for the short, mid and long-term," Barkindo said.

OPEC and non-OPEC producers agreed to establish a joint ministerial monitoring committee and Barkindo said a meeting this weekend in Vienna would adopt an oversight and compliance mechanism.

OPEC will meet in May when it will decide whether to propose to extend the output cutting measures together with non-OPEC countries.

(Reporting by Dmitry Zhdannikov; editing by Susan Thomas)
Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE: ATO) today announced that Christopher T. Forsythe, Vice President and Controller, has been promoted by the Board of Directors to Senior Vice President and CFO, effective February 1, 2017. He will report directly to Kim Cocklin, Chief Executive Officer, and serve on the companys Management Committee.

We are extremely fortunate to have someone with Chris talent and background. Chris has been with the company for over 13 years in many leadership roles, ready to provide a seamless transition as the companys Chief Financial Officer, said Kim Cocklin, Chief Executive Officer. He will broaden and complement our senior management team, remaining focused on preserving and strengthening our sound financial health.

Forsythe, 45, joined Atmos Energy in June 2003 and was promoted to Director of Financial Reporting in September 2003, having previously worked as a Senior Audit Manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He was promoted to his current position in 2009. Forsythe is a graduate of Baylor University with Bachelors of Business Administration degrees in Accounting and Management Information Systems. He is a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Canary Wharf and the city are seen at sunset in London, December 14, 2016. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

By Anjuli Davies and Andrew MacAskill

LONDON (Reuters) - Global banks have begun signaling how they will put plans into action to cope with a "hard" exit by Britain from the European Union.

Until now, banks have considered varying degrees of upheaval to their British-based businesses, depending on whether the outcome of Brexit was "hard" or "soft."

But after Prime Minister Theresa May said that Britain would leave the single market, bankers have already begun giving more details on how they will adapt.

Bank executives will present plans to their boards in the coming months outlining where they want to relocate operations to and how much it will cost, banking industry sources said.

The movement of jobs from London is likely to be slow at first, with banks more focused on getting regulatory approval and installing the necessary infrastructure for new or bolstered EU outposts so they can continue to sell products and service EU customers.

HSBC and UBS have both warned they could move around 1,000 jobs out of London.

"All the banks are doing the non-harmful stuff first in an attempt to get ahead of the curve," a senior executive at one of Europe's largest banks said.

This will focus on areas such as license applications, and building technology platforms, according to lawyers.

Some jobs could move or be created to help with this, but most banks will move the bulk of staff further down the line.

"Most banks will make decisions on where to shift business by the end Q1, with initial headcounts of '100 to a few 100' to be moved," said one of the sources familiar with bank relocation plans, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A senior executive at a European bank said they were willing to spend about $100 million preparing to move from Britain before the completion of any divorce from the EU.

But as they move or hire staff, rent out real estate and - crucially - build up the capital buffers of their EU divisions that price tag will rise.

Eight major US and European banks face a combined $7.5 billion bill in the next five years if they need to move capital markets operations out of London as a result of Brexit, analysts at JP Morgan have estimated.

QUIVERING OVER THE BUTTON

The scale of the changes banks need to make depends on the type of entities and licenses they currently have in Britain and the rest of the EU.

"I think the quivering over the button is dependent on business model and what you use the UK for," Douglas Flint, chairman of HSBC, Europe's biggest bank, told British members of parliament last week.

"If you are a foreign institution hubbing into Europe from London, you really have no choice other than to think very quickly and carefully how to replicate the access to Europe ... If you have already established operations in Europe, you can take your time".

HSBC says it has the licenses it needs for its mooted move to Paris and only needs to set up a so-called intermediate holding company in France, a move that should take only a matter of months.

The bank has said it will shift staff from its markets business to Paris but only in around two years time.

The five largest U.S. banks, on the other hand, will need to apply for many new licenses and, in some cases, establish brand new entities in the EU right away.

Currently they employ around 40,000 people in London, more than in the rest of Europe combined, and rely on the EU "passporting" regime that allows them to offer services across the bloc out of their British hubs.

Since the Brexit vote U.S. banks have talked with governments and regulators in several major European cities to look at where to base certain operations.

Regulators in Frankfurt have spoken with "a significant double-digit number of banks" considering moving to the German city, including big U.S. banks, Japanese banks and other European banks, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) was considering moving some assets and operations to Frankfurt, sources told Reuters in October.

Senior delegations, including management level representatives from international banks have recently made trips to Frankfurt to scout around schools, real estate, and residential areas, according to another source familiar with banks' planning.

Ireland's central bank has had over 100 enquiries from UK financial firms considering moving, Finance Minister Michael Noonan said on Tuesday.

Robert Mac Giolla Phadraig, chief commercial officer of Irish headhunter, Sigmar Recruitment, said his firm was working on four projects for financial companies in London shifting staff to Dublin, including moving 25, 80, 120 and about 200 jobs for those projects respectively.

But as banks flesh out plans for what and where they move, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has warned that Britain's giant financial services sector could be undermined like a wobbly wooden tower in the popular game of Jenga if key parts of the industry shift elsewhere because of Brexit.

"What people still don't get is that London is home to systemic financial infrastructure and dismantling it will lead to higher costs of doing business," said another senior executive at a global bank.

"You need to think of it as a mega nuclear power plant. It's a systemic matter and you need be careful at dismantling it."

(Additional reporting by Andrew Kroener and Arno Schuetze in Frankfurt, Esha Vaish in Bangalore, Pamela Barbaglia in Davos, Editing by Jane Merriman)
TransCanada Corporation (NYSE: TRP) (TransCanada) announced today the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued an order approving the construction of the Leach XPress and Rayne XPress projects. The combined $1.8 billion investments will provide additional outlets to transport domestic, clean burning natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica production areas to higher-value Midwest and Gulf Coast markets.

The issuing of the certificates of public convenience and necessity follows the September release of FERC's final environmental impact statement for the projects. Once remaining regulatory approvals are obtained, TransCanada plans to begin right-of-way preparation and construction activities on both projects in February, and is reviewing the projects' overall timeline in an effort to maintain the proposed November 1, 2017 in-service date.

"Approval of Leach XPress and Rayne XPress follows a very thorough review by the FERC," said Stan Chapman, TransCanada's senior vice-president and general manager, U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines. "These projects will create critically needed connectivity between the prolific, but constrained, Marcellus and Utica shale production areas and higher value markets. The projects will also create significant new jobs and tax revenues for communities along the projects' routes."

The approximately $1.4 billion investment in Leach XPress will enable the safe transport of approximately 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica supply basin to homes, businesses and industries. The 160-mile greenfield project crosses the northern panhandle of West Virginia and then traverses southeastern Ohio.

Rayne XPress primarily involves the construction of two new compressor stations along TransCanada's existing Columbia Gulf system and is designed to create an additional 1.0 Bcf/d of capacity to efficiently transport Marcellus and Utica production to markets in the Gulf Coast region and beyond.

Both projects are underpinned by long-term, fixed-fee, firm transportation service agreements. They will be designed, constructed and operated with a core focus on safety and minimizing environmental impact.
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a global money services business headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, has agreed to forfeit $586 million and enter into agreements with the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Central District of California, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Southern District of Florida. In its agreement with the Justice Department, Western Union admits to criminal violations including willfully failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering (AML) program and aiding and abetting wire fraud.

Acting Assistant Attorney General David Bitkower of the Justice Departments Criminal Division; FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez; U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler of the Middle District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker of the Central District of California; Acting U.S. Attorney Louis D. Lappen of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Inspector in Charge David W. Bosch of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Philadelphia Division; Assistant Director in Charge Deirdre Fike of the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office; Chief Richard Weber of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Special Agent in Charge Marlon V. Miller of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia; and Special Agent in Charge Stephen Carroll of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-CFPB OIG) Eastern Region made the announcement.

As this case shows, wiring money can be the fastest way to send it  directly into the pockets of criminals and scam artists, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Bitkower. Western Union is now paying the price for placing profits ahead of its own customers. Together with our colleagues, the Criminal Division will both hold to account those who facilitate fraud and abuse of vulnerable populations, and also work to recoup losses and compensate victims.

Western Union owes a responsibility to American consumers to guard against fraud, but instead the company looked the other way, and its system facilitated scammers and rip-offs, said Chairwoman Ramirez. The agreements we are announcing today will ensure Western Union changes the way it conducts its business and provides more than a half billion dollars for refunds to consumers who were harmed by the companys unlawful behavior.

The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has a long history of prosecuting corrupt Western Union Agents, said U.S. Attorney Brandler. Since 2001, our office, in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, has charged and convicted 26 Western Union Agents in the United States and Canada who conspired with international fraudsters to defraud tens of thousands of U.S. residents via various forms of mass marketing schemes. I am gratified that the deferred prosecution agreement reached today with Western Union ensures that $586 million will be available to compensate the many victims of these frauds.

Our investigation uncovered hundreds of millions of dollars being sent to China in structured transactions designed to avoid the reporting requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act, and much of the money was sent to China by illegal immigrants to pay their human smugglers, said U.S. Attorney Decker. In a case being prosecuted by my office, a Western Union agent has pleaded guilty to federal charges of structuring transactions  illegal conduct the company knew about for at least five years. Western Union documents indicate that its employees fought to keep this agent  as well as several other high-volume independent agents in New York City  working for Western Union because of the high volume of their activity. This action today will ensure that Western Union effectively controls its agents and prevents the use of its money transfer system for illegal purposes.

Western Unions failure to comply with anti-money laundering laws provided fraudsters and other criminals with a means to transfer criminal proceeds and victimize innocent people, said Acting U.S. Attorney Lappen. Western Union has agreed to forfeit $586 million, the largest forfeiture ever imposed on a money services business, and has agreed to take specific steps to ensure that it complies with the law in the future. This office will continue to vigorously enforce the anti-money laundering laws and regulations, which are necessary to prevent those engaged in fraud, terrorism, human trafficking, drug dealing and other crimes from using companies like Western Union to further their illegal activity.

Western Union, the largest money service business in the world, has admitted to a flawed corporate culture that failed to provide a checks and balances approach to combat criminal practices, said U.S. Attorney Ferrer. Western Unions failure to implement proper controls and discipline agents that violated compliances policies enabled the proliferation of illegal gambling, money laundering and fraud-related schemes. Western Unions conduct resulted in the processing of hundreds of millions of dollars in prohibited transactions. Todays historic agreement, involving the largest financial forfeiture by a money service business, makes it clear that all corporations and their agents will be held accountable for conduct that circumvents compliance programs designed to prevent criminal conduct.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been at the forefront of protecting consumers from fraud schemes for many years, said Inspector in Charge Bosch. When private businesses participate in the actions that Western Union was involved in, it makes it easier for criminals to victimize innocent citizens. Our commitment to bringing these criminals to justice will not waiver, and we look forward to facilitating compensation to victims.

Los Angeles-defendant Wangs company was considered to be among the largest Western Union agents in the United States as over $310 million was sent to China in a span of five years, half of which was illegally structured and transmitted using false identification, said Assistant Director in Charge Fike. Rather than ensuring their high volume agents were operating above-board, Western Union rewarded them without regard to the blatant lack of compliance and illegal practices taking place. This settlement should go a long way in thwarting the proceeds of illicit transactions being sent to China to fund human smuggling or drug trafficking, as well as to interrupt the ease with which scam artists flout U.S. banking regulations in schemes devised to defraud vulnerable Americans.

"As a major player in the money transmittal business, Western Union had an obligation to its customers to ensure they offered honest services, which include upholding the Bank Secrecy Act, as well as other U.S. laws, said Chief Weber. Western Unions blatant disregard of their anti-money laundering compliance responsibilities was criminal and significant. IRS-CI special agents  working with their investigative agency partners  uncovered the massive AML compliance failures and is proud to be part of this historic criminal resolution.

Todays announcement of this significant settlement highlights the positive result of HSIs collaboration with our partner agencies to hold Western Union accountable for their failure to comply with bank secrecy laws that preserve the integrity of the financial system of the United States, said Special Agent in Charge Miller. As a result of this settlement, Western Union now answers for these violations. I thank the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for their partnership in this investigation.

According to admissions contained in the deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and the accompanying statement of facts, between 2004 and 2012, Western Union violated U.S. lawsthe Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and anti-fraud statutesby processing hundreds of thousands of transactions for Western Union agents and others involved in an international consumer fraud scheme.

As part of the scheme, fraudsters contacted victims in the U.S. and falsely posed as family members in need or promised prizes or job opportunities. The fraudsters directed the victims to send money through Western Union to help their relative or claim their prize. Various Western Union agents were complicit in these fraud schemes, often processing the fraud payments for the fraudsters in return for a cut of the fraud proceeds.

Western Union knew of but failed to take corrective action against Western Union agents involved in or facilitating fraud-related transactions. Beginning in at least 2004, Western Union recorded customer complaints about fraudulently induced payments in what are known as consumer fraud reports (CFRs). In 2004, Western Unions Corporate Security Department proposed global guidelines for discipline and suspension of Western Union agents that processed a materially elevated number of fraud transactions. In these guidelines, the Corporate Security Department effectively recommended automatically suspending any agent that paid 15 CFRs within 120 days. Had Western Union implemented these proposed guidelines, it could have prevented significant fraud losses to victims and would have resulted in corrective action against more than 2,000 agents worldwide between 2004 and 2012.

Court documents also show Western Unions BSA failures spanned eight years and involved, among other things, the acquisition of a significant agent that Western Union knew prior to the acquisition had an ineffective AML program and had contracted with other agents that were facilitating significant levels of consumer fraud. Despite this knowledge, Western Union moved forward with the acquisition and did not remedy the AML failures or terminate the high-fraud agents.

Similarly, Western Union failed to terminate or discipline agents who repeatedly violated the BSA and Western Union policy through their structuring activity in the Central District of California and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The BSA requires financial institutions, including money services businesses such as Western Union, to file currency transaction reports (CTRs) for transactions in currency greater than $10,000 in a single day. To evade the filing of a CTR and identification requirements, criminals will often structure their currency transactions so that no single transaction exceeds the $10,000 threshold. Financial institutions are required to report suspected structuring where the aggregate number of transactions by or on behalf of any person exceeds more than $10,000 during one business day. Western Union knew that certain of its U.S. Agents were allowing or aiding and abetting structuring by their customers. Rather than taking corrective action to eliminate structuring at and by its agents, Western Union, among other things, allowed agents to continue sending transactions through Western Unions system and paid agents bonuses. Despite repeated compliance review identifying suspicious or illegal behavior by its agents, Western Union almost never identified the suspicious activity those agents engaged in in its required reports to law enforcement

Finally, Western Union has been on notice since at least December 1997, that individuals use its money transfer system to send illegal gambling transactions from Florida to offshore sportsbooks. Western Union knew that gambling transactions presented a heightened risk of money laundering and that through at least 2012, certain procedures it implemented were not effective at limiting transactions with characteristics indicative of illegal gaming from the United States to other countries.

Western Union entered into a DPA in connection with a two-count felony criminal information filed today in the Middle District of Pennsylvania charging Western Union with willfully failing to maintain an effective AML program and aiding and abetting wire fraud. Pursuant to the DPA, Western Union has agreed to forfeit $586 million and also agreed to enhanced compliance obligations to prevent a repeat of the charged conduct, including creating policies and procedures:

for corrective action against agents that pose an unacceptable risk of money laundering or have demonstrated systemic, willful or repeated lapses in compliance;

that ensure that its agents around the world will adhere to U.S. regulatory and AML standards; and

that ensure that the company will report suspicious or illegal activity by its agents or related to consumer fraud reports.

In a related case, Western Union agreed to settle charges by the FTC in a complaint filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, alleging that the companys conduct violated the FTC Act. The complaint charges that for many years, fraudsters around the world have used Western Unions money transfer system even though the company has long been aware of the problem, and that some Western Union agents have been complicit in fraud. The FTCs complaint alleges that Western Union declined to put in place effective anti-fraud policies and procedures and has failed to act promptly against problem agents. Western Union has identified many of the problem agents but has profited from their actions by not promptly suspending and terminating them.

In resolving the FTC charges, Western Union agreed to a monetary judgment of $586 million and to implement and maintain a comprehensive anti-fraud program with training for its agents and their front line associates, monitoring to detect and prevent fraud-induced money transfers, due diligence on all new and renewing company agents, and suspension or termination of noncompliant agents.

The FTC order prohibits Western Union from transmitting a money transfer that it knows or reasonably should know is fraud-induced, and requires it to:

block money transfers sent to any person who is the subject of a fraud report;

provide clear and conspicuous consumer fraud warnings on its paper and electronic money transfer forms;

increase the availability of websites and telephone numbers that enable consumers to file fraud complaints; and

refund a fraudulently induced money transfer if the company failed to comply with its anti-fraud procedures in connection with that transaction.

In addition, consistent with the telemarketing sales rule, Western Union must not process a money transfer that it knows or should know is payment for a telemarketing transaction. The companys compliance with the order will be monitored for three years by an independent compliance auditor.

Since 2001, the department has charged and convicted 29 owners or employees of Western Union agents for their roles in fraudulent and structured transactions. The U.S. Attorneys Office of the Middle District of Pennsylvania has charged and convicted 26 Western Union agent owners and employees for fraud-related violations; the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Central District of California has secured a guilty plea from one Western Union agent for BSA violations, and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has secured guilty pleas for BSA violations of two other individuals associated with Western Union agents for BSA violations.

USPISs Philadelphia Divisions Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Office; the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office; IRS-CI; HSI; FRB-CFPB OIG; Department of Treasury OIG; the Broward County, Florida Sheriffs Offices; and Department of Labor investigated the case. Trial Attorney Margaret A. Moeser of the Criminal Divisions Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Sections Bank Integrity Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Douglas Daniel of the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Staples of the Central District of California, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Judy Smith and Floyd Miller of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Asset forfeiture attorneys in each U.S. Attorneys Office and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section provided significant assistance in this matter. The department appreciates the significant cooperation and assistance provided by the FTC in this matter.

Persons who believe they were victims of the fraud scheme should visit the Department of Justices victim website at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-afmls/remission for instructions on how to request compensation through the Victim Asset Recovery Program.

The Victim Compensation Program, operated by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, is composed of a team of experienced professionals, including attorneys, accountants, auditors and claims analysts. In hundreds of cases, the Victim Compensation Program has successfully used its specialized expertise to efficiently convert forfeited assets to victim recoveries.
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MEXICO CITY, MEXICO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 --

Starting May 27, 2017 the airline will operate four weekly flights between Mexico and Seoul; Seoul will become the third destination Aeromexico serves in Asia, along with Tokyo and Shanghai; The carrier will operate the route with its Boeing 787 Dreamliner, considered one of the most modern commercial aircraft in the world; Mexican Secretary of Tourism (SECTUR), Enrique de la Madrid, acknowledges Seoul, South Korea as a key destination of interest for Aeromexico

Aeromexico, Mexico's global airline, announced the beginning of new service with four weekly flights between Mexico City and Seoul, South Korea starting on May 27, 2017. This new service is in line with the carrier's international expansion plans for 2017.

The route will be operated with Aeromexico's Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft which has a capacity of 243 passengers, including 32 in Clase Premier, Aeromexico's Business Class Cabin. The 787 Dreamliner is considered one of the most modern commercial aircraft in the skies, featuring extra legroom between seats and bigger overhead bins for carry-on bags, larger push-button dimmable windows, and Sky Interiors LED lighting.

Flight schedules on the new route will be as follows:

Mexico City - Seoul** Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and MEX-MTY 9:33 p.m. 11:23 p.m. Saturday Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, AM 090 MTY-ICN 01:03 a.m. 06:00 a.m. (+1) and Sunday

Seoul - Mexico City* Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and AM 091 ICN-MEX 12:25 p.m. 12:51 p.m. Sunday

*Times are published in local time and are subject to changes without notice

**Via Monterrey

Aeromexico's Chief Revenue Officer Anko van der Werff said, "Aeromexico is proud to add Seoul to its route network as its third destination in Asia, as it maintains its position as the only airline in Latin America offering direct flights to that continent."

Mexico is South Korea's top trading partner in Latin America, according to its trade balance, while South Korea is Mexico's sixth-largest trading partner with many Korean companies doing business in Mexico, such as Daewoo, Kwang Dong, KIA Motors, Kwangjin, LG, POSCO, and Samsung. "This new flight will benefit both business and leisure customers alike," added the Aeromexico executive.

Enrique de la Madrid Cordero, Mexican Secretary of Tourism, emphasized the importance of air connectivity to increase the flow of international tourists to the country. "Aerial connectivity has a positive impact on tourism flows and is a fundamental axis to maintaining our competitive position in the world and to stimulate greater economic growth for the benefit of those who depend on this for their livelihoods."

"In this sense, SECTUR supports Aeromexico's vision for the operation of a new destination in Asia, South Korea, via the route Mexico City - Seoul. The Asian market is of paramount importance in our market diversification strategy. In the last four years we managed to double the transport of Asian visitors and we are sure that with this flight we will amplify these results."

With this new service, Aeromexico not only strengthens its international connectivity network, but also its presence in Asia. Further reinforcing and confirming its commitment to offer customers more options with enhanced connectivity to 45 cities in Mexico, 18 in the United States, 15 in Latin America, four in Canada, four in Europe, and three in Asia.

About Grupo Aeromexico

Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V. is a holding company whose subsidiaries provide commercial aviation services, and promote passenger loyalty programs in Mexico. Aeromexico, Mexico's global airline, operates more than 600 daily flights from its main hub in Terminal 2 at the Mexico City International Airport. Its route network spans more than 80 cities on three continents including 45 in Mexico, 18 in the United States, 15 in Latin America, four in Europe, four in Canada, and two in Asia.

Grupo Aeromexico's fleet of close to 130 aircraft includes Boeing 787, 777, and 737 jet airliners and next generation Embraer 190, 175, 170, and 145 models. In 2012, the airline announced the most significant investment strategy in aviation history in Mexico, to purchase 100 Boeing aircraft including 90 MAX 737 airliners and ten 787-9 Dreamliners.

As a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Aeromexico offers customers more than 1,000 destinations in 177 countries served by its top 20 airline partners rewarding passengers with benefits including access to 672 premium airport lounges around the world. Aeromexico also offers travel options with its codeshare partners Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Avianca, Copa Airlines, and WestJet with extensive connectivity in countries like the United States, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia and Peru. www.aeromexico.com and www.skyteam.com

Contact information (Only media-related requests:)Alejandro [email protected] +011 52 9132 4604 (Mexico)

Source: Aeromexico
Fifth District Savings Bank and FHLB Dallas Provided Funds for Shelter

NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Situated near New Orleans prominent Pontchartrain Expressway is a 100-year-old building in the midst of major changes. New Orleans Mission, a 30,000-square-foot facility that houses 300 men and women struggling with homelessness and addiction, is in the process of being rehabilitated, thanks in part to a $500,000 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant from Fifth District Savings Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas).

The grant will help fund Phase 2 of a three-phase rehabilitation initiative. The grant will help repair the rear facade and the interior of the facility. Renovations will include repairs to the framing, sheathing and moisture barrier of the exterior facade. In addition, a portion of the facade will be demolished and reconstructed with a kitchen storage facility, which will also provide a more discreet entry option for guests.

Fifth District Savings Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Brian North worked with New Orleans Mission Executive Director David Bottner during the grant application process. This is the second time Mr. North teamed up with New Orleans Mission through the AHP. A $500,000 AHP grant helped fund Phase 1 of New Orleans Missions rehabilitation initiative in 2013.

The transformation of this building reflects the transformation of the individuals who stay at New Orleans Mission, said Mr. North. The AHP provides critical gap funding for projects like this and we are grateful for the opportunity to effect change in our community through this program.

One of the objectives of the rehabilitation project is to recapture the buildings original charm. The first phase of the project provided a new roof and facades for the building, which was once a furniture store. As an homage to the buildings history, the buildings front facade features storefront-style windows and furniture.

We did this so when people in the community drove by, they wouldnt see a shelter, but a beautiful building, said Mr. Bottner. Phase 1 was meant to help beautify the landscape of the citys corridor.

Beautification was not the only objective of Phase 1. When work began on Phase 1 in 2015, Mr. Bottner was surprised to see the extent of the buildings deterioration.

We originally thought the project was going to cost $700,000, but when we opened up the walls, there was so much termite damage there were no studs. It was amazing the walls were still standing, he said.

Work began on the second phase in March 2016 and is expected to be completed early this year.

FHLB Dallas annually returns 10 percent of its profits in the form of AHP grants to the communities served by its member institutions, like Fifth District Savings Bank. AHP grants fund a variety of projects, including home rehabilitation and modifications for low-income, elderly and special-needs residents; down payment and closing cost assistance for qualified first-time homebuyers; and the construction of low-income, multifamily rental communities and single-family homes.

The AHP is both a community reinvestment tool, as well as a vehicle through which FHLB Dallas members like Fifth District reinforce their bond with their customers, said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas.

Mr. Bottner said that without the grant, construction would have been delayed.

The grant was a tremendous blessing and were incredibly grateful, said Mr. Bottner. The funding provided a bridge between Phase 1 and Phase 2. Right now its just a raw building, but eventually people are going to say, Wow, I really want to live here.

About Fifth District Savings Bank

Established in 1926, Fifth District Savings Bank is a federal mutual savings association. Our goal is to support the rebuilding of the New Orleans area by offering a variety of quality financial products with service that exceeds our customers expectations. With six locations across Louisiana, our primary mission is to provide a safe, secure place for local depositors to invest their savings and to reinvest their deposits primarily in home mortgage loans which enable our borrowers to buy, build, and repair homes in our local community. For more information, visit fifthdistrict.com.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $58.4 billion as of September 30, 2016, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community investment by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 850 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119006154/en/

Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas

Corporate Communications, 214-441-8445

www.fhlb.com

Source: Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
Plano, Tx (PRWEB) January 19, 2017

MyTaxFiler" and myStartupCFO" have joined hands with MyTaxFranchisor to provide exciting franchise opportunities for enterprising individuals to help them build their own successful businesses. With a combined experience of over 100 years in the financial and accounting domain, these two firms have built a brand that stands for high quality and consistent services.

While both companies have been successful in their own lines of business, there exists an opportunity to harness their combined strength and build a franchise system to meet the ever-rising demand in F&A across the country. MyTaxFranchisor has been formed with this end in mind.

MyTaxFiler offers end-to-end financial solutions for businesses and individuals in the United States, from business formation, bookkeeping, record keeping, payroll processing, income tax filings to tax planning, fbar compliance, entity structure etc. The company's tax, finance, and accounting specialists offer the security and processing advantages of a large company, with the personalized service of a small firm. With the management team's experience, MyTaxFiler has developed a strong client base that relies on their knowledge and expertise.

myStartUpCFO provides the services of a CFO to help small businesses navigate the various facets of finance and accounting. Most start-ups today cannot afford to hire an in-house CFO and struggle to manage their financial planning. myStartupCFO helps businesses in the areas of investment structuring, equity / option allocation, spending and human resource decisions. More than bookkeeping and taxes, while the CEO & staff run the business, myStartUpCFO helps the company run smoothly.

"MyTaxFranchisor aspires to turn enterprising individuals into successful entrepreneurs. Our vision is to build a franchise with energetic business-minded people, who can partner with us to build profitable businesses in the F&A industry. To this end, we have brought these two successful businesses together to provide our partners with the benefits that come from our brand, our processes, our technology and marketing strategies. Together, we hope to build a thriving business that is mutually rewarding," said Mani Manickavelu, CEO, MyTaxFranchisor.

Disclaimer:

The information provided in this press release is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for information purposes only. Currently the following states in the U.S. regulate the offering and sale of franchises. California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. If you are a resident of, or desire a franchise in one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise, until we have complied with applicable presale registration and disclosure requirements in your state, which includes providing you with the approved FTC Disclosure Document and any addendum required by your state.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/small-business-tax-and/startup-finance-Franchise/prweb13994937.htm
Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) January 19, 2017

PhysicianLoans, the creator of the mortgage loan product for physicians and medical school graduates, today announced a $500 scholarship for fourth year students enrolled in a Texas medical school. In contrast to many scholarships available for medical school students which ask about professional accomplishments, PhysicianLoans has designed a unique application process for the scholarship, which includes extra points for creativity.

Interested and eligible medical students are asked to submit a 60 to 120 second video on the following topic:

"Why Is Communication Important in Medicine?"

The video can be serious or funny. Entrants are given wide latitude in developing the substance of their video. Options range from demonstrating how all parties involved in patient care benefit from proper communication, to communication products and tools which assist doctors in providing their services, to the various ways communication takes place. Some may even point out areas of communication in need of improvement. In comparison to most medical education scholarships, this award does not require a focus on medical training or the degree. "This scholarship is meant to be fun, and is designed to showcase the talent of many of Texas' outstanding medical students, as well as their understanding of one of the most important aspects of medicine, which is communication" said Tal Frank, President of PhysicianLoans.

"PhysicianLoans has been offering specialized physician home loan financing in Texas since 2009. Since that time, Texas doctors have welcomed our presence, and have been extremely receptive to the benefits of this mortgage loan for medical students and practicing physicians," said Frank. "We wanted to show our support to the state of Texas by offering the students attending its medical institutions an innovative scholarship that emphasizes something different than most scholarships. Besides, we didn't want the application to be a chore."

How to apply

1. Create a 60 120 second video. May feature the applicant and/or other participants.

2. Provide applicant name, medical school and email address within the video. (Entries will not be made public without first obtaining consent of the applicant)

3. Email the video to scholarship(at)physicianloans(dot)com, with "TX Scholarship" as the subject line.

4. Complete application by scholarship deadline: February 28th, 2017.

5. Look for scholarship winner announcement made on or before March 24th, 2017.

Medical students previously residing in Texas, but enrolled in institutions outside of Texas are not eligible for this particular scholarship. Must be a medical student currently enrolled in their fourth-year of a Texas-based MD or DO program to be eligible.

About PhysicianLoans

Since 1993, PhysicianLoans has exclusively focused on providing home mortgage loans to medical professionals. Located in Columbus, Ohio, PhysicianLoans is known for its unique, flagship product The Doctor Loan, which is offered to medical doctors, dentists and veterinarians, many of whom find themselves laden with significant student loan debt that often prohibits obtaining a conventional mortgage loan. For more information about PhysicianLoans, visit http://www.physicianloans.com.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/01/prweb13990461.htm
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario (PRWEB) January 19, 2017

Author Roman Plastich says that he knows how men operate and why they do the things they do. In his book, "Finishing School for Women" (published by iUniverse), he offers insight into men's thoughts and actions to help women everywhere. The author is embarking on a new marketing campaign to expand the book's reach.

In the book, Plastich covers the ins and outs of men and relationships. From the differences in how men and women think to why men cheat, Plastich ensures that all aspects are discussed. He notes that each example or story told in his book is taken directly from his or a personal friend's life, giving them more validity.

"Staying in a bad relationship and repeating bad choices is like a bad addiction," Plastich says. "You have to make the decision to change it. This book will provide you with the answers on how to do it; it will take away the fear of the unknown once you decide that you deserve better."

Instead of acting as a woman's best friend, Plastich says he takes the approach of a neutral party with a straightforward assessment of bad relationship habits, imparting advice on how to reverse negative relationship trends.

"Finishing School for Women"

By Roman Plastich

Hardcover | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 152 pages | ISBN 9781491731659

Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 152 pages | ISBN 9781491731642

E-Book | 152 pages | ISBN 9781491731666

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Roman Plastich was born in Croatia but currently lives in Mississauga, Ontario. He is divorced but shares two children with his ex, which he says he is still on great terms with. He used his life experiences as inspiration for his first published book, "Finishing School for Women."

iUniverse, an Author Solutions, LLC, self-publishing imprint, is the leading book marketing, editorial services, and supported self-publishing provider. iUniverse has a strategic alliance with Indigo Books & Music, Inc. in Canada, and titles accepted into the iUniverse Rising Star program are featured in a special collection on BarnesandNoble.com. iUniverse recognizes excellence in book publishing through the Star, Reader's Choice, Rising Star and Editor's Choice designations--self-publishing's only such awards program. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, iUniverse also operates offices in Indianapolis. For more information or to publish a book, please visit iuniverse.com or call 1-800-AUTHORS. For the latest, follow @iuniversebooks on Twitter.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/RomanPlastich/FinishingSchoolforWomen/prweb13974275.htm
Press release Safran and Zodiac Aerospace, a new global leader in aerospace Agreed Public Cash Offer by Safran of 29.47 per Zodiac Aerospace share and subsequent merger on the basis of 0.485 Safran share (ex-special dividend) for one Zodiac Aerospace share with pre-closing 5.50 per share special dividend to Safran's shareholders. Unique combination to enjoy global leadership positions across the whole aircraft value chain with a comprehensive range of world-class products and services. Strong post-delivery and aftermarket revenue stream balancing exposure to OEM delivery cycle. No. 3 player in aerospace[1] with combined revenues of over 21bn[2] balanced between propulsion and aircraft equipment No. 2 player in aircraft equipment with combined revenues of c. 10bn[3] Optimized capital structure of the combined group targeting an investment grade profile. Safran intends to maintain its dividend practice unchanged thanks to strong cash generation. Run-rate annual pre-tax cost synergies of 200m identified, to accelerate in the long term. Double-digit accretive effect on earnings per share[4] as of the first full fiscal year of consolidation. January 19, 2017, Paris, Plaisir

Safran (Euronext Paris: SAF), an international high-technology group and tier-1 supplier of engines, systems and equipment in its core markets of Aerospace, Defense and Security[5], and Zodiac Aerospace (Euronext Paris: ZC), a global leader in Aerosafety, Aircraft systems, Seats and Cabins, today announced that they have entered into exclusive negotiations for an acquisition of Zodiac Aerospace by Safran through an agreed public offer of 29.47 per share and a subsequent merger on the basis of 0.485 Safran shares for one Zodiac Aerospace share. Prior to and conditional upon the merger, Safran would distribute a special dividend of 5.50 per share to its existing shareholders.

Under the terms of the contemplated agreement:

- Safran would launch a tender offer on Zodiac Aerospace's shares[6] at 29.47 per share, representing a premium of 24.6 per cent on Zodiac Aerospace's closing price on 18th, January, 2017, 36.1 per cent on Zodiac Aerospace's 3-month volume-weighted average price. The tender offer would be subject to an acceptance threshold of 50% of the share capital of Zodiac Aerospace. Family shareholders and two institutional investors (FFP and Fonds Strategique de Participations) which are Zodiac Aerospace's reference shareholders and in total represent approximately 32 per cent of Zodiac Aerospace's share capital, intend to remain long-term shareholders of the combined entity and would undertake not to tender their shares into the public offer;

- Subject to the tender offer being successful and to Safran and Zodiac Aerospace's respective shareholders' approval of the merger, Safran and Zodiac Aerospace would merge based on an exchange ratio of 97 Safran shares (ex-special dividend) for 200 Zodiac Aerospace shares (or 0.485 Safran share (ex-special dividend) per Zodiac Aerospace share), consistent with the tender offer price after taking into account the special dividend. Family shareholders and two institutional investors (FFP and Fonds Strategique de Participations) would undertake to contribute their shares to the merger;

- Prior to and conditional upon the merger, and subject to the tender offer being successful and to Safran and Zodiac Aerospace's respective shareholders' approval of the merger, Safran would distribute a special dividend of 5.5 per share, for a total amount of approximately 2.3bn to its shareholders.

Zodiac Aerospace's founding families, FFP, Fonds Strategique de Participations and the French State intend to remain core shareholders of Safran with around 22 per cent[7] of its capital, and, upon completion of the transaction, to sign a shareholders agreement comprising a two-year lock-up provision.

Combining two market leaders

The transaction would create a global leader in aircraft equipment, allying the market leading positions, expertise, technologies and talents of both Safran and Zodiac Aerospace. The new entity would combine Safran's capabilities in landing gear, wheels and brakes, nacelles, power systems, actuation and avionics, with Zodiac Aerospace's leading positions in seats, cabin interiors, power distribution, lighting, fuel, oxygen and fluid systems and safety equipment. In electrical systems, Zodiac Aerospace's assets would reinforce Safran's portfolio of technologies and position the group ideally for future developments towards the "more electrical aircraft". On a pro forma basis, including Safran's world leading propulsion business, the combined group would have around 92,000 employees (of which more than 45,000 in France), c. 21.2bn in adjusted revenues[8] and c. 2.7bn in adjusted recurring operating income8. On this basis the combined group would form the third largest player worldwide in the aerospace sector[9]. The combined group would become the second largest player worldwide in aircraft equipment with pro forma revenues in these businesses of c. 10bn[10]. It would be present in over 60 countries.

Reinforcing core aerospace business and enlarging footprint

The transaction would be fully consistent with Safran's stated strategy to focus on its core aerospace and defense businesses. The new entity would offer a comprehensive product range reinforcing Safran's presence across all key aircraft programs, fueling organic growth and limiting exposure to aircraft-OEM delivery cycles.The combination would improve Safran's exposure to a dollar-denominated cost-base, especially in North America where Zodiac Aerospace has a large footprint.

Creating value

Safran has already identified 200m p. a. of cost synergies, of which 50% should be achieved in year 1 and 90% in year 2, enabling the transaction to meet Safran's RoCE goal in 3 years. Synergies should come from savings in procurement and SG&A and the optimization of the combined group's footprint. Beyond identified cost synergies, Safran would enable Zodiac Aerospace's seats and interiors business to accelerate their recovery and progress towards or above their historical margin levels. The transaction would be expected to have a double-digit accretive effect on earnings per share[11] as of the first full fiscal year of consolidation.

Ross McInnes, Chairman of Safran's Board of Directors stated: "Safran's Board of Directors is very proud to contribute to a new chapter in Safran's story. This planned acquisition is fully consistent with the strategy we clearly outlined almost a year ago at our Capital Markets Day, to bolster Safran's core aerospace activities with quality businesses which share our DNA: technology, tier-1 positions and recurring revenue streams. It will strengthen our position and create significant value through integration and synergies. The Board of Directors is unanimously supportive because it is favorable for Safran's shareholders, employees and partners. I extend a warm welcome to Zodiac Aerospace's teams with whom we are excited to embark on this journey."

Didier Domange, Chairman of Zodiac Aerospace's Supervisory Board, said: "The creation of this new global leader in the aerospace industry is led by a strong industrial rationale and a long term vision. The new group will be ideally positioned to support its clients in their ambitious programs for the future. We are delighted to participate in the combination of two leaders of the industry with complementary positions and strong innovation abilities dedicated to their customers."

Philippe Petitcolin, CEO of Safran, said: "The acquisition of Zodiac Aerospace represents a unique opportunity at this point in Safran's development, just a few months after initiating the refocus of the group on our core activities of Aerospace and Defense. The technological complementarities will ensure that we accelerate domains as strategic as critical systems and the more electrical aircraft, which make up 40% of Zodiac Aerospace's activities. Our industrial expertise will also accelerate the return to their historical levels of profitability in the seats and cabin activities. Finally, and above all, the strength of Safran's managerial talent and the timing of this transaction will ensure the success of integrating Zodiac Aerospace into our Equipment businesses while Propulsion is focused on the LEAP programme. I am eager to drive this strategic move."

Olivier Zarrouati, Chairman of Zodiac Aerospace's Management Board, said: "The combination with Safran will lead to the creation of a world leader, with a high technological know-how, able to shape the future of aerospace. It will benefit our employees, our clients and our shareholders; it represents a new step in the consolidation of the aerospace industry. We are proud of Zodiac Aerospace's industrial and commercial achievements and excited by the prospect of joining Safran and creating a global leader, with a strong European base."

Financing

Safran will finance the cash portion of the transaction and its special dividend with a combination of cash on hand, including future proceeds from the disposals of Safran Identity & Security, existing committed undrawn facilities and a 4bn fully underwritten bridge loan. Upon completion of the transaction, Safran would target an investment grade profile with a targeted adjusted net debt / adjusted EBITDA ratio around 2.5x. After the completion of the transaction, Safran would maintain its practice of distributing an annual dividend amounting to approximately 40 per cent of adjusted net income.

Governance of Safran

Under the terms of the contemplated combination, Safran's Board of Directors would comprise 20 members, including representatives of Zodiac Aerospace's reference shareholders.Ross McInnes would be Chairman of the Board.Philippe Petitcolin would be CEO and Olivier Zarrouati, Chairman of Zodiac Aerospace's Management Board, would become deputy CEO.Bernard Delpit would be CFO.

A modification of Safran's bylaws extending the age limit of the CEO from 65 to 68 years will be proposed by Safran's Board of Directors to the next shareholders' meeting.

Next steps

Safran's Board of Directors unanimously approved the principle of the planned transaction and decided to submit it to the group's employee representatives. Zodiac Aerospace's Supervisory Board unanimously approved the principle of the planned transaction and decided to submit it to Zodiac Aerospace's employee representatives. The finalization of a binding agreement is subject to the completion of procedures with Safran's and Zodiac Aerospace's respective employees representative bodies under applicable laws and regulations. The finalization of the transaction would be subject to the approval of Safran's and Zodiac Aerospace's shareholders, relevant antitrust clearances, regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. The completion of the tender offer is expected by the end of the 4th quarter 2017 and completion of the merger is expected early 2018. Safran and Zodiac Aerospace will update the market as required.

Advisors

Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Lazard acted as financial advisors to Safran, BDGS served as legal counsel, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch acted as bridge underwriter. BNP Paribas and Rothschild acted as financial advisors to Zodiac Aerospace and Bredin Prat served as legal counsel.

Analyst and investor conference calls

Safran will host today a conference call open to analysts and investors at 8:00am CET which can be accessed at +33 (0) 1 70 77 09 43 (France), +44 (0) 203 367 9454 (UK) and +1 855 402 7764 (US). A replay will be available at +33 (0)1 72 00 15 00, +44 (0) 203 367 9460 and +1 877 642 3018 (access code 306293#).

The press release and presentation are available on Safran's website at www.safran-group.com.

Zodiac Aerospace will also host today a conference call open to analysts and investors at 9:00am CET which can be accessed at +33 (0)1 70 77 09 47 (France), +44 (0) 203 367 9461 (UK). A replay will be available at +33 (0)1 72 00 15 00, +44 (0) 203 367 9460 and +1 877 642 3018 (access code 306297#).

The press release and presentation are available on Zodiac Aerospace's website at http://www.zodiacaerospace.com/fr.

Press conference

Safran and Zodiac Aerospace will host today a press conference at 10:00am CET at the Pavillon Gabriel (5, avenue Gabriel, Paris 75008). To follow the press conference live: http://www.safran-group.com/fr/conference-de-presse-du-19-01-2017

IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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 or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction in connection with the transaction or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law.

The tender offer and the merger are subject to consultation of the work's council committees, execution of definitive documentation and obtaining of required regulatory and other customary authorisations. The tender offer and the merger would only be filed after such and other conditions have been fulfilled. These materials must not be published, released or distributed, directly or indirectly, in any jurisdiction where the distribution of such information is restricted by law.

It is intended that Safran and Zodiac Aerospace will file with the French Market Authority ("AMF") a prospectus and other relevant documents with respect to the tender offer to be made in France, and with respect to the merger of Zodiac Aerospace into Safran. Pursuant to French regulations, the documentation with respect to the tender offer and the merger which, if filed, will state the terms and conditions of the tender offer and the merger will be subject to the review by the French Market Authority (AMF). Investors and shareholders in France are strongly advised to read, if and when they become available, the prospectus and related offer and merger materials regarding the tender offer and the merger referenced in this communication, as well as any amendments and supplements to those documents as they will contain important information regarding Safran, Zodiac Aerospace, the contemplated transactions and related matters.

ADDITIONAL U.S. INFORMATION

Any securities to be issued under the transaction may be required to be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The transaction will be submitted to the shareholders of Zodiac Aerospace for their consideration. If registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") is required in connection with the transaction, Safran will prepare a prospectus for Zodiac Aerospace's shareholders to be filed with the SEC, will mail the prospectus to Zodiac Aerospace's shareholders and file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. Investors and shareholders are urged to read the prospectus and the registration statement of which it forms a part when and if it becomes available, as well as other documents that may be filed with the SEC, because they will contain important information. If registration with the SEC is required in connection with the transaction, shareholders of Zodiac Aerospace will be able to obtain free copies of the prospectus and other documents filed by Safran with the SEC at the SEC's web site, http://www.sec.gov. Those documents, if filed, may also be obtained free of charge by contacting Safran Investor Relations at 2, Boulevard du General Martial Valin 75724 Paris Cedex 15 - France or by calling (33) 1 40 60 80 80. Alternatively, if the requirements of Rule 802 under the Securities Act are satisfied, offers and sales made by Safran in the proposed business combination will be exempt from the provisions of Section 5 of the Securities Act and no registration statement will be filed with the SEC by Safran.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This communication contains forward-looking statements relating to Safran, Zodiac Aerospace and their combined businesses, which do not refer to historical facts but refer to expectations based on management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those included in such statements. These statements or disclosures may discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future trends, plans, events, results of operations or financial condition, or state other information relating to Safran, Zodiac Aerospace and their combined businesses, based on current beliefs of management as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Forward-looking statements generally will be accompanied by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "guidance," "intend," "may," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project" or other similar words, phrases or expressions. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond Safran's or Zodiac Aerospace's control. Therefore, investors and shareholders should not place undue reliance on such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the ability obtain the approval of the transaction by shareholders; failure to satisfy other closing conditions with respect to the transaction on the proposed terms and timeframe; the possibility that the transaction does not close when expected or at all; the risks that the new businesses will not be integrated successfully or that the combined company will not realize estimated cost savings and synergies; Safran's or Zodiac Aerospace's ability to successfully implement and complete its plans and strategies and to meet its targets; and the benefits from Safran's or Zodiac Aerospace's (and their combined businesses) plans and strategies being less than anticipated. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Safran and Zodiac Aerospace do not assume any obligation to update any public information or forward-looking statement in this communication to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this communication, except as may be required by applicable laws.

Pursuant to the commission implementing regulation (EU) 2016/1055 of 29 June 2016 laying down implementing technical standards with regard to the technical means for appropriate public disclosure of inside information and for delaying the public disclosure of inside information in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council, this press release may contain inside information and has been sent to the authorized broadcaster of both companies on 19 January 2017 at 7:00am CET.

Safran is a leading international high-technology group with three core businesses: Aerospace (propulsion and equipment), Defence and Security. Operating worldwide, the Group has 70,000 employees and generated sales of 17.4 billion euros in 2015. Working independently or in partnership, Safran holds world or European leadership positions in its core markets. The Group invests heavily in Research & Development to meet the requirements of changing markets, including expenditures of more than 2 billion euros in 2015. Safran is listed on Euronext Paris and is part of the CAC40 index, as well as the Euro Stoxx 50 European index. For more information : www.safran-group.com / Follow @Safran on Twitter PressCatherine MALEK : [email protected] / T +33 (0))6 47 88 03 17Julien TAHMISSIAN : [email protected] / T +33 (0)7 88 35 98 90 Investor Relations Peter CAMPBELL : [email protected] / T +33 (0)1 40 60 35 96Frederic LUCAND : [email protected] / T +33 (0)1 40 60 82 19Cecilia MATISSART : [email protected] / T +33 (0)1 40 60 82 46

About Zodiac Aerospace Zodiac Aerospace is a world leader in aerospace equipment and systems for commercial, regional and business aircrafts and for helicopters and spacecrafts. It develops and manufactures state-of-the-art solutions to improve comfort and facilities on board aircrafts and high-technology systems to increase aircraft performance and flight safety. Zodiac Aerospace has 35,000 employees worldwide and generated revenue of 5.2bn in 2015/2016. www.zodiacaerospace.com

Contacts Zodiac Aerospace Pierre-Antony VASTRATel: +33 (0)1 61 34 25 68 / [email protected]

Contacts Media/Press - Image 7 Priscille RENEAUMETel: +33 (0) 1 53 70 74 61 / [email protected]Gregoire LUCASTel: +33 (0) 1 53 70 74 84 / [email protected]

[1] Excludes airframers

[2] Pro forma based on Safran LTM figures at June 2016 excluding Safran Identity & Security and Zodiac Aerospace LTM figures at August 2016

[3] Pro forma based on Safran LTM figures at June 2016 and Zodiac Aerospace LTM figures at August 2016

[4] Assuming 100% of targeted shares are tendered. Post phased synergies, before PPA and synergies and cost of implementation

[5] Discontinued operations

[6] 100% of outstanding shares except those subject to undertakings not to tender them.

[7] Assuming 100% of targeted shares are tendered.

[8] Pro forma based on Safran LTM figures at June 2016 excluding Safran Identity & Security and Zodiac Aerospace LTM figures at August 2016

[9] Excludes airframers

[10] Pro forma based on Safran LTM figures at June 2016 and Zodiac Aerospace's LTM figures at August 2016

[11] Assuming 100% of targeted shares are tendered. Post phased synergies, before PPA, and synergies and cost of implementation

Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/88582ff9-f68a-479c-920e-2f6eb241e6ff

Source: Zodiac Aerospace
By Rosalba O'Brien and Felipe Iturrieta

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile will hold a tender in April to encourage companies to use its vast lithium resources to move it up the value chain with cathode or battery production, the head of the country's development agency told Reuters on Tuesday.

It is pressing ahead on deals with international firms as relations remain bitter with local lithium producer SQM , where royalties arbitration is expected to take at least another year, said Eduardo Bitran, executive vice president of Corfo, which manages Chile's lithium leases.

The price of lithium, a rare bright spot in commodities, has rocketed in recent years and is expected to continue to rise alongside demand. Lithium plays a small but essentially irreplaceable part in powering electric car batteries.

The tender to develop value-added lithium technology in Chile should conclude by November with two Chinese companies and a Korean associate having shown interest, Bitran said in an interview late Monday

The government's transparency website shows representatives from battery maker Vision Group and rare earths firm Kanhoo met with Bitran last November to present a proposal "for a lithium hydroxide plant and a lithium battery plant" in Chile.

"To make value-added products in Chile will be huge," Bitran said. "It allows us to create a significant industry."

Chile currently exports high-grade lithium carbonate but the process of turning it into cathodes and batteries takes place elsewhere.

Companies bidding in the tender will have access to cheaper lithium. Corfo recently signed a deal with world lithium leader Albemarle to allow it to boost output at its Salar de Atacama facility.

As well as the state receiving royalties, some of that production will be sold at a preferential price within Chile, to encourage investment.

That should be the model for future deals, Bitran said.

"For the Salar de Atacama we have established the floor," he said. "These are the minimum terms for any future agreement."

The deal covers about a quarter of the Salar with the rest leased to SQM under a pre-existing contract that Corfo wants to terminate early, alleging SQM has underpaid. SQM maintains it has fully complied with its contractual obligations.

Bitran has been a critic of SQM, which was privatized under dictator Augusto Pinochet in the 1980s and still is controlled by his former son-in-law, Julio Ponce.

"We want to normalize the situation," Bitran said. "We want a company that could be a good partner. That could be SQM but with its current controller that will be impossible."

(Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien and Felipe Iturrieta; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Bill Trott)
Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat attends a debate on the priorities of the incoming Malta Presidency of the EU for the next six months at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, January 18, 2017. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

By Gabriela Baczynska

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union needs to reach a deal on curbing the flow of migrants trying to sail on smugglers' boats from Libya to Italy, the prime minister of Malta, holder of the EU's rotating presidency, said on Wednesday.

Joseph Muscat said the new measures should have the same impact as an agreement struck with Turkey last year that cut the number of migrants and refugees reaching Europe from Turkish shores to below 390,000 from well over a million in 2015, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The treacherous voyage from North Africa to Italy is now the favored route. The IOM says more than 5,000 people died or went missing while crossing the Mediterranean last year, and at least 219 drowned in the first two weeks of this year alone.

"There is no doubt that unless the essence of the Turkey deal is replicated in the central Mediterranean, Europe will face a major migration crisis," Muscat told European lawmakers.

As current EU president, Malta will host a top-level meeting of the bloc's leaders - including British Prime Minister Theresa May - on Feb. 3 to agree a plan for averting a spring influx of people embarking from Libya.

Muscat, whose tiny island nation lies between Italy and Libya, said the priority was "breaking the business model of the criminal gangs making millions of euros out of this inhumane business".

Replicating the exact Turkish deal is impossible with Libya, where lawlessness has reigned since the country's long-standing, strongman leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and killed in 2011. This has allowed people smugglers to operate with impunity.

While Libya now has a U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, it is weak and does not control its territory.

But diplomats in Brussels said migrants could be screened before leaving Libya, in camps run with EU funding by the IOM or the United Nations refugee agency. Muscat said the EU could then give safe passage for recognized asylum seekers.

Another key difference between Libya and Turkey is that those who risk the much shorter journey to the Greek islands in the Aegean are mostly Syrians who are fleeing a war and hence have strong chances for asylum in Europe.

For the Libya-Italy route, it is mostly economic migrants from impoverished sub-Saharan Africa who seek to get to much-wealthier Europe. Since they are not fleeing an immediate threat to their lives, EU states are not willing to take them in.

SUPPORT FOR LIBYA

The EU's naval mission in the Mediterranean is already training the Libyan coastguard - something the bloc's leaders agreed to step up last December - and targeting traffickers.

A Maltese document, seen by Reuters before it is discussed by EU envoys in Brussels on Thursday, proposes moving the mission closer to the shore and into Libyan territorial waters.

The EU failed to agree on that last year and, as an alternative, the paper proposes a "line of protection" much closer to the ports of origin. Libyan forces would take the lead, but with "strong and lasting EU support".

The proposal highlights the need to engage more with Libya's neighbors Egypt and Tunisia, including possibly on shutting supply routes carrying rubber boats or engines for smugglers.

EU diplomats say, however, that Cairo has so far put a high price tag on any additional help, after Turkey was promised up to 6 billion euros ($6.4 billion) under its 2016 migration deal with the bloc.

But the EU is determined to stop the arrivals from Libya and the bloc's foreign ministers are expected to invite Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to their next meeting in Brussels on Feb. 6 to discuss the matter.

The Maltese also propose increasing EU assistance in returning migrants from Libya to their home countries, beefing up the IOM camp in Agadez - a key transit point in Niger - and possibly setting up a similar one in Mali.

(Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Gareth Jones)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian jihadist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly the Nusra Front, claimed responsibility on Wednesday for a suicide bombing in Damascus last week that killed seven people.

The attack took place on Thursday in the Kafr Sousa district of the capital, a heavily policed area where some of Syria's main security installations are located.

The group, known as the Nusra Front until it broke off its formal allegiance to al Qaeda in July, made its announcement in a message posted on social networking sites.

Operating as the Syrian wing of the global jihadist movement al Qaeda, the group carried out a large number of attacks in Syria early in the insurgency against President Bashar al-Assad, which began in 2011.

Last year it broke with al Qaeda and rebranded itself as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, a move that appeared to be aimed at making it easier for other rebel groups to fight alongside it without themselves coming under attack by Western countries.

Its effectiveness on the battlefield, particularly its use of suicide attacks, has led many other rebel groups, including those with a nationalist rather than Islamist ideology, to fight alongside it against the Syrian army.

(Reporting By Angus McDowall; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
By Kit Rees

LONDON (Reuters) - More than 60 percent of institutional investors expect to maintain their holdings in UK assets over the next six months, according to State Street Corp's (NYSE: STT) "Brexometer," a sentiment survey the firm launched on Thursday.

State Street Corp (NYSE: STT), a U.S. custody bank with $2 trillion in assets under management, added that fewer than a third of investors believed that asset owners would decrease risk levels over the next three to five years.

State Street's Brexometer is a quarterly survey of institutional investor sentiment toward the UK's divorce from the European Union, a process Britain is seeking to trigger in March later this year.

On Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that Britain will leave the EU single market, setting a course for a "hard Brexit".

State Street surveyed 111 institutional and alternative investors, including hedge funds, real estate and private equity between 12 December 2016 and 4 January 2017.

"Questions over timing of the UKs ultimate split from the EU and the nature of their future relationship still linger and have the potential to weigh on both the economy and the pound," said Michael Metcalfe, head of global macro strategy at State Street Global Markets.

"Nevertheless, thus far at least, the extremely gloomy pre-Brexit predictions for the UK economy and asset markets look well off the mark, Metcalfe said.

Beyond asset allocation decisions, however, the impact of UK's decision to leave the EU is likely to be felt notably on regulatory reporting requirements while 80 percent of the investors surveyed said Brexit will have an impact on their operating model.

Roughly 2 percent of the respondents said their holdings of UK assets are likely to decrease significantly while 8 percent were undecided at the time of the survey.

Britain's Brexit vote sent markets tumbling, with the pan-European STOXX 600 dropping 7 percent and the FTSE 100 falling 3.1 percent on June 24 2016, the day after the referendum.

However, both have snapped back since with the exporter-heavy UK bluechip index hitting record highs earlier this month largely on the back of the impact of a significantly weaker sterling. In US dollar terms, however, the index is still nursing losses from pre-referendum levels.

Sterling , however, has lost nearly 18 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar since last June's Brexit vote. Trading in the currency has been punctuated by particularly sharp bouts of volatility, raising concerns that international investors might lose appetite for sterling-denominated assets.

Graphic on sterling: http://tmsnrt.rs/2hwV9Hv

Broader European equity markets struggled relative to other developed markets last year as sluggish growth and a busy political calendar pushed investors looking for better returns elsewhere.

(Reporting by Kit Rees, Editing by Vikram Subhedar)
JP Morgan Chase and Company CEO Jamie Dimon answers a question at the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, June 13, 2012. REUTERS/Larry Downing/File Photo

By David Henry

NEW YORK (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) directors paid Chief Executive Jamie Dimon $28 million in total compensation for 2016, a 4 percent bump from the prior year, the company said on Thursday.

Dimon's package includes a base salary of $1.5 million as well as cash and stock-related instruments that are tied to Dimon's performance, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Dimon's base salary was the same in 2015, as was his $5 million cash performance bonus. The increase came from an additional $1 million in performance share units.

The board "took into account the firm's strong performance" in setting Dimon's pay, the company said.

Last year, JPMorgan's profit rose 1 percent, to nearly $25 billion. Return on tangible common equity, a key measure of profitability and a factor in the compensation, was 13 percent for the third consecutive year.

Shares of JPMorgan, the biggest U.S. bank by assets, rose 2016 by 31 percent in 2016, compared with a 26 percent gain in the KBW bank stock index.

Dimon's pay has been a sensitive topic for JPMorgan.

The company changed its practices last year to tie more of his compensation to objective measures of performance and leave less leeway for judgment by directors. The decision came after investors and proxy voting advisers complained that Dimon's pay was too arbitrary. Shareholders voted to endorse the new structure at their annual meeting in May.

Directors are expected to describe their rationale for Dimon's 2016 package in more detail in a proxy statement ahead of this year's annual meeting.

Other top JPMorgan executives are paid with a somewhat different mix of salary, cash and stock-related incentives. The performance pieces are like last year's and almost all consist of 40 percent cash, 30 percent performance share units and 30 percent restricted stock units, a company spokesman said on Thursday.

Applying the formula to other disclosures made on Thursday, they would receive total compensation of the following amounts:

Ashley Bacon, chief risk officer, $11 million.

Mary Erdoes, asset management chief executive, $19 million.

Marianne Lake, chief financial officer, $12.5 million.

Douglas Petno, commercial bank chief executive, $11 million.

Daniel Pinto, chief executive for corporate and investment banking, $19 million.

Gordon Smith, consumer banking chief executive, $19 million.

Matthew Zames, chief operating officer, $19 million.

(Reporting by David Henry in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Sandra Maler)
A combination photo shows Israel Englander (L), Chairman and CEO, Millennium Partners, and Kenneth C. Griffin, CEO of Citadel during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. on April 27, 2010 and April 27, 2015, respective

By Lawrence Delevingne

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors are starting to sour on the idea of reimbursing hedge funds for multi-million dollar trader bonuses, lavish marketing dinners and trophy office space.

Powerful firms such as Citadel LLC and Millennium Management LLC charge clients for such costs through so-called "pass-through" fees, which can include everything from a new hire's deferred compensation to travel to high-end technology.

It all adds up: investors often end up paying more than double the industry's standard fees of 2 percent of assets and 20 percent of investment gains, which many already consider too high.

Investors have for years tolerated pass-through charges because of high net returns, but weak performance lately is testing their patience.

Clients of losing funds last year, including those managed by Blackstone Group LP's (NYSE: BX) Senfina Advisors LLC, Folger Hill Asset Management LP and Balyasny Asset Management LP, likely still paid fees far higher than 2 percent of assets.

Clients of shops that made money, including Paloma Partners and Hutchin Hill Capital LP, were left with returns of less than 5 percent partly because of a draining combination of pass-through and performance fees.

(For a graphic on the hedge funds that passed through low returns, click: http://tmsnrt.rs/2iLRB3T)

Millennium, the $34 billion New York firm led by billionaire Israel Englander, charged clients its usual fees of 5 or 6 percent of assets and 20 percent of gains in 2016, according to a person familiar with the situation. The charges left investors in Millennium's flagship fund with a net return of just 3.3 percent.

Citadel, the $26 billion Chicago firm led by billionaire Kenneth Griffin, charged pass-through fees that added up to about 5.3 percent in 2015 and 6.3 percent in 2014, according to another person familiar with the situation. Charges for 2016 were not finalized, but the costs typically add up to between 5 and 10 percent of assets, separate from the 20 percent performance fee Citadel typically charges.

Citadel's flagship fund returned 5 percent in 2016, far below its 19.5 percent annual average since 1990, according to the source who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information is private.

All firms mentioned declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment.

In 2014, consulting firm Cambridge Associates studied fees charged by multi-manager funds, which deploy various investment strategies using small teams and often include pass-throughs. Their clients lose 33 percent of profits to fees, on average, Cambridge found.

The report by research consultant Tomas Kmetko noted such funds would need to generate gross returns of roughly 19 percent to deliver a 10 percent net profit to clients.

'STUNNING TO ME'

Defenders of pass-throughs said the fees were necessary to keep elite talent and provide traders with top technology. They said that firm executives were often among the largest investors in their funds and pay the same fees as clients.

But frustration is starting to show.

A 2016 survey by consulting firm EY found that 95 percent of investors prefer no pass-through expense. The report also said fewer investors support various types of pass-through fees than in the past.

"It's stunning to me to think you would pay more than 2 percent," said Marc Levine, chairman of the Illinois State Board of Investment, which has reduced its use of hedge funds. "That creates a huge hurdle to have the right alignment of interests."

Investors pulled $11.5 billion from multi-strategy funds in 2016 after three consecutive years of net additions, according to data tracker eVestment. Redemptions for firms that use pass-through fees were not available.

Even with pass-through fees, firms like Citadel, Millennium and Paloma have produced double-digit net returns over the long-term. The Cambridge study also found that multi-manager funds generally performed better and with lower volatility than a global stock index.

"High fees and expenses are hard to stomach, particularly in a low-return environment, but it's all about the net," said Michael Hennessy, co-founder of hedge fund investment firm Morgan Creek Capital Management.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Citadel has used pass-through fees for an unusual purpose: developing intellectual property.

The firm relied partly on client fees to build an internal administration business starting in 2007. But only Citadel's owners, including Griffin, benefited from the 2011 sale of the unit, Omnium LLC, to Northern Trust Corp for $100 million, plus $60 million or so in subsequent profit-sharing, two people familiar with the situation said.

Citadel noted in a 2016 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that some pass-through expenses are still used to develop intellectual property, the extent of which was unclear. Besides hedge funds, Citadel's other business lines include Citadel Securities LLC, the powerful market-maker, and Citadel Technology LLC, a small portfolio management software provider.

Some Citadel hedge fund investors and advisers to them told Reuters they were unhappy about the firm charging clients to build technology whose profits Citadel alone will enjoy. "It's really against the spirit of a partnership," said one.

A spokesman for Citadel declined to comment.

A person familiar with the situation noted that Citadel put tens of millions of dollars into the businesses and disclosed to clients that only Citadel would benefit from related revenues. The person also noted Citadel's high marks from an investor survey by industry publication Alpha for alignment of interests and independent oversight.

Gordon Barnes, global head of due diligence at Cambridge, said few hedge fund managers charge their investors for services provided by affiliates because of various problems it can cause.

"Even with the right legal disclosures, it rarely passes a basic fairness test," Barnes said, declining to comment on any individual firm. "These arrangements tend to favor the manager's interests."

(Reporting by Lawrence Delevingne; Editing by Lauren Tara LaCapra and Grant McCool)
(Reuters) - Target Corp (NYSE: TGT) on Thursday appointed Rick Gomez as its chief marketing officer, replacing Jeff Jones, who had left the retail chain to join Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL].

Gomez, whose appointment is effective Jan. 29, was previously the senior vice-president of brand and category marketing at Target.

Gomez, since joining the company in 2013 has been "instrumental" in driving growth in Target's signature categories of baby, kids, style and wellness, the company said.

He has also held roles at PepsiCo, Quaker Oats and MillerCoors, Target said in a statement.

The Minneapolis-based company on Wednesday cut its quarterly earnings forecast after sales for the crucial November-December period came in lower than expected.

(Reporting by Gayathree Ganesan in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
By Lesley Wroughton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. envoy to Sudan and South Sudan urged the international community on Wednesday to be clear-eyed in dealing with armed Sudanese opposition groups which put political ambitions above the interests of their own people.

Donald Booth, speaking a day before he leaves office at the end of the Obama administration, said he recently talked with Sudan's armed rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) about a U.S. proposal to deliver food and medicine to conflict areas it controls but the group rejected the offer.

The comments came a week after the Obama administration moved to lift a 20-year-old trade embargo and ease financial sanctions against Khartoum, saying the government had cooperated in fighting Islamic State and other militant groups.

"I have found that some of the leaders of the Sudanese opposition, especially those with guns, are more than willing to ignore the interests and well-being of ordinary civilians, in favor of their long political ambitions," Booth told a Washington forum.

"We need to be careful not to hold them in unquestioned high esteem. It is important to be clear-eyed about whom we are dealing with," Booth said, referring to foreign governments and groups that back the opposition.

Booth said the SPLM-N's rejection of the U.S. offer of humanitarian assistance at a meeting in Paris was a "huge missed opportunity to advance peace negotiations and help the people they claim to be helping."

"Even though we hold the government to its commitments to peace, we must also demand that the opposition set aside personal political ambitions and put their people first," he said.

The SPLM-N was previously part of the South Sudanese rebel group and is fighting in the border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

"Just as there are hardliners within the Sudanese government who hold on to false notions that military victory can be achieved, so too there are leaders of the armed groups who believe they are right to fight on no matter what the cost to their people," Booth said.

He launched talks in early 2015 with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's then senior advisor, Ibrahim Ghandour, to try to improve ties between Washington and Khartoum after years of contentious relations.

The final decision on lifting U.S. sanctions on Sudan will go to President-elect Donald Trump after Khartoum takes more steps to end internal conflicts, allow more aid to conflict-torn areas, and help fight Islamic State and other groups.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Andrew Hay)
By Erica Teichert

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear an appeal by pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb Co(NYSE: BMY) in a dispute involving its blood-thinning medication Plavix that could limit where corporations can be sued, the second such case it has taken up in the past week.

The justices will review a California Supreme Court decision allowing that state's courts to hear claims over Plavix even though the plaintiffs did not live in the state and the company is not based there.

Last Friday, the justices said they would decide a similar appeal by Texas-based BNSF Railway Co of a 2015 Montana Supreme Court ruling allowing out-of-state residents to sue there over injuries that occurred anywhere in BNSF's nationwide network.

Companies and plaintiffs are engaged in a fight over where lawsuits seeking compensation for injuries should be filed. Companies typically can be sued in a state where they are headquartered or incorporated, as well as where they have significant ties.

The California Supreme Court ruled in August 2016 that it could preside over the Plavix case because Bristol-Myers Squibb conducted a national marketing campaign and sold nearly $1 billion of the drug in the state.

Bristol-Myers and pharmaceutical industry groups argue that the ruling allows plaintiffs to bring lawsuits in states with more favorable laws, rather than where the company is based or where the alleged injury occurred.

Bristol-Myers is incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in New York.

The eight underlying lawsuits filed in 2012 against Bristol-Myers and California-based drug distributor McKesson Corp involve 84 California residents and 575 non-residents, alleging Plavix increased their risk of stroke, heart attack and internal bleeding.

The BNSF case involves a pair of lawsuits brought under the Federal Employers' Liability Act, which permits injured railroad employees to sue for compensation from their companies.

BNSF, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc , argued that the Montana courts did not have jurisdiction over the cases. The Montana Supreme Court in May ruled that state courts there can hear cases against BNSF without violating due process rights of the U.S. Constitution because the company does business in the state.

(Reporting by Erica Teichert in New York; Additional reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham)
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 6-K

Report of Foreign Private Issuer Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the Month of January 2017

001-36203

(Commission File Number)

CAN-FITE BIOPHARMA LTD.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

10 Bareket Street

Kiryat Matalon, P.O. Box 7537

Petach-Tikva 4951778, Israel

(Address of principal executive offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover

Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F  Form 40-F 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by

Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ____

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by

Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ____

This Report on Form 6-K (including exhibits thereto) is hereby incorporated by reference into the registrant's Registration Statements on Form F-3 (File Nos. 333-195124, 333-199033, 333-204795, and 333-209037), to be a part thereof from the date on which this report is submitted, to the extent not superseded by documents or reports subsequently filed or furnished.

On January 19, 2017, a Special Meeting of Shareholders of Can-fite BioPharma Ltd. (the Company) approved the proposal brought before the Companys shareholders at the meeting, in accordance with the majority required for the proposal. The proposal was described in the Companys Notice of Special General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on January 12, 2017, dated December 7, 2016, and in its Proxy Statement, dated December 7, 2016, attached as Exhibit 99.1 to the Companys Form 6-K that was furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on December 7, 2016.

2

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. Date: January 19, 2017 By: /s/ Pnina Fishman Pnina Fishman Chief Executive Officer
FORM 6-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Report of Foreign Private Issuer

Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For January 19, 2017

Commission File Number: 001-33271

CELLCOM ISRAEL LTD.

10 Hagavish Street

Netanya, Israel 42140

________________________________________________

(Address of principal executive offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F __ X __ Form 40-F _____

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Yes _____ No __ X __

If Yes is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): Not Applicable

CELLCOM ISRAEL ANNOUNCES RESULTS OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

NETANYA, Israel, January 19, 2017  Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE: CEL) (the Company) announced today that its Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) was held as planned on January 18, 2017, at which the Companys Compensation Policy was duly approved by the shareholders.

For more information, please see the Companys Proxy Statement relating to the Meeting, which was filed on Form 6-K on December 7, 2016.

About Cellcom Israel

Cellcom Israel Ltd., established in 1994, is the largest Israeli cellular provider; Cellcom Israel provides its approximately 2.822 million cellular subscribers (as at September 30, 2016) with a broad range of value added services including cellular telephony, roaming services for tourists in Israel and for its subscribers abroad and additional services in the areas of music, video, mobile office etc., based on Cellcom Israel's technologically advanced infrastructure. The Company operates an LTE 4 generation network and an HSPA 3.5 Generation network enabling advanced high speed broadband multimedia services, in addition to GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks. Cellcom Israel offers Israel's broadest and largest customer service infrastructure including telephone customer service centers, retail stores, and service and sale centers, distributed nationwide. Through its broad customer service network Cellcom Israel offers technical support, account information, direct to the door parcel delivery services, internet and fax services, dedicated centers for hearing impaired, etc. Cellcom Israel further provides OTT TV services (as of December 2014), internet infrastructure (as of February 2015) and connectivity services and international calling services, as well as landline telephone communication services in Israel, in addition to data communication services. Cellcom Israel's shares are traded both on the New York Stock Exchange (CEL) and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (CEL). For additional information please visit the Company's website http://investors.cellcom.co.il/

Company Contact Shlomi Fruhling Chief Financial Officer [email protected] Tel: +972 52 998 9755 Investor Relations Contact Ehud Helft GK Investor & Public Relations In partnership with LHA [email protected] Tel: +1 617 418 3096

Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
FORM 6-K





SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION





Washington, D.C. 20549









REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16 UNDER THE





SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934





For the month of January 2017

Commission File Number: 001-33068





ULTRAPETROL (BAHAMAS) LIMITED

(Translation of registrant's name into English)





Ocean Centre, Montagu Foreshore

East Bay St.

Nassau, Bahamas

P.O. Box SS-19084

(Address of principal executive office)





Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40F.





Form 20-F [X] Form 40-F [ ]





Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ___





Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.





Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ___





Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant's "home country"), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrant's securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrant's security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR.

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT





Attached hereto as Exhibit 1 is a release issued by Ultrapetrol (Bahamas) Limited (the "Company") announcing that the Company has entered into a restructuring support agreement with certain lenders to its Offshore Business.

SIGNATURES









Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.





ULTRAPETROL (BAHAMAS) LIMITED (registrant) By: /s/ Cecilia Yad Name: Cecilia Yad Title: Chief Financial Officer









Dated: January 19, 2017









Exhibit 1



Ultrapetrol (Bahamas) Ltd. Enters Into Restructuring Support Agreement with Certain Lenders to its Offshore Business





1 announced that on January 17, 2017 it and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a Restructuring Support Agreement (the "Offshore Support Agreement") with certain lenders to the Company's offshore business (the "Supporting Lenders"), the agents, facility agents or security agents under the Offshore Loans (as defined below), Southern Cross Latin America Private Equity Fund III, L.P. and Southern Cross Latin America Private Equity Fund IV, L.P. (collectively, "Southern Cross"), Sparrow Capital Investments Ltd. and Sparrow CI Sub Ltd. (collectively, "Sparrow"), Sparrow Offshore Investments Ltd. (together with Southern Cross and Sparrow, the "Southern Cross Supporting Parties"), UABL Limited and Sparrow Offshore Capital Ltd.. NASSAU, Bahamas, January 19, 2017  Ultrapetrol (Bahamas) Limited (OTCQB: ULTR ) (together with certain of its subsidiaries, the "Company")announced that on January 17, 2017 it and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a Restructuring Support Agreement (the "Offshore Support Agreement") with certain lenders to the Company's offshore business (the "Supporting Lenders"), the agents, facility agents or security agents under the Offshore Loans (as defined below), Southern Cross Latin America Private Equity Fund III, L.P. and Southern Cross Latin America Private Equity Fund IV, L.P. (collectively, "Southern Cross"), Sparrow Capital Investments Ltd. and Sparrow CI Sub Ltd. (collectively, "Sparrow"), Sparrow Offshore Investments Ltd. (together with Southern Cross and Sparrow, the "Southern Cross Supporting Parties"), UABL Limited and Sparrow Offshore Capital Ltd..





The Offshore Support Agreement, which is described in more detail below, provides for an out-of-court restructuring of all loans provided to the Company's offshore subsidiaries by the Supporting Lenders and the Supporting Lenders' agreement with respect to the transactions contemplated by a joint prepackaged plan of reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code (the "Plan"), which provides for an implementation of a restructuring of the Company's river business through a voluntary bankruptcy case under the Bankruptcy Code as previously disclosed. In connection with entering into the Offshore Restructuring Agreement, the Supporting Lenders and the creditors to the Company's river business agreed to a timetable that includes consummation of the Plan on or before March 31, 2017.





The Company is being advised by the investment banking firm of Miller Buckfire & Co. and is receiving financial advice from AlixPartners, LLP. Zirinsky Law Partners PLLC and Seward & Kissel LLP act as legal counsel to the Company. Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc. is acting as financial advisor and White & Case LLP and Watson Farley & Williams LLP act as legal counsel to the Supporting Lenders.



The Support Agreement



The Offshore Support Agreement provides for the out-of-court restructuring and amendment of certain loans made to the Company's offshore subsidiaries by the Supporting Lenders (the "Offshore Loans") through a common terms agreement (the "Offshore Common Terms Agreement") which will amend certain provisions of the Offshore Loans, including but not limited to maturity, interest and certain financial covenants, but will not change the principal amount outstanding under the Offshore Loans. As a result of the transactions contemplated in the Offshore Support Agreement, the Offshore Lenders will receive additional collateral in the form of, among other things, the platform supply vessel UP OPAL. The Offshore Support Agreement provides further for, among other things, terms for the release, waiver, and discharge by the Supporting Lenders of all their claims against the Company and the Company's river business. The Offshore Support Agreement will be filed by the Company as an exhibit to its Form 6-K furnished to the SEC and will be available at www.sec.gov .2

Pursuant to the Offshore Support Agreement, Ultrapetrol will seek confirmation by the Bankruptcy Court of the Parent-Included Plan (as defined in the Plan) if (i) the Offshore Common Terms Agreement is executed no later than January 31, 2017 and (ii) prior to January 31, 2017 the Supporting Lenders have voted their Class 11 Offshore Lender Parent Claims (as defined in the Plan) to accept the Plan. In such event, in accordance with the terms of, and subject to the conditions contained in, the Offshore Support Agreement, on the date of the Chapter 11 filing, the Company and UABL Limited (Bahamas) will seek Bankruptcy Court approval of their assumption of the Offshore Support Agreement, and will prosecute and support (and the Company will cause its debtor subsidiaries to prosecute and support) the confirmation and consummation of the Parent-Included Plan and will not (and the Company will cause its debtor subsidiaries to not) prosecute the Parent-Excluded Plan.

1 Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein have the meaning given to them in the Offshore Support Agreement (as defined below).

2 All descriptions and summaries of documents herein are qualified in their entirety by reference to the terms and conditions of such documents. In the event of any inconsistency between the descriptions herein and the terms and conditions of the specified documents, the terms and conditions of the specified documents control as set forth therein.

The Offshore Support Agreement contains certain provisions that give the Supporting Lenders the ability to terminate the Offshore Support Agreement if various conditions are not satisfied, including, without limitation, execution of the Common Terms Agreement by January 31, 2017 and the closing of the Offshore Restructuring on or before March 31, 2017.

In addition, as set forth in the Plan, entry of an order of the Bankruptcy Court approving the Plan Debtors' assumption of the Offshore Support Agreement (and that the Offshore Support Agreement shall not have been terminated and shall be in full force and effect) is an additional condition to confirmation of the Parent-Included Plan, and as an additional condition precedent to the effectiveness of the Parent-Included Plan, all conditions to the completion of the Offshore Business Restructuring and the effectiveness of the documents enumerated in the Pre Offshore Support Agreement, including but not limited to the Common Terms Agreement and the Offshore Administrative Services Agreement (as defined in the Plan) (other than certain conditions that require the Effective Date (as defined in the Plan) to have occurred) shall have been satisfied or shall have been waived by the party entitled to waive them. The Plan Debtors, however, may waive each of the foregoing additional conditions with the consent each of the Supporting Lenders.

Forward-Looking Language





The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.





In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include future operating or financial results; pending or recent acquisitions, business strategy and expected capital spending or operating expenses, including dry docking and insurance costs; general market conditions and trends, including charter rates, vessel values, and factors affecting vessel supply and demand; our ability to obtain additional financing; our financial condition and liquidity, including our ability to obtain financing in the future to fund capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate activities; our expectations about the availability of vessels to purchase, the time that it may take to construct new vessels, or vessels' useful lives; our dependence upon the abilities and efforts of our management team; changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities; adverse weather conditions that can affect production of the goods we transport and navigability of the river system; the highly competitive nature of the oceangoing transportation industry; the loss of one or more key customers; fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and devaluations; potential liability from future litigation; and other factors. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties.






UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 18, 2017

PHARMATHENE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware 001-32587 20-2726770 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.)

One Park Place, Suite 450

Annapolis, Maryland 21401 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrants telephone number including area code: (410) 269-2600

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

x Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On January 18, 2017, PharmAthene, Inc., a Delaware corporation (PharmAthene), entered into an agreement and plan of merger and reorganization (the Merger Agreement), pursuant to which its wholly-owned subsidiary, Mustang Merger Sub, Inc., will be merged with and into Altimmune, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Altimmune), with Altimmune as the surviving subsidiary (Merger 1), and immediately thereafter, Altimmune will be merged with and into Mustang Merger Sub LLC, with Mustang Merger Sub LLC as the surviving entity in such merger (Merger 2, and together with Merger 1, the Mergers). Following the consummation of the Mergers, PharmAthene will change its name to Altimmune. The Mergers are intended to qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of Merger 1 (the Effective Time), each of Altimmunes outstanding shares of common stock and preferred stock (excluding Altimmune treasury shares, shares of Altimmune owned by PharmAthene or its subsidiaries or dissenting shares) will be converted into the right to receive a number of shares of PharmAthene common stock such that the holders of outstanding equity of Altimmune immediately prior to the Effective Time will own 58.2% of the outstanding equity of PharmAthene immediately following the Effective Time and holders of outstanding equity of PharmAthene immediately prior to the Effective Time will own 41.8% of the outstanding equity of PharmAthene immediately following the Effective Time (the Exchange Ratio). No fractional shares of PharmAthene common stock will be issued in connection with the Mergers as a result of the conversion described above, and any fractional share of PharmAthene common stock that would thereby be issuable will be rounded up to the next whole share. In addition, all outstanding Altimmune options, as well as Altimmunes 2001 Employee Stock Option Plan and its Non-Employee Stock Option Plan, each as amended from time to time, will be assumed by PharmAthene. Each option or warrant to purchase one share of Altimmune common stock will be converted into an option or warrant, as the case may be, to purchase a number of shares of PharmAthene common stock representing the number of Altimmune shares for which the exchanged option or warrant was exercisable multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The exercise price will be proportionately adjusted.

In connection with the Merger Agreement, Altimmune has entered into a definitive financing agreement (the Altimmune Financing Agreement) with certain of its stockholders, pursuant to which such stockholders have irrevocably committed to: (i) participate in a private placement transaction by Altimmune (the Altimmune Private Placement) of its convertible securities in an aggregate amount of not less than $3.5 million of gross proceeds for Altimmune that is to be received by Altimmune prior to the Effective Time and (ii) participate in a private placement of PharmAthene common stock to raise an aggregate of not less than $5.0 million of gross proceeds for PharmAthene to be received by PharmAthene within 135 days of the closing date of the Mergers (the Post-Closing Private Placement).

At the Effective Time, a pro rata share of PharmAthene common stock representing ten percent of the merger consideration issuable to the stockholders of Altimmune will serve to secure the Altimmune stockholders indemnification obligations under the Merger Agreement and will be deposited with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust, as escrow agent under a separate escrow agreement to be entered into prior to the Effective Time. The escrow period will expire twelve months from the Effective Time.

The Merger Agreement provides that at, and immediately after, the Effective Time the size of PharmAthenes Board of Directors (the Board) will initially consist of seven directors. This Board will be comprised of four directors designated by Altimmune and three directors designated by PharmAthene. Altimmunes current chief executive officer, Bill Enright, is expected to serve as the chief executive officer of the combined company, and Altimmunes current chief financial officer, Elizabeth Czerepak, is expected to serve as its chief financial officer.

The Merger Agreement also obligates PharmAthene to submit to its stockholders, at a special stockholder meeting, a proposal to approve the Mergers, approve and adopt an amendment to its Certificate of Incorporation to authorize its Board of Directors to effect a reverse stock split prior to the Effective Time at a reverse stock split ratio in the range mutually agreed to by Altimmune and PharmAthenes Board of Directors, and approve certain other related proposals specified in the Merger Agreement.

Each of PharmAthene and Altimmune have made customary representations, warranties and covenants in the Merger Agreement. All such representations and warranties of Altimmune (but not PharmAthene) will survive the completion of the Mergers and remain in full force and effect until twelve months after the closing date of the Mergers. Completion of the Mergers is subject to a number of conditions, including, among other things, approval by the stockholders of PharmAthene and Altimmune.

The Merger Agreement contains certain termination rights for each of PharmAthene and Altimmune, and further provides that, upon termination of the Merger Agreement under limited specified circumstances following receipt of a superior offer, PharmAthene may be required to pay Altimmune a termination fee of $2,000,000. In connection with the termination of the Merger Agreement upon certain circumstances, either party may be required to pay the other partys third party expenses up to $1,000,000. The termination of the Merger Agreement will not relieve any party thereto from any liability or damages resulting from or arising out of any fraud or willful or intentional breach of any representation, warranty, covenant, obligation or other provision contained in the Merger Agreement.

PharmAthene may terminate the Agreement if Altimmune does not deliver Voting Agreements from holders of at least 65% of the outstanding shares of the Companys Class A Common Stock by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Business Day after the date hereof.

The foregoing summary of the Merger Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Merger Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 2.1, and which is incorporated herein by reference.

Voting Agreements.

Concurrently and in connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, certain of PharmAthenes stockholders, who beneficially own approximately 4,861,743 of the outstanding shares of PharmAthene common stock, entered into a voting agreement in favor of Altimmune (the PharmAthene Voting Agreements), pursuant to which such PharmAthene stockholders will agree to vote their shares of PharmAthene common stock in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement and against any amendment of PharmAthenes certificate of incorporation or bylaws or any other proposal or transaction involving PharmAthene, the effect of which amendment or other proposal or transaction is to delay, impair, prevent or nullify the Mergers or the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement or change in any manner the voting rights of any capital stock of PharmAthene. The Voting Agreements shall only be effective upon the Effective Time and shall automatically terminate in the event of the termination of the Merger Agreement for any reason. The signatories thereto may not sell or transfer their shares other than under specified circumstances pursuant to the Voting Agreements.

The foregoing description of the Voting Agreements does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of Voting Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 10.1, and which is incorporated herein by reference.

Lock-Up Agreements

Concurrently and in connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, certain of the officers, directors and stockholders of Altimmune, who in the aggregate held approximately 67.7% of the outstanding shares of Altimmune capital stock as of January 17, 2017, entered into post-closing lock-up agreements with PharmAthene (the Altimmune Lock-up Agreements). Pursuant to the Altimmune Lock-up Agreements, each such stockholder will be subject to lock-up restrictions on the sale of PharmAthene common stock acquired in the Mergers. Such restrictions will begin at the Effective Time and end 180 days after the Effective Time.

Concurrently and in connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, certain of the officers, directors and stockholders of PharmAthene, who in the aggregate beneficially held approximately 7.04% of the outstanding shares of PharmAthene capital stock as of January 18, 2017, entered into post-closing lock-up agreements (the PharmAthene Lock-up Agreements). Pursuant to the PharmAthene Lock-up Agreements, each such stockholder will be subject to lock-up restrictions on the sale of PharmAthene common stock owned by them. Such restrictions will begin at the Effective Time and end 180 days after the Effective Time.

The foregoing description of each of the Altimmune Lock-Up Agreements and PharmAthene Lock-Up Agreements does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the forms of Lock-Up Agreements, which are filed as Exhibits 10.2 and 10.3, and which are incorporated herein by reference.

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On January 14, 2017, PharmAthene entered into a retention and severance agreement (the MacNeill Agreement) with Phillip MacNeill, PharmAthenes Chief Financial Officer, which provides for (i) a severance payment to Mr. MacNeill in the amount of $93,094.61 if Mr. MacNeill remains employed with PharmAthene through the closing of the Mergers and the preparation of PharmAthenes 2016 annual report and proxy statement for the PharmAthene 2017 annual meeting of stockholders and (ii) a bonus payment to Mr. MacNeill in the amount of $67,235 if he remains employed through the closing of the Mergers. Each payment will become due and payable upon a termination by PharmAthene without cause.

The foregoing summary of the MacNeill Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the MacNeill Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 10.4, and which is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 5.03. Amendment to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

On and effective as of January 18, 2017, PharmAthenes board of directors approved an amendment to the PharmAthene Bylaws (the Bylaws), to implement a forum selection bylaw (the Bylaw Amendment). The Bylaw Amendment provides that, unless PharmAthene consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of PharmAthene, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of PharmAthene to PharmAthene or PharmAthenes stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against PharmAthene or any current or former director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of PharmAthene arising out of or relating to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or PharmAthenes Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim against PharmAthene or any current or former director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of PharmAthene governed by the internal affairs doctrine of the State of Delaware.

The foregoing summary of the Bylaw Amendment does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Bylaw Amendment, which is filed as Exhibit 3.1, and which is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 8.01. Other Events.

Attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 is a joint press release of PharmAthene and Altimmune, dated January 19, 2017.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit

No. Description 2.1 Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization dated as of January 18, 2017, by and among PharmAthene, Inc., Mustang Merger Sub, Inc., Mustang Merger Sub LLC, Altimmune, Inc. and Shareholder Representative Services LLC, as representative of Altimmune Securityholders * 3.1 Amendment to the Bylaws of PharmAthene, effective as of January 18, 2017 10.1 Form of PharmAthene Voting Agreement dated as of January 18, 2017 10.2 Form of PharmAthene Lock-Up Agreement dated as of January 18, 2017 10.3 Form of Altimmune Lock-Up Agreement dated as of January 18, 2017 10.4 Phillip MacNeill Retention and Severance Agreement 99.1 Joint News Release issued by PharmAthene and Altimmune on January 19, 2017

* Exhibits and schedules to the Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. PharmAthene will furnish the omitted exhibits and schedules to the SEC upon request by the SEC.

Important Additional Information about the Proposed Mergers

This communication is being made in respect of the proposed Mergers involving Altimmune, Inc. and PharmAthene, Inc. PharmAthene intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), which will contain a joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials, and plans to file with the SEC other documents regarding the proposed transaction. The final joint proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to the stockholders of PharmAthene and Altimmune in connection with the special meetings of stockholders to be held to vote on matters relating to the proposed transaction. The joint proxy statement/prospectus will contain information about PharmAthene, Altimmune, the proposed Mergers, and related matters. STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING A DECISION ABOUT THE MERGERS AND RELATED MATTERS. In addition to receiving the joint proxy statement/prospectus and proxy card by mail, stockholders will also be able to obtain the joint proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about PharmAthene, without charge, from the SECs website (http://www.sec.gov) or, without charge, by directing a written request to: PharmAthene, Inc., One Park Place, Suite 450, Annapolis, Maryland 21401, Attention: Investor Relations.

No Offer or Solicitation

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 or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction in connection with the Mergers 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.

Participants in Solicitation

PharmAthene and its executive officers and directors may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from PharmAthenes stockholders with respect to the matters relating to the proposed Mergers. Altimmune may also be deemed a participant in such solicitation. Information regarding PharmAthenes executive officers and directors is available in PharmAthenes proxy statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 29, 2016. Information regarding any interest that PharmAthene, Altimmune or any of the executive officers or directors of PharmAthene or Altimmune may have in the transaction with Altimmune will be set forth in the joint proxy statement/prospectus that PharmAthene intends to file with the SEC in connection with its stockholder vote on matters relating to the proposed Mergers. Stockholders will be able to obtain this information by reading the joint proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes available.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 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. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words will; potential; believe; anticipate; intend; plan; expect; estimate; could; may; should; or similar statements are forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to those referring to the potential for growth and the expected completion and outcome of the Mergers and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and related agreements. PharmAthene disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among others, failure to obtain necessary stockholder approval for the proposed Mergers with Altimmune and the matters related thereto; failure of either party to meet the conditions to closing of the transaction; delays in completing the transaction and the risk that the transaction may not be completed at all; failure to realize the anticipated benefits from the transaction or delay in realization thereof; the businesses of PharmAthene and Altimmune may not be combined successfully, or such combination may take longer, be more difficult, time-consuming or costly to accomplish than expected; operating costs and business disruption during the pendency of and following the transaction, including adverse effects on employee retention and on business relationships with third parties; the combined companys need for and ability to obtain additional financing; risk associated with the reliability of the results of the studies relating to human safety and possible adverse effects resulting from the administration of the combined companys product candidates; unexpected funding delays and/or reductions or elimination of U.S. government funding for one or more of the combined companys development programs; the award of government contracts to competitors; unforeseen safety issues; unexpected determinations that these product candidates prove not to be effective and/or capable of being marketed as products; as well as risks detailed from time to time in PharmAthenes Form 10-K under the caption Risk Factors and in its other reports filed with the SEC. Copies of PharmAthenes public disclosure filings are available from its investor relations department and its website under the investor relations tab at http://www.pharmathene.com.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

PHARMATHENE, INC. By: /s/ John M. Gill John M. Gill Chief Executive Officer

Dated: January 19, 2017

Exhibit 2.1

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER AND REORGANIZATION by and among PHARMATHENE, INC., MUSTANG MERGER SUB CORP I INC., MUSTANG MERGER SUB II LLC ALTIMMUNE, INC., and SHAREHOLDER REPRESENTATIVE SERVICES LLC, AS SECURITYHOLDERS

REPRESENTATIVE Dated as of January 18, 2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Article 1 THE MERGERS AND CERTAIN GOVERNANCE MATTERS 3 Section 1.1 Structure of the Merger 3 Section 1.2 Effects of the Merger 3 Section 1.3 Closing; Effective Time 3 Section 1.4 Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws; Directors and Officers; Name Change 3 Section 1.5 Conversion of Shares. 4 Section 1.6 Company Stock Options. 5 Section 1.7 Closing of the Companys Transfer Books 6 Section 1.8 Surrender of Certificates. 6 Section 1.9 Appraisal Rights. 9 Section 1.10 Further Action 9 Article 2 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY 10 Section 2.1 Organization. 10 Section 2.2 Capitalization. 11 Section 2.3 Authority 12 Section 2.4 Non-Contravention; Consents. 12 Section 2.5 Financial Statements. 13 Section 2.6 Absence of Changes 14 Section 2.7 Title to Assets 15 Section 2.8 Properties. 15 Section 2.9 Intellectual Property. 16 Section 2.10 Material Contracts 18 Section 2.11 Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities 19 Section 2.12 Compliance with Laws; Regulatory Compliance. 20 Section 2.13 Taxes and Tax Returns. 22 Section 2.14 Employee Benefit Programs. 24 Section 2.15 Labor and Employment Matters. 26 Section 2.16 Environmental Matters 27 Section 2.17 Insurance 28 Section 2.18 Books and Records 28 Section 2.19 Transactions with Affiliates 28 Section 2.20 Legal Proceedings; Orders. 28 Section 2.21 Illegal Payments 29 Section 2.22 Inapplicability of Anti-takeover Statutes 29 Section 2.23 Vote Required 29 Section 2.24 No Financial Advisor 29 Section 2.25 Disclosure; Company Information 29 Article 3 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT 30 Section 3.1 Organization. 30 Section 3.2 Capitalization. 31 Section 3.3 Authority 33 Section 3.4 Non-Contravention; Consents. 33 Section 3.5 SEC Filings; Financial Statements. 34

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Section 3.6 Absence of Changes 36 Section 3.7 Title to Assets 37 Section 3.8 Properties. 37 Section 3.9 Intellectual Property. 38 Section 3.10 Material Contracts 40 Section 3.11 Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities 42 Section 3.12 Compliance with Laws; Regulatory Compliance. 42 Section 3.13 Taxes and Tax Returns. 44 Section 3.14 Employee Benefit Programs. 46 Section 3.15 Labor and Employment Matters. 48 Section 3.16 Environmental Matters 49 Section 3.17 Insurance 50 Section 3.18 Books and Records 50 Section 3.19 Transactions with Affiliates 50 Section 3.20 Legal Proceedings; Orders. 51 Section 3.21 Illegal Payments 51 Section 3.22 Inapplicability of Anti-takeover Statutes 51 Section 3.23 Vote Required 51 Section 3.24 No Financial Advisor 51 Section 3.25 Disclosure; Parent Information 52 Article 4 CERTAIN COVENANTS OF THE PARTIES 52 Section 4.1 Access and Investigation 52 Section 4.2 Operation of Parents Business 53 Section 4.3 Operation of the Companys Business 54 Section 4.4 Negative Obligations. 54 Section 4.5 Mutual Non-Solicitation. 57 Article 5 ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES 65 Section 5.1 Filings; Other Actions. 65 Section 5.2 Stockholder Approval. 66 Section 5.3 Regulatory Approvals 67 Section 5.4 Net Cash Schedule 67 Section 5.5 Indemnification of Officers and Directors. 67 Section 5.6 Additional Agreements. 68 Section 5.7 Disclosure 69 Section 5.8 Stock Exchange Listing 69 Section 5.9 Section 16 Matters 69 Section 5.10 Employee Benefit Matters. 69 Section 5.11 Tax Matters. 70 Section 5.12 Cooperation 71 Section 5.13 Directors and Officers of Parent. 71 Section 5.14 Stockholder Litigation 72 Section 5.15 Securityholder List 72 Section 5.16 Reverse Split 72

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Article 6 CONDITIONS PRECEDENT 73 Section 6.1 Conditions to Each Partys Obligation to Effect the Merger 73 Section 6.2 Additional Conditions Precedent to Obligation of Parent 73 Section 6.3 Additional Conditions Precedent to Obligation of the Company 74 Article 7 TERMINATION 75 Section 7.1 Termination 75 Section 7.2 Effect of Termination 77 Section 7.3 Expenses; Termination Fees. 77 Article 8 INDEMNIFICATION 79 Section 8.1 Indemnification by the Company Stockholders 79 Section 8.2 No Indemnification by Parent or the Surviving Entity 79 Section 8.3 Indemnification Limitation  Survival 79 Section 8.4 Indemnification Limitations. 80 Section 8.5 Indemnity Escrow; Distribution from Indemnity Escrow. 81 Section 8.6 Indemnification Decisions 83 Section 8.7 Indemnification Procedures. 83 Section 8.8 Securityholders Representative. 84 Section 8.9 Exclusive Remedy 86 Section 8.10 Merger Shares Adjustment 86 Article 9 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 87 Section 9.1 Non-Survival of Representations and Warranties 87 Section 9.2 Amendment 87 Section 9.3 Waiver. 87 Section 9.4 Entire Agreement 87 Section 9.5 Counterparts; Exchanges Electronic Transmission 87 Section 9.6 Applicable Law; Jurisdiction 87 Section 9.7 Attorneys Fees 88 Section 9.8 Assignability 88 Section 9.9 Notices 88 Section 9.10 Cooperation 90 Section 9.11 Severability 90 Section 9.12 Other Remedies; Specific Performance 90 Section 9.13 Construction. 90 Section 9.14 Definitions 91

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AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER AND REORGANIZATION

THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER AND REORGANIZATION (this Agreement) is made and entered into as of January 18, 2017, by and among PharmAthene, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Parent), Mustang Merger Sub Corp I Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (Merger Sub Corp), Mustang Merger Sub II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (Merger Sub LLC), Altimmune, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company) and Shareholder Representative Services LLC, a Colorado limited liability company, solely in its capacity as the Securityholders Representative. Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined in Section 9.14 .

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Parent and the Company intend to merge Merger Sub Corp with and into the Company, with the Company as the surviving corporation in such merger (Merger 1), and immediately thereafter, merge the Company with and into Merger Sub LLC, with Merger Sub LLC as the surviving entity in such merger (Merger 2 and together with Merger 1, each a Merger and collectively the Mergers) in accordance with this Agreement and the DGCL. Upon consummation of Mergers, Merger Sub Corp and the Company will cease to exist, and Merger Sub LLC will continue as a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Parent;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the holders of the outstanding equity of the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time (including equity issued by the Company Private Placement) will own approximately 58.2% of the outstanding equity of Parent immediately following the Effective Time and the holders of the outstanding equity of Parent immediately prior to the Effective Time will own approximately 41.8% of the outstanding equity of Parent immediately following the Effective Time;

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of Parent has unanimously (a) determined that the Mergers and this Agreement are advisable and in the best interests of Parent and its stockholders, (b) approved this Agreement, the Mergers, the issuance o f shares of Parent Common Stock to the Company Stockholders pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and the other actions contemplated by this Agreement, and (c) determined to recommend that the stockholders of Parent vote to approve this Agreement, the issuance of shares of Parent Common Stock to the Company Stockholders pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and such other actions as contemplated by this Agreement including the Parent Stockholder Proposals;

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of Merger Sub Corp has unanimously (a) determined that the Mergers and this Agreement are advisable and in the best interests of Merger Sub Corp and its sole stockholder, (b) approved this Agreement, the Mergers, and the other actions contemplated by this Agreement, and (c) determined to recommend that the stockholder of Merger Sub Corp vote to approve this Agreement, the Mergers and such other actions as contemplated by this Agreement;

WHEREAS, the Managing Member of Merger Sub LLC has (a) determined that the Mergers and this Agreement are advisable and in the best interests of Merger Sub LLC and its sole member, and (b) approved this Agreement, the Mergers, and the other actions contemplated by this Agreement;

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has unanimously (a) determined that the Mergers and this Agreement are advisable and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, (b) approved this Agreement, the Mergers and the other actions contemplated by this Agreement, and (c) determined to recommend that the Company Stockholders vote to approve this Agreement, the Mergers and such other actions as contemplated by this Agreement;

WHEREAS, in order to induce Parent, Merger Sub Corp and Merger Sub LLC to enter into this Agreement and to cause the Mergers to be consummated, the Company has entered into a definitive agreement (as the same may be amended from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, the Company Financing Agreement) with certain Company Stockholders who have irrevocably committed to (i) participate in a private placement of convertible securities of the Company to raise an aggregate of no less than $3,500,000 of gross proceeds for the Company to be received by the Company prior to the Effective Time (the Company Private Placement) and (ii) participate in a private placement of Parent Common Stock to raise an aggregate of no less than $5,000,000 of gross proceeds for Parent to be received by Parent within 135 days of the Closing Date (the Post-Closing Private Placement);

WHEREAS, in order to induce the Company to enter into this Agreement and to cause the Mergers to be consummated, the stockholders of Parent listed on Schedule I hereto, are executing voting and support agreements in favor of the Company concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement in the form substantially attached hereto as Exhibit A (the Parent Voting Agreements);

WHEREAS, in order to induce the Company to cause the Mergers to be consummated, certain of Parents officers, directors and holders of shares of Parent Common Stock have executed lock-up agreements relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Parent Common Stock or certain other securities after the Closing (the Parent Lock-up Agreements);

WHEREAS, in order to induce Parent, Merger Sub Corp and Merger Sub LLC to cause the Mergers to be consummated, certain of the Companys officers, directors and Company Stockholders have executed lock-up agreements relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Parent Common Stock or certain other securities after the Closing (the Company Lock-up Agreements); and

WHEREAS, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, Parent, Merger Sub Corp, Merger Sub LLC and the Company intend that the Mergers, together with the issuance of shares of Parent Common Stock to the Company Stockholders, will qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, that this Agreement will constitute a plan of reorganization with the meaning of Treasury Regulations Sections 1.368-1(c), 1.368-2(g) and 1.368-3(a), and that Parent and the Company will each be a party to the reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(b) of the Code.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth herein, the parties agree as follows:

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Article 1

THE MERGERS AND CERTAIN GOVERNANCE MATTERS

Section 1.1 Structure of the Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, at the Effective Time, Merger Sub Corp shall be merged with and into the Company, and the separate existence of Merger Sub Corp shall cease, and immediately thereafter, the Company shall be merged with and into Merger Sub LLC, and the separate existence of the Company shall cease. Merger Sub LLC will continue as the surviving entity following the Mergers (the Surviving Entity).

Section 1.2 Effects of the Merger. The Mergers shall have the effects set forth in this Agreement and in the applicable provisions of the DGCL.

Section 1.3 Closing; Effective Time. Unless this Agreement is earlier terminated pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.1 of this Agreement, and subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Article 6 of this Agreement, the consummation of the Mergers (the Closing) shall take place at the offices of Parent at One Park Place, Suite 450, Annapolis, Maryland 21401, no later than three (3) Business Days following the satisfaction (or waiver by the party entitled to the benefit thereof) of the conditions to the Closing set forth in Article 6 (other than the conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at Closing, but subject to the satisfaction or waiver of each of such conditions), or at such other time, date and place as Parent and the Company may mutually agree in writing. The date on which the Closing actually takes place is referred to as the Closing Date. At the Closing, the Parties shall cause the Mergers to be consummated by executing and filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware Certificates of Merger (the Certificates of Merger) with respect to each Merger, satisfying the applicable requirements of the DGCL and in a form reasonably acceptable to Parent and the Company. The Mergers shall become effective at the time of the filing of such Certificates of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, or at such later time as may be specified in such Certificates of Merger with the consent of Parent and the Company (the time as of which Merger 1 becomes effective being referred to as the Effective Time).

Section 1.4 Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws; Directors and Officers; Name Change. At the Effective Time:

(a) the Certificate of Incorporation of Parent shall be amended and restated in its entirety to read as set forth on Exhibit B , and as so amended and restated, shall be the Certificate of Incorporation of Parent, until thereafter amended as provided by the DGCL and such Certificate of Incorporation and Parent shall take any other action requested by the Company as shall be necessary or desirable to cause the name of Parent to be changed to Altimmune, Inc.;

(b) the Bylaws of Parent shall be amended and restated in its entirety to read as set forth on Exhibit C , and as so amended and restated, shall be the Bylaws of Parent, until thereafter amended as provided by the DGCL and the Certificate of Incorporation of Parent;

(c) the directors and officers of Parent shall be as provided for in Section 5.13 .

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Section 1.5 Conversion of Shares.

(a) At the Effective Time, by virtue of Merger 1 and without any further action on the part of Parent, Merger Sub Corp, Merger Sub LLC, the Company or any stockholder of any of the foregoing:

(i) any shares of Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock owned as treasury stock of the Company or owned by Parent or by any direct or indirect wholly owned Subsidiary of Parent immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be automatically canceled and retired and shall cease to exist, and no consideration shall be delivered in exchange therefor;

(ii) subject to Section 1.5(b) , each share of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock (including all accrued but unpaid dividends thereon) outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (excluding shares to be canceled pursuant to Section 1.5(a)(i) and Dissenting Shares, and after giving effect to the Company Private Placement) shall be automatically converted solely into the right to receive a number of shares of Parent Common Stock equal to the Exchange Ratio (the Merger Shares); and

(iii) each Company Warrant outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be automatically converted solely into the right to receive a warrant to purchase a number of shares of Parent Common Stock as determined based on Exchange Ratio and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of such Company Warrant.

(b) If any shares of Company Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time are unvested or are subject to a repurchase option or the risk of forfeiture or under any applicable restricted stock purchase agreement or other agreement with the Company (other than those shares (if any) which, as a result of the Merger, shall, by the terms of the agreements applicable thereto, vest or for which any such repurchase options or other such restrictions or risks of forfeiture shall lapse), then the shares of Parent Common Stock issued in exchange for such shares of Company Common Stock will to the same extent be unvested and subject to the same repurchase option or risk of forfeiture, and the certificates representing such shares of Parent Common Stock shall accordingly be marked with appropriate legends. The Company shall take all action that may be necessary to ensure that, from and after the Effective Time, Parent is entitled to exercise any such repurchase option or other right set forth in any such restricted stock purchase agreement or other agreement in accordance with its terms.

(c) No fractional shares of Parent Common Stock shall be issued in connection with Merger 1 as a result of the conversion provided for in Section 1.5(a)(ii) , and no certificates or scrip for any such fractional shares shall be issued. Any fractional shares of Parent Common Stock that that would be issuable as a result of the conversion provided for in Section 1.5(a)(ii) shall be rounded up to the next whole share.

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(d) Each share of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of Merger Sub Corp issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be automatically converted into and exchanged for one validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of the Company as the surviving corporation of Merger 1. Each stock certificate of Merger Sub Corp evidencing ownership of any such shares shall, as of the Effective Time, evidence ownership of such shares of common stock of the Company as the surviving corporation of Merger 1.

(e) If, between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time, the outstanding shares of Company Capital Stock or Parent Common Stock shall have been changed into, or exchanged for, a different number of shares or a different class, by reason of any stock dividend, subdivision, reorganization, reclassification, recapitalization, split, reverse split (excluding the Reverse Stock Split which shall be effective immediately prior to the Effective Time), combination or exchange of shares or other like change (including any dividend or distribution of securities convertible into shares of Company Capital Stock or Parent Common Stock), the Exchange Ratio, shall be correspondingly adjusted to provide the holders of Company Common Stock, Company Preferred Stock, Company Stock Options and Company Warrants the same economic effect as contemplated by this Agreement prior to such event.

(f) At the effective time of Merger 2, by virtue of Merger 2 and without any further action on the part of Parent, Merger Sub Corp, Merger Sub LLC, the Company or any stockholder of any of the foregoing, all shares of capital stock of the Company, as the surviving corporation of Merger 1, shall be automatically canceled and retired and shall cease to exist, and no consideration shall be delivered in exchange therefor.

Section 1.6 Company Stock Options.

(a) At the Effective Time, each Company Stock Option that is outstanding and unexercised immediately prior to the Effective Time, whether vested or unvested, will be converted into and become an option to purchase Parent Common Stock, and the Company Stock Option Plans shall be assumed by Parent. All rights with respect to the Company Common Stock under each Company Stock Option assumed by Parent shall thereupon be converted into rights with respect to Parent Common Stock. Accordingly, from and after the Effective Time: (i) each Company Stock Option assumed by Parent may be exercised solely for shares of Parent Common Stock, (ii) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock subject to each Company Stock Option assumed by Parent shall be determined by multiplying (x) the number of shares of Company Common Stock that were subject to such Company Stock Option, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, by (y) the Exchange Ratio, with the resulting number rounded down to the nearest whole number of shares of Parent Common Stock, (iii) the exercise price per share for the Parent Common Stock issuable upon exercise of each assumed Company Stock Option will equal the quotient obtained from dividing (x) the exercise price per share for the Company Common Stock purchasable pursuant to the assumed Company Stock Option immediately prior to the Effective Time by (y) the Exchange Ratio, with the resulting exercise price rounded up to the nearest whole cent, and (iv) any restriction on the exercise of any assumed Company Stock Option shall continue in full force and effect and the term, exercisability, vesting schedule, status as an incentive stock option under Section 422 of the Code, if applicable, and other provisions of such Company Stock Option will otherwise remain unchanged; provided, however, that: (1) to the extent provided under the terms of a Company Stock Option, such Company Stock Option assumed by Parent in accordance with this Section 1.6(a) will, in accordance with its terms, be subject to further adjustment as appropriate to reflect any stock split, division or subdivision of shares, stock dividend, reverse stock split, consolidation of shares, reclassification, recapitalization or other similar transaction with respect to Parent Common Stock subsequent to the Effective Time, (2) Parents Board of Directors or an authorized committee thereof will succeed to the authority and responsibility of the Companys Board of Directors or any authorized committee thereof with respect to each Company Stock Option assumed by Parent, and (3) all references in the Company Stock Option Plans and applicable award agreements to the Company shall be deemed to mean Parent. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 1.6(a) , the conversion of each Company Stock Option (regardless of whether such option qualifies as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code) into an option to purchase shares of Parent Common Stock will be made in a manner consistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.424-1, such that the conversion of a Company Stock Option will not constitute a modification of such Company Stock Option for purposes of Section 409A or Section 424 of the Code. It is the intention of the parties that each Company Stock Option so assumed by Parent shall qualify following the Effective Time as an incentive stock option as defined in Section 422 of the Code to the extent permitted under Section 422 of the Code and to the extent such Company Stock Option qualified as an incentive stock option prior to the Effective Time.

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(b) As soon as practicable after the Effective Time, subject to Section 5.2(a) , Parent shall deliver to the former holders of the Company Stock Options an appropriate notice evidencing the foregoing assumption setting forth the specific adjustments made to the assumed Company Stock Options, as provided in this Section 1.6 .

(c) Parent shall take all corporate action necessary to reserve for issuance a sufficient number of shares of Parent Common Stock for delivery upon exercise of the Company Stock Options assumed in accordance with this Section 1.6 . As soon as practicable (but in no event more than ten (10) business days after the Effective Time), Parent shall file a registration statement on Form S-8 (or any successor form) with respect to the shares of Parent Common Stock subject to such assumed Company Stock Options, and thereafter shall use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the effectiveness of that registration statement for as long as any such assumed Company Stock Options remain outstanding.

Section 1.7 Closing of the Companys Transfer Books. At the Effective Time, the stock transfer books of the Company shall be closed with respect to all shares of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time. No further transfer of any such shares of Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock shall be made on such stock transfer books after the Effective Time. If, after the Effective Time, a valid certificate previously representing any shares of Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (a Company Stock Certificate) is presented to Parent, the Surviving Entity or the Exchange Agent, such Company Stock Certificate shall be canceled and shall be exchanged as provided in Section 1.5 and Section 1.8 .

Section 1.8 Surrender of Certificates.

(a) Escrow Shares . At the Effective Time, Parent shall withhold from the Merger Shares the Escrow Shares, which shall be allocated among the Company Stockholders in accordance with their Pro Rata Share. Any such Escrow Shares will be delivered by Parent to the Escrow Agent, to be held pursuant to the terms of the Escrow Agreement in accordance with Section 8.5 hereof. The Escrow Shares shall be deposited, voted, transferred, and released in accordance with Article 8 hereof and the Escrow Agreement.

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(b) Exchange Agent . At the Effective Time, Parent shall deposit with the Exchange Agent, for the benefit of the holders of certificates formerly representing the Company Common Stock (Certificates), certificates or book-entry shares representing shares of Parent Common Stock in the aggregate amount equal to the Merger Shares less the Escrow Shares. In addition, Parent shall deposit with the Exchange Agent, as necessary from time to time after the Effective Time, any dividends or other distributions payable pursuant to Section 1.8(d) . All shares of Parent Common Stock, cash, dividends and distributions deposited with the Exchange Agent pursuant to this Section 1.8(b) shall hereinafter be referred to as the Exchange Fund. The Exchange Fund shall not be used for any other purpose.

(c) Exchange Procedures . As soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective Time (and in any event within five Business Days), Parent shall cause the Exchange Agent to mail to each holder of record of a Certificate (i) a form of letter of transmittal (which shall specify that delivery shall be effected, and risk of loss and title to the Certificates shall pass, only upon proper delivery of the Certificates to the Exchange Agent and which shall be in customary form and contain customary provisions), and (ii) instructions for use in effecting the surrender of the Certificates in exchange for the Merger Shares, any dividends or other distributions payable pursuant to Section 1.8(d) . Each holder of record of one or more Certificates shall, upon surrender to the Exchange Agent of such Certificates, together with such letter of transmittal, duly executed, and such other documents as may reasonably be required by the Exchange Agent, be entitled to receive promptly in exchange therefor (i) a certificate or certificates or book-entry shares representing that number of whole shares of Parent Common Stock (after taking into account all Certificates surrendered by such holder) to which such holder is entitled pursuant to Section 1.8(b) , and (ii) any dividends or distributions payable pursuant to Section 1.8(d) , and the Certificates so surrendered shall forthwith be canceled. In the event of a transfer of ownership of the Company Common Stock that is not registered in the transfer records of the Company, payment of the Merger Shares in accordance with Section 1.8(b) may be made to a person other than the person in whose name the Certificate so surrendered is registered if such Certificate shall be properly endorsed or otherwise be in proper form for transfer and the person requesting such payment shall pay any transfer or other Taxes required by reason of the transfer or establish to the reasonable satisfaction of Parent that such Taxes have been paid or are not applicable. Until surrendered as contemplated by this Section 1.8(c), each Certificate shall be deemed at any time after the Effective Time to represent only the right to receive upon such surrender the Merger Shares and any dividends or other distributions payable pursuant to Section 1.8(d) . No interest shall be paid or will accrue on any payment to holders of Certificates pursuant to the provisions of this Article 1 .

(d) Distributions with Respect to Unexchanged Shares . No dividends or other distributions with respect to Parent Common Stock with a record date on or after the Effective Time shall be paid to the holder of any unsurrendered Certificate with respect to the shares of Parent Common Stock that the holder thereof has the right to receive upon the surrender thereof, until the holder of such Certificate shall have surrendered such Certificate in accordance with this Article 1 . Following the surrender of any Certificate, there shall be paid to the record holder of the certificate representing whole shares of Parent Common Stock issued in exchange therefor, without interest, (i) at the time of such surrender, the amount of dividends or other distributions with a record date on or after the Effective Time theretofore paid with respect to such whole shares of Parent Common Stock, and (ii) at the appropriate payment date, the amount of dividends or other distributions with a record date on or after the Effective Time but prior to such surrender and a payment date subsequent to such surrender payable with respect to such whole shares of Parent Common Stock.

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(e) No Further Ownership Rights in the Company Common Stock . The Merger Shares and any dividends or other distributions as are payable pursuant to Section 1.8(d) upon the surrender of Certificates in accordance with the terms of this Article 1 shall be deemed to have been in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to the Company Common Stock formerly represented by such Certificates, subject, however, to the Surviving Entitys obligation to pay any dividends or make any other distributions with a record date prior to the Effective Time which may have been declared or made by the Company on the Company Common Stock in accordance with the terms of this Agreement prior to the Effective Time.

(f) Termination of the Exchange Fund . Any portion of the Exchange Fund that remains undistributed to the holders of the Certificates for one year after the Effective Time shall be delivered to Parent, upon demand, and any holders of the Certificates who have not theretofore complied with this Article 1 shall thereafter look only to Parent for, and Parent shall remain liable for, payment of their claim for the Merger Shares and any dividends or other distributions payable pursuant to Section 1.8(d) in accordance with this Article 1 .

(g) No Liability . None of Parent, Merger Sub Corp, Merger Sub LLC, the Company, the Surviving Entity or the Exchange Agent shall be liable to any person in respect of any shares of Parent Common Stock, cash, dividends or other distributions from the Exchange Fund properly delivered to a public official pursuant to any applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar Law.

(h) Investment of Exchange Fund . The Exchange Agent shall invest the cash included in the Exchange Fund as directed by Parent; provided, however, that such investments shall be in obligations of or guaranteed by the United States of America, in commercial paper obligations rated A-1 or P-1 or better by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poors Corporation, respectively, or in certificates of deposit, bank repurchase agreements or bankers acceptances of commercial banks with capital exceeding $10 billion (based on the most recent financial statements of such bank which are then publicly available). Any interest and other income resulting from such investments shall be paid to and be income of Parent.

(i) Lost Certificates . If any Certificate shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming such Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed (and without the requirement to post or deliver any bond), the Exchange Agent shall deliver in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate the Merger Shares, any dividends or other distributions payable pursuant to Section 1.8(d) pursuant to this Article 1 .

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(j) Withholding Rights . Parent, the Surviving Entity or the Exchange Agent shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the consideration otherwise payable pursuant to this Agreement such amounts as Parent, the Surviving Entity or the Exchange Agent are required to deduct and withhold with respect to the making of such payment under the Code or any provision of state, local or non-U.S. Tax Law and shall be entitled to request any reasonably appropriate Tax forms, including an IRS Form W-9 (or the appropriate IRS Form W-8, as applicable), from any recipient of payments hereunder; provided that the Parties shall undertake commercially reasonable efforts to minimize withholding, and shall provide notice (to the applicable Party) of any intention to withhold (or determination that the Exchange Agent may withhold) as soon as is practicable after forming the intention to withhold or determining that the Exchange Agent may withhold. To the extent that amounts are so withheld by Parent, the Surviving Entity or the Exchange Agent, such withheld amounts (i) shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the holder of Certificates in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made by Parent, the Surviving Entity or the Exchange Agent, and (ii) shall be remitted by Parent, the Surviving Entity or the Exchange Agent, as the case may be, to the applicable Governmental Entity.

Section 1.9 Appraisal Rights.

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, shares of Company Capital Stock that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time and which are owned by stockholders who have validly exercised appraisal rights or dissenters rights for such shares of Company Capital Stock in accordance with the DGCL (collectively, the Dissenting Shares) shall not be converted into or represent the right to receive the per share amount of the Merger Shares described in Section 1.5 attributable to such Dissenting Shares. Such stockholders shall be entitled to receive payment of the appraised value of such shares of Company Capital Stock owned by them in accordance with the DGCL, unless and until such stockholders fail to perfect or effectively withdraw or otherwise lose their appraisal rights under the DGCL. All Dissenting Shares owned by stockholders who shall have failed to perfect or who effectively shall have withdrawn or lost their right to appraisal of such shares of Company Capital Stock under the DGCL shall thereupon be deemed to be converted into and to have become exchangeable for, as of the Effective Time, the right to receive the per share amount of the Merger Shares attributable to such Dissenting Shares, upon their surrender in the manner provided in Section 1.8 .

(b) The Company shall give Parent prompt written notice of any demands by dissenting stockholders received by the Company, withdrawals of such demands and any other instruments served on the Company and any material correspondence received by the Company in connection with such demands and Parent shall have the right to participate in all negotiations and proceedings with respect to such demands. Except with the prior written consent of Parent, or to the extent required by applicable law, the Company shall not make any payment with respect to, or offer to settle or settle, any such demands.

Section 1.10 Further Action. If, at any time after the Effective Time, any further action is determined by the Surviving Entity to be necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this Agreement or to vest the Surviving Entity with full right, title and possession of and to all rights and property of the Company, then the officers and directors of the Surviving Entity shall be fully authorized, and shall use their commercially reasonable efforts (in the name of the Company, in the name of Merger Sub Corp, in the name of Merger Sub LLC and otherwise) to take such action.

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Article 2

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

The Company represents and warrants to Parent, Merger Sub Corp and Merger Sub LLC as follows, except as set forth in the written disclosure schedule delivered by the Company to Parent (the Company Disclosure Schedule). The Company Disclosure Schedule shall be arranged in parts and subparts corresponding to the numbered and lettered Sections and subsections contained in this Article 2 . The disclosures in any part or subpart of the Company Disclosure Schedule shall qualify other Sections and subsections in this Article 2 only to the extent it is clear from the face of the disclosure that such disclosure is applicable to such other Sections and subsections.

Section 2.1 Organization.

(a) The Company is a corporation validly existing and in good corporate standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware. The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate all of its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted. The Company is duly licensed or qualified to do business and is in corporate good standing in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted by it or the character or location of the properties and assets owned, leased, or operated by it makes such licensing or qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so licensed or qualified and in corporate good standing would not, either individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. The certificate of incorporation of the Company (the Company Charter) and the bylaws of the Company (the Company Bylaws), copies of which have previously been made available to Parent, are true, correct and complete copies of such documents as currently in effect and the Company is not in violation of any provision thereof. Other than the Company Charter and the Company Bylaws, the Company is not a party to or bound by or subject to any stockholder agreement or other similar agreement governing the voting or transfer of the Company Capital Stock and is not subject to a stockholder rights plan.

(b) Each of the Companys Subsidiaries is a corporation or legal entity, validly existing and, if applicable, in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization. Each of the Companys Subsidiaries has all requisite corporate power or other power and authority to own, lease and operate all of its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted. Each of the Companys Subsidiaries is duly licensed or qualified to do business in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted by it or the character or location of the properties and assets owned, leased, or operated by it makes such licensing or qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so licensed or qualified and in good standing would not, either individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. The certificate of incorporation and bylaws or equivalent organizational documents of each of the Companys Subsidiaries, copies of which have previously been made available to the Company, are true, correct and complete copies of such documents as currently in effect and such Subsidiaries of the Company are not in violation of any provision thereof.

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Section 2.2 Capitalization.

(a) The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 18,757,111 shares of Company Common Stock and 800,000 shares Company Preferred Stock. As of the date hereof, there are 9,233,944 shares of Company Common Stock issued and outstanding and there are 800,000 shares of Company Preferred Stock issued and outstanding. As of the date hereof, there are no shares of Company Common Stock and no shares of Company Preferred Stock held in the treasury of the Company. The Company has no shares of Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock reserved for issuance other than as described herein or in the Company Disclosure Schedule. The outstanding shares of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and were not issued in violation of the material terms of any agreement binding upon the Company at the time at which they were issued and were issued in compliance with the Company Charter and Company Bylaws and all applicable securities Laws. Section 2.2(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true, correct and complete list, as of the date hereof, of all issued and outstanding shares of Company Common Stock and shares of Company Preferred Stock, on a holder-by-holder basis.

(b) Except for the Company Stock Option Plans and the Company Warrants or as set forth in Section 2.2(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company does not have and is not bound by any outstanding subscriptions, options, warrants, calls, commitments, rights agreements, or agreements of any character calling for the Company to issue, deliver, or sell, or cause to be issued, delivered, or sold any shares of Company Common Stock or any other equity security of the Company or any securities convertible into, exchangeable for, or representing the right to subscribe for, purchase, or otherwise receive any shares of Company Common Stock or any other equity security of the Company or obligating the Company to grant, extend, or enter into any such subscriptions, options, warrants, calls, commitments, rights agreements, or any other similar agreements. Except as set forth in Section 2.2(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no registration rights, repurchase or redemption rights, anti-dilutive rights, voting agreements, voting trusts, preemptive rights or restrictions on transfer relating to any capital stock of the Company.

(c) As of the date hereof, there are 1,609,812 shares of Company Common Stock issuable upon exercise of all outstanding Company Stock Options, subject to adjustment on the terms set forth in the Company Stock Option Plans. Section 2.2(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true, correct and complete list, as of the date hereof, of (i) the name of the holder of each Company Stock Option, (ii) the date each Company Stock Option was granted, (iii) the number, issuer and type of securities subject to each such Company Stock Option, (iv) the expiration date of each such Company Stock Option, (v) the vesting schedule of each such Company Stock Option, (vi) the price at which each such Company Stock Option (or each component thereof, if applicable) may be exercised, (vii) the number of shares of Company Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of such, or upon the conversion of all securities issuable upon the exercise of such, Company Stock Options, and (viii) whether and to what extent the exercisability of each Company Stock Option will be accelerated upon consummation of the Contemplated Transactions or any termination of employment thereafter.

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(d) Section 2.2(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists each Subsidiary of the Company as of the date hereof and indicates for each such Subsidiary as of such date (i) the percentage and type of equity securities owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company, and (ii) the jurisdiction of incorporation or organization. No Subsidiary of the Company has or is bound by any outstanding subscriptions, options, warrants, calls, commitments, rights agreements, or agreements of any character calling for it to issue, deliver, or sell, or cause to be issued, delivered, or sold any of its equity securities or any securities convertible into, exchangeable for, or representing the right to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise receive any such equity security or obligating such Subsidiary to grant, extend or enter into any such subscriptions, options, warrants, calls, commitments, rights agreements, or other similar agreements. There are no outstanding contractual obligations of any Subsidiary of the Company to repurchase, redeem, or otherwise acquire any of its capital stock or other equity interests. All of the shares of capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries of the Company (A) have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid (to the extent required under the applicable governing documents) and nonassessable, and (B) are owned by the Company free and clear of any Encumbrance (other than Permitted Encumbrances), or agreement with respect thereto.

Section 2.3 Authority. The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the Contemplated Transactions and perform its respective obligations hereunder, subject only to obtaining the Company Stockholder Approval. The adoption, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the approval of the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions have been recommended by, and have been duly and validly adopted and approved by a unanimous vote of, the Board of Directors of the Company. No other approval or consent of, or action by, the holders of the outstanding securities of the Company, other than the Company Stockholder Approval, is required in order for the Company to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the Contemplated Transactions and perform its obligations hereunder. The Board of Directors of the Company has declared this Agreement advisable, has directed that this Agreement be submitted to the Company Stockholders for adoption and approval and has recommended that the Company Stockholders adopt and approve this Agreement. Except for the Company Stockholder Approval and the filing of the Certificates of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, no other corporate proceeding on the part of the Company is necessary to authorize the adoption, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or to consummate the Mergers and the other Contemplated Transactions. This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Company, and (assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties hereto), constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, or other similar Laws relating to creditors rights and general principles of equity.

Section 2.4 Non-Contravention; Consents.

(a) Except as set forth in Section 2.4(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company does not, and the consummation by the Company of the Contemplated Transactions will not, (i) conflict with, or result in any violation or breach of, any provision of the Company Charter or the Company Bylaws, (ii) conflict with, or result in any violation or breach of, or constitute (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) a default (or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation or loss of any material benefit) under, require a consent or waiver under, constitute a change in control under, require the payment of a penalty under or result in the imposition of any Encumbrance on the Companys assets under, any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any Company Material Contract, or other agreement, instrument or obligation to which the Company is a party or by which it or any of its properties or assets may be bound, or (iii) subject to obtaining the Company Stockholder Approval and subject to the consents, approvals and authorizations specified in clauses (i) through (v) of Section 2.4(b) having been obtained prior to the Effective Time and all filings and notifications described in Section 2.4(b) having been made, conflict with or violate any Law applicable to the Company or any of its properties or assets, except in the case of clauses (ii), and (iii) of this Section 2.4(a) for any such conflicts or violations, breaches, rights of termination, Encumbrances, penalties, defaults, terminations, cancellations, accelerations, losses, changes of control, or payments, that have not had, and would not reasonably be expected to result in, a Company Material Adverse Effect.

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(b) No consent, approval, license, permit, order or authorization of, or registration, declaration, notice or filing with, any Governmental Authority is required by or with respect to the Company in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company or the consummation by the Company of the Contemplated Transactions, except for (i) obtaining the Company Stockholder Approval, (ii) the filing of the Certificates of Merger with the Delaware Secretary of State and appropriate corresponding documents with the appropriate authorities of other states in which the Company is qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business, (iii) any filings required to be made with the SEC in connection with this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions (including the filing of the Registration Statement with the SEC in accordance with the Exchange Act), (iv) such consents, approvals, orders, authorizations, registrations, declarations, notices and filings as may be required under applicable state securities Laws, the rules and regulations of the NYSE MKT, and (v) such other consents, licenses, permits, orders, authorizations, filings, approvals and registrations which, if not obtained or made, have not had, and would not reasonably be expected to result in, a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(c) This Section 2.4 does not relate to (i) Tax Laws, which are governed exclusively by Section 2.13 and Section 2.14 , (ii) ERISA or other Laws regarding employee benefit matters, which are governed exclusively by Section 2.14 , (iii) Labor Laws, which are governed exclusively by Section 2.15 , (iv) Environmental Laws, which are governed exclusively by Section 2.16 , or (v) Anticorruption Laws, which are governed exclusively by Section 2.21 .

Section 2.5 Financial Statements.

(a) Section 2.5(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule includes true and complete copies of the Companys consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015 (the Company Balance Sheet) and December 31, 2014, and the related consolidated statements of operations, cash flows and stockholders equity for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, together with the notes thereto (collectively, the Company Financial Statements). The Company Financial Statements (i) comply as to form in all material respects with the published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto, (ii) were prepared in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis (unless otherwise noted therein) throughout the periods indicated, and (iii) fairly present, in all material respects, the financial condition and operating results of the Company as of the dates and for the periods indicated therein.

(b) The Company maintains adequate disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company is made known to the Chief Executive Officer or President and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company by others within those entities.

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(c) Since January 1, 2012, none of the Company or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, or internal or external auditor of the Company has received or otherwise had or obtained actual knowledge of any substantive material complaint, allegation, assertion or claim, whether written or oral, that the Company has engaged in questionable accounting or auditing practices.

(d) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Since January 1, 2014, the Company has maintained internal control over financial reporting that provides reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP and there have been no instances of fraud, whether or not material, involving the management of the Company or other employees of the Company who have a significant role in the internal control over financial reporting of the Company.

Section 2.6 Absence of Changes. Since the date of the Company Balance Sheet, the Company has conducted its businesses in all material respects in the Ordinary Course of Business consistent with its past practices. Except as set forth on Section 2.6 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, after the date of the Company Balance Sheet and on or before the date hereof:

(a) there has not been any change, event, circumstance or condition to the Knowledge of the Company that, individually or in the aggregate, has had, or would reasonably be expected to have, a Company Material Adverse Effect;

(b) except as required as a result of a change in applicable Laws or GAAP or as disclosed in the notes to the Company Financial Statements, there has not been any material change in any method of accounting or accounting practice by the Company;

(c) there has not been any other action, event or occurrence that would have required the consent of Parent pursuant to Section 4.4(b) of this Agreement had such action, event or occurrence taken place after the execution and delivery of this Agreement;

(d) there has not been any: (i) grant of or increase in any severance or termination pay to any employee, director or other service provider of the Company, (ii) entry into any employment, consulting, deferred or equity compensation, retention, change in control, transaction bonus, severance or other similar plan or agreement (or any amendment to any such existing agreement) with any new or current employee, director or other service provider of the Company, (iii) change in the compensation, bonus or other benefits payable or to become payable to its directors, officers, employees or consultants, except in the Ordinary Course of Business consistent with past practice, or as required by any pre-existing plan or arrangement set forth in Section 2.6(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, (iv) action to accelerate the vesting or payment of any compensation or benefit to any employee or other service provider of the Company or its Subsidiaries, (v) adoption, modification or termination of any Company Employee Program other than as required by applicable Law, or (vi) termination of any of the officers or key employees of the Company;

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(e) the Company has not acquired or sold, pledged, leased, encumbered or otherwise disposed of any material property or assets or agreed to do any of the foregoing;

(f) other than the grant of non-exclusive licenses in the Ordinary Course of Business, there has been no transfer (by way of a license or otherwise) of, or agreement to transfer to, any Persons rights to any of the Company Intellectual Property;

(g) there has been no notice delivered to the Company of any claim of ownership by a third party of any of the Company Intellectual Property, or of infringement by the Company of any Third Party Intellectual Property; and

(h) there has not been any binding agreement to do any of the foregoing.

Section 2.7 Title to Assets. The Company owns, and has good and valid title to, or, in the case of leased properties and assets, valid leasehold interests in, all tangible properties or assets and equipment used or held for use in its business or operations or purported to be owned by it. All of said assets are owned by the Company free and clear of any Encumbrances, except for: (i) any lien for current Taxes not yet due and payable or for Taxes that are being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been made on the Company Balance Sheet, (ii) minor liens that have arisen in the Ordinary Course of Business and that do not (in any case or in the aggregate) materially detract from the value of the assets subject thereto or materially impair the operations of the Company, and (iii) Encumbrances described in Section 2.7 of the Company Disclosure Schedule.

Section 2.8 Properties.

(a) Section 2.8(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule contains a complete and correct list, as of the date hereof, of the Company Leased Real Property, including with respect to each such Lease the date of such Lease and any material amendments thereto. With respect to each Company Lease, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Company Material Adverse Effect:

(i) the Company Leases and the Company Ancillary Lease Documents are valid and in full force and effect except to the extent they have previously expired or terminated in accordance with their terms. The Company has delivered to Parent full, complete and accurate copies of each of the Company Leases and all Company Ancillary Lease Documents described in Section 2.8(a)(i) of the Company Disclosure Schedule;

(ii) none of the Company Leased Real Property is subject to any Encumbrance other than a Permitted Encumbrance;

(iii) none of the Company, nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, any other party to any Company Leases or Company Ancillary Lease Documents is in breach or default, and, to the Knowledge of the Company, no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time, would constitute such a breach or default under the Company Leases or any Company Ancillary Lease Documents;

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(iv) the Company has not assigned, transferred, conveyed, mortgaged, deeded in trust or encumbered any of its rights and interest in the leasehold or subleasehold under any of the Company Leases or any Company Ancillary Lease Documents in a manner that is material to the Company and that relates to the use or occupancy of all or any portion of the Company Leased Real Property.

(b) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company owns good title, free and clear of all Encumbrances, to all personal property and other non-real estate assets, in all cases excluding the Company Intellectual Property, necessary to conduct the Company Business, except for Permitted Encumbrances, and (ii) the Company, as lessee, has the right under valid and subsisting leases to use, possess and control all personal property leased by the Company as now used, possessed and controlled by the Company.

(c) The Company does not have any Company Owned Real Property.

Section 2.9 Intellectual Property.

(a) Section 2.9(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule contains a complete and accurate list of all (i) Patents owned by the Company or used or exclusively licensed to the Company (Company Patents), registered and material unregistered Marks owned by the Company (Company Marks) and registered Copyrights owned by the Company (Company Copyrights), (ii) licenses, sublicenses or other agreements under which the Company is granted rights by others in the Company Intellectual Property (Company In-Licenses) (other than commercial off the shelf software or materials transfer agreements), and (iii) licenses, sublicenses or other agreements under which the Company has granted rights to others in the Company Intellectual Property (Company Out-Licenses).

(b) With respect to the Company Intellectual Property (i) owned or purported to be owned by the Company, the Company exclusively owns such Company Intellectual Property, and (ii) licensed to the Company by a third party (other than commercial off the shelf software or materials transfer agreements), such Company Intellectual Property are the subject of a written license or other agreement; in the case of the foregoing clauses (i), and (ii) above, free and clear of all Encumbrances, other than Encumbrances resulting from the express terms of a Company License-In or Company License-Out or Permitted Encumbrances granted by the Company.

(c) To the Knowledge of the Company, all Company Patents, Company Marks and Company Copyrights are valid and enforceable.

(d) To the Knowledge of the Company, each Company Patent that has been issued by, or registered with, or is the subject of an application filed with, as applicable, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or any similar office or agency anywhere in the world was issued, registered, or filed, as applicable, with the correct inventorship and there has been no known misjoinder or nonjoinder of inventors.

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(e) No Company Patent is now involved in any interference, reissue, re-examination or opposition proceeding.

(f) There are no claims pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing against the Company or any of its employees alleging that the operation of the Company Business or any activity by the Company, or the manufacture, sale, offer for sale, importation, and/or use of any Company Product Candidate infringes or violates (or in the past infringed or violated) the rights of others in or to any Intellectual Property (Third Party Intellectual Property) or constitutes a misappropriation of (or in the past constituted a misappropriation of) any subject matter of any Intellectual Property of any person or entity or that any Company Intellectual Property is invalid or unenforceable.

(g) To the Knowledge of the Company, neither the operation of the Company Business, nor any activity by the Company, nor manufacture, use, importation, offer for sale and/or sale of any Company Product Candidate infringes or violates (or in the past infringed or violated) any Third Party Intellectual Property or constitutes a misappropriation of (or in the past constituted a misappropriation of) any subject matter of any Third Party Intellectual Property.

(h) Except with respect to fees payable to third party licensors pursuant to the Company In-Licenses, the Company has no obligation to compensate any person for the use of any Intellectual Property. Except as set forth in Section 2.9(h) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company has not entered into any agreement to indemnify any other person against any claim of infringement or misappropriation of any Intellectual Property. There are no settlements, covenants not to sue, consents, judgments, or orders or similar obligations that: (i) restrict the rights of the Company to use any Company Intellectual Property, (ii) restrict the Company Business, in order to accommodate a third partys Intellectual Property, or (iii) permit third parties to use any Company Intellectual Property (excluding any rights granted to any third parties pursuant to any of the Company Out-Licenses).

(i) All former and current employees, consultants and contractors of the Company who have been involved in the creation and/or development of any Company Intellectual Property have executed written instruments with the Company that assign to the Company, all rights, title and interest in and to any and all Intellectual Property created and/or developed by such employee, consultant or contractor in the course of their employment or engagement with the Company.

(j) To the Knowledge of the Company, (i) there is no, nor has there been any, infringement or violation by any person or entity of any Company Intellectual Property owned by, or exclusively licensed to, the Company or the rights of the Company therein or thereto and (ii) there is no, nor has there been any, misappropriation by any person or entity of any Company Intellectual Property owned by, or exclusively licensed to, the Company or the subject matter thereof.

(k) The Company has taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all Trade Secrets owned by the Company or used or held for use by the Company in the Company Business (the Company Trade Secrets).

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(l) Following the Effective Time, the Surviving Entity will have substantially similar rights and privileges in the Company Intellectual Property as the Company had in the Company Intellectual Property immediately prior to the Effective Time.

Section 2.10 Material Contracts. Section 2.10 of the Company Disclosure Schedule is a correct and complete list of each currently effective Company Contract:

(a) the Company Leases and the Company Ancillary Lease Documents;

(b) for the purchase of materials, supplies, goods, services, equipment or other assets for annual payments by the Company of, or pursuant to which in the last year the Company paid, in the aggregate, $100,000 or more;

(c) for the sale of materials, supplies, goods, services, equipment or other assets for annual payments to the Company of, or pursuant to which in the last year the Company received, in the aggregate, $100,000 or more;

(d) that relates to any partnership, joint venture, strategic alliance or other similar Contract;

(e) relating to Indebtedness for borrowed money or the deferred purchase price of property (whether incurred, assumed, guaranteed or secured by any asset), except for Contracts relating to Indebtedness in an amount not exceeding $100,000 in the aggregate;

(f) any management, employment, severance, retention, transaction bonus, change in control, consulting or other similar Contract between: (i) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and (ii) any employee, director or other service provider of the Company or its Subsidiaries, on the other hand, other than any such Contract that is terminable at will or without any obligation in excess of $10,000 on the part of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to make any severance, bonus, termination, change in control or similar payment or to provide any other benefit with a value in excess of $10,000 (other than benefits required to be provided by applicable Law);

(g) which by its terms limits in any respect (i) the localities in which all or any significant portion of the business and operations of the Company or any Affiliate of the Company (which will include Parent after the Effective Time), or (ii) the right of the Company or any Affiliate of the Company (which will include Parent after the Effective Time) to compete with any Person;

(h) in respect of any Company Intellectual Property that provides for annual payments of, or pursuant to which in the last year the Company paid or received, in the aggregate, $100,000 or more;

(i) containing any royalty, dividend or similar arrangement based on the revenues or profits of the Company;

(j) with any Governmental Authority;

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(k) any Contract with (a) an executive officer or director of the Company or any of such executive officers or directors immediate family members, (b) an owner of more than five percent (5%) of the voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the Company, or (c) to the Knowledge of the Company, any related person (within the meaning of Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act) of any such officer, director or owner (other than the Company);

(l) any agreement that gives rise to any material payment or benefit as a result of the performance of this Agreement or any of the other Contemplated Transactions;

(m) relating to the acquisition or disposition of any material interest in, or any material amount of, property or assets of the Company or for the grant to any Person of any preferential rights to purchase any of its assets, other than in the Ordinary Course of Business; or

(n) any other agreement (or group of related agreements) the performance of which requires aggregate payments to or from the Company in excess of $250,000.

The Company has delivered or made available to Parent accurate and complete (except for applicable redactions thereto) copies of all material written Company Contracts, including all amendments thereto. There are no material Company Contracts that are not in written form. Except as set forth on Section 2.10 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, neither the Company nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, any other party to a Company Material Contract (as defined below), has breached, violated or defaulted under, or received notice that it has breached, violated or defaulted under, any of the material terms or conditions of any of the agreements, contracts or commitments to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound of the type described in clauses (a) through (n) above or any Company Contract listed in Section 2.14 or Section 2.15 of the Company Disclosure Schedule (any such agreement, contract or commitment, a Company Material Contract) in such manner as would permit any other party to cancel or terminate any such Company Material Contract, which has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. As to the Company, as of the date of this Agreement, each Company Material Contract is valid, binding, enforceable and in full force and effect, subject to: (i) Laws of general application relating to bankruptcy, insolvency and the relief of debtors, and (ii) rules of Law governing specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies. The consummation of the Contemplated Transactions will not (either alone or upon the occurrence of additional acts or events) result in any material payment or payments becoming due from the Company or the Surviving Entity to any Person under any Company Material Contract or give any Person the right to terminate or materially alter the provisions of any Company Material Contract.

Section 2.11 Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities. The Company has no liability, Indebtedness, obligation, expense, claim, deficiency, guaranty or endorsement of any kind, whether accrued, absolute, contingent, matured or unmatured (whether or not required to be reflected in the financial statements in accordance with GAAP) (each a Liability), individually or in the aggregate, except for: (a) Liabilities reflected or reserved against in the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the Company (or the notes thereto) made available to Parent, (b) normal and recurring current Liabilities that have been incurred by the Company since the date of the Company Balance Sheet in the Ordinary Course of Business, none of which are material, (c) Liabilities for performance of obligations of the Company under Contracts (other than for breach thereof), (d) Liabilities described in Section 2.11 of the Company Disclosure Schedule or (e) Liabilities incurred in connection with the Contemplated Transactions.

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Section 2.12 Compliance with Laws; Regulatory Compliance.

(a) The Company is in compliance with all Laws or Orders, except where any such failure to be in compliance has not had, or would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect or would not reasonably be expected to prevent or materially impair the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions. No investigation, inquiry, proceeding or similar action by any Governmental Authority with respect to the Company is pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing, nor has any Governmental Authority indicated in writing an intention to conduct the same which, in each case, would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(b) The Company holds all material Permits from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) and any other Governmental Authority that is concerned with the quality, identity, strength, purity, safety, efficacy, or manufacturing of Company Product Candidates (any such Governmental Authority, a Company Regulatory Agency), necessary for the operating of the Company Business in material compliance with applicable Laws (the Company Permits), including all Company Permits required under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938, as amended, and the regulations of the FDA promulgated thereunder (the FDCA), the Public Health Service Act of 1944, as amended, and the regulations of the FDA promulgated thereunder (the PHSA), and any comparable Laws of other applicable jurisdictions. Except as has not had, and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, all such Company Permits are valid, and in full force and effect. There has not occurred any violation of, default (with or without notice or lapse of time or both) under, or event giving to others any right of termination, amendment or cancellation of, with or without notice or lapse of time or both, any Company Permit except as has not had, and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect. The Company is in compliance in all material respects with the terms of all Company Permits, and no event has occurred that, to the Knowledge of the Company, would reasonably be expected to result in the revocation, cancellation, non-renewal or adverse modification of any Company Permit, except as has not had, and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(c) None of the Company nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, any employee or agent thereof, has made any untrue statement of material fact or a fraudulent statement to the FDA or any other Company Regulatory Agency, or failed to disclose a material fact required to be disclosed to the FDA or other such Company Regulatory Agency, or committed an act, made a statement, or failed to make a statement, in each such case related to the Company Products Candidates, that, at the time such disclosure was made, would reasonably be expected to provide a basis for the FDA to invoke its policy with respect to Fraud, Untrue Statements of Material Facts, Bribery, and Illegal Gratuities, as set forth in 56 Fed. Reg. 46191 (Sept. 10, 1991) and any amendments thereto. None of the Company nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee or agent thereof, has engaged in any activity prohibited under U.S. federal or state criminal or civil health care Laws, including the U.S. federal Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C.  1320a-7b(b)), the Anti-Inducement Law (42 U.S.C.  1320a-7a(a)(5)), the False Claims Act (31 U.S.C.  3729 et seq.), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (42 U.S.C.  1320d et seq.), as amended by the Health Information, Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, the civil monetary penalty laws (42 U.S.C.  1320a-7a), the FDCA, the PHSA, the regulations promulgated pursuant to such Laws, and any equivalent applicable Laws of other jurisdictions (each, a Health Care Law). There is no civil, criminal, administrative or other proceeding, notice or demand pending, received, or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing against the Company that asserts an alleged violation, in any material respect, of any Health Care Law. None of the Company or its employees or agents, has, under any Health Care Law, been debarred, excluded, suspended, or otherwise determined to be ineligible to participate in any health care programs of any Governmental Authority, convicted of any crime, or to the Knowledge of the Company, engaged in any conduct that has resulted in any such debarment, exclusion, suspension, ineligibility, or conviction, including any debarment mandated by 21 U.S.C.  335a(a) or any similar Law or authorized by 21 U.S.C.  335a(b) or any similar Law. The Company is not party to any consent decrees (including plea agreements) or similar actions to which the Company or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee or agent thereof, are bound or which relate to Company Product Candidates.

20

(d) The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws enforced by, and Orders of, the FDA and any other Company Regulatory Agency with respect to the labeling, storing, testing, development, manufacture, packaging and distribution of the Company Product Candidates. To the Knowledge of the Company, all required pre-clinical toxicology studies conducted by or on behalf of the Company, and all clinical trials sponsored by the Company are being conducted in compliance in all material respects with applicable Company Permits and applicable Laws, including the applicable requirements of the FDCA and the regulations of the FDA promulgated thereunder, including any applicable requirements of 21 C.F.R. Parts 50, 54, 56, 58, 210, 211, and 312. The material results of any such studies, tests and trials, and all other material information related to such studies, tests and trials, have been made available to Parent. Each clinical trial conducted by or, to the Knowledge of the Company, on behalf of the Company with respect to Company Product Candidates has been conducted in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws, including FDCA and the regulations of the FDA promulgated thereunder, including any applicable requirements of 21 C.F.R. Parts 50, 54, 56, 58, 210, 211 and 312. The Company has filed with applicable Company Regulatory Agencies all material notices required to be filed (and made available to Parent copies thereof) of adverse drug experiences, injuries or deaths relating to clinical trials conducted by or on
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 8-K

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 10, 2017

RICH PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

NEVADA 000-54767 46-3259117 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) Commission file number (IRS Employer Identification No.)

9595 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 900

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

(Address of principal executive offices)

(424) 230-7001

(Registrants telephone number)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

On January 10, 2017 the Company issued 126,023,000 shares of Company common stock to satisfy the conversion of $6,301.15 of a convertible note payable with LG Capital Funding LLC.

The above-referenced issuances of shares were made in reliance on the exemption provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act for the offer and sale of securities not involving a public offering. The Company's reliance upon Section 4(2) of the Securities Act in issuing the securities was based upon the following factors: (a) the issuance of the securities was an isolated private transaction by us which did not involve a public offering; (b) there was only a one investor who was an accredited investor; (c) there were no subsequent or contemporaneous public offerings of the securities by us; (d) the securities were not broken down into smaller denominations; and (e) the issuance of shares was pursuant to a convertible note payable which was negotiated directly between the investor and the Company.

The total number of outstanding shares of common stock of the Company as of January 17, 2017 after the above described issuance is 1,433,424,310.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

RICH PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. Dated: January 17, 2017 By: /s/ Ben Chang Ben Chang Chief Executive Officer
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): January 19, 2017

Xtant Medical Holdings, Inc. (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

001-34951 20-5313323 (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.)

664 Cruiser Lane Belgrade, Montana 59714 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

(406) 388-0480 (Registrants Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Not applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions ( see General Instruction A.2. below):

 Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

The Company has issued a press release on January 19, 2017, entitled XTNT Announces Issuance of PIK Notes, which is attached as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein.

The information in this Item 7.01 and the document attached as Exhibit 99.1 are being furnished and shall not be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), nor otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits .

Exhibit No. Description 99.1 Press Release of Xtant Medical Holdings, Inc. dated January 19, 2017, entitled XTNT Announces Issuance of PIK Notes.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated: January 19, 2017 XTANT MEDICAL HOLDINGS, INC. By: /s/ John Gandolfo Name: John Gandolfo Title: Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No. Description 99.1 Press Release of Xtant Medical Holdings, Inc. dated January 19, 2017, entitled XTNT Announces Issuance of PIK Notes.

XTNT Announces Issuance of PIK Notes

BELGRADE, Mont., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xtant Medical Holdings, Inc. (NYSE MKT: XTNT), a leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of orthopedic products for domestic and international markets, today has announced the issuance of new convertible promissory notes on January 17, 2017 (the New Notes) to ROS Acquisition Offshore LP (ROS) and OrbiMed Royalty Opportunities II, LP (OrbiMed) for the following interest payments owed to them on January 15, 2017 (which were due on January 17, 2017, the immediately following business day) : (i) $1,560,000 of interest owed under Xtants Indenture, dated as of July 31, 2015 and (ii) $67,145 of interest from certain convertible promissory notes issued to them pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 14, 2016, with Xtant. The combination of the previously announced Direct Offering that closed on January 17, 2017 and these New Notes satisfy in full Xtants current interest payment obligations under all convertible notes.

The New Notes bear interest at the rate of 6.00%, with a maturity date of July 15, 2021, and are convertible into common stock of Xtant at a conversion price of $.7589.

Finally, OrbiMed and ROS have deferred the interest due under Xtants senior credit facility due on December 31, 2016, to January 14, 2017, and they further deferred such interest to January 31, 2017. Xtant, OrbiMed and ROS are in discussions about adding the deferred interest to the principal amount of the senior credit facility. No assurances can be given that those discussions will be successful.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy shares of common stock, nor shall there be any sale of common stock in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

About Xtant Medical Holdings

Xtant Medical Holdings, Inc. (NYSE MKT: XTNT) develops, manufactures and markets class-leading regenerative medicine products and medical devices for domestic and international markets. Xtant products serve the specialized needs of orthopedic and neurological surgeons, including orthobiologics for the promotion of bone healing, implants and instrumentation for the treatment of spinal disease, tissue grafts for the treatment of orthopedic disorders, and biologics to promote healing following cranial, and foot and ankle surgeries. With core competencies in both biologic and non-biologic surgical technologies, Xtant can leverage its resources to successfully compete in global neurological and orthopedic surgery markets. For further information, please visit www.xtantmedical.com.

Important Cautions Regarding Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains certain disclosures that may be deemed forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as continue, efforts, expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, estimates, projects, forecasts, strategy, will, goal, target, prospects, potential, optimistic, confident, likely, probable or similar expressions or the negative thereof.

Statements of historical fact also may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. We caution that these statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of important factors, including, among others: our ability to integrate the acquisition of X-spine Systems, Inc. and any other business combinations or acquisitions successfully; our ability to remain listed on the NYSE MKT; our ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms; our ability to increase revenue; our ability to comply with the covenants in our credit facility; our ability to maintain sufficient liquidity to fund our operations; the ability of our sales force to achieve expected results; our ability to remain competitive; government regulations; our ability to innovate and develop new products; our ability to obtain donor cadavers for our products; our ability to engage and retain qualified technical personnel and members of our management team; the availability of our facilities; government and third-party coverage and reimbursement for our products; our ability to obtain regulatory approvals; our ability to successfully integrate recent and future business combinations or acquisitions; our ability to use our net operating loss carry-forwards to offset future taxable income; our ability to deduct all or a portion of the interest payments on the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes; our ability to service our debt; product liability claims and other litigation to which we may be subjected; product recalls and defects; timing and results of clinical studies; our ability to obtain and protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights; infringement and ownership of intellectual property; our ability to remain accredited with the American Association of Tissue Banks; influence by our management; our ability to pay dividends; our ability to issue preferred stock; and other factors.

Additional risk factors are listed in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the heading Risk Factors. You should carefully consider the trends, risks and uncertainties described in this document, the Form 10-K and other reports filed with or furnished to the SEC before making any investment decision with respect to our securities. If any of these trends, risks or uncertainties actually occurs or continues, our business, financial condition or operating results could be materially adversely affected, the trading prices of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Investor Contact

CG CAPITAL

Rich Cockrell

877.889.1972

[email protected]

Company Contact

Molly Mason

[email protected]

Xtant Medical Holdings, Inc.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said Pakistan strongly wants peace and stability for development and eradication of poverty from South.

He was talking to his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil wickremesinghe in Davos on the sidelines of World Economic Forum meeting.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan wants friendly relations and cooperation with all regional countries for the collective good of the office in South Asia.

Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan gives immense importance to South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and is determined to achieve all objectives in light of its charter.

Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Sri Lanka, which have deepened with the passage of time.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister expressed the desire to increase cooperation with Pakistan in the fields of defense and trade. He called for taking steps to increase bilateral trade.

Meanwhile, talking to Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on the sidelines of the meeting, Nawaz Sharif urged the international community to take notice of the Indian atrocities and human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir.

He said Pakistan extends full political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir who are striving for their right to self-determination. He also referred to UN resolutions in this regard that call for a plebiscite.

The Swedish Prime Minister shared Pakistan's concerns over the situation in Occupied Kashmir.

He said that Sweden is keen to further strengthen and broaden ties with Pakistan, in all spheres. He said his government is already working closely with Pakistan in many areas.

The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations and ways to further boost their ties.

Chairman Ali Baba Group Jack Ma also called on Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on the sideline of World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.

Talking to the Prime Minister, Jack Ma said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has tremendous opportunities for foreign business leaders to invest in Pakistan.

He said that a large number of companies of the world are benefiting from Ali Baba Group and it is ready to invest in Pakistan to promote E-Commerce.

The Prime Minister invited him to visit Pakistan.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Thursday has asked Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif to answer about how the money was sent abroad.

Talking to media outside the Supreme Court, Imran Khan said that he is not running electoral campaign. He said Nawaz Sharif cannot escape from Panama Leaks case due to leveling allegations against him.

He said the premier has to submit money trail in the court.

PTI chief further inquired why Makhdoom Ali Khan is asking for immunity when PM had not lied in parliament.
Foreign Office says there is ample and undeniable evidence that India is involved in subversive activities and financing terrorism in Pakistan.

At his weekly news briefing in Islamabad today, Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakariya said unfortunately Pakistan is the victim of terrorism especially the Indian state terrorism.

He said there is a confessional statement of RAW agent Kulbushan Yadav in this regard.

Nafees Zakariya said the former US defense secretary Chuck Hagel had stated that New Delhi is trying to destablize Pakistan from Afghanistan.

There are also statements of top Indian leaders about using terrorism against Pakistan.

The spokesperson said no nation has done more than Pakistan to wipe out terrorism.

He said Pakistan's successes are acknowledged by all.

He said we have called upon India to pursue the path of dialogue rather than confrontation and terrorism.

He, however, regretted that India has shied away from talks for resolution of outstanding disputes including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said just resolution of this dispute is essential for normalization of relations between the two countries and peace and development in the region.
The talks between Religious Affairs Ministry of Saudi Arabia and Pakistani officials have succeeded after which the cut has been lifted from the old quota for Pakistan.

According to details, the old hajj quota has been restored for Pakistan after these successful talks.

It is pertinent to mention that the Saudi government cut Pakistani quota by 20 percent owing to the expansion of Masjid-ul-Haram, however after the restoration as many as one lakh and seventy nine thousand pilgrims from Pakistan would visit the sacred land this year.

Sources revealed that Pakistani officials have also requested that quota should be extended even more.

It has also been reported that the Saudi officials have also assured that they would consider if the Pakistans religious ministry gave an application for extension of the quota after carrying out census within the country.

On the other hand, Saudi officials have also assured to solve the problem of mobile sim during Hajj Pilgrimage.
During the meeting, the PM informed the newly-appointed UN SG that Pakistan wants sustainable peace and security in the region.

PM Nawaz also invited the UN Secretary General to a visit to Pakistan.

In the meeting, PM Nawaz said that Pakistan needs a favourable environment for economic cooperation.

Kashmir is an internationally recognised issue and for development every dispute including that of Kashmir should be resolved, said the prime minister.

PM Nawaz apprises global leaders about humanitarian situation in Kashmir

In separate meetings with premiers of Sweden and Sri Lanka on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif apprised the leaders about grave human rights situation in the Indian-occupied Kashmir.



Earlier, in his meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, Sharif dilated upon the ongoing human rights abuse by the Indian state and its security forces in the occupied territory. He said that the international community must play its constructive role in resolving the Kashmir dispute.



Sharif said that Pakistan would continue to extend its moral, diplomatic and political support for the Kashmiri people to attain self-determination.



The Swedish premier expressed his concerns over the prevalent situation in Kashmir.



In an another meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sharif said that Pakistan desires to resolve all outstanding issues with India, including Kashmir issue.



He further said that Pakistan aspires to see cordial state relations in the region and desires to see an active role of SAARC.
Interior Minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said on Thursday that some foreign intelligence agencies fund terrorists in Pakistan.

The Interior Minister has informed the Senate in black and white that it is difficult to obtain 100 percent information regarding funding of terrorists in the country but the government is taking several steps to halt sponsorship of banned outfits.

Nisars statement asserts that extortion money collected also reaches operatives of terror organisations.

He stated that hundreds of relative matters are being studied. At least 498 cases under Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, around 230 cases under Anti-Money Laundering Act and 116 over suspicious remittances have been registered.

The ministry has issued directives to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to curb the funding and for the cause a list of at least 62 extremist organisations has been issued, the reply states.

In reaction to Nisars reply, Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini said that some states that share friendly terms with Pakistan also sponsor terrorism here and demanded the ministry to identify the steps taken in this regard.
Police on Wednesday claimed to have foiled a plan sponsored by the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) to sabotage projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and generate anti-Pakistan feelings in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Police arrested 12 workers of the Balawaristan National Front (BNF) from Yasin Valley of Ghizer district and seized a large quantity of weapons during a raid.

GB Inspector General Zafar Iqbal Awan told a press conference that the arrested suspects had received funds from RAW and prepared a plan to sabotage the CPEC and stir unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan.

He said that the suspects had planned to attack Ismaili Jamaatkhanas in Ghizer and other parts of GB.

The IG said that BNF chief Abdul Hamid, who lived in Belgium, received funds from the RAW and directed workers of his organisation in Pakistan to sabotage CPEC-related projects.

The RAW gave Rs300 million to Abdul Hamid who sent the amount to his supporters in the region through some banks. Part of the amount has been used for purchasing weapons, he said.

Police had identified 60 people involved in the conspiracy and arrested 12 of them, besides seizing weapons, he said and identified those arrested as Majeedullah, Sanaullah, Daulat Jan, Qayoom Khan, Niyat Wali, Sajjad Karim, Inayat Karim, Marook Shah, Bulbul Aman, Mohammad Alam, Hafeez Ali and Imandar Shah.

The weapons seized included eight Kalashnikovs, 12 shotguns and an unspecified number of 7mm guns and pistols.

Police also recovered anti-Pakistan literature from the possession of the arrested suspects and registered an FIR against them at the Yasin police station.

IG Awan said the people associated with the BNF network also lived in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other cities of the country.

He said that the BNF was formed in 1995 by Abdul Hamid, a resident of Yasin Valley, who left the country in 1999.

The organisation is working against the integrity and constitution of the country, he alleged.

He claimed that the BNF chiefs activities had been reported from some Asian countries as well. In 2013 he went to Nepal, Thailand and Bangladesh and met people from GB there to organise his organisation because it was difficult for him to do so in Pakistan. He invited Abdul Qayoom, Shakoor Khan, Wazir Shafi and Burhan Raziq to the countries and bore expenses of their travel on fake passports.

During interrogation, IG Awan said, the BNF workers revealed that a huge amount had been disbursed in Pakistan through the four people to purchase arms, organise the outfit, gain sympathy from political, religious and social organisations, publish subversive literature, spread hatred against the country on social media and impede work on CPEC-related projects and the Diamer-Bhasha dam.

The GB home department recently issued a security alert, warning that about eight militants of Jundullah had entered Ghizer district and were planning to attack Ismaili Jamaatkhanas and schools to disturb peace in the area.

It asked the local administration and law enforcement agencies to remain alert and beef up security at entry and exit points of the district.

Speaking on the issue, the IG said that police had launched a crackdown on criminals, suspected terrorists and people included in Forth Schedule to maintain law and order in the region and ensure smooth work on the CPEC-related projects.

Two wanted terrorists, identified as Shakeel and Azmat, had recently been arrested in Gilgit, he said.

During interrogation, they revealed that they were planning to attack a religious gathering in the Danyor area to foment sectarian unrest.

According to the IG, Faizan Ahmed, a proclaimed offender, wanted for the murder of Asad Zaidi, former deputy speaker of the GB Legislative Assembly, made a plan to attack an Ismaili Jamaatkhana in Ghizer. A search operation has been launched to arrest him and his accomplices.
Pakistan has accused India of carrying out ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Muslims through its various Hindu terrorist outfits.

The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria revealed this in a weekly briefing on Thursday while professing that the Hindu terrorist outfits are indulged in ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Muslims in Jammu region.

The Spokesperson also claimed that the Indian government is empowering such Hindu outfits and that the Kashmiri Muslims were being killed by security forces in fake encounters.

Nafees Zakaria let it be known through the briefing that the house raids and custodial killings were on the rise inside Indian held Kashmir as he severely condemned the continuous killing of Kashmiris.

The Spokesperson also revealed that ever since the Modi government took over, the extremist Hindu outfits have constantly been empowered by the state in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, for causing the displacement of large number of Kashmiri Muslim families purposely.

Nafees Zakariya expressed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has held several meetings with world leaders during his ongoing visit to Davos for World Economic Forum and highlighted severe human rights violations by the Indian forces in Indian occupied territories of Kashmir.
Iran's oldest high-rise in southern Tehran collapsed on Thursday morning following a major fire in the building, leaving dozens of people injured.

The 17-story structure crumbled after the fire engulfed the top floors of the building in downtown Tehran as scores of firefighters battled the blaze.

The Fars news agency and the IRIB news website said at least 30 firefighters were feared to have been killed in the incident but officials did not confirm any deaths.

The head of Tehran's emergency services told IRIB that at least 70 people have been injured and 23 hospitalized.

Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said between 20 to 25 people are believed to have been trapped under the rubble.

Fars said a firefighter had texted a message to a colleague, saying he was alive and trapped with several others at the building's engine room.

Officials have not given the exact number of casualties so far.

Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before the collapse as police kept out shopkeepers and others trying to rush back in to collect their valuables.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has ordered an immediate investigation into the causes of the tragedy.

Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi also visited the site.

The administration stands by the nation, and all relevant bodies have been mobilized to save the injured, Jahanigiri told reporters.

Ghazizadeh Hashemi also said all hospitals and medical emergency centers in the capital are on high alert and fully prepared to provide aid to those wounded in the blaze and the ensuing building collapse.

The building came down in a matter of seconds, shown live on state television, which had begun an interview with a journalist at the scene.

A side of the building buckled first, tumbling close to a firefighter perched on a ladder and spraying water on the blaze.

Nearby buildings including the embassies of Turkey, Germany and the UK have been evacuated. Authorities at Tehran's governor's office have ruled out terrorism.

The tower was inaugurated in 1962 and named after a plastics manufacturing company. It was the tallest building in the city at the time of its construction. It included shopping centers and clothing workshops.
Moscow says Russian warplanes and Turkish jets have jointly targeted positions of Daesh terrorists in the Syrian city of al-Bab.

The Wednesday aerial attacks by Russian and Turkish warplanes were the first joint air operation by the two countries against the Daesh terrorist group in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Lieutenant General Sergei Rudskoi of the Russian military's General Staff told a briefing that nine Russian and eight Turkish planes were part of the operation in the area around the city of al-Bab, located 40 kilometers northeast of Aleppo, which was fully recaptured by the Syrian forces in December.

The Russian military official said the operation had been conducted with the Syrian governments consent.

The Russian Air Force was also providing air support to Syrian government troops trying to fight off a Daesh attack around the eastern city of Dayr al-Zawr, Rudskoi said, adding that Russian jets were also backing a Syrian army offensive near the ancient city of Palmyra.

Rudskoi said that "36 targets" had been destroyed in the joint operation.

The announcement came less than a week after the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that Moscow and Ankara had agreed to coordinate aerial attacks "on terrorist targets" in Syria, and signed a memorandum on combat flight safety during missions in Syrian airspace.

Meanwhile, a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Moscow and Ankara and endorsed by the UN Security Council in late December, is largely holding across Syria as a new round of peace talks, to be mediated by Russia, Turkey, and Iran, are to be held in the Kazakh capital Astana next week.

The Daesh and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Takfiri terrorist groups are excluded from the ceasefire and the talks between representatives from the Syrian government and armed opposition groups.

Washington has not been involved in the latest diplomacy on the Syrian conflict as Ankara is ostensibly shifting from its long-time ally and tilting more toward Russia on the war in the Arab country.

Biggest bones of contention between Turkey, US

Ties between Turkey, which is a NATO member, and other member states of the Western military alliance have been strained following their support for Kurdish militias.

The tension between Ankara and its Western allies is significantly linked to the countrys July 15 failed coup, to which Turkey says they did not show due reaction.

Washingtons refusal to extradite US-based Turkish opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of having masterminded the botched coup, is another bone of contention between the two countries.

In August last year, 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 Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and Democratic Union Party (PYD), who have been making gains under the aegis of the US and other Western countries. Ankara has already made it clear that it will not tolerate Kurdish territorial gains close to its frontiers.
Andrew von Dadelszen

Regional Councillor

At the start of a new year it is time to set some targets to achieve as an elected regional councillor. I will just highlight four.

My first priority is to improve our public transport system in Tauranga. We really do have a big problem here, and improving our bus patronage will also help our increasing road congestion. Short term it isnt about encouraging different modes of transport, but more about developing a bus system that is affordable, time-reliable and time-effective.

One of our current key performance indicators for our bus service is taking the bus shouldnt be more than twice as long as taking a car. This is plain nonsense, and we need to be much more ambitious than that if we want increased patronage. Watch this space.

My second New Years resolution is to crack down on farmers that continue to breach environmental standards. Ninety-five per cent of farmers uphold excellent environmental standards, and the few that dont need the book thrown at them. Enough is enough, and we have to get tough on polluters. Breach your consent and expect to pay the consequences. Im sure I can get strong councillor agreement to a one strike and you are out policy. I was a farmer for 17 years, and am a strong farmer advocate  but breaching consents and pollution has to stop.

My third resolution is to strongly back the building of a purpose-built coastal marine research centre. This would be a huge boost for this region, and Professor Chris Battershill needs our support to increase the efficacy of his research. The potential of our Bay of Plenty coastal waters for pharmaceutical discovery alone is huge, and Tauranga needs to become a world leader in marine science.

My fourth resolution is to continue to advocate for a revitalised CBD for Tauranga City. The building of a university campus will be a game- changer, but we have to go much further. I truly believe a stadium on the Tauranga Domain would be another. Cardiff, in Wales, has proven a downtown stadium doesnt need carparking; in fact it would be a detractor. We need attendees to visit our cafes and bars, both before and after matches  to boost our local economy.

Lets all get behind these great examples of regional development. These ideas are affordable for New Zealands fifth largest city. Please support my vision. Be brave. Just do it.

If you have a view on these or any other local government issues, I invite you to email me at: andrew@vond.co.nz Or visit: www.vond.co.nz, or just give me a call.

Please note views expressed in this column are my personal views and do not necessarily reflect regional council policy.
The two former RNZAF Strikemaster jet trainers appearing as a feature of the Classics of the Sky Tauranga City Airshow this weekend, will be on display in New Zealand for the last time.

It will also be the last opportunity for anyone to go for a ride in an aircraft that was the mainstay of the RNZAF strike force from 1970 to the mid-1980s, when wing spars began cracking up because of heavy use and the turbulent New Zealand environment.

Both Strikemasters and all the air craft spares have been sold to Blue Air Training based in Las Vegas, USA, says former owner Brett Nicholls on a post to the Wings over New Zealand Show Facebook page.

Its with some sadness that I would like to inform you that both my Strikemasters and all spares have been sold, says Brett.

The decision to sell was not taken lightly, however, it has to be acknowledged that the landscape for Strikemaster operations has changed significantly over the last few months which had the potential to drastically increase the maintenance costs on the aircraft and the length of time each aircraft would be out of the air.

Brett discovered late last year that Blue Air Training had bought all the Strikemaster and Jet Provost spares from Australia, which was his main source of spare parts.

Blue Air Training also has an extremely close relationship with the company in the UK that has the other significant inventory of Strikemaster spare parts.

The reduction is parts availability meant that running a Strikemaster to the CAA standards for passenger flight was going to be increasingly difficult and significantly more costly, says Brett.

In talking with Blue Air Training about it, they expressed a keen interest in getting both of Bretts aircraft and his significant spare parts package.

To be honest, I was surprised at the swiftness of the deal offered, but Blue Air Training have been very upfront on what they want and that they will look after the Strikemasters in Las Vegas, says Brett.

I understand that some will view this decision quite negatively, all I can say it that the cost of operating Strikemaster jet is quite frankly eye-watering and given that these costs are only going to increase, potentially significantly, then I had to weigh up my options. My heart told me to keep the Strikemasters, but my head told me to take the offer, which I did.

While he will look at other aircraft opportunities Brett says the decision to sell the Strikemasters is a pragmatic one in light of potential significant increasing cost in Strikemaster maintenance.

Classics of the Sky Tauranga City Airshow

The Royal New Zealand Air Force plans to display one of the new T6C-Texan ll trainer aircraft for the first time in Tauranga at the Classics of the Sky  Strikemasters at Sundown on January 21.

Replacing the CT4-E aircraft as pilot trainers, and also as the RNZAF display team, the new Texan display team is developing an air show display routine for the upcoming air show season.

The NZ Defence Force also plans to display a C-130 Hercules, an SH-2G Seasprite helicopter, a Pinzgauer light operational vehicle and the military police dogs. NZDF recruiters will also attend the air show.

An iconic amphibious aircraft is expected back in Tauranga for the first time at an air show for many years. The Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina will be a welcome sight in the Tauranga skies this week and at the show.

Plans for high speed vehicle races down the airport runway are well underway. One of the superbikes on the display list is the 2014 Suzuki Hayabusa, which broke the land speed record for the Ashburton Speed trials in December, with a top speed of 308.7km/hr.

Other vehicle races planned include a group of high performance dragsters, and the Nissan GT-R 35 from Farmer Autovillage racing against the Yakovlev-Yak 55. Aircraft on display also include classic, sport, aerobatic and RC model aircraft too.

The public can purchase a ride in a BAC Strikemaster Jet or the P51 Mustang. Gates open to the public from 1pm. Live displays start at 4pm.

There is plenty of parking on the field, as well as lots of food and beverage sites. BYO alcohol is not permitted.

For more information go to: www.tcas.co.nz Or email: airshow@classicflyersnz.com or phone 07 5724000.
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A 40 million development scheme to build a new cinema, shops and 153 flats on Marketfield Way, Redhill , has been approved by councillors.

The build will see a multi-screen cinema complex and a 13-storey building, which includes ten retail units and flats, become a part of Redhill town centre.

Several shops on Redhill High Street will now be demolished to make way for the project, including Argos, Coral, Oxfam, hairdressers La Moda, Mamma Mia, and the British Heart Foundation.

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council's planning committee met last night (Wednesday, January 18) to discuss the application which planning officer Andrew Benson had recommended for approval.

Mr Benson said at the meeting the scheme would "significantly boost the evening economy and bring life and activity to the town" and "enhance Redhill as a retail destination".

The 13-storey building which will contain the flats will be Redhill's tallest building and is set to be a focal point of navigation for the town.

The council has previously said that "well-known national brands" will be signed up for the retail units in the building. The planning application, however, has no further details as of yet who these brands will be. But an artist's impression of the development features clothing stores Next and Gap.

(Image: Reigate and Banstead Borough Council)

During the planning committee's debate, there were concerns over disabled parking access, affordable housing and the possible effects the scheme would have on the Harlequin Theatre, which currently has the town's only cinema screen.

Councillor Jonathan Essex raised concerns about the future of the Harlequin, saying it is "very much loved" and he would like confirmation the new cinema build won't negatively affect it.

Responding, Mr Benson said the new cinema was to "compliment rather than compete with" the already-existing theatre.

Cllr Essex also raised concerns about independently-owned food businesses that could lose trade to possible chain restaurants.

Comparing it to similar changes that Croydon has seen, he said: "I want confirmation this isn't the 'Croydonisation' of Redhill".

Replying to Cllr Essex's comments, Councillor Graeme Crome, councillor for Merstham, said: "I'm disappointed that there are comparisons with places like Croydon in a negative context.

"If this means that we are going to have a wider retail offering, bringing thousands more people into this borough, bringing us more investment into it and greater employment and investment opportunities, then I'm all for it being a little bit more like Croydon."

Concerns were also raised by other councillors about available parking spaces in the town, and how they could be affected.

However, Mr Benson advised that the nearby Sainsbury's would provide "more than enough spaces", with adequate disabled access, for the town's visitors and residents.

Chairman of the planning committee Councillor Mark Brunt, also a member for Merstham, abstained from the vote but a majority of councillors voted for it to be approved.

Construction is expected to begin this year and be completed by 2019.
By Gopi Maniar Ghanghar : In the election year, the Gujarat government has announced a massive salary hike for its disgruntled fixed-pay employees.

The BJP government in the state on Wednesday said a hike of 63-124 per cent under the Seventh Pay Commission will be effective from February 1.

"The decision to hike the salaries of the fixed-pay employees, as per the pay matrix of Seventh Pay Commission, was taken in the cabinet meeting in Gandhinagar," Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Patel said at a press conference.

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The announcement will benefit 1,18,738 fixed-pay employees of the state government.

ALSO READ: 7th Pay Commission: All you need to know about how states are stealing a march on Centre

WHO ALL WILL BENEFIT

Some of those who will benefit from this pay hike include vidya sahayaks (assistant government teachers), police sub inspectors, constables, clerks, nurses and drivers.

Fixed-pay employees have been fighting for a revision in their pay since 2006. The pay revision will come at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore annually.

The fixed-pay regime was introduced by the Gujarat government in 2006, wherein direct recruits for these posts were only entitled to get a fixed salary for a period of five years.

Last month, the Supreme Court slammed the Gujarat government for not paying fixed-pay employees the salary designated for regular employees.

"Now, this five-year tenure will be considered as their regular service and will be taken into account during promotions," Patel said.

ALSO READ: 7th Pay Commission: Your 7-point guide on the recommendations

WHO WILL GET WHAT

Following the hike, the salary of Class-4 employees will go up from Rs 10,400 to Rs 16,624 per month, which is a jump of more than 63 per cent.

Class-3 employees will get Rs 19,950 as against Rs 11,500 per month they were drawing earlier. The Gujarat government has nearly 1 lakh employees in this category.

The pay of nearly 15,700 Class-2 employees 2 will now stand at Rs 31,340 compared to Rs 16,500 a month.

Further, those fixed-pay employees who were drawing Rs 17,000 a month will now get Rs 38,040, which is a 124 per cent increase.

(with inputs from PTI)

ALSO READ:

7th pay commission revision to not apply directly to autonomous bodies: Finance Ministry

Nitish gives a nod for 7th pay commission benefits to Bihar's contractual teachers

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
Syracuse, N.Y.  The new owner of a former Christian Science church known for its unusual round shape is planning to turn the historic building into retail space or a restaurant and build an apartment building next to it.

An entity named 728 EGSU LLC presented preliminary plans for the redevelopment of the former First Church of Christ, Scientist, at 728 E. Genesee St., a few blocks from Syracuse University, to the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board in November.

The limited liability corporation, which lists as its address a home in Roslyn Heights on Long Island, bought the property for $1.54 million from Justin Nappi and the Nappi Family Foundation in February.

Nappi, a Jamesville-DeWitt High School graduate who filmed the indie movie "Adult World" in Syracuse in 2012, announced plans in January 2015 to convert the former Christian Science church into a venue for film screenings, lectures, music, theater and dance. Those plans were dropped and Nappi sold the building for a quick half-million-dollar profit.

At the preservation board's Nov. 17 meeting, representatives of Ashley McGraw Architects, which had also worked on plans for the arts cinema, presented design concepts for an eight- to 10-story building of market-rate apartments to be constructed on on the site. The apartments would be built immediately adjacent to and behind the church, according to minutes of the meeting.

The ground floor of the new building would include retail space fronting East Gensee St., with a parking garage behind it. The church would be incorporated into the development with retail or restaurant uses. However, no significant interior or exterior alterations to the church are planned.

The former church is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Its cornerstone was laid in 1921, and the building was completed in 1923.

In 2002, Second Church of Christ, Scientist, dissolved its membership and donated its building at 3827 E. Genesee St. in DeWitt to the First Church of Christ, Scientist. In April 2003, the First Church of Christ, Scientist, relocated to 3827 E. Genesee St. and sold its former home to Summit Federal Credit Union.

The credit union moved out and sold the building to Nappi for $990,000 in December 2014.

An addition built onto the west side of the church for its Sunday school classes around 1950 would be demolished for the apartment project. Architect Andrew Schuster told the landmark board that the addition was thoroughly remodeled when it was converted into a credit union and there is little or no historic material remaining in it.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
Syracuse, NY -- Six men on trial for felony rioting in the aftermath of a Father's Day melee that saw 37 shots fired and a fatal police encounter challenged today what rioting really means.

There's a colloquial definition of rioting and a legal one that is much more specific, County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller noted at one point.

All six men say what they did during the June 19 Father's Day party on the Near West Side doesn't add up to rioting under law.

Some admitted being "mouthy." Others acknowledged being worked up or obnoxious. One noted that he'd briefly crossed a police line before coming back. Another argued he wasn't even there for the melee.

But all of them disputed that they were the ones causing violence. That's what's required under the state law for "rioting." And they dispute acting together to cause the chaos -- an argument made by the prosecution.

"The real crime is that people are carrying unlicensed firearms and shooting them at each other," defense lawyer Donald Kelly said during opening statements. He represents Arthur King Jr., 26, of Liverpool.

None of the six on trial are accused of having guns or firing them. None of them are charged with assault or attacking any officers.

It does not appear that anyone has ever been charged with firing a gun that night. Seven other people have pleaded guilty to rioting -- including a woman who admitted biting an officer -- but six others decided to fight their charges.

Today, Kelly urged the jury not to find the six on trial guilty just because someone needed to be punished for the out-of-control melee.

The whole thing started after several people -- not on trial -- started shooting at each other.

Officer Kelsey Francemone was nearby and responded alone, fatally shooting a man she saw firing a gun, a grand jury found. She was then attacked by the crowd, as were other responding officers.

"The crowd is not on trial. The person who kicked Officer Francemone is not on trial. The person who bit (another) officer is not on trial," he noted.

But prosecutor Kerry Buske said police officer accounts and video placed all six of the men in the fracas and suggested that their exact participation would come out during the trial.

Buske said two of them -- Takim Hawkins, 27, and King Jr. -- were part of the crowd that attacked Officer Fracemone after she fired her gun at Gary Porter, killing him. A grand jury found Fracemone fired her gun after seeing Porter fire his during a shootout with others.

Arthur Hunter, 24, is accused of crossing a police line and going for an officer, dodging attempts to stop him, Buske said. But Hunter's lawyer, Tom Ryan, said his client did not attack an officer. He also suggested that his client had a unique circumstance because Porter, the killed man, was his father.

"Word traveled to my client that his father has just been shot and killed by a police officer on Father's Day," Ryan said during his opening statement. "He's going through something unique from what other people have been going through."

Jamie Crawford, 40, is accused of being part of the violence that night. Buske said video evidence would show his precise actions.

But his lawyer, Annie Porter, said Crawford was boisterous and might have been disorderly, a violation. But he never touched an officer or threatened to harm them, she said. In fact, he held people back who tried to cross the police line, she said.

Two others, Luis Reyes, 26, and Elonzo Wilson, 27, are accused of verbally threatening to harm police officers.

Reyes' lawyer, Ed Klein, acknowledged that Reyes used "provocative, insulting language" toward Fracemone and continued "mouthing off" to officers, but did not do anything physically.

Wilson's lawyer, Jim Hopkins, said his client -- one of the party organizers -- wasn't even there during the melee and suggested that Wilson was only charged after holding a protest days later over Porter's death.

There's no video evidence that Wilson was ever at the scene, Hopkins said. At least one officer is expected to testify to the contrary.

Lawyers for the six accused men say word spread quickly that night that a white officer had shot an unarmed black man in the back. It wasn't until months later, after a grand jury investigation, that the rumor was disproven.

So far, a jury of 12 people -- including two African-American women -- has been picked. Testimony begins this afternoon.
Syracuse, NY -- A former Clay man who fled to the African nation of Liberia after having sex with an underage girl will now spend three years in a New York prison.

Tobias Bowen, 50, pleaded guilty this morning to having sexual contact with the teenage girl in 2010. He will likely be deported to his native Netherlands after his prison sentence, prosecutor Jeremy Cali said.

Bowen was living on Norstar Boulevard at the time of the crime. He was accused of having sexual contact with the girl, who could not consent due to her age.

Bowen skipped his arraignment on the charge and fled to Africa.

There, Bowen worked openly as administrator at the Redemption Hospital in Liberia, on Africa's west coast. He was quoted in media and never tried to hide his identity.

Liberia never acted on an arrest warrant issued by retired Onondaga County Court Judge Anthony Aloi. But US Marshals got a tip that Bowen was traveling to Britain in 2014. He was arrested at an airport there in cooperation with British authorities.

Bowen's case was then caught up in the British court system. He was eventually extradited to the United States last year.

Today, Bowen pleaded guilty to the 2010 charge. He had faced a maximum sentence of 4 years in prison, Cali said, and the victim was OK with the punishment.
The scene of a fatal DWI crash on Interstate 81 in Syracuse in 2009.

Dennis Nett

NY's worst counties for drunking driving deaths, injuries

Drunk driving exacts a much heavier health toll in Upstate New York than it does Downstate, according to the state Health Department.

Here's a look at 16 New York counties with the highest rates of alcohol-related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population between 2012 and 2014.

The slideshow also breaks out the rates for Central New York

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No. 16 Herkimer County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Herkimer: 55.1

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 15 Delaware County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Delaware County: 56.2

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 14 Wyoming County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Wyoming County: 57.8

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 13 Washington County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Washington County: 58.4

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 12 Seneca County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Seneca County: 59.7

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 11 Fulton County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Fulton County: 61.7

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 10 Cattaraugus County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Cattaraugus County: 62

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 9 Warren County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Warren County: 62.3

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 8 Greene County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Greene County: 62.7

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 7 Genesee County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Genesee County: 64.4

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 6 Cortland County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Cortland County: 65.1

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 5 Allegany County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Allegany County: 65.9

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 4 Lewis County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Lewis County: 66.2

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 3 Yates County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Yates County: 67.4

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 2 Schuyler County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Schuyler County: 68.5

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 1 Hamilton County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Hamilton County: 70.1

NYS average: 32.2

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Associated Press

Drunk driving deaths, injuries in Central New York

Here's a look at the rates of alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths in Central New York

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No. 7 Tompkins County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Tompkins County: 33.1

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 6 Madison County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Madison County: 39.6

NYS average: 33.1

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No. 5 Oneida County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Oneida County: 44.1

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 4 Onondaga County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Onondaga County: 44.2

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 3 Oswego County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Oswego County: 45.4

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 2 Cayuga County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Cayuga County: 51.3

NYS average: 32.2

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No. 1 Cortland County

Alcohol related motor vehicle injuries and deaths per 100,000 population

Cortland County: 65.1

NYS average: 32.2

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A memorial on a telephone pole where two teens were killed in a DWI crash near Bridgeport in 1996.

More on drunk driving deaths, injuries in NY

Look up alcohol-related death and injury rates for any county in New York on the state Health Department's website.
2014-01-23-sdc-mayoraddress.JPG

Ben Walsh gives the introductory address at Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner's 2014 State of the City address in the gymnasium of St. Patrick's Loft on N. Lowell St., Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014.

(Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Mayoral candidate Ben Walsh has built a hefty campaign fund, thanks, in part, to backing from some deep-pocketed downtown real estate players.

Since October, Walsh has raised $129,588 on which to campaign for Syracuse mayor this fall. That makes him the clear financial front-runner in a not-yet-crowded race.

About $50,000 of that total came from Syracuse real estate developers and construction companies involved in big downtown projects.

Walsh, who is not registered with a political party, spent six years as head of business development for Mayor Stephanie Miner, a Democrat. In that role, he routinely worked with downtown developers as a liaison to City Hall. Walsh left that job nearly a year ago for a similar position at Mackenzie Hughes law firm.

During Walsh's tenure, a flurry of renovated commercial and residential properties sprung up downtown. He has cited the renovation of the Hotel Syracuse (now the Marriott Syracuse Downtown) as the project of which he is most proud.

"The support of the developers in the community is reflective of the community," he said. "What's most exciting to me -- if you were to ask any one of them, they would all give you an example of a time I had to say no to them. The feedback I've gotten is, even when you said no you were always responsive and forthright."

Gary Thurston and his company, Haynor Hoyt Construction, were among Walsh's top donors. Thurston's company did construction on the Hotel Syracuse. He characterized Walsh as a problem-solver on the project who found ways to keep it moving forward.

Thurston, 70, said he has never given individually to a political campaign before. He is not registered with a party, nor does he know many politicians.

"I don't see him as a politician," Thurston said.

Others top donors to Walsh's campaign include higher-ups at Mackenzie Hughes, community leaders, Deputy County Executive Bill Fisher and some local business owners.

Dan Feng is vice president of operations for Progressive Expert Consulting, a family-owned Syracuse technology company that provides language training for the military. Together, five Feng family members and the company donated $7,500 to Walsh.

Feng -- also former board president for FOCUS Greater Syracuse -- said he appreciates Walsh's understanding of the city and his willingness to cross party lines. He also said that Walsh has been able to make his own way instead of relying on his family name. Walsh's father is former U.S. Rep. Jim Walsh (R). His grandfather, William Walsh (R), was a Congressman as well as mayor of Syracuse in the 1960s.

"His family was a very strong Republican family and he was still able to find success and really make a difference in a Democratic City Hall," Feng said. "A lot of the issues we face in Syracuse aren't Republican or Democrat issues, they're Syracuse issues. That's how I'm looking at it."

Feng is a member of the Town of DeWitt GOP Committee. His family worked with Walsh's father when he was still in Congress. Jim Walsh helped the company submit bids for several large government contracts, according to Post-Standard archives.

'Just the beginning'

Walsh said he's happy with the money raised so far and called it "just the beginning." In all, he received 123 donations from individuals, in addition to money from about 30 corporate groups.

He held a kickoff fundraiser at the Jacobsen Rugs showroom earlier this month. Tickets cost between $125 and $500. Most of his money came last year, though, when Walsh said he was meeting and talking with supporters.

In 2009 -- the last mayoral race without an incumbent -- Stephanie Miner spent more than $485,000 on a winning campaign. Her challenger, Steve Kimatian, spent $170,000.

Walsh said Wednesday he hasn't ruled out seeking the Republican Party's nomination. He is not registered with a political party, and the Onondaga County GOP chairman has expressed support for Republican Laura Lavine.

If Walsh doesn't receive the Republican nomination, he'll have to continue raising money at a strong pace to compete with candidates who have major party backing.

So far, Walsh has spent about $12,000, leaving him with just more than $117,000 in the bank.

The only other candidate to declare he is running is Democrat Alfonso Davis. As of Thursday, there was no disclosure report available for Davis from the New York State Board of Elections, which means he has likely raised less than $1,000.

A campaign to draft former city attorney Juanita Williams raised about $11,000 and spent most of it on advertising. Some other candidates rumored to be joining the race include City Auditor Marty Masterpole (D), City Innovation and Policy Director Andrew Maxwell (D), Common Councilor Joe Nicoletti (D) and former LaFayette Superintendent Laura Lavine (R).

Walsh top contributors (donors over $1,000 only)
2015-08-08-dl-towpath19.JPG

A boat takes visitors along the Erie Canal during Towpath Day at Camillus Erie Canal Park in Camillus on Aug. 8, 2015.

(David Lassman | syracuse.com )

Syracuse, N.Y. -- The New York State Canal System, built on the spine of the Erie Canal, has been designated a national historic landmark, placing it among the premier historic sites in the country.

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell made the designation earlier this month, and the decision was celebrated by state canal officials at a ceremony Wednesday at the historic Marriott Syracuse Downtown (the former Hotel Syracuse).

Brian Stratton, director of the New York State Canal Corp., speaks in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Syracuse Downtown Jan. 18, 2017, during a ceremony marking the designation of the New York State Canal System as a national historic landmark.

The National Historic Landmarks Program recognizes places determined to be nationally historically significant because they possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States.

Bob Radliff, director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, said the designation, one of 24 announced by Jewell on Jan. 11, adds to the state canal system's prominence as a tourism and recreational attraction and could potentially bring new public and private investment in communities along the system.

The designation includes the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca canals -- direct successors of canals built in the 1820s and enlarged between 1905 and 1918. They make up 450 miles of navigation channels, stretching over 18 counties. The first of them, the Erie Canal, is credited with opening the interior of North America to settlement and commercial agriculture, transforming the Atlantic economy.

"This recognition from the highest levels of our nation reminds us once again of the essential role New York state and its waterways have played in our country's development and prominence," Radliff said.

The designation comes just six months before the bicentennial of the start of construction on the Erie Canal. Ground was broken on the 363-mile canal on July 4, 1817, in Rome. Stretching from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, the canal was completed in 1825 at a cost of $7 million, all of it paid for by the state.

The state canal system was added to the National Register of Historic Places in October 2014. Less than 3 percent, or 2,500, of the approximately 90,000 places listed on the National Register of Historic Places are designated national historic landmarks.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
cemetery

Eric Jackson

(Provided photo)

Nine years ago, a man kicked over a monument at St. Mary's Cemetery in Rome, and then kicked it again once it had fallen to the ground.

A person saw the man commit the vandalism and a warrant was issued for the man's arrest. Rome police, however, never found the man.

Earlier this week the man was found: in jail.

Eric S. Jackson, 29, of 214 Third St. in Rome was in the Herkimer County Correctional Facility. Jackson was arrested and charged by Rome police upon his release from the Herkimer County jail.

Jackson was charged with cemetery desecration, a felony, police said.
Jackie Warren-Moore, a poet, playwright, theatrical director and freelance writer, writes regularly for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Her new book is "Where I Come From" (Nine Mile Press, 2016).

We are smack dab in the middle of a mean season. Hatred, disrespect and intolerance are running wildly throughout our country. The way I see it, there are two choices. We can see it, recognize it for the growing monster it is and wring our hands. Or, we can see where we might help the situation, using whatever skill sets we have. (As the young people say: "Get in where you fit in.")



The latter is exactly what the CNY Solidarity Coalition is doing. The coalition is a grassroots organization born after the election of Donald Trump to the presidency. Two main groups, The Syracuse Peace Council and The Workers' Center of Central New York, combined with others to form the coalition.



I spoke with Nikeeta Slade, a community organizer, about the coalition. "I was surprised, shocked, horrified after the election," Slade said. She quickly discovered there were a lot of people who had similar feelings.



People were eager to talk about their fears and concerns. Mark Briggs, a licensed clinical social worker, admits he cried after the election and then felt rage. Tongue in cheek, Briggs said these are all symptoms of a new mental disorder he called TARD, "Trump Acceptance Resistance Disorder." For people who have been deeply affected, the feelings are real.



After some dialogue, the groups held a rally at the downtown Jerry Rescue monument commemorating the public's rescue of a fugitive slave in 1851. The coalition has since been meeting at 3 every Sunday afternoon at the Center for Peace and Social Justice, 2013 E. Genesee St.



Currently the organization has two components. The first is the legislative/action committee. "We are organizing and pressuring elected officials to stand up for justice and human rights," said organizer Andy Mager. On Dec. 21, the committee presented Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus, with a petition signed by 600 people on various issues. The committee is still awaiting a response to a request for him to hold a town hall meeting to discuss many of the issues of concern.



The second component is the Outreach Committee. The outreach committee is involved in reaching out to community organizations and individuals most impacted and targeted by the incoming administration's new agenda. It is a way to get people plugged into the coalition to have a say in their future and be proactive. "It gives me great hope to see hundreds of new people coming out to participate in the democratic process, which includes much more than voting every few years," Mager said.



On Jan. 21, from 11:30 to 2:30, the coalition plans to hold a "people's inauguration." The event will take place at All Saints' Parish Center, 1342 Lancaster Ave., offering free food, music, poetry, theater as well as time for people to talk with each other. Slade said the event is both a celebration and a call to action. A part of the Coalition's mission statement reads: "We will protect one another from the racist, sexist, Islamaphobic, xenophobic violence recently unleashed. Together we stand against threats to civil liberties including, freedom of speech, the right to assemble and the press. Together we peaceably fight back against the class war waged by the 1 percent. Together we demand immediate and sustained action to address climate change. Together we demand reproductive justice. We hope to foster solidarity among different communities of people."



There is a long list of issues that have people concerned and afraid. The fear and uncertainty is everywhere you look, in both young and adult hearts. If we are brave enough to look the unleashed monster in the face, we may in fact see two things. We may see how something we did or didn't do that fed the monster. We may see something inside ourselves that compels us to act to help our country heal.

It is a long list. Pick something and make a difference.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Delhi Congress today accused both BJP and AAP of indulging in Noora Kushti(bogus fight) over preliminary investigation registered by CBI against Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia to benefit the AAP in Punjab elections.

Preliminary Enquiry(PE) has no legal sanctity and it was "leaked" by CBI as BJP wants AAP to get sympathy and cut votes of Congress in Punjab elections, said Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken.

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CBI yesterday registered the preliminary enquiry against Sisodia and others in connection with alleged irregularities in AAP governments social media campaign Talk to AK, eliciting scathing attack on Prime Minister by Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal.

Maken also slammed BJP and AAP for indulging in "frivolous" rounds of allegations and counter-allegations to "divert attention" of people from their "failures" in Delhi.

"BJP government and CBI has intentionally leaked the news of PE inquiry against Manish Sisodia. BJP and AAP are hand in gloves and they are deliberately doing this to divert attention from the utter failure of both BJP and AAP government in Delhi," he said.

Keeping the forthcoming elections in mind, specially Punjab and Goa, it is being "deliberately done" for making a futile attempt to generate sympathy for AAP, Maken alleged.

Delhi Congress also slammed BJP led central government and AAP government in Delhi for the hike in various charges related with driving licence for commercial purposes claiming that auto-taxi drivers were affected by the need.

"The AAP government blindly implemented the notification of Union government thereby hiking commercial driving licence charges by upto 1500 percent. The auto drivers who voted for AAP are the most depressed and cheated lot among supporters of the party," he said.

Delhi Congress and its wing and Auto Taxi Drivers Congress will stage protests all over the city. Maken will participate in the series of protests beginning from one at Anand Vihar on January 24. PTI VIT RG

--- ENDS ---
Florida Panthers Opening Night with Vincent J. Viola

File photo: Vincent J. Viola, who owns the Florida Panthers, is Donald Trump's nominee as secretary of the U.S. Army. Viola was involved in an incident in Saratoga Springs last summer that left a concessions worker with a bloody lip, according to The New York Times reporting. (Photo by Omar Vega/Invision/AP)

(Omar Vega)

Vincent Viola was accused last summer of punching a concessions worker at a horse auction in Saratoga Springs, The New York Times reports.

Viola is President-Elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of the U.S. Army. Viola is a former U.S. Army ranger and the owner of the Florida Panthers.

No charges were issued in the August incident, but there was a police report, the Times reports. Police did not see the incident, but did find the worker with a bloody lip.

Viola told police the worker had pushed his wife, who was trying to get some water for a woman who fainted. The worker denied that. In the end, neither man wanted to press charges.

A spokesman for Viola said he regretted the incident, according to the Times.
While the Congress has announced an alliance with the Samajwadi Party, the formal tie up is still to be sealed as UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is not willing to give more than around 100 seats to alliance partners.

By India Today Web Desk: For the connoisseurs of politics, the Uttar Pradesh assembly election is heading to a mouth-watering finish. The political equation of the state is such that an otherwise marginal force in UP politics, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has become a sticking point between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.

In the multi-layered political amphitheatre, the Congress beat its potential alliance partner in UP by announcing the tie up for the assembly polls.

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Now, it has emerged that the two parties are facing are some hurdles about seat arrangements as tough bargain is underway between the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

READ| UP Assembly election: This is BJP's new mantra to counter Akhilesh Yadav

CONGRESS WANTS AN HONOURABLE ESCAPE ROUTE

The Congress wants a respectable figure for the UP elections after having announced earlier that it would contest all the 403 seats and also declaring former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit as its CM candidate.

The Congress is said to be eying for around 100 seats including those in Amethi and Raibareli parliamentary segments. UP Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is said to be against parting more than 85 seats with the Congress.

WATCH:

Also, Congress is pushing for a Bihar-like grand alliance by keeping RLD in the fold. RLD chief Ajit Singh has demanded 30-35 seats for the party. The Congress is said to considerate with his demands, but Akhilesh Yadav is not ready to give more than 20 seats.

RLD A SPENT FORCE

The RLD's influence has dwindled in the western UP. It drew a blank in the Lok Sabha election during the Modi wave. The RLD has just eight members in the Uttar Pradesh assembly.

The tradition Jat vote bank of the RLD has shown a clear shift towards the BJP in the aftermath of the Muzaffarnagar communal tension.

READ| SP-Congress alliance makes for mouth watering poll clash in UP

AKHILESH SENSES OPPORTUNITY

On the other hand, the Samajwadi Party sees the situation as a possibility to increase its influence in the till RLD dominated areas and Akhilesh Yadav is not willing to lose this opportunity.

Given the Congress's insistence on a trilateral alliance to contain the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav wants the grand old party to reduce its demand for seats further. And, this exactly where the main hurdle lies and which has prevented a formal announcement of the SP-Congress alliance.

Further, after having won the family battle to head the Samajwadi Party which has gone a long way in fighting anti-incumbency against him, Akhilesh Yadav wants to cash in on the total image-makeover that the infighting brought in as dividend for the UP Chief Minister.

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ALSO READ|

Rahul Gandhi to lend shoulder, support to Akhilesh if Samajwadi Party splits?

--- ENDS ---
This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon!

Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page?
18 year old, Claudia Vulliamy from Camden school for girls in London received a letter on Wednesday informing her that her application to study Classics at Wadham College, Oxford had been unsuccessful.

By Thursday she had cut up certain lines from the letter and turned them into a larger piece of art, a photo of which was tweeted by her mother, Louisa Saunders.

The photo quickly went viral, being retweeted by notable accounts, such as ITV News, Wadham Student Union, and Frank Cottrell-Boyce.

In his tweet, the novelist wrote, If you want to do anything worth doing you have to learn to embrace rejection  heres a brilliant lesson in how to do so.

Vulliamy said she was shocked at the sudden popularity of the painting, and hopes that it has helped other people in her position. I saw this rather momentous letter and felt like making it into something.

I think its cheered people up, especially people who have also missed out on a place. I wouldnt have thought that not getting into Oxford would have ended up making my week.

Her mother says that the artwork is not for sale, but that they will be getting it framed. Claudia did receive other university offers, including one from Durham, and is now working towards meeting the grades for that offer.

More of her art, including pieces from her A-Level portfolio can be seen on her Instagram account which is quickly gaining followers.
The Higher Education Policy Institute has predicted that in the aftermath of Brexit a 57% fall in EU students will be partly compensated by14,500 more non-EU students a year. Oxford and Cambridge have also been forecast to make an extra 10m a year in fees, whereas less prestigious higher education institutions will lose out on 100 000 a year. Yet university representatives maintain that a hard Brexit could threaten research.

Three of Cambridges pro-vice chancellors raised such concerns in submissions to the House of Commons Education Committee. These included the future immigration status for university staff, the reduction in EU applications and the subsequent economic impact if numbers are not made up by non-EU students.

Applications from across the EU have already dropped by 14% for undergraduate courses this year and this trend is likely to continue. The University is now preparing for admissions of EU students to fall by two-thirds after Brexit.

The financial implications and the threat to academia were also demonstrated. The University revealed that in the year to July 2016 over 536 EU nationals received job offers from the University. The cost to the institution of administering employment visas for EU staff would now be around 1.25 million a year.

Possible solutions to these likely changes were outlined by Oxford Universitys head of Brexit strategy, Professor Alaistair Buchan, when publicly speaking for the first time to the Education Select Committee.

He said he supported the creation of a so-called Erasmus Plus Plus, which would expand the current parameters of the European exchange programme. This would in turn result in a global network of student programmes. The proposal was unanimously backed by a panel of experts.

However, the panel warned the Committee that the impact of a hard Brexit is nonetheless worrying. Stricter Visa controls and an end to freedom of movement might jeopardise a tradition of collaborative research, as well as the UKs future as a global leader in higher education.

Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge, expressed these fears in a recent statement, following Theresa Mays speech outlining her Brexit strategy.

By admitting that she will take Britain out of the Single Market, she will severely damage places like Cambridge, which rely heavily on students, academics, and workers from the EU as well as broader cooperation with our European partners.

Meanwhile, Professor Catherine Barnard, Head of EU Law at Cambridge, has advocated a bespoke Brexit deal for universities, allowing the free movement of academics.

We benefit from what they sent to us. We receive more than we send.

Her other suggestions included relaxing the current Visa immigration quotas for non-EU students.
Over 400 yellow bikes will be introduced to the city in a scheme nicknamed Uber for bikes.

Chinese company ofo has confirmed that preparations are underway for the scheme to begin in March, in which bikes can be hailed by a smartphone app and do not have to be returned to a set location.

Bikes instead must be dropped off on any public land for others to pick up, and do not require docking stations.

Ofo, whose bikes are manufactured in China by the company Phoenix, say that they want the scheme to be affordable to all Cambridge residents and particularly students.

Each journey will cost under a pound, and the company is considering setting up membership plans in the future. The introduction of the scheme was announced by Hillary Holden, the Cambridgeshire Country Council Transport Officer, on Twitter.

She called the move further proof, if any is needed, that Cambridge is the biggest small city in the world, as it is only the third city outside China to set up the scheme.

Ofo, whose company name is supposed to look like a tiny bicycle, have five million registered users in China, the majority of which are at universities.

Their company was recently valued at US $500 million by Bloomberg, and is now undertaking its first wave of global expansion.

A company spokesperson told Cambridge News that they are going to bring our successful experience from China to Cambridge.

The bikes they are manufacturing are purpose-built for British riders.

A similar bike-sharing scheme was launched by City Council leader Simon Sedgwick-Jell in 1993, but had to be abandoned after six months as most of the bikes went missing.
Fresh from a European tour, the Cambridge University European Theatre Group bring to the ADC stage a highly energetic, emotionally-charged performance of Shakespeares classic, Hamlet.

The cut-down, two-hour version of Shakespeares longest play (in its entirety, the play would take around four hours to perform) barrels along at breakneck speed, making for an eminently watchable production, although the swift pace results in certain moments feeling rushed, unfortunately compromising their dramatic weight: such as the murder of Polonius and, particularly, the crucial moment in which Claudius guilt is exposed in the play-within-a-play scene.

Music adds vibrancy to this production, and is effective in helping to establish mood and tone, which one imagines would have been instrumental (pun honestly not intentional; Im not that witty) when putting on this production in front of European audiences with limited understanding of the language. For instance, the reprise of the Ill See You Again song following Ophelias death allows us to both witness and share in a hauntingly poignant expression of Laertes grief for the loss of his sister, as we are inevitably reminded of the initial rendition of the song  a sprightly duet between Laertes and Ophelia which captures the playful affection of their relationship  and thus cannot help but strongly feel Ophelias absence. From a purely musical perspective, some beautiful moments worth mentioning are the duets between Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and the gravediggers respectively.

However, time spent on song and dance presumably must come at the expense of dialogue, to prevent the production becoming too long, and this consequently results in a Hamlet that feels unusually action-packed  Hamlet is normally known as the hero who spends more time thinking about what he must do than actually doing anything.

This Hamlet is different, though: Sam Knights Danish prince is less contemplative, and, instead, strikingly angry. His flamboyant comic turns, reminiscent of David Tennants Hamlet, are greatly amusing, but his rendition of the iconic To be or not to be speech  perhaps the measuring rod against which every actor who undertakes this seminal role must be held  feels disappointingly same-y compared with all his other soliloquies. Each of his long speeches follows a pattern of crescendo with culmination in an explosion of bitter rage, which becomes somewhat predictable as the play advances.

Perhaps this is where character interpretation falls slightly short. Or, alternatively, where it brings something new to the table. The absence of any real display of tenderness or vulnerability from Hamlet has the effect of shifting the audiences sympathies more firmly to the female characters of the play (which, in this production, include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, played by Lucy Dickson and Ashleigh Weir). Dicksons Rosencrantz and Weirs Guildenstern are an endearing, delightful duo who, whilst maybe not being the brightest buttons in the box, seem to genuinely want to help Hamlet, and so it seems cruel of Hamlet to mock Guildenstern so for supposedly think[ing] I am easier to be played on than a pipe. Similarly, Ophelias understated madness is a welcome contrast to Hamlets overblown theatricality, and ultimately more moving in its unaffected simplicity. Matilda Wickham is in fact a refreshingly 21st-century Ophelia, shying away from the meek and mild type to give us a believable modern young woman, not afraid of her father (nor Hamlet either, in the nunnery scene), but merely going along with his plans out of an exasperated love for the old man (excellently comically portrayed by Colin Rothwell).

The difficulty with putting on a play such as Hamlet is trying to carve out a new route through Shakespeares so well-known and widely-performed text  one that feels fresh and individual. In this, I think the ETG are successful: original music, a contained setting, and intriguing characterisations combine to offer an intense, intimate and innovative vision of the play, which is well worth watching.

7/10
TV actor Aman Verma is having the time of his life with wife Vandana Lalwani.

By India Today Web Desk: Television and film actor Aman Yatan Verma has been touring the country, for both work and romance.

Confused? The actor recently tied the knot with actress Vandana Lalwani and the newly-wed couple have been holidaying for quite a few days now.

Also read: Actors Vinny Arora and Dheeraj Dhoopar are off to Maldives for their honeymoon

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Here are some pictures of them having fun:

Vvvrrrrooooommmmmm A photo posted by aman yatan verma (@amanyatanverma) on Jan 19, 2017 at 12:54am PST

At GOA ... MICKEYS.. A photo posted by aman yatan verma (@amanyatanverma) on Jan 17, 2017 at 9:32am PST

Aman is presently in Goa with wife Vandana Lalwani, and needless to add, the two are having a blast.

Just before the two had begun their honeymoon, Aman had taken to social media site Instagram to share a picture of himself with wife Vandana.

Off to Goa .... work and pleasure .. @vandanataralalwani ... A photo posted by aman yatan verma (@amanyatanverma) on Jan 17, 2017 at 1:26am PST

He had captioned the picture as:

"Off to Goa , work and pleasure @vandanataralalwani"

Happy holidaying, Aman and Vandana!

--- ENDS ---
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As if its new Gigafactory wasn't big enough, Tesla has confirmed that it will include production of Model 3 drivetrains at the Nevada plant. The factory was originally created to produce battery packs for Tesla's Powerwall and Powerpack and other energy storage products, but drivetrain production lines were also installed recently.

The announcement was made by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval at his State of the State address, and Tesla has since confirmed the information. They will be investing $350 million and creating about 550 more jobs to help manufacture motors and gearboxes for the Model 3. Tesla received more pre-orders for their new model than they were expecting so extra space was required to keep up.

The factory started battery production in partnership with Panasonic earlier this month and Tesla hopes to start Model 3 component production around Q2 2017 at the Gigafactory. Overall vehicle production will start in Q3 at Tesla's Fremont plant. The two locations are about 250 miles apart, so logistics will be a key factor to overcome, but using separate factories is common in the auto industry. The Fremont factory has a capacity of 500,000 vehicles annually but only produced about 86,000 last year.

Tesla currently has about 1,000 workers at the Gigafactory but has said it plans for closer to 10,000 by 2020 due to expected growth. In exchange for $1 billion in tax breaks, Tesla has a deal with Nevada to produce at least 6,500 new jobs.
YouTube has ambitions beyond being just a video-sharing site; the Google-owned company is looking to take on the likes of Facebook with its own in-app messaging service. The feature has been in an invite-only testing phase since the middle of last year and is now rolling out to all Canadian users of the Android and iOS app.

Most people share YouTube videos using a variety of external platforms and services by copying and pasting links, but the update will make the practice possible within the app itself. The system also allows users to engage in conversations about the clips with their friends and family. Ultimately, YouTube hopes this will tempt people away from the likes of Messenger and WhatsApp.

The service isn't solely used for sharing videos; it also functions in the same way as a standard messaging service, able to share links and other content from across the web.

All shared videos will appear in the Shared tab, which displays videos that friends have shared and lets you quickly show off some of your own favorites.

Canadians share more videos than anywhere else in the world - around 15 percent extra compared to an average user - making the country a perfect testing spot. And, as noted by TechCrunch, having a total addressable population of around the size of California means there's less risk if the feature doesn't become widely used.

There's no word on when a wider rollout is expected, but non-Canadian residents can get an early look by asking their Northern friends to add them to a conversation. Check out the video below to see the messaging service in action.
The Nevada governor  Brian Sandoval  has announced that Tesla will produce electric motors for the third model of sedan. Production shall take place at the Nevada Gigafactory.

Sandoval revealed that Tesla founder Elon Musk is expected to pump in an additional $350 million into the venture. The production department will prepare gearbox components and electric motors.

"Tonight I am pleased to announce that Tesla will expand its investment in Nevada by producing the electric motors and gearboxes for the Model 3 at the Gigafactory," expressed Sandoval with absolute delight.

Sandoval also thanked Tesla for following through with its promise to the state, adding that the electric carmaker was instrumental in fueling the economic growth in Nevada.

Thanks to the factory, Sandoval estimates that nearly 550 new job opportunities will open up. Tesla currently employs over 1,000 people and nearly 2,000 construction workers at its Gigafactory.

By bringing the electric motor production to the Gigafactory, Tesla will be able to expand its Fremont factory's footprint.

The company is looking forward to making maximum profit by increasing its production of 500,000 vehicles per year. Unlike the Fremont factory, the Nevada factory covers an area of 3,200 acres. So it definitely offers a huge space for expanding the factory outlet.

A Promising Venture

Tesla previously promised to provide 6,500 jobs as a part of the tax incentives package of $1.4 billion, which the state legislature approved in September 2014. Musk now claims that this number could swell further and the company estimates that the Gigafactory may support 10,000 jobs.

The auto maker claims that this factory outlet shall be the largest in the whole world once its construction is complete. The company also intends to use solar panels on the roof.

The company also intends to create most of the powertrain in Nevada along with the battery. Tesla has already started building the lithium-ion batteries at the industrial center in Tahoe-Reno. With so much in store, the company is also planning to start manufacturing $35,000 Model 3 sedan battery cells in Q2 2017.

The company has prepared an organizational plan according to which it shall ship the electric motor and battery packs to its Fremont factory. These parts would be utilized to begin the Model 3's manufacturing process.

According to the terms of Tesla's deal with the state of Nevada in 2014, the carmaker will not be receiving any incentives on top of the deal. The company, however, will be able to avail tax benefits pertaining to property and sales alongside employment credits.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A Pocatello man got seriously injured after an e-cigarette exploded in his mouth, he lost seven of his teeth and was immediately brought to the ICU.

At the intensive care, Andrew Hall, father of three, had chunks of plastic removed from his lips and throat.

E-Cigarette Explosion

The man, who had serious second-degree burns on his cheek, posted photos of him on Facebook after the accident and the images immediately went viral.

"I've lost at least 7 teeth, 2nd degree burns to face and neck and have been pulling chunks of plastic, teeth and foreign objects from mouth, throat and lips. I was lucky and they're was a huge amount of damage to the room in my house I was in as well. Please feel free to share my story and take care. Thank you again friends, work and family that have reached out to offer help, I greatly appreciate it," noted the man's Facebook post.

Hall explained that everything was in place with his e-cigarette when the explosion occurred. From his home bathroom sink (also broken because of the explosion) to graphic images of his condition, the man kept updating his Facebook friends from the moment of the accident.

Hall's experience soon got viral, being picked up by national and international media representatives. Aas the story became popular, the opinions started to be divided. Many people expressed skepticism on social media, saying that something must have been done wrongly, as electronic cigarettes are usually safe.

"Have vaped for over a year with a regulated mod and use manufactured coils. Never had this happen. It is far better than cigarettes which I smoked for 20 years. Now I don't even feel need to vape," said one of the over 210,000 Facebook comments on Hall's post.

The man's case was shared by over 440,000 people across Facebook, and many of the comments include tags of other people (who, most likely, also vape), thus building awareness about the possibility of an explosion among users of e-cigarettes.

Vaping, A Dangerous Activity

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed regulations for e-cigarettes. These proposed FDA regulations do not include consideration of the battery or electronics used in/with the devices - the FDA is proposing to address only the health effects of inhaling the vapors," noted a mission statement of the U.S. Fire Administration.

According to the same statement, more than 2.5 million people vape across the United States, and the number is growing rapidly. Between 2009 and 2014, there have been 25 reported cases of explosions due to the use of e-cigarettes, two of which involved serious burns.

Most of the incidents occurred while the battery was charging, and the lithium-ion based batteries should be used exclusively following the instructions, as misuse can result in explosion and fire.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google's parent company Alphabet has agreed to acquire Fabric, a Twitter-owned software toolkit for mobile apps. To be clear, Alphabet isn't purchasing Google. That's another conversation altogether, as whoever buys Twitter wholesale remains to be seen, but Google is, in fact, buying one of Twitter's remaining parts.

Both companies, however, are playing the laconic card, opting not to disclose financial details of the purchase.

Google Buys Fabric

Google will absorb Twitter employees tied to Fabric. It's a move that'll help the Mountain View, California company to trawl mobile developers to its shore  key individuals who'll eventually work on the company's cloud computing service.

"[W]e see [Fabric] as a great opportunity to bring together two amazing developer platforms, to really have the best of breeds," said Jason Titus, Google's Developer Product Group VP.

Google will also be privy to Crashlytics as part of the Fabric deal. Crashlytics is Twitter's software failure tracking tool. Titus also seems to be playing the laconic card when pressed about the number of Twitter employees moving over to Google as part of the service.

Firebase

Google said in May that it was to extend its Firebase platform that'll make it a worthy competition to Facebook and Twitter's Fabric. Firebase is a cloud-based mobile and web application platform Google purchased in 2014. It's made up of complimentary features developers can mix and match as they see fit.

The acquisition of Firebase is a crucial headway for Google, doubling as a tactic to accrue developers away from Apple and toward its own turf, encouraging them to cobble up software for the mobile web, a space Google is all too familiar with, given that it's the same one providing a sizable chunk of advertising revenue for the company.

Google's developer services are  mostly  free, but they do implement a paid tier.

Now that Fabric has been dislodged from Twitter, the microblogging service is yet again showing signs of attenuation, which is even more significant now as it faces pressure to do well. The company's executives have been trying to come up with methods to enliven the service as a way of course-reversing its revenue slowdown. Last year, Twitter failed to shop itself to potential buyers, pushing the management to talk about whether the company should instead offload its disparate "non-core" parts, Bloomberg reports. That's what's happening now, apparently, with Fabric being sent off to Google's HQ.

Twitter introduced Fabric in 2014, its revere for it owing much to the belief that it'll have potential in China. Titus says that Google successfully signed Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce company as a customer. Alibaba uses Firebase for developing apps meant to be released outside mainland China, since Firebase isn't available in there, like many, if not all, Google services. Google might expand developer tools in that country, although it has no plans to launch Fabric there yet.

"Fabric and Firebase operate mobile platforms with unique strengths in the market today. We're excited to combine these platforms together to make the best mobile developer platform in the world for app teams," said Rich Paret, Fabric's GM and Engineering VP.

When the purchase closes, Google will commence providing the services tied to Fabric, alongside other beta products under terms Fabric published. Fabric says that existing users should still be able to keep using its products during the transition period.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Verizon's Moto Z Force and Moto Z may have got a taste of Android Nougat, but the unlocked variants of the handset are yet to get the latest OS.

Now Motorola has affirmed to publication Android Central that the Moto Z and Moto Z Play's unlocked variants will be getting the Android N update soon, however, not in January as reported.

The Moto Z will get the update in February, followed by the Moto Z Force in March. The company, however, did not give an exact date as to when consumers in the U.S. can expect the Android N update to hit their device.

"Motorola has confirmed to us that Nougat will be rolling out to the unlocked Moto Z in February, though the spokesperson neglected to say when in the shorter month it would arrive. The person also let us know that both the Verizon and unlocked versions of the Moto Z Play, our favorite mid-range phone of last year, would get Android 7.0 in March," notes the publication.

It is being anticipated that these updates would be available sometime during the months of February and March.

The Moto Z Play is currently on Android Marshmallow and the impending update will be welcomed by fans. Usually, companies push out the software updates for the unlocked variants of a smartphone prior to the carrier bound version. However, this has not been the case for the Moto Z and Moto Z Play.

Motorola Handsets Waiting For Android 7.0 Nougat

The Moto Z and the Moto Z Play's unlocked versions are not the only handsets waiting for the Android 7.0 Nougat update. Some of the other Motorola handsets that are lined up for an Android Nougat update are as follows:

Moto X Pure Edition

Moto X Style

Moto X Play

Droid Turbo 2

Droid Maxx 2

Moto X Force

Moto M

Waiting In Anticipation

This wait can be very painful for users of the unlocked variants of the Moto Z Play and Moto Z smartphones. This is quite unusual as unlocked handsets generally get the updates first as they take less time in testing. Also, unlocked handsets do not require any set rules or guidelines for optimization and other related performances.

The Android Update is expected to make the Motorola phones DayDream-Ready. The Android 7.0 Nougat update is much awaited since it is expected to provide high quality experiences. Hopefully, the company will stick to its promise and push out the updates for the two handsets in Q1 2017 itself.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Sony has reportedly sent out invitations for its press event at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017, which is scheduled to take place in Barcelona on Feb. 27 at 8:30 a.m. CET (2:30 a.m. EST).

Tech buffs all around the globe can catch a live feed of the press conference at Sony Mobile's official website.

"You're invited to see the latest innovations unveiled at the Sony Press Conference at Mobile World Conference 2017," reads the official invite.

This statement gives an indication that Sony may unveil a few smartphones at the upcoming event as the company made no announcements in the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017 held in Las Vegas.

Tech Times earlier reported that Sony smartphones codenamed G3112 and G3221 could be launched at the impending event. Along with these two mid-range devices, another possible handset dubbed the Xperia XZ (2017), successor of the Sony Xperia XA, could make its appearance.

Rumored Sony Smartphones

Reports suggest that at least two mid-range devices are going to be launched at the upcoming MWC 2017. However, Sony may hold back the new flagship's launch until the IFA in September this year.

Rumors and leaks about Sony models G3112 and G3221 hint that both the variants will come equipped with a MediaTek Helio P20 MT6757 chips and octa-core processors.

A User-Agent Profile (UAProf) suggests that the Sony G3112 will come with a 720p display, while the Sony G3221 will have a 1080p display.

Among the two variants, the G3112 is expected to be less expensive compared to the G3221, which is rumored to have a 23-megapixel primary camera and 4 GB of RAM.

Both the handsets due to be launched at the MWC are likely to be based on the latest Android 7.0 Nougat operating system.

Information pertaining to the launch of the successor of Sony Xperia XA such as the Xperia XZ (2017) is pretty slim. The leaked blurry images of the handset suggest that the phone will have an edge-to-edge design with almost no bezels. It is also expected to deploy a Type-C USB port and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

It is also rumored, that the device may not have a physical home button so the fingerprint sensor could be embedded underneath the device's display.

With Sony's press event slated for Feb. 27, consumers can wait for some more exciting devices to be released in the near future. It remains to be seen if Sony has any other surprises lined up for fans.

Photo: Karlis Dambrans | Flickr

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In a world first, a controversial in vitro fertilization method has delivered a baby girl to a previously infertile couple in Kiev, Ukraine.

The pronuclear transfer technique, also called three-person IVF, is a world first but the second to produce a baby born with DNA from three parents, next to a slightly different method conducted in Mexico last year.

Heres what happened: the team of doctors at the Nadiya Clinic for Reproductive Medicine in Kiev fertilized the mothers egg with her partners sperm and afterward transferred the combined DNA into an egg from a donor. The baby, born last Jan. 5, maintains the genetic makeup of her parents and a tiny bit of genes from the female donor.

The IVF Process

Doctors came up with the three-person IVF to assist women at risk of passing on mitochondrial disease, or serious genetic disorders, to have a healthy offspring. Eggs from patients with faulty mitochondria are collected alongside those from donors with healthy ones.

The team, however, used the method on an infertile couple instead of one carrying a mitochondrial condition. The 34-year-old mother suffers from unexplained infertility, according to the clinics director Dr. Valery Zukin.

Leading the highly experimental work, Zukin said they had a hunch it would work well for the couple. He cited a second patient in a similar predicament, expected to give birth early this March.

Scientific, Ethical Concerns

Pronuclear transfer was approved in the United Kingdom last 2015, although only for women with mitochondrial disease and with no baby born from the technique in the country yet.

Some experts raise the concern that the genetic tweaks produced in a baby girl could be passed onto her kids.

"I do think it's highly significant that this is a girl because we know for sure that she will be passing on her mitochondrial DNA through her maternal line," said Lori P. Knowles, from University of Alberta School of Public Health, in a CNN report.

Male babies that carry donor mitochondria cannot transfer their modified genetics onto their future children, as once a sperm merges with an egg to form an embryo, the male mitochondrion dies and leaves the embryo with only mitochondrion from the moms egg.

Once the baby girls children inherit these genetic tweaks, there will be a really bright line that should not be crossed until strict scientific testing proves safety, Knowles explained.

Zukin said that in the case of the Kiev couple, the method did not lead to a suitable male embryo, so they went ahead with the female embryo after consulting the couple and getting approved by a medical board.

The risk of mitochondrial DNA from a donor is small since the mitochondrion is only 37 genes, with the human genome containing about 20,000 to 25,000 genes in total, added Zukin.

Since the science is new and remains controversial, certain experts advise going slow on performing these experimental procedures.

We would be extremely cautious, said professor Adam Balen, who chairs the British Fertility Society and dubbed the procedure highly experimental.

Knowles prefers going slow since the one-off experiments  mostly done in remote areas and without randomized control trials and rigorous scientific techniques  make it difficult to gauge long-term results, such as how much viral DNA remains and how many generations it is passed to.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tamil Nadu MP Anbumani Ramadoss has said that if the Centre fails to promulgate ordinance allowing jallikattu, his Pattali Makkal Katchi party would organize the bull-taming sport on Republic Day.

By Parbina Purkayastha: Pattali Makkal Katchi chief Anbumani Ramadoss pressed the Centre to promulgate an ordinance allowing jallikattu to be held. The Tamil Nadu MP in a statement said his party will hold jallikattu on Republic Day in case the Centre fails to bring an ordinance.

The former union minister was detained by Delhi Police after he protested outside the prime minster's office in Delhi in support of Jallikattu. He was detained at the Tughlak police station and later released.

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Ramados said that he sat outside the office in an attempt to get PM Modi's attention. Ramados also took a swipe at the Tamil Nadu state government, saying, "We have a chief minister who doesn't even know if he is the chief minister of the state."

Also read: All you need to know about Jallikattu

'AN EMOTIONAL ISSUE'Terming the jallikattu an "emotional issue," Ramados said the ongoing protests, where thousands of youths have poured out on the streets demanding the legalisation of the bull-taming sport, in Tamil Nadu are something that he has not seen in half a century.

"It's a peaceful protest,law and order is maintained. Students requested politicians to not join protest, I respect it," he added.

Also read: Jallikattu: Asked PM Modi for emergency law, he gave assurances, says Tamil Nadu CM Panneerselvam

'JALLIKATTU ISN'T BULL FIGHTING'

Calling jallikattu a practice like Vinayaka Chaturthi, Ramados said, "There is no cruelty to animals. One untoward incident which might have happened years ago cannot become the base of the (ban)." "This is not bull fighting like Spain," he added.

While walking out the police station, Ramados expressed disappointment with the Centre and with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam. "The government has been ignoring Tamil Nadu for a long time and the anger has culminated into this protest. Our only option is to put more pressure," he said.

Also read: Jallikattu: May take legal route if Centre brings ordinance to conduct the sport, says PETA

Also watch: Ban on jallikattu? Ban slaughter houses too, says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

--- ENDS ---
Faraday Future, once hyped as a legitimate challenger to electric car industry leader Tesla Motors, finally unveiled a production electric vehicle at CES 2017. Named the FF 91, the company showcased the electric vehicle's specifications and features to compensate for the disastrous showing at CES 2016, when it only revealed the non-functional concept FFZero1.

However, Faraday Future's demonstration of the FF 91 hit a snag at the annual event, as the vehicle refused to move once it was time to show off its self-parking technology. Apparently, the glitch was an indicator of even deeper troubles that the company is currently facing.

Faraday Future 'In Shambles'

According to a lengthy report by Business Insider on the state of Faraday Future, interviews with eight unnamed people with knowledge of the business of the electric car company revealed that Faraday Future was "in shambles," with over a half-dozen senior executives leaving since last year's spring. One of these executives was the company's global CEO, who vacated his position right before CES 2017.

The people that Business Insider interviewed, who are made up of former and current insiders of Faraday Future, revealed that the company's debt has ballooned to millions of dollars. In addition, the corporate structure between the United States and China operations was described as "chaotic."

The most immediate challenge that Faraday Future is facing, according to the insiders, is the company's shortage of cash. One of the sources said that, if the company's showing in CES 2017 is not able to attract new investors, Faraday Future might close down between February and May this year.

Several Challenges For Faraday Future

Since the departure of Ding Lei, who acted as Faraday Future's global CEO until late 2016, the sources claimed that Faraday Future cofounder and LeEco CEO Jia Yueting has been acting as the unofficial CEO of the company. However, with Jia directing Faraday Future's teams and making decisions for the company, Faraday Future has become a de facto subsidiary of LeEco rather than an independent business.

Many of the troubles that Faraday Future is experiencing was said to be due to this confusing setup, as the company had no choice but to accept Jia's decisions, as he was the one providing the funding. As such, many arrangements that were made were put toward LeEco's own vehicle development, as opposed to such for Faraday Future.

The troubles extend to the company's first production plant, which broke ground in Nevada in April 2016. One of the sources said that work at the location "stopped almost as soon as it started."

At CES 2017, Faraday Future cofounder and senior VP of research and design Nick Sampson said that work at the Nevada plant was halted in October to allocate the funding to its CES presentation. Sampson then admitted that the company was suffering from limited resources, a statement that has turned out to be worse than expected. The sources added that Faraday Future owes suppliers up to around $300 million, with no indication being given to the company on when funding will arrive.

Faraday Future And The FF 91: Just An Illusion?

"All that stuff at CES was just a bunch of bulls---," according to a highly placed source within the company, with another source claiming that the FF 91 shown off at CES 2017 not close to being completed despite claims that it would start production in 2018.

Nevertheless, that did not stop Jia from stating that the FF 91 will cost less than 2 million yuan in China, which is equivalent to about $290,000. The vehicle will likely have a lower price in the United States at about $150,000 to $200,000, which are prices that will not allow it to pose a significant challenge to the offerings of Tesla Motors.

The FF 91 might not be the only illusion, though, as it seems that Faraday Future is now facing insurmountable challenges. One source even said that the company may be forced into bankruptcy if its expected funding from China will not arrive within 60 days.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Communications solutions provider Avaya Inc, reeling under huge debt, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States but operations in India, one of its key markets, will continue.

It said that India is among the top ten markets for Avaya in terms of turnover. The company has 2,200 employees in India.

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"In the last three years we have seen around 13 -19 per cent growth and we expect this growth to continue in future. Avaya India is working closely with state governments on providing emergency response systems and work on digitisation of education initiatives as major target areas," Avaya India said in a statement.

Over 30 per cent of the companys products and solutions development are done out of Indias R&D centres - Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad.

In a separate statement, Avaya Inc said it has commenced a formal proceeding to restructure its balance sheet to better position itself for the future.

To facilitate this restructuring, the company has filed voluntary petitions under chapter 11 of the U S Bankruptcy Code in the US Bankruptcy Court for the southern district of New York.

"The companys foreign affiliates are not included in the filing and will continue normal operations," it added.

"We have conducted an extensive review of alternatives to address Avaya?s capital structure, and we believe pursuing a restructuring through chapter 11 is the best path forward at this time," said Kevin Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer of Avaya.

"Reducing the companys current debt through the chapter 11 process will best position all of Avayas businesses for future success," he added. PTI RR RAM RR MR

--- ENDS ---
At a White House news conference on Wednesday, Obama firmly defended his Manning decision, arguing she had served a "tough prison sentence" already.

By AP: Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Wednesday said he had opposed commuting the prison sentence of convicted leaker Chelsea Manning, who was convicted in 2013 of espionage and other crimes for leaking classified information while deployed in Iraq.

"That was not my recommendation," Carter said in an Associated Press interview. "I recommended against that, but the president has made his decision."

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Carter declined to elaborate on his view.

President Barack Obama has drawn intense criticism from members of Congress and others for his decision on Tuesday to commute Manning's 35-year prison sentence to about seven years, including the time she spent locked up before she was convicted. Her sentence is now set to expire May 17.

At the time Manning committed the crimes she was known as Bradley Manning and was serving as an Army private.

CHARGES AGAINST MANNING

A judge convicted Manning of 20 counts, including six Espionage Act violations, theft and computer fraud. She was sentenced to 35 years out of a possible maximum of 90. She was acquitted of the most serious charge of aiding the enemy, which carries a possible life sentence.

The now 29-year-old native of Crescent, Okla, leaked more than 700,000 classified Iraq and Afghanistan war logs and diplomatic cables in 2010 while working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad. Manning also leaked a 2007 video clip of a US helicopter crew killing at least nine men, including a Reuters news photographer and his driver. The Pentagon later concluded the helicopter crew acted appropriately, having mistaken the camera equipment for weapons.

Also read: Obama shortens sentence of Manning, who gave secrets to WikiLeaks

Also read: Julian Assange's lawyer: WikiLeaks founder subjected to 'mental torture'

At a White House news conference on Wednesday, Obama firmly defended his Manning decision, arguing she had served a "tough prison sentence" already.

The White House declined to comment on Carter's remarks but pointed to Obama's explanation about why he'd granted the commutation.

WHY DID OBAMA COMMUTE HER SENTENCE

Obama said his decision took into account the fact that Manning had gone to trial, taken responsibility for her crime and received a sentence that he said was harsher than other leakers had received. He emphasized that he had commuted her sentence, not granted a pardon, which would have symbolically forgiven her for the crime.

"I feel very comfortable that justice has been served," Obama said, adding, "A message has still been sent that when it comes to our national security, that wherever possible we need folks who may have legitimate concerns about the actions of government or their superiors or the agencies in which they work, that they try to work through the established channels and avail themselves of the whistleblower protections that have been put in place."

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Also read: WikiLeaks' Assange should go free from embassy and be compensated: UN panel

The president said he does not accept the argument of critics that the commutation sends the wrong message to others in the military.

"The notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital, classified information would think that it goes unpunished, I don't think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served," Obama said.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Obama's decision on Manning was a mistake and called the convicted leaker a "traitor."

Pence said in an interview airing Wednesday night with Fox News' Brett Baier that Manning's actions compromised national security, endangered American personnel and compromised individuals in Afghanistan who were cooperating with US forces.

One name missing from the list of pardons and commutations the White House announced on Tuesday is Us Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. The former prisoner of war is accused of endangering comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009, and has asked Obama for a pardon. He was captured by the Taliban and held prisoner for five years.

A pardon would allow Bergdahl to avert a military trial scheduled for April. He faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. The misbehavior charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

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Asked about the Bergdahl case, Carter told the AP, "That one hasn't come to me yet in any way. It's a law enforcement matter, so I really can't comment on it."

--- ENDS ---
The Venezuelan government will increase cooperation with Colombia's military and police forces to face transnational crimes caused by drug trafficking, announced Friday by the Minister of... | Read More
RSS leaders used to ridicule English in public by asking questions like why put and but are pronounced differently. They used to call the English language the symbol of slave's mindset but that is history now.

By Hemender Sharma: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) may miss no opportunity in public to ridicule the English language but its associate Vidhya Bharti that runs thousands of schools across the country has now made spoken and written English mandatory for all its schools. Separate classes are now being organised for spoken and written english in all the schools across the country.

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Not very long ago RSS leaders used to ridicule english in public by asking questions like why put and but are pronounced differently. They used to call the English language the symbol of slave's mindset but that is history now. English both spoken and written is now being taught in the Saraswati Shishu Mandirs across the country.

According to Ram Kumar Vyas, Principal Saraswati Shishu Mandir Bhopal the RSS, however, was never against the English language.

Also read: RSS should include more women in its ranks, give leadership role: LK Adavni

"We were never against the english language but we were against and are still against the English mindset. We are right now running two different classes that of English Language and spoken English so that kids can connect with the outside world. Student should learn the English language but not forget their own culture, " he said.

The students studying in Sarswati Shishu Mandir, however, are not concerned with what mindset means. They are happy that they are getting to learn a new language. "We should learn English because if we don't we will not be able to understand anything if someone speaks in English with us," Sonali Sondhia, a class nine student studying in Sarswati Shishu Mandir Bhopal said.

Ajay Ahirwar, of the same school also echoed similar sentiments " We have to learn English because it is a must if we have to go anywhere outside the country," he said.

Click here to Enlarge Separate classes are now being organised for spoken and written english in all the schools across the country.

The RSS is now defending the special emphasis that is being laid on spoken English across all Sarswati Shishu Mandir's saying the world has become a global village and the need of the hour is to learn all languages of the world.

"We used to teach english earlier also but now special emphasis is being put on spoken English because that is the need of the hour. Our students have to compete globally. Parents also felt this need and hence this decision was taken," Ram Kumar Bhavsar, Prant Pramukh, Vidya Bharti said.

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Even when top leaders of the Sangh Parivar ridiculed the english language in public, wards of most top leaders like MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan went to English medium schools. The sufferers were the ones who went to Sarswati Shishu Mandir. Fortunately for them, the Sangh is now not linking language with nationalism.

Also read: RSS teachers to teach in Madhya Pradesh government schools

--- ENDS ---
Former BB10 contestant Swami Om will be attending the show's finale.

By India Today Web Desk: Trust former Bigg Boss 10 contestant Swami Om to make news. After getting kicked out of the house for throwing his pee on fellow contestant Bani Judge, Swami is hitting headlines again.

Also read: Bigg Boss 10: Is Salman Khan planning to boycott BB 10 grand finale?

It came as a rude shock to everyone that Swami will be participating in the finale even after doing what he did.

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"Deshdrohiyon ke finale me hum aag lagane aa rahe hai. Salman Khan ki haddiyan todne jaayenge," Swami told Tellybuzz. (I am coming to ruin the finale of all these traitors. I am coming to the finale to break Salman's bones.)

Wow!

Some people never change.

After he was asked by Bigg Boss to leave the show, Swami immediately went to the media and started making tall claims about the host and other contestants.

And now there is news that Salman has apparently refused to be a part of the show's finale, thanks to Swami.

Well, let us see what happens.

Bigg Boss Season 10 airs every Mon-Fri at 10:30 pm, and every Sat-Sun at 9 pm.

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: From Aditi Khanna

London, Jan 19 (PTI) British MPs today held a debate on Kashmir in the UK Parliament, warning against "escalation" of violence in the region and calling on India and Pakistan to open channels of dialogue.

The motion in House of Commons urges the UK government to encourage India and Pakistan to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution to the dispute.

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Alok Sharma, UKs Foreign Office minister in charge of Asia, stated Britains long-standing position on the issue.

"India and Pakistan are both long-standing and important friends of the UK and we have significant links to both countries through Indian and Pakistani diaspora communities.

"The long-standing position of the British government is that it can neither prescribe a solution to the situation in Kashmir nor act as a mediator. It is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people," he said.

"The UK will continue to encourage both India and Pakistan to ensure that channels of dialogue remain open," he said.

Sharma also confirmed that British Prime Minister Theresa May had discussed the subject of Kashmir with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her visit to India last November.

The debate was organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Kashmir and was conducted by the Commons Backbench Business Committee following an application from Conservative Party MP David Nuttall.

It was led by Nutall along with MPs Nusrat Ghani, Robert Flello and Fiona Mactaggart.

The motion for todays debate read: "That this House notes the escalation in violence and breaches of international human rights on the Indian side of the Line of Control in Kashmir; calls on the Government to raise the matter at the UN; and further calls on the Government to encourage Pakistan and India to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution on the future governance of Kashmir based on the right of the Kashmiri people to determine their own future in accordance with the provisions of UNSC resolutions."

Nuttall concluded the debate by calling on Sharma to "reflect on the very many positive suggestions for future action" before calling for a vote, which the deputy speaker of the House passed in favour of "the ayes have it".

"It is not Britains role to intervene in the internal politics of any sovereign nation. But we stand ready to help facilitate and alleviate the suffering of the innocent people of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir," said Conservative party MP Bob Blackman, who has long campaigned for the rights of Kashmiri Pandits forced to flee the region.

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"Today marks the terrible day back in 1990 when Kashmiri Hindus were forced from their homes. I have been speaking on this issue for 27 years. The whole of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and both India and Pakistan must abide by the UN resolution," said Blackman.

The Backbench Committee meets weekly to consider requests for debates from any backbench MP on any subject.

The debate follows a day of mourning observed by the Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society UK in a committee room of the House of Commons last evening. The group seeks "justice" for the nearly 700,000 Kashmiri Pandits who were forced to flee their homes in the valley in 1989 and 1990. PTI AK SUA ASK ZH AKJ SUA

--- ENDS ---
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UPDATED, 10 p.m.

Injured East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Deputy Nick Tullier was transferred to Hermann-Texas Medical Center for treatment of an infection, but is expected to resume his rehab soon, according to a release from the Tullier family.

The infection was associated with one of the gunshot wounds suffered in the July 17 incident.

"We would like to extend our thanks to the Houston community and to those all across the country who continue to pray for Nick and offer encouragement and support to our family," wrote the family in a release.

ORIGINAL STORY

Injured East Baton Rouge deputy Nick Tullier was moved to a hospital on Wednesday, according to his family.

His father, James Tullier, posted on Facebook late Wednesday that his son was moved late this afternoon to the hospital to deal with fever and high heart rate issues.

James Tullier, who has been posting daily updates on his sons condition since the July 17 shootings, said another update would be provided later Thursday.

In a separate post early Wednesday, James Tullier said that Nick had an elevated heart rate and temperature.

Nick Tullier had surgery Monday on both of his Achilles tendons due to spasticity problems, his father posted earlier this week. The surgeon was very happy with the outcome, James Tullier wrote on Facebook.

Nick Tullier was shot three times in the head, abdomen and shoulder in the July attack on law officers in Baton Rouge. In November, he was transported to a rehabilitation facility in Houston following four months of intensive treatment at Our Lady of the Lake.

At a news conference in December, doctors at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital said Tullier has made remarkable progress during rehab and is now in a "fully conscious" state.

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By Press Trust of India: From Aditi Khanna

London, Jan 19 (PTI) British MPs today held a debate on Kashmir in the UK Parliament, warning against "escalation" of violence in the region.

The motion before the House of Commons urges the UK government to encourage India and Pakistan to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution to the dispute.

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"It is not Britains role to intervene in the internal politics of any sovereign nation. But we stand ready to help facilitate and alleviate the suffering of the innocent people of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir," said Conservative party MP Bob Blackman, who has long campaigned for the rights of Kashmiri Pandits forced to flee the region.

"Today marks the terrible day back in 1990 when Kashmiri Hindus were forced from their homes. I have been speaking on this issue for 27 years. The whole of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and both India and Pakistan must abide by the UN resolution," said Blackman, who was among the MPs speaking in the debate.

The debate has been organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Kashmir and is being conducted by the Commons Backbench Business Committee following an application from Conservative Party MP David Nuttall.

It was led by Nuttall along with MPs Nusrat Ghani, Robert Flello and Fiona Mactaggart.

The Backbench Committee meets weekly on Tuesdays to consider requests for debates from any backbench MP on any subject.

The motion for todays debate reads, "This House notes the escalation in violence and breaches of international human rights on the Indian side of the Line of Control in Kashmir; calls on the Government to raise the matter at the United Nations."

"And further calls on the Government to encourage Pakistan and India to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution on the future governance of Kashmir based on the right of the Kashmiri people to determine their own future in accordance with the provisions of UN Security Council resolutions," it says.

The debate comes a day after a day of mourning was observed by the Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society UK in a committee room of the House of Commons.

The group called for "justice" for the nearly 700,000 Kashmiri Pandits forced to flee their homes in the Kashmir Valley 1989 and 1990. PTI AK ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
Baton Rouge nonprofits were able to respond to August's flood more quickly than past disasters, helping identify what victims needed and lining up donated goods and supplies while also raising funds to meet the most dire emergency needs.

But many of the philanthropic organizations are are now waiting for survivors to receive federal money and resources so they can determine how to deploy their resources the most effectively to help those still in need.

FEMA has doled out $751 million in individual assistance for people since the August floods. It still has not been enough, acknowledged FEMA Disaster Recovery Coordinator Wayne Rickard in a Wednesday speech to the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge.

He pointed out the importance of the nonprofit and philanthropic communities in leading Baton Rouge through long-term recovery. He said FEMA wants to make communities more resilient, and that true long-term recovery rests with Baton Rouge being more prepared for future disasters.

The preparedness part might be working. After the state experienced floods in March of 2016, a plan was already in place that helped to speed up the response to the massive August floods.

David Aguillar, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, said Catholic Charities usually has to wait six to 12 months before they are called on to help with case management, basically working with individual victims to determine what resources they need.

But after the August floods, he said, the state asked Catholic Charities to help with case management within a few days.

"It is more helpful to the community because the longer time that there is between the disaster and the hard, unrewarding work of recovery, the more people grow despondent and lose faith and begin to move out of their areas and sink into a spiral of non-recovery, especially vulnerable populations," Aguillard said.

Capital Area United Way leaders said they knew their response needed to be quick or else they would risk squandering the opportunities for help offered by out-of-town volunteers and donors.

"The scale and the scope and the outreach were so overwhelming that it just needed to be done," said Katie Pritchett, the vice president for community impact of Capital Area United Way.

Baton Rouge also created a long term recovery committee by October, which is reviewing cases of people who may need additional assistance once FEMA and other federal resources have been used. Other parishes have been slower to set up long term recovery committees, which often are not in place until five to six months after disasters.

Aguillard pointed out that Catholic Charities is also now managing cases for 15,000 people in 5,000 households who may have not received all of the federal money and resources they need in order to rebuild.

The delays in federal aid reaching victims in a timely manner have an impact on what the nonprofits are able to do, he said.

As an example, Aguillard pointed to a package deal that nonprofits negotiated on appliances for flood victims. But he said they need to ensure that people's houses are rebuilt  which many need FEMA's assistance to do  before those can be entirely distributed.

"It would be foolish of us to put an appliance into a house that still needs a floor and that still has a leaky roof," Aguillard said.

Rickard said at Rotary that one of the most important parts of recovery will be ensuring that the philanthropic community is not spending money on aspects of rebuilding that FEMA can cover. Instead, he said, nonprofits should make sure their dollars are being spent on unmet needs.

The unmet needs are the priority of the long term recovery committee, which is taking into account how vulnerable people are and how much capital they have received to rebuild from FEMA before determining their unmet needs. Where one exists, the committee has donated drywall, cabinets, light fixtures, flooring and more for rebuilding.

Pritchett said the committee will start putting up dollars in February for other needs, as they will pay for vendors or building materials or bills, though they will not give cash assistance. Capital Area United Way received a $330,000 grant from the Louisiana Association of United Ways that is going toward the long term recovery committee.

She said people who want to be considered for help from the long term recovery committee need to be part of the case management system.
What if you could buy flood coverage from a private insurance company, pay less money and get the same or better benefits as a policy sold through the National Flood Insurance Program?

You might. That's what Louis G. Fey Jr. did. Fey is vice president of risk management for Wright & Percy Insurance in Baton Rouge. He's one of a small but growing number of homeowners in less flood-prone areas who have made the move to private flood coverage.

But the obvious allure of private flood insurance, which isn't available to people living in high-risk zones, underscores what experts say could be a much larger downside. Private insurers cherry-picking properties in the least risky areas eventually could doom the already underfunded, government-sponsored National Flood Insurance Program, Fey and others said.

"It gives me the same limits of coverage for about $200 less a year," Fey said of his private policy, "but I also get additional living expenses and replacement cost coverage, which I can't get through the National Flood Insurance Program."

Under NFIP, a homeowner can purchase up to $250,000 in coverage for structural damage and $100,000 for contents. But contents coverage is limited to "actual cash value," or the replacement cost minus depreciation. That means the gap between what the policy will pay for a 5-year-old sofa and the cost for a new one can be considerable.

Fey's private flood policy includes replacement cost, the actual amount he would need to buy a new sofa or a television. In addition, and unlike NFIP policies, his new policy includes additional living expenses, money that covers costs such as a hotel room if flooding renders his house uninhabitable.

"What's happening is these private insurers are gobbling up all these prime properties that are not in flood-prone areas," Fey said. "And they're able to do that and reduce premium and give better coverage for those risks because (those properties) probably are not going to flood."

If the same people buy coverage through NFIP, they pay more because they're helping subsidize premiums for more flood-prone homes, Fey said. By cost shifting, NFIP makes coverage more affordable for high-risk properties.

Fey bought his policy from Western World, a surplus lines company, whose officials were not available for comment over the past two weeks.

Surplus lines companies rates are regulated in the state where their headquarters are located. To do business in Louisiana, they must register and meet eligibility and financial requirements, such as $15 million in capital and surplus, although the insurance commissioner can approve totals as low as $4.5 million. If the companies fail, their claims won't be paid by the state's guaranty fund. Surplus lines companies have been selling flood insurance for years, but those typically are supplemental policies that cover any damage above the NFIP limits or provide additional benefits.

In Louisiana, surplus lines companies don't sell much in the way of flood insurance.

The 20 largest surplus lines brokers in Louisiana had just $1.1 million in annual premiums for the same kind of coverage offered by NFIP, state Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said. The Insurance Department does not know how many properties are covered, but Donelon believes lower premiums drove the purchases.

The most recent figures show NFIP covers 480,000 residential and commercial properties in Louisiana, representing $355 million in annual premiums.

Neither Donelon nor the National Association of Surplus Lines Offices expect surplus lines companies will take away make much of the flood business from NFIP  for now. That's because the main driver for flood insurance is lenders requiring homebuyers in high-risk zones to carry the coverage, and that the coverage is from NFIP, Donelon said.

Brady Kelley, executive director of the National Association of Surplus Lines Offices, said surplus lines companies excel at underwriting very specific risks, but those risks tend to be more complex. This more granular approach, while effective, tends to limit the volume of properties surplus lines companies insure against flooding.

Kelley expects the real competition for NFIP will come from standard carriers, companies like Chubb and AIG, which are state-regulated.

Standard carriers have steered clear of offering their own flood policies for half a century. The NFIP was established in 1968 because property owners couldn't buy flood insurance on the private market.

But Congress opened the door to private flood insurance in the 2012 bill reauthorizing the NFIP. So far only a few standard carriers have stepped in, but could find that door opening wider when Congress renews the program, which expires Sept. 30.

At present, several dozen standard companies, which represent a very large share of the private insurance market, write and service NFIP policies, Kelley said. But under federal law, the companies that sell NFIP policies can't offer their own competing products.

Private flood coverage also has been limited by the 2012 bill's wording, which led to some uncertainty about whether private flood policies meet mortgage lenders' requirements, Kelley said. The U.S. House of Representatives attempted to clarify the law in 2016 but the rewrite didn't make it out of the Senate.

Donelon said he expects Congress will tackle the issue again.

Stephanie Grace: Where's the urgency on climate change? As the Trump era dawns, Republican lawmakers up in Washington are tackling the long-promised

There's a much greater push from reinsurers and standard companies anxious to get into the private flood insurance market, Donelon said. Reinsurers, which insure insurance companies, are flush with cash from investors and looking for other opportunities to profit. For the moment, their focus is on private flood policies.

"Insurers always feel they can price that risk. That's what they do. That's their profession," Donelon said.

The appetite for the private flood business varies from state to state, although the trend is so new that national figures aren't yet available. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners began gathering data in 2016 and expects to issue a report around March.

The move to basic private flood coverage began just a couple of years ago, said Aaron Brandenburg, statistical information manager for the NAIC.

"There wasn't much written. Even now most of it's written on a surplus-lines basis," Brandenberg said.

A number of "Lloyds companies"  insurance syndicates where members assume part of every risk  have been active in the South's private flood market.

Don Griffin, vice president of personal lines for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, said Florida has the most progressive stance on private flood coverage.

Three years ago, the state passed a law to make it easier for insurers to move into the business, Griffin said. Still, there are probably fewer than 10,000 private flood policies in Florida, which has about 1.8 million NFIP policies.

In Louisiana, none of the standard companies offer basic flood coverage for homeowners, Donelon said, and only a few surplus lines companies do.

It's different in Pennsylvania, where the state Insurance Department set up a flood insurance web page that includes contact information for 17 standard companies and 40 surplus lines brokers. The department launched the page in February to help consumers find cheaper alternatives to NFIP, spokesman Ron Ruman said.

When the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversees NFIP, redrew flood maps, many homeowners found themselves in high-risk flood zones for the first time. Flood insurance rates soared.

By encouraging private flood coverage, Pennsylvania has saved some serious cash for consumers whose homes may have been redrawn into flood plains, or whose property is only partially in a flood plain. One homeowner who was paying $2,000 for an NFIP policy found private coverage for $400, according to the department. Another cut flood insurance premiums by $2,000 a year.

Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller has warned the private market probably won't insure homes in the highest-risk areas.

But Griffin, with the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, expects insurers to take on higher-risk properties.

"It will happen. It will happen. If they think they can make money, they will underwrite the risk," he said.
By Press Trust of India: Boston, Jan 17 (PTI) Coffee lovers, rejoice! Drinking a cup of coffee daily may help you live longer than those who dont, a new study has claimed.

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine in the US have unearthed a connection between advancing age, systemic inflammation, cardiovascular disease and coffee consumption.

They found that a chronic inflammatory process that occurs in some older people may trigger cardiovascular problems and increased rates of mortality overall.

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This process was dampened among participants who tended to drink more caffeinated beverages, such as coffee.

Extensive analysis of blood samples, survey data and medical and family histories obtained from more than 100 human participants in a multiyear study showed a fundamental inflammatory mechanism associated with human ageing and the chronic diseases that come with it.

Metabolites, or breakdown products, of nucleic acids ? the molecules that serve as building blocks for our genes ? circulating in the blood can trigger this inflammatory process, the study found.

The study also provides evidence that caffeine and its own metabolites may counter the action of these circulating nucleic-acid metabolites, possibly explaining why coffee drinkers tend to live longer than abstainers, researchers said.

"More than 90 per cent of all noncommunicable diseases of aging are associated with chronic inflammation," said lead author David Furman from Stanford.

More than 1,000 papers have provided evidence that chronic inflammation contributes to many cancers, Alzheimers disease and other dementias, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis and even depression, he said.

"It is also well-known that caffeine intake is associated with longevity. Many studies have shown this association. We have found a possible reason for why this may be so," he said.

"Our findings show that an underlying inflammatory process, which is associated with ageing, is not only driving cardiovascular disease but is, in turn, driven by molecular events that we may be able to target and combat," said Mark Davis, professor at Stanford.

This inflammatory mechanism was found to be activated only in some, but not all, of the older study participants.

Those in whom it was relatively quiescent tended to drink more caffeinated beverages. Laboratory experiments showed that the mechanism was directly countered by caffeine and associated compounds.

For the new study, the researchers compared blood drawn from older versus younger study participants to see which genes tended to be more highly activated in older people.

They zeroed in on two clusters of genes whose activity was associated with the production of a potent circulating inflammatory protein called IL-1-beta.

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The genes within each cluster appeared to work in coordination with one another.

The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine. PTI NKS SAR SAR

--- ENDS ---
A senior planner at the National Australia Bank who cheated on his third attempt to pass a basic compliance exam has been found guilty of breaching an industry code.

Shylesh Sriranjan was expelled this week from the Financial Planning Association after the industry found in December that he swapped exam papers during the test, sparking an urgent review of his client files.

He stopped working for NAB in late December following the FPA adjudication.

His expulsion comes after an expose by Fairfax Media in 2014 revealed financial planners, most notably at Macquarie Bank had been routinely cheating on compliance exams using a cheat sheet dubbed inside the industry as the Penske file in reference to a famous Seinfeld episode.
The past year was the worst for job creation since 2013 as the employment market showed worrying signs of weakness in the non-mining states.

New official statistics show that the nation as a whole had a net gain of 91,500 jobs  the worst yearly figure since 2013  as the winding off of the mining boom continued to dampen the economy.

The unemployment rate rose slightly to 5.8 per cent in December. Credit:Louise Kennerley

But economists pointed out that the non-mining states, with the exception of migration-boosted Victoria, were struggling to pick up the slack.

National year-on-year employment growth was 0.8 per cent in 2016, well below the 20-year average of 1.8 per cent and below 2015's 2.6 per cent figure.
Bill Gates warned at the World Economic Forum on Thursday that a new form of terrorism could be coming, and we are not prepared for it.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is part of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI). CEPI focuses on creating vaccines that could stop the outbreak of future diseases.

And while the organisation has about $US700 million ($927 million) to work with, Gates worries it won't be enough to stop another related, impending threat.

"Bio-terrorism," or the purposeful spread of epidemics, could become a serious issue, and Gates says we need to start figuring out how to combat it now.
Barack Obama's legacy is being systematically unravelled even before he leaves office, with The Wall Street Journal scoffing that he "has been a historic president but perhaps not a consequential one".

Historians will also note that the Democratic Party is in far worse shape today than when Obama took office: It has lost its House and Senate majorities, as well as 13 governorships and more than 900 state legislative seats.

More broadly, the sunny Obama optimism of "Yes, we can" has faded into a rancorous miasma of distrust and dysfunction. One example of that rancour is unfolding at the Woodmont Country Club outside Washington, where hawkish pro-Israeli members are campaigning to deny Obama membership even though there's no official indication he will even apply.

Yet here's my prediction: America and the world will soon be craving that Obama Cool again.
There are two pivotal points to make about the epochal tensions reshaping the politics of industrialised nations and causing a backlash against mainstream liberal democracy and free markets, evidenced by the rise of Donald Trump in the US, Britain's rejection of the European Union and mounting nationalism throughout Europe.

First, there is validity to the surging concern that the market capitalist model, far from creating fairer and wealthier societies, is generating unacceptable inequality.

Trumponomics Credit:rubberball

This nebulous angst and insecurity is being augmented by fears the increased flow of refugees caused by the biggest number of misplaced people in history will undermine cohesion within recipient nations.

Second, the exploitation of the concern by President-elect Donald Trump, France's populist presidential front-runner, Marine Le Pen, and others, including Pauline Hanson, leader of Australia's stridently anti-immigration One Nation party, is cynical and fraudulent.
So faced with this ongoing problem, Baird ensured that ICAC was rendered toothless in late 2016 (with Labor's gutless help, it should be pointed out), by abolishing the position of commissioner Megan Latham, forcing her to reapply for her job, and adding a new three-commissioner model which effectively means ICAC can only investigate matters of which the state government approves. Problem solved!

And of course there is the ongoing triumph that is WestConnex  the brilliant plan to funnel all the city-bound traffic of the western suburbs onto the single lane of Newtown's King Street  which has been characterised by cost overruns, disputes over the practicality of the design, and scandals over undervaluation of compulsory property acquisitions leaving homeowners unable to afford to buy elsewhere.

Of course, this would have been more difficult if local councils had been around to fight it  so democracy was streamlined nicely with the forced merger of three of the most troublesome councils into the new Inner West Council, which is still being overseen by an administrator rather than one of those annoying elected mayors. And said administrator, by a remarkable coincidence, just happens to be Richard Pearson, formerly of the NSW Department of Planning, which oversaw the WestConnex development. Why, what are the odds?

But perhaps the greatest legacy of Baird's storied rule was how he took one of the planet's most vibrant late night cities and turned it into a ghost town.

The Lockout Laws  which affected all the pubs, bars and music venues of the CBD, Darlinghurst, Kings Cross but mysteriously stopped just across the road from the Barangaroo casino  made entire industries economically unviable at a stroke, killing Oxford Street, closing down venues, and doing likely irreparable damage to Sydney's rich legacy as a hotbed of live music.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd says Donald Trump should be given a chance to calm his temperament and "grow into the job" once he is officially inaugurated as US President on Saturday.

Urging the incoming leader to "calm down" his "dangerous" rhetoric on China and Taiwan, Mr Rudd said Australia should also work with Mr Trump to halt North Korea's nuclear advance and salvage parts of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

"The fair-minded thing to do is to give the guy a go. [Malcolm] Turnbull should try as hard as he can  and Julie Bishop  to work with him," Mr Rudd told the Seven Network's Sunrise program on Friday.

"If it all turns bad, then we go to plan B. But I think we have to try and give him the benefit of the doubt, at least for the beginning." Mr Rudd did not elaborate on his conception of "plan B".
While banks indicate things are getting back to normal, India Today travelled through the streets of Delhi to find out if 'The ATM fear sydrome' still exists.

By Parbina Purkayastha: While demonetisation woes seem to be over for many but it is still feeding the political appetite for Opposition parties. As note ban is expected to simmer in poll states, meanwhile Opposition parties ensure that it doesn't fade away.

Congress leaders staged 'RBI gherao' protests across the country today during which former union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde was detained in Ahmedabad and police resorted to lathi charge in Nagpur.

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In Delhi, the protest was led by senior congress leader Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma and DPCC chief Ajay Maken, PC Chako marched from Jantar Manter to RBI's regional headquarters in Parliament Street but were stopped by police.

Not only Congress but also TMC chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee continues with her anti-demonetisation protests in various platforms. She recently attacked PM Narendra Modi alleging that he 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 highlighted the number of deaths caused due to note ban, with UP topping the list 32, West Bengal at 13 followed by Maharashtra at 11.

Also read: Demonetisation makes Hiroshima, Nagasaki of Indian economy, says Shiv Sena WHAT IS HAPPENING

Amidst all the political chaos, India Today once again gets to ground zero to check are the citizens, bankers and leaders are on same page

Old Delhi's biggest and oldest SBI bank in a heritage building have seen maximum crowd with maximum accounts but today as we visit once again there is no queue in front of the bank and its ATMs.

"Even during our pressure days we handled it well and today things are back to normal. Number of customers is manageable and we are working under normal condition. We are working in a normal working hour shift with ease" said Shailendra Kumar, deputy general manager, SBI Bank, Old Delhi.

While banks indicate things are getting back to normal, India Today travelled through the streets of Delhi to find out if 'The ATM fear sydrome' still exists.

Also read: Demonetisation fallout: IMF downgrades India, upgrades China growth estimate

Also read: Uttar Pradesh elections: Demonetisation has left 90% people kangaal, says Mayawati

A street in Delhi's Daryaganj which has at least 5-7 ATMs is empty with no queue nor customer. Taking turns we entered all the ATMs attempting to withdraw cash but all of them flashed 'cash unavailable' and we had our answer of deserted look in a ATM street.

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We then chose Indian Bank and its ATM in central Delhi. A bank and ATM which most of the time have cash as well customers. We found 2-3 customers who could easily withdraw money without standing in the queue.

"There is no more problem, cash is available now and with the increasing limit we don't have to visit a ATM everyday" said Rashmi

"This ATM will finish its cash in no time and insufficient cash still remains a problem." said another customer in the queue.

Also read: Dr. Ambedkar suggested demonetisation every 10 years, says BJP's Dushyant Gautam

"The number of notes which were extracted from the market is not back in system and hence the ATM crisis isn't over" said Vijay.

--- ENDS ---
I have always felt like an introvert and an extrovert. Put me on the perimeter of a mosh pit at a punk show or thrust me into a four-star dining experience with more conservative people, and I'll adapt to either situation - usually happily. In both instances, however, I'm relieved to return home, throw on pyjamas and have sole reign over HBO Go. People are exhausting.

It turns out there's a third option. I recently found out about the term "ambivert," which is not part of the original Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; it's a category for those of us who have introverted and extroverted traits, but don't quite fit in either category. Ambiverts have gotten more attention in recent years.

If I ever fall in love again, it will be because I meet a man in person under natural, pressure-free circumstances. Credit:Stocksy

And for me, Forbes' checklist 9 signs that you're an ambivert, is spot-on: I can perform tasks individually, as well as with a group. I can socialise like a champ, but tire of it. It's fun to be the centre of attention - for a brief interlude. Some people think I'm unobtrusive and reserved, while others wish I'd take a breath between sentences. Too much downtime leaves me crestfallen, but without enough quiet reflection, I'm worn to a nub. I can get lost in my thoughts - almost to insanity. I can do the small-talk dance, but find it agonising. I'm hesitant to trust people, but when I do, I trust them wholeheartedly.

Being a 43-year-old, single ambivert who desires a long-term relationship but telecommutes and lives alone is far from easy. I've downloaded a handful of online dating apps to my iPhone, all with the intent of swiping until I find a match that sticks. Each time I think: Maybe this time. Three days later, I delete my profile thinking: Never again.
It took just a matter of hours for a crowdfunding project launched on Wednesday to reach $100,000, surpassing its original goal of $50,000 to fund a campaign for racial and religious tolerance.

The campaign was started after a billboard advertising an Australia Day event in Melbourne was removed due to social media outrage and threats made over its depiction of two Muslim girls in hijab.

The original image used in the controversial billboard was taken at Docklands on Australian Day 2016, and featured on the Victorian government website. Credit:Victorian Government

Dee Madigan, executive creative director at Campaign Edge, created the GoFundMe page with support from anti-Islamophobia advocate Mariam Veiszadeh.

Explaining the campaign, Madigan wrote on the GoFundMe page: "The same groups who complain 'Muslims don't assimilate', complained about the photo OF AUSTRALIAN MUSLIMS CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA DAY. And due to this pressure the billboard was removed. If you or your business thinks this is not ok, please help us fund a billboard and print campaign featuring these two girls promoting Australia Day."
After a string of online security breaches, Australians are wary of storing their credit card details online and mistrust local retailers more than tech giants Apple and Google.

Less than a quarter of Australian internet users (23.5 per cent) are happy to attach a credit card to their Apple ID or Google Play accounts, according to finder.com.au research. The rest either manually enter their credit card details to cover the cost of apps and content, top up their accounts using gift cards or else link their account to PayPal which has more than six million active Australian accounts.

While Australians are wary of attaching credit card details to the Apple and Google accounts linked to their smartphones and tablets, they're even more apprehensive about trusting these details to online retail stores.

Only 15.6 per cent of Australians are prepared to store their credit card details with their online shopping accounts. Apart from manually entering their credit card details to cover transactions, other payment options for Australian online shoppers include gift cards, bank transfers and third-party payment services like PayPal.
A man is behind bars after an argument over a 15-minute wait at a car wash escalated into a huge brawl that allegedly led to a rented Mercedes-Benz being reversed into the car wash's manager.

The driver, who is awaiting trial over a road death and had his bail revoked on Thursday, is now at risk of surrendering a $150,000 surety for allegedly breaching bail while awaiting trial.

Police say the brawl began when the man's friend threw his drink over the manager. Credit:Justin McManus

The man was last year committed to stand trial on a charge of culpable driving causing death over a fatal crash in 2015 and had been on bail awaiting trial.

But he was arrested by police on Thursday following the melee at a Maribyrnong car wash on Sunday, in which more than a dozen car wash workers armed themselves with bats, poles, sticks or chairs, Melbourne Magistrate Court heard.
Mr Doyle told News Corp he would put the proposal before councillors at next week's meeting.

Homeless people would be banned from sleeping rough, according to a News Corp report, following increasing pressure on authorities over the Flinders Street Station camp.

Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle is set to propose a new bylaw that outlaws sleeping on the city's streets.

"I am happy to put this proposal before councillors at our first meeting if it is Victoria Police's recommendation, and they guarantee that they will enforce it," Mr Doyle was quoted as saying.

Homeless people at the camp near Flinders Street Station. Credit:Joe Armao

"Police already have powers to arrest for obstruction, for drug use, for threatening or aggressive behaviour, and for begging, and I would like to see them make full use of those powers as well.

"I welcome any move by police to bring an end to what has become a blight on our city, and the City of Melbourne continues to work with them to do that."

The News Corp report said the state government would hold a crisis meeting with police, Melbourne City Council and support groups on Monday.
Pauline Hanson has a stark warning for the major political parties in the lead up to the March state election: One Nation's assault in WA will be bigger than anyone predicted.

Political experts are predicting One Nation could pick up to as much as 11 per cent of the primary vote meaning the party could control the balance of power in the Upper House.

While Ms Hanson isn't expecting a Trump-style victory when WA goes to the polls in two months time, she told WAtoday the vote will be higher than political pundits predicted, with a lot of "sleeper voters" out in the WA electorate casting their vote for One Nation on the day.

One Nation is so confident of securing such a large chunk of the vote, it now believes it could secure as many as three Lower House seats.
Beiijing: China is cancelling plans to build more than 100 coal-fired power plants, seeking to rein in runaway, wasteful investment in the sector while moving the country away from one of the dirtiest forms of electricity generation, the government announced in a directive made public this week.

The announcement, made by China's National Energy Administration, cancels 103 projects that were planned or under construction, eliminating 120 gigawatts of future coal-fired capacity. That includes dozens of projects in 13 provinces, mostly in China's coal-rich north and west, on which construction had already begun. Those projects alone would have had a combined output of 54 gigawatts, more than the entire coal-fired capacity of Germany, according to figures compiled by Greenpeace.

Coal burnt for steelmaking and power generation is a major source of pollution in China. Credit:Nick Moir

The cancellations make it likelier that China will meet its goal of limiting its total coal-fired power generation capacity to 1100 gigawatts by 2020. That huge figure, three times the total coal-fired capacity in the United States, is far more than China needs. Its coal plants now run at about half of capacity, and new sources of power, such as wind, solar and nuclear, are coming online at a fast clip.

Nevertheless, China's capacity would have surged well past the 1100-gigawatt mark by 2020 had it not begun cancelling coal-fired plants in the works. The new announcements are in addition to cancellations detailed last year.
Just days before Donald Trump's swearing in as American president, a news report has revealed the remarkable breadth of a joint investigation by no less than six US intelligence agencies of claims that Russia helped the Trump campaign  and of the credibility the agencies attach to information that Trump dismisses as "crap".

Attempting to establish a money trail, rather than pursuing lurid, sensational and unsubstantiated claims that Moscow has a sex tape that could be used to blackmail Trump, the agencies are probing allegations that a system for delivering government pensions to Russians living in the US may have been used as a conduit to pay hackers who breached Democratic Party computers to harvest a trove of emails that were leaked through WikiLeaks to embarrass Hillary Clinton.

The agencies, according to the McClatchy news service, are the FBI, CIA, National Security Agency, Justice Department, Treasury and National Intelligence Agency. The Senate Intelligence Committee also has launched its own investigation, which will have subpoena power, to investigate Russian interference in the election.

The inter-agency working group is said to have been established early in 2016  before the FBI received the explosive dossier in which a former senior British intelligence agent reveals the sex-tape allegations  but the dossier also alludes to the Kremlin using the pension payments as cover.
The US Press Corp has come out with a strongly worded open letter to set things in a perspective for the next four years clearly spelling out that who will be the boss.

By Santosh Chaubey: US President-elect Donald Trump has been livid over many issues and people and the US media is one of his main targets. He has slammed media left, right and centre, going as far as to mock a disabled journalist and threaten to keep media outfits away from the White House.

Now, just two days before his inaugural, the US Press Corp has come out with a strongly worded open letter, published in the Columbia Journalism Review of Columbia University, to set things in a perspective for the next four years clearly spelling out that who will be the boss saying while "Trump has every right to decide his ground rules for engaging with the press, they have some, too. It is, after all, their airtime and column inches that Trump is seeking to influence."

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The open letter by a body representing US journalists, asserts, "We, not you, decide how best to serve our readers, listeners, and viewers. So think of what follows as a backgrounder on what to expect from us over the next four years".

ALSO READ | Welcome Trump's presidency: US Republican arrested for groping staffer's genitals

The letter categorically rebuts Donald Trump's regular slanderous assualts and threats against media. Addressing Trump it says, "You've banned news organizations from covering you. You've taken to Twitter to taunt and threaten individual reporters and encouraged your supporters to do the same. You've advocated for looser libel laws and threatened numerous lawsuits of your own, none of which has materialised. You've avoided the press when you could and flouted the norms of pool reporting and regular press conferences. You've ridiculed a reporter who wrote something you didn't like because he has a disability".

The journalists body, through its open letter, sets rules on access to Trump's administration, off the record statements, airtime, objectivity and cultivating and embedding news sources in the government for the next four years or in best case scenario, for the next eight years, if Donald Trump gets the second term.

Journalists say that Trump may deny them access but it will be a challenge that they will relish. The letter clears it out that 'access is preferable, but not critical'. They say 'attending background briefings or off-the-record social events' will be their sole discretion and they deserve the right to give or deny airtime to Trump's spokespersons.

ALSO READ | Donald Trump's Twitter Q&A goes horribly, and hilariously, wrong!

They lay out terms for the quality of coverage that will be driven by objective truth. Newsworthiness is must, but not without facts. And they warn Trump they will have upper hand in covering how his policies are carried out, even if he seeks to control information.

US journalists recognize where they have failed and credit Trump to highlight it and emphasize the need to 'regain trust' and say that "they'll do it through accurate, fearless reporting, by acknowledging their errors and abiding by the most stringent ethical standards they set for themselves".

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But they blame Trump of trying to create a division in the journalistic fraternity and even trying to cause family fights. The letter says those days are over now as 'the challenge of covering Trump requires that journalists cooperate and help one another whenever possible'. The letter reiterates on its role in making the US a great Republic and expresses gratitude that "forced them to rethink the most fundamental questions about who they are and what they are here for".

ALSO READ | Trump: I don't like tweeting, need it to 'counteract dishonest press

--- ENDS ---
J.D. Power Residual Values







Westlake Village, CA January 18, 2017; J.D. Power Residual Values, a benchmark product debuting today that will bring a new perspective to vehicle residual values.

Designed as an information resource for vehicle manufacturers, captive finance companies and lenders, Residual Values incorporates industry-leading sales transaction data gathered by the Power Information Network (PIN) from J.D. Power (representing more than 40% of franchised dealer retail sales transactions in America); the J.D. Power/National Auto Auction Association AuctionNet service (accounting for more than 80% of automotive auction transactions); and proprietary J.D. Power Voice of the Customer data.

The uniqueness of Residual Values is further complemented by data from J.D. Powers Initial Quality Study (IQS); Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS); Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study; and Auto Avoider Study.

We are launching this capability at a particularly important time for the industry as it deals with record levels of lease origination in an environment of declining used vehicle prices. Automakersand their lendersare looking for ways to accurately forecast and enhance the residual value of their vehicles because of its direct impact on both sales and profitability said Deirdre Borrego, senior vice president of data and analytics at J.D. Power.

Residual Values is the first all-new product introduced under the newly created Data & Analytics Division of J.D. Power. Under Borregos leadership, the division will include J.D. Power Valuation Services, formerly known as NADA Used Car Guide, joining the successfully established operations of PIN and Online-to-Offline (O2O) Digital Marketing Analytics.

J.D. Power Valuation Services will produce, manage and distribute residuals and related services. Mike Stanton, vice president of valuation services, will lead the team in McLean, Va., as it continues to market NADA Values until it fully transitions to the J.D. Power brand.

Manufacturers rely on J.D. Power insights in so many other areas of their business, so it makes a lot of sense to support them in such a critically important function that has long-term financial implications, said Jonathan Banks, vice president of vehicle valuation and analytics at J.D. Power. What OEMs and captives will find unique is the transparency of the valuation. Our product will provide clients with a viable third-party source as a challenger model to current processes, with an opportunity to expand into more predictive and prescriptive analytical solutions.
In a seat-sharing meeting, it was decided that Congress would leave Saligao, Fatorda and Siolim constituencies for Goa Forward Party but it backstabbed us by asking Angelo Fernandis, said Durgadas Kamat.

By Mayuresh Ganapatye: After working out a seat-sharing formula for elections at the eleventh hour on Wednesday, Congress fielded its two candidates from Saligao and Fatorda constituencies where the Goa Forward Party had already put up their candidates and was expecting to contest with the support of Congress.

"In a seat-sharing meeting, it was decided that Congress would leave Saligao, Fatorda and Siolim constituencies for the Goa Forward Party, but it back-stabbed us by asking Angelo Fernandis and Joseph Silva to file their candidatures from Saligao and Fatorda respectively", said Durgadas Kamat, spokesperson of the Goa Forward Party.

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Goa Forward Party has asked the Congress to clarify who distributed A,B forms to the candidates. The GFP asked that if Congress had not done so, how come the forms had signature of the state party president.

Also read: Goa Assemly election: Five men who matter

When we contacted Angelo Fernandis, who has filed his candidature from Saligao, he said "I was asked by my party to file my candidature from Saligao. It was never decided that Saligao to be left for Goa Forward Party."

After today's scrutiny, the returning officer has cleared the form of Joseph Silva as Congress candidate from Fatardo constituency. Interestingly, Silva had submitted the form not only as a Congress candidate, but also from the Goa Vikas Party. His second form, submitted from the GVP, was rejected.

Angelo Fernandis, Congress Candidate from Saligao Click here to Enlarge Angelo Fernandis, Congress Candidate from Saligao

According to sources within the Goa Congress, the central leadership is not happy with these developments as they were looking at Goa Forward Party mentor Viajai Sardesai as a possible alliance partner if the Congress won seats in double digits this time. As a damage-control move, the Congress leadership in Goa may ask Joseph Silva to withdraw from Fatardo.

Also read: India Today-Axis Opinion Poll on Goa: In key state, AAP eyed, BJP takes the cake

--- ENDS ---
City of Columbias Pet of the Week Meleas is a five-month-old pit bull puppy who is looking for a home to call her own. Meleas is happy to hang around with her humans, sunbath, snooze on a...

For Dogs, its Trick and Treat Its almost Halloween, a great time to teach your dog a trick and give him a treat. Most trainers are fans of trick training. Its not as silly as it...
More than 30 children are being treated for injuries at various hospitals, where the condition of seven is said to be critical.

The impact of the accident was such that the truck fell off the road. (PHOTO: India Today)

By Indo-Asian News Service: The deaths in the road accident in Etah of Uttar Pradesh, where a speeding truck collided with a school bus early today, rose to 25, the state police said.

More than 30 children are being treated for injuries at various hospitals, where the condition of seven is said to be critical.

The Etah District Magistrate has ordered a probe into the incident and has also cancelled the licence of the JS Public school for violating the government order to close schools from January 18 to January 21 owing to cold wave and poor weather conditions.

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The bus was carrying 61 children to the school when a sand-laden truck rammed into it head-on on the Patiali Road near Aliganj.

Also read: Uttar Pradesh: 14, including 13 schoolchildren, killed as bus, truck collide in Etah

The children in the school bus were aged 4-11 years and were students of from class Lower KG to Class 7.

District Magistrate Shambhunath said, a case has also been filed against the management of the school for violating the orders issued on Wednesday regarding closure of schools.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Keshav Prasad Maurya have mourned the loss of innocent lives in the tragedy.

The Chief Minister has asked the Divisional Commissioner and other district officials to ensure prompt and best treatment for those injured in the accident.

Watch: Uttar Pradesh: Atleast 15 dead, 36 injured after school bus collides with truck in Etah

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: From Barun Jha

Davos, Jan 19 (PTI) As over 3,000 leaders from across the world huddle for their annual talkfest in this snow-capped Swiss ski resort town in sub-zero temperatures, senior union minister Nitin Gadkari has got a full city to take back home literally -- he wants to create Indias own Davos in hilly terrains of Himalayas.

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Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport, Ports and Shipping, said it is very much possible to create a new city like Davos back in India where hotels, shops and conference centres would be set up, while taking care of the environment and other issues, and which can host events like World Economic Forum while giving a big boost to tourism, jobs and overall economy.

"After I came here, a thought has come to my mind. Im yet to start any work on it. We are working on a 1,000-km new roads for Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri of Rs 12,000 crore which would be all-season roads. That will be a historical thing with tunnels etc.

"Along with that, there is Pittoragarh where we are building a road for Mansarovar and we are taking Australian machines through MIG-17 and some work is already done, about 50 per cent. That place has got temperature of about minus 5-6 degrees.

"After coming to Davos, I felt why cant we develop a township like this in that area, where people will come in sub-zero temperatures and which will have hotels and tourism facilities and will even go to Mansarovar," Gadkari told PTI in an interview here at Make in India lounge on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

The minister, known for his out-of-the box innovative ideas, said it is very much possible to create a Davos-like city there in India, which is rich in all kinds of assets.

"We are capable of creating Taj Mahal even in a desert. It needs a vision, fast track decision making process, transparency and corruption free system. Another important thing is the commitment to the society and the country, and my country also needs something like this," he said.

Giving an example, Gadkari said he was travelling from San Francisco through Pacific Ocean and an idea struck him to build a new road for Mumbai to Goa which will run alongside the sea and the work has begun on that idea.

"Similarly, we will work on Yamuna riverfront by building a wall for a highway from Delhi to Yamunanagar. A study is on for this project which will make travel easier from Delhi to Uttarakhand and Himachal, bringing down the traffic on existing roads," he said.

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Gadkari, who is attending several sessions at WEF and is also holding bilateral meetings with corporates and other leaders from across the world here, said he has got an idea after coming here and it is very much possible to create a beautiful city in India itself in sub-zero degree temperatures.

Observing that at times an extreme position is taken on environment like issues, he said it is necessary to protect environment but development is also necessary, so appropriate measures can be taken to ensure that there is no ecological disturbances. More PTI BJ MKJ

--- ENDS ---
News anchor Ben Swann aired a six-minute investigation into Pizzagate in Americas ninth-largest TV market on Tuesday night.

Media is telling you the entire story is a hoax or fake news, but what does that even mean? Swann asked on the 11 p.m. newscast of Atlantas CBS affiliate. He was referring to the debunked conspiracy theory spread by 4chan and InfoWars that Clinton campaign chief John Podesta is connected to a child sex ring in the basement of a pizza shop that has no basement.

Swann is no stranger to airing pseudo-investigative reports of elaborate conspiracies on the local affiliate of TVs most watched national network, at his former employer Russia Today, and on his own website, Truth in Mediawhich shares a contact phone number with a prominent member of the Republican Liberty Caucus, a tax-exempt 527 political committee.

Last month, in a CBS 46 Reality Check segment that went viral on Facebook, Swann asked If (Syrian President Bashar al) Assad is Committing Genocide in Aleppo, Why Are People Celebrating in the Streets? The segment has garnered over 67,000 shares on Facebook alone.

In his last job at Russian state-TV outfit Russia Today in 2015, he reported that any credible evidence does not seem to exist that Russia shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, simply that it fit the narrative the U.S. administration was hoping for. On his own YouTube channel he said he had major problems with the theory that the Aurora, Colorado, theater shooting and Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings were each conducted by lone gunmen.

Theres a good reason to question this whole narrative: Theres been no evidence so far provided by police, other than what theyve told us, he said in his Sandy Hook truther video.

Swann took the same approach to Tuesdays Pizzagate expose, saying he spent the last month investigating it. In the report, Swann never reached out to any of the mentioned pizza shops, the FBI, the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, John Podesta, the Clinton campaign, or any of the people named or featured in pictures that aired throughout the report.

To be clear, not one single email in the Podesta emails discusses child sex trafficking or pedophilia. That is a fact. But there are dozens of what seem to be strangely worded emails dealing with pizza and handkerchiefs, he said. What the media is ignoring is that the Comet Ping-Pong Pizza place is actually referenced in the Podesta emails at least a dozen or so times.

Swann mostly repeats talking points from what he calls self-described online investigators, wherein he compares a triangle in a pizza place logo to a triangle in a boy love group.

I want you to see these images here. Notice this one on the end. Triangle? That image signifies something called boy love, he said.

Swann ends the segment by asking, Why hasnt any investigation taken place? into Comet Pizza, the shop Edgar M. Welch shot into with an AR-15 last month. Welch said he was investigating the fictional sex-slave ring he thought was in its backrooms or basement.

Keep in mind again, there is no proof here that there is a child sex ring being operated out of a D.C. pizza parlor. Investigators have already proven there is nothing to this story, right? Swann concludes. Well, actually, no.

The Daily Beast repeatedly tried to reach executives at CBS 46 and CBS News for comment on Wednesday. After several emails, CBS 46 News Director Frank Volpicella answered a phone call at 6 p.m., saying he didnt have time to comment because his newscast was about to go on the air.

I will say Ben was meticulous with his fact-finding and sourcing on his Reality Check segment, Volpicella said.

When pressed about the lack of any reporting in the piece, Volpicella doubled down.

Ben was meticulous, he said. I have to go, telling The Daily Beast to call back immediately after the show ended. But Volpicella and station staffers then ignored or turned away a half-dozen phone calls requesting further comment.

The report was also posted to Swanns website, Truth in Media, which he created in 2013 and where he posts his CBS 46-funded Reality Check segments, many of which echo talking points from websites like RT and InfoWars that are rarely seen in mainstream media.

Recent Reality Check topics, which all aired at the 11 p.m. hour in Atlanta, include Why Health Issues Prove Clinton Campaign Untrustworthy on Many Levels and 5 Problems with CIA Claim That Russia Hacked DNC/Podesta Emails.

Swann is also crowdfunding an episode about how U.S and partners intentionally created ISIS, through his Facebook page, which has more than 419,000 followers. Hes raised over $12,000 of his $55,000 goal.

Repeated emails and calls to Swann also went unreturned.

The phone number listed under the contact section on Truth in Medias website belongs to Joshua Cook, who previously used the same number as a contact for South Carolinas Republican Liberty Caucus in the political organizations press releases. (Reached at the number, Cook declined to comment Wednesday, saying Swann would soon release a statement.)

Cook was the chairman of the South Carolina Republican Liberty Caucus as recently as 2014, and he is currently listed as a committee member on RLCs national website. Cook has written more than 500 articles on Truth in Medias website since Swann founded it in 2013, while serving as RLCs South Carolina chairman or national committee member.

In 2013, the Republican Liberty Caucus posted an interview with Swann on its website titled RLC Joins Forces with Ben Swanns Truth in Media Project. The caucus is dedicated to working within the Republican Party to advance the principles of individual rights, limited government, and free markets.

Were very strong believers in breaking the two-party system because it is, in many ways, the same message coming from both sides, Swann said to RLC National Chairman Matt Nye in the interview.

In 2013, Swann was a featured guest at the Republican Liberty Caucus national convention alongside Ted Cruz, Reince Priebus, and Rand Paul. He also hosted several events with local RLC chapters, including a $350-per-table private lunch.

After leaving Cincinnati Fox affiliate WXIX in 2013, Swann appeared regularly on Russia Today between 2013 and 2015. He was featured in segments in which he denied the Russian government shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and alleged that an RT anchor resigning in protest on-air was a stunt coordinated with a Neo-Con Think-Tank and driven in part by Daily Beast writer James Kirchick.

Swanns last RT report aired in May of 2015, before he was hired by CBS 46 in June of that same year.

Update: National CBS News spokesperson Christa Robinson sent a statement to The Daily Beast after publication of this article.

"WGCL-TV in Atlanta is not owned or operated by CBS. As such, CBS News has no editorial control over the stations news product," she said.
It took long enough for Samantha Bee to get around to dedicating an entire segment of her Full Frontal show to Trump campaign manager-turned-counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway. But it was worth the wait.

As one of the top five or six feminist shows in late-night, Bee decided Wednesday to focus in on Donald Trumps omnipresent spokes-cobra. After playing clips of Fox News hosts celebrating Conways role as the first woman to run a successful presidential campaign, Bee shouted, Jesus, Fox, stop ramming your feminist identity politics down Americas throats!

Bee gave Conway credit for turning Trumps upended port-a-potty of a campaign around, saying shes fucking amazing at her job and deserves credit for that. Yet somehow, the left is not willing to give her that credit.

Oh my God, you guys, its so unfair, Bee said. A woman pulls off the historic feat of electing a sexual predator who thinks women should be punished for having abortions and feminists dont celebrate her with a Vogue cover! Though, she joked, Conway did get the cover of Pussy-Grabber Enabler Monthly.

The host proceeded to inaugurate Conway into her Great Feminists in Feminism Herstory Hall of Lady Fame, running down some of the more ridiculous comments the Republican strategist made before joining the Trump campaign.

As racists who dont feel like racists keep telling us, we should never judge anybody by what they say or do, but only by whats in their heart, Bee said, echoing a recent Conwayism. And I know Kellyanne doesnt believe those homophobic, sexist things in her heart, because Kellyanne doesnt believe anything in her heart. She will say literally anything.

For instance, before she joined the Trump campaign, Conway was lambasting the real-estate tycoon on cable news on behalf of Ted Cruz. But since then, she has changed her tune entirely. We havent seen a blonde do this much spinning and lying since Tonya Harding, Bee joked.

Juxtaposing Conways jiu-jitsu with her boss ham-handed attempts to shut down reporters, Bee asked Trump, Have you learned nothing from Kellyanne? Smile, take the question, dont answer it, complain about Hillary Clinton. Its not a difficult formula!

Why the hell is he president instead of her? Bee wondered. Kellyanne is the soulless, Machiavellian despot America deserves! Her advice to Conway? Lean in, bitch!
In the words of her 2011 single Like A Bird, Tiffany Trump just wants serenity while living it up. Unfortunately, social media users seem less than willing to give Tiff the serenity she so presciently desired.

In the week leading up to Donald Trumps inauguration, his daughterno, the other daughteris making her own, predictably modest headlines. While Ivanka Trump has been busy distancing herself from her eponymous brand and preparing to take on D.C., Tiffany has been spotted out and about with the Snap Pack, a motley crew of Kennedys, Hiltons, aspiring DJs and dedicated Upper East Siders. When theyre not making Snapchat stories about their live-in nannies or generally making millennials look bad, this heavily-profiled gang can be found posing for group pics at NYC hotspots. On Tuesday, one of these bonding rituals/photo ops caused a minor scandal, when actress Abigail Breslin Instagrammed a shot from ringleader Andrew Warrens birthday party. In the divisive social media post, Breslin shares the frame with Tiffany Trump and the birthday boy/fashion designer/self-proclaimed Kris Jenner of the group.

Its easy to begrudge rich kidsliterally, these are the Rich Kids of Instagramwho are editing their photos while the world burns. But even I, a person who had no idea that Little Miss Sunshines own Abigail Breslin was currently rocking a blue ombre, wasnt surprised or shocked by the Instagram, seeing as Trump and Breslin have been photographed before on multiple occasions. Of course, with pre-apocalyptic tensions running high, Breslin probably didnt pick the best time to feature the soon-to-be second daughter on her social media. The actresss Instagram was quickly met with virtual vitriol; select comments include Wtf Abigail? and Ok Im not usually one to say anything but why is that scum rat in your life? These negative Nancys naturally gave way to tone-deaf Trump supporters, sparking a boisterous back-and-forth that totally eclipsed the issue of Abigail Breslins dip-dye. Also, hardly any of the comments actually addressed Andrew Warrenone of the perils of posing for pictures with more famous friends.

In keeping with the celebrity trend of screenshotting from the iPhone Notes app, Breslin decided to address the hate head-on with a follow-up Instagram. In the brief, abbreviation-laden missive (abbrevs are hip and time is money), the actress went after everyone whos being horrible and disgusting to me rn, adding, I didnt vote for trump. Its none of anyones business, but I didnt. Once that was out of the way, Breslin got to the meat of her argumentnamely, that rich kid birthday parties are both sacred and apolitical. It is honestly disgusting of people to be so cruel about tiff who is a wonderful and kind person, she explained. If youre judging me for hanging out with someone Ive known for years at our friends bday party, you need to reevaluate your life. Why cant the (presumably liberal) Tiffany critics get on board with the notion of a bottle service-friendly, flatteringly-lit safe space? And what does it feel like to reevaluate your entire life based on an Abigail Breslin Instagram?

The Scream Queens actress covered all of her bases with a series of similar tweets, writing, ALRIGHT Everyone commenting mean shit on my last insta, I have known Tiff for years shes a beautiful soul and regardless of ur political views, do not take it out on her it is completely unfairAlso I would like to ask every single person on here how theyd feel if they were persecuted solely based on the actions of their parents.

Its safe to say that criticizing Tiffany Trump for the sins of her father is below the Gucci belt. Unlike Ivanka, whose sophistication and ready-to-wear sheath dresses mask a potentially dangerous political operative, Tiffany has been a disposable prop throughout her fathers campaign. Tiff has been referred to as the Jan Brady of the Trump family more than onceand really, once is already one time too many.

The 23-year-old was raised on the west coast, far from her father and half-siblings. Her mother Marla Maples, told The New York Times that, I had the blessing of raising her pretty much on my own. During Greta van Susterens one-hour special on the Trump family last summer, Tiffany was the only adult progeny who didnt score a one-on-one interview. She was, however, mentioned briefly: There is also Tiffany Trump, who keeps a low profile. Trump himself has expressed pride in all of his children, including Tiffanyjust, you know, to a lesser extent.

I dont know what its like to have a typical father figure, Tiffany once confessed. Hes not the dad whos going to take me to the beach and go swimming, but hes such a motivational person. Of course, much of this distance was physicalunlike Ivanka, Tiffany simply didnt get the face time necessary to foster a strong relationship with her father. Growing up, Tiffany mostly saw her dad on spring break at Mar-a-Lago. Trump would also visit her in California, occasionally, Whenever Tiffany got an award. This chilly portrait meshes well with Tiffany Trumps RNC speech, during which she described her father in the way that a teenager might describe their great uncle, or a particularly dedicated pen pal. For around five minutes, Tiffany recalled how her father would write notes on her childhood report cards. But thats not all! Apparently, he also called her once. She added that The Donald gave good advice, before clarifying that he keeps it short. For better or worse, Trump wasnt actually present to watch his daughter try to conjure up some positive memories of himhe had already flown back to New York.

In addition to awkwardly dodging kisses from her father, Tiffany Trump has a fairly long list of accomplishments. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and has been spotted touring Harvard Law School. She has a boyfrienda Hillary Clinton supporterand is reportedly far more studious and serious than the rest of her social media-friendly crew. A reporter who trailed the Snap Pack for a story admitted that she was impressed by Tiffanys good rearing: When I would ask about her, she would say: How about you? Whats your job like? Andrew Warren, who has known Tiffany since they were toddlers, describes her as the southern belle of the group even though she isnt from the South, which presumably just means that she doesnt grab, insult, and intimidate like her distant father.

Like Breslin, Warren has also defended his newly polarizing pal. In November he took to Facebook with an impassioned plea to leave Tiffany alone. I know people have strong opinions, but think about the time @tiffanytrump, who has been my best friend for as long as I can remember, is going through, he wrote. This isnt a post to support or not support Trump, Hillary, or anyone elseIm just here to be there for my best friendagain not to start a political war. Now if Tiffany could just convince all of her semi-famous supporters to attend Trumps inauguration, she might actually be able to get her fathers attention.
Last Friday, an anonymous post on Medium doxxed the man behind the podcast The Daily Shoah of The Right Stuff, a website the Anti-Defamation League calls virulently anti-Semiticrevealing his Manhattan address and claiming that his own wife was Jewish.

Now some in the alt-right are fighting over who exactly outed Mike Enoch, whose real name is Mike Peinovich, in an increasingly vicious war of accusations.

Ahead of an inaugural event called The Deploraball, a celebratory gathering organized by alt-right figures and allies set to take place in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Peinovich spoke about his future in the movement in an interview on his own Right Stuff Radio.

My wife is Jewish, OK, thats the fact of the matter, Peinovich said in a segment which aired on Wednesday. Theres no hiding from it. Everybody knows now. And I understand that theres people who cant have me as leader. I hope that they can have me as a podcast host.

Since his identity was revealed, Peinovich first denied the claims and then decided to face the music as it remained unclear just who was actually responsible for this revelation.

The post that revealed Peinovichs identity, which has since been taken down, was published by an account named counter countersignal. It leaked Peinovichs address, work details, and phone number and made the claims about the identity of his spouse.

Shortly after the article went up, Peinovich emailed The Daily Beast and dismissed the purported facts of the piece.

The article has already been removed from medium for violating the rules, he initially wrote. I haven't been in touch with the right stuff in 4 years. I am a libertarian, as you can see from literally all my other writings on the web. The Right Stuff used to be a quasi libertarian blog but I left when it became too much for me. My wife is a jew for Christ sakes. Why do you automatically believe these fucking communists? Great journalism. And now I'm being harassed for shit I have been out of for years and frankly forgot about. I hope you're proud of yourself.

The Daily Beast never had any previous contact with Peinovich or anyone affiliated with The Right Stuff, his outfit for podcasting and networkingor with The Daily Shoah, a program which popularized the use of parentheses to indicate Jewish names on social media.

Over the weekend, the story took even another turn.

First, Peinovich conceded that the information in the Medium post was correct, writing in a forum on The Right Stuff:

As I am sure you all know, I was doxxed and an ill advised attempt to fool the media about my identity led me to not talk to you people and to try to simply ride it out by being silent, he wrote, as first documented in a Salon story. This was irresponsible and a disservice to all of you. Yes my wife is who they say she is, I wont even bother denying it, I wont bother making excuses. If this makes you want to leave the movement, or to have nothing to do with TRS, then I understand.

He then implored supporters to not try to defend me to those attacking me.

Dont jeopardize your own reputation by defending things that you dont think you can, he wrote. I could try to explain my whole life for the last ten years to you but what difference at this point would it make. Life isnt perfect.

Then a theory emerged, detailed here, that two Donald Trump supportersMike Cernovich and Bill Mitchell, who have recently tried to distance themselves from people in the alt-right who they perceive to be anti-Semiteshad provided journalists, including The Daily Beast, with Peinovichs private information. (The Daily Beast never received doxxing information from Cernovich or Mitchell.)

Cernovich and Mitchell came under suspicion because they had begun to criticize figures who they deemed to be causing a problem for their loosely organized movement, typified by a Washington, D.C., event organized by white nationalist Richard Spencer in which people were caught on camera making Nazi salutes.

After those accusations started flying around, Mitchell and Cernovich both claimed that they werent involved in Peinovichs doxxing. The Daily Beast has not been able to definitively identify the person or persons who wrote the Medium post.

Who is the Right Stuff guy? Never heard of him? Mitchell said in a direct Twitter message on Monday. Other than Cernovich, I dont know any of those people.

Cernovich, for his part, did seem to allude to Peinovich, or at least someone who sounded like him, in a December Periscope broadcast.

Did you know that one of the leaders, Cernovich said making quotation marks with his fingers to the camera, in the alt-rightIm not going to doxx himone of the leaders of the alt-right whos anonymous[is] morbidly obese and is married to a Jewish woman, which I find fascinating.

He called it hilarious that this anonymous individual would not reveal his wifes background.

On Tuesday, Cernovich told The Daily Beast that he was sent Peinovichs private information by an anonymous account a while ago, but said he never posted it.

Anons [or anonymous Twitter users] sent me the dox a couple of months ago, he told The Daily Beast in a direct message. I never posted it and would never have posted a home addresswhich is beyond the pale even by my standards.

He said that Peinovichs doxxed information was direct messaged to him by a burner account.

Asked specifically about the Periscope in which Cernovich seemed to allude to Peinovich, his defense was that The Right Stuff crew started the beef between them.

He sent his crew to troll me, which struck me as ironic given his own situation, Cernovich told The Daily Beast. That said I never mentioned him by name. Nor did I spread his dox to anyone. We all have lines and I draw mine at posting an anonymous writer's full name, and I sure as fuck wouldn't give out a home address given the feral nature of the alt-left.

After Cernovichs December broadcast, however, users on 8chan began to dox other members of The Right Stuff, including Bulbasaur and Seventh Son, who were both involved with The Daily Shoah.

By Jan. 7, users on the subreddit r/altright were concerned that 8chan had been compromised and that the doxxing was being conducted by anti-fascist and communist sympathizers.

Since 8chan users are anonymousjust like the poster on Medium who doxxed Peinovichit was hard to ascertain who was actually behind the doxxing of The Right Stuff crew.

According to NYC Antifa, an anti-fascist organization that heralded the Medium post as a success and initially tweeted the story, the group is unaware of counter-countersignals actual identity.

They're an antifascist research group in the New York area that found info about the two TRS [The Right Stuff] hosts who were doxxed by other white nationalists last week, did some more research, and found Enoch, a source familiar with the leak told The Daily Beast in an email. When they confirmed the intel they made the Medium post.

As for what happens now, hosts of The Daily Shoah had previously intimated that Peinovich was separating from his wife, but that the show would go on.

Peinovich declined to be interviewed for this article.
Two passengers, who arrived from Bangkok, had concealed 938 grams of gold in 118 small pieces in the sole of these slippers that they were wearing.

Customs officers at IGI seized the slippers with 118 gold pieces attached to the sole.

By Mail Today Bureau: While closely monitoring passengers arriving at Delhi's India Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, a slipper caught attention of Customs officers. The slipper, which appeared ordinary, was found to be worth around Rs 27 lakh later. Two passengers, who arrived from Bangkok, had concealed 938 grams of gold in 118 small pieces in the sole of these slippers that they were wearing.

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Officials said, two of them, who arrived at T3 of the IGI Airport with Indian passport on Wednesday, were intercepted after they had crossed green channel.

According to the custom department, market value of the gold seized from them is around Rs 26.96 lakh. It was seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962.

ALSO READ | 6 kg gold worth Rs 1.16 crore seized at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

After the demonetisation scheme was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seizure of gold has gone up by many fold. Earlier this week a passenger, travelling from Dubai was caught by customs officials at Delhi airport for allegedly carrying gold foils pasted with black insulated tape on to both sides of a corrugated carton. Gold worth Rs 18.5 lakh, weighing 700 grams was recovered.

Customs had seized 6.6 kg gold from Delhi airport in the period of 2012-2013, which increased to 384kg in 2013-2014.

During 2014 and 2015, officials seized 574 kg and in 2016 more than 220 kg, worth about Rs 60 crore was confiscated.

ALSO READ | Gold rush at airports after demonetisation

--- ENDS ---
This Friday America enters a perilous era when a man who trusts Vladimir Putin more than Americans in Congress, the military or our intelligence services takes the oath of office. Whether our republic endures Donald J. Trumps clearly divided loyalties may well depend on how smartly Americans respond to our new president, with his insatiable lust for money, power, and public adoration.

Based on my almost three decades of Trump watching, here is some of what to expect in the days ahead:

First, a rapid fire set of actions designed to dazzle supporters and overwhelm opponents who cannot focus on every executive order and fast-track bill in Congress.

If Trump proceeds with his plan to build a wall just inside the U.S. border with Mexico, pay close attention to the authorizing language. Congress will likely be asked to exempt the project from environmental review and routine disclosures about the contracting and construction process. The bill may even allow expedited seizure of privately held land under our Constitutions eminent domain clause.

The justification for this? National security, of course.

Second, expect Trump to also use national security to crack down on dissent. Protests must be peaceful or they will play in Trumps authoritarian hands. Trump only needs a few riots to justify invoking Article I, Section 9 of our Constitution in which the second word is crucial:

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

Similarly, if Trump wants to severely curtail demonstrations he may well circumvent the Posse Comitatus Act, an 1878 law that prohibits the use of the Army and other military personnel against Americans, but exempts the National Guard.

Having revealed (thanks to videotape) that an undercover LAPD officer provoked the May Day 1982 riot in Los Angeles, I know how vulnerable protesters are to agents provocateurs. To avoid giving excuses for official violence and locking up protesters without court hearings, those planning demonstrations must organize peace squads to surround anyone who takes any violent action, penning them in while asking police to arrest them.

Next, expect Trump to curtail public access to government information, perhaps including removing reporters from the White House. Similarly, unwelcome Freedom of Information Act requests will be slow-walked and the already inadequate budget for processing such requests will likely be slashed in the name of reducing burdens on taxpayers.

Also, enforcement of civil rights and voting rights will wither. Existing litigation may also be allowed to fail by the simple expedient of missing filing deadlines or declaring the government is no longer interested in the issues.

Aid and comfort to racist laws that block people from voting will likely get little attention from Trumps attorney general, Jeff Sessions, despite his claimed conversion to embracing equally the rights of all Americans.

Almost immediately, expect demands that civil servants who work on climate change, job safety, and pollution resign or be fired.

My plea to these civil servants: Make Trump fire you. Yes, it will be unpleasant to spend a year or two while your case is adjudicated. You may even be assigned to a windowless room with no work to do, but quitting just opens up your job to someone hostile to the work you care about. Besides, youll get paid while the process is underway and, if you get an administrative law judge with integrity, you may get your job back.

Expect budgets and executive actions targeting specific workers and sections of agencies for termination, including possibly invoking the Holman Rule, an 1876 law that lets Congress reduce the wages of any federal employee to a buck a year. This would raise the interesting question of whether the constitutional prohibition to a Bill of Attainder applies only to criminal matters or includes civil wrongs, such as targeting civil servants because they did their duty.

Expect Trump to pay no attention to red ink in the federal budget even though he ran for office railing against federal debt. By spending borrowed money Trump can temporarily juice the economy, creating jobs.

And expect Trumps behavior to become more erratic, as I have long warned, once the pressures of being president weigh on his immature, narcissistic personality. We saw one early sign of this Sunday when the London newspaper The Times published its interview with the president-elect.

Notice how the answer below has nothing to do with the question, but is the kind of nonsense expected from a random blowhard on a bar stool:

Question: Can you understand why eastern Europeans fear Putin and Russia?

Answer: Sure. Oh sure, I know that. I mean, I understand whats going on, I said a long time agothat NATO had problems. Number one it was obsolete, because it was, you know, designed many, many years ago. Number twothe countries arent paying what theyre supposed to pay. I took such heat, when I said NATO was obsolete. Its obsolete because it wasnt taking care of terror. I took a lot of heat for two days. And then they started saying Trump is rightand nowit was on the front page of The Wall Street Journal, they have a whole division devoted now to terror, which is good.

And the other thing is the countries arent paying their fair share so were supposed to protect countries but 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.

The answer goes to a core issue with Trump: his utter lack of empathy for anyone else. A man who made no apologies for putting the life of a sickly infant in jeopardy over money, as Trump did to his grandnephew William Trump in 2000, has no capacity to understand the fear of people in the former Soviet Union about a murderous autocrat taking away their freedoms. There is a lesson in that for Americans who take their freedoms for granted.

Anyone who thinks that our Constitution will save us from Trumps instincts does not understand that it is a piece of paper that can be ignored by a president determined to emulate Vladimir Putins autocratic style.

Be wary. Be watchful. But most of all don't be dumb and play into Trumps hands.
James Rigato knows Detroit inside out.

Hes the perfect ambassador for the Motor Citys thriving and creative food and drink scene, since, after all, he helped create it.

The Michigan native grew up in the small town of Howell, about halfway between Detroit and Lansing, and got his first job in the restaurant business at 14, as a dishwasher at a local diner. After attending culinary school (in the Detroit suburb of Livonia, of course), he worked his way up through some of the citys finest restaurant kitchens and finally struck out on his own, opening The Root in 2011 and Mabel Gray in 2015.

Though his culinary star is risinghe won a spot on season 12 of Top Chef and was named a best new chef in the region by Food & Wine, and Mabel Gray was a James Beard Best New Restaurant Award semifinalistRigato remains committed to supporting his home state. The Young Guns dinners he hosts regularly spotlight promising area chefs, and both of his restaurants serve produce from the region and even frequently host performances from neighborhood bands.

He also knows his drinks, placing particular importance on the wines and cocktails paired with the dishes on Mabel Grays ever-changing menu. And, naturally, we got him to share with us his three favorite beverages in town. You wont be disappointed!

Montenegro Old Fashioned at Standby

Joe Rob is the best bartender in Detroit, Rigato says, without hesitation. At speakeasy-style joint Standby, whose hidden entrance is off a graffiti-covered alleyway, Rob has a 50-drink cocktail menu that has never disappointed me. That extensive menu pairs beautifully with a selection of internationally inspired bar bites. Rigatos usual order here is a classic Old Fashioned that swaps out whiskey for Amaro Montenegro, an Italian bitter liqueur with notes of flowers, spice and citrus. Amaro is a cocktail crutch for me, Rigato says, but really, anything Joe does is genius. Believe the hype.

Miller Genuine Draft at Madison Park Bowl Bar & Grill

You read that right: One of Rigatos favorite drinks in Detroit is a cheap domestic lager at a bowling alley bar. He explains: For the last 100 years of constant change, metro Detroit has never abandoned our beloved dive bar. Darts, shuffleboard, mini tacos, pool, keno, sassy local ladies pouring beers and faux stone and wood paneling. Its my hiding place and by far my favorite bar. The spot does offer a selection of local beers Rigato enjoys as well, but for the full dive-bar experience youve got to order an MGD.

Cold, Cold Night at The Oakland Art Novelty Company

Opened in 2011, The Oakland was one of the first craft-cocktail joints in the Detroit area, and is arguably the citys best-known watering hole. Part of the appeal of the spot for Rigato is owner Sandy Levines stalwart support of the local drinks scene. Hes always been a soldier of hospitality, hosting field trips to bourbon country with his staff and creating a comfortable drinking environment for guests, Rigato says. The Oakland offers a wide variety of drinks, including its annual transformation into a tiki bar each summer, but at this frigid time of year, Rigato goes with the appropriately named Cold, Cold Night cocktail, which is a twist on the Whiskey Sour with bourbon, raisins, bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup, lemon and orange, and a trio of bitters. Its a great last drink of the night, he says.

Check out our complete Three Drinks travel guide to cocktails.
If change can be described using the vocabulary of earthquakes, Brianna Wu has spent her last 18 months enduring the sort of seismic activity that comes with living over an active fault line. As the center of the phenomenon known as Gamergate (actually, its about ethics in harassing some guys ex-girlfriend and any people who defend her!), she faced threats on her life, on the lives of her loved ones. Bomb threats, constant harassment, challenges to her livelihood, threats on speaking engagements. Law & Order even ripped her story from the headlines. Thats how you know whats happening to you is fucked upwhen Dick Wolf decides it is.

But Gamergates gradual drawdownor pivot to deplorabilityleft Brianna to return to relative normalcy just in time for her life to shift again. Through this countrys twist of fate, Wu would find the arc of her life bent, surprisingly, toward the public eye once more. Shed find herself running for office.

Wu, a game designer, has always been passionate about politics. She grew up in what she describes as a right-wing family. In college, she interned for Trent Lott while her classmates partied. In the intervening years, her views have evolved, her stances have swung left. Although shed long ago left behind the ideology of the Rush Limbaughs or Sean Hannities of the world, until very recently, Wu hadnt made moves to get more involved.

And then November 8 happened. On Election Night, Manhattans Javits Center filled with silence beneath an unshattered glass ceiling. At a bar in the theater district, two Trump voters, red-state men deep in a blue state for an auto dealers convention, gloated. Shes gotta be shitting her pants, they said to nobody, and everybody, as Florida results rolled in. Cable-news hosts reacted with shock as an election narrative that defied all polling materialized in Wisconsin, in Pennsylvania. Daughters sent their mothers texts.

Wu, like the rest of the country, was caught off guard. I really expected to leave Hillary headquarters on Election Night and come back to my studio, she tells The Daily Beast. The worst-case scenario had happened. Ive just been devastated. I had a meeting two days after Trump won. I thought, I cant even think about making my living from a video game right now.

That night, she asked her husband what he thought about her entering politics. Hed already stood by Wu as she dealt with Gamergate and its related aftershocks. He said, Go for it, says Wu.

Her campaign has been unorthodox from jump. She hasnt gone through traditional channels, predicting, probably aptly, that theyd shuffle her to local or state office before letting her take a shot at Congress. Shes jumping from no political experience to vying for an office on Capitol Hill, taking her cue from our 45th president, Donald Trump, who has never held political office in his life. Shes making her own ads; the first one was released this week. And shes managing the whole campaign like a startup.

Shes spent recent weeks studying up on campaign-finance law and crafting her own bootstrapped ad encouraging other women to register their distaste for the status quo by running for office.

People whose job it is to draft people for political office often cite the difficulty in convincing women that entering politics wouldnt prove disastrous for their families. They worry about how a run could hurt their childrens education, whether it would cause their husbands stress. But not Brianna Wu. Shes not scared of what could happen to her and her family if shes suddenly in the public eye, because the worst has already happened to her. Gamergate taught me that I was stronger than I knew that I was, she says. I thought, What can they do to me? Call me names? Make up stuff about me? OK, theyve already done that.

Wus story is an extreme case of the sort of abuse facing women who run afoul of a certain type of groupthink, but there are many other examples. When I was working as the news editor at Jezebel, a few intrepid male spammers would fill our comment section with .GIF images of rape porn or animal gore every day, like clockwork. Twitter is notoriously clumsy and uneven about promoting a positive experience for its female users: When Robin Williams took his own life, his daughter was bombarded with abuse the platform seemed unable to adequately address. It took Twitter an embarrassing amount of time to ban men whose social-media raison detre is seeking to cause pain. Martin Shkreli was booted from the platform for harassing Teen Vogue writer Lauren Duca, and then appeared on Fox Business opposite Maria Bartiromo, where he claimed he was banned for being a Republican. It seems like every few months, a prominent female voice publicly quits a social-media platform, citing nonstop male obnoxiousness that runs the gamut from being a constant low-level annoyance to a mentally deleterious barrage.

Its not worth wasting precious seconds of life waxing philosophical about why groups of men rally online to call in bomb threats to the homes of women like Brianna Wu, or tell some intern at a womans website that they hope she gets raped to death with a knife, or use LexisNexis to discover the address of an old apartment of a female reporter and bombard the location with pizzas to show her they know where she once lived. Maybe theyre mad at their mothers. Maybe when young men feel useless, they direct their energy toward mayhem. Maybe theyre all Vladimir Putin. But theres probably one thing they dont consider when theyre plotting a group offensive against a new female target: the sort of resilience that can only come from exposure.

Wu doesnt need to worry about what it feels like to be smeared publicly, as a politician is smeared. Shes already been through the wringer. And shes still here, with the benefit of the hindsight that can only come from an ordeal. And now, thanks to how bad almost every social-media platform is at handling abuse, a lot of women have similar experiences.

Perhaps the silver lining in unhinged mobs of men intent on targeting women online might be a strain of person who can take much worse than a skeptical electorate can dish out. What if Gamergate, or Russias bowl-cutted basement brigade working to please Dear Leader, or self-identified deplorables, in spamming women with abuse, unwittingly built an army of battle-tested bad bitches, tougher than any week of bad press, than any town-hall nutjobs, afraid of nothing? Hell hath no fury like a woman trolled.

Wu says she appreciates how many activists have pointed out the problems women face both online and in their daily lives. Shes encouraged by how visible issues she cares about have become. But women talking about issues of inequality is no longer enough. Writing and talking about it is great, but I dont think its going to get us anywhere at this point, she says. We need to run for office.
In the film The Men Who Stare at Goats, George Clooney played a psychic recruited by the CIA as part of its New Earth Army, a unit that seeks to employ paranormal powers to thwart Americas enemies around the world.

The film was a fictionalized version of a nonfiction book of the same name by British journalist Jon Ronson, and while Ronson largely concluded that the CIAs efforts to get one up on their rivals using the power of the paranormal were a failure, a remarkable cache of freshly declassified documents reveals that the agency did indeed conduct a week of experiments in 1973 on one of the U.K.s most famous TV personalities of the day: Uri Geller, who became famous for bending spoons by gently stroking them on British television.

The research on Geller, the 32-page document shows, was part of the Stargate programclosed in 1998which aimed to explore remote viewing, a system by which it was hoped psychic spies having controlled out-of-body experiences could observe individuals in far-flung locations.

Gellerwho has been much mocked in the British media over the years for his claimscompletely convinced the CIA of his paranormal perceptual ability in a convincing and unambiguous manner.

The document published by the CIA states that Geller was taken to Stanford Research Institute in California from Aug. 4 to Aug. 11, 1973, and in a series of experiments was asked to try and copy pictures being drawn at random by CIA agents in another room about half a mile away.

The CIA was confident there was no sensory leakage between the two rooms.

The scientists opened a dictionary and picked a word at random. The first word chosen was fuse and a scientist drew a firecracker.

Geller was notified via intercom when the target picture was drawn and taped on the wall outside his enclosure, the documents state.

His almost immediate response was that he saw a cylinder with noise coming out of it.

He then drew an image that looked similar to the firecracker, which has been published as part of the cache.

The scientists repeated the experiment, the document says:

The second word selected was picked, which was bunch, and the target was a bunch of grapes. Gellers immediate response was that he saw drops of water coming out of the picture. He then talked about purple circles. Finally ,he said he was quite sure that he had the picture. His drawing was indeed a bunch of grapes. Both the target picture and Gellers rendition had 24 grapes in the bunch.

The experiments continued for more than a week. In one case, the target picture was a devil in the form of a man with a trident, and Geller drew images including a trident, the Ten Commandments, an apple with a worm in it, in response.

The report states: The inability on Gellers part to draw the devil may be culturally induced. Geller did draw the trident from the target picture, but he did not draw the man holding it.

From this it seems clear that Geller does not just copy lines from the target picture, but does perform some mental processing on them before drawing them himself.

Several attempts were not successful. However, on another occasion, the scientists drew a flying seagull. Geller said almost immediately that he saw a flying swan on a hill.

He drew several birds and said he felt sure his drawing was correct, which it was, his handlers wrote.

Geller was even able to reproduce elements of images drawn and stored in a computers memory so that no visible evidence was available in the computer room after it was stored.

The researchers could not decide whether this meant Geller was perceiving the image from the computer, or from the mental contents of several people in the computer room, all of whom knew the nature of the target that was stored.

Geller did pass on various tests, saying he could not get a clear impression.

The documents concluded that he did better when there were no skeptical observers present.

Geller told the Daily Telegraph that one international agency, which he wouldnt name, asked him to kill a pig with his mind.

I was asked to stop the heart of a pig. It was probably so they could stop the heart of Andropov, who was head of the KGB.

"George Clooney basically played me in that film (The Men Who Stare at Goats). It wasn't a goat, it was really a pig."
When it was announced that Jackie Evancho had agreed to perform at the inauguration of Donald Trump there were three primary reactions:

1) How could she? How could any self-respecting entertainer perform there?

2) Finally! An entertainer with the courage to stick it to the rest of the Hollywood elite!

3) Who is Jackie Evancho?

Well thanks to the controversy that has engulfed Evanchoand every performer whose name has surfaced in connection with Trumps inauguralmost Americans will soon know who Jackie Evancho is. But if were lucky, not only will more Americans learn her name. Hopefully more will learn to follow the lead of her and her family in demonstrating grace even in the face of stinging criticism, for the sake of your country.

When it was revealed that Evancho, best known for being a runner-up on Americas Got Talent, had agreed to perform at Trumps inauguration, the condemnation, as well as jokes, ran wild. The cynical reactions can be summarized as this: The Trump camp is so desperate for celebrities to perform that after being rejected by most performers with any real career to speak of in Hollywood, and even Nashville, they settled on a reality show star. And said star was so desperate that she said yes to elevate her profileregardless of the political implications, including the outrage and disappointment of those from disenfranchised groups who are horrified by the potential impact of a Trump presidency on their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

Only it turns out that the cynics didnt have the whole picture.

For starterswhile she may not be considered A-list to those who think Kim Kardashian is, Evancho has performed at Carnegie Hall, had multiple PBS concert specials, in addition to platinum- and gold-selling albums. She doesnt exactly need Donald Trump (or the controversy caused by her association with his inauguration) to boost her career. (Although in typical humble Trump fashion he claims he already has. He took credit for causing her album sales to skyrocket after her performance for his big day was announced, a claim that has been challenged by various outlets.)

But what the cynics really get wrong is the idea that any person who would associate with Trumps presidency in any way would have to be someone who lacks empathy for those whom his policies might harm. As we recently learned, in the case of the Evancho family, that couldnt be further from the truth.

Jackies sister Juliet is transgender. Her family is currently suing their school district to allow her to use the womens bathroom. Bathroom battles have emerged as a flashpoint in the culture wars. While there is a lingering question mark regarding the extent of Trumps so-called evolution as a cultural conservative, the conservative bona fides of his vice-president, Mike Pence, are well documented. Following President Obamas directive that school districts allow transgender students to use the bathroom corresponding with their gender identity, Pence, who has not traditionally supported LGBT rights, said, The federal government has no business getting involved in issues of this nature.

Additionally, given the enthusiasm that greeted Trumps list of likely judicial nominees in conservative corners, it is highly unlikely his nominees will advance LGBT rights. But Evancho is performing at his inauguration anyway, and doing so with the support of Juliet (who will not be attending).

Both Jackie and Juliet have faced a torrent of criticism and abuse from all sides, conservative and liberalthanks to the media firestorm that has engulfed their family since Jackies upcoming performance was announced.

But I think we all owe the Evancho family a debt of gratitude.

The last election not only came close to tearing our country apart, but many families. I personally know of families in which people stopped speaking to each other and avoided heading home for the holidays. The thinking seems to be If you cant agree with my politics, you dont respect them. If you dont respect them, you dont respect me. But the Evancho family is proving that that is the easy way out. Not speaking to someone, acting as if their politics are wrong and therefore their point of view is irrelevant, may make your existence more pleasant in the short term, but it does very little to change hearts and mindsor votesin the long-term.

Supporters of same-sex marriage have noted that one of the most effective methods for actually changing minds on that issue was simply talking to people. Thats hard to do ifyoure not speaking to someone. Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, for instance, evolved on same-sex marriage thanks to his gay son. There are countless stories like that one, including elected officials and others moved by LGBT family members, co-workers and neighbors. But that never would have happened if they all stopped speaking because they didnt agree on one issue, as significant as that issue may be.

Evancho said that her performance is not political but for her country. If anything, she and her sister, two teenagers, are showing they have more courage, class and political insight than many adults.

Just think about how much more civil and productive our political discourse would be if more of us, our politicians included, engaged with each other the Evancho way and put our country before our politics. Even when it means having conversations we may not want to have, with people we may not want to have them with.
Though sexual assault is rarely reportedand even then, only occasionally prosecutedits victims have had it way too easy for far too long, according to a New Hampshire Republican representative. Hes made it his first legislative order of business to pass a bill that would require more proof than just a victims testimony before a rape case could be brought to trial.

Sponsored by Rep. William Marsh, the vaguely-worded HB 106 requires a victims testimony in a sexual assault case to have corroboration, at least in cases where the defendant has no prior sexual assault convictions.

Though the corroboration rule in rape prosecution has a well-documented history, the term is not defined in this bills language. At a hearing on Tuesday in the states House Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Marsh said it could mean an eyewitness account, or physical evidence like computer files, photographs or hotel receipts, or medical evidence like documented injuries, or behavioral changes in the alleged victim.

Marsha newly-elected opthamologist and homeschooling father of five, who enjoys marching in his local towns 4th of July parade, dressing in colonial garb, and shooting a musket, according to his online biointroduced the bill to right what he sees as a history of wrongful conviction. Meanwhile, law enforcement and victims advocacy groups lined up on Tuesday to testify that it would enable rapists and child molestors.

Its really nothing short of the nations first pedophile protection act, Sgt. Sean Ford of the Concord Police Department told the AP.

The inspiration for Marshs bill is Foad Afshar, a 56-year-old unlicensed psychotherapist, who was convicted in June of one felony count of aggravated sexual assault and a misdemeanor count of simple assault for molesting his 12-year-old patient during a therapy session.

In the two week trialduring which scores of the defendants supporters packed the courtroomAfshar denied ever touching the child inappropriately, and said he had only grazed the boys arm during a touch therapy session to alleviate the childs fear of a hernia exam. Afshar also said he was in another room sending an email during the alleged assault, a claim that prosecutors refuted, and additionally offered that his arthritis was too severe to allow him to touch the boys genitals in the way the victim described. Afshar said the boy was known to lie and he was likely trying to get out of therapy.

A jury disagreed, and Afshar was sentenced to three to six years in prison. Hes appealing the ruling.

Afshars conviction, in Marshs opinion, is a miscarriage of justiceone that should be rectified not in the court of appeals, but with a change in state law.

My daughter Emilys friend from NHIA [The New Hampshire Institute of Art], Dr. Foad Afshar was convicted in June without corroborating evidencethe case is under appeal, Marsh explained on his website. Consequently, NH Psychologists are afraid to treat victims of sexual abuse fearing a similar fate. Left untreated, these victims are likely to become the next generation of predators. This bill would insure due process.

Yes, children who are sexually abused are innocent victims, but they are not the only innocent victims, Marsh said in his official testimony. I think we would all agree that if a person who has not committed a crime is found guilty and sent to jail, then that person also is an innocent victim.

Whatever side one rests on concerning Afshars conviction, Marshs claim that state psychologists are afraid to treat victims of sexual abuse fearing a similar fate, seems to be a stretch. Criminal cases against mental health providers in New Hampshire are incredibly rare; Afshars is is the only complaint that has led to criminal prosecution since the New Hampshires Board of Psychologists began regulating the profession in 2013.

The bills co-sponsor, Republican Jess Edwards, testified that without a change in law, retirees like himself could be dissuaded from working with troubled youth in programs like Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America because of the chance of being falsely accused of sexual abuse.

The social cost of discouraging adults from engaging youth populations is extremely high, Edwards wrote in his official testimony.

A third sponsor, Democrat Mary Heath, withdrew her support in response to fierce opposition. Objections came from varied organizations including the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the County Attorneys Association, The New Hampshire Chiefs of Police, and the New Hampshire Psychologist Association, which wrote in a statement that Sexual assault victims already face significant challenges when seeking justice, and corroborating evidence is not always available. This proposed change places a higher onus on victims and may especially disadvantage children.

Sexual assaultespecially of a minoris a clandestine crime, as the bills opponents have all noted. Bruises, ripped clothing, or eye witnesses are hard to come by. Child molestors arent known to commit their crimes in the presence of others, and often exert power over their victims by telling them that no one will believe them.

This bill, its opponents argue, seeks to formally codify that threat by resurrecting so-called corroboration rules, laws that legal experts and advocates have fought against since the 1970s and that most states had entirely banished by the early aughts, according to a 2004 paper by Michele J, Anderson, now president of Brooklyn College and one of the countrys foremost experts of legal issues surrounding rape.

With HB 106, Marsh wants New Hampshire to go further than any state has sought to in years. What New Hampshire is considering, requiring corroboration in all cases where the defendant has not been convicted previously, goes far beyond the requirements of any state I can think of, Roger Canaff, a legal expert on sexual abuse cases, told the Concord Monitor.

Whether his bill will ever escape committee remains to be seen. Considering it faces vocal opposition, goes further than any other corroboration standard in the country, and its Democratic co-sponsor has removed her support, its chance for passage looks bleak.

Not that it bothers Marsh.

I never had any illusions about the chances for my bill, Marsh told me. After all, they advise us not to submit bills in our first year and Im in my first few weeks. But that wont make the issues go away.
Humans naturally have an aversion to pain. Sometimes this is helpful. A child learns that sticking their finger in the dogs food bowl results in a nip. A teenager tries to weasel out of a missed curfew only to learn that their parents have many years more experience lying than they do. An adult learns that spending a day shopping for Ikea furniture with a new lover will result in strife.

Other avoidant behavior isnt as useful. Not checking ones bank account balance after a blockbuster weekend, for example, could result in an embarrassing surprise when ones card is declined. Not visiting your nursing home-bound grandfather out of fear that facing his failing health will shake you could lead to the sort of regret that eats you alive on the inside. Not paying attention to the exact way a creepy used car dealer is trying to screw you over could lead to a whole universe of stress headaches.

On Friday, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. Hell make history in a number of wayshe has no public service experience, he lost the popular vote by 3 million, and hes got the lowest approval rating of any president-elect ever. And, while I dont have the official stats on this, Im pretty sure hell be the first president with a piss-related sexual scandal before he even takes office. At least in my lifetime.

Donald Trump rose to fame on a reputation as being a guy who screws, in the literal and figurative sense. He screwed his way through Manhattan, if the New York City tabloids of the 1980s are to be believed. He screwed his first wife, figuratively, by screwing his second wife, literally. He would go on to screw his second wife, figuratively, and the child they had together, whom he seems to forget exists from time to time. In the meantime, he was screwing his casino employees, his contractors, his business partners. He was bragging about how adept a screwer he was to Howard Stern, to Billy Bush, to the cast and crew of The Apprentice. Nothing hes done since declaring himself a candidate for president, save for the face he made when he walked onstage at Trump Tower after election night, hasnt been screwy.

Trumps managed to offend or upset nearly every non-fat-white-guy demographic during his nascent political career. Mexicans, the press, Muslims, women, Meryl Streep, black people, Buzzfeed employees, Megyn Kelly, deaf people, Nevadans. His brand of nationalist barking is both noisy and intellectually incoherent, offensive to the ears and brain. It makes sense that people who prefer to surround themselves with that which is beautiful and joyful would turn away from Trump. It makes sense that a person would reach for the remote when he appears on the nightly news. Its perfectly normal to want to flip past the front page of the paper or scroll past a news story about what the new President is up to.

Turns out, liberals and progressives have been changing the channel when political unpleasantness reared its head for years. While this countrys liberals were busy .gifing the POTUS pretending to brush his shoulders off, an alarming number of statehouses and governors mansions went to Republicans. A Republican congress gerrymandered the House out of contention until at least 2020, maybe longer. Democrats lost the Senate. While some were rolling their eyes at Trump tweets, smugly confident that Hillary would glide into the Oval Office, Trump voters were sharing bogus news stories and viral talking-head Facebook rants and heading to the polls, riled up.

It seems that liberals didnt grasp until it was too late that being funnier, or cooler, or smarter, or having more famous friends isnt taken into account in tabulating the electoral college totals. Votes dont count more or less depending on whether or not the person casting it did so for a terrible reason. A woman in Michigan who dutifully learned the positions of both candidates and cast her ballot carefully can have her vote canceled out by a man who just doesnt like Hillary Clintons face. An acrid comeback on Twitter doesnt cancel any votes. Lena Dunham doesnt need to star in any more outreach videos about abortion.

If liberals are so smart, then why were the people some would deride as denizens of flyover country able to outsmart us, over and over? Why have they been able to use that power to disenfranchise voters, making it even more difficult for the left to regain lost territory? Were pretty damn smug for people who keep losing.

In the years leading up to Trump Year Zero, those who were empowered to put a stop to the events already in motion were not paying attention. Or, at least, they werent paying attention to the right things. While banishing bad thoughts is a relief in the short-term, problems dont go away if you pretend they dont exist. An illness, for example, wont get better if you just ignore it. Bills dont get smaller if you simply dont pay them. Leaving on vacation and never checking in on your house isnt a good way to keep it from being robbed. Unless we start paying attention en masse to the ugly, unpleasant aspects of Donald Trump, its only going to get worse. We no longer have the luxury of avoidance. From this point forward, its a dissenters patriotic duty to face whatever pain Trumps words and actions cause. Do not retreat into comfort. Those who oppose Trump need to know enough about what is going on to speak up against it when it crosses a line.

Trumps power comes from being able to pull a fast one on the public by disappearing into a cloud of bullshit every time something singularly damaging surfaces. Dont let the volume of distractions minimize their severity. Russian influence in American politics, the new Justice Department, the deficit, access to health care, and Trumps nominees for cabinet posts are all issues that deserve unrelenting attention from the general public. It doesnt matter if he was pretending to write a speech at a reception desk at Mar-a-Lago. Its funny, but weve spent the last 8 years laughing when we should have been listening.

Dont get overwhelmed. Dont change the channel. Trumps lack of palatability was an asset, and it will continue to be an asset as long as it can convince people who should be working against him to stop keeping abreast to the facts. Dont let him force you to stop listening. Dont let a person who has spent a career screwing business and personal contacts screw the whole country.

If the next four years are going to be a fight, you cant depend on anybody to fight for you but you. Watch the entire inauguration. And watch the hearings of Trumps cabinet nominees. And read the newspaper. And call your representative. And talk to your neighbors. And run for office. And dont forget why you care. Force yourself. Dont let the pain of the way Donald Trump pronounces China distract you. The time to look away has ended.
During the presidential inauguration on Friday and during the Womens March on Washington the following day, police body cameras will be off. Outrage!

Many activists have expressed vitriol over the blackout. Civil rights groups are concerned that the police will violate their rights during the inauguration protests so they intend to record their behavior, a viral post on LawOfficer.com reads. Meanwhile, the ACLU is demanding that the police turn off their body worn cameras during the events.

The ACLU was targeted in viral posts about this because it supported a D.C. law from 2015 that dictates police can only turn cameras on for the purpose of documenting violations of law and police actions, as an aid to future coordination and deployment of law enforcement units, and for training purposes.

Police cannot turn them on simply to monitor people exercising their First Amendment rights. According to the ACLU, its for protection of civil liberties.

From the very beginning, the question about body cameras is: Will they actually be serving as an oversight mechanism to help reduce abuse by police officers, or are they going to become just another surveillance tool that serves the interests of law enforcement? Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst at the ACLU, told The Daily Beast. One of the concerns, among other things, is these are roving government video cameras.

Stanley explained theres unfortunately a long history of law enforcement doing surveillance on people just because of the views that they hold. Black Lives Matter has expressed concerns over this in the past. Stanley and the ACLU worry that giving police detailed images of everyone who attended a protest could be dangerous.

One danger is that police can run images obtained during a peaceful protest through facial recognition software so they could identify nearly everyone who attended. Over 117 million people are in a facial recognition database that police in many states have access to. You might regret taking so many selfies and posting them online. That could mean theyd be able to accuse activists of crimes, perhaps wrongly, if anything bad happens, and theyd essentially have a list of local dissidents.

Activists simply knowing theyre constantly being filmed could have a chilling effect, Stanley believes, meaning theyd speak out less due to the knowledge theyre being watched.

People shouldnt have to feel like theyre under a government microscope just because they want to express First Amendment-protected free speech rights, Stanley said.

Police are expected to use cameras when they have a run-in with members of the public. The Daily Beast spoke with D.C. Metro police, and they confirmed police officers have been instructed to turn cameras on during any kind of altercation.

Officers outfitted with a camera will turn it on when an interaction with a member of the public is initiatedsuch as the arrival on the scene of a call for service or a crime, a citizen contact or stop, or any high risk incident. The camera will remain on throughout the interaction, Metro Public Affairs Specialist Aquita Brown said in an email.

There have been numerous cases in which an officer who ends up involved in claims of excessive violence said they forgot to turn the camera on or that somehow the camera fell off during an altercation. According to Stanley, that does pose a dilemma.

One of the things you learn about when you work on police body cameras is that there are a lot of conflicting values here, Stanley said.

Stanley recognizes that there could be a scenario where something that should be recorded is not recorded, but you have to weigh that against protecting the privacy of activists, free speech needs, and other issues.

Youre never going to come up with a perfect policy, he said. Furthermore, its perfectly legal for citizens to film the cops in D.C. if something unfortunate occurs.

Police body cameras can be a useful tool for both keeping cops accountable and exonerating officers who have been wrongly accused of improper behavior. When and where they should record remains a difficult question for those who want accountability but also want to protect the constitutional rights of free speech and privacy.

The police cannot be held accountable when they work in the dark, but citizens are less likely to express themselves when theyre constantly being monitored.
Ever since he was a teenager in progressive Santa Monica, Stephen Miller was a troublemaker.

If youre a conservative in a place like that, youre inevitably a contrarian, said Mark Krikorian, a leading activist for a stricter immigration system. And with this election cycle, that was a good thing to be.

Miller will soon enter the White House as the senior adviser to the president for policy, an extraordinary accomplishment for a 31-year-old.

He is as versatile as he is polarizing. A consistent theme in his life is knowing how to poke his political opponents in the eye, and he has seemed to revel in the feelingfrom his childhood, to his college years, to the presidential-campaign trail.

Miller has served as the Swiss Army knife of political aides: writing speeches, including reportedly contributing to the forthcoming inaugural address; developing policy, especially on Trumps signature issue of immigration; and serving as a Trump hypeman on the campaign trail.

His impact will be felt now more than ever, as he plays a key role in shaping Trumps first words to the nation as president after he is sworn in Friday.

The conservative firebrand graduated from Santa Monica High School in California, a liberal bastion that has only produced another White House aide of note: Nixon staffer John Ehrlichman, a central figure in the Watergate scandal who was later sent to prison for it.

It was in high school that Miller began honing his irreverent opinions and Trumpesque bluntness, neither of which were especially appreciated in the progressive environment of his upbringing.

The reason that these [Islamic] countries are poor and failing is because they have refused to embrace the values that make our country great, Miller wrote in an op-ed for his high-school newspaper after the 9/11 attacks, titled A Time to Kill. If they would adopt policies of personal choice, free enterprise, and democracy, their status would greatly improve.

Ari Rosmarin, now a civil-rights attorney, was in the class ahead of Miller and the editor of the Santa Monica High School paper at the time.

Most people knew him because he made it his business to have everyone hear his vile rhetoric on a regular basis that made it impossible not to know him, Rosmarin told The Daily Beast. People laughed at him because he was a buffoon, he was a performer, he thrived on spectacle. Im very conscious now, looking back, that he was treated the same way that Trump washe wasnt taken seriously.

But it wasnt just conservative thinking that alienated many of his classmates, nor merely his opposition to Spanish-language announcements at the school. It was also what some saw as a mean streak. In one instance, described by Rosmarin, he ran for a student-body leadership position, delivering a speech in which he complained that students were told to put their trash in garbage bins, when janitors were hired for the purpose of cleaning.

He was booed unanimously by the student body off the stage. People were disgusted by it [It] was not just that he targeted minority students, and played a victim on a regular basis, but was an asshole, Rosmarin said. That kind of incident with the janitorial staffeveryone, no matter what your background is, understands why that is an awful thing to say.

His time in college was even more controversial: He wrote some 20 columns for the Duke Chronicle, with themes familiar today.

He blasted unpatriotic dissent, political correctness, and the nanny-state smoking bans. Richard Spencer, a leading white nationalist, said the two became acquainted while they were both at Duke, adding that he was a mentor to the younger student.

I spent a lot of time with him at Duke I hope I expanded his thinking but I think he probably would be where he is today without me as well, Spencer said, adding that he felt Miller was a highly competent person, and a brave person.

Spencer has since coined the term alt-right to describe his movement of racial discontentment. While they were friends, they did not see eye to eye on race, Spencer claims.

I think [Miller] is an American nationalist, but that doesnt mean he is a racial nationalist I do not think he is a white nationalist, Spencer said. Stephen Miller would never be alt-right at the time, or probably now too.

However, Spencer, who was a history graduate student while Miller was an undergraduate, said that the two of them had worked to bring white-nationalist writer Peter Brimelow to campus together, something first reported by Mother Jones.

The two lost touch around five years ago, Spencer now says. And Miller disavowed Spencer last year, telling The Daily Beast about Spencers claim of mentorship that his comment is totally false and obviously ludicrous I strongly condemn his views.

Miller first emerged on the national stage while at Duke, appearing on television to defend three lacrosse players who were accused of rape. They were later cleared of wrongdoing.

I definitely knew that he was going to make something of himself. And Im not surprised that hes a public figure, Spencer said. I think the Duke lacrosse case proved that. He came out swinging when that controversy went down, and he was really adept at the media.

His conservatism activism would lead to writing opportunities, and eventually to political jobs. He first appeared on Capitol Hill as a staffer for Rep. Michele Bachmann. Later, he served as an aide to Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, a spot that no one would have pegged as a path to an influential White House gig one day, since Sessions was not then a particularly powerful lawmaker.

He is a guy who considers himself a firebrand and fits into the anti-establishment mold that way. He was very wonkish on immigration and he likes to throw bombs, said Ben Shapiro, a commentary writer who was a young conservative growing up in the Los Angeles area around the same time as Miller.

During his time with Sessions, Miller became single-mindedly focused on immigrationhe certainly was passionate about it: In 2014, he was spotted by one attendee at a conservative event, discussing immigration for hours on end with his then-boss Ann Coulter.

That year, he spent most of his time promoting Sessionss efforts to kill the immigration reforms known as the Gang of Eight bill during President Obamas second term, an effort that was ultimately successful. Fighting against establishment Republicans, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, large segments of the GOP donor base, House Republican leadership, and most of the Democratic Party apparatus, the reform effort faileddue in substantial part to Millers work.

He used our research because he was doing the senators public outreach, running the staff side of the senators fight against the Gang of Eight amnesty, said Krikorian, who leads the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for more restrictive immigration. Hes extremely smart and extremely driven.

During the Trump presidential campaign, then-Breitbart head Steve Bannonsoon to become a senior counselor to the presidentintroduced Miller to Sam Nunberg, a Trump aide.

Millers work opposing the Gang of Eight immigration-reform package impressed Nunberg, who says he first mentioned Millers name to Trump. Then-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski would later hire Miller, Politico reported.

Even with the death of comprehensive immigration reform, Miller was laser-focused on taking down immigration-reform proponents like Marco Rubio, who was then also running for the Republican nomination and a member of the Gang of Eight.

One thing that impressed me about Stephen was when we were in a [Republican] field of 17 or 16, Stephen was so focused on Marco Rubio, because of the Gang of Eight bill, Nunberg told The Daily Beast. That was a point where Rubio was at 3 percent. I was more concerned with Jeb Bush or Scott Walker.

Miller read the winds correctly, and joined the Trump campaign in January 2016. And soon after, he was warming up raucous campaign crowds for Trump, in front of thousands of people.

He bet on the right horse, and its one of those things where if you come to a campaign early, youre an early adopter and you move to the top, Krikorian said. He saw an opportunity to help a candidate who was concerned about the issues he cared about, and took a chance.

Eventually, Miller also proved willing to eviscerate even those who generally agree with him on immigration, like Sen. Ted Cruz.

Ted Cruz is a radical Wall Street globalist who will rip the beating heart of manufacturing out of the United States of America, Miller said at a rally in the spring of 2016. Ted Cruz sided with Goldman Sachs and the globalists over the issue of trade We can not let that happen.

But with the Iowa caucuses now a year behind us, the Cruz team sounds willing to let bygones be bygones.

Of course, we were on competing campaigns, said Cruz spokesperson Catherine Frazier. But we also worked very closely with him and Sessionss staff previously in the Senate. He was a pro and pleasure to work with. Hell be a great asset to the White House.

Miller played a key role in drafting Trumps acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, with its dark themes of rising crime, the dangers of immigration, and the I alone can fix it message. The aide will reportedly also be drafting Trumps inaugural address on Friday, although President-elect Trump has since said that he will be writing it himself.

The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

Miller is barely old enough to pass the constitutional age requirement to run for the Senate. But in days, he will be the right-hand man to the president of the United States on policy issues. His conservative allies say hes ready.

Stephen is mature and wise beyond his yearsand humble, said Laura Ingraham, a friend and conservative talk-show host. We need more of him in Washington.

Still, Millers boosters concur his role in the White House will be that of an ideological diehard, pressing the president to stay true to his campaign promises.

I think hes an asset to Trump in terms of helping the Trump administration keeping the flame of what they got elected on, in the states they carried, like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, said Nunberg. He knows how to communicate to that group, and the good news is he actually believes itunlike some political operatives.
Outgoing Obama administration officials are muttering darkly of a Team Trump unstaffed and unprepared to take on major crises on Day One. But Trump transition officials tell The Daily Beast the controlled-chaos standard in any White House handover is on tracka mantra of we got this combined with a little bit of enough already!

I actually think its gone pretty well and this is the best you can expect, said Trump transition team member James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation.

He likened the process to a merger and acquisitionmerging Trumps campaign staff with those who will set policy and acquiring the White House from the Obama administration.

If anybody expects this to be a frictionless process, theyre kind of nuts, he added Wednesday.

Obama officials complained privately and publicly that they hadnt had much time to do a handoff because there was no one to hand off to, and some are getting eleventh-hour requests to stay on, but theyve already made other plans. They warned that the uncertainty in staffing could complicate President-elect Donald Trumps response to an early post-inauguration national -ecurity crisis, like a North Korea missile launch, perhaps to test Trumps tweeted claim that North Korea wont be able to develop nuclear launch capability under his watch.

The rancor reflects a certain degree of anguish and anxiety over the incoming Trump administrations promised repudiation of many of President Barack Obamas key policies, from health care to the Iran nuclear deal, and also the boisterous, competitive nature of the different factions of the incoming team. The would-be policymakers, who are the relative newcomers to the team, clash with campaign officials, who all get trumped by Trump family members who serve as his closest advisers.

The churn, which somewhat resembles an episode of The Apprentice, has left some high-profile would-be Trump candidates in the wind and some Obama administration officialsfrom a notoriously hands-on, detail-oriented White Housetwitching in near panic.

It took them more time than we expected for them to be ready to engage with us, outgoing National Security Adviser Susan Rice told The New York Times of the incoming Trump national-security team. It took two weeks after an election the Trump team did not expect to win to replace New Jersey Gov. Chris Christies team with a new one. Now, Rice said, were racing to make up lost time.

Trump officials say theyve got it all in hand, or will soon.

I want to personally again thank Ambassador Rice and her entire team for their preparation: the transition materials that theyve provided to us, the initiation of various NSC reform measures that she has already undertaken, and the time that she and her team took to help guide us and to help us be as well prepared as we can be prior to Inauguration Day, said incoming National Security Adviser Mike Flynn, sharing the stage with Rice on Jan. 10 at the U.S. Institute of Peaces Passing the Baton event celebrating the peaceful transition of power in Washington, D.C.

The reform hes referring to includes the shrinking of the NSC from a high of 400 or so staff to fewer than 200 todaya change enshrined in the latest defense authorization bill to keep the national-security staff from ever ballooning again.

The NSC, particularly under this administration, though under Bush as well, has micromanaged decisions by Cabinet members as well as senior uniformed officers, said a senior Hill staffer who worked on the legislation, speaking anonymously in order to discuss contentious debates.

Previous Obama NSC staffers say Obama was so detail-oriented, and so distrustful of some of his Cabinet members, that he had his staff questioning the smallest details.

NSC spokesman Ned Price countered that the Obama NSC has already been whittled down to 180 people, with 90 percent of them detailed from other agencies rather than being political appointments.

Flynn has told Capitol Hill staff that hell keep his team similarly lean and let Trumps Cabinet secretaries run their departments. That means there will be only 20 or so political appointees at most.

But Team Trump is becoming aware of the gaps and has asked some Obama appointees to stay on, according to former Department of Homeland Security official Juliette Kayyem. Three friends, at three different agencies. got calls this week asking if they would consider staying on. They had long ago made other plans, she tweeted, and later confirmed by email.

And Obama officials gripe the incoming Trump appointee roster keeps changing.

One official complained of briefing incoming NSC staff for sensitive jobs in counterterrorism and the cyberfront at the National Security Council, only to have them fired or forced to withdraw by Team TrumpMonica Crowley the most public recent example.

Weve briefed at least 10 people, but theyve all gotten fired by the transition after we trained them, said one administration official working at the White House.

NSC spokesman Price said theyd left approximately 300 memos for the incoming team, adding that members of the departing NSC team will make themselves available for continued consultations following the transition.

Another senior administration official at a large national-security agency said he was also instructing his staff to leave notes on their desks with their personal email addresses and phone numbers so that Team Trump could reach out to them for institutional knowledge, like who theyd contact to get the quickest or most reliable answer out of a database of international counterterrorism counterparts.

That was standard practice in previous handovers, according to former Obama transition official Derek Chollet, who said it is often the only way to let the incoming team know what happened at those ranks of empty desks at the NSC.

Its nothing to do with politics. Its just to do with records management. When you leave the NSC, you have to have files empty, wipe your hard drive, which presents challenges for continuity, as you have to understand what came before, said Chollet , who now works at the German Marshall Fund.

So in the handover from President George W. Bush to Obama, the incoming and outgoing teams improvised.

We called people up all the time after transition, Chollet said. The Bush team was terrific in terms of being open, helpful, disclosing things, to make sure the baton did not get dropped. Thats what [Bush NSA Stephen] Hadley championed and thats the posture of the Obama team.

Chollet said he was aware that the new teams are already communicating, with daily conversations happening at the senior staff level.

One of the places transition talks have been going well is the CIA, according to a U.S. official briefed on Trump CIA director nominee Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS).

Ive heard that the agency and senior staff have been very welcoming and supportive of Congressman Pompeo, confirmed former CIA and NSA Director Gen. Michael Hayden on Wednesday. He has indeed reached out to all former directors and I spent an hour or so with him. In that private meeting, he came across the same way he came across in his confirmation hearing: knowledgeable, confident, enthusiastic, Hayden emailed to The Daily Beast.

Thats high and unexpected praise, considering Hayden strongly criticized how the president-elect compared the intelligence community to Nazis and implied CIA Director John Brennan leaked a controversial portfolio on alleged Russian attempts to gather compromising material on him. The CIA declined to comment.

Another Trump official said the staff churn the outgoing Obama officials complained of was planned. Small transition teams like the one that studied defense issues parachuted into the Pentagon in November and will be replaced by beachhead teams, which start work at 12:01 p.m. on Inauguration Day.

The initial team interviewed current staff and came up with an action plan to turn Trumps campaign promises into reality. They also came up with potential names to fill political appointee posts but couldnt share them with Trumps nominee for defense secretary, Ret. Marine Gen. James Mattis, because he hadnt yet had his confirmation hearing.

Some of those names got to Mattis, however, especially Trumps reported choice of businessmen Vincent Viola as secretary of the Army, and that caused friction, according to multiple officials involved in the Trump process.

Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, rejected the story first reported by The Washington Post, in a tweet: Great transition at DoD. Reports to contrary completely false and come from sources who do not have any knowledge of our transition efforts.

Carafano, an Army veteran and former speechwriter for the Army chief of staff, said in any event, service secretaries are seldom the Pentagon chiefs choice but are dictated by the White House.

He predicted that after Friday, reporters would be busy covering a new government in overdrive.

People will have something to write about other than tweets, he said. People will pay attention to what the government is actually doing.

Update 8:00 am, 1/19/17 This story was updated to add a quote by former DHS official Juliette Kayyem.
By Press Trust of India: Ahmedabad, Jan 19 (PTI) The Centres push for a cashless economy and digital mode of payments will provide a fillip to the growth of smartphone market in the country, a top official of Samsung India said today.

The Governments demonetisation drive and subsequent appeal to people to adopt cashless transactions using mobile phones has encouraged them to buy smartphones, said Manu Sharma, Vice-President (Mobile Business), Samsung India.

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"Thanks to the Governments cashless push, people have developed a habit of making payments using various e-wallet services. People are finding them more convenient that cash payments," Sharma told reporters here today.

"Due to demonetisation, digital mode of payments have increased. This is a very good transformation. It will increase smartphone adoption among users. We believe the Governments cashless push will prove to be an important aspect for the overall growth of smartphone market."

Sharma said at present 22 crore people in India use smartphones.

Sharma and his team were here to announce the launch of Samsungs new smartphone Galaxy C9 Pro.

According to the Samsung executive, the mobile phone industry was not hit that badly due to cash crunch post the November 8 note ban announcement.

"Effect of demonetisation on mobile phone industry was not that severe. The industry was not hit as badly as other industries. As of now, there is absolutely no effect. Things became normal after December," said Sharma. PTI PJT PD RSY SRE

--- ENDS ---
What does gender dysphoria feel like?

For those who are not transgender themselvesand, in the United States, thats all but 1.4 million of usthe idea of our actual gender not matching the one we were assigned at birth might seem foreign or, worse, far-fetched.

But gender dysphoria is a real psychiatric diagnosis with proven treatments that are supported by most major medical associations. And a small but nascent body of research is beginning to examine how it feelsfrom the surface of the skin to the depths of the brainto need to transition from one gender to another.The science is not yet fully-formed and the sample sizes are tiny, but the handful of studies in this area would be informative for anyone still clinging to the idea that transgender people are just making it up.

Certainly we can say more than people say they feel this or people feel this, we can say that its in their brain, its a rapid sensory response, and theres a strong argument that its automatic, neuroscientist Dr. Laura Case told The Daily Beast.

When Case, now a postdoctoral fellow at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, was completing her degree in experimental psychology at the University of California, San Diego, she and a small research team conducted an experiment on eight transgender men and genderqueer individuals who had not yet received a double mastectomy to remove their breasts, but who wanted to do so.

At its heart, the experiment was simple: a research assistant used a small piece of tapered plastic to consensually tap the subjects on their hands and then on their upper breasts through a shirt.

The assistant also tapped eight cisgender, or non-transgender, women in these same locations using the same timing and technique. But while the subjects were being tapped, their brain activity was also being recorded in detail by complex neuroimaging machinery in the UCSD lab.

The finished study, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior late last year had some striking results: When tapped on their upper breasts, the transgender and male-leaning genderqueer subjects had a reduced response in brain areas that are thought to make self-other distinctionsa response that was rapid and automatic at the sensory level.

In other words, Case may have captured gender dysphoria in motion down to the millisecond.

You could sort of call this an objective or physiologic measure, she told The Daily Beast.

Notably, the brains of the cisgender women and the brains of the experimental group behaved similarly when processing the taps on the hand. But the two sets of subjects had divergent brain responses when they were tapped on a body part that one group wanted to keep and the other wanted to remove surgically.

The transgender and genderqueer individuals, in particular, displayed brain activity that suggested less integration and more anxiety and alarm for sensation from this body part. Case believes that this brain response reflects and reaffirms that groups subjective feeling that the breast is not a natural part of their body or doesnt fit with their body image.

The brain is not identifying this sensation as me as much as it is other parts of the bodyand its alarmed by it, she told The Daily Beast. Thats our read of it.

Of course, theres a chicken-or-the-egg problem here: Is gender dysphoria the result of this difference in brain response or is it the cause? Can the brain explain how someone becomes transgender, or does being transgender explain how the brain behaves?

Case cant make any firm conclusions either way. As she notes in the study, Scientific reductionism is unlikely to yield a simple explanation for a phenomenon as complex as gender identity. As they did with homosexuality, researchers have tried and failed to conclusively identify biological indicatorsand even causes oftransgender identity.

But Case still finds the results of her experiment suggestive as an in-the-moment look at the phenomenon of gender dysphoria in the brain.

I think it validates [their] experience and it additionally suggests that its fairly automatic, said Case of her transgender and genderqueer subjects. Whether thats because of how the brain is developed or is connected, or if its a buildup of life experience thats reshaped how that information is processed, I really cant say.

Cases work in this area builds on a potential avenue of research opened up by her dissertation adviser, Dr. Vilayanur Ramachandran, a famous neuroscientist and author currently working at UCSD. Ramachandrans work is eclectic, interdisciplinary, and sometimes controversial, touching on subjects ranging from synesthesia to autism.

In the late 2000s, he and UCSD colleague Dr. Paul McGeoch published two fairly speculative papers examining the parallels between transgender peoples bodily experiences and another one of Ramachandrans favorite areas: phantom limb, the fairly common sensation that a body part is still there after it has been amputated.

Interestingly, some transgender people say they experience phantom limb sensations about body parts they do not yet possess. On transgender web forums, for example, its easy to find transgender men who describe experiencing phantom penis sensations. Some transgender women report similar feelings about other body parts.

Thats what clued us in, Ramachandran told The Daily Beast, recalling the first time he heard about these anecdotal reports. Its quite common. And people [other researchers] no doubt knew about it and ignored itor decided it was spooky or weird or just psychological wish fulfillment.

Ramachandran decided to look a little deeper instead of dismissing the claims outright.

In the first paper, published in the speculative journal Medical Hypotheses, intended to be a forum for novel, radical ideas, he and McGeoch hypothesized that transgender women who had undergone sex reassignment surgery would experience phantom penis sensations at a lesser rate than people who underwent a penile amputationnot a directly comparable surgery, but the closest analogue for cisgender manas part of cancer treatment.

Similarly, they expected that transgender men who received a double mastectomy would experience phantom breast sensations in lower numbers than cisgender women who had the same procedure.

The underlying logic was almost seductively parsimonious: Because there is often a mismatch between transgender peoples internal body images and their own anatomy, the brain wouldnt exactly miss certain parts if they were to disappear.

Conversely, we could expect a fair number of transgender people to feel sensations from body parts that arent there if their brains simply expected them to be there. Indeed, out of the 30 transgender men they interviewed while working on that first paper, more than half said they had experienced phantom penis sensationsand often since early childhood.

The pair of researchers tested these hypotheses on a very small sample of subjects in a follow-up study.

As expected, the transgender women in the study who had received sex reassignment surgery reported experiencing phantom penis sensations at about half the rate reported by cisgender men who had a penile amputation in another, much older study.

There was an even larger gap in self-reported phantom sensations between transgender men and cisgender women who had received double mastectomies.

But the sample sizes were far too small and the data points too scant to draw any definitive conclusionsonly 29 transgender men and 20 transgender women were surveyed about their phantom feelings after surgeryand there havent been any larger follow-ups. (As Case reminded The Daily Beast there are some obvious practical limitations that make it difficult to do large-scale studies in this area, namely the fact that less than half of one percent of Americans are estimated to be transgender.)

Transgender people themselves have had varying responses to this kind of research. Some, like transgender attorney Noah Lewis, find it refreshing to hear neurological evidence of the dysphoric feelings that trans people try to describe, as he wrote in the anthology Gender, Sex, and Politics.

I take comfort that there are some scientists who can explain being trans in a way that actually matches up with my experience, he wrote in a section on Ramachandrans and Cases work.

Others are generally wary of studies like these being used as biological explanations that would narrowly define transgender identity as a function of hormones or brain size.

As cisgender science writer Deborah Rudacille noted in her book The Riddle of Gender, Ive also been cautioned by some trans people about the dangers of biological reductionism, and heard concerns that once again science and medicine are being used to define transgendered [sic] people, to pin a label on them, even if the label may ultimately be a less stigmatizing one.

That common concern raises critical and potentially sobering questions going forward: Even if we could definitively demonstrate how gender dysphoria works in the brain on a biological level, would opponents of transgender equality give up the fight?

If millions of transgender people affirm that their feelings are real and still fail to persuade some people, can scientists really change transphobic hearts and minds? Is the problem that people dont know what being transgender feels likeor is it that they dont care?
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Jan 19 (PTI) Days after blocking transactions by its customers on Flipkarts PhonePe e-wallet, countrys largest private sector lender ICICI Bank was today asked by NPCI to open up immediately.

"Based on a review by NPCI on ICICI Banks?s action to block Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions made through PhonePe App, we would like to state that ICICI Bank has been advised to open UPI transactions immediately," it said in a statement.

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The corporation, which runs the UPI platform that focuses on interoperability, had discussions with both ICICI Bank and YES Bank, which is the banker for PhonePe before arriving at the decision, it said.

"We have also advised banks to adhere to the merchant on-boarding guidelines meticulously from the angle of interoperability of merchant App so that such disputes are avoided," it added.

A reaction from ICICI Bank, which had initially cited concerns surrounding security for its action, was not immediately available.

Earlier media reports had quoted ICICI Bank as saying that PhonePe of "following restrictive practices allowing users to make payments with only its UPI handle, which is in contravention to the UPI guidelines of interoperability and choice that empowers a customer to choose any app to make payments through UPI."

The reports had also said that ICICI Bank was not the first lender which had blocked such applications, and said countrys largest lender SBI had also blocked money transfers by its account holders to Paytm, Mobikwik and Freecharge.

Speaking earlier in the day, Yes Banks managing director and chief executive Rana Kapoor had termed such behaviour is not "conducive" to the growth of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform and advocated a need to collaborate.

Asserting the bank has cornered a 40 per cent market share on the UPI platform, Kapoor termed this as "blips" caused by "one or two banks". PTI AA NRB

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) The US, India, Russia and China must join hands for a "genuine fight" against terrorism in the region and the Donald Trump regime should demonstrate its resolve to combat the threat by changing Americas existing policy towards Pakistan, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said today.

Blaming Pakistans spy agency ISI for revival of Taliban in Afghanistan, he also said the US must deeply reassess its relations with Pakistan and come together with countries like India to defeat terrorism and extremism in the region.

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Karzai made the remarks during a conversation with Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar at the concluding session of the three-day long Raisina Dialogue.

In his comments, Akbar called for concerted global action against terrorism and asserted that "not an inch of Indias territory is for compromise".

Referring to the threat of terrorism and other challenges, he said India wants "prosperity" and "not war" but has the required clarity and resolve to contain the menace. He said the region is facing an existential problem.

He also expressed anguished over failure of the United Nations to arrive at a definition of terrorism for last 20 years, saying fight against it cannot be effective if there is no clarity on it. "How on earth you are going to confront it when you could not define terrorism for last 20 years."

Referring to threat of terrorism and other challenges, he said India wants "prosperity" and "not war" but asserted that "not an inch of our territory is for compromise".

Karzai said countries of the region must "realign" their policies to defeat extremism and terrorism.

He hoped that good equation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump will lead to "good policy" for the region and help combat terrorism.

Karzai said a cooperative Russia and its friendship with US will be tremendous asset to the region.

"A Russia that fears the US intentions will be a disaster for the region," he cautioned.

Karzai said Afghanistan was "suffering immensely" because of certain aspects of wrong policy of the US and that a fundamental change in its policy towards Afghanistan was required.

He said American policy in Afghanistan cannot change without change in its policy towards Pakistan.

"Russia, the US, China and India must get together for a genuine fight against terrorism. The US has to explain its genuineness to defeat terror groups. Unless they do it countries in the region will not believe them." PTI MPB ZMN

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The MEA has said that on the basis of India's non-proliferation record, it should get NSG membership, which China has blocked several times saying that New Delhi is not a signatory to the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).

By India Today Web Desk: Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup has said that India is not seeking the Nuclear Suppliers Group membership as a gift.

He said, "India is not seeking NSG membership as a gift. We are seeking it based on our non-proliferation record."

His comments assume significance in the wake of China expressing its frustration over outgoing US President Barack Obama's thrust at bringing India into the elite nuclear club.

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MEA ON NSG MEMBERSHIP CLAIM: THINGS TO KNOW China on Monday said that non-NPT signatories in NSG cannot be a "farewell gift" for countries to give to each other. India had responded saying that it was engaged with all partners and hopes to see an early decision on its application. China's objection came a day after the outgoing Obama administration said that China was an "outlier" in the path of making India a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia in the Obama administration, Nisha Desai Biswal had said, "There is one outlier that needs to be addressed and that is China." Responding to the comment, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying had said, "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. I just want to point out that NSG membership shall not be some kind of farewell gift for countries to give to each other." China has blocked India's membership of the NSP on the grounds that it is not a signatory to the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). In his press address today, Swarup also said, "President Obama made a thank you call to PM Modi for his continued support. Both leaders have shared a warm relationship." Expressing government's commitment to continued cooperation with the US, Swarup said, "Our US Ambassador will be attending Donald Trump's inauguration and other official events." Reacting to the reports of British Parliament discussing Jammu and Kashmir, Vikas Swarup said, "There is no room for any third party role." India has been campaigning for entry into NSG after it signed nuclear deal with the US under UPA government.

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Cracks, extortion and sabotage

In 2012 it became known that the mantle around the old Tihange 2 reactor shows signs of erosion. Further research in 2015 concluded that there are thousands of cracks of up to 15 cm. Later that year, 10 security incidents were recorded in Tihange in just six weeks, leading Belgium's nuclear safety agency to suspend four members of staff and raise serious questions about the safety culture. In 2015, Belgian's nuclear plants spent longer in shutdown or "maintenance" than in being operational.

Who said nuclear energy was a reliable source of energy?

But it is the Doel plant that reads like the script of an apocalyptic Hollywood blockbuster, part one. The plant was sabotaged in 2014. The sabotage was found before things spiralled out of control, but the culprit(s) remain unknown. A year later, police found hidden cameras that followed the movements of a nuclear researcher, raising alarming questions about criminals extorting staff. Research also revealed a staggering number of cracks in the mantle that is supposed to keep the Doel 3 reactor in check: 13,047. The cracks are on average 1 to 2 cm wide, but the largest ones are up to 18cm. And with 35 years of operational history, the researched Doel 3 is the second "youngest" of Doel's four reactors. Belgium's nuclear safety agency concluded after the tests in Tihange and Doel that the erosion of the mantle was due to normal reactor activity. They can thus be expected to be present in all plants in the world of similar age and to keep multiplying through normal reactor use.

The economic and terrorist threats

In terms of potential economic impacts, Doel is by far number 1 in Europe. The major Fukushima disaster knocked 2 to 10% from Japan's GDP, but when Doel goes into meltdown, the cost is estimated to be 200% of the GDP of Belgium. In such a scenario, GDP won't really mean much. Most of Flanders and the capital of Europe will become inhabitable zones, sending millions of refugees to France, The Netherlands, Germany and the UK. Will they open their borders for a flood of immigrants from Belgium?

And then there's terrorism. For the last two years, Belgian authorities have claimed we are living under emergency level 3, just one notch below the State of Emergency that France is living under. This means a terrorist threat is "serious" and an attack "probable". France has already experienced a series of undeclared drone flights over various nuclear power stations. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists later explained that the danger of that is not about drones carrying small explosives and crashing on the plant because in theory a nuclear plant can cope with a jumbo jet crash (although this has never been tested). But drones can easily carry AK47s and drop them inside the territory of the plant, even at night.

In another scenario laid out by the atomic scientists, drones can attack the power lines and then the diesel generator back-up system. It requires a bit more organisation than driving a truck into a crowd, but less than teaching a terrorist team how to fly a jumbo jet, hijack several at the same time and fly them into the two WTC towers and the Pentagon. As we have learned the hard way in recent years, Belgium also happens to be a favourite hide-out for terrorists. Belgium's authorities want us to believe that the terrorist risk has never been so high, but they don't want you to connect that with our nuclear plants and with unexplained drone flights over nuclear plants.

Corrupted centralised power plants

All this raises the question: is it still smart to count on a few vulnerable centralised power plants? And what about the waste of state money that seems to come hand-in-hand with nuclear power? Bulgaria wasted 1,221 billion euro on a plant that never materialized. Bulgaria is also still spending money to deal with the legacy of uranium mining, even though the last mine closed in 1992. When I visited the surroundings of the now closed Buhovo mine, stones of a size that would fit a child's hand showed radiation 100s of times above normal. They were ready to be picked up and played with at a popular local picnic place.

Conflicts against nuclear power plants and the formulation of constructive alternatives are popping up outside Europe as well: from India to Japan. So are the conflicts and externalised costs around the uranium that now feeds most of our reactors, from Niger to Namibia. Although there's one other country that has become the EU's main supplier: Russia. But as environmental justice, geopolitical weakening or financial debacles don't seem to stop the nuclear addiction: will it have to take another meltdown? Policymakers seem to have forgotten that our countries signed up to the precautionary principle, which the EU still has in its Treaty. Maybe it's time that the Germans, who are kicking nuclear out of their country, march once more on Belgium. As a Belgian citizen I do kindly request to come in peace and only armed with the renewable energy solutions that swept your country.

This Author

Nick Meynen was the organiser of a 72km long anti-nuclear energy march from Doel to Brussels. He works for the ENVJUSTICE project and writes articles and books on environmental issues.
The ambitious redevelopment plan has failed to pick up pace and not even one station is likely to be completed by the end of the Modi government's tenure.

By Rakesh Ranjan: Indian Railways' ambitious station redevelopment plan has failed to pick up pace and not even one station is likely to be completed by the end of the Modi government's tenure.

While the Centre has approved redevelopment of 407 railway stations as "world class stations", just over 50 railway stations may undergo the tendering process by the end of 2019, top sources in railway ministry said.

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Having got the Cabinet's nod in mid-2015, the railway ministry has so far only managed to award contracts for two railway stations - Habibganj in Bhopal and Gandhinagar in Prime Minister's home state of Gujarat.

Railway plans to invite bids for three stations - Surat in Gujarat and Bijwasan and Anand Vihar in Delhi by April this year - though actual work would only begin towards the end of this year.

ALSO READ | Modernisation of Indian Railways picks up steam after pressure from PM Modi

"We have identified 21 stations to be taken up on a priority basis. We are hopeful to award work contract for at least 50 stations by 2019," said a senior official of the world class station directorate of Indian railways.

World class stations has been a dream project of PM Narendra Modi as it has the potential of improving railway's financial health. Redevelopment of stations will be a major source of revenue generation besides benefitting lakhs of passengers every day.

For commercial exploitation, railway plans to raise multi-storey buildings on unused land and lease them out to private firms.

A railway board official said investment was a major hurdle in swift execution of the project even as he claimed that bidders have shown keen interest in the first two stations that were put up for a bid.

ALSO READ | India will soon have world class railway stations: Railway Ministry

Another hurdle has been the fact that stations have to be redeveloped without affecting passenger and train movements. This, experts said, was a major stumbling block for redevelopment and decongestion of the New Delhi railway station.

Several plans in the past have failed to decongest the station which witnesses a daily footfall of over 5 lakh.

Though the government has identified 407 stations, a feasibility report suggested that only around 350 stations were actually commercially viable. A rail ministry official said consultations are being held with foreign experts to develop these stations with world class amenities. Countries like Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria have also shown interest in developing Indian railway stations.

However, the ministry is yet to receive any foreign funding. Sources said the government will spend nearly Rs 100 crore for development of each station. An additonal Rs 200-300 crore will be spent on developing commercial space.

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To expedite the project, the railway ministry has also entered into an agreement with the urban development ministry to develop stations in cities part of smart city project. It has also joined hands with defence ministry for stations that sees large movement of troops.

ALSO READ | Indian Railways to adopt corporate restructuring in station management

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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 ...
The bull-taming sport jallikattu conducted on the third day of Pongal festival sparked a national debate. In the last three days, the nation witnessed an uprising in Tamil Nadu against the ban on jallikattu.

By Vivek Surendran: On May 7, 2014, the Supreme Court of India banned the traditional bull-taming sport conducted in Tamil Nadu -- Jallikattu -- after a 10-year-long battle by animal activists and animal welfare organisations like Federation of India Animal Protection Agencies (FIAPO) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

The Supreme Court ruled that flouting of the ban will attract penalties and upheld the ban on January 14, 2016 when the Government of India passed an order reversing the ban imposed. There was massive outrage across Tamil Nadu in 2016, but this year, the outrage has turned into nothing less than a revolt, something the Supreme Court, State and Central governments, and organisations like PETA didn't foresee.

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Before getting into why there is a revolution, mostly peaceful yet powerful, brewing in Tamil Nadu, let us understand what Jallikattu is and what it means to the people of Tamil Nadu.

WHAT IS JALLIKATTU?

Jallikattu, in the simplest of terms, is a sport conducted as part of Mattu Pongal, the third day of the four-day-long harvest festival Pongal. The Tamil word 'mattu' means bull, and the third day of Pongal is dedicated to cattle, a key partner in the process of farming. Bulls get more importance over cows for bulls help farmers to plough their field, pull their cart loaded with goods, and inseminate cows, in turn resulting in production of milk, offspring and preserving indigenous species.

Temple bulls, usually considered the head of all cattle in a village, are readied for the sport. Temple bulls from different villages are brought to a common arena where the Jallikattu happens. The bulls are then freed into a ground, one by one. Participants are to embrace the bull's hump, and try to tame it by bringing the raging bull to a stop, possibly by riding for as long as possible holding its hump. The bulls that could be tamed are considered weaker, and are used for domestic purposes by the farmers and the untameable ones -- considered the strongest and most virile -- are used for breeding the cows in many villages.

Watch: Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev says Jallikattu is the only festival dedicated to animals

HISTORY OF JALLIKATTU

Jallikattu is believed to be a tradition practiced since at least last 2,500 years. Cave paintings, as old as 2,500 years, that depicts a man trying to tame a bull, have been found by archeologists. Jallikattu in the present form is believed to have played first between 400 to 100 BC.

A seal, dated between 2,500 - 1,800 BC, discovered at Mohenjodaro that shows bull-taming, is another reference to Jallikattu. There are references of people enjoying witnessing and participating in Jallikattu in Silappatikaaram, one of the five great epics of Tamil literature, and two other ancient literary works like Kalithogai and Malaipadukadaam.

S Annamalai, in an op-ed for The Hindu quotes four lines from a poem in anthology Kalithogai that capture the essence and key ingredients of Jallikattu. These are dust in the air, able physique of tamers, ferocious bulls stooping to conquer and agitated mood of spectators.

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IMPORTANCE OF JALLIKATTU AND WHY TAMILS ARE SENTIMENTAL ABOUT IT

Jallikattu is key to the farmers. It is a chance for them to flaunt their personal strength, the strength of their bulls, love for their cattle and how well they have looked after them and a chance to find out the most potent bull to breed with their cows.

Jallikattu is not a leisure sport for Tamilis, but a tradition that establishes the identity of hard-working, self-sufficient, powerful Tamil. Jallikattu also symbolises a cordial man-animal relationship, reads the op-ed. "For the owner, the bull was a member of the family. Native breeds used in bullfights ensured biodiversity and acted as geographical indicators," B Thirumalai of Madurai told The Hindu. Watch: Customs vs Court debate heats up in Tamil Nadu

THE CONTROVERSY AND ANIMAL CRUELTY ANGLE

Jallikattu has been a one-to-one sport, a bull and a man inside the ring at a time. Recently, however, the way the sport has been conducted changed. What we see now is a one raging bull freed into an arena with many men, each person trying to embrace the hump of the bull and tame the beast.

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Since the bulls are not as wild and ferocious, people tend to provoke it and there have been reports of ill-treating the animal, for instance getting it drunk, poking it with sharp objects and even smearing chilli powder in its eyes.

Another issue is gambling. Men who put money at stake, betting to tame the bull, take the tradition of bull embracing to an objectionable level where the animal is hurt and left bloodied. But such instances are rare and the main argument Tamilis raise, when it comes to the ban on Jallikattu imposed by the Supreme Court, is that a tradition that dates back to over 2,500 years cannot be banned citing rare occurrences mentioned above.

MASSIVE OUTRAGE

What started off as petitions on the internet has now turned into a massive revolt. People of Tamil Nadu have been flooding the streets, cities and villages alike, protesting against the Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu since the last three days. People feel more driven since superstars from Kollywood, including A-listers like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Vikram, Suriya, Dhanush and Simbu, are supporting the protests.

In pics: Rajinikanth to Vijay, who said what on the Jallikattu ban

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Actor Vijay, in a short video he posted on social media platforms, said, "Law was not created to rob people off their tradition and rights but to protect it. Jallikattu is every Tamil's identity. Those who are protesting against the ban on Jallikattu are united by the feeling that they are Tamils and not out of compulsion or political pressure. I bow down to each and everyone of them." The video tweeted from his official Twitter handle has, by now, got over 25,000 retweets and more than 51,000 likes.

Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request for an ordinance that will reverse the ban but the prime minister observed that the matter is sub-judice but said he appreciates the cultural significance of Jallikattu.

While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the Prime Minister observed that the matter is presently sub-judice. PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 19, 2017

WHAT DOES PETA SAY?

Talking to The News Minute, the India CEO of the international NGO that works for the protection and welfare of animals People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Poorva Joshipura said, "Anger against PETA is not going to have any effect on the laws under which Jallikattu, bull race and bull fights have been banned," and that "Cruelty is cruelty. Cruelty is not culture."

The statements come at a time when protestors and politicians are calling the organisation "anti-national" and are demanding the ban of the NGO in the state. Urging the Centre to ban PETA in Tamil Nadu, DMK working president MK Stalin said in a statement, "Only then it would be understood that traditional sports like Jallikattu are not cruelty inflicted upon animals but signifies the cultural link between the man and the animal."

HOW PROTESTORS PUT SOCIAL MEDIA TO MAXIMUM USE

The social media platforms like Facebok and Twitter, and instant messaging apps like Whatsapp, are being put to maximum use by millions who are protesting against the ban imposed on Jallikattu. From coordinating about, deciding and informing the place of protest to the way of protest, people are exploiting social media to its fullest.

The last time social media was used at this scale for a cause when the floods hit Tamil Nadu's Chennai. Actor Simbu, wihle addressing a crowd assembled in protest, said, "Inform each and every protestor to place a small national flag on themselves. Let us see which policeman has the guts to physically hurt someone bearing the national flag. If someone assaults a protestor, despite bearing a national flag, we will see. Send this message to as many people as possible. Send your girlfriends one forward message on WhtasApp less, and spread this message instead."

Let's wait and see how the protests will, if it does, change the ban imposed on Jallikattu.

Only time will tell.

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Lawyers are likely to boycott courts, schools, colleges and restaurants. Most commercial establishments are likely to remain shut on Friday in the wake of the protests.

By India Today Web Desk: While Thursday saw massive protests all across Tamil Nadu in support of bull-taming sport jallikattu, the demonstrations are likely to intensify on Friday. Thousands of locals gathered on the streets across the state to protest in favour of the sport, denouncing the Supreme Court ban.

Lawyers are likely to boycott courts, schools, colleges and restaurants. Most commercial establishments are likely to remain shut on Friday in the wake of the protests.

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Political factions across the country have unanimously declared their support for the sport, while several public figures including actors, lawyers, spiritual gurus and pundits have joined the clarion call in support of the sporting event that has been subject to condemnation by animal rights groups across the nation.

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED SO FAR: Protests in favour of jallikattu swelled on the streets of Tamil Nadu after agitators rejected Chief Minister O Panneerselvam's pleas calling for an end to the protests and the state braced for a shutdown on Friday. Late-night reports indicated that the state government could consider promulgating an ordinance to ensure holding of jallikattu or convene the Assembly for adopting a resolution in its favour. Businesses, theatres, schools and transporters have declared a day-long strike on Friday supporting the demand for immediate permission to allow jallikattu. A growing number of eminent personalities, including chess wizard Viswanathan Anand and music maestro A R Rahman, have come out in support of the bull-taming sport. Rahman has even vowed to sit on a fast on Friday. Chief Minister Panneerselvam, who met PM Modi at his residence in Delhi, told reporters later that the state government in conjunction with the Centre would take steps for holding the event. After the Chief Minister pressed for immediate steps for promulgation of an ordinance, the Prime Minister told him that the Supreme Court was yet to give its verdict on the notification of the government on the issue but the Centre would support any step taken by the state government on the issue. AIADMK also announced its support to the bandh, saying jallikattu had been a traditionally-honoured culture of Tamils. AIADMK legislature wing leader A Anbalagan said Tamil outfits and students and youth wings, who have given the bandh call, sought his party's support. AIADMK MPs will meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday, seeking the Centre's help to allow conduct of jallikattu, over which protests are raging across Tamil Nadu. All 49 party MPs, including 37 from Lok Sabha, would call on Singh at 12 pm on Friday tentatively. On Thursday, although no major untoward incidents were reported, a student suffered burn injuries in an isolated case during a rail roko agitation. Police said a group of pro-jallikattu protesters stopped the Bangalore Express Train at Salem when one of them came in contact with an electric line and suffered burns. Meanwhile, Reacting to the Supreme Court's ban on jallikattu, the Congress on Thursday said it was a part of Tamil Nadu's intrinsic tradition. The party also said people of the state have the right to preserve their traditions. The Congress also said that the central and state government must find an amicable solution to it. Thursday witnessed a huge gathering of students from Tamil Nadu in Delhi demonstrating against the ban on the bull-taming sport. The protesters, led by Tamil lawyers in Supreme Court, took out a march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar raising slogans against People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the ban on Jallikattu. On Thursday evening, people took to Marina Beach with their mobile torchlights to mark their protest in the evening.Amid the ongoing protests, DMK party on Thursday announced a statewide rail roko-andolan on Friday. On Thursday evening, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India said that it may take the legal route if the Centre brings an ordinance to enable the conduct of jallikattu. "Our campaign is against cruelty towards all animals. We will consult our lawyers and take a decision if there is an ordinance," said PETA spokesperson Manilal Valliyate. The animal rights body also claimed that certain native breeds of bulls became extinct because of "white revolution" and "cross-breeding programmes".

With inputs from agencies

Also read:

Banning jallikattu is not the answer

Jallikattu: May take legal route if Centre brings ordinance to conduct the sport, says PETA

Jallikattu: Asked PM Modi for emergency law, he gave assurances, says Tamil Nadu CM Panneerselvam

All you need to know about Jallikattu

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How to watch, stream and listen to Iowa football's game against Purdue
HARTFORD  Rob Kane, the former state lawmaker from Watertown who resigned just before he was to start his tenth year in office this month, was easily confirmed Thursday to take a job as one of the states two top auditors.

The legislative Executive & Legislative Nominations Committee voted overwhelmingly to hire Kane as the Republican auditor, who will supervise the 100 employees within the office of the Auditors of Public Accounts along with John Geragosian, a former Democratic member of the state House of Representatives.

The nomination next moves to the state Senate.

Kane, an MBA who was the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, admitted that he had a contentious divorce with his ex-wife that included a prolonged disagreement over alimony. But the committee generally took it easy on their former legislative colleague, who first joined the Senate after winning a special election in January, 2008 for the 10-town district that includes his hometown of Watertown, Seymour and and part of Oxford.

A friend of mine probably had the best line when it comes to divorce: that you see the best of people at their worst, Kane told the committee during a pre-noon hearing. He replaces Robert M. Ward of North Branford, the former House minority leader who has retired. State auditors regularly review the finances and business plans of all state agencies, departments and quasi-public organizations, pointing out shortcoming and recommending solutions.

I will work diligently to uphold the traditions of working in a bipartisan manner, said Kane, adding that he started a small business, which currently has one full-time and two part-time workers that sells communications devices, with only $5,000 in April of 1994.

Rep. Terrie Wood, R-Darien, questioned why the job goes to a political appointee. It doesnt seem like an open process, and it should be more-competitive, she said, before voting in favor of Kanes nomination.

Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, co-chairman of the committee, asked Kane about his divorce and a claim of about $5,000.

Its a terrible situation that I dont wish on anyone, Kane said. Its emotionally charged. You dont spend a lot of time talking with one another and I regret that. It was about what expenses should be covered by this person; what expenses should be covered by the other person. We went to court, we went through a mediator and we came up with a dollar figure and I am making payments on that dollar figure every month. Im not a perfect person by any stretch, but Ive been working on that and doing much better.

This is a position that is appointed by the Republican leadership of the Senate and House, said Rep. Edwin Vargas, D-Hartford, co-chairman of the committee. Its a Republican auditor position. The salary ranges from $149,133 to $195,462.

kdixon@ctpost.com;
NASA astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, died this week in his Houston home. He was 82.

At 32 years old, Cernan, a Navy captain and pilot before he joined NASA, became the second American astronaut -- and the youngest -- to walk in space.

He was also the member of a small, select club as one of three people who have traveled to the moon twice. Cernan was the lunar module pilot for the Apollo 10 mission, the dress rehearsal that made it possible for the historic moon landing a few months later.

Related: 8 Inspirational Quotes From Space Pioneer John Glenn

His second trip, which established him as the last human to set foot on the moon, was NASAs final lunar mission. Cernan also broke several NASA records on that 1972 mission, including the longest time spent in lunar orbit and the largest collection of lunar samples ever brought back to earth.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said of Cernans passing, truly, America has lost a patriot and pioneer who helped shape our country's bold ambitions to do things that humankind had never before achieved.

Read on for three lessons from Cernans thrilling life.

Related: Buzz Aldrin Wants You to Know -- the Sky Is Not the Limit

1. Dont let fear stand in your way.

The first two times Cernan went to space, things didnt exactly go as planned. That historic spacewalk ended with him literally flying blind. As he made his way back to the spacecraft, a glitch caused his spacesuit to overheat and flood his helmet with fog. And during Apollo 10, at one point the module began to dangerously spin off course.

Scary as these experiences might have been, Cernan did not let them prevent him from commanding that final mission.

2. Be a mentor.

In his remembrance of Cernan, Bolden recalled, In my last conversation with him, he spoke of his lingering desire to inspire the youth of our nation to undertake the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) studies, and to dare to dream and explore.

The astronaut understood the importance of passing on his wisdom to the next generation.

3. Great achievements come from collaboration.

Cernan famously said as Apollo 17 arrived on the moon: The Challenger has landed. Id like to dedicate the first step of Apollo 17 to all those who made it possible. The astronaut knew from hard-won experience that the only way to accomplish big goals was to work together.

Related:

3 Timeless Traits of Highly Successful Leaders

16 Things You May Not Know About Mark Zuckerberg

Here's Why You Need to Stop Worrying About the Worst-Case Scenario



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned jallikattu, saying that bulls cannot be used as performing animals including bullock-cart races.

By India Today Web Desk: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi today in New Delhi amid massive protest in Chennai in support of hugely popular bull-taming sport - jallikattu, which is currently banned by the Supreme Court.

The ban imposed on jallikattu by the Supreme Court came up for discussion during the meeting between the two leaders. The prime minister told Tamil Nadu CM that the matter is currently sub-judice and added that the Centre will be supportive of step taken by the state government.

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Jallikattu protest LIVE: 3rd day of Marina Beach standoff, CM meets PM

"While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, Prime Minister Modi observed that the matter is presently sub-judice," the Prime Minister's Office said.

Talking to reporters immediately after meeting PM Modi, Panneerselvam said that prime minister has assured him of all help.

All you need to know about Jallikattu

"Have asked for emergency law on jallikattu," Panneerselvam said, adding that he and AIADMK chief Sasikala have written to the PM over the issue. "You will soon see steps. Wait, good will happen," he added.

The opening paragraph of TN CM Panneerselvam's memorandum to PM Modi.

The Tamil Nadu CM had last night said that all possible legal means would be explored to ensure justice for the state on the issue even as he maintained that it should not be construed that the Centre was "ignoring" the state on the matter.

AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala had also lent her support to the agitation and demanded that the Centre come out with an ordinance allowing the sport.

SUPREME COURT BAN ON JALLIKATTU

The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned jallikattu, saying that bulls cannot be used as performing animals including bullock-cart races.

Since then, people have been urging the central government to take steps to allow the sport.

The common complaint among the protest leaders was that the Supreme Court had insulted the Tamil culture by disallowing the sport.

MASSIVE PROTEST IN CHENNAI

Protests began across Tamil Nadu on Tuesday following the arrest of protesters in Madurai district's Alanganallur town well known for conducting the sport.

Thousands of protesters sat through Wednesday night and on Thursday morning, demanding the lifting of the Supreme Court ban on jallikattu and action on animal rights group, PETA.

(With inputs from Pramod Madhav in Chennai)

ALSO READ:

As Tamil Nadu CM watches MGR movie, angry Marina Beach protesters ask where OPS is

Jallikattu protest: Sasikala releases statement blaming DMK, PETA for ban on sport

WATCH: Massive protests continue in support of jallikattu at Chennai's Marina Beach

--- ENDS ---

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NORWALK  Residents, merchants and a city councilman weighed in Wednesday evening on M.F. DiScala & Co.s plan to maintain public parking during and after the construction of Head of the Harbor North.

Parking has always been the number one problem, said Danna DiElsi, owner of The Silk Touch at 5 Main St. I dont have one customer that comes to my store that doesnt complain about theres no place to park.

According to DiElsi, parking will get worse if Wall Street-based developer M.F. DiScala & Co. and partner EDG Properties are allowed to build 80 apartments in the Main/High Street Lot. The space is a 91-space surface lot managed by the Norwalk Parking Authority.

On Wednesday, representatives of the development team outlined their temporary and long-term parking plans for the estimated 16- to 18-month construction period.

Long term, M.F. DiScala would replace the 91 spaces in the Main Street Lot with 28 surface spaces and 63 covered spaces in a new public parking garage. The public spaces, accessible from Main Street, would be separate from those used by residents.

The temporary plan calls for directing motorists to the Mechanic Street Lot and Yankee Doodle Garage to the west. Collectively, they provide up to 500 parking spaces.

EDG Properties Principal Jason Enters described the two municipal parking facilities as underutilized during the day, but busier on weekend evenings. During the latter, valet parking would be provided to motorists.

Several dozen people attended the presentation at City Hall and afterward asked questions. Not all agreed the Mechanic Lot is underutilized.

I own those buildings, said Jim Tucciarone, owner of two properties on nearby River Street. I dont agree with your assessment that its underutilized.

Connecticut Surgical Supplies Inc. is located on the south side of the Main Street Lot and receives deliveries through the lot and customers through doors facing the lot and Main Street.

We deal with elderly and handicapped, said Todd Zubrinski, vice president of the company. How will they get to us?

Enters described the access through the lot as noncompliant with city zoning regulations. He said M.F. DiScala would provide the company legal access through the new garage.

Were happy to keep it, Enters said of abutting merchants use of the lot area. The city could sell this to anybody and they dont need to let you do that.

Councilman Steve Serasis, a District A Democrat, described the Main Street Lot as the site of muggings. He said criminals target Latino immigrants working at nearby restaur an ts. M.F. DiScala would add a parking garage with security and lighting, he said.

I dont want to see more apartments, Serasis said. But I know the history and I know what it is and know the city doesnt have the money to do anything with that parking lot.

Serasis described the DiScala family as invested in the Wall Street neighborhood.

The company renovated the historic Trolley Barn on Wall Street and are building 60 apartments and a waterfront public pathway along upper Smith Street as part of Head of the Harbor South.

Alan Webber, chief financial officer for M.F. DiScala, acknowledged Head of the Harbor North will inconvenience the neighborhood during construction.

There will be some inconvenience, but people will learn to deal with that inconvenience on a short-term basis for the long-term greater good of the entire area, Webber said.

Kathryn Hebert, Norwalks administrative services manager and staff person to the Norwalk Parking Authority, said the Common Council will determine whether to sell the Main Street Lot to M.F. DiScala.

Jackie Lightfield, co-founder of the community development organization Norwalk 2.0, afterward blasted Enters for his assessment  were, unfortunately, lazy  of motorists who might refuse to walk to the Mechanic Lot or Yankee Doodle Garage.

Laziness is a developer who thinks that a parking lot is theirs for the taking at the expense of the businesses who invested in the area long before anyone else, Lightfield wrote in an email to city officials.
At Chennai's Marina Beach, protesters sat through Wednesday night and on Thursday morning, demanding the lifting of the Supreme Court ban on jallikattu and action on animal rights group, PETA.

By India Today Web Desk: Protests over the ban on the bull-taming continue to keep Tamil Nadu on the edge. While protests were seen across the state during the day on Thursday, people took to Marina Beach with their mobile torchlights to mark their protest in the evening.

Amid the ongoing protests, DMK party on Thursday announced a statewide rail roko andolan on Friday. Earlier on Thursday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India said that it may take the legal route if the Centre brings an ordinance to enable the conduct of jallikattu.

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"Our campaign is against cruelty towards all animals. We will consult our lawyers and take a decision if there is an ordinance," said PETA spokesperson Manilal Valliyate.

ALSO READ: Jallikattu: May take legal route if Centre brings ordinance to conduct the sport, says PETA

Massive protests continued during the day on Thursday in Tamil Nadu in support of jallikattu, the ancient and popular bull-taming sport. At Chennai's Marina Beach, protesters sat through Wednesday night and on Thursday morning, demanding the lifting of the Supreme Court ban on jallikattu and action on animal rights group, PETA.

With several colleges declaring holiday in Chennai and in other parts of the state, the number of students to assemble at Marina is expected to go up today as protesters have rejected Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam's appeal to end the protest.

ALSO READ: Jallikattu: Asked PM Modi for emergency law, he gave assurances, says Tamil Nadu CM Panneerselvam

Soon after Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan also met the PM over the issue. He said that bringing an Ordinance will actually be harmful for people of Tamil Nadu.

"We will also examine PETA funding," Radhakrishnan said while responding to a question about AIADMK chief Sasikala saying that PETA should be thrown out."

LATEST UPDATES:

Lawyers to boycott courts, schools, colleges and most restaurants, cinemas to be shut.

Mobile torchlight protest at Marina Beach over ban imposed on jallikattu.

DMK announces statewide rail roko agitation tomorrow in TN, ask Centre to promulgated ordinance and condemn its inaction.

Animal Rights group PETA has said that it will take legal route if SC passes ordinance.

Some reports say protesters have set a 5:00 pm deadline for the Tamil Nadu government to make an announcement in the matter

Protesters reject CM Panneerselvam's appeal to end protests at Chennai Beach and other parts of the state.

I have been asking PM for his time to express the Tamil emotion and pass the ordinance ASAP but he asked me meet the Home Minister as he doesn't have time. But I know this will not work so sat for agitation outside his residence to gain his attention: Ramadoss

"Jallikattu is an emotional issue today where more than 25- 30 lakh students are on streets today something which I have seen after half century," says Ramadoss.

Former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and PMK chief also comes out in support of lifting the ban on jallikattu.

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ALSO READ: As Tamil Nadu CM watches MGR movie, angry Marina Beach protesters ask where OPS is

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has refused to hear a plea which sought that the apex court should hear the matter pertaining to public protest at Marina Beach.

The Supreme Court has asked the petitioner to approach the concerned court in the matter.

Support for the sport, meanwhile, has been rising, with Viswanathan Anand becoming the latest personality to come in support of jallikattu. The chess great tweeted, "Jallikattu is a cultural symbol. Respect it. I am all for animal rights but here that is not the point.tradition & livelihood are."

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

On Wednesday on the Marina, thousands of young men and women demanded not only an end to the ban on jallikattu but also a ban on People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which opposes the sport. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to press for promulgation of an Ordinance enabling the conduct of jallikattu. Union Minister Anil Madhav Dave has told India Today that the Centre may not bring any Ordinance on the matter when the decision on jallikattu is on final stages in the Supreme Court. In jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to hang on to the animal's hump for a stipulated distance or for a minimum of three jumps by the bull. The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned jallikattu, saying that bulls cannot be used as performing animals including bullock-cart races. Since then, people have been urging the central government to take steps to allow the sport. The common complaint among the protest leaders was that the Supreme Court had insulted the Tamil culture by disallowing the sport. In Chennai, the demonstration began on Tuesday morning following the arrest of jallikattu protesters in Madurai district's Alanganallur town well known for conducting the sport. Thousands of youths who began their protest in Alanganallur on Monday were arrested a day later. Police housed the protesters -- both men and women -- at wedding halls. Angered by the arrests, villagers took to the streets.

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WATCH VIDEO:

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ALSO READ | Jallikattu: Thousands protest at Chennai's Marina Beach; 31 colleges to be shut today

To defy jallikattu ban, cock fight conducted in Tamil Nadu

Jallikattu row intensifies: AIADMK chief Sasikala writes to PM, wants change in law

--- ENDS ---
Nearly 10 years ago, Barack Obama sat down with a group of Des Moines Register writers and editors to pitch his credentials for the Democratic nomination for president. It was June 18, 2007, and Obama was a first-term U.S. senator from Illinois. His demeanor was youthful, and his closely cropped hair was black, both underscoring his relative lack of experience. But it was another prominent feature he mocked in himself when introduced to Register cartoonist Brian Duffy: His ears. Oh no, he said, shaking his head in jest. Ohhhh no.

It was an endearing moment, one of many Ive experienced over the 25 years Ive been attending Register endorsement interviews. George W. Bush showed the same quality eight years earlier, instantly disarm(ing) a bunch of old skeptics, as I wrote. He was funny and familiar, a man who didnt take himself too seriously, was confident enough to be self-deprecating and to respond good-naturedly to challenges.

That day, Obama emphasized that hed bring good judgment to the table and avoid miscues like Bushs invasion of Iraq. He framed a vision of an America of equal opportunity and upward mobility, respected for its values and ideals, not just its military might. He emphasized how much he was like most Americans; he and his wife Michelle had not long ago repaid their student loans, and she still shopped at Target.

He made decisions, he said, after surrounding himself with bright minds on all sides of an issue and hearing them all before taking action.

Questioned on a memo his campaign had slipped to reporters criticizing rival Hillary Clinton on the support she had garnered from an Indian-American businessman  it called her the senator from Punjab, attempting to link her to the outsourcing of jobs to India  Obama called the memo stupid and caustic. He said it didnt reflect his views. But he became reflective about negative campaigning. Im not so naive as to believe I can win without being rough and tumble, he said. But he also said it was his job to make sure the campaign built the sort of culture he would want in the White House.

Reading back over my notes from that interview, Im struck both by all he got done and by how much we took for granted in those days about how a White House culture should be. On health care, for example, Obama spoke of the need for reforms in which insurers and drug companies should have a seat at the table but not be able to buy a chair.

Despite a rocky roll out, the Affordable Care Act is law, helping ensure no one can be turned down over a pre-existing condition. But an incoming president and a Republican-controlled Congress are fixing to get rid of it, threatening to strip 18 million people of their insurance within a year, increase the number of the uninsured by 32 million in 10 years, and cause premiums to double, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

His record on immigration has been less successful. Back then, he advocated a pathway to citizenship for 12 million undocumented immigrants, noting, Im not particularly impressed with raids on plants that grab a handful of undocumented workers and send them home. In fact, under Obama, more immigrants were deported than under any previous president.

The Register editorial board endorsed Clinton in the 2008 Iowa caucuses, but I backed Obama, citing his momentum. It was as if no one could quite believe this youthful but commanding man, who spoke their language and echoed their dreams, might actually run America, I wrote.

This week, Obama leaves office, eight years older and grayer, his idealism no doubt tempered by the harsher realities of politics. He hadnt anticipated how vigorously Congressional Republicans would resist him, even openly wishing for him to fail. He didnt predict how his name and race would be used to undermine him. But whatever his miscalculations, Obama never lost his oratory and ability to inspire, his diplomatic skills or his abiding belief in the power of people to drive needed change.

Its not hard to see the parallel appeals of Obama and Trump to masses of Americans uncertain about their futures. Both come across as successful, confident leaders who are outside of the political elite and are willing to take bold steps. Bernie Sanders came across that way, too. As for Hillary Clinton, no matter how progressive her platform may have been, she could never surmount the establishment label.

The question now is, for all the intemperate pronouncements, what will we get in a President Trump? How does a people-powered presidency give way to a go-it-alone one, in which no one else is trusted but family, who are elevated to top positions of power, Russian infiltration in elections is tolerated, even invited, and every slight provokes a showdown on Twitter? How much do we really know about his personality? Does he have a sense of humor? Does he show affection to his children and grandchildren? Is he capable of laughing at himself? Who or what inspires him beyond his business dealings? What does he struggle with internally? All I know is that in my 25 years of meeting candidates for the Register, I have never felt I knew less about an incoming president. That has been deliberate on Trumps part, by categorically shutting the press out.

The pessimist in me says this bodes badly for whats to come. The optimist says he can only surprise us for the better. The activist says its really not about him; its about us as citizens demanding the government we deserve.
By India Today Web Desk: Karan Johar had a fan boy moment in Switzerland when he bumped into Hollywood actor George Clooney at the four-day World Economic Forum meet. The filmmaker, who couldn't contain his excitement after meeting Clooney, immediately shared a photo with the star on Twitter.

ALSO READ: Everybody knows what my sexual orientation is, says Karan Johar

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ALSO READ: Karan Johar reveals he paid for sex, 5 explosive confessions from KJo's biography

Karan Johar, who is taking part in the meet as a cultural leader, says that he is "totally Clooed".

Clooney was in Davos with his wife Amal who was honoured for her extraordinary contribution in the field of global human rights.

Karan had said earlier that he was looking forward to this novel experience on being invited as a cultural leader at WEF this year. "I am honoured to be invited as one of the cultural leaders on this prolific platform. Representing my country and reflecting my ethos and the sentiments of my land on a global level is always exhilarating and empowering," Karan had said.

Karan had left for Switzerland on Monday night after releasing his autobiography An Unsuitable Boy in Mumbai. The book has already grabbed eyeballs for the candid confessions. From Karan's sexuality to his fall out with once-upon-a-time good friend Kajol to his camaraderie with Shah Rukh Khan, the autobiography has been in the eye of the storm.

--- ENDS ---
Diversify. That was the advice given to Lyle Manchik when he was looking to expand beyond his McDonalds franchises.

The diversification came in the form of a brand new radio station to the Grand Island marketplace  KSYZ. It was branded as The Great 108, located at 107.7 on the FM dial.

Manchiks investment not only brought in a new station, but a new phrase: The Agri-Plex. The term described the Tri-Cities of Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney, along with its rural coverage area.

I oversaw the regional media buying, in the early days, for McDonalds, Manchik said. I felt I had some insight into what might appeal to other advertisers, especially which had regional operations in Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney.

Mark Baumert, news director at KSNB-TV/NBC, recalled KSYZs birth.

We signed on at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 1982, he said. I remember it because it was the day after the general election that year. It was a mid-term election and was a factor in part because our general manager, Doug Clements, wanted to make sure that we had some news to report on our first day and election results fit the bill.

Everything had a new car smell to it, Baumert continued. We were working in a brand new building (3280 Woodridge Blvd.), and transmitting to a brand new tower and transmitter site on a brand new frequency, 107.7. It was a thrill to be in on the ground floor of a new venture. There were several established radio stations for each of Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney, but I believe we made an impact very quickly in the Tri-Cities as a start up.

Cindy Borron, who currently resides in South Carolina, wore many hats at The Great 108, including those of account executive, sales manager and general manager.

While music formatting was imperative to our success, KSYZ was so much more than music, Borron recalled. Our live, on-air personalities made every effort to connect with the listeners while informing and entertaining them. Our high-energy promotions knit us together with our listeners and the businesses that supported us.

We truly felt the sense of community and took our responsibility seriously, she added. We worked hard but loved it.

Highly-publicized promotions became a mainstay at KSYZ.

One of my favorite community promotions was Putting on the Hits, she said. It quickly exploded in popularity. It was full of fun and surprises. Puttin on the Hits grew so popular that lines began to form at 3 p.m. for the 8 p.m. competition that lasted past 2 a.m.

There were several other one-of-a-kind promotions.

Many promotions were learning experiences, Borron said. We found out how upset the telephone company would get when you overload their lines. That was the case when we gave away $1,008 to the 1,008th caller. The call load was so excessive they rolled over into other telephone customers lines. We later opted to giveaway $108 to the 108th caller, with 10 separate call-ins.

Another listener favorite was the Concert Caravan. The station would fill a chartered bus that headed to Omaha and Lincoln multiple times to enjoy the top entertainers of the 1980s. Each listener who won the on-air contest, along with a guest of their choice, traveled and attended memorable concerts, including such artists as ZZ Top, Tina Turner, Michael Bolton and Billy Joel.

Lynn (Johnston) Folts of rural Benedict, a former KSYZ account cxecutive, remembered one such event.

We filled a bus with loyal listeners, and employees, and headed to a Wham! concert in Denver, she said. The evenings highlight for me was an appearance by Elton John on stage with George Michael.

Manchik recalled his personal favorite promotions.

Two come to mind immediately. One was our major promotion, Puttin On the Hits, and another promotion was built around the last episode of M*A*S*H. It took place at the Midtown Holiday Inn and I had no clue as to who would show up there to watch it (there were no big screen TVs back then), versus watching it in the comfort of their own homes.

We arrived to find the ballroom was not only jammed with KSYZ listeners, virtually all of them were in Korean War era military fatigues, or doctors outfits, or in dresses to look like Klinger.

Then there was the life inside The Great 108. Borron reminisced:

It certainly was not quiet. Things often did not go as planned. Like when Bill Brady accidently played the long, 17-minute version of Iron Butterflys In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Surprisingly, we received dozens of calls from listeners who were excited about hearing the entire version.

What did I love about my time at KSYZ I can sum it all up in one word: relationships, said Cindy Switzer, a former employee who currently resides in Georgia.

Because radio is an intangible, it is one of the most challenging advertising mediums to sell, she said. You can see and hear television. You can touch and see the newspaper. Because you can only hear radio, one has that one 30- or 60-second commercial spot to emotionally connect with the listener. Just like with the listeners, we needed to build relationships with the advertisers.

And thats what I loved about my time at the station. It wasnt just about selling air time. It was about getting to know our clients as people  not statistics.

Another former KSYZ employee, Rhonda Baldwin of Grand Island, also has fond memories.

It really was a wonderful place to work, not just the job challenges but the lifelong friendships that were forged, she said. We were a family and whenever someone would move on, it was like losing your big sister when she left to go away to college.

It was such an eclectic group of people, added Monica (Houselog)Taber of Doniphan, from Lyle Manchik to the management staff and the sales reps. Of course, the disc jockeys were a breed of their own.

After nearly six years of ownership of The Great 108, Manchik sold the station in 1988. Along with the new ownership came new management and new staff.

When the station sold, the dynamics changed, Folts reflected. Key players of our team had moved on. It, the electricity, was gone. Lyle Manchik, the man who led by example, invited us into his family and treated us all like the favorite child, was the glue. We felt it immediately. We mourned. Then we had to move on, too.

Not only did Manchik sell KSYZ, he later sold his restaurants. Reported The Grand Island Independent on Jan. 9, 1999: Lyle Manchik, owner of seven area McDonalds restaurants, has sold the businesses back to the McDonalds corporation and is eyeing retirement after 27 years at the helm of his franchise operation.

Manchiks former KSYZ employees, however, had accumulated lifetime of memories.

Im thankful that over 30 years ago, Lyle Manchik had the vision of starting the first 100,000-watt, adult contemporary radio station in Central Nebraska and for taking a chance on a group of newbies, Switzer said. In spite of our challenges  or perhaps because of them  we all learned to work together as a team, and as a result, came away from that with friendships and memories that will last forever.

Borron concluded:

What a privilege to have worked surrounded by music and participate in so many events. Many of my co-workers have remained lifelong friends. I look back and see the integrity of the business owners we were blessed to work with.

It truly was The Great 108!
Teams familiar with another meeting again in 1st weekend of playoffs

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The Missouri History Museum welcomed a record 517,337 visitors in 2016. This is the most visitors the Museum has received since the 1930s when Charles Lindberghs trophies were on display during the height of his popularity. 2016 also marks the third consecutive year that the Museum has surpassed 400,000 visitors, another first since the 1930s.

Our staff has really been looking at the trends in museums and listening to visitors to understand what people want to see in exhibitions, said Dr. Frances Levine, president of the Missouri History Museum.

The Missouri History Museum staff credits a fundamentally new approach to special exhibitions for this recent attendance trend. The Museum shifted from its special exhibition schedule of mostly national traveling shows to a focus on local history. They decided to create more exhibits in-house, showcasing St. Louis history in new and innovative ways. This schedule of regionally focused exhibitions has also allowed the Museum to present more of its renowned collection of artifacts to the public.

Most museums rely on one big exhibit, often a traveling show, to get big numbers and then go back to business as usual, said Dr. Jody Sowell, director of exhibitions and research. They see a huge fall in the numbers the next year. We have turned this practice on its head by making a commitment to tell more local stories, display more of our collection, and do it all in new and compelling ways. That philosophy is paying off with consistently high attendance numbers.

When the emphasis on local exhibitions began in 2014, the museum saw a 63 percent increase in attendance over the previous year. From 2000 to 2013, the average annual attendance was 354,789. The most recent three-year attendance average is 484,235.

Creating special exhibitions in-house, utilizing mostly the Missouri History Museums own collection has resulted in some of the most popular special exhibitions the Museum has ever hosted. Four of the top five most-attended exhibitions in the organizations 150-year history have opened during the past three years: 250 in 250 in 2014; A Walk in 1875 St. Louis in 2015; Little Black Dress: From Mourning to Night and Route 66: Main Street Through St. Louis, both in 2016.

Every day I walk through the Museum and see our galleries full of visitors who are engaged and enthralled by the stories we are telling, said Dr. Levine. We often see crowds stretching out of our special exhibition galleries as members of the public literally line up to learn about history. That is a thrilling sight for us as educators to see.

In addition to a locally focused exhibition schedule, the Missouri History Museum also credits its robust schedule of programming and its world-renowned collection for drawing record numbers. That can especially be seen in the increase in attendance to the Museums Library and Research Center on Skinker Blvd., which welcomed 6,684 visitors in 2016. That is the most visitors to the Library and Research Center since in opened in 1992, due in large part to new K-12 programming at this building.

We are so appreciative of our tax funding that allows us to keep our doors open, but we are especially grateful to our members and our sponsors for years like this one, said Dr. Levine. We could not create so many new exhibits in-house, present so many programs and conserve more artifacts without that additional support.

The Missouri History Museum has been active in the St. Louis community since 1866. Founding members established the organization for the purpose of saving from oblivion the early history of the city and state. Today, the Missouri Historical Society serves as the confluence of historical perspectives and contemporary issues. Due to its innovative approach to public service, the Missouri History Museum was the first recipient of the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Award for Museum Services in 1994. The Missouri History Museum offers programs and outreach services, including traveling exhibitions; tours; theatrical and musical presentations; programs for school classes and youth groups; family festivals; special events; workshops; and lectures. The Missouri History Museum is funded by the St. Louis City and County taxpayers through the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District and by private donations. The Museum is open seven days a week with general admission always free. The Missouri History Museum in Forest Park also operates the Library and Research Center at 225 South Skinker Boulevard near the Washington University campus.
When one recalls the days of Hurricane Katrina, thoughts of the devastation to New Orleans immediately come to mind. But before the water breached New Orleans levees, Katrina took aim upon the city of Biloxi, Mississippi, leaving the area in complete ruin.

The Biloxi devastation impacted SIUE graduate and Western Illinois University Art Professor Timothy Waldrop as he watched his hometown be destroyed. Biloxis devastation also impacted Waldrops art which is currently being featured in the Edwardsville Arts Centers Recollecting exhibit that runs from Jan. 6 through Feb. 3.

Waldrop grew up in Biloxi earning his B.F.A. in drawing and painting from Gulfport, Mississippis, William Carey College in 1998. After obtaining his undergraduate degree, Waldrop, and his wife, Laura, moved to Edwardsville so that Waldrop could attend SIUE and obtain his M.F.A. in painting.

Upon graduating from SIUE in 2001, Waldrop worked as an adjunct instructor at SIUE before accepting a position at Western Illinois University in Macomb in 2002. While Waldrop, Laura and their three children have lived in Macomb since, Waldrop still thinks of Biloxi as home and his art references his connection to this small city in the Deep South.

I would consider myself to be a very nostalgic individual by nature. I blame this mostly on the fact that I am a transplant to the Midwest from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Consequently, I am compelled to choose imagery that I connect with on somewhat of a personal level, Waldrop said about his art. The images that I choose are often autobiographical and tend to reference or honor chosen memories in some form.

The title of the EAC exhibit, Recollecting, references the various memories Waldrop has used to develop many of the works in the exhibit. Some of the pieces are part of an earlier body of work that I developed after Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the area where I am from - Biloxi, Mississippi, he explained.

One particular image, Tullis-Toledano Manor, in Waldrops collection is especially meaningful to him. My wife and I were actually married on the grounds of this historic building in 1998, he said. This building has become somewhat of an icon for me. Unfortunately, this structure as well as hundreds more that were similar in appearance and age were completely swept away by the hurricanes immense tidal surge.

Another interesting piece in the exhibit that references Biloxi and the aftermath of Katrina is a piece entitled, Gulf Coast Memorial. Waldrop explained that this piece is a three dimensional wreath, much like a wreath someone would leave at a WWII memorial or at the Arlington National Cemetery. I thought it would be appropriate for me to honor what happened to the coast after the hurricane with a wreath, he noted. As me honoring where Im from.

His Gulf Coast Memorial wreath is a sculptural work made from numerous individual parts. For each of the parts I made a mold and then I cast each of the parts in a type of resin. Then I assembled them all together and painted it to look as though it was like a rusted cast iron, Waldrop pointed out.

This wreath and another one he made in a copper patina are two of the pieces that he favors in his collection yet wreaths are also bittersweet when he thinks about them. They represent the loss of the Biloxi iconic places Waldrop recalls from his youth yet he favors them because of the time he has invested in them. They both took me forever to make. I had to make so many molds, casts and all the little parts. Then each of the parts had to be connected together. It was like a full summer trying to get those two wreaths complete, he stressed.

Waldrop added that he is also particularly fond of a piece in the exhibit entitled, Deluge that features an aerial view of a building being flooded which also has frogs around it.

About a third of the Recollecting exhibit is inspired by Katrina through landscape and architecture references. Then theres also images of magnolia flowers and aquatic life like crawfish, blue crab and oyster shells that are familiar images from Waldrops hometown on the Gulf Coast.

Some of Waldrops more recent paintings in this exhibit are a bit of a departure from the Katrina series. I have been working on a new series of paintings of roosters which have been inspired by my late uncle, Waldrop noted. He raised roosters as a hobby, and so as sort of a tribute to him, I have been painting images of these animals. I suppose that to a certain degree, I have been attempting to recreate what I was accustomed to seeing in my past - before moving to the Midwest.

Another interesting aspect of Waldrops art is the process in which he produces his pieces. Sometimes I like to scrape things away and then repaint them. Sometimes thats just to get the drawing right or get the proportions right, he added. I really like to just beat up the surface and give it some age or some history and then use that to my advantage.

Waldrop hopes that people who visit his exhibit will walk away with an awareness that Hurricane Katrina also destroyed Biloxi  destruction that got little media attention after the levees in New Orleans broke.

He also hopes his exhibit will give visitors the sense of importance to being in tune with their own heritage and the cultural significance of their own lifes path. I keep doing these sort of things I guess to make my kids aware of where Im from and what my wife and I have experienced. Just to pass down information to them, Waldrop pointed out.

Recollecting opened Jan. 6 and will run until Feb. 3. Waldrop, along with his family, will attend a special artist reception on Jan. 21 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. where he hopes to reconnect with former professors and old friends from his days spent in Edwardsville. I still really speak highly of SIUE. Even though I teach at another school in the state, I still encourage my students that get their undergraduate degree to maybe pursue SIUE for their graduate studies, Waldrop stressed. Because I do think it is really a great program. Theres a lot to offer there, its in a good location, and theres good faculty.

The Edwardsville Arts Center, located at 6061 Center Grove Road in Edwardsville, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed Sunday through Tuesday.

View more of Waldrops work at www.timwaldrop.com.
When the great American hero John Glenn passed away last month, it closed the door for many people on one of the truly treasured chapters in our nation's history. As the last surviving Mercury astronaut, Glenn was a link to mesmerizing moments of the 1960s when the Space Race dominated headlines, inspired children across the country, and united our people in a way that has always made my heart beat with a patter of pride. I also knew that Glenn would be a part of the new film "Hidden Figures" and I silently wondered if he'd had a chance to screen it before his death. Now, a few weeks later, moviegoers the world over are learning a very important lesson about other members of the NASA orbital support team that have gone unsung for many years.

Three characters are brought into focus by this picture, each a hero of her day, and it's a wonderful lesson to see their perspective some sixty years later. Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) is a stern, maternal leader who oversees the computers at NASA's Langley office complex. I refer, ultimately, to the warehouse-sized IBM mainframe that she tirelessly self-teaches herself to operate, but also the computational pool of African-American women that do the triple and quadruple checks of the arithmetic of the genius engineers and mathematicians calculating the launch and landing data for Alan Shephard, Gus Grissom, and finally Glenn. She is put-upon and handles her work with both pride and aptitude, but constantly butts heads with her immediate supervisor, a white peer played by Kirsten Dunst. Vaughan is qualified and does the work of a supervisor. Why is she not being promoted or compensated fairly?
Bollywood producer Karim Morani has been booked in rape and blackmailing case.

By Ashish Pandey: Trouble brewed for Bollywood film producer Karim Morani after Rachkonda police of Hyderabad booked him for alleged rape and blackmailing.

A Delhi-based woman had approached the police alleging that the family producer continuously raped her in pretext of marriage.

ALSO READ: Bollywood actor Inder Kumar held for allegedly raping a model

The 25-year-old victim, who is a Bachelor of Business Management student and wanted to act in films, approached the Hayathnagar Police on January 10 and lodged a complaint alleging that Karim Morani had "raped" her in Mumbai and at a film studio at city outskirts of Hyderabad in 2015.

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"In her compliant the victim has alleged that film producer Morani raped her on different occasions in Mumbai and in Hyderabad. Since the info took place over a period of time, we are verifying the fact and gathering the necessary evidence," said DCP (LB Nagar Zone) Tafseer Iqubal while speaking to India Today.

Karim Morani has been booked under section 417 (cheating), 376 (rape) 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation), 493 (cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of lawful marriage) and other relevant sections of IPC.

The famous Bollywood producer Karim Morani has produced hit films like Damini, Raja Hindustani, Ra-One, Chennai Express is also an accused in the 2G scam-related to money laundering.

--- ENDS ---
Theyre pretty arent they?

With those words, prosecutor Kathleen Nolan began closing arguments in a trial Thursday where jurors eventually determined that a drifter named James Lopes is a sexually dangerous person.

It took them 45 minutes to decide, only twice as long as the closings themselves.

Nolans reference was to Lopes reaction after Lt. Kris Sharp confronted him with a thumb drive containing hundreds of glamour shots of young girls dressed up and wearing makeup.

It was one of many instances where Nolan used Lopes own words  and her own - to convince jurors that Lopes was a delusional pedophile whose goal remains to marry a young girl and have sex with her in a public settting.

Acting as his own attorney in the civil case, Lopes called himself to the witness stand on Wednesday where he delivered a rambling monologue for more than two hours.

He spoke of his religious beliefs and referred to himself as the main priest in the Rising Star Church. When Nolan pressed him about how many members it had, he finally acknowledged it was only him.

He said that he intends to marry a young girl if it was natural but denied being a pedophile. What age, Nolan asked, would your ideal princess be? Lopes responded with 12-ish.

Lopes appearance was at odds with his well-publicized jail-booking photo. During the two-day trial he wore a beige suit and sported black-framed glasses.

His demeanor, too was somewhat surprising: invariably he addressed jurors in measured tones, and he chose his words carefully.

Still, he often wandered off point dozens of times only to be reeled in by the prosecutors and associate Judge Neil Schroeder.

Objection, relevance, Nolan would say.

What is the relevance, Mr. Lopes? Schroeder invariably responded.

Nearly always, Lopes returned to the point.

In his closings, Lopes reminded them that he had never been convicted of a sex offense and does not, to his mind, pose a danger to children. Prosecutors, he said, have been trying to stifle his religious freedom and quash his freedom to speak freely.

But Nolan noted that while freedom of religion is a fundamental principle, it has limits. In any case, the trial is not about an attempt to stifle his religious beliefs and freedom of speech.

There is, in fact, no Rise Star Church and if there were, no one has been clamoring to join it, Nolan said. The church is simply a construct of his own imagination, she continued. Its core beliefs pose a danger to the community because they violate the fundamental rights of children, she said.

When you have a church and you tell people that they should have sex with children, people will not think its OK, Nolan said. No one will say thats OK.

Before his arrest in Livingston in April of 2016, Lopes said he had been wandering the country on a mission to visit as many states as he possibly could to spread the word about his church, Lt. Kris Tharp testified early in the trial.

Two psychologists testified that Lopes has a mental disorder and that he is likely to commit a sexual offense in the future. He expresses no guilt about his beliefs or actions and has convinced himself that what he is doing is okay, they said.

In the coming days, Lopes will be confined at a separate facility under the auspices of the Illinois Department of Corrections. He will receive treatment to address his delusional thoughts, though the possibility exists that he may not ever be released, Nolan said.

He will have to register as a sex offender and re-register every 90 days, she added. Lopes is still facing several misdemeanor and felony charges in Madison County, including grooming.

For now, those charges are on hold.
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Linkedin Jennie M. Xue (The Jakarta Post) Northern California  Thu, January 19, 2017 08:09 2115 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bbb888b 3 Opinion Trade,trade-dispute,OTT,tax,tech-companies,patent,pharmaceutical-industry Free

According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation based in Washington, DC, Indonesia is among the countries that turn to innovation mercantilism, which is a strategy imposing protectionist and tradedistorting policies. The thing is, while it may sound favorable for Indonesia in the short-term, it can be quite damaging to both the country and overall global innovation and productivity.

The idea of mercantilism itself is noble: a country can increase its citizens prosperity by running a favorable balance of trade. Adam Smith first coined the term mercantile system to describe a system in which the political economy is designed to enrich the country by limiting imports and increasing exports.

This idea further influenced international trade policies in Europe from the 16th to the 18th centuries. In 2016, according to ITIF, in addition to Indonesia, countries that were notorious for its mercantilism included: China, Russia, Turkey, Vietnam and Germany.

The two mercantilist policies introduced in Indonesia that raised some analysts eyebrows were: 1) forced local data-storage requirements for Internetbased over-the-top (OTT) content providers and 2) a patent law amendment undermining pharmaceutical intellectual property and forcing local production and technology transfers.

On March 31 last year, Indonesias Communications and Information Ministry issued Circular Letter No. 3, which notifies companies about new regulations for OTT services, such as requirements for forced data localization and the need for foreign OTT firms to establish a permanent office in Indonesia as a condition of market entry. In other words, it would be impossible for foreign OTT content providers to receive online traffic from Indonesia without being blocked unless they have an office in Indonesia and store their data locally.

Later on Aug. 28 Indonesia introduced an amendment to its Patent Law that includes vague and potentially expansive compulsory licensing that would undermine pharmaceutical intellectual property. It could be misused to force foreign companies to produce locally and transfer their technology and intellectual property.

By compulsory licenses, it refers to when a government permits another party to produce a patented product without the consent of the patent owner. It should not be used as industrial policy, for the repercussions can be tremendous, not only economically but also humanistically.

The arguments for opposing the above mercantilist policies in Indonesia are two-fold.

First, disruptive innovations require an ecosystem that supports the research and development of businesses to innovate. Today, the most disruptive innovations come from high-tech industries, including life sciences, renewable energy, computers and electronics and internet services.

By limiting data storage in Indonesia, innovators choices for the most reliable and the most suitable technology are also limited. With Indonesias technology infrastructure still maturing, it would be unfair to both domestic and foreign innovators based in Indonesia and globally, as they cannot grow as fast as their competitors that are based in countries with better internet infrastructure.

Second, advanced pharmaceutical research and development require the support of international experts and facilities. The amended patent law has made Indonesia less attractive for international pharmaceutical research and development.

Enforcing a patent law amendment that includes compulsory licenses can be misused to limit advanced research and development, including replacing imports of high-quality and rare raw materials from overseas. It also includes increased meaningful benefit criterion that would prevent innovations that build upon prior knowledge for new treatments, dosages and delivery mechanisms.

At last, let us reiterate that innovation, trade policy and intellectual property law have become so intertwined today. A good balancing act must be performed to ensure disruptive innovations that are essential for the advancement of human civilization are properly protected by intellectual property laws and trade policies.

The fate of many peoples lives is directly impacted by mercantilism or lack of it. How Indonesias mercantilism would affect the global innovativeness remains to be seen.

---------------

We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com. For more information, click here.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017 10:53 2115 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bbbbbb9 4 Science & Tech Mark-Zuckerberg,Facebook,Rudiantara,Communications-and-Information-Ministry,hoax,fake-news Free

Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara previously stated that Facebook representatives would come to Jakarta to discuss the spread of hoaxes on the social network. However, he later clarified that the platforms founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, would not attend the meeting.

The representatives who will attend are from [Facebook] Asia Pacific, he explained to kompas.com on Thursday, Jan. 19, without revealing the names of the representatives.

(Read also: Reports: Mark Zuckerberg to visit Indonesia to discuss fake news)

The ministers meeting with Facebook is planned to be held by the end of this month. The discussion is reportedly to include ways to prevent the spread of hoaxes and stop them from going viral among social media users. Prior to meeting with Facebook, Rudiantara has discussed the matter with Twitter representatives.

Moreover, the government was reportedly considering imposing sanctions in the form of fees on social networks that were perceived to be failing to prevent the spread of false content.

Germany plans to issue a regulation for a similar sanction of Rp 7 billon [US$ 523.99] per hoax, said the minister. (wir/asw)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

A politician from the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has described the emblazoning of the national flag with crossed swords and Arabic script, allegedly by Islam Defenders Front (FPI) members, as a form of national betrayal.

The FPI has spoiled the symbol and dignity of the state, the Red-and-White flag. The FPI has gone too far. Its high time for the police to take legal action, Tubagus Hasanuddin, a member of the House of Representatives, said in a statement on Wednesday.

"There should be no doubt the government must arrest and legally process [FPI leader] Rizieq Shihab, the former commander of the Indonesian Militarys (TNI) Jakarta garrison said as reported by tribunnews.com.

(Read also: We are not afraid of FPI: PDI-P secretary general)

He said members of the TNI and police as well as veterans would be offended upon learning that the conservative Muslim group had defaced the Red-and-White flag during a rally on Monday.

Yes, demonstrating is the right of all citizens. But as a retired TNI member, I am offended by the FPIs act [defacing the flag], he added.

A video showing FPI members flying the flag during a rally in front of the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta has gone viral.

Police have said they will investigate the incident.(jun)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) said on Thursday the ballot papers for the Feb. 15 gubernatorial election had finished being printed.

The total number of ballot papers printed reached 7,292,619, which included 7,108,589 ballots for the fixed-voters list (DPT), an additional 2.5 percent of ballots for each polling station and an extra 2,000 for reserve.

KPU Jakarta head Sumarno said that the ballots, which were printed by PT Adi Perkasa, in Makassar, South Sulawesi, a company which earlier won the printing tender, were still on their way via sea freight to KPU Jakarta.

"We hope to receive the ballots by the end of this week. We've targeted to distribute the ballots to KPU branches in five municipalities by the end of January," Sumarno told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Sumarno said the municipal KPU branches would examine the ballots to see whether there were any damages. If damaged ballots were to be discovered, KPU Jakarta would ask Adi Perkasa to send replacements.

Meanwhile, the municipal branches would invite the public to help fold the ballots for the election, he said.

He also ensured that the ballots could not be duplicated because they had been printed with a special micro-printed text.

"The ballots contain micro text that can only be read by us. We will know if people try to duplicate the ballots," he said. (evi)
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Linkedin Winny Tang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

State-owned securities paper and banknote printing company Peruri has called on the public to stop making negative assumptions regarding Bank Indonesias (BI) logo on new rupiah banknotes.

Peruri president director Prasetio said the BI logo on the banknotes was rectoverso in design two images that cross and fill each other -- to prevent counterfeiting.

It is a security feature; do not make negative interpretations, Prasetio said during a media visit to the companys factory in Karawang, West Java, on Wednesday.

(Read also: Politics of fear and dissent)

Previously, Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab was reported to the Jakarta Police by the anti-slander young intellectual network (Jimaf) over alleged incitement on comments he made about the new banknotes.

In a speech that went viral, Rizieq said the new banknotes featured a symbol that resembled the logo of the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Police are continuing their investigation into Rizieq and have questioned a number of witnesses.

Jakarta Police chief. Insp. Gen. Mochamad Iriawan has stated that the FPI leaders statement constituted a form of incitement after receiving clarification from BI regarding the logo. (bbn)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

Criminal law expert of Muhammadiyah University in Jakarta, Chairul Huda, said the blasphemy article as stated in Article 156 section (a) of the Criminal Code was still needed to maintain religious harmony in the country.

"Indonesia is a country full of diversity, including in its religions. Therefore we need this rule to protect this diversity," Chairul told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

(Read also: FPI threatens to report Megawati to police for blasphemy)

Chairul went on to say that the objective of the blasphemy law was to allow people with different religions to coexist by discouraging blasphemous speech.

Therefore when a blasphemy case occurs, such as with Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's case, the victims would not merely be Muslim, Chairul said.

Chairul added that he believed the country was not ready to abolish this law because some people still could not uphold pluralism and diversity.

However, he noted that the law should be revised to be more specific.

"The word 'religion' is abstract. The law can be revised to be more specific, such as to regulate the insult of God, God's characteristics, prophets, rituals or the Holy Book," he said.

However, Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono told the Post earlier that the blasphemy law had violated human rights, in particular freedom of expression.

Andreas said Indonesia breached the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified in 2005, by keeping its blasphemy law valid.
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19 2017

Crossdressers, transgenders and homosexuals  who have long been part of the nations pop culture  will soon no longer be seen on TV or heard on the radio.

In the latest attempt by politicians to keep the countrys lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community out of the public space, lawmakers said they were planning to ban ads and all programs on TV and the radio featuring LGBT talents or promoting the minority group.

The Houses Commission I overseeing information, communications, defense and foreign affairs has included the ban in Article 61 Point H on the amendment of the 2002 Broadcasting Law, which stipulates that broadcasting program standards (SPS) bans the broadcasting of programs presenting LGBT behavior.

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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

Legal cases implicating Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab will likely boost Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnamas electability, which has been in decline according to recent surveys since the start of his blasphemy trial, researchers have said.

Rizieq, an ardent critic of Ahoks, has been reported to police for allegedly dishonoring the countrys first president, Sukarno, and Pancasila, the nations founding principles. He has also been reported for allegedly defaming Christianity.

A senior political researcher with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Syamsuddin Haris, said Rizieqs alleged involvement in those cases would lead the public to see Ahok in a positive light after prolonged hatred toward the governor, who stands accused of having insulted Islam.

Ahok still has a chance to win the election, although I predict the electoral process will include two rounds, Syamsuddin said in a discussion on Thursday.

(Read also: FPI leader Rizieq Shihab to testify in Ahoks hearing)

Similarly, Populi Center director Usep S Ahyar said Rizieqs cases would turn people to support Ahok. People will say Ahoks critic is doing this and that, he said.

After questioning Rizieq for allegedly dishonoring Pancasila last week, West Java Police said on Thursday they had moved from a preliminary investigation into Rizieq to a full investigation.

Meanwhile, Ahoks blasphemy case is heard every Tuesday at the North Jakarta District Court, with hearings temporarily taking place at the Agriculture Ministry in South Jakarta. (ebf)
H D Balakrishna, MLA from Magadi town of Ramanagara district of Karnataka, said that if the accused in an assault case was not arrested by Monday, he will attack the police station. He went on to say that no one could prevent him from attacking the police officers on duty.

By Rohini Swamy: In an incident of brazen high-handedness, a politician threatened to assault police if an accused was not arrested. Ironically, the accused in question was also booked for assault.

H D Balakrishna, MLA from Magadi town of Ramanagara district of Karnataka, said that if the accused in an assault case was not arrested by Monday, he will attack the police station. He went on to say that no one could prevent him from attacking the police officers on duty.

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Soon after the incident, the Kudur police in Magadi have filed an FIR against Balakrishna for threatening a police officer on duty inside a police station.

In a recorded video which is in possession of India Today, the MLA is seen engaging in a heated argument with the circle inspector. The MLA and his supporters are seen threatening the police.

Balakrishna along with his supporters forced themselves into the office of the sub inspector and demanded the arrest of an accused in an assault case that took place on January 15, 2017.

The MLA also threatened the circle inspector with dire consequences if the arrest did not take place. Balakrishna hurled abuses at the inspector in front of the other policemen.

ACT RECORDED ON VIDEO

Balakrishna also addressed his supporters just before leaving the police station. India Today is in possession of this video where he clearly makes a statement that they will attack the police station if immediate action was not taken.

"We have given them time till Monday. After that we will come out in large numbers. If by then no arrests are made, risking our lives, we will hit the sub inspector, or anyone indiscriminately as we have to safeguard our followers. We all should be ready for any consequence once we call for retaliation," said Balakrishna.

On Sunday, at a temple in Ayandahalli Magadi, Rangaswamy and his supporters attacked Ramesh, a supporter of the MLA and vandalized his house.

Rangaswamy also was attacked in retaliation. Both the parties had filed complaints in Kudur police station. However, no arrests were made. Balakrishna was demanding the arrest of Rangaswamy.

The police have booked a case under IPC sections 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

MLA Balakrishna he has been embroiled in controversies in the past too. When DYSP Kallappa Handibag committed suicide alleging harassment by seniors, the MLA had criticized the cop using foul language.

Also read:Bengaluru molestation happened because nudity is in fashion, says Samajwadi Party's Abu Azmi



Karnataka police officer Raghavendra commits suicide with service revolver in Malur



Policeman beaten up for immoral behaviour in Bengaluru

--- ENDS ---

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

A recent ruling by the Jakarta State Administrative Court has ordered the Home Ministry to halt the process of appointing a North Sumatra deputy governor, a position that has been vacant for eight months.

The court ruled in favor of the North Sumatra chapter of the National Ulema Awakening Party (PKNU), which was the plaintiff in the lawsuit, and declared the ministrys decree dated Aug. 4, 2016 invalid.

According to the courts decision, which was issued on Dec. 22, the ministry must revoke the decree that regulates the mechanism for filling a vacant deputy governor post in the province.

But the North Sumatra legislative council turned a blind eye and decided to elect Nur Azizah Marpaung as the new deputy governor, PKNU North Sumatra chairman Muhammad Ikhyar Harahap said on Thursday.

The PKNU claimed it had been sidelined in the appointment of the new deputy governor while claiming that, according to the 2016 Regional Elections Law, they should have been involved in the process.

(Read also: Ex-N. Sumatra governor sentenced to 6 years in prison for corruption)

In April last year, then deputy governor Erry Nuradi was promoted to governor to replace former governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho, who had been convicted of corruption.

According to the Regional Elections Law, Ikhyar said, all the political parties that had supported the Gatot-Erry ticket during the 2012 gubernatorial election must together select two candidates to fill the vacant deputy governor post.

The provincial legislative council is to then elect one of the two candidates and he or she would subsequently be inaugurated by the Home Ministry under a presidential decree.

Gatot and Erry were supported by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Hanura Party, the PKNU, the Patriot Party and the National Unity Party (PPN).

However, the decision to propose Nur Azizah as deputy governor was only made by the PKS and Hanura. Hence it was illegal, Ikhyar claimed. He added that the PKNU had also informed the State Secretariat about the courts ruling in hope that the process to fill the vacant deputy governor post could be restarted.

As of Thursday, Nur Azizah had yet to be inaugurated.(jun)
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Linkedin James Paton (Bloomberg) London  Thu, January 19, 2017

Spurred by the Ebola and Zika epidemics, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi are among drugmakers backing an effort to develop new vaccines that could be deployed swiftly to contain outbreaks before they spark global emergencies.

Pharmaceutical companies are working with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which has raised $460 million from the governments of Germany, Japan and Norway, as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, the group said on Wednesday.

Glaxo, the U.K.s biggest drugmaker, is willing to commit a significant portion of the estimated $40 million to $50 million in annual costs to operate a proposed biopreparedness facility focused on vaccines, while giving the group access to its work, Chief Executive Officer Andrew Witty said in a telephone interview. New vaccines must advance to at least the second of three stages of clinical tests to provide a type of insurance policy against epidemics, Witty said.

When you look at the different pandemic threats over the last 10 or 12 years, the global response has been challenged each time, he said from Davos, Switzerland. The goal would be to have more, lets say, phase II completed vaccines ready against the risk of potential pathogens, so when one of those -- god forbid -- comes along, well have much better readiness.

(Read also: Government intensifies research on Zika virus)

Tragically Unprepared

The global partnership aims to shorten the time it takes to develop vaccines to protect against viruses that suddenly emerge as public-health threats. The coalition, which now raised almost half the money needed for the first five years, will target the MERS, Lassa and Nipah viruses first, aiming for two vaccine candidates against each of those diseases. India, a co-founder of the group, also plans to commit funding.

Ebola and Zika showed that the world is tragically unprepared to detect and respond quickly to outbreaks, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Gates foundation, said in the statement. The most recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa led to more than 11,000 deaths and exposed holes in infectious disease response, with sick travelers reaching as far away as Texas.

Glaxos planned biopreparedness unit would be based in Rockville, Maryland, where the London-based company has already opened a new global vaccines research and development center. The facility would operate on a no profit, no loss basis and help reduce disruption in a potential crisis, Witty said.

The global coalition aims to help move promising vaccines through early development for diseases that may kindle severe epidemics. It will also help defend against unknown or new viruses, according to the statement.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

State-owned airline Garuda Indonesia has issued a statement in response to the Corruption Eradication Commissions (KPK) naming its former president director, Emirsyah Satar, a suspect of bribery, saying the case was disconnected from the airline.

The management of national airline Garuda Indonesia wants to convey that the [alleged corruption] case has no relations with corporate activities, but is more an individual action, Garuda Indonesia corporate communication vice president Benny S. Butarbutar said, as quoted by kompas.com in a written statement on Thursday.

He added that as a public company, Garuda Indonesia had a mechanism in all of its business activities, from the tight implementation of a good corporate governance system to transparency of information.

The management of Garuda Indonesia will fully leave the complete investigation of the case to the KPK and also will cooperate with the commissions investigators, said Benny.

(Read also: Former Garuda Indonesia president director named suspect of alleged bribery)

Emirsyahs naming as a suspect is believed to be related to the procurement of goods for Garuda Indonesia when he still held a position at the countrys biggest airline.

KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah earlier said the antigraft body had searched four locations in Jakarta in its investigation into the case on Wednesday.

The value of the case is quite significant, reaching millions of US dollars, he said. (ebf)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

The lawyers for three farmers in Central Java plan to appeal for a more lenient punishment after their clients were sentenced to eight years in prison and fined Rp 10 billion (US$749,000) for damaging a forest in Kendal.

The case began when the fields in Sorokonto Wetan village, Pageruyung district in Kendal, where the three farmers grew crops, were declared to be forest by the government in 2014.

In a release made available on Wednesday, the lawyers said the claim through a Forestry Ministry decree in April 2014 was made unilaterally. The lawyers from the Indonesian Legal Aid Center (PBHI), the Semarang Legal Aid Institute (LBH Semarang) and the Legal Resource Center for Gender Justice and Human Rights (LRC-KJHAM) said the ministerial decree was made after state-owned cement company, PT Semen Indonesia, acquired forests for its operations in Central Java. To offset the loss of that forest area, the government declared the farmers fields to be forests.

The farmers, Nur Aziz, Sutrisno Rusmin, and Mujiono, had cultivated the land for decades, the release said.

(Read also: Indonesia agency pushes plan to tackle deforestation, fires)

The panel of judges in the Kendal District Court presented one dissenting opinion: The presiding judge said the case could have been settled through persuasion. The dissenting opinion said Nur Aziz should have been sentenced to three years, while Sutrisno and Mujiono to two years each.

Lawyer Kahar Muamalsyah said the panel of judges failed to understand that his clients were entitled to an exception stipulated in the 2013 law on deforestation prevention. They said the exception is applicable only to indigenous people, but we argue that Surokonto Wetan villagers should have been included in the exception, Kahar said.

Kahar said Article 11 in the law stipulated that people living near a forest doing traditional farming are exempt from criminal charges. (evi)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

Central Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Dwiyono said 500 kiosks in three blocks of Senen Market were razed on Thursday morning. No casualties were reported.

The firefighters faced difficulties extinguishing the fire because it spread to the top, Dwiyono said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire at Senen Market in Central Jakarta on Jan. 19. The fire started early in the morning and razed about 500 kiosks. (Antara/Yudhi Mahatma)

He said as of 8 a.m. the Central Jakarta Firefighter and Disaster Management Agency was still working on extinguishing the fire at Blok I and Blok II. The agency initially deployed 27 fire trucks to the scene but later deployed 18 more. The south side of Blok II of the market was the worst affected.

Dwiyono said his side had yet to determine the cause of fire.

An officer with the agency, Syarifudin, said the fire began on the first floor in the early hours of Thursday. He said firefighters had been trying to put out the fire since 4:15 a.m. (evi)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Thu, January 19 2017

Apparently being the only territory in the country that was not occupied by the Dutch, the archipelagos longest colonial master, Aceh  then as a province  turned out to be a key donor for the cash-strapped newly born Indonesia. Blessed with abundant energy reserves, Aceh was a major contributor to state revenues until the early 2000s when its oil and gas reserves started depleting and new discoveries were absent.

The peace accord the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed in 2005 finally restored peace and order in the formerly restive province. However, three decades of conflict, which caused political instability and insecurity, deprived the province of opportunities to develop, including efforts to discover new energy sources.

Even the victories of former GAM leaders in local elections were obviously not enough to spur growth in the province long affected by armed conflicts. Connection with GAM is believed to have given them a significant boost to win the hearts and minds of locals and support for their respective programs.

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Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

The government plans to expand the definition of an anti-Pancasila mass organization in its effort to discipline groups that do not clearly state values that violate the state ideology but nevertheless take actions that harm public order, says a minister.

Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly said Thursday the government planned to include violent and radical groups in the category of mass organizations that were against Pancasila and that should be banned in the country.

The existing law bans groups that promote, among other things, Leninist and communist values as they conflict with the values of Pancasila, but there are more values that are against Pancasila, Yasonna said on the sidelines of a meeting at the House of Representatives.

Therefore we will expand the definition of anti-Pancasila in the revision because groups that are violent and destructive to the nation also violate Pancasila, he emphasized.

(Read also: FPI chairman questioned in Pancasila defamation case in West Java)

Yasonna said the government expects to start discussing the revision later this year. However, he said he cannot provide further details, arguing that the process is still ongoing, but he made assurances that his office will submit a draft revision sooner in order for it to be included in the national legislation program (prolegnas).
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

The government has started investigating a tax case centering on Google after talks between the internet giant and the Finance Ministrys Directorate General of Taxation failed to resolve the issue, an official has said.

Google is required to pay taxes from 2011, said Director General of Taxation Ken Dwijugiasteadi as reported by tempo.co on Thursday.

The government says Google owes Rp 337.5 billion (US$25.28 million) in taxes, plus Rp 3 trillion in penalties as the tax office estimates that Googles revenue reached Rp 6 trillion in 2015.

(Read also: Tax office threatens to probe Google case)

The move to investigate the tax case was initiated because Google failed to provide clarification over its advertisement transactions and server in Indonesia, Ken added.

He said his office would summon Google representatives on Thursday. Anyone [in Google management] is responsible for the case, Ken said.

Meanwhile, Directorate General of Taxation head M. Haniv said his office needed information regarding Googles advertisement transactions to decide the amount of special taxes that should be paid by the over-the-top (OTT) company.

After the amount of taxes has been decided, the government will seek advice from the House of Representatives, Haniv said, adding that during the investigation, his office would involve police and prosecutors. (bbn)
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Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

In an attempt to eradicate the dissemination of fake news and other harmful contents from cyberspace, the Indonesian government will continue with its plan to block websites thought to violate regulations it has set forth, a minister has said.

We never consider the [website owner's] affiliation. What we consider is the content. As long as it spreads content that violates our regulation, we will take an action, Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said in a speech during a forum about technology held in Jakarta on Thursday.

As previously reported, the government has blocked about 800,000 websites as of December last year, most of which contained pornographic material or gambling opportunities. Eighty-five of them were related to radicalism.



The ministry has produced a regulation as the legal basis to block the sites and set up a team to scrutinize reports from the public.



The ministry recently began cooperating with the Press Council to monitor online media outlets to curb the dissemination of fake news or hoaxes.

Rudiantara has repeatedly asked social media giants, such as Facebook and Twitter, to filter information on their sites that promote hoaxes.

(Read also: Jokowi declares fight against disseminators of fake news)

Democracy activists, however, have lambasted the governments move regarding its decision to block suarapapua.com, a news site based in Papua, in December last year.



The Press Legal Aid Institute (LBH Press) defended suarapapua.com, saying the website already adhered to the principles of journalistic ethics and that the block was a violation of freedom of expression. (jun)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

Central Jakartas legendary Senen Market, famous since the Dutch colonial era, has been razed multiple times. According to records compiled by news agency Antara, Senen Market first went up in flames in 1974. Since then, the large market has caught fire nine times.

Jan. 15, 1974

Fire razed Senen Market in 1974 during a major historical event called Malari, an acronym from Malapetaka 15 Januari or Jan. 15 Tragedy. University students were protesting against the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei, at that time a symbol of foreign investment to Indonesia. Senen Market was one of the sites where riots broke out during the Malari protest.

Nov. 23, 1996

Fire razed 750 kiosks at Block IV and Block V of Senen Market.

Jan. 27, 2003

As many as 300 kiosks in Block IV and Block IVB were razed by fire.

March 23, 2009

Part of Senen Market close to the bus terminal was razed. That part of the market hosted many booksellers.

Traders save their goods from Block I and Block II at Senen Market in Central Jakarta on Thursday. Fire razed the two blocks, damaging more than 1,000 stalls.(Antara/Widodo S. Jusuf)

March 11, 2010

Fire razed 2,337 kiosks selling bags, shoes and clothes. The fire started between Block IV and Block V. City administration records show that the market suffered losses of Rp 8.5 billion (US$635,000), of which Rp 5 billion were traders losses and Rp 3.5 billion stemmed from damage to buildings.

April 25, 2014

By far the largest fire at Senen Market happened on this day. Fire raged for 20 hours and damaged 3,000 kiosks. The Indonesian Traditional Market Traders Association estimated the losses at Rp 100 billion. The cause of the fire was a short circuit on the second floor in Block III.

Nov. 15, 2016

Fire broke out around midnight and destroyed three kiosks.



Jan. 19, 2017

A fire occurred at Blocks I and II. According to the latest update from the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) at 11 a.m. on Jan. 19, 1,021 kiosks were affected. As of 1:50 p.m. the fire was still razing.
By India Today Web Desk: It was earlier this month that Mohabbatein girl Kim Sharma got back to the country from Kenya, leaving her husband Ali Punjani behind. Ever since, Kim has been spotted in public with menswear designer Arjun Khanna several times, even as both of them continue to be married to their respective spouses.

While Kim is said to have moved back to India for good, rumour has it that Arjun and his wife Shefalee are living separately these days. Reason? Kim, of course.

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ALSO READ | Affair Alert: Are Mohabbatein girl Kim Sharma and designer Arjun Khanna together?

A report in Spotboye.com says that Kim and Arjun's proximity drove a wedge between Arjun and Shefalee, with Shefalee realising that her husband had lost all interest in her. Shefalee and Arjun haven't been living together for quite some time now, says the website.

Kim and Arjun have been going out with each other for a while. At photographer Dabboo Ratnani's recent calendar-launch bash, Kim and Arjun were inseparable; holding hands, et al. The fashion designer is apparently planning a huge birthday party for Kim in Goa on January 21.

Kim's marriage to Kenyan business tycoon Ali Punjani is nearly over, if reports are to be believed. The actor, who shot to fame with Shah Rukh Khan's 2000 film Mohabbatein, tied the knot with Punjani in 2010, after her engagement with her Spanish boyfriend Carlos Marin went kaput.

ALSO WATCH: Ranbir-Katrina to Brangelina, 2016 was the year of celebrity break-ups

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

The House of Representatives has urged the Environment and Forestry Ministry to increase its coordination with the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, as well as other relevant ministries, in implementing the Paris Climate Agreement.

During a meeting with the House's Commission VII overseeing natural mineral resources and the environment on Thursday, lawmakers told Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar that the government ministries should work together to develop renewable energy and other sources of energy so that the country's target of reducing emissions 29 percent by 2030 would be achieved.

"The commission also asked the minister to increase the budget allocations for programs and activities related to water source conservation, lake ecosystem conservation and customary forests in Indonesia as an attempt to protect the environment," the ministry's spokesman, Djati Witjaksono Hadi, said in a press statement.

Furthermore, the House also urged the government to speed up the closing of mine pits that have claimed many lives, mainly of children, in Kalimantan.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

The National Police are set to deploy a task force consisting of 140 personnel to Darfur, Sudan, as part of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission.

The task force, which will replace a previous team that has been on mission in Darfur for one year, will depart from Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport in East Jakarta on Friday.

The presence of the 140 personnel is expected to help establish and sustain peace in Sudan after the protracted conflict [the country has experienced], National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said in a departure ceremony at the National Police headquarters on Thursday morning, as quoted by kompas.com.

Armed conflict in Darfur has put civilians at risk. The conflict has claimed between 200,000 and 300,000 civilian lives and displaced more than 2 million people since the start of the conflict in 2004, according to UN data

According to the UN, the peacekeeping mission in the war-torn nation comprises 19,248 combined police and military personnel from various countries, including Indonesia.

Tito said the personnel, who have passed a stringent selection process and undergone special training, will be tasked with protecting civilians, facilitating humanitarian aid, and protecting UN facilities in Darfur.

Indonesia first participated in peacekeeping in Darfur in 2008, in which it agreed to send 140 personnel for a one-year mission as mandated by the UN. (Saf)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Manado  Thu, January 19 2017

Manado Police are hunting individuals believed to be behind a recent bomb threat distributed through social media.

In a recent social media post, threats were made on several locations in Manado, North Sulawesi. Police conducted security checks while making sure that it was only a hoax designed to cause unrest.

We are still investigating who the owner of the account is and we will charge that person, North Sulawesi Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Ibrahim Tompo said on Wednesday.

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Linkedin Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19 2017

It is an experience most Indonesians are familiar with: Listening to a tedious speech made by government officials, trying so hard not to doze off and get scolded for being disrespectful.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo can relate to that experience, so he has made it compulsory for his subordinates to keep their speeches short and straightforward, a policy that has made work more challenging for some Cabinet members.

Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani said she understood the purpose of Jokowis order: To do away with Indonesian bureaucrats old tradition of making long speeches that are full of unnecessary formalities.

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Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

This year marks 10th anniversary of the first Kamisan, a silent protest by victims of gross past human rights violations held every Thursday across from the Presidential Palace. The action calls on the government to end the impunity of perpetrators, but so far has never met directly with President Joko Jokowi Widodo.

Meeting survivors and their relatives in person will build the courage required to make the political commitment to end ongoing abuses, says Sanata Dharma University lecturer Mutiara Andalas, adding that the government currently lacks this courage and political will.

An encounter with survivors could be a source of political courage for a regime to accept that a state can make mistakes, Andalas told a discussion in Jakarta on Wednesday.

(Read also: Lack of applicable solutions hampers Jokowis efforts to resolve past abuses: Official)

Andalas, a Jesuit priest, explained that survivors as well as their relatives were also humans who the government needed not be afraid of, saying that Jokowis personal encounter with them instead would give him more support to fulfill his promise to resolve abuses.

Tomorrows Kamisan will be the 477th. Survivors have met representatives of the Office of the Presidential Staff (KSP) as well as other government officials, but have yet to meet Jokowi. Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also never met Kamisan members during his 10 years in power.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) plans to summon acting Jakarta governor Sumarsono on Friday over money involved in the Jakarta Bay reclamation project.

Perhaps on Friday we will have a meeting with the acting Jakarta governor [to discuss the] money related to contributions and compensation from the developers. We will ask him whether the money went into the city budget or not, violated regulations or not, KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo said in the House of Representatives on Wednesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

Agus was attending a meeting with the House's Commission III.

He said the KPK had been collecting data, but had not yet reached any conclusion about whether there was any corporate crime involved in the project.

(Read also: Ex-councilor Sanusi gets 7 years in reclamation bribery case)

The Corruption Court convicted Gerindra Party politician Mohamad Sanusi of receiving a Rp 2 billion bribe from then Agung Podomoro Land president director Ariesman Widjaja and sentenced him to seven years in prison.

Earlier, Ariesman was sentenced to three years in prison by the same court for a bribery conviction. The bribe was related to the deliberations over two Jakarta bylaws on the Jakarta Bay reclamation project. (evi)
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Linkedin Lita Aruperes (The Jakarta Post) Manado  Thu, January 19, 2017

The Navy has not given up hope of finding its four crewmen reportedly missing near the Philippine border for more than a month.

Manado Naval Base (Lantamal VII) spokesman Maj. Dedy Irawan said the Navy had deployed four ships and two helicopters to find the sailors who went missing on Dec. 14, 2016 while on board and guarding a seized Philippine-flagged boat that was allegedly fishing illegally in North Sulawesi waters.

The Indonesian Navy has [decided] to keep searching for them, Dedy said.

(Read also: Four missing after boat collision in W. Java waters)

The four crewmen were identified as Second Lt. Faisal Dwi A.R., Second Sgt. Mes Rizky Dwi Deptianto, Chief Seaman Amo Dian Mahendra and Second Seaman Isy Badnur Rohim.

We keep on praying, said Supartono, father of Faisal.
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Linkedin Haeril Halim and Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19 2017

Air Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto was holding a meeting at the Defense Ministrys office, where he served as the inspector general, on Tuesday when a personal secretary to President Joko Jokowi Widodo called him to ask him to rush to the State Palace right away.

After the air marshal arrived, the President told him he had selected him to be the new Air Force chief. He was inaugurated the next day, replacing Air chief Marshal Agus Supriatna.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

The Jakarta administration is planning to rejuvenate Muara Angke fishing village in North Jakarta by building a new port, fish-processing center and floating restaurant complex, as well as low-cost apartments soon after the port management is taken over from the Transportation Ministry.

We will build new industries, said Food Security, Maritime and Agriculture Agency head Darjamuni said on Tuesday, explaining that the first phase of the development would focus on a fish-processing center that aimed to modernize present traditional-processing methods.

According to him, the new fishing port would not be used for transportation. At present, fishing and transportation activities are operating at the current port. While the planned floating restaurant, a new culinary center built on the coast, will also have a space allocated for seafood stalls that are currently sprawled along the area.

One seafood stall owner Mastur said the government had informed him about the relocation plan. It wont be a problem as long as [the floating complex] is more comfortable, he said as quoted by tempo.co.

To make way for the new industries, a slum area is to be demolished and its residents will be relocated to low-cost apartments built nearby.

The administration will build 35 blocks of apartments in three phases. Some 660 units will be constructed during the first phase, 1,158 units in the second phase and another 448 units in the final phase.

The 2017 city budget allocated Rp 4.7 billion (US$351,743) for the construction of fish-processing centers supporting infrastructure and another Rp 2.7 billion for the processing center itself.
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Linkedin Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post) Mataram  Thu, January 19 2017

The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) administration, together with a number of organizations in the tourist industry, is to organize the 2017 Lombok-Sumbawa Great Sale in February as an effort to boost the number of tourists to the province.

The head of the NTB Tourism Agency, Lalu Mohammad Faozal, said the event would be held from Feb. 1 to 28 in various locations across the province.

During the whole month, discounts will be offered to tourists on hotel rates, restaurants and tour packages, Lalu told a press briefing in Mataram, the provincial capital, on Tuesday afternoon.

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Kumar Vishwas and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday laughed off reports that he is joining the BJP after social media websites were abuzz with reports of his BJP entry.

Vishwas took pot-shots at the PM and said he is likely to join Andhra's TDP.

By Mail Today Bureau: Kumar Vishwas and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday laughed off reports that he is joining the BJP and will contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election next month.

This is not the first time he has had to deny reports that he may switch to the BJP. Earlier in the day, social media websites were abuzz with the reports that the poet-politician will join the BJP and contest polls from the Sahibabad constituency in Ghaziabad district. Reports also said that he was scheduled to BJP president Amit Shah in Lucknow before a formal announcement is made.

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But AAP leaders were quick to deny the reports and Vishwas himself used humour to play it down. "PMji had said to improve 'Sense of Humor', bhakts took it as 'Sense of Rumor'... Lage Raho," Vishwas tweeted in the afternoon.

ALSO READ | AAP denies rift with leader Kumar Vishwas, poet-cum-politician to campaign for Goa polls

Sisodia also tweeted sarcastically to rubbish the reports. "I have information that after the Uttar Pradesh election, the PM is joining the Congress. He has also met with Rahul Gandhi," Delhi's education minister said. Joining them was another cabinet minister, Kapil Mishra, who joked, "Is Amit Shah joining Aam Aadmi Party? As per some media reports he seems to be trying an appointment with Kumar Vishwas."

On a more serious note, AAP leaders said that while the reports were claiming that Vishwas was vying for a BJP ticket, he was busy along with Sisodia as they were receiving Indian-origin Punjab voters who arrived in Delhi on Wednesday and will be campaigning for the party in poll-bound Punjab till the state goes to poll on February 4. Media reports had claimed that Vishwas was upset at not being named a star campaigner for the party in Punjab.

Vishwas, 46, also took pot-shots at the PM, quoting "sources" to say Prime Minister Narendra Modi is joining Andhra Pradesh's ruling Telugu Desam Party.

ALSO READ | Court asks police to file FIR against Kumar Vishwas for alleged molestation

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

Private lender OCBC NISP launched on Thursday its latest credit card, the OCBC NISP Voyage, which will target the country's affluent customers.

The card, made of duralumin, a metal material, offers to its holders several services that include travel insurance coverage worth up to Rp 10 billion (US$747,776), free access to lounges at more than 850 airports around the globe and Voyage Miles, which can be redeemed for airfares or full-service trips.

"According to our research, credit cards now are not just a payment tool but also are a part of lifestyle," OCBC NISP president director Parwati Surjaudaja said during the Voyage launch event in Central Jakarta.

(Read also: OCBC NISP becomes RIs fourth bank to provide trusteeship)

"Supported by a strong network of the OCBC Group, we hope the Voyage credit card can ease our premier banking customers' transactions across countries' borders."

The lender, which is the local arm of Singapore-based OCBC Bank, will target more than 20,000 of its priority banking customers as well as affluent customers of other lenders to be the card holders.

Currently, OCBC NISP has issued around 170,000 credit cards. (bbn)
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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017 07:50 2115 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bbb7ec8 1 National #FPI,#investigation Free

Investigators of the polices general supervision inspectorate (Irwasum) are probing accusations that the police showed bias in handling an incident involving members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and the Indonesian General Society Movement (GMBI).

National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said on Wednesday that Irwasum investigators had been tasked specifically with probing the case after the FPI accused the police of siding with the GMBI in a clash in Ciampea, Bogor, West Java.

He urged the FPI to refrain from mobilizing masses of supporters, since an investigation was underway.

[Mobilizing the masses] puts pressure on investigators, [making them] less objective, Tito said at the Jakarta Police headquarters.

(Read also: Police call on FPI, GMBI to tone down conflict)

On Monday, hundreds of FPI members staged a rally in front of the National Police headquarters on Jl. Trunojoyo in South Jakarta to demand the dismissal of West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan, who they claimed had taken sides in the case.

The clash broke out last week after the questioning of FPI leader Rizieq Shihab over a case of defaming Pancasila, the nations founding principles. Following the clash, a GMBI office in Ciampea was attacked and set ablaze by a group of people alleged to be FPI members.

Police arrested dozens of FPI members following the attack.

The FPI accused Anton of being prejudiced in handling the case, because, as the group claimed, he was the head of GMBIs advisory board. (jun)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

The police have raised the status of the investigation into Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab, who allegedly insulted the state ideology Pancasila, from a preliminary investigation to a full investigation.

[The case status] was stepped up few days ago, West Java Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus said on Thursday as reported by tribunnews.com, adding that the investigation warrant would be issued early next week.

Although the case status has been raised, Yusri said Rizieq had not automatically been named a suspect.

He must be questioned first. For now, he is still a witness, Yusri added.

(Read also: West Java Police question FPI leader over alleged insult to Pancasila)

Earlier, Sukmawati Soekarnoputri, the daughter of first president Sukarno, reported Rizieq to the police for insulting the Pancasila in a speech the latter made, the video of which has since gone viral on the internet.

In their preliminary investigation last week, the West Java Police questioned Rizieq at their headquarters in Bandung. After the questioning, FPI supporters clashed with supporters of the Indonesian General Society Movement (GMBI), who had come to support the polices investigation into Rizieq.

Following the clash, FPI supporters reportedly attacked and set on fire the GMBI office in Ciampea, Bogor, West Java. The police arrested around 20 FPI supporters involved in the attack.

On Monday, Rizieq and hundreds of FPI supporters staged a rally in front of the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta, demanding the dismissal of West Java Police Chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan. The group accused Anton of taking sides in the clash. (jun)
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Linkedin Asila Jalil (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19 2017

Indonesia aims to push the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take constructive steps and cooperate with ASEAN to resolve the issue in Rakhine state, Myanmar, during a one-day meeting in Malaysia on Thursday.

Indonesia is aiming to push the OIC to take practical steps in supporting Myanmar to solve the issue in Rakhine state. We hope that this will encourage other OIC members to also provide help to end the Rohingya crisis, Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi will attend the meeting and then visit Rakhine state to personally hand over humanitarian aid to Myanmars social minister and Rakhines chief minister. President Joko Widodo sent 10 containers of humanitarian aid to Rakhine that included instant noodles, baby food and sarongs on Dec. 29, which should have arrived in Rakhine by Thursday, adviser to the foreign minister for institutional relations Salman Al Farisi said.

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Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura, Papua  Thu, January 19, 2017

Jayapura Police will intensify security measures in the Papuan city on the heels of reports that several residents have fallen victim to random syringe attacks while riding motorcycles or walking on the street.

The unidentified perpetrators reportedly usually target women on motorcycles or pedestrians.

Jayapura Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Tober Sirait said his office had investigated the shocking incidents to ascertain the motives of the attacks and content of the syringes. The police have sent blood samples drawn from victims to a forensics lab in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

There is concern among the public that the syringes have HIV and the motive is to spread the virus, Tober said Thursday.

Tober said rumors had circulated that many victims had gone to hospitals after being attacked, but many did not file a police report. Another rumor was that there were dozens who had been attacked, but they had neither reported the incidents to the police nor gone for a medical examination.

He said the police had only received reports from two victims, one of whom reported a syringe attack on Jan. 6 and the other on Jan. 13. Both are women. The one on Jan. 6 said she was walking alone when a motorcycle cornered her and then [an individual] stabbed her in the back, he said. The second one said she was struck with a needle while riding her motorcycle alone on the way to pick up her child from school. (evi)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

PT Tata Motors Distribusi Indonesia (TMDI) and state-owned land systems and weapons maker PT Pindad will team up to produce combat vehicles as part of a follow-up to an agreement formed in November.

Pindad will assemble defense and military vehicles of the India-based company in Indonesia, said Tata Motors Indonesia president director Biswadev Sengupta as reported by tempo.com on Thursday, adding that Pindad would also market its products in ASEAN countries.

It is a very important moment and milestone for Tata Motors Indonesia. We are proud to cooperate with Pindad, he told journalists on Tuesday.

(Read also:Defense industry urged to be transparent on technology)

Sengupta said technical details of the cooperation had been intensively discussed between the two parties.

The collaboration between our technology and Pindad as manufacturer will produce powerful products, he said, adding that the products would be used by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and exported to other countries.

Tata Motors displayed its military vehicles during Indo Defense 2016, claiming that the products were suitable to strengthen Indonesian defense.

Among the products in Toto Motors defense division are the Tata LPTA715 44, a muti-functional vehicle to transport troops, light armor and functional as an ambulance, while Tata LPTA 2038 66 is a high mobility vehicle (HMV) to support combat operations. (bbn)
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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

The main plaza of the Ministry of Finances Directorate General of Taxations headquarters in Jakarta has been renamed the Mar'ie Muhammad Building in commemoration of a popular former finance minister.

Mar'ie Muhammad passed away last December, aged 77, after receiving hospital treatment for several weeks for pneumonia.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and the widow of Mar'ie, Ayu Resmayati, attended the inauguration on Thursday along with other prominent figures, such as Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo and former finance minister Chatib Basri.

Sri Mulyani, who almost burst into tears during her speech, said that Mar'ie, known as Mr. Clean, had a special place in the country as he always upheld the principles of integrity, loyalty and consistencyshe claimed were rare values nowadays.

(Read also: Former finance minister famous as Mr. Clean passes away at 77)

"[His name] has been immortalized through this building because his values are ingrained in the Finance Ministry, especially the Directorate General of Taxation. I know that he deeply cared for this institution," she said.

She hoped the buildings new name could inspire tax officers further in their duties to the nation.

Marie, who was born in Surabaya, East Java, on April 3, 1939, served as long-time civil servant with the Finance Ministry before being appointed finance minister under former president Soeharto from 1993 to 1998.

During his leadership, Marie endorsed a tight fiscal policy and numerous programs to promote budget efficiency to curb rampant corruption. (bbn)
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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

Tax officials summoned executives of Singapore-based Google Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. on Thursday in regard to a tax investigation after talks with the internet giant failed to resolve the issue.

Director General of Taxation Ken Dwijugiasteadi said the meeting with several Google executives was scheduled for 3 p.m. to clarify documents previously submitted by the company in regard to a preliminary investigation.

We just want to confirm some data, whether or not it is correct, he told reporters after an event at the tax offices headquarters on Thursday. He declined to go into detail, citing a secrecy clause in the General Taxation System (KUP) Law.

Based on The Jakarta Post observation, the meeting started at about 3 p.m. and ended at around 5 p.m. when a female representative of Google Indonesia, who refused to be named, prepared to leave the building.

Many things were discussed [at the meeting]. The discussion went well, she said, adding that Google Indonesia could only give official statements through its spokesperson.

(Read also: Indonesia launches tax hunt on Google)

Google Indonesia corporate communication head Jason Tedjasukmana declined to comment when contacted as he was overseas at the time.

Jakarta Special Tax Office head Muhammad Haniv also declined to comment on the meeting as he claimed that the companys executives met only with Ken.

The government claims Google owes Rp 5 trillion (US$373.8 million) in back taxes and penalties since 2011 and the tax office estimates that its revenues reached Rp 6 trillion in 2015. (tas)
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Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Surakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

Newly appointed US Ambassador to Indonesia Joseph R. Donovan chose to visit a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Sukoharjo, Central Java, to learn about Islam and Indonesia on Thursday.

The diplomat visited the Assalaam pesantren to learn about Indonesia, including about Islam in this country."

They [the students] come from various parts of Indonesia. I wanted to know about their study experiences within the pesantren, the subjects taught and the future [of education], said Ambassador Donovan, who had submitted a letter of credential to President Joko Jokowi Widodo on Jan. 12 to mark the start of his term as ambassador.

Separately, Uripto Mahmud Yunus of the Assalaam Sukoharjo Islamic Student Association (PPMI) stated that the ambassador had yet to talk about cooperation with the school. He, however, was upbeat that the visit would result in cooperation in the form of scholarships for outstanding students.

Previously, Ambassador Donovan met with Surakarta mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo and experienced the city's culinary arts. He also visited Klaten the day before.
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Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017

Human rights defenders fought back at the Constitutional Court on Thursday as they presented an expert witness who says the state should not intervene in private affairs in an argument that goes in opposition of a petition seeking to criminalize both consensual sex outside marriage and homosexual sex.

The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), which was absent in last week's hearing session, brought its first expert witness, Ahmad Sofian, who argued that criminalizing consensual adult sex would bring only negative, unnecessary effects to society where unregistered marriages still occur.

"[Should it be criminalized] the state would eventually turn into a moral guardian, instead of focusing on its responsibility to maintain public order," Ahmad, who is an expert in criminal law, said.

He argued that the provisions in question laid in the Criminal Code were actually already aimed at protecting marriages and families.

(Read also: MK justices want casual sex outlawed)

YLBHI is currently exercising its legal standing in the hearing as the party that opposes the petition that was filed by a number of individuals of various backgrounds including lecturers, housewives and private employees grouped under the Family Love Alliance (AILA). The petition aims to alter some provisions in the Criminal Code to criminalize both consensual sex outside marriage and homosexual activities.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has also publicly opposed the petition. (jun)
A top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander and a policeman was today killed in an encounter in Bandipore.

By Ashraf Wani: A top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander and a policeman was today killed in an encounter in north Kashmir's Bandipore, an official said.

The slain militant has been identified as Abu Musaib. Musaib was assigned job to strengthen the Lashkar network in north Kashmir.

HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

According to sources, Abu Musaib is the nephew of Lashkar chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. On specific intelligence input about presence of militants in Hajin area of Bandipore, security forces launched a cordon and search operation, a police official said. He said during the search operation, the hiding militants fired upon the forces, which was retaliated in which a militant was killed. "The militants were engaged in a sustained gunfight and in this one of them were killed," said a senior police officer. An AK-47 rifle with other arms and ammunition were also recovered.

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ALSO READ | J-K: Army engages 3 Hizbul militants in encounter; 1 militant dead

Watch the video here

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin Carla Bianpoen (The Jakarta Post) Singapore  Fri, January 20 2017

With a declining gallery participation, the seventh Art Stage Singapore affirmed the impact of overall economic, political and social crises on the art market while openly confirming its shifting position beyond a market platform.

We have to be clear that we can no longer sell art as mere merchandise or a commodity, said Art State Singapores founder and fair director Lorenzo Rudolf, who has announced the fair is charting another direction.

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Linkedin Moses Ompusunggu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20 2017

Emirsyah Satar, 57, was Indonesias corporate poster boy, an award-winning executive who was the champion of restructuring with a record of turning the numbers of several ailing companies back from the red and into the black.

His most noted legacy was his long-time patient, flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, which he transformed from being a lackluster company typical of those operated by a backwater nation into a world class airline.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Fri, January 20 2017

Only God knows what will happen to the United States under the leadership of Donald Trump, who will be sworn in Friday as the worlds most powerful president for at least the next four years. This will be the first time the US is led by a man whose integrity and morality has often been questionable. The American government is eager to regain its world hegemony and has resorted to a short-cut.

The future of global security, economic growth, peace and order is also at stake since Trump is unpredictable and because he believes the best way to lead his country is by adopting the success from the business empire he built. That may include his pragmatic business practices, during which goals justified means.

Vox populi vox Dei, so the Latin adage goes. If Trumps election is really a destiny, it means no one can challenge or question his legitimacy as the 45th US president.

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Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar  Fri, January 20 2017

David Matthew Fox, 55, a former war reporter and the former Reuters bureau chief in Jakarta, is facing prison time after Denpasar prosecutors charged him on Thursday with drug possession.

Prosecutor Erawati Susina indicted Fox for violating three articles of the 2009 Narcotics Law  articles 111, 115 and 127. Articles 111 and 115 carry a maximum punishment of 12 years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp 8 billion (US$597,700). Article 127 carries a maximum punishment of four years in prison.

According to the prosecutor, the Bali drug assessment team has conducted an examination on Fox. Based on the assessment, the defendant David Matthew Fox was indicated to be a drug user of hashish. He does not experience addiction and does not work as a drug dealer, Erawati said.

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Iconic heavy metal band Metallica is set to make its return to the Singaporean stage with a show this Sunday at the massive Singapore Indoor Stadium. Metallica has been to Singapore before, first in 1993 and then 20 years later on August 2013 at the Changi Exhibition Centre.

This concert will be part of the US bands current tour to promote its tenth and latest album, Hardwired...to Self-Destruct. The album has been hailed as one of its overall best by the media and fans. It seems one of the rare instances where the band was able to satisfy both fans of the old Metallica sound and its own need to progress musically, resulting in immediately-notable singles such as Hardwired, Moth in Flame and Atlas, Rise!

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Linkedin Tasa Nugraza Barley (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20 2017

Overshadowed by a series of rivalries between some of his ministers that led to a second Cabinet shake-up, the stubborn economic slowdown and nationwide protests over Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnamas blasphemy case, it is easy to assume that 2016 was not a year President Joko Jokowi Widodo feels proud of.

But the fact of the matter is that last October the President launched a special nationwide task force to tackle frustrating illegal levies, called Saber Pungli, a revolutionary program at least from the Indonesian bureaucratic point of view  something that Jokowi can feel great about.

While the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) was established more than a decade ago with a goal to catch high-ranking public officials involved in corruption cases, no one had come up with a concrete solution for how to tackle the long-ingrained practice of illegal levies in Indonesias public service delivery.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 19, 2017 15:50 2115 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bbd63cf 4 News Singkawang,Chinese-New-Year,#ChineseNewYear,imlek,#Imlek,West-Kalimantan Free

A 178-meter-long dragon will spice up Chinese New Year celebrations until Cap Go Meh (the 15th and last day of the festival) at Singkawang Grand Mall in Singkawang, West Kalimantan.

Bong Sim Fo, who heads the committee in charge of the dragon, told news agency Antara in Pontianak on Tuesday that the team had completed the creation of the dragon, and that the artwork was currently being exhibited at the mall.

Measuring 1.1-meters in diameter, the dragon was assembled in the Pinyuh River starting on Oct. 1. Bong Sim Fo hopes the feat can be registered with the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI).

(Read also: 5,000 red lanterns to enliven Solo's Chinese New Year celebration)

On the opening night of Chinese New Year on Jan. 27, 51 people from the Santo Yosep Singkawang Alumni Group will perform the dragon dance.

A lantern parade will he held on Feb. 9, along with a procession of 52 students from Santo Yosep Singkawang to carry Indonesias flag, the Merah-Putih. An exotic bird will carry 150 lanterns on top of a decorated car.

The head of the alumni group, Bong Bu Kiat, expressed his enthusiasm about bringing to life the 178-meter dragon, admitting, however, that its length would make the performance quite difficult. (mra/kes)
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Linkedin Karamjit Kaur (The Straits Times)  Thu, January 19, 2017

A global contest to decide who will design Changi Airport's future Terminal 5 has kicked off, with a list of shortlisted firms expected soon.

The development is a significant milestone for the T5 project - Changi's biggest expansion to date - which has so far focused mainly on land preparation and other ground works.

The front runners for one of the most coveted architectural jobs in the industry are believed to include local firm DP Architects, which was part of the design team for the Esplanade and Singapore Flyer, and has tied up with British firm Grimshaw Architects for the T5 project.

Safdie Architects, which is led by the man who dreamed up the iconic Marina Bay Sands and designed Jewel Changi Airport, which is due to open in 2019, is also believed to be part of a team in the running, according to British publication The Architects' Journal.

Local firm DP Architects, which was part of the design team for the Esplanade (above) and Singapore Flyer, has tied up with British firm Grimshaw Architects, and is believed to be one of the front runners for the coveted job. (TNP File Photo via The Straits Times/File)

The other top contender is likely a consortium that includes British firms Heatherwick Studio and engineering company AKT II, as well as American architecture company KPF.

DP Architects' chief executive officer Angelene Chan confirmed the partnership with Grimshaw, adding that the official shortlist has not been announced yet.

Spokesman for Changi Airport Group Ivan Tan told The Straits Times: "We have started the process of selecting our design partners for Terminal 5, and are working towards a shortlist of firms to have further discussions with. We will announce the shortlist when we are ready to do so."

Slated to open towards the end of the next decade, T5 will eventually be bigger than the existing three terminals combined.

(Read also: Singaporeans hold world's second-most 'powerful' passport)

An artist's impression of Google's Mountain View campus, a project by Heatherwick Studio. It is said to be in a consortium eyeing the T5 project, along with engineering company AKT II and US architecture firm KPF.(Heatherwick Studios via The Straits Times/File)

It is being built in Changi East, which is separated from the current airport premises by Changi Coast Road, which will be realigned in the coming months.

The process to pick the design consortium for T5 started late last year with a briefing held by Changi Airport at the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, The Straits Times found out.

An architect, who was there but did not want to be named, said: "There was a huge turnout, as expected for a project of this scale and given Changi's sterling reputation. All the big global and local names in the business were there."

During the session, Changi shared its broad plans and timeframe for T5, he said, without elaborating further because all attendees had to sign a non-disclosure agreement at the end.

An artist's impression of Jewel Changi Airport. Safdie Architects, which is led by the man who designed Jewel and Marina Bay Sands, is believed to be part of a team in the running for the T5 project. (Jewel Changi Airport Development via The Straits Times/File)

Among those that are known to be in the running, Grimshaw Architects, in particular, has done several airport and transport-related projects.

These include the expansion of London's Heathrow Airport and Zurich Airport, as well as the design for a new terminal at Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg, Russia.

When T5 is ready and with the opening of T4 later this year, Changi Airport will be able to eventually handle up to 135 million passengers a year, more than double the current capacity.

The aim is to cement Singapore's status as a key hub for global flights, amid tough competition from rivals.

This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin A. Kurniawan Ulung (The Jakarta Post) North Toraja  Thu, January 19, 2017 16:40 2115 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bbdae93 4 Destinations traditional,Funeral,tana-toraja Free

Cmon, Jintolo! I believe in you! a woman shouted, calling a buffalos name.

Sitting with a crowd watching a buffalo fight in a big muddy field in Tondon district, North Toraja in South Sulawesi, the woman could not just sit quietly; she had high hopes for Jintolo to win the duel as she had placed a bet on his victory.

Not long after, the woman rejoiced as Jintolo was declared the winner.

The buffalo fight was part of a funeral ceremony held by the extended family of Paulus Rinda, who passed away in 2004 at the age of 115.

Paulus daughter, Damaris Palulun, said that the buffalo fight was one of many rituals for her fathers funeral ceremony, known locally as rambu solo, which was expected to conclude in 2018.

The Torajan people believe that a dead person is not yet dead if the rambu solo has not been completed.

Buffalo market or Pasar Bolu in Tana Toraja.(Shutterstock, Inc./Muslianshah Masrie)

(Read also: Photo: Faces of Toraja)

Therefore, for Damaris, her father is still alive, although she knows that his heart stopped beating since an accident claimed his life in 2004. He is still sleeping, the 55-year-old said. Paulus corpse still lies in his room. Every day, Damaris, who works as an elementary school teacher, goes into his room to say goodbye before leaving for work.

Six month after Paulus death, his family slaughtered 115 buffaloes as part of the rambu solo ritual, known as mak bambangan, or the procession to change the position of the deceased from sitting to sleeping.

For the completion of the funeral ceremony, Paulus family has targeted slaughtering 400 buffaloes, having taken into account their financial capability. With everyone in the family contributing, they hope they will have all 400 buffaloes by 2018.

In December last year, as part of the rambu solo tradition, the deceaseds relatives held a buffalo fight.

The rambu solo is not complete without a buffalo fight, said Damaris.

In North Toraja, buffalo fighting is a tradition that has existed for a long time to entertain the deceaseds relatives.

Arianto Palumpun, who organized the buffalo fight, said that before the fight started, the buffalo owners had to place their bets.

Toraja traditional Tongkongan house.(Shutterstock, Inc./File)

[Buffalo owners] are not allowed to join the fight if there are no bets against them [from another buffalo owner], he said.

Arianto said the minimum bet from the owner was Rp 10 million (US$743) per fight.

Meanwhile, spectators watching the fight were free to decide how much they wanted to bet.

During the buffalo fight in Tondon, some spectators took money out of their wallets to gamble, but others just watched and enjoyed the fight.

The buffalos names, like Jintolo, Chillo and John Kei, are written on their body for the fight.

Each fight consists of several rounds, with each round lasting for around 10 minutes.

Before the fight starts, each owner pushes their buffalos hunches to make them want to attack each other. The first buffalo that leaves the arena loses the fight.

With the buffalo fight and the number of buffaloes to be slaughtered, Paulus Rindas funeral ceremony is considered lavish.

We want to make a big ceremony, one of his grandsons, Devit Chrismanto, admitted.

When asked about the familys all-out efforts to spend so much money on the rambu solo, Devit said that it was all worth it.

It is fine. At least, my children can still go to school and I havent had to sell my home, said the 37-year-old.

The familys decision to hold a lavish funeral was because they wanted the ritual to be their final tribute to show their love to their father and grandfather.

The Torajan people work hard not just for fun, but for family. This is proof that we really love our parents, Damaris said.

Tana Toraja cemetery.(Shutterstock, Inc./File)

Protection from the deceased

The sun was not very high that Sunday morning, but dozens of tourists had already flocked to Kete Kesu tourist village in Bonaran, North Toraja, South Sulawesi to see the carved stone graves on a high rocky cliff.

The site amazed them because they could see many skulls and bones scattered around the area.

A number of carved wooden effigies, called tau tau, standing at the entrance to the tombs stole their attention, encouraging them to snap pictures.

The tau tau is a replica of a dead person that is buried there.

Unfortunately, these wooden statues are not accompanied by any personal information on the deceased, triggering visitors curiosity.

The tau tau are only for the wealthy, said tau tau sculptor Simon Patu Maguling, who has been running his business for 25 years.

He said that each effigy represented the deceased and had the mission of guarding the tomb and protecting the living.

For the Torajan people, he explained, the wealthy, heroes and nobleman in North Toraja deserved tau tau for their funeral ceremony.

Dolls at a souvenir shop in Tana Toraja.(Shutterstock, Inc./File)

(Read also: Raja Ampat resort initiates donation program to protect marine life)

The Torajan people still recognize social class divisions, ranging from tana bulaan, the highest class of nobleman or king; tana bassi for public figures and the educated; to tana karurung for ordinary people and tana kua-kua, the lowest class, or slaves.

Simon, who usually receives two tau tau orders each month, said that only four tau tau makers remained in North Toraja.

The family needing the tau tau usually gave him the wood and a photograph of the deceased.

Simon said it took him eight days to complete each order.

If the photograph is blurry, [it] can take 16 days, he added.

The price of a tau tau always fluctuates, depending on the price of a buffalo, not the wood used.

Currently, one tau tau costs Rp 20 million (US$1,500), up from Rp 15 million last year.

Apart from taking local orders, Simon also receives tau tau orders from non-Torajans, including domestic and foreign tourists who want one as a souvenir.

Sometimes, he has a bad experience.

For example, 24 years ago, a Japanese man ordered a tau tau worth three buffalos.

However, the man never showed up. Even though many people wanted to buy the tau tau, 63-year-old Simon refused to sell it because he was still waiting for the buyer to come back.

Maybe he [the Japanese man] thinks I am already dead, he said.
By Press Trust of India: Srinagar, Jan 19 (PTI) A top Lashkar-e-Taiba militant, believed to be nephew of the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, was today gunned down by security forces in an encounter in north Kashmirs Bandipora district.

Abu Musaib, a self-styled divisional commander of LeT, was active in Bandipora and Ganderbal districts since August 2015 and involved in many militancy-related activities including a suicide attack on a CRPF camp on Independence Day in downtown Srinagar last year, police said.

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A police spokesman said the force, aided by Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF personnel, cordoned off Para Mohalla locality of Hajin, 32 kms from here, following specific information about the presence of militants there in the morning.

The hiding militant opened fire on the joint search party, triggering an encounter. The gunfight ended with the killing of a militant who was later identified as Musaib, a Pakistani national, the spokesman said.

"Musaib, reportedly a nephew of LeT operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, was functioning as self-style divisional commander of the terrorist group in the Valley," he said.

An AK-56 rifle, three magazines, 66 rounds, a radio set and three grenades were seized from the encounter site.

"The militant was active in Bandipora and Ganderbal districts since August 2015 and was involved in many militancy -related activities which included weapon snatching of an army personnel of 14 Rashtriya Rifles in Bandipora in October 2015.

"He was responsible for injuring a civilian at Hajin, and firing on an army patrol of 13 Rashtriya Rifles in which two personnel were killed last year.

"He played an active role in organising the Fidayeen attack at Nowhatta locality of downtown Srinagar on August 15 last year," the spokesman said. PTI SSB GVS

--- ENDS ---
The developers building four luxury condo projects on the Lower East Side got together with more than 300 real estate brokers this morning at the Sunshine Cinema to talk up the neighborhood as the citys next hot spot.

The panel discussion, L.E.S. is More, was billed as a vibrant discussion between real estate and financial titans on the changing landscape of the Lower East Side post-election. It was moderated by Leonard Steinberg, president of Compass, the real estate firm handling sales at 196 Orchard St. Thats Ben Shaouls 94-unit complex on the corner of Orchard and East Houston streets.

Shaoul was a panelist, as were Charles Bendit of Taconic Investment Partners (co-developer of Essex Crossing), Arthur Stern of Cogswell Lee Development (developer of the 45-unit condo project on the former site of Streits Matzo Factory) and Jose Grabowsky and Andres Hogg (developers of a 28-unit building at 287 East Houston St.). Nikolai Fedek of the New York Yimby blog also participated.

The point of the event, of course, was to sell apartments. The condo market has softened considerably in the past couple of years and apartments are not moving as fast as they once did. While there were some cringe-worthy moments, the discussion also offered interesting insights into the neighborhoods growing but still small luxury real estate market.

Steinberg called the Lower east Side, once notoriously overcrowded and gritty, but now one of Manhattans hippest and most authentic neighborhoods. He pointed to the recent arrival of Soho House on Ludlow Street as proof that the LES is changing to the liking of the real estate community. If anyone knows Soho House and what it means to the Meatpacking District, he proclaimed, Id say the future of this area is very bright. He called the Lower East Side, probably as cool as Williamsburg but without the L Train.

The largest project, by far, among those represented this morning was Essex Crossing, which will eventually add 1,000 apartments (mostly rentals) and hundreds-of-thousands of square feet of commercial space along Delancey Street. But Charlie Bendit focused today on just one part of the project, a 55-unit condo building thats rising quickly across from the Seward Park High School campus.

Bendit said all of the developers are seeing the same types of prospective buyers. Were all seeing people coming from the suburbs, he explained, from Westchester, New Jersey and Long Island. Their kids have left home. Theyre empty-nesters (and) they want to be in the city. Theyre drawn to the Lower East Side, he said, because, It has special character and it has history. I think that resonates with people. Arthur Stern, developer of 150 Rivington St., agreed. Buyers are attracted to this neighborhood because its authentic, a little bit gritty, he said. This is one of the last neighborhoods that you can experience the old New York.

A lot of people in the community would, of course, say that these new projects are bound to obliterate whats left of the LESs special character. Even Steinberg acknowledged this in asking the panel, How do you feel about what your building does to this neighborhood? I think a lot of people might argue with you and say, youre killing the neighborhood.

But the developers argued that the neighborhood is likely to retain its distinctive feel because theres only so much new development that can occur in a well-established community. Andres Hogg, co-developer of 287 East Houston St., said, theres not much inventory on the Lower East Side.

Bendit agreed, saying, Its not very easy to assemble sites in this neighborhood Its very limited how much new product can be delivered, which increases the value of what we have to offer. The scale is very manageable.

Taken together, the four projects will add a few more than 200 apartments to the area, a relatively small amount. Shaoul said hes confident that inventory will evaporate pretty quickly. I see the supply dissipating, he said, and it becoming very much a sellers market, as opposed to a buyers market, so make your deals fast! He also predicted that very few buildings will be added to the pipeline citywide in 2017 because its become very hard to secure construction loans.

The developers believe the amenities theyre adding  health clubs, movie theaters, a large public market as part of the Essex Crossing project  will make the neighborhood more desirable to condo buyers. Bendit noted that Trader Joes (which is part of the Essex Crossing project) did careful demographic research before deciding to come to the neighborhood. They found that the average household income in a one-mile radius of the development site is $87,000. But the company is confident that new residents coming to the LES in the next few years will make their new 30,000 square foot store viable.

The panelists were asked about their take on affordable housing. Shaoul has taken a beating in the press over the years for allegedly driving rent stabilized tenants from his many neighborhood buildings. But today he said, I have owned property in this neighborhood for 20 years. Those buildings are all affordable housing. Theyre rent stabilized, probably for 600-700 apartments within a 15 block radius. Youre already living in an affordable housing neighborhood Having a mix in your buildings is a positive thing for New Yorkers. Thats what the citys been built on.

Shaoul added that his current project on Orchard Street does not include affordable units. The politics in the city has not made it beneficial for me to make affordable housing on this site, he said.

None of the developers offered specifics regarding their sales to date. Following the event, we asked a spokesperson for Ben Shaouls project how many apartments have been sold so far. While sales have been robust with multiple units placed under contract since launching sales in mid-Fall of 2016, the spokesperson said, the Sponsor is not disclosing specific figures at this time.

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The body was discovered by a passerby in a walkway in Leicester on Tuesday. Police have charged her husband in connection with her murder.

By Press Trust of India: A 46-year-old Indian-origin woman's body was found hidden in a suitcase dumped in an alleyway in the UK following which her husband has been charged on suspicion of murder, according to a media report.

Kiran's body was discovered by a member of public in a walkway off Cromer Street, Leicester, on Tuesday. Leicestershire Police said they had charged Ashwin Daudia, 50, with murder and remanded him in custody. Daudia, of Lyme Road, Leicester, will appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court today, the metro.co.uk reported.

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Kiran Daudia had been working at the Next call centre for 17 years.

"A 50-year-old man has been charged with murder following the body of woman being discovered in a suitcase," Leicestershire Police said in a statement. Cromer Street and a nearby property on Mayfield Road remained cordoned off yesterday while police examined the scene.

Anyone who may have seen someone "pulling a suitcase" in the area of Lyme Street and the alleyway behind Cromer Street in the late afternoon or early evening of Monday has been urged to contact the force.

ALSO READ: Bathinda dancer's murder: All 4 accused arrested

Family of Kiran Daudia who had two adult sons have spoken of their devastation following her tragic death. In a statement they said, "Kiran was a much loved mum, daughter, sister and auntie, and she will be deeply missed by us all. We ask that our privacy be respected during this very difficult time."

Neighbours said they feared the victim may be a local woman who disappeared shortly before the case was discovered. Jasbir Kaur said she spoke to the missing woman's sister at around 9.30 am yesterday.

"The woman said my sister is missing. She was last seen when she finished work at 2:00 pm yesterday. She left work and did not come home," Kaur said. "I am worried about her. My children are scared because they have seen police here," she said.

Local shop owner Kanapathipillai Vijay, said, "Not long after I arrived at work at 8:00 am, I saw there were a lot of police cars and officers. They came into the shop and said a lady was missing. Then they wanted to check the CCTV."

Forensic officers carried out a number of searches after the grim find, and door-to-door enquires were carried out in the area. A post-mortem examination is due to be conducted to determine the cause of death, police said.

ALSO READ: Bathinda dancer's murder: All 4 accused arrested

ALSO READ: Monika Ghurde murder case: Security guard smothered perfumer to death, possibly raped her

--- ENDS ---
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.

The role of the European Court of Justice

Monkey Business Images/www.shutterstock.com

The impact for British citizens

Loss of British input

In her speech at Lancaster House on January 17, Theresa May, attempted to unravel her infamous maxim Brexit means Brexit. While there are still many unanswered questions about the UKs negotiating strategy, one aim is clear: the prime minister intends to remove the UK from the European Court of Justice (ECJ). May said:But what does this mean for British citizens?The ECJ, which is based in Luxembourg, has two main roles: one, interpretation of EU law at the request of the national courts; and two, as a forum to resolve disputes between the parties of the EU, including its member states and institutions. When the ECJ acts in its dispute resolution role, it enforces compliance with EU law. A recent example in which the UK was at the receiving end of this was a case in which the UK was sanctioned for restricting the right of taxpayers to recover taxes levied in breach of EU law. The actual infringement was a discriminatory corporate tax for corporations whose parent company was not UK-domiciled. Following this, the UK government had to refund those taxes. That said, the ECJ has also upheld the arguments of the UK government against allegations of infringement. For example, in a 2016 case the court ruled that the UK government did not break EU law by demanding that somebody who wanted to access social benefits in the UK should be required to prove their legal residence in the country. But its likely that when May said leaving the ECJ would mean taking control of our laws she was referring to the courts interpretative rulings. A few famous examples of rulings of this kind relating to Britain were the Jet2 ruling  which means that airlines are now liable for compensation claims for flights delayed by technical problems  and a case against Google which enshrined the right to be forgotten on the internet. No less controversial was a case regarding sick leave , which now means anybody who falls sick during annual leave has the right to additional days off.In all of these cases it is important to recognise that the ECJ is not a Supreme Court of Europe and it is not a court above the UK courts. Its jurisdiction has always been understood as parallel to national courts since its role is the interpretation of EU law, not to create it. EU laws are created by the EU parliament, with democratically elected representatives from across the member states, and the Council of the EU, formed by government ministers of the EU. It is for the national courts to decide on the correct application of the law to the case.The main consequence for EU citizens from the UKs removal of the ECJ is that those parts of EU law still in force in the UK will be interpreted only by the UK courts. Residents in the UK will not have the option of requesting that the ECJ explains the correct interpretation of that law and will not be entitled to expect that the ECJ enforces that interpretation either. On the future of existing EU laws within Britain, May said: We will convert the acquis  the body of existing EU law  into British law. The prime minister is effectively accepting that existing EU law is enforceable in the UK until it is replaced, presumably by parliament. However, not everyone accepts that May wants parliament to intervene here  such as legal scholar Steve Peers who considered in detail the particulars of the planned Great Repeal Act to revoke the European Communities Act 1972 . I understand from Mays statement that the government is actually more in favour of a great ratification act. This will be rather complex since the UK has an opt-out right on legislation related to justice and home office affairs, meaning there will be a considerable amount of cherry-picking of EU legislation that will be incorporated into UK law. Either way, considering that EU law has been applicable in the UK since the enforcement of the European Communities Act, the wisest course of action is to approve the law that is to remain and then modify as necessary afterwards.The ECJ judges are European in the true sense of the word, which of course includes UK judges. Previous ECJ judges from the UK  including Alexander Mackenzie Stuart, Gordon Slynn and Eleanor Sharpston  have made very important contributions to the development of EU law. The important thing here is that the ECJ has been quite successful in balancing the legal traditions and perceptions across Europe. Without the UK, that balance will be lost. The harmonisation of law across Europe has not harmed the UK, but rather has been aimed at promoting trade and international relations within the bloc. The role of the ECJ in that legal development has been outstanding. Leaving the court will also reduce the input of British legal minds into the development of EU law in the future as it continues to develop the scope of the European trade area. So, while for the average citizen, the impact of not having the jurisdiction of the ECJ may not be obvious, it means that they will not have the possibility of enforcing the rights granted by EU law beyond the UK courts. And the jurisdiction of the ECJ has been used frequently by the UK courts.
The already crowded UK media landscape has now got a new voice, and Westmonster has certainly launched with a bang. The news website emulates the shocking, provocative, anti-establishment tone of the infamous Breitbart news in the US.

Heres everything you need to know about the unsubtly named Westmonster.

Who runs it?

Give us a follow if you like your news hot hot hot @WestmonsterUK https://t.co/ro2bXh2Hy2  Michael Heaver (@Michael_Heaver) January 18, 2017

The powerhouses behind Westmonster tell you a lot about the site. It is co-owned by Michael Heaver, a former press adviser to Nigel Farage who is just 27-years-old. The BBC broke the news of the websites launch, and say that Heaver will oversee the daily editing of news.

Millionaire Ukip donor Arron Banks (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The BBC also says that Arron Banks, the millionaire whose donations to the Leave campaign helped secure Brexit, owns 50% of the website along with Heaver.

How does the site plan to generate traffic?

'@theresa_may says ''No deal is better than a bad deal'', what we have been saying for months. Glad she's finally on board.  LEAVE.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) January 17, 2017

By drawing upon the the huge social media following that the Leave.EU campaign garnered. Heaver plans to use the nearly 800,000 followers on Facebook to generate traffic towards Westmonster.

How is the site modelled on Breitbart?

Trump's newly announced chief strategist: Stephen Bannon, published this for Breitbart in February. pic.twitter.com/hBY4wVlUlm  Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) November 14, 2016

The tone is very similar to Breitbart news, a site that is described by Bloomberg as a haven for people who think Fox News is too polite and restrained. Westmonster seems to want to court similar levels of controversy.

Breitbart news, whose former leader Steve Bannon has a top White House job in Trumps administration, is known for its shocking headlines including Would you rather your child had feminism or cancer? and Birth control makes women unattractive and crazy.

Westmonster seems to be following suit: on Twitter they link to an article with the headline BONKERS: Uni Professor says Brits should learn Polish and Punjabi. Yeah, right! Other articles posted just on their first day include a piece on Marine Le Pen leading in the polls and REVOLT: Opposition to EU open borders spreading across Europe.

What else can we expect from Westmonster?

The first article came from none other than Nigel Farage  perhaps unsurprising considering hes Heavers old boss.

Farages piece sets the sites anti-establishment tone. He writes of Trump: How fascinating and refreshing it is to see individuals taking big jobs who have never been involved in elected politics before.

He ends the article: The world has changed but unfortunately the establishment has not yet woken up to this. They may come to regret it once more.

How has it been received?

Reactions to the news sites launch have been mixed. Some see it as a worrying trend of far right popularism making its way from America to the UK.

Spent 3 seconds on Westmonster. That'll do.  ian cactushead (@igster) January 19, 2017

*mutes and blocks that stupid Westmonster thing*  Mike Pullen (@MikePullen1969) January 19, 2017

This Westmonster blog is gonna say some outrageous things in next week to get attention, can we all just agree to ignore them please?  Chris W (@CJPW91) January 19, 2017

Some wonder how anti-establishment it actually is if its backed by Banks.

Billionaire Arron Banks is launching an anti establishment website? Banks IS the modern establishment  he bought Brexit #bbcnews  Otto English (@Otto_English) January 18, 2017

All these "anti-establishment" news orgs seem to be commonly run by 1%-ers. Odd. #westmonster  Lissie (@LissieJayne9) January 18, 2017

Some are excited by the launch.

It's all happening this week! Exciting times in politics. Ex-UKIP donor launches Breitbart clone 'Westmonster'https://t.co/TZ6Xh2AYwQ  Tudor Rose (@SandraJaneRosi1) January 19, 2017

And Westmonster itself is taking any criticism with a smile.
Japan When you think of, might not think about agriculture. But the country is actually filled to the brim with natural beauty, making it a little-known go-to for those lookig for some less than traditional travelling.

Agritourism is a quickly developing area in Japan, with

Ibaraki Prefecture and JTB corporation hosting agri-activity tours for foreign students. Ibaraki is blessed with fertile earth, ocean, mountains, and a mild climate, as well as being a cornucopia for abundant foodstuffs. Ibaraki boasts the highest production of agricultural products such as melons, lotus roots, and Green peppers nationally.

Students with a sense of adventure can embark on a two-day, fully packed schedule of exploring and experiencing the area's traditional farms and ranches, actively participating in farming and learning about Japanese food traditions.

It's an alternative to the ranches and farm work that make up traditional gap years in countries like Australia.

On the first day, with an early morning departure from Tokyo by bus, travellers can learn how to make the Japanese handmade paper known as Washi.

Papermaking was first brought to Japan by Buddhist monks, but Japan quickly became the leading producer of paper. Traditionally the Washi making process was undertaken by farmers as a seasonal task, and Ibaraki is replete with this historical tradition.

Follow this with a traditional BBQ lunch, also known as Hiryori, in an old fashioned grass house, the Kayabuki, and visit the Fukuroda Falls and farmers' market.

If you need a bit of relaxing after this adventurous morning don't fret - instead, enjoy and experience the Japanese Hotspring, known as the Onsen. Ibaraki has several natural spas attracting Japanese travellers alongside tourists.

On your second day, you'll be harvesting Taro, Satoimo, Potatoes and Matcha Green Tea, as well as making traditional rice balls (onigiri) for lunch.

You can also undergo a bit of Persimmon harvesting, taking away a bag full of persimmon fruits picked directly from the farm. Don't forget to take a peak of the Chestnut Jam Shop, which produces purely Japan grown chest nut jam.

After two days on this tour, Japan's Agri-Activity tourism will have provided you with a truly outdoor experience, with some traditional Japanese hospitality and history thrown in, along with the industry of Agro to market! Excited yet?

Find out more about agricultural tours in Japan here.
Days before Donald Trumps inauguration, one Twitter user spotted some worrying merchandise in her local shopping mall.

In case anyone still needed a reason to never walk into a @Spencers again, this is proudly being displayed in the front of their PDX store. pic.twitter.com/jalMio7i9P  Mary Numair (@MaryNumair) January 15, 2017

As you can imagine, Mary Numair was troubled by the t-shirts she saw in Oregons Lloyd Centre, particularly as she thought the Grab America by pussy slogan was actually condoning rape. It references the 2005 video where Trump describes being able to grab women by the genitals  which he later dismissed as locker room talk.

Numairs post soon went viral, as others agreed that it was normalising rape culture.

There was huge backlash against Spencers with many people boycotting the store.

.@Spencers, I'm a former customer. I probably will be again. But not if there's a pro-Trump, pro-rape shirt anywhere in the store. Not funny  Benjamin Gorman (@teachergorman) January 18, 2017

hope 2017 is the year all @spencers stores go out of business for selling tee shirts promoting trump & sexual assault.  A$AP RockyLovesEmily (@nicxck) January 15, 2017

Due to all the furore around the t-shirts, the Lloyd Centre posted a condemnation of the t-shirts on their Facebook page.

However, it doesnt seem as though Spencers are particularly repentant. The companys vice president and general counsel Kevin Mahoney told Oregon Live that the t-shirt was satire similar to Alec Baldwins Trump impersonation on SNL, and defended it by saying: the shirt was never meant to promote any type of abuse or attack on any person.

Perhaps the saddest thing about this episode is all the vitriole Numair received since she first posted about the t-shirts. She has reposted many of the Facebook messages shes received on Twitter, and it makes for pretty uncomfortable reading.

She argued that a man wouldnt have received such treatment.

How many men get rape threats for calling out a problematic situation? For defending the basic safety of people?  Mary Numair (@MaryNumair) January 16, 2017

Luckily, Numair hasnt just been on the receiving end of bad feeling, and she has also received a bunch of messages thanking her for standing up for women.

I'm so proud of @MaryNumair. She tirelessly gives a voice to the voiceless! Will someone please give this talented individual a job?!  Alaskan Tush People (@joshuapittman) January 15, 2017
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Panchayat authorities declared three old people dead after they were unable to pay bribe in stipulated time to get their pensions.

By Manogya Loiwal : After it was reported how the elderly in West Bengal's Malda were being awarded death certificates in order to deny them pension, the district administration has assured that it will take prompt action into the matter.

District Magistrate Sharad Kumar Dwivedi took note of one Kailash Mondal, a 75-year-old resident of Shrinarayanpur village in Mangalbari gram panchayat of the district, who had been declared dead in official records. Mondal said that the panchayat authorities announced him dead after he was unable to pay a bribe of Rs 5,000 in stipulated time last year to get his pension.

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The Malda district administration has promised that it will rectify all such erroneous records as soon as possible. Kailash had been deprived of his pension for very long.

VIDEO OF KAILASH'S PLIGHT BROUGHT OUT THE ISSUE

Dwivedi saw a video of the plight Kailash and two others in his area were going through and instructed his team to take immediate action in the case.

Kailash Mondal

The district magistrate mentioned, "I have learnt that a few people have been declared dead and have not received the panchayat pension. The block development officer has been informed and asked to inquire on the matter. The in-charge of the department is being questioned in this connection. People, whose names have been removed will be written back to and paid their pensions. In case any other complaint of the same kind is received, we will look into the matter immediately."

Also read | Chandigarh: Cash crunch troubles senior citizens, pensioners

A probe has been ordered in the case and Kailash was called into the magistrate's office to find out all that he had to go through.

Additional District Magistrate R.Vimala said, "Before giving old-age pensions, we verify whether they are live or not on an annual basis. By mistake, the three names mentioned -- Sandhya Choudhary and Niruabala Ray -- were marked dead and based on this, they were declared dead in official records too. Inquiry is going on this matter. People who were entrusted with the task of distributing pension to these three have been inquired about. We are trying to re-correct the mistakes made in the feed and the compensation will be given to them as soon as possible. "

Mondal, Choudhary and Ray are pleasantly surprised seeing the swift action taken after they had made them run from pillar to post for so many months.

OLD PEOPLE DENIED PENSION FOR NOT PAYING BRIBE

A news channel had highlighted the plight of these senior citizens who had been denied their pension of Rs. 400/- per month under the old-age pension scheme of the central government because they were unable to pay the bribe demanded by the officials in-charge for giving them a living certificate.

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The irked officer issued a death certificate when they failed to pay the bribe.

Also read | Andhra Pradesh to get Rs 500 crore in small denominations for pensioners

Kailash explains, "I was unable prove that I was alive. I was told by everyone that I was declared dead. On visiting the pension office, I was told that I was announced dead and that they could not help me out in any way. I was upset by every rejection and after hearing myself dead from people. Wherever I went from the DM, the Secretary to the BDO, I only got a negative reply. After the news broke, the district magistrate and the block development officer called me to their office. That is when after having lost all hope, I felt I would get justice. I was relieved when I watched the news. They have cheated me and handed me papers of my death. I know that very well. They were least bothered about my complaint until the news broke and that is when they started approaching us for help. I hope to receive the benefit."

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GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS INTERVENE

Even Sandhya is extremely happy that she was patiently heard by the government officials.

Sandhya

Sandhya states, "According to government records, I have been certified dead. The authorities refused to accept my papers, saying my name was not mentioned. I appealed to the BDO and showed him the papers. In response to that I was told that I had been declared dead. My complaint went completely unheard and I was stated dead in the government records. After the news broke out, I was called to the office and assured that my problem would be looked into. I have been assured that I will be compensated for the days when I did not get pension."

Also read | Government to pay Rs 500 crore to companies for loss due to toll suspension

It is an irony that the government officials appointed to ensure that the problems of a common man are sorted are unable to deliver where they must, especially with the poor and the downtrodden.

(WITH INPUTS FROM BHASKAR RAY IN MALDA)

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Maldives today sought investments from Indian Ocean Region countries including India, in areas such as airports, ports and maritime projects with a view to increase economic cooperation.

"Maldives has a proud track record of welcoming FDIs, particularly from India. In fact, Indian investments played a pivotal role in the phenomenal economic growth of the Maldives over the last three decades," Maldivian Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Mohamed Shainee, said here at Raisina Dialogue.

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Seeking investments, he said many "large and ambitious" infrastructure projects are being developed or are in the pipeline which requires "financing that can be mobilised only externally."

These are huge maritime projects that will enhance the Maldives ability to contribute effectively in maintaining stability in the Indian Ocean Region, he said.

Shainee emphasised that it is only through foreign investment that Maldives can achieve next level of economic development.

"Investors from neighbouring countries and indeed, from far corners of the world, come to the Maldives because the return on investment is high, investment recovery period is short, there is predictability and certainty on investment," he said.

Disputes, whenever arise, get resolved through strict adherence to the rule of law under the supervision of international dispute settlement mechanisms.

"Our partnerships are not only with the investors. Indeed it is the government-to-government level partnerships that has facilitated the reach out to the private sector," he said.

The Minister added that the bilateral partnerships with regional countries have helped the country to share a common perspective on the Indian Ocean Region.

Besides India, he said, Maldives also has significant investments from Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, the UK, the US, and increasingly from China.

"What is certain is that economic growth led by private investment in maritime infrastructure is the most important way that the Maldives will be transformed," he said.

Stating that Maldives has significant stakes in the Indian Ocean Region, Shainee said: "Let us be clear. A stronger, stable, and prosperous Maldives is good for Indian Ocean Region, it is good for South Asia, and most of all, it is good for Maldivians."

"An economically weak Maldives will be politically vulnerable, and that is not good for the security and stability of Indian Ocean," Shainee said.

He noted that there would be more stability and peace in the region if Maldives and other small island states in the Indian Ocean Region become stronger.

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"It is also the case that peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region is necessary for the economic development of the Maldives," he added. PTI MJH RR JM

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Upadhyay's son Vishal says that he is right now in talks with the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha to field his father again from Bairia. The party is yet to take a call on him.

By Vidya : Malegaon blast accused Ramesh Upadhyay has got permission to contest UP election from the special MCOCA court hearing the case.

Upadhyay had moved the election application last week and both the jail authorities and the NIA said that they had no objection to Upadhyay's standing in the election.

Upadhyay had contested the 2012 election on the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha ticket from his hometown Bairia in Balia but lost. This time though, the Hindu Mahasabha has not yet come forward to give any ticket. Upadhyay's son Vishal says that he is right now in talks with the party to field his father again from the same constituency. "I am also going to go to Mumbai next week to consult my father whether we should speak to the BJP as well or go ahead as an independent candidate", said Vishal, a law student studying in Pune with his mother.

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Also read | Malegaon blast accused allowed to contest UP elections, Hindu Mahasabha to field him from 2 seats

ALL ABOUT RAMESH UPADHYAY Upadhyay is a native of the Dalan Chapra village in Bairia constituency in Ballia. His brothers and relatives still live there. Although the Hindu Mahasabha wants Upadhyay to contest from two seats, Upadhyay himself wants to contest election from Bairia as he knows the demographic constitution of the constituency and its problems, even though he had last been there only about 14-15 years ago. Meanwhile, Upadhyay, with the granting of the election application, has now moved another application, asking for a provisional bail between February 4 and March 4. During that time he will travel across his constituency and meet his voters. This despite the fact that the investigating agency is yet to reply to Upadhyay's latest application. The NIA had last year filed a supplementary chargesheet, saying that the stringent MCOCA law was not applicable in the case. Upadhyay has also last October challenged the applicability of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in the case, saying that the procedure of sanction of UAPA was not followed in the same.

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The Mamata Banerjee government has decided to set up a state-owned agency for liquor distribution business.

By Indrajit Kundu: Desperate to augment revenue, the cash-strapped Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal has decided to enter the liquor distribution business, a move that is sure to raise a few eyebrows.

In a precursor to the step, the government has almost done away with dry days in the state by allowing bars in three-star hotels and above to serve liquor for 365 days in a year. The government issued a notification in August last year in which it reduced the number of dry days observed from 12 to four.

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Now, the Mamata Banerjee government has decided to set up a state-owned agency for liquor distribution business.

ALSO READ: Liquor ban: Is Madhya Pradesh going the Bihar and Gujarat way?

Here is all you need to know about Mamata Banerjee government's plan: The West Bengal State Beverages Corporation will distribute both Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and as well as country liquor across the state. At a time when neighbouring Bihar has banned alcohol, the Mamata Banerjee government aims tap the boost in sales in the state, particularly in areas along the border. The new public sector agency will procure liquor from the manufacturers directly and distribute it to retailers, bars and hotels across Bengal. According to sources in the excise department, district administrations have already been asked to identify godowns for storage. By entering into liquor distribution business, the Mamata Banerjee government is expecting revenues worth Rs 150 crore in the first year. The state government has earmarked an initial sum of Rs 20 crore for the venture. The state finance secretary is likely to be the chairman of the new corporation while excise secretary could be appointed the managing director. States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Karnataka also have state-run agencies for distribution of liquor. The West Bengal government's decision has riled more than 100 licensed private liquor distributors in the state. The West Bengal Foreign Liquor Manufacturers Wholesalers and Bonders Association has appealed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to revoke the decision claiming that the new state-run agency will deal a severe blow to the industry. "The setting up of the corporation will force wholesalers to close down their business, resulting in 5,000 people becoming unemployed. In addition, around 12,000 people, who are indirectly involved with the business, will also lose their employment," the association claimed in its letter to Mamata Banerjee. Wholesalers said the Centre's demonetisation policy has hit their business hard and the state government's decision will multiply the misery.

ALSO READ:

PM Modi's big praise for ex-ally Nitish Kumar over Bihar liquor ban

Supreme Court stays Patna High Court order quashing Bihar liquor ban law

FROM THE MAGAZINE: The booze ban

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
Buddhist office urges ex-abbot to surrender

BANGKOK: The National Office of Buddhism (NOB) is attempting to encourage Phra Dhammajayo, the embattled former abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, to turn himself in to officials in the money laundering case associated with the multi-billion-baht Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement scandal.

crimecorruptionpolicereligion

By Bangkok Post

Thursday 19 January 2017, 09:13AM

The Cetiya at Wat Phra Dhammakaya as seen at night. The top part of the structure is carpeted with 300,00 golden statues of the PraDhammakaya. Photo: Horsemilk/Wikipedia

Prime Ministers Office Minister Ormsin Chivapruck, who oversees the NOB, acknowledged this yesterday (Jan 18) after being asked if he had assigned the NOB to negotiate with Wat Phra Dhamakaya regarding the arrest warrant issued for the monk.

The NOB was trying to convince the monk to surrender to officials, in an approach designed to avoid the use of force which it is feared could harm Buddhism, said Mr Ormsin.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, also chief of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon have emphasised they do not want to see violence in the handling of the Dhammajayo case.

Mr Ormsin said the government is exploring ways to minimise any negative impacts of the handling of the Dhammajayo case.

On Tuesday (Jan 17), Gen Prawit chaired a meeting of the state organisations involved.

After the meeting he said no plan to enforce the arrest of Phra Dhammajayo was discussed and the concerned agencies were doing their jobs.

Among the organisations attending the meeting on Tuesday were the Department of Religious Affairs, the NOB and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

Justice Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana, who also attended the meeting, said the DSI was assigned as the lead agency in the handling of the money laundering case against Phra Dhammajayo.

Two options adopted for implementation were to continue to encourage the monk to surrender or else the DSI would have to find other ways to bring him to face the charges. He did not specify which methods might be adopted.

The monk is facing charges of colluding to launder money, money laundering and receiving stolen property.

Asked if the prosecution would be unable to proceed with the indictment without Phra Dhammajayo surrendering or being detained, Mr Suwaphan simply said he believed the prosecution could continue because three out of all five suspects wanted in this case had now been detained.

Read original story here.
Ex-THAI staff snared in bribe row

BANGKOK: The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and Thai Airways International (THAI) Plc have pledged to examine the case in which British engineering giant Rolls-Royce admitted to bribing agents of the Thai state and employees of THAI to win business.

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By Bangkok Post

Thursday 19 January 2017, 09:39AM

Flying to Phuket on Thai Airways International equipped with Rolls Royce engines purchased in a massive bribery scheme that lasted at least 17 years, through at least two military and six civilian governments. Photo: beashel/Flickr via Bangkok Post

NACC member Witthaya Arkhompitak said that the anti-graft agencys foreign affairs office was aware of the issue and it will work with the UKs Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to gather all the information about the case before sending it to the NACC members for examination, Mr Witthaya said.

The statute of limitations on the case has not yet expired, he insisted The indictment against Rolls Royce contains pages of company statements and records of bribes in Thailand. They began in 1991, when the military regime headed by Gen Suchinda Krapayoon was in power, and continued all the way until after the coup that ousted the Thaksin government in 2006, the documents allege.

THAI president Charamporn Jotikasthira said yesterday (Jan 18) that the board decided to set up a committee to establish the facts.

He said the initial information is enough for the panel to identify individuals who were involved in the acquisition process.

The airline will cooperate closely with the firm in its inquiry which is expected to be wrapped up in 30 days, he said.

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told the airline to launch the investigation and clarify the questions as soon as possible.

THAI is taking the issue seriously and were committed to ensuring a transparent, corruption-free enterprise, he said.

The SFO revealed 12 counts of the firms conspiracy to corrupt or failure to prevent bribery in seven countries  Indonesia, Thailand, India, Russia, Nigeria, China and Malaysia.

The case involved bribery in Thailand for the purchase of engines for THAIs aircraft, but officials said that no Thai complaint was filed.

According to the statement of facts prepared pursuant in the British court, the period of the scandal dates from 1991-2005 and involves a US$36.38 million (B1.28 billion) payment to regional intermediaries and some of the money was for individuals who were agents of the State of Thailand and employees of THAI Airways.

The conspiracy to corrupt involved the purchase by THAI of Rolls-Royces Trent 800 (T800) engines, according to the document.

The scandal occurred during three periods of time. Between June 1, 1991 and June 30, 1992 when THAI placed an order for six Boeing 777 aircraft which was later increased to eight. Rolls-Royce agreed to pay $18.8mn (B665mn) to the intermediaries during the period to influence the purchasing decision.

The second period was between March 1, 1992 and March 31, 1997 when Rolls-Royce agreed to pay $10.38mn (B367mn) to the intermediaries and some of the money went to THAI employees, in particular, those individuals who were expected to act in Rolls-Royce's favour with respect to a second purchase by Thai of T800 engines. At the time, THAI made a second purchase of six Boeing 777 aircraft, according to the document.

The third period was between April 1, 2004 and Feb 28, 2005. Rolls-Royce agreed to pay almost $7.2 million (B254mn) to the intermediaries.

A proportion of these monies was intended for individuals who were agents of the State of Thailand or THAI employees and those individuals were expected to act in Rolls-Royces favour with respect to a third purchase by THAI of T800 engines, said the document.

At the time, a third order of Boeing 777 aircraft by THAI had been under discussion as early as 1996. The order did not materialise until late 2004. Rolls-Royce again ensured that significant sums of money were available to its intermediaries for which it is inferred that this was to persuade THAI to purchase further aircraft with T800 engines.

THAI had five presidents during these periods. They were ACM Weera Kitchathorn, Pol Lt Chatchai Boonya-anand, Thammanoon Wanglee, Pisith Kusalasaiyanond and Kanok Abhiradee.

According to THAI sources, Rolls-Royces Trent engines have had a strong presence in THAI Airways fleet since the early 2000s with nearly all the newer generation of jetliners powered by the British-made engines.

The THAI aircraft currently powered by Trent engines include 15 Airbus 330s, two Airbus 350 XWBs, 18 Boeing 777s in the versions of -200, -200ER and -300, six Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and six Airbus 380 double-decker superjumbos.

A good part of the Trent engines was purchased by THAI after the scandal period (1991-2005).

Hugh Vanijprabha, managing director of Rolls-Royce (Thailand) Ltd, said, The past practices that have been uncovered do not reflect the matter in which Rolls-Royce does business today.

We now conduct ourselves in a fundamentally different way.

We have zero tolerance of business misconduct of any sort. We will come out of this episode as a more trusted, resilient and better managed business that wins right every time. Our underlying technologies and skills are as strong as ever.

Read original story here.
HRH Sirindhorn visits Phuket

PHUKET: HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn visited the Phuket Old Town quarter of the islands capital yesterday (Jan 18) as part of her royal visit to the island.



By The Phuket News

Thursday 19 January 2017, 06:02PM

HRH Sirindhorn was welcomed by many local residents as she walked along the streets, and stopped by at Kopi restaurant on Thalang Rd for refreshments.

Today, the Her Royal Highness continued her visit by unveiling a dedication plaque at Phuket International Hospital, and later handed out royal commemorative souvenirs to 100 people who donated funds for scholarships for students at Phuket Rajabhat University.

Her Royal Highness also officially opened the Chalermprakiat Building, which is home to the campuss for Language and Computer Sciences Centre.

Later, HRH Princess Sirindhorn planted a Cassia fistula tree at the campus and watched performances of traditional arts from Orang Laut sea gypsies and a musical performance by The Sharks band, before unveiling a plaque marking her visit.

This afternoon, Her Royal Highness unveiled a plaque at Headstart International School Phuket and reviewed an exhibition before signing a tablet marking her prescence at the school.
Phuket best in sail: Island yachties perform well at Langkawi

YACHTING: Scott Bradleys Sydney 40 Emagine, which was recently refurbished by Precision Shipwrights, led the way with a 2nd overall in the top racing class division at the recent Royal Langkawi International Regatta, putting on an impressive performance to split the much larger TP52s  Don Whitcrafts THA72 from Royal Varuna Yacht Club Pattaya and Peter Aherns Langkawi-based TP52 Oi!.

Thursday 19 January 2017, 03:06PM

Scott Bradleys Emagine came in 2nd overall in the top racing class division. Photo: Bob Mott

Even Phukets Rolly Tasker Sails were represented down there this year with a French team on PhPlus gaining a 3rd in IRC 1 race class.

In the IRC 2 class, Phuket sailor Nils Degenkolws Phoenix managed a solid win with seven bullets (first-place finishes), improving on last years 2nd place overall. Meanwhile, Liz Schochs all-lady team from the Phuket Yacht Club on Sailescapes Fargo Ladies vintage Farr 1104 ran in at 3rd.

Multihull Racing saw Robert Van Paridons French carbon trimaran Tantrum Too take out a convincing 1st with six bullets. New resident to Phuket Rick Fieldings Mojo, a Fusion 40 cruising cat, took out 3rd overall. Ricks team on Mojo were also presented the Sportsman award by fellow sailors for their perseverance during their first regatta in the light wind conditions.

Rick said he will be back to do all the Phuket regattas starting with The Bay Regatta in February and participating in the Multihull Solutions Multihull Regatta and Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek in July.

In the Whitesail class, which does not fly spinnakers while racing, Woodrow Jack Christiansons Bavaria 49 Linda managed 2nd place  bringing smiles all around after battling the recent storms to get down there for the regatta.

For the Phuketians who braved the recent storms to get to Langkawi for the regatta it was a very good overall result in the classes they competed in. Overall entries were 30 in eight divisions.

In addition, another piece of history for the Royal Langkawi International Regatta this year was the age of the skipper on THA72  Don Whitcraft being the youngest ever to skipper a yacht in racing class at 21 years of age.

Light conditions made for tough going and some seriously tight competition in the racing classes. Rarely did the wind strength get above six knots, which was just enough.

One day out of the five racing days was cancelled due to lack of wind. Parties were impressive with excellent bands playing.

Charlies Place restaurant and bar absorbed up the competitors each afternoon and into the night with ease, and the newly opened 44-room hotel at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club made a huge difference accommodating media, staff and competitors on sight.

Free marina berthing during the regatta made for a very convenient and welcome addition for competitors.
Phuket judge hands down Czech fugitive less than legal minimum for visa overstay

PHUKET: Immigration officials have declined to explain why Czech fugitive Zdenek Pfeifer, arrested in Phuket on Tuesday night (Jan 17), has been handed down less than the legally mandated minimum sentence for illegally staying in the country, known locally as overstaying his visa.

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By Premkamon Ketsara

Thursday 19 January 2017, 06:15PM

Czech fugitive Zdenek Pfeifer (centre) exits Phuket Provincial Court yesterday afternoon (Jan 18). Photo: Khao Phuket

Pfeifer, 49, was arrested at his rented apartment in Bang Tao on Tuesday night just hours after a nationwide manhunt for the Czech was ordered by deputy national police chief Pol Gen Wuthi Liptapallop.

Wanted under a red notice by Interpol, Pfeifer was wanted in the Czech Republic for sexual offences with minors, including intentional passing his HIV infection. (See story here.)

When his sentence was handed down by video conference yesterday afternoon while Pfeifer remained in a cell in the below-ground level at Phuket Provincial Court, the judge revealed that Pfeifer had been staying illegally in the country since August 5, 2015.

Khao Phuket (click here), the Thai-language sister publication to The Phuket News, was present when the sentence was handed down.

However, despite the severity of his overstay, the judge handed down the sentence of a fine of only B1,000 fine and a two-year prison sentence, which was suspended.

Under the Good Guys In, Bad Guys Out campaign by the Thai Immigration Bureau, which came into effect in 2014 and was marked by news headlines around the world, Pfeifer was to be mandatorily fined B20,000 and banned from re-entry for 10 years. (See story here.)

Asked how a judge could hand down a sentence less than the mandatory penalty by law in this case, Phuket Immigration Chief Pol Col Kantawat Pongsatanbordee told The Phuket News this afternoon, I am busy. I am not available to comment.

Calls to Phuket Provincial Court this afternoon went unanswered.

Only weeks ago did Phuket Immigration have a Frenchwoman living in Phuket deported from the Kingdom of Thailand after she was found to have overstayed her tourist visa by 103 days. (See story here.)

 Additional reporting by Tanyaluk Sakoot
Phuket to mark 100 days since passing of late King

PHUKET: A representative from the Public Relations (PR) Department from Phuket Provincial Hall has confirmed that a ceremony will be held to mark 100 days since the passing of the late His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej who was passed away on October 13 last year.

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By The Phuket News

Thursday 19 January 2017, 04:03PM

Phuket locals morn the loss of the late HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Photo: PR Dept

The representative, Ms Sanegam Aeedton, told The Phuket News today (Jan 19) that local people in Phuket can gather at Tah Rue Temple, Thepkrasattri Rd, Srisoonthorn, Thalang, which is where the official ceremony will be held to mark the 100 days since is the late His Majestys passing. The ceremony will commence at 4:30pm and will include prayers, candle lighting, robe laying for monks, Buddhist sermons, and paying respect to the late HM King King Bhumibol. In addition to the ceremony at Tah Rue Temple, a morning ceremony will also be held from 8am at Phuket Rajabath University where residents can partake in merit making and candle lighting as a way of paying their respect to the late King. Reporting by Mukdawan Janyaporn.
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The man was upset with her wife sharing family planning and other marital details with her friends on social media.

By Press Trust of India: A 34-year-old man allegedly smothered his wife to death and then committed suicide by hanging himself in their apartment here, police said today.

The incident came to light after the deceased woman's brothers came to the couples house in Hadapsar area last night and found both of them dead, they said.

The deceased - Rakesh Gangurde (34), who worked at a private firm, and his wife Sonali (28) - were married for four years and did not have children.

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"As per the purported suicide note left by Rakesh, he was not happy with Sonali, who used to discuss details of family planning and other marital details with her friends on social media and that prompted him to take the drastic step," an officer attached to Hadapsar police station said.

He said Sonali's mother, who lives in Nashik, was trying to call her but in vain.

"She (Sonali's mother) then called her sons, who live in Pune. The brothers of the deceased woman came to their apartment late last night, however, they could not open the door as it was locked from inside. Later, with the help of police they broke open the door and found Rakesh hanging and Sonali lying on the bed," the police officer said.

"We are yet to receive the postmortem report. Prima facie, it seems that Sonali was smothered to dead," he said.

A murder case has been registered, police said, adding that further investigation is on.

ALSO READ:

Kerala techie kills father, dumps body parts separately

Pune techie chased and stabbed multiple times to death while she screamed for help

Pune techie murder: Police arrest 'spurned' lover Santosh from Bengaluru

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I had never dreamed of joining politics. I had planned to do business. However, I silently decided to do something for the people said Surajkumar.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh's son, Surajkumar, 29, who is fighting the state assembly elections from the Khangabok constituency, plans to stress on modern technology and digitisation in the northeastern state if elected. Surajkumar, the Chief Minister's only son, is set to be the youngest candidate in Manipur's history to fight the state assembly elections.

Surajkumar's mother Okram Landhoni, who has been the MLA from Khangabok for two consecutive terms, announced her retirement from electoral politics, to make way for her son.

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The block Congress recently made an announcement on Surjakumar's candidature.

Landhoni said she would continue serving the people as a social activist. There will be a multi-cornered contest in this constituency that has about 31,000 voters. Surajkumar, who did his schooling in Manipur and some other states, went to London where he graduated in Economics in 2008. He worked there for a while before returning home to help his parents in their election campaign for the 2012 polls.

Surajkumar told, "I had never dreamed of joining politics. I had planned to do business. However, I silently decided to do something for the people. My first direct contact with the suffering people was when villagers of the Khangabok constituency reeled under two devastating floods."

ALSO READ: Manipur CM failed to remove economic blockade despite Centre sending in extra forces, must quit: Javadekar

Earlier, he had planned to set up some residential schools so that the children are not denied classes. "Manipur is notorious for general strikes, blockades and other forms of obstructions and the students are denied classes for nearly five months each year."

A prominent national level polo player, Surajkumar said, "Global warming and rampant deforestation are serious problems. Over 100 like-minded persons have formed the Green Revolution Society, Manipur, which has planted about 200,000 saplings."

Surajkumar, who has widely travelled abroad, has observed how basic amenities are not lacking in most countries. "The Congress government has ensured glut power supply and there is no reason why there should be paucity of potable water in Manipur. We have the Loktak, the largest lake in eastern India, and as such the people should not face a drought-like situation," he said.

He also said that the Manipuris are hard-working and innovative and they could forge ahead with little guidance and assistance. He admits being a chip off the old block.

ALSO READ: India Today-Axis Opinion Poll on Manipur: Another north-eastern jewel in BJP's crown after Assam

Surajkumar plans to move the state forward through modern technology and digitisation. "Of course, the flagship programmes shall remain there," he added. His mother, Landhoni, who has been the MLA for two consecutive terms, is happy that her son will take charge.

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She plans to take up social service for the poor. "My doors are kept open and, most importantly, I will be able to spend time with my grandson and look after the home," told Laldhoni. His father, who was first elected in 1985, has been Chief Minister for three consecutive terms. He appears only too happy to hand over the baton to his son.

Surajkumar said: "I have closely watched the style of working of my father. If given a chance I shall keep his vision alive. " Manipur goes to the polls in two phases on March 4 and 8 for its 60 seats.

ALSO READ: Manipur's Irom Sharmila says will contest Assembly election against Chief Minister Okram Ibobi

ALSO READ: Manipur CM Okram Ibobi escapes unhurt amidst firing by militants

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: London, Jan 19 (PTI) Men look for a quick fix from psychological therapy whereas women want to talk about their feelings, according to a new study which suggests that addressing such gender differences may help better treat people with depression.

Researchers at University of Portsmouth and University College London in the UK asked 20 experienced therapists (clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists and psychotherapists) whether they had identified gender differences in any aspects of their work.

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All 20 of the therapists reported noticing gender differences in one or more aspect of therapy and the overall message was that - in general - men want a quick fix and women want to talk about their feelings.

"One of the interesting findings was that 80 per cent of the therapists showed a reluctance to talk directly about gender differences in the needs of their clients," said John Barry from University College London.

"This could be due to the culture in academia, where discussions of gender similarities are more acceptable than discussions of gender differences," said Barry.

"Psychology might be more effective in treating men if gender differences were taken into account more," he said.

In a second study, researchers from Northumbria University in the UK asked 347 people to say what kind of therapy they would like if they needed help.

The men and women in this group, half of whom reported having received some form of therapy, showed many similarities in their preferences, but also some key differences.

For example, men more than women expressed a preference for therapy that involved sharing and receiving advice about their concerns in informal groups.

More women than men preferred psychodynamic psychotherapy - where discussion focuses on feelings and past events.

There were interesting differences in coping strategies too, for example, women more than men used comfort eating, whereas men more than women used sex or pornography.

"Despite the fact that men commit suicide at three to four times the rate that women do, men do not seek psychological help as much," said Barry.

"This might be because the types of treatment on offer are less appealing to men because many psychological interventions are more about talking than about fixing problems," Barry added.

"It is likely that men benefit as much as women from talking about their feelings, but if talking about feelings appears to be the goal of therapy, then some men may be put off," he said.

"Our study found that men were more likely than women to say that there is a lack of male-friendly therapies available," he added. PTI NKS MHN SAR MHN

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Troops from 35 Assam Rifles (AR) launched an operation along the Mon-Tizit road while the militants were travelling from Dimapur to Namsa using two Maruti gypsies.

By Indrajit Kundu: The Army on Wednesday apprehended thirteen NSCN (I-M) cadres from Mon district in Nagaland. The Army has received specific intelligence about the movement of militants.

Accordingly, troops from 35 Assam Rifles (AR) launched an operation along the Mon-Tizit road while the militants were travelling from Dimapur to Namsa using two Maruti gypsies.

Subsequently, thirteen NSCN (I-M) cadres along with two children were nabbed. A huge quantity of live ammunition along with four AK-56 rifles, two HK-32 rifles, one MA-MK 4 rifles and four pistols were recovered.

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The arrested militants have along with the seized materials have been handed over to the Nagaland police.

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How many people have already voted absentee in South Dakota ahead of Election Day?
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik is likely to be questioned by National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is scanning his 78 bank accounts, and real estate investments worth at least Rs 100 crore in and around Mumbai by him and his associates. The probe agency, which had in November last year registered a case against Naik and others under anti-terror law for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, has found role of 23 entities including individuals and corporates linked to the preacher, NIA sources said today. The NIA has questioned around 20 associates of Naik, including his sister Nailah Naushad Noorani, in connection with its investigation, they said. "We have sought certain documents including income tax returns and others. Besides this, 78 bank accounts in different banks of the country, are also being scanned. Once examination is done, we intend to summon Zakir Naik for questioning," a source said. The sources said that the agency has written to the banks seeking details of these accounts including transactions. At least Rs 100 crore have been allegedly invested in real estate by Naik and his associates in and around Mumbai. The NIA officials have found complicated movement of money in the financial transactions made by people involved in the case, they said, adding that the role of Mumbai-based Harmony Media Pvt Ltd--involved in production of religious and educative videos--is being looked into in this case. Naiks Non-Government Organisation (NGO),Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), has been banned by the central government under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The speeches of Naik, who is currently out of the country apparently to evade arrest, are banned in the UK, Canada and in Malaysia.

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The Home Ministry has found that the NGO was allegedly having dubious links with Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, accused of propagating terrorism.

According to the Home Ministry, Naik, who heads the IRF, has allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda. MORE PTI AKV RCJ

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While the Army claimed Jaish-e-Mohammedwas responsible for the Uri terror attack, the NIA says it was in fact Lashkar-e-Taiba that was behind the deadly attack.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today contradicted the Indian Army's claims that the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed was behind the Uri terror attack in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed. A top official of NIA said, that the central agency's investigation had led to a Laskhar-e-Taiba link. The official added, "Army may have jumped the gun."

This is marks the first time that the NIA has officially contradicted the Army's claims. The agency drew reached its conclusion based on three pieces of evidence including data recovered from GPS devices, matrix sheets leading to LeT camps across the Line of Control and the terror group's poster claiming credit for the dastardly attack.

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Japan-made ICOM wireless sets, Taiwan-made Garmin GPS navigation systems, a mobile phone with three SIMS, a special wire-cutter, maps and matrix sheets that helped the militants traverse dense forests, rivers and rocky terrain were amongst the 46 items recovered from Uri encounter site. The attack, which took place on September 18 last year, saw four militants attack an army camp in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir.

Also read: Uri attack: An inside story of how it happened HANDWARA TERROR ATTACK

Similarly NIA has confirmed that LeT was behind the October 6, 2016 Handwara attack. Three fidayeens dressed in army fatigues were killed in the Handwara encounter after they opened fire outside the 30 Rashtriya Rifles camp at Langate. One fidayeen managed to flee.

NIA officials confirmed to India Today that the terrorists used ICOM wireless sets and Garmin GPS systems similar to those recovered from the Uri attack site. ICOM sets are synced to Android mobile phones, allowing the operator to send a text message via a mobile app without needing a SIM card. Help has been sought from both, the Japan-based ICOM set makers and the Taiwan-based Garmin manufacturers to further the investigation.

Also read: Handwara encounter: NIA probe reveals links to Pakistan-based Lashkar

The National Investigation Agency has managed to trace the origin of one of the phones used in the attack to Pakistan; the phone could provide crucial information. According to NIA sources, the phone was a Huawei device that was shipped to a dealer in Pakistan.

Another phone, this one a Samsung device, was shipped by a company to Zambia, from where it was further transported to Mauritius before making its way into the hands of the militants involved in the Handwara encounter. The NIA has sought information from Mauritius.

Also read: Inside story of Indian Army's daring surgical strikes against Pakistan

NAGROTA TERROR ATTACK

The investigation agency said Jaish-e-Mohammed was behind the November 2016 Nagrota attack on an Army camp in which two officers and five soldiers lost their lives. Among the evidence is a document bearing the name of Afzal Guru, similar to a piece of paper recovered from a dead terrorist involved in the Pathankot attacks. Other evidence includes an audio clip of Maulana Masood Azhar's brother Abdul Rauf Asghar claiming responsibility for the attack and technical evidence that NIA said would be shared at a later stage.

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Also watch: Jammu: Terrorists attack Army base in Nagrota

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Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan thinks a new instalment in the Don franchise is possible but says filmmaker Farhan Akhtar does not have a story ready for it yet.

In an era of sequels where even before a film gets released, its sequel is announced, Shah Rukh feels Don and may be even Ra.One amongst his films can have a sequel.

During an interaction with the media here on Wednesday, Shah Rukh said: "Don is the only one which perhaps can have a sequel because we leave it like that every time, but Farhan doesn't have any story for Don 3 yet."

Don: The Chase Begins, released in 2006, was a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don. A Don 2 sequel came out in 2011.

He added that he had thought of a sequel for Ra. One, but it did not do well and now they do not have a story for that either.

These days, the actor is busy promoting his film Raees, which is about a bootlegger. The film, set in Gujarat, also features Pakistani actress Mahira Khan.

Directed by Rahul Dholakia, the movie is releasing on January 25.
By Press Trust of India: Kolkata, Jan 19 (PTI) The Netherlands is in favour of presence of Indian financial institutions and banks on its soil to support growing bilateral trade with India and hopes that with Brexit, the reality comes to the fore sooner.

"India is the fifth largest investor in Holland and 20 per cent of Indias total export to European Union is through the Netherlands. So, it is proper to have an Indian bank or institution having a base there," Netherlands Ambassador to India, Alphonsus Stoelinga told PTI.

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Speaking on the sidelines of an interactive session at the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, he said that following Brexit, now it is up to the financial sector to choose from three destinations in the European Union - Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

Stoelinga indicated that a bank like the State Bank of India should look at opportunities in the financial sector that the Netherlands offers, especially post Brexit.

He said the country is hardselling Amsterdam to the financial sector which would allow FIs to continue with their "financial passport" to carry out business as usual across the European Union following Brexit.

The Netherlands has expressed interest in collaborating with Indian companies for high-end technology in several areas including smart cities and shipping. PTI BSM DKB JM

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In today's world, there is not much significance to the words "monk", "teachings", "preaching", "God", "godliness" and so on. Everyone aspires to be pragmatic and modern even at the cost of losing out on empathy. Do we really know the meaning of being modern? Are we turning out to be selfish beings? Can a monk be modern? Does God exist? These are some of the questions that can be answered with a quiet introspection. Swami Vivekananda, with his intensely compelling divinity, teaches us that to try and understand God, one must truly comprehend one's own self.

Reminiscing about Swami Vivekananda on his 154th birth anniversary, one thing that intrigues about him is that how he stands tall as an inspiration, even in today's time, more than 100 years after his death. Considering the unpleasant incidents across the world, the need of the hour is "humanity". Being human should be the innate quality of all of us, which perhaps we fail to understand most of the times.

More often than not, we tend to overlook the diversity, individuality and are constantly in search of superficial happiness, which certainly does not last long. Swami Vivekananda was one such person, who was a completely modern man, consistently challenging his own views and embracing diverse, even conflicting arguments. He was truly, in all sense, much more than a monk. He was both fascinating and mystifying at the same time. It was perhaps quite difficult to understand his complex persona hidden behind that charming smile and enchanting eyes.

In his seventh book, The Modern Monk, prolific writer Hindol Sengupta argues that it is not just because Vivekananda was close to God but also because he was so tantalizingly immersed in being human that we keep returning to him and his immortal wisdom. The book is centred upon what the "modern monk" means to us today. Hindol opines that it is Vivekananda's modernity that appeals to us today. "Vivekananda is one of the most important figures in the modern imagination of India. From his speech in Chicago that mesmerised America, to his voluminous writings and speeches that redefined the idea of India, he was much more than a monk," writes the author.

There is a wide range of books on Swami Vivekananda. However, this one takes a refreshing look on his life and accentuates his various other untouched facets of life. Hindol says, "Vivekananda loved French cookbooks, invented a new way of making khichri, was interested in the engineering behind shipbuilding and the technology that makes ammunition."

The author writes, "This is the monk, who, as a boy, set up his first club with friends called The Greedy Club. Early in life he was a purchaser of French books on cooking and became an admirer of Gaulish culinary style. He even invented a new way of making khichri called Bhuni Khichuri ~ 'an egg is beaten well and poured over rice. Then one adds peas and potatoes'. And not just that, he knew how to cook meat in various ways and enjoyed a range of snacks ~ from the deep-fried shingara (samosa) to the sweet jibhegaja. This is a man, who demonstrated to his disciples the art of becoming a Jack of all trades. One moment, he would read the holy scriptures to them; the next moment, he would cook them delicacies."

Narendranath Dutta, who grew up to become Swami Vivekananda, made it categorically clear through his actions that he did not have faith in the concept of godmen or miracles. Although he was deeply connected to the godliness, he was still more of a human being, because of which people could easily relate to him. He had a stern Vedantic view but never claimed to have any superpower.

One of the chapters is titled The Monk who smoked. The title is quite interesting and the author writes, "The problem with our understanding of Vivekananda today is that we always choose to ignore the down-to-earth, practical man by focusing too much on his godliness. Here was a monk, who smoked ~ and some of his ill health was, undoubtedly, fuelled by this habit. When I was growing up my mother constantly worried that I would take to tobacco in my school and college years, and though I did smoke for some time in my late college years, I gave up soon after ~ no credit to my mother's exhortations. That the monk she worshipped had smoked seemed to have been conveniently blacked out. This is just a small, but critical, example of why I chose to write about Vivekananda. It seemed to me that his message had become diluted and dulled in today's India."

As a young Narendranath, he had to go through various struggles in life like any other human being. He had to set aside his feeling of empathy for a while to fight for his family's good. Hindol explains, "My argument in this book is that these troubles make Vivekananda even more interesting and real as a character for us to engage with today. He is not some distant, aloof figure shrouded in mist. He is an Indian man, perpetually torn by that most Indian of happenstances ~ family trouble."

Quite clearly, Vivekananda has a lot of relevance to our life and times. Today, we are afraid to question our existence and are paranoid about any qualm, fear or doubt, in a race towards being "perfect". However, more than a century ago, he proved that he is more modern than anyone else and always questioned things around him. He was a firm believer of Vedanta but also held a view that every religion should stand the test of science. This is quite pertinent to the modern times, where the freedom to raise questions appears to be dwindling.
With the message of being a "very friendly" investment destination, India on Wednesday sought to woo foreign investors at the WEF annual meet where leaders pored over the benefits of globalisation amid concerns over the impact of automation on jobs worldwide.

The issue of slow pace of bridging the gender gap also figured prominently in discussions, with IMF chief Christine Lagarde referring to an example from India about how women are using mobiles to report harassment by their mothers-in-law.

India, one of the fastest growing major economies, was represented here by a delegation of over 100 individuals, including ministers, government officials and business leaders. The country is striving to showcase itself as a bright spot in an uncertain global economic situation.

While Union Minister Nitin Gadkari made a strong case to woo foreign investors, his ministerial colleague Nirmala Sitharaman said the country has great opportunities in the services sector which contributes over 50 per cent to the GDP.

As leaders discussed whether jobs are evaporating due to globalisation ushering in too many technological innovations, a WEF report said digital transformation across industries can help save trillions of dollars in cost.

Against the backdrop of rising uncertainties in the global economy and fears of more job losses, Gadkari said India is working on ways to improve purchasing power of the common man as that would present further opportunities.

"We are very friendly for investments and it is appropriate time to invest in India," Gadkari said.

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasised that the world needs to do a "reality check" even as she said India remains on track to grow its trade and economy faster.

Acknowledging that there is discontent, especially in countries where capitalism and democracy co-exist, she said probably this is the time to pause and recalibrate.

IT major Wipro's CEO Abidali Neemuchwala said a more globalised future would need the workers to be re-skilled.

Industry leaders from India said the country continues to see high growth and appears on track to move to higher income category in the coming years.

According to them, growth in India is consumption-led and the projections for coming years remain that the consumption would continue to drive this expansion.

While debate raged here on widening wealth gap and the resultant rise in populism, leaders stressed the need for working on ways to tackle inequality and ensure responsible growth.

Urging policymakers worldwide to act now to check inequalities, Lagarde said there is no "silver bullet" to contain this problem.

Gadkari, who is the Minister for Road Transport and Shipping, said India is working on record road construction projects while there are no problems relating to land acquisition and environmental clearances.

While stating that port sector too is growing fast and six new ports are being developed, Gadkari said the country is also focusing big on cruise tourism.

Flagship programmes of the government, including Make In India and Digital India, are being showcased by the ministers and officials as the country seeks to attract more investments.

Apart from the ministers, senior government officials including DIPP Secretary Ramesh Abhishek and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant are attending the annual meet. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is also present.

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, Tata Sons Chairman designate N Chandrasekaran and SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya are also in attendance.

On Tuesday, Mukesh Ambani said he favoured free market economy and that wealth creation should not be constrained as it is a precursor to the distribution of wealth.

Industry body CII's Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said India and other emerging economies are getting a lot of focus here in Davos and all have seen India championing the cause of globalisation.

India continues to see high growth and appears on track to move to higher income country category in coming years, according to CII President and senior industry leader Naushad Forbes.

According to him, everyone assumes that India will grow at least at 7 per cent and the aspiration is for 8 per cent or 9 per cent or even higher.

Meanwhile, World Economic Forum Digital Transformation Initiative (DTI) said that digital transformation can save trillions of dollars in cost and consumers stand to benefit more from it provided there are policy incentives to improve societal outcomes.

"More than half of the value that digitalisation offers is in the form of societal benefits. These include net job creation and reduced income inequality, improved health outcomes and fewer accidents, reduced carbon emissions and time and cost savings for consumers," it said.

Nirmala Sitharaman held a host of bilateral meetings, including with ministers from Canada, Switzerland, Indonesia, Argentina and Qatar.

She participated in a roundtable on 'Start Up India' at the WEF and also met a a number of business leaders from India and abroad.

Besides, Nitin Gadkari held a host of meetings on the sidelines of the WEF.
Tata Motors, the maker of JLR luxury brand of vehicles, surged to its highest level since November 10 on substantially higher volumes as investors ploughed fresh funds into the company and traders punched in speculative long bets in its futures.

Tata Motors rose 2.2 percent, or 11.7 rupees, to 534.10 rupees on the National Stock Exchange. It was the top gainer on the Nifty and the second most traded stock by value with 163 crore rupees worth of shares changing hands in the first two hours of trade on the NSE alone. Volumes so far on Thursday have been the highest since September 28 and the stock has recovered 25 percent from its most recent low of 428 rupees high on December 5.

Its delivery percentage in relation to overall trade has steadily risen in the past week. Tata Motors futures were also the most active futures instrument traded on the derivatives market.

As far as monthly domestic sales for December are concerned, the company won 150 bps worth of market share in medium and heavy commercial segment to 50.2 percent on year. In the light commercial vehicle segment, the company added 190 bps market share in the 2-3.5 ton segment where Mahindra & Mahindra dominates.

Overall, the company's wholesale sales of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles rose 4.1 percent to 53,063 units. Sales of Jaguar vehicles gained 81 percent to 15,879 units in December and combined JLR sales on the retail front were up 12 percent to 55,375 units.

As a consequence, brokerage Motilal Oswal raised its price target on Tata Motors to 696 rupees a share in its most recent report floated on January 10.
With some sections in the global economy pushing for universal basic income concept, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Wednesday said any such payout should be given only as a repayable loan.

While some countries have positively reacted to this concept, there have been talks that India can also consider such a move though there has been no official word on this.

Speaking at a session here at the WEF Annual Meeting here, Kant said, "Provide universal basic income, but as a repayable loan for productive purposes."

He was part of a panel discussing whether universal basic income was a dream or delusion.

The panel discussed that fundamental shifts in the world of work are eroding traditional social safety nets and whether a universal basic income could be the solution.

Against the backdrop of rising concerns over technological innovations and automation could take away jobs, the idea of universal basic income is doing the rounds.

Implementation of such a concept would mean that individuals would stand to get a certain amount as income.

Finland has started experimenting with this concept and some other countries are also likely to try it out.

Last year, voters in Switzerland rejected a proposal for universal basic income.
In a move to ease the troubled situation in Manipur, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday called on Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang to intervene to resolve the matter between the Manipur government and the United Naga Council (UNC) amicably, said sources.

Meeting the chief ministers of Nagaland and Manipur here, Singh called Zeliang to the national capital to hold talks with Manipur Naga leaders to convince them to lift the economic blockade imposed by the UNC since November 1, 2016 and solve the problem at the earliest, according to a statement by the Nagaland government.

Conveying the sentiments of the Nagas in Manipur, Zeliang reiterated the UNCs demand to hold the proposed tripartite meeting among the Union government, the Manipur government and the UNC, either at Senapati or in New Delhi.

Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam feel that the meeting should preferably be held at Imphal but were agreeable to the idea of having such a meeting in New Delhi.

After listening to both sides, Singh insisted that the meeting should be held at the earliest to break the paralyzing impasse, economic as well as administrative, before the state heads for the polls.

Zeliang agreed to convey to the Naga leaders of Manipur that the tripartite meeting should be held on January 23, either at Imphal or New Delhi.

The Union minister and Manipur chief minister lauded Zeliang for ensuring unhindered movement of Manipur-bound trucks and vehicles in Nagaland.

Zeliang assured Singh to do his best that the bandh called by a student organisation in Nagaland does not take place with the expectation that tripartite talks would be held as desired by the UNC to resolve the issue, the sources added.
Kite, an ordinary four letter word, yet holds an extraordinary wealth of meaning. Soaring in the sky, dancing to the whims of the flyer, kites have enthused the young and the old down the ages. And it's that time of the year once more, when the skies of Gujarat beckon kite enthusiasts from across the country and abroad. As kids, lovingly holding aloft their simple kites, rubbed shoulders with professionals displaying huge and fancy contraptions, there was an air of enthusiasm on the banks of Sabarmati.

The annual gala International Kite Festival, hosted by Ahmedabad since 1989 to mark Uttarayan, or Winter Solstice, got underway this year on 8 January with much festivities. Though the "windless" day proved to be a damper for the assembled contestants, the owners of exotic and colourful kites in all sizes and shapes could barely be contained. Matching the models of the international participants with their fervour, some of the Indian kite lovers took to the skies.

Be it a chain of 28 little kites, a three-foot dragon-sized kite or those showcasing different rangoli designs, the blue sky was soon a rainbow of colours. Indians were also seen flaunting their unique styles and design of kites. The Rajasthani team illustrated with their theme of "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" while the team from Kerala unfolded the meaning of their culture through their kites. A parade of kites sporting Hindu deities ~ Ganesha and Hanuman among others ~ were the show-stoppers of the opening day.

Gala inaugural

Gaiety and cheer marked the start of the International Kite Festival as state Governor Om Prakash Kohli inaugurated the event at the Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad. As many as 2,000 students from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC)-run schools performed Suryanamaskar.

Kohli said no other state observed Makarsakranti in an overwhelming way as in Gujarat. Stating that "imagination is the highest kite one can fly", the Governor asked everybody to think greater and better in the days to come.

Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani called upon the people to join hands to ensure the "kite of the improvement" of the state achieved an extreme stature in the days to come. Tourism Minister Ganpat Singh Vasav said the tourism segment had achieved an industry status with a steady increase in the stream of visitors. The kite business alone offered work to upwards of one lakh individuals, he added.

Traversing sun

The Kite Festival is denoted to mark Uttarayan, or Winter Solstice. The word Uttarayan originates from two different Sanskrit words ~ "uttara" meaning North and "ayana" meaning movement, thereby indicating the movement of Earth on the celestial sphere. This festival denotes the progressive end of the winter season and the start of summer. To agriculturists and farmers, it is a propitious sign, which demonstrates the beginning of the harvest season. This day is thought to be one of the most essential days of the collect (harvest) season in the nation. Known as Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Bihu in Assam, Maghi in Punjab and Haryana, the essence of this festival is the same throughout the country.

In Gujarat, this gala event is prevalently celebrated through kite flying. The state turns into an assembling centre months before the celebration, giving support to the general financial and socio-economic status. Each year, this mega festival, organised by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited, gets bigger and better.

With more than 100 international participants from 32 countries such as Argentina, Australia, France, Brazil, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Netherlands, New-Zealand, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, the US, Vietnam, along with around 50 participants from 10 states in the country, this festival is this year bigger than ever before.

One of the most captivating segments of this revelry was to see so many different and beautiful kites at one platform. Just to witness the amount of dedication and hardwork these enthusiasts had put in to make a single kite was enough to mesmerize one's soul. Though the competition was tough to certify the most attractive kite, but the ones that were huge in size caught everyone's eyes in a flash of a second.

The sky above was decorated with plethora of kites. Be it Italy's photo collage of generations, Colombia's representation of animals or Argentina's caricatures of their own delegates, the collection above was massive. But then, the design, craft, money and time involved in making one kite was anything but easy go.

According to a delegate from the Australian team, "I came up with the idea of a dancing alien kite last year. It took me 5-6 months just to prepare this single kite. It was so huge that my entire family helped me set up my own 'alien' in the sky." The Israeli team was also not far behind. "The design of our kites is based on our mythological stories. One of our kites represents our Lord of Power and another depicts the Lord of Devil. For more than eight months we've worked on these kites."

To wrap up, the International Kite Festival 2017 embraced the souls and soul mates of kites with open arms and a bigger heart.
I very well remember that the first Republic Day on 26 January,1950, was bitterly cold and cloudy, making schoolboys like me shiver in the absence of the sun. Mr Galloway, a Scotsman, who taught English poetry and phonetics, tall, fair and big-built, asked me the meaning of "Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram" as he was not conversant with Hindi and Sanskrit, though he had a pretty good knowledge of Urdu. I fumbled with my reply until the science teacher, Mr P L Sharma came to my rescue with the explanation that it meant "truth is strong and beautiful". That's one very vivid memory of R-Day, which still sticks to my mind, long after both Galloway and Sharmaji are dead. Now that another R-Day approaches, how can old-timers forget the big event of 67 years ago, when the parade was held in front of the Purana Qila in the space where Delhi Zoo was to come up later?

That was when Dr Rajendra Prasad became the first President of the sovereign Republic of India and after unfurling the tricolour the parade began to the booming of big guns that made the old fort echo and re-echo with the sound. Jawaharlal Nehru was there and so was C Rajagopalachari, who had in 1949 taken over as Governor-General from Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy. Republic Day meant the remaining vestiges of foreign rule had ended and India could take its place in the comity of nations as a full-fledged republic. King George VI sent his greetings, thankful for the fact that the newly-independent nation would still remain in the Commonwealth. The king was to die not long after and one remembers that the news was received with great sorrow and a public holiday declared as a mark of respect to him.

There were persistent rumours that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose would now make a reappearance in accordance with his "Dilli Chalo" call, while Begum Taimur Jehan, a desendant of the last Mughal emperor, stated that Bahadur Shah Zafar must have surely turned in his grave since the foreign yoke had at last been lifted. But Mahatama Gandhi, assassinated just two years earlier, was sorely missed.

The R-Day parade held in 1950 was not such a grandiose event as now but still impressive in its own way. Few contigents of the Army, Navy and Air Force took part in it and there were no State tableux either. The parade did not pass through New Delhi and the Old City to the Red Fort from Rajpath as now. That was to take place later in 1955. The planes that took part in the flypast were not the jets and thunderbolts but Dakotas and smaller ones like Spitfires that were in use then. General (later Field Marshal) Cariappa was the first Indian Chief of the Armed Forces and a man, who had won laurels even in the British-Indian Army. A Coorgi, he spoke Fauji Hindi and told his men, "Aaj hum bhi azad, tum bhi azad aur hamara kutta be azad," which caused much merriment, though the General spoke in great earnestness to the Army ranks, who did not understand English.

Prof Khaliq Anjum, who was a young man then, spoke of the bonhomie in evidence on the occasion and so also Haji Zahooruddin, who had been a schoolboy when Queen Victoria died in 1901. Hajiji, who owned a hotel in the Jama Masjid area, distributed sweets bought from the shop of Haji Kallan, which were supposed to be the most delicious. In Chandni Chowk, the sweets distributed were from Ghantewala Halwai, whose shop had started business in Shah Alam's reign at the fag-end of the 18th century. This shop sadly downed shutters a few months ago for reasons beyond its control. Chandni Chowk was colourfully decorated on the first R-Day, right from Lal Mandir to Fatehpuri Masjid, and full of thronging crowds carrying marigold garlands and miniature tricolours. There were huge flags and bunting, flowers and banners. The Phoolmandi shopkeepers showered rose petals all over.

People greeted one another as they realised that eventually full freedom had been achieved, for Independence Day was just the beginning of a free India. At Gurudwara Sis Ganj, a big langar was held and also at gurudwaras Bangla Sahib and Rakabganj, where thousands stood in long queues to eat poori-sabzi and halwa. Connaught Place looked very picturesque because of the decorations, as it was the most fashionable market in the Capital. Among those who danced in its corridors was Ram Lal, the chiropodist, who used to treat bunions and troublesome toenails of the British soldiers stationed in the Red Fort and who came to him on Saturdays and Sundays to get their aching feet attended to after taking off the heavy boots that had caused them much misery. Ram Lal used to talk about that day even in old age with great detail as he was young and full of spirits then. One soldier gave him a Rs 100 note and when he ran after him with the change, he waved his gun at him, thinking he wanted more. Hundred rupees was equivalent of a Rs 2,000 note now.

The young men, who danced in Chandni Chowk, were the lathi-armed Bankas known for their slanted caps and long moustaches that gave them the sobriquet of Dulcimo Macaroni of Delhi. The eating houses of Fatehpuri, owned by Muslims, served their best meals while at Karim and other restaurants in Matia Mahal, the beggars were fed free to their heart's content and the kebab sellers and milk sellers offered a big discount to customers. At night all the public amd most private buildings were illuminated. The Viceroy's House, which had become Rashtrapati Bhavan, looked like a bride in all her finery. Parliament House, North and South Blocks, the Central Secretariat, India Gate and the All India Radio building were among the prominent places lit up, so also was the Red Fort.

There was dancing and merriment at the hotels and restaurants of New Delhi, prominent being Standard, Davicos and Gaylord. The dance at the Anglo-Indian Club was something worth talking about. There were the Miss Laws, three sisters, daughters of the Principal of St George's English medium school, who had come all the way from Agra to grace the occasion. The three beauties were the toast of the club, causing some jealousy among the local girls, who were no less prettier but marginalised by the outsiders. "Roses are red my dear, Violets are blue/Sugar is sweet my love and so are you" was perhaps the most liked song, followed by Sweet Clementine, and the refrain, "She'll be coming down the mountain when she comes".

The tipsy young men lost their hearts to the many girls present, who were all in western attire, with skirts swishing over high heels all around, but no Jeans as these were not in vogue then. Jimmy Pereira lost a tooth in a fist-fight with a boy, who had passed a rude remark at his girlfriend but made up with the assailant after he apologised. Sir Henry Gidney, president of the Anglo-Indian Association, and his deputy, Frank Anthony, after whom a chain of public schools is named now, were among the speakers at the club, conveying their greetings and swearing loyalty to the new Republic.

However, the Rashtrapati Bhavan dinner was the most talked about. There, Pandit Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi were present along with the chief guest, Dr Soekarno, the first President of Indonesia, and leaders like Dr Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, Sardar Baldev Singh and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, princess of Kapurthala, who had done much to relieve the distress of refugees coming from West Punjab and Sindh and the ones migrating to Pakistan, camped at the Purana Qila.

Going down memory lane in 1960s, Pandit Ramchander of Kashmere Gate, who was over 90 then, recalled that he had never seen such glamour in Delhi even during Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee and the Durbar of 1911. Sir Henry Gidney, who was born in 1873 and had taken part in the British expedition against the head-hunters of North-East India, was not wrong in his comment that Bharat, that is India, will now come into its own as the land where humans had reached the zenith of civilisation in the past and was now poised to replicate that deed. In this he was echoing what Max Mueller, the great German orientalist, had said. Amid all this fanfare the first R-Day ended, before the last diya had flicked off, with mushairas and kavi sammelans to make it a memorable occasion, of which one still dreams about, sometimes to the echo of the immortal words of Allama Iqbal: "Hindi hain hum/Watan hai, Hindustan hamara!"
The outgoing Chief Justice of India, in open court recently observed that the Government of India was dragging its feet over the appointment of the Lokpal even though Parliament had passed the Lokpal Act. The delay in implementing the Act was impeding the fight against corruption in public life.

The observation of the Chief Justice was avoidable, it must be said with respect. The Act is unconstitutional, and should not be implemented. The official Bill to pass the Act was moved by the Government  evidently, the Government has been badly advised. Ostensibly, the Act is supposed to curb corruption  it will do no such thing. The Lokpals jurisdiction is restricted to cases of disproportionate assets amassed by public figures. The Act is redundant as the Prevention of Corruption Act is adequate to serve the same purpose. Lokpal does not cover day-to-day corruption that actually plagues the common man relentlessly.

Assuming that the Act were Constitutional, the timing of the observation of the Chief Justice was somewhat delicate. He was on the verge of retirement, and judges of the Supreme Court are probables for the post of Lokpal. A Supreme Court judge retires at 65, and the Lokpal will retire at 70. A retiring judge as the Lokpal could be at the risk of diluting the independence of the Judiciary.

Ironically, the said provision in the Act is against the spirit, if not the letter, of the celebrated judgment of the Apex Court itself in the Keshvananda Bharati case. Independence of the Judiciary is now a basic feature of the Constitution  hence, immutable. For the judiciary, it is a salutary self-imposed limitation. Unfortunately, the present Government has already damaged the basic structure by appointing a retiring Chief Justice as a Governor, a position under the Executive.

An unhealthy precedent has thus been set, without even a murmur of disapproval from the judiciary. Given half a chance, the present Government may be more than willing to further dilute the independence of the judiciary by offering camouflaged sops to retiring members of the Higher Judiciary. There is every possibility of the present Executive to misconstrue such observations of the Chief Justice, howsoever well-intentioned these may be.

A judge can be more easily corrupted by ambition than by money, was the astute observation of one of the greatest judges of the American Supreme Court. The provision in the Lokpal Act fixing the age of retirement at 70 has the potential for misuse. It could prove to be too tempting a prize for some retiring members of Higher Judiciary to resist, as appointment of the Lokpal will be in the hands of the Executive.

The aforesaid is the least toxic of the provisions of the Act. The Lokpal will be some kind of a super cop, a member of the Executive. He will be selected by a committee comprising, inter alia, the Chief Justice of India. It will be essentially an administrative committee, a part of the Executive. In other words, members of the Higher Judiciary are being proposed for Executive duties. This will be another violation of the basic structure of the Constitution.

Separation of powers is one of the most important amongst the twenty odd features of the basic structure. Just as the executive cannot encroach on the judicial domain, similarly the judiciary should not be inducted into executive functioning. Article 50 of the Directive Principles of State Policy casts a moral responsibility on the State to separate the Judiciary from the Executive. It would be ironical if the State having done so would now bring the Judiciary back into Executive functioning.

If judges of the Supreme Court were to be members of administrative committees, a very anomalous situation may arise. Suppose a candidate for the post of Lokpal were to be rejected by the Selection Committee. He can always exercise his Fundamental Right to move the High Court under its Writ jurisdiction to challenge the Committees functioning as biased and motivated. Will the High Court summon Supreme Court judges or pass orders on their functioning? Will it ask them to justify their actions before it?

The Lokpal will be basically an investigation agency, a super CBI. It will have benches comprising Supreme and High Court judges who will superintend investigation by Lokpal police. The investigation will continue to be done under the Criminal Procedure Code 1860, the oldest law in the statute book. Under the Code, the judiciary has absolutely no role as investigation is the exclusive prerogative of the executive. It is settled law for a century and a half.

The investigation report will be submitted in the court of a Special Judge who will be a member of the subordinate judiciary. If investigation were to be monitored by Supreme Court and High Court judges, the accused may hardly get justice before a subordinate judge! It will be a travesty of criminal justice. It is settled law that the judiciary has no role in the investigation of offences. Under the Code, the High Court can pass any order in the interest of justice. But the Supreme Court itself has ruled that one exception is non-interference during investigation.

The Public Prosecutor will be a part of the Lokpal, and serve under him. Yet again, this is against settled law as under the Code, the Public Prosecutor is an independent functionary and not part of the prosecution. Indeed, the term prosecutor is somewhat of a misnomer, as held by the Privy Council. He has been described as an officer of the court whose duty is to assist it in finding the truth and not to somehow secure a conviction.

The Lokpal, during the course of investigation can ask for the suspension of any class 1 officer. And the Government shall normally comply. In case the Government differs, it shall explain the reasons for it. This is a very anomalous provision, as the Appointing Authority is the Disciplinary Authority in law. And the appointing authority of class 1 officers is the President of India. The provision implies that the President shall have to justify his action before the super cop!

A quota is provided for SCs/STs/OBCs/minorities in the Lokpal. Mercifully, there is no quota in the Higher Judiciary on caste or communal basis. To provide such a quota in the ranks of Higher Judiciary would be to divide the judiciary on caste and communal basis, even if indirectly. Incidentally, the caste cancer is now spreading amongst higher castes in state after state  Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka etc.

Regulations enacted by Lokpal will govern investigation. This is a proposition of doubtful legal validity. The investigation will continue to be done under the Criminal Code which is a Central law, adopted by the states. A super cop should not be authorized to frame Regulations under his own authority, as he will be accountable to no one.

The Lokpal has been granted unlimited discretion to delegate his powers, which include raids, search and seizure to any officer or employee. Such a provision is in violation of Administrative Law whereby a power delegated cannot be sub-delegated. He will be authorized to attach proceeds of corruption, an expression which is vague and undefined. It is bad in law to empower an executive authority to do so, which is the lawful function of an independent court of law, after examining all evidence.

In sum, the Lokpal Act is highly unconstitutional. Parliament may like to reconsider it.

The writer is a retired IAS officer.
In a first, the Budget for 2017-18 will be presented on February 1 instead of the usual February 28.However, what still remains etched in tradition is the ritual of making Halwa  a traditional sweet, to kickstart the whole process of printing the budget documents.

While the ritual of making Halwa is dutifully followed every year to mark the auspicious beginning of the Budget process, nobody knows for sure when or how it all started. Nevertheless not just the Halwa ceremony, but the tradition of about 100 employees of the Finance Ministrystaying locked down till the process of publishing of budget documents is over, is also followed to the hilt, till date.

The first Union Budget of Independent India was presented by R K Shanmukham Chetty on November 26, 1947.

On Thursday evening, Halwa was prepared to mark the beginning of the printing of Budget documents Post the ceremony, more than 100 Finance Ministry officials and support staff, who are directly associated with the Budget making and printing process, will stay in Budget printing press till Finance Minister Arun Jaitley concludes his speech in Parliament.

This year will also mark first ever merged budget-general budget as well as Railways budget, unlike the past practice.

The Halwa ceremony followed by "Lock in Period"

The Halwa ceremony, as part of a ritual, has continued for long. Halwa is prepared in a big kadhai (large wok) in the basement of North Block which houses the ministry and is served to the entire staff.

Meanwhile, the locked-in employees are not even allowed to contact their near and dear ones through phone or any other form of communication. Few very senior officials are permitted to go home, while rest remain locked in the North Block till the presentation of Budget on February 1. Only in emergency, a family member can relay message through security in-charge to the concerned official locked inside. Special arrangements for food and lodging are made for the officials, who remain inside the Budget press. A special team of doctors and paramedical staff are stationed inside. Unlike all government publications that are printed at the government press, the Budget documents are printed in a special printing press situated in the basement of North Block, under a tight security cover.
Nearly two days after China had said that admission of non-NPT signatories in NSG cannot be a farewell gift for countries to give to each other, India on Thursday said that its not seeking NSG membership as a gift.

India is not seeking NSG membership as a gift, we are seeking it based on our non-proliferation record, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a tweet.

His statement carries significance in the wake of China expressing its frustration over outgoing US President Barack Obama's thrust at bringing India into the elite nuclear club.

At the NSG plenary in Seoul in June last year, China blocked India's membership bid on the ground that for a country to be a member of the 48-nation bloc, it has to be a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
By Press Trust of India: From H S Rao

London, Jan 19 (PTI)Fairy Circles of Namibia, one of the natures greatest mysteries, could have been formed by the mutual interaction between termites and vegetation, researchers have found.

Fairy Circles of Namibia are circular patches of land barren of plants, varying between 2 and 15 metres in diameter, often encircled by a ring of stimulated growth of grass.

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The cause of the circular patches of earth surrounded by grass, which are arranged in honeycomb-like patterns in huge areas of the Namib desert, has been the source of scientific debate for decades.

The new research, published by researchers at the University of Strathclyde and Princeton Universityin scientific journal Nature, suggests that the interaction between termite engineering and the self-organisation of vegetation could be jointly responsible for the phenomenon.

Regular vegetation patterns form spectacular landscapes across the globe, with the Fairy Circles in Namibia holding special interest for scientists since the 1970s.

Some have argued that termites alone create these patterns by destroying vegetation to reduce competition for water, while others have suggested the circles follow patterns of rainfall and are solely caused by competition between plants.

According to a statement by the University of Strathclyde, the newly-published findings show that Fairy Circles may actually result from the close interaction between both termites and vegetation, which facilitates their mutual survival.

Juan Bonachela from the University of Strathclydes Department of Mathematics and Statistics, said: "There have long been two theories on how these regular patterns, and especially Fairy Circles, are formed, and both theories are normally presented as mutually exclusive".

"Our findings harmonise both theories and find a possible explanation for regular vegetation patterns observed around the globe. In the case of Fairy Circles, termites remove vegetation on their mounds to increase moisture, which is essential for the insects survival in dry environments, thus creating the bare disk," it said.

Vegetation around the mound takes advantage of this water accumulation to grow, and this taller vegetation forms the circle. Regular repetition of the pattern results from different termite colonies competing next to one another.

"This behaviour affects the whole ecosystem, allowing it to survive harsher conditions and recover from droughts much more quickly than if there were no termites. The Fairy Circles remind us of the delicate balance of interactions necessary to sustain ecosystems," it said.

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The findings come as a result of an international collaboration between academics at Princeton and Strathclyde, which allowed researchers to use their different expertise to develop and test the theory.

Their multidisciplinary approach included field data from four different continents and computer simulations. PTI HSR UZM

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday virtually indicated his government's inability to promulgate an ordinance on allowing Jallikattu noting that the matter is sub-judice as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met him here seeking Centre's intervention

"While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the Prime Minister observed that the matter is at present sub-judice," the PMO said after the meeting

At the same time, it said, "The Centre would be supportive of the steps taken by the state government."

As protests demanding the lifting of the ban on bull taming sport Jallikattu spread across Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister rushed here last night to meet the Prime Minister with a request for ordinance

With regard to the drought situation in Tamil Nadu, Modi assured Paneerselvam that all possible assistance would be provided to the state.

A central team would be deputed to Tamil Nadu shortly to assess the drought situation, the PMO said.
Though delayed, Tuesdays judgment of the three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, presided over by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar, directing the Kerala government to release the entire compensation to more than 5,000 victims of the banned pesticide endosulfan, mostly newborn children and their families, in three months, is to be welcomed.

The victims are terminally ill from the effects of the pesticide sprayed aerially on cashew plantations adjacent to human habitats in Kasaragode district of Kerala. The Bench also issued a contempt notice against a group for publishing an advertisement in an English daily in March 2012 with a picture of the then Chief Justice, Justice SH Kapadia, claiming that medical reports and surveys on endosulfan victims were fabricated.

Of the 173 countries in the Stockholm Convention, that debated whether or not endosulfan should be banned globally, in Geneva on 24 April 2011, 125 countries banned it outright. Forty-seven chose to sit on the fence, alone in the comity of nations India stood out, arguing vehemently for endosulfan, saying the US Federal Drug Administration ruled in 1998 that the deadly pesticide posed no health hazard.

What the Indian delegation kept under wraps at the Stockholm Convention was the ruling of the US Fish and Wild Life Service that endosulfan was fatal to endangered fish species. Endosulfan, it declared, poses unacceptable risks to farm workers and wildlife.

Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar in the United Progressive Alliance government of Manmohan Singh, abetted by Environment minister Jairam Ramesh, was the lone crusader for endosulfan.

Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha on 22 February 2011, Pawar misled the House saying that many states did not want a ban on the pesticide and that there was no scientific basis for actions recommended on endosulfan by the Stockholm Convention.

A study undertaken by the Kerala government found that endosulfan led to high abortion rates, infertility, intra-uterine deaths and kidney, liver and neuro-behavioural disorders. Among children, congenital heart disease, cerebral palsy and skeletal abnormalities were found.

Schoolgirls were diagnosed with high levels of estrogen which, in the long run, led to cervical and breast cancers. In Kasaragode, 4,273 victims were identified. Thirty-eight per cent of the victims suffered from neuro-behavioural, cognitive disorders while 15 per cent suffered from endocrine, reproductive disorders. Gujarat opposed the ban because it had a vested interest.

Two of the three endosulfan manufacturers, Excel Crop Care Limited and Coromandel International Limited, were based in the state. The licence of the third, public sector Hindustan Insecticides Limited in Ernakulam, to manufacture endosulfan, was cancelled following a satyagraha led by former Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan. Every industry has a social responsibility.
It is hard to believe that the government-financed Khadi Board printed Prime Minister Narendra Modis picture in the familiar pose of Mahatama Gandhi sitting behind the charkha without PMOs permission. Probably somebody at the lower level allowed the Board to go ahead. The furore in the public was so strong that the contradiction was inevitable.

Even then PMO was not as strong as it should have been. In fact, a stern warning should have been issued there and then so that such examples of indiscretion do not go unpunished in future. This might have chastened those who, on one pretext or the other, violate the dignity of the Republic, not realizing that they are insulting themselves. Only the other day, the standing of people was made mandatory when the national anthem is played. People still do not respect the order and open the doors of cinemas even though they are bolted from inside. They think that it is a government order which they do not have to obey.

They do not seem to realise that the national anthem and the Republics flag are sacred because they represent the nations honour and sovereignty. People would have to realise themselves that no order or law can instill patriotism. It is their own feelings which should assert whenever the choice is between what benefits the nation and what benefits an individual or party.

Gandhiji himself was conscious of peoples feelings. As I wrote earlier he stopped his prayer meeting when someone objected to the recitation of Quran. He resumed it only when the person concerned withdrew his opposition. Gandhiji was, however, more successful in Kolkata where the then Chief Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy had declared the Muslim Leagues action plan in response to the Congress Satyagarh.

The action plan turned into a massacre of Hindus and Sikhs with the states connivance. There was retaliation, taking the lives of thousands. Gandhiji went to Kolkata and asked the people to give him their weapons. Even the most affected ones surrendered arms within 24 hours. Lord Mountbatten, who was then the governor general, remarked that the armed forces were of little consequence and a one man force had done the job.

India has traversed a long way since then. It has less faith in pluralism than before. The border drawn on the basis of religion has diluted secularism. But the fault is that of Congress, not that of Muslim League which had demanded from day one the grouping of Muslim majority provinces into a separate, sovereign Islamic state. The Congress which represented secular ethos is itself going away from its ideals.

Abul Kalam Azad, a tall Muslim leader, had warned the Muslims that if they did not feel safe in undivided India where they could say that though less in number they were equal share holders in post independent Indias fortunes they would not be safe anywhere. But the Muslims, were then riding a high horse and were bent upon having even a moth eaten Pakistan. They have inherited a country which is bound to discriminate between Muslims and others. In fact, the living conditions of minorities, whatever their number, is pitiable. There are forced conversions and of non-Muslims marrying Muslim boys.

The Maulanas warning has come true. Roughly 18 crore Muslims have practically no say in the governance of the country. Their plight, as the Sachar report on Indian Muslims said, was worse than that of dalits. Politically, they have ceased to matter. Nor do they assert themselves lest the Hindu chauvinism should take a still more virulent shape. However, the Muslims are themselves hardening their position. The Kashmiris are already behaving as if they are independent. At the time of accession, the popular leader Sheikh Abdullah had supported the Maharaja because he was fighting against the tribals incuding regular troops. It is a different story that he opposed New Delhi when it went beyond the three subjects, Defence, Foreign Affairs and Communications.

Chief Minister Mahbooba Mufti has been criticized by the Kashmiris for having met Prime Minister Modi, who they said, was the Hindus leader. They conventionally forget that he is Indias Prime Minister. Whether they support his views or not many do not in India is not relevant because he came to power after winning 262 seats in the 540 member Lok Sabha.

The example of Zaira Wasim from Kashmir is before us. She acted admirably in a film and, as producer-actor Aamir Khan said in a message she was brilliant. But the pressure of separatists in the Valley was so much that she had to say in a TV interview that she was ashamed of what she had done, disowning her role in the film. Her message was poignant: Girls should not follow her example as if she was telling them about the ordeals she had gone through.

That means that those who are wanting to establish the separate, sovereign Islamic Republic in the Valley are far from satisfied. They know that their opponent is the Indian army. But they go on fighting to register Kashmirs demand for independence. I found them, when I went to Srinagar, relentless.

New Delhi would have to talk to the separatists and see if they could accept real autonomy within India, asking them that India would not spread itself beyond the three subjects: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Communications.

The writer is a noted journalist, communist and commentator.
Donald Trump's debunking of NATO as obsolete  four days before his inaugural  is of a piece with his earlier criticism of the United Nations as an anachronism. Small wonder that the outgoing Secretary of State, John Kerry, has been provoked to advance a word of caution, specifically that the President-elect ought to rein his views  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.

It is the timing of the reckless utterances that has almost immediately caused a flutter in the roost  in-house as well as trans-Atlantic. Indeed, US-Europe dealings are tense even before Friday's grandstanding. While his commitment to NATO is deeply uncertain, he has given strong hints that he will not support EU cohesion once in office.

His contention that the North Atlantic alliance hadn't taken care of terror and the suggestion that other European countries would follow in Britains footsteps was an unsolicited piece of advice on the affairs of other countries. Only Russia appears to have concurred with his perception of NATO.

Trumps geostrategy could scarcely have been more reckless, prompting a blunt retort from Angela Merkel and Fracois Hollande. We Europeans have our fate in our own hands, was the German Chancellors snub. Still more scathing was Presidents Hollande's response  Europe did not need to be told what to do by outsiders. It will be ready to pursue trans-Atlantic cooperation, but it will be based on its interests and values. It does not need outside advice to tell it what to do.

In the net, Trump's foreign policy is under a cloud even before the new Secretary of State has assumed office. Not for him to question the cohesion of Europe, and Mondays verbal duel at the level of Heads of State is embedded in the intemperate outbursts of a President-elect, targeting an entity that has been the bedrock of international relations.

Indeed, Trumps criticism of NATO has been stoutly resented not least because it is a subjective reflection on an issue that is as crucial as it is sensitive across the borders of the Continent, notably the political and military aspect of the alliance.

Foreign ministers of both EU and NATO have already emitted strong signals that there has been no easing of tensions. America's relations with Germany have soured further still with Trump's criticism of Merkel's handling of the refugee crisis  in itself a profoundly humanitarian gesture  and has threatened a 35 per cent tariff on BMW cars imported to the US.

The German official reaction  There is a link between Americas flawed interventionist policy, especially the Iraq war, and the refugee crisis  conveys a harsh truth to the US President-elect.
Sri Lanka's highest court on Thursday issued a subpoena for a Britain-based journalist to appear before it on March 3 on contempt charges.

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court issued the notice on Lankaenews editor, Sandaruwan Senadheera, in connection with 14 cases of contempt of court filed against the exiled editor, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Gamapaha Chief Magistrate also issued an international arrest warrant against him in November, which was to be executed through Interpol for insulting the local judiciary.

Senadheera, who is believed to be residing in exile in Britain, left the country during the government of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He has been accused of publishing a series of articles on his website and the social media, defaming local judges and castigating their character.

The Gampaha Chief Magistrate had also in November instructed the Department of Immigration and Emigration to arrest the editor if he arrives in Sri Lanka.

Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapakse recently informed parliament that legal action will be taken against Senadheera for insulting the country's judges using the Lankaenews website.

Senadheera has rejected all allegations of insulting the judiciary and said the international warrant issued against him was illegal.
From left, Michael Bradley, CJ Hawes and Dori Bryan-Ployer in the MMAS production of "Our Town." (Photo by Laura Gustafson)
WRENTHAM - A dangerousness hearing Thursday for a Norfolk man accused of trying to kill his ex-wife with an ax in January revealed new evidenc
The documents, weighing nearly 15 tonnes, were transported under the supervision of a company of Central Reserve Police Force and NIA sleuths.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently hired an AN-32 aircraft from the Indian Air Force to fly documents on terror funding from Kashmir to Lucknow.

The documents, weighing nearly 15 tonnes, were transported under the supervision of a company of Central Reserve Police Force and NIA sleuths.

Due to shortage of space in the NIA headquarters in New Delhi, the documents, nearly one lakh in number, were flown to the capital of Uttar Pradesh, where the agency has got a new office.

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12 LAKH DOCUMENTS UNDER SCRUTINY

The investigative agency had to hire two trucks to transport the documents to and from the aircraft.

ALSO READ: NIA may get FBI-like powers to investigate terror attacks on Indians abroad

The documents pertain to financial cross-border transactions done mostly between 2015-2016. Each transaction has 12 access points, which implies that 12 more sheets of paper are attached to every transaction.

An NIA officer said the "papers are related to 12 lakh documents which are currently under scrutiny". The agency has roped in a financial analyst to examine the documents.

ALMONDS ALL THE WAY FROM DUBAI?

Among the documents under scrutiny are the ones on California almonds or 'badam giri' emerging as a weapon for terror funding. According to the National Investigation Agency, almonds all the way from Dubai's duty-free market are making their way into the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

ALSO READ: From NIA files: The mastermind and handlers of terrorists, who attacked Pathankot air base

As per the cross-LoC trade agreement between India and Pakistan, products grown in both sides of Jammu and Kashmir are to be exchanged under the barter system. The products included 'Badam giri' that is grown in parts of PoK.

The agency detected an anomaly in the 'badam giri' trade when it found that the quantity sold under the cross-border trade system was way more than what is grown in PoK. NIA said "it arrived on the conclusion after the it accessed figures from Pakistan's agriculture department".

These California almonds, which otherwise cost Rs 600 to Rs 650 per kg in the Valley, are being sold for just Rs 300 to Rs 350 per kg. The lower prices for the almonds have led to surge in sales with traders in PoK making huge profits.

ALSO READ: LoC trade of California almonds new mode of terror funding: NIA

This money, according to the NIA, is then allegedly used by traders to fund terror activities.

The NIA registered a case in this connection in December and carried out searches on traders at trade facilitation centres at Salamabad in Kashmir region's North Kashmir's Baramulla district and Chakan-da-bagh in Poonch district of Jammu region. Presently, 50 traders are under the NIA radar.

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ALSO READ:

Pakistan terror-handlers frustrated, Hurriyat losing ground in Valley: Intel reports

Terror in the Valley: Video surfaces of armed militants roaming freely on Kashmir streets

ALSO WATCH

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In this image made from a video provided by WCVB-TV, Massachusetts State Police lead James Morales, left, into the barracks in Medford Thursday. , Jan. 5, 2017. Morales, who escaped from a Rhode Island detention center on New Years Eve, tried to rob a bank in Somerville, Mass., just before he was captured. When he escaped, he was being held on charges that he stole guns from a U.S. Army Reserve Center in Worcester, Mass. (Stanley Forman/WCVB-TV via AP)


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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Niti Aayog is working on a bill to streamline regulatory framework for medical institutes and replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body.

The bill, which seeks to set up a National Medical Commission (NMC), will be placed before the Cabinet for approval soon.

"The Niti Aayog is working on the proposed National Medical Commission Bill, 2016 and it is likely to be placed before the Cabinet soon," a senior government official said.

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Last year, a high-level committee headed by Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya looked into the issue of poor regulation of medical education by MCI and proposed replacing MCI with NMC.

Besides Panagariya, the panel included Prime Ministers Additional Principal Secretary P K Mishra, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and the Union Health Secretary.

After approval, NMC will become the main regulatory body and will take over all roles and responsibilities of MCI.

The new body will have eminent doctors and experts from related fields to steer medical education in the country so as to ensure quality of education is at par with global standards.

NMC will have around 19-20 members, including the chairman, and their tenure will be about five years. It will also have members from other fields such as economics and law.

It will have four boards -- Under Graduate Medical Board, Post Graduate Medical Board, Accreditation and Assessment Board and a board for registration of medical colleges as well as monitoring of ethics in the profession.

There will also be a Medical Advisory Council (MAC), with members from states who can be eminent professionals. There will be two members from Union Territories. NMC members will also be its members and its role will be advisory.

Last year, a parliamentary committee had called for revamping the MCI, saying it has failed in its role as a regulator which has led to a downfall in Indias medical education system. PTI BKS CS ABM

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Leader Kim Jong Un in his New 's Year speech, said North Korea was close to test launching an ICBM, and state media has said a launch could come at any time.

By Reuters: North Korea may be preparing to test-launch a new, upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), South Korean media reported today, citing military sources.

In his New Year's speech, leader Kim Jong Un said North Korea was close to test launching an ICBM, and state media has said a launch could come at any time. Experts on the isolated and nuclear capable country's missile programme believe the claims to be credible.

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That test launch could be imminent, and potentially coincide with the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, South Korean media said.

South Korean intelligence agencies reported that they had recently spotted missile parts being transported, believed to be the lower-half of an ICBM, raising fears that a test-launch may be imminent, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing unidentified military sources.

HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW: "It was different from a conventional Musudan missile in its length and shape," the source told the Chosun Ilbo, referring to the Musudan intermediate-range missile tested by North Korea last year. "It is possible they were moving it somewhere for assembly," the source said. South Korean defence ministry spokesman Roh Jae-cheon told a regular news briefing that while the reports could not be confirmed, the military was monitoring North Korea's ICBM development. North Korea has in the past paraded mockups of a road-mobile missile believed to be an ICBM design dubbed the KN-08 by outside observers. It is also believed to have an upgraded version, the KN-14. The suspected ICBM is made up of two parts under 15 metres (49 feet) long and is shorter than the KN-08 and KN-14, the Yonhap News Agency said, citing unidentified military sources. "I don't recognise the missiles from this description," said Joshua Pollack, editor of the US-based Nonproliferation Review. "But as we saw in 2016, there's certainly a variety of active missile programmes underway in North Korea". "It's also possible that they are simply conducting field exercises with no plans to launch, or the option to launch if decided," said Pollack. Last year, North Korea conducted a test of an ICBM engine made up of a cluster of smaller rockets, indicating it was working on an ICBM design. Separately, the Washington-based think tank 38 North said today that operations at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear facility may have restarted. North Korea is believed to be able to reprocess plutonium at Yongbyon used in its nuclear warheads.

Also read: North Korea's Kim guides new rocket engine test, calls for satellite launch

Also read: North Korea test-fired missiles to simulate pre-emptive nuclear attack on South Korea

--- ENDS ---
On this day, in 1966, Indira Gandhi became the prime minister, and, in course of time, also one of the most controversial figures to hold the office in the history of India.



Daughter of India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, she was India's first (and so far, only) woman prime minister. She served for 15 years as India's prime minister, from 1966 to 77 (three terms consecutively) and between 1980 and 1984, when she was assassinated. This makes her the second longest serving prime minister after Nehru.



Coming from a family of leaders and prominent figures in the freedom struggle, Gandhi joined the Indian National Congress in 1938. She became part of the party's working committee in 1955, during her father's tenure as prime minister. She also served as the party president from 1959 onwards.



In 1964, when Lal Bahadur Shastri became prime minister, she was a Rajya Sabha member, and also the information and broadcasting minister.



On January 11, 1966, Shastri died of an alleged heart attack in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where he had signed the Tashkent Agreement the day before.



In the ensuing chaos at the Parliament, the party--both the left and right wingsdecided to name Gandhi the party leader. She was sworn in as the prime minister a few days later. The decision was challenged especially by Morarji Desai and the right wing. Desai later became the deputy prime minister.



But by 1971, Gandhi had garnered enough support that led to her victory and took over as the uncontested leader of the country. This was also the year that she called for the invasion of Pakistan, pushing for the secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan.



The rest of her tenure as prime minister was marked by several controversial decisions, including the declaration of Emergency in 1975 (in response to being charged with fraud during the previous election) and sterilisation programmes, among others. She lost her place as the leading party leader in the 1977 elections, and was even imprisoned in 1978 for a short while.



Owing to a failing Janata Party, Gandhi took back her place as prime minister in 1980 with a sweeping victory. In her last term, with the Sikh secessionist movement strong, Punjab faced terrorism and endless violence. In 1984, following Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, her own bodyguards assassinated her on October 31.



Rajiv Gandhi took over as the prime minister after her death. Sanjay Gandhi, her eldest son, had died in an airplane crash in 1980.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to gain political advantage ahead of the Assembly elections in the state by taking part in the Annual Commanders Conference to be held in Dehradun on January 21.

Rawat said in a press conference in Delhi that the state Congress has petitioned the Election Commission against the meeting being held in Uttarakhand while the Model Code of Conduct is in force.

"As per the well publicised instructions of the Election Commission, neither the state government nor the Centre can call a meeting of officials that can influence the voter," Rawat said, claiming that the holding of the conference ahead of the elections was intended to have an impact on voters in Uttarakhand.

He said the objections of the Congress were based on facts and logic. "It is well known that the BJP is projecting Modi's face in these elections. And this conference will be televised and widely publicised. Modi will attend the conference and this can influence the voter," Rawat said.

The Congress' objections also flow from the fact that Uttarakhand has a big concentration of ex-servicemen as well as serving soldiers.

He also accused Modi of using armed forces for political advantage. This, he said, was an insult to the forces and had hurt their pride.

"The Commanders Conference has always been held in Delhi as a tradition, except for the time it was held at INS Vikramaditya. So, why suddenly the Centre has thought of holding the conference in Dehdradun?," he asked.

Rawat further said that if the government was keen on setting a new trend, it would have been better if it held the conference in a border area or in Jammu and Kashmir, and it would have enthused the forces.

"Why could the conference not be held in Pathankot or Uri, which have been hit by terrorists? It would have sent out a strong message," he said.
Massive protests continued on Thursday in Tamil Nadu in support of jallikattu, the ancient and popular bull-taming sport.

At the Marina beach in Chennai, protesters sat through Wednesday night and on Thursday morning, they helped in cleaning up the area which is a litter-free zone.

Thousands of protestors demanded not only an end to the ban on jallikattu but also a ban on People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which opposes the sport.

With several colleges declaring holiday in Chennai and in other parts of the state, the number of students who would assemble at Marina is expected to go up.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to press for promulgation of an ordinance enabling the conduct of jallikattu.

In jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to hang on to the animal's hump for a stipulated distance or for a minimum of three jumps by the bull.

The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned jallikattu, saying that bulls cannot be used as performing animals including bullock-cart races.

Since then, people have been urging the central government to take steps to allow the sport.

The common complaint among the protest leaders was that the Supreme Court had insulted the Tamil culture by disallowing the sport.

In Chennai, the demonstration began on Tuesday morning following the arrest of jallikattu protesters in Madurai district's Alanganallur town well known for conducting the sport.
Amid massive protests in support of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to promulgate an ordinance enabling the holding of the popular bull-taming sport. Modi while assuring support, pointed out that the matter is sub-judice.

Panneerselvam was in the national capital to meet the Prime Minister.

"The ban imposed on Jallikattu by the Supreme Court came up for discussion. While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the Prime Minister observed that the matter is presently sub-judice," the Prime Minister's Office said in a series of tweets.

"The Centre would be supportive of steps taken by the State Government," it added.

Panneerselvam said steps will be taken soon.

"I have asked prime minister to promulgate an emergency ordinance allowing Jallikattu," he told reporters after meeting the Prime Minister.

"The state government will take necessary action in coordination with the central government to hold Jallikattu. The state government's action in relation with Jallikattu would soon be seen.

"The Prime Minister said the central government will support the state government's action on Jallikattu as there is a case pending in the court," he added.

Panneerselvam also said that he and AIADMK chief Sasikala have written to the prime minister on the issue.

The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned Jallikattu, saying that bulls cannot be used as performing animals including in bullock-cart races.

Since then, people have been urging the central government to take steps to allow the sport.

The common complaint among the protest leaders was that the Supreme Court had insulted the Tamil culture by disallowing the traditional sport observed during the harvest festival of Pongal.

In Tamil Nadu, the protests began on Tuesday morning following the arrest of protesters in Madurai district's Alanganallur town, well known for conducting the sport.

In Jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to hang on to the animal's hump for a stipulated distance or for a minimum of three jumps by the bull.

Huge protests continued in Chennai's Marina beach.

The prime minister also assured the Tamil Nadu chief minister that all possible assistance would be provided to the state to address the drought situation.

Panneerselvam said the state government has asked Rs 39,565 crore as drought relief.

"A central team would be deputed to Tamil Nadu shortly," Modi told the chief minister.
Amid massive protests in support of jallikattu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and urged him to promulgate an ordinance enabling the conduct of the ancient bull-taming sport.

However, Modi asserted that the matter was sub-judice.

"The ban imposed on jallikattu by the Supreme Court came up for discussion. While appreciating the cultural significance of jallikattu, the prime minister observed that the matter is presently sub-judice," the Prime Minister's Office said in a series of tweets.

"The Centre would be supportive of steps taken by the state government," it added.

The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned Jallikattu, saying that bulls cannot be used as performing animals including bullock-cart races.

Since then, people have been urging the central government to take steps to allow the sport.

The common complaint among the protest leaders was that the Supreme Court had insulted the Tamil culture by disallowing the sport.

In Tamil Nadu, the protests began on Tuesday morning following the arrest of protesters in Madurai district's Alanganallur town well known for conducting the sport.
Russian authorities have extended US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden's Russian residency permit by three years, the foreign ministry said.

Snowden's residence permit has been extended "until 2020," ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told AFP.

She had previously indicated on Facebook that Snowden's permit had been extended by two years, using a phrase that can be ambiguous in Russian.

Snowden's Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena confirmed to RIA Novosti state news agency that the Russian immigration service in early January extended Snowden's permit by three years, while he has already spent more than three years in the country.

Kucherena added that if Snowden ends up staying in Russia for five years, he will be able to apply for Russian citizenship.

"This will be legally possible in the near future," Kucherena said.

The former National Security Agency contractor shook the American intelligence establishment to its core in 2013 with a series of devastating leaks on mass surveillance in the US and around the world.

The announcement came as outgoing US President Barack Obama commuted the sentence of army private Chelsea Manning, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks.

Snowden was not on Obama's list of commutations or pardons.

Snowden has been living in exile in Russia since the summer of 2013, ending up in the country after spending weeks in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

He was initially granted permission to stay in Russia for one year amid the rapid deterioration in Moscow's relations with Washington.

Kucherena said Snowden "has quite an active life, he travels and visits the provinces, he works."

Snowden has not made any public appearances in Russia since his arrival although he has given interviews in secret locations.

The revelations from the documents he leaked sparked a massive row over the data sweeps conducted by the US domestically and in allied nations, including of their leaders.

Snowden welcomed the action on Manning's sentence, writing on Twitter: "Let it be said here in earnest, with good heart: Thanks, Obama."
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 19 (PTI) Hours before he demits the White House, President Barack Obama made a farewell telephone call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to thank him for his partnership that enhanced Indo-US strategic ties and reviewed the significant progress achieved on the economic and security fronts, including on defence and civil nuclear energy.

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During the conversation between the two leaders yesterday, Prime Minister Modi thanked Obama for his strong support and contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between India and the US.

The White House, in readout of the conversation, said Obama telephoned Modi to thank him for his partnership and to review joint efforts of cooperation including defence, civil- nuclear energy, and enhanced people-to-people ties.

"Recalling his visit as the chief guest at Indias Republic Day celebrations in 2015, President Obama wished the Prime Minister warm congratulations ahead of Indias upcoming 68th Republic Day anniversary," the White House said.

"Both leaders discussed the progress they have made on shared economic and security priorities, including recognition of India as a major defence partner of the United States and addressing the global challenge of climate change," it said.

In New Delhi, the PMO in a statement, said the two leaders "reviewed with satisfaction" the significant all round progress and cooperation in ties between India and the US in the past few years.

Modi conveyed his best wishes to Obama in his future endeavours.

Obama was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his electoral victory in May 2014 and immediately invited him to visit the White House.

The two leaders met at the White House in September 2014. Since then they have met each other eight times, a record for leaders from India and America.

According to Assistant Secretary of State for South and central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal, the two leaders share a very warm relationship.

"They have a great deal of personal camaraderie. But they also have a great deal of respect for each other for the leadership and the values and the integrity of each others approach," Biswal had said.

Obama, the 44th US President will end his eight years of presidency on January 20. He would be succeeded by Donald Trump. PTI LKJ ASV PMS AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
[PHOTOS & VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] According to early reports based on a preliminary investigation in Um Chiran, the Bedouin village were the vehicular ramming attack occurred earlier, the terrorist who tried to ram into border police was employed in the local education system. He was shot and killed. He was affiliated with the Southern Branch of the Israel Islamic Association as well as ISIS and police are not ruling out that this attack was carried out in the name of ISIS.

Two people other than the terrorist were killed in the attack. A gag order prohibits releasing additional details. A number of wounded were transported to the emergency room of Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva, both civilians and security personnel. One of the wounded is Arab MK Ayman Odeh.

Hundreds of security forces arrived shortly before sunrise to protect officials who were planning to execute demolition orders on many illegal structures built in the Bedouin community. At this time a tense quiet prevails following bouts of clashes between residents and police.

The village has been the subject of High Court intervention as the dispute has been ongoing for about a decade. Um el-Chiran is not recognized by the state and Jews wanted to build in the area while the Bedouin community has objected. Ultimately, the High Court ruled against the village and security officials arrived to protect agents armed with court orders to destroy the illegal structures.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Three nations shelled out around $160 million and years worth of work on the underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The result: No plane. The only tangible  and arguably most important  clues into what happened to the aircraft have come courtesy of ordinary citizens, who bore the costs themselves.

The deep-sea sonar search for the vanished Boeing 777 was suspended on Tuesday after officials conceded defeat following the most expensive, complex aviation search in history.

But while search crews spent years trawling in futility through a remote patch of the Indian Ocean, people wandering along beaches thousands of kilometers (miles) away began spotting pieces of the plane that had washed ashore. Those pieces have provided crucial information to investigators and prompted some to question whether Malaysia, Australia and China  who funded the hunt for the underwater wreckage  missed key opportunities by failing to organize coastal searches for the remnants that drifted to distant shorelines.

It would have been good to have been getting people looking for debris, said David Griffin, an Australian government oceanographer who worked on an analysis of how the debris drifted in a bid to pinpoint where the plane crashed. I think that was a job that fell between the cracks of whose responsibility it was.

Since the plane vanished on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, more than 20 pieces of debris confirmed or believed likely to have come from the aircraft have turned up on beaches along the east coast of Africa and on islands including Madagascar. All of the parts have been found by local residents and tourists who stumbled upon them, and by Blaine Gibson, an American amateur sleuth who launched his own, self-funded hunt for debris after working with oceanographers to estimate where bits of the plane may have ended up.

Several family members of Flight 370s passengers asked officials to launch a search along the coastlines for parts of the plane. When their pleas went unheeded, they banded together and traveled to Madagascar to encourage residents to keep an eye out for more debris. The family members, who covered all their travel expenses themselves, even offered a potential reward to anyone who found a piece of Flight 370.

Grace Nathan, a Malaysian whose mother was on board Flight 370, was among those who made the trip to Madagascar last month. She is deeply frustrated that the families felt compelled to take on the task themselves, and that the underwater search yielded nothing.

Every single clue to date has been found by private individuals by chance, Nathan said. Not a single piece of hard evidence has been found by the official search.

Nathan believes the governments failure to search for coastal debris may have resulted in missed clues.

They should have done more to initiate something like what we did, she said. We are laypeople. We dont have the kind of reach they have, we dont have the kind of contacts that they have.

Initially, experts believed that the pieces washing ashore would be virtually useless to the investigation. Too much time had passed, they argued, and ocean currents are too volatile to make it possible to trace the pieces back to their origin.

Yet the recovered parts of the plane provided valuable insight into what happened to it. They confirmed, firstly, that the aircraft went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean. Before the first part  a piece of airplane wing known as a flaperon  was discovered on Reunion Island, farther east of Madagascar, in 2015, some people continued to insist the plane had flown north into Asia, rather than heading south. The flaperon effectively killed that theory and bolstered the investigators interpretation of satellite data that indicated the plane had ended up somewhere along a vast arc slicing across the Indian Ocean.

A wing flap that washed up in Tanzania also gave investigators clues into what happened in the final moments of the planes flight. No one knows why the aircraft veered so far off-course after takeoff and turned south into the Indian Ocean, though Malaysian officials have said the planes erratic movements after takeoff were consistent with deliberate actions. Investigators operated on the theory that the plane was on autopilot in its final hours before it ran out of fuel and plummeted into the sea.

A key question was whether anyone was still at the controls when the plane hit the water, which would affect how far the plane could glide after running out of fuel. Critics who favor the theory that Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah hijacked the plane say he could have made a controlled ditch at sea in order to minimize debris and help the plane disappear as completely as possible.

But an analysis of the wing flap by Australian investigators suggested it had not been deployed when it hit the water. A pilot attempting a soft landing would have extended the flaps.

The flaperon and other debris also helped officials narrow down the potential search zone. Griffin, the Australian oceanographer, set replicas of the flaperon adrift in the ocean, measuring how fast they traveled and noting how much the wind influences their rate of speed. He and his team then ran computer simulations of how the aircraft parts could have drifted, giving them an idea of where they originated. Late last year, investigators coupled that drift information with a fresh analysis of other data on the planes movements and concluded that search crews were looking in the wrong part of the Indian Ocean. The investigators recommended crews instead search an area to the north, where they now believe the plane may lie.

But Australia, Malaysia and China have nixed that idea, saying they wont relaunch the search until they have credible evidence pointing to the planes exact location.

That decision has stunned Gibson, the American who has found MH370 debris. To him, the debris that has been found is the most credible evidence investigators have.

Debris is the key. Debris is the main clue. Those are actually pieces of the plane, he says. The debris is really narrowing it down better than its ever been narrowed.  Theres no excuse for them to not go search that area.

(AP)
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 19 (PTI) The outgoing US President Barack Obama spoke to his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani and CEO Dr Abdullah Adbullah over phone and expressed deep appreciation for the steadfast partnership between the two countries, the White House said.

In a readout, the White House said Obama yesterday spoke by phone with Ghani, who was joined by the Chief Executive Officer of Afghanistan Dr Abdullah Abdullah.

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"President Obama expressed his deep appreciation for the steadfast partnership between the United States and Afghanistan," a readout of the telephonic conversation between the two leaders said.

"He commended the leaders for their commitment to the Afghan people and applauded the National Unity Governments efforts to reduce corruption and support the rule of law," it said.

"The President encouraged both leaders to continue their shared efforts to enhance national unity and support a lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan," the White House said. PTI LKJ CK

--- ENDS ---
Australian officials defended their suspension of the fruitless deep-sea sonar search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, insisting on Wednesday that the enormous costs involved played no role in their decision to halt the nearly three-year hunt.

Australias Transport Minister Darren Chester also said that while the search had been called off on Tuesday, work behind the scenes would go on, with experts continuing to analyze data associated with the doomed aircrafts final hours and examining any future debris that washes ashore. But he declined to specify what kind of breakthrough would convince officials to resume the search for the Boeing 777s underwater wreckage.

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.

Australia, Malaysia and China  which have funded the $160 million search  have rejected pleas from family members of the passengers and some investigators that search crews be allowed to keep going. China is involved because more than half of the 239 people on board the plane were Chinese.

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 west of Australia, experts concluded they had been looking in the wrong place and should have been searching a smaller area immediately to the north. But by then, the three countries had already agreed not to search elsewhere without evidence of the planes exact location.

Chester defended the decision to call off the hunt without checking the new area to the north, saying, No one is coming to me as minister and saying, We know where MH370 is.' And he insisted the high price of the search had nothing to do with pulling the plug.

It is a costly exercise, but it hasnt been the factor which led to the decision to suspend the search, Chester said. We dont 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.

Officials are facing a no-win situation, the transport minister said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Call off the search, he said, and disappoint those who want resolution to the worlds greatest aviation mystery. Keep going, and face the wrath of taxpayers who have already spent millions of dollars with no result.

The new 25,000-square kilometer (9,700-square mile) area to the north was determined with the help of drift modeling by Australias Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, which attempted to calculate where debris that has washed ashore on coastlines in the western Indian Ocean originated.

Chester said that drift modeling would continue, and experts will scrutinize any further debris that washes up. Investigators will also continue to refine the satellite data that led them to conclude the plane went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean after it vanished on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he empathized with the families who want the search to go on, but said officials had done the best they could under extraordinary circumstances.

We share their deep disappointment that the plane has not been found, Turnbull told reporters. It is an unprecedented search. Its been conducted with the best advice over the areas that were identified as the most likely to find the location of the airplane. It is a shocking tragedy and we grieve and we deeply regret the loss and we deeply regret that the plane has not been found.

Tony Abbott, who was Australias prime minister when the Boeing 777 disappeared, suggested the search should continue. Abbott pledged on the first anniversary of the tragedy: It cant go on forever, but as long as there are reasonable leads, the search will go on. On Tuesday, he tweeted: Disappointed that the search for MH370 has been called off. Especially if some experts think there are better places to look.

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.

Chester said he had not given up hope of resolution  though he conceded answers may be a long way off.

Its an extraordinary aviation mystery as it stands today, he said. Im hopeful that we have a breakthrough in the future. We need to prepare ourselves for the sad and tragic reality that in this foreseeable future, we may not find MH370.

(AP)
[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Following the preliminary investigation into the Wednesday morning events in the Bedouin village of Um Chiran, security authorities have permitted publishing details that were blocked by a gag order earlier.

Live ammunition was fired at police, who arrived at the Bedouin community during the predawn hours to escort officials carrying out demolition orders against illegal structures. While they were being targeted with live ammunition by protestors, police responded with rubber-coated bullets and smoke grenades. There are still unconfirmed reports that a protestor was killed. Staff-Sgt. Erez Levi HYD was killed in the vehicular ramming attack. One of the area residents drove his vehicle at border police in an attempt to run them over. According to police, the driver was employed in the local education system and was a member of the Southern Branch of the Israel Islamic Association. He is also believed to have an affiliation with ISIS and he may have carried out the attack in ISIS name.

One of the protestors wounded by rubber bullets was Arab MK Ayman Odeh, who was transported to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva. He was reprimanded in a media statement released by Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan for inciting violence against police rather than to work to calm the potentially volatile situation.

The video shows the vehicular ramming attack and one can hear the police gunfire in the background.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
President Reuven Rivlin over the weekend will be hospitalized for 24 hours to have a cardiac pacemaker installed. He will resume his presidential authority throughout the entire hospitalization period.

The procedure will be done without anesthesia and doctors hope to release him to rest in the Presidents Residence upon completion of the procedure.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
On Wednesday morning 20 Teves, 14 suspects including a former Member of Knesset were questioned by police in the National Fraud Investigations Unit. Many or most of the suspects were arraigned with police seeking to extend their remand in the widening case.

The investigation involves the Netivei Yisrael National Transportation Infrastructure Company, https://www.iroads.co.il/en an investigation that has been taking place for years spanning a number of director-generals and other senior personnel. Suspicions include giving and accepting bribes, breach of trust, submitting fraudulent documents, and an array of other white collar crimes.

On Wednesday morning, police and Israel Tax Authority agents raided homes and offices of the suspects. Cash amounting to tens of thousands of shekels and documents were confiscated along with other non-specified property.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
A manager of a James Richardson storage facility in Ashdod is in custody after being documented stealing hundreds of items from the duty-free company.

The suspect manages the storage facilty in the Port of Ashdod store of the company, with authorities reporting he has taken hundreds of items without paying for them. Some of the items taken were allegedly given to other employees of the port. Police believe other items were sold for profit. The Ashkelon Magistrate Court on Wednesday, 20 Teves, extended the suspects remand.

After receiving a complaint, the drug unit of the Israel Customs Authority launched an undercover investigation which led to the arrest. A second person was arrested later on Wednesday as well, a senior port worker with clearance to enter most facilities. Technology was used during the investigation to document the actions of the suspect, usually placing items under his garments. When the suspects home was checked, hundreds of items from the duty-free were found.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

MK Basel Ghattas is about to be indicted for allegedly smuggling mobile phones and components to terrorists imprisoned in Israel Ketziot Prison. Ghattas has given up his parliamentary immunity and is banned from Knesset, waiting for the indictment.

A surprise search of the prison has revealed two working mobile phones, three chargers, and eight homemade knives hidden in a wall. In addition, security officials found two SIM cards and earphones along with an electric shocker.

One should understand that attorneys visiting their clients and MKs are not compelled to undergo a search before meeting with terrorists, which is how Ghattas succeeded in his mission as a courier.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley pledged her support for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a shift firmly endorsed by Donald Trump but one that could trigger more violence in the Middle East.

Haley, Trumps pick to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that she absolutely backs the embassy move because thats what Israel and congressional Republicans want. But a spokesman for Jordans government recently told The Associated Press that the embassy move would be a red line for Amman and inflame the Islamic and Arab streets.

Jordan serves as custodian of a major Islamic shrine in east Jerusalem and the Palestinians seek a capital there.

Haley also took a tougher stance against Russia than Trump, who will be sworn in Friday. She told the committee that she believes Russia committed war crimes by bombing Syrian civilians in the city of Aleppo. Rex Tillerson, Trumps choice for secretary of state, declined to make that accusation during his confirmation hearing last week.

She said she doesnt think that the United States can trust Moscow right now and said shes against lifting existing sanctions against Russia unless it changes its behavior. But she acknowledged there are areas, such as counterterrorism, where the two countries can cooperate.

The problem is there are no boundaries with Russia, said Haley, who added that the U.S. needs to let Moscow know we are not OK with its annexation of Crimea and incursion in Ukraine.

During the hearing, Haley assailed the Obama administration for failing to block a U.N. Security Council resolution that condemned Israels settlements in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. She pledged to reject future measures that she said unfairly targeted the Jewish state, if the Senate confirms her nomination.

Haley said she wont go to U.N. headquarters in New York and abstain when the U.N. seeks to create an international environment that encourages boycotts of Israel.

She told the committee the U.N. resolution was a terrible mistake that makes a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians harder to achieve.

Haley also said the U.N. has a long history of anti-Israel bias, and that during the most recent U.N. General Assembly session, the international body adopted 20 resolutions against Israel and only six targeting the rest of the worlds countries combined.

Haley acknowledged that she is new to international diplomacy. But she said while the U.N. has had many successes, citing health and food programs that have saved millions of lives, any honest assessment also finds an institution that is often at odds with American national interests and American taxpayers.

The United States contributes 22 percent of the organizations budget, and Haley questioned whether such a sizeable investment is worthwhile.

We are a generous nation, Haley said. But we must ask ourselves what good is being accomplished by this disproportionate contribution. Are we getting what we pay for?

But she said she would not endorse a slash and burn strategy when it comes to determining where to spend money.

Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, the committees top Democrat, said that despite the U.N. shortcomings, it is almost impossible to imagine a world without the U.N. He emphasized the need to strengthen Americas alliances, particularly in light of Trumps view that NATO is obsolete.

We need to be reassuring our allies, not threatening to abandon them, Cardin told Haley.

Last December, Israel and its supporters lashed out at Obama for his decision to abstain and allow the U.N. Security Council to approve the resolution, which called the Israeli settlements a flagrant violation under international law.

But Secretary of State John Kerry defended the decision in a speech last month, saying the U.S. was standing up for a two-state solution when it abstained on the resolution. He criticized Israel for settlement building and blamed Netanyahu for dragging Israel away from democracy. Kerry said expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem are leading to an irreversible one-state reality.

(AP)
Federal authorities say theyre investigating threats to Jewish centers nationwide.

A brief FBI statement Wednesday says it and the Justice Departments civil-rights division are investigating possible civil rights violations in connection with threats. The statement from the agencys Washington headquarters doesnt characterize the threats.

But the Anti-Defamation League the same day issued a statement citing a series of bomb threats to Jewish community centers in at least 17 states.

The ADLs Jonathan Greenblatt adds about actual explosives that so far these threats do not appear to be credible. But the statement says centers should still take them seriously.

The ADL says its received reports of threats in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Delaware, Connecticut, Alabama, California, Maine, Tennessee, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas and Kansas.

(AP)
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

Open Oers? What is that?

We will get that, but first a piece about the Tefilah of HaNosain Teshuah, then a bit of news.

The prayer for the secular government has its origins in Sefer Yirmiyahu (29:7) Seek the welfare of the city.. and pray to Hashem on its behalf.. It also appears in Pirkei Avos (3:2), where Rabbi Chananya Sgan HaCohanim says, Pray for the welfare of the government. However, the prayer of HaNosain Teshuah first appears in the form that we know  in the Pinkas HaIr of the Worms dating back to 1096 CE. In the photograph above, we find the Tefilah in a siddur from England.

What if, for the sake of argument, the government under discussion is evil so to speak? Is the prayer recited then too? Lets realize that Rabbi Chananya was referring to Roman times where the local populations were exploited and murdered in order to achieve goals and aims of the Roman Empire.

Now the news: Arutz Sheva recently ran an article that highlighted how Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, dean of the Valley Beth Midrash in Phoenix, Arizona, has rewritten the traditional prayer for the government  so as to avoid actually blessing the 45th president. It has also been reported that he declared a fast day for Friday on the occasion of the next presidents inauguration. Forget about the halacha that we dont do fast days on Erev Shabbos, but lets get back to his new version of HaNosain Teshuah.

Because of my commitment to the integrity of prayer, starting this week, I can no longer recite or say amen to the Shabbat prayer for the success of the U.S. President, Yanklowitz wrote.

The prayer itself reads in part: Guide the incoming leader of this country away from his basest instincts, thwart his plans to target certain groups and strengthen white supremacy; for You know, G-d, that all were created in Your image.

It continues, We pray that the decrees from the Executive office do not harm the innocent. We pray that any policies that are meant to harm the vulnerable in prioritization of the powerful and privileged will be quashed. Should there be plans that will merely benefit the most privileged Americans, but not all of humankind and the planet we call home, may they fail. May our nation not consort or conspire with totalitarian despots but reaffirm our commitment to freedom and democracy. Grant us the strength to demonstrate spiritual resistance, to imbue our sinews with the highest integrity. Give us the wisdom and courage to do whats right to protect the most powerless and defenseless in society.

Now the explanation for Open Oers.

It is suggested that for the sake of not misleading others, Orthodox publications and news sites should not be calling Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz Open Orthodox because by no means is he Orthodox. This just serves to confuse the non-Jewish media into thinking that he does represent Orthodox Judaism is some sense. He does not.

We should be calling them Open Oers instead.

His writings, from a theological sense, reflect a perspective that is so beyond the pale that it does not fit into Orthodox Judaism in any sense.

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitzs writings on Mashiach being a Christian concept that influenced Judaism, and other writings of his, clearly place him far outside the orbit of Orthodox Judaism. The following quotes are from an article he had published in the Jewish Week, February 1, 2012.

We have made too many mistakes throughout history, thinking that the Messiah is a person or event.. It was Christian influence that helped further this idea of the single divine human. The Jewish notion, preceding that, suggested that all people are imbued with Divinity.

At the end of the day, I would like to suggest that we are Moshiachwe are the ones we have been waiting for.

http://www.thejewishweek.com/features/street_torah/most_important_and_dangerous_jewish_value_messianic_impulse

This article is a flat-out denial of a cardinal principle of Judaism  the arrival and anticipation of Moshiach. He has written that the identity of the much waited for Messiah is us. This flies in the face of the Talmud, Maimonides and thousands of years of Jewish tradition.

It is disingenuous for Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz to claim that he is Orthodox and deny fundamentals of Judaism. Open Oer is a much better designation.

In a Tisha BAv reflection, this past Tisha BAv, Rabbi Yanklowitz actually denies the rebuilding of the third Beis HaMikdash. Below are some quotes and the link.

The fantasy of returning to one centralized monolithic form of Judaism is not only wishful thinking. Its also dismissive of two of the most important aspects of modern Jewish life: diversity and adaptability.

Further, in any centralized system of authority, abuses of power and limits of transparency and empowerment have proven to be inevitable. The new paradigm that the Temples destruction and exile from Israel enabled is one that says, Bring G-d into your hearts and into the wide world every day and in every way; the Temple was a vehicle for this once, now we have so much more.

 It is natural to long for past models in a world of uncertainty but we must move forward with courage, creativity, and open hearts to build a world of justice, kindness, and holiness where G-d can reside.

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/also-have-trouble-mourning-on-tisha-bav/#ixzz33Pmpp5DO

These articles and more have placed Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz far outside the orbit of Orthodox Judaism. The Im okay, your okay attitude cannot stretch the boundaries of the umbrella of orthodoxy to include someone who denies the meaning of the idea of Moshiach and of rebuilding the Beis HaMikdash.

This is not a matter of misinterpretation, he really writes and believes this. The very Tefilos of our synagogues, our Shmoneh Esreh, indeed, even of the last line in the counting of the Omer would have to be thrown out in order to comport with Rabbi Shmulys theological writings.

It is particularly sad, because it is clear that Rabbi Shmuly is a man of great sensitivities. His work in Haiti, in improving conditions for prisoners, in calling for greater transparency in charitable organization, all point to a man of good midos. His concern for social welfare, for immigrant rights, for the downtrodden and weak; indeed, his concern for others  are all very important and admirable qualities.

There is obfuscation going on here, of the highest order. The obfuscation involves not only this Rabbi, but an entire group of others, presenting their ideas that lie far beyond the pale of orthodoxy, as if they are orthodox.

Chovevei Torah and Open Orthodoxy have taken the most radical positions on issues of Biblical Criticism, changing the formulation of blessings instituted by the Men of the Great Assembly, recognizing marriages that the Torah clearly prohibits and engaging in interfaith activities that are clearly forbidden by Halacha.

Rabbi Zev Farber, a leading Open Orthodox thinker, has taken the position that Sefer Dvarim was not written by Moshe Rabbeinu and came significantly later. This is not and cannot comport with the theological views of the Talmud, the Shulchan Aruch, and Orthodox Judaism. [See for example, http://thetorah.com/torah-history-judaism-part-3/ and http://thetorah.com/torah-history-judaism-part-4/ for starters.

Elsewhere Rabbi Farber has written:

The same holds true of the description of the development of Israel. The idea that the twelve tribes of Israel were formed by the twelve sons of Jacob has all the appearances of a schematic attempt of Israelites to explain themselves to themselves: We are all one family because we are all children of the same father. These Torah stories are not history, the recording of past events, they are mnemohistory, the construction of shared cultural-memory through narratives about the past.

It is impossible to regard the accounts of mass Exodus from Egypt, the wilderness experience or the coordinated, swift and complete conquest of the entire land of Canaan under Joshua as historical.

The popular idea that the Torahs holiness stems only from the historicity of its claims, dictated by the mouth of G-d, strikes me as an attempt to depict the Almighty as a news reporter.

[See http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2013/07/26/belief-in-torah-min-ha-shamayim-damage-control-by-yct/#ixzz33RD0Wyx6 ]

Orthodox organizations should, in this authors opinion re-designate Open Orthodoxy to Open Oers to stop the terrible confusion.

The author can be reached at [email protected]
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

He was the master of the genre  indeed, the very inventor of it. The genre Rabbi J. David Bleich invented was writing about the confluence of new technology and how the Poskim understand and deal with its halachic implications. Ever since the first volume appeared, Rabbi Bleichs Contemporary Halachic Problems have consistently shown a comprehensive and remarkable mastery of the underlying halachic material. The first volume of this series appeared way back in 1976.

I recall sitting with a dictionary, breaking my teeth trying to decipher and decode the Rabbis words. His vast legal vocabulary was certainly a hurdle, as we all yearned to understand his presentation of the various halachic views of contemporary issues. It is now four decades later, and, true to his fashion, Rav Bleichs latest seventh volume, just released on January 1st of 2017, does not disappoint.

As in previous volumes, Rav Bleichs treatment of a subject matter is quite thorough. Nine times out of ten, his material is more thoroughly researched than that which appears in Hebrew volumes that discuss the same issue. There is a difference, however, between Rav Bleichs first volume in 1976 and his current one 40 years later. Back then, Rabbi Bleich was a chronicler of contemporary halacha. Now, in and of himself, he is an espouser and innovator of it. His other publications and the incisive comments he often includes after his survey of the recent halachic material he covers are proof to that.

In this volume, Rav Bleich deals with a number of fascinating issues: the liability of product manufacturers and halacha, detached buttons on Shabbos, Cochlear implants, harm caused by spiritual damage, the property rights of the deceased, acquiring lost property through the use of chatzer, fathering a child after ones death, numerous mothers and halacha, a Bris milah using a laser, medical tattooing, entering a church, video surveillance and yichud, video surveillance and cholov yisroel, a number of Pesach issues and much more.

Rav Bleich, as was his style since the very beginning is attuned to the nuances of halacha. He notes (p. 300) the novel reading of Rav Vosner in Shaivet HaLevi III #175 that would forbid use of a partial ovum donated by a married woman from a drasha of the verse vedavak bishto found in an acharon  the Keren Orah. The Keren Orah is used by Rav Vosner to actually forbid a situation where someone else contributed to the childs genesis. Rav Bleich compares Rav Vosners view to that of Rav Elyashivs and wonders whether Rav Elyashivs concerns were the same.

On page 487, Rav Bleich deals with the issue of Styrofoam cups, citing the late Rabbi Blumenkranzs view that Styrofoam cups are forbidden on account of the zinc stearate used to release the cup from its mold during the manufacturing process. Rav Bleich discusses a number of pertinent halachos, and in a footnote dismisses Rav Gavriel Zinners discussion of the matter in the Taives 5765 edition of Ohr Yisroel (a Torah journal published in Brooklyn). There are, however, a number of authors that address the issue that same journal which Rav Bleich does not cite. In this authors own conversations with the late Rav Blumenkranz zl, I made a startling discovery which could explain a number of Rabbi Blumenkranzs halachic positions. He did not hold of the use of snifim (the combined marshalling of a multiplicity of leniencies) to create a general halachic leniency. When I brought this up to some of his children, however, they were not in agreement that this view was part of his methodology of psak halacha.

In chapter three, on Scientific Hypotheses and Halachic Inerrancy, regarding spontaneous generation, Rav Bleich is not bashful in calling out R. Natan Slifkins misreading or misunderstanding of Rav Yitzchok haLevis view on the matter (p. 86). Rav Bleich points out Rav Herzogs awareness of current rejection of spontaneous generation, but states that the words, We have only the words of Chazal does not at all indicate that he believed Chazal to be in error.

On page 119, Rav Bleich discusses the various views as to whether a video camera is sufficient to address the prohibition of yichud, seclusion with someone who is not ones spouse. He discusses Rav Vosners and Rav Gavriel Zinners view that the video camera is similar to a minor between the ages of five and nine. They permit it if the video camera is manned, but not for someone who is libo gas bah. This author strongly believes that this leniency is wrong and should not be employed at all. The reason being is that there have been many cases where false representations were made that video feeds were being watched and they were not  causing predators to take advantage of others. Rav Bleich perhaps should have discussed the limitations of this technological solution.

And while the serious tone of the material may seem somber and solemn, Rabbi Bleichs sense of humor does come out in full force on the bottom of page 242. The reviewer will not spoil the humorous linguistical gymnastics Rabbi Bleich employs. Read it yourself.

The book is published by Maggidbooks and can be ordered on Amazon.com. But they say that there are only six left.

The author can be reached at [email protected]
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 19 (PTI) Outgoing US President Barack Obama telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to thank him for his partnership that enhanced Indo-US strategic ties as they reviewed the significant progress they have made on the shared economic and security priorities of the two nations.

During the conversation between the two leaders yesterday, Prime Minister Modi thanked Obama for his strong support and contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between India and the US.

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The White House, in readout of the conversation, said Obama telephoned Modi to thank him for his partnership and to review joint efforts of cooperation including defence, civil- nuclear energy, and enhanced people-to-people ties.

"Recalling his visit as the chief guest at Indias Republic Day celebrations in 2015, President Obama wished the Prime Minister warm congratulations ahead of Indias upcoming 68th Republic Day anniversary," the White House said.

"Both leaders discussed the progress they have made on shared economic and security priorities, including recognition of India as a major defence partner of the United States and addressing the global challenge of climate change," it said.

In New Delhi, the PMO in a statement said the two leaders "reviewed with satisfaction" the significant all round progress and cooperation in ties between India and the US in the past few years.

Modi conveyed his best wishes to Obama in his future endeavours.

Obama was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his electoral victory in May 2014 and immediately invited him to visit the White House.

The two leaders met at the White House in September 2014. Since then they have met each other eight times, a record for leaders from India and America.

According to Assistant Secretary of State for South and central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal, the two leaders share a very warm relationship.

"They have a great deal of personal camaraderie. But they also have a great deal of respect for each other for the leadership and the values and the integrity of each others approach," Biswal had said.

Obama, the 44th US President will end his eight years of presidency on January 20. He would be succeeded by Donald Trump. PTI LKJ ASV PMS AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---
Yesterday, President Barack Obama announced that he had commutated the sentences of 209 individuals and pardoned 64 others. I was dismayed to see that Sholom Rubashkins name was not among those issued clemency. In response, I prepared a letter with several of my colleagues to the President as a last ditch effort to ask for his compassion for Mr. Rubashkin, a 51 year old father of ten children who was sentenced to 27 years in prison. Mr. Rubashkin has already served seven years for his non-violent offenses. In April of 2016, 107 officials signed a letter to the US Attorney in support of Mr. Rubashkins motion to vacate his sentence. These signatories included six former United States Attorney Generals, federal judges, and other Department of Justice officials.

I sent my letter to President Obama, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, the US Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, and the White House Counsel to the President.

I believe that Mr. Rubashkin deserves to be freed. If you agree, get involved by calling the White House at 202-456-1414 or email President Obama at https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact.

(Letter attached below)
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

It is now a yearly event, and it is time that a line be drawn.

It is wrong to take a synagogue, to remove the Mechitzos, and to host a party atmosphere with mixed singing and dancing. To have a non-Jewish clergyman from a very different faith lead that singing in a place where the Torah is normally read adds to the shock of it all. To have an entire cadre of female church choir members sing in front of the shuls Aron Kodesh is the icing on that cake.

In celebrating Martin Luther King Day this year, Rabbi Avi Weiss once again crossed a line. The crossing of the line was that Rabbi Weiss held this celebration within the confines of an ostensibly orthodox synagogue in front of an Aron Kodesh, replete with mixed-gender singing, a mixed-gender choir, and a mixed-gender crowd.

One would be hard-pressed to find a better method to disrespect a shul.

In Shulchan Aruch, the parameters for what is halachically considered darchei emori, following the ways of the gentiles, are either a] origins in Avodah Zarah or b] origins in non-tznius behavior. Not only is this celebration rooted in both of these  the fact that they are happening in front of an Aron Kodesh and on a bima makes it worse than darchei emori.

There is no question that the civil rights movement was a great movement. Hashem created all people btzelem elokim and we must remove racism from our midst. And no one is questioning that Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King was a remarkable civil rights leader who fought racism peacefully, touched the hearts of the nation, and changed the face of America -making everyone a better person. But we do not do this at the expense of throwing out halacha and kavod for the last remnant we have of the Beis HaMikdash  the shuls.

Even for the greatest manifestation of redemption from slavery we do not throw out halacha in order to celebrate. Kol Isha? Mixed dancing? Church choirs in shul?

Really??

Rabbi Weiss has re-invented his brand of Judaism as a social movement, and while doing so has trampled upon both the sanctity and boundaries of Halacha. This brand of Judaism should not have the word Orthodox in it  because it is clearly and demonstrably not. We should call them something else.

Leaders of his Open O movement have openly written their thinking about the text of the Bible that parallels the positions of Reform and Conservative Judaism  but not an orthodox one.

Imagine, for a moment, if the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America celebrated in this manner in the Supreme Court building across from the capitol building in Washington D.C. Certainly the Supreme Court building, with its hallowed halls, bronze doors, and marble facades, requires a certain decorum by virtue of the fact that it is the highest court in the nation and represents the apogee of American judicial jurisprudence. How much more so does a Mikdash meat, require a sense of awe and majesty.

Many Poskim rule that it is not just the building of the shul, but the very air of the synagogue is infused with holiness. The Gemorah tells us that Rav Yochanan used to actually curse those who profaned the synagogue with matters mundane.

This is not Torah Judaism. It is a manifestation of feel-good-ism that allows everything and anything to slowly creep into thousands of years of Jewish tradition. It is a brand of Judaism that adopts and incorporates within it the latest trends and fashions of the society around us.

Rabbi Weiss, you were once a wonderful soul that infused people with a love of Klal Yisroel and of Judaism. You have got to stop this and regain perspective. Use your talents to grow Torah Judaism  not divide it.

Inadvertently perhaps, you have given birth to a movement that rips apart Yiddishkeit from within. Its writings and actions are infused with elements quite foreign to Judaism. Eventually, you will have succeeded in creating yet another schism within Judaism. Is this what you want? Is this your legacy?

The author can be reached at [email protected]
The car rationing scheme is unlikely to be back on Delhi's roads until next winters even if the Environment Pollution Control Committee's (EPCA) 'graded response action plan' for NCR kicks in immediately.

Experts said the time period for severe pollution is over for this season.

By Baishali Adak: The 'odd-even' car rationing scheme is unlikely to be back on Delhi's roads until next winters even if the Environment Pollution Control Committee's (EPCA) 'graded response action plan' for NCR kicks in immediately.

This is because the "maximum risk for high level pollution exists till January 14 generally," said Dr Dipankar Saha, additional director and head of the Air Laboratory at the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). "After Makar Sakranti, temperatures go up and pollutants gathered close to earth's surface disperse considerably. The next flare up, warranting enforcement of odd-even as per the graded response action plan, may occur after autumn 2017 only," he added.

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The Centre had recently issued a notification authorizing the SC appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA)- headed by former bureaucrat Bhure Lal and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) DG Sunita Narain - to enforce the pollution combat plan in the National Capital Region.

ALSO READ | Delhi: Odd-even may return as govt prepares new pollution action plan

The plan suggested a slew of measures -including implementation of 'odd-even' and stopping entry of trucks into Delhi except for essential commodities and all construction activities - when pollution level reaches 'Severe +' or 'Emergency' level. This is when Particulate Matter 2.5 concentration in the city would cross a threshold of 300 ug/m3 or Particulate Matter 10 would go over 500 ug/m3.

It also recommended that the 'odd-even' scheme should have "minimum exceptions." When introduced in December 2015 by the AAP government, many categories of drivers including women and union ministers were exempted to convenience the public.

CPCB is already in the process of setting up a task force comprising officers of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), NCR State pollution control boards, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), etc. This will generate a daily average PM 2.5 and PM 10 figure for Delhi and NCR and communicate it to the EPCA.

Dr Dipankar Saha said, "It is actually good in a way that we will get few months' time to set up the whole machinery to enforce the plan up to 'Emergency' level." He added that the enforcement agencies would need to coordinate with four States - Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan - to get the best results.

ALSO READ | Delhi's odd-even plan: Game changer or just a gimmick?

"However, pollution-control measures as per the other levels - Severe, Very Poor and 'Moderate to Poor' - will have to be implemented anyway. This includes stopping usage of diesel gensets, hiking parking fee etc," he said.

Anumita Roy Chowdhury, head of CSE's Clean Air Campaign, said, "Even this winter the pollution level was not too high. If say, the graded response plan was already in action from 1 October 2016 to 13 January, 2017, only eight per cent days would have been in the 'Emergency' category."

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A senior Delhi government officer said, "We are yet to take a call if we want to do episodic 'odd-even' car rationing in the form of a public exercise or drill, even if the graded plan does not warrant it."

ALSO READ | Arvind Kejriwal: BJP wants odd-even to fail, but Delhi will fail BJP

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Jan 19 (PTI) Embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today faced an united Opposition in parliament as they moved a privilege motion against his "untruthful" speech on the floor of the House on the Panamagate case.

The privilege motion, which was submitted by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, referred to a plea by the prime ministers counsel in the Supreme Court in the ongoing Panamagate case.

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"The plea taken by the prime ministers lawyer in Supreme Court on January 16, to do away with Prime Ministers speech delivered in the NA while explaining the trail of funds used to purchase properties in London and elsewhere as mentioned in Panama Papers, using Article 66 as a shield, are an admission that the Prime Minister did not tell the truth to the assembly," the motion signed by seven other lawmakers said.

The motion has been submitted over discrepancy in the premiers statement in the lower House of Parliament and his counsels statement in the apex court.

"The prime minister while speaking on the floor of National Assembly on May 16, 2016 had explained the trail of funds used to purchase property in one of the most expensive areas of London," it said and added that the details submitted by the prime ministers counsel in the top court were "in sheer contrast with the ones stated by the Prime Minister."

It further said the discrepancy in the statements suggest that Prime Minister Nawaz willfully deceived the House on the issue which was a "clear case of contempt of the House".

"As per Article 91(6) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, prime minister and cabinet are collectively responsible to Parliament and have to state the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," it said.

Claiming that Sharifs statement was a blatant breach of the privilege of the National Assembly, it demanded the matter to be immediately taken up for discussion and action.

It said the assertion made in the speech were different from the case pleaded by Sharifs lawyer in the Supreme Court, which is hearing petitions by opposition against alleged illegal assets abroad by the prime ministers family.

Sharifs lawyer has also asked the court not to consider the speech in the case.

Shah said that it was an admission that the prime minister did not tell the truth to the National Assembly, which is breach of the privilege of the august house.

Meanwhile, a larger bench of the Supreme Court hearing the Panamagate case today reminded Sharifs counsel that the case concerns Sharifs qualification as Prime Minister.

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During the hearing, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed that the case challenges Sharifs claim to the PM office.

Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who heads the five-judge bench, pointed out that the time-frame in which the appointment of the Prime Minister can be challenged following the election through Article 225 is limited.

Once this time period expires, however, the court can be asked to review the appointment under Articles 184/3 and Article 199, Justice Khosa said.

Justice Khosa also stated that this case concerns the whole nation because the defendant is the prime minister. PTI SH/AKJ ZH ZH

--- ENDS ---
Ovo Energy has come top in the latest table of energy firms based on customer satisfaction for the second year running.

The top end of the table, compiled by consumer group Which?, is dominated by smaller energy firms.

And Big Six provider Npower remains in the bottom spot with the lowest overall score for the seventh year running.

Npower was placed last for the seventh year running for customer satisfaction

Ovo, which has around 690,000 energy customers and launched in 2009, received the top overall score of 78 per cent.

It was followed by Places for People with 76 per cent, which only started selling energy in October 2015, Ebico with 75 per cent and Flow Energy with 73 per cent.

Small energy firms featured heavily in the top end of the table and there were no Big Six firms in the top ten.

Npower did not fare so well and received an overall score of 44 per cent. It was followed by Extra Energy with 49 per cent, Scottish Power with 50 per cent, Co-operative Energy with 54 per cent and M&S Energy with 55 per cent.

Only a fifth of Npower customers said they were 'very satisfied' with the firm while many said it provided terrible value for money.

A spokesperson for Npower said: 'Obviously we are disappointed despite the slight improvement on previous results. But it should be noted that the survey took place last year in the summer/autumn.

'Other surveys, including our own internal customer satisfaction polling, show that we are much improved and continuing to head in the right direction.

'We know we still have work to do and we are very determined to do better for our customers through competitive and innovative tariffs and improving service levels.'

The other big six companies fared similarly, with E.on achieving 57 per cent, followed by British Gas and SSE both with 56 per cent, EDF Energy with 55 per cent and Scottish Power with 50 per cent.

Ovo was in top place for customer satisfaction while Npower remained at the bottom

Justin Haines, customer services director at OVO, said: 'We're thrilled that our customers have voted us the top supplier in the UK once again. Unlike the Big Six who inherited millions of their customers, every single one of our customers has actively chosen us because of our fair, transparent pricing and table topping service.

'We look forward to standing by our pricing principles despite aggressive pricing from competitors, maintaining the level of service that our customers have come to expect, and continuing to develop innovative, digital engagement tools for our customers.'

Between 2015 and 2016 two suppliers fell significantly down the list. Good Energy, fell from second to tenth place while M&S Energy, slipped nine places. Good Energy said that estimated bills are the main reason it receives complaints and it is making changes to the way it handles these in 2017.

A spokesperson from Good Energy said: 'We're surprised as the vast majority of feedback we receive from customers is very positive, however, it shows we've got work to do.

'We're disappointed to slip down the table but a top ten finish, ahead of the Big Six, is still a respectable score. Delivering great customer service means everything to us so we are improving our customers' experience by installing a new customer information system and online portal.'

When choosing an energy supplier, price was listed as the most important factor by those who were questioned by Which?.

The results were compiled after Which? asked 8,917 people how they felt about their energy company based on the customer service, complaints handling, value for money, accuracy and clarity of bills, and how their supplier helps them save energy. This included all 23 suppliers in Great Britain and six suppliers in Northern Ireland.

Ovo, which launched in 2009, is crowned top for the second year running by Which?

Richard Headland, Which? magazine editor, said: 'Yet again we have found the Big Six energy firms performing poorly and smaller suppliers leading the way when it comes to customer satisfaction. Larger suppliers need to urgently up their game in line with smaller providers.

'Energy companies should now be doing much more to genuinely engage their customers who are stuck on these poor-value deals. If nothing is done, then the energy companies will have no one to blame if the Government and the regulator have to step in to ensure this market starts working for consumers.'

Mark Todd, spokesperson for Energyhelpline, said: 'The Which? data shows smaller energy companies generally outperform bigger ones for customer satisfaction except for Co-op and Extra Energy. So if you are worried about switching to a smaller company that offers you big savings you may want to think again.

'Extra Energy has been growing rapidly with some really low prices and Co-op recently on-boarded hundreds of thousands of GB Energy Customers. This rapid growth at both companies is likely to be the cause of their current customer issues. These should reduce over time as the companies stabilise.'

Separate research from comparison site uSwitch recently found that energy customers with a standard variable tariff from one of the Big Six firms are overpaying collectively each year by 3.6 billion, or 191 per household.

The majority of customers with one of these tariffs were initially on a fixed-rate deal which ended and they were automatically moved onto the more expensive deal.

Energy customers with a standard variable deal could save around 250 by switching to one of the cheapest fixed-rate deals on the market. As the price of energy per unit is fixed for a certain time, usually for one year, these tariffs offer some peace of mind to consumers of avoiding future prices hikes.

It's widely predicted that energy prices will go up soon as firms pass on wholesale energy price rises. Some smaller firms, such as Ovo and Flow Energy, have already passed these onto customers while three of the Big Six have announced price freezes.

Prices for six million British Gas customers on its standard variable tariff will be held until March 2017, while E.on is freezing prices until April. SSE, is also freezing prices until April 2017.
Under pressure: Pearson boss John Fallon

Publishing company Pearson saw more than 1.9bn wiped off its market value after it admitted demand for printed books had fallen off a cliff.

Shares in the education giant plummeted more than 29 per cent yesterday after it announced it would be scrapping its earnings forecasts, lowering its dividend, and putting its 47 per cent stake in Penguin Random House up for sale.

It was the fifth profit warning the firm has issued under its chief executive, John Fallon, who has come under increased pressure from investors. The 54 year old, at the helm since 2013, admitted he had got it wrong.

Fallon, who is paid 1.3m a year, said: We got two big calls wrong last year, along with many other people. We thought college enrolments had stabilised and they didnt, we had seen revenue per enrolment stable for years and we thought that would continue, and that didnt either.

'I am accountable and I fully accept that accountability. But I am also accountable for leading the company through what is a far more difficult period that anyone could have imagined.

Pearson, which generates most of its earnings from North America, said business there was hit by a fall in university admissions, as would-be students took jobs instead.

'Fallon said that while the firm had taken significant steps on restructuring, business had declined further and faster than expected in 2016. It suffered a 30pc fall in sales in the last three months of 2016, producing an unprecedented 18pc fall for the year as a whole.

It also cut more than 4,000 jobs last year. As a result it said profits this year will be 180m lower than hoped and withdrew its guidance for 2018. It now believes operating profit for 2017 will be between 570m and 630m.

Analysts had predicted profits of 704m.

The 173-year-old British company also said it would have to rebase its dividend from 2017, sparking fears it could be axed altogether. The group has upped its dividend every year for the past 25 years.

The firm is also selling its 47 per cent stake in publishing company Penguin Random House, which could raise more than 1bn. The largest paperback publisher in the world, it boasts writers such as Game of Thrones author George R.R Martin and The Girl on the Train novelist Paula Hawkins.

Pearson is turning to digital to turn around its print business and said its integrated digital platform, which allows students to access education software online, had been growing.

A spokesman for the firm said: Demand for printed books has gone off a cliff but all is not lost.
Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson has said there is "undeniable" evidence of India financing terrorism in Pakistan. Says no country has done more to end terrorism than Pakistan.

Pakistan has accused India of financing terror on its soil (Picture for representation. Photo: Reuters)

By Indo-Asian News Service: Pakistan today said there was "ample and undeniable" evidence that India was involved in "subversive activities and financing terrorism" in Pakistan.

During the weekly news briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said: "Unfortunately Pakistan is the victim of terrorism, especially the Indian state terrorism."

Zakaria said former US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had stated that "New Delhi was trying to destablise Pakistan, there were also statements of top Indian leaders about using terrorism against Pakistan".

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Also read: Pakistan's link unearthed in Kanpur train accident that killed more than 140 passengers, 3 arrested

The spokesperson said no nation has done more than Pakistan to wipe out terrorism. Pakistan's successes were acknowledged by all, he added.

Zakaria said "Pakistan has called upon India to pursue the path of dialogue rather than confrontation and terrorism".

He said he regretted that India has shied away from talks for resolution of outstanding disputes, including the core issue of Kashmir.

He said a just resolution of this dispute was essential for normalisation of relations between the two countries and peace and development in the region.

Also read: Rattled Pakistan shifts 17 terror camps in PoK to army bases, civilian areas, say intel agencies

Also watch: Advisor to Pakistan PM Sartaj Aziz accuses India of sponsoring terror

--- ENDS ---
Fitness tech firm Fitbug was forced to suspend trading after its share price quadrupled when it announced it had won a major new customer.

Shares started the day at 0.17p and climbed as high as 1.07p in the afternoon before easing off.

The firm provides wellness programmes to businesses which want to encourage their employees to be healthier. It sells wearable devices which can track activity, monitor sleep and offer nutrition and stress management advice, and also offers a mobile phone app.

Fitbug has struggled against rival Fitbit, whose wearable fitness devices have taken off.

Fitbug made a pre-tax loss in the six months to June 30 of 1.6m, although this was half the loss it made in the same period the previous year. It announced a turnaround plan last summer which would see it move its focus from consumers towards businesses.

And yesterday it revealed it had won a one-year contract with a new corporate customer which included an order for devices for the customers 14,000 employees.

Shares finished some 370 per cent higher, or 0.61p up, at 0.78p.

The FTSE 100 was back on winning form, rising 0.4 per cent, or 27.23, to 7247.61. Burberry was among the highest risers (up 3.6 per cent, or 57p, to 1650p) after strong Christmas trading, while Pearson plunged 29 per cent, or 235p, to 573p after a profit warning.

FDM Group flew as it revealed full-year results would be ahead of expectation after a strong second half of 2016. The IT services group is involved in recruitment, training and business consultancy.

FDM placed 2,705 business consultants at clients sites in the year, a third more than a year ago. There was a temporary slowdown in UK business after the restructuring of a government department, but this has stabilised and revenue is set to be up 40 per cent for the year. Shares leapt 9.1 per cent, or 53.5p, to 640p.

Rotala advanced after announcing three contract wins. The firm, which runs subsidised bus routes for companies, will provide transport for Bicester Shopping Village, in Oxfordshire. The three-year contract will be fully up and running from April and is expected to produce annual revenue of 1.2m.

Rotala will also get 375,000 a year from a contract with Surrey County Council and 300,000 a year in a two-year contract with Singapore Airlines to transport crews between Heathrow Airport and their overnight hotels. Shares gained 5.6 per cent, or 3p, to 57p.

Best of the Best, which runs competitions for cars in airport terminals and shopping centres, soared after revenue climbed 10.9 per cent to 5.5m in the first half. Pre-tax profit almost doubled to 920,000 in the six months to October 31.

The business also runs competitions online, where revenues climbed 24.6 per cent. Online business now accounts for three-quarters of sales, the firm said.

Best of the Best, which operates from seven airports and one shopping centre, said it was increasing its emphasis on social media to win new customers. Shares surged 18 per cent, or 53p, to 347.5p.

Conference call services group LoopUp leapt after beating forecasts. The AIM-listed firm, which floated in August, said pre-tax profit climbed 37 per cent to 10.3 in 2016, while revenue rose 34 per cent to 13.6m  shares climbed 13.3 per cent, or 15p, to 127.5p.

Venture capital investor Draper Esprit doubled its stake in tech business Trustpilot, investing a further 5.5m in the Danish company, which publishes reviews for online businesses. Draper has now put 11m into the firm.

The business has customers in 65 countries and offers consumers the opportunity to leave reviews about an online merchant they have purchased a product or service from.

The merchant pays a subscription to Trustpilot to respond to the customers. Draper shares nudged up 0.4 per cent, or 1.5p, to 348.5p.
Lagarde warning

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde warned of a lack of trust in global leaders  just a month after she was found guilty of negligence in a French court.

She said: There have been signs of a lack of trust, lack of hope and disenchantment.

It's a fact: International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde warned of a lack of trust

If you combine that with lower growth, more inequality and much more transparency, you have the good ingredients for a crisis of the middle classes in advanced economies.

Blame game

Italys finance minister declared that the European Union was partly to blame for the surge in populism and disaffection across the Continent.

Pier Carlo Padoan said European institutions were no longer seen as the solution to the plight of the eurozone and wider EU.

He said: There is a tendency to say our problems are generated in Brussels or Frankfurt.

Europe used to be the solution to many of the problems of the laggards of European integration. Now this is being turned around completely.

Chinese dinner

The hottest ticket so far this week in Davos was an invite to lunch with Chinese president Xi Jinping at a fancy hotel, the egg-shaped Intercontinental.

Guests including IMF head Lagarde, Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani boss of Reliance Industries, and Procter & Gamble chief David Taylor heard Xi expand on his speech making the case for globalisation.

Despite warnings over a trade war  a dig at the US  he left locked in whispered conversation with Blackstone Group founder Steve Schwarzman, perhaps Wall Streets most committed China fan.

Drone busters

Snipers are a regular sight on the rooftops of Davos. But this year an extra piece of equipment is visible: anti-drone jammers. Resembling massive machine guns, they are designed to disable drones that could either be used to spy on the worlds elite or launch a terror attack.
The new boss of troubled outsourcing firm Mitie has cleaned the decks as the firm issued its third profit warning since September.

Phil Bentley, former boss of British Gas, has sacked a number of staff in the firms cleaning division, and let the finance boss go as he seeks to rescue Mitie.

The firm said it had been hit by clients opting to monitor the market before committing to a contract, and delays to its investment plans had forced it to reconsider its trading outlook for the year as a whole. He also said it had overstated its profits by 14m.

Spring clean: Phil Bentley, former boss of British Gas, has sacked a number of staff

As a result it now expects profits to be between 60m and 70m for the year to March 31, compared to the 96.8m reported the previous year. This sent shares down 4.7 per cent, or 9.7p to 195.8p. Bentley, 58, who took over as chief executive in December, launched an extensive review into the companys accounts.

He revealed yesterday that Suzanne Baxter would be stepping down as group finance director and Sandip Mahajan, the former finance director of Balfour Beatty, would step into the role.

The group has sacked the managing director of the division, along with a number of staff from the sales team.

Mitie, which supplies cleaners, hospital workers and baggage handlers at airports, among other things, has been hit by higher wages and tightened budgets, particularly in the public sector.
The owner of the Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank brands confirmed it will close a further 40 branches this year.

CYBG said demand for electronic banking meant the number of customers using bank branches for day-to-day transactions across the industry had fallen by a third since 2011.

This year's closure hit list includes branches in Leith, Stonehaven and Troon and follows the group's announcement of a string of closures in September.

Closures: CYBG, the firm that owns the Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks, has confirmed it is closing a further 40 branches this year

Gavin Opperman, Customer Banking Director at Clydesdale Bank, said: 'While the decision to close any branch is never an easy one, it is important that we, in line with other banks operating in the UK market, continue to respond to changes in the way customers want to bank with us.

'The changes announced today continue our journey towards a model that combines an enhanced digital platform with a right sized branch network; allowing customers to interact with us through a wide range of channels  mobile, online, telephone, in-branch  whenever and however they want.'

Over the next two years, the group plans to spend 350million on its online operations and 'embracing digital innovation.'

Union Unite said the planned branch closures this year, as well as those already announced last year, will lead to the loss of 400 jobs.

Rob MacGregor, Unite national officer: 'Staff across the Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank will be devastated to learn that 79 branches will close and consequently over 400 colleagues will lose their jobs.

'Unite is clear that the closure of a third of the banks branches will not only be concerning for staff but the local communities which will see their bank branch close.

'This cost cutting plan leaves customers with less choice for local banking.

'The union has called on the bank to give a commitment to mitigate compulsory redundancies where possible and that they will reconsider closing any bank branches that are the last bank in a town.'

Shares in FTSE-250 listed CYBG are up 1.05 per cent or 3p to 290p.
According to the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation's Radio Pakistan report, Sharif, while talking to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said that Pakistan invited India for talks but India did not respond.

By Santosh Chaubey: As expected, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has chosen not to answer Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demand that to resume dialogue with India, Pakistan must walk away from terror. Instead, he has picked the Kashmir rant again to blame India.

Nawaz Sharif is in Davos to attend the World Economic Forum. According to the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation's Radio Pakistan report, Sharif, while talking to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said that Pakistan invited India for talks but India did not respond.

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The report says that Nawaz Sharif said that resolution of all outstanding issues between Pakistan and India including the core issue of Kashmir is imperative for durable peace in South Asia. Exporting terror in Kashmir while continuing his double speak, Nawaz Sharif said that "peace in the region is in the best interest of the people of the region".

PAKISTAN PLAYS VICTIM

While playing the victim Nawaz Sharif did not forget to polish his credentials by mentioning Indian violations of the Indus Water Treaty and that how India has been thwarting Pakistan's sincere efforts 'for durable peace in the region', the foremost priority of his government. While he spoke of all outstanding issues including Kashmir, he did not mention terror and India's only demand to resume dialogue with Pakistan.

While delivering the inaugural address of the 2nd Raisina Dialogue on January 17 in New Delhi, PM Modi said that if Pakistan wanted to resume dialogue with India, it must first renounce terrorism. Modi said, "Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India".

Also read: Line of no control

While saying that a thriving well integrated neighbourhood was his dream, Modi said, "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."

Prime Minister Modi's unscheduled Lahore stopover in December 2015, while returning from Afghanistan, had left everyone stunned and his unilateral move to improve ties between the South Asian neighbours was appreciated globally.

Also read: Modi tweets birthday wishes to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Nawaz Sharif; greets nation on Christmas

This was his one of many initiatives to improve relations with a country that has behaved as India's sworn enemy ever since its birth in 1947, beginning with Modi's invitation to the South Asian leaders including Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony on May 26, 2014.

CONTINUAL BACKSTABBING

But Pakistan, continuing its tradition of backstabbing India, gave Pathankot airbase attack and declared Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani a martyr and fuelled and supported the latest round of unrest in Kashmir.

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Pakistan's actions forced India to put forward the condition that the future India-Pakistan dialogue will be on the issue of terror only. Pakistan, the main sponsor of terrorism in India, obviously could not have accepted it and chose to escape, shielding behind its Kashmir rant. It said it would not go for dialogue with India until Kashmir is on the table.

Also read: From Narendra Modi to China, 2017 may herald new world order

Raisina Dialogue is organized jointly by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). It is India's geo-political conference and is aligned with India's foreign policy priorities. Its second edition is being held in New Delhi from January 17 to 19. More than 250 global leaders from 65 nations are slated to speak at the conference which has 'the New Normal -Multilateralism with Multi-Polarity' as its theme this year.

--- ENDS ---
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Supporting animals As a trained Project Wildlife Native Songbird Rehabilitator, my experience raising orphaned and injured songbirds and returning them to the...
A PIL was recently filed in this case by lawyer Shashi Bhushan, raising questions over forceful participation of children in the human chain event and also on banning of traffic movement on all national and state highways in Bihar for six hours for the event.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: The Patna High Court on Thursday came down heavily on the Bihar government, questioning why were school children being forced to participate in the formation of the world's longest human chain in support of prohibition on January 21.

The court has asked the Chief Secretary and DGP of Bihar to appear before it in the matter on Friday.

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Hearing the petition, the court asked under which law was the Bihar government blocking traffic movement and national and state highways and also why children were being used for the human chain formation.

QUESTIONS RAISED IN PIL

A PIL was recently filed in this case by lawyer Shashi Bhushan, raising questions over forceful participation of children in the human chain event and also on banning of traffic movement on all national and state highways in Bihar for six hours for the event.

Also read | Bihar: Students threatened with expulsion for non-participation in Nitish's record human chain for prohibition

Appearing on behalf of the government, Principal Additional Advocate General Lalit Kishore told the court that the children were not being asked to forcefully participate in the event, but were voluntarily pitching in to form the world's longest human chain. However, the court was not satisfied with this defence and asked both the Chief Secretary and the DGP to appear before it.

The court, referring to a letter written by the Rohtas District Education Officer in which he issued a diktat asking not only schoolchildren but also their parents to participate in the human chain event failing which they would be expelled, said that it appeared that the Bihar government was forcefully asking children to join the event.

The matter was heard by the division bench of acting Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh.

Also read | BJP claims its pressure on Nitish made him decide not to renew licenses of liquor units

--- ENDS ---
MBABANE  Life has become unbearable for a former Tex Ray Swaziland (PTY) Limited employee, who was severely affected by the leaking of poisonous gas in the factory.



The incident occurred on September 6, 2015.

Thobile Gwebu, who was 31 weeks pregnant when the incident occurred, now requires treatment which, according to her, could only be obtained in the Republic of South Africa.



She alleged that during the incident she suffered severe respiratory distress and had difficulty breathing.

Gwebu said she was also suffering from excruciating pain in the lungs.



Through her attorney Sipho Simelane, Gwebu has filed an application in the Industrial Court where she, among other things, wants the company to be ordered and directed to arrange and or facilitate her examination by a medical practitioner.



Gwebu alleged that as a result of the incident, a number of employees including her, inhaled and were affected by the chemical.

She informed the court that they were taken to hospital where some were treated and discharged while some were admitted.

According to Gwebu, she was one of those who were worst affected and as a result she was admitted.

Due the fact that I was I was pregnant at the time and the baby would not have survived my condition, I was advised to terminate my pregnancy. I therefore had to have a caesarean section operation in attempt to save the baby, she argued.



She told the court that the operation was conducted on October 21, 2014 and the baby was delivered through the process.

She alleged that even though the baby was critical, her (baby) condition eventually improved and she was still alive by the Grace of the Almighty.
MANZINI  Primary and high schools in Swaziland will now only teach Christianity in the Religious Education syllabus.



This means that pupils will no longer be taught using any other religious book except for the Holy Bible. Previously, the Religious Education syllabus consisted of topics on Christianity, Islam, Bahai faith and Swazi ancestors.



Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini had earlier hinted that government was looking at allowing only Christianity as part of the Religious Education syllabus.



Confirming the latest developments was the Ministry of Education and Training yesterday.

The new arrangement is effective immediately when schools open next week. The decision was shared with school head teachers at a meeting held at Prince Mfanyana Hall in Manzini. Another resolution that was made and announced by the ministry was that Religious Education would now be a core subject at schools.



This means that every pupil will now be obligated to learn it.

As expected, the meeting did not go without a few concerns from the head teachers on the position that has been taken by government.

Explaining the decision was the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Pat Muir, who said they were targeting two things; firstly the ability for school children to differentiate between morality and immorality and also to ensure that children were not confused. He said they believed Christianity was the best way to achieve this.



When they reach university or go to college, they will then be able to make a decision on whether they want to learn about other religions because then they will be matured and will not be easily confused, said Muir.
While the Income Tax (I-T) department is gearing up for the second round of action plan with large number of I-T notices in hand, the enforcement directorate (ED) has too registered 27 cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) across India.

By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: Following the announcement of demonetisation, many money laundering cases are being unearthed.

While the Income Tax (I-T) department is gearing up for the second round of action plan with large number of I-T notices in hand, the enforcement directorate (ED) has too registered 27 cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) across India.

In last 70 days (since November 8, 2016), the ED has filed more than 60 cases under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and PMLA, related to black money. "All these cases are very important, involving huge amount of money. It would be difficult to quantity at this moment, but it would be thousand crore or more", a source within the agency confirmed Indiatoday.in.

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These 27 money laundering cases have been filed against bullion traders, diamond companies, jewellers, exporters, bank officials and others. The agency has found "certain abnormalities which were related to criminal and scheduled offences, and violations of income tax rules."

The source said, "In some cases, we have found huge money has been sent abroad in the form of advance remittances against import. These are the cases we are working on and conducted the searches, taking it to its logical conclusion."

On December 27, Indiatoday.in had revealed how one Mumbai-based diamond firm Rajeshwar Exports had diverted money of Rs 700 crore to Hong Kong only in the month of November, and around Rs 1500 crore in the entire year.

In Paras Mal Lodha and Rohit Tandon case, Indiatoday.in has been told that few more bankers are under the scanner. "There is a possibility that few more bankers are also involved in this case. Our team is trying to get crucial evidences to nail them", the source said.

The ED had arrested the manager of the Kotak Mahindra Bank in connection with Lodha and Tandon. The duo had set up an elaborate network to convert crores of rupees of the now illegitimate Rs 500 notes to remonetised bank notes.

As of now, the ED and the IT department are looking into over Rs 16,000 crore deposited in different accounts of public, private and cooperative banks.

ALSO READ:Demonetisation woes come to an end, political blame game continues

ALSO READ: Demonetisation makes Hiroshima, Nagasaki of Indian economy, says Shiv Sena

--- ENDS ---
A power failure happening in the middle of a high-level meeting with more than half of Modi's cabinet present must have left many BJP leaders red-faced.

By Anindya Banerjee: A top-level meeting going on in the BJP headquarters at 11 Ashoka Road to decide who must be given tickets in the forthcoming assembly elections attended by the top brass including Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed a 12-minute power outage on Thursday.

The Central Election Committee meeting began a little after 6 pm on Thursday to finalise the second list of candidates in poll-bound states, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

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Also read | How self goals being scored by BJP ahead of polls in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa may harm it

Party president Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu, apart from a bunch of top ministers and senior party functionaries were present.

POWER OUTAGE SENG SPG INTO A TIZZY

The 12-minute-long power outage not just sparked off jokes within BJP headquarters, but also sent the Special Protection Group (SPG) into a tizzy as the prime minister is an SPG protectee.

This, however, is not the first time a union minister has had to face embarrassment. Some time ago, there was a power breakdown thrice during Power Minister Piyush Goyal's press conference.

But for an electricity failure to happen in the middle of a high-level meeting with more than half of Modi's cabinet present must have left many BJP leaders red-faced.

--- ENDS ---
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By Bill Parry

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday a push for legislation to create a new housing program that will replace the 421-a tax abatement to allow developers to move forward with mega-developments such as the Hallets Point project in Astoria.

The Durst Organization scaled back that $1.5 billion complex  which would have consisted of five buildings with 2,400 apartments, 484 of them affordable  to just one building after the 421-a program was allowed to expire last January.

The Real Estate Board of New York and the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York reached a deal in November that expands the production of affordable housing and provides fair wages for construction workers. Under Cuomos new Affordable New York housing program, developers of new residential projects with 300 or more units in certain areas of Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan would be eligible for a full property-tax abatement for 35 years, provided they commit a certain number of rental units to remain affordable for 40 years, and pay construction workers an enhanced average wage and benefits.

This agreement will help fulfill the real need for more affordable housing in New York City while recognizing the work of the employees who build them, Cuomo said. This agreement will expand housing opportunities for low-income individuals by lowering income eligibility requirements, and extend affordability for projects created with 421-a for an additional five years.

The governor urged the state Legislature to approve his Affordable New York program and to unlock $2 billion in funds for his affordable housing program. The loss of 421-a has slowed development in the city after the governor shot down a deal brokered by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2015.

I do think the absence of 421-a has been unhelpful to say the least, de Blasio said. I dont think it has been critical, in the sense of a lot of great work continues to be done, and a lot was already in the pipeline, but we need it, and I am increasingly optimistic that it will be done soon.

Meanwhile, Cuomo outlined his 2018 Executive Budget in Albany Tuesday night. He said his $152-billion spending plan is designed to strengthen the middle class while reducing taxes and making smart investments in New Yorks future. It would begin a middle-class tax cut for 6 million New Yorkers  saving households $250 on average next year and $700 annually when fully implemented  while extending the tax rate on millionaires, with a surcharge on individuals making more than $1 million annually, affecting 45,000 taxpayers, 50 percent of whom are non-residents.

So, our prime focus this year is, Im addressing the problems of the middle class, and all of the problems with the middle class, Cuomo said. We want to cut income taxes for the middle class, reduce property taxes for the middle class, make college affordable, which is always the dream that you will be able to send your child to college and that dream has become more and more of illusion for too many New York and American families.

Cuomos budget invests $163 million to make college tuition free for middle-class families at SUNY and CUNY schools, and includes a $1 billion increase in aid to elementary schools.

His plan would also allow for beer and wine sales in movie theaters, the privatization of horse racing at Belmont, Aqueduct, and Saratoga and $260 million to help non-profit social services organizations meet payroll in light of the states rising minimum wage. Cuomo also mentioned his big-ticket infrastructure items such as the redevelopment of LaGuardia and JFK airports. And then he mentioned this:

Were illuminating all of the bridges in New York City with different colored lights and the bridges can then be coordinated and choreographed to music, Cuomo said. So literally youll have bridges all across the New York City area that are choreographed. Nothing like this has been done on the planet.
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By Patrick Donachie

The city marked big increases in the rate of students taking Advanced Placement exams in 2016, while an even greater percentage of students saw boosts in their performance on the exams.

The announcement was made by Mayor Bill de Blasio Tuesday morning at the Young Womens Leadership School of Astoria.

De Blasio said the increases were the result of his administrations AP for All agenda, which intends to offer at least five AP classes to 75 percent of city public high school students by 2018, and to all city public high school students by 2021.

We are shaking the foundation of this system by putting rigorous AP courses in every neighborhood in every borough, de Blasio said. The increases in participation and performance we see today  particularly among black and Hispanic students  show that were moving in the direction of equity and excellence and I look forward to the work ahead.

De Blasio referenced particularly notable gains for black and Hispanic students, both in terms of participation and performance.

The mayor announced that 14.1 percent more black students and 9.9 percent more Hispanic students took an AP exam last year compared to 2015, and 18 percent more black students and 10.8 percent more Hispanic students passed an AP exam in 2016 in comparison to the prior year.

The citywide increases were similarly notable, with the mayor saying 8.4 percent more students took an AP exam in 2016, rising from 41,419 students to 44,906, a city record, in 2016.

The number of students passing an AP exam rose by 8.2 percent. In Queens, 7.2 percent more students took an AP exam in 2016 compared to 2015, while 10.1 percent more students passed an AP exam, the highest performance increase of any borough in the city.

Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina and several Queens lawmakers, including Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), the chairman of the Councils Education Committee, and state Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan (D-Sunnyside), the Assemblys Education Committee chair, pledged their support for the increase.

Nolan said she had benefitted from AP classes and exams in her own education and Dromm pledged to continue working with the de Blasio administration.

These historic results demonstrate what a substantial investment in public education can do, Dromm said. Our schools continue to move in the right direction. I am proud of the record number of high school students who toiled long hours in order to pass their AP exams.

The city said AP courses had been added to 70 new schools since 2013 and 63 high schools added new AP classes this year as a part of the AP for All initiative, 31 of which had not offered AP courses the previous year, and 71 high schools benefitted from pre-AP support that the mayors office claimed would prepare students and teachers for AP courses in upcoming years.
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By Mark Hallum

The Dinette & Furniture Center Inc. at 21621 Northern Blvd. will be closing its doors after 40 years in Bayside.

Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) presented the Iranian-born owner, David Yousefzadeh, and his family with a commemorative citation in honor of their years of excellence in the community Tuesday.

The Dinette & Furniture Center has provided incredible service for years and will be sorely missed by the Bayside community, Vallone said. I wish David and his family all the best in their future endeavors.

Yousefzadeh was born in Kashan, Iran, in 1944 and came to the United States to pursue his education. He had finished his graduate degree when he returned to Iran briefly to marry his wife, Madeline, in 1969.

He completed his Ph.D in physics from Kansas State University in the early 1970s. However, Yousefzadehs principles and the Vietnam War would impede his ultimate goal of practicing science. The war dominated the field in those days and Yousefzadeh stood by his pacifist values by instead teaching science in schools.

Once the young couple began having children, Yousefzadeh decided to go into business. Yousefzadeh has worked seven days a week at The Dinette & Furniture Center since it opened in 1978, Vallones office said, adding how the owner has served the community as a fair and humble salesman who takes care of his customers by providing the best information possible about products.

David embodies the American Dream, Yousefzadehs daughter, Rebecca Sassouni, said. He worked devotedly and tirelessly, served his customers, built a family with his wife and three daughters, and provided each child with wonderful college and graduate educations.

The Dinette & Furniture Center will be closing at the end of January and will join various other businesses which have shuttered in Bayside in recent months with Party City on Bell and Northern Boulevard being the most recent closure.
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By Bill Parry

More than a dozen low-income residents of the New York School of Urban Ministry dormitory residence in Astoria have moved out ahead of a Jan. 31 eviction date after the building was sold to a provider to turn the dormitory into a shelter.

The residents who have stayed are still working with the Legal Aid Society to remain in their homes past that deadline, but they have grown disheartened after one resident sent a check to the Christian non-profit for next months rent, only to have it returned with a note saying contact our attorney, sources said.

State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) and state Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria) urged the states attorney general to investigate NYSUM Pastor Peter DeArruda for evicting the 39 residents during the holiday season.

In their letter to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the lawmakers said the majority of the residents pay rent of between $400 and $500 a month, and would not be able to afford market-rate apartments in New York City. They pointed out NYSUM confirmed that they intend to remove these tenants in order to operate a homeless shelter on the site, which these tenants may very well need due to NYSUMs actions. The elected officials said DeArruda suggested the non-profit organization was losing money on the residence and is general facing hardships.

At a time, when our city is grappling with an unprecedented homelessness crisis, we need to make sure were doing everything possible to keep people in their homes and protect them from unscrupulous landlords or any undue hardship that might result from their poor management, Crowley said. The lawmakers included a document that indicates the property is fully paid off and owned by NYSUM, clear of any mortgage.

Schneiderman received the letter and discussed the case with the state Education Department, which has primary jurisdiction over educational institutions, but his office would not comment further. Gianariss spokeswoman Liza Acevedo said Schneidermans office reached out to Pastor DeArruda, who said hes still moving forward.

Gianaris announced Monday that he will introduce legislation that would prohibit tenant blacklisting. Currently, when tenants assert their rights in court in a landlord-tenant action, they can find themselves on a blacklist that keeps them from being able to secure future housing. Residents of NYSUM expressed concerns about protecting their rights to housing in court due to possible blacklisting.

Too many residents get the short end of the stick simply by asserting their legal rights, Gianaris said. We cannot allow unscrupulous landlords to discriminate against tenants who are simply fighting to keep a roof over their heads.

Over 90 percent of landlords are now represented by attorneys in New York City Housing Court, while far fewer than 10 percent of tenants do not have legal representation, according to Gianaris, who continues to visit the remaining tenants of the residence urging them to stay in their homes and work with the Legal Aid Society.

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at or by phone at (718) 2604538.
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By Puma Perl

On Nov. 9, 2016, I woke up numb.

Then I wrote a poem. Social media exploded with rage and argument. My Texan poet buddy Justin Booth and I made a pact to post poems, lyrics, and quotes. Diane di Prima. Amiri Baraka. Bad Brains. I sought to commune with other artists.

According to Percy Shelley, Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world, said Hoboken poet Danny Shot, who was also interested in activist events. In this time of potential darkness, we will have to work that much harder to bring light into the world.

Poets Protest Against Trump, a nationwide action that took place over the weekend, was definitely a force for light.

Alan Kaufman, the novelist, memoirist, and poet who organized the Sunday gathering on the steps City Hall, told me he created the event as a result of my own shocked disbelief at this election.

Kaufman saw the fear rising around the country, and started bringing artists together to stand against it.

My response to fear has always been to act in defiance of it, he said. The greater the fear, the larger the action. I needed someone with an existing organization in place, and contacted Michael Rothenberg of 100 Thousand Poets For Change, asking him to join me in rallying the nations poets to rise up. Together we contacted poets from New York to San Francisco, and in no time, poet protests sprang up in cities and towns across the U.S.

Rothenberg, a Tallahassee resident, created several similar events in Florida. I feel that it is my job to do what I can to enable and empower all of these poets and artists actions, and to bring our resources together, he told me. We must move away from empire building and towards unity.

A group of poets gathered at 1 p.m. on the steps of City Hall. Kaufman opened the reading with his poem, Let Us, dedicated to the poets of January 15 and the women of January 21 (the poem recently appeared in our sister publication, The Villager, and is available online at thevi llage r.com ). Kaufman invited people to just jump in.

And in freewheeling, non-elitist fashion, everyone who wanted to got the chance to mount the steps and offer his or her unique perspective.

Maria de Los Angeles, a visual artist, brought a poem, Who Am I?

I am here with words to show diversity. We are a diverse country that is fictionalized as white. It has never been white, she said.

When you see me, what do you see?

I feel like an Undocumented artist.

But I see an American who is Free.

Queens resident Ron Kolm is a founder of the Unbearables, a collective of underground artists and writers. He provided a humorous note in Hitler Was Wrong (And Donald Trump Is Too). He shared with me his theory that Hitler came to power due to his resemblance to Charlie Chaplin, and sees a particularly chilling similarity in Trumps election.

There probably

Wouldnt have been

A Bill Clinton

Without Elvis,

Or a Donald Trump

Without the Terminator.

Nancy Mercado, who brought her poem, I Told You, pointed out the vital role of dissident writers in confronting and undermining authoritarian leaders, whatever the cost.

Writers can, and often do, pose a threat to such regimes, as they expose their unscrupulous practices, she noted. As Trumps political apparatus becomes reality, writers and poets who document these times will be of great importance. It remains to be seen whether their work will be met with paying the ultimate price.

I told you that McCarthy

Would miraculously

Come back from the dead

The gathering was not large, but it was high-spirited with a sense of community, knowing that similar readings were taking place across the nation.

This was a great cross-section of poetry representing many demographics, Kaufman said. This is just the beginning. We must keep organizing and build a collective sense of community so that people do not feel alone.

Some participants later headed up to a separate PEN America gathering held on the steps of the New York Public Librarys Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (Fifth Ave. & W. 42nd St.). The similar event, called Writers Resist: Louder Together for Free Expression, was organized as a collective stand to defend free expression, reject hatred, and uphold truth in the face of lies and misinformation.

Steve Dalachinsky, who had read a particularly moving piece (heavy sleep) at the Poets Protest Against Trump gathering, reported back: Although one had a modest but sincere attendance and one had a larger crowd, both events were of equal weight in emphasizing the importance of fighting against a corrupt and dangerous government. Both put forth valuable messages and insights into what is happening, or could happen, in a Trump/Republican-dominated world.

That evening, I heard from my Texas friend, Justin Booth, who had organized a reading at Austins Malvern Books. The event was a huge success, he told me, Austin poets vowing to continue their vigil, not wavering in calling Mr. Trump out on behaviors that are dangerous as well as dishonest.

Similar reports have come in from events around the country.
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By Gina Martinez

Flushing elected officials are taking issue with a recent segment on comedian Steve Harveys talk show that implied Asian men are not dateable.

State Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing), City Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) were among those who denounced the bit as racist in a letter demanding an apology from the comedian, who also courted controversy last week by meeting with President-elect Donald Trump.

The offending jokes were made on Harveys nationally syndicated talk show Steve Harvey last Friday during a portion of the program where he mocked self-help books, including How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men.

Harvey joked that the book should be only one page long, just asking Excuse me, do you like Asian men? No, thank you. He also said the same would be applied to black women., saying one page too!You like Asian men? I dont even like Chinese food. It dont stay with you no time  I dont eat what I cant pronounce.

We are writing to demand an immediate public apology for your offensive, classless comments on a recent segment of Steve Harvey, the elected officials wrote in their Jan. 13 letter. In just one short clip, you and your producers managed to insult Asian men, white women, and black women with a single skit. Your statements were racist, sexist, and completely inappropriate for a public figure on a show broadcast to millions.

Kim said the bit was offensive not just to Asian-Americans but to women as well.

I found Steve Harveys comments offensive and disappointing, he said. Like other recent media segments mocking minorities, this clip crossed the line. It was insulting to not only Asian-Americans but women of all races. We are calling on Mr. Harvey and the shows producers to issue an official apology for this content and remove it once and for all. As fellow Americans, I believe we have an obligation to denounce prejudiced remarks and views like these whenever and wherever they appear, and thank my colleagues in government for standing together on this issue.

A spokesman for the Steve Harvey show later released a statement apologizing if the skit offended anyone.

Steve Harvey was poking fun at unusual book titles in a comedic segment from Fridays show, the rep said. His comments were never meant to demean the Asian community and the show sincerely apologizes to anyone who was offended.
Priyanka was up against Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Ellen Pompeo, and Taraji P Henson.

By India Today Web Desk: Bollywood queen and Quantico star Priyanka Chopra won the People's Choice Awards for Favourite Dramatic TV actress.

Also read: Another nomination for Quantico star Priyanka Chopra in People's Choice Awards

The talented actress was up against actresses like Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Ellen Pompeo, and Taraji P Henson.

Priyanka looked lovely in her peach dress as she received the award for her role as an intelligence officer in the political-thriller series Quantico.

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She thanked her co-stars and all the actresses in the nomination category for their inspiration.

She also expressed gratitude at having received the awards by her fans and thanked them for all their love and support, whilst informing them that the show will now be aired on Monday.

"I am really psyched. Can I do a little wiggle? I am sorry it's the concussion talking...this (award) means the world to me," the actress said while accepting the trophy.

Congratulations, Priyanka!

--- ENDS ---
Beaver County preparing for robust Election Day turnout

As the Nov. 8 midterm election approaches, nearly 114,000 people are registered to vote in Beaver County.
B.E. engineer Rakesh Ganggurde, 34, who used to work with an IT firm in the city, murdered his wife, identified as Sonali, for sharing on Facebook and WhatsApp the fact that they were taking medical treatment.

By Pankaj P. Khelkar: Annoyed to learn of his personal family information having been shared on social media, a man first murdered his wife and later committed suicide by hanging himself in Pune.

B.E. engineer Rakesh Ganggurde, 34, who used to work with an IT firm in the city, murdered his wife, identified as Sonali, for sharing on social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp the fact that they were taking medical treatment.

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Also read | Andhra Pradesh: Depressed over son's death, parents commit suicide

HOW SUICIDE CAME TO LIGHT

Sonali's brother Harshal Pawar, 28, who had failed to get through to her for two days as she was not answering her phone, visited her residence in Hadapsar area and managed to get inside her house with the help of neighbours. Rakesh and Sonali had been living in Hadapsar for 3 years.

Pawar contacted the police as soon as he saw the bodies (of his sister and brother-in-law) on the floor. A suicide note was recovered from near the bed where Rakesh had hanged himself. Police was called in to the site of the incident.

Also read | CISF jawan commits suicide at Bengaluru airport

A case has been filed. Further investigation into the matter is being carried out.

--- ENDS ---
Ramblin Jug Stompers return to Caffe Lena

A celebration of the songs and lore of the American railroad pulls into Caffe Lena at 7 p.m. Sunday, with a performance by the Ramblin Jug Stompers.

The Albany-based quartet will premiere its new show, "The Last Boxcar: Ramblin Jug Stompers Sing American Train Songs," at the newly reopened Saratoga Springs nightspot at 47 Phila St.

With classic and familiar songs, the performance will feature "The Midnight Special," "Bound to Ride" and "Freight Train Boogie," as well as hobo lore, tall tales and caboose poetry.

The stompers even play some rhythm on hand-carved hobo whimsies.

The band has a history with Caffe Lena, recording its debut album "Crooked Songs: Live at Caffe Lena" at one of the its earliest gigs.

For information, go to http://www.caffelena.org or http://www.jugstompers.com

Performance troupe invites community

The University at Albany Performing Arts Center will be hosting Palissimo Company for five days  Jan. 30 through Feb. 3  culminating in a live performance.

The residency will build toward a performance of "Bastard," a work of dance, live music and spoken word loosely inspired by the harsh and controversial 1965 wartime novel, "The Painted Bird," by the late Polish writer Jerzy Kosinski.

Based in New York City, Palissimo is an interdisciplinary platform for research, development and production of live arts.

The company is inviting up to 50 Capital Region residents, both dancers and non-dancers, to perform.

No audition is required, but those participating must be able to run and jump, have some measure of stamina, volunteer their time and commit to rehearsals from 6 to 9 p.m. for the duration of the residency.

"Bastard," being offered as part of the Dance in Albany series, will feature Slovak dancer Jaro Vinarsky and original music performed live by Christian Federickson.

It draws on the crucial scene from the novel in which a bird captured by a human is brilliantly painted and then freed to return to its flock, only to be violently killed by its own kind as a perceived interloper.

For information, call 442-3995 or email PAC@albany.edu.

 Jennifer Patterson
Albany

A "sovereign citizen" who tried to scam ownership of a former restaurant site in Colonie is now the owner of multiple felony convictions.

Zachariah Latnie, 22, could not sell his story to an Albany County jury any more than he could sell the building he claimed to own at 1893 Central Ave., which used to house the Hibachi X restaurant.

The jury, which began deciding Latnie's fate about noon Wednesday, reached its verdict about 3:30 p.m. Thursday: Guilty on 15 of 21 counts.

Jurors convicted Latnie of attempted grand larceny, burglary, possessing burglar's tools, conspiracy, tampering with public records, filing false deeds and falsifying business records. They acquitted him of six counts alleging tampering with public records and false filings.

The verdict ended an unusual case in which Latnie argued he possessed a building that he admitted he never purchased.

Latnie claimed he owned the building through "adverse possession," placing a notice on it.

In August 2014, Colonie police charged him with trespassing but he went back and was again arrested, returned to the site and was arrested again. He filed phony deeds with the county clerk's office and tried to sell the property, which was in foreclosure.

When Latnie testified in his own defense last week, Assistant District Attorney Brittany Grome confronted him with the words of former county attorney Thomas Marcelle, who told Latnie's sister and co-defendant, Kazia Latnie, her brother had no legal interest in the building. Latnie scoffed, telling Grome, "There are a number of ways legal interest may be acquired or derived from. Any legal interest? That's a swooping term. I don't know how he was able to apply that to my specific process."

Latnie also denied being a disciple of the anti-government sovereign citizen movement, while testifying he followed the advice of sovereign citizens. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization that tracks anti-government groups, say sovereign citizens follow a "conspiratorial belief system that argues that most Americans are not subject to most tax and criminal laws promulgated by the government." In 2011, the law center said sovereign citizens had ideological roots in anti-black racism, but that a growing number of "Moorish" African-American sovereign citizens have emerged.

By his own admission, Latnie, who is black, wrote a letter referencing "Moorish" groups and a sovereign citizen, "Brother Polight," who wrote a book called, "Real Estate or Legal Fiction."

Latnie acknowledged he followed the advice of Tex Mason, a self-proclaimed "Moorish national" who wrote a book called "Home 4 Free," Assistant District Attorney Shadi Masri noted in his summation Tuesday.

Latnie will be sentenced March 16 by Judge Peter Lynch. The cases against Latnie's brother, Delyn, and sister, Kazia, are pending.

rgavin@timesunion.com  518-434-2403  @RobertGavinTU
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Schenectady

Detectives spent Thursday hunting for the gunman in an apparent domestic dispute at a home on State Street, Sgt. Matthew Dearing, a city police spokesman, said. A woman was charged in connection with a chase after the shooting.

Dearing said Dale Gilmore, 26, fired a single shot shortly before 6:15 a.m. inside 1318 State St., where Haley Baxter, 22, lives.

No one was injured.

Dearing said Baxter, Gilmore and another man were in a blue Nissan that sped off when police tried to stop it shortly after 9 a.m. He did not know who was driving.

The incident triggered a chase and eventual foot pursuit in the neighborhood.

Baxter was charged with obstruction of governmental administration.

Police have the second man in custody but have not charged him with any crimes.

Police swarmed to the area, including Stanley Street and Craig and Emmett streets in the Hamilton Hill neighborhood as they searched for the gunman, who remained at large Thursday night.

The police activity forced the Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School on Stanley Street into lockdown.
SCHENECTADY -- Zone 5 Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy held commencement exercises Thursday for Session 61 of the basic course for police officers.

The 42 graduates of the six-month program include police officers and deputy sheriffs from 17 agencies, Zone 5 Director Rocco Fragomeni said.
BETHLEHEM  Eastbound Route 85 in Bethlehem will be closed from 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday between Blessing Road and Krumkill Road.

Repairs will be made to the joints on the bridge over the Thruway.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget plan includes $150 million for a "life sciences public health initiative" that officials privately say could fund a consolidation and upgrade of the Wadsworth Center laboratories now spread throughout the Capital Region.

A location for the new laboratories hasn't been determined. And officials at the state Department of Health, which operates Wadsworth, referred questions to Empire State Development, which didn't immediately respond to questions.

At one point, the SUNY Polytechnic Institute campus was under consideration. But federal and state investigations into bid-rigging apparently have quashed that plan.

And the consolidation effort isn't new. Three years ago, Cuomo proposed a $600 million, 650,000-square-foot laboratory that would house 800 workers and include some scientists from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The move comes as the Capital Region's biotechnology sector shows signs of growth. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has boosted local employment to 1,800 as it expands in Rensselaer County. An $800 million biopharmaceutical drug manufacturing center had been proposed at SUNY Poly before the bid-rigging probes led to the arrest of Alain Kaloyeros, the school's founding president.

That plan is in limbo. General Electric Co. earlier this week confirmed it had been it talks to participate in the new manufacturing center. A spokeswoman said talks are continuing.

And UAlbany has received $4 million in regional economic development council funds for upgrades to its laboratories on the East Campus, renamed the Health Sciences campus, in East Greenbush.

Laura Schweitzer, UAlbany's vice president for Health Sciences and Biomedical Initiatives, told the Times Union last month she saw a major role for the school.

"Our vision is that the Health Sciences campus will really be the epicenter for" the development of the region's biotechnology sector, Schweitzer said. "Biotech could be our next nanolike focus in terms of economic development in the region."

Regeneron, Albany Molecular Research Inc., and Taconic, which produces laboratory mice, all have facilities adjacent to the Health Sciences campus, which is the home of UAlbany's School of Public Health.

On the main campus, UAlbany in 2004 opened a 194,000-square-foot Life Sciences Research building and more recently added an RNA Institute in the building.

It's also in the midst of construction on a $184 million Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex that will house UAlbany's new College of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness and Cybersecurity, as well as several other academic departments.
The Capital Region's top economic development executive says the area is uniquely positioned to take advantage of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's massive life sciences and biotechnology push this year that includes $450 million in spending on the fast-growing sector.

"Our region's concentration of biotech companies, such as (General Electric), Regeneron, AMRI and AngioDynamics, coupled with our academic (research and development) assets, makes the Capital Region a strong candidate for the life science initiative," said Andrew Kennedy, CEO of the Center for Economic Growth.

The governor is proposing $300 million in capital spending in fiscal 2018 on a new life sciences initiative as well as $150 million on a "life sciences laboratory public health initiative" in partnership with the state Department of Health, although there are no details on where that project would be located.

The $300 million for life sciences is just the first installment of a $650 million commitment that Cuomo wants the state to make to create a "world-class life science research cluster in New York," although the exact details of the governor's plans are unclear.

The amount that Cuomo is proposing includes $250 million in tax incentives for life sciences companies and another $200 million in state grants for investment in labs and space. Another $100 million would be used to invest in early stage life science "initiatives" while another $100 million would be used for "operating support" for partnerships with private sector companies.

Kennedy, who used to manage Cuomo's economic development policies before leaving for CEG last July, says academic research in the life sciences topped $77 million in 2015, with the University at Albany taking the lead with 80 percent of that spending, making it a national leader in that category.

"Importantly, not only does UAlbany have a biopharmaceutical and biotechnology hub at its Health Sciences Campus in East Greenbush, but it also has a longstanding (research and development) relationship with Department of Health through the School of Public Health," Kennedy said.

The region's 5-year Capital 20.20 plan, which was developed in 2015 as a road map for local economic development projects, calls for the creation of a $1 billion population health technology cluster using as much as $200 million in state money that would involve local hospitals, health insurers and tech companies like GE and IBM.

Kennedy said the cluster, called the Population Health Technology Cluster, "would develop data-driven models that improve and reduce the cost of patient care."

Kennedy says he doesn't know what the Cuomo administration has in mind for the $150 million public health lab, although in the past, the state has been looking to consolidate the five labs of the Department of Health's Wadsworth Center into one site, possibly in the Capital Region, at a cost of $600 million.

Kennedy could only speculate if the $150 million would be used for Wadsworth this time around, but he would like to see what ever is planned built in the Capital Region regardless.

"If you are going to spend it, spend it here," Kennedy said.
Unlike on earlier occasions, when the contest was a straight fight between the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) combine and the Congress, the emergence of the AAP on Punjab's political scene has spiced up the poll scenario.

By Indo-Asian News Service: With the Punjab Assembly polls turning into a three-horse race for the first time, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and deputy, Sukhbir Singh Badal, face the most serious electoral challenge of their careers.

Unlike on earlier occasions, when the contest was a straight fight between the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) combine and the Congress, the emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Punjab's political scene has spiced up the poll scenario, with three-cornered contests on most seats.

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And to make things tough for the ruling Akali Dal, the Congress and the AAP have fielded strong candidates against the Badals.

Thus, for the first time in Punjab's political history, the February 4 Assembly election will witness the biggest political fight for the Lambi Assembly seat - hitherto the elder Badal's pocket borough - with Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh, a former Chief Minister (2002-2007), throwing down the gauntlet. Badal, 89, has been representing the seat since 1997.

"I am contesting from Lambi as I want to teach a lesson to those who have looted and ruined Punjab. I will make a man out of him (Badal)," said Amarinder Singh, who turns 75 in March and has announced that this is the last election of his political life.

However, playing it safe, Amarinder Singh is also contesting his home seat of Patiala-Urban.

The Akali Dal has tried to spice up the contest for this seat by fielding Gen JJ Singh, the first Sikh chief of the Indian Army and former Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.

It was the AAP which first upped the ante on the Lambi seat by fielding Delhi lawmaker Jarnail Singh, who came into the limelight for throwing a shoe at the then Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram, in Delhi in 2009, to take on Badal senior.

Lambi falls in the Malout subdivision of Muktsar district of southwest Punjab. It is part of the Bathinda parliamentary constituency which is represented in the Lok Sabha by Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Badal (Sukhbir Badal's wife and the Chief Minister's daughter-in-law). Badal village, where the Chief Minister hails from, is part of this constituency.

The AAP has made the election for the Jalalabad Assembly seat, held by Sukhbir Badal, interesting this time by fielding sitting Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur, comedian-turned-politician Bhagwant Mann.

The Congress has stirred the pot further by fielding Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu for the seat.

However, both Mann and Bittu are playing it safe as both will continue to remain MPs even if they lose against Sukhbir Badal.

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"I welcome them (to Jalalabad). They will lose their security deposits. Let them have some fun by roaming around here," said Badal junior, who is upbeat about his and the Akali Dal's prospects.

At both Lambi and Jalalabad, the attempt by the Congress and AAP is to corner the Badals on their home turf, bog them down in their constituencies and curtail their campaigning elsewhere.

By Jaideep Sarin

ALSO READ:Exclusive: In Punjab and Goa, candidates confused over EC's circular on no-dues certificateALSO READ: Navjot Singh Sidhu joins Congress ahead of Punjab Assembly elections

--- ENDS ---
Washington

President Barack Obama firmly defended his decision to cut nearly three decades off convicted leaker Chelsea Manning's prison term Wednesday, arguing in his final White House news conference that the former Army intelligence analyst had served a "tough prison sentence" already.

Taking questions on many topics two days before his presidency ends, Obama also warned that the "moment may be passing" for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, pushing back on criticism over his recent move to put pressure on the Jewish state over settlement-building. Turning his attention to President-elect Donald Trump, Obama said he reserves the right to speak out as ex-president if Trump violates America's "core values."

Obama said he granted clemency to Manning because she had gone to trial, taken responsibility for her crime and received a sentence that was harsher than other leakers had received. He emphasized that he had merely commuted her sentence, not granted a pardon, which would have symbolically forgiven her for the crime.

"I feel very comfortable that justice has been served," Obama said.

Manning was convicted in 2013 of violating the Espionage Act and other crimes for leaking more than 700,000 classified documents while working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad. Formerly known as Bradley Manning, she declared as transgender after being sentenced to 35 years in prison. She had served more than six years before Obama commuted her sentence on Tuesday, with a release date set for May.

"The notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital, classified information would think that it goes unpunished, I don't think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served," Obama said.

Obama's defense of controversial decisions came as he prepares to exit the presidency after eight years marked by major victories on health care, the economy and climate change, along with disappointments over his inability to achieve his goals on immigration, gun control and closing the Guantanamo Bay prison. He also wound down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but wrestled with other security threats posed by the Islamic State group and the Syrian civil war he was unable to resolve.

Even many of Obama's proudest achievements, like the ''Obamacare" health care overhaul, stand to be rolled back or undermined by President-elect Donald Trump, a shadow that hangs over Obama's legacy as he leaves office. The formal end comes Friday when Obama and Trump will motorcade together to the Capitol for Trump's swearing-in before Obama, then an ex-president, flies with his family to California for a vacation.
During his two terms, President Barack Obama made three official visits to the Capital Region, using the area's emerging tech sector as an example of a direction for the national ecomony.

On Sept. 21, 2009, Obama and Jill Biden, the vice president's wife and community college instructor, stopped by Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. Obama pointed to community colleges like HVCC as institutions that can point young people toward high-tech and clean-energy programs that are driving new sectors of the economy.
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A respected semiconductor industry analyst is questioning the future of computer chip research and development at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in the wake of the legal troubles and resignation of Alain Kaloyeros, the school's founding president.

Kaloyeros resigned in October following his arrest on state and federal bid rigging charges. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Since then, several high-profile SUNY Poly projects and partnerships worth billions of dollars and potentially employing hundreds of workers have appeared to fall apart, raising concerns about SUNY Poly's future as a major chip research center after decades of prominence among the top chip companies, including IBM, GlobalFoundries, Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

"A lot of stuff is being shut down there. Companies are trying to distance themselves from the whole thing," G. Dan Hutcheson, a well-known Silicon Valley semiconductor analyst told EETimes in an article published Thursday.

Hutcheson, who could not immediately be reached for comment by the Times Union, told EETimes that SUNY Poly and its ecosystem in Albany are "in jeopardy."

He said the best thing for the state to do would be to put in place a permanent leader at the school with an "unimpeachable" background, perhaps a retired semiconductor industry executive.

"Right now it's rudderless," Hutcheson said.

SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher has hired Bahgat Sammakia, a former IBM scientist and Binghamton University's vice president for research, as SUNY Poly's interim president, although Sammakia has said he only plans to remain until a permanent leader can be chosen.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo put his economic development chief, Howard Zemsky in charge of SUNY Poly's research and development projects after the charges came down against Kaloyeros, several upstate developers and Cuomo's former aide, Joseph Percoco.

Zemsky oversees Empire State Development, the state agency that has funded most of SUNY Poly's research partnerships and construction projects over the years, and he has sought to preserve each of SUNY Poly's deals, traveling to meet with corporate executives to soothe their concerns.

ESD spokesman Jason Conwall told the Times Union on Thursday that SUNY Poly continues to forge industry partnerships.

"We are committed to supporting the semiconductor industry and continue to work closely with major partners like GlobalFoundries, IBM and others on research and development and manufacturing in New York state," Conwall said.
I did not know Lee Shaw personally. It grieves me to say this, but I never met her. Never became a regular at her gigs, though I do recall her at the piano in Justin's. Never knew her as anything but the much-loved, much-talked-about eminence grise of the Capital Region jazz scene, a tiny woman with a giant presence whose influence spanned decades.

But after listening to "Suite Lee," Joe Barna's musical tribute to his late friend and mentor, I feel I know her. The Lee Shaw embodied in these six jazz tracks is full of life. She's quick on her feet, nimble and inventive. Adept at sudden shifts in mood. Emotional but not morose, romantic but not sentimental, smart but not cold, disciplined but ever-playful. She has a reverence for tradition and a knack for experimenting. There's a wit to her. A spark to her. A warmth. And she moves

At 72 minutes plus change, "Suite Lee" isn't a short work. But it isn't slow, either. Even in its slower and more hushed segments, there's a swiftness to it, an urgency, that holds the attention and barrels forward. Barna and his Sketches of Influence aren't messing around here; they're making music as though one life in particular depends upon it. "So it would seem much more than music's being made," intones Tony Avocato's dedication poem in the liner notes. "Instead a wealth of memories being played."

Barna, a drummer, first met Shaw in 1998 as a student at Schenectady County Community College. She was already a legend in local music circles, a transplant from Oklahoma who'd studied with Oscar Peterson. Soon enough, they found a musical kinship, a shared, insistent swing that crossed subgenres of jazz, and Lee became colleague, guru and fan.

More Information Get it "Suite Lee: An Original Music Tribute to Pianist Lee Shaw" Joe Barna and Sketches of Influence Cost: $15 (plus shipping, if applicable) Available: through Joe Barna, barnajazz@yahoo.com and 221-8741 Info: facebook.com/SketchesofInfluence Contact Amy Biancolli at 518-454-5439 or abiancolli@timesunion.com or visit the arts blog at http://blog.timesunion.com/localarts See More Collapse

When she died in October 2015, Barna was stricken with grief. He plunged into a nine-day composing binge at the piano  sleeping about an hour a night, subsisting on ramen noodles and musically channeling his departed friend in what he later called "this crazy, spiritual kind of manic episode." The result was "Suite Lee," which he and his Sketches recorded live at the Sanctuary for Independent Media last January, with Barna on drums, Adam Siegel on alto sax, John Menegon on bass and Nick Hetko at the piano.

The whole thing zings with immediacy: in the opening "Thelonious Lee," Monkish, midtempo and spry; in the slow and lush "Because of You"; in the fitful and chromatic "Three for Lee"; in "Harmonious Lee," a zippety and infectious swing tune; in the slow brood of "Ivory Romance"; and in the closer, "Swift Lee," an arresting mix of catchy piano riffs and wailing, wandering, boundary-pushing sax.

"Suite Lee" isn't available online anywhere. You can't just waggle your thumbs and download it from CD Baby or Bandcamp. To purchase a copy, you have to contact Barna directly (see info box), and he'll either pop one into the mail or drive to a mutually agreed-upon spot for a drop-off.

As he explained it to me, he didn't publish a big run of copies. Only around 500. And he doesn't expect to find international fame with the CD, which doesn't mean he doesn't want people to hear it. He does. But Barna is as intense and distinct a personality as anyone who makes art out of air molecules for a living, and he's determined to promote and sell this his way. If, someday, some young protege writes and records a "Suite Joe," it'll be a singular and energetic piece of work, and maybe a little bit out there.

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As well it should be. Jazz is a strange thing. Those who love it love it for reasons they can't always articulate. Those who don't love it often hate it, or adamantly claim to. But in between the loving and the hating are people in between, a large pocket of listeners who might like a few performers  or groove to certain songs  but hesitate to state a fondness for the genre. With its emphasis on technique and experimentation, especially in the outer reaches of free jazz, it can seem chilly and detached.

But there's nothing chilly or detached about the music of "Suite Lee." Even at its edgiest, when Siegel's solos turn thorny and avant-garde, the music is personal, impassioned and rooted in a bebop foundation of bright melodies and sturdy chordal underpinnings. It never flies too far afield, grounded in the enduring musical presence of the first lady of jazz.

Burlington has a sculpture honoring Big Joe Burrell, the saxophonist who started out with Count Basie and B.B. King. So far, no one in Albany has erected a statue to Shaw. But with this bristling, bustling work, Barna has created his own vivid memorial, an homage and act of friendship that's forged in love and music. It's a monument that can stand with any hunk of granite.

abiancolli@timesunion.com  518-454-5439  @AmyBiancolli
Albany

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday raising $4.4 million in campaign funds over the past six months. He currently has nearly $22 million in the bank to fund his expected run for a third term in 2018.

As has happened in the past, a number of Cuomo's biggest donors were real estate developers and charter schools supporters.

In December, Cuomo sent $534,000 of his funds to an escrow account at the law firm Petrillo Klein & Boxer. Last year, the governor promised to set aside funds previously donated to him by several companies and individuals at the center of the major upstate development scandals in which a former top Cuomo aide and eight others have been charged.

Instead of returning the money to the companies, it could end up being used for any forfeiture recoveries pursued by the office of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

Two statewide Democrats rumored as possible Cuomo 2018 challengers raised somewhat less.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman pulled in $1.57 million over the past six months and has a balance of $6.3 million in his account.

Comptroller Tom DiNapoli reported raising $606,000 in the same period. He has $1.4 million in cash on hand.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, Cuomo's 2014 Republican opponent and a likely repeat contender in 2018, reported raising $1 million for a $2.5 million balance.

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The Senate Independence Campaign Committee, the new campaign arm of the seven-member Independent Democratic Conference, now has $1.1 million into its housekeeping account, which can take unlimited donations. (The IDC is now able to control such an account because of an arrangement with the state Independence Party.) The IDC has again aligned itself this session with the Senate's Republican majority.

Big donors to the IDC's effort included the Real Estate Board of New York, a New York City landlords' group that gave $100,000, the Greater New York Hospital Association ($150,000) and the Yonkers Racing Corp. ($25,000).

State Senate Republicans  who retain the majority in the chamber because a Democrat, Simcha Felder, conferences with them  reported having $229,000 in cash on hand in their campaign account.

The Senate's mainline Democrats, who had hoped to swing control of the chamber last November, were down to $19,000.

cbragg@timesunion.com  518-454-5303  @chrisbragg1
According to an estimate nearly 4,000 NRI Punjabis from 25 countries including Canada, America, United Kingdom besides others are currently canvassing for Aam Aadmi Party.

By Manjeet Sehgal: Eager to cash in on the anti-incumbency wave in Punjab, political parties like Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have created an environment in the name of change. Topping their list are the non-resident Indians (NRIs) who have been playing a big role in the elections.

NRI Punjabis-who were compelled to leave their homes by the growing unemployment are back and have launched a movement called 'Chalo Punjab' to join the call. According to an estimate nearly 4,000 NRI Punjabis from 25 countries including Canada, America, United Kingdom besides others are currently canvassing for Aam Aadmi Party which had given a call for a new Punjab.

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Surinder Mavi Singh, a Canada based engineer told India Today that the state is passing through a difficult phase. He along with other NRIs like Joban Randhawa united the NRI Punjabis and launched the Chalo Punjab movement.

"This is the second independence struggle. We want to free Punjab from the tyranny of corruption and drugs. We trust Aam Aadmi Party this time as we have already tried and tested Akali Dal and Congress. We will be canvassing door-to-door for the party and will return after the poll process is over," Joban Randhawa said.

NRI PIN HOPE ON AAP

The NRIs said that AAP was a new political party and they wanted see if it can bring the change.They want a change and wants to replicate the transparent system which they witnessed outside India.

The NRI Punjabi's who are currently in Punjab have either left their jobs or stopped working till the elections are over. Rajesh Sharma and his wife Asteen Patel left their 8,000 Pounds job to change Punjab.

"I am a security specialist. I quit my job along with my wife so that we can contribute our time to bring a change in Punjab," Rajesh Sharma , a UK based security expert said.

Keeping in view the NRI enthusiasm, AAP has fielded three NRIs from Kapurthala, Nabha and Rajpura assembly constituencies. The ruling Akali Dal has accused AAP of getting funding from terrorist fronts and separatists based in foreign countries. AAP has however, denied the allegations.

"Look at them, do you think they are terrorists? They are Punjabis who love their country and state and have come here to bring a change," AAP's Punjab in-charge Sanjay Singh said.

Also read:

Punjab Assembly election: No cake-walk for Badals this time

How self goals being scored by BJP ahead of polls in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa may harm it

Punjab elections: We have our strongest leader Bhagwant Maan to take on Sukhbir Singh Badal, says Kejriwal

--- ENDS ---
With no let up in the numbers of patients on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick, Nenagh MDC is being urged to write to the facility to have it take all measures to alleviate the problem.

The call is being made by Cllr Seamus Morris in a motion before this Thursday's municipal district meeting in Nenagh.

The hospital is the flagship centre for the Mid West and the main treatment facility for patients from North Tipperary.

Cllr Morris is asking that all steps be taken to alleviate overcrowding and to control the numbers on trolleys in the interests of health and safety of the patients, staff and visitors.

He also wants to ensure the hospital complies with all requirements under the fire safety and building regulations.

Cllr Morris also raised the issue at the full meeting of Tippeary County Council when he pointed out that Limerick was designated a centre of excellence under the Hanly Report into reconfiguration, which saw Nenagh and Ennis hospitals lose their 24-hour A&E departments.

A sum of 320m that was to be spent on turning Limerick into a centre of excellence was never spent, he said.

Meanwhile, it emerged this week that Limerick city's chief fire officer, Michael Ryan has expressed concern over the number of patients on trolleys in the hospital.

He told Limerick councillors that after an initial assessment by the fire service at 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. He said there had been concerns as the numbers had been exceeded.

Cllr Morris pointed out that early in January there were 66 people on trolleys on one day.

The HSE said in a statement that UL Hospitals Group was engaging with the fire authority in Limerick on the management of patients within the emergency department and that every effort was being made to ensure compliance with the recommendations of the fire authority in this regard.

According to Trolley Watch this Tuesday, there were 30 patients on trolleys in Limerick, with 26 in South Tipperary General Hospital; 32 in Portlaoise; 29 in Tullamore and 28 in St Luke's in Kilkenny.

Meanwhile, the HSE has failed to answer a query from the Tipperary Star as to whether or not patient safety was compromised earlier this month when ambulances were queueing up outside UHL because of the high number of people on trolleys.

The hospital suffered serious overcrowding on January 3, and no ambulances were available in North Tipp as they were outside the Limerick centre, according to Cllr David Doran

According to the National Ambulance Service, there were 11 emergency ambulances and four intermediate care vehicles at Limerick University Hospital on January 3, seven of which were there for more than one hour.

The NAS said that during this period, the National Emergency Operation Centre deployed the available emergency resources with the Mid West and surrounding counties, to reduce response times to emergency incidents.

Following the statement, The Tipperary Star asked the NAS how many ambulances would have been left available in North Tipperary to cater for emergencies and if any patients were put at risk due to the lack of an ambulance being available.

The NAS was also asked how long it took for the situation to resolve itself and for the ambulance service to get back working as normal.

However, the NAS responded that the query should be directed at the HSE. The Health Service Executive did not respond to the query.
A case of avian flu has been confirmed in Borrisokane Co. Tipperary, bringing to three the number of bird flu cases detected in Ireland in recent weeks.

The disease was confirmed on Wednesday in a Whooper Swan - a migratory bird which comes to Ireland during the winter months. While the disease poses a very low threat to humans, it can cause serious disruption and loss of earnings if transmitted to local poultry farms.

The influenza H5N8 virus was detected earlier in the week in a wigeon, a species of wild duck, in Co. Galway, while another case was found in Wexford in December.

Commercial poultry owners are urged to exercise extreme vigilance over their flocks, and report any cases to the nearest Department Veterinary Office.

Avian flu symptoms include include lethargy, loss of appetite and excessive thirst, swollen head, and blue discolouration to the neck and throat.

Farmers are advised to impose strict bio-security measures to prevent contamination. The Department of Agriculture says it is continuing to monitor the situation in Co. Tipperary.

Members of the public who encounter large numbers of wild dead birds can contact the DAFM Avian Influenza helpline on 0761064403 or to a local Regional Veterinary Office.
By India Today Online: Two days after theirfairy tale wedding, King Jigme Khesar Nagyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema were on Saturday accorded a ceremonial reception by theRoyal BhutanArmy on their first visit post-marriage to the seat of government in Thimpu, an event where Rahul Gandhi was the only guest.



As the dawn broke in the tiny Himalayan kingdom, the newly-wed walked hand-in-hand to the TashichhoDzong, the office of the King, along with a ceremonial procession of over 100 people, including traditional artistes and red-robe monks.



The couple got married on Thursday in a traditional Buddhist ceremony at an imposing monastic fortress in Punakha, 71 km from Thimphu, with Wangchuck crowning his childhood sweetheart Pema, who was educated in India.



Upon their arrival at the Dzong, the royal couple were received by the King's father Jigme Singye Wangchuck and chief monk of the country Je Khenpo. The 'Grand National Flag' was unfurled and the Guard of Honour presented.



The King and his Queen look fresh and relaxed despite making most of their 71-km journey from Punakha to Thimphu on foot as thousands of people lined up along the roads to greet them.



As they ascended to the dais, around 50 soldiers of the Royal Bhutan Army marched and accorded Guard of Honour and presented the national flag to the royal couple, who touched it with their both hands.



The ceremony, as part of the royal traditions, was strictly a family and government affair except for the participation of Gandhi, the Congress MP from Amethi, whose family shares a close relationship with the Bhutan royals.



The importance that the royal family attached to the Nehru-Gandhi clan was evident from the fact that Rahul was accompanied to the huge monastic fortress by none other than the present King's father.



Rahul, whose father Rajiv Gandhi was a close friend of the present Bhutan King's father, was introduced to chief monk Je Khenpo and taken near the dais, where members of the royal family had been waiting for some time.



Clad in his trademark white kurta with a black jacket, the 41-year-old Congress leader welcomed the King and the Queen with a 'namaste' and even bowed for a while along with the members of the royal family as a mark of respect to the couple.



With a grand painting depicting Lord Buddha in different manifestations forming the background, the Bhutan army soldiers stood in attention as prayers were held and a ceremonial reception accorded to the couple.



After the brief ceremony, the couple were escorted to the Royal Chambers where the King ascended the Golden Throne and wore the Raven Crown followed by a series of prayers led by monks.



Throughout the nearly 30-minute ceremony, the young Nehru-Gandhi scion stood along with the members of the royal family and was seen chatting with them for almost 20 minutes as they waited for the couple to arrive.



Members of the royal family introduced Gandhi to senior government functionaries and others.

--- ENDS ---

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[January 19, 2017] 4,000 School Choice Supporters to Rally in Montgomery

Thousands of students, parents, teachers, and community leaders from around the state will travel to Montgomery for a large rally in support of National School Choice Week. On Friday, January 27, at 11 a.m. in the Marriott Renaissance Ballroom, more than 4,000 attendees are expected to take part in a school choice celebration, featuring student performances and testimonials from the families and school leaders who have been most impacted by educational opportunity in Alabama. The goal of the event is to raise awareness among parents about school choice and demonstrate the statewide support for expanding opportunities. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 22-28, 2017), which will feature more than 21,000 events across the country. "The number of parents, students, and teachers who have attended this rally for the past few years demonstrates just how strong grassroots support or this issue is," said Lesley Searcy, executive director of the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund . "National School Choice Week is an opportunity to bring together families and school leaders from every corner of education around our ultimate mission: improving the future of every child through education."



"The stories students and parents share about how school choice has changed their lives never cease to amaze me," said Ryan Cantrell of Alabama Federation for Children. "Every parent should know how powerful this opportunity can be, and every leader in our state should hear how much good school choice does in their communities." Event planners include the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund, Alabama Federation for Children, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Business Education Alliance, Business Council of Alabama, Foundation for Excellence in Education, Public School Options, and local schools from across the state.

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 more than 21,000 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. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005286/en/

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[January 19, 2017] 500+ Supporters to Rally in Frankfort for National School Choice Week

Supporters of school choice from every side - public, online, private, homeschooling, and everything in between - will gather in an unprecedented demonstration of support for increasing opportunity in education throughout Kentucky. On Friday, January 27, at 10 a.m., more than 500 supporters are expected to gather on the state capitol steps for a celebration including student performances, parent and school leader testimonials, and remarks from state leaders, including Senator Ralph Alvarado and Representative John "Bam" Carney. The goal of the event is to show broad demand for expanding school choice in Kentucky and to celebrate the great schools that already exist. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 22-28, 2017), which will feature more than 21,000 events across the country. "The momentum for expanding education opportunities in Kentucky has never ben stronger," said Julia Crigler, state director of Americans for Prosperity - Kentucky. "Parents and grassroots activists look forward to making their voices heard by the General Assembly at Kentucky's first National School Choice Week rally."



"National School Choice Week has the ability to bring together every type of student, parent, and educator to celebrate the opportunity that makes each way of learning possible," said Andrew Vandiver of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky. "Let's start the new year by focusing on the positive success stories from every type of school and student on a statewide scale." The event is being planned by EdChoice Kentucky, Catholic Conference of Kentucky, Americans for Prosperity - Kentucky, Kentucky Educational Alliance, School Choice Scholarships, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, and the Catholic Education Foundation.

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 more than 21,000 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. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005297/en/

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[January 19, 2017] A.M. Best Affirms Credit Ratings of the Members of Farmers Insurance Group

A.M. Best has affirmed the ratings the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of "a" of the members of Farmers Insurance Group (Farmers) and Farmers Reinsurance Company (Farmers Re) (Woodland Hills, CA (News - Alert)). Concurrently, A.M. Best has affirmed the Long-Term ICR of "a" of Farmers management company and attorney-in-fact, Farmers Group, Inc. (FGI), as well as the Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (Long-Term IR) of "bbb+" on the outstanding surplus notes of Farmers Insurance Exchange (Exchange) (Woodland Hills, CA) and Farmers Exchange Capital. The outlook for all Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. All companies are domiciled in Los Angeles, CA unless otherwise specified. (Please see the link below for a detailed listing of the companies and ratings). The rating affirmations reflect Farmers' adequate risk-adjusted capital position, profitable operating performance and an extensive business profile as the seventh largest personal lines writer in the U.S. market, with a particularly strong presence in the country's western and southwestern regions. The ratings also reflect Farmers' strategic importance to Zurich Insurance Group Ltd (Zurich) (Switzerland). Although Zurich has no ownership in the Exchange, both entities are strategically linked via an attorney-in-fact relationship between the Exchange and FGI, Zurich's wholly owned subsidiary. This linkage provides Zurich with a consistent stream of income through management fees. Partially offsetting these strengths is Farmers' variable operating performance and a recent downturn in its underwriting performance in 2016, primarily due tohigher loss ratios precipitated by adverse auto frequency and severity trends along with an increase in catastrophe losses. To combat the rise in loss costs, Farmers continues to make significant rate gains, strengthen underwriting controls and roll out new product offerings.



Given the attorney-in-fact relationship between FGI (Zurich's wholly owned subsidiary) and the Exchange, A.M. Best deviated from its "Rating Members of Insurance Groups" criteria by providing Farmers rating enhancement from Zurich. As prescribed by the criteria, to be eligible for rating enhancement, an individual company must operate under common ownership, with the entity providing lift or maintaining board control together with common management. In this case, while FGI provides certain management services to the Exchange, the boards of FGI and the Exchange are independent of each other and there is no common ownership. For a complete listing of the members of Farmers Insurance Group's FSRs, Long-Term ICRs and Long-Term IRs, please visit Farmers Insurance Group.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on A.M. Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see A.M. Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best's Credit Ratings. A.M. Best is the world's oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright  2017 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119006027/en/

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[January 19, 2017]

Artificial Intelligence Engine from useAIble Outperforms Machine Learning Leaders

MAPLETON, Utah, Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- useAIble, a disruptive technology company that has reimagined neural networks, has proven it can achieve machine learning objectives in a fraction of the time of traditional methods. Beginning today, anyone can watch video demonstrations and conduct their own evaluation of the useAIble machine learning engine versus state-of-the-art machine learning engines like TensorFlow and Encog. More engines for comparison, including Prediction.io from Salesforce, are soon to follow.



The companys patent-pending Ryskamp Neural Network and SmartNeurons diverge significantly from current machine learning methodologies to create compact, elegant, efficient neural networks. Most artificial intelligence platforms, whether experimental, free, or paid, require machine learning and data science experts to operate them. useAIble has developed a way to minimize those requirements, making machine learning faster, easier and more accessible.

We are excited to share our results with the world, said inventor and artificial intelligence visionary, Rix Ryskamp. Our technology is genuinely unique and will revolutionize machine learning.

The video blog series named Running with Scissors, showcases te game-changing approach to neural networks in a format that represents the companys culture of taking risks, working hard, and maintaining a sense of humor. The series is available on the companys website at http://useaible.com/category/running-with-scissors/.







For those interested in experiencing the machine learning revolution first-hand, the company has also invested in a machine learning challenge website. Anyone can conduct their own evaluations pitting useAIble against other machine learning engines. Visit www.useaible.com/machine-learning-challenge to access the interactive site. Supporting code and other materials are available on GitHub.

Weve proven that useAIble can generate machine learning results in less time with less effort than any modern-day machine learning engine, added Ryskamp. See for yourself.

Follow us on twitter at @useaible - Use hashtag #machinelearningrevolution



About useAIble

useAIble is a disruptive technology company that has reimagined neural networks. The companys patent-pending Ryskamp Neural Network and SmartNeuronsTM diverge significantly from current machine learning methodologies to create compact, elegant, efficient neural networks. Founded in 2012, the company is dedicated to making artificial intelligence useable for any business. Learn more at www.useaible.com.

Media Contact: Angelique Davis [email protected] 805-259-9282
Classical Conversations to Host Kindergarten to College Readiness Session

Classical Conversations of Wilmington invites the community to attend its Kindergarten Ready through College Bound informational session that is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week 2017.

The event begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 21 at the Brandywine Hundred Library, 1300 Foulk Road in Wilmington. The classical model for education will be explained and information about other local homeschooling co-op options will also be available.

Classical Conversations is a Christian homeschooling co-op and curriculum option that equips parents and their children from PreK - 12.

The goal of the event is to celebrate great education choices in Delaware and raise awareness among parents about school choice. The celebration is timed to take place right before National chool Choice Week (January 22-28, 2017), which will feature more than 21,000 events across the country.







"Having choice and support in education for our kids is so important. Classical Conversations is excited to participate in National School Choice Week," said Lisa Corrado, support representative for Classical Conversations.

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 more than 21,000 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. You can learn more by visiting www.schoolchoiceweek.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005593/en/
[January 19, 2017] Harley Ellis Devereaux Acquires Northern California-Based Architecture Firm Deems Lewis McKinley

Harley Ellis Devereaux (HED) is pleased to announce that Deems Lewis McKinley (DLM) has merged with HED. A recognized leader in K-12 Schools design, DLM brings over 55 years of experience in the design of educational facilities across California. With offices in Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco, DLM further diversifies HED's 380-person design expertise and expands the firm geographically. From Northern to Southern California and beyond, DLM's designs have advanced the world of hundreds of local communities since 1959. DLM's notable projects across California include a masterplan and complete campus replacement of the CHPS Demonstration De Anza High School in Richmond; a new Performing Arts Center for Palo Alto (News - Alert) High School; a complete campus replacement, including a sustainability plan for Edna Maguire Elementary School in Mill Valley; a new Student Center for Monta Vista High School in Sunnyvale; and a complete design of the new 44,000-square-foot Susan B. Anthony School in Daly City that resembles a modern version of an "old red brick schoolhouse." "The combination of DLM's experience and reputation in the Bay Area and Sacramento and HED's extensive K-12 Schools portfolio will provide our clients with an even broader range of services, thought leadership and design excellence," says J. Peter Devereaux, Chief Executive Officer of HED. "We are looking forward to mering the talents of our two teams and are excited to be part of a very talented studio with deep resources," says Wallace B. (Wally) Gordon, President and Chief Executive Officer of DLM.



DLM staff in San Francisco will relocate to HED's San Francisco Office in February. DLM's Sacramento staff will remain in their current office space. About Harley Ellis Devereaux (HED)

HED advances your world. Founded in 1908, we are focused on delivering creative solutions for complex design challenges to clients around the nation and world. As a fully integrated practice, we build on what we know - asking and resolving questions with imagination and foresight; sharing ideas and knowledge; and engaging in resourceful collaborations. We serve clients in a broad range of markets, including Corporate + Commercial, Healthcare, Higher Education, Pre K-12 Schools and Community Education and Science + Technology with offices in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco. See how we advance your world at www.hed.design and @HED_Corporate. About Deems Lewis McKinley (DLM) Founded in 1959 in San Diego, California, Deems Lewis McKinley (DLM) provides a broad range of architecture and engineering services for educational institutions across California. With offices in Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco, our designs reflect responsible use of public funds, retain community trust in our clients, and serve the long-term needs of our clients' students, educators, administrators, and neighborhoods. Learn more about DLM at www.dlm.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005191/en/

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[January 19, 2017] Nearly 1,500 Expected at State Capitol Rally for School Choice

Nearly 1,500 Nebraskans will join Gov. Pete Ricketts for a major rally at the state capitol in a strong show of support for educational opportunity during National School Choice Week. On Thursday, January 26, 2017, at 11 a.m., school choice supporters will be joined by Governor Pete Ricketts as they gather in the West Plaza of the state capitol to show support for educational opportunity. Speakers will include Governor Ricketts as well as other policy leaders, students, parents, and school leaders, delivering real-life examples of how offering excellent quality school choice has led to huge growth and opportunity for some Nebraska students. The goal of the event is to raise the profile of support for educational opportunity across the state. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 22-28, 2017), which will feature more than 21,000 events across the country. "The huge numbers planning to attend this event reflect the widespread opinionthat it's time for school choice in Nebraska," said Tom Venzor of the Nebraska Catholic Conference. "Our Catholic school families and thousands more families who seek to have their children in the best school possible believe that National School Choice Week is a great opportunity to amplify our message."



"At the LEARN coalition, we are fighting so that every child can attend a school that promotes their precious gifts and talents. Our mission is to make the future of every student brighter by tapping into their potential," said Clarice Jackson of the LEARN Coalition. "School choice dovetails with that mission by making the educational system responsive and accountable to every student." Immediately following the celebration on the capitol steps, several of the partners will host a press conference in the capitol rotunda.

Event planners include Educate Nebraska, School Choice Lincoln, Nebraska Catholic Conference, LEARN Coalition, Infinite (News - Alert) 8 Institute, American Federation for Children, Americans for Prosperity-Nebraska, and the Platte Institute. 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 more than 21,000 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. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005258/en/

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[January 19, 2017] Oklahoma City School Choice Fair to Celebrate Quality Education Options

A celebration for the whole family featuring information from dozens of school options, from public to private, will be held as a part of National School Choice Week in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma School Choice Summit will be held on Thursday, January 26, at 4:00 p.m. at the Oklahoma City Community College. More than 500 attendees are expected to attend the celebration of educational options featuring school information and fun for parents and students alike. Families will be able to talk to participants in many types of schools and school leaders from a wide variety of Oklahoma City-area schools and learn what's working in their community. Immediately following the Summit, parents can attend an in-depth parent forum in the evening. The goal of the event is to raise awarenes about the school choice available to Oklahoma City families. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 22-28, 2017), which will feature more than 21,000 events across the country.



"Choosing the right school for your child is incredibly important, and information from schools and your local community is crucial to making the right selection," said Robert Ruiz of the Scissortail Foundation, the lead planning partner for this event. "We look forward to gathering families from across the city together for a festive, functional time of exploring options and celebrating what works in every sector of education." 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 more than 21,000 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.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005274/en/

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[January 19, 2017] Safanad Supports CentralColo Affiliate to Acquire 200,000-Square Foot Data Center in Northern Virginia

Represents Safanad's second data center investment NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Safanad Limited ("Safanad"), a global principal investment firm, is pleased to announce it has acquired its second data center operation in partnership with Industry Capital. Responding to increasing demand for critical data center capacity in key geographic locations, CentralColo Holdings ("CentralColo") announced that it has acquired through an affiliated venture the 280,000-square foot Tysons Technology Center in Vienna, Virginia and CentralColo will be the operator. The project is strategically located just off the Washington DC beltway, equidistant from downtown Washington DC and Ashburn Virginia, within the Tysons Corner market, which constitutes the largest office submarket in the greater Washington DC metro area and is the twelfth largest employment center in the country. The property consists of a 200,000-square foot Tier 3 data center and an 80,000-square foot office building and campus on 14.5 acres. Today, the connectivity-rich data center features 9 megawatts of capacity for anchor enterprise customers that include some of the world's largest hyper scale cloud and network providers, as well as government organizations. Total occupancy of the project exceeds 75% and CentralColo plans to add an additional 4 megawatts over the next twelve to eighteen months. CentralColo has already introduced the first new customer to the data center, Atlantic Metro/InfoRelay, a leading cloud, network, managed services, and managed hosting provider. In addition to the proximity of the project to Ashburn which affords the occupants tremendously low latency and multiple connectivity options, the site has the added advantage of having a multitude of backbone network connecions which are diverse to the Ashburn network. The data center is currently connected with 14 premiere telecommunication and fiber carriers with others expressing interest in establishing a presence in the facility based on CentralColo's plans for additional enterprise, government and service provider customers coming online.



CentralColo is an operator of data centers offering both hybrid IT and colocation services to a global client base. In August 2016, Safanad and San Francisco based investment firm, Industry Capital, announced a partnership to invest in CentralColo. CentralColo's first facility is in the heart of Silicon Valley, providing hosting and connectivity services to a broad array of customers. CentralColo is positioned to address the needs of both mission critical IT loads, cloud services/solutions and high density compute requirements such as data analytics, research and development, testing, warehousing, and staging platforms. "The Tysons Technology Campus with its highly desirable location within the Northern Virginia market now gives us the perfect East Coast asset to complement our first project in the Silicon Valley," said Ken Parent, Chief Executive Officer of CentralColo. "These two assets provide the company with a strong platform for growth as we look to continue to expand in additional markets and support our customers with a variety of connectivity and hosting services supporting hybrid IT solutions."

Craig Kahler, Director of Private Equity at Safanad, added, "We are thrilled with this strategic acquisition as it positions CentralColo as a premier data center operator and further strengthens our partnership with Ken and the CentralColo team." For Safanad Media Enquiries: [email protected] / +971 4 312 9700 About Safanad Safanad is a global principal investment firm that invests in real estate, private equity and public markets. As principal investors, Safanad preserves and grows wealth through a disciplined industry focused investment approach that builds relationships with exceptional management partners and top industry leaders. With offices in New York, Dubai and London, the firm seeks to identify global investment opportunities poised to deliver consistently attractive returns, where the firm's capital and investment expertise support value creation. For more information, visit www.safanad.com About Industry Capital Industry Capital is a private equity firm investing in real assets globally. Industry Capital and its affiliated entities maintain top-tier track records across investment platforms. In addition to its real asset platforms, Industry Capital owns an interest in wealth management firm, Osborne Partners Capital Management, that manages portfolios on behalf of high-net-worth individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.industrycapital.com About CentralColo

CentralColo owns and operates regulated data centers and provides IT services for hybrid IT solutions. This includes fiber connectivity, high power and efficient cooling, colocation services, and metered power down to a single circuit. CentralColo's first facility is a large carrier neutral, network dense and cross connect friendly Tier III data and compute center with over 8 MW of IT load in the heart of Silicon Valley. The Company is expanding nationally and recently announced the acquisition of a 200,000 square foot data center in Northern Virginia. For more information, visit www.centralcolo.com. Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/393371/Safanad_Logo.jpg

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[January 18, 2017] Telix Pharmaceuticals Acquires Glioblastoma Program from Therapeia

MELBOURNE, Australia and DRESDEN, Germany, Jan. 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (Telix) is pleased to announce a product development partnership with Therapeia GmbH & Co KG (Therapeia). Telix will add Therapeias ACD-101 theranostic program for glioblastoma to its pipeline of advanced theranostic radiopharmaceutical products. Telix also has secured the option to acquire Therapeia under pre-agreed terms. The financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed.

ACD-101 is a synthetic amino acid that targets the L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1), which is strongly over-expressed in many aggressive malignancies, including glioblastoma, multiple myeloma, melanoma, gastric, breast, prostate and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). ACD-101 has been studied clinically with both diagnostic radiolabels (for imaging with Positron Emission Tomography  PET) and therapeutic radionuclides. ACD-101 demonstrates favourable therapeutic biodistribution and kinetics, and is actively transported across the intact blood-brain-barrier into tumour cells. ACD-101 potentially offers therapeutic benefit as a monotherapy, and in conjunction with other therapeutic agents, including radiotherapies (external beam therapy, microspheres, brachytherapy, etc.), due to its radiosensitization effect. CEO Chris Behrenbruch stated, ACD-101 is a unique multi-action agent that has the potential to deliver something really new to the management of several very challenging malignancies, particularly glioblastoma. Early patient experience in Germany has demonstrated promising therapeutic results and we are excited to be working with the Therapeia team to take this program forward to Phase II and beyond. Therapeia Managing Director, Dr. Andreas Kluge added, We are delighted become part of the Telix team and to add this program to Telixs stable of theranostic radiopharmaceuticals. The radiopharmaceutical space has lacked commercial critical mass for decades, and has only just started to gain the clinical and product development momentum it truly deserves. Only by building a portfolio of best-in-class products and financing them appropriately, can we expect to see the field deliver on its enormous clinical potential. Dr. Kluge joins Telix as a Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer.1



About ACD-101 ACD-101 is a synthetic amino acid that targets the L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1), which is over-expressed in many malignancies, including glioblastoma, multiple myeloma and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). LAT1 forms part of the tumour metabolome, harnessed by tumour cells to grow at the expense of surrounding healthy cells. LAT1 has been recently identified as promising drug target in oncology. Over a hundred patients have been successfully imaged with ACD-101 to study biodistribution and kinetics, including in patients with inoperable brain tumours. Clinical pilot studies for the therapeutic forms of ACD-101 have commenced in Europe.

In glioma, ACD-101 is actively transported over the intact blood-brain-barrier into tumour cells overexpressing LAT1, conveying a unique triple mode of action consisting of 1) a targeted radiation toxicity, when administering radiolabeled forms of ACD-101 (131I, 211At), 2) a direct cytostatic effect combined with 3) an intrinsic radiosensitizer effect, enhancing the activity of both, internal and external radiation therapy. The fact, that pathologically increased amino acid uptake is central function in any tumour disease, suggests that ACD-101 may have very broad clinical applicability. About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (Telix) is a clinical-stage biopharamaceutical company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Telix is developing an advanced portfolio of clinical-stage products that address significant unmet medical need in oncology, particularly renal, prostate and brain (glioblastoma) cancer. Telixs pipeline consists of theranostic radiopharmaceuticals, agents that can be used both diagnostically (via PET imaging) and therapeutically to patient benefit. Telix is an unlisted public company. For more information go to www.telixpharma.com. About Therapeia GmbH & Co KG Therapeia is a privately-held company headquartered in Dresden, Germany. Founded by Dr. Andreas Kluge, it is developing ACD101 for both imaging and therapy, in several important oncology settings. ____________________ 1 Dr. Kluge remains the CEO of ABX CRO, a leading radiopharmaceutical clinical research organisation Investor Relations Contact Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited Dr. Christian Behrenbruch Tel.: +61 (0)406063247 Email: [email protected]

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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 18 (PTI) Regional political parties received nearly Rs 108 crore in 2015-16 in donations in excess of Rs 20,000, the limit above which funding sources have to be disclosed, says a report.

Shiv Sena tops the list with a total Rs 86.84 crore collected in donation during 2015-16, while AAP received Rs 6.605 crore during the same period, Delhi-based think-tank Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said in a report released today.

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"The total amount of donations declared by Shiv Sena is about 81 per cent of the total donations received by all the regional parties together which have been considered for the report during the same period," it said.

With regard to the total number of donations, AAP leads with 1,187 donations from individuals and corporates, while Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) declared a total 571 contributions followed by Shiv Sena with 143 and TDP 75.

Section 29C of the Representation of People Act, 1951 mandates that political parties submit their contribution details in excess of Rs 20,000 received from any person or company to the Election Commission of India (ECI) annually, in order to enjoy 100 per cent tax exemption.

"The total amount of donations above Rs 20,000 declared by the Regional Parties was Rs 107.62 crore, from 2,249 donations which amounts to an average of Rs 4.79 lakh per donation," it said.

The report, jointly prepared by ADR and National Election Watch (NEW), said that no donations have been declared by AIADMK, BJD, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Naga Peoples Front (NPF) and RLD during 2015-16.

A total of 26 regional parties have defaulted in the submission of their donations report to the ECI during 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Out of the 26 parties, 21 parties have not filed their reports for both the financial years while 5 parties had filed for 2014-15 but failed to submit for 2015-16.

A comparison of donations received by regional parties between 2014-15 and 2015-16 shows that the overall donations of the 21 regional parties decreased by Rs 27.24 crore or 20.20 per cent.

"AIUDF, DMDK, JDS, PMK and Shiv Sena are the five regional parties which have declared increase in the amount of donations received between 2014-15 and 2015-16," it said.

PMK, AAP, Shivsena, IUML, DMDK and AIUDF were the only regional parties which declared collecting donations in cash.

"Rs 3.326 crore in cash donations formed 3.08 per cent of the total contributions declared by the regional parties from 784 donations," the report said.

"Out of 16 regional parties which had declared receiving donations above Rs 20,000, 9 parties; Shiv Sena, AAP, PMK, YSR-Congress, AIUDF, IUML, MNS, SAD and DMDK have not declared PAN details of 1,567 donations through which the parties collected a total of Rs 6.79 crore," it added. PTI SUM SRK BAL

--- ENDS ---

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[January 18, 2017] Thales Wins Kaohsiung Light Rail Transit Signalling Contract in Taiwan

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Thales, a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets, has been awarded a contract by China Steel Corporation for the implementation of a signalling system for the extension of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. This second Transportation project follows the contract signed in April 2015 for the design and manufacture of signalling, communications and Operational Control Centre (OCC) systems for the Danhai LRT project in Danhai, North of Taipei. With almost 2.8 million inhabitants, Kaohsiung is the second largest city after Taipei. Kaohsiung was the first city in Taiwan to launch a tramway project in 2012, and also the first to deploy a modern electric tramway system. The current line has 14 stations and the extension will add a further 23. The completed 22-kilometer circular line will have interchanges at both endsof the two existing metro lines.



As part of this four and a half year contract, Thales will handle the signalling, including the supply of interlocking systems, Traffic Light Priority systems as well as the Automatic Vehicle Localisation System (AVLS). "We are pleased to award this significant contract in Kaohsiung to Thales as they have proven their strong capabilities in signalling through the current Danhai LRT project, which is working well on-schedule. As Taiwan seeks to modernise its transportation infrastructure, we are confident that Thales will be the best partner to deliver the solutions needed," said Mr CC Cheng, ChinaSteel Corporation, Vice President, Engineering Division.

The contract is a further proof point to the strong partnership with local industrial giant China Steel Corporation (CSC) which was forged during the Danhai project and the confidence in Thales' solutions. This new contract reinforces the Group's position as the leading developer of signalling solutions for Taiwan's LRT and paves the way for future tramway projects in Taiwan and across Asia. About Thales Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets. With 62,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of EUR14 billion in 2015. With over 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its exceptional international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world. Please visit Thales Group

Transport

Download HD photos Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170118/8521700321

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[January 19, 2017] Word of Faith Academy to Celebrate National School Choice Week with Memphis Families

Students, parents, teachers, and community leaders will gather to celebrate educational opportunity during National School Choice Week. The event, planned for Thursday, January 26, at 11 a.m., will feature school choice testimonials, information for parents about multiple educational options, and fun and games for the whole family. More than 500 people are expected to attend the open house at Word of Faith Academy. The goal of the event is to connect families with information about school choice and with local leaders and resources representing different school options. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 22-28, 2017), which will feature more tan 21,000 events across the country.



"School choice is within reach for so many members of the community who may not know just how many options are available to them," said Carra Powell of the Tennessee Federation for Children. "We look forward to connecting parents and families with the information and social connections they need to make the most of school choice." Tennessee Federation for Children is planning the event in conjunction with Word of Faith Academy.

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 more than 21,000 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. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005260/en/

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[January 19, 2017] YP Dine Now Available in Apple Maps for Instant Reservation Bookings

Users can Discover, Reserve and Order food through YP Dine in Apple Maps MONTREAL, Jan. 19, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Yellow Pages (TSX:Y), a leading digital media and marketing solutions company, announced today the integration of YP Dine into Apple Maps to make restaurant reservations simpler than ever for those seeking a nearby place to eat. YP Dine is Yellow Pages' award winning food and dining digital experience serving both Canadian foodies with its discovery, reservation and ordering tools, and restauranteurs with its table booking and optimization solutions. "Yellow Pages is constantly striving towards creating a better experience for users, while generating value for our customers" said Matthieu Houle, Vice-President, Digital Media of Yellow Pages. "Along with providing key business information for Apple Maps' users, reservations will now only be a click away, ultimately creating a syndicated and simplified booking experience for restaurant seekers, and optimizing the restauranteurs' opportunities to get more footsteps into their doors." The YP Dine integration will appear when users click on a restaurant, revealing additional information about the business such as address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and ratings and reviews provided from Yellow Pages' database. For Canadian restauranteurs, this translates in a greater visibility and an extension of their reservation solution to pple users.



The YP Dine mobile app offers a one-stop shop for Canadians looking for their next culinary experience. With unique features like geolocalized search for restaurants, bars and nightlife based on mood and/or activity, recommendations from local food experts through playlists, as well as online reservation and ordering options, YP Dine responds to the lifestyle needs of diners. For restauranteurs, the YP Dine solution provides benefits to manage, optimize, review, promote and build customer loyalty in one place. YP Dine is available in nine cities across Canada including: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Halifax, Quebec City and Victoria. With one of Canada's largest and richest databases of local merchant information, which includes data on approximately 1.9 million business listings in Canada, Yellow Pages content helps Canadians discover their neighbourhoods and make smart purchase decisions.

About Yellow Pages

Yellow Pages (TSX: Y) is a Canadian digital media and marketing solutions company that supports neighbourhood economies by helping local businesses reach new customers and foster stronger relationships with existing clients through its various media and products. Yellow Pages holds some of Canada's leading local online search properties including YP.caTM, RedFlagDeals.comTM, Canada411.caTM, the Comfree/DuProprio network and YP NextHome. The Company also holds the YP, YP Shopwise, YP Dine, RedFlagDeals, Canada411, 411, Bookenda, DuProprio, ComFree and YP NextHome mobile applications and Yellow Pages print directories. Through Mediative, Yellow Pages is a leader in national advertising through its various channels and services devoted to North American businesses. The Company also owns JUICE Mobile, a mobile advertising technology company whose proprietary programmatic platforms facilitate the automatic buying and selling of mobile advertising between brands and publishers. For more information visit www.corporate.yp.ca. SOURCE Yellow Pages

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[January 18, 2017] Global Smart Infrastructure - A Smart Approach to Smart Cities in 2016

LONDON, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The global smart city transformation is underway

Slowly but surely we are beginning to see a transformation take place in many parts of the world, as governments and councils realise they need to take a holistic approach to future city-wide development. In Australia, for example, we see that Adelaide, Canberra, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Sydney, Ipswich and Sunshine Coast have all been identified as being among the leading smart cities. The Netherlands also has great examples of emerging Smart Cities including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Eindhoven. While it can be difficult for councils to obtain funding for Smart City projects  there are many things that cities can do within their existing budget. Every city needs to develop its vision and leadership from the top down and requires a Smart Council to lead initiatives. Councils need to consider how one aspect of a Smart City can benefit another. For example, how can communication technologies such as WiFi, mobile broadband, apps, M2M, Internet of Things (IoT) and smart micro-grids be used to achieve synergy or asset sharing? Even more importantly, perhaps, is establishing community Buy-in for Smart City projects. Directly engaging with citizens, businesses and others can establish the essential support required for developments - and they can also assist in building business models that can lead to investment. For those operating in the telecoms sector  smart city developments offer enormous opportunities going forward. Billions of dollars are already being poured into the essential telecoms infrastructure and technologies required or smart cities. Implementing an holistic IoT infrastructure using sensors and M2M requires the heavy involvement of the telecoms industry. Establishing the networking solutions is also important and this is where developments such as Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) are being closely monitored.



To progress towards a smart city, local councils should lead the vision, set the strategy, and work side-by-side with their citizens, neighbourhood communities, businesses, local stakeholders and others. They need to abolish the internal silo mentality. Most of the political and financial powers still reside with state and federal governments and transformation is also often needed to create a better and more equal level of collaboration between all levels of government. As local councils still have a long way to go, state and federal governments will need to guide and support local councils in this complex transformation process. Key developments:

As we look towards 2017 there are some great smart city examples emerging both nationally and internationally.

State-of-the-art telecommunications are vital to a city's economic health and well-being.

Developments linked to Block Chain may be useful for Smart Cities and Smart Grids.

Smart cities present significant opportunities for telecoms operators.

In 2016 Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Facebook, IBM and Microsoft continue to show a keen interest in Artificial Intelligence developments.

Wearable technology has become a thriving industry, with an ever-broadening range of possible uses and devices for our smart communities of the future.

In May 2016 the ITU and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) launched an important initiative called: United for Smart Sustainable Cities, with the abbreviation U4SSC.

In 2016 the global smart city market is estimated to be worth around $1 trillion.

The most difficult issue to resolve in building smart cities is the funding.

In mid-2015 the ITU members decided to establish a study group which would focus specifically on smart cities in terms of the standardization requirements for the broader Internet of Things (IoT).

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4226856/ About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-smart-infrastructure---a-smart-approach-to-smart-cities-in-2016-300393202.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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[January 18, 2017] Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing (DFOS) Market Report 2016-2026 : DAS, DTS & Other Sensors for Critical Infrastructure, Military, Security and Upstream Oil & Gas Applications





LONDON, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details Visiongain assesses that the global Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing market will reach $2,373.6m in 2016. It is therefore critical that your strategic planning is in place and your forecasting plans are established to take advantage of the business potential here. Visiongain's report will ensure that you keep informed and ahead of your competitors. Gain that competitive advantage. The report will answer questions such as:



- What are the prospects for the overall Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing Equipment market?

- How profitable is the Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing Equipment market?

- Who are the key players within the Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing Equipment market?

- What are the drivers and restraints underpinning the Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing Equipment market? 5 Reasons why you must order and read this report today:



1) The report provides detailed profiles of 10 leading companies operating within the Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing Equipment market, and brief profiles of 14 other companies operating within the market: Leading Companies  with market share revealed for the leading 7 companies

- QinetiQ Group plc

- Lockheed Martin Corporation

- Northrop Grumman Corporation

- Baker Hughes, Inc.

- CGG

- Future Fibre Technologies Ltd.

- Magal S3

- Fotech Solutions Ltd.

- LIOS Technology GmbH

- Southwest Microwave Inc.



Other Companies

- AP Sensing GmbH

- FibrisTerre GmbH

- Halliburton Corporation

- Intelligent Fiber Optics Systems (IFOS) Inc.

- Omega Company

- Omnisens SA

- OZ Optics

- Savcor OY

- Schlumberger Ltd

- SensorNet

- Silixa Ltd

- Tendeka Group

- Weatherford International

- Ziebel 2) The study reveals where and how companies are investing in the Distribued Fibre Optic Sensing Equipment market. We show you the prospects for the following national markets. These national markets are further segmented into individual forecast for each of the 4 application submarkets.





- Australia



- Brazil

- Canada

- China

- France

- Germany

- India

- Israel

- Japan

- Russia

- Saudi Arabia

- South Korea

- United Kingdom

- United States

- Rest of the World



3) The report provides details of 114 contracts relating to the Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing Equipment market 4) The analysis is underpinned by an exclusive interview with a leading expert , Hagai Katz, Senior VP Marketing & Business Development, at Magal S3 5) Our overview also forecasts and analyses these 4 application submarkets from 2016-2026. These forecasts are revealed at the global level PLUS individually for each of the 14 national markets - The DFOS for Critical Infrastructure Submarket

- The DFOS for Military Applications Submarket

- The DFOS for Security Applications Submarket

- The DFOS for Upstream Oil & Gas Submarket



How will you benefit from this report?



- This report you will keep your DFOS knowledge base up to speed. Don't get left behind.

- This report will allow you to reinforce strategic decision-making based upon definitive and reliable DFOS market data.

- You will learn how to exploit new technological trends.

- You will be able to realise your company's full potential within the DFOS market.

- You will better understand the competitive landscape and identify potential new business opportunities & partnerships.

Competitive advantage



This independent 273 page report guarantees you will remain better informed than your competitors. With 268 tables and figures examining the Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing Equipment market space, the report gives you an immediate, one-stop breakdown of your market. PLUS national market forecasts, as well as analysis, from 2016-2026 keeping your knowledge that one step ahead of your rivals.

Who should read this report?



- Anyone within the Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing Equipment value chain.

- Defence contractors

- Energy companies

- Security companies

- Engineering companies

- Business development managers

- Technologists

- Suppliers

- R&D staff

- CEO's

- COO's

- CIO's

- Marketing managers

- Investors

- Banks

- Government agencies

- Contractors Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3902147/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/distributed-fibre-optic-sensing-dfos-market-report-2016-2026--das-dts--other-sensors-for-critical-infrastructure-military-security-and-upstream-oil--gas-applications-300393206.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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[January 18, 2017] bibliotheca Unveils Largest New Product Launch at ALA MidWinter

Today bibliotheca announces the addition of several new products to their portfolio, including the selfCheck line, electromagnetic (EM) technology and Automated Materials Handling (AMH). These new and improved products demonstrate bibliotheca's continued leadership and commitment library innovation. These new solutions, as well as new features for the bibliotheca cloudLibrary will be unveiled at the ALA MidWinter meeting, January 20-23, 2017 in Atlanta, GA, booth 1346. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170118006324/en/ New Self-Service and Security Solutions for Libraries (Photo: Business Wire). bibliotheca's new product solutions have been designed for libraries of all types, and offer the benefits of improved workflow, engaging experience and improved performance. selfCheck 500, mid-range kiosk

The new selfCheck 500 offers all the essentials of self-service in an attractive, modern design. Available in both a kiosk and desktop version, the new selfCheck 500 combines quality engineering with the quickConnect interface. This allows libraries to offer an engaging self-service experience without all the extras of the premium kiosks. New Tattle-Tape selfCheck and security gates

Continuing to set the benchmark for electromagnetic (EM) technology in libraries, the new Tattle-Tape security gate and hybrid selfCheck 1000 are the nextgeneration of EM products. Along with improved design and performance for both products, the Tattle-Tape gates offer the ability to customize display panels. The hybrid selfCheck brings forward the trusted "V" design but now offers new options of return bins and the large, portrait screen and more.



flex AMH

Providing AMH solutions for almost 15 years, bibliotheca is excited to announce the new flex AMH. This product has been redesigned from the ground-up offering a new front-end, a bulk separator that allows patrons to return multiple items at once, and improved sorting speeds. Additionally, libraries that need to move items across multiple floors or buildings can now benefit from a new transportation system that will help get items back on the shelf. CloudLibrary added features to connect with digitial users

Events management - Libraries can drive engagement and bring digital users into the library by displaying their events calendar inside the cloudLibrary apps. Now integrated with several common calendar software products, libraries can reach their digitial users directly on their personal device.

- Libraries can drive engagement and bring digital users into the library by displaying their events calendar inside the cloudLibrary apps. Now integrated with several common calendar software products, libraries can reach their digitial users directly on their personal device. Embedded library barco des - This feature turns a mobile device into a virtual library card by having the library user's barcode embedded in their cloudLibrary app. Perfect for busy students or parents, who might not remember their library card, but almost always have their phone.

- This feature turns a mobile device into a virtual library card by having the library user's barcode embedded in their cloudLibrary app. Perfect for busy students or parents, who might not remember their library card, but almost always have their phone. New Web Reader - Now anyone with a web browser can access their cloudLibrary account through the yourcloudlibrary.com web page. Browse, borrow and read or listen from any device. Libraries can extend digital reading services to groups that might not have devices, such as in-library reading groups, school reading or other community outreach programs. "We had a lot of excitement in 2016, our first year as the new bibliotheca, as we brought together two diverse product sets into a single portfolio." said Matthew Bellamy, Chief Commercial Officer for bibliotheca. "The news today is just the beginning of what's to come as we strive to partner with libraries to create solutions and experiences that help them achieve their goals." Along with a plethora of new products and features, bibliotheca is pleased to receive the gold-level award from the Modern Library Awards for the selfCheck 1000, quickConnect interface, remoteLocker and the cloudLibrary. These products will also be available to demo in the booth. With a demonstration of our new product set, we are giving away a unique, hand-crafted gift while supplies last. Visit bibliotheca booth 1346 at the ALA MidWinter meeting, January 20-23 in Atlanta, GA. About bibliotheca

bibliotheca is dedicated to the development of solutions that help libraries connect with users in unique ways and provide engaging experiences, allowing them to continually evolve their library services for the changing needs of their communities. Their products are designed to provide a welcoming, intuitive and seamless environment for those that use the library - wherever they choose to use it - be that at home, on the move or within the library itself. With over 30,000 libraries as part of their family, they have installed and continue to support more than 10,000 self-service units, 6,000 security systems and over 650 Automated Materials Handling (sorter) systems. In addition, the cloudLibrary digital platform powers eBook and eAudiobook lending at a further 3,000 libraries. For more information about the company, visit http://www.bibliotheca.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170118006324/en/

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[January 18, 2017] Telco digital transformation: Lessons from the world's most powerful digital companies

LONDON, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --



Summary

"Telco Digital Transformation: Lessons from the world's most powerful digital companies", a thematic research report, examines effective strategies for telcos to capitalize on the explosive growth in the consumption of digital services. The report identifies key lessons in digital prowess from major brands including Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon that have led the value shift from technology provision to enablement, and provides and in-depth analysis of telco strategies to transform their internal operations, coming up with new technology use cases and exploring new service and revenue models.



Key Findings

- The world's leaders in market capitalization show us how disruptive digital strategies can produce remarkable growth opportunities for the business. Apple and Google taught us how to pioneer revolutionary business models. Amazon showed us how to masterfully virtualize a brick-and-mortar industry, and Facebook transformed the definition of content services, putting the user as the central author.



- Telecom service providers know first-hand the impact of the digital revolt, as SMS and traditional voice services become increasingly replaced by IP-based voice and messaging apps such as Skype and WhatsApp. Telcos have been catalysts of the transformation of mobile devices from communications tools to life management hubs. Yet, to thrive in the digital economy requires far more than technology or product prowess-- it calls for entirely novel service models.



- To secure a profitable slice of the new digital domain, telecom service providers need to transform how they deliver services, content and apps. Telco digital transformation begins with a digital corporate culture to drive the discovery of new innovation engines, disruptive business models and digitally-smart customer relationship platforms. Telecom companies tha can turn the challenge of digital transformation into profitable opportunities will prevail.







Synopsis

The "Telco digital transformation: Lessons from the world's most powerful digital companies" report analyzes the growth drivers of digital services, strategies of leading digital companies, as well as case studies on the digital transformation of four major telecom services providers. Data and insights are derived through a mix of desk-based secondary research and qualitative primary research.



The report is structured as follows:

Section 1: Market context - digital services growth drivers and trends. This section provides a high-level overview of the growth drivers of digital services and the impact of the rise of digital brands on the traditional telecom service provider model.





Section 2: Lessons in digital prowess - GAFA strategies. Here we examine the market approach and strategies of four leading digital companies - Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple - with a special focus on their key business values and success factors.



Section 3: Case studies - Telco approaches to digital transformation. We continue with a review of the strategies and programs that leading telecom companies ATandT, China Telecom, Orange and Verizon are putting in place to create profitable growth amidst the business disruption brought about by successful digital service providers. .



Section 4: Key findings and recommendations. We conclude the report with a set of key findings on the core values and success factors of digital leaders, and strategy recommendations for telecom services providers.



Reasons To Buy

"Telco digital transformation: Lessons from the world's most powerful digital companies" examines best practices of four of the world's leading companies to help telecom executives develop effective growth strategies, make informed strategic business decisions and optimize return on investment.



The report provides valuable insights about effective corporate values, innovation programs, organizational strategies and revenue models that can help service providers transform their operational models and profit from the digital opportunity.



The report's case studies provide real examples of market approaches and strategies being employed by leading telcos to build revenue opportunities in the digital age, related to their internal organizations, their ecosystem development and revenue creation.







Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4607319/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/telco-digital-transformation-lessons-from-the-worlds-most-powerful-digital-companies-300393212.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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[January 18, 2017] The Big Data & Analytics Innovation Summit Is Returning to Singapore for its 5th Year

HONG KONG, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Big Data & Analytics Innovation Summit, hosted by Innovation Enterprise, is returning to Singapore on March 1 & 2, at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. The summit has been successfully hosted in Singapore for 4 consecutive years, attracted nearly 1000 attendees. With the main theme of 'Leveraging Big Data to Maximize Business Performance', this year's edition will gather together over 250 senior executives to discuss data challenges and opportunities surrounding several different industries. Singapore has become one of the centers of banking for the APAC region and with a continued dependence on the banking and technology sectors, data is becoming a key part of their offering. Banks and businesses who depend on these financial institutions are quickly seeing that those who fail to understand and implement data correctly are losing out as a result. Sreeram Iyer, CIO at ANZ, who will be speaking at the summit strongly believes this -- 'I see Big Data in the shape of a phenomenon which is taking place in banking, as well as other industries.' It is a sentiment shared by David Gledhill, Group Chief Information Officer, and Head of Group Technology & Operations at DBS Bank, also speaking at the event, who doesn't just believe that the digital revolution is useful, but necessary -- 'In the mi-90s, Bill Gates said that 'banking is necessary, banks are not' But banks are still around today. In order to stay relevant, we need to innovate, harness the digital revolution and completely re-imagine the role of banks and the customer experience.'



It is not only banks who are concentrating on the spread of data in the city though, with speakers at the Big Data & Analytics Innovation Summit including: M. C. Srivas, Chief Data Architect, Uber

Luo Jinpeng, Senior Director, Group Data Management, Alibaba Group

Cetin Karakus, Global Head, Analytics Core Strategies & Quantitative Development, BP

Ankur Agrawal , Head, Data Innovation Lab, AXA

, Head, Data Innovation Lab, AXA Chi Keong Goh , Team Lead, Data Analytics & Optimization, Rolls-Royce

, Team Lead, Data Analytics & Optimization, Rolls-Royce Jake Ramsay , Head of Independent Business Monitoring, GSK

, Head of Independent Business Monitoring, GSK Lawrence Wee , Chief Data Scientist, Zuellig Pharma & many more

'This summit has been created with the sole intention of prompting conversations around the changing data landscape in Singapore' Jessica Zhang, creator of the summit said, 'We know that Singapore has a diverse and multifaceted set of companies and we have created an event that almost any company will find useful.' For more information about the summit please contact Ryan Yuan at [email protected], for press release please contact Rui Wang at [email protected]. Summit official website: https://theinnovationenterprise.com/summits/big-data-singapore-2017 About Innovation Enterprise: Innovation Enterprise Ltd, a division of Argyle Executive Forum, is a business-to-business media brand specializing in delivering the most innovative business solutions to executive-level decision makers. Innovation Enterprise produces a range on online and offline content, including, but not limited to, summits, online learning, webinars, and white papers, as well as offering other additional services such as lead generation and bespoke research. Innovation Enterprise focuses on seven key channels -- Finance, Supply Chain, Analytics, Big Data, Strategy, Digital, Innovation & Sports -- to ensure that organizations are furnished with all the cutting-edge insights necessary to driving growth in the evolving business environment. Media Contact:

Rui Wang

+852-5808-4606

[email protected]

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[January 18, 2017] UPDATED: More than 2,500 to Gather in Columbia for National School Choice Week

Students, parents, teachers, and community leaders will come together to celebrate South Carolina's educational options in Columbia during National School Choice Week. On Wednesday, January 25, 2017 at noon, more than 2,500 supporters will gather at the Township Auditorium in Columbia. This student-centered program will feature student song and dance performances, along with testimonials from parents and school leaders about the difference school choice is making in the lives of families across the state The goal of the event is to celebrate and highlight the success of and support for school choice in the Palmetto State. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 22-28, 2017), which will feature more than 21,000 events across the country. "We look forward to National School Choice Week evry year as a time not only to celebrate educational opportunity, but the teachers, administrators, and parents who make it possible," said Ellen Weaver of Palmetto Promise Institute. "School choice makes every day better for the students whose lives it changes, and we want to show our whole state the difference it can make."



"No matter what type of school a family chooses, educational excellence is something worth celebrating," said Mary Carmichael, of the South Carolina Public Charter School Alliance. "We look forward to getting the word out to more parents about the options available to them." The event is organized by Palmetto Promise Institute, South Carolina Public Charter School Alliance, Public School Options, and South Carolina Catholic Conference.

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 more than 21,000 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. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170118006385/en/

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[January 18, 2017] Finesse and Kotak Securities Ltd Announces the Go-Live of Business Intelligence and MIS Analytics Platform With Qlik

MUMBAI, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Finesse, a leading system integrator and Kotak Securities, the stock broking and distribution arm of the Kotak Mahindra Group - one of India's leading banking and financial services organizations, has gone live with its Business Intelligence and MIS Analytics Platform using Qlik Business Intelligence Software.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458571/PRNE_Finesse_Image.jpg )

Kamlesh Rao, CEO at Kotak Securities, had a vision of using analytics to embrace the next level of growth, apart from getting insights into the various data points across the organization to give business and department heads the actionable insights in real time. The company thus wanted to implement a tool that can address the current challenge in terms of MIS and Analytics. The solution should also have uniform data in place along with a common view of how they perform in terms of business, customer efficiency and performance. Finesse was chosen to implement Qlik Sense at Kotak Securities to drill down the collated data across all systems to get analytics that helped them in interpretation, analytics and decision making. This has helped Kotak Securities get better visualization of data and have deeper insights to take more informed decisions. The Qlik Sense based solution has gone live with the given KPI's and implemented across the organization. Kamlesh Rao, CEO, Kotak Securities, said, "The best broking company oing forward is the company which understands their client behaviour well and on the go, which is why business analytics play a very important role in letting us act on data points. Business Intelligence and Analytics is going to arm relevant companies who are capable of absorbing the business of business intelligence to ensure that they are the ones who will be staying ahead and be market leaders in their respective lines of business."



Mr Rao added, "Data, on the fly, in real time, is extremely important for being in the business of broking today which is where analytics and therefore Qlik Sense comes into the picture for us. Actions determined by decisions taken based on various data points are extremely critical in the real world of broking today. That is why Qlik Sense and we go a long way in deciding what to do on an everyday basis. Our association with Finesse has allowed us to make sure that Qlik Sense is best system to use and it is the implementation that has made the difference for us." Sunil Paul, COO and Co-Founder, Finesse, said, "Finesse has in depth experience in consulting and system integration services, and is one of the largest providers of Business Intelligence and Analytics solutions. The Business Intelligence and Analytics solution implemented by Finesse has been designed to streamline Kotak Securities' business operations as well as to enhance information sharing and administration efficiencies. The system brings out insights for informed decision making. We are delighted to assist Kotak Securities in their strategic digital transformation program."

About Kotak Securities Kotak Securities Limited, a subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank, is the stock broking and distribution arm of the Kotak Mahindra Group. It is a corporate member of both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India. Kotak Securities was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India. For more information, visit http://www.kotaksecurities.com About Finesse Finesse, a 'Red Herring Global Top 100 System Integration company', provides technology solutions and services to banking, education, energy, healthcare and retail segments. The company's solution offerings are primarily focused on Business Intelligence and Analytics, Enterprise Content and Business Process Management and Governance, Risk and Compliance areas along with innovative solutions like Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, IoT, Big Data, BYOD, Omni-Channel Customer Experience, and Remote Robotic Signature. Finesse brings together advanced technology, robust infrastructure, a large pool of talent and a proven global delivery model to provide a wide range of IT services to their clients cost-effectively and seamlessly. They believe in delivering tangible value through Big Data, IoT, cloud-ready solutions, mobile devices and social media platforms. For more information, visit us at http://www.finessedirect.com

Media Contact:

Sudheer Kumar Raju

[email protected]

+91-9743095111

Director

Finesse





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By India Today Web Desk: Rishi Kapoor is making headlines these days for his just-released book Khullam Khulla: Uncensored. In Delhi to speak about his autobiography, Rishi told India Today Television Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai why his book is called Khullam Khulla. "Remember the song Khullam Khulla that was picturised on me?" Rishi Kapoor told Sardesai. Apart from tidbits from his book, Kapoor also spilled the beans on several controversial topics that he has penned in his book, from buying a film award for his film Bobby to having tea with dreaded gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

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One of the most-discussed bit from his autobiography is that Rishi admitted buying a film award in 1973 for his film Bobby. While speculation has led everyone to infer that the award he bought was a Filmfare, Rishi contradicted that. He emphasised, "I did not write a Filmfare award (in the book). I have not said any names. I have said I bought *an award*."

ALSO READ: Bought an award for Bobby, met Dawood. So what, asks Rishi Kapoor

ALSO READ: Rishi Kapoor's Filmfare cost him Rs 30,000 in 1973. Can you buy the award for Rs 6 lakh now?

"I feel guilty about the fact. I was all of 20-21 years of age and I was suddenly a huge star after Bobby, and I was a real brat. Someone told me that, 'You know, we can get this award, do you want it?', and I said, 'Yes, of course,' and then he said, 'It will cost you Rs 30,000.' 30,000 rupees back then was big money. So I said why not," Kapoor said.

He went on to add, "But listen... that man could have been a con-guy. Giving the benefit of doubt, it may never have reached the original guys. I never thought that the award was compromised. Yes, I did go on to get it, but perhaps they gave it on merit? I don't know whether it went to their pockets. But I gave a man that amount of money."

People say film awards can still be bought, even today, asked Sardesai.

"I'm not aware of that. Because I just got one couple of days back... I didn't pay for that!" Kapoor said, with a wink. Filmfare just awarded Rishi Kapoor with the Best Supporting Actor for Kapoor and Sons.

Sardesai then asked Rishi if in hindsight, does he think buying the award was one of the worst things he has ever done.

"I regret it. Absolutely. It was my age, I had no vision, nothing was correct for me at that point of time. And I was a rich man's son, and I felt even richer to be working as an actor. I regret that very much. Till today," said the 64-year-old actor.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE:

--- ENDS ---

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[January 18, 2017] Teleperformance's Investor Day on January 19, 2017 in Palm Beach (USA)

Regulatory News: Teleperformance (News - Alert) (Paris:RCF), the worldwide leader in outsourced omnichannel customer experience management, is hosting its 2017 Investor Day event today in Palm Beach (USA). LEADING THE OUTSOURCED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MARKET GLOBALLY, WITH: Attractive growth prospects across all geographies

Further room for consolidation DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE AND PROFITABLE GROWTH THROUGH TWO MAIN SERVICES SEGMENTS: "Core services" (customer care and technical support services mainly)

"Specialized services" MID-TERM OBJECTIVES FOR 2020: Maintain organic growth* above the market average to achieve sales of 5bn by 2020

Pursue targeted acquisitions

Grow "Specialized services" faster than "Core services" and increase the proportion of revenue from "Specialized services" of 20% by 2020

Achieve a recurring EBITA** margin of at least 14% by 2020 * at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation ** operating profit before amortization of intangible assets on acquisitions, goodwill impairment and non-recurring items Daniel Julien, Executive Chairman, and Paulo Cesar Salles Vasques, Chief Executive Officer, Teleperformance Group, expressed their thoughts on the occasion: "Teleperformance is leading the outsourced customer experience market globally, with attractive growth prospects across all geographies and further room for consolidation. Its dynamic trajectory is supported by the increasingly complex and dematerialized business environment and constant development of customer interactions. Among the fastest-growing regions are nearshore locations serving North America, as well as China and India in the APAC domestic market, where we intend to expand rapidly in the coming years. Every customer channel is expected to grow by 2020, with "Voice" remaining the largest segment by far, even though "Social media" and "Chat" are expected to deliver double-digit growth." They added: "We are also expanding in high-value specialized services in particular. Through both bolt-on and transformative acquisitions, we have gradually repositioned the Group as a high-end BPO provider with global reach. Following the LanguageLine Solutions transaction last summer and the related integration process, we have decided to redefine our business segments as "Core services" and "Specialized services", the latter covering online interpretation services recently acquired from LLS, combined with face-to-face visa processing services from TLScontact, analytics solutions and debt collection activities. These activities are generating an EBITA margin of around 30% and could deliver more than + 6% growth in sales per annum over the next 4 years. "As a result, we expect to maintain organic growth above the market average to achieve Group sales of 5bn by 2020. Over the same period, management will also pursue targeted M&A, notably in high-value specialized services. Thanks to a positive margin mix impact reflecting the increased contribution of "Specialized services" combined with specific initiatives to boost profitability, we expect to achieve a recurring EBITA margin of at least 14% by 2020." "We are starting off 2017 in an enviable position, with a strong management team and a successful governance structure, and in view of our solid market dynamics we can be confident in the Group's long-term outlook. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our people for making it happen and continuing to contribute to our exciting, value-creating journey," they concluded. MID-TERM OBJECTIVES FOR 2020 In the 2017-2020 period, Teleperformance plans to focus on organic growth initiatives such as increasing market share in China and India, further developing omnichannel integrated solutions, expanding coverage of global clients, applying big data analytics to gain new clients, and cross-fertilizing specialized services, such as expanding visa processing operations in the Americas and online interpretation services in APAC and EMEA. As a result, the Group expects to maintain organic growth above the market average to achieve Group sales of 5bn by 2020. Over the same period, it will also pursue selective M&A, targeting acquisitions in high-value specialized services as well as opportunistic core service acquisitions in specific vertical segments and/or geographies. As "Specialized services" should grow faster than "Core services" over 2017-2020, Teleperformance expects "Specialized services" to represent 20% of revenue by 2020. Thanks to a positive margin mix impact combined with specific initiatives to boost the profitability of "Core services", such as optimizing SG&A through business re-engineering, reducing the employee churn rate through big data analytics, rolling out purchasing best practices and improving local reporting through the implementation of a state-of-the-art digitalized ERP, the Group expects to achieve a recurring EBITA margin of at least 14% % by 2020. DISCLAIMER All forward-looking statements are based on Teleperformance management's present expectations of future events and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. For a detailed description of these factors and uncertainties, please refer to the "Risk Factors" section of our Registration Document, available at www.teleperformance.com. Teleperformance undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements. DOCUMENTATION Documentation related to the Investor Day will be available from Friday, January 20 on the company website www.teleperformance.com. INDICATIVE INVESTOR CALENDAR







2016 FY Results: February 28, 2017 2017 Q1 Revenue: April 27, 2017 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders: June 23, 2017 2017 H1 Results: July 25, 2017

ABOUT TELEPERFORMANCE Teleperformance (RCF - ISIN: FR0000051807 - Reuters: ROCH.PA - Bloomberg (News - Alert): RCF FP), the worldwide leader in outsourced omnichannel customer experience management, serves companies around the world with customer care, technical support, customer acquisition and debt collection programs. In 2015, it reported consolidated revenue of 3.4 billion ($3.7 billion, based on 1 = $1.11). The Group operates 147,000 computerized workstations, with close to 190,000 employees across 311 contact centers in 65 countries and serving more than 160 markets. It manages programs in 75 languages and dialects on behalf of major international companies operating in a wide variety of industries. Teleperformance shares are traded on the Euronext Paris market, Compartment A, and are eligible for the deferred settlement service. They are included in the following indices: STOXX 600, SBF 120, Next 150, CAC Mid 60 and CAC Support Services. They also have been included in the Euronext Vigeo Eurozone 120 index since December 2015, with regard of the Group's performance in corporate responsibility. For more information: www.teleperformance.com Follow us: Twitter (News - Alert) @teleperformance View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170118006396/en/

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[January 19, 2017] Accuity Wins the Asian Private Banker Technology Award for the Best Compliance Solution

SINGAPORE, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Accuity, the leading provider of financial crime compliance, payments and counterparty know-your-customer (KYC) solutions, announced that it has won the award for Best Compliance Solution in the 2016 Asian Private Banker Technology Awards with its Firco Compliance Link solution. Asian Private Banker is based exclusively in Asia, with the region's largest bureau of journalists and researchers delivering commentary solely focused on Asia's private banking, family office, and wealth management communities. Accuity's winning solution, Firco Compliance Link, is a comprehensive one-stop solution for financial institutions' regulatory compliance screening needs. The solution helps organisations centralise and streamline their account, transaction and trade screening processes, and reduce their regulatory and reputational risks. As regulators demand increasing levels of transparency and traceability from financial institutions, the comprehensive audit trail within Firco Compliance Link can show every step in an organisation's compliance process. Priyanka Boghani, Chairperson of the Judging Panel and Senior Reporter, sian Private Banker, said: "Accuity was the clear winner in the heavily contested Compliance category. At a time of increasing regulatory focus around compliance frameworks, Accuity's Firco Compliance Link, helps financial institutions reduce their regulatory and reputational risks."



Sean Norris, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Accuity, said: "Firco Compliance Link is an intelligent platform providing a stable foundation on which our clients can build their regulatory compliance and enhanced due diligence programmes. Accuity is honoured to receive this award from Asian Private Banker, which recognises our capability in the compliance space along with our commitment to continuing innovation and partnership with our clients." Notes to editors

About Accuity Accuity offers a suite of innovative solutions for payments and compliance professionals, from comprehensive data and software that manage risk and compliance, to flexible tools that optimise payments pathways. With deep expertise and industry-leading data-enabled solutions from the Fircosoft, Bankers Almanac and NRS brands, our portfolio delivers protection for individual and organisational reputations. Part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries, Accuity has been delivering solutions to banks and businesses worldwide for 180 years. About the APB Awards The Asian Private Banker Technology Awards is a celebration of the accomplishments from the growing financial technology s sector in Asia. Vendors in the financial technology space are awarded for their foresight and ability to create innovation and efficiency at private banks. Asian Private Banker is based exclusively in Asia, with the region's largest bureau of journalists and researchers delivering commentary solely focused on Asia's private banking, family office, and wealth management communities.

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[January 19, 2017] Avante Care & Support Moves Forward With RAM's Asset Management Software

ORPINGTON, England, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Avante Care & Support, a charity and leading provider of specialist dementia care, has chosen Real Asset Management's (RAM) software to establish greater control over its asset base that includes properties, vehicles and furniture within its care homes. It wanted increased visibility of the status of items and equipment with the ability to produce reports to support the year-end process. The company required integration with its accounting software, Exchequer - which RAM's system offers. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160201/327800LOGO )

Avante Care & Support is a not-for-profit organisation with a workforce that is equipped with the experience and commitment required to provide exceptional services to individuals and families that are in need of support. Its care homes provide assistance for people across South East London and Kent, many of whom are affected by dementia. It aims to introduce a positive new stage into the lives of its residents whilst also providing high levels of personalised care. The integration between RAM's fixed asset module and Exchequer's accounting software was a deciding factor for the company. Nigel Mitchell, Finance Manager at Avante Care & Support states, "We specifically needed a product that worked alongside our financial system. We wanted to ensure the two systems could work together in ordr to avoid any data duplication. We will also benefit greatly from the ability to produce depreciation and disposal journals that post directly to Exchequer."



Before moving over to the software, the company was using a number of spreadsheets to record asset details. Nigel comments, "We used Excel in various different formats that were dependent on the category being recorded. This led to difficulties in communicating data across classes. We treat Freehold Properties differently to Motor Vehicles, for example. RAM's system and its ability to cater for a variety of different categories and accounting treatments will prove extremely useful by introducing a consistent approach to all assets and ensuring that communication across departments is straightforward. "Something that appealed to us greatly in the software was the integration with Exchequer. It will help us avoid duplicating details across systems," Nigel declares. "The tool will allow us to impose more control and save us time by allowing us to import and export data by our Category and/or Location analysis codes. We can now automate a lot of processes within the company, such as depreciation calculations, month-end reports and the posting of journals. This will give our finance team a lot more time to focus on other pressing tasks and ensure that all information is completely accurate and delivered in a concise and timely manner.

"The capital project control element of the software will also prove beneficial for us as we have a number of projects in progress at all times," Nigel continues. "Being able to track those individual costs better and collate them together when they are complete is extremely convenient and further improves the level of control over the status of our assets at all times. "Thus far, we have enjoyed a very good relationship with RAM," Nigel concluded. "Any questions that we have asked throughout the process have been answered without exception." ENDS Real Asset Management (RAM) is a leading provider of fixed asset management and logistics software & services. Over the last 30 years, its products have been implemented by more than 3,000 organisations in over 70 countries. RAM, the leading supplier to the UK public sector, has successfully implemented software across 1000 Commercial companies, 180 Housing Associations, 100 Local Authorities, 150 Central Government sites, 200 NHS Trusts, 90 Educational Establishments and over 250 MoD sites worldwide. The company has developed a powerful range of software modules around a central data repository that enables organisations of any size to manage every aspect of the asset lifecycle. Its Series4000 solution offers fixed asset accounting, capital project control, lease accounting, asset budgeting, asset tracking (utilising barcode/RFID/NFC technology) and computerised maintenance management. For further information, please contact:

Miki Wardell

Real Asset Management

Tel: +44 (0)1689 892137

Email: [email protected]

@RealAssetMgt



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[January 19, 2017] GSMA Announces New Details for Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2017

The GSMA (News - Alert) today provided updates for the 2017 GSMA Mobile World Congress Shanghai to be held from Wednesday, 28 June through Saturday, 1 July 2017 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Among new developments, the GSMA announced the launch of the 2017 Asia Mobile Awards and provided further details on the Mobile World Congress Shanghai conference programme, as well as additional companies participating in the exhibition. "We are looking forward to hosting the second edition of our Asia Mobile Awards, with new categories and awards that recognise the companies, individuals, products and services at the forefront of innovation in our industry," said Michael O'Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. "We're also excited to be expanding our conference programme for 2017, with keynotes and summits addressing the full gamut of mobile industry trends." GSMA Announces 2017 Asia Mobile Awards The GSMA today announced the Asia Mobile Awards (the AMO Awards) at Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2017. Judged by a panel of leading independent industry experts, the AMO Awards celebrate the greatest achievements and innovations across the Asian mobile industry. The AMO Awards will include 13 awards over five categories: "Best Mobile Apps", "Best Mobile Devices", "Best Technology Innovation", "Outstanding Achievement", and the new category of "Social and Economic Development". Within these categories, the GSMA has introduced several new awards, including one for "Disruptive Device Innovation", which will recognise connected devices that deliver new capabilities and experiences; the "Outstanding Contribution for LTE (News - Alert) Evolution to 5G" award, which will highlight the pioneers driving the transition from today's well-established high-speed mobile broadband services to the networks of the future; and the "Best IoT Innovation for Mobile Networks" award, which will put the spotlight on new and creative IoT solutions. The "Best Mobile Innovation to Support the UN SDGs in Asia" award will recognise mobile innovations in the Asia region that address the challenges set out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are focused on ending poverty, combating climate change and fighting injustice and inequality, Entries for the 2017 AMO Awards will be open from Wednesday, January 25 through 12 April and the GSMA will announce the shortlist of nominations in early June. Winners will be honoured at the Asia Mobile Awards Ceremony and Dinner Reception on Wednesday, 28 June during Mobile World Congress Shanghai. The AMO Awards 2017 are open to companies across the entire mobile ecosystem; a full list of categories, award criteria and deadlines can be found at www.asiamobileawards.com/. Conference Programme Expands to Three Days, Moves to SNIEC For the first time, the Mobile World Congress Shanghai conferenc programme has been extended to three days and will now be held in Hall 3 of the SNIEC, alongside the GSMA Innovation City, from Wednesday, 28 June through Friday, 30 June. The conference will feature four keynotes, each exploring various angles of the Mobile World Congress Shanghai theme "The Human Element". Held across the three days of the conference, keynotes will include "The Human Element", "Operators and the Human Element", "Society and the Human Element", and "Industry and the Human Element", with executive-level speakers from companies across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industry sectors.



The conference also incorporates 12 summits focusing on the latest industry trends: Connected Vehicle Summit

Data Security Summit

Digital Consumer Summit

Enterprise & The Cloud Summit

Future Tech Summit

Global Device Summit

Internet of Things (IoT) Summit

MMIX Asia Summit

Operator Evolution Strategies Summit

Network Evolution Summit

Transforming Industries Summit

Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Summit Confirmed Supporting Sponsors for the summits include GLOBALFOUNDRIES (Internet of Things Summit); LeEco (Global Devices Summit); MediaTek (Internet of Things Summit); NEC (Internet of Things Summit); Nokia (Operator Evolution Strategies Summit); and Oberthur (Data Security Summit). For more information on the conference, visit www.mwcshanghai.com/conference/.

Additional Exhibitors Confirmed for Shanghai The GSMA announced additional companies that will be participating in the Mobile World Congress Shanghai exhibition, showcasing the latest mobile products and services. Newly confirmed exhibitors include FiberHome (News - Alert), Gionee, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Hangzhou H3C Technologies, HengTong Optical-Electric, Hong Kong Applied Science & Technology Research Institute, Lora Alliance, Meitu, PCCW Global, Rohde & Schwarz, STMicroeletronics and Western Digital (News - Alert), among others. For more information on the exhibition, visit www.mwcshanghai.com/exhibition/. Get Involved at Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2017 For more information on the 2017 Mobile World Congress Shanghai, including how to attend, exhibit, partner or sponsor, visit www.mwcshanghai.com. Follow developments and updates on Mobile World Congress Shanghai through our social media channels - follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at @GSMA and use #MWCS17, get regular updates through our LinkedIn Showcase Page at www.linkedin.com/company/mobile-world-congress-shanghai, and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mwcshanghai. In China, you can follow us on Sina Weibo weibo.com/mwcshanghai or search "GSMA_MWCS" in WeChat. For additional information on GSMA social channels, visit www.mwcshanghai.com/about/contact/social-media. -ENDS- About the GSMA The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with almost 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences. For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005025/en/

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[January 19, 2017] Seven Out of 10 Consumers Globally Welcome Robo-Advice for Banking, Insurance and Retirement Services, According to Accenture

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven in 10 consumers around the world would welcome robo-advisory services -- computer-generated advice and services that are independent of a human advisor -- for their banking, insurance and retirement planning, according to a new report by Accenture (NYSE: ACN). Yet, a large number of consumers still want human interaction for their more complex needs, leaving firms challenged with blending a physical presence with an advanced digital user-experience, as they look to integrate robot and human services. The global Distribution & Marketing Consumer research by Accenture, which includes a survey of nearly 33,000 consumers in 18 countries and regions, found that the vast majority are willing to receive exclusively robo-generated advice for certain banking and insurance products. Consumers are now open to robo-advice to help determine which bank account to open (71%), which insurance coverage to purchase (74%), and how to plan for retirement (68%). Nearly four out of five (78%) consumers said they would welcome robo-advice for traditional investing, where the technology first emerged. Consumers also Expect First-Class Human Interaction However, the study also found that nearly two-thirds of consumers still want human interaction in financial services, especially to deal with complaints (68%) and advice about complex products such as mortgages (61%). Piercarlo Gera, senior managing director, Accenture Financial Services, said: "We found strong consumer demand exists today for robo-advice in all areas of financial services -- banking, insurance and financial advice. While financial institutions may expect to benefit from internal cost reduction by providing customers with a 'robo' option, our research found that consumers also expect first-class human interaction. Successful financial services firms will therefore need a 'phygital' strategy that seamlessly integrates technology, branch networks and staff to provide a service that combines physical and digital capabilities and gives consumers a choice." Consumers indicated the main attractions for using robo-advice platforms is the prospect of faster (39%) and less expensive (31%) services, and because they think computers/artificial intelligence are more impartial and analytical than humans (26%). The research found that the countries with the biggest appetite for robo-advice are in the emerging economies of Indonesia (92%), Thailand (90%), Brazil (86%) and Chile (84%) -- all markets where it is already common to use a smartphone or other digital device as the primary vehicle for financial services interactions. Even in the countries with the lowest demand -- Canada (56%), Germany (59%) and Australia (61%) -- more than half of consumers surveyed said they are willing to use robo-advice.



Non-traditional Providers Hold Strong Appeal The survey also found that consumers are willing to switch to non-traditional providers for financial services. Nearly one-third would switch to Google, Amazon or Facebook for banking services (31%), insurance services (29%) and financial advisory services (38%). For consumers aged 18 to 21 years old, the number willing to switch banking services to one of these companies only rises to 41%, indicating that many younger consumers see value in traditional financial institutions. Tech giants are not the only ones putting pressure on financial service firms; nearly the same percentage of global consumers would also consider switching to a supermarket or retailer for their banking (31%) and insurance (30%) services.

Alan McIntyre, senior managing director, head of Accenture Banking, said: "Consumers expect nearly all of their transactions to be on par with the service they receive from GAFA (Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple) companies, which poses a challenge for banks in particular. Banks need to create branches that provide an advanced digital experience combined with convenient locations, while also developing an online digital experience that can compete head on with the tech giants. The vast majority of today's consumers view their bank relationships as entirely transactional; in order to gain customer loyalty, banks have to be more assertive in using technology to provide tailored, personalized offerings when, where and how customers want them." Personalization The survey found nearly 2/3 of consumers are interested in personalized insurance (64%) and banking (63%) advice based on their individual circumstances, and when asked about wealth management advice, that increases to 73%. Nearly half of consumers (48%) want banks to play a supporting role in the purchasing process for non-banking products, such as a house or new car or services related to those purchases (i.e. insurance products, assistance with the sale and/or closing process). Consumers indicated that banks could assist with these important decisions by sending helpful information based on consumer location data, price range and other personal preferences. Data as Currency The survey also found that consumers are willing to share their data with financial services providers in exchange for benefits like less expensive and faster services. Globally, 67% would grant their bank access to more personal data, but 63% want more tailored advice and demand a priority service -- such as expedited loan approvals -- or a monetary benefit, such as more competitive pricing, in return for the information they share. More than half (57%) of consumers would grant their insurance provider access to personal data, but 64% want more tailored advice in exchange. Three consumer personas Accenture identified three distinct consumer personas from the research with specific characteristics around what they value most from their financial service providers, how they want to access services in the future, and how they would like to embrace digital innovation. Nomads: Highly digitally active group, ready for a new model of delivery, represents 39% of consumers surveyed, but significantly more in less developed economies, such as Brazil where Nomads were more than 60%

Highly digitally active group, ready for a new model of delivery, represents 39% of consumers surveyed, but significantly more in less developed economies, such as where Nomads were more than 60% Hunters: Searching for the best deal on price, represents 17% of consumers surveyed and tend to skew a little older

Searching for the best deal on price, represents 17% of consumers surveyed and tend to skew a little older Quality Seekers: Looking for high quality, responsive service and data protection, represents 44% of consumers Methodology

in mid-2016, Accenture surveyed 32,715 respondents across 18 countries and regions including Asian countries: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Thailand. Respondents were consumers of banking, insurance and wealth management services; have a bank account and an insurance policy and used a finance advisor. Respondents covered multiple generations and income levels. Download full report: www.accenture.com/FSConsumerStudy. For Further information, please contact : Accenture Indonesia Nia Sarinastiti

Wisma 46 - Kota BNI - Lantai 18

Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav.1, Jakarta 10220

Tel : +6221 574 6575

Email: [email protected]

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[January 19, 2017] Mastercard and George Soros to Explore Private Sector Solutions to Societal Challenges

Mastercard and George Soros announced plans to explore creating a social enterprise to apply commercial strategies to deliver a positive impact on society. Called Humanity Ventures, the enterprise could catalyze and accelerate economic and social development for vulnerable communities around the world, especially refugees and migrants. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005332/en/ Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga and George Soros met at the World Economic Forum announcing plans to explore creating a social enterprise to apply commercial strategies to deliver a positive impact on society. (Photo: Business Wire) Pervasive joblessness, lack of access to healthcare, inadequate education, and financial exclusion afflict people in both developed and emerging economies. Despite billions of dollars of humanitarian and development assistance every year, millions of people remain marginalized. Mastercard and George Soros believe that private sector capabilities coupled with strategic, long-term investments can spur development and transform life for the underserved. Last September, George Soros announced that he is earmarking up to $500 million for private investments that will improve capacity to address the challenges that migrants, including refugees, and their host communities face around the world. Humanity Ventures would be part of that initiative. Mastercard delivers innovative payments, data, and identity solutions which empower the underserved all over the world. These tools improve the lives of refugees and migrants by forging better economic and social ties with local populations. Operating as a standalone entity, Humanity Ventures would initially combine solutions designed to expand access to healthcare and education, foster local economic development and entrepreneurship, and enhance the delivery of aid. One such solution is the Mastercard Aid Network, an award winning digital voucher platform designed in partnership with humanitarian organizations.



With the creation of Humanity Ventures, Soros could invest up to $50 million to make these solutions even more scalable and sustainable. The social enterprise could also serve as an incubator and accelerator for smaller projects committed to mitigating the migration crisis. Designed to combine the need for business returns with social impact, Humanity Ventures would also act as a new model for how civil society, governments, and the private sector improve quality of life and drive economic growth.

"Over several years, we've applied our thinking and technology to help hundreds of millions connect to the formal economy and to help empower safer and more efficient aid distribution," said Ajay Banga, president and CEO of Mastercard. "We can have transformational impact by scaling our business-driven organization to leverage innovation, on-the-ground experience and long-term capital investments." "Migrants are often forced into lives of despair in their host communities because they cannot gain access to financial, healthcare and government services. Our potential investment in this social enterprise, coupled with Mastercard's ability to create products that serve vulnerable communities, can show how private capital can play a constructive role in solving social problems," said George Soros. "Humanity Ventures is intended to be profitable so as to stimulate involvement from other businesspeople. We also hope to establish standards of practice to ensure that investments are not exploitative of the vulnerable communities we intend to serve." About Mastercard Mastercard (NYSE:MA), 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 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) @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau. About George Soros George Soros is founder and chairman of Soros Fund Management and the Open Society Foundations. Born in Budapest in 1930, he survived the Nazi occupation during World War II and fled Soviet-dominated Hungary in 1947 for England, where he graduated from the London School of Economics. Soros has been active as a philanthropist since 1979, when he began providing funds to help black students attend Cape Town University in apartheid South Africa. The Open Society Foundations today operate in more than 100 countries with an annual budget of roughly $800 million to promote the values of open society-- freedom of expression, transparency, accountable government, justice and equality. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005332/en/

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[January 19, 2017] Tautachrome (OCTQB: TTCM) Updates its Patent Goals and Progress

ORO VALLEY, Ariz., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tautachrome, Inc. (OTCQB:TTCM) today announced that it has been updated by its patent attorney, Benjamin Urcia of the patent firm Bacon & Thomas in Alexandria, Virginia, and the U.S. Patent Office on the timelines of issuance and examination of its patent and patent claims. The Company also explained its intentions regarding the use of the KlickZie technology it is developing under the protection of the allowed and pending claims.

Tautachromes KlickZie patent applications are currently being pursued in two principal areas: Trusted Imaging and Talk-to-the-Picture communications. The Trusted Imaging patent area has a cloud-based component that certifies the authenticity of pictures and videos made in a KlickZie-equipped smartphone. As we announced on December 22, 2016, all of the authentication claims in this patent area have been allowed. Publication of this patent could occur from one to three weeks from today. The other KlickZie claims are being pursued in two separate patent applications making for a total of three patents in the Trusted Imaging patent area: one allowed and two pending. The breakthrough novelty of KlickZie technology is that it is able to provide evidence-grade trustability of its pictures and videos, and the trustability it provides is a property of the pictures and videos themselves. Trust goes with the imagery. It doesnt matter where the imagery goes or who handles it. Its not a property of the chain of custody of the imagery, evidence lockers for the imagery, handling procedures for the imagery, or anything else of that sort. This is huge for certain companies and entities, and Tautachrome is working very hard on a relationship with a Fortune 50 company for which this will have great value. In addition, this technology makes every consumer smartphone a trusted imager, an absolute game-changer for society. The Talk-to-the-Picture patent area adds an element to the pictures and videos that are made in a KlickZie-equipped smartphone that we call activation. An amazing thing happens when activated imagery is a part of the ordinary image making of smartphone users. It turns out that KlickZie activation adds a new world of usefulness to these pictures and videos. When you come across an activated picture, you can communicate with the author of the picture, or with others who have seen the picture or are seeing the picture at that moment, whether you know these people or not and wherever they may be on earth, merely by clicking or touching the picture (touch-to-comm). The picture itself makes the communication happen. It does not matter where or how you come across an activated picture, you can engage it, interact with it, or share it, just by touching or clicking it.



In addition, what happens to an activated picture from its creation onward gets invisibly added to the pictures data and can be tracked into the future. Activated pictures can answer many questions. For example, in a group photo you could ask: Have any of the people in my contacts list interacted with this picture? Are any of them engaging it right now? Who else besides my contacts have already engaged this picture in some way? Who took it, where and when? Our studies have shown us two things about activated imagery. The first is that our interactive and engageable activated imagery will act like a new language on the web, replacing text. The second is that our user base will grow to more than a billion users in record time, and will continue to grow after that to most of the smartphone users on the planet. The reason for this second factor is that every activated picture or video acts as an advertisement to anybody who sees it, shouting out Im amazing! Im free! Download me now! Monetizing such large user bases has been shown repeatedly to be both possible and extremely profitable.

The Talk-to-the-Picture patent application was filed with the US Patent Office (USPTO) fifteen months ago in August 2015, and has been caught in the giant patent backlog. We have requested and received a prediction-letter from the Patent Office which stated that examination of our application is estimated to occur in approximately seven months. The letter also stated The USPTO is dedicated to minimizing [backlog], and we are targeting resources to help address backlogs... "We want our investors to know that our intention is to build out our technology, products and organization with no waiting. Patents are great and we expect to achieve all of our patent goals in due time. But nothing will stop our progress in funding and developing Tautachromes flagship KlickZie technology. When patents catch up, they will help cement and protect our competitive position," said Dr. Jon Leonard, CEO. About Tautachrome, Inc. Tautachrome, Inc. (OTCQB:TTCM) is an emerging growth company in the developing digital imagery technology sector. Tautachrome has revolutionary smartphone-image authentication allowed patent claims and breakthrough patents pending, including Talk-to-the-Picture social networking and trustable imagery-based interaction. Forward-Looking Statements: Statements made in this press release are forward-looking and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, general business conditions, managing growth, and political and other business risks. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this paragraph and the risks and other factors detailed in Tautachrome's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Tautachrome undertakes no duty to update these forward-looking statements. Contact: Tautachrome, Inc. 520.318.5578 Web: www.tautachrome.com Paul Knopick [email protected] 940.262.3584

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[January 19, 2017]

PractiFI and SMS-Magic Partner to Deliver Integrated SMS Functionality to Financial Services Businesses

NEVADA, USA and SYDNEY, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

PractiFI, one of Australia's leading financial services technology platforms, today announced an integration with SMS-Magic, which will enable PractiFi clients to communicate with their customers via SMS. With the immediate availability of this integration, PractiFI users can send text messages directly from a client record.

SMS-Magic is a proven global messaging application for CRMs that allows users to drive real-time and relevant conversations with customers and prospects from CRMs. The integration will help PractiFI to provide an additional low cost, high impact method of client engagement for financial services businesses.

In conjunction with PractiFI's automated workflows, the SMS-Magic integration will facilitate the use of SMS to improve communication, from reminding clients of upcoming appointments to engaging in two-way conversation. SMS will also be another valuable data source for PractiFI Analytics







"Partnering with SMS-Magic delivers on our commitment to connect financial planning firms and superannuation funds with their clients and members in an omnichannel model," said Glenn Elliott, CEO, PractiFI.

The integration between PractiFI and SMS-Magic ensures that messages are captured as interactions on the client record, providing a real-time single view of client communication.

"With SMS-Magic's powerful features like Analytics, Automation, and MMS, PractiFI clients will get a quick and effective communication channel within their CRM," says Nitin Seth, CEO, SMS-Magic.

About SMS-Magic

SMS-Magic is a proven, global messaging application for popular CRM platforms, with over 1500 clients across 190 countries. SMS-Magic enables CRM users to seamlessly use messaging to engage buyers and win and retain more new customer revenue.

About PractiFI

PractiFI is the industry application for running financial services businesses. PractiFI connects financial advice, superannuation/pensions, insurance, investments and lending on the Salesforce platform.

http://www.practifi.com

Reference Links - http://www.screen-magic.com/blog/practifi-sms-magic-partner-to-deliver-integrated-sms-functionality-to-financial-services-businesses/

Media Contact:

Koeli Chatterjee

[email protected]

Manager - Marketing & Communication

Screen-Magic Mobile Media



SOURCE SMS-Magic
[January 19, 2017] Phaneesh Murthy Joins the Board of Cigniti Technologies Inc. as a Non-Executive Director

Phaneesh Murthy, global IT industry veteran, who spearheaded the growth story of companies like Infosys (News - Alert) and iGate, has joined the board of Cigniti Technologies Inc. as a Non-Executive Director. Phaneesh is a business leader with 25 years of experience in structuring and managing large outsourcing deals for Fortune 500 companies. Phaneesh's previous roles include CEO & President of iGate Corporation and Worldwide Head of Sales and Marketing, Head of Communications, and Product Solutions Group at Infosys Ltd. He also consults for various businesses. Phaneesh is widely recognized as an Industry pioneer in propelling organizations to an all-round, multifold growth, and helping them reach leadership positions. On this momentous occasion, Mr. C V Subramanyam, Chairman and Managing Director, Cigniti, said, "Phaneesh will advise the board and work closely with the Management at Cigniti to drive the business growth. We firmly believe that his association, inputs, and strategic direction will help us further accelerate our journey towards becoming the world's largest and most respected independent software testing services company." Speaking on his occasion, Phaneesh said "In today's rapidly changing digital world, organizations are powered by intelligent software. Companies are now leveraging DevOps to release applications on an hourly mode, instead of annual basis as was the norm just a few years ago. I am excited to be a part of the company, which is attempting to ensure this agility through its leading IP-Led software testing services."



ABOUT CIGNITI: Cigniti Technologies Limited (BSE: 534758, NSE: CIGNITITEC; www.cigniti.com), Global Leaders in Independent Software Testing (IST) Services, is headquartered at Hyderabad, India. Cigniti Technologies Inc., a Delaware incorporated corporation, has its principal place of business within US at Irving, Texas and King of Prussia, Philadelphia, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cigniti Technologies Limited, India. Cigniti group's 2300+ software testing specialists are spread across US, UK, India, Australia, and Canada. Cigniti is the world's first IST Services Company to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and is also ISO 9001:2008 & ISO 27001:2013 certified. Cigniti's test offerings include Quality Engineering, Advisory & Transformation, Next Generation Testing, Core Testing, and cutting edge Mobile, IoT, and Robotics labs. Having served several Fortune 500 & Global 2000 companies, Cigniti has translated its R&D into BlueSwan, the next generation and proprietary test platform. Leading Analysts like Gartner, Forrester, NelsonHall, Everest, Frost & Sullivan (News - Alert), and Forbes have consistently mentioned, awarded, and commended Cigniti for its leadership and growth in the independent software testing services space.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005578/en/

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[January 19, 2017] Overbrook Academy Looks to SecurityRI for Complete Security Coverage for Relocation Project and Beyond

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SecurityRI, a leading full-service IT security company specializing in providing comprehensive security strategies to protect businesses of all sizes, teamed up with Overbrook Academy, an accredited, international boarding school for girls, to provide protection from data breaches and any vulnerabilities to their students and faculty during the relocation of the academy. A breach can happen to any organization at any time. The ITRC Data Breach Reports-2015 Year-End Totals Report states, in 2015 alone, over 169 million personal records were exposed, stemming from 781 publicized breaches across the financial, business, education, government, and healthcare sectors. "We were tasked with the safe relocation of the academy's network and server room, installation of roaming Wi-Fi and a surveillance system throughout the new campus, the set-up of two computer labs and all staff and resident computers, as well as several other assignments," said Marc Ranaldi, CIO of SecurityRI. SecurityRI's methodology for projects starts with a full diagnostic and strategic planning approach that involves the identification of all vulnerabilities that need to be addressed and monitored for safety. The process allows for proper planning and design and ensures protection of confidential data and credentials. All SecurityRI's clients' information is stored in encrypted, secure cloud based data bases, withroles and permissions strictly granted.



"When the decision was made to relocate the school, we were concerned on how we could keep the school functional during the process while maintaining and assuring the safety of our students," said Kelly Carello, assistant business manager at Overbrook Academy. "From initial evaluation, to the setup of our secure access control system, all computers, iPads and monitoring systems, the transition to our new location was flawless." SecurityRI's full audit of the academy's network design allowed them to properly architect the new network as well as setup and run a full parallel network before the move date providing a seamless transition with zero downtime during the transition. "Evaluation of the new campus exposed the need for complete rewiring of the location to be network and camera installation ready and provide a quicker installation of the complete surveillance system once onsite," said Ranaldi. "The day of the move, our security officers assisted in the safe transport of servers and watched over all areas of the campus while proper installation of fire and safety monitoring was installed and tested. We are committed to designing custom security solutions that fits our customer's needs. With the integration of technology and superior security officer services, we were able to provide a complete security solution that gave Overbrook Academy's directive team peace of mind and allowed them to focus on their students and the school," Ranaldi concludes.

About SecurityRI

SecurityRI has been serving businesses in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for over 35 years. We are an organization of security professionals committed to serve and protect. We hold ourselves accountable to the principles of Integrity, Professionalism, Compassion and Teamwork. SecurityRI started as a small private investigation firm in 1981, and has grown into a multifaceted corporation offering a wide range of services from physical security, video surveillance solutions, network security, IT services and more. SecurityRI is privately-held and headquartered in North Providence, Rhode Island. To find out more, please visit www.securityri.com. Contact:

Juli Dexter

SecurityRI.com

401.256.6115

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/overbrook-academy-looks-to-securityri-for-complete-security-coverage-for-relocation-project-and-beyond-300393337.html SOURCE SecurityRI.com

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The girl approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the police to arrest a senior professor for sexually harassing her inside college premises.

By Harish V Nair: An MPhil student of Greater Noida's reputed Gautam Buddha University has approached the Supreme Court, seeking a direction to the police to arrest a senior professor for sexually harassing her inside college premises.

The woman knocked on the doors of the apex court through her lawyer Rishi Malhotra after the Allahabad High Court refused the professor's request to quash the FIR, saying the "allegations were serious", but stayed his arrest till the "police submitted a report or credible evidence is collected".

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Admitting her plea to lift the stay on the professor's arrest, a bench headed by Justice Kurian Joseph last week issued a notice to him, seeking his response within four weeks.

ALSO READ | Single mother moves court against boss over abuse at workplace

The woman's complaint to the SC said, "I observed his strange behaviour and attitude while interacting with me in the class. He used to call me into his chamber and talk about sex. I could realise his ill intentions. He even opened nude photographs and videos on the computer in his chamber, forcing me to watch the same. I could not tolerate it further and I also used to object when he tried to touch me in an inappropriate manner."

On the victim's complaint, police had registered an FIR last year against the professor under IPC sections for "use of criminal force on a woman to outrage her modesty", "criminal intimidation" and "showing gestures or performing acts intended to outrage the modesty of a woman".

A probe by an in-house varsity panel found him innocent and exonerated him. The report also said "on enquiry from her hostel warden it was found that she had been regularly visiting a psychiatrist for her behavioural changes". But despite that the High Court refused to quash the FIR.

ALSO READ | Sexual harassment case: AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan arrested

However, protecting the professor from arrest, the HC ruled, "There are serious allegations against the petitioner in the FIR which cannot be stifled at the very inception. The petitioner will have ample opportunity to prove his innocence. From the perusal of the FIR it appears that on the basis of allegation made therein, prima facie cognisable offence is made out. There is no scope of interfering in the FIR. Therefore, the prayer for quashing of FIR is refused. However, considering the peculiar facts and circumstances it is directed that till the submission of the police report or credible proof is collected, petitioner shall not be arrested."

Her lawyer told the SC that the HC, which on the one hand refused to quash the FIR, erred in staying the professor's arrest without hearing her side and ignoring other material in support of her plaint. "The HC ignored the law laid down by the SC and various guiding principles issued in respect of sexual harassment cases," he said.

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ALSO READ | Record 39 sexual harassment complaints in JNU in 2015-16

The accused had submitted before the HC that the woman earlier approached the Delhi Commission for Women, which, on the basis of his statement that she was a psychiatric patient and after examining her father and brother, ruled that the allegations could not be proved.

"He always threatened that I was assigned to him for MPhil and he will ensure I fail in the course if I disclosed the ill act to anybody. He also said he has good links with top varsity officials and he would spoil my career if I try to reveal his behaviour to other professors," she told SC.

The varsity made headlines last year when it suspended a professor after a student accused him of asking for sexual favours in return for fixing her attendance record.

ALSO READ | Air India employee accuses Director of sending her to rooms of top VIPs alone

--- ENDS ---
[January 19, 2017] harmon.ie Humanizes Document and Email Capture

BOSTON, Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In its mission to humanize the digital experience, harmon.ie today unveiled new capabilities of its Information Governance solution that make the right thing to do, the easy thing to do for the typical employee. harmon.ie now gives organizations an easy way to properly manage important emails and documents as business records in SharePoint without asking employees to complicate their daily routine.

When organizations try to force workers to add more steps, or in many cases new services or apps, to their daily routine, compliance initiatives fail, noted Bruce Miller a leading expert on electronic recordkeeping and principal at RIMtech Consulting. Missing critical emails and documents can become massive litigation risks. Ultimately, organizations need to make it easy for workers to comply with governance directives by simplifying the experience for them. It could mean the difference between compliance and non-compliance. In a recent research report, harmon.ie found that capturing important emails remains the biggest compliance roadblock. harmon.ie makes information governance a seamless part of employees current email regimen. harmon.ie allows organizations to keep the human at the center of the compliance initiative by giving the workers ultimate control, while eliminating human error and reducing employee resstance. By employing simple Outlook rules to give workers an intuitive way to dictate which emails need to be stored for compliance, the email capture procedure can be automated by the user.



Technology is useless if it isnt easy to use. SharePoint can become a document graveyard if employees dont embrace the tool or use it the right way, and you cant manage what your users dont upload or classify, notes Ron Surette, former director general of digital preservation and CIO of the Library and Archives of Canada. Employees dont have time to manually specify metadata or classify every email they want to store as an email of record in SharePoint. harmon.ie provides an accurate, easily accessible digital paper trail. It turns a complex process that workers simply wont do, into something extremely simple that they willingly embrace. Information workers decide what is captured, classified and uploaded automatically as records in SharePoint. For example, a worker can create a standard Outlook rule that says that all emails with Project Alpha in the subject line need to be saved as records in SharePoint. Once the rule is applied, all subsequent emails with the text Project Alpha in the subject line will automatically be uploaded and classified  making saving important emails effortless. If the user prefers to do it manually, harmon.ie still simplifies the process by enabling them to drag and drop emails into designated folders, even when offline, for classification and storage in SharePoint.

Todays workers are bombarded with an incessant stream of emails, and most spend most of their workday checking their email  they live and breathe Outlook for the majority of their workday, added Yaacov Cohen, CEO of harmon.ie. Trying to capture and archive every single email is completely unmanageable, and extremely costly. Solving the current email governance problem is all about making the solution part of workers preferred user experience. We are trying to make it almost instantaneous for users to properly capture and classify important emails and associated documents, as well as retrieve them when neededall within Outlook. To learn more about how harmon.ie is humanizing the last mile of email capture for information governance, register for one of the webinar sessions on February 1, 2017. About harmon.ie

harmon.ie humanizes the digital experience by providing a suite of user experience products that empower todays distributed workforce to get work done on their own terms. We put the human in the center, insulating information workers from technology complexity and allowing them to complete workplace tasks directly from the friendly confines of their email client. Thousands of enterprise customers count on harmon.ie to provide humanized information governance, collaboration, knowledge retention, and email and records management using SharePoint, Office 365 and other collaboration tools. harmon.ie is a Microsoft Partner of the Year Finalist and an IBM global partner. Follow harmon.ie on Twitter and LinkedIn. PR contact: Erica Camilo Connexa Communications, LLC for harmon.ie 610.639.5644 [email protected]

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[January 19, 2017] iPipeline Reports AFFIRM Platform Processed 200,000 Annuity Transactions in 2016

iPipeline - a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for the life insurance and annuity industry- today reported its AFFIRM Order Entry Platform processed approximately 200,000 annuity transactions in 2016. The AFFIRM Platform is an order entry system used by the nation's largest and most respected financial institutions to extend the digital buying and selling journey for advisers. AFFIRM is a deeply integrated platform that enables and supports customized workflows and suitability reviews to ensure FINRA, SEC (News - Alert) and state compliance. "In 2016, we continued to invest heavily in R&D to enhance the AFFIRM Platform and ensure its reliability and success for our current and future customers. We recognize the industry is changing and that we need to evolve the platform to address current technology and security demands," said Tim Wallace, CEO, iPipeline. "In 2016, we enhanced the architecture, migrated our servers, and continued efforts to modernize the platform by upgrading to the latest version of ACORD to support Department of Labor (DOL) data standards for Product Profiles for Annuities (PPfAs) and industry standard data. We also continued to provide distributors additional self-service functionality and additional tools to craft a deeply integrated and customized user experience." "While reliability is key to transaction execution, maintenance of secure platforms is top-of-mind for our customers, so we also invested an additional $2 million in 2016 to protect clients against potentially harmful threats," added Wallace. "All of the 'bells and whistles' in the world are meaningless if transactions cannot be executed by advisers with high confidence. Our investments will continue to improve what we believe is the best-in-class platform within the industry." AFFIRM provides the functionality of a wizard-based user interface with uniformity across all insurerproducts to optimize an adviser's daily experience and productivity. AFFIRM supports the selling and processing of annuity and life products and is easily configured to support the unique workflows required by many of the nation's leading financial institutions.



Core capabilities and distinguishing features include: Wizard (not forms-based) user experience

Multi-carrier order entry for annuities and life

Fully configurable suitability and compliance options

Integration with comparison tools

Configurable distributor screens and questions

Service-enabled to integrate with adviser's existing desktop experience

Driven by industry standard-based PPfA product definitions

Pre-built DTCC connectivity to carriers To learn how you can implement iPipeline's AFFIRM solution to support your selling and processing needs for annuity and life products, visit us here and contact [email protected] or call 1-800-758-0824, option 2.

About iPipeline iPipeline is a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for the life insurance industry. Through our SaaS (News - Alert) solutions, we accelerate and simplify insurance sales, compliance, operations and support. We provide process automation and seamless integration between every participant in the life insurance industry including carriers, agents (such as financial advisers and independent insurance agents), distributors (such as banks, broker-dealers and general agencies) and consumers. Our innovative solutions enable automated processing for pre-sales, point-of-sale execution of applications, post-sale support, reporting, consumer delivery and agency management. iPipeline provides the process automation and seamless integration needed on a global basis to make a sale by aggregating more than 120 carriers, 875 distributors and financial institutions, and their producers and licensed advisers in a cloud-based environment. With headquarters in Exton, Pennsylvania, iPipeline has locations in Cheltenham (UK), Fort Lauderdale, Huntersville, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and Vancouver. Save the date for iPipeline's Connections 2017 User Meeting & Conference on March 15-17 at the ARIA in Las Vegas. Visit www.ipipeline.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005007/en/

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Lt. Governor Cox to Speak at Charter Day on the Hill, A Showcase of Diverse School Choice Options

More than 500 students from 50 charter schools will join Utah Lt. Governor Spencer Cox (News - Alert) at the Utah Capitol building to showcase the great charter school options available to parents in Utah.

The event, which is designed to celebrate National School Choice Week, will take place in Salt Lake City Thursday, Jan. 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Students will host booths in the capitol on Thursday, Jan. 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to educate lawmakers on the programs and curricula provided at various charter schools, and on the importance of charter school funding.

Lt. Governor Cox will be the keynote speaker.

National School Choice Week 2017 will feature more than 21,000 school choice events across all 5 states.







For more information, contact Cate Klundt at [email protected] or (702) 767-3994.

As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country.

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/20170119005084/en/
[January 19, 2017] Globalstar to Attend Meetings with J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Cantor Fitzgerald

COVINGTON, La., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Globalstar, Inc. (NYSE MKT:GSAT) announced today that the Company will present at a series of investor meetings hosted by J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Cantor Fitzgerald on January 30 and 31 in New York. Jay Monroe, Chairman and CEO, Tim Taylor, Vice President, Finance, Business Operations and Strategy and John Dooley, Managing Director, Jarvinian will be in attendance. At this time, Globalstar will further discuss its U.S. terrestrial spectrum plans and process for international terrestrial authorities as well as discuss infrastructure and user equipment ecosystem development. Presentation material used for the meetings will be posted on the Companys website in advance of these meetings. For more information on Globalstars terrestrial spectrum authority, visit Globalstar.com/Spectrum. About Globalstar, Inc.

Globalstar is a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services, leveraging the worlds newest mobile satellite communications network. Customers around the world in industries lik government, emergency management, marine, logging, oil & gas and outdoor recreation rely on Globalstar to conduct business smarter and faster, maintain peace of mind and access emergency personnel. Globalstar data solutions are ideal for various asset and personal tracking, data monitoring and SCADA applications. The Company's products include mobile and fixed satellite telephones, the innovative Sat-Fi satellite hotspot, Simplex and Duplex satellite data modems, tracking devices and flexible service packages. For more information, visit www.globalstar.com.



Note that all SPOT products described in this press release are the products of SPOT LLC, which is not affiliated in any manner with Spot Image of Toulouse, France or Spot Image Corporation of Chantilly, Virginia. For more information, visit www.globalstar.com. Investor Contact Information:

Email: [email protected]

Safe Harbor Language for Globalstar Press Releases

This press release contains certain statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, such as the statements regarding our expectations with respect to actions by the FCC contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts, involve predictions. Any forward-looking statements made in this press release are believed to be accurate as of the date made and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results or developments may differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, and we undertake no obligation to update any such statements. Additional information on factors that could influence our financial results is included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

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[January 19, 2017] UPDATE: Hundreds to celebrate art and innovation at School Choice rally in Tucson

Hundreds of Tucson-area school leaders, parents, teachers, and students will hold a major celebration of school choice during National School Choice Week. The celebration will take place at the Tucson Museum of Art on Friday, January 27 at 5:30 p.m., and will include a wide variety of student performances. Students from all types of schools from private to public will lead the program with mariachi bands, Aztec dancers, rock bands, folklore groups, and more. Alicia Alvarez, leader of the exemplary Alta Vista High School and a 2015 Rodel Exemplary Principal, will also speak. The celebration will coincide with National School Choice Week (January 22-28, 2017), which will feature more than 21,000 events across the country. The goal of the event is to highlight the importance of school choice to families in Arizona. "We look forward to this celebration that will represent the wonderful and diverse options available to families in and around Tucson," said Lea Marquez Peterson, president and CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "There is so much to be proud of and so many educators, advocates, and community leaders to thank for brightening the futures of many Arizona students."



"As the principal of a great school community, I know exactly how much work goes into making sure that our school is offering what each of our students needs. I so admire my colleagues in Tucson who do this incredible work on behalf of students and families every day," said Alicia Alvarez of Alta Vista High School. Event planners include Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Charter Schools Association, A for Arizona, Vail Unified School District, Alta Vista High School, Southern Arizona Charter Schools Association, Choose A School, ACE Academies, Academies of Math & Science, Presidio Schools, Institute for Better Education, Arizona College Prep Academy, Rose Academies, Alternative Ed Consortium, Lehman Academies, Nogales Unified, and Mexicayotl Academies.

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 more than 21,000 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. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005963/en/

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[January 19, 2017] Nuna Launches with More Than $90 Million in Funding to Help Make High-Quality, Affordable Healthcare Accessible to Everyone

Nuna, which is participating as a partner in the development of a national modernized data platform for Medicaid, is officially launching out of stealth. The new Medicaid data platform, when through beta and expanded to include data from all states, has the potential to collect and contain eligibility, provider, and managed care plan and other data for 74.5 million lives from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The company also announced that it has closed more than $90 million in funding to date, led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and John Doerr (News - Alert), to continue to scale its team and operations to deliver its health data platform to even more customers. "The healthcare industry is the largest part of the U.S. economy, with more than 12 million jobs and $3 trillion of annual spend," said John Doerr, Nuna investor and Chair at Kleiner Perkins. "Nuna's 'SEAL Team Six' of data and computer scientists transform health data into powerful insights which employers, governments, and health plans are using to save costs, improve quality of care, and change lives." Founded to make high-quality, affordable healthcare accessible to everyone, Nuna works with self-insured employers, health plans, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to deliver actionable insights from data. Based on Amazon's AWS cloud computing technology, Nuna has created a uniquely powerful data platform which securely and cost-effectively ingests, aggregates, and analyzes healthcare information at an unprecedented scale. Data that used to take a week to process can now be done in just hours. Nuna's suite of products help employers, health plans and policymakers answer the questions that matter most to them - questions related to cost, quality, and access to care. Nuna-Bringing Insights to overnment



"Every row of data is a life whose stories deserve to be told with dignity," said Jini Kim, cofounder and CEO of Nuna. "Unifying data from 50 states and the District of Columbia into a new national data platform for Medicaid would not have been possible without the incredible partnership with CMS. For the first time since the inception of Medicaid, questions can be answered that were never before possible." "Building the first Medicaid data warehouse is an important national priority, but it is fraught with complexity. It takes good partners like the Nuna team to make the progress we've made," said Andy Slavitt, Acting Administrator for CMS. "The Medicaid system and Silicon Valley have the opportunity to innovate together. Over time, the insights and analysis that can be brought to Medicaid have the potential to shed significant light on the healthcare experience for millions of low-income working Americans."

Nuna performs this work under prime contractor Quality Software Services (QSSI), which was selected to build the first national data warehouse for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Nuna-Bringing Actionable Insights to Employers and Health Plans In addition to working with government, Nuna partners with self-insured employers to bring clarity to health plan utilization, identify opportunities to improve employee health, and curb overall healthcare costs, which are expected to increase six percent for a third consecutive year in 2017 at large U.S. companies. Nuna's platform helps these employers integrate many disparate data sources to better manage the health of employees and their families. Nuna is also working with health plans such as Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina (BCBSNC) to help improve the quality and affordability of care for members, creating cutting-edge products for network design and evaluating physician performance. "Most big businesses are investing in analytics, and health insurers are no exception. But with immense amounts of data available today, the biggest challenge is identifying truly actionable insights that lead to real value for a given population. Finding that value for our nearly four million customers is our focus," said Patrick Getzen, chief actuary for BCBSNC. "Companies like Nuna that can provide the analytics platform and expertise needed to extract actionable insights, can help link consumers to the right care at the right time-leading to better outcomes and more affordable healthcare." About Nuna Nuna Inc. was founded in 2010 by Jini Kim, previously a product manager with Google (News - Alert) Health and a key member of the team that saved the roll-out of Healthcare.gov, and David Chen, previously a Senior Data Scientist at Netflix and a graduate of the biomedical informatics training program at Stanford. The company has raised over $90M in funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and John Doerr, and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. For more information, please visit www.nuna.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119006043/en/

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[January 19, 2017] Wearable Sensors Market by Type, Application, Vertical, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022

LONDON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "The wearable sensors market expected to grow at a CAGR of 30.14% between 2016 and 2022"

The overall wearable sensors market was valued at USD 189.4 million in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 1,654.0 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 30.14% between 2016 and 2022. The growth of this market is driven by the increasing advancement toward smaller, smarter, and cheaper sensors, miniaturization trend in sensors, and mounting benefits of wearable devices in the healthcare sector. "Wristwear application expected to hold the largest size of the market during the forecast period"

Some of the major devices that are considered under the wristwear application are wristwear bands and bracelets. For wristwear application, healthcare vertical is one of the major sectors because of applications such as fitness monitoring and GPS tracking among others. In the consumer goods vertical, smartphones and tablets are among the major devices that support the smooth functioning of wristwear devices for navigation and position detection applications. Moreover, wristwear devices are widely used by sports, healthcare, and fitness enthusiasts. Thus, the market for wristwear is expected to witness growth between 2016 and 2022. "Wearable sensors market in North America expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period"

North America is expected to be the fastest-growing market. The North American market is segmented into the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. North America is a major market for various sectors such as consumer electronics, automobiles, and healthcare. This region has become a global focal point for large investments and business expansion opportunities. Moreover, consumer electronics is among the major industries contributing toward the growth of the North American region. In the process of determining and verifying the market size for several segments and subsegments gathered through secondary research, extensive primary interviews have been conducted with key industry experts. The breakup of the profiles of primary participants is given below:



- By Compan Type: Tier 145%, Tier 231%, and Tier 324%







- By Region: North America41%, Europe31%, APAC18%, and RoW10% The key market players profiled in the report are:





- NXP Semiconductors N.V. (Netherlands)

- STMicroelectronics N.V. (Switzerland)

- TE Connectivity Ltd. (U.S.)

- Broadcom Limited (U.S.)

- Knowles Electronics, LLC. (U.S.)

- Analog Devices, Inc. (U.S.)

- Infineon Technologies AG (Germany)

- Asahi Kasei Corporation (Japan)

- Sensirion AG (Switzerland)

- InvenSense, Inc. (U.S.)

- Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany)

- Texas Instruments Incorporated (U.S.)

- Panasonic Corporation (Japan)

- mCube, Inc. (U.S.)

- ams AG (Austria)

- ARM Holdings Plc. (U.K). Research Coverage:

- In terms of market by type, sensors such as magnetometers, accelerometers, gyroscopes, inertial sensors, motion sensors, pressure and force sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, microphones and microspeakers, medical-based sensors, image sensors, touch sensors, and others are covered.

- In terms of market by application, wristwear, eyewear, footwear, neckwear, bodywear, and others are covered.

- In terms of market by vertical, consumer goods, healthcare, industrial, and others are covered.

- The geographic analysis is done with regard to four major regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Rest of the World (RoW) (South America and Middle East and Africa). Reasons to buy this report:

From an insight perspective, this research report has focused on various levels of analysisindustry analysis (industry trends), market ranking analysis of top players, value chain analysis; company profiles which discuss the basic views on the competitive landscape, emerging and high-growth segments of the wearable sensors market, high-growth regions, and market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. The report provides insights on the following pointers:

- Market penetration: Comprehensive information on wearable sensors offered by the top players in the overall wearable sensors market.

- Product development/innovation: Detailed insights regarding R&D activities, emerging technologies, and new product launches in the wearable sensors market.

- Market development: Comprehensive information about lucrative emerging marketsthe report analyzes the markets for wearable sensors across regions.

- Market diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the overall wearable sensors market.

- Competitive assessment: In-depth assessment of market ranking analysis, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players in the wearable sensors market. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4604335/ About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wearable-sensors-market-by-type-application-vertical-and-geography---global-forecast-to-2022-300393775.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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[January 19, 2017] Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water Launches #FollowYourFlow Social Media Contest

HONOLULU and LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water is giving one lucky social media follower the opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty of Hawaii for a life-changing experience at the Wanderlust Yoga Festival, via its #FollowYourFlow contest. The contest winner will receive a round-trip flight to Oahu, compliments of Skyscanner, who will provide them with up to $1,000 in free airfare. The competition was inspired by Waiakea's commitment to fueling a balanced and healthy lifestyle with their naturally alkaline and electrolyte-rich Hawaiian volcanic water. The Wanderlust Yoga Festival takes place February 23rd - 26th 2017 and will feature a collaboration of world-class yoga instructors, meditation, live music, guided outdoor adventures, and sustainable and local food. "I am honored to partner with Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water and Skyscanner for #FollowYourFlow," well-known yogi and social media influencer Kameron Waters explained. To me, 'flow' means 'a timeless and effortless state of being -- complete absorption and optimum performance, AKA 'the zone'.' The synergy between Waiakea and the yoga community embodies that flow and I'm excited to be a part of it."



Waiakea and Skyscanner fans can enter the contest by simply submitting their name, email, and birthdate on the contest page, unlocking additional way to enter and increase their chances of winning a trip to Oahu. #FollowYourFlow will run through January 31st, with the winner announced on February 1st.

For more information and complete contest rules please visit http://aloha.waiakeasprings.com/follow-your-flow About Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water

Originating as both snowmelt and rain on the Big Island's Mauna Loa volcano, Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water is filtered through thousands of feet of porous volcanic rock, producing one of the most delicious, naturally alkaline and electrolyte-rich waters in the world. Almost five percent of Waiakea's revenue goes toward local community programs and nonprofits, such as The Kama'aha Initiative, INPEACE, and Kupu, fostering education and environmental stewardship. Additionally, for every liter bought, Waiakea donates 1 month of clean water to someone in need in Malawi through its clean water projects in partnership with Pump Aid. In accordance with the Hawaiian practice and notion of "malama i ka 'aina" (to protect and care for the land), Waiakea is proud to be the first premium bottled water in the U.S. to be certified CarbonNeutral for its variety of sustainability initiatives, which include using one of the most sustainable fresh water resources in the world, using only 100% RPET bottles with a 90% smaller CO2 footprint than competitors, utilizing low emission shipping, and actively participating in regional reforestation. For media inquiries please contact: Sophia Lotter, Director of Marketing, [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/waiakea-hawaiian-volcanic-water-launches-followyourflow-social-media-contest-300393704.html SOURCE Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water

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[January 19, 2017] New Cayman Captive Formations Continue Apace

The Cayman Islands insurance management industry enjoyed remarkable success in new captive, international insurance and reinsurance and life and annuity company formations during the 4th quarter of 2016, with a total of 6 new formations for the 3 month period. The total number of incorporations in the Cayman Islands for all of 2016, now stands at spectacular 39 new formations, significantly ahead of the full 12 month numbers for 2015 of 22 formations (with 23 new formations for all of 2014). The total number of international licensees domiciled in the Cayman Islands was 711 as at December 31st 2016. Total premiums written for the sector were US$14.6 billion, up from US$13.9 billion as at Q3 2016 with total assets held of US$59.8 billion, up from US$59.0 billion as at Q3 2016. Insurance Managers Association Cayman (IMAC) chairperson Kieran O'Mahony is extremely pleased with both the quantity and importantly, the quality of the new formations during 2016. "Again, I wish to pay tribute to the diligence and innovation ofthe Cayman Island's insurance managers, our network of service providers throughout the globe who support both our industry and our domicile and as well as the 'fit for purpose' regulatory, immigration and governmental regimes here in Cayman. These elements, along with our best in class clients are what maintain the Cayman Island as the domicile of choice in a competitive environment." In addition to the increase in both "assets held" and "premium written" throughout 2016, the Cayman Islands saw continued expansion of its Portfolio Insurance Company ("PIC") entities (not included in the aforementioned formation stats), innovative uses of PICs and strong organic growth in its world leading "group captive" space. There are increasing inquiries from and formations of, third-party writing entities underwriting varying degrees of "controlled" or "open market" third party business which is extremely positive for the domicile, O'Mahony also noted.



"Following our successful Cayman Captive Forum (the world's leading captive conference) held in November/December of 2016, with 1,500 delegates in attendance, I am confident that our industry remains vibrant and poised for expansion during 2017." The Cayman Islands is the leading jurisdiction for Medical Professional Liability captives, with 33 percent of the captives in this category. Workers' compensation is the second largest, with approximately 21% of captives assuming this risk. Cayman captives are increasingly being used for more innovative uses, such as employee medical stop loss, equipment maintenance, and writing of unrelated party risks.

The full statistics are available through the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority at www.cimoney.com.ky. Insurance Managers Association of Cayman (IMAC) is a non-profit organisation run by the insurance managers of the Cayman Islands. In operation since 1981, IMAC's aim is to act as both regulatory liaison with the Cayman Islands Government and to promote the Cayman Islands as a domicile of choice for captive insurance companies. IMAC hosts the world's largest captive insurance conference, attracting 1,500 captive owners, directors, officers, reinsurers, ceding carriers, brokers, consultants and service providers. The Cayman Captive Forum 2017 will be held at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman from November 28 to 30th, 2017. For more information on IMAC visit www.caymancaptive.ky. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119006163/en/

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[January 19, 2017] Dr. Mujahid Hines, Cataract Surgeon, Joins Dallas Eye Care | ICON Eyecare Team

Dallas Eye Care | ICON Eyecare is pleased to welcome Mujahid Hines, M.D., board-certified cataract surgeon and comprehensive ophthalmologist, to the team. Dr. Hines joined Dallas Eye Care to further advance his surgical treatment options and offer additional convenience factors aimed to better serve his patients. Dr. Hines specializes in refractive cataract surgery, including laser-assisted cataract surgery and premium intraocular lenses. He performs comprehensive eye examinations, and his expertise includes early detection and treatment of diabetes, glaucoma, and other ocular diseases. "I am thrilled to be joining a talented team of surgical eye care specialists at Dallas Eye Care who focus on delivering quality care and outcomes for patients through the latest technology and treatment options," said Dr. Hines. Dr. Hines graduated from the University of Oklahoma and received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma Medical School. He completed his medical internship at Unity Health System in Rochester, NY, and was honored as Intern of the Year; his residncy in Ophthalmology was at the Flaum Eye Institute of the University of Rochester in NY. He was selected as a Super Doctor Rising Star by Texas Monthly Magazine in 2016. He was previously at Laser Care Eye Center.



Dallas Eye Care has been serving the Dallas community for more than 50 years and is now part of the ICON Eyecare network. For more information, please visit iconeyecare.com, or call 214-692-6220. About ICON Eyecare

ICON Eyecare is a leading surgical and medical eye care provider based out of Denver, CO. Since 1999, ICON has been building a Center of Ophthalmology Excellence empowered by an expert team of board certified physician specialists, the most advanced laser technology and a culture of quality and extraordinary patient care. In coordination with referring optometrists and physicians, ICON Eyecare specializes in treating patients with cataracts, advanced forms of glaucoma and other age and disease related conditions, while providing innovative options for patients seeking LASIK and cosmetic eye procedures. With 14 patient care centers located in Colorado and Texas, ICON Eyecare is expanding within the broader western U.S. region. For more information, please call (720) 524-1001, or visit iconeyecare.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119006238/en/

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Shah Rukh Khan has confirmed that the third film in the Don franchise is in the pipeline, but there is a hitch.

By India Today Web Desk: Shah Rukh Khan did a damn good job of charming his fans when he stepped into the shoes of Amitabh Bachchan to play Don in the 2006 remake of the 1978 original. A sequel to Don followed, and Shah Rukh essayed the elusive Don again in Don 2 in 2011.

And for several months now, his fans have been wondering no end whether or not a new Don is possible.

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Shah Rukh Khan thinks a new instalment in the Don franchise is possible, but there is a hitch involved. Filmmaker Farhan Akhtar does not have a story ready for it yet.

In an era of sequels where even before a film gets released, its sequel is announced, Shah Rukh feels Don and perhaps even Ra.One among his films, can have a sequel.

During an interaction with the media on Wednesday, Shah Rukh said, "Don is the only film which perhaps can have a sequel because we leave it like that every time, but Farhan doesn't have any story for Don 3 yet."

ALSO READ: Is Shah Rukh Khan's Don 3 shelved? The truth, straight from Priyanka Chopra

It was in February 2016 that Farhan confirmed Don 3 is happening, although he admitted that he didn't have a script yet. "I don't have a script ready yet. So, it will be difficult to tell who will be in it. Don (SRK) will definitely be in it. Apart from that I don't know. It will depend on what characters are written."

Producer Ritesh Sidhwani said back then, "Yes, we have an idea, and we are now going to put it into the scripting stage. We want to make Don 3; there's a 100 per cent confirmation on that. So, we are surely thinking about it. And it's going to happen." Sidhwani later made an official announcement on social media that Don 3 was indeed in the pipeline.

Don: The Chase Begins, released in 2006, was a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don. Then of course, Don 2 hit the screens in 2011.

Khan added that he had thought of a sequel for Ra. One, but it did not do well and now they do not have a story for that either.

These days, the actor is busy promoting his film Raees, which is about a bootlegger. The film, set in Gujarat, also features Pakistani actor Mahira Khan. The Rahul Dholakia-directed Raees is slated for a January 25 release.

ALSO WATCH: There is extreme intolerance in India, says Shah Rukh Khan

--- ENDS ---
A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017

crime
Council approves rules to limit self-storage growth Future self-storage facilities in the city of Thousand Oaks will be excluded from prime commercial areas, according to a new ordinance adopted by the City Council this month. In a...

Dealership does Distinguished thing SPECIAL TRIPChildren from Boys & Girls clubs in Camarillo, Simi Valley and Moorpark, and Oxnard and Port Hueneme attended Misty Copelands Oct. 18 appearance in the Distinguished Speaker Series at...

Stagecoach Inn honors veterans The Stagecoach Inn Museum is honoring those who served with a Veterans Day exhibit featuring museum volunteers who have served in the military as well as family members who have...
By Press Trust of India: Washington, Jan 19 (PTI) Pet-owners, take note! A skin cancer medication cream may be lethal for dogs even in very small amounts, a US food regulatory body has warned, after five dogs became ill and died after accidentally ingesting the ointment.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning alerting pet owners and veterinarians that pets are at risk of illness and death when exposed to the topical cancer medication Fluorouracil Cream USP 5 per cent (5-FU) intended for use in people.

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Fluorouracil may also be marketed under the brand names Carac, Effudex and Fluoroplex.

People using this medication should use care when applying and storing the medication if they are also in a household with pets, as even very small amounts could be dangerous to these animals, the FDA said.

The FDA had received reports of five dogs that became ill and died after accidentally ingesting the topical cream.

In one case, two dogs began playing with a tube of Fluorouracil and one punctured the tube before their owner could retrieve it. Within two hours, the dog that punctured the tube began vomiting, experienced seizures and died 12 hours later.

In a separate case, a dog located his owners tube of Fluorouracil and ingested its contents. The owner realised the dog had ingested the medication and rushed him to the veterinarian.

The veterinarian attempted treatment, but the dogs condition declined over three days and he was ultimately euthanised.

Although the FDA has not to date received any reports involving cats, they are also expected to be extremely sensitive to Fluorouracil cream.

If an owner applies Fluorouracil cream to an afflicted area and touches their cat, the cat may accidentally ingest the medication when grooming itself and suffer adverse events, the FDA said.

The agency recommends that people who use Fluorouracil take care to prevent their pets from accidentally ingesting the medication. PTI MHN SAR MHN

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: London, Jan 19 (PTI) Your smartphone and other portable devices with lithium batteries could soon be recharged much faster, say scientists who have found a way to improve the performance of these batteries.

Rechargeable lithium batteries have helped power the portable revolution in mobile phones, laptops and tablet computers, and new generations of lithium batteries are being developed for electric vehicles and to store energy from wind and solar power.

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Researchers from the University of Bath in the UK and University of Illinois at Chicago have found why adding charged metal atoms to tunnel structures within batteries improves their performance.

Storing electrical energy more quickly than current electrodes is important for future applications in portable electronics and electric vehicles.

It was recently discovered that large metal ions such as potassium can improve charge storage in batteries, but it was not understood why this was the case.

The research teams used a powerful combination of structural experiments and computer simulations to unravel for the first time why adding charged potassium into tunnel-like structures of low-cost manganese oxide has a strong beneficial effect on the battery performance.

They discovered that adding positively charged ions increased how fast lithium moves within the tunnel structures, which is crucial to improving the charging of batteries.

"Understanding these processes is important for the future design and development of battery materials, and could lead to faster charging batteries that will benefit consumers and industry," said Saiful Islam, professor at University of Bath.

"Developing new materials holds the key to lighter, cheaper and safer batteries, including for electric vehicles which will help cut carbon emissions," said Islam.

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. PTI MHN SAR MHN

--- ENDS ---
Facebook temporarily banned the RT media outlet from posting images, videos, and links to articles on the social network. RT said the ban, which was originally supposed to run until the morning of January 21, resulted from a technical failure involving the company's online streaming rights algorithms.

The problem arose when RT live-streamed President Obama's final press conference on January 18. RT said it received a notification about the stream being stopped by Facebook because it "may contain audio or visual content" belonging to another Russian media organization dubbed Current Live TV. These notifications are part of Facebook's efforts to make sure movies, news broadcasts, and other videos are streamed only by their rights holders.

RT later had its ability to share content via its Facebook page revoked until 2:55pm ET on January 21. Speculation about this ban was rampant--was it somehow motivated by a desire to censor the Russian media company during president-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20? Did the U.S. government use Facebook to poke Russia in the eye? RT, which has supported Trump and is often critical of the United States, seemed to think so.

But that doesn't appear to have been the case. "All the features for this page owner have now been restored," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement to Tom's Hardware. "We are looking into the reasons behind the temporary block." The company pushed back on claims that any outside force had any involvement with the incident; the ban truly appears to be the result of a malfunction in the systems meant to protect rights holders.

RT said both Current Live TV and the Associated Press--whose stream of Obama's press conference RT was sharing--denied any involvement with this episode. Nobody will know for sure what happened until Facebook completes its investigation into what happened, but right now it seems like a simple mistake, and the company was quick to remove the restrictions on RT's page. It appears this wasn't a grand conspiracy so much as it was a simple malfunction.

Yet the incident's timing couldn't have been worse. RT's ban arrived before the presidential inauguration, sure, but it also followed the announcement of the Facebook Journalism Project. That effort is meant to help Facebook's billion-plus users get their news by halting the spread of misinformation, educating people on critical news analysis, and creating new technologies for media organizations so they can better take advantage of the platform.

As we explained when the Facebook Journalism Project was revealed:

This matters to Facebook because it needs the media to give its users something to do besides post memes, look at baby pictures, and decline friend requests from people they barely knew in high school. It matters to the media because Facebook is currently one of the best ways for journalism to find an audience while also bringing in the revenues needed to fund that reporting. And it matters to Facebook users, because they should have access to news.

A technical failure that could have prevented a media outlet--even one created by the Kremlin to serve the Russian government's interests--from reaching Facebook users threatened to undermine those goals. Facebook didn't take an editorial stance on RT's quality. Its algorithms merely intervened where they probably shouldn't have, which has become all too common on the platform, where content is often mistakenly flagged by faulty technology.

Facebook has every right to police its platform. But as the company becomes ever more important to the media industry, and as it promises to find ways to help more than 1 billion people get their news, algorithmic failures like this one are harder to brush aside as mere technical issues. The company has positioned itself as the center of social discourse; at the very least it should be expected not to silence media organizations, however briefly, by mistake.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused Qualcomm of using the popularity of its baseband processors, which are used to manage connections to wireless networks, to weaken competitors and bully manufacturers into "onerous and anticompetitive supply and licensing terms." Qualcomm said the FTC's complaint is based on "a flawed legal theory, a lack of economic support, and significant misconceptions about the mobile technology industry."

There's no question that Qualcomm dominates the baseband processor market. ABI Research said in February 2016 that Qualcomm held roughly 65% of the LTE baseband market. Samsung, its closest competitor, represented just 12% of the market after it decided to create its own basebands for its smartphones. The runners-up, Huawei and MediaTek, managed to nab just 9% of the market each. None are even close to competing with Qualcomm.

Nor could one debate the costs of doing business in the smartphone market. One report, The Smartphone Royalty Stack: Surveying Royalty Demands for the Components Within Modern Smartphones, said the hypothetical manufacturer of a $400 smartphone might expect to spend $60 on royalty demands for LTE compatibility even though the baseband processor itself costs roughly $10. Qualcomm had the highest public royalty rate in the report.

So it's clear that Qualcomm is simultaneously ubiquitous and well-paid. The FTC alleged that at least part of the company's status results from it using essential patents to negotiate unfair terms from smartphone makers. The commission said that Qualcomm asks for elevated royalties and license terms for those patents, which equates to a tax on manufacturers that use competitive baseband processors, and effectively holds critical tech for ransom.

Here's the FTC on why this is a problem:

Increased costs imposed by this tax are passed on to consumers, the complaint alleges. [...] 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 accused Qualcomm of violating the FTC Act. It said that it's "seeking a court order to undo and prevent Qualcomms unfair methods of competition" and "has asked the court to order Qualcomm to cease its anticompetitive conduct and take actions to restore competitive conditions." Qualcomm, for its part, said that the commission doesn't understand the smartphone component market well enough to make this complaint.

This is what Qualcomm general counsel Dan Rosenberg said in a statement:

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. In fact, Qualcomm was still receiving requests for information from the agency that would be necessary to an informed view of the facts when it became apparent that the FTC was driving to file a complaint before the transition to the new Administration. We have grave concerns about the two Commissioners' decision to bring this case despite a lack of evidence supporting the allegations and theories in the complaint. We look forward to defending our business in federal court, where we are confident we will prevail on the merits.

The outcome of this complaint might have a meaningful effect on the smartphone market. Qualcomm's dominance could be threatened, and if competitors offer more favorable terms as they scramble to get a bigger share of the component market, phones might even get cheaper. Perhaps more interesting devices will be introduced: the authors of The Smartphone Royalty Stack said that the cost of patent royalties and other non-hardware expenses "may be undermining industry profitability  and, in turn, diminishing incentives to invest and compete." That's not good for consumers.

Or maybe the FTC will get its first loss right as it starts to transition from the Obama administration to the incoming administration. This case is likely to have broad implications for the smartphone market either way, given the importance of both the FTC and Qualcomm to the devices in our pockets.
The MSI GE72VR Apache Pro-010 weighs in at a good price, but it has a rather uninspiring chassis and user experience, and is particularly hindered in high-end gaming by its lack of memory.

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

Introduction And Product Tour

Weve recently tested a variety of gaming laptops with varying performance levels and configurations, ranging from an enthusiast-level monster with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 to a budget-oriented laptop with a GTX 1060 and only 8GB of memory, and everything in between. Today, were looking at the MSI GE72VR Apache Pro-010, which has a pretty standard configuration consisting of an Intel Core i7-6700HQ and a GTX 1060, but only 12GB of system memory.

Specifications

Exterior

Image 1 of 4

Weve seen quite a few MSI laptops as of late, so were already pretty familiar with the companys black brushed-metal finishes. The GE72VR Apache Pro is no exception, sporting the traditional finish along with a Gaming Series shield logo and a mirror-finished MSI logo near the top. As always, the shield logo is illuminated with white LEDs when the system is powered. There are a few angled accents that decorate the otherwise plain exterior surface.

Image 1 of 4

The same brushed-metal finish can be found inside as well, and just like the top, the interior surface remains unadorned. While the laptop's surface feels premium, it suffers from the same fingerprint and smudge magnetism that we found on most of MSIs previous entries. No matter how satisfying it may feel, brushed metal isnt always ideal for a product users will handle daily.

Image 1 of 4

At the back, we finally get to see a bit of the Apache Pros wild side; heat is expelled from the cooling solutions aluminum heat fins via the two large, aggressively-designed exhaust vents. The vents give off that super-car vibe that we see in the MSI GT73VR Titan Pros and the Asus G752VS OC Editions rear exhaust vents, but the Apache Pros vents arent as rambunctious. Thin red accenting adorns the back edges, and Apache is stamped in white text.

Image 1 of 4

Unlike the smooth, refined finish found above, the bottom panel is constructed out of black plastic. There are six ventilation cutouts located on the bottom; the two small vents on the sides are for air intake while the four larger vents dispel air from the heat pipes and other internal components. There are four large rubber feet at the corners and five small plastic feet in the middle for stability. On the left is a grille for the Apache Pros subwoofer. The MSI Apache Pros overall build quality feels lackluster, and both the top metal surface and bottom plastic panel is susceptible to flexing.

Image 1 of 4

The MSI Apache Pros hinge has an impressive range of nearly 180, which is unheard of on a laptop unless its a thin-and-light construction, and even more unheard of on a gaming laptop. Just behind the hinge are subtle red accents which decorate the otherwise plain chassis.

The Apache Pros speaker grilles are located on the front lip facing forward. As weve pointed out numerous times, this isnt ideal placement for laptop speakers; the sound is muffled, and while typing or gaming, your arms are naturally placed in a position that rests directly above where the speakers are pointing, muffling the audio even more.

Image 1 of 2

On the left, youll find a Kensington Lock, a Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, a Mini DisplayPort 1.2, a USB 3.1 Type-C port, a microphone-in jack, and a headphone-out jack. On the right side, youll find the optical drive, a USB 2.0 port, and an SD Card reader.

Display

The MSI Apache Pro features a 17.3 Full HD display with an IPS panel, making viewing from wide angles comfortable. The display outputs at 60Hz. Additional displays may be connected via the HDMI 1.4 port and the Mini DisplayPort.

Input Devices

Image 1 of 5

The Apache Pro features a scissor-switch keyboard with RGB backlighting, complements of SteelSeries. The keys are spaced perfectly, which makes typing on the SteelSeries keyboard extremely comfortable.

The touchpad is a different story. Typical touchpads come in many different textures ranging from matte to glossy, but these surfaces are almost always smooth. The Apache Pro, on the other hand, features a brushed surface that looks similar to its metal finish, but has a rather rough, almost wood-like texture. The texture is awkward to get used to, but tracking with the touchpad is surprisingly accurate. The left and right buttons below the touchpad also feature a satisfying tactile click.

Interior

Image 1 of 10

The MSI Apache Pro's bottom panel is secured to the chassis with a 19 screws, one of which secures the optical drive to the system as well. Removing the panel reveals the Apache Pro's cooling solution, which consists of two fans on the left and right, two copper heat pipes for the CPU, and four heat pipes for the GPU. The GPU has a large heat sink, and one of its heat pipes leads to the left fan. Above the cooling solution you'll find the two memory slots, the M.2 SSD slot, and the 2.5" drive slot. Above the right cooling fan is the Apache Pro's subwoofer, and beneath the cooler sits the 6-cell 51Wh battery.

Software

As with all of MSIs gaming laptops, the GE72VR Stealth Pro ships with Dragon Center pre-installed. From here, users can track system metrics, toggle power, battery, and fan profiles, or edit their SteelSeries keyboards RGB lighting. Weve covered Dragon Center in both the GT73VR Titan Pro-201 and GS63VR Stealth Pro-034 reviews, so be sure to check those out!



MORE: Best Gaming Laptops



MORE: Gaming Laptop Previews



MORE: All Laptop Content
Vera Blue had a bit of a breakout 2016, and her hot streak sets to continue as she signs some fresh deals in the U.S. and announces her debut tour dates in the country.

The Aussie talent has announced that shes beginning her push into the U.S. by teaming up with Capitol Music imprint Deep Well, as well as joining with talent agency Paradigm, whose clients include names like Aerosmith, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay. With the papers all signed, shell be hitting the road in March to celebrate.

The tour, of course, centres around her time at massive industry conference SXSW, which will feature a stacked lineup of Aussies hoping to capture eyes and ears from around the world. Once her time at the Austin showcase has wrapped up, shell be continuing on a quick run of shows through LA, San Fran, Chicago, and New York before skipping up to Canada for a final show in Toronto.

Capitol A&R man Mike Flynn says the label is excited to have Vera on board, heaping some well-earned praise on their new acquisition.

Her voice effortlessly carries the melodies from song to song and really draws in the listener with her unique blend of electronic and folk elements. She has already solidified herself as a rising star in Australia and we cant wait to continue to build upon her momentum here in the US.

From the first time I heard her sing I was convinced that we had to be involved, adds Deep Well President/CEO Adam Anders, who is similarly stoked. She is a rare talent that will electrify anyone that hears her music.

We couldnt be more excited to work alongside our friends at Universal Australia and welcome her to the Deep Well / Capitol Records family.

Hard to argue with that, and hopefully Vera will see the same success she encountered this year with multiple sold-out tours and a 3x platinum single with rapper Illy, Papercuts  looking good for a very high finish in this years triple j Hottest 100.

VERA BLUE USA TOUR DATES

13  19 March SXSW, Austin TX

22 March Bootleg Theatre, Los Angeles CA

24 March Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco CA (supporting Maggie Rogers)

25 March Schubas Tavern, Chicago IL

28 March Babys All Right, Brooklyn NY

29 March Mercury Lounge, New York NY

31 March The Drake Hotel, Toronto ON Canada
In his declaration before the returning officer in the Lambi constituency, Capt Singh disclosed his personal immovable properties were currently priced at Rs 1.21 crore in the market.

By Satender Chauhan, Harmeet Shah Singh: Sprawling estates in Punjab and Uttarakhand, an apartment in Dubai's Goldcrest towers, around Rs 33 lakh in bank deposits and Rs 48 lakh in investments are part of Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh's net worth. Yet, the scion of the Patiala royalty is swimming in debt.

In his declaration before the returning officer in the Lambi constituency, Capt Singh disclosed his personal immovable properties were currently priced at Rs 1.21 crore in the market. All his movable assets put together are valued at Rs 1.41 crore, the former chief minister announced in his affidavit.

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Individually, the Captain owns swathes of farmland in Haridwar in Uttarakhand and Kharar in Punjab. A residential flat he bought in Dubai's Goldcrest towers nine years ago is now valued at Rs 96 lakh, according to his asset declaration. Nevertheless, Capt Singh has yet to pay the loan back to his own establishment.

His bete noire Parkash Singh Badal also declared his net worth on Wednesday in the Akali stronghold of Lambi. The 89-year-old veteran of Punjab politics, who ran the state for two terms in a row over the past decade, has little over Rs 50,000 of cash in hand, his affidavit stated. Badal Senior's bank deposits stand at Rs 34.07 lakh and his personal transport is valued less than Rs 4 lakh. Unlike his Congress opponent, the chief minister has himself to recover, if he does, a loan of Rs 3.42 lakh from debtors.

ALSO READ | India Today-Axis Opinion Poll: Captain Amarinder Singh likely to lift Punjab trophy

Captain Amrinder Singh filed nomination from Lambi, calls it 'Grandfather' of all battles

--- ENDS ---
Lots of news today for Sydney outfit Middle Kids as they announce their signing with labels EMI Music in Australia, and Domino in North America  as well as a massive U.S. tour, local dates, and a new clip to boot.

The three-piece have already had some pretty solid attention this year, with their track Edge Of Town picking up a spin from Sir Elton John himself on his Beats 1 show, and its helped them on their way to the mammoth U.S. jaunt you see below, which includes dates supporting Cold War Kids and a stopover in Austin for massive industry conference and showcase SXSW.

Theyve celebrated by dropping a new clip for Never Start directed by Emile Freeman, which is the third single taken from their self-titled debut EP due on Feb 17. The record was produced by the bands own multi-instrumentalist Tim Fitz, one third of the band alongside frontwoman Hannah Joy and drummer Harry Day, and we look forward to hearing the remaining three tracks very soon.

Aussies can catch Middle Kids playing the new choons live throughout April on an East Coast tour, and the band will have a week or two to recover following their monster overseas excursion  all the dates are below.

MIDDLE KIDS AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES

Tickets

Fri April 14 || Melbourne, Northcote Social Club

Sat April 15 || Brisbane, The Foundry

Fri April 21 || Sydney, Oxford Art Factory

MIDDLE KIDS US TOUR DATES

Tue February 21 || Seattle, WA || Barboza

Wed February 22 || Portland, OR || The Fremont Theater

Sat Feb 25 || Los Angeles, CA || The Echo

Tue February 28 || Denver, CO || Lost Lake Lounge

Wed March 1 || Kansas City, MO || The Tank Room

Fri March 3 || Nashville, TN || The Basement

Sat March 4 || Charleston, SC || The Music Farm *

Sun March 5 || Charlotte, NC || The Fillmore *

Mon March 6 || Saxapahaw, NC || Haw River Ballroom *

Tue March 7 || Atlanta, GA || The Tabernacle *

Fri March 10 || Baton Rouge, LA || Varisty Theatre *

Sat March 11 || Fayetteville, AR || Georges Majestic Lounge *

Sun March 12 || Omaha, NE || Sokol Auditorium *

Tue March 14 || Madison, WI || Majestic Theatre *

Wed March 15  Fri March 16 || Austin, TX || SXSW

Sat March 18 || Chicago, IL || Riviera Theater *

Sun March 19 || Indianapolis, IN || Egyptian *

Tue March 21 || Detroit, IL || St. Andrews Hall *

Wed March 22 || Toronto, ON || Danforth Music Hall *

Thu March 23 || Pittsburg, PA || Stage AE *

Fri March 24 || Covington, KY || Madison Theater *

Wed March 29 || Philadelphia, PA || Boot & Saddle

Thu March 30 || Washington, DC || DC9

Sat April 1 || Brooklyn, NY || Babys All Right

* with Cold War Kids
I have fans come up to me all the time and theyll introduce their child to me and theyll say something like; hey this is my son Charles Boombastic. Theyll tell me their child was conceived whilst they were listening to my music, its wild man.

Its definitely not a conventional conversation to have during an interview, but then again, Shaggy aka Mr Boombastic is far from a conventional artist. For the 90s kids playing at home, 2017 may just be your year as Mr. Lover Lover himself is headed to our shores this February for Raggamuffin Festivals All Stars shows in Melbourne and Sydney, alongside the likes of Six60 and The Wailers with Julian Marley.

We had the chance to get all nostalgic and chat with the prolific artist, to discuss his take on the music industry, some very interesting fan anecdotes, and exactly why he wanted to get into music in the first place.

Ive always loved Australia, Shaggy begins as he reflects on his reasons for returning to our shores. Ive been going there as far back as 1995, Ive done festivals and my own individual tours, Im back now again and Im very excited to go back to Australia.

A bit of research lead to the realisation that, although it may seem like its been a little while between drinks for us, Shaggys touring schedule didnt end when we threw away our mood rings and eyebrow piercings. He is an incredibly hard working artist in every respect, although remaining quite humbled and grounded of course, in regards to his work ethic.

A lot of people always comment on how hard I go. But to be honest with you, I dont even feel like I go hard because I dont know any other way. Its the norm to me. Getting up and jumping all around the world and playing and going to remote places and rocking the house and coming right back see thats not me going hard. Its just the norm of what I do.

What can his Australian fans expect when he lights up the stage with his signature moves and unmistakable flow? Were coming with our full band, we have a lot of massive records that we like to play for people and were a very energetic set of performers. See, we have these songs that have been a part of peoples lives and continue to be a part of their lives and bring back great memories and allow them to relive a time when these records were popular.

Realising the importance of nostalgia goes far beyond simple recall and generation identification, Shaggy goes on to comment; A song like Wasnt Me is still a part of peoples lives. Even the younger generations are really buying into a record like that now.

Shaggy can of course boast massive hits such as It Wasnt Me, Angel and of course Boombastic, but the motivation to create wasnt driven by the desire for fame and fortune. I kind of did it just for chicks for a while, comments the reggae star. Ive always liked music and I realised when I was in the lunchroom and I would vibe, I would get chicks. When I started making the reggae records I got into clubs for free, I drank for free and I left with the hottest chick.

When youre 18 or 19 thats all thats on your mind  getting laid It wasnt even about the money. I had no need for a lot of money at that point. It was probably the best time in my life. It was all for the passion and the love.

Despite his early motivations, theres now a much more complex agenda pushing him through to the next phase of his career. Music for me is like air. Its kind of something that I do instinctively. Its part of who I am. Shaggy is an artist who approaches his craft with a delicate balance of professional tenacity and tongue-in-cheek humour, and takes the time to comment on the differences between the artists of today and the bar set for those who graced the stage during the 90s.

Now theres less of a bar, so to speak. Nobody sings now. If you look at these kids, the record is played and they ad-lib over their voice playing on the record. In my days you could not go on stage and lip-sync your record or sing over a vocal thats already there. You would not be booked by a promoter and in some cases they would throw shit at you. You had to know how to sing and rock your records. But nowadays, people go in the studio and they arent really talented. But with technology, we can make them sound good.

Clearly concerned about the fate of the live music industry, Shaggy continues. Thats the biggest difference I see, because then you had to be able to play your music live, now you can just put it on as a DJ and get away with it, that took some getting used to. Its almost like I have to dumb myself down for that now.

Despite his view, Shaggy did take the time to express how grateful he is that he is still able to perform, as well as meet the extraordinarily high standards he sets for himself, particularly in regards to his live show. Im happy that I still have the skill to do it. That I can truly just rock an audience without all the bells and whistles. I dont have to be blowing things up on stage, I just have great songs, I get people singing them, rocking them and just having a good time.

You can catch the one and only Mr Boombastic in February for the Raggamuffin All Stars reggae shows in Melbourne on February 19 and Sydney on February 21, featuring New Zealand breakout stars Six60, reggae legends The Wailers with Julian Marley and more.
Some of the Australian music worlds biggest names often leave doors of opportunity ajar, just waiting for the right kind of professional music fan to come knocking.

Our regular Music Jobs column is the place where well help you grab the proverbial handle and walk on through, as we take the pain out of scrolling through endless (and sometimes shady) job listings to provide you a selection of killer career opps in the music world.

No free work or internships here, just authentic chances to break into the music industry. So update your CV, brush up your cover letter writing chops, stop dreaming, and start doing what you love for a living.

Senior Event Coordinator  City Of Melbourne

Permanent full-time  Melbourne, VIC

Youll be responsible for providing high level event coordination and delivering components of the events across the Events Melbourne Branch in this job, programming and curating, operations, production and delivery, financial monitoring, stakeholder management, Council liaison and provision of input into marketing and commercial.

Youll have the chance to work on some of the citys awesome music-related events like Melbourne Music Week, the New Years Eve celebrations, Moomba, and more.

More info here.

Publicity and Communications Manager  MTV Australia

12 month contract  Sydney, NSW



Join MTV Australia for the next year, and youll be working on the strategy, development and implementation of all publicity and communications activities to generate nationwide coverage on trade and consumer PR campaigns for the following Viacom brands: MTV, MTV music channels, Spike and Comedy Central across Australia and New Zealand.

More info here.

Casual Music Teacher  Box Hill Institute

Casual  Melbourne, VIC



Want to teach music? Box Hill are looking for people who can provide high quality, professional, client-centric teaching and learning to BHI Group students to ensure support for student success in Music courses to improve their employment and/or academic pathways.

More info here.

Promo Producer, Arts and Music  Foxtel

Full-time  Sydney, NSW



Are you able to write, edit, direct and produce video? Foxtel are hiring. You will need a great conceptual mind, skills on the edit decks and the cool composure to work with Artists and Musicians  no one likes a punisher. Behind the camera experience would be a bonus.

More info here.

Business Coordinator, Music And Events  ABC

Full-time  Sydney, NSW



Only keen jugglers need apply for this one, as this role requires previous business, finance and accounting experience, ideally with a good knowledge and interest of the Australian and International music industry.

More info here.

Head Of Digital Content  Australian Music Vault

Full-time  Melbourne, VIC



Want to curate music and tell a story? This is a great opportunity. As the Head of Digital Content, you will lead the development and delivery of a user-centric curatorial content strategy for the Australian Music Vault and Arts Centre Melbournes Collections for online, mobile and in exhibition contexts.

More info here.

Online Fulfillment Assistant Manager, Milperra  Sanity

Full-time  Milperra, NSW



Yep, people still order plenty of physical music online, and Aussie stalwart Sanity is there to deliver it to them. For this one, youll need great communication skills to successfully communicate with a range of stakeholders, and strong business acumen and reporting skills.

More info here.

Booking Agent  123 Agency

Full-time  Melbourne, VIC



123 Agency is one of Australias fastest growing music agencies. Established in 2014 with over 70+ acts and boasting some of the best artists in the country, we are looking for a sharp, competent go-getter agent who wants a great environment to work in and achieve great heights.

Youll have unparalleled support from the 123 directors, support from on-ground team at 123 Agency and get to work with some of the best agents in the country!! Were looking for someone to join our awesome team here in Melbourne and have long-lasting career. If you have an existing roster or just looking for a change we are here to help. Lets talk 

To apply for this one, email [email protected]

Senior Digital Campaign Manager  Australian Radio Network

Full-time  Sydney, NSW



If youre looking to move into radio, ARN are looking for a motivated and experienced Senior Digital Campaign Manager to be responsible for managing the campaign workflow and to work with partners to ensure effective campaign delivery.

More info here.

Music Coordinator  Big Bang And Fuzz

Full-time  Sydney, NSW



You know the tunes you hear in film, television, commercials, and web videos? Big Bang & Fuzz is a Sydney-based distributor of production music. Youve probably already heard our stuff a few times this week.

Were a tight team of music fanatics, and were looking to add one more. As a Music Coordinator, your primary job would be to help our team with pretty much every aspect of serving customers and looking after our library.

More info here.

Technology Engineer  Southern Cross Austereo

Permanent  Adelaide, SA



Finally, one for the tech heads  and a music job in Adelaide, for once! Working with a team of both broadcast and it engineers, your key focus will be to efficiently provide technology solutions and to maintain studios and broadcast systems to a high standard, as you head into the world of radio.

More info here.
Eagles of Death Metals Jesse Hughes has continued his run of horrendous behaviour, being hit with a restraining order for threatening to kill his former best friend.

Hughes allegedly affixed a voodoo doll with a knife through it to Andrew Vegas gate, with a charming note that said: Andy is next. Gulp!

Not surprisingly, this resulted in a 100 yard restraining order being placed on Hughes.

Hughes has tarnished his reputation somewhat in the past year, after repeatedly claiming that staff at the Bataclan Theater, which housed the deadly Paris attacks, were aware of the plot hours ahead of time. He also stated that he saw Muslims celebrating in the street during the attack.Both of these claims are (obviously!) completely unverified.
First things first, if you didnt see our list of the most Nollsie moments in Nollsie history  a thinkpiece which is being touted by many as a possible Walkley winner, do yourself a solid and check it out

No doubt, youve heard about the fracas last weekend involving Shannon Noll, four cops, a security guard, and an Adelaide strip joint that wouldnt accept Nollsie-brand dollar bills. Well, during this following week he has stayed pretty quiet about the whole thing, disappearing from his excellent Twitter feed (again, read the Walkley-winning piece we wrote) and concentrating on dirt-biking (we assume).

Until now.

Nollsie has taken to his Facebook page, and made a public statement  completely neglecting to mention the reason his name is being uttered by many people who havent thought about him since 2003 when he was robbed at mic-point by Mark Holden.
LIKE IT OR NOT . . . TONI ANDERSON IN STRIP CLUB GEAR REPORTED BY ALONZO WASHINGTON OFFERS ESSENTIAL INSIGHT INTO THE CASE OF HER DISAPPEARANCE!!!

Fact is, sex workers and those connected to the sex industry confront an increased threat of violence and this information could point the search in the right direction without wasting time looking for her around college campuses . . . Where she hadn't even started school yet.

ACTIVIST ALONZO WASHINGTON ONCE AGAIN OFFERS ESSENTIAL INFO ON THIS CASE WHILE LOCAL "NEWS" REMAINS TOO AFRAID TO REPORT REALITY!!!

Kansas City's most prolific anti-crime activist is offering a glimpse into a high profile missing person case that no other Kansas City media outlet is willing to share with a local audience.Behind the scenes, it's also important to once againTo wit . . .The "college student" angle wasgiven that she didn't disappear after coming home from school or the library.National media is coming into town andAccordingly . . .You decide . . .
There's a lot of stuff to cover and catch up on but for the late night . . . Here's a good place to take a pause . . .For now, Kansas City Macy's stores aren't on the kill list of stores set to close but they're also mostly closed and darkened around the metro.My favorite headline on this topic that's still worth sharing:We could talk about suspicious boyfriends, the fate of strippers and hope amid Prez-Elect Trump protest all night . . . But the irrefutable fact is that American dream and so many institutions upon which this nation seemed to be built (like middle-class losers overpaying for retail goods) now seem to be forever changed.Something to think about for the overnight as the countdown to a new generation if American politics begins . . .Fact is the change underway is about lot more than divisive discourse as the toxic culture war and uncertainty about the future threaten to tear apart the very fabric of American identity with no healing or consensus anywhere in sight.You decide . . .
1. The early morning ride around town in two opposite directions doesn't make sense.

2. The Go-Fund-Me angle is starting to raise a lot of suspicions among social media denizens.

3. Her stripper "friends" are obviously scared and don't want to talk . . . Can't say anyone would blame them.

4. Car tracking what???

5. Social justice warriors attempt to hijack the story and make it about their hangups with the sex industry rather than the search for a young woman no matter her profession . . .

THE INITIAL REPORTING THAT KEPT STRIP CLUB WORK SECRET DAMAGED PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THIS STORY AND FOCUSED DEBATE ON THE SEX WORK INDUSTRY RATHER THAN ON THE PRELIMINARILY DEETS OF THE CASE THAT INVOLVED SHADY LATE NIGHTS!!!

The story of a Kansas City missing college student was moreand didn't reflect the reality of the situation that was quickly discovered via social media.Moreover . . . Activist Alonzo Washington was theto share pix of strip club worker Toni Anderson in a more realistic and honest light to help the search than what police and family were willing to offer.Like it or not, fact is that people are more likely to look for a hottie in stripper gear than just another generic blonde. But I digress . . .Just as good as anyone else and with far more candor than MSM faking a "college student" angle and not wanting to report real life . . .has been reporting the reality about this crisis.And, like it or not, the activist deserves credit for keeping the conversation real in order toso that locals don't waste time looking at a college the poor broad wasn't even supposed to start until next semester . . .More to the point . . .Fact is, the public always feels betrayed when their perceptions don't align with reality and the facts of an investigation hurt delicate sensibilities about the very real dangers that confront young, attractive, white women working in and around the sex industry.Developing . . .
Main opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday met Italian President Sergio Mattarella, currently in Athens on a two-day visit

Main opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday met Italian President Sergio Mattarella, currently in Athens on a two-day visit. During the meeting, both sides noted their shared concerns over the handling of the refugee and economic crises, while highlighting the dangers from rising populist and eurosceptic trends in Europe.

They also reaffirmed the good relations between Greece and Italy and the excellent level of cooperation between them on a bilateral and multilateral level.

Mattarella and Mitsotakis both agreed that a broader political consensus was needed for a realistic and responsible handling of the major challenges now facing European unification, with emphasis on promoting the reforms needed to boost growth and employment.

They also noted the need to ensure implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement for the migration crisis and to keep channels of communication between the EU and Turkey open, in order to help Turkey follow the path that will bring it closer to European values and principles.

Mitsotakis expressed concern over developments relating to human rights and the rule of law in Turkey, saying that Ankara must respect international law and international treaties. Greece, he added, remains a pillar of stability in a region that is becoming increasing unstable.

He also briefed the Italian president on the latest developments concerning the Cyprus issue and Greece's steadfast support for the prospect of a functional and viable solution, without occupation troops and outdated guarantee regimes.

Mattarella noted that a solution of the Cyprus issue would be a historic development in the region, which would globally broadcast a good and positive signal at an especially difficult time for the world.

Read more here.

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By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 19 (PTI) US President Barack Obama has said that he continues to be "significantly worried" about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the status quo is unsustainable, and dangerous for the people in the region as well as for Americas national security.

"I continue to be significantly worried about the Israeli-Palestinian issue. And Im worried about it both because I think the status quo is unsustainable, that it is dangerous for Israel, that it is bad for Palestinians, it is bad for the region, and its bad for Americas national security," Obama told mediapersons yesterday in his final press conference as the US President.

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He said when he came to office wanting to do everything he could to encourage serious peace talks between Israel and Palestine and that his administration invested a lot of energy, time and effort in these eight years.

"Ultimately, what has always been clear is that we cannot force the parties to arrive at peace. What we can do is facilitate, provide a platform, encourage. But we cant force them to do it," he said.

"But in light of shifts in Israeli politics and Palestinian politics, a rightward drift in Israeli politics; a weakening of President Abbas ability to move and take risks on behalf of peace in the Palestinian Territories, in light of all the dangers that have emerged in the region and the understandable fears that Israelis may have about the chaos and rise of groups like ISIL (ISIS) and the deterioration of Syria," Obama said.

"In light of all those things, what we at least wanted to do, understanding that the two parties wouldnt actually arrive at a final status agreement, is to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution," he said.

Stressing that there is no alternative to a two-State solution, the outgoing US President said that he has said this to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Ive said it inside of Israel. Ive said it to Palestinians, as well," he added.

"I dont see how this issues gets resolved in a way that maintains Israel as both Jewish and a democracy, because if you do not have two states, then in some form or fashion you are extending an occupation, functionally you end up having one state in which millions of people are disenfranchised and operate as second-class residents. You cant even call them citizens, necessarily," Obama said.

"And so the goal of the resolution was to simply say that the growth of the settlements are creating a reality on the ground that increasingly will make a two-state solution impossible," he asserted. (MORE) PTI LKJ ASV ASV

--- ENDS ---
Responsible decisions and initiatives have allowed Cyprus to be at the same table with Turkey for the first time in 43 years, President Nicos Anastasiades said

Responsible decisions and initiatives have allowed Cyprus to be at the same table with Turkey for the first time in 43 years, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Tuesday night, about the conference on Cyprus.

He added: We are at the same table with Turkey and discussing for the first time the abolishment of guarantees and our liberation from the occupying army.

The President said that no one should be concerned about Cyprus abandoning its core values.

Regarding criticism from political parties, President Anastasiades said during these critical times, there needs to be unity to free our country from the occupation, reunite it, create the conditions for peaceful coexistence with our compatriots, and finally live with that this country will have prospects and a future.

Some say  and I want to comment on this without criticism  that the Republic of Cyprus is in danger. The Republic of Cyprus is not in danger, aside from occupation, and not through its participation in the dialogue, not through its participation in international organisations dealing and related to the settlement of the Cyprus problem, he said.

He added that the role of the President is not undermined, when he represents his country and the Greek Cypriot community.

In the meantime, a new round of the Conference on Cyprus has begun at a specialist level in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland, to discuss the security and guarantees chapter of the Cyprus issue.

Asked to comment on the specialist discussion between the three guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey, and the UK) and the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides, government spokesperson Nikos Christodoulides said on Wednesday that discussions would begin at 12:30pm (Cyprus time), and that bilateral meetings were held by the Republics team and the British and Greek representation.

We are in full coordination with the Greek government on the process as well as issues of substance, Christodoulides said.

He added that discussions are expected to give answers to specific questions that generally deal with the security and guarantees chapter, so that a working paper can be developed to allow the discussions at a political level to have prospects for a result.

Christodoulides said that discussions are expected to end on Friday and that the government will make a statement following the specialist level meetings.

TURKISH CRITICISM

Asked to comment on statements from the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot side, Christodoulides said that many statements are being made, but that now we are at the negotiating table and seriousness must characterise all of us.

He added that the process is not dependent on the statements being made.

Surely, statements have their own symbolism, can help and create issues in the dialogue, he said.

However, the government spokesperson said that statements will not drive the result, but rather that we are now at the same table, across from the Turkish representatives, to discuss. And the results of that discussion will largely indicate how the process can continue.

FRIDAY

Asked if Fridays results will determine the future of the process, Christodoulides said: Not necessarily, because a discussion on a technical level cannot determine the entirety of the process. It is an important discussion, as it is a working group meeting after it was recommended by the UN Secretary General, and it has its importance, and role, but the important decisions will be made on a political level.

Regarding whether or not the political level meeting would be dependent on the results of specialist meetings, Christodoulides said that the goal is to hold the conference on a political level.

He added that the results of the specialist level meetings will judge how close we are, at the end of the day.

However, he said that the technical teams cannot make decisions on the future of the process of the substance of the discussion. This will be done at a political level, he said.

Asked about discussions to continue in Cyprus, Christodoulides said that the goal is to complete the process in Switzerland and then to continue the rest of the discussion on the other chapters of the Cyprus issue on the island.

Representatives of Greece, Turkey, and the UK are meeting in Mont Pelerin alongside Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Ozdil Nami to discuss the security and guarantees issue.

The EU is also present at the discussions as an observer.

Read more here.

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Greek President Prokopios Pavlopoulos and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades reiterated their countries common position for a solution without guarantees and Turkish troops

Greek President Prokopios Pavlopoulos and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades reiterated their countries common position for a solution without guarantees and Turkish troops on the island during their meeting on Thursday in Nicosia.

Welcoming Pavlopoulos to the presidential mansion, Anastasiades referred to the excellent cooperation with the Greek government which he thanked for its support.

Referring to the negotiations on Cyprus, Pavlopoulos said that there is no pressure but support mostly from the part of the European Union and the European Commission on the positions we have defined and called on everyone to understand that by supporting Cyprus' sovereignty during the negotiations, they defend the sovereignty of the EU member states.

"Turkey", said the Greek president "must accept a solution that will allow to Cyprus to proceed in the European Union and to eurozone's hard core."

Moreover, he called anachronistic and unacceptable the guarantees and the remaining of the Turkish troops on the island noting that they set dangerous precedents.

Read more here.

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Blogtrotters, Discover Greeces programme of conceptual travel blogger visits, explored how travelling to Greece affects our senses during 2016. The results have been outstanding: almost 70 blog posts from all corners of Greece and thousands of social media posts, passing 100 million impressions for the year. To celebrate, theyve put together an inspiring video from some of the 16 travel vlogs so far created by the bloggers.

For more info: www.blogtrotters.gr

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CSR Hellas and the Federation of Hellenic Enterprises Council for Sustainable Growth will organize a conference on Commitment on Sustainable Growth  17 global goals for a common better future in Athens

CSR Hellas and the Federation of Hellenic Enterprises Council for Sustainable Growth will organize a conference on Commitment on Sustainable Growth  17 global goals for a common better future in Athens, March 2 2017.

In an announcement, the two organizers said that creating a new business environment, because of the globalization, climate change, higher urbanization, technological revolution and intense competition for raw materials and natural resources was an undisputed fact. Particularly in Greece, where enterprises and the society live under crisis situations, the need to develop and innovate was imperative. The use of the term growth, however, is short as it usually refers to economic data without ensuring the growth that will leads to exit the crisis, covering our current needs but without undermining the ability of future generations to respond to their needs. This is the sustainability criterion recorded in the Brundtland Report in 1987.

The Agenda 2030 of the United Nations, envisaging 17 goals for sustainable growth (SDGs), adopted in September 2015 by the 193 member-states of the UN, is an ambitious commitment which could become a road map for a modrn way of doing business.

The conference aims to launch a wider dialogue among enterprises and interested parties on SDGs, presenting best practices and highlighting partnership and dialogue as a necessary condition to achieve SDGs.

Read more here.

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The head of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai has accepted an invitation to visit Greece in the near future

The head of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai has accepted an invitation to visit Greece in the near future, the Greek tourism ministry announced on Thursday. The UNWTO secretary general was presented with the invitation during meeting with Greek Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura at the FITUR international tourism exhibition in Madrid.

They also confirmed the excellent relations between the UNWTO and the Greek tourism ministry and discussed the signs of good prospects for Greek tourism in 2017.

Kountoura represented Greece at a special UNWTO event in Madrid for the declaration of 2017 as International Year for Sustainable Tourism, attended by the tourism ministers at the FITUR exhibition and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili as official guest of honour. The minister also attended the UNWTO annual innovation awards ceremony.

During Kountoura's meetings with international tour operators and airline companies, including Thomas Cook and Jet2 Group, as well as Greek travel agency owners specialising in holidays to Greece, she confirmed a rising interest in boosting the flow of tourism from Spain to Greek destinations.

Read more here.

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The phenomenon has a name: The first Saturday in the New Year is dubbed Sunshine Saturday in the UK. It is the busiest day of the year for holiday bookings in Europe. As a recent survey carried out by the worlds largest travel group TUI Group has shown, January has become the busiest month of the year across Europe for the tour operator, with huge spikes in bookings observed each Saturday in January. This year, the busiest day for holiday bookings in the UK was 7 January and in Germany, Sunshine Saturday will be 14 January. On 7 January alone, more than 27,500 TUI customers in the UK booked their annual holiday. Nearly one million people visited one of TUIs stores or websites run under the Thomson or First Choice brands on Sunshine Saturday, which is an all-time high.

GERMANY: BOOKINGS PEAK ON 14 JANUARY 2017

Holiday bookings in Germany also focus strongly on Saturdays in January. In 2017, German holidaymakers desire to travel seems to remain strong. TUI expects bookings to peak on Saturday 14 January. According to internal calculations, more than 20,000 Germans will book their holiday with TUI Germany on that day alone. Overall, TUI expects one million people to go online or visit one of its high street agents on 14 January.

PEOPLE BOOKING HOLIDAYS TO COPE WITH THE WINTER BLUES

Erik Friemuth, Chief Marketing Officer of TUI Group: Many families use the Christmas break and the beginning of the new year to make their travel plans for the whole year. There could also be a psychological explanation for this post-festive season booking pattern: the cosy Christmas period is over, people have to return to work while the sky is grey. This is when the winter blues kick in. A way to escape is to think of sunshine and beaches  and book a summer holiday.

All-inclusive holidays are particularly popular among British holidaymakers. According to TUI, more than half of all holidays booked for 2017 (53 per cent) will be all-inclusive holidays, and this trend has been further intensified by the Brexit vote and the associated devaluation of the pound. Price-conscious Britons can avoid any imponderables driven by higher incidental costs in euro or dollar countries.

Smartphones and tablets play an increasingly important role in planning and booking a holiday. The latest survey has shown that 43 per cent of all online bookings made in the UK on 7 January were made via mobile devices  a new record and an increase of four per cent versus last year.

WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR DESTINATIONS THIS YEAR?

TUI Germany guests are favouring in particular Spain, Italy and Greece this year. As the recent survey has shown, Mediterranean beach holidays also remain one of the most popular holiday types among British tourists. Some top destinations include the Balearics, Corfu and Rhodes. Tourists are also looking to explore more exotic destinations on long-haul tours. Jamaica, Mexico and any other Caribbean destinations will top the list of the leading long-haul destinations in UK for 2017. In Germany they are the United States, Mexico, South Africa, Canada, Mauritius, Seychelles, the Dominican Republic as well as Indonesia. However, city break destinations such as New York are also very popular.

For the Netherlands, Spain remains the top destination, Greece is number two. Also Portugal and Italy are in high demand. Cape Verde is growing continuously as a destination for Dutch guests. With regards to long-haul, the Dutch Antilles are the preferred choice of destination, in particular Curacao. Suriname is a new offering and its expected that there will be high demand for the destination.

The trend to increasingly book a post-Christmas holiday in early January also continues in other European countries. In Austria, summer bookings for 2017 are already significantly ahead of last year. Broken down by country, Greece is the top holiday destination for Austrians so far in 2017. One of the reasons for this trend is that customers experienced booking bottlenecks last summer, above all for trips to Spain, as holidaymakers in other European countries had booked their holidays earlier.

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
Whistleblower Edward Snowden was given the permission to stay for another two years in Russia

Whistleblower Edward Snowden was given the permission to stay for another two years in Russia according to a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova.

After that period he has the legal right to become a Russian citizen according to the Russian law.

The 33-year-old Mr Snowden is wanted in the United States to face trial on charges brought under the tough Espionage Act of 1917. In 2013 he leaked thousands of classified documents revealing that the US government was monitoring private data after the September 11, 2001.

The announcement came as President Barack Obama commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former army intelligence analyst who was convicted of leaking classified military documents to WikiLeaks.

Read more here.

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Source: Gage Skidmore
Norway has deployed more soldiers to a remote region called Finnmark in the Arctic circle on its borders with Russia

Norway has deployed more soldiers to a remote region called Finnmark in the Arctic circle on its borders with Russia. The move comes as tensions between Russia and the US, UK and Norway are rising as the NATO members are monitoring Russias activities in the North. 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. The deployment comes as Norway looks to revive a Cold War surveillance pact covering international waters stretching from the Arctic Circle to the UK.

Source: Independent

Read more here.

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The Indian surrogacy industry has been criticised by rights groups who say it puts vulnerable women at risk.

By Reuters: Thomson Reuters Foundation, India is on the verge of banning commercial surrogacy, an industry estimated to be worth as much as $2.3 billion annually, in its next parliamentary session starting in February. The Indian surrogacy industry has been criticised by rights groups who say it puts vulnerable women at risk. The government believes a ban will check unethical practices.

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Yet some Indian women are now rushing for a final chance to make around 400,000 rupees ($5,900) from being a surrogate mother.

If passed, the legislation in India would ban commercial surrogacy, but allow altruistic surrogacy for married Indian couples medically proven to be infertile. Singles and gay couples will not be allowed to seek the service. India banned foreign nationals from seeking surrogacy in 2015, a year after the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child said that commercial surrogacy, if not regulated, amounts to the sale of children.

Here's a look at laws in different parts of the world: For-profit surrogacy is banned in Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, the UK and Australia, except for the Northern Territory which has no laws on the matter, but they all allow some forms of altruistic surrogacy. Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain prohibit all forms of surrogacy. There is no legislation concerning surrogacy at the federal level in the United States, and some states allow commercial surrogacy arrangements. For-profit surrogacy flourished in Thailand until 2015 when the country banned it for foreigners after a series of high-profile cases, including an Australian couple who were accused of abandoning a baby born with Down's syndrome. Georgia and Ukraine have now emerged as the next surrogacy hubs as there are no laws or rules so far governing the sector, surrogacy agencies told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Surrogacy is allowed in Russia, which is considered one of the most permissive countries for the practice. Cambodia had no laws regarding surrogacy, but it cracked down on agencies in 2016.

ALSO READ: Surrogacy Bill cleared: Single parents, gay couples can't opt for surrogacy, says Sushma Swaraj

ALSO READ: Surrogacy ban: Surrogacy businesses see slump due to restrictions on renting wombs

--- ENDS ---
Iran and Russia have signed an agreement worth billions of dollars for Russian companies to build a power plant in Iran and enhance the power generation capacity of another plant, said a senior official.



The Russians will improve the efficiency at Ramin Power Plant in Khuzestan Province to 50-55 per cent from the current 36 per cent, Alireza Daemi, Iranian deputy energy minister, was quoted as saying in an Iran Daily News report, citing Mehr News Agency.



He added that another Russian company will build a 1,400-MW power plant in Bandar Abbas, Hormuzgan Province.



Daemi noted that the details of the two contracts between Iran and Russia are worth several billion dollars and the details will be announced in the future.
Dubai-based global marine terminal operator DP World will provide pro bono expertise and resources to help the humanitarian community respond to major disasters after joining leading logistics and transport companies to become part of the Logistics Emergency Teams (LET).



DP World will team up with the initial LET partners Agility, Maersk and UPS, and will be called on by the Logistics Cluster, led by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support immediate relief efforts in the aftermath of major natural disasters such as earthquakes, storms and floods, said a statement from the company.



LET was established in 2015, facilitated by the World Economic Forum, to help improve international responses to humanitarian crisis. The collaboration has previously provided disaster relief during 12 emergency responses, including the earthquakes in Nepal in April and May 2015 and after the Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011.



DP World formalised its commitment by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the WFP today (January 18) at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, it said.



DP World will provide logistics services, for instance helping with the shipment and storage of humanitarian aid. In addition, selected employees in disaster prone countries will receive LET specialist training to improve their ability in coordinating response efforts, it added.



All work will be directed by the Logistics Cluster, which provides coordination, information management and facilitates access to common logistics services to organisations responding to an emergency.



This public-private partnership brings together the resources of the logistics industry and the emergency experience of the humanitarian community, ensuring effective and efficient response and ultimately contributing to saving lives, alleviating suffering and protecting dignity.



As a global trade enabler working in 40 countries across six continents, DP World is well placed to provide its expertise and resources after major disasters. Its involvement in the LET builds on its existing disaster response framework that details processes the company has in place to ensure the best collective impact, including how employees respond to catastrophes.



DP Worlds previous contributions to disaster response efforts have included providing aid through fundraising and gifts after the 2013 Typhoon in the Philippines and the earthquake in Nepal in 2015, said a statement.



Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman and CEO of DP World, said: Major natural disasters can have devastating impacts and the response efforts in the immediate aftermath are crucial to ensuring urgent aid reaches the right places as quickly as possible.



We take our responsibility to society very seriously, and by joining the LET we can play a key role as part of a coordinated response across the trade and logistics industry. This crucial collaboration helps protect lives and we are pleased to be a part of it, he said.



Stephen Cahill, global logistics cluster coordinator at the World Food Programme, said: Through LET, the WFP-led logistics cluster has access to the largest global network of transportation and logistics expertise, meaning life-saving assistance can be provided more quickly and efficiently following natural disasters.



The response during the first phase of any humanitarian crisis is highly important for how local communities are impacted in the long term, and the expertise and resources that DP World brings will help support vital strategic relief efforts, he added.



The partnership between the LET and the Global Logistics Cluster integrates public and private sector skills and knowledge for maximum impact, and we are pleased to welcome DP World to this collaboration, he concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
A delegation of Emirati engineers attended a specialised training programme, held in Tokyo, Japan, for developing the UAEs space science and satellite technology capabilities.



The training comes as part of the capacity building programme launched by the UAE Space Agency in cooperation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), said a statement from the agency.



The programme included workshops on nano satellite technologies covering a range of topics, including production, testing, costing, control systems, applications and performance, it said.



The Emirati engineers went on to tour leading research and development sites, including the NEC Corporations Fuchu Plant, JAXAs Tsukuba Space Center, Mitsubishi Heavy Industrys Tobishima plant and Axelspace, a company specialising in micro-satellite production, it added.



In addition, the delegation held meetings with the Japanese Cabinet Office; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; and the Japan Space Forum.



Dr Khalifa Al Romaithi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency, said: This programme contributes to the realisation of our strategic vision to develop national capabilities, providing the national space sector with the human elements necessary for its growth and development throughout the coming years and decades.



Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, director general of the UAE Space Agency, said: The programme is a manifestation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by our agency and a number of stakeholders in the Japanese space sector.



The document stipulated a number of ways for both sides to further cooperate in developing, training and exchanging specialists involved in space-related science, technology and engineering, he added.



The training programme lasted 10 days, and included participants from the UAE Space Agency, Mohamed bin Rashid Space Centre and YahSat, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Oil and gas will continue to play a significant role in the future energy mix for decades to come as the world transitions to a sustainable energy future, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco Amin Nasser said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.



Speaking at one of the panel sessions under the theme Strategic Update: The Future of Energy, Nasser said the global energy industry is undergoing a long-term transition brought about by climate change concerns, technological advancements, and government policies.



Energy transition: building resilience



Nasser outlined several scenarios for the global energy market, concluding that renewable energy will not supplant oil and gas in the energy mix in the near future.



I agree that there is a global transformation that is currently underway, and it is putting a lot of pressure on the oil and gas industry and the petroleum industry, mainly also because of climate change and government policies and technological advancements, he said.



He identified two major energy areas where alternative energies are competing for market share  electricity generation and renewables, and light-duty transportation vehicles and electric vehicles.



However, Nasser said he believed the impact on oil demand will be moderate, also noting that the oil and gas industry will need about $25 trillion in investments over the coming quarter century to meet demand in the International Energy Agencys (IEAs) New Policies Case. Nasser highlighted the need for market certainty to build capacity in the industry.



To build up capacity, you need certainty, and the issue is the creation of a climate of uncertainty with all of the talk about renewables and the impact of renewables on the industry.



I think hydrocarbon resources will be with us for decades. There will be an expansion needed in the sector, and there will need to be a lot of capital to meet demand predictions for 2040 and 2060.



So the question of renewables and the impact on hydrocarbon resources should not stop us from getting the right capital. Otherwise, there will be spikes in prices, and the global economy will be impacted as a result, Nasser continued.



He cited the current and projected level of market share for electric vehicles as an example of how that sectors degree of penetration does not significantly threaten hydrocarbon resources in the near term.



There are today 1.2 million electric vehicles worldwide out of a fleet of 1.2 billion. Looking at the forecasts, by 2040, there will be approximately 150 million electric vehicles, but the fleet will have increased in number from 1.2 billion to 2 billion. So, basically there is an 8 per cent market penetration for electric in the light vehicle industry, and the oil is not all focused on the light vehicle industry and some small part in power generation, but significantly on heavy trucks, aviation, and ships, which account for 30 per cent of oil consumption.



Around 15 per cent is focused on chemicals and lubes and bitumen, so yes, renewables will gain a market share over the long-term, but they will not be dominant, and it will take decades for them to replace petroleum resources.



Multiple-front approach to build capacity in renewables



Nasser highlighted that Saudi Arabia is blessed with a competitive advantage in terms of hydrocarbon geology and solar energy.



At Saudi Aramco, we are building our capacity in petrochemicals, in lubes. As a company, we are also taking a strong position in solar, said Nasser. The Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid A Al-Falih has just announced $50 billion of investment opportunities in renewables in Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Aramco as a company is taking a strong position on renewables as well.



WEF/Saudi Vision 2030



The WEFs 47th annual meeting runs until January 20 with 3,000 international participants, and a program of more than 400 sessions to address strategies for greater social inclusion and human development. It is focusing on four critical leadership challenges for 2017: reimagining global cooperation, revitalizing the global economy, reforming capitalism, and preparing for what is described as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where various elements (such as supercomputing, robotics, artificial intelligence, big data, 3-D printing, and biotech), are intimately linked with Saudi Aramcos evolving operations.



Nasser was speaking less than a year after Saudi Arabia launched its ambitious national roadmap  Saudi Vision 2030  to diversify the economy and enter a new era of balanced and sustainable development.



Nasser also met with President Xi Jinping of China, Chinese ministers and key officials with a group of captains of industries to discuss their Belt and Road' initiative, and the natural links with Vision 2030.- TradeArabia News Service
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) A 21-year-old teacher was allegedly stabbed nine times by her brothers friend, who used to liked her, and his cousin in outer Delhis Najafgarh area, police said today.

The woman is hospitalised and critical while Amit (25) and his cousin Basant (19) have been arrested, said a senior police officer.

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The incident happened around 2 PM yesterday at the womans house and her three-year-old niece was witness to the gruesome attack, police said.

The victims condition is said to be critical and isnt in a condition to record her statement, they added.

The incident took place in Dharampura colony when the victim, who works as a teacher at a play school, was at her home along with her three-year-old niece, police said.

When the duo came, the niece was playing outside and on entering, she saw the accused man brutally stabbing her aunt, they said.

The niece somehow managed to alert the neighbours but the accused had fled by that time, they said.

The accused had bought two knives and stabbed her nine times on front and back, police said.

The accused had been talking to her brother for last four months and wanted to woo her, they added.

Three months back, he had got married and the victim told him that she didnt want to stay in touch with him, police said.

He was enraged and planned to kill her, they said.

"He meticulously planned the murder and purchased two knives to execute it. The weapon of offence has been recovered. To make sure the girl was alone at the time of the incident, Amit had even called her brother outside on the pretext of some work," said a senior police officer.

He involved his cousin Basant as he was close to him and he had even agreed to execute the plan.

The girl is being treated at Safdarjung hospital and her condition is said to be critical.

A case under section 307 (attempt to murder) has been registered. Further investigation is underway. Both the accused are unemployed. PTI SLB TIR

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Travelers in Japan head for Tokyo possibly to experience the nightlife. Some travel other prefectures to enjoy the cherry blossoms when in-season. But foodies travel to Tokyo because it has the best ramen in existence in the world today.

When in Tokyo, do not miss out eating the traditional Motsuke or Hokkori Chuka Soba Motsuke in Hachioji. Rife with local Japanese ingredients for noodles -- as traditional Japanese flour has a special tang that makes ramen more tasty and springiness, the soup is made from chicken, is light, and the spicy variation in the form of tantanmen is just satisfying.

In Asagaya are specialist ramen, especially the satisfying Issho and Irohaya. The Issho is a tonkotsu made from Asagaya's signature broth and the flavor -- according to TimeOut -- varies depending on the ramen eater's familiarity with the topping tastes. Meanwhile, Irohaya has some amazing thin noodles and tasty bamboo shoots complementing the chicken and shiitake broth that is memorable as it is refreshing.

The Furumen ramen in Roppongi is better complemented with beer or even some sake, but it tastes amazingly satisfying with a hint of alcohol itself. While it would not be quite tasteful for the typical ramen eater, eating ramen while drinking for most alcohol connoisseurs make the Furumen of Koei Furkuawa worth the taste and the next-morning hangover.

Seafood ramen should never be put out of question despite the tastefulness of pork, beef and chicken. In Asakusa, clam broth brings to life their locally-made right-thickness noodles and throwing in mussels, wakame and bamboo shoots into the mix makes this ramen memorable for anyone who eats it immediately upon serving.

When in Tokyo, one should never miss the beauty of Ichiran ramen. The option to customize your ramen with toppings including flavor strength, richness and noodle texture, along with purchasing your ramen ticket from a vending machine, is just a prelude to amazing taste. According to Daniel Food Diary, the ramen has a "milky rich broth" that is "piping hot" complemented by "thin, tender and tasty" pork.

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It is the Lunar New Year where people usually of Chinese orientation celebrate the time of the year with traditions alongside with the customary dishes and practices. Here is a rundown of the places where you can celebrate the Lunar New Year best.

Lunar New Year or The Spring Festival, as it is widely known, usually lasts for 15 days from the first day of the lunar calendar which is January 28 in 2017. It is the time when families bond together to bring in the changes.

Nuanquan Town, Hebei Province, China

Every 15th day of the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, this somnolent town literally flares up with a breath-taking grassroots firework display. The event has been listed by UNESCO as one of China's great examples of intangible cultural heritage.

The da shuhua or the beating tree flowers tradition is believed to be more than five centuries old and ends in a fascinating exhibition where the local blacksmith tosses ladles of molten iron at town's city gates producing a shower of sparks.

Sydney, Australia

Home to one of the largest overseas Chinese populations, Sydney looks like Chinatown during Spring Break or Lunar New Year. Most of the city's iconic landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the Town Hall are brightened up in bright red during the event. There are Chinese zodiac-shaped Lunar Lanterns installed around the city.

Central London, London

When it comes to doing the Lunar New Year or the Spring Break festival right, London claims to throw the largest Chinese New Year party outside Asia, reported, CNN. There is colorful Chinese parade that lingers through the streets of the downtown West End district. This is followed by stage performances in Trafalgar Square graced by traditional dance troupes, acrobats, dragon and flying lion dances, opera and martial arts acts.The Lunar New Year's grand finale in Trafalgar Square culminates with a spectacular fireworks display.

Chinatown, San Francisco

It is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and the oldest in the United States. San Francisco's Chinatown knows how to turn on a show during the height of Lunar New Year. The15-day festival comprises a parade featuring more than a 100 floats and assorted performances including a 28-foot-long Golden Dragon float.

Disney California Adventure Park/Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles

Los Angeles' most loved amusement parks commemorates the Lunar New Year by dressing their characters for the festival. These parks bring in new characters during the Lunar New Year such as Po and Tigress (from Kung Fu Panda) for Universal Studios and Mulan and Mushu for Disney.

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"Passengers" actress Jennifer Lawrence is once again spotted filming her new spy thriller movie at the beautiful Budapest. The renowned tourist destination seemingly becomes more of Hollywood's filming hub. It's surely amazing to have a grand vacation and experience the magnificence of the city while meeting interesting A-Listers on their job. Definitely, there are more about Hungary's historic place than what can be seen on movies.

Long before, Hollywood has fallen in love with Budapest splendid architecture designs fit for any movies. And the latest one to arrive is Jennifer Lawrence! According to Daily Mail, the actress is currently on for the "Red Sparrow," she plays as a Russian newbie secret agent who needs to seduce a CIA agent. Clearly, Lawrence will not be the last celebrity to grace the streets of Budapest.

In a report by Conde Nast Traveler, it highlights Budapest's sights which are the most favorite for Hollywood people. Indeed, Hungary's well-loved city has a lot of sights to behold: Budapest Balna, Keleti Train Station, Korda Station, Korda Filmpark, Buda Castle, Chain Bridge, Gellert Baths, and Budapest State Opera House. They are only some of the best filming locations vacationers can see; they are all gorgeous sites to begin any tourist journey.

The latest about Budapest will be the W Hotel's latest investment in Drescher Palace across the State Opera House at Andrassy Avenue. For sure, it will be another future Hollywood destination but they will need to wait because it is still in progress. Many travelers will notably have a nice vacation in this luxurious place which will open on 2020. Supposedly, W Hotels Worldwide is known to set high standards with their line, and this time will feature Budapest's history and grandeur with their 162 guest room and contemporary mixed plans.

In all, travelers should really set foot in Budapest, films are good but it's better in real life. All its tourist attraction sites are entirely must-see wonders.

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Ordering the food that you want without the hassle of going outside you door has made even possible. Just earlier this week, Uber has officially launched the UberEATS in Bangkok, Thailand. It is the very first food delivery app that covers a variety of restaurants and lets its clients order food online the same way they order public transports with Uber.

Uber basically puts the best food spots in Bangkok all in just one menu and is delivered to your doors at the Uber speed. At present, UberEATS is in partnership with more than a hundred restaurants all over Bangkok that are of different sorts of cuisines. The participating restaurants include Khao Krung Chicken Noodle, Lemonzest Cafe, iBerry (Silom Complex), Ippudo Ramen, Doodee Siam, Krua Apsorn and Appia.

The app can also let the customers indicate their special instructions and to add notes in relation to their orders. For example, the customer can request if she wants her food to come with more cheese, extra sauce, no veggies, etc. In a report by Coconuts Bangkok, the management of UberEATS revealed that they are still looking forward to doing business with more food trucks and operators in the near future.

UberEATS app also has a feature in which customers can get a live update for the monitoring of their orders from the moment they placed and checked out their desired menu up to the moment their orders are delivered by the Uber drivers. As of the moment, UberEATS can be used in areas such as the Chinatown, Sathron, Phloen Chit, Silom, Ekkamai, Pathumwan, Asoke, Phrom Phong, Nana and Thonglor.

In a report by the Bangkok Post, Allen Penn, UberEATS' Regional General Manager for Asia-Pacific, said that the UberEATS app gives us a glimpse of how the future competition in the industry of food delivery looks like. Bangkok is the fifth city in Asia, following Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore, where Uber's latest food delivery online app is offered.

Uber only takes its commissions from the restaurants and food truck operators and definitely requires no tip from its customers. Unlike deliveries from most restaurants and food operators, UberEATS initially offers a free of charge food delivery to customers which actually makes it more appealing to clients.

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On January 28, the Chinese (and those who just feel like celebrating it) will rejoice with the Spring Festival and will officially welcome the Year of the Rooster. Chinese New Years and the traditional Chinese rituals and new year traditions are already celebrated by people around the world, may it be from China or not.

But before you get too excited with the dancing of the dragons and celebration of lucky colors in streets, here are some of the traditional Chinese food rituals that are believed to bring the best of luck every Chinese New Year.

1. Chinese people always serve fish during new years because they consider fish as a symbol of surplus, and they actually believe that they must have something surplus by the end of the year. In China, this means that you have gained something during the previous year. Therefore, it is a very good sign of prosperity for the succeeding year.

Fish can either be boiled, steamed or braised. But whatever cook it may be, the Chinese tradition says that the fish must be the last dish left in the dining table together with some left-over from other menus. In fact, in the northern part of China, it is widely practised that the head and the tail of fish must be left uneaten until the New Year begins. This symbolizes that the incoming year will begin and end with a surplus, or with prosperity.

2. The celebration of the Chinese New Year will never be complete without the succulent dumplings. This ritual has been well-practised for over 1,800 years now. The Chinese people consider this traditional dish to be a great sign of wealth for the incoming year. Dumplings commonly appear to be boat-shaped and oval which are believed to look like the silver ingots in China.

Chinese people also believe that if you eat more dumplings during the celebration of the Chinese New Year, there is a possibility that you will produce more money for that year, Free Times reports. Not all dumplings are considered lucky, however. Traditional Chinese people claim that in order to be a sign of luck, the dumplings need to have a good number of pleats in it and must not be arranged in circles, but in lines instead.

3. Among the superstitious beliefs known to Chinese is the principle that there are kitchen gods who put up an actual list of the good and bad deeds of men and hand it over to heaven's Jade Emperor 23rd day of the 12th month in the lunar calendar. Because of this, Chinese people get used to offering foods for the kitchen gods which includes soups, dried foods, cakes and nuts.

If you do this, the kitchen gods are believed to utter only the good deeds you have done and disregard those which are bad. Aside from the foods, the ritual also comes with incense and paper which are believed to represent money, International Business Times reports.

4. Fruits such as pomeloes, oranges and tangerines are widely served and eaten during Chinese New Year as they are believed to be representations of wealth and fullness. The roundness and golden color of these fruits are what made the Chinese people draw the belief that these fruits symbolize luck, fortune and continuous prosperity.

5. Spring rolls in China are often served during the Chinese New Year as Chinese people believe that the spring rolls symbolize wealth. Traditionally speaking, spring rolls are widely served during the Spring Festival in the eastern part of China including the provinces of Fujian, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

6. Chinese cuisine popularized the longevity noodles which are believed to symbolize longer life. In Chinese tradition, longevity noodles are cooked and served without cutting even a bit of the noodle. The Chinese actually believe that the longer the noodles are, the longer your life will be. It can be served in a plate, fried, or boiled together with its broth in a bowl.

Yes. Chinese New Year cannot be complete without these traditions. And these traditions relatively give hope to people who celebrate it. But always bear in mind that these are only guides. In the real world, true success lies on how each and every one of us works hard for it.

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Who wants to play LEGO all day? Or rather, teach children to play with LEGO all day? Cambridge University is calling LEGO lovers and educational professionals to apply on what is supposed to be the first of its kind - the Professor of Play.

Global Head of Research for the Lego Foundation Bo Stjerne Thomsen told told The Guardian that the position requires for an individual to have a childlike mindset, "an academic who is playful, extremely curious, open-minded, imaginative and creative - someone who can think of new ways of doing research and work across different disciplines."

The foundation would like to impart that playing is a vital development among children, that it should be part of their education. The appointed LEGO Professor is expected to hold classes while at the same time, do research on child's development and act as the Director of the newly established Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development and Learning in the university.

Thomsen said, "We hope the Lego professor will speak to the needs that exist in education right now - and we can point to what the attitudes to play are, how teachers teach and what parents expect from education." He added that findings in the research studies would improve loopholes in the academics.

"We help our academic partners to address the question of how it would make sense for a government or teacher to use that research." The LEGO Foundation pointed out that they want to see the UK government encouraging the role of play in children in schools, rather than do tests and examinations.

"If children are being taught with standardised assessments and results, those children will expect to receive assignments and be led towards pre-defined goals for the rest of their lives."

Deadline of application will be tomorrow, Jan 20. Interested individuals don't need to have a professional educational background. Great perks await the lucky candidate who will be chosen, including an average salary of 83,981.

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Almost every traveler who had wandered into Vietnam's lush natural tourist spots, amazing beaches and other sites of interest would tell a fellow that the trip to the Southeast Asian gem is worth it. Word-by-mouth marketing works well for Vietnam, but its efforts to send this message through funded government efforts have failed miserably in the last few years. This 2017, the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board had concentrated all its efforts in a website designed to lure foreigners into the country

According to Forbes, the website VietnamTourism.Vn -- both produced by the Tourism Advisory Board and the Vietnam Government's National Administration of Tourism -- appears like a cross "between a traditional tourism promotion portal" and "a glossy travel magazine" that has "informative pieces" including "in-depth articles about travel experiences and destinations."

Instead of a previous static tourism website by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the new website focuses on image-centric approaches to inspiration. Web visitors would be greeted by a slogan: "Vietnam: Timeless Charm" along with stories from different categories including "Adventure", "Beaches", "City Breaks", "Culture", "Family" and more. Contributors are foreign and local writers with vast knowledge and experience of Vietnam's tourist destinations, history and culture.

The efficacy of the newly-launched tourism website is only one part of Vietnam's campaign to improve its tourism revenue up to $35 billion by 2020. According to According to VNExpress, the Vietnamese government intends to make its visa accessible to foreigners through fewer requirements and shorter wait times through a web-based visa application system.

The news website also mentioned the Vietnamese government's plan to allow more international airline companies to add Vietnam to its destination route, but has yet to announce possible solutions to its congested airport systems that have delayed many foreign travelers in the past few years. Vietnam's Tan Son Nhat airport was ranked the world's 8th worst airport by Sleeping in Airports in 2015, prompting the Vietnamese Civil Aviation Authority to take action -- with no updates as of early 2017.

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South Korea has taken the world by storm once again! Now, it's all about their latest bizarre "Jamsu" makeup technique. Accordingly, beauty experts are labeling it as the best key to getting that perfect matte skin finish everyone dreams of. In here will be a closer look how to do it and all the things to know about this Asian secret.

According to Popsugar, "Jamsu" or "submerging" is a mind-boggling step of applying face make ups covered with loose powder first before dunking one's face in cold water. Notably, It can make an incredibly matte and smudge-proof skin.

How to do it? Fabulously, Vogue tells all how to ultimately achieve South Korea's perfect "Jamsu". Starting with cleansing and moisturizing, beauties don't need to stop it. Then begin with the face make-ups: primer, foundation, and concealer. Take note that there is no required brand for the three, and it can be the usual everyone uses. After, get a loose powder and pat on the face, it should look like a "pale kabuki-style base."

If everything's all set with the face, ready a bowl and fill it with water. Remarkably, cold water is much effective. And, it's now the right time to do the plunge! Make sure to dip all over the powdered portions of the face for no more than 30 seconds. Lastly, pat face with a towel and go along with the rest of finishing a make-up look.

Moreover, Cosmopolitan reports two Youtubers who have different reactions for South Korea's "Jamsu" technique. One says it's dissatisfying while the other gives her vote of love. Accordingly, it's about perfecting the act and finding ways to achieve the best result. Some factors may vary like with powder and dipping time for everyone.

In all, it's really a must worthwhile Asian beauty secret. For latest offbeat news, keep following Travelers Today.

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The Colosseum is one of the major tourist attractions in Rome. Built during the 80 AD, it is one of the few long-standing Ancient Roman architectural pieces that can still be seen today. Although somewhat deteriorated, tourists are still drawn to its massive facade, where the inside hosted 500,000 human deaths during the time of Ancient Rome.

Two tourists, however, are more drawn among others as they tried to break in the Colosseum after dark. The tourists, Brazilians aged 30-32, tried to get inside by climbing one of the Colosseums entry gates.

Their attempt failed miserably as they fell 4 meters from where they were scaling. The high drop resulted in serious injuries for both of them, with the other even sustaining a broken pelvis that will leave him in the hospital for weeks.

This crazy endeavor seemed to be a bet or a challenge between them and their other friends. However, after the severity of their injuries, their friends were forced to call local help.

An ambulance immediately responded and went to the scene at 3 am. They were both taken to the hospital and got treated for their injuries, but the local police are still going to file charges against them.

The Italian Court System is very strict towards the inappropriate behavior of tourists or locals concerning historical sites and tourist attractions. The two daredevils are apparently facing trespassing charges and could even do time in jail because of their ill-fated attempt.

Because of Rome's ancient buildings and sites still visited today, Italian local police are always on the lookout for tourists who disobey their laws, and last year alone many irresponsible tourist behaviors were reported to the police.

Tourists who carve their names on Rome's ancient pillars will be fined heavily; vandalism is strictly not allowed, and bringing of broken crumbles of ancient marbles or stones will be sternly dealt with.

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Traveling and seeing the world are the best gifts anyone can give for themselves, and Latin America Travel Destinations redefine them. From Bolivia to Galapagos, these Latino countries are pieces of heaven in Earth. All their natural wonders, mouthwatering cuisines and adventurous activities are truly must-experience! In here are more reasons why these places are really god gifts to any avid traveler.

To begin with Popsugar lists down some of the best Latin America travel destinations. They clearly show how amazing it is to travel and dip in each' splendors, every one of them gives new meaning to utopia!

Ecuador's Galapagos Island, the Biodiversity wonderland is the first Latin American gem. Here all the extraordinary living creatures live like the giant tortoise and Blue-footed Boobies, and it's a great travel destination to understand them better. Hence, this place is now slowly becoming a tourist hub and sprouting hotels and restaurants can now accommodate interested vacationers.

Latin American travel destinations are clearly something to behold as after the waters and biodiversities, it's now time for fascinating glaciers of Chile. The Patagonian glacier is Los Glaciares National Park's wonder; it's a wide collection of mountains and snow. Supposedly, Antarctica's ice caps extend to this area and create 47 big glaciers where people can tour around.

Surely, spending time either sitting or strolling around a nice city can be the best ending to this journey. Luckily, Columbia's Cartagena is open for the two activities and its hotels and spas are heavenly! Immerse in its culture and see why it's considered as one of the best travel spots this year.

In all, Latin America is really a dream travel destination! It's heaven on Earth; they are the new definition of paradise for travelers. Those stated above are just some the best places to see but there are more to experience! See more of it on the video.

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Investigations in Bihar and Maharashtra point to a possible terror angle in the Kanpur train accident, in which more than 140 people lost their lives. The central agencies are now tracking the perpetrators.

By Mustafa Shaikh: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) are looking for the suspects and their recruiter, who allegedly carried out train derailment in Kanpur last year.

Probe into a murder case in Bihar has pointed towards a terror angle in Kanpur train tragedy, in which more than 140 were killed.

The NIA and IB officials are combing areas near Varanasi, where the suspects were allegedly trained for these operations.

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READ| Pakistan's link unearthed in Kanpur train accident that killed more than 140

MURDER CASE PROBE TO KANPUR TRAGEDY: THINGS TO KNOW Two arrests made by Bihar Police in connection with a murder case have pointed to the sabotage and a possible terror angle behind Kanpur train derailment incident last November. Investigation by Bihar Police shows that the suspects were trained and paid by their recruiters to fracture tracks near Kanpur station. An important link in the case could be a man from Jaunpur in UP who made similar revelations to Maharashtra ATS and Railway Protection Force (RPF). He admitted that he was trained to dismantle the railway tracks to engineer derailment of trains. Investigations in Bihar and Maharashtra show that the recruits were paid Rs 70,000 for this act. Subhash Gupta, a railway activist said, "He had developed conscience, hence he approached us and we guided him to agencies but nobody took him seriously. He later told me that he is regretting after these revelations because his life is now in danger." "After returning to his native place he was in touch with us for a while but now we have lost contact with him and hoping for his well being," Subhash Gupta said. According to the agencies, the person identified as Suresh from Patna gave the money and trained the recruits in a remote area in Varanasi. The agencies are also looking for more sleeper cells, which may have been imparted similar training. In his statement, a witness has claimed that Suresh had 34 pairs of hammers and other tools, which are used to break the joints in the railway tracks.

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About

Chile welcomes travelers with sensational mountain views and beautiful beaches. Surrounded by a long stretch of Pacific coastline and the Andes and Chilean Coast Range mountains, there are stunning views in every direction. With more than 2,600 miles from north to south and 221 miles wide at its broadest point, Chile is a geographically diverse country, with deserts, mountains, valleys, coastal areas and glaciers. This destination is a great fit for both solo adventure travelers as well as the entire family.
Here are five destinations where you can spend nights under starry skies while enjoying the best of luxury.

By Mail Today: If you're longing to gaze at star-strewn skies then you're not alone. the past few years have seen a rise in astro-tourism with travellers seeking out destinations with the clearest, darkest skies to marvel at galaxies and constellations. booking.com has looked at some of the most popular accommodations in destinations endorsed for stargazing so be prepared to be completely star-struck.

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SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA,CHILE

It's very fitting that one of the best places on Earth to view the stars also happens to bear an odd resemblance to the Red Planet. You can almost always count on clear skies here as some parts of the Atacama haven't seen rain in 400 years. Popular among travellers who endorsed San Pedro de Atacama for stargazing is the boutique Hotel Pascual Andino which features cozy but elegant rooms. Enjoy a soak under the clear sky in the Jacuzzi or alternatively, if you want some privacy you can admire the starry night from your own private terrace.

Also Read:Ghora Gali: A treasure-trove of ancient stone sculptures in Jammu and Kashmir

MERZOUGA,MOROCCO

Kasbah Azalay Merzouga in Morocco. Photo: Mail Today

The Saharan dunes of Merzouga reach some 350 metres in height and a camel ride here with the welcoming Berber population is a real once-in-a-lifetime experience. But it's dusk when the show really begins - the stunning desert sunset is only a prelude to a night-sky spectacle that will leave you starstruck at the beauty of the universe. Kasbah Azalay Merzouga is beautiful stay, a short journey from the centre of Merzouga and only a quick walk away from the golden Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes.

SEDONA,USA

The infinity pool at the Amara Resort Spa lets you enjoy the beautiful night sky in Sedona. Photo: Mail Today

Though it can get pretty chilly out in the Arizona desert, it's worth to get away from all that light pollution and see the beautiful night sky revealed. In Sedona you can discover cosmic wonders like the Andromeda galaxy but it's best to grab a tour with a telescope so you can marvel in the sight of binary stars, the Orion nebula and a whole lot more. Located along Oak Creek and offering beautiful views of the Red Rocks is the Amara Resort and Spa. You can cool off in the stunning infinity pool or enjoy a cocktail out on the sun terrace.

LAKE TEKAPO, NEW ZEALAND

Mt John Observatory ticks all the boxes - it's located in the world's largest dark sky reserve, it's home to New Zealand's largest telescope and it also has gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains. Book Tekapo Holiday Homes are scattered around the stunning Lake Tekapo Village and are only a short drive to Lake Pukaki. The holiday homes have great features including balconies overlooking the stunning mountains and offer cozy fireplaces where you can warm up after an evening under the stars.

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WADI RUM, JORDAN

It might also be known as the Valley of the Moon but it's the stars that really steal the show when night falls on the deserts of Wadi Rum. The spectacular sandstone formations are amazing but for a truly transcendent experience head out with a Bedouin guide and spend the night under a breathtaking canopy of stars. The Kempinski Hotel Aqaba is only a short walk from Aqaba city and is perfect for those seeking tranquillity.

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Set for boost to fee income with record opening of more than 30 properties globally in 2017



(TRAVPR.COM) SINGAPORE - January 19th, 2017 - Singapore, 19 January 2017  CapitaLands wholly owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), races ahead by securing contracts to manage six properties with more than 1,200 apartment units in China, on the back of record growth last year. The new properties entrench Ascotts presence in Changsha, Shenzhen, Tianjin and Wuhan, while extending its footprint to two more cities  Handan and Xuzhou. Ascott is also poised to boost its fee income by opening an all-time high of more than 30 properties worldwide this year, of which 16 will be in China, as it further cements its leading position in the industry.

Mr Lee Chee Koon, Ascotts Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said: Ascott crossed the 50,000-unit milestone last year, and there will be no let-up in our efforts to build up Ascotts global scale and accelerate our growth in 2017. By expanding our network, the management fees we get over time will strengthen Ascotts earnings profile to deliver sustainable returns and drive return on equity. We clinched a record 10,000 units in 2016 and this is expected to contribute S$25 million to S$30 million of fee income to Ascott annually as the properties progressively open and stabilise. As we expand across our different brands to offer more accommodation choices and tailored experiences to our customers internationally, we are confident of achieving our global target of 80,000 units by 2020.

Mr Lee said: In addition to management contracts, we will continue to seek acquisitions and franchises. We will also look at ways to strengthen our edge by transforming Ascotts business, and forming strategic alliances with leading tech-players, property developers and capital partners. Having greater scale gives us a stronger negotiating power with partners and vendors. It will also enable us to better invest in capabilities such as technologies and new systems to enhance our competitiveness.

Mr Tan Tze Shang, Ascotts newly appointed Managing Director for China, said: China is Ascotts fastest-growing and largest market. Ascotts strategic investment in Tujia has spurred our growth in China and expanded our reach to more customers through online and offline channels. Our bookings in China have increased through Tujias website and we will be able to cater to the rapidly growing outbound Chinese travellers with the listing of our properties worldwide on the website by the first half of this year. Since the launch of our Tujia Somerset brand last year to tap on the booming middle-class segment, we have secured 11 properties and surpassed our 2016 target of 2,000 units under this brand.

Mr Tan added: To ride on the growth in demand for international-class serviced residences as we work towards our goal of 20,000 units in China by 2020, we will expand our management and franchise business through our established Ascott, Citadines and Somerset brands, Tujia Somerset, as well as our newly unveiled lyf brand designed for and managed by millennials. We will also look out for investments opportunities in the first tier cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, as well as in provincial capitals like Wuhan and Hangzhou.

In China, Ascott is one of the leading international serviced residence owner-operators with more than 17,300 units in 96 properties across 27 cities. Of the six new serviced residences secured, Citadines Sunhope e-Metro Shenzhen, Ascotts largest property in China, is slated to open this year. Citadines Qingshan SCPG Centre Wuhan and Tujia Somerset Jundu Tianjin are scheduled to open next year while Ascott Xiangjiang FFC Changsha, Citadines Yunlong Lake Xuzhou and Tujia Somerset Congtai Handan will start operations from 2019. Last year, Ascott opened 14 properties in China, adding over 2,000 units to its portfolio.

With Ascotts aggressive expansion, it has appointed Mr Kevin Goh as Chief Operating Officer to assist the CEO in overseeing operational aspects of the business and new growth opportunities, especially relating to its digital and online strategy. Prior to this, Mr Goh was Ascotts Managing Director for North Asia since 2013, responsible for investments and operations in China, Japan and Korea. Before Mr Tans appointment as Managing Director for China, he was the Regional General Manager for Greater China and formerly Vice President for Business Development.

Please refer to the annex for more information on the new serviced residences.

About The Ascott Limited

The Ascott Limited is a Singapore company that has grown to be one of the leading international serviced residence owner-operators. It has over 30,000 operating serviced residence units in key cities of the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, as well as over 22,000 units which are under development, making a total of more than 53,000 units in over 300 properties. The company operates three award-winning brands  Ascott, Citadines and Somerset. It has also launched lyf, a brand designed for and managed by millennials. Ascotts portfolio spans more than 100 cities across 28 countries.

Ascott, a wholly owned subsidiary of CapitaLand Limited, pioneered Asia Pacific's first international-class serviced residence with the opening of The Ascott Singapore in 1984. Today, the company boasts over 30 years of industry track record and award-winning serviced residence brands that enjoy recognition worldwide.

Ascotts achievements have been recognised internationally. Recent awards include World Travel Awards 2016 for Leading Serviced Apartment Brand in Asia, Europe and the Middle East; Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards 2016 for Best Serviced Residence Brand; Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2016 for Best Serviced Apartment Company; Business Traveller UK Awards 2016 for Best Serviced Apartment Company; Business Traveller China Awards 2016 for Best Serviced Residence Brand; TTG China Travel Awards 2016 for Best Serviced Residence Operator in China and DestinAsian Readers Choice Awards 2016 for Best Serviced Residence Brand.

About CapitaLand Limited

CapitaLand is one of Asias largest real estate companies headquartered and listed in Singapore. The company leverages its significant asset base, design and development capabilities, active capital management strategies, extensive market network and operational capabilities to develop high-quality real estate products and services. Its diversified global real estate portfolio includes integrated developments, shopping malls, serviced residences, offices and homes. Its two core markets are Singapore and China, while Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam have been identified as new growth markets. The company also has one of the largest real estate fund management businesses with assets located in Asia.

CapitaLands listed real estate investment trusts are CapitaLand Mall Trust, CapitaLand Commercial Trust, Ascott Residence Trust, CapitaLand Retail China Trust and CapitaLand Malaysia Mall Trust.

Annex

Ascott Xiangjiang FFC Changsha (opening 2019)

The first premier Ascott-branded serviced residence in Changsha is located in the heart of the Central Business District. It is part of an integrated development that comprises offices and a shopping mall managed by CapitaLand Mall Asia. The property is surrounded by banks and financial institutions and a 30-minute drive from Changsha Railway Station, close to scenic lakes, parks and museums. Ascott Xiangjiang FFC Changsha will offer 180 units, ranging from studios, one- to three-bedroom apartments and facilities include a gymnasium, meeting room, residents lounge and childrens playroom.

Citadines Sunhope e-Metro Shenzhen (opening 2017)

With 479 units, Citadines Sunhope e-Metro Shenzhen is Ascotts largest property in China. The serviced residence is part of an integrated project with office and retail components. It is conveniently located within a five-minute walk from the metro station and a 10-minute drive from the Central Business District. Citadines Sunhope e-Metro Shenzhen will have studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, as well as facilities such as a fitness centre, swimming pool and breakfast lounge.

Citadines Qingshan SCPG Centre Wuhan (opening 2018)

Citadines Qingshan SCPG Centre Wuhan is situated within an integrated development that also houses offices and a shopping mall. The serviced residence offers guests easy access to a wide range of amenities such as schools, retail outlets and hospitals. The Citadines property is located right next to the Heping Park metro station, estimated to start operations in 2020, and a 15-minute drive from Wuhan Railway Station. Guests will also enjoy a birds eye view of the nearby Heping park. The serviced residence will offer 110 units of studios and one-bedroom apartments. Facilities include a fitness centre, meeting room, breakfast lounge and launderette.

Citadines Yunlong Lake Xuzhou (opening 2019)

The 113-unit serviced residence is located at the intersection of the Central Business District and the citys well-known Yunlong Lake in Xuzhou, one of Chinas key transportation hubs. Part of an integrated development which comprises a shopping mall, the serviced residence is right next to the upcoming metro station (Line 5), expected to be opened in 2022. It is also a 15-minute drive from Xuzhou Railway Station. The property will have one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as facilities such as a breakfast room, fitness centre, residents lounge and children's playroom.

Tujia Somerset properties

The two new properties are located in bustling city centres in Handan and Tianjin. The 135-unit Tujia Somerset Jundu Tianjin is scheduled to welcome guests in 2018 while the 200-unit Tujia Somerset Congtai Handan is due to open in 2019. Both properties are close to metro stations, attractions, shopping malls, schools and parks. The serviced residences will have 24-hour reception and security. Apartments are equipped with kitchenettes and laundry facilities and guests can choose from studios to three-bedroom units. The properties will also have facilities such as breakfast areas, meeting rooms, gymnasiums and a swimming pool.

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ZigZag On Earth (www.zigzagonearth.com), a travel blog specializing in destination guides for roadtrippers in search of the most scenic places, just released 2 new Road Trip Guides in its digital collection.



(TRAVPR.COM) FRANCE - January 19th, 2017 - ZigZag On Earth (www.zigzagonearth.com), a travel blog specializing in destination guides for roadtrippers in search of the most scenic places, just released 2 new Road Trip Guides in its digital collection.

ZigZag On Earth has already helped many people plan unforgettable trips to Iceland and Oman with guides that roadtrippers found, as they say, priceless to plan and so useful compared to other books.

From today, it is also covering Road Trips around Scotland. Depending on how long you have, you can opt for The Road Trip Guide: Edinburgh to Skye or The Road Trip Guide: Scotland.

Exclusive simplified maps, a selection of the most scenic locations, many pictures and practical information the guides are made to simplify planning and easily decide on an itinerary, stop by stop explains Claire Robinson, the author of the Guide.

For over 3 years, ZigZag On Earth has been providing travellers with useful and detailed information as well as thousands of inspiring photos to plan their trips around the world. The founder Claire Robinson was frustrated with the limited information on classic travel blogs as well as with the traditional travel guides, which have thousands of locations and hardly any pictures. So she decided to provide other RoadTrippers, who were in search of practical information about the most scenic places, what they were looking for.

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Predicting that innovation and disruption will headline Meetings Technology in 2017, Groupize welcomes top influencers Todd Tyler, Michael Boult and Jay Reilly to the team



(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - January 19th, 2017 - Groupize, the award-winning provider of innovative, simple meeting solutions today announced the appointment of Michael Boult as their newest board member, Todd Tyler as Advisor and welcomed Jay Reilly as their Vice President of Corporate Sales. While many meeting technology companies are laying off hundreds of employees, Groupize continues to expand their team to meet the continued demand for their unique platform.

The consolidation in event technology solutions, the dramatic increase in the market's focus on the convergence of transient and meetings and the receptiveness to our self-service simple meetings platform has prompted us to broaden our overall team, explains Charles de Gaspe Beaubien, CEO of Groupize. "Michael Boult and Todd Tyler bring a C-Level stellar record of accomplishment in the space, but equally important is their passion for what we are doing. Their involvement and thought leadership validate the significant potential for simple meetings solutions and our company. Jay Reilley's long and diverse career in the meetings and hospitality industry will help us to execute on our strategy to develop and grow Groupize solutions through the establishment of partnerships with a variety of top-tier Fortune 1000 companies and agencies.

The Groupize Simple Meetings Platform is empowering corporations to take control of their largest area of decentralized and rogue spend, simple meeting with a sourcing, registration, attendee app, budgeting and meetings intelligence. The companys strategic integrations with Travelport and Concur will make the Groupize simple meeting solution available to over 40,000 corporations in 2017. Two major travel agency consortia groups are actively implementing the Groupize solution as not only technology used within their agencies but also as a client-facing technology.

About Michael Boult

Michael Boult currently leads the Business Travel Center of Excellence for Travel Leaders Network. He has gained industry stature and acclaim through several executive-level corporate roles across travel-related businesses, including Chief Commercial Officer of Lanyon, President, and CEO of StarCite, and Founder and CEO of eCLIPSE Advisors  where he developed and deployed new spend management solutions for air, hotel and car categories for 200 multinational clients. Boult also spent 12 years with Rosenbluth International. He has twice been named by Business Travel News as one of the 25 Most Influential Executives in Business Travel. He was also named as one of the 25 Most Influential Executives in Meetings by Meetings News. In 2008, Bloomberg Businessweek recognized his achievements in streamlined Meeting Payments as one of their Top 50 Global Innovations.

What Groupize is doing to address simple meetings management is incredibly innovative and inspiring, said Michael Boult. Groupize is leading the transformation of how simple meetings are sourced and managed, and I look forward to contributing to that success.

About Todd Tyler

Todd Tyler currently serves as an investor, director, and advisor to multiple high growth SaaS companies, with a concentration in hospitality technology including tripBAM, a SaaS company providing hotel rate shopping technology to corporate travel managers and travel agencies; CrunchTime! Information Systems, a SaaS company providing restaurant enterprise management software to the hospitality industry; and PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE: PAR) the leader in systems and service solutions for the hospitality industry and a leading provider of technical solutions to the government sector, where he is also the chair of the Nominating/Governance Committees and a member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee. He also serves as the President, CEO, and Director of Electronic Commerce, Inc., is a SaaS company providing human capital management solutions to middle market companies. He has also been an Executive in Residence for Battery Ventures, a venture capital and private equity firm who focuses on cutting-edge technology businesses and has also served as an Operating Partner for Frontier Capital who provides capital to middle market software and business services companies.

Tyler spent over 12 years as the President, CEO, Director, and owner of Lanyon, a SaaS provider of software for the meetings and events industry. Under his leadership, Lanyon grew from a simple technology company to a profitable, industry-leading company serving 70 percent of the businesses that comprise the Fortune 500 and more than 100,000 hospitality suppliers around the world. He has been named by Business Travel News as one of the 25 Most Influential Executives in Business Travel. Prior to Lanyon, Tyler was the CFO, general counsel, and director of a wholly-owned and newly established technology subsidiary of Reliant Energy (NYSE: REI), an electricity and energy provider. Previously, Todd practiced law in Dallas / Ft. Worth as a senior tax and transactions attorney representing high growth software companies as well as other public and private companies.

About Jay Reilly

For over two decades, Jay Reilly has been a Business Development Executive the Meetings and Hospitality industry. One of the initial employees at StarCite, he worked for ten years on the corporate/demand side of the marketplace, helping pioneer the SMMP model. Jay moved to Lanyon in 2010 to launch the Total Hospitality Platform, integrating Transient, Meetings/Events, and Project-Based Extended Stays for a single holistic view of a corporate hotel program. In 2013, Jay moved to AirPlus International to deliver global corporate payment solutions providing richer data for better travel supply chain management.

Jay Reilly commented on his new role with Groupize, I am so impressed by the experience and passion of the Groupize leadership team. The Simple Meeting segment represents a huge gap in all corporate travel programs, regardless of their SMM maturity and Groupize has the tools in place to finally bridge that gap. The sheer scale of what can be achieved is tremendously exciting, and I feel fortunate to be joining such a visionary company that prides itself breaking new ground.

For more information or to schedule a demo, please visit Groupize.com.

About Groupize

Groupize offers the leading end-to-end platform for simple corporate meetings. Groupize pioneered the automated online group hotel room bookings industry, and today is revolutionizing meetings technology with innovative, self-service solutions that reduce the complexity of starting, sourcing, managing and measuring meetings. Founded in 2011, Groupize is a privately held company and headquartered in Boston, MA. For more information, please call 1.885.GROUPIZE or visit groupize.com.

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By Press Trust of India: Kolkata, Jan 19 (PTI) Describing foreign students as assets, the United Kingdom today said that there should be a living bridge between his country and India with exchanges between higher educational institutions of the two countries.

"Both India and the UK are great democracies. What I suggest is that there should be living bridge between the two countries with exchanges among higher educational institutions," UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs Boris Johnson said.

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Johnson, who was here at the Presidency University bicentenary celebration, said that application of Indian students for studying in British universities had remained flat for some time, but was picking up of late.

He said, "The UK has a very good record of fighting hatred. A most diverse economy in the world with 300 languages spoken on the streets of London".

Johnson also met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the day.

"I had a fantastic meeting with the chief minister. I suggested bicycle lanes on the main roads to ease traffic congestion and encourage low-carbon transportation systems," he said. PTI DC MD RG

--- ENDS ---
Obama was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his electoral victory in May 2014 and immediately invited him to visit the White House.

By Press Trust of India: Outgoing US President Barack Obama telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to thank him for his partnership that enhanced the relations between India and America, the White House said.

Obama spoke on the phone with Modi on Wednesday to thank him for "his partnership" and to review joint efforts of cooperation including defence, civil-nuclear energy, and enhanced people-to-people ties, a readout of the telephonic conversation between the two leaders said.

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"Recalling his visit as the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in 2015, President Obama wished the Prime Minister warm congratulations ahead of India's upcoming 68th Republic Day anniversary," the White House said.

"Both leaders discussed the progress they have made on shared economic and security priorities, including recognition of India as a major defense partner of the United States and addressing the global challenge of climate change," it said.

Obama was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his electoral victory in May 2014 and immediately invited him to visit the White House.

OBAMA, MODI MET EIGHT TIMES SINCE 2014

The two leaders met at the White House in September 2014. Since then they have met each other for eight times. This is a record for leaders between India and America.

According to Assistant Secretary of State for South and central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal, the two leaders share a very warm relationship.

Also read: Modi brought India, US closer; Obama worked hard for India's NSG bid: Richard Verma

Also read: NSG membership not Obama's farewell gift: China slams US for backing India

"They have a great deal of personal camaraderie. But they also have a great deal of respect for each other for the leadership and the values and the integrity of each others approach," Biswal told PTI in a recent interview.

"You have seen from President Obama that appreciation of Prime Minister Modi in words that he has used to describe him including in that Time magazine profile of the Prime Minister. You have seen that Prime Minister Modi's appreciation of President Obama, of his values, his leadership style which the Prime Minister has used to describe the President," she said.

She said that it is not a relationship that just came about that day when President called Prime Minister-elect Modi to congratulate him.

"The seeds of this relationship were actually sown many many decades earlier," Biswal had said.

Also read: 'Outlier' China blocked India's NSG membership: Obama administration

--- ENDS ---

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By Press Trust of India: Four persons, including a woman, died and six others were injured today after a tourist bus hit a tractor trolley in Fatehpur Sikri area here, police said.

As per an eyewitness, the tourist bus carrying the victims tried to overtake the tractor trolley following which the bus turned turtle near the toll plaza in Fatehpur Sikri area, they said.

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Four persons died on the spot, while six others were injured and rushed to the hospital, police said.

The bus driver has been taken into custody, they added.

ALSO READ | 40 injured after bus turns turtle

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi, January 19

To make GST regime less onerous, the Centre and states have decided to water down the penal provisions to ensure a trader gets immediate bail if the alleged tax evasion is up to Rs 2 crore.

The GST Council, at its last meeting, has decided that the provision of arrest will be restricted to forgery and non-deposit of collected taxes with the exchequer within the stipulated timeframe.

In case of offences where the amount does not exceed Rs 2 crore, the person arrested for violation of GST laws will be entitled to bail, an official said, adding that the penal provisions in the GST will be less onerous than the provision in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for the same type of offences.

Under the IPC 1860, forgery and cheating are non-bailable offences and bail can only be granted by a court.

Most other offences like availing of wrong input tax credit or refund and failure to furnish documents, which were earlier listed in the revised draft GST law for prosecution, will not lead to arrest but may attract only financial penalty.

While in the case of service tax, there is a provision of arrest for non-deposit of the tax beyond Rs 50 lakh with the government, the excise law gives the Commissioner discretion to invoke arrest provision in the case of default.

PwC Leader (indirect tax) Pratik Jain said the arrest provisions as per the revised model GST law may lead to undue harassment for traders.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 19

The Mohali police today confiscated Rs 95 lakh at two nakas here.

At a naka, laid in view the coming Assembly elections, at Phase 3A on the Chandigarh-Mohali border, the police recovered Rs 80 lakh from a private Swift Dzire car. The occupants of the car could not produce documents related to the amount.

The car driver, identified as Nepal Singh, claimed that the amount and the car belonged to Allahabad Bank and the amount was being transferred from Chandigarh to Tohana in Haryana.

The police recovered Rs 15 lakh from two persons, Anjani Kumar and Sahil Balana, at a naka at Dholan Wale Chowk in Phase VI.

Both persons claimed that they were employees of a private bank and the money was being transferred from Chandigarh to Ropar.

Since the persons failed to produce documents in both cases, the police confiscated the amount and informed the flying squad of the EC.
Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 19

Nearly four months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court took suo motu cognisance of a news report carried in these columns on Panjab Universitys financial troubles, the Bench today directed the University Grants Commission to release Rs 30.5 crore expeditiously, preferably within four weeks.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, the Bench of Justice SS Saron and Justice Darshan Singh also rapped the respondents for not doing their bit. Taking a serious view of the fact that 15 per cent over the previous years budget was being paid to universities other than the PU, the Bench asserted: Shall we tell them ( the PU) to shut doors on March 31 and ask the teachers and students to vacate. Why not finish it off? The university is older than the UGC. You can go and say you have been successful in closing a 100-year-old university in a modern city like Chandigarh. We will get the teachers adjusted in other universities such as Punjabi University, Kurukshetra University

Earlier, during the proceedings, Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Jain told the court that the PU had prepared a proposal for the enhancement of the grant. It was with the Government of India and six weeks were required to examine it.

Appearing for the State of Punjab, Additional Advocate General PPS Thethi asserted that the PUs proposal submitted to it was with the Finance Department. The Bench, in turn, asserted that the High Court orders were being treated as bureaucratic orders. You cant just say the Finance Department is considering it.

During the course of the hearing, Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover said the university had given inputs to the Punjab Government. Rather, it had been doing so since November last year. Representations had, in fact, been made at every level.

The VC asserted that Rs 44 crore released earlier was for the December-January salary. Another Rs 35 crore was required for the subsequent salary being paid as per the UGC norms. He said 15 per cent would come out to Rs 30 crore. Let the enhanced amount be released. The VC also told the Bench that Rs 316 crore was left in the current budget head of the UGC from which money was being released. What is the difficulty in giving Rs 30.5 crore? he questioned. University counsel Girish Agnihotri and Bhuwan Vats added that the amount would be sufficient up to February-end.

Justice Mahesh Grover of the High Court had earlier asserted that Panjab Universitys stakeholders were constantly obstructing its efforts to be declared a Central University. Justice Grover had asserted its stakeholders had done little to share the financial burden, and its declaration as a Central University could possibly have ameliorated the situation.

In his detailed note, Justice Grover had asserted that evidently if the doom was predicted so soon, the institution must be in a state of decay already. Referring to the VCs statement on the university being in the hands of the mafia, Justice Grover had added it, too, could not be wished away. The cumulative impact of both statements would invite the concern of all associated with the premium institution.

As an alumnus, Justice Grover said he was venturing to take suo motu notice of the serious state of affairs, particularly the apprehension of the VC on shutting down the university for lack of funds.
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, January 19

The 21-year-old engineering student, who was allegedly raped after being abducted at gunpoint and thrashed, drugged and videographed naked on Tuesday night, said she was so scared after being abducted that she surrendered before the accused and told him, Do whatever you want with me but please dont kill me.

The victim, daughter of a retired Army officer from Jaipur, is so shocked that she doesnt exactly remember the description of the accused. As a result, the police have not been able to prepare a sketch of the rapist so far.

The victim, a student of BTech at a private college near Rajpura, along with her parents, who flew from Jaipur after getting the information, today met the DCP here and shared her sordid tale with the police officer.

The victim told the police that initially the accused was addressing her as beta but later changed it to chhori.

However, sources at the Civil Hospital revealed that during her medical examination, the victim looked relaxed and was chewing gum.

Police sources said according to the victims statement, it appeared that the accused might have initially planned a robbery but later changed his mind and raped her. The sources said if the girl was to be believed, she was so scared that she completely surrendered before the accused.

The victim told the police that she received a call from her friend, with whom she had gone to the Sector 20 market, where she was abducted in a Hyundai i-20 car in which she was waiting for her friend. She rejected the call after being asked to do so by the accused and messaged her friend that she was taking her ailing relative to a hospital. Her friend messaged her asking, Are you in trouble? She replied, No. The victim said she got two chances to escape from the moving car but she was so scared that she did not attempt it.

The police are still groping the dark and have no clue of the accused even two days after the incident.

Police officials said a sketch of the accused could not be prepared as even after repeated attempts, the victim could not give them his proper description.

The description was vague. Four sketches were prepared but none was suitable to be released. The accused was wearing a cap, which was also coming in the way of preparing a sketch, the police maintained.

Meanwhile, four police teams have been put on the job to solve the case. Besides the SHO of the women police station, the CIA-1, the CIA-2 and the SHO of the Sector 20 police station have been assigned the task.

The Panchkula police have also sought assistance from Central Detective Training School, Chandigarh, to trace the accused.

The police said the accused could be in the age group of 30-35 years and might have fled towards Yamunanagar.
Himself a former RBI Governor, Dr Manmohan Singh has understandably rescued Urjit Patel from tough questioning by parliamentarians. As an institution the RBI deserves all respect and its autonomy has been recognised and appreciated in the past. All that is expected of it now is to act independent of the government and make available all the troubling information people and their representatives seek. Silence over, or evasion of difficult issues will not make them go away. We have a demanding, even if raucous, democracy. If the RBIs role in demonetisation is questioned, including by some of its former heads, the central bank should respond to what they say.

What transpired at various levels in the run-up to the notebandi decision is not being put in public domain. Surprisingly no minutes were maintained of consultations over a decision that shook the nation, the fallout of which has drawn flack all over. Dr Manmohan Singh called it monumental mismanagement and organised loot. Both the RBI and the government share the blame. Agreed, civility should not be abandoned and questions should not be impolitely asked but that is no ground for the denial of information sought. The BJP is selling demonetisation as an achievement in the ongoing polls. It is important for the RBI to reveal all that helps the voter verify the governments claims of success, particularly on black money. A post-poll disclosure of how much demonetised cash returned to the banking system would be politically less relevant.

What the RBI chief has revealed is not very illuminating. If the government and the RBI had been in touch over the note ban since January last year and the actual decision was taken on May 27, as media reports suggest, then why such lack of preparedness? Why a compromise on autonomy? If the curbing of black money was a goal, then why print the 2,000 note? There are questions the RBI and the government cannot evade. The RBI chief has squandered another opportunity to lift the veil of secrecy that shrouds decision-making.
Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 19

Pulling the Murthal rape incident out of the sphere of questionability into the realm of reality, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday minced no words to say it was evident that rape has been committed.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Virtually putting an end to all speculations on the incident, a Division Bench of the High Court, hearing the suo motu case based on the Tribune reports, added the allegations of rape were not without basis. Rather, rape had taken place and the culprits were required to be brought to book for instilling confidence in public at large.

The assertion by the bench of Justice SS Saron and Justice Darshan Singh comes as a sharp contrast to Haryana governments 10-month denial of rape. It came just before advocate Sumeet Goel on CBIs behalf told the bench that it was bound by the court orders on the question of probe by the premier investigating agency, indicating that it was not averse to idea of looking into the matter.

Dictating the orders in the open court, the bench emphasised that the special investigating team, constituted for looking into the case, would make every effort to track down the culprits involved in rape and kidnapping at Murthal.

Referring to statements by two witnesses  Bobby Joshi and Raj Kumar  the bench observed they had stated that women were dragged out and taken to the fields.

Besides this, women undergarments with human semen were discovered in the fields of Murthal, making it evident that rape had taken place.

At the very onset, the bench asserted that its own conclusion regarding Haryana governments stand in the matter was that rape had been committed, but the SIT was unable to trace the culprits and the victims.

Responding to the observation, Haryana Additional Advocate-General Pawan Girdhar insisted investigation was on, but there was no victim or witness. At the stage, they were not ruling out the possibility of rape but molestation had taken place.

The bench, in turn, asserted so long as the statements of Bobby Joshi and Raj Kumar were there, coupled with the discovery of human semen on the clothes, it could not be said rape had not taken place.

The witness, Raj Kumar, in his statement before the police under Section 161 of CrPC, had stated that he was travelling in his car on February 22 last year, on the Delhi-Kurukshetra stretch. At about 2.30 am, he saw 10-15 boys burning and damaging cars.

He also saw three-four boys dragging a girl from her hair and arm near from a car ahead of his vehicle to bushes near Sukhdev Dhaba. All the while she was screaming for help. Raj Kumar had added he would be in a position to show the cops the bushes in case he was taken to the spot.

After his statement was read out in the open court by the amicus curiae or the friend of the Court Anupam Gupta, the bench said Raj Kumar was a natural witness. He was not making assumptions. The girl was crying (for help) bachao-bachao. The observation came in response to SIT in-charge Mamta Singhs claim that there was deviation in Raj Kumars statements. Before parting with the order, the bench fixed February 28 as the next date of hearing.
Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 19

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today virtually blamed the special investigating team (SIT) for the way it was proceeding in the Murthal rape case before directing the trial court not to frame charges in the matter. The stay order will remain in operation till the case comes up for resumed hearing before the High Court in February-end.

The rap came after Justice SS Saron and Justice Darshan Singh took note of the SITs apparent departure from the standard procedure of investigation carried out by the police. The Bench specifically took exception to the use word delete by the SIT before the trial court and the High Court.

It was of the opinion that delete gave the impression that the gang rape charge had been dropped while the SITs stand before the Bench was that it was very much in existence. Only, five accused arrested in the case were not being proceeded against for the offence.

The Bench was also visibly miffed over the fact that the SIT got the statement of witness Raj Kumar recorded before the magistrate after the filing of a challan six months after it was initially penned down by the police.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, the Bench observed the SITs stand before the High Court was that Section 376-D on gang rape had not been deleted while an Additional Sessions Judge hearing the matter was given the impression that it had been dropped. You are saying that 376 (rape) is not ruled out but your challan or the final investigation report does not mention the challan, the Bench asserted.

Responding to the assertion, Haryana Additional Advocate-General Pawan Girdhar asserted it was never deleted from the FIR. As there was no evidence of offence under 376-D against the accused, the section stood deleted only against them in the supplementary challan.

The amicus curiae or the friend of the court Anupam Gupta, on the other hand, asserted that the trial judges order clearly quoted the public prosecutor as saying that Section 376-D and 365 stood deleted. If he said it on his own, disciplinary action should be initiated against him, Gupta asserted.

He also told the court that two of the accused were bailed out by the High Court on the ground of deletion of the offence. The effort was to hold out to the entire world that the offence of rape was no longer valid, he said.

Referring to the statement of a witness, Gupta said the police magically appeared at Murthal. Let their call details be examined. Why did the IGP and SSP arrive at dead of night? It cries for an answer, he asserted. The case must go to the CBI.

Taking note of the assertions, the Bench observed the challan was filed against the five arrested accused on August 11 last year. But the supplementary challan filed in October mentioned Section 376-D and 365 stood deleted.

The impression given in the supplementary challan was that the charge under Sections 375-D and 365 had been dropped. The Bench also took note of the submission that an affidavit would be filed before the trial court for clarifying the situation that allegations under the two sections had not been dropped and would continue. In order to carry out effective investigation, the state would not proceed with the framing of charges.
If the Samajwadi Party and the Congress fail to find a way to accommodate the RLD, the Grand Alliance will be considerably weak in western Uttar Pradesh.

By Javed M. Ansari : Prospects of Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) joining the mahaghatbandhan or the Grand Alliance with the Samajwadi Party and the Congress are fast receding.

With just five days left for filing the nomination for the first phase of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, under which the western belt falls--a region where RLD holds significant influence, the negotiations between the two sides have stalled.

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Sources in both the camps have told India Today that there has been no high-level contact between the two sides in the last few days. In the first round of negotiations about a week ago, the Samajwadi Party had offered the Rashtriya Lok Dal 23 seats. The Ajit Singh's RLD had asked for few more seats and the Akhilesh Yadav-led party had indicated its willingness to oblige. However since then, talks have taken a hit with no signs of resumption yet.

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The first two phases of the Uttar Pradesh election will be held in areas like Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Agra and Mathura. These have traditionally been with the Rashtriya Lok Dal barring 2014. The mahagatbandhan could hope to put up a tough fight against the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in the area.

Analysts believe that if the Samajwadi Party and the Congress fail to find a way to accommodate the RLD, the Grand Alliance will be considerably weak and the contest will boil down to the Bahujan Samaj Party and the BJP in western Uttar Pradesh, which is going to polls on February 11.

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Uttar Pradesh election process begins, notification issued for first of 7 phases

Uttar Pradesh election: Grand Alliance plans hit a hurdle as Ajit Singh's RLD asks for more seats

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
Mahesh Chander Sharma

SUNDERNAGAR, January 19

The district administration has at last initiated action against the mining mafia which was engaged in illegal operations for a long time in Maloh, area near here. An anti-mining team comprising officials of different department has impounded four vehicles engaged in illegal mining.

The local residents had made numerous complaints to various departments pertaining to illegal mining which was going on in this area for long time but none of departments initiated action against the mining mafia.

The local residents even forwarded their grievances to the Chief Minister office but without any success.

The residents shared their grievances with the media person. When the newspersons started enquiries and the matter was highlighted the administration swung into action and impounded four vehicles  three JCV machines and a tipper  engaged in illegal mining operations. The officials concerned pointed out that challans were issued under the Mining Act today.

The residents of Maloh village were annoyed over the inaction of mining department and expressed their displeasure to the mining officer who visited the Maloh area following the publication of news along with the officials of the district administration and police.

The illegal mining in Sundernagar was started at various sites as the material was required for the Kiratpur  Manali four-lane project. A large number of vehicles can be seen moving stones to the site of the four-laning project. Interestingly, these vehicles were never checked by the officials mining department.

The residents of Maloh feel that the action of mining department should continue so that illegal mining be stopped completely.


Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 20

Bimla Devi, the widow of a sepoy, is an illiterate who lives in remote Ukhoo village in Doon area of Solan. On January 3, she stumbled upon the Rs 60,000 that her husband Kisan Lal had secretly kept in the house for a rainy day.

Bimla, 62, had no idea that she would be a victim of demonetisation. She was shocked when her daughter, a mid-day meal helper, and her granddaughter, Madhu, an ITI student, told her that the money was now just a piece of paper.

The money, in the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, is nothing short of a fortune for the ageing Bimla.

Bimla and Madhu took the money to a local bank at Dighal for exchange on January 10 in the hope that the notes would be exchanged till March. They pleaded with the bank managers who rejected the plea saying the RBI had stopped the exchange and the facility was available only to the NRIs till March.

Bimla said she had no idea that their hard-earned money could one day even invite action against her.

We had gone to visit grandma in the village. We were cleaning grandfathers almirah when we found the money hidden in clothes, Madhu said, adding that her grandmother had become a victim of the note ban and the RBI must exchange the money.

I have no job and grandmas three sons are all daily-wagers. This is a big amount for us, rued Madhu, whose father died a few years ago and even her ITI diploma education is being funded by schoolteachers.

The family met Aam Aadmi Party leader and former minister Mahender Sofat, who took up the matter with the RBI, Chandigarh, but to no avail. If the RBI is exchanging banned notes of NRIs till March, then what stops it from helping the poor victim of demonitisation? he wondered.
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 19

A top militant of the Lashkar-e-Toiba and nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was killed in a gunfight today in north Kashmir.

The militant, identified as Abu Musaib in his mid-twenties, was killed in an encounter in the wee hours at Khosa Mohalla in Hajin, Bandipora, 30 km from Srinagar, after inputs were received about his presence in the area.

Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid said the killing of the militant commander was a huge success for the security forces. As per our information, he is the nephew of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Vaid told The Tribune. A police officer in north Kashmir said Musaib was the son of Lakhvis brother, and was active in the area since 2015. Musaib was heading the Lashkar operations in Bandipora and Ganderbal districts and was involved in many violent incidents, the officer said. Lakhvi is the operations commander of the Lashkar and is blamed by New Delhi for masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Security agencies in the region say that Lakhvi is actively involved in planning the Lashkars operations in J&K.

Musaib is the second close relative of Lakhvi to have been neutralised in Kashmir. In 2007, Lakhvis son Mohammad Qasim was killed in the same district in a fierce gunbattle at Gamroo village. In the intervening night of January 18 and 19, the J&K Police received a tip-off that Musaib was hiding at a village in Hajin.

A joint operation was immediately launched by the Army and the CRPF around 4.30 am. As the area was being cordoned off, the militant opened fire, critically wounding a policeman. In the gunfight that followed, the militant was killed, a police officer in north Kashmir said. Musaib had escaped cordon several times in the recent past, but this time we managed to neutralise him. An AK-47 rifle, three Chinese grenades, ammunition and matrix sheets were recovered from the gunfight site.

The police officer said Musaib had infiltrated in 2015 and was the divisional commander of the outfit. He was instrumental in establishing the militant outfits network in two districts. Musaibs death will affect Lashkars operations in north Kashmir, he said.

There have been frequent gunfights in and around the Hajin area of Bandipora in the last two months. Meanwhile, clashes erupted in Hajin over the killing of the militant. The slain militant played an active role in organising a fidayeen attack in Nowhatta in Srinagar on August 15, 2016.
New Delhi, January 19

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed with him the overall security scenario in the state.

During the 20-minute meeting, Mehbooba briefed the Home Minister about the prevailing situation in the state, particularly in the Valley and border areas.

The Chief Minister and the Home Minister also discussed the unanimous resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, calling for the return of those who have migrated, including Kashmiri Pandits.

The Chief Minister also conveyed to the Home Minister the steps taken for various development initiatives, especially as part of the Prime Ministers economic package announced for the state, official sources said.  TNS
Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 19

Hurriyat leader and Muslim League head Masarat Alam was today remanded in three-day police custody after he was rearrested by the J&K Police in a case dating back to 2010.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Court of City Magistrate, Srinagar, had granted bail in favour of Masarat in a case under FIR No 59/2010 registered against him in Harwan police station on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Subsequently, he was shifted from Baramulla jail, where he was lodged in connection with the 2010 FIR. Instead of releasing him, the police today produced him before a court in Srinagar, seeking his custody in a case under FIR 128/2010, which has been shown to be registered against him at Sadder police station, Masarats lawyer told The Tribune.

Granting the plea, the court of 2nd Munsif sent Masarat Alam to three-day police remand today, the lawyer said, adding that since the 2010 summer unrest, the police had filed 40 FIRs against the separatist leader at different police stations across Kashmir.

Masarat was accused of orchestrating violent anti-India protests in the Valley after three civilians were killed in Army firing near the border in early 2010. The Army had claimed that they were Pakistani infiltrators.

Masarat was booked under the Public Safety Act following the 2010 unrest that left over 100 people dead in the Kashmir valley. He was released in early 2016 for a brief period and then rearrested. On December 27, 2016, the J&K High Court had ordered the release of the separatist leader. The separatist was not released but shifted from Jammu to Srinagar and taken into custody in the 2010 FIR in which he was granted bail by the court on January 19.
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 19

A top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant commander and the nephew of Mumbai attacks mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was killed in a gunfight in north Kashmirs Bandipora on Thursday.

The militant commander identified as Abu Musaib, was killed in a wee-hour gunfight in Khosa Mohalla of Hajin, some 30 kms from Srinagar, after an input about militant presence.

J&K Director General of Police, SP Vaid said the killing of the militant commander was a huge success. As per our information, he is nephew of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Vaid said.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Lakhvi is the operations commander of Lashkar and is blamed by New Delhi for masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Police said that a brief gunfight erupted in wee hours when forces cordoned Hajin village and the militant commander tried to break the cordon



As the area was being cordoned, the hiding militant opened fire triggering a brief gunfight. In the firefight a militant was killed and a policeman was critically injured," a police officer in north Kashmir said.

An AK-47 rifle, three Chinese grenades and war-like stores was recovered from the gunfight site.

Police said that Musaib was the divisional commander of the group for Bandipore and Ganderbal districts and was instrumental in establishing the Lashkar network in the area.

"Abu Musaib was active from 2015, they said.
Brig Gurinder Singh (Retd)

UZMA was annoyed with me when she learnt that a Kashmiri teenager, Zaira Wasim, has acted as young Geeta in Aamir Khans Dangal. Agar aapne meri madad ki hoti to mein is Zaira se accha kam kar sakti (Had you helped me I could have done a better job than this Zaira), she told me on the phone.

Uzma was one of the few girl students selected for the Armys goodwill excursion to Mumbai and Pune in 2009 under the Sadbhawna project in Kashmir. These students witnessed the shooting of a movie in a studio in Mumbai and it is here that she thought she could act better than Zaira. When this group returned, Uzma was bitten by the acting bug. To top it, she thought only I could help her in her pursuit of getting a role in Hindi movies. I always tried to dissuade her from Bollywood ambitions by suggesting her to focus on becoming a doctor or a teacher as she was a brilliant student.

Uzma often called me to enquire if I had spoken to someone in the film industry. To discourage her, I argued that there were no cinema halls running movies as all were burnt down long ago. She retorted, We all see on DVDs. I again reasoned, Your family will not allow you to go. Woh bhi aapki zimmewari hai (that too is your responsibility), they will not say no to you, she put me in a bind.

After I was posted out of Kashmir, Uzma finished her schooling and joined college in Baramulla, but continued to nurture her Bollywood dreams. She often called me to check if I had contacted someone in the film industry. Only to please her, I once told her that I had requested Shammi Kapoor to help as he enjoyed a huge following in the Valley. Uzma was crestfallen when the veteran actor died a few months later. I promised her that I will speak to someone else, hoping that she will give up in due course.

Then Dangal happened, and Uzma accuses me of not trying enough. Why didnt you speak to Aamir Khan? I could have played Zairas role, she sobbed. But Aamir needed a younger girl and you are now 20-21, I argued. Had you tried earlier, Aamir could have made this movie five years ago, or I could have even played grownup Geetas role, Uzma retorted. But Kashmiris are not happy with Zaira, I claimed. Who cares? If I had done the role, I would not even have returned from Mumbai, she countered.

Dangal has been a record success. When sequels are being rolled out of ordinary movies, can Aamir not make Dangal 2 or Dangal Returns with my Uzma in the lead role?
New Delhi, January 19

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday that the Central Bureau of Investigation was afraid of his deputy Manish Sisodia, days after the agency began investigating allegations of corruption against him.

"Manish kept waiting for CBI, but it did not come. Till now, people used to be scared of CBI, for the first time CBI is scared of someone," Kejriwal tweeted.

Sisodia has claimed he was being targeted for having done good work, such as world class facilities for schoolchildren, unlike the government that pushed them into drug habits. He also claimed that the investigation was a means to halt reforms in Delhi education sector.

"My work scares them. I invited them to come and arrest me. They should understand that they are affecting the future of 26 lakh children of Delhi and causing me no personal harm.

The moment we vowed to arrest Punjab Minister (Vikram) Majithia they made arrangements to arrest me," he said, addressing an event.

Meanwhile, asked about CBIs inquiry against his daughter Saumya over her appointment as adviser to the Mohalla Clinic project, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said: "It seems Jung has got nothing out of the 400 files he had sought".

The CBI registered preliminary enquiries against Sisodia and Saumya Jain in two separate cases on Wednesday.

The Delhi government called the allegations as being malicious,

The Delhi government today refuted allegations of irregularities based on which CBI has registered a preliminary enquiry against Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, asserting that no consultant was hired by the AAP dispensation especially for social media campaign Talk to AK.

A senior official said that through proper tender, a public relations company was appointed by the government in June last year to publicise its works for a period of one year while 'Talk to AK" was held in July.

Government also denied that Rs 1.5 crore was spent on social media campaign 'Talk to Campaign'.

"As government doesn't have any expertise in dealing with social media campaign, the hired PR company had assured government that it will manage social media campaign 'Talk to AK'.

"Besides, payments are also made through credit card to Facebook and Google for any such campaign which government usually does not do," the official said.

"The government has not made payments of Rs 98 lakh to the company so far. The bill is still pending with the government. Government strongly refutes allegation of any irregularity in social media campaign 'Talk to AK'," a government spokesperson said.

On Thursday, the preliminary enquiry was registered by the CBI based on a complaint filed by the Vigilance Department of the Delhi Government.

The complaint alleged that a consultant of a well-known public relations company was hired by the Delhi government to promote Talk to AK (Talk to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal) campaign and a proposal of Rs 1.5 crore was prepared for this purpose.

It alleged that despite objections from the Principal Secretary, the government went ahead with the proposal and the consultant spent the money thereby creating a liability for the government.

"There were some objections from Principal Secretary (Finance). Finally, the decision was taken by the Delhi Cabinet, which can overrule the advice of any officer. It was a policy decision," sources said.

Meanwhile, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party has slammed the BJP, saying that the CBI inquiry against Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain's daughter by a "rattled" BJP government is the "clearest indicator" that AAP will sweep Punjab and Goa in the upcoming Assembly polls.

AAP Delhi Convenor Dilip Pandey told a press conference that CBI action was also a manifestation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "fears" over AAP's "imminent electoral success".  PTI
The bus was carrying nearly 50 students of JS Vidya School when it collided with a truck in Aliganj area of Etah district.The truck was being driven at a high speed when the two vehicles collided head-on.

The bus was carrying nearly 50 students of JS Vidya School when it collided with a truck. (PHOTO: ANI)

By Siraj Qureshi: At least 14 people, including 13 schoolchildren, were killed and several others injured when a bus collided with a truck in Uttar Pradesh's Etah today. The driver of the bus was also killed in the accident. Eyewitnesses said the accident took place due to poor visibility in the area.

According to reports, the bus was carrying nearly 50 students of JS Vidya School when it collided with a truck in Aliganj area of Etah district.The truck was being driven at a high speed when the two vehicles collided head-on.

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The bus was so badly damaged in the accident that rescuers had to use gas cutters to pull out the bodies and injured kids. Total 66 people were travelling in the 42-seater bus. Some of the bodies could only be recognised using the school identity cards.

The impact of the accident was such that the truck fell off the road. (PHOTO: India Today)

Expressing pain over the accident and loss of young lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said," Anguished by the tragic accident in UP's Etah district. I share the pain of the bereaved families and condole passing away of young children."

"I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest," he said.

Anguished by the tragic accident in UPs Etah district. I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole passing away of young children. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2017

In a separate incident, at least 20 people were injured and the driver of a bus was killed in an accident in Sitapur.

The bus, which was on its way from Dewaria to Delhi, fell into a gorge as the driver failed to negotiate a curve due to thick fog in the area.

Nearly 50 schoolchildren were in the bus when the accident took place. (PHOTO: ANI)

COLD WAVE, FOG GRIP UTTAR PRADESH

Entire Uttar Pradesh is reeling under intense cold wave conditions which has killed at least 28 people so far.

After reopening briefly for two days following an extended winter break, schools in state capital Lucknow have been closed again due to the cold wave.

The driver of the bus was also killed in the accident. (PHOTO: ANI)

District Magistrate Satyendra Singh said the decision was taken after a sudden drop in the temperature and it will be reviewed again after two days.

Icy winds prevailed in the city and also in some parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The minimum temperature in the past 24-hours was 7.7 degrees Celsius while the maximum was 20.7 degrees Celsius.

The weather office attributed the sudden change in temperature to heavy snowfall in the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

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The cold wave was likely to continue till January 22, the weather office said.

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WATCH THE VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 19

The Delhi High Court on Thursday allowed Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk here to use the water tank (piao).

The Delhi government had demolished the tank on April 6, 2016 in a drive against encroachments ordered by the HC, but the gurdwara authorities reconstructed the tank.

Upon this, the government authorities restrained the historic gurdwara from using the tank and filed a contempt of court case in the HC.

A bench comprising Justices BD Ahmed and Ashutosh Kumar accepted the gurdwara's contention that the water facility had been in use for more than 50 years and rejected the government's contempt case.

The gurdwara had pleaded that its 'piao' alone had been targeted in the drive. The HC also accepted the map provided by the shrine officials to show that the facility had always been part of the gurdwara, Parvinder Singh Pal said.
New Delhi, January 17

The Centre on Thursday appointed Delhi Police Commissioner and senior IPS officer Alok Verma as new chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), an official said.

The CBI director is chosen by a Selection Committee comprising the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and Leader of Opposition or leader of the largest party in opposition in Lok Sabha.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the appointment of Verma as the new director of CBI for a period of two years.

The post of CBI director was lying vacant for over one month following Anil Sinha's retirement on December 2.

This development comes despite the objection by the Congress that officers who have a background of CBI or vigilance should be given preference.

Verma, a 1979-batch IPS officer of Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, took charge as the Delhi Police Commissioner in February last year and was to hold the post till July 2017.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had earlier asserted that the selection of the candidate for the post of CBI director must be done on basis of merit and seniority.

Kharge who is also a part of three-member committee formed for electing the new CBI chief had 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."

With the government pushing for Verma's name, according to reports, a difference in opinion was formed with the Congress citing inexperience as the reason for former's appointment to the coveted post.

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 officer Rakesh Asthana as the interim CBI chief.  Agencies
Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 19

The Election Commission of India has written to Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha asking him to explain the procedure used by the previous central government under the United Progressive Alliance to delay tabling the union Budget in 2012, when dates of assembly elections clashed with the Budget Session.

The election watchdog has also asked for details of procedure involved in drafting and presenting the budget.

The bureaucrat has until Friday morning to respond.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The central government has announced that it would table the Budget on February 1, but said it would not make announcements for the states that are headed to assembly elections next month. Opposition parties had objected to holding the Budget Session before elections, arguing that it would give the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party an unfair advantage.

On January 10, the central government responded to Oppositions objections saying that the decision to advance the Budget Session wad taken for a purpose.

The central government is learnt to have described the Union Budget as an annual constitutional exercise covering the entire country and not just a few states. It also said that holding the Budget Session early would ensure that it was made effective from April 1, the beginning of the new fiscal.

Assembly elections will be held in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur  the same states that voted in 2012  from next month, with Punjab and Goa going first on February 4.

In 2012, the UPA government under former prime Minister Manmohan Singh had put off Budget Session to March 16 when the Opposition objected to the original date, February 28.
Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 19

Virtually putting an end to speculation regarding the Murthal incident, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today minced no words to say it was evident that rape has been committed.

A Division Bench of Justices SS Saron and Darshan Singh, hearing the suo motu case based on The Tribune reports, said allegations of rape were not without basis. Rape had taken place and the culprits were required to be brought to book.

The assertion came just before advocate Sumeet Goel, on CBIs behalf, told the Bench that it was bound by the court orders on the question of probe, indicating that it was not averse to looking into the matter.

Dictating the orders in the open court, the Bench emphasised that the special investigation team (SIT) set up to look into the case would make every effort to track down those involved in rape and kidnapping.

Referring to witnesses Bobby Joshi and Raj Kumar, the Bench observed they had said that women were dragged out and taken to the fields. Also, womens undergarments with human semen had been found strewn in Murthal fields, making it evident that rape had occurred.

At the very onset, the Bench said its own conclusion regarding Haryana Governments stand was that rape had been committed, but the SIT was unable to trace the culprits and the victims. Responding to the observation, Haryana Additional Advocate General Pawan Girdhar insisted that the investigation was on, but there was no victim or witness. At this stage, they were not ruling out the possibility of rape, but molestation had definitely taken place.

The Bench said going by the statements of the two witnesses and the discovery of human semen on the clothes, it could not be said rape had not been committed. Witness Raj Kumar had told the police that he was travelling in his car on the Delhi-Kurukshetra stretch on February 22 last year when at about 2.30 am, he saw 10-15 boys burning cars.

He also saw three-four boys dragging a girl from her hair and one arm to nearby fields near Sukhdev Dhaba, even as she screamed for help. Raj Kumar also said he could take the cops to the crime spot.

After his statement was read out by amicus curiae Anupam Gupta, the Bench said Raj Kumar was not making assumptions. The observation came in response to SIT incharge Mamta Singhs claim of deviation in his statements. The next date of hearing is February 28.

The Haryana Jats, demanding OBC status for reservation in jobs, held a series of protests in February 2016, "paralysing" the state for 10 days. The period saw a complete breakdown in law and order. Vehicles on national highways were torched. Women commuters were dragged out of their vehicles near Murthal and violated.
New Delhi, January 19

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday virtually indicated his governments inability to promulgate an ordinance on allowing Jallikattu noting that the matter is sub judice as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met him here seeking the Centres intervention.

While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the Prime Minister observed that the matter is sub judice, the PMO said after the meeting.

At the same time, it said the Centre would be supportive of the steps taken by the state government.

Paneerselvam however said that the Tamil Nadu government would soon take steps to hold the event with the central governments support despite the ban .

"We will soon take steps with the backing of the Centre for the holding of the sport. You will soon see (the steps). All is well that ends well. Wait, good will happen," he told reporters after the meeting.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

As protests demanding the lifting of the ban on the bull-taming sport spread across Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister rushed here on Wednesday night to meet the Prime Minister with a request for the ordinance.

With regard to the drought situation in Tamil Nadu, Modi assured Paneerselvam that all possible assistance would be provided.

A central team would be deputed to Tamil Nadu shortly to assess the drought situation, the PMO said. PTI
New Delhi, January 19

The Supreme Court on Thursday preferred to stay away from the pro-Jallikattu protests across Tamil Nadu and said the issue of protecting the agitating supporters of the bull-taming sport can be raised before the Madras High Court.

Let the Madras High Court deal with it. You (petitioner) go there. Why do you come all the way to Supreme Court, a Bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud told a petitioner advocate who mentioned his plea seeking protection to the protesters who have assembled in large numbers at the Marina beach in Chennai for the third day today.

Advocate N Rajaraman, who mentioned the plea before the Bench, said the protesters should not be assaulted like the Ramlila Maidan incident of 2011 where Baba Ramdev supporters were lathicharged by police.

He said the court should take suo motu cognisance of the development and provide relief to the pro-Jallikattu agitators.

The Bench, however, asked the petitioner to approach the High Court for relief.

The development came on a day Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek promulgation of an ordinance to allow Jallikattu amid widespread protests in the state against the ban on the sport.

The apex court had reserved its verdict on December 7 last year on a batch of petitions challenging the Centres notification allowing the sport.

On the next day, the Centre had issued a notification lifting the ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu with certain restrictions, which was challenged in the apex court by Animal Welfare Board of India, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals India, a Bangalore-based NGO and others.

The Supreme Court had on January 21 last year refused to re-examine its 2014 judgement banning use of bulls for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races across the country.

It had also stayed the January 8 notification of Centre and questioned the Centre over the notification allowing use of bulls in events like Jallikattu, saying that its 2014 verdict banning the use of the animals cannot be negated.

The court in its 2014 judgement had said that bulls cannot be used as performing animals, either for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races in the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country, and had banned their use across the country.

The apex court had also earlier declared Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009 as constitutionally void, being violative of Article 254(1) of the Constitution.  PTI
Tribune News Service

New Delhi/Lucknow, Jan 19

Dashing the hopes of a rainbow coalition of secular forces against the BJP in the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the ruling Samajwadi Party today stated that it would ally only with the Congress and not Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

There will be no alliance with the RLD. The SP will ally only with the Congress, SP national vice-president Kironmoy Nanda said.

The UP election would pave the way for 2019 General Elections. With this in mind, the SP is strategically tying up with a national party like the Congress, said Nanda, adding that otherwise the SP was in a position to form a government on its own in UP.

UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav-led SP also made it clear that it will fight more than 300 out of 403 Assembly seats and leave the rest to the Congress.

The Congress, which has been trying to strike a hard bargain with the SP, kept its cards close to the chest but added that negotiations for seats were still going on. Congress general secretary for UP Ghulam Nabi Azad has been crafting the alliance with the SP on behalf of the party.

Responding to a question about Congress giving RLD seats from its own quota, Nanda said it was the prerogative of the two parties. The problem of seat sharing is believed to be at the bottom of the SPs alienation from the RLD.

It remains to be seen how the Congress will react to the dumping of RLD by SP, which said Ajit Singh-led outfit was asking for more than it was worth in UP. The RLD had won nine seats in the 2012 state elections and had suffered a severe drubbing in the traditional stronghold of Western UP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The deal was for the SP to concede seats to the Congress and the Congress to then work out an agreement with the RLD. Ajit Singhs son Jayant Choudhry is negotiating with the Congress on the behalf of his father. The SP is learnt to have offered 100 seats to Congress which it expects will share some with the RLD.
Jitendra K Shrivastava

Tribune News Service

Patna, January 19

At least two persons--a trader and his staff--were killed and two others injured after four bike-borne assailants spread bullets on them at Pakridayal Bazaar in East Champaran district of Bihar on Wednesday night.

The deceased, Chuman Prasad, owner of Jaiswal Trading, and his staff Subodh Paswan, are residents of Pakaridayal of Motihari.

The two injured are Nagar Panchayat vice president Manoj Sah and other staff at the shop, Radheshayam.

The injured are being treated at Rahmania Hospital where their condition is said to be critical. The reason behind the attack is yet to be ascertained.

Motihari SP Jitendra Rana said, The police have started investigation. It is too early to comment.

An eyewitness said four men on two motorcycles came and those riding pillion on the bikes opened fire before fleeing the spot.
Chandigarh, January 19

Around 180 non-resident Indians (NRIs), some of whom are quite critical of the SAD-BJP government and had boycotted the visits of Akali and Congress leaders abroad, reached the state to boost the campaign of AAP.

Though only about 300 NRIs are registered as voters in the state, the group aims to support the party by influencing their relatives.

An estimated 35,000 NRIs will be reaching the state within next few days to help AAP. Partys national convener Arvind Kejriwal had in tours of a number of foreign countries invited the NRIs to support the party if they desired change in governance.

AAP spokespersons said the first batch of Punjabi NRIs from Canada arrived today in a special KLM flight that landed at Indira Gandhi Airport, New Delhi, at 1 pm. The second batch of NRIs from UK would land on January 24.

Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and AAPs overseas convener Kumar Vishwas gave a warm welcome to them at the airport.

Surinder Mavi, convener of Chalo Punjab campaign in Toronto, led the first batch of 180 NRIs. He said they had come to Punjab to ensure defeat of the SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress. Joban Randhawa, youth wing convener of AAP in Canada, said NRIs would work hard to get rid of the present SAD-BJP government.  TNS
Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Lambi, January 19

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today completed a tour of all 72 villages in his home constituency, holding public meetings. Addressing a gathering at Badal village, he called himself a relative of the residents and his rivals  Capt Amarinder Singh and Jarnail Singh  as outsiders.

Replying to a query, he said, Amarinder is not even aware of the total number of villages in this constituency. He doesnt know anyone. I know every person. He can only register fake cases, nothing else.

About Amarinders statement that the Badals were responsible for the incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib, Badal said, How can he hold us responsible for such incidents? You should ask him who is responsible for the attack on Harmandar Sahib, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the construction of the SYL canal.

Meanwhile, AAP candidate Jarnail Singh, too, visited some villages today. AAP convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to address rallies tomorrow.

Raninder launches fathers campaign

Amarinders son Raninder Singh here today launched the PPCC chiefs election campaign. During a visit to a few villages, Raninder sought votes for his father. Dont fear the Chief Minister and his cronies. Now, the whole state is saying that Capt Amarinder Singh will be the next Chief Minister. So, dont worry and vote for him. All SAD leaders found responsible for unleashing terror will be sent behind bars.

Before starting the campaign, Raninder met Congress workers at the residence of Maheshinder Singh Badal at Badal village. He was accompanied by Gurmeet Singh Khudian, president, district Congress committee, Muktsar. A former sarpanch of Karamgarh village and others joined the Congress. Some families joined the party at Arniwala village.
Be it induction of outsiders and giving tickets to them or ignoring its own cadres, BJP is taking steps which may adversely affect its prospects in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: Whether BJP wins the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Punjab (in alliance with SAD) is in the realm of uncertainties. But the party, which was certainly in the reckoning in these states, seems to be weakening its position by scoring one self goal after another.

Be it induction of outsiders and giving tickets to them or ignoring its own cadres, BJP is taking steps which may adversely affect its prospects in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

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TICKET DISTRIBUTION

In both Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, BJP has distributed a sizeable number of tickets to outsiders. This has only angered its own cadres.

Uttar Pradesh

Of the names of 149 candidates announced by BJP for Uttar Pradesh in its first list, 25 are those who have recently joined the party.

Resentment is growing in the most populous state over ticket distribution. Former BSP leader and leader of opposition in UP Assembly Swami Prasad Maurya, who joined the BJP in 2016, is reportedly sulking for not getting his share of tickets.

Swami Prasad Maurya unhappy with BJP over distribution of tickets;to decide on party affiliation after candidates list is announced-Sources&; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 18, 2017

Sources said Maurya wanted tickets to his supporters and members of his family. However, he is feeling cut up with the BJP leadership for ignoring his demand. Maurya may be on his way out of BJP, the sources said, adding that he is holding negotiations with the ruling Samajwadi Party and Congress.

BJP suffered huge embarrassment on Wednesday over the so-called induction of senior Congress leader ND Tiwari. Initial reports suggested that the former UP and Uttarakhand chief minister had been inducted into BJP along with his son Rohit Shekhar.

BJP faced flak for inducting 91-year-old Tiwari who had courted controversy after the release of a sleaze CD in public domain. However, it was forced to swiftly backtrack after inducting Tiwari. Within hours of BJP president Amit Shah meeting him, the party clarified that only Rohit had joined the party. Tiwari had just extended his support to the party, it was indicated.

Uttarakhand

Of the 64 candidates declared in Uttarakhand, 15 are considered to be outsiders. On January 16, Uttarakhand Revenue and Irrigation Minister Yashpal Arya defected to the BJP along with his son Sanjeev and former Yamunotri MLA Kedar Singh Rawat. The names of all these three persons found mention in the BJP's list of candidates released hours later.

ALSO READ | BJP giving assembly ticket to several leaders who lost in parliamentary polls

Further, several former Congress MLAs who had revolted against the Harish Rawat government in March 2016 have been rewarded with tickets by BJP at the cost of the old-timers in the party. This has led to protests at several places against the BJP leadership.

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DISSENTS

Though dissents during election season are the norm, BJP cannot afford to allow it to fester because of the high stakes involved post-demonetisation. The situation is currently under control. However, it will not take much time for dissent to turn into rebellion if not handled deftly.

Uttar Pradesh

At least four senior BJP leaders are learnt to be upset over being ignored by the party leadership. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is angry over his son Pankaj Singh's name not finding place in the BJP's list of candidates yet from Sahibabad constituency. BJP has fielded Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh's grandson Sandeep from Atrauli. His son Rajveer Singh is an MP from Etah. Rajnath would expect his son to get ticket from the desired constituency.

BJP's Gandhi scion - Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi - feels sidelined. He had expected the party to project him as the chief ministerial candidate. Moreover, he nurses grudge against the leaders for not coming to his defence after an MMS scandal broke allegedly involving him.

Though five-term Lok Sabha MP from Gorakhpur since 1998, Yogi Adityanath, holds sway in eastern UP, he has been ignored by the party leadership. Adityanath may have reasons to crib because he has not been included even in the state's election committee. While newcomers to the party such as Rita Bahuguna Joshi (from Congress), and Brajesh Pathak and Swami Prasad Maurya (from BSP) find place in the 23-member committee, Adityanath has been excluded from it.

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Maurya is already feeling offended for getting just three tickets against the 30 reportedly promised to him before he had joined BJP.

BJP may ill-afford to antagonise so many senior leaders.

Punjab

Peeved over ticket distribution, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla had apparently resigned as BJP's Punjab unit president. He was demanding sitting MLA from Phagwara Som Parkash to be dropped and replaced by a candidate of his choice. However, the party leadership ignored his demand.

The sources said that on reports emerging that Sampla had resigned, Amit Shah summoned him to the capital on January 17 and gave him a dressing down. Following this, Sampla denied all reports of his resignation.

Goa

BJP is already struggling in Goa due to the rebellion in August 2016 by then state RSS chief Subhash Velingkar who has floated the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) over the regional language issue.

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Making matters worse for the ruling BJP, GSM has formed a "grand alliance" along with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and NDA ally Shiv Sena for the Assembly elections next month. The alliance will contest 35 of the 40 seats in the Assembly.

MGP, the oldest regional outfit of the state, recently severed its ties with BJP and withdrew its two ministers from the Laxmikant Parsekar Cabinet.

Despite these constraints, BJP may win in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Goa. But if it loses in any of these four states, a large share of the blame would go to its failure to handle the ticket distribution, lack of importance accorded to its cadres and the resulting dissent within the party.

WATCH VIDEO

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GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 19

Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh and his newly-inducted colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu today exhibited father-son like bonding during their first public appearance together.

Amarinder said: I know the Sidhu family since his father was Patiala district party president and Sidhu was a little boy. He is like my son and I am happy that he is now part of us, he said.

Claiming that the Congress would get two-third majority in the Assembly elections, Amarinder said the SAD-BJP alliance and AAP would manage to win no more than 10-20 seats.

Addressing the media, Amarinder said the people of Punjab were fed up with the SAD and want to dethrone the government. He said once elected, the party would order reinvestigation into the drug racket and put behind bars all those found guilty.

Sidhu hinted at playing second fiddle to Amarinder in his maiden innings of Assembly polls. He even refrained from answering queries posed to him. When asked to comment over demonetisation, Sidhu said: When Congress president is here who am I to speak. Amarinder said his stand was the same as that of his party.

Setting aside speculations over the alleged cold war over the post of CM, Amarinder made it clear that the Sidhu couple joined the Congress unconditionally, although they would play a vital role in the party. Amarinder volunteered to be his wicketkeeper.

When Amarinder was asked if he would accept Sidhu as the CM, Sidhu was quick to reply: No ifs and butsif my aunt were a man, she would have been my uncleAAP disclosed that they offered me Deputy CMs chair, did I accept it? Haathi chaale wich bazaar, hazaran mate cheekhan naal naal (when the elephant is on the roll, there are thousands who start screaming).

Sidhu said he would go to Lambi to campaign and to give the Badals a bigger thrashing.
Ruchika M Khanna & Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Malerkotla, January 19

Strangely, it is the elopement of a Hindu girl with a Muslim youth that has become a key issue in this predominantly Muslim constituency where three Muslim candidates representing Punjabs three main political parties  SAD, Congress and AAP  are in the fray.

The constituency has 70 per cent Muslim voters and 30 per cent Sikh and Hindu voters.

Ten days ago, a 21-year-old daughter of a prominent businessman, fled home with her beau. The couple went to Chandigarh and opted for a registered marriage. The incident may have gone unnoticed, but for the elections.Termed as love jihad, it is now being used to rouse tempers and create divisions.

A visit to the business establishment of the girls father revealed locked doors. A neighbour, Satinder Singh, said the family had temporarily shifted to Rajpura or Patiala. Vimal Kumar, who runs a shop near Sirhindi Gate, blamed politicians as well as the district officials for the plight of the minorities. With Malerkotla earning a bad name, young Hindu and Sikh men are unable to find a matrimonial match outside Malerkotla, he claimed.

Jangir Singh, an electronic goods supplier, said most Hindu and Sikh families had shifted to the newly carved out localities on the outskirts of Malerkotla. The two communities prefer to reside in self-contained colonies that are well-guarded, he said.

Malerkotla was rocked by violence in June last year after torn pages of the Quran were found strewn outside a cemetery. Eight persons, including the Superintendent of Police (SP) and his deputy, were injured when a mob clashed with the police.

Another mob attacked the residence of Akali MLA Farzana Nissara Khatoon and torched the security personnels room. The police had to fire in the air to disperse the protesters. Two buses and 10 private vehicles were damaged.

Significantly, the RSS, which has been trying to set up shakhas in Punjabs rural belt, also held a camp in Malerkotla some months ago.
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 19

Ex-MP and former member of Congress Working Committee Jagmeet Brar on Thursday said he will support all Congress rebels in Punjab.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

There are reports of nearly 25 unsuccessful Congress ticket seekers filing their nomination papers.

PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh is scheduled to hold another set of meetings with the rebels to mollify them over the next two days, it is learnt.

Brar was suspended for his anti-party remarks after the partys defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
New Delhi, January 19

The BJP hopes to do an Assam in Uttarakhand by replicating the strategy it adopted in the northeastern state where it poached on several Congress leaders before launching a successful electoral campaign.

The likes of Himanta Biswa Sarma and other Congress MLAs supporting him helped the BJP realise its dream of forming a government in Assam by winning their loyalty before the 2016 Assembly poll. BJP leaders expect a similar result in Uttarakhand with the joining of Congress satraps such as Revenue Minister Yashpal Arya, Kedar Singh Rawat, Harak Singh Rawat and Satpal Maharaj. Satpal Maharaj, a former Union minister, had joined BJP last year.

All these leaders enjoy a loyal support base in different regions of the state where fluctuation of even one per cent vote proves decisive.

In the 2012 Assembly elections, the BJPs hope of retaining power on the back of the then Chief Minister BC Khanduris clean image was dashed close to the finish line with the Congress winning 32 seats, one more than its tally of 31. The difference in votes polled by the two parties was a mere 0.66 per cent in favour of the Congress.

In the three assembly elections in the state after it was carved out of Uttar Pradesh, BJPs best performance was in 2007 when it won 35 out of 70 seats, one short of simple majority, and formed government under Khanduri.

In Assam too, former Congress veterans like Sarma played a key role in the BJP winning the elections and the majority. It has now roped in Sarma to expand its footprint across other northeastern states.

Even Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was formerly in the AGP before he joined the BJP in 2011 and led it to successive victories in the 2014 Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections. We are sure that these Congress leaders will tilt the scale decisively in our favour, a BJP leader said about the partys prospects in Uttarakhand.

The regional satraps can be particularly useful as the BJP has not declared a chief ministerial candidate, while incumbent Chief Minister Harish Rawat is the face of the Congress.PTI
Sandeep Rawat

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 19

Mangalore in Haridwar is a rural constituency where issues of farmers dominate the elections and their votes decide the fate of the candidates. The seat having 1,03,583 voters, including 47,336 women, has been a stronghold of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

BSP legislator Sarbat Karim Ansari represents the seat in the Assembly. He defeated Congress candidate Qazi Nizamuddin in the 2007 elections.

BSP legislators Sarbat Karim Ansari and Hari Das are supporting the Congress government as part of the Progressive Democratic Front (PDF). Chief Minister Harish Rawat made Sarbat Karim Ansari chairperson of the sugarcane Aawas Vikas Council.

Former MLA Qazi Nizamuddin secured 24,008 votes during the last elections on the Congress ticket but lost in a close battle to Ansari, who bagged 24,706 votes.

In 2007, Nizamuddin won the elections on the BSP ticket defeating RJD candidate Chaudhary Kulveer Singh by 3,393 votes. Interestingly, Sarbat Karim Ansari got 6,000 votes less than Nizamuddin.

The BSP has again reposed faith in Ansari, who is banking on his development works carried out in the past five years. Ansari tried to ensure that the party organisation and cadre gets strengthened. I have tried to live up to the expectations of voters. My achievements include loans to farmers, construction of a bridge near Eidgah, upgrade of 15 junior high schools, opening of two government colleges, construction of a powerhouse, a primary health centre, recarpeting and broadening of roads and proper distribution of MLALAD funds for civic facilities, he said.

He said the sanctioning of the Mangalore-Lakshar connecting bridge, near the Aam Khedi ghat, was one of his major achievements.

On the other hand, Nizamuddin alleged Ansari indulged in favouritism and corruption in the allocation of MLALAD funds. Ansari was the sugarcane council chairperson but farmers struggled to get their payments. Also, the minimum support price for sugarcane was not hiked as demanded. The much-acclaimed powerhouse built by Ansari was constructed to facilitate his solar plant. His close associates were mainly benefited, Nizamuddin said.

He added farmers faced problems in cultivating fields and the agriculture sector had suffered during the past five years.

Though the state government provided adequate funds for projects, Ansari failed to utilise these properly. He misused funds and voters will now teach him a lesson in the elections, he said.

BJP candidate Rishipal Baliyan said Mangalore is known for jaggery, but the Congress-led state government and Ansari did not promote it. Hundreds of youths would get employment if the state government promotes the production of jaggery.

Health centres, community centres, adequate compensation to farmers for crop loss, opening of a polytechnic, an ITI and recarpeting of roads and new bridges will be my priority. Though population has increased in Mangalore a local transport network has not been developed. I will also focus on this issue, Rishi added.
Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, January 19

Theres a belief that the party which wins the Gangotri Assembly seat goes on to form the government in the state. This has made the electoral contest for this seat important for the Congress and the BJP.

After the formation of the state in 2000, Congress candidate Vijay Pal Sajwan won the seat in the first Assembly election in 2002. The Congress formed the government headed by Chief Minister ND Tiwari.

In turn of the political tide in 2007, the BJP won the Gangotri seat BC Khanduri formed the government. BJPs Gopal Rawat defeated Sajwan emphatically. In 2012, Congress Vijay Pal Sajwan reclaimed the seat and the party formed the government under the chief ministership of Vijay Bahuguna.

Such developments have made leaders think that the Gangotri Assembly seat has an auspicious aura. Congress workers believe that Sajwan is in a good position to retain the seat due to development work he had done. He is certain to get the Congress ticket.

Meanwhile, BJP candidate Gopal Rawat says all 70 seats have the same significance for the party, but victory in Gangotri has special importance. I have a good chance of winning the seat this time and the BJP will form the government in the state. Several important leaders have joined the BJP. It indicates that we are on the victory path, he added.

However, the denial of ticket to RSS-supported old warhorse Surat Ram Nautiyal is a cause of worry for the party. If a rebellion happens and it is not handled with care, it can prove the party dear.

There are around 79,596 voters in the Gangotri Assembly segment, of which 38,425 are women and 1,401 are service voters.

In 2012, Congress Vijay Pal Sajwan had got 20,246 votes while BJP candidate Gopal Rawat polled 13,223 votes. The number of voters has risen by 8,258 votes with 52 per cent belonging to the Rajput community, 17 per cent Brahmins, 28 per cent Scheduled Castes and 2.7 per cent to Scheduled Tribes. Rest are from the minority community. This Rajput majority seat has seen Rajput candidates over the yearsi.

The Assembly constituency begins from the Gangotri shrine with more than 150 villages in Bhatwadi, Taknaur, Bad Gaddi, Bada Haat, Dhanari, Barsali, Gajna Pattis, including the municipal area of Uttarkashi town. Around 80 per cent of the voters live in rural areas. The main issues of the Gangotri area are health, education and road connectivity.
Paris, January 19

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange retreated from his pledge to accept extradition to the US if Chelsea Manning was granted clemency, arguing via his lawyers that what he was really asking for was an immediate pardon for the ex-Army analyst.

It was only last week that Assange raised eyebrows across the internet when he appeared to offer himself up as a kind of swap for Manning, the former private convicted of leaking the hundreds of thousands of documents that made WikiLeaks a household name.

If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case, WikiLeaks said, apparently referring to the US Department of Justices continuing probe into the radical transparency website.

But when Obama granted clemency to Manning, setting a May release date that lops almost 30 years off her sentence, Assanges lawyers said it wasnt enough.

Theres no question that what President Obama did is not what Assange was seeking, said Barry Pollack, who represents the WikiLeaks chief in the US, yesterday.

Mr Assange was saying that Chelsea should never have been prosecuted, never have been sentenced to decades in prison, and should have been released immediately.  AP
London: The first direct freight train service between China and the UK, carrying 34 containers of clothes and high-street goods, has arrived in London after travelling 12,000 km during an 18-day journey. The Silk Road service is part of Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative aimed at reviving the ancient trading routes to the West. The train, which left Chinese business hub Yiwu this month, crossed seven countries to reach freight depot in Barking, east London. PTI

Export ban for Clive of Indias rare flask

London: A rare jewelled flask given to Clive of India after the Battle of Plassey in 1757 now has a temporary export bar placed on it by British Culture Minister Matt Hancock. Currently on loan to London's Victoria and Albert Museum, the flask can go overseas unless a museum or individual can match the asking price of $73 million. IANS

Google acquires Twitter's Fabric mobile app

New York: In a bid to help developers build better apps and grow their business, Google has acquired micro-blogging platform Twitter's mobile app developer platform called Fabric. It allows users to develop, distribute app and also helps generate revenue by monetising app with ads. IANS
Helsinki, January 19

A group of unemployed Finns have just become the first Europeans to enjoy a guaranteed basic income; from January a monthly pay cheque has begun arriving from the state, regardless of whether they find work or sit at home on the couch.

The basic income idea aims to prepare society for a future when robots and artificial intelligence may replace huge numbers of humans in the workforce. This will allow unwanted workers to lead comfortable and dignified lives while machines create much of the wealth to pay them, supporters argue.

The Finnish scheme has different, less lofty ambitions; while offering a safety net for those who cannot or choose not to work, it seeks to encourage the unemployed to take often low-paid or temporary jobs without fear of losing their benefits.

Swiss voters rejected the concept of an unconditional minimum income for all last year, but authorities in the Netherlands, France, Canada and US California are among those looking at the possibility, though mostly at a local government level.

Finland has gone further by launching a two-year nationwide pilot scheme. Last week, 2,000 randomly-chosen unemployed Finns got their first monthly payment of $597 under the trial in the Nordic country, which is struggling to recover from a decade of economic stagnation.

The participants get this money, no matter what, said Marjukka Turunen at the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA), which runs the programme. They can ... stay at home on their couches and do nothing if they settle for this basic income. But Turunen, who heads KELAs legal unit, said recipients could also top up the basic sum. They can take on part-time jobs or start their own business, she said.

The object is to tackle the welfare trap that afflicts many European economies  unemployed people often find they are better off on benefits than in work when it is available, creating a heavy burden on strained government budgets.

It has, however, drawn criticism from economists, lawmakers and business lobbies. They argue it is too narrow to yield credible conclusions, a waste of time and money, and an attempt to portray the government in a favourable light.

Under the trial, the tax-free monthly payments replace unemployment benefits, with the difference being they will not be reduced or halted if the recipient earns extra income.  Reuters
The DRT ordered the attachment and recovery of Mallya's properties for defaulting on bank loans by his defunct Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.

By Rohini Swamy, Virendrasingh Ghunawat: In a major blow to the 'King of Bad Times', the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) today allowed the State Bank of India-led consortium of banks to attack Vijay Mallya's assets to recover the Rs 6203 crore loan defaulted by the tycoon.

The DRT ordered the attachment and recovery of Mallya's properties for defaulting on bank loans by his defunct Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.

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The Bengaluru bench of the Tribunal said properties of Mallya and Kingfisher worth Rs.6,203 crore plus interest at 11.5 per cent from July 26, 2013 can be recovered by a consortium of banks led by State Bank of India (SBI).

"The Tribunal has allowed our petitions against Mallya's Kingfisher and issued an order to attach their properties for recovering the amount (Rs.6, 203 crore) with interest," counsel for the consortium said.

The order brings down the curtains on the three-year legal battle by the consortium of 17 banks to recover the money owed by the defunct airlines.

Mallya, who left the country on March 2 last year and is now in the United Kingdom, has been declared a Proclaimed Offender by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai on a plea of the Enforcement Directorate in connection with its money laundering probe against him in the alleged bank loan default case.

The DRT had on March 7 last year, restrained Mallya from withdrawing US $75 million exit payment from British liquor giant Diageo as part of a severance package for quitting Diageo-owned United Spirits (USL) as its Chairman under a "sweetheart deal".

ALSO READ:The Mallya saga: Key legal battles of Vijay Mallya

ALSO READ:Vijay Mallya targets Modi: 'Corruption-free PM must ensure agencies under him are impartial'

MUST READ: From India Today magazine - Bad times for Mallya

WATCH THE VIDEO

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New York, January 19

An Indian-American man has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for a $1 million insider trading scheme involving the failed Apollo Tyres bid to takeover Cooper Tire, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Amit Kanodia, 49, was sentenced in Boston by Federal Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, who also imposed a $200,000 fine and 100 hours of community service and ordered the forfeiture of the $242,500 illegal profit he made.

A jury had found the real estate entrepreneur guilty of securities fraud and conspiracy after a six-day trial last October, but he was sentenced only now.

Kanodia's ex-wife was a lawyer for Apollo Tyres and he heard from her about her company's plans to acquire the US-based Cooper Tire in 2013, according to the office of the federal prosecutor for Massachusetts.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

He tipped off two of his friends, Iftikar Ahmed and Steven Watson, about the proposed acquisition and they bought shares and options of Cooper Tires, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, prosecutors said.

When the takeover plan was unveiled in June 2013, the share prices shot up by 41 per cent giving the two friends a profit of more than $1 million and they gave Kanodia a share of it, according to officials.

Ahmed fled to India when he was charged with insider trading and is believed to be still in India. US authorities consider him a fugitive from justice.

Ahmed, a Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi and Harvard Business School graduate, has also been charged with embezzling $54 million from the investment company Oak Investment Partners, where he was a general partner.

Watson, who admitted his guilt and turned approver, testified against Kanodia. He was fined $25,000 and given two years of probation in November last year for insider trading. He also had to give up almost $170,000 in illegal trading profits.

The Apollo Tyres plan to takeover Cooper Tire ultimately failed by December 2013 mainly because unions in the US and the management and workers at its Chinese subsidiary opposed the deal.

IANS
Lahore, January 18

Outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvis chief Asif Chotu, who was on Pakistans most wanted terrorist list and carried a bounty of Rs 3,000,000 on his head, was killed along with his three associates near here, police said today.

Four terrorists including the chief of banned LeJ were killed by the Counter-Terrorism Department in an encounter last night near Sheikhupura, about 40-km northwest of Lahore, a CTD spokesperson said.

The killing of Asif Chotu alias Rizwan alias Nasir came 18 months after police executed his predecessor and the then LeJ Ameer Malik Ishaq in an encounter in July 2015.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The CTD said the LeJ had been preparing to launch an attack on staff and offices of a sensitive agency in Lahore and they were coming on four motorcycles from Farooqabad towards Sheikhupura for onward journey to the city when they were shot.

Asif had joined banned Sipah-e-Sahaba in the 1990s. He was later appointed commander of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in Karachi. After Ishaqs death, he was made LeJ Ameer. He was directly involved in killing of 100 civilians.  PTI
By Press Trust of India: From K J M Varma

Beijing, Jan 19 (PTI) China today hailed the outgoing US President Barack Obama and said the bilateral ties made important progress during his tenure, as it braced for a likely showdown with America under the presidency of tough-talking Donal Trump.

"Like all you we are also paying close attention to the inauguration of the new US president tomorrow," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media briefing when asked how China views the relations with US under the Trump administration starting from tomorrow.

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The stable development of China-US relations are in the interests of two peoples, Hua said, acknowledging thatsome specific problems and differences between the two sides remained and should be resolved through constructive dialogue.

"We look forward to working with the new US government to continue to uphold the principles of non-confrontation, mutual respect, cooperation and win-win situation, continue to expand bilateral, regional, global and cooperation in various fields," she said, skirting any references to tensions over Trumps assertions that he would negotiate on One-China policy, address trade imbalance, currency manipulation as well as disputed South China Sea issues.

Ahead of Trump inauguration tomorrow, China has called on the US to bar a Taiwanese delegation from the swearing-in ceremony which would be also attend by Chinese envoy to US.

China and the US need to be "friends and partners rather than competitors and enemies," Hua said.

However, she hit out at comments by Trumps pick for commerce secretary Wilbur Ross criticism that China is indulging for excess steel and aluminium production.

She said China is a defender of free trade and pointed to Chinese President Xi Jinping appeal at World Economic Forum in Switzerland to avoid protectionism.

"Who is sincerely pushing ahead with liberalisation of trade and investment and who is exercising trade protectionism should be clear for all to see," Hua asked.

Trump vowed during his campaign that he will respond to unfair Beijing trade tactics by raising tariffs on Chinese goods by possibly imposing other penalties.

Hua, however, spoke highly of Obama tenure saying that "important progress" has been in US China ties under Obama Presidency and the two countries should move forward as partners rather than competitors.

When asked to sum how China viewed ties under Obama who relinquishes office tomorrow, she said both Obama and Chinese President Xi met eight times.

Besides improving Trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges which hit new records under Obama tenure, both countries signed climate change agreement, which Trump said he would discard.

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She also spoke about investment agreement, building trust between their militaries, counter-terrorism and the Iranian nuclear issue.

"Important progress has been made by the two countries. This has shown that China-US relations have strategic and overarching significance and we have more common interests than differences and when China and the US work together we can achieve a lot," Hua said. PTI KJV ZH AKJ ZH

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Beauty Khatun, a student of Nibedita Girls High School from Nadabpara village under Amriti panchayat was attending a local wedding reception on Monday.

The minor Beauty Khatun was thrashed by villagers after a local kangaroo court pronounced her guilty for objecting to the marriage.

By Indrajit Kundu: A teenager in West Bengal's Malda district was beaten up for opposing the marriage of an underage girl in her village. The minor, studying in class eight was thrashed by villagers after a local kangaroo court pronounced her guilty for objecting to the marriage.

Beauty Khatun, a student of Nibedita Girls High School from Nadabpara village under Amriti panchayat was attending a local wedding reception on Monday. At the event Khatun realised that the bride could be underage and protested in front of everyone.

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However, family members of the groom along with local villagers opposed her claims. Later on Tuesday, angry village leaders pronounced Khatun guilty at a kangaroo court. Following which she was thrashed by villagers for her public stand.

Also read: Malda: When people are declared dead, for not bribing government employees

"The bride was 15-years-old and the groom too was a minor.

My sister-in-law who is a school student publicly opposed the marriage stating that police could arrest the family members for it. But the village headman got angry and assaulted her for raising objection," said Rintu Seikh, the victim's relative.

Following the assault Beauty has been admitted in the Malda Medical college hospital. Beauty's parents have filed a police complaint against the village headman Panchu Sheikh and five others at the English Bazar women's police station. But despite the police complaint Beauty's family has been threatened by the village headman following which they have fled their home.

The district administration has assured stern action, seeking proof of age from the family of the newly-wed. "We have sought the birth certificate of them. We are probing the matter," said Block Development Officer Debarshi Mukherjee.

Also read: Man held with 26 kg of cannabis

(With inputs from: Bhaskar Roy in Malda)

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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.
Maggie Tabberer & daughters Amanda and Brooke

The guests wore white for Maggie Tabberers recent 80th birthday celebrations in the NSW Southern Highlands.

The media and fashion industry pioneer turned 80 last month.

Tabberer, who received an Member of the Order of Australia in 1998 first appeared on TV in 1964 on Beauty and the Beast, and was the first person to ever win back to back Gold Logie Awards.

Foxtels Brian Walsh told TV Tonight the party was one to remember.

The celebration for Maggie Tabberers 80th birthday was a gala luncheon and party at the beautiful Southern Highlands property of her godson, Matthew Csidei and his wife, Lauren, he said.

Maggies daughters, Amanda and Brooke, organised the event and invited 50 of Maggies family and friends to toast the occasion.

It was a very special day and a fabulous party made up of a great cast, fabulous food and wine, a South American party band, memorable and emotional speeches and lots of dancing.

Brooke took to the microphone with an incredible rendition of Fever and Maggie joined me to start a conga line which brought every guest to their feet to bring the party to a spectacular finale.

Maggie gave a gracious and heartfelt speech, acknowledging her incredible daughters, her beloved grandson, Marco, who flew in from Italy for the celebration and her godson, Matthew, whose late Mum, the beloved Barbara, was Maggies best friend.

Maggie & Vicky Jones

It was a party to remember. Everyone wore white  the Maggie brand! Great to also spend some fun time with old pals including media executive Jill Waddy, TV veteran, Vicky Jones, designers Stuart Membery and Jonathon Ward and the always delightful, Leo Schofield.

What a privilege to be there!

Brian Walsh & ad agency veteran Jill Waddy
What? The Hewitts arent getting divorced for the 5-millionth time this week? Kate Middleton isnt expecting her 12-thousandth baby? Sam Armytage wrote on Instagram after spying a Womans Day magazine cover.

So, it must be a @sunriseon7 feud to take up several pages during the quiet-January-period.

Silly. Trash. Idiotic. Mindless. Bullshit.

The Sunrise host urged sensible women of Australia not to part with $4.99 for this tripe.

Womans Day is published by Bauer Media whose CEO Nick Chan is a former Chief Operating Officer at Seven West Media, and whose former assistant was Amber Harrison.
The NIA has written to various banks holding 78 accounts of Zakir Naik's IRF seeking transaction details over a period of time. At least half of the banks have submitted the income tax returns related to respective accounts, while the rest are in the process of doing so.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: The National Investigating Agency (NIA) today said that 78 bank accounts of controversial preacher Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) are under the scanner.

The agency also made it clear that next under scrutiny will be Naik's foreign bank accounts.

The NIA has further claimed that IRF investments in real estate business stand at a whopping Rs 100 crore.

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READ| ED to begin its new year with Zakir Naik case under PMLA

PROBE AGAINST ZAKIR NAIK: THINGS TO KNOW Probing case against Naik, NIA has written to various banks holding these 78 accounts seeking transaction details over a period of time. At least half of the banks have replied giving details about the income tax returns, while the rest are in the process of doing so. According to a top officer "Data received by banks will be collated and scrutinised by financial analyst, before Naik is summoned for questioning." The NIA is learnt to have spoken to and collected evidence from 23 entities, individuals, corporates, family members and business associates of Naik. The agency also questioned his sister Nailah Naushad Noorani in Delhi and Mumbai. Nailah, is said to be director and additional director in five private companies linked to Naik including Harmony Media Pvt Ltd, which is also under probe. The NIA is also investigating large money transfers from UK-based charity IRF International, run by Naik, to Harmony Media. Last year, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had imposed an immediate ban on IRF for five years under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The NIA filed cases against Naik under the UAPA for allegedly promoting enmity between groups on religious and racial grounds. The NIA later raided over a dozen offices, residential premises, his Peace TV offices, and other locations, besides freezing a bank account of his NGO. Naik has challenged the government decision to ban his NGO in a Delhi court.

WATCH:

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In her second solo show at Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery,Tamara Gonzalespresentsa colorfulseries of pencil drawings that conjurePeruvian textiles and embroidery. She first visited Peru in 2013 to seeMachu Picchu. Ever since seeing Keep the River on Your Right Id wanted to visit Machu Picchu, Gonzales told me recently in an email exchange.

Shefell in love withthe Sacred Valley, which stretches from Machu Picchu to Pisac. The area is physically stunning, with the flowing Urubumba River surrounded by large mountain peaks that are called Apus for the Quechua mountain spirits said to inhabit them. The valley is lush and cultivated, and thefeeling reminded me of a gentler India.

When traveling Gonzalesalways takes small sketchbooks, pencils, and watercolors. She started this series of drawings at her studio upstate. I was very intentionally making a group of works on paper. I just kept thinking of new ways to make marksnot letting myself get stuck. My mantra was keep going.'The images are from herimagination, but she admits they are undoubtedly influenced by the imagery she experienced on her trips to Peru. The area around Cuzco is renowned for its textiles, she told me, which are, lets say, always broadcasting.

Also on view in the exhibitionare several new large-scale paintings and a beautiful series of brightly-colored wool tapestries made by Peruvian artisans who worked fromphotographs of Gonzaless work.

Tamara Gonzales: Ometeoti,Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery, Lower East Side, New York, NY. Through February 12, 2017.

Related posts:

Dear Tamara, and other letters about art

The donut muffin: Uniting two worlds
Several for-profit colleges have been shut down for deceiving students about its graduates' success rate and average income. Students should be wise about choosing the school that they will attend for their higher education.

Last month, DeVry University and its parent company have agreed to pay a $100 million settlement after it was accused of misleading prospective students. Hundreds of college programs also were found by the Department of Education to have violated student debt rules.

It was found that about 95 percent of 2,042 at-risk programs are at for-profit colleges. There are also over 800 career-training programs across 296 schools which have produced graduates with loan payments that exceed 30 percent of their annual discretionary income or 12 percent of earnings.

CBS News reported that graduates from for-profit colleges have a bad "debt-to-earnings" ratio. This means that they do not earn enough to pay off their debts with ease.

The publication shared four factors that students should consider before enrolling at a for-profit college. This may help them avoid the accumulation of heavy debt for their higher education.

Local community colleges

One of the best alternatives to enrolling at for-profit colleges is going to a community college. This type of academic institution is less expensive but still offers the same courses as other schools.

Post-graduate earnings

This is an important factor to consider since this is, most of the time, the reason why most people strive hard to get a college education. According to The Washington Post, graduates at community colleges were able to get "gainful employment."

Average debt load of graduates

Another important factor to consider is how much the education at a particular school costs. This should play a major role in the decision of where to enroll.

Education Department guidelines

The school should be accredited by the Department of Education. It should also be able to keep up with the government's gainful employment standards and guidelines.
For students who are trying to balance both work and education, community colleges are one of their best options. This is because community colleges offer low cost education and they can provide the students a good stepping stone toward a four year institution.

It is only imperative to understand your options when it comes to what fits you best as a student and for many high school graduates, community college is the right decision. However, they should also realize that there are several ways on how this type of school can be different from the traditional four-year college.

Most of the community colleges are commuter schools

Majority of the students in community colleges do not have housing, according to US News, and that is why they will not be able to experience living on campus. The length of the time they spend commuting is one of the reasons why they find it challenging to get involved.

Community colleges have more diverse students

The students at community colleges tend to be older and some are already working or even have families of their own, although this can be an advantage to students. College students here will be exposed to many varied cultures, orientation, age groups and more.

Community colleges are less costly

According to Education Quest, community colleges are public and partially funded by taxes paid by the citizens in the area which is why they are expected to be less costly. It is their goal to maintain realistic tuition charges.

Community colleges offer more vocational programs

Community colleges offer various vocational programs like nursing or mechanics. They offer some classes linked to certain careers that students would like to take. In four-year college, students will have to earn a degree in a specific program in order to be able to be involved in a specific field.
Being a Lego professor of play at Cambridge University is considered to be the most coveted job in the education industry today. The good news is they are still hiring until January 20. But what does this job really do?

The Lego Foundation is collaborating with Cambridge University's newly established Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development, and Learning or PEDAL to explore further the role of play in education.

According to Professor Anna Vignoles, interim chief of PEDAL and a member of Cambridge's education faculty, there are many claims regarding the importance and benefits of play in learning but there was not enough research to back that claim. Therefore, they are conducting in-depth research to find out if play has a significant effect in how students learn and how students enhance their skills through play.

What the center is looking for is someone who specializes in the field of education psychology but at the same time, someone with a "childlike mindset." That means the chosen professor should be curious, creative, open-minded, and imaginative enough to explore new methods of research.

Vignoles said that they are confident they will attract someone - an outstanding scholar - since there are already a lot of interesting research in the area of developmental psychology and this is one of them.

Aside from spearheading the research, the professor is also expected to speak to the "needs that exist in education" including the methods teachers use, the attitude to play, and the expectations of parents. According to Lego's global head of research Stjerne Thomsen, they hope that the research will be able to fill the missing gaps and address existing questions regarding the value of play in education.

The Lego Foundation is fully committed to funding the endeavor but it will be Cambridge's PEDAL that will have the final say which candidate will be chosen. The toy company is putting 4 million with 2.5 million going into the position while 1.5 million will be given to the PEDAL center.
Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) were able to come up with a new 3D printing technique that allows printed objects to be modified. They were able to grow or shrink the size of the object as well as change its color and shape.

MIT News reported that chemists at the institution have developed a technique that enables them to print objects and go back to add polymers, which changes the materials' chemical composition as well as mechanical properties. With this, the researchers were also able to combine two or more printed objects to form more complex structures.

Initially, 3D printing technology produces objects by depositing polymers layer by layer. Once the objects have been printed, the polymers are considered "dead." This means that they cannot be modified to form new polymer chains.

The new technique is called living polymerization. Jeremiah Johnson, the Firmenich Career Development Associate Professor of Chemistry at MIT, said that it could expand the complexity of the objects created through 3D printing.

Johnson and his team were able to demonstrate that a type of polymerization stimulated by ultraviolet light can be used to add new features to 3D-printed materials. After printing, the scientists used ultraviolet light to separate the polymers at specific points.

This led to the creation of reactive molecules called free radicals. It was noted that these would then bind to new monomers for a solution around the object and would merge them into the original material.

According to Inc., this would greatly benefit manufacturers as it would allow them to develop adaptable materials easily. These materials can be used in construction or medicine.

The new technique by MIT scientists is limited to an oxygen-free environment, though. This is because of the properties of the catalysts used. It was noted that the researchers are continuing to develop the process so that the 3D printing technique can be used in an open-air setting.
NASA has delayed contracts as well as other awards for its Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM). It was supposed to happen early this year but will be postponed by a few months.

Space News reported that the announcement was made last week at a meeting of NASA's Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG). This came after backers of a planned European asteroid mission confirmed that they were planning to scale down their mission after they were unsuccessful in winning funding from the European Space Agency (ESA).

ARM's program director at NASA, Michele Gates, said that the space agency has postponed the award of a contract for the spacecraft bus for the robotic part of the mission from this March until May. NASA has also delayed the awards of hosted payloads and the selection of the "investigation team" for the mission from April to June.

Gates admitted that the delay was connected to the fact that NASA is operating under a continuing resolution (CR) since the start of the 2017 fiscal year back in October. She has confirmed that they had to move their checkpoints for the awards due to the extended CR until Apr. 28.

This schedule would cause the delay with the awards until after a full-fledged appropriations bill for this year has been completed or when a decision to extend the CR for the rest of the fiscal year happens. It was noted that the delay does not affect the overall ARM schedule, especially its launch in 2021.

According to Space.com, Gates did not answer questions about the future of ARM. There are concerns that the program may be cancelled. However, Trump and his administration have not commented about the mission.

It was previously reported that NASA officials are not scared of a possible funding cut by the Trump administration. Trump's senior adviser, Stephen Miller, has said that Donald Trump is set in eliminating all climate change research done by NASA as part of the administration's efforts to crackdown "politicized science."
The US News has also ranked the best universities in the Arab region, comprised of 19 countries in the Middle East, to provide students and parents in that region the same information students and parents have around the world. Another purpose is to give employers and policymakers insight regarding higher education in that region.

Data for the ranking was provided by Elsevier's SciVal Analyticswhile the criteria focused entirely on research performance and academic reputation. Below are the top 5 best Arab region universities.

King Saud University

King Saud University, founded in 1957 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is the number university in the region. It has a wide range of colleges as well as research centers and collaborations with some of the prestigious researchers all around the world. Aside from its health and science colleges, the university has a separate college for girls. Its top three programs are in agricultural and biological sciences, humanities, and biochemistry and genetics.

King Abdulaziz University

Located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz University holds the second spot of the best Arab region universities. It is named after the establisher of Saudi Arabia and is a national university with two separate campuses for males and females. Its earth and planetary sciences programs as well as its genetics and computer science programs are considered to be one of the best in the region.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

When it comes to chemistry, chemical engineering, and molecular biology, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is the go-to university. This private research university focuses mainly on research and graduate education. Although only established in 2009, it was already hailed as having the fastest growing record of citations and research in 2013. KAUST, as it is often called, is also the first mixed-gender university in Saudi Arabia. Through this, the Saudi government hopes this will help modernize the otherwise conservative Saudi society.

Cairo University

Cairo University in Egypt is the fourth best Arab region university on the list. It is also considered as the premier university of Egypt. Founded in 1908, it is considered as the second oldest university in Egypt. Cairo University has one of the best degree programs in veterinary sciences, pharmaceutics, and microbiology.

American University of Beirut

American University of Beirut in Lebanon was established in 1886 based on the American model of liberal arts. Thus, the university is known for its liberal arts degree programs as well as nursing, business, and management courses.
Students today face various financial problems while in college, causing many of them to get student loans, try out part-time jobs, or look for cheaper housing alternatives. Aside from tuition, one more thing that costs expensively in college is food.

TIME reports that according to campus dining contracts the U.S. Department of Education has collected, the average college charged an average of $7.50 per meal per student. This is significantly higher than the average cost of food for Americans who live on their own- at about a little less than $4 per meal, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The amount varies depending on the school. Wellesley College in Massachusetts, for example, charges each student $7442 for food per year, which means each meal costs about $12. This amount is charged for one of the facilities students themselves are using. One student, while eating his made-to-order meal, says it's not worth the amount he pays for it.

Why is the cost of college food so expensive? University officials and other experts looking into the issue give four key reasons:

Labor

Americans cooking for themselves at home don't need to pay themselves for the effort. Colleges, on the other hand, pay workers to do the work. From purchasing ingredients to cooking and serving the food to washing the dishes and cleaning the cafeteria, colleges need to pay their workers, said National Association of College and University Food Services president Amy Beckstrom.

Facilities

Eating at home means using whatever is in there. Colleges need to provide silverware to dining areas that need funding. Beth McCuskey, president-elect of the Association of College and University Housing Officers International, says schools have to charge students for the facilities they themselves will benefit from.

Student Demands

Students who demand to eat high-quality food need to pay more. Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor at Temple University who studies the cost of college, says some students demand high-quality and more expensive food options, but all students ultimately pay the price for that.

Profit

Some colleges that face budget cuts or don't have tuition hikes opt to raise revenue through auxiliary services, which include cafeterias and other dining areas, bookstores, and parking lots. For many schools, dining halls provide significant amounts of profit.
A medical team from Harvard University and the Boston's Children Hospital has made another medical breakthrough in cardiovascular medicine by encasing a sick, flabby heart with a robotic sleeve to keep it beating.

Conor Walsh, Harvard associate engineering professor and author of the research about the use of the robotic sleeve said that it works differently than the traditional ventricular assist devices or VADs.

Unlike VADs which pumps blood through the machinery but puts patients at risk of blood clots, bleeding and stroke, the robotic sleeve can be customized to meet the specific needs of each heart; thus, eliminating the previously mentioned risks.

Compared to the traditional VADs that are rigid, these robotic sleeves are designed to fit snugly in the irregular surface of the heart. It has artificial muscles and is powered by pressurized air that can be carried in a backpack.

The scientists also programmed the robotic sleeve to move in the same pattern as the heart muscles where it's placed. As it moves, it also strengthens the heartbeat but most of all, it helps the weak heart expand better and be refilled with blood that will be pumped with the next heartbeat.

So far, the team has tested the robotic sleeve to six pigs that have been put in heart failure. After the pigs were fitted with the robotic sleeve, the blood flow normalized. However, the experiment only lasted a few hours; thus, further research is needed to test how long can this robotic sleeves be effective inside the animals to ensure that they live safely and normally.

If the research will become successful, it will greatly impact those who are suffering from cardiovascular diseases. At present, the Center for DiseaseControl and Prevention said that more than 600,000 Americans die of heart failure every year while 735,000 have a heart attack.

The research is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
January 19 2017

Watkin Jones have obtained planning consent for two separate student housing builds in Aberdeen, offering 817 beds of student accommodation between them.The larger of the two is situated on Pittodrie Street and will include 618 beds in a new build block scheduled to welcome its first tenants in summer 2019.Designed by Manson Architects it will replace a former builders yard with a cloister arrangement of mews-style courtyard properties.In their design statement the architects said: The street frontage along Pittodrie Street will be broken up by the architectural form of the building, incorporating basement lightwells, extruded elements and recessed facades. The open space at the front of the site will provide reception and internal amenity space for the students and will be sub-divided to create different activity zones for study, play, reading, relaxing and so on.The glazed frontage at ground floor will provide a quality activated frontage along Pittodrie Street; passersby will obtain oblique views in to the building and be able to acknowledge the building use quickly. These views will be tempered by the colonnade but provide key views into the internal courtyard space.It is joined by a redevelopment of Caledon House on Garthdee Road by ICA which will add a further 199 beds when it completes in summer 2018.
How does an airman first class get an office bigger than the superintendents?

Earn a spot as an Elite Sentry with the 10th Security Forces Squadron, like Giovanni Fiorella.

Fiorella considers the 18,500-acre base, with its sweeping view of the Front Range Mountains, to be his office.

I get a $Million-dollar view every day, he said. There are times just looking around, it brings the mood up.

Fiorella, 22, is from Palmdale, California. He likes snowboarding, wake boarding, paintball, and dirt and street bikes. He graduated from Quartz Hill High School and is the youngest of four brothers. His parents, Dionisio and Vivian, were tough but loving.

They taught me if I wanted something, I needed to work for it, he said. No one is going to hand you things in life. They made me work for everything.

And work or save to have things teenagers might take for granted, he did. He bought his first cellphone -- I went down to 7-Eleven and got one of those prepaid models -- the pickup he drives and just about everything else he has.

Fiorella wanted to be a civil police officer for as long as he can recall, thanks to the influence of his oldest brother, Dionisio Jr., 32, a California Highway Patrolman.

He applied for the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. The organization started its background check on Fiorella, but Dionisio Jr. said his brother needed more life experience before the department would consider him for the job.

Hell run into people he normally would not, Dionisio Jr. said. Its these encounters, whether good or bad, that make this occupation so special.

Fiorella enlisted in the Air Force for six years with a guaranteed slot in the Security Forces Academy after Basic Military Training.

There was one obstacle to deal with before he could become an Airman: lose weight.

I weighed 250 pounds when I was 18, Fiorella said. I lost 54 pounds to join the Air Force. I wanted it more than anything.

Fiorella arrived at the Academy in 2015, after eight weeks of basic training and 15 weeks of security forces training in San Antonio. On work days, he can be found at one of the base gates, checking credentials, inspecting vehicles and welcoming visitors.

The Fiorella family was surprised when Fiorella joined the Air Force, let alone security forces, but they think its a perfect fit, Dionisio Jr. said.

Giovanni knows what he wants and takes calculated life choices, he said.

Staff Sgt. Jacob Duncan, Fiorellas supervisor, said Fiorella is professional and positive.

Its easy to keep positive when things are going great, but Giovanni keeps his positive attitude through the storm, he said.

Fiorella has his own ideas about professionalism. At a minimum, he said, professionalism extends to the hundreds and sometimes thousands of visitors and Academy staff he sees every day.

Just saying good morning to someone and having them respond in the same way can make your day, he said. Just because youre professional doesnt mean you cant be polite.

Dionisio Jr.s best advice to his brother is be prepared.

Speak to everyone like you would your grandmother, but be ready to protect your life and the life of others, he said. Being calm and collected is what gets police officers through their everyday work lives.

Fiorella wont leave the Air Force until hes promoted into the NCO corps.

I refuse to get out until Ive at least made staff sergeant, he said.

Until then, hell continue to appreciate his surroundings at the Academy and build the experience hell need one day as a civil police officer.

The life experience Ive gained from being in the military is much more than I couldve received anywhere else, he said. I definitely have a broader outlook on life. I look at things with a different thought process now.

Fiorella said his military career, however long it lasts, has given him an appreciation for the U.S. military.

Its given me a second family no one will understand unless they themselves have been through it, he said.
Published: January 19, 2017

UT Presents Electronics Alive IX Jan. 24March 3

From Jan. 24March 3, The University of Tampas Scarfone/Hartley Gallery will showcase the work of established and upcoming artists in the ever-evolving realm of digital art at Electronics Alive IX. This biennial invitational exhibition features experimental computer animations, interactive digital work and virtual spaces by digital artists from around the world. There will be an opening reception on Friday, Feb. 3, from 79 p.m.



The exhibition will feature works by UT professors Lew Harris, Ryan McCullough and Douglas Sutherland, as well as digital artists from across the globe, including Morehshin Allahyari (Iranian-American), David Andrade 07, Gaetan Borde (England), Samantha Burns 11, Naghmeh Farzaneh, Monica Cook (UTs 2017 STUDIO-f visiting artist), James Cunningham, Esteban Garcia Bravo (Columbian-American), Oliver Hilbert, Insa, Chris Landreth, Yuko Oda (Japanese-American), Alan Price, Antoine Roegiers (Belgium), Gregory Scott, The Gif Connoisseur and Rebecca Xu.



Visitors will see animated shorts and experimental films on view continuously, completed and in-production two-dimensional and three-dimensional digital art, and interactive installations.



Several exhibiting artists will give talks and workshops during the exhibition:

Tuesday, Jan. 24, 6 p.m., Gallery Talk by Alan Price

Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2 p.m., Gallery Talk by Gregory Scott

Wednesday, Feb. 8, 6 p.m. Gallery Talk by Chris Landreth

Tuesday, Feb. 14, 10:30 a.m., Gallery Talk by STUDIO-f visiting artist Monica Cook

Thursday, Feb. 16, 7 p.m., Animation Film Festival in collaboration with Hillsborough Community College Ybor Art Gallery, located at the Ybor campus, Performing Art Building, Mainstage Theatre,

Friday, Feb. 17, 6 p.m., STUDIO-f Open House

Monday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m., Gallery Talk with David Andrade

Wednesday, March 1, 2 p.m. Gallery Talk by Samantha Burns

The purpose of Electronics Alive IX is to introduce nationally and internationally known computer artists to the Tampa Bay community and give students and digital art enthusiasts an opportunity to meet these artists and experience how technology and art are fusing in new and interesting ways.



The gallery is located at the R.K. Bailey Art Studios, 310 North Boulevard, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. There is no charge for admission.



For more information, contact Jocelyn Boigenzahn, director of the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery, at jboigenzahn@ut.edu or (813) 253-6217.
GRO-Biz Conference Slated in Casper Feb. 22-23

Wyomings business owners and entrepreneurs are invited to attend the GRO-Biz Conference and Idea Expo Feb. 22-23 at the Ramkota Hotel in Casper.

For the 15th year, Wyomings business owners and entrepreneurs are invited to attend the GRO-Biz Conference and Idea Expo Feb. 22-23 at the Ramkota Hotel in Casper.

The conference is an opportunity to network with other business owners, meet economic development professionals, and connect with dozens of government procurement representatives to help companies sell to the multibillion dollar federal government market.

This is a great opportunity for folks interested in government contracting to network with government agency representatives and for any business to take advantage of the general business workshops, says Cindy Unger, business adviser for the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

The SBDC is a partnership among the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Business Council and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBDC focuses on educating small-business owners and potential owners on how to successfully start and operate small businesses. The SBDCs main office is located at UW.

The GRO-Biz and Idea Expo is two events rolled into one. The GRO-Biz conference track is aimed at businesses seeking government contracts. Workshop topics include marketing to government agencies, woman-owned small businesses, invoicing, proposal preparation and Wyoming state government opportunities. Additionally, there will be an opportunity to meet and network with state and federal government contracting representatives.

The Idea Expo track focuses on small-business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Workshop topics include cybersecurity, exporting, employee innovation, leadership skills, and technology transfer and commercialization. Keynote speakers will be Scott Friedman, who will discuss employee engagement and innovation; and Gloria Larkin, who will speak about government contracting.

To view the full agenda and register, visit www.regonline.com/2017grobizidea. Early bird registration through Feb. 8 is $165. After that date, the registration fee is $185.

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested at least two weeks in advance. For more information, call the Wyoming SBDC Network Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) staff at (307) 234-3203 or email ptac@uwyo.edu.

The Wyoming SBDC Network is a business advising group of the Wyoming SBDC, PTAC, Market Research Center and SBIR/STTR Initiative. The networks mission is to help Wyoming entrepreneurs succeed. Advising and most market research activities are free of charge to Wyoming residents.

The SBDC is funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA. Additional support is provided by the Wyoming Business Council and UW.
Church News  October 20, 2022 LIGHT OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH Needing Answers We want God to be like FedEx and deliver overnight. Things dont happen that way, but in...

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De Persgroep, one of the leading European media publishing groups with operations spanning Belgium, Denmark and The Netherlands, has chosen Lineup Systems to replace its advertising booking management systems.

De Persgroep, which has in excess of 20 million annual subscriptions and over 30 media brands, will use Lineups cloud-based AdPoint solution to consolidate its advertising booking business into a single, group-wide solution.

Headquartered in Belgium, De Persgroep employs over 5,000 people in three countries and operates across newspapers, magazines, websites, radio and TV stations. Its well-known media brands include Trouw, AD, de Volskrant, Het Parool, LEcho and Berlingske.

Having grown recently through acquisition, De Persgroep sought a partner that could help replace its numerous disparate advertising systems with a single platform. By introducing Lineup Systems AdPoint solution across its brands and territories, the group also aims to more effectively manage its multi-channel bookings, develop faster routes to market and introduce more streamlined working processes, says Lineup.

Stephane Jans, Chief Architect at De Persgroep, said: "We were extremely impressed with Lineup as a forward-thinking company as well as AdPoint as a product, and felt they were the best partner to help us achieve the strategic business objectives set. Our current disparate legacy systems are holding us back, and the agility AdPoint offers will help us ensure we are making the most out of future opportunities. We were also very impressed with Lineups ability to deliver a solution that was flexible enough to meet different regional requirements. We are looking forward to working with them."

Lineup CEO Michael Mendoza adds: This is a massive vote of confidence in us from one of the largest publishers in Europe. This also follows on from a number of significant client wins in the past year, including Gannett, Groupe Rossel, Russmedia, and JP/Politikens Hus, all of which demonstrates our serious commitment to our customers and the success of AdPoint as an industry leading solution.

The first phase of the project is currently underway at Berlingske (Copenhagen) and will go-live during the first quarter of 2017, with the Netherlands and Belgium operations to follow.
For the past month, the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM) has welcomed newcomers from the banking sector. On January 9, Vietnam International Bank made its debut on the stock exchange with 564 million shares. A few days earlier, Kienlong Bank and Techcombank had been granted permission to list on the UPCoM with 300 million and 880 million shares, respectively.

Since December 2016, Vietnam Prosperity Bank has also sought shareholders approval to join the fast-growing stock bourse. The Oriental Commercial Bank, however, intended to skip the UPCoM and list directly on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange this year, a move that was approved by its shareholders last month.

The market has welcomed many banks recently, and investors are hoping that these debuts will have a positive, ripple effect for the entire financial sector, similar to what Sabeco and Habeco did for beverage stocks recently, analysts from Saigon Securities Incorporation wrote in a daily note to investors.

The rush to join the stock market is significant for the banking sector, as no commercial banks have listed their shares on the stock exchange since 2014. To date, only 10 of Vietnams 30 banking institutions have been listed on the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City exchanges. The remaining 20 banks are still lurking on unregulated, over-the-counter markets.

At general stakeholder meetings throughout the year, investors have repeatedly enquired about banks plans to join the stock exchanges. The common response was that financial institutions would like to list, but their plans at the time were upset by unfavourable market conditions and underpriced bank stocks.

Bank investors were not the only stakeholders to press on this matter. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) have consistently reminded financial institutions to list, as evidenced in SBVs Document 657/NHNN-TTGSNH in 2015, and MoFs Circular 180/2015/TT-BTC in early 2016. According to Circular 180, all commercial joint-stock banks must make their debut on the UPCoM between 2016 and 2017 to ensure transparency and liquidity.

Transparency is a prominent issue for banks, as SBV has earmarked 10 commercial banks to adopt the Basel II banking standards in 2018. Criteria for transparency and capital adequacy under Basel II standards are much stricter than the existing Basel I guidelines, forcing commercial banks to join stock bourses immediately.

Economics expert Nguyen Tri Hieu said listing will boost transparency for banks, as their business results, financial reports, and trading activities will be monitored by the market. Liquidity will also pick up since investors can buy and sell openly on the market, raising the prospects of bank stocks in general. This is one crucial step towards improving the Vietnamese banking sector and attracting foreign capital.
Insurance Back SCOR announces several appointments in the top level management team

French reinsurer SCOR announced on January 16, several appointments to Group's top management functions, with immediate effect.

Paul Christoff is appointed Managing Director of the Americas Hub, reporting in this capacity to Romain Launay, Group Chief Operating Officer. Paul Christoff will retain his current responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer of the Americas Hub.

is appointed Managing Director of the Americas Hub, reporting in this capacity to Romain Launay, Group Chief Operating Officer. Paul Christoff will retain his current responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer of the Americas Hub. Eric Pooi , currently Chief Operating Officer of the Life division for Asia-Pacific, becomes Managing Director of the Asia-Pacific Hub, reporting to Romain Launay. Eric Pooi replaces Ben Ho, who has been appointed Advisor to the Managing Director of the Asia-Pacific Hub.

, currently Chief Operating Officer of the Life division for Asia-Pacific, becomes Managing Director of the Asia-Pacific Hub, reporting to Romain Launay. Eric Pooi replaces Ben Ho, who has been appointed Advisor to the Managing Director of the Asia-Pacific Hub. Marc Philippe , currently Deputy Chief Information Officer, becomes SCOR's Chief Information Officer, reporting to Romain Launay. He replaces Regis Delayat , who has been appointed Digital Advisor to the Chairman. Romain Portelli , currently in charge of information systems at SCOR Global P&C, is appointed Deputy Chief Information Officer, in charge of the functional scope of the Group's information technology.

, currently Deputy Chief Information Officer, becomes SCOR's Chief Information Officer, reporting to Romain Launay. He replaces , who has been appointed Digital Advisor to the Chairman. , currently in charge of information systems at SCOR Global P&C, is appointed Deputy Chief Information Officer, in charge of the functional scope of the Group's information technology. Guillaume Ominetti , currently Head of Capital Shield Strategy within the Group Risk Management department, is appointed Advisor to the Chairman and Head of Public Affairs. Denis Kessler, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of SCOR, comments : "The appointments announced today once again bear testimony to SCOR's commitment to developing and promoting talent within the Group, throughout the world. I would like to extend my thanks to Ben for his remarkable contribution to the success of SCOR's operations and for the strengthening of our franchise in Asia-Pacific. Over the past 25 years, Regis Delayat has successfully transformed SCOR's information systems, thereby providing the Group with a key competitive edge. He will now focus on Digital, in line with his role as Chairman of Ruschlikon and with SCOR's commitment to this topic."



Romain Launay, Group Chief Operating Officer of SCOR, comments : "SCOR's Hub structure, which involves the pooling of support functions at regional level, offers an efficient platform for providing high-quality services to our business engines. With the appointment of Paul Christoff in the Americas and Eric Pooi in Asia-Pacific, we will further focus on operational excellence in these regions, which generate around 60% of the Group's gross written premiums. With the appointments of Marc Philippe and Romain Portelli, the Group will continue to invest in the development of our information systems with a view to creating ever more performing tools to conduct our business".



Biographies



Paul Christoff , 45, is a graduate of the University of Toronto, having obtained a degree in commerce and finance. He also holds a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation. Prior to joining SCOR in 2009, Paul Christoff held senior positions in the P&C industry, both in operations and finance.



Eric Pooi , 48, is a Chartered Accountant with ISCA Singapore and an Associate in Risk Management with AICPCU. Having begun his career in auditing after graduating from Nanyang Technological University (Accountancy), he has been in the insurance industry (New Reinsurance, Gerling Global Re & Revios Re) for over 22 years, covering captive insurance, P&C Reinsurance, Composite and Life Reinsurance. Over the course of his career, he has taken on several roles ranging from CFO, COO, HR, IT and Administration. He is currently the appointed Chief Executive for SCOR Global Life Singapore Branch, as well as the Chief Representative for the SCOR Global Life Taipei Representative Office.



Ben Ho , 63, holds an MSc from the University of Manchester in the UK and an MBA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He began his career at SCOR Hong Kong in 1978 as a P&C Facultative Underwriter and has held various positions within the Group's P&C division at the Hong Kong, Paris and Singapore offices. He was appointed Managing Director / Principal Officer SCOR Reinsurance Asia-Pacific P&C in 2003, and became the SCOR Singapore Hub CEO / Chief Executive - P&C in 2008.



Marc Philippe , 48, is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommunications de Paris. He started his career as a consultant in Information & Technology, successively at CGI - IBM Group, and PWC. He joined SCOR in 1998, occupying various roles within the IT department, especially in the areas of business application development and large corporate projects. He has been leading the Group IT functional team since 2013.



Regis Delayat , 62, is a graduate of the Institut des Sciences Appliquees (INSA Lyon). He has been SCOR's Group CIO for the last 25 years, since 1992. He is the Chair of Ruschlikon, the global association of Insurers, Brokers and Reinsurers, committed to developing e-processing in the (re)insurance industry.



Romain Portelli , 38, is a graduate of the ENSAE - SUPAERO Engineering School. Having begun his career with Accenture in the Paris & New-York offices, spending 8 years at the company, he joined SCOR in 2011 as Head of the SAP Competency Center and Director of the "One Ledger Program". In 2013, he joined the IT department to become the IT Division Manager of SCOR Global P&C.



Guillaume Ominetti , 29, began his professional career with SCOR in January 2012, as Head of Capital Shield Strategy in Group Risk Management. He has mainly focused on monitoring the retrocession strategy and its consistency with the Group's risk appetite. Over the past year, he has been actively contributing to the preparation of the "Vision in Action" strategic plan. He is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and of ENSAE, holds a Master of Science in Mathematical Finance (random modelling) from the University of Paris VII, and is a member of the French Institute of Actuaries.





Author: Daniela GHETU on 18.01.2017





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M&As have been instrumental in kick-starting stalled projects

According to Stephen Wyatt, country head of JLL Vietnam, the Vietnamese economy, which is performing well, is widely considered one of the best performers in Southeast Asia.

We expect to see considerable activity in all sectors of the market, with a positive focus on low-mid end residential in cities, the Ho Chi Minh City office market, hospitality, and industrial, Wyatt said.

Investors are looking at Southeast Asia for 2017, in particular Vietnam, Wyatt further explained. The real estate sector saw a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in investment and it is forecast to grow with favourable conditions such as greater market transparency and a projected GDP growth of about 6 per cent, in keeping with growth rates in 2017.

In 2016, merger and acquisition (M&A) activity from Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea, and Thailand increased stably, and this trend will continue in 2017, according to Chris Freund, general director of Mekong Capital.

Based on the meetings which I have taken with many foreign strategic investors, I confirm that M&A in 2017 will be more active, said Freund.

Real estate is predicted to be the highest performing sector, followed by agriculture, fast-moving consumer goods, retail, and pharmaceuticals. All the foreign investors that Mekong Capital has met with are paying the most attention to those fields, Freund said.

The real estate market in Vietnam has been in recovery since 2013. In the last three years, the markets scale has been increasing, with a range of new projects resuming operation after long delays thanks to M&As.

Many investors and developers have considered M&As one of the most successful methods to get into the current market. Looking back at the expansion of many key developers in the real estate sector, M&As were one of the greatest factors that helped them to capitalise on opportunities in the market.

Via M&A, many developers have been rapidly growing. For example, locally-owned Novaland, with only four projects in 2013, now has a portfolio of over 40 projects which are in total of 9.8 million square metres of floor.

Dat Xanh, another domestic developer, also took over seven projects via M&A in 2016, increasing its portfolio to 20 projects.

The trend of M&A is clearly apparent thanks to the range of incoming projects for many developers.

Hung Thinh, a developer based in Ho Chi Minh City, announced that it had bought 12 projects in the city area and will bring them to market in the near future.

Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association, said that 2017 will be a perfect time for developers to engage in M&A activity in the real estate sector.

In Ho Chi Minh City in particular, over 500 projects have been delayed for a long time. These are good choices for developers who can finance an acquisition, Chau said.

According to JLL Vietnam, M&A activity within the real estate sector in Vietnam has witnessed a substantial increase in both transaction volume and value in the last two years. With many countries around the world suffering from limited growth, Vietnam has emerged as a shining star within Southeast Asia, attracting strong interest from a host of foreign investors from all over the globe.

While the capital flow into the Asia-Pacific region has showed signs of a slowdown, the real estate market in Vietnam appears to be attractive to foreign investors, particularly from Japan, Korea, and Singapore, JLL Vietnam said.

Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and the major tourist destinations throughout the country are on the top of the list for most investors.

The key factor supporting M&A activity in Vietnam is GDP growth, desirable demographics, increasing disposable incomes, and rapid urbanisation.
US President Barack Obama waves from Air Force One. (Photo: AFP)

In poll after poll, the numbers are all flattering for the Democratic president as he prepares to hand over power to Republican Donald Trump.

The latest poll, released Wednesday by CNN/ORC, found that 60 percent of Americans approve of his performance in office, his best score since June 2009.

His approval ratings are among the highest for US presidents at the end of their term, just behind Bill Clinton (66 percent in January 2001) and Ronald Reagan (64 percent in January 1989).

Moreover, nearly two thirds of Americans (65 percent) consider his presidency to have been a success.

Obama, 55, is set to hold his last White House press conference on Wednesday before Trump's inauguration Friday as the 45th president of the United States.

On Tuesday, Trump dismissed the polls as "rigged" after a Washington Post-ABC News survey found that he had the lowest approval rating at 40 percent of any incoming president-elect since Jimmy Carter in 1977.
Saigon Port, the biggest in the country, saw its revenue and profit increase 15 and 39 per cent on-year to some VND1.2 trillion ($54.54 million) and VND118.73 billion ($5.39 million), respectively last year. Its cargo handling is estimated at 8.9 million tonnes, according to VIR sources.

The port, which is a subsidiary of Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines), also participates in joint venture ports like SSIT (with 34 per cent ownership), SP-PSA (36 per cent ownership), and CMIT (15 per cent ownership).

2016 was also a successful year for Haiphong Port, which is the biggest port in the northern region and the second largest in the country. Its profit and revenue ascended 38 and 34 per cent from 2015, to about VND620 billion ($28.2 million) and VND2.41 trillion ($109.5 million), respectively.

The port received 26.08 million tonnes of cargo during the year, said Phung Xuan Ha, chairman of Haiphong Port Board of Directors.

We plan to invest in two new container piers at the Lach Huyen area from now to 2020 to retain our local market share and to keep our big customers, he added.

Danang Port, the most modern and largest port in the central region, handled 7.25 million tonnes of cargo last year, up 12 per cent from 2015, of which container throughput rose 24 per cent on-year to 320,000 twenty-foot equivalent units.

The port made an estimated revenue of VND550 billion ($25 million) last year, while its profit was estimated at VND154 billion ($7 million), rising 14 and 4 per cent on-year, respectively, added CEO Nguyen Huu Sia.

These results were very impressive amid extreme difficulties in the global shipping market last year, when a number of the worlds shipping lines suffered losses, including Maersk Lines, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, Hapag-Lloyd, Zim Integrated Shipping Services, CMA CGM S.A., Mitsui OSK Lines, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha.

Together with aviation, ports are attractive fields in the transport sector for foreign investment.

The State General Reserve Fund of Oman is very interested in acquiring stake in Haiphong Port. At a meeting with Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Van Cong last month, a mission of the Republic of Oman, including Oman Ambassador to Vietnam Sultan Saif Hilal Al Mahruqi, sought the ministrys support for stake acquisition in Haiphong Port.

Besides, other investors have already registered to buy a 49 per cent stake in Haiphong Port, and a 90 per cent stake in Danang Port.

Like the Oman fund, other foreign investors have been waiting for government approval of Vinalines equitisation plan for years, in which the state-controlled stake in its subsidiaries, including Haiphong, Danang, and Saigon ports, as well as foreign ownership limits would be announced.

According to a prime ministerial decision released by the Government Office in late December 2016, Vinalines can reduce its ownership in Danang, Haiphong, and Saigon ports, to 65 per cent or lower, from the current 75, 92.56, and 65.45 per cent, respectively.
Indias Tata Group seeks to invest in Vietnam, in the sectors of energy, coffee, and agriculture Photo: Le Toan

Indronil Sengupta, executive director of Tata Group in Vietnam, confirmed in a meeting last week with President Tran Dai Quang that the groups expansion plan will target solar and wind power projects, a coffee processing plant in Binh Duong, and the installation of agricultural machinery in the Mekong Delta.

The movement came after a series of its subsidiaries, such as Tata Power, Tata Projects, Tata Chemical, and Tata Motors, were reported to be on the lookout for opportunities in Vietnam. Optimism is high, although the failure of Tata Steels $5 billion steel project in the central province of Ha Tinh is still fresh in the memories of seasoned employees.

The demographics and the economic development stage of [Vietnam] represent a market for several products and services from Tata Group, the group stated in a report on its website.

In late 2016, Tata Coffee announced plans to set up a state-of-the-art freeze-dried coffee plant in Vietnam with an installed capacity of 5,000 tonnes per year. The plant in Vietnam will serve global customers of Tata Coffee new product mixes of freeze-dried coffee, according to the website.

Sanjiv Sarin, managing director of Tata Coffee, in a press release issued late last month, said, This move is in line with the companys strategy to strengthen focus on differentiation, premiumisation, and customer-centricity. Vietnam offers an attractive business environment besides being the largest Robusta coffee-growing region. The plant will help us further expand our global footprint.

Tata Power plans to increase investment in Vietnam to exploit business opportunities in an increasingly energy-thirsty market. To supply such energy, it is looking at renewable as well as thermal sources.

Tata Power proposed to invest in the build-operate-transfer (BOT) Long Phu 3 thermal power plant in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, after it had been granted approval by the Vietnamese government to build the $2 billion plant in the province. In November 2013, the company inked a memorandum of understanding regarding the plants construction with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

In a previous interview with VIR, Sengupta said that, with the potential growth of the economy and the expanding market, he believes that Vietnam will remain at the top of Tata Groups list of interests. Although he also mentioned that the 2013 failure of Tata Steels $5 billion steel project in Vietnam may cause the group to take heed.

Jitendra Manghnani, the country manager at Tata International, a subsidiary of Tata Group, said in his business trip to Vietnam that the enterprise would invest in an agricultural machinery plant in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, according to Can Thos official website.

The plant would supply machines for the Vietnamese market as well as overseas. The capital investment for the project, still undisclosed, would likely be enormous.

Tata International has been distributing farm machinery in Africa through strategic partnerships with reputed manufacturers and global leaders.

Our in-depth understanding of the needs of the farming business makes us a reliable partner that farmers depend upon in the places where we operate, he said.
Irans media mentions the reformist and moderate government, but the rule of the country is extremist. Iran has the highest rate of executions per capital and it is the worlds leading exporter of terrorism.

In 1989, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a senior cleric at the time, became president. He has been labelled a reformist despite his role as leader of the countrys armed forces during the eight-year-long Iran-Iraq War. He was also in a top position during the 1988 massacre that claimed the lives of over 30,000 political prisoners. More recently he has been named the father of Irans nuclear weapons.

The West were also quick to call Mohammad Khatami a moderate and a reformist. He approved of the 1999 violent crackdown on student uprisings.

The next president was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a troublemaker that continued with the nuclear weapons drive and instigated trouble in Iraq and other nations in the Middle East.

International sanctions were becoming stricter and Khamenei realised that the country had to do something. Thus, in 2013, another reformist appeared in the form of smiling mullah Hassan Rouhani.

The Obama administration has tried to persuade the West that Rouhani brought moderation to the Iranian government. But how can it have missed the evidence that proves otherwise? For example, he boasted about lying during the 2003 nuclear negotiations in Paris. He is a President that has over 3,000 executions under his belt (more than any of this predecessors had). And he was secretary of the regimes Supreme National Security Council.

Rouhani continues to back the Syrian dictator Assad and refuses to abide with ceasefire agreements.

The Iranian regime has taken advantage of the concessions given by the Obama administration. The Trump administration is set to deal with Iran in a much tougher way. With some hope, the Trump administration can show its support for the Iranian people and work towards giving the people the democracy they so desperately want and deserve.

Last week 23 former officials of the US government wrote a letter advising Trump that the best hope for the Iranian people is the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). This huge organised opposition group has support from political leaders and figures from all over the world. It calls for an end to appeasement and calls for a tougher approach when dealing with the murderous regime.
Donald Trump will be sworn in as the next United States President on January 20, will he be greeted by a North Korean ICBM? More calls for help on the behalf of the Rohingya. Plus, bullying leads to more deaths on the Korean peninsula. VOAs Steve Miller has your Asia news, in a minute.
Anti-graft group Global Witness has said that the World Economic Forum held in the Swiss town of Davos this week, should deny entry to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The campaigning organization, which released a scathing investigation into the business interests of the premiers family last year, said potential international investors in Hun Sens Cambodia should be wary of widespread corruption and nepotism.

Its not surprising that Prime Minister Hun Sen is courting the wealthy elite in Davos, Alice Harrison, communications advisor for Global Witness, said in a statement. He and his family have Cambodias economy so sewn up that new investment may well end up in their own pockets.

Harrison added that if the Davis summit held true to its founding principles it should close its doors to kleptocrats who systematically and violently loot their countries, at devastating cost to the population.

The annual meeting in Davos began on Tuesday and will continue until Friday.

On Tuesday Hun Sen hosted an event titled Cambodia: The rising star of Asean.

Phay Siphan, a government spokesman, accused Global Witness of spreading false information about Cambodia.

Cambodia has received respect and is seen as an economic tiger of Asean with a GDP growth rate of 7 percent in the last decade, he wrote on his Facebook page. Cambodia is also a destination for a high number of international investors who feel warm in the region. Cambodias middle class also grows steadily which provide foundation for economic potential.

Global Witness alleges that Hun Sen has used his position as prime minister to enrich his family by gaining a large share of the countrys most lucrative industries and establishing relationships with top international brands such as Apple, Visa, Nestle and Honda, while many Cambodians continue to live in poverty.

Investors or companies looking to do business in Cambodia should think carefully about the significant legal, financial, and reputational risks of operating in such a toxic business environment, Harrison said.
A monitoring group says 2016 was the deadliest year yet for journalists in Afghanistan.



The Afghan Journalist Safety Committee said Thursday that 13 reporters were killed last year in violent attacks blamed on the Taliban, as well as government officials and other powerful individuals angered by their criticism. David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna, of U.S. National Public Radio, were killed in a Taliban attack on an Afghan army unit they were traveling with.



Najib Sharifi, the director of the Afghan group, says the violence directed at journalists is unprecedented.

The Taliban, who have advanced on a number of fronts in recent years, have attacked Afghan journalists over critical coverage and have also targeted Western reporters. Warlords and other armed groups have used violence to settle scores and advance their agendas.
Leaders from the West African nations of Guinea and Mauritania were in the Gambian capital of Banjul Friday in an attempt to convince defeated President Yahya Jammeh to cede power and leave the country or face military action.

The leaders gave Jammeh until midday local time to relinquish power, the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said.

After the deadline was imposed, Jammeh asked for a four-hour extension to cede.

Guinean President Alpha Conde and Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz arrived together in Banjul on Friday.

ECOWAS Chairman Marcel Alain de Souza said Conde would offer Jammeh the chance to cede authority peacefully. "If that fails, we will bring him by force or by will," he said.

The West African regional force moved into Gambia Thursday evening, de Souza said. At least 20 military vehicles were at the border town of Karang on Friday morning.

The United Nations Security Council approved the military intervention and has recognized Adama Barrow as the new president.

Barrow took the oath of office Thursday at the Gambian Embassy in neighboring Senegal. He was to have been sworn in at the Gambian capital of Banjul.

WATCH: Gambia's President-elect Adama Barrow arrives for his inauguration in Senegal

US supports show of force

On Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Washington supports the West African force "because we understand that the purpose is to help stabilize a tense situation and to try to observe the will of the people of Gambia."

Kirby said the U.S. has no plans to send in any U.S. troops.

The Security Council unanimously backed a Senegalese-drafted resolution condemning "in the strongest possible terms" attempts to prevent a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.

Council President Olof Skoog, the Swedish ambassador, said he personally spoke to President Barrow to tell him he has the council's full support.

Council members Egypt, Uruguay and Bolivia stressed that the resolution in no way authorizes military force to install Barrow as president.

ECOWAS and the African Union Peace and Security Council have called in separate communiques for "all necessary measures" to be taken to respect the will of the Gambian people regarding the election outcome. In diplomatic language, that often means the use of military force.

The United Nations refugee agency, meanwhile, said Friday that tens of thousands of Gambians were fleeing the country amid the standoff.

Spokesman Babar Baloch told reporters in Geneva an estimated 45,000 people had reportedly fled to Senegal in recent days and said there is the possibility of many more to follow.

Before he was sworn in Thursday, a jubilant Barrow said his country's flag will "fly high among the most democratic nations of the world. The new era of Gambia is here at last. This is a day no Gambian will ever forget."

This is the first time since Gambia became independent in 1965 that Gambians have changed their government through the ballot box."

The celebrations in the streets of Banjul began slowly because of the uncertainty and the presence of Gambian security forces; but, the partying grew when it became clear the troops had no intention of using force.

Ballot box success

Barrow won the country's December 1 election. Jammeh, who once vowed to rule Gambia for "a billion years," initially accepted the results, but changed his mind, citing alleged voting irregularities.

He has refused to give up power, declaring a state of emergency and ramming through a now meaningless three-month extension of his mandate through the parliament.

Amnesty International and other major human rights groups accuse Jammeh of having little tolerance for dissent. They say he has killed or jailed many opponents. He also has threatened to murder homosexuals and once ordered the kidnapping more than 1,000 villagers accused of being witches.

WATCH: Gambians flee ahead of presidential showdown


Several thousand demonstrators led by the opposition Democratic Party rallied Tuesday in Albanias capital Tirana, accusing the government of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama of corruption and demanding that it resign.

Some protesters threw stones, flares, eggs and paint at the main government building, partially damaging its entrance. Demonstrators clashed with police, but no injuries or arrests were reported. The opposition supporters then marched to a museum of the country's Communist era, which is still under construction, and set it on fire.

Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha said the protesters want the Rama government to be replaced by a temporary "technical" government that will prepare for new elections. This is just the start of a season of protests that will stop when we achieve our goal, he added.

Commenting on Facebook, Rama said it was sad to see the Democratic Party involved in a protest characterized by miserable vandalism on the National Day of Youth, commemorating the student protests held 25 years ago against the country's then communist regime.

Rama's leftist coalition won general elections in 2013, unseating the Democratic Party, which became Albania's main opposition party.

A NATO member, Albania is one of Europe's poorest countries. According to the World Bank, about 12 percent of the countrys population of 2.8 million lives below the poverty line, on less than $2 per day.



Corruption, organized crime as main enemies

The European Union granted Albania candidate status last year to encourage the country's progress in fighting corruption and organized crime, and establishing the rule of law.

Meanwhile, Albanian President Bujar Nishani chaired a conference in Tirana themed Albania and Europe: 25 Years After the Fall of Communism.

Rama told the conference that Albania should build its future using European institutions as a model.

Former prime minister Sali Berisha, a member of the Democratic Party, said that if Albanias Communist dictator Enver Hoxha and communist ideology were once the enemies, today the two enemies are corruption and organized crime. He added only the opposition is capable of getting Albania out of the current situation.



Marking the anniversary of the 1990 student protests, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry extended congratulations to Albanians on their National Day of Youth.

This historic transition was championed by the brave leaders of the student movement, bolstered by the regular citizens who marched and demonstrated against the dictatorship, and aided by the courageous former party members who assisted in establishing popular rule," Kerry said in a written statement.

He said the United States recognizes the great strides Albania has taken over the past quarter century.

In a congratulatory video message to the conference commemorating the fall of communism, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Albanian leaders to improve opportunities for the country's young people to develop their talents. She said Albania has significantly advanced during the past 25 years.
Some Indian officials have balked at Apple's demands for concessions before it assembles iPhones there, raising doubts about a spring deadline to launch a key project in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign to lure foreign investors.

The country is still keen for the U.S. tech giant to produce its signature smartphones there, and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday that India would keep an open mind in negotiations.

"We will very much like Apple to come and have a base in India," he said.

But Apple Inc's long list of demands, including tax concessions and several other policy exceptions, still faces resistance from officials who consider it excessive and unfair on foreign companies already operating in India.

Their caution underlines how Modi's ambition to make India a global manufacturing hub, in order to drive the economy and create jobs for millions of people entering the workforce each year, will not be easy.

We have not done this for anyone, said a senior government official whose department is one of several involved in evaluating the Apple proposal. If we do this, we must see a lot of value addition.

Another official involved in the review said the government should make policies for the industry, not individual companies.

Apple is coming here because it sees a lucrative market, this is not a favor being done to India.

Competitors such as South Korea's Samsung Electronics and China's Xiaomi have already set up manufacturing in the country.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

Letter spells out demands

Modi met Apple CEO Tim Cook last May and discussed iPhone production in India.

Where any plant would be located and how many people it might employ have yet to be finalized, although it would likely involve thousands of jobs.

Attracting such a household name would be a valuable advertisement for a country shaking off a reputation for stifling bureaucracy, but officials are wary of tailoring rules to individual investors.

What Apple is trying to do, if it happens, I think it will be available to everybody in the industry. I don't see the government of India making discriminatory policies, said Arvind Vohra, chief executive at Gionee India, part of Chinese smartphone maker Gionee.

It is setting up a local manufacturing plant under India's existing rules.

From Apple's point of view, the ambitious timeline agreed by Modi and Cook reflected its need to capture more of the fast-growing Indian market, where it has only about two percent share as iPhone sales in the United State and China have slowed.

In a letter sent to the prime minister's office on October 13 and seen by Reuters, it called on the government to make the environment attractive for it to make phones for the Indian market as well as for export.

On the matter of duties, it said high import taxes on smartphones could lead to retaliation from trading blocs.

This would increase the cost of India manufactured smartphones and in turn limit India's ambition of becoming a smartphone hub for the rest of the world.

Despite the reluctance of some officials, Modi could intervene to get the Apple project back on schedule.

In June, the government relaxed local sourcing rules for foreign retailers like Apple barely a month after the finance ministry turned down the company's request for a waiver.

The company and its partners have reportedly won significant concessions before in other markets.

Meeting next week

On January 25, the departments of industry, information technology and electronics, and finance will meet Apple executives to consider the conditions set out by the firm in India, government officials said.

In May, Modi and Cook agreed to work towards a package of four projects: assembling iPhones, opening Apple stores, importing certified pre-owned iPhones and refurbishing them in India, according to the letter.

Apple said its initial focus was to set up manufacturing of iPhones in India over two phases, the first of which was to be introduced by spring this year.

But after conducting due diligence on what it would take to get the project going, it determined its entry was dependent on government support on a number of pre-requisites.

The Cupertino, California-based company listed a set of seven demands. Among them, it sought duty exemption on raw materials for manufacturing, components and capital equipment for 15 years for both domestic and export markets.

Apple also sought a change in rules that would govern how it could import defective iPhones to repair and export them again, a move it said was crucial for it to keep supporting and repairing older models of the iPhone.

Currently, Indian rules restrict such imports to phones that are no older than three years.

Apple asked for the government's help in quickly processing a request for a ruling from Indian tax authorities on transfer pricing agreements between its affiliates.

It also identified India's customs procedures as a hurdle to manufacturing and asked the government to make them less onerous.

For trusted traders inspections need to be less intrusive  this means less boxes opened, Apple wrote. The complete process should not require more than thirty minutes.
Bahraini authorities have lifted a ban preventing independent newspaper Al-Wasat from publishing online.

The official Bahrain News Agency said Thursday that the newspaper would be allowed to post material following a decision by the Ministry of Information.

It gave no details for the move, but warned that all media outlets must avoid "posting anything that incites divisions or discord within the community, undermines national unity or disturbs peace."

Authorities issued the ban Monday, following a spike in anti-government protests led by the country's Shiite majority against the Sunni monarchy.

Al-Wasat is widely seen as the only independent newspaper in Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. The paper has been ordered shut twice since an Arab Spring-inspired uprising erupted in 2011.
President Barack Obama conceded defeat in his efforts to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but he blamed Congress for his failure.

In a letter to Congress on Thursday, he condemned lawmakers for "placing politics above the ongoing cost to taxpayers."

The facility "never should have been opened in the first place," Obama said in the two-page letter sent on his last full day as president.

"There is simply no justification beyond politics for the Congress' insistence on keeping the facility open," he added.

Obama pledged when he became president eight years ago to close the facility in his first year, but lawmakers in both political parties blocked that effort.

He said the population there stood at 41 as of Thursday. A senior administration official confirmed that an additional four inmates had been transferred out of the prison.

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 U.S. citizens being sent to the facility.

"We're going to load it up with some bad dudes, believe me, we're going to load it up," Trump famously said while campaigning last year.

He separately said "it would be fine" if U.S. terror suspects were sent there.
In Cameroon, internet connections appear to have been cut in the major towns of the countrys two English-speaking regions. The action comes as a months-long strike by local lawyers and teachers intensifies.



Agbor Gideon owns a shop that provides internet services to students and researchers at the University of Bamenda in the northwest region of Cameroon. He says his suppliers disconnected internet connection to his neighborhood Tuesday.



"They are stepping on our rights. They are stepping on the rights of the people to use internet because it blocks so many things," said Gideon. "There are people whose businesses are based on the internet so it is going to add to the hardship."



The northwest is one of two English speaking regions in Cameroon that has seen violent demonstrations and waves of arrests in recent months related to the strike by teachers and lawyers. Those professionals say the government is letting French sideline English in the bilingual country.

Secession calls



The strikers have been joined by other interests, some of whom are calling for the English-speaking regions to secede from Cameroon. The government says that is not an option.



Mobile phone companies have not issued any official statement about the internet cutoff. But agents have told worried users that the government is threatening to withdraw their licenses should they not suspend internet services to these two regions.



For now, no online money transfers and payments can be made.



The government has not commented on the internet issue. The communications minister warned in November, though, that a blackout was a possibility if social media was used to disseminate what he called anti-government propaganda related to the strike.

Official warnings



Authorities have been sending out warnings this week via SMS, which Libom Li Likeng, Cameroon's minister of post and telecommunications, says are part of a civic education campaign.



She says social media has become an important communications instrument, which unfortunately is used by people with evil intentions to propagate false information to threaten the public and create panic. She says the president ordered them to pass the message that the irresponsible use of social media is punishable by the law.



She says prison time of up to two years and fines of up to $4,000, or both, await offenders as per Cameroon's penal code.
Millions of workers, who flocked to Chinas richer coastal cities for jobs, have begun their annual holiday migration home. But some are not going home. Instead, they have taken to the streets to protest because their employers have yet to pay them for their work.

Disputes over pay around this time of year are not uncommon, but for the first time the problem of overdue payments has grown to include unpaid workers from the so-called new economy, such as those working in e-commerce.

Analysts say this year it is not just those in traditional industries that are pressuring their employers for back wages.

The old economy has the same old issues. So, construction, everything from the old industries like steel, coal, these older industries still have the same problem with wage arrears, Keegan Elmer, labor researcher of China Labor Bulletin, told VOA after government officials disclosed the latest development.

And the newer economy, it turns out, for example, delivery workers in the online, offline markets or new online e-commerce industries, are showing the same issue of wage arrears. So now, the problem [has] even gotten worse in some respect, the Hong King-based analyst added.

Labor Protests to Surge

The labor organization expects the annual wave of worker protests to spike in the next few weeks. And according to the groups Strike Map (http://maps.clb.org.hk/strikes/en), unpaid workers have staged more than 2,000 street protests since last February.

Zou Zhanhai and his fellow villagers from Pingquan County of Chengde City in Hebei province are among those who have taken to the streets.

In 2015, 21 of them traveled to Shaanxi province to work on an oil rig project and finished their work around September of that year. But they are still waiting for their final payment of about 530,000 yuan (US$77,274) from their subcontractor employer, Tien Yu Co. The subcontractor could not be reached by VOA for comment.

We couldnt get by without this small amount of money, which hasnt arrived yet. Each of us has to work to support his family of five or six, Zou spoke to VOA from the capital city of Xian, where he and 15 other villagers have staged a protest since late December in front of the oil companys headquarters.

The employer now asks us to go home, saying that we will be paid after the Chinese New Year. But we cant keep taking their word for it. We plan to hold on to our protest unless were paid. Theres no other way but to spend the Chinese New Year here, he added.

Zou said they had petitioned their case to the provinces labor department, public security bureau and the local court, after which the subcontractor agreed to pay them in full before last June, including all expenses incurred during the petitions.

But they still havent received their pay. The subcontractor told them it is because of other construction bills the oil company has yet to settle.

Zou said the workers priority is to be paid regardless whether the government has increased regulations to safeguard their rights or not.

New labor regulations are well-intended, but no one from the [local] labor supervision department, public bureau and the courts seems to be able to implement them. The court, which has heard our case for six to seven months, still hasnt enforced [the recovery of our wage arrears], Zou added.

Similar Predicament

Zou and his villagers are not the only migrant workers in the same predicament.

Last month alone, China Labor Bulletin found that workers across China had staged more than 130 protests.

On December 1, workers took to the streets in Jining of Shandong province, demanding 7 million yuan (US$1 million) in unpaid wages from a developer. Instead they were beat by police and arrested. Seventeen were later charged with disturbing public order.

Two weeks later, more than 20 migrant workers climbed the Wanda mall complex in Nanning, Guangxi, threatening to jump off the rooftop if they werent paid in time for the vacation, according to the labor organization.

Social media attention

Few are optimistic the labor disputes will improve soon, even as they gain increasing attention on social media in China.

On Sina Weibo, Chinas Twitter-like social media platform, one user named Ainixiaoqian wrote: These enterprises, which have accrued unpaid wages, will eventually go bankrupt. How can they withhold migrant workers hard-earned money? So despicable!

Another user, surnamed Bao, added, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Securitys inaction is to blame. Any unit, which dares to delay wage payments, should be given heavy fines.

Regulations and Oversight

China has, in fact, increased regulations and oversight in recent years. Earlier this month, the State Council set a goal to end the countrys wage arrears by 2020.

Some of the increased regulations and oversight include jail terms and fines for company executives who are found malicious in withholding wages, even though many find the maximum fine at 20,000 yuan (US$2,910) not enough.

Local governments have set up contingency funds to help migrant workers weather the time before companies pay the wages.

But the fact that most labor-intensive industries remain heavily dependent on layers of subcontracting has made the labor issue difficult to tackle, according to government officials.

And the current economic downturn has weighed on the survival of businesses, they added.

Workers Oversight Mechanism

China Labor Bulletins Elmer believes that the governments approach has proved ineffective.

What could be done instead is to stop the problems before they start by allowing workers to have their own oversight mechanism or taking a participatory role in the management of their employers, he said.

For example, the regular collective bargaining, which is something we advocate here, gives workers a role and encourages transparency and dialogue with the bosses to make sure that workers know when the companies are having trouble, or theres some sort of conflict, Elmer said. Theres a way to resolve these conflicts before they erupt into dangerous and sometimes violent conflicts.
Maryam Rajavi, the Iranian Resistances President-elect, was the key-note speaker. Members of the French Parliament including Dominique Lefebvre, Michel Terrot, Brigitte Allain, Pascal Deguilhem, Philippe Gosselin, and Federic Reiss, as well as Amb. Lincoln Bloomfield, former Assistant US Secretary of State, and Dr. Alejo Vidal Quadras, former Vice President of the European Parliament, also addressed the conference.

Underlining the Iranian regimes role as the main cause of war, crisis, and insecurity in the region, speakers said the US and Europes adoption of a decisive policy against Tehrans regime is a requisite to peace and democracy in the region. They asked France to take measures to expel the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and its militias from Syria and Iraq, and to play a leading role in the region.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) published Mrs. Rajavis remarks at the conference. She said, With Rafsanjanis death, one of the two pillars of the Iranian regime crumbled and the debilitated regime in its entirety moved closer to its downfall. Over the past 38 years, Rafsanjani played a significant role in suppression at home, export of terrorism abroad, and the regimes quest to obtain the nuclear bomb. Khamenei and the regimes most ruthless factions will rely more on export of extremism, terrorism, and nuclear projects, particularly that they are terrified of any unrest on the eve of the next presidential election in May.

She also noted the expansion and growth of protest demonstrations by workers, teachers, nurses, students, and families of political prisoners. She continued, The JCPOA just filled the coffers of the regimes leaders and Revolutionary Guards Corps and funded their deadly adventures in Syria and other parts of the region. The clerical regime in Tehran is the main source of export of terrorism and expansion of instability to the Middle East and it needs to massacre the people of Syria to save itself from certain downfall. On January 5, 2017, Khamenei repeated again that if they had not fought in Syria, we had to fight in Tehran, Fars, Khorasan, and Isfahan to thwart the enemy.

She added, The Iranian regime is the main loser of any ceasefire and peace in Syria. The regime will be satisfied by nothing less than preserving Bashar Assad in power. Eviction of the Iranian regime from Syria is the requisite to peace. There will be no political solution as long as the Revolutionary Guards and their militia are on the Syrian soil.

The Iranian regime has invested in the Wests inaction and appeasement to export its extremism under the banner of Islam, a policy that has taken up catastrophic dimensions since the start of the war in Iraq in 2003. As some distinguished political personalities in the US and Europe have consistently demanded, I urge decisiveness against the religious fascist regime ruling Iran. I urge political leaders in the European Union and the US to not count on the clerical regime in Tehran. That regime belongs to the past, Mrs. Rajavi said.

On Tuesday, January 17, the NCRI also published Mrs. Rajavis full speech in the meeting. She said:

Distinguished members of parliament,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

First, I would like to extend my best greetings for the New Year 2017.

We have gathered together while the year ahead is going to be full of developments. The elections in France, the election sham in Iran, and the unprecedented developments in the Middle East and on the international level. Let us hope that these developments would be in the interest of the people of Iran and also in the interest of the people of France, the people of the region and other parts of the world.

As you are aware, the Iranian Resistance managed to relocate all the residents of Camp Liberty to Europe and particularly to Albania. I would like to express my gratitude to the Parliamentary Committee for A Democratic Iran and all members of parliament who took part in this campaign. The resettlement of such a large number of people has imposed a tremendous financial burden on the Iranian Resistance, particularly for the treatment of the ill and wounded who were deprived of medical care for a long time. Thanks to the support of the people of Iran and our friends, however, we shall overcome these problems.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The New Year began with great worries for the Iranian regime. With Rafsanjanis death, one of the two pillars of the regime crumbled and the regime moved closer to its downfall in its entirety. Over the past 38 years, Rafsanjani played a significant role in suppression at home, export of terrorism abroad, and the regimes quest to obtain the nuclear bomb. He always was the regimes number 2 man who helped maintain its internal power balance. The clerical dictatorship has thus become weaker in its entirety.

Khamenei and the regimes most ruthless factions will have to adopt a more defensive posture and rely more on export of extremism, terrorism, and nuclear projects.

Today, the mullahs debilitated religious tyranny fears any unrest particularly in light of its upcoming presidential election next May.

The memories of the 2009 uprisings haunt the regime. Social movements and popular protests are growing. Thousands of demonstrations and strikes by workers, retired employees, teachers, nurses, students, and families of political prisoners took place last year and are going to expand over the next year.

The weakening of the Velayat-e Faqih regime is heartwarming to our people. Political prisoners have become more active in sending out their messages and the social media echo them extensively. The families of the victims have challenged the regime by holding its officials accountable for their crimes, particularly the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988. The people of Iran demand an end to executions and an end to dictatorship in Iran.

Thousands of demonstrators marked the birthday of Cyrus the Great, who wrote the worlds first declaration of human rights, by calling for a future devoid of the criminal mullahs. A few weeks ago, on the Student Day, demonstrators demanded freedom of political prisoners.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The people of Iran have not benefitted from the JCPOA. Instead, the agreement filled the coffers of Khamenei and his Revolutionary Guards Corps and funded their deadly adventures in Syria and other parts of the region.

The world has now learned that the Iranian mullahs regime, the IRGC, the Hezobollah, and their other mercenary militia in Syria do not seek to fight the Daesh (ISIS) and extremism but are there to save the dictator of Damascus.

The clerical regime in Tehran is the main source of export of terrorism and expansion of instability to the Middle East. In fact, by engagement in the Syrian conflict, the Iranian regime seeks to guarantee and prolong its own disgraceful rule. A few days ago, Khamenei said, If we had not fought in Syria, we would have had to confront the enemy in Tehran.

And the clerical regime also sabotages any ceasefire agreement in Syria with full force. According to the Syrian opposition leaders, the only party that never compromises or makes peace is the Iranian regime that is satisfied by nothing less than preserving Bashar Assad in power.

There will be no political solution as long as the Revolutionary Guards and their militia are on the Syrian soil. So, if we want peace, we must start with expelling the Iranian regime from Syria. The main loser of a ceasefire and peace in Syria is the Iranian regime.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The US governments inaction is the main reason for the continuation of the tragedy in Syria and the Iranian regimes dominance over this country. The Iranian regime has invested in the Wests policy of appeasement to export its extremism under the banner of Islam. At this point, I would like to commend President Hollandes policy and approach to the people of Syria. This is the right policy as opposed to the US policy which abandoned Syria.

The end of the US Presidents era leaves little hope for Tehran of enjoying free reins in doing whatever it wishes to do. The situation got worse when the US attacked Iraq in 2003 because the main winner in Iraq and Syria, was the mullahs supreme leader, Khamenei. We hope that this opportunity which was held dearly by the mullahs would soon come to an end.

Of course, we are confident that nothing would remain the same as before.

In light of the failure of the policy of appeasement, there is a great need for policy change to end the suffering of the people of Syria, their displacement, and homelessness.

Showing firmness vis-a-vis the terrorist operations of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps and its destructive role in the region is prerequisite to peace and tranquility in the region and the world.

With such perspective and in light of the upcoming presidential election in France, I also call on the French policy makers to heed these realities and particularly, do not invest in the mullahs of Iran. The mullahs belong to the past. I call on those officials to count on the forces of future and on an Iran which would no longer be the source of crisis, but a source of stability in the region. One cannot unite with extremists to uproot extremism. Sunni and Shiite extremism under the banner of Islam are not different in their barbarism because none of them represents Islam, but some brand of religious fascism.

For this reason, no security policy can justify alliance with the mullahs. Principles cannot be forgotten. No country should close their eyes on violations of human rights and womens rights in Iran for economic interests.

Today, there is an alternative for Iran that is based on a democratic project which respects followers of all religions and faiths, non-believers, all freedoms and womens equality with men. This alternative deserves to be heard.

The solution proposed by this alternative can herald a new era for the people of Iran and the region, and of course, for Europe. The only thing we need is to adhere to democratic values.

I thank you very much.
By most measures, Africa is safer today than it has been in the modern era: Diseases are less deadly and wars are less frequent. But recent years have also been marked by a rise in radical extremism on the continent, and the terror threat could derail some of the world's fastest-growing economies.

Dealing with the spread of radicalization has been a central focus of U.S. President Barack Obama's foreign policy during his time in office.

Few areas have been spared over the past eight years, with much of the continent living in the shadow of a violent extremist group: al-Shabab in Somalia and East Africa, Islamic State (IS) in Libya, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in Mali, the Lord's Resistance Army in central Africa, and Boko Haram in Nigeria.

The Obama administration has searched for answers to this problem with varying degrees of success. Obama's military strategies included aerial bombardment, intelligence assistance, logistical support and training missions.

A militarized foreign policy isn't what many of the president's supporters in Africa or at home wanted when he took office, but it is what Obama determined was necessary.

"We've seen this terror threat grow, and the administration response has been to ramp up [military-to-military] cooperation to continue and enhance drone strikes so there's new drone bases in a number of countries on the continent that didn't exist before the Obama administration," said Joshua Meservey, policy analyst specializing in Africa and the Middle East at the the Heritage Foundation. "So that's been a central thrust of his foreign policy. Perhaps, yes, that is a disappointment to some on the continent who were hoping for what is termed as a more equitable relationship."

Military engagement

In Somalia, the U.S. has offered training to African Union troops fighting the al-Shabab insurgents as well as to Somali National Armed Forces preparing to take over security responsibilities in the fragile country.

In Libya, the U.S. assisted with an aerial campaign in the last quarter of 2016 to degrade the abilities of IS in the city of Sirte and other strongholds. This came several years after the U.S. and NATO allies participated in the ouster of Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi.

In Nigeria, the U.S. has offered intelligence support, equipment, advice and training in the fight against Boko Haram.

In central Africa, 100 U.S. military advisers have been deployed in an unsuccessful search for the warlord Joseph Kony.

"The U.S. has deepened its military engagement with Africa," said Alex Vines, head of the Africa Program at U.K.-based Chatham House. "Under [former President] George W. Bush there was the launching of the U.S.-Africa Command, a dedicated command focusing on Africa, and so the Obama administration has just really continued that trend."

Vines said the U.S. model is not to have large bases on the continent, which are costly and unpopular. The strategy is more about finding ways to perform counterterrorism operations that leave a small footprint.

Preferred strategies are those that rely on drone or aerial strikes or those that can be termed force multipliers, such as sharing intelligence and providing training.

Perhaps the most high-profile U.S. military engagement with the continent came during the Ebola outbreak of 2014 when the U.S. sent about 2,800 soldiers, in addition to doctors and aid workers, to build treatment units, treat patients and contain the spread of the virus in Liberia.

"Hundreds of thousands, maybe a couple million lives were saved," Obama said during his 2016 State of the Union address. "When we help African countries feed their people and care for the sick, it's the right thing to do, and it prevents the next pandemic from reaching our shores."

Trumps plans unclear

It is unclear what President-elect Donald Trump has planned for Africa in terms of military partnerships.

During the campaign, Walid Phares, a Lebanese-American foreign policy analyst and adviser to Trump, said that Africans can expect a stronger commitment to fighting terror than that shown by Obama.

"Africans like Obama, for sure, but his foreign policy was not good for Africans, and Sahel countries feel they were not part of this policy," Phares said. "They would rather go now with a Trump administration. Without security, there is no economy."

But the U.S. has been far from absent in the Sahel. Since 2005, the U.S. has led the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership that works with Sahel countries including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal to build military capacity to fight terror and transnational crime.

Each year, the U.S. holds an annual counterterrorism exercise, Flintlock, in a Sahel nation.

In February 2016, the U.S. gave $71 million in equipment, logistics support and training to the militaries of the countries in the Lake Chad Basin for fighting Boko Haram. This followed $85 million in other programs designed to help these countries improve border security and defeat the terror group. In 2016, the U.S. also opened a drone base in Niger to offer surveillance of illicit activity in the Sahel.

Meservey said he expects a large degree of continuity when it comes to U.S. military assistance to African countries under Trump.

Many countries that receive large amounts of military aid are fighting groups that pose a threat to the United States, as well. A Trump administration is unlikely to want to hamper that effort.

If there is a change in Trump's strategy, it may be an emphasis on reciprocity and holding partner nations more accountable, one analyst said.

"We might see more demands, perhaps, on recipient countries of this military aid," Meservey said. "Now these countries do contribute. Oftentimes, it's with manpower  that's what they have and they can contribute  and the U.S. contributes funds and training and material so that we might see more demands made of the countries.

"There are lots of bad ways to deliver military aid and there are good ways to deliver it," he added. "So there can be debates within how you deliver aid or whether you're supporting responsible militaries. So those are the debates that should be had, and they should be ongoing."
Business leaders in Davos, traditionally the high priests of globalization, are talking up the benefits of local production this week to shield themselves from criticism from incoming U.S. President Donald Trump.

Elected on a jobs-focused America First platform, Trump has taken to Twitter to rebuke major companies like General Motors, Lockheed Martin and United Technologies, either for making goods in Mexico or for the price of their products.

Adjusting to Trump era

At this weeks World Economic Forum (WEF), a gathering of business and political elites in the Swiss Alps synonymous with free markets, company bosses said they were now preparing to adjust to the Trump era.

The basic message is to be more national, dont just be global, Richard Edelman, CEO of communications marketing firm Edelman, told Reuters. Lets try and pre-empt that tweet by having a long-term discussion about the supply chain.

Revised strategy

General Motors on Tuesday highlighted moves it said would add nearly 2,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs, including a decision to shift some production of axles to an American factory, rather than have them supplied from Mexico. The automaker said it wanted to build where we sell.

There is no doubt we need to adapt, Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Renault-Nissan, told Reuters. All carmakers have to revise their strategy as a function of what is coming.

At the same time, companies are reviewing potential mergers and rethinking job cuts, fearing the stigma of being labeled anti-American.

What companies have yet to spell out is the economic cost of such shifts or the extent of localization that will be needed to keep the peace with the new White House administration.

Tax reform

Adding to the incentive to increase U.S. manufacturing is the promise of lower corporate taxes under the Trump administration.

It could mean increased investment in the U.S., Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez told Reuters.

Vishal Sikka, chief executive of Infosys, which provides IT services to large companies including banks, said his company expected more business from helping companies localize.

The irony is that when more walls show up it is a good opportunity for services companies to help do business across those walls, he said.

The move to go local in response to Trump looks set to fuel a trend already evident in some industries, including food and fashion, which are trying to tap into consumer demand for homegrown materials and production.

Other businesses are also thinking locally to mitigate currency risks in certain markets. Food companies in Britain, for example, which have seen their costs soar after the pound sterling plummeted in the wake of the Brexit vote, have started moving toward local suppliers where possible to keep costs down.

In some cases, technological advances are helping by making it easier for companies to shorten their supply lines.

With 3D printing, for example, some of the supply chain will  come back to the local economies, said Frans van Houten, CEO of Dutch health care technology group Philips. I think we will see supply chains becoming more regional.

Such tech-fueled localization may be a competitive advantage for multinational companies in a world of increasing geopolitical uncertainty, but it brings fresh challenges for developing economies that could lose out as jobs return to richer countries like the United States.

Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP, the worlds largest advertising agency, said U.S. growth could come at the cost of nations elsewhere.

The issue on Trump is what you win on the U.S. swings, you may lose on the international roundabouts, he said.
Editors note: As Donald Trump prepares to take the oath of office, the prospect of his presidency inspires the hopes of millions of Americans, 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.

A block from Nebraskas Capitol, with its unique one-chamber, nonpartisan Legislature, is the lobbying office of Bill Mueller and Kim Robak, who embody the make-it-work spirit of this city: Theyre husband and wife, Republican and Democrat.

And though neither was a Donald Trump booster, they are trying to remain positive about his presidency and even hope it might make hyperpartisan Washington, D.C., a bit more like Lincoln.

Wouldnt it be cool if it could actually work? says Robak, with a trace of the peppy small-town girl she once was before rising through the political ranks to serve as her states lieutenant governor. Im not holding my breath, but if we could actually break the gridlock? Thats what the voters want.

Its not starting off in that direction, says her less-optimistic-sounding husband, as Republicans in Congress gear up to repeal the Affordable Care Act. You should have listened to MSNBC this morning. Its white and black, good and bad, God and the devil  and if youre in the other party, youre the devil.

Lancaster County, home to Lincoln as well as the politically diverse Mueller-Robak family, is among the most evenly split on political lines of any major county in the nation. Hillary Clinton won here by only 310 votes out of 132,569 cast.

And yet, in the polarized America that Donald Trump takes the helm of, this place has somehow risen above the divisiveness, or at least learned how to live peacefully in opposition. Democrats and Republicans reside amiably side-by-side in farmhouses on gravel roads, old brick buildings converted to condos in the city center, or subdivisions of prairie-style houses in between.

They speak cautiously about their expectations for the Trump administration. Maybe its their low-key Midwestern attitude, or that people are simply exhausted after the grueling campaign of 2016.

A lot of the quiet is because no one is exactly sure whats going to happen, says Ari Kohen, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who contrasts the ideological diversity of his students with the blanket liberalism of those he taught on the East Coast. People keep asking me whats going to happen, and I keep telling them no one knows.

That uncertainty crosses party lines.

Well find out pretty soon if its going to work or not, says Eddie Kramer, 29, before tucking into eggs and hash browns with his wife, Abby, at a firehouse-themed cafe in town.

If it works, the Kramers, who both work for insurance companies and voted for Trump, hope their health insurance bills shrink. The monthly premiums for them and their two children increased about $50 last year, and they had to pay $80 for required medications after their 7-year-olds tonsils were removed.

Still, theyve tried to keep the Trump talk down since Election Day.

We have a lot of friends on both sides, Abby Kramer says. We try to keep our opinions to ourselves because we dont want to offend anyone.

With its population of 277,000, Lincoln is a big city for Austin Wendt, a computer science major at the university. Hes from the agricultural town of Columbus, Nebraska, 78 miles to the north. It would be an understatement to say I was raised Republican, he says.

On Election Day, Wendt watched the returns with friends, some Trump supporters, some Clinton supporters. He expected to have a nice drink while watching his candidate, Trump, lose. Instead, his Clinton friends melted down.

Wendt wants Trump to follow through on his promise to stop illegal immigration to help Americans reclaim jobs he believes have been taken by immigrants.

We have these laws in place and theyre not being carried out, he says.

But hes conflicted: One of his closest friends at the university is a student from Brazil whos gotten a job with Microsoft but fears losing his work visa if Trump follows through on his campaign promises. Wendt himself has a programming job lined up after he graduates this spring.

Across town, Suliman Bandas teaches English as a second language, his students immigrants and refugees from Iraq who say they feel safe in a town that, so far, tolerates difference. But Bandas, a refugee from the Sudan, worries about Americas reputation as a country of refuge, a country of protection under Trump.

It should not be up to a president to change a countrys value and principle, he says.

Vincent Powers is also looking ahead warily. The outgoing chairman of the Nebraska Democratic Party, he thinks its going to be worse than anyone imagines.

Hes not worried for himself; hes a successful plaintiffs attorney and expects to benefit from Trumps proposed tax cuts tilted toward the wealthy. He is concerned for immigrants and those who depend on the Affordable Care Act or government aid.

But Powers finds solace in his hometown and his friends and neighbors, many of whom voted for Trump. The thing about Nebraska is, we dont have mountains, we dont have any oceans. All we have is people, he says.

We have a great quality of life, and Im not going to let politics sap the way I approach life.
Donald Trump is preparing to take executive actions on his first day in the White House on Friday to roll back policies of outgoing President Barack Obama and implement parts of his plans to crack down on immigration and build a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border.

Trump, a Republican who was elected on Nov. 8 and will be sworn in during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, is poised to wield one of the most powerful tools of his office, the presidential pen, for executive actions that can be implemented without the input of Congress.

"He is committed to not just Day 1, but Day 2, Day 3 of enacting an agenda of real change, and I think that you're going to see that in the days and weeks to come," Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said Thursday, telling reporters to expect activity Friday, during the weekend and early next week.

The top items on the agenda for Trump, who has presided over a sprawling business empire but has never before held public office, mirror the populist pledges that fueled his election victory: immigration curbs and job creation, particularly in the manufacturing sector, Spicer said.

"It's just frankly a question of sequencing," he said, declining to give details about the president-elect's upcoming executive actions.

Trump's advisers vetted more than 200 potential executive orders for him to consider signing on health care, climate policy, immigration, energy and numerous other matters, but it was not clear how many orders he will approve, according to a member of the Trump transition team who was not authorized to talk to the press.

Trump also is expected to impose a federal hiring freeze and reverse some environmental protections.

Obama, a Democrat ending eight years as president, made frequent use of his executive powers during his second term in office, when the Republican-controlled Congress stymied his efforts to overhaul immigration and environmental laws. Many of those actions are now ripe targets for Trump to reverse.

Border wall

Trump is expected to sign an executive order in his first few days to direct the building of a wall on the southern border with Mexico, one of several immigration-related steps his advisers have recommended.

That includes rescinding Obama's order that allowed more than 700,000 people brought into the United States illegally as children to stay in the country on a two-year authorization to work and attend college, according to several people close to the presidential transition team.

It is unlikely Trump's order will result in an immediate round-up of these immigrants, sources told Reuters. Rather, he is expected to let the authorizations expire.

The issue could set up a flash-point with Obama, who told reporters Wednesday that he would weigh in if he felt the new administration was unfairly targeting these immigrants.

Trump also is expected to announce more specific plans to build the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, and actions to limit the entry of asylum-seekers from Latin America.

Extreme vetting

Advisers to Trump expect him to put restrictions on people entering the United States from certain countries until a system for "extreme vetting" for Islamic extremists can be set up.

During his campaign for the presidency, Trump had proposed banning non-American Muslims from entering the United States but his executive order regarding immigration is expected to be based on nationality rather than religion.

Another proposed executive order would require all Cabinet departments to disclose current work being done in connection with Obama's initiatives to curb carbon emissions to combat climate change and halt the work until further directed.

Trump is expected to extend prohibitions on future lobbying imposed on members of his transition team in his first days in office.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring "big league" change to America, but his plans for his first 100 days in office are about to bump up against the realities of Washington politics and bureaucracy.

In October, he outlined a "100-day action plan to make America great again." In it, he listed a series of steps to bring "honesty, accountability and change to Washington."

The actions aim to protect American jobs, rid Washington of "corruption and special interest collusion" and restore law and order, he said.

However, the billionaire businessman who is accustomed to unilaterally making decisions and issuing orders, faces the same complex political considerations and lumbering government that have frustrated presidents before him.

"The American bureaucracy is a sluggish place," said John Hudak, the Brookings Institution's deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management and a senior fellow in governance studies.

Some actions Trump has promised to take during his first 100 days as president, such as rolling back regulations, may take years to carry out.

There is disagreement within his own party on other actions, such as his plan for massive spending on infrastructure to create jobs.

"That's not something that Republicans in Congress are going to want to spend significant amounts of money on without offsets," Hudak said.

Trump's promise to immediately repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare will face hurdles, even though there is bipartisan agreement on the need for reform.

"I think the battle over the Affordable Care Act will be intense," said James Thurber, American University professor of government and founder of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. He predicted legislation to repeal it will pass easily, but the replacement "will be difficult."

What Trump can do

On the other hand, Trump will be able to quickly undo steps previously taken with the use of presidential powers.

"On day one, he is able and has the power to reject the executive orders of Obama, and there are many that he wants to get rid of," Thurber said.

Trump has vowed to "cancel every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama."

"I think that he is entirely within his lawful power to do so," Obama said during a December interview with National Public Radio. "If he wants to reverse some of those rules, that's part of the democratic process."

Such actions range from immigration restrictions and refugee admissions to ethics orders and tariffs.

Trump has vowed to immediately begin removing more than two million undocumented immigrants with criminal records. He also planned to swiftly suspend immigration from "terror-prone regions" where extreme vetting cannot occur.

Congress

Experts predict Trump will enjoy the customary "honeymoon" phase with Congress during his first months in office.

Top agenda items include repealing the Affordable Care Act, overhauling immigration and passing comprehensive tax reform. However, even with a Republican majority some of Trump's controversial proposals may run into trouble.

"He has a unified-party government, the same party controlling the House and Senate. Most presidents who have that get what they want," noted Thurber. But "Trump will have a bit more of a problem getting what he wants."

Trump's proposals on ethics reform have already hit roadblocks. Trump has called for term limits on members of Congress.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has apparently nixed the term limits idea. "I would say we have term limits now. They're called elections. And it will not be on the agenda in the Senate," declared the Republican senator.

"Democrats in Congress are going to annoy Trump. Republicans in Congress are going to be the true thorn in his side," Hudak said.

For example, some within Trump's party support trade, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which Trump has sharply criticized as a job-killer.

On day one, Trump said he will state his intention to renegotiate NAFTA. If the U.S. does not get a better deal, the U.S. will withdraw from it, he has warned.

As president, Trump will have the power to withdraw from NAFTA under Article 2205, which states he must simply provide six-months written notice of the intent to do so.

But it will be a politically messy proposition if Trump follows through on the threat.

When NAFTA went into effect in 1994, it eliminated nearly all tariffs on trade and made it easier for U.S. businesses to invest in Mexico. Supporters have argued that withdrawing from NAFTA will hurt American investors and consumers.

Softening positions?

Since outlining his 100-day plan of action, the president-elect has softened his stance on some campaign pledges, including massive spending on infrastructure and opposition to the Paris accord on climate change.

The "big, beautiful wall" he vowed to build along the southern border with Mexico during the campaign may be a fence in some areas, he has acknowledged.

He has seemingly changed position multiple times on his hardline campaign call for a complete and total shutdown on Muslim immigration.

His shifting rhetoric may signal a willingness to bend to the realities of governing in Washington. Still, Trump has remained unpredictable and continued to break with tradition and protocol. That has left many, domestically and internationally, puzzled and unsure about which actions he will actually take during his first 100 days at the White House.

After meeting with Trump in the Oval Office following his election victory, Obama described the real estate tycoon as "pragmatic."

Trump has simply said he has an "open mind."
Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, the most dangerous form of TB, is on the rise in South Africa, according to a new study. So-called XDR-TB does not respond to four or more drugs typically used to treat tuberculosis, making the condition potentially lethal.

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, say extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis has spread from person-to-person in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, contributing to a tenfold increase in the number of cases in the country since 2002.

The finding explains why it has been difficult to contain the epidemic, despite improvements in diagnosis and implementation of a system to ensure tuberculosis patients take all their prescribed medications.

XDR-TB does not respond to two first-line drugs commonly used to treat TB, and it is resistant to at least two second-line drugs. Without treatment, the condition is fatal.

Researchers studied 404 patients with XDR-TB to determine whether their TB had become resistant due inadequate treatment, or whether the disease was contracted through contact with another person.

Reporting in the New England Journal of Medicine, co-author Sarita Shah said 69 percent of the cases were transmitted person-to-person.

"What this really means is that we have got to focus our attention on breaking the cycle of transmission by evaluating people who are in close contact in households, in health centers, in people who are in the community where we have been able to show in this study that the disease is being transmitted," said Shah, associate chief for science in the Division of Global HIV and TB at the CDC.

Tuberculosis is a common infection in people living with AIDS. In recent years, drug resistance has begun to emerge, particularly among those who do not take their medications as prescribed. Usually, however, drugs can be found to fight the illness.

With XDR-TB, the choices become much narrower and the drugs that can be used are less effective. That makes the condition expensive and very hard to treat.

By entering the community unchecked, drug-resistant TB becomes very difficult to contain, according to Shah, which puts the lives of tens of millions of people at risk.

Public health officials must try to identify who is infected to keep the disease from spreading further, Shah says.

"In about 30 percent of our [research] participants, we were able to identify specific links between people showing transmission occurs from person-to-person, she said. Half of these were occurring in hospital settings and the other half were in households ... among family members or close members in the community."

Investigators used social network analysis and genetic fingerprinting to trace cases of the disease to their source. But the work was time consuming, adding to the already difficult task of disease containment and treatment.

It is not just South Africa that is experiencing a rising problem with multi-drug resistant strains of tuberculosis. Shah says more than 100 countries are now battling the disease.
In the Guinean capital, Conakry, journalists and civil society leaders have been discussing the role of the media in fostering stability during upcoming legislative polls. Relatively new to democratic elections, the West African country has seen violent clashes stemming from political rivalries, and the slightest rumor or partisan report can spark trouble.The political divide in Conakry is such that a friendly debate on current affairs among university-educated young men can turn quite heated. This discussion, over traditional sweet tea, had its rowdy moments. But it all ended with laughs and handshakes.Friendly debate is not always the norm in Conakry, where deep government-opposition rivalry, coupled with dire living conditions, has time and again prompted violence in the streets.Most recently, in May, the opposition staged protests - deeply suspicious of the government's intentions in the upcoming parliamentary election. They resulted in two days of deadly clashes.Guineans say the media - especially in the run-up to the September 24 legislative poll - has a pivotal role in ensuring that a tense climate does not degenerate into chaos. But is a tense climate reason to restrain coverage? Local journalists walk a fine line.In 2010, Guinea entered a political transition with its first-ever open and transparent presidential election. The change opened the way for greater press freedom, but repression is still a problem. The global press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders says authorities have often pointed to the countrys social fragility as a pretext for stifling the media. Some Guineans say some local reporters, though, indeed exploit social and ethnic divisions, and must take care not to do so."I listen to certain radio broadcasts, Im terrified. I dont want to go out for fear of being attacked," said Ibrahima Kalil Conde, who works for a logistics firm in Conakry. "Some broadcasts sow terror and hatred among Guineans, and this is what journalists absolutely must avoid."Conde said he has heard radio interviews or man-on-the-street exchanges that include insults against certain ethnic groups. He said such broadcasts appear intent on provoking, not informing.But radio station director Cherif Papus Gono said that while there is some misconduct in the media, Guinean citizens are becoming more discerning. He said the people are increasingly able to distinguish between objective and non-objective media outlets and reporters.The international NGO Search for Common Ground, the U.N., and other institutions are holding forums in the run-up to legislative polls, in part to discuss the social responsibility of the media.Mohamed Conde is secretary-general in Guineas communications ministry. He said in Guinea social responsibility means journalists taking into account the countrys unique socio-political context as they report and diffuse information, and this could mean holding back information likely to provoke unrest.Bangaly Camara is director of Guineas Institute of Information and Communication, where he trains local journalists. He said journalists are reaching thousands of people at a time, and what they must understand is that first and foremost they are citizens, and it is not at all in their interest to fuel tensions. If journalists dissect candidates campaign messages and help voters make an informed choice, he said, they will have played their role and all Guineans come out ahead.Guinea has scores of private radio and TV stations and websites. In a country where about 60 percent of the population is illiterate and recurrent power cuts make television-watching rare, most people get their news from radio.In a 2011 report, Reporters Without Borders said Guinean media remain riven with ethnic divisions, and state media gave very limited play to the opposition. And there are continued concerns about crackdowns on journalists.Guinea is ranked 86th out of 179 countries in Reporters Without Borders yearly press freedom index.
The weather is bone-chilling, best fit for hot chocolate and a sweater. Even the steam of fresh crepes being flipped at an outdoor market cannot soften its bite.

So it may be no surprise that many shoppers brush past the activists handing out flyers bearing the smiling face of far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

Municipal councilor Laurent Salles has seen it before. Not so long ago, few French admitted publicly to voting for Le Pen or her National Front (FN) party. Today, things are different, even in this once staunchly Communist suburb, where the Eiffel Tower is etched on the skyline.

Suresnes is now solidly center-right. Salles says he is hoping that growing concerns over immigration, Europe and Islamist extremism will tilt it even further.

Ive seen a change in how the population views us, says Salles, who joined the FN three decades ago at age 16. Its a lot less conflicted because the fears [about the party] have lessened. They see us in action as elected officials.

Going mainstream

The party now wants to go mainstream in a big way, hoping voters will elect 48-year-old Le Pen as Frances first female leader. While the FN has long been a fixture in national politics, Salles is not alone in detecting a growing public acceptance.

Five or six years ago many voters did not want to tell polling institutes they contemplated voting for the National Front, says far-right expert Jean-Yves Camus. Today theyre more outspoken, although the National Front has not changed much on issues like national identity, immigration and xenophobia.

During a recent interview with foreign media, including VOA, Le Pen outlined presidential priorities that include holding a referendum on leaving the EU, closing French borders and pushing for an alliance with Russia and the United States to fight Islamist extremism.

She also defended populism rising across Europe and the United States.

Is it those who want to defend the government of, for and on behalf of the people? asked Le Pen, who was among the first European politicians to congratulate President-elect Donald Trump on his win. If thats the case, then I accept being called a populist.

Riding voter anger

Frances April-May election is among Europes most closely watched this year, and Le Pen is riding a wave of voter anger over a lackluster economy, rising immigration and militant Islam.

Many predict Le Pen will lead Aprils first round of voting, but ultimately lose the May runoff, probably to center-right frontrunner Francois Fillon. More recently, she faces a new challenger in former economy minister Emmanuel Macron, who is also capitalizing on his outsider status, along with his youthful, maverick image.



But Le Pens support remains sizeable, and she has an edge over her European counterparts.

Usually extreme right parties are led by men, says analyst Camus. Now we have this woman in her 40s, who appeals as a modern woman and who is not only attracting elderly, white male voters, but younger female ones as well.

At the weekly Suresnes market, computer technician Olivier Nicolas agrees with Le Pens views on immigration and border control, although he is uncertain whether he will vote for her.

I dont think she can win, he adds. Theres a real glass ceiling because of the media labeling the FN as far-right, even though its ideas are pretty much the same as the center rights in the 1990s.

But another shopper, 59-year-old Evelyne Nodex, believes France is ready for change.

Left, right, its the same, she says of the mainstream alternatives. Things are stagnating. Weve never had the National Front in power. Why would they be any worse?
Hundreds of inmates from rival drug gangs clashed on Thursday inside a Brazilian prison where 26 inmates were killed in the latest of an ongoing series of bloody uprisings, television images showed.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas canisters into the yard of the Alcacuz prison in northeastern Brazil as helicopters buzzed overhead. Prisoners erected makeshift barricades, while inmates traded blows with wooden clubs and hurled stones.

Some police appeared to be firing live rounds from a watchtower. There was no immediate word on deaths, but several inmates clearly appeared to be injured.

The outbreaks of violence were the latest in Brazil's beleaguered penitentiary system, where 140 people have died in clashes in recent weeks.

The overcrowded prisons are now the battleground in a quickly escalating war between the nation's two biggest drug gangs, the Sao Paulo-based First Capital Command (PCC) and the Red Command based in Rio de Janeiro.

For two decades, the two factions have maintained a working relationship, ensuring a steady flow of drugs and arms over Brazil's porous border. But about six months ago, the PCC began trying to muscle the Red Command out of drug routes.

The PCC has aggressively moved into new areas in the north and northeast of Brazil, where all the deadly clashes have taken place in recent weeks. In response, the Red Command has allied itself with local gangs, enlisting them to take on the PCC.

The bloodshed has mostly played out inside the prisons, but security experts fear it will soon spill into already violent city streets.

The violence, the deadliest outbreak in the sharply criticized penal system in over two decades, has gripped Brazil.

Cellphone videos circulate widely on social media, some showing gang members chopping the heads off their rivals, slicing their hearts out and disemboweling them.

Members of a SWAT team entered the Alcacuz prison Wednesday night to transfer over 200 of the prisoners that belong to the

"Crime Union of RN" gang - RN being initials for the local Rio Grande do Norte state, whose members had been killed this past weekend by PCC inmates.

Police said they searched cells and confiscated a large quantity of guns, knives, homemade weapons and bullet-resistant vests.

Caio Bezerra, the top security official for Rio Grande do Norte, told reporters the Wednesday night operation was successful and that prisoners did not resist.

The spokesman for the state police force, Major Eduardo Franco, told Reuters late Wednesday the prison was back under control.

The killings began on Jan. 1, when the powerful North Family gang, which is allied with the Red Command, killed 56 inmates at a prison in Amazonas state, mostly PCC members. The North Family controls a lucrative cocaine route along the

Solimoes, a branch of the Amazon that flows from Colombia and Peru, the world's top two cocaine-producing nations.

The PCC retaliated on Jan. 6 by killing 33 inmates at the Monte Cristo prison in the Amazonian state of Roraima, before carrying out the most recent killings at Alcacuz this past weekend.

In another prison in northeastern Brazil on Thursday, at least one inmate was killed when members of different gangs clashed, authorities said.

Prisoners fought, burnt mattresses and ripped down part of the roof in one of the blocks of the Caico prison, also in Rio Grande do Norte, before being suppressed by guards, a spokesperson for the state's security secretariat said.

Five inmates were injured in the clashes.
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez is the most positively-viewed likely candidate in November's general election, putting him in a good early position as he seeks to win an unprecedented second consecutive term, a poll released on Wednesday showed.

Hernandez, a member of the conservative National Party, was viewed positively by 55 percent of those surveyed in the CID/Gallup poll from January 5-12, which was published in the La Prensa newspaper.

The poll showed Salvador Nasralla, a center-right political television show host who is running for the Anti-Corruption Party (PAC), in second place with 47 percent approval.

Hernandez, a 48-year-old lawyer, was given the go-ahead to run for a second term after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional ban on re-election in 2015. That ruling came six years after a military coup ousted leftist Manuel Zelaya over his own efforts to reverse the ban through a referendum.

Xiomara Castro, wife of Zelaya and candidate for the leftist Liberty and Refoundation Party (LIBRE), was in third place in the CID/Gallup poll with 44 percent.

According to CID/Gallup, a favorable rating of more than 50 percent is a key indicator of a given candidate's likelihood to win.

Hernandez and Castro are expected to win their parties' primaries this March, which would confirm their general election candidacies.

The poll included 1,226 interviews and had a 2.82 percent margin of error.
The day following his death he was due to give evidence in front of Argentinas Congress. He had collected some very compelling evidence regarding the case of the AMIA Jewish centre bombing in 1994  the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentina, claiming the lives of 85 people.

He had convincing evidence that senior Iranian officials were behind the attack. Years before this, in 2007, Interpol issued red notices (similar to international arrest warrants) for five Iranian officials because of evidence presented by Nisman.

The evidence he was due to present at Congress implicated the president of Argentina (at that time), Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. He had got hold of numerous wiretaps with conversations between Kerchner, the Foreign Minister Hector Timerman and Iranian officials in Argentina.

According to Nisman, his evidence proved that Kirchner was trying to find a way to expand trade with Argentina by removing the red notices and granting immunity to those responsible for the AMIA attack.

The death of Nisman meant that he could not present the evidence in court, and supporters of Kirchner have spent the past two years keeping the complaint away from court. However, an Argentine court has agreed that an investigation will look into Nismans allegations.

Discussions in several wiretaps revolved around creating new evidence. A truth commission to investigate the bombing, negotiated by Kirchner, was a way for her to cover up Irans role in the bombing.

It is also believed that Kirchner discussed the invention of a culprit to take the blame.

Current President of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, has not become involved in the activities of Iran since he was elected in 2015. He has, however, taken steps to investigate the death of Nisman. However, it is more complicated than just an investigation because the countrys judicial and political systems are closely aligned. Hopefully Macri, who has already started to reform parts of the government, will see this as an opportunity to reform the judicial system.

Iran is trying to remove the red notices, but Argentina must stand firm and, hopefully with international support, renew the notices before they expire in November.

The international community should also support the investigation into Nismans death. The leading prosecutor has received death threats and the crime scene has been compromised. Macri should not have any tolerance for this and should punish those with any involvement.

Nismans work should be honoured and lawmakers, politicians and human rights organisations must take a lesson from this affair  the Iranian regime must be punished for its crimes and no death can be overlooked.
The name Imbonerakure means those who see far in Kirundi, the primary language of Burundi; but, Human Rights Watch says what it sees is the ruling partys youth league committing atrocities across the country.



In a new report, HRW accuses Burundis government of refusing to prosecute or rein in the Imbonerakure, which the rights group says should be held responsible for the violence.



These are very serious allegations and the cases that weve documented are likely a fraction of the wider pattern of abuses, said Leslie Lefkow, HRWs deputy Africa director. Its very clear that Imbonerakure members seem to have almost virtually complete impunity to commit abuses in Burundi at the moment.



HRW says its findings are based on interviews conducted over the past three months, in which it documented scores of cases of killings, torture and severe beatings.





Specifically, HRW says Imbonerakure members beat a 15-year-old boy to death with clubs, cut out a mans eye and then stomped him to death, and attacked people with knives, clubs, and wooden poles, among other abuses.

The rights group alleges members have also set up unofficial roadblocks in various provinces to sometimes detain and beat passersby, in addition to stealing money and possessions.



Attempts to reach Burundis presidential, police and ruling party spokespersons for a response to these allegations were unsuccessful.

According to Human Rights Watch, sources say they have lost confidence in the justice system, which they believe cannot help victims and may even be implicated in abuses.



These cases point to a deeper climate of fear, said Lefkow. There is a complete loss of confidence, in law enforcement, in the judiciary, because any politically sensitive cases are going to be led by ruling party policies.

HRW is asking authorities to immediately and publicly order Imbonerakure members to stop illegally detaining, ill-treating and extorting money from the population. It wants the judiciary to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the crimes, and for the government to remove the illegal roadblocks.



Call for individual sanctions



In addition, HRW is calling for individual targeted sanctions against those responsible for serious human rights violations, at the highest levels.

Burundis current crisis began in April 2015, when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his controversial bid for a third term. A recent report from human rights groups says that more than 1,000 people have died and hundreds have gone missing.





The government has announced it will leave the International Criminal Court, while the ICC is still deciding whether to launch a full investigation into alleged atrocities.



A European Parliament resolution Thursday called on the U.N. Security Council and the ICC to quickly open a full investigation.
Disabled refugees and migrants are not properly identified in Greece and have poor access to basic services such as toilets, showers, food and medical care, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Wednesday.

About 60,000 refugees and migrants live in formal and makeshift camps in Greece and Human Rights Watch said conditions there were deplorable and volatile.

People with disabilities are being overlooked in getting basic services, even though they are among the refugees and migrants most at-risk, said Shantha Rau Barriga, disability rights director at New York-based HRW.

Better housing for disabled

The group urged authorities to move anyone with a disability living in tents during winter to heated prefabricated homes, and said their dire situation was a wake-up call for the U.N. and the EU to start taking the issue more seriously.

It also called on the EU to step up its efforts and provide additional resources to austerity-hit Greece.

HRW said outdoor taps and showers were not accessible for wheelchair users in the camps it visited. An 85-year-old Syrian woman in a wheelchair told the group she had not showered in a month because she could not reach the facilities.

Several camps also lacked ramps to the toilets and elsewhere, an uneven, rocky terrain prevented some people from even reaching toilets with ramps, it said.

Greece is 'doing its best'

Disabled refugees face varying hurdles, it found. In one case, a 24-year-old deaf Syrian man whose hearing aids were damaged when he crossed the Aegean Sea by rubber boat in February received new aids only in October.

Asked to comment on the report before its release, a government spokesman, Giorgos Kyritsis, said Greece was doing its best and acknowledged it's highly likely we have not yet succeeded in facilitating the needs (of those with disabilities).

Roland Schoenbauer, a spokesman for the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) in Greece, said: UNHCR agrees that most of the government-run sites do not meet the standards for accommodating people with specific needs ... That's why we have prioritized people with disabilities in our accommodation scheme.

Disabilities not reported

The report, based on interviews with 40 refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants across Greece, said rushed registration procedures meant many disabled were not identified properly.

If you don't say it yourself, no one will ask you, a medical professional working for Medecins Sans Frontieres was quoted as saying. If it is a disability that is not obvious, visible, even if a refugee reports it, it won't be registered.

The group cited an Iraqi couple in their 20s saying they were not allowed to register their disabilities because they did not have a medical certificate for proof, even though they visibly struggled to stand or walk.

Greek authorities, the EU, the U.N., and aid organizations should make sure that people with disabilities are no longer an afterthought, Barriga of Human Rights Watch said.
Two days before the inauguration of Donald Trump, Washington, D.C. is growing ever more crowded with people who plan to witness his swearing-in as the 45th U.S. president.

This symbolic and constitutionally-mandated peaceful change of power on January 20, however, has not always taken place in Washington, D.C.

The first president of the United States, George Washington, took the oath of office in 1789 in New York City - which at the time was the temporary seat of power in the fledgling country after a hard-fought battle for independence from Britain.



Washington delivered the first inaugural address at New York Citys Federal Hall on April 30 in front of an audience of 10,000, according to the National Archives.

Washington was a tall man who presented an impressive and solemn figure as he took the oath standing on the second balcony of Federal Hall. With Vice President John Adams standing beside him, Washington repeated the words recited by Chancellor Robert R. Livingston. Washington then kissed the bible that was used in the ceremony.



According to historical accounts, Senator William Maclay of Pennsylvania observed that the much-admired Washington trembled when he faced the assembled representatives and senators.



"This great man was agitated and embarrassed," added Maclay, "more than ever he was by the levelled Cannon or pointed Musket."

Washington then went to the Senate chamber to deliver his inaugural address.

After delivering his address, Washington walked up Broadway, New York Citys famed street, which was lined with crowds, to pray at St. Pauls Chapel.

Later, Washington observed that his presidency, and the nation itself, were experiments.

Presidential inaugurations later took place the first week of March, until the 20th Amendment to the Constitution changed the date to January 20 in 1937.
An Indonesian wildlife group on Thursday urged authorities to provide immediate medical care for, and free, captive bears it alleges are being starved in a zoo close to the capital, Jakarta.

The case is the latest instance of alleged animal cruelty in Indonesia, where illegal wildlife trade and practices are rampant and there is a record of lax law enforcement.



Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group released a grim video this week showing emaciated sun bears waiting for visitors to throw food into their concrete enclosures in a privately-owned zoo in Indonesia's third-largest city, Bandung.

"These starving bears were first found in mid-2016," the group's senior investigator, Marison Guciano, told Reuters, adding there were 11 bears in all.

"The fastest and most important step is that we check their health. If they're sick, we treat them. We hope that these bears could be released from the cages of Bandung Zoo."

A zoo spokesman said government inspectors called in after the release of the video had declared the bears healthy.

"We have had people from the National Conservation Agency check up on the bears...and all are declared healthy," said the spokesman, Sudaryo, who has one name, as do many Indonesians.

Indonesia's second largest city of Surabaya is home to the "zoo of death," so called because dozens of animals have died there due to neglect.
A former Reuters war correspondent on trial in Indonesia on charges of possessing hashish faces up to four years in prison, a prosecutor said Thursday.

David Fox, a British national, was arrested Oct. 8 along with Australian Giuseppe Serafino on the tourist island of Bali. Police said they confiscated a total of 10.09 grams (0.36 ounces) of hashish from Fox's clothing and house.

He is being tried at the Denpasar District Court, where prosecutor Erawati Susina said he could face a maximum four years in prison. Serafino is being tried separately and faces the same possible sentence.

Police said Fox, 55, told them he had used the drug for years to overcome stress caused by covering conflicts.

He worked for Reuters for 20 years but was fired in 2011 for making an off-color remark in an instant-messaging system while covering the 2011 Japan tsunami and nuclear meltdowns.

Bali police first raided the house of Serafino in Sanur, a beachside town and resort area, where they reportedly seized 7.32 grams (0.26 ounces) of hashish. His arrest led to the detention of Fox at a bar run by Serafino.

Serafino, 49, told police he had used the drug since 2007 after being diagnosed with lip cancer.

Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws and convicted smugglers are often executed. More than 150 people are on death row, mostly for drug crimes. About a third of them are foreigners.

Eighteen people convicted of drug-related offenses, mostly foreigners, have been executed since President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo took office in October 2014.
An Islamic State-linked kidnap gang in the Philippines freed two Filipinos held captive for nearly three months, the military said on Thursday, the second release in less than a week by a group notorious for beheading foreigners.

It was unclear if a ransom was paid but the military said its intensified operations against the heavily armed Abu Sayyaf group likely forced it to release the captives.

"We've added more forces there so that's the most probable reason," said Franco Alano, spokesman for the military's Western Mindanao Command.

Abu Sayyaf on Saturday freed the captain of a South Korean cargo ship captain and a Filipino crew member held since October last year.

The group, which was born out of a separatist ideology but is better known for banditry and piracy, is still holding about two dozen foreign and Filipino captives on Jolo island, its stronghold where more than 10,000 troops have been deployed.

The military was expecting more captives to be freed in the coming days as its operations take their toll on the rebels, Alano said.
Heavy gunfire erupted after dark on Wednesday in Ivory Coast's second port city, San Pedro, residents said, as two weeks of military uprisings that have tarnished the West African nation's image as a post-war success story showed no sign of letting up.

The shooting came just hours after the other main port in the commercial capital, Abidjan, reopened after paramilitary gendarmes firing in the air temporarily sealed off access forcing companies, including cocoa exporters, to close down.

President Alassane Ouattara, who is also facing a wave of public sector strikes, ordered his defence minister and military chiefs to hold urgent talks with members of the security forces about their grievances in a bid to quell the instability.

Ivory Coast has emerged from a 2002-2011 political crisis and civil war as one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

But the violence, which began with an army mutiny nearly two weeks ago, has exposed festering divisions within the military.

Ivory Coast's army was cobbled together after the civil war from rebel and loyalist factions. It was not immediately clear who was shooting in San Pedro, which is an export point for cocoa grown in the fertile west and had until Wednesday remained untouched by the waves of revolts that have swept through much of the rest of the country.

"Shooting started at the [bus] station where I am now," said taxi driver Hugues Kape, who said he had heard gunfire in two other neighborhoods as well. "There's heavy shooting and we are trying to get home now."

A second resident confirmed the gunfire.

President's Plea

Earlier in the day in Abidjan, gendarmes - a police force under the authority of the defense ministry - poured out of their base, sealing of entrances to the port and bringing activity there to a standstill.

The port reopened later in the day, the port authority said.

Separately, guards in Bouake, the second largest city, also fired their weapons in front of the main prison to try to pressure the government into paying them more money, a local member of parliament said.

After a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, government spokesman Bruno Kone said: "The President of the Republic ... asks all soldiers, gendarmes, police, customs officers, forestry service agents and prison guards to facilitate the return of calm."

Defense Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi said the government was already in contact with those involved.

"We are going to regain control of this army so it will truly be at the service of the nation," he told reporters.

Soldiers - mainly ex-rebels - stormed out of their barracks and seized Bouake on Jan. 6, and the mutiny quickly spread, forcing the government to capitulate to the mutineers' demands.

The government started making promised bonus payments to disgruntled soldiers this week in line with an agreement to end the mutiny, although the payments have angered rival factions and triggered copycat demands.

Soldiers in other segments of the military revolted in the capital, Yamoussoukro, on Tuesday, leading to clashes in which at least two soldiers were killed.
A senior Jordanian military commander says the kingdom faces a growing threat to its border as Islamic State extremists in neighboring Iraq and Syria are being dislodged from their strongholds by military offensives.



Brig. Gen. Sami Kafawin told reporters on Thursday he expects some IS fighters, increasingly on the defensive, to make their way to southern Syria and Jordan's border. Kafawin commands the border guard forces.



He says there has been a "big difference" in threat levels over the last three years and that nearly half of Jordan's military personnel and resources have been deployed along the Iraqi and Syrian border  a sharp increase from before the 2011 outbreak of the Syrian conflict.



He says Jordan is deploying "more and more forces" at the border to safeguard against IS.
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 multimillion-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 percent of households are headed by women and that they are responsible for nearly 90 percent 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 for 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 build a 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 Reuters.

A spokesman for the National Land Commission told Reuters 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 Center 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 mobilize 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 relocated.

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."
The Indian Ocean island country of Maldives has told India it will not allow China to set up military bases on its territory. That is unlikely to calm fears China will consolidate its position in the Indian Ocean.

Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen conveyed the assurance the Maldives will remain a demilitarized zone in a letter given to Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi by the countrys foreign secretary Ali Naseer.

Last week, Indias foreign secretary, Subrahmanyan Jaishankar, visited Maldives to express concerns about a new law that allows foreigners to own land in the country if they invest $ 1 billion and reclaim 70 percent of the land from the sea.

India fears this law will pave the way for China to establish its military presence in the Maldives, a string of 1,200 islands located south of India along major shipping routes in the Indian Ocean.

But the Maldivian government says the law is only meant to attract foreign investors to establish special economic zones in the same way as countries like Dubai. It says this will give the country an economic boost and reduce its reliance on tourism.

Jindal School of International Affairs Dean Sreeram Chaulia said this is unlikely to calm Indian concerns because commercial investments in ports can also be used as strategic assets.

No matter what the modus operandi, we should look at the final outcome, which is a kind of colonization of the Maldives. They build large commercial interests, which are tied to energy or which are tied to infrastructure projects and modernization.," said Chaulia. "And whenever required, the Chinese do send submarines or they send military aircraft, but not on a permanent basis, but in a fly-in fly-out mode.

Major investor



China is a major investor in the Maldives, building housing projects, roads and a key bridge. A project to upgrade the Male airport was also handed to a Chinese firm last year after Maldives canceled a deal with an Indian company. Chinese top the number of tourists visiting the picturesque islands.

Experts say the new Maldivian law will make it harder for New Delhi to fend off growing Chinese influence in Indian Ocean countries.

Analyst Darshana Baruah at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi said India will have to contend with the Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean, which India considers its strategic backyard.

We already have tensions along our land border with China in north and opening up possibility for China to have a permanent position within our maritime border is making India nervous," said Baruah. "Tomorrow, if China has so much of economic interest and investments in the Indian Ocean, they will have all rights to protect their economic interest.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Maldives soon in a bid to revive Indias strategic clout in the country.
This blog generally follows traditional journalistic standards. It's not about opinions, though you may read one here occasionally. It's about facts that we think will be useful to rural journalists, non-rural journalists who do rural stories, and others interested in rural issues. We don't try to be provocative, so we don't generate as many comments as most blogs with the level of traffic we have, but we certainly invite comments -- and contributions, to

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REPUBLICATION
An al-Qaida linked extremist group claimed responsibility for Wednesdays suicide attack on a military camp in northern Mali that killed at least 60 soldiers and former rebels and wounded 115.

A car packed with explosives penetrated the camp in Gao as hundreds of soldiers gathered for a morning meeting.



They belong to the Joint Operational Mechanism, which brings together government forces and former Tuareg rebels who form patrols to enforce the 2015 Malian peace agreement.

Al Mourabitoune, which is linked to al-Qaidas North Africa branch, said it was behind the bombing.

Three days of mourning

Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop called the bombing criminal, cowardly and barbaric.

This attack should not distract us from our will to move forward to promote peace and to act against those who are trying to sabotage the peace process, Diop said during a scheduled meeting on Mali at the United Nations Security Council.

He said Mali will observe three days of mourning for the victims and vowed that those who carried out the bombing will be found and punished.

U.S. 'strongly condemns' bombing

U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous appealed to all sides to do what they can to preserve the peace deal in Mali, warning that if the security situation The continues to deteriorate, then soon there wont be any peace to keep in Mali.

The U.N. Security Council condemned the attack as well as any attempt to derail the peace process in Mali.

The U.S. also says it strongly condemns the cowardly attack in Mali. State Department spokesman John Kirby added that we also denounce in the strongest terms all efforts to derail implementation of the peace agreement.

A very shaky peace

Tuareg separatists took advantage of a 2012 military coup in Mali to briefly seize control of the north before al-Qaida linked militants drove them out.

A French force took back the region from the Islamists. Thousands of U.N. peacekeepers and Malian soldiers are overseeing a very shaky peace agreement between the Malian government and the Tuaregs.

Human Rights Watch says Islamists killed 29 U.N. peacekeepers last year and still threaten to impose strict Sharia law in northern and central Mali.

Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.
Mexico extradited top drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to New York on Thursday, ending a career that included two jail breaks and a lead role in a national drug war, the day before Donald Trump assumes the U.S. presidency.

He arrived in New York late Thursday and is expected to be arraigned there Friday. New York is one of several U.S. jurisdictions where Guzman faces charges.

Guzman, 59, was one of the world's most wanted drug kingpins until he was captured a year ago. Six months earlier, he had bust out of a high-security penitentiary in central Mexico through a mile-long tunnel, his second dramatic prison escape.

"The government ... today handed Mr. Guzman Loera to the U.S. authorities," the foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to a court decision on Thursday rejecting a legal challenge by his lawyers against extradition.

A photograph shown on Mexican television appeared to show Guzman being lead over tarmac by black-clad security officials.

Mexican officials said the timing of the move was both a last-minute gift to outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama and an olive branch to Trump, who has regularly insulted Mexico and threatened to tear up the NAFTA trade agreement that underpins its economy.

After Guzman slipped out of jail in July 2015, Trump said on Twitter he "would kick his ass" as president.

Guzman is charged in six separate indictments throughout the United States. He faces charges ranging from money laundering to drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder in cities that include Chicago, Miami and New York.

His career began in the opium and cannabis-farming hills of the northern state of Sinaloa but he grew to oversee perhaps the world's largest transnational cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine smuggling organization.

Guzman earned almost legendary status as an outlaw, but his ambition to control more trafficking routes was a key dynamic in Mexico's decade-long drug war that left more than 100,000 dead and from which his organization emerged mostly victorious.

The U.S. Justice Department thanked Mexico for "extensive cooperation and assistance in securing the extradition of Guzman Loera to the United States."

Juan Pablo Badillo, a lawyer for the smuggler, said he was surprised at the extradition and said four appeals were outstanding against Guzman's extradition.

"The transfer is not in line with the law," Badillo said.

Another of the gangster's lawyers, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, said he was waiting at the Ciudad Juarez prison to visit his client when he learned of the decision.

A Mexican official said the move was firstly recognition of Obama's efforts to work with Mexico on Guzman, but also to show good will to Trump in sending a source of such valuable information on the criminal underworld to the United States.

Mexico is expecting to have to negotiate hard to limit the economic pain of Trump's protectionist policies, and is sending its foreign minister to meet his aides next week.

"For mutual benefit they preferred to do it now, and not leave it open for the future, because they really don't know what will happen after tomorrow," said Eduardo Guerrero, director of Lantia Consultores.

However, Mike Vigil, a former DEA chief of international operations, said the Mexican government sped up Guzman's extradition so Trump would not be able to claim the victory as his own.

"The last thing they wanted was for Trump to take credit for Chapo Guzman's extradition," Vigil said.

The kingpin will be detained in New York, probably in the high-security Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Vigil said.

He left for New York at 3:15 pm local time, one U.S. official said. A worker at the airport said he was transported in a King Air aircraft.

The Mexican court system said in a statement Guzman would be tried in Texas and California, where he faces charges in El Paso and San Diego.

Guzman was being held in a prison in the infamously violent border city of Ciudad Juarez in the northern state of Chihuahua, where his Sinaloa cartel beat the rival Juarez cartel into submission.

Regardless of whether the move was a gift for Obama, Trump or both, many in both countries will be relieved to have him in the more robust U.S. prison system.

"It's a good thing to finally get him to the U.S. side," said a senior U.S. law enforcement official based in Mexico.
In Cameroon, a months-long strike by English-speaking professionals has snowballed into a movement calling for greater autonomy or even, some say, independence for Anglophone parts of the country.

The government, however, opposes such talk, and tensions continue to mount.

A group of seven youths forced a soldier in Ekona, a town in the southwest region, to acknowledge the existence of two banned groups, the Southern Cameroon National Council, or SCNC, and the more recently created Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, or CACSC.

The CACSC says its president, Balla Agbor, and its secretary general, Fontem Neba, were arrested late Tuesday and taken to a police detention camp in Buea, the capital of the southwest region. The CACSC says hundreds of supporters of the group have also been arrested.

Prior to their arrest Tuesday, Minister of Communication Issa Tchiroma held a news conference, saying Cameroon will not tolerate threats to national unity.

"The head of state has affirmed without any ambiguity that the unitary form of the state is intangible and Cameroon is one and indivisible and shall so remain, Tchiroma said. There will, therefore, be no federalism nor secession."

English-speaking lawyers and teachers have been on strike since October, protesting what they say is the overbearing use of French in public life. Cameroon is officially a bilingual country, but public documents are released only in French and most officials speak little or no English, even in areas where English is the designated language.

Among the unions original demands was for Cameroon to return to the system of federalism it abandoned in 1972.

Those striking professionals have been joined by other groups, including the SCNC, which was founded in 1995 to seek full independence for the two English-speaking regions.

The CACSC and SCNC say English-speakers are treated as second-class citizens. The government accuses these groups of hijacking the ongoing strike to further their own political interests.

Several demonstrations have degenerated into violence, and talks to end the strike are at a standstill. The government has banned public meetings and, earlier this month, authorities shut down a radio station in the northwest after it held an on-air debate on the strike.

Organizers have responded with a "ghost town" strategy, calling on people in English-speaking parts of the country to simply stay home. They held another "ghost town" exercise this week, bringing commerce and transport in some areas to a grinding halt.
A prominent environmentalist in Mexico was shot dead over the weekend, highlighting the dangers facing activists in Latin America and prompting calls for better protection of land and indigenous rights campaigners.

Isidro Baldenegro Lopez, an environmental rights activist, was killed by gunmen Sunday in Mexico's northern state of Chihuahua after having received death threats.

A community leader of Mexico's indigenous Tarahumara people, Baldenegro was known for his fight against illegal logging in the country's Sierra Madre mountain region.

For years he led non-violent protests against logging projects, including sit-ins and human blockades.

"The killing of Isidro Baldenegro Lopez is a tragic illustration of the many dangers faced by those who dedicate their lives to defend human rights in Latin America," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International, in a statement Wednesday.

"It is imperative that Mexico investigates this crime and that all governments across the Americas take more action to promote and protect the very important work human rights activists do with so much courage."

Baldenegro, one of Mexico's most prominent environmentalists, was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2005 for his work against deforestation.

He is the second recipient of the prize, given to grassroots environmental activists, to be murdered in less than a year.

Honduran environmental campaigner Berta Caceres, who won the Goldman Prize in 2015 for her battle against construction of a dam that threatened to displace indigenous people, was killed in March 2016.

Campaign group Global Witness also urged Mexico to make sure Baldenegro's killers are brought to justice.

"This crime must not be met with impunity, like the majority of these killings are," Ben Leather, a campaigner for Global Witness, said in a statement Wednesday. "The Mexican authorities must act with conviction, prosecuting those responsible for Isidro's murder and protecting his family and colleagues."

At least 33 right defenders were killed in Mexico from 2010 to 2015, according to a 2016 report by Global Witness.

Baldenegro's murder came at the start of a nine-day mission by United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Michel Forst to Mexico. Making his first visit to Mexico, Forst planned to assess the situation facing the country's human rights defenders and measures Mexican authorities are taking to protect activists.

"I'm deeply outraged by the murder of Isidro Baldenegro," Forst wrote Wednesday on Twitter.

Mexico's state prosecutor's office has started an investigation into Baldenegro's murder.

One gunman, who reportedly fled the crime scene, has been identified but not detained, according to local media.
In her cozy first-floor office at Judson Memorial Church, the Reverend Donna Schaper spends hours strategizing, mobilizing, providing legal help and services for New York Citys undocumented immigrants. Often, she puts her intermediate Spanish skills to the test.

On any Tuesday or Thursday night, several hundred people show up at the church trying to get help about a detained relative or a relative about to be deported, said Schaper, Judsons senior minister and co-founder of the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City.

Sanctuary churches, like Judson, are fearful Donald Trump will act on his post-election pledge to deport 2 million to 3 million undocumented immigrants that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers...

President Barack Obama also targeted undocumented immigrants with criminal records and deported a record 2.5 million people in his two terms in office.

The PICO Network, a coalition of faith communities that provide sanctuary, says five people are currently being sheltered in coalition churches as they fight to stop Obama administration deportation orders.

The cases are in Denver, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Chicago.

Sanctuary, then and now

What is known as the sanctuary movement began in the 1980s when congregations across the United States began providing shelter to asylum-seekers fleeing civil war in Central America.

Today, millions of undocumented immigrants from all walks of life can seek sanctuary. In New York City alone, 1 in 3 residents was born outside the United States, and half a million are undocumented.

Immigrant-friendly organizations that played a role in protecting immigrants more than 36 years ago are again overburdened with requests.

Like 40 other cities and 364 counties nationwide, New York is a sanctuary city. Since 1989, it has limited assistance to federal authorities that might result in an undocumented immigrants deportation.

Proponents of tougher immigration laws, like Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, object to the sanctuary cities.

We confer this special privilege on, in many cases, dangerous, violent criminals because they came here illegally, said Toomey, who has proposed legislation that would strip cities of federal development assistance if they fail to cooperate with federal authorities.

The impact of his bill, called the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act, would fall mainly on low-income neighborhoods that rely on the federal aid for affordable housing and public services.

Watch: In New York, Fear of Deportation Propels Sanctuary Movement

IDNYC

What makes a criminal? asked Poonam Dass, whose family migrated from Suriname when she was 3 years old.

Dass, who lives in Queens, New York, is a beneficiary of President Barack Obamas 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, which protects undocumented immigrants whose parents brought them to the United States as children.

Technically, Im a criminal because I dont have a piece of paper that determines my status, she said.

In 2014, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio tried to mitigate the piece-of-paper problem by creating the nations largest municipal identification card program, called IDNYC, which requires proof of identity and residency, but does not ask for information regarding immigration status.

Almost 1 million people applied for and received the identity documents. But the program has come under fire in recent weeks over a provision that authorizes the city to destroy all personal data if it is pressed to turn over that information to the federal government.

The reason people were willing to trust us is that we made it very clear we would never be in a situation where it would lead to their deportation, and were going to keep that pledge, de Blasio said during a press conference in December.

But two Republican New York State Assembly members have filed a lawsuit to block any such purge of personal data.

Assemblyman Ron Castorina, Jr. told VOA the purpose of his action is to prevent any violation of the states Freedom of Information Laws (FOIL) and to guard against fraud.

Were asking for [the information] to be maintained for security issues, Castorina said. No ones looking for a list to round people up.

Sanctuary schools

The president-elect, who once spoke of deporting all undocumented immigrants, now speaks only of deporting those with criminal records. He has also indicated he may find a solution for DACA recipients.

Were going to work something out thats going to make people happy and proud. But thats a very tough situation, Trump said in a Time Magazine Person of the Year interview in December. But this has not eased the fears of DACA beneficiaries like Dass.

Anand Ahuja, a lawyer and co-founder of Indian-Americans for Trump, says DACA beneficiaries should not expect to escape the consequences of their parents actions.

Its the fruit of a poisonous tree, Ahuja told VOA. If you can inherit your parents assets, you should inherit your parents liabilities also.

Only by setting a strong precedent, he argues, can the government deter others from illegally entering the country.

Because of the fear many students face, a number of New York City-based universities have joined the mayors sanctuary efforts.

In the event DACA is either terminated or substantially curtailed, wrote Columbia University Provost John Coatsworth, the university pledges to expand the financial aid and other support we make available to undocumented students.

While deeply skeptical of Trumps intentions, immigration lawyer Victoria Campos doubts the president-elect will ultimately repeal DACA, a program she described as very strict with regard to criminal records.

Youre not talking about immigrants that are just being protected, these are people with credits, these are people with debts, said Campos, who reported a post-election surge in cases involving minors. Not to mention the manpower that it would take.

Safety concerns

One of the fundamental debates surrounding sanctuary cities  apart from their legality  is whether they put residents at danger or make them safer.

I have met with many of the great parents who lost their children to sanctuary cities and open borders, Trump said during an immigration speech in August.

But Francis Madi, a regional outreach associate with the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), said the public is at greater risk if undocumented residents are afraid to report crimes.

If people dont feel comfortable enough to come to the police, then theres not going to be any type of trust and the police is not going to prevent these crimes from happening in the future, Madi said.

Guiding the spirit

Moving gently back and forth on her rocking chair, Reverend Schaper lets her eyes wander as she ponders the future of some of her closest friends.

If [Trump] follows through with what he says hes going to do, it will radicalize the immigration movement, and that will be a good thing. She pauses. But the suffering  the human suffering  along the way will be horrifying.

At 70, Schaper says she is both emboldened and tired. Suddenly, her face lights up.

The first week we had our friend in physical sanctuary here, a hundred or so undocumented people showed up and threw a great party, and brought food they probably couldnt afford and drink they probably couldnt afford, and it was so beautiful. She smiled. I believe people will take care of each other.
At his final news conference as president Wednesday, Barack Obama sought to reassure those Americans anxious about the change of administrations after eight years with him in charge: I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad.

White House reporters questioned Obama about his controversial action to shorten the prison term of former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, and other topics. The president fielded those easily, but took his time answering the final query, about how he discussed the results of the U.S. election with his two teenaged daughters, Sasha and Malia.

Obama said Malia and Sasha were disappointed by Republican Donald Trump's defeat of his preferred candidate, Democrat Hillary Clinton, just as he and first lady Michelle were, but that he is proud of them because they are resilient, patriotic and not cynical.

Watch: In White House Finale, Obama Optimistic About Future

The president admitted his public persona - calm and cheerful - is not quite the way he feels when behind closed doors.

I curse more than I do in public, and sometimes I get mad and frustrated, like everybody else does," he said. "But at my core, I think were going to be okay [as a country]. We just have to fight for it, we have to work for it, and not take it for granted, and I know that you will help us do that.

He said his daughters understand that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world.

With that, Obama thanked the members of White House press corps, waved, turned and left the Brady Briefing Room, packed to overflowing with reporters. Striking a quiet and at times wistful tone, the president said having reporters in the White House had made him a better president, and that a free press is essential to democracy.

To the journalists, he said: "You're not supposed to be sycophants. You're supposed to be skeptics. You're supposed to ask tough questions."

That appeared to be a follow-up to intense discussions among reporters about rumored plans by Trump aides to move the White House press corps out of their current quarters close to the president's Oval Office, to another location farther away, possibly in a different building.



Manning commutation

The first question to Obama Wednesday was about his commutation of the 35-year prison sentence handed down to Chelsea Manning for leaking classified military documents.

Since Manning already has served a longer sentence than others convicted of similar crimes, and since she has accepted responsibility for her actions, Obama said: "In light of all the circumstances, commuting her sentence was entirely appropriate."

The transgender former Army private has already endured a "tough" time in prison, he noted, so shortening the prison term meant that "justice was served." Manning is now due to be released in May, by which time she will have been behind bars for seven years.

Obama said he saw no contradiction between granting clemency to Manning while he denounces Russia's computer hacking of the U.S. presidential campaign, including the alleged theft of emails that embarrassed Democratic Party officials.

He also dismissed a promise by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks that its founder, Julian Assange, would agree to face charges in the U.S. in return for Manning's release: I don't pay much attention to Mr. Assange's tweets, so that wasn't a consideration."

Obama said he has tried to persuade Russia to reduce nuclear stockpiles, but Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has been reluctant to discuss that issue, so he hopes his successor will be able to make progress on nuclear disarmament.



Watch: Obama on Russia



Turning to the larger question of what role the United States plays in the world, the president said the sanctions that were brought against Russia after it annexed Ukraines Crimea region were a good example of the vital role America plays. He also urged the incoming administration to continue to prevent big countries from bullying smaller countries.

Overall, Obama, said, the transition between his administration and the Trump team has been "cordial." He added that he has advised the president-elect to gather a team of well-qualified advisers around him, because "this is a job you can't do alone."

Obama noted that Trump won the presidential election by opposing many of the initiatives he pushed during the past eight years. The new president will move forward with his own vision and values, Obama said, and I don't expect that there is going to be enormous overlap between the two administrations' policies or directions.

Obama said he would only speak up to criticize Trump if he feels core American values are at stake, through restrictions on voting rights, a harsh anti-immigrant policy or attacks on journalists. He declined to comment about the expected boycott of Trump's inauguration on Friday by more than 50 Democratic lawmakers; the outgoing president and his wife will at the U.S. Capitol to witness the new president's swearing-in ceremony.

In a message of diversity and inclusion, Obama said in the future he expects to see a woman president, a Latino president, a Jewish president, a Hindu president and many others in the United States.

Well have a whole bunch of mixed-up presidents at some point that nobody knows really knows what to call them, he said with a smile.

Obama reminded journalists there is still work to be done to repudiate "fake news," such as the claims last year - all thoroughly disproven - that the U.S. election results would be distorted by vote fraud. The president said there is an ugly history behind restrictive voting in the United States that traces back to slavery.

On another controversial topic, Obama said he decided to end the so-called wet foot, dry foot policy for Cuban immigrants because it no longer made sense, given the increasing engagement between the United States and Cuba. The administration ended the arrangement last week under which Cuban emigres would be allowed into the U.S. if they reached the mainland after fleeing their homeland (the "dry foot"), but not if they were picked up at sea (the "wet foot") before reaching the United States.

On the Middle East, the president said the moment may be passing for establishing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but that he feels the status quo is unsustainable for Israel.

Obama began the news conference Wednesday by offering prayers and well wishes to former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, both of whom fell ill and are hospitalized in Houston, Texas, - as fine a couple as we know.



WATCH: Obama to Bush family

At 55, Obama is younger than many U.S. presidents as they leave office. He has been somewhat vague about his post-presidency plans, although it likely includes writing a memoir and political attempts to help Democrats eventually regain political clout in Washington, where Republicans now control both houses of Congress. He said he is looking forward to spending time with his wife and daughters and being quiet, adding he has heard himself talk too darn much.



VOA's Mia Bush contributed to this report.
While misgivings and distrust marred and further complicated Pakistans relations with the United States over the past eight years, officials in Islamabad appear upbeat about a more substantive and mutually "advantageous" engagement with the incoming administration of Donald Trump.

President Barack Obamas administration provided billions of dollars in economic and military assistance to Pakistan for its cooperation in securing volatile tribal regions on the Afghan border.

But persistent allegations that anti-Afghanistan and anti-India militant groups continue to operate out of Pakistan, with not enough action taken against them, have strained Islamabads relations with Washington.

Pakistans allegedly fast-growing nuclear weapons capability has also deepened frictions and hampered progress in moving forward bilateral ties.

For their part, Pakistani officials complained that the Obama administrations "ambiguous" Afghan policy and "undue favors" to boost Indias defense and nuclear capabilities ignored Islamabads concerns the actions would disturb the strategic imbalance in South Asia.

However, Pakistan now feels the opportunity for bilateral cooperation to achieve shared objectives "is much better today than it was in the past eight years," said Sartaj Aziz, chief foreign policy adviser to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

First steps

Azizs optimism stems from "a very pleasant and useful" phone conversation Sharif had with the U.S. president-elect in late November, followed by Islamabads direct contacts with the Trump team.

"So, we look forward to a very constructive and positive engagement with the new [U.S.] administration as we go along," he told VOA on the eve of Trumps inauguration.

Trumps Defense Secretary nominee James Mattis, at his confirmation hearing earlier this month, vowed to "incentivize" Pakistans cooperation on issues critical to Americas national interests, though he too reiterated the need for Islamabad to expel or neutralize "eternally-focused" militant groups. Mattis, however, noted Pakistan's progress in the fight against terrorism.

But Aziz welcomed the praise of Mattis, asserting that Pakistani forces have uprooted the bases of all militant groups on their soil and removed a major irritant in bilateral relations, laying the foundation for a "constructive" cooperation with the Trump presidency.

"Our success in counterterrorism in the last three years is a very good starting point for these relations because that was one of the bone of contentions how far and fast we can move. So, now, I think that is done. We are going to deal with all terrorist groups as we go along. So it is basically work in progress. It is not something that they [U.S.] are asking us to do and it is not in our priorities. We are I think decisively moving in that direction," he said.

He added that his government hopes the Trump administration, unlike its predecessor, will take steps to ease Pakistans persistent tensions with India and encourage New Delhi to resolve differences with Islamabad through dialogue. Aziz reiterated Pakistans concerns over deepening U.S. military and nuclear cooperation with India.

"The strategic stability in South Asia is very important and we have been emphasizing to US that if you start your defense cooperation and arms agreement in such a way that disturbs our strategic stability then we will have no option but to respond and that is not good for the peace in the region or world," he said.

Frequent exchanges of fire across the dispute Kashmir border in recent months have raised military tensions and led to an apparently unending war of words between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan who have already fought four wars.

Challenges remain

Despite Pakistans optimism about establishing a good working relationship with the incoming U.S. administration, critics are skeptical and unclear about how Trump will approach the complexity of the issues facing bilateral relations because he has not talked about the policy during his election campaign.

During recent public talks at U.S. Institute of Peace, or USIP, in Washington, former U.S. and Pakistani officials anticipated an increasingly tense partnership between the Trump presidency and Islamabad, though they cautioned against any "deep rupture."

Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Robin Raphel noted that it was important for the Trump admiration "to stay engaged with Pakistan.

"Most likely scenario, I think, is that the new administration will have a re-look and will tighten up, harden up on the issues," such as the Afghan Talibans use of Pakistan as a safe haven, said Raphel.

She added that Pakistan will probably, at least in the short term, "pull up its socks, as we say, and ... accelerate plans that it might have to deal with some of these groups."

Former State Department advisor Lisa Curtis observed that Pakistan's crackdown on the Afghan Taliban and the terrorist Haqqani network fighting U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan is key to achieving Washington's counterterrorism objectives.

"But it is certainly not in the U.S. interest to make an enemy out of Pakistan," she added.

Ex-governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Ishrat Hussain, warned the dialogue between the two countries "will continue and we all muddle through" if Afghanistan, terrorism and nuclear issues remain the U.S focus.

"If this [Trump] administration de-hyphenates Pakistan from Afghanistan that will become a more enduring and positive relationship for Pakistan and the United States," said Husain, currently a public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

At a subsequent debate at the USIP, analysts emphasized the need for the incoming administration to develop clearer policies to ease strains between India and Pakistan amid fears of another direct military conflict in the region. However, they agreed the India-Pakistan conflict has never been a priority in U.S. foreign policy and it is unlikely to become one for the Trump administration.
The Philippine national police chief apologized to South Korea on Thursday over the death of a Korean man who was arrested illegally and then slain by members of an anti-drug task force at the main police camp in Manila.

Police Director-General Ronald Dela Rosa said the policemen detained Jee Ickjoo with a fake arrest warrant last October with the intent of holding him for ransom, but killed him the same day. He said they then extracted a ransom payment from Jee's family without telling them Jee was dead.



The victim's cremated remains have been found in a funeral parlor, officials said.



"I'm very sorry that this crime happened and my men are involved," dela Rosa said at a news conference. "I just want to melt and disappear from this world out of embarrassment for what my men did."



He said one of the policemen has since surrendered.



Dela Rosa said he is regularly updating the South Korean ambassador on developments in the investigation.



South Korean officials have expressed alarm over the killing and other attacks on Koreans in the Philippines.



Dela Rosa said the suspects used President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug crackdown as a cover to carry out the kidnapping.
Editors' note: As Donald Trump prepares to take the oath of office, the prospect of his presidency inspires the hopes of millions of Americans, 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 nation's history.



PLYMOUTH, PENNSYLVANIA  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.



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.

Time for a change

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.

Faith in Trump

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.

Unsettled by behavior

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.

Joining the fray

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.
Washington turned into a virtual fortress on Thursday ahead of Donald Trump's presidential inauguration, with police ready to step in to separate protesters from Trump supporters at any sign of unrest during the festivities.

Some 900,000 people, both Trump backers and opponents, are expected to flood Washington for Friday's inauguration ceremony, according to organizers' estimates. Events include the swearing-in ceremony on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and a parade to the White House along streets thronged with spectators.

On Thursday, police cars lined much of Pennsylvania Avenue, the parade route, as workers unloaded crowd control fences from flatbed trucks, erected barricades and marked off pavement with tape.

Numbers of protests, rallies are up

The number of planned protests and rallies this year is far above what has been typical at recent presidential inaugurations.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said police aimed to keep groups separate, using similar tactics as employed during last year's political conventions.

The concern is some of these groups are pro-Trump, some of them are con-Trump, and they may not play well together in the same space, Johnson said on MSNBC.

About 30 groups totaling 270,000 people have received permits to stage demonstrations, both for and against the New York businessman in Washington around the inauguration. That number includes some 200,000 people who police say they expect to attend Saturday's Women's March on Washington, an anti-Trump protest.

Bikers support Trump

Trump opponents have been angered by his comments during the campaign about women, illegal immigrants and Muslims and his pledges to scrap the Obamacare health reform and build a wall on the Mexican border.

The Republican's supporters admire his experience in business, including as a real estate developer and reality television star, and view him as an outsider who will take a fresh approach to politics.

Bikers for Trump, a group that designated itself as security backup during last summer's Republican National Convention in Cleveland, is ready to step in if protesters block access to the inauguration, said Dennis Egbert, one of the group's organizers.

We're going to be backing up law enforcement. We're on the same page," Egbert, 63, a retired electrician from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, said at the group's site along the parade route.

Security cordon

About 28,000 security personnel, miles of fencing, roadblocks, street barricades and dump trucks laden with sand are part of the security cordon around three square miles of central Washington.

A protest group known as Disrupt J20 has vowed to stage demonstrations at each of 12 security checkpoints and block access to the festivities on the grassy National Mall.

Police and security officials have pledged repeatedly to guarantee protesters constitutional rights to free speech and peaceable assembly.

Aaron Hyman, fellow at the National Gallery of Art, said he could feel tension in the streets ahead of Trump's swearing-in and the heightened security was part of it.

People are watching each other like, You must be a Trump supporter, and You must be one of those liberals, said Hyman, 32, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November election.

Ban on umbrellas eased

Anti-Trump protesters will stage at a rally in New York on Thursday evening. Mayor Bill de Blasio, filmmaker Michael Moore and actor Alec Baldwin, who portrays Trump on Saturday Night Live, will take part in the event outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower.

One of the Washington protests will feature a haze of pot smoke as pro-marijuana activists light up to show their opposition to Trump's choice for attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions, a critic of legalization.

Friday's crowds are expected to fall well short of the two million people who attended Obama's first inauguration in 2009, and be in line with the one million who were at his second in 2013.

Security officials have eased a ban on umbrellas at the ceremony due to a rainy weather forecast, allowing people to use small umbrellas.


The Refugee Ball on Tuesday wasn't a gala, with the same celebratory atmosphere expected for Inauguration Day on Friday, when Donald Trump becomes the nations 45th president.

While there were a few gowns and at least one tuxedo at the ball, it was mostly after-work attire. There was no glitter, no champagne and no president. What it did have was a few hundred guests, seated mostly in the center pews of the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C., listening to a mix of performances by first- and second-generation Americans.

It wasn't a protest to the inauguration, as some events this week are billed. Nor was it decidedly anti-Trump, though the president-elect did associate refugees with terrorism during his campaign, declaring he would send Syrians back to their home country.

As president, he will have broad power over the refugee program, and could cut off arrivals immediately.

WATCH: Performers Take the Stage at Refugee Ball



But for a few hours on a misty Tuesday evening in January, it was a reminder that whittling down the refugee program could affect real people in the worst moments of their lives.

Michael Namalum, a human rights activist and torture victim from Azerbaijan who was granted asylum in the United States in 2015, took the stage to implore the incoming president: "I'm begging the new administration ... not to turn their back on these people."

The crowd was a mix of immigration lawyers and activists, refugees and asylum-seekers. The emcee was an Ethiopian asylum-seeker and former journalist; the first performer was an Iranian-American female rapper; the second a classically trained Tibetan musician, and on the list went.

"I know it's crazy out there, it's a hard time. If we stick together, we'll get through it," the rapper, Mana, encouraged the crowd.

Jason Dzubow, an asylum lawyer in Washington, pulled the event together in about a month with fellow attorney Sameen Ahmadnia. This is "not to celebrate the new president; nor is it to denigrate him," Dzubow said, but rather "to remind ourselves of why accepting refugees, asylum-seekers, and immigrants into our society is so important."

The U.S. refugee program began with the Displaced Persons Act of 1948, three years after the end of World War II and at the beginning of the Cold War with Russia.

"America did not create the asylum system to be nice," Dzubow explained to the crowd of about 300 at the Refugee Ball. Instead, he said, it serves greater U.S. interests. "It sends a powerful message  when you work with us, when you work for the values we believe in, America's got your back."
At a presidential debate in March, Donald Trump was asked about his campaign pledge to reinstate waterboarding and other forms of torture on terror suspects.

Specifically, the moderator wanted to know how Trump would respond if U.S. military leaders refused his orders to use such harsh interrogation methods, which are illegal under international law.

"They won't refuse," Trump assured the moderator, shaking his head confidently and jabbing an index finger at his own chest. "They're not going to refuse me."

The billionaire real estate tycoon, who campaigned on the promise of running the country like a business and who has no government experience, again pointed to his business credentials.

"I've always been a leader. I've never had any problem leading people," Trump said. "If I say it, they're going to do it. That's what leadership is all about."

The problem is, when Trump takes office January 20, he will be faced with an elaborate system of checks and balances designed to prevent the president, or any other branch of government, from exercising too much power.

No one knows for sure if President Trump will attempt to govern like presidential candidate Trump. But if Trump does follow through on some of his more controversial campaign promises, what are the institutions that could constrain him?

Congress

The president must work on a routine basis with Congress to enact laws that allow and pay for the things he or she wants to do. The Senate also must confirm the president's Cabinet or Supreme Court picks. And as a last resort, lawmakers are able to impeach and remove the president.

But it's unclear how effective this Congress will be at constraining Trump. Trump's Republican Party now controls both houses of Congress. And although the GOP is badly divided over the unconventional Trump, many Republicans may have incentives to strike deals with the president to help advance parts of their conservative agenda.

Democrats are likely to put up roadblocks for Trump, much the way Republicans were able to obstruct the agenda of President Barack Obama. But it'll be a bigger challenge, since Democrats in 2013 made it harder for the minority party to filibuster presidential nominees. But it may not matter, since Trump may be able to cobble together a coalition of support from both parties to pass certain parts of his legislative program.

Courts

The judicial branch is another important check because it can interpret laws or declare them to be unconstitutional.

However, Trump is set to have considerable power to influence the courts. At the beginning of his term, Trump will get to fill an empty spot on the Supreme Court. If, as many expect, a second or third vacancy occurs during Trump's presidency, he will be able to shape the court for generations.

Another consideration: Trump will also inherit over 100 vacancies in federal courts. That number is uncommonly high, thanks to Republicans who refused to confirm Obama's judicial nominees.

Civil society

The morning after Trump won the election, the American Civil Liberties Union issued a blunt warning to the president-elect: "See you in court." Specifically, the ACLU took aim at Trump's threats to impose a ban on Muslim immigration and deport the nation's estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.

The ACLU is just one part of a robust network of non-governmental organizations preparing to counter various parts of Trump's agenda. They'll likely do this by issuing legal challenges, lobbying lawmakers, and organizing protests and social media campaigns in an attempt to mobilize public opinion.

Free press

In the minds of the U.S. founding fathers, freedom of the press was the single most important protector against tyranny. In fact, a free press is so fundamental that many consider it to be the fourth branch of government, or the "fourth estate."

Trump has had a notoriously rocky relationship with the media. By one estimate, Trump garnered about $5 billion worth of free media coverage during the election campaign. The media, in turn, profited from a massive ratings bonanza. But Trump has complained the media is biased against him, and regularly launches verbal attacks against media outlets and individual journalists that criticize him. He has also threatened to loosen libel laws so that it will be easier for him to sue media outlets and "win lots of money."

Even if the mainstream press does its job, its power is questionable. That is partly because of the vast changes in technology, as well as increased ideological polarization that have allowed individuals to interact only with those media that reinforce their existing worldviews.

Federal system of government

In the U.S. federal system, powers are not only divided horizontally among the three branches of government: president, congress and courts. They are also divided vertically among the different levels of government: national, state and local.

There's long been tension between federal authorities and those at the state and local levels. That's particularly been the case during the past eight years, when conservative states have pushed back against Obama's laws, including his signature health care law.

Under Trump, the roles could reverse, with large U.S. cities, which tend to be liberal, likely fighting back against Trump on issues such as immigration and climate change.

Civil service

While the president gets to appoint and fire senior staff of government agencies, the bulk of the employees in those agencies is shielded from political interference by civil service protections written into U.S. law. This provides an important, though often overlooked, check on presidential power.

In a Trump administration, tensions could emerge around the many federal workers who are focused on programs related to global warming and gender equality. Trump transition officials reportedly have asked for lists of programs and employees working on those programs, raising fears of politically motivated cuts. Trump transition officials have denied those claims.

Those close to Trump have said civil service reform is high on his agenda, a move that would fit his "drain the swamp" policy that aims to reduce the size of the federal government. If he does attempt such reforms, he could have an ally in many Republican lawmakers, who have long wanted to make it easier to fire poor-performing workers, arguing the federal employee system is bloated and inefficient.

Elections

If nothing else works as a check, the American people are given the ultimate say on the president's performance. Voters can remove a president, or choose to re-elect him to a second term, after four years. Voters can also punish the president's party during Congressional elections, which occur two years into the president's first term in office.

But the upcoming midterm elections may not be much help to Democrats. While the Democrats may be able to make up some ground in the House of Representatives, they will have a very hard time doing so in the Senate, since more Democrats than Republicans are up for reelection in 2018.

Explainer: Checks and Balances
Few people are more eager for Donald Trumps arrival in the White House than those who do business in Russia.

Hacking scandals? They expect that to blow over. Conflict in Ukraine? An artificial problem invented by Barack Obama, they argue.

Russian magnates and American investors alike are anticipating a Trump administration that removes punishing sanctions, frees up access to capital and encourages U.S. businesses pursuing profits in Russias vast market  regardless of Russian President Vladimir Putins policies.

This may all be wishful thinking. With relations at a post-Cold War low, the Kremlin is cautious about the unpredictable new U.S. president  not least because of accusations of Russian hacking of the American election campaign.

But in the business world, theres a sense that things cant possibly get any worse, and that relief may finally be around the corner.

Trump inspires me. Hes an entrepreneur who puts economic benefits first and foremost, said Andrei Kuzyaev, a Russian oil tycoon who now heads ER Telecom, a leading broadband provider.

Russian entrepreneurs wooed venture capital and vaunted their programming and engineering expertise at the World Economic Forum this week, with a gusto not seen in Davos in years.

Optimism for Trump

Vodka is flowing at Davos Russia House and the mood is upbeat  though the conspicuous extravagance of the oil boom years has given way to a more business-like mood.

Serious movement in foreign investment is just about to start, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said Thursday.

He expressed hope that Trump would work with Putin to reach an agreement on Ukraine and not try to push it into a corner.

Mr. Trump is a big businessman, and in business you cant survive unless you get results. If he needs results, he can only achieve it in cooperation with Russia, he said.

While the U.S. sanctions target a relatively narrow group of individuals and state companies and dont bar Americans from doing business in Russia, they have cost Russian businesses access to as much as $220 billion in foreign lending, and feed uncertainty about long-term investment.

Craig Smith, an American whose Europa Property has operations in Russia and across Eastern Europe, said in Davos that he expects the biggest change to be in the business climate, after years of tensions over Russias annexation of Crimea and support for Ukrainian separatists.

Trump adviser Anthony Scaramucci met with Russian CEOs in Switzerland this week, and a delegation of U.S. executives is expected in Moscow in the coming months.

Future of sanctions

Trump openly praises Putin but hasnt spelled out a clear Russia policy. He has hinted that he could lift sanctions if Moscow works with Washington on battling terrorism, but Congress may resist.

The U.S. and EU argue that their sanctions  which target primarily Putin associates, east Ukraine separatists and state-owned companies  cant be eased without progress on a 2015 peace deal for Ukraine.

And lifting sanctions wouldnt solve Russias deeper economic problems, such as heavy dependence on oil prices, whose slump has wiped out a big chunk of Russias cash reserves. Some of the Western retreat from Russia is linked not to geopolitics but its non-diversified economy and lack of reforms.

Critics of Putin warned investors against diving back into Russias market too soon.

Sanctions are there for one simple reason: Russia has redrawn the borders of Europe. They invaded a country for the first time since the second world war, William Browder of Britain-based Hermitage investment fund said in Davos.

Anyone with narrow business interests about lifting sanctions is being very short-sighted, said Browder, who made his fortune in Russia in the 1990s. His colleague Sergei Magnitsky died in police custody after investigating corruption, and Browder successfully lobbied to get U.S. sanctions against dozens of Russian officials involved in the case.

Not all Russian businesspeople are eager for the Ukraine-related sanctions to disappear. Dmitry Kostygin, chairman of online retailer Ulmart, told The AP that sanctions mobilized us and pushed Russia to produce more of its own goods.

But he, too, welcomed Trumps arrival, hoping that it means the world stops demonizing Russia.

Eugene Kaspersky, whose Moscow-based Kaspersky Labs anti-virus programs are used worldwide, said that he didnt expect massive change but maybe it will get a little better. I hope so.

Kuzyaev, who said he met repeatedly with Rex Tillerson when he was representing ExxonMobil in Russia, called him a tough negotiator and welcomed his nomination as U.S. secretary of state because of his ability to strike a fair deal.

The Russia House cafe hosting events at Davos demonstrated a possible precursor of a thaw: its headline band this week is American.
Technocrats from three NATO states wrapped up meetings on Thursday focused on security arrangements in Cyprus, seeking to break an impasse in talks over the ethnically split island, a U.N. envoy said.

"The working group... successfully completed the mandate entrusted to it. Namely identifying specific questions related to the issue of security and guarantees and the instruments needed to address them," U.N. envoy for Cyprus Espen Barth Eide said in a statement about the consultations, which were launched on Wednesday.

The sides had agreed not to disclose details about deliberations since the process had not yet ended, he said. It was not immediately clear when the sides would meet again.

Officials from Britain, Turkey and Greece as well as representatives of Cyprus's Greeks and Turks had been considering how to address security concerns in a post-settlement Cyprus if the now estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides ever reach a deal to co-govern.

The meetings of the working group started on Wednesday after an inconclusive meeting of foreign ministers from Britain, Greece and Turkey in Geneva last week.

Cyprus's two main ethnic groups have lived divided since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup.

The conflict on the former British colony spans decades and is a key source of tension between Greece and Turkey, which have come to the brink of war over the east Mediterranean island in the past.
The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to recommend President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, retired Marine General James Mattis.

The committee voted 26-1 to back Mattis' nomination when it is received by the full Senate from Trump after he is sworn in as president. As a result, Mattis' nomination will be sent directly to the Senate for a vote without referral to the committee.

The identity of the senator who voted against Mattis was not immediately available.

Congress cleared the way for Mattis' quick confirmation last week by backing a waiver that would allow him to lead the Pentagon despite retiring from active duty as a Marine general only in 2013.

The 66-year-old Mattis, who is highly respected by many

fellow Marines, retired 3-1/2 years ago after more than four decades of military service. The 1947 National Security Act requires a seven-year gap between active duty military service and the Cabinet position.

Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress and Democrats have both heaped praise on Mattis since his nomination was announced.
Tensions have again flared between Japan and South Korea over victims of Japanese wartime sex slavery, and they are casting a shadow over trilateral security cooperation with the U.S. against North Koreas growing aggression, U.S. experts say.

The long-running feud between the two countries was rekindled last month when a new statue symbolizing women pressed into Japanese wartime military brothels during World War II  often referred to as comfort women - was erected outside the Japanese consulate in Busan, South Koreas second-largest city.

The Japanese government, in response, said the placement of yet another statue was a breach of the December 2015 deal struck between the two countries, under which both countries agreed to resolve the comfort women issue finally and irreversibly. Japan claimed that South Korea had also violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which requires host countries to guard diplomatic missions from having their dignity impaired.

Japan recalled its ambassador to South Korea and the consul-general in Busan earlier this month.

Clash over history

The controversy spilled over to the issue of the disputed islands of Dokdo (South Korea) or Takeshima (Japan) this week, as Japan laid claims to the territory. South Korean politicians announced Monday they plan to place another comfort women statue on the islands.

"I think at some levels certainly when it gets to the official level of recalling the ambassador or closing down the consulate or levels like that, then you have to worry about the broader set of relations in between Seoul and Tokyo and even Washington," said Michael Auslin, resident scholar and director of Japan Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

The problems that are rattling South Korea and Japan could complicate U.S. efforts to boost a trilateral diplomacy with the two allies to rein in nuclear-armed North Korea, the expert added.

Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow with The Heritage Foundations Asian Studies Center, where he specializes in Korean and Japanese affairs, said, Any even seemingly minor event can snowball into a major and breaching relations or major strain at this point in time.

North Korea threat

The vulnerable bilateral relations appear to be compounded by the ongoing political turmoil in Seoul involving the impeachment of South Korean President Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal, according to Klingner.

If the progressives assume the presidency after the departure of Park, then I think that will lead to greater potential for increased tensions not only between South Korea and Japan but between South Korea and the United States, Klingner warned.



Some experts, however, believe that the latest dispute would have little impact on the trilateral security cooperation.

Scott Snyder, senior fellow for Korea studies and director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the likelihood of the latest dispute between Seoul and Tokyo spreading to the area of trilateral cooperation is low, because they are essentially separate issues.

Trilateral cooperation

Regardless of how good or how bad the relationship between Japan and South Korea is over history-related issues, I think that there is a realization in both Tokyo and Seoul as well as Washington that theres a need for coordination toward North Korea, Snyder said.

J. Berkshire Miller, international affairs fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations based in Tokyo, also expected the two countries to try to quarantine trilateral security cooperation as a separate track from the bilateral ties.



Auslin said the issue should be a priority of the incoming U.S. administration, suggesting the Trump administration push and nudge Japan and South Korea to put the wartime history issues behind them and establish better relations.

Silent diplomacy

Klingner called on President-elect Trump to actively get involved, but work quietly and behind the scenes.

I think it was most effective when the Obama administration was sending private and sometimes quite stern messages to both Tokyo and Seoul to try to move forward on the issues, the former intelligence official said.

As the North appears to be advancing its nuclear weapons program, the U.S. is seeking to enhance cooperation with Japan and South Korea. The three countries have not only launched a new trilateral missile defense exercise last year but also stepped up political consultations through numerous meetings between high level diplomats.

At a recent meeting, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the three allies have established a rock-solid foundation for long-term trilateral cooperation that remains central to the defense of our shared interests.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOAs Korean Service.
About a dozen officials of the SPLM-In Opposition faction allied to former South Sudan First Vice President Riek Machar defected to the Juba government this week.

The officials, which include a major general, former Unity state lawmakers and members of South Sudan's transitional national assembly, said they left Khartoum Thursday to join the national dialogue that President Salva Kiir initiated last month. Presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said the government will receive any former rebels who return to the capital for the sake of peace.

Ten politicians and army generals loyal to Machar say they joined current First Vice President Taban Deng Gai to implement the country's fragile 2015 peace agreement. Deng was appointed by President Kiir after Machar fled Juba following a surge in deadly fighting in July. The group was led by Sebit John Magok, Deputy Chairman of the SPLMIO's committee for roads and bridges.

We came because we believe in peace, and we came to work for it so we can bring our people out of war through rebuilding the national reconciliation which has been destroyed in the past three years, Magok said.

Peace is the goal

SPLA-IO Major General George Rweng Kot, who was based in Bentiu, said he believes Kiir and Deng are trying to restore peace.

We left Machar and came to General Taban so that we can implement the peace agreement. We believe that the call of the president is right and whoever doesn't support this call is not a South Sudanese, Rweng said.

SPLA-IO Deputy Military Spokesman Dickson Gatluak told South Sudan in Focus from Ethiopia that his group is not aware of any defectors who have joined Deng and argues the group that arrived in Juba has always been part of the government.

We [SPLM-IO] have nobody left in in Juba; we have no politician who had joined Taban [Deng Gai] because we have no SPLM-IO in Juba. Our chairman [Machar] is in South Africa. We are in Addis Ababa and our generals are in their location [in South Sudan], Gatluak said.

Talks benefit all tribes

Gatluak said Machar loyalists will only return to Juba after the 2015 peace agreement is revived, which he says won't happen under Deng.

Ateny, who received the group on behalf of the Kiir Administration at Juba International airport Thursday, said the former SPLA-IO group is back in the capital because they want peace.

They are accepting the amnesty the president has extended for those who have taken arms against the republic of South Sudan in order to come and participate in the process of peaceful resolution to the conflict in the republic of South Sudan through national dialogue, which will be a wide forum for the people of South Sudan, Ateny said.

Ateny stressed that Kiir believes the national dialogue is for all South Sudanese tribes.

All 64 tribes can live in South Sudan without regards to the size of the tribe because God has created us to be in this country. Nobody has an upper hand than the other, apart from the fact that we can differ politically, but we have also the power of reuniting and reconciling the country, he said.

Senior member joins Machar

Last year, Kiir offered amnesty for all armed opposition groups trying to topple his government if they would lay down their arms, renounced violence and return to Juba.

On the other hand, last Friday a senior member of the ruling SPLM party had defected to join Machar's rebels. Lokai Iko Loteyo, the former chairman of the SPLM in Kapoeta North County, told South Sudan in Focus he joined Machar's SPLM-In Opposition to bring change in South Sudan. Iko said the SPLM, under the leadership of Kiir, has only brought suffering to the people of South Sudan. He said what the SPLM is doing is contrary to the original vision of the party, which was to build on equality, justice and prosperity.

But there's no prosperity now in South Sudan, no equality, no justice; there's nothing, Iko said.
The United Nations has accused the Syrian government and opposition groups of denying humanitarian access to hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in besieged areas.

Jan Egeland, the special adviser for Syria, called December and January the worst months for the delivery of life-saving aid. He said only half of the area and population the U.N. wanted to reach has been approved for access in full.

Egeland said trying to get aid missions under way even after the government has given approval to the U.N.'s monthly plan is frustrating.

We now end up in this complete, hopeless bureaucratic quagmire of having to seek facilitation letters, permits, security permits  having the governor's office to agree on access, the security forces, the security committees, he said.

Meeting set for Monday

Egeland said opposition groups give the United Nations similar difficulties. He said they also are making it difficult for aid to reach women, children and the wounded.

Russia, Turkey and Iran, guarantors of a Syrian truce, are to meet in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on Monday to work on a cease-fire agreement on Syria. The meeting is an important precursor to the proposed resumption of Syrian peace negotiations in Geneva on February 8. The United Nations has been invited to attend as an observer.

Egeland told VOA he hopes the three guarantor powers will be able to stop what he termed the obstructionist practices of the warring parties. Egeland said he hopes the Astana meeting will mark a new beginning for the civilian population of Syria, which has been at war for nearly six years.

The way it is now, it cannot continue, Egeland said. The government has to change the way it is blocking our humanitarian access to civilians, but also the armed opposition groups who are responsible for the besiegement of Foah and Kafraya  they also are not helping us at all.

Airdrops of food suspended

Egeland said he is particularly concerned about the fate of some 93,000 civilians in the besieged city of Deir Ezzor. He said airdrops of food, which have proven to be a lifeline for them, were suspended Sunday because Islamic State militants have captured the drop zone.

He said another area of concern is the Wadi Barada valley near Syrian capital, Damascus.

Egeland said fierce fighting has recently displaced thousands of families and is making it impossible for engineers to repair a water supply system, which is the main source of water for 5.5 million inhabitants of Damascus.
Carrying her four-year-old son, Elham Saleh walked all night behind a smuggler, navigating land mines through Islamic State group- and rebel-held territory in northern Syria.



Finally, they reached relative safety in Safira, a government-controlled village on the southern edge of the city of Aleppo, where they have been staying for the past two weeks.



Saleh's husband, once a rebel fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, had joined IS but she couldn't bear living under the group's brutal rule any longer.



"Once he joined Daesh, I fled with my son, and Daesh began searching for me," said Saleh, using the Arabic acronym for IS and sitting on a couch on the floor of a house that she and her relatives are using in this village southeast of Aleppo.



She, like thousands of others who escaped, paid 60,000 Syrian pounds ($120) per person for smugglers to help them flee IS territory.



As Islamic State-controlled areas in northern Syria come increasingly under attack by an assortment of groups attacking from the air and on the ground, thousands of civilians have been risking their lives to make the perilous journey out, paying smugglers to escape both the shelling and the extremist group.



Many of them, initially opponents of Assad, are now opting to go to government-controlled territory  the most stable option in a war that has turned opposition-held territory into ruins and IS-held areas into large prisons where militants enforce their radical interpretation of Islamic laws.



"Daesh is taking residents as hostages and not allowing anyone to leave," said Youssef Younes, a volunteer who has been helping families displaced from the northern, IS-controlled Deir Hafer region.



Younes said he has registered 1,600 families who fled Deir Hafer alone over the past few months.



Younes said most of those displaced are women and children, adding that no one can leave without using smugglers who have good tribal connections and know what tracks to take through mined desert areas.



The extremist group has lost large areas it once controlled in Syria, as U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces and Turkey-backed Syrian rebels push ahead in separate offensives that have left hundreds of people dead on both sides. Turkish-backed rebels are now trying to capture the town of al-Bab, the largest IS-held town in Aleppo province.



This week, IS killed 12 people it held captive in the central city of Palmyra, whose ancient temples and other relics it had destroyed last year before being routed in a Russia-backed Syrian government offensive. Among those killed were teachers and government employees, activists said.



While much of the focus in the conflict was on Aleppo in December, IS managed to retake Palmyra, sparking fears of more brutal revenge killings.



Assad has long portrayed the Syrian war as a choice between his rule and that of the extremists, and has maintained a veneer of normalcy in areas under his control throughout the war, now in its sixth year. While the country has been torn into several areas of control and opposition-held territory is pounded by airstrikes, areas controlled by the government have been largely spared the massive destruction and bombings.



Saleh, who fled with her son Abdullah, decided to run away last year after her husband joined IS, a group that she says she hated because they mistreat women and are notorious for their public killings. She currently makes a living by making loofahs, which she and her relatives sell for 20 pounds (4 cents) a piece.



Saleh first fled to her sister's house, shortly before the two began the journey along with other relatives that took weeks, staying for a few days at a time in one village after another so that IS fighters would not notice they were fleeing. Once they reached a front line between IS and other rebel groups, they paid the smugglers who took them to the rebel-held town of Azaz. From there, they drove to government-controlled territory.



Saleh does not know where her husband is. When her son asks about his father, she tells him: "He is in heaven."



Wearing a face veil that revealed only her eyes, she spoke about IS brutality  recalling one day when they shot seven men in the head and crucified them in the square of Deir Hafer for three days in order to scare the town's residents. The victims had been found guilty of raising Syrian flags on some buildings, Saleh said.



"I was shaken and ran away when I saw the swollen bodies," Saleh said.



Samia al-Moussa wasn't so lucky. She fled IS-held territories last year but lost her husband to the extremists. On July 19, 2014, IS fighters knocked on her door in the town of Sheikh Ahmad and asked her husband, Abdul-Fattah, to go with them for some questioning. She never saw him again.



Three months after taking him, IS fighters took Abdul-Fattah to the nearby village of Tel Maksour where they read the verdict accusing him of being a spy for the government. Al-Moussa, holding back tears, quoted witnesses as saying that her husband was beheaded in public.



Two years after the death of her husband, al-Moussa made it to Safira where she and her six children are staying with her brother-in-law, Nafeh.



Mother Agnes Mariam, a nun who assists the displaced, said that some 3,500 families have fled IS-held areas of Maskaneh, Deir Hafer and al-Bab in northern Syria over the past two months alone.



For Ziada Idlibi, 35, fleeing the northern town of al-Bab, currently under attack from Turkish, Russian and U.S. warplanes, was a journey filled with horror. Idlibi and her parents fled with the help of smugglers, but came under intense shelling as they tried to walk through mine-laced territory.



The shelling killed a girl and a boy and "we almost got killed," she said.



She said she will only return to her hometown once it is liberated from the extremists who "kill for nothing."



"Those people have no mercy in their hearts," said Idlibi as she carried her identity card, hoping to get assistance.
Early optimism among business lobbyists and executives that Donald Trump's election heralded better days has slowly given way to uncertainty as the president-elect fires off mixed and sometimes confusing messages on healthcare, taxes and trade.

An initial euphoria in the business world fueled a powerful post-election stock rally. Some of that has frayed as questions arise over the nuts and bolts of Trump's campaign promises, although many in the business community said they remained optimistic.

Doubts deepened over the weekend as Trump declared he would replace President Barack Obama's signature healthcare plan known as Obamacare with insurance for everybody  a goal far beyond Republican designs  and criticized a key component of a plan in Congress to overhaul corporate taxes. In a later interview, he appeared to adjust both stances, possibly adding to the confusion.

It is fair to say that since the election, there has been mounting uncertainty about exactly what the specific policies are likely to be with regard to tax reform and replacing Obamacare, a financial industry official said.

Expectations for faster growth, tax reform and a quick repeal of Obamacare, officially known as the Affordable Care Act, have given way to We are not really sure what he means by that, the official said.

A veteran Republican financial lobbyist said she was under constant pressure from clients to predict what the new administration was planning but had no reliable answers.

Wrench in Obamacare repeal

Trump appears to have thrown a wrench into Republican plans to repeal Obamacare with mixed signals on the details and timing of a replacement plan.

Congressional Republicans have focused on limiting government involvement in the healthcare system and eliminating the law's individual mandate that forces people to have insurance.

But Trump told the Washington Post he was almost done with a plan to replace Obamacare with insurance for everybody, while forcing drug companies to negotiate directly with the government on prices for Medicare and Medicaid.

Trump's recent attack on the border adjustment tax was another sign of his unpredictability, the financial lobbyist said.

That measure would tax imports and exempt exports in an effort to encourage companies to keep jobs and production in the United States. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Friday, Trump called the proposal too complicated.

Anytime I hear border adjustment, I don't love it, Trump told the Journal. Because usually it means we're going to get adjusted into a bad deal. That's what happens.

Chris Krueger, an analyst at the investment firm Cowen and Co., said Trump's comments to the newspaper about the border adjustment proposal were breathtaking.

Trump is like a policy bull who seems to bring his own china shop with him to destroy it with every interview, Krueger wrote in a research note.

In an interview with the news outlet Axios on Tuesday, Trump appeared to adjust both positions. He said the border adjustment idea was still on the plate. As for Obamacare, he said his comments were in response to proposals in which people with no money aren't covered, which he said were unacceptable.

Lobbyists said the Trump transition team's lack of interest in their input was clear in the past two weeks as it summoned trade groups to daily listening sessions at the American Enterprise Institute think tank. The agriculture, financial, transportation and tech industries were among the sectors that got a one-hour session, according to participants.

'Goat rodeo'

In the sessions, Wall Street lobbyists were encouraged to talk fast: a giant television screen overhead counted down two minutes of allotted time.

It was a goat rodeo. We all got a couple minutes to speak. What can you really say in that time? said another financial services lobbyist. They wanted to check the box  We're listening to Wall Street. But who even knows where these transition people will be in a few days?

Lobbyists also have been alarmed that the transition team has not included them in preparations for confirmation hearings for many nominated Cabinet officials, including potential Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

If you want someone to explain how Elizabeth Warren can hammer you 12 different ways, ask a lobbyist, said the financial services lobbyist, referring to the Democratic U.S. senator from Massachusetts and frequent critic of Wall Street.

Even Trump's website sowed confusion about his intentions. A promise to dismantle the Dodd-Frank regulatory reforms was removed at the end of last year and has not been replaced. A Trump representative blamed a redesign, but bank lobbyists are not so sure  other content made it through the redesign.

Some companies have been reassured by Trump's Cabinet nominees, who are seen as more predictable and supportive of the business establishment than the impulsive president-elect.

Senator Jeff Sessions, Trump's pick for attorney general, has deep differences on values with the technology sector but is seen as an important Trump counterweight because he is a deliberate decision-maker not prone to big dramatic mood swings, a source at one major Silicon Valley firm said.

What about the tweets?

Many lobbyists and business officials said they remained optimistic and cautioned against reading too deeply into tweets or comments that Trump makes on policy.

If Obama or Bush opined on a policy ... most of Washington assumed that raising that question was a well-vetted intentional decision to send a signal, a senior U.S. Chamber of Commerce official said.

Trump, by contrast, may simply be raising policy issues because he has questions on them, the chamber official said. The same financial industry official who acknowledged the uncertain climate also said he was still optimistic.

There were a lot of candidates who were interviewed. There were names floated out there and ... it was kind of a chaotic process, the official said, referring to the process of picking candidates to fill Cabinet and other administration positions.

But overall, I think one can make the observation that in making the final selections, Trump has shown ... a very surprising even-handedness.
Billionaire businessman Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States in just hours (about noon EST, 1700 UTC).

On the eve of his inauguration, Trump predicted the nation would "see something that is so amazing" Friday when he is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

Trump is promising to work hard, unify the country and "make America great for everybody."

After an inaugural concert Thursday night on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Trump told a crowd of thousands that the entire world was watching what's happening in the United States.



Protests

Thursday night, anti-Trump protesters clashed with police outside the National Press Club in Washington. Inside, a pre-inauguration cocktail event called the "Deploraball" was taking place.

Protesters yelled "No Trump. No fascist USA!" as police tried to keep them away from the building's doors.

Some protesters threw objects at police. At least one fire was set in the street. Officers deployed chemical spray at the crowd.

In New York, thousands crowded into Central Park near Trump's New York office tower for an all-star protest against the incoming administration.

Speakers included Mayor Bill de Blasio, filmmaker Michael Moore, and show business superstars Robert de Niro and Cher.

They also heard actor Alec Baldwin, whose broad comic impersonation of Trump on late night TV has amused audiences, but outraged the president-elect.

Tweaking speech

Sean Spicer, who will be Trump's White House press secretary, said Thursday the president-elect was continuing to make changes in the inaugural address.

Spicer said the speech would be "very personal, his vision for America."

Trump intends to outline "the challenges we face" in the speech, Spicer added. He described the message as a philosophical statement about where Trump wants to take the national government, but not a legislative agenda.



Executive orders



Beginning Friday afternoon and over the next few days, the spokesman said, Trump will sign executive orders "enacting an agenda of real change." The president-elect is still "working through on which areas he wants to do and [in] what order," Spicer added.

Trump could immediately overturn some of outgoing President Barack Obama's edicts by such actions.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence said he and Trump would be "ready to serve the American people on Day One."

WATCH: Pence Thanks Obama, Biden for Smooth Transition

Cabinet picks complete

With the nomination of former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to be agriculture secretary, Spicer said, Trump has filled all 21 posts in his Cabinet. He also noted that 536 officials were now positioned in government agencies throughout Washington to join in the transition of power when the full government resumes business Monday.

Spicer said 50 officials who handled behind-the-scenes work in the U.S. government for Obama had agreed to stay on in the new administration.



Wreath laying ceremony



Also Thursday, accompanied by Pence, Trump laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, where more than 400,000 military veterans and family members are buried.

Trump spent his last night as a private citizen at Blair House, the government's residence for dignitaries, directly across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.
Donald Trump steps into history when he takes the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol as the 45th president of the United States.

Historically, presidential inaugurations have often signaled a new era of political change, along with a healthy dose of uncertainty. They are also a snapshot of the state of the country  in good times or bad.

In 1933, Democrat Franklin Roosevelt took the oath of office in the midst of the Great Depression and quickly sought to reassure a nervous public: So first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

In 1961, Democrat John F. Kennedy stood in the same place at the U.S. Capitol and ushered in a new era of change, the vanguard of a younger generation of leaders tempered by the horrors of World War Two. One of Kennedys most memorable lines from his inaugural address was a call to service: And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country,

Twenty years later, Republican Ronald Reagan came to power to begin the first of his two terms by promising to rein in the size of government: In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.

And in 2001, after a bitter and disputed election, Republican George W. Bush took office with a promise to bring the country together. Our unity and our union is the serious work of leaders and citizens and every generation. And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity.

Trump and unity

Like Trump, Bush lost the popular vote while winning a narrow victory in the Electoral College. But whether Trump will focus much on national unity in his inaugural address is an open question.

I think it is a very important opportunity, said John Fortier of the Bipartisan Policy Center. The first step to really speak to the country to say, Now as president, perhaps some of the differences we had on the campaign trail are behind us...

But other analysts say Trump remains one of the more unpredictable political figures in decades. Combine that with Trumps penchant to communicate via Twitter, and predictions become a risky business, according to political scholar Norm Ornstein at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.

An inaugural address is generally crafted and written in advance, and presidents read their inaugural addresses, he said. Will Donald Trump throw out the script and go off on his own? We are in uncharted territory here.

Leading up to the inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump went on a victory tour and promised supporters he would deliver on his campaign promises.

This is truly an exciting time to be alive, Trump told supporters at a December victory rally in Mobile, Alabama. The script is not yet written. We do not know what the page will read tomorrow. But for the first time in a long time what we do know is that the pages will be authored by each and every one of you. Its a movement.

Peaceful transfer of power

Historically, presidential inaugurations are moments when the heat of the political campaign is set aside in the spirit of continuity and democracy. They are also a symbol of the peaceful transfer of power, something other nations have struggled to emulate.

That was established early with the transfer of power from the second U.S. president, John Adams, to the third, Thomas Jefferson, in 1801.

VIDEO: Inaugurations set tone for presidency

Adams, a member of the Federalist Party, gave way to Jefferson of the Democratic-Republican Party, a forerunner of Democratic Party. Jeffersons inaugural address included this plea for unity: Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have called by different names brethren of the same principles. We are all Republicans. We are all Federalists.

So it will be this January 20, said John Hudak of the Brookings Institution.

President Obama will ride in a car with President-elect Trump to the U.S. Capitol from the White House and peacefully hand over power and watch his successor, not the successor he wanted, but his successor nonetheless, take the oath of office, Hudak said. That doesnt happen everywhere in the world, and it is an important display in this country.

Looming Divide

Like many of his predecessors, Trump will take the reins of power at a time when the country is deeply divided politically.

Only eight years ago, Barack Obama stood on the Capitol steps and promised to try to move beyond the partisanship and gridlock that has so long defined Washington.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.

Trump has a major advantage with Republican control of Congress. But presidents have been known to overplay their hand, said presidential historian Richard Norton Smith.

So polarization is part of the democratic process as long as it coexists with a basic civility and a respect for the views of ones adversaries, he said.

The kind of tone Trump sets at the beginning of his tenure could give some clues as to what type of leader he aspires to be as he takes the reins of power.
Ecstatic supporters and determined protesters are preparing for Donald Trumps presidential inauguration on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Trump will take the oath of office at noon Friday and has promised to move quickly to enact his executive and legislative agenda to bring change to Washington. But Trump will also face a daunting political divide in the United States that was in place well before his election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton last November.

That divide is reflected in recent poll numbers. A survey by Marist College found 53 percent of those polled nationally believe Trump will do more to divide the country than to unite it. Forty-three percent said he is more likely to unite the nation, while 4 percent were unsure.

University of Virginia expert Larry Sabato noted in his recent political newsletter that voters remain about as divided over Trump as they were during the November election. While Trump won more votes in the Electoral College, he lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million.

Essentially, he is about at the 46 percent level he garnered on Election Day while other recent presidents-elect have soared in the run-up to their swearing-in, Sabato wrote.

Watch: Trump Faces Daunting Political Divide as He Takes Office

Rallying Supporters

Perhaps mindful of the divide he faces, Trump has set himself apart from previous incoming presidents by holding a series of rallies around the country in the weeks following his election to thank his supporters and maintain enthusiasm for his upcoming ascension to power.

We will heal our divisions and unify our very, very divided country, Trump said to supporters last month in Mobile, Alabama. When Americans are unified, there is nothing we cannot do. No task is too great, no dream too large.

But opposition to the incoming president remains vibrant and was on display during the recent Electoral College voting in several states including Florida.

Vote sanity and stability. No Trump, chanted one woman as electors met to cast their ballots in the state capital of Tallahassee.

Trump supporters have urged his opponents to give the new president a chance. One is Republican Congressman Kevin Brady of Texas.

I think President Obama was divisive. Im hopeful President-elect Trump in office will continue to reach out with Congress and with different groups across the country, listen and see if we cant pull together as a country. That is my hope, Brady told VOA correspondent Greg Flakus.

Democrats Stance

Congressional Democrats say they might be open to working with Trump on areas of common interest, such as a major infrastructure project to repair the nations roads and bridges, an endeavor that could produce thousands of jobs. Many Republicans are more hesitant, worried that the enormous cost of a large-scale infrastructure plan could balloon the budget deficit.

The new Senate Democratic leader, Charles Schumer of New York, also cautioned the president-elect.

Well fight him tooth and nail when he appeals to the baser instincts that diminish America and its greatness, Schumer said.

Some Democrats appear eager to take on Trump where they can, including former presidential contender Bernie Sanders.

When we stand together, Donald Trump and nobody, nobody is going to stop us! Lets go forward together! Thank you all! Sanders told Democrats at a post-election rally outside the U.S. Capitol.

Why Unity Matters

How Trump chooses to deal with the challenge of unifying the country is important, according to Brookings Institution analyst John Hudak.

It is incumbent upon him to start building bridges to the nearly 70 million Americans who voted for someone else. That is a real challenge, and its not a challenge every president faces, and it will be an important challenge to see how the new president goes about that, if he goes about it at all, in the early months of his administration.

There are some expectations that Trump will try to tackle the political divide in his inaugural address. New presidents have historically used the occasion to reach out to those who opposed them in the election just past.

I dont think we expect Donald Trump will change as a person, as most people dont, said John Fortier of the Bipartisan Policy Center. But I think as he assumes the office and taking that speech, that might be an opportunity for him to reach out.

Polling data suggests Trump has work to do. In mid-December, Gallup found that 48 percent of Americans approve of how Trump is handling his presidential transition. This compares to 75 percent for Barack Obama in 2009, 65 percent for George W. Bush in 2001 and 67 percent for Bill Clinton in 1993.

(Trump) has not reached out to reunify a badly divided country in any sustained way, said Larry Sabato. As a result, he has the lowest ratings of any modern president-elect during the transition period.

A recent Marist College poll found Trump retains strong support among Republicans. The survey found that 85 percent of Republicans believe Trump is bringing positive change, compared to just 12 percent of Democrats. Eighty-eight percent of Republicans approve of Trumps performance during transition while 73 percent of Democrats do not.

Trumps transition to the presidency is lacking a political honeymoon, said Marist polling director Lee Miringoff.The president-elect has been reaching out to his base but has not broadened his support.

Healing the Divide

Time Magazine named Trump Person of the Year for 2016 after his election victory. A line on the magazine cover also described him as President of the Divided States of America.

Trump took issue with that in his interview with Time: When you say divided states of America, I didnt divide them. Theyre divided now. I mean there is a lot of division. And were going to put it back together, and were going to have a country thats very well healed.

The public will likely welcome any Trump outreach on unity, beginning with his inaugural address.

But Im very hopeful, said David Eagles, director for Presidential Transition at the Partnership for Public Service. When you look at history in these periods of time, the American public has generally given a halo effect, if you will, on an incoming president to get their job done.

But any effort to ease the political bitterness from the election could be complicated right from the start by Trumps promise to repeal and replace President Barack Obamas signature achievement, his health care law.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's choice to head the Energy Department expressed misgivings Thursday for proposing to do away with the agency that manages the nation's nuclear arsenal.

"I regret recommending it's elimination," Former Texas Governor Rick Perry said during confirmation hearings before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

As a Republican presidential candidate in 2011, Perry promised to eliminate the Energy Department. But he said Thursday he reversed course "after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy."

Perry, who had a record 14-year tenure as the governor of the oil-rich state of Texas, has long promoted increased production of oil and other fossil fuels. But he also endorsed an "all the above" energy production approach, encompassing all types of fossil fuel and renewable energy production, before Democratic President Barack Obama endorsed the strategy.

As governor, he maintained Texas' position as a leading producer of oil and gas and oversaw its emergence as the nation's top wind energy state and a top 10 provider of solar power. Perry pledged Thursday to advocate energy in all forms if he is confirmed.

Despite his experience in the energy sector, his selection for energy secretary has drawn criticism. Critics contend he may not be suited to overseeing an agency that is largely dedicated to designing, managing and ensuring the safety of the nation's nuclear arsenal. Some Democrats and environmental groups have ridiculed Perry's nomination, suggesting he is not as qualified as two renowned physicists who preceded him as energy secretary. Perry earned a bachelor's degree in animal science from Texas A&M University.

Perry, a self-professed climate skeptic, vowed to resort to science when crafting any climate-change policy as energy secretary. "My record clearly shows that is the case," he said.

In a book Perry authored in 2010 entitled Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington, he described the science of human-induced climate change as a "phony mess." But Perry appeared to alter his position on climate change Thursday, saying "I believe some of it is naturally occurring, but some of it is also caused by manmade activity."

President-elect Trump has also cast doubt on climate change with assertions it is the result of a campaign of deception promoted by China.

Confirmation as energy secretary would amount to a political resurrection for Perry. After a failed presidential campaign in 2012, he tried to keep his political aspirations alive with a second presidential run in 2016 against a group of Republican presidential hopefuls, including President-elect Trump.
The world will be watching when businessman Donald Trump is officially sworn in January 20 as the 45th president of the United States, few with greater interest than China.

There is nearly $600 billion of trade between the two nations each year, the bulk of it, about $466 billion, from Chinese made goods sold in America. Trump has proposed measures to cut the trade imbalance, but some fear the proposed remedies and the tough talk could damage relations between Beijing and Washington and weaken the global economy.

Trumps campaign rhetoric on international trade was blunt. In his final debate with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, Trump said, Were going to make a great trade deal, and if we cant, were going to go our separate way.

Watch: Will Trump's Tough Talk on Trade with China Turn into Policy?



Trumps election ensured the Obama administrations Trans Pacific Partnership agreement with 11 countries would not get to a vote in Congress, though leaders in both parties had already concluded the administrations wording was not acceptable.

Additionally, the president-elect has threatened to renegotiate the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and has called China a currency manipulator and promised to fix the massive trade deficit between the two countries by raising tariffs on Chinese made goods by as much as 45 percent.

He has also appointed critics of China, such as California economist Peter Navarro, who wrote a book titled Death by China, to oversee U.S. trade policy.

Retaliation

But the Brookings Institutions Bill Galston is skeptical of Trumps rhetoric.

The idea that this is a one-way street, that we can threaten China and China cant threaten us back, I think is too simple, he said. In fact, Galston says there are many different ways China could retaliate.

To start, they could cancel the orders they placed with Boeing and redirect those orders to Airbus, and that would have a large effect on the economy of the Pacific Northwest, Galson said. A fair number of American corporations have set up shop in China, and its easy to imagine how Chinese regulators could turn the screws up on them.

But while China has not ruled out anything, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai says Beijing is committed to working out differences between the two countries, saying confrontation is the least viable option for the worlds two largest economies.

Any trade war, especially a trade war between the two largest economies in the world, will be very damaging to both economies and will hurt the global economy as well. So nobody would benefit, Tiankai said. We have to make sure that more people will benefit from the process of globalization. But I dont think its a right approach if anyone tries to raise protectionist barriers between countries. This will only hurt everybody. It will not help anybody.

Justin Urquhart Stewart who heads corporate development at Seven Investment Management in London calls Trumps rhetoric on China dangerous politics. He says the truth is the United States needs China as much as China needs the United States.

After all, they [China] are the second largest holder of American debt and he [Trump] would probably like them to buy some more and certainly not sell it, Stewart said.

But equally, he added, the Chinese need the Americans because they are one of their largest trading partners  they need them to be still buying Chinese stuff. So, the sooner we get away from rhetoric and down to real proper diplomacy and bargaining structures, to actually stop accusing each other of dumping and currency manipulation and actually get down to brass tacks and what they can do together, the better.

Negotiation strategy

Chad Bown, a former World Bank economist and now senior fellow on trade policy at the Peterson Institute for International Economics believes Trumps tough talk is probably just a negotiating ploy rather than a show of hostility toward a major trading partner.

It certainly seems to be that way in terms of rhetoric, Bown said. But that may also partially be his style and coming at these types of issues from a business approach and a negotiating approach and less of a diplomatic or statesmanlike approach, so well have to see, once he actually gets into office, how he chooses to conduct the relationship.

Despite Trumps anti-globalization agenda, Bown says actions, not words, will determine the fate of U.S.-China relations.

He [Trump] has said quite explicitly that he is not interested in the TPP agreement, so we know what hes against, but we dont know what he is actually for. So I think were going to have to wait and give him a little bit of time, and his team and administration to come into office to get settled down and figure out what their priorities are going to be, Bown said.

Bown says ignoring China or Asia Pacific trade isnt going to bring back jobs. Its more likely to hurt the U.S. economy and create uncertainty and other spillover effects in both emerging and developed economies.
Donald Trump's nominee to head the Treasury Department says he "saved thousands of jobs" with a bold investment in an expensive, failing bank during the financial crisis. Steve Mnuchin made the claim Thursday at his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.

Ranking Democrat Ron Wyden accused the nominee of cheating troubled borrowers with sloppy paperwork and questionable practices. The bank foreclosed thousands of mortgages, and Wyden said Mnuchin's bank "put more vulnerable people on the street faster than just about anybody else around."

Wyden criticized Mnuchin for moving money overseas to avoid taxes, and expressed doubts that the nominee would work on "behalf of all Americans." At a separate event, the senate's top Democrat Chuck Schumer said Mnuchin and other Trump nominees for top posts are "ethically challenged."

Mnuchin got rich by making many investments including in movies and a sub-prime mortgage lender IndyMac. The Wall Street Journal says the troubled bank had one of the worst portfolios in the business with more than nine percent of its loans at least two months behind.

Mnuchin told the committee that previous management, not his group, made poor loan decisions that pushed the bank into crisis. The nominee says he rebuilt the bank and saved jobs with a $1.6-billion investment when other investors "were running for the hills."

Mnuchin also said he would "have no problem" criticizing China for manipulating its currency. Some experts say Beijing artificially depresses the value of its own currency to give its products a price advantage on world markets. Washington says the practice hurts U.S. exports and jobs, but has previously refrained from publicly confronting China on the issue because it needs Beijing's cooperation on other issues.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, a Republican, said Mnuchin is an "effective choice" to lead a department that should play a key role in getting America's economy "back on track." He also said Mnuchin has the skill and insight to help reform the tax code, promote investment and spur job creation.

Mnuchin said his first job was working in a glass factory during high school. He later studied economics at Yale University, worked at the Goldman Sachs financial firm, and eventually started his own financial company.

The Treasury Department is supposed to maintain a strong economy by promoting conditions that enable economic growth in the United States and elsewhere. Treasury has more than 100,000 employees who manage and protect the financial system.
The United Nations has been invited to attend Syrian peace talks scheduled to begin Monday in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

A U.N. spokeswomen said Thursday that Secretary General Antonio Guterres asked Syrian envoy Staffan de Mistura to attend the negotiations "in light of the complexity and importance of the issues likely to be raised in Astana."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said the talks will focus on enforcing the cease-fire and allow the distribution of humanitarian aid across the country. He also told a Japanese TV station he believed the negotiations would result in local "reconciliation" agreements with the rebels.

Russia, Syria's most powerful ally, brokered the talks with help from Iran and Turkey, which supports the opposition, but has changed its priorities to fighting Kurdish groups and Islamic State.

A number of Turkey-supported opposition groups also have agreed to attend. The rebel groups and Assad are accusing each other of violating the cease-fire.

Russia and Turkey brokered the cease-fire in late December, but violence recently has escalated throughout Syria, particularly around the capital of Damascus.

The ongoing violence has displaced thousands more people, and access to humanitarian aid is still being denied in some areas, according to U.N. senior advisor Jan Egeland.

"The cessation of hostilities period has been a disappointment, frankly," Egeland said. He noted that the U.N. humanitarian task force launched last February experienced immediate success in distributing aid, but said "December and January so far have been our worst months since we started."
The U.N. refugee agency, International Organization for Migration and 72 other partners are appealing for $691 million to implement a new plan to relocate and help ease the plight of tens of thousands of refugees and migrants in Europe this year.

More than 1.3 million refugees and migrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and elsewhere have arrived in Europe over the past two years. They have met with resistance from European nations reluctant to receive them; tens of thousands continue to languish in sub-standard camps and makeshift accommodations, with inadequate assistance and little hope for their future.

The plan being launched by the U.N. refugee agency and International Organization for Migration sets out a new strategy to ensure safe access to asylum and protection of these individuals.

UNHCR spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly calls this a very pragmatic plan - one that will be reviewed throughout the year and adjusted to the reality on the ground," said Pouilly. "She tells VOA the plan aims to support long-term solutions and an orderly and dignified way of managing migration.

We have been constantly advocating for instance for European countries to offer more legal pathways for refugees and migrants to come to Europe, the reason being that if we do not offer such legal pathways, people resort to human smuggling with the deadly consequences that we have been witnessing over the past two years," said Pouilly.

The United Nations says some 5,000 people lost their lives in 2016 while making the perilous crossing in flimsy smuggler boats across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

Aid agencies hope to prevent such tragedies from occurring by presenting safer alternatives to refugees and migrants. Pouilly says the plan emphasizes the specific needs of refugee and migrant children, as well as those of women and girls.

She says efforts will be made to meet the needs of unaccompanied and separated children in Europe and that more than 25,000 of the children arrived by sea in Italy alone last year.
A U.N. report says Iran has not received any unauthorized transfers of nuclear-related items since an international nuclear agreement was implemented a year ago, but Tehran may have violated some provisions on conventional arms transfers and travel restrictions.

"The secretary-general has not received any report, nor is aware of any open source information, regarding the supply, sale or transfer to Iran of nuclear-related items undertaken contrary to the provisions of the resolution," U.N. political chief Jeffrey Feltman told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Resolution 2231 was adopted in July 2015, endorsing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that aims to ensure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. The five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany negotiated the deal with Iran.

IAEA reported compliance

Feltman's briefing covered only Annex B of the resolution, including nuclear- and ballistic-missile-related transfers to or from Iran, as well as asset freezes and travel bans. He did not cover Annex A provisions  namely, implementation of Iran's nuclear-related commitments and sanctions. But in four prior reports, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has verified that Tehran is abiding by its nuclear-related commitments.

Feltman said the U.N. also had not received any information of Iranian violations of the provisions regulating ballistic-missile activities or related transfers. But he did express concern about "possible ongoing travel ban violations," including by two senior Iranian army generals.

The U.N. report expressed concern that Iran also might have attempted to send conventional weapons to Somalia or Yemen in the past year, and according to televised remarks by the leader of the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, Tehran supplies all of its weapons and missiles. If verified, these would be violations of Resolution 2231.

All of this information has been reported before, but the U.N. secretariat is required to brief the Security Council twice a year on implementation. Overall, Feltman concluded that his briefing to the council was taking place "against a backdrop of steady implementation, cooperation and progress."

Continued U.S. commitment?

In a possible reference to comments by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that he thought the Iran deal was "terrible" and should be torn up, Feltman reiterated the necessity of international support for the agreement's full implementation.

Several council members echoed that sentiment, calling the deal "historic" and one of the major diplomatic achievements of the last decade that requires a long-term commitment from all parties.

In Washington on Wednesday, Trump's nominee to become U.N. ambassador, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, took a less aggressive tone at her Senate confirmation hearing. When asked whether she supported the U.S. backing out of the nuclear deal, she said, "I think what would be more beneficial at this point is that we look at all the details of the Iran deal; we see if they are actually in compliance."

Haley said if Iran violated the agreement, then the U.S. should "act on those violations."

Diplomatic dividends

Some council members noted that since the deal's implementation, they had experienced a surge in trade with Iran.

The European Union said its trade with Tehran was up by 63 percent over the first three quarters of last year. Britain noted a 42 percent increase in its exports to the country, and France said bilateral trade was up 200 percent in overall value since the deal was implemented last January.

But while they touted the mutual economic benefits, they noted that progress had been tempered by Iran's negative behavior in the Middle East  specifically, its support of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria and its threats against Israel.
U.S. airstrikes killed several dozen Islamic State fighters late Wednesday in two militant camps southwest of Sirte, Libya, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said.

Initial estimates indicate that the airstrikes killed more than 80 ISIL fighters, many of whom had converged there after fleeing from local partner forces who had cleared Sirte last month with our help, Carter said Thursday, using an acronym for Islamic State.

Speaking on his last full day in office, Carter said the IS fighters targeted included external plotters who were actively planning operations against our allies in Europe.

He added the strikes should serve as a reminder to U.S. enemies that while the world doesn't rest from the [government] transition here in Washington, neither does the Department of Defense.

WATCH: U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on Libya Airstrikes

Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook told reporters IS fighters were attempting to reorganize at the remote camps since Sirte was no longer a safe operating location.It was not clear whether all the fighters at the camp had come from Sirte, Cook said, adding that the group posed a security threat to Libya, the region, and U.S. national interests.

This group had plans, Cook said, and thats why we struck at this particular time.

Two U.S. B-2 bombers dropped about 100 munitions on the two camps late Wednesday, according to Cook.A U.S. defense official told VOA drones were also used in the attack.



Defense officials said the two camps were in a very rural area and that no women or children were present.

Video of the militants before the strike showed them carrying weapons and mortars.

The strikes were authorized by President Barack Obama, in what likely will be the last military operation approved by the outgoing U.S. leader.

Carter said the attack was in conjunction with Libyas U.N.-backed Government of National Accord as an extension of the U.S. operation to support Libyan forces who freed Sirte from IS control last year.

The U.S. air support operation in Libya started August 1 and formally ended December 19.At the operations start, the Pentagon said its mission was to enable the Government of National Accord to make a decisive, strategic advance and to help deny IS a haven in Libya from which it could attack the United States and its allies.
Optical Communications and Networking Technologies Enabling 5G, IoT, Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence to Anchor OFC 2017 Conference Program

OFC 2017, the world's leading conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals, will unite the industry's leaders and business professionals to discuss how to leverage optical innovations for next-generation 5G networks, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR) and much more. OFC, being held 19-23 March in Los Angeles, California, USA, attracts attendees from more than 65 countries. The exhibition includes 600 companies and hosts more than 1,150 technical and business presentations for its more than 13,000 attendees. This year's conference program features a dynamic plenary lineup exploring the exciting and evolving relationship of optical technologies under the sphere of AI, VR and IoT. The plenary presentation includes global leaders from Google, Inc., Eindhoven University of Technology and King's College London.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS:

The popular Data Center Summit, showcasing the benefits of Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), will include both a technical presentation and a live demonstration. The technical presentation will provide an overview of open hardware and software platforms for designing, deploying and operating large-scale networks and complex commercial networking environments. The "SDN & NFV Demo Zone," will provide the OFC audience with the pportunity to see a live demonstration and prototype of collaborative research projects, pre-commercial products and proof-of-concept networks in the SDN and NFV space.







Exhibit hall theaters will feature the OFC Market Watch, Network Operator Summit (formerly Service Provider Summit) and 15+ programs covering market trends and hot topics.

Market Watch is a three-day series of panel discussions, engaging the latest application topics and business issues in the field of optical communications. Presentations and panel sessions feature esteemed guest speakers from industry, research and the investment community.

The Network Operator Summit will explore current needs and future requirements from service providers and network operators as they invest in expansion plans.

The peer-reviewed technical conference features more than 120 invited speakers detailing emerging technologies. In addition to the invited speakers, the technical program includes special symposia, one-hour in-depth tutorials, interactive workshops and panel discussions. Choose from 50 short courses spanning a variety of technical levels for a true hands-on learning experience.

EXHIBITOR HIGHLIGHTS:

Leveraging more than 340,000 square feet of exhibit space, OFC 2017 will feature 600 exhibits from major international leaders such as Ciena, Coriant, Corning Incorporated, Cisco Systems, Fujitsu Optical Components, Global Communication Semiconductors, Inc.; Huawei (News - Alert) Technologies USA, Juniper Networks, Mitsubishi International, Nokia and more. The exhibition includes 100+ California-based companies including; Broadcom, Intel, Kaiam, Lumentum, Mellanox (News - Alert), Oclaro and more. Technologies on display include network and test equipment, optical transport systems and optical component, fiber cables and specialty fiber manufacturers.

MEDIA REGISTRATION: Media/analyst registration for OFC 2017 can be accessed online. Further information is available on the event website at OFC, including travel details.

ABOUT OFC

The Optical Fiber Conference and Exposition (OFC) is the largest global conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals. For more than 40 years, OFC has drawn attendees from all corners of the globe to meet and greet, teach and learn, make connections and move business forward.

OFC includes dynamic business programming, an exhibition of more than 600 companies, and high impact peer-reviewed research that, combined, showcase the trends and pulse of the entire optical networking and communications industry. OFC is managed by The Optical Society (OSA) and co-sponsored by OSA, the IEEE (News - Alert) Communications Society (IEEE/ComSoc), and the IEEE Photonics Society. OFC 2017 will be held from 19-23 March 2017 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, California, USA. Follow @OFCConference, learn more OFC Conference LinkedIn, and watch highlights OFC YouTube.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170118005990/en/
China may be one of the worlds biggest markets, a country that is not lacking in potential, but it also is an increasingly difficult place to do business. At least thats what the results of a new survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China reveals.

In its latest annual overview, the U.S. business lobby found that as many as 81 percent of its members feel unwelcome. Companies doing business say that it is not just the rising cost of doing business in China, but inconsistent and unclear regulations as well as increasing Chinese protectionism that is fueling that pessimism.

There are policies here that really make it more and more difficult to do business, says AmCham China Chairman William Zarit.

A playing field that is tilted in the favor of Chinese companies is also a persistent concern.

Zarit says that while the phrase indigenous innovation has kind of gone away, the sense of building Chinese champions at the expense of sometimes American companies being able to do their business hereI think that also adds to this feeling of not being welcome.

That feeling of being unwelcome as well as a slowdown in the Chinese economy is sapping investment interest in China and more companies are deprioritizing the worlds second largest economy as an investment destination.

From 2012 until now, the percentage of companies that identify China as one of their top three global investment destinations has slipped from a peak of 78 percent to 56 percent, according to the survey.

But clearly, given its potential, few have written China off entirely. The survey found that if Beijing were to remove discriminatory barriers to foreign investment companies and investment restrictions, members of the business group say they would significantly increase investment.

However, few are optimistic that will happen anytime soon, according to the survey.

China has been talking about moving forward with reforms for years now, but many, Chinese and foreign critics alike, see those efforts as stalled.

Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping talked up open markets and warned against protectionism. China also revealed new proposals to reduce restrictions on investment that same day.

Just how much an impact the incoming administration of president-elect Donald Trump will have is unclear. Trump has been a harsh critic of Chinas trade practices and has pledged to get tough on Beijing.

Zarit says members of the trade lobby are very concerned about the year ahead and will be doing everything they can to make sure the U.S.-China commercial relationship stays beneficial to both China and especially the U.S.

It makes sense that the U.S. policy makers want to be a little more forthcoming and in some cases a lot more forthcoming and perhaps firmer on negotiating with the Chinese on economic issues because we feel that over the last few years that weve been taken advantage of to some extent, with our open market and the lack of open areas in the Chinese market, Zarit says.

We just want to make sure that we dont get into a situation, like you say a trade war, or something like it, where both sides will lose.

Next month, Zarit and a handful of others, including former chairs of the AmCham China will visit Washington DC in an effort to reach out to the incoming administration.

"We certainly are not going there to lecture the administration, but we are there to share our ideas on a win-win path forward, a more constructive path forward, and also to hear what they have to say," he says.
The United States and Cuba have signed a treaty on maritime boundaries in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico.

A State Department statement said the pact covers the only water boundary not under a previous deal between the two countries.

The treaty will have to be approved by the U.S. Senate before it can take effect.

Cuba also signed a similar treaty with Mexico to sort out claims in the same part of the Gulf of Mexico.

The three countries had discussed the boundaries since the middle of last year.

The U.S.-Cuba treaty comes days before Republican Donald Trump becomes president. He has threatened to reverse moves by President Barack Obama to thaw relations between the countries, which included reestablishing diplomatic relations and easing a travel ban.


The United States and Djibouti have signed a new 10-year lease on a U.S. military base in the Horn of Africa nation that the White House called a critical part in fighting terrorism.President Barack Obama announced the deal Monday at a White House meeting with Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh.Obama called the base a critical facility and extraordinarily important to the U.S. role in the Horn of Africa. He said he is grateful to Guelleh for agreeing to a long-term lease.Guelleh thanked Obama for what he called a vision for the development of Africa, including heath care, education and food security in Djibouti.Both presidents promised to continue working together to increase economic development and fight terrorism in the Horn of Africa, including their committment to keep al-Qaida and the Somali-based Islamist terrorist group al-Shabab from gaining ground.In an interview with the VOA Somali service, Guelleh said $3 billion of Western pledges to help Somalia rebuild its army and the country have not been met. He said there is no getting around the fact that rebuilding the army is a necessity if the world wants to see Somalia stand on its own feet.The tiny East African country of Djibouti is strategic to the United States as a hub for anti-terrorism efforts in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.Djiboutian solders are part of the African Union force that has had some success against al-Shabab in Somalia.Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti houses about 4,000 U.S. soldiers and other military personnel. The United States regards it as a major staging area for attacks against terrorists in Yemen and Somalia. It is the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa, and Washington pays $38 million a year to lease it.Until recently, the facility was used to launch U.S. drone strikes against suspected al-Qaida fighters.In a joint statement from the White House, the two leaders noted their shared commitment to combat violent extremism, to counter piracy and to secure Djibouti's borders.Obama announced the United States would increase technical and financial aid for Djibouti civilian projects and, according to the statement, would "provide enhanced security assistance and equipment to Djiboutian security forces."There are many who worry, however, about any pivot of U.S. foreign policy toward what they call the militarization of Africa.The Republic of Djibouti is a geographical gold mine. With its busy port, it sits strategically in the Horn of Africa. Its across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen and bordered by Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia -- making it a prime counter-terrorism partner for the United States.The U.S. has calculated that putting the money into whats seen as a relatively stable country in a very strategic location with access to a lot of unstable countries will pay off both in the near and the long term," said Joe Siegle, research director at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.Ben Fred-Mensah, who teaches international relations and government at Howard University, said, terrorism is very much alive. As America always says, Its better we fight them outside, than to wait and fight them at home.But Djibouti residents complained when five drones in three years crashed, one just 1.5 kilometers from the capital, Djibouti City. So the U.S. moved the drone fleet to another airstrip 13 kilometers from the airport.Abayomi Azikiwe, the editor of Pan-African News Wire, opposes the U.S. military buildup. In a Skype interview, he said theres more at play than terrorism.More and more oil is being imported there from Africa into the United States, as well as other strategic minerals," Azikiwe said. "That, in our opinion, is guiding this increased military presence."Fred-Mensah said his opposition stems from his African roots. I begin to question whether we still enjoy our sovereignty or whether we are losing our sovereignty because we are relatively weak, he said.The Pentagon plans to spend more than $1 billion over the next 25 years to expand and renovate Camp Lemonnier - reaffirming its presence in Africa.For the U.S., investing in Djibouti is a matter of balance. Djibouti has a less-than-stellar human rights record. Freedom House, a human rights reporting agency, labeled Djibouti as Not Free in last years Freedom in the World report . It accused Guelleh of suppressing civil liberties and ranked the nation's political rights near the bottom.In the interview with VOA, Guelleh said he is not bothered by the Djiboutian opposition claims that security forces arrest and harass its members and squelch protests and a free press.The president said people in Djibouti are arrested because of a crime and are given the right to a trial with a lawyer.
The United States has seen indications that North Korea may be preparing for a new missile test-launch in the coming days or weeks, U.S. officials said on Thursday, in what could be an early test of President-elect Donald Trump's administration.

South Korean media, citing intelligence agencies, said Pyongyang may be readying a test of a new, upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as early as Friday, the day Trump is inaugurated.

U.S. officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, cautioned however that they did not have such precise information about the range or potential timing of Pyongyang's missile test, should it happen.

One official suggested Pyongyang could be largely seeking to provoke the Trump administration.

If they do something, it would more likely be a test of Trump than a test of a delivery system, said a U.S. intelligence officer who monitors North Korean activities. They probably want to see how he reacts to a provocation, even a

minor one, and if they really want to poke him, they'll do it right away.

Leader hints test is near

In his New Year's speech, leader Kim Jong Un said North Korea was close to test launching an ICBM, and state media has said a launch could come at any time. Experts on the isolated and nuclear capable country's missile program believe the claims to be credible.

Trump on January 2 tweeted, It won't happen! about North Korea's pursuit of a nuclear-tipped ICBM, although his precise meaning was unclear. The Pentagon has said it would not necessarily strike a test-launched ICBM if it did not pose a threat.

The Pentagon declined comment on its intelligence about the North Korea threat, but spokesman Peter Cook assured reporters that Washington's readiness would be not be diminished during the U.S. presidential transition, due to take place on Friday.

I can't get into intelligence matters. I can't confirm what's been reported there, Cook told a news briefing. We would once again encourage North Korea not to engage in provocative actions that do nothing but destabilize the region.

New type of missile?

South Korean intelligence agencies reported on Wednesday that they had recently spotted missile parts being transported, believed to be the lower-half of an ICBM, raising fears that a test-launch may be imminent, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing unidentified military sources.

It was different from a conventional Musudan missile in its length and shape, the source told the Chosun Ilbo, referring to the Musudan intermediate-range missile tested by North Korea last year.

It is possible they were moving it somewhere for assembly, the source said.

A spokesman for South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Roh Jae-cheon, told a regular news briefing that while the reports could not be confirmed, the military was monitoring North Korea's ICBM development.

North Korea has in the past paraded mockups of a road-mobile missile believed to be an ICBM design dubbed the KN-08 by outside observers. It is also believed to have an upgraded version, the KN-14.

A road-mobile ICBM, which could be kept hidden or moving until fired, would make tracking and stopping a North Korean missile launch significantly more difficult.

Just field exercises?

The suspected ICBM is made up of two parts under 15 meters (49 feet) long and is shorter than the KN-08 and KN-14, the Yonhap News Agency said, citing unidentified military sources.

I don't recognize the missiles from this description, said Joshua Pollack, editor of the U.S.-based Nonproliferation Review. But as we saw in 2016, there's certainly a variety of active missile programs under way in North Korea.

It's also possible that they are simply conducting field exercises with no plans to launch, or the option to launch if decided, said Pollack.

Last year, North Korea conducted a test of an ICBM engine made up of a cluster of smaller rockets, indicating it was working on an ICBM design.

Separately, the Washington-based think tank 38 North said on Thursday that operations at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear facility may have restarted. North Korea is believed to be able to reprocess plutonium at Yongbyon used in its nuclear warheads.
Police in Vietnam's capital stopped an anti-China protest within minutes on Thursday at a ceremony to commemorate a clash between the two countries in the South China Sea more than four decades ago.

Vietnam and China have a longstanding dispute over the South China Sea, nearly all of which is claimed by China. Four other countries have claims in the sea, through which an estimated $5 trillion in trade passes each year.

The protest in Hanoi started after a peaceful commemoration for soldiers of what was then South Vietnam who were killed in 1974, when China seized the Paracel islands, which it still holds.

Police dragged about 20 protesters on to a bus after they ignored a warning to disperse and began marching with banners and chanting "Demolish China's Invasion" and other slogans.

The government and police made no comment and state-controlled media did not report the protest.



Tension between the two communist countries peaked most recently in 2014, when China moved an oil rig into disputed waters and protests broke out across Vietnam.

Relations have since improved, although a quiet military buildup continues in the region.

China and Vietnam last week pledged to manage their differences and safeguard peace in the South China Sea during a visit to Beijing by Vietnamese Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong.

The potential for the busy waterway to become a global flashpoint was highlighted last week when the nominee for U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, told a Senate hearing that China should be denied access to islands it has built there.
Senegalese and Nigerian forces are gathering at Gambia's border, vowing action if President Yahya Jammeh does not does heed a call from West African leaders to step aside for Adama Barrow, the declared winner of the December 1 vote.

The move comes after Gambia's National Assembly extended Jammehs term by three months under a newly declared state of emergency.

The central market in Banjul was deserted Wednesday amid a heavy police presence throughout the downtown area.



The harbor where people board the ferry to take them out of the capital and on to Senegal was packed. Port authorities said thousands left yesterday, and a steady stream of women and children were headed in that direction today with their luggage.



The uncertainty centers around Thursday, January 19 the day that President-elect Adama Barrow is scheduled to be inaugurated.



In Banjul, people are growing impatient with Yahya Jammeh.



Hes wrong. He already sit for 22 years. You should give other people a chance, says a carpenter named Tijan.

But Jammeh is digging in. He has condemned what he has called extraordinary foreign interference in the country's affairs. He challenged the election results, but the Supreme Court says it is unable to meet until May because of a shortage of judges.



ECOWAS says Jammeh must step down Thursday. The regional bloc is threatening a military intervention.



Security concerns



International tour groups are scrambling to evacuate tourists. Tom Laker, a Dutch citizen, was preparing to head to the airport.



I dont actually think that tourists here are in danger, but I do see that the situation is tense enough to maybe warrant bringing people back home, he said.





In a televised statement, Jammeh said that the security forces have been instructed to maintain law and order, and that acts intended to disturb public order and peace are banned. The airport remains open.



President-elect Barrow is in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. He needs to be inaugurated on Gambian soil. Barrow has insisted that will happen Thursday as scheduled, though from the looks of things here in Banjul, it does not look like it will take place here.
Zimbabweans have commended America for respecting its old tradition of transferring political power from one party to another even after conducting highly contested presidential elections.

They say though millions of Democratic party supporters are unhappy with the defeat of their presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, in the November poll, President Barack Obama is set Friday to hand over power to her bitter rival, Donald Trump.

Political analyst, Nkululeko Sibanda, of Huddersfied University in Britain, says, I think it is a good tradition where you have the transfer of power from one president to the other regardless of whether or not they are from the same political party, whether or not the outgoing president had the support of the incoming president. And this is a special particular case where the outgoing president campaigned for a presidential candidate that did not succeed.

He adds that the transparent transfer of power is important in terms of making sure that you give authority and relevance to institutions, you institutionalize democracy itself, you institutionalize all the other supporting institutions that make it work such as the congress or parliament, you also are able to institutionalize government departments in a way that they seem to be responding to society and being democratic.

DEMOCRACY THRIVING

A Zimbabwean living in USA, Phithizela Ngcobo, who is a school teacher, says, The most important thing is that democracy thrives, democracy moves on. Democratic societies free people and most of them are prosperous and that tradition has to be celebrated at whatever costs.

According to the National Constitution Center, although nothing in the original Constitution limited presidential terms, the nations first president, George Washington, declined to run for a third term, suggesting that two terms of four years were enough for any president.

Washingtons voluntary two-term limit became the unwritten rule for all presidents until 1940. In that year, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who had steered the nation through the Great Depression of the 1930s, won a third term and was elected in 1944 for a fourth term as well. Following President Roosevelts death in April 1945, just months into his fourth term, Republicans in Congress sought passage of Amendment XXII. FDR was the first and only president to serve more than two terms.

AMENDMENT XXII

The amendment was passed by Congress in 1947 and ratified by the states in 1951. The Twenty-Second Amendment limits an elected president to two terms in office, a total of eight years. However, it is possible for an individual to serve up to ten years as president. The amendment specifies that if a vice president or other successor takes over for a presidentwho, for whatever reason, cannot fulfill the termand serves two years or less of the former presidents term, the new president may serve for two full four-year terms. If more than two years remain of the term when the successor assumes office, the new president may serve only one additional term.

Ngcobo says such constitutional provisions are critical in ensuring that power does not remain in the hands of an individual for more than the stipulated term of office.

On the feelings of departing presidents, Ngcobo says they know that when time comes, one should leave the White House.

Specifically referring to President Barack Obama and the incoming president, he says, I don't think it's painful for him (Obama). He is aware that the constitution requires him to leave after eight years, he cant serve beyond that. So, even after he became president he was aware that after eight years he will be on his way out.

The only sad part in my view is that the person who is coming in is someone who has despised the people a lot, someone who has said bad things about immigrants, women and people of certain faiths and religion. And l think that will be the only sad part of him (Obama) whereby he will be passing on the button to someone who doesn't uphold the values that Obama so much stands for.

OBAMA WAS INCLUSIVE

He says Obama was someone who was inclusive, someone who loved people and someone who was loved by the people. It's so unfortunate that he will handover the button to someone who so much despises people.

An American, who identified herself only as Jessica, says Americans are deeply divided over the incoming president with people being passionate about their positions regarding business mogul Donald Trumps election.

DONALD TRUMP ELECTION

It has caused a lot of debate that say the least. People feel very passionate about their positions. I think this is something that is very unique to this presidential election unlike what we have seen before. I think a lot of people are obviously still upset about the results and you have people that believe in his (Trump) message of prosperity and creating jobs and so he is getting a lot of points but there is also lash back with all the things that he says  We will see how it will go and he is the president now. We will be supporting the next president. It's going to be interesting on how he is going to unite the country.

She also says the world would be watching how America would conduct itself under the Trump administration.

AFRICAN LEADERS

In Africa, some nations have over the years witnessed a smooth transfer of power while in other nations this has been an uphill task. Zimbabwe has been ruled by President Robert Mugabe since the nation attained independence from British rule in 1980.

Ngcobo argues that this is fueled by greediness among African leaders.

I think the main reason is greediness among our leaders. A lot of our African leaders, some of them or most of them, get into politics for wealth or acquiring riches and a lot of them are not prepared to let go because they feel that their source of wealth also diminishes the moment they leave office and that's a very, very sad circumstance.

His views are echoed by Sibanda, who notes that there is progress in some African nations where power has always been smoothly transferred from one president to another.

ZIMBABWE, GHANA AND GAMBIA

We just experienced something close to this in Tanzania last year, we are going through the same in Ghana and we have a version of this in South Africa. South Africa has the strongest and more democratic constitutions we have ever known. And so as a matter of fact we do have some few countries that recently begun to experience positive changes in terms of a peaceful transfer of power.

Will this happen in Zimbabwe anytime soon? Sibanda says, No  because we have never had any transfer of power for years. President Mugabe has no intention of transferring power. For nearly 78 years we have had two people leading Zimbabwe.

Well. Zimbabwe is totally different. There is no scenario under which I can or anybody who heard about Zimbabwe slightly can imagine a transfer of power from the current president to anybody else.

There is an ongoing crisis in the Gambia where defeated incumbent president, Yahya Jammeh, is refusing to hand over power to President-elect Adama Barrow, who won the presidential poll last month.

The Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union have urged him to step down but Jammeh is refusing to leave office. ECOWAS is expected to take military action against Jammeh after he blocked the swearing-in of the incoming president.
[January 18, 2017] IGT Wins Seven-Year Contract To Provide Video Lottery Terminals, Central System, Site Controllers, Games And Operational Services To Svenska Spel In Sweden

LONDON, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- International Game Technology PLC (NYSE:IGT) announced that its subsidiary, IGT Canada Solutions ULC (with International Game Technology PLC, hereinafter "IGT" or "the Company"), has signed a contract to provide Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs), a VLT Central System, site controllers, games, and operational services to AB Svenska Spel in Sweden ("Svenska Spel") as part of a competitive procurement process. IGT, as legacy GTECH, has been providing video lottery products and support services to Svenska Spel, operator of the Swedish national lottery and a World Lottery Association member, since 1996. "Throughout the last two decades, we've successfully supported and enhanced Svenska Spel's approach to protecting players while creating advanced solutions to meet their business objectives," said Walter Bugno, CEO, IGT International. "This contract will help to ensure that Svenska Spel continues to responsibly grow and remain competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace. It will help to increase player engagement, ensure the long-term sustainability of their offering, and provide a safe gaming experience for their players, which is the cornerstone of Svenska Spel's program." The contract, which commenced on Jan. 9, 2017, is for seven years with the possibility of one-year extensions for up to three subsequent years, for a maximum term of 10 years. Under the contract term, Svenska Spel has agreed to a minimum 6,000 Quasar VLTs, the INTELLIGEN Central System, a minimum 2,000 IGT site controllers, and more than 60 games. Operational services include continuous, 24/7 operation of the Gaming System, including VLTs, site controllers, and games from IGT's market-leading omnichannel content portfolio. The newest member of the IGT VLT product family, the sleek, modern Quasar VLT features large, 23-inch LCD screens supporting full HD graphics; a 10.1-inch multi-touch button panel; and ergonomically comfortable design suited for players at any height. The latest version of the INTELLIGEN Central System incorporates a proven architectural design with the latest technology available, maximizing system performance and reliability. It is designed to support growth and remain current through the evolution of technology, and is based on commercially-proven deployments in high-transaction environments. The solution includes robust Responsible Gaming (RG) tools that are intuitive for players and provide a transparent, realistic context for gaming through features such as tutorials, information on odds and payouts, as well as an information section that dispels gambling myths. With it, players can set both time and monetary spending limits for multiple time periods. Svenska Spel will also receive the new, market-leading INTELLIGEN Advanced Business Intelligence value-added module, which provides data that helps quickly identify trends and provide useful insights to improve all aspects of business performance in the network. IGT's site controller and retailer terminal includes a modern, tablet-style touch-screen display; a small footprint that minimizes space requirements; and a sleek product design. In addition to supplying Svenska Spel's VLT wide area network operation, IGT, as legacy GTECH subsidiary Boss Media, began providing Svenska Spel with fully customizable poker software in 2006. Svenska Spel also uses IGT's Casinolink system and IGT slot machines at its land-based casinos.



About IGT

IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader in gaming. We enable players to experience their favorite games across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Interactive and Social Gaming. Leveraging a wealth of premium content, substantial investment in innovation, in-depth customer intelligence, operational expertise and leading-edge technology, our gaming solutions anticipate the demands of consumers wherever they decide to play. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100 countries around the world, and create value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has over 12,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.IGT.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning International Game Technology PLC and other matters. These statements may discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, dividends, results of operations or financial condition, or otherwise, based on current beliefs of the management of International Game Technology PLC as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, such management. Forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "could," "would," "should," "shall," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "future," "guidance," "intend," "may," "will," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project" or the negative or other variations of them. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside International Game Technology PLC's control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those predicted in the forward-looking statements and from past results, performance or achievements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to) the possibility that the businesses of International Game Technology (Nevada) and GTECH S.p.A. will not be integrated successfully, or that the combined companies will not realize estimated cost savings, synergies, growth or other anticipated benefits or that such benefits may take longer to realize than expected; unanticipated costs of integration of International Game Technology (Nevada) and GTECH S.p.A.; the possibility that International Game Technology PLC will be unable to pay future dividends to shareholders or that the amount of such dividends may be less than anticipated; the possibility that International Game Technology PLC may not obtain its anticipated financial results in one or more future periods; reductions in customer spending; a slowdown in customer payments and changes in customer demand for products and services as a result of changing economic conditions or otherwise; unanticipated changes relating to competitive factors in the industries in which International Game Technology PLC operates; International Game Technology PLC's ability to hire and retain key personnel; the impact of the consummation of the business combination on relationships with third parties, including customers, employees and competitors; International Game Technology PLC's ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers in the manner anticipated; reliance on and integration of information technology systems; changes in legislation or governmental regulations affecting International Game Technology PLC, including as a consequence of the announced withdrawal of the U.K. from the EU; international, national or local economic, social or political conditions that could adversely affect International Game Technology PLC or its customers; conditions in the credit markets; changes in the top management team; risks associated with assumptions International Game Technology PLC makes in connection with its critical accounting estimates; the resolution of pending and potential future legal, regulatory or tax proceedings and investigations; and International Game Technology PLC's international operations, which are subject to the risks of currency fluctuations and foreign exchange controls. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect International Game Technology PLC's business, including those described in International Game Technology PLC's annual report on Form 20-F for the financial year ended December 31, 2015 and other documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov and on the investor relations section of International Game Technology PLC's website at www.IGT.com. Except as required under applicable law, International Game Technology PLC does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements. Nothing in this news release is intended, or is to be construed, as a profit forecast or to be interpreted to mean that earnings per International Game Technology PLC share for the current or any future financial years will necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per International Game Technology PLC share, as applicable. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to International Game Technology PLC, or persons acting on its behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Contact:

Robert K. Vincent, Corporate Communications, toll-free in U.S./Canada (844) IGT-7452; outside U.S./Canada (401) 392-7452

James Hurley, Investor Relations, (401) 392-7190

Simone Cantagallo, (+39) 06 51899030; for Italian media inquiries To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/igt-wins-seven-year-contract-to-provide-video-lottery-terminals-central-system-site-controllers-games-and-operational-services-to-svenska-spel-in-sweden-300392311.html SOURCE IGT

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A little over 6 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 2 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. Twelve 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 4 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 2 countries were members of the European Union. And the family ties and bonds of affection that unite our 2 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 6 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  1 or 2 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 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 4 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. Co-operation in the fight against crime and terrorism

And a Global Britain will continue to co-operate 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 co-operate 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 2-year Article 50 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 co-operate 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. Co-operation 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 4 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 co-operation 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 2 nuclear powers. We are the only 2 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.
Private Sector Branch

Unite the Union have announced the revamping of the Private Sector Branch, one of the main structures within the organisation.

The Private Sector Branch has now co-opted new shop stewards, injecting the branch with young enthusiastic trade unionists with new ideas and a modern approach. These shop stewards represent a cross section of members within different sectors throughout Gibraltar.

"Our Statistics have shown that as a Union, we have recruited and organised ourselves within the Private Sector during 2016 to give our members the stability they need and to keep our Union strong despite tough challenges encountered.

An example of the achievements accomplished by working together last year is the Industrial Tribunal Reform, where a number of far-reaching procedural recommendations by the Employers' side were being made. This was the proposition of very controversial changes to the Tribunal system.

One of our main concerns was the proposed introduction of fees. After making representations to the Government and months of consultation with the then Minister for Employment the Hon. Neil Costa fees have not been introduced.

The Ministers reform proposals included a number of measures which Unite the Union welcomed, for example:

A Conciliation process following the filing of a claim.

Costs will be paid by litigants if their representatives behave in a vexatious manner, abusively, disruptively or unreasonably.

Claims for breach of contract can now be brought in the Tribunal which formerly could only be dealt with in the Supreme Court at a considerable expense.

The ceiling on the basic award has been lifted and a formula based on length of service, seniority and amount of weekly pay put in place, making the Tribunal more relevant to all litigants.

Generally, the chairperson will have far wider and defined case management powers akin to those of judges in the civil courts which should make litigation faster and more efficient to all involved.

We appreciate Minister Costas input and for working with Unite in order for Gibraltar to have a Tribunal system which is stable, robust and fit for purpose.

This is a major achievement for Unite through consultation, and a clear example that in the Private Sector we must continue to remain organised, united and most importantly unionised.

Rest assured that all pending major projects such as the Private Sector Pensions and Union Recognition will continue to be brought up time and time again until they are completed in a manner that better serves our members. For this reason we must continue to encourage other enthusiastic employees, to get involved and be active in fighting against the existing inequalities in the Private Sector.

Never forget, we can only achieve an organised, united and respected Private Sector by fighting together."
Gibraltar in London Brexit Meetings

The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia held lengthy discussions today at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on a number of issues affecting Gibraltar, including the planned withdrawal from the European Union.

The meeting included officials from the Foreign Office, the Department for Exiting the European Union and from the Cabinet Office.

There were a number of updates from both sides on Brexit issues and a determination that the United Kingdom and Gibraltar should continue to work through these matters in a positive and constructive manner.

There was also an opportunity to meet Europe Minister Sir Alan Duncan MP.

The Gibraltar team, which included the Attorney General Michael Llamas and UK Representative Dominique Searle, later met with Sir Keir Starmer QC who is the Shadow Brexit Minister. This reflects the policy of the Government to explain the position of Gibraltar to key stakeholders.

In the evening, the Chief Minister will deliver a formal address about Gibraltar to the Worshipful Company of Coopers in Cooper's Hall.

Gibraltar team in discussions with UK delegation

Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister with Europe Minister Sir Alan Duncan MP

Gibraltar and UK Governments engage in positive discussions
Photo: Getty Images

Yesterday, we learned that Ryan Murphys American Crime Story empire is planning to tackle the Monica Lewinsky scandal in a future season, and, like any good Ryan Murphy fan, were already intrigued by the casting possibilities. Who could possibly play Monica? What about Bill and Hillary? But, alas, these questions are going to have to wait. Before the Lewinsky series, Murphy is taking on Hurricane Katrina in a season that is already being cast, and then hell head to Miami to dive into the 1997 murder of Gianni Versace, in a season thatll shoot at the same time as Katrina, but air afterward. Since the second season already has some big names in its cast, we took it upon ourselves to offer up some ideas for American Crime Storys third and fourth outings. FX, youre welcome.

THE VERSACE MURDER

Danny Huston as Gianni Versace

Photo: Getty Images

He did American Horror Story. Hes ready to give the world some prime smoldering.

Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan

Photo: Getty Images

Like Cunanan, Criss is half Filipino, hes worked with Murphy before, and he can pull off an eerie smolder with the best of them (Note: Originally, we had suggested Finn Wittrock, a white actor, for the role and sincerely apologize for not doing our research and suggesting to whitewash the part.)

Lady Gaga as Donatella Versace

Photo: Getty Images

Ryan Murphy says it isnt happening, but it is definitely still happening in our dreams. (Otherwise, just, I dont know, give Sarah Paulson a really blonde wig.)

Zachary Quinto as Versaces longtime partner Antonio DAmico

Photo: Getty Images

Get you a boy toy who looks like Zachary Quinto.

James Corden as friend of Versace Elton John

Photo: Getty Images

Theyve already sung in a car together.

Naomi Campbell as herself

Photo: Getty Images

Nobody else would dare.

THE MONICA LEWINSKY SCANDAL

Lea Michele as Monica Lewinsky

Photo: Getty Images

Brunette Ambition indeed.

Damian Lewis as Bill Clinton

Photo: Getty Images

You want louche? Damian Lewis is the king of louche.

Connie Britton as Hillary Clinton

Photo: Getty Images

Now, surely Sarah Paulson would also make a great Clinton, but Paulsons booked for Katrina and Clinton superfan Connie Britton just happens to have the exact right face shape. Now, we know putting Britton in a wig is a crime against the hair gods, but in this case, the risk would be worth it.

Dot Marie Jones as Linda Tripp

Photo: Getty Images

Time for Ryan Murphy to set the stage for a Glee comeback.

Niecy Nash as Bill Clintons personal secretary Betty Currie

Photo: Getty Images

Give Niecy Nash some giant shoulder pads and let her go to work.

Denis OHare as Kenn Starr

Photo: Getty Images

Denis OHare could transform into pretty much anyone, but the idea of giving him some pamphlets to brandish in fury is just some good television.

Courtney B. Vance as Clinton confidante Vernon Jordan

Photo: Getty Images

Courtney B. Vance had so much fun in the People v. O.J. that you just have to bring him back for something here, especially if he gets some dramatic scenes on the stand.

Billie Lourd as Clinton accuser Paula Jones

Photo: Getty Images

This part has to go to one of the Scream Queens Chanels. Why not gussy Lourd up with some very 90s wigs?

Nathan Lane as Sidney Blumenthal

Photo: Getty Images

Ill admit this is just an excuse to get Nathan Lane in some chic glasses.

Bill Hader as James Carville

Photo: Getty Images

Have you seen Documentary Nows War Room parody?
Photo: David Buchan/Getty Images

Days before the presidential inauguration, Barbra Streisand is sounding off about the president-elect in The Huffington Post. In a new op-ed, the Hollywood icon condemns Donald Trumps loose-canon approach to Twitter, his ambiguous relationship with Russia, the possible conflicts of interest stemming from his business dealings, his hostile approach to the news media, and more. At her most pointed, Streisand writes, I have great respect for the experienced politicians who have served our nation with sincere regard to improve and protect the republic, even those I have often disagreed with. I cannot, however, respect a racist, xenophobic sexist who puts us all at risk with his behavior, and she closes the column by asking everyone to summon a more cooperative spirit for the months and years ahead. The rest of us must remain vigilant, writes Streisand. Write your representatives and senators. Make donations to groups that fight for equal rights, civil rights, freedom of the press, climate change measures, gun control regulation and healthcare mandates. Protest. Speak up. Help others. We are all in this together, and it is our right and responsibility to protect our freedoms and help our fellow citizens.
Photo-Illustration: Maya Robinson/Vulture

Donald Trump has a complicated relationship with comedy, and many comedians, in turn, have a complicated relationship with him. The president-elect has buddied up with the likes of Howard Stern and participated (if not particularly gamely) in a Comedy Central roast of himself. But hes also notoriously thin-skinned and seemingly unable to take a joke  his displeasure with Alec Baldwins SNL impression has become international news.

At the same time, comedians are struggling to balance the cartoonishly comedic character that is Trump with the gravity of the political situation ushered in by his victory. We reached out to a slew of comedians  from stalwarts who have been performing since the Reagan administration to up-and-comers who started during the Obama years  to see how they were feeling about comedy in the age of President Trump and what they think comedys role will be during a Trump presidency.

Maria Bamford

Marias show Lady Dynamite is available on Netflix, and she will be appearing at Riot Fest LA.

Ironic racism, ironic sexism, ironic anything unjust  it all seems terrifying now. The stakes are too high, or maybe theyve always been and I didnt notice my own privilege. I used to have a joke tag ten years ago where I would say, But Im white and rich and so things have really been working out for me. Im not technically rich, but I do have a lot of shit that I dont need, that I refuse to share with others and that feels solid. That seems extremely insensitive now  that its hilarious to be selfish and benefit from injustice.

As a comedian I need to be absolutely clear where I stand  to not leave a joke open to interpretation, as in, I was playing a character, or Its comedy! I am responsible for what effect my words have on an audience. Yes, the audience also has the freedom to walk out, but for me, Id like to be more conscious of what other people might be feeling when it comes to injustice in race, gender, sexuality because equality isnt something that is taken for granted in our country  if it ever was.

I also worry if there is a point where writing humor about injustice may be less useful than taking to the streets. I will march with a sign reading, INVADE US, VANCOUVER!

Rory Albanese

Rory is a former executive producer at The Daily Show and The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore.

Comedys role under Trump should be the same as its always been: a heady mix of truth to power and fart jokes. But part of me hopes Trump makes comedy illegal, because I want to get in on the ground floor of the comedy speakeasy business. Gonna start bootleggin jokes across state lines.

Laurie Kilmartin

Laurie writes for Conan. Her special 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad is available on Seeso.

Im interested in future comedians who are coming of age right now, during a this cant be happening presidency. When todays ninth-graders start hitting the open mics in 2019, then youll see. I wonder if theyll be hyperpolitical, or just say fuck it and be full-on silly.

Regarding Donald Trump, our new leader is a dumb, tweeting narcissist who might have dementia. As long as the Earth doesnt blow up, this is why comedy exists.

A huge space is opening for artists who want to punch back. I dont think partisan comedy helps candidates get elected, but it does help the audience get through it. John Oliver and Sam Bee are great, but after you finish laughing, you still have to vote.

If you are a female or person of color or a person whos not straight or basically any kind of person you dont see in Trumps cabinet, then the act of standing onstage, making people laugh, is political. It moves culture. To me, Ellen is a great example of this. I would bet that many of the women dancing with Ellen on her show probably supported DOMA in 2004. Now, theyre hoping this gay lady comes to their row and wiggles with them.

Dean Obeidallah

Dean hosts the Dean Obeidallah Show on SiriusXM.

In my view, comedians have an obligation to rip into Trump  at least those who oppose his bigotry, racism, and sexism. Comedians need to turn Trump back into the punch line he was before he ran for president. Obviously not all comedians will talk about Trump but even those comedians who are not political will likely take some shots at him given how despicable he is.

Kyle Kinane

Kyles special Loose in Chicago is available from Comedy Central, and he will be appearing at Riot Fest LA.

It can be more political, but maybe making fun of his hair or calling him orange isnt the best call to arms for a revolution. If youre gonna make comedy about it, make GOOD comedy about it.

Andy Kindler

Andys annual State of the Industry address is a comedic institution. He will also be appearing at Riot Fest LA.

Comedy will have to get more political during Trumps reign of terror. I was hoping to drop my Trump material after the election but no dice. Of course, nothing is worse than bad political comedy (e.g.: the Capitol Steps, and those Jibber Jabber people, if thats still a reference). I do look forward to more comparisons of Trump to Hitler. Whats an example, you dont ask? Trump is like Hitler except at least Hitler was a veteran.

Jen Kirkman

Jens special Just Keep Livin? is available now on Netflix.

I dont want to normalize this like Jimmy Fallon did by rubbing Trumps head. This isnt a joke and people are hurting. Many women are traumatized including me. Nothing is good. Jokes about Trump arent enough. We are just pissing into the wind. Many comedians, especially women, have always been political and most of us got harassed daily. None of us are excited about comedy because of Trump and anyone who is is scum.

Baron Vaughn

Barons album Blaxistential Crisis is now available on AST Records, and he will be appearing at Riot Fest LA.

Comedy has ALREADY gotten more political. Its a reaction to the culture at large, and the culture at large has had all this stuff shoved down its throat for the past few years. Theres a new level of awareness about how the government works, mixed with a deep division in this country, sauteed with hatred and a sprinkle of xenophobia, then finely caramelized in racism. Its a good thing to expose all the flaws in our institutions. Its the only way to see what needs to be fixed. However, that doesnt mean anyone will like it.

Eugene Mirman

Eugene Mirman voices Gene on Bobs Burgers, and he will be appearing at Riot Fest LA.

Comedy will hopefully be both a distracting source of joy and a check on Trumps sour, bullish ignorance and potential abuse of power. Stalin was always famously four jokes away from feeling ridiculed enough to step down and allow for a regulated, free-market economy. I think comedy will both get more political and also more silly  sometimes together, sometimes totally separately.

Aparna Nancherla

Aparnas album Just Putting It Out There is available on Bentzen Ball Records, and she will be appearing at Riot Fest LA.

Comedy inherently gets more political reflecting the circumstances surrounding it, so even if its not in a direct way, it will unavoidably be impacted by whats going on in the country and world. If people dont feel affected by whats going on, I guess Id love to know whats bopping around in their heads instead. Its good if we become more aware of the political process and our role in it, rather than become further jaded and removed.

Bryan Safi and Erin Gibson

Bryan and Erins late-night show Throwing Shade airs on TVLand.

In this hellscape, downplaying whats going on is every bit as political as yelling about it til youre hoarse. So, shrug emoji? We hope that our poop jokes are in the name of justice.

Sue Smith

Sue was named one of Brooklyns 50 Funniest People in 2016.

Comedy sheds a light on dark places you dont want to check out by yourself. This whole situation has been so upsetting that all New Yorkers have upped their antidepressant dosages, myself included. If we can at least kinda laugh at it, then we can start to heal.

Maysoon Zayid

Maysoons TED talk I Got 99 problems  Palsy Is Just One has been viewed more than 9 million times.

Comedians must not back down. Trump is terrifying but also comedy gold. Hes a bully who can dish it out but cant take it. It is our duty as Americans to mock him until he breaks. Its also our job to speak the truth when others fear doing so. The best journalism I witnessed this year was provided by comedians like Samantha Bee, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, and John Oliver. We need to fight the power while staying funny.

Eliot Glazer

Eliot writes for New Girl and hosts the live musical-comedy show Haunting Renditions.

I cant even begin to imagine. Everyone was so nervous about making jokes after 9/11. But we were all united against one enemy, one force of darkness. This time, the noise is coming from inside the house. Its like there are sleeper agents everywhere, ready to slap on a red hat and normalize the abnormal. I dont know where comedy goes, but the clearest way to make light of it is to be vicious. Samantha Bee and her writers are razor sharp, and they dont play nice. I never enjoyed it when Jon Stewart or John Oliver or even Sam Bee yell at the screen, but thats because I was bathing in the soft, warm glow of Barack Obamas intellect, reason, and extra chill. Now, more than ever, I want John Oliver, Seth Meyers, and Sam Bee to scream at the screen so that we never, ever forget that whatever this comedy language is directly informed by the LUNACY, the clownishness, the anti-intellectual darkness of a Trump presidency.

Lachlan Patterson

Lachlans special Live From Venice Beach is on Seeso and available on Audible Channels.

I dont do a lot of political material because it doesnt last very long. Its a business decision really. I want to write material that will last a long time. Thats why I write about how the guy who named all the birds was lazy and how Ive never met anyone who puts medium gas in their car.
Constance Wu. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Count Constance Wu among the many thousands of women heading to the Womens March on Washington this weekend. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the outspoken star of Fresh Off the Boat discussed why she supports the protest movement, as well as her thoughts on Donald Trumps presidency. I think having a march in Washington that is headlined and front-lined and led by women, Wu noted, is a statement about the patriarchal standards that we dont even see because they are so woven into the fabric of our existence. Wu noted that, while Trump himself seems unresponsive to criticism, or even facts, she hopes to add another voice of support to the already overwhelming hordes of dissent of people who do not think he is a legitimate president. To that end, she supports the many artists who have refused to perform at Trumps inauguration and notes that she herself does not plan to participate in any event that even comes close to legitimizing Donald Trumps electoral win. And, lest you think that Wu plans to stop her activism after the protest, she also wants to keep working to promote change within her own industry. I would like to continue lending my talents, she told THR, to projects that promote whole, human, flawed, interesting narratives of Asian-Americans and Asian-American women and women of color.
Of the handful of dogs starring in A Dogs Purpose, footage from the set shows one of them forced to perform in a stunt involving rushing water. Even though the animal was clearly petrified  struggling to break free of the handlers hold  the German shepherd was dropped into a pool of water churned by eight outboard motors, according to TMZ, which obtained the footage from November 2015. He wants to get away, just throw him in, a poolside observer can be heard saying in the footage. After being shoved into the water, the dog went under and handlers rushed to retrieve the animal, though its unclear if the pup going underwater was a scripted part of the scene. TMZ reports that director Lasse Hallstrom was on set at the scenes shooting, and at least one crew member was very upset by the animals handling. Amblin Partners and Universal Pictures told TMZ theyd be looking into the incident, saying, Fostering a safe environment and ensuring the ethical treatment of our animal actors was of the utmost importance to those involved in making this film and we will look into the circumstances surrounding this video. Watch the footage below.
David Blaine has accomplished many feats that seem to defy the laws of human nature  holding his breath for 17 minutes, living in a transparent box for 44 days on nothing but water, withstanding 100 million volts of electricity discharged continuously over 72 hours  but learning how to regurgitate living frogs from his stomach out through his mouth might be his most complex accomplishment to date. The stunt, which he debuted last November in his ABC special Beyond Magic, wowed the likes of Drake and Dave Chappelle. While it seemed to happen instantaneously mid-conversation, the trick took the magician years to learn and perfect.

Speaking to the New York Times as part of their Times Talks series on Wednesday, Blaine explained that he first got the idea from a book by Harry Houdini. There was this one act, a regurgitation act  a hundred years ago  that he said was kind of poetic, Blaine said. It wasnt like all the other regurgitation acts. So, based on this little paragraph about Mac Norton The Human Aquarium, I started thinking, Maybe this is true. Maybe it really did happen  I dont think he was fooling Houdini. Norton, however, hadnt left behind any written account of how he did the trick, because, according to Blaine, probably for reasons beyond worrying about the show. He probably didnt want people getting Salmonella poisoning or all the stuff that can go through when you start putting frogs in your mouth. Blaine started to learn how to swallow swords, but that esophagus-controlling trick wasnt enough. He had to travel around the world to crack this enigma:

I went to Liberia to meet a guy who is a water spouter. [He] learned how to do it for survival, because they were so poor where he grew up and lived in Liberia, so that when they went to the well they could only bring back a certain amount of water. But if he could put the water inside [his stomach] and fill the bucket up he could go back with more and wash his shoes  you know, whatever it was. So, we saw a video of him online, on YouTube, and it took me five years to track him down. He lived in a mud hut, but there were some numbers scratched on the wall and we put posters up all over Liberia. And after a couple of years we found him and I flew there immediately and convinced Winston [the water spouter] to show me how to do it. I came back and started playing with this concept that water can be stored in your stomach, you empty out the system, then I realized you can put a gallon of water in your stomach. He could put out fires with it or whatever  his mom wouldnt let him do it because she thought it was black magic. And then one day I decided to do it with a fish. I did it in front of Woody Allen actually, because I was talking to him years earlier about theres this guy whos able to do this thing! so when I was able to do it, it was still not right, because it had to come out with the water. Then I started thinking magic would be if I could just be hanging out and then have the creature appear at any moment. So then I realized theres a way to control my stomach to bring the fish or the frog up with nothing and that was by doing bronchoscopies and checking out where bingo balls would float in my stomach. So then we converted it from a human aquarium feat into magic.

So, its pretty clear Blaine will do anything to accomplish a feat he knows  or at least suspects  is possible, but whats the one stunt he cant do? Theres one [trick or stunt] that Ive been obsessed with forever and I just havent figured it out and its how to stay awake for long periods of time, says Blaine. Im also borderline narcoleptic.
Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Entertainment W

Ryan Murphy has committed to no sleep for something like the next three years. According The Hollywood Reporter, the megashowrunner has just snatched up the rights to Jeffrey Toobins book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President, and Variety subsequently confirmed that it will serve as a future season of American Crime Story. The idea of Murphy putting the salacious political circus that was the Monica Lewinsky scandal onscreen is so appropriate its almost as if Murphy went back to 1999 and told Toobin to write the book so he could develop it 18 years later. Hes the same author, of course, whose book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson served as the foundation for the first season of Murphys breakout anthology project. THR reports that the Clinton/Lewinsky ACS is being fast-tracked, and that meetings are already taking place with actresses to fill out the roles of Lewinsky and Linda Tripp.

Remember, too, that there are already two seasons of Crime Story in development, one focusing on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the other on the 1997 murder of Gianni Versace at the hands of Andrew Cunanan. Although the tentatively titled Versace/Cunanan season will be filmed first, FX Networks CEO John Landgraf said at a press conference last week that Katrina will run first in 2018 with the cycles airing six months apart. We will also soon see the debut season of Murphys next anthology series, Feud, on March 6, so FX is going to keep serving hot drama for years and years to come.
[January 19, 2017] LANDFLIP NETWORK Brings New Innovation to Online Land Marketplace

MADISON, Ga., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LANDFLIP.com, the premier online land for sale platform for connecting land buyers and sellers, today announced the launch of its newly redeveloped LANDFLIP NETWORK. Rethought and completely rebuilt, the new LANDFLIP NETWORK is fully responsive and optimized for usability and longevity, with powerful new mapping tools, multifaceted search capabilities, and dominating images that put land on center stage. This relaunch is the first phase of a framework that will forge buyer-seller relationships like no other land listing site has had the vision to create. LANDFLIP has always been one to watch in the online land marketplace. While not the largest land listing site, its presence has been steadfast and the quality of its offerings unsurpassed. With its recent overhaul, LANDFLIP ushers in a new era in online land for sale. The new LANDFLIP NETWORK is knocking down the wall between buyers and sellers, using innovative ideas and technology to foster and support more direct relationships between them. "No other land for sale platform will come close to the level of user experience, user interface, and technology that we've put into this relaunch; it really is an all new LANDFLIP," said Ryan Folk, Founder and CEO of LANDFLIP. "Our network of sites brings more innovation to our space than any single listing site out there. This is just the beginning." LANDFLIP's progressive approach to online land for sale connects buyers and sellers earlier in the sales process, ultimately shortening the sales cycle. The new network of sites acts as a conduit, delivering sought after land directly to the buyers based on their set preferences, which in turn brings more qualified buyers to the sellers. Establishing a buyer-selle connection early on promotes a foundation for more successful land transactions, with support from the network's newly implemented tools and features, including:



Responsive design for a seamless user experience on any device

Improved, more efficient options to search by location, including interactive land map

Proprietary keyword algorithm lets buyers search by unique feature, use, or type

Bigger & better listing details with full-screen photo viewing

Save and share favorite listings, searches, maps, and sellers

View price history and be notified of listing price changes

Buyers get notifications when newly listed properties match their set preferences

Sellers manage listings, activity and analytics from newly redesigned MY LANDFLIP "LANDFLIP is the only land for sale marketing platform created and managed by former land brokers, and we know the tools needed to connect sellers with land buyers and investors," said Folk. "Functioning solely as a land listing website was no longer sufficient. In order to best serve the needs of our customers and visitors, we felt it was necessary and practical to change and expand our offerings." With an obligation to remain at the forefront of the online land marketplace, LANDFLIP promises further site enhancements to be developed. Moreover, LANDFLIP's strong desire to expand its reach into other sectors of the land industry could soon have land sales fully funded and transacted online through LANDFLIP. The network rebuild was guided by a vision and keen foresight into how the land industry will evolve over the next 5-10 years. LANDFLIP boldly took initiative and prepared the land for sale network to capitalize on future technologies and capabilities.

About LANDFLIP NETWORK: The LANDFLIP NETWORK is currently comprised of LANDFLIP and its 3 complementary land for sale websites, FARMFLIP, RANCHFLIP, LOTFLIP, and LANDTHINK, which provides land-focused knowledge, ideas and networking opportunities to land professionals and enthusiasts. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Madison, Georgia, the LANDFLIP NETWORK offers an easy and affordable way to list, market and search for land online. Working together, these land for sale websites create a stronger land community, closing the gap between buyers and sellers and laying the groundwork for more successful land transactions. Related Images image1.jpg image2.jpg This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/landflip-network-brings-new-innovation-to-online-land-marketplace-300393312.html SOURCE LANDFLIP

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Photo: GAB Archive/Redferns

Sammy Davis Jr.s exuberant life seems ripe for the biopic treatment. He was exceedingly talented and stylish, lost his left eye, found Judaism, and was a member of the Rat Pack. After efforts from a handful of Hollywood players  including, for a time, Lee Daniels  Daviss estate has agreed to work with a producing team led by Lionel Richie, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and Mike Menchel. The movies source will be the entertainers own words: his 1965 memoir Yes I Can: The Story Of Sammy Davis, Jr., written by Davis, Burt Boyar, and Daviss wife Jane. Daviss children, the heirs of his estate, have supported various biopics off and on, but this project has the support of the entire estate, according to Deadline. I am happy to tell the whole entire world that my family and I look forward to working with everyone to educate audiences of all ages about our fathers incredible American adventure, Daviss youngest son Manny, the estate administrator, said. Richie said he was pleased to work with the family on a passion project about one of his favorite performers: Its an honor for me to bring the life of one of my idols and friends to the screen, he said. Let the Rat Pack dream-casting begin.
Andrew Garfield in Silence. Photo: Paramount Pictures

This post discusses the ending of Silence in detail.

The priest tasked with making sure Silence got its Jesuit details right has seen The Wolf of Wall Street, and he chuckles when I bring it up. Im sitting in Reverend James Martins office, in the same place where he spent about a year teaching Andrew Garfield about Jesuit prayer. Martin, the editor-at-large of the Jesuit magazine America, is devout, energetic, and open, so Im curious to know how it felt  even as a Scorsese fan  to reckon with a director whose previous feature was full of frenetic bacchanalia. Was it weird? Martys been working on this movie for as long as Ive been a Jesuit, the priest, who worked as the movies theological consultant, says. But I was talking to Martys research assistant after theyd just finished working on Wolf of Wall Street, and she said This is a lot more enjoyable. That movie is all about cocaine use!

Silence tells the story of two Jesuit priests who travel to rural Japan to recover their wayward mentor. Though its The Wolf of Wall Streets spiritual opposite, the two movies are equally intense  neither the religious epic or the vice-fueled free-for-all ever let up. Like Wolf, Silence exists on one note, all-or-nothing. The all here is a life spent with Christ; the nothing is the temptation to publicly renounce the faith.

Thats what happens in the two hours of the torture of the two priests and the Japanese Christians. Silence moves in circles of interrogation and near-defeat: Over and over again, Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) stands on the sidelines as the Christians he ministers to are tortured. Give up Christ, his capturers say, and their suffering will stop. Denouncing the faith comes in the form of a particularly visual framework: The Buddhist shogunate presents each Christian with a fumi-e, a small square image of Christ, asking them to step on it. Its only a formality, a samurai says sometimes, prodding the believer in a devilish whisper.

Silence is about faith, but its also an interrogation of colonialism, a movie that sees two white actors spend every scene preaching to or being interrogated by a cast of Asian actors. Martin defends missionary work as pure-hearted, but allows that the history of spreading the gospel isnt perfect. The plot, which comes straight from Shusaku Endos 1966 novel, is clearly critical: The two young priests are stubborn from the start, and the Japanese men call them out on their pride. Hes arrogant, like all of them, a Japanese interpreter says once Rodrigues is out of earshot. But hell fall.

It would be easier if apostasy were do-or-die, Martin explains; martyrdom would be a tidy conclusion. The Midtown priest suggested a line from the churchs early days to Scorsese and screenwriter Jay Cocks, and it ended up in the final cut: The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church. Both the novel and the movie ask a more complicated question of faith. In the film, Rodrigues has to decide whether or not to apostatize and give up the faith  at the risk of giving up everything he knows and loves  or not apostatize and risk the lives of the Japanese Christians, Martin says. Thats why it takes him so long to do it, because the most important thing in his life is his relationship with Jesus.

To a modern audience it seems simple enough: Step on Jesus now, repent right after. But its a paradox that almost drives Rodrigues insane. Hes captured by the Japanese inquisitor and thrown in a jail cell, but the harsh dogma of his faith becomes his cage. Theres no scripture or prayer for this kind of moral question, nothing in his theology to guide him through his suffering. In prayer, God is silent until the climax, when Rodrigues hears the Lords voice. Step on me, Christ instructs. And so Rodrigues does. Theres a tradition in Jesuit spirituality called the third degree of humility, Martin says. Its when you do something that will seem ridiculous to everyone but its the right thing to do. The comparison is to Jesus accepting his crucifixion, even though all of his disciples were horrified. Rodriguess apostasy makes no sense to the world, but God is asking him to do it.

Conservative Catholics have questioned the movies theology, and a long-debated question about the novel has resurfaced. Is it even Gods voice that Rodrigues hears, or is this relief conjured from the priests desperation? The novel doesnt take a side  its maddeningly vague, Martin says  but Scorseses movie gives a cleaner conclusion: Rodrigues spends the rest of his days in Japan apostatizing until the final frame, when hes buried as a Buddhist with a hidden cross. I find the ending absolutely shattering, the priest says. I cried when I read it, and then I cried again when I saw it. Hes seen it three times: once at Scorseses office, and at a pair of screenings in Rome. Martin organized a special screening for Jesuits in Rome, and gave Scorsese and some of his creative team a tour of Jesuit holy sites in Rome.

What seems like cognitive dissonance gets back to the movies clearest theme. The reason Scorsese pushes aside the structure of organized religion and criticizes the colonialist imperative to spread a Western Gospel is because Silence is obsessed with dismantling certainty: Theres no way to know whats in anothers heart, or to fully know someone elses relationship to God.

The movie is hard for religious people because it subverts some of the genres, Martin explains. And its hard for non-religious people because it demands that you see everyones faith with complexity. This isnt the fake spirituality of If you believe in God, everything turns out great. This movie says you can believe in God but bad things might still happen. And then it asks, what do you do with that faith?
Harriet Walter in The Tempest, at St. Anns. Photo: Teddy Wolff

On October 20, 1981, six members of an organization called the Black Liberation Army robbed a Brinks armored truck at the Nanuet Mall, killing a Brinks guard and then two policemen who tried to block their escape. Driving one of the getaway vehicles was a 31-year-old single mother and former member of the Weather Underground named Judith Clark, who, after a chase, was caught and arrested. At trial, Clark refused representation, behaved belligerently, and expressed no remorse; she was convicted on three counts of felony murder, with a sentence of 75 years to life. She has served less than half of that sentence so far, or more than half, depending on how you look at it; she is now 67.

Harriet Walter, who is 66, stars as Clark  though she tells us her name is Hannah  in the uneven Donmar Warehouse production of The Tempest that opens tonight at St. Anns in Dumbo. There are several elements of that unlikely sentence that need unpacking. For one thing, there is no Clark, or Hannah, in The Tempest; the central role is, of course, that of Prospero, the deposed King of Naples, living in exile on a remote island with his daughter, his books, his sprites, and his slave. This production is the last in a trilogy of Shakespeare plays that the director Phyllida Lloyd has reimagined as vehicles for an all-female cast and has thus set in a womens prison. (The two previous installments were a punk-pugnacious Julius Caesar, which played St. Anns in 2013, and a cobbled-together Henry IV in 2015.) The actors in each case play convicts enacting a familiar story, with witty homemade props and costumes, in what appears to be the prison gymnasium. But in those prior installments  in which Walter played Brutus and then King Henry  the Shakespeare totally dominated; we knew little or nothing of the prisoners backstories, and the occasional references to cellblock doings seemed intrusive or just silly. Now, in The Tempest, we are finally given to understand that Walter has been playing the same woman all along, and we are told, in a prologue, who she is: the convict Hannah, whose biography is precisely Clarks.

Its an ornate frame, but what does it do for the ornate picture it is meant to set off? The Tempest is, after all, a play already overstuffed with magic and poetry and heartbreak and ribaldry. For me, the primary benefit of Lloyds concept is the chance to see a great actor in a great role that would normally be off-limits to her. Its not just that Prospero is a central character; Cleopatra (whom Walter has also played) is a central character, too. But in Shakespeare even a Cleopatra (let alone a Beatrice or a Viola) tends to operate in small circles of domesticity and romance circumscribed by their fathers and husbands, whereas leading men like Prospero engage the whole world. So to watch Prospero, in Walters muscular performance, give away his daughter to the shipwrecked son of his usurping brother, is to experience a new complexity no male actor could muster, precisely because it is, for a woman, new territory. And Walter, regardless of the gendered qualities she brings to the role, is an uncommonly legible purveyor of human contradiction; opposing feelings are not smeared together in her delivery but are sustained in bright equilibrium.

Though its a pleasure to enjoy that talent even in miniature  check out Walters perfect turn as Winston Churchills wife, Clementine, in The Crown  Lloyd has done us a great service in giving Walter a wide range of rangy roles. (We will pass over the awful Taming of the Shrew in Central Park last summer.) I am less convinced that, beyond that casting, Lloyd has generally served the plays themselves. Its not much of a criticism to say that the rest of the cast is not at Walters level; who is? But every concept exacts a price, and if your concept is that a bunch of prisoners, with all their diverse accents and perspectives and abilities, is putting on a play, inevitably some of the sophisticated, single-point-of-view beauty of the text is going to be lost. (A good deal is lost, in any case, to cutting; the production runs less than two hours.) Naturally, the bumptious clowning of the scenes involving the drunken castaways is emphasized, faring little better here than it does in traditional presentations. The magic, too, is for the most part limited to what Lloyd can dream up for an ensemble under the threat of lockdown at all times. Finally, when Lloyd really has no choice but to pull out some stops for Prosperos We are such stuff as dreams are made on speech, she jettisons the frame altogether, ginning up a complicated sequence involving projections and helium balloons. Its beautiful, and a bit mystifying  and wheres Judy Clark gone now?

Turns out shes there, albeit mostly obscured by the difficulty of making a play focus on two radically disparate things at once. Still, in the powerful resolution, when Prospero forgives his betrayers and renounces his life of vengeance and spells, the frame story suddenly and movingly reasserts itself. Walter shows us, in an exquisite moment, that this forgiveness  of self and of others  is no easy business; it may be a resolution but it is also a rupture. Here the idea of rehabilitation, so awkwardly draped over the rest of the plot, finally fits perfectly, and so, briefly, does the specific story of Judy Clark, whose daughter, like Prosperos, has only ever known her parent in captivity. Partly for that daughters sake, Clark has said, she has spent her years at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility becoming a model prisoner, accepting her guilt, renouncing her past, and focusing what seemed likely to be a permanent incarceration on helping other inmates.

Thats a great story, and might make a fine play. (It already made a bad one, in David Mamets The Anarchist.) The question is what her tale is doing parked in the middle of Shakespeares. Most of the time, Lloyds production seems to be making an excuse for nontraditional casting instead of merely exulting in it. But on those occasions when it doubles down on themes alive in both stories, particularly the theme of clemency, this Tempest justifies itself. It doesnt hurt that, last month, Governor Andrew Cuomo commuted Judy Clarks sentence. Like Prospero, she may get to leave her island.

The Tempest is at St. Anns Warehouse through February 19.
WILL & GRACE  24 Episode 24  Air Date 05/15/2003  Pictured: (l-r) Megan Mullally as Karen Walker, Sean Hayes as Jack McFarland, Debra Messing as Grace Adler, Shelley Morrison as Rosario Salazar, Eric McCormack as Will Truman  Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank Photo: NBC/NBC via Getty Images

TV executives have been exhuming the rotting corpses of former hits for almost as long as there have been networks. Beyond the recent revivals of The X-Files, Arrested Development, Heroes, and Gilmore Girls, the 1980s and early 1990s saw broadcasters rushing to capitalize on boomer nostalgia with zombie versions of series that had been dead for decades, from Leave It to Beaver and The Brady Bunch to Get Smart and The Munsters. So NBCs announcement Wednesday that its resurrecting Will & Grace for a limited run next season hardly qualifies as groundbreaking: Making money off the past is TV 101. Still, even if its not a revolutionary move, the W & G curtain call  if successful  could end up making a bigger splash than previous attempts to recapture past ratings glory. And best of all, the new economics of TV mean theres probably not all that much risk to NBCs bottom line if the show ends up tanking with viewers.

First, its worth noting what makes the Peacocks play with W&G a bit different than most other such revivals. Until now, TVs recent attempts to restart an old franchise have mostly been of dramas with cult followings (including Foxs upcoming Prison Break). The few comedies that have come back were also shows deemed to have ended too soon, such as Arrested Development and The Comeback. (Netflixs Fuller House and Disneys Girl Meets World are arguably exceptions, though both were led by kid actors now grown up, essentially making them different shows.) By contrast, W&G was, at its height, a massively successful broadcast sitcom that ran for eight seasons and whose 2006 finale attracted nearly 20 million viewers. It was not a niche show; it did not end its run too soon. In past decades, W&G was the type of sitcom whose cast would maybe get together for a 10- or 20-year prime-time reunion special, or perhaps a one-off TV-movie event. What NBC and creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan are doing is different: Theyre bringing back the whole gang, about a dozen years later, for a new adventure on the same network that aired the original.

The best parallel, in recent times, is what Fox did last year with The X-Files, but again  that was a drama with a cult-like fan base. Broadcast networks havent really tried what NBC is about to do, at least not of late. Thats probably because, until maybe around five years ago, there wasnt much incentive for the big networks to invest money in a half-hour sitcom unless it was one that could yield 22 or 24 episodes per season, preferably with the promise of a long run of more than five years. So assuming a CBS executive in the 1990s could have somehow persuaded the cast and creators of, say, The Mary Tyler Moore Show to even consider a continuation of the classic series, its hard to imagine the writers being able to come up with ideas for another 100 episodes or the actors signing on for another half-decade run.

Whats different now is that, even as the 22-episode model continues to be the rule for network sitcoms, broadcasters are now finding room for shorter-run shows  mostly with dramas, but even with comedies. (Both The Carmichael Show and The Good Place air shortened seasons on NBC.) This change has been largely brought about by the rise of streaming platforms as a significant revenue stream for traditional networks such as NBC. The Peacock doesnt need to make dozens of episodes of the new Will & Grace to make the effort financially viable. It will be able to monetize these new half-hours almost immediately by selling them to a Netflix or Hulu. While this doesnt guarantee NBC will make a ton of money off its new venture, it certainly makes profit a possibility in a way that wasnt the case a decade ago. Whats more, given how well X-Files did for Fox, and the upscale (read: advertiser-friendly) audience the original series boasted when it first aired, NBC should be able to command strong ad rates for the revival. This, in combination with a streaming sale, means NBC probably isnt betting the farm here.

Theres one other tantalizing theory as to why NBC was able to get a Will & Grace reunion on the books. What if these new episodes of Will & Grace  whose existing library of some 200-odd episodes doesnt currently have an online home  end up on a theoretical NBC-branded streaming service? While nothing has been announced  or even rumored  its hard not to imagine executives at NBC and parent Comcast looking at what CBS is doing with its CBS All Access streaming channel and wondering whether or not to launch something similar. If such a service came to be, NBC could easily put classic W&G episodes on this new service, and then add the new half-hours once theyve run on TV. Or it could be even more bold. In the same way CBS is relying on past hits (The Good Wife, Star Trek) to power its original scripted programming for All Access, perhaps the first one or two episodes of the new W&G could debut on NBC proper and then shift to a still-imaginary NBC streaming service. While NBC gave zero indication today that the new show will air anywhere but the NBC television network, if the Peacock were to dive into the subscription-based streaming waters, launching with new episodes of a classic sitcom (along with all the old ones) would be a great marketing hook. Will & Grace star Debra Messing even seemed to hint at such an idea last month during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about the prospect of the revival. Now there are platforms where you can do six or ten episodes, she told the publication. I dont believe we would ever come back to network [TV] again. I think that the logistics of all of our lives  there would just be way too many things to hammer out.

Meanwhile, beyond the financial aspects of the new Will & Grace, the fact that the show is the first big multi-camera comedy in decades to get a series revival (with the original cast) by a broadcast network means other networks will be closely watching to see how it performs in the ratings. NBC no doubt used the same logic as Fox execs when mulling revivals of X-Files and Prison Break: Given how dramatically same-day viewing of TV has fallen over the last decade, and how tough it is for new shows to get noticed during the age of Peak TV, an already-established series from the pre-Netflix era has a significant advantage over a totally new show. Ratings for X-Files dipped after the first few episodes, but overall, the series ended up being one of 2016s biggest TV events. Sitcom ratings, particularly on NBC, have declined to the point now that its very likely  barring some new breakout Peacock comedy hit  the new W&G will be one of the, if not the, top-rated sitcoms on the network during the 2017-18 season. If so, we could be in for a small wave of 1990s- and early 00s-sitcom revivals. We may finally find out what ever happened to the doctors from Scrubs, the kids from That 70s Show  and everyone from The Office.
[January 19, 2017] Introducing Kaptivo: Turn on Your Whiteboard for Live Sharing and Enhanced Collaboration With Distributed Teams

Now Available Through Amazon.com, Kaptivo.com and Staples.com SAN MATEO, California, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaptivo Inc., the company that develops advanced collaboration technology products, today unveiled its flagship product Kaptivo, a new IoT device that for $399 transforms any standard dry-erase whiteboard into an online collaboration tool. Kaptivo is a connected micro-optical camera and advanced processor housed in a stylish design that sits above any whiteboard. It expands the visual communication of individuals, SMBs and large enterprises more effectively than ever before. Kaptivo was developed to help address the challenges faced with maintaining constructive collaboration with remote meeting participants especially during video conferences. Starting today, Kaptivo is available on Amazon, Kaptivo.com and Staples.com. Video - https://youtu.be/t5j8RV5Mssc "One in four people video conference every day but have no way to easily share the content from the whiteboards outside of their corporate meeting rooms or home offices," said Nic Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Kaptivo. "We live and work in an accelerating digital and connected world. We saw the important need to ensure the whiteboard, a key productivity tool that so many rely upon, wasn't being left behind." Kaptivo uses proprietary software and patented computer vision technology to automatically identify and extract only important content while providing a crisp and clear image archive of all boad changes. This means that Kaptivo can eliminate people in front of the whiteboard and other visual distractions such as background shadows, reflections and old marker residue left on the board. Other key Kaptivo benefits include: eliminating the need to take notes or photos of the whiteboard, automatically capturing an intelligent archive of all board content changes; "rewinding" the whiteboard to a particular point in the meeting to see how an idea developed and sharing a timeline of content that is generated as a PDF document -- all without any change to the whiteboarding workflow.



Key Kaptivo Features Include: Easy Share

Share the live whiteboard image remotely to any web browser on any device

Screen-share in video conferences to all participants anywhere Capture & Save Automatically capture an image archive of all board changes

Download and share the whole meeting as a multi-page presentation.

Determines changes multiple times per second to grab individual snapshots Secure Meeting access approvals

No media storage required

SSL data encryption Simple Installation Works with any size of whiteboard or glass board up to 6' x 4'

As easy as hanging a picture frame - no technical skills needed

Takes typically less than three minutes to set up Wi-Fi connectivity No extra software to install.

Browser-based interface.

Works with the whiteboards enterprises and individuals already own How to Get a Kaptivo Kaptivo is now available on Staples.com and on Amazon Launchpad, a unique program that showcases innovative products from startups to millions of Amazon customers. Kaptivo customers who purchase through Amazon or Staples will benefit from trusted customer service and fast and (with Prime membership) free shipping benefits. Additionally, both on-line retailers provide purchasing solutions that let registered businesses and their designated associates (users) shop for associated business supplies. People who have a business user account can easily purchase on behalf of their employer from either retailer. Customers can also buy on kaptivo.com. About Kaptivo, Inc. Kaptivo was developed by Nic Lawrence and Adrian Cable, who met as graduate students in the Engineering Department of Cambridge University. Since then they've been developing cutting-edge optical technology, image processing and embedded software to create products that solve real problems and are easy to use. The founders have built their entire careers making products that enable people to collaborate, communicate and become more creative together. With team members in Silicon Valley, California and Cambridge, UK, the company uses Kaptivo every day to be more productive. For more information please visit kaptivo.com. Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/457592/Kaptivo_Inc___Introducing_Kaptivo.jpg Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/457591/Kaptivo_Inc_Logo.jpg

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The natural world  complex, awe-inspiring, beautiful, unpredictable  forms the starting place for artists exhibiting works in two shows opening this week in Waco.

For Dallas artist Sherry Owens, the twisting, forked forms of crepe myrtle branches that she uses as raw material for many of her sculptures show a complexity and unpredictability found in nature. Sharon Kopriva, of Houston, finds a spirtuality sensed in the beauty of a forest. Waco artist Joel Edwards sees a beauty in landscapes thats revealed through selective detail.

Owens and Kopriva have works in Baylor Universitys Martin Museum of Art show Confluence of Earth & Mind, which runs through Feb. 26. Edwards, the Art Center of Wacos current artist-in-residence, has a one-man exhibit of drawings and paintings opening Thursday at Art Center of Waco.

Kopriva, the 2005 State Visual Artist of the Year, references nature and her Catholic upbringing in her part of Confluence, noted Martin Museum director Allison Syltie. Large multipaneled assemblages dominate the front space of the Martins inner gallery, where Cathedral Green and Sanctum from her The Verde series suggest a cathedrals stained-glass windows behind a green forest vista, with actual branches, moss and leaves extending from the paintings. Its really immersive, Syltie noted.

In another gallery space, natural fibers form the six hanging forms of the Houston natives Remnants de Muses, an outgrowth of her Tuber series created from rope, each inspiration hovering with a symbol of its art, such as a harp or a scroll. The forms, as do those in her Matrimony, echo the mummies she saw during a trip to Peru in the 1980s.

Many of Owens sculptures start with the slender, twisted forms of crepe myrtle twigs and branches, many of which she laboriously carves clean before using, then connects with tiny pegs from the same wood. Some like the nest-inspired Heart of the Prairie she shapes around a core, which is later removed, although the empty space is part of the art. For me, that void is a living space, she said while helping install her artwork in the Martin Museum show.

Others are woven into free-standing pieces, such as her self-portrait Twirling Like a Seed in the Wind, or ones mounted on a wall, as the red-painted Joy, whose nine interconnected sections splash across a gallery corner.

Then theres her heavier work: insubstantial stick sculptures cast in substantial bronze and steel. Owens floor piece Drought started as a wood assemblage. After a ceramic coating that acted as a mold, a foundry then poured molten metal into the framework, burning out the wood and replacing it with bronze. A metal cast of Owens own hands forms the center of Cloud.

In multiple media, the artist takes an asymmetry of sticks and branches and molds it into expression, creating interaction between pattern and randomness. Im kind of reorganizing nature into my own chaos, she explained.

Owens, a Southern Methodist University graduate, started to pursue art as a career when she found the art classes required for her elementary education degree spoke more deeply to her. She switched from elementary education to art education and spent her early career as a tapestry weaver, where she began work in natural materials and dyes.

Several of the pieces in Confluence of Earth & Mind show those influences. The wall piece The Slow Growth of Sameness resembles a loom with tiny bundles of her hair, each a days worth rescued from sink and shower over three years, suspended by scores of linen threads. Attached to each thread is a dated metal tag, with the tags for significant dates fixed higher on their threads.

Even more two-dimensional is the drawing Field, the suggestion of its subject built from hundreds of colored pencil and graphite strokes.

Both Owens and Kopriva will talk about their work in a Feb. 2 reception at the Martin Museum.

At Art Center of Waco, several dozen of Joel Edwards paintings and drawings capture nature, but with an eye to another layer of beauty, the play of light and shadow. Most are scenes taken from the Waco area or Texas locations such as Caprock Canyon in west Texas.

His black-and-white drawings are detailed, but deceptively so: Not all the detail found in a photograph or a studied in-person look are present. I try to share the beauty of creation as I see it. . . . I dont want to spell out all the details. It makes it much more of a personal experience, he said, explaining that part of an artists job is clearing out those distractions that interfere with a viewers interpretation or enjoyment. Theres an infinite amount of information in nature. Im removing as much detail as I can and eliminate every thing not pertinent to what Im trying to say.

Color, for instance, can get in the way of looking at the light and darkness of a scene and Edwards watercolor landscapes, such as his Wetlands in Winter study, employ a muted palette, such as the browns and greys of winter. The desaturated color helps bring out the contrasts in light that he finds, but Edwards also admits its a personality thing, too. I think artwork is an extension of a person, and Im not a bright, loud sort of person, he said.

The 42-year-old Waco native got bitten by the art bug early by what he found in comic books  My first painting was Batman in a graveyard, he said.  and studied at the Art Institute of Dallas. Waco doesnt have the developed art scene to commercially support many artists, but since 2000, Edwards has worked as art director for GM Wholesale, which specializes in granite memorials. He found he could pursue his other art in his time outside work  at least as much extra time as a father of three children might have.

Edwards enjoys sharing his art with others through teaching and creating as the Art Center of Wacos artist in residence, but confesses it has another perk  working space. I used to have a studio at home until we had kids, he said. I have lots of space now and its been great.

Edwards will be at Thursdays opening reception at the center, but says he doesnt plan on presenting anything like a formal gallery talk.
Honky Tonk Kid BBQ

Westview Village parking lot / 254-749-2368 / On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Hours: 11 to 3 Wednesdays and Thursdays, additional days added as weather warms.

Price: $ (guide below)

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: No

On the menu: Texas Prime beef. babyback ribs, locally made sausage, chicken, pulled pork and pork belly loin; sides of cole slaw, potato salad baked beans. Both meats and sides prepared with Asian spice spin.

Good to know: Global fusion take on traditional Texas barbecue with flavoring approaches such as Korean and Hawaiian rotated every two to three weeks.

Restaurant origin: Honky Tonk Kid BBQ has been open since Oct. 2016 after owner/chef Davie Gorham, a former pitmaster with Uncle Dans Barbecue, spent two months in Australia cooking Texas barbecue and other American fare.

The Blasian Asian

202 S. University Parks Drive / 254-640-2940 / On Facebook

Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Price: $ (guide below)

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: No

On the menu: Cambodian dishes including jakak (grilled beef, pork or chicken on skewers), chicken curry, pad thai, fried rice, egg and spring rolls.

Good to know: Customer favorites are the chicken curry and jakak combo plates.

Restaurant origin: Owners Chavrat Chevy DuBose and her husband Mike DuBose found Cambodian cuisine lacking in Waco after moving here in 2015.

Barnetts Public House

420 Franklin Ave. / 254-714-1356 / www.barnettspublichouse.com and also on Facebook

Hours: 4-11 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays; 4 p.m.-midnight Thursdays; 10:30 a.m.- 1 a.m. Fridays; 10 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturdays; and 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays.

Price: $-$$ (guide below)

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: Full bar with specialty cocktails, local craft beers. Wassail available through January.

On the menu: Gourmet sausages served with flatbread, shrimp and jalapeno grits, cheese-based appetizers. Soups on Fridays. Weekend brunch features locally sourced specials, three versions of eggs Benedict, artisan breads. New menu debuting January will include street tacos, more vegetable offerings and lighter fare.

Good to know: Four-course, four-cocktail prix fixe specialty dinner at 7 p.m. Fridays; reservations required.

Fuzzys Taco Shop

215 S. University Parks Drive, Suite 107 / 254-732-1818 / www.fuzzystacoshop.com and also on Facebook

Hours: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.

Price: $-$$ (see guide below)

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: Full bar

On the menu: Baja-style Mexican food including fish tacos, burritos and nachos plus enchiladas and fajitas plates; salads; and all-day breakfast items including migas, huevos rancheros.

Good to know: Indoor and outdoor patio seating with pet-friendly outdoor seating. Specialties include The Big Fuzz breakfast sandwich (two fried eggs, bacon, potatoes and jalepenos on teleras bread) and a Fuzzy Rita (peach margarita) Laurentiu and Casie Cernat and Mike and Sandy Sandlin opened the Waco location Nov. 4.

Dunkin Donuts

1200 N. Valley Mills Drive / 254-732-0629 / dunkindonuts.com

Hours: 5:30 a.m.- 10 p.m. daily.

Price: $

Takeout: Yes

Good to know: Extensive coffee offerings including espresso, cappuchino and latte; blended coffee drinks and cold brew.

The Mad Hasher

University Parks Drive at Franklin Avenue / 254-299-7971 / madhasherwaco.com / On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-midnight Thursdays-Saturdays.

Price: $ (see guide)

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: No

On the menu: Breakfast hashes (basics of fried potatoes, meat and cheese, topped with fried eggs) with multiple optional toppings; and sandwiches (Cuban, two with breakfast sausage/ground sirloin patties, two jalapeno waffle sandwiches).

Good to know: Vegetarian The Green Thumb hash is locally sourced. Candied bacon featured on some sandwiches. Waffle sandwiches have fillings of fried chicken and maple syrup or brisket with barbecue sauce.

Restaurant origin: Owned by Jonya Williams of Rio Brazos Catering Company and opened by Williams and general manager Dean Covic in early September.

Moroso Wood Fired Pizzeria

4700 Bosque Blvd. / 254-235-6000 / morosopizzeria.com / On Facebook, Instagram

Hours: 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, 5-10 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays, 5-11 p.m. Fridays.

Price: $-$$

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: Yes Beer, imported and craft, and Italian wines

On the menu: 13 types of Neapolitan pizza (dough from 00 flour, fresh yeast, sea salt and purified water; San Marzano tomatoes; cooked at very high temperature); appetizers including arancini, made-from-scratch meatballs, charcuterie board; salads; desserts including cannoli, ricotta cheesecake and torta al cioccolato (flourless chocolate cake).

Good to know: Tomatoes and flour are imported from Italy with Italian sausage custom-made in Texas. Pizza oven, dough mixer designed for neapolitan pizza. Many recipes are from owner Dan Morosos family.

Restaurant origin: Dan Moroso trained in restaurant and hotel service before following a career as a television production and writer. He and his wife Robyn, a Baylor University graduate with family in Waco, moved to Waco after 17 years in Miami to set up their own restaurant.
[January 19, 2017] Donuts Inc. Bolsters Leadership and Appoints Bruce Jaffe as Chief Executive Officer

BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan.19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Donuts Inc., the Internet's largest domain name registry for new domain extensions like 'dot-media' (.media), 'dot-photography' (.photography) and 'dot-life' (.life) today announced the appointment of Bruce Jaffe as chief executive officer. Paul Stahura, Donuts' co-founder and current CEO, will continue to serve in a full-time role as executive chair of Donuts' board of directors. The company has also appointed John Pollard to the newly created position of chief revenue officer. "Bruce has served on Donuts' board of directors for over a year and, at my request, has steadily taken on new day-to-day duties," said Stahura, who is the company's second largest shareholder. "His deep operational experiences in the corporate environment, coupled with his enthusiasm for strategy and scaling high growth businesses make him an impeccable fit for Donuts." Added Stahura, "I initiated this transition so I can focus on innovations that will help Donuts expand and remain creative. I'm confident that Bruce will lead us to the next stage of growth." Stahura will continue to assist the company with long-term strategy and innovation, including mergers and acquisitions, new business models, and partnerships with companies who are finding new utility for the DNS. Stahura has been CEO since Donuts' formation in 2010. Under his leadership, the company grew to manage 198 top-level domain names with more than 2 million registrations and over $100 million in bookings.



Jaffe, who has been a consultant and served on the Donuts Board, assumed the role of CEO effective January 1. He serves on several public and private boards, has been an active technology investor, consultant and advisor. Previously, Bruce held a variety of executive positions at Microsoft, most recently leading its corporate development group where he directed some of the company's largest transactions and strategic initiatives.

Donuts further said John "JP" Pollard, a global cloud-services veteran and serial entrepreneur, has stepped into the newly created role of chief revenue officer. Pollard is responsible for managing the sales, business development, marketing and public relations teams and will report directly to Jaffe. Prior to Donuts, Pollard held various roles with Microsoft before leading the international expansion of Expedia. He later co-founded and was CEO of Jott Networks, a mobile phone voice service and application acquired by Nuance in June 2009. He was also co-founder and CEO of Elemental Foundry, acquired by Porch in 2014. Pollard has served as CEO In Residence at Madrona Venture Labs, as a board advisor for React Mobile, and hosts the @techvitamin podcast. "I'm very excited to join Donuts," said Jaffe. "Our founding executives, and in fact the entire Donuts team, represent the best and brightest in the industry. We've had tremendous success since our founding, helping shape an industry where new domain names grew by more than 200 percent in 2016, now totaling more than 27 million. Looking forward, JP and I are excited to help accelerate our growth and scale our business." About Donuts

Donuts securely operates the largest number of the Internet's top-level domain names and provides varied and relevant online identities, in multiple languages and character sets, to businesses, individuals, and organizations worldwide. Donuts is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and London. For more information, please visit www.donuts.domains. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/donuts-inc-bolsters-leadership-and-appoints-bruce-jaffe-as-chief-executive-officer-300393458.html SOURCE Donuts Inc.

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[January 19, 2017] Dr. Bill Anderson Named Chief Executive Officer of OptioLabs

OptioLabs, a security insight solution provider for the mobile enterprise, today announced the promotion of Dr. Bill Anderson to Chief Executive Officer. Bill Anderson is a security products innovator with extensive experience in developing and marketing security hardware, software and intellectual property. Prior to joining OptioLabs, Anderson founded Oculis Labs in 2007 and led it through acquisition. Previous to that he served as Vice Chairman of the Board of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, Vice President, Encryption Products for SafeNet (News - Alert) Inc., where he drove OEM networking and mobile product strategy, and he directed product management and marketing at Aether Systems and Certicom, where he managed highly successful cryptography and communications product lines. Bill holds a Bachelors and Doctorate degree in Electrical Engineering, with specialization in cryptography, from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The OptioLabs' management team comprised of Hamilton urner, Chief Technology Officer, Patrick Geritz, Vice President of Sales, and Andy Meister, Vice President of Engineering will support Anderson in his new role.



Over the past two years OptioLabs forged relationships with Sonim, Bullitt and Cisco (News - Alert) to expand its reach and deliver innovative mobile security solutions to wireless carriers, enterprise and government customers. "Our focus leading into 2017 is to deliver OptioInsight and OptioCore to both the mobile enterprise and government customers who require more security than conventional mobile management products can offer," said Anderson. "Performance and innovation is at the core of our company culture and our products reflect those attributes. Our solutions address an unmet need for adaptive, enterprise-controlled policies to ensure data protection and regulatory compliance."

About OptioLabs OptioLabs protects the mobile Enterprise with a Security Insight Platform that enables context-sensitive threat response at machine speed. OptioLabs develops security solutions for leading mobile OEMs, Wireless Carriers, Enterprise and Government organizations. OptioLabs is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland and has an office in Nashville, Tennessee. More information can be found at www.optiolabs.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005048/en/

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Republican Party of McLennan County, 539 N. Valley Mills Drive, will host a brown bag lunch watch party for the presidential inauguration ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Friday.

Doors will open at 10 a.m.

Attendees can bring their lunch. Coffee, drinks and desserts will be provided.

Inaugural protest

Waco Friends of Peace/Climate, Baylor Democrats, InterWaco and the Stonewall Democrats of Central Texas are having a peaceful United Against Trump: Inaugural Protest event starting at 6 p.m. Friday at Heritage Square in downtown Waco.

Coffee, hot chocolate, snacks and anti-Trump bumper stickers will be provided at the event.

For more information, visit www.friendsofpeace.org.

NAFE luncheon

The Waco chapter of the National Association of Female Executives Women Information Network will meet from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Rosatis Pizza, 824 Hewitt Drive.

Guest speaker Brian Black will present Building Sales  One Relationship at a Time.

For more information, call Glenda Ruiz at 723-2404.

Submit items for Briefly to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco 76702-2588; fax to 757-0302; or email to goingson@wacotrib.com.
After almost 17 years of serving the Waco community, Texas Christian Academy will shut its doors at the end of this school year.

Officials for the private Christian-based sixth- through 12th-grade school announced the decision publicly late last week.

Though the schools are not merging or joining in any way, the decision coincides with the start of enrollment for a new high school at Eagle Christian Academy expected to open this fall, said Chuck Howard, Texas Christian Academy board president.

We made the decision to close the school based on our conversations with Eagle Christian Academy establishing its new high school, Howard said Tuesday. We felt it would be more beneficial to have one school system rather than have two schools competing for the same students, especially since we share the same values and we shared the same students over the years.

The move makes better financial sense for the school because until this coming year, Eagle Christian Academy has served only pre-kindergarten through middle school students, and high school and students were often moving to Texas Christian Academy from the lower grade levels at Eagle, Howard said.

The schools are about a five-minute drive from each other, with Texas Christian Academy at 4600 Sanger Ave. and Eagle Christian Academy at 6125 Bosque Blvd.

Name change

Eagle Christian Academy was formerly known as Waco Baptist Academy until May, when officials with the school decided to change the name and clarify the school is nondenominational, incoming board president Blake Mattson said Tuesday.

The high school will allow Eagle Christian Academy to offer pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade classes.

While Texas Christian Academy students are not required to move to Eagle Christian Academy High School, officials are encouraging families to enroll and encouraging faculty and staff to apply for any open positions the new high school may have, Howard said.

We feel like as a board that God has opened a door to bring us together and eliminate some of the difficulties we have  competing for students as well as the financial burdens weve had with limited enrollment, Howard said.

Texas Christian Academy serves about 50 students in sixth through 12th grade. Tuition was $6,900, with a $250 registration fee and a $425 school fee for the 2015-16 school year, according to the schools website. Tuition information for Eagle Christian Academy was not available Wednesday.

Texas Christian Academys building is up for sale, and Mattson said Eagle Christian Academy would love to have Texas Christian Academy students come to the new high school. Mattson said officials still are discussing enrollment space and availability.

Were excited about this new high school and this new opportunity for families who are looking for a high-academic, Christian education for their child, Mattson said.
BEATRICE  The documentary Homemade Astronaut: The Clay Anderson Story about Ashland native Clay Anderson will be shown at the Nebraska 150 Film Festival in the Homestead National Monument of America Education Center near Beatrice.

Homemade Astronaut: The Clay Anderson Story will be shown at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29

Films were selected that honor Nebraskas heritage and highlight individuals and contributions that shaped Nebraska into the good life it is today.

Homesteading played a huge part in Nebraskas history, 45 percent of the state was settled through the Homestead Act. The impacts of the homesteaders are still felt today and these films highlight the contributions homesteaders and Nebraskans, made in settling the state, stated Park Superintendent Mark Engler.

Homestead National Monument of America is a unit of the National Park Service located four miles west of Beatrice and 45 miles south of Lincoln. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free of charge. For additional information, call 402-223-3514 or visit http://www.nps.gov/home/.
[January 19, 2017] Aspen Institute Report Sets the Communications Policy Agenda for the Next Administration

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program (C&S) issued a new report today, Setting the Communications Policy Agenda for the Next Administration. Each year, the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program convenes an annual conference that focuses on topics related to communications policy. Participants, including regulators and other policymakers along with scholars and representatives of telecom companies and public interest groups, meet to address a specific issue and develop recommendations for constructive action around that issue. At the 31st Annual Aspen Institute Conference on Communications Policy, which took place several months before the 2016 presidential election, participants heard a keynote talk from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, compared the current communications landscape to what the digital and broadband environment might look like in 2020, and then considered contrasting approaches (Democratic and Republican) to how governments should maximize the public interest in addressing the pressing communications issues of the day. Participants then developed a list of strategies and action steps for the new Administration. Setting the Communications Policy Agenda for the Next Administration is the resulting report, synthesizing the ideas and recommendations that emerged during the conference. It explores areas where the new Administration should focus its efforts concerning communications policy. Recommendations inlude:



Promoting Inclusion and Expanding Opportunities. Participants recommended expanding access, addressing the problem of affordability and spurring adoption and use. This includes addressing the problem of inadequate investment in rural broadband. Participants also called for improved marketing efforts for programs provided by major telecom providers that offer discount broadband access for low-income consumers. Supporting Innovation and Infrastructure. Recommendations included encouraging public/private collaborations, providing tax incentives for investments in infrastructure, continued efforts to provide additional spectrum, and the need for the US government to protect innovation from international threats. Building a Trust Environment. The final set of recommendations focused on addressing threats to cybersecurity and privacy. Participants also called for a unitary framework for privacy protection that is both comprehensive and comprehensible. In addition to Chairman Wheeler, the conference included the participation of senior-level executives and scholars, such as FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn; David Quinalty, Republican Policy Director for Communications and Telecom, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, United States Senate; David Redl, Chief Counsel, Communications and Technology, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, United States House of Representatives; R. David Edelman, Special Assistant to the President for Economic and Technology Policy; and other experts in the fields of telecommunications law and policy. Participants from businesses who attended include: AT&T, Charter, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Dodge and Cox, Emmis, Google, Intel Corporation, Ligado Networks, Microsoft, Netflix, New Street Research, Nielsen, T-Mobile USA, Vanu, Inc., Verizon, and The Walt Disney Company, all of which are sponsors of the Communications and Society Program.

The report is available online at as.pn/commpolicy or by contacting the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program at (202) 736-5818 or at [email protected]. Earlier reports in the Aspen Institute Conference on Communications Policy series are also available at csreports.aspeninstitute.org. The Aspen Institute, The Aspen Institute is a nonpartisan forum for values-based leadership and the exchange of ideas. The Institute is based in Washington, DC and has campuses in Aspen, Colorado and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org. The Communications and Society Program is an active venue for framing policies and developing recommendations in the information and communications fields. We provide a multi-disciplinary space where veteran and emerging decision-makers can develop new approaches and suggestions for communications policy. The Program enables global leaders and experts to explore new concepts, exchange insights, develop meaningful networks, and find personal growth, all for the betterment of society. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aspen-institute-report-sets-the-communications-policy-agenda-for-the-next-administration-300393471.html SOURCE The Aspen Institute

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FREMONT  Three Rivers Public Health Department is working to educate Americans about the dangers of radon exposure and to encourage them to take action to protect their homes and families.

Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that you cant see, smell or taste. Its presence in your home can pose a danger to your familys health. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and claims about 20,000 lives annually.

Nebraska has a very high prevalence of radon in homes. One out of every two radon tests conducted in the state is elevated. Homes with an annual average radon level at or above four picocuries per liter (pCi/L) should be mitigated to reduce radon levels.

Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple and inexpensive and Three Rivers is here to help said Terra Uhing, executive director, Three Rivers Public Health Department.

Radon test kits are available at Three Rivers Public Health Department, Washington County Extension Office, Wahoo Public Library, Ashland Public Library and Ceresco Public Library for just $1. Radon problems can be fixed by qualified contractors for a cost similar to that of many common home repairs such as painting or having a new water heater installed.

From Feb. 1 through Aug. of last year, 424 total radon testing kits were distributed by Three Rivers. Return rate of these distributed kits varied slightly by county, with an average return rate of 48.3 percent across the district.

Results from returned kits in 2016 ranged from less than 0.3 pCi/L to 22.3 pCi/L. Saunders County yielded the highest result (22.3 pCi/L) and also returned the greatest percentage of high results, with 90.1 percent of kits returned. In comparison, 62.9 percent of completed Dodge County kits and 60 percent of completed Washington County kits yielded high results.

Three Rivers urges the communities of Dodge, Saunders and Washington counties to take action during this years National Radon Action Month by testing their homes for radon. Radon poses a serious threat to our communitys health but there is a straightforward solution.

For more information call Three Rivers at 402-727-5396 or go to www.threeriverspublichealt.org.
ASHLAND  As of Monday afternoon, the threat of a layer of ice encasing the area had not yet been realized, but freezing rain created slick areas and closed schools and some businesses and postponed events.

A storm system, named Jupiter brought freezing rain into the area on Sunday. Weather forecasters had been predicting the event for days, so local citizens generally planned ahead for what was expected to be a solid sheet of ice covering the area and causing power outages.

Ice did begin accumulating on Sunday and kept everyone indoors for the most part, but on Monday morning temperatures rose above freezing while a moderate rain helped break up the ice. Freezing temperatures were expected to return as the day wore on, however, creating more ice.

Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools called off classes for Monday, making the announcement on Sunday night. By Monday afternoon, the decision had been made to cancel school for Tuesday.

The school also postponed the Board of Education meeting originally scheduled for Monday night to the following Monday (Jan. 23) because of the weather.

The local Cub Scout troop also moved an event back one week due to the weather. Their Pinewood Derby, which was set for Monday, will now be held on Jan. 23.

A coffee for Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce members and area businesses to be held at the Bank of Ashland on Tuesday morning was cancelled. A new date had not been set as of Monday.

Several area businesses also closed on Monday, due to the icy conditions. The Ashland Community Resource Center was shuttered, and local businesses like Ashland Disposal Service and Dr. John Batemans office were closed, according to announcements made on social media sites. A handful of businesses were already closed due to the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday.

Several other area businesses continued as usual, despite the storm. But traffic was light in the downtown business district on Monday.

Municipalities and businesses also fared well in the storm across Saunders County.

So far, its been a pretty manageable storm, said Saunders County Emergency Manager Terry Miller Monday morning.

Rain turned to ice late Sunday afternoon, but with the efforts of road crews, schools closed and early weather warnings, residents were well prepared for Jupiter, he said.

There are not a lot of wrecks, considering the conditions, Miller said.

He said the Saunders County Roads Department has been working on roads and that no roads have been closed in the county.

As of Monday morning, the wind has not been blowing, so that helps, Miller said.

If temperatures had been 25 or below, it would be tough to keep up with the ice-melt, he said.

City crews worked ahead of time in preparation for the ice event. Ashland Director of Public Works Shane Larsen said his employees spent time last week in anticipation of the storm.

We did all the maintenance needed to make sure the vehicles and equipment were ready, he said.

On Saturday evening, Larsen and his employees were out on the streets pre-treating with a mixture of sand and salt in some areas of the city prior to the start of the freezing rain.

Pre-treating is something new to us, said Larsen. In the past, we havent pretreated.

Larsen said he was pleased with the way the pre-treating helped keep the streets from getting slick.

I think its working great, he said.

When the moisture began to fall, the city crews were back in their trucks spreading sand and salt at 4 a.m. Monday morning and were at it again at 5 a.m. on Tuesday. Larsen monitored the weather via the internet on the Weather Underground website.

Next year Larsen will have a new weapon in his ice and snow fighting ar

senal. The city is investing in an Apex liquid spray system that will apply a solution that works more effectively at lower temperatures to prevent slick streets.

Probably by next winter well have that system up and running, he said.

Mayor Rick Grauerholz said the city council has been setting aside funds over the past few years to pay for the system, which includes mixing equipment and storage tanks, making the price tag higher than the sand/salt equipment they currently have.

As for the current storm, the National Weather Service predicted the high temperature by mid week to be in the upper 40s, making Jupiter just a faint memory.

By the weekend this should all be gone, Miller said.

(Staff Reporter Sam Farmer contributed to this report.)
MURDOCK  Aaron Stewart of Murdock recently won second place in the A No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated division of the 2016 National Corn Growers Associations (NCGA) Corn Yield Contest in Nebraska. Stewart won with Pioneer brand P1197AMT, which yielded 284.0881 bushels per acre.

Stewart earned one of the 199 state titles won by growers planting Pioneer brand products. Growers planting Pioneer brand products led the contest, winning 58 percent of the 343 state titles awarded this year.

The NCGA Corn Yield Contest is an annual U.S. competition among corn growers with the goal of capitalizing on the high genetic yield potential of todays corn hybrids. Growers compete in six corn production classes: two for non-irrigated, two for no-till/strip till non-irrigated, one for no-till/strip till irrigated and one for irrigated acres.

Our 2016 NCGA winners demonstrate the value of our continued investment in germplasm and trait packages, coupled with the unmatched team of local Pioneer professionals. They are with customers throughout the year to help them achieve maximum productivity, said Steve Reno, DuPont Pioneer vice president, regional director  U.S. and Canada.
ASHLAND  After multiple law enforcement agencies went on a search for two individuals walking in freezing weather, a man and woman were arrested on drug charges last week in Ashland.

On Jan. 12 at 6 a.m., Ashland police were notified that a car had broken down on Highway 6 south of the Highway 66 intersection. Ashland Police Chief Joe Baudler said the police officer on duty found one woman in the vehicle, along with indication that illegal activity may have taken place.

He noticed a very strong chemical smell coming from that vehicle that was unusual, Baudler said.

The woman in the car told the police officer that there were two other individuals with her in the vehicle, a man and a woman, but they had walked into town after the vehicle broke down. The officer took the woman to the police department and then started to look for the missing man and woman.

Citizens called 911 to indicate they had seen the man and woman walking in the freezing weather with no coats. The outdoor temperature at the time was 14 degrees Farenheit.

Along with the public, the Saunders County Sheriffs Department and the Nebraska State Patrol also assisted in the search.

It was a multi-agency effort to locate these individuals, Baudler said.

After a couple of hours, state troopers located the suspects, Merry Bills and Clayton Brown, walking along Highway 66 south of Ashland. The police found various drug-related items in the backpack they were carrying, including a user amount of methamphetamine, Baudler said. The pair was arrested for possession of methamphetamine.

The suspects also had bank checks from a local church in their possession at the time of their arrest. Baudler said the investigation indicates the checks may have been accidentally discarded by a church employee and discovered in a trash receptacle by the suspects.

We are still looking into that, he added.

The woman who was found in the vehicle when the initial call was made to police was not arrested.

Baudler said Merry and Clayton Brown have had long criminal histories with multiple jurisdictions and Merry Brown is wanted in other states.

The police chief said the pair may have been running a shake and bake mobile meth lab in their car. The suspects also possessed materials to make counterfeit checks. And they had cleaning supplies, indicating they may have been going from town to town peddling.
WAHOO  The Saunders County Board of Supervisors heard some suggestions Tuesday for improvement after Winter Storm Jupiter.

Public Works Director Steve Mika said crews began working on roads Sunday and worked until midnight Monday night, using a new kind of ice cutter salt.

Mixing the new salt with what had been previously used, Mika said crews resumed work at 4 a.m. Tuesday, helping to keep county roads drivable.

With the storms effects being ice, Mika said the county could use a shed in Prague to house salt to treat icy roads.

Salt used for Prague roads comes from Wahoo and, depending on the conditions, trucks might run low on salt by the time they get there, he said.

This weeks storm depleted the countys salt reserves overall.

Were almost out of salt now, Mika said.

And the supplier, Nebraska Salt and Grain of Gothenburg, is working to supply many areas that used a great deal of salt over the course of the storm.

Though an order is placed, Mika said salt could potentially not arrive until next week.

It shows how vulnerable we could be, Mika said.

Mika also told the supervisors he continues to look at options for a recent bridge project let out for bid.

The bids to replace the bridge averaged just over $650,000.

Mika said the bridge near Ithaca has water to the north and south of it during heavy rains and that other options could save money by thousands or hundreds of thousands.

Other business also included stated action by the personnel committee, which includes supervisors Craig Breunig, David Lutton and Ed Rastovski.

Breunig said the personnel committee has stared investigating the consolidation of the register of deeds office with the assessors office.

We need to have a plan in place and not wait until the last minute, Breunig said.
WAVERLY  Come February, a handful of young girls will be walking the streets of Waverly, knocking on doors with hopes to sell a box of cookies.

Waverly Girl Scout Troop 20509 members Hannah Berlowitz, Nora Erickson, Chloe King, Zoe Moore, Jadah Scott and Austin Ockinga will continue to sell the famous cookies throughout the month.

Scott said that pre-ordering was hard to do, so a number of the girls have already purchased cookies and will have them with them when they ring that doorbell.

Its much easier, as oth-erwise you have to catch them at home, write down addresses, all that stuff, Erickson said.

She has a goal of selling 1,050 boxes. Thats just a few more than she did last year.

Its not easy to sell but once we head out we make a day of it, she said.

Several of the girls will walk together, but Moore said her father was making her a cookie cart which would make it easier for her to have boxes with her at that time.

Waverly and Greenwood have been good places to sell, Scott said.

They said they remember who bought cookies and who did not.

Its been good for the girls to learn about rejection when someone says they are not interested, Ericksons mother, Lindsay, said.

Yeah, we just say thank you and walk away, her daughter said.

This year is special for the Girl Scouts, and they plan to tell people about it. Its the 100th year of Girl Scouts selling cookies, and to commemorate the year, a new flavor has been added to the list.

The highly anticipated Girl Scout Smores is a modern twist on the time-honored campfire treat. They join the line up of Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Shortbread, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Thanks-a-Lot, Lemonades. The girls spend hours memorizing the list.

The boxes are still $4 per package.

We had to learn how to make change, Erickson said.

The girls have their favorite, which helps with sales pitches.

Sometimes we get asked what our favorite is, Moore said.

Hers is Caramel deLites while the other girls admitted their favorites ranged from Thin Mints to Lemonades to Peanut Butter Sandwich.

Lindsey Erickson said it was surprising how many people who did not buy cook-ies would make a donation to them.

The money is used to purchase cookies, which are then sent to military troops overseas, Erickson said. It is very much appreciated.

No matter which cookies customers choose, their purchase is an important in-vestment in the girls in their community. The proceeds from the Cookie Program stay in Nebraska to support the local Girl Scout council and its 21,000 girl and adult members.

We get what they call cookie dough from it which helps us go to camps and stuff, Erickson said. Girl Scout things.

Some of what they earn will help pay for an outing in April. Dubbed Dont Be a Turkey Day, the girls will learn about wildlife, how to call a turkey and do a bit of target shooting.

But this isnt the only project the troop is doing. They are still collecting pop tabs with the hopes to eventually collect over a million.

To find Girl Scout Cookies, connect with a local troop visit GirlScoutsNebraska.org or call the Cookie Hotline at 877-636-4684.
[January 19, 2017] Better By the Dozen: Highest Core Density Realized with 12 Core Single-Mode Optical Fiber

Enterprise networks and data centers continue to increase their demands for connectivity, with ever larger quantities of data expected to be transmitted in the foreseeable future. Over the past 20 years, fiber-optic technology has experienced tremendous success in bringing us a fast, globally-connected internet. Providing greater capacity for information transfer is key to meeting future needs. A recent advancement in fiber core structures promises to help us reach this goal more quickly. Single-mode optical fibers, where light travels along a single pathway, are quickly approaching capacity limits on today's networks. Research on this topic has focused on adding more transmission pathways within these optical fibers. Multi-mode fibers - whose cores can support the propagation of multiple modes of light - may seem an obvious solution, but suffer from dispersion and limitations over a long-haul network. Now, researchers are investigating multi-core fiber (MCF) technology, placing multiple single-mode cores within a single optical fiber. Increasing the number of cores within an optical fiber is challenging because adding cores incurs thicker optical fiber diameters, which suffer their own limitations in application. A research team from NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories, Japan, have developed an MCF design, for the first time, with 12 core paths. The cores are then "randomly-coupled" in a way that can transmit larger amounts of data through a standard-sized 125 micrometer diameter fiber. The NTT (News - Alert) team will present their findings at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC), held 19-23 March in Los Angeles, California, USA. "The 12-core aths in an optical fiber with the standard 125 micrometer cladding is a new achievement in optical networking transmission technology," said NTT research engineer, Taiji Sakamoto. "NTT has invested resources into this new technology for use in transmission systems and data centers. We need to scale our networks to anticipate future bandwidth demands."



But, Sakamoto explained, MCF development has a number of challenges. The first constriction on MCF development is a spatial one. Fibers need to be deployed within limited spaces, like underground ducts, so keeping to standard diameters is a priority. To keep to size restrictions, the team looked at developing MCF with small core pitches, or spacings, to maximize the number of cores within the fiber. Taking into account the limits on fiber diameters, the NTT researchers employed a coupled core arrangement within the fiber's 125-micrometer cladding. The team was able to put in the casement a total of 12 cores, arranging them with a special twisting of the fibers in a randomly coupled MCF that NTT researchers concluded would enable maximum capacity.

The researchers also explored the geometric arrangement for the cores inside the fiber. Among the three possibilities: a 19-core hexagonal arrangement, a 10-core circular arrangement, and a 12-core square lattice. They concluded that the 12-core square lattice design best optimized the spatial density, while maintaining random mode coupling. A pressing challenge for the research team is called spatial mode dispersion (SMD), where signals spread in the time domain, making it difficult to realize the real-time DSP which is inevitable for implementing space division multiplexing technology into the real system. Adding core paths within a single fiber increases those challenges. Sakamoto and his team concluded that an MCF with a randomly coupled core arrangement minimizes spatial mode dispersion, resulting in lower a DSP complexity. "The signal processing complexity caused by the large SMD is a serious problem. Our paper to be presented at OFC will explain how we reduce SMD for MCF with more than 10 cores," Sakamoto added. According to Sakamoto, the next step is to investigate the scalability of their randomly coupled MCF. If successful, he expects that the technology could be available for large scale markets in about a decade. The group will continue to investigate the maximum number of cores that can be deployed with randomly coupled MCF, while maintaining its key benefit of minimizing spatial mode dispersion and signal processing complexity. "We saw success with randomly coupled MCF," Sakamoto said. "So the next step is to find out how we can realize more cores while maintaining the random-coupling status resulting in even greater capacity per fiber." Media Registration: A media room for credentialed press and analysts will be located on-site at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 19-23 March 2017. Media interested in attending the event should register on the OFC website media center: Media Center. About OFC The Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition (OFC) is the largest global conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals. For more than 40 years, OFC has drawn attendees from all corners of the globe to meet and greet, teach and learn, make connections and move business forward. OFC includes dynamic business programming, an exhibition of more than 600 companies, and high impact peer-reviewed research that, combined, showcase the trends and pulse of the entire optical networking and communications industry. OFC is managed by The Optical Society (OSA) and co-sponsored by OSA, the IEEE (News - Alert) Communications Society (IEEE/ComSoc) and the IEEE Photonics Society. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005800/en/

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Until few years ago, incident response tools were much like police investigations  complex, time consuming, and requiring high expertise. While tools facilitated investigation and response activities, processes remained to a large degree manual. However, in recent years, a new generation of tools has emerged that significantly simplifies the life of security incident response teams.

This article looks at five prominent next-generation solutions that collect endpoint data to facilitate incident response and accelerate investigation.

SECDO

Secdo provides an extensive IR platform and a unique promise of performing the investigation process automatically. Secdo continuously records endpoint activity such as file operations, network traffic, memory activity and registry changes, sending data in real time to a centralized server (either on premise or in the cloud). Data is stored for months or years (depending on configuration), which enables running deep investigations, regardless of whether an endpoint is available on the network. Per Secdo, endpoint data is collected at the thread level rather than process level, as commonly done, which is significant since many modern attacks inject code rather than spawn a process.

Secdos real forte, however, lies with its investigation capabilities. A Causality Engine uses behavior analytics to run automated investigations of data collected from endpoints, which can optionally be combined with data from SIEM systems and third party systems. Investigators are provided with a graphical forensic timeline of the complete attack chain, as well as a clear view of an events root cause, damage assessment, malicious entities, compromised devices, and a remediation plan.

On the response and remediation side, Secdo provides the ability to freeze processes, quarantine files and clean hosts of threats. Security teams can remotely access any host and use remote CMD, PowerShell or Python commands to perform cleanup activities with minimal disruption to users.

All in all, Secdos offer significantly simplifies and accelerates incident response, with both the manual and the automated investigation and response options reducing the skills and technical expertise required from security investigators.

Carbon Black

One of the major players in the endpoint security market is Carbon Black, which offers Cb Response, an incident Response solution that is focused on the continuous recording of endpoint data, which it combines with live remediation facilities.

The Cb Response centralized management server can be deployed on premise or on the cloud, where it collects endpoint data including memory events, file and registry modifications, network connections, etc. The server later uses the cache of event data to perform analysis tasks on demand.

Carbon Black offers a visual analyzer of the attack kill chain, which makes analysis relatively fast. However, since analysis is performed at the process level, it can fall short when it comes to analyzing advanced threats and compromises. Cb Response does not provide automated investigation capabilities, but rather presents analysts with raw data, allowing them to run queries and perform investigation.

To respond to threats, Carbon Black provides a command line terminal for remediation and containment purposes, which can be used to perform executable banning, network isolation, process termination and software updating.

Carbon Black deserves merit for its continuous recording of threat activity on endpoints and servers and making data available for investigation by rolling back the tape. However, analysis features leave a bit to desire since a lot of the burden remains on the operator and it requires considerable expertise and experience on the part of the user.

Tanium

Taniums incident response is offered as a module packed into its Endpoint Platform, an endpoint security and management solution that also offers other functionalities such as threat detection, vulnerability assessment and patch management.

One of Taniums promises is 15-second visibility, which enables administrators to find out whats happening across all managed endpoints within 15 seconds. The systems natural language processing features enable it to parse and process queries such as How many unmanaged machines are on my network? However, knowing which queries to run is a bit tricky and will require a considerably high level of security expertise.

Unlike other incident response tools, Tanium stores event data on the endpoints themselves rather than on a centralized server. To perform analysis, the analysis server queries individual endpoints. This approach requires endpoints to be available, which can become problematic if a host is turned off or no longer available after being compromised.

As a system management tool, Tanium offers a rich array of remote response features such as quarantining machines, killing processes, changing registry data, uninstalling applications and shutting down systems. All in all, Tanium is a strong endpoint management tool with somewhat limited security analysis and response capabilities.

EnCase

EnCase is an Incident Response tool manufactured by Guidance Software, a company thats services and tools have been used to provide forensic files and evidence in court.

EnCase works by analyzing endpoint data and establishing a baseline behavior for each endpoint, which it later uses to make ongoing comparisons in order to pinpoint and flag potentially anomalous behavior. The same scheme is used for historic intelligence when recreating the path to data breaches after they are discovered.

EnCase has a server component that continuously polls kernel-level agents installed on endpoints, which harvest data on processes, files, DLLs, users and network activity. Its investigation capabilities are enhanced by a live triage feature which helps determe the relevance and priority of potential evidence. The solution also features timeline analysis and a visualizer-aided threat hunting tool.

At the containment and response level, EnCase will enable you to kill processes, delete malicious files and edit registry entries remotely.

Google (News - Alert) Rapid Response (GRR)

The big G also provides an incident response tool with an open-source platform focused on live forensics. The components of the system include an endpoint agent and a Python-based server that communicates with the endpoints.

The system doesnt collect data, but rather carries out investigations through on-demand actions. For instance, the server will command an endpoint to return the list of files within a directory or read a buffer from a file. Security experts manage the system by defining flowsserver-side code that order a single client or set of clients to perform a specific action. The system can be programmed to make further decisions based on the results of previous actions.

The advantage of GRR is that it is quite flexible in its capabilities to collect forensic data from endpoints such as browser histories and deleted files. However, the collection is made after a threat has taken affect, not allowing incident responders the full visibility into what exactly happened at the endpoint and whats the damage assessment. The top drawback is probably the fact that deployment and implementation are quite difficult and require high technical skills.Edited by Alicia Young
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The United Nations has expressed "grave concern" over the treatment of two asylum seekers, who say they were savagely beaten by Papua New Guinea police and immigration officials on Manus Island before being arrested on New Year's Eve.

The UN's country team in PNG has urged the PNG government to investigate allegations of excessive use of force, torture and harassment of asylum seekers by officials, and to bring the relevant persons to justice if found guilty.

The intervention comes as officials from the United States' resettlement support centre prepare to visit PNG for their first round of interviews next month.

Refugees on Manus were told on Thursday that American immigration officers would come to the island February 14 and that the process would take between six and 12 months. They were also told there was no need for them to leave the detention centre in order to be eligible for resettlement.
Fido barking too much, keeping the neighbours awake all night? Moggy clawing at the couches? A start-up is promoting a novel treatment  medical cannabis.

Medical cannabis may have a strong calming effect on pets, dull chronic pain, and significantly improve their vibrancy and quality of life, according to Australian-listed medical cannabis company Creso Pharma.

Dr Edward Bassingthwaighte administers a cannabis-based treatment to Pearl the whippet. Credit:Lisa Maree Williams

One vet is already using medicated cannabis to treat dogs, and claims it has remarkable effects.

On Wednesday Creso, which is listed on the ASX and has local offices but is headquartered in Switzerland, announced it had received European Union health registration for two cannabidiol-based products  one for horses, the other for smaller animals such as cats or dogs.
Seoul/Washington: North Korea may be preparing for a new missile test-launch, US officials said, raising the possibility Pyongyang will take action as Donald Trump is sworn in as US president.

South Korean media reported movement of what could be components of an upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the United States was seeing activity in North Korea indicating a possible ballistic missile test, including positioning of two mobile missile launchers.

Still, the timing of the test and precise type of missile remained unclear, the officials said.
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The following companies are subsidiares of Vodafone Group Public: 360 Connect S.A., 3@ Telecom, A-ccelerator B.V., A-ccelerator Holding B.V, AAA (Euro) Limited, AAA (MCR) Limited, AAA (UK) Limited, Acorn Communications Limited, Africonnect (Zambia) Limited, Ag Mercantile Company Private Limited, Al-Amin Investments Limited, Amsterdamse Beheer- en Consultingmaatschappij B.V., Apollo Submarine Cable System Limited, Array Holdings Limited, Asian Telecommunication Investments (Mauritius) Limited, Aspective Limited, Astec Communications Limited, Autoconnex Limited, Aztec Limited, BelCompany BV, Bluefish Apac Communications Pte. Ltd, Bluefish Communications, Bluefish Communications Limited, Business Serve Limited, C&W Worldwide Nigeria Limited, C.S.P. Solutions Limited, CCII (Mauritius) Inc., CGP India Investments Ltd., CGP Investments (Holdings) Limited, COOP Mobil s.r.o, CT Networks Limited, CWGNL S.A., CWW Operations Limited, Cable & Wireless Access Limited, Cable & Wireless Americas Systems Inc., Cable & Wireless Aspac Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless CIS Services Limited, Cable & Wireless CIS Svyaz LLC, Cable & Wireless Capital Limited , Cable & Wireless Communications Data Network Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Communications Starclass Limited, Cable & Wireless Communications Technical Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd (Beijing Branch), Cable & Wireless Europe Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless GN Limited, Cable & Wireless Global (India) Private Limited, Cable & Wireless Global Business Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Global Holding Limited, Cable & Wireless Global Telecommunication Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Holdco Limited, Cable & Wireless Networks India Private Limited, Cable & Wireless Trade Mark Management Limited, Cable & Wireless UK Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless UK Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Waterside Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Pension Trustee Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Voice Messaging Limited, Cable & Wireless a-Services Inc, Cable & Wireless a-Services Limited, Cable and Wireless (India) Limited, Cable and Wireless (India) Limited Indian Branch Office, Cable and Wireless Nominee Limited, Cable and Wireless Worldwide South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cavalry Holdings Ltd, Celfocus  Solucoes Informaticas Para Telecomunicacoes S.A, Cellops Limited, Cellular Operations Limited, Central Communications Group Limited, Central Telecom (Northern) Limited, Centurion GSM Limited, Chelys Limited, City Cable (Holdings) Limited, Cobra do Brasil Servicos de Telematica ltda., Commnet Cellular Inc., Complete Network Technology, Connect (India) Mobile Technologies Private Limited, Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Limited, Dataroam Limited , Device Insight, Digital Island (UK) Ltd, Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, East Africa Investment (Mauritius) Limited, Emtel Europe Limited, Energis (Ireland) Limited, Energis Communications Limited, Energis Holdings Limited, Energis Local Access Limited, Energis Management Limited, Energis Squared Limited, Erudite Systems Limited, Esprit Telecom B.V., Eudokia Limited, Euro Pacific Securities Ltd., Eurocall Holdings Limited, Europolitan Holdings AB (now Europolitan Vodafone AB), FB Holdings Limited, FM Associates (UK) Limited, FinCo Partner 1 B.V., FireFly Networks Limited, Flexphone Limited, GS Telecom (Pty) Limited, Gateway Communications Africa (UK) Limited, Gateway Communications Tanzania Limited, General Mobile Corporation, Generation Telecom Limited, Ghana Telecommunications, Ghana Telecommunications Company Limited, Global Cellular Rental Limited, Globe Limited, GrandCentrix GmbH, Grupo Corporativo ONO S.A.U., H3ga Properties (No 3) Pty Limited, HBO Nederland Cooperatief U.A., HBO Netherlands Channels sro, HBO Netherlands Distribution B.V., Hellas Online, How2 Telecom Limited, Hutchison Essar Ltd, Indus Towers Limited, Intercell Communications Limited, Internet Network Services Limited, Invitation Digital Limited, Ipergy Communications NV, Isis Telecommunications Management Limited, Jaguar Communications Limited, Jaykay Finholding (India) Private Limited, Jupicol (Proprietary) Limited, KABELCOM Braunschweig Gesellschaft Fur BreitbandkabelKommunikation Mit Beschrankter Haftung, KABELCOM Wolfsburg Gesellschaft Fur BreitbandkabelKommunikation Mit Beschrankter Haftung, Kabel Deutschland, Kabel Deutschland Holding, Kabel Deutschland Holding Erste Beteiligungs GmbH, Kabel Deutschland Holding Zweite Beteilgungs GmbH, Kabel Deutschland Neunte Beteiligungs GmbH, Kabel Deutschland Siebte Beteiligungs GmbH, Kabelfernsehen Munchen Servicenter GmbH & Co. KG, LG Financing Partnership, LGE HoldCo V B.V., LGE HoldCo VI B.V., LGE HoldCo VIII B.V., LGE Holdco VII B.V., LLC Vodafone Enterprise Ukraine, Le Bunt Holdings Limited, Legend Communications Limited, Liberty Global, Liberty Global Content Netherlands B.V., London Hydraulic Power Company, M-PESA Foundation, M-PESA Holding Co. Limited, ML Integration Group Limited, ML Integration Limited, ML Integration Services Limited, MV Healthcare Services Private Limited, Mannesmann AG, MetroHoldings Limited, Mezzanine Ware Proprietary Limited (RF), Mirambo Limited, Misrfone Trading Company LLC, MobiFon S.A., Mobile Commerce Solutions Limited, Mobile Phone Centre Limited, Mobile Wallet VM1, Mobile Wallet VM2, Mobile by Sainsburys Limited, Mobiles 4 Business.com Limited, Mobileworld Communications Pty Limited, Mobileworld Operating Pty Ltd, Mobilvest, Motifpros 1 (Proprietary) Limited, Multi Risk Indemnity Company Limited, Multi Risk Limited, ND Callus Info Services Private Limited, Nadal Trading Company Private Limited, Nat Comm Air Limited, National Communications Backbone Company Limited, Navtrak Ltd, Netforce Group Limited, Netgrid Telecom SRL, Number Portability Company (Proprietary) Limited, ONO, Omega Telecom Holdings Private Limited, Oni Way  Infocomunicacoes S.A, Oskar Mobil S.R.O., Oxygen Solutions Limited, P.C.P. (North West) Limited, PPL Pty Limited, PT Network Services Limited, PTI Telecom Limited, Peoples Phone Limited, Pinnacle Cellular Group Limited, Pinnacle Cellular Limited, Plex Limited, Plustech Mercantile Company Private Limited, Prime Metals Ltd., Project Telecom Holdings Limited, Quickcomm Software Solutions, Radio Opt GmbH, Rian Mobile Limited, SBC SMART CITY 1517 B.V., SMMS Investments Pvt Limited, Safaricom Limited, Safenet N.P A., Sarmady Communications, Scarlet Ibis Investments 23 (Pty) Limited, Scorpios Beverages Pvt. Ltd, Silver Stream Investments Limited, Singlepoint (4U) Limited, Singlepoint (4U) Ltd., Singlepoint Payment Services Limited, Siro Limited, Spar Aerospace (Nigeria) Limited, Sport TV Portugal S.A, Starnet, Stentor Communications Limited, Stentor Limited, Storage Technology Services (Pty) Limited, T.W. Telecom Limited, T3 Telecommunications Limited, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern Beteiligungs GmbH, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG, TNAS Limited, TSM NZ Limited, Talkland Airtime Services Limited, Talkland Australia Pty Limited, Talkland Communications Limited, Talkland International Limited, Talkland Midlands Limited, Talkmobile Limited, Tele2 Italia SPA, Tele2 Spain, Telecom Investments India Private Limited, Telecommunications Europe Limited, Ternhill Communications Limited, The Cobra Group, The Eastern Leasing Company Limited, The Old Telecom Sales Co. Limited, Thus Group Holdings Limited, Thus Group Limited, Thus Limited, Thus Profit Sharing Trustees Limited, TnT Expense Management LLC, Tomorrow Street GP S.a r.l., Tomorrow Street SCA, Torenspits II B.V., Townley Communications Limited, Trans Crystal Ltd., UMT Investments Limited, UPC Nederland Holding I B.V., UPC Nederland Holding II B.V., UPC Nederland Holding III B.V., Unified Communications, Uniqueair Limited, Urbana Teleunion Rostock GmbH & Co.KG, Usha Martin Telematics Limited, VAPL No. 2 Pty Limited, VBA (Mauritius) Limited, VBA Holdings Limited, VBA International (SL) Limited, VBA International Limited, VEI S.r.l., VM SA, VND S.p.A, VSSB Vodafone Shared Services Budapest Private Limited Company, Verwaltung Urbana Teleunion Rostock GmbH, Victus Networks S.A., Vizzavi Finance Limited, Vizzavi Limited, Voda Limited, Vodacall Limited, Vodacash s.p.r.l., Vodacom (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Business (Angola) Limitada, Vodacom Business (Ghana) Limited, Vodacom Business (Kenya) Limited, Vodacom Business Africa (Nigeria) Limited, Vodacom Business Africa Group (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Business Africa Group Services Limited, Vodacom Business Cameroon SA, Vodacom Business Cote Divoire S.A.R.L., Vodacom Congo (RDC) SA, Vodacom Financial Services (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Group Limited, Vodacom Insurance Administration Company (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Insurance Company (RF) Limited, Vodacom International Holdings (Pty) Limited, Vodacom International Limited, Vodacom Lesotho (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Life Assurance Company (RF) Limited, Vodacom Payment Services (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Properties No 1 (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Properties No.2 (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Tanzania Limited Zanzibar, Vodacom Tanzania Public Limited Company, Vodacom UK Limited, Vodafone (NI) Limited, Vodafone (New Zealand) Hedging Limited, Vodafone (Scotland) Limited, Vodafone 2, Vodafone 4 UK, Vodafone 5 Limited, Vodafone 5 UK, Vodafone 6 UK, Vodafone Albania Sh.A, Vodafone Alternatif Telekom Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Americas 4, Vodafone Americas Virginia Inc., Vodafone And Qatar Foundation L.L.C, Vodafone Asset Management Services S.a r.l., Vodafone Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Automotive Deutschland GmbH, Vodafone Automotive Electronic Systems S.r.L, Vodafone Automotive France S.A.S, Vodafone Automotive Iberia S.L, Vodafone Automotive Italia S.p.A, Vodafone Automotive Japan K.K, Vodafone Automotive Korea Limited, Vodafone Automotive SpA, Vodafone Automotive Technologies (Beijing) Co Ltd, Vodafone Automotive Telematics Development S.A.S, Vodafone Automotive Telematics S.A, Vodafone Automotive UK Limited, Vodafone Belgium SA/NV, Vodafone Benelux Limited, Vodafone Bilgi Ve Iletisim Hizmetleri AS, Vodafone Business Services Limited, Vodafone Business Solutions Limited, Vodafone Canada Inc, Vodafone Cellular Limited, Vodafone Central Services Limited, Vodafone China Limited (China), Vodafone China Limited (Hong Kong), Vodafone Connect 2 Limited, Vodafone Connect Limited, Vodafone Consolidated Holdings Limited, Vodafone Corporate Limited, Vodafone Corporate Secretaries Limited, Vodafone Czech Republic A.S., Vodafone DC Pension Trustee Company Limited, Vodafone Dagitim Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Data, Vodafone Distribution Holdings Limited, Vodafone Egypt Telecommunications S.A.E., Vodafone Elektronik Para Ve Odeme Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Empresa Brasil Telecomunicacoes Ltda, Vodafone Empresa Mexico S.de R.L. de C.V., Vodafone Enabler Espana S.L., Vodafone Enterprise Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Austria GmbH, Vodafone Enterprise Bahrain W.L.L., Vodafone Enterprise Bulgaria EOOD, Vodafone Enterprise Chile SA, Vodafone Enterprise Communications Technical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Corporate Secretaries Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Denmark A/S, Vodafone Enterprise Equipment Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Europe (UK) Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Europe (UK) Limited  Czech Branch, Vodafone Enterprise Europe (UK) Limited  DubaiI Branch, Vodafone Enterprise Finland OY, Vodafone Enterprise France SAS, Vodafone Enterprise Germany GmbH, Vodafone Enterprise Global Businesses S.a r.l., Vodafone Enterprise Global Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Global Network HK Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Global Network Pte. Ltd., Vodafone Enterprise Hong Kong Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Italy S.r.L, Vodafone Enterprise Korea Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Luxembourg S.A., Vodafone Enterprise Netherlands BV, Vodafone Enterprise Norway AS, Vodafone Enterprise Regional Business Singapore Pte.Ltd., Vodafone Enterprise Singapore Pte.Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Spain S.L.U.  Portugal Branch, Vodafone Enterprise Spain SLU, Vodafone Enterprise Sweden AB, Vodafone Enterprise Switzerland AG, Vodafone Erste Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Vodafone Espana S.A.U., Vodafone Euro Hedging Limited, Vodafone Euro Hedging Two, Vodafone Europe B.V., Vodafone Europe UK, Vodafone European Investments, Vodafone European Portal Limited, Vodafone Finance Limited, Vodafone Finance Luxembourg Limited, Vodafone Finance Sweden, Vodafone Finance UK Limited, Vodafone Financial Operations, Vodafone Financial Services B.V., Vodafone Fixed Ltd, Vodafone Foundation, Vodafone Foundation Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Gestioni S.p.A, Vodafone Ghana Mobile Financial Services Limited, Vodafone Global Content Services Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise (Hong Kong) Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise (Italy) S.R.L., Vodafone Global Enterprise (Japan) K.K., Vodafone Global Enterprise (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Vodafone Global Enterprise Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise Russia LLC, Vodafone Global Enterprise Taiwan Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise Telecommunications (Hellas) A.E., Vodafone Global Network Limited, Vodafone Global Network Limited  Slovakia Branch, Vodafone Global Services Private Limited, Vodafone GmbH, Vodafone Group (Directors) Trustee Limited, Vodafone Group Pension Trustee Limited, Vodafone Group Services GmbH, Vodafone Group Services Ireland Limited, Vodafone Group Services Limited, Vodafone Group Services No.2 Limited, Vodafone Group Share Trustee Limited, Vodafone Hire Limited, Vodafone Holding A.S., Vodafone Holdings (Jersey) Limited, Vodafone Holdings (SA) Proprietary Limited, Vodafone Holdings Europe S.L.U., Vodafone Holdings Luxembourg Limited, Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Hutchison Finance Pty Limited, Vodafone Hutchison Receivables Pty Limited, Vodafone IP Licensing Limited, Vodafone India Digital Limited, Vodafone India Limited, Vodafone India Services Private Limited, Vodafone India Ventures Limited, Vodafone Institut fur Gesellschaft und Kommunikation GmbH, Vodafone Intermediate Enterprises Limited, Vodafone International 1 S.a.r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone International 1 S.a r.l., Vodafone International 2 Limited, Vodafone International Holdings B.V., Vodafone International Holdings Limited, Vodafone International M S.a r.l., Vodafone International Operations Limited, Vodafone International Services LLC, Vodafone Investment UK, Vodafone Investments (SA) Proprietary Limited, Vodafone Investments Australia Limited, Vodafone Investments Limited, Vodafone Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Vodafone Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone Ireland Distribution Limited, Vodafone Ireland Ltd., Vodafone Ireland Marketing Limited, Vodafone Ireland Property Holdings Limited, Vodafone Ireland Retail Limited, Vodafone Italia S.p.A., Vodafone Jersey Dollar Holdings Limited, Vodafone Jersey Finance, Vodafone Jersey Yen Holdings Unlimited, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland Field Services GmbH, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland GmbH, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland Kundenbetreuung GmbH, Vodafone Kenya Limited, Vodafone Leasing Limited, Vodafone Libertel B.V., Vodafone Limited, Vodafone Luxembourg 5 S.a r.l., Vodafone Luxembourg 5 S.a r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone Luxembourg S.a r.l., Vodafone Luxembourg S.a r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone M-PESA SH.P.K., Vodafone M-Pesa S.A, Vodafone M.C. Mobile Services Limited , Vodafone Magyarorszag Mobile Tavkozlesi Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Vodafone Malta Limited, Vodafone Marketing UK , Vodafone Maroc SARL, Vodafone Mauritius Ltd., Vodafone Mobile Commerce Limited, Vodafone Mobile Communications Limited, Vodafone Mobile Enterprises Limited, Vodafone Mobile NZ Limited, Vodafone Mobile Network Limited, Vodafone Mobile Operations Limited, Vodafone Mobile Services Limited, Vodafone Multimedia Limited, Vodafone Nederland Holding I B.V., Vodafone Nederland Holding II B.V., Vodafone Nederland Holding III B.V., Vodafone Net Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Network Pty Limited, Vodafone New Zealand Foundation Limited, Vodafone New Zealand Limited, Vodafone Next Generation Services Limited, Vodafone Nominees Limited1, Vodafone ONO S.A.U., Vodafone Oceania Limited, Vodafone Old Show Ground Site Management Limited, Vodafone Overseas Finance Limited, Vodafone Overseas Holdings Limited, Vodafone Panafon International Holdings B.V., Vodafone Panafon UK, Vodafone Partner Services Limited, Vodafone Payment Solutions S.a r.l., Vodafone Portugal  Comunicacoes Pessoais S.A., Vodafone Procurement Company S.a r.l., Vodafone Property Investments Limited, Vodafone Pty Limited, Vodafone Qatar Q.S.C., Vodafone Retail (Holdings) Limited , Vodafone Retail Limited, Vodafone Roaming Services S.a r.l., Vodafone Romania S.A, Vodafone Romania M - Payments SRL, Vodafone Romania Technologies SRL, Vodafone Sales & Services Limited, Vodafone Satellite Services Limited, Vodafone Servicios SL.U, Vodafone Servizi E Tecnologie S.R.L, Vodafone Servicos Empresariais Brasil Ltda., Vodafone Shared Services Romania SRL, Vodafone Specialist Communications Limited, Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland Gemeinnutzige GmbH, Vodafone Technology Solutions Limited, Vodafone Teknoloji Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Tele-Services (India) Holdings Limited, Vodafone Telecel-Comunicates Pessoais S.A., Vodafone Telecommunications (India) Limited, Vodafone Telekomunikasyon A.S, Vodafone Towers Limited, Vodafone UK Content Services Limited, Vodafone UK Investments Limited , Vodafone UK Limited1 , Vodafone US Inc, Vodafone Ventures Limited1 , Vodafone Vierte Verwaltungs AG, Vodafone Worldwide Holdings Limited, Vodafone Yen Finance Limited , Vodafone m-pesa Limited, Vodafone-Central Limited Vodaphone Limited, Vodafone-Panafon Hellenic Telecommunications Company S.A., VodafoneZiggo Group Holding B.V, Vodata Limited , Vouchercloud SA (Pty) Ltd, Wataneya Telecommunications S.A.E, Waterberg Lodge (Proprietary) Limited, Wayfinder, Wheatfields Investments 276 (Proprietary) Limited, Wireless Interactions & NFC Accelerator 2013 B.V., Woodend Cellular Limited, Woodend Communications Limited, Woodend Group Limited, Woodend Holdings Limited, XB Facilities B.V, XLink Communications (Proprietary) Limited, Your Communications Group Limited, ZUM B.V., ZYB, Zelitron S.A., Zesko B.V., Ziggo B.V., Ziggo Bond Company B.V., Ziggo Deelnemingen B.V., Ziggo Finance 2 B.V., Ziggo Financing Partnership, Ziggo Holding B.V., Ziggo Netwerk B.V., Ziggo Netwerk II B.V., Ziggo Services B.V., Ziggo Services Employment B.V., Ziggo Services Netwerk 2 B.V., Ziggo Zakelijk Services B.V., and Zoranet Connectivity Services B.V..

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The following companies are subsidiares of Cummins: Anvl, Apollo FC Holdings Ltd., Atlantis Acquisitionco Canada Corporation, Atlantis Holdco UK Limited, Brammo, CIFC Worldwide Partner C.V., CMI Africa Holdings BV, CMI CGT Holdings LLC, CMI Canada Financing Ltd., CMI Canada LP, CMI Foreign Holdings B.V., CMI Global Equity Holdings B.V., CMI Global Equity Holdings C.V., CMI Global Holdings B.V., CMI Global Partner 2 C.V., CMI Global Partners B.V., CMI Group Holdings B.V., CMI Group Holdings Cooperatief U.A., CMI International Finance Partner 1 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 2 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 3 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 4 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 5 LLC, CMI Mexico LLC, CMI Netherlands Holdings B.V., CMI PGI Holdings LLC, CMI PGI International Holdings LLC, CMI Turkish Holdings B.V., CMI UK Finance LP, CMI UK Financing LP, Cherry Island Renewable Energy LLC, Consolidated Diesel Company, Consolidated Diesel Inc., Consolidated Diesel of North Carolina Inc., Cummins (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Cummins (Xiangyang) Machining Co. Ltd., Cummins Africa Middle East (Pty) Ltd., Cummins Afrique de l'Ouest, Cummins Americas Inc., Cummins Angola Lda., Cummins Argentina-Servicios Mineros S.A., Cummins Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Cummins Aust Technologies Pty. Ltd., Cummins BLR LLC, Cummins Battery Systems North America LLC, Cummins Belgium N.V., Cummins Botswana (Pty.) Ltd., Cummins Brasil Ltda., Cummins Burkina Faso SARL, Cummins CDC Holding Inc., Cummins CV Member LLC, Cummins Canada ULC, Cummins Caribbean LLC, Cummins Center of Excellence Singapore Pte. Ltd., Cummins Centroamerica Holding S.de R.L., Cummins Child Development Center Inc., Cummins Colombia S.A.S., Cummins Comercializadora S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Corporation, Cummins Cote d'Ivoire SARL, Cummins Czech Republic s.r.o., Cummins Deutschland GmbH, Cummins Diesel International Ltd., Cummins Distribution Holdco Inc., Cummins EMEA Holdings Limited, Cummins East Asia Research & Development Co. Ltd., Cummins Eastern Marine Inc., Cummins Electrified Power Europe Ltd., Cummins Electrified Power NA Inc., Cummins Emission Solutions (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Emission Solutions Inc., Cummins Empresas Filantropicas, Cummins Energetica Ltda., Cummins Engine (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine (Shanghai) Trading & Services Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine Holding Company Inc., Cummins Engine IP Inc., Cummins Engine Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Cummins Engine Venture Corporation, Cummins Enterprise LLC, Cummins Filtration (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Filtration GmbH, Cummins Filtration IP Inc., Cummins Filtration Inc., Cummins Filtration International Corp., Cummins Filtration Ltd., Cummins Filtration SARL, Cummins Filtration Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Filtros Ltda., Cummins Franchise Holdco LLC, Cummins Fuel Systems (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies Americas Inc., Cummins Generator Technologies Germany GmbH, Cummins Generator Technologies India Private Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies Italy SRL, Cummins Generator Technologies Limited, Cummins Generator Technologies Romania S.A., Cummins Generator Technologies Singapore Pte Ltd., Cummins Ghana Limited, Cummins Ghana Mining Limited, Cummins Global Financing LP, Cummins Global Technologies LLP, Cummins Grupo Comercial Y. de Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Grupo Industrial S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Holland B.V., Cummins Hong Kong Ltd., Cummins India Ltd., Cummins Intellectual Property Inc., Cummins International Finance LLC, Cummins International Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Cummins International Holdings LLC, Cummins Italia S.P.A., Cummins Japan Ltd., Cummins Korea Co. Ltd., Cummins LLC Member Inc., Cummins Ltd., Cummins Maroc SARL, Cummins Middle East FZE, Cummins Mining Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Mobility Services Inc., Cummins Mongolia Investment LLC, Cummins Mozambique Ltda., Cummins NV, Cummins Namibia Engine Sales and Service PTY LTD, Cummins Natural Gas Engines Inc., Cummins New Zealand Limited, Cummins Nigeria Ltd., Cummins Norte de Colombia S.A.S., Cummins North Africa Regional Office SARL, Cummins Norway AS, Cummins PGI Holdings Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (S) Pte. Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (U.K.) Limited, Cummins Power Generation Deutschland GmbH, Cummins Power Generation Inc., Cummins Power Generation Limited, Cummins PowerGen IP Inc., Cummins Research and Technology India Private Ltd., Cummins Romania Srl, Cummins S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Sales and Service Korea Co. Ltd., Cummins Sales and Service Philippines Inc., Cummins Sales and Service Private Limited, Cummins Sales and Service Sdn. Bhd., Cummins Sales and Service Singapore Pte. Ltd., Cummins Sinai ve Otomotiv Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Cummins South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Cummins South Pacific Pty. Limited, Cummins Southern Plains LLC, Cummins Spain S.L., Cummins Sweden AB, Cummins Technologies India, Cummins Trade Receivables LLC, Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited, Cummins Turkey Motor Guc Sistemleri Sats Servis Limited Sirketi, Cummins U.K. Holdings Ltd., Cummins U.K. Pension Plan Trustee Ltd., Cummins UK Global Holdings Ltd., Cummins UK Holdings LLC, Cummins Vendas e Servicos de Motores e Geradores Ltda., Cummins Venture Corporation, Cummins West Africa Limited, Cummins West Balkans d.o.o. Nova Pasova, Cummins XBorder Operations (Pty) Ltd, Cummins Zambia Ltd., Cummins Zimbabwe Pvt. Ltd., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Costa Rica S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica El Salvador S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Guatemala Ltda., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Honduras S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins S.A., Distribuidora Cummins Sucursal Paraguay SRL, Distribuidora Cummins de Panama S. de R.L., Dynamo Insurance Company Inc., Efficient Drivetrains, Efficient Drivetrains (Beijing) New Power Technology Co. Ltd., Efficient Drivetrains (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hilite International, Hydrogenics, Hydrogenics Corporation, Hydrogenics Europe N.V., Hydrogenics GmbH, Hydrogenics Holding GmbH, Hydrogenics USA Inc., Markon Engineering Company Ltd., Nelson Burgess Ltd., Nelson Industries, Newage Engineers GmbH, Newage Ltd. (U.K.), Newage Machine Tools Ltd., OOO Cummins, Petbow Limited, Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) B.V., Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) Ltd., Power Group International Ltd., Quickstart Energy Projects SpA, Shanghai Cummins Trade Co. Ltd., TOO Cummins, Taiwan Cummins Sales & Services Co. Ltd., Worldwide Partner CV Member LLC, Wuxi Cummins Turbo Technologies Co. Ltd., Wuxi New Energy Automotive Technologies Co. Ltd., and ZED Connect Inc..

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By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 18, 2017 | 06:01 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Authorities are searching for a driver who fled the scene of an accident involving a bicyclist Wednesday evening.

According to the McCracken County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a hit and run collision involving a bicycle around 5:30 pm at the 5200 block of Old Mayfield Road. Deputies said 35-year-old Jason Carnine, of Paducah, was riding his bicycle northbound on Old Mayfield Road near the intersection of Rosewood Drive.



Police said an unknown driver was also traveling northbound on Old Mayfield Road. The unidentified driver reportedly failed to notice Carnine riding the bicycle and struck him with the right side of the vehicle.

Witnesses reported seeing what appeared to be a red Toyota Tacoma fleeing the scene. Deputies said the truck has a broken passenger side mirror and possible damage to the right side of the truck. Witnesses told police the truck fled north on Old Mayfield Road.

Carnine was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injures.

Anyone with information about this vehicle are asked to contact the McCracken County Sheriffs Department at 270-444-4719.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 08, 2017 | 08:23 AM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY, KY

Authorities are continuing to investigate a shooting in Reidland earlier this month that left one man dead and another injured.

McCracken County Sheriff Jon Hayden says investigators have interviewed several people, and are examining electronic records obtained during searches to help them determine what exactly took place during the incident. The shooting happened around 11 pm at a home on Stiles Road near the intersection of Babbland Drive in Reidland. When deputies arrived, they found one man lying in the driveway with gunshot wounds, and another man inside the home dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

Police said the homeowner, whose name has not been released, told them two men kicked in his door and tried to burglarize it. Neither of the two men shot lived at the home. Deputies said the homeowner was there when the door of the home was kicked in and fired shots that struck the two men.

The man killed at the scene was identified by police as 39-year-old Toby William Reed of Cunningham. The injured man, 34-year-old Robert Christopher Ingram of Paducah, was transported by Mercy Regional EMS to a local hospital, and then airlifted to a hospital in Nashville, TN with apparent life threatening injuries.



Hayden says attempts to interview Ingram have not been successful, and his attorney informed investigators that he will not be making any statements about the incident.




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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Jan. 19, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 19, 2017 | 12:31 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Two juveniles were taken into custody early Tuesday morning after they were caught inside a Park Avenue business.



Paducah Police report that an officer saw a red pickup truck and a white car pull into several businesses along Park Avenue about 1 am, each time waiting only a few minutes. The two eventually stopped in the parking lot of Stacy Motors.



The officer said when he approached, the vehicles were empty, and he saw two people inside the building, who were detained. Police say their investigation led to the discovery of a loaded .45-caliber pistol under a desk, and they learned that the suspects were juveniles, age 14 and 15 years old.



Police say the teens admitted they broke into the business to hang out, and found the keys to the pickup truck, which was for sale, inside the building. They said the car was borrowed from a friend, and the pistol had been under its seat.



The teens reportedly told police they drove the truck out toward Barkley Regional Airport and had taken several bottles of liquor from the refrigerator inside the business. Police found the bottles in the back seat of the car, along with a bottle containing several types of medication, including Xanax and Concerta pills. The police report also said the truck had visible damage to its passenger side.



The juveniles were arrested for automobile theft and burglary charges, along with possession of burglary tools, criminal mischief, and possession of a controlled substance. One of them was charged with possession of a handgun by a minor. they were taken to McCracken County Juvenile Detention Center.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 18, 2017 | 09:18 PM | MAYFIELD, KY

Police in Mayfield are asking for the public's help in solving a weekend burglary.

According to the Mayfield Police Department, officers responded to Myers Lumber Monday morning in reference to a burglary that happened there over the weekend. The owner told police that the gate to the lumber area had been broken into, and a company vehicle stolen.

According to police, the vehicle was a white F-550 flatbed with the Myers logo on the sides. The vehicle was found later that day at a Dollar General Store in Lynnville.

Damage to the gate to the lumber area was extensive, as well as to a support column of one of the storage buildings. Police said several thousand dollars worth of damage was done, and multiple items of merchandise were taken.

The investigation into the burglary continues. Anyone with information regarding the crime is asked to contact Mayfield Police Department at (270) 247-1621.
By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press Jan. 19, 2017 | 08:38 AM | FRANKFORT, KY

Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear is teaming up with the University of Louisville for a research project involving the state's rape kit backlog.

Beshear is scheduled to announce the project on Thursday along with Bradley Campbell, an assistant professor at UofL's Department of Criminal Justice.

A 2015 audit revealed Kentucky had more than 3,000 untested rape kits, collections of physical evidence from victims after a sexual assault. Police check that evidence against a national database of DNA profiles to look for suspects.

In 2016, the state legislature approved spending $4.5 million to alleviate the backlog. The money came from a lawsuit settlement against Johnson & Johnson that the attorney general's office negotiated.
By The Associated Press Jan. 19, 2017 | 08:51 AM | FRANKFORT, KY

Supporters of school choice from every side  public, online, private, homeschooling, and everything in between  will gather in an unprecedented demonstration of support for increasing opportunity in education throughout Kentucky.

On Friday, January 27, at 10 a.m., more than 500 supporters are expected to gather on the state capitol steps for a celebration including student performances, parent and school leader testimonials, and remarks from state leaders, including Senator Ralph Alvarado and Representative John Bam Carney.

The goal of the event is to show broad demand for expanding school choice in Kentucky and to celebrate the great schools that already exist. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 22-28, 2017), which will feature more than 21,000 events across the country.

The momentum for expanding education opportunities in Kentucky has never been stronger," said Julia Crigler, state director of Americans for Prosperity  Kentucky. "Parents and grassroots activists look forward to making their voices heard by the General Assembly at Kentucky's first National School Choice Week rally.

National School Choice Week has the ability to bring together every type of student, parent, and educator to celebrate the opportunity that makes each way of learning possible, said Andrew Vandiver of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky. Lets start the new year by focusing on the positive success stories from every type of school and student on a statewide scale.

The event is being planned by EdChoice Kentucky, Catholic Conference of Kentucky, Americans for Prosperity  Kentucky, Kentucky Educational Alliance, School Choice Scholarships, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, and the Catholic Education Foundation.

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 more than 21,000 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.
By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press Jan. 18, 2017 | 04:10 PM | LEXINGTON, KY

University of Kentucky officials have pledged to reduce carbon emissions on campus by 25 percent by 2025.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that President Eli Capilouto has credited student organizations with pressuring the administration to be more proactive in addressing climate change.

The effort will include implementing new technologies and energy conservation methods into facilities as well as working toward a long-term goal of carbon neutrality.

The university's Office of Sustainability will report yearly progress on the goal.

The student organization Greenthumb first started pushing the administration to do more in 2012. Greenthumb is part of the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition, a statewide network of environmental groups at 22 campuses.

In recent years, UK has used more natural gas than coal, reversing historic trends.

___

Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com
ATHENA AWARD NOMINATIONS NOW ACCEPTED

10th Annual ATHENA Leadership Award Nominations Now Being Accepted

The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, Pardee Hospital, Morris Broadband, and Judy Stroud/State Farm Insurance are pleased to announce the 10th annual ATHENA Leadership Award in Henderson County in memory of Vanessa Y. Mintz. Nominations are now being accepted for the ATHENA Leadership Award, which will be presented at the Business & Professional Womens Luncheon on May 10th, 2017 to an exemplary leader who has achieved excellence in their business or profession, served the community in a meaningful way and, most importantly, actively assisted women to achieve their full leadership potential.

Founded nearly 30 years ago, ATHENA International is a womens leadership organization that supports, develops and honors women leaders through the programs it administers. ATHENAs flagship program, the ATHENA Leadership Award Program, has honored over 6000 women leaders from hundreds of cities and eight countries since its inception in 1982. Vanessa Y. Mintz brought the ATHENA award to Henderson County in 2008 and she embodied the values underlying ATHENA Internationals philosophy of incorporating the talent and expertise of women into the leadership of our businesses, our communities and our government. Reflective of a quote attributed to Plato, What is honored in a country will be cultivated there, the ATHENA Leadership Award honors and illuminates the leaders and leadership styles of individuals others would emulate.

The program is facilitated locally by the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, a licensed ATHENA host organization. Nominations are sought throughout the community and recipients are selected by a diverse group of community leaders based on the criteria above.

ATHENA Leadership Award Recipients hail from all professional sectors. The awards rich history, international scope and emphasis on mentorship make this award unique and amongst the most prestigious leadership awards one can receive. Past Henderson County ATHENA Recipients Include:

Judy Stroud, State Farm Insurance (2016)

Judith Long, Free Clinics (2015)

Caroline Long, St. Gerard House (2014)

Annie Fritschner, First United Methodist Church (2013)

Myra Grant, Pardee Hospital Foundation (2012)

Joyce Mason, Four Seasons Compassion for Life (2011)

Pat Shepherd, Pats School of Dance (2010)

Ragan Ward, Carolina Alliance Bank (2009)

Robin Reed, Bares It All (2008)

ATHENA Leadership Award Recipients are presented a hand-cast, bronzed and crystal sculpture that symbolizes the strength, courage and wisdom of ATHENA Recipients.

The Henderson County Recipient will be invited to join ATHENA Leadership Award Recipients and other leaders at the annual ATHENA International Womens Leadership Summit, held each spring in Chicago.

ATHENA International is nationally underwritten by KPMG. Local sponsorship is provided by Pardee Hospital, Morris Broadband and Judy Stroud/State Farm Insurance.

Nominations will be accepted until April 7th, 2017 and forms may be obtained by contacting the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce at 828.692.1413 or on the website  www.hendersoncountychamber.org.
MATTOON -- Larry Coutant was named Outstanding Board Member for 2017 at the annual Coles County Farm Bureau meeting Monday.

The award recipient is currently the secretary/treasurer of the organization and has been on the board for eight years.

"They did a very good job of keeping me in the dark. It was a shock. It was quite an honor to receive that award. It makes you feel good about some of the things you've worked on," he said.

Coutant shared just a few highlights of his tenure with the organization, including the Adopt a Legislator program, a new professional membership class resolution by the Illinois Farm Bureau, Friend of Agriculture Awards to area legislators, CCFB Foundation scholarships, the bureau's role in the annual mall farm show, and the consumer education program with Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

The Adopt a Legislator program has provided mutual benefits for legislator Will Davis and the local farm bureau, Coutant said.

Davis actually came to Coles County and hopped on Coutant's tractor at the Metzger farm and gained hands-on experience with tilling and "had the time of his life," Coutant said.

The program allows farmers to visit the legislators in their communities and see what their challenges are and vice versa. He said a group of them visited a food pantry in Davis' community on the south side of Chicago. That area has seen manufacturing move out of the region and is challenged monetarily. The program allowed both sides to exchange thoughts on their concerns.

"It's nice to have a legislator see what our challenges are. They can see our point of view," he said.

Last month, he said, at the Illinois Farm Bureau State Convention, something of interest that may have a long-lasting effect came to fruition. The organization passed a resolution for a new membership class for professional members.

The measure grants voting rights to a new group of professional members in an ag-related field. These individuals can serve on the farm bureau board without having to have a certain level of farm income; however, they must serve in an ag-related field. This measure is statewide and for the Coles County Farm Bureau it means three new members will be on the board.

"It broadens the farm bureau base and includes ag professionals as members. It's important. We are expanding our base. It gives insight to whats going on in other ag-related fields," Coutant said.

The topic was debated heavily and was somewhat controversial, he said.

"It's going to be interesting how that plays out. They have the same dues rate as a regular member."

He said the farm bureau also gives Friend of Agriculture awards to state legislators who support ag-related issues. He said state Rep. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, Rep. Reggie Phillips, R-Charleston, and Republican Congressman John Shimkus have all received those awards.

Another highlight of serving on the local farm bureau board, he said, is the number of college scholarships the group has provided to area students going into the agriculture field. He said more than $300,000 have been awarded to area students.

In addition, the farm bureau is gearing up for its annual farm show at the Cross County Mall in Mattoon from March 3-5. He said that is an event the group is committed to each and every year.

Along with that event, the group has also started a consumer education partnership with EIU, where Mary Cox, CCFB manager, and a couple of board members visit a class at Eastern to discuss agriculture. He said the program has been well received by the students and is something he believes the board will continue in the future.
SHELBYVILLE -- As the number of medical cannabis users in Illinois continues to rise, a new clinic coming to Shelbyville says it will be a fast on-ramp for sick people anxious to get the benefits of the drug.

The Marijuana Pain Management & Wellness Clinic will open its doors at 10 a.m Feb. 4 at 480 S. Heinlein Drive. The clinic will not dispense cannabis itself, but an in-house doctor will assist qualified patients to apply to become part of the Illinois medical cannabis pilot program.

You will only be about 30 days out, from the point when you come and see us, from getting your (registration) card in the mail from the Illinois Department of Health, said Caprice Sweatt, the founder and CEO of Medical Cannabis Outreach Pain Management & Wellness Clinics, which will run the Shelbyville facility.

Sweatt already has three clinics operating in Illinois and said they evaluate and counsel patients on the type of cannabis treatment that will benefit them most. Nurses will also be available for in-home visits to monitor patients and help them as they use the drug. We don't want them to take too much so their heart races and they feel anxiety, said Sweatt, talking of patients new to cannabis. We want them to feel comfortable and get the best out of it they can.

She said once patients are qualified and evaluated, they will be directed to any of several cannabis dispensaries (there is one in Effingham, and more than 35 in the state) where they will buy the drug.

Sweatt said there is a need for her clinic because she claims some physicians, under business pressure not to harm regular drug sales, will not certify the paperwork of patients wanting to use cannabis. Doctor certification is required before the state considers allowing a patient with a qualifying condition (cancer, for example) into the Illinois medical cannabis program.

So those patients denied have been left with nowhere to go, she added. But now we want to be there for them.

Dr. Tom Anderson, president of the Illinois State Medical Society, said he is not aware of doctors being warned off certifying patients for medical cannabis use due to business pressures.

He said medical opinion is divided on the benefits and drawbacks of cannabis, and he said doctors working in medical systems attached to hospitals may be constrained by guidelines which don't sanction the use of cannabis in treatments.

Anderson, whose specialty is neural radiology, said it's also important to remember that doctors in Illinois are not prescribing the use of medical cannabis, which could run them afoul of federal drug laws.

He said Illinois law says that doctors are asked to certify that a patient has a qualifying condition that makes them eligible for medical cannabis use. The doctors are also supposed to maintain contact with that patient to monitor them because the law also says a doctor can withdraw certification, too.

The law is designed to try and avoid having facilities that do not take any responsibility for the patient care and simply collect money and provide certifications (for cannabis use), he said.

Anderson said the Illinois State Medical Society hasn't taken a stance on the use of medical cannabis because doctors' opinions remain divided. The state's medical cannabis program is due to come up for renewal or expire in 2020 and he thinks, by then, doctors will have a view on its efficacy. I'm sure we will, he added.

The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program became law on Jan. 1, 2014. That brought Illinois into line with 27 other states, plus the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico, which allow the medicinal use of cannabis. California was the first state to sanction it with the passage of Proposition 215 in 1996.

In the years since the Illinois pilot program was passed, the number of patients registered with the state to use the drug has jumped to 7,700, a close split between equal numbers of men and women.

Some 40 conditions have been approved by the state as qualifying for medical marijuana use. Looking back over the 12 months up to June 2016, the top five most common conditions patients cited were severe fibromyalgia, cancer, spinal cord disease, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The biggest single age group for patients is those aged from 51 to 60, who now make up almost 29 percent of medical cannabis users in the Land of Lincoln.

Sweatt, 50, suffers from an inflammation of the bowels called Crohn's disease (ninth on the list of most commonly cited conditions in Illinois) and smokes cannabis herself to control pain and discomfort.

She said she's been using it for years and the drug works great. She said it has enabled her to live a normal life free from taking prescription medications that had worst side effects than the underlying disease.

Cannabis saved my life, she said.
SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois House and Senate members have proposed legislation in recent years that would eliminate new members eligibility for the General Assemblys retirement system, but no law has been enacted so far.

However, a growing number of lawmakers are opting out of the system on their own.

As of this week, 52 of the General Assemblys 177 current members have opted out of the pension plan.

Meanwhile, each chamber will consider proposals in the new session to end pension benefits for future legislators.

A House bill would prohibit the retirement system from accepting future lawmakers beginning Jan 1. As part of its grand bargain budget package, the Senate proposes an overarching pension reform plan, including restricting the General Assembly plan from accepting any new participants after the legislation is enacted.

Under Illinois law, state constitutional officers, the House clerk and assistant clerk, and the Senate secretary and assistant secretary are also eligible to participate after serving 10 years. However, future officials in these positions would not be eligible under the Senates proposal.

John Patterson, spokesman for Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said the legislation is only focused on future members because of a 2015 Illinois Supreme Court decision on pensions.

We are trying to put together an effort in the Senate to recognize where we think there is some common ground, both among the members and in the decision that the courts have made, to see if we can put together some savings, Patterson said.

The Supreme Court ruled in May 2015 that, according to the Illinois Constitution, pension benefits for current members cannot be diminished or impaired. Lawmakers had attempted to reduce pension benefits in an effort to minimize the states high pension debt.

State Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, is a co-sponsor on the current House proposal and co-sponsored a previous version.

Butler, who opted out of the retirement plan after being appointed to his seat in 2015, said he does not believe legislators should receive a pension.

Its a lucrative pension. ... I dont see where people in the General Assembly really should get a pension for the work theyre doing on behalf of the people, Butler said. Members havent really felt the need to eliminate it because theyre benefiting from it, frankly. I dont hold that against any member.

Of the 17 newly elected lawmakers this year, 12 have opted out, while five have yet to decide whether to accept legislative pensions. New lawmakers have up to two years to decide whether to participate.

The number of lawmakers choosing to opt out drastically increased from seven members in fiscal year 2012 to 23 members in fiscal 2013. Since then, numbers have steadily increased.

State Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, opted out of the retirement system after being elected in 2012.

Manar said he decided to opt out to remain consistent with his decision to not participate in the retirement system in his previous positions as mayor of Bunker Hill and chairman of the Macoupin County Board.

Manar said he supports the Senates proposed pension reform legislation.

He also was a co-sponsor of an unsuccessful bill in the last General Assembly that would have prohibited new senators from participating.

Butler said he hopes legislation to eliminate pensions for lawmakers will be considered in the new session, but a law is more likely to be enacted in future General Assemblies.

Ive become more encouraged ... because I think every year we have more members opt out, he said. Its certainly something that is on the radar.

Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, introduced another House bill this week that would prohibit new legislators elected or appointed after Nov. 6, 2018, from participating in the retirement system.
100 years ago, Jan. 19, 1917

WINDSOR -- Gwen Kircher, the Missouri Military Academy student who is missing, ran away. He may make an attempt to join the U.S. Army. If he is unable to enlist he will roam the country for awhile, and then return home. That is the opinion of Windsor residents who know the missing youth well. Young Kircher's relatives are worried over his disappearance while returning to the academy at Mexico, Mo., but they give little credence to the report that the body of a youth found in in the railroad yards at Jefferson City, Mo., is his. They will not say emphatically that the boy has been kidnapped... ARCOLA -- Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Breedlove of Arcola have a little orange tree at their home which now has 85 oranges on it. Some of them are averaged sized oranges and some of them are little fellows. They have had the tree for a number of years and it is now bearing about all the fruit that can find room on its branches. They plant it out in the yard in summertime and take it in the house in winter.

50 years ago, 1967

MATTOON -- The Eastern Illinois Area Junior College board made decisions on renting a temporary office facility, purchasing insurance and naming a financial depository on Wednesday. The board unanimously approved renting the educational building behind the First Baptist Church at 19th and Richmond as its interim office. The building is owned by Mattoon Christian Church. The former Kroger store and second floor space of the former First National Bank building also were considered. The lease will be effective Feb. 1. The First National Bank was named depository of college funds Three identical bids from three firms carrying the Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance line were among bids opened for surety bond insurance. The contract was selected by drawing lots with Ben Hall of Charleston being named as the carrier... CHARLESTON -- A tract of land on which three businesses are located was annexed to the City of Charleston by the City Council Tuesday night. The land, located south of Lincoln Avenue near Charleston High School, is the site of Ledford Ford, Pagliai's Pizza and University Lanes bowling alley. The property is owned by Harold Bayes.

25 years ago, 1992

Sunday. No paper.

100 years ago, Jan. 20, 1917

MATTOON -- A.W. Stoolman & Co., the Illinois Central Railroad passenger depot contractors, have been given permission by the railroad company to suspend operations for three weeks on account of bad weather and because Gould & Co., the retaining wall contractors, are in the way. The Stoolman & Co. contract calls for completing the depot in 230 days. Work was begun on Dec. 15. Gould & Co. completed pouring concrete for the retaining wall this morning. The retaining wall contract, according to the men in charge, proved one of the most difficult that the company has had. There are rumors that the Illinois Central may add a fourth story to the new station with the idea of providing offices for the officials of the Indiana Division and for the Illinois Division offices located here... MATTOON -- The Illinois Central Railroad and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad each report that no passenger on their lines was fatally injured in 1916 by fault of the company. The Illinois Central carried 42 million passengers and the CB&Q carried 22.8 million passengers in 1916.

50 years ago, 1967

MATTOON -- Members of Local 399, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, will vote tomorrow on a proposed contract which was reached by union and Illinois Consolidated Telephone Co. negotiators Thursday. If approved by the union's approximately 380 members, the contract would end a strike that began Nov. 16. Membership votes will be held in Mattoon, Taylorville and Litchfield. Under the old contract, male employees could make a maximum of $3.05 an hour. Women could earn as much as $1.87 an hour under the existing contract... MATTOON -- Gene Hoots, owner of the Burger King restaurant, reported to police today that $185 was stolen from the establishment last night. Hoots said the building was entered through a back door and two cash boxes containing the money were taken. He said there was no sign of forcible entry and the door was locked when he arrived at the restaurant this morning... MATTOON -- One of the most popular motion pictures in recent years, "The Sound of Music," opens tonight at the Time Theatre in Mattoon. The musical movie stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. It was the winner of five Academy Awards, including "Best Picture." Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. There will be 1:30 p.m. matinees on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday. Tickets are $2 for adults with children under 12 years $1.

25 years ago, 1992

MATTOON -- A new law regarding gun sales is drawing mixed reactions. Gun dealers say its bad for business and good for bureaucracy. State Police say one result is that a law requiring prior approval of gun shows will be enforced. The legislation, effective since Jan. 1, stipulates that licensed gun dealers must call the state and have background checks done before selling a gun. The waiting period starts after the check is complete. The check is supposed to be immediate, but can take one or more days. Fred Decker of Freds Gun Shop in Mattoon said the new law and use of a 900-number for background checks at $2 per call is frustrating. Sometimes, he said, he will have four or five customers waiting and they get tired waiting for a response. Decker and Gene Wooters, a licensed gun dealer in Findlay, are among those telling legislators the law isnt working MARTINSVILLE -- Clark County residents and officials testified Sunday that they strongly oppose a proposed low-level nuclear waste dump in the county. About a dozen people testified before the three-member siting commission that will determine whether a site just north of Martinsville is safe and suitable for the dump. Forever is too long to be wrong. There is no safe sex and there is no safe nuclear dump, said Marshall resident Mrs. D.B. Sams, bringing a burst of laughter from the usually somber audience of about 50 people. Just one person spoke in favor of the project. Seymour Simon, the former Illinois Supreme Court justice who chairs the siting commission, said commissioners were struck by witness after witness declaring that they do not trust state government CHARLESTON -- State Rep. Mike Weaver, R-Ashmore, will speak Tuesday on his proposed legislation that would eliminate the Board of Governors. Weaver has said doing away with the BOG, which oversees Eastern Illinois University and four other universities, would result in greater efficiency in higher education. Weavers presentation will be at Lumpkin Hall on the EIU campus.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Actress Britt Robertsons experience filming A Dogs Purpose was entirely different from one depicted in disturbing behind-the-scenes footage shown on the website TMZ.

The star of the movie, which opens on Jan. 27, took part in a phone interview with the Winnipeg Free Press a week prior to the posting of the TMZ story, which showed footage of a German shepherd skittish about jumping into a pool of water stirred up to look like a raging river.

Im a real dog person, thats why I did the movie, says Robertson.

Robertson asserts her own experience on the film, shot throughout southern Manitoba in the latter half of 2015, was without such incident.

The trainers that we had were really incredible and so gentle and so kind, and never aggressive and never frustrated and always patient, she says.

The footage in question, which has spawned a boycott of the film among outraged animal lovers, shows a dog unprepared to do the stunt required of it. More footage of the second-unit shoot shows the dog in the pool going under water before a crew member yells, Cut it.

That shot was to have been used in a sequence in which a police dog, the reincarnation of a pup named Bailey, rescues a girl thrown into a river. (The setting of the scene is Chicago but the actual location shots were filmed using the bridge at Lockport.)

Lasse Hallstrom, the director of A Dogs Purpose, said he was not present for the shoot. The vegan animal-lover, whose previous dog movie experience includes My Life as a Dog and Hachi: A Dogs Tale, tweeted Wednesday that he was very disturbed by the footage.

We were all committed to providing a loving and safe environment for all the animals in the film, he said.

Robertson echoed that sentiment in her interview with the Free Press.

Ive never worked with such a pure-of-heart, sweet gentle man, she says of Hallstrom. Talk about never getting frustrated. He really conveyed a lot of kindness and patience and he was so good at working with animals, but also humans.

Courtesy of Rob Lovatt 'A Dog's Purpose,' was filmed in Westman

Robertson herself is the owner of two rescue dogs, Buddy and Clyde. She has been doing leading roles in films such as Tomorrowland, The Longest Ride and the upcoming sci-fi film The Space Between Us. She is also front and centre in the upcoming Netflix series Girlboss, playing the title role of a shoplifter-turned fashion CEO. Her decision to do a relatively small part in A Dogs Purpose was, she explains, motivated by love.

Im a real dog person, thats why I did the movie, she says.

When I read the script, I thought it was a really beautiful story. I love dogs, and I thought it would be a really cool experience to make this movie as a tribute to these precious creatures that have literally changed my life.

That sentiment illuminates the crushing irony of the controversy surrounding the botched stunt: the movie was made with loving intention toward canines. Adapted from W. Bruce Camerons novel of the same name, the movie follows different incarnations of the same dog through four lives. That means, before the closing credits, you can expect a few scenes in which the dog heroes die. And even though Robertson was around to watch the story get put together, she was duly wrenched by it all when she saw the finished film.

I was only in a small part of the film, in one storyline, so it would have been easy for me to disconnect, she says. But yes, I wept throughout the entire movie.

Both my agent and I were sobbing and I could not stop sobbing. I never cried at a movie like that in my life. I cant see it again. It was too traumatizing. Its not good for my heart.

Britt Robertson is Hannah in A Dogs Purpose.

During her month-long stint in Manitoba, Robertson was comfortable in the small-town environs of her storyline, including farm locations near Brandon and Virden, which are not unlike the South Carolina communities where she was raised, Greenville and Chester, which is like a six-stoplight town. Im used to the small-town life. It was just like being home.

It was a really fun set to be on. We were basically in pastures or in fields out in this gorgeous farmland, and we could ride bikes and play ball, she says. It was just really fun to do and it was never difficult. I dont recall ever having a difficult moment.

Also, transportation was rarely hindered by the kinds of L.A. traffic jams she was enduring through the interview.

But there was a lot of deer and fog, and it could be very difficult to drive, she says. We were shooting a lot in Brandon and there were many times where I had to drive in to Winnipeg for a flight or whatever and I would call my boyfriend and say: I dont think Im going to make it. I cant see in front of me!

A Dogs Purpose opens in Winnipeg this Friday, Jan. 27.

randall.king@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @FreepKing

During her month-long stint in Manitoba, Robertson was comfortable in the small-town environs of her storyline, including farm locations near Brandon and Virden.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/01/2017 (2116 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its a long tramp from Portage la Prairie to Auburn, Ala., where Manitoban pianist Jeremy Samolesky has recently been named one of the top classical recording artists in the United States.

The musician has been awarded the American Prize in Piano Performance (professional solo division) for his 2015 debut album Dichotomy, which the 40-year old artist submitted last February to the nationwide competition on a whim.

Founded in 2009, the American Prize is presented annually to performing artists, ensembles and composers currently residing in the U.S. In addition to cash prizes, it offers invaluable  and rare  constructive feedback from an illustrious panel of judges. Its unique for being awarded solely on the basis of recordings, with Samoleskys fledgling CD featuring eclectic solo works by Chopin and Prokofiev.

It was a big shock, Samolesky says over the phone from Alabama, where he has taught with Auburn Universitys department of music since 2007. I was at a coffee shop on a Saturday morning when I got the email telling me I had won. I immediately called my parents, and my dad kept saying, Back up. Back up. Tell it again. My mother was just laughing the whole time. They were both very happy, very proud.

With his solo and chamber music performances hailed by critics as brilliant, distinguished, and full of intensity and drama, Samolesky has performed and lectured throughout North America, Italy, Austria, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Serbia, Colombia and Ecuador, including giving a full recital at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Hes also graced Manitobas Agassiz Chamber Music Festival stage in past years.

Theres truth in the idea that artists are born, not made. After beginning lessons with a local piano teacher in Portage when he was seven, Samolesky knew that music would become his lifes passion. He recalls running home after school each day to practise for hours  including learning his mother Lorraines 300-page Beatles pop songbook (she was also his piano teacher)  which helped hone his razor-sharp sight-reading skills.

He came to Winnipeg in 1994 to pursue his undergraduate studies at the University of Manitobas faculty of music, and remains appreciative that his piano professor, Delores Keahey, helped instil in him a sense of rigour and a keen attention to detail. She also nurtured his love for chamber music and confidence in exploring a lesser-heard repertoire, including contemporary fare.

But its also clear that Samolesky likes to set the bar high. After completing his masters degree at the University of Washington, he went on to become only the second person in the Eastman School of Musics illustrious history to graduate with double doctorate degrees in piano performance and literature, and accompanying and chamber music. Its a feat that took Samolesky four gruelling years, eventually graduating in May 2007.

I really wanted to take my education as far as I could in each of those areas, he says. There were definitely some tough moments but I was doing all of those favourite things I love to do. It was all fun.

When asked the proverbial whats on your iPod question, his answer surprises, to put it mildly. Rather than listening only to elegantly refined classics by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart or one of his all-time favourite composers, Brahms, Samolesky admits to a penchant for heavy metal. He credits his brother Jordan, the drummer in the punk band Propagandhi, for nurturing his lifelong love for bone-rattling hits.

Every tape that I had was heavy metal, the soft-spoken artist reveals. My first concert was Motley Crue. My second one was Metallica when I was 14.

He dreams of joining Jordan sometime in the future in a duo concert, quipping about the extreme dichotomy.

When asked about someday returning to Canada, Samolesky grows wistful. He travels back home every Christmas, save this year, when his parents  who still live in Portage la Prairie  ventured south to Alabama for the first time. He still likes playing pickup games of shinny  he played goalie until he was 12  with his brother and hometown friends, as well as visiting his sister.

He also sings praises for Winnipegs renowned reputation as a cultural hotbed.

I think it must be something with the four months of cold. Ive been fascinated with that notion of isolation producing creativity, he says. Every time I go back its almost like visiting a little European city with the amount of culture there, and the number of different ethnicities.

Winnipegs artistic landscape is so vibrant and had such huge influence on me, he says with palpable Manitoban pride. The impact that had on my life as a musician has been really amazing.

  

Winnipeg composer and educator Zane Zalis is packing his bags for Lodz, Poland, where his acclaimed i believe: A Holocaust Oratorio for Today will be performed by the Orchestra of the Grand Theatre during VII Days of Memory/International Day of Remembrance being commemorated on Jan. 31.

The large-scale choral work premiered by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in 2009 has been performed to nearly 30,000 people in Winnipeg, Toronto, New York City and Stuttgart, Germany, in addition to a recording released that same year.

I am deeply moved by the Day of Remembrance and why we need to actively remember the Holocaust and other acts of senseless inhumanity, Zalis states via email of the full-length piece based on his own lyrics. As a composer, I am grateful that others think that i believe can assist in some way to counter hate and contempt by provoking the heart and mind to reflect on remembrance, humanness, inhumanity, and hope; especially hope.

holly.harris@shaw.ca
Opinion

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This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Like they say on Star Trek  resistance is futile.

Facebook is the dominant social media platform in the world with 1.2 billion daily active users.

Business people are better than most at figuring out how to connect with their stakeholders and customers and there are now globally about 60 million small business Facebook pages.

On Wednesday, Kevin OLeary used Facebook Live, launched only nine months ago, to officially announce his candidacy for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Facebook has been in existence for less than 15 years but its presence as a marketing and engagement tool for business has become unavoidable. A 2014 report by Deloitte estimated that Facebook pages are responsible for about $1.1 billion in small business economic activity in Canada and 17,000 jobs.

On Wednesday, a large crowd of more than 600 Manitoba business people attended a Facebook Canada Boost Your Business event in Winnipeg.

(It was the 16th such event Facebook has held across the country, and in apparent acknowledgement that Manitobans were perfectly capable of fending for themselves in the digital wilderness, the company coddled the rest of the country with its support before coming to Winnipeg.)

Kevin Chan, the head of public policy for Facebook Canada, noted the youthfulness of the Winnipeg audience.

You just never know who will come to these events, but the crowd does seem to be young, Chan said. Its always fun for us to come out and meet people and learn new things from them because everyone will find success differently.

The preponderance of young people in the audience may be an indication of the youthfulness of entrepreneurs today. Its also likely a sign that online platforms like Facebook have lowered barriers for many to launch and broaden their business.

Jason Leibert, the vice-president of business development for a new company called MSPrebiotics out of Carberry, said his company is just in the process of launching product onto the market.

Were a growing company and we are developing a social media strategy, he said. Facebook is a platform that we can use to reach our customers across Canada.

Sophronia Earnest runs a corporate and personal gift-buying business called Earnest Global. She has a website and attended Wednesday to pick up tips on how to leverage a Facebook page with her website to further enhance her online presence.

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, partnered with Facebook to hold the event. Loren Remillard, the chambers president, could not ignore the obvious value Facebook seems to have for chamber members. As an organization that needs to be aware of changing trends, deciphering the online world for business is crucial.

Younger entrepreneurs grew up as users of social media and now as young entrepreneurs it is a different approach to social media than SnapChat or sharing information with friends, he said. The fact that there is such interest (in using Facebook for business) from people who have grown up in the social media era shows the different approach to social media from a business perspective than as every day citizens.

Facebook is clever enough now to team up with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada for its latest business tour (there were also stops in Regina and one in Brandon on Thursday).

Brent Homan, director general of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) branch of the office of the privacy commissioner, said Wednesday that entrepreneurs have so many things to keep track of that making sure they are compliant with privacy regulations may not be top of mind.

But he said there is a growing consumer awareness about just those issues and this means companies that are careful can create a marketing advantage. The new slogan in his office is Privacy is Good Business.

Facebook is taking the high road on privacy issues as it continues to build its online infrastructure for businesses large and small to leverage.

Right now, Facebook is effectively the biggest online platform for small business, said Chan.

And its only going to get bigger.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 18/01/2017 (2116 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg man is headed to prison for his role in the death of a male who fell out of a third-storey window.

Adam John Perrier, 36, was sentenced Wednesday to 5.5 years in prison for manslaughter for the death of 42-year-old Christopher Paul Maier. His death was the tragic result of a series of poor choices fuelled by alcohol, provincial court Judge Ryan Rolston said, adding he considered this to be a near-accident manslaughter case.

Perrier and the victim both lived at the Royal Albert Arms Hotel. They were drinking together one night in early November 2013 when Perrier accused Maier of stealing his cellphone.

In a rage, he assaulted Maier several times and upended Mr. Maiers home looking for it. Later, Perrier forced his way into Maiers residence and tried to break down the bathroom door, where the victim had retreated. Perrier and others present then discovered Maier had tried to escape out the window and had fallen three storeys to his death. Perrier tried to help when he realized Maier had fallen, court heard, but it was too late.

Mr. Maier died as a result of Mr. Perriers aggressive conduct toward him, the judge said, calling Perriers actions ill-conceived and criminal.

Because Perrier has failed to deal with his anger and his alcoholism, it was only a matter of time before he turned violent toward someone, Rolston said. Unfortunately, Mr. Maier was that person.

At the same time, the judge said, the victim made a choice in a drunken state that led to his own death.

Mr. Maier chose out of fear, albeit fear caused by Mr. Perrier, to attempt to scale down the third-storey wall. This event was not objectively foreseeable, he said.

The Crown had asked the judge to impose a 7.5-year manslaughter sentence, while the defence sought five years.

The judge also imposed a three-year term of supervised probation, which will include a condition that Perrier not be allowed to be in public while intoxicated. Rolston said he didnt believe it was realistic to order Perrier, who he said he believes is an alcoholic, to abstain from alcohol completely.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
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This article was published 18/01/2017 (2116 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brian Pallister wasnt surprised by Saskatchewan Premier Brad Walls rogue decision to accept Ottawas health-care funding deal, but said he doesnt plan to follow suit.

Positions can work and strategies can work, but that doesnt make them noble or right, the premier said Wednesday.

Manitoba, along with the five other unsigned provinces, remains steadfast in its decision to hold out until Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with them and looks at a health transfer increase beyond three per cent, Pallister said.

PATRICK DOYLE / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Manitoba premier Brian Pallister, left, talks with British Colombia premier Christy Clark and Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall at the Chateau Laurier hotel before the First Ministers Meeting in Ottawa in December.

Wall made the surprise move Tuesday, after he broke ranks with PEI, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and Manitoba and struck an agreement with the federal government on health-care funding.

Saskatchewan now joins the Territories, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland/Labrador, who have all previously struck individual deals with the federal government.

The deal with Saskatchewan holds the health transfer increase to either three per cent or the three-year moving average of nominal GDP growth  whichever is higher.

It also includes an additional $348.8 million over 10 years for investments in home and mental-health care for Saskatchewan.

When asked if he considering taking the same route as Saskatchewan, Pallister said he didnt like the Trudeau governments targeted approach.

It may appeal in the short term to folks like me who like to advance the cause of mental health, but if the victory of mental health comes at the victory of everyone else who needs health carethen that is hardly useful, he said.

We are all saying this is too important an issue to simply one off and pick off provinces with various side deals. That is not how our country should work effectively to serve its people.

That is not the right way to do this.

 with files from the Canadian Press

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @kristinannable
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/01/2017 (2116 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Celebrity businessman Kevin OLeary threw a Donald-Trump sized fireball into the Conservative leadership race Wednesday, officially joining the race after almost a year of dithering.

Its time, he said in a video posted to Facebook. Im jumping into the race right now.

OLeary, 62, is the last candidate expected in the race but has already garnered more attention than almost the other 13 candidates combined. He has inevitably been compared to Trump  a celebrity, wealthy businessman, reality television star, and outsider to politics who isnt afraid to say controversial things, and claims he will come in to clean up the mess left by established politicians.

CHRIS YOUNG / THE CANADIAN PRESS Newly announced Federal Conservative leadership candidate Kevin O'Leary is considerd by some to be an automatic front-runner, thanks mainly to the attention he will bring to the race.

Although OLearys late entry puts him at a disadvantage  he only has until March 28 to sign up members to vote for him, and he is months behind in raising the money to run a campaign  he is an automatic front-runner even if just by virtue of the attention he will garner.

Lets be honest, Kevin is going to have an impact, said former Manitoba Conservative MP Lawrence Toet. Who he will affect, and how that impact is going to shake out, is yet to be seen.

OLearys arrival might have one of the biggest impacts on the man Toet is backing for the leadership. Quebec MP Maxime Bernier, who, like OLeary, is promising mainly economic proposals and smaller government, became the one to beat this week after a leaked poll showed him out in front, in large part due to his large swath of support in Quebec.

Bernier welcomed OLeary to the race Wednesday, saying I believe in competition.

He said he isnt afraid of another candidate, and pointed out that OLeary said last fall Berniers campaign was his favourite at that point.

Its hard to beat him up when I endorse what hes doing, OLeary said in October.

Although Toet is the only notable Manitoba politician to endorse Bernier (Erin OToole and Andrew Scheer are more heavily favoured), the former foreign affairs minister appears to have significant financial support from Manitoba.

Bernier has raised more than $1 million nationally, which puts him at or close to the lead among the candidates. The latest tally for all candidates will be available publicly early next month. His campaign says $75,000 of that has come from Manitoba, a significant amount for a small province without a large wealth base, and amid a crowded field.

For comparison, the provincial NDP leadership race in 2015 saw candidates raise between $44,000 and $69,000.

Bernier stands out of the crowded field with a Libertarian viewpoint, pushing a number of policies that his opponents disagree with  such as ending supply management in Quebec. That may be among the factors leading his support in Manitoba. He noted the Conservatives eliminated the Canadian Wheat Board, which was based on similar philosophies, and said it is incongruous to not believe in the wheat board but to back supply management. He said those who refuse to criticize supply management are simply afraid of the dairy cartel.

There is no logic there, said Bernier. People like when somebody has principle.

Bernier will be among at least 10 candidates in Winnipeg Thursday night for a leadership forum. OLearys campaign has not yet responded about whether he will attend. He was known to be delaying his entry into the race in order to avoid Tuesdays French-only debate in Quebec City because he does not speak French. This would be the first opportunity for him to go head-to-head on stage with most of the challengers.

Notable absences from tonights event are Kellie Leitch and Erin OToole who had prior commitments.

The forum will be held at the Metropolitan Theatre, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

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This article was published 18/01/2017 (2116 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In government, its good to be lucky. And thats just what Premier Brian Pallister was on Wednesday.

Pallister convened a news conference in the grand rotunda of the Manitoba Legislative Building  easily one of the most beautiful institutional rooms anywhere in the country  to confirm that France-based Roquette would invest $400 million in a pea-processing plant to be built near Portage la Prairie. Roquette is a global giant in food processing, with more than 8,000 employees in over 100 countries.

Its a good economic news story for a premier who could desperately use some good news as he stares down an extremely difficult spring budget.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler, Chef Gordon Bailey, Premier Brian Pallister, and Roquette chairman Edouard Roquette. France-based Roquette will invest $400 million in a pea-processing plant to be built near Portage la Prairie.

Its not the first time the Pallister government has benefitted from good economic luck. Back in November 2016, we learned that Canadian Kraft Paper Industries would purchase the former Tolko paper mill in The Pas, saving 300 jobs. The prospect of closing the mill hung around the new governments neck like a millstone, opening it up to all sorts of criticism that it was tone deaf to northern issues.

In the end, the new owners of the mill only wanted a respite from pension obligations to complete the deal. Pallister crowed about how his government was able to save the paper mill without millions of dollars in taxpayer-supported subsidies, a nasty habit that he said afflicted the former NDP government.

The fact the paper mill deal closed without any demand or expectation of government handouts was more lucky than good. Still, Pallister deserves a dash of good luck to go with all the bad luck hes going to suffer at the hands of our perpetually anemic economy.

In this most recent case, it seemed that Pallister hit paydirt once again. Here was a $400-million investment coming our way with only modest government support.

The news release issued by the province did not contain any mention of taxpayer support. In a post-announcement news conference, Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler was asked about what, if any, taxpayer support was necessary to get the French food processor here. He said there was only a bit of support to help acquire the land, but offered no other specifics.

In fact, it turns out there is a small but notable contribution of government money. Additional inquiries with the premiers office revealed that there is $6.8 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) from the province and the RM of Portage la Prairie, and another $2.5 million from a federal-provincial fund that supports development in the agricultural industries.

Why these details were left out is a bit hard to determine. Its basic information and, in many respects, it is a reasonable investment from taxpayers to secure a nine-figure investment by a successful multi-national company that intends to employ 150 people with an annual payroll of $9 million.

Three possible explanations arise about the lack of disclosure. First, this is a government that desperately wants to show it conducts its business differently than the previous government. This was a key takeaway from the Canadian Kraft Paper deal: Manitobas new government can prime the economy without seeding every deal with taxpayer largesse. It mattered little that the company involved did not ever ask for financial assistance. It was a best-possible-scenario deal and everyone should be happy about it.

The second reason the Pallister government may have withheld some of the details of its financial support  investment attraction package in government parlance  is that big industrial investments like this have a questionable economic impact.

The construction of the plant itself will pay major dividends in terms of increased government tax revenues and employment. However, those are one-off economic benefits that will not dig the province out of its deficit hole.

In the long term, this is a very big plant with a very modest number of employees, typical of large industrial operations in Manitoba. Companies like this are ultimately attracted by the promise of extremely cheap electricity, which was most definitely the case with Roquette. However, the very nature of highly automated or mechanized industrial processing means that the companies involved do not need a lot of people to keep the machines humming.

It was this very fact that caused Manitoba Hydro some years ago to recommend that the electricity rates charged to the largest industrial consumers be increased significantly to account for the fact that they did not make an economic contribution that was commensurate with the amount of power they consumed. Hydros big industrial customers fought back and ultimately the crown utility backed down.

Finally, industry sources confirmed that the investment attraction package helped Manitoba outbid Saskatchewan for the opportunity to host the Roquette plant. The fact that Manitoba, the most recent signatory to the much-ballyhooed New West Partnership trade pact, used government money to outbid Saskatchewan, its NWP ally, is an awkward story. One that the premier likely wished to avoid having to discuss.

None of those facts make this a bad deal for Manitoba. In keeping with the premiers comments Wednesday, this is a net positive for the provincial economy, even though it does not represent a seismic bump in the provinces GDP, something Pallister desperately needs to help ease his fiscal pain.

Its good to be lucky, and we should all wish the premier all the luck in the world as he attempts to stabilize the provinces finances. However, its never a good idea to massage the truth in a bid to appear more lucky than you really are. That will lead to some very unlucky outcomes.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitobans are going to have to hold onto their flimsy paper health card a little bit longer.

A $13-million plan by the former NDP government to introduce an all-in-one identification card later this year has been scrapped by the Progressive Conservatives, the Free Press has learned.

During last Januarys pre-election announcement blitz, the NDP said it was forming a partnership with Manitoba Public Insurance to issue new personal identification cards beginning in the fall of 2017.

SUPPLIED Manitobans counting on a new all-in-one driver's license and health card this year will be disappointed. The Tories have scrapped the $13M plan announced by the NDP, citing costs and privacy concerns.

The card would have served as a drivers licence and also include Manitobans personal health identification number on the back, bringing an end to paper health cards. Non-drivers would have also received plastic cards with their photo and health information.

Concerns over privacy, costs and required legislation changes have resulted in the Tories taking a second look at the promise.

Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen said the government had examined the projects parameters, and a number of issues were identified, including the safe storage and management of personal health information.

The decision was made not to proceed, which will prevent additional costs for implementation and ongoing support beyond those anticipated in the initial proposal, he said in a prepared statement.

The NDPs proposal was praised by anti-poverty advocates who said it would help those who face multiple barriers when trying to obtain identification  identification that allows them to register to vote, rent an apartment or get a job.

Josh Brandon with the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg said he was disappointed to hear the plan was cancelled.

For low-income people, to be able to afford the various forms of ID that you need to access government services, to access employment in some cases, the all-in-one ID card would be a huge benefit, said Brandon. People can be get caught in the cracks for a long time, and it can be very expensive.

The province hasnt ruled out introducing a single personal information card, but Goertzen said it has to be done right the first time. No timeline for future implementation was given.

The province and the public auto insurer initially announced in 2015 that they were considering the new personal identification card. MPI held public consultations involving more than 4,000 Manitobans and 29 interested groups before the decision was made to proceed with the initiative.

A spokesman for MPI said the Crown corporation would not be commenting on the governments decision.

Kevin Walby, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Winnipeg and privacy expert, had reservations about the NDPs initial plan to combine a persons health information with an insurance entity.

You wouldnt necessarily want some entity that has something to do with insurance to accidentally or even purposefully have access to health records, it could drive up premiums, it could eliminate eligibility for coverage, Walby said. Information about ourselves can be used for things we are not aware of.

While he believes the Tories decision could be more about austerity, less about privacy, he said an all-in-one card might not be as efficient as Manitobans think.

It could create big problems, like if I lost my card, Ive (actually) lost multiple cards, he said.

Andrew Swan, a New Democrat MLA and former minister responsible for MPI, said the decision is an example of the Tories refusing to move forward with any initiative that is connected with the NDP  regardless of its practicality. He said initial consultations proved the measure would be welcomed by health-care professionals and anti-poverty advocates  plus save money in the long run by not having to issue paper Manitoba Health cards.

I dont know why you would scrap the entire project and potentially waste money that was spent developing by simply saying you will come back to it at another date when it will likely be more expensive, said Swan, the MLA for Minto.

Being an inner-city MLA, I come across people who dont have a form of ID they can use. That is why a number of anti-poverty advocates, health-care providers, have been saying that coming up with a sensible, single card would be the right way to go.

He also noted a picture attached to a health card would help prevent prescription fraud.

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @kristinannable
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/01/2017 (2116 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba justice officials have elected not to go after the property of a former Winnipeg police officer whose death brought an abrupt end to the criminal proceedings against him.

Trent Milan, 42, was killed after he drove into the path of gravel truck last October, just weeks after the 18-year veteran was charged with 36 offences following a lengthy internal investigation. All charges have now been stayed, seemingly ending the matter.

However, the province would have the ability under its Criminal Property Forfeiture Act to initiate civil proceedings against Milans estate. This would include his Oakbank-area home that was the subject of a raid.

Court documents obtained this week by the Free Press show the allegations against Milan involved claims he was using his home to store stolen drugs, weapons and property over several years. Police seized numerous items from the residence including cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, oxycodone, marijuana, ammunition, three knives, bear spray, brass knuckles and an eight ball, which can be contained in a sock and swung as a weapon.

Under the Act, a case can be made even in the absence of a criminal conviction. The province would have the onus to prove that the property in question is believed to be the proceeds or instruments of unlawful activity. Its actually a lower standard of proof than required in a criminal trial.

But for reasons that arent clear, such a path is not being pursued.

There is nothing related to this matter, a justice spokeswoman said Wednesday following inquiries from the Free Press. They dont have a file and are not involved in any proceedings on this. She couldnt provide further details on why the decision was made.

More than $14 million in property has been seized under the Act since 2008, when the province established a special unit to seize and sell the proceeds of crime. Proceeds from the sale of forfeited property are placed in a fund to compensate victims of crime and pay for programs that reduce crime.

Last year, more than $1.8 million in proceeds was given by the province to buy night-vision goggles and bullet-proof vests for police dogs and to help establish Candace House, a resource for victims of serious crime. In 2015, $672,000 from the fund went toward police projects such as a road safety video, thermal imaging cameras, updated body armour for 15 officers and five police dogs from its emergency response unit, and community projects in Cross Lake and Selkirk.

The government says most of the proceeds seized under the law come from the drug trade and organized crime. And there are several precedents of homes being taken over  albeit in cases where convictions were first procured.

Provincial officials sold the former Hells Angels clubhouse on Scotia Street in 2015, five years after they seized it under the Act during a targeted project in which numerous bikers and associates were convicted. The riverbank property in north Winnipeg was purchased by a private buyer for $248,000 following a lengthy legal battle.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Const. Trent Milan's home in Oakbank.

The clubhouse serves as a symbol to rival criminal organizations of their presence and domination over unlawful activity in the area, Det.-Sgt. Ken Downs wrote in an affidavit filed in support of the forfeiture. It provides a base of operations, a place to make social ties and recruit new members, is a safe area to conspire about the commission of unlawful acts and allows the Hells Angels to commit unlawful activities in secrecy.

Last year, former Hells Angels president Ernie Dew lost his fight to keep his house out of the hands of the province. The Manitoba Court of Appeal ruled there was sufficient evidence to conclude an evidentiary link between Dews residence and his criminal transgressions. So the government got to keep the net mortgage sale proceeds, believed to be more than $100,000.

His home was a shrine to the Hells Angels. He was found to be a Tier 1 drug dealer. He engaged in an unlawful common design to traffic in cocaine. He provided incidental assistance to a police agent to traffic drugs. He engaged in trafficking a vile and serious drug. He demonstrated a lack of clean hands, the court wrote in its decision.

Dew was convicted of cocaine trafficking and possession of goods obtained by crime stemming from a 2006 arrest. Dew was acquitted of another drug offence that involved his home at 189 Cessna Way in St. Andrews. The legal dispute focused on that.

As the Free Press first reported Wednesday, Winnipeg police took down Milan using an elaborate undercover sting operation  dubbed an integrity test  that confirmed suspicions he was at the centre of years of criminal activity.

The Free Press successfully fought for access to court documents filed last fall as part of the probe against Milan. A 43-page information to obtain a search warrant (ITO) has been redacted in parts by justice officials to protect the identities of key sources of information against Milan. That includes two fellow Winnipeg police officers who brought their concerns about Milan to light and a confidential informant Milan had worked with during his career.

Milans criminal charges included breach of trust, attempting to obstruct justice, theft, drug and weapons possession. They were for offences that dated back as far as 2010. Milan was allegedly selling drugs and property hed obtained through his police work and then pocketing the majority of the proceeds.

His death is believed to be a suicide but cant officially be ruled that as there was apparently no note or explicit intention stated. The fact it will go down as an accidental death means his family would still be able to collect life insurance.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Const. Trent Milan, who, according to a Manitoba Justice source, had recently been told he would face six years in jail if he accepted a plea bargain, was killed in a crash on Garven Road in October.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hey Manitobans, theres no need to go south  California is coming to us.

A warm Pacific air mass on Thursday has brought record-breaking high temperatures to parts of Manitoba after numerous records were broken on Wednesday.

If we look at the wind pattern, it stretches all the way back to the Pacific (ocean). So the source of the air is really warm, compared to the Arctic in particular. Were seeing air that was once over just north of California, said Environment Canada meteorologist Natalie Hasell.

The warm air will remain in place for a couple more days, and more record highs are likely to be set through the end of the week.

Hasell said its all about which way the wind is blowing.

The source of the unseasonably warm temperatures in Manitoba  record-breaking in some northern areas of the province  is mainly winds from the southwest, a completely different wind regime than the cold arctic air from the north or northwest that was bringing frigid weather to Manitoba last week.

A low-pressure system to the northwest and a high to the southeast is producing winds from the southwest that are wafting warmer air over Manitoba.

The (air) flow that were seeing here is actually from the Pacific originally so its starting off as much warmer air to begin with, Hasell said.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Skaters enjoy the great weather on The Forks river trail Sunday and the weather only got better this week.

The bonspiel thaw

We dont have the exact frequency of how often these types of temperatures occur, they do occur and its not that unusual. Theres always the bonspiel thaw that we talk about and Festival du Voyageur is often really, really cold or melting. When we get to the end of January or into February, it does not come as a surprise when its either one of those things. Its not that unusual.

Hasell said Environment Canadas forecast is for more of the same during the next few days but back to normal next week.

We have above-zero temperatures, today (Thursday), Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But Saturday night or Sunday, it looks like we have another low pressure system that will make its way here and in the wake of that low-pressure system, well see the winds shift again and our temperatures fall as a result. Were not talking about absolutely frigid but probably normal or just below normal by the time we get to this time next week.

Hasell cautioned motorists to be aware that road conditions can change quickly in this weather when daytime temperatures are warmer at zero or above zero and then cool off to below zero in the evening and night.

Weve been in a freeze-thaw cycle in a number of places so road conditions can change very quickly, Hasell said. Its really important for people to remember that conditions can change very quickly and to drive to those conditions.

Four records were already set in Manitoba before 10 a.m. including Gillam at -1 C (record -1.8 in 1993), Island Lake 0 C (record -3.1 C in 1997, Lynn Lake 0 C record -1.7 C in 1993 and Thompson 0 C (record -1.1 C in 1968)

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

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This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its official: reality-television star and businessman Kevin OLeary announced on Facebook his candidacy for the federal Conservative leadership race. The announcement came Wednesday morning, the day after the French-language leadership debate. Mr. OLeary now joins a crowded field of 13.

On that list are Conservative MPs Kellie Leitch (Simcoe-Grey, Ont.) and Maxime Bernier (Beauce, Que.)  both considered front-runners. So far, Berniers managed to raise a sizable amount of money, suggesting he has a broad base and national support within the party.

Leitch has been extraordinarily controversial and has garnered some media interest. Shes supportive of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and has trumpeted Canadian values as a test to determine eligibility for entry into Canada as an immigrant or refugee (and perhaps even as a visitor).

JONATHAN HAYWARD / THE CANADIAN PRESS Files Kevin OLeary speaks during the Conservative Party of Canada convention in May 2016. OLeary has thrown his hat into the ring for the partys leadership.

For those observing Leitchs campaign thus far and now with OLeary in the fray, there are comparisons being made to the Trump election and whether Canada could see a repeat happen here.

Yes, OLeary is an entertainer, having been on the show Dragons Den and at one point regularly appearing on CTV on the now-defunct Canada AM. In announcing his candidacy, OLeary followed Trumps lead of sidestepping the mainstream media by using Facebook, and its clear that, like Trump, he maintains a strong Twitter profile. But so do other Canadian politicians.

Hes also taken to making Trump-like bombastic claims. Hes already claimed that what he said as a television personality cannot be used against him as a politician, distancing himself from controversy.

While Leitch may be Trump-one, fighting the good fight on identity politics, and OLeary is Trump-two, staking out a claim on the economic front to make Canada great again, thats about as far as the comparisons can go, largely because Canada isnt the United States on so many levels.

Leadership race

The way in which the Conservative leader will be elected differs from how the Republicans determined their nominee in the presidential election. The Republican nomination process involves delegates who vote for the party leader, and its a fairly complicated affair that includes some proportionality in some states, as well as consideration of statewide and congressional voting results, which means a candidate could lose statewide but still get delegates with a congressional-district win.

In Canada, the nomination process for the Conservatives is a one-person, one-vote affair with a ranked ballot, which means if youre a member of the party, you can vote for whomever you wish as a member of your riding association.

The size of the electorate in a party leadership vote in Canada is extremely small. Membership for political parties is below two per cent of the overall population. In the United States, almost one-quarter of Americans identify as Republican party members and can then potentially vote for the nominee.

There are steps in place in the Conservative party to prevent parts of the country with minor riding associations from swamping parts of the country with larger ones. So, regardless of whether the riding has 1,000 members or 100, it is worth the same number of points in a leadership contest. If one candidate receives 10 per cent of the vote, then he or she receives 10 per cent of the points. In order to win, you have to receive 16,901 points, and you have to be viable in both Ontario and Quebec, as well as the rest of the country.

As well, the leadership votes for Trump took place over an extended period, beginning in late January and progressing until mid-June. A presidential election follows quickly thereafter. In Canada, the race is over a year long, and OLeary is late to the party, with most candidates having announced since spring. But the overall voting is over in just one day. So, the attention paid to the race by both voters and the media is markedly less. For example, there have already been three leadership debates, one held Wednesday in French in Quebec City and one held in November in Saskatoon in English, with a bilingual debate in Moncton in December. All three were very low-key affairs, attended by party faithful in the areas but having limited public appeal. None was broadcast on national television, except on CPAC.

Financing

This is another area where the Canadian process is very different from the American one and can help explain Trumps ascendancy. Trump spent more than US$71 million to win the nomination. In the month of June 2016, he spent close to US$8 million, mostly in ads. Much of that money came from Trump himself. By contrast, Democratic party nominee Hillary Clinton spent US$230 million, most of which was from party donations.

No one in Canada is allowed to spend that much money to win a party leadership. The spending limit is $5 million, but no one will come near that amount. So far, Bernier is in the lead for raising money for his leadership hopes, with more than $1 million raised since last spring.

While OLeary has said he doesnt need to raise money because he is a millionaire, he cant spend his own money, either. Party campaign financing rules say he can self-finance only up to $25,000. He will need $100,000 for his registration fee and a compliance deposit. Unlike Trump, OLeary cant jump-start his campaign by writing a cheque and then rely on wealthy friends to donate. Private donations are limited, and corporate donations are forbidden.

Media environment

Its estimated Trump managed to get about US$2 billion in free advertising. His campaign was followed closely and either endorsed or, to a lesser extent, ridiculed on national television and radio during both the primaries and the campaign.

However, the media environments in Canada and the United States are not the same. There arent nationally syndicated talk-radio hosts here such as Rush Limbaugh, who endorsed Trump and has an audience of over a million listeners. There arent national news networks that feature endless political panels with pundits discussing the daily events in the leadership campaign, largely because there arent daily media events in the Canadian leadership campaign.

There is no Fox News or Breitbart.com to endorse a Canadian candidate, either. There is Rebel Media, a self-described fearless source of news, opinion and activism, that made news in December for hosting a rally in front of Albertas legislature building that saw the crowd chanting Lock her up about Premier Rachel Notley. However, Rebel Medias influence is limited by the fact it hardly holds a large national audience.

So far, the leadership race, even with Leitch in the running, has been remarkably low-key, with limited media attention.

Indeed, in a media analysis of the attention paid to leadership votes for political parties from 1975 to 2013 conducted with my research team (including Linda Trimble at the University of Alberta, along with Angelia Wagner at McGill and Bailey Gerrits and Daisy Raphael, both PhD candidates), we determined that over time, the number of stories on leadership contests in Canada has diminished.

In short, concerns about the election of a Trump-like Conservative leader in Canada are premature. Canada will remain its staid, boring political self, thankfully.

Shannon Sampert is the Free Press perspectives and politics editor.

shannon.sampert@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @paulysigh
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This past December, we witnessed the first loss of protected lands in Manitoba under our current provincial government, as Pemmican Island in Lake Winnipegosis  which had been protected for 15 years  was opened up for mineral exploration. In addition to regressive thinking on the environment, the Pemmican Island episode also displayed a lack of competence and leadership.

A decade ago, I began a full-time push for protection of the lands and waters of this province when I became the Manitoba campaign director of the Wilderness Committee. The first campaign I led was to maintain protection for several interim park reserves, including undeveloped islands in Lake Winnipegosis.

Since then, we have witnessed a growing amount of our wild and natural Manitoba receive protection, as we pressed our leaders to meet global goals of protecting lands and waters from development. As the scientific understanding of the need to preserve nature has increased, so, too has our protected area in the province. We are making progress.

MIKE BEDELL / HANDOUT / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES The Manitoba government is falling behind on action plans to protect woodland caribou required to be in place by October.

The new Manitoba government, though, has shown signs they are lacking leadership on the environment and, therefore, the loss of protection of our lands and waters should not be a shock to anyone.

But it isnt right. It goes against what we know about the essential role healthy wilderness plays in supporting human life on this planet. And Manitobans have asked for better than this. We have reason to be worried.

The first signal against environmental protection was changing the name of the government branch from Conservation and Water Stewardship to Sustainable Development when cabinet-minister positions were first announced. Prioritizing development over conservation will not keep our lives in this province rich and healthy.

The second blow to this new ministry was the contents of the transition binder prepared for the new sustainable development minister. It failed to follow up on three major initiatives well underway before the election: a revision of the Environment Act, a Nopiming Provincial Park management plan and new surface-water-management legislation.

These three policies are being asked for by Manitobans of all stripes, not just environmentalists. Businesses want clarity about filing Environment Act proposals, farmers want clarity on wetlands and drainage and hunting outfitters want to know how development is going to proceed in Nopiming Provincial Park.

Even a file they did address from the transition binder, woodland caribou, has the province missing the federally required deadlines for the completion of action plans. The Species At Risk Act  Canadas strongest remaining environmental law  requires the Manitoba government to have 15 caribou action plans in place by October, yet the government says theyll get five done in 2018 instead.

Just recently we also saw another signal of environmental neglect as the Manitoba government refused to sign the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, instead holding out with the fossil fuel dinosaur Saskatchewan.

Pemmican Island will forever stand out as the first measurable loss for the environment from this government. Five-year temporary protection terms for the island had been in place since 2001 and had been renewed in 2006 and 2011 when thousands of Manitobans voiced their support for continuing protection. Interim protected status was allowed to expire Dec.14, 2016.

When questioned by reporters after the fact, the government said it was investigating opening up Pemmican Island for mineral exploration.

The Pemmican Island incident displayed the lack of leadership and competence in the Sustainable Development Department. Two other island groups in Lake Winnipegosis had temporary protection as well  Goose Islands and Grand Island  which was to expire at the same time.

After getting hounded by reporters, the government finally mentioned it was considering protecting two island groups. It would have shown leadership to include a news release from the government informing Manitobans of the decisions and shown competence if the government had celebrated the continued protection of at least some of these valuable natural island environments.

Public comments from local First Nations indicate there was little, if any, communication to these communities about this decision in their traditional territory, as is legally required. This puts the governments ill-conceived plan at risk of being stopped by First Nations and further demonstrates the departments capabilities.

What we require is leadership and action on the environment. Polls consistently show Manitobans want government to protect our lands and waters as well as act on climate. Years of hard-fought progress toward preserving our healthy environment are at risk not just from a dismissive attitude on the environment but ineptitude as well.

Eric Reder is the Manitoba campaign director of the Wilderness Committee.
Fluoramics, a Winona manufacturer of oxygen-safe thread sealants and greases, Tufoil Technology products, and HinderRUST, is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Jan. 23.

Fluoramics moved to Winona from New Jersey in early 2016 under the leadership of Gregg Reick, son of the founder. As a testament to the quality of its products, Fluoramics products are already being used by or carried by Fastenal, NAPA, Severson Oil, Ace Hardware, and Mississippi Welders Supply.

Fluoramics products are sold around the world and are sometimes rebranded and sold under another label. Although Fluoramics has over 15 products in its lineup, they are best known for Lox-8, Formula-8, Tufoil for Engines, and HinderRUST. All of the products are formulated, packaged and sold in Winona. In addition, the Winona office partners with a company in the Twin Cities, Fluoramics International, who handles the foreign sales and logistics.

Fluoramics was started as a solution to an ongoing problem with PTFE plumber's tape disintegrating and plugging up check valves. Founder Franklin Reick developed a shear-sensitive cream, Formula-8, that reacts to torquing by shearing and forming PTFE strings that completely fill threads and will not disintegrate or cold flow.
A Rochester police officer was justified in using deadly force when he shot a rural Lanesboro man armed with a pellet gun, according to the review of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation by the Mower County Attorneys office.

On Oct. 23, 2016, Sgt. Steve Thompson shot and killed Kristofer Daniel Youngquist, 45, during an armed standoff at Youngquists rural Lanesboro residence.

According to police accounts of the incident, Youngquest was sought in connection with an earlier domestic assault. When police arrived at his residence, he refused to cooperate and retreated into his residence.

Because he had a prior history of violent behavior and was known to have access to weapons, local authorities requested assistance from the Rochester Police Departments tactical squad. Law enforcement negotiated with Youngquist for more than three hours, during which time he was seen be in possession of what appeared to be a rifle, but was later determined to be a pellet gun.

When Youngquist leveled the weapon at police, Thompson fired, killing Youngquist.
Winona

Wednesday

8:35 a.m.  Michelle Ann Riska, 33, Winona, was cited for leaving the scene of a property damage accident after a collision in the Winona Middle School parking lot.

10:59 a.m.  Mitchell David Kronebusch, 24, Winona, was cited for no Minnesota drivers license, reckless driving, and fleeing a police officer on foot after a traffic stop near East Wabasha and Jefferson streets. A passenger in the vehicle, Miranda Lynn Pagel, 19, Winona, was cited for fleeing a police officer on foot. Both Kronebusch and Pagel were arrested on outstanding warrants.

6:20 p.m  A number of unspecified items were reported missing from a residence on the 650 block of West Fifth Street.

10:35 p.m  A 23-year-old Winona man lost control of his vehicle on the 950 block of West Lake Boulevard, rolled over and struck a house. No one was injured in the mishap.
Fastenal ended its financial year on a better note, according to the fourth-quarter earnings report released Wednesday.

The October to December period showed a 2.7 percent increase in overall sales compared to the same time last year, as well as a 2.6 percent increase in earnings.

Dan Florness, Fastenal president and CEO, said in Wednesdays conference call that most of the sales trends stabilized or improved after downturns at several points in 2015 and 2016, and theyve grown their earnings.

We had an upbeat finish to a tough year, Florness said.

The company reported earnings of 40 cents per share on $947 million in revenue.

The company continued shedding employees throughout the year, down 7.1 percent in store employees, and 5.4 percent in general, from where it had been in 2015.

The company attributed the decline more due to natural attrition than actively downsizing its workforce, but noted in their report that they were intensively scrutinizing their full- and part-time staff in many areas they werent actively trying to expand due a softness in the North American industrial economy.

They removed a total of 1,122 people in 2016, with the vast majority being in retail store positions.

Florness said that while the company had been dealing with added employee costs throughout the year, the costs peaked in about the second quarter of 2016.

I believe were poised quite well to manage that expense as we go into the new year, Florness said.

Fastenal continues to expand a focus on the various distribution methods, from onsite (sales and service within the customers facility) and vending, to stores.

The report and figures released Wednesday showed overall mixed results.

The number of onsite customers has increased over 50 percent to 401 in 2016. At the same time, Fastenal opened 81 stores in the past two years, while closing or consolidating 144 in 2016.

The continued expansion of the companys newer business models included industrial vending machines installations, which increased by 13.2 percent in the last year to 62,822.

The non-fastener components of the company now make up 60 to 65 percent of overall business, according to the report, with 25 percent of that through vending machines.

Florness said Fastenal will continue to focus on the strong points of its business, which he said included employees.

We have great people close to the customer, Florness said. We have great people behind the scenes to support our local business; those are structurally important components.

There was a more positive shift in the year during the third quarter, which had a 1.8 percent increase in overall sales compared to last year for the same three-month period, even while net earnings dropped by 7 percent.

In the second quarter the company reported an overall decrease in sales for its second quarter, with sales down just over 6 percent compared to the same three-month period in 2015, to $131.5 million.

In the first quarter of 2016 the earnings were down just over 1 percent to $126.2 million.

We had an upbeat finish to a tough year.  Dan Florness, Fastenal CEO
During her lifetime, Bland has been a witness and participant in some of the nations most consequential civil rights battles. She began her civil rights activism in the early 60s. In the front lines of the struggle, the young Bland marched on "Bloody Sunday," "Turn Around Tuesday" and the first leg of the successful March from Selma to Montgomery, witnessing brutal beatings of fellow marchers by police. By the time she was 11 years old Bland had been documented as arrested 13 times. Her early involvement in the struggle against Jim Crow, American apartheid, has been the foundation for her civil and human rights work throughout her life.
25 years ago this week (1992)

Jenna Corp. has been restrained by a United States District Court from operating casino gambling at Ho-Chunk until a valid contract is negotiated. The Winnebago tribal bingo, meanwhile, goes on. The contract entered into with Jenna Corp., according to Mark Cameli of the U.S. Attorneys office, was not properly approved by the Department of Interior, which oversees tribal affairs. The casino has been shut down because Jenna Corp. provides the casino gaming equipment. The ruling also meant that Jenna Corp. is prohibited from involvement in any tribal operations or removing any records from tribal lands, Cameli said. Jenna Corp. plans to appeal the court order.

A hotel at Devils Head Lodge was evacuated at about 9 p.m. Monday night after an employee was overcome by noxious chlorine fumes while putting the chemical into a pool there. While the building was evacuated as a precautionary action, the fumes were largely contained to the pool area, Joe Vittengl, general manager of the lodge, said. Of the eight taken to St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo as a result of the accident, seven were treated and released. The person admitted to the hospital was reported to be in good condition.

Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger Wednesday called for the permanent closure of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant, saying that radioactive materials are being accepted at the plant. David Fordham, commander representative at the plant, disputed the claims with what he said was supporting evidence. They have a few facts that they start with; they then extrapolate these to wild assumptions, Fordham charged. In a press release, SWAB stated that radioactive materials were being accepted at the plant, that the plant was violating clean air standards by openly burning waste explosives and that radioactive contamination was found in groundwater at the plant.

50 years ago this week (1967)

Flambeau Plastics of Baraboo was among the Wisconsin firms who lost displays in the fire which did such extensive damage at McCormick Place in Chicago yesterday. William Wolfe, sales manager, consumers sales division, called the local office yesterday morning to inform the local owners that the display of Flambeau made products, estimated at a value of $6,000, had been lost in the disastrous fire.

It was so cold today that the bottom fell out of the thermometer in northern Wisconsin-at least unofficially. Baraboo had a low of 30 below zero during the night. Durwards Glen reported a low of 34 below zero. Amateur readings as low as 52 below zero were reported in some parts of the state as bone-chilling cold swept in on the heels of the latest January blizzard.

Miss Judith A. Benzschawel, 20, listed as from rural Seymour and killed in a traffic accident in Green Lake county Monday, was the daughter of a rural Baraboo couple. Her parents are Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Benzschawel who reside at what is known as Ednas Kitchen Farm at the junction of Highway 12 and County Trunk W southwest of the city. The girl was killed when her stalled automobile was struck by a soft drink truck near Ripon. The driver, who was not charged, said he could not see the car because of the snow.

75 years ago this week (1942)

All enemy aliens within the limits of Sauk County, whether permanent or temporary residents, must deliver certain articles into possession of Sheriff Charles Mattice on or before Jan 22 at this office in Baraboo. Notification was received from Attorney General of United States Francis Biddle that all alien enemies within their respective jurisdictions should turn over to the police authorities the following items of personal property: All radio transmitters; all short wave radio receiving sets; all cameras; all guns and firearms. The articles will be held for the duration of the war and will then be redelivered to the owners. The term enemy aliens is designated as Japanese, German and Italians. This does not in any way infer that enemy aliens are disloyal to this government but is a strictly wartime measure considered necessary for the welfare of this nation.

Captain Howard A. Morey, manager of the Madison airport and in charge of defense in connection with the aid, has received a report that two private airplanes were seen flying over the Prairie du Sac dam on Sunday. He has issued a sharp warning to private fliers to avoid flying over such areas stating, Private fliers must discipline themselves not to fly over such areas. This country is at war and such areas are military objectives. If private fliers do not discipline themselves in such matters, the government will certainly take drastic steps to discipline them.

100 years ago this week (1917)

The Marriott Hardware and Grocery Company has purchased the building and stock of the J.P. Sprecher Store. William T. Marriott, the senior member of the firm, states that after the closing out sale the building will be remodeled. Mr. Sprecher has been ill for many months and not able to care for the business. His retirement takes from the business circles of Baraboo one of its oldest members.

Mrs. F.A. Kelley of Reedsburg met with a bad accident last week when splitting some kindling wood, a piece of kindling striking her eye with such force that it put out the sight. Mrs. Kelley was taken to Madison where she received treatment, but the sight of the eye is gone.
By a 24-4 margin, and with three supervisors choosing not to vote, the Sauk County Board appointed a new chief government administrator late Tuesday night.

Baraboo City Attorney Alene Kleczek Bolin will replace Renae Fry  who signed a separation agreement with the county Dec. 2  as the countys next administrative coordinator.

The hour-long debate over Kleczek Bolins appointment did not center on her qualifications. Most agreed she was well-suited for the position. Supervisors disagreed about the manner in which she was selected.

Members of a committee that handled the search insisted everything was done above board. Others accused Sauk County Board Chair Marty Krueger of manipulating the process.

Please see Thursday's print edition of the Baraboo News Republic for further details and developments from Tuesday night's Sauk County Board meeting.
Even before Donald Trump is inaugurated, resistance movements are organizing protests and efforts to ensure the new presidents failure.

We understand the sentiment; after all, its what many Republicans did to Barack Obama.

This newspaper opposed Trump from the beginning. We have yet to see anything to change our belief that he is misguided. But far more abhorrent is the notion that he doesnt even deserve a chance to succeed. Americans, regardless of ideology, must enter the Trump era with minds open to the possibility that he could actually foment positive change.

Opponents should not decide in knee-jerk fashion that anything with the Trump stamp is automatically wrong. Measure the new administration by its results, not just its abrasive words.

Locally, a battle is brewing over whether a celebrated painting by Missouri artist George Caleb Bingham, The Verdict of the People, should be on loan from the St. Louis Art Museum for the Trump inauguration lunch with congressional leaders.

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., chairs the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. He is the first Missourian in that position since Congress assumed responsibility for inaugurations in 1901. His prominence in Fridays ceremonies is giving Missouri a moment to shine on the national stage.

Blunt helped choose the Bingham work, painted in the mid-1850s, as the centerpiece at the lunch. The painting is part of a trilogy on American politics and elections, and depicts a tumultuous era of great political and social strife.

Its place at a key event celebrating the peaceful, democratic transition of American leadership should be seen as a point of pride for all Missourians. But St. Louis-area art historian Ivy Cooper and artist Ilene Berman initiated a petition on Change.org asking the museum to cancel the loan. The petition objects to the use of the painting and an implicit endorsement of Trumps presidency and his expressed values of hatred, misogyny, racism and xenophobia.

Museum director Brent Benjamin said the museum is honored to participate in the inauguration and noted that the loan does not reflect a political position. A presidential inauguration honors the office and does not endorse or pay tribute to any particular occupant.

Similarly, the Talladega College Marching Tornadoes band is moving forward with plans to participate in Trumps inaugural parade despite pressure from alumni and supporters to cancel. It will be the only historically black college to participate.

School President Billy Hawkins explained the decision, saying, We feel the inauguration of a new president is not a political event but a civil ceremony celebrating the transfer of power.

Patriots are those who love their country and can celebrate the Constitution, liberty and democracy without endorsing or attacking an officeholder. Symbolic opposition is valuable, but critics should save their firepower for times when the new presidents actions truly merit organized protest.
JUNEAU  A 30-year-old man made his initial appearance in court on Wednesday after leading police on a chase on Highway 33 Saturday.

Eric W. Henson faces charges of attempting to flee or elude a traffic officer, obstructing an officer and disorderly conduct. He could face up to 4 years and 4 months in jail and a fine of $21, 000. He appeared before Dodge County Court Commissioner Steven Seim on Wednesday who set a $50,000 cash bond.

Henson may not operate a motor vehicle without the permission of the court. He may not leave the state. He may not have violent or abusive contact with anyone. He may not use, possess or control any controlled substance without a valid prescription. He may not possess a firearm.

According to the criminal complaint, police were attempting to stop the truck Henson was driving on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on Sunset Road. The officer activated his lights but the truck kept inching toward the stop sign and took a right hand turn onto Highway 33 but stopped on Highway 33. Henson then drove away after the officer got out of his squad car.

A deputy continued to follow Hensons vehicle on Highway 33 towards Beaver Dam. According to the criminal complaint, he abruptly drove off the road near DeClark Street and entered a field. Henson exited the vehicle and walked along the Wisconsin Southern Railroad tracks and was traveling toward Edgewater Park. He was located a short time later and taken to Beaver Dam Community Hospital for clearance.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Jan. 26.
While security is in place and there is no specific, credible threat, a quirk in America's rules for succession raises questions about who wou
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.

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 father's 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.

VFW Social Night: VFW Hall, 215 W. Collins St., Portage. Doors open at 5 p.m. and meal at 6 p.m. Potato soup and choice of egg salad or chicken salad sandwiches will be served.

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: This event has been cancelled.

Zumba: 5:30 p.m. Rusch Elementary School, Portage. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

MONDAY, JAN. 23

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.

Clinic: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Marquette County Immunization Clinic, Marquette County Health and Human Services Building, 428 Underwood Ave., Montello. Bring childs immunization record. Parents must accompany all children under 18 years of age. If this is not possible, call the Marquette County Health Department at 608-297-3135 prior to the clinic.

Food pantry: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Second Harvest mobile food pantry, St. Mary's Catholic Church, 318 S. Main St., Pardeeville. Do not line up before 3 p.m. Bring boxes, bags, wagons, etc., to carry food. Volunteers are needed by calling Cindy at 742-7687.

Fundraiser: Portage Family Skatepark Project fundraiser at Papa Murphy's Pizza, 2936 New Pinery Road, Portage. Mention the PFSP and 10 percent of your purchase will benefit the PFSP.

Zumba/Zumba Toning: 6 p.m. Harrisville. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

TUESDAY, JAN. 24

Genealogy Researchers: 1 to 3 p.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Eleanor Brinsko, founder of Carlon Genealogical Services, Sun Prairie, will present How to Organize Your Genealogical Information. Her presentation will provide samples and ideas on how to organize your genealogical finds that you have accumulated. Digital and non-digital techniques will be discussed in her presentation.

Writing group: 9:30 a.m. Pauquette Wordcrafters, Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. All writers welcome.

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. 25

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.

Endeavor Sharing Supper: 5 to 6:30 p.m. Endeavor Elementary School, Endeavor. Come help us celebrate our third anniversary. A free meal will be served. Informational booths and free blood pressure checks will be available. Kid's Corner will have activities for children. This month's supper is sponsored by Trecek Automative and the food is being prepared by the Hitching Post.

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.

Portage Womens Civic League: 9 a.m. Board meeting, Clubhouse, West Edgewater Street, Portage.

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.

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.
Nebraska's chief justice, usually reluctant to discuss the budget or mention money, used his time before the Legislature Thursday to make a pitch to save the courts from an $8.2 million proposed budget cut that he said would undo recent progress aimed at alternatives to incarceration.

"There were those who said that justice reinvestment would never be adequately funded," Chief Justice Michael Heavican said in his State of the Judiciary speech to senators and the public. "You're looking at one of the skeptics."

The courts and Office of Probation Administration can do this, he said, but it has to be adequately funded.

In arguably his most strongly worded speech to the Legislature in the 10 years he's given them, Heavican said he was assured that the LB605 initiatives, in large part meant to deal with crowding problems in the state's prisons, would get needed funding.

But justice reinvestment was not spared in Gov. Pete Ricketts' proposed budget cuts, he said.

"The commitment that all three branches of government made was apparently for the convenience of the moment," Heavican said.

He said the judicial branch saved $4.5 million by delaying hiring and can save an estimated $1 million more by not replacing employees for the next six months.

But, Heavican warned, fewer probation officers mean fewer people can be supervised on probation.

To meet Ricketts' $8.2 million goal for budget cuts, he said, they wouldn't be able to pay for short-term residential treatment used in drug courts, by the intensive drug treatment program and probation.

He said they will have to gut supervision of newly released prison inmates, close day and evening reporting centers, push drug court costs onto the counties and "begin to surgically triage juvenile justice."

"Our judges are not stupid," Heavican said.

If probation can't adequately supervise and rehabilitate adult offenders -- to protect abused spouses, abused children and the state's homeowners and merchants -- they will incarcerate, he said.

In the long run, he explained, that costs more. While the state spends $35,000 a year to house one prison inmate, it spends $8,000 to $10,000 to supervise a high-risk probationer or $3,000 to $4,000 for medium- or low-risk probationers.

"You do the math," Heavican said.

He acknowledged that in past addresses he has been reluctant to discuss the budget "or even mention the word 'money.'"

The first half of his speech on Thursday, he said, was a call to judges, staff, probation officers and the legal community to find a better way.

"In that spirit, we bought into justice reinvestment -- hook, line and sinker. And now, unless you live up to your end of the justice reinvestment bargain, we are left holding the bag," Heavican said.

After the justices left the floor, Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha, a member of the Judiciary Committee, lauded Heavican's message.

The state has made great strides forward by investing in corrections and in the justice system throughout the state, he said. Now, senators have a choice.

"We can abandon the path and go back to where we were. Or we can remain true and have the fidelity to the system to carry it forward," Krist said.

He said the state can't afford to go back. It must make sure the continuum -- from juvenile justice and the courts to corrections and treatment centers -- is in place to break the cycle.

"We've spent thousands of hours and millions of dollars trying to change the system. Abandoning it now would be a mistake," Krist said.

Across the room, Sen. John Stinner of Gering, who is the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said the governor has made corrections and justice reinvestment a priority, and what he heard the chief justice say was that they need the appropriate level of funding to help lower the number of people in prison.

"In appropriations we're going to have to take a look if this is a priority. What I'm hearing from the floor, it is," he said.

Stinner said he'll sit down with Court Administrator Corey Steel to look at the numbers, and they'll try to accommodate it as best they can.

He said he thinks right now everybody is frustrated with cuts, and he gets that.

"The problem is when revenue is short you do have to make some adjustments. And some of those adjustments are painful," Stinner said.
The North Country Drifters wont be confused with mainstream country artists when the band performs at Portage Center for the Arts on Saturday.

The group wouldnt have it any other way.

I think country of the 40s, 50s, 60s, what people think of as classic country, its just not mainstream anymore, said front man and guitarist Dan OBrien. The Madison group comprised of six members plays Western swing selections from artists like Bob Wills and Jimmie Rodgers, music from the same era as big band swing and a hybrid of jazz and country, OBrien explained.

Fans of classic country still exist, the members understand. The music they all love is still being made and is readily available.

Their tastes just arent satisfied on the radio. Earlier country music is totally different from contemporary country, OBrien said, which is basically pop with a little bit of fiddle and steel guitars.

Its a really controversial topic, he said of the state of country music. For me I just think of all of what youd hear on typical country station, and I dont even think of it as country music. Its pop music. I personally think it is very poor quality.

Fortunately there are still many good country artists around, and I love that stuff. Theyre out there writing music, traveling, touring  so its not like its dead or that its necessarily a dire, awful thing.

Classic country appeals to audiences and to the North Country Drifters for its simplicity and purity and rawness. The group, which formed 10 years ago, appeals to those who want a very playful, upbeat music experience, OBrien said. Theyre true to the experience, enough so that it surprises many people, he added, that theyre not from Texas.

Saturdays performance is the groups first in Portage. OBrien played at PCA about 10 years ago with the Nob Hill Boys.

Upbeat, yet dark

The mood of old country music is twofold. On the one hand its upbeat. But if you read the lyrics like youd read a poem, it can feel rather dark, OBrien said. Lost love, tragedy  you have plenty of that in the lyrics, but its dance music.

Its World War II, Depression-era escapism, music where people went out to escape the hard times and have a blast.

The culture of country is about that raw simplicity, the same thing thats so attractive about early blues music. Thats a far cry from whats on the radio today, and if you ask OBrien, hell tell you that wont change.

Bands like us, bands in places like Austin, like Dale Watson, theyre the torch bearers, OBrien said, but I dont see them ever getting to the size of audience that the contemporary artists do.

The earlier artists had huge audiences and radio play, but I dont see that happening. And thats what people are upset about, that these people who are really great and out there producing, theyre struggling but wont ever have the pop-star success.

The North Country Drifters music is available for free on their website, northcountrydrifters.com.
The CEO of the Department of Health and Human Services told senators Wednesday she supports adjustments to this year's budget proposed by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The Legislature's Appropriations Committee gave agencies and programs the opportunity in the past two days to make their cases on whether the governor's budget recommendations are OK for them, or they would like to see fewer cuts.

CEO Courtney Phillips answered the committee's questions, and then people outside the agency got their chance to comment on the department's budget.

Jeannette Wojtalewicz, chief financial officer of CHI Health Nebraska, told the committee her concerns about a 6 percent underpayment within the current Medicaid reimbursement for inpatients to Nebraska's 27 largest hospitals. The 6 percent reimbursement had previously been agreed to by providers, HHS and a third-party evaluator, she said.

Wojtalewicz said Calder Lynch, director of the division of Medicaid and Long Term Care, recently told the hospitals the 6 percent shortfall would continue indefinitely. The impact of that is profound when including federal matching dollars, Wojtalewicz said. For CHI, it would be more than $4 million annually.

Lynch said later the 6 percent difference has to do with how reimbursements are figured based on a patient's diagnosis and the severity of illness, and changes that have occurred in those calculations.

The state is always looking at those reimbursements, Lynch said, as well as considering the revenue picture for the state, which has been declining over the past year, and may continue to do so for a while. Rates could be further adjusted as more information is available, he said.

Next year, Gov. Pete Ricketts has recommended a 3 percent cut in rates for Medicaid providers.

With his budget recommendations for the 2017-19 fiscal years, 74 jobs spread throughout the department could be at stake. However, an addition of jobs in some divisions and programs are also proposed.

Those include: 11 added jobs in the behavioral health division and the opening of a fifth unit at the Norfolk Regional Center; 14 added jobs as the division of children and family services takes responsibility for some foster placements from community agencies; 31 new positions at the youth residential treatment centers in Geneva and Kearney; and 24 positions added as part of the reorganization of the division of Medicaid and long-term care.
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 Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.

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General Mills, Inc. manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates in five segments: North America Retail; Convenience Stores & Foodservice; Europe & Australia; Asia & Latin America; and Pet. It offers ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream, nutrition bars, wellness beverages, and savory and grain snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables. It also supplies branded and unbranded food products to the North American foodservice and commercial baking industries; and manufactures and markets pet food products, including dog and cat food. The company markets its products under the Annie's, Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Blue Buffalo, Blue Basics, Blue Freedom, Bugles, Cascadian Farm, Cheerios, Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, EPIC, Fiber One, Food Should Taste Good, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gardetto's, Go-Gurt, Gold Medal, Golden Grahams, Haagen-Dazs, Helpers, Jus-Rol, Kitano, Kix, Larabar, Latina, Liberte, Lucky Charms, Muir Glen, Nature Valley, Oatmeal Crisp, Old El Paso, Oui, Pillsbury, Progresso, Raisin Nut Bran, Total, Totino's, Trix, Wanchai Ferry, Wheaties, Wilderness, Yoki, and Yoplait trademarks. It sells its products directly, as well as through broker and distribution arrangements to grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, e-commerce retailers, commercial and noncommercial foodservice distributors and operators, restaurants, convenience stores, and pet specialty stores, as well as drug, dollar, and discount chains. The company operates 466 leased and 392 franchise ice cream parlors. General Mills, Inc. was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Refugee resettlement and the cost to the state for those refugees would be tracked with a bill introduced by Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon.

"This will give us some idea of these numbers and how much of a burden this is going to put on our system," Brewer said.

The state doesn't track the numbers of refugees resettled here and what country they are from, and the federal government doesn't either, he said. The state has no oversight or say in who or how many.

He accepts that they are coming, he said, but the people of Nebraska should know details such as where they are going and what programs they will be in, and how budgeting may have to change to support them.

Brewer spent eight years in the Middle East as part of the military, he said.

He has concerns about a lack of visibility on how refugees are screened and how it's determined who comes, he said. Many have no background information and so really can't be properly screened, he said.

Medical cannabis

Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart's bill (LB622) would allow for dispensing medical cannabis in the state through compassion centers to patients with qualified conditions. A patient registry would be maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Gun bills

Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon would have the state allow handgun owners to conceal their weapons without a permit, under a bill introduced Wednesday.

The bill (LB504) would provide for what the Second Amendment of the Constitution provides, Brewer said. People who would not be able to carry concealed weapons under current law would also not be able to with the bill, he said.

He also submitted a bill (LB500) that would allow a qualified law enforcement officer or retired officer who is carrying identification to carry a concealed handgun anywhere in the state, except as prohibited by federal law. And he introduced a bill (LB501) that would require conspicuous posted notice on property if concealed guns are not allowed.

Drug testing

A bill (LB537) introduced by Sen. Dan Hughes of Venango would require drug screening of applicants or recipients of cash assistance from the state, if the department has reason to believe the person is using a controlled substance that is not prescribed. If it is determined the person is illegally using drugs, he or she would have to complete a substance abuse treatment program and a job skills program.

Wind turbines in the Sandhills

A moratorium on putting wind turbines in the Sandhills would be required with a bill (LB504) introduced by Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon. A task force will be appointed to study and make recommendations on wind-generated energy projects in the region.

Lethal injection drugs

Records containing information that could lead to the identity of a person, manufacturer or supplier of lethal injection drugs would be confidential and could not be disclosed with a bill (LB661) introduced by Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell.

Property tax moratorium

Nebraskans property tax bills wouldnt increase at all under a bill (LB576) sponsored by Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon.

Ambushing an officer

Anyone who ambushes and attacks a law enforcement officer, firefighter or emergency medic would be guilty of a felony, punishable by a minimum 40 years in prison and up to a $100,000 fine, under a bill (LB577) sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Mike Hilgers.
The following companies are subsidiares of Pearson: AEL (S) PTE Limited, ATI Professional Development LLC, Addison Wesley Longman Inc., Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc., Aldwych Finance Limited, Americas Choice Inc., Atkey Finance Limited, Author Solutions, Axis Finance Inc., CAMSAWUSA Inc., CTI Education Group (Pty) Limited, Camsaw Inc., Casapsi Livraria e Editora Ltda, Centro Cultural Americano Franquias e Comercio Ltda., Century Consultants Ltd., Certiport, Certiport China Co Ltd, Certiport China Holding LLC, Certiport Inc., Cogmed Systems AB, Connections Academy of Arkansas LLC, Connections Academy of Florida LLC, Connections Academy of Iowa LLC, Connections Academy of Maine LLC, Connections Academy of Maryland LLC, Connections Academy of Minnesota LLC, Connections Academy of Missouri LLC, Connections Academy of Nevada LLC, Connections Academy of New Jersey LLC, Connections Academy of New Mexico LLC, Connections Academy of New York LLC, Connections Academy of Oregon LLC, Connections Academy of Pennsylvania LLC, Connections Academy of Tennessee LLC, Connections Academy of Texas LLC, Connections Education Inc., Connections Education LLC, Connections Education of Florida LLC, Dominie Press Inc., Dorian Finance Limited, Dorling Kindersley Australasia Pty Limited, EBNT Canada Holdings ULC, EBNT Holdings Limited, EBNT USA Holdings Inc., Edexcel Limited, Edexcel South Africa Pty Ltd, Education Development International plc, Education Resources (Cyprus) Limited, Educational Management Group Inc., Educational Publishers LLP, Embanet ULC, Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group Inc., EmbanetCompass, Embankment Finance Limited, English Language Learning and Instruction System Inc., Escape Studios Limited, FBH Inc., Falstaff Holdco Inc., Falstaff Inc., GED Domains LLC, GED Testing Service LLC, George (Shanghai) Commercial Information Consulting Co. Ltd, Global Education, Global George I Limited, Global George II Limited, GlobalEnglish, Globe Fearon Inc., Guangzhou Crescent Software Co. Ltd, Heinemann Education Botswana (Publishers) (Proprietary) Limited, Heinemann Publishers (Pty) Ltd, INTELLIPRO INC., Icodeon Limited, IndiaCan Education Private Limited, Integral 7 Inc., Integrated Analytics LLC, J M Solucoes Exportacao e Importacao Ltda, K12 Learning Services LLC, Kagiso Education Pty Ltd, Knowledge Analysis Technologies LLC, LCCI International Qualifications (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., LCCIEB Training Consultancy. Ltd, Learning Catalytics, LessonLab Inc., Lignum Oil Company, Linx Brasil Distribuidora Ltda., Longman (Malawi) Limited, Longman Australasia Pty Ltd, Longman Group(Overseas Holdings)Limited, Longman Indochina Acquisition L.L.C., Longman Kenya Limited, Longman Mocambique Ltda, Longman Romania S.R.L., Longman Swaziland (Pty) Limited, Longman Tanzania Limited, Longman Zambia Educational Publishers Pty Ltd, Longman Zambia Limited, Longman Zimbabwe (Private) Ltd, Longmaned Ecuador S.A., Major123 Limited, Maskew Miller Longman (Pty) Limited, MeasureUp LLC, Modern Curriculum Inc., Multi Holding, Multi Treinamento e Editora Ltda, NCS Information Technology Services (Beijing) Co Ltd, NCS Pearson Inc., NCS Pearson Pty Ltd, NCS Pearson Puerto Rico Inc., National Computer Systems Japan Co. Ltd, Ordinate Corporation, PN Holdings Inc., PT Efficient English Services, Pearson (Beijing) Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Pearson (Guizhou) Education Technology Co. Ltd., Pearson Affordable Learning Fund Limited, Pearson America LLC, Pearson Amsterdam B.V., Pearson Australia Finance Unlimited, Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd, Pearson Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Pearson Australia Pty Ltd, Pearson Benelux B.V., Pearson Books Limited, Pearson Brazil Finance Limited, Pearson Business Services Inc., Pearson Canada Assessment Inc., Pearson Canada Finance Unlimited, Pearson Canada Holdings Inc, Pearson Canada Inc., Pearson Central Europe Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Pearson College Limited, Pearson DBC Holdings Inc., Pearson Desarrollo y Capacitacion Profesional Chile Limitada, Pearson Deutschland GmbH, Pearson Digital Learning Puerto Rico Inc., Pearson Dollar Finance Two Limited, Pearson Dollar Finance plc, Pearson Educacion SA, Pearson Educacion de Chile Limitada, Pearson Educacion de Colombia S A S, Pearson Educacion de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pearson Educacion de Panama SA, Pearson Educacion de Peru S.A., Pearson Education (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Pearson Education Achievement Solutions (RF) (Pty) Limited, Pearson Education Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Education Asia Limited, Pearson Education Botswana (Proprietary) Limited, Pearson Education Hellas SA, Pearson Education Holdings Limited, Pearson Education Inc., Pearson Education Indochina Limited, Pearson Education Investments Limited, Pearson Education Korea Limited, Pearson Education Limited, Pearson Education Namibia (Pty) Limited, Pearson Education Publishing Limited, Pearson Education S.A., Pearson Education SA, Pearson Education South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Education South Asia Pte. Ltd., Pearson Education Taiwan Ltd, Pearson Education do Brasil S.A, Pearson Educational Measurement Canada Inc., Pearson Educational Publishers LLC, Pearson Egitim Cozumleri Tikaret Limited Sirketi, Pearson Falstaff (Holdings) Inc., Pearson Falstaff Holdco LLC, Pearson France, Pearson Funding Five plc, Pearson Funding Four plc, Pearson Funding Two Limited, Pearson Holdings Inc., Pearson Holdings Southern Africa (Pty) Limited, Pearson IOKI Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Pearson India Education Services Private Limited, Pearson India Support Services Private Limited, Pearson Institute of Higher Education, Pearson International Finance Limited, Pearson Investment Holdings Inc., Pearson Italia S.p.A, Pearson Japan KK, Pearson Lanka (Private) Limited, Pearson Learning China (HK) Limited, Pearson Lesotho (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Loan Finance No. 3 Limited, Pearson Loan Finance No. 4 Limited, Pearson Loan Finance No.2 Unlimited, Pearson Loan Finance Unlimited, Pearson Longman Uganda Limited, Pearson Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Pearson Management Services Limited, Pearson Management Services Philippines Inc., Pearson Maryland Inc., Pearson Netherlands B.V., Pearson Netherlands Holdings B.V., Pearson Nominees Limited, Pearson Online Tutoring LLC, Pearson Overseas Holdings Limited, Pearson PEM P.R. Inc., Pearson PRH Holdings Limited, Pearson Pension Nominees Limited, Pearson Pension Property Fund Limited, Pearson Pension Trustee Limited, Pearson Pension Trustee Services Limited, Pearson Professional Assessments Limited, Pearson Real Estate Holdings Inc., Pearson Real Estate Holdings Limited, Pearson Schweiz AG, Pearson Services Limited, Pearson Shared Services Limited, Pearson South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Strand Finance Limited, Pearson Sweden AB, Pearson VUE Philippines Inc., Pearson in Practice Holdings Limited, Pearson in Practice Skills Based Learning Limited, Pearson in Practice Technology Limited, Penguin Capital LLC, Phumelela Publishers (Pty) Ltd, ProctorCam Inc., Reading Property Holdings LLC, Rebus Planning Associates Inc., Reston Publishing Company Inc., Rycade Capital Corporation, Shanghai AWL Education Software Ltd, Silver Burdett Ginn Inc., Skylight Training and Publishing Inc., Smarthinking Inc., Sound Holdings Inc., Spear Insurance Company Limited, Stark Verlag GmbH, Sunnykey International Holdings Limited (BVI), TQ Catalis Limited, TQ Clapham Limited, TQ Education and Training Limited, TQ Global Limited, TQ Group Limited, TQ Holdings Limited, The Financial Times (I) Pvt Ltd, The Learning Edge International pty Ltd, The Waite Group Inc, Trio Parent Holdings LLC, US Learning Services LLC, USLS Holdings LLC, Virtual Nerd, Vue Testing Services Israel Ltd, Vue Testing Services Korea Limited, Wall Street Institute Kft., Williams Education GmbH, eCollege.com, and Editions Du Renouveau Pedagogique Inc..

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Anixter International Inc., through its subsidiary, Anixter Inc., distributes enterprise cabling and security solutions, electrical and electronic wire and cable solutions, and utility power solutions worldwide. The company operates through Network & Security Solutions (NSS), Electrical & Electronic Solutions (EES), and Utility Power Solutions (UPS) segments. The NSS segment offers copper and fiber optic cable and connectivity, access control, video surveillance, intrusion and fire/life safety, cabinet, power, cable management, wireless, professional audio/video, voice and networking switches, and other ancillary products for the technology, finance, transportation, education, government, healthcare, and retail industries, as well as telecommunications service providers. The EES Solutions segment provides electrical and electronic wires and cables, shipboard cables, support and supply products, low-voltage and instrumentation cables, industrial communication and control products, security cables, connectors, industrial Ethernet switches, and voice and data cables to the commercial and industrial, and original equipment manufacturer markets. The UPS segment supplies electrical transmission and distribution products, power plant maintenance, repair and operations supplies, and smart-grid products, as well as arranges materials management and procurement outsourcing for the power generation and transmission, and electricity distribution industries. The company serves contractors, installers, system integrators, value-added resellers, architects, engineers, and wholesale distributors in various industries, including manufacturing, resource extraction, telecommunications, Internet service providers, finance, education, healthcare, retail, transportation, utilities, and defense, as well as government customers. The company was formerly known as Itel Corporation. Anixter International Inc. was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Glenview, Illinois.
The former executive director of the Human Services Federation was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of embezzling more than $11,000 from the organization, police said.

Representatives of the federation called Lincoln police in November after learning that Rick Carter, 45, allegedly used operating funds for personal use, Officer Katie Flood said.

A review revealed that checks were deposited in Carter's personal account and signatures had been forged on agency checks, she said.

A total of $11,250 was deposited into Carter's personal accounts between January and July last year, reports say.

Prosecutors charged him Thursday with theft by deception, and Lancaster County Judge James Foster set bail at $5,000.

The federation is a nonprofit organization that supports its members through education, networking and collective action, according to its website.
The following companies are subsidiares of Dover: APM Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, Accelerated Production Systems, Acme Cryo Intermediate Inc., Acme Cryogenics, Acme Cryogenics Inc., Acme Elevator, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o., Advansor Germany GmbH, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International, Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Audax ECII Blocker Inc., Auto Glanz Solutions LLC, AvaLAN Wireless Systems Incorporated, BELVAC CR spol s r.o., BSC Filters Limited, Belanger, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., Blackmer, BlitzRotary GmbH, Blue Bite LLC, Blue Bite LLC, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CDS Visual, CDS Visual Inc., CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., Cryogenic Experts LLC, DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DESTACO UK Limited, DFH Corporation, DFS Netherlands B.V., Datamax International Corp, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Dositec Sistemas SL, Dosmatic U.S.A. Inc., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. 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Bhd., KPS Hong Kong Holding Limited, KPS UK Limited, KS Formation Inc., KS Liquidation Inc., KSLP Liquidation L.P., Kiian Digital (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Knappco LLC, Knowles Electronics, LIQAL, LIQAL B.V., Liquip, Liquip, Liquip International Pty Limited, MAAG, MARKEM FZ SA, MARKEM-IMAJE Corporation, MIP Holdings Inc., MS Printing Solutions, MS Printing Solutions S.R.L., Maag, Maag Automatik Plastics Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Maag Gala Inc., Maag Germany GmbH, Maag Italy S.R.L., Maag Pump Systems, Maag Pump Systems (US) Inc., Maag Pump Systems AG, Maag Reduction Inc., Maag Service (Malaysia) Sdn. Bdn., Maag Service (Taiwan) Ltd., Maag Systems (Thailand) Limited, Macro Technologies LLC, Malema, Marathon Equipment Company (Delaware), Markem Imaje Center of Competencies Spain S.L.U., Markem-Imaje, Markem-Imaje (China) Co. Limited, Markem-Imaje - Unipessoal Lda, Markem-Imaje A/S, Markem-Imaje AB, Markem-Imaje AG, Markem-Imaje AS, Markem-Imaje B.V., Markem-Imaje CSAT GmbH, Markem-Imaje Co. Ltd., Markem-Imaje GmbH, Markem-Imaje Holding, Markem-Imaje Identificacao de Produtos Ltda., Markem-Imaje Inc., Markem-Imaje India Private Limited, Markem-Imaje Industries, Markem-Imaje Industries Limited, Markem-Imaje KK, Markem-Imaje LLC, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Ltd., Markem-Imaje N.V., Markem-Imaje Oy, Markem-Imaje Philippines Corporation, Markem-Imaje Pty. Ltd., Markem-Imaje S.A., Markem-Imaje S.A. de C.V., Markem-Imaje S.r.l., Markem-Imaje SAS, Markem-Imaje Sdn. Bhd., Markem-Imaje Singapore Pte. Ltd., Markem-Imaje Spain S.A., Markpoint Holding AB, Midland Manufacturing LLC, Midwest Cryogenics Inc., Mouvex, Northeast Services Inc., Northern Lights (Nevada) Inc., Northern Lights Funding LP, Northern Lights Investments LLC, Nova Controls Inc., OK International, OK International Holdings Inc., OK International Inc., OK International Ltd., OPW Engineered Systems LLC, OPW Fluid Transfer Group Europe B.V., OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions (Jiang Su) Co. Ltd., OPW Fluids Group Inc., OPW Fuel Management Systems Inc., OPW Fueling Components (SuZhou) Co. Ltd., OPW Fueling Components LLC, OPW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., OPW Slovakia s.r.o., OPW Sweden AB, Officine Meccaniche Sirio S.R.L., PDQ Manufacturing, PDQ Manufacturing Inc., PISCES by OPW Inc., PSD Codax Holdings Limited, PSD Codax Limited, PSG (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PSG (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PSG California LLC, PSG Germany GmbH, Petro Vend Sp. z o.o., Pike Machine Products Inc., Pole/Zero Acquisition Inc., Precision Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Para Postos De Combustiveis Ltda., Precision Service - Servicos De Manutencao E Instalacao De Postos De Abastecimento De Combustivel Ltda., Production Control Services, Pump Management Services Co. LLC, Quantex Arc Limited, Quantex Patents Limited, RAV France, Ravaglioli S.P.A., Reduction Engineering GmbH, RegO (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., RegO Holding GmbH, RegO Products, RegO Valve (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Rego GmbH, Revod Corporation, Revod Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Revod Sweden AB, Robohand Inc., Rosario, Rosario Handel B.V., Rotary Lift Consolidated (Haimen) Co. Ltd., SE Liquidation LLC, SWEP France, SWEP Germany GmbH, SWEP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SWEP North America Inc., SWEP Slovakia s.r.o., SWEP Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Seabiscuit Motorsports Inc., Shanghai RegO Flow Technology Company Ltd., Shine Bloom - ECI A Blocker Corp., Shine Bloom - ECI Blocker Corp., Shine Bloom - ECI S Blocker Corp., Simmons Sirvey Corporation, So. Cal. Soft-Pak, So. Cal. Soft-Pak Incorporated, Soft-Pak, Solaris Laser, Solaris Laser S.A., Somero Enterprises, Sound Solutions, Sound Solutions, Space S.R.L., Spirit, Start Italiana S.R.L., Superior Holding LLC, Superior Products LLC, Swep Energy Oy, Swep International A.B., Swep Japan K.K., Sys-Tech Solutions, Sys-Tech Solutions Inc., Systech, TQC Quantium Quality S.A. de C.V., TTSI III Inc., TWG Canada Consolidated Inc., TXHI LLC, Tartan Textile Services Inc., The Espy Corporation, The Heil Co., Tokheim, Tokheim Belgium, Tokheim China Company Limited, Tokheim GmbH, Tokheim Group, Tokheim Hengshan Technologies (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tokheim Holding B.V., Tokheim India Private Limited, Tokheim Sofitam Applications, Triton Systems, Tulsa Winch Inc., UPCO Inc., US Synthetic, Unattended Payment Solutions LLC, Unified Brands, Val TemperBent Glass L.P., Vectron Frequency Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vehicle Service Group LLC, Vehicle Service Group UK Limited, Vos Food Store Equipment Ltd., WSCR Corp., Warn Automotive LLC, Warn Industries, Waukesha Bearings, Waukesha Bearings Corporation, Waukesha Bearings Limited, Waukesha Bearings Russia LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems, Wayne Fueling Systems (Rus) Limited Liability Company, Wayne Fueling Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Wayne Fueling Systems Canada ULC, Wayne Fueling Systems Italia S.R.L., Wayne Fueling Systems LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB, Wayne Fueling Systems UK Holdco Ltd., Wayne Industria e Comercio Ltda., WellMark, WellMark, and em-tec GmbH.

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Prosecutors have charged a prison inmate with helping Timothy Clausen and Armon Dixon escape from the Lincoln Correctional Center in June in exchange for promises of $10,000.

Brandon D. Williams, 26, was charged with two counts of aiding and abetting the June 10 escape from the medium-maximum security prison in southwest Lincoln. He is serving 10 to 15 years on a robbery charge out of Douglas County.

In an affidavit for his arrest, Nebraska State Patrol Investigator Neal Trantham said prison staff identified Williams, 26, as the inmate who put blankets over the laundry cart in which Clausen and Dixon were hiding, then rolling the cart onto the laundry truck and not alerting prison staff about the concealed inmates despite many chances to do so.

The truck left the prison near Pioneers Park at 9:15 a.m., and minutes later, Dixon and Clausen used a metal rod to rip a hole in its fiberglass roof, then climbed out and jumped off, investigators have said.

Police caught Dixon the next day when he popped out of a manhole in northeast Lincoln and Clausen on June 15 at an apartment in Omaha.

Investigators say Williams believed he would receive $5,000 from each of the escapees for his assistance, Trantham said.

Clausen and Dixon are awaiting trial on escape charges; both have pleaded not guilty.

Williams faces as many as eight additional years in prison if he is convicted of helping them.

All three men are now incarcerated at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution.




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A judge sent a 22-year-old Lincoln man to prison Wednesday for 15 to 25 years for an afternoon shootout near a middle school in May.

"The fact that no one was injured or killed is really quite miraculous," Lancaster County District Judge Jodi Nelson told Trevor Groves at his sentencing hearing.

Prosecutors said Groves was trying to even a score with Lebron Benson on May 10 in the incident outside a four-plex in the 5400 block of Benton Street, two blocks from Dawes Middle School.

After a weeklong trial in December, a jury found Groves guilty of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, attempted first-degree assault and use of a firearm to commit a felony.

No one was hit, but the 1:45 p.m. shooting led to a lockdown of Dawes.

Groves admitted being there, but denied he was one of the shooters.

Two witnesses said he was: one who has known him since junior high and Lebron Benson, the other shooter. In the end, the jury found him guilty.

On Wednesday, Groves said he apologized to his family, especially his daughter and will do his time in prison with a positive attitude, trying to better himself.

Defense attorney Korey Reiman said the situation obviously was serious.

"But, in the end, no one was hurt," he said.

Nelson told Groves it is apparent he has the ability to do good things and it's a tragedy to have someone like him in this situation over some perceived slight. The charges carried a mandatory eight-year term.

"You only have yourself to blame for it," Nelson said.

Groves will have to serve 11 years before he's eligible for parole.

Benson's brother, Demetrius Withers, also is charged in connection with the shootout and is awaiting trial.
A 24-year-old Lincoln man was ticketed Tuesday on suspicion of child neglect after Lincoln police said they found his 2-year-old son living in unsanitary conditions, according to court documents.

Officers with the Lincoln Police Department went to 2021 S. 14th St. Tuesday where Jeffrey Perry, 24, lives with his 20-year-old girlfriend, Ella Vanhuff, and a roommate, an order for temporary custody of Perry's son says.

The room Perry, Vanhuff and the toddler shared was found to be covered in trash or clutter and smelled like cat feces, urine and marijuana, the document says. Officers also found food and plates that were stuck together or had grown mold, the document says.

Police believe the toddler was kept in the room for most of the day, sometimes up to 13 hours, the document says.

Within his reach, officers found drug paraphernalia, prescription medication, a large butcher knife and a realistic Airsoft gun, the document says.

The state took custody of the child and police cited Perry and Vanhuff with suspicion of child neglect and possession of drug paraphernalia. Neither was taken into custody.

A petition to remove the child from the home says he cannot live with his biological mother, who has a separate case with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services after they removed the toddler's sibling from her care in 2015.
A Brief Overview Of The Battle Of Waterloo

The Battle of Waterloo took place on the Sunday of June 18th, 1815 around Waterloo in the modern day Belgium which was a constituent of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. The French army under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte lost to the two armies of the Seventh Coalition which was under the command of Duke of Wellington, and the Prussian Army which was led by Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher who was also the Prince of Wahlstatt.

Historical Background Of The Battle Of Waterloo

In March 1815, Napoleon's return to power prompted the formation of the Seventh Coalition of nations which was made up of the British army which included the Belgian, German, and Dutch troops led by Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington and the Prussian army led by Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher. The Coalition began to assemble the armies in preparation for a battle against Napoleon. Wellington's army together with the Prussian army was harbored near the border of France in the northeastern region. Following the coalition of the two armies, Napoleon decided to invade Blucher's and Wellington's armies hoping to destroy them before they could join forces and invade France together with the other Seventh Coalition members. During the Battle of Ligny, Napoleon managed to attack the Prussian's while concurrently ambushing Wellington and his army during the Quatre Bras battle. In spite of Wellington's perseverance at the Battle of Quatre Bras, the Prussian's defeat prompted him to retreat from Waterloo. Following the results of the two battles, Napoleon dispatched a third of his army to chase after the Prussian army which had previously withdrawn alongside Wellington and his troops. The result of Napoleon's pursuit led to the concurrent and separate Battle of Wavre with the Prussians.

Immediately Wellington realized that the Prussian army had the military capacity to support him, he positioned the Mont-Saint-Jean escarpment battle that took place opposite Brussels road. Wellington endured continuous attacks from Napoleon's army all through the afternoon but got help from the Prussians who were arrived in succession. Upon desperation, Napoleon sent out his last army in the evening as an attempt for one last attack. The Prussians broke through the right flanking the French while Wellington's army consisting of Anglo-allies counter-attacked in the center overpowering Napoleon's army. Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo marked the end of his rule as the Emperor of France. Four days after the Battle of Waterloo Napoleon abdicated the throne on July 7th, as the coalition troops infiltrated to France.

The French Army at the Battle of Waterloo

The French army under the leadership of Napoleon was known as Armee du Nord. Napoleon's army had about 69,000 soldiers 48,000 of whom were infantry, 14,000 of whom were cavalry and 7,000 men who consisted of the artillery with 250 guns. The French army mainly consisted of veterans who had a substantial amount of experience and unquestionable devotion to him. Initially, Napoleon had used recruitment when forming the French army, however, as the army began to grow the French soldiers were assigned to military fractions as they showed up for duties. In the end, many posts were commanded by officers whom the soldiers were not familiar with and did not trust. A crucial weakness of the French army is that some officers were inexperienced in teamwork and operating as a consolidated force, therefore, hindering support for the other factions. Another weakness in the French army was that they involuntarily marched through rain and mud that consisted of dust from black coal to get to Waterloo after which they had to deal with the rain and mud since they slept in the open. Despite having insufficient food supply, the French troops were vehemently loyal to Napoleon their Emperor.

The Coalition Army

The Battle of Waterloo was fought by three armies which included; a multinational army under the command of Wellington, the Prussian army under Blucher's command against the French. Wellington's army comprised of 67,000 soldiers 50,000 of whom were infantry, 11,000 of whom were cavalry, and 6,000 of them were artillery who had 150 guns. 25,000 of the soldiers were from Britain, 17,000 were Belgian and Dutch troops, 6,000 were from the Germanic Legion, 11,000 were from Hanover, 3,000 were from Nassau and 6,000 were from Brunswick. Many of the soldiers from the coalition armies did not have sufficient experience. Wellington's army lacked heavy cavalry which gave Napoleon's army an upper hand since they had heavy cavalry. The Prussian army was not properly established since it was in the process of reorganization. In 1815 the former Legions, Reserve regiments, and Freikorps were in the course of being absorbed into the army alongside most Landwehr militia. The Landwehr were not adequately trained or equipped when they went to Belgium. The Prussian cavalry and artillery were sufficiently equipped since they were also reorganizing and therefore did not perform to their optimum best during the battle.

Despite these shortcomings, the Prussian army had exemplary leadership in its organization since the officers attended four schools that were solely established for the purpose of training. In spite of the Prussian troops retreating after the Battle of Ligny they instantly reorganized, realigned, and intervened in the Battle of Waterloo within 48 hours.

The Battle Field

The Waterloo was an unyielding position that compromised of a lengthy ridge that stretched perpendicularly and was bisected by the main road and lay east-west to Brussels. Ohain road, a deep concaved lane stretched across the crest of the ridge. A humongous elm tree which stood near the crossroads at the Brussels road served as Wellington's command post for a significant portion of the day. Wellington positioned his infantry perpendicular to the rear side of the crest of the ridge that followed Ohain road. On the other hand, the French army formed on the gradient of another ridge to the south of Wellington was positioned such that Napoleon could not see his positions. Due to this reason, Napoleon formation of his troops was symmetrically about the Brussels road.

The Historical Significance Of The Waterloo Battle

The Waterloo battle was a historic event in more than one way. The Battle of Waterloo was a turning point that brought about relative peace, technological progress, and material prosperity. Without a doubt, the battle concluded the series of wars that had previously tormented Europe alongside other regions of the world caused by the French Revolution. One of the significant aftermaths of the war was the imperial and war mongering career of Napoleon Bonaparte who is perceived to be a great statesman and commander in history came to an end together with the First French Empire.

Parts of the area where the battle took place have changed in appearance as tourism began soon after the war ended. In 1820, William I the King of Netherlands ordered a monument to be constructed. A giant mound known as the Lion's Hillock was built by use of 300,000 cubic meters of terrene retrieved from the ridge.
Ahmed Mohamed with the clock

By: Tanya Malhotra WorldWideWeirdNews.com

(Scroll down for video) Ahmed Mohamed, who became known as the aClock Boy,a was ordered by a judge to cough up a large amount of money.

The 15-year-old boy and his family of Texas, said that they have gone through a lot of suffering after he was arrested for bringing a clock to school, which resembled a bomb.

Police were called to the school after staff became concerned with the device.

After he was released, Ahmed and his family moved to Qatar. However, after nine months, they moved back to Dallas.

Ahmed and his father, Mohamed Mohamed, filed a lawsuit against a wide range of people who they said defamed his character on television.

The family claimed in the lawsuit that comments made by the mayor and media personalities led the public to think that they were terrorists.

They were seeking up to $100,000 in damages, along with non monetary relief.

Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne is still a defendant, but her attorney argues that Van Duyne has immunity as a government employee.

District Judge Maricela Moore dismissed the lawsuit against the defendants including Glenn Beck, his network The Blaze, Center for Security Policy, and its executive vice president Jim Hanson on grounds of free speech.

Another judge dismissed the lawsuit against a television station and political commentator Ben Ferguson on the same grounds.

Free speech is protected by the First Amendment principles pursuant to the Texas Citizen Participation Act.

The judge ordered Ahmed and his father to pay more than $82,000 in legal fees to the defendants.
Angelina, Zahara and Mentewab Dawit Lebiso (insert)

By: Chan Yuan WorldWideWeirdNews.com

(Scroll down for video) Angelina Jolie became known for her humanitarian work and her love for helping the less fortunate.

Now, all eyes are on her to see how she will respond to the request of a broken-hearted mother who wants to see her daughter.

The biological mother of Angelina Jolieas adopted 12-year-old daughter Zahara, is begging to speak to the child.

31-year-old Mentewab Dawit Lebiso from Ethiopia, said that she was forced to place her daughter up for adoption because she was ill after her baby was born.

When Zahara was 6 months old, she was adopted by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Lebiso said that she does not want to take her daughter away from the power couple. She is very thankful that they are giving her daughter a great life, which she said she would not have been able to do as she is poor.

However, she wants to hear her daughteras voice and stay in contact with her daughter despite the fact they speak different languages.

aI just want her to know that I am alive. I miss her all the time. I think about her every day. I long to hear her voice or see her face. I know when she has a birthday, but I am sad because I cant celebrate it with her,a Lebiso said.

Lebiso said that she wants Zahara to know that ashe has a mother who loves her as much as Angelina does.a
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
A rural Valparaiso man stands accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl at a north Lincoln church in October, according to court documents.

Christian J. Hughes, 21, of 9403 W. Rock Circle, turned himself in to the jail Tuesday morning, and prosecutors charged him later that day with first-degree sexual assault of a child.

The alleged assault happened between 9:30 and 11 a.m. on Oct. 23 at Calvary Community Church, 4400 N. First St., according to Lincoln police.

According to a probable cause affidavit for Hughes' arrest, he didn't know the girl's name but had talked with her before. The alleged assault happened in a family bathroom after a worship service, the document says.

The document says the girl told a relative about the incident in December and was interviewed by the Child Advocacy Center on Dec. 29.

On Jan. 10, police interviewed Hughes, who is developmentally delayed, Investigator Troy Cockle wrote in the affidavit.

On Tuesday, a judge appointed the Lancaster County Public Defender's office to represent Hughes, set his bond at $750,000 and ordered him not to contact the girl or anyone else younger than 16.

Police said they're still investigating.

Chief Deputy Lancaster County Public Defender Bob Hayes is representing Hughes but couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Hughes, who is an Eagle Scout, remained in jail Wednesday. His father, Marty Hughes, is administrator at Parkview Christian School, which adjoins the church. He didn't return a call, and church Executive Director Jeff Ryan said church officials have no comment.
A former surgical assistant and current Nebraska Wesleyan University visiting professor of English who found herself more interested in writing about surgery than performing it will deliver the universitys annual faculty scholarship presentation on Wednesday.

Mary Hickman will present Rayfish, Writing Across the Disciplines at 7 p.m. in Olin B Lecture Hall on the Wesleyan campus.

In her new book of poems, "Rayfish," Hickman engages with history, medicine and art, writing about her familys house arrest and escape during the Tiananmen Square massacre, her experiences living in the hyper-modern cities of Shenzhen and Taipei and the years she spent working in open-heart surgeries when she was in her 20s.

On Wednesday, she'll read poems from the book and copies will be available for purchase following the lecture. The book will be available to the public in April.

In September Hickman was awarded one of Americas most coveted poetry prizes, the Academy of American Poets James Laughlin Award. The honor provides a generous cash prize, a weeklong residency in Miami, and the distribution of her book to thousands of Academy of American Poets members.
Following a series of bloody prison riots that have claimed the lives of at least 134 inmates in the first 15 days of this year alone, the right-wing Brazilian government of President Michel Temer has ordered the military to prepare to carry out raids on penitentiaries around the country.

According to the government, the plan will initially see the mobilization of 1,000 troops drawn from the Army, Navy and Air Force, divided into 30 units that will be sent into prisons as requested by state governments. Defense Minister Raul Jungmann indicated that this force could be significantly expanded, drawing from Brazils 350,000-strong armed forces.

Jungmann said that the armed force would be contributing to reducing the possibility [of new rebellions] and also to reducing their lethality. He acknowledged that this contribution went beyond their principal task, which is the defense of the country.

Meeting with a group of state governors Wednesday, Temer declared that the armed forces will be, as well, through their extraordinary operational capacity and even the credibility that they have, a fear factor in relation to those who are in the prisons.

According to the government, the military will be utilized to conduct sweeps of prisons in search of weapons, cellphones and drugs. Supposedly, prison personnel and police will first clear the areas to be searched, precluding direct physical confrontations between the troops and the inmates.

Temers turn to the armed forces comes in the wake of prison uprisings that killed 60 inmates on January 1 and 2 in a prison located in the Amazon river city of Manaus, followed by two more bloody upheavals, one in the northern state of Roraima, where 33 prisoners lost their lives, and another in the northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte, where another 26 were killed. Smaller outbreaks at other prisons produced additional deaths.

The government and the corporate media have attributed this bloodletting, which in a number of cases included the beheading of prisoners, to turf wars between rival gangs, principally the PCC (First Command of the Capital), based in Brazils southeastern city of Sao Paulo, and crime organizations based in the north of the country.

In reality, however, many of those killed were not linked to any gang, but rather were the victims of a brutal and inhuman system of incarceration that reflects the staggering social polarization that is the overriding feature of Brazils capitalist social order.

With over 622,000 inmates, Brazil has the fourth largest prison population in the word, trailing only the US, China and Russia. This population has increased more than six-fold since 1990, resulting in more and more inmates crammed into decaying prisons.

According to the governments own statistics, the official capacity for prisons nationwide is only 327,000, just over half of the number of inmates who are today being held under abominable conditions in these facilities. The prison complex in Manaus, where the first massacre took place on New Years Day, held 1,224 men in a space meant for 454.

A major factor in driving up Brazils prison population was the former Workers Party governments embrace under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of the war on drugs, with the implementation of a new drug law in 2006, whose repressive weight fell overwhelmingly on the most impoverished sections of the Brazilian population. The law was only made more draconian under Lulas successor, the recently impeached PT president Dilma Rousseff.

Meanwhile, with the onset of Brazils deep-going economic crisis, the Rousseff government and its successor under former vice president Temer slashed funding for the building of new prison facilities by 85 percent over the past two years, according to the daily Folha de S.Paulo, while also cutting appropriations for maintaining existing prisons.

For its part, the Brazilian court system operates at glacial speed and with utter contempt for the democratic rights of the working class and the poor. Fully 40 percent of those in jail have yet to be tried or convicted of any crime.

Temers calling out the troops to confront the crisis in the prison system is part of a broader pattern of a turn to repression and militarization by his government, the most right-wing in Brazil since the fall of the 20-year dictatorship brought to power by the US-backed military coup of 1964.

With 12 million unemployed and the government carrying out the most sweeping attacks on education, health care and working class living standards in decades, the increasing reliance upon the military to confront manifestations of social unrest has ominous implications.

Last month, Gen. Romulo Bini Pereira, the former chief of staff of the Defense Ministry, wrote a column for Folha de S.Paulo stating that under conditions of deepening economic and political crisis, the country may enter into a situation of ungovernability, which will no longer meet the expectations and desires of society, rendering the existing democratic regime unworkable. In such a situation, he warned, the Armed Forces may be called upon to intervene, including in defense of the state and [societys] institutions.
The Senate Armed Services Committee gave near-unanimous approval Wednesday to Donald Trumps choice to head the Pentagon, voting by 26-1 to approve retired Gen. James Mad Dog Mattis as the next secretary of defense. The nomination now goes to the full Senate for a confirmation vote, expected this week, as soon as Trump is inaugurated and submits the nomination officially.

Every Republican followed the lead of committee Chairman John McCain in voting for Trumps Pentagon nominee. Among the Democrats voting for Mattis were Tim Kaine, the Democratic candidate for vice president in 2016, and Elizabeth Warren, touted as a leader of the partys liberal wing.

Even the lone Democratic dissenter, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, said she viewed Mattis favorably, but voted no because his selection violates a longstanding legislative prohibition on naming a recently retired military officer to the top civilian job at the Pentagon. Earlier this week, Congress approved a one-time waiver of the requirement that seven years must have elapsed between the officers retirement and his appointment. Mattis retired in 2013.

Mattis, a career Marine commander, headed the US Central Command and clashed with the Obama White House over its Iran policy. He favored a more confrontational line, particularly in day-to-day military operations in the Persian Gulf. He was effusively praised by Democrats at his confirmation hearing, particularly because he espoused a hard line against Russia in seeming contrast to the conciliatory posture adopted by Trump throughout the election campaign and during the transition period.

At the confirmation hearing, Mattis advocated a role for the US military in virtually every part of the world, declaring, America has global responsibilities, and it is not to our advantage to leave any of those areas to the world absent from our efforts. He told the committee that world order was under the biggest attacks since World War II, adding that the attacks were coming from Russia, from terrorist groups, and with what China is doing in the South China Sea.

Asked to list threats to the US, Mattis began with Russia. He continued, [A]nd then it would certainly include any nations that are looking to intimidate nations around the periphery or nations nearby them whether it is with weapons of mass destruction orI would call it unusual, unorthodox means of intimidating them. In other words, any country in the world can become the target of the Pentagon.

At a press briefing Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (Democrat from New York) indicated that Trumps nominees to the three top national security postssecretary of defense, secretary of homeland security and CIA directorcould be confirmed as early as Friday, the day that Trump takes the oath of office as the 45th US president

Schumer said he was discussing with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican from Kentucky) the logistics of scheduling confirmation votes Friday for Mattis, for retired General John F. Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security, and for Representative Mike Pompeo to head the CIA. Those three nominees were not on the list of the nine that we had the most trouble with and wanted the most extensive hearings, he told reporters.

Trumps national security nominations were endorsed as well by another prominent Democrat, former CIA Director Leon Panetta, who was interviewed in Houston after he addressed an oil industry conference and praised Trumps selection of Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state.

If President Trump is willing to listen to people like Rex Tillerson and to James Mattis, the new secretary of defense, as well as Mike Pompeo and others, I feel much more confident that he will make the right decisions, Panetta said.

The unanimity of Democratic support for Trumps national security nominees demonstrates the real nature of the transition from the Obama administration to the Trump administration. Whatever their political differences, the Democrats and Republicans are united in their allegiance to the military-intelligence apparatus of US imperialism.

Schumer made a vigorous display of opposition and outrage at his press briefing, complaining that the Republican majority was seeking to ram through nominees without allowing sufficient time for questioning, and in many cases before the nominees had even completed the necessary paperwork to allow potential conflicts of interest to be vetted.

The Democratic leader declared, This is a swamp cabinet full of bankers and billionaires, significantly remaining silent on the other primary component of the Trump cabinet, former military officers, including, in addition to Mattis and Kelly, retired Gen. Michael Flynn as national security adviser and retired Gen. Keith Kellogg as chief of staff of the National Security Council.

Schumer also suggested that Representative Mick Mulvaney might withdraw as the nominee for budget director because of his failure to pay more than $15,000 in payroll taxes for a nanny. Similar tax delinquencies sank the nomination of former Senator Thomas Daschle to be Obamas secretary of health and human services, but failed to stop the confirmation of Timothy Geithner as Obamas first treasury secretary.

Democratic senators made loud noises at several confirmation hearings, particularly those for Representative Tom Price, named to head the Department of Health and Human Services, and Scott Pruitt, nominated as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. But their criticism was perfunctory, however loud, given that a unanimous Republican majority on each committee will move the nominations to the floor of the Senate and the 52-48 Republican majority in the Senate will confirm the nominees.

Even Trumps nominee to head the Department of Education, billionaire heiress and charter school advocate Betsy DeVos, appears likely to sail through, although her confirmation hearing exposed her complete ignorance on basic education policy issues.

Only Rex Tillerson for secretary of state is in jeopardy, and then only because a single Republican member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Marco Rubio of Florida, has criticized him sharply while claiming to be undecided. Rubios opposition, like that of McCain and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, is from the right, echoing Democratic Party criticism of Trumps foreign policy as too soft on Russia.

The main conflict raging behind the scenes, although ventilated in the public charges of Russian hacking, is whether the main focus of American military-diplomatic aggression should be directed first against Russia or China. This dispute not only pits the Democrats and a section of congressional Republicans against Trump, but appears to run as a fault line through the Trump cabinet-in-formation as well.

Trumps nominee for UN ambassador, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, denounced Russia at her confirmation hearing Wednesday, declaring, I dont think we should trust them, and calling for the retention of sanctions imposed after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The most significant criticism of the incoming Trump administration took the form of press reports of disarray in the process of staffing the lower levels of the national security bureaucracy, particularly in the Pentagon, State Department and National Security Council. Foreign Policy magazine flayed the Trump transition team because it has not yet named senior deputies for the State or Homeland Security Departments. The magazine continued: Meanwhile, dozens of important posts at the Defense Department remain vacant because of a dispute between Mattis and Trump aides over who gets to make the selection.

CNN reported that at least six senior officials in the Pentagon would stay on for the first weeks of the Trump administration, as well as several top aides in the State Department. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates has been asked to stay on as well, reportedly because an official at her level is required to approve wiretapping and other surveillance requests that come in daily from the spy agencies.
For more than three decades, the United States political and media establishment has conducted a coordinated campaign to whitewash the dangers of nuclear war. Using discredited science from the 1980s, US officials have adopted the policy that a nuclear first-strike against Russia could be successful and that the environmental dangers posed by multiple atomic or thermonuclear detonationsso-called nuclear winterhave been disproven.

Such attitudes toward the use of nuclear weapons take on a new and ominous light when one considers the neo-McCarthyite rhetoric being used by congressional Republicans and top Democratic officials against Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as provocations like the deployment of 4,000 US troops and accompanying tanks, artillery and armored vehicles in Poland along Russias border. As significant sections of the United States government are preparing for war with nuclear-armed Russia, they simultaneously reject 34 years of peer-reviewed scientific research showing that a nuclear exchange threatens humanitys extinction.

This perspective is reflected in the media. In 1987, the National Review described nuclear winter as a fraud. In 1990, the New York Times referred to the science as discounted. In 2000, Discover magazine included nuclear winter on its list of The Twenty Greatest Scientific Blunders in History. Since then, the danger of nuclear winter has largely been ignored and the scientists doing the research marginalized.

One of the scientists who has worked to expose the consequences of nuclear war to a mass audience is Steven Starr, an expert on the environmental dangers of nuclear weapons who has been published in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Center for Arms Control, Energy and Environmental Studies. He has been involved in the research surrounding the climatic effects of nuclear detonations since 2001.

Steven Starr is the director of the University of Missouris Clinical Laboratory Science Program, as well as a senior scientist at the Physicians for Social Responsibility. His most recent publication is on the web site of the Federation of American Scientists, titled Turning a Blind Eye Towards Armageddon  U.S. Leaders Reject Nuclear Winter Studies.

We recently spoke to Starr about some of the history, science and politics underlying the concept of nuclear winter and the fallacy that any country could somehow win a nuclear war.

* * * * *

Bryan Dyne: First, could you tell me something about your background and how you became so involved in exposing the full consequences of nuclear war?

Steven Starr: Ive been fixated on nuclear war ever since experiencing the Cuban Missile Crisis in third grade. I remember the teachers huddled around a little black and white TV set and telling us to not look at the flash and to sit against the interior of the walls. All the duck-and-cover drills left an imprint on me.

Later on, I came across Carl Sagans book A Path Where No Man Thought: Nuclear Winter and the End of the Arms Race which was published in 1990. In it, Sagan talks about the atmospheric research that was done in the 1980s that shows the climatic and environmental consequences that would be caused by a nuclear war. Sagan and four other NASA scientists looked at the data collected on the global dust storms on Mars and specifically were looking at the difference of the Martian surface temperature when there was a dust storm and when there wasnt. Then they asked, What could cause something similar on Earth? The answers they came up with are volcanic eruptions or nuclear war.

This made me realize just how dangerous the nuclear arsenals of the US and Russia really were. Even with the simple atmospheric models of the 1980s, it was clear that the massive firestorms created by a nuclear war would produce enough smoke and black carbon soot to block the majority of sunlight from reaching the surface of Earth. The original nuclear winter research predicted that a war fought with the nuclear arsenals of the 1980s would create temperatures colder than those experienced at the height of the last Ice Age 18,000 years ago. This would leave the Earth virtually uninhabitable. The recent research found that the original studies actually underestimated the consequences of nuclear war.

These peer-reviewed studies done in 2007 predict that even a war fought between India and Pakistan, in which a total of 100 atomic bombs were detonated in their cities, would produce enough soot and smoke to create the coldest temperatures experienced in the last 1,000 years. This would significantly decrease production of rice, corn and grain crops for several years, and the latest estimates from medical experts predict that as many as 2 billion people would starve as a result.

This modern research also shows how the hot smoke in the stratosphere would produce ozone losses of 20 to 50 percent over populated areas in the Northern hemisphere. A fair-skinned individual outside in June during mid-day could get a painful sunburn in as little as six minutes. And a war fought with existing US and Russian nuclear arsenals is predicted to make agriculture impossible for a decade or longer, dooming most people to die from a nuclear famine.

Beginning in the late 1990s, I began to wonder why more research wasnt being done on this topic, especially since the nuclear arsenals had changed significantly and because climate models had come a long way since the first study was done in 1983. Vastly improved computers allowed us to study the impact of nuclear war, not just the effects of a single weapon. What I learned was that there had been an active attempt to suppress this research and it had been done in a variety of ways.

First was a study published by the National Center for Atmospheric Research in 1986 by Starley Thompson and Stephen Schneider, which claimed that the original nuclear winter studies overestimated the amount of soot that would be tossed into the upper atmosphere. Starley and Schneider used a primitive model (with a 20-day run) to incorrectly claim that only 50 percent of the smoke generated from the nuclear explosions would make it into the stratosphere and that the rest would be rained out. The phrase nuclear autumn was derived from this non-peer reviewed study and was used to belittle the previous work.

The nuclear autumn story was published by Foreign Affairs and was then spread to a variety of news outlets including National Review, the Wall Street Journal, Time magazine and the New York Times. In 2000, Discover magazine even included nuclear winter in its list of The Twenty Greatest Scientific Blunders in History.

After the success of the smear campaign against nuclear winter, most people eventually accepted this narrative and funding for new research dried up. This had a big impact on the public, who got the impression that the nuclear winter theory had been disproven. As a result, this issue is hardly ever talked about now in the mainstream media.

BD: Do you think there were political pressures involved in turning nuclear winter into nuclear autumn?

SS: There was definitely a lot of backlash from various industrial and military interests against the first nuclear winter research. The scientists were called frauds and the research labeled bad science. One of the reasons for this is that over the years, trillions of dollars have been spent on nuclear weapons. If the conclusions of the nuclear winter researchthat nuclear war is suicide for all peoples and nationshad gained widespread acceptance and understanding, it is likely that the whole nuclear weapons industry would have been shut down.

The scientists were pressured into stopping nuclear winter-related research because the funding for such research was cut. They should have gotten the highest award for making people aware of these dangers but instead they were persecuted. Taking away funding is a very effective way to silence the scientific community.

It didnt work perfectly. Sagan, for example, continued to give talks and reports about this topic, and many scientists remained interested and concerned. My first attempts in 2001 to help find funding for new nuclear winter research projects were unsuccessful in large part because most people I contacted, including anti-nuclear weapon activists, believed that nuclear winter had been scientifically discredited. When Brian Toon, Alan Robock, Mike Mills and other scientists finally managed to get the newest research done (beginning in 2007), it was mostly self-funded using the resources of their labs. Theyve tried to get funding from the National Academy of Sciences for more detailed follow-up work on the many catastrophic effects of nuclear winter, but they havent been successful.

Even so, the science in their recent studies has been peer-reviewed and has survived all criticism of the global scientific communityit is considered to be top-notch science. Whats more, the scientists were essentially quite conservative in their estimates and predictions. For example, their findings indicated that 7 million tons of smoke would rise into the stratosphere after the India-Pakistan 100-atomic-bomb war, but the scientists used 5 million tons for their estimates on effects. Likewise, for their two models of a US-Russian nuclear war, the largest weapon they used in their calculations was a 100-kiloton bomb, when in reality most Russian weapons are 800 kilotons, and many US weapons are 300 and 475 kilotons. Using these more conservative figures acted to reduce the likely thermal effects and corresponding amounts of smoke released by their hypothetical wars.

BD: So what do politicians and generals think will happen if there is a nuclear exchange between the US and Russia? Do they realize the environmental dangers of nuclear war?

SS: Its hard to get an answer from any ranking elected official. They always have a cadre of assistants surrounding them that make it hard for you to give them something to read. However, my friend Greg Mello, the secretary and executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group, was once able to pose the question of nuclear winter to the US Nuclear Weapons Council. This group includes the head of the US Strategic Command and is what makes US policy on nuclear weapons. Their attitude was essentially, We dont believe in nuclear winter. Their focus is instead stopping nuclear terrorism and other scenarios that only involve a single nuclear weapon.

This makes no sense. The United States and Russia each have about 1,000 of what I call launch-ready nuclear weapons. In the US, this means that the solid-fuel engines of the intercontinental ballistic missiles are powered up 24 hours a day, awaiting the order to launch. It only takes minutes for the president to open the nuclear briefcase, which accompanies him at all times, and give the order to fire these weapons. A similar briefcase also follows President Putin.

These launch-ready weapons are inherently dangerous. They are supposed to act as a deterrent, but think about what deterrence actually means. Its based on the idea of being capable of inflicting unacceptable retaliation on somebody. If you attack us, well destroy you. But classical deterrence doesnt say you have to launch your weapons in 15 minutes or less, it just says you have to at some point be able to launch them. The short time frame came in when the military decided it needed to launch their weapons upon warning of attack, before the attack arrived.

In other words, launch-ready nuclear weapons are essentially preemptive weapons. If the US early warning systems detect a missile launch, the President can order a launch of retaliatory nuclear strike before incoming nuclear warheads take out communication systems and weapons. Of course, if this is a false warning of attack, then the retaliatory strike becomes a first-strike and a nuclear war has started.

Moreover, if somebody has launched a nuclear strike against the silos in which your nuclear weapons are housed in, you dont retaliate by targeting their empty silos. You target their cities. Russia only has about 230 cities with a population greater than 100,000 and the US has 312. So its not that hard to wipe out a couple hundred cities in an initial salvo.

For many years, the entire global dialogue about nuclear weapons has focused primarily on the possible use of a single nuclear weapon by terrorists. This fits the official narrative on terrorism, but it ignores the existential danger posed by a nuclear war fought with existing US and Russian nuclear arsenals.

There is another problem with focusing only on a single nuclear weapon. Lets say NATO or Polish forces attack Kaliningrad, an important but isolated enclave for the Russian navy. Russia doesnt have the conventional forces to stop such an attack; would it use nuclear weapons to prevent the loss of Kaliningrad? Once a US/NATO-Russian war begins, how does it stopwhich side will admit defeat? Once nuclear weapons are used, what prevents more from being used?

The strategists often say, Oh, well, Russia will back down. What if they dont? And why would they back down on their own border? Any US/NATO-Russian direct military conflict will very likely lead to a full-scale nuclear war.

BD: You mention in one of your articles that the US is sleepwalking towards nuclear war. Is this sleepwalking or a deliberate policy?

SS: Thats a legitimate question. I agree with you. Sleepwalking was the most polite way I could say it.

To give an example, Foreign Affairs published an article in 2006 written by Keir Lieber and Daryl Press called The Rise of Nuclear Primacy. It was very disquieting, basically claiming that the weapon systems in the US had gotten to the point where it could undertake a first strike against Russia and Russia would lose any ability to retaliate. Nuclear primacy conveyed the idea that the US could win a nuclear war against Russia should the US attack firstexcept that Lieber and Press took no account of the environmental consequences of such a first strike. Robock and Toon tell us that the resulting nuclear famine from such a nuclear first strike would kill the inhabitants of the side that won the war.

Russia also fears that the US/NATO Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) that has been deployed at sea and on land surrounding Russia could be used as part of a US first-strike. This is because Russia considers BMD to have offensive capabilities, that it could be used as a mop up system to take out any surviving Russian missiles not destroyed in a nuclear first strike.

This has led to Russia targeting the US/NATO Ballistic Missile Defense sites that the US has set up in Eastern Europe, including the operational system in Romania and the one being built in Poland. Russia also sees a special threat from these facilities because they can also be used to launch nuclear-armed cruise missiles. This fact has been widely discussed on Russian mass media and the Russian people are demanding that Putin take some action against these sites.

BD: Given how dangerous nuclear war is, what do you think of the increasingly hysterical denunciations of Russia and the Russian government in the US media and by the Democrats and Republicans?

SS: Its very disconcerting to see the leadership of both the Democrats and Republicans to come out with this type of thinking. These anti-Putin and anti-Russian stories keep coming up on thousands of different media sources simultaneously, including the New York Times and Washington Post, which are supposed to be the newspapers of record, and it acts like a smear campaign. Almost all such stories are based on no information or false information and they have created a narrative that is pushing us toward war with Russia. There are no two ways about it.

A war with China wouldnt be any better. China happens to be a strategic partner of Russia. They also have 20-30 ICBMs that carry three-megaton warheads; each warhead could set 600 square miles on fire. China also has submarine-launched ballistic missiles that can be armed with nuclear warheads.

Yet there is no discussion of the existential threat of nuclear war in the US. This has to be the starting place for any discussion on nuclear weapons. If we have the best scientists in the world telling us that a nuclear war would wipe out most of the human race, that should be our primary concern. Why should these arsenals even be allowed to exist?
Donald Trumps inauguration as president of the United States heralds an unprecedented deterioration in post-war relations between the US and Europe, above all between the US and Germany.

The January 20 ceremony was preceded by an interview with Trump in Britains Sunday Times and Germanys Bild newspaper. His remarks were a broadside against the institutions that have constituted the basis of the post-World War II European order.

Trump praised Britains exit from the European Union, describing the EU as a vehicle for German domination and predicting that others will leave. He added, 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.

Trump threatened Germanys auto industry with sanctions and attacked Chancellor Angela Merkel, blaming her refugee policy for destabilising Europe. He also opposed sanctions against Russia, while declaring that he believed the NATO alliance was obsolete.

Never before has a US president set as his explicit goal the breakup of the EU. Trump made clear in his interview that he was seeking to pit the UK against Germany and he solidarised himself with the UK Independence Party and other right-wing anti-EU parties.

The response from Europes political elite was uniformly hostile. In Germany, Merkel replied, I think we Europeans hold our fate in our own hands. Sigmar Gabriel of Merkels coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party, insisted, We must not adopt a servile attitude now In dealing with Trump, we need German self-confidence and a clear stance.

French President Francois Hollande said that transatlantic cooperation will from now on be based on Europes own interests and values.

Europes think tanks and media predicted escalating militarism and an eruption of nationalist tensions. EU member states will have to consider increasing strategic autonomy by reinforcing collective defence inside the EU, said Felix Arteaga of the Elcano Royal Institute in Madrid.

Judy Dempsey of Carnegie Europe wrote that Trump might rekindle old fears of German encirclement by encouraging a gang-up on Germany. She added, Since that is the new political outlook, Europe and Germany have to respond.

In the Guardian, Natalie Nougayrede suggested, Europe may witness a return to spheres of influence... with governments rushing to try to secure their own interests whatever the cost to neighbours and the continents future.

Trumps America First positions represent a seismic shift in US political relations with Europe. The Christian Science Monitor cited John Hulsman, a transatlantic affairs specialist, berating the European elites for having grown accustomed to Wilsonian American leaders who left unquestioned Americas leadership of the postwar internationalist system, and not adjusting quickly enough to a Jacksonian and more nationalist US worldview promoted by Trump.

Until now, however, such unilateralist tendencies were generally in abeyance. The American ruling class recognised that their unrestrained application would undermine its ability to exercise effective global hegemony. One of the issues animating hostility toward Trump within the US intelligence agencies in connection with his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin is their belief that a Russian bogeyman is essential to preserve the framework through which the US has long exercised its dominance within Europe, via NATO and the EU.

The last time tensions emerged sharply between the US and Europe was in 2003, during the run-up to the Iraq War, when US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld denounced France and Germany for failing to support the US in Iraq. Rumsfeld called the two countries old Europe and counterposed to them the states of Eastern Europe.

On January 26 that year, the World Socialist Web Site published a perspective comment by David North titled How to deal with America? The European dilemma, which addressed the historic significance of that conflict.

North explained that Americas postwar relationship with Europe between 1945 and 1991 was determined fundamentally by its appraisal of its own essential economic and geopolitical interests within the specific context of the Cold War. He continued: Americas attitude toward Europe was determined by the overriding need to (1) enforce the isolation of the Soviet Union and minimize its influence in Western Europe (containment) and (2) prevent social revolution at a time when the European working class was extremely militant and highly politicized.

The United States emphasis during that period on its alliance with Western Europe was, in fact, a departure from the historical norm. The more basic tendency of American capitalism, rooted in its somewhat belated emergence as a major imperialist power, had been to augment its world position at the expense of Europe.

North then wrote: The collapse of the Soviet Union fundamentally altered the international framework upon which postwar diplomatic relations were based. There was no longer any need for the United States to prop up the Western European bourgeoisie as a line of defense against the Soviet Union. Moreover, the demise of the USSR created a vacuum of power that the United States was determined to exploit to its own advantage.

In this context, he cited the prophetic warning made by Leon Trotsky in 1928:

In the period of crisis the hegemony of the United States will operate more completely, more openly, and more ruthlessly than in the period of boom. The United States will seek to overcome and extricate herself from her difficulties and maladies primarily at the expense of Europe, regardless of whether this occurs in Asia, Canada, South America, Australia, or Europe itself, or whether this takes place peacefully or through war.

The dilemma anticipated in 2003 now assumes its full significance. Sections of the US bourgeoisie continue to be deeply opposed to Trumps attacks on the EU and Germany, with outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry describing Merkel as courageous and Trumps remarks as inappropriate. But regardless of such disagreements, the US is being objectively driven on a steep trajectory toward trade war and protectionism to counter the threat to its global hegemony due to economic decline, the challenge posed by the rise of China and other rival powers, and a series of military debacles suffered since 2003. This must inevitably provoke conflict with Europe.

No one can predict in detail the consequences of this geostrategic shift by the USincluding what alliances Germany, France, the UK and Russia might eventually forge. To this must be added the precise role that may be played by China as a potential counterweight to America.

However, underlying all such developments will be an explosion of national antagonisms in which the corollary of Trumps America First agenda will be demands to put Germany First, Britain First and France First, which can lead only to the fracturing of Europe into competing power blocs.

The project of European integration under capitalism is coming to an end, unleashing all of the political demons it was meant to have contained.

Nothing is left of the promise that closer political union and the Single Market would bring prosperity and peace. Instead, right-wing reaction and the growth of fascistic parties are taking place in every country. The European powers speak constantly of the need to militarise, even as NATO troops mass on Russias border, while austerity is the only issue on which they all agree.

The assault on the working class will worsen, as Berlin, Paris and London demand yet greater national sacrifice to compete against their rivals and pay the vast sums needed to rearm the continent.

The bourgeoisie has proved incapable of overcoming the fundamental contradiction between the integrated character of the global economy and the division of the world into antagonistic nation states based on private ownership of the means of production, which is once again driving them to a war for the redivision of the world.

The working class of Europe must proceed from an understanding that the post-war period, in which, since 1945, several generations have lived their lives, is over, and a new pre-war period has begun. It must assume responsibility for opposing the drive to austerity, militarism and war by all the imperialist powers.

Above all, it must seek the conscious unification of its struggles with those of workers in the United States and internationally. The explosion of working class opposition that Trumps government of oligarchs and warmongers must inevitably provoke will provide the most powerful accelerant for the struggles of the European working class.
It is with great sadness that the World Socialist Web Site reports the death of M. Jon Posner, a longtime, well-respected criminal defense lawyer in Detroit. Posner represented the Workers League, the predecessor of the Socialist Equality Party, in numerous cases in the 1980s and early 1990s, defending the partys right to conduct political activity without harassment by the police or other authorities.

Posner, 73, died in his home in the Detroit suburb of Southfield on January 11 after a months-long battle with brain cancer. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Roberta Henrion, his daughter Emily, a civil rights attorney in New Orleans, and his son Mike Posner, a popular recording artist.

In a measure of how well loved Posner was, hundreds of family members, friends and former clients packed into the Ira Kaufman funeral home last Friday for a memorial service. Warm tributes to Posner, known by friends and family as Jonny, recalled his commitment to his clients, including the hundreds of public defender cases assigned to him over his 47-year legal career.

Posner was born into a Jewish family, the son of Helen and Irving Posner, a social worker and a pediatrician, respectively. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1965. He earned a law degree from Detroits Wayne State University in 1968 and taught school for two years in Detroit under a federal anti-poverty program before being admitted to the bar in 1970.

An opponent of the Vietnam War, Posner came of age during socially turbulent times, including the 1967 urban uprising in Detroit, the largest of the nationwide upheavals against police brutality and poverty that swept across the US in the 1960s. During this period, many anti-war, civil rights and labor activists, and the principled attorneys who defended them, were targeted for surveillance and harassment by the FBI and the notorious Red Squads operated by the Detroit Police Department and the Michigan State Police.

In 1975, Posner teamed up with attorneys Marc Weiss, Neal Bush and Ken Mogill to establish a practice in Detroit. The latter two young lawyers had previously traveled to New York State to defend Attica Prison inmates who survived the 1971 massacre ordered by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. Over the next 42 years, Jon and his fellow attorneys worked on many civil liberties cases, including the defense of hundreds of striking Detroit newspaper workers arrested on the picket lines during the 1995-97 strike and lockout.

Jon was always on the side without power, Mogill told the World Socialist Web Site. He had an amazing lack of ego and even after winning a case would never toot his own horn. The Russian author Dostoyevsky once said, The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons. Well, you can judge the humanity of Jon by how he treated people in prison or those who were at risk of going to prison.

On several occasions, Posner defended the Workers League when its members were arrested for political activity, including distributing the partys newspaper, the Bulletin, at factory gates, picket lines, demonstrations and in working class communities.

The 1980s and early 1990s was a period of popular opposition to the class war and militarist policies of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, including the wave of union-busting that began with Reagans 1981 firing of 13,000 striking air traffic controllers. In Detroit, Democratic Mayor Coleman Young, elected in 1973 for his public opposition to police brutality, did not hesitate to use the cops to break strikes and harass socialists and other political opponents.

It was a comfort for members of the Workers League to know Posner was only a phone call away if they found themselves hauled off by the police on one or another bogus charge of disturbing the peace, trespassing, etc. The groundless arrests were aimed at bankrupting the party with high legal costs and intimidating and silencing its members.

Posner was the rare attorney, however, who was not concerned with pursuing a lucrative career but in defending constitutionally protected free speech and other core democratic rights. Although he took on the Workers League cases pro bono, he diligently prepared his defense, exposing the false claims and pseudo-legal arguments of the authorities and invariably winning an acquittal or a plea deal with reduced charges and no punishment.

Many Workers League members, including the author of this tribute, owe a great debt of gratitude to Posner for his dedication and principles.

In 1984, DArtagnan Collier, a 16-year-old student at Osborn High School, was suspended for interfering with the education process because he was an active member of the Young Socialists, the Workers Leagues youth movement. To the surprise of the high schools principal, an ally of Mayor Young, Collier showed up at his disciplinary meeting with Posner at his side. Soon afterwards, the punishment was lifted. Years later Collier would run as the Socialist Equality Partys candidate for Detroit mayor in 2013.

Posner got this author out of jail several times. The last time was in 1990 after an arrest in Pontiac for passing out leaflets to state employees at the Clinton Valley mental health facility, which was threatened with closure. At trial, Posner presented a detailed defense, placing a traffic pattern map into evidence and demolishing the prosecutors charges of obstructing traffic.

Another case involved the arrest of two Workers League members on the very day President George H.W. Bush announced the start of Operation Desert Storm in the first Gulf WarJanuary 16, 1991. The two were arrested and charged with trespassing for distributing anti-war leaflets to students during a Martin Luther King Day march near their Detroit school. Posner had to fight to get the release of the two, who were held for 12-14 hours while their jailers watched the bombing of Baghdad. When they went to court with Posner, the cop did not show up and the charges were dropped.

Even as criminal defense work became more and more difficult in the face of the right-wing lurch of both political parties, up until his retirement Posner continued to take public defender cases, visit low-income clients in jail and prepare their defense. Of his numerous assigned cases, he once said, I am a lifeline to indigent clients. I can be their one hope to get their lives back on track, when everyone else around them has given up.

He also served as a board member and treasurer of both the Legal Aid and Defender Association and the Detroit chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, while committing time to training a new generation of defense attorneys. At the funeral, it was announced that Posners name was being added to a scholarship fund named after his late law partner, Mark Weiss, at Wayne States Law School.

In her tribute at the memorial service, Emily Posner said her father had for four decades fought inside a criminal justice system that is one of the most humiliating and dehumanizing institutions. He was deeply humane, she said, and the type of lawyer you would want to fight for you when the state or the government threatened to take away your freedom.
Republican Representative Tom Price, president-elect Donald Trumps nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), reiterated his intention to repeal Obamacare and his support for the dismantling of Medicaid and gutting of Medicare, in testimony before the Senate Wednesday.

Over the course of the nearly four-hour confirmation hearing, Price made clear his intent to keep unfettered the right of the healthcare industry to profit from mass suffering, calling for the transformation of Medicaid into a state-run program funded via federal block grants and refusing to commit to maintaining any of the minimal patient protections afforded by the Affordable Care Act, generally referred to as Obamacare.

Speaking before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Price gave few details on the Republicans plan to replace Obamacare. While claiming, Nobody is interested in pulling the rug out from anybody, Price refused to give a timetable or any other specific details on a substitute health plan, suggesting that any replacement legislation would be implemented piecemeal, leaving open the possibility that the 30 million people who have gained minimal health care coverage through the ACAs exchanges and Medicaid expansion could be left stranded without health insurance for an indefinite length of time.

Price, who was chairman of the House Budget Committee, refused to commit to Trumps repeated campaign promise that his administration would not impose any cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, claiming that dollars were the wrong metric to measure resources for patient care. The Empowering Patients First Act (EPFA), the legislation which Price proposed in 2015 to replace the ACA last year, would cut $449 billion from Medicare and $1.1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade.

Price gave vague and non-committal answers to questions about whether replacement legislation would maintain the limited protections afforded by the ACA, such as the prohibition on lifetime caps on most benefits; the requirement that insurance companies not exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions; the requirement that health plans include benefits such as mental health care, emergency services, and prescription drug coverage; and the right of young people to receive coverage from their parents insurance plans up to the age of 26.

All of Prices answers amounted to variations on the themes of patient choice and the freedom for every American to access the type of coverage they want. In reality, this is the freedom to be either sucked dry by insurance companies for minimal coverage, to pay even more for comprehensive coverage, or to gamble on health and go without any coverage at all.

On the other hand, Price spoke sympathetically of the insurance companies preparing the premiums they would levy on patients in 2018, saying that What they need to hear from all of us, I believe, is a level of support and stability in the market.

Senate Democrats mounted a cynical assault against Price, citing Trumps lying promise about not touching Medicare and Medicaid and repeatedly asking Price if he would uphold it, thus presenting the billionaire president-elect as sympathetic to these government-run health insurance programs, and giving themselves a pretext for collaborating with the new administration.

Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Al Franken of Minnesota referred to the billionaire real estate moguls recent comment that his administration would give insurance for everybody, and attempting to wring out of Price a commitment to Trumps supposed promise.

Senator Bernie Sanders, the self-described democratic socialist who ran for presidency in the Democratic primary, urged Price, Will you work with us on this? as he questioned him on whether he would support the opening up of a market to cheaper imported prescription drugs.

The Democrats also criticized the blatant conflict of interest in Price holding investments of hundreds of thousands of dollars in pharmaceutical and medical device companies as he introduced bills that would boost the profits of these companies.

One senator, Democrat Christopher Murphy from Connecticut, pointing worryingly to the financial backgrounds of the rest of Trumps cabinet, said, I raise [these conflict of interests issues] because I think theres great concern ... [among] Americans that this whole administration is starting to look like a get-rich scheme.

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Former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton has provocatively advocated that the incoming Trump administration not only revisit the One China policy that has formed the basis of US-China relations for decades, but boost US military sales to Taiwan and station US military forces there. Basing American military units on Taiwan would set the stage for a major US confrontation and conflict with China.

Beijing has already responded to Trumps declarations that he will adhere to the One China policy only if China makes major concessions by flatly declaring the issue non-negotiable and urging caution. Under the One China policy, Washington recognised Beijing as the sole legitimate government of all China, including Taiwan.

Bolton was among the most militarist figures in the George W. Bush administration. As an undersecretary of state and then UN ambassador, he staunchly defended the illegal US invasion of Iraq, supported the lies about weapons of mass destruction and advocated aggressive US measures against North Korea and Iran. He was high on Trumps list of possible nominees for the key post of secretary of state and undoubtedly has strong links to the new administration.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal on Monday, Bolton declared: [I]t is high time to revisit the One China policy and decide what it means  We need strategically coherent priorities reflecting not 1972 but 2017, encompassing more than trade and monetary policy, and specifically including Taiwan. Lets see how an increasingly belligerent China responds.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon visited China, signalling an abrupt shift in foreign policy to enlist Beijing in Washingtons Cold War machinations against the former Soviet Union. Nixons initial acceptance of the One China policy in the Shanghai Communique was formalised in 1979 when the US broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan and established them with China. At the same time, the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act committed the US to defending Taiwan against any attempt by China to forcibly re-integrate Taiwan.

Boltons claims about Chinese belligerence were laced with a concoction of lies and half-truths similar to that used by the Bush administration to justify the military occupation of Iraq. In citing Chinas land reclamation in the South China Sea and declaration of an Air Defence Identification Zone in the East China Sea, Bolton simply ignored the confrontational actions of Obamas pivot to Asia to which Beijing has responded. As far as Bolton is concerned, the pivot, which has involved a massive military build-up against China, has not gone nearly far enough.

After condemning China, Bolton advocated steps that would provoke the most serious crisis in East Asia in decades. He wrote: America could enhance its East Asia military posture by increasing US military sales to Taiwan and by again stationing military personnel and assets there, probably on favourable financial terms. Such measures, Bolton said, could be taken under the Taiwan Relations Act and thus would not require legislation.

Bolton clearly envisages a major commitment of US forces to Taiwan. Given the islands location close to the Chinese mainland and the South China Sea, this would give US forces greater flexibility for rapid deployment throughout the region should the need arise. A closer military relationship with Taiwan, he argued, would be a significant step toward achieving core American interests in Asiathat is, the domination of US imperialism.

As Bolton is well aware, the return of US military forces to Taiwan would be an inflammatory move that could rapidly lead to the end of diplomatic relations between the US and China, and an escalation of moves toward war. Bolton is among those militarist layers of the US establishment who regard conflict with China as inevitable, and, given Americas historic decline, want to precipitate a confrontation sooner rather than later.

Bolton has his counterparts in the incoming Trump administration, including specifically on the issue of Taiwan.

Trumps designated chief of staff, Reince Priebus visited Taiwan with a Republican delegation in 2011 and again in October 2015, when he met Tsai Ing-wen before she was elected Taiwanese president last year. Taiwanese Foreign Minister David Lee has called Priebus a friend and described his appointment as good news for the island.

Peter Navarro, who has been appointed to head the new National Trade Council, is a belligerent anti-China hawk whose books include The Coming China Wars: Where They Will be Fought and How They Can Be Won. He is not only a strident advocate of trade war measures against China, but criticises Obamas pivot as inadequate, and calls for stronger US relations with Taiwan.

After visiting Taiwan and holding extensive talks with government officials, business executives and academics, Navarro published an article in the National Interest last July titled America cant dump Taiwan. It called for a fundamental reorientation of US relations with Taiwan. Navarro urged American leaders to never acknowledge the One China, Two Systems policynor even refer to the One China policy again. [emphasis in the original]

While not going as far as Bolton, Navarro insisted that maintaining Taiwan as an independent pro-US ally was absolutely critical for strategically balancing against the rise of China. Rather than basing US military forces on Taiwan, he called for sending private, retired military, contractors to the island to train its troops.

Navarro also advocated greater military aid to Taiwan, including anti-access, area denial capabilities comparable to Chinasa move that would require a major upgrading of the Taiwanese military. He called for US assistance to Taiwan to develop a fleet of state-of-the-art diesel electric submarines. Such military hardware would threaten the Chinese navy and shipping and could in no way be construed as defensive under the terms of the Taiwan Relations Act.

The most bellicose remarks, however, have been made by Rex Tillerson, Trumps nominee for secretary of state, not over Taiwan, but Chinas land reclamation and construction in the South China Sea. At his confirmation hearings last week, Tillerson declared: We are going to have to send a clear signal to China that, first, the island building stops and second, your access to those islands is also not going to be allowed.

On the Defence One web site on Tuesday, Michael Fuchs explained that any attempt to block Chinas access to its islets in the South China Sea would mean war. The only way to block Chinas access to the islands it occupies in the South China Sea would be to enact a naval blockade, which is an act of war, he wrote, adding that under international law the US would be the aggressor in starting a war.

Fuchs served as a deputy assistant secretary of state in the Obama administration until 2016. He advocates a more robust policy to confront China in the South China Sea, including expanding the pace and scope of freedom of navigation operationsthat is, provocative naval challenges to Chinas territorial claims. Fuchs does, however, bluntly state the dangers in what Tillerson is proposing: an act of war that could quickly lead to armed clashes and a devastating conflict that would engulf Asia and the world.
He flabbergasts the Human Race

By gliding on the water's face

With ease, celerity and grace;

But if he ever stopped to think

Of how he did it, he would sink.

-- Hilaire Belloc, on the waterbeetle

WASHINGTON -- Leaving aside the missing element of grace and the improbability of his ever stopping to think, Donald Trump is the waterbeetle of politics. His feral cunning in manipulating the masses and the media is, like the waterbeetle's facility, instinctive. The 72 days of transition demonstrated a stylistic seamlessness with his 511 days of campaigning, which indicates that the 1,461 days of his term that begins Friday will be as novel as his campaign was.

Its theme was often a pronoun without an antecedent, his admirers explaining their admiration by saying that "he tells it like it is." Fortunately, a theme of his transition has been a verbal shrug: "Oh, never mind."

He won by stoking resentments that his blue-collar base harbors about the felt condescension of elites. He has, however, transitioned with ease and celerity away from the most vivid commitments that made his crowds roar (prosecuting Hillary Clinton, making Mexico pay for the wall, banning Muslims from entering the country, deporting 11 million illegal immigrants within two years, restoring torture because "it works" but even "if it doesn't work," etc.).

Candidate Trump intimated a foreign policy less reliant on military measures than the policies of some recent presidential predecessors. But the most riveting moment of the transition received less attention than did Trump's tweet snit about Meryl Streep. The moment was when Rex Tillerson, Trump's designated secretary of state, told the Senate that China's policy of building and militarizing islands in the South China Sea is "akin to Russia's taking of Crimea" and that America should tell China that "your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed." China might not quietly accept this U.S. Navy blockading of the islands.

Tillerson might be right: China is directly challenging the fundamental U.S. interest in freedom of the seas. And Lord Curzon's reported axiom for diplomacy is often correct: Know your own mind and make sure the other fellow knows it, too. But combined with Trump's tweeted promise to prevent North Korea from making good on its vow to test a ballistic missile capable of reaching the continental United States ("It won't happen!"), Tillerson's statement indicates that the Trump administration might soon be militarily active.

A Trump campaign pledge that has survived the transition is his promise to revive manufacturing by imposing protectionism. Michael Froman, Barack Obama's trade representative, notes that "95 percent of consumers, 80 percent of purchasing power and the fastest growing markets for our products are outside the United States," so if other nations reciprocate U.S. protectionist measures, there could be "an outflow of manufacturing from the U.S."

The World Economic Forum that convenes every winter in Davos, Switzerland, will conclude Friday just as the Trump presidency begins. It has been well-said that Davos is where billionaires tell millionaires what the middle class feels. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended. He is advocating a Chinese alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the U.S. initiative that probably was dying before Trump's election killed it. The Communist leader offered an almost Thatcherite defense of free trade, which America's president-elect opposes.

The Washington Examiner's Tim Carney reports that Trump's choice to be secretary of commerce, Wilbur Ross, who was a registered Democrat until nine days into the transition, has praised China's central direction of its economy using five-year plans. Ross favors a U.S. "industrial policy" whereby government would "decide which industries are we going to really promote -- the so-called industries of the future." Ross' confidence in government's clairvoyance and planning dexterity might reflect the fact that, as Carney reports, he has done well by buying steel and textile companies which then profited from tariffs on steel imports and from textile import quotas.

As transitioning gives way to governing, Trump will continue to flabbergast. The past really is prologue, so we have been warned.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico's government says it has extradited drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States, where he is wanted on drug trafficking and other charges.

The Foreign Relations Department has announced on Twitter that Guzman was being sent to the U.S. on Thursday, the day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated as U.S. president.

The convicted Sinaloa cartel boss has been held most recently in a prison near the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez. He was recaptured a year ago after making a second brazen jailbreak and had fought extradition since then.

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The Florida Supreme Court is preserving the state's largest private school voucher program and ending a bitter legal battle over them.

The court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit that the state's main teacher union had filed against a program used by nearly 98,000 school children. Justices split 4-1 on the decision.

The court did not say why it had declined to hear the case.

Last year the 1st District Court of Appeal ruled that the Florida Education Association had no legal standing to challenge the program that is also known as the tax credit scholarship program.

The legal battle has been closely watched as supporters have mounted a public relations campaign to get the union and others to drop the lawsuit. The program has primarily served low-income families.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi says President-elect Donald Trump has reached out to the husband of a slain Orlando police officer.

Bondi said Wednesday that Trump had a phone conversation with the husband of Lt. Debra Clayton, who was fatally shot outside a Wal-Mart store in Orlando last week.

Bondi describes the conversation between Trump and Seth Clayton as "a brief, very touching, private conversation between two husbands."

A suspect wanted for Clayton's slaying was taken into custody Tuesday night after a manhunt that lasted more than a week.

Clayton was shot after she approached Markeith Loyd, who was wanted at the time for the killing of his pregnant ex-girlfriend.

Loyd's first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.
TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- The Consolidated Dispatch Agency board has agreed to a settlement with the family of Chris Smith, the Leon County deputy ambushed and killed while responding to a house fire in 2014.

The board took just 20 minutes Wednesday to discuss the matter and voted unanimously for the settlement, totaling $950,000.

"Today, having some closure to this is significant for us," said Leon County sheriff Walt McNeil, one of the CDA board members. "It means that we can now turn the page and move forward."

CDA director Dee Crumpler said the tragedy prompted significant change to make sure nothing like that ever happens again.

Smith was responding to a house fire on November 22, 2014, when he was shot and killed by a man the CDA knew had intentions of harming first responders -- but dispatchers failed to notify Smith and his colleague of what's called a "premise hazard."

Since then, Crumpler has created a "stop-to-go" feature, forcing dispatchers to alert first responders of a critical "premise hazard."

The CDA also reorganized its alerts to ensure the ones involving the highest risk are top-priority.

"This is a computer-aided dispatch system. Humans are involved. We're going to make mistakes, but what we are 100 percent committed to is fixing those problems and ensuring that they don't happen again," Crumpler said.

The family of Chris Smith was not at Wednesday afternoon's meeting. Their attorney tells WTXL he plans to address the public, once all of the settlement is finalized.

The settlement still needs approval from the city and county commission.

Both will vote on awarding an additional $200,000 each, for a grand total of $1.3 million.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Franklin County school officials said that a gun went off inside a car during school pick up.

Tuesday, school officials posted to Facebook a letter sent out by the district explaining the situation.

According to the letter, a parent came to pick up their child when the gun went off inside their car.

School officials said no one was injured.

They said the Franklin County Sheriff's Office is investigating to learn more about how this happened.

In the letter, the school district reminds parents that it is "federal violation of the safe schools act to bring a firearm of any kind on school grounds by either adults or children".

Regarding the incident, they say quote:

"We are deeply committed to not only providing our students with a first-rate education, but to ensuring that our school is a warm, inviting, and safe school. We need help from our community to make this happen."
On Jan. 10, Sens. Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse, along with 47 of their Senate colleagues, voted against and rejected an amendment introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders that would prevent the Senate from breaking Donald Trump's campaign promise that there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. The voters of Nebraska should at least be granted the courtesy, from its senators, of being provided with a rationale for voting thus.
TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- Friday will be a day for the history books, and while many of us will be tuning in for the inauguration of President Donald Trump, some local residents are heading to Washington D.C. to be a part of the action.

Clint Pate is one of these residents. Pate is Jackson County resident, a republican, and was chosen as an electoral voter for the state of Florida.

He is confident that Trump's presidency will look much different than what we've seen in the past, but in a way that will help America. He believes that strengthening our military and bringing jobs back to the country are two of the biggest topics that will help make America great again.

For Pate, seeing the inauguration in person is a perfect way for him to see things come full circle.

"Well actually, I went to the National Convention in Cleveland and then being an electoral. Being at the inauguration, I think that was just a way to complete everything. It's been an honor and a great experience to be involved in all this," says Clint Pate, the Chairman of Jackson County Republican Party.

Not everyone agrees with Pate's point of view. In fact, another resident WTXL spoke to felt the exact opposite.

River Spencer has not been politically active, until about two months ago when she heard about the Women's March on Washington the day after inauguration day.

For Spencer, who works in the heath care field, she is concerned that health care will be stripped away from millions.

In addition, she is very concerned about women's rights and the rights of LGBTQ members. Spencer fears that we will be taking a huge step back when it comes to those rights.

For her, this march is just one small step to try to make a difference.

"My plans are to go up to Washington and be with a bunch of friends that are going to be there, as well as apparently hundreds of thousands of other women just to make sure that Mr. Trump and the republican party and those in power are aware that we women are listening. We're watching and we're going to be very vocal," says River Spencer, a Tallahassee resident and democrat.

Spencer did say that she may decide to stay politically involved, but on a much more local level.

Whichever side you're on, history will be made this weekend.
QUINCY, Fla. (WTXL) - Quincy Police have arrested a man accused of robbing a victim at gunpoint in a local restaurant.

The Quincy Police Department said that they received a call about a robbery at Mama's House, a restaurant on West Crawford Street.

Witnesses told police that a black man had come into the restaurant and pointed a gun at a victim, demanding their wallet. After receiving it, the man ran away.

Following an investigation, officers said that they identified the suspect as Terrance McGill and later arrested him.

McGill was taken to Leon County Jail where he is awaiting court for an unrelated crime in the county.

The Quincy Police Department asks that anyone with information about any crime to contact the Quincy Police Department at (850) 627-7111 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 891-4408.
TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- A Florida nonprofit is reflecting on environmental victories from the general election and what's next for the Sunshine State.

Rethink Energy Florida says it's encouraged by the positions of newly elected officials. They say it's time to ban fracking in Florida and to support legislation that protects the environment and avoids corporate interest.

About 15 members met Wednesday to go over what went right in their opinion with the election. That includes anti-fracking legislation, a tax to clean up the Indian River Lagoon, and voters rejecting "Amendment 1" regarding solar energy use.

The group applauded the city of St. Petersburg for being Florida's first city to commit to 100 percent renewable energy, using $250,000 from its settlement with BP to put the plan in motion.

One of the big issues currently is the construction of the Sabal Trail Pipeline. President Kim Ross said the pipeline is bad news for the state, and the group is committed to sharing that message with lawmakers.

"We think that if the public is aware, they're not going to be happy with the idea that there's a new pipeline being laid, new infrastructure being laid for fracked gas to come to the state of Florida and probably to be exported from the state of Florida to other areas," Ross said. "We don't think that it's necessary. We think we should be investing in renewable energy instead."

Rethink Energy Florida will be part of a rally Monday afternoon at the Old Capitol about the pipeline. Ross said it'll focus less on the environmental concerns and more on holding the government accountable.
GEORGIA (WTXL) - A lawsuit by one of the two survivors of a crash that killed five Georgia Southern University students is playing out in court this week.

A truck crashed into the car the nursing students were in on interstate 16 in April 2015.

Megan Richards and her parents sued truck driver John Wayne Johnson, the trucking company and its parent company.

The civil trial got underway yesterday when the jurors were selected and opening arguments delivered.

Attorneys for Richards contend the crash left her injured and her life will never be the same.

"We've got a young lady whose life has been changed in radical ways because of a traumatic brain injury," said Bob Cheeley, an attorney.

Testimony was expected to start today. Richards attorneys expect to call about 20 witnesses.
Sen. Deb Fischer signaled Thursday that one of her priorities as she moves into a new leadership role on the Senate Armed Services Committee will be a strong U.S. nuclear weapons capability.

"There is broad bipartisan consensus in Congress that America needs now, more than any other time since the Cold War, a nuclear deterrent that is modern and effective," Fischer said. "I look forward to ensuring that this goal is achieved."

She has been named chairwoman of the subcommittee on strategic forces.

Subcommittee responsibilities include nuclear and strategic forces, nonproliferation programs, space programs, nuclear weapons activities at the Department of Energy, ballistic missile defense and the U.S. Strategic Command, which is headquartered near Omaha.

Fischer also has been reappointed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to serve on his Senate leadership team.

"Through this position, I will continue presenting the priorities of Nebraska families directly to Republican leadership at our weekly meetings," she said.

During a conference call from Washington, Fischer said she was preparing to host Nebraskans who are in the city to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump as president on Friday.

"People are really excited," she said. "It is an historic moment."

Fischer said her office was able to supply nearly 400 tickets to Nebraskans who plan to attend the inaugural event after receiving about 800 requests.

"There are a lot of high spirits in Washington today," she said.
YAKIMA, Wash. -- The 2017 Yakima Valley Official Travel Guide, a comprehensive guide to the Yakima Valley aimed at visitors, is now available.
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The Israel Police and Shin Bet thwarted an attempt to smuggle money and cellphones to a security prisoner Wednesday night, who is serving his sentence in the south.

Security forces caught the suspect in the act in possession of three cellphones and cash.

Both the suspect and the prisoner were arrested and taken in for investigation. On Thursday morning, they will be brought to court as police seek to extend their arrest.
A truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus early Thursday, killing at least 24 young children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said.

At least two dozen other children were injured in the collision when the speeding truck collided head-on with the bus, said Javeed Ahmed, the state's top police official.

The children, between the ages of 3 and 12, were studying at a school in the town of Etah.
Twenty-seven Jewish community centers in 17 US states reported receiving false telephone bomb threats on Wednesday, prompting evacuations and an FBI probe into the second wave of hoax attacks to target American Jewish facilities this month.

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The JCC Association of North America, a network of health and education centers, said the threatened organizations were working with police and many had resumed operations after no bombs were found nor injuries reported, as was the case after the earlier series of threats on January 9.

No one claimed responsibility for the calls on Wednesday nor nine days ago, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has not named any suspects nor described a likely motive.

Jewish center in Miami being evacuated on Jan 9 (Photo: CBS)

The FBI and the Justice Department are investigating possible civil rights violations in connection with threats, the FBI said in a statement.

"The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence, and will ensure this matter is investigated in a fair, thorough, and impartial manner," the statement said.

In Miami Beach, Florida, a center received a call at 9:54am and was evacuated, police said on Twitter. Officers and police dogs searched the area but found no bomb and the center reopened, they said.

Two centers in Connecticut said on Facebook they had received threatening phone calls and had evacuated. No bombs were found, they said.

Centers in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Delaware, Alabama, California, Maine, Tennessee, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas and Kansas also received threats, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

ADL director Jonathan Greenblatt said that "so far these threats do not appear to be credible," but urged centers to take them seriously nevertheless.

"While each incident needs to be taken seriously and investigated closely, thus far we are not aware of any of these threats being substantiated," Greenblatt said.

The January 9 threats targeted 16 Jewish community centers in nine US states, prompting the FBI to look into the source of the calls, some of them made using an automated "robocall" system.

It was not immediately clear if there was overlap between centers that received calls on January 9 and those that received them on Wednesday, but the volume of threats was unheard of, said Paul Goldenberg, national director of the Secure Community Network, a nonprofit that advises Jewish groups on security.

"These are individuals or groups that want to disrupt our way of life," Goldenberg said, adding that they would not succeed. "We're not going to shut down institutions because of this."

After last week's threats, the JCC Association of North America trained staff and reviewed security plans, the group said.

"While we're extremely proud of our JCCs for professionally handling yet another threatening situation, we are concerned about the anti-Semitism behind these threats," David Posner, director of strategic performance at the association, said in a statement.
You see the two Baggers up there? Yasser Abu al-Qiyan asked. There were two yellow excavators parked peacefully at the top of the hill. They had been rented to prepare the area for a new Jewish community called Hiran, which would be built alongside the ruins of Bedouin community Umm al-Hiran.

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Tell me, my brother, Yasser continued. Who do you think guards them?

Who? I asked. My uncle, Yasser replied. We guard them, and they kick us out.

Clashes in Umm al-Hiran, Wednesday. The circumstances, as well as the videos, leave room for two contradicting versions (Photo: Reuters))

We stood outside the communitys mosque, in the heart of a group of more than 20 men who had accumulated tons of rage. They had a hard time explaining what they were enraged by more: The death of Yacoub Abu al-Qiyan, a relative who was shot to death as he drove his car towards the police ; the claim raised by the police and widely reported by the media that he had been an Islamic State supporter; the demolition of their homes; or the inability to prevent any of this.

I want one thing, a young man screamed in my ear, Jewish blood. Bring me a Jew, Ill kill a Jew. The older men tried to calm him down. From time to time, he burst out again.

Yasser Abu al-Qiyan served in the IDF, in the Bedouin regiment. Had their commander told them not to use live ammunition, what happened wouldnt have happened, he said. There was an order from above. They wanted to see a lot of blood.

There is no justice in our country, he said, with fire raging in his eyes. The guy you murdered didnt do anything. And three hours later, you bring bulldozers to demolish the homes here? Look, he turned his hand towards the hill where the home of Yacoub al-Qiyan had stood just an hour earlier. At the bottom of the hill, there was a barrel of water for the sheep. The bulldozers that destroyed the house poured out the water and filled the barrel with earth. Why do the sheep have to suffer? he asked.

The fatal morning followed a night of negotiations that had reached a dead end. Yair Maayan, director of the Bedouin Development and Settlement Authority in the Negev, blames the Bedouin and external elements that helped them; the Bedouin blame the government.

What happened in Umm al-Hiran on Wednesday morning is a tragedy. An outstanding policeman, Erez (Amedi) Levi, a father to two small children, was killed on the job . He was killed in a terror attack inspired by ISIS, the police say. Their claim is based on an assessment made by someone in the Shin Bet. The circumstances, as well as the videos from the incident, leave room for two contradicting versions. The haste in which all officials, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu downwards, adopted the ISIS version reminds me of the haste in which they adopted the arson story in the recent fires. These accusations sound good; theyre not necessarily true.
BEAVER CITY  A man being held in a south-central Nebraska jail cell is awaiting a Jan. 30 hearing on returning him to face charges in Tennessee.

Furnas County Sheriff Kurt Kapperman said Thursday that Michael Parsons, 55, was arrested without incident Jan. 12 at the Arapahoe Airport. Kapperman said the FBI, working with Tennessee authorities, had tracked Parsons' cellphone to the area.

Kapperman said investigators think bad weather forced Parsons to land a single-engine plane there two days earlier. Kapperman said Parsons hasn't been forthcoming about where he was headed.

An arrest warrant said Parsons is wanted in Tipton County, Tennessee, on charges of failure to appear and possession of a weapon by a felon. Kapperman said Parsons was unarmed when taken into custody.
Arab communities declared a widescale general strike of public institutions and businesses Thursday in protest against the demolition of illegally constructed homes in the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran in southern Israel the previous day.

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The strike was also called to protest against demolitions ordered on the same grounds which took place last week in Qalansawe in central Israel.

Students protest in high school in Sakhnin

The Arab Monitoring Committee also announced three days of mourning as an expression of solidarity with the family of Yaqoub Musa Abu Alqiyan, who Israeli authorities say was shot dead after carrying out a car-ramming terror attack that killed policeman Sgt. Maj. Erez Levi, 34, in Umm al-Hiran on Wednesday morning.

Another officer was moderately wounded in the alleged attack.

Residents of the village and Arab MKs however, vehemently denied that Alqiyan deliberately ran anyone over, claiming that he was shot in cold blood.

Students protest home demolitions

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Despite the strike, school students are to attend schools as usual where they will receive lectures on the subject of home demolition.

Moreover, protest marches are expected to take place inside the schools themselves.

Dozens of students from Jamal Tarbiya high schools in the northern district town of Sakhnin staged demonstrations on Thursday morning waving Palestinian flags and stating their opposition to home demolitions.

Woman protests demolition of illegal home in southern village (Photo: AP)

We will not be silent, whether it is in Qalansawe, Arraba and Hurfeish or any other place, and it doesnt matter whether we are talking about Arabs or anyone else, one student said. We are against violence, home demolitions and expulsion of families.

Asraf Abu Ali, a resident of Qalansawe who was presented with a demolition decree added: The demolitions are extremely concerning for us. The government is doing us a great injustice. We live on our soil and no official has any right to expel us from the place in which we were born...It is as if we are not people.

Footage released by the police of the alleged car-ramming attack

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Another resident from the Negev accused the government of racism. Its police only harms Arab citizens. Netanyahu makes hard decisions only while an investigation is being conducted against him, said Said. He wants everyone to focus on other issues so they ignore his. That shows just how under pressure he is.

The conflicting versions of the circumstances surrounding Alqiyans death continue to be at odds with one another, as the anger spills over into a second week, and reinvigorated by Wednesdays violent events.

By Wednesday afternoon, Israeli authorities had released footage filmed from a helicopter clearly showing that Alqiyan accelerated toward a group of security personnel, which they claimed buttressed the version put forth by police.

However, the video also showed a flash emanating from one of the officers guns while Alqiyan was still driving slowly, indicating that he lost control of his vehicle only after being shot as he attempted to flee the scene. It was this, claim his supporters, that caused him to accidently hit the policemen.
State Attorney Shai Nitzan was asked to determine whether to turn an initial desciplinary examination of the conduct of Mossad director Yossi Cohen into a full-blown investigation.

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According to reports on Channel 10 and Haaretz, the Civil Service Commission is looking into information according to which Cohen received gifts worth thousands of shekels while he was the head of the National Security Council from Australian businessman James Packer.

These gifts include 6-10 tickets to see Mariah Careyat the time was Packer's fianceeperforming in Israel and hosting Cohen in Packer's luxury suite at the Royal Beach Hotel in Tel Aviv.

Mossad director Yossi Cohen (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Packer is also suspected of giving illicit benefits to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family.

Recently, the head of the disciplinary department of the Civil Service Commission, Assaf Rosenberg, has asked the state attorney to determine whether to continue the initial examination, launch an investigation, or close the case.

Mossad director Cohen declined to comment on the matter.

According to Channel 2, the prime minister's son, Yair Netanyahu , was asked by police earlier this week mostly about the Netanyahu family's relationship with Packer.

The name of another businessman, multi-billionaire Arnon Milchan, was also raised during the junior Netanyahu's testimony, as someone who gave illicit gifts from time to time not just to the prime minister and his wife Sara, but also to their son Yair.

Prime Minister Netanyahu himself is expected to be questioned again in the coming days both regarding suspicions he received illicit benefits and suspicions concerning his talks with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes on changing the newspaper's coverage of the prime minister.
A senior Jordanian military commander says the kingdom faces a growing threat to its border as Islamic State extremists in neighboring Iraq and Syria are being dislodged from their strongholds by military offensives.

Brig. Gen. Sami Kafawin told reporters on Thursday he expects some IS fighters, increasingly on the defensive, to make their way to southern Syria and Jordan's border. Kafawin commands the border guard forces.

He says there has been a "big difference" in threat levels over the last three years and that nearly half of Jordan's military personnel and resources have been deployed along the Iraqi and Syrian bordera sharp increase from before the 2011 outbreak of the Syrian conflict.

He says Jordan is deploying "more and more forces" at the border to safeguard against IS.
Hundreds of people arrived at the Rishon Lezion cemetary on Thursday afternoon to pay their final respects to Cpl. Viachislov (Slava) Gregai, who was killed in an accident on Monday while working on an armored personnel carrier (APC), after his mother called on the public to attend the funeral.

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Lt. Col. Adi Ganon, Gregai's battalion commander, eulogized the soldier: "Even though he was a new recruit, Slava showed great professional capabilities that impressed his commanders. Those who knew him encountered a caring man who was always the first to volunteer and carry out any assignment. His commanders viewed him as a leading, responsible soldier with the potential of becoming an officer in the future."

Photo: Shaul Golan

"Slava, our dear friend, our brother," said his friends Shir and Razek, "several months ago you arrived at our platoon, a small unit functioning like a family. You immediately caught on to that and within only a few days you were an inseparable part of the platoon."

Cpl. Viachislov Gregai

"No one can comprehend the extent of this disaster that befell us," the friends continued. "A regular day became in an instant a sad, dark day. You left us scarred for the rest of our lives. We're broken in spirit but strong in mind. We're crying and we mourn your loss along with your family, that has now become our family. We hope you find peace where you're going and help us stay strong from up above."

Hundreds attend the funeral

The IDF is still investigating the circumstances of his death. The 20-year-old new immigrant from Ukraine was killed when he suffered a serious blow to his upper body from a piece of steel while doing routine maintenance on the APC at the El Furan base in the Golan Heights.

He received initial treatment by his friends and army medics and then airlifted to the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, where he was declared dead.

Ahead of the funeral, Gregai's mother called on the public to attend his funeral, worried few will come because her son does not have a lot of relatives in Israel.

"He loved his country. He told me, 'Mom, I have to give something of myself,'" his mother Tania Gregai said.





Gregai's mother and stepfather (Photo: Shaul Golan)

His step-father Dennis Gregai added, "He was a very good boy, he desperately wanted to go to the army. I only have good memories from him."

"He wanted a military career. He prepared and trained for that. He wanted to serve in the army and that was his dream," his grandfather Michael Federbush said.

He said his grandson's last break from the army was when he had a cold. "His mother asked him to take sick days, but he insisted to go back to the army," Michael said.
A new IDF recruit from the Samaria region of the West Bank was recently sentenced to 20 days in army jail after distributing leaflets calling on young Israelis not to enlist in the IDF until Sgt. Elor Azaria , who was found guilty of manslaughter after shooting dead a neutralized terrorist in Hebron, is released.

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The soldier's leaflets read: "The Israel Defense Force is abandoning its soldiers, we're not. Until Elor Azaria is released, don't enlist."





Azaria at court with his girlfriend to his right and his parents to his left (Photo: Flash90)

This is the second time the same soldier was tried for similar reasons. A month ago he was sentenced to 14 days in army jail after distributing leaflets calling on soldiers to refuse orders concerning the evacuation of the illegal outpost Amona.

The soldier's lawyer, Hai Haber of the Honenu organization, said: "It's doubtful that all of the new recruits with views on the left side of the political map would have received the same attention and spent so long behind bars."

Leaflet saying: 'The Israel Defense Force is abandoning its soldiers, we're not. Until Elor Azaria is releasedwe won't enlist'

The IDF Spokesman's Office said in response: "The soldier was arrested and tried in the past. When he returned to his unit, he distributed propaganda against enlisting in the IDF. The soldier was tried and received 20 days in jail for this action."
KUALA LUMPUR - Foreign ministers from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Thursday indirectly condemned plans by US President-elect Donald Trump to move the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

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A statement issued after a meeting in Kuala Lumpur didn't mention the United States or Trump by name, but said the OIC rejected any actions that could undermine the ability of Palestinians to claim part of Jerusalem in a future state.

It called on governments to desist from any activities that might encourage Israel to "pursue its illegal occupation and annexation of ....east Jerusalem, including any such encouragement through the transfer of their diplomatic missions to the city."

US President-elect Donald Trump (Photo: AP)

The statement invited its 57 member states "to take the necessary steps and measures" in response to any such hostile position, but didn't elaborate.

Trump has vowed to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, a politically charged act that would anger Palestinians who want east Jerusalem, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, as the capital of a future state.

The move would also distance the US from much of the international community, including its closest allies in Western Europe and the Arab world.

Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in a move that is not internationally recognized. It claims the entire city as its capital.
Israel is boosting spending on its navy to better protect offshore oil and gas deposits and secure a large maritime zone that abuts that of its neighbor and enemy, Lebanon.

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In 2013, the navy asked for an increase of $700 million in its budget to build up its systems and $100 million annually to maintain them, though the defense ministry declines to say how much it has since received.

Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

The increase was tied to the need to defend the oil and gas development, and the current spending comes as Israel begins accepting bids from companies that want to explore 24 offshore blocks in the eastern Mediterranean that adjoin the vast Leviathan deposit.

Israel estimates 2,137 billion cubic meters and 6.6 billion barrels of oil are waiting to be found in the blocks and hopes to choose two or three foreign consortia to drill.

But Israel has fought several conflicts with nearby Lebanon over the past 40 years, and a little further north is Syria, where Iran has a military presence. Israel's offshore energy platforms are, therefore, a potential security risk.

Photo: Albatross

Consequently, it is procuring new warships, patrol boats, unmanned vessels, aircraft, radar systems and anti-rocket and anti-missile defenses to strengthen its maritime security.

"There are a variety of systems that will prevent the rigs from being hit," said an Israeli navy captain who oversees the integration of new ships and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Investors say the steps are reassuring.

"We have full confidence in the Israeli government's ability to protect Israel's territory and the development of its natural resources," Mathios Rigas, the chief executive of Greek energy firm Energean, told Reuters.

Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

Energean in August paid $148.5 million for the rights to develop Tanin and Karish, two smaller gas fields covered in a previous round of Israeli exploration licenses.

The company plans to invest up to $1.5 billion and bring in floating units for production, storage and offloading that will be anchored around 100 km out to sea, making it a potential target for attackers.

As part of the stepped up defenses, four German-made corvettes worth $460 million will be arriving in 2019, the naval officer said.

Existing ships have already started carrying a sea-borne version of the US-Israeli Iron Dome defense system, which can shoot down rockets fired at gas platforms.

New Sikorsky Seahawk helicopters will be carried on the decks of the corvettes, and the navy is purchasing upgraded Protector unmanned surface vehicles, developed by Israeli defense contractor Rafael, that will patrol around the deep-sea platforms, the officer said.
IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Yair Golan was in Brussels for the official opening of the Israeli office at NATO headquarters after it was decided that the two sides should have a closer working relationship. Roni Leshno Yaar, who submitted his credentials to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, is the first Israeli representative to NATO since the Jewish state was accepted as a partner to the organization (not a member).

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In a joint meeting between the ambassador, Maj. Gen. Golan, and NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller, the Deputy Secretary said here in NATO, we understand that Israel shares our values, and is an active and beneficial partner for Mediterranean dialogue.

The meeting was an impressive show of support for Israel, with Maj. Gen. Golan being the highest ranking Israeli official to meet with NATO representatives.





IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Golan (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Over 100 people participated in the opening of the Israel office, many of them high ranking NATO officials.

In his speech opening the office, Ambassador Leshno Yaar spoke of the importance of strengthening the connection between Israel and NATO in light of their joint interests and common threats in the eastern Mediterranean.

NATO and Israel have expressed interest in strengthening ties for some time, but the stumbling block keeping this from happening was NATO member Turkey. Since the Mavi Marmara incident in 2010, Turkey has objected to any upgrade in NATO relations with Israel, and has been against any and all Israeli involvement in NATO exercises.

NATO policy must be agreed upon by all of its members.

Turkish partners

While in Brussels, Maj. Gen. Golan also met with the head of the Turkish Armed Forces General Hulusi Akar

In light of the Israel-Turkey reconciliation agreement, and at the behest of the Americans, the Turks have rescinded their opposition to Israeli participation in NATO.

This is the first meeting between officials of this caliber since the Mavi Marmara incident in 2010.

IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Golan with Turkish Chieff of Staff Akar (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Several Arab military heads were also at the NATO meeting in Brussels, and also met with Golan on the sidelines. Arab countries represented at the meeting were Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Morocco, Tunisia, and others.

Discussions were held on the fight against terror amongst other subjects
A raid on a drug lab in the center of the country yielded a storage container packed with roughly 10 tons of fireworks and other dangerous devices. Police decided to destroy the cache of illegal explosives and have now opened an investigation into the property owner.

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The fireworks were seized during an operation by police to locate drug labs after receiving tips.

Israel Police destroy illegal fireworks (Video: Israel Police) (:  )

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Photo: Israel Police

After receiving permission from the court, police consulted with demolitions experts who advised a controlled explosion in a quarry in the center.

Photo: Israel Police

Photo: Israel Police

The decision to conduct a controlled demolition in an uninhabited area was taken "due to the tremendous volume of explosives which pose a danger to the public," said police in a statement.

Sappers examined the explosives and estimated that the fireworks are equivalent to roughly a ton of TNT.
A series of photomontages showing people striking poses, taking selfies and even juggling at the Holocaust memorial in Berlin before the background changes to show them posing amid piles of murdered victims of the Holocaust has gone viral online.

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The initiator, Shahak Shapira, told The Associated Press Thursday he created the "Yolocaust" website after seeing selfies and pictures of young, smiling people posing on the memorial to the 6 million murdered Jews of Europe for several years.

According to Shapira, the website went live Wednesday and was clicked more than 500,000 times.

Shapira, a Berlin-based Israeli satirist and grandson of a Holocaust survivor, said the selfies didn't disturb him, but he thought it was "a shame that there are people who don't care."

The Berlin memorial consists of thousands of concrete slabs, comparable to a gigantic graveyard meant to symbolize the millions of victims of Nazi Germany.

In the event that you recognize yourself or one of your friends on the website, you can email Shapira at undouche.me@yolocaust.de to request the photo be removed.
Route 1 between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv will be closed in both directions beginning at 10:00pm on Thursday night

It will reopen 10:00am on Friday morning.

The route is closing so that the final work can be done on the Harel tunnels for the high speed rail set to go between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Officers in the robberies inspections unit of the Israel Antiquity Authority (IAA) caught a ring of antiquities robbers red handed while they were illegally digging at an archaeological site by Golani Junction.

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The group is the largest antiquities ring ever found in the north, and comprises of 11 people all aged between 30-50 years old. They are all from the Israeli-Arab towns of Turan, Kafr Manda, and Bir al-Maksur.

The 11 have been released on house arrest until the end of criminal proceedings.





Tools used by the antiquities robbers in the north (Photo: Shmuel Magal)

The group was caught in the ruins of the biblical city of Mishkana in the Lower Galilee, digging for antiquities and causing damage to the site.

Nine of the members were caught while digging in an underground tunnel, and two more were caught at the entrance of the tunnel. One of them tried to run away.

Tunnel dug by antiquities robbers in the Lower Galilee (Photo: Shmuel Magal)

Nir Distelfeld, one of the IAA investigators said (Mishkana) was a Jewish village during the Roman period, and is written about in the Jerusalem Talmud. The Talmud says that the Jewish village was located half way between Tzipori and Tiberius. These antiquities thieves destroyed the history which belongs to everyone to make a quick buck. They have erased a very important part of the archeological heritage of the state of Israel."

Meanwhile, four people from Nablus were arrested next to Mt. Gerizim on Thursday morning with a metal detector and a coin from the time of the Greek period which is over 2500 years old. The four Palestinians were arrested and sent to the police for questioning.
Background and Outlook (Part 1)

Kenji Takita

Professor, Faculty of Law, Chuo University

Areas of specialization: Political Science and International Political Science

Award issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration

On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (based in the Hague, the Netherlands) issued an award for the arbitration case brought by the Republic of the Philippines regarding development by China in the South China Sea(Note 1). As expected, China expressed extreme opposition to this award. At a press conference, Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this award is nothing more than a scrap of paper; it is invalid and has no binding force. Zhenmin also criticized Japan, asserting that our country inflamed the issue despite having no involvement in matters related to the South China Sea. He also claimed that Shunji Yanai designated judges who heard the arbitration case, thus influencing the court proceedings. During a meeting with President Tusk of the European Council on July 12, Chinese President Xi Jinping proclaimed that China would not recognize the award. Furthermore, at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) starting on July 15 in Ulan Bator, Premier Li Keqiang made high-handed remarks such as Japan should mind its own business to Prime Minister Abe. Overall, China as a nation is further strengthening its position of ignoring international law.

In response to criticism levied by China, Shunji Yanai, who was President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea at that time, made the following counterargument: Each side in the case has the right to select two of the five judges. The Philippines selected a German judge, but China (which declined to participate in the arbitration) chose not to exercise its right. Therefore, in accordance with regulations stated in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, I selected the remaining judge in my role as President. Prior to finalizing the selection, I sent a written notification to inform China of my proposed selections, but I received no answer. Ultimately, I selected a judge from Poland, a country which was not involved in the dispute and had no concern in the matter. The remaining three judges would normally have been appointed based on discussions between the Philippines and China. However, since China declined to participate, in accordance with regulations, I acted as President and selected judges from France, Canada, and Ghana. All of these judges were leading experts with knowledge on maritime law.(Note 2)

The arbitration award which was issued three and a half years following submission by the Philippines consists of five main pillars. Firstly, the Tribunal concluded that there was no international legal basis for application of the Nine-Dash Line for which China claims historic territorial rights. Secondly, the Tribunal concluded that no island as defined in maritime law exists in the Spratly Islands. The Tribunal also found that reclaiming rocks or coral and building structures does not give China rights to territorial waters, exclusive economic zones, or airspace. Thirdly, the Tribunal concluded that land reclamation in the South China Sea by China and fishing by Chinese fishing boats had caused severe harm to the surrounding aquatic ecosystem. Fourthly, the Tribunal concluded that China maritime vessels had unlawfully interfered with Philippine petroleum exploration and fishing. Fifthly, the Tribunal criticized how China engaged in large-scale land reclamation and building of structures shortly after commencement of the arbitration.(Note 3)

Transitioning from a continental nation to a maritime nation

Historically, China has been a continental nation, and its motive for maritime expansion was weak, if not completely nil. The communist government established in 1949 embarked on a policy of strengthening the Chinese army in order to secure sovereignty over interior regions of mainland China. In effect, this resulted in the Chinese navy being neglected. Moreover, conflict between China and the Soviet Union intensified around 1960. This led to even further strengthening of the Chinese army in order to protect a border stretching 4,380 kilometers. Through these actions, China adhered to its tradition of being a continental nation. In March 1969, a military border conflict between China and the Soviet Union occurred at Zhenbao Island on the Ussuri River. This incident caused former President Richard Nixon of the United States to worry over the possibility of a full-scale Sino-Soviet nuclear war. However, the end of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union around 1990 also alleviated tensions between China and the Soviet Union. Eventually, China and the Soviet Union (Russia) were able to resolve their border disputes. China entered into the Sino-Soviet Border Agreement for eastern regions in 1991, and then entered into a subsequent agreement for western regions in 1994. An agreement for remaining undetermined national borders was reached in 2004, thus decreasing the possibility of war on the Eurasian continent. Territorial disputes which had existed with the Republic of Tajikistan for 130 years were resolved in January 2011. Furthermore, in 2009, China agreed to establish a direct hotline with India in regards to the return of the Arunachal Pradesh State, areas in northeastern India which had been the subject of dispute for many years. Although the hotline did not resolve the dispute, it has succeeded in alleviating tension. The resolution of mainland border disputes is a prerequisite for maritime expansion. In other words, China has fulfilled the conditions for transitioning its basic national character from a continental nation to a maritime nation.

Transitioning from a coastal navy to a modern navy

After the deaths of Zhou Enlai (January 1976) and Mao Zedong (September 1976), leaders of the Chinese Revolution, Deng Xiaoping endured the pressure exerted by the Gang of Four and was restored to power for the third time in July 1977. Deng wrote the Four Modernizations (March 1978) into the new constitution and established diplomatic relations between China and the United States (January 1979). However, when the Regan administration of the United States began to show signs of restrengthening its relationship with Taiwan(Note 4), Deng ordered General Liu Huaqing (General in the Chinese Navy; Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 1997 (position held by top uniformed personnel)) to implement the First Island Chain doctrine (August 1982). Accordingly, China became interested in constructing a navy for maritime expansion. The principal theme of the Peoples Liberation Army, and also the principal raison detre for said army, underwent a major transition from protecting Chinese-Soviet (Russian) borders to annexation of Taiwanwhen making an analogy to irredenta Italia (unredeemed Italy), Taiwan is considered as unredeemed China. China viewed America as protecting Taiwan, and America therefore replaced the Soviet Union (Russia) as Chinas greatest hypothetical enemy. From the establishment of the Chinese nation until the beginning of the 1980s, the Chinese navy was essentially limited to a coastguard organization charged with protecting a coastline said to stretch 16,000 kilometers. However, almost in conjunction with the countrys economic growth, the Chinese navy modernized itself with intense consciousness for the movement of the U.S. Seventh Fleet.

Liu created a plan for the construction of a modern navy. According to that plan, (1) during the 18-year period from 1982 to 2000, the Chinese navy would make preparations to completely protect the Chinese coastal zone, (2) from 2000 to 2010, China would establish naval supremacy in the interior regions of the First Island Chain (Chinese coastal waters), (3) from 2010 to 2020, China would establish naval supremacy in the interior regions of the Second Island Chain, constructing aircraft carriers to achieve that goal, (4) from 2020 to 2040, China would break the monopoly of the American navy on the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, and (5) in 2040, China would ultimately complete the construction of a navy which could oppose the American navy.

In February 1992, an era corresponding to phase (1) of the above plan, China enacted the Law of the Peoples Republic of China Concerning the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, which defined the Senkaku Islands, the Paracel Islands, and the Spratly Islands as Chinese territory. Then, in March 1997, China enacted the Law of the Peoples Republic of China on National Defense, which clearly stated strict defense of maritime interests. Also in 1997, Shi Yunsheng succeeded the position of General from Liu. In conjunction with promulgation of the aforementioned Law on National Defense, Shi established a strategy to expand the Chinese navy from a coastal navy to a modern navy. This strategy clearly stated the concepts of the First Island Chain and Second Island Chain(Note 5). Of course, these concepts were initially national defense policy inside of the military. However, the concepts gradually became widely recognized throughout the world as the fundamental defense policy of the Communist Party of China.

On March 14, 2005, an era corresponding to phase (2) of the plan, the National Peoples Congress adopted the Anti-Secession Law and put the law into effect immediately. This law formalized the use of non-peaceful means to prevent the Taiwan independence movement in the event that Taiwan declares independence, and it was enacted in order to restrain the strong inclination towards independence as shown by the administration of Chen Shui-bian. The law was met with strong resistance from Taiwan. Next, on December 26, 2009, the National Peoples Congress adopted the Island Protection Law, which is intended (1) to restrict development of islands near the continental coast, (2) to prevent destruction of ecosystems, and (3) to protect national maritime interests. The law was put into effect on March 1, 2010(Note 6). On February 26, 2010, the National Peoples Congress legislated the National Defense Mobilization Law, which went into effect on July 1, 2010. This law was formulated based on the Law of the Peoples Republic of China on National Defense (March 1997). Assuming the occurring of a contingency within China, the law gives the National Peoples Congress Standing Committee the power to issue a mobilization order for all males from the age of 18 to 60 and all females from the age of 18 to 55, and to requisition the goods and production facilities of private citizens and organizations.

Currently, 2016 corresponds to phase (3) of the plan. However, since the targets defined in phase (2) have not yet been achieved, it appears that Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Peoples Liberation Army (particularly the navy) are growing impatient. This impatience is manifesting in the hard-line and one-way policy for the South China Sea and Senkaku Islands.
The campaigns for a majority of those successfully elected this past fall centered on a common topic that change in government is needed and bringing more transparency to the taxpaying citizens is a must.

We saw this play out both nationally and locally in our own race for York City Mayor and several City Council seats. As citizens and businesses in York have eagerly watched what first actions our newly elected government would take, it is disappointing to see that the exact opposite of what was promised has occurred and will again be on the agenda for tonights city council meeting.

We first saw a side-step of public interest take place with the appointment of a non-York resident to the York Parks and Recreation Board, a decision that later had to be reversed due to it breaking state law. Tonight, in an even bigger side-step of public interest, the mayor is bringing forth a resolution that would allow the city to approve and take informal quotes for any project without a formal bid process. In some instances the mayor would be able to sign off on final contracts without city council approval, as explained by the city attorney. The current city ordinance requires formal bids be taken for anything over $20,000 with the option to waive in case of emergency. Twenty-thousand dollars is beyond a fair level for spending tax payers dollars with informal bidding. Anything above $20,000 needs to be put out for formal bidding and public knowledge to maintain a transparent city government. If the council approves the resolution we are closing the door on a transparent city government, a promise we heard in October.

What opportunities will we as a city lose out on from companies that would have participated in the bidding process, but now do not have the opportunity with no legal notice being given? What voice do we lose as taxpayers to show support or voice concerns on how and what projects our dollars are being spent on with no public notice given? Decisions would be made with us taxpayers picking up the tab with no notice of how our money is being spent.

This is the exact opposite of what a transparent government looks like.

We are a proud community and have wonderful elected officials who are beyond dedicated in the time they put in to ensure we have the best city to live, work and raise our families. But these recent proposals are cause for much pause. Our mayor and council need to know that we, the taxpayers, are the ones who fund the city. They need to understand we are not okay with being uninformed on how they intend to spend our money.
Casting a vote on behalf of the people of Nebraskas Third 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 had the opportunity to serve 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 which 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 throughout the Third 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.

Additionally, 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 reforms. 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 for the 115th Congress. 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, and 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.
A month into his tenure as commander of an active-duty squadron, reservist Maj. Christopher Humphrey said he is excited about the leadership opportunities his new job offers.

As commander of the 460th Comptroller Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, Humphrey is responsible for an organization that provides customer support to 80,000 customers in the Denver area, manages the 460th Space Wings finances, and ensures all financial laws and regulations are followed.

The command opportunity is unusual, as reservists are not normally considered for active-duty assignments. Humphrey was able to compete for the position through the extended active-duty program. The EAD program gives qualified reservists the opportunity to fill active-duty positions for a pre-determined amount of time. In Humphreys case, he expects to be in command at the 460th for about 22 to 24 months, after which, he will return to the Air Force Reserves Individual Mobilization Augmentee program.

Humphreys new assignment is the latest chapter in a life-long relationship with the service that started as a child. An Air Force brat, Humphrey attended the Air Force Academy, graduated in 2000 and began his career in acquisitions. In 2007, he was serving at Los Angeles Air Force Base when he traded his uniform for a civilian position there.

The acquisitions officer worked for two years in the Space and Missile Systems Center before a promotion moved him into the GPS directorate. After the move, his old boss, now retired Lt. Col. Michael Welborn, told him about a vacant IMA billet and invited him to once again don the uniform and come to work for him as an Air Force Reservist.

IMAs are reservists assigned to augment active-component organizations and government agencies. Unlike traditional reservists who drill with a reserve unit each month, IMAs perform their annual duty requirements (about 30 days per year, depending on the position) with their active-duty unit once or twice a year.

Humphrey said he is forever grateful to his former supervisor for bringing him into the IMA program because it has been a great opportunity for him to don the uniform again. He said that in his experience, civil service jobs like his are very compatible with reserve assignments because of the flexibility afforded government employees to serve.

After several years as an IMA at LA AFB, Humphrey took a new reserve position as the IMA to the chief of the financial analysis division at Air Force Space Command Headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; right next door to his alma mater. While assigned there, he decided he wanted to further reinvigorate his Air Force career and give back to the service that had given him so much.

Col. Brian Kehl, the active-duty member Humphrey augmented there, said his IMA was an incredibly proactive team member and always came in ready to work. He said Humphrey would have all of his readiness items accomplished ahead of time and was ready to focus on accomplishing projects during his time in the office.

IMAs require a lot of investment in paperwork and logistics and you want them to be productive when they perform annual duty, said Kehl. Chris was very proactive and made huge contributions during his tours; I was very impressed with his performance.

Thats why, when Kehl received a call from his boss, a general officer who was sitting on the active-duty financial management officer development team, asking about Humphreys track record, he was able to give a glowing recommendation.

In the development team, Humphrey was measured against the active-duty officers who were also being eyeballed for the squadron commander list and was selected to fill one of the slots. Humphrey said making it onto the squadron commander candidate list was no guarantee of a job, let alone a desirable one. That didnt matter to him; he just wanted to give back to the Air Force.

Fortunately for the comptroller, he was selected to lead the squadron at the 460th Space Wing, just a 60-mile drive north of his home away from home in Colorado Springs.

Humphreys selection says a lot about him, said Kehl. In order to earn command of an active-duty squadron, Humphrey had to be put forward by the Air Force Reserve, approved by the financial management development team, and then hired out of a pool of candidates by the wing commander.

Humphrey believes his long history with AFSPC, along with his experience in the civil service, active-duty and reserve worlds, give him a unique edge and perspective for working with the civilian and military members of his squadron.

Kehl and others at Headquarters AFSPC worked hard to get all the paperwork and logistics in place and were able to get him to work on time, which included a permanent change of station move from his home in Los Angeles.

Humphrey officially assumed command of the squadron from Maj. Douglass Eagleton during a ceremony, Dec. 12.

In addition to the technical responsibilities of the new assignment, Humphrey said he is also excited about the human relations aspect of leadership. As an acquisitions officer, his exposure to the enlisted force has been limited, he said. As commander, he looks forward to mentoring and developing his young Airmen and junior officers.

After attending the change of command ceremony and also speaking with Humphrey on several occasions since, Kehl said the new squadron commander is taking charge and working hard to improve his new squadron.

Its a great honor for Chris [to be selected] and hes doing a great job, said Kehl.
On any given day at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, you can hear the sound of freedom as F-22 Raptors circle the mountains and come in for landing. There was a different tone to that sound Jan. 9, as the Marine F-35B Lightning II joined the orchestration.





There arent a lot of firsts in the world; they happen once and thats it and its always amazing when you see it first-hand, said Col. Christopher Ogren, 477th Fighter Group commander.

JBER got the rare opportunity to be part of one of those historic moments last week when the crew from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 stopped by with their F-35Bs while transitioning from Yuma, Arizona, to Japan.

This operation is good for the F-35 and its crew to experience the harsh environment of Alaska, said Marine Staff Sgt. Andre Villanueve, F-35B maintenance control member. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a great base, the Air Force took care of our crew and our aircraft.

This is a first for an operational F-35 squadron in Alaska, said U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Cassidy Cleinmark who works as an F-35 Avionics Maintenance Control Marine. This is an unprecedented movement for the F-35 operational unit.

The F-35 is the newest aircraft to enter the world of fighter jets, but, fifth-generation fighters arent new to JBER. The last time was the F-22 Raptor in August, 2007, when the base became the first Pacific Air Forces installation to receive the aircraft, which joined the 3rd Wing and Air Force Reserve Commands 477th Fighter Group.

Master Sgt. Mark Ling, who works as an F-22 expeditor for the 90th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, was one of the first 477th FG aircraft crew chiefs to work on the F-22 Raptor.

"In 2007, the F-22 Raptor was the aircraft maintainers top choice to learn and work on, he said. It was a new jet that we all knew would change the fighter world forever. Even ten years later, it's still an exciting state-of-the-art aircraft to work with.

Fast forward to now, JBER can add the F-35B's transition pit-stop as another series of aviation firsts.

As a Plane Captain, I make sure the aircraft is safe for flight, including the fuel systems, propulsion, preflight inspection and aircraft marshalling, said Marine Cpl. Alexander Noonan a Powerline Marine, similar to our Air Force crew chief mechanic. I like the F-35; it is relatively easy to work on, with good contractor support. The capabilities of the F-35 are impressive, it combines legacy aircraft into one.

While most crew chiefs in the military, work on legacy aircraft that have accomplished many missions, those working on the new fighters have a different perspective.





Cleinmark, who has eight-years of experience with Marine avionics and maintenance control said he enjoys working with the F-35B, getting to see a snippet of where the future of aviation is going.

The F-35 is ten-fold better to work with," said Cleinmark. "Maintenance is less in-depth than legacy aircraft and more innovative than any aircraft Ive been assigned to.
This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company.

As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism.

We hope you are equally as excited as us.

This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers.

Keep an eye. Big things are coming soon. We couldn't be more excited.

In the meanwhile, here are some of our most popular posts and categories to keep you busy.

Happy shootin' my friends!

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The siege in Mumbai has finally ended, with all the terrorists holding the city to ransom gunned down. <br><br> However, before the Taj Hotel siege came to en end on Saturday morning, the attacks that began at around 9.35 pm in the countrys financial capital on Wednesday night turned out to be Indias biggest horror story, leaving at least 160 people dead and over 327 injured. Terrorists holding innocent people, including MPs and foreigners, hostage at three places and killing many of them; top Mumbai police officers sacrificing their lives in the battle, including state Anti-Terror Squad chief Hemant Karkare; and blasts and firings throughout the three-day-long battle were all part of the drama that unfolded in Mumbai. <br><br> These were not just any other terror attacks that India sees every other day and has become immune to; these were attacks on an unprecedented scale. Till Wednesday, 1993 Mumbai serial blasts were considered to be the biggest attack ever on Indian state. However, whats happened in Mumbai over the past three days has surpassed any such attack by leaps and bounds. Never before has the country seen a terror attack on this scale  fidayeen terrorists, guns, bombs and grenades, hostage situations have all been part of these highly co-ordinated attacks carried out to inflict maximum damage on Mumbai, the countrys economic hub. If I may say so, the attacks appeared to be a WAR on Mumbai and seem to be planned on the scale of September 11, 2001 attacks on the US. <br><br> Terrorists specially targeted foreigners in their attacks  foreign nationals were both killed and held hostage in the incidents. Some reports suggested that two US intelligence officials were also caught in the attacks on the posh Taj and Oberoi (Trident) hotels. Another Greek millionaire also succumbed to his injuries. A top French nuclear physicist is reported to have escaped from one of the two hotels. Israeli nationals were also held at gunpoint at a Jewish headquarter in the city. <br><br> Why Im calling this as a war because never before in the Indian history, a terror attack on a city has carried on for these many hours. In fact, Army, Navy and NSG teams were involved in the operations to flush out terrorists holed up inside hotels and try and save the hostages. What made matters worse is that the terrorists did not demand any ransom. According to government sources, they seemed determined to hold the state to ransom and their main motive appears to be deaths of innocent men and women, and not money or safe passage. <br><br> The consequence of the attacks was immediately seen  Mumbai was virtually shut on Thursday; the Bombay Stock Exchange, schools and colleges remained closed; curfew was imposed in various parts of the city. On a bigger scale too, the damage seemed to have been done. Visiting England cricket team has already called off its remaining tour, the upcoming T20 Champions League has been deferred after participating foreign teams expressed reluctance to play in the city. Mumbai is one of the three venues for the Champions League matches and four of the eight participating teams were supposed to stay at the historic Taj Mahal Hotel, one of the flashpoints of the deadly attacks. <br><br> Prime Minister Manmohan Singh travelled to Mumbai on Thursday to take stock of the highly volatile situation. He also addressed the nation that day. <br><br> What the country needs at this delicate moment is political unity and pro-active approach by the administration to sit down and find out how a few determined enemies managed to hold the country to ransom and wage a war on Mumbai  a symbol of a modern, progressive India.
RACINE COUNTY  City of Racine pet owners may now purchase their 2017 pet licenses, according to a City of Racine Public Health Department release issued Tuesday.

Public health practices require that domesticated animals  including dogs, cats, ferrets and potbellied pigs  are licensed by 5 months of age and vaccinated against rabies. Compliance with the rabies vaccination requirement also helps bite victims avoid a series of injections and costly animal quarantine fees, the release stated.

The deadline for obtaining animal licenses is Jan. 31, as mandated under Chapter 10 of the City of Racine Municipal Code. Licensing also helps identify lost pets and supports animal control services provided by the city, the release stated.

Licenses are available at the Wisconsin Humane Society Racine Campus, 2706 Chicory Road; the City of Racine Environmental Health Division, Room 1, 730 Washington Ave.; online at www.cityofracine.org and via fax.

Prior to license issuance, a current rabies vaccination certificate and payment is required. Animal licenses are good for the calendar year and expire on Dec. 31.

Licenses cost $11 for a neutered animal with a proof of spay or neuter and $36 for un-neutered animals. Seniors ages 65 years and older may purchase a license for $6 for neutered animals only. After Jan. 31, a late fee of $10 per animal will be assessed. After obtaining a new animal, pet owner have 30 days to purchase a license.

Pet fanciers permits are required for people living in a single-family home with more than three animals. There is a limit of seven animals total for pet fanciers living in a single-family home.

How and when

The Environmental Health Division will issue licenses for dogs, cats, pet fanciers, ferrets and pot-bellied pigs from 8 to 11:55 a.m. and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 262-636-9203.

The Wisconsin Humane Society Racine Campus will issue pet licenses for dogs and cats from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call 262-554-6699.

To obtain a pet license by mail, residents are asked to mail a completed application, current rabies vaccination certificate, payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Environmental Health Division, Room 1, City Hall, 730 Washington Ave., Racine, WI 53403. License and proof of vaccination will be mailed.

To obtain a license by fax, residents should fax a completed application (including credit card payment information) and a current rabies vaccination certificate to 262-636-9165. The license and proof of vaccination will be mailed.

An unlicensed or unvaccinated animal is a public health concern, said Marcia Fernholz, director of the Environmental Health Division of the City of Racine Health Department. Vaccinating an animal and buying a license is a cost-effective way to protect not only the animals health, but the community as well.
YORKVILLE  Racine County supervisors appear set to approve a $4.65 million loan for InSinkErator to help finance the companys $24 million new headquarters in Mount Pleasant.

Supervisors on the countys Executive and Finance and Human Resources committees gave unanimous preliminary approval in a meeting Wednesday at the Ives Grove Office Complex, 14200 Washington Ave. The measure goes to the full County Board Tuesday.

This is just very good news and (good) way to begin the year, Supervisor Bob Miller of Mount Pleasant said. I want to commend all the people who worked so hard to make this happen.

InSinkErator and local officials announced plans last week for an 85,000-square-foot headquarters and lab facility near Highways 20 and V in Mount Pleasant, pending approval of more than $5 million in financial incentives.

The countys portion will likely come from a combination of borrowing and reserve funds, County Executive Jonathan Delagrave said. The six-year loan will be forgiven if the company follows through on its plans of employing 170 people at the facility with an average wage of $85,000, officials said.

Very proud to have the partnership with InSinkErator, Delagrave said. They are a vital cog, a vital stakeholder in our community for not only the employees, but the products they serve around the world.

Months of negotiation

The deal came together after months of work between InSinkErator and local officials, including those at the county, Mount Pleasant and Racine County Economic Development Corp., which will administer the loan.

We had a lot of phone calls over the summer and into the fall and the winter, County Board Chairman Russell Clark of Racine said.

He said he and Delagrave both agreed how important it was to make sure this company stays here in this county. Its good for the whole county.

The proposed incentive package also include $600,000 from the Village of Mount Pleasant through a tax-incremental financing district. The Village Board and Community Development Authority are expected to vote on the proposal Tuesday.

The measure will also come before Racine County Economic Development Corp. committees next week.

Barring any setbacks, groundbreaking is planned for this spring, with construction to finish in 2018.

Chad Severson, InSinkErator president, said the company is thankful for the financing package, which he said allows InSinkErator to stay in Racine County.

Were very excited about the project, he said. It affords us the opportunity to create some space at our 21st Street facility ... It also makes a great statement in terms of recruiting and attracting talent from around the area.
RACINE  A Racine man is facing up to three years in prison after reportedly leading Caledonia police on a 93-mile-per-hour chase.

The pursuit reportedly began just before midnight on Friday, Jan. 13, near the intersection of Highway 31 and Four Mile Road after a police officer on patrol entered the defendants license plate number and saw that the owner of the car, 40-year-old Matthew J. Kaydo, of the 2900 block of Glendale Avenue, had a warrant out for his arrest.

After confirming that the appearance of the driver matched the photo on file for Kaydo, the officer pulled the car over, a criminal complaint states.

When another officer arrived on scene and told Kaydo he had a warrant and was under arrest, Kaydo reportedly put his car into drive and sped away, nearly striking both officers.

The two officers then began their pursuit, the complaint states.

The chase ended about 1.7 miles later, when Kaydo allegedly pulled over at Highway 31 and Northwestern Avenue.

Kaydo was placed into handcuffs after exiting the car, but was reportedly pepper sprayed during his arrest due to him resisting.

He later consented to a search of vehicle, the complaint states, and police reportedly found two marijuana pipes and about three grams of marijuana.

On Tuesday, a Racine County judge found probable cause to charge Kaydo with one count of attempting to flee a traffic officer, a felony; and three misdemeanors, including possession of marijuana and resisting an officer.

Kaydo remained on a probation hold at the Racine County Jail on Thursday night. He has three previous convictions for operating while intoxicated, two of which were municipal citations, according to his complaint. He has been assigned a Jan. 25 preliminary hearing at the county Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.
RACINE  A Racine man is facing charges after allegedly taking his neighbor's car after the owner left it running to warm it.

Darrian "Duke" Jackson, 20, of the 1300 block of Buchanan Street, was charged Wednesday with operating a vehicle without owner's consent and obstructing an officer.

According to the report:

With temperatures in the 30s at 3:45 a.m. Halloween morning, the victim went out of her home in the 1300 block of Buchanan Street to warm her Dodge Nitro up before work. When she returned at 4 a.m. it was gone.

Later that same day a Racine police officer spotted the car being driven on Washington Avenue, the complaint states. After initially taking off at a high rate of speed, both the driver and a passenger jumped out of the vehicle and ran away, leaving another man in the back seat. The latter identified Jackson as the driver.

Police report fingerprints taken from the vehicle allegedly matched Jackson.

Racine County Commissioner Alice Rudebusch set Jackson's bond at $3,000. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 26 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.

According to court records, Jackson has previous convictions for operating a vehicle without the owner's consent in 2013 and 2014.
RACINE  A registered sex offender is facing a new charge after reportedly exposing himself to a woman.

Larry L. Shaw, 58, who lives in an apartment in the 500 block of Eighth Street, has been charged with lewd and lascivious behavior as a repeat offender.

According to a criminal complaint:

Shaw was talking to a woman who he takes care of and to whom he gives cigarettes when he allegedly exposed himself. The incident reportedly occurred on Friday, Jan. 13, and on Jan. 17, Shaw allegedly made sexual advances toward the woman.

Shaw denied the exposure incident and said he was not home at the time, according to the complaint.

His next court date is set for Feb. 16 at the county Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. Shaw remained in custody as of Wednesday at the County Jail, according to online records.
LAKE GENEVA  Two Lake Geneva residents are in custody after police responding to an overdose call Wednesday afternoon reportedly uncovered evidence of methamphetamine production at a local motel.

Lake Geneva Police Chief Michael S. Rasmussen said officers and rescue crews were dispatched at 1:21 p.m. to a room at The Wesley Inn, 625 Wells St., for a reported drug overdose.

Upon arrival, officers reportedly observed items commonly used in methamphetamine production. The two occupants of the room, Erica Lenard, 30, and Cody Lenard, 23, both of Lake Geneva, were subsequently arrested and booked into the Walworth County Jail. Rasmussen said charges would be referred to the Walworth County District Attorneys Office.

Rasmussen said officers recommend that Erica Lenard be charged with possessing materials for manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia related to the manufacturing of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and bail jumping.

Cody Lenard was recommended for charges of possessing materials for manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia related to the manufacturing of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said Wednesday that the investigation is continuing.

Lake Geneva police received help at the scene from the Lake Geneva Fire Department, Walworth County Sheriffs Office, Drug Enforcement Administration and Walworth County Public Health Department.

It was the second methamphetamine incident at a Lake Geneva motel in two weeks. On Jan. 9th, a woman was burned when an explosion occurred while she was allegedly cooking meth in the bathroom of a room at the Cove Resort.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The snow sculpture festival of Jermuk city will be held for the 5th time February 17-19 entitled Snowman 2017, Vazgen Galstyan, President of the Jermuk Development Center NGO told ARMENPRESS.

The whole idea behind launching the festival was to attempt extending the winter tourism period. We hold the festival on February, since comparably there are more people in Jermuk in December or January. In this case, hotel businesses and tourism operators will have more visitors and will be able to work longer, Galstyan said.

According to him, additionally the Snowman 2017s goal is creating jobs.

Galstyan said they received consultation from the ministry of economic development and investments, but no financial or other assistance. He mentioned back in 2015, by the support of the tourism department, buses were provided to operate the Yerevan-Jermuk route.

We except a somewhat different assistance from them, not simply organizing the festival, but rather attempting to somehow help in creating winter tourism infrastructures, Galstyan emphasized.

Jermuk Mayor Vardan Hovhannisyan told ARMENPRESS the City Hall is doing everything for the development of tourism in the city and youth activeness.

The festival is expanding each year, and we provide appropriate financial assistance. With the mediation of the City Hall, hotels and spas offer low-cost packages, and the ropeway operates with lower prices. Now the organizers must present a budget, after which we will discuss all issues regarding the festival, and if the City Hall will be able to financially assist, it will do so, the Mayor said. He added they will request the state tourism committee of the ministry of economic development and investments to also provide financial assistance in order for the festival to be a lot more attractive.

We are focusing on the local market. We try to involve Armenians as much as possible in the festival. When the festival will become established, then we will work on involving foreign tourists. In the previous years we had visitors from China and Russia, but they arrived in Jermuk not specially for the festival. I think we still have work to do, Galstyan added.

The festival will be held in Jermuk city February 17-19, 2017. Organizers hope to host at least 1000 visitors this year.

Jermuk is a mountain spa town in the southern Armenian province of Vayots Dzor.

It is famous for its hot springs and mineral water brands bottled in the town. It is attractive for its fresh air, waterfalls, lakes, walking trails, the surrounding forests and mineral water pools.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Levon Mkrtchyan, minister of education and science of Armenia briefed President Sargsyan on January 18 on the current situation in the public education and higher education fields, process of reforms in the educational system, existing problems, innovations and works on making quality education equally accessible to all. The President had raised these issues during his last year visit to the Quantum college, the Presidents Office told ARMENPRESS.

The Minister also touched upon the achievements in the educational field, pointing out that due to years of consistent work it was possible to maintain Armenias Education Clock intact. According to the minister, it allows Armenia to present itself worldwide as an educational area, which ranges from kindergarten to public education, higher education and science.

The minister said serious innovative education programs such as the Ararat Baccalaureate and the Dilijan education cluster have been added to the public education field, along the Physics and Mathematics schools network etc, which created a rather competitive situation.

Agreeing to the ministers view regarding the apparent and often exciting achievements in the public education field, the President stressed that it doesnt mean that there are no problems in the field to solve.

The goal of the school, I think Im telling a very obvious truth, but its worth repeating, isnt only preparing an excellent scientist, doctor, teacher, astronaut or businessman, but also the supreme goal  to prepare a citizen of the Republic of Armenia with the family: patriotic, diligent and law abiding. Ive said this numerous times, and I dont find it unnecessary to repeat now, I think the root of all evil of mankind is lies in ignorance. In fact, I think ignorant isnt the man who hasnt received higher education, but he who lacks simple moral standards, who lacks simple knowledge, and this is indeed evil, the President said, adding the country must move forward by maintaining the best and increasing the existing capacity.

Today we must comprehensively discuss the problems of the public education field. The Ararat Baccalaureate is brilliant, the centers of excellence are brilliant, but the geography of those centers must also increase, along with its moving force, the President said.

After the ministers reports, the President assigned the formation of a professional group, which will include persons who designed the public education reforms project, which will present the fundamentals of the higher education system reforms in 6 months.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno Karabakh plans to restore its pre-April war tourism indicators and move forward. Significant works have already been done in that direction in 2016. If the tourism indicator dropped by 40% after the April war, by end of 2016 it was possible to change it to 16%. This year, the ministry of economy of Nagorno Karabakh has planned several programs and events which will restore the previous tourism indicators.

Sergey Shahverdyan, Deputy minister of Economy of Nagorno Karabakh told ARMENPRESS in terms of promotion and popularization of Nagorno Karabakh the year will be rather busy.

First, Nagorno Karabakh will take part in a number of exhibitions in Armenia and other countries. In addition, tourism development and promotion festivals will be held in Nagorno Karabakh in 2017.

Deputy Minister Shahverdyan pointed out the wine festival which is due in September. The festival, which will be held for the 4th time, includes ancient and unique winemaking rituals, traditional Nagorno Karabakh cuisine, an exhibition-fair of handicrafts and, of course, an exhibition-fair of wine producers. Shahverdyan mentioned the festival has already become a traditional event not only for Nagorno Karabakh locals, but also tourists.

The mulberry festival is also planned to be held this year. The festival will present mulberry cultivation, mulberry vodka distillation and silk production traditions. Mulberry products such as vodka, jam, raisins and others will be presented during the festival.

Nagorno Karabakh has great potential for tourism development; it is rich with historic-cultural monuments, ancient sites and museums. Nagorno Karabakh stands out with its cuisine, which leaves no tourist indifferent. The Nagorno Karabakh mulberry vodka and the Zhingyalov hats [a type of flatbread stuffed with finely diced herbs and green vegetables] seem to have become a trademark, Shahverdyan said. Nagorno Karabakh attracts tourists by its magnificent nature, the hospitality and warmth of locals, friendly atmosphere. Tourists from Russia, USA, Iran, France and Great Britain frequently visit Nagorno Karabakh. Diaspora Armenians are also among the tourists to visit the country.

The ministry of Diaspora of Armenia, declared 2017 to be Nagorno Karabakh year. Tourism is an important component of this initiative, and in this context, Nagorno Karabakh is actively collaborating with the Diaspora ministry of Armenia.
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic told Armenpress that on January 18 and overnight January 19 the Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime over 70 times by firing more than 600 shots from various caliber weapons at the Armenian positions across the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

In the southern, eastern and north-eastern directions of the line of contact, the Azerbaijani forces fired also Black arrow, ISTIGLAL and SVD sniper rifles, 90 shots in total.

The NKR Defense Army forces continued confidently fulfilling their military tasks and took countermeasure in case of strict necessity.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. To stay and fight, to live and work towards building a better country where every citizen, regardless of nationality or religious affiliation, will be respected: this was Hrant Dink, a man, who, as many state, changed Turkey.

Founder and former editor-in-chief of the first Armenian bilingual (Armenian and Turkish) Agos newspaper of Istanbul was one of those people who sincerely believed that one day Turkey will change, and for this belief he didnt even spare his own life.

10 years ago, on January 19, 2007, Dink was killed by a Turkish conspirator outside Agos editorial office in Istanbuls district of Sisli. The persons behind the crime, however, were unable to silence the voice of justice by the murder of the Armenian intellectual.

Dink was one of those few persons who not only during his life, but also after the death managed to break a lot of barriers within the Turkish society. His death forced many people to look at and understand the history of their own country in a new way.

Living in Turkey Dink never alienated himself from that country and was doing everything to see the Turkish state changed. Speaking about him he said: I am a bearer of two identities and consciousness. The first one  I am a dweller of Turkey, I am a citizen of the Republic of Turkey... and the second one  I am Armenian. Besides the fact that I am a part of the Armenian community of Turkey, I am also morally a part of Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora. In this regard, if some people have only one reason to seek for the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations, my reasons are at least two times more. Dink was confident that the Armenian-Turkish relations must be taken out of the well with a depth of 1915 meters.

During the last years of his life, Dink started to receive threats from extremist nationalists, as well as hidden threats from officials for his views and discoveries in Turkey. Many urged him to leave Turkey in order to save his life, however, he never listened to them and angered, stating: This is my country.

My feelings, feelings of my family are not easy at all. There have been moments when I seriously thought about leaving the country. Especially when the threats were directed against my relatives. If we were forced to leave, we would took the road as our grandfathers did in 1915.without knowing where they are going, Dink said. When he was asked why he is not coming to his Fatherland, to live in Armenia, he answered he is living in a real Fatherland.

In todays Turkey Dink became the symbol of human rights protection and freedom. Some people call him Turkeys Martin Luther King, some even say it is due to Dink that a large part of the Turkish society had a courage to look at the history and reality with different eyes.

Dink lived by breaking barriers and died by believing that one day will come when a citizen living in Turkey will wake up in a country where he/she will not have to be ashamed for his/her own past. What he didnt manage to do during his lifetime, he did it after the death, by awakening the conscience of thousands of Turkeys citizens, forcing them to stand up, go to the streets and shout: We all are Hrant, we all are Armenians.

Araks Kasyan
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. US President Barack Obama said during his presidency he sought to establish constructive relations with Russia, reports BBC.

Good relations with Russia are in consistent with the interests of the US and the entire world, Obama said in his last press conference.

At the same time he blamed Russia for refusal to hold talks over the further reduction of nuclear weapon, and said, after President Vladimir Putin took the post in 2012, the anti-American rhetoric was strengthened in Russia.

Obama said the sanctions against Russia were set primarily due to the abuses against the sovereignty of Ukraine, and the elimination of sanctions must be directly linked with Russias actions in Ukraine.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenias representative must be appointed CSTO Secretary General by a rotation. Valeri Semerikov is an acting CSTO Secretary General, Armenias Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told reporters on January 19, reports Armenpress.

Lets understand what has happened. A decision was adopted according to which the post of the CSTO Secretary General must be replaced through a rotation, and it is obvious that if rotation comes into force, based on the Russian alphabet, the first country is Armenia. During the CSTO summit in Yerevan there was no consensus and time was needed for making a decision. And in the next meeting the President of Belarus was not present which again didnt allow to make a decision. As a result, an acting Secretary General has been appointed and the upcoming summit must make clarification on this issue, Shavarsh Kocharyan said.

To the view which says it seems that Belarus and Kazakhstan hinder the appointment of Armenias representative to the post, the Deputy FM said Kazakhstan didnt hinder. As for Belarus, it hindered in a sense that the President didnt take part in the summit, and the solution of the issue was postponed, he said.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Government approved the proposal on signing an agreement with the United Arab Emirates over the elimination of visa regime.

This program aims to boost tourism and the business cooperation, Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said at the Government session, reports Armenpress.

The Armenian MFA believes that the signing of the document is in compliance with Armenias foreign policy and its international obligations.

During the Governments previous session, a decision was made to open Armenias Consulate in Dubai.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the murder of Hrant Dink, Armenian journalist of Istanbul, Reporters Without Borders organization urged to eventually reveal the crime, Deutsche Welle reports.

Christian Mihr, executive director of RSF Germany, told reporters in Berlin that initially there were signs that Dinks murder was not carried out by a small group of nationalists.

He said there are proves over the involvement of officials in the crime, stating that people standing behind the murder must be condemned. Mihr expressed a wish that the trial has not been exploited for political purposes.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. During the Governments session, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan instructed heads of executive bodies to make an inventory of investment projects and submit to the Government staff the list of projects where the implementation of investments is expected in 2017, specifically indicating the investment volumes, reports Armenpress.

Next week all agencies, committees must provide a report to the public on what investments in each of their sectors are expected in 2017. The source of investments can be various, loan, budgetary and etc, the PM said.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Shavarsh Kocharyan, deputy minister of foreign affairs of Armenia doesnt expect extreme shifts in the US policies with the new Presidential administration. The US is a quite established state with all its structures. Of course, a lot depends from the President, but nevertheless it is difficult to imagine great changes in general directions and extreme shifts. Several adjustments will be made, namely in terms of foreign policy, which is very important for us, Kocharyan said.

At the same time the deputy FM said Ambassador of Armenia to the US H.E. Grigor Hovhannisyan will represent Armenia in the January 20 inauguration of Donald Trump.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The unaddressed statements of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs allow Azerbaijan to act more recklessly, Armenias Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told reporters on January 19, commenting on the OSCE Minsk Groups statement on the Azerbaijani sabotage infiltration attempt at the Armenian border where the Co-Chairs once again put an equal sign between the sides, reports Armenpress.

The statements of the Minsk Group have always been like this. This statement is incomplete in a sense that when there is no addressing, it enables Baku to act more recklessly, the Deputy FM said.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Richard Moore, Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Turkey tweeted a statement on the occasion of the 10th anniversary marking the murder of Hrant Dink.

Today we remember Hrant Dink, 10 years after his tragic death. He was a strong supporter of human rights, freedom of expression and diversity and still keeps inspiring all of us, the Ambassador tweeted.

Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of Istanbuls Armenian Agos newspaper, was shot dead on January 19, 2007 outside his office.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan met with the staff of the Vanadzor Chemical Plant during his visit to Lori province, who gathered outside the Vanadzor Technology Center to thank Karapetyan for solving the problem of their salaries. As of December 31, 2016, 166 million drams of salary debt has been paid, the Governments Press Service told ARMENPRESS.

A bankruptcy process is currently underway in the factory, which doesnt stop the process of attracting investors. If the investor comes and makes a proposal and we understand that its reasonable, that we wont have another risks, then we will discuss projects, the PM said, urging the staff of the plant to make suggestions.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Last year was important in terms of deepening the Armenian-Georgian cooperation, expert in Georgian studies Joni Melikyan told reporters on January 19, reports Armenpress.

Visits of high-ranking officials of the two countries were held. Armenias Defense Minister and Foreign Minister visited Georgia, and in September Georgias Prime Minister arrived in Armenia which was very important. As a result of the Georgian PMs visit, agreement was reached over the construction of Armenian-Georgian friendship bridge which will further boost the trade-economic ties of the two countries, Joni Melikyan said.

He said the Armenian-Georgian close cooperation is expressed in a number of key sectors, such as tourism, trade-economic ties, energy sector. According to official data, 1 million 456 thousand Armenian tourists visited Georgia in 2016, with this figure Armenia is the second and Azerbaijan is the first. The number of Azerbaijani tourists visiting Georgia exceeded the number of Armenian tourists by 200.000. Another important event on deepening cooperation in the energy field took place last year. The talk is about the agreement on creating common energy bridge reached between Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Iran which will enable them to unite the energy systems and to be exchanged with power which in its turn will boost cooperation in various sectors, the expert said.

He said Armenia for a long time is among Georgias top ten trading partners. The trade turnover between Armenia and Georgia in 2014 comprised 156 million USD, whereas in 2015 it was 189 million USD, recording a 17% growth. The expert said this figures prove that the two countries year after year are deepening the trade-economic cooperation.

Joni Melikyan attached importance to the Armenian-Georgian cooperation in the military sector. He said Georgia attaches importance to the regional security since they want to increase the foreign investments, and the regional security and stability is a key precondition for that. Last year Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan visited Georgia. During the visit military cooperation agreement was signed between Armenia and Georgia. Although Georgia makes active efforts to be integrated with NATO, and the cooperation in the military sector is limited to some extent, there are directions where the two countries can cooperate, the expert said.

Joni Melikyan supposes that after the elections in Armenia, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan will visit Georgia which will further intensify the bilateral cooperation.

Armenia and Georgia have established diplomatic relations on July 17, 1992.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Service of Armenia uncovered a grand theft embezzlement case under the pretext of a bribe, the NSS told ARMENPRESS.

According to initial information, a former employee of the judicial department received an offer from an employee of the Police in 2016 to interfere with an ongoing investigation and ensure a favorable outcome in terms of the judicial act for the defendant. The perpetrator assured he had reached an agreement with the judge for 8000 USD. Afterwards, the latter received the amount through his colleague, who in turn received it from the family members of the defendant, and stole the money.

A criminal case has been initiated for grand theft and embezzlement. The perpetrator has been detained, and the two others involved have been charged with misconduct and attempted bribery.

Investigation continues.

Notice  Suspect is innocent until proven guilty by the Court of Law.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Minister of Economic Development and Investments Suren Karayan and General Commissioner for Astana EXPO-2017 Rapil Zhoshybayev on January 19 signed an agreement on approval of Armenias participation in the EXPO, reports Armenpress.

More than 112 countries and 18 international organizations approved their participation in the EXPO. Some of them have already appointed commissioner for the EXPO and signed an agreement on participation.

General Commissioner for Astana EXPO-2017 Rapil Zhoshybayev welcomed approval of Armenias participation in the EXPO and said there are expectations that Armenia will have a very good pavilion on the topic of Future Energy.

We expect the participation of the Armenian tourists and representatives of the Armenian community of Kazakhstan. We believe that the EXPO will show the friendly relations of Armenia and Kazakhstan and of course, will provide another chance to reach to new agreements, Rapil Zhoshybayev said, adding that the international community is highly interested in the EXPO.

In his turn Minister Suren Karayan said the Armenian companies have many proposals to present in the EXPO.

Astana EXPO-2017 world exhibition will enable to present Armenias developments in the energy sector to the international community. Armenia has been provided with two platforms to take part in the Future energy exhibition, as well as to present the tourism and jewelry sectors, the Minister said, adding that Armenia will try to be maximally presented with nearly 20-30 organizations.

Astana EXPO-2017 will be held in Astana from June 10 to September 10, 2017, entitled Future energy. The best achievements in the green energy development sector of the recent years will be presented on the sidelines of the event.

According to Armenian Prime Ministers December 13, 2016 decision, Minister Suren Karayan was appointed Armenias General Commissioner in the EXPO.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Ankara police have attacked the participants of the Hrant Dink memorial rally, Agos reports.

The Hrant Dink memorial initiative in Ankara had issues an announcement on holding the commemorative event in Yuksel Square on January 19 at 15:00. Lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish HDP party and the Republican Peoples Party were also scheduled to take part in the event.

However, the commemorative event was banned, and the group was allowed to hold only a minute-long homage rally.

After the rally, police attacked the group on grounds of voicing a slogan. Several members of the group were battered.

From January 10, 2017, Ankara authorities banned all demonstrations and rallies in the city.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. After the death of Armenian intellectual of Istanbul Hrant Dink, many understood in Turkey what had happened with Armenians in that country, Editor-in-Chief of Agos Yetvart Danzikyan told Armenpress.

After Hrant Dinks murder his ideas spread more widely. The murderers perhaps didnt think about that. 100 thousand people took part in Dinks funeral. From that day he became the person to whom people started to refer and speak about his ideas every time when the Armenian question appeared in the agenda, Danzikyan said, stating that Hrants voice continues to be heard in a strong way.

After his death many people within the Turkish society started to understand what Armenians have faced. Even for some period mitigation was observed in the states stance on the Armenian question. But in the recent years we witness a regress in the states stance over the Armenian issue. The most important proof of this is the incident happened with Armenian lawmaker Garo Paylan for his speech in the Turkish Parliament, Yetvart Danzikyan said.

Araks Kasyan
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian delegation led by Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Artak Zakaryan had a meeting with Speaker of the Parliament (the Knesset) of Israel Yuli-Yoel Edelstein in Israel, press service of the Armenian Parliament told Armenpress.

Welcoming the guests, Yuli-Yoel Edelstein attached importance to the development of inter-parliamentary ties, the centuries-old friendship between the Armenian and Jewish people and expressed his readiness to make efforts for the cooperation in various sectors, in particular, in cultural , tourism, economic and agricultural sectors.

Yuli-Yoel Edelstein reaffirmed his stance that sooner or later the Knesset must recognize the Armenian Genocide.

I am not so proud of the fact that Israel has not yet recognized the Armenian Genocide, nevertheless, a certain progress already exists on this path, he said.

Yuli-Yoel Edelstein expressed hope it would be possible to find peaceful solutions to unsettled conflicts in near future. The Knesset Speaker promised to assist organizing regular meetings between the high-ranking officials of Israel and Armenia, as well as maintaining active inter-parliamentary relations.

In his turn Artak Zakaryan thanked for the invitation and reception and highlighted the role of inter-parliamentary contacts in terms of development of inter-state relations, implementation of joint projects in various sectors, as well as long-term political partnership. He attached importance to the inter-parliamentary Memorandum of Understanding signed recently between Armenias Parliament Speaker Galust Sahakyan and the Knesset Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, as well as the recent Armenian-Israeli international public forum formed in Yerevan. He expressed hope the results of the second forum on January 19 can be visible and can contribute to the strengthening of mutually beneficial public relations in a number of sectors.

Artak Zakaryan presented also the current situation in the region and the Armenian stances on their solution.

At the end of the meeting Yuli-Yoel Edelstein wished success to Armenias Parliament in the organization of upcoming elections and expressed hope the Armenian-Israeli ties will be active in the newly elected Parliament as well.

The same day Yuli-Yoel Edelstein addressed a special message to the Armenian parliamentary delegation in the Parliament's plenary session.

The message reads:

Members of the Knesset,

I want to welcome the Armenia-Israel parliamentary friendship group. Distinguished guests, welcome to Jerusalem, capital of Israel, and the Knesset.

The Armenian and Jewish people had many things in common during their entire history. In the 20th century, our peoples passed though terrible tragedies, by facing the threat of elimination. We consider the Armenian people our friends and we hope to develop our ties and cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism, economy and especially agriculture.

In recent times, this is the second visit of the Armenian parliamentary delegation to Israel. We hope the mutual visits of the parliamentarians will become frequent, aiming at better recognizing and understanding each other.

Armenia, like Israel, has a great Diaspora, especially in the United States and France. Like the Jewish people, Armenians as well are firmly linked with their Fatherland. The Armenian Diasporas number is much larger than Armenias population itself which is typical also to the Jewish people. We hope to cooperate with you by exchanging our knowledge and experience on maintaining ties with the Diaspora.

On behalf of the Knesset, its members and personally myself I warmly welcome you and wish pleasant days in Israel and Jerusalem. My blessing to you and your great people.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. After 10 years of Istanbul-Armenian journalist Hrant Dinks murder a great number of people have gathered in front of the publishing house of Agos periodical to pay tribute to the memory of the intellectual. A number of intellectuals and parliamentarians, including Armenian MP Garo Paylan are among the people.

The people chanted Murderer state will stand answerable, We are all Hrant, we are all Armenians, and other slogans.

Hrants widow Rakel Dink spoke in front of the crowd, who started her speech by the following words, 10 years. Easier said than lived Exactly 10 Years. Without you, it has not been easy at all. Being without you, not having my beloved one with me, and above all, being separated from him by a heinous plot have caused even more pain, sorrow and heartache.

So much has happened in 10 years. Oh my darling. Malatya massacre, Iskenderun, Sevag Balkc, Roboski, Gezi events, Suruc, Diyarbakr, Sur, Mardin, Nusaybin, Cizre, Srnak, Tahir Elci, Ankara, July 15th, Macka, Izmir, Gaziantep, Ortakoy, Airport attack and the war in the Middle East. Operations, terror, and what not The country has turned into a bloodbath. Some wanted to shower in human blood. A nightmare has swept the country. People started to fear and suffocate. People have been humiliated due to their identities; their dignity has been dishonoured and despised, she said.

In her speech Rakel Dink stated that after 10 years of Hrant Dinks murder she has to ask the same rhetorical question, When will those really responsible for his death be punished? She added that the exposure of this murder is of vital importance for Turkeys democratization.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Nearly 2.3 thousand tons of fruits and vegetables have been exported from Armenia since the start of the year, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Robert Makaryan told the reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

This number far exceeds the number of the first two decades of January, 2016. Purveyed grapes and greenhouse tomatoes were mainly exported, Armenpress reports the Deputy Minister saying. He added that the exports were mainly directed to Russia.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Minister of the Economic Development and Investments of Armenia Hovhannes Azizyan links the limited volumes of Armenian exports to Iran with the economic sanctions on Iran. Armenpress reports the Deputy Minister told the reporters on January 19 that measures are taken to eliminate the obstacles for Armenia-Iran trade turnover.

We have agreed on solutions with the Iranian side on trade procedures. It is the issue of certification of Armenian exports, over which we already have a positive reaction from Iran. Certification bodies will open relevant organizations or representations in Armenia as a result of which Armenian products will be certificated on site and will enter the Iranian market, Hovhannes Azizyan said.

According to the Deputy Minister the Armenian and Iranian Presidents reached an agreement over banking transfers, so as the Central Bans of the two states are able to cooperate. To his conviction, there is already some progress in this direction.
Wisconsin lawmakers from both parties are waiting for more details before they stake a position on Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to cut undergraduate tuition for in-state students at University of Wisconsin System schools.

In general, Republicans have expressed an openness countered by skepticism among Democrats. The proposal addresses an issue both parties agree is important  college affordability  but it's not yet clear how significant the cut would be or how it would be funded.

Walker spokesman Tom Evenson said the cut "will be paid for," with details forthcoming in Walker's budget proposal, due next month. Walker said earlier this month the cost would be covered by additional state funding.

"Governor Walker is committed to lowering the cost of college for students at our UW campuses. This isn't just talk," Evenson said.

The cut would follow a four-year tuition freeze, but also a $250 million cut to the system's funding delivered in the governor's 2015-17 budget. Before the freeze, implemented in Walker's second budget, tuition had gone up 5.5 percent annually since the 2007-08 academic year.

The governor has said his 2017-19 budget will include a funding increase for the UW System, but perhaps not the full $42.5 million requested.

About half the money requested by the UW would fund an initiative that would offer more college credit options for high school students, expand access to academic, career and financial advising, make transferring credits easier, expand access to financial aid and help prepare students for the workforce.

Walker has said UW funding in the budget will likely be performance-based, tied to metrics that could include graduation and employment rates.

Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, said she supports a focus on college affordability, but needs more information before she weighs in on the proposal. Harsdorf is chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges and a member of the Joint Finance Committee.

"I applaud the governors effort in looking at affordability and addressing affordability," Harsdorf said. "But its also important to recognize that affordability is not just the level of tuition, its also time to graduation. And of course its also important that we maintain the quality of the degree as well. That being said, I look forward to seeing his specific proposal and seeing what the details are."

Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, vice-chairman of the Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, was quick to voice his support for the proposed cut, issuing a statement shortly after it was announced in Walker's State of the State address.

"Governor Scott Walker is leading by example in cutting UW System tuition to benefit the middle class families of Wisconsin. Where the UW System has failed families in controlling costs, the Governor and legislative Republicans have already delivered a historic tuition freeze and now we are going to cut tuition," Nass said in a statement.

Nass has been a vocal critic of the UW, calling into question a course called "The Problem of Whiteness" and a discussion group from the UW Men's Project aimed at exploring "masculinity and the problems accompanied by simplified definitions of it."

He has been joined in his criticism by Rep. David Murphy, R-Greenville. A spokesman for Murphy said the lawmaker will wait to comment on Walker's proposals until more details are released.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, focused on the tuition freeze in his response to the governor's proposal.

"Senator Fitzgerald has been a strong proponent of the UW Tuition freeze and looks forward to reviewing the Governors UW System budget along with the full administrative budget proposal," said Fitzgerald spokeswoman Myranda Tanck.

Although Walker has said the cut would not take money away from the UW System, Democrats are wary.

A tuition cut sounds good on its face, but more information is needed, said Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton.

"The governor has promised a lot of things over the course of his tenure and a lot of it hasnt happened," Erpenbach said. "It's hard to support anything without knowing any details."

Erpenbach, a member of the Joint Finance Committee, said the tuition freeze coupled with cuts has left the UW struggling with finances and faculty retention.

"The freeze has been nothing more than a slow strangulation of the system," Erpenbach said.

Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, suggested repealing the state's manufacturing and agriculture tax credit to fund the cut.

The credit was approved as part of the 2011-13 state budget. It started to take effect in 2013 and reached full implementation last year. Critics say it helps the states wealthiest earners at the cost of investing in other public services including universities and roads. Business groups argue it helps Wisconsin attract job creators to the states largest industry sector and allows businesses to grow.

Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, ranking member of the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities, said she is concerned the cut would not be properly funded.

Berceau also raised concerns with the way it was introduced, which she said was done in a "drop the bomb" style.

"Thats not governing, and I know that this governor is a chicken, frankly," Berceau said. "Hed rather drop a bomb than communicate with the university and say, 'Heres what Id like to do and how can we work this out?'"

Berceau said she is concerned the cut might help students in the short term but harm them in the long term if it leads to larger class sizes and slower graduation rates. She encouraged elected officials to have more discussions with their constituents about how important the university is to them.

Following the governor's State of the State address, Joint Finance Committee co-chairman Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, said many of his constituents do have questions about some of the university's more controversial offerings, like the ones opposed by Nass.

"I think thats the exception rather than the rule, and keeping a strong UW-Madison, a strong UW System, I think helps everybody in our state, helps drive our economy," Nygren said. "The workforce of the next generation, thats where theyre going to come from, so that needs to continue to be a strong entity for us in the state."

Nygren said a tuition cut would have to be reviewed along with the entire budget.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, told reporters after Walker's speech he is "open-minded" to the idea, but he is not yet convinced a tuition cut will be a priority for lawmakers in the context of the 2017-19 budget.

"My focus is on making sure we have access to make sure students get to graduate in four years and that we have a reasonable price for tuition," Vos said after the speech.

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, told reporters after the governor's speech that Democrats support tuition freezes and cuts as long as they are funded with state support.

"If he's willing to fund it, that's something we would be very open to," Barca said.
British Prime Minister Theresa May addresses the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 19, 2017

Prime Minister Theresa May told the world's elite on Thursday that Britain would become a champion for business and free trade despite Brexit, even as major banks said they planned to shift jobs out of London.

May, speaking on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration as US president, sought to reassure the World Economic Forum in Davos that Britain's vote to quit the European Union did not signal a retreat into protectionism.

"The United Kingdom -? a country that has so often been at the forefront of economic and social change -? will step up to a new leadership role as the strongest and most forceful advocate for business, free markets and free trade anywhere in the world," May told a packed hall.

It was the same venue where China's President Xi Jinping on Tuesday delivered a clarion call for open markets and against protectionism, in the lead-up to Trump taking office.

May added that Britain will "seek the freedom to strike new trade deals with old friends and new allies right around the world".

London is already in discussions on possible deals with Australia, New Zealand and India, and has been seeking closer ties to China for years.

Finance minister Philip Hammond told AFP he hoped investors would be reassured after May "set (her plan) out so clearly today".

- 'Truly global Britain' -

After her speech, May sat down in Davos with top CEOs of US banks including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley, AFP learned.

May told Bloomberg News that her meetings in Davos were "positive" and that she stressed to corporate leaders that "we want to build a truly global Britain".

JPMorgan chief Jamie Dimon said Thursday there "will be more job movement" out of the bank's London offices than the 4,000 it previously estimated.

Business leaders gathered in Davos, anxious for clarity on how Brexit will affect them, expressed relief that May's negotiating strategy is taking shape -- though they said the proof will be in her much-trumpeted trade deals.

Story continues

Murray Rode, CEO of US-based Tibco Software whose European headquarters are in London, said May clearly meant to convey that "Britain's going to be separate but global, so everybody calm down".

"But it's the actions that follow that are going to matter," he stressed.

Lance Uggla, president of financial analysis firm IHS Markit, said May had given "a very clear vision and stance" of how she intends to approach divorce negotiations following Britain's referendum vote last June to quit the EU.

But he added May had "not yet" provided enough details on what happens next to reassure nervous multinationals.

- 'Lose-lose' -

Apart from JPMorgan, several major banks said they plan to relocate staff from London's financial hub, to ensure that they can continue to do business across the EU with one operating licence.

HSBC says 1,000 of its investment banking jobs will leave the City of London for Paris.

UBS said it "will definitely have to move" some staff from London, while Goldman Sachs was reported to be halving its London staff to 3,000.

Lloyd's bank was said to be considering Frankfurt as a new base, while Lloyd's the insurer said it was close to a decision on opening a European office to operate alongside its historic London HQ.

Those movements represent a potentially heavy blow for Britain, where financial services represent a tenth of economic output.

London's mayor Sadiq Khan told AFP that rival financial hubs in New York and Asia would be the ultimate winners of banks deserting Britain.

"The reality is they'll probably go to Hong Kong, Singapore or New York. So a so-called hard Brexit could be a lose-lose, a lose for London and the UK, and a lose for the EU too," he said.

- 'Don't punish Britain' -

May insisted in her speech that Britain would seek "an ambitious free trade agreement between the UK and the European Union".

But Pierre Moscovici, European commissioner for economic and financial affairs, said Britain "cannot have all the advantages of being a member of the club when you are out of the club".

France and Germany, meanwhile, signalled a more conciliatory approach.

"The position from the German government has been from the very beginning that we will not punish the UK," Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in Davos, in comments echoed by France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.
As he prepares to take on a key role in the Donald Trump administration, Anthony Scaramucci has sold his asset management business.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the head of SkyBridge Capital said he has sold his $12 billion fund of funds. He had said in December the firm was up for sale as speculation grew that he would be taking on a role in the White House.

Scaramucci dropped the news in the middle of a session on Trump's economic agenda. He was chronicling his rise through the financial ranks and, referring to his current firm, said, "I've actually just sold today."

The buyers were Washington, D.C.-based RON Transatlantic Advisors and HNA Capital of New York. Sales terms were not disclosed, according to an announcement from Skybridge, though the asking price was thought to be in the $250 million range.

"While I am moving on to a new chapter in my career, I am truly excited about what the future holds for SkyBridge and the opportunities that RON Transatlantic and HNA Capital U.S. will bring to serving the firm's clients," Scaramucci said in a subsequent statement.

Scaramucci's role officially will be as a liaison in the White House for state and local governments and for both American and foreign businesses. The position has been compared to the one President Barack Obama 's key confidante Valerie Jarrett currently holds, though Scaramucci has downplayed those reports.



Scaramucci, 53, is a high-profile Wall Streeter whose annual SALT conference in Las Vegas brings thousands of fellow hedge fund managers and investors for a program that features high-profile market experts, politicians and show business personalities.

The Skybridge announcement said the SALT conference will be spun off as a "standalone entity." This year's conference, set for May 16-19, will be held as scheduled though Scaramucci will not be involved.

"SkyBridge and SALT are in great hands and will continue to thrive," Scaramucci said.



Story continues

Scaramucci recently released "Hopping Over the Rabbit Hole: How Entrepreneurs Turn Failure Into Success," a chronicle of his struggles bringing SkyBridge to prominence.

With the Scaramucci appointment, it brings a total of at least a half-dozen former Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) employees who will be serving key advisory roles in the new administration.





More From CNBC


LAS VEGASThe latest installment of the AVN Novelty Expo kicked off Wednesday in its new home at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.

The three-day B2B show opened to exhibitors and buyers in the recently constructed addition to Artist Hall. With more space for booths and meetings, exhibitors marveled at the more elegant feel.

You have to be amazed, said Carrie Smith of Wicked Sensual Care. There are so many exhibitors, and the space looks and feels wonderful.

With seven aisles of booths, ANE featured some of the biggest names in the pleasure products industry alongside newcomers to the industry.

As attendees entered the show floor, one of the first booths they encountered was Eldorado Tradings, which had set up a memorial to the distributors founder, Larry Garland, who unexpectedly passed away on Jan. 15. A portrait photo of Garland was flanked by floral bouquets, and visitors to the booth were able to sign a guestbook for Garlands family and employees. Show organizers paid tribute to Garland by holding a moment of silence before each novelty seminar.

Seminar topics were varied on the first day of ANE, touching on everything from avoiding pitfalls when it comes to banking and financial issues for brick-and-mortar stores, to the benefits of white-labeling to the synergy between the cannabis and pleasure products industries.

Back on the show floor, attendees participated in VIBE meetings and got up close and personal looks at some of the products that will be available in the coming months from a number of manufacturers.

Combined, Shots and sister company Shots America represent one of the largest manufacturers of adult novelties in the world, and visitors to the AVN Novelty Expo got the chance to see firsthand the new and exciting collections Shots has to offer.

Shots America reps showcased five new lines coming in 2017 from the manufacturer: HIKY, JIL, Retro, Mjuze and Ouch Reversible.

We want to wow our customers with our incredible range of product, to continue to grow at a triple-digit rate, to be the most unique and innovative company in the market, to improve every process and to provide the best customer service in the industry, said a company rep. We are the only major manufacturer to have major distribution operations in two continents with over 2,500 unique products. We are proud of our logistics, spacious offices and large showrooms.

With more than 20 years in the pleasure products industry and the product inventory to match such a history, Shots America is sure to have something to pique the interest of buyers at ANE.

For more, visit ShotsAmerica.com.

Another industry giant was also on the show floor: Topco Sales, a manufacturer with one of the longest histories in the pleasure product industry. But its focus is clearly on the future, and buyers can get the lowdown on all the exciting things coming in 2017.

New Chief Operating Officer Autumn OBrien came on board in June of 2016, and she has already accomplished a lot. In terms of staffing, Topco has brought on new account managers, a media production specialist and a web developer. And in even bigger news, the manufacturer broke ground on a state-of-the-art U.S.-based laboratory facility boasting 7,000 square feet and FDA 510(k) certification.

Its been a while since Topco has been at the Vegas show and we welcome the change of pace and addition to our existing January trade show lineup, said OBryan. Supporting and taking part in ANE 2017 will give us an opportunity to expand and broaden our reach while reconnecting with customers and accounts that have always relied on AVNs events for their networking and business needs.

We also will be showcasing the latest releases from the Penthouse collection, following the major licensing partnership Topco recently struck with the powerhouse brand, OBryan continued. ANE attendees will also have the opportunity to view these new items in fully merchandised displays to show how major brands like Penthouse can be effectively showcased on the store level.

Another veteran company on the floor is Spartacus Leathers, the company founded by the late Big Al Bedrosian, who is being inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame Pleasure Products Branch.

Jessica Preston of Spartacus Enterprises is looking forward to a big ANE for the company.

Spartacus Leathers will celebrate our 30-year anniversary in 2017. Spartacus will enjoy a successful 2017 AVN show, networking with our fellow adult product manufacturers and inspiring our buyers, new and established alike. At the 2017 AVN we will be introducing our brand-new Spartacus line of all-natural, water-based and silicone personal lubricants. We will also have the first leather-cleaner dedicated to the BDSM and leather-lovers market.

For more information about the manufacturer, see SpartacusLeathers.com.

Check back daily for more stories on AVN Novelty Expo exhibitors. For more about the show, go to NoveltyExpo.com.

Pictured from right: Spartacus booth, memorial to Eldorado's Larry Garland; Topco Sales booth. Photos by JFK/FUBARWebmasters.com.
LONDON  A line-up of high profile comedy stars will take to the stage on January 21, 2017 to raise vital funds for Brook, the UKs leading sexual health and wellbeing charity for young people.

The star-studded line-up for Sex Appeal 6 includes Abigoliah Schuman, Ahir Shah, Al Murray, Desiree Burch, Ed Byrne, Johnny Cochrane, Mae Martin, Richard Herring, Scott Capurro, and Sindhu Vee; all of whom are donating their time and talent to support the charity.

Brook provides free, confidential sexual health and wellbeing services to young people throughout the UK, as well as delivering sex and relationships education in schools and offering training to professionals working with young people.

Helen Balmer, Brand and Marketing Director at Lovehoney commented, Lovehoney is thrilled to be partnering with Brook again for Sex Appeal 6.

Brook is making a real difference in young peoples lives, and Lovehoney is pleased to offer continued support to the charity, especially as were all about promoting sexual happiness through fun and fulfilling sex lives.

Brooks Chief Executive, Helen Marshall says With almost 60 percent of young girls and women facing sexual harassment in schools, Brooks work has never been more vital. Were so grateful to all the comedians donating their time for what is such a valuable cause, and to Lovehoney for their continued sponsorship of the event.



Abigoliah Schamaun, who will be performing for the second year, says, "After growing up in a conservative town where abstinence was our only version of sex education at our public school, I'm aware of the downfalls of withholding proper safe sex education from young people. Sex is great, so let's make sure everyone can enjoy it while being well informed and safe. Go Brook!"



Al Murray adds, Sex ed is incredibly important. You can't exactly make informed choices if you're not informed, can you?

The annual sell-out show will take place at Conway Hall in Central London and is sponsored by Lovehoney, a multi-award winning manufacturer and distributor of pleasure products.

For more information and tickets, visit ComedySex.org and @comedysex on Twitter.
My friend Clayton Cubitt has taken a phenomenal series of portraits for the Women's March on Washington.

"I was honored to be able to make some portraits of organizers and activists involved in the upcoming Women's March on Washingtonand the many sister marches happening around the country and internationally,"

Clayton says.

"Their courage and fortitude and determination to fight for a better future for everyone has filled me with hope for the future ahead."

See the entire series here, on a dedicated microsite.

MORE:

 Clayton's blog post

 A very touching personal account from one of the marchers/organizers about why she marches.

 The official project website.

 The microsite housing Clayton's portraits and the quotes from the activists he shot.

Linda Sarsour, one of the March co-chairs:

"I have no choice but to organize to protect my family and the communities that I love. We must stand up and fight back, people's lives depend on it."

CANDICE FORTIN



"There is so much at stake in this upcoming administration. Women are the majority in this country. Our voices should hold weight."

WINNIE WONG

"I march because our democracy is a dumpster fire. I march because structural patriarchy must be dismantled. I march because we fight sexism with solidarity."

(all photographs courtesy Clayton Cubitt)
[Why do prescription drugs cost so much in Canada?/Getty Images]

Canada has a drug problem. Between paying 500 per cent more than, for instance, our New Zealand peers for medicine produced by homegrown companies and a fragmented public/private healthcare system  one in five Canadians pay for their own drugs  policymakers are calling on a re-jig.

There is no question that the current status is not fair, that its not right, that were paying much higher prices than other countries are and thats exactly what Im working on, Health Minister Jane Philpott told CBCs the Fifth Estate, in step with her message she brought to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Developments Health Policy Forum in Paris this week.

The Fifth Estates analysis compared drug prices in Canada to several other countries among them New Zealand which, like Canada, has a universally-funded healthcare system. An annual supply of Amlodipine, the popular blood pressure treatment made by Canadian company Apotex, sells for $130 in Canada compare to around $10 in New Zealand. Generic antibiotic Amoxicillin sold by Apotex goes for $200 for an annual supply in Canada versus $32 in New Zealand.

So whats the difference? One of the major standouts is New Zealand has a single purchasing and negotiating agency called PHARMAC whereas Canadas drug purchasing is on a case-by-case basis between the public and private healthcare systems.

But we could use a national formulary, a list of medicines covered across the country, says Marc-Andre Gagnon, a health and pharmaceutical policy expert and professor at Carleton University.

This is why they do a much better job than Canada and our fragmenting system where basically you have most of the private clinics reimbursing anything at any price, he says.

And we dont need to look far for an example for how a national formulary could work. Canadian Blood Services, argues Gagnon, is an independent agency that connects the different regions across Canada ensuring the flow of not just blood transfusions but blood-related medicines as well.

Story continues

That could be a very good example of how things need to work in Canada for all drugs not just drugs that relate to blood, he says.

Canadas drug price problems also lie in the way prices are calculated.

In Canada we set the price of generic medicines based on the percentage of prices of brand name drugs  usually its 25 per cent but sometimes we negotiate rebates down to 18 per cent of the price of the brand name drug, says Gagnon. In many countries the price of the generic will be one percent or two per cent of the brand name drug.

Officially, we pay a little higher in order to entice pharmaceutical companies to open operations in Canada and spur the economy. However, both Gagnon and Philpott (in her conversation with Fifth Estate) admit its not the case anymore.

In terms of pharmaceutical R and D in Canada, investment is not there anymore (so) theres just no reason why we should keep remaining generous to drug companies, says Gagnon.

He also points out that the list price for medicines are set based on a bucket of seven other countries including the U.S. and Germany. Canada, Gagnon explains, tries to set its prices in the median of the pack, which should work in theory but not when the most expensive country in our basket is the U.S.

For 15 to 20 percent of Canadian patented drugs the U.S. is the only comparative country, so we end up paying, on average, twice as much that other countries for these specific drugs, which is pure nonsense, says Gagnon. Lets kick out the U.S. from the basket of comparative countries and maybe Germany as well and introduce Australia and New Zealand.

He says the change would end up being a smaller modification to regulation as opposed to legislative overhaul and could save between $2- to $3-billion a year.

In a lot of ways, New Zealand ends up being a prime example of a patient-focused, national drug plan, one that Gagnon says we could learn from.

They decided not to try and attract research and development not to try to please the pharmaceutical industry and create a business environment, he says. Theyre just there to get the best prices, best cost effective drugs and they deploy all the strategies they can with that.
President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in advance of Friday's inauguration. (Photo: AP)

For her first Inaugural weekend appearance Thursday afternoon, Melania dressed with respect in joining the president-elect for a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Wearing a Norisol Ferrari military-inspired knee-length coat and coordinating sheath dress, the incoming First Ladys ensemble was meant to pay homage to American military service members. The occasion was particularly meaningful for the New York City designer whose biological father is a wounded veteran who sustained lifelong disabilities in the line of service.

In an interview Thursday, Ferraris said her first thought Thursday morning was, God, I hope we can be a less angry nation.

Addressing the issue of designers who have publicly said they would refuse to dress Trump, Ferrari said, I am absolutely opposed to discrimination in any way. I wanted to give her her own voice. Empowering women is all that matters to me. I do not discriminate whether for race, religion, color of skin, sexuality, political affiliation  what have you. No, I do not believe in it in any form.

Ferrari continued, I really saw a person who is being misunderstood who is being scrutinized. Shes a woman and a mother and I am pro-woman. That at the end of the day is very important to me  equality for women and for all human beings. If thats what I really believe, I had to do it.

Ferrari declined to say how she voted in last years presidential election. I dont believe that my political affiliation has any relevance in this appointment. The only thing I can say is that my biological family paid a very heavy price for this nation and thats why I did this. she said.

Ferrari was connected with Trump through her senior advisor Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who has been collecting the downtown designers pieces for more than five years. Ferrari showed her first collection in 2009. Her husband Lawrence Lenihan, managing director and founder of FirstMark Capital, is her business partner. From their first meeting shortly after Thanksgiving, Trump was clear about wanting a commanding, military-esque coat for todays wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and I happen to make one. Its my strength  jackets, coats and outerwear.

Story continues

Designing the bespoke New York made stretch cashmere ensemble was no small feat. She said, Its been scary to make sure that I get it right, that I do my best. Its a part of history. (Her efforts must have measured up with Trump, since an ankle-length blue and grey cashmere and alpaca Commander coat was also ordered.

The designer said, Someone who comes from where I come from doesnt get this opportunity. Im an orphan. Im an independent designer, female-owned business, a first-generation minority woman. People like me are dead. They dont survive, they dont strive, they dont get opportunities, they dont get ahead. Women in general dont get opportunities like this in fashion. Im very fortunate to one have such a beautiful muse. Shes striking and poised and kind. That part was easy. She made it very easy.

Not surprisingly Trump knew just what she was after for this solemn occasion. Ferrari continued, In quiet, you can feel her kindness. She has an air of grace. That is hard to describe.

Asked what today means to her on a personal level, Ferrari composed herself and said, WowI really dont want to get caught in the crosshairs of this. I did this for women. I believe the unity of women is the most important thing there is to talk about in the world because without us they have nothing.

An American citizen, Ferrari said she doesnt know a great deal about her family history. I was given up by both of my biological parents. The only thing I do know is that we were invited here. We were not immigrants who ran underneath some fence to get through. she said, adding that her chemical engineer grandfather was invited to work in the U.S. where he was responsible for 150 patents. All I know is that Im Colombian and Venezuelan, and Im fortunate to be alive.

Ferrari said, Its an honor when any woman chooses me for her wardrobe. Its so important for me to arm woman in this world. A conversation that should never be relevant is, What is she wearing? because it is never asked of men. Were constantly being scrutinized for our intelligence, our sexuality and what we wear. To empower women means everything to me  to field this world that is unfair to us.

With an afternoon medical appointment, Ferrari didnt plan to watch the wreath laying ceremony. Im going to the doctor and taking care of myself, which is something that women generally dont do. Im going to try to do a little self care. she said.

Related stories:

Donald Trump Blasts Tom Ford for Quotes About Melania

'Armani, Gucci Only': NYPD Assists Luxury Shoppers Near Trump Tower

Made Evolves With Stronger Consumer Focus
By Alex Dobuzinskis

(Reuters) - An undocumented immigrant from El Salvador is suing San Francisco alleging police violated the city's sanctuary city policy by turning him over to U.S. immigration authorities after he reported his car stolen.

The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday on behalf of Pedro Figueroa Zarceno, 32, in federal court in San Francisco against the city and its police chief for violating his right to due process and breaking an ordinance barring municipal employees from cooperating with federal immigration authorities seeking to deport a person.

Figueroa walked into a police station in November 2015 to report his car stolen, according to the lawsuit. Two days later, the car was found and when he went to recover it, he was handcuffed and led outside where federal immigration agents were waiting for him, the lawsuit said.

The civil action comes as San Francisco and dozens of other U.S. cities face pressure from President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Friday, to abandon their policies of limiting cooperation between law enforcement officers and U.S. immigration authorities.

"We'll obviously have to review the lawsuit before we can comment on it," John Cote, a spokesman for the San Francisco city attorney, said by phone. "That being said, San Francisco has strong policies in place to encourage victims and witnesses to report crimes without fear of being deported."

The incident occurred about five months after an undocumented immigrant was charged with murder in the shooting of a woman at a San Francisco pier.

The shooting drew nationwide attention because the alleged killer, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, was previously arrested on a drug charge and released from jail months before the shooting, despite a request from federal officials that he be held until they could pick him up. Sanchez has pleaded not guilty.

Figueroa's attorney, Saira Hussain of the nonprofit group Asian Americans Advancing Justice, said by phone it was a "possibility" that officers arrested her client because they were influenced by the controversy over the Sanchez case.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Alan Crosby)
IT Management

College Lays Off Sys Admin and Loses Access to Google

An online college faced certain shutdown when it lost access to the login information for its Google accounts. It didn't help when the school laid off the lone employee who had that information and then refused to pay him for helping them out of the fiasco. Of course, the situation was exacerbated when the ex-staff member demanded $200,000 for his consulting time, an amount the college characterized as a form of cyber blackmail.

According to coverage in the Indianapolis Star, the situation unfolded this way. The American College of Education, a for-profit online teacher training institution in Indianapolis, hired Triano Williams in 2007 as a desktop support employee. By 2013, Williams, who worked remotely from Illinois, had been promoted to systems administrator.

Last year the college decided to bring its IT organization under one roof and in February offered Williams $10,000 for expenses tied to relocating to Indiana. If he chose not to make the move, his position would be terminated on April 1 and he would be entitled to a separation package equal to about three months of salary. For personal reasons Williams declined the offer. That's when the troubles began.

Before he left, Williams was the sole remaining sys admin. According to allegations in a lawsuit filed by the college in Indiana, Williams changed the login details for the school's Google account, disabling student access to -email, assignments and other coursework. A countersuit filed months later by Williams's attorney in Chicago stated that her client had saved the login ID and password to his work computer and then returned the laptop to the college, as it had requested. At that point, the suit reported, the college wiped the device storage.

By May the college had realized its blunder. Attempts to have Google grant access to its accounts were denied by the company. In the meantime, Williams refused multiple requests for his help in resolving the issue and referred the college to his attorney.

By June 30, 2016, American College had reached its breaking point. Google had suspended the domain account, locking out 2,000 students. Facing a potential "$500,000 in damages" due to lost enrollment, the college threatened suit if Williams didn't help.

His attorney responded with a counter-offer: Supply a check for $200,000 and a "clean letter of reference," and in return Williams would assist in reinstating the Google account.

The Indiana case settled in September for the college and the court ordered Williams to pay $248,350 in damages.

The countersuit filed in December by Williams's attorney suggested that race discrimination was the real issue. Previously, stated the complaint, the college had "faced a similar situation with an ex-employee," whose services were also required after he'd been terminated. In that case, the employee, who was white, had been paid a "sizable consultant fee" to perform the task needed. Williams is black.

The suit also alleged that Williams was paid less than his white co-workers and that the college failed to promote him to a management position, even after he had functioned as an interim manager. Likewise, two other employees faced the same relocation offer; one who was white and living in Texas was allowed to keep her job; the other, also black, was let go. Williams was really terminated, the grievance stated, for complaining about "discriminatory treatment of himself and others."

Williams's attorney has asked the federal court to throw out the judgment and take over jurisdiction.

Eventually, Google unlocked the college's account, but by then it had shifted to a new service provider.
THURSDAY, Jan. 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- An online program that "trains" the brain may help people cope with the constant ringing in the ears called tinnitus, a small study suggests.

People with tinnitus can have poorer working memory, deficiencies in attention, and slower mental processing speeds and reaction times. However, an internet-based program to improve mental acuity appeared to help them deal with the bothersome ear noise, researchers said.

"Fifty percent of the patients in the study reported improvements in memory, attention and ability to deal with tinnitus," said study co-author Dr. Jay Piccirillo. He's a professor of otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no actual external noise is present, according to the American Tinnitus Association.

While it's referred to as "ringing in the ears," tinnitus can cause many different perceptions of sound, including buzzing, hissing, whistling, swooshing and clicking. In some cases, tinnitus patients report hearing music.

Tinnitus can be temporary or ongoing. Millions of Americans experience tinnitus, often to a debilitating degree, making it one of the most common health conditions in the country, according to the association.

For the study, Piccirillo and his colleagues randomly assigned 40 adults who had bothersome tinnitus for more than six months to the online Brain Fitness Program-Tinnitus program, or a non-tinnitus program.

The Brain Fitness Program-Tinnitus is a mental training program designed to use the brain's ability to improve thinking and memory skills, the researchers said.

In addition, 20 healthy patients took part in the study for comparison purposes.

Those using the online program spent an hour a day on it, five days a week for eight weeks.

The program is made up of 11 interactive training exercises, including simple sound stimuli, continuous speech and visual stimuli. The goal is to get people to stop paying attention to their tinnitus and let it fade into the background.

The researchers assessed the benefit of the program using brain scans and tests of memory and attention. These were done at the start of the study, and again eight weeks later.

Brain scans of those who underwent the treatment showed changes in the areas responsible for attention and mental control, Piccirillo said.

On specific tests of memory, attention and behavioral measures, the researchers didn't note any differences. But study participants felt there were improvements.

Half of those who completed the online program said they felt there were improvements in their tinnitus as well as improvements in memory, attention and concentration, compared with patients who didn't use the program, Piccirillo said.

The program exercises the brain, he said.

"We think it works by the ability of the brain to change itself based on input," Piccirillo said. "It doesn't take the tinnitus away. We believe it strengthens the parts of the brain that are used in attention. It trains the ability to stop paying attention to tinnitus."

More studies need to be done to replicate these findings, he said. In addition, the program needs to be refined to make it more effective, he added.

Piccirillo said the program they use from Posit Science is currently available online, as are other brain-strengthening programs. He said he encourages people to use them to keep their brains sharp.

Dr. Harrison Lin, an assistant professor in the department of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center, reviewed the study's findings.

"This is an important study that once again demonstrates the considerable benefits of these safe and noninvasive measures that can be provided to potentially improve the lives of people suffering from chronic and bothersome tinnitus," Lin said.

This study captures the functional and positive impact of the cognitive training program on patients' perception of tinnitus and also on the biological activity within specific parts of their brains, he said.

"Health care providers should present these psychological interventions as a form of first-line treatment for their patients with debilitating tinnitus," Lin said.

The report was published online Jan. 19 in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

More information

For more on tinnitus, visit the American Tinnitus Association.
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Hospitalization-related delirium may speed mental decline in patients with dementia, a new study suggests.

Delirium affects about one-fourth of older hospital patients and causes confusion and disorientation.

British researchers looked at brain samples from nearly 1,000 people from the United Kingdom and Finland. They were 65 and older when they died. Records of their last 10 years of memory and thinking abilities, as well as episodes of delirium, were examined.

Although the study couldn't prove cause and effect, the researchers found that memory changes were most severe among those with a history of hospital-related delirium and brain abnormalities indicating Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia.

"If delirium is causing brain injury in the short and long-term, then we must increase our efforts to diagnose, prevent and treat delirium. Ultimately, targeting delirium could be a chance to delay or reduce dementia," said study leader Dr. Daniel Davis, from University College London.

"Unfortunately, most delirium goes unrecognized. In busy hospitals, a sudden change in confusion may not be noticed by hospital staff. Patients can be transferred several times and staff often switch over -- it requires everyone to 'think delirium' and identify that a patient's brain function has changed," Davis said in a university news release.

Delirium is preventable and treatable. Further research is needed to determine how delirium interacts with dementia, and how that connection can be blocked, the study authors said.

The study was published Jan. 18 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about delirium in older patients.
chuck schumer

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed President-elect Donald Trump's nominees for his incoming administration on Wednesday during another tense day of confirmation hearings.

"This is a swamp Cabinet full of bankers of billionaires," Schumer told a crowd of reporters on Capitol Hill, referencing Trump's campaign promise to "drain the swamp" in Washington. "Many of them have hard-right views, some of which directly contradict promises that the president-elect campaigned on."

The Democrat senator specifically called out Georgia Rep. Tom Price, Trump's pick for Health and Human Services Secretary, who has been a vocal proponent of Medicare overhaul.

"Mr. Price has made it his career to privatize, destroy Medicare as we know it. President-elect Trump said he won't touch Medicare," Schumer said. "The views contradict each other, and many of them are far, far over, away from the American mainstream."

Price underwent questioning from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Wednesday morning. Other Trump nominees who are facing questions on Wednesday include commerce secretary pick Wilbur Ross, Environmental Protection Agency advisor pick Scott Pruitt, and UN ambassador pick Nikki Haley.

Listen to Schumer's comments below:

Chuck Schumer on Trump's picks: "This is a swamp Cabinet full of bankers and billionaires" https://t.co/UYpqI3esEb https://t.co/UzcNV42Di0  CNN (@CNN) January 18, 2017

NOW WATCH: The story of Lisa Brennan-Jobs, the daughter Steve Jobs claimed wasn't his





More From Business Insider


steven mnuchin

Treasury secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin failed to disclose about $100 million in assets and a number of business directorships to the Senate until the night before his confirmation hearing.

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee jumped on this mistake during Mnuchin's confirmation hearing, saying that he was attempting to hide assets from his disclosure forms.

Among the assets that Mnuchin failed to disclose included real estate in New York City, Los Angeles, and Mexico.

Additionally, Mnuchin failed to disclose his role as director of a number of investment funds including a subsidiary of his hedge fund based in the Cayman Islands and another in Anguilla.

Democrats used the disclosure to question both Mnuchin's honesty as well as his qualification as a representative of the American public, contrasting him with Trump's repeated promise to "drain the swamp."

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said that Mnuchin failed to disclose these holdings until Wyden's staff brought them to the nominee's attention.

"This was not self-corrected. The only reason it came to light was my staff found it and told you that it had to be corrected," said Wyden, the ranking member on the committee.

Mnuchin defended himself by saying that the omission was due to the complexities of the disclosure forms.

"I think as you all can appreciate filling out these government forms is quite complicated," said Mnuchin. "There were many things I expected in this job including having to sell everything, but the amount of paperwork in filling out the forms ... was quite a job."

Mnuchin went on to say that "any oversight was unintentional" in regard to omitted assets.

Additionally, Mnuchin defended the Cayman Island and Anguilla holding companies by saying the shell companies were created for his hedge fund to allow certain types of investments for pension funds and nonprofits. The Treasury nominee said he did not benefit from the setup.

Weiterlesen

"Let me just be clear again: I did not use a Cayman Island entity in any way to avoid taxes for myself," said Mnuchin. "I paid US taxes on all that income. So there was no benefit to me from the Cayman entity."

The rest of the hearing was equally as contentious with Democrats and some Republicans hitting Mnuchin for foreclosures at a bank owned by his fund, Trump's foreign investments, and regulation of banks.

This is also the second day in a row a Trump nominee was questioned for investment disclosures. Trump's Health and Human Services secretary nominee Tom Price was questioned about his investments in healthcare companies during his time in Congress during his testimony on Wednesday.

NOW WATCH: Here's how to use one of the many apps to buy and trade bitcoin





More From Business Insider


CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A report in the journal Science Advances details the grim realities facing a majority of the nonhuman primates in the world - the apes, monkeys, tarsiers, lemurs and lorises inhabiting ever-shrinking forests across the planet. The review is the most comprehensive conducted so far, the researchers say, and the picture it paints is dire.

"Alarmingly, about 60 percent of primate species are now threatened with extinction and about 75 percent have declining populations," the authors wrote.

"This truly is the eleventh hour for many of these creatures," said University of Illinois anthropology professor Paul Garber, who co-led the study with Alejandro Estrada of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. "Several species of lemurs, monkeys and apes - such as the ring-tailed lemur, Udzunga red colobus monkey, Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, white-headed langur and Grauer's gorilla - are down to a population of a few thousand individuals. In the case of the Hainan gibbon, a species of ape in China, there are fewer than 30 animals left."

Another critically endangered ape, the Sumatran orangutan, lost 60 percent of its habitat between 1985 and 2007, Garber said.

These species face a host of threats, from hunting, the illegal pet trade and habitat loss as humans continue to log tropical forests, build roads and mine "in needlessly destructive and unsustainable ways," Garber said. "These primates cling to life in the forests of countries such as China, Madagascar, Indonesia, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo," he said.

"Sadly, in the next 25 years, many of these primate species will disappear unless we make conservation a global priority," he said. "This, by itself, would be a tragic loss. Now, consider the hundreds of other species facing a similar fate around the world, and you get a sense of what's truly at stake."

Just four countries - Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo - host two-thirds of all species of primates, the researchers report, making these countries obvious targets for measures to halt - and perhaps even reverse - the global primate extinction trend.

Habitat loss as the result of road building, mining, logging and agriculture, along with hunting and illegal trade in animals and animal parts, is often tied to high rates of population growth and the poverty of communities living nearby, Garber said.

"Addressing local poverty and easing population growth is a necessary component of primate conservation," he said. "Building economies based on the preservation of forests and their primate inhabitants, and broadening educational opportunities for women would begin to address some of the greatest threats to these animals."

Of all the threats, however, the biggest is humanity's swelling agricultural footprint, Garber said.

"Agricultural practices are disrupting and destroying vital habitat for 76 percent of all primate species on the planet," he said. "In particular, palm oil production, the production of soy and rubber, logging and livestock farming and ranching are wiping out millions of hectares of forest."

Mining and drilling for minerals and fossil fuels add to the long list of assaults on the world's forests and their primate inhabitants, he said.

"We have one last opportunity to greatly reduce or even eliminate the human threats to primates and their habitats, to guide conservation efforts, and to raise worldwide awareness of their predicament," the authors wrote. "Primates are critically important to humanity. After all, they are our closest living biological relatives."

###

Editor's notes:

To reach Paul Garber, call 217-390-7679; email p-garber@illinois.edu.

The paper "Impending extinction crisis of the world's primates: Why primates matter" is available to reporters from scipak@aaas.org.
OAKVILLE, Ontario, Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saint Jean Carbon Inc. (Saint Jean or the Company) (TSX-V:SJL), a carbon science company engaged in the design and build of green energy storage, green energy creation and green re-creation through carbon materials. The Company is pleased to announce it has started the design and build of a graphene based lithium-ion battery; based on the Companys graphene production capabilities the material being produced is 99.999999%gC and a single layer of graphite measuring one atom in thickness will be used to create the anode.



With two years of research completed and with great samples of graphene produced, the Company feels strongly that due to the fact that no harsh chemicals or heat has been used to produce the graphene, the high order of carbon is kept in perfect condition, creating the possibility of the highest performance seen in a lithium-ion battery to date.

Paul Ogilvie, CEO, commented: Research is being conducted around the world in the graphene space, we feel our strategy to focus on real world applications where the graphene may play a leading role is important to the Companys growth strategy and strengthens our global positioning as a green technology company. As our battery projects continue; from spherical shaped carbon coated graphite, recycled battery materials and to now applying our graphene expertise to lithium-ion batteries, this tremendously rounds out our research.

Graphene can make batteries that are light, durable and suitable for high capacity energy storage, as well as shorten charging times. This will extend the batterys life, which is negatively linked to the amount of carbon that is coated on the graphite or added to electrodes to achieve conductivity. Graphene adds conductivity without requiring the amounts of carbon that are used in conventional batteries.

Graphene can improve such battery attributes such as energy density. Li-ion batteries can be enhanced by introducing graphene to the batterys anode and capitalizing on the materials conductivity and large surface area to achieve morphological optimization and performance.

Also, the Company has issued 3,600,000 options to its Directors and Officers at a price of $.05 exercisable for five years. These options were approved by the Board of Directors on January 13, 2017.

About Saint Jean Carbon

Saint Jean is a publicly traded carbon science company, with specific interests in energy storage and green energy creation and green re-creation, with holdings in graphite mining and lithium claims in the province of Quebec in Canada. For the latest information on Saint Jeans properties and news please refer to the website: http://www.saintjeancarbon.com/

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Saint Jean Carbon Inc.

Paul Ogilvie, CEO and Director

Information Contact :

Email: info@saintjeancarbon.com

Tel: (905) 844-1200

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, concerning Saint Jeans business and affairs. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, intends budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved.

These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially. The forward-looking statements in this news release assume, inter alia, that the conditions for completion of the Transaction, including regulatory and shareholder approvals, if necessary, will be met.

Although Saint Jean believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct.

Statements of past performance should not be construed as an indication of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors, including those discussed above, could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this press release, and Saint Jean assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
LIBERTY LAKE, Wash., Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hunt Mining Corp. (the Corporation or Hunt) (TSX-V:HMX) is pleased to announce the Corporation will be attending the AME Roundup 2017 held in Vancouver, BC on January 23  26, 2017.



The Corporation and its representatives can be visited by interested parties at booth 1419.

Additional information on the Martha Project and other Santa Cruz, Argentina projects can be viewed on the Company website at: www.huntmining.com.

About Hunt Mining

Hunt Mining Corp. has continued to develop its properties as an active and aggressive explorer in Santa Cruz since 2006. During that time, Hunt's wholly owned subsidiary, Cerro Cazador S.A., has completed exploration activity including 62,000 meters of HQ core drilling, 416 line kilometers of Induced Polarization geophysical surveys and more than 20,000 surface soil, sediment, channel, chip, and trench samples, beyond the historical work previous to the same properties. Hunt also owns a 100% interest in the Martha property, which includes the Martha Project, also located in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina.

Neither the TSX Venture nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
FRISCO, Texas, Jan. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Integer Holdings Corporation (NYSE:ITGR), a leading medical device outsource (MDO) manufacturer, today announced that its subsidiary, Centro de Construccion de Cardioestimuladores del Uruguay S.A. (CCC), has signed a new supply agreement with Mainstay Medical Limited (MML), a subsidiary of Mainstay Medical International plc (Mainstay).



The supply agreement becomes effective in January 2017 and replaces the engineering agreement that has been in place since 2010. Under the supply agreement, CCC will continue as the exclusive manufacturer of the implantable pulse generator and certain accompanying technology, including software, for MMLs ReActiv8 system. ReActiv8 is an implantable neurostimulation system used to treat disabling Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP).

Our agreement with Mainstay further demonstrates Integers growing position as a key service provider in the development and manufacturing of integrated systems within the active implantable market, said Tony Gonzalez, president of Integers Cardiac Rhythm Management & Neuromodulation product category. We are excited to extend our partnership with Mainstay and we look forward to our continued role in helping Mainstay bring ReActiv8 to market. Through their relationship with us, Mainstay is able to leverage our core technology and manufacturing footprint to more efficiently and cost-effectively bring the ReActiv8 system to patients suffering from CLBP.

Peter Crosby, Mainstays CEO, said, We are pleased to complete the new supply agreement with CCC as we advance our commercialization activities relating to ReActiv8.

About Integer

Integer Holdings Corporation (NYSE:ITGR) is one of the largest medical device outsource (MDO) manufacturers in the world serving the cardiac, neuromodulation, orthopedics, vascular, advanced surgical and portable medical markets. The company provides innovative, high-quality medical technologies that enhance the lives of patients worldwide. In addition, it develops batteries for high-end niche applications in energy, military, and environmental markets. The company's brands include GreatbatchTM Medical, Lake Region MedicalTM and ElectrochemTM. Additional information is available at www.integer.net.
A young man in Nigerian schooling at Toledo University, Ohio, in the United States (US), Victor Chukwueke, is more than grateful to God, as he recently survived a serious medical condition due to the help of kind strangers.

Victor Chukwueke

Chukwueke says he was treated as an outcast in his home country of Nigeria because of a condition causing large tumors to grow on his face.

In order to have a better life, Chukwuekes parents went out of their way to sought for medical help but Nigerian doctors could not help them. They decided to seek help from the missionary nuns and at the age of 15, he was taken to Michigan, where he underwent nine surgeries by one of the best doctors.

Watch video below:

At that point the little boy decided to take up the challenge of helping others, as he is now months away from becoming a doctor. Speaking on the challenges of getting into medical school, the young man said:

I couldn't start medical school, because I'm not a U.S. citizen.

PAY ATTENTION: Get all the latest gossips on NAIJ Gossip App

So Chukwueke worked with Michigan Senator Carl Levin on a private bill, granting him permanent residency. Private bills are rare to pass Congress. In fact, it hadn't happened in two years, but on the last day of the legislative session, Congress passed the bill. President Obama signed it into law in 2012.

Watch video below:

Chukwueke said: "Tears of joy and now I can go to medical school."

Now, he awaits residency match day on March 17, to see if and where he will get his training. From there, Chukwueke plans to use the skills he learned to help others in Nigeria.

"I experienced firsthand how a lack of medical care can affect life," he said.

Chukwueke considers his tumor a blessing in disguise because he wouldn't be where he is today without it.

God if faithful!

Source: Legit.ng
Registration Open for the Spring 2017 NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding & Grants Administration - New Orleans, Louisiana

Notice Number: NOT-OD-17-039

Key Dates

Release Date: January 19, 2017

Related Announcements

Issued by

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Purpose

The time is now to register for the first NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration of 2017. Make plans to join NIH, HHS and your peers in New Orleans, Louisiana for this valuable and unique opportunity occurring May 3-5!



Wednesday, May 3: Optional Pre-Seminar Workshops

Thursday-Friday, May 4-5: 2-Day Seminar

Venue and Seminar Hotel: New Orleans Marriott (in the heart of historic New Orleans)

Seminar & Workshop Registration information will help get you started on your way to the seminar

Room Reservations: Special sleeping room rates have been negotiated with the seminar hotel. Space is limited, however, so make your reservations soon!

What does the 2-day seminar offer?

The NIH Regional Seminar offers a comprehensive program for the NIH extramural community about the NIH grants process and related policies, including such topics as fundamentals of the NIH, compliance, peer review, grant writing for success, pre-award and post-award issues for administrators and investigators, animal and human subject research, and how to interact electronically with NIH. In addition to a strong, track for of sessions for administrators, a track for new investigators will provide step-by-step guidance on mapping your career, an understanding of the funding process and what can be expected up to the time of award. To add to the array of topic choices, special interest sessions are provided on topics like research integrity, foreign collaborations, clinicaltrials.gov, public access, and so much more.

Optional Pre-Seminar Workshops offered

A variety of optional workshops are offered on the day prior to the 2-day seminar for attendees wanting a more in-depth look at various grants policies and processes. These include  day and full day options. NIH electronic Research Administration (eRA) experts provide a workshop on application preparation and submission, as well as topic issues related to the eRA Commons; policy and grants management experts provide a 1/2 day NIH Boot Camp designed for administrators with no or very little experience working with NIH; for those involved in Intellectual Property policies and iEdison, NIH experts will be providing two workshop options; and a full day OHRP-NIH workshop provides guidance on how to get research protocols through human subjects review.

Who will be there from NIH and HHS?

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and attend sessions provided by approximately 70 NIH and HHS policy officers, grants management, review and program officials, as well as NIH senior leadershipall in a central location and ready to share their knowledge and experiences.

Who should attend?

The NIH Regional Seminar is intended for those new to the grants process, including sponsored project officers and departmental administrators, investigators, faculty, graduate students, and others involved in the NIH grants process. Over the course of two days, it also provides an opportunity to those with more experience to obtain updates on grants policies and procedures. Approximately 600-800 attendees are expected, providing extended opportunities for sharing and learning from peers, as well as the NIH experts.

What's the goal of the Seminar?

The goal of the NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration is to offer participants an unparalleled opportunity to gain a better perspective of NIH policies and programs, network with their peers, gather helpful NIH contacts, so that they may return to their offices and/or labs with useful information, resources, and tools to assist in obtaining and managing NIH awards.

When can you register?

Registration is now open for New Orleans! These seminars often reach capacity before the seminar dates so start making plans soon. Once again, a "Trainee Discount" will be offered (further details on the registration site.)

Are there other dates and locations?

For those who are unable to attend the spring seminar in New Orleans, there is one more opportunity in 2017. The 2nd and final NIH Regional Seminar this year will be held in Baltimore, Maryland on October 25-27. Registration opens in April and more information will be available on the Baltimore Regional Seminar website as it becomes available.

Inquiries

For ListServ information and additional seminar details, please visit the NIH Office of Extramural Research Regional Seminar Web site at: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/seminars.htm.

2017 Locations & Websites:

NIH Regional Seminar  New Orleans (May 3-5, 2017): http://regionalseminars.od.nih.gov/neworleans2017/

NIH Regional Seminar  Baltimore (October 25-27, 2017): http://regionalseminars.od.nih.gov/baltimore2017/

Please direct all additional questions to: NIHRegionalSeminars@mail.nih.gov or NIHRegionalSeminars@nih.gov .
Drive DeVilbiss Acquires Sidhil Group

Buy adds leading U.K. manufacturer of hospital and home healthcare beds to Drive stable.

Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare Limited, a whollyowned subsidiary of DME manufacturer Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare, has acquired the Sidhil Group Limited, a leading maker of beds for the United Kingdom.

Sidhil Group has designed and manufactured healthcare products in the United Kingdom for longer than 130 years. The Company makes hospital and longterm care beds, as well as pressure prevention products and a range of aids to daily living for the global market. It is a well-known brand to the homecare, acute care and longterm care markets in the United Kingdom and Europe. The company operates 105,000squarefoot facility in Halifax, West Yorkshire, as well as a nationwide service center network.

Im very proud of what Sidhil has accomplished growing from a small, familyrun business to a leading manufacturer of healthcare products in the U.K., Peter Siddall, chairman of the Sidhil Group, said. Now, with this new partnership with Drive, Sidhil will have access to their global distribution network, bringing our product line to new markets the world over.

Sidhil enjoys a long history of manufacturing excellence, and this acquisition will expand Drives existing manufacturing capabilities in the U.K. while adding significant manufacturing expertise to our European platform, said Drive CEO Harvey Diamond. The team at Sidhil has demonstrated a true commitment to quality and performance in every product they make, and we look forward to having this wellknown and wellrespected brand as part of the Drive family of companies.

Sidhil has established a sterling reputation for providing highquality, innovative products and services to its customers, added Richard McGleenan, managing director of Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare Limited. With global distribution and over 130 years of healthcare manufacturing experience in the U.K., this acquisition will expand our existing product portfolio and increase our presence in the growing hospital, longterm care and homecare markets, while expanding our manufacturing footprint. We look forward to working with Sidhils management team in expanding our business in this specialized area.
As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ
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.

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Amlekhgunj oil pipeline named priority project

The government has labelled the proposed Nepal-India cross-border oil pipeline a national priority project, heightening expectations that the long-delayed scheme will be speeded up.
Cabinet decides to accept Rs 16.37 billion WB loan

The government has decided to accept Rs 16.37 billion loan assistance provided by the World Bank for strengthening the social security and vital events registration programme.
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 ...
Decision of penalising litterbugs in public vehicles ineffective

Though the municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the most serious pollutants in the main cities including in the capital, Kathmandu, it is yet to be controlled by implementing effective mechanism so far.
A grid cell from the entorhinal cortex (EC) of the mouse brain, firing repeatedly and uniformly in a grid-like pattern. When a mouse moves through its environment, grid cells are activated, with each cell representing a specific location. This creates a triangular coordinate system that allows for spatial navigation. Several grid cells create a triangular coordinate system that allows for spatial navigation. The accumulation of tau protein in the brain of a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease was shown to disrupt the function of grid cells, causing problems with navigation. The findings explains why Alzheimer's patients tend to wander and get lost. Credit: Lab of Karen Duff, PhD, Columbia University Medical Center

Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have discovered that the spatial disorientation that leads to wandering in many Alzheimer's disease patients is caused by the accumulation of tau protein in navigational nerve cells in the brain. The findings, in mice, could lead to early diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's and highlight novel targets for treating this common and troubling symptom.

The study was published online today in the journal Neuron.

An estimated three out of five people with Alzheimer's disease wander and get lost, usually beginning in the early stages of the disease, leaving them vulnerable to injury. Researchers suspect that these problems originate in an area of the brain known as the entorhinal cortex (EC). The EC plays a key role in memory and navigation and is among the first brain structures affected by the buildup of neurofibrillary tangles that are largely composed of tau, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. "Until now, no one has been able to show how tau pathology might lead to navigational difficulties," said co-study leader Karen E. Duff, PhD, professor of pathology & cell biology (in psychiatry and in the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain) at CUMC.

Dr. Duff and her colleagues focused their investigations on excitatory grid cells, a type of nerve cell in the EC that fires in response to movement through space, creating a grid-like internal map of a person's environment. The researchers made electrophysiological recordings of the grid cells of older miceincluding mice engineered to express tau in the EC (EC-tau mice) and normal controlsas they navigated different environments. Spatial cognitive tasks revealed that the EC-tau mice performed significantly worse compared to the controls, suggesting that tau alters grid cell function and contributes to spatial learning and memory deficits, according to co-study leader Abid Hussaini, PhD, assistant professor of neurobiology (in Pathology and Cell Biology and the Taub Institute).

Detailed histopathological analysis of the mouse brains revealed that only the excitatory cells, but not the inhibitory cells, were killed or compromised by pathological tau, which probably resulted in the grid cells firing less. "It appears that tau pathology spared the inhibitory cells, disturbing the balance between excitatory and inhibitory cells and misaligning the animals' grid fields," said co-first author Hongjun Fu, PhD, associate research scientist in the Taub Institute, who led the immunohistological and behavior studies.

"This study clearly shows that tau pathology, beginning in the entorhinal cortex, can lead to deficits in grid cell firing and underlies the deterioration of spatial cognition that we see in human Alzheimer's disease," said Eric Kandel, MD, Nobel laureate, University Professor and Kavli Professor of Brain Science at CUMC. "This is a classic advance in our understanding of the early stages of Alzheimer's disease."

"This study is the first to show a link between grid cells and Alzheimer's disease," said Edvard E. Moser, Nobel laureate and head of the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience at Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "These findings will be crucial for future attempts to understand the development of early Alzheimer's disease symptoms, including the tendency to wander and get lost."

The findings raise the possibility that spatial disorientation could be treated by correcting this imbalance through transcranial stimulation, deep-brain stimulation, or light-based therapy.

"We have a lot to learn about grid cells and how they are affected by Alzheimer's disease," said Gustavo A. Rodriguez, PhD, a postdoctoral research scientist in the Taub Institute and a co-author of the paper. "We don't yet know what percentage of healthy grid cells are needed for proper navigation or whether this system is rescuable once it has been compromised."

"In the meantime," said Dr. Duff, "our findings suggest that it may be possible to develop navigation-based cognitive tests for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease in its initial stages. And if we can diagnose the disease early, we can start to give therapeutics earlier, when they may have a greater impact."

The study is titled, "Tau Pathology Induces Excitatory Neuron Loss, Grid Cell Dysfunction and Spatial Memory Deficits Reminiscent of Early Alzheimer's Disease."
An Arkansas legislative committee voted Thursday to outlaw an abortion procedure that opponents call "savage" and "barbaric" while others deem it the safest way to end a pregnancy in the second trimester.

The proposal by a legislator who is also president of Arkansas Right to Life would ban dilation and evacuation, also known as a D&E abortion. The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee passed the measure Thursday on a voice vote.

"We have not stopped a single abortion if we pass this bill," Rep. Andy Mayberry said, telling colleagues that other, less-violent means are available to women seeking an abortion more than 12 weeks into their pregnancy.

Arkansas would be the third state to ban dilation and evacuation abortions, after Mississippi and West Virginia. Similar prohibitions are on hold amid court challenges in other states.

Arkansas officials say 18 percent of the state's 3,771 abortions in 2015 were done through a D&E procedure.

Victoria Leigh, who testified against the bill on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the other means would be "incredibly invasive," cost more and require a hospital stay.

"That's why this bill rises to an undue burden," she said after the hearing.

Planned Parenthood says the legislation is among the "extreme and ideological attacks" on women.

Mayberry, a Republican from suburban Little Rock, wants to outlaw the use of levered clamps, forceps, tongs or scissors to purposely dismember a "living unborn child." He called the procedure "savage ... barbaric and ... cruel."

Dr. Richard Wyatt, a Little Rock obstetrician, told the panel that, during a D&E abortion, a doctor must reconstruct the fetus outside the womb "like a puzzle" to ensure all of it has been removed and reduce the risk of infection.

Leigh accused the proposal's supporters of using inflammatory language to describe the procedure rather than a scientific description.

"Those are not medical terms and not appropriate in discussing legislation," she said.

"We're discussing the dismembering of a child," Rep. Robin Lundstrom said. "It's not a walk in the park. This is what we're talking about."

Leigh and Mayberry each said 96 percent to 97 percent of second-trimester abortions are done through a dilation and evacuation. Mayberry's bill would allow D&E abortions amid a serious physical health risk to the mothernot psychological or emotional conditions.

Leigh told the legislators that a D&E abortion is the safest and most common second-trimester abortion procedure.

Under Mayberry's bill, women who might have a D&E abortion could later sue for damages for physical injuries or psychological damage, as could the father as long as he was married to the woman at the time of the abortion. So, too, could the parents or legal guardian of a minor.

Separately Thursday, a set of legislators introduced a bill that would require that doctors provide care to an infant born in a failed abortion attempt. To refuse would be infanticide.

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
(HealthDay)Although breast milk is still considered the best nutrition for babies, a new study suggests that most cow's milk formulas don't increase the risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

However, the German researchers who did the study did find that giving highly hydrolyzed formulassometimes recommended for babies with food allergiesin the first week of life may increase the chances of type 1 diabetes in some children.

"There is no benefit for infants at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes to be fed hydrolyzed infant formula as a first formula if breast-feeding is not possible," said lead author Sandra Hummel, from the Institute of Diabetes Research in Munich.

The study wasn't designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship between cow's milk baby formula and the development of autoantibodies that can trigger type 1 diabetes.

And it's important to note that type 1 diabetes is believed to be caused by more than one factor, diabetes experts explained.

"This is one piece of the puzzle, and their conclusions are pretty mild. There's probably not going to be one single thing that's shown to be the cause of type 1 diabetes," said Jessica Dunne. She's the director of discovery research for JDRFformerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Highly hydrolyzed formulas are formulas that contain cow's milk proteins that aren't wholethey're already at least partially broken down, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

According to Hummel, the molecular weight of cow's milk proteins differs by formula. It's lightest for the highly hydrolyzed formulas and heaviest for the standard formulas, she explained.

Partially or highly hydrolyzed formulas also tend to be more expensive than standard infant formulas.

The researchers initially thought to look at cow's milk-based formulas because cow's milk has been previously implicated as a possible risk factor for type 1 diabetes. However, past studies have had mixed results, so it's still not clear if there's a connection, the study authors said.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. That means the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the body. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys insulin-producing islet cells. That leaves the body unable to produce enough insulin, a hormone necessary for cells to be able to use the sugars from foods as fuel.

The autoantibodies that destroy the islet cells are called islet autoantibodies. These antibodies are often evident before the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes surface.

The new study used data from a long-term study of children who are at high-risk of developing type 1 diabetes. It includes almost 9,000 children who have a gene that suggests an increased risk of type 1 diabetes. The children were followed from birth through age 8, according to Hummel.

The children come from four countries. Three sites are in the United States. One is in Finland, another is in Germany, and the final site is in Sweden.

The researchers found that regular cow's milk formula, partially hydrolyzed and even highly hydrolyzed formulas given during the first three months of life weren't linked to a higher risk of type 1 diabetes.

But, when highly hydrolyzed formulas were given during the first seven days of life, the study showed that the chances of islet autoimmunity went up 57 percent.

There are a number of potential reasons that this type of formula could raise the risk of type 1 diabetes, according to Dunne. "It may have to do with early immune education. It could be the gut microbiome [the bacteria normally living in the intestine], but there's no smoking gun," she said.

Most of the extensively hydrolyzed formula use80 percentwas in Finland. Dunne said the researchers took this into account, and still saw a link.

Dunne suggested that parents who have a family history of type 1 diabetes have a conversation with their pediatrician about what formula would be best if they need to use baby formula.

The findings were published online Jan. 17 in the journal Diabetes Care.

More information: Learn more about type 1 diabetes from the Journal information: Diabetes Care Learn more about type 1 diabetes from the Diabetes Research Institute

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Forgotten victims

Petty politics is slowing down the reconstruction process and hurting the earthquake survivors
At a time when Social Care in England is at a 'tipping point', according to the Care Quality Commission, it is vital that local authorities find ways of working together with people who use social care services. With that goal in mind, a group of disabled people have recently carried out research in co-production with researchers at the University of Bristol.

The research team based at Bristol's Norah Fry Centre for Disability Studies, who worked in partnership with WECIL (West of England Centre for Inclusive Living), hope the work will improve assessments for disabled people across the UK and lead to a more "person-centred" approach.

The study, which involved interviews with 30 practitioners and narratives of experience from 30 disabled people, was conducted to coincide with the implementation of the 2014 Care Act in 2015. The legislation urges practitioners to work in a way that gives individuals who are being assessed greater control of the process that determines the care and support provided.

Project lead Val Williams, Professor of Disability Studies at the University of Bristol, said: "Assessments can be worrying for anyone. In social care, an assessment is the way that the local authority decides what they might fund, in order to help people live as independently as possible. As we all know, times are not easy for local authorities, and social care budgets are under immense pressure; so a lot depends on the assessment process.

"How do we know what makes good social care practice? What helps Disabled people to have a say in their own assessment, and to be in control of their own lives? The best voices to listen to are those who have direct experience of being assessed for social care."

The study, which was funded by NIHR School for Social Care Research, involved members of peer support networks at the West of England Centre for Inclusive Living (WECIL). It showed that for many disabled people, good assessments are honest, transparent and open. Mutual trust between disabled people and practitioners was also key. People in the WECIL group could also appreciate and empathise with the difficulties faced by social work practitioners.

"As an unemployed disabled person it is all too easy to feel that I am a burden on society, so it has been uplifting to be involved in a project where I could take part in intelligent and emotive discussions," said co-researcher and WECIL group member Nathan Hill.

"I had to question some of my own suppositions. I assumed that the level of initial and ongoing training of staff in the care sector was much higher than it actually is. This has reinforced my belief that the project's conclusions are very important and the work we contributed to could greatly improve people's experience of their interaction with social workers."

The study findings have been turned into a series of videos showcasing the viewpoints of the participants. These will be launched at Bristol Energy Hub today (19January) as part of WECIL's Peer Support Community Project Launch, which a large number of professionals working in the support sector are expected to attend.

Professor Williams added: 'This was an important project, and we hope that the films and other products will stimulate an honest conversation about the problems faced by the social care sector, and about the ways we could work together to make changes to the system.'

The 'Values of Assessment' are dedicated to Dr Sue Porter, who died suddenly on 11 January 2017, whose inspiration and leadership made this project possible. Her untimely death was a tragic loss to the disability movement, and to disability research.

More information: The videos can be found on You Tube: The videos can be found on You Tube: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=  A3QWlasx9tLL9MiVv6kD
The views among physicians and the general public when it comes to deciding whether to withhold or withdraw treatment of terminally ill patients differ greatly. However, in a hypothetical case study at Umea University in Sweden of a clearly hopeless medical case, great unanimity among physicians' and the public's assessments could be seen with regards to cancelling treatment or offering relief at the final stages of life.

Anders Rydvall, physician at the University Hospital of Umea and doctoral student at the Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, has completed two surveys in Sweden that investigate attitudes and what arguments seem most significant. The development of techniques to prolong life support in intensive care, which is a relatively young speciality, has advanced at high speed and the opportunities are hence greater than ever. At the same time, there are limiting factors set by human physiology that can often be difficult to relate to. In turn, this leads to continuous treatment beyond what is reasonable when the patient is beyond rescue.

"This ethical dilemma is something that many, including family members, are aware of. But the difficulties in these types of situations often arise when caregivers are afraid of receiving criticism for not doing everything in their power. Also, there is a perceived discomfort in being the bearer of bad news and being on the receiving end of the reactions, as well as holding differing views on what rules and regulations actually imply," explains Anders Rydvall.

The elderly woman with an unpromising prognosis

In a first survey, the attitudes and arguments for and against active treatment (operation) were compared between neurosurgeons (112 of which 70 per cent responded), anaesthesiologist and intensive care physicians (298 of which 70 per cent responded), and the general public (998 of which 50 per cent responded). The hypothetical patient case concerned an older woman with a severe brain haemorrhage and a poor clinical condition. The results showed that caregivers among themselves generally made the same assessments and prioritised the argument "Quality of Life" as the most important one. But anaesthesiologist and intensive care physicians also pointed particularly at the importance of the patient's previous desires.

A comparison between physicians' and the general public's attitudes to this case showed great variations in opinions for or against operation and also in what arguments were considered most important. Out of the physicians, 82 per cent assessed to refrain from operation while only 40 per cent made the same choice out of the general public. But when the case developed to a more hopeless situation, both groups made more unanimous assessments, albeit prioritising different arguments.

The premature baby with severe brain injury

The second survey posed questions regarding a case with a severely brain-injured newborn baby. The survey was submitted to anaesthesiologist and intensive care physicians (299 of which 63 per cent responded), paediatricians and neonatologists (329 of which 67 per cent responded) as well as the general public (585 of which 46 per cent responded). The study compared arguments for the attitude for or against continued respiratory care. A majority of both physicians and the general public supported arguments to withdraw treatment.

The second survey also included questions on whether it could be considered acceptable to give anaesthetics and pain-relief in a dosage to minimize pain or in a higher dosage aimed at shortening the dying process. A large majority of physicians and the general public supported arguments to soothe and minimize pain, also if it in reality and as a consequence could shorten the dying process. Although, when the intention was to actively bring about the inevitable death, the general public seemed much more inclined to accept such an act than caregivers.

"To avoid misunderstandings and communication problems it is important that caregivers take into consideration and has knowledge of the views, expectations and prioritisations of the family. It's also important that caregivers maintain a setting where information is honest and appropriate and communications open," says Anders Rydvall.

More information: Withhold or withdraw futile treatment in intensive care: arguments supported by physicians and the general public. Withhold or withdraw futile treatment in intensive care: arguments supported by physicians and the general public. umu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2 %3A1057210&dswid=-8506
In an unprecedented call to action, public health leaders from some of the nation's top universities on Thursday urged consensus-building on gun safety, rather than confrontation, saying that the election of President Donald Trump had "changed the national conversation on firearms" and made federal policy changes unlikely.

Writing in the American Journal of Public Health on the eve of Trump's inauguration, researchers from nine leading medical and public health schoolsspeaking for a larger group of 82 academics and advocates who convened at the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) in November to discuss gun violencepresented an "agenda for action" that seeks to engage gun owners and manufacturers in discussions about reducing the public health ills associated with firearm ownership, rather than continuing what they called a polarizing debate.

"In the United States, nearly 10 times more guns are in civilian hands than in the next closest country, with up to 300 million guns in circulation . . . The country also has a significant gun culture; guns are seen as a foundational right," they wrote. "This situation suggests that there will be no easy solutions that will garner widespread popular support, and that any comprehensive approach to the problem will require the engagement of partners across many sectors."

The researchers issued a five-point "agenda for action" that includes calling on private foundations and the business community to fund and support research to mitigate gun violence, as a step to turn the tide on a crisis that they said costs the U.S. an estimated $229 billion annually.

The experts noted that Congressional action in 1996 effectively ended federal funding for gun research, stymying "a generation of researchers in the field."

The paper grew out of a Nov. 14 meeting of more than 80 representatives of 42 schools of public health and medicine from 22 states, and 17 advocacy organizations, convened in Boston by BUSPH Dean Sandro Galea. The group heard from Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Robert DeLeo, and gun research experts from BUSPH, Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the University of Iowa College of Public Health.

The group also called for:

Focusing on state-level initiatives. They said the expected lack of federal action on gun regulation in the coming years "elevates the importance" of state and local initiatives, especially those rooted in "non-threatening messaging" about gun safety. They noted that three states - California, Nevada and Washington - approved ballot initiatives in November promoting gun safety. A state-level strategy creates "a range of opportunities" for academic leaders around the country to develop state-specific strategies and policies, they said.

Promoting discourse around gun safety, vs. gun control. The researchers acknowledged that few issues were as politically polarizing as guns, and that the gun lobby had been "extraordinarily successful" in framing the discussion as one that pits "deeply held views about individual rights" against concerns about public health. To alleviate that conflict, public health advocates must play a role in re-framing the debate "around the need for gun safety, rather than a blanket call for banning guns."

Engaging private industry, starting with healthcare entities, in developing evidence-based initiatives to reduce gun-related injuries and deaths. Citing research findings that firearm violence depresses business growth and harms neighborhood economies, they said the total social cost of gun-related injuries is more than that of obesity, and roughly the same as annual spending on Medicaid. "This situation represents an enormous economic challenge ... that should engage not only the public health community, but also sectors of private industry with an interest in maximizing productivity."

Building collaborations with opponents. The group proposed convening an "inclusive group" of firearm owners, manufacturers, police, pro-gun advocates and public health scholars to develop "common ground" around the issue of reducing violence, versus assailing gun ownership.

Galea, the paper's senior author, said public health leaders have a responsibility to speak with a "clarity of voice" about an issue that claims more than 30,000 lives a year in the U.S.

"We have not capitalized on the mass of academic public health coming together to push ideas forward," he said. "Part of our intention is to be that catalyst."
Creating a Medicare-like public health insurance option for residents of Oregon may be the easiest system to extend health coverage to more people in the state, but other proposals such as single-payer plan or a system to provide limited private insurance to all residents would eventually cover more people, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

However, while state officials have expressed interest in providing health insurance to more uninsured residents, such efforts may be harder if part or all of the federal Affordable Care Act is repealed as proposed by Congressional leaders and the incoming presidential administration, according to researchers.

An analysis of three proposals to extend health insurance coverage to the 5 percent of Oregon residents who are uninsured shows that each of the two options that would provide universal coverage would face substantial hurdles in obtaining the federal waivers needed before either could move forwardeven if the Affordable Care Act isn't significantly rolled back.

While creating a government-run insurance program for nonelderly Oregon residents faces a path of least resistance under existing rules, it also would likely extend coverage to fewer uninsured Oregon residents.

"Our analysis shows that it is possible to increase health insurance coverage and decrease financial barriers to accessing health care for the least-well-off residents of Oregon, while reducing total health system costs in the state," said Chapin White, author of the study and a senior policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "However, policymakers have difficult decisions to grapple with as they decide on an approach. There are tradeoffsand substantial unknown effectsfor each of the proposals we studied."

While a single-payer model that includes aggressive payment negotiation would provide insurance to all Oregon residents without necessarily increasing total health system spending, providers would need to be willing to accept lower payments to achieve the goal, according to the study. That may not be feasible for all providers, causing some to exit the state or to reduce their supply of care, which could lead to longer queues for care.

A proposal to provide all nonelderly Oregon residents with resources to buy a basic private health insurance also extends coverage to everyone, but because it relies on private insurance it likely would increase average reimbursement levels. While the Health Care Ingenuity Plan could increase buy-in from providers and reduce concerns about access, the RAND study estimates that the plan would increase, rather than reduce, total health system costs.

Both the single-payer model and the Health Care Ingenuity Plan would lead to significant redistribution of resources from higher-income to lower-income residents of Oregon, according to the analysis.

Both of the models also would require waivers from the federal government to allow federal outlays for current health insurance programs to be redirected to finance universal coveragewith no certainty of success. In addition, a federal exemption would be needed from federal rules that govern employers that self-fund their health care plans.

As in many other states, lawmakers in Oregon have been grappling with how to ensure that all residents have access to affordable, high-quality health care. Although the number of uninsured Oregon residents had dropped substantially under the federal Affordable Care Act, an estimated 5 percent remain insuredprimarily minorities, low-income residents and young adults.

Researchers from the RAND Corporation and Health Management Associates were asked by the Oregon Health Authority to analyze three proposals put forward by policymakers as potential ways to expand health coverage among the uninsured and compared the likely outcomes to the existing health care system.

Researchers used several modeling techniques to analyze how each of the options would affect outcomes on insurance enrollment, payments from households to support health care, total health spending in the state and other impacts. They also assessed the regulatory aspects of each of the proposals.

The single-payer option, introduced as a bill in the Oregon House, would use public financing to provide privately delivered health care to all Oregon residents, including those currently enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. The proposal would pool state and federal outlays for current public programs, and add additional revenue from new state income and payroll taxes. The plan would cover 100 percent of health care costs for residents with incomes under 250 percent of the federal poverty line and 96 percent of health costs for other residents.

The Health Care Ingenuity Plan would pool revenue from state and federal outlays for Medicaid and ACA marketplaces with addition revenue generated from a new state sales tax. The plan would create a public financing pool to provide basic health insurance for most nonelderly Oregon residents. Medicare would continue to cover seniors and the disabled.

Cost sharing of the private health plans would vary depending on enrollees' incomes, with the average share of costs covered by the plan ranging from nearly 100 percent for those with incomes below 138 percent of the federal poverty level to 70 percent for those with incomes above 250 percent of poverty. Enrollees could purchase private supplemental insurance to cover cost sharing and additional benefits.

The third proposal, a so-called public option, would create a state-run health plan to cover essential health benefits outlined by the Affordable Care Act and would compete with private plans in the ACA marketplaces. Enrollees in the public option would be eligible for federal advance-premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions. The public option would set provider reimbursements levels equal to Medicare fee-for-service rates and would require providers who participate in other state health programs to participate in the plan.

Researchers found that both the single-payer option and the Health Care Ingenuity Plan increase coverage relative to the status quo and reduce financial barriers to care.

Under the single-payer plan, researchers assumed the state would have power as the sole purchaser of health care to set payment rates for most providers at 10 percent below the status quo. Overall, there would be little change in health system costs because the increase in patient demand would be offset by lower payments rates and administrative savings.

Under the Health Care Ingenuity Plan, researchers expect there would be higher system costs because Medicaid enrollees and the uninsured would be shifted into private insurance plans, which typically reimburse providers at significantly higher rates than the Medicaid program. These higher payment rates would increase system costs, expand the supply of providers and ease congestion. Researchers also estimate that under the plan, three-fifth of state residents would purchase supplementary insurance to reduce their individual cost sharing.

Researchers estimate that the public option would cover about 9,000 additional Oregon residents, leaving the share of the population who are uninsured at 5 percent. But many people already buying coverage through the ACA marketplaces would likely shift to the public option, saving the average enrollee about $850 per year.

More information: The study, "A Comprehensive Assessment of Four Options for Financing Health Care Delivery in Oregon," is available at The study, "A Comprehensive Assessment of Four Options for Financing Health Care Delivery in Oregon," is available at www.rand.org
Speculation abounds on what a Donald Trump presidency will mean to the future of public health, particularly health care coverage.

To measure the potential impact of commitments and statements made by the president-elect and his appointees, researchers at the University of Michigan, Oxford University and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have drafted a scorecard that shows in graphic form the dire consequences that are likely if the new administration follows through with what they have said in areas ranging from Obamacare and climate control to reproductive health and gun violence.

Their findings are reported in The Lancet.

"The Trump presidency is likely to take the U.S. backwards on almost every form of public health policy, from health care access to global health to climate change," said Scott Greer, associate professor of health management and policy at the U-M School of Public Health. "Not only will such a shift undo decades of bipartisan consensus on many issues, it is also unlikely to happen without serious domestic political consequences.

"There's no way to sugarcoat it. We know a lot about what we need to do to improve public health, including by expanding health care access, for example. And there are explicit Trump and Republican commitments to do the opposite."

Using the United Nations' "Sustainable Development Goals," objectives agreed upon by most countries in the world, Greer and colleagues zeroed in on the key health goals and matched them with relevant statements by Trump and other Republican Party leaders.

Credit: University of Michigan

They then created a traffic light system of scoring, with red designating the actions of the administration that most assuredly would reverse progress on health policy, amber suggesting the outcome is unclear and might not lead to a negative outcome, and green indicating a position that supports further progress.

The scorecard for the incoming administration was mostly red with some amber and no green. Those in the red include universal health coverage, evidenced-based health policy (the science behind health care), reproductive health, vulnerable populations (prisoners and detainees), social determinants of health and health inequalities, and gun violence.

Greer emphasizes that the researchers don't know what the new administration will actually do, but that their analysis is based on what Trump and his team have said about these issues, and the current state of politics.

"The politics risk putting public health on one side of a partisan divide, which is not where a field committed to evidence and health ought to be," he said. "That makes it imperative to not just voice objections to harmful policies, but also to work across parties and every level of government to identify areas where there can be progress and agreement found. Being patronizing and partisan is not the right strategy."

Greer says what remains uncertain is where the Trump will land compared with his party. On some issues, like environmental and occupational health regulations, he is aligned with party leaders. But one of the biggest questions is what he'll do to follow up on his statements to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Party leaders want to repeal the ACA and convert Medicare into a voucher system and Medicaid into a block grant.

"Substantial numbers of Trump voters as well as large parts of the health care system, rural and urban, depend on these programs, and Trump explicitly defended Medicare during the campaign," Greer said. "Pursuing the full Republican health care agenda could present insoluble policy and optics problems for the party, and potentially even drive a wedge between movement conservatives, whose objective is to shrink the state, and Trump voters who want to defend the programs they need.

"The real question is how much Trump picks out his own agenda and pushes it, and how much he just chooses to sign the budgets and legislation that the Republicans in Congress serve up."
Credit: katjen/Shutterstock.com

A little-known synaesthetic 'hearing-motion' phenomenon in which people hear faint sounds following totally silent visual flashes may be more common than previously realised, according to a new study from City, University of London.

The paper, which is published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition, is the first to shows that surprisingly high proportion of individuals report such sensations, and that these visually-evoked sounds seem to interfere with the ability to hear real sounds, with the flashes essentially having a deafening effect on individuals.

It is thought it may arise as humans are better at recording sound than images, therefore the ability to recode visual signals as sounds would take advantage of such abilities.

Most synaesthesia is rare, where stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experience of a second sensory pathway, occurring in around 4 percent of the population. However, the new City study found that such 'hearing-motion' synaesthesia occurred in 22 per cent of people when tested and it is thought that they may occur subliminally, disrupting detection of real auditory signals.

The frequent natural correlation between visual and auditory stimuli might explain the surprising prevalence of this phenomenon. Overall, the results suggest that learned correspondences between strongly correlated senses may provide a precursor for some synaesthetic abilities.

The research supports the idea that in fact some forms of synaesthesia might be grounded on normal mechanisms involved in forming and reinforcing associations between different senses, and that such synaesthetic associations might form more frequently when they occur between senses which are naturally related, such as sound and vision, as they can be consistently reinforced.

To investigate the effect, 40 randomly-sampled participants with normal hearing and vision were presented with pairs of either visual or auditory Morse-code like patterns, and had to decide whether each pair contained the same or different sequence. Participants were then asked whether they were aware of hearing faint sounds accompanying the flashes. In a final critical task, participants had to detect faint sounds, presented with or without irrelevant visual flashes.

Of the 40 participants, 22 per cent of normal participants reported hearing sounds accompanying the visual flashes in the 'Morse-code' task. These participants performed significantly better in the visual sequence discrimination task, supporting previous suggestions that the ability to recode visual events as sounds may influence visual discrimination of rhythmic sequences. Furthermore, the study is the first to suggest that such auditory-recoding of visual events not only indirectly affects visual performance but directly affect auditory signal detection, making it harder to hear real sounds in the presence of visual stimulation. This kind of visually-evoked auditory response (V-EAR) is thus apparently not only quite common but it can impact on detection of real sounds.

Dr Elliot Freeman, lead author from the Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit at City, University of London, said:

"Our study has provided the first evidence that a surprisingly high proportion of individuals can sometimes report auditory sensations evoked by visual flashes. This phenomenon is fascinating as it suggests that many of us can use our hearing to help us to remember visual sequences and process them more efficiently. In some people the ability to hear what we see such conversion of images into sounds might compensate for a poorer ability to discriminate pure auditory sequences.

"These internal sounds seem to be perceptually real enough to interfere with the detection of externally-generated sounds. The finding that this 'hearing-motion' phenomenon seems to be much more prevalent compared to other synaesthesias might occur due to the strength of the natural connection between sound and vision.

More information: Christopher Fassnidge et al. A deafening flash! Visual interference of auditory signal detection, Consciousness and Cognition (2017). Christopher Fassnidge et al. A deafening flash! Visual interference of auditory signal detection,(2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.12.009 Take the test here: www.staff.city.ac.uk/~sbbf269/  rough_your_eyes.html Journal information: Consciousness and Cognition
Conde Nast Publications might be sitting on a gold mine: its archive of some eight million photographs and illustrations from Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Vogue, Architectural Digest and other magazines. Now, given the tenuous state of the media industry, the company has plans to exploit it.

The archive is housed on the 15th floor of a building not far from Conde Nasts headquarters at One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. Photographs and magazines, some going back more than 100 years, are stored in plastic slips and stacked in folders or tucked away in cabinets. Down the hall from the main room is a cold-storage locker, where original slides and transparencies are cataloged out of harms way.

Here you will find the first cover of Vogue, from Dec. 17, 1892, a sketch of a debutante clad in a ball gown and floating on what appears to be a cloud pillow. And here is a photograph of Coco Chanel lounging on a sofa, taken by the Vogue photographer Horst P. Horst, who died in 1999. Binders stand on metal shelves, packed with transparencies from long-ago runway shows in New York and Paris, a chronicle of shifting necklines, hems and bejeweled bodices.

This is the history of fashion, said Ivan Shaw, 48, the former executive photo director of Vogue, who was named Conde Nasts photography director for the archive in June.
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France, Singapore and Switzerland begin joint testing of experimental digital currencies

Oil war is Biden's biggest mistake

Japan considers possible deployment of hypersonic missiles by 2030

Germany to install better air defense system over Defense Ministry buildings

Erdogan and Stoltenberg discuss war in Ukraine

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True cost of Europe's rejection of Russian gas

White House tries to explain Biden's statement about freeing Iran

Former Pakistani Prime Minister: Either we will have a peaceful revolution or a bloody one

Aramyan: Why are police officers' salaries increasing, while defense officers' are not?

Pentagon and U.S. weapons manufacturers to discuss Russia, human resources and supply chain

Ankara says U.S. may approve sale of F-16s to Turkey within few months

IMF: Turkey should tighten monetary policy and give the Central Bank more independence

Pope urges religious leaders to keep the world from brink of abyss

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U.S. says G7 countries realize need for coordinated response to China

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Olaf Scholz calls on China to influence Russia

G7 foreign ministers express 'unwavering commitment' to protecting Ukraine, criticized PRC and IRI

Political technologist explains why Pashinyan was elected chairman of board of ruling party in Armenia

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Kalin: Armenia is constructive about normalization of relations

Poland asks EU to suspend fines

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Portugal to test a four-day workweek

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Dollar, euro go up in Armenia

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Putin allows mobilization of citizens with unexpunged criminal record for serious crimes

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Erdogan says he has agreed with Putin to supply grain to needy countries for free

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Armenia FM receives EU Monitoring Capacity

Spanish MPs don't approve agreement with Baku as a sign of solidarity with Armenia

Japan says North Korea may go ahead with nuclear test

Armenia government to allocate about $5M to Karabakh refugees support program

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US embassy expresses concern about human rights violation in Azerbaijan

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Biden: We're gonna free Iran

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World oil prices dropping

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Artsakh President convenes enlarged working consultation

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Azerbaijan MOD disseminates disinformation, Armenia army did not fire

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Protests turn violent in Iran's Alborz Province

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Biden and Erdogan to meet at G-20 summit

NATO supports normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and welcomes EU efforts

Bank of England raises interest rates by largest amount since 1989

Scholz says Berlin must change its attitude toward China

Cavusoglu and Stoltenberg disagree over Sweden's and Finland's fulfillment of commitments

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Zelenskyy will not participate in G20 summit if Putin participates in it
BETHLEHEM.  Armenian Christmas events were held in Jerusalem and Bethlehem (PHOTOS)

The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrates Christmas according to the old calendar; that is on January 18 and 19.

The Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem left the patriarchate building, together with the celibacy, and headed toward the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, with a procession, the Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter informed from Bethlehem.

In Bethlehem, the Armenian clergymen were welcomed by the governor and the mayor.

The national anthem of Armenia was sounded during the procession.

Subsequently, Armenian Christmas Eve religious ceremonies and Candlelight Divine Liturgy were held at the cathedral.
Hetauda Bazaar reopens after two-day strike

The Hetauda Bazaar reopened on Thursday following a two-day strike by local businessmen in protest of the demolition of the houses along the Rapti Road of the Hetauda  Narayaghat route.
STEPANAKERT.  The adversary violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces around 70 times, from late Wednesday night to early Thursday morning.

During this time the Azerbaijani armed forces fired more than 600 shots toward the Armenian position-holders, and with different-caliber shooting weapons, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) Defense Army informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In addition, the adversary fired around 90 shots from sniper rifles, in southerly, easterly and northeasterly directions of the line of contact.

But the NKR Defense Army vanguard units continued confidently carrying out the military task set before them, and they took actions in response when absolutely necessary.
The Danish Parliament on Thursday will debate on the resolution for the recognition of Armenian Genocide.

The Turkish organizations in Denmark, however, have started a large-scale campaign to make this initiative fail, informed the Armenians Today e-periodical of the Ministry of Diaspora of Armenia.

But Danish politicians note that it is time for Denmark to withdraw from Turkeys influence.

As per director Mons Hojmark of the Gullink town museum, historians have given their respective assessment by calling what had occurred as genocide, and, now, it is the politicians turn.

Several dozens of documents which Danish missionary Karen Jeppe had handed, and which are irrefutable evidence of Armenian Genocide, are kept in this museum.
YEREVAN.  The eighth phase in the talks on forming a new legal basis for Armenia-European Union (EU) relations was conducted in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.

The two delegations discussed the political matters of the respective agreement as well as the chapters of its general, institutional and final provisions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Parties were able to reach mutual understanding on several issues.

In addition, they exchanged information regarding the results of the ongoing discussions on the chapters of the sectoral and trade matters, and specified the dates for the next round of negotiations, which this time will be held in the Belgian capital city of Brussels.
YEREVAN.  The Armenian side is engaged in the case involving blogger Alexander Lapshin, but, now, it is hard to predict because we realize that the Aliyev regime in Azerbaijan is out of the international game.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Shavarsh Kocharyan, told the aforesaid to reporters, after Thursdays Cabinet meeting.

Its apparent that this is a most blatant violation of both the freedom of movement and the right to freedom of expression, added Kocharyan. There is a respective reaction from various organizations and countries, alike.

After his visits to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in 2011 and 2012, Russian-Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin was blacklisted by Azerbaijan.

In June 2016, however, he paid a visit to Azerbaijan, but with a Ukrainian passport. Subsequently, he issued several articles criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities. Afterward, the Azerbaijani authorities issued an international search for this famous blogger.

And on December 15, 2016, he was detained in the Belarus capital city of Minsk, and based on this international search.

Baku demands his extradition to Azerbaijan, and for visiting Artsakh.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, however, spoke against such extradition.

US Department of State also has reflected on this matter.
YEREVAN.  We should not expect fundamental changes in the US policy regarding Armenian Genocide, or the Karabakh conflict.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Shavarsh Kocharyan, told the aforesaid to reporters, after Thursdays Cabinet meeting, when asked about the Armenian foreign ministrys expectations from Donald Trumps forthcoming term in office as US President.

With respect to US policy, the Armenian deputy FM said it is apparent that, in a country with such established institutions, not everything depends on the president himself, albeit he is the one who makes many of the decisions.

But if we speak in general terms, then its hard to expect fundamental changes [in the US policy], added Kocharyan. Though, there certainly will be some changes, especially in [the US] foreign policy, which is very important for us [i.e. Armenia].
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvilis statements, and with respect to the agreement Georgia has signed with Gazprom Export, are unprofessional and unfounded.

Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Energy of Georgia, Kakha Kaladze, stated the aforementioned, according to Sputnik Georgia.

Mr. President can request the details of this agreement, added Kaladze. He has access to it.

As for the trade secret, in connection with Georgia not publicizing the agreement details, this is normal practice in all countries, for similar agreements, noted the Georgian deputy PM.

Last week, Georgia decided to receive its intermediary payment in money, instead of natural gas, for the transfer of Russian gas to Armenia.
YEREVAN.  Such overt expression by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and regarding the Karabakh conflict, was due to an irrelevant question posed by an Azerbaijani journalist.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Shavarsh Kocharyan, told the above-said to reporters, after Thursdays Cabinet session.

He noted that although senior officials of the intermediary countries (Russia, US, and France) in the Karabakh peace process are usually discreet in their respective statements, in response to such an impudent question, however, Lavrov said what was apparent before as well, but they were not speaking so openly about it.

And thats why it should not be believed that the position of the OSCE [i.e. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] Minsk Group co-chairs [regarding the Karabakh conflict] has somehow changed; simply, it was voiced completely, added the Armenian deputy FM. Nonetheless, we have to accept that the Minsk Group puts parity between Yerevan and Baku, just like before, which generates the unbridled actions by the latter.

At his 2016 year-end press conference on Tuesday, and responding to a query posed by an Azerbaijani reporter, Russian FM Lavrov had stated that the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict is not an internal matter of Azerbaijan.
High Court Judges appointment: SC issues show cause notice

The Supreme Court has issued a show cause notice in response to a writ petition filed against the appointment of 80 judges to the High Court.
YEREVAN.  Baku resorted to elementary blackmail, and thwarted a constructive decision at the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe).

Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Shavarsh Kocharyan, told the abovementioned to reporters, after Thursdays Cabinet meeting.

In his words, Azerbaijan takes advantage of the fact that decisions at the OSCE are reached by consensus, and this is why it was able to obstruct the approval of the spending for the introduction of investigation mechanisms at the Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, even though this spending was included in the budget of the OSCE.

Azerbaijan, with the threat of the use of veto, has failed in this process, added Kocharyan. [But] this approach is not new, and it yet again requires a targeted assessment of the actions by Baku.

Certainly, from a legal point of view, its difficult to annul the consensus decision-making procedure. But there also are other means, whereby its possible impact a country that has placed itself outside international law.
YEREVAN.  There are no Armenians among those affected in the collapse of high-rise Plasco Building, in Tehran, as a result of fire.

Press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia informed the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Plasco Building, which was built in the Iranian capital city in 1962, has collapsed due to fire.

At present, the tragedy has claimed 30 lives and injured around 70 people, including firemen.

But the death toll could rise, since there were up 300 people inside the building.
The Israeli Knesset will sooner or later recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edlestein noted the aforementioned on Thursday at the meeting with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia on Foreign Relations, Artak Zakaryan.

Edelstein underscored the importance of the development of inter-parliamentary ties and the age-long friendship between the Armenian and Jewish peoples, the NA press-service informed Armenian News  NEWS.am. He expressed readiness to further exert every effort towards enhancing the cooperation in all spheres, in particular, culture, tourism, economics and especially agriculture. Edelstein also stressed the importance of the role of Armenian and Jewish communities in the development of the state.

According to the Speaker, Knesset will sooner or later recognize the Armenian Genocide. In this context, he expressed regret over the fact that the Israeli parliament has not so far officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. However, in his words, a number of steps have been taken in this direction recently.

I am not at all proud of the fact that Israel has not so far recognized the Armenian Genocide, but I should mention that certain progress has already been recorded in this direction, he stressed.

The Israeli official also expressed hope that in the future it will be possible to find peaceful solutions to unresolved conflicts. He promised to contribute to the process of organizing private meetings between Armenian and Israeli officials, as well as maintaining active inter-parliamentary ties.

Artak Zakaryan, for his part, stressed the important role of the inter-parliamentary ties in the development of interstate relations, implementation of joint programs in the spheres of mutual interest, as well as in terms of long-term political cooperation.

He also underscored the importance of the memorandum of cooperation signed recently by Armenian NA Speaker Galust Sahakyan and his Israeli counterpart Yuli Edelstein, as well as the recently formed Armenian-Israeli Public International Forum.

Zakaryan expressed hope that the results of the second forum, which is to be held in Tel-Aviv on January 19, may ne significant, contributing to the mutually beneficial public relations in a number of spheres.

Apart from this, the Committee Chairman riefed the Knesset Speaker on the situation in the region and Armenias position on their resolution.

By the end of the meeting, Edelstein wished success to the Armenian NA in holding the upcoming elections, expressing hope that the ties will remain active in the newly-elected parliament.
YEREVAN. - Like the Jewish people, the Armenians are also closely tied to their homeland.

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edlestein noted the aforementioned at the plenary session of the Israeli Knesset on Thursday, welcoming the Armenian parliamentary delegation.

In his speech, the Speaker said the following:

Dear Knesset members,

I would like to welcome the Armenia-Israel parliamentary Friendship Group.

Honorable guests, welcome to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, and Knesset, our residence of democracy.

The Armenian and Jewish people had similar commonness during their entire history. In the 20th century our peoples went through horrible tragedies, facing the threat of elimination. We consider the Armenian people our friends, and hope to develop our ties and cooperation also in the spheres of culture, tourism, economy and especially agriculture.

This has been the second visit of the Armenian parliamentary delegation to Israel in the recent period. We hope that the mutual visits of the parliamentarians will become more frequent, being aimed at knowing and understanding each other better.

Like Israel, Armenia has a large Diaspora, especially in the United States and France. Like the Jewish people, the Armenians are also closely linked to their homeland. The Armenian Diaspora is much bigger by number than the Armenian population itself, which is peculiar to the Jewish people as well. We hope to cooperate with you, exchanging our knowledge and experience in maintaining the ties with the Diaspora.

I warmly greet you on behalf of the Knesset, its members and me, wishing you pleasant days in Israel and Jerusalem.

My blessing to you and your great people.
Turkish authorities must intensify their efforts to find the masterminds behind the killing of prominent Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, said today.

Year after year, we remember the anniversary of Hrant Dinks murder, honouring his brave words advocating for minority rights, and paying tribute to his exceptional efforts to create peace, said the Representative. But we do so knowing that even a decade on, the masterminds behind this tragedy are still at large.

I urge the authorities of Turkey to increase their efforts to ensure that justice is served and to provide closure for the friends and family of Hrant Dink after an agonizing decade of questions. Authorities must reinforce the vital message to society that those who commit violence against journalists cannot do so with impunity.
Liberal Alliance (LA) Party of Denmarks ruling coalition has withdrawn from its intention to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Danmarks Radio reports.

In summer, LA, along with two other partiesRed-Green Alliance and the Alternative Partyurged to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.

But in late November 2016, LA formed a coalition with the authorities and turned back from its words. The official spokesman of the party, Henrik Dahl, stated that there was no need to strive for the official recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

We are not historians and we think that the issue should be studied by specialists. This is our position, he stated in an interview with Kristeligt Dagblad.

However, Red-Green Alliance, which remained in the opposition, stuck to its words. The representative of the party, Nikolaj Villumsen, says the issue is a painful and deep tragedy.

We see a very strong political pressure against the minorities in TurkeyKurds and Christians, including Armenians. Thus, it is necessary for the Danish side to back these forces, he stated.

The position of the Danish government is different from that of such countries as Sweden, Germany and France, which have officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, Danmarks Radio says.

The countrys Minister of Foreign Affairs Anders Samuelsen (LA) called a consultation on this issue on Thursday.
Italy avalanche: 'Many missing' in Rigopiano hotel in Abruzzo

Rescuers say up to 30 people are missing after a hotel in central Italy was hit by an avalanche, apparently triggered by an earthquake.
YEREVAN. - Chairman of the Control Chamber of Armenia, Ishkhan Zakaryan, has been appointed head of Tsarukyan's coalition headquarters.

This information was confirmed by spokesman of Prosperous Armenia Party, Vanik Elizbaryan.

The latter noted that the first session of Tsarukyan's coalition held on Thursday, was chaired by Zkarayan and attended by the Chairman of Prosperous Armenia, Naira Zohrabyan. Working meetings with the heads of the territorial structures of Yerevan and provinces will take place starting from Friday morning.

Gagik Tsarukyan met with those in charge of territorial structures of Prosperous Armenia and the party deputies on Wednesday. During the meeting, organizational issues related to the parliamentary elections and participation of Tsarukyan's coalition in elections were discussed.
The resolution of Karabakh issue was discussed at the meeting of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Austrian counterpart, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Sebastian Kurz.

Official Spokesperson for the Russian MFA, Maria Zakharova stated the aforementioned on Thursday.

In her words, a very large scope of issuesboth on the agenda of the organization and Russia's participation in its activitieswas considered. ''General reference was made to all the issues, considering that the issue of Karabakh conflict resolution is that of the organization. It was thus touched on. But these were not talks: the meeting held was an issue of wide ''inventory'' in the context of transferring all the issues on the agenda to the chairmanship of Austria,'' she noted.
Nobody taking part in the discussion on the resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide in the Danish parliament denied the fact that the Genocide was committed.

Armenian activist Anahit Karapetyan, who lives in Denmark, told the aforementioned to Armenian News  NEWS.am.

But, in her words, most of the deputies stated that it is not their business and that the politicians should not assess these events, that is, this issue should be considered by historians. ''Those who introduced the resolution for discussion, stated that the historians have already given relevant assessments,'' Karapetyan noted.

According to her, the issue has another aspect as well. ''Denmark marks the Holocaust Memorial Day. Why is it possible to recognize the Holocaust but not discuss the Armenian Genocide at all? Certain deputies tried not to answer this question,'' Karapetyan said.

During the discussion, a proposal was made to remove the word ''genocide'' from the text of the resolution and discuss the freedom of speech and press in Turkey, she added. ''That is, [they] use the Armenian Cause in the parliament mostly to criticize Erdogan's policy. It is more beneficial for us if this version of the resolution isn't adopted, since it has undergone changes and already has noting to do with the Armenian Cause,'' Karapetyan stressed.

She also noted that a voting will be held in the Danish parliament on January 26. ''I hope this version of the resolution isn't adopted, since there were many proposals on removing the words ''genocide'' and ''condemnation.'' All the Danish MPs used the word ''genocide'' and said they had been to Armenia and Turkey and know that the Genocide took place. The most horrible thing here is that nobody denied the fact that the Genocide was committed,'' she concluded.

The Danish parliament on Thursday discussed the resolution on recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The resolution was introduced by Alternativet and Enhedslisten parties.
YEREVAN. - The ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) has not yet decided who will head the candidate list of the party.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, Eduard Sharmazanov, who is also the spokesperson for the RPA, told the aforementioned to journalists after the RPA executive body session on Thursday.

In his words, during the session mainly the issues related to the party's format of participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections were discussed. ''We discussed the inter-party and inter-political developments, as well as issues related to the program, strategy and tactics of elections, as well as our candidates. Reference was also made to the next session of the board. [Apart from this,] Discussion between the new and old board members was held. A long inter-party work took place today.''

To the question who will be included in the RPA Board composition, Sharmazanov noted that there will be over 200 candidates.

According to him, the RPA will present the head of the election campaign headquarters and its staff by February. ''And on February 6-16, we will submit the documents to the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia within the time limits provided for by law,'' he added.
Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Thursday.

At the meeting, the interlocutors discussed issues on the agenda of the Armenian-Russian ally relations, the press-service of the Armenian MFA informed Armenian News  NEWS.am. The ministers also discussed the process of implementing the agreements reached between the heads of two states.

Apart from this, Edward Nalbandian and Sergey Lavrov referred to the preparatory work on the occasion of the upcoming official visit of the Armenian Premier to Moscow.

The interlocutors also referred to the issues related to the arrangements on Karabakh issue reached at the summits held in Vienna and Saint Petersburg.

Furthermore, the ministers exchanged views on the pressing issues on the regional and international agenda.
Kalaiya on protest to press for sub-metropolis status

People in Kalaiya Municipality of Bara on Wednesday obstructed the traffic along the Kalaiya-Birgunj road, demanding that Kaliya should be granted a sub-metropolis status while delineating the local administrative units in the district.
OSHA and Rocky Mountain Education Center Renew Alliance

The alliance will continue to support worker safety education throughout Colorado

According to a report, OSHA and the Rocky Mountain Education Center have renewed the 2010 alliance in order to reduce and prevent exposures to hazards across all industry sectors throughout Colorado.

The partnership will provide employers with information, guidance and access to training resources. The alliance was renewed at the kickoff of Safety Fest of the West. It is a five-year term.

"In collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Education Center a leader in providing safety and health training, we at OSHA can help private industry, governmental bodies and small business employers train and protect their employees from preventable workplace injuries," said Herb Gibson, OSHA's area director in Denver. "This alliance will impact thousands of employers and employees that use the training resources of the RMEC throughout Colorado and will assist in making Colorado a safer place to work."




FreshFin Poke (po-kay) is Milwaukees first poke restaurant and will be hosting its grand opening ceremony Saturday, Jan. 28 at 11 a.m. The ribbon cutting ceremony will include FreshFin Poke partners and community leaders. FreshFin Poke will provide free tastings of its signature bowls served hors d'oeuvres style.

The poke culinary experience is influenced by Hawaiian and Japanese cuisine and is traditionally marinated raw cubed fish with fresh greens. Poke is already popular on the West Coast as a very healthy eating out alternative. After having tried poke on the West Coast, Managing Partner Nate Arkush of FreshFin Poke became very inspired by the quickly prepared, healthy and affordable dish.

"Our poke is like deconstructed sushi, a fusion of Hawaiian and Japanese flavors. Weve also included curry and Southeast Asian flavors that go well together in our signature bowls. Poke is a healthy, high protein, unique dish that is customizable. We are very excited to bring poke to Milwaukee." said Nate Arkush.

FreshFin Poke offers signature bowls on its menu or completely customizable bowls to include fresh vegetables and your choice of tuna, salmon, shrimp, chicken or tofu plus the option of fresh add-in ingredients and house made sauces. The menu also includes great vegan and vegetarian options as well. FreshFin Poke is located at located at 1806 E. North Ave. on Milwaukees East Side and is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. FreshFin Poke also offers delivery and catering services.
"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences."  Audre Lorde

Its estimated that a total of 1 million women and activists will gather this weekend at The Womens March on Washington and at a variety of local marches across the country, and even internationally, in cities including Sydney, Zurich and Mexico City. Each event will represent solidarity among citizens who support equal rights for women, immigrants of all statuses, Muslims and those of diverse religious faiths, people who identify as LGBTQIA, native and indigenous people, black and brown people, people with disabilities, the economically impoverished and survivors of sexual assault.

In the spirit of democracy, these grassroots efforts aim to call attention to, and support the creation of vibrant, peaceful and diverse communities in which there is justice and equity for all.

And if you doubt the power in efforts like these, you need only to look back to 1913 when the Womens Suffrage Parade attracted an estimated 8,000 participants. They marched down Pennsylvania Avenue the day before President Woodrow Wilsons inauguration, calling attention to the womens suffrage movement. Most historians agree that the march proved to be a key driver for the passage of womens right to vote.

If you can't make it to The Womens March on Washington, here's a list of events taking place here in Wisconsin.

Friday, Jan. 20

Inaugural Balls - A Celebration of Protest Songs

8 p.m., $10 donation requested

Linneman's Riverwest Inn, 1001 E. Locust St.



Join the Riverwest Aces along with a slew of other acts in a evening of protest songs to commemorate the change of Presidential administrations. Funds raised will go to support Arts@Large and Serve2Unite.



Occupy the Inauguration

2 p.m.

Library Mall, 700 block of State Street, UW-Madison

This demonstration, which will include a program featuring a variety of speakers, will culminate in a march to the State Capitol. The demonstration is sponsored by the Madison Socialist Alternative. For more details, email madison@socialistalternative.org or visit Resist Trump: Occupy Inauguration.

100 Days of Resistance

5 to 9 p.m.

Red Arrow Park, 920 N Water St.

The Milwaukee Coalition Against Trump (MCAT) will host a mass march and rally on the evening of inauguration day. The protest will officially kick off the "100 Days of Resistance," a movement coinciding with Trumps first 100 days in office. For more information, follow Milwaukee Coalition Against Trump.

Candlelight Vigil

7 p.m.

Intersection of Lake and State Streets, Madison

Plans include a march and a program. Organizers ask people to bring flashlights for the vigil, called to denounce "despicable acts of bigotry, hatred, prejudice and xenophobia."

National General Strike

Nationwide

The logic of the general strike is simple. On Jan. 20, citizens are urged to refuse to comply with whatever orders the economic establishment has dictated. Citizens are encourages to walk out of homes, workplaces and schools and join fellow citizens in the streets and online in a peaceful display of resistance and solidarity. Citizens will not shop or otherwise participate in or contribute to the capitalist economy over which Trump presides.

Women Strike

Nationwide

womenstrike.org



National Womens Liberation is calling on women all over the country to strike from all work, paid and unpaid, January 20-21. The strike is an act of protest against President-elect Trump, Pence and the Republican Congress' plans in favor of an end to racist and sexual assaults and bigotry and support for reproductive freedom, national health care, a $15 minimum wage, protection and expansion of Social Security, childcare and paid family leave and R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

As a first step, visit womenstrike.org and make a pledge to strike from any number of oppressive social constructs including: paid jobs, emotional labor, childcare, diapers, houseowork, cooking, sweeping, laundry, dishes, errands, groceries, fake smiles, flirting, makeup and shaving. Add your name and write a few sentences about where you are striking and why.

Saturday, Jan. 21

Riverwest Femme Solidarity March

10 a.m. to noon

Riverwest Public House, 815 E. Locust St.

The March will begin at Riverwest Public House and will end around noon at Company Brewing, where Riverwest Femfest 2017 activities, including a variety of free workshops on fighting for social justice, will take place.

White Fragility: Stories, Dialogue, Workshop

9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Frank Ziedler Center for Public Discussion, 631 N. 19th St.



Join Ex Fabula for a discussion of the topic of white fragility in facilitated listening circles. The event will begin with stories told by Ex Fabula fellows before breaking into facilitated listening circles. The circles will be followed by a mini-workshop led by SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) which will focus on practical skills to address white fragility. This event is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required. Click for more information.

Womens March on Madison

Noon to 3 p.m.

Library Mall, 728 State St., Madison

This march is open to all who care about the issues facing our country. This is one of many "Sister Marches" taking place in solidarity with the Womens March on Washington. Click for more information.

Post-March Warrior Oasis

3 to 5:30 p.m.

Lucille, 101 King St., Madison (on Capitol Square)

Enjoy hot drinks, a full bar, food and art during this post-march event hosted by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin in partnership with the ACLU of Wisconsin, Emerge Wisconsin, YWCA Madison and 9to5 Wisconsin. Art and music will be provided by DJ Bizzon, BlackPaint Studios, Video Villains and Mikey C. Apollo. Resources will also be provided for continuing the fight for equality.

Other marches across Wisconsin, Jan. 21

Gwaaba'amaw Women's March in Bayfield

10 a.m.

Pionirski Park, 415 Washington Ave., Bayfield

Million Person Unity March - Sheboygan County

11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Fountain Park, Sheboygan

Veterans Park, Plymouth

Sister March in Eau Claire

3 p.m.

Phoenix Park, Downtown Eau Claire

Womens March Menomonie

11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Broadway Street, Menomonie
New research co-authored at Washington University in St. Louis shows more information about users and guests is key when it comes to fighting discrimination in the sharing economy. Credit: Washington University in St. Louis

The sharing economy is a booming industry, with companies such as Uber and Airbnb generating billions in value each year. Technology, combined with informal peer business practice, has made it easier than ever to call for a ride or rent a living space.

However, the sharing economy hasn't been without its share of controversy, including accounts of discrimination by Airbnb hosts against guests. As a result, Airbnb instituted a new nondiscrimation policy, which included reducing the size of guest photographs in an effort to prevent host bias. However, new research co-authored by a faculty member at Washington University in St. Louis's Olin Business School shows that more information about guests, as opposed to less, is important in eliminating potential sharing economy bias.

"We know discrimination exists in the sharing economy," said Dennis Zhang, assistant professor of Operations and Manufacturing Management at Olin. "We wanted to find out how do we prevent it, and how do we mitigate it?"

In a working paper, Zhang and his co-authors, Ruomen Cui, assistant professor at the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University, and Jun Li, assistant professor at University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business, conducted two randomized field experiments among more than 1,200 Airbnb hosts in Boston, Chicago and Seattle. The researchers used fictitious guest accounts and sent accommodation requests to the hosts using those accounts.

They found requests from guests with African American namesbased on name frequency data published by the U.S. Census Bureau were 19 percent less likely to be accepted than those with Caucasian names.

However, when the researchers posted a single host review for each fictitious user, the tables turned: Acceptance rates for both sets of guests evened out. Zhang says this fact shows strong evidence of concept called statistical discrimination with Airbnb.

"When hosts don't have complete information about a possible guest, they might infer race and make rental decisions based on that," said Zhang. "When enough information is shared, hosts don't need to make those inferences, and we found discrimination was statistically eliminated."

It wasn't just positive reviews that swayed the hosts. The second portion of the experiment involved a negative review of the fictitious guests. Here, too, the acceptance rates for both sets of names were statistically even: 58.2 percent for Caucasians and 57.4 percent for African Americans.

"We thought a negative review might create distortion for the hosts," said Zhang. "However, based on our experiments, any and all information about a guest is important to fight discrimination."

Zhang suggests Airbnb incentivize hosts to write reviews on new users and also provide a more structured way for guests to communicate travel plans in efforts to make the rental transaction much more transparent. He added that at least two of Airbnb's changes to its nondiscrimination policy last September were proven counterproductive by this multifaceted research.

"Hiding user information and making profile pictures smaller doesn't solve the problem, and may make it even more severe. Airbnb really has to think about how to provide more information instead of cutting it from guest profiles," said Zhang.
Raman scattering. Credit: Yelena Khavina/MIPT

Russian scientists have compared the effectiveness of several techniques of remote water temperature detection based on laser spectroscopy and evaluated various approaches to spectral profile interpretation. The paper detailing the study was published in Optics Letters. The researchers examined four data processing techniques drawing on the relevant analyses in prior publications. The technique that the authors themselves previously developed was precise up to 0.15 degrees Celsius. The research findings will support further development of sea surface temperature remote sensing solutions, enabling scientists to keep track of thermal energy flows in hard-to-reach areas such as the Arctic region, where average temperatures are rising approximately twice as fast as they are elsewhere on the planet.

In their study, the scientists focused on Raman spectroscopy, which is based on the phenomenon of Raman scattering discovered in the 1920s. It involves the interaction of a medium with a light wave: The scattered light is modulated by the molecular vibrations of the medium, resulting in the wavelengths of some of the photons being shifted; in other words, some of the scattered light changes its color. Raman scattering, and by extension, the field of Raman spectroscopy, were named after Sir C. V. Raman, an Indian physicist who was awarded a Nobel Prize for the discovery of this effect. Interestingly, Russian scientific literature tends to refer to the same phenomenon as "combination scattering," a term coined to emphasize its independent discovery by Soviet researchers.

"With the climate changing so rapidly, remote sensing of water temperature is a priority, but the radiometry techniques currently in use are only precise up to about a half degree. Raman spectroscopy enables measurements with a much greater precision," claims Mikhail Grishin, one of the authors of the study, a Ph.D. student at MIPT, and a researcher at the Laser Spectroscopy Laboratory of the Wave Research Center at GPI.

Raman scattering spectrum of water OH stretching vibrations at two different temperatures (left); the two-color technique (right), one of the approaches to spectral data analysis in Raman spectroscopy. Credit: MIPT

The experiment carried out by the scientists involved probing water with a pulsed laser and using a spectrometer to analyze the light that was scattered back. Depending on the temperature of the water, its characteristic OH stretching vibrations spectral band was variably transformed. The scientists needed to find out whether it was possible to establish a clear relationship between water temperature and one of the spectral band parameters.

The scientists examined the temperature dependence of several spectral band parameters, viz., certain parts of the area below the graph (see Fig. 1), differential spectra (the result of subtraction of two spectra), and the location of the peak of the curve fitting the band spectrum. Although it proved possible to establish a relationship between water temperature and each of the above mentioned metrics, the estimated temperature measurement accuracy of the respective techniques varied. Statistical analysis of experimental data showed that temperature dependence was most pronounced when the wavelength that corresponds to the peak of the curve fitting the band spectrum was used as a metric. The scientists were granted a patent for the corresponding approach to spectral profile interpretation by the Russian patent office.

Seawater temperatures in the Arctic are currently monitored using a range of techniques including direct measurements made by weather buoys and merchant or research vessels. However, to track the temperature dynamics of sea surface water in real time and over vast areas, it is necessary to make aerial observations using sensing equipment installed on aircraft or satellites, which irradiates the water with a laser and collects the scattered light. A spatial resolution of less than one kilometer enables researchers to create very detailed temperature maps that can be used to monitor the transfer of heat by ocean currents, predict how fast Arctic ice is going to melt, and make a global climate change forecast. As unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) become better, remote sensing equipment should also be improved to be more precise, lightweight, compact, and energy-efficient. The scientists are developing both the software and the laser-detector system.

Water temperature map of the Arctic region. Credit: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Vasily Lednev, one of the authors of the study, a leading expert at the Department of Certification and Analytical Control of NUST MISiS, told us how he sees the future of this research: "One of the main hurdles for remote sensing of the sea surface is the necessity to calibrate equipment and verify satellite measurement results against contact measurements of seawater parameters (temperature, chlorophyll concentration, etc.). The development and design of compact autonomous lidar (laser radar) systems that can be mounted on UAVs will enable us to obtain detailed sea charts featuring a range of water parameters. These lidar systems are also of immediate interest for the study of hard-to-reach and dangerous objects like icebergs or ice shelves."

The average annual changes in the temperature of the world's oceans tend to be very small. It is currently heating up by a mere tenth of a degree every 10 years, whereas seasonal temperature variations can amount to several degrees. This means that an error of just a half-degree will cause a significant drop in precision of the overall picture of temperature dynamics obtained. In the case of seasonal measurements, the uncertainty can reach 20 percent or more, while long-term climate trends may remain unidentified due to the measurement error.

The remote-sensing thermometers currently in use operate in the microwave spectral range. Raman scattering spectrometry has a significant advantage over microwave radiometry in that the probing laser radiation falls into the visible (blue-green) part of the spectrum. Unlike microwave radiation, to which water is almost completely opaque, visible light can penetrate a layer of water that is 1-10 meters thick. With microwave sensing, the data is only available for the 30-micron-thick surface layer whose temperature is significantly affected by the cold Arctic winds. This gives rise to an error, which is almost entirely avoided in measurements based on Raman scattering. To correct errors of this kind, satellite-based microwave radiometers need to be calibrated against ground-based measurements. By contrast, Raman spectrometry does not face this obstacle and can produce useful data independently from contact observations.

More information: Vasily N. Lednev et al, Quantifying Raman OH-band spectra for remote water temperature measurements, Optics Letters (2016). DOI: 10.1364/OL.41.004625 Journal information: Optics Letters
New study by Brown University faculty member and a team of researchers shows how Brown and other American colleges help students climb the economic ladder. Credit: Brown University

Two students attend the same college. One is from a low-income background, while the other's family is in the top 20 percent of earners nationwide. When it comes to annual earnings in their mid-thirties, which student is likely to earn more?

A new study coauthored by John Friedman, associate professor of economics and international and public affairs at Brown University's Watson Institute, finds that those two graduates earn about the samesuggesting that colleges help level the economic playing field.

Friedman collaborates on the Equality of Opportunity Project, a team of researchers who use data to identify new pathways to economic success for lower- and middle-income students. The team's work is informing the national discussion on income inequality and how colleges and universities shape students' ability to move from one economic stratum to another.

Earlier today (Wednesday, Jan. 18), the New York Times featured the new studytitled "Mobility Report Cards: The Role of Colleges in Intergenerational Mobility"in a column and interactive data feature.

Here, Friedman talks about Brown's impact on students' economic mobilityand particularly the University's success in moving students of all backgrounds into the top 20 or top 1 percent of the income distributionand the broader findings of the new study.

What are mobility report cards, and what information do you use to generate them?

The mobility report cards are publicly available statistics on college graduates' earnings in their early thirties and their families' incomes in the five-year period when the kids are between 15 and 19 years old. Our main definition of college attendance is the college you attended for the most years between the ages of 18 and 22. We do this for each college in America and cover all college students from 1999 to 2013. Our data do not speak to race, ethnicity or first-generation status. We focus on family incomes and graduates' incomes.

Broadly speaking, what did you discover about access to colleges and economic outcomes for students?

Access to colleges varies substantially across the income distribution, with more students from the very top of the family income distribution attending Ivy League colleges than students from the bottom half of the family income distribution, despite the generous financial aid offered by these institutions. At the same time, though, students from low- and high-income families at each college have very similar earnings outcomes once they get into the labor force themselves. So in this sense, colleges successfully level the playing field across students with different socioeconomic backgrounds.

You measure two types of success, in which students from lower- or middle-income families move into either the top 20 percent or the top 1 percent by their mid-thirties. How does Brown do moving students into the top 20 percent?

Looking at Brown students born between 1980 and 1982 (who were in the graduating classes of 2002 to 2005), more than 70 percent of our students came from families in the top 20 percent of the income distribution (earning more than $111,000), and about 3 percent of our students came from the bottom 20 percent of the income distribution (earning less than $25,000). We focus on the fraction of the kids who get into the top 20 percent by earning more than $58,000 by their mid-thirties. At Brown, about 60 percent of students from the richest 20 percent of families make it into the top 20 percent, and about 55 percent of students from the poorest 20 percent of families also make it in the top 20 percent. We think that is a positive fact. Once you're at Brown, your family income is essentially not determinative for your outcomes or for predicting what your earnings will be.

What sort of mobility into the top 1 percent do you see at Brown?

Brown gets between 7 and 10 percent of its low-income students into the top 1 percent. This doesn't mean hedge fund managersthese are graduates who earning more than $200,000 annually by age 34. This could be a doctor, someone at a law firm or a consulting firm, or many other professional positions. This is a very high success rateBrown and other Ivy League schools get students into the top 1 percent much more so than other types of schools with a larger share of students from poor families. We think that is broadly representative of the fact that Ivy League institutions and other elite private schools are doing something really extraordinary at the very top.

What is a mobility rate? And what did you determine Brown's mobility rate to be?

We define a college's mobility rate as the fraction of its students who come from a family in the bottom fifth of the income distribution and end up in the top fifth. You can calculate this by multiplying the fraction of students from parents in the bottom fifth by the fraction of those students who make it themselves into the top fifth.

At Brown, we get about 3 percent of students from the bottom 20 percent, and about 55 percent of those students get into the top 20 percent, making our mobility rate 1.6 percent. As for getting students into the top 1 percent, Brown's rate is 0.20 percent. These numbers mean that, in every graduating class, about 25 students move from the bottom fifth to the top fifth, and three students move from the bottom fifth to the top 1 percent.

Which colleges and universities have the highest upward mobility rates?

We find that high-quality, mid-tier public universities are those with the highest mobility. To give you an example, the State University of New York at Stony Brook enrolls about five times as many students from low-income families compared to Brown. Sixteen percent of Stony Brook students come from the bottom 20 percent of the national income distribution, and half of those students then make it into the top 20 percent making Stony Brook's mobility rate 8 percent. To put that into perspective, if Brown had a similar mobility rate, about 120 students from each graduating class would move from the bottom fifth to the top fifth. Other examples of similar outstanding schools that are potential engines of mobility are California State University, Los Angeles; the University of Texas at El Paso, and many campuses in the City University of New York system.

What sort of trends do you see over time?

At Brown, we see increasing economic diversity over time and a steady, smooth increase without any big jump at a discrete moment, meaning no single event or policy change had an outsized impact. For the mid-tier public schools like SUNY Stony Brook, or other schools that we have identified as engines for economic mobility, we have seen access rates falling, which is a potentially troubling trend. It may be that cutting state funding has made it more difficult for those schools to attract and support low-income students. These schools may also increasingly look to admit students from richer families who will pay full tuition. There are many other possibilities as well, but whatever it is, it's not a trend in the right direction. You would want these schools to be growing and access to be staying the same if not growing as well over time.

Does this study lay the groundwork for additional research?

This paper is really only the first step. We want to try to look at how these data respond to different policies and see if we can partner with various schools to look at what they are doing. With schools like those in the CUNY system, for example, you can ask if what they are doing is scalable. Are they doing a great job at educating the kids they have, or are they particularly adept at finding super-smart low-income kids who didn't have great test scores or grades, so perhaps they couldn't (for those or other reasons) get into more selective Ivy League schools? Sorting those questions out requires yet more data.
Professor Neena Mitter's discovery will provide an environmentally sustainable alternative to chemicals and pesticides. Credit: University of Queensland

A University of Queensland team has made a discovery that could help conquer the greatest threat to global food security  pests and diseases in plants.

Research leader Professor Neena Mitter said BioClay  an environmentally sustainable alternative to chemicals and pesticides  could be a game-changer for crop protection.

"In agriculture, the need for new control agents grows each year, driven by demand for greater production, the effects of climate change, community and regulatory demands, and toxicity and pesticide resistance," she said.

"Our disruptive research involves a spray of nano-sized degradable clay used to release double-stranded RNA, that protects plants from specific disease-causing pathogens."

The research, by scientists from the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) and UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) is published in Nature Plants.

Professor Mitter said the technology reduced the use of pesticides without altering the genome of the plants.

"Once BioClay is applied, the plant 'thinks' it is being attacked by a disease or pest insect and responds by protecting itself from the targeted pest or disease.

"A single spray of BioClay protects the plant and then degrades, reducing the risk to the environment or human health."

She said BioClay met consumer demands for sustainable crop protection and residue-free produce.

"The cleaner approach will value-add to the food and agri-business industry, contributing to global food security and to a cleaner, greener image of Queensland."

AIBN's Professor Zhiping Xu said BioClay combined nanotechnology and biotechnology.

"It will produce huge benefits for agriculture in the next several decades, and the applications will expand into a much wider field of primary agricultural production," Professor Xu said.

More information: Neena Mitter et al. Clay nanosheets for topical delivery of RNAi for sustained protection against plant viruses, Nature Plants (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nplants.2016.207 Journal information: Nature Plants
Mahat addresses Raisina Dialogue

Minister for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat on Tuesday underscored the importance of multilateral approach in addressing major challenges facing the world.
Pressure to keep up with better co-workers can increase productivity. Credit: University of York

The presence of high-performing co-workers can improve an individual's earnings, research at the University of York has shown.

The team, which included researchers at the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration, University College London (UCL), found that in low-skilled occupations, an increase of 10% in the average performance of co-workers raises a worker's wage by almost one per cent.

This effect is most likely driven by increased productivity because of pressure to keep up with better co-workers.

Researchers looked at the wage records from administrative social security data for millions of workers and all of their co-workers over a period of 15-years across 330 professions in a large metropolitan area of Germany.

Dr Thomas Cornelissen, a researcher in the Department of Economics at the University of York, said: "We would expect that some positive practices would 'rub-off' on co-workers, and in fact we knew from previous research that such effects exist for specific occupations.

"For example, a US study showed that supermarket cashiers scanned shopping items faster when they worked the same shifts as fast-working employees. Our research showed that this effect was not unique to shop workers, but is applicable across many low-skilled jobs, such as waiters, warehouse workers, and agricultural assistants.

"Moreover, our results show that improvements in performance due to co-worker quality raise a workers wages, something that hadn't previously been analysed."

It was not clearly understood whether improvements in performance were due to learning from colleagues or whether it was more to do with the pressure to keep-up. To get a better sense of this, the researchers considered what happened after a high-performing co-worker had left the company.

If learning from colleagues was the explanation for the positive performance effects, it was expected that remaining workers would keep-up their performance after a high-performing co-worker had left the company.

The data, however, suggested that the opposite was true. Researchers found that the remaining workers tended to 'slip backwards' after a 'good' worker had exited, suggesting that the productivity effect from co-workers is more closely aligned with peer-pressure, which lessens when a good workers leaves, potentially causing productivity and wages to stagnate.

The same rule did not apply, however, to high skilled occupations such as lawyers, doctors, and architects. It is thought that a reason for this could be that it is not as easy to observe the working practices of other colleagues in high-skilled professions; workers might not always know what everyone is doing or what it takes to achieve the objectives of that particular role.

These findings suggest that there is less social pressure in high-skilled occupations compared to low-skilled.

Dr Cornelissen added: "There are many challenges to conducting this type of work, such as the structure of the company, how to accurately establish cause and effect between co-workers, and finding a measure of good and poor performance. The more work we can do analysing data from across the labour market, the more likely we will start to see common trends.

"The results of this work could be applied to a number of areas within company practices, such as working from home policies, the design of office spaces, and more training schemes. Working from home is generally considered a good thing, for example, but if co-workers are as important as we think, it might not be the best option for everyone."

The research is published in the journal American Economic Review.
Amelia Earhart, circa 1936. Credit: Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress

Legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart may not have perished in a plane crash as many have long assumed.

A group of researchers believe she died as a castaway on a remote island, and one UT professor is helping to provide the scientific evidence to back up that claim.

Richard Jantzprofessor emeritus of anthropology and director emeritus of UT's Forensic Anthropology Centeris working with the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) on research papers that will document their conclusions. They plan to submit the papers for journal publication soon.

"Nothing we can do will prove it's her," Jantz said. "But we hope to produce a preponderance of the evidence."

Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She mysteriously disappeared in 1937 while flying over the Pacific Ocean. Many assumed that her plane crashed into the waters, and she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, were never to be seen again.

In 1940, bones were found on Nikumaroro, a remote island in the South Pacific. Some suspected they belonged to Earhart, so the remains were shipped to a physician and founder of a medical school in Fiji for confirmation. The physician analyzed the bones and concluded they were the bones of a man.

"After he excluded Amelia Earhart, people lost interest," Jantz said. "It wasn't until the 1990s when interest resurfaced because the physician's written report was found in archives in London."

The notes contained four measurements of the skull and three measurements from long bonesthe tibia, humerus, and radius. There was one problem: the bones themselves had disappeared and were believed to have been purged from the medical school's collection. TIGHAR reached out to Jantz for assistance through a colleague with whom they had previously partnered.

"My role is to make what can be made of the biological relationship of the bones found on this island to Amelia Earhart," Jantz said. "Everybody thinks when you say bones were found, it's easy to find out by DNA. Unfortunately, the bones have gone missing. All we have are data written by a physician in 1940."

In 1998, Jantz along with other anthropologists reviewed the measurements and published a paper indicating that the morphology of the bones appeared consistent with a female of Earhart's height and ethnic origin.

Jantz is taking a closer look again at the measurements "and trying to figure out if what the physician had before him could have deceived him."

"We're not arguing that he was incompetent or unprofessional. He was asked to do something he was not experienced to do," said Jantz, noting that the physician recommended in his report that the bones be sent to Sydney, Australia, for further analysis.

"Forensic anthropology at the time was an infant science," he said.

Jantz and the TIGHAR team are also considering other evidence, including information about Earhart's height and feedback from a forensic photographer who has reviewed photos of Earhart in which her bare limbs are visible.

TIGHAR has conducted archeological trips to Nikumaroro and found several artifacts including a size nine shoethe same size Earhart woreand a sextant, a navigating tool like the one Earhart's co-pilot used. The organization also has evidence that from the time Earhart's plane vanished off radar on July 2 until July 6, Earhart made more than 100 radio transmissions calling for help.

Skeptics have questioned the new information. In response to their doubts, Jantz said, "We think there is pretty strong evidence that somebody of European origin was on the island and these artifacts have to be explained. If it wasn't Amelia Earhart, who was it?

"The theory that Earhart crashed into the ocean needs to be confronted with evidence found on the island," Jantz said. "I think we can say it's more likely than not that the bones are hers."
'Flora Unveiled: The Discovery and Denial of Sex in Plants' offers a deep history of perceptions about plant gender and sexuality, from the Paleolithic to the 19th century. The book presents compelling evidence of a longstanding gender bias in the perception of plants as female, preventing the discovery of two sexes in plants until the late 17th century and causing the new "sexual theory" to remain controversial for another 150 years. Credit: Oxford University Press

Sexual reproduction in animals has been recognized since ancient times and used in the breeding of domesticated animals for more than 10,000 years. Humans have depended on domesticated crops for more than 10,000 years as well, but for most of that time there was no intentional breeding of crop plants because people didn't think plants had sex.

Why did it take so long to discover the existence of two sexes in plants? For more than 20 years, this question has preoccupied botanist Lincoln Taiz, a professor emeritus of molecular, cell, and developmental biology at UC Santa Cruz, and his wife Lee Taiz, who worked in his lab as a research biologist.

Their new book, 'Flora Unveiled: The Discovery and Denial of Sex in Plants' (Oxford University Press, 2017), offers a deep history of perceptions about plant gender and sexuality, from the Paleolithic to the 19th century. The book presents compelling evidence of a longstanding gender bias in the perception of plants as female, preventing the discovery of two sexes in plants until the late 17th century and causing the new "sexual theory" to remain controversial for another 150 years.

The authors trace the origins of this gender bias to women's roles as gatherers, crop domesticators, and the first farmers. In ancient myths and religions, female deities were strongly identified with flowers, trees, and agricultural abundance. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, this tradition was assimilated into Christianity in the person of Mary, who was associated with lilies and other flowers.

"The association of lilies with the Virgin Mary was so strong, it was very hard for people to accept the existence of male structures in the lily flower," said Lincoln Taiz, who for many years taught a popular course at UCSC called "The Secret Sex Lives of Plants."

The English physician Nehemiah Grew first proposed a sexual theory of plant reproduction in 1684, and the ensuing debate eventually caught the attention of British satirists. "Once the wags got ahold of it, their almost pornographic descriptions of what goes on in flowers outraged pious people and polarized the debate even further," said Lincoln Taiz.

It took the careful observations and insights of German botanist Wilhelm Hofmeister, published in 1851, to resolve the controversy by showing that sexual reproduction is a universal feature of plant life cycles, from mosses and ferns to flowering plants.

The clues were there all along. The practice of artificially pollinating date palms began in the Bronze Age, yet the sexual role of pollen went unrecognized for millennia. The story told in Flora Unveiled is a remarkable example of how strongly cultural biases can influence our perceptions, impede scientific advances, and delay the acceptance of new discoveries.

"That something as basic as sex in plants could have remained hidden for so long, and then opposed when it finally was described, shows just how powerful cultural biases can be," said Lincoln Taiz.

Lee Taiz noted that cultural biases influence some of the most important issues facing our society today, from race relations to climate change. "It's important for people to recognize the dynamic between culture and perception that converges in our beliefs," she said. "Our world would be a happier place if more people were aware of how much our belief systems depend on cultural influences."
More than 100 countries don't keep accurate counts of births and deaths. More than 70 don't have robust data on poverty. There's a dearth of accurate, comparable figures on the number of disabled children in almost every nation, U.N. statisticians say.

The world body hopes to help change that by convening its first-ever conference on global data starting this weekend in Cape Town, South Africa.

More than 1,000 government statisticians, private-sector data scientists, politicians and others are expected at the U.N. World Data Forum , which aims to spark new ideas about using the world's ever-expanding stream of digital information. Tech giants including Google, Facebook and Amazon have signed up to send representatives the four-day event that starts Sunday, U.N. organizers said. The companies didn't immediately respond to inquiries about their plans.

Planned discussions include gleaning information on refugees' migration from phone records, using data to illustrate people's concerns, and mapping poverty and measuring crop yields by scouring satellite images.

"Data are not only for policymakersdata are also for citizens, who need to have access to data to understand what is happening in their various communities ... and to be able to hold the various layers of government accountable," Stefan Schweinfest, director of the U.N.'s Statistics Division, said at a news conference Tuesday. "This is something really that we are well placed, at the U.N., to invest in."

The U.N. already collects and puts out information on subjects ranging from trade to temperatures to how people spend their time.

But data can be patchy. For example, the world body estimates nearly one-fourth of the world's children under 5 have no record of their births. Without birth certificates, they may not be able to go to school or get health care, among other problems.

The U.N. has flagged the problem for over a decade. A 2002 report by UNICEF, the U.N.'s children's agency, called for free birth registration and new laws to facilitate registration, among other measures. The U.N. is continuing work with many countries on systems for recording births and vital statistics, Schweinfest said.

The world body also is increasingly looking for ways to measure such issues as security and public safety, particularly as new Secretary-General Antonio Guterres prioritizes efforts to prevent conflicts. That could entail developing ways to pick up early on data that signal a spiral toward trouble.

The U.N. has made strides in boosting nations' interest in the idea, but acting on it can be a challenge for countries, said Jennifer Ellis, who works on public health issues at Bloomberg Philanthropies, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's foundation. It's putting $100 million into improving health data in poor and middle-income countries and is sending a technical expert to be on a panel at the U.N. forum.

"Our hope would be that this meeting makes some of that interest more concrete and informs action," Ellis said.

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
White trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) populations in the maple forests of Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park (Quebec, Canada), photographed in 1980 (L. Gratton; photograph used with permission), 1995 (D. Rodrigue; photograph used with permission), 2013 and 2014 (M.-P. Beauvais). In 2013 and 2014, only a few flowering individuals remained (surrounded by a red circle). Although the photographs were not taken at the same location, they were deemed representative of the overall situation by park wardens (1980, 1995) or the authors (2013, 2014). Credit: Claude Lavoie

A new study published today in Botany demonstrates how herbaria can be valuable resources for studying the impact over time of large herbivores on perennial plant populations.

Herbaria are collections of plants and plant parts, carefully dried and arranged on sheets of paper to accurately portray the appearance of the living organism. Herbarium specimens also give precise information on the time and place of collection, as well as other pertinent details.

The study published today used nearly 700 such specimens going back over 80 years to show that flowering white trillium plants in modern, deer-browsed areas of southern Quebec have a significantly lower leaf surface area than those in un-browsed areas and those preserved as herbarium specimens. This decrease in leaf area indicates a lower reproductive potential. Most of the herbarium specimens used were collected prior to 1980, when deer density in southern Quebec was very low. This is the first instance of herbarium collections being used to evaluate the effects of a large browsing herbivore on forb size. Such studies are usually carried out using exclosures or clipping experiments.

White trillium is a perennial forb present throughout eastern North America. It reproduces in mid to late May, when white-tailed deer will preferentially consume large plants bearing flowers or fruit, resulting in complete defoliation. Repeated browsing of this and other long-lived plant species by deer is known to decrease plant leaf area and height over time, as well as reducing the proportion of flowering plants, leading to decreased potential for survival. Severe overbrowsing can lead to local extinctions of white trillium and other plant species. A recent explosion of deer populations due to hunting restrictions, increased food supply, and reduction of natural predators is creating a serious plant conservation issue in some areas. A long-term historical perspective on the impact of browsing by large herbivores is difficult to obtain due to the local and short-term nature of most vegetation studies.

This research represents a novel use for herbaria at a time when both collecting activities and funding for collection maintenance are waning. "Our paper provides an additional example of the usefulness of these collections, not only to identify species, but also to study the impact on the environment of several disturbances," says co-author Claude Lavoie, "...herbarium specimens represent an inexpensive tool to assess the impact of large herbivores on plants. Unfortunately, this possibility is seriously hampered by the decline of herbarium specimen collecting throughout North America, and the precariousness of museum collections."

Use of collected specimens has the potential to offer continent-wide and decades-long coverage in addressing questions of long-term environmental

More information: Marie-Pierre Beauvais et al, Herbarium specimens as tools to assess the impact of large herbivores on plant species, Botany (2017). DOI: 10.1139/cjb-2016-0206 Journal information: Botany
A polymer negative of a sequence of the genetic code, chemically active and able to bind complementary nucleobases, has been created by researchers from the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. Credit: IPC PAS, Grzegorz Krzyzewski

In a carefully designed polymer, researchers at the Polish Academy of Sciences have imprinted a sequence of a single strand of DNA. The resulting negative remained chemically active and was capable of binding the appropriate nucleobases of a genetic code. The polymer matrixthe first of its typethus functioned exactly like a sequence of real DNA.

Imprinting of chemical molecules in a polymer, or molecular imprinting, is a method that has been under development for many years. However, it has never before been used to construct a polymer chain complementing a sequence of a single strand of DNA. The researchers in Warsaw collaborated with colleagues at the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton and the University of Milan in Italy. In an appropriately selected polymer, they reproduced a genetically important DNA sequence constructed of six nucleobases.

Typically, molecular imprinting is accomplished in several steps. The molecules intended for imprinting are first placed in a solution of monomers (i.e. the basic "building blocks" from which the future polymer is to be formed). The monomers are selected so as to automatically arrange themselves around the molecules being imprinted. Next, the resulting complex is electrochemically polymerized and then the imprinted molecules are extracted from the fixed structure. This process results in a polymer structure with molecular cavities matching the original molecules in size and shape, and even their local chemical properties.

"Using molecular imprinting, we can produce recognition films for chemical sensors, capturing molecules of a specific chemical compound from the surroundings, since only these molecules fit into the existing molecular cavities. However, there's no rose without a thorn. Molecular imprinting is perfect for smaller chemical molecules, but the larger the molecule, the more difficult it is to imprint it accurately into the polymer," says Prof. Wlodzimierz Kutner (IPC PAS).

Molecules of DNA are really large. Their lengths are of the order of centimetres. These molecules generally consist of of two long strands paired up with each other. A single strand is made up of nucleotides with multiple repetitions, each of which contains one of the nucleobases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), or thymine (T). The bases on both strands are not arranged freelyadenine on one strand always corresponds to thymine on the other, and guanine to cytosine. So from one thread, researchers can always recreate its complement, which is the second strand.

The complementarity of nucleobases in DNA strands is very important for cells. Not only does it increase the permanence of the record of the genetic code (damage in one strand can be repaired based on the construction of the other), but it also makes it possible to transfer it from DNA to RNA through the process known as transcription. Transcription is the first step in the synthesis of proteins.

"Our idea was to try to imprint in the polymer a sequence of a single-stranded DNA. At the same time, we wanted to reproduce not only the shape of the strand, but also the sequential order of the constituent nucleobases," says Dr. Agnieszka Pietrzyk-Le (IPC PAS).

In the study, researchers from the IPC PAS used sequences of the genetic code known as TATAAA. This sequence plays an important biological role by activation of the gene behind it. TATAAA is found in most eukaryotic cells (those containing a nucleus); in humans it is present in about every fourth gene.

A key step of the research was to design synthetic monomers undergoing electrochemical polymerization. These had to be capable of accurately surrounding the imprinted molecule in such a way that each of the adenines and thymines on the DNA strand were accompanied by their complementary bases. The mechanical requirements were also important, because after polymerization, the matrix had to be stable. Suitable monomers were synthesized by the group of Prof. Francis D'Souza (UNT).

"When all the reagents and apparatus have been prepared, the imprinting itself of the TATAAA oligonucleotide is not especially complicated. The most important processes take place automatically in solutions in no more than a few dozen minutes. Finally, on the electrode used for electropolymerization, we obtain a layer of conductive polymer with molecular cavities where the nucleobases are arranged in the TTTATA sequencethat is, complementary to the extracted original," says doctoral student Katarzyna Bartold (IPC PAS).

Do polymer matrices prepared in this manner really reconstruct the original sequence of the DNA chain? To answer this question, careful measurements were carried out on the properties of the new polymers and a series of experiments was performed that confirmed the interaction of the polymers with various nucleobases in solutions. The results leave no doubtthe polymer DNA negative really is chemically active and selectively binds the TATAAA oligonucleotide, correctly reproducing the sequence of nucleobases.

Relatively simple and low-cost production of stable polymer equivalents of DNA sequences is an important step in the development of synthetic genetics, especially in terms of its widespread applications in biotechnology and molecular medicine. If an improvement in the method developed at the IPC PAS is accomplished in the future, it will be possible to reproduce longer sequences of the genetic code in polymer matrices. This opens up inspiring perspectives associated not only with learning about the details of the process of transcription in cells or the construction of chemosensors for applications in nanotechnologies operating on chains of DNA, but also with the permanent archiving and replicating of the genetic codes of organisms.

More information: Katarzyna Bartold et al, Programmed transfer of sequence information into molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for hexa(2,2'-bithien-5-yl) DNA analog formation towards single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2017). DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b14340 Journal information: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Deep beneath the murky ocean, Paci breathes through a thin plastic tube as he dredges the seabed for tin, a vital component inside smartphones and tablets that's brought riches and ruin to his island home.

One-third of the world's tin comes from the Indonesian islands of Bangka and Belitung, where thousands risk serious injury and death in the mines.

Demand for the metal ore has soared in recent years, driven by a voracious consumer appetite for the latest electronics gadgets.

In Bangka, the result has been a free-for-allboth inland and now offshore. Many miners are unlicensed, sailing out in repurposed fishing boats in the hope of finding new deposits with little experience, and no protection.

Paci, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, earns USD$15 for a day's work beneath the seas. Clad in goggles and a swimming cap he rakes a powerful hose across the sea floor, sending violent torrents of mineral-rich sand shooting to the surface.

"It is very dangerous work, and the risks are huge," he told AFP after surfacing, as the mining crew panned the dark sediment to separate fragments of tin.

"But what are you going to do? It's my life, and this is my job," he added.

He's not alone. Dozens of dredging crews trawl off north-east Bangka, the same stretch of coastline where a 23-year-old miner drowned in October.

At least one miner dies every week in Bangka and Belitung according to estimates from the Indonesian Tin Working Group, an organisation comprised of electronics companies, tin firms, industry bodies, and activists.

Death metal

A four-man operation can fetch 30 kilograms of tin ore on a good day, another sea miner told AFP.

It passes through many hands before arriving at smelters, which export the refined product used in the solder binding the components of tech gadgets.

Half of all mined tin is transformed into solder for the electronics industry, data from industry group ITRI shows, making the brands behind best-selling laptops and flat-screen televisions a powerful force in the global market.

While there is obvious damage to the environment, and miners have lost their lives, tin from Indonesia is considered "conflict free" and so there are no trade restrictions on its use.

But as the negative impacts on the land, and to local communities are revealed, electronics firms have come under pressure to properly account for the provenance of the minerals they use.

Evert Hassink from Friends of the Earth Netherlands says companies have done little to ensure the tin they used in their gadgets was not harming Bangka.

"Companies don't even know what they are sourcing," he said.

"They refuse to really stick out their necks and dive into the supply chain."

Ten major tech manufacturersincluding Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and Sonyare members of the tin working group, which has pledged to support less harmful mining practises on Bangka.

Apple said in a statement it had spent "thousands of hours" in Indonesia in a bid to improve the situation for workers and the environment.

It added: "Suppliers who are unwilling or unable to comply with our standards will be removed from our supply chain."

A spokesman for Samsung said the firm was "committed to continuously evolving our efforts on responsible mineral sourcing".

'It's all about tin'

A representative for the tin working group said it had two pilot projects aimed at improving worker safety and restoring land degraded by mining in development.

Jabin Sufianto, president of the Association of Indonesian Tin Exporters, acknowledged some tin firms were apprehensive about committing further but believes things will change over time.

"What's important now is doing the pilots, so we can show there is progress and it's not just all talk," he told AFP.

But Retno Budi from Walhi, a conservation group that has mobilised huge rallies against tin mining, is sceptical.

Inland from Sungai Liat, a giant pit mine stretches as far as the eye can see, one of the treeless, pockmarked scars visible from a flight over the island.

"They say they're restoring the landI'm yet to see it," he told AFP, surveying the ruined landscape.

"To this day there's been almost no effort to fix anything whatsoever."

Just weeks earlier two miners died in a landslide at the mine, he said.

Nazaruddin earns less panning for tin, a backbreaking job under the blistering sun, but avoids the dangers of pit mining.

"Over there, they don't think about safety," he told AFP, gesturing to a crew blasting sand and rock below a steep cliff.

"It's all about the tin, tin, tin."

 2017 AFP
As Turkish authorities have arrested an Uzbek man as the alleged gunman accused of killing 39 people on New Year's Day at an Istanbul nightclub, a University of Kansas researcher who studies Central Asia said it would be a mistake in response to view Islamic radicalization as one-dimensional in the former Soviet states. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, claimed responsibility for the mass shooting.

Mariya Omelicheva, associate professor of political science, is available to discuss issues surrounding religion and the authoritarian regimes in Central Asia. Omelicheva's broad research focuses on international relations, security policy, state security and human rights, and Russian foreign policy. She has authored several recent articles and essays on politics in Central Asia.

"While Central Asian republics are second only to the Middle Eastern states in terms of the numbers of those who left their countries to join the ISIS as foreign fighters, the events like the one in Turkey grossly exaggerate the extent to what Central Asian Muslims are prone to radicalization," Omelicheva said. "Further, they perpetuate the narrative of Islam as a violent and dangerous force. The reality of Islamism in Central Asia and other parts of the world is more complex, and the authoritarian governments in the region are an important part of the 'radicalization' processes."

She said instead of focusing on security solutions in response, the international community could seek to better understand issues Muslims in Central Asia face daily, especially living under authoritarian regimes.

"The narratives of radical Islam call for security policies, which further violate religious rights and are, therefore, counterproductive," Omelicheva said. "A better approach would be the one that addresses the complex root causes of political violence and calls on the Central Asian governments to desist from tightening individual freedoms under the pretext of countering religious extremism."
Credit: Snezhana Mazhekenova

Researchers at the M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences have collaborated with their colleagues from the A.N. Severtsova Institute of Ecology and Evolution in groundbreaking research work in which they discovered the homeobox gene Anf / Hesx1 in lampreys. It is the most ancient gene in modern vertebrates. The research findings that they published in Scientific Reports support the hypothesis that the appearance of this gene in vertebrates created the conditions necessary for the emergence of the telencephalon.

The telencephalon (known as the 'end of the brain') is the anterior part of the brain that is characteristic only of vertebrates, including humans. It is from this section that such important structures as the larger cerebral hemisphere develop.

"All other types of multicellular animals do not possess pronounced anatomical structures that are similar to the vertebrate telencephalon," explained Professor Andrey Zaraiskii of the Russian Academy of Sciences. "This means that during evolution, the telencephalon developed only in the ancestors of modern vertebrates."

Aromorphosis is the term that scientists use to describe the emergence of the telencephalon during the evolution of the vertebrate. The term describes a major evolutionary change leading to an overall increase in the level of organization of the body. In this regard, the question of the genetic mechanisms underlying this process becomes very important. Andrey Zaraiskii and his colleagues discovered a previously unknown homeobox (involved in the regulation of development) gene Anf / Hesx1 that is responsible for the inclusion of the telencephalon development process in representatives of several classes of vertebrates. Scientists have suggested that the formation of the vertebrate telencephalon may be associated with the appearance of the Anf / Hesx1 homeobox gene in their ancestors.

To confirm this hypothesis, the scientists had to demonstrate that the Anf / Hesx1 gene is present in all classes of vertebrates. However, until now, this gene could not be detected in jawless vertebrates (lampreys and hagfish), the representatives of the most ancient of living classes in existence. Other researchers recently conducted a genome sequencing (determination of the nucleotide sequence, DNA and RNA 'building blocks') of lamprey that also showed no presence of the Anf / Hesx1 gene in these vertebrates. In order to identify it, Professor Zarayskiy's team used special approaches based on high-precision isolation of RNA from the cells of the telencephalon rudiment of embryonic lamprey. Consequently, they were able to clone the Anf / Hesx1 in three species of these animals. Simultaneously, by means of special experiments, the researchers demonstrated that in lamprey, this gene regulates the early development of the telencephalon, i.e. it performs the same function as in other vertebrates.

"We discovered in lampreys, the most ancient living vertebrates, the homeobox gene Anf / Hesx1," said Andrey. "This discovery is very important for confirming the hypothesis that we had previously put forward. We believe that the key event in the creation of the conditions necessary for the emergence in vertebrates, including ourselves, of telencephalon, was the development of the Anf / Hesx1 gene in their ancestors."

The confirmation that the gene carries out the same function in lampreys as that in other vertebrates suggests the universality of the early telencephalon development mechanism.

More information: Andrey V. Bayramov et al. The presence of Anf/Hesx1 homeobox gene in lampreys suggests that it could play an important role in emergence of telencephalon, Scientific Reports (2016). DOI: 10.1038/srep39849 Journal information: Scientific Reports
A new system called Data Civilizer automatically finds connections among many different data tables and allows users to perform database-style queries across all of them. The results of the queries can then be saved as new, orderly data sets that may draw information from dozens or even thousands of different tables. Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The age of big data has seen a host of new techniques for analyzing large data sets. But before any of those techniques can be applied, the target data has to be aggregated, organized, and cleaned up.

That turns out to be a shockingly time-consuming task. In a 2016 survey, 80 data scientists told the company CrowdFlower that, on average, they spent 80 percent of their time collecting and organizing data and only 20 percent analyzing it.

An international team of computer scientists hopes to change that, with a new system called Data Civilizer, which automatically finds connections among many different data tables and allows users to perform database-style queries across all of them. The results of the queries can then be saved as new, orderly data sets that may draw information from dozens or even thousands of different tables.

"Modern organizations have many thousands of data sets spread across files, spreadsheets, databases, data lakes, and other software systems," says Sam Madden, an MIT professor of electrical engineering and computer science and faculty director of MIT's bigdata@CSAIL initiative. "Civilizer helps analysts in these organizations quickly find data sets that contain information that is relevant to them and, more importantly, combine related data sets together to create new, unified data sets that consolidate data of interest for some analysis."

The researchers presented their system last week at the Conference on Innovative Data Systems Research. The lead authors on the paper are Dong Deng and Raul Castro Fernandez, both postdocs at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory; Madden is one of the senior authors. They're joined by six other researchers from Technical University of Berlin, Nanyang Technological University, the University of Waterloo, and the Qatar Computing Research Institute. Although he's not a co-author, MIT adjunct professor of electrical engineering and computer science Michael Stonebraker, who in 2014 won the Turing Awardthe highest honor in computer sciencecontributed to the work as well.

Pairs and permutations

Data Civilizer assumes that the data it's consolidating is arranged in tables. As Madden explains, in the database community, there's a sizable literature on automatically converting data to tabular form, so that wasn't the focus of the new research. Similarly, while the prototype of the system can extract tabular data from several different types of files, getting it to work with every conceivable spreadsheet or database program was not the researchers' immediate priority. "That part is engineering," Madden says.

The system begins by analyzing every column of every table at its disposal. First, it produces a statistical summary of the data in each column. For numerical data, that might include a distribution of the frequency with which different values occur; the range of values; and the "cardinality" of the values, or the number of different values the column contains. For textual data, a summary would include a list of the most frequently occurring words in the column and the number of different words. Data Civilizer also keeps a master index of every word occurring in every table and the tables that contain it.

Then the system compares all of the column summaries against each other, identifying pairs of columns that appear to have commonalitiessimilar data ranges, similar sets of words, and the like. It assigns every pair of columns a similarity score and, on that basis, produces a map, rather like a network diagram, that traces out the connections between individual columns and between the tables that contain them.

Tracing a path

A user can then compose a query and, on the fly, Data Civilizer will traverse the map to find related data. Suppose, for instance, a pharmaceutical company has hundreds of tables that refer to a drug by its brand name, hundreds that refer to its chemical compound, and a handful that use an in-house ID number. Now suppose that the ID number and the brand name never show up in the same table, but there's at least one table linking the ID number and the chemical compound, and one linking the chemical compound and the brand name. With Data Civilizer, a query on the brand name will also pull up data from tables that use just the ID number.

Some of the linkages identified by Data Civilizer may turn out to be spurious. But the user can discard data that don't fit a query while keeping the rest. Once the data have been pruned, the user can save the results as their own data file.

More information: Paper: "The Data Civilizer system"cidrdb.org/cidr2017/papers/p44-deng-cidr17.pdf
Nepal to chair UN COE WG 2017

Ambassador Durga Prasad Bhattarai, the permanent representative of Nepal to the UN in New York, has been unanimously elected the chairman of the UN Working Group on the Working Methods of the Contingent-Owned Equipment (COE WG) for 2017.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to the press during a Foreign Affairs meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on December 6, 2016

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday said the alliance is coming under an increasing number of state-sponsored cyber attacks as he called on the bloc to boost its online defence capabilities.

"According to our latest evaluations, there was a monthly average of 500 threatening cyber attacks last year against NATO infrastructure that required intensive intervention from our experts," he told Die Welt daily.

"That's an increase of 60 percent compared to 2015. Most of these attacks did not stem from private individuals but were sponsored by national institutions of other countries," he added.

Voicing deep concerns about the development, Stoltenberg said cyber defence will play a key role at the next NATO summit.

"We must boost our capabilities in this area," he said, warning that attackers can "damage the defence readiness of NATO and hinder the work of our armed troops."

"All military activities are now based today on data transmission. If that fails to work, it can cause serious damage," he said.

Several Western nations including Britain, France and Germany have warned of a rise in cyber attacks, and are boosting their defence infrastructure to cope with the new front.

Election hacking threat?

While Stoltenberg did not name the states responsible for the attacks against NATO, Germany has on several occasions fingered Russia as a culpritaccusations that Moscow denies.

Separately, Germany's domestic intelligence chief Hans-Georg Maassen told foreign journalists that the country faces possible cyber attacks from Russia in the lead-up to September elections.

Pointing to the hacking of the German parliament in 2015, and of the US Democratic Party last yearboth blamed on Russia by the respective national security servicesMaassen said "it is obvious that a similar scenario is possible in Germany."

In the interview, Stoltenberg also rejected Donald Trump's criticism of the alliance's fight against terror and shrugged off the US president-elect's claim that NATO was "obsolete".

"NATO is already strongly engaged in the fight against international terrorism, and we are discussing how this engagement can be broadened," he said.

The NATO chief said he was looking forward to working with Trump, and voiced confidence that "the US will continue to be fully committed to its security guarantees for NATO."

 2017 AFP
How our ancestors ate could explain why todays humans are mostly right-handed. Credit: Flickr/Hugo Martins, CC BY-NC

Roughly 90% of humans are right-handed and this is one of the traits that separates us from most other primates who don't really show any overall preference for left or right handedness.

It's believed that handedness played an important role in human evolution, with a recent study on the earliest evidence of right-handedness in the fossil record shedding light on when and why this trait arose. Interestingly, the clues were found not in our ancient hands, but in our ancient teeth.

We have long known that the human brain is composed of two roughly similar halves. The left hemisphere controls language and motor abilities, whereas the right hemisphere is responsible for visual-spatial attention.

It is less well known that brain lateralisation, or the dominance of some cognitive processes in one side of the brain, is a distinctive feature of humans, and one associated with improved cognitive ability.

Could handedness have played a role in brain lateralisation? Ancient stone tools made and used by our earliest ancestors reveal some clues.

Use of tools

The earliest stone tools date to 3.3 million years ago and were found in modern day Kenya, Africa. Early stone tool making would have required a high level of dexterity. We know from experiments that have replicated tool-making processes that the brain's left hemisphere, which is responsible for planning and execution, is active during this process.

At the same time, humans are overwhelmingly right-handed when it comes to tool making compared to other species. This is most likely because the left and right hemispheres control motor action on the opposite sides of the body.

While this relationship is not straightforward, it would appear that, in most cases, handedness and brain lateralisation go hand in hand (pun intended).

So why use teeth to investigate handedness? The answer lies in the scarcity of matching left and right arm bones in the fossil record, particularly those belonging to our earliest ancestors.

Without matching left and right sets, it is impossible to examine differences in size and shape to determine which hand an individual favoured when completing manual tasks.

Teeth, on the other hand, tend to survive relatively well in the fossil record and can preserve scratches, or "striations", that establish handedness.

In an earlier study, researchers noted striations on the front side of teeth belonging to European Neanderthals. They hypothesised that these marks were made when material was held in one hand and gripped between the front teeth and worked by the other hand with a stone tool, with the stone tool occasionally striking these teeth.

These actions were replicated during experiments in which participants wore mouthguards. The results indicated that right-slanting striations are made on teeth when material is pulled with the left hand and struck with the right hand. Right-slanting striations are therefore a good indicator of right handedness.

The subject of the new study  an ancient upper jawbone  provides the oldest evidence for right-handedness known in our genus Homo.

The jawbone belonged to one of our earliest human ancestors, Homo habilis (literally, the "handy man"), who roamed Tanzania in Africa around 1.8 million years ago. The jaw was identified at Olduvai Gorge in the Serengeti Plain, which has yielded some of the earliest archaeological traces in the world.

Marks on teeth

The authors of the study noted a number of striations on the front side of the teeth. They used high-powered microscopes and digital cameras to investigate these striations, particularly patterning in their direction.

Interestingly, nearly half of all striations were right-slanting. Right-slanting striations were particularly dominant on four of the front teeth (left and right central incisors, right second incisor and right canine).

This led the authors to argue that most marks were made with the individual's right hand. They also suggested that the four front teeth with many right-slanting striations were the focus of most processing activities.

The Homo habilis jaw is important as it provides the oldest evidence for right-handedness in the fossil record. But it is also significant as it suggests that a major level of brain organisation had occurred in humans by at least 1.8 million years ago.

This brain development enabled us to master crucial early skills such as stone tool making and potentially also paved the way for language development. Right-handedness therefore means a lot more to us than simply a preference for using the right hand.

Just some food for thought next time you are brushing your teeth, sending a text message or high-fiving someone.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Bacteriophage Phi X 174 Electron micrograph. Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 4.0

(Phys.org)A team of researchers from several institutions in Israel has, for the first time, identified a molecule that phages use to communicate with one another. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes the methods they used to isolate the molecule and the way it was used by phages to make decisions. Alan Davidson with the University of Toronto offers a News & Views article on the work done by the team in the same journal issue along with an explanation of why the finding is so exciting to those in the microbiological field.

Phages, as Davidson notes, are viruses that infect bacteria. When they do so, the researchers note, they must each make a decision regarding which type of infection to instigateone type is called a lytic developmental pathway because it destroys its host and releases new phages into the environment, each of which begin looking for a new host. The other pathway is called lysogeny, which does not kill the hostthe phage instead integrates itself into the bacterial genome.

Prior research has shown that the phage "chooses" which attack to mount based on environmental conditions such as how many of same type phages are attacking other bacteria nearby. But how it knows what is going on has been a mystery. In this new effort, the researchers believe they have found the mechanism by which phages communicate with one anothera small peptide molecule called phi3T. It is synthesized by phages and released, and then is taken up by other phages inside of other bacteriathose that take it up choose the lysogeny pathway. Thus, the more phages present in an environment, the more communication molecules are released, increasing the chances of making their way to another phage, offering a means of measuring phage concentration in a given environment for all the phages.

The researchers found the role phi3T was playing by infecting a type of bacteria with four different phages and then screening the medium in which they were living, looking for the presence of molecules. In so doing, they discovered phi3T, a molecule that was produced directly by the phages. Subsequent testing showed that other phages that took up the molecule chose the lysogeny pathway when infecting a bacterium; those that did not instead chose the lytic pathway. Close examination of phi3T revealed that it had features that were very similar to proteins used by bacteria to communicate with one another.

More information: Zohar Erez et al. Communication between viruses guides lysislysogeny decisions, Nature (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature21049 Abstract

Temperate viruses can become dormant in their host cells, a process called lysogeny. In every infection, such viruses decide between the lytic and the lysogenic cycles, that is, whether to replicate and lyse their host or to lysogenize and keep the host viable. Here we show that viruses (phages) of the SPbeta group use a small-molecule communication system to coordinate lysislysogeny decisions. During infection of its Bacillus host cell, the phage produces a six amino-acids-long communication peptide that is released into the medium. In subsequent infections, progeny phages measure the concentration of this peptide and lysogenize if the concentration is sufficiently high. We found that different phages encode different versions of the communication peptide, demonstrating a phage-specific peptide communication code for lysogeny decisions. We term this communication system the 'arbitrium' system, and further show that it is encoded by three phage genes: aimP, which produces the peptide; aimR, the intracellular peptide receptor; and aimX, a negative regulator of lysogeny. The arbitrium system enables a descendant phage to 'communicate' with its predecessors, that is, to estimate the amount of recent previous infections and hence decide whether to employ the lytic or lysogenic cycle. Journal information: Nature

 2017 Phys.org
Nickelodeon's parent firm announced Monday it would build a "themed attraction" as part of a 400-hectare (1,000-acre) development on Palawan, generating alarm from environmentalists

American children's television network Nickelodeon will not be allowed to build an underwater theme park on one of the nation's most pristine islands, the Philippine environment minister said Wednesday.

Nickelodeon's parent firm announced Monday it would build a "themed attraction" inspired by its cartoon characters such as Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants as part of a 400-hectare (1,000-acre) 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. ," 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.

"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.

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 six metres (20 feet) 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 organised 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 emphasised 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.

 2017 AFP
Poker Pro Dong Kim shown here in the first Brains vs. AI contest in 2015. Credit: Carnegie Mellon University

Four of the world's best professional poker players will compete against artificial intelligence developed by Carnegie Mellon University in an epic rematch to determine whether a computer can beat humans playing one of the world's toughest poker games.

In "Brains Vs. Artificial Intelligence: Upping the Ante," beginning Jan. 11 at Rivers Casino, poker pros will play a collective 120,000 hands of Heads-Up No-Limit Texas Hold'em over 20 days against a CMU computer program called Libratus.

The prosJason Les, Dong Kim, Daniel McAulay and Jimmy Chouare vying for shares of a $200,000 prize purse. The ultimate goal for CMU computer scientists, as it was in the first Brains Vs. AI contest at Rivers Casino in 2015, is to set a new benchmark for artificial intelligence.

"Since the earliest days of AI research, beating top human players has been a powerful measure of progress in the field," said Tuomas Sandholm, professor of computer science. "That was achieved with chess in 1997, with Jeopardy! in 2009 and with the board game Go just last year. Poker poses a far more difficult challenge than these games, as it requires a machine to make extremely complicated decisions based on incomplete information while contending with bluffs, slow play and other ploys."

A previous CMU computer program, called Claudico, collected fewer chips than three of the four pros who competed in the 2015 contest. The 80,000 hands played then proved to be too few to establish the superiority of human or computer with statistical significance, leading Sandholm and the pros to increase the number of hands by 50 percent for the rematch.

"I'm very excited to see what this latest AI is like," said Les, a pro based in Costa Mesa, Calif. "I thought Claudico was tough to play; knowing the resources and the ideas that Dr. Sandholm and his team have had available in the 20 months since the first contest, I assume this AI will be even more challenging."

Brains Vs. AI is sponsored by GreatPoint Ventures, Avenue4Analytics, TNG Technology Consulting GmbH, the journal Artificial Intelligence, Intel and Optimized Markets, Inc. Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science has partnered with Rivers Casino, the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) through a peer-reviewed XSEDE allocation, and Sandholm's Electronic Marketplaces Laboratory for this event.

"We were thrilled to host the first Brains Vs. AI competition with Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science at Rivers Casino, and we are looking forward to the rematch," said Craig Clark, general manager of Rivers Casino. "The humans were the victors last time, but with a new AI from the No. 1 graduate school for computer science, the odds may favor the computer. It will be very interesting to watch and see if man or machine develops an early advantage."

Les said it's hard to predict the outcome. Not only is the AI presumably better, but the pros themselves are playing better.

"From the human side, poker has gotten much tougher in the last 20 months," Les said. That's because pros generally have embraced publicly available game theory tools that have elevated game play, he explained.

"Though some casual poker fans may not know all of them, Les, Kim, McAulay and Chou are among the very best Heads-Up No-Limit Texas Hold'em players in the world," said Phil Galfond, a pro whose total live tournament winnings exceed $2.3 million and who owns the poker training site Runitonce.com.

Unlike the multi-player poker tournaments popular on television, professional one-on-one No-Limit Texas Hold'em is often played online.

"Your favorite poker player almost surely wouldn't agree to play any of these guys for high stakes, and would lose a lot of money if they did," Galfond added. "Each of the four would beat me decisively."

The Libratus AI encompasses new ideas and is being built with far more computation than any previous pokerbot, Sandholm said. To create it, he and his Ph.D. student Noam Brown started from scratch.

"We don't write the strategy," Sandholm said. "We write the algorithm that computes the strategy."

He and Brown have developed a new algorithm for computing strong strategies for imperfect-information games and are now using the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center's Bridges supercomputer to calculate what they hope will be the winning strategy.

"We're pushing on the supercomputer like crazy," Sandholm said, noting they have used around 15 million core hours of computation to build Libratus, compared with the 2-3 million core hours used for Claudico. That computing process will continue up to and during the contest.

Claudico's favored strategy was limping, a poker term for getting into a hand by calling, rather than raising or folding. Sandholm said that Libratus also will limp sometimes.

"It will make many types of weird moveswe know that already," he added.

Libratus is a Latin word, meaning balanced and powerful. It was chosen because the program's algorithm incorporates new technology for attaining what game theorists call a Nash equilibrium. Named for the late Carnegie Mellon alumnus and Nobel laureate John Forbes Nash Jr., a Nash equilibrium is a pair of strategies (one per player) where neither player can benefit from changing strategy as long as the other player's strategy remains the same.

One of Libratus' new technologies is a faster equilibrium-finding method. It identifies some paths for playing a hand as not promising. Over time, the algorithm starts to ignore those bad paths.

"We found that this is not just faster, but that the answer is better," Sandholm said.

Another change has to do with endgame strategies. During last year's contest, the pros noticed Claudico was making some all-too-obvious bluffs that they were able to exploit. Rather than rely on abstractions for endgame play as Claudico did, Libratus will use the Bridges computer to do live computations with a new endgame-solving approach and algorithm.

Head's Up (two-player) No-Limit Hold'em is an exceedingly complex game, with 10160 (the number 1 followed by 160 zeroes) information setseach set being characterized by the path of play in the hand as perceived by the player whose turn it is. That's vastly more information sets than the number of atoms in the universe.

The AI must make decisions without knowing all of the cards in play, while trying to sniff out bluffing by its opponent. As "no-limit" suggests, players may bet or raise any amount up to all of their chips.

Solving such a game has many real-world applications in areas also characterized by incomplete and misleading information, such as business, military, cybersecurity and medicine, Sandholm said. The algorithms are not poker specific but rather apply to a myriad of decision-making situations of incomplete information.

"Extending AI to real-world decision-making, where details are unknown and adversaries are actively revising their strategies, is fundamentally harder than games with perfect information or question-answering systems," said Nick Nystrom, senior director of research at PSC. "This is where it really gets interesting."

In February 2016, an earlier AI developed by Sandholm and Brown won both categories of Heads-Up No-Limit Texas Hold'em in the Annual Computer Poker Competition, announced at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence conference in Phoenix.

The easier game of Head's Up Limit Hold'em, which has 1013 information sets, has been near-optimally solved by a computer poker group at the University of Alberta, headed by CMU alumnus Michael Bowling.

To ensure that the outcome of the competition is not due to luck, the four pros will be paired to play duplicate matchesPlayer A in each pair will receive the same cards as the computer receives against Player B, and vice versa. One of the players in each of these pairs will play on the floor of the casino, while his counterpart will be isolated in a separate room.

For this second installment of Brains Vs. AI, the pros have agreed to increase the number of hands to improve the chance of reaching statistical significance, that is, ruling out with high confidence the possibility that either the humans or the computer win by just getting lucky. To do so, the pros will play more days and will "two-table," playing two hands simultaneously.

Play will begin at 11 a.m. each day at Rivers Casino and end around 7 p.m. The public is welcome to observe game play, which will be in Rivers' Poker Room.
Sea-level rise is expected to result in more frequent flooding. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Sea level in the Northeast and in some other U.S. regions will rise significantly faster than the global average, according to a report released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Moreover, in a worst-case scenario, global sea level could rise by about 8 feet by 2100. Robert E. Kopp, an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers University, coauthored the report, which lays out six scenarios intended to inform national and regional planning.

"Currently, about 6 million Americans live within about 6 feet of the sea level, and they are potentially vulnerable to permanent flooding in this century. Well before that happens, though, many areas are already starting to flood more frequently," said Kopp, who leads Rutgers' new Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience graduate traineeship. "Considering possible levels of sea-level rise and their consequences is crucial to risk management."

The report, "Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States," provides regional sea-level rise scenarios and tools for coastal preparedness planning and risk management. It also reviews recent scientific literature on "worst-case" global average sea-level projections and on the potential for rapid ice melt in Greenland and Antarctica.

The report's authors, who also include scientists from federal agencies, Columbia University and the South Florida Water Management District, concluded that evidence supports a "worst-case" global average sea-level rise of about 8.2 feet by 2100. Recent studies on Antarctic ice-sheet instability indicate that such rises may be more likely than once thought, the report says.

The report provides a range of possible scenarios, from at least 1 foot of global sea-level rise by 2100 to a worst-case rise that's 1.6 feet higher than a scenario in a key 2012 study that the report updates. The report also provides four additional global average sea-level rise scenarios through 2100: intermediate-low (1.6 feet); intermediate (3.3 feet); intermediate-high (4.9 feet); and high (6.6 feet).

Robert E. Kopp, associate professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers University. Credit: Courtesy of Robert E. Kopp

The scenarios were also tailored to produce regional projections in areas including the U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Pacific coasts, Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Pacific island territories.

"The report's detailed local scenarios represent a significant advance in the federal government's response to requests by states and cities for more information tailored to their location," Kopp said.

Key findings from the report include:

From Virginia through Maine and along the western Gulf of Mexico, sea-level rise is projected to be greater than the global average in nearly all global average sea level rise scenarios. For example, the sea in these regions would rise 1 to 1.6 feet higher than the global average rise of 3.3 feet under the intermediate scenario by 2100.

Along almost all U.S. coasts outside Alaska, sea-level rise is projected to be higher than the global average under the intermediate-high, high and extreme scenarios. For example, the sea level would be 1 to 3.3 feet higher than the global level under the high scenario.

Along much of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska coasts, sea-level rise is projected to be less than the global average under the low-to-intermediate scenarios. For example, the rise would be 0.3 to 3.3 feet lower than global rise under the intermediate scenario.

The report also focuses on the frequency of moderate-level flooding that triggers a NOAA coastal/lakeshore flood warning of a serious risk to life and property. In general, the water level that triggers a warning is about 2.6 feet above the highest average tide and has a 20 percent chance of arising each year.

With less than 14 inches of sea-level rise, most of the 90 U.S. coastal cities studied outside of Alaska would see a 25-fold increase in disruptive and damaging flooding by around 2080, 2060, 2040 or 2030 under the low, intermediate-low, intermediate and intermediate-high scenarios, respectively. That means a once-in-five-year flood would happen five times a year, on average.

"That's a transition when flooding that used to be driven by storms becomes flooding driven by extreme high tides," Kopp said. "Along the Jersey Shore, that transition would happen in the 2060s under the intermediate scenario and the 2030s under the intermediate-high scenario."
In the 1930s Alan Turing imagined a "universal computing machine" capable of computing nearly anything. Today, that universality is the backbone of the information age: Turing-like computers are running governments, businesses, homes, power grids, vehicles, and cities, all linked by a scaffolding of common hardware, software, and network protocols.

But Turing did not foresee the security threat that arises from this universality: with a few bits of cleverly designed code, a malicious actor can take over a system and execute an attack never envisioned by the system's designers. The result is a cyber arms race in which attackers and defenders invent increasingly effectives means to thwart the other.

Might fundamental changes in hardware or software architectures shift the balance of this race? Opening that conversation was the chief goal of a recent two-day working group, "Circumventing Turing's Achilles Heel," held in Santa Fe.

"It all comes down to the asymmetric nature of the problem," says SFI External Professor Chris Wood, who organized the meeting. "The attacker needs only one 'weak link'one vulnerabilityto be successful, whereas the defender must successfully anticipate and defend every vulnerability, in every element of the system, all the time."

Participants in the November meeting included experts from industry, government, and academia representing computer science, hardware and software engineering, and cyber security. Much of the discussion focused on reviewing the state of the art, science, and engineering on both theoretical and practical fronts, as well as public and private priorities for future progress.

It is clear, says Wood, that government and industry are paying increasing attention to cyber security. But it is also clear that most such efforts are examples of "cyber-security-as-usual," he says, in which "attackers identify new vulnerabilities, defenders devise means to detect and mitigate them, and so on."

The meeting focused on two possible directions for fundamentally reframing the problem: The first, termed "formal methods," uses logical or mathematical descriptions of computer hardware and software systems to produce provable models and verifications of computer behavior, so cyber defenders can be sure their systems execute only as intended.

The second, termed "executable space protection," uses hardware strategies to keep certain areas of memory "unwriteable" to prevent execution of unintended code, thereby making attacks more difficult.

"We succeeded in establishing a basis for a productive discussion across disciplinary boundaries that recognizes the big differences between government, industry, and academia," Wood says.

The group plans to continue the exploration of novel approaches in future meetings.
Jonathan Holt replaces the protective cover over the rain gauge. Credit: Duke University

On Friday night, while most of North Carolina braced against the biting sleet and snow with hot cocoa and Netflix, a suite of research instruments stood tall above Duke's campus, quietly gathering data on the the storm.

The instruments are part of a new miniature cloud and precipitation-monitoring laboratory installed on the roof of Fitzpatrick CIEMAS by graduate student Jonathan Holt and fellow climate researchers in Ana Barros's lab.

The team got the instruments up and running in early October, just in time for their rain gauge to register a whooping six inches of rain in six hours at the height of Hurricane Matthewan accumulation rate comparable to that of Hurricane Katrina when it made landfall in Mississippi. Last weekend, they collected similar data on the winter storm, their Micro Rain Radar tracking the rate of snowfall throughout the night.

The rooftop is just the latest location where the Barros group is gathering precipitation data, joining sites in the Great Smokies, the Central Andes of Peru, and Southern Africa. These three instruments, with a fourth added in early January, are designed to continuously track the precipitation rate, the size and shape of raindrops or snow flakes  which climatologists collectively dub hydrometeorsand the formation and height of clouds in the air above Duke.

A laser beam passing between the two heads of the distrometer detects the numbers and sizes of passing raindrops or snowflakes. Credit: Duke University

Ana Barros, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Duke, says that her team uses these field observations, combined with atmospheric data from institutions like NOAA and NASA, to study how microscopic particles of dust, smoke, or other materials in the air called aerosols interact with water vapor to form clouds and precipitation. Understanding these interactions is a key prerequisite to building accurate weather and climate models.

"What we are trying to do here is to actually follow the lifecycle of water droplets in the air, and understand how that varies depending on weather systems, on conditions, on the climatic region and the location on the landscape," Barros said.

Besides tracking dramatic events like Matthew, Barros says they are also interested in gathering data on light rainfall, defined as precipitation at a rate of less than 3 mm of an hour, throughout the year. Light rainfall is a significant source of water in the region, comprising about 35 percent of the annual rainfall. Studies have shown that it is particularly prone to climate change because even modest bumps in temperature can cause these small water droplets to evaporate back to gas.

The Micro Rain Radar (MRR) shoots radio waves into the sky where they reflect off water droplets or snowflakes, revealing the size and height of clouds or precipitation. The team collected continuous MRR data during Hurricane Matthew (top) and last Fridays snow storm (bottom), creating these colorful plots that illustrate precipitation rates during the storms. Credit: Duke University

Eliminating this water source, "is not a dramatic change," Barros said. "But it is one of those very important changes that has implications for how we manage water, how we use water, how we design infrastructure, how we have to actually plan for the future."

Barros says she is unaware of any similar instrument suites in North Carolina, putting their rooftop site in position to provide unique insights about the region's climate. And unlike their mountainous field sites, instruments on the roof are less prone to being co-opted by itchy bears.

"When we can gather long term rain gauge data like this, that puts our research group in a really unique position to come up with results that no one else has, and to draw conclusions about climate change that no one else can," Holt said. "It is fun to have a truly unique perspective into the meteorology, hydrology and weather in this place."
Credit: University of Sheffield

More than 200 scientists have signed up to a tissue-sharing database designed to reduce the number of animals needed for biomedical research.

SEARCHBreast, an initiative led by the University of Leeds in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, allows breast cancer researchers across the world to search for remaining mouse tissue from previous experiments.

By using this tissue, there is no need to rely on new animals, reducing the overall numbers used.

Professor Ingunn Holen, from the University of Sheffield's Department of Oncology and Metabolism, said: "Researchers in Sheffield have been keen to sign up to SEARCHBreast as this pioneering initiative provides the first mechanism in the UK for the sharing of archival material in this way.

"Sheffield is a leading centre for breast cancer research and internationally recognised for work on how the disease spreads to other parts of the body. Part of this important research requires the use of animals and the material generated is a valuable resource that can be shared with the scientific community."

SEARCHBreast is led by Professor Valerie Speirs, Professor of Experimental Pathology and Oncology in the School of Medicine at the University of Leeds.

"As scientists, we are always looking for ways to reduce the number of live animals we use in research," said Professor Speirs.

"In oncology though, and particularly breast cancer research, the best option we currently have to study how tumours develop and respond to drugs is animal tissue, so animals have to play a part.

"An example of how this translates to human benefit is tamoxifen, a drug which has saved the lives of millions of people diagnosed with breast cancer; its approval as a clinical therapy was aided by important work with rodents conducted in the 1970s."

While several mice are usually needed to produce reliable results, in general only a fraction of each tissue sample is required to perform an experiment. Scientists typically store the rest of the material away, which is often not re-visited.

"SEARCHBreast brings together those who need animal tissue and those who are holding it in their archives," added Professor Speirs.

"Most scientists are willing to share this material on a collaborative basis, and it makes ethical, economic, and academic sense to do that.

"It serves the goals of the 3Rs - the Reduction, Replacement, and Refinement of the use of animals in biomedical research."

Now the success of SEARCHBreast, which is also run in collaboration with the Barts Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute at the University of Glasgow has been highlighted in a commentary in the journal PLOS Biology.

Since its launch in 2014, 220 scientists from the UK, EU, US and Australia have signed up to SEARCHBreast and nearly 90 animal models are available, representing thousands of ready-to-use tissue samples.

Plans are now underway to extend the framework beyond breast cancer research.

Professor Speirs said: "We want to foster a culture of collaboration, and by doing this, we're reducing the number of animals needed for research all round.

"We have shown this concept works for breast cancer and our research shows a desire from scientists in other disciplines to adopt SEARCH in their own field."

SEARCHBreast is funded by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research.

More information: Morrissey B, Blyth K, Carter P, Chelala C, Jones L, Holen I, et al. (2017) The Sharing Experimental Animal Resources, Coordinating Holdings (SEARCH) Framework: Encouraging Reduction, Replacement, and Refinement in Animal Research. PLoS Biol 15(1): e2000719. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2000719 Journal information: PLoS Biology
Tri-D Dynamics LLC co-founders Deepak Atyam (left) and Alexander Finch work with components and a diagram of one of their engines. They want to produce tomorrows rocket engines using 3-D printers. Credit: Purdue Research Foundation photo/Oren Darling

A startup with Purdue ties plans to use 3-D printers as well as other additive manufacturing processes to make future rocket engines that show promise in being faster and less expensive to produce than traditional methods.

Tri-D Dynamics LLC, a startup co-founded by Purdue graduate students, wants to tap into the emerging market of small satellites by using a 3-D printer to create small rocket engines.

"Utilizing hybrid additive manufacturing techniques to produce a liquid rocket with 2,500 to 5,000 pounds of thrust takes from maybe two days to a couple of weeks," said Tri-D co-founder Alexander Finch, who is scheduled to receive his master's degree in aerospace engineering from Purdue's School of Aeronautics and Astronautics this May. "Engines can be printed as one complete unit or as a series of components to be assembled."

Using traditional production methods, the same engines could take three to four months to produce.

"Typically you would need up to two machinists in addition to welders quality assurance personnel, testing personnel, and possibly more depending on complexity of the engine," said co-founder Deepak Atyam, who received a master's degree in aerospace engineering. "With 3-D printers, ideally you will only need one or two people."

Finch and Atyam plan to market their technology to companies and governments launching small satellites, or "smallsats," a new breed of satellites of low mass and size launched by smaller rockets.

The duo led the first college student team to design, print and test a rocket engine from a 3-D printer while they were undergraduate students at the University of California, San Diego. They have already achieved multiple accolades from aerospace-related organizations and completed internships with NASA and several high profile aerospace companies.

"We chose to come to Purdue with the specific aim of improving our chances to build a successful company," Finch said. "Purdue is one of the best aerospace engineering schools in the world."

Until recently, smallsats have been launched as secondary payloads on larger launch vehicles. But several companies around the world are developing new launch vehicles for smallsats.

Tri-D Dynamic's plan is for the launch vehicles to employ clusters of their engines positioned on the vehicle to lift the payload. The more engines used, the larger the payload capacity.

"None of these smallsat launch vehicles have actually launched yet," Finch said. "We expect the first launch to be in mid-2017. If it's successful we expect things to ramp up pretty quickly."

Tri-D Dynamics officials want to be able to upscale production of engines to allow more launches over shorter time frames.

"Our goal is to see these rockets launching once or twice a week. And that's a minimum of 10 to 20 engines per week when you get to that scale," Atyam said. "Nobody right now can stamp out engines at that rate."

The duo went through Purdue Foundry's LaunchBox program last semester and will continue working with the accelerator this semester with entrepreneur-in-residence Mike Shepard. Purdue Foundry is an entrepreneurship and commercialization accelerator.

"The Foundry also led us to become involved with Silicon Valley Boilermaker Innovation Group (or SV BIG)," Finch said. "They serve as a sort of a proxy board of advisers for us."

SV BIG is a group of Silicon Valley Purdue alumni dedicated to assisting new ventures in the Purdue community. Purdue Foundry suggests relevant startups pitch their ideas to SV BIG, which then decides what startups to assist.

"We didn't see anything like SV BIG undergrads in California," Finch said. "To have a dedicated alumni group of entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley dedicated to helping companies from that university is a wonderful asset."

Tri-D Dynamics' founders are working on proving the viability of their idea and looking for investors as well as funding from the U.S. government.

"We hope to gain a large market share of the rocket engine production industry. Most others produce them through conventional methods or outsource them to machine shops," Atyam said. "We want to be the one-stop-shop to be able to create rocket engines on a large or small scale."
Nepal urges India to remove anti-dumping, countervailing duties on jute products

Nepal has requested India to remove the anti-dumping and counterveiling duties on Nepali jute products exported to India from Nepal.
Comparison of characteristics between small molecule type and polymer type OLED. Credit: National Institute for Materials Science

While the world of electronics devices was radically different 30 years ago when Sumitomo Chemical (SC) began developing printed electronics technology, the company had already felt it was an area where they could make a significant contribution. Drawing on the company's decades of expertise in this field, Chizu Sekine, a researcher at SC, and colleagues prepared a review of the progress made in applying printed electronics to organic devices. The review has been referenced by several other papers since it was published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials in 2014, and this year it won the journal's best paper award.

"I think that the strong demand from the IoT or Trillion sensor network society is attracting us towards the development of printed electronics technology," says Chizu. "The key demands of these applications are (1) on-demand fabrication of various designs and (2) low manufacturing cost - printed electronics can give a solution to both these demands."

The review focuses on organic LEDs (OLEDs) and organic photovoltaic devices (OPV), which as Chizu explains provide useful examples of the state of the field. The review covers several milestones that have presented a gear change in the performance of these devices, such as the efficiencies achieved, and the ease of printing them. While Chizu suggests that materials development will be key to future progress, she adds that no single technology alone will lead to the commercialization of practical products. "I think that hybrid technology will be the most significant in future development."

On hearing of the award Chizu was surprised and pleased as the review had attracted more interest than at first expected. She says, "This is a good opportunity to empower our research group to win the challenge of organic printed electronics development over our competitors."

Background

Organic electronics

Organic compounds are a class of chemicals that contain carbon, with the exclusion of carbides, carbonates, cyanides and pure oxides of carbon. These include small carbon-based molecules as well as polymers. While most conducting materials are inorganic, the discovery of a number of semiconducting and conducting polymers in the 1950s and 1960s opened up the potential to develop organic electronic devices.

Organic materials tend to be cheaper than their inorganic counterparts, and have lower processing temperatures, which makes organic electronic devices less expensive to produce. They can also be flexible which has benefits for both the applications they can be used in and further reducing fabrication costs.

OLEDs

Electroluminescence  the emission of light in response to an applied voltage  was first demonstrated in a polymer by a group in Cambridge in 1989, and a similar phenomenon was observed almost simultaneously by researchers at Sumitomo Chemical. While at the time the external quantum efficiency of the emitted light was very low  around 0.1% - it inspired decades worth of research to develop organic OLED devices that could exploit the phenomenon more efficiently.

Today OLEDs can be produced in red, green, blue and white, and external quantum efficiencies of 5-10% have been achieved with device lifetimes that range up to several tens of thousands of hours. The fine image-quality, and ultrathin, and light-weight features of OLEDs have already led to their uptake by Samsung in the Galaxy range, although so far these are produced by an evaporation process.

OPV

Organic photovoltaic devices have the reverse working mechanism to OLEDs, producing an electric potential difference from incident light. This can be used for energy harvesting or sensing. Like OLEDs the use of organic materials means that devices can be made thinner and more lightweight, with lower fabrication temperatures.

Printed electronics

Evaporation deposition currently dominates organic electronic device fabrication. While the low temperature processing requirements for these materials allows some cost savings, printing fabrication techniques could allow further cost savings, particularly in scaled up production. Roll-to-roll printing allows significant cost and production efficiencies, but is only suitable for flexible materials, a requirement that is readily met by organic materials.

The increasing ubiquity of electronics has raised interest in techniques that allow on-demand fabrication of various designs and low manufacturing costs. Printed organic electronics meets these demands. Polymer OLED materials are already soluble and progress is being made towards making small organic molecules soluble with the introduction or replacement of substituent groups.

More information: Chizu Sekine et al. Recent progress of high performance polymer OLED and OPV materials for organic printed electronics, Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (2016). DOI: 10.1088/1468-6996/15/3/034203 Journal information: Science and Technology of Advanced Materials
Bark of a tree species found in the Brazilian Cerrado, which can burn every 3-7 years and contains some of the thickest barked species in the world, with Connarus suberosus having 30 percent of its stem diameter consisting of bark. Credit: Adam Pellegrini

A new study has found that trees worldwide develop thicker bark when they live in fire-prone areas. The findings suggest that bark thickness could help predict which forests and savannas will survive a warmer climate in which wildfires are expected to increase in frequency.

Trees in regions where fire is common, such as savannas and the forests of western North America, tend to have thicker bark, while trees in tropical rainforests have thinner bark, researchers at Princeton University and collaborating institutions reported Jan. 9 in the journal Ecology Letters. Bark protects the inside of the trunk from overheating and is one of a handful of adaptations that trees use to survive fire.

"We found large-scale evidence that bark thickness is a fire-tolerance trait, and we showed this is the case not just in a particular biome such as a savanna, but across different types of forests, across regions and across continents," said first author Adam Pellegrini, a NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University who led the study while a graduate student in Princeton's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

The research suggests that the link between bark thickness and fire resistance should be included in global climate models, Pellegrini said. "Trees from regions that burn frequently could still become vulnerable if the risk of fire increases," he said. "The open question is whether the bark is thick enough to help trees survive."

Researchers at Princeton and collaborating institutions found that bark thickness in tree species across the globe was greater in ecosystems with higher incidence of fire. The figure shows that tree bark grows thicker (red) in areas with savannas, which tend to burn every two to five years, and thinner (blue) in less frequently burned ecosystems, such as tropical rainforests. Trees in forests in the lower half of North America, which experience periodic fires, have middle to thick amounts of bark. Credit: John Wiley & Sons

Pellegrini and his colleagues looked at 572 tree species in regions across the globe. They compared bark thickness from trees in areas that experience frequent wildfiresand where rain falls only seasonallyto trees in regions where fires are rare, such as tropical rainforests. They found that in areas where fires are frequent, most trees, no matter the species, have thicker bark than closely related tree species growing in low-fire areas.

The study suggests that tropical rainforestswhich are mostly composed of thin-barked treesmay have a more difficult time recovering from fire, whereas savannas and seasonal forests with thickly barked trees should be able to better withstand fire. A savanna was defined as land with continuous grass cover that is 20 to 80 percent trees, while a forest was defined as having complete tree coverage and little to no grass.

Periodic fires are necessary for the health of some types of savannas and forests. Fires burn off excess plant matter such as dead wood and grassas well as competing fire-sensitive speciesand rejuvenate the soil so that the dominant, fire-resistant plant species can flourish. However, fires also can be detrimental to the environment by releasing stored carbon back into the atmosphere, and causing the decades-long loss of a valuable carbon-storage system.

The researchers also addressed the question of where thick-barked trees come from: Did they evolve to have thick bark in response to living in a fire-prone region, or do thick-barked trees come from plant families with species that all tended to develop thick bark irrespective of fire activity?

Iconic species such as the redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) contain thick bark. Credit: Adam Pellegrini.

To find out, the researchers compared related tree species that live in fire-prone areas against those that are found in non-fire-prone regions. The researchers found that the bark thickness of closely related species is linked to whether the species lived in a fire-prone or non-fire-prone region, which provided further evidence that bark thickness is an evolutionary adaptation to fire.

Tim Coulson, a professor of zoology at Oxford University, said that the study illustrates how climate change could create conditions that already-endangered ecosystems cannot withstand.

"As periods of drought begin to be seen more frequently in tropical foreststhe lungs of our planetthe risk that these ecosystems will burn increases," said Coulson, who is familiar with the study but had no role in it.

"Because the species found there are not well-adapted to cope with fire, the consequences could be devastating," he said. "[This] work highlights that the changes we are making to our climate can put ecosystems at risk to factors, such as fire, that they are poorly equipped to deal with."

The paper, "Convergence of bark investment according to fire and climate structures ecosystem vulnerability to future change," was published Jan. 11 by Ecology Letters.
Clearent Enters Agreement to Acquire Payment Alliance Intls Merchant Services Division

Payment Processor Increases Volume by 40% With Its First Acquisition

CLAYTON, MO (PRWEB) JANUARY 18, 2017

Today Clearent announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Payment Alliance Internationals (PAI) Merchant Services Division. The acquisition will add a complementary telesales channel, strategic association partnerships, and $4.2 billion in processing volume to Clearents portfolio.

PAIs Merchant Services Division is a leading provider of payment processing solutions for businesses, Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs), agents and associations, and has been recognized as the Independent Sales Organization (ISO) of the Year by the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA). The company serves more than 17,000 merchants in the U.S.

In addition to acquiring a tremendous amount of talent to help us expand our support and operations team, we are also acquiring a telesales organization and valuable association partnerships to further propel our Integrated Software Vendor (ISV) channel, said Dan Geraty, CEO of Clearent. With our combined team and relationships, we look forward to making greater strides than ever before towards our vision  to be the payment processor that our customers consistently recommend to their colleagues.

The growth and success of our industry leading ATM processing business demands our clear focus and full attention, said John Leehy, CEO of Payment Alliance. The divestiture of our merchant acquiring business brings further clarity to our strategy and strengthens our capacity for future growth. Clearent will be an outstanding home for those customers and employees associated with the bankcard business. We look forward to working with them to achieve a smooth and timely transition.

Clearent is a full-service, fully integrated payment processor and merchant services provider. Clearents proprietary processing system gives it more flexibility to deliver products that truly help its sales teams and partners stand out from the competition and sign more deals. It also helps the company deliver flexible pricing options, accurate, on-time residuals, and a suite of graphical portfolio management tools that are updated daily. Clearents Next Day Funding service is also unique because of its 11:00 p.m. Eastern cut-off time, which is one of the latest in the industry. From traditional point-of-sale terminals, mobile solutions, and tablet-based systems to a custom-built virtual terminal, eCommerce plug-ins, and hosted payments, Clearent can help small business owners securely accept payments just about anywhere.

With this acquisition, Clearent will have offices in West Palm Beach, Florida and Louisville, Kentucky in addition to its headquarter office in St. Louis, Missouri. The combined entity will have more than 45,000 merchants and $14 billion in processing volume. Upon closing of the transaction, Clearent will begin servicing PAIs merchants and other business relationships.

About Clearent

Clearent is a complete payment processor that leverages its proprietary payments platform to make doing business easier and more profitable for its sales partners. Clearents commitment to honesty and transparency has made it one of the most trusted companies in the payments industry. Clearent is one of the fastest growing credit card processing companies, processing $10 billion in annual transaction volume for 28,000 businesses nationwide. Clearent has consistently been named to several prestigious lists year after year, such as The Nilson Reports list of top U.S. acquirers, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch Top Workplaces award, the St. Louis Business Journals list of fastest growing private companies, and most recently, the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies. To learn more, visit http://www.clearent.com or call 866.205.4721.

About Payment Alliance International (PAI)

Payment Alliance International (PAI) is the nations largest, privately-held provider of ATMs, offering processing and maintenance services, ATM equipment sales and support, and ATM branding programs. Payment Alliance International is based in Louisville, Kentucky. Golding & Company served as financial advisor to PAI on the transaction. For more information on Payment Alliance International, please visit GoPAI.com.



Other Point of Sale news articles:
From the moment he declared he wanted to be President of the United States of America, Donald Trump must have known that he was about to start a reality show that would change the course of history.

A businessman Trump who had nothing to do with politics previously, won a very experienced Secretary Hillary Clinton, to become the next President of America.

The day Donald Trump became President Elect, he became the prime target of so many attacks, within and even outside the United states of America, and there are fears that some will stop at nothing till they have seen to it that this controversial businessman does not lead the US.

A brief history of threats

Barely 4-days ago, Donald Trump was surrounded by security agents and hustled off a Reno, Nev., stage, while people in the crowd before him called out, "He's got a gun."

The then Republican nominee who now is President elect, disappeared behind the backdrop of the Nevada rally while law enforcement agents swarmed the area directly before the podium.

READ ALSO: Trump, Obama finally meet at White House (photos)

A man was led from the rally by a phalanx of armed agents, however, the US Secret Service said in a statement there was no weapon involved in the incident, that after a search of the person who was earlier suspected to be an attacker.

It is reported that Trump retook the stage a short while later and finished his address. He later boarded his plane en route to his final campaign stop in Colorado.

Shortly after the incident, the Trump campaign released the following statement: "I would like to thank the United States Secret Service and the law enforcement resources in Reno and the state of Nevada for their fast and professional response. I also want to thank the many thousands of people present for their unwavering and unbelievable support. Nothing will stop us  we will make America great again!"

The incident was reminiscent of a glitch experienced earlier in Trump's campaign. In a hangar outside Dayton, Ohio, in March, U.S. Secret Service agents rushed the stage and surrounded Trump in a protective ring after what the campaign described as an attempt "to breach the secure buffer." As with the other disruption, Trump continued his speech after a short break.

Along the campaign, Eric Trumps wife opened a letter containing a white powder substance at their Trump Parc East apartment.

According to CBS News, the exact content of the letter has not been revealed at this point, however, it is known that it was a direct threat to the Trump family.

READ ALSO: Obasanjo writes to Trump, as ISIS makes dangerous statement

Both the FBI and Secret Service were called to the home after the letter was opened, on-site testing was done and the powder at this time is believed to not be harmful. Regardless, one can only imagine how scared the family was when the powder fell out of the envelope.

The powder threat came on the same day the Trump familys information was released by Anonymous, hence, many are of the opinion that coincidence are becoming really suspicious.

Loss of Democratic culture

The landmark victory of Donald Trump in the just concluded polls, has prompted waves of protests across California college campuses as irate mobs disowned the audacious billionaire by chanting hes not my president.

There are clear indications that while Donald Trump might have been elected president of the US, there are so many who do not believe in his capabilities to serve the American people. Thousands of protesters rallied across the United States on Wednesday, November 9, expressing shock and anger over Donald Trumps election, vowing to oppose divisive views they say helped the Republican billionaire win the presidency. There was a gathering of several thousands in Washington, just in front of the White House for a candlelight vigil on a damp, chilly evening, criticizing what they called Trumps racism, sexism and xenophobia, and carrying signs reading We have a voice! and Education for all!

For some the campaign was marred by racism and misogyny, with a lot of terrible tactics that saw Trump swaying the electoral college. Those who are of the opinion have sworn to ensure that a Trump-led presidency would not "hinder the progress of the country".

"Not my president" is the chant that now rents the air, a course which many are giving their all to. Other chants like "Love Trumps Hate" and "Trump grabbed America by the pu**y" have become known slogans Boston, Philadelphia and some other cities.

These are not the best times in the history of America's democracy, many are deeply pained, claiming that history has been inverted and the true democratic culture is lost. As many take to the streets, blocking roads and burning flags, one cannot but fear that the situation will degenerate into a total break down of law and order.

The push for Hillary Clinton

While it is still a mystery that Donald Trump beat Secretary Clinton in the race to the white house, there are still many pushing to see that the tables turn before Trump is sworn-in as president of the United states.

The die-hard Democrats who are still hoping that they wont have to endure a Trump presidency, are looking at one last ploy - which is a miraculous upset in the decisions of the Electoral College.

It is recalled that though Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 200,000, and Trump won the minimum of 270 electoral votes necessary to be elected president. Still, the American constitution leaves room for a change of heart for electors of the Electoral College who are scheduled to meet when on Monday, December 19 in their respective state capitals.

Hence, there is technically nothing stopping any of the electors from voting their conscience and refusing to support the candidate to whom they were bound, or from abstaining from voting altogether. This process is called the "faithless elector."

The idea of electors reversing their vote is rarely discussed  and was most recently bandied about after the incredibly close 2000 election in which George Bush narrowly beat Al Gore. And electors going faithless is exceedingly rare.

According to analysis by The New York Times, well over 99 percent of electors throughout American history have voted as pledged.

The last faithless elector was witnessed back in 2004, when a lone anonymous voter in Minnesota declined to vote for Democrat John Kerry and instead voted for Kerrys running mate, John Edwards.

READ ALSO: Just in: In wake of Trumps win, naira stays strong against dollar

The r vote was purely ceremonial, as Bush already had 286 electoral votes, more than enough to ensure his reelection.

According to The New York Post, faithless electors are technically barred in only 29 states from ignoring the will of the voters, though the penalties are light. And a faithless elector has never swung an election.

But given the high dissatisfaction with Trump among Republicans, a few faithless GOP electors could well go rogue next month.

For Clinton, it would be a very great task, as she would need more than 20 GOP electors to go rogue and vote instead for her

Even then, the new, Republican-controlled Congress meets Jan. 6 to approve the electoral college vote, and would certainly vote to void any roguery, handing the victory firmly back to Trump.

When all attempts fail

If all legal attempts to stop Trump from occupying the White House fails, then there are fears that the peoples anger will degenerate to grave hate, one that could lead some into attempting murder.

Already there are threats and calls for the head of Donald Trump, and though the President Elect is indeed well secured, still one cannot doubt the potential of desperate persons who will rather die trying.

All signs show that many are really bitter about the just concluded elections in America, they will go all the way to get Trump out of the White House, if he is not stopped.

More and more petitions are being signed by the day and so many have been googling how an American President can be impeached.

Both home and away, there is no doubt that Donald Trump has many enemies who will not flinch at the news of his demise. It is a very critical time for American security operatives, if there was anytime the US feared for the assassination of a president or president elect, that time is now.

Donald Trump on his part is trying to make certain amends to make up for the many things he said wrongly during the course of his campaign.

The media team of US president-elect reportedly removed the statement on his website to deport Nigerians from the country if he becomes president. This comes even as his team also deleted the statement on his website to ban Muslims from entering the US.

It was gathered that the page now redirects to another page encouraging voters to donate to his campaign, New Telegraph reports. Trump and his allies had consistently defended the ban, insisting the measure was about Americans safety and not about discriminating against religion.

The protests are still ongoing, the social media feeling the heat with buzz upon buzz regarding the Trump issue. Amid rumours of a war that many fear is looming, amid immigration crisis, religious upheavals, political tussles and economic challenges around the world; one can only hope that the American people find a more civil way to settle their scores.

Source: Legit.ng
23 officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been arrested for their roles in the Rivers State rerun elections.

INEC chairman Professor Yakubu

The police Special Investigation Panel asked INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to release the agencys administrative secretaries in Anambra and Plateau states for interrogation.

READ ALSO: Shiites drags Buhari to UN, international community

Accoridng to The Nation, the panel in two different letters to INEc chairman indicated that further development will be communicated to INEC chairman.

I write to inform you of the arrest of the under-listed staff of the commission who served in the 10th December 2016 Rivers State National/State Legislative re-run elections.

The names of the officers and present posting are: Ewatade P. Taiwo (Oyo); Aminu Karimu (Oyo); Adedokun Najeem Ayotunde (Oyo); Balogun Funmilayo (Oyo); Agams O. Kadiri (Oyo); Akinwande R. Adesoji(Oyo); Lukeman Olabimpe(Oyo); Tiamiyu R. Arowolo(Oyo); Akinwoye Amodu A (Anambra) and Iro Abali Mba(Anambra).

Others are Enuke Patrick(Anambra); Nwosu Oluchi G.(Anambra); Arukwe Chinelo(Anambra); Henry Owokure(Anambra); Nwoha Yusuf(Anambra); Hussaina Yahaya Tanko(Plateau); Gayus Hassan(Plateau); Ivase Stephen Aondona(Plateau); Abdullahi Ogabo(Plateau); Gwatana Jibril Joseph( Plateau); and Mohammed L. Sittu(Plateau).

The second letter, which is dated January 16, 2017, states: My earlier letter dated 13th January 2017 in respect of the arrest of 21 electoral officers who served as Electoral Officers in the 10th December 2016 Rivers State National/ State Legislative re-run elections refers.

I wish to inform you that Mrs. Mary Tunkoyo, the electoral officer at Emohua LGA and Mr. James Ogwuche who served as electoral officer at Ahoada West LGA are also in custody of the panel.

More so, in the course of the investigation, the need to seek certain clarification/information from the Administrative Secretaries of Anambra and Plateau states has become imperative.

You are kindly requested to inform and release the two officers for interview at the Special Joint Investigation Panel at Commissioners Lounge, Ground Floor, Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The panel is questioning some of those invited.

One key area of investigation which led to the invitation of the electoral officers borders on alleged bribery of poll officers, interference with voting process by politicians and outright snatching of ballot boxes. These electoral officers are at advantage in giving more insights into what happened during the re-run elections, a source said, adding:

So far, all the officers are innocent until the investigation panel establishes any case beyond reasonable doubt against them.

The panel is expected to; Conduct a thorough investigation into the role of security agents before, during and after the election;

examine the role of any police officer or security agent whose actions or activities individually or collectively was detrimental to the good conduct of the elections;

conduct a forensic analysis on the audio report released by Sahara Reporters as it concerns the election.

READ ALSO: We won't increase fuel price - NNPC

examine any other matter that is relevant to the conduct of the elections, and make recommendations and implementation strategies to guide future elections.

Source: Legit.ng
- The All Progressives Congress (APC) said it will hold its 2nd National Convention in April

- The party in a statement released by Bolaji Abdullahi the national publicity secretary said the processes leading to the National Convention, would commence with the Congress to fill some of the vacant positions in the states

- The last APC national convention was held in Lagos in 2014

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday, January 18, said it will hold its 2nd National Convention in April.

Bolaji Abdullahi APC national publicity secretary

The party in a statement released by Bolaji Abdullahi the national publicity secretary in Abuja, explained that the decision was taken, following the meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party on Wednesday in Abuja.

He also added that the processes leading to the National Convention, would commence with the Congress to fill some of the vacant positions in the states.

Abdullahi said: The vacancies to be filled occurred principally from political appointments, deaths and resignations.

READ ALSO: Sambisas capture a welcome development  APC

The congress to fill the vacancies will be followed closely by another congress to nominate delegates into the mid-term non-elective convention of the party.

Abdullahi further added that after the Congresses, the National Caucus Meeting will be held and then the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party.

The last APC national convention which was held in Lagos in 2014, produced former Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, as the national chairman of the party and former governor of Ekiti state, Chief Segun Oni, as the deputy national chairman (South).

Meanwhile, APC has described Tuesdays accidental bombing of an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Rann, Borno state as regrettable,

The party's spokesman, in a statement offered deep condolences to the families of IDPs and humanitarian aid workers affected by the unfortunate accident.

READ ALSO: Oyegun, Top APC Chieftain Clash Over Spokesman

APC sympathising with the Borno State government, prayed God to grant the souls of the dead eternal rest and the injured speedy and full recovery. Although Tuesdays accident is regrettable, the Party urges humanitarian aid agencies not to be deterred in their noble and selfless mission to bring succour to the IDPs in the Northeast.

We also urge the Nigerian military to remain focussed on its ongoing final mop-up operation of Boko Haram terrorists in the North East so that inhabitants of the insurgency-ravaged areas can quickly return safely to their normal and productive lives, APC advised.

Source: Legit.ng
NTs prepaid users to get 4G from Feb 4

State-run Nepal Telecom (NT) is set to make fourth generation (4G) mobile service available to prepaid customers from February 4. The service is being inaugurated on the occasion of the telecom giants 13th anniversary.
Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMS) popularly known as Shiites are currently protesting against the continued detention of its leader Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife in Kaduna.

Protesting shiites in kaduna

Both Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife have been detained have been detained by the Nigerian government for over a year and one month..

The protest is coming just has the group have dragged President Muhammadu Buhari before the international communities.

Shiites appealed to the international community to commit Nigeria to upholding religious rights and freedom, failing which the Nigerian government would be isolated and sanctioned.

Buhari Free Zakzaky protest ongoing in Kaduna

Shiites protesting in Kaduna

Buhari Free Zakzaky protest rocks Kaduna

Buhari Free Zakzaky protest

Shiites protesting in Kaduna

Source: Legit.ng
The Senegalese troops have reportedly entered The Gambia in protection of the just sworn-in Adama Barrow as the president of the country, the BBC has reported.

Jammeh is to be forced out of office

The soldiers have also launched strikes against Gambia in a move to force out the sit-tight Yahya Jammeh, who has refused to vacate the presidential seat after 22 years in office.

The African Union and the ECOWAS earlier mobilised to force Jammeh out of office in the face of heightened tension.

Reuters also quoted Colonel Abdou Ndiaye of Senegal's army as confirming that an ECOWAS regional force has begun strikes in an operation code-named: 'Restore Democracy'.

Though there were no details, Ndiaye said significant land, air and sea resources had been made available.

READ ALSO: Ghanaian actor John Dumelo speaks on Yahya Jammeh

The BBC also reported that Barrow has called on soldiers of the country to show their loyalty to him to ensure a peaceful transition of power.

He said this as he took an oath of office in neighbouring Senegal.

The United Nations (UN) Security Council also voted on Thursday, January 19, unanimously backed the Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS) efforts to force the incumbent Gambia leader to hand over power.

Listen to the speech of the sworn-in leader of the West African country, Adama Barrow, below:

Meanwhile, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has revealed that the refusal of president-elect of the US, Donald Trump, to invite President Muhammadu Buhari to his swearing -in ceremony on Friday, January 20 is deliberate.

While Jammeh is in the heat making sure he is protected by his country's soldiers, the Gambian Chief of Defence Staff, Ousman Badjie was seen jubilating with Barro's supporters in the country.

Watch the video here:

Source: Legit.ng
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - China and the United States are not about to be drawn into a trade war, Alibaba (BABA.N) Executive Chairman Jack Ma said on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

"China and (the) U.S. will never have a trade war. Give Trump some time. He's open minded," Ma told a panel at the meeting of business and political leaders in the Swiss Alps.

Ma met U.S. President-elect Donald Trump last week and laid out the Chinese e-commerce giant's new plan to bring one million small U.S. businesses onto its platform to sell to Chinese consumers over the next five years.

(Writing by Alexander Smith; Editing by David Goodman)
(Bloomberg) -- The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to kill on his first day in office, is actually the best way to achieve the fair trade in Asia that he promised American voters, former Japanese economy minister Akira Amari said.

A ratified TPP would set fair and democratic ground rules for trade and investment in Asia Pacific while entrenching U.S. presence in a region that will drive global economic growth in coming decades, Amari said.

"The TPP is Americas passport to Asia. The U.S. can credibly say that its part of Asia if its in the TPP," Amari said in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. "Without the TPP its an outsider."

Amari said he remains optimistic that Trump, whose inauguration is on Friday, will come to see the merits of TPP and that the U.S. will ratify the deal during his term.

"The Trump camp probably misunderstood what is in the TPP," he said. "The rules that would address the very issues theyre worried about are written in there. I would really like for them to understand this. The TPP is the vehicle to spread fair and democratic rules about trade and investment, which were crafted largely by the U.S. and Japan."

Speaking Up

Amari joins a chorus of voices speaking up on behalf of the TPP, an agreement reached between 12 countries that account for nearly 40 percent of the global economy. The prime ministers of Australia and Vietnam, both signatories to the deal, have expressed continued support for the deal over the past week.

Six departing U.S. ambassadors in Asia also urged Congress to pass the deal before Trump takes office, saying in a letter that abandoning TPP would undermine U.S. credibility and cede leadership in the region to China, which is not a TPP signatory. The deal was a cornerstone of the Obama administrations "pivot" to Asia.

Japan sees the TPP as key to helping revitalize stagnant industries such as agriculture. The pact lowers a large number of tariffs and sets rules on issues such as labor rights, environmental protection and intellectual property.

Story continues

Trump has lambasted what he says were terrible trade deals for the U.S., particularly the North American Free Trade Agreement and the TPP. He has also targeted harsh words at China, vowing to label it a currency manipulator, and appointed China-critic Peter Navarro to head the newly established National Trade Council.

Trumps nominee for commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, told a Senate confirmation hearing that delving into the details of the TPP agreement revealed things that "were not consistent with what had been advertised." He singled out rules allowing 60 percent of a cars parts to come from outside the TPP nations, without affecting tariff benefits.

"That didnt strike me as the worlds best idea, particularly from the point of view of protecting the automotive industry," he said. Ross also said he expected NAFTA to be first on the trade agenda for the new administration.

Brexit Watch

Amari said some of the issues Trump raised during his campaign, particularly lost jobs and rising inequality, are legitimate. But Trump is wrong to blame globalization broadly, and should instead work to promote trade while improving policies aimed at achieving a fairer distribution of a growing economic pie, he said.

Amari said multiple bilateral trade pacts dont allow for broader rules-making and run into trouble as rules from different agreements conflict with each other, making it difficult to achieve consistency. "Its best to make common rules in a multilateral framework and develop them from there," he said.

He also said the U.K. could join the TPP following its exit from the EU if it wanted, pointing out that its an open-door agreement. But he cautioned that Japan should focus on completing the Japan-EU economic partnership agreement before considering a bilateral agreement with the U.K.

He said he would watch closely to see how the U.K.s status as a global financial center endures the planned departure, and cautioned Japanese companies operating there to proceed cautiously.

"Companies from around the world use the U.K. as their EU business hub," he said. "If the U.K. leaves the EU, theres no advantage to locating there. I think the U.K. will probably have a difficult time.

(Adds comments from U.S. commerce secretary-nominee Wilbur Ross.)

--With assistance from Isabel Reynolds To contact the reporters on this story: Connor Cislo in Tokyo at ccislo@bloomberg.net, Keiko Ujikane in Tokyo at kujikane@bloomberg.net, Maiko Takahashi in Tokyo at mtakahashi61@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brett Miller at bmiller30@bloomberg.net, Henry Hoenig

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
A weaker SGD contributed partially to the good showing.

Singapore exports delivered a strong growth yet again in December, up 9.4% YoY after the stunning 11.5% surge in the previous month.

According to DBS, a low base and a weaker Singapore dollar that month contributed partially to the good showing. But beyond that, the firm said the improvement in US consumption as well as cyclical bottoming out in China provided much needed support.

"In fact, NODX to China was up by a whopping 33.5% on-year, partly on account of stimulus measures to prop by domestic growth within the economy," it said.

However, DBS said a pullback could be on the cards.

"With the Lunar New Year just around the corner and manufacturers in China heading into a lull period, that should not come as a surprise. Indeed, NODX grew by only 1.0% on-month seasonally adjusted in December, down from 13.0% previously," it noted.

DBS furthered, "But any form of pullback will be transient. Although there are still risks on the horizon pertaining to key markets such as China, the US and the Eurozone, economic conditions are generally improving in the near-term. Barring any policy risk from the US, the worst of the export cycle is probably behind us."





More From Singapore Business Review


Donal Trump 4

Now that Donald Trump is the U.S. president, the world will now see if he was all rice and no chicken on the campaign trail. If he does follow through on everything he promised to do, Singapore will be one of the countries impacted the most. (Click here to find out how to protect your portfolio.) This is because Singapores economy relies on trade like few other nations on earth. This is shown by the total trade as a percentage of GDP number  the higher the number, the more open a country is to international trade and the more important trade is to that countrys economy. Trade through Singapore accounted for 326% of the countrys GDP in 2015  the third-highest ratio in the world, after Hong Kong and Luxembourg. In fact, that figure has been at 300% or higher for Singapore since 1976, according to data from the World Bank (except for 1986 when it was 295%).

Total Trade as a of GDP (2015)

With that in mind, here are three ways Singapore could be trumped by the new American president.

Less attention from the U.S.

The U.S. is Singapores fourth-largest trading partner as measured by total trade (imports plus exports). Trade between the two countries is dominated by the exchange of different kinds of machinery and commercial services. The chances are good that as President Trump focuses more on domestic matters, and on alienating China, the U.S. government will pay less attention to the rest of Asia. The days of President Obamas so-called Asia pivot  entailing a renewed and refreshed focus on the continent  are long gone.

Singapore Top 10 Trade Partners in 2015

More trade with Asia

In October 2015, the U.S. government signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) along with 11 other nations, including Singapore, Australia, Malaysia and Japan. The TPPs goal was to make it easier for the participating countries to trade with each other by removing trade tariffs and lowering importing and exporting costs between members. But Donald Trump said the TPP was a terrible deal for the U.S. Then, shortly after winning the U.S. presidential election, Trump announced that one of the first things he will do as president is withdraw from the TPP. Without U.S. involvement, the deal is dead. That means easier access to the giant U.S. consumer market for countries like Singapore will not get any easier. And if Trump starts imposing higher tariffs on goods from Asia, it will slow down trade even further. But soon after Trump promised to withdraw from the TPP, Chinese president Xi Jinping said that China will not shut the door to the outside world but will open it even wider. In other words, China is set to fill the void left by the U.S. easing up on globalisation. And it already has deals in place  all of which involve Singapore  that could nearly match the TPP in size. For instance, China is a leading member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). This is a trade agreement between the 10 ASEAN countries (which includes Singapore) and the six countries with which ASEAN has existing FTAs  this includes China, Australia, Japan and New Zealand. This deal is still being negotiated. If it happens, the RCEP will be a mega trade deal. The 16 countries involved account for more than a quarter of global trade and a quarter of global GDP. Plus, with China, India and Indonesia involved, it would cover almost half of the worlds population. China is also developing the One-Belt, One-Road initiative, which is an effort to create a modern-day Silk Road. The proposed infrastructure will more tightly connect the continent of Asia to Europe and parts of Africa. One estimate suggests that this will end up costing about US$8 trillion. It will allow China to trade more easily with the majority of the worlds population. Singapore hopes to play a key role in this initiative. Not only is it a key part of the Maritime Silk Road portion of the plan, but Singapore also hopes China will use it as a platform to reach out to Southeast Asia and the rest of the world. So even with the potential of less trade with the U.S., Singapore could still benefit from better trade relationships with its Asian neighbours.

Story continues

More uncertainty

It used to be that in developed markets (like the U.S., Europe, and Japan), things were comfortable and easy, and there werent many surprises. Politics didnt matter much to share prices. And then there were crazy emerging markets (like most of Latin America, Africa, and much of Asia), the wild west of investing, where anything could happen. Bad politics could erase years of market gains in a matter of moments. When I worked for a political risk consulting company a few years ago, we would talk about how an emerging market was one where politics mattered to markets. That meant that personalities (that is, the people in power) were bigger than, and more important than, the institutions those people headed up. Whos president, what the parliament is doing, what kind of people are making policy  all of that could be the difference between making or breaking a market. And this is still true in emerging markets, like Brazil and South Africa and Malaysia and Russia. Who the president is and what crazy things hes doing can completely change the business and investment environment. The big change is that developed markets are looking a lot more like emerging markets when it comes to politics. From Germany to Japan to the U.S., politics in many developed markets are a lot more polarised than theyve ever been before. Different sides dont want to talk  they only want to yell. And after a while, a strong personality harnesses one part of this polarisation. Thats what can threaten institutions. And thats a big risk. This is what we see happening with the popularity of Donald Trump. Even in a developed market like the U.S., personalities are becoming bigger than the institutions they inhabit (like the presidency). If personalities can change those institutions for the better, its a good thing. But its a big risk  as the history of many countries in emerging markets has shown. This type of uncertainty in the worlds most developed market, the U.S., could translate into more volatile markets everywhere. And that includes Singapore. So with Trump now in the White House, Singaporeans can expect to see more market volatility, less interest from the U.S. and a bump in trade with the rest of Asia. (Want to learn more about what President Trump means for Singapore, and Asia  and how to profit from it, while also protecting your portfolio? Click here for more information.)

Kim Signature

Kim Iskyan
Offer to join govt stokes differences in MJF-L

The governing parties offer to join the government has stoked serious differences in the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik (MJF-L).
Thailand's flagship airline on Thursday said it had launched a probe into revelations that Rolls-Royce paid millions of dollars in bribes to win contracts, including to airline employees and government officials.

The investigation comes after the renowned British engine-maker agreed to pay a $808 million fine to authorities in Britain, the United States and Brazil to settle bribery and corruption claims.

After its largest ever graft probe, Britain's Serious Fraud Office found Rolls Royce paid massive bribes over three decades to win contracts in Indonesia, Thailand, India, Russia, Nigeria, China and Malaysia.

A British judge this week said the investigation revealed "the most serious breaches of the criminal law in the areas of bribery and corruption" prompting Rolls Royce, which cooperated with the probe, to apologise.

But the findings -- concerning the engine maker Rolls-Royce, which has no connection with Rolls-Royce cars, a marque owned by the Germany auto maker BMW -- will likely make for uncomfortable reading in the countries where bribes were paid.

In Thailand investigators found some $36 million in bribes and incentives were paid between 1991 and 2005 to intermediaries -- including "agents of the State of Thailand and employees of Thai Airways" -- to help the company win lucrative jet engine deals.

A Thai Airways statement said the company will "gather information from all the sources in order to investigate the matter thoroughly".

"When all facts have been compiled and reviewed" the airline will determine appropriate actions to take on any corruption found", the statement added.

Sansern Poljiak, secretary general of Thailand's anti-corruption watchdog the National Anti-Corruption Commission told AFP that his staff were "seeking more information" from UK and US authorities before deciding whether to launch their own probe.

He warned that some of the allegations unveiled by British investigators may have occurred too long ago to bring criminal charges, although civil compensation claims could still be made.

Story continues

The public data released by the British courts does not name implicated individuals.

But millions went to someone dubbed "Intermediary 3" who passed "success fee" money around to Thai Airways staff and government officials.

The corruption claims cover a period when Thailand saw significant economic and aviation sector growth -- and was mostly governed by civilian governments.

Thai Airways has long had a close relationship with the country's powerful military, police and government elites. Its board routinely contains senior police and military officers.

Thailand currently ranks 76th out of 168 countries in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index.

The current military junta that seized power in 2014 has vowed to root out corruption.

But critics say junta probes have selectively targeted political opponents while top brass have also found themselves accused of graft.
Thailand's flagship airline on Thursday said it had launched a probe into revelations that Rolls-Royce paid millions of dollars in bribes to win contracts, including to airline employees and government officials.

On the same day, Indonesia's anti-corruption agency named the former CEO of the country's flag carrier Garuda a suspect for allegedly receiving bribes from Rolls-Royce while he was head of the airline.

The investigations come after the renowned British engine-maker agreed to pay a $808 million fine to authorities in Britain, the United States and Brazil to settle bribery and corruption claims.

After its largest ever graft probe, Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) found Rolls Royce paid massive bribes over three decades to win contracts in Indonesia, Thailand, India, Russia, Nigeria, China and Malaysia.

A British judge this week said the investigation revealed "the most serious breaches of the criminal law in the areas of bribery and corruption" prompting Rolls Royce, which cooperated with the probe, to apologise.

But the findings -- concerning the engine maker Rolls-Royce, which has no connection with Rolls-Royce cars, a marque owned by the Germany auto maker BMW -- will likely make for uncomfortable reading in the countries where bribes were paid.

In Thailand investigators found some $36 million in bribes and incentives were paid between 1991 and 2005 to intermediaries -- including "agents of the State of Thailand and employees of Thai Airways" -- to help the company win lucrative jet engine deals.

A Thai Airways statement said the company will "gather information from all the sources in order to investigate the matter thoroughly".

"When all facts have been compiled and reviewed" the airline will determine appropriate actions to take on any corruption found", the statement added.

Sansern Poljiak, secretary general of Thailand's anti-corruption watchdog the National Anti-Corruption Commission told AFP that his staff were "seeking more information" from UK and US authorities before deciding whether to launch their own probe.

Story continues

He warned that some of the allegations unveiled by British investigators may have occurred too long ago to bring criminal charges, although civil compensation claims could still be made.

- Kickbacks galore-

The public data released by the British courts does not name implicated individuals.

But millions went to someone dubbed "Intermediary 3" who passed "success fee" money around to Thai Airways staff and government officials.

The corruption claims cover a period when Thailand saw significant economic and aviation sector growth -- and was mostly governed by civilian governments.

Thai Airways has long had a close relationship with the country's powerful military, police and government elites. Its board routinely contains senior police and military officers.

In Indonesia, the country's Corruption Eradication Commission announced Thursday that ex-Garuda CEO Emirsyah Satar had been named a suspect for allegedly receiving kickbacks from Rolls-Royce in exchange for buying planes fitted with the company's engines.

Satar is accused of accepting 1.2 million euros and $180,000 in cash, as well as goods with a value of $2 million while he was head of the airline from 2005 to 2014, according to the agency.

The agency said the corruption was alleged to have taken place in Indonesia and Singapore, and it was working with Britain's SFO and Singapore's anti-corruption authorities.

burs-sr/iw
Singapore house prices are approaching their trough.

A report from Bloomberg said Cushman & Wakefield Inc. expects the slide in the city-states home prices to end this year as foreign investors turned off by Hong Kongs move to increase the stamp duty for overseas buyers look to Singapore instead. Desmond Sim, head of research for Singapore and Southeast Asia at CBRE Ltd., said Singapore house prices are approaching their trough, with a forecast price move of flat to minus 2 percent.

The fallout from the stamp duty could be beneficial for Singapore, said Sigrid Zialcita, managing director for Asia Pacific research at Cushman & Wakefield. Singapore is always seen as a place where you can preserve capital and we are expecting interest from foreign nationals to come back. Hong Kongs November increase in stamp duty to 30 percent for foreigners makes Singapores 18 percent rate more attractive to overseas buyers, particularly mainland Chinese who are seeking investments abroad to help shield them from a further weakening of the yuan.

Get to know the full story here.





More From Singapore Business Review


AFP News

Pope Francis warned in Bahrain on Friday that "opposing blocs" and global divisions have put humanity on a "delicate precipice", a veiled reference to the Ukraine war. "We are living at a time when humanity, connected as never before, appears much more divided than united," he said during a speech to religious leaders in the Gulf kingdom. "We continue to find ourselves on the brink of a delicate precipice and we do not want to fall." Francis, who has made religious dialogue a pillar of his papacy, was speaking on the first full day of his trip to the tiny island state, where he arrived on Thursday afternoon. His visit comes with the Ukraine war in its ninth month, and tensions growing on the Korean Peninsula. In his speech on Friday, Francis warned that "a few potentates are caught up in a resolute struggle for partisan interests, reviving obsolete rhetoric, redesigning spheres of influence and opposing blocs." "Instead of cultivating our surroundings, we are playing instead with fire, missiles and bombs, weapons that bring sorrow and death, covering our common home with ashes and hatred," he said. Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Cairo's prestigious Al-Azhar mosque and centre of Sunni learning, also addressed the gathering. Tayeb warned that "market economics, monopolisation of resources, greed and arms sales to the Third World" were "manufacturing victims of war". Ahead of the pope's speech, 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. "All peace initiatives are good. What's important is that we carry them out together and that they're not exploited for other goals," he said. The pontiff's 39th international trip since taking office comes three years after he signed a Muslim-Christian manifesto for peace in the United Arab Emirates during the first papal visit to the Gulf region, where Islam was born. The pope's visit to Bahrain has been shadowed by accusations of rights abuses, particularly against Shiites in the Sunni-ruled kingdom, allegations Manama rejects. On Thursday the pontiff criticised use of the death penalty and urged nations to respect human rights. cmk/par/ho/it
BALI, Indonesia (AP)  A former Reuters war correspondent on trial in Indonesia on charges of possessing hashish faces up to four years in prison, a prosecutor said Thursday.

David Fox, a British national, was arrested Oct. 8 along with Australian Giuseppe Serafino on the tourist island of Bali. Police said they confiscated a total of 10.09 grams (0.36 ounces) of hashish from Fox's clothing and house.

He is being tried at the Denpasar District Court, where prosecutor Erawati Susina said he could face a maximum four years in prison. Serafino is being tried separately and faces the same possible sentence.

Police said Fox, 55, told them he had used the drug for years to overcome stress caused by covering conflicts.

He worked for Reuters for 20 years but was fired in 2011 for making an off-color remark in an instant-messaging system while covering the 2011 Japan tsunami and nuclear meltdowns.

Bali police first raided the house of Serafino in Sanur, a beachside town and resort area, where they reportedly seized 7.32 grams (0.26 ounces) of hashish. His arrest led to the detention of Fox at a bar run by Serafino.

Serafino, 49, told police he had used the drug since 2007 after being diagnosed with lip cancer.

Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws and convicted smugglers are often executed. More than 150 people are on death row, mostly for drug crimes. About a third of them are foreigners.

Eighteen people convicted of drug-related offenses, mostly foreigners, have been executed since President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo took office in October 2014.
BEIRUT (AP)  Syrian rebels are sending more than a dozen representatives next week to the capital of Kazakhstan for talks with government representatives, the first such negotiations between the two sides in a year.

But the loss of Aleppo, the election of Donald Trump and the pivot of Turkey toward Russia has left the opposition with very little room to maneuver.

Without much foreign support and with Syria's wider rebellion in crisis, the opposition will be negotiating for scraps, having been forced to take part in a Russia-led initiative that won't challenge President Bashar Assad's hold on power.

"They have no choice. With Trump's win, any lingering hope to push the West into increasing its rebel support is lost," said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

Monday's scheduled meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, highlights the dramatic changes in the year since the last talks broke down in Geneva.

Russia's massive military intervention has unequivocally given Assad the upper hand, leaving his forces in control of Syria's major cities and key population centers.

In the most significant setback for the rebellion since the conflict in Syria began in March 2011, pro-government forces recaptured the northern city of Aleppo in December, ending the opposition's four-year hold on parts of Syria's largest and most important city. For the rebels, it was an emotional departure from a place that once represented the dream of a Syria free of Assad.

It will be difficult for them to recover from such a defeat.

Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdogan is embroiled in troubles at home and has moved closer to Russia recently, prioritizing the fight against Kurds and the Islamic State group over support for the Syrian rebels he has propped up for years. Instead, Ankara is leading Syrian opposition fighters in its own offensive against IS and Kurdish rebels in northern Syria.

Story continues

On Friday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said his country has to be "realistic" and can no longer insist on any settlement for Syria's long-running war without Assad.

"The Russians have dealt us a military defeat in Aleppo," said Yasser al-Youssef, a member of the political bureau of the Noureddin el-Zinki armed group, a major rebel group in northern Syria.

"Now they are trying to deal us another defeat, politically," he said, referring to the conference in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.

The humiliating loss forced the rebel factions on Dec. 29 to sign a cease-fire deal in which they agreed to the talks with representatives of Assad's government.

The Russians cast the talks as the first opportunity to bring opposition military leaders to the table. Officials have said the session initially would focus on strengthening the truce in Syria, which Russia brokered with Turkey and Iran, and would help pave way for prospective talks in Geneva.

The negotiations will undoubtedly set the tone and agenda for future talks.

"Vladimir Putin's rush to establish a new political framework through organizing Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital are primarily designed to cement the Kremlin's position as the architect of a political solution," said Ayham Kamel, Middle East and North Africa director at Eurasia Group.

He said Putin's effort is set to eliminate any negotiating structure that would require Assad's removal.

Week-long negotiations in Turkey ahead of the talks reflect deep disagreement among the rebels on the goals and purpose of attending. With few friends left, the armed opposition also has no significant lifeline beside Ankara, which also had sent its troops to Syria to lead an offensive against Islamic State militants and Kurdish fighters on its borders. Saudi Arabia, an early supporter of the uprising, has been embroiled in its own war in Yemen, drying up coffers amid lower oil prices. Qatar, another ally of the rebels, would still have to coordinate with Turkey to reach them.

Jamil al-Saleh, commander of the U.S.-backed Alezzah Army, praised Turkey for hosting nearly 3 million Syrian refugees and keeping the only remaining route for civilians and fighters to the outside world. "They are the biggest ally," he said.

His group is sending two representatives to Astana. But al-Saleh said the delegates would pull out if there is no serious effort to form a transitional government and end Assad's rule.

Al-Saleh said the ceiling for talks is to reinforce the cease-fire, open humanitarian corridors for besieged areas and create a mechanism to hold violators to account. "Meanwhile, we are waiting for the U.S. to change its position," he added.

Another aim of Russia is to separate the rebels from the al-Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham group, which Moscow insisted on excluding from the cease-fire. The front is one of the most powerful groups and maintained close alliances with most of the other rebels at times of intense confrontations with pro-government forces.

Disassociating with the al-Qaida affiliate at a time of dwindling support could spell the end for many of the myriad armed groups. It also could spark tensions among the rebels.

"You can't ... try to drag the Syrian people toward a fourth front," said al-Youssef of the al-Zinki group, suggesting that giving up on the Fatah-al-Sham Front would further complicate the war and spell more radicalization.

Al-Zinki is one of the few groups that won't take part.

Another powerful group, Ahrar al-Sham, said it also won't participate in the talks because, among other things, excluding Fatah al-Sham is an attempt to divide the rebels.

If there are "good results," the group said it will support the talks. But it added: "It is a lie to say that now is the time for political action only. Now the battle is on, and the fields of jihad are calling for the lions of Islam."

But in a reflection of a highly volatile terrain, reports emerged Thursday of clashes between the two groups, which had been in talks to merge.

According to the opposition-run Qasioun news agency and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, fighters from Fatah al-Sham assaulted Ahrar al-Sham-controlled checkpoints and positions in Idlib's western countryside and arrested fighters from the Islamist group. The Fatah al-Sham Front, which has been advertising its suicide attacks in parts of Syria despite the cease-fire, also seized a crossing on the Syria-Turkey border, according to the monitoring group.

Ahrar al-Sham supporters have criticized the group's decision to boycott the talks, allegedly under pressure from the more powerful Fatah al-Sham.

The divisions came despite efforts by the opposition to coalesce.

"The rebels are unlikely to find unity in defeat where they have not found it in victory," Landis said.

Part of the conversation now is how and when Assad leaves, but there seems to be tacit acceptance  or resignation  that the 51-year-old leader will stay for the time being.

An Arab diplomat said Turkey has pressed the opposition to attend the Astana meeting because it has a long-term interest in keeping a stake in Syria. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly.

Russia may be taking advantage of a weakened Erdogan and the transition in the U.S. to push the Syrian political process forward and target terrorist groups in Syria.

Assad said the talks will focus on the cease-fire and humanitarian assistance, and are unlikely to delve into political issues.

In remarks to Japanese broadcaster TBS TV, he said the conference offers armed groups a chance to join reconciliation initiatives through which the government has negotiated local surrenders, allowing fighters to either lay down arms or relocate.

"We have no expectations from the Astana talks, but we have hopes that it becomes a forum for talks between all Syrian parties," Assad said.

___

Hashem Osseiran in Beirut contributed.
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
Leo Sharp comes through with round two of our 2016 Photographers Stories, featuring tales of irate pissheads, the inner workings of the Ganjwax crew, Cornish ditch spots and even a recipe for those in need of a perfectly baked skate trip formula

Corey Glick  kickflip into bench, Brighton

As already stated in the UK Bones tour article, this spot was never likely to be skateable on a weekday due to every available space on the bench being taken up with Brighton pedestrians. It took Yonnie Cruz and his particular brand of charisma having a chat with the seated humans to create enough room for Corey to skate the bench.

After Corey had nailed the flip in twice and we were about to head to the next spot, a woman sitting outside a nearby bar decided to tell Yonnie that it was rude of him to ask the people to move. Being an amiable chap, Yonnie tried to explain that the pensioners, mums and kids had actually enjoyed the show of watching Corey get his trick. The woman didnt like this and proceeded to get on her high horse and try to lecture Yonnie on politeness. Further retorts from the rest of us caused the woman to stand up (somewhat unsteadily) and motion to throw her wine glass at us. If it hadnt been for one of her less zealous colleagues stopping her, things may have ended badly.
One Belt One Road conference concludes with 8-point declaration

The first edition of One Belt One Road Nepal Conference 2017 concluded with 8-point declaration here in Kathmandu on Thursday.
So what did-in the dinosaurs? An update.

Posted on 19 January 2017 by howardlee

Of all the great mass extinctions, the end-Cretaceous is the only one credibly linked to an asteroid impact. Its also the one that most people have heard about  the one that got the dinosaurs.

Most people accept that the asteroid impact at Chicxulub in Mexico caused the mass extinction, but in my article in early 2015, I showed that a number of scientists have cast doubt on the globally lethal impact of the Chicxulub impact, and that new rock dates had put the Deccan eruptions at just the right time to cause the extinction. This made the end-Cretaceous similar to all the other major extinctions ever since the evolution of animals (except the end-Ordovician extinction), which have been linked to the effects (including CO 2 -driven climate change) of massive volcanic eruptions from a rare geological phenomenon called a Large Igneous Province or LIP.

Since then, several papers have strengthened the case for the Chicxulub impacts role in the extinction, and several others support the role of the Deccan eruptions, so the debate over what was the principal cause of the extinction, and how the killing was done, continues. Last year an international project drilled directly into the Chicxulub impact crater, and the first results are just beginning to emerge from that. There will be more to report in the months to come, but what follows is an update of some of the advances over the last two years in our understanding the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.

Synchronicity

Despite a 100-fold improvement in rock dating precision in the last 5 years, high-precision rock dating has not yet been able to separate either the Deccan eruptions or the Chicxulub impact from the extinction. In my 2015 article I outlined evidence, exposed in a Mexican hillside, that the extinction post-dated the Chicxulub impact by an estimated 100,000 years (without the benefit of high precision dates). New rock dates show that the Deccan eruptions persisted through and after the impact, straddling the extinction, and they all happened within a few tens of thousands of years of each other. This led to the idea proposed in 2015 by Richards et al (including Walter Alvarez, an author of the original impact hypothesis paper in 1980) that the impact actually triggered a much more vigorous phase of eruption in the Deccan Large Igneous Province.

I asked Joanna Morgan of Imperial College London, one of the scientists leading the Chicxulub Drilling project, about this in a Press Conference at the AGU Fall meeting in December. She didnt give the theory much credence:

So, whether the Chicxulub had anything to do with anything happening in the Deccan, theres no really good reason to believe thats the case. Seismic activity does induce volcanic eruptions so we do know that where there has been a big earthquake you get volcanic eruptions released, but to think the other side of the planet you could have some giant eruption because of the Chicxulub impact is just not particularly likely. People who try to model that treat the Earth as very homogeneous and then you can amplify your signal, where actually the Earth is very heterogeneous so [the signal] decays a lot more quickly than they predict. So, it might have caused some minor eruption but it would not have been of any significance relative to the Chicxulub impact itself.

How it all lines up so far: Rock dating of Chicxulub impact (left), recently published information on terrestrial and marine extinctions (middle), and recent dates for Deccan lavas. Vertical smear of dates depicts 1 sigma uncertainties including from systematic sources from published dates. **the timing of the climate warming in Antarctic waters and extinction events is probably much less certain since it relies in part on uncertain end-Cretaceous magnetostratigraphy. Ar/Ar = Argon/Argon radiometric dates, U-Pb = Uranium-Lead radiometric dates. Boltysh impact shown at 2-5,000 years before Chicxulub based on Jolley et al (2010). Wyoming and Haiti dates for impact traces from Renne et al (2013). Denver data from Clyde et al (2016). Montana data from Sprain et al (2015) Antarctic data from Petersen et al (2016), Deccan data from Renne et al (2015) and Schoene et al (2015).

Dating the extinction

Most scientists treat the layer of clay found in many parts of the world at the end-Cretaceous as the actual horizon of extinction because it contains impact traces (spherules, shocked quartz and high iridium levels), and it occurs in the gap between Cretaceous fossils and later Paleocene fossils, but this assumed equivalence has been criticized as circular reasoning by Professor Gerta Keller of Princeton.

Preliminary results from the Chicxulub drilling project presented at the AGU, however, do seem to support that synchronicity. The sediments immediately overlying the crater rim contain Cretaceous foraminifera fossils that were exhumed and redeposited, as well as foraminifera fossils from disaster species that specialize in severe environmental stress. These occur in the settling layer that formed in the (estimated) days to centuries following the impact. That same layer has a spike in nickel concentrations at its base. Nickel is used as a proxy for iridium, which is considered a diagnostic indicator of an asteroid impact. The more expensive iridium analyses will be done later on the layers with nickel anomalies.

The newest uranium-lead dates measured in rocks near Denver by Clyde et al, published last fall, also show that the fern spike (the layer which indicates most vegetation was replaced by ferns during the extinction) peaked about 85 years after the impact, and lasted roughly 850 years. Thats astonishingly precise for 66 million years ago, and so close in time to the impact as to be inescapably linked. A similar fern spike has also been found in end-Cretaceous rocks across much of North America, Japan and New Zealand, but not Alaska, Russia, China, or Antarctica.

Moreover, the last dinosaur fossil formed about 57,000 years before the impact, and the first Paleocene mammal fossils appear just 128,000 years after the impact horizon, as measured by Clyde et al.

Because not every dinosaur (or any other creature) will be fossilized after it dies, let alone be dug up by a paleontologist, scientists expect the last fossil of a species to predate its extinction, and the first fossil of a species to postdate the origination of that species (the Signor-Lipps effect). The fact that the last fossil of a large, rarely-fossilized land animal is found within 57,000 years of the impact is actually extremely close, and consistent with dinosaurs being extinguished by the impact.

So, on land 1,500 miles (2,400km) from the epicenter of the impact, the coincidence between impact and extinction seems clear.

But thats not the whole story.

How could Chicxulub have killed on a global scale?

In their just-published survey of the causes of mass extinctions over geological time, Bond and Grasby state:

175 impact structures had been identified on Earth. Of these, only the Chicxulub crater is associated with a mass extinction, giving an impact/extinction ratio of 175:1, far greater than that of LIPs/extinctions. This renders the question: can impacts cause extinction?

Of the impact kill mechanisms proposed, most accounts still refer to a heat flash and a global firestorm, but theres very little evidence to support this. As Bond and Grasby point out, many end-Cretaceous sediment exposures lack charcoal despite containing non-charred organic matter. In my 2015 article, I mentioned experiments that showed the heat flash was unlikely to have been able to ignite global wildfires. These doubts have been around for a while - Joanna Morgan published a paper in 2013 pointing out the lack of evidence for global wildfires at the end-Cretaceous.

Goldilocks cooling

A more plausible kill mechanism by the Chicxulub impact is climate cooling (Impact Winter) caused by dust, sulfur aerosols, or even soot blasted into the stratosphere.

A paper by Kaiho et al published last summer points out that this cooling has to be a goldilocks kind of cooling  cold enough to kill off dinosaurs but not so cold as to kill off crocodiles! Thats a problem for severe cooling scenarios such as that proposed in the recent paper by Brugger et al, who model stratospheric sulfur aerosols generated by the impact causing 26C of global cooling, with subfreezing temperatures prevailing for 3-16 years before the climate recovers after 30 years.

Kaiho et al point out that this is too cold, and would have killed off not just the dinosaurs but also crocodiles and other animals that require warmer climates to survive. Instead, Kaiho et al invoke soot from burning crude oil.

The oil in the Cantarell field, one of largest in Mexico, is actually trapped within the rubble of the Chicxulub impact, but is derived from an older source that would have been present at the time of the impact. Large oil fields near Chicxulub suggest the impact could very well have incinerated large amounts of crude oil.

Location of oil and gas fields in relation to the Chicxulub crater, with location of 2016 drill site. Oil and gas field locations from comptroller.texas.gov

To support their case, Kaiho et al analyzed the chemistry of carbon molecules in the impact deposits from both Haiti and Spain. They found a distinctive combustion chemical called coronene, and glass spherules from the impact fallout, showing that the impact resulted in extensive combustion. Their analysis of alkanes in the impact layer shows those molecules were derived from both crude oil and dead organisms, but the alkanes in the layer deposited immediately after were sourced just from crude oil. They also found a 4-fold jump in cadalene, a chemical marker of dead higher plants, just below and in the iridium layer, indicating devastation of land plants. The presence of carbon cenospheres in end-Cretaceous rocks from Canada, Spain, Denmark, and New Zealand is further evidence for burning oil - carbon cenospheres are microscopic carbon-rich beads that form when coal or heavy fuel oil are heated intensely.

Kaiho et als modeling suggests about 1.5 billion metric tonnes of soot was blasted into the stratosphere by the impact, enough to cool surface waters by 3-10C within 2-5 years after impact, before temperatures recovered over a decade or so. They hypothesize that cooler temperatures killed off land life at high latitudes, while an ensuing drought drove tropical land life to extinction. The authors also think soot-contaminated ocean water may have blocked sunlight, choking off photosynthesis at the base of the food web. Surface water cooling and reduced photosynthesis would have driven shallow-living species extinct, but not so many deeper-living creatures. They also find that the soot would not have caused global darkness so often portrayed as a consequence of the impact.

So, perhaps, the freak coincidence of an impact into an oil field created the unique lethality of Chicxulub compared to other documented impacts. There also appears to be something unique about the kinds of species that went extinct. Jonathan Payne presented data in the AGU meeting last December that suggested the pattern of extinction for the end-Cretaceous was different from the other major mass extinctions, except for the end-Ordovician. Interestingly, climate cooling has been suggested as the driver for both.

But that doesnt mesh with clear signs of global warming around the same time, and traces of volcanic pollution found in sediments marking the extinction, which are similar in several other mass extinctions blamed on LIPs.

Deccan eruptions and climate change

Petersen et al measured a rapid 8C jump in seawater temperatures using sediments from Seymour Island in Antarctica, at the same time as massive CO 2 emissions from the Indian Deccan Traps eruptions (rapid here means anything less than about 30,000 years, possibly centuries, such are the limits of time resolution). They also found a second, smaller spike in warming about 150,000 years later, at around the same time as the Chicxulub impact. Each climate warming spike correlates with an episode of extinction identified in an earlier study led by Professor Tobin of the University of Alabama (represented by an X in the figure above).

CO 2 levels just before the end-Cretaceous extinction were around 570ppm. Limited data suggest there may have been a very large increase in CO 2 levels right at the extinction, raising CO 2 levels to at least 2,300 ppm, sufficient to warm the planet abruptly by 7.5C, matching Petersen et als results. By the early Paleocene, the climate had cooled and CO 2 levels were down at around 310ppm. Recent modelling shows that CO 2 from the Deccan could have caused the warming measured in the sediment temperature proxy records, but that rock weathering rates must have been enhanced to achieve the Paleocene cooling observed.

According to Petersen et al:

the rate of warming, as opposed to the maximum temperatures reached, led to extinction. The rate of warming during the Deccan temperature spike appears to be more rapid than at any other temperature change seen in the record

Two episodes of warming at the end-Cretaceous have also been reported in Tunisian rocks, in a 2016 study by Thibault et al, who also found a weak extinction associated with the Deccan eruptions. But the paper by Witts et al, who studied the same location as Petersen et al, found no signs of environmental stress before a single rapid extinction event, with fossils disappearing a few tens of thousands of years before the impact (this predating is explained by the Signor-Lipps effect again). Witts et al also found a broad global warming signal that ended before or at the impact.

But the fundamental problem with trying to match those marine studies with the impact and the eruptions is the lack of precision in the dates of the marine studies. Marine sediments are typically dated and correlated using a combination of age-specific fossil assemblages, fossilized magnetic field reversals (magnetostratigraphy), orbital cycles, and isotope curves. These just cant match the precision now being delivered by high-precision rock dating, which leaves quite a bit of wiggle room when attempting to tie down the exact point in a marine sediment record when the impact, or the eruptions, occurred.

Its not helped by the fact that the timing of the magnetic field reversal that brackets the end-Cretaceous, C29R, has varied by as much as 707,000 years in recent publications, roughly the duration of the Deccan eruptions. The problem is made worse by burrowing marine creatures, which mix up sediment layers smearing any signal, as recently documented for the end-Cretaceous iridium signal in New Jersey sediments, and by percolating fluids, as documented offshore Newfoundland.

Variable measuring stick: variations in the published dates of magnetostratigraphic Chron 29 R complicate linking marine records of extinction, climate signals, the Chicxulub impact, and the Deccan eruptions.

Volcanic pollution traces at the end-Cretaceous boundary

In light of that uncertainty, it would be useful if a direct trace of the eruptions could be found in those marine sediments. New data suggest it can.

Sial et al published data last summer showing the presence of unusual levels of mercury in end-Cretaceous sediments from Denmark, Italy, India and Argentina. They found 3 spikes of mercury: before, at, and above the end-Cretaceous boundary layer. They also studied the ratios of different isotopes of mercury and found that the mercury came from volcanic eruptions, not asteroids, and that it had traveled a long way in the atmosphere (ie from large, distant eruptions). High mercury levels have also been found in end-Cretaceous sediments in France, starting below and continuing above the end-Cretaceous boundary layer. The combination of high mercury levels with iron oxide dissolution, suggesting acidification, and the presence of a mineral called akaganeite, a rare iron chloride mineral formed at some volcanic vents, all in the same layer, suggests a volcanic signal in the extinction layer.

High levels of mercury are considered to be a fingerprint of Large Igneous Province eruptions and have also been measured for the end-Triassic and Permian, suggesting that toxic metal loading could be a kill-mechanism in addition to climate effects and ocean acidification.

The mercury levels in the extinction layer sediments around the planet are a clear signal of the Deccan eruptions at the time of the extinction, apparently preceding and outlasting the impact.

High iridium levels are normally accepted as diagnostic for asteroid impacts due to iridiums low abundance in Earths crust, but very high iridium levels have been measured in vents of hot-spot volcanoes in the Indian Ocean and Hawaii. Hot-spot volcanoes have the same mantle-plume origins as LIPs like the Deccan, so this raises the possibility that the iridium, like the mercury, might also come from a LIP source.

So where are we now?

Its complicated.

In an email conversation last year, Sierra Petersen said:

Our findings support the press-pulse extinction mechanism. The volcanism caused significant climate change, and the environmental stress from this climate change likely led to enhanced overall extinction.

Or, as Sial et al state:

We hope this study contributes to the growing agreement that a single large asteroid/comet impact could not have been the sole cause of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, but rather a contributing factor along with volcanism.

Hopefully new dates from the Chicxulub drilling project, and the Deccan lavas, along with tighter constraints on the date of the mass extinction on land and in oceans, and tighter dating of the climate upheavals, will bring much-needed resolution to this most ancient of murder mysteries.

Its not just a matter of curiosity. That knowledge will help our understanding of the long-reaching effects of modern climate change. Bond and Grasby sum it up this way:

The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction is, of course, the most recent of Earth's great mass extinctions. However, Earth now faces challenges from anthropogenically-induced environmental changes that have been implicated in most, if not all, of the biocrises [in past mass extinctions].

Citations:

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Richards, M. A., Alvarez, W., Self, S., Karlstrom, L., Renne, P. R., Manga, M., ... & Gibson, S. A. (2015). Triggering of the largest Deccan eruptions by the Chicxulub impact. GSA Bulletin, 127(11-12), 1507-1520.

Renne, P. R., Sprain, C. J., Richards, M. A., Self, S., Vanderkluysen, L., & Pande, K. (2015). State shift in Deccan volcanism at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, possibly induced by impact. Science, 350(6256), 76-78.

Gulick, S, Morgan, J, Bralower, T & Claeys, P. [American Geophysical Union (AGU)]. 2016, December 12. FM16 Press Conference: Update on results from the IODP-ICDP Chicxulub Impact Crater. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt8htQYJIlY

Jolley, D., Gilmour, I., Gurov, E., Kelley, S., & Watson, J. (2010). Two large meteorite impacts at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Geology, 38(9), 835-838.

Renne, P. R., Deino, A. L., Hilgen, F. J., Kuiper, K. F., Mark, D. F., Mitchell, W. S., ... & Smit, J. (2013). Time scales of critical events around the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Science, 339(6120), 684-687.

Clyde, W. C., Ramezani, J., Johnson, K. R., Bowring, S. A., & Jones, M. M. (2016). Direct high-precision UPb geochronology of the end-Cretaceous extinction and calibration of Paleocene astronomical timescales. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 452, 272-280.

Sprain, C. J., Renne, P. R., Wilson, G. P., & Clemens, W. A. (2015). High-resolution chronostratigraphy of the terrestrial Cretaceous-Paleogene transition and recovery interval in the Hell Creek region, Montana. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 127(3-4), 393-409.

Petersen, S., Dutton, A., & Lohmann, K. C. (2015). End-Cretaceous extinction in Antarctica linked to both Deccan Traps volcanism and bolide impact.

Schoene, B., Samperton, K. M., Eddy, M. P., Keller, G., Adatte, T., Bowring, S. A., ... & Gertsch, B. (2015). U-Pb geochronology of the Deccan Traps and relation to the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Science, 347(6218), 182-184.

Keller, G (2011). Defining the CretaceousTertiary boundary: a practical guide and return to first principles. SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology), Tulsa, 23-42.

Signor, P. W., & Lipps, J. H. (1982). Sampling bias, gradual extinction patterns and catastrophes in the fossil record. Geological Society of America Special Papers, 190, 291-296.

Bond, D. P., & Grasby, S. E. (2016). On the causes of mass extinctions. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

Belcher, C. M., Hadden, R. M., Rein, G., Morgan, J. V., Artemieva, N., & Goldin, T. (2015). An experimental assessment of the ignition of forest fuels by the thermal pulse generated by the CretaceousPalaeogene impact at Chicxulub. Journal of the Geological Society, 172(2), 175-185.

Morgan, J., Artemieva, N., & Goldin, T. (2013). Revisiting wildfires at the K?Pg boundary. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 118(4), 1508-1520.

Kaiho, K., Oshima, N., Adachi, K., Adachi, Y., Mizukami, T., Fujibayashi, M., & Saito, R. (2016). Global climate change driven by soot at the K-Pg boundary as the cause of the mass extinction. Scientific Reports, 6.

Brugger, J., Feulner, G., & Petri, S. (2016). Baby, it's cold outside: Climate model simulations of the effects of the asteroid impact at the end of the Cretaceous. Geophysical Research Letters.

Earth Impact Database, 2017. <http://www.unb.ca/passc/ImpactDatabase/> (Accessed: 2017, Jan 10)

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Steinthorsdottir, M., Vajda, V., & Pole, M. (2016). Global trends of pCO 2 across the CretaceousPaleogene boundary supported by the first Southern Hemisphere stomatal proxy-based pCO 2 reconstruction. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

Beerling, D. J., Lomax, B. H., Royer, D. L., Upchurch, G. R., & Kump, L. R. (2002). An atmospheric pCO2 reconstruction across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary from leaf megafossils. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99(12), 7836-7840.

Tobin, T. S., Bitz, C. M., & Archer, D. (2016). Modeling climatic effects of carbon dioxide emissions from Deccan Traps Volcanic Eruptions around the CretaceousPaleogene boundary. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

Thibault, N., Galbrun, B., Gardin, S., Minoletti, F., & Le Callonnec, L. (2016). The end-Cretaceous in the southwestern Tethys (Elles, Tunisia): orbital calibration of paleoenvironmental events before the mass extinction. International Journal of Earth Sciences, 105(3), 771-795.

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Sial, A. N., Chen, J., Lacerda, L. D., Frei, R., Tewari, V. C., Pandit, M. K., ... & Korte, C. (2016). Mercury enrichments and Hg isotopes in CretaceousPaleogene boundary successions: Links to volcanism and palaeoenvironmental impacts. Cretaceous Research.

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So what did-in the dinosaurs? A murder mystery

Posted on 12 March 2015 by howardlee

Scientists have assembled a slew of new forensic evidence  from high-resolution dates to microscopic fossils  to prosecute the dino-killer. Their indictment has worrying implications for us.

Everyone knows that the dinosaurs were wiped out - along with about 70% of all species - by a massive asteroid slamming into Mexico, right? Well, not so fast. Like a good murder-mystery, a steady drip of evidence and some major new revelations have implicated another suspect  were they in it together or is one innocent?

Suspect A  the impact

Our first suspect is the asteroid impact at a place called Chicxulub, in Mexico.

This one is not a serial killer. In all the episodes of mass extinction through deep time, it has only credibly been implicated in the end-Cretaceous catastrophe. Its weapons of death include a violent blast that destroys everything for thousands of miles around the impact, a heat flash from the blast that incinerates everything in a similar radius, followed by a near-global rain of red-hot ejecta that turns the sky into a broiler (grill if you are outside the US) inflicting fatal burns and igniting a global conflagration. The blast, centered in shallow ocean, generates a colossal tsunami across the juvenile Atlantic and the shock wave triggers earthquakes and tsunamis around the world far more violent than the 2011 magnitude 9 T?huku earthquake in Japan. Finally, the great quantity of dust and incinerated debris flung into the upper atmosphere blocks out the sun, turning the world dark and the climate frigid for years.

That should do it.

Except lately the idea that the impacts heat flash could ignite everything has been challenged by experiments, which show: any fires ignited by impact-induced thermal radiation cannot be directly responsible for plant extinctions, implying that heat stress is only part of the end-Cretaceous story. Plant fossils around the world also show no sign that fire was above normal levels at the time. So thats one weapon that probably didnt cause global extinction. Neither the blast, nor the extreme earthquakes would have been enough to cause a global extinction by themselves. What about the tsunami? Tsunami deposits have been identified around the Gulf of Mexico and into the Atlantic, but further afield the deposits are elusive. Even those in Mexico and in Texas can be interpreted, with convincing detail, as just normal sediments rather than tsunami deposits. So the tsunami was of doubtful reach, its rock evidence questionable, and it cant have caused global extinction alone.

How about blanketing the planet in hot fallout? While it is true that tell-tale traces of apparent impact fallout (high concentrations of iridium, shocked quartz crystals, and tiny glass droplets called spherules or tektites) have been found in many parts of the world, the physical layer of impact deposits dwindles from a thickness of 2 meters (6 feet) around the Gulf of Mexico, to 3 to 5cm (1 to 2 inches) in Europe, and is apparently absent in China, Alaska, Japan and New Zealand. An iridium-rich layer has been detected across North America, Europe and North Africa, and as far afield as the India-Bangladesh border, but has not been reported from China, Alaska and Japan. So the fallout by itself does not seem convincing as a worldwide killer, and there has even been a suggestion that some of those fallout traces may be from volcanic eruptions rather than an impact.

Was the impact capable of causing the ocean acidification that bumped-off so many marine species?

Professor Toby Tyrrell of the University of Southampton, England, and his coauthors tested this. At the American Geophysical Union conference in December they revealed their dramatic answer: no.

The impact cannot feasibly have generated the ocean acidification that killed off calcifying marine species in the mass extinction.

They looked at a number of possible ways the impact might have acidified the ocean. Did the impacts pressure wave turn nitrogen to nitric acid? If it did, it didnt generate enough to acidify the ocean. Vaporization of carbon from limestones at the impact site? Not enough. Liberation of carbon from terrestrial decay, soil respiration, wild fires, hydrocarbons? Nope. Tsunami stirring the oceans? No. All of the above together. Still no. Sulfur vaporized from the sulfur-rich rocks at Chicxulub and sucked into the atmosphere? It would take 800 billion tonnes of sulfate to achieve the acidification observed, but to get that number you have to max-out every assumption in the calculation to a ridiculous extent. So no, not even close. The impact cannot feasibly have generated the ocean acidification that killed off calcifying marine species in the mass extinction.

That just leaves the impact winter as our suspects last remaining, potentially globally-fatal weapon. But plant fossils around the world show that any impact winter severe enough to prevent plant growth cant have lasted more than a couple of years. Maybe a couple of years was enough? Sediments in Texas and New Jersey do show a strong cooling spike thought to represent the transfer of cold impact winter atmospheric temperatures into the ocean, within months to decades after the impact. But it takes many decades for the ocean to cool or warm significantly, due to its great volume and thermal inertia. Such a brief climate blip is unlikely to have cooled oceans globally fast enough to produce the rapid, sharp cooling spike observed in the sediments. In any case, large eruptions are known to cause temporary climate cooling too. In the absence of any other corroborating evidence, the impact winter seems busted as an effective cause of global extinction by itself.

So, despite its murderous image, the Chicxulub impact seems to lack WMEs (Weapons of Mass Extinction). What about our other suspect?

Suspect B  climate change caused by massive volcanic eruptions

This one has a rap sheet as long as your arm. Unlike asteroid impacts, this suspect is a known serial killer, linked to four of the big five mass extinctions, as well as many other global extinctions and global warming events. Still, we should presume innocence until guilt is proven.

The Deccan eruptions in India were in a rare and exotic league of hyperactive eruptions known as a Large Igneous Provinces not seen on the planet in the last 16 million years. They inundated an area of India 3 times the size of Texas (or France) in superhot rivers and lakes of lava, including the longest lava flow ever measured (over 1500 km/930 miles) that only stopped when it reached well out into the ocean. Around 3 kilometers (2 miles) thickness of lava built up episodically in around 750,000 years, but at the time of the mass extinction there were four especially massive mega-eruptions packed into just a few millennia.

But its not the lava that kills on a global scale, its the gasses.

Artists impression of a Large Igneous Province mega-eruption such as the Deccan eruptions. Horizontal scale is approximately 1,500 km (930 miles). Vertical scale is exaggerated - the top of the box is the stratosphere (about 15 km above the ground). The modern worlds largest volcano  Hawaiis Big Island - is shown for approximate scale.

At the cataclysmic onset of each mega-eruption, towering columns of ash and gasses (including steam, CO 2 , sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), chlorine and fluorine) rose to stratospheric levels, where they spread around the planet. The SO 2 became sulfate aerosols, just as it does in large eruptions today, which acted as sunscreen to cool the planet for a few years (much like the impact winter), while the chlorine and fluorine may have decimated the ozone layer causing a dramatic increase in harmful UV radiation reaching the ground.

If any of this sounds familiar, its because were projected to do something very similar to ourselves if we continue CO 2 emissions at the same rate as today

The Deccan gas emissions were so massive and rapid they outstripped the ability of the ocean and other feedbacks to absorb them  causing CO 2 to build sharply in the atmosphere over a few millennia. As the short-term volcanic winter diminished, it unmasked the really lethal weapons of abrupt global warming and ocean acidification. The planet warmed by 8C (14F) on land and 4C (7F) in the oceans, while the excess CO 2 dissolved in ocean water, turning it increasingly acidic. The sulfur gradually rained down as sulfuric acid, which pickled land and sea alike until oceans were acid enough to dissolve shelly sea life alive.

If any of this sounds familiar, its because were projected to do something very similar to ourselves if we continue CO 2 emissions at the same rate as today (our CO 2 emission rate is comparable to that from the Deccan eruptions).

So yes, the eruptions had effective WMEs (Weapons of Mass Extinction), and Large Igneous Provinces have a record of doing all of this before, such as in the end-Triassic and end-Permian mass extinctions.

Placing the suspects at the scene of the crime.

Since we are talking global mass extinction this isnt so much a problem of where, as when. At the scale of many millions of years that geologists are used to working with, the dates calculated from radioactive element decay (radiometric dates) for the mass extinction, the eruptions, and the impact are near identical. But not quite near enough to rule our defendants either in or out.

To tease out which of our suspects caused the mass extinction, we need to refine the dates to within a few tens of millennia. Zooming up to that level of detail puts us in the blur of radiometric dating uncertainty, so scientists have to resort to forensic sleuthing using fossils, traces of orbital wobbles, and magnetic field reversals to narrow the timeframes. The inevitable discrepancies between different studies, locations, and between marine and non-marine rocks, make establishing definitive timelines like trying to find a level line across small boats bobbing up and down on high seas.

So it helps to have one fixed point to refer to. The official end of the Cretaceous is defined in northern Tunisia at the level of the mass extinction recorded by marine rocks. A kind of tiny shelly sea life called foraminifera (forams for short) frequently evolved new species with different shell shapes, so they can be used to establish level time zones. The Tunisian rocks show a changeover from the CF1 to the P0 fossil time zones at the end-Cretaceous as a marker of the mass extinction, which can be traced in marine rocks around the world, along with a distinct layer of clay with a red layer at its base and a spike in iridium levels, and a kick in carbon isotopes that shows a big upset in the global carbon cycle at that time.

But the best date of the end-Cretaceous so far is defined in non-marine rocks from Montana, sandwiched between the last appearance of Cretaceous pollen and the first post-Cretaceous pollen fossils, dated to 66.043 million years ago, with an uncertainty of 43,000 years in either direction. That date is within 5,000 years (effectively identical) to a date for tektites  traces of the impact  found in Haiti. That would seem to put the impact conclusively at the time of the mass extinction, but the marine fossils associated with those Haitian tektites are from a time zone at least 100,000 years younger, showing that those tektites must have been recycled by later sedimentary processes, and cannot give the true date of the impact.

The plot thickens.

Chicxulub wrongly convicted?

You might expect that the impact fallout would generate a clear global signal, a time level against which all other events can be compared, but sadly that is not the case. It turns out that the spherules, shocked quartz, and the iridium spike can all be moved by sedimentary processes and groundwater. Just as we saw in Haiti, a number of locations from New Jersey to the Caribbean, where the signs of impact were considered proof that the impact coincided with the mass extinction, have large gaps lasting several hundred thousand years up to 3 million years, spanning the crucial time period at the end Cretaceous! They cant be used to narrow down the date of the impact either.

And what if there was a doppelganger  another impact that occurred around the same time generating some of the same signals, potentially throwing us of the scent? It turns out there was.

A smaller asteroid blasted a crater at Boltysh in the Ukraine, dated at 65.59 million years ago, with an uncertainty of more than half a million years in either direction, amply overlapping the events were investigating. It appears to have inflicted negligible ecological trauma beyond its local neighborhood, and fossils inside the crater show the Boltysh impact happened a few thousand years before the end of the Cretaceous. The Earth Impact Database shows that there are an additional 3 known (small) impacts that might possibly have occurred in this timeframe, but which are very imprecisely dated. In other words Chicxulub may have been the largest by far, but it wasnt the only impact broadly at that time capable of generating similar tell-tale impact traces.

Sediments drilled from within the Chicxulub crater itself tell a remarkably similar story to that at Boltysh. Once thought to be the settlings from the immediate aftermath of the impact and tsunami, they have since been shown to include a regular marine limestone containing the distinct late-Cretaceous CF1 fossils - so the crater must have been formed before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction! Corroborating that, rocks from Texas and Mexico show that the impact fallout (in the form of the oldest layer of impact spherules) predates the mass extinction by more than 100,000 years!

So  amazingly - it looks like the Chicxulub impact has an alibi. It wasnt at the scene of the crime during the mass killing, but what about our other suspect?

The impacts alibi  it was about 100,000 years before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Left: oldest spherule layer at El Penon in Mexico (formed in the early part of the CF1 fossil time zone). Center: close-up of the spherule layer. Right: microscopic view of spherules bent round each other showing they were still hot and soft when they settled. Photo credit: Gerta Keller, Princeton University.

Incriminating volcanic-induced climate change.

At the end of last year some new radiometric dates were published for the Deccan eruptions that were 10 to 100 times more precise than previously-published dates, placing the start of the main phase of Deccan eruptions within 250,000 years of the mass extinction and showing that the eruptions continued through the extinction event. For a finer-grained link to the mass extinction we need those marine fossils  but the Deccan lavas were erupted on land. Fortunately at the fringes of the lava flows near the Bay of Bengal, sediments between and below the longest mega-flows are characteristic of the latest Cretaceous, and sediments immediately above the lavas have the distinct fossils of the very first post-Cretaceous time zones, showing that the marine mass extinction occurred during the mega-eruptions.

The isotopic makeup of marine fossils varies with temperature and changes in the ocean carbon cycle, giving scientists a picture of the fluctuating climate leading up to the extinction. There were 4 distinct global warming phases punctuated by cooler episodes. Sea levels rose and fell, while some land areas suffered severe drought. This global weirding tortured life through wild climate instability, culling biodiversity in mega-eruption steps, culminating in the most abrupt climate change and ocean acidification during the 4th mega-eruption. By its end most Cretaceous life was rubbed-out.

Most shelly creatures make their shells from calcium carbonate  chemistry that only works in alkali water with sufficient carbonate (a throwback to the Cambrian Explosion when seawater first turned alkali and animals had to evolve ways to deal with this new ocean chemistry). Ocean acidification was deadly for these creatures, to the extent that more than 90% of calcareous nanoplankton were wiped out, along with many more well-known, photogenic species like belemnites and ammonites.

On land, forests died across most of the world, moldered, and gave way to open land covered in ferns, although eastern Russian and Antarctic vegetation doesnt seem to have been so severely affected. Fluctuating climate and drought prevented the return of forests for many thousands of years.

Gotcha!

new dates... do not support an impact as the cause of the environmental changes

An incredibly detailed set of dates has just been published for end-Cretaceous sediments, which contain dinosaur fossils, in Montana. What they reveal is a sequence that is not obviously consistent with an instantaneous forcing mechanism. In other words, they do not support an impact as the cause of the environmental changes recorded by the sediments! In fact the new dates fit very well with the rest of the evidence incriminating the Deccan eruptions.

In North America and Europe the dinosaurs were healthy and diverse right up to within about 200,000 years of the end-Cretaceous, at which point they disappeared. Mammals and amphibians continued but declined markedly through the final 200,000 years of the Cretaceous, coinciding with the Deccan eruptions. A very similar story is told by the fossils of India, where you see fossils of flourishing vegetation and abundant animals, including nesting dinosaurs, right up to the Deccan eruptions. Once the eruptions start, sediments between the lava flows capture life dwindling away like a tragic stop-motion film. Dinosaurs and forests are decimated by the onset of the eruptions about 250,000 years before the end of the Cretaceous. The few that survive dont make it past the next eruption, disappearing from the Indian fossil record well before other reptiles like turtles and snakes. During the final 18,000 years or so of the Cretaceous, terrestrial plant life in North America declines up to the end-Cretaceous boundary, matching the timing of the marine extinction and the Deccan mega-eruptions.

So it seems that the eruptions, not the Chicxulub impact, did-in the dinos, just as they dispatched so much other life on land and in the seas.

Verdict

So we have reached a verdict. All rise.

Deccan eruptions - for the Cretaceous global warming, ocean acidification, and extinction in the marine realm: guilty! For the terrestrial extinction including the dinosaurs: also guilty  but some may still claim reasonable doubt.

Chicxulub impact  for the Cretaceous global warming, ocean acidification, and extinction in the marine realm: not guilty! For the terrestrial extinction and doing-in the dinos: not guilty - It has an alibi, and theres insufficient evidence of its ability to kill on a global scale to prosecute. After 30 years its time to let this one go. It has done its time.

Case closed? Probably not. Theres room for appeals and fresh evidence in the years ahead  perhaps even a Serial podcast. But the many strong strands of scientific evidence that global warming and ocean acidification was behind the demise of so much life, including the dinosaurs, should give us pause.

____________________

Hat tip to the Geological Society of America Special Paper 505, the Geological Society of America October 2014 meeting in Vancouver, the American Geophysical Union December 2014 Conference, to NPRs Serial podcast, and to Professors Toby Tyrrell and Gerta Keller for several clarifications, corrections, and explanations.

Howard Lees latest book is Your Life as Planet Earth, an account of past climate changes, how they affected life, and how Earth and life affected climate.

The theory that the end-Cretaceous mass extinction was due to global warming and ocean acidification goes all the way back to 1978 with the publication of a paper by Dewey McLean in Science. Even back then Dewey saw the parallels to modern climate change. When Alvarez et al published their theory that an impact was the cause, this captured the publics imagination, but debate continued and became rancorous enough to make the newspapers. When the previously identified Chicxulub crater was linked to the extinction in 1994 the impact theory became mainstream, yet it didn't completely match the observations. So a new theory that combined the Deccan eruptions and the Chicxulub impact was developed, which has been generally accepted since 2008 (the Press-Pulse theory of mass extinction, where the eruptions pressed ecosystems to the brink before the impact pulse finished the job). In 2010, responding to papers by Keller, Schulte et al concluded that the impact was indeed the ultimate cause of the extinction, but the debate continued. The environmental data combined with the slew of high-precision dates since 2013 linking LIPs to mass extinctions in general, and the Deccan LIP to the end-Cretaceous specifically, has now shown the dominant role of the eruptions. But its fair to say that the timing and ecological trauma inflicted by the Chicxulub impact will continue to be debated and refined alongside the effects of the eruptions.

Citations:

MacLeod, N. (2014). The geological extinction record: History, data, biases, and testing. Geological Society of America Special Papers, 505, 1-28.

Alvarez, L. W., Alvarez, W., Asaro, F., & Michel, H. V. (1980). Extraterrestrial cause for the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction. Science, 208(4448), 1095-1108.

Jourdan, F., Hodges, K., Sell, B., Schaltegger, U., Wingate, M. T. D., Evins, L. Z., ... & Blenkinsop, T. (2014). High-precision dating of the Kalkarindji large igneous province, Australia, and synchrony with the EarlyMiddle Cambrian (Stage 45) extinction. Geology, 42(6), 543-546.

Schulte, P., Alegret, L., Arenillas, I., Arz, J. A., Barton, P. J., Bown, P. R., ... & Willumsen, P. S. (2010). The Chicxulub Asteroid Impact and Mass Extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary. Science, 327(5970), 1214-1218.

Belcher, C. M., Hadden, R. M., Rein, G., Morgan, J. V., Artemieva, N., & Goldin, T. (2015). An experimental assessment of the ignition of forest fuels by the thermal pulse generated by the CretaceousPalaeogene impact at Chicxulub. Journal of the Geological Society, 2014-082.

Spicer, R. A., & Collinson, M. E. (2014). Plants and floral change at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary: Three decades on. Geological Society of America Special Papers, 505, SPE505-05.

Vellekoop, J., Sluijs, A., Smit, J., Schouten, S., Weijers, J. W., Damste, J. S. S., & Brinkhuis, H. (2014). Rapid short-term cooling following the Chicxulub impact at the CretaceousPaleogene boundary. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(21), 7537-7541.

Mateo, P., Keller, G., Adatte, T., & Spangenberg, J. E. (2015). Mass wasting and hiatuses during the Cretaceous-Tertiary transition in the North Atlantic: Relationship to the Chicxulub impact?. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

Keller, G. (2014). Deccan volcanism, the Chicxulub impact, and the end-Cretaceous mass extinction: Coincidence? Cause and effect?. Geological Society of America Special Papers, 505, 57-89.

Kamo, S. L., Lana, C., & Morgan, J. V. (2011). UPb ages of shocked zircon grains link distal KPg boundary sites in Spain and Italy with the Chicxulub impact. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 310(3), 401-408.

Huang, C., Retallack, G. J., Wang, C., & Huang, Q. (2013). Paleoatmospheric pCO 2 fluctuations across the CretaceousTertiary boundary recorded from paleosol carbonates in NE China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology,385, 95-105.

Sial, A. N., Chen, J., Lacerda, L. D., Peralta, S., Gaucher, C., Frei, R., ... & Belmino, I. K. C. (2014). High-resolution Hg chemostratigraphy: A contribution to the distinction of chemical fingerprints of the Deccan volcanism and CretaceousPaleogene Boundary impact event. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 414, 98-115.

PUNEKAR, J. (2014, October). MULTI-PROXY APPROACH TO DECODE THE END-CRETACEOUS MASS EXTINCTION. In 2014 GSA Annual Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Tyrrell, T, Merico, A, & McKay (2014) Model Calculations of Ocean Acidification at the End Cretaceous presentation PP54B-03 12/19 In AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California PNAS paper in press.

Zeebe, R. E., Dickens, G. R., Ridgwell, A., Sluijs, A., & Thomas, E. (2014). Onset of carbon isotope excursion at the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum took millennia, not 13 years. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,111(12), E1062-E1063.

Bond, D. P., & Wignall, P. B. (2014). Large igneous provinces and mass extinctions: an update. Geological Society of America Special Papers, 505, SPE505-02.

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Schoene, B., Samperton, K. M., Eddy, M. P., Keller, G., Adatte, T., Bowring, S. A., ... & Gertsch, B. (2015). U-Pb geochronology of the Deccan Traps and relation to the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Science, 347(6218), 182-184.

Black, B. A., Lamarque, J. F., Shields, C. A., Elkins-Tanton, L. T., & Kiehl, J. T. (2014). Acid rain and ozone depletion from pulsed Siberian Traps magmatism.Geology, 42(1), 67-70.

Renne, P. R., Deino, A. L., Hilgen, F. J., Kuiper, K. F., Mark, D. F., Mitchell, W. S., ... & Smit, J. (2013). Time scales of critical events around the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Science, 339(6120), 684-687.

Punekar, J., Mateo, P., & Keller, G. (2014). Effects of Deccan volcanism on paleoenvironment and planktic foraminifera: A global survey. Geological Society of America Special Papers, 505, 91-116.

Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Danian Stage as defined by International Commission on Stratigraphy http://www.stratigraphy.org/gssp/danian.html Accessed on 3/10/15

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Keller, G., Khozyem, H., Adatte, T., Malarkodi, N., Spangenberg, J. E., & Stinnesbeck, W. (2013). Chicxulub impact spherules in the North Atlantic and Caribbean: age constraints and CretaceousTertiary boundary hiatus. Geological Magazine, 150(05), 885-907.

Brachaniec, T., Karwowski, ?., & Szopa, K. (2014). Spherules associated with the CretaceousPaleogene boundary in Poland. Acta Geologica Polonica, 64(1), 110-119.

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When most people think about work, fun is rarely the first descriptive moniker. Because of this dramatic separation between enthusiasm and I do it because I have to,one of the big challenges facing brands and small business today is what HR experts call employee engagement. When a company fails to deliver the necessary means to retain top talent or recruit budding millennial up-and-comers, it is likely a symptom of a weak company culture; and this problem typically grows as a company expands.

A bold and vibrant internal culture helps to not only hang on to a brands biggest players and draw in new ones, it also feeds productivity, creativity and camaraderie among employees; this is exactly why corporations like Google, Zappos and Facebook are so highly sought after by workers.

In order to make your customers happy, we need to first focus on generating that same sentiment in the workplace.

Your company might not have the bankroll for some dinosaur fossils or big metal slides, but there are plenty of ways to create a positive office atmosphere and a culture of fun at work.

How to Make Work Fun

Let Personalities Shine

People spend the majority of their lives working; for many, it can feel like a big sacrifice to check their authentic personality at the door in favor of a tie and dress shoes.

At companies like Google, Facebook and other more laid-back companies, employees are encouraged to dress how they want (granted that it is work appropriate) so that they can feel comfortable and more like themselves.

Zappos.com CEO, Tony Hsieh sums this up perfectly: A lot of people act different on the weekends versus the office. Its like they leave a big part of themselves at home. We encourage our employees to be themselves. We want them to be the same person at home and the office.

But comfort is more than just a dress code.

Celebrate each employees unique creativity by allowing them to decorate their desk and construct their own home away from home.

When people are more relaxed and feel that they can truly be themselves, it is much easier for them to build work relationships and genuine connections within an organization.

Dish Out Perks and Treats

Many corporate environments can be highly stressful. And stress is one of the biggest killers of health, positive moods and productivity.

Despite this, various Google employees report lower levels of anxiety.

How can this be?

Google and similar organizations offer their teams a variety of perks like on-site massages, magnanimous vacation plans, complementary fitness programs and other extras that aim to help folks unwind.

Again, your business might not have the means to fund company wide deep-tissue massages or gym memberships for the entire crew, and thats fine. One of the quickest and easiest ways to boost company moral and office engagement comes in the form of food; and Im not talking about comfort foods like French fries and lasagna.

By providing your team with a variety of healthy eating options, you are setting everyone up for success. Blueberries and oranges are great relievers of anxiety, but they arent necessarily fun.

Services like SnackNation jazz up your workplace culture by delivering boxes full of tasty and nutritious foodstuffs that can increase productivity and promote a positive work atmosphere, all while giving folks the boost they need to finish out their projects.

Let Your Employees Self-Manage

When a business does not provide employees with the tools needed to go above and beyond for customers, it creates a poor experience on both ends.

Full autonomy in customer service and other departments boosts employee engagement, creates a stellar experience for consumers, and helps to engender lifelong company advocates.

Zappos has become legendary for their customer service through this approach. By giving their customer service reps free reign to do right by their shoppers, employees are more enthused to find helpful solutions and it makes them feel like they are making an impact; which they truly are, as customers who receive the full treatment will remember their superb interaction.

Promote Playtime

This might sound like a ridiculous thing to do in a work environment, but in order for teams to stay motivated and energized, they need downtime away from their desks.

Contactzilla is another brand who caught on to this concept and installed a game room in their offices which houses a pool table, sofa, beanbag chairs and other spots for employees to kick back and clear their heads.

Something as simple as a 15 minute game of pool can help to form bonds between co-workers and gives people time to chat, smile and approach their work with a new perspective.

Socialize with Team Outings

Team building events like grabbing a couple beers or going to dinner together is a fantastic way for people to have fun and connect with their co-workers outside of the office. Simple get-togethers like these often inspire at-work collaborations that would not have occurred otherwise.

More importantly, studies have shown that, Employees who felt they worked in a loving, caring culture reported higher levels of satisfaction and teamwork, as well as a reduction in the number of sick days an employee takes.

Additionally, 75 percent of employees who have a best friend at work are more engaged than those who dont and 72 percent are more satisfied with their jobs.

Brands like Google, Facebook, Eventbrite, Lytf and many others are all implementing innovative ways to strengthen their company culture and create a more fun and loving environment for their employees.

These tactics can have substantially positive impacts on morale, productivity and job loyalty. Give your guys something to rave about and you might just end up on the next best companies to work for list.
Choosing health coverage for your small business team doesnt need to be complicated. Though selecting benefits isnt normally considered to be a fun or easy process, theres now an option that gives small businesses a better way to find plans that are both affordable and satisfactory for employees.

UnitedHealthcare has created a one-of-a-kind online shopping tool specifically for small businesses. The idea is to give small businesses the same abilities and advantages that large corporations get when choosing employee health coverage. The process is fairly straightforward and customizable for small businesses, so you can be sure to find the best possible plan options for your specific situation. Heres a step-by-step guide for signing your small business team up for health coverage using UnitedHealthcares online shopping tool.

Compare Plans Online

With UnitedHealthcare, you dont need to choose just one healthcare plan for your small business team. You can actually compare plans online and select two or more plans for your employees to choose from based on their own personal preferences. In some states, businesses can even give employees up to 27 different plan options.

UnitedHealthcare offers many different plan options that you can browse on the website. And you can even customize plans to better fit your business. If you need some guidance, the online shopping tool also offers features that you can use to see what similar companies offer their employees.

Get a Free Quote

While youre looking at plans, you can also see basic pricing information to help you stick to your budget. And when you input your basic business information, such as location and number of employees, you can get a general price quote for the plan or plans youre considering. However, you wont be able to see an actual final number until you add more specific employee information.

Add Employee Information

To get that final quote, you can input your employee data manually or even upload it from software programs like Quickbooks or Xero. Youll need to add information like employee age, gender, zip code and any family members that might go on their plans. Or you can just quickly upload that data from programs you already use, or even an Excel spreadsheet.

Set a Budget

Once all of your employee data is added, the online shopping tool will update your pricing information with real costs, instead of just a general quote. And from there, you can set a budget of what your business will actually cover for employees.

You can set a total budget of what you plan to pay each month and then divvy that up among your employees either by a specific dollar amount or an average percentage, depending on your state. So if you set a total monthly budget of $2,880 for your nine employees, you could cover about $320 per average employee each month. You can also make adjustments throughout the process to see how a smaller or larger monthly budget would impact the costs for both your business and your employees. Once youre satisfied, you can confirm your plan choices and move on to the next step.

Create an Account

At this point, if you havent already signed up for an account, youll be asked to do so. This just requires you to set up a login and input some basic information. Doing this ensures that all of your preferences are saved and you can always come back to view your plan options and make any changes going forward.

Sign Up for a Plan

Once youve created an account and are satisfied with your plan choices and pricing, its time to complete the transaction. You can review all of your details to ensure that your choices are satisfactory for your business and employees. And then submit your businesss payment information to complete the purchase of coverage.

Give Your Employees Access

Then your plan options should be all set up for your team! So you can give your employees access to login under their own UnitedHealthcare accounts. From there, they can see all of the plan options that you selected and choose the one that best fits with their needs and budget. And they can complete their own purchase of healthcare coverage right on the online shopping tool as well.

Selecting healthcare coverage for your team may not be one of the most exciting aspects of running a small business. But choosing the right options can go a long way toward creating an environment where your team feels supported and fairly compensated for their contributions to your small business.

Also, an employee who knows their employer cares enough about the team to provide members with health insurance is usually more productive. Employees who receive benefits might work harder and be happier because they feel more secure at their jobs.

The UnitedHealthcare digital marketplace makes this process much less time consuming for small business owners who have so many other things to worry about on a daily basis. And using this option ensures that you can get the best coverage for your team and your budget at the same time.

The new program is so far only available in California, Arizona, Tennessee, Michigan, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois and Florida. The company expects to add other states this year.
Grants

ED Reveals Final Regulation on Open Licensing Requirement for Competitive Grant Programs

The United States Department of Education (ED) has announced final regulations tied to competitive grant programs and open licensing. When educational institutions apply for grants, they are required to share certain findings and resources publicly, with some exceptions, so other educators, students and institutions may benefit.

The final regulations, which can be found on this ED site, include the following:

The open licenses will give the public permission to use and reuse deliverables created in whole or in part with department competitive grant funds provided by the department. The requirement applies both to grant deliverables (e.g. teacher professional development training modules) and any final version of program support materials necessary to the use or reuse of the deliverables. Grantees or subgrantees will provide a dissemination plan and may select the open license appropriate to their grant deliverables. Based on feedback from public comments and input from other federal agencies, the department has added certain categorical exceptions, such as for the Ready to Learn Television grant program. The department will fully implement this rule for all applicable competitive grant programs in fiscal year 2018.

The rules support the EDs commitment in the Third U.S. Open Government National Action Plan to expand access to educational resources through open licensing. The ED is following suit with other federal agencies, including the Departments of Labor, State and the National Science Foundation, which currently administer programs with open licensing requirements.

To date, more than $135 million worth of innovations in higher education has been made available to the public through open licenses, according to the ED. For example, one grantee, College for America at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), created a learning platform and skill-building modules to provide academic assistance for underprepared adults re-entering higher education that any other interested institution will be able to freely use.

To learn more about the final regulations, visit Homeroom, the official blog of the Department of Education. Or peruse the text of the regulation on this site.
Student Privacy

Mississippi Attorney General Files Suit Against Google Over Handling of Student Data

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood has filed suit against Google, Inc., over how the internet behemoth maintains and uses data collected from Mississippi public school students who have Googles G Suite for Education accounts, the attorney generals office said in a news release.

Google is accused in the suit of collecting personal information and search history obtained from its users in order to advance its own business interests and increase its profit, in violation of the Mississippi Consumer Protection Act.

The free, web-based tools were previously known as Google Apps for Education and were marketed by Google as a safe way for students and teachers to seamlessly collaborate across multiple internet-connected devices. Among the tools offered in the suite of products were Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive and Google Docs.

In 2015, Google signed the K12 School Service Provider Pledge to Safeguard Student Privacy, according to the attorney generals release. By signing the pledge, Google promised, among other things, not to collect, maintain, use or share student personal information beyond that needed for authorized educational/school purposes, or as authorized by the parent/student and to disclose clearly in contracts or privacy policies, including in a manner easy for parents to understand, what types of student personal information we collect, if any, and the purposes for which the information we maintain is used or shared with third parties.

The lawsuit alleges that Google fails to live up to its pledge and does not properly disclose the types of information it collects, maintains and uses, as well as whether and how that information is shared with third parties. Due to the multitude of nebulous statements provided by Google, it is impossible to know exactly what student information Google is collecting and how Google is using that information.

While it is believed that more than half of Mississippi schools use Google products, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of the state, and it does not seek compensation on behalf of any school or students, the release said. The attorney general encouraged school administrators to thoroughly research any technology services that may be used by students, and he said it would be up to schools to determine whether they continue using G Suite for Education.

I have a duty to protect the rights and interests of all Mississippians, the attorney general said in a letter to school superintendents. This includes holding Google accountable for any misrepresentations it has made regarding GSFE users private information that it processes, collects, stores and uses for its own financial gain, and seeking a court order requiring Google to cease any unlawful practices.

Mississippis lawsuit was filed Jan. 13 in Lowndes County Chancery Court, the release said.
Postal highway inaugurated amid protests, 6 arrested

Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak and Indian ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae on Thursday jointly inaugurated the postal highway amid strong protests in Dhangadi, the headquarters of Kailali district.
SANTIAGO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Chilean copper miner Antofagasta (Other OTC: ANFGF - news) is in talks for an imminent exit from its interest in the Alto Maipo hydroelectric power project, local media reported on Thursday.

Antofagasta Minerals has a 40 percent stake in the project, located just outside the capital, Santiago, and the object of frequent protests by residents of the Maipo river valley.

London-listed Antofagasta, controlled by Chile (Stuttgart: 704599.SG - news) 's wealthy Luksic family, signed up to Alto Maipo in 2013, seeking to secure power for its Los Pelambres mine. The rest is held by AES Gener, the Chilean arm of U.S. power group AES Corp .

Last October, Antofagasta said it was reconsidering its position on Alto Maipo, after AES said the budget for the $2 billion project could rise between 10 and 20 percent after construction difficulties.

Antofagasta had lost patience with the issues linked to Alto Maipo, at the same time as other projects emerged to supply Los Pelambres, local newspaper La Segunda reported.

It said the company could receive the green light from its bankers to exit as soon as Thursday, leading shares in AES Gener to fall 4.8 percent.

Antofagasta declined to comment. (Reporting by Felipe Iturrieta and Fabian Cambero; Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Peter Cooney)
FILE - In this May 31, 2003 file photo, jailed anti-logging activist Isidro Baldenegro, 39, speaks to a reporter at the Parral prison, south of the U.S. border in Mexico. The Mexican indigenous leader who was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2005 was shot dead less than a year after another winner of the award was slain in Honduras. The Chihuahua state prosecutor's office said the now 51-year-old was killed Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017 at a home in the town of Guadalupe y Calvo. (AP Photo/Pablo Aneli, File)

MEXICO CITY (AP)  A Mexican indigenous leader who was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2005 for his fight against illegal logging has been shot dead, less than a year after another winner of the award was slain in Honduras.

The prosecutor's office for the northern state of Chihuahua said Wednesday in a statement that 51-year-old Isidro Baldenegro was killed Sunday at an uncle's home in the town of Guadalupe y Calvo. Authorities were investigating a possible motive.

Prosecutors said Baldenegro was shot at least six times and suffered wounds in the chest, abdomen and leg. They were searching for a 25-year-old male suspect who was also at the home and fled after the shooting.

The Goldman Environmental Foundation issued a statement saying it was "deeply distressed" by the killing and calling for an investigation. It said Baldenegro was a leader of the indigenous Tarahumara people.

"His relentless work organizing peaceful protests against illegal logging in the Sierra Madre Mountains helped protect the forests, lands and rights of his people," Goldman President Susan R. Gelman was quoted as saying. "He was a fearless leader and a source of inspiration to so many people fighting to protect our environment and indigenous peoples' rights."

Honduran activist Berta Caceres, who won the Goldman prize in 2015 for organizing opposition to a hydroelectric project on her Lenca people's ancestral lands, was slain last March 3 when armed men forced their way into her home in the middle of the night and shot her four times. A visiting Mexican activist was wounded in the attack.

Observers say killings of land activists are common in Latin America. According to the London-based group Global Witness, more than 450 were slain in the region from 2010 through 2014.

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director for Amnesty International, also condemned Baldenegro's killing, calling it "a tragic illustration of the many dangers faced by those who dedicate their lives to defend human rights in Latin America, one of the most dangerous regions in the (world) for activists."

___

Peter Orsi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Peter_Orsi
A man poses with a magnifier in front of a Facebook logo on display in this illustration taken in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, December 16, 2015. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

By Nikolaj Skydsgaard

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Facebook will build a new data centre in the Danish city of Odense, the California-based tech company said at a press conference with local authorities, only the third such facility outside of the United States.

"The Odense data centre will be one of the most advanced, energy-efficient data centres in the world," Facebook's director of data centre operations, Niall McEntegart said on Thursday.

Facebook already has a data centre in Lulea, Sweden and another in Clonee in Ireland.

The new facility will be built on the outskirts of Denmark's third largest city, best known as the birthplace of fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen.

It will be powered exclusively by renewable energy, McEntegart said, adding that the cold climate could help to cool servers instead of relying on air conditioners.

McEntegart told local newspaper Fyens.dk that the centre would cost more than $100 million but would not be more specific. It would provide 150 jobs when operational, he said.

Facebook bought a 0.5 square kilometre plot of land on the outskirts of Odense in October last year, but had not disclosed the purpose of the site.

Danish Energy Minister Lars Lilleholt said Facebook's decision was a recognition of Denmark's strengths.

"We have one of the world's greatest energy systems with large quantities of green energy, high security of supply, good fibre connections and competitive power prices,' Lilleholt said in a statement.

Apple also invested in a data centre in northern Denmark in 2015.

The Facebook centre, expected to be operational in 2020, will consist of two large data buildings, a building for administration and logistics as well as several other technical facilities, according to Fyens.dk.

(Editing by Susan Fenton/Keith Weir)
By Michel Rose PARIS (Reuters) - Independent presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron threw down a direct challenge to France's existing political parties on Thursday by announcing he would field candidates in all constituencies in June's parliamentary elections. Macron, a centrist whose rise in opinion polls is worrying leftwing and rightwing candidates in the presidential race, launched a call for applications online for all those who would like to run as a lawmaker under the colours of his young party. Elections to the lower house of parliament will come hard on the heels of the April and May presidential election and will be key to ensuring the next government has a majority to implement reforms in the euro zone's second-largest economy. The 39-year old ex-economy minister, who launched his "En Marche!" or "Onwards!" party last April, said he would field candidates in all 577 constituencies and refuse pre-vote alliances. "I want to be very clear, there will be no deal with any political party whatsoever," he said at a news conference, adding that he wanted to "break free from the backroom deals which have only served to block our country". Macron is drawing huge crowds to rallies around the country and opinion polls show he could be breathing down the neck of the election's front-runners, conservative ex-prime minister Francois Fillon and far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Macron said he would welcome applications from members of all mainstream parties, excluding Le Pen's anti-immigrant and anti-Europe National Front. But at least half the candidates would have to be fresh new faces from civil society with no political affiliation. The former investment banker is also trying to address talk among some investors that should he win the presidency, he could not count on a parliamentary majority and would be forced into a so-called "cohabition" with a hostile parliament. "The powers of the French president are extremely limited if her/his political party loses the parliamentary election," said J.P.Morgan analyst Raphael Brun-Aguerre in a note before Thursday's news conference. "It may be possible for Macron to pick up government members from various parties and propose an agenda that would be backed by a cross-party majority in the parliament. This outcome would nonetheless be hard to achieve," he wrote. There are no surveys yet for what might happen in the parliamentary elections in June. Macron, who served in a government of Socialist President Francois Hollande, is well ahead of the Socialists in opinion polls for the presidential ballot, giving rise to speculation that he may win sizeable backing from Socialist lawmakers. (Reporting by Michel Rose; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Catherine Evans)
Gambia's President-elect has said he will be inaugurated later despite his predecessor refusing to cede power.

Adama Barrow, a former security guard at Argos, posted the news on Facebook and Twitter, saying he will be sworn into office at the Gambian embassy in neighbouring Senegal.

Mr Barrow won an election in December, but President Yahya Jammeh, who has been in power for more than two decades, has refused to step down despite a midnight deadline.

He claims there were irregularities in the election and does not accept the result.

:: Jammeh: 'Gifted leader' who claimed to cure AIDS

Troops from Senegal and other West African countries are poised to cross the border with the intention of forcing him to give up power.

Mr Barrow was a political unknown a matter of months ago, but was thrust into the limelight when eight opposition parties put him forward as a unifying figure.

The 51-year-old lived in Britain for three-and-a-half years when he was younger, and worked at an Argos in London.

Thousands of Gambians have fled across the border to Senegal to escape a possible conflict, including a number of former cabinet ministers who have resigned in recent days.

Nigeria has deployed fighter jets and surveillance planes to Senegal, while Ghana has also pledged to contribute to the regional force.

The Gambia's army chief has said his troops will not fight the entry of outside forces.

Thousands of British tourists have also been caught up in the crisis, and they have started to arrive back in the UK from The Gambia.

With fears that the turmoil could see Banjul airport close at short notice, holiday companies put plans into place to fly thousands of Britons home.

Thomas Cook said it had 985 package tourists and 2,500 "flight-only" customers in the West African country and it expects to have brought them all back - on 16 flights - by the end of Friday.

Among those who arrived overnight on Wednesday was Sara Wilkins, from Church Stretton, Shropshire, who said: "We just panicked, just threw everything in a case and just got out of there, basically.

Story continues

"It was a nightmare at the airport - people were crying and panicking. It was just chaos."

Ebrima Jagne is from The Gambia, where he lives with his wife and three-month-old daughter, but he works in the UK.

He arrived at Manchester Airport late on Wednesday and told Sky News he had to leave his family behind.

"I'm really desperate ... I feel so sad that I have to leave my daughter and my wife and members of my family and I don't know what's going to come next."
FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 file photo, an Emirati man smokes a water pipe while watching coverage of President-elect Donald Trump at a coffee shop in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Donald Trump's all-but-dismissal of human rights as a foreign policy principle could profoundly shake a Middle East landscape beset by warring factions and beleaguered governments, with some players eyeing once unimaginable new alliances. Syria is the foremost test of Trump's promise of a return to hard-headed realpolitik and could quickly show whether America is truly abandoning promotion of democracy and the rule of law in a way that could reshape the regions order. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

CAIRO (AP)  Donald Trump's all-but-dismissal of human rights as a foreign policy principle could hit like an earthquake across a Middle East landscape beset by warring factions and beleaguered governments, with some players eyeing the prospect of once unimaginable new alliances.

Syria is the foremost test of Trump's promise of a return to a hard-headed realpolitik and could quickly show whether America is truly abandoning promotion of democracy and the rule of law in a way that could reshape much of the region's post-Cold War, post-9/11 order.

Trump has raised the possibility of a broad new U.S. partnership with Vladimir Putin's increasingly authoritarian Russia and has even hinted at aligning with Syrian President Bashar Assad, which would amount to a dramatic reversal from years of the Obama administration calls for Assad's ouster. Trump seems to calculate that their shared enemy in the Islamic State is more important than shared values.

"When it comes to civil liberties, our country has a lot of problems, and I think it's very hard for us to get involved in other countries," Trump explained last July as Turkey was punishing tens of thousands of people seemingly unconnected to a failed coup attempt. "We need allies," Trump said in a New York Times interview. "I don't know that we have a right to lecture."

When Barack Obama declared a new beginning with the Muslim world in a landmark speech eight years ago, he mentioned democracy six times and broached the subject of human rights on a dozen occasions. Trump has barely mentioned these as foreign policy principles, extolling instead deal-making, diplomatic and economic, and championing the fight against IS.

"Human rights will not be his top priority," concluded Mustafa Alani, the director of the security and defense department at the Geneva-based Gulf Research Center.

Some believe the change will in the end be largely a matter of style, noting that Obama has fought jihadism all over the region as well. Aaron David Miller, a Mideast adviser under five American presidents, expects Trump to prove "risk- averse" and remain consistent with Obama's own reluctance to interfere in other countries' affairs, use military force, remain engaged in Iraq or get truly involved in Syria's civil war.

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But it's clear that several long-standing allies in the Middle East are relishing an end to what they saw as moralizing rhetoric, confused signals and unfulfilled red lines, and favoring a Trump pivot to counterterrorism and security.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi is still waiting for a White House invitation, having been shunned by Obama for his bloody crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia is expecting a renewed push from Washington on its arch-rival Iran, instead of Obama's more neutral stance and its accompanying criticism of the kingdom's treatment of women and killing of civilians in Yemen. And Israel's nationalist leadership has made almost a public celebration of Trump's imminent arrival, confident that its grief for how it treats the Palestinians is over.

Here's a look at how Trump's policies could shake up the Middle East:

SYRIA AND ISLAMIC STATE

The U.S.-led campaign against IS, more than 60 nations strong, has lacked in Syria the one thing it needs most: a partner on the ground capable of reclaiming and holding territory, as the Iraqi government is doing in its areas. Widespread evidence of torture, chemical weapons attacks and even war crimes by Assad's forces had made a partnership infeasible to Obama and most of America's foreign policy establishment.

Meanwhile, Russia's intervention since September 2015 has dramatically shored up Assad's position. If Assad and Putin now take on IS in its strongholds in northeastern Syria, it is less difficult to imagine Trump accepting perhaps a tacit partnership.

Trump has said Assad may be "bad" but the rebels fighting to topple him "could be worse." He has said the U.S. has no idea who its allies in the country are and has appeared most concerned about containing the exodus of Syrian refugees, fearing they'll spread terrorism.

Assad recently suggested the U.S. and Syria could be "natural allies."

Such a shift would have consequences. America's Sunni allies in the Persian Gulf will chafe at any outcome they see as strengthening the hand of Assad's other main partner, Shiite Iran.

ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

Years of contentious relations between Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu culminated last month in a U.N. Security Council resolution declaring illegal the Jewish state's construction of settlements on occupied land the Palestinians seek for a future state. Obama's decision to not veto the resolution followed bitterness in Israel over the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

Trump has vowed to heal the wound, apparently by embracing parts of Netanyahu's nationalist agenda. He has appointed a pro-settlements ambassador, vowed to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to more controversial Jerusalem and spoken of renegotiating and even dismantling the Iran deal.

Whereas much of Obama's disapproval of Netanyahu was expressed in moral terms, Trump has steered wide of any such thing.

"He is against this kind of moralism and political correctness," said Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israel relations at Israel's Bar-Ilan University. "He is a businessman. If there is a potential for a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, he will do it. If there is no potential for a deal, he will not do it."

Many fear overreach by Israel that could trigger a new Palestinian uprising. And some note the situation could turn if the confident Netanyahu ever provoked the mercurial Trump as he did Obama. "Within a year, they'll be annoying the hell out of each other," predicted Miller.

THE GULF AND IRAN

If there is one authoritarian country unlikely to enjoy the fruits of Trump's human rights-free foreign policy, it's Iran. The president-elect regularly chastised Obama for agreements that provided new funds to a U.S.-designated terror sponsor and left it only several years away from potentially returning to nuclear weapons capacity.

Beyond the talk of a nuclear renegotiation, Trump also has promised to get American prisoners released and threatened to shoot Iranian boats out of the water if they provoke U.S. Navy vessels in and around the oil-rich Persian Gulf.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has said if the U.S. tears up the nuclear accord, "we will light it on fire." But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday dismissed the possibility that Trump could undo the nuclear deal, likening it to turning a finished shirt back into cotton. The president-elect's tough talk on the deal was is "mainly slogans," he said.

Officials in Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional rival, are nonetheless pleased with a president who might focus more on Iran than its own human rights violations. Although its rights record routinely ranks among the world's worst, Rex Tillerson, Trump's choice for secretary of state, wouldn't call the key U.S. ally a rights violator.

EGYPT

El-Sissi, Egypt's general-turned-president, isn't hiding his hopes in Trump: "There is appreciation (by Trump) for Egypt's regional role and there will (be) more coordination with the United States going forward," he said this week.

Government circles in Cairo widely see Obama as naive about the true intentions of political Islam and excessively idealistic about liberal democracy. Championing the popular protests of the 2011 Arab Spring, Obama urged the stalwart U.S. ally Hosni Mubarak to step down and welcomed the ascendancy of the country's first elected president, Islamist Mohammed Morsi.

After el-Sissi led a 2013 military overthrow replacing Morsi, Obama's administration struggled for months over whether to call it a coup and later suspended some arms sales to Egypt. It has routinely criticized the government's police brutality, mass trials of Islamists and the crackdown on liberal dissent, drawing charges from el-Sissi that the U.S. supports Morsi and other religious hard-liners.

Under Trump, "there will be a lot of capacity for less friction and more engagement," said Michael W. Hanna, an Egypt expert at the New York-based Century Foundation.

But given Egypt's dire economic condition and internal instability, el-Sissi may have little to offer a deal-oriented U.S. president in return. How important that turns out to be will help show whether the new American compass will truly be about the quid pro quo.

___

Klapper reported from Washington. AP correspondents Adam Schreck in Dubai, Hamza Hendawi in Cairo, Ian Deitch in Jerusalem and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed to this report.
Picture NASA

A new NASA mission has offered an insight into the astounding mineral wealth lying around in our solar system  as one scientist calculated the worth of the asteroid to be 8,000 quadrillion.

American companies such as Planetary Resources  backed by Titanic director James Cameron  are already planning to send robotic vehicles to mine precious metals and rare resources from asteroids.

Planetary Resources describes asteroids as the low-hanging fruit of our solar system, and says, , a single 500-metre platinum-rich asteroid contains more platinum than has been mined in the history of humanity.

MORE: Fraudster who posed as multi-millionaire to scam thousands of pounds and impress girlfriend faces jail

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NASAs Psyche mission is set to launch in 2023  and will target a metal-rich asteroid known as 16 Psyche.

Psyche principal investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University in Tempe said that the 124-mile wide asteroid would be worth the astronomical sum if we could somehow drag it back to Earth.

(NASA)

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.

The Psyche mission will explore one of the most intriguing targets in the main asteroid belt  a giant metal asteroid, known as 16 Psyche, about three times farther away from the sun than is the Earth.

This asteroid measures about 130 miles in diameter and, unlike most other asteroids that are rocky or icy bodies, is thought to be comprised mostly of metallic iron and nickel, similar to Earths core.

Scientists wonder whether Psyche could be an exposed core of an early planet that could have been as large as Mars, but which lost its rocky outer layers due to a number of violent collisions billions of years ago.

The mission will help scientists understand how planets and other bodies separated into their layers  including cores, mantles and crusts  early in their histories.
Rakura launches 8 new varieties of organic tea

Nepali tea brand Rakura has added eight more varieties to its product range amid a tea tasting event on Wednesday.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The Dutch government on Wednesday joined several other European Union states in bidding to become the host country of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) once Britain leaves the bloc. The London-based EMA has a workforce of about 900. It reviews experimental drugs and makes recommendations on market approval which the EU Commission usually follows. The tussle over its future location is expected to form part of a complex horse-trading process triggered by Brexit. Italy, Spain, France and Poland - among others - have also put themselves forward as potential hosts. The Netherlands "can offer EMA staff excellent housing, healthcare, education and public transport, and an environment where English is widely spoken," the government said in a statement, also pointing to its experience in hosting international organisations. The Netherlands is already the site of the International Criminal Court for war crimes, European Union law enforcement agency Europol and the United Nations' highest judicial instance, the International Court of Justice. (Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by John Stonestreet)
FILE- In this file photo taken Jan.12, 2017, Poland's Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, right, sits next to Jaroslaw Kaczynski, left, the ruling Law and Justice party leader and Poland's most powerful politician, as they attend a parliament session in Warsaw. Blaszczak said Jan. 19, 2017 that the decision to post photos of some anti-government protesters was to illustrate the country's "zero tolerance for breaches of the law," but opposition lawmakers called it an act of "political revenge" intended to intimidate government critics. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz, File)

WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Poland's interior minister defended the decision to post photos of some anti-government protesters to illustrate the country's "zero tolerance for breaches of the law," but opposition lawmakers Thursday called it an act of "political revenge" intended to intimidate government critics.

Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak was referring to the publication on the Warsaw police department's website of images of 21 people who took part in a Dec. 16 protest outside Poland's parliament. Police want to identify and question some of the protest participants as part of an ongoing investigation.

Some of the protesters lay down in the street and blocked the passage of Prime Minister Beata Szydlo's car, but police made no arrests at the time. Blaszczak said the blockade was illegal and the suspects should be "brought to account." If found guilty of violating the law, they could face fines or brief arrest.

The interior minister said another 80 people in Warsaw and 22 in Krakow have been identified as violating the law during December protests.

Opposition lawmakers said the photos are meant to discourage citizens from attending protests. Grzegorz Schetyna, leader of the main opposition party, Civic Platform, said he was waiting for the prime minister to say who in her government was responsible for "stigmatizing" people.

"We will not allow for political revenge, for the kind of actions that the interior minister is organizing," Schetyna said.

Poland is criticized by some European Union leaders who say that the policies of the conservative government that took office in 2015 are threatening democracy. Hundreds of thousands of Poles have rallied against the government.

Speaking on private Radio Zet, Blaszczak invoked former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani as his role model. Giuliani was known for promoting tough law enforcement policies that critics saw as curtailing civil liberties.

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"There is no consent, (there is) zero tolerance for breaches of law," Blaszczak said. "This principle was proven effective in its time in New York....It will be proven effective also in Poland."

The growing divisions in the nation were visible late Wednesday when angry groups disrupted separate appearances by the leaders of the ruling Law and Justice party and Civic Platform.

In Krakow, protesters chanted as Law and Justice party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski arrived for his monthly visit to the tomb of his twin brother, the late President Lech Kaczynski.

Opposition's Schetyna faced hostile chants from a right-wing group during a meeting with the residents of Tarnow, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Krakow.
By Jibran Ahmad PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - The Afghan Taliban has sought to reassure the United Arab Emirates that it was not behind an attack in the southern city of Kandahar that killed five UAE diplomats and injured the ambassador, senior Taliban officials said on Thursday. More than a dozen Afghan and foreign officials were killed last week by a bomb hidden under a couch in the Kandahar governor's residence in an attack Afghan authorities have blamed on the Taliban and Pakistani intelligence services. However the Taliban has denied responsibility, instead accusing "covert intelligence circles" close to the government of carrying out the attack to damage relations between the insurgents and a friendly Arab government. No claim of responsibility has been made. Although the insurgents have frequently targeted Afghan government officials, the attack on diplomats from a Muslim country with which the Taliban has previously had good relations came as a major shock, prompting the insurgent movement to seek to reassure UAE authorities. The UAE was one of the few countries to recognise the former Taliban government in the 1990s although it broke relations in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. targets in 2001. The United States had demanded the extradition of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from Afghanistan for involvement in the attacks but the Taliban refused. A number of senior Taliban members live in Qatar, where the movement opened a political office in 2013. Other members are also believed to be living as private citizens in the UAE. A senior Taliban member based in Qatar said the movement was planning to send a delegation to mourn the slain diplomats and explain that it was not involved. "We have very cordial relations with some of the Islamic world including the UAE and we would never want to target them," he said. "We have targeted a number of diplomats and foreign missions in Afghanistan and there were several occasions we could have attacked diplomats from Islamic countries but we didn't as they are our friends," he said. There was no immediate word from UAE officials. In Kandahar, authorities are continuing an investigation into the attack, which injured the provincial governor and killed his deputy. Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq, one of the most formidable anti-Taliban commanders who himself narrowly escaped the attack, said that around 20 people had been detained for questioning, including construction workers and government employees including a cook and guards. He said a UAE investigation team, including specialists from Britain, had been in Kandahar but had left the city. (Additional reporting by William Maclean in DUBAI, Sayed Sarwar Amani in KANDAHAR; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Alison Williams)
By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. envoy to Sudan and South Sudan urged the international community on Wednesday to be clear-eyed in dealing with armed Sudanese opposition groups which put political ambitions above the interests of their own people. Donald Booth, speaking a day before he leaves office at the end of the Obama administration, said he recently talked with Sudan's armed rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) about a U.S. proposal to deliver food and medicine to conflict areas it controls but the group rejected the offer. The comments came a week after the Obama administration moved to lift a 20-year-old trade embargo and ease financial sanctions against Khartoum, saying the government had cooperated in fighting Islamic State and other militant groups. "I have found that some of the leaders of the Sudanese opposition, especially those with guns, are more than willing to ignore the interests and well-being of ordinary civilians, in favor of their long political ambitions," Booth told a Washington forum. "We need to be careful not to hold them in unquestioned high esteem. It is important to be clear-eyed about whom we are dealing with," Booth said, referring to foreign governments and groups that back the opposition. Booth said the SPLM-N's rejection of the U.S. offer of humanitarian assistance at a meeting in Paris was a "huge missed opportunity to advance peace negotiations and help the people they claim to be helping." "Even though we hold the government to its commitments to peace, we must also demand that the opposition set aside personal political ambitions and put their people first," he said. The SPLM-N was previously part of the South Sudanese rebel group and is fighting in the border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. "Just as there are hardliners within the Sudanese government who hold on to false notions that military victory can be achieved, so too there are leaders of the armed groups who believe they are right to fight on no matter what the cost to their people," Booth said. He launched talks in early 2015 with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's then senior advisor, Ibrahim Ghandour, to try to improve ties between Washington and Khartoum after years of contentious relations. The final decision on lifting U.S. sanctions on Sudan will go to President-elect Donald Trump after Khartoum takes more steps to end internal conflicts, allow more aid to conflict-torn areas, and help fight Islamic State and other groups. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Andrew Hay)
By Ben Hirschler DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plans are unlikely to lead to the re-establishment of a physical border or customs controls between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, Ireland's Finance Minister Michael Noonan told Reuters. May said this week that Britain would not remain a full member of the European Union's customs union, potentially meaning a tighter border between the British province of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, which will be Britain's only land frontier with the EU once it leaves the bloc. However, May has pledged to find a practical solution to preserving a common travel area between Britain and Ireland that predates their EU membership, while also limiting immigration. Asked if this would make customs controls likely along a border that 30,000 people cross each day to go to work, Noonan told Reuters: "I don't think so and it's far too early to say." "If you look at Mrs May's speech, she committed to the free travel area (between Ireland and the UK). She wasn't as strong on what she would like from the customs union; she said it might be associate membership," Noonan said in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. "In other words, she opened up a negotiating space around the customs union and it is where that lands that will decide whether goods have to be checked on the border. But a lot of this can be done electronically now and it wouldn't necessarily mean a hard border." Ireland's economy is widely considered at being most at risk from the departure of its key trading partner, but Noonan said trade data suggested there was no immediate impact and he expected an economic growth rate of "around 3.5 percent" to continue into the early 2020s. In its most recent forecasts in October, Noonan's department said that gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 3.5 percent predicted for this year would slow to 2.8 percent by 2020 and 2.6 percent in 2021. Noonan, who along with Prime Minister Enda Kenny is meeting senior executives in Davos to explore potential investment into Ireland, said Dublin had received around 100 "hard inquiries" from financial firms considering moving operations post-Brexit. He said he was not concerned that President-elect Donald Trump could attack U.S. companies that continue to invest in Ireland and that there was no clear evidence of firms putting off investment while they await details of Trump's tax plans. "There's a very strong pipeline of American investors coming into Ireland... now whether hidden in the statistics there are companies that are holding back slightly, I wouldn't know yet." (Writing by Padraic Halpin in Dublin; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is interviewed in his Pentagon office, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017. Sending thousands more American troops into Iraq or Syria in a bid to accelerate the defeat of the Islamic State group would push U.S. allies to the exits, create more anti-U.S. resistance and give up the U.S. militarys key advantages, Carter said in an Associated Press interview.(AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers attacked a pair of Islamic State military camps in Libya, killing more than 80 fighters in an unusual mission that may have marked the final demonstration of military force of President Barack Obama's global counterterrorism campaign.

The militants targeted in the airstrikes included Islamic State members "actively planning operations against our allies in Europe," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Thursday. He would not say more about the nature of the threat.

"These were critically important strikes for our campaign and a clear example of our enduring commitment to destroy ISIL's cancer not only in Iraq and Syria but everywhere it emerges," Carter said on his last full day as secretary of defense.

Among the questions facing the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump is how to counter IS in places like Libya, where extremists have vast swaths of ungoverned territory to hide, train and prepare attacks.

Carter defended the administration's efforts to extinguish the Islamic State threat, while acknowledging that it has spread from Iraq and Syria to North Africa, Afghanistan, Europe and parts of Asia. He said extremists will remain a concern in Libya as long as that country is embroiled in a civil war.

IS, he said, "has little nests, sometimes of people who rebranded themselves, who were there already and received inspiration and sometimes support."

The B-2 bombers flew more than 30 hours roundtrip from Missouri and dropped about 100 munitions of a type known as a Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, which is equipped with GPS guidance control to help it find its target with precision. Each B-2 is capable of carrying up to 80 JDAMs.

But it is unusual for the U.S. to send the bomber on a counterterrorism mission, particularly against such a modest number of targets like the camps in Libya. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said it was the first time the B-2s were used in combat since the 2011 air campaign that forced Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi from power and led to his killing.

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Air Force MQ-9 drones known as Reapers also participated in the attack, dropping Hellfire air-to-surface missiles at the same sets of targets, officials said.

The Pentagon showed reporters a video clip from aerial surveillance of one of the camps prior to the attacks. The video was of higher resolution than the Pentagon normally makes public. A number of men could be seen carrying weaponry from the back of a partially camouflaged vehicle. Weapons at the camp included rocket-propelled grenades and unspecified shells, Cook said.

The camps were located about 45 kilometers, or 28 miles, southwest of the central coastal city of Sirte, Cook added. He and Carter said the mission was undertaken in cooperation with Libya's government of national accord, which has been unable to assert control over the whole country.

Cook said some of the militants had fled to the desert camps from the former IS stronghold of Sirte to "reorganize."

"They posed a security threat to Libya, the region, and U.S. national interests," he told reporters.

The initial assessment is the strikes were successful, he said, adding that Washington was prepared to further support Libyan efforts to defeat IS.

The country remains divided between east and west, with no effective government and a multitude of rival factions and militias.

Cook also said that a Jan. 8 airstrike in Syria killed Abu Anas al-Iraqi, a senior IS member. He said al-Iraqi oversaw media and financial operations and was a member of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's inner circle.
Russia and Turkey conducted their first joint air operations Wednesday in Syria, bombing Islamic State positions in and around the northwestern town of al-Bab, where U.S. jets also struck militant targets this week.

The operations came as Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted that he had a working breakfast in Washington with retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, President-elect Donald Trumps designated national security adviser.

The sequence of events reflected Turkeys ongoing attempts to juggle relations with Moscow and Washington at the dawn of the Trump administration, amid Kremlin efforts to claim an expanding role in Syrias military and political arenas.

It also brought U.S. and Russian warplanes into their closest potential proximity yet, although a U.S. military spokesman indicated that the American strikes had occurred earlier in the week.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record, said the American strikes were not conducted in direct support of Turkish ground troops advancing on al-Bab, but rather as part of attacks against Islamic State targets.

The U.S. military is continuing to discuss the possibility of providing close air support to the Turkish troops. The issue is sensitive because the United States advised Turkey against a rapid move toward al-Bab, about 30 miles south of the Turkish border, and because of U.S. collaboration with Syrian Kurdish forces.

The Syrian Kurds are crucial to U.S. plans to capture the Islamic States de facto Syrian capital of Raqqa, about 140 miles southeast of al-Bab. American aircraft and Special Operations forces are assisting and advising ground troops known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is composed primarily of Kurds. Turkey says the Syrian Kurds, known as the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, are affiliated with the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party, know as the PKK, that both Turkey and the United States consider terrorists.

U.S. officials are concerned that Turkish advances inside Syrian territory will eventually be directed toward the YPG, and will interfere with the upcoming Raqqa offensive. In deference to Turkeys objections, it has refrained from sending weapons directly to the Kurds. That option, long favored by the Pentagon, is likely to still be on the table when Trump takes over.

Russia made clear that its air operations are in direct support of Turkey. Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, operations director of the Russian General Staff, said that nine attack aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, including four Sukhoi Su-24Ms, four Su-25s and an Su-34 bomber, as well as eight Turkish aircraft were involved in striking 36 targets.

Turkish aircraft included U.S.-made F-16s and F-4 Phantoms.

Rudskoi called the operation with Turkey, a NATO member, unprecedented, and indicated it would continue, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. The two governments signed a military cooperation plan on Jan. 12, he said.

Concern about the PKK, and the Islamic State  which have separately claimed responsibility for several recent terrorist attacks in Turkey  has led Ankara to recalibrate its involvement in Syrias civil war and its insistence that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must leave office.

Turkish relations with Russia  Assads principal international backer  have warmed considerably in recent months. The two countries, along with Iran, also an Assad ally, are sponsoring a conference, tentatively scheduled for next week in the Kazakhstan capital of Astana, to bring together representatives from Assads government and the rebels to negotiate a cease-fire and talks on a political solution to their five-year-old war.

An earlier U.S.-Russian cease-fire effort collapsed amid mutual recriminations last year.

Late last month, Russias ambassador to Washington extended an invitation to Trump adviser Flynn to attend the meeting, from which the Obama administration had been purposefully excluded.

Trump has indicated he seeks closer U.S. relations with Russia, and that he considers control of the Syrian government of secondary importance to the fight against the Islamic State. He has criticized President Barack Obama, who has said Assads departure from power is crucial to the larger war against the militants, for tensions with the Kremlin.

Trump transition spokesman Sean Spicer said Wednesday that obviously, whats going on [in Syria] is of major concern, and that if we can find alliances that will help further our national security interests, then were going to work with them. He said, I dont know specifically if were going to attend the conference or not.

Cavusoglu, in talks with Flynn and others, brought two primary Turkish concerns. Beyond Syria and the Kurds, Ankara wants a decision on its request for extradition of Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric it has charged with orchestrating an unsuccessful coup attempt in the country last summer. Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, holds permanent U.S. residency status.

The Obama Justice Department has said it is still studying the request. Flynn, in an op-ed published the day of the U.S. presidential election, said that the request should be quickly approved.



Missy Ryan contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  President Barack Obamas administration has imposed new privacy restrictions on the CIA that are designed to limit its use of information on Americans  changes that the agency made public just two days before President-elect Donald Trump is to take office.

CIA officials described the changes as a comprehensive update to guidelines that have been in place since the early 1980s, adapting those rules for an age when sensitive data about Americans is increasingly abundant online and vulnerable to being swept up by U.S. intelligence agencies.

One of the new provisions requires the CIA to purge certain types of information that it gathers overseas  including communications that might involve U.S. individuals  from its systems within five years. There was no previous restriction on how long the agency could keep such materials, officials said.

The revised guidelines were posted on the CIAs website on Wednesday, the first time that the fundamental regulations governing the agencys routine espionage operations were declassified and fully shared with the public.

This is a very significant milestone for the agency, said Caroline Krass, the CIAs general counsel, who discussed the revisions in a briefing for reporters Wednesday. Krass said that the effort to update the guidelines had taken more than two years, and that the final documents were signed Tuesday by CIA Director John Brennan and Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

CIA officials acknowledged that the revisions were made without input from civil liberties groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, which have pushed for more aggressive measures to protect Americans privacy than are envisioned in the updated guidelines.

The Trump administration could override the revisions and impose its own rules, officials said. But doing so probably would be complicated by the Obama administrations decision to move the espionage rules from the classified realm into the open.

Trump and key members of his national security team have said they are in favor of expanding U.S. intelligence authorities that were curtailed after the revelations of U.S. electronic surveillance by Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor. The changes unveiled Wednesday were driven in part by legal reforms adopted after Snowdens disclosures about NSA activities.

CIA officials declined to say whether the changes adopted this week, which do not take effect until March, had been discussed with Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., who is expected to replace Brennan as CIA director this week.

The CIAs top privacy official, Ben Huebner, said during Wednesdays briefing that the changes are aimed at helping the agencys procedures for handling increasingly large troves of information contained on laptops, thumb drives and other devices swept up in standard espionage.

Much of it is digital. There is a lot of it, Huebner said. Although the NSA is the United States main agency for electronic eavesdropping, the CIA also has authority to intercept communications.

The guidelines spell out in broad terms how the CIA is to interpret espionage authorities that date back to an executive order, known as 12333, that was signed in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan.

Since then, Huebner said, the agency has relied on a patchwork of revisions to that order, which was issued at a time when spy work often involved stealing copies of paper documents.

The five-year limit on holding data applies only to the most sensitive categories of information, including email or cellphone intercepts  data that might otherwise remain in agency systems without being exploited or evaluated. Less-sensitive information is to be expunged after 25 years.

CIA officials said that other measures require additional levels of permission and record-keeping when agency employees seek access to data that might expose information about Americans. Such activities are monitored through regular compliance audits, although officials declined to say how frequently those occur.The new guidelines do not apply to cover operations carried out by the CIA, including drone strikes on terrorism suspects, that require additional authority from the president conveyed in a memo known as a finding.

The new guidelines do not apply to cover operations carried out by the CIA, including drone strikes on terrorism suspects, that require additional authority from the president conveyed in a memo known as a finding.
Ending weeks of cloak-and-dagger secrecy, one of the biggest state secrets of the Trump administration looks ready to be unveiled.

According to Womens Wear Daily and other news outlets, Melania Trump has chosen a dynamic duo to create her inaugural wardrobe: fashion legends Ralph Lauren and Karl Lagerfeld. Its a bold move by the designers as other top dressmakers have just said no to the incoming first lady  setting off a political and social-media firestorm.

Last month, after designers Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs, among others, said that they would refuse to dress Melania, Bryan Fischer, the conservative host of the show Focal Point on American Family Radio, added to the social-media controversy when he tweeted what appeared to be a simple question: If a baker can be forced to bake a cake for homosexuals, can a dressmaker be forced to make a dress for Melania?

On the face of it, this may seem like a reasonable question. If its wrong to say that you wont bake a wedding cake for a gay couple, why isnt it also wrong to announce that you refuse to make a dress for Mrs. Trump? She has rights, too, doesnt she? Or maybe this is one of the extra rights that Ben Carson, the nominee for secretary of housing and urban development, claimed that LGBT people seek during his confirmation hearing last week.

(For the record, I  and every gay person I know  seek equal, not extra, rights.)

Fischers tweet came in response to an unprecedented reaction by certain A-list designers who announced that they would not dress the new first lady. Sophie Theallet proved to be the most vocal  and political  when she tweeted: I will not participate in dressing or associating in any way with the next First Lady, calling out the rhetoric of racism, sexism, and xenophobia in Donald Trumps campaign. She then called on all designers to join her in refusing any such assignment  a fashion boycott, if you will.

Theallets use of fashion as a form of political protest earned her praise from some, which apparently infuriated Fischer, who not surprisingly doesnt see her as a hero.

Fischer claims that its hypocritical of Theallet to refuse to dress the incoming first lady, which he conceded would violate (her) own conscience and compromise (her) values, because that is exactly what Aaron and Melissa Klein, co-owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Gresham, Oregon, faced when they refused to provide a cake for a same-sex (or in his words, sodomy-based) wedding in 2013. Cakes crafted by the Kleins, Fischer wrote, represented their artistic talent and communicated a message about their own values.

But Fischer draws a false equivalency between the bakers and the dressmakers, for two reasons. One is purely legal: The Kleins broke the law. A lesbian couple sued them under Oregons Unlawful Discrimination in Public Accommodations law, which protects same-sex couples from discrimination, and won a $135,000 judgment.

No designer is breaking any law by declining Melania Trumps business (or refusing to do her a favor in return for the publicity). As Joe Jervis, a popular LGBT blogger, wrote, Political affiliation is not a protected class in any state.

Theres another reason why the equivalency Fischer makes is off-base  and its not about law but about civility. Were all allowed our personal likes and dislikes, and the designers who demurred are no exception. Designers and their celebrity clients tend to hand-pick one another based on mutual need and desire, and may politely decline to dress or be dressed by anyone.

Shes not necessarily my image, Ford said of Melania on The View. Derek Lam explained to Womens Wear Daily, I find it challenging to be personally involved in dressing the new first lady.

Had the Kleins simply disliked their would-be lesbian customers based on rude or disruptive behavior, they would have been within their rights to send them packing, just as any store owner may eject troublemakers. (Managing to refuse or eject every black, Jewish, or Muslim customer for poor behavior would, of course, arouse suspicion.) But by all accounts, the brides are lovely people. Theyre just gay.

Personal preferences (Hes a creep or She doesnt pay her bills) are very different from refusing to provide services to an entire class of people under the guise of religious freedom. Notably, the dissenting designers havent said that they wont dress Ms. Trump because of her religion (Shes an Episcopalian!), her race (Shes white!) or her national origin (Shes from Slovenia!). That would be illegal and discriminatory, and Id say lock em up  or fine them.

And thats the lesson for the rest of us. Were free to shun whomever we choose based on who they are or their politics  but not on what group they belong to. In many cases, such behavior is illegal; in all cases, its odious.
Sub-committee to probe charges against Karki

The Impeachment Recommendation Committee (IRC) of Parliament has formed a sub-committee to investigate into the charges levelled against Lokman Singh Karki, who was removed as the chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) following a court ruling on January 8.
WASHINGTON  Thousands of people are expected to be in the region Saturday for the Womens March on Washington, D.C., an event that could draw larger crowds than Inauguration Day itself, and present travel challenges for participants and residents.

Drivers will encounter day-long- and rolling- road closures near the Mall and public transit users should expect long waits at subway stations and crowding on platforms and trains.

People need to allow themselves lots of extra time for reaching the rally point, our in-house expert, Dr. Gridlock, aka Robert Thomson says. They are going to have to be very, very patient with crowding conditions and trains may be running much slower than people would like.

D.C.s subway, named Metro, will run regular Saturday service, which means stations open at 7 a.m. and trains will run every 12 minutes on all lines. The good news is there are no scheduled station closings or track work.

Metro Spokesman Dan Stessel said the transit agency is closely following attendance projections and has the ability to adjust as needed.

Road restrictions will not be as extensive as those on Inauguration Day, and officials say they expect the security fences around the U.S. Capitol for the inaugural events to be down by Saturday morning, which should make it easier for the circulation of pedestrian traffic in that area. Pennsylvania Avenue, where the inauguration parade takes place Friday, may still be closed, the Districts top homeland security official said last week.

Traffic control officers will be guiding traffic at various intersections. And visitors should also expect tight security, including bag checks to enter the event. Participants should leave large backpacks and other prohibited items such weapons and drones at home.

If you are coming down for the march by car, bus, or transit, the key is to have a plan, be ready to walk and have lots of patience as you may encounter delays and crowding along your trip.

Heres what you need to know:

What is the Womens March on Washington about?

Demonstrators will gather for a rally at 3rd Street and Independence Avenue on the morning after the transfer of power to president-elect Donald Trump. The crowds will then march along the National Mall to The Ellipse, near the Washington Monument. Thousands of people are expected at the event, which organizers say is not a protest but a way to promote womens equality and defend other marginalized groups.

The location: The stage will be on 3rd Street and Independence Avenue by the National Museum of the American Indian.

The program:8 a.m.- activities start with images and video on display. 9 a.m.  pre-rally with speakers, music and public service announcements. 10 a.m.  the official rally starts, featuring celebrities including Katy Perry, Cher, America Ferrera and Uzo Aduba 1 p.m.  participants start marching toward The Ellipse where the program will end.

8 a.m.- activities start with images and video on display.

9 a.m.  pre-rally with speakers, music and public service announcements.

10 a.m.  the official rally starts, featuring celebrities including Katy Perry, Cher, America Ferrera and Uzo Aduba

1 p.m.  participants start marching toward The Ellipse where the program will end.

The March route: The group will begin to walk from the gathering location around 1 p.m. and march west on Independence Avenue SW, from 3rd Street SW, to 14th Street SW; then will turn north on 14th Street SW to Constitution Avenue NW; and will march west on Constitution Avenue NW to 17th Street NW, near the Ellipse and Washington Monument, where the events will come an end.

Im planning to drive. What should I know?

The Metropolitan Police Department says the following roads will close starting at 3 a.m. Saturday and will re-open about 6 p.m.:

3rd Street NW, from Constitution Avenue NW, to C Street SW

Independence Avenue SW, from First Street SW, to 6th Street SW

Maryland Avenue SW, from First Street SW, to Independence Avenue SW

4th Street NW, from Constitution Avenue NW, to C Street SW

Besides the day closures, drivers in the area should anticipate rolling street closures starting around 1 p.m., when participants will start a march along the National Mall. This will affect portions of Independence Avenue SW, 14th Street SW and Constitution Avenue NW.

Is there parking?

At the Metro. Metro has about 60,000 parking spaces in 29 lots and 22 garages throughout the region available for use on Inauguration Day. Parking is free on weekends.

In Downtown. Several parking lots downtown are within walking distance to the gathering location. Use a parking app such as Spothero to book parking.

Bus parking. Charter buses at RFK Stadium sold out last week and officials said they were working to find satellite locations for more buses. If you arrive on one of the 1200 charter buses expected at RFK, you can board a train at Stadium-Armory station to the Mall area.

How else can I get there?

Metro. Regular Saturday rail service will be in effect. That means Metro stations will open at 7 a.m. and trains will run every 12 minutes on each of the six lines. All stations are scheduled to be open and there are no plans for track work.

Stations served by multiple lines will see trains more frequently. For example, Metro says, trains every 12 minutes from the endpoints means a train every 4 minutes between Stadium-Armory and Federal Center SW.

The closest stations to the event stage are Federal Center SW on the Blue and Orange lines and LEnfant Plaza on the Blue, Orange, Yellow and Green lines. Red Line riders can use the Judiciary Square and Union Station exits and walk to the Mall area.

Riders are encouraged to purchase SmarTrip cards in advance to avoid the crush at fare machines. Each rider age 5 or older needs their own card to enter the system. Metro officials also recommend that you plan your trip so that you dont have to transfer between lines: There is a station near the Mall on each line.

Metrobus is running regular Saturday service. Some routes that stop near the Mall include the 30S, 30N and 36. For a full list, consult Metros Trip Planner (www.wmata.com/schedules/trip-planner). The regular Metrobus fare is $1.75 using a SmarTrip card or cash.

DC Circulator. The Circulator will suspend service on the National Mall route. But all other routes, including the Georgetown-Union Station (which stops a short walk away from the Mall) will operate normal weekend hours. The Circulator fare is $1 using a SmarTrip card or cash.

DC Streetcar. The streetcar will open at 7 a.m. Saturday, an hour earlier than normal, to provide a link to march attendants. Visitors arriving by charter bus at RFK can access the DC Streetcar from Lot 6, at the Oklahoma Avenue and Benning Road NE stop, about a half-mile from the stadium. The DC Streetcar is free and runs to Union Station, which is a short walk from the National Mall.

Capital Bikeshare. The bike stations that closed for Inauguration Day will open in phases Saturday. If you plan to use Capital Bikeshare, check its website or the SpotCycle app before your trip to see which stations are available. The system will offer a corral to provide extra parking during the Womens March. The corral will be at 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit capitalbikeshare.com.

More biking. If you want to ride your bike, there are bike racks across the downtown and the mall areas. But remember that bikes are not allowed in the rally area or the march route.

What can I bring and what should I leave at home? Organizers are asking participants to travel light and expect backpacks and bags to be subject to search. These are some of the restrictions:

Weapons of any kind are banned.

Bags/totes/purses for small personal items should be no larger than 8 x 6 x 4.

If you require disability accommodations or related equipment, that will not fit into the above bags, enter via the ADA Accessible route: 4th St. SW from C St. to Independence Ave.

Canes, walking sticks, walkers, and portable seats are allowed for individuals who require them for mobility and accessibility on a regular basis.

Flags are allowed, but not on a pole. Posters and signs are allowed, but not with the use of wooden sign posts.

Folding chairs are not permitted.
Whistleblowers connected to the California mortgage lender once run by treasury secretary nominee Steve Mnuchin have accused the bank in federal court of mishandling more than a thousand applications for loan modifications during his tenure  potentially costing many borrowers their homes.

One of the whistleblowers, Andrew Mitchell, worked at OneWest Bank for three years and was responsible for processing mortgage modification requests. In a lawsuit filed in 2014, Mitchell said he aired his concerns directly with Mnuchin and other top OneWest executives but that the issues were not resolved.

The case is under review by the Justice Department, which is required to assess all complaints brought under the federal False Claims Act, commonly known as the whistleblower law. Court records show the Justice Department is slated to determine whether to prosecute the case by the end of March  well after President-elect Donald Trumps administration hopes to have Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., installed to lead the agency and Mnuchin confirmed as treasury secretary.

Typically, whistleblower lawsuits are filed under seal. But the allegations against OneWest outlined in this article were made public after the Justice Department initially opted in March not to follow up on the case. The whistleblowers amended their complaint in October, prompting a second look from Justice that is ongoing. The latest version of the complaint is under seal.

This is another example of the media sensationalizing allegation over fact, and the fact here is that the DOJ reviewed these allegations and declined to take up the case, Mnuchin spokeswoman Tara Bradshaw said.

Mitchell declined to comment for this article. One of his attorneys, Jason Lichtman of Lieff Cabraser Heimann and Bernstein, also declined to comment.

CIT Group, which acquired OneWest in 2015, did not comment as well. A person with knowledge of the proceedings said the bank has not responded to the allegations in court.

The whistleblower case is one of a litany of lawsuits alleging that OneWest wrongfully foreclosed on homeowners while Mnuchin helmed the company  accusations that Democrats are certain to seize on during his confirmation hearing Thursday. Progressive groups began airing state TV ads Wednesday linking OneWest to the worst abuses of the financial crisis, hoping to target Republican senators Dean Heller in Nevada, Jeff Flake and John McCain in Arizona, and Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst in Iowa. On Capitol Hill, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., hosted a forum Wednesday featuring homeowners foreclosed on by OneWest.

Judging by Mr. Mnuchins tenure as head of OneWest bank, there is significant evidence that he has no interest in working for the benefit of all Americans, Warren said. OneWest was notorious for its belligerence and its cruelty.

Mitchell said he worked for OneWest as a specialist in loss mitigation  industry parlance for evaluating homeowners requests to stave off foreclosure by modifying their mortgages. In his lawsuit, Mitchell said he repeatedly notified his supervisors of problems with the banks procedures, at one point threatening to reach out to the television news program 60 Minutes with his accusations.

In January 2012, Mitchell said he took his concerns all the way to the top. He met with Mnuchin and at least three other bank executives at OneWests headquarters in Pasadena, California, according to the complaint. He described to them faulty formulas for analyzing applications, technical glitches that misclassified loans and a pervasive lack of training and staff to handle complex financial products and navigate the governments cumbersome regulations.

Court documents show Mitchell stopped working at OneWest a month later. According to two people familiar with the matter, the bank then hired Mitchell as a consultant and told him to correct the errors he had identified. One of those people said the bank implemented at least some of his suggestions but did not specify which ones.

But Mitchell alleges that OneWest never fixed the problems.

There has been no evidence to suggest that OneWests policies or procedures have been changed to address these very important issues, the lawsuit states.

It is unclear what allegations from Mitchells 2014 complaint remain in the updated version. Legal experts said whistleblower suits are often amended several times to add new facts, change defendants or push new arguments. Justice officials can spend years weighing whether to prosecute a case.

Many financial institutions, including some of the nations biggest banks, have been hit with similar lawsuits. The second whistleblower in the case against OneWest, Michael Fisher, worked for a law firm that represented homeowners requesting modifications from the bank. He and one of his attorneys have sued several other mortgage companies as well, resulting in a $30 million settlement with Atlanta-based Ocwen Financial last year.

The OneWest suit estimates the bank could owe the federal government more than $100 million if it is found to have violated modification guidelines.

The same lawyer who brought this case brought almost identical cases against at least eight other banks, showing that this is a lawyer-driven scheme to make money, not a legitimate case, let alone a case that is specific to OneWest, Bradshaw said.

Mnuchin, a veteran Wall Street investor and former Goldman Sachs executive, led the consortium of investors that purchased the subprime mortgage lender formerly known as IndyMac from the federal government in 2009 for $1.6 billion after its spectacular collapse during the housing bust. Mnuchin renamed the bank OneWest and ran it for six years.

Many of the mortgages he acquired were among the worst-performing loans in the country, made to the riskiest borrowers with little to no documentation. When Mnuchin took control of OneWest, roughly 178,000 homes were already in foreclosure, Bradshaw said. The bank offered homeowners more than 101,000 loan modifications, many of which also promised to forgive part of borrowers mortgages, she said.

Mnuchin sold the bank to CIT Group in 2015 for $3.4 billion but retained a seat on its board of directors. He stepped down from that role in December, after his nomination, and pledged to divest his stake in the company if he is confirmed.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  On just the second day of a 60-day legislative session, the New Mexico Senate signed off Wednesday on a $262 million solvency package that would patch a projected hole in the states budget by taking roughly $50 million from school districts and more money from various government accounts.

Even after spending cuts and other budget fixes were enacted last year, the state is still facing a projected $69 million deficit for the current budget year, and more belt-tightening is expected for the fiscal year that starts in July.

Thats led to some lawmakers expressing concern that the state could soon be unable to pay for basic services and face a second downgrade to its bond rating.

We need now money  we dont need far money, said Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, during Wednesday evenings debate.

In all, the Senate approved four solvency-related bills, all by decisive margins.

The bill affecting public schools would generate nearly $50 million by essentially reducing by roughly 2 percent the amount of money school districts get through the states funding formula.

Although some smaller districts would be spared, the move would mean a roughly $12.5 million hit for Albuquerque Public Schools, the states largest district.

Some of the money could be paid by reserve funds controlled by the districts, but Stan Rounds, executive director of the New Mexico School Superintendents Association, said Wednesday that the funding reductions would be harmful.

The $50 million cuts will have an impact in classrooms around New Mexico, Rounds said.

Its easy to make an assumption that theres all this extra money sitting around, but thats not the case, said Rounds, who added that superintendents understand the states budget predicament and prefer the Senate-approved approach to a proposal by Gov. Susana Martinezs administration that would take $120 million out of school reserve funds.

Sen. Steven Neville, R-Aztec, said that cutting school funding was a last resort but that lawmakers have already exhausted other budget-fix options.

We have cut and trimmed as much as we can, Neville said.

The solvency package could be sent to the governors desk soon, as a House budget-writing committee also passed a similar solvency package Wednesday  albeit on largely party-line votes.

The full House could vote on the solvency bills by the end of this week, and they would take effect immediately if signed by Martinez.

As currently constructed, the proposed solvency fix would plug the budget deficit and leave the state with about $180 million in reserves  or about 3 percent of state spending.

However, it puts lawmakers in the position of having to cast painful votes that could lead to less money going to schools and programs in their districts.

There are no good choices here  they are all bad choices, said Rep. Paul Bandy, R-Aztec.

Other solvency provisions included in the Senate-passed package are opposed by the Governors Office, putting the Legislature and the governor on a possible collision course just days into the 60-day session.

One area of disagreement involves taking $11.6 million from a state closing fund thats intended to offset the costs of business expansion and relocation.

The fund has been used to help entice Facebook to build a massive data center in Los Lunas, among other projects, but recently had an unspent balance of more than $34 million, according to the Legislative Finance Committee.

During her State of the State address Tuesday, Martinez urged lawmakers not to take money from the fund as part of a budget-balancing fix and some House Republicans tried Wednesday to squash the proposed funding diversion.

Companies trying to expand would not take us seriously that were in the economic development game (if available funding is reduced), said Rep. Larry Larranaga, R-Albuquerque, the committees former chairman.

And a Martinez spokesman said late Wednesday that the proposal could hurt the states ability to attract businesses.

The governor is still hopeful that there will be a serious solvency package that does not gut classrooms or economic development initiatives, Martinez spokesman Michael Lonergan said.

But Democrats said no programs or funds should be off-limits to help with budget-balancing.

We all have to give a little bit, even of our sacred cows, to make this budget work, said Rep. Liz Thomson, D-Albuquerque.

At a glance

A $262 million solvency package approved Wednesday by the state Senate would address a projected budget deficit for this year and give the state some financial breathing room going into next year. Heres a breakdown of the four approved solvency bills:

Senate Bill 111: Free up $87.9 million by shifting revenue from law enforcement insurance funds. Passed 39-2.

Senate Bill 112: Generate $27.8 million by suspending and de-authorizing public works projects. Passed 41-0.

Senate Bill 113: Take $97.9 million from accounts and funds across state government, including $11.6 million from the states closing fund. Passed 41-0.

Senate Bill 114: Take $49.4 million from school districts statewide. Passed 39-2.
On Dec. 23, two days after the winter solstice, the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere, the UN Security Council made a historic vote regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In an unusual synchronicity, Christmas Eve and the first night of Chanukah coincided.

Christians were celebrating the birth of a holy baby who would bring love and redemption to a suffering humankind. Jews were remembering the Macabees, a fierce band of warriors who defeated a powerful army. In spite of being outnumbered and outgunned, they reclaimed and rededicated their temple in Jerusalem. Miracles are not everyday events, but when they happen, they must be acknowledged and celebrated.

In a break with our countrys long-standing position to veto UN Security Council resolutions that seek to impose solutions to final status issues, the United States abstained. Resolution 2334 declares that Israels Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank are a violation of international law and have no legal validity, and that the settlements are a major obstacle to the possibility of an Israeli and a Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace and security.

The resolution demands that Israel stop all settlement building, including in East Jerusalem and fulfill its obligation under the Fourth Geneva Convention as an occupying power.

Negotiated in the aftermath of World War II, Israel and the United States, along with 194 other countries, are signatories.

None of this is new information, nor was this the UNs first call for justice for the Palestinians. From 1967 to 1989 the UN Security Council adopted 131 resolutions addressing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Although the resolutions are non-binding and unenforceable, they are an affirmation of international law from the world community. The vote was 14-0.

With the U.S. abstention, President Obama, who still believes in the viability of two states living side by side, was offering Israel the last chance to remain a Jewish state. The UN resolution passed at a time when the Israeli Knesset was poised to retroactively legalize all the Jewish settlements built on privately owned Palestinian land.

If the internationally recognized border known as the Green Line is officially erased, the more than 4.5 million Palestinians living in the West bank and Gaza will be inhabitants of Israel and will demand the full rights of citizenship. Currently they live under military law and are a people without an officially recognized country.

Many people have begun to take another look at this complex conflict  before June 1967 when Israel conquered Gaza, the Golan Heights, the Sinai Desert and the West Bank, including the Old City of Jerusalem; before 1947 when the UN Partitioned Historic Palestine into two states for two peoples  Jewish and Arab; before 1922 when the League of Nations created British Mandate Palestine. Back to the 1917 Balfour Declaration, often cited as the legal impetus for a Jewish state; and the lesser known, 1916 Sykes-Picot secret agreement between Great Britain, France and Russia that carved up southwest Asia into spheres of influence.

Although history is fraught with conflicting promises, secret agreements and divergent narratives, there is something that we can stand with  international humanitarian law.

On Jan. 5th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the UN resolution as an obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace. Under the mistaken belief that she was supporting Israel, Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham voted to approve this resolution.

Unbridled Jewish-settlement expansion makes a two-state solution impossible. And with this possibility gone, we might be witnessing the final phase of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict  Israels painful transformation into a secular pluralistic democracy for all the people who live between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River  a government similar to the United States.

As Secretary of State John Kerry said to the angry Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Friends need to tell each other the hard truths.
When New Mexico lawmakers get to the assignment of making the 20-year-old Lottery Success Scholarship solvent, they have at least four options to consider:

A. Continue to raid other dedicated revenue streams by the tens of millions of dollars so the fund can continue to cover 90 percent of tuition. In previous sessions, funds from the Tobacco Permanent Fund and the alcohol excise tax have been re-directed to keep the scholarships funded at close to or at 100 percent of tuition.

B. Let the scholarship fund provide what it can to applicants based on lottery revenues, which was 100 percent of tuition in 1996, dropping to 90 percent in the 2015-16 school year even with supplemental revenue, and is on pace to cover just 60 to 71 percent in the coming school year unless it is propped up again.

C. Change eligibility for the program by removing the minimal 2.5 GPA and supplanting scholarship merit with income need.

D. Change eligibility for the program by increasing academic requirements above maintaining a 2.5 GPA, essentially a C+ average.

Those choices really hinge on what lawmakers believe the fund should be. The Journal has long argued for all government programs to live within their means, and for the Lottery Success Scholarship to live up to the scholarship part of its name.

Following that line of thinking, lawmakers should work with options B and D, providing what the program can to students who are actually ready for and dedicated to getting a higher education.

Back in 1996, the lottery scholarship program was sold to New Mexicans as a way to make legalized gambling palatable, with a good portion of the revenues (now 30 percent, with most of the incoming money going back out to winners) paying for New Mexico kids to get degrees from New Mexico colleges and universities. In the ensuing years, the program has become a victim of its own success, with 109,983 scholarships handed out to date but just 53,511 diplomas.

Budget realist Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, chairman of the Legislative Finance Committee, says covering 60 percent of tuition is still a pretty good deal. Hes right  if you knew nothing of the programs history and someone said that you could get more than half of your tuition paid for, youd be thrilled.

But if you are expecting to pay, say, $300 a semester in tuition at the University of New Mexico with the scholarship and instead get hit with a bill for $1,000, you are not going to be happy and might be re-thinking your decision to enroll. Throw in $832 a semester in fees, plus books and room and board, and college could very well be a gamble you cant afford to take.

With limited funds it makes sense to heed the advice of the LFC and establish new eligibility requirements that have more to do with scholarship and award students whose academic records warrant it. A 2010 LFC report recommends linking scholarship eligibility with predictors for graduating, and another says raising admission standards is directly correlated with improved graduation rates and each additional point in the average ACT of incoming freshmen increases graduation rates by five points.

Yes, everyone can benefit from college work  even if they dont earn a degree. If there were unlimited funds available, we wouldnt be having this debate. Also, there are needs-based programs, including Pell grants, designed specifically to help low-income students cover the cost. While means testing for students from wealthy families is a possibility here, there is a definite lack of non-lottery help for those solid students who come from hard-working middle-income families, and there are only so many academic scholarships to go around. If these students lose the lottery, they will have to pick between the huge financial burden of borrowing a ton of money they will struggle to repay and skipping college, no matter how good their transcripts look.

Yes, the lottery authority should send its unclaimed prizes into the scholarship account, but that estimated $2 million a year is a drop in the shortfall bucket. No, the lottery should not expand its sales pitch to gas pumps, considering almost half the states residents are on Medicaid and one in four is on food stamps.

First and foremost the Lottery Success Scholarship program should target its awards to students who are ready not only to attend but ultimately graduate from college.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
The man who was shot and killed at the Motel 6 near University and I-40 Sunday is an Albuquerque resident and was found dead in a room, according to police spokesman Fred Duran.

Duran identified the victim Wednesday as 39-year-old Daryl Young.

Officers were called to reports of shots fired at the motel, which sits by the two largest interstates in New Mexico, Sunday morning.

They found Young dead in a motel room, but they apparently dont know why he was killed.

The circumstances leading up to his death are unknown at this time, Duran said. Violent crimes detectives are urging anyone with information about Youngs death to contact Crime Stoppers.

Their number is 843-STOP.
A woman found dead in the road on Bell SE near Louisiana last week has been identified by Albuquerque police as 49-year-old Mary Martinez.

Martinez was found with multiple injuries and her death is being investigated as a homicide. But police spokesman Fred Duran hasnt said what detectives believe caused her death or what the injuries to her body were.

A passerby noticed Martinez lying the road around 12:45 a.m. and called police.

Detectives are hoping anyone who saw Mary or had contact with her in the area of Bell and Louisiana late on the evening of January 10, 2017 or in the early morning hours of January 11, 2017 will call APD, Duran wrote in an emailed update.

He also asked anyone with general information about Martinez or her death to call Crime Stoppers at 843-STOP.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerque Public Schools is considering budget-cutting options that include layoffs, shortening the academic year and scheduling some four-day weeks across the district  although administrators stress that those are last resorts.

On Monday, the APS board finance committee held a brainstorming session to discuss cost-cutting ideas in anticipation of a possible additional $7 million to $12 million reduction for the current fiscal year, though the final numbers will be determined by lawmakers over the course of the 60-day legislative session.

Chief Finance Officer Tami Coleman told the Journal that everything is on the table.

A document she sent to board members included layoffs, a shorter academic year and some four-day weeks across the district as possibilities. The latter two options amount to districtwide furloughs because APSs roughly 12,000 employees would not be paid for the missed days.

It is a tough conversation, Coleman said. Nobody likes to have these conversations. We do not want to enact any of these things.

Coleman said she brought up the ideas to get the discussion started and said none of them is moving forward at this time. APS is waiting for final budget figures from state lawmakers, who are grappling with a $69 million deficit for the current fiscal year, largely due to declining oil and gas revenue, with another deficit looming for the new fiscal year that begins July 1. The session began Tuesday and runs through March 18. Schools across New Mexico are bracing for millions in cuts.

We know that they have a very serious situation in Santa Fe, and we know we will have to be part of it as a public education provider, Coleman said.

She acknowledged that students need their classroom time, but said administrators have no choice but to consider every possibility, including fewer days of school, to address the looming shortfall.

The district already lost $12.5 million during the Legislatures special session in October  $9.5 from the operational budget and $3 million from the categorical budget that includes areas like transportation and instructional materials.

With the current fiscal year ending on June 30, APS will have to act fast to address any additional cuts that come down this year.

Layoffs are the last resort, said Coleman, who would prefer to enact furlough days. Shutting down the district  either through a four-day week or shorter academic year  saves money on payroll, utilities and transportation. A one-day closure adds up to about $2.5 million in savings.

Under state statute, schools must offer a minimum number of instructional hours each year, and any reduction requires special dispensation from the Legislature. In addition, the APS board would have to vote on the proposal because it approves the academic calendar.

Board member Barbara Petersen said it is upsetting to consider yet another round of budget cuts.

Already, APS has reviewed all Central Office departments for cost-cutting measures and enacted a hiring freeze on non-classroom jobs, though critical positions like police officers are still being filled. In addition, 35 top administrators took a one-day furlough at the beginning of the month, adding up to about $20,000.

I think people dont realize how much the district has done, really since 2008, to keep paring back, Petersen said. When we start talking in the millions (in cuts), there is no place really left to go without looking at schools.  What we get down to now is telling schools that they have to make the Sophies Choice of, are you going to do without your counselor or your nurse? Are you going to put five more kids in the classroom or are you going to save an art program or a music program?

The District 4 board member said times are tough, but the state must be committed to education.

Gov. Susana Martinezs proposal to pull $120 million from district cash reserves across the state is not in line with that commitment, according to Petersen, who added that those funds are critical because they impact the bond rating and help keep schools in the black from month to month.

The proposal is to take reserves in excess of the recommended 5 percent. APS reserves at the end of the last fiscal year were $53.9 million or 8.5 percent, according to a legislative analysis released this week.

Late Wednesday, the Senate approved a different plan that would reduce the amount of funding each school district receives this year by about 2 percent  or roughly $50 million.

That proposal would cost APS about $12 million for the rest of the current year.

But, Petersen said, We need people to recognize that were not sitting on some big pile of money, wasting it.

Everyone who works in a school has this attitude, We will make it OK for kids no matter how badly the sky is falling and how desperate things are,' she added. We are really to a point where it is impossible to do that anymore.

Journal Capitol Bureau reporter Dan Boyd contributed to this report.
SANTA FE  An attorney who has made headlines numerous times for his courtroom behavior as both a lawyer and defendant  he once shot a homeless man in the leg  and the number of times hes been sanctioned for lawyerly misbehavior, finally met the end of his legal career on Wednesday after the New Mexico Supreme Court voted to disbar him.

After more than an hour of hearing and consideration, the five justices ruled that David Chip Venie of Albuquerque had committed several serious violations, primarily that he inappropriately took almost $90,000 from a client while claiming it was owed to him, that he had offered to help a second client pay off witnesses and, finally, that he had revealed confidential information when that client sued him, also over money.

Venie tried to convince the justices that he was entitled to the money from a former client and his mother, who in 2012 had wired $100,000 to Venie to post bond for her son, charged with sexual exploitation of a child and attempted rape of a child. Once the case was dismissed, the mother sought the bond money but Venie submitted an invoice to her for an additional $89,000 and returned only $10,000 of it, according to court records and testimony at the hearing.

Several years later, he represented a man named Leon F. Alford after he was charged in several cases with incest and child rape.

During that representation, Venie recorded a conversation with Alford in which the two are heard discussing how to pay off witnesses and Alfords guilt.

After Venie won the cases for Alford, Alford sued him over overbilling. During that civil suit, Venie shared details of that legally protected private conversation in which the client admitted to raping his granddaughter. Venie argued on Wednesday that he shared that information in court proceedings to try to discredit the lawsuit, as is his right.

Justices on Wednesday slammed Venie for offering to help pay off witnesses in the Alford case and for breaching the attorney-client privilege.

We find substantial evidence that these violations occurred, Chief Justice Charles Daniels told Venie. We think that any one of these  would justify disbarment.

Only about a handful of disbarment cases are presented to the court annually.

In addition to disbarment, the court ordered Venie to refund $89,000 to one of his clients and pay $7,998 for the expenses incurred by the Disciplinary Board investigators and attorneys. The board is in charge of receiving, investigating and prosecuting complaints of lawyer misconduct.

Jane Gagne, assistant disciplinary counsel, told the justices that Venies was a very serious case and that his disclosure of confidential information was nothing but vengeful.

It was Venies final, but not his first, major appearance for discipline.

He was also barred from acting as his own attorney in the last of three criminal jury trials he faced for shooting a homeless man in the leg in 2012, which he said was self-defense. He was eventually acquitted.

Venie declined to comment after the disbarment hearing.
WASHINGTON  Lisa Shin is one of Donald Trumps most ardent New Mexico supporters and even spoke on his behalf from the stage at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last summer.

But the Los Alamos optometrist didnt plan on traveling to the president-elects inaugural celebration in Washington this weekend, figuring it would be an expensive logistical hassle.

Then, a few weeks ago, a fancy envelope arrived in the mail.

It was a very special invitation asking for the honor of my presence, Shin recalled in a Journal interview this week. I got two tickets to the inauguration, the swearing-in ceremony, the welcome concert, the parade and inaugural ball. Ive always dreamed of going to an inaugural ball.

I just couldnt pass it up  I couldnt say no, Shin said. Im really, really excited.

Shin is among hundreds of New Mexicans traveling to Washington for Trumps inaugural festivities, which include the Republican president-elects swearing-in on the steps of the Capitol on Friday morning. The forecast calls for temperatures in the low 50s and a possibility of light rain.

New Mexicans scheduled to attend include Gov. Susana Martinez, Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry, some who served as New Mexico delegates at the Republican National Convention and others who secured tickets through the states congressional delegation in Washington.

Meanwhile, about 60 Democratic members of Congress, led by Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, who questioned Trumps legitimacy as president-elect last week and sparked a caustic rebuke from the president-elect on Twitter, are planning to boycott the inaugural ceremony. No senators are on record as saying they will boycott.

All five members of New Mexicos congressional delegation  four Democrats and one Republican  are planning to attend.

I think its important to be a witness to the process, said Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who is running for governor in 2018. I take that part of my job really seriously, and I do think the peaceful transition of power and witnessing the process is important.

Martinez spokesman Michael Lonergan said the governor is excited and humbled to have the opportunity to represent the people of New Mexico at the 58th presidential inauguration.

He also said Martinez is looking forward to hearing more about President-elect Trumps vision for our country in his inaugural address.

Not every New Mexican traveling to Washington this week is planning to attend the inauguration. At least 100 state residents  including Democratic Party Chairwoman Debra Haaland  are scheduled to participate in a womens protest march scheduled for the National Mall on Saturday. Organizers estimate at least 200,000 people from around the country will be there. Lujan Grisham will host a reception for the protesters in her Washington office after the march. Haaland told the Journal that New Mexico Democrats are heading to Washington to continue to fight for the justice and equality that is the hallmark of the Democratic agenda.

Rep. Steve Pearce, the delegations only Republican, said his office distributed all 175 inaugural tickets allotted to his office and sent overflow requests to other members of the states delegation, who were also allotted blocks of tickets.

Pearce, who will host a reception for those picking up tickets at his office today, said Trump supporters are excited about the weekends events, but more cautiously optimistic about the work ahead after inaugural weekend.

Were pretty excited but the excitement tends to be somewhat restrained because you know how the political process is and how much it can pull good ideas off track, Pearce said. But Washington and the entire nation feels like its got a little bit of pep in its step right now. There is an excitement that things dont have to be the way they are now.

Unlike in recent years, the New Mexico State Society in Washington is not participating in any official inaugural balls. But the social organization is hosting a cocktail reception tonight at the Darlington House, a restaurant in Washingtons Dupont Circle neighborhood.

Ryan Cangiolosi, the newly elected chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, also will attend the inauguration. He said he hopes to hear the incoming president vow to make job creation a priority.

Im very excited to be a part of it, he said. My hope is that a President Trump does work with regard to the regulatory environment we have in this county to help businesses thrive and grow. We need strong job growth in New Mexico.

Samuel LeDoux, a Santa Fe Republican who served as a delegate to the partys national convention in July, is also attending the inauguration. He said he hopes the new president offers a message of unity.

Id like to hear Trump try to unite the nation, LeDoux said. It was a very divisive election, and I think people need to hear a message of unity more than ever.
Fixing election date: Sub-panel for further deliberation

The sub-committee under the State Affairs Committee of Parliament on Wednesday decided to hold discussions with the political parties on who should announce the election date as the lawmakers on the panel failed to reach consensus on the matter.
Mayor Richard Berry will ask state lawmakers this year to avoid adding to Albuquerques budget pain.

The Legislature faces its own budget challenges, of course, including a projected $69 million deficit this year.

But protecting revenue sources for Albuquerque  including money distributed by the state to cities and counties  is among Berrys top priorities for the 60-day legislative session, which began Tuesday.

One option lawmakers are considering is a reduction in the hold-harmless payments the state makes to local governments. The payments are meant to compensate cities and counties for not taxing food.

The payments are already being phased out slowly, but Berry will ask lawmakers to avoid accelerating the phaseout, which is already expected to cost Albuquerque about $6.5 million next year.

Among Berrys other priorities is a familiar request  asking state lawmakers to approve a bill allowing retired police officers to return to work without putting their pensions on hold. The idea has failed to win state approval in the past.

The mayor also said he also supports any legislation that will make New Mexico a worse place to be a criminal, including making it a hate crime to harm a police officer.

He is also looking for financial help addressing Albuquerques backlog of untested rape evidence kits and for money to continue developing the Innovate ABQ site Downtown, where the city, University of New Mexico and others are building a hub for high-tech businesses and student research.
HOUSTON  Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, remain hospitalized in Houston, where he was in intensive care for pneumonia and she was being watched after complaining of fatigue and coughing.

The 92-year-old former president went into the ICU on Wednesday and underwent a procedure to protect and clear his airway that required sedation, family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement.

Bush was stable and resting comfortably at Houston Methodist Hospital, McGrath said.

The 41st president was placed in the ICU to address an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia, McGrath said. He later told The Associated Press that doctors were happy with how the procedure went. Bush was first admitted to the hospital Saturday for shortness of breath.

I dont think theres a whole lot of money to be gained betting against George Bush, McGrath said. Were just kind of in a wait-and-see mode.

McGrath said Barbara Bush, who is 91, had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks and decided to take it out of committee and have the experts check it out. He described the move as precautionary.

Physicians initially believed the former president would be released later this week following several days of treatment, but his stay has been extended, McGrath said. There is no timetable for his release.

Doctors want to see how the former first lady responds to treatment before allowing her to return home, he said.

The Bushes, who were married Jan. 6, 1945, have had the longest marriage of any presidential couple in American history. At the time of their wedding, he was a young naval aviator. She had been a student at Smith College.

After World War II, the pair moved to the Texas oil patch to seek their fortune and raise a family. It was there that George Bush began his political career, representing Houston for two terms in Congress in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Bush, who served as president from 1989 to 1993, has a form of Parkinsons disease and uses a motorized scooter or a wheelchair for mobility. He was hospitalized in 2015 in Maine after falling at his summer home and breaking a bone in his neck. He was also hospitalized in Houston the previous December for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.

Despite his loss of mobility, Bush celebrated his 90th birthday by making a tandem parachute jump in Kennebunkport, Maine. Last summer, Bush led a group of 40 wounded warriors on a fishing trip at the helm of his speedboat, three days after his 92nd birthday celebration.

Bushs office announced earlier this month that the couple would not attend Donald Trumps inauguration because of the former presidents age and health.

My doctor says if I sit outside in January, it likely will put me six feet under. Same for Barbara. So I guess were stuck in Texas, Bush wrote in a letter to Trump.

His son George W. Bush, the 43rd president, still expects to attend the inauguration and does not plan to travel to Houston, spokesman Freddy Ford said.

George Herbert Walker Bush, born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, also served as a congressman, CIA director and Ronald Reagans vice president.

George W. Bush was elected president in 2000 and served two terms. Another son, Jeb, served as Florida governor and made an unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination in 2016. Only one other U.S. president, John Adams, had a son who also became president.
LAS CRUCES  A Minnesota man serving life behind bars for two murders was convicted of a third murder Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to charges in the 2015 beating death of a fellow prisoner at a state prison west of Las Cruces.

Daniel Hood, 35, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the April 27, 2015, slaying of Frank Pauline, 42, at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility, where both men were serving prison sentences in separate murder cases out of Hawaii and Minnesota, respectively.

Hood also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a deadly weapon by a prisoner, a second-degree felony, as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors from the 3rd Judicial District Attorneys Office.

He entered the pleas before District Judge Fernando R. Macias in 3rd Judicial District Court in Las Cruces.

Court records show Hood was initially charged with first-degree murder in Paulines death, but under the terms of the agreement, prosecutors reduced the charge to second-degree murder, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

During Wednesdays proceeding, prosecutor Keythan Park revealed that tension had been mounting between Hood and Pauline while they were incarcerated. According to Park, Hood had built up a plan to assault Pauline in order to take him out.

In court documents, Hood described Pauline as a snitch who walked around like he owned the place.

Hood carried out the plan, Park said, on April 27, 2015, when he spotted Pauline in the prisons recreation yard. He grabbed a rock, wrapped it under his shirt and followed Pauline until he tactically hid in a position behind him, Park said.

Hood struck Pauline at least three times with the rock, including once in the back of his head, Park said.

He knew his actions caused a serious likelihood of death, Park said.

After pleading guilty to the charges, Hood was sentenced to 15 years for the murder charge and nine years for the possession charge. But he was ordered to serve the sentences concurrently over 15 years and consecutively to his previous sentences.

Hood was previously sentenced to life in prison, according to Ashley Espinoza, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections. He has been serving time in New Mexico under an interstate compact since Feb. 25, 2002, for murder convictions out of Minnesota.

In 1998, Hood, then 17, was convicted of first- and second-degree murder for the 1996 fatal shootings of an 81-year-old woman and a 51-year-old man in New London, Minnesota, according to news accounts.

Pauline had been serving time in New Mexico since Dec. 5, 2012, Espinoza said. He was serving a 180-year sentence for the 1991 murder, rape and kidnapping of a 23-year-old woman, Dana Ireland, in Puna, Hawaii, according to the Hawaii Tribune Herald. Pauline was one of three men convicted in Irelands slaying on Christmas Eve.

Pauline was killed on his 42nd birthday, the Tribune Herald reported.

Carlos Andres Lopez can be reached 575-541-5453, carlopez@lcsun-news.com or @carlopez_los on Twitter.



2017 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.)

Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at www.lcsun-news.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

_____
The Albuquerque International Sunport is back on the upswing.

New Mexicos largest airport saw 126,000 more passengers in 2016 than in 2015, marking the first time it has made a year-to-year gain since 2007. The jump is a modest .6 percent, and traffic remains far below the 2007 peak  about 27 percent.

But after eight straight years of declines its significant for sure to have any growth, Sunport spokesman Daniel Jiron said.

The Sunport saw 4.87 million passengers in 2016, according to figures released this week. Thats up from 4.75 million in 2015.

The facility reported a high of 6.7 million passengers in 2007.

The Sunports passenger numbers have suffered from a declining flight schedule as airlines have trimmed schedules in the name of efficiency. But their decisions typically reflect the economy  they will go where the demand exists, Jiron said.

He said an improving economy may help explain the Sunports minor turnaround.

What it boils down to is people are starting to travel a little bit more, he said. Whereas for a while there they may have scaled back and only traveled for holidays or a summer vacation, they may be doing both again. Thats potentially a piece of it.

Southwest Airlines, the Sunports dominant carrier, has trimmed a number of flights since the Sunports declines began, including short-haul trips to places like El Paso and Lubbock, Texas.

But three new airlines have landed at the Sunport since 2013: JetBlue, Alaska and Allegiant. Alaska, which debuted in 2014 with a single flight to Seattle, announced just last week that it would add new service between Albuquerque and Portland, Ore. this summer.

Such additions probably factor into the Sunports rising numbers, but Jiron said it is difficult to identify a single cause.

I think its a combination of many different things, he said.
NEW YORK  The families of victims of terror attacks in Paris, Brussels and Israel are blaming social media companies including Facebook and Twitter for facilitating communications among terrorists.

Twitter says it has suspended hundreds of thousands of user accounts in the past 18 months for threatening or promoting acts of terrorism.

But that isnt enough, say lawyers for the families of terror victims, including a brother and sister killed in last years bomb attacks in Brussels and an American college student slaughtered in Paris.

In a string of lawsuits filed in New York, they say they want Twitter and Facebook to pay damages for failing to stop violent extremists from using their platforms to recruit followers, intimidate enemies and raise money.

If you or I tried to send money to Hamas, you wouldnt get around the block, said Robert Tolchin, a lawyer for the families of Brussels attack victims Alexander and Sascha Pinczowski and Paris massacre victim Nohemi Gonzalez. Banks are required to check before they do any wire transfers. Why is it any different to provide a communications platform to Hamas, to ISIS?

Relatives of those three victims filed a federal lawsuit against Twitter earlier this month, saying the San Francisco company violated the U.S. Anti-terrorism Act by providing material support to terrorists. It seeks unspecified damages.

Another lawsuit filed last year on behalf of five people killed or injured in terror attacks linked to Hamas blames Facebook Inc., saying it provides material support to Hamas.

The plaintiffs include the families of Taylor Force, a Vanderbilt University student and Lubbock, Texas native stabbed to death in Tel Aviv last March, Yaakov Naftali Fraenkel, a 16-year-old dual Israeli-American citizen kidnapped and killed in Israel in 2014, and 3-month-old Chaya Zissel Braun, who was killed in 2014 when a Hamas operative drove his car into a crowd at a train station in Jerusalem.

That suit was combined with a third lawsuit brought on behalf of 20,000 Israelis seeking a court order requiring Facebook to stop providing services to terrorists.

Similar lawsuits across the country have been rejected by the courts on grounds that the companies are protected by the Communications Decency Act, which bars social-networking companies from being sued for speech used by their customers.

Im confused why new lawsuits are continuing to be filed because I think these lawsuits are unmeritorious and it seems like the plaintiffs are not directing their ire toward the proper targets, said Eric Goldman, a professor at the Santa Clara University School of Law. Many social media companies have taken extra steps above and beyond the law to further reduce terrorist content.

In court papers, Facebook is fighting back, saying the material support claim is not new and its been routinely dismissed by the courts.

Facebook has zero tolerance for terrorism, the Cupertino, California-based company wrote. It condemns terrorist actions, prohibits terrorist content on Facebook, and swiftly removes any reported terrorist content.

Twitter said in a statement that it condemns the use of it services to promote terrorism.

This type of behavior, or any violent threat, is not permitted on our service, it said, adding that it has suspended over 360,000 accounts in the last 18 months for promoting violent extremism, primarily related to the Islamic State.

For legal support, Twitter cites a November ruling at a U.S. court in San Francisco brought by relatives of two U.S. government contractors shot and killed in 2015 at a law enforcement training center in Amman, Jordan. U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick said the suit was barred by the Communications Decency Act.

Alexander Pinczowski, 29, and Sascha Pinczowski, 26, were Dutch siblings who lived in New York. They died when suicide bombers detonated explosives at a Brussels airport.

Nohemi Gonzalez, 23, was among 129 people killed by gunmen in Paris in 2015. She a student at California State University, Long Beach and had been spending a semester in Paris studying industrial design.
WASHINGTON  Treasury nominee Steven Mnuchin spent 17 years working at Goldman Sachs, part of what President-elect Donald Trump once called the global power structure that has robbed American workers. Mnuchins financial disclosures revealed ties to business entities in tax havens such as the Cayman Islands and Anguilla. Mnuchin managed a California bank accused of aggressively foreclosing on senior citizens  and then sold it for billions of dollars.

In previous presidential administrations, any one of those items might have been enough to sink a Cabinet nominee. But after a testy five-hour confirmation hearing Thursday, Mnuchin emerged bruised but not battered, upbeat and smiling as he left behind a gaggle of reporters to begin the countdown until Trump takes his place in the White House.

Youve certainly impressed a lot of people here, especially me, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, told Mnuchin as the hearing wrapped up. Were going to help you get through this ordeal. You have friends on this committee on both sides of the aisle.

Many of Trumps choices to fill his Cabinet are facing sharp criticism of their records and questions about potential conflicts of interest. But at least so far, none of those potential red flags have emerged as roadblocks to confirmation.

Lanhee Chen, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution who was policy director for Republican Mitt Romneys presidential campaign in 2012, said he expects all of Trumps nominees to be confirmed. Many are well qualified for their positions, he said, while criticism of their backgrounds has failed to gain traction.

Were in a new era of politics, to a certain degree, that Donald Trump has ushered in, Chen said. People are a little more acculturated to these things.

Those dynamics were on full display as Mnuchin appeared on Capitol Hill to testify before lawmakers. Democrats had sought to portray the veteran Wall Street investor as a prime example of Trumps backsliding on his campaign promise to rid Washington of special interests and corporate lobbyists  or drain the swamp, as his supporters say.

The day before the hearing, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and other lawmakers held a forum to hear from homeowners who had been foreclosed upon by Mnuchins bank. Progressive groups took to the airwaves with ads featuring one borrower who lost her home while her husband battled terminal cancer. Senate Democratic staffers compiled a memo, obtained by The Washington Post, showing that Mnuchin had initially failed to disclose his connection to a business in the Cayman Islands as well as more than $100 million in personal assets.

Even before Mnuchin began speaking, the hearing turned combative among senators making opening statements. Chairman Hatch decried stupid arguments against Mnuchins qualifications to manage the nations finances and accused Democrats of obstructing Trumps nominees. Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.), the ranking Democrat on the panel, shot back by accusing Mnuchin of using loopholes in international tax law to shield millions of dollars from taxation.

The treasury secretary ought to be somebody who works on behalf of all Americans, including those who are still waiting for the economic recovery to show up in their communities, Wyden said. When I look at Mr. Mnuchins background, its a stretch to find evidence hed be that kind of treasury secretary.

Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., interjected that Wyden should take some Valium, a medication that acts as a tranquilizer. After Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, objected to the remark, Roberts said he was attempting a pinprick of humor.

Im sorry if I have, you know, incurred your wrath, sir, Roberts said as the committee returned to order.

At moments, Mnuchin appeared rattled, attempting to talk over lawmakers and plead for more time to answer their questions. At one point, he told Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., to hang on as he searched through his notes. And during a tense exchange with Brown over Mnuchins role in homeowner foreclosures, Mnuchin pushed back at the lawmaker.

If you know [the answer], why did you ask me? Mnuchin said. Then he added, It seems to me, with all due respect, you just want to shoot questions at me and not let me explain.

After the hearing, Brown said he would not vote to confirm Mnuchin.

Mnuchin graduated from Yale University and began his career at Goldman Sachs before launching his own private equity fund, Dune Capital Management. He made his name in 2009 when he led a consortium of investors to purchase the failed subprime mortgage lender IndyMac from the federal government. He renamed the bank OneWest and sold it to CIT Group in 2015 for $3.4 billion.

Democrats have accused him of profiteering from the financial crisis, but on Thursday, Mnuchin said he was proud of his leadership of the bank. However, Mnuchin said he had little leeway to stray from government guidelines in deciding when to foreclose on homeowners. He noted that at one point, the bank sued HSBC for the ability to modify loans in trusts that it controlled.

Mnuchins spokeswoman has said that 178,000 homes were already in foreclosure when Mnuchin took over the bank. On Thursday, Mnuchin said one of the most troubling cases involved Nadya Denise Suleman, the California mother of octuplets who became known as the Octomom. OneWest foreclosed on her home in 2012, according to news reports.

The responsibility landed on me to clean up the mess that we inherited, Mnuchin said.

Lawmakers also scrutinized Mnuchins complex business interests. According to the memo compiled by Democratic staff, Mnuchin initially failed to disclose his roles in a business entity in the Cayman Islands. Mnuchin said he did not personally benefit from it but used it to serve nonprofits and pensions.

Mnuchins paperwork also initially omitted about $95 million in real estate, including homes in New York City, Southampton, New York, and Los Angeles as well as $15 million in real estate holdings in Mexico. Also missing was $906,556 worth of artwork held by his children.

Mnuchin said Thursday that he had submitted 5,000 pages of paperwork to the committee and that any oversight was unintentional.

Mnuchin made few forays into policy during his hearing. He declared that the border tax Trump has repeatedly touted would be narrowly targeted at businesses that offshore operations and sell products back home. He called for reforming the housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac but did not provide a road map for doing so. And he urged consideration of what he deemed a 21st-century Glass-Steagall, a reference to the Depression-era law that separated commercial and investment banking.

Mnuchin also pledged that Trumps proposal to overhaul the tax code would not increase the deficit, despite estimates that it could cost at least $2.6 trillion over the next decade.

To avoid potential conflicts of interest as treasury secretary, Mnuchin has said he would divest his assets in 43 companies within 90 days of his confirmation. Hatch had discussed the matter privately with Mnuchin before the hearing.

I said to you, Youre going to lose a lot of money taking this job. And your response was I dont care. I want to serve my country,  Hatch said. Youve made tremendous sacrifices to take this job. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle realize that.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.  Police in Colorado Springs are investigating after a homeowner reportedly shot and killed an intruder.

The victim, a transient, has not been identified.

Lt. Howard Black says at least one shot was fired during the confrontation just before 7 a.m. in a residence in the downtown area.

Detectives are investigating whether the shooting might fall under Colorados so-called make my day law under which homeowners cannot be held legally or civilly liable for using force against an intruder.

The name of the homeowner has not been released. Black says no arrests have been made.

The Gazette reports El Paso County records indicate the older house where the shooting took place has been broken up into apartments.
Theres a trick to satirizing Joe Biden: You need only look within.

So says Jason Sudeikis, who starred on Saturday Night Live from 2005 to 2013. To create his impersonation, he zeroed in on one trait: He feels like a people person. The actor grew up around that friendly nature back in Kansas and simply had to channel the outgoingness and gregariousness of my father.

The Onion writer Chad Nackers tapped his own background to create a different kind of satiric Biden  a popular Diamond Joe character who loves his muscle cars, motorcycles and hair-metal music. The first full article was the shirtless Biden washing his Trans Am, wearing cutoff jeans shorts, Nackers says of the piece, headlined Shirtless Biden Washes Trans Am in White House Driveway. That was a kind of young guy I grew up around in Appleton, Wisconsin, with jean jackets and Def Leppard shirts. It kind of helped that I had a strong connection to blue-collar life.

Biden, who vacates the veeps office Friday, has a blue-collar persona as big as a Delaware commuter train  a mix of genuine warmth and bold humor, with a mouth that can grin slyly right before committing a slip of the tongue, making him a fertile source of humor. Some of those satirical takes grew as warm as their source, as the character of an affable Uncle Joe could seem very much in on his own joke. This was notably true on Saturday Night Live and at the Onion, each of which, in its own way, portrayed him as a swaggering, seen-it-all pol who, riding in the White Houses shotgun seat, could thoroughly enjoy the sweet ride.

Sudeikis doesnt work like some other SNL impersonators who depend on uncanny mimicry. I am trying to find the thing inside of them that it is inside of me, the performer says of his impressions. I have not developed (them) in the same way as (Bill) Hader or Fred (Armisen) or (Darrell) Hammond. They sound like them.

So Sudeikis has a trick in breaking down his impression: Watching them with the sound off. He picks up nuances, such as how much time that person actually spends listening.

Acquiring the look helps, too, he says. Put a better pair of chompers on me, with a bald cap with some thinning hair, and I can get into the mode. When he wears a Brooks Brothers suit to play Mitt Romney, for instance, I cant help but feel very different.

And so Sudeikis, working with former head writer Seth Meyers and SNLs longtime political writer James Downey, began to break down a take.

He often speaks without thinking things through, Downey says of Biden. Our main take on Biden was pretty much related to the sometimes odd things he says.

The SNL iteration was notable for his debates with the Sarah Palin and Paul Ryan characters. Biden mocked the young, gym-loving Ryan by shouting that he was old-man strong  Biden Strong!  and he promised the American people that he could be just as sassy, unpredictable and off-message as Palin.

Sudeikis didnt meet Biden until last year, at a New York event. But his own parents met Biden in Kansas City, in 2008.

My dad felt a connection to this man, says Sudeikis, who was born in Fairfax, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. So my dad introduced himself and joked about how Biden was doing an impression of me.

The Onions Nackers says that when Biden took office in 2009, it was so different from (Dick) Cheney, whose persona, he says, was especially freighted with dark real-world underpinnings. By contrast, Biden seemed to be just there to have a good time  which freed up the Onion to create a lighter Diamond Joe character who exaggerated the blue-collar Everymen Nackers knew while growing up.

The rugged, easygoing classic metal-head who favors biker babes, Whitesnake T-shirts and a sixer of Schlitz became popular among Onion fans, with such headlines as: Biden Huddling With Closest Advisers on Whether to Spend 200 Bucks on Scorpions Tickets; Biden Lines Up Sweet Summer Gig Installing Above-Ground Swimming Pools; and Biden Offers Government to Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. And this weeks farewell flurry brought: Biden Sadly Realizes This Could Be Last Time He Throws Lit Firecracker Into Press Conference.

Nackers is the longest-serving writer now at the Onion  he joined in 1997  and his inspirations for the character derive from much of what he saw around in the late 70s and 80s. Cutlasses and Corvettes. Quiet Riot on the radio. And guys who liked their cheap beer and weed.

I wasnt researching Biden to create this character, Nackers says. I was more researching different kinds of rims.

Biden is like a traditional Onion character, Nackers adds, where theres a real strong viewpoint  like our (Bill) Clinton character in the 90s who was relatable in his charisma and boundless appetites.

To Nackers, this isnt just about writing jokes; a running character like Diamond Joe involves internal world-building  such as when the character runs off to lie low in Mexico, or when a part-time roadie named Worm sits in for him at a Cabinet meeting.

I think where his (Bidens) real personality converges with Diamond Joe is that he has a heart of gold, Nackers says. Each stands up for the right thing.

Nackers will go almost Method when writing Biden articles, putting on Motley Crue and White Lion tunes and trying to tap memories of his youth. You never know, he says, what little thing might creep in and inspire you.

The Onion even threw a Biden-themed party last summer at the Newseum, during the White House Correspondents Association dinner, complete with an ice sculpture of a Harley-riding Biden and a string quartet playing hair-metal music. Nackers only wishes he could meet Biden  Oh, hell yeah!  who passed on attending the party.

Biden himself has deftly embraced comedic guises that are somewhat similar to his Onion persona, such as in the 2014 White House Correspondents Association dinner video, in which the bomber-jacketed veep picks up HBO Veep Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), revs a yellow Corvette and ultimately hits the tatt parlor. And last October, old pro Joe, behind aviators, played an undercover agent (alongside Adam Devine) before delivering the serious message on sexual assault in a popular Funny or Die PSA.

Many political cartoons have taken a more traditional, SNL-like approach, finding material in his amiability and shoot from the lip style. While they may not rise to the level of moral outrage, Joes gaffes always make good fodder for cartoons, says Rob Rogers, the left-leaning cartoonist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Unlike Obama, who carried the weight of the office, Joes smile never faded, making his toothy grin a prominent feature in most caricatures.

But the right-leaning Michael Ramirez, a two-time Pulitzer winner syndicated by Creators, sees the outgoing veep though a more cutting lens. The clueless smile, his bulbous forehead, the odd but perfectly symmetrical hair implants and vacant beady eyes all add to defining the man, Ramirez says. But really, he adds, with Biden, it is more like stenography than editorial cartooning. Hes one of the best gag writers I have in my employ.

The juxtaposition Rogers cites, between Biden and Obama, became comedic fodder for popular memes, especially in the wake of the 2016 election: photos of the pair together, with such phony captions as: Ok, heres the plan: have you seen Home Alone.

As president, Obama was so smooth. Biden was goofy, Downey says. He was like Jerry Lewis to Obamas Dean Martin.

Once Biden leaves office, the Onions Nackers says hell miss having his character around as a regular presence, but after eight years, the time feels right to bid his Biden farewell.

Or as Diamond Joe himself says this week in a new Onion piece: End of an era, man.
Two Air Force B-2 stealth bombers struck Islamic State camps southwest of the Libyan city of Sirte on Wednesday night, less than a month after the Pentagon declared an end to an extended air campaign there.

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said that the aircraft, known for their distinctive bat-like appearance, dropped more than a 100 bombs and hit two Islamic State encampments about 30 miles outside Sirte. The outposts were inhabited at least in part by fighters who had fled the city in the fall, and the operation was approved by President Obama, Cook said.

Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter told reporters Thursday that the camps contained militants actively plotting attacks in Europe and that the strikes were critically important.

As always, external operations are a very important part of the reason to destroy ISIL, as well as to wipe them out of Libya itself, Carter said, using an acronym for the Islamic State.

MQ-9 armed drones also participated in the strikes, using Hellfire missiles to hit targets that remained after the initial bombardment, Col. Patrick Ryder, an Air Force spokesman, told reporters. The operation took 34 hours and the two B-2s, named the Spirit of Pennsylvania and the Spirit of Georgia, flew from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to carry out the strikes, Ryder said. The camps were in remote desert locations and no civilians were believed to have been hit in the bombardment, officials said.

The militants declared Sirte the capital of their Libyan caliphate less than a year ago. U.S. aircraft began pounding the city with airstrikes in August in an effort to support Libyan government ground forces. Western Special Operations troops, including a small contingent of Americans, also helped in the offensive.

In total, the United States launched more than 500 airstrikes in the air campaign, called Operation Odyssey Lightning. Toward the end of the mission, a small pocket of Islamic State fighters in downtown Sirte proved especially resilient, forcing a weeks-long effort of concerted strikes and heavy ground fighting before the roughly dozen or so fighters were killed or surrendered.

The U.S. military has other aircraft based much closer to Libya than Missouri, but the Pentagon chose the B-2s for their ability to drop many bombs in a short time span and loiter overhead for a long time, Ryder said. Each plane can carry 40,000 pounds, and up to 80 500-pound bombs known as Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs). The B-2 has not been used in combat since 2011, when they they were part of Operation Odyssey Dawn.

The Washington Post reported in November that the Pentagon had been quietly preparing for follow-on strikes once Sirte was liberated, focusing intelligence-gathering assets and surveillance aircraft on the fighters who fled the city as their defenses crumbled.
If the ongoing battle to liberate Mosul, once Iraqs second-largest city, from the Islamic State succeeds, it will be an important turning point in the war against the fundamentalist movement, also called ISIL. One of the key players in this battle is the leader of the autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, Masoud Barzani, whose peshmerga troops are fighting alongside Iraqi forces. Barzani spoke to The Washington Posts Lally Weymouth in Davos, Switzerland, this past week at the World Economic Forum. Edited excerpts follow.

Q. What would you like from the new Trump administration in Washington?

A. As far as Kurdistan, I expect that they will continue supporting us.

Q. Do you mean by giving your troops heavy weapons? What kind of support do you envision?

A. Both military and political support.

Q. What kind of military support?

A. Whatever a military fighter on the front line needs, in addition to training and capacity-building. So far, tanks and artillery have not been provided, but we really need them.

Q. Right now you have U.S. air support and air strikes.

A. Yes, good air support and air cover, which has been very helpful.

Q. And training.

A. Yes, that is true.

Q. And intelligence cooperation.

A. Intelligence cooperation is continuing between our agencies and the U.S.

Q. How long is it going to take to liberate Mosul?

A. The first 100-kilometer-long defensive lines of ISIL were attacked by peshmerga forces in October of last year. . . . Then the Iraqi troops moved toward Mosul. The Iraqi army did a good job: It is a tough fight; it is bloody. . . . In a few days, the eastern part will be finished. But what remains will be the western part of the city. . . . It is difficult to estimate when the mission will be over, but militarily, ISIL is becoming weaker.

Q. The city of Mosul is largely inhabited by Sunnis?

A. Yes, right now those who are in Mosul are Sunnis.

Q. Experts worry about the fate of those Sunni Iraqis and whether Shia militias will go after them if and when the city is liberated.

A. The agreement is that the Shia militants will not go into the city. So far they have not gone into the city. The Iraqi army and the federal police are there.

Q. If Mosul falls, is that the end of ISIL in Iraq?

A. It is an illusion if there are people who think the fall of Mosul means the end of ISIL. We saw ISIL become the replacement of al-Qaeda. Some organization will come to replace ISIL. ISIL itself will resort to other techniques: clandestine operations, terrorist operations.

Q. President-elect Trump has said he is going to crush ISIL. How do you see the president-elect?

A. I can say that we are ready to cooperate with him and work with him in order to crush ISIL. It is not an easy task, but we will be with him to achieve this mission.

Q. Is it possible?

A. It is not only a military war. It is about the ideology. It is about social and economic and cultural aspects. It is a multifaceted war, and it needs a collective effort with American leadership.

Q. Do you welcome the election of Donald Trump? Do you see him as a strong U.S. leader?

A. We wish him success. Certainly this is the will of the American people. It is their business.

Q. Do you want a continuing U.S. military presence in Kurdistan?

A. We welcome that because that would assist us in order not to allow terrorism to grow.

Q. Are you worried that once Mosul falls, the U.S. will withdraw?

A. I hope that the United States will not repeat that mistake. I told the military commanders who were on the ground in 2010 and 2011 that if the U.S. forces withdrew from Iraq, it would give an opportunity for terrorism to grow. . . . Had a limited number of American troops stayed, ISIL would not have been able to take over Ramadi or Mosul.

Q. How strong is Iran in Kurdistan?

A. Iran has relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government, with the political parties in and outside the government.

Q. Will Iran be left with a lot of influence in Iraq?

A. It is the reality. Iran [already] has more influence than anybody in Iraq.

Q. Was that the result of the U.S.-led war to overthrow Saddam Hussein?

A. Unfortunately, many mistakes were made. In fact, sometimes people argue in the United States that the decision to go to war in Iraq to remove Saddam Husseins regime from power was the wrong decision. No, in fact, it was the best and most humanitarian decision. But two mistakes complicated the invasion of Iraq. First, the U.S.-led coalition did not allow the outcome of the London conference of December 2002, when the then-opposition had agreed on the way to lead the country. Then American forces turned themselves from a liberation force to an occupation force.

Q. You have been working quite closely with Turkey and exporting oil through Turkey?

A. Yes, that is true, and we still will.

Q. The central government of Iraq does not like this.

A. Its not right for Baghdad to complain and criticize when Baghdad decided unlawfully and unconstitutionally to cut our budget. This is when we decided to export our oil. Before they cut our budget, we had not exported any oil to Turkey.

Q. Since Turkey is bombing the Syrian Kurds, does this put you in an awkward position?

A. No, the two issues are not related.

Q. There are rumors that your dream is to have an independent Kurdistan, an independent Kurdish state. Will you declare independence?

A. It is neither a rumor nor a dream. It is a reality that will come true. We will do everything in order to accomplish this objective, but peacefully and without violence.

Q. How long will that take?

A. We will do our best to achieve that objective as early as possible. Because the time has come. Now is the time for practical steps. There are around 6 million Kurds living in what we call Kurdistan, not northern Iraq. I was just a high school student when the Kurdish revolution started in 1961.

Q. And your father, Mustafa Barzani, was one of the most famous Kurdish leaders?

A. He was leading the Kurdish liberation movement. I joined the peshmerga forces when I was 16 years old. From then until now I have been a peshmerga. There are no villages or mountains or valleys I have not gone through. All my efforts from Day One have been to establish a Kurdish state. The day it is declared, I will not be interested in any [political] position because that goal will have been achieved.

Q. How do you see the situation in Syria with ISIL?

A. It is not clear who is a friend and who is a foe. The international coalition is not united in Syria. The opposition is not united. It is so confusing that I personally do not understand what is going on. What seems clear is there may be a deal between Washington and Moscow.

Q. What do you think of the Russian role, which seems to be so strong in the Middle East?

A. Russia knew how to play its hand, it knew what it wanted and was very clear from the outset what to do in Syria. It had a clear understanding, a clear vision. They had their own interests and objectives.

Q. It wanted to dominate the area?

A. I dont think they wanted to dominate all of Syria but part of Syria that was of interest to them. And they very successfully defended and protected it.

Q. Do you feel the U.S. should have been stronger?

A. I believe the American position on Syria was not clear, and it was not strong.

Q. Did that send a signal to the Russians?

A. Of course.

 Weymouth is a senior associate editor at The Washington Post.
Pramod Mishra is a biweekly columnist for The Kathmandu Post. He is the department chair of English Studies at Lewis University in the United States.
WASHINGTON  If all goes as planned, Ethan Miller will be standing among 100 people near one of the checkpoints to enter the inauguration viewing area on Friday, loudly chanting:

When Muslim communities are under attack, what do we do?. . . Stand up, fight back!

When Jewish communities are under attack, what do we do?. . . Stand up, fight back!

When immigrant communities are under attack, what do we do?. . . Stand up, fight back!

The group  a coalition of organizations that has come together under a name that speaks to a new shared cause, Communities Under Attack Fight Back  is just one of many planning to make itself heard to the crowds gathering to celebrate a Trump presidency. Tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to mark the day with shouts, marches and onstage speeches and performances. Signs have been made, art installations crafted and, in the case of one group, marijuana joints rolled.

Protest groups organized by Disrupt J20 are expected to gather at each of the dozen checkpoints that inauguration ticket holders will have to pass through, each demonstration speaking to a different cause. One will focus on LGBT rights. Another will center on racial justice.

Millers group, which will gather at 12th and E streets, will consists of people from the Muslim, Jewish and immigrant communities. Miller, 25, who is Jewish and grew up in Rockville, Md., said these are groups that havent always worked together in the past but now realize that we have to stand together.

This is really just the beginning, he said. Were taking a stand. Were speaking loudly. But ultimately were building a resilient movement that can outlast the inauguration.

In the days leading up to the inauguration, protests started with one group shutting down K Street in downtown Washington and gay rights advocates holding a dance party near the temporary home of Vice President-elect Mike Pence in Chevy Chase, complete with biodegradable glitter and the hashtags #WeAreQueer #WeAreHere #WeWillDance. The Womans March on Saturday also is expected to draw thousands of protesters.

It is unknown how many people will descend on the capital Friday but law enforcement officials are bracing for more than 60 demonstration groups, both in support of and against Trump. Of those, about a dozen have received permits for a specific gathering space. According to their permit requests, some of those groups are anticipating as few as 20 participants, and others are planning for tens of thousands.

Ben Becker, of the ANSWER Coalition, said that more than 45,000 people have indicated through social media an interest in joining the groups protest near the U.S. Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue. The group, which stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, plans to have a 28-foot stage and large sound system that will showcase speakers and performers throughout the morning and afternoon.

Were considering it the counterinauguration, Becker, 33, said. The main message is that there is going to be a grass-roots movement of resistance to the Trump agenda from day one of his presidency.

The group has thousands of signs ready to hand out. Among them are: Say no to racism, Stop the Trump Agenda and Inaugurate the Resistance.

Becker said his hope for the day, regardless of how many people show up, is that they leave feeling confident in their ability to stand up, fight back and organize.

Its not a one-day event, he said. Were calling it day one of a larger resistance movement.

Although some protesters have promised to disrupt events that day, Becker said his group is not anticipating any activity that will lead to arrests: We expect to be certainly loud and angry and audibly disruptive. But were not planning anything physically disruptive.

That is not the case with Disrupt J20, which describes its plans online as a series of massive direct actions that will shut down the Inauguration ceremonies and any related celebrations  the Inaugural parade, the Inaugural balls, you name it. Were also planning to paralyze the city itself, using blockades and marches to stop traffic and even public transit.

Lacy MacAuley, a spokeswoman for the group, said they have been working with other organizations to plan both permitted and unpermitted actions.

There will be people risking arrest, she said. In terms of what those protests will be, were not talking about that at this time.

The group, which expects more than 30,000 participants, also has planned a march from Union Station to McPherson Square, where they will have a stage and sound system. MacAuley said artists have also been working to make statement pieces, including elaborate puppets and a large wall that will speak to the one Trump has vowed to build along the border with Mexico.

Among the signs she has seen created so far, she said, some use Trumps name and possibly an expletive.

Not all of the demonstrations on Friday will be anti-Trump. Among those groups that requested permits for space are two organizations that support him: Bikers for Trump! and Let America Hear Us, Roar for Trump!

The latter will be sharing DuPont Circle with a group that did not request a permit but plans to set up there early Friday  DCMJ, which was formerly known as the D.C. Cannabis Campaign and was behind the successful effort to legalize marijuana in the District in 2015.

The group, which started rolling joints this month, plans to hand out 4,200 before marching to the Mall. Once there, those who get through the security checkpoints  an issue because it is illegal to possess marijuana on federal land, which includes the Mall  plan to light up four minutes and 20 seconds into Trumps speech.

Nikolas Schiller, co-founder of DCMJ, said the demonstration is not a protest of Trump, but a signal of wanting to work with him on fully legalizing cannabis in all 50 states and the District.

This about demonstrating to Trump that he has the power to change the law and do what Obama was not able to do, Schiller said. We believe cannabis legalization will create jobs, it will increase tax revenue, and it will also help fix the broken criminal justice.

As for the bikers they will be sharing space with Friday, he said, We hope some come on over and get a free joint.

At another park, Franklin Square, the Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign and the Revolutionary Road Radio Show will continue an event that started Thursday night with a series of speakers, including Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.

Organizer the Rev. Bruce Wright said that the area will serve as a place for people to eat, rest and find a medic if needed. And at night, once the parade is over, the stage will host musicians and performers.

At one point, weather permitting, it will be handed over to Seth Tobocman, a cartoonist from New York who will stand in front of a slideshow of his work. His latest piece will also be on display: a banner showing Trump threatening the Statue of Liberty with a missile.

Tobocman, 58, said that in college he was part of a five-person peace group, and during the Reagan administration he watched as people who disagreed with the president chose to say nothing. This time, he said he is encouraged by the protests.

Whats heartening to me is so many people want to go out and do something about this, he said. If Trump has done anything positive its that he created enough controversy that a lot of people are expressing themselves.



Perry Stein contributed to this report.



Womens March on Washington organizer emphasizes inclusivity

http://wapo.st/2iESEQo
When President-elect Donald Trump first nominated Rex Tillerson for secretary of state, several Democratic aides predicted that he would be advanced to the floor without a positive vote from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. They might have pegged the committee just right.

Tillersons stumbling during his confirmation hearing left Democrats angry (especially over his refusal to own up to past lobbying against sanctions on Russia) and Republicans somewhere between annoyed and unenthusiastic. Tillersons lack of directness and depth of understanding has made mustering enthusiasm for him difficult. (One wonders what Robert Gates, Condoleezza Rice and Stephen Hadley saw in him that impressed them enough to recommend him for arguably the most important Cabinet position.)

On CNN, chairman Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who did everything but race around to the witness table to answer Tillersons questions for him, seemed to confirm that the committee may well lack a majority for Tillerson. He said, I plan on moving Tillerson to the floor. Without getting into all the machinations, I would expect there to be a vote of Rex Tillerson on the floor and I expect him to be confirmed. Corker has every right to invoke that rarely deployed procedure.

A 2015 Congressional Research Service paper explained:

A committee considering a nomination has four options. It may report the nomination to the Senate favorably, unfavorably, or without recommendation, or it may choose to take no action at all. It is more common for a committee to take no action on a nomination than to report unfavorably. Particularly for policymaking positions, committees sometimes report a nomination favorably, subject to the commitment of the nominee to testify before a Senate committee. Sometimes, committees choose to report a nomination without recommendation. Even if a majority of Senators on a committee do not agree that a nomination should be reported favorably, a majority might agree to report a nomination without a recommendation in order to permit a vote by the whole Senate. It is rare for the full Senate to consider a nomination if a committee chooses not to report it and the committee is not discharged by unanimous consent.

In the case of John Bolton, the committee in 2005 voted 10-8 to advance his nomination as United Nations ambassador without a positive recommendation. At the time when the filibuster was still in place for executive nominations, he failed to win confirmation on the floor and instead was given a recess appointment.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., remains the key figure on Tillerson. He grilled Tillerson at the hearing, often displaying extreme frustration when Tillerson refused to answer straightforward questions, especially in the human rights realm. (South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, by contrast, crisply answered that yes, Russia and the Philippines had violated human rights, and yes, sanctions on Russia should continue.) Rubio still says he has not decided. Rubio finds himself caught between a desire to show spine in standing up to the president-elect and his need to stay in the good graces of the GOP base. If he knows the nomination will advance either way, he may figure a no vote would draw Trumps ire for nothing. Alternatively, he may figure that if the nomination goes through anyway, he can make a show of principle without dooming the nomination.

If Tillerson advances, all eyes turn to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.I am very concerned about someone who took a friendship award from Vladimir Putin, whos a butcher. Actually what Vladimir Putin is, hes a KGB agent. Thats all, McCain told CBS on Wednesday evening. Ive had concerns and Ive had several conversations with him. On Monday, he had said he was leaning in favor of Tillerson. McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., usually, but not invariably, vote in lock step on major foreign policy matters.

In short, Rubio, Graham and McCain could sink Tillerson. Doing so would express a strong preference for a nominee who can clearly articulate American values, has a foreign policy track record and/or does not give the perception that Vladimir Putin got the U.S. secretary of state he wanted. All three must wrestle with the concern that Trump could nominate someone worse, someone who views Russia precisely as Trump does or who expresses no appreciation whatsoever for our alliances or human rights. They must weigh competing concerns about holding up a key appointment, enraging Trump, sending a message to the new administration and seeming to embolden Putin. We should remember that in all of U.S. history, the Senate has turned down only nine executive branch nominations. Chances still favor Tillerson, but only barely.
WASHINGTON  Senate Democrats will allow votes to confirm two of President-elect Donald Trumps Cabinet nominees immediately after his inauguration Friday  but are promising to delay proceedings for many of the rest.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said that Democrats would agree to vote Friday on the nominations of defense secretary pick Gen. James Mattis and homeland security secretary choice Gen. John F. Kelly, both of whom have support on both sides of the aisle. Schumer added that Democrats would be willing to start debating Friday the nomination of CIA director nominee Michael Pompeo, as well, and vote on his nomination if time allows.

But Schumer added that if Trump doesnt send some of his other, more controversial nominees back to Senate committees for more questioning, Democrats will use the Senate floor to lob their complaints and questions about those nominees, potentially drawing out the process of confirming the Cabinet picks by several days each.

We will not be dilatory for the sake of it, Schumer said, adding: If Republicans continue to stonewall and cover up the serious issues that many of those nominees are trying to avoid, they should be prepared to have those debates on the floor of the full Senate.

Republicans have protested that they are putting Trumps nominees through the same committee process as President Barack Obamas nominees when he took office. They say that Democrats are asking for a comparatively unreasonable amount of time and paperwork  such as the tax returns of many nominees  as an attempt to keep Trump from getting his Cabinet installed in a timely fashion.

GOP leaders had hoped to hold confirmation votes for several more of Trumps nominees following his inauguration Friday afternoon.

But Democrats say there are real problems with Trumps nominees, particularly the wealthy ones, whose holdings and, in some cases, incomplete filings have raised questions about conflicts of interest.

Schumer accused Republicans of trying to jam through [Trumps] nominees and attempting to orchestrate a cover-up of the president-elects swamp Cabinet   a term Democrats have adopted to mock Trumps campaign promise to drain the swamp.

Democrats are somewhat hamstrung procedurally: Because of a 2013 rule change pushed through by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid, D-Nev., they cannot use a procedural filibuster for Cabinet nominations, a move that in the past could be used to require 60 votes to approve a nomination. But they can draw things out on the Senate floor, even if they ultimately fail in their effort to block nominees.

Certainly it would have been easier to defeat them had the rules not changed, but I still have some faith that when our Republican colleagues see whats here, theyre going to cringe, Schumer said.

Democrats want to use that time to highlight the many places in which certain Cabinet nominees part ways with Trump, as well as any conflicts of interest posed by financial holdings that Democrats believe are disqualifying. Schumer indicated there are at least eight Cabinet picks that are problematic enough to merit further scrutiny.

As examples of such problems, Schumer raised secretary of state nominee Rex Tillersons refusal to pledge to recuse himself from matters concerning ExxonMobil, where he served until recently as chief executive; education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos incomplete paperwork; treasury secretary nominee Steve Mnuchins initial omission of some offshore holdings from his paperwork; and legislation that health and human services secretary nominee Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., filed last year that seemingly benefited companies whose stock he had recently purchased.

Any prosecutor worth his salt knowing that fact would want an investigation, Schumer said.

But so far, Republicans do not seem to be parting ways with Trumps Cabinet picks in large enough numbers to threaten their fate on the Senate floor.

The biggest current threat appears to be to Tillerson, who leaders are not confident will get the full support of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when it votes on his nomination, likely Monday. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who sharply criticized Tillerson for his position on Russia and human rights issues during his confirmation hearing last week, has not said how he will vote.

But even if Tillerson does not win the support of a majority of the committee members, committee chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told reporters there are multiple ways to get his nomination through.

I see no way at present hes not going to be secretary of state, Corker told reporters.


New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Daniels announced Thursday that he will be stepping down as chief justice after this legislative session.

It was a surprise announcement he tagged on the end of an hour-long presentation to legislators explaining the grim financial situation the states judicial system is in.

Our judicial system is in crisis, Daniels told representatives and senators, along with fellow justices and judges from across the state, in his State of the Judiciary speech.

He said funding is so dire that the state will run out of money to pay for jury trials starting in March and there are several districts that are unable to prosecute crimes because of a lack of funding for public defenders  all clear violations of state and federal constitutions.

Daniels said the situation keeps him up at night.

But despite the dramatic funding issue, he told legislators that the judiciary is making progress for citizens of the state and he plans to stay on the court for another two to four years to see some of the progress through, namely last years implementation of a bail amendment that changes how judges can release defendants pending trial.

Newly-elected Justice Judith Nakamura is the next in line for the post, based on the rotating schedule among the justices. Daniels post would have ended in 2018.
PHOENIX  A man has been sentenced to two years of supervised probation with sex offender terms for secretly recorded his family in the bathroom of their Chandler home for several years.

Maricopa County Superior Court officials say 42-year-old Jason Travis Mekelburg was sentenced Thursday.

He pleaded guilty last month to two counts of attempting to commit unlawful viewing or tape recording.

The hidden camera was found in June 2016 by residents who moved in after the Mekelburgs.

Chandler police searched the house and found a DVR system in the attic and a camera mounting system in the master bedroom.

Court documents stated that there were more than 1,000 videos on the device and police estimated the videos were taken between 2011 and 2012.
BEIRUT  Syrian rebels are sending more than a dozen representatives next week to the capital of Kazakhstan for talks with government representatives, the first such negotiations between the two sides in a year.

But the loss of Aleppo, the election of Donald Trump and the pivot of Turkey toward Russia has left the opposition with very little room to maneuver.

Without much foreign support and with Syrias wider rebellion in crisis, the opposition will be negotiating for scraps, having been forced to take part in a Russia-led initiative that wont challenge President Bashar Assads hold on power.

They have no choice. With Trumps win, any lingering hope to push the West into increasing its rebel support is lost, said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

Mondays scheduled meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, highlights the dramatic changes in the year since the last talks broke down in Geneva.

Russias massive military intervention has unequivocally given Assad the upper hand, leaving his forces in control of Syrias major cities and key population centers.

In the most significant setback for the rebellion since the conflict in Syria began in March 2011, pro-government forces recaptured the northern city of Aleppo in December, ending the oppositions four-year hold on parts of Syrias largest and most important city. For the rebels, it was an emotional departure from a place that once represented the dream of a Syria free of Assad.

It will be difficult for them to recover from such a defeat.

Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdogan is embroiled in troubles at home and has moved closer to Russia recently, prioritizing the fight against Kurds and the Islamic State group over support for the Syrian rebels he has propped up for years. Instead, Ankara is leading Syrian opposition fighters in its own offensive against IS and Kurdish rebels in northern Syria.

On Friday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said his country has to be realistic and can no longer insist on any settlement for Syrias long-running war without Assad.

The Russians have dealt us a military defeat in Aleppo, said Yasser al-Youssef, a member of the political bureau of the Noureddin el-Zinki armed group, a major rebel group in northern Syria.

Now they are trying to deal us another defeat, politically, he said, referring to the conference in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.

The humiliating loss forced the rebel factions on Dec. 29 to sign a cease-fire deal in which they agreed to the talks with representatives of Assads government.

The Russians cast the talks as the first opportunity to bring opposition military leaders to the table. Officials have said the session initially would focus on strengthening the truce in Syria, which Russia brokered with Turkey and Iran, and would help pave way for prospective talks in Geneva.

The negotiations will undoubtedly set the tone and agenda for future talks.

Vladimir Putins rush to establish a new political framework through organizing Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital are primarily designed to cement the Kremlins position as the architect of a political solution, said Ayham Kamel, Middle East and North Africa director at Eurasia Group.

He said Putins effort is set to eliminate any negotiating structure that would require Assads removal.

Week-long negotiations in Turkey ahead of the talks reflect deep disagreement among the rebels on the goals and purpose of attending. With few friends left, the armed opposition also has no significant lifeline beside Ankara, which also had sent its troops to Syria to lead an offensive against Islamic State militants and Kurdish fighters on its borders. Saudi Arabia, an early supporter of the uprising, has been embroiled in its own war in Yemen, drying up coffers amid lower oil prices. Qatar, another ally of the rebels, would still have to coordinate with Turkey to reach them.

Jamil al-Saleh, commander of the U.S.-backed Alezzah Army, praised Turkey for hosting nearly 3 million Syrian refugees and keeping the only remaining route for civilians and fighters to the outside world. They are the biggest ally, he said.

His group is sending two representatives to Astana. But al-Saleh said the delegates would pull out if there is no serious effort to form a transitional government and end Assads rule.

Al-Saleh said the ceiling for talks is to reinforce the cease-fire, open humanitarian corridors for besieged areas and create a mechanism to hold violators to account. Meanwhile, we are waiting for the U.S. to change its position, he added.

Another aim of Russia is to separate the rebels from the al-Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham group, which Moscow insisted on excluding from the cease-fire. The front is one of the most powerful groups and maintained close alliances with most of the other rebels at times of intense confrontations with pro-government forces.

Disassociating with the al-Qaida affiliate at a time of dwindling support could spell the end for many of the myriad armed groups. It also could spark tensions among the rebels.

You cant  try to drag the Syrian people toward a fourth front, said al-Youssef of the al-Zinki group, suggesting that giving up on the Fatah-al-Sham Front would further complicate the war and spell more radicalization.

Al-Zinki is one of the few groups that wont take part.

Another powerful group, Ahrar al-Sham, said it also wont participate in the talks because, among other things, excluding Fatah al-Sham is an attempt to divide the rebels.

If there are good results, the group said it will support the talks. But it added: It is a lie to say that now is the time for political action only. Now the battle is on, and the fields of jihad are calling for the lions of Islam.

But in a reflection of a highly volatile terrain, reports emerged Thursday of clashes between the two groups, which had been in talks to merge.

According to the opposition-run Qasioun news agency and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, fighters from Fatah al-Sham assaulted Ahrar al-Sham-controlled checkpoints and positions in Idlibs western countryside and arrested fighters from the Islamist group. The Fatah al-Sham Front, which has been advertising its suicide attacks in parts of Syria despite the cease-fire, also seized a crossing on the Syria-Turkey border, according to the monitoring group.

Ahrar al-Sham supporters have criticized the groups decision to boycott the talks, allegedly under pressure from the more powerful Fatah al-Sham.

The divisions came despite efforts by the opposition to coalesce.

The rebels are unlikely to find unity in defeat where they have not found it in victory, Landis said.

Part of the conversation now is how and when Assad leaves, but there seems to be tacit acceptance  or resignation  that the 51-year-old leader will stay for the time being.

An Arab diplomat said Turkey has pressed the opposition to attend the Astana meeting because it has a long-term interest in keeping a stake in Syria. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly.

Russia may be taking advantage of a weakened Erdogan and the transition in the U.S. to push the Syrian political process forward and target terrorist groups in Syria.

Assad said the talks will focus on the cease-fire and humanitarian assistance, and are unlikely to delve into political issues.

In remarks to Japanese broadcaster TBS TV, he said the conference offers armed groups a chance to join reconciliation initiatives through which the government has negotiated local surrenders, allowing fighters to either lay down arms or relocate.

We have no expectations from the Astana talks, but we have hopes that it becomes a forum for talks between all Syrian parties, Assad said.

___

Hashem Osseiran in Beirut contributed.
The foreclosure rate among outstanding mortgage loans in Albuquerque decreased to 1.61 percent in October, though foreclosure activity was still slightly higher than the national rate of 0.85 percent, according to a new report by global property information firm CoreLogic.

That rate was 0.68 percent percentage points lower than October 2015s number of 2.29 percent. New Mexicos foreclosure rate in October was 1.50 percent, down from 2.09 percent during the month from the previous year.

CoreLogic defines the foreclosure rate as the percentage of loans in some stage of the foreclosure process.

CoreLogic, which releases information with a two-month lag, also reports

The mortgage delinquency rate in Albuquerque  that is, the percentage of home loans that are more than 90 days delinquent  decreased in October to 3.49 percent. A year agoi, 4.47 percent of mortgage loans were delinquent, according to CoreLogic.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.  A federal appeals court affirmed the criminal conviction of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship on Thursday in connection with the deadliest U.S. mine disaster in four decades.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the concerns of coal industry associations that Blankenships conviction would set a new precedent putting many other coal executives at risk of being criminally prosecuted for common safety violations at their companies.

It was always the intention of Congress, the court said, to impose this risk and thus prevent mine operators from paying inexpensive fines rather than making expensive safety improvements.

The court said the evidence shows Massey was repeatedly cited for safety violations at West Virginias Upper Big Branch coal mine before the 2010 explosion that killed 29 men. In 2009 alone, the U.S. Mine Safety & Health Administration identified 549 violations there, the court noted.

Blankenship was aware of violations, receiving daily reports, Judge James Wynn wrote. Many concerned improper ventilation and accumulation of combustible materials.

Notwithstanding the numerous citations and warnings, defendant has a policy to invariably press for more production even at mines that he knew were struggling to keep up with the safety laws,' Wynn wrote. Chief Judge Roger Gregory and Senior Judge Andre Davis agreed.

Blankenship was convicted in 2015 of a misdemeanor, conspiring to violate the federal mining safety law, and sentenced to a maximum year in prison. The 66-year-old is scheduled for release May 10.

Blogging from a federal prison in California, he has called himself an American political prisoner.

His attorney William Taylor said they are reading the ruling and will decide their response in the coming days.

The three-judge panel rejected the argument by Blankenships attorneys that jury instructions about reckless disregard for the consequences of his decisions made it too easy to conclude that he willfully violated safety rules.

The court also rejected arguments by the Ohio, Illinois and Virginia coal associations that this willfulness standard represents an expansion of criminal law to the point that mere involvement of company management in certain affairs can serve as a basis, in whole or in part, for criminal prosecution.

Wynn wrote that Congress intended to bring conduct evidencing reckless disregard within the meaning of willfully.'

In particular, Congress imposed enhanced penalties in the Mine Safety Act because it found mine operators still find it cheaper to pay minimal civil penalties than to make the capital investments necessary to adequately abate unsafe or unhealthy conditions,' he wrote.

Holding mine operators personally criminally liable is meant to deter large corporations from choosing production over safety compliance because financial penalties wont do it, Wynn wrote.

Brandon Garrett, a University of Virginia law professor, said its an important decision because it has been so rare for corporate chief executives to be prosecuted. It is also important because it shows that you can sufficiently show that CEOs were involved in a corporate crime, he said.

Blankenship was also fined the $250,000 maximum permitted by law. He was acquitted of securities fraud at the six-week trial.

He didnt get anything what he deserved, said Pam Napper, whose son, nephew and brother died. Her son left a 19-month-old daughter, whos now 9 years old and often asks what her father was like. It was a slap on the hand.
PHOENIX  The widow of a Texas man fatally shot a year ago by a police officer at a Mesa hotel has filed a lawsuit seeking $75 million in damages, alleging that the killing was unprovoked and could have been avoided had officers done more investigation.

Laney Sweet said in her lawsuit filed Tuesday that reckless tactics used by officers when responding to a report of someone pointing a rifle out of a hotel window had contributed to death of 26-year-old Daniel Shaver of Granbury, Texas.

Shaver was shot by then-Officer Philip Brailsford in January 2016 as Shaver lay on the ground outside his hotel room and was ordered to crawl toward officers. Brailsford, who was later fired for violations of departmental policy, is charged with murder in Shavers death. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Officers say they believed Shaver, who tearfully pleaded with officers not to kill him, was reaching for a gun. Shaver wasnt armed when he was approached by officers but had two pellet guns in his room as part of his pest-control job.

David E. Wood, an attorney representing Sweet, wrote in the lawsuit that Shaver made no moves that justified lethal force. There was no reason for anyone to fire, Wood wrote. Daniel did nothing to warrant being shot.

This is the second lawsuit filed this month over Shavers death. Shavers parents alleged in a wrongful-death lawsuit that Brailsford had no reason to shoot their son.

Sweet filed her lawsuit against the city of Mesa, the team of officers who responded to the hotel call, and La Quinta Holdings, the parent company of the hotel in question.

Sweet alleges the leader of the team of officers gave confusing commands to Shaver while he was on the ground, encouraged overly aggressive reactions from his subordinates and handled the call as if there was an imminent threat of an active shooter.

The lawsuit said the hotel staff members who knew Shaver could have told officers that he wasnt a threatening person and therefore could have lowered officers expectations about the risks at the hotel. Sweet also alleged that officers should have gathered more information about the call before approaching Shaver.

The Mesa Police Department declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Michael Piccarreta, an attorney defending Brailsford in the criminal case, said his client should have never been charged in the criminal case.

The evidence that has been evolving in the criminal case demonstrates that Officer Brailsfords behavior complied with all the federal, state and local training and law in the area of use of deadly force, Piccarreta said.

A message left for La Quinta Holdings wasnt immediately returned Thursday.

___

Follow Jacques Billeaud at twitter.com/jacquesbilleaud. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/jacques-billeaud.
The state approved about $5.5 million for in job training funds for nearly 700 employees across the state since last August.

The Economic Development Department announced that the Job Training Incentive Program board approved the funds to help more than 30 New Mexico companies expand their workforces, adding 698 jobs, as well as upskills training for three existing employees and three internships.

JTIP helps our private sector grow, further diversifying our economy and helping advance our pro-business climate in New Mexico, Economic Development Secretary Matt Geisel said in a news release announcing the approval.

To qualify for JTIP, new or expanding companies must either create a product in New Mexico, or provide a nonretail service with 50 percent of the companys costumer or revenue base outside of the state. The eligible jobs must be full-time and year-round. The trainee must be a new hire to the company and have been a New Mexico resident for at least one year at any time prior to being hired.

JTIP Awards by month

December

 Amfabsteel, Inc., Bernalillo, 43 jobs, $608,868

 Safelite Solutions, LLC-Rio Rancho, two jobs, $33,592

October

 Alstate Steel, Inc., Albuquerque, 15 jobs, $98,170

 Little Toad Creek LLC, Silver City, six jobs, $67,432

 P4Q Electronics, Albuquerque, three jobs, $13,260

 American Gypsum Co., LLC, Bernalillo, 28 Jobs, $345,574.40

 MrOwl.com, Albuquerque, one job, $17,833.96

 Safelite Solutions, LLC, Rio Rancho, 267 jobs, $917,310

 PCM Sales, Inc., Rio Rancho, 106 jobs, $755,360.16

 SK Infrared, LLC, Albuquerque, one job, $24,835.24

 Ryan, LLC, Albuquerque, two jobs, $27,748.80

 BabyPage, LLC, Albuquerque, four jobs, $53,160

 Rural Sourcing, Inc., Albuquerque , 16 jobs, $246,221.08

 Mako Medical Laboratories, LLC, Albuquerque, four jobs, $57,134

 Whoos Donuts, Santa Fe, 10 jobs, $35,800

 Century Automotive Services Corporation, Albuquerque, 11 jobs, $83,236

 Old Wood, LLC, Las Vegas, 15 jobs, $72,712

 Niagara Bottling, LLC, Los Lunas, 41 jobs, $530,263.92

September

 CSI Aviation, Inc., Albuquerque, eight jobs, $114,429.08

 Clock Shark LLC, Albuquerque, nine jobs, $160,981.44

 Electronic Technical Services, Inc., Albuquerque, three jobs, $8,500

 PCM Sales, Inc.  Rio Rancho, six jobs, $88,127.52

August

 Medicus Billing & Consulting, Las Vegas, six jobs, $50,920

 Qynergy Corporation, Albuquerque, three jobs, $41,959.12

 Boese Brothers Brewing, LLC, Albuquerque, one job, $7,500

 Insight Lighting, Inc., Rio Rancho, one job, $33,312.28

 Plenish, Inc., Taos, eight 8 jobs, $53,480

 Lavu, Inc., Albuquerque , 16 jobs, $284,303.76

 Mako Medical Laboratories, LLC, Albuquerque, four jobs, $20,840

 New Mexico Milling, Farmington, 19 jobs, $265,089.12

 Positive Energy Solar, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Cruces 17 jobs, $155,294, 2 interns, $14,784

 Optomec, Inc., Albuquerque, one job, $13,373.28 (Amendment)

 Rural Sourcing, Inc., Albuquerque, four jobs $67,081.61, 1 intern $3,840 (Amendment)

 PCM Sales, Inc., Rio Rancho, five jobs, $74,424.68 (Amendment)

 UbiQD, Inc., Los Alamos, one job, $20,020 (Amendment)

 Unity BPO, Inc., Albuquerque, 14 jobs, $41,961.60
Trade deficit balloons to Rs352b in first 5 months

Nepals trade deficit ballooned by 87.6 percent in the first five months of the fiscal year, as the import bill more than doubled and exports slowed to a crawl.
ROME  In the darkness under tons of snow, the survivors reached for their only lifeline. From their phones, text messages were punched out to 112, the Italian emergency response number.

Help, one couple wrote after their hotel was buried in an earthquake-triggered avalanche, were dying of cold.

But when rescuers on Thursday finally reached the resort  swallowed by a wall of white that roared down the Gran Sasso mountains in central Italy a day earlier  there was only silence from under the crush of snow, rocks and splintered fir trees.

A handful of survivors waited in what was left of the Hotel Rigopiano. They included a man who was getting something from the family car just when the avalanche hit. Trapped below were his wife and two children. They were among up to 30 people listed as missing.

At least three bodies were found Thursday, as hopes for the others who were trapped faded hour by hour.

There are so many dead, Antonio Crocetta of a local alpine rescue workers group told Italys state-run news agency ANSA. The avalanche was huge.

Crews were working nonstop through the night to clear roads and a space in front of the hotel for vehicles and search-and-rescue teams, said Carlo Torlontano, vice prefect of Pescara, a city about 30 miles east of the resort. He was noncommittal on hopes of finding survivors.

It was a disaster whose proportions and aftermath were set by twin blows from nature  in a region still trying to recover from major quakes last summer that toppled centuries-old buildings and nearly wiped out some villages.

The mountains of the Abruzzo region were battered by huge snowfall in recent days. Another storm hit Wednesday, dumping a fresh layer on the slopes. Then a series of moderate quakes was enough to unleash the deadly snowslide, experts say.

The avalanche also blocked the only twisting road to the four-star spa and hotel, built in an alpine glen at nearly 4,000 feet.

Some rescuers used skis, and others were dropped by helicopter. The first rescue crews started to dig with shovels. Meanwhile, plows struggled to carve a route along the snow-choked access road to bring in heavy equipment.

Images from the scene showed hallways choked with snow, which also punched into the hotel lobby and buried tall peaked roofs. A frosty mist that had settled over the area slowly began to lift.

The mist is easing now, said Pierpaolo Petrucci, a representative in the regional assembly. And when the mist dissipates, the ugliness appears.

Among the survivors was Giampaolo Parete, 38, who told rescuers that he had gone to his car when the avalanche hit. His wife and two children were buried inside, ANSA reported.

I saved myself because Id gone to pick something up from the car, he said. The avalanche came and I was buried by snow, but I managed to get out. The car was not buried, so I stayed there and waited for rescue operators.

Quintino Marcella, a restaurant owner, told the channel Sky TG24 that he received a call from one of his chefs, who was visiting the hotel. The chef escaped but said his wife and two children were trapped inside.

He calls me and says: Help me, an avalanche has hit, and the hotel isnt there anymore. Its disappeared. Its buried,  Marcella said.

Help, help, help, help, the chef cried to Marcella.

The list of the missing included a young couple from Italys eastern Marche region, another couple from the Abruzzo city of Chieti and a family with a 7-year-old boy, Italian media reported.

Ilario Lacchetta, mayor of the nearby town of Farindola, said the toll could have been much worse if it had been a weekend, when more guests are normally at the hotel, which he called the jewel of the regions crown.

Last Sunday, the Hotel Rigopiano had 200 guests, staff included  [on Wednesday] there were between 20 and 30 people, including some kids, Lacchetta told La Stampa newspaper.

The earthquake-prone region was hit Wednesday by at least three tremors with a magnitude of about 5.7, prompting the avalanche. There have been heavy snowstorms throughout the area as well.

Around here it does snow a lot, but not even the elderly can remember such a thing. If you add the snowstorm to the earthquake, you can understand how it all became difficult  we face two tragedies that could not have been foreseen, Lacchetta said.

Primo di Nicola, editor of the local newspaper Il Centro, described some of the Abruzzo region as basically offline, with roads blocked by snow and toppled trees. No water, no power, inaccessible roads, he told The Washington Post.

In some areas, Italian authorities opened police stations and military barracks for people without heat or electricity.

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni  facing criticism for the delays in reaching the hotel  blamed the recent record snowfall and urged political leaders to multiply their efforts to aid the Abruzzo region.

Gian Gabriele Ori, a geological expert at Gabriele dAnnunzio University in Chieti, said the alpine forests in the region are normally enough to hold deep snow in place. But heavy snowfall and high winds in recent days probably had created a more unstable snowpack, he added.

The earthquake was the spark that set in motion the avalanche, whose speed and force toppled the forest and then [hit] the hotel with destructive power, he said.

Central Italy has been struck by several earthquakes since August, when the historic centers of many towns were leveled, killing 300. Substantial aftershocks also occurred in October.



Schemm reported from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Murphy from Washington.
A female soldier is expected to join the Armys elite 75th Ranger Regiment this spring, service officials said, a first as the U.S. military begins to integrate women into its Special Operations forces.

The woman, whose identity was withheld by the Army, became in December the first female soldier to pass the services Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (RASP), which is held at Fort Benning, Georgia, and designed to weed out soldiers who are not capable of meeting the Ranger regiments intense missions and demands.

The Army declined to release the soldiers rank, but she was one of three women who went to a 21-day version of the course known as RASP 2 that was established for troops who are staff sergeants and above. It includes training on special tactics, equipment and missions that make the regiment unique, according to the service.

The other version of RASP is eight weeks long, designed for lower-ranking enlisted soldiers, and teaches small-unit tactics, medical treatment and other skills needed on the battlefield.

Throughout the course all candidates will be screened to ensure that only the best Soldiers are chosen for service in the Ranger Regiment, according to an Army recruiting website. Regardless of the course, all candidates must meet the course requirements in order to serve in the Ranger Regiment.

Army Lt. Col. Robert Bockholt, a spokesman for Army Special Operations Command, said the woman will join the regiment, considered to be the Armys premier light-infantry raid force, after completing her assignment with her current unit. The news was first reported Wednesday night by the military website Task & Purpose, which said the woman is an officer who serves in a combat support role.

Women have previously served in units that were considered attached to Ranger operations, most famously in Cultural Support Teams that deployed to Afghanistan and sent female soldiers on overnight raids to search women and collect information. But no women has ever considered a part of the regiment. No women have yet passed indoctrination courses for other ground Special Operations forces, such as the Navy SEALs and the Raiders of Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC).

The new assignment will come more than a year after outgoing Defense Secretary Ash Carter opened all combat jobs to women who can meet the requirements in place to hold them. That occurred after three women graduated from the Armys grueling Ranger School at Fort Benning in 2015, a step that was often cited by advocates for full gender integration ahead of Carters decision.

Completing Ranger School is a requirement to join the 75th Ranger Regiment, but it is foremost considered a leadership school for the service members who attend and often includes students who have no intention of joining the regiment.
PHOENIX  The new sheriff of metro Phoenix plans to bring back a SWAT team that focused on handling dangerous jail inmates and was eliminated by his predecessor.

Sheriff Paul Penzone says he will create a new Special Response Team to protect jail officers against violence by inmates.

Then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio folded the team in September as part of $8 million in budget cuts to cover skyrocketing legal costs from a racial-profiling case against the agency.

Some rank-and-file jail officers who had to pick up the duties of the team complained Arpaio had compromised officer safety by ending the team.

Arpaios office, just days before the November election, insisted the team hadnt been disbanded.

Penzone says the agency had no such team was in place when he took office on Jan. 1.
The party in the otherwise quiet Washington neighborhood had gotten loud by the time D.C. police officers Andre Parker and Anthony Campanale arrived.

Several women were dressed only in bras and thongs, with money in their garter belts. The unoccupied residence in Anacostia appeared to have been turned into a strip club, the officers thought. The partygoers said they had been invited by a woman named Peaches, although some knew her as Tasty. In the end, Parker and Campanale arrested 21 people.

The legal wrangling that followed those arrests in 2008 resulted in a nearly $1 million award against the officers and the city, and divided the judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. On Thursday, the case made it onto the Supreme Courts docket.

The court announced that it will consider whether there was probable cause for the officers to make the arrests  the partygoers said they were invited to the house, and they were never prosecuted  and whether the officers deserve immunity for their actions.

The case appears to have split the Supreme Court justices. They considered nine times whether to accept the case before agreeing to review it.

It is unclear whether it will be considered in the courts current term or held over for the term that begins in October.

D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine told the justices in a petition that the court of appeals decision  finding that the officers lacked probable cause for the arrests because the partygoers said they were not trespassing but were guests of Peaches  failed to reflect the real world in which police officers function.

The court of appeals decision undercuts an officers ability to use his or her experience, judgment, and direct observations to assess the credibility of a suspects innocent explanation, Racine wrote. Officers will second-guess themselves and forgo enforcement of the law, fearing that a judge, far removed from the scene and years later, might make a different credibility judgment and then hold them personally liable.

Sixteen of the 21 people arrested sued after no charges were brought. A district judge ruled against the police officers, saying that nothing about what the police learned at the scene suggests that the [partygoers] knew or should have known that they were entering against the property owners will.

After a trial, the partygoers were awarded $680,000 and the police officers were ordered to pay attorney costs, which brought the total to just under $1 million.

A divided panel of the appeals court upheld the award. And two judicial heavyweights on the court, liberal Cornelia T.L. Pillard and conservative Brett M. Kavanaugh, squared off over whether the entire circuit should review the decision.

Kavanaugh said the panels opinion eroded the protection for police officers who may make an honest mistake when trying to carry out their duties.

Two D.C. police officers have been held liable for a total of almost $1 million, Kavanaugh said in a statement joined by three other judges who wanted to rehear the case. That equates to about 20 years of after-tax income for the officers, not to mention the harm to their careers. For what? For arresting for trespassing a group of people who were partying late at night with drugs and strippers in a vacant house that the partiers did not own or rent.

But Pillard replied that the panels opinion did not change existing protections for police officers at all.

Our opinion does not ignore or weaken that important protection, which gives officers the necessary breathing room to perform their difficult, dangerous jobs and safeguard the public, she said. It simply finds that a reasonable officer could not conclude, based on the information before these particular officers, that there was probable cause.

Ted J. Williams, an attorney for Theodore Wesby and the others who were arrested, had told the Supreme Court that it did not warrant the justices attention.

Under D.C. law, a person is guilty of unlawful entry only if he knew or should have known that he was entering the property against the will of the lawful occupant or of the person lawfully in charge of the property, Williams wrote. In this case, the partygoers had been invited by Peaches, a woman whom they reasonably believed to be its lawful occupant.

The case is District of Columbia v. Wesby.
Highlighting the complex dynamics of human relationships, COLORS brings to its viewers its first offering of 2017, Dil Se Dil Tak. The story traces the lives of much-in-love married couple, Parth (Sidharth Shukla) and Shorvori Bhanushali (Rashmi Desai) and their disparities with their family who opposes their inter-cultural marriage. However, fate has something else planned for them as their lives get intertwined with Teni (Jasmin Bhasin) making way for unforeseen obstacles challenging their destinies. Produced by Shashi Sumeet Productions, Dil Se Dil Tak will showcase the intricacies of human relationships starting 30th January, 2017 and air every Monday to Friday at 10:30 PM on COLORS

Commenting on the launch of the show, Manisha Sharma, Programming Head  COLORS said, The most interesting relationships are those which we never expect to be in, yet their importance in our lives cannot remain unacknowledged. Dil Se Dil Tak showcases that some emotions are evoked by relationships that are unnamed; relationships that are brought to us by destiny. With this show, COLORS reunites with Shashi Sumeet Productions to narrate the story of Parth and Shorvori as unforeseen complications in their married life ties their fate with Teni. The stark differences in their culture and upbringing make for many interesting trysts that promise to leave a lasting impact on the hearts and minds of the audience.

Set against the culturally rich Gujarati backdrop of Baroda, Dil Se Dil Tak recollects the journey of newly married couple, Shorvori and Parth Bhanushali whose love for each other and their families transcends all boundaries. Owing to Shorvoris Bengali roots and contrasting backgrounds, she finds herself rejected by Parths family. But the power of love keeps them together and gives them the impetus to lead a happy life. But, it is when a chance visit to a temple to pray for each others and their familys wellbeing that their incomplete destinies are tied together with Teni, a spunky ex-bar dancer who believes that her future, and lots of money, lies for her in the US. Despite typical Gujarati demeanour and thick accent, Teni cultivates a relationship with Parth and Shorvori which they cannot acknowledge or describe to their family. Her association with them, though, is for a reason that they hope will reunite them with their family.

Speaking about the show further, producer Sumeet Mittal of Shashi Sumeet Productions Ltd. said, With Dil Se Dil Tak, we are looking at highlighting those unconventional relationships that are created and sustained owing to certain life experiences which most people are uncomfortable talking about. The storyline focuses on not only a love-filled relationship shared by a husband and his wife, but also societys judgement of other bonds that they might foster. Given the topic that we are exploring, we have roped in seasoned actors like Sidharth Shukla, Rashmi Desai and Jasmin Bhasin owing to their ability to convincingly portray even the most complicated characters on television. This is our second association with COLORS and, together, we have gone above and beyond in terms of scale and production quality to add authenticity to the concept and relating the emotions that an untagged relationship brings with it.

Commenting on portraying Parths character, actor Sidharth Shukla said, Dil Se Dil Taks narrative speaks about the mutual trust and respect that captures a heart, entwining two souls together forever. Parth is a family-oriented man who is willing to go to any extent to bring a smile on Shorvoris face and happiness to his family. It is this trait of his personality that makes him truly endearing; he only seeks the happiness of his beloved ones.

Speaking about essaying Shorvori, actor Rashmi Desai said, Happiness often sneaks in a door you did not even know existed, making the greatest things also the most unexpected. Deeply in love, Shorvori also acknowledges that her marriage to Parth has damaged his relationship with his family, and she really wants to repair it. With her dedication to go to any length for Parth and his family's happiness, she hopes to reunite them some day.

Adding further, Jasmin Bhasin aka Teni said, Teni has only one motivation  to live a life free of obligations with loads of money in it and be happy finally because she has suffered a lot in past. She believes that moving to a different country will help her out. But, unknown to her, her destiny is tied to Parth and Shorvori, and this inadvertently brings her close to the Bhanushali family.

Along with Sidharth Shukla, Rashmi Desai and Jasmin Bhasin, Dil Se Dil Tak will feature a stellar line-up of artists. These include actors like Tej Sapru as Dadaji (Parths grandfather), Dolly Mattu as Ambika (Parths grandmother), Sachin Parikh as Ramnik Bhanushali (Parths father), Vaishnavi McDonald as Indu Bhanushali (Parths mother), Urvashi Upaddhyay as Poyni (Aunt), Karan Godwani as Suyog (Parths cousin brother), Pooja Sharma as Forum (Parths sister-in-law), Himani Sharma as Sejal (Parths cousin sister), Khyati Keswani as Dr. Jalpa (Aunt), Jignesh Joshi as Dr. Bharat and many more.

COLORS has devised an extensive 360-degree integrated marketing and digital campaign for Dil Se Dil Tak reaching out to the shows target audience at various touchpoints on conventional platforms and social media.

What is destinys plan for Shorvori, Parth and Teni? Will their relationship find a name?

Watch Dil Se Dil Tak to find out

Starting January 30th 2017, Monday to Friday at 10:30 pm only on COLORS
Having pioneered the internet communications and online marketing space for over 18 years, Netcore has transformed its brand identity to reflect the seismic changes in the ever-changing marketing technology landscape. Today, Netcore seeks to be a marketers pathfinder through innovative and intelligent marketing automation solutions, with a goal to create infinite experiences for its ever growing list of marquee clients.

With the arrival of smartphones, the balance of power has shifted from marketers to consumers. It is the age of the customer and todays customers demand personalised, relevant and engaging experiences. To help their clients create customer delight and achieve their strategic business goals, Netcore had created Indias first and leading full-spectrum omni-channel marketing automation solution in 2015 that puts customer experience at the center of marketing strategy. This philosophy is captured in the companys new tagline Experience the Infinite and its new logo which features the infinity symbol at its center.

The company has built a profitable track record and has witnessed 40 per cent year-on-year growth over the past 5 years. With an employee strength of more than 450; serving over 3000 brands as clients along with over 50 Netcore Smartech Clients, Netcore is Indias largest digital marketing company enabling

7 billion customer connects across various sectors through email, SMS, mobile, push notifications and digital marketing solutions. Given the industry expected growth estimates of about 340 million smartphones and over 225 million Facebook users in 2017, it is critical for brand owners to explore the power of Netcores infinite marketing and gain a first mover advantage in the market.

Commenting on the new brand identity, Rajesh Jain, Founder and Managing Director, Netcore Solutions, said, The company has led from the front with innovative services throughout, starting from way back in 1998. Over the years, we have kept our promise to evolve with the markets needs by introducing email marketing, mobility (SMS, IVR and voice based) marketing to Indias first and leading cross-channel marketing automation platform (Netcore Smartech) that helps brands create personalised and real-time customer experiences. How do I make every customer feel special?  Thats the direction in which marketing has started to move. And we have got some very interesting early case studies including from companies like HDFC Life, Pfizer, Cover Fox, Lemon Tree Hotels, among others.

Providing an industry perspective, Kalpit Jain, CEO, Netcore Solutions said, As per the latest NASSCOM report, Indian players share in the global Martech industry can grow to USD 45-55 billion by 2025. This is the age of the connected consumer. So, brands must shift their primary focus from the traditional, unidirectional, one-to-many broadcast style of marketing and move to one-to-one, interactive, and hyper-personalised communication and conversations with their target customers. Our feedback from marketers told us that the most important need is to enable personalisation at scale. And so we created Netcore Smartech - our proprietary, full-spectrum, omni-channel marketing automation solution, which can help marketers get their job done to map customer journeys and thereby create rewarding customer experiences on a one-to-one basis.

Kamini Rupani, Chief Marketing Officer, Netcore Solutions opined, When we introduced Smartech in 2015, it evangelized the marketing technology industry in India. Our value proposition to our customers has evolved greatly, and so we decided to give our brand a completely new visual expression and fly a new flag. Netcores services have grown phenomenally in size, scale and impact, and our brand personality too has evolved to reflect that growth and promise. Netcore projects a brands personality which is agile, reliable, intelligent, empathetic, and resourceful. With Netcore Smartech, the possibilities are infinite, and we can give our customers infinite experiences. That is not just the promise of Smartech, it is also our motto.
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 18, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has the potential to compete with any country, including China by its textile production, Armenpress reports Sasstex representative told reporters on January 18. Particularly in Shirak, in the sidelines of Vartan Sirmakess investment project, Sasstex company tries to restore the once powerful textile industry.

Prior to putting into operation Gyumris garment factory, training workshops are already open in two communities of the province: Artik and Amasia. Here specialists will be trained to work at the factories of Gyumri and Artik. Sasstex director Christian Geleji vows to create 300-500 jobs only in Gyumri. The Government of Armenia has allocated the premise of the former provincial hospital and the surrounding area to the company to foster its activities.

The company reconstructs the premise and builds new houses to get rid of the huts in the area. 16 families living in those huts will receive new houses.

To the question if in the future it will be possible to exclude Turkish-made textile from Armenia, Christian Geleji answered that it is the responsibility of the Government, but stated that the special workwear clothing produced in Shirak is of rather high quality and in the near future they will also cooperate with the prominent ZARA brand.

Currently, construction and reconstruction works of the garment factory are underway. Speaking about the delay of launching Gyumris factory, the Sasstex director noted that it is mainly connected by the huts in the area.

The most difficult issue is to make people work after 25 years of idle period. We have great potentials in Armenia and are able to compete with any country, but we have to teach our people how to overcome the idle period, the Diaspora-Armenian businessman said.

Armenuhi Mkhoyan
Forty-nine statesall but Missouriand the District of Columbia track controlled substance dispensing to thwart doctor shopping, the seeking of addictive or dangerous drugs from multiple doctors or pharmacists.

About a third require veterinarians to report to state databases when they dispense controlled substances, whereas about 40 require reports from dispensing physicians.

The opioid problem nationwide only serves to reinforce our role in ensuring that opioids dont enter inappropriately into the community. Dr. John Kuehn, a Nebraska state senator and large animal veterinarian

Alabama and Arizona have removed reporting requirements for veterinarians since the start of 2016, while Nebraska has formed a task force on implementing requirements starting in 2018, reflecting debate over whether the risk justifies the reporting burden. By one studys tally, national annual counts of doctor shoppers at veterinary clinics are in the single digits.

Dr. John Kuehn, a Nebraska state senator and large animal veterinarian, said veterinarians have professional obligations to the public to ensure appropriate drug use and help address a public health crisis.

The opioid problem nationwide only serves to reinforce our role in ensuring that opioids dont enter inappropriately into the community, he said.

He added that veterinarians should be aware that their clinics can be a source of abused drugs.

Those of us in the large animal world have dealt with this issue with ketamine for quite some time, he said.

Rise in overdoses

Drug overdose deaths have tripled since 1999, and prescription opioid deaths have quadrupled, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 500,000 people died from overdoses of prescription and illegal drugs from 2000-2014. In 2014, about 1.5 times as many people died from overdoses as from car collisions.

States have responded, in part, by implementing prescription drug monitoring programs, or PDMPs, which CDC information indicates have had promising results.

New York and Tennessee, for example, began requiring in 2012 that prescribers check their states monitoring programs before prescribing opioids, and in 2013, the numbers of people who saw multiple prescribers for the same drugs declined by 75 percent and 36 percent, respectively.

But one national survey of drug monitoring programs, regulators, and veterinary associations found that, in a typical year, fewer than 10 people were doctor shopping at U.S. veterinary clinics, and veterinarians are a de minimus source of controlled substances. The article was written by Dr. Robert J. Simpson, then president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Law Association.

When the known cases were adjusted based on state populations, there was an estimated one case per 30 million people, or 6.5 cases per year, in the United States, he wrote.

Examples include an Ohio woman who visited five veterinarians to receive diazepam for a small dog said to have anxiety problems and a North Carolina woman who visited 24 veterinarians 180 times in one year to obtain butorphanol for a dog that she claimed had a prior prescription.

Dr. Simpsons article also described several scams used to gain various drugs from veterinarians: requests for controlled substances to calm a high-spirited horse during transportation, increase alertness and aggression in a guard or show dog, or aid weight loss in an overweight pet.

But he also wrote that the incidence of veterinary prescription drug diversion is infinitesimal, and requiring reports from veterinarians to PDMPs is superfluous.

However, Barbara L. Carreno, a spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said doctor shopping is a substantial problem for veterinary clinics, and the DEA is tracking reports. Veterinarians also have to deal with theft and misuse by employees, burglary, and possibly robbery.

All the things that apply to a human doctor apply to a pet doctor, she said.

She noted that addicts seek tramadol from veterinarians because it works in humans and has low cost, as well as narcotics such as benzodiazepines and hydrocodone. The DEA recommends vigilance, good record keeping, and secure storage.

Quoting a DEA colleague, Carreno said, Addicts are very good at getting drugs.

Against reporting

Dr. Larry Stutts, an Alabama state senator who worked in mixed animal practice before becoming a physician, proposed the legislation that removed reporting requirements for the states dispensing veterinarians, effective Aug. 1, 2016.

I felt it was an unnecessary interference with the private practitioners in the state, he said.

He said the nation has an opioid abuse epidemic and isnt so naive to think no veterinarians were involved.

But as a whole, veterinarians play a very minor, insignificant role in diversion of narcotics, he said.

Dr. Brad Fields, assistant executive director of the Alabama VMA, also said the data collection on veterinary drugs was an undue burden.

It wasnt valid or valuable data to the Department of Public Health and the PDMP program, he said. There hasnt been any doctor shopper identified in the veterinary world through the PDMP.

Veterinarians were required to report prescriptions issued, starting with the databases implementation in April 2006. Dr. Fields said veterinary clinics lack the standardized software used by physicians and pharmacists to report dispensing, so veterinarians reports were more labor-intensive.

Dr. Simpsons article notes that veterinary practice management software systems are incompatible with many states PDMP reporting protocols, requiring that veterinarians submit reports through alternative means such as online forms or hard copies. The labor required for data entry in clinics and state offices was considered in excluding veterinarians from Kentuckys PDMP, he wrote.

On doctor shopping at U.S. veterinary clinics:

When the known cases were adjusted based on state populations, there was an estimated one case per 30 million people, or 6.5 cases per year, in the United States. Dr. Robert J. Simpson, in a 2014 article published in the Journal of Animal and Environmental Law, while he was president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Law Association

In addition, Alabamas database lacked unique identifiers for veterinary patients, Dr. Fields said. Prescriptions for humans are tied to Social Security numbers, but information on animal patients is tied only to pet names out of concern that adding information to an owners medical records could violate federal privacy laws, he said.

Dr. Fields also contends that seeking drugs from veterinary clinics requires bringing in an animal with clinical signs and the money to cover examination fees.

I think the potential certainly exists, he said. I mean, anybody would be a fool to say it doesnt happen in the veterinary world, but its much more difficult.

The New York State VMS has issued a statement that the 2013 regulations broke a promise that veterinarians would be exempted from reporting requirements.

The NYSVMS continues to maintain, in its most vehement and aggressive manner, that this regulatory change exposes pets in New York State to unnecessary suffering, is an unnecessary drain on veterinarians (sic) resources, and increases the regulatory burden placed on small businesses in rural areas where access to 24-hour pharmacy services is unavailable, the statement reads.

Bill Christian, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Health, said data on controlled substances dispensed by veterinarians were unavailable, since veterinary prescriptions are not distinguished from other entries in the states Controlled Substance Monitoring Database. But, he said, all data in the database are making an impact in how we address the opioid epidemic.

In a March 2013 newsletter, thenKansas VMA president Dr. Tom Jernigan wrote that a five-year state government study found veterinarians should not be included in the state prescription drug monitoring program. A six-member task force, comprising two representatives each from the Kansas Board of Pharmacy, Kansas Board of Veterinary Examiners, and KVMA, conducted the study.

The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, in a 2011 report to the state legislature, found that the boards evidence did not support requirements that veterinarians report when they dispense controlled substances for outpatient administration. That report also indicates veterinarians routinely dispense these types of drugs in low quantities for short treatment durations and that 5 percent of veterinarians responding to a survey had seen overt doctor shopping.

In the Fall 2014 newsletter of the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine, Barbara Carter, prescription drug monitoring program manager for the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, wrote that veterinarians still could look up prescribing histories through the state database to help reduce availability of controlled substances for misuse or diversion, ongoing problems in the state. She noted that includes misuse or diversion of tramadol.

Veterinarians can be unknowingly targeted by individuals diverting or using controlled substances for nonmedical purposes, she wrote. Veterinarians in Minnesota are now also legally required to report any employees suspected to be diverting.

Minimizing risk

Sherry Green, president of the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws, which drafts and analyzes drug and alcohol laws, policies, and regulations, said those misusing or selling drugs for nonmedical purposes tend to take the path of least resistance for acquiring those drugs. As states close routes to obtaining medications, addicts and sellers will choose others, she said. For that reasons, she supports requiring reports from all dispensers.

Green acknowledges she has seen no evidence of substantial diversion through veterinarians offices, and she would expect to have seen reports, studies, and discussions with colleagues if it were happening. That tells her veterinary clinics are not the easiest diversion route.

You may not have a lot of diversion going on now, but, as you eliminate other opportunities and as you strengthen the monitoring, that suddenly may become a route that looks viable to someone whos trying to get their hands on the drugs, she said.

While Green acknowledged the difficulties described by Dr. Fields in gaining veterinary prescription drugs, she said addicts and drug sellers consider risks and opportunities, including using animals toward their ends and stealing money to cover clinic fees. Severity of addiction or profit motive determines how hard someone looks for opportunities to feed those needs, she said, citing increases in drug seeking across state lines as some states implemented monitoring programs and recent concerns that legal exemptions for nursing homes were enabling diversion through home-based care.

She wants further consideration of how states could prevent veterinary clinics from becoming targets without undue burden. She said reporting by dispensers benefits all prescribers.

Rhode Island has had about 1,200 overdose deaths since 2011, exceeding the combined deaths from car crashes, shootings, and fires, according to information published by the governors office in July 2016. The state requires dispensing reports from veterinarians.

Peter Karczmar, MD, the 2014-15 president of the Rhode Island Medical Society and husband of Dr. Cathy Lund, alternate representative from Rhode Island in the AVMA House of Delegates, was among those who helped incorporate the reporting and checking mechanism into the states medical system. He also has confronted patients after seeing their prescription history in the database.

Dr. Karczmar said veterinarians need to be involved in efforts to reduce the risks of controlled substance abuse.

I think its important for veterinarians to understand there is a significant potential for diversion of controlled substances, he said.

You may not have a lot of diversion going on now, but, as you eliminate other opportunities and as you strengthen the monitoring, that suddenly may become a route that looks viable to someone whos trying to get their hands on the drugs. Sherry Green, president, National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws

Dr. Lund, who described Rhode Islands requirements during an open discussion at the AVMA HOD regular annual session in August 2016, said in a later interview that the monitoring program has been important in dealing with the drug overdose crisis in Rhode Island, and physicians worked with veterinarians as colleagues in developing the solution.

Patrick Knue, director of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Training and Technical Assistance Center at Brandeis University, noted that, in the minority of states that require veterinarians report controlled substances dispensed, some are unable to identify fraud at veterinary clinicsespecially when it is performed under multiple pet names. With programs that track prescriptions by the owners addresses, he said, veterinarians can at least use that information to see how many prescriptions are going to one residence.

Its actually not evidence of anything, he said. Its just an indicator.

He and colleagues at the center were unable to find any studies or research related to veterinarians use of prescription drug monitoring programs or potential diversion or abuse. From his previous experience working on Texas prescription drug monitoring program, he remembers only a few reports of inventory theft and improper ordering by clinic staff.

Burden and responsibility

The Nebraska state governments 10-member Veterinary Prescription Monitoring Program Task Force began studying in 2016 the types of drug dispensing that veterinarians should be required to report when their participation in the states drug monitoring program becomes mandatory in January 2018.

Dr. Kuehn, the state senator, is chair of the task force, which he said is deliberating on how to make reporting work well for veterinarians and accomplish the PDMP goals. In mid-December 2016, he said that conflicts within the task force had delayed the report past its Dec. 1 deadline, but the group was making progress.

What were trying to figure out is how do we have a system that protects veterinarians, protects the public, and ensures the integrity of our ability to utilize controlled substances, he said.

Because Nebraska has lagged in developing a monitoring program, Dr. Kuehn said, it has become a haven for drug-seeking activity and needs to act to close improper access to opioids.

If physicians, pharmacists, and dentists are expected to keep records of the controlled substances they send into the community, Dr. Kuehn questions why veterinarians would lack such an obligation. Spending less than one minute to fill in a form is, to him, a tiny obligation, especially in light of the risk that a misused prescription could kill someone.

When is something a burden, and when does something become a professional obligation? he asked.

If veterinarians want roles in combined medicine and public health, he questioned why they would not have the same responsibilities and obligations as other medical professionals.

The idea that this is only a regulatory burden, without recognizing our responsibility to ensure the integrity of the controlled substances that we send into the community, is a discussion that, frankly, baffles me, he said.
Transitional Justice process hangs in balance: Victims worried about being left out in cold

In about two weeks, the terms of the two transitional bodies formed two years ago to hear complaints on war-time human rights violations and disappearances and recommend actions will end.












    Dr. Sheila McGuirk Dr. James Ziegler Dr. David Jeans 



Event: Annual meeting, Oct. 14, 2016, Madison

Awards: Veterinarian of the Year: Dr. Sheila McGuirk, Dodgeville. A 1977 graduate of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. McGuirk was a professor of large animal internal medicine and food animal production medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine prior to retirement in 2016. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Meritorious Service Award: Dr. James Ziegler, Weyauwega. A 1987 graduate of the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Ziegler owns Wolf River Veterinary Clinic in New London. He has served on several WVMA committees and task forces and recently completed a four-year term on the associations executive board. WVMA Friend of Veterinary Medicine Award: The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine won this award, given to an individual or organization in recognition of their service, commitment, and contributions specifically to veterinary medicine in Wisconsin. The UW-Madison veterinary school has helped the association organize wet labs, hosted executive board meetings, and allowed the WVMA to interact with students throughout the school year. The unwavering support of the veterinary schools dean, Dr. Mark Markel, for organized veterinary medicine has contributed to an increased number of students and faculty becoming members of the WVMA. Presidential Award: Dr. David Jeans, Evansville. A 1993 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Jeans is treasurer of the WVMA. He was recognized for keeping a steady hand and mind on the fiduciary aspects of the association.

Business: The association approved a new bylaw concerning the lifetime membership category.

Officials: Drs. Scott Spaulding, Milton, president; Robert Leder, Bear Creek, president-elect; David Jeans, Evansville, treasurer; and John T. Been, Prairie du Sac, immediate past president




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
Modified On Jan 19, 2017 06:39 PM By Raunak

Never heard of this company? Yes, you guessed it right, it is yet another car startup coming out with an all-electric hypercar concept since startups like these do not enter the auto biz with conventional powertrains!

No, it is not a flower, because as soon as you Google it youll get tonnes of pictures of flowers. It is actually an upcoming hypercar from a Singapore-based startup, Dendrobium Motors. Just a few years ago, nobody would have guessed that well be seeing plenty of car startups coming out with hellish, over-1000-horsepower electric vehicles so frequently. The automaker will reveal the Dendrobium concept on March 7 at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show.

The Dendrobium concept is the brainchild of Singapore-based Vanda Electrics, a company which is also the maker of an e-scooter, the Motochimp, and a commercial vehicle, the Ant. Dendrobium Motors collaborated with Williams Advanced Engineering for the development of the Dendrobium concept. Williams Advanced Engineering will also assist the automaker in the development of future models.

Larissa Tan, CEO Vanda Electrics said: Dendrobium is the first Singaporean hypercar and the culmination of Vanda Electrics expertise in design and technology. We are delighted to be working with Williams Advanced Engineering, world-leaders in aerodynamics, composites and electric powertrains and Bridge of Weir Leather Company, makers of the finest, lowest-carbon leather in the world. The Dendrobium is inspired by nature and rooted in technology, a marriage of design and engineering  I cant wait to reveal the car to the world in March.

The company highlighted in an official release that the interior of the Dendrobium will feature Scottish leather from Bridge of Weir Leather Company. It claims to have the lowest carbon tannery and leather products in the world. Stay tuned to CarDekho for more updates on the Dendrobium.

Recommended Read: Meet Faraday Future's Debutant Vehicle  FF91
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

In Atlanta: Soyia Ellison, soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org

DRC Extractive Industries Governance Program: Daniel Mule, daniel.mule@cartercenter.org

En francais

LUBUMBASHI  The Carter Center urges the government of Democratic Republic of the Congo to release the contract for the transfer of Congos most productive copper mining joint venture, Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM), to new investors. The Center also calls on the government and the divestors, New York-listed Freeport McMoRan Inc. and Toronto-listed Lundin Mining Corp, to disclose material information about the deal, including compensation due to Gecamines in exchange for dropping its previous objections to the transfer.

In May 2016, Freeport McMoRan, TFMs majority shareholder and operator of the mine, announced the sale of its 56 percent stake to China Molybdenum Co. for at least $2.65 billion. Lundin followed suit in November 2016, selling its 24 percent stake to BHR Partners for $1.14 billion. The state-owned mining company Gecamines, which retains a 20 percent stake in the project, until recently had blocked the transactions, initiating arbitration in Paris and a lawsuit in Lubumbashi. In the past, Gecamines has opposed similar transactions, but has lifted its objections after receiving compensation.

Bloomberg News reported yesterday that Gecamines dropped its lawsuits after reaching an agreement that will provide some financial compensation to Gecamines as well as the right to more consultation and control should the future owners of the asset decide to sell it. DRC law requires the government publish the full terms of the agreement within 60 days of signature, and, as stock-market listed companies, TFMs shareholders are required to disclose any material transaction to their investors. So far, none of the parties involved in the transaction has provided any further information.

The DRC government and TFM shareholder Freeport McMoRan have repeatedly expressed their strong commitment to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which requires that all companies disclose payments to state entities, including to state-owned companies like Gecamines, and that state entities also disclose their revenues.

The DRC and TFMs operator Freeport McMoRan both have a seat on EITIs international board, said Daniel Mule, the Carter Centers extractive industries governance program manager. It is essential that all parties to the transaction abide by their transparency commitments and provide further information on the deal.

The TFM deal is the latest in a growing list of undisclosed Gecamines transactions. Other recent deals for which contracts remain unpublished include the 2016 Metalkol asset sale contract for the Kolwezi tailings and the 2015-2016 strategic partnership agreement with China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group.

Despite collecting hundreds of millions of dollars in annual contractual revenues, Gecamines has consistently failed to achieve its strategic production goals, to reduce its debt burden, or to provide promised compensation to its workers and retirees. Gecamines does not publish annual reports or financial statements. This lack of transparency impedes public oversight of the state-owned company and makes it impossible to ensure that DRCs mineral resources benefit the Congolese people.

Translation

Carter Center exhorte la RDC, Freeport, et Lundin a publier le contrat revise de TFM et a divulguer les paiements a lentreprise etatique, la Gecamines

###
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
Audio Transcript

Brian Anderson: Not long ago the term Brooklyn was considered a synonym for urban decay. During the second half of the 20th century, a nationwide crime wave, the crack epidemic, and economic changes forced many of Brooklyns residents out of their homes and into the suburbs of Long Island, New Jersey, and Westchester, among other locals. Those who stayed behind watched as their once-safe and prosperous middle-class neighborhood turned dangerous and dilapidated. Today, though, Brooklyn is a borough transformed, home to a growing class of young professionals, thriving immigrant communities, and thousands of new businesses. Brooklyn is no longer a synonym for decay. In fact, Brooklyn is booming. Joining us on 10 Blocks to discuss this remarkable transformation and turnaround is Kay Hymowitz, author of a brand new book called The New Brooklyn: What It Takes to Bring a City Back. Kay is a contributing editor of City Journal and the William E. Simon Fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Kay, thanks for joining us.

Kay S. Hymowitz: My pleasure.

Brian Anderson: Brooklyn is obviously enjoying a moment and it has been going on for some time now, but going back through the decades, when would you say was Brooklyns golden age?

Kay S. Hymowitz: Well, a lot of people look back on the, I would say, the late 1940s, 1950s, just after World War II - what some people think of as the Dodger, might think of as the Dodger era.

Brian Anderson: Before they decamped for Los Angeles.

Kay S. Hymowitz: Before they left for Los Angeles like so many other people have during the decades that follow in either Los Angeles or other easier locations. So that was a time that, at least in retrospect - and it is always very hard to know just how much people are looking through rose-colored glasses. But when you read memoirs, when you talk to old timers, they remember that time as one where Brooklyn had a great deal of esprit, there was a sense of possibility of camaraderie, of a distinct civic identity. And, of course the jobs, industrial jobs, had yet to decline too much. There actually already was a bit of a decline, even as of 1950. But in general these were good times. Now...

Brian Anderson: Who was living in the borough at the time? What was the population like?

Kay S. Hymowitz: So most of Brooklyn was white ethnic. Each of the neighborhoods had their own identity frequently defined by the ethnic or racial makeup of that neighborhood. The names were a little different. I mean some of the names we are familiar with now, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, these were imaginations of the real estate industry later on when they realized they had a hot commodity that they could sell. But at the time a lot of the Brooklyn that this is now being gentrified was called South Brooklyn, North Brooklyn, where Williamsburg, and Green Point, and the really hot areas are, was quite - very much working class. It was still Italian, largely Italian at the time, and there were, especially in the 50s, more Hispanics moving in and blacks. Brooklyn always had a black population. It grew quite a bit after 1930, but in 1930 it was only about 1.4%, the borough was only about 1.4% black. So you can see that it went up quite a bit until it became something a lot more on the order of 30%, 35%. But by the 50s the black population was growing and there were a number of black neighborhoods. But it was still predominately a white ethnic city.

Brian Anderson: And this began to change pretty dramatically in the 60s and the 70s as those ethnics moved out of the borough.

Kay S. Hymowitz: Right.

Brian Anderson: You do write about that in the book extensively. Perhaps you could describe that a little bit.

Kay S. Hymowitz: So, I mentioned before the industrial jobs that had carried so many generations of immigrants towards the middle class, if not actually into the middle class, were leaving Brooklyn. And they were leaving Brooklyn for a large variety of reasons. And by the way, in this sense a lot of what happened to Brooklyn is reminiscent of what we are now hearing about in rural America, so influenced the election - 2016 election. But at that time, around 1960, the jobs were leaving, there were many more opportunities for home ownership in the suburbs for whites, at any rate, and one of the things that I show in the book is that Brooklynites had always, since way before the time were talking about, moved further and further into the more rural areas of the borough to have more space, to have more greenery. So it was logical that they would eventually move into the suburbs. A lot of people blame federal...

Brian Anderson: Looking for bigger homes, bigger yards, and...

Kay S. Hymowitz: Looking for bigger homes. Thats right. Thats right. And frankly, you know, an industrial city was not an altogether pleasant place to live regardless of crime. But crime was also getting much worse by 1960. By 1970 it was really quite a significant factor in peoples lives, so they left. And then there was the racial tension, of course. How much that had to do with crime, and how much it was pure racial animus is something that we could debate for a very long time.

Brian Anderson: What was the worst year, would you say, in Brooklyns post-war history, or at least the worst period?

Kay S. Hymowitz: I think I would say the 70s were the worst. I have a chapter in the book on the neighborhood called Brownsville. And its a fascinating history because it started as a slum, started as a Jewish slum at the turn of the century, of the 19th and 20th century. And it had always been tough. There had been a lot of Jewish mafia, sometimes referred to as the Kosher Nostra, living there and it was known as a tough area. But by the 60s and 70s, and the whites were beginning to leave in large measure - the white Jews - because of the crime. At that time it became so tough that Mike Tyson, when he moved from Bed-Stuy, which was no Eden itself...

Brian Anderson: Right.

Kay S. Hymowitz: Moved to Brownsville and he said as a - I think he was something like six years old, and he immediately felt that he was in much more dangerous territory.

Brian Anderson: Interesting.

Kay S. Hymowitz: The entire commercial street, Pitkin Avenue, really decayed. There was no commerce moving in certainly and almost all of it was moving out. Pete Hamill described it as block after block just being given over to the rats and wind.

Brian Anderson: Your subtitle of the book is What It Takes to Bring a City Back, and as we described in the opening and as anybody who has been to Brooklyn recently recognizes, the borough has really come back. When did that process begin and what drove it?

Kay S. Hymowitz: There were signs very - even as things were going south. You know, there were some very early signs even in the 60s and 70s. When I moved there into Park Slope in 82, it was still pretty much an ethnic, white ethnic neighborhood. My next door neighbors were Irish with an accent, who you know, a couple who had run a boarding house in their house. And that was the kind of thing you expected to see. But already you began to see more and more educated young people, young families, and singles to a certain extent, moving into some of the brownstone areas of Brooklyn. Why that happened is a story that I try to tell in the book. It had a great deal to do with a massive shift going on the economy, from an industrial to a knowledge economy. It also had to do with domestic changes that were related to that. More and more women wanting to work even after they married and had children and they preferred not to have the commuting hour that their fathers maybe had had. And there was also the fact that the job market in New York was beginning to - the white collar job market - was expanding. And we saw some of that in the 80s. It happened much more so in the 90s and then, of course, in the 90s we got Giuliani and a very, very significant decline in crime that I think lured a lot more of the middle class into the area.

Brian Anderson: Earlier you mentioned gentrification. The term gentrification. Many of the Brooklyn neighborhoods that you describe in the book have certainly experienced this. Now, critics have called gentrification every name you can imagine - evil, racist, a new colonialism. What is your view of gentrification as you lay it out in the book?

Kay S. Hymowitz: First of all I think we have to understand what it is. And what it is is the movement of educated middle class back from where they used to go, the suburbs, into the cities, looking for a different kind of life than people in the suburbs had looked for. It is something that is happening across developed economies. This is not by any means unique either to Brooklyn, or even to Northern American cities. Its happening in places like, of course, like London, Amsterdam, Berlin, I could go on and on. So its a very big macro phenomenon. So thats one thing to keep in mind because a lot of people see it as a purely, or as a predominately racial exercise. It is not. There were no blacks to push out, or very few, to push out in Berlin. You know, its not...

Brian Anderson: They are gentrifying neighborhoods, yes.

Kay S. Hymowitz: Yeah, in those gentrifying neighborhoods. So thats not whats going on. What it is, is the movement, the mass movement, of this educated middle class, in many cases upper middle class, into the cities. That has been very good for cities in many respects. It has broadened the tax base. It has made it safer, or helped to make it safer, the street safer. It has added to the sense of urban vitality by bringing in all sorts of cultural institutions, and not to mention new businesses. I mean we have seen a remarkable rise of entrepreneurship in my section of Brooklyn in particular. These people, young people in particular, are opening restaurants, and boutiques, and all sorts of design businesses, and so on and so forth. However, there is no question that there is a problem that happens when people start moving in, in mass numbers, into areas where people are still, or have been, living. And it has created a housing crisis. Well, maybe thats the wrong way to put it actually. It has helped to aggravate tight housing, from what I can see.

Brian Anderson: Right.

Kay S. Hymowitz: New York has almost always had housing problems even when there were plenty of vacant houses. They were sub-quality. So, but there is no question that there has been some displacement of people who have lived in neighborhoods like mine in Park Slope, or Williamsburg, or you name it, and that they have found their rent being hiked up. Theres no question there are some really bad actors among the landlord class who have caused a lot of heartache for families. These things are happening. However, I would encourage people, before they find that as reason to reject gentrification entirely, to recognize that poor people still are more mobile out of poverty areas, high poverty areas, than they are gentrifying areas. So this is something that is a fact of life and related to poverty, and not just about gentrification.

Brian Anderson: One of the more vivid parts of your book describes the ports and harbors of Brooklyn, which were incredibly important to the boroughs early history, and as you note, they are becoming important again in interesting ways. The Brooklyn Navy Yard today has become home to what you have described as the new manufacturing in City Journal and elsewhere. What does the manufacturing economy in Brooklyn look like in 2017? Who is leading this kind of shift?

Kay S. Hymowitz: Well, this is whats so interesting about The New Brooklyn, and the industrialization, or neo-industrialization, that is happening right now. This is not your grandfathers industry. These are small, tend to be very small, niche market companies that are producing consumer goods, well I dont want to say mostly, but to a great extent they are very design and lifestyle-focused. The food business in Brooklyn has exploded and if you...

Brian Anderson: It has become a culinary destination.

Kay S. Hymowitz: It has become a culinary destination and for good reason. Ill tell you very briefly, when my husband and I first moved to Park Slope in 1982, we were always foodies, maybe thats what brought us in part to New York, but we used to get a babysitter every Saturday night and drive to Manhattan because that was the only place that had the decent restaurants. That is not true anymore. We never go into Manhattan to eat unless we have to. So that is a big shift. But also food, and not just restaurants, but food manufacturing has become a huge thing and in the middle of Brooklyn we have the Pfizer building, the old Pfizer building. Pfizer was a chemical company and pharmaceutical company. The creator, eventually, of Zoloft and Viagra. It operated out of Brooklyn for at least 100 years - I hope I am not overstating that - and until it left about five or six years ago. And at that time it didnt just disappear, we didnt just tear it down. What happened was a food incubator moved in there. So we have a bunch of little manufacturers altogether in this old pharmaceutical factory where they share kitchens, share ingredients, share delivery trucks sometimes. And theres a great deal of innovation that comes about as a result of this kind of clustering. And that happens also at the Brooklyn Navy Yard where were seeing movement of a lot of small craftsman companies, the crafts companies. Woodworkers, metalworkers, again mostly design-oriented kinds of companies, and now also a great movement of tech companies into that area as well.

Brian Anderson: Despite all of these dramatic improvements over the last three decades that you describe, some of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn havent been gentrifying at all. In places like Brownsville, poverty and crime remain very serious problems. They have among the highest rates of both of those in New York City today. Do you have hope that the transformations weve seen in parts of Brooklyn will spread to the rest of the borough? And why do you think that places like Brownsville havent enjoyed the kind of growth were seeing in your old neighborhood of Park Slope?

Kay S. Hymowitz: Yeah. Well, you know, remember that Park Slope and Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, had a great housing stock. Bed-Stuy too, and we are seeing some transformation there, although thats a more interesting story than simple white gentrification. Ill let people read the book to find out about that.

Brian Anderson: Right.

Kay S. Hymowitz: But a place like Brownsville has the largest concentration of housing projects practically in the country. And I think that because of that it is going to be very difficult to gentrify, although people are talking about that. I have my doubts. So almost every place that has gentrified had some kind of appealing housing stock. Even Williamsburg, which did not have the kinds of brownstones that Bed-Stuy had, for instance, still had those factories which have been repurposed and are quite appealing to this generation of educated newcomers. Brownsville, I fear, remains in trouble, as it has been since the 1960s and 1970s. And with the complete collapse of the family in those areas, and a collapse of the schools, and a collapse of order on the streets, even though crime is better than it was in the 70s, much better, it is still bad enough to really have a big impact on locals. I fear that the kids growing up in that neighborhood are not going to be equipped to move on, move on up, the way that we might hope. And remember, in the past we had those manufacturing jobs all throughout Brooklyn that provided for thousands of low-skilled workers. Many, many tens of thousands. Many, many people. Those kinds of kids are far less numerous in the new industrial world of Brooklyn. As I said before, very small companies and very productive companies. They rely on a lot of machinery and skilled workers. And it is no longer possible, or I should say it is no longer easy, to just assume that you are going to be able to walk into a job if you havent completed some kind of training or higher education, even in these industrial, small industrial firms.

Brian Anderson: A final question. Cities across the country, indeed across the world now, are hoping to become the new Brooklyn or the next Brooklyn. What are the important lessons in your view, having spent time writing this book and thinking about your home borough, that other cities can learn from Brooklyns experience?

Kay S. Hymowitz: Right. So Brooklyn was blessed in a few ways. One, of course, is it is right across the river from New York City, which was the commercial and financial center of the United States for a very long time. It also, and I cant emphasize how important this is, it also has an amazing subway system. I think that one of the most obvious but important lessons that I learned just working on this was how important the transportation was to expanding Brooklyn and creating viable new neighborhoods. So transportation, number one. There are not many places that have the funds, including New York City, it seems, to expand a subway system or to create or expand a subway system, but it is absolutely vital that transportation be central to planners thinking. Crime, terribly important. You know, Brooklyn - I think that a lot of people, newcomers, just dont realize what life was like before we had this crime policing revolution and before we were able to stay out late at night, and walk down the street, and not really be terribly worried about it. I used to, if I stayed out until even 9:00 or 10:00 at night, I used to walk down the middle of the street, and this was in Park Slope, because I wanted to be able to see...

Brian Anderson: Both sides, right. Yeah.

Kay S. Hymowitz: I wanted people to be able to see me, yeah. So, you know, its impossible to describe how different it was in those days and how hard it is to endure day after day. So there is the crime as well. And then I think that there is the recognition also among planners increasingly that there needs to be some freedom given to innovators. That is you need to allow them to create the businesses that they do want to create. You cant have too many regulations that stop people from being able to have a kitchen, a commercial kitchen, lets say, in order to be able to create you know, their new pickle business, or whatever it is.

Brian Anderson: Sure.

Kay S. Hymowitz: You need to make it possible for people to do that. You know the tech progress over the last decades have made it much easier for young businesses to grow in a lot of ways, but governments are often working against them.

Brian Anderson: Thanks very much, Kay. Kay Hymowitzs brand new book is The New Brooklyn: What It Takes to Bring a City Back. Its a terrific read and a very important book for 21st-century urbanism. It is available on Amazon and you can also locate it on the Manhattan Institute and City Journal websites. We would also love to hear your comments about todays episode on Twitter, @CityJournal with the hashtag #10Blocks. Lastly, if you like our show and want to hear more, please leave ratings and reviews on iTunes. Thanks for listening and thanks again, Kay, for coming by.

Kay S. Hymowitz: Thanks Brian.
The Institute of Fundraising has begun the process of recruiting a new chair, with Richard Taylor set to step down from the organisation in the summer having come to the end of his three-year term.

In an announcement on its website, the IoF said it is seeking to appoint a new chair who can build on our strong foundations and work collaboratively with our board and chief executive to lead the IoF as it delivers on its new four-year strategic plan.

The job description said the IoF is looking for a new chair who will be passionate about fundraising and the role the IoF plays in leading, representing and championing the fundraising profession and community.

The description also said that the ideal candidate would have the gravitas to engage credibly with a wide range of stakeholders.

The appointment will be for a three-year term, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further three-years.

Some of the essential specifications necessary for a successful candidate include being a member of the IoF; having a strong and visible passion and commitment to fundraising, the Institute and its strategic objectives; an ability to represent the IoF in the media and strong inter-personal, networking and relationship building abilities.

Peter Lewis, chief executive of the IoF, said: "Our new chair will be joining us at a pivotal and exciting time for both the institute and wider charity sector. The last 18 months has seen considerable change for the fundraising community, and increased public, political and media scrutiny of our work has become a new normal.

"The IoF plays a key role in this new environment representing the views and sharing the insights of our members and the wider fundraising community, supporting our members to achieve excellent fundraising, and championing innovation and best practice. The merger with the Public Fundraising Association last year has created one single membership body for the fundraising community, and our membership communities of individuals, organisations and corporate supporters is the biggest it has ever been and continues to expand.

"Our new chair will play a pivotal role in the future of the whole fundraising community, leading the IoFs highly expert and committed Board and fantastic volunteer and staff team. "

Taylor steps down

Current chair Richard Taylor is stepping down from the role he has held with the IoF for the last three years.

A spokeswoman from the IoF said that Taylor was unable to seek a second three-year term as chair of the Institute, as he had previously served a three-year term as trustee prior to his being made chair.

Taylor has worked in the fundraising profession for over 18 years. He spent over 17 of those as the fundraising and marketing director for Cancer Research UK, the largest fundraising organisation in the country.

He was originally set to leave his role with CRUK in the summer of 2015, to take on a commercial director role with consumer research agency Which? Taylor ended up turning down the opportunity to join Which? to stay on as the chair of the Institute of Fundraising, during the so-called summer of discontent following on from the death of Olive Cooke, and the subsequent fundraising scandals in the media.

He was appointed as the interim director of fundraising at Macmillan in October 2015.
But Brin told delegates at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, that, at the time, he "didn't pay attention to it all."

While Brin was heading the Google X research lab from 2010 to 2015, it was working on a project called Google Brain  an AI platform that is used across the search giant.

Alphabet , the parent company of Google, has been investing heavily in AI, acquiring companies such as Deepmind in 2014 and using the technology in the majority of its products from search to photos.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin said Thursday he was "surprised" by the advances in artificial intelligence after ignoring early projects in the field.

The National Foundation for American Policy found that immigrants have started more than half of the U.S.'s billion-dollar start-up companies. One example is Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who emigrated from the former Soviet Union.

The Google co-founder told a story about a colleague who showed him a picture of cat created by this AI platform.

"Jeff Dean would periodically come up to me and say, 'Look, the computer made a picture of a cat,' and I said 'OK that's very nice, Jeff'  and fast forward a few years and now Brain probably touches every single one of our main projects," Brin said.

"This kind of revolution in deep nets has been very profound and definitely surprised me even though I was right inside there.  It's an incredible time. What can these things do? We don't really know the limits."

AI and its impact on society has been a big theme at Davos with business leaders and politicians discussing the topic. Earlier this week, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told Davos attendees that AI could potentially kickstart weak economic growth.

Brin said AI could free up people from doing mundane things to spend their time on more creative jobs, but admitted it is "almost impossible" to predict what the impact of the technology could be.

Google was founded by Brin and Larry Page in 1998 and is now one of the most valuable companies in the world. Brin said it was the first time he'd attended Davos in eight years. He even revealed that he might still finish his Ph.D.
The numbers are going up; last season we had about 69 calls and this season we are expecting 90, said Adam Deaton, senior account trade representative at the Port of San Diego, discussing the locations comeback story.

That also means passenger numbers will rise from 198,000 in 2015-2016 to up to 250,000 this season and more beyond that.

Mexico is looking to come back little by little, and that is good for us, said Deaton, of the ports bread-and-butter homeporting location for Mexican Riviera cruises.

We had over 200 calls back in 2009-2010 and then it flattened out by 2013 to 79 calls, said Deaton. The flattening was attributed to the downfall in the Mexican Riviera market. We are going to see that 100-ship mark again. Its hard to say how quickly it will come back but that is the first clue.

Among the news for 2017 is Disney with 13 departures. Princess is also a main player, calling on San Diego on round-trip Mexican Riviera sailings from Los Angeles.

Then there is Holland America Line, which is also on a comeback with the Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal and Hawaii sailings from San Diego. The Seattle-based line has also upped its program, putting bigger ships into the market.

And, as the Alaska market looks forward to a record 2017, and bigger 2018, according to Cruise Industry News data, San Diego is positioned to capitalize on shoulder season business to and from Alaska. Disney, for instance, bases the Wonder in San Diego during shoulder season periods and has already confirmed a 2018 return.

The B Street Cruise Terminal will get an investment in the form of a new escalator in 2017 to help better manage passenger flow, said Deaton.

The port is also still bullish on its massive North Embarcadero facelift, with pavilions, greenery, restaurants and vendors awaiting cruise passengers.

---

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.
Mount Pleasant may be the newest cruise port in North America and could see a ship visit as soon as May, according to a source familiar with the matter.

With Charleston at its self-imposed limit of 104 ships per year for 2017 and 2018, Mount Pleasant has emerged as a nearby option for small and niche ships willing to tender passengers.

The Coast Guard has approved the plan which will see tenders arrive into Fort Sumter at Patriots Point, about a 30-minute bus ride from downtown Charleston.

Everything has been vetted by United States Customs and the Coast Guard. It is ready to go, said the source.

Mount Pleasant may be new, but it is not a complete unknown to the cruise industry as the Silver Whisper previously anchored there in 2004.

Photo: Patriots Point Mount Pleasant, SC (CC BY-SA 2.0) by MikeKalasnik
The cruise industry came together earlier this week in Florida for the Passenger Ship Safety event, featuring a two-day conference program and adjacent trade show touching on innovative topics ranging from LNG to safety compliance, fire fighting, crew safety training, the latest regulations and much more.

24 Hour Patrols

Among significant changes at Carnival Cruise Line has been the addition of 24-hour manned fire patrols in high-risk areas, said Martina Gallus, director of deck and safety.

The human element is the chief factor, she said. The fire patrol can help much more than a detection system."

Among other improvements are enhanced structural fire protection, new fuel flex hoses and enhanced fuel spray protection areas, in addition to better cover protection on hot spot areas of the engines.

Culture

At MSC Cruises, the safety culture goes all the way to the top, according to Ryan Allain, vice president safety, security and environment for MSC Cruises USA.

The Italian brand has recently moved much of its operations office out of Sorrento, relocating to the United Kingdom. In addition, ships can expect twice-yearly three-week visits from a traveling safety team that audits the fleet.

Its a lot of work, said Allain of the companys traveling safety program. There is absolutely no down time. Its a very thorough and comprehensive program.

On the MSC Divinas last two port state inspections from the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the ship passed with flying colors: zero deficiencies.

Damage Stability

There are ongoing efforts to enhance survivability at Royal Caribbean Cruises, looking at standards for long rake damage and other vulnerabilities, according to Joseph Miorelli, associate vice president, technical newbuild projects.

All brands are now following a new policy for monthly damage response drills, said Miorelli. This includes the capability to asses damage conditions in 20 minutes, and have clear roles and responsibilities for response teams and operational command.

In planning stability requirements, the life-cycle of the vessel should also be taken into consideration, as well as the idea that weight may be added to the top of the ship at some point in the future, Miorelli said.

Human Factor

The United States Coast Guard has evolved from checklist inspections of cruise ships, focusing on a holistic approach and zoning in on crew training and the all-important human factor, said Brad Schoenwald, senior marine inspector/lead examiner for the Cruise Ship National Center of Expertise.

It is about measuring the actual performance of the crew rather than their knowledge alone, Schoenwald said, adding that having the crew sit in a room listening to lectures or watching videos was not good enough, and that crew training was an ongoing issue. We ask them all sorts of questions.

Crew performance continues to be one of the largest (issues), Schoenwald continued.

The Center of Expertise also participates from the design phase of the ship, commenting on potential design features, visiting ships during construction, inspecting upon delivery and then inspecting again upon arrival to the United States.

Fire Fighting

John Hemgard, marine business director at Marioff, said the highest risk area to a cruise ship is an engine room fire.

Marioff provides high-pressure water mist systems to the industry, which Hemgard said could be activated in as little as 30 seconds. This is as opposed to CO2 systems, which he explained could take up to 30 minutes to deploy after spaces are evacuated and ventilation shut off.

Dont wait, activate, Hemgard said. Time is money.

Among his upcoming challenges, LNG and lithium batteries.

On big ships, there can be thousands of fire nozzles, and ongoing testing and maintenance were a focus area on Tuesday morning at Passenger Ship Safety.

The biggest fear is corrosion in the nozzle leading to a failure to release, noted Ultra Fogs David Sherrington, senior project engineer.

The human factor can also be enhanced by better personal protective equipment, advised Edward Verweu, vice president of sales for Scandia.

There should be more of a focus on that, and that is the reason we are here, he said, adding engine room staffers should have better flame retardant coveralls, among other examples.

Joep Bollerman, operations manager, passenger ship support center, Lloyds Register, pointed to the importance of a solid safety management system in supporting decision making.

It is to ensure support on the ship for the day-to-day operation and emergency operations, he said. Its a reflection of best practices. If you have the proper safety management system it helps you identify the best way forward."

Fresh Format

The niche event had a fresh format, with cruise lines and suppliers talking openly. There was a single conference program spanning two days that included all 150 attendees. Operations, safety and newbuild executives, along with suppliers and interested parties, were fully engaged. Each presentation ended with an abundance of intelligent questions from the audience.

The next Passenger Ship Safety event is set for Southampton, April 4-6.

Read a full report in the Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine Spring 2017 edition.
Carnival Corporation today announced that it had signed a memorandum of agreement with Fincantieri to build two new cruise ships for Holland America and Princess.

With the new agreement, Carnival Corporation now has 19 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2017 and 2022, according to a statement.

Holland America Line's new ship will be built at Fincantieri's shipyard in Marghera, Italy, with an expected delivery in 2021, and the ship for Princess Cruises will be built at Fincantieri's Monfalcone, Italy, shipyard with an expected delivery in 2022.

"We are extremely pleased to formally announce these two new ships and build on the success and popularity of their sister ships already sailing guests around the globe," said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. "Our goal is to exceed expectations of the 11.5 million guests who sail with us each year, and these new ships will offer more opportunities for our guests to create lifelong vacation memories while generating added excitement around the fast-growing global demand for cruise vacations."

Added Donald: "Using our strategic fleet enhancement plan to introduce new ships is an important part of our measured capacity growth strategy, which includes replacing less efficient ships with newer, larger and more efficient vessels."

Holland America Line's new 99,500-ton, 2,660-guest ship will be its third "Pinnacle" class vessel, following the design of the line's newest and largest ship, ms Koningsdam, and its sister ship, Nieuw Statendam, scheduled for delivery in November 2018.

rincess Cruises' new 145,000-ton ship will carry 3,660 passengers and will be its sixth "Royal" class vessel.

The two yet-to-be-named vessels also under construction by Fincantieri scheduled for delivery in 2019 and 2020.

"This is an extraordinary moment for the cruise sector and it is particularly rewarding for us to be able to seize all the opportunities coming from the industry growth, also thanks to our deep-rooted partnership with Carnival Corporation," said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri. "These vessels will be based on the successful platforms developed for Carnival. On the back of these successful platforms, our Group today aims to further increase its order book, already at record levels, while ensuring profitability in the cruise segment."
Ive been thinking about moving my checking account, but one thing has prevented that move.

My debit card.

I have a motto when it comes to financial management: If its not on autopay, good luck getting paid. All of my monthly bills are set up on autopay, most of them tied to my debit card. I also use my debit card with a few payment apps. And, Im an active Amazon Prime member. That service also uses my debit card as a default payment source.

These days, consumers have so many payments tied to their debit card, their checking accounts arent just sticky, theyre practically held hostage. Decoupling from a debit card requires tremendous effort. Not only must consumers switch over monthly bills, subscription services, website default payment sources and various apps and shopper loyalty programs, its likely he or she will forget at least one account, triggering a late fee or other penalty.

This is a mixed blessing for financial institutions. On one hand, it all but guarantees your PFI users will stick with you despite mediocre account features, lackluster service and mistakes. The tall order of switching over all those payments can only be fueled by tremendous anger.

However, thats bad news for credit unions that work hard to win new business. Its also bad news for the financial services industry as a whole, because it breeds mediocrity. Fewer closed checking accounts give mediocre credit unions and banks false reassurance that theyre providing good service. My current credit union doesnt give poor service (in fact, they treat me like a rock star) but thanks to core processor limitations, they dont offer the whiz bang personal financial management tools I want. Other institutions do, and I could better manage my finances, pay down debt and save toward goals if I switched.

As consumers grow more comfortable using checking accounts and routing numbers, more of them are switching to ACH payments. Most utilities already accept the pay by check option and retailers like Amazon love it because it allows them to bypass interchange fees.

Of course, ACH doesnt provide preauthorization, which boosts risk of nonpayment loss. Because the Fed is the largest ACH operator, and isnt in the business of innovation, it seems unlikely ACH will add a preauthorization component.

So, debit cards will continue to be an important checking tool, and I wouldnt be surprised if regulators take a look at the relationship between customers and their debit cards.

Consumers would certainly benefit from the ability to keep their debit card numbers as they switch bank accounts, just like they can keep their telephone numbers when they switch cell phone carriers. Of course, part of the 16-digit debit number includes routing information that relates to the issuer, so the numbers themselves would have to change. With enough regulatory pressure  especially in a political climate that has card companies continually justifying interchange income  Id imagine Visa, MasterCard and others would be willing to set up or at least participate in a card number registry that would allow for this innovation, especially if it would preserve their line of business.

It could also pave the way for more PFI business for credit unions if consumers could more easily dump their big banks or lackluster smaller financial institutions. It seems like that would be an overall win for both consumers and FIs. Fraud could pose a hurdle, but its not as if criminals are struggling to access this information already. Fraud mitigation needs to be improved anyway. Surely technology and market forces could align to allow consumers to more easily move their checking accounts while improving transaction security.
One Million Say Pardon Snowden & Russia Says He Can Stay Two More Years

The former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden has been given leave to remain in Russia for another couple of years, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry said.

It comes hours after Barack Obama decided to commute the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the US military whistleblower who leaked 700,000 documents to Wikileaks and was jailed for 35 years in 2013.

And at a time when more than 1 million people from around the world have signed a petition urging President Barack Obama to pardon whistleblower Edward Snowden before he leaves office on 20 January.

Proponents of the Pardon Snowden campaign, which include Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Human Rights Watch among other human rights groups, said the petition was delivered to the White House, arguing that Snowden's actions "set in motion the most important debate about government surveillance in decades."

"People from all over the world have come together to show their support for Edward Snowden and thank him for the public service he performed in standing up for their human rights," Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's Secretary General, said in a statement.

"Edward Snowden is a hero, not a traitor, and that he remains in limbo years after sparking such an important global debate about surveillance and privacy is a gross injustice. He deserves better than a life in exile.

"By pardoning Snowden, President Obama would place himself on the right side of history, and demonstrate that he stands with those who fight for what is right, even at great personal cost," Shetty said.

In 2013, the former NSA contractor leaked a trove of classified files to reporters, revealing the scale of mass surveillance programmes in the US and the UK. Since then, Snowden has been residing in Moscow to avoid extradition to the United States where he faces charges under the 1917 Espionage Act that could land him in prison for up to 30 years, if convicted.

The massive leaks also sparked an important public debate on government surveillance, privacy, data protection and human rights and led to legislative reform.

Launched in September 2016 by multiple human rights groups, the Pardon Snowden campaign has garnered the support of numerous scholars, intelligence experts, actors and human rights advocates. Some notable signatories who have thrown their support behind the campaign include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Open Society Foundations founder and chair George Soros, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg and actors Mark Ruffalo, Maggie Gyllenhaal among others.

"When the internet first came along, we thought it was going to be a beacon of freedom, sharing and learning," Wozniak said. "Edward Snowden showed us that the internet was actually being used by governments and companies to monitor us and invade our privacy.

"He gave up his whole life to stand up against secret spying and for the Constitution. That's why he's a hero, and it's why he deserves a pardon."

However, President Obama has suggested earlier that he would not likely grant Snowden clemency saying he "can't pardon somebody who hasn't gone before a court."

IBTimes: Guardian: Snowden Worried That He'll Face Prison Or Execution If Russia Sends Him Home:



Assange Advised Snowden To Go to Russia:
Talking Points

- UK to become a champion for free trade says UK PM May.

- UK house prices unaffected by Brexit, long-term sentiment improves.

- 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.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum at Davos, PM Theresa May set out her vision for the UK to become a role model for free trade in the post-Brexit era. The PM told politicians and business heads in Switzerland that Britain will step up to a new leadership role as the strongest and most forceful advocate for free markets and free trade anywhere in the world. PM May also emphasised that she wanted Europe to be strong and succeed and that she will push for a bold and ambitious trade agreement between the UK and the EU.

PM May added that the UK had already begun trade discussions with Australia, India and New Zealand among others, talks confirmed by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox in an article in Thursdays Daily Telegraph. Mr Fox said that ministers had already begun informal trade negotiations with 12 countries including China, India, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

While the PM has set out the governments global vision, she may need now to concentrate on domestic dealings with a raft of UK-based banks making noises in the last couple of days about moving parts of their existing operations out of the City of London. HSBC said that it would look to relocate around 1000 bankers while UBS said that the same number would be affected if the UK loses its passporting rights. And according to an article in German newspaper Handelsblatt, Goldman Sachs is looking at reducing its headcount in the City from 6,000 to 3,000, with 1,000 of those employees moving to Frankfurt.

In other domestic news, UK house prices seem to be holding steady, defying fears of a post-Brexit meltdown, according to the latest RICS report. While the new buyer enquiries balance slipped to 7% in December from 12% in November, the balance of surveyors expecting higher house prices a year ahead rose from 39.9% in November to 48.7% in December.

The British Pound perked up in European hours with GBPUSD trading back around 1.2320 while the EURGBP held steady at 0.86490.

Chart: GBPUSD 1-Minute Timeframe (18-19 January 2017).

--- 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.
BEER-SHEVA, Israel...January 19, 2017 - An innovative, new system that uses smartwatch devices and software to verify handwritten signatures and detect even the most skilled forgeries has been developed by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers.

While most online signature verification technologies rely on dedicated digital devices -- such as tablets or smart pens -- to capture, analyze and verify signatures, this new method utilizes motion sensors found in readily available hand-worn devices. Recent market research shows that one out of six people already wear a smartwatch and the market is expected to reach 373 million devices by 2020.

Signature verification technology addresses both random and skilled forgeries. A random forger does not have any information about the other person and uses his or her own signature style. Skilled forgers often practice copying a person's name as accurately as possible, which makes their forgeries harder to detect.

The research team developed software that uses motion data gathered from the movements of a person's wrist to identify the writer during the signing process. This information, compiled from accelerometer and gyroscope sensors, senses changes in rotational motion and orientation, and trains a machine learning algorithm to distinguish between genuine or forged signatures.

"We based our hypothesis on the assumption that people adopt a specific signing pattern that is unique and very difficult for others to imitate, and that this uniqueness can be captured adequately using the motion sensors of a hand-worn device," says Ben Nassi, who is a graduate student in the Department of Software and Information Systems Engineering at BGU.

The research team also included, Prof. Yuval Elovici, director of BGU's Cyber Security Research Center, Dr. Erez Shmueli, of TAU's Department of Industrial Engineering, and Alona Levy, a graduate student in Dr. Shmueli's department.

In the research study, 66 TAU students used a digital pen to record 15 samples of their genuine signature on a tablet while wearing a smartwatch on their writing hand. Then, each student studied trace recordings of other people's genuine signatures and was asked to forge five of them. Click here for a video on the research.

"The results for both random and skilled forgery tests were encouraging, and confirmed our system is able to successfully distinguish between genuine and forged signatures with a high degree of accuracy," says Nassi.

While several recent studies have examined the use of motion data to identify people within various scenarios, the approach in this study, Handwritten Signature Verification Using Hand-Worn Devices, is the first of its kind. "Using a wrist-worn device or fitness tracker provides more comprehensive data than other wearable devices, since it measures the gestures of a user's arm, hand and all fingers rather than just a single finger or the forearm," Nassi says.

"We've combined the benefits of both offline and online verification methods," says Dr. Shmueli. "Like offline methods, our approach doesn't require a designated ad-hoc device to capture a signature. You can use virtually any hand-worn device to write and collect the signature itself on a paper document, such as a contract, receipt or other non-digitized document. Then, our system operates like an online verification system to comprehensively capture the dynamics of the signing process and confirm authenticity."

The researchers have filed for a patent for the initial system, which enables a generic smartwatch to become a signature verifier.

They plan to expand their research to include larger-scale experimentation and will investigate the benefits of collecting data from both a smartwatch device and a writing digitizer, such as a tablet, to see if combining information from both sources improves accuracy. They will also study the impact of data extracted from additional sensors, such as the ones used in lie detector machines to measure heart-rate variability.

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About American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU) plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion's vision: creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University's expertise locally and around the globe. As Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) looks ahead to turning 50 in 2020, AABGU imagines a future that goes beyond the walls of academia. It is a future where BGU invents a new world and inspires a vision for a stronger Israel and its next generation of leaders. Together with supporters, AABGU will help the University foster excellence in teaching, research and outreach to the communities of the Negev for the next 50 years and beyond. Visit vision.aabgu.org to learn more.

AABGU, headquartered in Manhattan, has nine regional offices throughout the United States. For more information visit https://aabgu.org/.
Journal of the American College of Surgeons study underscores importance of trauma teams reevaluating how they care for patients with head injuries

CHICAGO: Advances in diagnostic imaging technology have meant that more trauma patients are being diagnosed with blunt cerebrovascular injuries, and as a result, stroke and related death rates in these patients have declined significantly over the past 30 years. These changes are due to the evolution of imaging technology, namely CT-scanning, and its wide availability in hospitals large and small, according to a new study from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Memphis, published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons in advance of print publication later this year.

The researchers found that the percentage of blunt trauma patients diagnosed with blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI), a type of severe injury to main vessels that supply blood to the brain, increased six-fold: from 0.33 percent to 2 percent from the beginning of the study period in 1985 to the end in 2015. However, the percentage of these patients who went on to have a stroke due to these injuries declined from 37 percent to 5 percent over the same period, and those who died from BCVI declined from 24 percent to zero in that time. The researchers evaluated 564 patients diagnosed with BCVI from hospital records and the trauma registry at the Elvis Presley Regional Trauma Center, Memphis.

"This study shows the importance of the reevaluation and reassessment of how physicians and trauma teams take care of specific injuries, in this case blunt cerebrovascular injury, because changes in technology and awareness of this injury, and its management, diagnosis and treatment, have evolved over the years," according to lead study author Louis J. Magnotti, MD, FACS, associate professor in the UTHSC department of surgery.

The researchers evaluated results in three separate 10-year eras over which the average age of trauma victims increased from 34 to 43 years. The overall group with BCVI was predominantly male (65 percent) with an average age of 41 years and an average injury severity score (ISS) of 27 (major trauma is defined as an ISS of 15 or greater). However, the study noted that males made up 68 percent of all blunt trauma patients over the 30-year period, indicating that female blunt trauma victims may be predisposed to BCVI. Females were also significantly more likely to be victims of a motor vehicle accident, the most common cause of BCVI, the authors stated.

The researchers noted that before 1990, fewer than 100 cases of BCVI had been reported in the medical literature. Over the last 30 years, however, the study identified three trends that have led to an increase in its diagnosis: the emergence of regional trauma centers; advances in imaging first with digital subtraction angiography and more recently computed tomographic angiography (CTA); and greater awareness of the risk of stroke with vertebral artery injuries and the screening methods that focus on these injuries.

The researchers explained that angiography involves injection of a contrast dye that appears highlighted under radiographic imaging to show tears, ruptures and blockages in the blood vessels. Digital subtraction angiography is more invasive than CTA, which can be done under many widely available CT scanners.

"Clearly the advances in CT-scanning technology that developed since the first CT scanners came out to being able to do CT angiography--which is really a noninvasive form of angiography--have significantly improved diagnosis," Dr. Magnotti said, noting that conventional angiography is still the "gold standard" for diagnosis of BCVI, but that newer generations of CT scanners may in time replace the older technology.

"Not every hospital is going to have access to digital subtraction angiography, which needs to be performed by an interventional radiologist or vascular surgeon or neuro-interventionist, but the majority of hospitals, even small hospitals, have CT-scanning ability," Dr. Magnotti said. "They can diagnose these injuries on the front end, and even if they cannot treat them, they can at least refer these patients to centers that can treat them."

In a previous study that Dr. Magnotti and his Presley Trauma Center colleagues authored, up to 40 percent of patients with untreated BCVI have gone onto suffer a stroke,1 and other studies have reported untreated stroke rates as high as 70 percent with stroke rates varying considerably depending on the vessel injured and the severity of injury.2

The bottom line of their study, Dr. Magnotti said, is that physicians and other members of the trauma team must constantly reevaluate their processes and protocols to improve quality of care. "It is important to not get bogged down in managing or treating or diagnosing patients the same way as times change," he said. "Even though you may have had good results, you should always look to do better."

###

Dr. Magnotti's study coauthors are Charles P. Shahan, MD, MS; Martin A. Croce MD, FACS; and Timothy C. Fabian, MD, FACS, all of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Dr. Magnotti presented the study at the 128th annual meeting of the Southern Surgical Association in Palm Beach, Florida, in December 2016.

NOTE: "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Citation: Impact of Continuous Evaluation of Technology and Therapy: 30 Years of Research Reduces Stroke and Mortality from Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury. Journal of the American College of Surgeons. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2016.12.008.

1 Fabian TC, Patton JH, Jr., Croce MA, et al. Blunt carotid injury. Importance of early diagnosis and anticoagulant therapy. Ann Surg. 1996 May; 223(5):513-22; discussion 22-5. 2 Biffl WL, Moore EE, Offner PJ, et al. Blunt carotid arterial injuries: implications of a new grading scale. J Trauma Inj Infect Crit Care. 1999 Nov; 47(5):845-53.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 80,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit http://www.facs.org.
Generally speaking, men want a quick fix from psychological therapy and women want to talk about their feelings

Generally speaking, men want a quick fix from psychological therapy and women want to talk about their feelings.

That is one of the findings of a study by Katie Holloway from the University of Portsmouth and colleagues being presented today, Thursday 19 January 2017, to the annual conference of the British Psychological Society's Division of Clinical Psychology in Liverpool.

The researchers asked 20 experienced therapists (clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, and psychotherapists) whether they had identified gender differences in any aspects of their work.

All 20 of the therapists reported noticing gender differences in one or more aspect of therapy, and the overall message was that - in general - men want a quick fix and women want to talk about their feelings.

John Barry from University College London, who worked with Katie Holloway on this study, said:

"One of the interesting findings was that 80 per cent of the therapists showed a reluctance to talk directly about gender differences in the needs of their clients. This could be due to the culture in academia, where discussions of gender similarities are more acceptable than discussions of gender differences.

"Psychology might be more effective in treating men if gender differences were taken into account more."

In a second study to be presented to the conference today, Louise Liddon, from Northumbria University, and her team asked 347 members of the general public to say what kind of therapy they would like if they needed help.

The men and women in this group, half of whom reported having received some form of therapy, showed many similarities in their preferences, but also some key differences. For example, men more than women expressed a preference for therapy that involved sharing and receiving advice about their concerns in informal groups.

More women than men preferred psychodynamic psychotherapy, where discussion focuses on feelings and past events.

There were interesting differences in coping strategies too, for example, women more than men used comfort eating, whereas men more than women used sex or pornography.

John Barry from University College London, who also worked on this study, said:

"Despite the fact that men commit suicide at three to four times the rate that women do, men don't seek psychological help as much. This might be because the types of treatment on offer are less appealing to men because - many psychological interventions are more about talking than about fixing problems.

"It is likely that men benefit as much as women from talking about their feelings, but if talking about feelings appears to be the goal of therapy, then some men may be put off. Our study found that men were more likely than women to say that there is a lack of male-friendly therapies available."

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(Vienna, 19 January 2017) Genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9 "gene scissors" is a powerful tool for biological discovery and for identifying novel drug targets. In pooled CRISPR screens, a large number of cells are edited simultaneously using CRISPR guide-RNAs against thousands of different genes. Next, some of the edited cells are experimentally selected, and their guide-RNAs are counted to determine which genes are most important for the studied biological mechanism.

This screening method is most useful for addressing questions that are directly linked to a cell's ability to grow, for example identifying genes that protect cancer cells against chemotherapy or immune cells against HIV infection. In contrast, pooled screens are not well suited for studying gene regulation and other complex biological mechanisms. To understand how multiple genes work together to regulate cell state, it is currently necessary to grow, edit, and analyze cells separately for each CRISPR targeted gene, which is tedious and expensive.

In a new article published in Nature Methods (DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.4177), a team of CeMM scientists led by Christoph Bock now present a method that combines the strengths of pooled and arrayed CRISPR screens. By integrating CRISPR genome editing with single-cell RNA sequencing, they were able to determine the gene-regulatory impact of many genes in parallel, studying thousands of individual cells in a single experiment.

Bock's team succeeded with an elegant design that takes advantage of cutting-edge molecular technologies: The study's first author Paul Datlinger created a viral vector for making the CRISPR guide-RNAs visible in single-cell sequencing experiments, and the latest droplet-based methods for single-cell RNA sequencing provided sufficient throughput to characterize the effect of thousands of genome editing events in individual cells.

Creatively combining two of the most promising fields of genomics, the CROP-seq (for "CRISPR droplet sequencing") method enables high-throughput analysis of gene regulation at a scale and detail that would be difficult to achieve with other methods. Furthermore, with falling single-cell sequencing costs, this technology could give rise to the first comprehensive maps of the regulatory effects for each of the 23,000 genes in the human genome.

"We will use CROP-seq to study the interplay of genetic and epigenetic factors in leukemia development", says Christoph Bock, advancing the laboratory's European Research Council (ERC) funded project on epigenome programming. "If we understand what it takes to make a cancer cell in the test tube, we can find new ways to interfere and revert cells to a less harmful state".

CROP-seq was developed as an open source method. All data, protocols, reagents and software that are part of CROP-seq will be freely shared by CeMM, enabling other scientists to use and extend the method in their own work. The ambition to making new methods as widely available as possible is part of CeMM's commitment to advancing biomedical research.

###

Attached pictures: 1.: Microfluidic droplets capture single, genome-edited cells and barcode their transcriptome ( Paul Datlinger/CeMM) 2. Christoph Bock, Principal Investigator at CeMM ( Wolfgang Dauble / CeMM) 3. A scientist in Christoph Bock's lab studying gene regulation ( Wolfgang Dauble / CeMM)

The study "Pooled CRISPR screening with single-cell transcriptome readout" was published in Nature Methods on 18 January 2017. DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.4177

Authors: Paul Datlinger, Andre F Rendeiro, Christian Schmidl, Thomas Krausgruber, Peter Traxler, Johanna Klughammer, Linda C Schuster, Amelie Kuchler, Donat Alpar, Christoph Bock

Funding: The study was partly funded by a New Frontiers Group award of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and by an ERC Starting Grant.

Christoph Bock is a Principal Investigator at CeMM. Trained as a bioinformatician, he leads a team that integrates biology, medicine, and computer science - working on a vision of precision medicine that is driven by large datasets and a deep understanding of biological disease mechanisms. He is also a guest professor at the Medical University of Vienna's Department for Laboratory Medicine, and he coordinates the genome sequencing activities of CeMM and the Medical University of Vienna. At CeMM, he co-initiated and leads Genom Austria, the Austrian contribution to the International Network of Personal Genome Projects, and he is a principal investigator in the BLUEPRINT project and the International Human Epigenome Consortium. http://epigenomics.cemm.oeaw.ac.at/

The mission of CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences is to achieve maximum scientific innovation in molecular medicine to improve healthcare. At CeMM, an international and creative team of scientists and medical doctors pursues free-minded basic life science research in a large and vibrant hospital environment of outstanding medical tradition and practice. CeMM's research is based on post-genomic technologies and focuses on societally important diseases, such as immune disorders and infections, cancer and metabolic disorders. CeMM operates in a unique mode of super-cooperation, connecting biology with medicine, experiments with computation, discovery with translation, and science with society and the arts. The goal of CeMM is to pioneer the science that nurtures the precise, personalized, predictive and preventive medicine of the future. CeMM trains a modern blend of biomedical scientists and is located at the campus of the General Hospital and the Medical University of Vienna. http://www.cemm.at

For further information please contact:

Mag. Wolfgang Dauble

Media Relations Manager

CeMM

Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences

Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3

1090 Vienna, Austria

Phone +43-1/40160-70 057

Fax +43-1/40160-970 000

wdaeuble@cemm.oeaw.ac.at

http://www.cemm.at
A new study published today in Botany demonstrates how herbaria can be valuable resources for studying the impact over time of large herbivores on perennial plant populations.

Herbaria are collections of plants and plant parts, carefully dried and arranged on sheets of paper to accurately portray the appearance of the living organism. Herbarium specimens also give precise information on the time and place of collection, as well as other pertinent details.

The study published today used nearly 700 such specimens going back over 80 years to show that flowering white trillium plants in modern, deer-browsed areas of southern Quebec have a significantly lower leaf surface area than those in un-browsed areas and those preserved as herbarium specimens. This decrease in leaf area indicates a lower reproductive potential. Most of the herbarium specimens used were collected prior to 1980, when deer density in southern Quebec was very low. This is the first instance of herbarium collections being used to evaluate the effects of a large browsing herbivore on forb size. Such studies are usually carried out using exclosures or clipping experiments.

White trillium is a perennial forb present throughout eastern North America. It reproduces in mid to late May, when white-tailed deer will preferentially consume large plants bearing flowers or fruit, resulting in complete defoliation. Repeated browsing of this and other long-lived plant species by deer is known to decrease plant leaf area and height over time, as well as reducing the proportion of flowering plants, leading to decreased potential for survival. Severe overbrowsing can lead to local extinctions of white trillium and other plant species. A recent explosion of deer populations due to hunting restrictions, increased food supply, and reduction of natural predators is creating a serious plant conservation issue in some areas. A long-term historical perspective on the impact of browsing by large herbivores is difficult to obtain due to the local and short-term nature of most vegetation studies.

This research represents a novel use for herbaria at a time when both collecting activities and funding for collection maintenance are waning. "Our paper provides an additional example of the usefulness of these collections, not only to identify species, but also to study the impact on the environment of several disturbances," says co-author Claude Lavoie, "...herbarium specimens represent an inexpensive tool to assess the impact of large herbivores on plants. Unfortunately, this possibility is seriously hampered by the decline of herbarium specimen collecting throughout North America, and the precariousness of museum collections."

Use of collected specimens has the potential to offer continent-wide and decades-long coverage in addressing questions of long-term environmental

###

impacts on plant morphology and the health of plant populations, but depends on ongoing collecting efforts and financial support.

The paper, "Herbarium specimens as tools to assess the impact of large herbivores on plant species" by Marie-Pierre Beauvais, Stephanie Pellerin, Jean Dube, and Claude Lavoie was published today in Botany.
NEW YORK, NY (January 19, 2017)--Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have discovered that the spatial disorientation that leads to wandering in many Alzheimer's disease patients is caused by the accumulation of tau protein in navigational nerve cells in the brain. The findings, in mice, could lead to early diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's and highlight novel targets for treating this common and troubling symptom.

The study was published online today in the journal Neuron.

An estimated three out of five people with Alzheimer's disease wander and get lost, usually beginning in the early stages of the disease, leaving them vulnerable to injury. Researchers suspect that these problems originate in an area of the brain known as the entorhinal cortex (EC). The EC plays a key role in memory and navigation and is among the first brain structures affected by the buildup of neurofibrillary tangles that are largely composed of tau, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. "Until now, no one has been able to show how tau pathology might lead to navigational difficulties," said co-study leader Karen E. Duff, PhD, professor of pathology & cell biology (in psychiatry and in the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain) at CUMC.

Dr. Duff and her colleagues focused their investigations on excitatory grid cells, a type of nerve cell in the EC that fires in response to movement through space, creating a grid-like internal map of a person's environment. The researchers made electrophysiological recordings of the grid cells of older mice--including mice engineered to express tau in the EC (EC-tau mice) and normal controls--as they navigated different environments. Spatial cognitive tasks revealed that the EC-tau mice performed significantly worse compared to the controls, suggesting that tau alters grid cell function and contributes to spatial learning and memory deficits, according to co-study leader Abid Hussaini, PhD, assistant professor of neurobiology (in Pathology and Cell Biology and the Taub Institute).

Detailed histopathological analysis of the mouse brains revealed that only the excitatory cells, but not the inhibitory cells, were killed or compromised by pathological tau, which probably resulted in the grid cells firing less. "It appears that tau pathology spared the inhibitory cells, disturbing the balance between excitatory and inhibitory cells and misaligning the animals' grid fields," said co-first author Hongjun Fu, PhD, associate research scientist in the Taub Institute, who led the immunohistological and behavior studies.

"This study clearly shows that tau pathology, beginning in the entorhinal cortex, can lead to deficits in grid cell firing and underlies the deterioration of spatial cognition that we see in human Alzheimer's disease," said Eric Kandel, MD, Nobel laureate, University Professor and Kavli Professor of Brain Science at CUMC. "This is a classic advance in our understanding of the early stages of Alzheimer's disease."

"This study is the first to show a link between grid cells and Alzheimer's disease," said Edvard E. Moser, Nobel laureate and head of the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience at Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "These findings will be crucial for future attempts to understand the development of early Alzheimer's disease symptoms, including the tendency to wander and get lost."

The findings raise the possibility that spatial disorientation could be treated by correcting this imbalance through transcranial stimulation, deep-brain stimulation, or light-based therapy.

"We have a lot to learn about grid cells and how they are affected by Alzheimer's disease," said Gustavo A. Rodriguez, PhD, a postdoctoral research scientist in the Taub Institute and a co-author of the paper. "We don't yet know what percentage of healthy grid cells are needed for proper navigation or whether this system is rescuable once it has been compromised."

"In the meantime," said Dr. Duff, "our findings suggest that it may be possible to develop navigation-based cognitive tests for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease in its initial stages. And if we can diagnose the disease early, we can start to give therapeutics earlier, when they may have a greater impact."

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The study is titled, "Tau Pathology Induces Excitatory Neuron Loss, Grid Cell Dysfunction and Spatial Memory Deficits Reminiscent of Early Alzheimer's Disease." The other contributors are: Mathieu Herman, Sheina Emrani, Eden Nahmani, Geoffrey Barrett, Helen Y. Figueroa, and Eliana Goldberg.

The study was supported by grants from National Institutes of Health (R01NS074874 and R01AG050425) and the Alzheimer's Association (2015-NIRG-341570).

The authors declare no financial or other conflicts of interest.

Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. The campus that Columbia University Medical Center shares with its hospital partner, NewYork-Presbyterian, is now called the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. For more information, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org.

The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital brings together researchers and clinicians across disciplines to uncover the causes of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other age-related brain diseases, and to discover ways to treat, prevent, and ultimately cure these diseases. In collaboration with the Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology and Neurology, research in the Taub Institute integrates genetic analysis, molecular and cellular studies, and clinical investigation to better understand complex neurodegenerative disorders. Funding for the Taub Institute's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center is provided by the NIH National Institute on Aging. In 2016, the Taub Institute was designated as a Center of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease by the New York State Department of Health. For more information, visit The Taub Institute at http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/taub/.
January 19, 2017 -- Nearly 80 percent of adolescents living in Cambodia's orphanages have one or more living parents, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. The first research of its kind assessing the literacy and health of children living outside of family care in Cambodia, the study estimated a total of 48,775 children - close to one percent of all children in Cambodia - were living in residential care institutions. The vast majority of these children are school-aged. Poverty and lack of educational opportunities in their home communities were cited as the primary reasons for family separation. Lindsay Stark, DrPH, associate professor of Population and Family Health at the Mailman School of Public Health, led the research. Findings of the study are published online in the journal BMJ Open.

Recognizing that existing census information and other data sources excluded children living in residential care institutions, Dr. Stark partnered with the National Institute of Statistics in Cambodia to develop tools for establishing a nationally representative estimate of the number, distribution and basic characteristics of these children.

"Our goal was more than a simple head count," noted Dr. Stark, who is also director of research at the CPC Learning Network. "We also assessed literacy and health and looked at the reasons why children entered residential care, whether or not they had parents, and if they did, whether their parents lived nearby," she says.

A child living in residential care was defined as anyone under the age of 18 years who was sleeping in the institution for at least four nights per week during the data collection period. More than half of the estimated 48,775 children living in residential care institutions in Cambodia are between 13 and 17 years of age.

"Many of these children aren't orphans in the traditional sense, but are placed by their parents in residential care as a last resort, after the existing social welfare program fails them," Dr. Stark continued. She points out that this is a large problem for many developing countries where orphanages and other residential care facilities have essentially become the family's social safety net. "Our objective was to generate inclusive data to guide policy makers and service providers in recognizing and protecting these children."

Data was collected through a multistage process. First, researchers reviewed government lists and conducted key informant interviews to construct a complete roster of institutions in selected study sites. Then the researchers visited all of the identified institutions to count the number of children who were present and gather information about their demographics and well-being. Finally, a model was developed to get a national estimate using the data from the selected sites.

A video produced by the Mailman School describes the study in greater detail, as well as a sister study on homeless urban children in Cambodia.

"All children have the fundamental right to grow up in a loving and protective family environment," said Dr. Stark. "A large part of an entire generation is being institutionalized and that has tremendous implications for Cambodia's future. We need to understand the scale of the issue and the reasons this is happening in order to give every child in Cambodia a fair chance." Further study will assess progress towards the national goal of reducing the number of children outside of households.

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The study was funded by USAID. In addition to the Cambodian National Institute of Statistics, Dr. Stark partnered with UNICEF, Friends International, and Moulathan Consulting.
Worldwide, around 60 per cent of the 500 known primate species are threatened with extinction. Primates live in tropical and subtropical areas and are mainly found in regions of Africa, South America, Madagascar and Asia. However, the extinction of a species must be considered a global problem. An international research team that includes two scientists from the German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, evaluated the economic, social, cultural, ecological and scientific importance of primates and the global consequences of species extinctions. They call for a strengthening of awareness and a rethinking of the impending extinction events. In order to protect primates, immediate action must be focused on conservation and sustainability (Science Advances).

Golden snub-nosed monkey, ring-tailed lemur, Javan slow loris, Azara's night monkey - we still have a large diversity of primates. They are an essential part of tropical biodiversity, contribute to natural regeneration and thus to the functioning of tropical habitats and are an integral part of many cultures and religions. Worldwide, more than half of all primate species are threatened with extinction. In order to evaluate the role of human-induced threats to primate survival, the researchers combined data from the International Red List of the world nature conservation organization International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with data from the United Nations (UN) database. This enabled the scientists to establish forecasts and development trends for the next 50 years. For the next 50 years the scientists predict extinction events for many primate species. "Humans increasingly encroach primate habitats and exploit natural resources," explains Christian Roos, a scientist at the German Primate Center (DPZ) and a co-author of the study.

The natural habitat of primates is mostly found in regions with high levels of poverty and a lack of education. These conditions lead to the exploitation of natural resources. Deforestation for agricultural land-use has become widespread. Road networks are built for the transportation and the export of goods. Around 76 per cent of the species have lost large parts of their habitat because of agricultural expansion. Another major threat is illegal hunting and the primate trade. In some regions, up to 90 per cent of species are affected. Immediate action in these regions should be aimed at improving health and providing access to education for the local populations. In order to preserve the traditional livelihoods that will contribute to food security and environmental protection, sustainable land-use initiatives must be developed. "The lifestyle and the economy in the industrialized countries contribute to the threat for primates. Many of the resources and products such as mineral resources, beef, palm oil and soya that are destroying the habitats of primates are ultimately consumed in industrialized countries," says Eckhard W. Heymann, a scientist at the DPZ and a co-author of the study.

The team of experts calls on government officials, academics, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, the business community and citizens to strengthen the awareness of the extinction events and the immediate consequences for humans. "Conservation is an ecological, cultural and social necessity. When our closest relatives, the non-human primates, become extinct, this will send a warning signal that the living conditions for humans will soon deteriorate dramatically," says Heymann.

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Study details the genetic structure and molecular diversity of the varieties of cocoa grown in the state of Bahia for over 200 years and identifies trees resistant to witch's broom

The saga of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) in southern Bahia is part of Brazil's economic and cultural history. Brazil was once the world's second-largest cocoa producer and now ranks sixth. After more than 20 years of exile from the global market, cocoa growers were able to resume exports of the commodity only in 2015.

The culprit behind the decline of Bahian cocoa was the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa, which causes witch's broom. This disease appeared in the Ilheus-Itabuna area in 1989 and attacked the shoots, flowers and pods of cocoa trees.

Their branches had ineffective leaves and bore no fruit. Brazil produced only 190,000 tons of cocoa in 1991, down from 320,000 tons per year before the disease hit. The plunge was entirely due to crop losses in Bahia, which had previously produced 80% of the nation's total cocoa output.

In the past two decades, strenuous efforts have been made to combat witch's broom, mainly by developing new varieties of disease-resistant cocoa, given that the fungus is still alive and well in southern Bahia.

One of the most innovative initiatives is a study of the genetic structure and molecular diversity of the varieties of cocoa grown in Bahia for over 200 years. The principal investigator is Anete Pereira de Souza, a professor at the University of Campinas's Biology Institute (IB-UNICAMP) in Sao Paulo State and a researcher at the same university's Center for Molecular Biology & Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), in collaboration with researchers from several universities and research institutions in Bahia.

"The low resistance of Bahia's cocoa trees to witch's broom has always intrigued me," Souza said. "The Brazilian Amazon is one of the oldest origins of the species Theobroma cacao. So many varieties and types of cocoa must exist there, and some of them must be resistant to M. perniciosa. Why did the disease practically wipe out southern Bahia's cocoa plantations in a few years if the plant originally came from the Amazon? We decided to study the genetic history of Bahian cocoa in order to discover why it's so vulnerable and find a way of making it more resistant to the fungus."

Cocoa arrived in Bahia in 1746, when Louis Frederic Warneau, a French settler living in Para, sent seeds of the variety Forastero (in the Amelonado group) to Antonio Dias Ribeiro, a farmer of Portuguese origin, who sowed them on his plantation in what is now the municipality of Canavieiras in Bahia.

The next generation was sown in Ilheus in 1752. The plants adapted well to the local climate. Cocoa plantations spread throughout the region in the nineteenth century, and exports rose in step with demand for chocolate in Europe and the United States. By the early twentieth century, cocoa was Bahia's main export.

"The quality of Bahian cocoa is outstanding," Souza said. "So much so that Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria and Cameroon, the top five producers, in that order, all grow Bahian cocoa. The original seeds introduced were from Bahia's Forastero variety."

Witch's broom is endemic to South America and the Caribbean. It has never crossed the oceans to infest plantations in Africa or Southeast Asia.

The results of the huge epidemiological and scientific campaign waged against the disease in Brazil are starting to appear. After bottoming out at 170,000 tons in 2003, Brazil's cocoa output rebounded to a 26-year high of 291,000 tons in 2014.

Improved control of witch's broom has enabled Bahia to resume exports. It shipped 6,600 tons of cocoa beans to Europe in 2015.

To understand the genetic reasons for Bahian cocoa's extreme susceptibility to witch's broom, Souza went into the field with Elisa Santos, then her PhD supervisee at the University of Southwest Bahia (UESB), and with researchers from the University of Santa Cruz (UESC) and the Cocoa Recovery Plan Steering Committee (CEPLAC), based in Ilheus, Bahia. Santos collected 219 samples of cocoa leaves from seven farms and 51 samples of hybrids developed over decades at the Cocoa Research Center (CEPEC) in Ilheus.

Back at CBMEG in Campinas, Souza sequenced the nuclear DNA of all 270 samples. The investigation focused on 30 molecular markers, short DNA sequences that served as parameters for comparing varieties.

The genetic base was found to be very narrow: literally all of Bahia's cocoa trees are the descendants of only a few individuals. More specifically, they all originated from a small number of Forastero seeds, including the handful picked by Warneau 270 years ago.

The researchers also found that the seeds were well chosen for the quality of the fruit produced by the trees concerned.

While low genetic diversity guarantees high-quality fruit, it also explains why the population of cocoa trees as a whole was so fragile, as it resulted in a lack of varieties capable of resisting diseases such as witch's broom.

"The genetic base was already narrow, and they chose only plants from that base to obtain hybrids," Souza said. "It didn't occur to them to introduce new varieties from outside Bahia so as to enrich the genetic base in the region. As a result, the hybrids produced were even less disease resistant."

The good news brought by the researchers was the discovery of trees growing on local farms that were disease resistant and that displayed greater genetic diversity than the previously known hybrids. "The cocoa trees concerned were planted before the appearance of witch's broom and have never been attacked. That's why they were left intact and continued producing," Souza said. "There must be others, besides the ones we took samples from. These trees can't be lost. Government and growers must preserve these varieties, as they represent the future success of the cocoa industry not just in Bahia but also nationwide and indeed worldwide, given that Bahian cocoa has been exported to so many countries around the world."

New hybrids involving the trees found to be disease resistant and to display broader genetic diversity are now being obtained by plant breeders at Bahia's research centers.

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As self-evident as it is that matter exists, its origins are just as mysterious. According to the principles of particle physics, when the universe was originally formed equal amounts of matter and antimatter would have been created, which then should have destroyed each other in a process that physicists call annihilation. But in reality, our universe shows a manifest imbalance in favor of matter. Therefore, scientists are looking for a small difference between a particle and its antiparticle that could explain why matter actually exists. The multinational Baryon Antibaryon Symmetry Experiment (BASE) collaboration at the CERN research center has set a new benchmark in this search by successfully measuring an important characteristic of the antiproton with the greatest accuracy ever achieved. The g-factor, a quantity that characterizes the magnetic moment, has been measured with a precision increased by a factor of six compared to previous results.

The idea that something like anti-matter must exist came up in the late 1920s. It was only a few years later that positrons, the antiparticles of electrons, were discovered. While positrons occur naturally on Earth, antiprotons, the antiparticles of protons, have to be artificially generated. The Antiproton Decelerator storage ring at CERN produces cooled antiprotons in large quantities for a wide range of antimatter experiments. In the experiments carried out by the BASE group, of which Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) is a member, single ultracold antiprotons are studied in an electromagnetic particle trap.

The system consists of three Penning traps. A reservoir trap stores a cloud of antiprotons for the experiment and supplies single particles to the co-magnetometer trap and the actual analysis trap. The purpose of the co-magnetometer trap is to continuously monitor the magnetic field. The analysis trap is surrounded by an extremely large magnetic field inhomogeneity of 300 Kilotesla per square meter.

This ultra-powerful magnetic field inhomogeneity is a fundamental requirement for detecting spin-flips, a method developed by Nobel Prize laureate Hans Georg Dehmelt in 1987 for measuring the magnetic moment of the electron and the positron. "However, the challenge in our case is much greater because the magnetic moment of the proton and the antiproton is about 660 times smaller in comparison," wrote the BASE scientists in a paper published in Nature Communications. The principle used to measure the magnetic moment of single protons was developed five years ago by a collaboration with a group at the Institute of Physics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz led by Professor Jochen Walz. With its high-precision measurement of the proton in 2014 the collaboration goes unchallenged as the top research team in this field.

G-factor measured with six times enhanced accuracy

The method used to analyze the antiproton employs the same principle. The g-factor was determined on the basis of six individual measurements with an uncertainty of just 0.8 parts per million. The value of 2.7928465(23) is six times more precise than the previous record achieved by another CERN research group in 2013. As recently as 2011, the magnetic moment of the antiproton was only known to an accuracy of three decimal places. The new result is consistent with the g-factor of the proton as measured in Mainz in 2014, namely 2.792847350(9). "This means that within our experimental uncertainty, we cannot detect any difference between protons and antiprotons. At this level our measurement is consistent with the predictions of the Standard Model," stated Stefan Ulmer, coordinator of BASE at CERN and a former member of Walz' team at Mainz University.

Protons and antiprotons thus still appear to be mirror images of each other, meaning there is still no explanation of why matter actually exists at all and did not simply vaporize in the first moments of the Big Bang. The BASE collaboration intends to go a step further by increasing the precision of its measurements using a double Penning trap technique. This is a complex technique that was used for the Mainz proton measurements in 2014 and offers the potential of improving accuracy by a factor of 1,000.

"The asymmetry between matter and antimatter is so obvious that something must have happened which cannot yet be detected using the methods currently available to modern physics. So our main aim is to find approaches that can help solve this extraordinary puzzle," said Ulmer of the group's future plans. In addition to Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, the other members involved in the research projects are the RIKEN research center in Japan, the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, the Leibniz Universitat Hannover and the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt.

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Researchers at Mayo Clinic have identified a genetic promoter of cancer that drives a major form of lung cancer. In a new paper published this week in Cancer Cell, Mayo Clinic researchers provide genetic evidence that Ect2 drives lung adenocarcinoma tumor formation.

"This paper demonstrates, for the first time, that Ect2 is required for tumor formation in vivo and identifies a novel function related to ribosomes for Ect2 in lung adenocarcinoma tumor cells," says Alan Fields, Ph.D., senior author on the paper.

Dr. Fields is a cancer biologist and the Monica Flynn Jacoby Professor of Cancer Research in the Department of Cancer Biology at Mayo Clinic's Florida campus.

KRAS mutation in lung cancer

Lung adenocarcinoma accounts for 40 percent of lung cancer diagnoses according to Dr. Fields. And the most frequent driver of this cancer is a mutation in the KRAS gene.

"KRAS-mediated lung adenocarcinoma is a particularly deadly form of lung cancer, in part because attempts to directly target KRAS therapeutically have not been successful in the clinic," says the study's lead author, Verline Justilien, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Cancer Biology at Mayo Clinic's Florida campus.

Ect2 role differs between cancer, normal cells

In normal cells Ect2 directs the last step of cell division, called cytokinesis.

"Surprisingly however, we found that Ect2 is not necessary for cytokinesis in lung adenocarcinoma cells, indicating that there must be some other function for Ect2 that tumor cells require," says Dr. Fields.

In this paper the team reports that the other function is to boost ribosome production. Ribosomes are cellular machines which manufacture proteins from messenger RNA instructions.

"As a consequence, Ect2 drives increased synthesis of ribosomal RNA, which in turn gives rise to increased ribosomes," says Dr. Fields. "While it's been known for a long time that tumor cells have elevated ribosome levels, this paper is the first to show that Ect2 supports tumor cell growth by stimulating ribosome biogenesis."

Clinical implications

In their previous work, Drs. Fields and Justilien implicated another lung cancer gene in controlling the activity of Ect2 in this disease model. This second gene, protein kinase C (PKC), was first identified in Dr. Fields' laboratory. Previously the team published a study in Cancer Cell on auranofin, a PKC-inhibitor. When used with a second experimental agent, the combination shuts down lung adenocarcinoma tumor growth. The current Cancer Cell paper indicates that inhibition of Ect2, and subsequently ribosome synthesis, is a major mechanism by which auranofin works.

"Our current findings reveal a potential novel therapeutic strategy for treating mutant KRAS lung adenocarcinoma cells in which Ect2 is overexpressed," Dr. Justilien says.

Based on preclinical research from Dr. Fields' team, Mayo Clinic is conducting early-phase clinical trials of auranofin. These studies will test the effectiveness of the compound alone and in targeted combinations. Trials will focus on patients with KRAS-mediated lung adenocarcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma, and ovarian cancer.

###

In addition to Drs. Fields and Justilien, the study co-authors are:

* Syed Ali, M.D., Mayo Clinic * Lee Jamieson, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic * Ning Yin, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic * Adrienne Cox, Ph.D., University of North Carolina * Channing Der, Ph.D., University of North Carolina * Nicole Murray, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic

Federal funding and the Monica Flynn Jacoby Professor of cancer Research fund supported this research. The authors report no conflicts of interest.

About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic or newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.
The age of big data has seen a host of new techniques for analyzing large data sets. But before any of those techniques can be applied, the target data has to be aggregated, organized, and cleaned up.

That turns out to be a shockingly time-consuming task. In a 2016 survey, 80 data scientists told the company CrowdFlower that, on average, they spent 80 percent of their time collecting and organizing data and only 20 percent analyzing it.

An international team of computer scientists hopes to change that, with a new system called Data Civilizer, which automatically finds connections among many different data tables and allows users to perform database-style queries across all of them. The results of the queries can then be saved as new, orderly data sets that may draw information from dozens or even thousands of different tables.

"Modern organizations have many thousands of data sets spread across files, spreadsheets, databases, data lakes, and other software systems," says Sam Madden, an MIT professor of electrical engineering and computer science and faculty director of MIT's bigdata@CSAIL initiative. "Civilizer helps analysts in these organizations quickly find data sets that contain information that is relevant to them and, more importantly, combine related data sets together to create new, unified data sets that consolidate data of interest for some analysis."

The researchers presented their system last week at the Conference on Innovative Data Systems Research. The lead authors on the paper are Dong Deng and Raul Castro Fernandez, both postdocs at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory; Madden is one of the senior authors. They're joined by six other researchers from Technical University of Berlin, Nanyang Technological University, the University of Waterloo, and the Qatar Computing Research Institute. Although he's not a co-author, MIT adjunct professor of electrical engineering and computer science Michael Stonebraker, who in 2014 won the Turing Award -- the highest honor in computer science -- contributed to the work as well.

Pairs and permutations

Data Civilizer assumes that the data it's consolidating is arranged in tables. As Madden explains, in the database community, there's a sizable literature on automatically converting data to tabular form, so that wasn't the focus of the new research. Similarly, while the prototype of the system can extract tabular data from several different types of files, getting it to work with every conceivable spreadsheet or database program was not the researchers' immediate priority. "That part is engineering," Madden says.

The system begins by analyzing every column of every table at its disposal. First, it produces a statistical summary of the data in each column. For numerical data, that might include a distribution of the frequency with which different values occur; the range of values; and the "cardinality" of the values, or the number of different values the column contains. For textual data, a summary would include a list of the most frequently occurring words in the column and the number of different words. Data Civilizer also keeps a master index of every word occurring in every table and the tables that contain it.

Then the system compares all of the column summaries against each other, identifying pairs of columns that appear to have commonalities -- similar data ranges, similar sets of words, and the like. It assigns every pair of columns a similarity score and, on that basis, produces a map, rather like a network diagram, that traces out the connections between individual columns and between the tables that contain them.

Tracing a path

A user can then compose a query and, on the fly, Data Civilizer will traverse the map to find related data. Suppose, for instance, a pharmaceutical company has hundreds of tables that refer to a drug by its brand name, hundreds that refer to its chemical compound, and a handful that use an in-house ID number. Now suppose that the ID number and the brand name never show up in the same table, but there's at least one table linking the ID number and the chemical compound, and one linking the chemical compound and the brand name. With Data Civilizer, a query on the brand name will also pull up data from tables that use just the ID number.

Some of the linkages identified by Data Civilizer may turn out to be spurious. But the user can discard data that don't fit a query while keeping the rest. Once the data have been pruned, the user can save the results as their own data file.

###

Additional background

Paper: The Data Civilizer system http://cidrdb.org/cidr2017/papers/p44-deng-cidr17.pdf

ARCHIVE: Democratizing databases http://news.mit.edu/2016/spreadsheet-databases-0708

ARCHIVE: Visual control of big data http://news.mit.edu/2014/visual-control-big-data-0815

ARCHIVE: Making Web applications more efficient http://news.mit.edu/2012/making-web-applications-more-efficient-0831

ARCHIVE: MIT, Intel unveil new initiatives addressing 'big data' http://news.mit.edu/2012/big-data-csail-intel-center-0531
Matthew McGill of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, has been selected as the recipient of the 2017 National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) Scientist of the Year Award.

This award is made to a gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (GLBT) scientist who has made the most outstanding contributions in their field.

McGill was chosen to receive the award because of his outstanding achievements in the application of lidar technology in the study of Earth's atmosphere to better understand climate change impacts. Lidar is an acronym for light detection and ranging. It is a remote sensing method that uses light from a pulsed laser to measure properties of the atmosphere.

Upon receiving notification of the award, McGill said, "This is truly a unique and prestigious honor. To be recognized from amongst all science disciplines is humbling and also acknowledges the importance of the work the Earth science community is pursuing. Moreover, to be recognized as a visible member of, and advocate for, the GLBT community provides important recognition of the value of GLBT professionals. Such visibility is particularly important within government agencies, such as NASA."

McGill is both a research physicist and the Earth Science Division chief technologist at NASA Goddard.

As a research physicist his focus is on studying the atmosphere. He develops new concepts, prototypes new instruments, participates in field campaigns, analyzes data from instruments and satellites, writes proposals, and mentors younger researchers. As the Goddard Earth Science Division chief technologist, he advises management on where the agency should make strategic investments and connects scientists and engineers to make them happen.

Since 2000, McGill has served as the principal investigator for the Cloud Physics Lidar, an instrument that operates on NASA's high-altitude aircraft and has flown aboard an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft during the Hurricane Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) mission. He has developed multiple laser remote sensing instruments, primarily for use on high-altitude research aircraft. In 2011, he led development of the Multiple Altimeter Beam Experimental Lidar (MABEL) instrument to conclusively demonstrate a new approach to measurement of surface elevation as a demonstrator for the ICESat-2 mission.

Most recently, McGill led an award-winning team that designed and built the Cloud Aerosol Transport System (CATS) instrument, a low-cost lidar system built as a technology demonstrator on the International Space Station (ISS). CATS uses a laser to study clouds and pollutants in the atmosphere. Launched in January 2015, CATS has been successfully operating on the ISS for two years.

McGill has participated in at least 20 field campaigns over the past two decades. His instruments have operated from Costa Rica, South Africa, Iceland, and throughout the continental U.S.

The NOGLSTP annually recognizes a scientist of the year, engineer of the year and educator of the year from across the broad spectrum science, engineering and academic disciplines. The NOGLSTP awards were established as a means of identifying, honoring and documenting the contributions of outstanding GLBT science, engineering and technology professionals, as well as corporations, academic institutions, and businesses that support GLBT professionals in the fields of science and technology.

The award will be presented at the banquet during the Out to Innovate conference on Saturday, March 4, at the Doubletree Hotel Boston North Shore in Danvers, Massachusetts.

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For a Q&A Feature with Dr. McGill, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/matthew-mcgill-a-scientific-hybrid
Raising further questions about privacy on the internet, researchers from Princeton and Stanford universities have released a study showing that a specific person's online behavior can be identified by linking anonymous web browsing histories with social media profiles.

"We show that browsing histories can be linked to social media profiles such as Twitter, Facebook or Reddit accounts," the researchers wrote in a paper scheduled for presentation at the 2017 World Wide Web Conference Perth, Australia, in April.

"It is already known that some companies, such as Google and Facebook, track users online and know their identities," said Arvind Narayanan, an assistant professor of computer science at Princeton and one of the authors of the research article. But those companies, which consumers choose to create accounts with, disclose their tracking. The new research shows that anyone with access to browsing histories -- a great number of companies and organizations --can identify many users by analyzing public information from social media accounts, Narayanan said.

"Users may assume they are anonymous when they are browsing a news or a health website, but our work adds to the list of ways in which tracking companies may be able to learn their identities," said Narayanan, an affiliated faculty member at Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy.

Narayanan noted that the Federal Communications Commission recently adopted privacy rules for internet service providers that allow them to store and use consumer information only when it is "not reasonably linkable" to individual users.

"Our results suggest that pseudonymous browsing histories fail this test," the researchers wrote.

In the article, the authors note that online advertising companies build browsing histories of users with tracking programs embedded on webpages. Some advertisers attach identities to these profiles, but most promise that the web browsing information is not linked to anyone's identity. The researchers wanted to know if it were possible to de-anonymize web browsing and identify a user even if the web browsing history did not include identities.

They decided to limit themselves to publicly available information. Social media profiles, particularly those that include links to outside webpages, offered the strongest possibility. The researchers created an algorithm to compare anonymous web browsing histories with links appearing in people's public social media accounts, called "feeds."

"Each person's browsing history is unique and contains tell-tale signs of their identity," said Sharad Goel, an assistant professor at Stanford and an author of the study.

The programs were able to find patterns among the different groups of data and use those patterns to identify users. The researchers note that the method is not perfect, and it requires a social media feed that includes a number of links to outside sites. However, they said that "given a history with 30 links originating from Twitter, we can deduce the corresponding Twitter profile more than 50 percent of the time."

The researchers had even greater success in an experiment they ran involving 374 volunteers who submitted web browsing information. The researchers were able to identify more than 70 percent of those users by comparing their web browsing data to hundreds of millions of public social media feeds. (The number of original participants in the study was higher, but some users were eliminated because of technical problems in processing their information.)

Yves-Alexandre de Montjoye, an assistant professor at Imperial College London, said the research shows how "easy it is to build a full-scale 'de-anonymizationer' that needs nothing more than what's available to anyone who knows how to code."

"All the evidence we have seen piling up over the years showing the strong limits of data anonymization, including this study, really emphasizes the need to rethink our approach to privacy and data protection in the age of big data," said de Montjoye, who was not involved in the project.

Besides Narayanan, the researchers involved in the project included: Jessica Su, Ansh Shukla, and Sharad Goel of Stanford. Support for the project was provided in part by the National Science Foundation. The researchers thanked Twitter for supporting the project by providing access to the Gnip search API.

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Global sea level could rise by as much as 8 feet by 2100 in a worst-case scenario, according to federal report coauthored by Rutgers' Robert E. Kopp

Sea level in the Northeast and in some other U.S. regions will rise significantly faster than the global average, according to a report released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Moreover, in a worst-case scenario, global sea level could rise by about 8 feet by 2100. Robert E. Kopp, an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers University, coauthored the report, which lays out six scenarios intended to inform national and regional planning.

"Currently, about 6 million Americans live within about 6 feet of the sea level, and they are potentially vulnerable to permanent flooding in this century. Well before that happens, though, many areas are already starting to flood more frequently," said Kopp, who leads Rutgers' new Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience graduate traineeship. "Considering possible levels of sea-level rise and their consequences is crucial to risk management."

The report, "Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States," provides regional sea-level rise scenarios and tools for coastal preparedness planning and risk management. It also reviews recent scientific literature on "worst-case" global average sea-level projections and on the potential for rapid ice melt in Greenland and Antarctica.

The report's authors, who also include scientists from federal agencies, Columbia University and the South Florida Water Management District, concluded that evidence supports a "worst-case" global average sea-level rise of about 8.2 feet by 2100. Recent studies on Antarctic ice-sheet instability indicate that such rises may be more likely than once thought, the report says.

The report provides a range of possible scenarios, from at least 1 foot of global sea-level rise by 2100 to a worst-case rise that's 1.6 feet higher than a scenario in a key 2012 study that the report updates. The report also provides four additional global average sea-level rise scenarios through 2100: intermediate-low (1.6 feet); intermediate (3.3 feet); intermediate-high (4.9 feet); and high (6.6 feet).

The scenarios were also tailored to produce regional projections in areas including the U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Pacific coasts, Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Pacific island territories.

"The report's detailed local scenarios represent a significant advance in the federal government's response to requests by states and cities for more information tailored to their location," Kopp said.

Key findings from the report include:

From Virginia through Maine and along the western Gulf of Mexico, sea-level rise is projected to be greater than the global average in nearly all global average sea level rise scenarios. For example, the sea in these regions would rise 1 to 1.6 feet higher than the global average rise of 3.3 feet under the intermediate scenario by 2100.

Along almost all U.S. coasts outside Alaska, sea-level rise is projected to be higher than the global average under the intermediate-high, high and extreme scenarios. For example, the sea level would be 1 to 3.3 feet higher than the global level under the high scenario.

Along much of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska coasts, sea-level rise is projected to be less than the global average under the low-to-intermediate scenarios. For example, the rise would be 0.3 to 3.3 feet lower than global rise under the intermediate scenario.

The report also focuses on the frequency of moderate-level flooding that triggers a NOAA coastal/lakeshore flood warning of a serious risk to life and property. In general, the water level that triggers a warning is about 2.6 feet above the highest average tide and has a 20 percent chance of arising each year.

With less than 14 inches of sea-level rise, most of the 90 U.S. coastal cities studied outside of Alaska would see a 25-fold increase in disruptive and damaging flooding by around 2080, 2060, 2040 or 2030 under the low, intermediate-low, intermediate and intermediate-high scenarios, respectively. That means a once-in-five-year flood would happen five times a year, on average.

"That's a transition when flooding that used to be driven by storms becomes flooding driven by extreme high tides," Kopp said. "Along the Jersey Shore, that transition would happen in the 2060s under the intermediate scenario and the 2030s under the intermediate-high scenario."

###

The report was written by William V. Sweet of NOAA; Kopp; Christopher P. Weaver of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Jayantha Obeysekera of the South Florida Water Management District; Radley Horton of Columbia University; E. Robert Thieler of the U.S. Geological Survey; and Chris Zervas of NOAA.
Is there anybody out there? The question of whether Earthlings are alone in the universe has puzzled everyone from biologists and physicists to philosophers and filmmakers. It's also the driving force behind San Francisco State University astronomer Stephen Kane's research into exoplanets -- planets that exist outside Earth's solar system.

As one of the world's leading "planet hunters," Kane focuses on finding "habitable zones," areas where water could exist in a liquid state on a planet's surface if there's sufficient atmospheric pressure. Kane and his team, including former undergraduate student Miranda Waters, examined the habitable zone on a planetary system 14 light years away. Their findings will appear in the next issue of Astrophysical Journal in a paper titled "Characterization of the Wolf 1061 Planetary System."

"The Wolf 1061 system is important because it is so close and that gives other opportunities to do follow-up studies to see if it does indeed have life," Kane said.

But it's not just Wolf 1061's proximity to Earth that made it an attractive subject for Kane and his team. One of the three known planets in the system, a rocky planet called Wolf 1061c, is entirely within the habitable zone. With assistance from collaborators at Tennessee State University and in Geneva, Switzerland, they were able to measure the star around which the planet orbits to gain a clearer picture of whether life could exist there.

When scientists search for planets that could sustain life, they are basically looking for a planet with nearly identical properties to Earth, Kane said. Like Earth, the planet would have to exist in a sweet spot often referred to as the "Goldilocks zone" where conditions are just right for life.

Simply put, the planet can't be too close or too far from its parent star. A planet that's too close would be too hot. If it's too far, it may be too cold and any water would freeze, which is what happens on Mars, Kane added.

Conversely, when planets warm, a "runaway greenhouse effect" can occur where heat gets trapped in the atmosphere. Scientists believe this is what happened on Earth's twin, Venus. Scientists believe Venus once had oceans, but because of its proximity to the sun the planet became so hot that all the water evaporated, according to NASA. Since water vapor is extremely effective in trapping in heat, it made the surface of the planet even hotter. The surface temperature on Venus now reaches a scalding 880 degrees Fahrenheit.

Since Wolf 1061c is close to the inner edge of the habitable zone, meaning closer to the star, it could be that the planet has an atmosphere that's more similar to Venus. "It's close enough to the star where it's looking suspiciously like a runaway greenhouse," Kane said.

Kane and his team also observed that unlike Earth, which experiences climatic changes such as an ice age because of slow variations in its orbit around the sun, Wolf 1061c's orbit changes at a much faster rate, which could mean the climate there could be quite chaotic. "It could cause the frequency of the planet freezing over or heating up to be quite severe," Kane said.

These findings all beg the question: Is life possible on Wolf 1061c? One possibility is that the short time scales over which Wolf 1061c's orbit changes could be enough that it could actually cool the planet off, Kane said. But fully understanding what's happening on the planet's surface will take more research.

In the coming years, there will be a launch of new telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, Kane said, and it will be able to detect atmospheric components of the exoplanets and show what's happening on the surface.

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Since its discovery in 2004, scientists have believed that graphene may have the innate ability to superconduct. Now Cambridge researchers have found a way to activate that previously dormant potential

Researchers have found a way to trigger the innate, but previously hidden, ability of graphene to act as a superconductor - meaning that it can be made to carry an electrical current with zero resistance.

The finding, reported in Nature Communications, further enhances the potential of graphene, which is already widely seen as a material that could revolutionise industries such as healthcare and electronics. Graphene is a two-dimensional sheet of carbon atoms and combines several remarkable properties; for example, it is very strong, but also light and flexible, and highly conductive.

Since its discovery in 2004, scientists have speculated that graphene may also have the capacity to be a superconductor. Until now, superconductivity in graphene has only been achieved by doping it with, or by placing it on, a superconducting material - a process which can compromise some of its other properties.

But in the new study, researchers at the University of Cambridge managed to activate the dormant potential for graphene to superconduct in its own right. This was achieved by coupling it with a material called praseodymium cerium copper oxide (PCCO).

Superconductors are already used in numerous applications. Because they generate large magnetic fields they are an essential component in MRI scanners and levitating trains. They could also be used to make energy-efficient power lines and devices capable of storing energy for millions of years.

Superconducting graphene opens up yet more possibilities. The researchers suggest, for example, that graphene could now be used to create new types of superconducting quantum devices for high-speed computing. Intriguingly, it might also be used to prove the existence of a mysterious form of superconductivity known as "p-wave" superconductivity, which academics have been struggling to verify for more than 20 years.

The research was led by Dr Angelo Di Bernardo and Dr Jason Robinson, Fellows at St John's College, University of Cambridge, alongside collaborators Professor Andrea Ferrari, from the Cambridge Graphene Centre; Professor Oded Millo, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Professor Jacob Linder, at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.

"It has long been postulated that, under the right conditions, graphene should undergo a superconducting transition, but can't," Robinson said. "The idea of this experiment was, if we couple graphene to a superconductor, can we switch that intrinsic superconductivity on? The question then becomes how do you know that the superconductivity you are seeing is coming from within the graphene itself, and not the underlying superconductor?"

Similar approaches have been taken in previous studies using metallic-based superconductors, but with limited success. "Placing graphene on a metal can dramatically alter the properties so it is technically no longer behaving as we would expect," Di Bernardo said. "What you see is not graphene's intrinsic superconductivity, but simply that of the underlying superconductor being passed on."

PCCO is an oxide from a wider class of superconducting materials called "cuprates". It also has well-understood electronic properties, and using a technique called scanning and tunnelling microscopy, the researchers were able to distinguish the superconductivity in PCCO from the superconductivity observed in graphene.

Superconductivity is characterised by the way the electrons interact: within a superconductor electrons form pairs, and the spin alignment between the electrons of a pair may be different depending on the type - or "symmetry" - of superconductivity involved. In PCCO, for example, the pairs' spin state is misaligned (antiparallel), in what is known as a "d-wave state".

By contrast, when graphene was coupled to superconducting PCCO in the Cambridge-led experiment, the results suggested that the electron pairs within graphene were in a p-wave state. "What we saw in the graphene was, in other words, a very different type of superconductivity than in PCCO," Robinson said. "This was a really important step because it meant that we knew the superconductivity was not coming from outside it and that the PCCO was therefore only required to unleash the intrinsic superconductivity of graphene."

It remains unclear what type of superconductivity the team activated, but their results strongly indicate that it is the elusive "p-wave" form. If so, the study could transform the ongoing debate about whether this mysterious type of superconductivity exists, and - if so - what exactly it is.

In 1994, researchers in Japan fabricated a triplet superconductor that may have a p-wave symmetry using a material called strontium ruthenate (SRO). The p-wave symmetry of SRO has never been fully verified, partly hindered by the fact that SRO is a bulky crystal, which makes it challenging to fabricate into the type of devices necessary to test theoretical predictions.

"If p-wave superconductivity is indeed being created in graphene, graphene could be used as a scaffold for the creation and exploration of a whole new spectrum of superconducting devices for fundamental and applied research areas," Robinson said. "Such experiments would necessarily lead to new science through a better understanding of p-wave superconductivity, and how it behaves in different devices and settings."

The study also has further implications. For example, it suggests that graphene could be used to make a transistor-like device in a superconducting circuit, and that its superconductivity could be incorporated into molecular electronics. "In principle, given the variety of chemical molecules that can bind to graphene's surface, this research can result in the development of molecular electronics devices with novel functionalities based on superconducting graphene," Di Bernardo added.

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The study, p-wave triggered superconductivity in single layer graphene on an electron-doped oxide superconductor, is published in Nature Communications. (DOI: 101038/NCOMMS14024).
In a study published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, researchers evaluated the effect of a cognitive training program on tinnitus.

Individuals with tinnitus have poorer working memory, slower processing speeds and reaction times and deficiencies in selective attention. Neuroplasticity (the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections) has been the foundation for the creation of several cognitive enhancement programs intended to slow normal aging and potentially improve disorders such as attention deficits. Brain Fitness Program-Tinnitus (BFP-T) is a cognitive training program specially designed to exploit neuroplasticity for preservation and expansion of cognitive health in adults with tinnitus.

Jay F. Piccirillo, M.D., of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Editor, JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and colleagues randomly assigned 40 adults with bothersome tinnitus for more than 6 months and 20 age-matched healthy controls to a BFP-T or non-BFP-T control group. Participants in the intervention group were required to complete the BFP-T online one hour per day, five days per week for eight weeks. The BFP-T contains 11 interactive training exercises (simple acoustic stimuli, continuous speech, and visual stimuli) in an attempt to address the attentional effect of tinnitus.

Tinnitus assessment, neuroimaging, and cognitive testing were completed at baseline and 8 weeks later. The controls underwent neuroimaging and cognitive assessments.

The researchers found that patients with tinnitus in the BFP-T group had improvements in tinnitus perception, memory, attention, and concentration compared with patients in the non-BFP-T control group. Neuroimaging changes in brain systems responsible for attention and cognitive control were observed in patients who used the BFP-T. "A possible mechanistic explanation for these changes could be neuroplastic changes in key brain systems involved in cognitive control," the authors write.

No changes in behavioral measures were observed between the two tinnitus study groups.

"We believe that continued research into the role of cognitive training rehabilitation programs is supported by the findings of this study, and the role of neuroplasticity seems to hold a prominent place in the future treatments for tinnitus," the researchers write. "On the basis of our broad recruitment and enrollment strategies, we believe the results of this study are applicable to most patients with tinnitus who seek medical attention."

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(JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Published online January 19, 2017. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2016.3779. 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.

To place an electronic embedded link to this study in your story Link will be live at the embargo time: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/10.1001/jamaoto.2016.3779
In Texas counties without an abortion facility in 2014, an increase in distance to the nearest facility was associated with a decline in abortions between 2012 and 2014, according to a study published online by JAMA.

Texas House Bill 2, enacted in 2013, was one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June 2016 that two provisions were unconstitutional. Following introduction and passage of the bill, the number of Texas facilities providing abortions declined, from 41 in 2012 to 17 in June 2016.

Women whose nearest clinic closed traveled farther to access abortion services than those whose nearest clinic remained open. Overall, abortions declined 14 percent in Texas between 2013 and 2014.

Daniel Grossman, M.D., of the University of California-San Francisco, and colleagues examined whether the decline in abortions would be greater as the change in distance to the nearest open facility increased. County-level data on abortions received by Texas residents both in and out of state in 2012 and 2014 were obtained from the website of the Department of State Health Services. The distance from the center of each Texas county to the nearest open facility providing abortions in 2012 and 2014 was calculated.

In 2012, 66,098 abortions were performed among Texas residents (97 out of state). In 2014, 53,882 abortions were performed among Texas residents (754 out of state). Of 254 counties, there were 41 facilities in 17 counties in 2012 and there were 21 facilities in 6 counties in 2014. The average change in distance to a facility was 51 miles and the median change was 13 miles.

Counties that had an open facility in 2014 (all in large metropolitan areas) had minimal distance changes (0-5 miles) and a 16 percent decline in abortions. Among counties without an open facility in 2014, the decline in abortions increased as the distance change to the nearest facility increased. Counties with no facility in 2014 but no change in distance to a facility between 2012 and 2014 had a 1.3 percent decline in abortions. When the change in distance was 100 miles or more, the number of abortions decreased 50 percent.

The authors write that the decline in abortions among women in counties with an open facility in 2014 indicates that there were other factors related to the decrease, such as limited capacity to meet demand for services. "In counties with no facility and no change in distance, the decline in abortion was minimal. Many of these counties were in East Texas where family planning services were disrupted, likely leading to increased demand for abortion that offset the increased capacity barriers women faced."

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(doi:10.1001/jama.2016.17026; 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.

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.2016.17026
Scientists under the leadership of the University of Bonn have harnessed rabies viruses for assessing the connectivity of nerve cell transplants: coupled with a green fluorescent protein, the viruses show where replacement cells engrafted into mouse brains have connected to the host neural network. A clearing procedure which turns the brain into a 'glass-like state' and light sheet fluorescence microscopy are used to visualize host-graft connections in a whole-brain preparation. The approach opens exciting prospects for predicting and optimizing the ability of neural transplants to functionally integrate into a host nervous system. The results have now been published in the specialist journal Nature Communications.

Many diseases and injuries result in a loss of nerve cells. Scientists are working on tackling this challenge by transplanting neurons. In Parkinson's disease, for instance, this is attempted with implanted dopamine-producing nerve cells. The key question for such techniques is whether the implanted cells actually connect with the existing neural network of the host brain and thus compensate the functional loss. "Previous methods only provided an incomplete or very small-scale insight into the functional integration of implanted neurons in the brain," says Prof. Oliver Brustle from the Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology at the University of Bonn and LIFE & BRAIN GmbH.

Exploiting viral spreading across neurons

Together with scientists of various disciplines at the University of Bonn and cooperation partners from Cologne and Chicago (USA), the team led by Prof. Brustle developed a new technique: "This enables the connection of implanted cells in the entire brain to be visualized in high resolution." The basis of this technology is provided by genetically altered rabies viruses. The researchers are exploiting the fact that these viruses spread backwards via nerve cell junctions - called synapses. The genetically altered rabies virus, which is no longer dangerous to humans, carries a fluorescent protein. Upon infection of the graft, the transplanted neurons turn green. At the same time, the 'green' virus spreads backwards across established synapses to connected host neurons, which are also turning green.

A three-dimensional nerve circuit diagram across a transparent brain

To visualize the labeled cells, the team first employed a special clearing procedure. "This technique makes it possible to turn the brains completely transparent - almost as glass," says Dr. Martin Schwarz from the Bonn Department of Epileptology, who perfected this technique. The transparent brain is then studied layer by layer, similar to computer tomography, using what is known as a light sheet fluorescence microscope, which Prof. Ulrich Kubitscheck and his team at the Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Bonn developed specifically for this purpose.

"With this technique, the brain is scanned in high resolution in over 1,000 virtual optical sections; the data is then reconstructed three-dimensionally," explains Prof. Kubitscheck. "As the implanted neurons and the recipient's nerve cells connected to them light up green, a three-dimensional brain map can be created that delineates all the recipient cells connected to the transplant - the graft connectome," says Dr. Jonas Doerr, who first-authored the study together with Martin Schwarz.

As the brain tissue itself becomes invisible after the clearing procedure, the researchers in a last step aligned the fluorescent maps with neuroanatomical data generated via magnetic resonance tomography of mouse brains. "Similar to cities on a globe, all of the cells marked in green can thus be allocated to distinct anatomical territories," says Prof. Mathias Hoehn from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne, whose group conducted these calculations.

Great potential for the development of nerve cell transplants

"Our findings show that the transplanted neurons integrate in a remarkably region-specific manner into the different transplant sites," reports Prof. Brustle. The researchers hope that the new approach will be particularly useful for studying and optimizing the ability of neuronal transplants to connect with the host brain before they are used for clinical therapy. As a next step, they plan to use the rabies system to investigate how human dopamine-producing cells can be best wired into the brain of mice with induced Parkinson-like symptoms.

###

Publication: Whole-brain 3D mapping of human neural transplant innervation, Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14162

Media contact:

Prof. Oliver Brustle

Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology

University of Bonn

LIFE & BRAIN GmbH

Tel. +49 (0)228/6885500

E-mail: brustle@uni-bonn.de
Young people with mental health problems who have contact with mental health services are significantly less likely to suffer from clinical depression later in their adolescence than those with equivalent difficulties who do not receive treatment, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. This comes as Prime Minister Theresa May announced measures to improve mental health support at every stage of a person's life, with an emphasis on early intervention for children and young people.

The study, published in Lancet Psychiatry, found that 14-year-old adolescents who had contact with mental health services had a greater decrease in depressive symptoms than those with similar difficulties but without contact. By the age of 17, the odds of reporting clinical depression were more than seven times higher in individuals without contact than in service users who had been similarly depressed at baseline.

Researchers from the Department of Psychiatry recruited 1,238 14-year-old adolescents and their primary caregivers from secondary schools in Cambridgeshire, and followed them up at the age of 17. Their mental state and behaviour was assessed by trained researchers, while the teenagers self-reported their depressive symptoms. Of the participants, 126 (11%) had a current mental illness at start of the study - and only 48 (38%) of these had had contact with mental health services in the year prior to recruitment.

Contact with mental health services appeared to be of such value that after three years the levels of depressive symptoms of service users with a mental disorder were similar to those of 996 unaffected individuals.

"Mental illness can be a terrible burden on individuals, but our study shows clearly that if we intervene at an early stage, we can see potentially dramatic improvements in adolescents' symptoms of depression and reduce the risk that they go on to develop severe depressive illness," says Sharon Neufeld, first author of the study and a research associate at in the Department of Psychiatry.

The Cambridge study is believed to be the first study in adolescents to support the role of contact with mental health services in improving mental health by late adolescence. Previous studies have reported that mental health service use has provided little or no benefit to adolescents, but the researchers argue that this may be because the design of those studies did not consider whether service users had a mental disorder or not. The approach taken on this new study enabled it to compare as closely as possible to present study statistically-balanced treated versus untreated individuals with a mental disorder a randomised control trial.

The researchers say their study highlights the need to improve access to mental health services for children and adolescents. Figures published in 2015 show that NHS spending on children's mental health services in the UK has fallen by 5.4% in real terms since 2010 to 41 million, despite an increase in demand. This has led to an increase in referrals and waiting times and an increase in severe cases that require longer stays in inpatient facilities.

On 9 January this year, the Prime Minister announced plans to transform the way we deal with mental illness in the UK at every stage of a person's life - not just in our hospitals, but in our classrooms, at work and in our communities - adding: "This starts with ensuring that children and young people get the help and support they need and deserve - because we know that mental illness too often starts in childhood and that when left untreated, can blight lives, and become entrenched."

Professor Ian Goodyer, who led the study, has cautiously welcomed the commitment from the Prime Minister and her Government. "The emphasis going forward should be on early detection and intervention to help mentally-ill teens in schools, where there is now an evidence base for psychosocial intervention," he says. "We need to ensure, however, that there is a clear pathway for training and supervision of school-based psychological workers and strong connections to NHS child and adolescent mental health services for those teens who will need additional help.

"As always, the devil is in the detail. The funding of services and how the effectiveness of intervention is monitored will be critical if we are to reduce mental illness risks over the adolescent years. With the right measures and school-based community infrastructure, I believe this can be achieved."

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The research was funded by Wellcome and the National Institute for Health Research.

Reference

Neufeld, S et al. Reduction in adolescent depression after contact with mental health services: a longitudinal cohort study in the UK. Lancet Psychiatry; 10 Jan 2017; DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30002-0
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have found that major flooding and large amounts of precipitation occur on 500-year cycles in central China. These findings shed light on the forecasting of future floods and improve understanding of climate change over time and the potential mechanism of strong precipitation in monsoon regions.

The research is published in the published in the Proceedings of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a leading scientific journal.

"To predict how climate change will impact the future, it's important to know what has happened in the past," said Joshua Feinberg, a University of Minnesota associate professor of Earth Sciences and associate director of the Institute for Rock Magnetism, who supervised the research.

"As the variability and intensity of storms increase in the world, we need to reevaluate what the frequency of these major storms could be," Feinberg said. "We didn't have the potential to develop these kinds of precipitation records for most of the world, until now. These speleothems provide more than 8,000 years of data that led us to identify with strong confidence the presence of a 500-year cycle," he added

The research used stalagmites collected from Heshang Cave in central China within the Yangtze River drainage. Researchers measured the magnetic properties of layered stalagmites, or columnar mineral deposits formed in caves by the growth of carbonate minerals from dripping groundwater. As they form over time, stalagmites develop annual layers of the mineral calcite, which are broadly similar to the rings of a tree. They also collect iron-rich magnetic materials within these layers, which originated in overlying soil and are transported into the cave during precipitation and flooding events. These iron-rich minerals are far less than the width of human hair in size, but produce a strong magnetic signal that can be easily measured by modern magnetometers.

Feinberg and his team analyzed the magnetic properties of the layered stalagmites and discovered more than 8,000 years of data within the materials. The magnetic data varied in such a way as to trace out a 500-year cycle of storm variation, where wetter intervals showed an increased concentration of magnetic minerals. This correlates well with the cycles of El Nino Southern Oscillation pattern and measured changes in the amount of the energy from the sun. The cycle can be used to anticipate broad precipitation patterns in the future, and provide insight on climate change in the region over time. Feinberg and his team hope to expand this work wherever possible around the globe.

With the help of the Institute for Rock Magnetism (IRM), based at the University of Minnesota, the group was able to measure the magnetic materials within the speleothems to at a higher resolution and sensitivity than previously possible. Many rocks record the direction and strength of the Earth's magnetic field at the time of their formation. By measuring these magnetizations, researchers are able to show how tectonic plates have moved around the globe through time, as well as how the Earth's magnetic field has varies over timescales ranging from millions of years to decades. The short-term behavior of the Earth's magnetic field has important ramifications for satellites and satellite communication.

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Postdoctoral research associates Zongmin Zhu and Mark Bourne, IRM and Department of Earth Sciences; research scientist Hai Cheng, Xi'an Jiatong University; and Shucheng Xie, Chunju Huang and Chaoyong Hu, researchers from the China University of Geosciences are co-authors of the study.

The research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, State Key R&D program of China, and the 111 program (National Bureau for Foreign Experts and the Ministry of Education of China). The Institute for Rock Magnetism is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Earth Sciences Instruments and Facilities Program and the University of Minnesota. Feinberg's research is funded by NSF-EAR1316385.

To read the complete study entitled "Holocene ENSO-related cyclic storms recorded by magnetic minerals in speleothems of central China," visit the PNAS website.

For more information about the Institute for Rock Magnetism, visit http://www.irm.umn.edu.
PITTSBURGH (January 19, 2017) ... The Mackenzie Dike Swarm, an ancient geological feature covering an area more than 300 miles wide and 1,900 miles long beneath Canada from the Arctic to the Great Lakes, is the largest dike swarm on Earth. Formed more than one billion years ago, the swarm's geology discloses insights into major magmatic events and continental breakup.

The Mackenzie Dike Swarm and the roughly 120 other known giant dike swarms located across the planet may also provide useful information about efficient extraction of oil and natural gas in today's modern world. To explore how naturally-occurring dike swarms can lead to improved methods of oil and gas reservoir stimulation, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Earth Sciences awarded a $310,000 award to Andrew Bunger, assistant professor in the Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering.

Dike swarms are the result of molten rock (magma) rising from depth and then driving cracks through the Earth's crust. Dike swarms exhibit a self-organizing behavior that allows hundreds of individual dikes to fan out across large distances. Although petroleum engineers desire to achieve the same effect when creating hydraulic fractures for stimulation of oil and gas production, the industrial hydraulic fractures appear far more likely to localize to only one or two dominant strands. This localization leaves 30-40 percent of most reservoirs in an unproductive state, representing an inefficient use of resources and leading to unnecessary intensity of oil and gas development.

In the study, "Self-Organization Mechanisms within Magma-Driven Dyke and Hydraulic Fracture Swarms," Bunger will take a novel approach to understanding the mechanics of fluid-driven cracks, which he refers to as "geosciences-inspired engineering." Like the growing field of biologically-inspired engineering, Bunger will be looking to processes in the natural world to better understand the constructed or engineered world.

"I would like to challenge myself and the geoscience community to look at naturally occurring morphologies with the eye of an engineer," says Bunger. "The first part of the study will involve developing a mechanical model to explain the behavior of the dike swarms. We are borrowing from a theoretical framework developed in biology called 'swarm theory,' which explains the self-organizing behavior of groups of animals."

Swarm theory, or swarm intelligence, refers to naturally and artificially occurring complex systems with no centralized control structure. The individual agents in the system exhibit simple or even random behavior, but collectively the group achieves emergent, or "intelligent," behavior.

"One of the hallmarks of self-organizing behavior within swarms was recognized by swarm theory's earliest proponents, who were actually motivated by developing algorithms to simulate flocks and herds in computer animation," Bunger explains. "They proposed that all swarming behavior can be tied to the presence of three basic forces. One of these leads to alignment of the members with each other - it is what makes a flocking bird fly in the same direction as its neighbors. A second force is associated with repulsion - it keeps birds within a flock from running into each other and knocking each other out of the air. The third force is attraction - an often instinctive desire of certain animals to be near other animals of their own species, typically for protection from predators."

"If you look at dike swarms," Bunger continues, "They have been called 'swarms' for decades, but there has never been an effort to identify the mechanical origins of the three forces that are known to be present any place that swarming morphology is observed. When we view dikes in this way, we see that the alignment and repulsive forces have been recognized for years, although never placed in the broader context of their role in swarming. However, the origin of the attractive force is problematic. Why do all these dikes have any mechanical impetus to grow near each other? Because the mechanical origin of the attractive force has not been known, it is unclear why natural fluid-driven cracks - dikes - tend to exhibit swarming behavior while such an outcome is far less commonly observed in man-made fluid-driven cracks associated with hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas reservoirs."

"We will use computational models and analogue experiments, which use artificial materials to simulate the Earth's processes, to develop a new theory of fluid-driven crack swarms," says Bunger. "Through this advance, we would like to improve the stimulation methods used for oil and gas production. This will be a win-win for both industry and our society that depends upon the energy resources they produce. Industry will benefit from more efficient methods, and society will benefit from lower energy costs and a decreased environmental footprint associated with resource extraction."

In addition to a deeper understanding of the geological process that occur throughout Earth's history, Bunger also sees his research impacting planetary research of Mars and Venus. Both rocky planets contain a large number of giant dike swarms. Understanding how the geometry of dike swarms relates to the conditions in the Earth's crust at the time of emplacement will lead to a new method for ascertaining the little-known geological structure and history of Mars and Venus though analysis of the geometry of their many giant dike swarms.

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The presence of high-performing co-workers can improve an individual's earnings, research at the University of York has shown.

The team, which included researchers at the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration, University College London (UCL), found that in low-skilled occupations, an increase of 10% in the average performance of co-workers raises a worker's wage by almost one per cent.

This effect is most likely driven by increased productivity because of pressure to keep up with better co-workers.

Researchers looked at the wage records from administrative social security data for millions of workers and all of their co-workers over a period of 15-years across 330 professions in a large metropolitan area of Germany.

Dr Thomas Cornelissen, a researcher in the Department of Economics at the University of York, said: "We would expect that some positive practices would 'rub-off' on co-workers, and in fact we knew from previous research that such effects exist for specific occupations.

"For example, a US study showed that supermarket cashiers scanned shopping items faster when they worked the same shifts as fast-working employees. Our research showed that this effect was not unique to shop workers, but is applicable across many low-skilled jobs, such as waiters, warehouse workers, and agricultural assistants.

"Moreover, our results show that improvements in performance due to co-worker quality raise a workers wages, something that hadn't previously been analysed."

It was not clearly understood whether improvements in performance were due to learning from colleagues or whether it was more to do with the pressure to keep-up. To get a better sense of this, the researchers considered what happened after a high-performing co-worker had left the company.

If learning from colleagues was the explanation for the positive performance effects, it was expected that remaining workers would keep-up their performance after a high-performing co-worker had left the company.

The data, however, suggested that the opposite was true. Researchers found that the remaining workers tended to 'slip backwards' after a 'good' worker had exited, suggesting that the productivity effect from co-workers is more closely aligned with peer-pressure, which lessens when a good workers leaves, potentially causing productivity and wages to stagnate.

The same rule did not apply, however, to high skilled occupations such as lawyers, doctors, and architects. It is thought that a reason for this could be that it is not as easy to observe the working practices of other colleagues in high-skilled professions; workers might not always know what everyone is doing or what it takes to achieve the objectives of that particular role.

These findings suggest that there is less social pressure in high-skilled occupations compared to low-skilled.

Dr Cornelissen added: "There are many challenges to conducting this type of work, such as the structure of the company, how to accurately establish cause and effect between co-workers, and finding a measure of good and poor performance. The more work we can do analysing data from across the labour market, the more likely we will start to see common trends.

"The results of this work could be applied to a number of areas within company practices, such as working from home policies, the design of office spaces, and more training schemes. Working from home is generally considered a good thing, for example, but if co-workers are as important as we think, it might not be the best option for everyone."

The research is published in the journal American Economic Review.

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MILLHEIM, Pa.  The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture will present the PASAbilities Sustainable Ag Leadership Awards at the 26th annual Farming for the Future Conference, held in State College, Pennsylvania, Feb. 1-4.

This years recipients include a family farm, Todd & John Hopkins of Forks Farm, of Columbia County, and a small farm management software company  Small Farm Central.

The award winners, usually a farming individual or couple and a business, are selected by the board of directors from a list of nominees generated by PASAs membership.

John and Todd Hopkins are Pennsylvania natives who worked on ranches out west in the 1980s before returning home to found Forks Farm, located outside of Bloomsburg.

Today, Forks Farm is an 86-acre operation, including pastured poultry, beef, lamb, pork, and eggs, all focused on a direct market model.

Registration is required to attend, and closes Jan. 24. On-site registration is available, at increased rates.

For more information, call 814-349-9856, or visit pasafarming.org/conference.
CINCINNATI  A conference for fruit and vegetable growers is set for Feb. 7 at the Oasis Conference Center, 902 Loveland-Miamiville Road in Loveland.

The Southwestern Ohio Specialty Crop Conference is sponsored by OSU Extension and covers a wide range of grower concerns.

Ohio ranks in the top 10 nationally in production of tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers, bell peppers, sweet corn, squash and strawberries, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, and also has significant production of apples, grapes, cabbage and peaches.

Many other specialty crops, from berries to pawpaws, are also grown in the Buckeye state. The conference, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., offers five concurrent sessions in fruit production, vegetable production, specialty cropping systems, pesticide safety and farm management, and marketing and food safety.

Pesticide credits

In addition, some sessions offer private pesticide applicator credits in three categories: Core, 3 (Fruits and Vegetables) and 5 (Greenhouse).

Applicators should bring their license to the conference so OSU Extension personnel can check their recertification status and determine how much training they need to become recertified.

Sessions include growing fruit in containers, pumpkin pest management, aquaponics, strawberry production and extending the marketing season, and tomato and pepper trial results.

Preregistration is required by Feb. 3 and is available online at regonline.com/swspecialtycropconf. The $50 fee includes a continental breakfast, buffet lunch and a USB memory stick containing handouts. For more information, visit go.osu.edu/swohfvsc, or call 513-695-1311.
BIDWELL, Ohio  Two cattle enterprises, spread out over 340 acres in Bidwell, Ohio, make one of the largest cattle operations in Gallia County. Around 600 head of Charolais and Angus cattle graze the rolling hills of southeastern Ohio, split between two family companies.

Ed, Fred and Ray Vollborn, along with their sister Kay Ervin, own Vollborn Farms  a commercial cattle operation of natural feeder calves and replacement heifers. Fred and his son, Luke, own and operate Vollborn Cattle Company  a purebred Charolais, Charolais composite and Angus cattle operation.

The Vollborn family is being honored Jan. 21 at the Ohio Cattlemens Association annual banquet as the Commercial Producer of the Year, an award sponsored by Farm and Dairy.

Home farm

The home farm  where it all began  was purchased by the Vollborn brothers grandfather prior to the 1900s. The farm was around 156 acres in the early days, and cattle, hogs and poultry made up the farmstead, from what the brothers can remember growing up. Their dad raised registered Shorthorns.

Today, Vollborn Farms focuses on raising mostly Angus cattle for the Maine-based Pineland Farms Natural Meats program, which contracts with Whole Foods and other grocery stores. Weve always tried to market added value cattle, said Ed. The natural program added onto what we were already doing.

The program requires all calves to be raised without antibiotics, no added hormones or steroids and fed feed containing no animal byproducts. The Vollborns must also follow a strict vaccination regimen and care protocol.

We are not 100 percent locked in to who we sell to, said Ed. They oblige long-standing customers by giving them first right of refusal, but the program allows them to be flexible where they market their products. One of the challenges of being a smaller producer is having enough head to put a truckload of cattle together to sell, Ed admits. But he was proud to announce most of the calves sold in the past year remained in Ohio to be fed out.

Purebred business

The other half of the Vollborn family herd is a purebred operation owned by Fred and Luke Vollborn. The father and son duo raise around 300 head of purebred and composite Charolais, as well as Angus and show cattle. Currently the Vollborns are preparing some cattle to take to sales in Virginia and Tennessee and have also sold their cattle in consignments in Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky.

Vollborn Cattle Company also offers a custom embryo program for other purebred cattle operations. The breeder supplies the embryo and the Vollborns furnish the recipient cow and raise the calf until it is ready to be delivered to the producer at 5 months of age. We are completely an AI operation except for a few cleanup bulls, said Fred. Although tweaking their AI program has come with its challenges over the years.

Humidity and fescue in the area contributed to low conception rates. Most of our forages are low in copper, he said. In our embryo work, we found the best conception rates to be in the middle of December through February, when its a little cooler, he said. But the Vollborns do calve all year round.

Conservation practices

While the Vollborns focus mostly on raising cattle, they do grow a small amount of corn  about 25 acres  used for backgrounding cattle. That 25 acres is picked so the cobs can used in the feed, keeping the cattle lean and mean, said Ed, noting thats what the consumers want. In caring for the land, they use no-till and minimum tillage when necessary. Pastures have been improved by their use of lime and installation of feed pads for the cattle.

Fred just recently installed an access roadway through one of his main pastures, which he said will be a big help. The ground doesnt freeze as much here, so we tend to have a lot of mud, especially this time of year, said Fred. The Vollborns also continue to develop natural springs on the property.

Family affair

Everyone in the Vollborn family has to juggle full-time, off-farm jobs to keep the family operation running, with the exception of Ray, who is the only one who has been full-time on the home farm over the years. Ed served as an Ohio State University Extension agent for 25 years and Fred managed Bob Evans Hidden Valley Ranch for 35 years. Freds son, Luke, works for the Ohio Valley Electric Company.

But Fred and Ed agreed they would not be able to continue farming without Luke and the younger generation. The grandchildren, although still very young, also show interest in helping out on the farm where they can. Its one way they have been able to keep their costs down in a tight economy, by sharing the labor and equipment needed to run the farms.
BHP Billiton Limited, its Brazillian mine partner, Vale, and their joint venture company, Samarco, have entered into a preliminary agreement with Brazilian Prosecutors to settle on the Brazilian dam disaster by 30 June 2017.The preliminary agreement outlines the process and timeline, to settle the dam failures Civil Claim for US$47.5 billion.The iron ore mine disaster claimed the lives of 19 people, after the tailings dam collapsed in November 2015.Expert advisers will also inform the prosecutors of the environmental and social and impacts of the dam collapse.BHP Billiton posted a net loss of $8.4 billion at 30 June 2016.
Pompano Beach Impact Windows & Doors Installation Repair Headquarters Acquired

A South Florida based windows and doors installation and repair company has acquired a new office in Pompano Beach, Florida. This base will allow them to carry out more high quality window and door installation work for residential and commercial customers in the local area.

--

David Charles Construction Inc has announced the acquisition of a new 6,000 square foot headquarters in Pompano Beach, Florida. The Impact Windows & Doors South Florida company offers replacement windows and doors and a wide range of installation services for residential and commercial customers, including single hung windows, slider windows, French doors, and patio doors.

Full details are available at: http://impactwindows-doors.com.

The new building will allow the company to carry out work for more local residential and commercial customers in the South Florida area, ensuring high levels of window and door installation and repair work, with the headquarters as the company base.

The Impact Windows & Doors Company, which has been serving its South Florida clientele for more than 10 years, explains on its website that there are a number of benefits to installing new windows and doors in a home, including improving the energy efficiency, lowering electric bills, and reducing carbon footprint.

New installations can provide 24/7 home security for the property, as well as using materials through the installation process that can drastically reduce the loud sound coming in from outside, promoting a healthier and more peaceful living environment.

Marc Girard, president of David Charles Construction Inc. said, "With new doors and windows, property owners can apply to lower their insurance premiums because of how efficient the home can become once they're installed, and the new installations can also increase the value of the property as a whole".

The company also provides windows and door repair, whether customers require sliding door repair, or work on the wheels, parts, rollers, tracks or locks. Full window repair encompasses mechanism replacement, glass replacement, and lock replacement.

Free phone estimates can be provided for all repair work, which extends to patio sliding door replacement, and repair work on all types of windows and sliding doors glass.

The company site explains that the work it does is above City & State Code for all their installations. The company submits permits, and arranges inspections, so the customer gets peace of mind knowing that the work will be done to a high standard.

Interested parties can click on the testimonials section of the company website for more information at http://impactwindows-doors.com on what they can offer, and get in touch using the contact details provided.

Contact Info:

Name: Marc Girard

Organization: David Charles Construction Inc.

Address: 2280 Northwest 33rd Court, Pompano Beach, 33069 United States



For more information, please visit http://www.impactwindows-doors.com/

Source: MarketersMedia

Release ID: 162700

For more information visit r



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Organizers charter buses for Women's March

Related Stories

More 100 Republican, Democrat and independent men and women from Hendersonville will travel Friday to Washington, D.C., to attend the Womens March on Washington on Saturday. The Womens March expects to draw up to 200,000 people from across the world and to be the largest demonstration linked to Donald Trumps inauguration.

Two buses have been chartered to take local participants to the march and many others are attending individually, organizers said in a news release. Donations have helped pay for scholarship seats, boxed lunches, t-shirts and snacks.

The mission of the Womens March on Washington is to send a message to the new government on the first day in office -- and to the world, as well -- that womens rights are human rights. The march originated when a retired attorney in Hawaii posted the idea on Facebook. The next day, 10,000 people had signed up for the march. Now over 150,000 are signed up to attend the peaceful demonstration. For more national information about the march, go to https://www.womensmarch.com/mission/
Doing Homework on Vaccines this Back-to-School Season? Here are 10 Ways to Separate Fact from Fiction.
Hotels in Prague recorded a 32.5% increase in profit per room this month with top and bottom line performance being driven by demand from the commercial segment.

The 5.9% drop in profit in the Rooms department at Amsterdam hotels this month was due to a 2.8% decline in Rooms Revenue, as well as rising costs, according to the latest data from HotStats.

Whilst hotels in Amsterdam were able to maintain room occupancy levels in November, at a lofty 80.9%, a 2.9% decline in achieved average room rate was directly responsible for RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) dropping to 135.06.

The decline in RevPAR was in spite of the best efforts of Amsterdam hoteliers to drive demand via Online Travel Agents, evidenced by the 21.8% increase in Rooms Cost of Sales, to 7.31. However, the increase in this cost, as well as a 2.8% increase in Rooms Payroll, to 21.88 per available room, led to Rooms profit per room at Amsterdam hotels falling by 5.9% to 92.77 in November.

The performance of Amsterdam hotels this month reflects year-to-date trends. Despite RevPAR for the 11 months broadly remaining stable at 144.86, rising costs have resulted in Rooms profit conversion falling to 71.9% of Rooms revenue from 72.8% in 2015.

Commercial Demand Drives Strong Profit Growth for Prague Hotels

Hotels in Prague recorded a 32.5% increase in profit per room this month with top and bottom line performance being driven by demand from the commercial segment.

In addition to a 2.7% increase in achieved average room rate, to 91.12, RevPAR at hotels in the Czech capital was driven by a 7.3 percentage point increase in room occupancy, to 76.2%. This was not only due to in-house events at hotels polled, but also events at the Prague Conference Centre, which included the ECREA communication conference, which hosted more than 1,400 delegates.

The particularly strong month for the commercial sector was reflected by corporate and residential conference demand comprising more than 40.0% of total roomnights sold, compared to an average of 33.0% for year-to-date 2016; with strong rate growth achieved in both the corporate (+5.3%) and residential conference (+4.8%) segments.

In addition to the increase in RevPAR, year-on-year growth for the month was also recorded in ancillary departments, including Food and

Beverage (+23.9%) and Conference and Banqueting (+46.5%), which fuelled a 16.0% increase in TRevPAR (Total Revenue per Available Room) to 123.03.

Despite increases in both Payroll (+4.6%) and Overheads (+1.4%) on a per available room basis, hotels in Prague achieved a 32.5% increase in profit per room this month, to 51.71.

Warsaw Hotels Set for Second Consecutive Year of Strong Profit Growth

A 15.4% increase in profit per room this month has helped secure a second consecutive year of strong profit growth for hotels in Warsaw following the 6.0% profit increase in 2015.

Although hotels in Warsaw have recorded a 0.9 percentage point decline in room occupancy for year-to-date 2016, this has been more than offset by the 11.1% increase in achieved average room rate, which has fuelled a 9.9% increase in RevPAR, to 76.13.

Whilst growth in the commercial segment has been strong, illustrated by a rate increase in both the corporate (+12.8%) and residential conference (+10.9%) segments, rate growth has been primarily through the individual leisure segment, which increased by 21.9% for year-to- date 2016, to 90.22.

Year-to-date 2016, the profit per room increase at hotels in the Polish capital has been recorded at 10.0%, to 50.42, equivalent to a 43.0% profit conversion, one of the highest of all the European cities polled. The growth is in spite of increasing costs, including Payroll (+3.1%) and Overheads (+3.9%) on a per available room basis.

Click here ( Adobe Acrobat PDF file) to view full the report.



For an inside view of a local or regional market place in the hotel sector, bespoke HotStats reports are available. Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.hotstats.com to view a sample report.

HotStats provides two reporting tools to hoteliers:

Our unique profit and loss benchmarking service which enables monthly comparison of hotels performance against their competitors. It is distinguished by the fact that it provides in excess of 100 performance metric comparisons covering 70 areas of hotel revenue, cost, profit and statistics providing far deeper insight into the hotel operation than any other tool.

Our latest innovation in daily revenue intelligence, MORSE. Amongst its reporting are daily and highly granular market segmentation metrics as well as distribution channel and source of booking analysis. It takes daily market intelligence to a whole new level.



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enquiries@hotstats.com
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Okinawa Chatan to Open 2018 in Japan

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) and DoubleTree by Hilton last week announced the signing of a management agreement with Chatan Hotel Management Corporation, a subsidiary of Orix Real Estate Corporation, to manage DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Okinawa Chatan. Scheduled to open in summer 2018, the newly developed DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Okinawa Chatan will be the 15th operating hotel in Japan.

"We believe that tourism in Okinawa will continue to experience strong growth in the coming years. Growing Hilton's footprint and the brand presence in this urban resort destination will not only contribute to our portfolio, but it also lends to Chatan's efforts to ensure sustainable growth," said Guy Phillips, senior vice president of development - Asia & Australasia, Hilton. "We have enjoyed a strong relationship with Orix Real Estate Corporation, as seen in the successful development and management of Hilton Okinawa Chatan Resort, and we are committed to growing our presence in Japan where we have been operating in for more than 50 years."

The DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Okinawa Chatan will be Hilton's fourth hotel in Okinawa, adding to its existing hotels in Okinawa, including DoubleTree by Hilton Naha (opened in 2012), Hilton Okinawa Chatan Resort(opened in 2014), and DoubleTree by Hilton Naha Shuri Castle (opened in 2016). Visitors to Okinawa have increased, thanks to the opening of the new LCC terminal at Naha Airport, which resulted in an increase in low cost carrier flights making the area accessible to domestic as well as international visitors arriving from major cities in Asia such as Seoul, Taiwan and Shanghai. The local government has announced a target of 10 million tourist visitors by 2021, which translates to 1 trillion yen in tourism income.

"The DoubleTree by Hilton brand continues to grow in the Asia Pacific region, and we are especially delighted to see the DoubleTree by Hilton brand strengthen its presence in Okinawa," said Dianna Vaughan, senior vice president and global head, DoubleTree by Hilton. "Japan is well known for its service culture, and we're confident that guests staying at DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Okinawa Chatan will be enchanted by the brand's award-winning friendly service culture - beginning with our signature warm DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookie welcome at check-in."

Located less than an hour's drive away from Naha Airport, the hotel will be situated adjacent to Hilton Chatan Resort, which offers convenient access to Chatan's popular shopping malls, American Village and Chatan Koen Sunset Beach. Guests can enjoy a beautiful sunset as they stroll along the pristine beach, with shopping and gourmet destinations within walking distance from the hotel. The five-story DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Okinawa Chatan will feature 160 guest rooms with upgraded amenities as part of its contemporary features. Stunning views of Okinawa's beautiful ocean can be enjoyed from majority of the rooms, and the hotel's restaurant and pool contribute to the comfortable resort atmosphere.
Austerity & Recovery in Ireland, which brings together the contributions of 24 academics and scholars on the Irish financial crisis, will be launched by former Central Bank governor Patrick Honohan at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School this evening.

The publication, subtitled Europes Poster Child and the Great Recession, argues that the economic recovery here should not simply be put down to the policies of austerity conducted by Irish governments and overseen by the troika of the EU, the IMF, and the ECB.
On the second day of the World Economic Forums annual meeting in the Swiss Alps, delegates disagreed on how best to address the upending of the western political order, a debate made doubly urgent by the string of elections in Europe this year where anti-establishment parties could gain more ground.

While IMF chief Christine Lagarde urged a list of policies from programmes to retrain workers to more social spending, others fretted that the turbulence is only starting.

Hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio warned on a panel that we may be at a point where globalisation is ending, and provincialisation and nationalisation is taking hold.

That leaves technocrats trying to patch together potentially costly remedies to make the current system of global trade, banking, and business links that the Davos club represents acceptable to the public at a time when newcomers such as US president-elect Donald Trump threaten to dismantle it by scrapping trade deals and introducing tariffs.

We need to go to a system where we are protecting workers, not jobs, and society will help people retrain or reorient, said Richard Baldwin, professor of international economics at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

There may just be a need to man up. We have to pay for the social cohesion that we need to keep our societies advancing, and accept that this may be a higher tax burden on people.

Ms Lagarde said policymakers really have to think it through and see what can be done, given the feedback from voters who say no. Among measures that could be implemented are fiscal and structural reforms, she added.

But it needs to be granular, it needs to be regional, it needs to be focused on what will people get out of it, and it probably means more redistribution than we have in place at the moment, Ms Lagarde told the panel, entitled Squeezed and angry: How to fix the middle-class crisis. Excessive inequalities were a brake on sustainable growth, she said.

Over the decades, Davos has become synonymous with globalisation and open markets, but in the background this year is the failure of business and political elites to predict any of the seismic political events that shaped 2016. That has raised questions over whether they are capable of understanding and addressing the anti-establishment forces that have roiled the US and Europe over the past year.

After Mr Trump and Brexit, there are more votes coming this year. Elections are due in the Netherlands, France, and Germany, with a possible early poll in Italy following a constitutional referendum where voters rallied against the government.

The panel saw former US Treasury secretary Lawrence Summers attacking Mr Trump while Mr Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, struck a more pessimistic tone than Ms Lagarde.

I want to be loud and clear: Populism scares me, said Mr Dalio. The No 1 issue economically as a market participant is how populism manifests itself over the next year or two.

Mr Summers said populism is invariably counter-productive for those it claims to help.

Our president-elect has made four or five phone calls to four or five companies, largely suspending the rule of law, and extorting them into relocating dozens or perhaps even a few hundred jobs into plants in the United States, said Mr Summers.

The panel also discussed how to combat the backlash against governments and the elite by taking back control of the political narrative.

Mr Summers recipe for dealing with populism twisted Mr Trumps campaign slogan. Our broad objective should be to make America greater than ever before, said Mr Summers. Thats very different from making it great again.

Bloomberg
The Dail is due next week to debate an opposition bill, but the Government has yet to decide a response to it.

This is the latest row to emerge among the Coalition following serious disagreements on opposition bills on abortion and neutrality.

While Fine Gael, particularly Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, want to oppose it, minister of state Finian McGrath is adamant the motion must be backed.

The Irish Examiner understands Mr McGrath, who has been a long-time supporter of the campaign for a new inquiry, has been seeking Government support for the motion being tabled by Independent TD Tommy Broughan.

However, there is considerable resistance to his demands from within Fine Gael, most noticeably the Department of Justice to the commencement of a new inquiry without any new evidence emerging.

It is clear, some in Justice dont want this to go anywhere and that is why they are set to oppose, said one senior Independent Alliance figure. But that puts Finian in a major bind as he has backed the Stardust families for years, personally, financially, and politically.

Mr McGrath last night was refusing to bow to Fine Gael insisting he is sticking with the Stardust families. They are seeking a fresh State probe into how 48 people lost their lives at the disco on St Valentines night in 1981 at the Artane nightclub.

In keeping with their all for one, one for all strategy to local issues, the Independent Alliance are not happy to vote against the motion and pressure is mounting on Mrs Fitzgerald to accede to the demands for a new inquiry, which would cost an estimated 2m.

Officially, the Department of Justice said no firm decision has yet been taken as how the Government will respond to the motion.

The Tanaiste has not formed a view on what approach should be taken to it, a spokesman told the Irish Examiner. However, it is known that Mr McGrath and his colleagues have made both the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste aware of his concerns in recent days.

Mr Broughan said the Government should take the lead of what happened in relation to the Hillsborough disaster, where fresh inquiries in recent years reversed original verdicts on how the 96 victims died.
Krzysztof Pysniak, from Cruise Park Drive, Tyrrelstown, Dublin 15 collided with the crash barrier just beyond the Blanchardstown exit north bound on the M50.

Dublin Coroners Court heard that the man made his own wine and brought it with him to a friends house arriving at 5.30pm on July 19 2015.

The pair drank the bottle of wine followed by one shot of whiskey over a period of one and a half hours. Robert Wozniak said the pair had been friends for 20 years.

He brought a one litre bottle of homemade wine and we shared it. After that we had one shot of whiskey each and then he stopped drinking alcohol and started drinking water to be okay to drive, Mr Wozniak said.

Mr Pysniak did not seem drunk when he left to return home, according to his friend.

Dr Rory Kelly was driving north bound on the M50 around 9.50pm when a motorbike passed him at speed. Id never seen a motorbike travel so fast, Dr Kelly said.

The motorbike was weaving in and out of traffic and then veered from the outside lane to the inside lane, Dr Kelly said. The motorcycle impacted with the barrier just beyond the Blanchardstown exit, the court heard.

The bike went on to its side and impacted the barrier again before sliding almost 90 metres on its side. Gardai said the speed the motorbike was travelling after the second impact was 87kmph. This impact was quite extensive, it would have taken out much of the energy of the momentum,Garda Damien Farrell said.

The speed prior to the impact was estimated to be significantly higher.

Dr Kelly rushed to help the motorcyclist but his helmet had come off in the impact. He suffered a severe head injury and death was instantaneous, the court heard.

A post-mortem report gave the cause of death as head injury following a road traffic collision. The man was four times over the legal driving limit with a blood alcohol level of 208 milligrams per cent. It is consistent with the half litre of wine and shot of whiskey consumed as described, Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said.

The accident was the result of excessive speed which lead to loss of control of the motorbike, Sgt Joseph McLaughlin of Blanchardstown Garda Station told the court.

The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 19, 2017) - Otis Gold Corp. ("Otis" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:OOO)(OTC PINK:OGLDF) is pleased to announce that it has drilled the following intercepts at its Kilgore Gold Project, Clark County, Idaho:

128.0 meters (m) of 1.79 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) in hole 16 OKC-353

27.5 m of 2.63 g/t Au and 80.8 m of 1.87 g/t Au in hole 16 OKC-354

120.4 m of 1.18 g/t Au in hole 16 OKC-349

74.6 m of 1.01 g/t Au and 35.9 m of 1.12 g/t Au in hole 16 OKC-352

The 4 holes above, and 8 additional holes reported below, represent the final 12 holes of the 10,300-meter, 40-hole drill program completed in November 2016 at the Kilgore Gold Project. Analytical results for the 12 drill holes reported in this release, along with those for the initial 28 holes previously reported (see Otis News Releases dated September 26, 2016, October 31, 2016 and November 29, 2016), confirm the presence of significant gold mineralization in the Aspen Formation sedimentary host rocks, the primary target of the 2016 drill program. A majority of these intercepts are of both higher grade and longer intervals than most of those encountered in prior drilling at Kilgore and thus demonstrate a clear potential to increase the overall size and grade of the Kilgore Deposit.

Craig Lindsay, Otis President and CEO states: "We are extremely pleased with the drill intercepts encountered in the previously under-explored sedimentary Aspen Formation. We expect the Aspen Formation will be a significant new host for gold mineralization at Kilgore and will continue to be a focus of expansion drilling going forward. Our technical team, led by Dr. John Carden and Mr. Mitch Bernardi, have done an excellent job targeting new mineralization at Kilgore in 2016."

Hole Number Hole Type TD

(m) Azimuth/

Angle

(degrees) From - To

(m) Intercept

(m) Au

Grade

(g/t) Primary Host Rock Unit(s) 16 OKC-333 Core 321.6 230/-75 16.2- 43.6 27.4 0.52 Lithic Tuff 51.2 - 69.5 18.3 0.74 Lithic Tuff 147.2 - 159.4 12.2 0.62 Lithic Tuff 179.2 - 191.4 12.2 0.47 Lithic Tuff 16 OKC-334 Core 260.6 50/-70 51.8 - 79.2 27.4 0.59 Lithic Tuff 102.1 - 158.0 55.9 0.86 Tertiary Sill 185.9 - 208.8 22.9 3.13 Aspen and Sill 16 OKC-335 Core 327.7 50/-80 102.1 - 153.9 51.8 0.75 Tertiary Sill 16 OKC-337 Core 173.1 50/-45 8.5 - 25.6 17.1 0.59 Lithic Tuff 46.6 - 49.7 3.1 1.21 Lithic Tuff 16 OKC-341 Core 142.6 -/-90 38.1 - 62.5 24.4 1.22 Dike 67.1 - 80.8 13.7 0.36 Lithic Tuff 94.5 - 106.7 12.2 0.73 Lithic Tuff 117.3 - 141.7 24.4 0.49 Lithic Tuff 16 OKC-345 Core 299.6 50/-70 93.0 - 157.0 64.0 1.08 Breccia and Aspen 225.6 - 231.6 6.0 2.11 Aspen 16 OKC-349 Core 322.5 50/-80 21.3 - 45.7 24.4 0.73 Lithic Tuff 147.8 - 268.2 120.4(1) 1.18 Dominantly Aspen w/Sill 16 OKC-350 Core 331.6 50/-80 108.8 - 121.9 13.1 0.38 Lithic Tuff 132.6 - 145.4 12.8 0.47 Lithic Tuff 196.6 - 207.3 10.7 0.54 Tertiary Sill and Aspen 216.4 - 221.0 4.6 0.68 Aspen 245.4 - 263.7 18.3 0.46 Aspen 16 OKC-351 Core 371.9 230/-75 No Significant Intercepts 16 OKC-352 Core 304.8 50/-80 54.9 - 62.5 7.6 0.82 Lithic Tuff 150.9 - 186.8 35.9 1.12 Tertiary Sill and Aspen 195.1 - 219.5 24.4 0.43 Aspen 225.6 - 300.2 74.6 1.01 Aspen 16 OKC-353 Core 304.8 -/-90 32.0 - 38.1 6.1 0.92 Dike 164.6 - 292.6 128.0(2) 1.79 Tertiary Sill and Aspen 16 OKC-354 Core 334.7 50/-80 45.7 - 53.3 7.6 0.42 Dike 59.4 - 64.0 4.6 0.55 Dike 85.3 - 112.8 27.5(3) 2.63 Dike and Lithic Tuff 125.0 - 126.5 1.5 4.62 Lithic Tuff 175.3 - 202.7 27.4 1.19 Tertiary Sill and Aspen 240.8 - 321.6 80.8(4) 1.87 Aspen

Notes:

(1) Includes 7.6 meters of 4.1 g/t Au. (2) Includes 7.6 meters of 11.96 g/t Au. (3) Includes 7.6 meters of 10.23 g/t Au. (4) Includes 7.6 meters of 10.32 g/t Au. (5) True widths are estimated at between 80% and 100% of the drilled interval based on their estimated dip, association with diking, the orientation of sedimentary bedding and continuity of mineralization between drill holes.

2016 Kilgore Drill Program Highlights

Highlights from the drill program and of importance to the future development of the Kilgore Deposit include:

Twenty-five of the 40 holes drilled in 2016 encountered mineralization in the newly-emerging Aspen Formation host. An additional 11 holes encountered mineralization in Tertiary lithic tuff and dikes, the primary host of gold mineralization within the existing deposit. In total, 36 of the 40 holes drilled in 2016 intersected reportable gold mineralization, representing a drill success rate of 90%. A complete Table of 2016 drill results can be found on the Otis website. Results of Otis' 2016 drill campaign continue to support the premise that gold mineralization in the Aspen Formation is more extensive than indicated by previous drill testing and appears to lie along a northwesterly-trending belt or corridor in the northern half of the deposit, much of which remains open for further drilling. Results of drill holes targeting the basement Aspen Formation sedimentary host rocks continue to reveal the presence of significant open-ended mineralization that is typically higher-grade and displays thicker mineralized intercepts than those comprising the current bulk of the deposit in the overlying volcanic host rocks. Reported intercepts in basement Aspen Formation sedimentary rocks demonstrate that mineralization exists to depths of up to 300-meters below the surface of the deposit, with some still open at depth. The Tertiary intrusive sill (Tct), which directly overlies the Aspen Formation and locally intrudes the upper portion of it, has been proven to host significant mineralization and the extensive contact between the two rock types is an important locus for additional mineralization in the basement. Significant intercepts can and do exist in both the Aspen Formation and the Tct, and in many cases straddle the contact between them to occur continuously throughout both units. Some intercepts drilled in Aspen Formation rocks along the mineralized northwest-trending corridor contain coarse-grained visible gold indicative of potential bonanza grades at depth.

Immediate next steps at the Kilgore Gold Project include:

Production of an updated set of geologic cross-sections reflecting the 2016 drill results; Preparation of an updated NI 43-101 resource estimate; and Development of a 2017 drill program and completion of associated program permitting.

2016 Kilgore Drill Program Background

The 40-hole 2016 drill program was designed from an updated set of geologic cross sections and long sections containing all historic Kilgore drill results through 2015. Based on these sections, drill holes were selected to target mineralization at depth in the Aspen Formation and to infill and define the limits of the current resource. Selected hole locations targeting the Aspen Formation at depth were focused along the Main Road, Segment 1 Road, North Road and "B" Road areas (the location of the Crab Claw drilling completed in 2015 and reported in early 2016 - see Otis News Release dated January 14, 2016 News). Drill holes in these areas were selected to infill and define the limits of the resource and are mostly located in the southwestern part of the deposit where historic drilling is sparse.

The 12 drill holes reported in this news release, along with the assays and drill intercepts from the 28 holes announced on September 26, October 31, and November 29, 2016, are presented in a drill-hole location map available here. A table listing the complete 2016 drill results is available here.

Analysis and Otis QA/QC Program

All analytical work was performed by ALS Chemex Labs located in Reno, Nevada and Vancouver, British Columbia that have quality management system certification and technical capability accreditation. A 50-gram pulp of all samples was assayed for gold by Fire Assay/AA finish methods. Certified reference materials, duplicates, and blanks were inserted into the sample stream for quality control.

Intercepts reported in Table 1 are calculated using a 0.25 g/t Au cutoff grade and may include a few internal waste intervals less than this cutoff. The RC drilling reported in this release was conducted by O'Keefe Drilling, Inc., Butte, Montana, employing a Foremost 650 Reverse Circulation drill rig outfitted with a circulating wet splitter. The core drilling was conducted by Timberline Drilling of Hayden, Idaho employing two rigs, a DE-140 NQ core rig and an LF-90 HQ core rig. The Qualified Person under National Instrument (NI 43101) Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects for this News Release is Paul D. Gray, P. Geo, who has reviewed and approved its technical content.

About the Kilgore Deposit

The Kilgore Deposit contains a current (dated September 12, 2012) NI 43-101 Indicated Resource of 520,000 ounces (oz) Au in 27.4 million tonnes at a grade of 0.59 g/t Au and an Inferred Resource of 300,000 oz Au in 20.2 million tonnes at a grade of 0.46 g/t Au (the "Deposit"). The Deposit is part of an extensive low-sulfidation quartz-adularia epithermal hydrothermal system hosted in Tertiary volcanic rocks and basement Aspen Formation calcareous siltstone, shale, and sandstone of Late Cretaceous age. Gold mineralization is of the traditional disseminated, bulk-tonnage type similar to that comprising the classic volcanic-hosted gold deposits at Round Mountain, Nevada and McDonald Meadows, Montana. The deposit features very attractive metallurgy with excellent gold recovery averaging greater than 80% at 1.5" crush size based on column leach test results (see Otis News Release dated June 5, 2012).

About the Company

Otis is a resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal deposits in Idaho, USA. Otis is currently developing its flagship property, the Kilgore Gold Project, located in Clark County, Idaho.
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - January 19, 2017) - Victoria Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE: VIT) "Victoria" or the "Company" is pleased to announce a $6.2 million Phase 1, 2017 mineral exploration campaign on the Company's Dublin Gulch Property and regional properties. The majority of the planned gold exploration activities will be focused on the Dublin Gulch claim block with a subordinate amount of exploration work set to be conducted on regional targets within the Company's larger Yukon property holdings portfolio.

Mr. John McConnell, President and CEO of Victoria commented: "2017 will be an exciting and busy exploration season for Victoria as we look to advance a series of high priority exploration targets previously identified on the large Dublin Gulch Block. Our exploration team has been working with minimal budgets for many years and has delivered high quality Reserve ounces at the Olive-Shamrock target which were included in the Updated Eagle Feasibility Study, filed in October 2016. The mineral endowment of the Dublin Gulch claim block is impressive, and management believes that 2017 represents a unique opportunity to underscore this through systematic exploration efforts in parallel to the development of our Eagle Gold Mine advances."

The Company will continue step-out and definition drilling at the Olive-Shamrock Zone with the aim to continue expanding mineable tonnage along this high grade mineralized shear zone. Additionally, there are six first order targets along the >13 km Potato Hills Trend that will be the subject of 2017 exploration activities. In addition to their geological potential these targets are proximal to Eagle and largely accessible by existing access roads.

The 2016 Phase 1 and 2 drilling campaigns at the Olive-Shamrock Zone were successful in definition of mineralization controls in the Olive-Shamrock shear zone controlled deposit, and 2017 drilling will target additional definition of the Olive-Shamrock mineralized structure as well as exploration along strike of the mineralized trend.

Victoria's exploration efforts at Eagle and Olive-Shamrock over the last three seasons has greatly advanced the Potato Hills Trend Mineralization Model which defines intrusion-related mineralization along a general northeast-southwest trend across the Dublin Gulch Claim Block and the District. It was the application of this mineralization model that drove the definition of the Olive-Shamrock Zone and will now be further tested throughout the Dublin Gulch Claim Block.

The targets selected for advanced gold exploration in 2017 include: 1) East Potato Hills; 2) Rex-Peso; 3) Nugget; and 4) Lynx Dome and 5) Anne Gulch; all of which lie within 5 kilometres of the Eagle Gold Mine footprint. An additional target, Falcon on the Company's VBW Claim Block will also see exploration work in 2017.

The East Potato Hills target lies less than two kilometres from the Olive-Shamrock Zone and has a strong two-kilometer long, coincident gold+arsenic-in-soils geochemical anomaly centered on a series of Dublin Gulch Stock intrusions. Chip sampling of exposures in the area of the soils anomaly in 2013 by Victoria returned up to 8.16 g/t Au. This target has never been drilled.

At the Nugget target, a large Cretaceous granodirite intrusive, akin to the Eagle Deposit, has been the subject of limited historic exploration work and has a defined gold-in-soils geochemical anomaly that graded up to 1.12 g/t in soils. Historic trench samples collected here graded up to 5m of 2.38 g/t Au and grab samples up to 1.35 g/t Au.

Additionally, the VBW claim block, contiguous to the East of Dublin Gulch and host of the Falcon target, will receive much deserved follow-up from the Company's 2013 drilling discovery where the first ever drillholes collared on this claim block returned up to 59.2m @ 0.58 g/t Au including 14m @ 0.98 g/t Au in drillhole VBW- 13-01C from 7.0 to 66.2 metres. The Falcon zone consists of an area of stockwork quartz-veined, contact-metamorphosed, Hyland group sediments, local faulted, and mid-Cretaceous age granitoids of the Tombstone Plutonic Suite. The intrusions are interpreted to be of similar character to the Dublin Gulch stock, which hosts the Company's Eagle gold deposit. Minerals found within the veins and locally disseminated within the sediments and intrusions include arsenopyrite, realgar, chalcopyrite, pyrite, bismuthinite and rare galena. The table below highlights the results from the 2013 drilling program at the Falcon showing.

Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Length* (m) Grade (g/t Au) VBW13-01C 7.00 66.20 59.20 0.58 including 9.50 23.50 14.00 0.98 including 60.50 66.20 5.70 1.30 VBW13-02C 7.00 166.65 159.65 0.40 including 34.00 39.80 5.80 0.84 VBW13-04C 82.00 270.00 188.00 0.30 including 192.00 198.00 6.00 0.86

*Reported intersections are drilled intersections, as true widths have not yet been determined.

About Olive and Shamrock

The Olive and Shamrock targets are defined by a broad gold/arsenic in-soils geochemical anomaly and lie on the intrusive-sediment contact of the Potato Hills Trend (as does the Eagle Deposit) and are punctuated by several historically exploited high-grade sulphide veins. The area was mined on a small scale from shallow shafts and adits in the early 1900's and via placer mining in creeks draining the area. The Olive and Shamrock vein system is located near the top of Olive Gulch and consists of gold-bearing quartz-scorodite-arsenopyrite vein material centralized in a shear zone structure. More detail and a current summary of the Olive and Shamrock Zone exploration can be found on the Company website.

About the Dublin Gulch Property

Victoria Gold's 100%-owned Dublin Gulch gold property is situated in the central Yukon Territory, Canada, approximately 375 kilometers north of the capital city of Whitehorse, and approximately 85 kilometers from the town of Mayo. The Property is accessible by road year-round, and is located within Yukon Energy's electrical grid. The Company has constructed and maintains a 100 person all-season camp at the project site.

The Property covers an area of approximately 555 square kilometers, and is the site of the Company's Eagle Gold Deposit. The Eagle Gold Mine is expected to be Yukon's next operating gold mine and, between the Eagle and Olive deposits, include Proven and Probable Reserves of 2.7 million ounces of gold from 123 million tonnes of ore with a grade of 0.67 grams of gold per tonne, as outlined in a National Instrument 43-101 feasibility study. The NI 43-101 Mineral Resource for the Eagle and Olive deposits has been estimated to host 191 million tonnes averaging 0.65 grams of gold per tonne, containing 4.0 million ounces of gold in the "Measured and Indicated" category, inclusive of Proven and Probable Reserves, and a further 24 million tonnes averaging 0.61 grams of gold per tonne, containing 0.5 million ounces of gold in the "Inferred" category.

Analytical Method

All exploration drill core from the 2016 program was analyzed at SGS Canada Inc. of Burnaby, B.C. utilizing the GE-ICP40B, 34-element analytical package with FAA5515 50-gram Fire Assay with Gravimetric finish for gold on all samples. All core samples were split on-site at Victoria's Eagle camp and shipped to SGS Canada Inc.'s Burnaby, B.C. Laboratory. There, samples were sorted and crushed to appropriate particle size (coarse crush) and representatively split and pulverized to a smaller size whereon analyses were performed. A comprehensive system of standards, blanks and field duplicates was implemented for the 2016 Olive-Shamrock drilling programs and is monitored as chemical assay data became available.

For the Falcon 2013 drill program, core samples were logged and prepared for shipment on-site and Victoria's Eagle Camp where they were subsequently delivered to the Whitehorse, Yukon, sample preparation facility of ALS Minerals. There, samples were crushed and pulverized, with prepared pulps sent to ALS Minerals' analytical laboratory facilities in Vancouver where they were analyzed by 33 element ICP-AES package ME-1CP61 with a 50 gram Fire Assay Au finish.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Paul D. Gray, P.Geo., as the Qualified Person.
SANTIAGO, Chile--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Orosur Mining Inc. (Orosur or the Company) (TSX/AIM: OMI), the South American-focused gold producer, developer and explorer is pleased to announce an update of its exploration activities at its wholly-owned, high grade Anza gold project (Anza) located in the Mid Cauca Belt in Colombia.

Completion of preliminary geological model

Orosur has completed a preliminary geological model for the Aragon-Pastorera Trend Area (APTA) of the Anza project, based predominantly on 17,408m of existing diamond core drilling data from 53 holes previously drilled. 3,000m of this core has been re-logged, with special attention given to the lithology, alteration suites, structural trends and grade distribution.

Based on this information, a geological estimate of an exploratory gold potential of a portion of the APTA has been prepared with the assistance of Mine Development Associates (MDA) of Reno, Nevada. The resulting potential ranges between 1.6 M - 2.3 M tonnes averaging between 3.2 - 3.7g/t Au. This estimate is based on current drilling and is expected to grow as future exploration drilling is conducted.

The Company believes that the mineralized zones in the APTA continue, both at depth and at the surface, to the north and south of the limited area which has been analysed to date and included in the preliminary model. As such, there is the potential for a much larger resource base to be identified.

The APTA extends 2 km along strike of the vein-like deposit; but only accounts for a small portion of the total Anza project, which covers approximately 105 km in total.

Previous drilling of Anza has shown consistent high grade gold intercepts over significant widths as well as coincident zinc mineralization. Anza is situated in a well-known geological setting in Colombia already hosting a number of substantial gold projects. The Anza project has existing mine and environmental permitting, and its existing infrastructure, including camps, roads, power and water, are in good standing.

Next steps in Colombia

During 2017, the Company plans to undertake a 15,000m - 30,000m drilling campaign to:

Delineate maiden resources;

Further define and expand the potential mineralization for APTA;

Test mineralization in undrilled areas of the deposit where strong indications of economic gold occurrences exist; and

Commence initial drilling of nearby untested and highly prospective targets.

Upon completion of this drilling campaign, the Company intends to prepare and publish a maiden N.I. 43-101 compliant resource report for the Anza project.

The Company will update the market once the upcoming exploration programme has been designed and validated and a drilling contractor has been engaged.

Ignacio Salazar, CEO of Orosur, said:

Orosur acquired Anza in July 2014, through its nil premium all share acquisition of Waymar Resources, at a time when little to no value was being given to exploration projects. Our ambition at that time is now being rewarded with the encouraging initial exploration potential estimate for the drilled area. We look forward to finalizing plans for progressing the Anza project with significant drilling activities during 2017.

The Company believes that Anza has significant upside and we expect the project to take a more prominent standing in our suite of South American gold assets in the months to come.

About Anza

Anza is located in the Western Cordillera, 50 km west of the city of Medellin, 50 km south, along the Cauca lineament, of Continental Golds high grade Buritica gold project (4.7 Moz measured and indicated (M&I) resource, grading 11.4 g/t Au) and 70 km from Red Eagles San Ramon project (479Koz M&I resource, grading 3.5 g/t Au) which is a vein like gold deposit in a shear zone with a similar mineralization style as the APTA in a different geological environment.

As previously announced in October 2016, initial preliminary metallurgy and density test work were completed utilising a combination of gravity concentration, flotation and cyanidation processing, with average gold recoveries ranging from 95.9  96.1%. This is in line with the metallurgical recoveries of development projects and producing mines in the region.

The site has environmental permits enabling both underground and open-pit mining operations. The Anza project includes two small underground gypsum mines, each of which also have environmental and mining permits granted by the Colombian authorities. Historically, the gypsum mines have been operated by a third-party contractor; Orosur is currently in the process of taking over operatorship. The gypsum permits can be readily expanded, enabling Orosur the ability to fast-track permitting for future gold mining operations.

Access to the project is via a paved road to the town of Anza and a 17 km gravel road operable all year round. The gypsum mine has been in operation at the site since 1991. It has excellent infrastructure, with power grid, abundant water and mine facilities on site. The elevation ranges from 700 m to 2,000 m above sea level.

The APTA deposit is up to 200 m wide and at least 2.5 km long, with soil geochem showing gold content along the entire 7km Aragon fault. The deposit is open on strike, at surface and down-dip. Significant drill hole intercepts include:

Hole Number From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t Ag g/t Zn (%) MAP11 213.0 219.0 6.0 18.26 1.95 0.35 including 217.5 219.0 1.5 72.30 6.90 0.93 MAP20 145.0 186.0 41.0 3.85 1.39 1.25 including 171.3 177.0 5.7 19.84 3.94 1.66 MAP21 224.0 242.0 18.0 14.14 2.05 2.83 including 225.0 229.4 4.4 45.62 5.47 10.59 252.0 253.0 1.0 10.85 1.80 0.67 MAP29 183.0 194.9 11.9 10.57 2.40 1.61 including 185.0 187.0 2.1 40.25 4.85 4.64 MAP33 157.1 179.5 22.4 10.42 1.87 1.56 including 165.0 170.8 5.8 29.49 3.37 2.81 MAP36 198.6 227.5 28.9 3.88 1.68 0.43 including 205.5 217.5 12.0 8.83 2.65 0.59 MAP38 123.4 124.5 1.1 15.40 3.60 1.94 172.0 212.5 40.5 14.09 3.82 1.95 including 179.5 186.0 6.5 70.99 6.34 0.12 including 184.6 186.0 1.4 176.00 15.20 0.39 including 202.0 205.4 3.4 20.89 9.71 4.75 MAP43 65.5 68.6 3.1 7.66 73.04 0.68 167.5 231.5 64.0 1.88 1.88 0.70 including 209.0 214.0 5.0 9.07 3.40 0.70 MAP47 105.0 118.3 13.3 2.24 316.25 1.00 including 106.0 110.5 4.5 4.69 768.89 2.34 MAP48 181.0 195.7 14.7 40.37 9.30 3.41 including 185.5 195.7 10.2 58.03 13.16 4.85 including 187.6 189.5 1.9 219.00 29.50 6.55

The Anza land package, which is wholly owned by Orosur, includes multiple additional highly prospective potential gold targets. In addition to the APTA, there is an extensive area of more than 100 km open to exploration. Charrascala and Guaimarala are two of the most highly promising additional gold targets. At Charrascala, there are existing outcrops with gold and copper mineralization. Favourable topography, existing infrastructure and the existence of a wide low-grade gold envelope in the Anza land package provide further exploration, development and mining upside, all with strong indications of the potential for significant by-product mineralization.

Stock Option Exercise

The Company also announces that it has issued 341,667 common shares of no par value ("Common Shares") following the exercise of options on January 24th, 2017 by an option holder as follows:

Exercise Price Options C$0.105 41,667 C$0.185 300,000 Total 341,667

The net proceeds of the exercise amount to CAD$59,875. Application has been made for the Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM ("Admission"). It is expected that Admission will become effective and that dealings will commence on January 25th, 2017 in respect of the Shares. Following Admission, the total number of common shares currently issued and outstanding will be 100,293,071 and the total number of options outstanding is 7,892,425 following the options grant.

Qualified Person's Statement

The technical information related to the current assets of Orosur Mining in this announcement has been reviewed by Miguel Fuentealba, a Mining Engineer who is considered to be a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 reporting guidelines. Mr. Fuentealba is a graduate in Mining Engineering from the University of Santiago de Chile and is an AusIMM Member and Qualified Person of Chilean Mining Commission. Mr. Fuentealba has 20 years of professional experience in the field of mining engineering, mine development and management.

For more information, please visit www.orosur.ca

About Orosur Mining Inc.

Orosur Mining Inc. is a fully integrated gold producer, developer and explorer focused on identifying and advancing gold projects in South America. The Company operates the only producing gold mine in Uruguay (San Gregorio) and has assembled an exploration portfolio of high quality assets in Uruguay, Chile and Colombia. The Company is listed in Canada (TSX: OMI) and London (AIM: OMI).
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 19, 2017) - Precipitate Gold Corp. (the "Company" or "Precipitate") (TSX VENTURE:PRG) is pleased to provide results of initial diamond drill holes from the ongoing Ginger Ridge drill program at its 100% owned Juan de Herrera project in the Dominican Republic.

Results from the Phase 2 drill program at Ginger Ridge include analytical results from the initial five completed holes (GR16-07 to GR16-11) from this phase, totalling of 1,310 metres. Laboratory analytical results have been received for core samples collected in all holes, excluding the final 60 metres of Hole 11 which was paused for the holiday season break. Drilling of Hole 11 was recently completed and samples for the final meterage of that hole will be submitted shortly for laboratory analysis.

Holes 7 to 11 were collared up to 150 metres from the Company's 2014 discovery hole ("Hole 5"), testing mineralization and alteration continuity and select discrete induced polarization ('IP') chargeability-high geophysical anomalies. The laboratory analytical results for samples collected in holes 7 to 11 (partial) are summarized below. See the accompanying drill-hole location map and the Company's website (www.precipitategold.com) for additional compilation illustrations.

Table 1: Ginger Ridge Drill Summary Intervals

Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t Cu % Zn % GR16-07 48.77 56.39 7.62 0.10 GR16-08 39.62 45.79 6.17 nil nil 0.04 GR16-09 0.00 28.96 28.96 nil nil 0.03 211.84 225.32 13.48 nil nil 0.19 GR16-10 21.34 32.00 10.66 0.32 76.20 79.25 3.05 0.52 0.16 144.78 149.35 4.57 0.32 0.03 252.38 260.60 8.22 0.10 286.51 309.37 22.86 0.23 0.09 including 294.13 300.23 6.10 0.39 0.27 GR16-11 7.62 35.05 27.43 0.49 0.01 including 28.96 33.53 4.75 1.39 0.01 39.62 53.34 13.72 nil nil 0.07 143.05 149.35 6.30 0.41 0.03 0.02 163.07 170.69 7.62 0.33 nil 0.03 196.60 202.37 5.77 0.17 0.01 0.59

Note: Interval reflects measured core length, as true widths are currently unknown.

All drill holes intersected andesitic volcanic rocks (mixed crystal, lapilli, lithic tuffs, fragmental and debris flows) which exhibit zones of weak to very strong chlorite-pyrite-silica ( clay) alteration, with some lengthy intervals (exceeding 15 metres in hole 10) of strongly disseminated to semi-massive very fine grain pyrite-silica mineralization. Holes 10 and 11 were drilled to the southwest direction at a shallow dip angle and successfully cut the main regional thrust fault which separates the Tireo volcanic rocks from younger limestone lithologies. Importantly, the andesitic volcanic rocks are variably altered and mineralized to the thrust contact.

Jeffrey Wilson, Precipitate's President & CEO stated, "Ginger Ridge drilling continues to demonstrate that local andesitic volcanic rocks host a large and strong mineralization/alteration system. While the laboratory results for holes 7 to 11 are not as robust as the discovery hole, the strength and scope of observed intervals of sulphide-silica alteration combined with anomalous gold-copper-zinc metal enrichment is encouraging, as they appear to show characteristics commonly associated with a volcanogenic massive sulphide ("VMS") setting."

The Company is now compiling and reviewing all available data to guide the next tranche of drilling in this program, which will likely test a newly identified IP geophysical anomaly at depth in the north-central portion of the Ginger Ridge Zone. The increased depth extent of the IP anomaly was not known to the Company prior to the commencement of the current program and therefore represents a new expanded target for continued drilling.

Mr. Wilson further states, "Ongoing drilling and surface work will also be mindful of GoldQuest Mining Corp.'s very recently reported VMS mineralization discovery in its hole TIR16-09 (see GoldQuest's news release January 10, 2017; Cachimbo Zone), located just two kilometres northwest of Ginger Ridge. The geochemical and geophysical signature of the Cachimbo Zone differs from most other known Tireo Gold Camp exploration zones and, as a result has led Precipitate to review all existing Company data, with an eye for identifying similar zinc-rich targets with a modest IP chargeability signature, as found at Cachimbo. GoldQuest's new drill discovery validates the Tireo's potential to host significant new discoveries in differing environments. We're pleased to apply the intelligence gained from our latest 5 holes and GoldQuest's new VMS discovery hole as tools for vectoring ongoing surface work and drill testing."

Table 2: Ginger Ridge Drill Collar Locations and Directional Data Hole East North Elevation (m) Azimuth Dip Depth (m) GR14-05 267832 2095617 1185 0 -90 152.40 GR14-06 267832 2095617 1185 045 -50 196.59 GR16-07 267796 2095653 1172 0 -90 140.21 GR16-08 267835 2095696 1163 0 -90 131.06 GR16-09 267715 2095713 1164 225 -86 385.57 GR16-10 267899 2095682 1190 225 -50 332.23 GR16-11 267931 2095659 1177 225 -48 323.09

Collar Locations: Map Datum NAD83 Zone Q19N

This news release has been reviewed by Michael Moore P. Geo., Vice President, Exploration of Precipitate Gold Corporation, the Qualified Person for the technical information in this news release under NI 43-101 standards.

Core samples were collected under the supervision of Michael Moore, P.Geo. HQ, NTW and BTW diameter diamond core was descriptively logged on site, aligned, marked for sampling and then cut in half, longitudinally, using a rock saw. One-half of the core is preserved on site in core boxes for verification and future reference. Rock samples were bagged, sealed and delivered directly to Bureau Veritas ("BV") preparation facility in Maimon Dominican Republic where they were dried, crushed and pulped. Sample pulps were then delivered to BV facilities in Vancouver British Columbia Canada for analyses (an ISO 9001 accredited facility). Samples were crushed to with more than 70% passing 2mm mesh and split using a riffle splitter (code PRP70-250). An approximately 250 gram sub-sample split was pulverized to minus 200 mesh (74m). A 15 gram sub-split from the resulting pulp was then subjected to aqua regia digestion and multi-element ICP-ES/MS analysis (code AQ201) and an additional 30 gram pulp spilt subjected to fire assay for gold (ICP-ES finish) (code FA330-Au); samples with results with gold greater than 8 ppm were subjected to a second fire assay analysis and a gravimetric finish (30 g pulp; code FA530-Au). All coarse rejects and pulps are currently stored at BV. Certified standards and local limestone blanks were inserted into sample shipments as a quality control measure in addition to the internal quality control measures applied by the laboratory; comprising greater than 7% of the total sample volume.

About Precipitate Gold:

Precipitate Gold Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on exploring and advancing its mineral property interests in the Tireo Gold Trend of the Dominican Republic. The Company also maintains assets in northern British Columbia and southeast Yukon Territory and is actively evaluating additional high-impact property acquisitions with the potential to expand the Company's portfolio and increase shareholder value.

Additional information can be viewed at the Company's website www.precipitategold.com.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan. 19, 2017) - Darnley Bay Resources Limited (TSX VENTURE:DBL) ("Darnley Bay" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of three new important members to its management team, following the successful acquisition of the Pine Point zinc project near Hay River, Northwest Territories.

Halina McGregor, B. Com, CPA, CA - Chief Financial Officer

Ms. McGregor has extensive experience in corporate finance and managing the finance functions of several large corporations, including a number in the resource field. In 1988 she was appointed Chief Financial Officer of the International Explosive Business of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), serving the mining and construction industries in over 15 countries and with $1.5 billion in revenue. Positions later in her career included several years as Chief Financial Officer of both Sherritt International Corp., a nickel and cobalt mining company, and gold producer Goldcorp Inc. Ms. McGregor is a member of the Ordre des CPA du Quebec, the Chartered Professional Accountant of Ontario, Institute of Corporate Directors and Financial Executives International.

With the appointment of Ms. McGregor as CFO, current Darnley Bay CFO Patricia Mannard has been appointed Vice President, Finance of the Company.

Timothy Smith, P. Eng - Vice-President, Operations

Mr. Smith is a professional metallurgical engineer with 38 years of experience opening and operating mines and mills across North America. After graduating from McGill University, Mr. Smith started work at Teck's Afton copper mine and smelter in British Columbia, he rose to the position of Smelter Superintendent, after which he was appointed to increasingly senior positions within the Teck organization, including senior roles at the Bullmoose coal mine in B.C. and the David Bell gold mine in Ontario. He became manager of the Sullivan Concentrator for Cominco in Kimberly B.C., after which he became Operating Manager for seven years of the Red Dog mine in Alaska. After that he became General Manager of the Montana Tunnels gold mine in Montana and then Vice-Present Operations for Apollo Gold Corporation during construction of the Black Fox mine in Ontario. More recently he returned to Montana Tunnels to assist in returning that mine to production.

Judith Dudley, PhD - Vice-President, Environment

Dr. Dudley is a biologist with more than 30 years of comprehensive experience in water quality and water resources management, environmental analysis and permitting, and environmental impact analysis. From 2013-2014, she was Vice-President of Environmental and Community Affairs with Tamerlane Ventures, the previous owner of the Pine Point project. Previous to that she was Principal Scientist with AMEC E&I and its predecessor MACTEC for nine years. At AMEC she managed complex environmental baseline studies, ecological risk assessments, and environmental permitting efforts, in addition to serving as the senior technical scientist on projects managed by others. Dr. Dudley is a Certified Lake Manager with the North American Lake Management Society and is certified as a Project Manager with the Canadian Bioassessment Information Network (CABIN) program.

Jamie Levy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Darnley Bay, commented that "these three individuals are a welcome addition to our growing team of experienced mining professionals that will enhance our objective of bringing the Pine Point zinc mine back into production."

The appointment of Ms. McGregor is subject to clearance of a PIF by the TSX Venture Exchange.

The company further announces that a total of 1,500,000 options to purchase common shares of the Company were granted on January 18, 2017 to directors, officers, employees and consultants at an exercise price of $0.40 per share, expiring on January 18, 2022, all subject to the terms and conditions of the Company's stock option plan.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan. 19, 2017) - Eastmain Resources Inc. ("Eastmain" or the "Company") (TSX:ER) announces results from 17 drill holes (5,313 m) at its Eastmain Mine Project, located in James Bay, Quebec (See FIGURES 1, 2 and 3). A summary of significant assay results and drilling data are presented in Tables 1 and 2 below.

The 2016 drilling program including 7,450 m of drilling on the Eastmain Mine Project and 1,100 m on the Ruby Hill Claim blocks is now complete.

HIGHLIGHTS

 New Julien Target drilling demonstrates continuity of discovered mineralization: - EM16-92: 24.8 g/t Au, 25.7 g/t Ag and 1.1% Cu over 9.3 m,

including 43.1 g/t Au, 50.6 g/t Ag and 2.0% Cu over 4.3 m,

also includes 195 g/t Au, 84.0 g/t Ag and 2.4% Cu over 0.6 m - EM16-93: 10.6 g/t Au, 20.1 g/t Ag and 1.2% Cu over 15.9 m,

including 20.4 g/t Au, 36.8 g/t Ag and 2.3% Cu over 7.6 m

also includes 62.1 g/t Au, 156 g/t Ag and 14.2% Cu over 0.6 m - EM16-94: 7.8 g/t Au, 13.6 g/t Ag and 0.5% Cu over 10.0 m

including 32.7 g/t Au, 14.5 g/t Ag and 1.0% Cu over 1.0 m

and 5.7 g/t Au and 1.3 g/t Ag over 8.5 m

including 41.8 g/t Au and 3.8 g/t Ag over 0.6 m - EM16-95: 1.7 g/t Au, 2.6 g/t Ag and 0.1% Cu over 13.0 m,

including 18.0 g/t Au, 24.1 g/t Ag and 1.1% Cu over 1.0 m

Claude Lemasson, Eastmain President and CEO commented: "We are enthused by the success of the Eastmain Mine 2016 exploration program. These new targets provide us with the confidence of continued mineralization along the mine trend. The shallow high-grade Julien discovery which sits 300 m off of the anticipated mine trend is of particular interest to us. We expect our 2017 Eastmain Mine exploration programs to expand on this year's successes."

Drilling Program

The Hillhouse, Julien and Suzanna Targets are located 1.5 km, 2.75 km, and 3 km northwest, respectively, of the Eastmain Mine. The NW and SE Mine Trend targets are the interpreted strike extensions of the mineralized horizon which hosts the Eastmain mine (See FIGURE 1). Assay results from hole EM16-96 are pending on the Julien Target. A follow-up IP survey is underway to assist in developing the 2017 exploration of the Julien and Suzanna targets.

Julien Target

Four drill holes, EM16-92 to EM16-95, intersected gold-copper-silver mineralization, locally with visible gold, within 70 m from surface at the Julien Target (FIGURES 2 and 3). The new target is located 300 m NE of the Mine Trend. These drill holes confirm a new shallow zone of mineralization, supported by past outcrop sampling and trenching, in addition to the previously reported drill hole EM16-76 which returned 42.4 g/t Au, 30.2 g/t Ag and 0.53% Cu over 10.5 m, at 15 m vertical depth (see press release, November 14, 2016).

EM16-92 (-50) and EM16-93 (-70) are collared at the same location, 27 m northeast of, and undercutting, EM16-76. Both holes intercepted mineralized rhyolite hosting a quartz vein with visible gold at a vertical depth of 25 m and 35 m respectively.

EM16-94 and EM16-95 are also collared from a single location, 67 m northeast of, and undercutting, holes EM16-76, -92, and -93. Both holes intercepted a mineralized quartz vein with visible gold within a vertical depth of 63 m. The first interval in EM16-94 is mainly hosted in a mineralized quartz vein injected at the contact between mafic and felsic volcanics and the second one is located at a felsic-mafic contact. EM16-95 intersected a gold bearing quartz vein, hosted in altered basalt.

Hillhouse Target

EM16-79 tested the extension of a mineralized massive sulphide lens 40 m to the east trench EM16-H2 where the mineralized lens returned 26.0 g/t Au over 2.2 m (see press release, October 5, 2016).

EM16-80 is collared 27 m northeast of, and undercutting, EM16-78 which returned 8.47 g/t over 2.0 m (see press release, November 14, 2016). Like in EM16-78, visible gold was observed in a mineralized quartz vein injected in a chert horizon associated with a 10 cm massive sulfide layer. The mineralized lens in EM16-80 is crosscut by a late porphyritic mafic dyke, reducing its width.

Suzanna Target

Hole EM16-81 intersected anomalous values in an intensely altered felsic and mafic volcanic sequence 105 m north of the Suzanna trench EM16-S1, which returned 5.33 g/t Au over 1.5 m, including 13.3 g/t Au over 0.5 m (see press release, October 5, 2016).

Eastmain Mine

Holes EM16-87 to EM16-90 were drilled in the vicinity of the Eastmain Mine deposit to test for possible repetitions of the Eastmain Mine stratigraphy located Southwest and parallel to the deposit. EM16-88 intercepted two mineralized intervals returning 0.56 g/t Au, 5.2 g/t Ag and 0.43% Cu over 0.85 m and 0.52 g/t Au, 8.26 g/t Ag and 1.20% Cu over 0.5 m however no ultramafic sequences were intersected. EM16-87 did not reach its target depth, intercepting an underground mine working.

EM16-89 and EM16-90 tested the continuity of the historical deposit (B-Zone) at depth. Both holes cut mineralized intervals. Both intervals were from the typical "Mine Trend" assemblage composed of altered felsic and mafic volcanics injected with quartz/silica mineralization located in contact with an ultramafic sequence. Further interpretation is required to resolve to location of these intercepts with the projection of the B Zone.

NW Mine Trend

Limited previous work has been completed on the NW Mine Trend. Following up on a moderate geophysical electro-magnetic anomaly, EM16-91 returned weakly anomalous values 550 m south of the Hillhouse Hill target, half way between Hillhouse Hill and the Eastmain Mine deposit.

SE Mine Trend

Drilling in the SE Mine trend provided information related to the extension of Eastmain Mine stratigraphy (altered felsic to mafic volcanics in contact with ultramafic rocks) in an area of limited historic exploration. Holes EM16-82 to EM16-86 tested the interpreted Southeast extension of the Mine Package. Hole EM16-83 returned the best gold intercept in this area, hosted in a Mine Trend-type sequence.

Induced Polarization (IP) Survey

Linecutting is starting on the Eastmain Mine property and a 48 line-km OreVision induced polarization geophysical survey is expected to be complete by the end of February. The survey is expected to focus on the new discovery at the Julien target. Core obtained from hole EM16-76 at the Julien discovery was submitted for geophysical bench study to Abitibi Geophysique Inc. in December 2016. This study reported characteristics suitable for detection with a larger ground survey. Wide mineralized zones, crosscut by a quartz-feldspar porphyry dyke were intercepted in both holes EM16-93 and EM16-94. This mineralized zone, intersected between 20 m and 70 m depth, represents a substantial gold mineralization footprint for the survey. The survey also covers the Suzanna target and will assist in identifying drill targets later in 2017.

Table 1: Eastmain Mine: Summary of Significant Drilling Results (January 19, 2017)

Target Drill

Hole From To Interval Vertical

Depth Gold

Assay Silver

Assay Copper

Assay (m) (m) (m)(1) (m)(3) g/t Au(2) g/t Ag(2) % Cu(2) Hillhouse Hill EM16-79 84.3 84.8 0.5 64.7 2.81 3.27 0.02 93.0 94.5 1.5 71.8 0.51 1.84 0.22 Hillhouse Hill EM16-80 29.9 30.4 0.5 21.2 1.51 1.49 0.21 Suzanna EM16-81 63.5 68.0 4.5 50.4 0.60 1.39 0.02 incl. 63.5 64.0 0.5 3.70 5.42 0.03 Suzanna EM16-82 NSV SE Mine Trend EM16-83 167.75 168.35 0.5 118.1 4.53 0.99 0.01 SE Mine Trend EM16-84 150.0 151.0 1.0 130.3 0.61 - - SE Mine Trend EM16-85 NSV SE Mine Trend EM16-86 NSV Eastmain Mine EM16-87 135.35 136.0 0.65 117.5 2.74 1.58 0.03 Eastmain Mine EM16-88 361.1 361.95 0.85 303.2 0.56 5.2 0.43 462.1 462.6 0.5 383.3 0.52 8.26 1.20 Eastmain Mine EM16-89 516.95 521.8 4.85 508.0 1.19 1.93 0.11 Eastmain Mine EM16-90 406.0 407.0 1.0 396.0 3.05 6.52 0.26 NE Mine Trend EM16-91 NSV Julien EM16-92 24.8 34.1 9.3 22.6 21.1 25.7 1.05 Incl. 29.8 34.1 4.3 43.1 50.6 2.04 Incl. 33.5 34.1 0.6 195 84.0 2.35 399.0 399.5 0.5 305.8 1.33 - - 475.9 477.4 1.5 365.1 0.73 0.63 0.04 Julien EM16-93 24.6 40.5 15.9 30.6 10.6 20.1 1.24 incl. 31.9 39.5 7.6 20.4 36.8 2.29 incl. 34.05 34.6 0.55 62.1 156 1 53.6 62.3 8.7 54.5 0.72 1.36 0.09 incl. 54.1 55.1 1.0 2.26 0.79 0.04 504.5 513.0 8.5 478.1 0.28 0.89 0.02 incl. 512.5 513.0 0.5 1.13 0.28 - Julien EM16-94 41.3 46.1 4.8 33.5 0.42 1.13 0.13 incl. 43.8 44.3 0.5 1.50 1.17 0.11 60.0 70.0 10.0 49.8 7.96 13.6 0.53 incl. 62.2 68.9 6.7 11.6 20.0 0.77 incl. 62.2 63.2 1.0 32.7 14.5 1.04 incl. 65.8 67.3 1.5 14.4 33.0 1.33 EM16-94 80.0 88.5 8.5 64.3 5.67 1.33 0.09 incl. 80.5 81.0 0.5 38.3 0.96 0.13 incl. 82.9 83.5 0.6 41.8 3.87 0.03 101.5 102.0 0.5 77.9 1.58 0.28 0.04 EM16-95 60.5 73.5 13.0 63.0 1.69 2.62 0.13 incl. 71.3 72.3 1.0 18.0 24.1 1.05 94.7 95.2 0.5 89.2 2.34 1.48 0.12 Julien EM16-96 Results Pending

(1) Intervals are presented in core length; true width will vary depending on the intersection angle of the hole with the targeted zone. Holes are generally planned to intersect vein structures as close perpendicular as possible and true widths are estimated to be approx. 80% of downhole widths. (2) For known mineralized zones, intervals are based on geological observations. Assays presented are not capped. (3) Vertical depth is measured from the surface to the mid-point of the reported interval.

Table 2: Hole Location Information

Target Drill

Hole UTM Coordinates Zone 18 Azimuth Inclination Total

Length Number East North Elev. Deg. Deg. (m) Hillhouse Hill EM16-79 697917 5799628 504 250 -50 150 Hillhouse Hill EM16-80 697949 5799584 491 215 -45 117 Suzanna EM16-81 696657 5800248 495 209 -50 303 SE Mine Trend EM16-82 702871 5797131 494 187 -45 225 SE Mine Trend EM16-83 701968 5796946 494 210 -45 174 SE Mine Trend EM16-84 701969 5796947 494 210 -60 171 SE Mine Trend EM16-85 700642 5796905 515 210 -45 273 SE Mine Trend EM16-86 701211 5796583 500 209 -45 204 Eastmain Mine EM16-87 698671 5798470 495 215 -60 135 Eastmain Mine EM16-88 698666 5798422 495 215 -62 756 Eastmain Mine EM16-89 699691 5798388 479 215 -80 594 Eastmain Mine EM16-90 699550 5798299 480 215 -80 525 NW Mine Trend EM16-91 698000 5798987 495 212 -50 288 Julien EM16-92 697322 5800617 491 228 -50 519 Julien EM16-93 697322 5800618 491 228 -70 519 Julien EM16-94 697351 5800645 496 228 -50 165 Julien EM16-95 697352 5800645 496 228 -70 195 Julien EM16-96 697345 5800691 497 228 -50 519

About Eastmain Mine Project

The Eastmain Mine is a past-producing gold-copper mine, located in the south-eastern branch of the Upper Eastmain River Greenstone Belt. It is located within an extensive volcanic formation extending across the property for approximately 10 km on a northwest to southeast trend. The Eastmain Mine, a gold-silver-copper, sulphide-rich deposit, consists of three known gold-rich zones, the, "A", "B" and "C" Zones. In 1995, MSV Resources mined 100,000 t of ore, at a grade of 10.58 g/t Au, and shipped it to Chibougamau for processing.

The design of the Eastmain Resources' drilling programs, Quality Assurance/Quality Control and interpretation of results is under the control of Eastmain's geological staff, including qualified persons employing a strict QA/QC program consistent with NI 43-101 and industry best practices. The Eastmain Mine Project is supervised by the Project Geologist, David Frappier-Rivard, P. Geo.

Drill core is logged and split with half-core samples packaged and delivered to ALS Minerals laboratory. Samples are dried and subsequently crushed to 70% passing a 2 mm mesh screen. A 1,000 gram subsample is pulverized to a nominal 85% passing 75 micron mesh screen. The remaining crushed sample (reject) and pulverized sample (pulp) are retained for further analysis and quality control. All samples are analysed by Fire Assay with an Atomic Absorption (AA) finish using a 50 gram aliquot of pulverized material. Assays exceeding 5 g/t Au are reassayed by Fire Assay with a Gravimetric Finish. Eastmain regularly inserts 3rd party reference control samples and blank samples in the sample stream to monitor assay performance and performs duplicate sampling at a second certified laboratory. For 2016, approximately 6% of samples submitted are part of the Company's laboratory sample control protocols.

This press release was compiled and approved by William McGuinty, P. Geo., Eastmain's VP Exploration and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.

About Eastmain Resources Inc.

Eastmain is a Canadian exploration company with 100% interest in the Eau Claire and Eastmain Mine gold deposits, both of which are located within the James Bay District of Quebec. Clearwater, host of the Eau Claire deposit, is the Company's core asset with access to superior infrastructure in a favourable mining jurisdiction. The Company also owns the historic Eastmain Mine property as well as a pipeline of exploration projects in this new Canadian mining district, including being a partner in the Eleonore South Joint Venture.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 19, 2017) - Gold Standard Ventures Corp. (TSX VENTURE:GSV)(NYSE MKT:GSV) ("Gold Standard" or the "Company") today announced assay results from 15 holes drilled at the recently discovered North Dark Star gold deposit and the Main Dark Star deposit on its 100%-owned/controlled Railroad-Pinion Project in Nevada's Carlin Trend.

This new drilling achieved two major objectives: First, DS16-33, located on the southern edge of North Dark Star, returned 33.1m of 0.62g Au/t., within a larger lower grade interval, confirming the finding from DS16-31 that the North Dark Star and Main Dark Star oxide gold deposits connect to form one large occurrence. Second, DS16-26 and DS16-38, drilled to the west of the Main Dark Star resource, discovered a western extension of the high grade Dark Star mineralization with exciting implications for further growth of the system. DS16-38 returned 24.4m of 2.03g Au/t, including a higher grade interval of 10.7m of 3.62 g Au/t.

The primary objective of the 2016 North Dark Star drill program was to expand the high grade gold zone discovered in core hole DS15-13 (15.4m of 1.85 g Au/t and 97.0m of 1.61 g Au/t) at the end of the 2015 drill program (see January 21, 2016 news release). DS16-08, located 100m south of DS15-13, subsequently returned a 126.2 meter intercept grading 3.95 g Au/t including higher grade intervals of 44.0m of 4.70 g Au/t, 17.9m of 5.6 g Au/t and 7.9m of 10.7 g Au/t (see August 9, 2016 news release). DS16-03B, located 120m south of DS16-08, intersected a 101.2 meter section grading 1.50 g Au/t including a higher grade interval of 32.3m of 2.87 g Au/t (see August 18, 2016 news release). Then, DS16-21 returned a 56.2 meter interval grading 1.83 g Au/t, including higher grade interval 9.8m of 3.78 g Au/t (see September 14, 2016 news release), up-dip to the east of DS16-08 (Please click the following link to view plan and section maps: https://goldstandardv.com/lp/dark-star-jan2017-results). All of these intercepts report continuous gold values above the cut-off grade of 0.14 g Au/t established by APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, Canada in its Dark Star NI43-101 resource estimate announced on March 3, 2015 (see news release).

Jonathan Awde, CEO and Director of Gold Standard commented: "We now view the Dark Star occurrence as a much larger system with the size and continuity that favor large scale, efficient exploitation. This year we will pursue the exciting possibility that the Dark Star and Pinion systems may also connect, which would have important implications for our Company."

Key Highlights

In the south part of North Dark Star, DS16-33 intersected multiple zones of oxidized gold mineralization including 33.1m of 0.62 g Au/t and 14.0m of 0.76 g Au/t (Please click the following link to view drill hole plan/grade thickness map: https://goldstandardv.com/lp/dark-star-jan2017-results). When combined with mineralization in DS16-31, the two holes confirm that the new North Dark Star discovery and the Dark Star Main resource are connected and form a continuous gold zone with a strike length of approximately 1300m. Mineralization occurs within decalcified, variably silicified, and collapse brecciated debris flow conglomerate, the same part of the Pennsylvanian-Permian conglomerate section that hosts gold in core holes DS16-08, DS16-03B, DS16-21 and DS15-13.

On the west side of Main Dark Star, holes DS16-26 and DS16-38 intersected gold zones including 52.1m of 1.04 g Au/t and 24.4m of 2.03 g Au/t, respectively (Please click the following link to view drill hole plan/grade thickness map: https://goldstandardv.com/lp/dark-star-jan2017-results). The DS16-38 intercept contained a higher-grade interval of 10.7m of 3.62 g Au/t which was associated with a thrust and feldspar porphyry dikes. These oxide and reduced intercepts are more than twice the average grade of the Main Dark Star resource and expand the resource to the west. Mineralization remains open in several directions and this target will be aggressively followed-up in 2017.

DS16-18, a PQ-size metallurgical core hole drilled into the Main Dark Star resource, intersected 72.9m of 1.02 g Au/t in pervasively oxidized and altered middle debris flow conglomerate in the favorable Pennsylvanian-Permian host section. The core hole also intersected two higher grade gold zones including 12.0m of 2.24 g Au/t and 12.0m of 1.83 g Au/t. DS16-18 is the first of three core holes completed into the Main Dark Star resource. Material from these intercepts will be used for column leach testing at Kappes, Cassiday & Associates in Reno, NV.

DS16-26 and -38 confirm a new gold target beneath a thrust fault on the west side of Main Dark Star. At this location, the West fault is reinterpreted as a thrust fault juxtaposing rocks of the Chainman, Webb and Tripon Pass Formations in the hanging wall, against silty limestone and middle conglomerate calcareous debris flows of the favorable Pennsylvanian-Permian host section in the footwall. These footwall rocks are the preferred host for Main Dark Star and North Dark Star mineralization. Gold mineralization is focused proximal to the thrust contact and within the underlying Pennsylvanian-Permian carbonate rocks. This thrust is likely to extend westward about 2km. to Pinion. Gold is associated with brecciation, decalcification, silicification, barite, iron oxides and pyrite.

Drill holes DS16-29, -29A and -30 were cost effective RC holes, outboard of Dark Star, scouting for gold systems and testing new geologic concepts derived from the Company's gravity and CSAMT programs.

Mac Jackson, Gold Standard's Vice President of Exploration stated: "This key intercept in DS16-33 connects North and Main Dark Star, adding substantial tonnage to the resource. The connection occurs along the north-striking Ridgeline fault, which continues to be an important control on gold mineralization. Based on what we see at North Dark Star, thicker and better grade zones are likely to occur along the Ridgeline fault, moving through this area of connection and into Main Dark Star. To the west of Main Dark Star, the intercepts in DS16-26 and DS16-38 give us a new, "footwall of west thrust" setting to explore for Pennsylvanian-Permian-hosted deposits over a large area, extending from West Dark Star to Pinion. In 2017, we are looking forward to coming out with a maiden resource for North Dark Star and continuing to explore for Pennsylvanian-Permian-hosted deposits along the Ridgeline fault and beneath the newly interpreted West thrust."

Dark Star drill results are as follows:

Drill

Hole Method Azimuth Incl. TD

(m) Intercept

(m) Thickness

(m) Grade

(g Au/t) DS16-18 Core 90 -50 107.0 0.3-73.2 72.9 1.02 Including 35.2-47.2 12.0 2.24 Including 59.6-71.6 12.0 1.83 DS16-25 RC -90 617.4 No assays >0.14 g Au/t DS16-26 Core 270 -70 536.3 187.2-225.3 38.1 0.73 Including 203.9-208.5 4.6 2.61 231.4-263.0 31.6 0.49 274.1-326.2 52.1 1.04 Including 291.8-298.5 6.7 2.03 Including 306.3-322.2 15.9 2.00 386.9-388.0 1.1 0.19 DS16-28 Core 045 -45 579.9 5.2-7.0 1.8 0.25 DS16-29 RC 090 -50 77.7 No assays >0.14 g Au/t DS16-29A RC 090 -50 678.4 No assays >0.14 g Au/t DS16-30 RC 090 -70 568.6 No assays >0.14 g Au/t DS16-31 Core 090 -65 430.3 62.8-64.3 1.5 0.23 67.7-70.3 2.6 0.17 84.8-86.0 1.2 0.26 103.0-107.3 4.3 0.22 118.0-135.7 17.7 0.40 DS16-32 Core 090 -45 566.5 69.8-71.8 2.0 0.15 DS16-33 Core 090 -45 595.1 69.2-92.5 23.3 0.28 104.3-105.8 1.5 0.17 113.4-116.5 3.1 0.22 121.0-126.8 5.8 0.24 130.2-152.0 21.8 0.35 164.3-197.4 33.1 0.62 Including 169.2-174.1 4.9 1.00 Including 177.4-182.9 5.5 1.09 206.7-220.7 14.0 0.76 Including 212.5-219.2 6.7 1.13 DS16-34 Core 090 -60 456.9 275.2-276.7 1.5 0.21 DS16-35 Core 090 -45 540.5 No assays >0.14 g Au/t DS16-36 Core 090 -60 454.3 156.4-158.8 2.4 0.17 DS16-37 Core 090 -80 514.9 8.2-9.4 1.2 0.18 84.5-87.2 2.7 0.17 176.7-179.6 2.9 0.23 DS16-38 RC 270 -72 519.8 196.6-202.7 6.1 0.22 219.5-243.9 24.4 2.03 Including 228.6-239.3 10.7 3.62 394.8-396.3 1.5 0.36 405.5-413.1 7.6 0.24 416.2-436.0 19.8 0.36

(i) Gold intervals reported in this table were calculated using a 0.14 g Au/t cutoff. Weighted averaging has been used to calculate all reported intervals. True widths are estimated at 70-90% of drilled thicknesses.

Sampling Methodology, Chain of Custody, Quality Control and Quality Assurance:

All sampling was conducted under the supervision of the Company's project geologists and the chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility was continuously monitored. Core was cut at the company's facility in Elko and one quarter was sent to the lab for analysis and the remaining material retained in the original core box. A blank or certified reference material was inserted approximately every tenth sample. The North Dark Star samples were delivered to Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories preparation facility in Elko, NV where they were crushed and pulverized. Resulting sample pulps were shipped to Bureau Veritas certified laboratory in Sparks, NV or Vancouver, BC. Pulps were digested and analyzed for gold using fire assay fusion and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish on a 30 gram split. All other elements were determined by ICP analysis. Data verification of the analytical results included a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must pass certain parameters for acceptance to insure accurate and verifiable results.

Drill hole deviation was measured by gyroscopic down hole surveys that were completed on all holes by International Directional Services of Elko, NV. Final collar locations are surveyed by differential GPS by Apex Surveying, LLC of Spring Creek, Nevada.

The scientific and technical content and interpretations contained in this news release have been reviewed, verified and approved by Steven R. Koehler, Gold Standard's Manager of Projects, BSc. Geology and CPG-10216, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
By Chung Hyun-chae



Security concerns are growing among Koreans in the Philippines, following a recent incident in which Filipino police officers allegedly kidnapped and killed a Korean businessman there.



According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Philippine authorities sent investigation results showing that eight suspects abducted Ji Ick-joo, 53, to extort a ransom, and then strangled him. The suspects included three local police officers, one former policeman and the victim's housekeeper.



It was the first time police officers were found to be involved in a violent crime against a Korean resident.



The murder fueled concerns over the safety of the Korean community there.



"I was shocked when I heard local police officers had taken part in the case," Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said during a phone conversation with his Philippine counterpart, Perfecto Yasay, Tuesday.



Yasay vowed a thorough investigation and punishment of those involved.



"The Philippine police force has a long history of corruption because they work on little pay," said Park Oi-byung, a professor of the Department of Police Administration at Dongseo University in Busan. "Actually there have been undisclosed crimes involving local police and even prosecutors who are in cahoots with criminal gangs."



Park served as a consul in the Philippines from 1996 to 2000.



He praised a war on criminal suspects declared by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.



About 5,700 people have been killed since Duterte took office in the middle of last year.



"We need to invite Philippine police officers to Korea and provide training to develop their investigation abilities," Park said.



He also suggested installing more CCTV cameras in regions where the Korean population is concentrated.



"It would also be great to establish an intergovernmental cooperation system with China and Japan to improve security in policing for their citizens living in the Philippines," Park added.



Crimes against Koreans in the Philippines have been occurring for a long time.



According to the ministry, more than 1 million Koreans visit the Philippines every year and about 90,000 residents living there.



The risk is especially hazardous for wealthy tourists and businessmen.

The number of Koreans murdered in the Philippines last year stood at seven including Ji.



In 2015, the Korean government sent a police attache to the Philippines to help protect Korean residents.



Six Korean police officers are currently working at the Philippine National Police Agency.



"We plan to establish a system under which Korean residents can check if arrest warrants are fake or not by calling the Korean Embassy when local police try to arrest them," said Jeong Ji-Kyu, deputy director general of the bureau of overseas Korean nationals and consular affairs at the foreign affairs ministry.




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On 21 March 1917 (3 April according to the new calendar), the first of Lenin's Letters from afar was published in Pravda, which was at that time edited by Joseph Stalin and Lev Kamenev. In these letters Lenin outlined the main characteristics of the Russian revolution and laid the basis for the political reorientation of the Bolshevik party. This was the political basis for the coming to power of the Bolsheviks only 7 months later.

In the celebrated Letters From Afar, Lenin began to reorient the Bolshevik leaders in Russia, who had been blown off course by the February Revolution and tended to capitulate to the pressures of bourgeois and petty bourgeois democracy. He explains that the overthrow of the old regime was only the first stage of the Revolution, which must ultimately lead to the conquest of power by the workers and peasants, organized in the soviets. The first letter was written on March 7 (20), 1917 and first published in Pravda in Nos. 14 and 15, March 21 and 22, 1917. The first four Letters from Afar were written between March 7 and 12 (20 and 25), the fifth, unfinished letter was written on the eve of Lenin's departure from Switzerland, on March 26 (April 8), 1917.

As soon as the first news reached him of the revolutionary events in Russia and the composition of the bourgeois Provisional Government and the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet, Lenin began work on an article for Pravdahe regarded the press as an important vehicle of propaganda and organisation. The press is now the main thing, he wrote to Alexandra Kolloritai on March 3 (16). "I cannot deliver lectures or attend meetings, for I must write daily for Pravda," he wrote to V. A. Karpinsky on March 8 (21), in reply to the latter's invitation to deliver a lecture on the tasks of the Party in the revolution to Russian Emigres and Swiss socialists in Geneva.

The first and second Letters from Afar were sent to Alexandra Kollontai in Oslo on March 9 (22) for forwarding to Petrograd. On March 17 (30) Lenin asked J S. Hanecki whether the first four letters had reached Pravda in Petrograd, adding that if they had not, he would send copies. The letters were brought to Petrograd by Alexandra Kollontai, who handed them over to Pravda on March 19 (April 1).

The first letter appeared in Nos. 14 and 15 of Pravda, March 21 and 22 (April 3 and 4), with considerable abridgements and certain changes by the editorial board, which, beginning with mid-March, included L. B. Kamenev and J. V. Stalin. The full text of the letter was first published in 1949, in the fourth Russian edition of Lenin's Collected Works.

The second, third and fourth letters were not published in 1917. The basic ideas of the unfinished fifth letter were developed by Lenin in his 'Letters on Tactics and The Tasks of the Proletariat in Our Revolution.

Before leaving for Russia, Lenin took measures to circulate the first and second letters among Bolsheviks living in France and Switzerland.

Source: Marxist Internet Archive.
After months of vexed speculation over the possible terms of Britains departure from the EU, Prime Minister May mounted the podium on Tuesday to announce her grand Brexit plan to the world. In a 45-minute speech, May set out her vision for a stronger, fairer, more united and more outward looking Britain; a global Britain which will re-discover its role as a great trading nation.

On the crucial question of the upcoming negotiations with Brussels, May could not have been clearer: neither Hard Brexit nor Soft Brexit, but Best of Both Brexit! The government will deliver a bold and comprehensive free trade agreement with Europe, which grants the greatest possible access to the single market without all the unnecessary bother of free movement of labour, European law, and contributions to the EU budget. City bankers will have their transitional provisions; workers can look forward to even better protections; and all will prosper in this, the best of all possible Brexits.

The Tories rejoiced (for the most part). Boris was bullish, hailing Mays powerful Brexit vision. Theresa Villiers even told the BBC it had made her feel quite emotional. UKIP appeared pleasantly surprised, with Nigel Farage calling it real progress, and accusing the Prime Minister of stealing his lines. It was karaoke night in Tory-land and the only song on the jukebox was Land of Hope and Glory.

Beyond the Tory celebrations, however, the mood was mixed. Business leaders were cautiously sceptical, with the CBI director-general warning, Businesses want to make a success of Brexit but will be concerned about falling back on damaging WTO rules. But perhaps the most telling response came from EU official, Jacqueline Minor, who, with a smile and a shrug simply, said, What we will take seriously is the invocation of Article 50.

In reality, Mays speech said much more about the multitude of contradictions faced by her government than the likely nature of any Brexit deal. Beneath the tired cliches and repeated appeals to unity, all of the cracks which were so brutally exposed on 23rd June last year are still very much present, and threaten to undermine not only the government, but the United Kingdom itself.

A hard rains a-gonna fall

It is interesting to note that on 3rd January the UKs ambassador to the EU, Sir Ivan Rogers, resigned with a letter which stated, We do not yet know what the government will set as negotiating objectives for the UKs relationship with the EU after exit. That a senior civil servant, so used to operating behind the scenes, would come out openly against the governments plan (or lack thereof) on such an important issue shows how deeply this crisis has penetrated into the British establishment.

It is not a coincidence that Mays speech, with its 12 negotiating objectives, was delivered only two weeks after the publication of Rogers letter. It is an obvious attempt to save face amidst mounting criticism on all sides, but any respite which may have been earned will be temporary, if not short-lived.

The question of Britains access to the single market runs like a fault line through the entire debate over Brexit. Any deal which retains the freedom of movement, the overarching jurisdiction of European courts and contributions to the EU budget would, as May herself said, mean not leaving the EU at all. The idea that the grassroots of the Tory Party, and with them a significant chunk of the parliamentary party, not to mention millions of Leave voters, would consider this as anything less than a criminal act of betrayal is fanciful to say the least. It could quite easily bring an end to the Conservative Party as we know it. For this reason more than any other, May had to be seen to offer a clean break with the EU and its institutions.

But, more than the electorate, more even than her party, the Prime Minister ultimately has to answer to British business and its interests. For all Mays talk about Britains role as a great trading nation, the reality is that over the last 40 years the British economy has become increasingly dependent on financial services, centered in the City of London, a Shangri-La for so-called hot money from all over the world.

As Mark Boleat, policy chairman for the City of London Corporation, explained in a lecture given the night before Mays speech, 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 in London. He goes on: American investment banks do business in the EU...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.

Boleat estimated that in the best case scenario (essentially Mays strategy), the UK would see an annual decline of 2bn in revenues, 0.5bn in tax revenue and 4,000 jobs. In the worst case scenario, he estimated that 35,000 jobs could be at risk, along with 5bn of tax revenues a year. He then advised, 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. Hardly, Britannia rules the waves, is it?

This is a clear warning from the British ruling class and a reminder as to what is really meant by the national interest. May must either accept the single market, warts and all, or she must bend over backwards to guarantee access for Britains financial services. It is this fact which drives Mays pursuit of an ambitious free trade agreement with the rest of Europe, which is by no means guaranteed.

Little Britain

The risk of the EU bursting Mays Brexit bubble was certainly not lost on her. Brimming with warmth and affection she announced, We are leaving the EU but not leaving Europe. But behind the smiles and well-wishing there was a more pointed message: if the EU should seek a punitive deal which punishes Britain and discourages other nations from taking the same path it would be a calamitous act of self-harm which would jeopardise the EUs access to the British market.

Again, the tough stance threw many Tories into fits of ecstasy. Give us a fair deal or youll be crushed, roared The Telegraph, while Boris made some bizarre reference to punishment beatings in a WW2 film. The reaction on the continent however was rather different. The German newspaper, Die Welt, published a front cover with the headline, Little Britain in a comically accurate appraisal of the UK governments bargaining power. As said the lions in Aesops fable, Your words, O Hares! are good; but they lack both claws and teeth such as we have.

The EU is not a passive, monolithic bloc. It is currently undergoing its own crisis, not least in relation to Italy, where EU rules are preventing the Italian state from intervening in the countrys banking collapse. If the UK is allowed to negotiate bespoke access to the single market, then what is to stop Italians from demanding their own bespoke agreement? Or for that matter the likes of Spain or Greece, who have seen their youth unemployment rise to over 50% as a result of EU enforced austerity?

It is very unlikely that anyone in the EU would be prepared to provoke a trade war with the UK over this question. But it is even less likely that the European powers be prepared to give the UK all of the benefits of EU membership without any of the costs. Whatever the negotiating position taken by the EU, one way or another Britain will have to pay to retain access to its most important foreign market; and when it does pay, it will be the British workers who foot the bill, as ever.

All May can do is put off the evil day - and her European counterparts appear happy to assist her, for now. As the negotiations begin, however, it will become increasingly clear that Mays government will have to make humiliating concessions. It is surely with this in mind that May pleaded for unity and stressed that it is vital we maintain our discipline. It will only take one unguarded outburst to provoke a rebellion which could paralyse the government.

Precious Union

Almost immediately after the result of the June referendum was announced, the second of a second referendum on Scottish independence was raised. In Scotland, 62% of voters voted to remain in the EU, and Nicola Sturgeon had repeatedly warned that the UKs membership of the single market was a non-negotiable point for the SNP. Sturgeons response to Mays speech was blunt: 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.

If a second referendum should take place in Scotland - and this has certainly become more likely - it is not at all ruled out that Scotland could leave the UK. In fact, in the current context it would be the most probable outcome. Such an event would not only be a tremendous blow to British capitalism, it would prompt an unprecedented constitutional crisis and even a snap general election in chaotic conditions. No wonder then that May was so gushing about the precious union at the heart of everything we do.

When David Cameron made his fateful decision to hold a referendum on Europe, he was effectively presented with a choice between breaking his party, or the country. May is now presented with the same choice but on an even greater scale. Whichever path she chooses, the crisis in Britain will inevitably throw up further political shocks and convulsions. But what position should the Labour Party take on this issue if it is to be able to take advantage of these events?

Confusion

Jeremy Corbyn was quick to highlight the contradiction in Mays plan to leave the single market and yet maintain access to it, and has lambasted the government many times on its intention to cut tax rates, creating a bargain basement economy. But beyond this, there has been confusion as to what exactly the Labour Partys position is on most questions, such as the free movement of labour.

In a policy announcement last week, Corbyn stated, Labour is not wedded to freedom of movement for EU citizens as a point of principle, but I dont want that to be misinterpreted, nor do we rule it out. Meanwhile, the shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, made the comment, Were not going to die in a ditch about it. Again, when asked if immigration levels were too high, Corbyn responded, No, but when shadow work and pensions secretary, Debbie Abrahams, was asked if Labour wanted to see immigration levels come down, she responded enthusiastically, Yes we do.

In the end, despite Corbyns policy re-launch, the overall impression was that Labour had no policy at all. Viewed in combination with the partys insistence that Britain should remain in the single market, its position makes even less sense. As far as the EU is concerned, the single market is wedded to freedom of movement, as a point of principle, regardless of what the Labour Party think of it.

This is not a new problem. From Ed Milibands infamous controls on immigration mug, to Labour MPs campaigning with David Cameron during the referendum, Labours troubles over the EU have highlighted, perhaps more than anything else, two major problems, which if left unresolved may lead the party to ruin.

Opportunism

The first relates to the total incompatibility between the Corbyn leadership, backed by the vast majority of party members, and the bulk of the PLP and its underlings. Time and time again Corbyn has appeared as a hostage of his own MPs who have shown staggering opportunism at every turn.

Corbyn has in fact always argued, correctly, that the crises in the NHS, housing, low-paid work, unemployment and education are not a product of immigration at all but rather of the Tories attacks on workers and the services they need. And yet, this message has been drowned out by shadow ministers and Labour backbenchers who are falling over themselves trying to show they understand concerns that they have ignored for decades.

Even before Corbyn was first elected, it was the right wing of the party which took the initiative on the EU referendum and presented as a fait accompli, not only the partys support for Remain, but effectively a shared platform with the Tories on an almost identical programme. Now, the same MPs who viciously attacked Corbyn in public for not being sufficiently pro-EU are among the most vocal (and hypocritical) advocates for immigration controls.

These careerists are totally incapable of standing up to the Right, and instead capitulate to it at a moments notice. May follows her reactionary base; the Blairites follow May; and the so-called soft-lefts follow them - in what might be the worst conga line imaginable. Corbyn has nothing to gain from joining in this ridiculous spectacle, and everything to lose. The first step to a credible opposition is to have candidates who actually oppose the Tories. With right-wing MPs choosing to abandon their constituencies, there has never been a clearer case for mandatory reselection. If Corbyn is not capable of making this case then he, and we, will suffer for it.

For a socialist policy

But this is only part of the problem, a unified Labour Party must pose an independent alternative not only to the Tories but also to the hypocrisy of both sides in this debate. But if it is to do this, it must break decisively with capitalism. There is no other way out of this crisis. Corbyns current policy ultimately reflect a much wider problem: that of the limits of reformism in general.

Any party which makes it its aim to manage capitalism must accept its laws, its contradictions and its crises. In a period of boom this may deliver partial reforms, but in a time of crisis and austerity it can only lead to a pale imitation of the real capitalist parties, as we have seen.

To stake Labours fortunes on the UKs membership of the single market in order to protect jobs whilst also offering vague compromises on immigration offers workers nothing - only the continuation of the same crisis which delivered Brexit in the first place. This policy essentially amounts to the argument that the interests of the City of London and those of British workers and youth are ultimately the same as long as all act fairly. They are not. The growing dominance of the bankers goes hand in hand with the increasing inequality, exploitation and poverty in Britain.

The interests of the exploited masses of Britain and the world lies precisely in the expropriation of these parasites and the use of the wealth produced by society for the benefit of society as a whole, and not a handful of millionaires. Only then can we guarantee jobs for all.

This must be the starting point for any socialist position on Brexit, the single market and freedom of movement. Advising the capitalists on their best interests is a pointless endeavour; they are already well aware and more than capable of protecting them. What the workers and youth of Britain need is a party which stands up for them against their exploiters, not one that binds them together. The Labour Party was founded on that promise. Only a bold socialist programme can keep it.
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GameStop Corp. is a specialty retailer founded in 1999 and headquartered in Grapevine, Texas. The company was originally known as GSC Holdings Corp. but later changed its name following its IPO. Originally a brand of then dominant Babbages, Gamestop altered the way video games were distributed and it is now the world's largest retailer of video games and video game accessories. The company went public in 2004 and operated 4,573 stores at the start of 2022. Brands under the company umbrella include Gamestop, EB Games, and Micromania as well as 50 pop-culture-themed Zing Pop locations.

Gamestop Corp. provides video games and entertainment products through its global network of e-commerce properties and stores. The company sells new and pre-owned gaming platforms and accessories like controllers, headsets, memory cards, and gaming software as well as in-game products like digital currency, downloadable content, and games. The company also sells new and used memorabilia and collectibles. Genres include TV, movie, comic book, and game characters as well as many other items from pop culture. GameStop Corp. also operates Game Informer, a magazine and website dedicated to the gaming industry including reviews, updates, and new developments in technologies.

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In 2021 Gamestop announced it was entering the world of cryptocurrency. The company revealed plans to build an NFT (non-fungible token) platform for listing, selling, and holding digital or digitized artwork and collectibles. The beta version launched in 2022 and has so far seen great success with an average daily volume exceeding $1 million. The NFT marketplace also featured Web3.0 games in which characters and in-game items are held forever on the blockchain. As of September 2022, the most successful retailer on the NFT marketplace was Gamestop Presents, a collaboration of cover art from Game Informer Magazine. Sales at the time were just under 168 ETH or about $221,500.00.

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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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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 North West Company Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail of food and everyday products and services to rural communities and urban neighborhood markets in northern Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. The company's Canadian operations comprise 118 Northern stores, which offers food, financial services, and general merchandise; 5 NorthMart stores that provides fresh foods, apparel, and health products and services; 26 Quickstop convenience stores that provides ready-to-eat foods, and fuel and related services; 5 Giant Tiger junior discount stores, which offers family fashion, household products, and food; 2 Valu Lots discount center and direct-to-customer food distribution outlet; 1 solo market, a store in remote market; 3 Pharmacy and Convenience stores; and 1 North West Company motorsports dealership offering sales, service, parts and accessories for Ski-doo, Honda, Can-am and other premier brands. The Canadian operations also provides contract tele-pharmacist services to rural hospitals and health centers; water and air-based transportation services; and produce and fresh meats to independent grocery stores. Its international operations include 30 Alaska Commercial Company stores that provides food and general merchandise to remote and rural regions; 12 Cost-U-Less mid-size warehouse stores, which offers discount food and general merchandise; 4 Quickstop convenience stores; 9 Riteway food markets; and Pacific Alaska wholesale, a distributor to independent grocery stores, commercial accounts, and individual households in rural Alaska. The North West Company Inc. was founded in 1668 and is headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada.
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

A few showers early, then clear overnight. Low 46F. NW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

A few showers early, then clear overnight. Low 46F. NW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Higher wind gusts possible.
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. engages in the mining of mineral properties in North America, South America, and Indonesia. The company primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals, as well as oil and gas. Its assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona; Tyrone and Chino in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax in Colorado, North America, as well as Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile. The company also operates a portfolio of oil and gas properties primarily located in offshore California and the Gulf of Mexico. As of December 31, 2021, it operated approximately 135 wells. The company was formerly known as Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. and changed its name to Freeport-McMoRan Inc. in July 2014. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
The upcoming all-female Oceans Eight film has just added a new cast member  Kim Kardashian.

The reality TV star and her half-sister Kendall Jenner will make cameo appearances in the film.

It will be the fourth movie in the Oceans franchise in 17 years  confusingly coming after Oceans Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen.

Kardashian and Jenner were photographed in New York on Monday after reportedly filming their cameos.

The pair will apparently appear in scenes set at a fictional gala being held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Kendall Jenner, Kardashians half sister, has also shot scenes for Oceans Eight

One scene in the film features a jewel robbery at New Yorks annual Met Gala  an event packed with celebrities.

The news comes three months after Kardashian was held at gunpoint during a robbery in Paris.

She took a break from social media and public appearances as a result but has recently returned to Twitter and visited Dubai last week.

Rihanna, Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway are due to take some of the main roles in Oceans Eight.

Vogue editor Anna Wintour and fashion designer Zac Posen have also recently been spotted near the set  could they be making cameos in the same scenes?

Well find out when the film hits cinemas in June 2018.

The original Oceans 11 was released in 1960 and starred Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin  and was remade as Oceans Eleven in 2001 with Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

Unlike Oceans Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen, the new film wont have major roles for Pitt and Clooney.

Matt Damon will reprise his role for a brief appearance, and James Corden and Damian Lewis will also have cameos.


19.01.2017 LISTEN

Cyprus-based Nigerian artiste - PUZO is here with his first official single, bound to hit the industry with this smashing hit song "CRAZY". Produced by hit maker Simba Tagz ( Akube- Dotman, Burna Boy Ft Wizkid)

Danola Seth Adedoyin popularly known as "PUZO" is a young talented artiste with a unique and outstanding afrobeat and dancehall style.

Enjoy!!

Follow PUZO  @puzzofficial on all social media platforms.

LISTEN/STREAM/DOWNLOAD "CRAZY" BY PUZO

https://my.notjustok.com/track/172081/puzo-crazy-prod-simba-tagz

DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR "CRAZY" BY PUZO

https://my.notjustok.com/track/download/id/172081
Joselyn Dumas next film role will see her playing the on-screen daughter of Nigerian actress Joke Silva in a movie that is currently being shot under the banner of Sparrow Productions.

The movie, Potato, is being produced and directed by Shirley Frimpong-Manso but the details of the casting are as yet unknown.

Joselyn Dumas is an award-winning actress who has featured in a number of movies, including Perfect Picture, Admas Apple, Love or Something Like That, A Sting in a Tale, Perfect Picture, A Northern Affair and Lekki Wives.

One of her most recent projects saw her play a leading role in the TV series Shampaign.

She was a practising paralegal until she relocated to Ghana to follow her dreams of becoming a TV personality.



By: cCiti showbiz desk
LGBT activists who arent happy about Mike Pence becoming US vice-president have staged a dance party protest outside his house.

Hundreds of people dressed in glow sticks and rainbow colours danced to Beyonce, Whitney Houston and The Bee Gees.

They took to the streets at Mr Pences temporary home near Washington DC.

He will be sworn in as US vice-president on Friday.

They may have been protesting, but the mood on Wednesday night was celebratory, with dancers of all ages dressed in tutus, gold jumpsuits and wearing face paint.

Mr Pences previous record on LGBT issues mean that many within that community arent happy about him becoming the second most powerful man in the US.

He is against same-sex marriage and was opposed to giving legal rights to LGBT students in Indiana who wanted to use the bathroom of the gender they identified most with.

In the past, hes also supported gay conversion therapy and as governor of Indiana, signed the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act despite fears it could lead to the discrimination of LGBT people.

With loud music blasting out of speakers, hundreds tried to get to the new vice-presidents front lawn in the suburban Chevy Chase area, northwest of Washington.

But security staff directed them to stay on the streets.

US media outlets report that Mr Pence had actually left his home around 30 minutes before the dancers arrived.



Firas Nasr, founder of the advocacy group Werk for Peace, was the main organiser of the Queer Dance Party.

Mike Pence has passed quite horrific anti-LGBT laws, he said. He has also taken staunch stances against the LGBT community and we are not OK with that.

Dance has historically been a really powerful symbol for the LGBT community It allows us to tap into our bodies and use our bodies, use movement to promote a movement for peace, love, and self-acceptance.


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Abuja (AFP) - Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari's office said on Thursday he was to travel to London for health checks -- the second time in less than a year he has gone to Britain for medical treatment.

The presidency said the 74-year-old would "undergo routine medical check-ups" during a short holiday and was expected to resume work on February 6.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will be in charge during Buhari's absence, according to a statement.

Buhari was last in London in June 2016 for treatment to what the presidency described as a persistent inner ear infection, which caused him to pull out of several scheduled engagements.

Wealthier Nigerians frequently travel overseas for medical treatment because of the poor state of healthcare in the West African nation.

But the president's decision sparked anger, including from the country's medical association, which said it contradicted Buhari's pledge of ending medical tourism.

The health of Nigeria's president has long been a sensitive issue.

President Umaru Yar'Adua died in 2010 from a long-standing, but undisclosed, kidney condition.

Before Yar'Adua, the military ruler Sani Abacha died in 1998, officially from a heart attack, but rumours of a more lurid cause of death persist.

Buhari himself has had to respond to claims about his health: during the 2015 election campaign that brought him to power, his opponents claimed he was "mortally ill" from prostate cancer.

He dismissed the allegations and said a purported medical document used to back up the claim was a forgery.
Nairobi (AFP) - University lecturers in Kenya began a strike over pay Thursday, joining doctors who walked out in early December, crippling the country's healthcare.

The strike was called by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) to protest government failure to implement a four-year-old agreement to increase wages by at least 50 percent.

Union chairman Muga K'Olale said failure to have their demands met had led to a "massive brain drain in public universities".

"It is only this strike that will add premium to the lives of university workers, without this strike we're done," he said.

In a statement declaring the strike late on Wednesday the union called on President Uhuru Kenyatta and his ministers to honour a pay deal proposed in the 2012 collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

UASU secretary-general Constantine Wasonga appealed to government, "to urgently jumpstart, negotiate, conclude, sign and implement the CBA."

Junior lecturers currently earn around $500 (470 euros) a month while professors earn up to $2,000 (1,900 euros).

Kenyan doctors and nurses began their strike six weeks ago demanding the implementation of pay rises of up to 300 percent they say were agreed in 2013. They have so far rejected an offer of a 40 percent pay rise and stood firm in the face of threats of dismissal and prison.

The strike by 5,000 medical personnel has left public hospitals empty with many ordinary Kenyans unable to get basic healthcare.

The widespread union action comes just months before an August general election in which Kenyatta is seeking a second term.
The planned visit to Ghana by the King of Morocco has been postponed.

His Majesty Mohammed VI was expected in Ghana Wednesday on an official visit to the president, Nana Akufo-Addo.

He was expected to have bilateral discussions with the new Ghana president.

However a statement issued, Wednesday, and signed by the Director of Communications at the presidency Eugene Arhin said the visit has been postponed. No reason was given for the postponement.

"Unfortunately, His Majesty the King, Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, has had to postpone his scheduled visit to Ghana. A new date for the visit will be communicated in due course," the statement said.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com
Gao (Mali) (AFP) - A suicide bombing targeting militia groups committed to restoring peace in Mali left around 50 people dead and struck a fresh blow at long-running efforts to stabilise the troubled north.

The car bomb attack on Wednesday in Gao, the region's biggest city, targeted a camp housing former rebels and pro-government militia who are signatories to a 2015 peace accord struck with the government.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita ordered three days of national mourning following the attack, the worst in the country in recent years.

The group of Algerian jihadist and Al-Qaeda ally Mokhtar Belmokhtar claimed responsibility, in a statement, for the suicide bombing.

The group, allied to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), identified the attacker as Abdelhadi al-Foulani, in a statement cited by the US-based SITE watchdog and Mauritanian news agency Al-Akhbar.

Defence Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga swiftly headed to Gao following the blast.

The attack occurred as former rebels from the Tuareg-led CMA movement prepared to go on a joint patrol with pro-government militia members, under the terms of the peace deal.

'Cowardly attack'

The United States condemned the bombing, describing the attack as "cowardly".

Mali attack

"We also denounce in the strongest terms all efforts to derail implementation of the peace agreement in Mali," State Department Spokesman Peter Kirby said.

Mali's north fell under the control of Tuareg-led rebels and jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012. The Islamists sidelined the rebels to take sole control.

Although they were largely ousted by a French-led military operation in January 2013, implementation of the peace accord has been piecemeal with insurgents still active across large parts of the region.

The joint patrols, which also include regular Malian army troops, are supposed to help prepare for the reorganisation of the army.

"The provisional toll is 47 dead, including five suicide bombers, and several dozen injured", the government said in a statement.

A Malian military source told AFP that 53 people had been killed and 110 injured.

The UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA said in a statement that "dozens of deaths and dozens of injuries are reported among the 600 individuals hosted in the camp".

The dead and injured are evacuated following a suicide bomb attack that ripped through a camp grouping former rebels and pro-government militia in Gao, in the troubled northern Mali left 50 people dead on January 18, 2017 in Ga

The attack took place at 0840 GMT as the former rival groups "were due to soon leave on a joint patrol," a MINUSMA source added.

The powerful blast, which went off during a training session, ripped apart bodies, scattering limbs across the camp, a witness said.

The vehicle used in the blast bore the logo of the unit coordinating the joint patrols, army spokesman Diarran Kone told AFP.

'Fragile peace'

The assailant "came to town alone to procure equipment and fit the vehicle out to commit a suicide attack", a Malian security source who asked not to be named told AFP.

The camp is very close to Gao airport, a key transport hub which was closed briefly in late November following an attack blamed on jihadists.

The car bomb destroyed prefabricated hangars used by MINUSMA's aircraft and damage to the installations and debris on the runway made the airport temporarily unusable.

"The joint patrols were the target," French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told French media on Wednesday. "The political aim is to hamper the peace process and reconciliation."

"Peace remains fragile," he added.

France is considering a UN Security Council draft resolution that would set up a sanctions regime for Mali to target opponents of the peace deal signed 19 months ago.

The UN Security Council met Wednesday and agreed to consider setting up a sanctions regime for Mali to punish those who are hindering the struggling peace deal.

Condemning the attack, council members said "persistent delays threaten the viability of the agreement" signed by the Malian government and rebel groups 19 months ago, said Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog, this month's council president.

The proposed sanctions regime would set up a mechanism to allow individuals and entities to be blacklisted by the United Nations. Targeted sanctions include a global travel ban and an assets freeze.

The United Nations has deployed 13,000 troops in Mali to serve in the MINUSMA force, considered one of the deadliest missions in peacekeeping.
Johannesburg (AFP) - South Africa's ruling ANC party, which has dominated the country's politics since the end of apartheid, has begun its search for a new leader to succeed President Jacob Zuma.

Dwindling popular support, corruption scandals and rampant in-fighting mean that the contest looks set to be a bitter battle exposing divisions at the heart of the party.

The contenders will face each other at the African National Congress' (ANC) 54th national elective conference in December when Zuma is expected to stand down as party chief.

The likely frontrunners are outgoing African Union chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who is Zuma's former wife, and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The victor will then be the party's candidate for president in 2019's general election.

The ANC's powerful women's league opened the campaign for the party's top job when earlier this month it called for a female leader -- a clear endorsement of Dlamini-Zuma.

Dlamini-Zuma, who has four children with President Zuma, is the head of the African Union Commission.

She is not seeking a second mandate for the role, fuelling speculation that she hopes to succeed her ex-husband at the ANC's helm -- though she has yet to declare her candidacy.

The succession battle is seen as crucial for Zuma's future because if a political adversary is chosen it could mean that he is forced to step aside before the end of his term, according to political analyst Ralph Mathekga.

Zuma is also facing a slew of corruption allegations and it will largely fall to his successor as president -- which is likely to be whoever is chosen as ANC party leader -- to determine the vigour with which he is pursued once out of office.

"He is trying to have his wife run for ANC president, first of all as she is highly unlikely to go after him on some of the corruption charges," said Mathekga.

Zuma appeared to throw his weight behind 67-year-old Dlamini-Zuma -- who has held a string of ministerial posts including the foreign and home affairs portfolios -- earlier this month when he told public radio that the ANC "is ready" to elect a woman as its leader.

But independent analyst Daniel Silke warned that "getting a stamp of approval by Jacob Zuma" may not "offer Mrs Zuma a great advantage".

'Unlikely to go after him'

"She remains a mystery candidate when it comes to her vision for a future South Africa," he added.

Cyril Ramaphosa, 64, is also expected to run for the party's top job.

A former trade unionist who helped negotiate the end of white-minority rule in 1994 and then became a wealthy businessman, Ramaphosa told Power FM radio last month that he is "available to stand", though he stopped short of a formal declaration.

Analysts say he may face an uphill struggle after Zuma pointedly said that the vice president should not automatically become party leader.

"Ramaphosa is fighting almost as an outsider in the sense that he doesn't have so much support from the leagues, and that is the support that usually guarantees victory," said Mathekga, referring to influential branches of the ANC.

The contest has already exposed fault lines between Zuma loyalists who back Dlamini-Zuma and reformers who favour Ramaphosa.

In an effort to heal the party, the ANC could even turn to compromise candidates like Kgalema Motlanthe, who served as interim president for several months before Zuma came to power in 2009.

Party treasurer Zweli Mkhize could be another genuine contender, or an eventual "kingmaker" in the event of a stalemate between Ramaphosa and Dlamini-Zuma, said Silke, as could parliamentary speaker Baleka Mbete.

Whoever is chosen as party leader will have just 18 months to restore the ANC's voter appeal ahead of national elections in 2019 following the party's worst-ever electoral performance during August's local polls.

As well as taking a relative drubbing at the ballot box -- the ANC still secured 53 percent of the vote -- Zuma will also leave behind a slowing economy, the highest unemployment rate for 13 years and regular violent protests.

"The task of Zuma's successor is going to be to lead a turnaround process," politics lecturer Ongama Mtimka told AFP.

"They will inherit weakened institutions which have been entrenched in fighting factional battles, mediocrity in key departments, and a culture of corruption."
Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) stands strongly opposed to the nomination of Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto as Minister-Designate for Food and Agriculture. It has come to our attention that among the list of the ministerial nominees Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has been slated for the Ministry of Agriculture. Consequently, we humbly call on His Excellency, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to drop his name for the slot; and on Parliament to reject same.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto has already demonstrated profound ignorance on the subject of GMOs and a shocking indifference to the lives and wellbeing of Ghanaians. A clear example is the interview granted by Dr. Owusu Afiriyie Akoto, on TV: New Day  Discuss the Fight Against Genetically Modified Foods  31/1/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gZgr7FAli8. Dr. Owusu Afiriyie Akoto, Minister-Designate for Food And Agriculture, was on TV claiming:

Ghana imports 150 thousand metric tons of poultry products every year and most of that are coming from America, Brazil and Europe. Where do you think those chickens are fed from? They are fed from genetically modified grains. So, we are eating genetically modified food. Has anybody died? Genetically modified food is eaten in America and Ghana and everywhere through feeding grains to chickens and [other poultry produce] and we [Ghanaians] are eating it [as well]. Are we all dead? All the Americans would be dead by now

Of course he neglects to mention that Americans are trying to pull away from GMOs. Evidence begins to emerge that a multitude of health problems, including cancer clusters in the US, may be linked to GMOs and their toxic chemicals.

The basic premise which informs FSGs principled position which it has maintained since its inception in 2013 is the fact that there is still no consensus amongst the scientific community on the safety GMOs. Does Dr. Afriyie Akoto think the only danger to our health is posed from something that kills you immediately when you touch or taste it? Evidence of the serious dangers of GMOs have been emerging with increasing frequency and urgency. Dr. Afriyie Akoto appears to have missed them completely.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto is ignoring the fact that most of the world is recoiling from GMOs, including the country of their origin, the United States. The long term damage to human health, the death of the soil, the reduced productivity, the contamination of water and air, the evolution of super pests and the powerful chemical cocktails that are part of all commercial GMOs have caused people to turn away from GMOs.

Countries using GMOs have also seen the extinction of many varieties of seed and the dwindling diversity of available seeds just when we need added diversity and flexibility to protect us from climate change. What message is the President trying to send to Ghanaians by this nomination?

Keep in mind the reason GMOs were developed was not to assist farmers or to strengthen agriculture, but to create seed monopolies. They are designed ultimately to claim ownership of all the seeds used in Ghana and extract the wealth of Ghanas agriculture for wealthy foreign corporate profits. Currently for every $1 the west brings to Africa, $24 leaves Africa for the West. Does Ghana want to continue these subsidies for the EU and the United States?

The scientists who refer to GMOs as safe are almost entirely those subsidized or co-opted by the corporate chemical seed giants who finance whole university departments and scientific publications. GMO corporate shills staff the upper levels of the US Department of Agriculture as well as the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). Where there is true and independent research into GMOs it is raising more and more alarms.

News just coming in today indicates that Burkina Faso cotton production has increased after it discontinued Monsantos Bt cotton variety http://www.stltoday.com//article_7902cb48-3b14-5936-9840-7 At a time where GMOs have woefully failed in neighbouring Burkina Faso, it would be unconscionable for Ghana to have a GMO minister responsible for our agriculture!

Dr. Afriyie Akoto seems to have fallen hard for the corporate lobby representing GMOs. They nod and smile and say they represent Science. They represent their version of science as if it werefixed and immutable doctrine, the opposite of science. They spread lies and money liberally. There are signs that they are working very hard to recruit all Ghanas political parties, our academics, and the media to fall for their long con. Dr. Afriyie Akoto appears a willing and eager victim. That makes him wildly unsuited to be Ghanas Minister of Agriculture.

A wide coalition of stakeholders has already expressed concern about the introduction of GMO into our food system. These include the Christian Council of Ghana, The Catholic Bishops Conference, The Ghana Muslim Mission, The Office of The Chief Imam, The Peasant Farmers Association, the Vegetarian Association of Ghana, the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of the Trade Union Congress, The Convention Peoples Party and the Rastafari Council and Food Span among others. Surely this constitutes a significant collection of key stakeholders in this nation who will disagree with Ghana continuing down the path we seem to be heading regarding adopting GMOs in our agriculture. It is hoped that President Akufo-Addo will give a listening ear to the concerns of the Ghanaians who voted overwhelmingly for change.

For Life, the Environment, and Social Justice!

Edwin Kweku Andoh Baffour

Communications Directorate, FSG
19.01.2017 LISTEN

The Acting President of Advocacy for Youth Development (AfYD), Mr George K. Antwi Boasiako has challenged the teaming Youth of Ghana especially graduates to stop dreaming of getting non-existing white colour jobs and start devising business ideas to start up small businesses. He said it is about time for we the Young people of Ghana to position ourselves and be entrepreneurial in order to be active partners in the economic development of the country. He insisted it is obvious that the government cannot create the required numbered of jobs to absorb the millions of unemployed Youth in Ghana.

Mr George added that despite the numerous but picturesque promises made by the Nana Addo led NPP government during the 2016 electioneering Campaign coupled with the subsequent creation of new Ministries, particularly the Ministry of Investment and Business Development intended to support private businesses, the hopes of the teaming Youth Of Ghana who are largely unemployed will be in shamble if the youth fail to be entrepreneurial and think of starting their own businesses.

The Acting President of Advocacy for Youth Development, a Youth led Advocacy group Mr. George K. Antwi Boasiako further intimated that what the government can realistically do will be to create the enabling economic environment for businesses to thrive especially start ups by young Ghanaian entrepreneurs. Cogent among such measures according Mr. George will be a vivid reduction in lending rate to enable young entrepreneurs to be able to easily access credit facilities to start and grow their own small scale businesses.

Again, the government must be in haste to fulfill its Campaign promise to reduce taxes especially on imported goods such as Printing materials, etc which will lead to a drastic reduction in cost of production since most of our raw materials are imported. And, as a matter of urgency reduce the killer 7.5% VAT which is virtually syphoning the profit of businesses in the country.

Moreover, the government must put measures in place to stop foreigners who are gradually taking over retail business in Ghana from Ghanaian business folks.

Other factors that will make it easy for more young people to start up their own businesses to augment the government's effort to create more jobs will be for the government to inject more Cash in the Youth Enterprise Scheme and to revamp MASLOC to be more transparent and accessible to all Young people with feasible business plans irrespective of their political orientation. These and many other factors apart from the direct jobs to be create if the popular NPP Manifest promise "One District, One Factory" is set in motion.

In conclusion, for the youth realize their dreams, we must think outside the box to start our own small businesses whereas the government through its Economic Management Team must craft executable Economic Policies to soften the economic grounds for small businesses.

ADVOCACY FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT (AfYD) is a Youth led non partisan, and non religious Youth Advocacy group that seeks to advocate for the consultative involvement of young people in governance and the Empowerment of the Youth to be economically independent to secure the Sustainable future of our continent.

Signed By:

...................................

Ms Suzzy Emekor Gaglo

Acting Executive Secretary

Allswell Adoboi Anum

Acting Vice President

Alfred Obimpeh-Obipeh Tumawu

Publicity Director

0243059622

George K. Antwi Boasiako

Acting President

Advocacy for Youth Development (AfYD)

[email protected] 0244016046

0208306070
Nairobi (AFP) - The first patient Cynthia Waliaula lost was a baby who stopped breathing while she carried him in her arms through the hospital, desperately trying to find an oxygen tank.

Barely out of medical school, the bright-eyed young doctor quickly learned that many of the techniques she had spent five years studying meant nothing in a world where there was neither equipment nor drugs.

Waliaula, 25, is one of thousands of Kenyan public sector doctors currently engaged in the country's longest-ever medical strike which has dragged on for the last month and a half, demanding a tripling of salaries and better working conditions.

"When you graduate you are really excited. You are just ready to go out into the world but you get there and you realise a lot of things you were taught aren't there," she told AFP.

She said the three-month-old baby who died in her arms had pneumonia and was malnourished, but could easily have been saved with the right treatment. However, at the time, her hospital in the central Kenyan town of Isiolo had only two oxygen tanks.

"I think every Kenyan doctor has had to decide who gets oxygen. You are forced to play god."

Cellphone torch surgery

Waliaula's harrowing tales of working without even basic drugs, such as penicillin, are not isolated cases in the public sector. Meanwhile, Kenya's private hospitals -- unaffordable to much of the population -- are some of the best on the continent.

This week Kenyan doctors took to Twitter in a bid to explain why they are digging their heels in while public hospitals are paralysed by the strike, and why they refused a 40-percent pay rise offer.

Under the hashtag #MyBadDoctorExperience, the medics recounted experiences of being forced to work without drugs, gloves or electricity and under severe staff shortages that left many on the verge of collapse.

One Twitter user, a doctor who gave only his first name, Anthony, told AFP he had once been in the middle of a Caesarean section when the lights went out.

"The back-up generator was out of fuel. We ended up using a Nokia phone flashlight (as the) torch available had expired batteries."

At the root of the doctors' strike is a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) agreed between government and the unions in 2013.

More than money

The document promises interns, like Waliaula, will see their basic salaries increase from a minimum $346 (323 euros) to $1,038, while salaries of the highest level doctors will increase from a minimum $1,400 to $4,300 -- with added allowances.

While the government says the document is still being fine-tuned, unions say it is a legal deal that they want implemented immediately.

"The thing people don't realise is... we are fighting for more than just salaries," said Waliaula.

The CBA also promises doctors continued training, a research fund, proper equipment and support staff. It additionally caps working hours at 40 hours a week and provides for overtime.

Poor salaries and working conditions have pushed Kenyan doctors to flee the public sector or go to other countries where there are better opportunities.

"There is a huge labour deficit. It's insane, on a weekend we will be two interns running an entire hospital. I have done a call where I didn't sleep for 48 hours and in the middle of a C-section I started shaking. That shouldn't happen," said Waliaula.

Kenya's main doctors' union, KMPDU, says Kenya has one doctor to 17,000 patients, while the World Health Organization recommends one to 1,000.

Wasted public money

The government has threatened to arrest union officials if they don't return to work next week, as well as fire all striking doctors, but Waliaula said they would not budge until there was commitment to real change in the sector.

It has said its offer of a 40-percent pay rise would cost it an additional $38 million a year and was "a responsible offer in the context of its obligations to properly manage the country's finances."

However this argument has fallen on deaf ears.

Waliaula said she was initially opposed to the strike, until she woke up the day it started to a headline about millions of dollars that had gone missing in the country's latest corruption scandal.

Then over Christmas, lawmakers awarded themselves each $100,000 as an exit package ahead of 2017 elections.

"It makes me so angry, there is so much money going around. How come there is money for you, but there is no money for me?"
It is only normal, and a feel of pride as a discerning Ghanaian, to write not only to congratulate our current Vice President of Ghana, Dr Alhaji Mahammudu Bawumia on his successful electioneering campaign and election to the second highest office in Ghana, but also to wish him As-salamu alaykum, a greeting in Arabic that means "peace be upon you".

Shall God bless him for a job well done! However, the greatest job lies ahead of him to be accomplished. It is how to get Ghana out of the economic ditch the outgone President Mahama and his cabal of NDC greedy bastards, courtesy of former President Rawlings, have plunged Ghana into.

Successfully winning the election, wrenching power out of the hands of President Mahama and his bunch of the Ghanaian version of the Arabian Ali Baba and his forty thieves is with all intents and purposes, the first phase of resolving the teeming socio-economic problems presently faced by Ghanaians. The actual difficult problems of finding the needed resources, the right calibre of experts and honest people to assist you and your boss, His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo deliver on your promises to the fullest expectation of the Ghanaian populace are waiting to be addressed.

There is no doubt about it that you, Dr Bawumia, possess the expertise needed in this critical period in the life of Ghana to help towards extricating Ghanaians from the joblessness, poverty and the total dejection they currently find themselves in as brought to bear upon them by the incompetence, brazen love of corruption, practice of selective justice, and disrespect for the governed by the recently outgone President Mahama and his NDC-led government.

As a known gentleman, highly educated and honest as you are to your boss, His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, your government can hopefully deliver Ghanaians from the economic hardships they are compelled by circumstances beyond their control to painfully deal with.

It will take expertise strategically implemented, honesty, farsightedness, dynamism and dedication to duty to be of true or selfless service to ones country and people to solve the problems facing Ghanaians today.

As the President is nationally known to be incorruptible and was trained throughout his upbringing by his parents of cherished memory to respect the laws of the land, so do I hope and conclude from your public life to be also.

Now, as clean and serious as both of you are with resolute determination to deliver on your campaign promises to the expectation and admiration of the Ghanaian public, I shall request of you the following, or suggest or advice you to do as follows.

1. Select people with not only the requisite higher paper qualifications which are a must, but also, with the needed expertise and honesty to help you to do the job. As it is in the Ghanaian Akan proverb, It does not take the hands of a single person alone to cover the eyes of God (baako nsa nso Onyame ani kata), thus, two heads are better than one

2. Discipline must start from within your government. Make sure the appointed people to assist you govern the nation are reliable, incorruptible, respectable and respectful. They must not be arrogant towards the President and, or his Vice President. They must respect the Ghanaian public and treat them with dignity, realising that without the electorates, they could not have been in government today.

3. The appointed persons must have in their minds to have come to serve Ghanaians but not to be served as it has contrarily always been the mind-set of the Ghanaian or the African politician hence always seeking to acquire illegal wealth overnight to be able to command or control people because of their wealth and power.

4. As incorruptible as the President is known to be, he will not take a pesewa which is not genuinely due to him from the public purse. I know or suppose you are in the same bracket. If that is the case, then make sure nobody immediately under you steals to enrich themselves. Those under the people under you will continue with the same mentality until it comes down to the ordinary Ghanaian in the street to ensure that he/she does not practise corruption to enrich themselves. That is the only way to uproot or curtail corruption, the bane of the economic development of Ghana, from the country.

5. As charity begins at home, so should disciplining Ghanaians to eschew acts of corruption start from within your government?

It is when we do as suggested above, that the dream of NPP staying in power for long, to guarantee President Nana Akufo-Addo two 4-year terms in office his health and God permitting, grant Dr Bawumia two 4-year terms in office as future President with Hon. Allan Cash Kwadwo Kyeremateng also having his turn at the presidency become a dream come true, thus, a possibility. Anything contrary to that will cut our dreams short, for that you should know.

NPP, unlike the NDC, will rely on delivering on their promises and the public confidence in them to stay in power longer. They will not resort to any corrupt attitudes of devising strategies through bribing certain few people to vociferously go out to deceive the people telling them to believe that white is black and the vice versa, or to install election-rigging machines to win elections hence always obstinately going against the wish of the people to do what and as they want.

I count on you, Vice President Dr Bawumia, to be honest with President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, each correcting, and redirecting the steps of the other if found to be veering away from your promises and the publics high expectations from you.

It shall be well with you if you listened to the voices of the majority of the masses to do as they want provided it is in their best interest and in the interest of the nation but not to be like the outgone President Mahama who cultivated the habit of not listening to anyone who had never been a President of Ghana before.

I end with a quote from Plutarch - Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly.

Rockson Adofo


Lady Julia Osei Tutu yesterday consoled her husband, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, over the demise of his mother, the Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.

Dressed in dark cloth to display her sadness, she was followed by a large retinue of mourners to the forecourt of the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, where other mourners had gathered.

The occasion was the third day of a four-day period set aside by the Manhyia Palace for the burial rites of the late Asantehemaa, who passed on late last year.

Lady Julia, predictably, looked dull and sad, as she was being ushered to the forecourt of the palace, where a great durbar of chiefs and people from all walks of life, was taking place.

Bond

Reports from reliable sources at the Manhyia Palace indicated that there was strong bond of love between Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem and Lady Julia, her daughter in-law.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu, in his well written and touchy tribute to her departed mother, even revealed that his mother gave him the green light before he tied the nuptial knot with Lady Julia.

He commended the late Asantehemaa for helping him to choose a reliable, loving and supportive person like Lady Julia, as his wife, adding that she had been a blessing to him.

Otumfuo Consoled

Lady Julia, who looked tearful after moving through a sea of mourners, finally got to where Otumfuo was seated, greeted the king and consoled him for losing his dear mother.

The horn blowers at the palace were heard blowing their horns in the traditional way as Otumfuo, who was sitting in state and dressed in mourning cloth, was being consoled by his dear wife, after which she left the place.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr & Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi
THE MORTAL remains of the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, will be laid to rest at midnight today at the Royal Mausoleum at Breman in Kumasi, in line with rich Asante tradition which dates back to several centuries.

This follows a four-day burial ceremony at the Manhyia Palace, which saw the deceased queen mother, who was dressed with different types of 'Kente' cloth with gold ornaments to match, having been laid in state for scores of mourners to pay their last respects.

Manhyia Palace sources hinted that every bit of the Asante culture and traditions would be in full display as the queen mother, who is the biological mother of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tut II, makes her final journey to her ancestors.

Ban

As part of the traditional burial rites at Breman tonight, the Manhyia Palace has ordered the people of Kumasi and its immediate environs to remain indoors from 7pm today to 4am on tomorrow (Friday).

The order, the palace explained, is to show respect and honour to the departed queen mother and also prevent a situation whereby miscreants would take advantage of the great funeral to rob people or cause mayhem in the city of Kumasi.

Church Service

A church service by the Anglican Church would be held for Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II at the forecourt of the Manhyia Palace this morning, to be graced by President Akufo-Addo and other dignitaries.

Wreath Laying

The queen's mortal remains would then be taken to the Royal Mausoleum at Bantama for wreath laying and other traditional activities  which are not open to the public  before the body is taken to Breman.

Breman Ready

When DAILY GUIDE visited Breman  where the Royal Mausoleum for Asante kings and queens is situated  on Wednesday, the town looked extremely quiet, sending signals that a great ceremony was about to take place in the town.

Baffuor Kotei Kutin Sraman, chief of Breman, stated that the town was ready to give a befitting burial to the departed queen mother, who reigned for 39 years.

According to him, the entire town had been cleaned ahead of the burial, adding that the people of Breman, who are aware of the Asante traditions, would comply with the order from the Manhyia Palace, regarding the burial.

Last Respects

A four-day burial period for the late Asantehemaa started on Monday and it had seen traditional rulers from Ghana and Africa paying their last respects to the queen mother.

Other dignitaries, including President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr. Bawumia, ex-Presidents Kufuor and John Mahama, parliamentarians and other top people, had also paid their last respects to the Asantehemaa.

Holiday In Kumasi

In line with the Asantehemaa's final journey on earth, an unofficial holiday has been declared in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region, to enable every resident to bid final farewell to the queen.

The Manhyia Palace has ordered that all markets in the area, including the famous Kumasi Central, Asafo and Bantama Markets as well as all shops in the city should remain closed as a sign of reverence to the Asantehemaa.

Banks Closed

Virtually all the banking institutions in Kumasi have announced that they would not operate today and so they have notified their customers to take note.

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr & Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi
Error-free compliance with the law was certainly never intended for humans! Even in Heaven (the Christians famous land of perfection) Lucifer jilted the law and got himself thrown out! The first humans, Adam and Eve also had their fair share of nasty behaviour when they transgressed at Eden. As a matter of fact, God even pretended as though He wasnt aware, and came visiting at the cool of the day! Therefore, would it be an intelligent line of argument to project the idea that God being Omniscient, didnt have a premonition that Lucifer, Adam and his gorgeous wife Eve would attempt at some point to breach the protocol? Hold that thought

And while youre at it, the human nature is naturally wired to do the direct opposite of what had been instructed. Isnt it fun sometimes to just ignore the traffic light when it shows red and you have a good chance of not getting caught? (Cab drivers do that a lot, and I kind of enjoy it when in a hurry! You do too!).

The 10 commandments often referred to as the Mosaic Law, have quite rigid clauses. Whereby, faithful adherence to nine but failure in one, automatically accounts for failure in all! (Keeping the entire 10 commandments now sounds like a whole lot of responsibility right?). In the New Testament, were also required to understand that all sins are equal, and regardless of the fact youve been a devout Christian for donkeys years, a little lie before the Rapture and youre going to hell! But then, Thou shall not commit adultery, yet the adulterous woman was protected by Jesus from her accusers (people of similar or worse weaknesses of their own!) Humans broke all the laws available, yet Christ was still sent for their redemption!

Over the years, weve been enslaved by judgmental church doctrines that punish members and relegate them to the back seats, or excommunicate them for a period of time for a taboo they committed. Keep aside what an Apostle in the Bible said (which of course is always used as reference) but ask, would Jesus himself have done that? Some African holier-than-thou churches place heavy sanctions on defaulters of certain imposed regulations, many of which include: Women putting on trousers / uncovering their hair, or the abomination of a woman preaching on the pulpit. You can imagine how judgmental these set of Christians stare at women preaching on the altar, as though they wished they could make them drop dead right there on telepathic command!

We wrestle back and forth as Christians, trying so hard to maintain compliance to religious laws. We forget that we can NEVER be perfect! Everyone has certain weaknesses that drive us to sin and break either of those commands. Thats why we have the concept of GRACE. Even religious leaders are not guaranteed of their eternity, because as humans, they are also naturally and regularly guilty of various degrees of weaknesses in their closet that cause them to sin (whether or not youre aware of it!) and of which they have to keep in check at all times.

Is there a law to be kept? I no longer care! Ill do the best I can, and leave the rest to be taken care of by God. I cant be perfect or righteous enough on my own.

Grace has salvaged the massive and preconceived failure of the law. So, any supposed Christian Doctrine or Religious law (like Sharia), that subjects you to gruesome punishment for your shortcomings, is highly questionable!

By Nimi Princewill. Twitter: @princewill_nimi
By Samira Larbie/Mohammed Abdul Rashid, GNA

Accra, Jan.18, GNA - The United States of America has nurtured its democracy through the years to become an enviable model, but there are still some inherent weaknesses that observers cannot identify from afar.

This position was articulated by some Ghanaian journalists who were sponsored to that country to witness the November 7 Polls, which saw the Republican Candidate, Mr Donald J. Trump as the winner.

They noted that though America's democratic credentials was indeed great and rich, no democratic culture had attained perfection, hence there was still room for improvement in the system, which dates back to more than two centuries.

The US Embassy in Accra sent Ms Belinda Ayamgha of the Ghana News Agency, Mr Evans Mensah of Joy News, Kwame Mensah of Radio 360 and Severious Kale-Dery of the Daily Graphic, under the Elections Embed Program administered by the International Centre for Journalists, to witness and study the electoral process.

Mr Daniel Fennell, a Counsellor at the Embassy, said the gesture was to strengthen the relationship between the two democratic nations.

He said Ghana and America had their elections and the transmission of government from one democratically elected government to another, almost at the same period, and that there was the need to educate policy makers back home about the values and traditions of Africa.

At a session to share their experiences with their colleagues back home, the journalists asserted that America's democratic system exhibited a lot of maturity, which empowered the citizens.

Mr Mensah, who described some of his experiences as 'knife edge-like' situations, said he was situated at 'battle ground states', which in Ghana was referred to as the 'strong hold' of the various political parties.

Speaking about the atmosphere after Mr Trump's victory, he said some people said they were in a dilemma whether to seek Asylum elsewhere for a while or not.

Mr Mensah cited instances where he witnessed colleague reporters in the USA showing their excitement about Mr Trump's victory, while in other cases the newsroom of some media houses became virtually empty after his victory.

Ms Ayamgha, for her part, said: 'Personality campaigning was an element in the American campaigns while, some candidates were endorsed by certain media houses.'

These endorsements, she was told, had no negative effect on the media's reportage of the candidates.

However, Ms Ayamgha said she found the practice questionable.

Mr Dery said though Ghana had some similarities with the USA as far as democracy and politics were concerned there was the need for political supporters in Ghana to be well educated to respect the rights of supporters of other parties for peaceful co-existence as was the case in the U.S.

GNA
By Iddi Yire, GNA

Accra, Jan. 18, GNA - Panellists at the 68th Annual New Year School and Conference have called for the combination of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Extension (E-extension) and the traditional extension system to boost agricultural production in the country.

The panellists also called for the revitalisation of agriculture extension service by empowering extension officers to use ICT to reach out to the nation's hard working farmers.

E-extension is the use of ICT such as mobile telephony to reach out to farmers with services and information for their activities.

Speaking on the topic: "E-extension and Adoption in Agriculture," at the University of Ghana, the panellists were of the view that although the benefits of E-extension outweighed the traditional extension, combining both would enhance performance.

The panellists were made up of Professor Festus Annor-Frimpong, the Head of Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Cape Coast, Dr Francis Baah, the Executive Director, Cocoa Health and Extension, and Mr Theophilus Osei Owusu, the Deputy Director of Communication, Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Prof Annor-Frimpong said the use of technologies such as electronic media and mobile telephony ensured that farmers had timely access to extension services.

He said food security could be improved in Ghana through innovative use of ICT in agriculture.

Dr Baah said the Cocoa Health and Extension Division's mission was to control the spread of cocoa swollen shoot virus disease (and other diseases), assist farmers to replant their treated and rehabilitated farms with improved cocoa varieties as well as provide backup extension services to meet the technical needs of cocoa farmers in Ghana.

He said The Ivory Coast was doing well in cocoa production because it had younger cocoa plants compared to Ghana, which had most of its cocoa plants over 30 years.

Mr Osei Owusu said in Ghana the ratio of extension officers to farmers was one is to 2,000.

He explained that due to the huge gap between the number of extension officers and farmers, there was the need to combine both e-extension and the traditional extension methods to cover a majority of them.

He said the traditional extension afforded both extension officers and the farmers to meet and interact.

The 68th Annual New Year School and Conference is on the theme: "Promoting National Development through Agriculture Modernisation: The Role of ICT".

It is being organised by the School of Continuing and Distance Education, University of Ghana, under the auspices of MTN, Eximbank Ghana, Kosmos Innovation Centre and the Graphic Communications Group.

It is aimed at creating the forum for passionate discussions on how ICT could be integrated into agriculture to modernise the sector for sustainable national development.

GNA
Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow was to be sworn in Thursday at the country's embassy in Senegal, as African troops massed at the border to force incumbent Yahya Jammeh to quit after his election defeat.

The United Nations Security Council was to vote later Thursday on endorsing a west African military intervention as Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana dispatched hundreds of troops and fighter jets to The Gambia's border with Senegal.

Shops were shuttered and streets quiet in and around the capital Banjul with tour operators evacuating hundreds of tourists from the tiny country's popular beach resorts.

The army chief however has insisted his soldiers would not get involved in a "political dispute" nor prevent foreign forces from entering the west African nation.

Barrow, a real-estate agent turned politician who won a presidential vote on December 1, flew to Senegal on January 15 after weeks of rising tension over Jammeh's steady refusal to step down.

The Gambia

At the helm of the former British colony for 22 years, Jammeh's mandate expired at midnight (0000 GMT) with no sign of him stepping down.

He has attempted instead to block Barrow's inauguration with a court ruling and by declaring a state of emergency.

Inauguration to go ahead

But Barrow's spokesman Halifa Sallah told AFP that the inauguration would go ahead. "It is going to take place at the Gambian embassy in Dakar ... at 4:00 pm (1600 GMT)," he said.

Jammeh initially acknowledged Barrow as the victor in December elections, but later rejected the result, this week declaring a national state of emergency.

Speaking to AFP by phone, senior coalition official Isatou Touray welcomed a declaration by army chief Ousman Badjie that his troops would not prevent Jammeh's removal by force.

"That's a very positive outlook from him, given that Jammeh's regime is done," Touray said.

"We don't have to risk the lives of innocent citizens."

In remarks at a hotel restaurant late Wednesday, Badjie said he loved his men and wouldn't risk their lives in a "stupid fight," eyewitnesses said.

- 'Really scary'

Arriving back at Manchester airport in northern England, several passengers could be seen comforting a Gambian national and UK resident who had tried unsuccessfully to get his family out.

Speaking to AFP, Ebrima Jajne described the situation as "really scary for everybody... because this president (Jammeh) doesn't want to step down and people are fleeing."

Tourist Ralph Newton said local residents had done what they could to reassure visitors, despite the threat to themselves.

Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh refuses to step down despite losing the December 1 presidential election to rival Adama Barrow

"All the locals were just worried ... They said it's a bad time for us but you'll be all right... It'll be us they come for, if they come for anybody."

And Sara Wilkins, another tourist, said they had struggled to get clear information on the developing situation.

"We weren't told anything... I kept phoning Thomas Cook and they just like ... don't worry about it," she told AFP.

"I rang Thomas Cook again this morning and they said pack your bags, you've got to go."

Despite the build-up along the border, an army source told AFP Senegalese troops were "not yet" present on Gambian soil.

Eyes on border

After 11th-hour talks in Banjul, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz flew on to Dakar where he met Barrow for talks at which Senegal's President Macky Sall was also present, the private RFM radio station reported.

It was not clear whether the Mauritanian leader had secured a deal or made an asylum offer to Jammeh.

The last-minute intervention came after several unsuccessful attempts at diplomacy by the 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS).

Gambia has been plunged into political turmoil since President Jammeh disputed his rival's victory in the December presidential poll

Mauritania is not part of ECOWAS and diplomats have previously reached out to the conservative desert nation in hopes of brokering a deal with Jammeh.

ECOWAS heads the regional force massing on Gambian-Senegalese border.

Speaking to AFP at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Amnesty International chief Salil Shetty hailed ECOWAS efforts to resolve the crisis.

"ECOWAS has stood up, and they don't always do that, he said.

"It's an important message to Jammeh, both from the people of The Gambia, the people of Africa, and from neighbouring states, that it's not business as usual anymore."
Africa is a priority for German government in 2017 as it holds G20 presidency

There is much consensus for building trade relations; Africa is worlds fastest growing region and German companies need to find new markets

Frankfurt, January 19, 2017 -- This year, Germany will host the first ever privately held event exclusively dedicated to strengthening trade and investment ties between Germany and the African continent. The Germany-Africa Business Forum, which will take place March 23, 2017 in Frankfurt, capitalizes on a wave of interest by the German government and companies to increase their engagement with African countries. Last October, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a 3-day visit to Mali, Niger and Ethiopia, vowing that Africa would be a major focal point of Germany's G20 presidency, which began in December 2016.

Even with annual trade with Africa of $60 billion, Germany has lagged behind other countries that have done more to seize trade opportunities. The Germany-Africa Business Forum will seek to familiarize German companies with the continent and diversify their investment base. Out of more than $10 billion in German investments on the continent each year, 90 percent is with just three countries  South Africa, Nigeria and Algeria.

There is a consensus that Africa remains ripe for German Mittelstand companies, which are already showing an interest in places where their skills and technology can bring value, said Charles Huber, MP and Member of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development, Republic of Germany, a keynote speaker at the forum.

Germanys need to expand to new markets coincides with increasingly healthy economic indicators in many African countries, including a growing middle class, more political stability and an appetite to develop manufacturing domestically. What Africa appreciates is in particular German work ethic, precision and reliability.

Germany shows a strong need to expand to new markets, with companies doing just 2 percent of their business in Africa, and the opportunity to strengthen German-African trade and investment connections has never been greater. Six of the worlds 10 fastest growing economies are in Africa and the continent is projected to be the worlds fastest growing region until 2040. The Germany-Africa Business Forum seeks to bridge the gap by facilitating dialogue, business dealings and dynamic commercial and political interchange.

There is already a strong foundation of trade relations between Nigeria and Germany and an even stronger rationale to expand upon them, said the Honourable Okechukwu E. Enelamah, Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment of Nigeria, who will be presenting at the event. Nigeria is Africas largest economy, one of its most stable democracies and boasts a business-friendly climate. And whether it is construction, manufacturing or technology, German companies carry a legacy of innovation and know-how that can deliver tremendous value for both sides."

Already confirmed as speakers for the Germany-Africa Business Forum include Charles Huber, MP and Member of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development, Republic of Germany; Okechukwu E. Enelamah, Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment of Nigeria; H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea; and Carole Kariuki, CEO of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance.

View the program, register and learn more at www.germanyafrica.com
19.01.2017 LISTEN

When I was young, growing up in Africa in a country where lighter skinned women are the epitome of beauty, I once asked a woman whom I looked up to why women with light skin were considered more beautiful than women with dark skin. Her answer was straightforward, Because men like women with lighter skin if you are dark, men wont find you attractive. I remember looking at this woman confused because that is when I learned that it was the black man who determined what was considered the beauty of a black woman. I grew up to witness this harsh reality, I saw dark-skinned women being called all sorts of hurtful names not by white men, but by black African men. I saw light skinned women being sought after and exalted as the most beautiful.

But the reality is, most black women have darker skin tones. The lighter black women are in the minority, meaning in the eyes of most black men, black women are not beautiful.

So I believe when it comes to black people hating their own skin, its now time to shift the blame game and leave white people out of this twisted sickness of the mind. If black people have woken up to how white people mistreated them, why cant they wake up to the fact that their very dark skin is beautiful too? If slavery was abolished, why can they not abolish hating their own brothers and sisters for having darker skin? I find black people to be the most self-hating and self-destructive people on this planet.

If I call my own child ugly, then she goes to school and gets bullied for the way she looks, why would I dare complain about my child being bullied? Is that not being a hypocrite? The name calling that comes from me as the mother is obviously more hurting and damaging to my child than the name calling she gets at school from strangers.

Why is it that its mostly black people who torment other black people for having more pigment in their skin? Why is it that in the black community people with lighter skin have more privileges than those with darker skin? Light skinned black women have grown to feel more beautiful and superior to darker skinned black women, causing them to mock women with darker skin.

Dark skinned black women bleach their skin because they are made to feel ugly not by the white man but by their own people.

Last week dark skinned model Porsche Thomas posted her pregnancy belly on social media and she was slated by most black people for having very dark skin. Black people simply found her rich melanin skin disgusting and not worth displaying on social media. Porsche Thomas was bold enough to address her black critics who had savaged her on social media for being too black.

While some of yall been in my comments criticising the blackness that is my belly, I (have) been over here enjoying life, growing tiny humans, performing miracles and hopefully getting even blacker, she wrote.

Porsche Thomas was criticised by black people for being too dark

I dont think theres a lot of self-love in the black community. Were so quick to say, black lives matter but were so quick to turn on each other. I just dont think theres a lot of support in the black community. I think the reaction to my photo is evident of that. Most of the negative comments I received were from black people, a lot of dark-skinned black people, a lot of young black people, which is crazy to me, Porsche Thomas said.

It wasnt white people who found her dark skin disgusting, it was black people who hated the way God created her, which she has no control over. In my own experience, I have found white people to admire very dark skinned black people, often complementing dark skin as being strikingly beautiful. I cant speak for all white people, but the few I have known in my life do find very dark skin beautiful.

When I watch black movies, I hardly see very dark-skinned women being portrayed as beautiful.

I can not help but blame black men for shunning dark skinned women, causing them to resort to bleaching their skin to feel accepted in the black community. Last week on a Facebook page of a Zimbabwean male socialite Mike Tashaya, a Ghanaian woman with dark skin was called disgusting and told that in Zimbabwe men do not go near a thing that had such black skin. After such hatred from Africans to an African woman with dark skin, can women who bleach their skin be blamed, when they are made to feel disgusting and insulted by their own fellow men, who are supposed to find them attractive. Not all women are strong enough to withstand such hate and stay true to who they are.

Former model Irene Major bleached her skin so she could feel prettier. Being lighter shows you belong to a different place on the social ladder. All the rich, successful black African men marry either a white or very light-skinned girls because they too grew up thinking lighter is the more pretty. It doesnt matter how dark a man is, of course  the pressure is all on women, Irene Major said.

Irene Major bleached because she feels successful black men prefer white women or very light skinned black women

American rapper Little Kim reports to have been insulted by her own father for being too dark, and that men often left her for lighter skinned women. She explained how her looks always haunted her as a child, and her own way of dealing with her insecurities was bleaching her skin so she would not look black anymore. Who can blame her when her own father who was supposed to make her feel like a princess found her dark skin ugly?

Little Kim does not want to look black anymore

Not all dark skinned black women are as bold and brave as Khoudia Diop who has stood firm against the cruel name calling and colourism and was able to become a successful dark skinned model full of self-love, grace and acceptance.

Not all dark skinned women like model Khoudia Diop are able to stand the hate from black people

So when I see black people complain and mourn that they are treated differently by white people because of the colour of their skin, I cant help but shudder at the hypocrisy. Charity begins at home, maybe for the world to stop looking down on the colour of our skin as we claim, we have to start the movement ourselves by loving our own dark skin.

I dream of that day where black people will stop blaming white people for their own self-hatred and begin to ask themselves why they hate their own skin.

I dream of that day when black men will stop hating and mocking women with dark skin. I dream of that day where black people will stop tormenting each other because of the amount of melanin in our skin.

I can no longer blame colonisation and slavery for black peoples self-hate. I refuse to believe that lie. The self-hate surely is something that comes from the black man himself, something within his own soul that causes him to loathe the beauty and richness of his own skin.

Article first appeared on www.jeangasho.com
Leading pineapple producer and exporter to the European Union, Golden Exotics Company has filed an interlocutory injunction against real estate company KAS Estate Limited from encroaching on its pineapple farms in Obom, near Amasaman in the Greater Accra region.

The Management of Golden Exotic Limited earlier told Citi Business News its farm had been destroyed by KAS Estates, an allegation that was denied by the Lawyer of KAS Estates, Charles Bentum.

But speaking to Citi Business News, the Corporate Affairs and Administrative Manager of Golden Exotic Limited, Mr. George Kporye was hopeful the court will settle the matter.

What we have done is to get a restraining order from the court to restrain them from interfering with our work, you know we are farmers, our workers go to the field to weed, plant, and remove planting materials and things like that. Because of the interference our workers cannot even go to the field to work, he said

Expressing optimism in the court to deliver justice, Mr. Kporye stated that the matter will fairly be settled by the court process.

KAS Estates denies allegations

Earlier, Management of KAS Estates Limited refuted the allegations that the company has encroached on farmlands of Golden Exotics Company.

Reacting to the story, lawyer for KAS Estates Charles Bentum, described the allegations as false, since management of Golden Exotics have no title the land.

lawyer for KAS Estates Charles Bentum

The allegations from Golden Exotics are baseless and they are false and they are calculated to court hatred, ridicule and contempt for KAS Estates as a business entity, indeed we like to state that KAS Estates is a reputable company that is contributing its quota to the development of this country in the housing sector, and is building so many affordable houses for members of the public to be able to have a place to lay their head.



By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
19.01.2017 LISTEN

Reliable information JOY BUSINESS has gathered from the Bank of Ghana is that a new GH5 Ghana note with new security features and design would be in circulation from March this year.

The note is being introduced as part of the Central Banks 60th anniversary, which falls on March 4, this year.

The GH5 cedi denomination will be a legal tender as well as a collector's item.

The note will have additional security features, that are sensitive to touch to aid the blind and visually challenged in identifying the new notes.

The climax of the celebration will take place in August this year, which would mark 60 years since the Bank opened its doors to the public.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council will vote Thursday on a draft resolution endorsing the West African bloc ECOWAS in its efforts to ensure a transfer of power in The Gambia, diplomats said.

The Economic Community Of West African States has repeatedly called on leader Yahya Jammeh to respect the result of the December 1 election and step down after 22 years in power.

Senegal presented the measure to the council on Wednesday, requesting UN approval for ECOWAS to take "all necessary measures" to force Jammeh to cede power to President-elect Adama Barrow.

That language however was dropped from the draft resolution during negotiations late Wednesday, weakening the measure.

The latest text, seen by AFP, calls on the council to give "its full support to the ECOWAS in its commitment to ensure the respect of the will of the people."

It requests that "Jammeh carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process, and to transfer power to President-elect Barrow by January 19."

The draft resolution requests that "all stakeholders, within and outside The Gambia, to exercise restraint, respect the rule of law and ensure the peaceful transfer of power."

Nigeria and Ghana were sending troops and airpower to Senegal to join a Dakar-led regional force that could stage a military intervention in The Gambia.

Barrow was set to be sworn in as Gambia's president during a ceremony at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, his spokesman said.

The vote is expected to take place at 1:00 pm (1800 GMT).
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has observed that Gambia's president-elect Adama Barrow will struggle to govern, if embattled President Yahya Jammeh is forcefully ejected by military assembled by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

According to the foundation, a lot of lives might also be lost.

Mr. Jammeh, whose mandate per the Gambia's constitution should have ended at midnight on Wednesday, had that mandate extended by Parliament by 90 days.

Meanwhile, following failed efforts by ECOWAS to have Mr. Jammeh to step down after losing the elections organized in December 2016, the sub-regional bloc has sent troops to Gambia to ensure the restoration of rule of law.

But speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, the Executive Director of MFWA, Sulemana Braimah, explained that lives might be lost through military intervention.

I will say that at this stage it may not be the appropriate thing to do to intervene militarily to remove JammehThe Gambia has a military force of about 2,500 peoplebeyond that I don't think in terms of fire power they are that strong, so they can easily be defeated but that wouldn't mean that they wouldn't resist. Resisting would mean that some innocent lives will be lost, infrastructure will be destroyed and even if Adama Barrow were to be put in as president he is going to face a very difficult situation, he added.

Mr. Sulemana also explained that the Gambia which has a population of about 1.9 million rally along ethnic lines even in politics.

According to him due to such attitude the ethnic group where Jammeh belongs to might revolt against the new president if there is any military intervention.

The Gambia is a small country of about 1.9 million people, they are very well bonded around ethnic groupsand these ethnicity and bonding around ethnic lines are quite strong. And politics in the Gambia over the years has also been around ethnic lines. If you follow development from the international and regional media there were so many people who were still demonstrating on the streets and social media against what ECOWAS was trying to doand I think that if Jammeh were to be forcefully removed, the population will be divided and Adama Barrow will not have a very difficult situation, he noted.

Gambia: Barrow to be inaugurated in Senegal

Adama Barrow too to twitter to announce that his inauguration will be held at the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal.

I would like to inform you that the Inauguration Ceremony is going to take place at the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, he announced.

I would like to inform you that the Inauguration Ceremony is going to take place at the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. #Gambia pic.twitter.com/ofxlIpJChl

 Adama Barrow (@adama_barrow) January 19, 2017



By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
The timely intervention of personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) prevented another gas explosion 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 (GNA) at the scene of the accident, said his outfit received a distress call at 0520 hours that a Burkina Faso bound gas 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 drivers mate to tighten them to block any further leakage, which he said could have caused another big gas explosion 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 companys 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 45 metres.

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 combined team had to study the situation before using a crane to lift the gas tanker and then dismantle 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 ensure normalcy.

He urged drivers to drive with caution, avoid over speeding and wrong overtaking.

GNA
Washington (AFP) - Several dozen Islamic State fighters were killed when US B-2 stealth bombers and drones struck two of the jihadists' camps southwest of their former Libya bastion of Sirte, a US defense official said Thursday.

The fighters "were seen immediately beforehand carrying weapons, wearing tactical vests, carrying mortars and standing in formation," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The camps were about 45 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Sirte.

The strike comes one month after the United States officially wrapped up military operations in and around Sirte, where it had conducted nearly 500 strikes to help the GNA expel jihadists from the coastal city.

The Pentagon at the time left open the possibility of conducting additional anti-IS attacks if the Libyan unity government asked for help in doing so.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said those targeted included IS fighters who had previously fled Sirte.

"They posed a security threat to Libya, the region and US national interests," Cook said in a statement, noting that the strikes appeared to have been "successful."

The Wednesday evening strike was conducted with the "cooperation" of the Government of National Accord, the defense official added, noting that the move had been authorized by outgoing President Barack Obama.

B-2 stealth bombers, which have a distinctive flying-wing design, conducted the strike with the help of attack drones.

The fall of Sirte -- former leader Moamer Kadhafi's hometown located 450 kilometers east of Tripoli -- was a major setback for IS, which has also faced military defeats in Syria and Iraq.

Libya descended into chaos following the NATO-backed ousting of longtime dictator Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations emerging and well-armed militias vying for control of its vast oil wealth.

"These strikes will degrade (IS's) ability to stage attacks against Libyan forces and civilians working to stabilize Sirte, and demonstrate our resolve in countering the threat posed by (IS) to Libya, the United States and our allies," Cook said.
Government says the 205 soldiers deployed for the ECOWAS military operations in the Gambia, have also been tasked to evacuate Ghanaians if the situation gets out of hand.

President Nana Akufo-Addo on Wednesday approved the deployment of the troops to join the ECOWAS standby force, ready to oust Yahya Jammeh if the need arises.

Mr. Jammeh has refused to step down despite losing an election and conceding defeat earlier.

Speaking to Citi News' Franklin Badu Jnr, Ghana's Minister-nominee for Defense, Dominic Nitiwul, said the combat operations involve the protection of the over 50,000 Ghanaians in the Gambia.

All those things have been put in the operations of the Ghana Armed Forces as they are there; the combat operations, the mission operations and tactical operations have all been taken into consideration. The average number of Ghanaians there is around 50,000 and all have been taken into consideration, he noted.

Background

Mr. Jammeh had said there were irregularities in the election held on December 1 2016, and that some of his supporters were turned away from polling stations.

He also complained about some errors made by the Electoral Commission.

The Commission accepted that, some of the results it initially published contained errors, but said Mr. Barrow had still won. Mr Jammeh has said he will stay in office until new elections are held.

Several efforts by ECOWAS and the AU to have Mr. Jammeh step down have proved futile.

Barrow to be inaugurated in Senegal

Meanwhile, President-elect, Adama Barrow, has announced that his inauguration will take place at the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal.

I would like to inform you that the Inauguration Ceremony is going to take place at the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, he announced on Twitter.



By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
Nana, you very successfully fulfilled your historic role of destiny.

You will remain much beloved in your Kingdom, Asante, and

by many beyond who were fortunate to come close to you.

His Excellency J. A. Kufuor

Former President of Ghana

I shall remain true to your advice; and

I shall forever remember and live by your words of wisdom.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Asantehene

At a very ripe age of 111 years, Nana was, indeed,

a great lady who nurtured an amiable King.

Kabaka of Buganda

MARY AFFUL (a corrupted form of Afodoo, her father's name) is in the records at the St. Cyprian's Anglican Church Kumasi. That was in 1927, 22 years after she had been born in 1905. That was how the British corrupted many of the local names, so that Fom-asua; my mother's home village, would be 'Fumesua' from where the late Queen (she was not the mother of a queen) of Asante derived her name 'Kobi' (after the shrine of 'Kobiri') in the village.

'Mary' must have been well chosen; the name of my mother, was in reference to 'beloved lady' and that of the mother of Jesus.

Nana Afia Kobi was born at a time of historical upheaval in Asante, nine years after the exile of King Agyeman Prempeh I to Seychelles Islands (from Elmina to Freetown).

Smooth, dark-complexioned Afia Kobi grew beautifully and strong, and received good education on courtesy, hygiene and culture in the courts of Asantehene. In a typical traditional setting, she performed the puberty rites when she reached the age of puberty.

In 1950, Nana Afia Kobi gave birth to an agile and dexterous boy, called Kwaku Duah, the future King of Asante.

When the late Queen of Asante, Nana Amma Seewaa Nyarko II died in 1977, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II had the obvious choice of Nana Afia Kobi to be the Asantehemaa. She became Nana Afia Kobi Seewaa Ampem II, the thirteenth Asantehemaa.

Words cannot sufficiently describe the sterling qualities of the late Asantehemaa: she was, according to her son Asantehene, a killer of hunger, a savior; the slender arm full of kindness, the ruler whose strings were on all hearts. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II eulogises his mother; You made me proud by the example you set, and you gave me confidence by your very presence. It gave me immense pleasure to observe the very easy relationship that you struck with all people, including the famous and well known and the insignificant and obscure. But as the biological mother of the great King, she taught him to show respect to everyone, regardless of their status in life. And when adjudicating complicated cases, Otumfuo would go and literally 'consult Aberewa' his mother who had suckled him and lulled him to swoon with serenade and lullabies when he was a baby.

Like Biblical King Solomon, whose mother Bathsheba had a hand in his upbringing, our Asantehene had his footsteps guided by his mother and his uncle, Oheneba Mensa Bonsu, Hiahene. Both did not want Otumfuo to get swollen  headed, so they sent him to Sefwi Wiawso for schooling  not only to be schooled on humility but also for him to have a fore-taste of the dignity of labour. Asantehene was not pampered; he was not doted upon-he passed through life as a common man.

Asantehene learnt the traditional way of doing things under the tutelage of the late Nana Kwadwo Aduhene, the Omanhene of Sefwi. All this while, his mother, the Asantehemaa, never blinked an eye over his upbringing  not even when he went to do his 'A Levels' at the Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School, then the Institute of Professional Studies, Legon and then the professional accountancy course in Kilburn Polytechnic London.

Otumfuo would recall: I became convinced that the training, the upbringing and the tutelage I had after being removed from the comfort of royalty at Manhyia Palace to Ash-Town, all the way to Sefwi Wiawso were all decisions that were taken in my interest.

When age began to have a telling effect on the Asantehemaa, Otumfuo would personally push her around in a wheelchair and he recalls  I remember you cautioning me that we should be very careful not to let any of the chiefs see us lest you would be reprimanded for letting the Asantehene push your wheelchair, and me responding that I was doing that for my mother as a son; you laughed about it. Surely, the caution was because of how you cherished and respected the position of Asantehene.

This is a lesson which every man and woman should imbibe. Let no one curse his or her mother; let no one accuse his or her mother as a witch.

Immense have been the accolades showered on the Asantehemaa; noble has been the extollation of her humility, honesty, sincerity and forthrightness. Nana Asantehemaa deserves all the eulogies poured on her. She has given Asanteman and Ghana peace, and has also given us the best gift of all  the gem in Otumfuo's personality.

Oheneba Aduse Poku, Akyempimhene extols the virtues of Asantehemaa: Nana Hemaa thanks to you. I have a name to uphold, people to meet and opportunities to serve; thanks to you, I have a standard to exceed, records to beat and values to preserve. My closeness to you was so beneficial; a lot of virtues were picked from you, virtue of selflessness, dedication of service to the Golden Stool; sharing among relatives, virtue of reconciliation and living in peace with everyone.

The wake was solemnly celebrated last Sunday and since Monday, people from all walks of life far and near have trooped to Manhyia Palace to catch a glimpse of the body of the beloved Asantehemaa. These include His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, the President of Ghana who is also an Oyoko. President John Agyekum Kufour from Apagya Fie has been present all along, and the Adumhene has been sitting close to the body, protecting her while she lay there just as he did while she was alive.

Today, Thursday, is the day for the requiem mass, and the day for burial. One may remember that Thursdays used to be the traditional Asante days for 'mourning', until the late Kutu Acheampong made Saturday a day of rest, and the funerals were conveniently shifted.

Let the drums beat, let the bells toll, let the moon glitter and let the sun glow. Otumfuo says: May you have the peaceful repose that you have earned. I thank you for your many good works, for your shining example and for your words of wisdom to me and many others. Nana Hemaa, Nante Yie.

All of us say: Nana Hemaa, you deserve it; you have earned it; we are proud to be Asante.

Africanus Owusu-Ansah

[email protected]
Ghanaian alternative rock band, Dark Suburb, is set to launch its debut album titled 'The Start Looks Like The End' together with a concert on February 17, 2017 at Alliance Francaise, Accra.

The album features the likes of Edem, Wiyaala, E.L and Black Snake Mona from the United States. A couple of singles which have been released off the album has received a huge applaud from fans and stakeholders.

Prior to the release of the album, the band made a courtesy visit to the residence of the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, to deliver the first copy of their yet-to-be released debut album. Mr Benjamin took to his official Twitter page to express his profound gratitude for being the first to receive a copy of the album.

The band since bursting onto the music scenes in Ghana has received nominations for several awards. Notable among them are the VGMAs, 4syte MVAs and AFRIMMA Awards.

The band has had the opportunity to share platforms with top local and international artistes such as Diamond Platnumz from Tanzania at the just-ended AFRIMMA 2016 held in Nigeria.
sms, Matthew Pobee, 02.01.2017, 13:24

When you want to sell African Print and Fashion in London, do not cooperate with a Black Man. Find a White Man as only they cherish and understand the value of our traditions. Whites also give you the correct price for your goods and make the business a success for all involved in the supply chain to make it sustainable for years to come.

sms, Detlef Schumer, 03.01.2017, 16:09

I have just seen a Black Family on the Underground Train from Hamburg-Muemmelsmanns Berg, Father, Mother and two kids. All had their Bible in their hands and were dressed in beautiful, beautiful African dresses. Our Ladies cannot compare to such beautiful people. The mother was looking so great, only that she does not understand, we Whites prefer a Black Women to have short, short curly natural hair and hate wool and used hair on a womans head regardless what they think and argue that their hair is difficult. I do not care about their imaginary problems, I want to see a woman as she is, naturally, only complimenting herself with some supporting beauty things; not like a walking around Xmas tree. Simple!

sms, Ulrike-Maria Lohmann, 03.01.2017, 14:03

I have observed that when Arabs come into the world of ours in Europe, they always dress in their traditional clothes while the Blacks imitate our Western Style. Someone that wants to move on in life needs to be faithful, honest and truthful to himself.

sms, Derek Berlin, 04.01.2017, 20:32

History is very, very funny. It was an Officer from the British Army, Lawrence of Arabia, which united the fighting tribes in the Arab world after which they discovered their Oil riches to become an important force in this world, even respected by the former Colonial Masters and new Superpowers. So, a White Man, a Foreigner and on top of it a British, united the Arabsisnt that crazy? Unlike the Blacks, the Arabs, they are rich for Generations to come. Why? It is in their mentality to think for Generations to come. When you live in the desert in tents moving from Oasis to Oasis, you depend on Water and the support of other people. Caring for Camels and growing Figs and Dates, saving water in such a harsh environment, takes teachings from Generation to Generation. Like Blacks for centuries, Arabs did not invent anything special Humankind enjoys until today. And even today Invention is not their strength. But they embraced financial wisdom from well-wishers in the world of the White Man understanding that money speaks everywhere and when progress if not generated from inside, can be bought from outside for the benefit of all inside the Nations. By establishing OPEC in Vienna, only including some non-Arab countries like Nigeria and Venezuela, their business instinct and wisdom, eyes for long future to come once the Oil Boom is over, they made in 1974 the streets of Europe empty over weekends due to artificial Oil Shortages to blackmail the White Man and demonstrate new confidence/Dominion over them. Christians should have this Dominion/Ruler Mentality more than anybody else.

sms, Detlef Schumer, 06.01.2017, 19:09

Cocoa Beans can only be grown in a few countries on earth and their names are always the same. Oil and Petrol from Fossil Fuel can be subsidized by Electricity or Oil from Plants and fried food, while Cocoa Beans cannot. Very few countries of West Africa produce together more than 80% of the world production of Cocoa Beans that finds consumption increase each year of 6-8% regardless of the world economy. People will always eat and enjoy Chocolate, they have done so for thousands of years in the past, so they will in the future. Why is it not possible for African countries to unite and form a Cocoa Producing Organization  CPO  to dictate the right price to the world and bring this business under their own control instead of letting the White Man play with them as they please? I do not understand that non-sense! For the past few years the White Men try to cool down their exploiting mind by producing Fair Trade chocolate to give the White Consumer a better feeling when enjoying the beauty of chocolatepeople are not normal.

sms, Derek Berlin, 07.01.2017, 08:02

Humans are all imperfect. When you allow someone to corrupt your mind, of course, he will do it as we have a dominion mentality as the Bible in Genesis is demanding from us to have. Only education and civilization as its peak form limits our dominion mentality. In any case, wherever a door is open, we enter and take our chances. Arabs were never in the middle of witches and wizards and being attacked by their wicked intentions. Interesting enough Christianity is older than Muslim believe and the Quran, yet still more united and stronger.

sms, Ulrike-Maria Lohmann, 07.01.2016, 20:57

We should not forget that uniting tribes is easier than Nations as Tribes are based on Traditions, while Nations are based on Systems founded on traditions. Systems are stronger than inherited traditions that evolve over time and change their faces; they have a life of their own and strong weapons to protect themselves. But in the end we should never forget Systems are ideas of humans and foundations of their mind in which case Systems can be altered. Most times Outsiders are needed to work as a mirror and helper to initiate a transformation process and guide a Nation/System up unto its new level. Nobody needs to feel ashamed of it in light of History but must be seen as wise Nations to do the right thing at the appropriate time in their development. All other Nations must be seen as foolish Nations.

Author: Dipl.-Pol. Karl-Heinz Heerde, Lashibi, Tema West, Ghana, phone +233(0)265078287, [email protected] , 15.01.2017
It has increasingly been clear that the looming danger in Gambia presently has the propensity of igniting political violence.

The incumbent government led by his Excellency Yahya Jammeh, the man who has been a president in Gambia for 22 years has refused to hand over power to Adama Barrow, the president elect who should have been sworn in by now.

Adama Barrow was declared winner in the December 1 elections in Gambia. He is to take over the mantle from Yahya Jammeh to champion the bandwagon of development in the country.

Yahya Jammeh, the incumbent who lost power to Adama earlier on conceded defeat in the just ended elections. when he called Liberia president Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Shelif, he made a "U" turn to challenge the election results in the Supreme court. He alleges that there were some irregularities in the December 1 elections and that has informed his sudden change of mind to challenge the election results in court.

Information gathered is that all frantic efforts made by the African Unions to cajole Yahya Jammeh, to step down has proved futile and went ahead to declare a state of emergency for 90 days.

Meanwhile, ECOWAS, AU among other unions have decided to help Adama Barrow, the president elect to swear in on 19th January, 2017 with heavy security present. This is enough evidence that Yahya Jammeh has an implicit evil intention of planking the country into civil war, a canker which African countries are not oblivious of.

There is no denying the fact that countries such as Nigeria among others that have their citizens residing in Gambia are making vigorous efforts to have their people evacuated from Gambia.

However, this is different in Ghana. His Excellency Nana Addo, the president of Ghana, has remained silent regarding to the evacuation of his citizens from Gambia, a country which current state is volatile.

I am dumbfounded and disappointed in president Nana Addo, the man who has been in politics for long and is not naive about the debilitating effect, that await his citizens residing in Gambia. President Nana Addo who was an Attorney General should have known better when things of this sort are happening. Or is it that Nana Addo doesn't know that there are citizens of Ghana living in Gambia? I don't want to say that he is being indifferent about his people in that country because during the 2016 campaign, he had people who campaigned and voted for him in that country.

Of course I am not advocating for war in Gambia and I will forever remain a peace loving person. But it interests me to find out whether president Nana Addo wants our people to be killed before he begins to make arrangements for the evacuation of their corpses. The signs have conspicuously been manifested yet nothing has been said by president Nana regarding to arrangements being put in place to evacuate our brothers and sisters to safe their lives.

Is this a sign of incapable or indifferent government? Information has made it clear to us that Yahya Jammeh has the support of majority of the security personnel and that alone speaks a lot to even a fool. Yahya Jammeh's decision to remain unrepentant and unrelenting to handing over power is sufficient enough to draw president Nana Addo's attention that the man is brooding something evil against his opponent. This attitude of Jammeh has the propensity of destabilizing the country.

In conclusion, it is a clarion call on president Nana Addo to act swiftly to safe Ghanaians who are based in Gambia, from any possible danger.

Shall return soon.......

Derbie Raphael

(Youth Activist)

[email protected]

0240371356
The Government of Botswana has officially cut ties with Yahya Jammeh, as it says it ceases to recognize him as President of The Gambia.

A statement issued on Thursday, January 19, said the decision takes effect immediately.

Botswana becomes the first country to officially denounce Mr. Jammeh as President of the Gambia.

The statement issued by the government said its decision was because Yahya Jammeh has refused to hand over power in obedience of the will of the Gambian people, who democratically voted real estate mogul, Adama Barrow, as their new President.

Following Mr. Yahya Jammeh's refusal to hand over power to the President-elect Adama Barrow, in accordance with the expressed will of the Gambian people, the Government of Botswana announces that it will no longer recognize Mr. Jammeh as the President of Gambia, together with his Government, the statement said.

It added that, Jammeh's posture undermined the ongoing efforts to promote democracy in Africa.

It further called on the international community to exert pressure on Mr. Jammeh to relinquish power and ensure a smooth transition to the new government.

Read the full statement below:

RE: THE GAMBIA  BOTSWANA NO LONGER RECOGNISES MR. JAMMEH

PRESS RELEASE Gaborone, 19th January 2017: Following Mr. Yahya Jammeh's refusal to hand over power to the President-elect Adama Barrow, in accordance with the expressed will of the Gambian people, the Government of Botswana announces that it will no longer recognise Mr. Jammeh as the President of Gambia, together with his Government. This decision which takes effect immediately is consistent with Botswana's position as articulated through the Press Release of 16th December 2016.

Mr. Jammeh's decision not to respect the will of the Gambian people undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance in The Gambia and Africa as a whole. This is also in direct contravention of the spirit and aspirations of the African Union Constitutive Act.

The Government of Botswana therefore continues to appeal to the international community to do all within its power to exert pressure on Mr. Jammeh to hand over power in order to ensure a smooth transition.

Jammeh tenure expires

Jammeh's tenure which expired at midnight on Wednesday, was earlier extended by 90 days by Gambia's Parliament.

A state of emergency has also been declared in the country.

Barrow stays in Senegal

President-elect Adama Barrow has been living in Senegal for the past few days, following a request by West African leaders after a summit in Mali.

Several talks between Jammeh, ECOWAS and AU leaders in a bid to have him step down have failed.

ECOWAS troops head to Gambia

ECOWAS troops from Nigeria, Ghana, and neighboring countries, have however been deployed troops to The Gambia, to ensure that the rule of law prevails in that country.

Ghana and Nigeria have so far deployed 205 and 200 military personnel respectively.

Why is Mr. Jammeh refusing to leave office?

The Gambia regularly held elections, which he won until last year. Mr Jammeh had said there were irregularities in the election process, including the turning away of some of his supporters from polling stations, and errors made by the Electoral Commission.

The Commission accepted that some of the results it initially published contained errors, but said Mr. Barrow had still won. Mr Jammeh has said he will stay in office until new elections are held.

Retaining power would have ensured he was not prosecuted in The Gambia for alleged abuses committed during his rule. The US state department urged Mr. Jammeh to peacefully transfer power to Mr Barrow on Thursday.

Doing so would allow him to leave office with his head held high and to protect The Gambian people from potential chaos, spokesman John Kirby said.



By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @jnyabor
19.01.2017 LISTEN

It is always heart bleeding to hear of the land you love, the land you belong, the land of your grandfather and the land where your generations begin and end, being mentioned everywhere not for anything positive but conflicts, war, poverty, epidemics, famine and many more. I wonder why a land with abundant resources still remains a breeding ground for such cankers. Is Africa under a curse?

I absolutely disagree that we leave under any curse. No, not even the curse of the white man who was forced out of our land and resources they came to plunder. If there is any curse, it is probably the curse from our own attitude. We are simply the engineers of our woes. Today I write in tears to admonish all African leaders to think beyond political power, fame and wealth. The insatiable quest for power and fame are only vanity that shall end in the grave one day.

There is no gainsaying that the attitude of African leaders is a mockery to us elsewhere in the world yet they parade themselves around as good leaders and branding all sorts of accolades for themselves. Pardon me if am too harsh with my piece but let the truth be told that the difference between some Africans and some animals are quite insignificant. To be greedy, power conscious and power drunk should not take away your natural conscience unless we have substandard intelligence as a people.

The hypocrisy is conspicuous in our claims that we largely believe in democracy. The wisdom of the continent in copying democracy from the West was to ensure fairness, equity, justice and respect for fundamental human rights through constitutional law. No individual, irrespective of their status, origin, religion and sex is above the law. Nobody forced democracy on us. We saw sense in it and learnt it and if it does not meet our aspirations, we make amendments but not to establish to ourselves what I call conditional laws. This means we consider it law only when it is in our favor or when we can manipulate it to suit our whims and caprices. Can this be constitutionalism?

Lets reflect our post-colonial history as a continent. After we have fought and defeated the white mans rule. Indeed, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of blessed memory and his colleagues told the word that the black man is capable of managing his own affairs. We have recorded almost uncountable number of military takeovers and political instabilities in this continent where innocent souls were loss. Isnt this enough a lesson? We keep on pointing fingers at the WEST as the cause of our political instabilities and conflicts but I vehemently disagree. It is our own hypocrisy, insatiable quest for power and fame. Dont blame anybody.

A careful look at the events that are causing atrocities and agonies to our people, one should reflect on the western democratic principles and whether they fit well into our cultures. I am saying this because many countries in Africa have experienced constitutional upheaval being precipitated by political instability. Look at what happened in Libya, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Sudan and many others in recent times. Look growing rate of military insurgency yet we fertilize the grounds for such to be repeated? The case of Gambia is just an example. I cant fathom why only one individual who have ruled his country for about twenty one years and still cannot forfeit his unrepentant quest for power and fame.

The elections were conducted by an electoral mandated body and declared you opponent the president elect. If you have any issues, why dont you first handover power and pursue your case to a logical conclusion? I thought Yahya Jemmeh was in power for the welfare of the people so why cant he consider the welfare of his people and Africa now? I will blame Yahya Jemmeh should there be any war in Gambia.

Unfortunately ECOWAS and AU in my view are very poor in conflict resolutions because in my view, they lack the courage and the will to intervene when coercion is required. When UN come in too, we then sit aloof and blame the WEST for their influence in our continental affairs. That is extreme absurdity. My elementary history informs me that civilization started in Africa but I dont feel proud saying it.

It does appear that we enjoy when we see people being killed, punished and brutalized just for some few to enjoy political power. The greedy power seekers, who do not respect the sovereign will of the people, indirectly eat our flesh and drink our blood. Let me tell them if they dont know. I call that political cannibalism.

According to Fischer (1954) as cited in the book titled the power of nonviolent resistance by Michael J Nojeim he who is ever brooding over results often loses nerve in performance of duty. He becomes impatient and then gives vent to doing unworthy things: he jumps from action to action, never remaining faithful to any. He who broods over results is like a man given to the objects of senses: he is ever distracted, he says goodbye to all scruples A word to the wise, they say is enough. African leaders must solve this situation for once. The mere rhetoric is not enough a lasting remedy. Tell the world that you are not toothless dogs my dear ECOWAS and AU.

There is a common saying that when persuasion fails, force must apply.

Shall return

Source: [email protected]

Include blank link: www.gh2online.com
Maiduguri (Nigeria) (AFP) - Nigeria on Thursday gave details of a formal probe into a botched air strike that killed at least 70 people, as aid workers feared the bloodshed could affect vital humanitarian programmes.

More than 100 people, many of them children, were injured in the bombing at a camp for people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in Rann, in the country's northeast, on Tuesday.

Six local Red Cross workers who were distributing food to between 20,000 and 40,000 people living in makeshift shelters at the camp were among the dead.

The Nigerian Air Force said a board of inquiry comprising six senior officers would investigate the bombing, and had initially been presented with a list of 20 witnesses.

"Among its terms of reference, the board is to determine the immediate and remote causes as well as the circumstances that led to the incident," it said in a statement.

The board will submit its report no later than February 2, it added.

Military commanders have already called the bombing a mistake, blaming it on "the fog of war".

Survivors look at the aftermath of the bombing by the Nigerian air force of a camp for displaced people in Rann, northeast Nigeria, on January 17, 2017

They said the intended target was jihadists reportedly spotted in the Kala-Balge area, of which Rann is part.

The Nation newspaper, sympathetic to President Muhammadu Buhari, attributed the bombing to a "failure of intelligence" caused by information provided by a "foreign country", without elaborating.

Boko Haram, which wants to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria, has laid waste to the area since taking up arms against the government in 2009.

At least 20,000 have been killed and more than 2.6 million made homeless.

On December 24, Nigeria said it had flushed Boko Haram fighters from their stronghold in the Sambisa Forest of Borno state and that the group was in disarray. But attacks on troops and civilians continue.

Two bombs

Alfred Davies, a field coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), and one of the injured victims who spoke to AFP, said the air force dropped at least two bombs.

In an account made public by the medical charity, Davies said the first landed just metres (yards) away from the Red Cross office.

"The plane circled back and it dropped a second bomb five minutes later," he said, adding that they were "dropped on houses".

Bodies covered with blankets are pictured on January 17, 2017 after a Nigerian air force jet accidentally bombed a camp for displaced people Rann, in northeast Nigeria

He added: "There are no words to describe the chaos. Some people had broken bones and torn flesh; their intestines hanging down to the floor. I saw the bodies of children that had been cut in two."

MSF arrived in Rann last weekend to vaccinate children and screen for malnutrition, which has gripped the region and left hundreds of thousands of people in dire need of help.

The town, near the shores of Lake Chad and the border with Cameroon, was previously inaccessible because of insecurity, and people were dying of hunger, Davies said.

"The army that was meant to protect them bombed them instead," he said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said 61 injured people were airlifted to its specialist trauma unit in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.

Of those, 28 were children, seven were women and 26 were men, it added.

'Huge setback'

International aid agencies have condemned the bombing of civilians, who are facing extreme food shortages because of the conflict, as well as having lost their livelihoods and families.

One aid worker, who asked not to be identified, described the incident as "horrifying" and "a huge setback to humanitarian work in the northeast".

"It has instilled fear and uncertainty in the humanitarian organisations," the aid worker told AFP.

"The bombing has made the security situation in northern Borno murkier, and international aid agencies who carry out most of the humanitarian interventions more cautious in venturing into remote areas where their interventions are needed most."

That could lead aid agencies to restrict their work to more secure locations, which would leave "a large number" of the displaced without any assistance.

"Aid agencies work in a complementary way in which each focuses on specific humanitarian roles for effective humanitarian services to the displaced," the aid worker said.

"When one or more aid agencies pulls out of a location, humanitarian work suffers because some components will be missing."
Accra, Jan 19, GNA - The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) and the Casablanca Stock Exchange are to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a move to deepen the relationship between the two institutions.

The MoU, which will also involve the Securities and Exchange Commissions of both countries, would ensure the sharing of information and communication between the Casablanca Stock Exchange and the GSE.

It will also help in the exchange of expertise and enhance collaboration between operators and regulators of the two bourses.

Mr Kofi Yamoah, the Managing Director of GSE, announced this when a delegation of General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises paid a visit to the Exchange in Accra on Wednesday.

The delegation made up of business men drawn from key sectors of the Moroccan economy, including agriculture and industry, were in Ghana to explore business opportunities.

Mr Yamoah said the MoU would enable the two institutions to undertake study tours and update each other of developments in the industry.

"We are very excited about this visit as it would go a long way in deepening the bond between the two institutions," he said.

The two institutions are members of the African Securities Exchanges Association and the West Africa Capital market.

Mrs. Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun, President of the General Confederation of Enterprises, Morocco, said a solid and robust stock exchange was the backbone of economy hence the visit to the GSE to have first- hand information on its operations.

She said the delegation was made of big and small companies some of whom already have operations in Ghana and while others prospecting for opportunities to invest in the country.

Mr. Karim Hajji, Director General, Casablanca Stock Exchange, said his outfit was looking forward to deepening of the relationship between the two institutions.

GNA
By Gideon Ahenkorah, GNA

Accra, Jan. 18, GNA - Cobblers, popularly called 'shoemakers' in Accra, have blamed the near collapse of their business on the increase in the sale of cheap foot wear, commonly known as 'low-cost'.

They said the low prices of footwear had discouraged their patrons from repairing faulty ones.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Wednesday found out in a survey that the shoe repair business was increasingly becoming unattractive.

Sampson Akoto Asare, popularly known as 'expert shoemaker', a footwear repairer at the Tema Station in Accra, said his business had 'slimed down' drastically due to the influx of assorted cheap foot wear, describing the rival business as 'an enemy to our job'.

He said he used to make at least a GHa100.00 a day some years ago, but now he could only make GHa30.00 a day, which he explained, was outrageously meagre to live on.

Mr Akoto Asare, who is the bread winner of a family of six, therefore, called on foot wear dealers to increase the prices of their wares to deter buyers from always buying new foot wear instead of repairing faulty ones.

'Now the business is sinking, we shall all stop and find other businesses,' he said.

At Dansoman, Philip Gyima said he was thinking of adding a new business to the shoe repairing one, which complained, was becoming a no income venture.

'For the past three days, I have not made even GHa40.00,' he said. 'Everyone wants to buy new shoes instead of repairing the faulty ones.'

For Kwasi Appiah, the shoe repairing business at Mallam Market was nothing to write home about.

He said the venture was 'seeing death in its face' as many people hardly repaired their faulty foot wear.

'Even market women now buy new slippers instead of fixing new ones,' he said. 'I think we all have to sell foot wears instead of repairing them.'

But for Stephen Kwame Addae, going mobile, he said, was the solution to sustain his livelihood.

The 19- year old, who now treks Lapaz, to find business, said he was making significant gains.

'Of late many people feel lazy to bring their foot wear for repairs,' he observed. 'They expect us to come to their locations to render the service.'

He, therefore, advised cobblers to move from their abodes and chase businesses around, saying, 'We can convince people to repair their faulty shoes or slippers instead of buying new ones'.

Meanwhile, the GNA also gathered that dealers who are into the sales of 'low cost foot wears' were enjoying a boom in business making the venture very attractive.

The interviews revealed that the cost of repairing faulty footwear ranged from GHa1.00 to GHa20.00 depending on the nature of the damage.

On the other hand, the price of the low cost footwear, being complained about ranges from GHa3.00 to GHa50.00 depending on the quality of material used and the demand.

GNA
Tema, Jan. 19, GNA --- Six hundred and nine (609) girls aged between 10 and 19 years reported pregnant at various health facilities in the Tema Metropolis between January and October, 2016.

Out of the total, 21 tested HIV positive when they underwent the compulsory mother-to-child prevention test.

Dr John Yabani, Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency on Monday on the sidelines of the Student Representative Council (SRC) week celebration of Our Lady of Mercy Senior High School (OLAMS).

Dr Yabani indicated that there was a decrease in the number as compared to the 641 recorded in 2015, adding however that the figure could be more as those who did not attend antenatal were not captured by the Directorate.

Two-hundred and sixty-three, 264 and 83 from the teenage pregnancies were recorded in Tema Central, Tema East and Tema West sub-metros respectively.

He stated that 577 out of the number delivered successfully at health facilities in the Metropolis.

The Directorate, he said, also recorded a total of 63 unsafe abortions among girls aged between 10 and 19 during the period.

According to him, the 63 represented those who attempted aborting their pregnancies which resulted in complications and subsequently reported to the hospital adding that an unknown number of them succeeded in aborting their babies at the blindside of health officials.

He said the four adolescent corners operating at the Tema General Hospital, Tema Polyclinic, Manhean Clinic, and TMA clinic were able to put 1,183 adolescents on family planning.

Dr Yabani indicated that his outfit was considering opening more corners in public and private health facilities, in addition to community visits to bring responsible sexual health education to adolescents as the figures were worrying.

He stated that adolescents must be encouraged to delay the onset of engaging in sexual activities and instead focus on their vision for the future.

Those who could not delay the onset, he noted, must be given the option to practice safe sex to prevent unwanted pregnancy and contraction of sexually transmitted diseases.

He encouraged the youth to join any of the 19 adolescent clubs in second cycle schools in Tema to learn all they need to know about their reproductive system and how to manage and respond to peer pressure and other negative cues from society.

GNA

By Laudia Sawer , GNA
By Laudia Sawer, GNA

Tema, Jan 19, GNA --- A 63-year-old patient on admission at the Tema General Hospital (TGH) has been declared missing by the Tema Health Directorate.

The patient, Mr Reuben Anyasu, a retired accountant, was admitted at the emergency unit of the hospital on December 31, 2016 from Ashaiman.

Dr John Yabani, Tema Metropolitan Health Director, told the Ghana News Agency that, Mr Anyasu was subsequently transferred to the general male ward on January 02, 2017, when his condition improved.

Dr Yabani said on January 10, nurses in the ward attended to him at about 05:45 hours, adding that at about 06:05 hours when his family visited the ward, Mr Anyasu was nowhere to be found.

He said series of reports had been made to various police stations and all efforts to locate the patient had proved futile as people kept referring the family to different locations they claimed to have spotted him.

The Directorate has therefore appealed to the public to help locate Mr Anyasu as according to him, his life could be in danger due to his medical condition.

He was last seen wearing a cream Lacoste shirt which has horizontal coloured stripes over a three-quarter side pockets khaki pair of shorts.

GNA
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Adaklu in the Volta Region has questioned the decision by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to commit 200 troops to ECOWAS forces.

Kwame Governs Agbodza is asking what comprehensive plan has been laid out by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to evacuate Ghanaian residents in the country should matters escalate.

Speaking to Joy News Elton Brobbey Thursday, the legislator said the action of the President amounts to surrendering Ghanas sovereignty to ECOWAS.

Ghana as part of the sub-regional bodys multilateral armed forces has committed 200 troops to help end the political crisis in Gambia which erupted following the failure of President Yahya Jammeh to step down after losing the presidential election.

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh

Mr Jammeh had initially conceded to his opponent Adama Barrow in a fashion lauded by international community, but this was short-lived as he later questioned the credibility of the election process.

He claimed he had discovered that some infractions were committed during the voting process and has since refused to leave office.

Clause 49 of the Gambian Constitution states that, "Any registered political party which has participated in the election of a Presidential election or an independent candidate who has participated in such an election may apply to the Supreme Court to determine the validity of the election of a President by filing a petition within ten days of the declaration of the result of the election."

It however took President Jammeh more than ten days to file his petition at the Gambias Supreme Court to adjudicate on the matter.

Gambian President-elect, Adama Barrow

Gambian Constitution also states that new Presidents are to be sworn-in on January 19, but the President has secured a three month extension of his presidency in order for the issue pending before the Supreme Court to be dealt with.

ECOWAS has resolved to oust him militarily if he fails to hand-over power to the President-elect by 4:00 GMT on the day of the swearing in.

In an interview on Joy News, Agbodzah Governs said the resolution by the sub-regional body to adopt a military intervention in the Gambian crisis would be fatal for the region.

I feel very horrified to know that ECOWAS basically passed a resolution saying that if their diplomatic efforts failed they will intervene militarily, he said, adding the action would undermine the sovereignty of Gambia.

He was, however, concerned with the decision by Ghanas leader to commit troops on the blind side of Parliament.

Parliament must be informed to give that authorization, he said, adding if there was an aggression against Ghana the president can do that [but] this is not a humanitarian action against Gambia.

He said had the House been notified a plan might have been drawn to safely evacuate Ghanaians resident in the country.

Ghanaian citizens are in Gambia if they are killed who takes the blame for that? he quizzed.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected]
Washington (AFP) - More than 80 Islamic State jihadists were killed in US strikes on training camps in Libya, including several who were involved in plotting attacks in Europe, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said Thursday.

"They certainly are people who were actively plotting operations in Europe and may also have been connected to some attacks that have already occurred in Europe," Carter said on his last day in office.
Dakar (AFP) - Gambia's new President Adama Barrow demanded "loyalty" from the armed forces Thursday as he took the oath of office in Senegal in a standoff with Yahya Jammeh, the longtime leader refusing to step down after his election defeat.

Dressed all in white, 51-year-old Barrow waved to crowds before being sworn in at The Gambia's embassy in Senegal's capital Dakar.

"This is a victory of the Gambian nation. Our flag will now fly high among those of the most democratic nations of the world," he said.

The inauguration took place as a regional military force massed on the Senegal-Gambia border ahead of a UN Security Council meeting to vote on west African efforts to ensure a transfer of power.

"I command the chief of defence staff and officers of high command to demonstrate their loyalty to me as commander in chief without any delay," Barrow said.

The Gambia political crisis

"I command all members of the armed forces to remain in their barracks, those found wanting or in possession of firearms without my order will be considered rebels."

Barrow, an opposition coalition candidate, won the December 1 election in a surprise victory over Jammeh, who had ruled the former British colony since taking power in a coup in 1994 and has rejected international pressure to leave office.

Nigerian jets overflew The Gambia, officials said in Abuja, as troops from Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria readied for a possible intervention against Jammeh, whose mandate expired at midnight (0000 GMT).

Shops were shuttered and streets quiet in and around the capital Banjul, and tour operators evacuated hundreds more tourists from the tiny country's popular beach resorts.

But Barrow supporters were jubilant.

"For the last 22 years we were living under a state of dictatorship," Corra Kah said in Banjul as he watched the inauguration. "Now we are free".

In off the cuff remarks, army chief Ousman Badjie insisted his soldiers would not get involved in a "political dispute" or prevent foreign forces from entering the west African nation.

'Don't have to risk lives'

Barrow, a real-estate agent turned politician, flew to Senegal on January 15 after weeks of rising tension over Jammeh's stance.

Supporter of Gambia's President-elect Adama Barrow gather outside of the Gambian Embassy in Dakar on January 19, 2017

Jammeh initially acknowledged Barrow as the victor but later rejected the result.

He then attempted to block Barrow's inauguration with a court ruling and by declaring a state of emergency this week.

A senior member of Barrow's opposition coalition, Isatou Touray, welcomed the army chief's declaration.

"That's a very positive outlook from him, given that Jammeh's regime is done," Touray told AFP.

"We don't have to risk the lives of innocent citizens."

In remarks at a hotel restaurant late Wednesday, Badjie said he loved his men and would not risk their lives in a "stupid fight," witnesses said.

- 'Really scary'

People walk past the closed market in Serrekunda west of the capital Banjul on January 19, 2017

Arriving back from The Gambia at Manchester airport in England, several passengers could be seen comforting a Gambian national and UK resident who had tried unsuccessfully to get his family out.

Ebrima Jajne described the situation as "really scary for everybody... because this president (Jammeh) doesn't want to step down and people are fleeing."

Tourist Ralph Newton said local residents had done what they could to reassure visitors, despite the threat to themselves.

"All the locals were just worried... They said it's a bad time for us but you'll be alright... It'll be us they come for, if they come for anybody."

Despite the build-up along the border, an army source told AFP that Senegalese troops were "not yet" present on Gambian soil.

Eyes on border

After 11th-hour talks in Banjul, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz held a meeting with Barrow also attended by Senegal's President Macky Sall, the private RFM radio station reported.

It was not clear whether the Mauritanian leader had secured a deal or made an asylum offer to Jammeh.

The last-minute intervention came after several unsuccessful attempts at diplomacy by the 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS).

Mauritania is not part of ECOWAS and diplomats have previously reached out to the conservative desert nation in hopes of brokering a deal with Jammeh.

ECOWAS heads the regional force massing on Gambian-Senegalese border.

Speaking to AFP at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Amnesty International chief Salil Shetty hailed the ECOWAS efforts to resolve the crisis.

"ECOWAS has stood up, and they don't always do that," he said.

"It's an important message to Jammeh, both from the people of The Gambia, the people of Africa, and from neighbouring states, that it's not business as usual anymore."
The contrast was striking. While Donald Trump has promised a retreat of the United States from the world stage, China made a bold statement here at Davos that its willing to fill the void left by Washington when it comes to globalization.

President Xi Jinping was the first Chinese President to address the World Economic Forum, a gathering of the global business elite, often criticized for being out of touch with the common man. Team China if you will came here in full force with their largest entourage ever  over one hundred delegates representing 40 companies.

Xi delivered what was a robust defense of globalization, arguing that economic integration has powered human advancement and improved the lives of millions of people.

He left no stone unturned in his nearly hour-long address to a packed plenary hall when it comes to trade. Xi said it would be a mistake to blame globalization for the worlds challenges of job displacement and lower wages.

"Many of the problems troubling the world are not caused by economic globalization adding, Whether you like it or not, the global economy is the big ocean you cannot escape from."

Chinas president often sounded poetic, suggesting that countries cannot seek shelter in the calmer waters of lakes and streams, but instead should seize opportunities, while many are expressing doubts about the rapid pace of change.

Beijing is positioning itself as a global leader at a time when Western powers, and especially the United States, are backtracking on the global trade architecture under the umbrella of the World Trade Organization

It really is a big imprimatur that China would come here to speak on behalf of globalization, which ironically is called the Washington Consensus, said development specialist and author Dambisa Moyo.

China has aggressively pursued global expansion rolling out initiative after initiative to cement its influence and sustain access to natural resources from energy to strategic minerals to support the export giants manufacturing prowess.

Nouriel Roubini of New York University's Stern School of Business told me it is all part of Chinas economic statecraft. It does not boast about its activities but chooses instead to quietly deliver.

Major initiatives include its One Belt, One Road strategy to link China to Central Asia, establishing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank with $100 billion of capital, an emerging market investment vehicle called the BRICS bank and planting its flags all over Africa. Beijing backed up that foray onto the continent with billions of dollars of investments.

It is now taking that economic model to South America arguably within Washingtons sphere of influence. Roubini predicted China would extend a helping hand to Mexico with Trump continually telling its southern neighbor to build a wall along the U.S. border to stem the flow migrants.

That is a classic Beijing strategy. When Russia was faced with sanctions from the west for incursions into Ukraine and the annexing of Crimea, China signed a long-term energy deal with Moscow.

The chief executive of the Russia Direct Investment Fund said the point was not lost on President Vladimir Putin.

Working jointly when there was economic difficulty was an important sign for us for future work as well, said Kirill Dmitriev right before Xi took the stage.

He added Russia has what now can be described as a co-dependency on China since it has maintained a thirst of commodities to fuel growth.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has sustained a campaign of Beijing bashing for alleged currency manipulation and has threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese imports. China represents about half of Americas trade deficit running above $500 billion and Trump is eager to reverse that trend.

Xi presented his counter argument to policymakers and the corporate titans in the audience.

"We must remain committed to free trade and investment. We must promote trade and investment liberalization," he said. "No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war."

Xi acknowledged to Davos participants that globalization is 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.

Behind the scenes, Xis presence at this annual retreat was viewed as victory of sorts for the World Economic Forum, which has had to defend itself this year against a global populist backlash.

Founder Klaus Schwab received his first Chinese delegation well back in 1979. He has welcomed four Chinese premiers in nearly four decades, the first being Li Peng when China began its move onto the global stage.

Xi capped of the Forums strategy to tilt to Asia for membership, which helps keep the institution relevant when globalization is taking some hard knocks.
Weekends are the perfect time to unwind after a stressful work week. Jumia Travel shares 4 exotic destinations to help you do just that at a minimal cost.

THE BEACH

Whether its Oniru Beach, Elegushi Beach, Eleko Beach, Badagry Beach, Tarkwa Bay Beach or Bar Beach, the beach is one of the best spots to relax and unburden yourself at a low cost. Enjoy the serenity and scenery the beach has to offer. Enjoy its activities and maybe even invite some friends to share the experience with you.

SEASIDE BAR

There are a number of such bars in Lagos, both on the Island and Mainland. Make use of them. Sit and have a drink or two, by yourself or with a couple of friends. Talk about life, experiences, share your burdens with friends over a drink and celebrate your victories. If you prefer solitude, sit and observe, enjoy the view and scenery, reflect and make plans for a better tomorrow. You can also order good food and have yourself a good time.

The Bush Bar, situated off Oyinkan Abayomi (Formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos, is one seaside bar to consider.

BAY LOUNGE

If you are not really a bar person, a lounge is probably the best fit for you. At the Bay Lounge, you can come alone, relax and let the sound of the cool music being played soothe you and help you forget your burdens; all while ordering delicious meals from their well-established restaurant. You can also come with a friend or two and share the experience with them, you all can unwind and allows yourselves drift off on a cloud of relaxation and peace, letting go of all that weighs you down.

The lounge is easily accessible, located at Plot 10, Block 12a, Admiralty Road, Lekki Phase1, with adequate parking for guests. It also gives the option of indoor or outdoor dining to offer a flexible relaxation experience to guests.

EKO TOURIST BEACH RESORT

If you need more than a few hours of relaxation and have a little extra cash to spare, this is a nice place for you. The resort has a nice ambience, with activities to keep you engaged. It also offers a quiet, controlled and serene environment to aid leisure. Its well guarded, has an onsite restaurant and bar with scrumptious delicacies and fine wine. Theres also enough space for long reflective walks, if thats what also helps you relax.
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) - With the world still reeling from outbreaks of deadly Ebola and baby-deforming Zika, governments and charities launched a $460-million (431 million-euro) initiative Thursday to "outsmart" infectious epidemics.

The goal is to develop vaccines with which to contain outbreaks before they become global health emergencies, the creators of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

And they should be available free of charge.

"We know that epidemics are among the significant threats we face to life, health and prosperity," said Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, a health research charity which backs the project.

"Vaccines can protect us, but we've done too little to develop them... CEPI is our chance to learn the lessons of recent tragedies and outsmart epidemics with new vaccine defences."

The priority will be vaccines against the highly-contagious and fatal Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) as well as the Lassa and Nipah viruses, which can cause serious epidemics.

The coalition will aim to create two trial vaccines for each of these viruses "so that these are available without delay if and when an outbreak begins".

"Ebola and Zika showed that the world is tragically unprepared to detect local outbreaks and respond quickly enough to prevent them from becoming global pandemics," said billionaire CEPI backer Bill Gates.

About 11,300 people died in a 2013-16 Ebola epidemic in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone -- the worst outbreak by far in the disease's 40-year history.

Finish the job on Ebola

Since 2015, more than 2,200 babies in Brazil have been born with microcephaly, a crippling deformation of the head and brain, in an unprecedented outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

The race is on to develop vaccines against both diseases, but none has been registered yet.

So far, CEPI has received money from Germany, Japan and Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust -- raising almost half the $1 billion needed for its first five years of operation.

The economic damage caused by epidemics is matched only by wars and environmental disaster, Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg said in Davos.

"Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia suffered an economic loss of at least $3 billion as a result of Ebola, and we know that SARS cost $40 billion."

Andrew Witty, chief executive of CEPI participant GlaxoSmithKline, said the initiative would seek to develop vaccines through Phase I safety and Phase II efficacy trials.

This way, when an outbreak happens, the drug can be quickly put through Phase III testing in a larger group of people -- the final stage before licensing.

"Ideally we do five or six" vaccines, said Gates, though "at our current funding level it is more likely that we will be able to do two or three."

For Farrar, this should include "finishing the job on Ebola" -- for which several vaccine candidates have proven effective in trials.

"We have to be able to have a licenced vaccine that can be used tomorrow when the inevitable epidemic of Ebola comes back," he said.

The greatest mistake, added Farrar, would be "to do what we did after SARS, and that is to forget it and move on."

A 2003 outbreak of the deadly respiratory disease infected people in nearly 40 countries within weeks and caused global panic. It claimed 800 lives, mainly in Asia.

The coalition said it would need "significant additional investment", and urged more governments and charities to join the initiative.

Other participants include the World Health Organization, several NGOs and pharmaceutical companies.
19.01.2017 LISTEN

Revelation by radical-progressive New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Assin-Central Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, that President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo rejected a Christmas gift worth some GH 500,000 or about $ 60,000 (in US currency) from an unnamed foreign company with businesses in the country, does not the least bit come as a surprise to me at all (See Akufo-Addo Rejects $ 500,000 [sic] Xmas Gift Adomonline.com / Modernghana.com 1/17/17).

But even as I told a couple of friends and some relatives in the wake of this laudable and morally edifying revelation, President Akufo-Addo and his aides could have devised a creative means of accepting the alleged gift and then promptly donating it to some charity and/or some non-profit organizations and foundations to be put towards the indisputably progressive use of poverty alleviation.

Such creative approach is necessary because Nana Akufo-Addo assumes reins of governance at a time that the coffers of the country are widely known and/or alleged to have been thoroughly depleted by the outgone Mahama-led regime of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). What I am suggesting here is for the Akufo-Addo Administration or the key operatives of the New Patriotic Party to establish a well-audited and independently run fund or foundation for the management and distribution of resources or donations made by corporate donors to charity and non-profit organizations for the development of the country. The government alone cannot do everything for Ghanaian citizens, even as President Akufo-Addo himself underscored in his inaugural address on January 7.

And to disabuse the minds of skeptics and/or detractors of the government, a transparent system could be set up to ensure that the names of all donors, both corporate and individuals, are listed and publicly released to the media and any interested citizen on demand. The donors will also be given written notification stating categorically that while, indeed, the government was highly appreciative of such direly needed development assistance and gestures of first-rate patriotism, nevertheless, donating voluntarily to the public fund must not be interpreted or construed as entitling the donor or obligating the government to give preferential treatment in contractual bids entered into with executive operatives of corporate donors or individuals.

It is also time for President Akufo-Addo to lay down and hand out a code-of-conduct brochure to all cabinet and non-cabinet senior appointees of his government, especially protocol regarding the acceptance of gifts from members of the public in general, but especially corporate and business people, as well as traditional rulers, because the very nature of Ghanaian cultures makes the acceptance and the offering and receiving of gifts inevitable. Actually, it is fundamentally a human trait. And so, for instance, President Akufo-Addo could clearly stipulate that no cabinet member or senior executive operative can accept a gift worth more than GH 100.00 or $ 25.00.

In other words, there are creative and fetter-free ways of accepting gifts and making the latter serve the quality-of-life improvement needs of the people, without compromising ones professional and political integrity.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
The Gambias newly sworn in President, Adama Barrow, has asked the United Nations (UN), ECOWAS and the African Union (AU), to force out Yahaya Jammeh to enable him (Barrow) take full responsibility of the country.

Mr. Barrow was sworn in today [Thursday], at The Gambia's Embassy in Senegal Dakar, where he took the oath of office.

The ceremony was administered by Sheriff Tambadou, president of the Gambian Bar Association.

Mr. Barrow commended the ECOWAS, AU and other international bodies for their support in protecting the will of the Gambian people.

Mr. Barrow in his inaugural speech also instructed the heads of the military in The Gambia to recognise him as the new President, or risk being considered as renegades.

My right as the winner to be sworn in and assume the office President is constitutionally guaranteed and irreversible. I hereby make a special appeal to ECOWAS, AU and the UN, particularly the Security Council to support the government and the people of The Gambia in enforcing their will and restore their sovereignty and constitutional legitimacy.

He also called on Yahaya Jammeh to remain loyal to the constitution of The Gambia, and promised to be a President for all Gambians.

This is a victory for the Gambian nation. Power belongs to the people in The Gambia. This is a day no Gambian will ever forget; first time since The Gambia became independent that its changed a government through the ballot box, Barrow said.

The small West African state now has two men claiming to be president.

Its parliament voted earlier this week to extend Yahya Jammehs rule by 90 days, while he challenges his election defeat at the hands of Mr Barrow, a former estate agent, in the courts.

Regional forces, led by Senegal, have threatened to enter the country to oust Mr Jammeh.

The Gambia, popular with European tourists because of its beaches, has never had a smooth transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1965.

Whiles the swearing-in was taking place, the AFP News Agency reported that, Nigerias air force was flying over The Gambia, as regional troops prepare to force Yahya Jammeh to quit after his December election defeat.



By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/Ghana/with flies from BBC
5:26

Jammeh minister talks tough

Yahya Jammeh's information chief has said his boss - reportedly entrenched in Gambia's State House - is not leaving office.

Just interviewed #Gambia 's information minister Sidie Njie. He says President Jammeh is going nowhere. #BBCAfrica .

5:23

Barrow demands loyalty from armed forces



Adama Barrow, sworn in as president of The Gambia at a ceremony in Senegal, has used his first speech in office to call on the Gambian security forces to "remain loyal to the constitution" and stay in their barracks.

Soldiers found outside with firearms would be considered rebels, he said.

"From today on I am the president of The Gambia regardless of whether you voted for me or not," he said.

Mr Barrow added that his election was an opportunity for Gambians to "effect change that has been in the making for decades" and pledged "liberty and prosperity for everyone" regardless of ethnicity or gender.

He also vowed constitutional and legal reforms and said his election was the start of a meritocratic Gambia where "what you know" will be count for more than "who you know".

Mr Barrow took the oath of office with the backing of foreign governments, despite the fact that Yahya Jammeh has refused give up power in The Gambia.

5:21

UK congratulates Barrow

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has issued a statement, congratulating former estate agent Adama Barrow following his controversial inauguration as president of The Gambia:

The elections of 1 December 2016 were free and fair, and an orderly expression of democratic choice by the Gambian people. They represent a new chapter in the countrys history and an opportunity for change in The Gambia.



The United Kingdom pays tribute to the decisive leadership shown by [the West African regional body] ECOWAS and the supportive role played by the African Union in ensuring that the democratic wishes of the Gambian people will be respected.



It is vital that former President Jammeh now stands aside to allow an orderly transition.



The United Kingdom has a long and historic relationship with The Gambia and I look forward to working closely with President Barrows government to further develop our already strong bilateral and economic links."

Mr Johnson says the UK will work closely with Mr Barrow

5:11

Barrow: 'I am your president'

Barrow: "From today on, I am the president of the Gambia regardless of whether you voted for me or not."

5:08

Barrow: 'A victory for Gambians'

Barrow after being sworn in as president: "This is a victory for the Gambian nation.. power belongs to the people in The #Gambia "

5:06

Barrow gives first speech as 'president'

This is a day no Gambian will ever forget..1st time since #Gambia became independent that it's changed govt through the ballot box" Barrow

4:58

Barrow 'inaugurated' as Gambian president



The Gambia's President-elect Adama Barrow has taken the oath of office at his country's embassy in neighbouring Senegal.

The ceremony was administered by Sheriff Tambadou, president of the Gambian Bar Association.

4:58 Gambia bar association head to administer ceremony

Sheriff Tambadou, president of the Gambian Bar Association, will administer the oath of office ceremony of President-elect Adama Barrow in Senegal

4:57

Nigerian military planes 'fly over Gambia'

Nigeria's air force is flying over The Gambia, an official has said, as regional troops prepare to force Yahya Jammeh to quit after his December election defeat, AFP new agency reports.

It quotes Nigerian Air Force spokesman Ayodele Famuyiwa as saying:

I confirm that the armed reconnaissance air force are over Gambia. They have the capacity to strike."

4:48

Barrow ready for big moment



4:41

Barrow arrives for 'inauguration'



The Gambia's President-elect Adama Barrow has arrived at his countrys embassy in Senegal for his inauguration.

Dressed all in white, he waved at crowds outside the building before being escorted inside.

4:32

Huge diplomatic presence at Barrow's 'inauguration'

All UN Security Council states are represented at the inauguration of Gambia's President-elect Adama Barrow in Senegal's caital Dakar, Senegalese TV has reported.

4:27

Diplomats and Gambians gather at Barrow 'inauguration'

Rwanda's ambassador to Senegal has joined other diplomats and officials at the swearing in ceremony of Adama Barrow at the Gambian embassy in Dakar.

Outside, hundreds of Gambian expatriates have also gathered, eager to be present at the inauguration Mr Barrow, whom they regard as their country's first new leader in 22 years.

Moudu Lamin reporting from The Gambia

"I can tell you that bread and other food items are in shortage right now". He said shops and markets have been closed since last week and residents had to rush to stock up over fears of a forceful removal of defeated President Yaya Jammeh from office.

He said people intepreted the declaration of a 90-day state of emergency as an imposition of a curfew. Gambians rushed to shops to buy food and stock up. But officials moved in to explain the state of emergency is not a curfew and assured Gambians to go about their normal business.

But there is no business going on in Gambia.

Listen to audio



There are reports that senior army commanders in the Gambia have met the ECOWAS force at the border to provide directions on the take-over. The Gambian army are reportedly coperating with the sub-regional force.

Ethnicity and politics

Yaya Jammeh who comes from a minority tribe, Jola has vowed that no member of the majority tribe, the Mandinkas, will ever rule The Gambia while he is alive.

In 1864, there were no Mandinkas in this country. You came from Mali. I will not allow foreigners to destroy this country. he has been reported as saying.

The Jola's represent about 10% of the population while the Mandinkas are about 41% of the over 1.8million Gambians.

Incidentally, Adama Barrow is a Mandinka. "That is acutally eating him [Jammeh] up" the journalist said and dismissed any suggestions that there are enthic violence is imminent.

He also dismissed reports people are stocking up machetes. "Those are just reports circulating on the internet. Nothing as such is happening in Gambia" he stressed.

"Everybody is united right now and everyone main goal is to have Jammeh peacefully leave the country" he said.

Jammeh's lawyer resigns, flees to Senegal

President Yaya Jammeh's lawyer Edward Anthony Gomez, who is to represent his client in a court hearing challenging the elections results, has fled.

In a letter, he said top lawyers in Gambia has refrained from supporting the Election Petition, leaving him in a difficult position to prepare for court.

He has urged President Jammeh to leave office because 'everything comes to an end, except God's kingdom.

Abandoned streets

Streets in The Gambia are deserted following reports of an ECOWAS military force ready to forcefully remove President Yaya Jammeh, who has refused to leave office after losing last year's general elections.

"I can tell you, you could actually hear a pin drop" Gambian journalist, Moudu Lamin, reporting from the capital Banjul, told Joy FM. He said residents are staying locked in doors on the orders of the President-elect Barrow.

In the Islamic state where religion holds strong, residents have nonetheless refused to come out for dawn prayers despite calls from the Mosques, he said.

"...virtually no one turned up [for prayers]. You can't even see anyone in the street saying they are going to the Mosque for prayers" the journalist said.

The reports indicate the ECOWAS troops entered the West African country early Thursday dawn. This was after the failure of Mauritanian President, Mohamed Abdel Aziz, to persuade the besieged leader who has remained defiant despite defeat.

ECOWAS issued an order for military intervention in the small West African country to oust President Jammeh at the stroke of midnight Thursday when his mandate ends.

Gambians expect an inauguration on Thursday as prescribed by the constitution but they are uncertain who will be sworn in.

Adama Barrow, backed by the international community insists he will be sworn in, while a Yaya Jammeh-backed parliament has extended his mandate by 90 days.

Photo: Adama Barrow and Yaya Jammeh

Reporting from The Gambia, Moudu Lamin of West Coast radio described the mood in the country as tense and uncertain.

Moudu Lamin said the incoming government has warned, anyone seen outside the streets could be considered as a rebel.

He said people are unsure whether the troops have entered the country or are on the borders. He said there is no heavy military presence only military checkpoints which have remained since the December 1 general elections.

He said Gambians want a change of government but they want it done peacefully. He said in The Gambia even firecrackers are enough to set Gambians on the edge.

The sound of gunshots therefore invoke alot of fear in the country, now a politically volatile territory.

Listen to audio



Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
Energy think-tank Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) is warning government against operating the Akosombo dam at full capacity in the wake of the recent relative increase in the facilitys water levels.

This follows the planned shutdown of some key power plants like the T1 and T2, as well as the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah for maintenance.

Until recently, the Akosombo dam had been operating below capacity for some time now due to the low water levels.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Deputy Executive Director Ben Boakye said the countrys power situation could be worsened if government exploits the recent increase in the water levels instead of addressing the financial challenges in the sector.

"The VRA has missed some important maintenance schedules which now threatens supply stability in the short term. The T1 Plant, for example, would have to shut down for about two months.

"Beyond the fuel constraints linked to the financial distress of the sector, the indigenous supply of the gas would also suffer when the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah goes out for maintenance," he said.

He added that this would affect supply for gas to power plants in the Aboadze enclave. If Ghana is unable to secure gas supply dumsor will return.

More soon...

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com |Kuuku Abban |Joy Business
Energy think-tank ACEP has charged government to as a matter of urgency reopen negotiations with Nigeria gas to avert possible power outages.

The company last year cut supply to Ghana as government is indebted to the Nigerian gas supplier in excess of $180 million.

Ghana is currently enjoying some relative power supply giving the deployment of a number of emergency power plants after enduring almost four years of unstable power supply.

But speaking at a press conference Thursday, Deputy Executive Director of ACEP Ben Boakye said any delay in ensuring adequate gas supply for power generation could result in power outages by end of the second quarter.

More soon...

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Kuuku Abban |Joy Business
The West Africa Network for Peace building (WANEP) is asking for a strong backing of the international community for newly sworn-in Gambian president Adama Barrow.

Executive Director for WANEP Chukwu Emeka told Joy News the new president must make it clear to the international community that his country is under siege and every support possible is needed to get former president Yahya Jammeh out of office.

Mr Emeka does not advocate for military action to oust Jammeh but will not rule that out if that is the only way to get him out of office.

His comments come hours after Barrow was sworn-in at the Gambian High Commission in Senegal in the presence of key international dignatories including UN Envoy Ibn Chambass and other ECOWAS and AU representatives.

"I say congratulations to Adama Barrow for the swearing in and to the Gambia people for their resilience," Chukwu Emeka said, adding when the people have spoken presidents must give way.

Despite the swearing-in, Yahya Jammeh still remains at post in Gambia with no immediate plans to leave office after the election defeat.

Ready for death

The spokesperson of the Gambian leader has given the clearest indication Jammeh is ready to die on the throne if military action is the option taken by ECOWAS forces who are massing up the country's border.

Seedy Njie told the BBC Jammeh does not recognize the swearing in of Barrow and has described the action as illegal.

He said the country's military forces will defend Gambian territory if challenged by aggressors from ECOWAS.

"We are not concerned about troops massing up at our border. The security of this country will protect the sovereignty of the country," he said.

The former Gambian ruler lost a December 1 2016 election to Adama Barrow after a 23-year stay in office.

He conceded defeat only to make a u-turn to challenge the results of the election declared by the country's Electoral Commission.

He has petitioned the country's Supreme Court seeking to overturn the election results and has refused to leave office. No amount of diplomacy will make him change his mind to hand over power peacefully.

The Gambian parliament has extended his stay for three more months and has declared a state of emergency for that same period.

However, his term of office is deemed to have come to an end on the night of January 19 at 12:00 midnight.

The new president was sworn-in at the Gambian territory in Senegal amidst chants of praise from some Gambian nationals.

With what looks like two presidents in one small country of 2.5 million population, the WANEP Executive Director said Adama Barrow and the ECOWAS have followed due process in swearing in the new Gambian leader.

He dismissed claims that Jammeh acted lawfully by extending his stay in office for three months and petitioning the Supreme Court of the country to overturn the results.

Chukwu Emeka said there is a pronouncement by the Gambia's Electoral Commission that declared Barrow president elect and until a constitutional court says otherwise, Barrow remains the president-elect and Jammeh does not have any power to extend his own mandate.

Such an act, he posited is lawless and a bad precedent to accept.

He justified the swearing-in of Barrow in the Gambian High Commission in Senegal which he says is an extension of the Gambian territory.

No resistance?



Gambian streets remain deserted

Benjamin Tetteh, a Ghanaian journalist working in Senegal and who was present during the swearing in of Adama Barrow is reporting a former Gambian Foreign Minister as saying the Gambian army will not resist any attempt by the ECOWAS troops to oust Jammeh.

According to the Foreign Minister the Gambian Army General has pledged support for the newly sworn-in president. There is however no independent confirmation yet.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
Dakar (AFP) - Senegalese troops entered The Gambia on Thursday in support of its new President Adama Barrow, who took office demanding loyalty from his own armed forces in a tense standoff with his defeated rival.

Barrow was sworn in at The Gambia's embassy in Dakar, although longtime leader Yahya Jammeh has refused to step down despite international pressure following his December election loss.

Celebrations erupted in the Gambian capital, which has been on edge over the crisis in the former British colony in west Africa.

Dressed all in white, 51-year-old Barrow waved to crowds at the ceremony that anointed him, seeking to end the 22-year rule of Jammeh, who has not been seen but is believed to be still in Banjul.

The Gambia political crisis

"This is a victory of the Gambian nation. Our flag will now fly high among those of the most democratic nations of the world," he said.

Shortly after the inauguration, the UN Security Council unanimously backed efforts by the regional bloc ECOWAS to force Jammeh to hand over power, without formally authorising military action.

"I command the chief of defence staff and officers of high command to demonstrate their loyalty to me as commander in chief without any delay," Barrow said at his inauguration.

"I command all members of the armed forces to remain in their barracks, those found wanting or in possession of firearms without my order will be considered rebels."

Britain was among foreign powers to congratulate the new president.

Barrow, an opposition coalition candidate, defeated Jammeh, who had ruled the former British colony since taking power in a coup in 1994, in a surprise election win on December 1.

Jubilation for Barrow voters

Troops from Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria readied for a possible intervention against Jammeh, whose mandate expired at midnight Wednesday.

People wave Gambian flags as the motorcade of the newly sworn in president leaves the Gambian embassy in Dakar on January 19, 2017

A Senegalese army spokesman confirmed his country's troops had crossed the border, after Nigerian jets overflew The Gambia.

Shops had stayed shuttered and streets were quiet in and around the capital Banjul before the inauguration. Tour operators had continued to evacuate hundreds more tourists from the tiny country's popular beach resorts.

But Barrow supporters on Thursday evening took to the streets of Banjul, where soldiers were seen but did not intervene.

"For the last 22 years we were living under a state of dictatorship," Corra Kah said in a suburb of Banjul as he watched the inauguration. "Now we are free".

In off the cuff remarks, army chief Ousman Badjie insisted his soldiers would not get involved in a "political dispute" or prevent foreign forces from entering the west African nation.

People gather in a house to watch the inauguration of Gambia's new president Adama Barrow on television inside a house in Serrekounda town, Banjul on January 19, 2017

Barrow, a real-estate agent turned politician, flew to Senegal on January 15 after weeks of rising tension over Jammeh's stance.

The incumbent initially acknowledged Barrow as the victor but later rejected the result.

He then attempted to block Barrow's inauguration with a court ruling and by declaring a state of emergency this week.

A senior member of Barrow's opposition coalition, Isatou Touray, welcomed the army chief's declaration.

"That's a very positive outlook from him, given that Jammeh's regime is done," Touray told AFP.

"We don't have to risk the lives of innocent citizens."

In remarks at a hotel restaurant late Wednesday, Badjie said he loved his men and would not risk their lives in a "stupid fight," witnesses said.

'Really scary'

Arriving back from The Gambia at Manchester airport in England, several passengers could be seen comforting a Gambian national and UK resident who had tried unsuccessfully to get his family out.

Ebrima Jajne described the situation as "really scary for everybody... because this president (Jammeh) doesn't want to step down and people are fleeing."

People celebrate on the streets the inauguration of new Gambia's president Adama Barrow at pipeline neighbourhood on January 19, 2017 in Banjul, Gambia

Tourist Ralph Newton said local residents had done what they could to reassure visitors, despite the threat to themselves.

"All the locals were just worried... They said it's a bad time for us but you'll be alright... It'll be us they come for, if they come for anybody."

After 11th-hour talks in Banjul, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz held a meeting with Barrow also attended by Senegal's President Macky Sall, the private RFM radio station reported.

It was not clear whether the Mauritanian leader had secured a deal or made an asylum offer to Jammeh.

The last-minute intervention came after several unsuccessful attempts at diplomacy by the 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS).

Mauritania is not part of ECOWAS and diplomats have previously reached out to the conservative desert nation in hopes of brokering a deal with Jammeh.
The Minority leader says the vetting of ministerial nominees of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) would be a sharp departure from the usual rubber stamp procedure that has characterized previous exercises.

Haruna Iddrisu says they would uphold the Constitution by conducting a thorough background checks of the nominees and ensure that all of them meet the basic requirement spelt out in the country's laws for ministers of state.

Speaking to Evans Mensah, host of Joy FMs Newsnite programme Thursday, the former Employment Minister said they would explore issues such as the moral turpitude, fraud by the appointees.

Parliament would start the vetting of the 35 ministerial nominees announced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday January 20, 2017.

But the Curriculum Vitae (CVs) which contained the academic and professional credentials of the nominees were furnished to Parliaments Appointment Committee less than 24 hours to the start of the exercise.

Former Deputy Housing Minister, Samson Ahi had told Joy News the minority might consider boycotting the vetting process if they are not furnished with the documents early.

However, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Osei Wusu told Joy News Parliamentary Correspondent, Joseph Gakpo the lamentations of the National Democratic Congress MP was needless.

He said his office and that of others were served with copies of the CVs less 15 hours to the exercise, adding the process would be transparent.

Mr Iddrisu who is also on the committee has confirmed to Joy News that copies of the CVs have been delivered to them.

I can confirm that before we left our offices this [Thursday] evening copies were given to the minority leaders so we look forward to tomorrow [Friday], he said.

He said the Committee would quiz the nominees to test their appreciation of policies, understanding of policies and their area of competence.

The Tamale South MP said they would ensure government does not create a portfolio to undermine the powers of Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

We are mindful of duplication of roles that will undermine the efficiency of government and policy intervention, he said.

He decried the size of government, saying the nominated 35 ministers will be a drain on the nations limited resources especially when the president had promised to protect the nations purse.

There are many role conflict, he said, asking who would the Senior Minister, and Monitoring and Evaluation Minister report to.

We are not enthused by the decisions of the President. Apparently we will hold them to policy pledges made to the people of Ghana with the appointment that they have made, he added.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected]
A lot was said about Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the fourth Republic, fifth President of Ghana when he gave his inaugural speech borrowing from former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton. This gave material to international news anchors and comedian, Trevor Noah to have a field day. The office of the President has since issued an apology for failing to make references to the former US Presidents.

I wish the President of Ghana had borrowed from President Obama. There would have been no retribution then. After all, Obama, some say stands for Original Black African Managing America. It wouldnt have been a big deal borrowing from a fellow African. In his last News Conference before leaving office, President Obama on 1/18/2017 addressed the press and the nation in words that I encourage the President of Ghana to borrow from. By making reference to President Obama in this context, I have cited the needed reference and the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo and all African leaders are encouraged to use it freely and live by it:

This is what the leader of the free world, President Obama had to say to the press;

"Youre not supposed to be fans, youre supposed to be skeptics, youre supposed to ask me tough questions. Youre not supposed to be complimentary, but youre supposed to cast a critical eye on folks who hold enormous power and make sure that we are accountable to the people who sent us here,".. It keeps us honest, it makes us work harder. You (have made) make us think about how we are doing what we do and whether or not were able to deliver on whats been requested by our constituents.

By these statements, its clear President Obama understood that the Presidency is a humbling position. It is a position to serve and be accountable to the people. It is not one of Kingship to be served.

Historically, Ghanaians and Africans in general have been ruled by Kings and tribal Chiefs rooted in superstitious spiritual stool gods whose position have been one of Lordship. They are not questionable and are not questioned. (Nana ka obi nkabi). They are not held accountable because of their absolute power and authority. This culture of Kingship or Oga as is known in other places in Africa has become so engrained in our daily and political lives that African leaders, Ministers and even managers of corporations and institutions treat their positions in public office as chiefs; giving rise to corruption, favoritism, appointment of unqualified people, mismanagement and ultimately poor results. Such vicious cycle of master and subject relationship continues to perpetuate because in part most people in Ghana (Africa) surrender loyalty to the Kingship behavior and struggle to surrender to constitutional rule; a trait my good friend Kenneth Akuoko calls; the African DNA.

It is my hope that Presidents Obamas statements become an encouragement to both ordinary citizens and leaders alike; that we make these statements our own, feel empowered to question and hold accountable the people we have elected into office. The National anthem of Ghana calls for Ghanaians to be bold to defend the course of Freedom and our rights. This call is not necessarily for war against foreign invaders, but that which takes away our freedom and right for good governance, prosperity and liberty.

To Mr. President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and leaders of Africa, it is hoped that you will be inspired by President Obamas statement to be transparent and treat the office of the President as a job with deliverables for which you have been appointed by the people to serve. This is not a warrior position, one of a King or a traditional Chief, but that of a President for and by the people, interpreting the constitution, uniting the country, promoting law and order of which no one is above; allowing the judiciary to function, of sound economic policies, fiscal discipline and accountable to the electorate.
By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA

Senchi Amanfrom (E/R), Jan. 19, GNA - Aller Aqua Group, Europe's largest producers of environmentally friendly fish feed has opened Aller Aqua Ghana Limited office and warehouse at Senchi Amanfrom in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region.

The company produces fish feed for aquaculture, which is exported to more than 60 countries worldwide, from factories in Denmark, Poland, Germany and Egypt.

The Ghana, office would be a hub, where the imported fish feeds would be bagged for sale to fish farmers in the country.

Madam Tove Degnbol, the Royal Danish Ambassador to Ghana, speaking at the inauguration expressed the hope that the investment would support the development of aquaculture in Ghana.

She said supporting the needed training and knowledge transfer between the two countries had always been the priority of the Danish government.

The Ambassador said the Embassy have been supporting the aquaculture company, especially in tilapia production, to access a business to business facility supported by DANIDA.

She said the Embassy's plan was to encourage Danish investors to invest in Ghana, since there were potential opportunities to do business.

Madam Degnbol said the Embassy has also advised investors to form partnerships with their local counterparts in there was the need to establish businesses here in Ghana and go by the local content policy.

She said the Embassy stood right advice business people from Denmark on the potentials in doing business in Ghana.

'We are also telling them Ghana is a very interesting country to do business, if only they know how to go around it,' she added.

On challenges, she said land acquisition, frequent powers, infrastructure and demand of illegal fees were hindering Danish business in the sector.

She commended the Asuogyaman District Assembly for their effort to facilitate aquaculture production in the District.

She said the Embassy has received more and more interest from Danish investors wanting to do business in Ghana.

Mr Emmanuel Fosu, the Country Manager, Aller Aqua Ghana Limited expressed the hope to contribute to the growth of the individual fish farms as well as the aquaculture industry as a whole.

He said Aller Aqua Ghana would be offering high-quality fish feed for aquaculture in Ghana and the neighbouring countries.

He said the reason for the location of the warehouse in the district was because of the Volta Lake and the amount of farmers operating around.

The Country Manager said aside availability, quality and consistence was key in the company's operations, getting the feed closer to the farmers was their priority.

He said the idea was not to import totally but this was the first phase and as the business grew, phase two would be pursued.

Mrs Abena Kwesiwaa Kyei, the District Coordinating Director, Asuogyaman District called on management of Aller Aqua to deliver quality feed to develop the sector.

She said the Assembly was commitment to supporting the company's operation to strive with them also developing the Ghanaian economy.

Mr Peter Adzikah, the CEO, African Golden Tilapia Farm Limited said the company has used the Aller Aqua feed over the years and the result was massive.

He said farmers were faced with challenges in the port in the form of bureaucracy and the levy on feed has also gone up.

He expressed excitement for the coming of the company to distribute locally to farmers to avoid all the challenges at the port of entry.

GNA
Im not big on breakfast. Honestly, if I have toast or cereal, I feel like vomiting. Not because I dont like the taste, I end up feeling too full. Of course, many people love to tell me Im crazy. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?

My partner enjoys her breakfast. Normally, she will have some toast, maybe with a bit of vegemite and cheese. Well, I had great news for her this morning. Her two favourite things for breakfast are coming together. And Im not talking about the toasted bread.

This morning, Bega Cheese Ltd [ASX:BGA] announced it would pay $460 million for some of Australias most iconic brands. They are taking over Mondelez Internationals Australia and New Zealand grocery and cheese business.

Mondelez owns Vegemite, ZoOSh and Bonox brands. Two of which you could find regularly in my home.

Bank debt will fund the AU$460 million. Bega said near-term corporate opportunities will help pay down the debt. The Mondelez business could generate pro-forma net revenues of $310 million. It would represent earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of between $4045 million in its first full year. Bega assured shareholders that earnings would add to strong earnings per share.

Begas share price rocketed up this morning, opening to a high of $5.05 per share. That represents the companys high for 2017; they are now up 17.99% year-to-date.

Source: Google Finance

Where to from here?

So is the acquisition good or bad? Lets simplify it.

Mondelezs business must add to Begas earnings. The fee paid to Mondelez must come back to Bega in a certain number of years. The Mondelez business must also return more than similar opportunities.

If that happens, then its a great investment for Bega. Its probably obvious to you, but its all about earnings. Earnings drive share prices and, in large part, the volatility of stocks. If earnings and growth are uncertain, stocks become more volatile.

Begas executive chairman, Barry Irvin, believes that the wonderful heritage and value that Vegemite represents and its importance to Australian culture makes its combination with Bega Cheese truly exciting.

But, in due course, investors will see how exciting this investment could be. Bega will release their half-yearly repots for the financial year 2017 in February. While they might not have much information to go on, figures and trends can be used to see if they are on track.

Bega might be a stock youll want to look at for the future. Aussie brands and additional products could positively impact long-term earnings.

Regards,

Harje Ronngard,

Junior Analyst, Money Morning

PS: Investing in the stock market can be easy. Some may tell you that its hard, throwing complicated examples at you. But thats because theyre interested in your money sitting in their back pocket!

Money Mornings Publisher Kris Sayce has written a report all about investing isnt as hard as you think simple and easy. Instead of taking your money, Kris wants to help you invest for yourself.

In Kris report, The Ultimate Starters Guide for Buying and Selling Shares, hell show you all the ins and outs of investing. Whats more, Kris will reveal the one type of stockbroker you should never use. And theres also a secret you need to know about investing correctly.

To find out what that secret is, and more, pick up your free copy of Kris report by clicking here.
There is no man more wanted dead or alive by Nigerians, than the leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau.

Revealed! The Nigerian man that can Never die

For too long, there have been great controversy of the health status of the jihadist who tends to have more than lives.

Shekau who is believed to have been born between 1965 and 1975 in Yobe state, took over as leader of Boko Haram after the founder, Mohammed Yusuf, was paraded and then executed in front of a crowd by Nigerian security forces.

Under his leadership, Boko Haram has killed thousands of people and displaced more than 2 million.

Revealed! The Nigerian man that can Never die

The minute Shekau is killed, another Shekau is emerging, leaving one to wonder how many Shekaus there are. Will Shekau ever die?

Over a year ago, there were claims that Shekau had been captured by the army, claims which the Defence Headquarters never affirmed.

A history of deaths and resurrection

About 2-years ago, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) state categorically that the military had killed the head of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau.

The DHQ released a statement claiming that the Nigerian Army killed "Abubakar Shekau", the man who took up the mantle of leadership after the real head of the sect died in unclear circumstances in 2013.

Revealed! The Nigerian man that can Never die

A few weeks later, the re-emergence of the allegedly dead Shekau in some video, would prove as false the DHQ's claims.

Still in 2013, an army spokesman announced that Shekau may have died between July 25 and August 3 during a shoot-out with security forces. He was said to have died of gunshot wound received in an encounter with the Joint Task Force troops in one of their camps at Sambisa Forest on June 30, 2013.

The statement from the JTF on his death said: Shekau was mortally wounded in the encounter and was sneaked into Amitchide, a border community in Cameroon for treatment from which he never recovered.

However, on August 4, a day after the period Shekau was believed to have died, suspected members of the Boko Haram launched an attack on two military camps in Mallam Fatori border village.

READ ALSO: Eyewitnesses reveal more details about UNIMAID bombing (video)

Afterwards, a video was released by the insurgents in which Shekau was seen taking responsibility for recent attacks carried out by the sect.

In 2014, Nigerian and Cameroonian sources provided video evidence that a Boko Haram commander named Bashir Muhammed, who doubled as Shekau and took up the mantle of leadership after the real Shekau died in unclear circumstances in 2013, was killed in Konduga in Borno state.

Nigerian and Cameroonian army were locked in an argument over who killed Shekau and where he was killed.

Revealed! The Nigerian man that can Never die

In 2016, once again, report surfaced on Tuesday, Augusts 23, that Shekau was fatally wounded during an unprecedented and spectacular air raid.

Those Boko Haram terrorists commanders confirmed dead include Abubakar Mubi, Malam Nuhu and Malam Hamman, amongst others, while their leader, the so-called Abubakar Shekau, is believed to be fatally wounded on his shoulders. Several other terrorists were also wounded, Sani Kukasheka Usman, spokesman of the army, had said.

Still in 2016, speaking during a tour of Adamawa state on Thursday, September 1, Major General Irabor insisted that Shekau is dead.

He said that the individual originally identified as Shekau has indeed been killed.

Revealed! The Nigerian man that can Never die

His words: I can confirm to you that the original Shekau was killed, the second Shekau was killed, and the man presenting himself as Shekau, I can also confirm to you that few days ago, he was wounded. We are yet to confirm whether he is dead or not.

Too many lies and a doubting masses

Two months ago, the Boko Haram factional leader, claimed responsibility for the attack that led to the recent killing of Lieutenant-Colonel Muhammad Abu Ali.

Shekau made the claim in a new audio message on Monday, November 14.

Though the Boko Haram leader did not specifically mention the name of the name of the gallant officer who was killed in a night attack alongside five soldiers during an exchange of battle with the terrorist on November 4, the sects leader claimed that his faction of Boko Haram is responsible for all the recent attacks on the Nigerian military.

We are responsible for these recent attacks. We did it and will do more, Shekau said in the audio message.

With so many failed attempts at killing Shekau in the media, Nigerias Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai recently told Nigerians that Shekau has moved to another location after the military's recent massive onslaught on the dreaded Sambisa forest.

According to Lt. Gen Buratai, Shekau could not withstand the firepower of the Nigerian troops and had to move to another location, though the army is on his trail.

If this statement was made to allay the fears of Nigerians as regards the effective operations of Shekua, then it won't be out of place to say that it failed. And this is not just owing to the fact that Shekau has come out to claim that his group was behind the attack on a university in Borno state capital Maiduguri on Monday, January 16, but that the people have had enough of unverified claims by both the army and the government of the day.

A call for transparency

Nigerians are beginning to hold strong to the notion that the government and the army have not been transparent as regards their dealings with the Boko Haram sect.

There are claims that negotiations are ongoing as to the release of the remnants of the Chibok girls, but as is with the case of Shekau, the people have resigned to a seeing is believing modus-operandi.

Shekau! The Nigerian man that can Never die

Concerned about the fate of the kidnapped Chibok girls, President Muhammadu Buhari approved a prisoner swap with the Boko Haram, barely two months after he was sworn in, an official has said.

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said during a press conference that the prisoner swap was agreed to in July 2015, two months after Mr. Buhari was sworn-in on May 29, 2015.

Precisely on 17th July, 2015, the DSS opened negotiations process with the group holding the Chibok girls, the minister said.

However, these claims have not been swallowed hook, line and sinker by Nigerians, as many still doubt the viability of the claims.

The way forward

Transparency is the only way forward, the Presidency has assured that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will fulfill its promise of providing open and transparent leadership for the country.

It is only in this act that Nigerians can come again to trust its leaders. The people want to know, and beyond knowing, the people want to be involved.

The president as well as security operatives facing the insurgents within the northeast, must be ready to share with the people facts of what is going on with the theatre.

As regards Shekua, his death and resurrections continue, even as Nigerias Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai says that Shekau has moved to another location after the military recent massive onslaught on the dreaded Sambisa forest.

According to Lt. Gen Buratai, Shekau could not withstand the firepower of the Nigerian troops and had to move to another location, though the army is on his trail.

Alot has been said about the Sambisa forest and the army's progress. A recent revelation however has shown that the army may still be far away from the real Sambisa.

Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, the convener of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG), has revealed details of what she found out in the vast land of Sambisa forest.

The outspoken former minister of education disclosed her findings in series of tweets on her verified twitter handle @obyezeks in the early hours of Tuesday, January 17.

According to her, capturing Camp Zero is not like capturing Sambisa because it is a vast area.

The Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group yesterday January 16 joined the federal governments team on a day search for the remaining girls to Sambisa Forest.

The search, which also included the spokesperson of the Chibok community Dr Manasseh Allen, top BBOG campaigner Aisha Yusuf and Ibrahim Usman, have become an eye-opener on the vastness of the dreaded Sambisa forest

Relating her findings, Ezekwesili said the capture of Camp Zero in Sambisa is like capturing the Capital City of a country, Camp Zero was the Capital SPOT of Boko Haram in Sambisa.

This however, is in a sharp contrast to the Army's claim that Nigerian Armed Forces are in total control of Sambisa forest.

The Nigerian army is making great progress regarding the war against Boko Haram, it is the prayer of Nigerians that as they advance further into Sambisa, they can finally capture or kill Shekau and lay to eternal rest this insurgency that has cost Nigeria great losses that can never be regained.

Source: Legit.ng
Gambia's vice president Isatou Njie-Saidy has stepped down from her position in the government of President Yahya Jammeh.

Gambia's vice president Njie-Saidy has decided to abandon ship even as President Jammeh is choosing to stay put.

Njie-Saidys action follows mounting pressure on Jammeh to step down ahead of Thursday, January 19 inauguration of Adama Barrow.

READ ALSO: Jammehs lawyer flees, asks him to step down immediately

Premium Times reports that she announced her resignation just hours before official end of the tenure of Jammehs administration.

Earlier, Gambias minister of higher education Aboubacar Senghore resigned saying he could not continue in the post beyond the tenure of the outgoing president.

Given my strong religious and legal background, I feel it is now ethically and legally speaking time to step down as minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and Religious Affairs as the constitutional mandate of the current government expires today, Wednesday 18th January 2017, he wrote in his resignation letter.

READ ALSO: Gambian Army chief says his troops will surrender to ECOWAS forces

Premium Times quotes a source who spoke on anonymity grounds that Jammeh could be forced to dissolve his cabinet if the resignations continue.

Meanwhile, president-elect Adama Barrow will be installed as Gambia's new President, today, January 19, at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal, Nigerian Bulletin reports.

Barrow, in a tweet, said: I would like to inform you that the Inauguration Ceremony is going to take place at the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal.

Source: Legit.ng
- A foreign country allegedly provided Nigeria with information that led to the accidental bombing of IDP camp

- A source said the country has always been providing intelligence

- An official but classified investigation has started

There are emerging reports that a foreign country provided false intelligence to Nigeria on the location of Boko Haram terrorists leading to the accidental bombing of an IDP camp.

The tragic incident happened on Tuesday, January 17 at 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: 'How can the army make such a mistake?' - Nigerians react to IDP camp bombing

About 72 persons were reported dead including aid workers from the Red Cross while more than a hundred were confirmed injured.

Aftermath of the accidental IDP camp bombing

The Nation reports that a source close to the intelligence community who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the accidental bombing was due to information provided by a foreign country that has been helping in the fight against terrorism.

The source also said there was no synergy of information between the military, emergeny management authority and thr Borno state government.

The source said: What happened was that a foreign nation, which had been assisting in the counter-insurgency, provided an intelligence alert on the regrouping of some insurgents in Rann.

The foreign country based its alert on what its surveillance radar picked. The alert indicated that the insurgents must be smoked out as early as possible. It was on this basis that the Air Force deployed its jet.

The error occurred because the IDPs camp was not among the list of camps made available to the Air Force. There is a strong suspicion that the camp was recently set up by emergency bodies and Borno State without updating the list given to the military.

Some of the survivors of the accidental bomb explosion at IDPcamp

Yet, we cannot blame the foreign country because it had always given credible intelligence to the military, especially on Operation Lafiya Dole.

Another source revealed that a classified investigation has started and involved the military and security operatives.

READ ALSO: President Buhari condoles with family and Borno state over IDP camp bombing

He said: It is going to be a comprehensive audit of the information available to the Tactical Air Command, the directives given to the pilot and his crew, how the flight took off, why the plane could not distinguish a settlement from insurgents clusters and why the bombing was done.

It is going to be a classified investigation because a lot of international and national forces/ intelligence agencies are collaborating in the Northeast.

I think we will all come out stronger after this investigation. This is an Air Force that has recorded 6,000 hours of counter-insurgency missions without hurting any civilian. Everyone is actually sad here.

Source: Legit.ng
The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) otherwise known as Shiites have dragged President Muhammadu Buhari to international community over the continued detention of its leader Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife.

Shiites drags Buhari to UN, international community

Both Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife have been detained by the Nigerian government for over a year and one month.

READ ALSO: Buhari not ready to release Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky  Shiites

The Islamic group also appealed to the international community to commit Nigeria to upholding religious rights and freedom, failing which the Nigerian government would be isolated and sanctioned.

The Chairman, Shuhadah (Martyrs) Foundation, (IMN), Sheik Abdulhameed Bello made the call at a news conference in Abuja, where he also said that the movement was in the process of heading back to court to enforce court judgment delivered on December 2, by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

"The detention of El-Zakzaky and his wife since 14th of December, 2015 is illegal and unconstitutional and violates their fundamental rights to health and association.

A few people that do not wish our movement well claimed that we do not recognise the sovereignty of Nigeria and its institutions, yet we took our grievances to a properly constituted court of law.

The government claimed that members of our movement do not obey rule of law and due process but it is our leader that has been held in solitary confinement for one year and one month without charges against him and without the authorities alleging any offence being filed against him. The houses of our leader have been destroyed. His children have been brutally killed. His wife is in custody and carrying bullet wounds, he stated.

READ ALSO: Amnesty International warns FG over El-Zakzaky as 45-day deadline ends

The group demanded that its leader and his wife be released unconditionally and in accordance with the procedures laid down in the judgement of the Federal High court.

We urge the international community to persuade the government to obey the order of a Federal High court and release our leader unconditionally. We also appeal to the international community to commit Nigeria to upholding religious freedoms, failing which Nigerian government and its agents be isolated and sanctioned.

Source: Legit.ng
- A leading Ijaw activist has assured the government of their loyalty to Nigeria

- Oweikeye Endoro said the struggle for Ijaw advancement was not for secession

- He made it clear that the struggle was for self-determination and resource control

Ijaw Youth Council members

Oweikeye Endoro a leading Ijaw activist has said the struggle for Ijaw advancement which was being driven by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC,) is not about secession from Nigeria unlike the struggle for Biafra, by the Igbo people.

According to Endoro, this was clearly noted in the historic Kaiama Declaration (KD), of 1998. The activist who is a presidential candidate for the forthcoming IYC elections while speaking in Warri, Delta state on Wednesday, January 18, said that wrong perceptions of the Ijaw/Niger Delta struggle had hampered national understanding of the objective of the struggle.

He went on to explain that the aim of the struggle was self-determination, resource control and social justice within Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Biafra: Uwazuruike wont testify against Nnamdi Kanu - MASSOB

According Vanguard, he also said: I read the condemnation of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who said in Sultans Palace, Sokoto, that Niger Delta leaders stand by Nigeria whose unity is non-negotiable.

"For me, Governor Wikes comment is within the tenets of the Kaiama Declaration accepted as a working document of the Ijaw nation.

Emphasizing on article 10 of the Kaiama Declaration, Endoro also said: We agreed to remain within Nigeria but to demand and work for self-government and resource control for the Ijaw people.

"The federation should be run on the basis of equality and social justice. Having agreed to remain in Nigeria, we cannot work towards its dismemberment but seek self-determination, resource control and social justice therein for the good of all Nigerians.

"Nigerians should not misconstrue self-determination enshrined in the Kaiama Declaration as a secession bid. The Ijaw ethnic nation, the fourth largest in Nigeria, is unfortunately balkanised into minorities in several states where they are politically subjugated by minor ethnic groups.

READ ALSO: God is angry, and he will punish Nigeria if Kanu is not released - Cleric

Meanwhile, the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo has promised to throw its weight behind the unconditional release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.

Ohaneze Ndigbo also promised to bridge the gap between the IPOB and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafran (MASSOB).

Source: Legit.ng
The Catholic Church has seen 266 popes and some of them abused their power during their reign.

In the Roman Catholic Church, Popes, priests, nuns, bishops and cardinals take a vow of celibacy but some have been known to break this vow.

For centuries, the Catholic Church has elected a pope to rule the billions of adherents of the church across the globe.

Some of these Popes have been involved in several scandals, from mistresses and illegitimate children to shocking sex scandals, the Vatican sure has some dirty history.

Below are some of the most scandalous popes in history.

1. Pope Stephen VI (896 to 897)

Stephen VI dug up his predecessor's corpse and put it on trial

This Pope set out to get revenge on his predecessor, Pope Formosus, who he felt had wronged him. He exhumed the nine-month-old corpse of predecessor and put it on trial. Formosus corpse was found guilty of perjury and his body was tossed into the Tiber River. Later, it was recovered and given a proper burial.

READ ALSO: Rev Father undergoes 3 days dry fasting, gets flogged for hours (photos, video)

Pope Stephen VI was later arrested, locked in a dungeon and strangled to death by supporters of Formosus.

2. Pope John XII (955 to 964)

John XII was accused of "homicide, perjury, sacrilege"

He attained the title of pope at age 18 and was said to have turned his residence into a brothel by committing adultery with numerous women, including two widows and his own niece, as well as his father's long-term girlfriend. He was also gambled with church offerings and was accused of even castrating a cardinal. He was reported to have died at the age of 20 when a jealous husband caught him in bed with his wife and beat him up mercilessly. The pope died three days later.

3. Pope Benedict IX (1032 and 1048)

Benedict IX was "placed" into the papacy in 1032

He was a three-time pope and the nephew of both Pope John XIX and Pope Benedict VIII. He was not well liked and was described as "a demon from hell in the disguise of a priest." He reportedly stole, murdered and committed other, unspeakable deeds. He sold his holy title to his godfather for 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms) of gold.

4. Pope Boniface VIII (1294 - 1303)

Boniface VIII said pedophilia was no more problematic than "rubbing one hand against the other."

He said sleeping with boys was no more problematic than "rubbing one hand against the other." He erected statues of himself all over Rome and because of a personal political feud, the entire city of Palestrina was destroyed on his orders.

5. Pope Paul II (1464 - 1471)

Accounts of his death vary

He was a nephew of Pope Eugenius IV (14311447). Accounts of his death vary. Some said he died of stroke while being sodomized by a page boy. Some others claimed he had collapsed from severe indigestion after eating melon in excess.

6. Pope Sixtus IV (1471 - 1484)

He had an illegitimate child with his sister

This pope had six illegitimate children, including one with his sister. He created a church tax on prostitutes and charged priests for having mistresses. He made six of his nephews cardinals.

READ ALSO: Catholic priest seen with loaded rifle in Church

7. Pope Innocent VIII (1484 - 1492)

Innocent VIII had lots of illegitimate children

He acknowledged having eight illegitimate children, though he may have had more. He encouraged and blessed the act of witch hunting.

8. Pope Alexander VI (1492 to 1503)

Alexander VI bought his way into the papacy

He is one of the most memorable of the corrupt and secular popes. He bought his way into the papacy. His two dominant passions were love of women and greed of gold. He had a rollicking sex life and hosted an orgy in 1501 called the "Joust of Whores." He had several mistresses and fathered at least nine illegitimate children.

9. Pope Julius II (1503 to 1513)

Julius II had a bad case of syphilis

He reportedly had several mistresses and at least one illegitimate daughter. Despite his sacred oath of celibacy, he contracted syphilis, apparently via prostitutes, and on Good Friday in 1508 his feet were so covered by sores that the faithful could not kiss them.

10. Pope Leo X (1513 to 1521)

Leo X allowed the faithful to buy their way into heaven

Leo X was very corrupt and allowed worshippers to buy their way into heaven. He had the habit of putting prices on others' sins and requiring them to give him money in return for absolving their wrongdoings. He threatened them that their souls would not be able to enter heaven if they didn't pay up. Upon his death, he left the papacy close to bankruptcy.

11. Pope Julius III (15501555)

He was accused of having a love affair with his nephew

He allegedly had a long love affair with Innocenzo Ciocchi del Monte, his adoptive nephew, which was a cause of public scandal. The Venetian ambassador at that time reported that Innocenzo shared the pope's bed.

12. Paul IV (1555 - 1559)

He created a Jewish ghetto in Rome

He was unusually rigid and intolerant. Some of Rome's synagogues were destroyed under his reign. He was best known for his horrific acts of anti-Semitism. He created a Jewish ghetto in Rome, inside which Jews were obligated to identify themselves with a yellow head-covering. He was so hated that Paul IV was so hated that people ran through Rome and destroyed statues of him upon his death in 1559.

13. Pope Urban VIII (1623 t - 1644)

He incurred massive debts during his reign

He expanded the papal territory by force of arms and advantageous politicking. He practiced nepotism on a grand scale as he enormously enriched various members of his family. He incurred massive debts which greatly weakened his successors. During his reign, he was involved in a controversy with famed scientist Galileo and his theory on heliocentrism.

Source: Legit.ng
- Some survivors of the recent IDP camp bombing have said it was no mistake

- One survivor said the bombs were dropped twice and it was not accidental

- The Nigerian Air Force however maintains that it was wrong intelligence that led to the catastrophe

IDP camp bombing survivor

According to survivors of the IDP camp bombing, it was not a mistake as the Nigerian army claims. One of the survivors while recounting the ordeal says they were bombed three times.

Abdulwahab Adam, a survivor said: "The bombs were dropped on us thrice and there was no way a mistake could be made thrice. There was nothing accidental about the attack and it could not be referred to as a mistake.

"The federal government should stop telling Nigerians that it was a mistake; for this was not. It was nothing but an unprovoked attack on a civilian populace."

READ ALSO: IDP camp bombing victims in the hospital (photos)

IDP camp bombing: 6 photos of victims in the hospital that will make you cry

"This was not a new camp and the attack happened when people queued up to receive humanitarian materials."

According to Punch, another survivor, Abba Yusuf said the Nigeria Air Force must explain what really happened, saying:

"This is the same force that told the world that they did not drop the bomb on insurgents in the Sambisa Forest because of human shield but weeks later, dropped bombs on unarmed civilians in an IDPs' camp.

"Could they have been blindfolded to know that we were in a queue and we were unarmed or could they have mistaken the IDPs camp for the haven of insurgents?"

Also, one of the people, who trooped to the hospital to visit their relatives who sustained injuries in the attack, Yakubu Hassan, said: This is really unfortunate. I came to the hospital to get information about my brother, Babangida Hassan, only to be told that he was killed in the attack.

Meanwhile, the federal government sent a delegation, led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari, which included: Retired Brig. Gen. Mansur Dan Ali (Defence); and Alhaji Lai Mohammed (Information and Culture).Others like: the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai; and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.

Alhaji Kyari said: We are in Maiduguri at the instance of President Buhari to come over and condole with the people and government of Borno State over the unfortunate air strike that took place at Rann towns IDP Camp on Tuesday, leaving many innocent people dead and others wounded.

READ ALSO: You are insensitive, Ezekwesili attacks Buhari over accidental bombing

He assured the people that the Nigerian Armed forces would ensure that such incidents did not occur again.

However, there are emerging reports that a foreign country provided false intelligence to Nigeria on the location of Boko Haram terrorists leading to the accidental bombing of an IDP camp.

Source: Legit.ng
- Gambias army chief, Ousman Badjie, said he would not order his men to fight other Africans

- Badjie says the impasse in the country is a political affair

- ECOWAS troops are in nearby Senegal awaiting orders to advance into The Gambia

Gambias army chief, Ousman Badjie, has said he would not order his men to fight other African troops if they enter the Gambian territory.

Gambias army chief, Ousman Badjie. Photo credit: BBC

He spoke on Wednesday, January 18, as Senegalese and other Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) troops are stationed on The Gambias borders.

The West African troops are on standby to move into The Gambia as President Yahya Jammeh approached a midnight deadline to step down or face military action after refusing to leave at the end of his term.

READ ALSO: 6 facts you need to know about Yahya Jammeh, the out-going Gambian president

We are not going to involve ourselves militarily. This is a political dispute, Badjie said, after eating dinner in a tourist district close to the capital, Banjul.

He continued: I am not going to involve my soldiers in a stupid fight. I love my men, we are not going to involve ourselves militarily. This is a political dispute I am not going to involve my soldiers in a stupid fight. I love my men.

If they (Senegalese) come in, we are here like this, Badjie said, making a hands up to surrender gesture.

Meanwhile, the Senegal army spokesman Colonel Abdou Ndiaye said the Senegalese troops are on alert ahead of the expiration of Jammeh's deadline.

Our troops are on alert The ultimatum takes effect at midnight, he said.

READ ALSO: Nigeria deploys troops, fighter jets to Gambia

Meanwhile, Gambias Vice President Isatou Njie-Saidy has stepped down from her position following intense pressure on her boss.

Source: Legit.ng
- The Nigerian police have arrested a naval personnel Omojoye Ayodele for allegedly killing his wife in Lagos

- The Lagos police said the body of the victim Mary Egbailo has been deposited in the morgue for autopsy

- The police also said the case is currently under investigation

Naval officer kills wife in Lagos

The Nigerian police have arrested a naval personnel Omojoye Ayodele for allegedly killing his wife in Lagos.

The Lagos police command spokesperson Dolapo Badmus said the body of the victim Mary Egbailo has been deposited in the morgue for autopsy.

Badmus said: We received a report that a naval rating fought his wife and she slumped and was rushed to El Dunamis Hospital, where the doctors confirmed her dead. The corpse was deposited in the Mainland General Hospital mortuary for autopsy.

She also said the case is currently under investigation by the police.

READ ALSO: Gun Battle: Navy Kills 13 Militants In Niger Delta Region

Ayodele, an official of the Western Naval Command in Apapa was said to have beat up his wife in their Lagos resident at Eze Anthony Street, Igando.

Punch reports that the naval rating had gone to church to bring back his wife where she had been since Sunday, January 15.

It was gathered that Ayodele pounced on Mary after an argument ensued between the couple in their sitting room.

Mary was said to have died due to weakness and complication from the beating.

El Dunamis hospital operative said the victim was brought to the hospital in a tricycle in the company of her husband and two women.

The official who spoke under anonymity said the husband had claimed his wife drank sniper  a local insecticide.

She was brought around 11.30 am in a tricycle. A man, who wore military uniform and claimed to be her husband, was screaming that she took Sniper insecticide.

Doctors went to check her in the tricycle and it was discovered that she was dead. We immediately asked that she should be transferred to a general hospital. The husband was shouting to the hearing of everybody that she took Sniper.

It was also gathered that the lady would have since being buried but for their landlady who insisted that she did not drink the poisonous substance but was beaten to death by her husband.

The landlady said the naval personnel has been assaulting his wife physically.

She said: The man complained that for the past three days, his wife had been away from the house and gone to a church.

READ ALSO: Trouble looms in Warri as Navy kills Tompolo's kinsman

Around 10 am on Tuesday, both of them entered into the house. I guess he had just gone to pick her from church.

It was not up to three minutes that I started hearing noise. I went to their apartment and asked the man what the problem was, but he pushed me away and kept hitting her. He dragged her on the floor, among other things.

She also said that Mary ran away after she could not bear the beating until her husband went to bring her back from the church.

I begged her to wait outside till her husband calm down, but she said she wanted him to kill her, the landlady said.

She could not walk, so I decided to take her to a hospital. But nobody was willing to help me. If we had a vehicle on time, we would have probably saved her life. We were in front of my shop for about one hour, without any help.

She was still talking to me before she passed out. The last request she made was that she needed palm oil, she said.

The landlady, as gathered has earlier threatened to evict Ayodele for constantly abusing his wife.

We discussed together and she always shared her challenges with me. When her father came after she died, he kept saying his daughter never told him what was going on in her marriage. She was always covering up for him, she said.

Four months ago, Legit.ng had reported how a woman Ronke Shonde was allegedly killed by her husband in their home in Lagos.

Shonde's lifeless body was found on the floor with blood oozing from her head by her neigbhour who had broken into her house.

The husband, who also ran away after the incident, locked the kids with late Shonde in their house.

Source: Legit.ng
- A prosecution witness has revealed how a suspended Supreme Court justice wired money to him

- The justice in question is Justice Sylvester Ngwuta

- The money wired is N313 million for housing projects

A prosecution witness has revealed how a suspended Supreme Court justice wired money to him for housing projects, Daily Trust reports.

Justice Sylvester Ngwuta

Linus Chukwuebuka, a building contractor, told a Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday, January 18 that he received N313 million for the construction of the judges houses in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state between January and September 2014.

The judge was arraigned on 16-count charges bordering on money laundering, concealment of property, and obtaining multiple travel passports following the raid of his home by the Department of State Services on October 8, 2016.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Charles Adeogun Philips.

READ ALSO: Top lawyers, politicians to testify against arrested judges

Chukwuebuka said the judge first engaged him to construct a house on an empty plot of land in Abakaliki.

He said he gave a bill of N148 million for a four-bedroom bungalow, two four bedroom duplexes with a huge fence to enclose the buildings but the judge offered to pay only N130 million. He said he got initially N40m as mobilization.

He also said he got the payment in both naira and US dollar equivalents.

Reacting to questions by defence counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN) about how the sum of N4.3m counted by the DSS instead of N3m after the witness has moved N24m, he said: I spent N24m for the project. But the DSS counted smaller denominations from the bags recovered in his house and it came up to N4, 360, 000.

The prosecution claims the judge paid the N313 million for the projects despite being only legitimately entitled to about N24 million.

Justice James Tsoho adjourned the case to March 9 for hearing.

READ ALSO: DSS, AGF slams 6-count charges against accused judge

In his last appearance in court, the Federal High Court was told how N27 million disappeared from the bathroom of Justice Nguwta.

Source: Legit.ng
The embattled Gambia President Yahya Jammeh is becoming more isolated as more trusted aides have continued to desert him for refusing to step down from power.

Jammehs lawyer has fled the country and told him to step down immediately.

The latest to desert him is Edu Gomez, the lawyer representing him and his party Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) in their attempt to have the countrys Supreme Court overturn the victory of Adama Barrow and stop his inauguration as President.

READ ALSO: Gambia President Jammeh refuses to leave office as deadline passes

The lawyer, who has fled to Senegal, also penned a letter to President Yahya Jammeh asking him to step down in the interest of peace

The letter read: On Tuesday 17th January 2017, my son and I took a crucial decision to seek sanctuary in the sister Republic of Senegal. This was found necessary due to the mounting fear and rapidly increasing tension at every passing moment, he wrote.

The general perception is that after midnight on 18th January 2017, the mandate of President Yahya Jammeh would expire and President-elect Mr. Adama Barrow would be sworn-in as president, in line with the dictates of our constitution. Any attempt to interrupt this ceremony, it is clearly understood, opens the Gambia to attack from ECOWAS forces.

As a legal practitioner representing President Jammeh and the APRC the party in the ongoing petition filed on his behalf at the Supreme Court of the Gambia, I have to admit that I was working under tremendous pressure and coercion. All the lawyers with established practices in the Gambia refused to be associated with the said petition. As a retainer for the ruling APRC party, I could not refuse the brief on professional grounds, despite my apprehension.

READ ALSO: Nigeria deploys troops, fighter jets to Gambia

Having fortunately eluded the 24 hour military security around me and my family, I managed to arrive in Senegal where I now gained safety, respite and mental stability. In my present situation, I humbly and respectfully advise President Jammeh as the champion of peace he has been known to be to peacefully step aside in the interest of peace and safety of the Gambian people.

Everything, except Gods Kingdom, comes to an end. I advocate for a peaceful end rather than a violent and gruesome end. Please in the name of Most Merciful God do not allow your legacy to be described as one where pen of the sword dipped in innocent blood writes its history on the rough page of tyranny."

Meanwhile, Gambias army chief Ousman Badjie has said he would not order his men to fight other African troops if they enter the Gambian territory.

He spoke on Wednesday, January 18, as Senegalese and other Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) troops are stationed on The Gambias borders.

Source: Legit.ng
- The police has warned the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) not to disrupt the peace in Port Harcourt, Rivers state

- The police said the group must not jeopardize the provision of the 1999 Constitution as amended

The police has warned the IPOB not to disrupt the peace in Port Harcourt

The Nigerian police issued a warning to members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).

The police warned the group not to disrupt the peace in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on Friday, January 20.

READ ALSO: IPOB invites DSS, police to join its Trump solidarity rally (SEE EVIDENCE)

The IPOB had on Sunday, January 15, announced that it will embark on a Donald Trump solidarity rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

The group in its statement said the rally will be aimed at throwing its support behind a peaceful power transition between the United States President Barrack Obama and the President-elect Donald Trump.

The group also sent an invitation to the police, the Department of State Securities and some other agencies.

READ ALSO: Hope rises for Nnamdi Kanu as Ohaneze Ndigbo moves to call for his release

But speaking on the rally, the Abia state commissioner of police Leye Oyebade said that group should not move against the provision of the Nigerian constitution.

Oyebade warned the pro-Biafra activists not to take actions that would jeopardize the free movement of residents in Rivers state.

He also noted that the Nigerian police will not fold their arms and watch the activists disrupt the peace in the city.

There can never be a Republic within a Republic; the Police will con-tinue do their best to ensure that peace reigns. Oyebade said.

Source: Legit.ng
Editor's note: Hon. Olumuyiwa Jimoh, the Legit.ng partner blogger, in this article explains why true separation of power should be religiously followed between the Executive and Legislative arms of government.

Hon. Jimoh, is the Deputy Majority Leader and member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Apapa 2 Constituency.

He could be contacted through his mail: olumuyiwawahabjimoh@gmail.com

More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest bloggers.

Democracy in its various variants and manifestations has become an enduring and prevailing framework for governing societies in the recent past centuries.

It has proven to be thus far the best way for humanity to progressively organise production in a more stable and sustainable manner.

READ ALSO: Ndumes removal was necessary  Oyegun

The implication of this to national stability is that it has been generally agreed that nations that adopt this framework in organising themselves stand a better chance of creating a more stable and progressive society than others.

Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa and members of the parliament

Flowing from this, we can easily summarise that any nation that therefore works outside this platform is doomed to operate at sub-optimal level thus unable to pursue in a more coherent way the mission to grow and develop its economy.

If this framework with all its imperfections is what offers humanity as it is today the best hope for continuous and sustainable development, and, that is also what Nigeria as a nation has fortunately chosen to operate, then it is our duty to ensure that we allow its very fine tenets and applications to operate unfettered without distortion both in theory and in its practices.

A decapitated democracy offers no salvation to the people and becomes worse than other social constructs. It is stripped of its ability to deliver its full potentials to the nation.

A pseudo democracy is lukewarm and cannot function properly and is unable to muster the needed leverage to drive national development. A distorted democracy is akin to a tricycle without one of its leg. It will lay crippled, incapacitated without progress. That is the choice when a nation practices democracy in breach and its truly a kiss of death.

Unfortunately for us in Nigeria, that is a horrible choice we seem to have made. In our present practice of democracy, the legislature both at the federal and in all the states of the federation has become fully marginalised, compromised, subjugated and at best castrated.

There is always a struggle by the executive arm of government to hijack its leadership and processes so that it can control its outcomes. This is unfortunately now the prevailing understanding. The executive pursues this as a conscious and deliberate agenda. I do not only think, I know that this poses a great danger not only to democracy but undermines national stability and cohesion.

One of the basic principles of democratic practice is the critical provision for the Separation of Powers. This is functioned on the fact that democracy is anchored on a tripod  the Executive, the Legislature and the judiciary. The fundamentality of this is founded on the fact that it is upon it that the idea of democratic checks and balances is built thus derives traction.

Any attempt at fusing all these three arms into one arm becomes a movement or romance with despotism. It detracts from the sacred practice and defiles our politics contaminating it to an extent that it puts not just the people in danger but also the people who are short-sightedly pursuing this agenda and worst of all, it is a huge threat to national survival. This is where I am deeply worried.

When a nation therefore allows any of the arms to be undermined in anyway, it heavily compromises the entire framework and endangers the nation. It stifles the ability of the system to self-regulate, correcting, adjusting and progressing.

It allows the nation to gather clogs, remove fresh breathe and then putrefy and if left unchallenged goes into extinction. We therefore see any society that walks this path as a nation bent on committing hara-kiri.

READ ALSO: Senate in rowdy session as Ndume protests his removal

Throughout the history of governance in Nigeria, the Legislature has always been the most abused, bastardised and traumatised despite its well documented contributions to our dear nation.

It is the oldest arm of independent government in Nigeria as it was the first arm to attain full Nigerianship before the judiciary and the executive arms came through in October 1st 1960. One of the problems of our Democracy could therefore easily be situated in the disregard, marginalisation and abuse of one of our most experienced arm of Government in terms of origin.

We believe that for Nigeria to move forward, it has to seek a return to the traditions of democracy and tap into the experience and benefits of the Legislature. Until the Legislative arm is respected and fully given space to operate freely as an equal partner in our democratic journey, Nigeria will unfortunately remain in the doldrums of development.

A brief look at our history will suggest this continuous abnegation of the hallowed assembly of the people. After the first military coup, the Legislature was disbanded, but the other arms of government remained and were transformed in a new way. This was replicated throughout our sojourn in the wilderness of military hegemony.

Unfortunately, with the advent of democracy and the return of the Legislature, various leaders in the Executive arms have had to seek ways to capture or hijack the legislature so as to undermine its effectiveness and reduce it to a mere rubber stamp.

This historical struggle and abuse has contributed in the demise of our democracy and stifled the potency of our governance arrangements. It has led to wastage of resources and the dispensing of energies into pursuing shadows instead of the core substance of governance.

The unfortunate Ghana must go displays, the unfortunate paddings and the several struggles in the NASS and the various state houses of Assemblies were all attempt at compromising the Legislature with the single objective of muzzling and determining its various outcomes.

The Legislature remains the arm of government closest to the people thus is easily congruent and deeply consanguine with the feelings, desires and desires of the masses. Its marginalisation and subjugation is therefore a subjugation of the will of the masses; an alienation of the people and a total disdain of the sovereign power of the people exercised through the Legislature.

It is through the legislature that the people are given a critical voice during the life of a government . It is through them that millions of voices are articulated and desires are expressed and met while the various feelings of the masses are given vent.

The legislature is clearly critical to the success of any democracy as it becomes the major plank through which the people hold the Executive to account for their activities during their tenure.

We believe that the time has come for all lovers of democracy and indeed every Nigerian who still believe in democratic governance to stand up in support of upholding the principles of democracy.

It is our civic responsibility to protect and entrench democratic culture in our nation. Where the Legislature is allowed to operate unhindered; the full benefits of democracy are activated; the masses, Nigeria and even the political class become beneficiaries in the long run.

Our collective outrage should be expressed against any other arm of Government that tries to hijack the Legislature in whatever guise. We must collectively hold such attempts with disdain and contempt rejecting it as an abhorrent practice that does the nation no good.

When we keep quiet in the face of this continued marginalisation of the Legislature, we become unwitting collaborators with those who are bent on making a mockery of democracy including those whose desires are the continued undermining of the sovereign power and expressions of the people.

READ ALSO: Dogara condemns spate of impeachment of Assembly speakers

Nigerians must realise that the battle to free the Legislature is tied to our collective battle for good and effective governance. it is tied to our collective battle to stamp out corruption and free greater resources of the nation to serve the interests of the majority of Nigerians.

We must all come together as a nation across the various geographic expressions to restore the freedom of the legislature frowning at governors or presidents that undermine the nation through the continuous undermining of the powers of the legislature.

Steal the power of the legislature, steal the sovereign power of the people should be noted and creatively engaged. It is our moral, civic and collective responsibility. Time to save our democracy is now.

Olumuyiwa Jimoh

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Legit.ng.

Legit.ng welcomes writers, bloggers, photographers and all sorts of noise makers to become a part of our Bloggers network. If you are a seasoned writer or a complete newbie  apply and become Nigerias next star blogger.

Send us some info about your career, interests and expertise and why youd like to contribute to the Blogger Network at blogger@corp.legit.ng Also, please send us the link to your blog and three examples of your work.

More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest bloggers.

Source: Legit.ng
Editor's note: In this new piece, Jude Ndukwe, a political analyst has condemned the Economic Community of West African States for their decision in the crisis brewing in Gambia.

Ndukwe believes ECOWAS was hasty in its decision to compel Gambia's president Yahya Jammeh to concede defeat and hand over power to the president-elect Adama Barrow.

As it is now, The Gambia is under emergency rule as declared by its president of 22 years, Yahya Jammeh. The emergency rule has become necessary in the estimation of Jammeh, following his decision to challenge the outcome of the countrys December 1, 2016 election in which Adama Barrow was declared winner.

The impasse has been largely fueled by the haste with which the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has not only intervened but also interfered in what should, at this stage, be a purely internal matter of a sovereign nation.

RAED ALSO: Senate questions troops deployment to Gambia

Jammehs decision to challenge the outcome of the election result is very well within his constitutional rights. By this, the man who is said to have ruled his country with an iron fist, is still within his constitutional rights to test the validity of the election result in the law court.

Obviously, it is this right that the ECOWAS nations and indeed a good part of the world has misinterpreted to mean that Jammeh has refused to step down, and this is part of what has heightened the impasse.

Just like in Nigeria, the declaration of results by the electoral body does not mark the end of an electoral process in The Gambia. The political actors are still constitutionally permitted to challenge such results in the law court. Such electoral matters can only be said to have been fully dispensed with after the highest court constitutionally empowered to deal with such matters have done so.

ECOWAS will be making a grave mistake if they send in troops to The Gambia at this stage. What the regional body should be concerned with now is to send in fearless and impartial judges to that country from Nigeria as requested to dispense with the matter speedily and judiciously.

READ ALSO: As ECOWAS troops station outside Gambia, Barrow to be sworn in Senegal

It is only after the countrys highest courts have affirmed Barrow as winner and Jammeh refuse to step down and handover to Barrow that a military action would be justified.

Another mistake ECOWAS made was their choice of delegation as led by President Muhammadu Buhari to The Gambia as emissaries of peace and democracy to persuade Jammeh to hand over power peacefully and as scheduled.

Although Jammeh had earlier accepted defeat and promised to leave the stage on the set date of January 19, 2017, he immediately did an about-turn the moment Barrow made the hasty and politically disingenuous statement of probing Jammehs administration.

Jammeh, who from his earlier posture, wanted to play the Goodluck Jonathan card of handing over power to the opposition after an election must have quickly remembered the Nigerian situation where persecution, injustice, oppression, deprivation and gross abuse of the rights of officials of the immediate past administration in particular and the citizens in general have been the order of the day, and recanted his earlier stance immediately.

READ ALSO: Jammehs lawyer flees, asks him to step down immediately

The appointment of Buhari as leader of ECOWAS delegation to The Gambia is a monumental error. How can a man with no democratic credentials lead a mission of democracy?

How can a man who hardly obeys court orders as in the case of Sheikh El Zakzaky, Nnamdi Kanu et al be the one appointed to mediate in a constitutional process?

Not even the orders of the same ECOWAS court on Sambo Dasuki has been obeyed by Buhari months after they were given, yet, it is the same man ECOWAS gave the enviable responsibility to convince Jammeh about the need to leave the stage a democrat!

Buhari should not have been on that delegation not to talk of leading it.

With the continued denial of campaign promises and policy somersaults, no leader would take Buharis word for whatever it is worth.

With the rascally behavior of some of our security agencies under Buharis watch leading to many innocent citizens being killed just for exercising their rights to assemble and protest, among others, in Jammehs mind, Buharis discussion with him might just seem like a dictator talking to a dictator about the need for a peaceful transition.

In fact, during those dialogues with Buhari, Jammeh might just be saying in his mind, with your antecedents and current style of leadership, how am I sure that you would hand over power to your opponent if you were defeated in 2019?

READ ALSO: Senate questions troops deployment to Gambia

No doubt, Buhari is not the ideal example of a democratic leader. Such a leader like him needs the intervention of proven democrats to guide him on the inalienable ingredients of democracy.

So for The Gambia to pass through this phase peacefully and speedily, ECOWAS should facilitate the immediate transfer of judges from Nigeria to that country as requested and allow all parties exhaust all their constitutional rights and provisions made available to them.

While that is going on, democrats with proven track record of not being power-drunk and who also have themselves handed power over to members of the opposition including well respected figures like Nigerias Goodluck Jonathan, Ghanas John Mahama, Kofi Annan, Emeka Anyaoku etc should have been in the delegation to the exclusion of the likes of our own Buhari.

It is only after the courts might have ruled against him and such entreaties have failed that a military action becomes desirable.

For now, let the delegation be reshuffled and let The Gambia run the full course of its own constitutional provisions. That way we do not attempt to right a wrong with another wrong.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Legit.ng.

Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com  drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors.

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Source: Legit.ng
- The Nigerian Senators have agreed that approval must be sought from the Senate before Nigeria sends troops to any nation

- The point of order was raised by Senator Chukwuma Utazi on Wednesday, January 19

- Utazi's order was also noted by the Senate President Bukola Saraki

The Nigerian Senate said all troops deployment must be with its approval

The Nigerian Senate has questioned the deployment of Nigerian military troops to Gambia.

Raising a point of order, the Senator representing Enugu North Senatorial District Chukwuma Utazi said the National Assembly must be briefed before the country embarks on such activity.

Utazi who raised a point of order said a joint session of the Red Chamber must be briefed before troops are sent to any nation for such an assignment.

READ ALSO: As ECOWAS troops station outside Gambia, Barrow to be sworn in Senegal

The Senate President Bukola Saraki also noted the point of order made by the lawmaker.

Also, in agreement to Senator Utazi's remark, the deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu added that the approval the of the National Assembly is needed before the actual deployment of troops.

On Tuesday, January 18, the Nigerian air force sent 200 troops to Gambia ahead of the inauguration of the countrys President-elect Adama Barrow.

The need for the deployment of troops came after Gambias president Yayha Jammeh made moves not to relinquish power the newly elected president.

READ ALSO: Jammehs lawyer flees, asks him to step down immediately

Meanwhile, there is currently tension in Gambia as foreigners and other residents are scrambling to leave the currently for fear of an impending war.

However, Adama who is due to be inaugurated in the Gambian Embassy in Senegal  a border country - in a fresh statement has said that the era of Jammeh has ended.

Source: Legit.ng
Following the letter written by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Senate seeking a ten-day leave between Monday, January 23 to Monday, February 6, 2017, Nigerians have made different kinds of speculations about the purpose of the leave.

President Muhammadu Buhari.

The letter was read by Senate president, Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, January 19, during the plenary session where Buhari said the vacation would be a working leave. The letter conferred all powers on the vice president, Yemi osinbajo, who would be the acting president in the absence of Buhari.

This is the third time the president would be going on leave ever since he assumed office in 2015.

Taking the reins of leadership in Nigeria (with a long list of challenges) could sap one of every ounce of strength and although the president marked this period as a working leave, there are various assumptions over what he would be doing while he is away.

Also considering the state of the nation, Nigerians are wondering if this is the right time for the president to go on leave.

Find below a record of the times Buhari has gone on vacation ever since he became the president:

1. The short vacation taken in February 2016

A formal letter addressing President Buhari's vacation plan in February, 2016.

President Muhammadu Buhari took a vacation between February 5-10, 2016. The letter was written in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution. A formal note was dispatched to the Senate president and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Femi Adesina, the presidents special adviser on media and publicity, would later assure Nigerians over the well-being of the president when there were worries over the state of his health.

On February 8, 2016, the special media adviser spoke on national TV claiming the president needed the break as he had worked non-stop for 8 months and could break down like every other person.

He urged Nigerians to embrace the truth as the president took his leave using the proper channels and had given vice president Osinbajo the power to act in his place.

During his vacation, he attended a conference which touched on the Syrian crisis in London. It was the president's first vacation.

READ ALSO: Check out the Kanye West Yeezy boosts that Lai Mohammed wore (photos)

2. The 10-day vacation taken in June

A formal letter sent to the Nigerian Senate to inform them of the president's vacation.

The second time the president went on vacation was in June 2016 when he wrote a formal letter in compliance to Section 145 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution again. The letter stated that Buhari would be going off to London on June 6, 2016 to rest.

This vacation was taken in order for the president to see an E.N.T specialist for a persistent ear infection. Nigerian doctors recommended a further evaluation as a precautionary move to avoid further complications.

He will see an E.N.T specialist for a persistent ear infection. The president was examined by his personal physician and an E.N.T specialist in Abuja, and got his ear treated.

READ ALSO: Diversion of IDP food: EFCC arrests 5 people for diverting 300 bags of IDPs rice

3. The second 10-day vacation

President Muhammadu Buhari in a private jet.

This is the most recent vacation and it will be taken from January 23 and February 6, 2017. And as usual, a formal letter has been written in compliance with the Nigerian constitution.

The vice president has been made the 'president' for the third time since both of them assumed office.

Vice President Osinbajo will be acting on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari while the vacation lasts.

Source: Legit.ng
Shortly after sending a letter to the Senate requesting for a 10-day leave, President Muhammadu Buhari has left Abuja on a medical visit to the United Kingdom.

The president in a post on his Facebook page said: I'm traveling to the UK today on a short leave, part of my annual vacation. I'll be back at work on February 6.

I have formally notified the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, in line with the Constitution. Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo will act as president while I'm away.

READ ALSO: Check out the 3 times President Muhammadu Buhari went on vacation

See more photos below:

In a letter read at the plenary session of the Senate on Thursday, January 19, the president notified the president of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, of his vacation leaving vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo to act in his absence.

The president is to resume on Monday February 6.

This is the second time Buhari would travel to the UK for medical visit. In June 2016 the president went on a trip to the United Kingdom for medical treatment to treat an ear infection.

Source: Legit.ng
- Finally, Wole Soyinka has confirmed that he has destroyed his green card

- The Nobel laureate threatened to do so if Donald Trump won the November 8 elections

- The promise led to a lot of controversy in Nigeria about his ability to fulfill

Wole Soyinka

About a week before the November 8, 2016, presidential election in the United States of America, Professor Wole Soyinka threatened to destroy his green card if Donald Trump won.

He has finally confirmed that he has destroyed it in an interview with the Atlantic on Tuesday, January 17.

Soyinka confirmed he had followed through on his pledge as he celebrated Thanksgiving with his family in the US.

READ ALSO: Wole Soyinka and a drama titled Green Card

On November 2, 2016, six days before the US election, Soyinka while speaking to a student audience at Oxford Universitys Ertegun House said that he would hold his own, self-described Wolexit if Trump won, and destroy his green card.

He said: If in the unlikely event he does win, the first thing hell do is to say [that] all green-card holders must reapply to come back into the US. Well, Im not waiting for that, he said at the time. The moment they announce his victory, I will cut my green card myself and start packing up.

He said he had made his green card inoperable. Although he did not expand on how he had destroyed it, he said: I dont have strong enough fingers to tear up a green card. 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. Im no longer part of the society, not even as a resident.

Soyinka described the act as cathartic: I delivered myself from uncertainty, from discomfort, from internal turmoil.

READ ALSO: See picture of Wole Soyinka before and 'after' he threatened to tear his green card

This is not the first time Wole Soyinka had embarked on an act of rebellion, the first African writer to be awarded the Nobel prize in literature, was jailed twice for his criticism of the Nigerian government during the 1960s, famously composing protest poems on toilet paper from his cell in solitary confinement.

Meanwhile, Soyinka has condemned the way President Muhammadu Buhari and Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna state, handled the mass killings in Southern Kaduna.

Source: Legit.ng
The Sun is reporting that vice president Yemi Osinbajo is rushing back to Nigeria from Switzerland where he was attending the World Economic Forum.

Vice president Osinbajo has reportedly shortened his trip to Switzerland.

Osinbajo, who led the countrys delegation to the forum in Davos, The Sun reports, was initially expected back in Nigeria on Friday, January 20 but is now returning to the country a day earlier than scheduled.

READ ALSO: Check out the 3 times President Muhammadu Buhari went on vacation

Osinbajos return is occasioned by the departure of President Muhammadu Buhari who left the country on Thursday, January 19 for the United Kingdom just shortly after his letter of vacation to the National Assembly was read during opening of plenary.

The trip to UK, The Sun reports, is part of President Buharis annual vacation.

The presidents special adviser on media and publicity Femi Adesina said in a statement on Thursday that he will undergo medical check-up the UK before returning.

Source: Legit.ng
Lagos state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday, January 19, said that his administration would consolidate on its infrastructural renewal drive with the construction of 181 local government roads in the current fiscal year, saying the process for the award of the contract would commence next week.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), with his Deputy, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule (left) and Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I (right) during the 1st Quarter 2017 Town Hall meeting

Governor Ambode, who spoke at the first Quarterly Town Hall Meeting for 2017, the sixth in the series, held at the Ajelogo Housing Scheme, Ajelogo Market Road, Akanimodo, Mile 12, said the 181 roads, is an improvement on the 114 roads, two in each local government, which his administration promised to embark upon every year.

READ ALSO: Protest in support of Buhari rocks Lagos (PHOTOS)

Acknowledging that most of the requests made by residents during the interactive session at the Town Hall Meeting were majorly on roads owing to the success of the 114 roads delivered in September 2016, the Governor said his administration thought it wise to ensure that the roads captured for 2017 are key roads that would have economic impact on the people living in that axis, hence the increase to 181 roads.

I want to pronounce here that you should watch out next week in the newspapers, we are advertising 181 roads which would be done in all our local governments.

What we have found out is that if we decided to continue with two, some of those roads are not linking each other to the main road, so most likely you would see that if we are supposed to do some road in some local governments, it would only make economic sense if there is a linkage. So you would see in the advert that some local governments would have like three, some would have four roads, but the average is that 181 if you divide it by 57 that would be a minimum of three roads from each local governments, Ambode said.

The Governor said that the choice of the roads to be constructed had been made by the local governments in conjunction with the engineers, assuring that before the end of the year when the road would be delivered, the people would be better for it.

Giving his account of stewardship in the last quarter, Governor Ambode said the choice of Akanimodo, Mile 12 as venue for the meeting was to show that the axis has not been left behind in the developmental progress ongoing in the State, saying he had come to listen to the needs of the people and where government intervention was in dire need.

He said in the last quarter, his administration kicked off its Rent-To-Own and Rental Housing Policy aimed at providing affordable units across the three Senatorial Districts, disclosing that there are 4,355 housing units available with over 500 applicants prequalified so far, while allocation would commence next week.

On the agricultural sector, the Governor said his administration was already looking to build on the first fruits of its partnership with Kebbi State Government with the launch of LAKE RICE in December 2016, adding that in the current quarter the government would embark on the rehabilitation of the Oko-Oba Abattoir and Lairage Complex, Agege in line with the promise to increase meat production output, develop the red meat value chain and restructure the complex for improved operations.

Governor Ambode also said that the Neighbourhood Safety Corps would become operational in the current quarter with the recruitment of 5700 personnel, while 100 would be deployed to each of the local government to complement the efforts of other security agencies in policing the State.

Expressing optimism that 2017 holds great expectations for Lagos, especially as the State gets set to mark its landmark Golden Jubilee on May 27, his administration would continue with its urban regeneration initiatives, building new infrastructure and maintaining existing ones.

He listed some of the key projects to be done to include Agric-Isawo-Arepo Road in Ikorodu, AjelogoAkanimodo Road Rehabilitation, Oshodi to Murtala Mohammed Airport Road, Ketu-Alapere Inner Roads Phase II, Oke OsoAragaPoka in Epe, Topo Garage to VIP Chalet in Badagry, Ladipo Market Road and Multilayer Car Park , Mushin and establishment of Bus Terminals and depots in Yaba, Ikeja, Oyingbo, Anthony, Ketu and Toll Gate, while more beneficiaries will receive funding from the N25bn Employment Trust Fund in January.

Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, in his remarks urged the Governor to give priority to the construction of Adeniji-Adele Road and ensure the construction of other roads that deserve utmost attention in the area.

He also urged the Governor to improve the standard of markets in the area to enviable standards, while urging total reconstruction of non-approved and unauthorised buildings already built within major markets in Lagos Island.

Akiolu further urged Lagosians to continue to cooperate and support the present administration as well as desist from any form of clandestine meetings that may undermine the progress of Governor Ambodes administration.

READ ALSO: Buhari has placed Nigerians under captivity - Arewa Youth Consultative Forum

Responding to questions that bordered on security, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni said with the continued support of the State Government, the Command increased the number of personnel in Ketu-Epe Police Post from two to seventy to effectively combat kidnapping and other crimes in Agbowa, Itoikin and environs, as well as transformed the hitherto abandoned Iyun Police Post to anti-kidnapping unit, while two gun boats were moved to Ejirin.

Owoseni, however, urged traditional rulers and community elders to caution their subjects especially the youths on the need to be law abiding, shun all forms of criminal activities, and only be engaged in lawful means of livelihood.

Source: Legit.ng
- Rev Emmanuel Obimma has said the policies of the President Buhari have spread poverty across Nigeria

- The spiritual director of the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry calls on the presidency to do something fast to save Nigerians going through hardship

- Rev Obimma says the Buharis administration has failed Nigerians

Rev Obimma has said the policies of the President Buhari have spread poverty across Nigeria.

The spiritual director of the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, has said the change in Nigeria now under President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was not the change the people bargained for.

READ ALSO: Protest in support of Buhari rocks Lagos (PHOTOS)

The cleric popularly known as Ebube Muonso, on Thursday, January 19, said before Buhari was voted in as president, the Holy Ghost revealed to him that Buhari will win the election, but that his reign would bring doom to Nigerians.

The cleric said the policies of the president have spread poverty across Nigeria, The Sun reports.

He said: It is a known fact that our economy is simply bastardized. Nigerian economy is in shambles. I will like to use this medium to tell Buhari that Nigerians are crying. As priests of God, we are the people receiving feedback from the people. When things are getting so bad, we are the people they run to.

He called on the presidency to do something fast to save Nigerians going through hardship.

Go to hospitals, peoples are lying helplessly. Some Nigerians today cannot afford their house rents. There is hunger everywhere. People are dying. Buhari, people are dying in your hands he yelled.

READ ALSO: Nigerians slam Buhari over ban on importation of cars

He said Buharis leadership is not the kind of change Nigerians need, insisting that Nigerians need good leadership.

The cleric called for fervent prayers and for change, saying the Buharis administration has failed Nigerians.

Meanwhile, a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the aegis of Stand Up Nigeria (SUN) has blamed former President Goodluck Jonathan for the present hardship being experienced by Nigerians.

In a rally staged by the group tagged One Million Man Rally for President Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos on Thursday, January 19, the group insisted that all the problems the country is presently facing could have been averted if former President Jonathans administration had been proactive in the management of the countrys resources.

The group made this known in a statement signed by the South-West Coordinator of the group John Blessing.

The group also urged Nigerians to stand by President Buhari in his reforms.

He added that it was wrong of anybody to apportion blame on the president for the economic problems facing the country.

Source: Legit.ng
About books, reading, the power of fiction, some music, some movies. These are my opinions, my thoughts, my views. There is much wisdom afloat in the world and I like finding it in books. Communicating about wisdom found keeps it from getting lost.
Sonny Perdue, the former governor of Georgia from 2003 to 2011, has been named by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the U.S. Agriculture Secretary.

Perdues nomination, which must be confirmed by the Senate, was announced just a few days before Trumps inauguration as the 45th president.

From growing up on a farm to being governor of a big agriculture state, he has spent his whole life understanding and solving the challenges our farmers face, and he is going to deliver big results for all Americans who earn their living off the land," Trump said in a statement.

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported that Perdue, if confirmed, would become the first agriculture secretary from a Southern state since Mike Espy of Mississippi ran the department in the early 1990s.

As agriculture secretary, Perdue would oversee an agency with a budget exceeding $150 billion. USDA, which was created in 1862 during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, oversees various issues of national importance from agriculture and food safety to conservation of resources.

The 70-year-old Perdue hails from the largest chicken-producing state in the nation, according to the National Chicken Council, a Washington-based trade association.

Governor Perdue has a strong record as two-term chief executive of Georgia and is acquainted with a wide array of agriculture commodities, from chicken and peanuts to cotton and timber," said Mike Brown, president of the National Chicken Council, in a statement. As a veterinarian, agribusiness owner and a governor who established an agricultural advisory committee in Georgia, he understands and appreciates the importance of American agriculture both here and abroad. He is a welcomed choice from the Broiler Belt."

The National Pork Producers Council described Perdues appointment to Trumps Cabinet as very good for Americas farmers and ranchers." The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), which represents food, beverage and consumer product companies, also weighed in on the former governors nomination.

As Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdues agricultural business background and experience as governor will serve the U.S. well," the trade group said in a statement. GMA looks forward to working with him on issues key to keeping America's food the safest and most affordable food supply in the history of the world."

Perdue would succeed former USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, who recently stepped down after leading the agency for eight years during the two terms of the Obama administration. Vilsack is joining the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) as president and CEO, effective Feb. 1, 2017.
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BONANZA, Nicaragua  Nicaraguan rescuers have saved 22 of at least 26 workers trapped in a mine collapse and were working Saturday to free the rest, officials said.

Rosario Murillo, Nicaraguas first lady, said 20 of the miners were freed late Friday, in addition to two who made their way to safety shortly after a Thursday morning collapse cut off the exit at the El Comal gold and silver mine in the town of Bonanza.

One of the rescued miners, Marvin Urbina, 34, said that he and some of his fellow miners saw an avalanche of mud and rock coming their way.

They stuck to the walls of the mine, but at least four of their co-workers were crushed by the mud and rock streaming down the shaft, he said.
The first prototype unit in this new force, an interim spearhead force made up of 3,000 to 4,000 German, Dutch and Norwegian troops, will be operational by next year, NATO officials said this month, but a permanent force will not be up and running until at least 2016.

Lithuania, however, decided it could not wait that long.

The situation in the region has changed, General Tamosaitis said. And we need to counter these emerging threats, this new kind of hybrid war.

Such conflict continues to simmer in eastern Ukraine, with Western leaders charging  and Moscow denying  that Russian troops are training, arming and fighting alongside local insurgents. And Russia has been increasingly provocative in its use of military flights and naval operations in the Baltic Sea.

Last Friday, the Danish aviation authorities had to warn a Swedish passenger jet leaving Copenhagen to change course to avoid a Russian military aircraft flying with its transponder turned off. Two days earlier, a plane flying out of Finland had a similar episode involving a Russian jet with its transponder off. In October, the region was transfixed for more than a week by the search for a submarine, suspected of being from Russia, which witnesses claimed to have spotted near the Swedish coast.

In all, NATO officials said early this month, there had been more than 400 incidents this year in which alliance aircraft were scrambled to match the presence of Russian military jets. That was an increase of 50 percent over 2013, they said.

The Russians are testing what they can get away with, Juozas Olekas, Lithuanias defense minister, said in an interview. Theyre testing how we react. They are exercising. They are demonstrating their power.
SKOPJE, Macedonia  Hours after several hundred migrants bypassed a line of baton-wielding police officers on Saturday to enter Macedonia from Greece, nearly all those remaining on the Greek side of the border were allowed in, according to video footage and human rights activists at the scene. By Saturday evening, only around 200 people were left behind a fenced area on the line that separates the two countries.

Some of the people who entered continued their trip north, toward the Serbian border, via taxis and private buses. But most headed toward the train station about three miles away in the border town of Gevgelija, joining more than 2,000 people there waiting for a train to Serbia and Hungary, and then on toward wealthier European countries.

Earlier in the day, the Macedonian police used stun grenades in an effort to restore control and to return those who had managed to slip across the border in an area where the police presence was thinner and where there was no barbed wire. Officers gave chase as migrants ran through fields near Gevgelija, but because of their sheer numbers, many escaped. Some officers kicked migrants and beat them with batons, but humanitarian workers said there were no serious injuries.

The migrants, most of them fleeing violence in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, had grown impatient after spending most of Friday night in open fields under heavy rainfall, according to activists. About 4,000 migrants crossed into Macedonia on Saturday, including those who slipped beyond the police cordon and those allowed in later.
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso  With troops converging on the capital on Monday and angry protests in the streets, the general who seized power last week in Burkina Faso apologized to the nation and promised to hand power back to the civilian authorities.

The coup leader, Gen. Gilbert Diendere, said in a statement Monday evening that given the seriousness of the security situation and the risk of chaos, civil war and massive violation of human rights, he and his followers would stand down once a political compromise brokered by West African leaders was in place. The statement said the coup leaders deplored the loss of lives, injuries and damage from the political crisis and would work for the cohesion of the army.

The country has been in turmoil since the coup, which was mounted by an elite army unit loyal to the countrys previous president, Blaise Compaore. He was forced from office in October by mass protests against his plans to extend his tenure beyond the 27 years he had already held power.

The interim government that replaced Mr. Compaore barred his supporters from taking part in elections scheduled for this fall, and loyalists in the elite Presidential Security Regiment responded by staging the coup on Thursday. They arrested the interim president, Michel Kafando, and the prime minister, Lt. Col. Isaac Zida.
Mathieu Kerekou, who seized control of the West African nation of Benin in a military coup in 1972 and proclaimed a one-party Marxist state, but nearly two decades later presided over the regions first peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy, died on Wednesday in Cotonou, Benin. He was 82.

His death was announced by his elected successor, Thomas Boni Yayi.

Mr. Kerekou led Benin, an impoverished cotton-growing country the size of Pennsylvania on the Gulf of Guinea, in two different guises: as its strongman from 1972 to 1991, and as its democratically elected president from 1996 to 2005. In that transformation, from one to the other, is where is his most enduring legacy lies.

Under pressure from a conference of prominent citizens he had convened, he agreed to hold free elections in 1991 and then agreed to give up power when he lost.

The decision set off an unraveling of one-party rule across West Africa, inspiring movements toward multiparty democracy.
VILLA BAVIERA, Chile  Claudio Pacheco took his family on an outing recently to Villa Baviera, a picturesque farming community tucked away in the foothills of the Andes. They ate a variety of German dishes and won a live deer in a raffle.

And like other visitors, they spent much of the day wandering some of Villa Bavieras 35,000 acres of forests, farmland and rolling hills  neatly trimmed lands once used to torture, kill and bury political prisoners, amass weapons and terrorize a community.

Villa Baviera, once home to a deeply secretive German sect whose former leader was convicted of sexually abusing young boys and was under investigation for collaborating with the regime of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, has reinvented itself as a tourist attraction in a bid to stay alive after its leader fled the country and the colony fell into financial disarray.

The community, which at its peak in the 1960s and 70s had about 300 members, has turned former workshops where devotees labored without pay into a hotel. The communal dining hall, one of the few places where parents in the colony could glimpse the children who had been stripped away from them, is now a public restaurant. It celebrates Oktoberfest, and a small store sells souvenirs and homemade pastries and sausages.
PARIS  The prime minister of France said Tuesday that three assailants involved in the deadly attacks in the capital of Burkina Faso last week might have escaped.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls told lawmakers at the National Assembly, Frances lower house of Parliament, that the attacks on the Splendid Hotel and a nearby cafe on Friday night had been carried out by six people. Three were killed in a raid early Saturday by Burkinabe security forces, aided by French soldiers, and three were still at large, he said.

Mr. Valls did not identify the suspects, nor did he provide additional details about the attacks, which left at least 30 people dead in Ouagadougou, the capital.

The authorities in Burkina Faso had not confirmed Mr. Vallss account. A spokesman for the Burkina Faso Army said that, after reviewing video of the attacks, the authorities believed the gunmen who were killed in the raid might have had accomplices.
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Barack Obama, US President: We strengthen our alliances; with our new defence guidelines, Japan and the United States will do even more together to uphold regional security. Weve expanded our collaboration with the Republic of Korea, including our missile defence, to counter North Korean threats. Today, I will be meeting with President Park to reaffirm our unbreakable alliance and to insist that the international community will remain united so that North Korea understands that its provocations will only continue to deepen its isolation. With our US marines now rotating through Australia we can respond even faster to regional challenges. With our new access agreement with the Philippines, our militaries are closer than they have been in decades. 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Barack Obama, US President: We have worked to build a constructive relationship with China. Our two governments continue to have serious differences in important areas. The United States will remain unwavering in our support for universal human rights but at the same time we have shown that we can work together to advance mutual interests. The United States and China are engaged across more areas than ever before - from preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon to our shared commitment to denuclearising the Korean Peninsula, to our historic leadership together on climate change. 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Barack Obama, US President: And across the region, including in the East and South China seas, the United States will continue to fly and sail and operate wherever international law allows and support the right of all countries to do the same. We will stand with our partners and allies in upholding fundamental interests, among them freedom of navigation and overflight, lawful commerce thats not impeded and peaceful resolution of disputes. Thats the security that we see. 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Barack Obama, US President: We will have to cooperate better together to stop terrorist attacks and to prevent the spread of the worlds most dangerous weapons. We will have to work together to avoid the worst effects of climate change. We have to work together to stop the horror of human trafficking and end the outrage of modern-day slavery. These are areas where we seek deeper cooperation.
HAVERFORD, Pa.  At first glance, Guatemalas recent steps to root out organized crime look impressive: Working with the United Nations, the countrys attorney general has dismantled a major criminal network tied to the political party led by the former president Otto Perez Molina, who now sits in jail  along with his vice president and some 200 other disgraced cabinet ministers, congressmen, civil servants, businessmen, bankers, lawyers and judges.

But looks can be deceiving. Guatemala still faces formidable resistance to change from organized crime, powerful business executives, and corrupt judges and politicians. Ordinary citizens, meanwhile, are reluctant to participate in transforming a political system that they dont yet trust.

The cost of failure in Guatemala would be enormous. Not only would democracy in that country be imperiled, but the prospects for reform across the region would suffer a dire setback.

In the last 18 months, Guatemala has done more than just arrest a few high-profile figures. Congress has approved reforms enhancing transparency in political and campaign financing and the allocation of government contracts; other measures aim to professionalize the civil service and the judicial system. A decade of work building a professional and powerful attorney generals office is paying off. Former prosecutors now run the Ministry of the Interior and administer the tax collection office.
This year, the adage that falsehood flies and the truth comes limping after it doesnt begin to describe the problem. That idea assumes that the truth eventually catches up. Theres not much evidence of this happening for the millions of people taken in by the fake news stories  like Pope Francis endorsing Donald Trump or Mr. Trump pulling ahead of Hillary Clinton in the popular vote  that have spread on social media sites.

Most of the fake news stories are produced by scammers looking to make a quick buck. The vast majority of them take far-right positions. But a big part of the responsibility for this scourge rests with internet companies like Facebook and Google, which have made it possible for fake news to be shared nearly instantly with millions of users and have been slow to block it from their sites.

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and chief executive of Facebook, has dismissed the notion that fake news is prevalent on his platform or that it had an influence on the election. But according to a BuzzFeed News analysis, during the last three months of the presidential campaign, the 20 top fake news stories on Facebook generated more engagement  shares, likes and comments  than the 20 top stories from real news websites.

These hoaxes are not just bouncing around among like-minded conspiracy theorists; candidates and elected officials are sharing them, too. Senator Ben Sasse, Republican of Nebraska, on Thursday tweeted about people who have been paid to riot against Mr. Trump  an idea propagated by fake news stories. A man who wrote a number of false news reports told The Washington Post that Trump supporters and campaign officials often shared his false anti-Clinton posts without bothering to confirm the facts and that he believes his work may have helped elect the Republican nominee.
Lithuanias foreign minister, Linas Linkevicius, said last week that he was very afraid for the Baltic States  Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia  which sit along NATOs increasingly tense frontier with Russia. He expressed concern that Russia might try to test the United States before Mr. Trump takes office as president on Jan. 20.

During the American election campaign, Mr. Trump called on NATO members to spend more for their collective security and rely less on the United States. Members are supposed to spend at least 2 percent of gross domestic product on their military, but only the United States, Britain, Greece, Poland and Estonia do so now.

Mr. Skvernelis said in a statement after his election on Tuesday that Lithuania would join them.

We are ready to increase financing for our military up to 2 percent by the end of 2017  2018 at the latest, he said. On top of that, we will increase spending on interior security systems, such as border control, civil defense and intelligence services.

Mr. Skvernelis said his government had full trust in the United States, as well as other partners in NATO. The European Unions sanctions should be relaxed only when there is real progress on the ground from Russias side, he said, but so far, the involvement of Russian forces in Georgia and Ukraine does not imply willingness to cooperate in a neighborly spirit.

Unlike the more prosperous countries of northwestern Europe, Lithuania worries about emigration, not immigration. Young people leave in search of jobs and higher living standards, and the population has been falling. The Peasants and Greens Union promised to stem the exodus by emphasizing the nations cultural heritage, luring investment to rural areas, and cleaning up corruption, especially in the health and defense ministries.
GABCIKOVO, Slovakia  Since Slovakia joined the European Union in 2004, Emil Hirjaks fortunes have risen along with his countrys.

Now 46, Mr. Hirjak has a wood products company and just bought a small sawmill in Gabcikovo. He has benefited from the blocs free movement of travel, goods and labor.

Young people who are clever can travel and work abroad, and come back or not, and as for the economy, we can export, he said. We wouldnt survive otherwise.

He ought to be a cheerleader for the European Union, but he is ambivalent at best. And his ambivalence speaks to a fundamental and growing problem for the union. Even in countries that have prospered, public sentiment is steadily shifting against Brussels.
When the news feed was announced, before the emergence of the modern Facebook sharing ecosystem, Facebooks operating definition of news was pointedly friend-centric. Now, whenever you log in, youll get the latest headlines generated by the activity of your friends and social groups, the announcement about the news feed said. This would soon change.

In the ensuing years, as more people spent more time on Facebook, and following the addition of Like and Share functions within Facebook, the news feed grew into a personalized portal not just for personal updates but also for the cornucopia of media that existed elsewhere online: links to videos, blog posts, games and more or less anything else published on an external website, including news articles. This potent mixture accelerated Facebooks change from a place for keeping up with family and friends to a place for keeping up, additionally, with the web in general, as curated by your friends and family. Facebooks purview continued to widen as its user base grew and then acquired their first smartphones; its app became an essential lens through which hundreds of millions of people interacted with one another, with the rest of the web and, increasingly, with the world at large.

Facebook, in other words, had become an interface for the whole web rather than just one more citizen of it. By sorting and mediating the internet, Facebook inevitably began to change it. In the previous decade, the popularity of Google influenced how websites worked, in noticeable ways: Titles and headlines were written in search-friendly formats; pages or articles would be published not just to cover the news but, more specifically, to address Google searchers queries about the news, the canonical example being The Huffington Posts famous What Time Does The Super Bowl Start? Publishers built entire business models around attracting search traffic, and search-engine optimization, S.E.O., became an industry unto itself. Facebooks influence on the web  and in particular, on news publishers  was similarly profound. Publishers began taking into consideration how their headlines, and stories, might travel within Facebook. Some embraced the site as a primary source of visitors; some pursued this strategy into absurdity and exploitation.

Facebook, for its part, paid close attention to the sorts of external content people were sharing on its platform and to the techniques used by websites to get an edge. It adapted continually. It provided greater video functionality, reducing the need to link to outside videos or embed them from YouTube. As people began posting more news, it created previews for links, with larger images and headlines and longer summaries; eventually, it created Instant Articles, allowing certain publishers (including The Times) to publish stories natively in Facebook. At the same time, it routinely sought to penalize sites it judged to be using the platform in bad faith, taking aim at clickbait, an older cousin of fake news, with a series of design and algorithm updates. As Facebooks influence over online media became unavoidably obvious, its broad approach to users and the web became clearer: If the network became a popular venue for a certain sort of content or behavior, the company generally and reasonably tried to make that behavior easier or that content more accessible. This tended to mean, however, bringing it in-house.

To Facebook, the problem with fake news is not just the obvious damage to the discourse, but also with the harm it inflicts upon the platform. People sharing hoax stories were, presumably, happy enough with they were seeing. But the people who would then encounter those stories in their feeds were subjected to a less positive experience. They were sent outside the platform to a website where they realized they were being deceived, or where they were exposed to ads or something that felt like spam, or where they were persuaded to share something that might later make them look like a rube. These users might rightly associate these experiences not just with their friends on the platform, or with the sites peddling the bogus stories but also with the platform itself. This created, finally, an obvious issue for a company built on attention, advertising and the promotion of outside brands. From the platforms perspective, fake news is essentially a user-experience problem resulting from a lingering design issue  akin to slow-loading news websites that feature auto-playing videos and obtrusive ads.

Increasingly, legitimacy within Facebooks ecosystem is conferred according to a participants relationship to the platforms design. A verified user telling a lie, be it a friend from high school or the president elect, isnt breaking the rules; he is, as his checkmark suggests, who he represents himself to be. A post making false claims about a product is Facebooks problem only if that post is labeled an ad. A user video promoting a conspiracy theory becomes a problem only when it leads to the violation of community guidelines against, for example, user harassment. Facebook contains a lot more than just news, including a great deal of content that is newslike, partisan, widely shared and often misleading. Content that has been, and will be, immune from current fake news critiques and crackdowns, because it never had the opportunity to declare itself news in the first place. To publish lies as news is to break a promise; to publish lies as content is not.

That the fake news problem and its proposed solutions have been defined by Facebook as link issues  as a web issue  aligns nicely with a longer-term future in which Facebooks interface with the web is diminished. Indeed, it heralds the coming moment when posts from outside are suspect by default: out of place, inefficient, little better than spam.
PARIS  Since 2011, when investigators first impounded luxury cars held by the family of Equatorial Guineas president, anticorruption groups hoped that France would deal a mortal blow to the injustice they believe has enriched the countrys elites while many of its citizens languish in poverty.

On Wednesday, a judge decided they would have to wait a bit longer.

Three days into the closely watched trial of the presidents son, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, on embezzlement and money-laundering charges, the presiding judge, Benedicte de Perthuis, agreed to give the defense more time to prepare. The judge rescheduled the trial for June 19.

Mr. Obiang, known by the nickname Teodorin, is the son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who took power in a 1979 coup and is the longest-serving head of a government in Africa. A former Spanish colony, oil-rich Equatorial Guinea has experienced a boom that started around 2004, but the gains have been far from evenly distributed; half the country lives in poverty.
Around noon on Friday, the presidency of Barack Obama will officially be history, and for months the news media has been awash in considerations of the first African-American presidents legacy.

But theres one aspect of his record that has received less attention: his legacy as a historian.

True, Mr. Obama may be unlikely to emulate Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson and follow his years in the Oval Office with a stint as president of the American Historical Association. But some scholars see in him a man who used the presidency not just as a bully pulpit but also as something of a historians lectern.

And he wielded it, they say, to tell a story more strikingly in sync with the bottom-up view of history that dominates academic scholarship than with the biographies of great leaders that rule the best-seller list.

Obama had these confabs with the presidential historians, but I dont think he thinks like a presidential historian, James Grossman, the executive director of the American Historical Association, said, referring to the regular dinners Mr. Obama held with leading historians in the early years of his presidency. I think he thinks like a social historian.
Petty irritations and a desire for divine justice inspired Michael Schur to create the most acclaimed new network comedy of the fall.

The Good Place, on NBC, stars Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop, an abrasive young dead woman who, thanks to a clerical error, is sent to the heavenly afterlife of the title. It is depicted as a sunny, Day-Glo, multicultural neighborhood full of delights  flying lessons, abundant frozen yogurt  and overseen by Michael (Ted Danson), an avuncular but possibly in-over-his-head celestial being. It is also coming apart, thanks to the arrival of Eleanor and other interlopers destined instead for the less agreeable Bad Place, managed by Trevor (Adam Scott), an obnoxious uber-bro.

The concept came from driving around L.A. and observing the kinds of small bad behaviors that humans exhibit every day, like traffic offenses or public spitting, said Mr. Schur, 41, who was a creator of Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine and also wrote for The Office. A just universe would tally and punish such transgressions, he decided, so he set out to create one.

The shows 13 tightly plotted, highly serialized episodes play out like a farcical mini-series, as Eleanors ultimate fate is debated, and surprisingly heady concepts, like Kantian ethics, are aired along the way. Critics have almost universally praised the show, though the viewing numbers have been middling. Ive made my peace with it, to some extent, but that doesnt mean I dont want there to be more people watching the show, Mr. Schur said.
Gillian Flynn There were books that would blend, I think, really good writing with thriller genres. I mean, I thought Gone Girl was a well-constructed, well-written book.

Lauren Groff Mr. Obama enjoyed Ms. Groffs really powerful novel Fates and Furies.

Abraham Lincoln Mr. Obama said, He is a very fine writer. Id put the Second Inaugural up against any piece of American writing  as good as anything. One of the great treats of being president is, in the Lincoln Bedroom, theres a copy of the Gettysburg Address handwritten by him, one of five copies he did for charity. And there have been times in the evening when Id just walk over, because its right next to my office, my home office, and I just read it.

Image Toni Morrison Credit... Kirsten Luce for The New York Times

Toni Morrison Song of Solomon is a book I think of when I imagine people going through hardship. That its not just pain, but theres joy and glory and mystery.

V. S. Naipaul His A Bend in the River, which starts with the line, The world is what it is; men who are nothing, who allow themselves to become nothing, have no place in it. And I always think about that line, and I think about his novels when Im thinking about the hardness of the world sometimes, particularly in foreign policy, and I resist and fight against sometimes that very cynical, more realistic view of the world. And yet, there are times where it feels as if that may be true.
ALBANY  It was last April when Carl E. Heastie first suggested that the so-called millionaires tax might be a major issue in the session to come.

Next year, we absolutely have to deal with what to do on income taxes, said Mr. Heastie, the Bronx Democrat who serves as speaker of the New York State Assembly. And well continue to push it.

As this years budget negotiations formally kicked off with the executive branchs proposal on Tuesday, that tax on the wealthy had risen to the very top of the list of priorities for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who essentially framed the tax as either a budget-maker or deal-breaker. He argued that much of his 2017 agenda  including a tuition-free program for college, a $1 billion bump for education funding, and a raft of middle-class tax cuts  hinged on reauthorizing the tax, which is to expire at the end of this year.

If you dont have the millionaires tax, that is a $4 billion hole, Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, said, citing projections of lost revenue. You have no budget, you have nothing.
We want people to report crime, we want people to feel as though the police are there to protect them, said Kathy Sheehan, the mayor of Albany, a Democrat whose city government and police department do not ask about immigration status. We are not there to become an extra arm of what is a federal responsibility.

The guidelines recommend prohibiting local officers from stopping, questioning, investigating or arresting people based solely on their immigration status, and limiting their ability to ask crime victims and witnesses about their immigration status. The guidelines also say that local agency staff members and resources should not be used to help create a federal registry based on ethnicity, religion or other categories, nor should they be used to perform the functions of immigration agents.

Mr. Schneidermans office recommends that agencies cooperate with federal requests to detain immigrants beyond the date they would otherwise be released in only three instances: if a judge signs a warrant; if the authorities can show probable cause that an immigrant illegally re-entered the country after being deported and was convicted of a serious crime; or if there is probable cause to believe an immigrant is involved in terrorist activity. According to the legal analysis, local agencies are not required to comply with a simple federal request to detain individuals unless there is a judicial warrant.

Likewise, the guidelines recommend limiting the circumstances under which local agencies can release personal information about individuals in custody to the federal authorities or make those individuals available for questioning by the immigration authorities.

At least 39 cities and 364 counties around the United States already count themselves as sanctuary jurisdictions, according to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, though they vary in how severely they restrict immigration enforcement.

Mayor Stephanie Miner of Syracuse, whose police department also does not ask about immigration status, said she would depend on the legal guidance offered by Mr. Schneidermans office if Mr. Trump followed through on his proposal to create a deportation force.

We want to make sure that we understand our rights under that authority, so that if and when he does that, well have the ability to legally fight that, Ms. Miner, a Democrat, said. We want to make it crystal clear that people should not be discriminated against based on their immigration status.
On Tuesday, President Obama pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 270 people, including Chelsea Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst, and Oscar Lopez Rivera, a Puerto Rican nationalist. Far down on the list, attracting almost no attention, was a boldface name from the disco days and nights of Manhattan in the 1970s.

Ian Schrager, a hotelier and real estate developer whose club, Studio 54, was a notorious celebrity hangout, was among the 64 people granted a pardon in the waning moments of Mr. Obamas presidency. The wild nightclub was central in Mr. Schragers conviction in 1980 on felony tax evasion charges; he was accused of hiding money the club made from the government, concealing some of it in trash bags and ceiling panels.

With a portfolio that has included some of the most expensive residential real estate in Manhattan  and boutique hotels, whose very concept he helped invent  Mr. Schrager seems to have little tangible need for a presidential intercession to set aside his conviction.

He agrees, to a point.

I was able to overcome everything by being tenacious and, I suppose, relentless, and having successful products, he said in an interview on Wednesday. It wasnt something that I needed to continue business.
Viewers have been able to watch live as Senate Republicans indulge, and Democrats cross-examine, Donald Trumps nominees for his cabinet. Within a 24-hour period Tuesday and Wednesday, three of the most controversial and quite possibly the least qualified of these nominees paraded across the screen in a cavalcade of misstatements, lapses of judgment, conflicts of interest and from time to time spectacular displays of ignorance and insensitivity.

Where to begin? Our pick is Betsy DeVos, the nominee to be education secretary, whose energies and considerable family wealth have been devoted to promoting privately run charter schools at the expense of traditional public schools in her home state, Michigan. She refused multiple times to agree that traditional public and charter schools should be held to the same level of accountability. She seemed unaware of some of the basic functions of the education department. She seemed surprised to learn, when Senator Al Franken brought up the matter, of a long-running debate over whether and to what extent to use test scores to measure student achievement or student growth.

She also won the tin ear award hands down. When Christopher Murphy asked whether she would agree that schools are no place for guns, she did not give the obvious right answer to a Democratic senator whose state suffered the horrendous Sandy Hook massacre (Senator, there is no place for guns in schools). Instead she said that localities should decide, and  in a transcendently odd moment  suggested that schools in places like Wyoming might need a gun to protect from potential grizzlies.

Next up, Scott Pruitt, who as Oklahoma attorney general initiated endless lawsuits against the Environmental Protection Agency, which hes been asked to run, and who very nearly matched Ms. DeVos in the wrong answer department. One Democrat after another asked whether he would recuse himself in cases involving those lawsuits and cases involving companies that contributed copiously to his campaigns. The obvious response was, Of course I will! Instead, Mr. Pruitt would only say that he would do so if the agency ethics officer tells him to. Mr. Pruitts answer to climate change questions was equally depressing. Nearly all mainstream scientists say that human activities have been largely responsible for the rise in global atmospheric temperatures. Mr. Pruitts response was that the jury was still out.
No similar mercy, so far, for Edward Snowden, the former intelligence contractor who leaked top-secret information about vast government surveillance programs and now lives as a fugitive in Russia. A White House official said the documents Mr. Snowden revealed were far more serious and far more dangerous than Ms. Mannings. But like Ms. Manning, Mr. Snowden acted in the spirit of a whistle-blower. His disclosures led to significant debate and reforms. He should be offered at least a plea agreement that would allow him to return home.

Ms. Manning, a low-level Army intelligence analyst who at the time of her conviction was known as Bradley Manning, leaked more than 700,000 classified documents  including diplomatic cables and military incident logs  to WikiLeaks, which shared them with news organizations, including The New York Times. She accepted responsibility for her crimes, pleading guilty in 2013 to some of the charges she faced, exposing her to 20 years in prison. After her conviction at trial on more serious charges, prosecutors pushed for 60 years, arguing that she had endangered national security and American lives around the world, even though they presented no evidence that anyone had been killed as a result. As a transgender inmate held in the mens military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Ms. Manning twice attempted suicide in 2016.

Mr. Obama also commuted the sentence of Oscar Lopez Rivera, a 74-year-old Puerto Rican nationalist serving 70 years for convictions including seditious conspiracy, a crime that punishes attempts to overthrow the American government. That charge vastly overstated Mr. Lopez Riveras role in a Marxist group that carried out attacks in American cities in the 1970s and 1980s.

Mr. Obama is not the first president to conclude that Mr. Lopez Riveras punishment was excessive. President Bill Clinton offered Mr. Lopez Rivera clemency in 1999, but he turned it down, saying he did not want to be released unless all of his fellow defendants were freed. He is now the only figure from that era who remains behind bars.

Tuesdays clemency grants  which included hundreds that shortened or ended outrageously long sentences for low-level drug offenders  are bold and commendable decisions.
George Beall, a son and brother of United States senators from Maryland whose prosecution of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, a former governor of the state, for bribery led to Mr. Agnews resignation in 1973, died on Sunday in Naples, Fla. He was 79.

The cause was cancer, said his wife, Carolyn Campbell.

Mr. Beall (pronounced bell) had been the United States attorney for Maryland for two years when he opened an investigation into systemic corruption in Baltimore County, specifically between public officials and those seeking architectural, engineering, and paving contracts.

The inquiry took an unexpected turn when an engineer, Lester Matz, admitted that he had been paying Mr. Agnew kickbacks in exchange for contracts for years  first when Mr. Agnew was the Baltimore county executive, then when he was governor of Maryland and vice president.

I was absolutely stunned, Mr. Beall said in a speech in 2003. I, like everyone else in the country, thought the vice president was the pillar of rectitude. He was an imposing, handsome, well spoken, strong individual who spoke not just passionately but eloquently about principles and morality.
On Wednesday, for the second time this month, someone called the Jewish community center outside Wilmington, Del., and said a bomb was on the property.

For the second time this month, children were evacuated from schools, gym patrons had their workouts interrupted and police dogs searched the campus. And for the second time this month, it turned out to be part of a frightening nationwide hoax targeting Jewish facilities.

Its concerning, its frustrating, said Seth J. Katzen, the chief executive of the Jewish Federation of Delaware, whose staff trains several times a year for emergencies. But as in any J.C.C. across the country, safety and security is our primary concern.

There were as many as 27 bomb threats on Wednesday at Jewish centers in 17 states, according to the J.C.C. Association of North America. Last week, 16 Jewish facilities received bomb threats. No injuries were reported, but nerves were rattled and routines disrupted.
WASHINGTON  Until Tuesday, the fight over Betsy DeVoss nomination to be secretary of education revolved mostly around her support of contentious school choice programs.

But her confirmation hearing that night opened her up to new criticism: that her long battle for school choice, controversial as it has been, is the sum total of her experience and understanding of education policy. In questioning by senators, she seemed either unaware or unsupportive of the longstanding policies and functions of the department she is in line to lead, from special education rules to the policing of for-profit universities.

Ms. DeVos admitted that she might have been confused when she appeared not to know that the broad statute that has governed special education for more than four decades is federal law.

A billionaire investor, education philanthropist and Michigan Republican activist, Ms. DeVos acknowledged that she has no personal experience with student loans  the federal government is the largest provider  and said she would have to review the departments policies that try to prevent fraud by for-profit colleges.
WASHINGTON  In its final week, the Obama administration has overhauled and lifted a veil of secrecy from rules governing the C.I.A.s power to gather and use information about Americans, including setting new limits on what it may do with large sets of digital files that might contain private information.

The last time the government issued a comprehensive set of such rules  known as the Attorney General Guidelines because the Justice Department must sign off on them  was during the Reagan administration. They were classified, although some portions of them became public, as did parts of supplemental procedures added by subsequent administrations.

The Obama administration, after spending the last several years consolidating and rewriting the rules, has issued a new, comprehensive set, and it is making all 41 pages of the rules public.

We are updating for the 21st century a set of rules that were previously not significantly updated since 1982, Caroline D. Krass, the general counsel of the C.I.A., said in a briefing for several reporters at the agencys headquarters. She called the rules release a very significant milestone for the agency.
A-list celebrities may be staying away from Donald J. Trumps inauguration on Friday, but a large number of religious leaders will take part in the ceremony, reading Scripture and offering prayers for his administration.

Six religious leaders  including a rabbi, a cardinal, and a diverse group of Protestant preachers  will participate, more than for any previous president, said Jim Bendat, an author and historian of inaugural ceremonies. Each will have 60 to 90 seconds to offer a reading or lead a prayer.

Some inaugurations have had just one, others have had two or three covering different religions, but this is a record, Mr. Bendat said.
WASHINGTON  President-elect Donald J. Trump, in a free-flowing speech Wednesday night at a dinner honoring his running mate, Mike Pence, jabbed at his new Republican allies and his critics alike, questioned the ethics of super PACs and talked about creating a merit-based immigration system.

Mr. Trump credited Mr. Pence with helping to bring critics around to the ticket.

They all liked Mike. They were a little bit, you know, a little concerned with me, the president-elect said, drawing laughter from the crowd of about 500 people, which included donors, cabinet appointees and other supporters.

Mr. Trump said that his aides told him that he was not required to be at the dinner, but that he thought he had to be there to honor a man whose role on the ticket he described as one of his best decisions.

Mr. Trump lauded Mr. Pence in a roughly 25-minute speech, but poked at him for declining to endorse his candidacy in the primary in Indiana, where he was governor, instead backing Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. The fact that every donor he had was in favor of Mr. Cruz played no role in the decision, Mr. Trump said sarcastically, according to a recording provided by a guest.
WASHINGTON  Gov. Nikki R. Haley of South Carolina on Wednesday became the latest cabinet nominee to show daylight with President-elect Donald J. Trump, declaring that Russia was guilty of war crimes in Syria and that it should also be subject to additional sanctions for its incursions into Ukraine.

Speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during her confirmation hearing as ambassador to the United Nations, Ms. Haley said: Russia is trying to show their muscle right now. Its what they do. She added: I dont think we can trust them. We have to continue to be very strong back, and show them what this new administration is going to be.

Ms. Haley said she believed the Russians were guilty of war crimes in bombing the Syrian city of Aleppo. At his hearing last week, Rex W. Tillerson, Mr. Trumps nominee for secretary of state, declined to call President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia a war criminal for ordering the bombing of civilians there or in Chechnya.

Ms. Haley, a rising star in Republican politics and the daughter of Indian immigrants, fared better with senators than Mr. Tillerson did. While both were grilled on topics including Russia and the banning of Muslim immigrants, Ms. Haley showed flashes of humor, seemed well prepared and parted company with Mr. Trump diplomatically.
WASHINGTON  When President-elect Donald J. Trump offered Rick Perry the job of energy secretary five weeks ago, Mr. Perry gladly accepted, believing he was taking on a role as a global ambassador for the American oil and gas industry that he had long championed in his home state.

In the days after, Mr. Perry, the former Texas governor, discovered that he would be no such thing  that in fact, if confirmed by the Senate, he would become the steward of a vast national security complex he knew almost nothing about, caring for the most fearsome weapons on the planet, the United States nuclear arsenal.

Two-thirds of the agencys annual $30 billion budget is devoted to maintaining, refurbishing and keeping safe the nations nuclear stockpile; thwarting nuclear proliferation; cleaning up and rebuilding an aging constellation of nuclear production facilities; and overseeing national laboratories that are considered the crown jewels of government science.

If you asked him on that first day he said yes, he would have said, I want to be an advocate for energy, said Michael McKenna, a Republican energy lobbyist who advised Mr. Perrys 2016 presidential campaign and worked on the Trump transitions Energy Department team in its early days. If you asked him now, hed say, Im serious about the challenges facing the nuclear complex. Its been a learning curve.
WASHINGTON  Russia and Turkey carried out their first joint airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Syria on Wednesday, further expanding their budding military cooperation, the Russian military said.

The Russians have conducted airstrikes in recent weeks against Islamic State fighters near the northern Syrian town of Al Bab, an intervention that appears designed to help Turkish ground forces and the Syrian militias backed by the Turks in their campaign to capture the town.

But now, the Russian Air Force has gone a step further by collaborating on missions with Turkeys Air Force, the Russian military announced.

Today, Russian and Turkish Air Forces are carrying out their first joint air operation against the Islamic State in the suburbs of Al Bab, Lt. Gen. Sergei F. Rudskoi, a senior member of the Russian general staff, told journalists on Wednesday in Moscow.
WASHINGTON  The federal governments frantic response to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, sparked renewed debate Wednesday at the Supreme Court, as justices considered whether top officials in the George W. Bush administration could be held responsible for abuses against Muslim immigrants and others rounded up after the attacks.

Conservatives on the court, citing the extraordinary peril of that time, appeared willing to give the officials legal protection from lawsuits arising from the detention policies they approved after the attacks.

But some of the more liberal justices did not appear so forgiving.

Even in a time of national emergency, government officials sometimes can go too far, Justice Stephen G. Breyer said. And if they have gone too far, it is our job to say that.

The case centers on the governments roundup and mistreatment of 762 men who were in the United States illegally  mainly Muslims from Arab and South Asian nations  in the days and weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks.
MEXICO CITY  Isidro Baldenegro Lopez, an indigenous activist whose struggle to protect the pine-oak forests of Mexicos Sierra Madre range won him the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, has been killed by a gunman, the authorities said on Wednesday.

A leader of the Tarahumara people who live among the jagged peaks of the western Sierra Madre, Mr. Baldenegro defended the areas old-growth forests against powerful local strongmen allied with drug traffickers and loggers.

The killing was the second of a Goldman prizewinner in less than a year. Last March, gunmen attacked and killed Berta Caceres, who led her Lenca people of Honduras against a proposed dam.

Seven people have been arrested in her killing, but in a statement on Sunday, her family said that the Honduran government had yet to investigate who had ordered it.
MEXICO CITY  A 15-year-old student opened fire on his classmates and teacher on Wednesday morning in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey, wounding four people before killing himself, state officials said.

Leaked video images of the attack, recorded by a security camera, circulated throughout the day on Mexican television stations and the internet.

A state spokesman, Aldo Fasci, said the graphic footage from the school, the Colegio Americano del Noreste, showed the student, identified as Federico Guevara Elizondo, shooting at seated classmates and the teacher with a handgun. He then says something to the rest of the students before shooting himself in the head.

The governor of the State of Nuevo Leon, Jaime Rodriguez, instructed the state attorney to determine who had leaked the video, which he called a perverse and morbid action that shall be punished. Officials said Mr. Guevaras motives were as yet unknown, but Mr. Fasci suggested that the young man suffered from a mental illness for which he was getting therapy.
Amnesty said Mr. Tashi was a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression.

Human Rights Watch released a detailed chronology of the case and called it politically motivated.

Tashi Wangchuk has joined the ranks of those prosecuted in China by simply calling for rights to be respected and the law to be upheld, said Sophie Richardson, the groups China director. Cultural rights, which include the right to use ones own language, are protected under both the Chinese Constitution and international human rights law.

Mr. Tashis case has drawn intense international attention. In December, Max Baucus, the United States ambassador to China, mentioned Mr. Tashi and several other political prisoners in China in a long statement emphasizing the importance of human rights. PEN America, a group that promotes freedom of expression, noted Mr. Tashis detention in a 76-page report in September that criticized Chinas attempts to censor foreign reporting.

A campaigns director with Students for a Free Tibet, based in New York, said Wednesday that the group planned to ask its members to publicly advocate for Mr. Tashi.

Lawyers for Mr. Tashi were allowed to visit him briefly last year in a Qinghai detention center. Mr. Lin said Mr. Tashi was in good spirits, given the circumstances, and was writing up points to make in his defense during a trial. When interviewed by The Times in 2015, Mr. Tashi insisted repeatedly that his remarks be on the record and said he knew he could be imprisoned after publication of the video and articles, given the political sensibilities in China over Tibet.

Mr. Tashi traveled to Beijing in 2015 to look for lawyers to help him file his lawsuit and to try to get China Central Television, the state network, and foreign journalists to document his efforts and the lack of robust Tibetan-language education in public schools in Tibetan regions.

Mr. Tashi said he wanted to use Chinese laws to expand language education, and he praised President Xi Jinping for having promoted a democratic and law-abiding country these last few years.
SEOUL, South Korea  A South Korean court on Thursday blocked a prosecutors attempt to arrest Jay Y. Lee, the leader of Samsung, saying there was not enough evidence that Mr. Lee had bribed President Park Geun-hye, in a scandal that led to her impeachment.

A justice on the Central District Court in Seoul, Cho Eui-yeon, rejected the prosecutors request to issue an arrest warrant, saying said it was difficult to recognize the need to incarcerate Mr. Lee.

Mr. Lee, a third-generation scion and vice chairman of Samsung, one of the worlds biggest conglomerates, was immediately released from a detention center outside Seoul, where he had been waiting for the court to decide whether he should be formally arrested.

South Koreans have paid keen attention to the fate of Mr. Lee. Some analysts said his case was a test of whether the countrys relatively youthful democracy and judicial system are ready to crack down on the white-collar crimes of family-owned conglomerates. No Samsung leader has ever been jailed, though the company has been investigated many times for corruption.
Ira Goldberg, the executive director of the Art Students League of New York, the 142-year-old nonprofit art school, will step down from that post at the end of this month to live in Spain.

Mr. Goldberg, who has directed the league since 2001 and been associated with it since 1979, when he took a drawing class with Robert Beverly Hale, told members in an email last week that he and his wife, Silvia, fell in love last month with a village in Andalusia and bought a house there.

It has been the greatest privilege of my life to have been part of the Art Students League, Mr. Goldberg wrote. The League will always be with me, heart and soul.
The manuscripts come with questions of legibility. Dickinsons penmanship grew eccentric over time, as did her compositional methods. Transcribing her work has become a complex science, particularly in the matter of rendering the alternative phrases and words she included in drafts. It was as if she were deliberately creating poems that demanded reader participation, poems that could be endlessly rewritten. And maybe as her conviction grew that she would always be her own best audience, she turned poems into art objects, sculptures and pictures: A draft of a poem that begins The way hope builds his house is composed on a bit of paper  an envelope flap?  shaped like a house.

In the shows catalog, aptly titled The Networked Recluse: The Connected World of Emily Dickinson, the art historian Marta Werner analyzes the visual nature of the manuscripts. Yet what matters most in Dickinson is the element most easily passed over in an exhibition: words. And they warn us, whenever we focus on them, against trying to normalize Dickinson, against trying to make her acceptable and explicable.

She was an outsider, and as such a disrupter. Was she a feminist? Not in the modern sense, though an idea of female power as a protean force was central to her thinking, as it was to the writers she loved: Emily Bronte, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, George Eliot. Central, too, was her disdain for the false power of churches, fathers, governments, God, ego. Even her most trivial-seeming poems, like the one for which the show is named, slice away at that power:

Im Nobody! Who are you?

Are you  Nobody  too?

Then theres a pair of us!

Dont tell! Theyd advertise  you know!

How dreary  to be  Somebody!

How public  like a Frog 

To tell ones name  the livelong June 

To an admiring Bog!

This little anthem to outsider solidarity, delivered with a gender-neutral lift, is both cute and furious, a joke and a call to arms. Some of its references translate neatly into the present of ethical bogs, Pepe the Frog, a new Somebody-in-Chief. Its paranoia is of the moment, too, for many with a grain of Otherness in their makeup. Dickinson did, as a woman who said no to a culture that wanted her to be a wife, a mother, a social creature on its terms, when she had other plans. And to pursue them she assumed the guise of a Nobody: invisible, independent, self-nurturing, ignoring the knock on the door.

The fringe for her was a position of strength, not deprivation. This truth should not be lost in the rebranding campaigns periodically conducted on her behalf. Nor should it be forgotten that defending difference took a lifelong fight, one which she was willing and able  supremely able  to wage.

How martial is this place!

Had I a mighty gun

I think Id shoot the human race

And then to glory run!

Thats a revolutionary talking. And her voice carries, subaudibly explosive, through this show.
Monty Blanchard, president of the American Folk Art Museum, and his companion of 10 years, Leslie Tcheyan, a jewelry designer, do have one blank spot left on a wall of their TriBeCa apartment  but just one.

The rest of the soaring three-bedroom loft (including the bathrooms and kitchen) is filled with art, reflecting work by untrained and outsider artists  predominantly American, but also European  as well as Indian and Indonesian art; photography; African and Oceanic currency; Japanese ceramics; found industrial objects; and Chinese funerary items.

Yet they always manage to make room for more, as they will probably do after visiting the annual Outsider Art Fair this week at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan.

Mr. Blanchard, a former investment banker who became president of the museum in 2011, started collecting art with the mother of his three grown daughters, Anne Hill Blanchard, who died in 2002. He and Ms. Tcheyan moved in together in 2010.
The first thing Jason Momoa did before letting his mother watch Frontier, the new Netflix drama in which he plays a part Native American trader battling for control of the fur industry in 18th-century North America, was to prep her for the series opener. Thats when his character, Declan Harp, castrates British soldiers before skinning them alive. It was like Mom, just stick with it, he said. Im not normally that bad.

Theres little doubt that Mr. Momoa has delivered this speech before. In his 16-year career, this towering actor has portrayed an array of menacing brutes and killers including, most notably, Khal Drogo, a bloodthirsty warrior leader on HBOs Game of Thrones. Drogo eventually revealed a softer side, but he still ripped out a mans tongue for talking back to his wife, Daenerys Targaryen.

In real life, the impishly funny Mr. Momoa, 37, is married to the actress Lisa Bonet and maintains an Instagram feed where you can find him doing outdoor activities  rock climbing, archery  with their two young children. Recently, he showed up at an interview in jeans, with a curved hunting knife strapped to his belt and the remnants of blond highlights from his turn as Aquaman in the movie Justice League, due this fall. Im going to have to dye it again soon, said Mr. Momoa, who will start shooting his own superhero spinoff this spring. But Im not a big fan of haircuts either. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

What does the domesticated Jason Momoa look like?

I live up in Topanga, [Calif.,] on five acres. I go hiking a lot. Ive got kids, goats. My wife always wanted a donkey, so I bought her one. We walk our donkey, and weve got two [dogs] who are half malamute, half wolf.
Zach Galifianakis returns in Baskets, as nutty as ever. Chris Pratt joins his wife, Anna Faris, on Mom. And BET reminisces about the Obama presidency, while 20/20 looks at what to expect from the Trump administration, with the help of interviews with the president-elects children Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka Trump.

Whats on TV

BASKETS 10 p.m. on FX. After losing his wife and his rodeo job, Chip (Zach Galifianakis) takes the first train out of Bakersfield in this Season 2 premiere. But no one  including the police and a gang of punks  wants to let him go. Meanwhile, the marriage of his brother, Dale (also Mr. Galifianakis), hits the rocks, leaving the mens mother (Louie Anderson) to choose between dedicating her life to her thankless sons or finding a love of her own.

THROUGH THE FIRE: THE PRESIDENCY OF BARACK OBAMA 7 p.m. on BET. The director Stanley Nelson, who won an Emmy for American Experience: The Murder of Emmett Till, examines the challenges and triumphs of Mr. Obamas presidency and the power of his legacy. Jesse Williams narrates; Samuel L. Jackson, Common, Usher, Russell Simmons, Mellody Hobson, Van Jones, Valerie Jarrett and Questlove weigh in.

THE GOOD PLACE 8 p.m. on NBC. As the first season ends, Michael faces his biggest challenge yet, with help from Chidi and Tahani. Eleanor, meanwhile, is left to contemplate her fate.
THE WAY OF THE STRANGERS

Encounters With the Islamic State

By Graeme Wood

317 pp. Random House. $28.

In early 2011, as American forces were packing up to leave Iraq after eight years of fighting and occupying, one of the wars most hideous byproducts was lurching toward what appeared to be certain death: Al Qaeda in Iraq, which had recently renamed itself the Islamic State in Iraq, had seen most of its leaders killed and its membership whittled to a handful of dead-enders, who were huddled in sanctuaries in and around the northern city of Mosul.

But then the Americans departed, and a vast uprising against the government across the border, in neighboring Syria, took off. Suddenly, the Islamic State in Iraq, led by an ambitious former graduate student who called himself Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, saw its fortunes brighten anew. Baghdadi dispatched a handful of fighters to Syria and within a few months they were running operations across much of the country. Iraq promptly returned to chaos, and in April 2013, Baghdadi, presiding over a vast fief that stretched from the Iraqi desert to the outskirts of Damascus, rechristened his group yet again  as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS  and appointed himself caliph. Tens of thousands of volunteers from around the world flocked to defend his far-off kingdom in the sand.

In the years since, ISIS breathtaking lust for anarchy  temple-smashings, beheadings, crucifixions  has inevitably prompted the question: What do these people want? The usual answers  money, power, status  do not seem to suffice. Graeme Wood, a correspondent for The Atlantic and a lecturer at Yale, believes he has found something like an answer, and that it can be located in the sacred texts, teachings and folklore of early Islam. In The Way of the Strangers, Wood, through a series of conversations with ISIS enthusiasts, shows that many of them claim to want the same thing: a theocratic state without borders, ruled by a leader who meets a series of strict qualifications, and who adheres to a brand of Islam that most people  including most Muslims  would find stifling and abhorrent.

The most novel aspect of Woods book is that he shows, convincingly, that the stifling and abhorrent practices of the Islamic State are rooted in Islam itself  not mainstream Islam, but in scriptures and practices that have persisted for centuries. Theres no use denying it. For years now, the Islamic State and its supporters have been producing essays, fatwas, . . . films and tweets at an industrial pace, Wood writes. In studying them we see a coherent view of the world rooted in a minority interpretation of Islamic scripture that has existed, in various forms, for almost as long as the religion itself. That goes for the most barbarous practices as well: Slavery has been practiced by Muslims for most of Islamic history, and it was practiced without apology by Muhammad and his companions, who owned slaves and had sex with them.
1. President-elect Donald Trump arrived in Washington a day ahead of his inauguration, praising his cabinet picks as having by far the highest I.Q. of any cabinet ever assembled.

But the nominees have had some stumbles during confirmation hearings. The financier Steven Mnuchin, Mr. Trumps pick for Treasury secretary, faced scrutiny over his failure to disclose $100 million in assets. Rick Perry is struggling through a learning curve after discovering that the primary focus of the Energy Department is not oil and gas, but the countrys nuclear arsenal.
The troubles buffeting the nations law schools may be on the verge of claiming their first victim.

The federal Department of Education told students of the Charlotte School of Law in North Carolina this week that federal student loans  the financial lifeblood for law schools  would not be available. The for-profit school is the first accredited law school to lose access to federal student loans.

The Charlotte School said on Thursday that it still planned to open its doors on Monday for spring semester classes.

The federal agency took the step to deny loans because the school had failed to disclose to students that it had not followed the admissions and curriculum standards required for law school accreditation. That was a disqualifier for students to receive federal aid, the Department of Education, which oversees the federal student loan program, said.

The school is one of three operated by Infilaw Holdings, a group owned by Sterling Partners, a private equity firm with offices in Chicago, Baltimore and Miami. It appealed the departments preliminary decision last month and reacted angrily on Thursday to the governments rejection.
The regulator accuses Navient, the former Sallie Mae operation that services $315 billion worth of loans, of defrauding borrowers by giving them bad information and obscuring their ability to take advantage of federal programs that tie repayments to income. It further says the $4.6 billion company steered struggling customers to seek temporary forbearance rather than federal assistance, causing them to rack up $4 billion in extra interest charges.

Banks ultimately paid tens of billions of dollars to settle allegations of mortgage-lending abuses. Navient is taking a tougher approach. It rejected the charges as unfounded and political, noting how the timing of the lawsuit coincides with political regime change. It is betting on more favorable treatment under the new administration. The C.F.P.B., a Dodd-Frank creation, is disliked by congressional Republicans and the financial-services industry alike. Many are urging Mr. Trump to curtail the agencys powers and replace its director, Richard Cordray.

Whatever he decides, Mr. Trump cannot easily sweep away the student-debt problem. The federal bureau is joined in its case by the Illinois attorney general, who is also suing Sallie Mae for predatory practices in originating subprime loans. The growth and affordability of student debt have major consequences for the economy and the aspirations of Americans, as the founder of Trump University knows all too well. For Mr. Cordray, he is clearly fighting as much for his agency as for consumers.
BERLIN  Volkswagens former chief executive, Martin Winterkorn, yielded no ground on Thursday during a polite grilling by German lawmakers over the carmakers diesel-emissions deception, but he astonished them by insisting that he had not heard the term defeat device before September 2015, when the scandal broke.

Appearing in public for the first time since he resigned over the case, Mr. Winterkorn, who worked at the company for more than 35 years, contended, as he has all along, that he had not been aware of any wrongdoing.

But his assertions are increasingly difficult to defend after Volkswagen pleaded guilty in the United States last week to criminal charges that included conspiracy to defraud the government, violations of the Clean Air Act and obstruction of justice. The company is paying $20 billion to resolve civil and criminal charges related to the scandal.

Mr. Winterkorn, who has not been charged, was chief executive throughout the decade when, as Volkswagen now admits, employees devised software, known as a defeat device, that could hide excess pollutants during testing by regulators. The employees, including several high-ranking managers, covered up the wrongdoing for years.
The Motoyas may not be as well known as another divisive and politically minded hotelier, Donald J. Trump, nor are their midmarket properties as gilded. But in Japan, they come close to being stars. Ms. Motoya, in particular, has embedded herself in popular culture though books, television appearances and an intermittent singing career.

Wearing the fanciful hats that are her trademark, Ms. Motoya appears in advertisements for APAs hotels and APA president merchandise like curry and rice crackers. She judges televised karaoke contests sponsored by the company, and a CD of her singing nostalgia-tinged songs can be purchased on APAs website.

The Motoyas are among the most prominent backers in Japan of rightist historical revisionism. While Fumiko Motoya represents the APA brand in public, her husband writes essays and books that seek to put Japans sometimes brutal imperial past in a kinder light. Their activism has put them at the center of controversies that have bedeviled Japans relations with China and South Korea for decades.

As political patrons, they cant be ignored, said Tamotsu Sugano, an author who has researched Japanese rightist groups. They spread money everywhere.

The Motoyas have used a fortune estimated to be in the billions of dollars to court and support politicians, mostly on the conservative end of the spectrum  from the center-right establishment to the fringe. Guests at their long-running wine parties have included Shinzo Abe, the current prime minister, according to a record of an event in 2005 that includes a photograph and was circulated by APA at the time.

A Japanese magazine, Shukan Gendai, has estimated that Mr. Motoya, who serves as president of the overall APA Group while Fumiko leads the hotel division, is Japans fourth-richest person, with assets worth 220 billion yen, or about $1.9 billion. Shukan Gendai made its calculation based on tax records and on published APA documents, but because the company is privately owned, its disclosures are scarce and a precise figure is difficult to obtain.

The Motoyas hail from Fukui, a rural area on the Sea of Japan, where they met while working at a small local credit union, according to Ms. Motoyas autobiography. They built APA from a small operation beginning in the 1970s, starting with real-estate sales before moving into hotels for budget-conscious business travelers. In 2015, they expanded to the United States by buying a 200-room former Hilton hotel in Woodbridge, N.J.
In the same article, Donald H. Forst, a former Voice editor who died in 2014, lamented, With the loss of Wayne and Tom, they lost Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.

Mr. Barrett was once asked to explain to students at his sons elementary school just what raking muck actually meant in terms of a day-to-day job. To appear in character, he put on a trench coat, pulled up the collar, withdrew a pad from his pocket and defined that special breed of investigative journalist this way: We are detectives for the people.

He added, There is also no other job where you get paid to tell the truth.

But as an argumentative muckraker in the spirit of Jacob Riis, Lincoln Steffens and Ida Tarbell, Mr. Barrett never pretended to be just a dispassionate, impartial journalist. He wielded the power of his pen to lobby for causes and candidates he pronounced deserving and to topple those he vilified.

We thought a deadline meant we have to kill somebody by closing time, he once wrote.

Still, when he left The Voice, he was stunned to see that despite all the battering they had endured, Mr. Koch characterized his reporting as superb and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg called to say his voice will be missed.

Not by everyone, of course. He was once choked by the leader of a South Bronx poverty program. Another time, after crashing one of Mr. Trumps birthday parties to see who had been invited, he was arrested by the Atlantic City police and charged with trespassing.

It depresses you, Mr. Barrett told Buzzfeed last year of his brief time in custody. Its almost this instant, very down feeling, because somebody else controls your movement. And I think it really does teach you how important our freedoms are, because when you dont have it even for just a short period of time, its very sobering.

Mr. Barrett was born on July 11, 1945, in New Britain, Conn., the son of Lawrence Barrett, a nuclear physicist, and Helen Letitia Barrett, who became a librarian.
What a difference a place makes. A single type of grape, planted in one region, may yield insipid, uninteresting wines. Grown somewhere else, however, the grapes can become wines that astonish and inspire.

Could this be that thing called terroir?

It is fashionable in some quarters to assail the notion of terroir as a myth, promoted by the wine industry as a handy and attractive marketing tool. Yet, to anybody who drinks a lot of different wines, as the writer Matt Kramer has pointed out, the existence and influence of terroir on wine is absolutely clear.

What is terroir? Its the notion that the place where grapes are grown and wine is made imposes a character on that wine. The idea starts with the soil in which the vines are grown, but also encompasses the influence of the environment (that is, the microclimate), the elevation, the angle of the sun and, yes, the people who tend the vines and make the wine.

Wine lovers can cite many classic examples of the influence of terroir. First and foremost is Chablis, a white Burgundy that is made entirely of chardonnay, yet tastes completely different from other chardonnays. Despite the best efforts of winemakers, no chardonnays made elsewhere in the world can capture the character of Chablis, even though some wines are described as Chablis-like. (Now thats marketing.)
Mo money, mo problems. That seemed to be the takeaway Tuesday night from the premiere of Gold, which stars Matthew McConaughey, among others.

Well, things dont always go in his favor, Mr. McConaughey said, alluding to his characters trials, before the film screened. The actor was working the red carpet splayed across the lobby of the Loews Lincoln Square theater on Broadway. But, you see, thats the adventure of it all.

The film is a rags-to-riches tale, set in the milieu of the mid-1980s financial crisis. Mr. McConaughey plays Kenny Wells, a down-on-his-luck businessman, desperate to make it big. He sets off on a treasure hunt of sorts, hoping to unearth a gold mine in the jungles of Indonesia.

The indomitable spirit of this guy; he literally had a dream and bought a one-way ticket to Indonesia to make it happen, Mr. McConaughey said of Wells. Now thats a pure soul.
PARIS  Theres a smiley face on my coffee. Nothing about this goofy barista gimmick would seem out of place in, say, San Diego.

But along with the other Americanisms making inroads in Paris  start lining up now if you expect to get into the new Five Guys burger place on Boulevard des Capucines  a smile with dots for eyes etched in cappuccino foam by a French breakfast waiter suggests that relations between the United States and Europe may be less fraught than the latest political dispatches would have you believe.

Whatever the president-elect says he feels about NATO, plenty of Americans continue to heart France, and France hearts them back. Style in Paris means a lot, Michael Lockley, a star American model, said Wednesday evening before the Haider Ackermann show, as paparazzi clustered around Usher, a fellow front-row guest.
And why do we care?

Theres a lot of debate over whether it is demeaning to discuss what a first lady and president wear; whether it takes valuable time away from serious issues. I would never put clothes on the same level as the myriad crucial issues facing a president every day, like taxes, international relations and climate change. But you cant ignore the fact that in an increasingly visual world, there is an the opportunity to underscore an impression or a message via clothing, to connect all those people watching with the one normal thing that happens during that whole singular ceremony (we all have to get dressed), so why wouldnt you exploit that?

I once asked a friend who was a crisis consultant for global leaders whether presidents really spent as much time and thought on a tie as I thought they did, and he said, You have no idea. And if they spend that much time on a tie, imagine how much time and thought the first lady and her team spend on a dress seen around the world.

Just because something seems frivolous or trivial does not mean it is not an effective tool. Of course, some politicians and their partners understand this better than others. And its fine if you just wear something that looks nice. Though it does seem like a wasted opportunity.

Can it really make a difference?

For a brand, it can give you a recognizable name overnight, as Jason Wu, who made both Michelle Obamas inaugural gowns, told me, and that changes your profile in the market in a meaningful way. Overseas stores suddenly get interested. Local stores move you to the front of the floor.
The New York Times photographer Doug Mills has taken thousands and thousands, hundreds of thousands of photographs of Barack Obama during the eight years hes covered the president for The Times.

Mr. Mills remembers the first time he photographed Mr. Obama, in Iowa in 2008. He was covering Hillary Clinton, then far ahead in the polls, Mr. Mills says, and was told to swap out and pick up on another candidate, some senator called Obama. The senators advance team greeted him warmly, and let Mr. Mills know they were going to go all the way. Mr. Mills recalls thinking, Yeah, right.

He also remembers that when the crowd showed up, he was bowled over by its size and diversity and thought, This guy is going to win.
Mr. Herrous stance has turned him into something of a folk hero in France. And thats in spite of the strong reservations many, if not most, in France have about opening up the countrys borders to African migrants. It has to do as much with a kind of innate French respect for the person who resists authority and thumbs his nose at the government as it does with what Mr. Herrou has actually accomplished.

It has also landed him in court, where he faces an eight-month suspended sentence, partly because of a profile I wrote about him in The Times in October, as he ruefully acknowledges. Even the prosecutor at his trial this month acknowledged the role of the Times piece  which he called a bel article in court  in bringing the authorities attention to what Mr. Herrou does.

I had gotten a decent man in trouble while pursuing a good story: It has happened before in my three-decade journalism career, and I felt badly about it. But Mr. Herrou knew the risk he had taken in opening up to me. We both knew it. He could have refused to speak with me. But he feels he has nothing to hide or be ashamed of. Outside the courthouse in Nice, he jokingly absolved me.
The Stanford History Education Groups executive summary concludes, At present, we worry that democracy is threatened by the ease at which disinformation about civic issues is allowed to spread and flourish.

What disinformation have your students noticed this election season?

In The Real Story About Fake News Is Partisanship, The Upshot writes:

The fake-news phenomenon is not the result of personal failings. And it is not limited to one end of the political spectrum. Rather, Americans deep bias against the political party they oppose is so strong that it acts as a kind of partisan prism for facts, refracting a different reality to Republicans than to Democrats. Partisan refraction has fueled the rise of fake news, according to researchers who study the phenomenon. But the repercussions go far beyond stories shared on Facebook and Reddit, affecting Americans faith in government  and the governments ability to function.

Invite your students to read the whole article to see how it describes the way that partisan tribalism makes people more inclined to seek out and believe stories that justify their pre-existing partisan biases, whether or not they are true  and how sharing those stories on social media is a way to show public support for ones partisan team  roughly the equivalent of painting your face with team colors on game day.

Does this ring true for your students? Do they think they believe a wildly different sets of facts than someone on the other side of the political aisle? How, according to the article, can that become a vicious cycle that leads to more and more political extremism?

What does it mean if, in the heated discussions over the effects of fake news on democracy and civil society, Donald J. Trump has often taken center stage? According to this article, he has used false claims to attack his political opponents, question the legitimacy and loyalty of the Obama administration and other Democrats, and undermine the news media, the federal government and other institutions that many of his supporters do not trust.
They Call Us Monsters, directed by Ben Lear (Norman Lears son), might seem like a straightforward advocacy documentary. It concerns juveniles in California, accused of violent crimes, who are facing trial as adults with the prospect of spending the rest of their lives in prison.

But the movie benefits from an added layer: A screenwriting teacher who gets to know three teenagers awaiting trial.

The teacher, Gabriel Cowan (also a producer of the film), leads a workshop at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in the Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles. Together, he and the three inmates  Juan Gamez, Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez (Mr. Hernandez is released partway through the movie)  write a screenplay for a short film Mr. Cowan plans to make, inspired by the teenagers lives. We see excerpts from the result.

The process of transforming real details into fiction seems to make the young men especially introspective. A scene in which Juan calls a girl he had a crush on, while a listening staff member roots for him, provides the films most oddly affecting moment.
Surrounded by landmarks of modernity like Co-op City in the Bronx, a sliver of New Yorks ancient past remains relatively untouched.

It is one of the citys last salt marshes, a coastal ecosystem dominated by dense and sturdy stands of plants and grasses that has been trapping and binding sediments from the flow of the tides for thousands of years.

The sediment there tells a story of the past and, according to a new study, offers a dire warning about the future that corresponds with similar research conducted around the world.

The finding that sea levels are now rising faster than at any other time in 15 centuries is consistent with other measurements made in the western North Atlantic. But in revealing the threat to New York City specifically, the study, which was published online in the scientific journal The Holocene this month, also confirms fears that the region is on a course to realize dire projections set for the next few decades. More than $25 billion worth of infrastructure will be under direct threat from flooding through the coming decades, scientists believe, including seven hospitals, 183 hazardous waste sites and the homes of nearly 100,000 people.
The judge was intrigued.

Before her in a hearing room on Staten Island sat Cristy Matteo, the owner of a pet pig named Wilbur. She was accused of illegally harboring a wild animal.

The judge said that she knew of only one other pig that had been through the system, Ms. Matteo recalled. The judge named the pig. Ms. Matteo immediately named the pigs owner.

The judge was smiling at me, Ms. Matteo said. The judge asked if there was an underground pig network in New York. I said, More than you can imagine.

An untold number of pet pigs are scattered throughout the city, despite a ban. They can be found in all five boroughs, the veterinarians who treat them say. There are so, so many of us, said a neighbor of Ms. Matteos who has two pigs and gave her name only as Leslie W. Ms. Matteo said she knew of dozens.
Not much went according to plan for Meaghan Wentland, of Queens, on her Dec. 29 wedding day.

She and her fiance, Julian McKinley, had overslept. Sleet was falling. A piece of jewelry that was supposed to serve as something borrowed could not be pulled free from the maid of honor. And both her mother and mother-in-law-to-be were trapped for 20 minutes in a security line waiting to pass through a metal detector.

Even the best man, all of 5 years old, seemed to be in a funk.

He was crying this morning because he couldnt eat pizza for breakfast, Ms. Wentland said of her son, Ocean McKinley. Then he spilled his apple juice. But I know hes excited to be here.

The boy, wearing a navy blazer and crisp pleated trousers, clung to her thigh. Ms. Wentland soothed him with a one-handed back rub; in the other hand, she held a bouquet of three sunflowers. One for me, one for Julian and one for Ocean, she said.

Ms. Wentland, 35, an art teacher in an after-school program in Queens, was hardly a demanding bride. Though her floor-length white dress and the circlet of woven babys breath that adorned her head suggested someone who has entertained a fairy-tale wedding fantasy or two, her choice of venue offered a better sense of her down-to-earth, anti-perfectionist attitude: She and Mr. McKinley were wed in a one-minute ceremony at the Office of the City Clerk in Manhattan.
Your friend Justice Sotomayor was criticized for using the term wise Latina when she was nominated for a seat on the Supreme Court in 2009. What does that term mean to you?

One of the attributes Latina women have is patience  a lot of patience. And we dont give up easily. If I were to think back at all the rejection I endured when I was studying law, and later, when I went out to look for work and couldnt get work as a lawyer, the only work I was offered was as a lawyers assistant, at the time, that hurt a lot. I decided that I could sit down and cry about it or push through and continue looking for the kind of work I knew I was capable of and the kind of work I ultimately got. Consistency, firmness of purpose and patience is something I see in all my contemporaries.

How did you befriend Justice Sotomayor?

In 1981 the Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund was looking for female lawyers for its board of directors. Sonia was already on the board and she called me. There was great affinity between us from the first conversation. I remember having conversations with Judge Sotomayor about the Supreme Court and whether wed live to see a Latino  we always assumed it would be a man  on the Supreme Court. Sometimes wed say it seemed plausible and other times we were certain it was impossible.

President Bill Clinton nominated you to serve as ambassador to the Dominican Republic, but Republicans questioned your fitness for the job. What happened?

That was a period of my life in which I found myself in the middle of a controversy that was totally unexpected. The allegation was that I had had a boyfriend who had been in contact with Cuban diplomats in Washington.
I continue to be astonished that not enough Americans are sufficiently alarmed and abashed by the dangerous idiocies that continue to usher forth from the mouth of the man who will on Friday be inaugurated as president of the United States.

Toss ideology out of the window. This is about democracy and fascism, war and peace, life and death. I wish that I could write those words with the callous commercialism with which some will no doubt read them, as overheated rhetoric simply designed to stir agitation, provoke controversy and garner clicks. But alas, they are not. These words are the sincere dispatches of an observer, writer and citizen who continues to see worrisome signs of a slide toward the exceedingly unimaginable by a man who is utterly unprepared.

In a series of interviews and testimonies Donald Trump and his cronies have granted in the last several days, they have demonstrated repeatedly how destabilizing, unpredictable and indeed unhinged the incoming administration may be. Their comments underscore the degree to which this administration may not simply alter our democracy beyond recognition, but also potentially push us into armed conflict.

Last week, Trumps secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson, said during his confirmation hearing that the United States had 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.
This love is precisely what is required of an American president in dealings affecting Israel.

In such circumstances, and contrary to the adage that applies in most ordinary circumstances of life, that law says that demonstrations of love count for less, paradoxically, than love itself. It says, to be precise, that gestures of friendship, when they do not come from the bottom of the heart and are not built on sincere love  that is, finally, on a deep and true knowledge of the love object  are gestures that eventually may turn into their opposite.

To put an even finer point on it, we cannot rule out the possibility that Trumps series of ostentatiously promising signals directed at Israel may have sinister effects in the long or even short term.

Those signals may, for example, strengthen the most shortsighted and therefore suicidal fringe of Israeli politics. It may send the wrong signal to those who would be only too happy to see the United States set the example of making unilateral, unnegotiated decisions, thereby opening the way to other shows of force. In the United States, it may generate an overly enthusiastic embrace by pro-Israel Jews of a volatile president (one likely, depending on the needs of his deals, to change his mind), one who is so deeply unpopular with so many Americans that his embrace of Israel, however fleeting, could endanger the bipartisan consensus that has been so beneficial to Israel over the decades.

I cannot claim any knowledge of Donald Trumps heart or of the sincerity of his commitment to the Jewish state. But there have been indications going back decades.

One was provided by John ODonnell, a former chief operating officer of Trumps Atlantic City casino, who, in his 1991 book Trumped! quoted Trump as saying: The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.
A blast of Arctic air moving over Europe to the Mediterranean last week put thousands of refugees and migrants trapped in tent camps, stranded in abandoned buildings and slogging across snow-packed routes at risk of frostbite and hypothermia. At least five have died in Greece and in Bulgaria.

Nearly 60,000 people seeking refuge in Europe are being warehoused in Greece in squalid camps, many in tents that are no protection from snow and freezing temperatures. Many have been there for months. Under a Turkey-European Union deal implemented last year, those who do not qualify for asylum are to be sent to Turkey, where their human rights are far from assured. As for those who do qualify, its unclear where they can go; anti-immigrant sentiment is running high, and European Union countries are still balking at taking in most of the 160,000 refugees they agreed to accept from Italy and Greece in 2015.

In the Balkans, the situation is also dire. Save the Children warned that children in makeshift shelters in Serbia are at risk of freezing to death. The E.U.s failure to respond is leaving thousands of refugees and migrants, including unaccompanied children, literally out in the cold, complained Andreas Ring, the organizations Balkans representative.
To the Editor:

Re New York Reveals Deal to Close a Nuclear Plant (news article, Jan. 10):

A year ago, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York ordered an investigation in response to concerns from local residents sparked by the revelation that tritium radioactive contamination had increased 65,000 percent since the last time radiation emission levels at Indian Point had been measured.

According to news reports at that time, fresh samples from groundwater monitoring wells showed an 80 percent higher concentration of tritium in just four days. The situation was so dire that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was called in to investigate.

Governor Cuomo recently announced that Indian Point would be closed in four years. Thousands of people, including pregnant women and children, are incarcerated in facilities within a 50-mile radius of Indian Point and its contaminated groundwater.

Since 2009 they have expressed concerns that their water was discolored and tasted bad. They believed that their unexplained medical conditions were tied to the contaminated water.
Throughout, we continued to work with Russia when it was in our interest to do so. But because we have stood firm, Russia is now  despite the boasts of its leaders  plagued by dwindling financial reserves, a historically weak ruble and poor international relations.

President Obama has made clear to our allies and potential adversaries in Asia that the United States will remain a major force for stability and prosperity in their region. We have rallied the world behind unprecedented sanctions against a menacing North Korea, increased our naval presence in the Pacific, worked with regional actors to support the rule of law in the South China Sea and forged a strategic partnership with India. We also united key partners behind a landmark, high-standard trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, that we still believe should be ratified by Congress  all while maintaining an often mutually beneficial relationship with Beijing.

When President Obama took office, efforts to protect our planet from the catastrophic impacts of climate change were going nowhere, stymied by decades of division between developed and developing countries. But our outreach to China led to a series of breakthroughs that made last year the most consequential in the history of climate diplomacy. Building on, rather than backing away from, that progress would allow a historic shift toward clean energy and a chance of saving the planet from the worst ravages of climate change.

The fruits of this administrations diplomacy can also been seen in our own hemisphere, where we strengthened our position by normalizing relations with Cuba and helped end Colombias decades-long civil war. In Africa, we gained friends by training young leaders and led a successful global effort to contain Ebola.

Obviously, we havent solved every problem, particularly in the chronically combustible Middle East. But the United States was absolutely justified in stressing the need for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.

I also remain convinced that the formula we pursued to end the agonizing conflict in Syria was, and remains, the only one with a realistic chance to end the war  using diplomacy to align key countries behind establishing a nationwide cease-fire, providing humanitarian access, marginalizing terrorists and promoting Syrian-led talks on creating a constitution and democratic government.

The response of the international community to the tragedy in Syria will long be debated. For years, United States officials had those same debates in the Situation Room. Some options, such as an enormous deployment of ground troops, were rightly dismissed. Others, including deploying additional special forces in limited operations, were closer calls. Month after month, we weighed the deteriorating conditions and uncertain benefits of intervention against the very real risks, including deeper involvement in a widening war. While I did not win every argument  no policy maker does  I can testify that all viable ideas received a fair hearing.
The Bolivian guides were convinced it was the blonde. It had to be the blonde. American Embassy officials in November had told three brothers who led guided hikes across Bolivias majestic Cordillera Real mountain range that they would soon be hosting an important American dignitary. When a group of teenagers and a small band of American bodyguards showed up on Nov. 24, it wasnt apparent to the guides that it was the presidents elder daughter, Malia Obama, and not a blond companion, who warranted the extraordinary security measures.

There was a blond girl and we assumed she was the important one, Gregorio Mamani, one of the guides, said in a phone interview on Wednesday.

Only in recent days, after Bolivian journalists broke the story of Ms. Obamas trip to Bolivia and Peru late last year, did the guides realize who had been in their care during a five-day trek. She was very humble, chatty, spoke Spanish very well, Mr. Mamani said. She was mesmerized by the Bolivian landscape.

Ms. Obama was afforded no special treatment during the arduous trek, and performed chores, including cooking, along with her fellow travelers, Mr. Mamani said.
With minor exceptions, California bans the open carrying of firearms. State law allows the concealed carrying of a loaded handgun by those who pass a background check, take a training course, and demonstrate to their local sheriff or police chief that they have good cause. The definition of good cause is left up to the local law enforcement officials authorized to issue the licenses. While most of these officials accept a stated desire for self-defense as good cause in and of itself, the sheriff of San Diego County has set a higher threshold. An applicant there must prove a particular need for carrying the concealed gun, like a documented threat or having obtained a restraining order against a specific individual. Under this standard, the sheriffs office denies most applications.

The plaintiffs argue that given the ban on open carry  which is being challenged in a separate lawsuit filed last August in Federal District Court in Los Angeles  the San Diego sheriffs restrictive policy on concealed carry means that as a practical matter, the typical law-abiding resident cannot bear a handgun for self-defense outside the home at all. The question is whether there is any such right.

Significantly, in ruling against the plaintiffs last June by a vote of 7 to 4, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit didnt actually answer that question. That fact may deter the Supreme Court from hearing the appeal  or, depending on the justices appetite for a major gun case, it may prove irrelevant. The justices have the power to frame just about any question they want to answer. If they want to decide the core question of whether the Second Amendment gives the right to carry a gun, in some manner, any manner, outside the home  which is to say, if four justices think they can count on an eventual fifth vote for that proposition, then this will be the case to grant.

It would be an activist grant, but thats nothing new; remember last winter when the court agreed to hear a challenge to President Obamas deportation-deferral program and added the politically charged question, not addressed by the lower court, of whether the president had violated his constitutional duty to take care to enforce the law. (That case ended in a 4-4 tie, with the question  almost surely framed by Justice Scalia  left unanswered.)

In his majority opinion for the Ninth Circuit last June, Judge William A. Fletcher explained why the court wasnt answering the broad question. Because the plaintiffs were complaining only about the San Diego sheriffs approach to concealed carry and had not directly challenged the states open-carry ban, Judge Fletcher wrote, we do not reach the question whether the Second Amendment protects some ability to carry firearms in public, such as open carry. Rather, he said, we reach only the question whether the Second Amendment protects, in any degree, the ability to carry concealed firearms in public.
The greatest aspiration non-centrist movements can seriously have in Australia is to exert a gravitational effect on the mainstream. We saw that in the late 1990s and early 2000s when John Howards government neutralized the One Nation party by adopting a handful of its policies. On the left, the Greens have siphoned off some of Labors support, but apparently hit a ceiling around 10 percent of the vote. Lately they have been adopting a more centrist posture.

None of this means Australian politics is impervious to shock. Like much of the West, were in our own anti-incumbent, anti-system cycle. But compulsory voting means this movement is more gradual: a slow-motion accumulation of developments rather than the rapid agitation of an energized minority storming the barricades. Major parties will have time to adjust, and if not, minor parties will have time to mature.

But to my Australian eyes, the strongest case for compulsory voting came in the final stages of the recent American presidential campaign, when the candidates became obsessed with turnout.

On the Democratic side, this meant that President Obama was typically surrounded by pop stars while racing between rallies for Hillary Clinton. For the Republicans, it devolved into a bizarrely anti-democratic spectacle: efforts by Republican state officials to suppress the minority vote; Mr. Trumps exhorting his supporters to monitor selected communities for voter fraud. Such actions  especially suppression of the black vote  should be enough reason to mandate voting, consigning this sordid gaming to history.

This isnt particularly revolutionary if you see voting not merely as a right, but as a civic obligation. That might sound un-American, but Americans already have many such obligations, including more onerous ones like paying taxes or jury duty.

Even the most persuasive argument  that compulsory voting violates free speech ideals that include the right to silence  misunderstands how compulsory voting works. Voters are not compelled to support a candidate or even to cast a valid ballot. They are obliged to turn up.

Leave your form blank if the options are so uninspiring. Draw pictures on it. Even this is useful: By tracking the growth of these informal votes we can gauge voter dissatisfaction.
Second, Applebaum writes,

Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign manager, spent many years working on behalf of the thuggish Russian-backed Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, who eventually fled his own country. Manafort maintains links to pro-Russian groups in Ukraine. His name appeared on a list of people who took large chunks of cash from Yanukovych. He hasnt gone away  in fact, he has lived in Trump Tower.

Third, according to Applebaum, Trump operatives at the convention altered the Republican Party platform to eliminate a call to provide arms to Ukrainians who are resisting a Russian takeover.

Fourth:

Throughout the campaign, Trump unquestioningly repeated slogans and conspiracy theories  Obama invented ISIS and Hillary will start World War III  lifted from Sputnik, the Russian propaganda website.

Finally, Applebaum argues as evidence of Trumps pro-Russia tilt that

Trump is willing to risk serious conflict with China, to destroy U.S. relations with Mexico, to dismiss Americas closest allies in Europe and to downgrade NATO, our most important military alliance.

All this provides the basis for Applebaums conclusion:

Trump doesnt have to be a Manchurian candidate who has been hypnotized or recruited by foreign intelligence. Its enough that he has direct and indirect links to a profoundly corrupt and violent foreign dictator, whose policies he admires, whose advisers he shares and whose slogans he uses. Thats kompromat enough for me.

During the past nine days, a highly contentious debate has emerged over the validity and accuracy of a leaked, unverified 35-page dossier put together by a former British MI6 official. The dossier, financed by Trump opponents, both Republican and Democratic  claims that Russia has gathered compromising sexual and financial material about Trump.

Many of the domestic and foreign policy experts I contacted suggested that Russia would not need to blackmail Trump to get what it wanted  that Trumps susceptibility to praise has made him vulnerable to manipulation.

David Leege, a professor emeritus of political science at Notre Dame, wrote me:

Trump was a willing but unwitting accomplice because he loved the flattery, saw it only as a business opportunity, and had so little understanding of international relations to recognize how affairs of state could be caught up in it.

Along similar lines, Sandy Maisel, a political scientist at Colby, argued that Trumps

ego is such that he never asked, nor does he ask yet, what playing into the Russians needs and desires meant for our system. An unwitting  ego-driven  tool of Putins goal to undermine faith in our system and in the Clinton candidacy.

Gary Jacobson, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego, was outspoken in his response to my question asking why the Russians favored Trump:

His shameless mendacity, narcissism, authoritarian instincts, inability to tolerate opposition or criticism, hostility to formal institutions and the media, vast ignorance of foreign and domestic issues, indifference to constitutional restraints and eagerness to whip up and exploit xenophobia and (barely disguised) racism. We might add his affection for authoritarian leaders and other tough guys. Have I left anything out? Probably. All of these characteristics lead him to say things and propose actions antithetical to democratic norms and standards.

Fred Wertheimer, founder and president of Democracy 21, a nonpartisan organization promoting campaign finance reform, agreed that

Putin sees in Trump someone who is enormously susceptible to flattery, which Putin is perfectly happy to provide in order to achieve his national objectives.

Putins major objective, Wertheimer wrote by email, is

to break up the Western alliance and he appears to see Trump as an excellent vehicle to achieve this goal.

In an interview on Jan. 16 with the Times of London and Germanys Bild, Trump repeated his assertion that NATO is obsolete and suggested that sanctions against Russia could be dropped in return for a reduction of nuclear arms.

Molly McKew, a consultant who has advised such anti-Putin government leaders as Mikheil Saakashvili, a former president of Georgia, and Vlad Filat, a former prime minister of Moldova, published an essay in Politico Magazine on Jan. 1. Putins Real Long Game, McKew argued, is to capitalize on Europes struggle with surging immigration and economic stagnation. As she put it:

Vladimir Putin has seized the momentum of this unraveling, exacting critical damage to the underpinnings of the liberal world order in a shockingly short time.

This threat, McKew warns, should not be taken lightly:

The West is already at war, whether it wants to be or not. It may not be a war we recognize, but it is a war. This war seeks, at home and abroad, to erode our values, our democracy, and our institutional strength; to dilute our ability to sort fact from fiction, or moral right from wrong; and to convince us to make decisions against our own best interests.

How do kompromat and cyber hacking corrode public belief in verifiable truth?

In a Jan. 15 Times article, my colleague Amanda Taub writes:

Specific leaks may take aim at powerful individuals, but in the longer term, kompromat serves the interests of the powerful, which is why it is often a tool of autocrats. By eroding the very idea of a shared reality, and by spreading apathy and confusion among a public that learns to distrust leaders and institutions alike, kompromat undermines a societys ability to hold the powerful to account and ensure the proper functioning of government.

Masha Gessen, writing in The Times on Jan. 14, noted that in the debate over Russias role in the election,

Mr. Trumps version of reality got a boost: There was no such thing as truth, only a battle of opinions proffered by different actors, each of whom strives to be loudest.

Over the next few months, the Senate Intelligence Committee plans to investigate foreign influence in the 2016 election, an inquiry that will test the independence and integrity of the Republican-controlled Congress.

The fact is, though, that despite Russias campaign, Trump won under democratic rules, with his contempt for behavioral and political norms on incessant display. He carried a majority of the Electoral College, more counties than any Republican candidate since 1984 and two million more votes than Mitt Romney collected in 2012.

This means that we are facing the prospect of a renegade commander in chief armed with the considerable powers of the executive branch and a seemingly compliant legislature. Trump has already dealt a body blow to the political process. We will soon learn how much harm he can inflict once in office.
FRONT PAGE

An article on Wednesday about a speech by Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain in which she charted the countrys course toward a clean break with the European Union misstated the timing of her call to get on with it. It came late in the speech, not early.



A correction in this space on Wednesday for an article about Iowa voters views of Donald J. Trump misidentified the birthplace of the artist Grant Wood who painted American Gothic. He was born in Jones County, Iowa  not in Monticello, a town in Jones County.

The Times welcomes comments and suggestions, or complaints about errors that warrant correction. Messages on news coverage can be e-mailed to nytnews@nytimes.com or left toll-free at 1-888-NYT-NEWS (1-888-698-6397). Comments on editorials may be e-mailed to letters@nytimes.com or faxed to (212) 556-3622.

Readers dissatisfied with a response or concerned about the papers journalistic integrity may reach the public editor atpublic@nytimes.com or (212) 556-8044.
Maybe you couldnt get a ride to Washington. Or maybe you dont want to face the proceedings there.

Around the country, an unusual number of alternate activities are planned to coincide with weekend events surrounding the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump and the Womens March on Washington. Here is a sampling:

If youre seeking community 

In New York, the actress Ellen Burstyn is hosting Inaugurate Love: Dreaming Our Nation United at the United Palace in Washington Heights. Its one of the grand old movie palaces that didnt get torn down when all the rest of them did, Ms. Burstyn said.

She emphasized that the event, which begins at 11 a.m. on Friday and will run through the night, is not anti-anything and will include poetry readings, a drumming circle, meditation, dancing and more.

Its not a protest, Ms. Burstyn said. Its an alternate reality.

Those in Washington are invited to a group meditation beginning at 10 a.m. on the steps of the National Archives Building.
Not many people graduate Central Saint Martins to go straight into a job heading up Kanye Wests design team  but in 2008, thats exactly what happened to Emma Hedlund, 37, one half of the Swedish design duo CMMN SWDN. I was supposed to do the MA with Professor Louise Wilson but she put me up for the job with Kanye, recalls Hedlund, referring to the late Professor who was renowned for her unerring ability to spot new talent. I had very little knowledge of who he was at the time but it was exciting to see this whole new world. While Pastelle as Wests fledgling label was then known  never released any collections, Hedlund went on to collaborate with the musician again on his controversial Paris debut in 2011, eventually recruiting her fiance and design partner, Saif Bakir, 36, to set up a studio for West in Paris. For the pair  who met while studying mens wear at the London College of Fashion  it was that experience that triggered a desire to set up a label together. We felt we did it for someone else and now we wanted to do it for ourselves, says Bakir. Kanye is a workaholic and he pushed us to the limits but without that we wouldnt be prepared for the hours involved in setting up our own brand.

CMMN SWDN, the label they have designed together for a few years, has a refined, off-kilter elegance that eschews Wests penchant for athleisure or any of the minimal traits normally associated with a Scandinavian aesthetic. For us its never been about being Swedish, says Bakir. When we started, Swedish fashion was very monochrome and gray and we went against the grain with colors and textures. After setting up base in Malmo, Sweden, they soon attracted the attention of stores like Tres Bien in Sweden, Storm in Copenhagen and Harvey Nichols in the UK. They won the prestigious Swedish Elle Award in 2013, bestowed on emerging talent (the first and only time its been awarded to a mens wear brand). They decamped to London the following year, when they received a NewGen sponsorship from the British Fashion Council that enabled them to start showing during London Collection: Mens. There is so much inspiration around when you live in London, says Bakir. Showing here means you can be more experimental and push your brand and visual image more.

Image Saif Bakir and Emma Hedlund. Credit... Antoine Harinthe

Bakir and Hedlund subvert classic silhouettes with offbeat materials and unexpected touches. Each season wardrobe staples are subtly tweaked with new and inventive details: A polo shirt is rendered with a Lurex collar and cashmere is paired with shiny viscose. There is a push-pull between the designers masculine and feminine instincts. While we do research separately, with the design process its a collaboration all the way, Hedlund says. I bring in feminine textures and materials while Saif is the one focusing on the cut. Living and working together out of a studio in East London, their personal lives frequently spill over into their work  a trip to Marrakesh last year not only informed the dusky sensual, vibrant colors of their spring/summer 2017 collection, it was also where Bakir proposed to Hedlund. (A marriage is set there in the spring.)
The mens wear shows, which kicked off in London at the start of the month and move on to Paris this week, have seen a seismic stylistic shift: Men and women are walking the runways together. Radical? Well, yes, for fashion at least, which has segregated the genders for decades, centuries even. But the coed notion in fashion has been bubbling up for a few seasons now: Gucci has been staging coed shows since Alessandro Michele became creative director in January 2015, and Miuccia Prada began mixing womens looks with her mens wear beginning with the spring 2014 season. But now, on the fall 2017 mens runways, everything seems to be blurring into one. This seasons runways are a reflection of  and maybe even an active participant in  a wider cultural shift away from prescriptive gender norms.

In Milan  home of red-blooded machismo (or as close as you can get in a mens runway show)  there were almost as many looks for her as for him. Dsquared and Dolce and Gabbana brought womens looks into their mens shows for the first time  joining Prada, Moschino, Damir Doma and the behemoth of Giorgio Armanis mainline and Emporio labels. But most telling, two of Milans biggest brands, Gucci and Bottega Veneta, were absent entirely. They have opted out of Milans mens wear week, to show their male attire in what are otherwise womens wear shows in February.

Theres an obvious monetary benefit to combining your mens wear and womens wear runways  it doesnt take a genius to figure one fashion show is cheaper than two, although how much that figures into the thinking of brands like Gucci and Bottega Veneta (whose combined 2015 revenues were in excess of $5.5 billion) is debatable. But theres a sizable creative payoff, too: The combined format places less time-pressure on designers to deliver. And for many houses today, the aesthetic for him and her is so close that it makes sense for the two to walk side by side. It reaffirms what the label is all about. It reinforces brand identity.

The latter is certainly true at Vetements, whose coed show is scheduled to take place next Tuesday, during the Paris haute couture shows. We cant do two shows, per season, men and women, the Vetements creative director Demna Gvasalia said, citing pricing and time restraints. But there is also an ideological justification. At Vetements, it really works, he added. Its this street thing. You dont see streets where there are just girls walking. It brings it more to reality. And reality is key to Vetements, which street-casts nonprofessional models, designs clothes that look careworn and pre-loved and wants to reflect the real.
Paola Lazaros inner left wrist is marked with a jagged outline of Puerto Rico, where she was born and raised. My uncle tattooed me, in exchange for a pack of Marlboro Reds, Ms. Lazaro, a playwright and actress, explained. My dark theory is that if Im found dead in a corner of a street and I have no ID, they can just take my body there. Everyone will know where I come from.

Ms. Lazaro had just spent the morning watching a rehearsal of her new play  her first to be produced professionally  Tell Hector I Miss Him, which is now in previews and opens Monday, Jan. 23, at the Atlantic Theater Company. The cast includes two stars of the hit Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, Selenis Leyva and Dascha Polanco, as well as Ms. Lazaros fellow writer-performer Lisa Ramirez, in whose work To the Bone she acted two years ago.

Before the company broke for lunch, two other actors, Flaco Navaja and Luis Vega  playing a luckless cocaine enthusiast named Hugo and a clown-like figure called El Mago in Old San Juan  ran a scene in which they have drug-induced visions. The dialogue is gritty but lyrical, sprinkled with Spanish and pocked with profanity.

Ms. Lazaro drank it in, plainly still tickled to hear her words read back to her by pros. As Mr. Vega patted down and shook out his jacket, pretending to look for Hugos fix, she bent over laughing. She then stared, rapt, as El Mago shed his joyful mask and addressed a spirit from his past.
With an eye toward catching a California sunset, we arranged a dinner reservation on the early side one evening last spring. Our table overlooked a vineyard, three acres of pinot noir. Dinner began with a silky cauliflower soup garnished with roasted cauliflower florets and summer truffle. The restaurant, Valley Kitchen, had recently released its first estate vintage, and we ordered two glasses of the pinot to go with the main  risotto with purple asparagus and trumpet mushrooms.

As my wife and I munched and sipped, our eyes took in the view beyond the vineyard, phalanx upon phalanx of high rounded hills fading from green to gray in the softening light.
The head of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde is expected to have a four-day visit to Uganda next week.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance, Lagarde will visit from January 25 to 28 at the invitation of President Yoweri Museveni.

Lagarde says she hopes to gain a deeper understanding on Ugandas economic agenda and discuss how the International Monetary Fund can best serve the country.

Meanwhile Finance minister Matia Kasaija has described the visit as further improvement of the already good relations between Uganda and the IMF.

Lagarde is expected to participate in a number of public and private events while in the country including holding bilateral talks with President Museveni, the Ministry of Finance and Bank of Uganda authorities.
To help children feel more relaxed and less anxious when they travel, hotels are offering meditation sessions and therapies developed for younger guests.

At the Resort at Squaw Creek in California, the Kids Chillax Spa offers customized relaxation sessions. Sessions include aromatherapy treatments, deep-breathing exercises and stretching techniques ($35).

Rosewoods Jumby Bay in Antigua, which recently completed its Fitness Pavilion with an outdoor meditation deck, has free meditation classes designed to calm children after a long day of travel and beach activities (all-inclusive room rates from $3,500 per night).

Some resorts combine yoga with meditation exercises. At Great Wolf Lodge resorts around the country, a new Yoga Tails program teaches young travelers basic yoga movements and breathing techniques (free to guests; room rates from $140).
Even worse, perhaps, is the physical and emotional toll of extended caregiving. Family caregivers are more likely to experience negative health effects like anxiety, depression and chronic disease. One study found that those who experienced mental or emotional stress while caring for a disabled spouse were 63 percent more likely to die within four years than noncaregivers who were also tracked. Another study found that long-term caregivers have disrupted immune systems even three years after their caregiving roles have ended. And caregivers of patients with long I.C.U. stays have high levels of depressive symptoms that can last for more than a year.

As overworked and underappreciated as family caregivers are, health systems, under pressure to reduce costs, increasingly rely on them to manage illness at home.

Theres more we medical professionals can do to improve the way we engage, support and educate them. Family caregivers arent always clearly listed in the medical record, and even when they are, we often fail to include them in important decisions about a patients treatment plan  despite expecting them to carry out that plan at home. We assume theyre able to perform complex medical tasks  administering injections, changing catheters, dressing wounds, starting tube feeds  but fewer than half of family caregivers receive the training to perform them.

The Academies report highlights several measures that could help. First, simply identify caregivers, assess their abilities and anticipate challenges theyre likely to encounter. The United Hospital Fund has developed a tool to understand caregivers existing home or work duties, as well as what training theyll need to perform new caregiving tasks and any concerns they have about the treatment plan.

Having counseling and support services available to caregivers, as well as respite programs to temporarily relieve them of their responsibilities, could also help. And clinicians could be trained in how best to educate family caregivers, and to better meet their emotional and physical needs. A nurse might demonstrate how to turn a patient in bed without risking back strain. Or the right way to deliver an insulin injection  how to pinch the skin, what angle to insert the needle  and what signs to look out for if blood sugar levels get too low.

Policy makers can help caregivers, too. More than 30 states have passed versions of the Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act. The act requires hospitals to identify family caregivers, inform them when patients are being discharged, and provide them with basic education on the tasks theyll be expected to perform. Other policy changes might strengthen financial support for caregivers by increasing the amount of available paid leave and encouraging employers to offer more flexible work hours.

Caregivers should also feel comfortable speaking up about their needs, and asking for information on services available in their area. Increasingly, there are support groups available to those caring for patients with Alzheimers disease, cancer and other serious illnesses. The governments Eldercare Locator is an online tool that allows older people and their caregivers to identify community organizations that can help with meals, transportation, home care, peer support and caregiving education.
Image Newly disclosed documents recount the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, a captured terrorism suspect.

Against that backdrop, the two sets of newly available documents present a vivid contrast in perspectives, as the C.I.A. cables recount in bloodless bureaucratese the infliction of techniques that Mr. Zubaydah recalled experiencing in harrowing terms.

For example, when interrogators at a C.I.A. black site prison in Thailand confined Mr. Zubaydah in a cramped box on Aug. 5, 2002, they observed to headquarters that he showed signs of distress, according to one of the cables from a group the government declassified as part of a lawsuit against the psychologists who designed the program. The lawsuit is being brought by detainees represented by lawyers including from the American Civil Liberties Union. The A.C.L.U. provided the documents to The New York Times.

Mr. Zubaydah remembered the box experience in more vivid terms.

I felt I was going to explode from bending my legs and my back and from being unable to spread them not even for short instants, he wrote to his lawyers in 2008, noting that the box was so short and tight he could not sit up or change positions. The very strong pain made me scream unconsciously.

Other C.I.A. cables also clinically recount applying torture methods like the suffocation technique known as waterboarding. (Previously disclosed documents and the Senate report executive summary had already discussed Mr. Zubaydahs waterboarding in extensive detail, including that he was subjected to the treatment 83 times in one month.) The contemporaneous cables describe him crying, but generally use bland descriptions, like: Water treatment was applied.

Image Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the suspected mastermind of the 2000 bombing of the American destroyer Cole. Credit... ABC, via Associated Press

For Mr. Zubaydah, it felt as if he was dying. They kept pouring water and concentrating on my nose and my mouth until I really felt I was drowning and my chest was just about to explode from the lack of oxygen.
WASHINGTON  In the final weeks of the Obama administration, the Justice Department won the first hate-crime case involving a transgender victim and sued two cities for blocking mosques from opening. Prosecutors settled lending-discrimination charges with two banks, then sued a third. They filed legal briefs on behalf of New York teenagers being held in solitary confinement, and accused Louisiana of forcing mentally ill patients into nursing homes.

And then, with days remaining, prosecutors announced a deal to overhaul Baltimores Police Department and accused Chicago of unconstitutional police abuses.

The moves capped a historic and sometimes controversial eight-year span in which the Justice Department pushed the frontiers of civil rights laws, inserting itself into private lawsuits and siding with transgender students, juvenile prisoners, the homeless, the blind, and people who videotape police officers. On issues of gay rights, policing, criminal justice, voting and more, government lawyers argued for a broad interpretation of civil rights laws, a view that they consistently said would put them on the right side of history.

Few areas of federal policy are likely to change so definitively. President-elect Donald Trumps nominee to be attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, opposes not only the Justice Departments specific policies on civil rights but its entire approach. While liberal Democrats have criticized Mr. Sessionss views on specific issues like gay marriage and voting, the larger difference is how differently the Trump administration will view the governments role in those areas.
Mr. Perrys newfound appreciation for the science of climate change echoes the statements of other picks for the cabinets, including Scott Pruitt, who in his bid to head the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday: Science tells us that the climate is changing and human activity in some manner impacts that change. The human ability to measure with precision the extent of that impact is subject to continuing debate and dialogue, as well they should be.

Similarly, Rex W. Tillerson, Mr. Trumps choice to become secretary of state, said that humans were one of the causes of warming, but that we cannot predict with precision where it is going. That is consistent with the position he has long taken as the chief executive of Exxon Mobil.

The straddling sounds more moderate, but does not reflect the state of the science of climate change  which has grown overwhelmingly conclusive on the role of humans as the prime cause  and it hedges on the need for action.

For those who remember the Nixon years, this might be called a nondenial denial: It moves the nominees from Mr. Trumps much-criticized statement that climate change was a Chinese-created hoax, a comment that he, too, distanced himself from.

Peter C. Frumhoff, director of science and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the cabinet selections s were engaged in mischaracterization of scientific uncertainty to avoid accepting the urgency of reducing emissions is a dangerous distraction from addressing this serious global threat.

Perry vows to defend budget

Senator Angus King, Jr. of Maine, pressed Mr. Perry on the question of whether cuts will be coming to the Energy department on important areas that include energy research. Will you commit to me that you are going to be lionhearted in this endeavor to protect your agency? Because they are cutting the legs out from under you.

Mr. Perry began to answer that he had an interesting background that involved defending budgets from those in the know, when Mr. King interrupted, saying: it is hard to believe the people who recommended these cuts are in any kind of know.
His all-time favorite is the black-and-white, a vanilla milkshake mixed with chocolate syrup, Mr. Avilez said.

On Sundays, the Bidens will still be in the pews of St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church just as they have been for decades. After the service, their habit is to stop by Janssens Market, where Xavier Vega, the weekend cook there, will fix up Mr. Bidens usual breakfast: eggs over easy with a side of dry wheat toast.

Their beloved house will continue to serve as a refuge for the entire Biden clan. The only real change will be that Mr. Biden will need a new car, since the 1967 Corvette that he got from his father and still cherishes is just for special occasions.

But how Mr. Biden will spend the rest of his week is still a bit uncertain. There will be Biden centers at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Delaware and a Biden cancer initiative, but whether Mr. Biden intends to spend most of his time at his home office or someplace else has yet to be worked out.

The problem we have is not figuring out what he is going to do, but figuring out what hes not going to do, said Ted Kaufman, a longtime Biden aide and confidant who was appointed to Mr. Bidens Senate seat after he became vice president. Theres just no way hes going to be able to do not just all the things that he wants to do but all the things that he really wants to do.

Some of Mr. Bidens closest confidants have quietly urged him to cash in on his popularity. He has long been one of the least wealthy members of Washingtons elite, and in 2015, he and Dr. Biden briefly considered selling their home in Greenville, by far their most valuable asset, to pay for Beau Bidens cancer care.
WASHINGTON  Every morning, Meena Ahamed takes a three-mile walk around Kalorama, her northwestern Washington neighborhood. The enclave is exclusive, full of showpiece brick homes, many decorated with flying flags of distant republics.

Her stroll on Wednesday was serene save for the buzzing of saws, the thumping of hammers and the nearly constant chop-chop-chop of helicopters overhead. All were telltale signals that some well-known residents are moving in: President Obama and his family; President-elect Donald J. Trumps daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner; and the Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos, to name a few.

Another will soon join the crowd. Rex W. Tillerson, the former chief executive of Exxon Mobil and Mr. Trumps pick for secretary of state, is in the process of buying a home nearby on 24th Street Northwest, said Jack Evans, a District of Columbia City Council member whose ward includes the neighborhood. A person with knowledge of the sale, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Mr. Evans was correct.

In New York, its what building Madonna is in, said Ms. Ahamed, a writer and United States advisory board member of Doctors Without Borders who splits her time among New York, Los Angeles and Washington. Here, its which politician is living next to you.
WASHINGTON  The Obama administrations long and fitful effort to wind down the Guantanamo Bay wartime prison came to a close on Thursday with an announcement that it had transferred four more men out of the detention complex. Their departures are expected to be the last before President Obama leaves office on Friday.

The transfer of the four detainees means that President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has called for an end to such transfers, will inherit the fates of 41 men there, 31 of whom are being held without charges or trial. Eight years ago, when Mr. Obama took office and delivered an ill-fated vow to shutter the wartime prison he had inherited from the Bush administration, there were 242 detainees.

In a letter to congressional leaders the White House sent on Thursday afternoon, Mr. Obama reiterated his arguments for closing the prison  that it is expensive and a damaging symbol that fuels anti-Americanism  and complained again that restrictions imposed by Congress that prevented him from carrying out his plan to close it make no sense.

As president, I have tried to close Guantanamo, Mr. Obama said. When I inherited this challenge, it was widely recognized that the facility  which many around the world continue to condemn  needed to close. Unfortunately, what had previously been bipartisan support for closure suddenly became a partisan issue. Despite those politics, we have made progress.
Donald J. Trump will become president of the United States after he says just 35 words: the oath of office. What is the oath, you may ask?

Presidents-elect have taken the oath since the beginning of the republic. George Washington first said it in 1789, and the oath has been the centerpiece of presidential inaugurations ever since, symbolizing the continuity of democratic rule and the peaceful transition of power.

The oath of office comes directly from Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution. This is the full text, according to the National Museum of American History:

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.

The oath is traditionally administered by the chief justice of the United States, but sometimes that can be harder than it looks.
WASHINGTON  Rick Perry, the former Texas governor and President-elect Donald J. Trumps nominee as energy secretary, said in his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday that he regretted having recommended the abolition of the Energy Department in the past.

He addressed his awkward history on the issue up front, telling the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, he no longer believed, as he said while running for president in 2011, that it should be eliminated.

Mr. Perry also offered a full-throated reversal of his views on the science of human-caused climate change, which he called a contrived, phony mess in a 2010 book.

I believe the climate is changing, he said. I believe some of it is naturally occurring, but some of it is also caused by man-made activity. The question is: How do we address it in a thoughtful way that doesnt compromise economic growth, the affordability of energy or American jobs?
High Court Judge Duncan Gaswaga has been dragged before the Land division for allegedly grabbing land.

The 23 decimals of land in Kyeyitabya Bukasa- Muyenga is said to belong to a one Henry Nsubuga.

In his suit filed through Nakachwa and Company Advocates , Nsubuga accuses Justice Gaswaga of refusing to hand over the title of land comprised in Block 246 plot 872 which he fraudulently registered in his names 15 years ago.

Nsubuga contends that in 2005, he bought the said piece of land from a one Lucy Nsubuga who informed him that she gave the tittle to Justice Gaswaga for purposes of transferring his he into his names.

Meanwhile, Justice Gaswaga has also asked fellow Judge Godfrey Namundi to order Nsubuga to deposit 90 million shillings in court as security since he has no known place of abode where he can be found in case he loses the case.

Justice Namundi will hear Justice Gaswagas application for security of costs tomorrow morning.
WASHINGTON  Two United States Air Force B-2 bombers attacked Islamic State training camps in Libya overnight, killing more than 80 militants, including some who were involved in plotting terrorist attacks in Europe, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

The attack, which also included strikes by armed reaper drones flying from a base in Sicily, was a parting shot from President Obama at the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, and one of his final actions as commander in chief.

We need to strike ISIL everywhere they show up, Ashton B. Carter, the departing defense secretary, told reporters. We know that some of the ISIL operatives in Libya were involved in plotting attacks in Europe.

Islamic State fighters were driven out of Surt, the groups coastal stronghold, last year by Libyan fighters backed by American air power. After conducting 495 strikes against truck bombs, heavy guns, tanks and command bunkers in the city, the Pentagons Africa Command announced an end to air operations on Dec. 19.
BOSTON  Several times a year, Nathan Theriault will be walking deep in the Maine woods and make a gruesome discovery: a dead moose, thin and crawling with ticks.

Theyre dying on the forest floor, said Mr. Theriault, an outfitter and hunting guide in Eagle Lake, Me.

The moose is an iconic image in the Northeast and a crucial part of its tourism and recreational economy. But in parts of northern New England, researchers say moose are being killed by droves of winter ticks that thrive when the fall is warm and the winter comes late. By the thousands, the ticks attach themselves to moose  calves are the most vulnerable  and essentially drain their blood and strength.

Researchers say that over the last few years, ticks have killed about 70 percent of the calves they have tagged in certain regions, an indication that the tick is taking a significant toll.
BEIJING  Last Sunday was the 19th wedding anniversary of Jin Bianling and her husband, the rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong. As usual, the couple spent it apart. Ms. Jin has not seen Mr. Jiang since 2013, when she and their daughter moved to California from China seeking safety from the state harassment that came along with Mr. Jiangs work.

We really miss him, Ms. Jin said by telephone from the United States.

But this years anniversary was especially hard, she said.

On Nov. 21, Mr. Jiang went missing. Police officials later confirmed that he was in custody under suspicion of incitement to subversion of state power, but they did not disclose his location.

Then, last week, the police released on bail a close associate of Mr. Jiangs, the human rights lawyer Li Chunfu, in what Mr. Lis relatives and lawyers said was a confused and frightened condition, occasionally raving or belligerent. Mr. Li had been tortured, they said, and his neck was injured and his mind damaged. He was also administered unknown drugs, they said.
BANGKOK  The insurgent group announced its existence with a predawn attack on three Myanmar border guard posts. Hundreds of Rohingya militants, armed mainly with knives and slingshots, killed nine police officers and seized weapons and ammunition.

It was about time, Naing Lin, 28, said of the October attack near his village, Kyee Kan Pyin.

The government is torturing us, he said by phone this week. The aim of the group is to protect our rights. Thats all. They are doing what they should do.

The beginning of an armed resistance is just one of several developments that are reshaping the conflict over Myanmars persecuted Rohingya minority with potentially far-reaching consequences.

The group that attacked the border posts, Harakah al-Yaqin, is believed to have several hundred recruits, substantial popular support and ties to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, according to a report by the International Crisis Group. Separately, there has been a surge of international humanitarian and political support for the Rohingya cause, mainly from Muslim countries that have cast the Rohingya as the Palestinians of Southeast Asia.
ROME  As night fell in Italys Apennine Mountains on Thursday, prospects dimmed of finding survivors of an avalanche that had swept over a small resort hotel the previous night. At least 30 people were missing, according to the authorities.

The avalanche occurred after four earthquakes struck central Italy, which has been hit hard in recent months.

Giampiero Parete, a cook at the Rigopiano hotel and one of the two known survivors, had gone out to get something from his car when the avalanche struck. His wife and two young children remained inside and are among the missing.

Quintino Marcella, a restaurateur, told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that he had received a frantic call for help from Mr. Parete on Wednesday night.
LONDON  Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who has claimed asylum in Ecuadors London embassy since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on accusations of rape, said on Thursday that he stood by his offer to be extradited to the United States provided his rights would be protected.

Last autumn and again last week, Mr. Assange, 45, wrote on Twitter that he would accept extradition if the former military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning were freed. On Wednesday, President Obama commuted Ms. Mannings 35-year sentence, meaning she will be released in May.

Ms. Manning, as American soldier Bradley Manning, passed 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to WikiLeaks and, as a result, was court-martialed and convicted.

In an online news conference on Thursday, Mr. Assange repeated that I stand by everything I said, including the offer to go to the United States if Chelsea Mannings sentence was commuted. But its not going to be commuted until May, he said. We can have many discussions to that point.
One of the most talked-about sessions was A Day in the Life of a Refugee. Since both our work involves refugees, Sabine and I signed up.

Instead of the normal talking-head format, this was a simulation  the facilitator warned us that it was intense and that we could quit if we couldnt take it.

We began by kneeling on the floor (in the basement of a Hilton hotel), where the facilitator, dressed as a tribal sheikh, told us that our people were being killed, blood was flowing in the streets and we had to flee. But before we could, the lights went out and gunmen stormed the room.

I was ordered to run down a hallway, where a woman told me to duck so as not to get shot by a sniper. We ended up in a mock refugee camp, where the same facilitator, now dressed as the camp boss, lined us up and shouted at us. He told us not to cause problems and said he had medicine and food for those who were hungry, but only if we had our own dishes. If not, we could buy them. If we did not have money, too bad.

Over the next 20 minutes, we were herded into tents where gunmen shined flashlights on us and ordered us to sleep. Fights and gunfire broke out. When the lights came on, we had to register on applications that were hard to read, attend a school in a language we did not speak, and occasionally be harassed by gunmen who stole our money, watches and cellphones.

As we sat on benches afterward to process the experience, a number of people were in tears. The organizers distributed tissues.

Sabine, who is from Lebanon and grew up during its civil war, said the simulation was an overdramatized picture of what it is like to be a refugee.
Britain is especially keen to do a deal with Washington, and Mr. Trump has said he is eager to start. But until Britain formally leaves the European Union, deemed unlikely before March 2019, it can only discuss such deals, not sign them. And trade deals normally take many years to negotiate, especially if they are also supposed to cover services and financial services, which has been one of Britains strengths.

Though Mrs. Mays plans for a clean break with the European Union have received an enthusiastic reception from her Conservative Party colleagues and the right-wing British news media, the reaction from businesses and other European nations has been less positive.

Big international banks that have long threatened to relocate staff because of the vote to leave the bloc have begun to make plans to do so. HSBC and UBS have warned they could move around 1,000 jobs out of London. JPMorgan Chase has said that it may have to move 4,000 staff members. The German newspaper Handelsblatt reported that Goldman Sachs is considering halving its London work force to 3,000 and moving key operations to New York and Continental Europe, but the bank has not confirmed that.

Andrew Parmley, the Lord Mayor of London and head of the City of London Corporation, which is home to much of the citys financial services sector, said he was not surprised by the looming departures and said it is inevitable that people would be speculating about what to do next.

He argued that some of the thousands of jobs that are likely to leave London may return if Mrs. May can negotiate a good deal for financial services. I take great comfort from the fact that people are saying, We are back if we get the deal, he said.

But most banks and companies regard Britains departure as a cost, not a source of profit, and want to minimize or eliminate the expense of being outside the European Union.

In the meantime, other countries in the bloc, like France, Germany and Ireland, are trying to lure financial services firms, and Irelands central bank has had more than 100 inquiries from financial firms considering moving from Britain, according to Irelands finance minister, Michael Noonan.
TEHRAN  The scene unspooled as if in a disaster film: As firefighters fought to control a blaze in one of Tehrans most prominent high-rise buildings, the structure suddenly collapsed on Thursday in a smoldering heap of wreckage  all while millions watched on Iranian state television.

The state-run channel PressTV said that at least 20 firefighters were confirmed dead and that dozens of people could be trapped beneath the rubble. But other local news agencies said that as many as 50 firefighters and shopkeepers could have been inside the building when it collapsed.

It was total chaos, there was dust, there were people everywhere. No one knew what to do, said Nasim Khakpour, a Tehran resident who had gone to buy a guitar for her brother in the area.
GENEVA  Deliveries of lifesaving aid to Syrian civilians trapped in besieged areas are at their lowest level in almost a year, despite a cease-fire that has curbed fighting across much of the country, the United Nations said on Thursday. In Idlib Province, residents of some towns are dying for want of medical care.

Armed opposition groups and government forces are routinely doing what they can, all of them it seems, to avoid us helping women, children, wounded on the other side, Jan Egeland, the United Nations adviser on humanitarian affairs, told reporters in Geneva.

The cease-fire, brokered by Russia and Turkey at the end of December, is still holding and saving lives in many parts of the country, Mr. Egeland said. But for many hundreds of thousands of exhausted civilians still trapped in besieged areas, this winter, the sixth since the fighting began, is proving to be the harshest since the conflict started.

The way it is now, it cannot continue, he added. The government has to change the way it is blocking our humanitarian access to civilians, but also the armed opposition groups.
Outgoing chief of defence forces Gen Katumba Wamala has expressed concern over plans by Burundi to withdraw its troops from Somalia.

This comes as the country starts the process of withdrawing from the African Union Mission in Somalia due to a dispute with the African Union over payment.

Gen Katumba says if this is done, it will negatively affect the mission and will exert pressure on the Ugandan troops in Somalia.

Uganda, Burundi and Djibouti have been the only countries with troops in Somalia under AMISOM.
The 2017 edition of the Sundance Film Festival has a lot to live up to: We called the 2016 edition arguably its strongest program in years. From tiny, unexpected life-changers like First Girl I Loved to big blockbusters-to-be which never quite got there (Birth of a Nation, looking your way), from the most heartbreaking film in years (Manchester by the Sea) to one of the most uplifting (Sing Street), that program really did have it all.

But if anyone can top it, Sundance directors Trevor Groth and John Cooper can. So weve got faith, and weve found plenty in the 2017 catalogue that piques our interest. Here are our picks for the 21 cant-miss films at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.



Category: Premieres

What Sundance Says: Sam is one lucky teenager. Shes beautiful, rich, and popular, with the hottest boyfriend and the most loyal friends. But she and her posse can be cruel and heartless; since elementary school theyve relentlessly bullied one of their classmates. On Friday, February 12th, driving home from a party, Sam is in a dramatic car crash. She should be dead, but wakes the next morning to find the date hasnt changed. In a Groundhog Day-like time loop, Sam must unravel the mystery of why the last day of her life keeps repeating again and again. Along the way she realizes that every little deed has a consequence, and every action can change another persons future.

Based on the bestselling young adult novel, Before I Fall features a fluid, riveting performance by Zoey Deutsch as Sama girl learning to disentangle her values from high schools rigid social strictures to discover her true self. Director Ry Russo-Young smartly and lushly layers high school drama with chilly noir and suspense genres to deliver a thrilling, profoundly moving ride.

Key Players: Ry Russo-Young (director), Maria Maggenti (screenwriter), Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, Logan Miller, Kian Lawley, Elena Kampouris, Diego Boneta

The Draw: Ry Russo-Young is one of the most promising of what has been labeled the post-mumblecore crowd of directors. Her progression, from her debut film Orphans, to her indie breakout You Wont Miss Me, to her first star-driven film Nobody Walks (all of which were excellent), has been a joy to watch. Now, with this YA novel adaptation, expect to see that upward trajectory continue. Shes got the chops for it. Michael Dunaway



Category: U.S. Dramatic Competition

What Sundance Says: After 25 years of secluded existence with his protective parents in their isolated, off-the-grid home, James (Kyle Mooney) is tossed out into a new life in relatively daunting Cedar Hills, Utah. As his world upends, the most shocking revelation to James is that hes the only person who has ever watched his favorite television program, Brigsby Bear Adventures. Struggling to adjust to the shows abrupt end, he begins to see Brigsbys lessons as his only way to make sense of a big, scary new world, so James decides to make a movie to end Brigsbys storyand re-begin his own.

Key Players: Dave McCary (director), Kevin Costello (co-writer), Kyle Mooney (co-writer), Claire Danes, Mark Hamill, Greg Kinnear, Matt Walsh, Michaela Watkins

The Draw: One of the co-founders of LA-based sketch comedy troupe Good Neighbor, Dave McCary (Saturday Night Live) makes his feature directorial debut with Brigsby Beara film co-written by and starring his childhood friend, Kyle Mooney. Assuming things dont get too twee, this promises to be a wonder of offbeat comedy and film-within-a-film hijinks. Chris White



Category: NEXT

What Sundance Says: While his father is in a coma, Jin finds himself stuck in an unusual Midwestern city renowned for its modernist buildings. Though not fond of architecture, Jin strikes up a friendship with Casey, a bright girl who works at the city library (avoiding college and her future), and she shows him the local marvels. With a curious intimacy reserved for strangers, Jin and Casey explore both the town and their conflicted emotions: Jins estranged relationship with his father and Caseys reluctance to leave her mother, a recovering drug addict.

Paced to the naturalistic rhythms of its late-summer setting, Kogonadas debut feature unfolds as a gently drifting, deeply absorbing conversation that constantly reinvents itself. His atmospheric style is strewn with gorgeous tableaus that elegantly incorporate the citys architecture. Kogonada is intrigued by how we experience space and absence, and although we typically see modernism as intrinsically alienating, here its also a spiritual salve. A harmonious blend of cerebral and emotional storytelling, Columbus is a lyrical meditation on spiritual spaciousnessand on being in the modern world.

Key Players: Kogonada (director/screenwriter), John Cho, Haley Lu Richardson, Parker Posey, Rory Culkin, Michelle Forbes

The Draw: The rest of the world is about to be let in on a secret that a few cinephiles have shared for a while now: the incredible work of the mysterious filmmaker known as Kogonada. His gorgeous, brilliant montages, many of which have been commissioned by the Criterion Collection and Sight & Sound, have thrilled and inspired many of us for a long time. His Linklater tribute alone would shoot his feature film debut to the top of my Sundance list. M.D.



Category: NEXT

What Sundance Says: In the wake of his big brothers violent death, 13-year-old Dayveon (Devin Blackmon) struggles to find his way in an economically depressed Arkansas town. With no parents and few role models around, Dayveon is soon torn between the lure of a local gang and the friendship of his sisters boyfriend, who reluctantly acts as a father figure.

Key Players: Amman Abbasi (director/co-writer), Steven Reneau (co-writer), Devin Blackmon, Kordell KD Johnson, Dontrell Bright, Chasity Moore, Lachion Buckingham, Marquell Manning

The Draw: Fitting that this drama arrives at Sundance on the shoulders of Executive Producer David Gordon Green, whose debut feature George Washington (2000) was also a sensitive portrait of small town African-American youth in trouble. Stunning that Abbasi not only co-wrote and directed the filmhe also edited, produced and composed the score. C.W.



Category: Premieres

What Sundance Says: What would you do if there was proof of an afterlife? The answer to this question is rivetingly explored in The Discovery, where world-renowned physicist Doctor Thomas Harber (Robert Redford) is able to scientifically prove the existence of an afterlifebut with dire consequences. His estranged son, Will (Jason Segel), tries to confront the situation by returning to the New England-esque island where he grew up. He crosses paths with Isla (Rooney Mara), whos returning to the island for mysterious reasons of her own. The tale unfolds over the ensuing days as the regret of past choices forces these lost characters to reflect on how theyve gotten to where they are.

Key Players: Charlie McDowell (director/ co-writer), Justin Lader (co-writer), Jason Segel, Rooney Mara, Robert Redford, Jesse Plemons, Riley Keough, Ron Canada

The Draw: McDowell and Lader also co-wrote the 2014 Sundance premiere, The One I Love. Here, the pair reunites for another high-concept metaphysical thriller thats definitely got our attention. The Discovery is also one of two Rooney Mara films screening at this years festival (the other: A Ghost Story). C.W.



Category: World Drama Competition

What Sundance Says: On the turbulent border of modern-day Brazil and Paraguay, a war is brewing between rival gangs on either side. Caught in the middle of it all, Brazilian 13-year-old Joca has fallen in love with Basano, a spirited indigenous Paraguayan girl, and is determined to win her over regardless of the consequences. Even as Jocas brother Fernando becomes heavily embroiled in the hostilities, and Basano is threatened by the unwanted affections of an older boy in her village, Joca is forced to confront where his own loyalties lie.

Felipe Bragancas first solo-directed feature is a magnificently layered, surreal fairy tale addressing the very real colonial oppression and strife that defined the regions history and still lingers today. Mixing professional and nonprofessional actors in three languages, Dont Swallow My Heart, Alligator Girl! tackles its ambitions head-on, shaping Bragancas alluring vision of a dreamscape haunted by violence where young love struggles to take root.

Key Players: Felipe Braganca (director/screenwriter), Caua Reymond, Eduardo Macedo, Adeli Gonzales, Zahy Guajajara, Claudia Assuncao, Ney Matogrosso

The Draw: Several aspects sound intriguingbut honestly? That title, man. How can you resist a movie with that title? M.D.



Category: U.S. Documentary Competition

What Sundance Says: Sprawling, immediate, and complex, Peter Nickss verite documentary moves like a pulsing, timely thriller. In 2014, after over a decade of federal monitoring for misconduct and civil rights abuses, the Oakland Police Department hires Chief Sean Whenta young, clear-eyed idealistin hopes of bridging an historically tense divide between its officers and the community they serve.

Whents intentions and calls for transparency are immediately met with enthusiasm, but as his tenure begins, the realities of his departments scandal-plagued past coincide with fresh accusations of brutality and harassment.

The Force captures everything; it hovers over Oaklands evening skies and rides inside speeding police vehicles, granting viewers breathless firsthand access to some of law enforcements most dangerous jobs. With fly-on-the-wall intimacy, we see a department trapped in transition, desperate to shed its corrupt image but also challenged by an increasingly organized and urgent Black Lives Matter movement erupting right outside its doorstep.

Key Players: Peter Nicks

The Draw: If were going to have any honest discussion about race, we need as great a diversity of voices as we can get. Preaching from one side or the other isnt going to do anybody any good. It certainly sounds as if Emmy winner Nicks has produced a nuanced, textured study of some of the challenges faced by both sides in the Black Lives Matter/police department clashes. M.D.



Category: NEXT

What Sundance Says: David Lowerys meticulously sparse narrative contemplates a spectral figure who was once a man (Casey Affleck). Prematurely taken from this Earth, he makes his way toward his former home, where he is fated to remain forevermore. Shrouded in a white sheet, he observes the lament of his grief-stricken lover (Rooney Mara). Bearing unseen witness to her pain, the wisp stands sentry for years to come, interacting only with time as it hurtles further and further forward, the remnants of his humanity quietly evaporating.

Key Players: David Lowery (director/screenwriter), Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Will Oldham, Sonia Acevedo, Rob Zabrecky, Liz Franke

The Draw: The indie hero and recent director of multiplex hit Petes Dragon (2016) gets back to his roots by scaling things way down for A Ghost Storya macabre micro-cinema experiment that promises to be as deeply creepy as it is cinematically fascinating. This one is at the top of my must-see list. C.W.

Golden Exits

Category: U.S. Dramatic Competition

What Sundance Says: Nick has settled into a safe existence in a small pocket of Brooklyn, where he currently toils on an archival project for his father-in-law. Soon, 20-something Naomi arrives from Australia to assist Nick for the semester. She has no acquaintances in the city beyond a loose family connection to Buddy, a music producer who lives in the same neighborhood. For the few months she spends around Nick, Buddy, and their families, Naomis presence upsets the unpleasant balance holding these two households together.

Key Players: Alex Ross Perry (director/screenwriter), Emily Browning, Adam Horovitz, Mary-Louise Parker, Lily Rabe, Jason Schwartzman, Chloe Sevigny

The Draw: If deep personal torment and domestic despair is your jam, Alex Ross Perry (Listen Up Phillip) is back with another acerbic ensemble comedy. Honestly, its the cast that has my attention hereactors who will, no doubt, deliver the abiding humanity Perrys films have sometimes lacked. C.W.



Category: World Documentary Competition

What Sundance Says: On the eastern edge of Bulgaria, bordering Turkey, amid wizened orchards and an ancient patchwork of farmlands, sits a poor and sleepy hamlet that time seems to have forgotten. Despite the sparse population of silver-haired citizens wistful for the brighter days of communism, democracy is in full force as the village prepares in earnest for its mayoral election. Meanwhile, an endless train of Syrian refugees bound for Europe silently traipses through the rural terrain, visible through the binoculars of one gentle and taciturn candidate, the postman.

Told through indelible, lush images, this quietly cinematic film exposes seismic divisions regarding immigration and what it means to be European in an age of global displacement and shifting political systems. With dry humor and remarkable sensitivity toward its beguiling ensemble of characters, Tonislav Hristovs documentary plays like a scripted narrative, with the postman as the films grounding heroa man who sees encroaching darkness not in the desperate exiles filing across his land, but in his own increasingly closed-off and distrustful town.

Key Players: Tonislav Hristov (director)

The Draw: Another need for mutually respectful dialogue, another film that looks to be a sensitive, artistic treatment of the issues at play. M.D.



Category: U.S. Dramatic Competition

What Sundance Says: Lee Hayden (Sam Elliott) is an aging Western icon with a golden voice, but his best performances are decades behind him. He spends his days reliving old glories and smoking too much weed with his former-co-star-turned-dealer, Jeremy (Nick Offerman), until a surprise cancer diagnosis brings his priorities into sharp focus. He soon strikes up an exciting, contentious relationship with stand-up comic Charlotte (Laura Prepon), and he attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Lucy (Krysten Ritter), all while searching for one final role to cement his legacy.

Writer/director Brett Haley (Ill See You in My Dreams) returns to the Sundance Film Festival with another sharply observed exploration of aging. Aided by a never-better Elliott, Haley has imbued this character study with personal details and characterization that make the film resonate. The Hero is a sometimes difficult, yet warm and ultimately touching portrait of an artist who realizes he isnt quite ready to hang up his spurs.

Key Players: Brett Haley (director/co-writer), Marc Basch (co-writer), Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Krysten Ritter, Nick Offerman, Katharine Ross

The Draw: Haleys debut feature Ill See You in My Dreams was a true delight of the 2015 festival; it managed to be sweet without being cloying, and contained extraordinary performances from Blythe Danner and Sam Elliott. I cant wait to see Elliott and Haley back in the sandbox together again. M.D.



Category: U.S. Dramatic Competition

What Sundance Says: Ruth, a depressed nursing assistant, returns from work to find dog shit on her lawn and her house burglarized, the thief having made off with her silverware and laptop. Losing faith in the police (and possibly humanity as a whole), Ruth starts her own investigation, joining forces with her erratic neighborand dog shit culpritTony. Upon locating the laptop, they trace it back to a consignment store, leading them to a gang of degenerate criminals and a dangerous, bizarre underworld where theyre way out of their depth.

Macon Blairs outstanding debut feature has an exuberant storytelling style thats full of personality, visual inventiveness, idiosyncratic characters, and wildly unpredictable turns. Its dark tone, deadpan humor, and increasingly blood-soaked foray into a twisted moral universe evoke the Coen brothers, but most captivating is the deeply unsettling journey it takes Ruth on, through human vulnerability and escalating violence. Once brought to tears by the notion of an infinite universe, her quest isnt for her laptop, but for a way of processing a world that no longer makes sense to her.

Key Players: Macon Blair (director/screenwriter), Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, David Yow, Jane Levy, Devon Graye

The Draw: Even before she won an acting award at last years fest, I knew this rule: When Melanie Lynskey is in a Sundance movie, you go see it. Plain and simple. M.D.

Ingrid Goes West

Category:: U.S. Dramatic Competition

What Sundance Says: Ingrid (Aubrey Plaza) is an unstable young woman with a checkered past of obsessive behavior. She secretly moves to Los Angeles to get close to Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen)an Instagram lifestyle guru with a fabulous artist boyfriend, a camera-ready terrier, and an array of new products and brands to promote to her followers. After Ingrid adopts a Taylor-made identity for herself, her machinations to prove shes BFF material for her Insta-idol are underwaythat is, until she meets Taylors obnoxious brother Nicky, who threatens to tear down her facade.

Key Players: Matt Spicer (director/co-writer), David Branson Smith (co-writer), Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, OShea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell, Billy Magnussen

The Draw: Word on the street is, in Ingrid Goes West, Aubrey Plaza does not disappoint. The subject matterhumanity versus social media performanceis starting to feel a little threadbare, but in Matt Spicers hands, there is hope for something fresh. C.W.



Category: NEXT

What Sundance Says: Isaac Lachmann (Brett Gelman) has seen better days. His acting career is tanking, while his colleagues succeed; his blind girlfriend of ten years plans to leave him; and his own family singles him out as a constant disappointment at their latest reunion. Even as he takes a chance on new romance, Isaac struggles to define his place in a world that has seemingly turned against him.

Key Players: Janicza Bravo (director/co-writer), Brett Gelman (co-writer), Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Nia Long, Shiri Appleby, Fred Melamed

The Draw: Co-writer Gelman stars in this twisted, romantic anti-comedy which promises to be semi-sweet and full of the kind of lovable self-loathing that might turn into something of a festival favorite. Keep your eyes on Lemon. C.W.



Category: Premieres

What Sundance Says: Eighty-six-year-old Marjorie (Lois Smith) spends her final, ailing days with a computerized version of her deceased husband. With the intent to recount their life together, Marjories prime relies on the information from her and her kin to develop a more complex understanding of his history. As their interactions deepen, the family begins to develop ever-diverging recounts of their lives, drawn into the chance to reconstruct the often painful past.

Key Players: Michael Almereyda (director/screenwriter), Jon Hamm, Geena Davis, Lois Smith, Tim Robbins

The Draw: Im worried this film may play like an episode of Black Mirrorand yet, what a cast! Almereyda is a filmmaker known for handling history and literature-based material, so the turn to sci-fi is interesting, to say the least. Count this film as one of Sundances most intriguing selections for 2017. C.W.



Category:Premieres

What Sundance Says: Set in the post-WWII South, this epic pioneer story pits two families against a barbaric social hierarchy and an unrelenting landscape as they simultaneously fight the battle at home and the battle abroad. Newly transplanted from the quiet civility of Memphis, the McAllans are underprepared and overly hopeful for Henrys grandiose farming dreams while Laura strives to keep the faith in her husbands losing venture. For Hap and Florence Jackson, whose families have worked the land for generations, every day is a losing venture as they struggle bravely to build some small dream of their own. The war upends both families, as their returning loved ones, Jamie and Ronsel, forge a fast, uneasy friendship that challenges them all.

Key Players: Dee Rees (director/co-writer), Virgil Williams (co-writer), Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, Jason Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund

The Draw: Adapted from the acclaimed novel by Hillary Jordan and boasting one of the most powerful ensemble casts at Sundance this year, there is already Oscar buzz about this historical and tragic American melodrama. C.W.



Category: Premieres

What Sundance Says: This exuberant tragicomedy recounts the remarkable but true story of the rise and fall of Polish emigre Jan Lewan (Jack Black), from striving tchotchke shop owner in the 70s to the undisputed King of Pennsylvania Polka in the early 90s. Lewan pursued the American Dream by any means necessary, fleecing investors and bribing officials to build a personal musical empire in what became the worlds only known Polka Ponzi scheme. Swept up by Lewans charismatic charm are his devoted wife, Marla (Jenny Slate), and his neurotic sidekick, Mickey (Jason Schwartzman).

Co-writers and directors Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky, who previously teamed up for Infinitely Polar Bear (2014 Sundance Film Festival), infuse The Polka King with an infectious energy and fill the frame with kitschy period detail, taking us through two accordion-fueled decades of grift and glory. Throughout, producer/star Black breathes life into the eccentric Lewan, finding pathos beneath his cockeyed optimism and showbiz hustle.

Key Players: Maya Forbes (director/co-writer), Wally Wolodarsky (co-writer), Jack Black, Jenny Slate, Jason Schwartzman, Jacki Weaver, J.B. Smoove

The Draw: Maya Forbes Infinitely Polar Bear was one of the most criminally underseen Sundance Films of recent memory. But this onewell, if you dont want to see Jack Black as the Polka King, I dont even know what to tell you. M.D.



Category: U.S. Documentary Competition

What Sundance Says: Filmed with verite intimacy over the course of a decade, the documentary feature debut of director Jonathan Olshefski is a portrait of a family living in North Philadelphia. Set against the backdrop of a country engulfed in turmoil, and a neighborhood assaulted by inequality and neglect, it follows Christopher Quest Rainey, and his wife Christinea, Ma Quest, as they raise their children and nurture the creative sanctuary offered by their home music studio. The family evolves before our eyes, and what began as a tender depiction of an American family develops into a stunning illumination of race, class, and community.

Quest begs viewers to take notice. The Rainey clan will have audiences clutching their hearts in a visceral display of admiration. Ultimately, Quest reflects the profound beauty of one family whose journey is a testament to love and healing and whose resilience provides hope for a nation torn apart.

Key Players: Jonathan Olshefski (director)

The Draw: Any sign of high-quality verite filmmaking making a comeback is a welcome development in my book. Subtle stories like this can affect more hearts than a thousand shouted bromides. M.D.



Category: Documentary Premieres

What Sundance Says: In 2008, Gregory Lazzarato, a young, nationally ranked Canadian diver, walked away from the pool and began a YouTube channel focused on makeup tutorials. Unwilling to be intimidated by bullies either online or in high school, Lazzarato became the fierce, outspoken Gregory Gorgeous, amassing a loyal following who found strength and inspiration from his public coming out as a gay male. Despite this success, the Internet personality harbored a secretone that was revealed in a December 2013 video titled I Am Transgender. Motivated by the death of her mother, the YouTube star took on the new name Gigi Gorgeous. Gigi, supported by her loving father and brothers, offers a candid look at her transition, sharing its hallmarks online with her legion of fans as she embraces a new world of possibilities.

Key Players: Barbara Kopple (director)

The Draw: Barbara Kopple produced and directed Oscar-winning documentaries Harlan County U.S.A. (1976) and American Dream (1991). That shes back (at age 70) with another timely and humane story of identity and hope is both proof for and testament to her status as the dean of American documentarians. C.W.



Category: Documentary Premieres

What Sundance Says: In 1996, Cuban bandleader Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, British producer Nick Gold, and American guitarist Ry Cooder convened in Havana to produce a Cuban-Malian collaboration. When the Malians couldnt get visas, the team turned their attention to reviving a forgotten generation of legendary son cubano musiciansamong them Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzalez, Omara Portuondo, Eliades Ochoa, and Compay Segundoand they formed a serendipitous, on-the-fly ensemble: the Buena Vista Social Club. The groups hypnotic, irresistible music and effusive spirit unexpectedly took the world by storm, resulting in a Grammy Award-winning album and an Academy Award-nominated documentary by Wim Wenders.

Two decades since that fateful first session, we catch up to these master musicians, as they reflect on the magical unfolding of their livesfrom humble origins to the evolution and surprising revival of their careers, all against the backdrop of Cubas dramatic history. Brimming with unseen concert, rehearsal, and archival footage, this film is an emotional, shimmering celebration of musics power to transcend age, ideologies, and class, and to connect us to each other through our souls.

Key Players: Luc Walker (director)

The Draw: It takes a lot of confidence to take on a subject Wim Wenders has already treated. But Walker has no lack of confidence. And she has the talent to back it up, too. If theres one complete-no-brainer-cant-miss doc at this years festival, this has got to be it. M.D.



Category: Premieres

What Sundance Says: Woody Harrelson stars as Wilson, a lonely, neurotic, and hilariously honest middle-aged, misanthropic dog lover who reunites with his estranged wife (Laura Dern) and gets a shot at happiness when he learns he has a teenage daughter hes never met. In his uniquely outrageous and slightly twisted way, Wilson sets out to connect with her in what could be his last chance at having a family.In Skeleton Twins, which won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, director Craig Johnson displayed a knack for finding humor and warmth in the darkest of places, which is why he was the perfect choice to bring to life this Daniel Clowes graphic novel of the same name. The writer of the Ghost World and Art School Confidential graphic novels, Clowes is a master of making the unlikable lovable. His Wilson is a bit of jerk, but a jerk who refreshes our empathy for peoplein all of their imperfections.

Key Players: Craig Johnson (director), Daniel Clowes (screenwriter), Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, Judy Greer

The Draw: Craig Johnsons Skeleton Twins was funny, sad, and truly moving. Teaming him up with Daniel Clowes makes for just a potentially devastating combination. And Harrelsons post-True Detective career has been mixed so far; Im anxious to see him shine. Im rooting for this one, bigly. M.D.
For the uninitiated, this clip from Shark Tank does a pretty good job summarizing the self-professed Mr. Wonderful

Why is he running? Per his website:

Many Canadians were optimistic when Trudeau promised them he would balance the budget by 2019. Thats not what happened. Once elected, he broke that promise and put forward a dangerous proposal built perpetual debt. Now we are being asked to forfeit our childrens futures under the burden of unbalanced budgets for the next 38 years ending with a country $1.5 trillion in the hole. In this nightmare, Canadians will soon spend the majority of their tax dollars paying interest on money spent long before their time. This is Trudeaus curse of debt.

Canadians today and tomorrow will never have the opportunities their parents had because of this curse.

I will not let that happen.

Now, with the election of Donald Trump to our south, Canadas largest trading partner is headed by a businessman with an aggressive strategy that could hurt the Canadian economy. Trudeau doesnt stand a chance, and we deserve better.

Kevin OLeary has some things in common with Donald Trump: like a successful reality show produced by Mark Burnett as well as the mindset of a predatory capitalist. Where they diverge is that OLeary has proven business savvy, so this wouldnt be that ridiculous of a story even before the Donald shattered all norms in American politics. He also told CTV News Im the son of an immigrant from Ireland and from Lebanon. There are no walls in my world.

Tomorrows inauguration hangs over this decision in more ways than one, and Justin Trudeau will no doubt keep a watchful eye on the businessman/reality TV star as he enters a crowded field, vying for the conservative partys nomination. Sound familiar?
Christine Pagliaro Affiliates with RE/MAX DFW Associates

Contact

Cyndi Cook

***@rmdfw.com Cyndi Cook

End

-- RE/MAX DFW Associates' office in Dallas welcomes new real estate agent, Christine Pagliaro, a former Financial Advisor. She brings great experience working in sales and excelled in customer service. "I've always had an interest in real estate sales," stated Ms. Pagliaro. "RE/MAX DFW Associates has everything a new agent can ask for and I'm eager to start""I see great potential in Ms. Pagliaro," Ryan Cox, Manager of the Dallas office, articulated. "She brings a personable attitude and professional work ethics to our wonderful team here in Dallas; I look forward to seeing her business prosper""I transferred to RE/MAX DFW Associates because of my passion for real estate and their unlimited training and resources they provide for their agents," stated Ms. Pagliaro. "I want to be the best real estate agent for my clients and I believe in putting their needs first and making their dreams come true of home ownership"Originally from New Jersey, Ms. Pagliaro moved to California and made her way to the DFW Metroplex seven years ago. She attended Rider University and received her Bachelor's degree in Finance.RE/MAX DFW Associates is in its 33year of operation and today is the largest RE/MAX franchise in Texas. The firm has seven offices: Coppell, Dallas, Flower Mound, Frisco, Las Colinas, Plano and Willow Bend. The firm's over 330 agents and closed $1.75 billion in 2016. RE/MAX DFW Associates is part of the world-wide RE/MAX network in 105 countries and 110,000 agents. For more information, visit the firm's website, www.YourHomeTownPro.com , its Facebook page, facebook.com/RMDFW or on YouTube, youtube.com/rmdfw.Christine Pagliaro can be contacted at the Dallas office of RE/MAX DFW Associates at 214.532.3422 or via email at Christine.Pagliaro@rmdfw.com. She can assist with any listing in the North Texas Regional MLS System, as well as any of the firm's active listings, which can be viewed at www.YourHomeTownPro.com.
Family hopes awareness will bring tips to finding their son.

courtesy of LostNMissing, Inc.

Contact

Cynthia Caron

Nonprofit Founder

***@comcast.net Cynthia CaronNonprofit Founder

End

-- Reny Jose disappeared on March 03, 2014. The straight-A, 21 year old Rice University senior (originally of Albany, NY) went missing while on spring break, in Panama City Beach, Florida. Jose, along with 19 friends, rented a beach house on Front Beach Road, where he was last seen. He would be 24 years old, today.Jose's parents obtained the help of LostNMissing Inc., a nonprofit organization based out of New England, to help bring awareness to the plight of their missing son. Sherly Jose, mother of Reny, says "Not a day goes by that my heart is not breaking. My grief is beyond words." She adds, "Police believe he drowned, but if that were the case where is his body? Anyone that knows my son would never believe he committed suicide as he did not exhibit any signs of depression and was looking forward to graduating."Explaining further Mrs. Jose states, "I know that Reny would not go missing of his own choice and because so many friends with him that eve, I can't help but feel maybe one of them knows more than what's been told and I beg any information, no matter how insignificant, be told so that we may find my child. Our family hopes this billboard will bring tips to the Panama City Beach Police as its somebody has information and may not even realize it?"To date there has been no sighting of Jose. His family has made numerous trips from their home in New York to Panama City Beach to look for him. Some of his clothing, wallet, and cellphone were found in a trash barrel outside his rental unit, shortly after missing. It is not known who placed his items in the barrel. His family, and a few friends, also stated drug use was uncharacteristic of him. The water in the area was also still cold at that time of year to consider a swim and certainly someone would have noticed a male, without clothing, contemplating a swim.According to Cynthia Caron, Nonprofit Founder at LostNMissing, "One of the key purposes of the billboard is to have Reny's photo displayed with the hopes that someone may make recognition of what may have happened to him." She further adds, "Any person, who may have valid information, can request to remain anonymous and our hope that he, or she, gains the strength within themselves and do the right thing. No mother should have to live in this state of limbo in not knowing what happened to her child and if he's truly gone, his family deserve to know exactly where his earthly body is so that he may be brought home for a proper funeral and burial."In working to obtain the billboard, LostNMissing organized a special donation fund to pay for the billboard. A generous discount was also provided by the Busby Companies, of Mississippi, the billboard owner. The billboard can be seen on Highway 79 near Pier Park, Gulf World Marine Park, and Palmetto Trace.Anyone with information may contact the Bay County Sheriff's Dept. at (850) 747-4700, or CrimeStoppers at (850) 785-TIPS. His family also manages a Facebook page at "FIND RENY JOSE." Click here: https://www.facebook.com/ whereisreny/
Contact

Karim Moullemaaz, VP, Brand Director

***@fnf.com Karim Moullemaaz, VP, Brand Director

End

-- Fidelity National Title Group (FNTG), the nation's largest provider of title insurance and escrow services, is proud to announce the formation of our newest National Commercial Services (NCS) division in Colorado. This division will combine the unparalleled strength and resources of several FNTG commercial brands under one roof: Chicago Title, Fidelity National Title, Commonwealth Land Title and Heritage Title.The NCS Colorado division will be led by a formidable leadership team that includes: Tony Matlock, Senior Vice President, National Commercial Operations; Lance Capel, Senior Vice President, Western Regional Sales Director; Darren Hone, Senior Vice President, Underwriting, and Stephanie Taylor, SVP, Operations. Under the leadership of Tony and Lance, Darren, and Stephanie, the NCS Colorado division will deliver exceptional services to our customers and provide them with great national resources and value added tools for local and national transactions. As a leading provider of title and escrow services, NCS Colorado will also afford our clientele the choice of three strong national underwriters:Chicago Title, Fidelity, and Commonwealth Land Title.Tony Matlock brings 34 years of experience in the title industry to his leadership role at NCS Colorado. "Our new operation in Colorado represents an amazing opportunity for Fidelity National Title Group to continue providing world-class service in the Denver metro area through a unified customer experience. Customers will have access to our vast national resources for their commercial transactions, with the local knowledge and expertise they've come to expect from FNTG brands," says Tony.Lance Capel is a title industry veteran bringing nearly 30 years of experience to the division. "The combining of our commercial resources will provide a strong competitive advantage both locally and nationally for FNTG in the Colorado market, while also creating an operation with a top notch settlement team and unsurpassed customer service," says Lance.Darren Hone brings over 28 years of title industry and underwriting experience to the new division. "NCS Colorado is well-positioned to compete by offering an innovative approach to today's changing marketplace. We tailor our services to each client's specifications, which truly differentiates us as a leader in the industry," says Darren.Stephanie Taylor brings over 25 years of title and escrow experience to NCS Colorado. "At NCS Colorado, it is important to us that every one of our clients feel appreciated, valued, and able to have a voice. We are always willing to go the extra mile for our clients," says Stephanie.FNTG NCS Colorado will commence operations on January 17th, 2017. To learn more about our newest division, please visit http://fntgstudio.com/ ncsco Fidelity National Financial, Inc., is the parent company to National Commercial Services, Colorado. FNF is a leading provider of title insurance, mortgage services and diversified services. FNF is the nation's largest title insurance company and its title insurance underwriters collectively issue more title insurance policies than any other title company in the United States. FNF is ranked #311 on the 2016 Fortune 500 list and is the highest ranked company in the title insurance industry on the list. For more information, visit www.fnf.com. For more information on FNTG, visit www.fntg.com.
Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya announcing the launch of the $1.2 million media campaign for 2017.

By: Las Vegas Wedding Chamber of Commerce

Wedding Experts of The World

Media Contact

Aimee Stephens, Vegas Weddings

***@vegasweddings.com

702.550.3915 Aimee Stephens, Vegas Weddings702.550.3915

End

--Las Vegas continues to be the Wedding Capital of the World, yet in recent years that title has been put to the test. Launching last March, the Las Vegas Wedding Chamber of Commerce (LVWCC) has worked closely with the Clark County Clerk to market and unify this diverse industry. Through the efforts of this public/private partnership, marriage licenses issued in Clark County have stabilized, year to year, after a decade of decline  a great step for this $2 billion per year industry. To further this effort, the LVWCC launches its inaugural Wedding Tourism Sneak Peek 2017 this Thursday with presentations from local dignitaries, government staff and tourism experts.Hosted by former Nevada Lt. Governor Lorraine Hunt-Bono whose vision spearheaded an international travel brand for Nevada and Las Vegas, the event held at the Copa Room at The Bootlegger Bistro is a nod to its 2016 launch. The event will include presentations from: Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya announcing the launch of the $1.2 million media campaign for 2017 Cheryl Smith and Colleen Yoshida with the LVCVA Tyson McKay from Dot Vegas presenting interactive wedding website demos David Riggleman, City of Las Vegas Travel Nevada/Nevada Magazine LVWCC President Kris Labuda speaking on past and current initiativesSpeakers will also be available for interview before presentations begin.6 p.m.  Mix and Mingle6:45 p.m.  Presentations begin8 p.m.  Event endsThe Copa Room inside The Bootlegger Bistro7700 S. Las Vegas Blvd.Las Vegas, NV 89123At the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Robindale RoadMedia is welcome to attend for coverage, please notify Aimee Stephens of interest at 702.550.3915 or Press@LVWeddingChamber.com. ( mailto:Press@ LVWeddingChamber.com The LVWCC is a public/private partnership between the Clark County Clerk's office and the Las Vegas wedding industry to promote the $2 billion local industry within Clark County. Spearheaded by County Clerk Lynn Goya, the alliance is designed to reinvigorate wedding tourism to Southern Nevada.This mixer is open to business members seeking more information on the LVWCC, information on how to expand their wedding business or those interested in expanding the economic impact of wedding tourism in Nevada and Clark County. $10 Admission. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres, no host bar. RSVPs recommended;go to WeddingChamber.Vegas ( http://www.weddingchamber.vegas/ ).
Climaveneta units for the air conditioning of the Luigi Pecci Centre.

Exhibition space of the new wing designed by Mauri

Contact

Sara Di Clemente

***@melcohit.com Sara Di Clemente

End

-- Luigi Pecci CentreMitsubishi Electric Hydronics & IT Cooling Systems, through its brand Climaveneta, supplied the air conditioning system for the rebirth of the Luigi Pecci Centre, in Florence.After 6 years of construction and being closed for 3 years, The Luigi Pecci Centre for Contemporary Art has once again reopened in Autumn 2016. It is the first institution in Italy to be built from scratch with the specific intent to exhibit, collect, preserve, document, and distribute the most advanced artistic research.Renovation and extension workTo ensure sufficient appreciation of this heritage, at the beginning of the twenty-first Century, the Pecci Centre decided to double its exhibition space and, at the same time, to restructure the original building of Italo Gamberini.The extension was designed by Maurice Nio, one the most original interpreters of the architectural culture of our time. The extension work began in 2006 and focused on building a new wing with a strong architectural impact which is linked to the original structure, which has undergone a full renovation during this time.Furthermore, in addition to more than doubling the size of the exhibition space, the new centre also has an archive and specialised library which will include over 50,000 volumes, an outdoor theatre, a cinema/auditorium, a performance space in the galleries, a bookshop, a restaurant, and a pub/bistro.Focus on sustainabilityThe new Pecci centre is innovative not only from an architectural point of view, but also in terms of its state-of-the-art and sustainable mechanical systems.The lighting and air conditioning systems, that are the main energy expenditure in every kind of building, have been designed to offer the best internal comfort for the vistitors of the Centre, while guarantying minimal impact both on the running costs and on the environment.The HVAC systemFrom the plant engineering point of view, the operation is characterized by the unique shape of the building, the large presence of windows for the contribution of natural light and the functional continuity with the existing structure. The intensive preparatory work carried out by the experts involved in the project, made it possible to optimize the position of the plant room to combine the needs of the air conditioning and lighting systems.The heart of the plant room is composed of 2 Climaveneta NECS-WQ 0512 water cooled multi-purpose heat pumps, controlled by MANAGER 3000.The multi-purpose heat pumps can work in cooling only, heating only, and simultaneous heating and cooling mode, to satisfy the building's needs, all year round.By choosing multi-purpose heat pumps for the production of both hot and cold water, the HVAC plant designers have selected a fully electric solution, turning down any non-renewable, fossil fuel based system. This kind of choice has been possible thanks to the availability, on the market, of reliable heat pumps, that can work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even without a traditional boiler as back-up.Mr. Dante di Carlo, HVAC plant designer at Pecci Centre, says: "The multi-purpose heat pumps allow a simpler plant design, as they go beyond the traditional complexity of seasonal settings, heat pump-chiller, and when they produce simultaneous heating and cooling, they exploit the waste energy (both heating and cooling), maximizing the building's energy efficiency. This led to an advantage in terms of energy efficiency and then in savings on running costs. At Pecci Centre we were able to use water-source units, the most efficient from an energy point of view, thanks to an artesian well, thus exploiting the brim water, fully available on site."Thanks to the positive result obtained from the first installation, the same team of designers also planned a substitution of all the old heating system in the original building of Italo Gamberini, with multi-purpose heat pumps. The first step in this direction has been done with the refurbishment of the cinema/auditorium, where the autonomous HVAC system is based on a Climaveneta NECS-Q-0262 unit. In this case the designers have selected an air source multi-purpose unit, to get a simpler system in terms of maintenance, that has to be managed by the user of the cinema/auditorium.Climaveneta for the artsThe experience gained in over 45 years' experience in the professional air conditioning market and in several museums projects worldwide, allows Climaveneta to offer the Pecci Centre, the most suitable HVAC solution in terms of comfort, efficiency, and sustainability. Furthermore, in museums it is also fundamental to address noise, humidity, and temperature levels, to protect the exhibited artwork. It is not by chance that relevant institutions like Museo del Bicentenario in Argentina, The City Arts Centre in UK, The Triana Museum of ceramic in Spain, The Natural History Museum in France and The Prada Foundation, Muse and Alfa Romeo Museum have chosen Climaveneta as partner for their sustainable and efficient HVAC systems.Follow Climaveneta:youtube.com/user/climavenetaweb, @ClimavenetaHVAC, linkedin.com/company/climaveneta, facebook.com/climavenetahvac/Media RelationsSara Di Clementesara.diclemente@melcohit.com
Rogers served as a senator in the Michigan legislature before embarking on a 14-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Contact

Brian Bierley

***@oakland.edu Brian Bierley

End

-- Leaders from Oakland University and surrounding communities gathered in the Kresge Library's Nyberg Room on Thursday, Jan. 12 to celebrate the formal opening of the Michael J. Rogers Congressional Collection at OU. Rogers, who served as a state senator before embarking on a 14-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives, was also in attendance as the collection was officially made available to the public."It's a body of work that represents America going through change," said Rogers, who spoke of his early days in the U.S. House of Representatives and how the 9/11 attacks shifted the country's focus to national security issues. "All of those issues are going to be very important to study."Stephen P. Weiter, associate professor and dean of University Libraries at Oakland, added that the collection will serve as a valuable resource for "teaching, learning and researching the history and politics of this country."The collection was acquired by the university in January 2015 at the initiative of the Political Science department and the University Library, and placed in the custody of Oakland University Archives and Special Collections.The collection consists of 11 boxes of documents and photos, 215 artifacts, and more than 27,000 digital files that come from Congressman Rogers' Washington and Lansing offices."The collection covers the Congressman's tenure in the Michigan Senate and his time in the United States House of Representatives,"according to Dominique Daniel, associate professor, Kresge Library and coordinator of Archives and Special Collections. "It includes newsletters, press releases, speeches, and media appearances, as well as internal documents from the Congressman's office."The collection has great research value for historians, political scientists and other scholars. It will also be used for teaching and other learning purposes at Oakland University. The collection features sweeping insider coverage of Rogers' state senate career, and the 2000 8th District election.Visitors now have access to research and discussions about issues important in Michigan's early 21century history, such as the prohibition of drilling on the Great Lakes in 2002, and Rogers' fight to ban Canadian trash from Michigan's landfills. There is also material about topics of national interest, including veterans' affairs, Indian gaming laws and the Benghazi hearings. In addition, researchers can see a definitive compilation of Rogers' press materials. These include video of Rogers' television appearances and full documentation of his speeches and newspaper clippings.In the summer of 2015, an undergraduate student was hired through the Summer Student Campus Corps to start cataloguing the numerous images and videos in the collection. David Wagner, a part-time archivist and public historian was hired as project archivist. Wagner has worked on the digital files in the collection, creating an inventory, adding metadata to photos and videos, and developing web pages to promote the collection.Mike Rogers was born on June 2, 1963 in Howell, Michigan. After serving as a commissioned officer in the United States Army through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Rogers became an FBI special agent. In 1995, he went into politics, and was elected as the state senator of Michigan's 26th District. He served as Majority Floor Leader between 1999 and 2000 before moving on to the national stage via the U.S. House of Representatives in 2001.Rogers enjoyed a 14-year career in the House, as representative of Michigan's 8th District, before retirement in 2015. He is currently the host of a nationally-syndicated radio program on Westwood One, and has been a national security contributor on CNN. Rogers was among the more influential members of the U.S. House of Representatives during the first decade of the 21st century.Throughout his career, Rogers was known for emphasizing bipartisanship, often working with Democrats on health legislation. In his time as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, the committee was an island of bipartisanship, in contrast to the rest of Congress, which Rogers claims felt like being "in a messy divorce, every day." Rogers managed to pass the first intelligence-funding bill in five years (in 2011), and several others over subsequent years.
JCB will produce light-capability rough terrain forklifts for the US Army.

Contact

Lynette Von Minden

***@swansonrussell.com Lynette Von Minden

End

-- JCB has started 2017 by winning one of the biggest single orders in its 71-year history  a $142-million deal to supply the United States Army with a massive fleet of machines.The company announced today that the U.S Army is to take delivery of more than 1,600 light-capability rough terrain forklifts for deployment on tasks around the world including loading and unloading aircraft and shipping containers.The new 527-58M forklift is engineered from JCB's range of commercial Loadall telescopic handlers  a machine which this year celebrates 40 years in production and which is the biggest-selling product of its kind in the world.JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: "This order is fantastic news for JCB and a great way to start the New Year. It is the second-highest-value order in the company's history, and I congratulate everyone who has worked to secure this valuable contract in the same year that we mark 40 years of telescopic handler production."The largest single deal in JCB's history also came from the U.S. Army in 2005 when a $206-million order was placed to produce hundreds of high-speed military versions of JCB's famous backhoe loader. That machine, the High Mobility Engineer Excavator (HMEE), is capable of speeds of up to 60 mph and went on to be sold to allied forces around the world, including the UK, Sweden, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.Like the HMEE, the new 527-58M light-capability rough-terrain forklifts will be produced at JCB's North American Headquarters in Savannah, Georgia. They will be powered by the 84hp (63kW) JCB DieselMax engine produced at JCB Power Systems in Derbyshire, UK.At 80 inches (two meters) wide and 78 inches (1.98 meters) high, the military spec 527-58M is optimized to work in confined spaces. With a travel speed of 20 mph (33 kph), the machine has a maximum lift capacity of more than 5,000 lbs (2.26 metric tons) and a lift height of 19 ft (5.8 meters). The 527-58M has been marinized to meet the operational needs of the services during wading and fording.Arjun Mirdha, CEO and President of JCB North America, said: "We are proud that the U.S. Army has once again chosen JCB and its Savannah-based manufacturing facility to produce an extraordinary piece of specialized equipment. Over the past three decades, JCB has supplied more than 4,000 machines to armed forces in 57 countries, and we have acquired a deep understanding of how the Army uses equipment and the unique features needed."Chris Giorgianni, JCB North America's Vice President - Product Support and Government & Defense, said: "JCB now offers more than 300 'commercial off-the-shelf' (COTS) solutions for the military. Being chosen to produce this military-specific forklift builds on the broad range of JCB products that can be modified to meet the most gruelling military conditions."The 527-58M is designed to minimize military operational costs with a two-year service warranty and extended service intervals with parts available from distribution centers in JCB's worldwide network, making it faster and more efficient for the U.S. Army to maintain and service the new forklifts."With nearly one of every three telescopic handlers sold globally being produced by JCB, the U.S. Army will benefit from a leading commercial design and associated cost and operational efficiencies. Just as the JCB-built and supplied HMEE revolutionized how the military tackled engineering tasks, the new JCB light-capability rough terrain forklift is designed to improve military logistics capabilities.JCB is a privately-owned, global company that manufactures over 300 different machines from 22 plants on four continents including the United Kingdom, India, Brazil and the United States. Equipment lines offered include: backhoe loaders, Loadall telescopic handlers, excavators, wheel loaders, rough terrain forklifts, compact excavators, skid steer loaders, compact track loaders, compaction equipment and the unique Fastrac tractor. For more information, visit https://www.jcb.com/
Servicemaster by Williams Recently Acquires SeviceMaster of Northampton

By: ServiceMaster by Williams

Contact

Rob Williams

***@smbywilliams.com

1-877-721-7470 Rob Williams1-877-721-7470

End

-- ServiceMaster by Williams, a disaster restoration company whose main headquarters is located in Sterling MA proudly announces the expansion of their service area to include Hampshire County of Massachusetts with their recent purchase of ServiceMaster of Northampton.ServiceMaster by Williams is a locally owned franchise and has been serving both residential and commercial customers with water & fire damage emergencies for over 30 years in Worcester and Franklin Counties of Massachusetts. In 2016, they expanded their service area to include Hampshire County.Owner Rob Williams states," We are very excited to add Hampshire County to our service area. We will continue to bring the same high quality disaster restoration services and customer support that homeowners and business owners have come to depend on for over 50 years with the ServiceMaster Brand."With the ServiceMaster Restore Brand comes the assurance of proper equipment, service standards & training that is part of the ServiceMaster core value of providing restoration services with the utmost integrity and understanding.ServiceMaster by Williams is IICRC Certified, has an A+ Rating from the Better Business Bureau, received a 100% NPS Customer Satisfaction Rating and is the only MIIA Approved Restoration Company in Worcester & Franklin Counties of Massachusetts.For a list of their full service area for restoration services, click here: http://servicemasterrestorebywilliams.com/ service-area/ For more information call 1-800-835-6591 or visit their website: http://servicemasterrestorebywilliams.com
Government has confirmed that 101 former M23 rebels have been intercepted while escaping back to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Executive Director of the Uganda Media Center Ofwono Opondo says the group was arrested in Mbarara while traveling in four vehicles.

He says another group of 40 was discovered to have escaped seven days ago and their whereabouts are not known.

Opondo says the M23 rebels that have been at Bihanga Military Training School in Ibanda District since the Agreement of 2014 have been quietly escaping into the general public and some to unknown places.

According to the Agreement of 2014 and the protocols signed with the DRC Government, Bihanga Bararacks is their gazetted place of abode.

The apprehended former M23 combatants are now being detained at Makenke Barracks, the second division Headquarters near Mbarara town.

Opondo says this leaves only 270 still confined at Buhanga and has reaffirmed Ugandas commitment to live by the agreements and obligations that were entered into in 2014.
Sysco earns distinction through commitment to academic customers.

Sysco Software Solutions a Microsoft AEP Authorized Education Partner

Contact

David Reid

***@sysco-software.com David Reid

End

-- Sysco Software, today announced it has become a Microsoft Authorized Education Partner (AEP), demonstrating its ability to meet Microsoft academic customers' evolving needs in today's dynamic business environment. To earn a Microsoft AEP authorization, partners must complete a test to prove their level of academic licensing and market expertise.The AEP program is designed to train participating resellers on Microsoft's Academic licensing, authorize them to purchase and resell Microsoft Academic licenses, and demonstrate to potential customers that they are approved and knowledgeable academic partners."By becoming AEPs, partners show themselves to be committed and trained in providing discounted Microsoft academic products to the education market," said Anthony Salcito, Vice President of Education for Microsoft Corp.'s Worldwide Public Sector. "This authorization, along with our other education partner initiatives, gives our partners recognition of their areas of expertise and our academic customers the confidence that they are buying from academic IT specialists."The Microsoft AEP Program is designed to authorize and equip organizations that deliver academic products and services through the Microsoft platform with the training, resources and support they need to provide their customers with superior experiences and outcomes.Established in 1980 in Dublin, Sysco employs over 70 people in Ireland and delivers service and support from our offices in Dublin and Belfast. Sysco brought Microsoft Dynamics to Ireland, and has the largest client base (over 300 client installations). Over the years, we have continuously enhanced our product range, upgraded our skills, and expanded our partner network and geographic reach, in order to give our clients the highest possible level of service.Sysco Software Solutions http://www.sysco- software.com is a long standing member of the Microsoft Partner Network, with Gold competencies for ERP, CRM and Cloud Platform. Sysco is a member of the Microsoft President's Club for Dynamics.For more information, press only:Emer Kenny, 01-6768900, ekenny@sysco.ieDavid Reid, 0044 2885509050, dreid@sysco-software.com
Director of Communications Earned the Honor Resulting From Peer Review

Contact

Shelby Isaacson

Grapevine Communications

***@grapeinc.com Shelby IsaacsonGrapevine Communications

End

-- Grapevine Communications  the area's leading full-service advertising, marketing and public relations agency  named Director of Communications John Butzko as the 2016 Employee of the Year."John has an undeniable dedication to his craft, a true passion for exploring the bounds of creativity, and an unyielding commitment to producing real results with each project he touches," said Angela Massaro-Fain, Founder and President of Grapevine Communications. "He is a valued part of our team who leads by example, excels in collaborative environments and consistently delivers exemplary work  all of which has earned praise by his peers and our clients alike."A graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's degree in Organizational Communication, Butzkojoined Grapevine in 2013 as Copy and PR Manager and quickly became the firm's head copywriter. In 2015, he was promoted to Director of Communications, which expanded his responsibilities to include overseeing public relations and social media initiatives;developing client and corporate communication strategies; and serving as content creator and editor for all news releases and materials, online content, print advertisements, marketing collateral, broadcast media, and more.Selection for Grapevine's annual Employee of the Year award is based on a range of criteria, including quality of work, knowledge of job requirements, willingness to assist others and more. Each Grapevine employee was graded by their peers, which resulted in Butzko receiving the highest total marks. Along with the honor, Butzko received a cash reward and other gifts, plus the addition of his name to the Employee of the Year plaque displayed in the firm's front lobby."I consider myself fortunate to work alongside the best in the business," said Butzko. "Team Grapevine is such an enthusiastic and talented group of professionals who make each day a rewarding creative adventure. It's easy to shine when you're surrounded by stars."Grapevine Communications provides full-service advertising, marketing and public relations services to clients nationwide. The firm is the most award-winning advertising agency in Sarasota, Florida, and the surrounding areas. Recent accolades include the 2016, 2015 & 2014 Best Marketing/PR Agency by SRQ Magazine readers; the 2016 "Top 25 Public Relations Firms of Southwest Florida" by Tampa Bay Business Journal; the 2015 Greater Good Philanthropy Award  Small Business by Biz(941) Magazine; the 2014 Small Business of the Year by the Manatee Chamber of Commerce; and the 2010 Small Business of the Year by the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. For more information on Grapevine Communications, contact Shelby Isaacson ( Shelby@grapeinc.com ) at 941-351-0024 or visit the website at www.grapeinc.com
By: Miami University

Oriental Rug

End

-- Miami University currently has four lots of oriental rugs for auction on the online government surplus auction website GovDeals.com.The auctions began on January 13th, and will run until January 31, 2017. There are a total of fourteen rugs available for auction. The rugs have been split up between four lots. One lot consists of one rug for sale, two lots have two rugs each, and a fourth lot offers nine rugs for sale.All fourteen rugs up for auction were purchased new and have been in storage for years.Each rug has been appraised for its current condition and value, and the appraisals have been attached to its corresponding auction page. The University has made the appraisals available to the public so bidders are able to see the rug's appraised value before placing a bid.Miami University has been selling surplus assets on GovDeals.com since 2009, and has completed over 270 successful auctions, with ending bids totaling over $580,000. These auctions provide much needed funds that the University can then invest back into its students and campus.Previously, before selling their items online, Miami University hosted annual, on-site public auctions. The University now posts items for auction on an as-needed basis, as the items are declared surplus by the University.Anyone interested in bidding on the rugs, or any other items on the website, can register for free at www.govdeals.com # # #GovDeals, Inc. is a subsidiary of Liquidity Services. Liquidity Services is a global solution provider in the reverse supply chain with the world's largest marketplace for business surplus. We partner with global Fortune 1000 corporations, middle market companies, and government agencies to intelligently transform surplus assets and inventory from a burden into a liquid opportunity that fuels the achievement of strategic goals. Our superior service, unmatched scale, and ability to deliver results enable us to forge trusted, long-term relationships with over 7,000 clients worldwide. With nearly $6 billion in completed transactions, and approximately 3 million buyers in almost 200 countries and territories, we are the proven leader in delivering smart surplus solutions. Let us build a better future for your surplus. Visit us at LiquidityServices.com ( http://www.LiquidityServices.com ).Molly NationsGovDeals, Inc.334-312-3861mnations@govdeals.com
Savills has hired an industrial agency team in Poland in order to compliment its current leasing and investment capabilities in Central Eastern Europe (CEE). The team of six will be headed by Wojciech Zon, an expert in the Polish industrial market, with over eight years of experience in the sector.

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For its open-ended public fund Immofonds 1, which is aimed at Austrian private investors, Union Investment has acquired the office property Global Gate III. The object is situated on Grafenberger Allee 297 in the east end of Dusseldorf. The open-ended fund, launched end 2011, has last acquired the Doppio Offices

Photos: Union Investment



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A consortium of environmental scientists has expressed strong concern about the impact of a controversial Central American canal across Nicaragua.

The path of the Nicaragua Interoceanic Grand Canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans will cut through Lake Cocibolca (aka Lake Nicaragua), Central America's main freshwater reservoir and the largest tropical freshwater lake of the Americas; this plan will force the relocation of indigenous populations and impact a fragile ecosystem, including species at risk of extinction, according to Rice University environmental engineer Pedro Alvarez and other members of the consortium.

Alvarez is co-corresponding author of an article that includes 21 co-authors from 18 institutions in the United States and Central and South America who gathered at a multidisciplinary international workshop in Managua, Nicaragua, last November to discuss the project. The paper, titled "Scientists Raise Alarms About Fast Tracking of Transoceanic Canal Through Nicaragua," was published this week by the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science and Technology.

"The biggest environmental challenge is to build and operate the canal without catastrophic impacts to this sensitive ecosystem," Alvarez said. "Significant impacts to the lake could result from incidental or accidental spills from 5,100 ships passing through every year; invasive species brought by transoceanic ships, which could threaten the extinction of aquatic plants and fish, such as the cichlids that have been evolving since the lake's formation; and frequent dredging, impacting aquatic life through alterations in turbidity and hypoxia, triggered by resuspension of nutrients and organic matter that exert a relatively high biochemical oxygen demand."

A private company, the Hong Kong Nicaragua Canal Development Group, is building the 172-mile, $50 billion canal in collaboration with the Nicaraguan government, which granted the concession last June. Preparation for the project has begun with the construction of roads to move heavy equipment and supplies into place, with the first ships scheduled to pass through the canal in late 2019. It will be longer, wider and deeper than the 51-mile Panama Canal to the south.

Alvarez and his colleagues, including co-correspondent author Jorge Alberto Huete-Perez, vice-rector and director of the Molecular Biology Center at the University of Central America in Managua, Nicaragua, wrote that dredging required to open a channel in the lake deep and wide enough for ships will disperse enough sediment to lower its oxygen content and kill marine life. They anticipate the project will impact Nicaragua's lucrative ecotourism and the supply of fresh water for drinking, irrigation and power generation.

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In a January editorial in Science, Alvarez, Huete-Perez and Axel Meyer, a professor of biology at the University of Konstanz Germany, wrote, "It is incumbent upon scientists, human rights advocates, nongovernmental organizations and wildlife protection organizations to share knowledge, voice concerns, provide guidance and demand a greater role for science in the design and construction of this massive project."

They called for the international scientific community to help "analyze design plans of the canal and its subprojects for safety, social responsibility and sustainability; make recommendations to protect the region's water resources and biodiversity; and draft statements urging the Nicaraguan government to halt construction until studies can be performed and evaluated by experts.

"In this matter of great urgency and importance, this is an opportunity to exercise scientific leadership, raise awareness and contribute to averting a potential environmental disaster," they wrote.

Nicaragua is among countries considered most vulnerable to climate change, the researchers wrote in their latest paper. They are concerned that changes to the watershed could lead to a shortage of water in the event of drought and catastrophic weather events.

The researchers listed their concerns in three broad categories: water and sediments, biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, and socio-economic impact. "Each category involves a number of complex considerations, rendering proper analysis a weighty challenge that is compounded by a lack of publicly available information" from the government and the project's developers and consultants, they wrote.

They acknowledged Nicaragua's hope that the canal, one of the largest engineering projects ever attempted, would create jobs and lift the nation out of extreme poverty; but they are concerned the benefits would not match expectations, particularly since the Nicaraguan government "has not published a detailed business plan for the canal."

"Nicaragua should prepare and publicly vet a detailed economic assessment that includes not only a cost-benefit analysis but also considers externalities associated with national economic development, environmental impacts, social equity, human rights and legal and national security issues," they wrote.
Philornis downsi is a parasitic muscid fly that is native to mainland South America. Decades ago, it was accidentally introduced to the Galapagos Islands, where it harms Darwin's finches and other land birds.

Females lay eggs inside active bird nests, and then the resulting larvae feed on the nestlings. The first-instar larvae feed inside the nares (nostrils) of the baby birds, while the second and third instars feed by scratching the birds' skin and ingesting the blood and other bodily fluids.

No one knows exactly how the flies were introduced to the Galapagos, or where they came from, but scientists have hypothesized that they probably came from mainland Ecuador, even though they have never been found there. Now research reported in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America seems to support that hypothesis, as scientists have documented the presence of P. downsi at two sites near Ecuador's coast. In addition, they found two new species of birds that were previously unknown to be attacked by the flies -- the streak-headed woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes souleyetii) and the fasciated wren (Campylorhynchus fasciatus) -- bringing the total number of host species to 37.

There may also be some good news, as the researchers also discovered evidence of at least one parasitoid wasp that attacks the flies. However, further research on the parasitoid would be necessary before biological-control releases could be contemplated.
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 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 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.

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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.
Those concerned with water quality are familiar with nitrogen as a major pollutant whose excess runoff into coastal waters can lead to algal blooms and low-oxygen dead zones. Perhaps less familiar is the significant role that a form of nitrogen gas plays in greenhouse warming and the destruction of Earth's ozone layer.

Now, an international group of scientists including Dr. B.K. Song of William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science have discovered that production of this potent greenhouse gas -- known as N2O or nitrous oxide -- can be bypassed as complex nitrogen compounds in soil, water, and fertilizers break down into the unreactive nitrogen gas (N2) that makes up most of our atmosphere.

Their discovery, published in a recent edition of Scientific Reports, reveals an entirely new pathway in the global nitrogen cycle and could lead to new ways for farmers and others to reduce their emissions of harmful gases. The study's lead author is Rebecca Phillips of New Zealand's Landcare Research Institute, along with Landcare colleagues Andrew McMillan, Gwen Grelet, Bevan Weir, and Palmada Thilak; as well as Craig Tobias of the University of Connecticut.

Agriculture contributes more nitrous oxide to the atmosphere than any other human activity -- primarily through nitrogen fertilization. This greenhouse gas is 300 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide and 10 times more effective than methane. Nitrous oxide also moves into the stratosphere and destroys ozone.

Current wisdom holds that nitrous oxide is inevitably produced when soil nitrogen -- including fertilizer components such as ammonia, ammonium, and urea -- breaks down. It's also thought this breakdown process requires the action of microbes, and can only occur in the absence of oxygen.

The current research contradicts each of these long-held ideas.

"Our findings question the assumption that nitrous oxide is an intermediate required for formation of nitrogen gas [N2]," says Phillips. "They also throw doubt on whether microbial production of nitrous oxide must take place in the absence of oxygen."

"We now have a pathway that doesn't require microbes," adds Song. "The process of denitrification can happen abiotically, without the need for bacteria or fungi."

The team's discovery could lead to practical applications for decreasing the impacts of excess nitrogen in the environment, a topic they focused on while presenting their findings during a recent meeting in Washington D.C. sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Integrated Water Quality Program.

"It might give us a way to engineer the system to reduce levels of fixed nitrogen," says Song. "By changing the types and ratios of nitrogen compounds in fertilizer, you might have a better way to reduce excess nitrogen, and to mitigate eutrophication or nutrient enrichment in nearby waters."

Phillips adds, "Further research could inform farmers of how to cultivate soil organic matter useful for nitrogen management. Organic forms of soil nitrogen, such as waste products from plants and fungi, could help convert excess inorganic nitrogen -- which would otherwise be leached into water or emitted as nitrous oxide -- into a form that isn't harmful to the environment."

However, the scientists say more research is needed to test exactly which forms of organic nitrogen are most effective. The team is now developing proposals for further funding that will allow them to investigate on-farm applications for transforming excess nitrogen from soil and water into unreactive atmospheric N2 gas without producing N2O. This may allow scientists to develop options to manage the fate of agricultural nitrogen while avoiding greenhouse-gas emissions.
China, the world's largest seafood producer, has done something extraordinary. For the past 20 years, despite minimal management and some of the most intense industrial fishing in the world, it has maintained large catches of key species in its most productive waters.

That same kind of intense, lightly managed industrial fishing has collapsed other fisheries, such as Newfoundland's cod fishery in the 1990s. China's ability to sustain its catches has puzzled scientists, some of whom have even questioned the accuracy of the country's catch reports.

A new study from UC Santa Barbara, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests another explanation: By reducing the population of predatory fish, China has increased populations of preyed-upon species.

"If you fish down the large predatory fish, then you can catch more small prey fish, because they are no longer being eaten before you get to them," explained lead author Cody Szuwalski, a fisheries scientist in UCSB's Sustainable Fisheries Group. The group is a collaboration of the campus's Marine Science Institute and Bren School of Environmental Science & Management.

Key to the success of this approach is that predators typically need to eat 10 pounds of prey to add one pound to their own weight, so fishing out predators tends to increase prey catches by much more than it reduces predator catches.

This shortening of the food chain by removing predators to increase harvests is common on land. In fact, it's a key feature of modern farming. "If farmers could earn as much from raising venison on a field as they can from growing corn on it, they probably wouldn't try to keep deer out of their fields," said co-author Matt Burgess, a postdoctoral researcher in the Sustainable Fisheries Group.

But in the oceans, shortening the food chain looks different, because who eats whom in the fish world is generally based on body size rather than species. Bigger fish eat smaller fish, even when the two are from the same species (cannibalism) or the smaller fish are the juveniles of predator species and the bigger fish are adults of prey species. So while it's unlikely that an adult gazelle would eat a baby lion, an adult sardine certainly would eat a young largehead hairtail, a predatory species that is one of China's most common catches.

The study was based on a model of the East China Sea ecosystem built to account for this size-based feeding as well as the history of intense trawl fishing in the region. The model was able to roughly re-create reported catches of all major species.

The research also correctly predicted that under China's current approach, even catches of such predator species as the largehead hairtail would remain high, although they would consist mainly of 1-year-old fish. "This is exactly what you see when you visit Chinese fish markets," Szuwalski said.

Beyond providing an answer to an important fisheries puzzle, the study also offers important lessons for fishery management in Asia. When used to simulate various possible management strategies in the East China Sea, the model predicted that Western-style, single-species management would decrease catches by reversing changes to the food chain that have so far allowed catches to remain high. The same could be true in many other major fishing countries, particularly in East Asia, where fishing histories are similar to those in China.

"The standard refrain is that most countries can catch more by managing their fisheries like we do," said co-author Christopher Costello, co-principal investigator of the Sustainable Fisheries Group. "What if we're giving them the wrong advice?"

Given the negative impacts on biodiversity and potentially reduced ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change, "engineering" ecosystems by removing predators to enable large harvests is not necessarily an advisable long-term fishery management strategy. Still, the study suggests, in places where predator removal has already occurred, managers need to take the food chain into account to avoid unexpected consequences. Indeed, the model predicts that it is possible -- at least in China -- for such ecosystem-level management to increase catches, revenue and biomass.
By Ritah Kemigisa

President Yoweri Museveni has donated over Sh80m as contribution towards Archbishop Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyos medical bill.

This has been confirmed in a tweet by Don Wanyama, an official from the presidents office.

The Retired Archbishop of Church of Uganda is reportedly stuck in a UK hospital over bills amounting to over Sh260m for an emergency lung operation.

The presidents contribution comes shortly after the Church of Uganda launched a fundraising campaign appealing to the public to contribute towards Nkoyoyos surgery.

The retired Archbishop fell sick in November last year.
Mandarin makes you more musical -- and at a much earlier age than previously thought. That's the suggestion of a new study from the University of California San Diego. But hold on there, overachiever parents, don't' rush just yet to sign your kids up for Chinese lessons instead of piano.

In a paper published in Developmental Science, an international team of researchers shows that among the preschool set -- or young children between the ages of 3 and 5 -- native speakers of Mandarin Chinese are better than their English-speaking counterparts at processing musical pitch.

The implications of the findings go beyond determining who may have a head-start in music, the researchers say. The work shows that brain skills learned in one area affect learning in another.

"A big question in development, and also in cognition in general, is how separate our mental faculties actually are," said lead author Sarah Creel of the Department of Cognitive Science in UC San Diego's Division of Social Sciences. "For instance, are there specialized brain mechanisms that just do language? Our research suggests the opposite -- that there's permeability and generalization across cognitive abilities.

The researchers conducted two separate experiments with similar groups of young Mandarin Chinese learners and English learners. They tested a total of 180 children on tasks involving pitch contour and timbre. Where the English and Mandarin speakers performed similarly on the timbre task, the Mandarin speakers significantly outperformed on pitch, aka tone.

Mandarin is a tone language. In a tone language, the tone in which a word is said not only conveys a different emphasis or emotional content, but an altogether different meaning. For instance, the syllable "ma" in Mandarin can mean "mother," "horse," "hemp" or "scold," depending on the pitch pattern of how it's spoken. Mandarin-language learners quickly learn to identify the subtle changes in pitch to convey the intended outcome, while "ma" in English can really only mean one thing: "mother." It's the linguistic attention to pitch that gives young Mandarin speakers an advantage in perceiving pitch in music, the authors conclude.

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"Both language and music contain pitch changes, so if language is a separate mental faculty, then pitch processing in language should be separate from pitch processing in music," Creel said. "On the other hand, if these seemingly different abilities are carried out by overlapping cognitive mechanisms or brain areas, then experience with musical pitch processing should affect language pitch processing, and vice versa."

Co-author Gail Heyman, of UC San Diego's Department of Psychology, who specializes in development, added: "Demonstrating that the language you speak affects how you perceive music -at such an early age and before formal training -- supports the theory of cross-domain learning."

Tone languages are common in parts of Africa, East Asia and Central America, with estimates that as much as 70 percent of world languages may be considered tonal. Other tonal languages besides Mandarin include Thai, Yoruba and Xhosa.

Creel and Heyman's work follows on a hypothesis first put forth by Diana Deutsch, also of UC San Diego, that experience with a tonal language leads to enhanced pitch perception in music. Deutsch studied skilled adult students of music and tested them on absolute or "perfect" pitch. Absolute pitch is the relatively rare ability to recognize a musical note without reference to any other notes.

Relative pitch, or understanding the pitch relationships between notes, is the focus of the present study. Relative pitch allows you to sing in key and be in tune with other people around you.

"We show for the first time that tone-language experience is associated with advanced musical pitch processing in young children," the study co-authors write. "There are far-reaching theoretical implications for neuroscience and behavior, and our research has important practical implications for designing early intervention programs, or 'brain training' regimes.'"

But that said, don't ditch your child's music lessons for language, or language lessons for music, Heyman and Creel caution. It's still true that to succeed at music, you need to study music. And learning an additional language is a demonstrably good thing in itself, too -- whether or not it makes you a better musician.
How the brain controls social behaviors and what exactly the neuronal impairments causing its pathologies are, is yet to be determined. To better understand mechanisms in play, scientists perform thousands of tests of social interactions, usually conducted in mice. However, such assays are highly irreproducible, which significantly impedes making new discoveries. To address this issue scientists from Nencki Institute in Warsaw built a murine "Big Brother": a computerized system called Eco-HAB, designed to screen mice for impairments of social behavior. The Eco-HAB, recently described in scientific journal eLIFE, is the first device ensuring accuracy of behavioral assessment combined with highly reproducible results.

Therapy is really effective only when it is based on the full understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the occurrence of a disease. When it comes to neuronal background of impairments of social behavior, characteristic for disorders such as autism or social phobia, behavioral tests performed in rodents are an important source of knowledge. However, these tests have a serious flaw: scientists are often unable to reproduce data obtained in other laboratories. This notorious issue has just been resolved. A group of Prof. Ewelina Knapska from Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology in Warsaw, Poland, introduced the Eco-HAB, the first automated system for assessment of social behavior in mice. It ensures results reproducibility and the evaluation of components of sociability that are crucial for coping with day-to-day functioning in a given social group. This high-tech device mimics most essential characteristics of natural murine environment and automatically traces complex social interactions among animals. The Eco-HAB, along with open-source software for data analysis and precise description enabling its manufacturing by any interested party, has recently been described in scientific journal eLIFE.

"One may buy many automated systems for behavioral assessment in mice. However, none of them enables testing of social behavior impairments in a manner asserting data reproducibility. The situation has been rather dire: often experiments could not have been replicated not only in other labs, but even in the very lab where they were performed in the first place," says Prof. Knapska.

To perform conventional behavioral tests of social behavior, a mouse must be taken out of its housing cage and put into the testing environment. Such testing arenas are designed to predispose an animal to a particular behavior. The most popular apparatus is a rectangular box divided into three parts: two side-chambers connected by a center chamber. In one of the side-chambers a social stimulus (e.g. an unknown mouse, trapped under a wire-cup) is presented. The other side-chamber contains a non-social stimulus (e.g. a toy brick, also under the cup). The tested animal is allowed to move freely and decide whether to explore the social or the non-social stimulus.

Such testing arrangement evokes a significant degree of stress in subjects, thus confounding the obtained results. It causes animals to behave in an unpredictable way. Additionally, social isolation from cagemates, enforced by the experimental design, seems to be especially stressful for the subjects. Further, even the type of presented social stimulus may affect the behavioral responses. Come to think of it -- it should not be expected that a stressed mouse would be interested in interacting with another agitated conspecific.

Problems are further exacerbated by the lack of unified experimental standards. The same behavioral assay may differ in terms of execution between laboratories. Moreover, there are no commonly agreed-upon norms concerning such behavioral evaluation. Variables include the sex of the experimenters, light and temperature conditions, and most importantly, there is no consistency when it comes to data analysis.

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"Lack of standardization of behavioral testing is a serious problem. It would be very hard to even catalog all the factors that might potentially confound measurements of social interactions. That is why we designed our system to reduce experimental stress in subjects to absolute minimum. Besides asserting group-housing of animals, the Eco-HAB mimics most of the important features of natural murine habitats as faithfully as it is possible in the experimental set-up. Such environment elicits innate behaviors and allows for measuring of spontaneous social interactions. Another bonus is that Eco-HAB processes data automatically, which is very useful from the experimenters' point of view," says Dr. Alicja Puscian, who designed the Eco-HAB in the course of her PhD program.

Mice are very social animals, but at the same time they are very territorial. In the wild they regularly patrol their habitats, often traveling as far as kilometers from its center. In order to allow for spontaneous social interactions and unhampered activity, the Eco-HAB was equipped with elements resembling burrows connected by underground corridors. In the course of a particular experiment the system is capable of tracking the behavior of dozen or so animals. This allows for observation of complex social interactions between particular conspecifics.

Furthermore, Eco-HAB enables assessment of interest in novel social stimuli. Lack of drive to interact with new people is one of the core symptoms of autism, so it is crucial to be able to assess such behaviors in mouse models. However, rodents show their interest in social novelty differently than humans.

"Olfaction is the dominant sense in rodents. That is why we use scent of an unknown conspecific rather than its presence as a social stimulus. In the wild, unfamiliar mice, especially males, tend to avoid each other, because every such encounter carries a risk of aggression. Still, they are always interested in a scent of another mouse. Just like dogs, mice get acquainted through scent marking," explains Dr. Puscian.

To track the mice in the Eco-HAB environment the scientists used RFID (radio-frequency identification) antennas, which register the passing of microchips located under the skin of each mouse (similar chips are used by veterinarians to protect our pets from getting lost). Based on that information, the analyzing software, written in Python, not only records the activity, but also runs appropriate analysis of the social behavior. Customized behavioral parameters have been chosen to guarantee reproducibility of the obtained results.

The Eco-HAB enables non-invasive and reliable analysis of many aspects of murine sociability. It can be used not only to test whether mice are interested in a given social stimulus, but also to establish if particular pairs of animals follow or avoid each other. To standardize the system, group of Prof. Knapska tested it in different laboratories and using various mouse models presenting diverse social behaviors.

"In our article we provide full documentation of the Eco-HAB, dimensions of all elements, list of utilized materials, electronic schemes, and the source code of the software. In that way, anyone interested in building the system in their laboratory should be able to customize the software to fit their needs. They can run their experiments, assured that the results can be verified by other labs," says Prof. Knapska and emphasizes another important asset of the Eco-HAB -- its price. The complete cost of construction is no higher than 2000 euro, thus making the apparatus more than affordable in comparison with other equipment designed for behavioral research in rodents.

Group of scientists lead by Prof. Knapska together with the team of Dr. Grzegorz Kasprowicz from Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology of Warsaw University of Technology, supported by National Science Center grant SYMFONIA and Polish-Swiss Program, have been working on more technologically advanced version of Eco-HAB, which has already been patented.

The Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences has been established in 1918 and is the largest non-university centre for biological research in Poland. Priority fields for the Institute include neurobiology, neurophysiology, cellular biology and biochemistry and molecular biology -- at the level of complexity from tissue organisms through cellular organelles to proteins and genes. There are 31 labs at the Institute, among them modern Laboratory of Confocal Microscopy, Laboratory of Cytometry, Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Behavioural and Electrophysiological Tests. The Institute is equipped with state-of-the-art research equipment and modernized animal house, where lab animals are bred, also transgenic animals, in accordance with the highest standards. Quality of experiments, publications and close ties with the international science community, place the Institute among the leading biological research centres in Europe.
Where do insects go in winter? A new study published in the journal Science found that flying insects migrate on a seasonal basis. This movement constitutes the largest migration found in today's world, creating a mass that is almost eight times that of birds that migrate from Britain to Africa. "The migration of 3.5 trillion insects, with a biomass over seven times that of the birds that migrate from Britain to Africa, has significant ecological ramifications. Insects are highly sensitive to climate change, and this may lead to dramatic changes in the population of migrating insects, causing important environmental changes," explains Dr. Nir Sapir of the Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology at the University of Haifa, who is one of the authors of the article.

Although flying insects constitute one of the largest populations on the planet, no comprehensive quantitative study has been undertaken until now examining the phenomenon of insect migration. Researchers assumed that many insect populations migrate, but did not know which insects do so, when, what the scope of migration is, and so forth. A broad-based international study undertaken by researchers from the University of Haifa, Nanjing Agricultural University, the University of Exeter, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Greenwich, and Rothamsted Research has now changed this picture. In order to collect data, radars were installed some 15 years ago in southern England. Data from these radars was used to estimate insect bio-flow over an area of 70,000 square kilometers. The radars measured the weight of the insects, their flight speed and their direction and height. For very small insects that weigh less than 10 mg and are not picked up by the radar, special nets were used to catch samples in the air. Between 2000 and 2009, data were collected for insects flying at height of over 150 meters above.

The findings clearly showed a southward movement of these insect populations in fall and a northward movement in spring. The researchers were surprised by the scale of this phenomenon: some 3.5 trillion insects, creating a biomass of 3,200 tons, migrated in each season. The study did not examine the starting points and destinations of each insect population, but the researchers believe that this migration takes place over distances of at least several hundred kilometers, and possibly much more. "Since there is evidence that this migration also takes place over sea, and since Great Britain is an island, these insects must have come to Britain in the spring, and at least some of them must reach continental Europe in the fall," Dr. Sapir explains.

Also surprisingly, the data also showed that insects use the wind in order to reach their destination, choosing to "hitch a ride" on specific wind flows. The insects exploited the southerly winds in spring and the northerly winds in the fall. "They actually chose the direction they wanted to go in. We were surprised to find that insects make conscious use of navigation capabilities in order to reach their destinations using these winds," said Dr. Sapir. The larger insects even combined their natural flight speed with the wind in order to reach a speed of up to 58 kilometers per hour during the migration seasons. These findings have ramifications for many ecosystems, and even for our own everyday lives. In most cases, insects' bodies include 10 percent nitrogen and one percent phosphorus. This makes them excellent fertilizer for plants and crops and nutritious food for insect eaters, such as birds, bats, and other animals. In addition, insects also pollinate, constitute crop pests as well as killing some other pest insects, transfer diseases and parasites, and play other functions. "Such a large biomass has tremendous importance for the functioning of diverse ecosystems across large parts of the globe, and for other aspects of our daily lives," Dr. Sapir explains. "Cycles of nitrogen and phosphorus in nature are extremely significant, particularly since these chemicals form a limited component in the food chain. This massive movement of insects transports these vital materials across enormous distances."

The important ramifications of insect migration highlight a further finding by the researchers: The total biomass of insects varies from one year to another, with the difference sometimes being as great as 200 tons. They explain that more insects are born in warmer summers, and accordingly the quantity of migration is greater. Conversely, in cooler summers fewer insects are born, and accordingly the biomass is smaller. Global climactic changes mean that the climate around the world is getting warmer, and accordingly it can be assumed with a large degree of certainty that the number of insects will increase significantly. "We do not know yet whether all types of insects are reproducing more, or whether only certain types are doing so. An increase in the number of some insects could be harmful, while in other cases it could actually be beneficial. Accordingly, it is too soon to tell whether this change should be welcomed. But what is certain is that this is the largest and most influential continental migration in the world, as far as we know to date. We need to start monitoring it carefully," Dr. Sapir concludes.
Sea level in the Northeast and in some other U.S. regions will rise significantly faster than the global average, according to a report released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Moreover, in a worst-case scenario, global sea level could rise by about 8 feet by 2100. Robert E. Kopp, an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers University, coauthored the report, which lays out six scenarios intended to inform national and regional planning.

"Currently, about 6 million Americans live within about 6 feet of the sea level, and they are potentially vulnerable to permanent flooding in this century. Well before that happens, though, many areas are already starting to flood more frequently," said Kopp, who leads Rutgers' new Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience graduate traineeship. "Considering possible levels of sea-level rise and their consequences is crucial to risk management."

The report, "Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States," provides regional sea-level rise scenarios and tools for coastal preparedness planning and risk management. It also reviews recent scientific literature on "worst-case" global average sea-level projections and on the potential for rapid ice melt in Greenland and Antarctica.

The report's authors, who also include scientists from federal agencies, Columbia University and the South Florida Water Management District, concluded that evidence supports a "worst-case" global average sea-level rise of about 8.2 feet by 2100. Recent studies on Antarctic ice-sheet instability indicate that such rises may be more likely than once thought, the report says.

The report provides a range of possible scenarios, from at least 1 foot of global sea-level rise by 2100 to a worst-case rise that's 1.6 feet higher than a scenario in a key 2012 study that the report updates. The report also provides four additional global average sea-level rise scenarios through 2100: intermediate-low (1.6 feet); intermediate (3.3 feet); intermediate-high (4.9 feet); and high (6.6 feet).

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The scenarios were also tailored to produce regional projections in areas including the U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Pacific coasts, Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Pacific island territories.

"The report's detailed local scenarios represent a significant advance in the federal government's response to requests by states and cities for more information tailored to their location," Kopp said.

Key findings from the report include:

From Virginia through Maine and along the western Gulf of Mexico, sea-level rise is projected to be greater than the global average in nearly all global average sea level rise scenarios. For example, the sea in these regions would rise 1 to 1.6 feet higher than the global average rise of 3.3 feet under the intermediate scenario by 2100.

Along almost all U.S. coasts outside Alaska, sea-level rise is projected to be higher than the global average under the intermediate-high, high and extreme scenarios. For example, the sea level would be 1 to 3.3 feet higher than the global level under the high scenario.

Along much of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska coasts, sea-level rise is projected to be less than the global average under the low-to-intermediate scenarios. For example, the rise would be 0.3 to 3.3 feet lower than global rise under the intermediate scenario.

The report also focuses on the frequency of moderate-level flooding that triggers a NOAA coastal/lakeshore flood warning of a serious risk to life and property. In general, the water level that triggers a warning is about 2.6 feet above the highest average tide and has a 20 percent chance of arising each year.

With less than 14 inches of sea-level rise, most of the 90 U.S. coastal cities studied outside of Alaska would see a 25-fold increase in disruptive and damaging flooding by around 2080, 2060, 2040 or 2030 under the low, intermediate-low, intermediate and intermediate-high scenarios, respectively. That means a once-in-five-year flood would happen five times a year, on average.

"That's a transition when flooding that used to be driven by storms becomes flooding driven by extreme high tides," Kopp said. "Along the Jersey Shore, that transition would happen in the 2060s under the intermediate scenario and the 2030s under the intermediate-high scenario."

The report can be found at: https:/ / tidesandcurrents. noaa. gov/ publications/ techrpt83_Global_and_Regional_SLR_Scenarios_for_the_US_final. pdf.
Silicon crystals are the semiconductors most commonly used to make transistors, which are critical electronic components used to carry out logic operations in computing. However, as faster and more powerful processors are created, silicon has reached a performance limit: the faster it conducts electricity, the hotter it gets, leading to overheating.

Graphene, made of a single-atom-thick sheet of carbon, stays much cooler and can conduct much faster, but it must be into smaller pieces, called nanoribbons, in order to act as a semiconductor. Despite much progress in the fabrication and characterization of nanoribbons, cleanly transferring them onto surfaces used for chip manufacturing has been a significant challenge.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has demonstrated the first important step toward integrating atomically precise graphene nanoribbons (APGNRs) onto nonmetallic substrates. The paper, "Solution-Synthesized Chevron Graphene Nanoribbons Exfoliated onto H:Si(100)," was published in Nano Letters.

Graphene nanoribbons measure only several nanometers across, beyond the limits of conventional chip top-down patterning used in chip manufacturing. As a result, when carved from larger pieces of graphene by various nanofabrication approaches, graphene nanoribbons are neither uniform nor narrow enough to exhibit the desired semiconductor properties.

"When you're going from the top-down, it's very hard to get control over the width. It turns out that if the width modulates by just an atom or two, the properties change significantly," said Adrian Radocea, a doctoral student in Beckman's Nanoelectronics and Nanomaterials Group.

As a result, the nanoribbons must be made from "the bottom up," from smaller molecules to create atomically precise nanoribbons with highly uniform electronic properties.

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"It's like molecular building blocks: kind of like snapping Legos together to building something," said Radocea. "They lock in place, and you end up with the exact control over the ribbon width."

The "bottom-up" approach was first shown for graphene nanoribbons by Cai et al. in a 2010 Nature paper demonstrating the growth of atomically precise graphene nanoribbons on metallic substrates. In 2014, the research group of Alexander Sinitskii at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln developed an alternative approach for making atomically precise graphene nanoribbons in solution.

"The previously demonstrated synthesis on metallic substrates yields graphene nanoribbons of very high quality, but their number is rather small, as the growth it limited to the precious metal's surface," said Sinitskii, associate professor of chemistry at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an author of the study. "It is difficult to scale this synthesis up. In contrast, when nanoribbons are synthesized in the unrestricted three-dimensional solution environment, they can be produced in large quantities."

The difficulty in cleanly transferring nanoribbons stems from the high sensitivity to environmental contaminants. Both solution-synthesized and surface-grown nanoribbons are exposed to chemicals during the transfer process that can affect the performance of graphene nanoribbon devices. To overcome this challenge, the interdisciplinary team used a dry transfer in an ultra-high vacuum environment.

A fiberglass applicator coated in graphene nanoribbon powder was heated to remove contaminants and solvent residue and then pressed onto a freshly prepared hydrogen-passivated silicon surface. The nanoribbons were studied in great detail with ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope developed by Joseph Lyding, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Illinois and an author of the study. The researchers obtained atomic-scale images and electronic measurements of the graphene nanoribbons that were critical for confirming their electronic properties and understanding the influence of the substrate.

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Computational expertise available at Beckman, Radocea explained, was instrumental in understanding the experimental results. "I was still collecting more data trying to figure out what was going on. Once the modeling results came in and we started looking at the data differently, it all made sense."

Members of Beckman's Computational Multiscale Nanosystems Group, Tao Sun, a doctoral student, and Narayana Aluru, professor of mechanical science and engineering, provided expertise in computational modeling via density functional theory to investigate the properties of the nanoribbons.

"Density functional theory calculations provided a deeper understanding of the electronic properties of the integrated system and the interactions between graphene nanoribbons and the silicon substrate," said Sun. "It was exciting that the computational results could help explain and confirm the experimental results and provided a coherent story."

"Atomically precise graphene nanoribbons (APGNRs) are serious candidates for the post-silicon era when conventional silicon transistor scaling fails," said Lyding. "This demonstrates the first important step toward integrating APGNRs with technologically relevant silicon substrates."

"I find the project very exciting because you are building things with atomic level control, so you try to put every atom exactly where you want it to go," said Radocea. "There aren't many materials out there where you can say you have that ability. Nanoribbons are exciting because there is a real need and a real application."
Raising further questions about privacy on the internet, researchers from Princeton and Stanford universities have released a study showing that a specific person's online behavior can be identified by linking anonymous web browsing histories with social media profiles.

"We show that browsing histories can be linked to social media profiles such as Twitter, Facebook or Reddit accounts," the researchers wrote in a paper scheduled for presentation at the 2017 World Wide Web Conference Perth, Australia, in April.

"It is already known that some companies, such as Google and Facebook, track users online and know their identities," said Arvind Narayanan, an assistant professor of computer science at Princeton and one of the authors of the research article. But those companies, which consumers choose to create accounts with, disclose their tracking. The new research shows that anyone with access to browsing histories -- a great number of companies and organizations -- can identify many users by analyzing public information from social media accounts, Narayanan said.

"Users may assume they are anonymous when they are browsing a news or a health website, but our work adds to the list of ways in which tracking companies may be able to learn their identities," said Narayanan, an affiliated faculty member at Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy.

Narayanan noted that the Federal Communications Commission recently adopted privacy rules for internet service providers that allow them to store and use consumer information only when it is "not reasonably linkable" to individual users.

"Our results suggest that pseudonymous browsing histories fail this test," the researchers wrote.

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In the article, the authors note that online advertising companies build browsing histories of users with tracking programs embedded on webpages. Some advertisers attach identities to these profiles, but most promise that the web browsing information is not linked to anyone's identity. The researchers wanted to know if it were possible to de-anonymize web browsing and identify a user even if the web browsing history did not include identities.

They decided to limit themselves to publicly available information. Social media profiles, particularly those that include links to outside webpages, offered the strongest possibility. The researchers created an algorithm to compare anonymous web browsing histories with links appearing in people's public social media accounts, called "feeds."

"Each person's browsing history is unique and contains tell-tale signs of their identity," said Sharad Goel, an assistant professor at Stanford and an author of the study.

The programs were able to find patterns among the different groups of data and use those patterns to identify users. The researchers note that the method is not perfect, and it requires a social media feed that includes a number of links to outside sites. However, they said that "given a history with 30 links originating from Twitter, we can deduce the corresponding Twitter profile more than 50 percent of the time."

The researchers had even greater success in an experiment they ran involving 374 volunteers who submitted web browsing information. The researchers were able to identify more than 70 percent of those users by comparing their web browsing data to hundreds of millions of public social media feeds. (The number of original participants in the study was higher, but some users were eliminated because of technical problems in processing their information.)

Yves-Alexandre de Montjoye, an assistant professor at Imperial College London, said the research shows how "easy it is to build a full-scale 'de-anonymizationer' that needs nothing more than what's available to anyone who knows how to code."

"All the evidence we have seen piling up over the years showing the strong limits of data anonymization, including this study, really emphasizes the need to rethink our approach to privacy and data protection in the age of big data," said de Montjoye, who was not involved in the project.
Is there anybody out there? The question of whether Earthlings are alone in the universe has puzzled everyone from biologists and physicists to philosophers and filmmakers. It's also the driving force behind San Francisco State University astronomer Stephen Kane's research into exoplanets -- planets that exist outside Earth's solar system.

As one of the world's leading "planet hunters," Kane focuses on finding "habitable zones," areas where water could exist in a liquid state on a planet's surface if there's sufficient atmospheric pressure. Kane and his team, including former undergraduate student Miranda Waters, examined the habitable zone on a planetary system 14 light years away. Their findings will appear in the next issue of Astrophysical Journal in a paper titled "Characterization of the Wolf 1061 Planetary System."

"The Wolf 1061 system is important because it is so close and that gives other opportunities to do follow-up studies to see if it does indeed have life," Kane said.

But it's not just Wolf 1061's proximity to Earth that made it an attractive subject for Kane and his team. One of the three known planets in the system, a rocky planet called Wolf 1061c, is entirely within the habitable zone. With assistance from collaborators at Tennessee State University and in Geneva, Switzerland, they were able to measure the star around which the planet orbits to gain a clearer picture of whether life could exist there.

When scientists search for planets that could sustain life, they are basically looking for a planet with nearly identical properties to Earth, Kane said. Like Earth, the planet would have to exist in a sweet spot often referred to as the "Goldilocks zone" where conditions are just right for life.

Simply put, the planet can't be too close or too far from its parent star. A planet that's too close would be too hot. If it's too far, it may be too cold and any water would freeze, which is what happens on Mars, Kane added.

Conversely, when planets warm, a "runaway greenhouse effect" can occur where heat gets trapped in the atmosphere. Scientists believe this is what happened on Earth's twin, Venus. Scientists believe Venus once had oceans, but because of its proximity to the sun the planet became so hot that all the water evaporated, according to NASA. Since water vapor is extremely effective in trapping in heat, it made the surface of the planet even hotter. The surface temperature on Venus now reaches a scalding 880 degrees Fahrenheit.

Since Wolf 1061c is close to the inner edge of the habitable zone, meaning closer to the star, it could be that the planet has an atmosphere that's more similar to Venus. "It's close enough to the star where it's looking suspiciously like a runaway greenhouse," Kane said.

Kane and his team also observed that unlike Earth, which experiences climatic changes such as an ice age because of slow variations in its orbit around the sun, Wolf 1061c's orbit changes at a much faster rate, which could mean the climate there could be quite chaotic. "It could cause the frequency of the planet freezing over or heating up to be quite severe," Kane said.

These findings all raise the question: Is life possible on Wolf 1061c? One possibility is that the short time scales over which Wolf 1061c's orbit changes could be enough that it could actually cool the planet off, Kane said. But fully understanding what's happening on the planet's surface will take more research.

In the coming years, there will be a launch of new telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, Kane said, and it will be able to detect atmospheric components of the exoplanets and show what's happening on the surface.
Discover Barbados

Rugged natural beauty has joined forces with exquisite luxury to create a place of perfect happiness and relaxation. The Bajans call themselves official ambassadors. Once youre lying on the beach with that first rum punch in your hand, youll understand exactly why.

Flights to Barbados

While many visitors arrive on the island by cruise ship, you can catch non-stop flights to Barbados from New York, Miami, London, and 14 other cities, and simple layover flights from just about anywhere. Its a much faster way to get your Caribbean vacation started!

If youre flying to Barbados, youre going to touch town about 8 miles from the capital city, Bridgetown. The islands only airport, Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI), is small and pretty, with a distinctive tented structure lending its two joined terminals a distinctly tropical character.

You can nab a bus or minibus into the city, but a taxi will probably be your most convenient option. Because meters are not in use, you may wish to settle on a price before you agree to jump into a car.

Stuff to do in Barbados

The glamorous west coast of the island is home to some of the Caribbean's most luxurious hotels, restaurants, and all-inclusive resorts, with glassy shorelines and endless expanses of white sand where just melting into the relaxing surroundings will induce euphoria. On the east coast, wilder waters draw thousands of surfers to the world-famous Soup Bowl beach.

In between, central Barbados offers incredible limestone landscapes, the ruins of a painful colonial past, ancient caves and deep tropical forests to those with the energy for touring and trekking. Watery adventures of all kinds are popular in Barbados, with opportunities for snorkeling, coral reef diving, swimming with sea turtles and much more.

Advice to Tourists Visiting Barbados

Youll need a valid passport to visit, but chances are you wont need a visa. The local currency is the Bajan/Barbadian dollar, though US dollars are accepted almost everywhere. The exchange rate generally hovers around 2 Bajan dollars per 1 USD.

There really isnt a bad time to visit Barbados, as temperatures stay between the mid-70s and 80s year round. This means that if you skip the high season of December through April, you can find incredible deals while still soaking up the same sunshine.

Skyscanners hotel price comparison tool will help you track down the best price whenever you go, and we wont charge you a cent. If youd like to roam around the island on your own schedule, try our free rental car comparison service.
Discover Madagascar

If you want to experience nature at it most unspoiled, Madagascar may be your dream destination. Situated approximately 750 miles off the coast of Africa, many of the species living on the worlds fourth-largest island evolved in isolation, which makes this flora and fauna unique to Madagascar. More than 90 percent of the countrys wildlife is indigenous. Most cheap flights to Madagascar land at Ivato International Airport (TNR), which is 10 miles west of the capital city of Antananarivo.

Flights to Madagascar

Ivato International Airport is served by Air France, Air Madagascar, Air Seychelles and Turkish Airlines among other carriers. Although, at present, Ivato offers little in the way of amenities for travelers, the airport is undergoing major renovations to improve its facilities.

Ground transport in Madagascar can be challenging, particularly during the rainy season since most of the countrys roads are unpaved. As a result, Madagascar has an extensive network of small regional airports. While many of these exist solely to facilitate local travel, six are set up to accommodate international travel. Flights to Madagascar can land at Antsirabe Airport (ATJ), Ihosy Airport (IHO), Besalampy Airport (BPY), Belo sur Tsiribihina Airport (BMD), Toamasina Airport (TMM) and Amborovy Airport (MJN).

Attractions in Madagascar

Close to the Ivato International Airport where most flights to Madagascar land lies Croc'Farm, a 7-acre park where you can get up close and personal with crocodiles, turtles, snakes and lemurs. Croc'Farm also raises crocodiles for commercial use, so youll find a Croc burger and similar dishes on the park restaurants menu. Ambohimanga, Madagascars original capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is just 13 miles north of Antananarivo.

Madagascars signature attraction is the baobab trees that line the road between Morondava and Belon'i Tsiribihina on the western part of the island. These striking trees have been nicknamed The Avenue of the Baobabs. They are all that remains of a dense tropical forest that once covered this part of Madagascar.

An equally intriguing natural site on the southern part of the island is the Madagascar Spiny Forest, which is an ecosystem thats so dry that trees have evolved into unusual shapes in order to adapt to the lack of water. Some of the trees are tall, branchless and covered with spines instead of leaves while others like the Pachypodium or Elephant Tree have huge bulbous trunks.

Travel Tips for Madagascar

The island features a network of national parks including Ranomafana, Isalo and Amber Mountain. The best time to visit is in July and August when the weather is balmy during the day and cool at night. The rainy season is from January through to March. Visas are required to enter Madagascar with visitors required to provide a return plane ticket on arrival. The World Health Organization recommends several routine vaccinations before traveling to this part of Africa. Taxis are available for charter for day trips across the island.
Discover Maldives

A necklace of more than 1000 coral islands scattered in warm, crystal-clear waters, the Maldives are one of the most remote fantasy escapes in the world. This exclusive destination is the dream of honeymooners and Hollywood stars alike.

Flights to the Maldives

Youll need a bit of patience to get to the Maldives from the US. There are no direct flights to Maldives from America, and most visitors come via Europe or the Middle East. Just about everyone who flies here will land in Male International Airport (MLE) also known as Ibrahim Nasir International Airport. MLE is located on the capital island of Male, and is the main gateway for tourists into the rest of the islands.

Just about every resort in the Maldives is its own private island, so getting to yours will be a bit of an adventure. Boats, ferries, sea planes aka air taxis and private yachts are the main ways of connecting to your final destination. Many resorts will arrange transfers for you, or you can source your own.

What to Do in the Maldives

The most important thing to do in the Maldives is just be. The white powder beaches are soft and spotless, the ocean is bathwater warm, and each resort vies with the next to offer the highest standard of glamorous pampering.

The other major activity in Maldives takes place under water: The snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities here may be unmatched anywhere else in the world. The reefs and caves surrounding each island are like jewelry boxes overflowing with the glittering colors of tropical fish, with the flash of scales and ripple of fins creating kaleidoscope patterns wherever you look.

Advice to Tourists Visiting The Maldives

Youll need your passport, but everyone who visits the Maldives is given an automatic 30 day tourist visa. Youll need to show proof of accommodation and a ticket showing an onward journey. Dhivehi is the official language here, but English is widely spoken in all tourist areas. The currency is the Maldivian rufiyaaehi, but all resorts price their services in US dollars, so you are unlikely to need to change money if youre not venturing further.

The temperature here is a tropical 80 degrees just about every day of the year. High season is from December to April, and youre unlikely to see a drop of rain, even if you stay for a month. The monsoon season, between May and November, is actually a great time to visit. You may run into heavy rainfall, but it never lasts for long, and both surf and scuba conditions are at their best. The reefs will be absolutely teeming with life.

The Maldives are a notoriously expensive place to visit. The sheer luxury and remoteness of this place make spending money inevitable. Economize where you can by using our free hotel price comparison tool to get the best deal on your accommodation and spend what you save on an in-room massage.
LAS VEGAS -- A new mounted machine gun sight by Trijicon that purports to take the guesswork out of sighting in on a target is now being tested by Marines and special operators and competing to meet an Army requirement.

The optic, designed for the Browning .50-caliber M2 machine gun and the M240 7.62 machine gun, is built to withstand the punishing vibration of rotary-wing aircraft and uses two different ranging dials and laser sights to help troops hit their target on the first attempt, eliminating collateral damage and wasted ammunition.

The sight was purpose-built in response to an Army request for information on a new mounted machine gun optic, which was first published in 2015. Logan Killam, project manager for reflex sights at Trijicon, told Military.com here at SHOT Show that accuracy with the most significant draw of the system.

MGRS. Image via Trijicon.

In the old days of deploying this with iron sights, the soldier or the shooter would walk in fire. So they would take the best estimate where the round was going to go, they would hold the trigger down and walk the ammo into the target, he said. That causes a lot of problems, both logistically for supporting that rate of fire and also in collateral damage. So the Army has asked for an optic that would help their soldiers avoid that collateral damage, lessen the burden of having to field these machine guns, and thats the MGRS.

The optic, which retails for $5,000, includes seven brightness settings designed to meet shooters needs from glaring daylight and snow conditions down to night vision. Its powered by a single CR123A lithium battery, which can last between 700 and 1,400 hours before needing replacement. The sight also includes a flip-down 3X magnifier and elevation and increment adjustments up to 100 minute-of-angle total travel, for firing accuracy.

Typically when these systems are fielded, they fire tracer rounds. But tracer rounds burn out at 6-800 meters. This system allows for accurate fire beyond the range of tracers, Killam said. You can see the vehicle-sized target out to 2,000 meters, you can accurately judge the target and engage it and see your impacts.

For the Army, Trijicon is expecting a competition downselect sometime in 2018. Meanwhile, other services are also testing out the optic. Trijicon staff said Coast Guard and Navy coastal riverine units have tried out MGRS, and field tests with Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command units on the East Coast and West Coast are supposed to begin next month.

Killam said feedback from testing has been encouraging so far.

Were finding that guys are no longer wasting that first 30-40 rounds of a string of ammunition before they hit their target, he said. Were finding that first round out of the gun is on the target and that is with soldiers who are very very basic all the way up to expert gunners. Anyone can get behind this optic and make their weapon more lethal.
Discover Portugal

The scenery, the sandy beaches, the seafood and the stretch of thousands of years of history are just a few of Portugals charms. As one of the most affordable destinations in Europe, you can live like royalty, party like a rockstar, or lounge like an heiress on much less than you might expect.

Flights to Portugal

Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS) is the main international gateway to the country. Its a major European hub, and sees more than 16 million travelers pass through each year. Almost all major airlines fly to Portugal, many with direct routes.

From America, United Airlines runs seasonal direct flights from Charlotte and Philadelphia. Several budget airlines, including Ryanair and Easyjet, have made it a focus city, and it is the main hub for Portuguese airlines Portugalia and TAP Portugal. This all makes finding cheap tickets to Portugal a snap from anywhere in Europe.

Francisco de Sa Carneiro Airport (OPO), near the city of Porto, is the second busiest airport in Portugal, with more than 6 million passengers a year. The last major international airport on the list is Faro (FAO), which also serves just under 6 million. Its another Ryanair hub, and its proximity to the Algarve region makes it very popular.

What to Do in Portugal

The history of Portugal is almost as alive and thrilling as its present. Mysterious stone megaliths and cave art seize your imagination as millennia fall away outside Evora. Medieval castles stand in majesty, conjuring up the battles of long-dead kings.

Portugal is home to a compelling list of Unesco World Heritage sites, each ready to offer up its glories to enraptured visitors. From the tiniest cobblestone village to the grand cities of Lisbon and Porto, the beaches of Portugal mix fun and luxury with rugged beauty.

We havent even mentioned the food, but eating in Portugal is a heavenly experience. Simple dishes made with the freshest ingredients, hearty, tasty, and prepared with joy. Seafood is a centerpiece of many specialties.

Advice for Tourists Visiting Portugal

Your passport will need to be up-to-date to visit Portugal, but tourist visas arent necessary for most Western citizenships. You can stay up to 90 days, though this period applies to the EU as a whole. The currency is the euro, and it goes farther here than almost anywhere else in Europe.

The climate here is one of the hottest in Europe, and generally mild even in the winter time, though the winter months are much better. Summer is a high peak time, when even the modest prices of Portugal are hiked, and the beaches are crowded. If you can sneak in a September visit, youll get the best of both worlds.

Rainfall is still low, and hotel prices are falling, but youre still likely to see 80 degree days. Skyscanners hotel price comparison tool is the best way to ensure a good price no matter when you visit, and its 100% free to use.
Discover Thailand

A central travel destination for those visiting Southeast Asia, Thailand is a great place to unwind, relax, and have fun. White sand beaches, tropical jungles, and first class meals on cheap budgets are in store for your vacation. Bangkok is a bustling city full of activities, but there are many others places in the country worth paying a visit. One can easily spend a week in Thailand and still only see and encounter a fraction of what it has to offer, so plan your excursions accordingly!

Flights to Thailand

There are a number of international airports in the country, the two largest and busiest of which are located in its capital city. Suvaranabhumi and Don Mueang transported 68 million domestic and foreign passengers in 2013.

Thailands tourism industry has experienced incredible growth, as is also reflected in the sheer increase in traffic to the countrys smaller airports (e.g. Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, and Samui). Given the countrys distance from the U.S., there are no direct, intercontinental flights from America. However, you can book a flight with Cathay Pacific, Emirates, ANA, Delta, Korean Air, Lufthansa, British Airways, Thai Airways, SAS, and Aeroflot (among many others) once you land in an approved departure city.

Things to Do in Thailand: Your Agenda for Fun

Do not leave Thailand without spending at least one day (or night) in Bangkok. If you can get past its overwhelming population density, you will find there are many temples, markets, and nightlife activities to indulge.

Head north for a few hours to Khao Yai National Park, where you can hike into jungle territory (keep an eye out for elephant herds). On the countrys southern end lies another famous park, Khao Sok, one known best for its myriad of caves, rivers, lakes, and other natural wonders!

Tips for Tourists in Thailand

If you have never visited Thailand before, be prepared to be spoiled when it comes to spending cash. From the food to the transportation to the hotel accommodations, this country is super cheap. Guesthouses can be rented for a mere $7 per night (high-end hotels run just over $50). Eating locally will cost you approximately $5 a day, and $1 will get you most places via the countrys bus and metro rail system. Thai is the official language in Thailand, with English typically being spoken by the countrys elite class.

The Taiwanese Baht is used for currency, so remember to stop visit an exchange bank upon your arrival.

Airfare will likely be the most expensive part of your trip to Bangkok and beyond, but with Skyscanner, you can save on cheap flights to Thailand to have even more spending money! Dont forget to use our hotel price comparison tool to find the best and most affordable accommodations for your stay in Thailand.
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Indonesia has again ordered some AW101 helicopters, this time for military use only. Indonesian anti-corruption officials are going over the new proposal carefully because of previous incidents of bribes paid to sell AW101s. An Indonesian order for the more expensive AW101 VIP model was cancelled in late 2015 after allegations of corruption were made and were apparently true. This is nothing new for Indonesia, which notoriously and persistently corrupt. Many suppliers of high tech equipment to nations with traditions of corruption are willing to cooperate, even if it takes more than one attempt. For example in early 2013 the sale of 12 AW101 helicopters to India was eventually canceled after Indian and Italian investigators found evidence that Italian executives of Finmeccanica (the Italian parent company of Britain based AgustaWestland) found Indian officers and defense officials eager to take a bribe to make the AW101 sale happen. It was later proven that Finmeccanica officials were willing to pay over $30 million in bribes to the corrupt Indian officials. India has been trying to purge the Defense Ministry and the military of corruptible officials since the 1990s and has found corrupt practices remarkably resilient. Finmeccanica was very embarrassed when details of the corruption came out because officially the company, like most Western exporters, officially oppose paying bribes to get a sale. Unfortunately such corruption is common in many parts of the world, especially the Middle East and most of Asia. Expensive weapons, in particular, are often selected mainly on the basis of which supplier will pay the largest bribe.

British AW101s are 15 ton medium transport helicopters. In Britain the army and navy began using AW101s in 2000 and were very satisfied with performance. AW101s normally are used as military transports or for naval search and rescue. Powered by three engines AW101s can carry five tons of cargo or up to twenty passengers. Top speed is 300 kilometers an hour and endurance is about four hours.

The manufacturer also produces a more lavishing equipped (and much more expensive) luxury model for transporting VIPs. These are modified according to customer specifications and now account for over 15 percent of AW101 sales. The sales price often includes multi-year service contracts and crew training, so the price can legitimately vary. Thus the cost of an AW101 can legitimately vary from $30 million to more than twice that. Over 220 AW101s are in use worldwide, and they have an excellent reliability and safety record.
The EU is taking the lead in trying to bring peace and good government to Mali. Peace means more foreign investment and greater economic growth. Good government means reducing the crippling corruption and improving the quality of government services. The most difficult aspect of that is trying to professionalize the Mali military. The EU has maintained a force of over 500 trainers since 2015 in a continuing effort to improve the skills of the troops. At this point about half the 18,000 Mali military personnel have had some of this training and the assessment of the trainers is that it will take at least ten years of effort to professionalize the military. It takes so long because you have to train and monitor officers and NCOs as they serve for years and advance in rank and experience. Its the officers who can quickly destroy a well trained and equipped military and it takes a long time to show officers how to avoid the temptation to allow corruption to keep the military weak and unreliable. Corruption in general is the root cause of most economic and political problems in Africa (and worldwide).

The Islamic terrorists remain in Mali and the region but are not strong enough to again take control of any part of Mali. Despite that the Islamic terrorists continue to be disruptive. There were about 200 Islamic terrorist related acts of violence in Mali during 2016, 80 percent of them in the north. The main source of this violence is AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) which was formed in 2007 from several of the 1990s era Algerian groups. AQIM now operates throughout northern and west-central Africa.

Because AQIM leadership still contains a lot of Algerians the Algerian government has been helpful to African nations where AQIM is operating. AQIM now spends most of its time smuggling drugs, people and whatever else pays (like kidnapping Westerners). AQIM carries out or sponsors (with money, weapons and advice) smaller groups to carry out attacks and share the credit. AQIM likes to stay in the headlines. Veteran AQIM leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar is another Algerian who has survived and went on to found and lead AQIM affiliate al Mourabitoun. Belmokhtar has been responsible for many high-profile attacks in Libya, Algeria, Niger and Mali since 2011. He was believed to have been killed in a late November 2016 by a French airstrike in Libya but there has still not been any confirmation and the most recent AQIM attack in Mali mentioned Belmokhtar as one of those responsible. The U.S. has long offered a $5 million reward for information that would lead to the death or capture of Belmokhtar.

Two of the most active AQIM affiliates are in Mali, mainly because the government there has not yet resolved the ethnic feuds that have been a problem since the nation was formed in 1960. The oldest AQIM affiliate in Mali is Ansar Dine which was formed in the north near Timbuktu (because many of its leaders and members came from the area). Ansar Dine was unique in that it was the only Islamic terrorist group from Mali and was formed in 2012 by Tuareg Islamic radicals who were formerly secular rebels. Ansar Dine always saw itself as the only Malian group in AQIM, which many Malians consider a bunch of gangsters, dependent on its relationship with drug gangs (al Qaeda moves the drugs north to the Mediterranean coast) and kidnappers (who hold Europeans for multi-million dollar ransoms). All this cash gave AQIM a lot of power, both to buy weapons and hire locals. After France chased most Islamic terrorists out of the north in 2013 Ansar Dine became the main AQIM representative in Mali because it was not considered foreign and thus able to survive among kinsmen.

In central Mali the FLM (Macina Liberation Front) was created in 2015 with the help, and example, of Ansar Dine. FLM is composed mostly of young Fulani men. The Fulani tribes of central Mali are producing a growing number of recruits for Islamic terrorists. FLM openly identifies with the Fulani (Macina are the local branch of the Fulani). FLM became active in early 2015 and since then has claimed responsibility for a growing number of attacks. It started out with calls for Fulani people to live according to strict Islamic rules. That in turn led to violence against tribal and village leaders who opposed this. That escalated to attacks on businesses and government facilities. FLM considers Ansar Dine their friend and ally mainly because Ansar Dine was inspired by al Qaeda but was always composed of Malians, mainly Tuareg, northern Arabs and some Fulani. Although most Malians are Moslem few want anything to do with Islamic terrorism. But the Fulani have always seen themselves as a people apart, an attitude common with the nomadic peoples from the Sahel (the semi-desert area between the Sahara and the much greener areas to the south). That makes joining FLM more attractive to young men, especially since the Fulani have also been involved with smuggling for a long time and that is seen as an acceptable profession. Another thing that sets the Fulani apart is that still think of themselves as nomadic and thus dont really believe in borders.

The continued existence of large (altogether more than a thousand) Islamic terrorists in northern and central Mali is the cause of a very noticeable crime wave. This takes the form of more highway robberies (forcing aid convoys to use armed guards), extortion of taxes from businesses and other entities seeking immunity from attack and incidents where large (a dozen or more) group of armed men occupy rural villages for several hours, loot the place, kill any government employees or known pro-government (or anti-Islamic terrorist) locals they can find. That is usually followed by a mandatory mass meeting where the locals are lectured on the necessity of supporting the Holy Warriors. Young men are encouraged to join the jihad, which pays well and tolerates bad behavior as long as it is in defense of Islam.

January 18, 2017: In the north (Gao) the AQIM al Mourabitoun faction took credit for a suicide truck bomb attack on a military camp that left at least 60 dead and twice as many wounded. AQIM identified the bomber as a member of FLM and most of the dead were members of pro-government Tuareg militias that AQIM later said were being puniched for making peace with the foreign infidels (non-Moslems).

In central Mali (Segou) five soldiers were killed and two wounded when their vehicle ran over a mine, apparently placed FLM Islamic terrorists.

January 11, 2017: Germany agreed to send four Tiger helicopter gunships and four NH90 transport helicopters to Mali to replace the four AH-64 helicopter gunships and three CH-47 transport helicopters the Dutch sent in late 2014 to provide fire support, transportation and medical evacuation for the 5,000 peacekeepers then in northern Mali. At the time the peacekeepers had a few of the smaller Tiger gunships and smaller helicopter transports and greatly appreciated the Dutch aircraft. The problem is that the Dutch helicopters have proven invaluable and there are now more than twice as many peacekeepers depending on those helicopters. But the Dutch pointed out in early 2016 that the seven helicopters have suffered a lot of wear and tear in Mali and need extensive refurbishment that cannot be carried out in Mali. The UN has been trying to get some other Western nation to step forward with replacements since then and Germany was finally persuaded to step in. Both the Dutch and German peacekeepers in Mali have had to endure harsh living and working conditions as well as the inability of their governments to adequately deal with shortages of all manner of necessary equipment and supplies. At the end of 2016 news media in both countries made an issue of the French being able to adequately support and supply their Mali peacekeepers while the Dutch and German troops were constantly short of essential items. Of course the reason was that the French have always had larger overseas intervention forces than most other European countries (with the possible exception of Britain) and had plenty of experience, and military infrastructure, to support operations in remote parts of the world, especially former French colonies in Africa. The Dutch and German governments have thus been persuaded to allocate more resources to keep their peacekeepers competitive with the French. Germany also agreed to increase its Mali force from 650 to 1,000 troops. At the same time the EU (European Union) agreed to continue peacekeeping operations in Mali for another two years (until 2019). That commitment means finding enough EU member nations to volunteer troops and aircraft for service in Mali.

January 10, 2017: In the north (southwest of Gao) French troops found and arrested Mimi Ould Baba Ould Cheick, a known Islamic terrorist wanted for a 2016 Islamic terrorist attack in neighboring Ivory Coast. Cheick is being extradited back to Ivory Coast for trial.

January 4, 2017: In the north (Gao) a local employee of the Red Cross was shot dead while off duty. It was unclear if this was personal or Islamic terrorists.

December 16, 2016: In the south, just across the border in Burkina Faso twelve soldiers were killed and three wounded when a group of about 40 heavily armed men in three trucks and several motorcycles attacked a base twenty kilometers from the Mali border as well as several smaller outposts. The garrison in the main base withdrew until reinforcements could arrive and chase the attackers (who suffered about a dozen casualties) back into Mali. This is the third such attack since mid-2015. Because of violence like this in January 2016 Mali signed an agreement with Burkina Faso to share intelligence on Islamic terrorists as well as coordinate security operations along their mutual border. In response to the latest attack Burkina Faso has sent more troops to its Mali border. The success of the 2013 French-led offensive into northern Mali drove thousands of Islamic terrorists into neighboring countries and thats when the Islamic terror problem in Burkina Faso went from troublesome to terrible. Burkina Faso also still hosts over 30,000 refugees, nearly all of them from Mali. Burkina Faso is, like Mali, landlocked and has 17 million people (about 20 percent more than Mali). Burkina Faso also lacks the troublesome Tuareg/Arab minority in the north. Because Burkina Faso is south of Mali it also lacks the semi-desert north in Mali. That is where the Tuareg/Arab minority live. Burkina Faso also has more religious diversity with a quarter of the population being Christian and 60 percent Moslem. Moreover the Moslem population consists of several different schools of Islam, some of them quite hostile to Sunni Islamic terrorism as practiced by al Qaeda and ISIL.
CIAs Secret History Can Now Be Viewed Online

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has published over 12 million pages of declassified documents online. The records include UFO sightings along with psychic experiments and extrasensory perception from the Star Gate programme, as well as several hundred thousand pages of intelligence analysis and science research and development. Previously, the documents were only available to the public on four physical computers at the National Archives Records Administration (NARA) in College Park, Maryland, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. every day.

This is the first time that the CIA is making its database known as CREST or CIA Records Search Tool online. Back in 1995, the CIA was ordered by then-President Bill Clinton to declassify secret government documents at least 25 years old that were also of historical value. But the CIA didnt make the archives searchable until 2000. However, in 2000, the CIA abided by setting up the computers at the National Archives. Years ago, the CIA posted the titles of the CREST collection on its website but it was only accessible in person that required visiting the National Archives.

The CIA decided to move the documents online to show their commitment to increasing the accessibility of declassified records to the public. Declassifying all the documents in the world doesnt accomplish anything if people cant get access to them, said Steve Aftergood, the Director of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists.

Access to this historically significant collection is no longer limited by geography. The American public can access these documents from the comfort of their homes, said Joseph Lambert, the CIA Director of Information Management.

The archives cover events from the 1940s to the 1990s (each year, a new batch are declassified) and include details about early CIA history, the flight of war criminals from Nazi Germany, the Cold War, Vietnam, the quarter-mile Berlin tunnel built to tap Soviet telephone lines, the Korean War, the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, foreign translations, scientific abstracts, internal intelligence bulletins and memos from former CIA directors, UFO reports and more.

The entire declassified documents can be found on the CIAs library website here
Oracle sued by the U.S. Department of Labor over its hiring practices

The U.S. Department of Labor on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against software giant Oracle America for allegedly paying white men more than their colleagues and for unlawfully favoring Asian applicants in its recruiting and hiring efforts for technical roles.

The lawsuit is the result of an Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs review of the companys practices at its Redwood Shores, California, headquarters, according to a release from the Labor Department.

The leading technology company has a systemic practice of paying Caucasian male workers more than their counterparts in the same job title, which led to pay discrimination against female, African American and Asian employees, the department said in a statement.

At the same time, according to the complaint, Oracle was far more likely to hire Asian applicantsparticularly Indian peoplefor product development and technical roles than black, white, or Hispanic job seekers.

However, Oracle denied the allegations.

The complaint is politically motivated, based on false allegations and wholly without merit, Oracle spokeswoman Deborah Hellinger said.

Oracle values diversity and inclusion, and is a responsible equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Our hiring and pay decisions are non-discriminatory and made based on legitimate business factors including experience and merit, she said.

The suit further alleged that Oracle obstructed Labor Department investigators by refusing to produce data on compensation or hiring that would support their claim.

Oracle refused to provide prior-year compensation data for all employees, complete hiring data for certain business lines, and employee complaints of discrimination, the department said.

The department said it tried for nearly a year to resolve Oracles alleged discrimination violations before filing the lawsuit.

Federal contractors are required to comply with all applicable anti-discrimination laws, said OFCCP acting Director Thomas M. Dowd. We filed this lawsuit to enforce those requirements.

If the suit is successful, people affected by the alleged discrimination will receive relief for lost wages, stock, interest, front wages, salary adjustments, promotions and all other lost benefits of employment and a reform of discriminatory policies. More than 1,000 female Oracle employees are estimated to have been affected by the alleged discrimination, the lawsuit said.

Also, the lawsuit could turn out to be costly for Oracle. The Department of Labor noted that Oracle has a bevy of government contracts that could be at risk.

Oracle has received hundreds of millions in federal government contracts, said the Department of Labor. If Oracle fails to provide relief as ordered in the lawsuit, OFCCP requests that all its government contracts be canceled and that it be debarred from entering into future federal contracts.
ISIS has made weapons out of commercial drones

Iraqi Security Forces who are trying to drive ISIS out of Mosul is facing an arsenal of improvised, experimental weapons from ISIS, which are commercial quadcopter drones, converted into tiny bombers. The ISIS already uses weapons such as rifles, mortars, artillery and suicidal car bombs.

ISIS, the radical insurgent group holding territory in both Syria and Iraq, is fighting for its life in Mosul, a large city in Northern Iraq that the terrorist organization has occupied since 2014. Iraqi troops and other security forces have been fighting to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group since early November.

Last week, Kurdish media network Rudaw reported that Islamic State fighters in Mosul are using drones to drop small bombs onto Iraqi security forces and civilians. The explosive-dropping drones have killed civilians, damaged some equipment and structure. Until now, ISIS has not used these drones to deliver chemical weapons, Rudaw said.

Nice shot of the improvised release mechanism ISIL is using to drop grenades from commercial off the shelf UAVs https://t.co/Lj8Ltx0arQ pic.twitter.com/KCuzhUbndb  Alex Mello (@AlexMello02) January 11, 2017

ISIS fighters in Mosul are using quadcopters that are no larger than a couple feet in diameter and can fly for about an hour.

Its not as if it is a large, armed UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] that is dropping munitions from the wingsbut literally, a very small quadcopter that drops a small munition in a somewhat imprecise manner, [Col. Brett] Sylvia, commander of an American military advising mission in Iraq, told Military Times. They are very short-range, targeting those front-line troops from the Iraqis.

Without getting into specifics, Sylvia said U.S. troops have been able to bring to bear some of our technical capabilities to help the Iraqis shoot down nearly a dozen drones.

Recently, Iraqi forces captured these drone bombers and shared it with American advisors, which appear to be commercial, off-the-shelf models, adapted to carry grenade-sized payloads. ISIS fighters abandoned many parts for the drones as they retreated.

Iraqi forces have anti-drone weapons, including gun-like jammers that can drop some commercial models to the ground. They have also taken down at least a dozen armed drones so far, Rudaw reports. The ISF also uses off-the-shelf drones in its military operations, mainly for scouting and helping to call artillery strikes.

A photo posted by Mitch Utterback (@mitchell.utterback) on Jan 12, 2017 at 8:53pm PST

Iraqi security forces have recaptured most of eastern Mosul, but they face a tough fight in the western part of the city, where ISIS is buried, Sylvia said.

There has been an extensive defensive work that has been done in western Mosul, he said. They have certainly been working on that area and even, in some cases, have greater defenses built in western Mosul than they did in eastern Mosul.

Source: Rudaw, Popular science
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.
It wasn't always easy for Matilda Mae to see the big picture. Just the small, sad details of the moment. Like how she had been abandoned behind a shopping mall in Elkton, Maryland. And how an animal control officer finally hauled her off to a busy shelter. But this tiny shih tzu mix had something else keeping her from seeing beyond her immediate struggles. Her coat had long grown matted, with dirty fur extending well over her eyes. She wasn't able to see much of any picture.

Luckily, someone else had a vision for Matilda Mae. "When I saw her, I knew there was something magical going on underneath all those mats," Renee Martini, founder of Renee's Rescues, tells The Dodo. Martini's organization partners with local shelters, getting a call when a dog arrives who needs extra care. Matilda Mae, with her painfully neglected coat, along with a set of rotting teeth, was exactly that kind of case. It seemed even the 6-year-old dog knew it. "Initially, from what I understand from the animal control officer that brought her to me, she was very depressed," Martini says. "Almost lethargic. She wouldn't look you in the eye." No sooner did Martini pull her from the shelter than things started looking up for this forlorn shih tzu.

Dodo Shows Faith = Restored Rescued Wild Horse Loves To Play With A Little Donkey

"Once she was shaved down, we gave her a medicated bath," Martini says. "And we started talking to her. We put the sweater on her and it was just kind of like she lit up."

"There was this whole other dog that just came to fruition in front of us," she adds."It was a beautiful thing to see."

And soon, for Matilda Mae, the big picture came into view. "Once the fur came off, there was this beautiful sweet dog," Martini says. "We're building her up emotionally. She's such a happy girl. She's got a great future ahead of her."

The next step? A foster home. Think that could be you? Get in touch with Renee's Rescues here.
Did they or didnt they? And also: Will they ever? For several weeks now, speculation has run rampant in regard 
CALGARYCanadian Pacific Railway Ltd. says that Hunter Harrison will step down as CEO immediately instead of leaving in July as announced last summer.

The company said after markets closed that current president and chief operating officer Keith Creel will become CEO effective Jan. 31.

It said Harrison will take vacation leave until then and Creel will assume the CEOs responsibilities during this period.

Harrison said in the statement leaving was bittersweet.

CP Rail says the earlier exit was approved after Harrison asked to discuss potential modifications to his contract that would allow him to pursue opportunities involving other Class 1 railroads.

It said the board agreed to a limited waiver of his noncompete obligations in return for Harrison agreeing to forfeit substantially all benefits he is entitled to receive from CP going forward, including his pension, worth in total about $118 million.

The previously agreed consulting agreement between CP and Harrison is cancelled, it said.

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NEW YORKDonald Trumps Twitter-fueled bid to crimp free trade in the auto industry began with a warning to Detroits Big Three about building factories south of the border. Later, he fired off threats to German automakers  specifically BMW, which is far along in completing a plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, thats set to churn out 150,000 cars a year.

But as the Republican president-elect takes office this week  and potentially makes good on a promised 35-per-cent tariff on vehicle imports  some sizable auto industry targets for his Internet ire remain.

RELATED: Trumps tough talk good news, says Canadian auto union

Load up the 140-character word cannon  heres where Trump may be aiming next.

Blame Canada

The heart of the U.S. auto industry may be in Detroit, but much of its muscle lies across the river. All told, Ontario assembly plants have about 27,000 autoworkers, including 5,600 people assembling Chevrolet SUVs and the sporty Camaro at two General Motors plants. Theres also some 7,000 folks at two Toyota installations, stamping out Lexus RX crossovers, Corolla sedans, and RAV4 trucks.

Thats almost one assembly worker for every five in the U.S., according to labour data culled from the companies and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. When it comes to vehicles, the U.S. trade gap with Canada is actually larger than its imbalance with Mexico  $28.6 billion (U.S.) in the first 11 months of 2016, versus $18.3 billion on the southern border.

Bits and pieces

A car itself, however, is just one product in a sprawling supply chain. The North American Free Trade Agreement more than anything else freed up the movement of parts. Anti-lock brake systems from Toluca, Mexico, and transmissions from Guelph, Ont., might come together in San Antonio to be riveted onto a Toyota Tacoma, or an Accord rolling out of the massive Honda plant in Marysville, Ohio.

Each part on a North American vehicle  be it in Canada, Mexico, or the U.S.  may have crossed borders up to eight times, according to a recent analysis from the Center for Automotive Research. Of course, names of suppliers such as Robert Bosch and Linamar Corp. dont have as much heft in a Twitter tirade as Ford or GM, but if Trump is spending long nights in Mar-a-Lago poring through Federal Trade Commission spreadsheets, he wont like what he sees (Trumps representatives didnt return requests for comment). The U.S. trade balance with Mexico for auto parts is about one-third larger than that for vehicles themselves.

Pivot to Asia

Finally, Trump could take a page from the Ronald Reagan playbook and go after Asia. On a list of the most-popular U.S. cars that arent made in the U.S., eight of the top 10 come from Japan-based companies. Subarus Forester tops the list, followed by Nissans Rogue.

On vehicles alone, the U.S. trade balance with Japan is almost twice as large as its gap with Mexico. South Korea, the home of Hyundai and Kia, also sends a steady and fairly one-way stream of cars to America.

A widespread 35-per-cent tariff on imported vehicles would have a chilling effect on all three of these regions. Under such a penalty, the entire U.S. auto industry might look a lot like the current market for pickups, which has faced a 25-per-cent tariff on imports since the early 1960s. When it comes to trucks, American consumers have far fewer choices than they do for something like a sedan.

The so-called chicken tax (dont ask) has indeed pushed some foreign automakers to build plants in the U.S. Toyota makes Tacomas in Texas, for example, while Nissan Titans come out of Canton, Miss., and Honda bangs together its Ridgeline in Lincoln, Ala. But some of the biggest names in the business, including Hyundai and Volkswagen, stay out of the segment entirely. Mercedes is adding a pickup truck to its product line this year, but ironically, it has no plans to sell it in America.

All told, if the U.S. were to abolish NAFTA, it would eventually welcome some 22,000 new production jobs, according to the Center for Automotive Research. The bad news though is that the country would also lose 37,000 jobs, as vehicle prices creep up and choices and demand tick down.

Thats a very conservative estimate, said Kristin Dziczek, director of the Industry, Labor & Economics Group at the Center for Automotive Research. I dont know many people who can afford a 100-per-cent Made-in-the-U.S.A. vehicle.

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Hillary Clintons first major televised post-election appearance will be as a witness to a ceremony that could have been hers.

Aides to the former secretary of state and failed 2016 Democratic nominee confirmed Clinton will attend as a guest of her husband, Bill. Tradition dictates former presidents and their spouses receive invitations.

Its not the first time a defeated politician has watched a bitter rivals swearing-in: Former vice-president Al Gore attended the inauguration of George. W. Bush in 2001 and former vice-president Richard Nixon watched as John F. Kennedy took the oath of office in 1961.

I believe Hillary will be as classy as they were, and behave herself, said Cynthia Lett, a Maryland-based international protocol expert.

Its unclear whether Clinton will give a thumbs-up for the cameras as Gore did, or indeed whether Donald Trump will acknowledge her presence in his own inaugural speech, as JFK did for Nixon. But there are a few ways Clinton can send subliminal messages to supporters, Democrats, outraged Republicans and any deflated bipartisan #NeverTrump followers, should she so choose.

1. Read my pantsuit

Bill Clinton-era secretary of state Madeleine Albright demonstrated her personal feelings about diplomatic encounters through what became known as brooch diplomacy. She famously wore a snake pin when meeting with Iraqi officials the same year Saddam Hussein called her a serpent. Although Clinton herself tends to favour understated jewellery with her designer pantsuits, her fashion choices could transmit a statement: A black outfit might hint at a pessimistic nation in mourning. A bright outfit would say, Hey, look at me. You cant keep a good woman down. Or, if she were feeling more magnanimous  or passive aggressive  Clinton could wear an off-the-rack Ivanka Trump original design, available online and at many fine department stores.

2. Wear a safety pin

If she really wanted to send a bold message as well as bring something tiny but sharp to the proceedings, she could wear a safety pin on her lapel. Safety pins had an illustrious, if brief, turn as a post-election political statement donned by well-meaning allies of minorities and persecuted people. The movement was both held as a form of protest against a crass and divisive election cycle and derided as a form of slacktivism. A safety pin on Hills lapel would indicate her status as a woke white woman.

3. Stay at the Harrington Hotel

The president-elects newly renovated Trump International Hotel is located on Pennsylvania Ave. a few blocks from the White House and the Capitol. But why further enrich a sworn enemy, even if it would make for a short walk to Capitol Hill? Across from the Trump International sits the Harrington, where the rate for a room with a double bed and full bathroom with shower and/or bathtub starts at just $99 per night. The hotel is affiliated with Harrys Pub and Ollies Trolley, serving burgers, fries, and shakes with a local touch. Perfect for post-inauguration emotional eating as reality sets in and a once-hopeful horizon darkens across America. Sad!

4. Pose for a pre-ceremony selfie with some of the thousands of women expected to march on Washington

Hundreds of thousands of women are expected to descend on D.C. as part of the Womens March on Washington. Buses from all over North America are expected to arrive in the days ahead of Saturdays 10 a.m. rally and march. Its unclear whether a true American tailgate party  like the Canadian Embassy is hosting  will take place at the bus parking zone; official events and the final route are unconfirmed. But Clinton will have time to make the rounds before noon. Doing so with an official Trump inauguration beer koozie  yes, its a thing  in hand would be even better. No doubt she will need a drink.

5. Sit still, wear purple and play nice

Everyone is expecting the unexpected at this years ceremony. Possibly the most subversive action Clinton could take is to plaster a vague smile on her face, wear purple  like she did at her husbands 1993 inauguration in a nod to bipartisan unity  and clap politely, knowing the total, inexorable collapse of sanity about to ensue wont be on her watch.

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ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK, N.Z.-Dont worry  its safe, our guide says. Just dont look down.

I gingerly step onto the swing bridge, leer at the steep drop below, and shuffle across the wooden planks. Despite my hatred of heights, I cant help but marvel at the sublime scenery  a lush gorge swirling with emerald waters and cloaked in a canopy of greenery.

This is the Abel Tasman Coast Track, a 60-kilometre trail in Abel Tasman National Park, that many consider to be New Zealands most beautiful walk. Seated at the northern tip of the South Island, locals describe this national park as blessed for its mild coastal climate, pristine beaches and abundant marine and wildlife.

Abel Tasman? Oh lord, youre in for a treat, a New Zealander tells me days before I arrive at the park. Its heaven on earth.

Its why Ive flown 14,000 kilometres to traverse this magical protected park with Wilsons Abel Tasman, an esteemed company thats led glam tramps in the park for more than 30 years.

Over several days, were hiking and kayaking this coastal trail, linked by rainforest, coves of desolate beach, and the crystal-clear waters of Tasman Bay. Abel Tasmans scenery porn attracts hikers from around the world, and despite the remote and rustic setting, were trekking in style.

For one, theres no schlepping of stuff. Wilsons arranges for baggage to be transported to the luxury lodges nestled along the route, where a hot shower, plush bed and hearty meal (with wine) awaits weary trampers.

A ferry shuttles us to the top of the park, where our merry band of trampers starts with a brisk rainforest walk. Our guide, Sam Ryder, tell us about nikau palms, matai, and rata trees, as well as demonstrates how to forage for edible wild and medicinal plants. Grabbing a silver fern, he flips the green leaf over.

See the silver underside? Ryder asks. Maori hunters and warriors used this plant to navigate at night. Bent over, the leaf catches the moonlight and illuminates a path through the forest.

For centuries, the Maori people have inhabited the Abel Tasman coast  hunting, gathering and growing kumara (sweet potato). In 1642, the first contact between Maori and Europeans occurred here  but it wasnt friendly.

Dutch explorer Abel Tasman anchored two ships somewhere off Wainui Inlet, explains Ryder. As his crew made their way to shore, their ship was met by the local Maori in waka canoes. Unable to communicate their intentions, fighting broke out.

Four of Tasmans crew were killed and the expedition fled. Maori and Europeans would next meet 120 years later, with the arrival Capt. James Cook in 1769.

Arriving at Meadowbank Homestead, were greeted by a crackling fire and hot drinks. Outside, the wind roars and rain drums on the roof. But inside our beachfront home, our gang gets cosy by the fireplace, sipping local wines and supping on a sumptuous salmon feast followed by a decadent chocolate lava cake.

On our third and final day, I awaken to sunshine and the sound of waves lapping the shore. Outside, the tide is slowly rising, but dinghies remain marooned on the sandbar like lonely shipwrecks. Gearing up for a day of sea sculling, we don waterproof booties and spray skirts, and then one by one, glide into the turquoise sea.

We may get wet scaling the waves, warns Ryder, paddling beside me. Itll calm down once we get past the reef.

The sea is choppy, so I take a deep breath and paddle hard against the wild surf. Icy water splashes against my chest and torso, and with turbulence, queasiness rises in my belly. What have I signed up for?

It improves once we reach open water. Now, theres only the echo of our paddles cutting into the still and silent sea. Turning the bend, I spot a stout seal lazing on the rocks. The furry creature sits up, and we make eye contact. Startled, he takes two waddles and plops into the sea.

After two hours of paddling, Sam points out a shoreline, fringed with white sand, in the distance.

The ferry will pick us up on that beach, he says. But first, well have a picnic.

Thats no surprise: glam trampers are never far from a feast. Post-picnic, I take a cue from the seal and loaf on the wind-swept beach. Sinking my toes into the sun-kissed sand, I think: This is real life.

Our ride is here, says Ryder, beckoning to the approaching ferry. Ready?

I watch as the kayaks are loaded onto the ferry. Maybe we could take the next ferry, paddle a little further, delay the flight home? After all, Ive yet to see dolphins, or explore the ancient Maori fort at Te Pukatea Bay.

Instead, I take a last look at Abel Tasmans raw and rugged beauty, put on my sandals, and whisper to myself, Next time.

Lisa Jackson was hosted by New Zealand Tourism, which did not review or approve this story.

When you go:

Get there: A member of the Star Alliance, Air New Zealand (airnewzealand.ca) connects to most major Canadian cities and features overnight flights from Vancouver to Auckland, with a connecting flight to Nelson, N.Z., at the north end of the South Island.

When to go: With a mild coastal climate, Abel Tasman National Park is heavenly any season, and nearby Nelson boasts the highest number of sunshine hours in New Zealand year-round. Summer (December to February) is ideal for beach-bumming, but the cooler months (April to September) are often sunny and calm, offering the best time for photography and wildlife viewing.

Where to eat: For a memorable feast off the trail, book a table at Hopgoods Restaurant (hopgoods.co.nz) in Nelson. This bistro makes exquisite local cuisine  and make sure to ask about the catch of the day.

How to book: Whether youre tramping or kayaking for one day or five, Wilsons Abel Tasman offers a slew of ways to explore this magical park. Book a guided group trek through abeltasman.co.nz, or ask the expert staff to design a personalized itinerary based on your abilities, interests, schedule and budget.

Do you research: NelsonNZ.com and NewZealand.com

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OTTAWAIndian-born Canadian cabinet minister Amarjeet Sohi has returned from an unlikely journey: from prisoner to honoured guest.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus minister of Infrastructure and Communities last week made his first visit in an official capacity back to the country of his birth.

He was in India  where he was once jailed and tortured as a terrorist suspect  to pitch Canadian investment at a large biennial trade conference.

With Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance, he was met with loud applause from an audience that officials said numbered in the thousands, and cries of Brother, brother!

He concluded on a few words in Hindi: Its always nice to come back.

Sohis personal story had made headlines in India. And though the Edmonton Journal and Alberta Views magazine have chronicled his life, many in Canada are unfamiliar with it.

Read more:Free-trade agreement with India a high priority for Canada

Born in Punjab, Sohi was 18 when he immigrated to Canada from his familys farming community, sponsored by an older brother who had already arrived. He was not religious but became active in a Punjabi theatre group while in Edmonton.

In 1988, when Sohi was 24, he travelled to northeastern India to study with an activist playwright who staged street theatre and fought for social justice. It was three years after the bombing of Air India Flight 182, which killed all 329  mostly Canadian citizens  on board. Sohi told the Journal that tragedy had awakened him to the dangers of Sikh extremism, which his theatre group opposed.

It was also a tumultuous time in Indias effort to contain the Khalistan independence movement, which sought to create a Sikh homeland. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Indian security forces investigated ties between Sikh separatist sympathizers in Canada and India.

When Sohi helped organize a protest rally against rich landowners in Bihar province, he was arrested and jailed as a suspected Khalistani separatist. Held under a law that allowed Indian security forces to detain suspected terrorists without charge, Sohi says he was tortured in his first two weeks in prison, and again on occasions when he was hauled out and taken elsewhere for interrogation. He was detained for 22 months, spent 17 of those in solitary confinement, and saw his father weep for the first time in his life once he was finally allowed to visit Sohi in prison.

The 52-year-old Sohi is poised, soft-spoken, confident yet wary of talking about the ordeal in detail. He doesnt know what he would say now if he ever faced his captors again, but I dont let them define who I am. I dont let the people who abused, who tortured me  I dont think about them in a negative way that I dwell on it.

Today, he credits his parents and family with enabling him to not only survive but to put my life together and be where I am.

I think this experience made me who I am today. And I gained a different perspective on life. I saw death so close that I have a great appreciation for life, and also appreciation for the fundamental rights of people and the dignity that people deserve. And that drives me every day in my work, in my personal life and in my community life.

It wasnt until CSIS agents cleared him in Canada, and Amnesty International and the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney advocated for him, that he was released with no charges ever laid.

After returning to embrace his large extended family in Banbhaura, Sohi went back to Bihar province to stage rallies for the release of other prisoners out of a sense of responsibility and to thank the magistrate whod freed him.

Sohi then returned to Canada, a changed man, and would not return to India for another 13 years.

He became a Canadian citizen in 1994, worked as a bus driver, won election to Edmonton city council, and in 2015 joined the Trudeau campaign and was elected a Liberal MP for Edmonton-Mill Woods.

Sohi has been back on private visits to his family in the Punjab several times. Last weeks trip was different. In an interview with the Star, he acknowledged he felt a strong sense of pride and accomplishment.

Going back in my official capacity as a minister of the Crown on behalf of the country that I represent and going back to the country that at one time had violated my basic human rights, its just a feeling thats difficult to describe in a word.

Canada is my home. And this country has given me so much and allowed me to succeed in life, he said. But he added, equally important to understand in my experience is the resiliency of the Indian people despite all the odds in life.

He said he was embraced in India, people wanted photos, politicians tweeted about meeting him. He said the respect, hospitality, care and compassion shown him was amazing.

Sohi met Modi privately. It gave me really a sense of pride that I was meeting the highest elected official in a land where my rights were violated. But we did not talk about that because obviously I was on a business visit so this issue never came up.

Indias finance minister did inquire about it. They spoke briefly about Sohis imprisonment.

Mainly, on the 10-day trip, Sohi promoted trade, and met Indian politicians and business people. He visited a Sikh temple, a Hindu temple, a Jewish synagogue and a Christian church erected in memory of soldiers who fought the Afghan war under British rule, tweeting photos of his travels. He had another goal, he says: to show the very rich history of tolerance and acceptance and diversity within India . . . to Canadians.

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HALIFAXAfrican-Nova Scotian social justice advocates are calling on Halifax Regional Police to suspend their use of street checks.

Halifax lawyer Shawna Hoyte and social workers Robert Wright and Lanna MacLean are asking for an independent review of the practice, and want it stopped in the meantime.

The trio wrote a three-page letter to the provinces Serious Incident Response Team and Human Rights Commission, outlining their concerns with the ethics behind street checks.

Street check statistics released by Halifax police indicate that black people in Nova Scotia are three times more likely to be stopped than white people.

Police say any information collected in a check is used to prevent, detect and solve crime in the community.

But the letter says the statistics reveal decades of segregation and marginalization of African-Nova Scotians.

African Nova Scotians have always known that they were being disproportionately targeted for surveillance by the police, Wright said in a statement. We feel the practice should stop, pending an independent investigation.

An official with Nova Scotias Justice Department said SIRT and the Human Rights Commission will discuss the issue with the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner.

Those agencies have strong expertise in appropriate police policy. We look forward to the outcome of their discussions, Sarah Gillis, a spokesperson with the Justice Department, said in an email.

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The morning of January 22, 1992, was chilly along the east coast of Florida.

NASA officials watched the temperatures closely  just six years earlier, cold temperatures contributed to the Challenger disaster, claiming the lives of seven astronauts and grounding the shuttle fleet for three years.

On launch pad 39A, Roberta Bondar was strapped in aboard the Shuttle Discovery, waiting to become Canadas first woman in space.

There were many things on her mind as minor issues delayed liftoff by an hour, Bondar recalled in an interview with The Canadian Press to mark the 25th anniversary of her historic flight this Sunday.

She ran through the emergency checklists  very, very focused, very disciplined, thinking about what I had been trained professionally to do  and also thought of her family.

Her father had seen her chosen as an astronaut, but died before her mission; her mother and sister were watching from the VIP area less than five kilometres away.

She had recorded a tearful message for her mother a few hours earlier  just in case things didnt go well.

I decided Id use one of those old cassette recorders, which was the technology of the time, and talked into the unit to somehow placate her fears if anything happened to me. But I must say I was quite tearful when I was doing it and had to keep shutting it off to do it.

Bondar arrived at the launch pad that morning with the six other members of the international crew. The launch pad had teemed with workers on her previous visits, but that morning it seemed almost deserted  and the shuttle seemed alive, she said.

We looked at the view and at the seething monster behind us and just tried to take it all in about being astronauts and going to punch a hole in the sky. It was really like The Right Stuff movie, she said.

Bondar had trained for years for this moment  becoming a doctor, a neurologist, an astronaut. She was only the second Canadian (after Marc Garneau) onboard a space shuttle.

I was thinking about being the first Canadian after the Challenger accident and how difficult it would be for some people to watch it without being totally a bundle of nerves, and thinking about my own family and friends, especially my mother and sister who would be watching me disappear into the sky and hoping that nothing would go wrong, she said.

Bondar said that after the Challenger disaster, families of U.S. astronauts could avoid the peering lenses of news cameras during the launch by watching from the top of the giant Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).

But the same courtesy was not offered to her Canadian family.

The families of all the men were on top of the VAB, and my poor family were sitting out in the stands the way Christa McAuliffes mother was. Youll remember McAuliffes mother was right there when the whole thing happened and the cameras were trained on her. There was no privacy and it was a horrible moment, she said.

They didnt allow my family to be protected the way the rest of the crew was, and that was kind of a bad thing. It didnt make me very happy and the Canadian Space Agency didnt help either.

Bondar said that was a very sore point for her, and she was more nervous for her family than she was for herself as she waited for ignition and the kick of seven million pounds of thrust from the main engines and the solid rocket boosters.

But the launch and the mission went well  even extended by a day as the crew conducted a long list of experiments to study the effects of space flight and recovery on the human body. Bondar, the first neurologist in space, said she felt the pressure of getting good results for scientists on the ground who had spent years preparing the experiments.

Gilles Leclerc, director general of space exploration at the Canadian Space Agency, said Bondar did Canada proud.

She was a renaissance woman. We were extremely proud, and still are of her contribution to the space program, Leclerc said.

That flight took place 25 years ago. A lot has happened since. She was really a pioneer.

And a lot has happened in Bondars life in the last 25 years.

After her flight, Bondar became head of an international space medicine team working with NASA to look at various aspects of human physiology changes in space flight and on recovery. They published a number of papers over the next 10 years, and discovered how their research could be applied to illnesses here on Earth.

She was chancellor at Trent University for six years and started an educational foundation in her name.

Bondar is also a photographer, who took lots of pictures from space. During an inflight news conference, Bondar described seeing Canada from orbit for the first time.

When I first came over Canada, it was the biggest thrill imaginable. Winter or no winter, it has to be absolutely beautiful and spectacular, and Im coming back to Earth with a feeling that theres absolutely nothing boring. Theres no boring place anywhere on this whole planet, she said.

Bondar continues to explore the planet, taking photos, writing, working with people in Africa, and doing science such as studying the migration of the whooping crane.

Many people would think that Bondar might say that going into space was the most important thing she has done in her life, but thats not the case.

She says becoming a doctor allowed her to save lives and do all the other things shes done.

Space was eight days of my life. Im still evolving, she said.

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One of the last postings made on Facebook by a 12-year-old Wapekeka First Nation girl who took her life this month was a graphic poster that said, Wake up, pretend Im okay, sleep.

Jolynn Winter committed suicide on Jan. 8, a Sunday. She was followed two days later by her 12-year-old friend Chantell Fox, who left behind a twin sister.

I let my girl down, Keri Cutfeet, Jolynn Winters father, said in a statement released Wednesday.

I cant believe I had to bury my daughter. It was so hard to say goodbye. I honestly didnt think I could survive losing Chantell, said Sandra Fox, Chantells mother.

Four girls are in crisis and have been flown out of Wapekeka, a remote, fly-in community 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. And 26 more students are considered high risk for suicide because of the loss and trauma of the others.

Last summer, Wapekeka First Nation wrote to Health Canada to ask for funding to help the community deal with mental health issues affecting young people there. Of specific concern was that a group might have entered into a suicide pact. That funding was denied.

We had identified that several children were secretly planning suicide several months ago, and we immediately applied for health funding to work with the children in preventing any suicides from happening, said Joshua Frogg, a member of Wapekeka and the community spokesperson. Our community plan was turned down by government and now two are dead.

Health Canada offered their heartfelt condolences to the families and the people of Wapekeka, said Eric Morrissette, the Health Canada chief of media relations.

Regarding the request from Wapekeka, Morrissette said Health Canada had replied. In fall 2016, Health Canada indicated to the community leadership that it would pursue funding opportunities in the future to assist Wapekeka in increasing the number of mental health workers in the community, Morrissette said.

Funding has been identified to assist the community, and Health Canada has been working over the last several days with First Nations and provincial partners to support the communitys vision for youth mental health programming, he added.

A suicide-prevention program in Wapekeka was cancelled two years ago.

The community attempted to get that program back in place because they were extremely worried about a possible suicide pact among young girls in their community, and they were turned down, said New Democratic MP Charlie Angus.

That is the frontline face of systemic discrimination in this country. It happens again and again. We lose children literally every single day due to a lack of services and supports that other children and families would take for granted, said Angus, whose riding of Timmins-James Bay includes First Nations communities along the James Bay coast that are also struggling with suicide epidemics among their young people, he said.

On Thursday, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde, along with Northern Ontario Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and Grand Chief Jonathon Solomon and a community representative from Wapekeka will hold a press conference in Ottawa, demanding a national suicide strategy.

This is very frustrating. I was at a funeral on Saturday in Wapekeka. It is tragic. We need to, all of us, work together to create more long-term, sustainable strategies  for all the youth, all the communities to stay well and be well in all aspects of their lives, Fiddler said.

Wapekeka, with a population of 430, has had its share of tragedy. In May 2015, the Rev. Eleazar Winter Memorial School burned to the ground.

During the 1990s, the community had a suicide crisis, one they were able to deal with after an intensive strategy and follow-up care, Fiddler said.

The community used to run an annual Survivors of Suicide Conference, but lack of funds led to its cancellation.

For years, Wapekeka was pro-active in ensuring healing and suicide prevention through community plans and the conference that was attended by many in northern First Nations, the community statement said.

Funding for these vital programs was cut two years ago. These conferences were put in place to provide healing for the survivors of convicted pedophile Ralph Rowe and their families. Rowes child sexual assault charges affected many communities in the Nishnawbe-Aski territory. Wapekeka, in particular, was a community he preyed upon, the statement said.

Rowe was a former Boy Scout leader, an Anglican minister and a pilot. He used to fly into the community and take young boys camping.

In 1994, Rowe was convicted of 39 counts of indecent assault on 15 boys ages 8 to 14. He was sentenced to six years in prison and served 41/2 years. As part of his 1994 plea deal, he was protected from facing more charges of a similar nature.

In 2006, Rowe faced 75 charges involving 31 victims, the Star reported in 2011. But after preliminary hearings, the complainants fell to 25 from 31 and the charges to 57 from 75. Only two cases resulted in convictions.

The documentary film Survivors Rowe estimates Rowes victims were actually in the hundreds.

Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day said issues of poverty, sexual abuse, bullying and lateral violence in First Nations must be front and centre as we explore the root causes and the reasons why our people are taking their own lives.

A national suicide strategy is a must, Day said. We know this. We need Canada and the provinces to clear a place at the table to discuss this during the transformation of Canadas health-care system.  We need an undivided collective on suicide. There is no other alternative.

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Canada is looking at changing the way it screens prospective blood donors, so that eligibility for men would no longer depend on whom they choose to sleep with.

Advocacy groups have criticized the countrys rules  which list a year of abstinence as donor eligibility criteria for men who have had sex with another man  as stigmatizing and outdated.

At a meeting next week in Toronto, local and international researchers will explore new blood screening methods, like behaviour-based screening. The gathering is funded by Health Canada, which gave $3 million to Hema-Quebec and the Canadian Blood Services, in part for research to ensure non-discriminatory practices.

Canadas blood donation rules were updated this past summer, shortening the timeline a man was required to wait after having sex with another man to one year from five, providing he meets all other requirements to donate blood. Up until 2013, a man who had sex with another man was banned from donating blood in Canada for life.

Canadas current rules dont just restrict men who have sex with men from giving blood, but impact their ability to donate organs as well. For now, the wait is five years from the last time a man had sex with a man, with the possibility for a doctor to make an exception with patient consent.

Ross FitzGerald, a spokesperson for Canadian Blood Services said in an email that a focused effort toward evidence-based change is most certainly underway. The organizations website says the meeting next week aims to find ways to close knowledge gaps that impact the ability for men who have had sex with men to donate blood.

As an openly gay man who is unable to donate blood, I want to know that this is going to go away and never come back, said Michael Bach, CEO of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, who will attend the meeting.

Bach hopes the meeting will lead to research that will allow for a behavior-based eligibility system to be adopted in the country. He doesnt know how long the process will take, but hopes data can be presented to the federal government by early 2018.

We are not talking about something simple, we are talking about something that has impact on every Canadian and we want to make sure we do it right from the start, he said.

While the issue is not uniquely controversial in Canada, it is especially sensitive here. In the 1980s, thousands of Canadians were exposed to Hepatitis C and HIV through contaminated blood products leading to an expensive class action lawsuit. The Red Cross, who was in control of the countrys blood supply at the time, was then replaced by Hema- Quebec and the Canadian Blood Services.

Jody Jollimore, policy director at the Community-Based Research Centre for Gay Mens Health in Vancouver, said his organization feels the current policy is unacceptable.

. . . Its a blanket statement that treats all gay and bisexual men the same, Jollimore said. And we know that there are many gay men who are not having high risk interactions therefore it simply doesnt make sense to screen them out of the blood supply . . . 

Gary Lacasse, executive director of the Canadian AIDS Society thinks the current regulations are discriminatory, but believes that Canadian data is needed to back a change in protocol.

Canadian Blood Services website said that there is a gap in health data on men who have sex with men that are considered low risk. All blood collected is screened for a range of diseases, including HIV, but the organization notes there is a brief period when HIV can not be detected right after infection.

These little acts remind society that its OK to discriminate against gay men and I think thats wrong, and it really hurts people, especially young people who see this message, said Keith Reynolds, who wants to donate but cant because of the regulations.

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Hundreds of Torontonians braved the cold and stood in line for hours Wednesday, for a simple burger and fries.

The popular American burger chain, Shake Shack, hit the streets of Toronto but only as a one day pop-up. This was the first time the chain has travelled north of the border.

The store, which was open from 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. still had a line-up spanning almost an entire block at 4 p.m.

Nerissa Camacho, 34, who had been waiting for two hours and 20 minutes, said she planned ahead and worked overtime the previous day so she could leave work early today to get in line.

She came for the classics, a ShakeBurger and crinkle cut fries, which the pop-up at Momofuku Daisho was serving.

Its delicious. The soft bun melts in your mouth and the burger is great, she said. The fries and the cheese sauce are so good.

She added: Ive had it in NYC and Vegas. To have it pop-up is amazing. If they could make it permanent, that would be great.

Kim Sanchez, 18, has also had Shake Shack before, and visits the chain whenever she travels to New York with her family.

All my friends are messaging me like, Is it worth it? And Im like, Yeah. Sanchez said.

The wait was improved when Shake Shack employees gave those waiting free sunglasses and menus to plan what they would order, according to Abby Lendvai, 19. However, she was disappointed to discover that shakes were not on the menu.

After being in line for two hours, Lendvai said they were definitely ready to be done but the end is near.

We thought we might as well come, though we thought it would be an hour, Lendvai said. But after waiting two, we thought we might as well do it.

Joshua Humphrey, 19, who stood next to Lendvai in line, said Ive never actually had Shake Shack before but I think itll be worth the wait hopefully.

Humphrey isnt alone in his blind faith. Tim Davidson, 31, and Kelsey Davidson, 30, who were a few feet back in line, had never had the burgers either.

Its my day off and I heard it was good. My dad told me about it and he says its good. I dont know if he knows Ive waited this long but hes a pretty diehard fan so I think hed approve, Tim said after two hours in line.

Kelsey said they had to go to this one, as they missed Shake Shacks biggest rival, In-N-Out, when it had a pop-up store in Toronto two years ago. It was greeted with similar crowds.

But with a limited supply of food and a first come, first served policy in place, some Shake Shack hopefuls faced disappointment.

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An Order of Canada medal is currently up for sale, but although its current holders are hoping to profit from the items rarity on the market, the legalities of selling it are hazy.

The insignia is listed for $25,000 by Yorkville-based collectibles and memorabilia company Muzeum, a store under the umbrella of The Great Canadian Roadshow.

Its incredibly rare, said company co-owner Daniel Ilmer. Weve never even heard of anybody bringing one in and when we saw it, it was something that was so rare that we knew it was something that needed to be snatched up.

There is no Criminal Code provision that forbids the sale of an insignia of the Order of Canada.

But unlike certain honours, such as military decorations or medals which become property of the recipients once awarded, Order of Canada symbols are presented to recipients in trust, according to Rideau Hall spokesperson Marie-Pierre Belanger.

As a result, neither Order members nor their families may sell, or otherwise dispose of, Orders insignia, said Belanger. Normally, in situations like these, our office would contact the seller to retrieve the insignia.

Belanger wouldnt comment on how Rideau Hall would enforce that rule if the seller refuses to take a medal off the market due to confidentiality reasons.

Christopher McCreery, a historian whos studied the Orders history for 20 years, said hes heard of about 10-15 instances of people selling the insignia. Although most known sales have occurred in Canada, late actor and radio voice Lorne Greenes medal was sold last year at an auction in Nevada.

In the past when these things have come up theyve shut down the auctions, said McCreery, whose book The Order of Canada; Genesis of an Honours System, comes out later this year and contains a section about sales of the insignia.

The first known public sale happened in 1981 when the companions insignia awarded to M.J. Coldwell, co-founder of the CCF party, was put up for auction, according to an excerpt from the book. This prompted a motion in the House of Commons to deplore the sale of the Order of Canada which . . . should not be used for financial gain.

There have been more than 6,000 recipients since the Order of Canada was created in 1967 and there are three levels to the award.

The current insignia up for sale was awarded to an officer of the Order of Canada, the honours second highest rank, which recognizes national service or achievement.

Ilmer said he did not know who the original recipient was.

Co-owner Maxim Smirnov said the stores parent company acquired it about five years ago during an event in northern Alberta from a man looking to sell the medal, which was awarded to his great-grandfather who had since passed away. The family had elected not to keep it as an heirloom since it was impossible to divide amongst them.

The company created a silent bidding war on the familys behalf for the medal and a deal was struck with a collector for $12,000. But Smirnov said the company later decided to buy the medal themselves and keep the item as a showpiece instead.

The more research we were doing about this, the more we realized this is a very, very unique piece and the chances of us coming across one of these are slim to none, said Smirnov. It just doesnt come on the market that easily. Its easier to get an Olympic gold medal that somebody received back in 1976 than it is to get an Order of Canada medal.

When an Order member dies, the insignia should be returned to the Governor General, according to Belanger. She said if the recipients family wants to bequeath it to an heir, museum or public collection, the office can arrange for a loan.

McCreery said officers insignias have previously sold for $2,000 to $5,000, but that $25,000 is a hilariously high price for something you arent even supposed to sell.

They are considered property of the Crown so its sort of like trying to sell a stop sign or something. Youd get in trouble for that, said McCreery. The collecting market for this stuff isnt that big. There arent that many people who want to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for this stuff.

Smirnov said the price is intended as a conversation starter, acknowledging its a little frowned upon to sell things like that.

Thats why were not really serious about selling it, he said. Its more for people to come in and to discuss it. Theres certain pieces in our store that we cherish and this definitely one of those treasure pieces. Its more to attract customers to our website.

But if the right offer came along?

We would definitely think about it, said Smirnov, adding that the price could be negotiable. He said its important to him that it stays in Canada.

If the right person came along, I think we would definitely entertain it but wed be fair and give a lot of people that opportunity, said Smirnov. I would have to call a few historians and see if an item like this should be sold.

-

Quick Facts

There are three levels of the Order of Canada, officer being the middle level. More than 2,100 officers have been appointed since the Order was established in 1967.

The highest level, companion, recognizes national pre-eminence or international service or achievement. About 500 people have received the honour.

Those appointed members of the Order are recognized for outstanding contributions at the local or regional level or in a special field of activity.

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A brewing legal battle could see parents pitted against the province over the lack of a French-language high school in their neighbourhood.

French-speaking families from Torontos east end have formed a coalition to speak out about what they say is their right to be educated in either official language.

After years of community organizing and petition-signing, the group has retained a lawyer and say theyre prepared to take their case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Our kids, after Grade 6, have nowhere to go, said Lianne Doucet, whose three daughters studied at George-Etienne-Cartier in The Beaches until Grade 6.

The problem came when they graduated to secondary school.

Doucets eldest daughter, Genevieve, found a spot at College Francais near Carlton and Jarvis, which is about an hour away by bus. But the school then had no room for new students, so middle sister, Isabelle, switched to the English system.

The youngest, Marie-Eve, now goes to Saint-Frere-Andre in Roncesvalles, which requires a two-hour bus ride each way.

The other option was Monseigneur-de-Charbonnel in Newtonbrook. Thats like going to school in Northern Ontario, Doucet said.

Families in the area started lobbying for a French-language secondary school back in 2007, but say the Ministry of Education hasnt responded to repeated requests for a meeting.

Lawyer Nicolas Rouleau, whom the group recruited for the case, set a precedent in 2015 when the Supreme Court of Canada determined the British Columbia government had violated students rights to equitable education.

The court ruled that Rose-des-Vents, a French-language high school in West Vancouver, was not equal to other area English-language schools.

Were not asking for the moon, said Doucet, noting many English-language high schools in the area are sitting half empty, so it should be easy to find space to accommodate them.

We have enough French-speaking kids. Just give us a school that will offer equivalent education in their language.

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A frail slip of femininity she was. Good Christian girl, hard worker, member of the church choir. Hardly the stuff of an armed bank robbery.

Yet that was the accusation against 17-year-old Kathleen Boyle as she entered a packed Toronto courtroom on April 25, 1930 amid the curious stares of spectators, lawyers and journalists.

She looked little more than a high school girl. She might have been a demure domestic or a waitress, observed a Toronto Daily Star reporter.

With dark hair wisping around her stylish felt toque, she looked like anything in the world but a bold bandit, the account read.

Less than 24 hours earlier, Torontos first documented girl bandit stuck a nickel-plated revolver into the face of an astonished teller at the Canadian Bank of Commerce at Dundas St. W. and Gladstone Ave., according to the newspaper. Her accomplice, brother-in-law Cecil Irving, ordered employees into the vault as he fired a warning shot from his rifle that lodged in the portrait of bank president Sir John Aird.

Irving, 25, stuffed close to $3,000 in his pockets before the pair fled outside to a borrowed sedan and drove to a Queen St. restaurant. Moments after entering the cafe, they ran out the back door, spurring a suspicious bystander to call police.

A bit of detective work led to a sawed-off Winchester hidden in the cafe and the quick identification of two suspects. Less than three hours after the mid-afternoon holdup, police arrested Boyle at her sisters home on Gladstone and a drunken Irving at a friends house down the road.

As police began their interrogation, it became clear Boyle was no Bonnie in the making, although Irvings Clyde  a good-looking chap with a flair of fair hair  had a lengthy criminal record.

As she told her story, the Stars report went, she continually bit her lips. Her eyes were edged with red.

Irving, a meat salesman who was married to her sister Patricia, had persuaded her to help with the robbery to get money for his family, Boyle told police. I am a fool.

They had driven around for two hours before he decided on a bank in his own neighbourhood.

I went in first and asked for change of a $5 bill, Boyle explained. Irving followed, shooing everyone to the back then grabbing cash from the tellers cage while she guarded the door.

She told detectives she was nervous during the caper. I did not know what I was doing. I seemed as if I was in a trance.

Patricia Irving, the mother of a new baby, later told reporters her husband had never been in trouble before but was worried about an unpaid $150 hospital bill from his appendicitis operation. He blamed drunkenness for the stickup, she said. And her sister?

Kathleen wouldnt hurt a fly, Mrs. Irving responded. She came over to visit me from Buffalo just two weeks ago and everything seemed fine.

Boyle, who was born in Hamilton and had five siblings, lived in Buffalo with her family. She worked part-time on an assembly line to help with household finances.

Stunned by their daughters arrest, her parents maintained her innocence to a Star reporter who visited them in Buffalo.

She was a good living kid, did not run around with any boyfriends and had never been away from home before, Thomas Boyle declared.

But he admitted Kathleen took off to visit her sister Patricia in Toronto after he thrashed her for coming home late from a dance hall.

The factory worker was quick to point a finger at his no-good son-in-law, saying hed had nothing to do with Patricia since she married him.

Kathleens mother believed sibling love was behind the alleged crime.

She is so good-hearted. There isnt anything in the world she wouldnt do for all her sisters.

Other interviews revealed an unsophisticated child who was afraid of guns.

A tire explosion will nearly send her into fits of fear, said 18-year-old friend Leonard Spence, while Boyles priest called her an intelligent, upright girl.

A former co-worker was similarly flummoxed by the teenagers turnabout.

I never once saw her lose her lovely manners, attested Sabina Sellers. She attended mass every morning; took her salary home to her parents every week; and behaved  like a good girl should.

A prominent Toronto resident who saw her picture in the paper shared the view that she had been led astray by evil influences and arranged to pay for a defence lawyer.

Four days after the robbery, Boyle was the picture of misery as she reappeared in court, where her statement and Irvings were read out. He planned the robbery and provided Boyles revolver, which wasnt loaded, the judge heard. Police said the $2,867 (about $40,000 in todays dollars) stolen by the gun-toting felons was all recovered except for the beer money Irving spent after the heist.

Letters of support described Boyle as a good Christian girl who came from a decent family. Heeding pleas for leniency, the judge sentenced her to two years less a day in reformatory. Irving was given 15 years in penitentiary and 30 straps in three instalments.

Boyle was sent off to a womens reformatory where she passed the time doing needlework. In March 1931, deportation orders came through and the one-time girl bandit, who had served less than a year of her sentence, disappeared back to Buffalo.

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Salma Sultana has been waiting for her work permit since she graduated from an MBA program in Canada last February.

The identity document, which allows her to return to her job in Canada, was approved and issued, and then lost in the mail. It was reprinted twice upon requests for a replacement, but those replacements didnt come either.

Being unable to get that piece of paper prevented her from visiting her ill mother back in India, and she worries it has exposed her to the threat of identity theft.

Although the Immigration Departments records show she is authorized to work in the country  she has worked as a marketing manager for a software company in Vancouver  she said she wasnt able to travel outside Canada without the permit attached to her passport.

You felt totally powerless. The people at Immigration treated you like you made a mistake and they were doing you a favour when they answered your call, said a frustrated Sultana.

This week, after an inquiry from the Star into her complaint, the Immigration Department promised it would get her the document, which finally arrived in Sultanas mailbox on Thursday.

The process needs a lot of improvement. I am concerned my ID is being stolen. If Amazon can deliver in one day, why is it taking the Canadian government this long to deliver such an important document by regular mail? she said.

The 31-year-old came to Canada in 2014 to pursue a masters degree at Simon Fraser University and applied for her three-year post-graduate work permit when she graduated last February.

In April, the departments online system indicated her application had been approved and the document was being delivered. By June, when the permit had not arrived, she contacted the immigration call centre and her local member of Parliament for assistance.

A call agent told her a wrong address appeared in her file and suggested the permit must have been lost in the mail, Sultana said. Her MP subsequently advised her to apply for a replacement, which costs $30.

A replacement application was submitted in September but when it didnt arrive by December, Sultana said she called the Immigration Department again. She said an agent told her the permit had been issued but not put in the mail, and she would take action.

After the holidays, Sultana contacted the immigration call centre yet again. However, this time she said she was told the permit had already been mailed out in November. Once again, this second agent told her to pay another $30 to reapply for a replacement document.

Due to unfortunate administrative issues, Ms. Sultanas replacement work permit was generated on Nov. 16, 2016, but was not printed nor mailed, Immigration Department spokesperson Lindsay Wemp told the Star.

The Government of Canada will continue to review processes in order to improve services for clients.

Wemp added that the permit was finally printed and mailed out last Friday  the day after the Star inquired about the issue.

Late last year, Sultana was unable to visit her ailing mother in India, who suffered from dengue fever, because she did not have the permit in hand. She was exhilarated when she saw the immigration letter in her mailbox Thursday, with the document enclosed.

This is such a huge weight off my shoulders. I guess media is the only thing Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada would listen to. I had really given up on getting this, Sultana told the Star.

I know this is not my country and I chose to come here, but still we should not be treated like third-class citizens.

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CHICAGOFederal authorities say theyre investigating threats to Jewish centres nationwide.

A brief FBI statement Wednesday says it and the Justice Departments civil-rights division are investigating possible civil rights violations in connection with threats. The statement from the agencys Washington headquarters doesnt characterize the threats.

But the Anti-Defamation League the same day issued a statement citing a series of bomb threats to Jewish community centres in at least 17 states.

The ADLs Jonathan Greenblatt adds about actual explosives that so far these threats do not appear to be credible. But the statement says centres should still take them seriously.

The ADL says its received reports of threats in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Delaware, Connecticut, Alabama, California, Maine, Tennessee, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas and Kansas.

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MUMBAI, INDIA Dozens of ethnic minority groups called for an independent international investigation in western Burma on Wednesday, adding to pressure on the government to account for alleged human rights abuses against Rohingya Muslims.

A statement signed by 41 civil society organizations was a show of broad-based concern inside Burma, which is also known as Myanmar, about the crackdown in Rakhine state, where security forces have been accused of razing Muslim villages and torturing and killing civilians.

The groups called for an international and truly independent investigation ... to fully assess the totality of the situation in Rakhine state and provide clear recommendations for the current government to effectively address and prevent further problems.

Human rights groups said the statement was significant because the Burmese government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected calls for an international inquiry in Rakhine in part because it would face opposition from local people.

The signatories include Buddhist and ethnic Burman groups, which make up the majority of Burmas 53 million people. Hardline Buddhist monks have been widely accused of leading 2012 pogroms in Rakhine that killed hundreds of Rohingya Muslims.

The estimated one million Rohingya in Burma are one of the worlds most persecuted people, denied citizenship and basic rights by the government, which regards them as interlopers from neighbouring Bangladesh.

Since Rohingya militants were blamed for attacks against Burmese security forces in October, at least 86 civilians have been killed and an estimated 66,000 people have fled into Bangladesh to escape a military crackdown.

Preliminary results of a government investigation released this month found no human rights violations and described media reports as fake news and an attempt to cause misunderstandings about Myanmar. It also denied reports of a humanitarian crisis in Rakhine, despite UN data showing that the military operation was causing widespread hunger and malnutrition in the coastal state.

Last month, a group of Nobel laureates called on the government to open an international inquiry. The message underscored how Suu Kyi, an icon for her decades-long opposition to Burmas former military junta, is growing isolated internationally for her refusal to account for abuses against the Rohingya.

The statement Wednesday by womens groups, academic institutions and advocacy organizations working with ethnic minority communities came on the eve of a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Co-operation, an international body of 57 member states, to discuss the Rohingya issue. The groups envoy to Burma has called for a UN intervention to stop what he termed genocide.

The statement is important for the entire country, said Matthew Smith, chief executive of Fortify Rights, a human rights group working in Southeast Asia.

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WASHINGTONTradition suggests its time for Donald Trump to set aside the say-anything speaking style and rise to the inaugural moment.

But bucking tradition or ignoring it altogether, is what got Donald Trump to his inaugural moment.

When Trump stands on the west front of the Capitol on Friday and delivers his inaugural address, all sides will be waiting to see whether he comes bearing a unifying message for a divided nation or decides to play up his persona as a disrupter of the established order.

How Trump tends to that balancing act, in both style and content, will be a telling launch for his presidency.

The inaugural is an address that is meant for the ages, said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a communications professor and director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. In particular, its important when youve had a divisive election. You need to become president of all of the people, including those who vehemently opposed your election.

Trump seems to get that.

Hes spoken admiringly in recent weeks about the speeches of past presidents Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, and is said to be deeply involved in preparing his address.

This is something very personal to him, spokesman Sean Spicer said Wednesday, estimating the speech will run about 20 minutes. He wants to talk about his vision, where he sees this country and where we are right now.

Trump told Fox on Tuesday that hell start his address with words of thanks to everybody, including President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, for being so gracious.

The president-elect showed he can deliver a straight-forward, prepared address at the Republican convention, where he largely stuck to a script and shut down anti-Hillary Clinton chants of lock her up from the crowd of GOP loyalists.

But that address was strikingly dark in tone, sketching a portrait of an America in crisis, and he later embraced that chant from supporters at his freewheeling campaign rallies.

The inaugural address, by contrast, needs to be an inherently aspirational speech, said Michael Gerson, who wrote speeches for President George W. Bush and is a frequent Trump critic. It has to be about the future and about your vision.

Abraham Lincoln ended his first inaugural address with a call for unity after some Southern states had formed the Confederacy, saying every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.

Veteran speech writers have plenty of other advice for Trump and his chief wordsmith, Stephen Miller. Keep it short. Dont overdo the gravitas. Dont gloat, the victory tour is over. No deviations from script.

Oh, and dont undo a successful inaugural address with an intemperate tweet  or two or three  a few hours later.

While Trump used his victory speech on election night to sound a call to come together as one united people, his tweets since then have featured name calling, score settling and petulance.

Wayne Fields, a Washington University expert on presidential rhetoric, said Trump is in an awkward situation, going into his inaugural address as a man who seems to regard precise language with contempt rather than respect.

After all, this is a candidate who revelled in taking juvenile potshots during the campaign, labelling his rivals stupid, dumb and bad.

I know words, he declared at one rally. I have the best words. But theres no better word than stupid, right?

Even if Trump delivers a statesmanlike speech that hits all the right notes, Fields said, nobody would know how to receive it or who it was coming from or how seriously to take it. Its a huge challenge.

Any reframing of Trumps tone for the presidency  if he wanted to do that  would require a consistent, longer-term shift, Fields said.

Trump does go into the speech with the benefit of low expectations: His off-the-cuff and often inflammatory style has long been a big part of his appeal. The soaring rhetoric of Obama, for example, simply wouldnt ring true.

Because of the high level of attention and the low expectations, hes far more likely to exceed expectations, Jamieson said.

At the same time, Gerson cautions, Trump faces an extra hurdle in his inaugural address because he won the election by dividing the country.

The method that he won creates the initial challenge of his presidency, which is to rally people broadly around his agenda and vision, he said.

Trump also knows his audience will include plenty of supporters who elected him to challenge the status quo. An address that doesnt offer any flavour of Trump-the-disruptor could disappoint those eager for a sea change in the ways of Washington.

Beyond Friday, there is the larger question of how Trump will adjust his speaking style over the next four years. His past pledges to act more presidential when the time is right are coming due.

Any president is going to have to learn how to make use of good speeches, said Gerson, noting that presidents may have to speak at three public events in a given day. That may be different from anything hes ever experienced before, because the campaign rewarded spontaneity and being extemporaneous. There are huge portions of the presidency where that cant be the case.

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CHARLESTON, W.VA.A newly elected West Virginia sheriff who admitted he was a meth addict and was charged with stealing the drug from a police locker pleaded guilty to a felony and resigned from office Wednesday, a prosecutor said.

Bo Williams entered the plea to a charge of entering without breaking Wednesday in Roane County Circuit Court.

County Prosecutor Josh Downey said Williams was accused of taking methamphetamine from the storage area when he was a Spencer police officer last fall. He resigned in December, a month after being elected sheriff. He took office this month.

According to a criminal complaint, meth was found in Williams desk and police vehicle. The complaint said several evidence bags found with Williams contained case numbers corresponding to missing evidence.

Downey said Williams told him, Spencer Police Chief Greg Nichols and a state police sergeant last November that he had been addicted to meth for more than a year. Downey said Williams admitted removing methamphetamine from a police case file and consuming it.

Williams faces up to 10 years in prison when hes sentenced on March 28.

Its an example of what drugs like meth have done to our communities, Downey said. Some people have a picture of what a drug addict looks like. It shows that it can be anybody.

The Roane County Commission, which had already started removal proceedings against Williams, will have a month to appoint a replacement. It plans to meet Friday.

The commission had appointed former Roane County Sheriff Todd Cole to serve as chief deputy in charge of law enforcement operations. Cole served two terms as sheriff from 2000 to 2008. In 2014 he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of the previous sheriff who left for health reasons. Coles term ended Dec. 31.

Williams was elected sheriff in November and his term started Jan. 1. While serving as a police officer in Spencer, Williams was placed on leave and he resigned in December after evidence went missing. The complaint said more than $1,000 (U.S.) in evidence was involved. He originally was charged with grand larceny.

Williams agreed to resign as part of a plea agreement with the prosecutors office in neighbouring Wood County, which handled the court case. Downey said hes relieved more than anything by the conviction because of the toll it was taking on a small central West Virginia community.

Its been real stressful on the whole courthouse, Lambert said. Its been stressful on his family, Im sure.

Downey said Williams also agreed to give up his law enforcement credentials.

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When CIA interrogators in a Thailand prison sent a cable to agency headquarters recounting that they had been slamming Abu Zubaydah, a captured terrorism suspect, against a wall, they emphasized that they were obeying instructions to take steps to prevent his injury, like putting a rolled-up towel behind his neck, and described the practice in detached terms.

Subject was walled with the question, What is it that you do not want us to know? reported a cable from Aug. 5, 2002, part of a trove of newly disclosed documents about the agencys now-defunct enhanced interrogation program. Subject continued to deny that he had any information.

From the perspective of Zubaydah  whom interrogators eventually conceded had no additional information, contrary to their suspicions at the time  the experience felt far different.

He kept banging me against the wall, Zubaydah told his lawyer in 2008, in a narrative that has now been declassified. Given the intensity of the banging that was strongly hitting my head I fell down on the floor with each banging. I felt for few instants that I was unable to see anything, let alone the short chains that prevented me from standing tall. And every time I fell he would drag me with the towel which caused bleeding in my neck.

Batches of newly disclosed documents about the Central Intelligence Agencys defunct torture program are providing new details about its practices of slamming terrorism suspects into walls, confining them in coffinlike boxes and subjecting them to waterboarding  as well as internal disputes over whether two psychologists who designed the program were competent.

The release of the newly available primary documents, which include information not discussed in a 500-page executive summary of the Senate Intelligence Committees investigation into the CIA torture program that was released in 2014, comes at the same time as an urgent legal battle is unfolding over the potential fate of the still-classified, 6,700-page full version of that report.

Lawyers for two detainees who were subjected to the CIAs most extreme enhanced interrogation techniques, Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the suspected mastermind of the deadly October 2000 attack on the U.S. destroyer Cole, are asking federal judges to order the executive branch to deposit a copy of the full report with the judiciary to ensure that the Trump administration and congressional Republicans do not destroy it. But the Obama administration, in its waning hours, is fighting that idea.

Against that backdrop, the two sets of newly available documents present a vivid contrast in perspectives, as the CIA cables recount in bloodless bureaucratese the infliction of techniques Zubaydah recalled experiencing in harrowing terms.

Zubaydah also described experiencing what he thought were persistent health consequences of his torture, including severe headaches and seizures. Many other detainees experienced lasting harm after harsh treatment in U.S. custody, including post-traumatic stress disorder, a recent New York Times investigation found.

Another group of documents produced in discovery from that lawsuit, first provided by the ACLU to The Washington Post, showed that in mid-2003, about a year after the agency hired the two contract psychologists, James Mitchell and J. Bruce Jessen, to design a torture regimen for Zubaydah, unidentified CIA employees raised sharp questions about their ethics and competence to judge whether the techniques they had orchestrated were harmful or effective.

The newly available files supplement the publicly available historical record about the torture program, intensifying questions about whether the public will ever see the full fruits of the Senate Intelligence Committees investigation  the result of years of combing and contextualizing millions of pages of government documents by committee staff members.

Democrats raised fears last month that the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has voiced support for the outlawed interrogation methods detailed in the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report, could cause all copies of the document to be hidden indefinitely, or destroyed.

In 2015, after Republicans took control of the Senate and the Intelligence Committee, they asked President Barack Obama to return all copies of the full report, which former Democratic senators have said contains volumes of new information that were not made public when a 500-page executive summary was disclosed in 2014.

Obama did not comply with that request, and last month he notified the Senate that he was including a copy of the full, still-classified report in his presidential records that would be deposited at the National Archives. But Michel Paradis, a lawyer for al-Nashiri, argued that Obamas decision about his presidential records was insufficient, because Trump might seek to withdraw the report from the archives and destroy it.

Last week, in response to a request by al-Nashiris lawyers to secure a copy of the full report in the hands of the judiciary, Judge Royce C. Lamberth of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, ordered the Obama administration to provide a copy to the courts security officer. (Lawyers for Zubaydah are separately making the same request.)

But in court filings, the Obama administration asked Lamberth to reconsider, making two arguments: Preserving it would interfere with congressional-executive branch relations, and giving a copy to the court was unnecessary in part because of Obamas archived copy. It also suggested that the executive branch would appeal if the judge did not change his mind.

On Thursday afternoon, Lamberth refused, saying in a terse, two-page order that the court was obliged to protect al-Nashiris possible right to access the report and saying that nothing had changed since he issued the original, crystal clear order. He threatened to hold the executive branch in contempt if it did not comply, although he did not set a specific deadline.

The CIA cables revealed other potentially important new details. For example, detainees at CIA prisons have long claimed that they were injected with unknown drugs against their consent, which had powerful effects on them  something medical experts have decried as unethical. While previously released documents from 2004 said that CIA prisoners could be sedated as a last resort, a newly released cable describes a different practice.

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As they rode in the presidential limousine to the U.S. Capitol on Inauguration Day in 2009, former president George W. Bush offered some last minute advice to President-elect Barack Obama: Announce a pardon policy early and stick to it.

On the ride up Pennsylvania Avenue ... I told Barack Obama about my frustrations with the pardon system, Bush wrote in his memoir.

Obama didnt seriously focus on pardons and commutations until 2014, two years into his second term. But, on Thursday, his last full day in office, Obama announced 330 more commutations, bringing his total number of clemencies to 1,715. He has granted commutations to more people than the last 12 presidents combined, more than 500 of them to inmates with life sentences.

By restoring proportionality to unnecessarily long drug sentences, this administration has made a lasting impact on our criminal justice system, said Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. With 1,715 commutations in total, this undertaking was as enormous as it was unprecedented.

In his final batch of clemencies this week Obama commuted the 35-year prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the Army private convicted of stealing secret diplomatic and military documents and giving them to WikiLeaks, after deciding that Manning had served enough time. The president also granted a commutation to Oscar Lopez Rivera, a Puerto Rican independence activist who was a member of the Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN), a terrorist organization that killed and wounded people in the 1970s and 1980s with bomb attacks.

Read more:

Obama shortens Chelsea Mannings prison sentence, grants clemency to hundreds

After granting last-minute clemency to Manning, Obamas not quite finished yet

The commutation for Lopez Rivera, 74, who served 35 years in prison for a conspiracy against the U.S. government, had been championed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Hamilton songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda.

A Texas attorney, who represented seven inmates who have received clemency from Obama over the last two years, praised the president Thursday for recognizing that the criminal justice system is broken and restoring a sense of fairness.

His gracious act of mercy today sealed his clemency legacy and allowed many truly deserving men and women to be reunited with their families, said Brittany Byrd. I was overjoyed when I received the call from Pardon Attorney Robert Zauzmer telling me the President had granted clemency to my client, Trenton Copeland, who was being buried alive under an unduly harsh sentence of life without parole for a nonviolent drug offence. The President saved Trentons life today.

But, other activists expressed disappointment that Obama had not granted an early release to more deserving inmates.

Its fantastic that the President is using his last days in office to continue to grant clemency to deserving prisoners, said Julie Stewart, founder and chairman of the board of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, which has been fighting for 18 years for clemency for drug offenders sentenced under the harsh drug laws of the 1980s and 1990s.

But my heart aches for those who will not make the cut, Stewart said. After over two years of believing they may have a chance for freedom, they now see that door of hope closing. I cant imagine what the pall in the prisons will feel like on January 20th when President Obama leaves office.

The Obama administration had denied 14,485 clemency petitions and 1,629 pardons, as of Jan. 3.

One inmate who was denied clemency is 64-year-old Bruce Harrison, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who was awarded two Purple Hearts. Harrison, who is in Coleman prison in Florida, is suffering from multiple health problems and has served 23 years of a 50-year sentence for his role in transporting drugs in a government sting operation.

After Harrison and other members of his motorcycle group were sentenced, several jurors said they were dismayed to learn of the long sentence that was imposed.

If I would have been given the right to not only judge the facts in this case, but also the law and the actions taken by the government, the prosecutor, local and federal law enforcement officers connected in this case would be in jail and not the defendants, juror Patrick McNeil wrote afterward.

Those who championed Harrisons case contrasted it with Obamas grant of clemency to Manning, who the president said had served a tough sentence after seven years in prison.

Bruce has served 23 years, and the government set up the entire criminal activity, said Andrea Strong, also of Families Against Mandatory Minimums. This is beyond disappointing. I am just heartbroken. What does he have to look forward to now? He is 64 years old. All he wanted was to come home and help raise his grandchildren. Now that dream had ended.

Former White House Counsel Kathy Ruemmler said that clemency has long been a top priority for Obama. The president frequently complained to her during his first term that he was not receiving enough recommendations from the Justice Department to grant clemency. Shortly after the 2012 election, she said, he directed her to work with the Justice Department to increase the number of clemency applications for him to consider.

He told me to be creative and aggressive, Ruemmler said. Ruemmler then worked with former Attorney General Eric Holder and Deputy Attorney General James Cole to set up a process to increase the number of clemency petitions coming from the U.S. Pardon Attorney.

This would not have happened organically, Ruemmler said. This effort came directly from President Obama, and is an important part of his legacy.

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As soon as Kevin OLeary, the wealthy entrepreneur and reality television star, entered the Conservative Party leadership race on Wednesday morning, a chorus of critics rang the alarm: Trumpism had come to Canada, they declared.

Both OLeary, who calls himself Mr. Wonderful, and Donald Trump are boastful businessmen-turned-entertainers-turned-politicians, but beyond their stark biographical similarities, to what extent does OLearys candidacy really represent an incursion of Trumps political style into Canada? How worried should we be?

There is at least one encouraging difference. OLeary has shown little enthusiasm for the sort of nativist politics that in large part propelled Trump to power. In recent interviews, he has taken pains to say Canada has no immigration problem, and has largely steered away from social issues, preferring instead to pontificate  or, if you prefer, bloviate  on the economy. It seems that those looking for an extra dose of xenophobia still have no better option than Kellie Leitch.

Still, while OLearys candidacy is just hours old, we have already seen during his months-long flirtation with politics a few troubling glimmers of other Trumpist tendencies that we certainly dont need in Canadian politics.

The first is a highly casual attitude toward the truth. Trump, of course, told so many lies on his way to the White House that the notion of democratic debate based on a set of agreed-upon facts started to look like a quaint anachronism. In OLearys case, over the last two weeks alone, he has repeatedly bent facts and figures to his political purposes.

He has claimed that Canada is one of the least productive countries on earth, but by most measures we are in the middle of the pack. He has said Justin Trudeaus cabinet ministers are all ex-Ontario-ites under Dalton McGuinty, but not one current cabinet member ever served in McGuintys government. Within minutes of declaring his candidacy, he mischaracterized the federal fiscal outlook, claiming that the majority of tax money will soon go to debt interest, which is simply not true.

OLeary also seems to share Trumps misguided view that money is the ultimate measure of excellence. Both men take to new extremes the old saw that government should be run more like a business. OLeary, for instance, has insinuated that Trudeaus lack of corporate experience should disqualify him from leading Canadas economy.

But to equate the public interest  shifting, contentious, decided by democracy  with the straightforward business bottom line of profit is a dangerous mistake. No wonder OLeary thinks it wise to sell off Senate seats to the highest bidder, much as Trump has appointed major party donors to cabinet despite their total lack of experience or policy knowledge.

OLearys talk often seems to merge commerce and government. Take, for instance, his bizarre but revealing offer to invest $1 million in the oilpatch in exchange for Alberta Premier Rachel Notleys resignation.

As a candidate, OLeary has many other shortcomings. He speaks no French, which should be disqualifying, and his views on labour, the environment and tax policy, as we know them today, would take Canada in exactly the wrong direction. But its not his policy positions that should most concern us, but rather his Trumpish conflation of wealth and celebrity with excellence, blurring of public and private, and loose relationship with facts.

Democracy is well-served by having real and clearly defined choices. The Star is likely to disagree with many of the ideas offered by Conservative leadership hopefuls, but the country will be better off for a robust conversation.

There is no shortage of serious-minded Conservative candidates with concrete policy ideas, including Michael Chong, Lisa Raitt and, for those committed to particularly small government, Maxime Bernier. The challenge for Conservatives will be to see past OLearys celebrity bluster and Leitchs rhetoric of division, to reject Trumpism in all of its facets and look to the constructive debates beyond.

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Its going to be an awfully long four years. It starts at noon today when Donald J. Trump takes the oath of office and becomes the 45th president of the United States. At a stroke, the unthinkable will be the new reality.

Theres no good way to sugarcoat this: it has all the signs of a disaster in the making. The entire world must fear for the consequences when the most powerful nation on earth is led by a crass, erratic bully who won power by deliberately playing on the worst instincts and the basest fears of American voters.

In the 72 days since the election, Trump has done everything imaginable to make things worse. He tossed away any chance of persuading non-supporters that he might have some redeeming features. Instead of reaching out, he lashed out at every opportunity. His reward will be to enter the White House as the least popular president in modern times.

But unless extraordinary circumstances intervene, Trump will be in place until midday on Jan. 20, 2021. And it will be impossible  not to mention exhausting  to maintain outrage at a fever pitch all that time. Those who oppose what Trump stands for (and that includes about two-thirds of Canadians, say the pollsters) are going to have to pace themselves.

In light of that, here are some things to consider as the world braces for President Trump:

First, those tweets. Theyre going to keep coming. Trump says tweeting is the only way he can get around the dishonest media and hell keep doing it once hes officially president.

The trick will be to distinguish between whats really consequential and whats part of Trumps bizarre tendency to pick fights with the likes of Meryl Streep and Miss Universe.

The latter is troubling (is the new president actually unhinged, as some have seriously asked? Or is he just engaged in some kind of elaborate political performance art?) But it wont have the potentially dire consequences of simultaneously dissing U.S. allies and lauding Vladimir Putin, or comparing American intelligence agencies to Nazis. So dont freak out at every tweet: just the really damaging ones.

Understand that Trump feeds off anger. The more his opponents rail at him, the more he cements support among his core supporters by reveling in the outrage of the so-called elites. Opponents who take the bait every time Trump says something outrageous are just reinforcing their enemy by buying into the way he frames the debate.

Instead, realize that Trumps most self-evidently foolish statements arent necessarily intended to be taken seriously  or at least literally. They may rather be part of what the astute conservative columnist David Brooks calls carnival culture, a way of deliberately disrupting the status quo and sending a message that existing hierarchies should not be complacent. So be smart and react accordingly.

Understand that Trump is a negotiator at heart, and staking out extreme positions at the beginning is just how he operates. It puts his opponents off-balance and redefines the conversation. It gets peoples attention and lets them know hes serious. Every in-your-face statement isnt meant as a threat or even a promise. It may just be the opening bid in a long conversation.

Thats almost certainly the case, for example, when Trump broke protocol by speaking to the president of Taiwan and sending Beijing the message that he was putting in question Washingtons longstanding One China policy. Taken to its extreme that could even lead to war. But its far more likely to be part of Trumps drive to jolt Chinas leadership and set the stage for a serious renegotiation of their relationship. That wouldnt necessarily be bad.

Understand that Trump has been elected president, not king or emperor. The U.S. presidency is called the most powerful position in the world because its the executive leadership of the most powerful country, but it was deliberately designed as a relatively weak office. A Canadian prime minister has much more actual power over his own government than does an American president.

Trump will have to deal with Congress, and even if Republicans dominate both houses theres no guarantee they will fall in line behind an unstable, unpopular president. Then theres the judiciary and the states to contend with. Even big cities may fight back if Trump pursues his anti-immigrant agenda and challenges the principle of sanctuary cities that refuse to go after undocumented residents.

We had a taste of this dynamic in Toronto when Rob Ford upset the established order and became mayor in 2010. Like Trump, he ignored political niceties and prided himself on sticking it to the elites. But in the end there was no lasting Ford revolution. His influence quickly faded when he showed he was incapable of rallying support on city council.

Take the long view. The United States  and the world  has endured a lot worse than Donald J. Trump. In the not-too-distant past the streets of major U.S. cities were aflame with riots and a president was driven from office for covering up the crimes of his associates. The republic will survive.

Accept that Americans are an essentially good and decent people. They may, through the quirks of the Electoral College, have elected a uniquely unqualified man to the presidency, but they are the same people who just over eight years ago sent Barack Obama to the White House. The fundamental nature of a nation doesnt change just because of a narrow election outcome.

The United States has a much more rambunctious political culture than we do. On the surface, its zigs and zags are more pronounced and often more alarming  seldom more so than now. But temporary course adjustments dont always add up to fundamental change. Its important to distinguish the style from the substance, and that will take considerable time to become clear.

In the meantime, try to keep a proper perspective. Otherwise, the next four years really will seem endless.

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Re: Ottawa aims for the moon shots, Jan. 13

Ottawa aims for the moon shots, Jan. 13

Paul Wells analysis misses the boat by a mile. It is not that Canadians are lukewarm towards innovation. The key point is that they were not keen to see the government invest in such projects if they are to profit a private enterprise.

They do acknowledge that the government of Canada plays a pivotal role in ensuring innovation happens, but are fed up with having the public foot the bill, so that private enterprise can reap the lions share of the benefit.

What we need is a different approach to research and development, so that the advances that we all fund through taxation come back to us all, rather than merely continue to line the pockets of the usual few.

But of course, as we know already, that would be too much to ask of either the Liberal or Conservative branch of the Corporate Party of Canada.

Gustavo Comezana, Toronto

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Re: The Professor and the Pronoun, Jan. 15

The Professor and the Pronoun, Jan. 15

I was particularly struck by two aspects of your story on professor Jordan Peterson. The first was the extraordinary amount of personal detail provided  this may be standard journalistic practice, but I really cant see why it matters what work professor Petersons sister and brother-in-law in California do, or how and when he and his wife met, courted and married, or what his tastes in art are.

Even more striking were the concluding lines of the article, which quote professor Peterson declaring himself unable to think of gender identity beyond male and female, because they are by definition binary categories.

All that training in philosophy, and still an intellect scarcely more supple or sophisticated than Donald Trumps. That would be grounds enough for me not to attend his classes!

Aparna Sundar, Toronto

I stand with professor Jordan Peterson and against that insidious curse, political correctness. I am sick and tired of professional offendees whose sole motivation in life is to seek out, or create, things to be offended about. They are pitiful idiots whose rants are the only things that bring them attention, which they would otherwise not get.

At the risk of being labeled a bigot, if an individual does not want to be referred to as she or he, then how about it instead of those ludicrous pronouns being suggested?

A.H. Shearer, Toronto

I have followed Jordan Peterson with great interest for many years on TVOs The Agenda. Until recently, I thought his points of view were always well sourced and convincing. However, I have noticed that increasingly he has become definitive, unequivocal and unambiguous in his pronouncements (pun intended).

With respect to the pronoun fight, I am now wondering if Mr. Petersons agenda (no pun intended). may go well beyond ones personal freedom. Some of Mr. Petersons ideas as expressed by his wife and him as allowing kids as young as 13 to choose their own gender, will lead to disaster. And which he further describes as crazy, which will lead to more isolated and lonesome kids who question their gender. These may be described by some as a questionable academic tone.

If I were his student I would feel that my freedom of thought had been undermined by the use of the word will rather than may. A good professor understands the difference between political correctness and the use of words that allow freedom of thought.

And to say I dont know what the options are if youre not a man or a women ... because those are by definition binary categories, may be by definition dogma.

It would appear that ambiguity makes Jordan Peterson very uncomfortable.

Sandra Yard, Scarborough

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Shares of Qualcomm (QCOM) were feeling the heat on Tuesday after the Federal Trade Commission said it was suing the chipmaker for allegedly violating antitrust laws and using anticompetitive tactics. But analysts don't seem that troubled by the charges, nor do they think it could imperil Qualcomm's pending acquisition of Dutch chipmaker NXP (NXPI) .

In a statement late Tuesday, Qualcomm said the charges are based on "flawed legal theory, a lack of economic support and significant misconceptions about the mobile technology industry."

The chipmaker's stock was up 1.45% to $65.10 in early afternoon trading on Wednesday, after falling about 4% on Tuesday following news of the suit. Over the last year, Qualcomm shares are up about 42%.

The FTC complaint also alleged that Qualcomm maintains a "no license, no chips" policy with smartphone makers, which forces them to pay higher royalties on Qualcomm's products. The FTC called out Qualcomm's existing agreements with Apple (AAPL) , in particular, saying the San Diego-based company "extracted" exclusivity from the tech giant in exchange for reduced patent royalties.

Qualcomm maintains that it has never withheld or threatened to withhold chip supply in order to get companies to agree to its licensing terms.

Wall Street analysts weren't nervous about the news, however, arguing that once President-elect Donald Trump takes office, a Republican-led FTC will probably move to dismiss the charges.

The FTC voted 2-1 to bring the charges and the dissenting commissioner was Maureen K. Ohlhausen, a Republican, who argued the claim presents "no robust economic evidence" of anticompetitive effects. Of the two Democratic commissioners, one has already resigned and the other commissioner's term is expected to expire soon.

"Notably, the lone Republican member (Ms. Ohlhausen) was the (rather vocal) dissenter on this case, and has been speculated to be the likely next chair of the Commission," said Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon in a Wednesday note. "...In other words, the possibility exists that this could end sooner rather than later."

NXP and Apple are holdings in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells NXPI or AAPL? Learn more now.



One FTC claim alleged that Qualcomm refused to license standards-essential patents to chipset competitors, which unlike the other two claims, could be "potentially troubling," Rasgon noted.

Northland Capital Markets analyst Tom Sepenzis said the FTC was "jumping on the coat-tails" of similar antitrust actions by China and South Korea, both of which ruled against Qualcomm last December. Qualcomm faces a combined fine of nearly $2 billion from the rulings in China and South Korea, and could face an additional $2.5 billion to $3 billion worth of fines if Europe and Taiwan (who are also investigating Qualcomm), as well as the U.S., rule against the chipmaker.

"Unfortunately, the barrage of suits against QCOM will most likely weigh on the stock, at least in the near term," Sepenzis said in Wednesday research note, adding that the antitrust fines have the potential to impact Qualcomm's licensing business.

Trump's FTC chairman and commissioners will likely be confirmed and seated by May, which means the suit could be dismissed around that time, according to Cowen analyst Timothy Arcuri.

Arcuri added that the FTC complaint is based on Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which allows the FTC to prevent unfair and deceptive acts or practices. But many Republicans oppose expanding the FTC's use of Section 5, Arcuri argued.

"We note that the matter has already been under investigation for less than two years with a decision only coming in the last few days ahead of the new administration -- seemingly rushed to conclusion, potentially putting Republicans on the defensive once they get control," Arcuri explained.

Neither Sepenzis nor Rasgon believe the suit spells trouble for Qualcomm's planned $47 billion purchase of NXP Semiconductor.

"The complaints alleged in the suit do not seem to have any relevance to NXPI, any of its businesses, or the impending merger," Rasgon explained. "Hence we do not believe it likely that the suit should impact the deal."

Apple and NXP are holdings in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio.Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL or NXPI? Learn more now.
Friday's presidential inauguration of Donald Trump threatens to quash the U.S.'s recently-revived relations with Cuba, leaving companies with dealings in the country uncertain about their prospects.

While companies including cruise line Carnival (CCL) have made significant strides in expanding business to Cuba, riding on the success of the Obama Administration's end to a 50-year period of isolation with the island, their efforts could be thwarted due to Trump's proposal of reversing the president's orders.

"All of the concessions that Obama has granted the Castro regime were done through executive order, which means the next president can reverse them and that is exactly what I will do unless the Castro regime meets our demands," Trump said while campaigning in Miami on Sept. 16.

Although it is unclear what Trump's demands are, the president-elect reiterated his stance in a Nov. 28 tweet, saying "If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate the deal."

In December of 2014, President Barack Obama announced he would lift the longstanding U.S. trade embargo on Cuba. The sanctions trace back to a 1962 trade embargo imposed by President John F. Kennedy and stem from a U.S. push to have Cuba move toward democratization and improve human rights.

Other companies that have opened for business in Cuba since 2014 include e-commerce booking company Airbnb, credit card company MasterCard (MA) , Internet television streaming company Netflix (NFLX) and passenger carrier company JetBlue Airways (JBLU) .

"I think we should focus on human rights, in Cuba, in Russia, in Iran, whatever. That's great, how you accomplish that is another issue," said John Caulfield, a retiree of the U.S. State Department.

Caulfield served as the Chief of Mission of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba, from September of 2011 to July of 2014. Throughout his 30-plus years' career, he held various positions dealing with Latin America and Consular Affairs.

Caulfield said trying to get Cuba to change through sanctions has not met the success the U.S. hoped for.

"The more we are involved, the more we can help [the Cuban government] go in a positive direction," Caulfield said.

Currently, all there is left to do is wait and see what Trump's effect on Cuban relations will be. Caulfield said there is concern on both the U.S. side - where airlines and cruise companies sought new customers by expanding to Cuba - and on the Cuban side - where citizens who have opened taxi services or other tourist-driven companies since relations eased are at risk of losing American customers.

After Trump was elected as the 45th President of the U.S., companies including Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) began pushing to get actions passed to allow them to open up business in Cuba, fearing they did not have much time.

In early December, both Royal Caribbean and Norwegian were approved to begin sailing to Cuba. Norwegian's first ship, the Oceania's Marina, will depart on March 7 and Royal Caribbean's first cruise, Empress of the Seas, will make its voyage in April.

While Carnival received approval for sailings to Cuba on its Fathom brand, the company still has pending requests for additional cruises to make trips to the island. It is unclear what effect Trump will have on these negotiations but Carnival CEO Arnold Donald said on a recent earnings call that Cuba is a "longer-term play" for the company.

Carnival declined to comment on the issue of Trump, electing to instead say "today, we are only sailing to Cuba on one small ship, but we have been very pleased with our first season of cruising to Cuba, and look forward to the opportunity to add more sailings from more of our brands later this year."

The uncertainty surrounding Trump and his position on Cuba is being felt by smaller U.S. companies, as well.

"There's concern in the entire travel industry that President Trump will undo all the progress made by President Obama in opening up Cuba to American tourists," said Greg Geronemus, co-CEO of smarTours, a New York City-based guided tour company.

SmarTours has taken roughly 200,000 travelers to 40 destinations worldwide, including Cuba. In 2014, Geronemus said smarTours gained approval to begin trips to Cuba, making it one of the first guided tour companies to visit the country.

Geronemus said Cuba is one of the company's "hottest destinations" and is concerned that "any change would impact smarTour's business."
Vegemite is returning to Australian hands.

American food giant Mondelez International (MDLZ) announced Wednesday, Jan. 18, that it would sell most of its Australian and New Zealand grocery business, including the iconic Vegemite spread, to Australia's Bega Cheese for A$460 million ($345.8 million).

In addition to Vegemite, Bega will acquire Mondelez's ZoOSh salad dressing and Bonox beef extract brands, as well as other Kraft-licensed brands, ranging from Easy Mac to peanut butter. The license for Mondelez's Philadelphia cream cheese brand is not included in the sale.

Mondelez saw its shares tick up about a percent, or 46 cents, in afterhours trading to $45.03 per share. The company shares have fluctuated greatly since hitting a 52-week-low of $35.88 in February 2016 amid a flurry of M&A discussions.

At the end of 2016 Mondelez attempted a $23 billion bid for Hershey Co. (HSY) . After Hershey rebuffed the bid, industry watchers speculated Mondelez could merge with Warren Buffett's Kraft Heinz (KHC) or look to reshuffle its portfolio via small- or middle -market M&A.

As far as its Vegemite sale, "The move enables Mondelez International to further focus its portfolio and drive profitable growth by investing in its core snacks categories and Power Brands," Mondelez said in a statement, referencing the company's core brands that include Cadbury chocolate and Oreo cookies.

Also included in the sale is Mondelez's manufacturing site in Port Melbourne. The site's 200 employees will be offered positions at Bega.

Amanda Banfield, Mondelez's Vice President for Australia, New Zealand and Japan, said in a statement that the Deerfield, Ill.-based company was "extremely proud of our history as the custodian of the Vegemite brand for over 90 years, transforming it from its local roots into a global icon that's synonymous with Australia."

In a presentation about its acquisition, Bega said that the average Australian adult buys one jar of Vegemite each year, and it's found in more than 90% of Australian homes. In Australia, vegemite has a 14% market share in the overall spreads category and an 89% share in the yeast spread subsegment. A similar product, Marmite, which is more popular in the U.K., is owned by Unilever (UL) .

Vegemite was developed in 1922 by the Fred Walker Co., which in 1926 became Kraft Walker Foods, a joint venture with Mondelez predecessor Kraft Foods, which fully acquired Vegemite in 1952.

The buyer said in a statement that it expects the "strongly EPS accretive" acquisition, in its first full year of operation, to generate revenues of A$310 million and Ebitda of A$40 million to A$45 million.

Sydney-listed Bega was until 2015 partially owned by New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra.

Bega will initially fund the purchase price with a A$500 million existing facility and said that it "has near-term corporate opportunities to pay down debt." The deal is expected to close in a few months.
Amazon (AMZN) has often talked about how its core services benefit from a "flywheel effect," one in which trends such as more Prime subscribers, new merchants, new warehouses, greater economies of scale and shorter delivery times feed on each other and serve to grow its total business.

In the wake of a very strong fourth-quarter earnings report, it looks like streaming rival Netflix (NFLX) is benefiting from its own virtuous cycle of favorable trends, one involving rapid international growth, big original content investments and a ton of data on how so many users are watching so many movies and shows.

On Thursday morning, Netflix shares were up 6.9% to $142.26, a new all-time high.

As was the case in October, Netflix easily beat subscriber estimates. The company respectively added 1.9 million U.S. streaming subscribers and 5.1 million international subscribers, topping guidance of 1.45 million and 3.75 million and bringing its total base to 93.8 million (89.1 million paid, the rest on trial memberships). Revenue of $2.48 billion (up 36% annually) and EPS of $0.15 slightly topped consensus analyst estimates of $2.47 billion and $0.13.

Subscriber guidance was also solid, though not as spectacular: Netflix expects to add 1.5 million U.S. and 3.7 million international subs in Q1, compared with pre-earnings analyst estimates of 1.8 million and 3.2 million. The company notes it expects subscriber growth to pick up in the second half of 2017 thanks to a strong original content slate, and thinks some subscriber adds were "pulled forward" from Q1 to Q4.

With both U.S. streaming contribution profits and international losses set to temporarily evaporate, Netflix is guiding for Q1 EPS of $0.37, well above an $0.18 consensus. The company is also guiding for a 7% operating margin for the whole of 2017, up from the roughly 4% margin it has delivered over the past two years. A 9% margin is expected in Q1 thanks to the timing of content expenses.

Clearly, Netflix's giant year-ago expansion into 130 additional markets -- it left the company operating in virtually every big foreign market except China -- is paying off quite well, as are some older foreign markets. The company mentioned on its earnings call it's seeing strong European momentum and "steady" Latin American growth. And though Netflix now operates in locales such as India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey, the company suggests its Asian subscriber ramp-up is still in its early stages.



Meanwhile, though much of the low-hanging fruit has been picked off in the U.S., there's still clearly further room to grow. Even after accounting for the "sharing" of accounts between households, Netflix's current domestic subscriber base (49.4 million) implies a penetration rate of less than 50% for a country with about 125 million households.

What's especially interesting about Netflix's subscriber surge is how investments in both foreign-language content and big-budget, English-language productions are playing roles, as well as how their impacts don't split as neatly along regional lines as one might think. Netflix points out that shows such as Gilmore Girls and Trollhunters are big overseas, and that Brazilian sci-fi show 3%, in addition to being big in its home market, has been watched by "millions of U.S. members."

This is the virtuous cycle at work. Subscriber growth and price hikes help Netflix finance more original material, and the content collectively grows Netflix's appeal to millions of additional consumers, and often in surprising ways. And as Netflix's user base and original content library grow, the company has more viewing data to figure out what content works, and in which markets.

Though the company can internally finance more spending than ever before, Netflix's content binge is still leading to a lot of cash burn. Free cash flow was negative $639 million in Q4 and negative $1.7 billion for the whole of 2016. With Netflix having set a 2017 content budget of $6 billion, the company expects another $2 billion in cash burn this year, and plans to tap debt markets to help pay for it.

In addition to the cash burn, it's worth keeping an eye on how Amazon's big international expansion (announced just a month ago) fares. Amazon has also been ramping its content spend, and is now squaring off against and undercutting Netflix in most of the latter's big foreign markets. Moreover, some of these places are more price-sensitive than the U.S.

But for now, Netflix is firing on all cylinders. And it's doing so with an investment-heavy, data-driven strategy that someone like Jeff Bezos can most certainly appreciate.
France's two biggest aircraft parts makers are poised to combine after engine maker Safran (SAFRY) agreed an almost 10 billion ($10.5 billion) bid for troubled plane-interior maker Zodiac Aerospace (ZODFY) .

Safran will offer 29.47 per Zodiac share, a 26% premium to Zodiac's Wednesday closing price. Assuming that at least 50% of the target's shareholders accept the bid, Safran will then proceed with a merger based on an exchange ratio of one Safran share for 2.062 of a Zodiac share, equating to 32.62 per share based on Safran's closing price on Wednesday.

Safran will also issue a special dividend of 5.5 per share, or a total 2.3 billion, to its own shareholders ahead of the finalization of the merger.

Zodiac shares traded Thursday at 28.46, up 22.16% at 10:30 GMT, while Safran gained 1.01% to trade at 67.96. Safran shares have gained 21% over the past 52 weeks, and Zodiac has gained 52% in the same time period.

"The acquisition of Zodiac Aerospace represents a unique opportunity at this point in Safran's development, just a few months after initiating the refocus of the group on our core activities of aerospace and defense," Safran CEO Philippe Petitcolin said in a statement.

The deal may also serve to draw a line under Zodiac's miserable recent performance linked to problems on its production line that have led to delays, regular profit warnings and sharp criticism from key clients including Airbus (EADSY) and Boeing (BA) . Zodiac shares had slumped almost 40% in the 12 months to April last year when rumors of Safran's interest first emerged.

Petitcolin, who will take control of the combined group, said that Safran's "industrial expertise will...accelerate the return to their (Zodiac's) historical levels of profitability in the seats and cabins activities."

The bid is Safran second run at Zodiac, after a friendly approach, in July 2010, was rejected by the target's board which claimed that the combination would create little value.



Safran said the takeover would boost its earnings per share by more than 10% and that it had identified 200 million in annual cost savings and synergies from the deal, about 50% of which will be realized in the first year after the takeover closes.

The combined group would have made about 2.7 billion in operating income from about 21.2 billion of sales over the past year, making it the world's No.3 aerospace parts supplier behind GE (GE) and Pratt & Whitney, which is owned by United Technologies (UTX) .

Zodiac's largest shareholders, including its founding families, the Peugeot family's FFP Investments Inc. and the French state have agreed to back Safran's stock offer but will not sell their stakes into the cash bid.

While the cash element of Safran's offer will provide an evident base for Zodiac's shares, analysts struggled to find much to be positive about in terms of benefits for the bidder.

"Our previous conversations with investors (in Safran) have consistently suggested that there was little support for this transaction, owing to 1) ongoing executions issues at Zodiac; and 2) the ongoing challenge of the LEAP (new engine) ramp up (at Safran)," noted Goldman Sachs on Thursday. "We would therefore expect this announcement to be taken negatively. However, as part of the deal, there is a 5.5 special dividend for Safran shareholders, equal to 8% of the current market cap, which could suppress any downside move."
When it comes to investing, big isn't always better. Big companies with thousands of employees and operations all over the planet take a lot to adapt to economic and market changes.

Take Exxon Mobil (XOM) as a prime example. With some 75,000 employees and bits and pieces on nearly every corner of the globe, lithe it isn't. And when it comes to the oil and gas market, complete with plenty of gushers and dry holes along with the recent yo-yoing of market prices, big doesn't cut it over smart.

Exxon Mobil announced this week that it's doubling its holdings in an area called the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico. The Permian Basin has long been one of the richest oil fields, handing many investors their own J.R. Ewing-style fortunes, but interest in the area had faded. The development of fracking technology has changed that.

There is a better way to make investment profits in the Permian Basin, however. Below, we highlight a smaller energy stock with a whole lot less risk and a whole lot more return. First, let's look at Exxon Mobil's latest moves.

Exxon Mobil once was there in the Permian Basin, but over time, the fields featured fewer gushers and more grind-it-out producers. Consequently, the company dumped its investments onto a collection of smaller local producers and related companies.

Then came the light-bulb moment for more and more of the little guys about a technology from the 1940s called fracking. Fracking pumps water and chemicals to break up underground rock formations and release the oil and gas trapped inside. Newer technologies are making fracking increasingly efficient, even in older fields.

Fracking renewed oil company interest in the Permian, and Exxon has been adding lots of acreage to its holdings in the area in the past few years.

Now, even fracking can only work so profitably, and with the crude oil market's yo-yo plunges, not all fracking operations pan out and make money for investors. Exxon Mobil noticed that when crude oil prices were way lower, that a deal would make sense.

Being so huge, it took Exxon Mobil months to work on the bid watching the crude oil rally tick up and up. But finally, a deal was cut. So, if you're a shareholder, know that you didn't buy at bottom dollar, but at least you're getting back into a market that's among the most profitable in the U.S. fracking sector.

But there's a more profitable play on this opportunity.

Holly Energy Partners (HEP) is a pipeline company with pipes and gathering terminals primarily in the southwestern U.S., with a specific concentration in and around the Permian Basin right where Exxon Mobil is getting back into the market in a big way. Holly has been there way before the big mega companies lost interest. And while not confirmed, Exxon Mobil likely will become a customer.

Pipeline companies are like toll takers. They get paid whether oil is soaring or falling in market price. And sure, not all have the best locations, and with the recent bear market in crude, some of Holly Energy's lesser peers saw customers slow or stop pumping their crude through some pipes. That's the risk in pipelines.

But the Permian is different. This is a lower-cost oil source that even through the dark days of the recent oil market was still working out for plenty of companies. And Exxon Mobil isn't alone as the past six months have seen lots of other companies coming in to do deals. The region has been driving increased oil rig counts in the U.S., too. One notable Permian player is Devon Energy (DVN) , but its stock already has been bid up to a high valuation.

The upshot: A lot of new companies and a lot more oil shall be flowing through the pipes of Holly.

Exxon Mobil's shareholders aren't hurting as the stock has gained 11% over the past year, but that pales in comparison with Holly Energy Partners' gain of 45%. Holly's also much more attractive from an income standpoint, as it has a 6.8% dividend yield. Exxon's yield is 3.5%.

Holly Energy Partners is a pass-through in the form of a Limited Partnership, with shares (also called units) that trade publicly. Holly Energy also has tax advantages of being a partnership in that it pays no corporate taxes and the dividends paid to shareholders are partially shielded from taxes thanks to passing through not just the share of the profits with the dividend, but also deductions such as depreciation and other costs.

Holly's operating margin is a fat 50% for the trailing 12 months, while the company's return on assets is 6.9%, according to Morningstar data. Exxon Mobil has an operating margin of 4.6% and a return on assets of 2.6%.

Holly Energy Partners should be a smarter buy than Exxon Mobil.

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This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
Private-equity backed Avaya, a slumping telecom company, filed for Chapter 11 along with 17 affiliates on Thursday to cut its multibillion dollar debt load.

Citibank has agreed to underwrite a $725 million debtor-in-possession loan, Avaya said in a statement. Details of the loan were not immediately available in court documents and no first-day hearing has been set before Judge Stuart M. Bernstein of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan.

"Reducing the company's current debt through the chapter 11 process will best position all of Avaya's businesses for future success," Avaya CEO Kevin Kennedy said in the statement. "This is a critical step in our ongoing transformation to a successful software and services business. Avaya's current capital structure is over 10 years old and was put in place to support our business model as a hardware-focused company, which has evolved significantly since that time. Now, as a result of the terms of Avaya's debt obligations and the upcoming debt maturities, we need to recapitalize the company."

Avaya said in the statement that it declined to sell its call center technology business after receiving interest.

"Focusing on the company's debt structure is paramount and a sale of the contact center business at this time would not maximize value for Avaya's customers and all of its stakeholders," the company added.

The company said in a Securities & Exchange Commission filing on Thursday that it received a $3.9 billion bid from an unnamed suitor for the business but did not believe the bid was "actionable" and terminated the sale process.

Another unidentified bidder has made a $3.5 billion offer for the call center business, which Avaya said in the SEC filing that it was "evaluating." The company added that it was considering selling off its networking business.

Best known for its office telecommunications business, Avaya had been refocusing on professional services and cloud computing as it negotiated with creditors. The debtor sat down for debt restructuring talks with lenders Blackstone Group LP and Apollo Global Management LLC in June, Bloomberg reported.

Avaya is owned by Silver Lake Partners and TPG Capital, which took the company private in 2007 in an $8.3 billion all-cash deal. TPG and Silver Lake declined to comment.

The company was carrying a $6.06 billion debt load as of June 30, SEC filings show. It owed $1.38 billion on its 10.5% senior secured notes due in 2021, $1.01 billion on its 7% senior secured notes due in 2019 and $2.1 billion on a variable-rate term loan due in 2020 that was part of its senior secured credit agreement.

Moody's downgraded Avaya's corporate family credit rating to Caa1 from B3 in February, while Standard & Poor's downgraded Avaya to CCC from B- in April.

Avaya reported a $750 million loss on $3.7 billion in revenue for the full 2016 fiscal year Thursday. The company listed $5.52 billion in assets vs. $6.36 billion in liabilities as of Sept. 30 in its bankruptcy petition.

The debtor's largest unsecured creditors all hold trade claims: Wistron Infocomm Technology America ($8.84 million), Avnet ($8.82 million), Hewlett Packard Enterprise ($5.23 million), Verint Systems ($4.29 million) and SalesForce.com ($4.05 million).

Centerview Partners and Zolfo Cooper are the debtor's financial and restructuring advisors. Goldman Sachs Bank NA is Avaya's investment banker.

James H.M. Sprayregen, Jonathan S. Henes, Patrick J. Nash Jr., Ryan Preston Dahl and Bradley Thomas Giordano of Kirkland & Ellis LLP are debtor counsel.
US may focus more on taming Beijing than Pyongyang

By Kim Jae-kyoung





Jeffrey Jones

Korea should not expect to win any special concessions from President-elect Donald Trump in major economic and military policies, according to Jeffrey Jones, former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea.

He said that the Korean government should come up with more sophisticated strategies to negotiate key policies, such as the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

"Korea still tends to view itself as the younger brother demanding concessions, understanding and compromises from the U.S.," Jones told The Korea Times. Jones, an American international lawyer at Kim & Chang, headed the AMCHAM Korea from 1998 to 2002.

Jones expects that Trump, who will take office today, will not budge an inch on his "America First" policy being tough and demanding of allies and partners, including Korea.

"This will require the new administration in Korea to be especially skillful in pursuing policies important for Korea and learn to communicate more effectively with the Trump administration and the domestic audience," he said.

He pointed out that the THAAD issue is a good example of failed domestic communication affecting foreign policy issues.

"The challenge for most countries will be that the trade, economic or defense policies they wish to implement should be consistent with the national interests of the U.S. or at a minimum do not create losses or negative implications for the U.S.," he said

"This has always been the case in dealing with the U.S., but I believe we will find the Trump administration much more intensely demanding of actions and policies from foreign governments that are consistent with U.S. interests."

In Asia, Jones believes that Trump will focus more on reining in China than North Korea.

In Jones' view, Trump will see China as a bigger challenge and will work to ensure greater economic interest in Beijing and a slowing of Chinese expansion of economic, territorial and military interests.

"Through China, he will likely seek an expansion of control over North Korea, but not to the detriment or exclusion of South Korea," he said.

"Trump will not, however, react favorably to anti-U.S. policy or sentiment from the National Assembly, Korean media or public demonstrations thus emphasizing the need for better communication with the Korean public by the next administration."

Tillerson won't last long

Citing Rex Tillerson, Trump's pick for U.S. secretary of state and former Exxon Mobil CEO, Jones indicated that his nominations of some unorthodox figures won't bring any significant change to the peninsula.

"I suspect Tillerson will not last long in his job," he said. "I believe he will find it frustrating and not enjoyable from the perspective that he will not be able to do what he wants."

He explained that as a CEO in a large company Tillerson enjoyed significant autonomy and the ability to make executive decisions that were quickly implemented.

"This will not be the case as a secretary of state and he will be forced to spend much more time persuading the bureaucracy to move, and other countries to accept Trump's decisions and policies," he said.

"This will be extremely frustrating for him and I predict he will resign after a year or maybe two at the most," he added. "I don't believe he will bring significant change to Korea or the world."

One of the more interesting and exciting things about the Trump presidency, according to him, is his unpredictability.

"He is not a politician and does seem to worry much about political correctness," he said. "As a now powerful figure, his words carry significant impact which does not seem to give him pause, but he will figure this out very quickly and I am certain he will use greater caution.

"And over time he will be worn down and accept the new reality that he can't have his way all the time."
Everest Re Group, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States, Bermuda, and internationally. The company operates through Reinsurance Operations and Insurance Operations segments. The Reinsurance Operations segment writes property and casualty reinsurance; and specialty lines of business through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies in the United States, Bermuda, Ireland, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The Insurance Operations segment writes property and casualty insurance directly, as well as through brokers, surplus lines brokers, and general agents in Bermuda, Canada, Europe, South America, Canada, Chile, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The company also provides treaty and facultative reinsurance products; admitted and non-admitted insurance products; and property and casualty reinsurance and insurance coverages, including marine, aviation, surety, errors and omissions liability, directors' and officers' liability, medical malpractice, mortgage reinsurance, other specialty lines, accident and health, and workers' compensation products. In addition, it offers commercial property and casualty insurance products through wholesale and retail brokers, surplus lines brokers, and program administrators. Everest Re Group, Ltd. was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Consolidated Edison, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States. It offers electric services to approximately 3.5 million customers in New York City and Westchester County; gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County; and steam to approximately 1,555 customers in parts of Manhattan. The company also supplies electricity to approximately 0.3 million customers in southeastern New York and northern New Jersey; and gas to approximately 0.1 million customers in southeastern New York. In addition, it operates 533 circuit miles of transmission lines; 15 transmission substations; 64 distribution substations; 87,564 in-service line transformers; 3,924 pole miles of overhead distribution lines; and 2,291 miles of underground distribution lines, as well as 4,350 miles of mains and 377,971 service lines for natural gas distribution. Further, the company owns, operates, and develops renewable and energy infrastructure projects; and provides energy-related products and services to wholesale and retail customers, as well as invests in electric and gas transmission projects. It primarily sells electricity to industrial, commercial, residential, and government customers. The company was founded in 1823 and is based in New York, New York.
South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Thursday called for a thorough security readiness posture, warning of possible North Korean provocations, including cyberattacks, ahead of this year's presidential election.

During an annual security meeting involving the government, military, police and civilians, Hwang also instructed top officials to fully prepare against possible attacks by "North Korean spies, internal radicals and violent extremists."

Hwang made the remarks amid growing concerns that the communist state could engage in provocative acts to influence the presidential election in the South or attract the attention of the incoming U.S. government slated to take office on Friday (Washington time).

Pyongyang has recently said that it can launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) "at any time from any place," and that it is close to mastering the technology for a missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

"Chances are high that North Korea can undertake various military provocations to disrupt the strong international sanctions leveled against it and to probe our government's readiness posture," Hwang said.

"North Korea's cyberattacks are getting smarter and improving, and it is expected to carry out online attacks in connection with the domestic political events (in the South), such as a presidential election," he added.

Hwang also called for close cooperation among civilians, the government, the military and police to counter all manner of security threats.

"The military should closely monitor the possibility of North Korean provocations and maintain a posture to strongly retaliate if provoked," Hwang said.

The acting president also stressed the need to develop concrete plans under which central and provincial governments can cope with national emergencies, including natural disasters. He, in particular, cited the U.S.' National Response Framework as an example of a coordinated response by the state to disasters. (Yonhap)
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand. The company also provides home decor products under the West Elm brand; kids accessories under the Pottery Barn Kids brand; and an organic bedding to multi-purpose furniture under the Pottery Barn Teen brand. In addition, it offers made-to-order lighting, hardware, furniture, and home decors inspired by history under the Rejuvenation brand; and women's and men's accessories, travel, entertaining and bar, home decor, and seasonal items under the Mark and Graham brand, as well as operates a 3-D imaging and augmented reality platform for the home furnishings and decor industry. The company markets its products through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs, and retail stores. It operates 544 stores comprising 502 stores in 41states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico; 20 stores in Canada; 19 stores in Australia; 3 stores in the United Kingdom; and 139 franchised stores, as well as e-commerce websites in various countries in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea, and India. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
Militants launched 37 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas over the past day.

This is reported by the ATO press center.

As noted, in Mariupol direction, the enemy used 82 mm mortars to fire at Vodiane, Shyrokyne.

In Luhansk direction, terrorists used 120 mm mortars to shell Novooleksandrivka and Troyitske and 82mm mortars to shell Novozvanivka. The enemy shelled Stanytsia Luhanska and Novozvanivka, using grenade launchers and small arms.

In Donetsk direction, the militants fired mortars of various calibers on Avdiyivka, Zaitseve.

ish
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has approved a law authorizing the admission of units of armed forces of other states into the territory of Ukraine in 2017 for the participation in multinational maneuvers.

The relevant bill was supported by 236 MPs on January 19, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. In particular, the parliament approved a decision on granting access to the USA and other NATO member states and countries participating in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) to participate in the multinational military drill to train units of armed forces, the Ukrainian-U.S. military exercises Sea Breeze 2017, and the Ukrainian-U.S. military exercises Rapid Trident 2017. iy
The European Committee for cereals has granted the largest grain import quotas to Ukraine for 2017 within the framework of the tariff agreement, UkrAgroConsult consulting agency reports.

In particular, the import quotas for wheat increased to 960 thousand tonnes (compared to 950 thousand tonnes in 2016), barley - 270 thousand tonnes (250 thousand tonnes in 2016), corn - 450 thousand tonnes (400 thousand tonnes in 2016).

By comparison, the similar quotas for wheat imports from the Unites States are 572 thousand tonnes, Canada - 38.853 thousand tonnes, third countries - 594.597 thousand tonnes.

The quotas for barley imports from third countries (excluding Ukraine) are 307.105 thousand tonnes, corn imports - 138.994 thousand tonnes.

mk
In the course of the visit to Switzerland, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko had a meeting with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer.

This has been reported by the press service of the Head of State.

Peter Maurer informed that the ICRC planned to mobilize over 60 million dollars for humanitarian needs of Ukraine in 2017. And the humanitarian operation of the ICRC in our country will become one of the biggest operations of the Committee in the world.

The parties discussed a wide spectrum of issues related to the provision of humanitarian aid, including the uncontrolled territories. They also emphasized the importance of unhindered access of the ICRC to the occupied territories for the implementation of the humanitarian mission.

The President asked Peter Maurer to facilitate the issue of liberation of Ukrainians illegally detained in the occupied territories in Donbas, Crimea and in Russia. Peter Maurer praised the restoration of water supply to the occupied territories.

ish
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko held a meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in the framework of the working visit to Davos.

This has been reported by the press service of the Head of State.

The Presidents discussed topical issues of interaction in bilateral and multilateral formats and coordinated the agenda for this year.

The parties expressed content with successful implementation of the arrangements reached within the fifth session of the Council of the Presidents of Ukraine and Azerbaijan held in Baku in 2016.

The parties also discussed trade-economic ties, cooperation in energy sphere, aircraft manufacturing and other spheres.

ish
Japan is ready to launch a program of cooperation to develop Public Broadcasting in Ukraine and render the needed equipment.

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine Shigeki Sumi stated this during a meeting with Information Policy Minister of Ukraine Yuriy Stets, the ministrys press service reports.

The Ambassador noted that according to the program, which is foreseen for 2.5 years starting from January 2017, a group of experts from Japan will arrive in Ukraine. The group will train specialists of the Public Broadcasting, particularly how to render important information to citizens during emergency situations. Also, Japanese experts will share the experience of educational TV programs creation with representative of the Public Broadcasting.

Also, Ambassador Shigeki Sumi and Minister Yuriy Stets discussed prospects of the launch of a Japanese version of the web-site of the Ukrainian National Information Agency Ukrinform, which will become one of the ways of access for Japanese people to the information about Ukraine

Minister Stets also stated that the Information Policy Ministry in Ukraine will facilitate the coverage of information about Japanese culture and values, taking into account that the year 2017 has been declared the year of Japan in Ukraine.

iy
The delegation of the Verkhovna Rada to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will insist that sanctions against the Russian Federation and the Russian delegation to PACE stay in place.

Oleksandr Honcharenko, a member of the Ukrainian delegation and deputy chairman of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc, told an Ukrinform correspondent.

Our main task is to maintain sanctions because the PACE was the first international organization that imposed sanctions on Russia, and we need to keep this front, he said.

Honcharenko also reminded that the Russian delegation to PACE has no right of vote.

Commenting on the statements by Russian MPs about the intentions to attend the PACE winter session, Honcharenko said that in this way they have already started finding some way to return."

The PACE winter plenary part-session will be held in Strasbourg from 23 to 27 January 2017.

iy
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko had a meeting with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte in Davos.

The Head of State emphasized that the decision of the European Council made in December created prospects for the completion of the process of ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU by the Netherlands, the press service of the Head of State reported.

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands reaffirmed support for Ukraine in the issue of continuation of sanctions against Russia until full implementation of the Minsk agreements and restoration of Ukraines territorial integrity, including Crimea, as well as immediate introduction of the visa-free regime for Ukrainians by the EU.

ish
UNICEF/UN048837/Ergen

Download photos from: http://uni.cf/2izVjz5

NEW YORK/GAZIANTEP, Turkey, 19 January 2017  Nearly half a million Syrian refugee children are currently enrolled in schools across Turkey. But despite a more than 50 per cent increase in enrolment since last June, over 40 per cent of children of school-going age  or 380,000 child refugees  are still missing out on an education, UNICEF said today.

For the first time since the start of the Syrian crisis, there are more Syrian children in Turkey attending class than there are out of school, said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth, speaking after a visit to UNICEF programmes in southern Turkey.

Turkey should be commended for this huge achievement. But unless more resources are provided, there is still a very real risk of a lost generation of Syrian children, deprived of the skills they will one day need to rebuild their country.

Turkey is home to more than 1.2 million child refugees, making it the top child refugee hosting country in the world.

In partnership with the Government of Turkey, UNICEF is helping strengthen education systems, increase access to learning and improve the quality of inclusive education for Syrian and vulnerable Turkish children.

Since 2013, UNICEF has helped build, renovate or refurnish nearly 400 schools, and trained some 20,000 Syrian volunteer teachers. Approximately 13,000 teachers receive monthly incentives.

Efforts are also under way to include Syrian children in a national programme that grants cash allowances to vulnerable families for them to send, and keep, their children in school.

Across the region, a total of 2.7 million Syrian children are not in school  the bulk of them inside the war-torn country itself where millions of children remain in danger as the conflict nears its sixth-year mark. Around 300,000 children are trapped in 15 areas that are under siege across Syria, and a further 2 million are in areas that are largely cut off from essential humanitarian aid as a result of fighting and restrictions to access. This includes 700,000 children in areas under ISIL control.

###
Visitors look at an undersea exploration robot during a drone show in Busan, South Korea, on Jan. 19, 2017. The exhibition is underway for three days, showcasing a variety of drones, ranging from light unmanned aerial vehicles to toy drones. (AFP/Getty Images)

PHARMACEUTICALS

EpiPen competitor to launch next month

A major competitor to EpiPen, the lifesaving allergy injection that has become the latest flash point in the debate over high drug prices, will launch Feb. 14 at a list price of $360 for a two-pack, the company Kaleo announced Thursday.

The news comes months after drugmaker Mylan came under fire for raising the price on EpiPen for years. Mylan has enjoyed a near monopoly on the allergy-injection market, raising EpiPens price to $609 for a two-pack. Chief executive Heather Bresch was called to testify at a congressional hearing last year, as was another pharma executive responsible for a massive price increase, Martin Shkreli.

Mylan has faced competition before, including from the Auvi-Q before it was recalled. Now, EpiPen will go head-to-head with Auvi-Q and the authorized generic of the auto-injector Adrenaclick. Last week, CVS Health said it would offer a two-pack of the Adrenaclick generic for $110. Mylan also launched an authorized generic of EpiPen late last year, at $300 for a two-pack.

The three companies are also offering coupons and patient affordability programs to defray the cost to consumers.

 Carolyn Y. Johnson

CONSUMER PROTECTION

Western Union to pay $586 million to U.S.

Western Union agreed to pay $586 million and admitted to lapses in anti-money-laundering controls that enabled illegal gambling, money laundering and fraud-related schemes, the Justice Department and other U.S. authorities said Thursday.

Wiring money can be the fastest way to send it  directly into the pockets of criminals and scam artists, said acting assistant attorney general David Bitkower.

The government said it uncovered hundreds of millions of dollars being sent to China in transactions designed to avoid reporting requirements under federal bank laws. It said much of the money was sent by illegal immigrants to smugglers.

The fraudsters also contacted victims in the United States by falsely posing as family members in need. The victims sent money through Western Union, where agents processed the payments for a cut of the proceeds, the government said.

 Bloomberg News

Also in Business

 From news services
Trump transition officials last Friday phoned inspectors general in at least a handful of Cabinet departments to indicate that they could soon be removed from their posts, a break from the bipartisan tradition of letting inspectors general stay in their jobs as long as they are willing.

The Trump transition team contacted inspectors general in the Treasury and Labor departments, and at least one other key department that confirmed the approach as long as it was not identified.

After some IGs protested, a more senior member of the Trump transition team ordered a new round of phone calls within days to reassure the inspectors general that they would not be forced from their posts.

The confusion is another indication of how parts of the Trump transition team appear unfamiliar with the workings of the federal government. And it underscores the sometimes tense relationship between the incoming administration and portions of the federal workforce, which could lead to friction after Trump takes office.

Any effort to oust inspectors general is likely to spark a political backlash. The last time a president removed all inspectors was when President Ronald Reagan did so in 1981, dismissing all the IGs at the time. The move drew sharp attacks from lawmakers and the public; Reagan later rehired five of those inspectors general.

It bespeaks a tone-deafness about the importance of inspectors general and keeping them as nonpolitical actors who can clamp down on waste, fraud and abuse, said Michael Bromwich, who served as an inspector general in the Justice Department from 1994 to 1999 and directed the Interior Departments Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement under President Obama. Bromwich now leads a strategic consulting firm, the Bromwich Group.

In an email, the office of the Treasury Department inspector general noted that recent precedent suggests the presidential transition will not affect its leadership.

In the past few decades, incoming administrations have not indicated expectations that IGs should resign, and generally IGs have not resigned, the office said in an email.

Trump transition officials did not reply to emails seeking their comment. Trump lambasted House Republicans earlier this month for time spent attempting to weaken a congressional ethics office.

Following scandals in federal programs, inspectors general were placed in a dozen agencies by an act of Congress in 1978. The law tasked the inspectors general with conducting audits and investigations of their departments and issuing reports to Congress and their agency heads. Their goal is to ferret out deficiencies and problems for corrective action. Today there are 73 inspectors general, nearly half of whom are appointed by the president, while the rest are appointed by their agency chiefs.

Reflecting their nonpartisan role, inspectors general typically stay in their positions when presidential administrations change.

Eric M. Thorson, the Treasury Department inspector general, was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2007. Earlier he worked for the Air Force Department, for Republicans in the Senate and for the Small Business Administration.

Thorson spokesman Rich Delmar said the inspector general was contacted by a member of the Treasury transition team and advised that he would be temporarily extended after January 20.

There is no such thing as a temporary extension for an inspector general. To remove an IG, the president must submit his plan 30 days in advance with Congress. This has happened only once in 35 years.

An official in the Labor Department said a similar sequence of events happened there, with a junior member of the transition team notifying the departments inspector general that he would get a temporary extension.

The not-too-subtle undertone was, We can get rid of you if we want, so you should play ball,  said the Labor Department official, who asked for anonymity to discuss matters related to the transition.

A spokesman for the Labor Departments inspector general later contrasted this account, saying a discussion of that nature did not take place.

The inspector general in another major Cabinet-level agency also received a call from the Trump transition saying he could stay temporarily. That same person, however, made a subsequent call to say the first call was a mistake. Like other inspectors general, that one is planning to remain in office.

Not all inspectors general were contacted: Nancy DiPaolo, who directs external affairs for the Interior Departments IG office, said her office did not receive such a call and held a normal meeting with the transition team last week.

After the initial round of calls, some IGs, including Michael E. Horowitz, who chairs the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, reached out to Republicans on Capitol Hill in an effort to get additional information from the transition team about its plans. Horowitz, who serves as the Justice Departments inspector general, declined to comment for this article.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who authored a bipartisan law last year that made it easier for inspector generals to gather evidence and pursue cases, said in an email he was informed of the situation.

Inspectors general play a key role in keeping the federal government open and honest, Chaffetz said. They must be empowered with the tools they need to effectively do their job.

At least one lawmaker interpreted the series of phone calls in a positive light. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said in an email it was a good sign that the incoming administration listened to people who understand the important role that inspectors general play.

Grassley has proposed legislation that would strengthen the abilities of inspectors general to gain access to departmental documents.

There are already nine vacancies among the 33 presidentially appointed IGs, Grassley said. President Trump will be able to choose nearly a third of the IG community, and he should focus on filling those positions quickly rather than wait for years like the Obama administration did with some vacancies. Independent, nonpartisan IGs can be some of the presidents best allies in finding and cutting waste, fraud and abuse in the bureaucracy.


Fernando Tamburinis Escape, at the IDB Cultural Center. (Fernando Tamburini/IDB Cultural Center)

Like all of the countries this side of Europe, the Dominican Republic is a patchwork of peoples and cultures. Thats represented by the many mash-ups in Resilience: Reclaiming History and the Dominican Diaspora, at the IDB Cultural Center. Its newspaper collages, Warholian silk-screens and stark found objects recall 1960s pop art at its darkest.

The 15 contributors are rooted, yet not necessarily resident, in a nation that has sent many emigrants to the United States and elsewhere. Among the most striking pieces is Pepe Coronados hanging sculpture, soft and seemingly abstract; below the limp shape is the material from which it was carved, which reveals that the cutout is in fact the outline of the continental United States.

That emblematic contour is one of many objects that dangle. Miguel Luciano built a scarlet box that frames a suspended machete  a tool (and weapon) almost as common in this show as the color red. Ezequiel Taveras fills a wall with Tied Heart, in which rough ropes simultaneously wrench and bolster a crimson ceramic ticker. The assemblage is both delicate and brawny, and conveys a tension between affection and obligation that could be romantic, familial or ideological.

The political significance of some entries will escape viewers not versed in recent Dominican history. The twinned themes of home and exile, though, transmit clearly from creations such as Fernando Tamburinis Escape. A paint-smeared papier-mache ship topped with small houses, it depicts a temporary refuge in search of a lasting one.

Resilience: Reclaiming History and the Dominican Diaspora On view through Feb. 3 at the IDB Cultural Center, 1300 New York Ave. NW. 202-623-1410. iadb.org/en/topics/creativity-and-culture/exhibitions,19955.html.



David Evanss Depth of Field, at Studio Gallery. (David Evans/Studio Gallery)

Heat + Light

All six artists of the Washington Wax Works collective employ encaustic techniques, combining pigments with heated wax. That doesnt limit the range of Heat + Light. The Studio Gallery show mixes media cannily and ventures confidently into the third dimension, even if just by a millimeter or so.

David Evanss Depth of Field arrays black lines and color blocks, but the Mondrian-like crispness is blurred by the layered effect of burying elements under varying thicknesses of wax. Katie Dell Kaufman goes deeper, interjecting 3-D objects such as teacups into abstract pattern paintings or including encaustic accents in primarily sculptural pieces. Marty Ittner adds another level with etched glass atop encaustic monotypes that incorporate text and photos.

Collage is equally central to Nancy Hacskaylo, whose rusted-paper collages in green and brown evoke earth and forest, and to Kathleen Anderson, whose Cityscape conjures skyscrapers with lengths of handmade paper. Kevin Milstead adds such heavier materials as silver and lead, matching melted-wax color to molten-metal circles. His pictures freeze the effects of heat to enshrine its primal force.

Heat + Light: Washington Wax Works On view through Jan. 28 at Studio Gallery, 2108 R St. NW. 202-232-8734. studiogallerydc.com.



Heather Clarks Maintenance, at Hillyer Art Space. (Heather Clark/Hillyer Art Space)

Maintenance

The title piece in Heather Clarks Maintenance is a machine for living. Or perhaps that should be over-living, seeing as Clarks statement about the Hillyer Art Space show challenges the human tendency to over-consume, over-build, over-groom, etc. An uneasy resident of exurban Loudoun County, Clark makes art grounded in her education in environmentalism and land-use planning.

Made mostly of wood, Maintenance includes a platform, stairs and a bellows that inflates a large concrete-cloth sphere. The platform supports a length of railroad track, and a working fountain circulates water. Above all this is a bird cage with four live canaries, like the ones coal miners used to detect toxic gases. The overall vibe is ominous, yet the installation celebrates Clarks satisfaction in working with her hands  in defiance, she writes, of mass-produced commodities.

The shows other built object is There Is More, a wallpapered partition that contains a vortex-shaped recess. The opening leads, perhaps, to a world beyond the tastefully decorated tract home. The path is more clear, if hardly easy, in Exurban Roulette, a flipped-photo video in which three women scurry across a pedestrian-hostile Nova highway. Theyre human canaries in an environment as dangerous as any coal mine.

Heather Clark: Maintenance On view through Jan. 29 at Hillyer Art Space, 9 Hillyer Ct. NW. 202-338-0325. hillyerartspace.org.



Michaela Pilar Browns Keep My Name Outcha Mouth, at Honfleur Gallery. (Michaela Pilar Brown/Honfleur Gallery)

Michaela Pilar Brown

The personal is archetypal in Michaela Pilar Browns mixed-media artworks. The South Carolina artists nude form appears in several pieces in Things Get Lost, a Honfleur Gallery show that melds photography, installation and collage. Browns goal is not to reveal herself, but to represent  and sometimes mythologize  what she calls issues attendant to the black body.

The results can be prickly, at least visually. The subject of Cut You has horns on her head and sharp spines on her back. In Defense of an Offering includes a glittery red heart, penetrated by nails and a key. Keep My Name Outcha Mouth includes two dozen braids of synthetic hair hanging from the wall, and are among the many items here that dangle.

The everyday things include dolls, hair, fish skeletons and the ceramic plates (embellished with photos) of the title assemblage. Brown doesnt simply combine and catalogue, though. As that image of the barbed woman indicates, the artist seeks to transform heirlooms and herself into something uncanny and powerful.

Things Get Lost: Michaela Pilar Brown On view through Jan. 28 at Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-365-8392. honfleurgallery.com.



Dee Levinsons Indian Princess in Repose, at Touchstone Gallery. (Dee Levinson/Touchstone Gallery)

Dee Levinson

Most of the paintings in Dee Levinsons Looking Back: Across Time and Culture depict ancient Egyptian gods and royalty, but the Virginia artists style reflects a much later moment. The pictures in her Touchstone Gallery show suggest the pre-Raphaelites, eminent Victorians who were also keen on looking back.

Levinsons color schemes, dominated by earth and metallic tones set off by intense blues, evoke the land of the pharaohs. Her use of shadows and modeling, however, draws from the European medieval and Renaissance masters whose styles the pre-Raphaelites endeavored to revive. The artists subjects include European, Chinese and American Indian figures, some historical and others mythical. What they all share are vivid renderings, saturated colors and a sense of mysterious, vanished grandeur.

Dee Levinson: Looking Back: Across Time and Culture On view through Jan. 28 at Touchstone Gallery, 901 New York Ave. NW. 202-347-2787. touchstonegallery.com.
ANGOLA  City officials are monitoring a bill in the Indiana Senate that could send sales tax money Angolas way for capital projects.

Maria Davis, Angola downtown services coordinator, told the Downtown Angola Coalition Wednesday about the bill, but cautioned its up the air.

It could have implications if this passes, Davis said. Theres a lot of ifs. Its impact could be based on things we want to do as a municipality.

Senate Bill 356, authored by Sen. Mark Messmer, would permit municipalities with populations under 40,000 to capture sales tax for capital projects and infrastructure improvements. Sales tax captured in a specific geographic area within a fiscal year wouldnt exceed $5 million. Municipalities would also need to provide local matching funds.

The bill has been referred to the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee.

Angola Clerk-Treasurer Deb Twitchell said she hasnt had conversations with Angola Mayor Dick Hickman on the bill.

She said it is not known if Hickman or the Angola Common Council were interested pursuing options provided in the legislation were it to pass.

It would be up to the mayor and council, Twitchell said. I dont get to vote.

In other business at its meeting Wednesday, the coalition also wrote a mission statement: Promoting the heartbeat of our community  the purpose of the Downtown Angola Coalition is to promote and develop a thriving downtown community through an organized effort that will market the community, enhance the aesthetics of the downtown area and contribute to its vitality.


Amy Newman and Sara Brunner as Norma McCorvey in Roe. (Jenny Graham/Oregon Shakespeare Festival)

If any play might be a worthy candidate for Take Your Daughter to Theater Week, it would be Roe, Lisa Loomers survey of the complicated and fiery underpinnings of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that established a womans right to an abortion.

Your sons could stand a grounding in this vital chapter of constitutional history, too. So even if Loomers work is presented by director Bill Rauch in a sometimes prosaic, fingerwagging style  prompting memories of gratingly earnest high school assemblies  the topic is important enough and the production informative enough to merit the platform the company is providing.

The piece, receiving its East Coast premiere in Arena Stages Kreeger Theater, arrives as a new, potentially hostile administration takes power within a couple miles of Arenas imposing Southwest Washington complex, and a possibly historic womens protest march fills the city the day after. These events confer on Roe the kind of right-place, right-time urgency that all issue plays crave. As Loomer makes plain, the guarantees enshrined in the 1973 decision are perpetually under threat, from a welter of new laws and regulations aimed at weakening its protections.

Consider Roe, then, a useful primer  embroidered by the emotional, religious and political motivations of its adherents and opponents  on one of the most durably contentious subjects of our time.



Sara Bruner (as Norma McCorvey) and Sarah Jane Agnew (as Sarah Weddington). (C. Stanley Photography)

With abundant care, the playwright refracts the complexity of abortion rights through the personal prisms of two emblematic real-life characters: Sarah Weddington (Sarah Jane Agnew), the Texas lawyer who brought the case, and Norma McCorvey (Sara Bruner), the Dallas woman forever known by the Everywoman sobriquet Jane Roe, and who, denied access to a medical abortion, was persuaded by Weddington to become the plaintiff.

The play, a co-production with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Berkeley Repertory Theatre, traces their peculiar relationship, first as allies and later, after McCorvey finds Jesus and denounces Weddington, as adversaries. Loomer posits them as warriors in a wrenching conflict in which the most intimate aspects of a womans life are fair game for jurists, preachers, politicians and journalists. And although the portrait of a profane and erratic McCorvey isnt flattering  Norma wasnt pro-choice or pro-life, she was just pro-Norma, says her longtime lover Connie, played with wonderfully soft-spoken self-possession by Catherine Castellanos  you come to understand how unfair it was to her, to be cast in a martyrs role.



Sarah Jane Agnew (as Sarah Weddington), Susan Lynskey, Amy Newman and Pamela Dunlap. (C. Stanley Photography)

Roe spends way too much time, unfortunately, showing off its research concerning civicslesson details and biographical digressions about obscure minor characters, who, in some of the plays archer meta-theatrical moments, quote from their own obituaries. In general, self-narration can be a lazy device, and its overused here, especially as Loomer is inclined to have the Weddington and McCorvey characters cite passages in the books their real-life counterparts wrote that contradicted each other about the case. You wonder whether, in a play thats so much about litigation, the playwright thought it best to let audiences know she wasnt straying far from primary source material.

The overly pedantic Act 1, played out on Rachel Haucks generic, utilitarian set with a movable central platform and a screen for projections that stretches the length of the Kreeger stage, presents the Roe v. Wade arguments before the Supreme Court in a cleverly illuminating way: Recordings of the actual questioning by then Chief Justice Warren Burger and other justices are intermingled with responses by the actors playing the lawyers for both sides.



Sarah Jane Agnew as Sarah Weddington, Susan Lynskey as Linda Coffee, Richard Elmore, Sara Brunner as Norma McCorvey and Catherine Castellanos as Connie Gonzalez in Roe. (Jenny Graham/Oregon Shakespeare Festival)

And dramatically, things do pick up in Act 2, when the focus shifts to the aftermath of the decision, particularly as McCorvey takes on the mantle of abortion rights crusader (when she isnt snorting coke) and then, bizarrely, switches sides. One of the most persuasive aspects of Roe is the account of the period in McCorveys life when she was working at an abortion clinic and came under the spell of a leader of Operation Rescue, the extremist antiabortion group. Jim Abele does a first-rate job here, embodying the smooth evangelizing activist in a way that never condescends to the character.

[In Roe, playwright Lisa Loomer aims to show both sides of abortion case]

As the chief combatants, Bruner and Agnew make for excellent sparring partners through the decades. The wired Bruner is inspired as a woman miscast for the role of feminist hero. Agnew capably holds up the more strait-laced half of this historic equation, but because Weddingtons professed vulnerabilities do not extend much beyond the parameters of the case, the character remains fairly one-dimensional. (Raquel Barretos unflattering costumes dont help: they seem dreamed up primarily for comic effect.)

To the story of Roe is appended a contemporary scene in which a young, pregnant woman, played with commendable passion by Kenya Alexander, appeals to Weddington and McCorvey for a solution to her anguishing plight. With barriers to abortion being erected anew, and her resources limited, she wants some clear guidance about the fetus that will confirm shes doing the right thing.

Just tell me this  Is it a baby? she asks. Forty-four years after the landmark case was adjudicated, this flawed but admirably probing play has the integrity to acknowledge that theres still no easy answer.

Roe by Lisa Loomer. Directed by Bill Rauch. Set, Rachel Hauck; costumes, Raquel Barreto; lighting, Jane Cox; original music and sound, Paul James Prendergast; projections, Wendall K. Harrington; stage manager, Jeremy Eisen. With Susan Lynskey, Amy Newman, Zoe Bishop, Gina Daniels, Pamela Dunlap, Mark Bedard and Richard Elmore. About 2 hours. Tickets, $40-$90. Through Feb. 19 at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Visit arenastage.org or call 202-488-3300.


Youll rarely need sauces to liven up the pollo a la brasa at Perus Chicken in Mitchellville, Md. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Sitting at the table inside Perus Chicken, a strip-center pollo a la brasa outlet in Mitchellville, Md., Im having a debate with myself about herbs. Is it thyme that I taste on my bird, this juicy little number whose browned and blackened skin generates an almost pornographic desire? Or is it rosemary? Or maybe the minty Peruvian herb, huacatay? No, wait, its oregano. Definitely oregano.

My internal debate is sort of academic: Ive already decided this bird and I are going to be lifelong friends, no matter what brand of herb perfume it wears. Dont get me wrong: I know Im in the infatuation stage. Right now, this chicken can do no wrong.

Meng Wang and Nestor Via Y Rada are the unlikely team behind Perus Chicken, a utilitarian, yam-colored space in a shopping center with a decidedly multiculti personality: Just a few steps away, you can dig into Chinese American stir-fries, Jamaica beef patties, even the red-hot wings of a certain Louisiana-based chain. The owners of this Peruvian chicken place fit right in: Wang hails from China, Via Y Rada from Peru. They combined their talents to save each other from a life of unsatisfying toil in the hospitality industry.



Chef Nestor Via Y Rada, left, and Meng Wang are partners in Perus Chicken. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

There are too many Chinese restaurants now, so we were looking for another kind, says Wang, who has a history of running Chinese-American eateries. The [Peruvian] chicken restaurant is really popular in Maryland and Virginia.

[The $20 Diner hunts for the perfect Peruvian chicken]

If Wang is the entrepreneurial muscle behind Perus Chicken, then Via Y Rada is the culinary spirit that animates the place. Wang found the chef working the charcoal-fueled ovens at a Sardis location, then learned Via Y Rada was searching for a partner to open his own pollo a la brasa joint. Business savvy, thy name is luck.

Wang and Via Y Rada opened Perus Chicken about two years ago, which means that Im about two years late to the party. I ordered the signature charbroiled chicken on each of my five visits  hey, infatuation can impair my judgment, inspiring me to repeatedly drive 30-plus minutes for a dish available in my own Zip code  and each time the bird rewarded my dedication. I havent felt this passionately about a Peruvian charcoal chicken since I opened my first clamshell container at El Pollo Rico more than a decade ago.

Unlike so many masterminds behind Peruvian chicken, Via Y Rada doesnt treat his recipe like a classified document. Freshness plays an essential role. The herbs he uses in the marinade  it includes thyme, rosemary and oregano  are all fresh, not dried. He throws huacatay black mint leaves into the mix, too, although they come frozen during the winter. The chefs secret weapon, however, is an ingredient that Ive never encountered in pollo a la brasa before, at least not knowingly. Via Y Rada pours sweet, semi-sparking moscato wine into his marinade, an Italian intruder into his Peruvian recipe.



Chickens turn on the rotisserie at Perus Chicken. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Marinated for 24 hours in Via Y Radas fizzy mixture, the chicken can seemingly absorb any amount of heat and smoke without shrinking into a leathery carcass. On its own, the chicken offers more than a supermarket aisle of herbs. I detected cumin and garlic, too. The salt level can border on the obscene, but Im okay with that. Im no sodium prude. I even admire the chickens freakishly large breast meat, a good two inches thick, as succulent and smoky as its legs and thighs.

The bird barely needs any of the sauces available in tiny plastic containers, but I still enjoyed piling on the flavor with my standard double-dip, first in the aji amarillo yellow sauce and then in the jalapeno-based green sauce. Had I known Via Y Rada makes his own mayonnaise for the white sauce, I might not have treated it like spam.

Given the chefs dedication to his craft, perhaps you wont be surprised to learn theres another chicken on the menu just as tasty as the pollo a la brasa. Via Y Rada debones a bird before marinating the skin-on meat in a mixture that includes the mild aji panca pepper from Peru as well as more of that moscato wine. Slapped on a conventional charcoal grill  not the rotisserie that hypnotically spins behind the cutting station  the pollo parrillero has a sweeter, less smoky disposition than its famous sibling. Its the Peruvian chicken equivalent of the Penn brothers: the easygoing singer-songwriter Michael Penn vs. the volcanic superstar Sean Penn, both hard to ignore.



The pollo parrillero is cooked on a conventional charcoal grill, not a rotisserie. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Once you wander away from bird land, you begin to see where the kitchen strains. My lamb chops were bitter and mostly desiccated, as if someone forgot to marinate the bones before tossing them on the grill. The lomo saltado played down the Chinese connection of the dish, offering succulent strips of beef with red onions and tomatoes so soft and concentrated they seem to be stewed, not stir-fried. I should note: My palate didnt care; I barreled through that semi-Chinese Peruvian plate. The ceviche mixto brought together shrimp, squid, octopus and bay scallops in a lime-heavy Peruvian preparation, though without much of the rocoto pepper bite that I enjoy.

Via Y Rada understands that sides are not filler. His fried yuca  its crispy exterior gives way to a soft and creamy interior  ranks among the finest specimens Ive sampled. The fried plantains conceal a tiny tickle of tartness among their sweet, caramelized flavors. The black beans, so savory and well-seasoned, are totally shovel-worthy. And the cilantro rice, with its hint of acid, should be your go-to grain at every turn here.

The question Ive had to repeatedly ask myself is this: With the wealth of Peruvian chicken outlets in the DMV, is this particular place worthy of a special trip to Mitchellville? (Theres a second location in Lanham, which I didnt visit.) The answer was clear, yet hard for me to accept, as if bargain restaurants can never be destinations: Yes. A thousand times yes.


Grayson Ullman, 23, content strategist, and Amanda Botfeld, 23, research associate, went to Oceanaire Seafood Room in downtown Washington. (Photos courtesy of daters)

Interviews by Ellen Ryan

Grayson Ullman, 23, a content strategist, collects Scotch, enjoys Lean Pockets and isnt into finance, consulting or politics. He says, If shes not [spontaneous], she will be after she dates me. Amanda Botfeld, 23, a research associate in Middle East affairs, describes herself as highly politically aware, but big on nail polish and reality television and astrology. Both of these millennial writers like dive bars and the film American Beauty. We sent them to the Oceanaire Seafood Room downtown to learn if this is a complex tale or a short story.

Amanda: I had read that youre supposed to wear red on a first date. I had this perfect red dress planned out, and then one of the buttons popped, so I had to change. I did make it just in time. I was right behind Madeleine Albright, so I figured wed be in good company.

Grayson: Her dress was striking. Shes very tall, which I loved. We greeted each other. It wasnt awkward at all.

Amanda: He was attractive in spite of wearing a crumpled button-up shirt. He was really tall, lean. He had good bone structure.

Grayson: I was struck by her way with words; she leapt in without reservation.

Amanda: He takes a seat, scootches close and gives me a hug. I instantly felt safe and comfortable in his company.

Grayson: We had great intellectual chemistry. Conversation was engaging, witty. To me, the back-and-forth is more important than any physical look.

Amanda: He started asking me questions. He was a very good listener, and I felt like he was genuinely interested. I would definitely say the feeling was relief, like I could exhale because I hadnt been this nervous before a date in years.

Grayson: A friend had sent me a link to a Date Lab; Id never heard of it [before that]. I was curious why shed signed up. She had written on dating and culture for the L.A. Times. I thought, wow, she already has a journalistic angle on it.

Amanda: Then I asked why hed rescheduled the date, and he said, My ex-girlfriend was feeling sad, so I flew to Ireland over the weekend to go see her.

Grayson: The expectation is that well get back together. I want to make sure being in a longer relationship a year or two from now is what I want to do. It doesnt put a damper on things for me. ... Theres a lot of value to dating without long-term prospects. I wouldnt have brought it up if I thought [Amanda] wouldnt be open to it. She wasnt fazed by it at all. [Pauses.] She didnt seem to be, at least.

Amanda: It was clear that he was really smitten with this girl. I asked, Are you thinking of getting married? He feels like he may have found that person, but then he said he felt an obligation because of his age to explore and ... just have no regrets. But its hard when youre on a date and youre being compared to someone else. That standard becomes not Do I like this person? but Are they better than what I already have?

Grayson: She used to do handwriting analysis. I dont put a lot of stock in that but think its fascinating. She spent 10 minutes and really scrutinized [what I wrote]. Some of it was actually pretty accurate.

Amanda: I said, It looks like youre at a turning point, like [your script is] going to change over time, and I think thats representative of where I saw him in his life. Hes thinking about going back to grad school, hes thinking about screenwriting, he was thinking about maybe [moving to] New York.

Grayson: I probably will stay [in D.C.] for three or four years.

Amanda: Hes living with his mother, so he has money to do a spontaneous trip to Ireland. It helped me in the first months [when I was] living with my family. I have compassion for that and his situation; its just different from mine.

Grayson: We moved around quite a bit when I was younger, five states. I want to see it through, so Ill be here for a while.

Amanda: I love my company, and I moved cross-country because D.C. was my dream city. Part of my job is reading the news every day, and hes not that interested in politics. I think he was much more advanced in his relationship life, and I was a little more progressed in my career path.

Grayson: It was a fun time. We were conversationally flirty. We were sitting very close; it was quite cozy. For me, it was more friendship chemistry, intellectual chemistry.

Amanda: There was some chemistry, but were on different pages. We entered the date with all these interesting hooks, but then we just werent able to go deeper on many subjects, which kind of friend-zoned us.

Grayson: We called for Ubers. Mine arrived first, but I told him to wait. We hugged.

Amanda: I thought it was classy that he waited for my car to come. I doubt wed meet in the future.

Grayson: [There was no exchange of numbers] partially because I didnt want to establish an expectation. I thought she was more interested than I was romantically.

Rate the date

Grayson: 2 [out of 5]. I know Im not interested, but I really had a great time.

Amanda: 3.8. There was an initial spark. The girlfriend was a bit of a

turnoff, and the more we talked about dating, the more I started to feel like just friends.

Update

The end.


(Illustration by Eric Shansby)

This is a confession about my most pathetic career moment ever.

It happened at 2:40 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19. I had been sitting at my laptop, staring at a blank screen for nearly an hour, when I found myself idly accessing Google, and then idly typing into the search bar column idea. I smiled at this private joke about writer desperation and incompetence. Instantly, I swiveled to Twitter to confess my hackery. It was not until I then returned to my Google search and actually hit the Return key that I moved from mildly amused by myself to profoundly pitiful.

But I was in.

The first of 53,000 hits was about a company that makes columns, the Doric and Corinthian kind. From the photos it is clear the company specializes in ungainly indoor obelisks that appear to transform an ordinary living room into an ordinary living room with mental illness; it thinks it is the Parthenon, with a wet bar. These columns are said to be faux marble, and I will concede they sort of do resemble real marble, but only in the sense that a Frosty snow globe sort of resembles the Hope Diamond.

I moved on. The second of the 53,000 hits was a column from last February in a small newspaper in New York state. The columnists first sentence reads, Writers are thieves, which wasnt promising. And then he goes on to confess that the entirety of his column will be a complete rip-off of another columnists work. And it was. He stole a column idea of mine.

That is when I truly knew shame. It turns out I was seeking to steal ideas from a stealer of ideas that are so weak even I had already thought of them. A person of any character and self-respect would have quit the search right there.

Heres an item from the June 17, 1922, edition of the Implement & Tractor Trade Journal. Someone writes that the column idea is very much in favor among salesmen of tractors and sledgehammers and such. The column idea is that you should wangle to get a regular column in some trade periodical, and then use it to drop flattering references to clients or other folks youd like to sell equipment to. A good tip, I think, with many applications. Alas, this sort of self-serving thing wouldnt work for modern newspaper columnists because wise, shrewd and scrupulously ethical people like Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos would see through it in an instant.

Here is a double-hit. Its a page from a biography of early 20th-century architect Adolf Loos that refers to the architects column idea, which was a proposal to build a skyscraper in the exact shape of a Doric column. It was to contain the offices of a Chicago newspaper. Loos was evidently proposing a gargantuan visual pun  instead of a newspaper containing a column, a column is containing a newspaper! Ho-ho! How droll. The author of the book says it was probably an elaborate practical joke aimed at Americans unsophisticated tastes in precious, ostentatious architecture. Alas, he never got to build it.

After I had fessed up to Twitter about my pathetic search, one smart guy seemed to assume that I was not going to be cheesy enough to actually write such a lame column: He said he would have wanted to see if the column was going to be ironic or Ionic.

Very funny, smart guy. As you can see, it has been both. What it has not been, in any way, is iconic.

For stories, features such as Date Lab, @Work Advice and more, visit WP Magazine.

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Email us at wpmagazine@washpost.com.
Interior of the Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage in Shaw. (Yacouba Tanou/For The Washington Post)

Thurgood Marshall made a career of tearing down racial barriers.

In 1935, he won a case in Marylands Court of Appeals ending segregation at the University of Marylands law school, which had rejected Marshall himself. In 1954, he won the landmark Supreme Court anti-segregation case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. In 1965, he became the first African American solicitor general. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Marshalls appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage (1816 12th St. NW) is a 35,000-square-foot hub that tries daily to honor his legacy.

The thought was to have this building dedicated to nonprofit organizations so they can receive below-market rent to better serve the community and to put that savings back into their organizations, says Thomasina Yearwood, president of the Thurgood Marshall Center Trust, which owns and operates the center.

Many community groups rent space for meetings and workshops. Rooms are also available for special events. Currently, eight groups rent office space, including the National Newspaper Publishers Association and nonprofits focused on issues such as health and literacy.

I love the fact that all of these programs touch children, youth and families, Yearwood says.

The five-story building in Shaw opened as the Anthony Bowen YMCA in 1912. For decades, it was a center of African American activity in segregated Washington. In addition to meeting space, it provided a gymnasium and dorm rooms for black men  students, workers and soldiers. Langston Hughess tiny room is preserved on the second floor.

The Baltimore-born Marshall, a Howard law school grad, was also a resident, Yearwood notes. Myriad challenges led to the building closing in 1982. Concerned residents rallied to refurbish the facility, and it reopened in 2000.

Guy Featherstone, the facilities manager, can detail space availability for events and special occasions. For example, the museum room  or heritage room  holds up to 60 people seated, and the gym holds 250.

Says Yearwood, One of our board chairs daughters was married right here in the building. My youngest daughters 16th birthday party was here.


In August, researchers for the real estate website Trulia published data suggesting that supersize houses are not appreciating at the same rate as smaller homes. But builders say there are still plenty of buyers for McMansions. (EricVega/Getty Images)

Theres an ongoing gag in the TV show Arrested Development about the home of the Bluths, the family around which the screwball comedy revolves. The Bluth patriarch, George, is a real estate developer, and his dysfunctional adult children move into a house he built. It is the model  and only  home in an Orange County, Calif., subdivision that was started but abandoned on Georges arrest for fraud.

A fake chateau, the house stands forlorn on a muddy plot. Its construction is shoddy: Viewers see cracks spiderweb across the interior walls, and pieces of trim fall off at random. Michael, the responsible Bluth sibling, tries in vain to finish the development. He asks his teenage son about choosing a name for it.

What do you think of when you hear the words Sudden Valley? 

Salad dressing, I think. (Pause.) But for some reason I dont want to eat it.

The Bluths house is what people call a McMansion. Bigger than the average home and nodding in style to the homes of the nobility  whether French chateaus, Spanish villas or early American plantation houses  it gets its unkind prefix for being built to a generic plan with mass-produced materials, not unlike the hamburgers at a certain fast-food chain.

McMansions are concentrated in the sudden valleys of fast-rising suburban housing tracts. Theyve become a familiar sight across the country, embodying our quest for that all-American paradox of affordable luxury, yet also frequently criticized for unsound construction and tacky design.

Its big, its bulky, its garish, is how Chris Landis, an architect and custom builder in the District, sums up the classic McMansion. It tends to use cheaper materials. Sometimes the front will be brick, but you go right around the side, and its aluminum siding.

After 25 years of spreading unchecked across the landscape, there are signs that the McMansion is losing its luster. In August, researchers for the real estate website Trulia published data suggesting that supersize houses are not appreciating at the same rate as smaller homes in many places in the country. Articles heralding their demise followed.

McMansions Define Ugly in a New Way: Theyre a Bad Investment, proclaimed Bloomberg. As demographics change, McMansions dont look quite so appealing, declared a headline in The Washington Post.

Is the McMansion really dying? And if these houses are so terrible, why did millions of us buy them in the first place?



The foyer and double staircase of a Henley Traditional model home at Trotters Glen, a Toll Brothers subdivision in Olney, Md. (Eric Kieley/2016 Eric Kieley Photography)

Not long after Trulia released its findings, a blog called Welcome to McMansion Hell went viral. The concept behind it is simple. Blogger Kate Wagner takes photos of McMansions in the wild (or finds them online), then annotates them in Photoshop, pointing out flaws with ruthless snark.

I thought there was a vaccine for smallpox? she quips of a ceiling cratered with recessed lights. A mock turret is dubbed a Pringles can of shame.

Wagners Certified Dank McMansions are the architectural equivalent of celebrity mug shots: so gruesome you cant look away. Windows of every shape and size jostle together and random roofs proliferate. Oversize doorways gape as if theyre screaming. Inside, rooms drip with brass and glass and are beige, beige, beige.

The McMansion 101 series on McMansion Hell offers insights into why the houses are off-putting.

As opposed to the symmetry of, say, a classic Colonial-style house  with the front door in the middle and windows placed evenly on either side  McMansions have irregular features that confuse the eye. Their entrances tend to be bombastic, with stretched columns or oversize pediments (or both). They mash up disparate architectural styles with little regard for geography or history.

Sally Augustin, an environmental psychologist, points out key design features that arent amenable to human comfort. The typical foyer and great room are not cozy, but quite formal, due to the high ceilings. Non-rectangular rooms, another McMansion staple, can be stress-inducing, Augustin says. Where do you put the furniture?

Adherence to principles of good architecture, though, is not the right way to understand these houses. The McMansion is more like a bricolage of elements chosen to impress visitors. Those elements may not form a coherent whole, but each connotes money and grandeur. With chandeliers, columns and de facto lobbies, McMansions draw on the architecture of banks.

It is no surprise that they do not take their cues from the world of high architecture. Architects turned their backs on suburbia long ago, and suburbia responded by designing for itself. The scorn of upper-middle-class urbanites for McMansions is a marker of social status that McMansion buyers often dont possess (yet). And the McMansions architectural shorthand may come across differently to someone raised in China or Brazil. What says successful American better than an ersatz Monticello?



The exterior of the Henley Traditional model home at Trotters Glen in Olney. (Eric Kieley/2016 Eric Kieley Photography)

If you want to feel the tug of McMansion living, go to Olney, Md., where new cul-de-sacs are curling over the terrain of a former golf course. The model home at Trotters Glen, a Toll Brothers subdivision, teems with luxury features. A double-height foyer with curving double stairs. A kitchen island topped with creamy granite long enough to lie down and nap on. A 26-foot-long walk-in closet.

There arent many areas where buyers dont say Wow,  says Joanne Stokes, a Toll Brothers sales manager.

Houses here start at $1.1 million and 4,000 square feet.

Ten miles northeast in Howard County, Aaron Vernon, a pharmaceutical executive in his 40s, lives in a five-bedroom, roughly 4,000-square-foot house built by Trinity Homes in 2011 in a 45-lot subdivision called Castleberry at Ten Oaks (a horrible name, but they all are, he says). The decision to buy came down to a few factors: the one-acre lot. A location convenient to his job, then based in Frederick and Gaithersburg, and to his wifes job in Baltimore. Good schools. Ample room for a family of five and hosting relatives.

Hes happy with the house. His favorite rooms are the basement theater and the family room with large windows looking onto the woods: When its snowing, its spectacular, he says.

Vernon complicates the stereotype of McMansion dwellers as showoffs who dont care about the environment. His house is large, but so is his family, and he has covered the roof in solar panels. The location makes sense for a couple with three commuting destinations.

And yet, he wont refer to his house as a McMansion, even though he concedes it has McMansion-like traits. No one ever admits to living in one  its invariably a bigger, gaudier house that belongs to someone else. But why is that?

The term McMansion dates to the early 1990s, says sociologist Brian Miller, at Wheaton College in Illinois. Analyzing hundreds of articles, he found that use of the word surged after 1998, spiking in 2005 and in early 2008, at the pinnacle of the housing boom and on the verge of the bust.

The term spread as the average American house got larger. The median size of a new home in 2015 was 2,467 square feet, 61 percent larger than in 1975 even as the number of people in an average household declined over the same period.

The definition of a McMansion can be subjective. Trulia puts the threshold at 3,000 square feet  about 1 times the size of the average new home built in 2000.

Miller found the word most often applied to a very large house, or to a house thats big relative to those around it  i.e., a tear-down in an older neighborhood. The third connotation was a lack of architectural quality.

The McMansion got its reputation for flimsiness in the 90s, when building codes were looser. Landis recalls that large homes then were difficult to heat or cool: All the hot air goes up through the [entry] atrium. Today, new houses are better insulated. Construction quality still varies, but materials favored by some McMansion builders like fake stucco can lead to problems. A bigger knock against these houses is their location: auto-centric and environmentally unfriendly suburbs.

But perhaps the real reason we love to hate McMansions is they are emblematic of our addiction to living beyond our means. That aura of excess  the granite countertops, the his-n-hers sinks, the Hummer in the three-car garage  took on a darker tinge during the recession. A lot of the disdain [for them] comes from what happened with the 2008 crash, argues Wagner. All you saw on TV was empty subdivisions.

Foreclosed McMansions are the eeriest reminders of how fleeting paper wealth can be.



The Tuscan Villa I model built by Botero Homes. Omar Botero-Paramo, president of the company, says many of his customers are well-to-do immigrants who see mansions as a sign of success. (Courtesy of Botero Homes)

Despite those painful associations, Miller doubts McMansions are going away.

Since the housing bubble, it sort of goes in cycles. Every year or two, youll see a collection of stories that says the death of the McMansion is finally here, he says. But I dont suspect Americans are interested all that much in smaller homes.

Few know this better than Omar Botero-Paramo, a former government official in Colombia with a PhD in economics who is the president of Botero Homes, a small builder in Reston, Va.

Boteros houses are huge  up to 11,000 square feet  and ostentatious, with Corinthian columns and balustrades galore. Models have names like Tuscan Villa I and Jeffersonian III.

Wearing a tweed jacket and pink silk tie in a conference room full of floor plans, Botero-Paramo says a McMansion is a house too big for its lot, whereas he typically builds on three acres or more. His homes are mansions with a reasonable budget. And he prides himself on his fusion of classical and contemporary elements, a style he describes as international. Botero-Paramo designs the houses himself with input from his wife, then has an architect draw the plans.

Most of his customers are immigrants from Asia with high-paying jobs in information technology. He tailors designs to their needs, such as adding a suite for their elderly parents or a spicy kitchen  a small second kitchen with separate ventilation where richly spiced foods can be cooked.

His clients arent interested in small houses or apartments, he says. When they were immigrants, arriving, they saw these mansions, these houses, and that was the dream.



Features such as the kitchen inside the Henley Traditional model home at Trotters Glen are designed to wow visitors. (Eric Kieley/2016 Eric Kieley Photography)

At Trotters Glen in Olney, Toll Brothers has sold 17 of the 58 planned homes. Stokes and her colleague, Sharon Nugent, say the development attracts affluent buyers in their 40s and 50s, with many drawn by Our Lady of Good Counsel, a nearby private school. Some add multi-generational suites or first-floor master bedrooms to accommodate elderly relatives or themselves in the future. Theyre building the dream home that they can stay in forever, Nugent says.

Asked if theyd call the homes McMansions, Nugent and Stokes dont bristle at the term and say their buyers probably wouldnt either. I dont think theyd mind having it called a McMansion, says Stokes.

When you read [it in] an article, you think its derogatory, Nugent says. But in my mind, I chuckle and laugh, because were selling them. And theyre selling well.

Amanda Kolson Hurley is a writer in Silver Spring, Md. To comment on this story, email wpmagazine@washpost.com or visit washingtonpost.com/magazine.
Our readers share tales of their ramblings around the world.

Who: Patricia Streifel (author) and Shane Streifel of Chevy Chase, Md.

Where, when, why: We flew to California in February 2016 for two weeks to visit seven art environments in Southern California, six of which were created by untrained artists. We are fans of outsider art and visionary environments created by artists who obsessively transform their surroundings.

The author poses on top of Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain in Niland, Calif. (Patricia Streifel )

Highlights and high points: Upon landing in sunny, warm Los Angeles, we drove a rental car directly to the Watts Towers in the citys Watts neighborhood. Simon Rodia, a construction worker who emigrated from Italy, spent 33 years creating 17 interconnected structures, including three large and six small towers, the largest of which is 99 feet tall.

They are constructed out of metal, pipes and steel rods and held together by wire mesh and mortar. They are decorated with found objects, including broken pottery, ceramic tiles, glass, shells, mirrors and many other pieces. Rodia ceded the towers to a neighbor when he felt they were complete, and then disappeared. Local authorities wanted to demolish his work, but supporters saved the towers. The site is now administered by the city. It was a thrill to see Rodias unique work in person.

Next, we traveled to the Desert View Tower, near Jacumba and close to the Mexico border. The circular stone structure was built between 1922 and 1928 by Bert Vaughn to commemorate pioneers and builders of the roads and railroads. The multilevel structure offers vast, serene views. In the early 1930s, Merle Ratcliff created Boulder Park next to the tower by carving animals and fantasy figures out of the boulders. As we climbed through the rocks, we discovered a fantasy world of many interesting creatures and faces.

The author and her husband, Shane Streifel, at a San Francisco cafe. (Courtesy of Patricia Streifel)

From there, we drove to the amazing Salvation Mountain near Niland on the eastern side of the Sultan Sea in the Mojave Desert. Leonard Knight built his monument to God on a desert ridge out of adobe, clay, straw and thousands of gallons of nontoxic paint. His colorful creation includes Knights religious messages under the broad theme God is Love. Knight worked on his creation for 28 years before dying in 2014.

Cultural connection or disconnect: One of our planned stops was the Desert Sculpture Museum near the town of Joshua Tree. Noah Purifoy, an African American artist, created more than 100 works between 1989 and 2004  assemblages, installations and sculptures from found objects and materials. The 10-acre site contains many creative and moving structures, including a depiction of a public bathroom with signs indicating Colored and White. Purifoy chose the harsh desert environment to allow his work to change as inclement weather wears it away. We were saddened to think of it eventually disappearing. Purifoy received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree just before his 40th birthday and was best known for

66 Signs of Neon, a traveling exhibition of sculptures made from three tons of rubble from the 1965 Watts riots. We wished we had been able to see this exhibit in the late 1960s.

Biggest laugh or cry: One of our stops was the Integratron, a wooden dome built by George Van Tassel in the 1950s in Landers. He believed that entering the dome would lead to cell rejuvenation via electromagnetic resonance in the dome. Van Tassel died in 1978, and the domes owners permit entry by appointment and for private events. The dome is said to be the only all-wooden, acoustically perfect sound chamber in the United States and has been used in many television shows, music videos and movies. We arrived without an appointment and saw a yard full of people waiting to enter the dome. Tickets were sold out for the weekend, and we were disappointed not to view the inside.

How unexpected: Our last visit was to Elmers Bottle Tree Ranch, located on a stretch of historic Route 66 near Oro Grande. The ranch is a creation of Elmer Long  the only artist still living of those whose works we visited  and contains some 200 colorful metal-rod bottle trees along with other assorted installations. A found object, such as a sewing machine, guitar, rifle and various signs, sits atop each tree. The bright sun shines through the bottles and allows for spectacular and changing views from all directions. What made the experience all that more special is that Elmer lives on-site and is happy to talk with visitors at length about his work.

Fondest memento or memory: The art environments we visited were created by people to beautify their surroundings or to showcase their visions. The art was not made for personal gain and is not for sale. Often, art environments fall into disrepair after the artist dies, but most seen on our trip are being preserved by individuals or groups for others to see. We feel very fortunate to have seen these sights intact and will treasure our many, many photos.

To tell us about your own trip, go to washingtonpost.com/travel and fill out the What a Trip form with your fondest memories, finest moments and favorite photos.

More from Travel:

Spending Christmas Eve at an onsen in Japan

Walking Spains Camino de Santiago

In Portugal, a personal Age of Discovery
An illuminated Holy Trinity Church on King George Island, off the coast of Antarctica. Peregrine Adventures is offering a deal on a balcony-suite stateroom on its cruise to the continent. (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

This weeks best travel bargains around the globe.

Land

Visit Myrtle Beach in South Carolina is offering discounted rates at several hotels in honor of Blue Monday (Jan. 16). For example, rates at the Captains Quarters Resort start at $87 a night, including taxes, a discount of up to 41 percent. Also receive a $20 daily food credit and one $25 game card for the resorts arcade per stay. At the Crown Reef Beach Resort and Waterpark, pay from $95 a night, a discount of up to 42 percent; deal also includes the food credit and game card. Book by Jan. 31; travel through May. Info: 800-356-3016, visitmyrtlebeach.com/hotels/deals/blue-monday.

Mountain Lodges of Peru is offering 15 percent savings and two free hotel night s on several March departures of its Machu Picchu trips. The deal applies to the four- and six-night Lares Adventure to Machu Picchu and the six-night Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. The four-night trip starts at $2,040 per person double and includes lodging, most meals, guided trips with entrance fees, ground transportation and taxes. The value of the pre- and post-trip hotel nights in Cusco (at El Retablo or El Mercado) is $424  a total savings of $572. Info: 877-491-5261, www.mountainlodges

ofperu.com .

Sea

With Peregrine Adventures, save 50 percent on a balcony-suite stateroom on its Antarctica cruise departing Feb. 11. The 11-day Antarctic Explorer, which sails round trip from Ushuaia, Argentina, starts at $7,150 per person double, down from $14,295. Price includes a nine-night cruise, one night in a Ushuaia hotel, 10 meals and taxes. Info: 855-832-4859, www.peregrineadventures.com/en-us .

Book an Inside Passage cruise with Alaska native-owned Alaskan Dream Cruises and earn a $400 air voucher on Alaska Airlines. The deal applies to select May and June departures of four seven- or eight-night itineraries booked by March 31. For example, the seven-night Alaskas Glacier Bay and Island Adventure cruise starts at $3,490 per person double, plus $61 taxes. Depart May 12, May 26 or June 2. The 58-passenger Admiralty Dream sails from Juneau to Sitka  or the reverse. The per-person credit can be used toward any flight segment. Info: 855-747-8100, www.alaskandreamcruises.com.

With Alexander+Roberts, save $500 on the 2017 and 2018 departures of its Visions of Egypt aboard the Oberoi Philae tour. The trip, which travels round trip from Cairo, starts at $3,799 per person double for select May through September departures in 2017; other departures are available at higher rates. The package includes a four-night Nile cruise aboard the 44-passenger Oberoi Philae, four nights at the Kempinski Nile Hotel, three domestic flights, 18 meals, Egyptologist-led tours in Cairo, all Nile shore excursions, airport transfers and taxes. Book and pay in full by March 15. Info: 800-221-2216, www.alexanderroberts.com.

Air

Air New Zealand is offering sale fares from Los Angeles to New Zealand. Round-trip fares start at $948 for flights to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch or Queenstown. The promotion also allows a free stopover in any of those cities. Travel Feb. 13-April 18, May 2-June 21, July 24-Sept. 17 or Nov. 1-26. For lowest fares, fly Monday through Thursday. Other airlines are matching. Purchased separately, nonstop round-trip air from Washington to Los Angeles starts at about $285. Book by Jan. 31 at www.airnewzealand.com.

Package

British Airways has a sale on five-night trips to London, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Dublin and Edinburgh, Scotland. For example, a trip to London in early March starts at $731 per person double and includes round-trip air from Washington Dulles and five nights at Tune Hotel-Paddington. Priced separately, the trip costs about $1,050. Travel through Nov. 30; for cheapest prices, depart in February or March. Book by Tuesday at www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_us .

 Carol Sottili, Andrea Sachs

Prices were verified at press time Thursday, but deals sell out and availability is not guaranteed. Some restrictions may apply.
A research paper released this month by the Federal Trade Commission concluded that the hotel industry practice of disclosing resort fees separately from room rates without first showing the total price is likely to harm consumers. (iStock)

American travelers fear theyll be left to fend for themselves when they hit the road this year  and for good reason.

The incoming presidential administration has signaled that it intends to undo a wide range of federal regulations, many of which protect consumers. Although it hasnt yet targeted any rules that affect tourism, Donald Trumps campaign trail pledge to require that for every new federal regulation, two existing ones must be eliminated, has spread uncertainty among travelers. Federal regulation touches every aspect of the travel industry  some more than others. Removing even one rule could have lasting negative consequences.

I suspect youre going to see regulations disappear, says Bonnie Salt, a travel agent from Newburyport, Mass. I dont think it will take long.

Travelers, consumer advocates and industry insiders are also worried about the fate of several initiatives started during the Obama administration . Those include efforts to eliminate hotel resort fees and improve price disclosures on airline tickets.

During the waning days of the last administration, government officials sent a number of unambiguous messages about the need for increased traveler protections. In December, a report by the National Economic Council detailed what it termed a growing trend of hidden fees and their effect on the economy, including travelers.

(Erin Patrick O'Connor,Julio Negron/The Washington Post)

The real prices of things are now being hidden or muddied by the addition of mandatory fees, noted Charlie Anderson, senior adviser to the director of the National Economic Council, in a blog post on the White House site. Quoted prices dont reflect what things actually cost  the real prices are hidden by fees.

Just a few days later, the Federal Trade Commission took an important step toward eliminating one of those hidden charges: resort fees charged on top of a hotel room rate after an initial price quote.

A research paper, written by an FTC staff economist and released this month, concluded that the hotel industry practice of disclosing resort fees separately from room rates without first showing the total price is likely to harm consumers.

The hotel and gambling industries, which could lose billions of dollars if resort fees become illegal, have doubled down on their opposition to regulatory action. Some industry observers say that the likelihood of phasing out resort fees, which looked like a real possibility this fall, decreased after the election.

FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez issued a statement saying that she hopes the findings will prompt the hotel industry to change the way it prices its rooms. But acting on the findings will be up to the agencys next chair.

Other such works in progress are new rules being considered by the Transportation Department, most notably a regulation that would require airlines to give customers a full and inclusive ticket price at the time a fare is initially quoted. Today, many services or products that airlines previously included in the price of a ticket, such as checked baggage, advance seat assignments and priority boarding, are sold separately.

If these rules take effect, it will be easier for airline passengers to make an apples-to-apples comparisons between ticket prices. At the same time, discount airlines that strip away these extras could be put at a competitive disadvantage, because they would have to quote the price of their tickets with luggage and seat reservations included.

For a Republican administration  Trumps included  regulation is a dirty word, says Anthony DeMaio, a former airline lobbyist who now works for the Washington lobbying firm ONeill and Associates. The increasingly powerful airline industry will not accept more fare-transparency regulation.

With the future of these initiatives uncertain, consumers must learn to be their own advocates.

Be vigilant, says Randy Greencorn, publisher of the site Resortfeechecker.com. Look for resort fees and other hidden costs before reserving a hotel room, or simply call the hotel directly to ask about fees.

Laurie Sherwood, a partner in the California law firm Walsworth LLP, says knowledge is the key to protecting your rights. Travelers should fully educate themselves about their destinations, the companies with which theyre traveling, travel requirements and the potential risks of their travel, she says.

Perhaps the only certainty is that nothing is likely to happen in the near term. There are other legislative and regulatory priorities, so travelers will just have to take a back seat and wait.

And thats okay  were used to it.

Elliott is a consumer advocate, journalist and co-founder of the advocacy group Travelers United. Email him at chris@elliott.org.
ALBION  A Kendallville man who allegedly molested and impregnated a 13-year-old will be held on $100,000 bond in an effort to ensure he doesnt flee the state.

The Noble County prosecutors office was seeking a $1 million bond for Joselito Romulo Suarez, 54, after he was arrested on an warrant following a traffic stop in New Jersey.

Noble Superior Court 1 Judge Robert Kirsch didnt see the need to go quite that high, but did set a sizable limit at Wednesdays initial hearing.

A Level 1 felony child molesting charge was filed against Suarez in October, alleging he had sex with a teenage girl. According to a police report, the girl became pregnant and had the pregnancy terminated.

DNA evidence collected from the fetal tissue was analyzed and returned a 99.9999 percent certainty that Suarez was the father of the child, the police report states.

At the time, prosecutors believed Suarez was living somewhere on the East Coast. He previously had lived in the 200 block of Oak Street in Kendallville.

Suarez said in court, with the aid of Spanish interpreter Sergio Acosta, that he was living at the Kendallville residence and working in Ligonier.

Kendallville Police Department Detective Glen Hurst said he believes Suarez had a daughter living in the Ligonier area and a son in Goshen.

Suarez was pulled over during a traffic stop, and New Jersey police officers arrested him on the outstanding Indiana warrant. He then was extradited to Indiana and is currently in the Noble County Jail.

Noble County Prosecutor Eric Blackman presented some evidence during the initial hearing Wednesday afternoon, attempting to paint Suarez as a flight risk. During questioning with Hurst, the detective said New Jersey police told him that Suarez had told them he had no connection to Indiana.

He had an address in Belleville, New Jersey, a town north of Newark and about 11 miles from New York City.

He told officers he never lived in Indiana and had never been to Indiana, Hurst testified.

Suarez said in court that he has always lived in Kendallville and was only on the East Coast for the Christmas holiday. That appeared to conflict with information indicating he had been out of the area since the fall and still was there three weeks past the holiday.

Suarez, who is an American citizen, said if he were trying to flee from the law he would have left the country.

He did not know he had a warrant for his arrest and he was not running or fleeing, Acosta said in translation.

Other than the molestation charge, Suarez has had some minor run-ins with the law in New York and New Jersey in the 1990s and 2000s, which he described as tickets after they were read by Blackman.

Blackman, in asking for the $1 million bond, argued that he felt Suarez was a serious flight risk and wanted to keep him in the Noble County Jail during the proceedings of the case.

This is one step removed from murder, Blackman said. My preference is he remain here in Noble County.

Kirsch appeared skeptical of the need for a $1 million bond, about two weeks after Noble Circuit Court Judge Michael Kramer set two $1 million bonds for men arrested during a large meth bust in the Ligonier area.

Suarez was one of two men charged in the fall for allegedly molesting teens who then became pregnant. In the other case, a Rome City man was charged after a 12-year-old girl became pregnant. She gave birth to her child shortly after her 13th birthday.
Michael D. Wagner, right, chief national events planner for the Defense Department, discusses logistics for the 58th Presidential Inauguration. (Amanda Voisard/For The Washington Post)

The big man in the dark suit and the size 13 cowboy boots stands behind the lectern that serves as a desk, and checks his laptop.

He has briefed his chief veterinarian and is preparing to go meet a local bank official. En route, he will get the lowdown on tents, trailers, chemical latrines and the blue dots being painted along the parade route.

He is courtly, 6-foot-3 and a former professional tuba player. A protocol geek, he admires Shakespeare and cherishes the role of ceremony in civic affairs.

On a whiteboard in his office, he has written: 20 Jan . . . Sunrise 0723 Sunset 1716 . . .

Finishing at his desk, he asks, Are we ready to go?

On Friday, Michael D. Wagner, 58, will participate in his 11th presidential inauguration. His first was as a high school musician at Richard M. Nixons raucous second in 1973.

This time, he is the chief planner for the Defense Department and the main coordinator with the inauguration committees of Congress and President-elect Donald Trump.

Although many are new to their inaugural tasks, Wagner is not. Hes the old guy who doesnt get reassigned every two to three years, he said.

He remembers when the inauguration was on the east side of the Capitol, rather than the west side, as it is now. He recalls when security was casual and Washington seemed a more innocent and provincial town.

He has seen what works and what doesnt, and he calls himself the elephant that never forgets.

The inauguration involves thousands of people, marching bands, horses, bomb-sniffing dogs and a Conestoga wagon, among other things.

[Trombones, trumpets and a very tall drum major]

There are medical tents, and warming tents, as well as a 1,523-person honor cordon of military personnel lining the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route. (The blue dots on the street show the service members where to stand.)

There are VIPs and escorts and drivers and a deep-voiced U.S. Navy announcer for the swearing-in. There are bleachers and bathrooms and the parade.

And there will be pomp and solemnity.

Wagner, based in an office building in Southwest Washington, doesnt have to make all this happen. But he is key to putting it together and bent on ensuring that it comes off well.

What ceremonies and protocol do is they give you a language, he said in an interview this month. They give us, as a people, a language in which to talk about [and] accomplish . . . transition.

Be it a military change of command, a funeral or an inauguration.

Having that language and understanding how to go about that process of transition, whatever that transition might be, not just inauguration, to me, thats fascinating, he said.

Horses, check. Water?

The big military van pulled over at LEnfant Promenade, and Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Delzell gestured toward the green fire hydrant across the street.

Delzell is Wagners permits guy, the person in charge of securing permission from various agencies to put things like tents and trailers in place for the inauguration.

Talk us through, Wagner said as he sat inside the van with five other staffers.

Delzell explained that this is the area where parade horses will be assembled. Were good to go on all our permits here, he said.

Except, possibly, for water.

If local water is going to be used for the horses, thats going to be a different permit, he said. We need to determine where the source of the water is. . . . Are we going to be tapping into the water hydrants?

Wagner said the question should be answered by the president-elects inaugural committee, which promised logistical support for the horses.

The van moved on, making stops around the Mall and the parade route, as Wagner was briefed on what was being placed where  from generators to bleachers to a scissors lift.

One of the last stops was at the Bank of America office at 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, a block from the White House on the parade route.

Wagner wanted to put an 8-by-20 -foot trailer right outside and wanted to make sure the bank was okay with it.

He spoke with bank official John Collingwood and inaugural consultant Frederick L. Ahearn on the sidewalk. We wanted [to extend] the courtesy of making sure we talked to you, Wagner said.

Our ask is really to . . . tuck it in this space . . . as close to the building as is reasonable, he explained.

Collingwood replied: Whatever works for you guys.

The group exchanged pleasantries, and Wagner and his staff returned to the van.

It was important to be good neighbors, he said. Were going to be back in four years.

The teen with a tuba

January 20, 1973, was a cold, gray Saturday in Washington.

At the Capitol, President Nixon was being inaugurated for his second term in office. At the Washington Monument, tens of thousands of protesters gathered to denounce him and the ongoing war in Vietnam.

And in a rear rank of a huge Fairfax County marching band, teenage tuba player Michael D. Wagner strode down Pennsylvania Avenue in the green and gold uniform of Fort Hunt High School.

He remembers the rotten weather and the enormous size of the band  1,976 high school students, in honor of the coming 1976 Bicentennial.

That was his first inauguration. He would have roles in 10 more.

He was away at Michigan State, majoring in music, when President Jimmy Carter was inaugurated in 1977 but was involved in every one after that, he said.

An accomplished musician, Wagner landed a job with the elite U.S. Army Band, Pershings Own. He took part in Ronald Reagans first inauguration in 1981.

He remembers meeting Reagan that year at an evening ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial.

Reagan walked among the band members, shaking hands, including Wagners. I was a brand-new guy in the band, he said. I had been in the band eight months. . . . It was one of those, Hey, this is real. 

In 1985, he prepared with the band for Reagans second inauguration, but the parade was canceled because of frigid weather. He marched in the parades of 1989 and 1993.

In 1997, he was picked to join the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee that helped plan that inauguration.

In 2001, then-retired from the Army, he helped organize the opening inaugural ceremony for George W. Bush at the Lincoln Memorial. In 2005 and 2009, he helped with inaugural security. In 2013, he got his current job.

The biggest change in those four decades came with the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Since then, the emphasis on security . . . has profoundly changed the way we do events like an inauguration, he said.

[Security for the inauguration means thousands of police]

What in 1973, or 1985, or 97 would have been an inconceivable level of security precaution is now something that as a society we take for granted, he said.

On Friday, Wagner will spend much of his time in a conference room at the Capitol, not far from the swearing-in ceremony overlooking the Mall. Ill have a radio and an earpiece in each ear, he said. And occasionally pick up the cellphone.

Things rarely go seriously wrong, he said. Theyre well-rehearsed. Theyre well-planned. Most of what Im doing is listening, making sure that things are happening on the timeline.

He can nudge things along, if necessary, but he wont be following a script.

I know the plan, he said.
The contentious confirmation hearing for Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for education secretary, cemented concerns among civil rights advocates that she would either ignore or dismiss the Education Departments role as chief enforcer of the nations civil rights laws in schools.

DeVos declined to say during the hearing Tuesday whether she would enforce new regulations meant to hold schools accountable for educating all students. She passed up an opportunity to reassure Democrats concerned about a downsizing of the Office for Civil Rights, which is responsible for investigating allegations of discrimination in the nations K-12 schools and colleges.

She indicated theres a good chance that shell oversee a significant shift away from the Obama administrations approach to handling sexual assault, which has forced schools to more aggressively investigate incidents and protect survivors access to education. And she waffled on a federal civil rights law meant to protect students with disabilities; at one point she said it should be up to states whether to comply, and she later said that she had been confused about the law.

[From Answer Sheet: Six astonishing things Betsy DeVos said  and refused to say  at her confirmation hearing]

She was very clearly making no commitment to enforcing federal laws, and thats disqualifying. Thats an unwillingness to do the job she has applied for, said Liz King of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 200 groups. The Leadership Conference is urging senators to reject DeVos, the first time the organization has objected to an education secretary nominee.

(Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Through what she said and didnt say about civil rights Tuesday, DeVos further alienated Democrats who were already skeptical of her fitness for the job. Republicans, however  who have praised DeVoss willingness to shrink the federal footprint in education and take on teachers unions  showed no signs of withdrawing their support, meaning it appears DeVos almost certainly will be confirmed.

I think she would be an excellent secretary of education, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said at the hearing.

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) said Wednesday that nothing about the hearing changed his positive impression of DeVos. She seemed pretty knowledgeable, Isakson said.

DeVos is a Michigan billionaire who has used her fortune and political connections to lobby for charter schools and, especially, for taxpayer-funded vouchers that allow parents to take public money to help pay for tuition when their children attend private and religious schools.

Her efforts to expand vouchers are of particular concern to many disability-rights advocates, concerns that DeVos stoked Tuesday in several exchanges, including with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).

[DeVos lauded as bold reformer, called unfit for the job]

Advocates argue that vouchers encourage segregation of students with disabilities and drain public schools of the resources they need. They also object to voucher programs that require students with disabilities to sign away their rights under a federal civil rights law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), that guarantees a free appropriate public education.

502 Bad Gateway

The federal government gives states about $13 billion annually for special education, and the Education Department is responsible for ensuring that states meet their obligations under the law.

DeVos told Collins she would explore the possibility of turning IDEA funds  which currently go to states and school districts  into vouchers that could follow students to private schools.

Speaking with Kaine, she seemed to not understand IDEA or to believe that private schools receiving federal funds should not have to abide by the laws requirements. She said that states should be able to decide whether schools receiving public funds must follow the requirements of the law; challenged by Hassan to clarify her views, DeVos said she may have confused the fact that IDEA is a federal civil rights law.

Kaine said that in the day since the hearing, he has heard more concerns about DeVos from people who work with children with disabilities than any other group.

I dont think she believes that private institutions in a voucher system should have to follow the accountability rules that public schools have to, he said. She would feel like it would be okay for them to get the money but they dont have to follow the same rules.

Susan Henderson, executive director of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, said she expected DeVos to have been better prepared to answer questions about IDEA. Unless her ideology is such that she doesnt believe in the role of federal laws, and believing in the role of federal laws isnt an option for a secretary, Henderson said. You couldnt tell from her testimony whether it was ideology or ignorance.

A spokesperson for Trumps transition team said that DeVos knows that IDEA is a federal law.

[ Betsy DeVos apparently confused about federal special education law ]

Asked whether DeVos believes that private schools taking federal funds should be exempt from IDEA requirements, the transition spokesperson said DeVos believes that IDEA should be implemented as enacted, which includes an opportunity for parents to seek a different option if their local assigned school is not serving their childrens needs.

Hassan, whose son has a severe disability, told DeVos she was concerned that children with disabilities who receive taxpayer-funded vouchers to attend private school are vulnerable to losing IDEA protections they would have if they stayed in public school. She asked DeVos for her view on maintaining legal protections for voucher students, and DeVos began her answer by saying she was glad that Hassan had been able to find the right opportunity for her son.

Hassan interrupted. I had the opportunity to send him to the same public school that my daughter went to because the law required that that school provide him resources that were never provided before that law was passed, Hassan said. The question is, will you enforce the law with regard to students with disabilities who get a voucher to go to a private school, which then refuses to provide them with services they deserve?

DeVos did not answer directly.

In an interview Wednesday, Hassan said she worries that DeVos didnt seem to understand that IDEA is a federal law. I still dont have a sense that she understands education to be the civil right that it is, she said.

[Betsy DeVoss 13-year clerical error]

Many voucher advocates say that IDEA was written in an age when children were compelled to attend assigned public schools. They argue private schools accepting vouchers should not necessarily be subject to the law because embedded in vouchers is a different kind of accountability, accountability to parents that can choose to take their children, and their tax dollars, elsewhere.

Chris Haney, a mother of two sons who receive special education services at public schools in the Philadelphia suburbs, said DeVoss answers on special education showed she is not fit for the position. Haney was one of several parents, teachers, students and education advocates who spoke Wednesday at a Capitol Hill news conference opposing DeVos.

I think shes patently unqualified for the job, Haney said. She knows nothing about public schools.

Democrats and advocates also decried DeVoss unwillingness to commit to continuing the Obama administrations six-year campaign to combat sexual assault in schools and on college campuses.

[Under Betsy DeVos, Education Dept. likely to make significant shift on sexual assault]

Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) said Wednesday he would vote against DeVoss nomination, in part because she said during her hearing that it was premature to say whether she would uphold the Obama administrations interpretation of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.

In 2011, the Obama administration told officials that they were obligated under Title IX to respond promptly to reports of sexual violence and that they must use a standard of preponderance of the evidence when determining whether an assault occurred.

Many Republicans say the OCR letter is a prime example of what they call the Obama administrations overreach on civil rights. Democrats hailed the letter as crucial to advancing a crusade against sexual assault that has profoundly affected college policies and culture.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who has been sharply critical of DeVos, said she was unsettled by the nominees answers on sexual assault.

Its extremely important that they continue the work that we started, she said. I did not get a commitment from her.
One of the Obama administrations signature efforts in education, which pumped billions of federal dollars into overhauling the nations worst schools, failed to produce meaningful results, according to a federal analysis.

Test scores, graduation rates and college enrollment were no different in schools that received money through the School Improvement Grants program  the largest federal investment ever targeted to failing schools  than in schools that did not.

The Education Department published the findings on the website of its research division on Wednesday, hours before President Obamas political appointees walked out the door.

Were talking about millions of kids who are assigned to these failing schools, and we just spent several billion dollars promising them things were going to get better, said Andy Smarick, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who has long been skeptical that the Obama administrations strategy would work. Think of what all that money could have been spent on instead.

The School Improvement Grants program has been around since the administration of President George W. Bush, but it received an enormous boost under Obama. The administration funneled $7 billion into the program between 2010 and 2015  far exceeding the $4 billion it spent on Race to the Top grants.

[Feds spent $7 billion to fix failing schools  with mixed results]

The money went to states to distribute to their poorest-performing schools  those with exceedingly low graduation rates, or poor math and reading test scores, or both. Individual schools could receive up to $2 million per year for three years, on the condition that they adopt one of the Obama administrations four preferred measures: replacing the principal and at least half the teachers, converting into a charter school, closing altogether, or undergoing a transformation, including hiring a new principal and adopting new instructional strategies, new teacher evaluations and a longer school day.

The Education Department did not track how the money was spent, other than to note which of the four strategies schools chose.

Arne Duncan, Obamas education secretary from 2009 to 2016, said his aim was to turn around 1,000 schools every year for five years. We could really move the needle, lift the bottom and change the lives of tens of millions of underserved children, Duncan said in 2009.

Duncan often said that the administrations school-improvement efforts did not get the attention they deserved, overshadowed by more-controversial efforts to encourage states to adopt new standards and teacher evaluations tied to tests.

The school turnaround effort, he told The Washington Post days before he left office in 2016, was arguably the administrations biggest bet.

[Days from leaving office, Duncan talks successes, failures]

He and other administration officials sought to highlight individual schools that made dramatic improvements after receiving the money. But the new study released this week shows that, as a large-scale effort, School Improvement Grants failed.

Just a tiny fraction of schools chose the most dramatic measures, according to the new study. Three percent became charter schools, and 1 percent closed. Half the schools chose transformation, arguably the least intrusive option available to them.

This outcome reminds us that turning around our lowest-performing schools is some of the hardest, most complex work in education and that we dont yet have solid evidence on effective, replicable, comprehensive school improvement strategies, said Dorie Nolt, an Education Department spokeswoman.

Nolt emphasized that the study focused on schools that received School Improvement Grants money between 2010 and 2013. The administration awarded a total of $3.5 billion to those schools, most of it stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Since then, she said, the program has evolved toward greater flexibility in the selection of school improvement models and the use of evidence-based interventions.

Some education experts say that the administration closed its eyes to mounting evidence about the programs problems in its own interim evaluations, which were released in the years after the first big infusion of cash.

The latest interim evaluation, released in 2015, found mixed results, with students at one-third of the schools showing no improvement or even sliding backward.

Even then, Duncan remained optimistic about the School Improvement Grants, which he said had  along with the Race to the Top grants  unleashed innovation across the country. Speaking about the two grant programs at a fast-improving high school in Boston in 2015, he argued that it would take time to see and measure their full effects.

Here in Massachusetts, it actually took several years to see real improvement in some areas, Duncan said at the time. Scores were flat or even down in some subjects and grades for a while. Many people questioned whether the state should hit the brakes on change. But you had the courage to stick with it, and the results are clear to all.

[Betsy DeVos lauded as a bold reformer, also called unfit for the job]

Smarick said he had never seen such a huge investment produce zero results.

That could end up being a gift, he said, from Duncan to Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for education secretary and a prominent proponent of taxpayer-supported vouchers for private and religious schools.

Results from the School Improvement Grants have shored up previous research showing that pouring money into dysfunctional schools and systems does not work, Smarick said: I can imagine Betsy DeVos and Donald Trump saying this is exactly why kids need school choice.
Education Secretary John B. King Jr. had defended the administrations proposal as critical to protecting the rights of the nations neediest students. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

The Obama administration has in its waning days decided not to move forward with education regulations that would have overhauled how school districts spend billions of dollars meant to educate poor children.

The administration, including Education Secretary John B. King Jr., and its allies in the civil rights community had championed the changes as necessary to ensure that funding meant for the nations neediest children is not diverted to more affluent schools.

But the proposed regulations had triggered strong resistance from most of the education establishment, including teachers unions, district leaders and state superintendents, as well as from Republicans on Capitol Hill.

GOP leaders had said they would use every tool at their disposal to roll back the regulations, should the Obama administration choose to finalize them. That threat took on new power after the election of Republican Donald Trump as president.

Betsy DeVos, Trumps nominee for education secretary, declined at her confirmation hearing this week to say whether she intends to enforce another regulation, recently finalized by the Obama administration, that lays out how states must judge which schools are not serving children well and what to do about them.

[In Senate hearing, DeVos stoked activists fears that she will ignore civil rights]

Dorie Nolt, a spokeswoman for the Education Department, said that the administration withdrew the regulations because it ran out of time to publish a strong final regulation that lives up to the promise of the law.

There are still far too many places in this country where the students needing the most support end up getting the least, Nolt said in a statement. We urge supporters of public education across the country and the political spectrum to continue the fight for equitable access to resources both within and across school districts.

The proposal was meant to ensure that school districts were not using federal Title I dollars, meant to provide extra services for poor children, as an excuse to direct fewer state and local dollars to high-poverty schools.

Liz King, a staff member at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said the organization is disappointed by the Obama administrations decision.

This administration has been a champion for the civil rights of all students, and raising this issue on equitable school funding is a key example, King wrote in an email. The clock ran out here, but were not done fighting to ensure robust enforcement of the nations education and civil rights laws and justice for the nations students.

[Education officials say theyre trying to protect poor kids. A senator says theyre trying to break the law.]

Those opposed to the regulations argued that the rules had no basis in law and would cause massive disruptions in schools, requiring huge changes in budgeting and the forced transfer of teachers.

Chris Minnich, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, which represents state superintendents, said his members appreciate the administrations recognition that its proposed rules would not draw resources to the kids who need them most.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of the Senate education committee and perhaps the fiercest critic of the Obama administrations proposal, praised the decision to drop it.

This proposal would have dictated from Washington how states and school districts should spend nearly all state and local tax dollars on schools in order to receive federal Title I dollars  which are only about 3 percent of total national spending on K-12 schools, said Alexander (R-Tenn.). A regulation like this is not authorized by law; in fact, it is specifically prohibited by law.
If all goes as planned, Ethan Miller will be standing among 100 people near one of the checkpoints to enter the inauguration viewing area on Friday, loudly chanting:

When Muslim communities are under attack, what do we do?. . . Stand up, fight back!

When Jewish communities are under attack, what do we do?. . . Stand up, fight back!

When immigrant communities are under attack, what do we do?. . . Stand up, fight back!

The group  a coalition of organizations that has come together under a name that speaks to a shared cause, Communities Under Attack Fight Back  is just one of many planning to make itself heard to the crowds gathering to celebrate a Trump presidency. Tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to mark the day with shouts, marches and onstage speeches and performances. Signs have been made, art installations crafted and, in the case of one group, marijuana joints rolled.

(Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)

Protest groups organized by activist collective DisruptJ20 are expected to gather at each of the dozen checkpoints that inauguration ticket-holders will have to pass through, each demonstration speaking to a different cause. One will focus on LGBT rights. Another will center on racial justice.

Millers group, which will gather at 12th and E streets NW, will consist of people from the Muslim, Jewish and immigrant communities. Miller, 25, who is Jewish and grew up in Rockville, said that these are groups that have not always worked together in the past but now realize that we have to stand together.

This is really just the beginning, he said. Were taking a stand. Were speaking loudly. But ultimately were building a resilient movement that can outlast the inauguration.

[Heres what you need to know about attending the inauguration]

In the days leading up to the inauguration, protests started with one group shutting down K Street in downtown Washington and gay rights advocates holding a dance party near the temporary home of Vice President-elect Mike Pence in Chevy Chase, complete with biodegradable glitter and the hashtags #WeAreQueer #WeAreHere #WeWillDance. The Womans March on Saturday also is expected to draw thousands of protesters.

It is unknown how many people will descend on the capital Friday, but law enforcement officials are bracing for more than 60 demonstration groups, both in support of and against Trump. Of those, about a dozen have received permits for a specific gathering space. According to their permit requests, some of those groups are anticipating as few as 20 participants; others are planning for tens of thousands.

Ben Becker of the ANSWER Coalition said that more than 45,000 people have indicated through social media an interest in joining the groups protest near the U.S. Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue. The group, which stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, plans to have a 28-foot stage and large sound system that will showcase speakers and performers throughout the morning and afternoon.

(Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post)

Were considering it the counterinauguration, Becker, 33, said. The main message is that there is going to be a grass-roots movement of resistance to the Trump agenda from Day One of his presidency.

The group has thousands of signs ready to hand out. Among them are: Say no to racism, Stop the Trump Agenda and Inaugurate the Resistance.

Becker said his hope for the day, regardless of how many people show up, is that they leave feeling confident in their ability to stand up, fight back and organize.

Its not a one-day event, he said. Were calling it Day One of a larger resistance movement.

[Democrats prepare for Trump with one of the earliest resistance movements ever to greet a new president]

Although some protesters have promised to disrupt events that day, Becker said his group is not anticipating activity that will lead to arrests: We expect to be certainly loud and angry and audibly disruptive. But were not planning anything physically disruptive.

That is not the case with DisruptJ20, which describes its plans online as a series of massive direct actions that will shut down the Inauguration ceremonies and any related celebrations  the Inaugural parade, the Inaugural balls, you name it. Were also planning to paralyze the city itself, using blockades and marches to stop traffic and even public transit.

Lacy MacAuley, a spokeswoman for the group, said it has been working with other organizations to plan permitted and unpermitted actions.

There will be people risking arrest, she said. In terms of what those protests will be, were not talking about that at this time.

The group, which expects more than 30,000 participants, also has planned a march from Union Station to McPherson Square, where they will have a stage and sound system. MacAuley said artists have been working to make statement pieces, including elaborate puppets and a large wall representing the one Trump has vowed to build along the border with Mexico.

Among the signs she has seen, she said, some use Trumps name and possibly an expletive.

[Meet the biker hosting the biggest pro-Trump inauguration demonstration]

Not all of the demonstrations on Friday will be anti-Trump. Among those groups that requested permits for space are two organizations that support him: Bikers for Trump and Let America Hear Us, Roar for Trump.

The latter will be sharing Dupont Circle with a group that did not request a permit but plans to set up there early Friday  DCMJ, which was formerly known as the D.C. Cannabis Campaign and was behind the successful effort to legalize marijuana in the District in 2015.

The group, which started rolling joints this month, plans to hand out 4,200 before marching to the Mall. Once there, those who get through the security checkpoints  a problem because it is illegal to possess marijuana on federal land, which includes the Mall  plan to light up four minutes and 20 seconds into Trumps speech.

Nikolas Schiller, co-founder of DCMJ, said the demonstration is not a protest of Trump but a signal of wanting to work with him on fully legalizing cannabis in all 50 states and the District.

This is about demonstrating to Trump that he has the power to change the law and do what Obama was not able to do, Schiller said. We believe cannabis legalization will create jobs, it will increase tax revenue, and it will also help fix the broken criminal justice system.

As for the bikers they will be sharing space with Friday, he said, We hope some come on over and get a free joint.

At another park, Franklin Square, the Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign and the Revolutionary Road Radio Show will continue an event that started Thursday night with speakers including former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.

The Rev. Bruce Wright, an organizer, said that the area will serve as a place for people to eat, rest and find a medic if needed. And at night, once the parade is over, the stage will host musicians and performers.

At one point, weather permitting, it will be handed over to Seth Tobocman, a cartoonist from New York who will present a slide show of his work. His latest piece will also be on display: a banner showing Trump threatening the Statue of Liberty with a missile.

Tobocman, 58, said that in college, he was part of a five-person peace group and that during the Reagan administration, he watched as people who disagreed with the president chose to say nothing. This time, he said, he is encouraged by the protests.

Whats heartening to me is so many people want to go out and do something about this, he said. If Trump has done anything positive, its that he created enough controversy that a lot of people are expressing themselves.

Perry Stein contributed to this report.
THE DISTRICT

Deanwood shooting victim is identied

A man fatally shot Tuesday in Northeast has been identified as a 44-year-old who lived on the same block where he was attacked, according to law enforcement authorities.

Police said Anthony Irving, of Northeast, was shot about 6 p.m. in the 4400 block of Hayes Street NE, in the Deanwood neighborhood.

Authorities said six or seven gunshots were fired. Officers found Irving struck multiple times and lying facedown on the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

 Peter Hermann

Federal ofcer shoots leg with holstered gun

A federal contractual police officer accidentally shot himself in the leg Wednesday afternoon while in a traffic control booth on Pennsylvania Avenue, four blocks from the White House, according to authorities.

The officer, who was not identified, was reported in good condition at a hospital. He is a protective security officer, guarding government buildings under a contract with the Federal Protective Service, part of the Department of Homeland Security.

The Federal Protective Service said the officer was in the booth in the 1200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue NW when his pistol discharged in his holster. He was struck in the right leg. The incident occurred about 1:30 p.m.

Authorities did not say whether the officer was assigned to a particular building.

The Federal Protective Service is investigating.

 Peter Hermann

MARYLAND

Hixson to leave as Ways and Means chair

Del. Sheila E. Hixson, one of the longest-serving members of the Maryland House, is giving up her role as chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee and will be replaced by Del. Anne R. Kaiser (D-Montgomery).

Hixson (D-Montgomery) has been a member of the General Assembly for 40 years and has chaired the panel for 24 years.

House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) said Del. C. William Frick (D-Montgomery) will replace Kaiser as House majority leader.

 Ovetta Wiggins
A Republican legislative aide in Maryland who was behind a fake news site that accused Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton of election-rigging was fired Jan. 18. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

A Republican legislative aide in Maryland who was behind a fake news site that accused Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton of election-rigging was fired Wednesday.

Del. David E. Vogt III (R-Frederick) said he terminated Cameron Harris on the spot after learning that he was the mastermind behind ChristianTimesNewspaper.com and its fabricated Sept. 30 article, which reported that there were tens of thousands of fraudulent Clinton votes found in an Ohio warehouse.

Harris, who graduated from Davidson College in North Carolina in May, had worked for the Republican delegate since June. He did not return a call for comment, but he apologized in a Twitter post to those disappointed by my actions and called for a larger dialogue about how Americans approach the media and other issues.

Vogt said he was shocked when he read a story in the New York Times on Wednesday that outlined Harriss creation of the fake news story. The Times said the article was shared online with 6 million people.

I was shocked to hear that he could do such a thing, Vogt said Wednesday evening. He seemed like a bright young man that was interested in getting involved in politics.

Harriss ouster was first reported by the Frederick News-Post.

Vogt said Harris apologized for creating the article. But the delegate replied that he couldnt support any dishonesty, regardless of what side you support.

Harris also worked for Vogts failed 2016 bid for Congress and served as the communications director and spokesman for Change Annapolis, a political action committee created last year and aimed at winning more Republican seats in the General Assembly.

According to campaign finance reports filed Wednesday, Harris received $570 in December from the committee.

Harris told the Times that he created fake news to earn money. After investing $5 for the domain name, he earned about $22,000 in online advertising revenue.

In an interview with the Times, Harris expressed guilt for spreading lies but also a sense of pride in doing it so well.

At first it kind of shocked me  the response I was getting, he said. How easily people would believe. It was almost like a sociological experiment.
Maryland House Speaker Michael Busch (right) and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, left, who are both Democrats. (Brian Witte/AP)

Turns out there is some pain in Maryland Gov. Larry Hogans proposed spending plan after all.

The first-term Republican cheerfully announced at a news conference Tuesday that he could trim spending and eliminate a $750 million deficit with no serious cuts.

On Wednesday, he released his actual budget proposal for fiscal 2018, triggering immediate criticism from advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers about cuts to some mandated spending increases, a reduction in the operating subsidy provided to Prince Georges Hospital Center, the elimination of some funding to address pressing problems in Baltimore; and a reduction in spending on state grants to that city and other poorer jurisdictions that receive relatively little revenue from income taxes.

This is a reminder that when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, said Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery), vice chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. You cant believe all the hype that comes out of the governors press operation.

Much of the pushback related to legislation that the governor is proposing to keep spending in check amid dimming revenue forecasts. The measure, known as a budget-reconciliation bill, would pause some of the states mandated spending, including many funding hikes that take place automatically each year under state law.

One such requirement is a 3.5 percent increase in the reimbursement rates for care providers who work with the developmentally disabled. Hogan cut that amount to 2 percent for next year to achieve an estimated savings of $8.4 million.

Critics said the plan could cause care workers to seek better-paying jobs in other fields. It magnifies the problems that were already having to deliver quality services to the disabled population, said Sen. Thomas M. Middleton (D-Charles), who pushed to include the annual increases in a minimum-wage bill that passed in 2014.

Be empathetic with the population that these people are serving. . . . When they dont have that consistency, the progress you can make with a person with disabilities is weakened.

Hogans budget-reconciliation bill would also cancel spending on a host of initiatives that the legislature approved last year to help Baltimore, including funding for after-school and scholarship programs, parks and adult education.

Overall spending on local aid would remain relatively flat under Hogans fiscal plan, increasing by only $1 million in 2018.

In total, the budget-reconciliation measure would save an estimated $248 million, with nearly 20 percent of that amount coming from halting a requirement to sweep some of the states surplus money into Marylands public-pension system.

Hogan has also proposed legislation to provide tax relief for military retirees, police, firefighters and other emergency-response personnel, which he tried unsuccessfully to push through the legislature earlier in his term.

Budget officials said those proposals would affect revenue starting in 2019.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) criticized Hogan for allocating far less in operating funds to the Prince Georges County hospital system than lawmakers were expecting after a prolonged and bitter dispute last year.

Hogan announced in February that he would provide $15 million for the hospital in fiscal 2017 and would give $55 million total in operating funds over five years. The General Assembly, meanwhile, passed a law calling for $30 million for the hospital in fiscal 2018, $15 million in fiscal 2019 and $5 million each in fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021.

In the budget proposal released Wednesday, Hogan allocated $7.5 million for fiscal 2017 and $15 million for fiscal 2018.

We had an agreement, Miller said. The governor is reneging on his pledge to Prince Georges Hospital.

Doug Mayer, a spokesman for Hogan, said the agreement forged last year is flexible and is not being violated by the governor.

Funding is still on track  its just being pushed into outer years, Mayer said, adding that Hogan consulted the University of Maryland Medical System, which is taking over management of the hospital, before deciding how much to allocate.

Labor groups also raised concerns with the proposed budget, with state-employee unions chiding the governor for eliminating a cost-of-living increase for workers on the state payroll.

Patrick Moran, president of AFSCME Maryland Council 3, the largest union representing state employees, said the plan shows a lack of respect for the work his groups members do.

He criticized the state for agreeing to offer millions of dollars in tax credits and incentives to keep such corporations as Marriott International and Northrop Grumman in the state without making sure it could afford pay bumps for its employees.

You dont need to give money to big businesses that are running massive surpluses  theyre doing fine, Moran said. Its Marylands working families that are not doing fine.

Mayer said the pay increases would not be feasible with the budget realities weve been facing.

Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett has not yet decided whether to sign a $15 per hour minium wage bill, a county govenrment spokesman said, despite a demonstration Thursday morning by a coalition of labor, religious and community organizations who called for his signature.

Leggett (D) has until Jan. 27 to determine whether he will sign or veto the legislation, which passed the County Council Tuesday on a 5-4 vote. He could also let it become law without his signature.

Last week, Leggett said he was worried the bill would put Montgomery at a competitive disadvantage in the region, where only the District has a similar minimum-wage law, and that it would put too great a burden on employers.

Several dozen people demonstrated Thursday in favor of the legislation, which would raise minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020. A family of four with a single wage earner needs to make $22 an hour to live above the federal poverty line in Montgomery County, but 143,000 families make less than $13.59 an hour, organizers said.

The demonstration included representatives of labor unions, an immigrant advocacy group and the local African American and womens Democratic clubs.
Montgomery county

This case was received by the Montgomery County Animal Services Division. For information, call 240-773-5900. This number provides recorded information on topics such as the new animal services and adoption centers hours and location in Derwood, adoption and licensing procedures, and lost-and-found and field services.

Laytonsville

Stray peacocks : Hipsley Mill Rd., 24400 block, Jan. 3. A homeowner reported that her neighbors peacocks were continually entering her property. Animal services met with the peacock owner, who said that the large birds were left on his property by the previous tenants when they moved to Arkansas and that he does not want the peacocks. An officer told the man that because the birds were left on his property, they are his responsibility to either care for or have removed. The officer offered resources for bird removal.

Reduced FEES FOR CATS

Cats and kittens will be available for adoption at the next open house of Friends of Montgomery County Animals at the following location. Call 301-977-4833 or visit fmca.org or facebook.com/fmcainfo.

PetSmart at Milestone Center, 20924 Frederick Rd., Germantown.

Hours: 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Cats at no-kill shelter

Cats and kittens will be available for adoption through the Animal Welfare League of Montgomery Countys no-kill shelter at the following location. For information, call 301-740-2511 or visit awlmc.org.

Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County no-kill shelter, 12 Park Ave., Gaithersburg. Hours: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Humane Society adoptions

The Montgomery County Humane Societys private rescue shelter has dogs, puppies, cats and kittens available for adoption. Call 240-252-2555 or visit mchumane.org.

MCHS Adoptions and Education Center, 601 S. Stonestreet Ave., Rockville.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except holidays.

 Compiled by Lisa M. Bolton
Several Washington law groups have joined to offer free legal assistance to individuals who may be arrested during the Inauguration Friday or the Womens March on Saturday.

Organizations including the National Lawyers Guild, the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, the D.C. Law Students in Court and Law for Black Lives, D.C., plan to have lawyers, paralegals and other staffers on call over the weekend through Monday to help individuals who are arrested during demonstrations.

Moses Cook, executive director of D.C. Law Students, said his students have spent the past week going over First Amendment law to prepare to argue in a bipartisan position for those demonstrators arrested. The law students were also instructed on D.C. policing rules during demonstrations.

Were ready to defend their Constitutional rights, Cook said.

Patrice Sulton, a supervising attorney with the organization said her attorneys will also be available next week for those individuals who were arrested and want to see about getting their cases expunged.

A National Lawyers Guild hotline was created for individuals or their family or friends. The primary number for those arrested and jailed is 202-670-6866. More general questions from families and friends of those arrested can be directed by phone to 1-866-798-6444 and by email to dcmassdefense@gmail.com. The Partnership for Civil Justice Funds website justiceonline.org also has information under the header Know Your Rights.

[Mapping the inauguration and parade]

Most legal experts expect that individual demonstrators arrested would likely be fined and released by police. In those cases, there would be no conviction, but often times there would still be an arrest that appears on their record.

Other individuals may receive a citation and be ordered to return for hearing at D.C. Superior Court at a later date.

Individuals arrested Friday could be ordered held overnight until court Saturday. However, those arrested on Saturday and ordered detained based on their charges, would remain in a local lock up until court reopens Monday.

Lauren Dollar, an attorney coordinating with the D.C. chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, said members of the organization will be wearing green hats that say Legal Observer and will be walking around Inauguration activities Friday and at the Womens March Saturday observing police behavior and making sure peoples first amendment rights are protected, she said.
A Maryland man has been charged in connection with shooting at an off-duty D.C. police officer Wednesday morning and then leading authorities on a pursuit through three neighborhoods in Northeast and Northwest Washington.

Police late Thursday updated the identity of the suspect as Jeremiah Elijah Woodfork, 31, of Suitland and said that Woodfork also is known by an identity they originally released: Edward Darnell Bolling Jr., 29, of Sacramento.

Woodfork faces charges that include assault with a dangerous weapon, fleeing and eluding, and possession of drugs with intent to distribute.

Police had arrested a second person during one part of the pursuit but released him without filing charges. Police said the man was a passenger in the fleeing Mercedes but had not been in the vehicle when the off-duty officer was fired upon. It is unclear when and where the man got into the car.

The incident began when the off-duty officer, in civilian clothes and driving his personal vehicle, saw the Mercedes being driven erratically in the 300 block of U Street NE, in Eckington. Police said the off-duty officer began to pursue the vehicle, and it stopped. An occupant got out and shot repeatedly at the off-duty officer, police said. It was not clear if the gunman knew he was shooting at a police officer.

The gunman sped off, and officers pursued his vehicle to the unit block of W Street NW, in Bloomingdale. Officers approached the vehicle on foot, and one discharged a service weapon. Police said they are investigating the circumstances of that discharge.

No one was struck. The passenger got out of the vehicle, was arrested and later released. The driver of the Mercedes again took off, with the police in pursuit. The chase ended when the Mercedes crashed into parked cars in the 1900 block of Fifth Street NW in Shaw, and the driver was arrested. Police said they recovered a handgun along the flight path of the vehicle.
An ambulance exits the secure area after the execution of Ricky Gray at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017. (Steve Helber/AP)

Attorneys for Virginia inmate Ricky Gray are asking why his execution Wednesday took more than half an hour and was not fully visible to observers.

During his execution at Greensville Correctional Center for killing two young girls in a brutal 2006 home invasion, Gray was hidden from the view of witnesses for 33 minutes. According to the Virginia Department of Corrections, the delay was caused by difficulty inserting an intravenous line.

The time needed to find a vein for IV insertion varies from person to person, and the Department of Corrections proceeds with the utmost care in placing these lines to ensure proper administration of the chemicals, VDOC spokeswoman Lisa Kinney said. It is not a process to be rushed.

Grays attorneys are challenging that explanation. Gray had told them that VDOC staff had examined his veins multiple times in the days leading to the execution.

[Ricky Gray executed in Virginia]

He was a healthy, 39-year-old man, and did not have any medical condition or history (such as intravenous drug use) that would indicate potential problems, attorneys Rob Lee, Jonathan Sheldon and Elizabeth Peiffer said in a statement.

Peiffer, who was a witness to the execution, said she tried and failed to learn from prison officials what was going on behind a curtain while the IV was being inserted.

Peiffer said that after a curtain opened and the sedative midazolam was administered, she saw Gray breathing laboriously, gasping, snoring and making movements.

Peiffer said after Gray then was given a pinch test for pain and consciousness, he turned his head from side to side.

Kinney disputed the attorneys account, saying Gray did not respond to the pinch test.

Grays attorneys say he may have been suffocating from the midazolam, or may have been reacting to the excruciating pain of the second and third drugs used on the execution, which paralyze the body and stop the heart.

Mark Heath, an anesthesiologist at Columbia University who has testified in several death penalty cases, said the description of Grays movements by his lawyers seems consistent with a reaction to a high dose of midazolam that depresses but does not fully eliminate respiratory function. The body will attempt to inhale, he said, but the brain is not aware of the struggle. For some witnesses, it is troubling, and it creates confusion and uncertainty, Heath said.

The speed with which Gray fell asleep, he said, suggests officials succeeded in finding a vein. And while the second and third drug can be excruciatingly painful, he said Grays reactions do not suggest he felt them.

Id be very, very surprised if he experienced anything, Heath said. That said, he called Virginias system a very flawed process and a very flawed protocol, in part because the paralytic second drug prevents the witnesses from determining and reporting whether the execution was accomplished in a humane and constitutionally compliant manner.

Midazolam, has been implicated in several prolonged and apparently painful executions. Arizona has agreed to stop using it. Despite testimony from pharmacologists that midazolam is not a proper anesthetic for executions, the Supreme Court narrowly upheld the constitutionality of its use last year.

Gray was the first prisoner to be executed in Virginia using midazolam, and his execution also was the first since a 2016 state law was passed to shield drugmakers identities from the public. The secrecy law was passed in the face of a nationwide struggle to obtain the drugs for executions.

European pharmaceutical companies are banned from exporting drugs to the United States for use in executions. Most pharmacies here have also stopped supplying them, facing political pressure from opponents of capital punishment.

The midazolam for Grays execution came from an unnamed compounding pharmacy, as did the third drug in the states three-drug execution protocol: potassium chloride to stop the heart.

Gray and his nephew Ray Dandridge together confessed to killing eight people in late 2005 and early 2006. Gray was convicted of killing Bryan and Kathryn Harvey and their two children, 9-year-old Stella and 4-year-old Ruby.

Grays lawyers also asked why a doctor with a stethoscope checked Grays heart before the prisoner was pronounced dead, when in the past doctors have relied on a heart monitor. The redundancy check by the physician is not something we have seen before in the numerous lethal injections we have observed, they wrote.

Deborah Denno, a lawyer at Fordham University who has monitored lethal injection executions since 1982, said it was hard to compare Grays death to others because no outside witnesses could see what was happening.

Nobody could see it, Denno said. So its hard to know whether it was a botched execution. It was certainly a problematic execution, because it took so long.

Prisoners in Virginia can choose to be executed by electric chair. But an effort to make electrocution mandatory in the event that drugs are unattainable was blocked two years ago by Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D).
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) speaks to a group of immigration rights advocates, during a rally against President-elect Donald Trumps immigration policies, at Metropolitan AME Church in Washington on Jan. 14. (Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press)

A few weeks into his first term as a U.S. senator, Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced that he will oppose three of President-elect Donald Trumps Cabinet picks: Jeff Sessions for attorney general, Chris Pruitt for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Betsy DeVos for secretary of education.

Van Hollen, 58, was recently elected to replace retired senator Barbara A. Mikulski, after serving seven terms in the House representing a district that includes Montgomery County.

He was also selected to lead the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, putting him in charge of defending 25 seats up for grabs in 2018.

Van Hollen said he is troubled by positions Sessions, a Republican senator from Alabama, has taken on voting rights as well as equal rights for minorities, women, the LGBT community and people with disabilities.

After reviewing the record of Senator Sessions, I am not convinced that he will be a vigorous defender of the rights of all Americans, especially those who have fallen victim to the powerful or the status quo, he said in a statement Wednesday.

In the late 1980s, Van Hollen worked on Capitol Hill for Charles McC. Mathias Jr., then a Republican senator from Maryland, who opposed Sessionss nomination for a federal judgeship.

Since then, Senator Sessions statements and actions have done little to reassure Americans, Van Hollen added.

On immigration reform, Van Hollen said Sessions would not serve as an independent check on Trump, who proposed a ban on Muslims entering the United States during the campaign before walking it back.

[Van Hollen campaigns hard for Senate seat that is within reach]

Van Hollen also had strong words for Pruitt, attorney general for Oklahoma, who once joined a group of attorneys general to block federal funding for a program to address pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.

As a co-chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force in the House, Van Hollen said that he doubted Pruitts commitment to protecting the environment. He called the bay an economic lifeline for Maryland tourism, the boating industry and watermen.

Scott Pruitt has spent his career attacking the EPA and its mission to protect our air, our water, and vital ecosystems like our beloved Chesapeake Bay. He has been a puppet for Big Oil and rejects the basic science of climate change. Putting him in charge of the EPA would violate the common wisdom that you dont ask a fox to guard the hen house, he said in a statement.

During his confirmation hearing, Pruitt suggested that he would support the cleanup program he had opposed.

For education, Van Hollen said DeVos is not prepared to be secretary and criticized her plan to prioritize school voucher programs and charter schools ahead of public education.

Mrs. DeVos displayed a concerning lack of knowledge about some of the most important issues in the education community, from how to measure student progress to how to make college more affordable, he said in a statement Thursday.
NATIONAL SECURITY

Algerian prisoner denied release from Guantanamo

A Guantanamo prisoner from Algeria lost a last-minute legal maneuver Wednesday to go home before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer in Washington declined to intervene in a Defense Department decision not to repatriate Sufyian Barhoumi, 43, in the final days of the Obama administration.

A government review board approved the repatriation of Barhoumi in August. But Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter did not give final approval and issue a 30-day notice to Congress of his impending release as required by law.

In an emergency court petition, Barhoumis attorney, Shane Kadidal, said he feared that Barhoumi and a Moroccan prisoner in a similar situation may not make it out under Trump, who has said he wants to continue using the detention center on the U.S. base in Cuba.

Attorneys for the men argue that there is no longer any justification for holding them given the boards decision. The Justice Department opposed the request and said Carter rejected the release of Barhoumi on Jan. 12 based on a variety of substantive concerns, shared by multiple agencies.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly is considering a similar motion filed on behalf of the Moroccan prisoner, Abdullatif Nasser, 51, who was cleared for repatriation by the review board in July. But the Justice Department said his country did not provide some needed information until Dec. 28, which was too late for the Defense Department to give its required 30-day notice to Congress.

There are 45 prisoners at Guantanamo. They include nine cleared for release such as Nasser and Barhoumi. Several may still make it out before Jan. 20.

 Associqted Press

FLORIDA

Orlando nightclub owners widow pleads not guilty

The widow of the Orlando nightclub gunman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of aiding and abetting her husbands support of the Islamic State group and hindering the investigation of the attack that killed 49 people and injured 53.

Noor Salman, 30, entered her plea in an Oakland courtroom two days after she was taken into custody at the home she shared with her mother in suburban San Francisco. Her arrest came after she was interviewed numerous times by FBI agents.

Federal prosecutor Roger Handberg said in court Tuesday that Salman knew about the plan by her husband Omar Mateen to attack the gay nightclub on June 12 and then lied to investigators after it was over. Mateen was killed at the scene by authorities.

Salmans uncle Al Salman has defended his niece, saying she is an innocent person who was physically and mentally abused by Mateen.

He said she remained in the marriage because she feared losing custody of the couples 4-year-old boy.

 Associated Press
There are changes coming to the Neshonoc hydroelectric dam in West Salem.

Scott Purlee of Eagle Creek Renewable Energy said that in the coming weeks, the dam will receive various computerized upgrades to automate the plant, which will allow remote control of the nearly 80-year-old dam.

This is the first major upgrade to the facility since 2013, when the seals on the dams gates and the original oak timbers were replaced with rubber and steel.

The improvements are part of a larger plan by Purlee to renovate and restore the dam.

Lake District Chair Jim Leicht said he was excited to see the new owners investing in the facility.

He said the Neshonoc Dam had been neglected in last few years.

Purlee, manager for the companys southern district, said under North American Hydroelectric, which was obtained by Eagle Creek about four years ago, the Neshonoc plant was not made a priority.

The company, based out of Morristown, N.J., purchases and operates hydroelectric dams throughout the company.

Purlee said the company owns and operates more than 60 hydroelectric dams.

It wasnt until last year that the dam came under Eagle Creek and Purlees management as part of a restructuring within the company.

I dont think it got the attention it deserved, Purlee said of the Neshonoc plant.

The Neshonoc Dam was considered a low-hazard plant.

Because of that, Purlee said, more attention was given to the high-hazard Hatfield plant located along the Black River.

He said this was one of the changes made when Cedar Creek took over management of the Neshonoc plant.

Purlee said of the five plants he oversees in Wisconsin and Illinois, all are considered low-hazard plants, of which Neshonoc is the highest priority.

He said during the next few weeks, the Neshonoc plant will have a computer system installed to automate the raising and lowering of the gates.

Before that, a dam operator was required to look at the lake conditions each morning and adjust the gates accordingly.

Backup operator and Village Administrator Teresa Schnitzler said the upgrades will be a great improvement over having to go out to manually adjust the gates.

She said the upgrade will also allow operators see whether the power is on at the plant.

There was no way to know if the power is off at the plant, she said.

The new system is expected to be installed in the next few weeks, and a new roof is planned for this spring.

My intent is to beautify it, Purlee said. If you saw the inside you would see a very different place than six months ago.

n addition to maintaining and repairing the aging facility, he said he hopes to preserve as much of the historical equipment as possible.

Some of my other plants are like living museums, Purlee said.

Leicht said his biggest concern, the dams damaged flashboards, has yet to be fully addressed.

The flashboards artificially hold the lake level higher and allow the plant to produce more electricity.

He said some time ago, the flashboards became damaged, but to his knowledge were never repaired.

Leicht said if the flashboards were to fail, the lake level could fall 30-plus inches adversely affecting the lake district, fishery and the La Crosse River.

Purlee said he wasnt aware of an issue with the flashboards before it was mentioned by Leicht, but is now investigating.

Repairing the flashboards would require temporarily lowering lake level and raising the river for some time while they were being replaced.

Purlee he would need to coordinate with the lake district, fishery and other entities downriver before pursuing any repair if necessary.
Now that we are a little ways into the new year, I thought it might be a good time to talk about some new things at the library.

The most exciting new thing to us is that the John Bosshard Memorial Library in Bangor and the Hazel Brown Leicht Library in West Salem have new extended hours as of Jan 3.

Bangor will now open at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays (instead of 3 p.m.). West Salem will be opening at 10 a.m. on Thursdays (instead of 1 p.m.) and will be opening at 10 a.m. on Fridays (instead of 11:00 a.m.) and will be open on Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. now. And of course the Holmen Area Library will be moving into its new building later on in the year. We are very excited about all these additions and hope you are as well.

Also, this is the time of year when you will be seeing some new magazine subscriptions arrive at your favorite branch. Here in Bangor, our newest additions will be Bark Magazine, Cowboys & Indians, Wisconsin Sportsman, Mary Janes Farm, Weightwatchers Magazine and Cooks Country, just to name a few.

We also are always doing new displays at the libraries. We have displays on Penguins, Knitting, Winter and Snow books and of course a display on the wonderful Green Bay Packers (which includes my bobble-muscle Clay Matthews statue). We also have a great display on our Local Authors which include Mary Bach, Della Berg, Matthew Hefti, Gary Jones and John McCue.

Another thing I wanted to remind you all of is we have Nooks available for checkout. We have more than 172 titles loaded on our Nooksso if a nook is something you have been thinking about trying and you are just not sure if you will like it, stop in and give ours a try.

Our Storytimes have also started again. You can come to Bangor on Mondays at 10:15 a.m., or go to Campbell on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. Holmens is on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. or Thursdays at 10:15 a.m. Onalaskas is on Mondays at 6:30 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 10:15 a.m. And West Salems in on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m.

So stop into your favorite La Crosse County Library branch in Bangor, Campbell, Holmen, Onalaska or West Salem and check out some of our new items. Or go to our website at lacrossecountylibrary.org and browse our catalog. We have something for everyone.
A white rhino feeds at a zoo in South Africa. The animals use communal defecation sites in ways that mimic social messaging boards. (KIM LUDBROOK/EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY)

Heres a social networking site you can find with your nose: Scientists studying the communal defecation sites of white rhinos in South Africa have found that the animals use them like social messaging boards  to leave notes about their status and to read the posts of others.

The discovery, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, offers insight into the behaviors of these and other social animals  and could even help researchers develop tools to aid in their conservation.

Mammals are known to leave one another scent signals in their urine (as anyone watching a dog studiously sniff a lamppost might suspect).

But the signal-sending potential of dung has garnered relatively less attention, scientists said.

Urine has been more heavily studied, lead author Courtney Marneweck, an ecologist and doctoral student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, said in an email. Perhaps because the behavior of urine marking is so obvious (i.e. it normally comes via urine spraying), its function is obviously more than pure elimination. Because specific behaviors are less common when defecating, perhaps the communicatory significance was unrealized.

But scientists have begun to suspect that dung may actually play an important role in social communication, especially for such animals as the Oribi antelope, the coyote and the white rhinoceros, which uses communal defecation sites (also known as middens).

From behavioral observations we were really sure that rhinos were using middens to gather information about each other, Marneweck said. This was first noticed by [South African researcher] Norman Owen-Smith in the early 1970s. But only recent developments in technology have allowed us to really understand odors.

There were several reasons white rhinos were the perfect study subjects, Marneweck said.

White rhinos are a great model species to study olfactory communication (thats communication via smell), she wrote. Firstly, they have very bad eyesight and rely on olfaction heavily. Second, the middens that they use are large (up to 20 meters in diameter), frequent, and really easy to find.

The plan was to gather dung immediately after a rhinoceros relieved itself. That way, researchers would know exactly which individual deposited each sample, which would allow them to figure out whether there were any telltale chemicals that correlated with that animals identifying characteristics, such as sex or age.

Finding these smelly, sizable middens may have been easy  but catching a rhino in the act was no walk in the park, she added.

Field work is always challenging, but collecting all this data took a long time. . . . I think my record for waiting for a rhino to poo was 7.5 hours! Marneweck wrote. Thats after walking and tracking it!

After sampling the volatile, or airborne, chemicals from 150 dung samples, she used a pattern-recognition algorithm to figure out the smell profiles of each animal in terms of sex, age, territorial state (for males) and whether it was in heat (for females).

Once she and her colleagues knew which airborne chemicals correlated with each characteristic, Marneweck created a faux deposit for a territorial male and a female in heat (known as an oestrous female) and put them in the field to see what effect they had in the wild.

Sure enough, when a territorial male smelled the oestrous female, he sniffed the source for a long time and then apparently went to track her down. But if he smelled a territorial rival, he immediately became vigilant and then seemed to try to search out the threat. (Smelling non-dominant males and non-oestrous females didnt seem to matter to the territorial male.)

The findings show that rhinoceroses leave very specific posts that help drive the local populations social activity.

Theres a good reason to use urine and dung to deliver these messages, Marneweck pointed out: It doesnt cost any extra energy to do so.

Using a waste product for a scent marking signal is energetically smart, she said. It is costly for animals to create specialized scent secretions, but urine and dung require no extra energy costs. Dung is larger and therefore easier to find, but the longevity of dung vs. urine is species-specific.

Plenty of other animals use communal pooping grounds, and identifying telltale compounds in their dung could open a new door to studying them as well as to creating tools for land management and species conservation.

For example, encouraging animals to cross a corridor to increase genetic flow, or discouraging animals from dangerous areas such as human conflict zones, Marneweck said, noting a few of the possibilities. There are even captive applications such as aiding breeding programs by providing olfactory stimuli.
Paul Gulsvig is a busy man. He recently left his home and wont return until April, traveling across the United States to help high school show choirs perfect their craft.

A show doctor as Gulsvig calls himself, today the retired Onalaska High School choral director works with more than 40 schools across the country showing them ways to improve their routines and shows. On the weekends, he serves as a judge at competitions.

Gulsvig will travel to Indianapolis and other schools scattered around the country before ending in Phoenix, Ariz., in April.

Gulsvig originally planned to head to Indianapolis last weekend, but his wife, Jane, wouldnt allow him to go because of untold prior engagements, so Gulsvig ended up at the Classic as a judge instead of leaving early for Indianapolis.

What happened next, Gulsvig never saw coming.

Thirty years ago, when Gulsvig was the choir teacher and show choir director at OHS, his show choir was preparing for its annual trip to Wisconsin Dells for a competition. The show was cancelled, however, because the Dells director returned back to college. With an open competition weekend and an open mind, Gulsvig invited the 15 other schools from the original competition to compete at Onalaska, and the Onalaska Show Choir Classic has been happening ever since.

Saturday marked the 30th annual Show Choir Classic. To celebrate, current Onalaska High School choral director Richard Moses planned a surprise to honor Gulsvig, who gave everything to his students in the district for 28 years.

When something lasts 30 years it deserves to be commemorated. What better way to do that than honoring the man who made it all happen? Moses said.

Gulsvigs three children traveled to the competition from Florida, California and Minnesota. Hundreds of his former students and OHS alumni also were present to celebrate his dedication to the program. A video tribute from his former students talking about him was played as were clips of his choirs performing. He was also presented an award for being such a big part of the show and Onalaska show choir.

It was really hard to wrap my head around, Gulsvig said. It was pretty overwhelming. My kids and all of the alumni being there, it was amazing.

He said he knew his wife was up to something when she wouldnt let him leave for his trip, but he said hes glad he listened.

At first I knew something was going on, but I never could have guessed this. I had no idea this was coming.

Moses said that Guslvigs influence still is felt in the roots of the Onalaska choirs.

Paul is an icon in vocal choir. When he ran this competition, it was literally one of the best in the nation. He has been such a wonderful asset to this program, Moses said.

The competition went well, Moses added, and I cant think of a better way to honor him than to show him that this thing he started so many years ago is still going strong.
French writer and philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy writes that his work on behalf of the oppressed is tied to his Jewish identity. (Brayan Lopez/REX/Shutterstock/Associated Press)

Thane Rosenbaum, a novelist, essayist and Distinguished Fellow at NYU School of Law, is the director of the Forum on Law, Culture & Society, and the author, most recently, of How Sweet It is!.

For many years, Bernard-Henri Levy has been one of Europes leading public intellectuals. But he has been even more ubiquitous, and curious, as the worlds foremost wandering Jew.

Born in Algeria, and a fixture in France as both an author and a media personality, Levys reputation as a globetrotter  an honorary citizen of hot spots around the world  has never had anything to do with exodus or exile, the traditional reasons that Jews, for millennia, have been on the move.

Levys wanderings have a more muscular, crusading quality, quite different from the often pained, desperate departures undertaken by his tribe. He has been more swashbuckler than supplicant, more prophetic voice than man crying out for dry land. Even more anomalously, he has dared to travel to places where Jews normally fear to tread.

With the publication of The Genius of Judaism, we may now finally know what has motivated his adventurous spirit. Levy argues that Judaism possesses a special genius for introspection and human betterment. In his view, the study of humanities, and enlightenment itself, brightens with the spark of Jewish thought. Approaching his mature phase as a philosopher, Levy has now directed his thinking inward and concluded that his lifelong travels as unofficial ambassador on behalf of the oppressed and forgotten were apparently tied, all along, to his moral obligations as a Jew.

"The Genius of Judaism," by Bernard-Henri Levy (Random House)

[Review: At the Existentialist Cafe: Hanging out with Sartre, Camus, de Beauvoir and more]

It is an interesting revelation from a man who openly acknowledges his many lapses from Jewish ritual. One is far more likely to find him in a Parisian cafe than in one of its synagogues. He is a student of the European Enlightenment and not its Talmud academies. His romantic life would have exhausted Lord Byron, far better resembling that of a rock star than an ascetic rabbi. Yet, an intuitive sense of Jewish responsibility, if not Jewish soul, has not only guided his exploits but also seemingly imbued them with a higher moral purpose.

The Hebrew phrase tikkun olam  to repair the world  has been the raison detre of Jews who manifest their Jewish identity in social activism. Levy was living these words long before most Jews knew what the phrase even meant.

Whether it was his years as a journalist and activist in Cambodia and Bosnia during their respective genocides, or as an investigator in Pakistan as he sought answers in the decapitation of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, or in Kurdistan standing in solidarity with the virtuous peshmerga, or when he urged Ukrainians to acknowledge their Nazi-collaborating past and memorialize their Jewish dead, or when he undertook his righteous but ultimately criticized efforts to mobilize world opinion in support of Libyan rebel forces overthrowing Moammar Gaddafi, Levy has insinuated himself into world affairs without diplomatic protocol but with a lot of Jewish chutzpah.

The Genius of Judaism arrives at a propitious time. Anti-Semitism is rising, especially in France, with the murders at the Parisian kosher market and the Jewish day school in Toulouse; the torture and death of Ilan Halimi, a French Jew of Moroccan descent; and the trapping of 200 Jews in a synagogue by an outside mob chanting Death to the Jews! and Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas!

[Review: Anti-Judaism: The Western Tradition by David Nirenberg]

Levy points out that these episodes are alarming, but quite different and far less threatening than the conditions in 1930s Europe that led to the Holocaust. Todays Jew-hatred is directed at Israel and includes a cynical Holocaust backlash. Old-school Christian blood libels are passe, no small comfort to the thousands of Jews who left France for Israel these past several years.

But Levy is correct in observing that this new look to an ancient prejudice has the potential to become a moral atomic bomb. Condemning Israel (and world Jewry) for the suffering of Palestinians normalizes anti-Semitism, allowing it to appear more respectable as a human rights issue, concealing its bigoted, murderous agenda. In a sly twist to centuries of Jewish displacement, Jews are now being blamed for having a homeland and for vigorously defending it.

[Review: On the Eve: The Jews of Europe Before the Second World War by Bernard Wasserstein]

Levy suggests, however, that anti-Semitism is confined largely to Muslims and right-wing fringe agitators. French institutions, by contrast, are resolutely opposed to anti-Semitism. As former prime minister Manuel Valls has stated, France without Jews is not France.

Levy couldnt agree more with that statement. Indeed, he makes the case that modern France was significantly shaped by Jews, such as the medieval rabbi Rashi, who endowed the French language with a religious and communal purpose; Marcel Proust, who brought a Jewish sensibility and resuscitated the French novel; and philosophers Emmanuel Levinas and Maurice Blanchot, who imparted a moral vision for how Jews should come face to face with others and strangers, ideals that reinforce why The Genius of Judaism became, for Levy, such a deeply personal and indispensable project.

Here he returns to the Old Testament and the Book of Jonah, a minor prophet who, not unlike the others, doesnt really want the job. God asks Jonah to visit the wicked city of Nineveh and persuade its people to repent or face destruction. Nineveh, ironically, is a sworn enemy of the Jews. Why Jonah would want to save them, only God knows. Instead, Jonah tries to ditch the assignment and escape, which ultimately leads him to be swallowed up by a whale, only to eventually return to Nineveh and carry out Gods command.

The Genius of Judaism, a smart, revealing and essential book for our times, is Levys own private whale, and our treacherous world is his Nineveh. The book enables him to reflect on how he has lived his life as a Jew and how, as a student of moral philosophy and world events, his writers voice took on more prophetic, humanistic dimensions.
WE OPPOSED Donald Trumps election and supported his opponent , Hillary Clinton, because we thought she offered better policy solutions and was better-suited by experience and temperament for the job. Since Nov. 8, Mr. Trump has stoked doubts regarding policy, by issuing apologetics for Russia and tariff threats against automakers, American and foreign, among other instances. In a series of outbursts on Twitter, he also has intensified many Americans concern about his temperament.

Nevertheless, his election was legitimate, and his inauguration is inevitable. All of us have a duty to oppose Mr. Trump when he is wrong, but also to remain open to supporting him when he and the Republican-majority Congress make worthy proposals.

How often might that be? Well, not never: We can identify a number of areas in which Mr. Trump and his fellow Republicans have ideas worth taking seriously.

One would be tax reform, specifically of the corporate code. Mr. Trumps campaign proposals on both the corporate and individual side were unjustifiably generous to the well-to-do and destabilizing to federal finances. Nevertheless, he appropriately seeks to encourage corporations to bring billions back to the United States and to discourage them from offshoring income in the first place. Emerging Republican plans in Congress offer intriguing possibilities for accomplishing those objectives  if appropriately designed not to blow up the deficit or unduly exacerbate inequality.

Then there is education. Mr. Trumps nomination of Michigan school choice advocate Betsy DeVos to be education secretary signals that the incoming administration will be more sympathetic than any in recent memory to giving parents alternatives to traditional public schools, whether publicly funded charter schools or vouchers to help pay private-school tuition. If reform is targeted to poor families currently with no options other than a failing neighborhood school, it would be a boon.

(The Washington Post)

Mr. Trump and the Republicans are right to emphasize a stronger military defense, after years of budgetary uncertainty exacerbated by the ill-advised sequestration limits. Again, much depends on how they go about boosting military spending and how they propose to pay for it, if at all. Yet the basic principle seems sound, given multiple threats: terrorism, China and, yes, Russia. Mr. Trumps insistence that the government get a better deal from defense contractors  as from drug manufacturers  also isnt crazy.

Mr. Trump has expressed interest in expanding infrastructure and deregulating business, and on both counts he has a point  with caveats. If Mr. Trumps idea for the former issue is like that of adviser Stephen K. Bannon  who has said, apropos construction spending, Were just going to throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks  the results could be disastrous. If Mr. Trump wants to fund a long-term program to maintain and upgrade existing facilities, the productivity enhancements could justify paying for it with borrowed funds. As for regulation, there must be simpler, less costly ways to achieve widely shared goals such as fuel efficiency and financial stability. If Mr. Trump genuinely pursues them, as opposed to abandoning the goals, hell deserve a fair hearing.

As full of risk for our democracy as the Trump presidency is, it would be folly to ignore any opportunities for progress it presents, if and when it does.
XI JINPING took a stab at seizing the mantle of global economic leadership on Tuesday, delivering a lengthy defense of free trade and globalization at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. To some extent, it worked: Many in the elite crowd of business leaders, government ministers and journalists seemed thrilled to hear the Chinese president, in his first appearance at the swishy forum, proclaim that there was no point in blaming economic globalization for the worlds problems  particularly as he spoke on a day when British Prime Minister Theresa May was outlining a hard exit from the European Union and European newspapers were quoting President-elect Donald Trump on his plans for punitive tariffs.

Mr. Xi certainly was shrewd to position himself as the alternative to Mr. Trump, and the eager response to him was a demonstration of the vacuum of U.S. leadership the incoming president may soon create. But before Chinas ruler is crowned the new champion Davos man, it ought to be pointed out that his regime is, in most respects, far less liberal or embracing of globalization than the Trump administration will be even if the worst fears of its critics come true.

For example, Mr. Xi declared that we must remain committed to developing global free trade and investment, promote trade and investment liberalization . . . and say no to protectionism. Yet his own regime has sharply tightened the flows of capital and investment across Chinas borders. Imagine a Trump administration placing controls on the transfer of more than $5 million out of the United States, as the Xi regime just did in China. Foreign companies that wish to invest in the country often still are forced to partner with local companies and hand over their technology. Major U.S. Internet companies, including Facebook and Twitter, remain locked out of the market.

Inconveniently for Mr. Xi, the American Chamber of Commerce in China released a report on Wednesday showing that 81 percent of 462 surveyed companies said they felt less welcomed in the country than before, and a quarter were reducing their operations or planning to do so. It is becoming apparent that the benefits of globalization are being taken for granted or even forgotten by Beijing, said a statement by AmCham China Chairman William Zarit.

Thats not to speak of the side of globalization conspicuously omitted by Mr. Xi, who carefully used the modifier economic. Since he took power in 2012, flows of information inside China as well as across its borders have been radically curtailed. Independent civil society has been virtually shut down, and critical journalists and academics silenced; even lawyers who defend them have been persecuted and imprisoned. While China barrages U.S. satellite viewers and newspaper readers with state-produced propaganda, the New York Times is banned in China, Google is censored, and critical journalists and academics are not allowed into the country.

None of this justifies a mercantilist response from Mr. Trump; Mr. Xi was right in saying that no one will emerge as a winner in a trade war. But if the Chinese regime really wishes to assume global economic leadership  or, for that matter, avoid endless conflict with the new U.S. administration  it would do well to follow up its speeches with genuine liberalization.
Aimee Murphy is founder of Life Matters Journal.

Note to the womens movement: It is possible to be both pro-life and a feminist. In fact, it is possible to be pro-life and a feminist and opposed to President-elect Donald Trump. Its too bad the organizers of the Womens March on Washington refuse to accept this fact. This week, march organizers indicated that women such as me are not welcome in their ranks.

When the Atlantic reported that the Womens March had approved New Wave Feminists, a pro-life feminist group, as an official partner, Twitter exploded with the rage of a thousand pro-choice feminists. They insisted that being pro-life and feminist is impossible, and that New Wave Feminists is anti-woman, misogynist, nauseating and worse.

You can guess what happened next. The Womens March leadership caved to the pressure and removed New Wave Feminists from their website. Afterward, they released a statement declaring that their platform is pro-choice and has been from day one and that the anti-choice organization in question is not a partner. . . . We apologize for this error.

This was no error. The march was billed as a women-led movement bringing together people of all genders, ages, races, cultures, political affiliations and backgrounds. Event co-chair Bob Bland even affirmed the inclusion of New Wave Feminists in the Atlantic article. But it turns out that the meaning of political affiliations and backgrounds is limited. Still, were going to go.

Pro-life feminists come from all walks of life, span many racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, and include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, Muslims, atheists and Christians. We share one commonality beneath all our diversity: We uphold the life and dignity of each and every human being. As such, we stand for equality, nondiscrimination and nonviolence. Living nonviolence means that we oppose abortion, because it is the intentional killing of the smallest members of our human family.

Like most feminists, we pro-life feminists at Life Matters Journal were troubled by Trumps election. His hateful rhetoric, xenophobic policies and misogynistic behavior indicate a terrifying disregard for the inherent dignity of human beings  women especially. Our foundational philosophy is the intrinsic value of humanity, regardless of gender, circumstance, age, ability, sexuality, race, religion. We wanted to make clear that Trump doesnt speak for us: He is not and should not be the face of the pro-life movement.

So, most of us were already set on protesting Trumps inauguration. When the Womens March was announced in November, we affirmed its core statement: Womens rights are human rights. We just take human rights a step further than most modern feminists: We affirm the rights of pre-born children to their own lives, to their own bodies. We stand for nonviolence toward women and their children.

(Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post)

Yet it has become clear that our feminism isnt wanted. First, the march added Planned Parenthood and NARAL as co-sponsors. Then, a whole docket of celebrity speakers who have been vocal supporters of abortion. Now, their list of Unity Principles has been amended to include open access to safe, legal, affordable abortion. This section falls right underneath Ending Violence on their list, indicating either blatant hypocrisy or a stunning lack of self-awareness.

And this week, they have explicitly rejected the partnership of pro-life feminists like us. At Life Matters Journal, we have applied to be event partners and have offered help in connecting the leaders with other #NeverTrump feminists. But with the rejection of New Wave Feminists, we get the message: You are unwanted. You are not welcome. We will not acknowledge your presence.

But we will go. We will march. Planned Parenthood does not own womens rights. The first-wave feminists understood that abortion is killing and that it is a tool of the patriarchy. We stand by the example of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul and many others who upheld the dignity of pre-born children and fought discrimination against women.

We will fight against the modern popular feminist paradigm that says that to support womens rights, we must support the violent act that is abortion. We will fight against the culture that understands pregnancy as a disease and sees children not for their inherent dignity, but for how wanted and able they are. We will stand up against misogyny, rape culture, sexual assault, sexism, racism, ageism, ableism and all discrimination. And yes, because of that, we will stand up against abortion.
As a graduate of the National Cathedral School, I was appalled that the Washington National Cathedral dean, the Rev. Randy Hollerith, with the support of Bishop Mariann Budde and the tacit approval of National Cathedral School Head Kathleen ONeill Jamieson, decided to send the National Cathedrals Choir of Men, Boys and Girls to sing at President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration [Cathedral questioned over role in ceremony, Metro, Jan. 16].

Mr. Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women, and more than a dozen women have accused Mr. Trump of sexual assault. The choir includes NCS students; participating in the inauguration not only condones Mr. Trumps actions and words but also sends a clear message to NCS girls that it is okay to celebrate, through song, a man who has spent his adult life objectifying women.

Cathedral officials have conflated singing and praying, and apparently believe it is possible to honor the peaceful transfer of presidential power without somehow also simultaneously honoring the person who will assume that power.

At what point must a line be drawn to send a message that horrible behavior has no business being celebrated? I thought Mr. Trumps denigration (all on videotape) of women, immigrants, the disabled, Muslims generally and the Muslim parents whose son was killed in defense of our country should have been more than enough to draw the line.

Laurel Neff, Chevy Chase
Carlos Eires Jan. 15 Sunday Opinion essay, Wet foot, dry foot, wrong foot, demonstrated exactly what is wrong with our politics these days. Many politicians and pundits have lost the ability to argue disagreements in policy without attacking the character and motivations of the other side.

Mr. Eires rhetoric failed to acknowledge that many, including those in the Cuban American community, support President Obamas actions toward Cuba. Mr. Eire can vocally disagree with the administrations policies without projecting onto Mr. Obama a malevolent intent to complete the utter betrayal of the Cuban people. His closing contention that the presidents loathing of President-elect Donald Trump prompted his decision to end the wet foot, dry foot policy (a debate that has been ongoing for more than a year) demonstrated similar disdain for differing opinions.

If we have any hope of healing our increasing partisan divide, a necessary step in creating a functioning government, we must engage in policy debates with the assumption that our opponents desire what we desire: policies that benefit our country and citizens while also living up to our American ideals.

Andrea Martens, Sumerduck, Va.
Dr. Tom Price, the orthopedic surgeon tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to oversee the Department of Health and Human Services, has found a miracle cure for ailing investment portfolios.

Price, a Georgia Republican, did some creative investing while leading the House Budget Committee last year. He bought stock in a maker of joint replacements a week before he introduced legislation that would help the company  which then made a campaign contribution to Price.

Nothing to see here, says the Trump team: A broker bought the shares without Prices knowledge.

Also last year, Price himself bought shares in an Australian immunotherapy company after hearing about it from fellow congressman Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), who is on the companys board and is a member of Trumps transition team. Price was included in a private placement of stock not available to the public, and Prices price was right: His investment is reportedly up 400 percent.

Nothing to see here, either, Price told a Senate panel Wednesday: He paid the same price as all the others who were let in on the private deal (including Collins, his staff chief and a lobbyist).

(Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

It all feels a bit, well, swampy.

These sound like sweetheart deals, observed Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.). I think our job in this body and in Congress and in government is to avoid the appearance of a conflict, and, boy, you have not done this.

[HHS nominee Price sees access to coverage as health reform goal]

Each day of the Trump transition seems to deliver a new blow to the embattled notion of honest government. The House Republican majority, in its first major action of the new session, attempted to defang and gag the Office of Congressional Ethics. That effort was postponed after Trump raised doubts about the timing, but House Republicans quietly slipped through two other changes rolling back ethics rules  shielding lawmakers spending records from investigators and giving the majority party power to name the chief of the ethics office without the minoritys sign-off.

At the same time, the director of the Office of Government Ethics condemned the rush to confirm Trumps nominees without complete vetting and Trumps refusal to eliminate his own conflicts of interest by divesting.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, responded  by attacking the ethics agency and threatening to defund it. Chaffetz told my colleague Jennifer Rubin that his committee wasnt concerned about the potential for Trumps self-dealing. He also said he is not necessarily concerned that Trump could violate the Constitutions emoluments clause forbidding payments from foreign countries.

This, collectively, is a sudden and sharp departure from a long-term trend toward cleaner government. Ethics in government have generally improved since the Watergate-era reforms, with pieces of legislation further tightening restrictions after intermittent scandals. But now theres a concerted push to discredit ethics standards and their enforcers.

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.

To see how much of a change this is, consider that the Office of Government Ethics now under attack by congressional Republicans and the Trump transition was created under President George H.W. Bush as part of ethics reforms the Republican president championed in 1989.

The millions of Americans who meet their obligations honestly and teach their kids to do it the same way see nothing extraordinary about asking the same of their government, he said when unveiling his ethics proposals. Should there not be an underlying standard of integrity for all?

Bush quoted Thomas Jefferson, from 1774: The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest.

Walter Shaub, director of the Office of Government Ethics, has been brutally honest in his assessment of the transition, criticizing Trump for his failure to divest and warning he would not succumb to pressure to cut corners and ignore conflicts of interest by rushing the vetting of Trumps Cabinet nominees.

In response, incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus warned Shaub to be careful, and Chaffetz, while threatening the agencys funding, told Shaub he should not engage in public relations. Chaffetz demanded a private interview with Shaub but has refused Shaubs request for a public hearing on the matter.

The reaction is revealing: The governments ethics watchdog howls about breaches of ethical standards  and the response is to silence the watchdog.

Thats what ties together the recently attempted actions by the Trump transition team and congressional Republicans  dismantling and silencing the Office of Congressional Ethics, defunding and muzzling the Office of Government Ethics, rushing appointees through without conflict-of-interest exams and ignoring Trumps own conflicts. They protect government officials self-dealing from the publics prying eyes.

Without ethics enforcers and requirements, we wouldnt have known about Prices questionable stock trades. And that, apparently, is how the new administration wants it  without Jeffersons art of being honest interfering with Trumps art of the deal.

Twitter: @Milbank

Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Why is this inauguration different from any other?

Lets start with the fact that most Americans are not happy that Donald Trump is about to become president. The Post/ABC News poll this week found that Trump enters the Oval Office with the lowest favorable ratings since the question has been asked. Only 40 percent view Trump favorably. That compares with 62 percent for George W. Bush as he entered office in 2001 and 79 percent for Barack Obama in 2009.

In the past, presidents facing public doubts of the sort Trump confronts have practiced what you might call self-interested humility. Bush declined to acknowledge the anger so many felt at the time about how the Supreme Court paved the way to his presidency, but in his well-wrought inaugural address he did show how to reach out and reassure those who worried about what he might do with power.

[Trump is the waterbeetle of American politics, and hell keep on flabbergasting]

Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment, Bush declared. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos.

(Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

You might say that since Election Day, Trump has chosen cynicism over trust, and chaos over community. Far from calming the country down, Trump has reminded everyone who opposed him on Nov. 8 of why they saw him as utterly unfit for the presidency in the first place.

Presidents about to take office typically speak warmly of their vanquished election foes. Not Trump. He renewed his attacks on Hillary Clinton at his news conference last week as if the campaign were still in full swing. He has waged a running war against civil rights icon John Lewis, both on Twitter and in a Fox News interview. Its effect was to incite a boycott of his inauguration by dozens of House Democrats.

Yet the dread Trump inspires is about far more than obnoxious tweets  and, by the way, the media and everyone else will have to figure out when Trumpian tweets are important and when they are distractions from far more urgent matters.

Trumps disdain for the democratic disposition we like our presidents to embrace was on display when he dressed down CNNs Jim Acosta at that news conference last week. Trumps tone, style and sheer rage (whether real or staged) brought to mind authoritarian leaders who brook no dissent.

Speaking of autocrats, Vladimir Putins engagement in American politics on Trumps behalf continued Tuesday when he called reports that Trump had been compromised by Russian intelligence total nonsense designed to undermine the legitimacy of Trumps presidency. Putin accused those spreading the information of being worse than prostitutes, adding: They have no moral boundaries.

You know we are entering a strange time when Putin, many of whose enemies wind up dead, is lecturing Americans about moral boundaries. Then again, Putin must have been grateful when Trump told the Times of London recently that he still considers NATO obsolete. Wrecking both NATO and the European Union, which Trump also demeaned, are central Putin objectives.

We still do not know exactly what ties Trump and his enterprises have to various Russian interests because he wont disclose basic financial information, including his tax returns, as his predecessors did.

1 of 33 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  These Democratic lawmakers are boycotting Donald Trumps inauguration View Photos They say they are declining to attend in protest of the president-elects worldview and his criticism of civil rights icon John Lewis, a congressman from Georgia. Caption They say they are declining to attend in protest of the president-elects worldview and his criticism of civil rights icon John Lewis, a congressman from Georgia. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) Beyer tweeted: I just told hundreds of my constituents that I will not be attending the Inauguration Ceremony this coming Friday. John McDonnell/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

In the meantime, Trumps refusal to truly separate himself from his businesses means that ethical conflicts could well start on Day One of his presidency. It is not paranoid to wonder whether foreign leaders will have ways of influencing Trump that we will know nothing about.

[Five policies Trump might get right]

It is hardly reassuring that the Republicans who lead Congress are far more eager to attack those who want more transparency from Trump than to demand it of the man who is about to control our nations fate.

Lewis stirred controversy when he declared that he did not see Trump as a legitimate president because of the Russians intervention. One definition of legitimate is lawful, and here we have, on the one side, Trump legally winning the vote of the electoral college and, on the other, the lawless act of stealing emails.

Another meaning of legitimate is conforming to or in accordance with established rules, standards, principles. So far, Trump has flouted all of these, and that is far more important than a debate about a word.

Whatever Trump may be, he is, for so many of his fellow citizens, legitimately terrifying. This is a terrible way to feel on a day that is supposed to observe, as John F. Kennedy said in his inaugural address 56 years ago, not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom.

Read more from E.J. Dionnes archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Ridgeway Community School in Houston has a few events lined up.

The public charter school will have an open house along with the fourth- and fifth-grade science fair on Thursday, Jan. 19, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Students will present the results of their science projects in the school gymnasium. Those interested in learning more about the school are encouraged to attend.

The school is hosting a kindergarten round-up open house on Thursday, Jan. 26, 6-7 p.m. The open houses are held during the schools open enrollment period, which ends on Jan. 31.

The open enrollment period offers an equal opportunity to fill remaining spaces in each of the kindergarten and fifth-grade classes.

Priority is given to siblings of current students and children of the schools staff. There are 18 students per class from kindergarten to fifth grade.

If an application is submitted in the open enrollment period, a lottery is held to fill the remaining spaces. Those not picked on the Feb. 1 lottery will be placed on a waiting list.

The school is also enrolling preschool aged students in the 2017-18 Preschool-aged Enrichment Programs on a first-come, first-served basis. The fee-based programs will have an open house on Thursday, March 2, 6-7 p.m.

Those registered in the preschool programs are not given priority for kindergarten enrollment.

To register for the kindergarten or preschool open houses, make arrangements to visit the school, to receive an enrollment application or see a list of additional special event and dates, contact the school office at 507-454-9566 or office@ridgewayschool.org.
President-elect Donald Trump boards the elevator after escorting Martin Luther King III to the lobby after meetings at Trump Tower in New York City on Monday. (Dominick Reuter/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

He flabbergasts the Human Race

By gliding on the waters face

With ease, celerity and grace;

But if he ever stopped to think

Of how he did it, he would sink.

 Hilaire Belloc, on the waterbeetle

Leaving aside the missing element of grace and the improbability of his ever stopping to think, Donald Trump is the waterbeetle of politics. His feral cunning in manipulating the masses and the media is, like the waterbeetles facility, instinctive. The 72 days of transition demonstrated a stylistic seamlessness with his 511 days of campaigning, which indicates that the 1,461 days of his term that begins Friday will be as novel as his campaign was.

Its theme was often a pronoun without an antecedent, his admirers explaining their admiration by saying that he tells it like it is. Fortunately, a theme of his transition has been a verbal shrug: Oh, never mind.

He won by stoking resentments that his blue-collar base harbors about the felt condescension of elites. He has, however, transitioned with ease and celerity away from the most vivid commitments that made his crowds roar (prosecuting Hillary Clinton, making Mexico pay for the wall, banning Muslims from entering the country, deporting 11 million illegal immigrants within two years, restoring torture because it works but even if it doesnt work, etc.). He shows an interesting disinclination to disguise his condescension toward those he effortlessly caused to roar by giving verbal prompts that he has now abandoned.

Candidate Trump intimated a foreign policy less reliant on military measures than the policies of some recent presidential predecessors. But the most riveting moment of the transition received less attention than did Trumps tweet snit about Meryl Streep. The moment was when Rex Tillerson, Trumps designated secretary of state, told the Senate that Chinas policy of building and militarizing islands in the South China Sea is akin to Russias taking of Crimea and that America should tell China that your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed. China might not quietly accept this U.S. Navy blockading of the islands.

Tillerson might be right: China is directly challenging the fundamental U.S. interest in freedom of the seas. And Lord Curzons reported axiom for diplomacy is often correct: Know your own mind and make sure the other fellow knows it, too. But combined with Trumps tweeted promise to prevent North Korea from making good on its vow to test a ballistic missile capable of reaching the continental United States (It wont happen!), Tillersons statement indicates that the Trump administration might soon be militarily active.

(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

A Trump campaign pledge that has survived the transition is his promise to revive manufacturing by imposing protectionism. Michael Froman, Barack Obamas trade representative, notes that 95 percent of consumers, 80 percent of purchasing power and the fastest-growing markets for our products are outside the United States, so if other nations reciprocate U.S. protectionist measures, there could be an outflow of manufacturing from the U.S.

The World Economic Forum that convenes every winter in Davos, Switzerland, will conclude Friday just as the Trump presidency begins. It has been well said that Davos is where billionaires tell millionaires what the middle class feels. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended. He is advocating a Chinese alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the U.S. initiative that probably was dying before Trumps election killed it. The Communist leader offered an almost Thatcherite defense of free trade, which Americas president-elect opposes.

The Washington Examiners Tim Carney reports that Trumps choice to be commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, who was a registered Democrat until nine days into the transition, has praised Chinas central direction of its economy using five-year plans. Ross favors a U.S. industrial policy whereby government would decide which industries are we going to really promote  the so-called industries of the future. Rosss confidence in governments clairvoyance and planning dexterity might reflect the fact that, as Carney reports, he has done well by buying steel and textile companies that then profited from tariffs on steel imports and from textile import quotas. Perhaps these views are not shared by Trumps choice to be director of the National Economic Council  Gary Cohn, another Democrat  or by Trumps choice to be treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, whose party affiliation is not publicly known.

As transitioning gives way to governing, Trump will continue to flabbergast. The past really is prologue, so we have been warned.

Read more from George F. Wills archive or follow him on Facebook.
Nate Fick is CEO of the cybersecurity software company Endgame, and a Marine Corps veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq. He is the author of One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer.

A catastrophic data breach. Russian complicity. Blundering institutions. Distrust of government. Reading Edward Jay Epsteins gripping and devastatingly even-handed account of Edward Snowden, How America Lost Its Secrets, provides a Faulknerian reminder, during these days ringing with the same themes, that the past is never dead. Its not even past.

Epsteins revelations hit hard and dont stop. Snowden could not have acted alone, since he didnt have access to the secret compartments from which he took the most sensitive documents. Vladimir Putin personally authorized Snowdens exfiltration from Hong Kong to Moscow. Snowden turned over to journalists only 58,000 of the 1.7 million documents he touched, the vast bulk of which had nothing to do with domestic surveillance but rather covered Americas overseas spy network, including its most sensitive sources and methods.

Epstein struggles to paint a factual portrait of Snowden without it feeling like an ad hominem attack: high school dropout, described by a classmate as having a high-pitched voice, liking the Magic card game, playing fantasy video games, owning two cats and using the online moniker Wolfking Awesomefox. Snowden washed out of Army training in 2004, worked briefly as a security guard at the University of Maryland and then got a job as, of all things, a CIA telecommunications support officer. Two years later, he received an unfavorable evaluation from his superior and was forced to resign. He then went to work for Dell as a National Security Agency contractor in 2009. As a system administrator, he had both the privileges to access vast amounts of data and the mandate to transfer it to backup servers  the perfect cover for a whistleblower or a spy.

On June 9, 2013, a video of Snowden was posted on the website of the Guardian. Shot in a Hong Kong hotel room, the disclosure begins with My name is Ed Snowden, and goes on to detail how the NSA was spying on U.S. citizens. Snowden comes across as calm, compelling and articulate. Overnight, he became a global celebrity and, to much of the world (including many Americans), the lead standard-bearer for data privacy and personal freedom in the digital age.

"How America Lost Its Secrets: Edward Snowden, the Man and the Theft," by Edward Jay Epstein (Knopf )

Most of the public debate since that summer has been over whether Snowden is a hero or a traitor, a whistleblower or a spy. Epsteins answer is both  but more spy than whistleblower. And the case he builds, especially in light of disclosures since the U.S. election in November, is damning.

[Read: The Washington Posts Pulitzer Prize-winning Edward Snowden investigation]

Since 9/11, the United States has changed in so many ways that it is already hard to remember the world where we could carry water bottles through airport security and where small-town police departments didnt look like armored cavalry units. But changes like these are only the visible tip of a much bigger, and largely digital, iceberg. In some ways, Snowdens disclosures of NSA surveillance, including a warrant issued under the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act ordering Verizon to turn over all its billing records for 90 days to the NSA, and details of an Internet-monitoring program code-named PRISM, were beneficial. As Epstein writes, the disclosures accomplished a salutary service in alerting both the public and government to the potential danger of a surveillance leviathan and revealed a bureaucratic mission creep that badly needed to be brought under closer oversight by Congress.

What Snowden exposed, however, wasnt a rogue operation. It was a series of programs authorized by presidents of both parties and Congress, and approved by no fewer than 15 federal judges. Epstein cites the current NSA director, Adm. Mike Rogers, and numerous others, including former NSA directors Mike McConnell, Michael Hayden and Keith Alexander, and former CIA acting director Michael Morell, laying out the crippling effects of Snowdens revelations: lost capability, impact on our ability to do our mission for the next twenty to thirty years, sources dried up; tactics were changed. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, concluded, I think its an act of treason.

The real scoundrel in Epsteins telling is neither Snowden nor the security leviathan he checked; its the muscle-bound bureaucracy of the government and its contractors that allowed this breach to happen in the first place.

The 9/11 Commission concluded that one reason U.S. intelligence agencies failed to connect the dots before the 2001 attack was the existence of security-inspired stove-piping between, and within, the agencies. Much of that was stripped away in the following years, perhaps improving coordination, but with the unintended consequence of magnifying the risk of any particular breach, whether by a foreign spy or a disgruntled insider.

Whatever his ultimate motives, that Snowden maintained access to government secrets as long as he did was a colossal failure of the system. Five months after being forced out of the CIA, he was working on sensitive systems inside the NSA, first as an employee of Dell and later of Booz Allen Hamilton. Epstein reports that Snowden was able to keep his security clearance because the CIA had instituted a policy several years earlier that allowed voluntarily departing officers to maintain their clearances for two years after leaving. The grace period was intended to make it easier for them to find jobs among defense and intelligence contractors. When his CIA clearance finally expired in February 2011, Snowden applied  successfully  to renew it. Since 1996, the background investigations required to obtain a clearance had been outsourced to a private firm compensated according to the number of investigations it completed. The picture that emerges is of a self-dealing bureaucracy and a web of private contractors performing core government functions, more akin to Blackwater employees carrying guns and pulling triggers than to contract employees dishing out grits in a mess hall.

But the bigger problem is more subtle.

Epstein points out a culture clash that will be central to this era of national security policy: libertarian hackers in one corner, animated by a belief that information will be free; privacy advocates in another, convinced that privacy and security are zero-sum; and the national security establishment in a third, united by a conviction that some information is so important that it must remain secret (and that secrecy is even possible). The differences in perspective between Washington and Silicon Valley were neatly encapsulated in the recent, bruising debate over encryption technology. The wonks see the world in normative terms: We dont want terrorists to have easy access to encrypted communications, so the government should regulate or outlaw the technology. The geeks, on the other hand, see the world in positive terms: Encryption technology is possible, and therefore people will use it, so the government better learn to live in that world.

The challenge arises where these worlds intersect  at the nexus of technology, security, privacy and civil liberties where the NSA operates. Will the government, with its salary caps and background checks, be able to compete for the best talent in fields like cybersecurity? And even if it succeeds in hiring and retaining skilled technical talent, can it coexist with a culture of secrecy? Morell makes the point that the NSA had moved in the direction of fostering a culture of openness, reflecting the talent pool from whence its young civilians came: The idea was to spread knowledge and learn from the successes of others, but it created enormous security vulnerability.

In this winter of rattled confidence in government, Epsteins welcome reappraisal of the most destructive data breach in the history of U.S. intelligence brings nothing to mind so much as the Roman poet Juvenals timeless question: Who will guard the guards themselves?
Jill Filipovic is a Nairobi-based journalist and the author of the forthcoming The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness.

Since Donald Trump won the presidential election, a few women have been weighing particularly heavy on my mind: the dozen or so who accused him of sexual assault. How, Ive been wondering, must they feel, knowing that millions of Americans either think theyre liars, or simply dont care whether theyre telling the truth and whether our new president is a physically aggressive misogynist?

This question  if and when we believe women who speak out about their experiences of sexism, harassment and violence  is at the heart of Leigh Gilmores new book, Tainted Witness: Why We Doubt What Women Say About Their Lives. In it, she interrogates when, why and how we listen to womens testimonies about their experiences, and how we undercut and discredit them. At the core of her argument is her observation that while we accept and embrace womens stories of hardship, resilience and eventual transformation, we are far less comfortable with women who use their stories to demand accountability  especially from powerful men, and especially if the women are of color. We love tales but discredit testimony. When it comes to distinguishing the two, she writes, the former privileges story; the latter seeks justice.

To make this case, she looks at a handful of women discredited by the media or the legal system: Anita Hill, who testified about the sexual harassment she endured from now-Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas; Rigoberta Menchu, who used her best-selling biography to tell the story of human rights abuses in Guatemala; and Nafissatou Diallo, who reported being sexually assaulted by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, then chief of the International Monetary Fund. Gilmore looks, too, at literature, via Jamaica Kincaids Autobiography of My Mother, and compares the experiences of her primary subjects with the treatment of male writers who had less-than-filial relationships with the truth (A Million Little Pieces author James Frey, Three Cups of Tea writer Greg Mortenson), as well as with the female adventure-and-redemption narratives particularly popular with the Oprahs Book Club set (Elizabeth Gilberts Eat Pray Love, Cheryl Strayeds Wild) and men like journalist Nicholas Kristof who use generalized stories of suffering women and girls to promote human rights philanthropy.

Even as readers investments in the redemption narrative expose them to a range of traumatic materials, the preference for stories that can be unmoored from specific historical conditions to become everybodys story is currently edging out narratives that take readers into the anxious realm of nonnormativity and the lack of clear moral guidelines they associate with culturally protected privacies, Gilmore writes.

(Columbia University Press)

Tainted Witness arrives at the right time, at the front end of a rapidly building anti-feminist backlash. The ease with which so many Americans disregard or disbelieve womens testimony was on clear display in November, when millions voted for Trump despite the accusations against him and his own claim, caught on video, that he had sexually assaulted women. This book provides a crucial feminist critique of the impossible and ever-shifting standards to which women who offer life testimony are held, along with guidance on how to navigate a path forward.

But it doesnt make that case for a particularly wide audience. Given that Gilmore is a visiting professor of womens studies at Wellesley College (Hillary Clintons alma mater) and that the book was published by a university press, it comes as little surprise that the text is heavily academic and often unwieldy. (While a jurisdiction may contain an intimate public, it also includes agents opposed to the development of collectivity and for this reason better resembles an assemblage, which depends on conflictual energies in order to form.) There is much in this book that students of gender studies will learn from, and it will surely be a valuable addition to many course syllabi. But its contents would also benefit those who dont take womens studies classes or seek out works by feminist academics; many of those would-be readers, though, will find the style of Tainted Witness too large a barrier.

Gilmore is also perhaps too hard on women who tell their stories for aims that arent explicitly political, particularly memoirists like Strayed and Gilbert. She is correct, and thought-provoking, when she points out that women writing about their own lives was in its earliest stages a controversial and justice-seeking act, and that the revival of memoir as a genre has promoted apolitical redemption tales that have pushed aside narratives that are messier, less sympathetic or more obviously demanding of action (other than look inward or live your best life). But men have long been allowed space to write about their experiences, and particularly about their life-changing journeys and exploits. When female adventure memoirists do the same, they are often cast as navel-gazing or insufficiently political  as they are in this book. Gilmore fairly criticizes the cultural thirst for these individual-focused stories of adventure-fueled triumph over pain, but in framing these womens stories as neoliberal redemption tales, she does a disservice to the authors and the many women for whom tenacity and the individual pursuit of purpose can be transformative.

Gilmore is at her best when she criticizes the defenses wielded by courts of public opinion in support of men accused of sexual violence or harassment. When rape accusations are discussed as he said/she said, Gilmore incisively points out,  he said/she said simply identifies how witnesses in an adversarial legal structure are positioned. How he said/she said has come to be seen as something other than the prompt from which due process begins suggests that women lie outside of the frame of justice from the beginning. Likewise, she writes, the oft-repeated  nobody knows what really happened is the starting point of a trial. Like the presumption of innocence, it names a suspension of judgment rather than the imposition of doubt. Only in cases of sexual violence do people feel virtuous, objective, and fair when they claim that the conditions that typically initiate and guide a legal proceeding moot it from the outset. Gilmore doesnt challenge the norms upon which our criminal justice system is based so much as point to where they are perverted to undermine women who seek justice.

These are crucial observations and excellent rebuttals to the faux legalism that so often dominates the public discourse around high-profile sexual assault cases. We are entering an era when malevolent sexism and entrenched mistrust in women are not only tacitly approved but actively modeled by the man in the Oval Office, and when many of our most valued institutions and even the very concept of truth are under fire. Not in recent memory have the ideas Gilmore elucidates been so necessary, which is why I wish her work was more accessible to a wider audience. Still, this is a sharp work of feminist scholarship, unflinching in its insistence that womens testimony about our own lives is a potent and often threatening force undercut by those who accurately assess its power. In a country soon to be led by a very loud man who ran a campaign of aggrieved masculinity, Tainted Witness is a timely and necessary defense of the women whose voices are so often drowned out or shouted down.
On behalf of myself, my family and, I am sure, a great many of my fellow members of Woodmont Country Club, I apologize to President Obama and his family for the expressions of concern about his familys membership in our club solely because of his administrations recent decision concerning the U.N. vote on Israeli settlements [Jewish country club split on accepting Obama, Metro, Jan. 14]. The expressed concerns are not held by our membership generally, the club as an entity or by a majority of Jewish Americans throughout the country. We should be proud to have Mr. Obama as a member of our club; I believe most of the clubs members agree. That some members consider U.S. policy on Israel  good or bad  as the principal criterion for club membership is a sorry state of affairs, particularly because half of Israelis apparently agree that settlements in the West Bank are not in the best interests of Israel and that freedom of expression is a hallmark of both the American and Israeli democracies.

Woodmont has never had a political litmus test for membership; rather, membership has been, and should continue to be, about the character of the prospective member and not his views about a single foreign (or domestic) policy issue. I want to assure the president and his family that there is no concern whatsoever about his character, integrity or service to the country. I would be extremely proud to call him a fellow member of Woodmont.

Norman Leventhal, Potomac
The party in the otherwise quiet Washington neighborhood had gotten loud by the time D.C. police officers Andre Parker and Anthony Campanale arrived.

Several women were dressed only in bras and thongs, with money in their garter belts. The unoccupied residence in Anacostia appeared to have been turned into a strip club, the officers thought. The partygoers said they had been invited by a woman named Peaches, although some knew her as Tasty. In the end, Parker and Campanale arrested 21 people.

The legal wrangling that followed those arrests in 2008 resulted in a nearly $1 million award against the officers and the city, and divided the judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. On Thursday, the case made it onto the Supreme Courts docket.

The court announced that it will consider whether there was probable cause for the officers to make the arrests  the partygoers said they were invited to the house, and they were never prosecuted  and whether the officers deserve immunity for their actions.

The case appears to have split the Supreme Court justices. They considered nine times whether to accept the case before agreeing to review it.

It is unclear whether it will be considered in the courts current term or held over for the term that begins in October.

D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine told the justices in a petition that the court of appeals decision  finding that the officers lacked probable cause for the arrests because the partygoers said they were not trespassing but were guests of Peaches  failed to reflect the real world in which police officers function.

The court of appeals decision undercuts an officers ability to use his or her experience, judgment, and direct observations to assess the credibility of a suspects innocent explanation, Racine wrote. Officers will second-guess themselves and forgo enforcement of the law, fearing that a judge, far removed from the scene and years later, might make a different credibility judgment and then hold them personally liable.

Sixteen of the 21 people arrested sued after no charges were brought. A district judge ruled against the police officers, saying that nothing about what the police learned at the scene suggests that the [partygoers] knew or should have known that they were entering against the property owners will.

After a trial, the partygoers were awarded $680,000 and the police officers were ordered to pay attorney costs, which brought the total to just under $1 million.

A divided panel of the appeals court upheld the award. And two judicial heavyweights on the court, liberal Cornelia T.L. Pillard and conservative Brett M. Kavanaugh, squared off over whether the entire circuit should review the decision.

Kavanaugh said the panels opinion eroded the protection for police officers who may make an honest mistake when trying to carry out their duties.

Two D.C. police officers have been held liable for a total of almost $1 million, Kavanaugh said in a statement joined by three other judges who wanted to rehear the case. That equates to about 20 years of after-tax income for the officers, not to mention the harm to their careers. For what? For arresting for trespassing a group of people who were partying late at night with drugs and strippers in a vacant house that the partiers did not own or rent.

But Pillard replied that the panels opinion did not change existing protections for police officers at all.

Our opinion does not ignore or weaken that important protection, which gives officers the necessary breathing room to perform their difficult, dangerous jobs and safeguard the public, she said. It simply finds that a reasonable officer could not conclude, based on the information before these particular officers, that there was probable cause.

Ted J. Williams, an attorney for Theodore Wesby and the others who were arrested, had told the Supreme Court that it did not warrant the justices attention.

Under D.C. law, a person is guilty of unlawful entry only if he knew or should have known that he was entering the property against the will of the lawful occupant or of the person lawfully in charge of the property, Williams wrote. In this case, the partygoers had been invited by Peaches, a woman whom they reasonably believed to be its lawful occupant.

The case is District of Columbia v. Wesby.


Theresa Bennett, 33, of Holmen, Wis., is one of the owners of the Vets Bar in Trempealeau, Wis. (Jenn Ackerman/For The Washington Post)

As the Packers and Cowboys kicked off earlier this week, a couple of dozen regulars arrived at the Vets Bar with potluck dishes to share, including a crockpot of hot dogs, macaroni salad, deviled eggs and layered dip. Many brought along their own beer koozies, and the bartender passed out green or yellow Jell-O shots every time the Packers scored a touchdown.

Sitting at the bar was a 63-year-old cook who voted for Donald Trump because everything sucks right now and theres no way things could get worse. Next to him was a 59-year-old school lunch lady who believes Trumps policies will lead to a significant increase in her wages and cheaper health care.

Farther down the long wooden bar was a 67-year-old truck driver who voted for Hillary Clinton and earlier this month pulled all of her money out of the stock market because shes worried Trump will crash the economy. And there was a 30-year-old union worker at a brewery who voted for the Green Party candidate because he didnt think Trump or Clinton could relate to guys like him.

Theres a reason that the Vets owners have a strict no politics rule. It seems as if any conversation about politics these days can quickly become heated.

For decades, Trempealeau  along with the surrounding county by the same name  has been deeply Democratic, with President Obama getting 56 percent of the vote here in 2012 and 60 percent in 2008. But in November, Trump won Trempealeau with 53 percent.

The victory stunned many residents, even though Trump signs had plastered the area for months. The same flip happened in 50 other Midwestern counties clustered in western Wisconsin, southern Minnesota, eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois.

Die-hard Democrats are still trying to figure out which of their roughly 1,600 neighbors were the 482 people who voted for Trump. Several lifelong Republicans say they voted for him, often reluctantly, but they didnt expect him to win  and, as Inauguration Day approached, they were concerned that the country is even more divided.

Everyone at the bar agreed that it will take at least another presidential election to see if this was a fluke or a lasting shift.

I just think that people were not feeling the greatest about the direction of the country and thought: Oh well, Im just going to throw my vote to somebody that I think will change things. Still, with the idea: Well, he wasnt going to win,  said Kurt Wood, who has been village president since 1993 and voted for Clinton. I think, in all honesty, people already realize what a mistake they made.

David Samb, 60, came to the bar with his longtime girlfriend, whom he plans to soon marry  at least partly to get on her health insurance plan instead of paying $670 per month for one from a marketplace. Samb considered himself a lifelong Democrat, but he voted for Trump.

Im just tired of where everything is going in the country. Its like were giving everything away, and were not getting anywhere, said Samb, who recently retired from his union printing job. I just kind of want to get the country back to the way it was.



The villages welcome sign. Trempealeau had been a Democratic stronghold but unexpectedly swung for Trump in November. (Jenn Ackerman/For The Washington Post)

Samb voted for Obama twice, but his support evaporated with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which requires most Americans to have health insurance or pay a fine. Samb said he only briefly considered Clinton, saying that her gun-control proposals alone showed she was out of touch with rural America. As long as Trump controls his hothead tendencies and fully repeals Obamacare, Samb will consider his vote a wisely placed one.

Im not exactly sure what their ideas are, but I know its not working out the way it was planned, Samb said. I just dont like it being pushed down our throat.

Samb still voted for Democrats in down-ballot races, but he thinks that he has become a Republican.

Now, depending on how Trump goes, he said, I may switch back.

You could feel it coming

Nearly every storefront in downtown Trempealeau is filled, and the village booms with activity during the summer, when tourists arrive to bike, hike, fish and enjoy riverside concerts.

Local business owners say its difficult to find workers, as there are so many entry-level jobs in the area, including at a massive Ashley Furniture manufacturing plant about 20 miles north in Arcadia. The unemployment rate in Trempealeau County was 3 percent late last year, one of the lowest rates in the state.

Whats missing are the higher-paying jobs for more-skilled workers, several residents said, and many feel as if their salaries or retirement savings havent kept up with their expenses, especially for health care.

Trempealeau County is 97 percent white, but a growing number of Latinos have moved to the area for manufacturing and agriculture jobs. Arcadias downtown has been revitalized thanks to a half-dozen brightly colored Latino restaurants and grocery stores  but that rapid change has unsettled some longtime residents.

Chris Danou, a Democrat who represented this area in the state Assembly until unexpectedly losing to a Republican in November, said he thinks that resentment contributed to Trumps victory.



Chris Danou at his home in Trempealeau. The Democrat lost his bid for reelection to the state Assembly. (Jenn Ackerman/For The Washington Post)

Its infuriating, and its sad, said Danou, who lives in Trempealeau but will soon move to the Madison area with his family. I was disappointed in my constituents.

Danou, a former police officer with two graduate degrees, lost to Treig Pronschinske, a technical-college graduate who worked in construction and was a small-town mayor.

Pronschinske said accusations of racism are a cop-out from Democrats who are out of touch with how frustrated many in rural towns have become.

You could feel it coming, Pronschinske said. The comments were a lot of: I agree with what Trump says, but I dont really like how he acts. I saw right through that. They werent saying they wouldnt vote for him. They just didnt want to fight about it.

And Clinton just was not liked in the area, a shortcoming exposed when Sen. Bernie Sanders won the Democratic primaries in the village and surrounding county. Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.)  who did not face a Republican challenger, even though most of his congressional district went to Trump  said the only campaign sign he saw that mentioned Clinton was one calling for her to go to prison.

Clinton didnt visit the state once.

I was shocked

Stop by Trempealeaus River Cafe  the only place to get a full breakfast in the winter  and its packed with retirees, families and young professionals. A survey of the weekend rush illustrates the nuances of the villages unsettled political views.

Donald and Alice Brenengen, both 76, are longtime Republicans who live on a farm near the edge of town. They dutifully voted for Trump, even though they wish the Republican nominee had been Ohio Gov. John Kasich. They learned that Trump won the morning after the election when Donald Brenengen turned on the television.

I thought something happened to him, he had this crazy look on his face, Alice Brenengen said Saturday morning. He couldnt believe it.

I was shocked, he said.

He just doesnt seem like hes president material, she said of Trump, although I think he will be better than Clinton would have been.



Ty Schloemer blows the snow from his driveway. (Jenn Ackerman/For The Washington Post)

Sarah and Derek Stoner both voted in the primary  her for Sanders, him for Trump  but just werent motivated to vote in the general election. They both now say that Trump could shake things up for the better.

If it doesnt work out, there will be another election in four years, said Derek Stoner, 41, who is studying computer science.

Sunday morning brought a 69-year-old Vietnam veteran who voted for Trump because I dont think a woman could be president and a 39-year-old firefighter who voted for Trump because he wants immigrants to follow the tradition of Ellis Island, arriving legally with documentation. Nearby, a 31-year-old woman having breakfast with two friends said she voted for Clinton and was so upset the day after the election that she cried at her desk at work. There was also a union leader visiting from another county who didnt want to be quoted, saying that he voted for Clinton and that Trump-supporting union members get angry when he talks politics.

Jesse Cox, 42, always voted for Democrats and voted for Sanders in the primary. Hes worried about the cost of health care, because in his 20s  before the Affordable Care Act  he didnt have insurance and had to pay about $11,000 to have his gallbladder removed, a price that more than doubled with interest.

He didnt want to vote for Clinton or Trump, as he thinks both are in the pocket of Wall Street banks, so he voted for Libertarian Gary Johnson and has no regrets.

I might be done with the Democratic Party, actually, said Cox, who works as a technician for a cable and Internet provider. Unless they can really show me something.

Read more:

A president unlike any other

Trump to be sworn in, marking a transformative shift in the countrys leadership

Trump is right. He didnt create the countrys divisions. But will he heal them?
Three of Donald Trumps Cabinet picks came under growing fire Wednesday on ethical issues, potentially jeopardizing their nominations.

The most serious concerns surround personal investments by Trumps health and human services nominee, Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), in health-care firms that benefited from legislation that he was pushing at the time.

Additionally, Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), Trumps choice to head the Office of Management and Budget, has acknowledged during his confirmation process that he failed to pay more than $15,000 in state and federal employment taxes for a household employee.

And Commerce Department nominee Wilbur Ross revealed that one of the dozen or so housekeepers he has hired since 2009 was undocumented, which he said he discovered only recently. The employee was fired as a result, he added.

All of those are the kinds of problems that have torpedoed nominees in the past. But it is far from certain  or even likely  that any of Trumps nominees will buckle under the political pressure.

Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), Donald Trumps nominee for director of the Office of Management and Budget, acknowledes failing to pay more than $15,000 in state and federal employment taxes for a household employee. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

That is in part because the president-elect himself has broken so many norms  notably, by flouting the convention of major-party presidential candidates making their tax returns public and by refusing to sever himself from his financial interests while he is in the White House.

Critics say that Trumps actions and those of his nominees suggest that an incoming administration that promised to drain the swamp of Washington has instead brought in a new, lower set of standards.

This is a swamp Cabinet, said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.).

[Trump recruits army of chief executives to battle with the system in Washington]

Schumer recalled that former senator Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) withdrew his nomination to become President Obamas health and human services secretary in 2009 when a controversy arose over Daschles failure to pay taxes for, among other things, the perquisite of having a car and driver. As with Mulvaney, Daschle blamed his lapse on an oversight.

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.

If failure to pay taxes was disqualifying for Democratic nominees, then the same should be true for Republican nominees, Schumer said.

When Daschles nomination collapsed, Obama said: Ultimately its important for this administration to send a message that there arent two sets of rules  you know, one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks who have to pay their taxes.

[How long Cabinet confirmations take  and why past nominees failed]

Thomas Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said that the vetting process for Cabinet nominees had been tightened considerably since the days of the Clinton administration, when problems arose that were similar to those facing Trumps nominees.

From what we can tell, that process has not been vigorously applied by this transition team, Mann said. If Donald Trump can blow away all considerations of conflicts of interest, its a little hard to be insistent on these other matters. Trump is a category all by himself.

One factor making it easier for Trumps nominees to prevail in the GOP-controlled Senate is a 2013 rule change  ironically, one that was engineered over Republican objections by the Democrats who were then in the majority. It ended the ability of senators to filibuster Cabinet nominees, which means that nominees can be confirmed with 51 votes. There are 52 Republicans in the chamber.

Whats different now is that [blocking a nominee] is going to require Republicans to stand up to their own president, said Jim Manley, a longtime aide to former minority leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). Im not sure thats going to happen. So far, it seems like everyone is afraid of getting on the wrong side of a tweet storm.

In several instances, when controversy has erupted around Trumps appointees, the initial reaction of the president-elect and his team has been to counterattack.

That was the case when plagiarism charges surfaced against conservative pundit Monica Crowley, whom Trump had named senior director of strategic communications at the National Security Council.

Any attempt to discredit Monica is nothing more than a politically motivated attack that seeks to distract from the real issues facing the country, the presidential transition team said in a statement.

But more evidence accumulated until Crowley announced Monday that she would relinquish the post after much reflection.

The team thought itself immune from the political laws of gravity, said Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian at New York University. The Crowley case showed theyre not immune. Well see what happens with these other cases.

Questions are growing most rapidly around Price, whose investments, Schumer said, appear to show a clear and troubling pattern.

Democrats are also complaining that Senate GOP leaders are trying to rush hearings for some nominees, including a rare evening hearing on Tuesday for Betsy DeVos, Trumps choice for education secretary.

Schumer noted that some hearings have had very little seating for the general public and that others have been held before a nominees required ethics background check was completed.

Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters Wednesday: A lot of this is Senate Democrats doing what they can to find stall tactics.

Trumps nominees are also coming under criticism for lacking a depth in their knowledge of the policy areas that are the purview of the Cabinet departments they will run.

Billionaire school choice activist DeVos, for instance, was widely ridiculed for answering a Democratic question about whether it is proper to have guns in school by saying firearms may be needed in places like Wyoming to protect against grizzly bears.

[Six astonishing things Betsy DeVos said  and refused to say  at her confirmation hearing]

She also argued that states should have the right to decide whether to enforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which requires public schools to provide free and appropriate education to all students with disabilities. When told that the act is a federal civil rights law, DeVos said: I may have confused it.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, Trumps nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, was asked what level of lead consumption would be acceptable for children  a question related to the water crisis in Flint, Mich.

Thats something I have not reviewed nor know about. I would be concerned about any level of lead going into the drinking water, or obviously human consumption, Pruitt said. But I have not looked at the scientific research.

Public health officials have long said there is no safe level of lead, especially for children.

During an appearance on Fox News Channel on Wednesday morning, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway defended the performance of Trumps nominees and accused Democrats of attempting to score political points.

The idea of humiliating and trying to embarrass qualified men and women who just wish to serve this nation is reprehensible, Conway said.

Valerie Strauss contributed to this report.
We meet on democracys front porch, a good place to talk as neighbors and as friends, George H.W. Bush said from the expansive West Front of the Capitol moments after taking the presidential oath in 1989. For this is a day when our nation is made whole, when our differences, for a moment, are suspended.

That is the imagined ideal of Inauguration Day, a time of coming together in the spirit of national unity. It is a theme that President-elect Donald Trump sounded shortly after accepting a concessionary phone call from Hillary Clinton on the night he won the presidency  Now it is the time for America to bind the wounds of divisions, he said.  and likely a sentiment he will express again when he takes the oath Friday.

It is customary for incoming chief executives to do so as they speak to the country for the first time as its leader. But after a rancorous campaign that exposed the raw nerves of partisans on both sides, that was fought over elemental questions of character, honesty, temperament and national identity, and that saw the Russians interfere in the process, Trumps America is as deeply divided as it has been in years and has no signs of a reconciliation on the horizon.

The condition is hardly new. Lest anyone forget, Trump reminded everyone of that in a Thursday morning tweet.

It wasnt Donald Trump that divided this country, this country has been divided for a long time! Stated today by Reverend Franklin Graham.

Embedded in the political system today are partisan and ideological differences so deep and abiding that it likely would take a supreme effort on Trumps part  and a willingness of his opponents to respond in kind  to see it changed.

The divisions have been widening. As important is the fact that passions have intensified. A sense of goodwill toward political opponents has largely faded. Now it is common not just to disagree but to ascribe the worst in the other side.

This has left a mark on President Obama. He will leave office with higher approval ratings than at any time since the early months of his presidency, but he has the distinction of being the president with the most divided approval ratings of any recent president, according to data from the Pew Research Center.

It is a reflection not just on the president but also of the deepening partisanship of the public over the past two decades. Data published by Pew shows the degree to which former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were also highly polarizing leaders.

The Gallup organization has asked people whether they believe the country is united or divided. Two months after the 9/11 attacks, 74 percent said the country was united. By the beginning of the 2004 election cycle, 45 percent described the country as united. Last fall, in the wake of the 2016 election, just 21 percent thought so.

The United States are not united politically. Based on election results, some red states have become redder and some blue states bluer. But the voting patterns are but one measure of the state-by-state divisions that exist.

Pollster V. Lance Tarrance examined data from Gallup surveys and found a series of issues on which attitudes in states that went for Trump differ significantly from states that went for Clinton. Those issues include abortion, the promotion of traditional values, climate change, government regulation and whether refugees going into Europe and North America represent a threat to U.S. interests.

(Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

Partisanship is perhaps the single most important indicator. Last summer, there was speculation that Trumps candidacy, which was splitting the Republican Party, might result in an increase in ticket-splitting, after a series of elections in which split-tickets were at historic lows. In the end, that did not happen. As Jacobson noted in a recent paper, For the first time, every Senate contest was won by the party that won the states electoral votes.

Partisanship and election results color attitudes about the state of the country. Over most of the past two presidencies, majorities have described the direction of the country as seriously off track. But changing presidents can change who says this.

In the Washington Post-ABC News poll released this week, 63 percent described the state of the country that way, only slightly better than the 68 percent who said so last July. Beneath those numbers was a dramatic shift in the perceptions of Democrats and Republicans.

In July, 49 percent of Democrats said the country was on the wrong track and 45 percent said things were going in the right direction. Today, only 19 percent are positive while 74 percent are negative. Republicans have gone from 8 percent positive to 45 percent positive, from 90 percent negative to 50 percent negative.

[Trump will bring a new leadership style to the White House]

Trump is the inheritor of conditions he did not create. Still, the campaign just concluded made things worse in at least one important way: Trump starts his presidency with a deficit unlike his most recent predecessors. As the Post-ABC poll and other surveys have found this week, he will be sworn in with the lowest approval ratings of any incoming president in at least four decades.

Trumps post-election statement for unity and any calls for healing on Friday represent bookends of a transition in which a series of other comments, tweets and actions have done the opposite. Democrats say they can point to little as evidence that Trump truly wants to make the country whole.

Former Obama White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said in an email that, with the exception of being conciliatory toward Obama, Trump has done nothing of consequence to bring the country together. He extended exponentially more olive branches to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin than the Democrats in Congress, Hillary Clinton, or the majority of the country that voted for someone else, he wrote.

Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist and former adviser to 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, offered a more charitable assessment, pointing not only to Trumps visit to the Oval Office but also his consideration of Romney as secretary of state.

Madden said the Romney meeting sent a signal to a divided Republican Party that Trump was serious about surrounding himself with the best people. He argued that any skepticism that Trump was cynically playing Romney was outweighed by the calming effect this had on many Republicans. The tone of his language when he met with Obama helped him as he transitioned from presumed long-shot candidate to president-elect.

Anita Dunn, who also served Obama as White House communications director, said the nature of Trumps campaign offers the best hints to how he will govern. She wrote in an email: When you win, and you win against the odds, and you win in the face of implacable opposition, you often feel like taking advice and being told how to do things by the people you just vanquished is about Number 101 on your list of 100 most important things to remember.

The question is: How important binding a divided nation will be to Trump once he becomes president? Will he seek to unify the country, and if so how? Or will he decide there is little he can do and then govern a divided nation the way he sought and won the presidency  by accentuating those differences? The ultimate answer will not come on Friday, but clues will emerge soon after, as the 45th president and his adversaries begin to engage over his and the Republicans agendas. Actions, not words, will tell the tale.
When President-elect Donald Trump successfully demanded that Carrier keep some manufacturing jobs from going to Mexico, he was criticized at first for bullying the heating and cooling giant and for violating the Republican Partys free-market capitalist ethos.

In the eight weeks since, however, the atmosphere has changed dramatically. Almost daily, in Twitter missives as well as private meetings, Trump continues to hector businesses to make investments in the United States. And he is receiving credit for announcements from some of the worlds biggest corporations  Bayer AG, General Motors and Walmart just this week  that they are keeping or adding U.S. jobs, even if their plans were developed long before his agitations.

Trump is trying to put the bully back into the bully pulpit, modeling his governing style after Theodore Roosevelt, the president whose attacks on industry barons inspired the term.

The Trump strategy is to change the behavior of corporations  not to mention the intelligence community and other creatures of Washington  through force of intimidation. His advisers talk about the president-elects provocations, such as threatening a 35 percent tax on imports, not as policy destinations necessarily, but as boundaries designed to frame the discussion and instill fear in corporate boardrooms.

Trump understands that if you change the culture, the behavior follows, said former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump ally and informal adviser. He wants to create a Trumpian environment so that boards go into a meeting saying, No, were not leaving the U.S. 

(Daron Taylor/The Washington Post)

Trumps demands on the business community are among the most notable actions of the pre-inaugural period. The list of major companies announcing U.S. jobs in recent weeks has ranged from Hyundai Motor to Amazon, and in each case Trump and his aides have trumpeted their announcements and claimed credit.

[The real reason Ford abandoned its plant in Mexico has little to do with Trump]

It is unclear, however, how much the president-elects threats influenced their actual business plans, which are months or years in the making and determined by an array of factors. The unemployment rate has remained at 5 percent or lower for more than a year, and many companies have been expanding their operations.

The word is now out that when you want to move your plant to Mexico or some other place, and you want to fire all of your workers from Michigan and Ohio and all these places that I won, for good reason  not going to happen that way anymore, Trump said at his first post-election news conference last week.

Corporate America has quickly adapted to Trumps new posture. Fear permeates C-suites, where executives are trying to come up with ways to please the incoming president and avoid his wrath, according to people whose work places them in the nexus of business and politics.

William M. Daley, a financier and business executive who has served as White House chief of staff under President Obama and as secretary of commerce under former president Bill Clinton, said, CEOs want to play nice because theyre afraid of getting caught in a Twitter storm.

They would never call his bluff, Daley said. Theyre scared to death. Theyll run to the Congress and say, Oh, save us from this. Its a good M.O., because he knows these guys will roll over the minute he puts his sights on them.

Left, President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Trump Tower in New York on Jan. 11. Right, with characteristic fervor, Theodore Roosevelt is shown speaking when he stumped the country for William McKinley during the presidential campaign of 1900. Roosevelt was McKinleys running mate on the Republican ticket. (Jabin Botsford/Brown Brothers/The Washington Post; Associated Press)

Scott Reed, chief strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said companies are motivated in part by what they see as a positive business environment under the Trump administration, which has vowed to overhaul the tax code as well as loosen environmental, financial and other regulations.

The business community is practical and pragmatic, and looking forward to engaging with the new administration in a constructive manner, Reed said. This was a change election, and we like that the country is now upbeat and optimistic about real economic growth in the 3 percent to 4 percent range.

[How a week of Trump tweets stoked anxiety, moved markets and altered plans]

Trump is a modern-day Roosevelt, who from the White House in the 1900s demonized banks, railroads and other businesses he viewed as insufficiently nationalist.

Roosevelts bully pulpit was very ardently about going after companies and wealthy people that werent putting America first, that were putting their profits ahead of public goodwill, said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian and Roosevelt biographer. He did it with his fingers pointed in the face of his enemies. He would call bankers out by name.

In the century since Roosevelt served, Brinkley said, no president has used the bully pulpit to strong-arm companies in such a relentless and aggressive manner  until Trump.

Other presidents would show up at the Harley factory and say, This is made in America. Isnt that wonderful?  Brinkley said. But they would never go into a mano-a-mano war about bringing jobs back to America, not since Theodore Roosevelt.

Trump said in an interview last week with The Washington Post that his early moves to badger Boeing and Lockheed Martin to bring down the costs of their aircraft  Air Force One and the F-35 fighter jet, respectively  were examples of the power of his voice.

Look at whats going on with the airplanes, the F-35. Were saving such amounts of money. Look at whats going on with Air Force One. Look at whats going on with the auto plants, Trump said. And by the way, Im not micromanaging.

Whether Trump considers it micromanaging, he is undeniably meddling in the affairs of private companies to a greater degree than many previous presidents.

Trump is in many ways closer to a governor than to our traditional model of president, Gingrich said. Governors around the country all behave like Trump: They worry about specific jobs, specific factories, specific companies. The Washington model is always abstract policy. But hes gone straight for the jugular to say, I want jobs! 

Gingrich described the president-elect as a tireless entrepreneur determined to see results, and recalled Trumps management of the Wollmann Rink in New Yorks Central Park. The outdoor skating rink was in disrepair in the 1980s when Trump persuaded then-Mayor Ed Koch to take over the renovations himself. The rink reopened with great fanfare, under budget and ahead of schedule, becoming one of Trumps biggest success stories, which he later chronicled in his 1987 bestseller, The Art of the Deal.

Trumps focus on pressuring companies to create U.S. jobs could be politically advantageous. He owes his electoral victory to the Rust Belt  Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, whose manufacturing-based economies have been decimated over the past four decades by outsourcing and broader trends of globalization.

He understands better than anybody on his team that there are two criteria for his reelection: Is America safe, and did we create jobs? Gingrich said. If he can run with genuine prosperity  not this phony statistical prosperity thats all baloney  then hes golden.

Brinkley agreed: Hes going to live or die by jobs. He can get away with a lot of eccentric activity if he stays out of war and if the economy does well.

Karen Tumulty contributed to this report.
It is a moment that past presidents have used to appeal for national unity, but Donald Trumps inaugural speech Friday represents a unique challenge  and opportunity  after a 10-week transition replete with electoral vainglory and frontal attacks on political rivals.

Trump will step to the lectern on the western front of the Capitol after being sworn in as the nations 45th president with a chance to strike an opening tone for an administration that has promised to torpedo business as usual in Washington.

The question is whether Trump, whose political identity has been built largely around his pugnacious Twitter feed, will use his longer-form oratory to offer a path toward healing the nations political divides that his predecessor, Barack Obama, acknowledged have grown more acute over the past eight years. Dozens of congressional Democrats have said they will boycott the inauguration.

By all accounts, Trump recognizes the symbolic importance of his address and has been personally engaged in crafting it along with a handful of senior advisers. He has delivered several dry-run rehearsals in recent days, aides said, and he has continued to make edits to the draft.

The computer-averse president-elect posted a photo on social media of himself holding a notepad and pen, purportedly taken as he worked on the speech several weeks ago at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla.

Its going to be a very personal and sincere statement about his vision for the country, Sean Spicer, Trumps incoming White House press secretary, told reporters on Thursday.

Trump aides and others who have spoken with him said he is aiming for a compact speech  lasting less than 20 minutes  that comports with the workmanlike atmosphere of his inaugural weekend, which will feature fewer celebratory balls and a relatively brief parade.

He told historians in private that he was drawing inspiration from Ronald Reagans first inaugural address in 1981, which focused on economic growth and curbing the federal bureaucracy, and from John F. Kennedys speech two decades earlier, in which he famously challenged the nation to demonstrate what you can do for your country.

Trump will discuss what it means to be an American, the challenges that we face as members of the middle class, Spicer said, noting that his boss could touch on the importance of infrastructure, education and manufacturing. Its going to be less of an agenda and more of a philosophical document, a vision of where he sees the country, the proper role of government, the role of citizens.

Spicer said Trump also aims to bring us together as one country and restore pride in our nation, and Spicer cited the president-elects victory speech in November as a model. Trump won praise for his magnanimous tone after a bitter campaign when he said, after declaring victory over Hillary Clinton, that it is time for America to bind the wounds of division and pledged to be president for all Americans.

Trump is reportedly working with top policy aide Stephen Miller, as well as senior advisers Stephen K. Bannon and Kellyanne Conway and incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, on the inaugural address.

Douglas Brinkley, who was among a small group of historians who met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago after Christmas, said he expected him to strike unifying notes Friday. But Brinkley emphasized that inaugural addresses are judged as much by the visuals of the day  how large and enthusiastic the crowd is, for example, and what Trumps demeanor is onstage with the Obamas and the Clintons.

During their discussion, Brinkley said he mentioned Abraham Lincolns second inaugural address that aimed to heal the wounds of the Civil War. With malice towards none; with charity for all, Lincoln declared in April 1865 in what most historians judge as among the most memorable inaugural addresses.

But Trump, 70, a former reality television producer, was less interested in Lincoln, Brinkley said, than he was in the more contemporary presidents of his lifetime who governed during the television era.

He was thinking of how does one make this a good experience for the crowd, Brinkley said. He said, No one likes a long-winded speech. Theres no such thing as too short. I dont think this will go on and on with a bunch of flowery oratory.

Trump was anything but brief during his Republican National Convention speech in July that clocked in at 1 hour, 15 minutes, the longest acceptance speech in at least four decades. That address, written in part by Miller, had dark and ominous overtones as Trump cited a moment of crisis for our nation and focused on threats to our very way of life, including terrorism and attacks on police.

A convention speech is, by its nature, a highly partisan affair. Yet since his more magnanimous victory speech, Trump has engaged in a steady stream of gloating and bullying against his rivals on Twitter and in public appearances.

He boasted, falsely, of having won the presidency in a landslide, and he dismissed a CNN correspondent as fake news and called BuzzFeed a pile of garbage at his only news conference since the election.

Last week, Trump accused Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a civil rights icon, of being all talk, talk, talk  no action or results after Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Trumps presidency due to the alleged meddling of Russian operatives in the campaign.

Trump is taking the oath of office as the least-popular incoming president in at least four decades, with 40 percent of the public holding a favorable impression of him, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll this week.

In a Twitter message this week, Trump quoted the Rev. Franklin Graham, who said in a television appearance on Fox News that it wasnt Donald Trump that divided this country. This country has been divided for a long time.

But the problem for Trump is that hes anything but a unifier, said Robert Dallek, a presidential historian and author.

If Trump makes a speech about national unity but follows it up the next day or two with dismissive tweets, Dallek said, its going to kill the resonance of what he said.
In rally after rally, and speech upon speech, Donald Trump built a verbal skyscraper of campaign promises about what he would do on his first day in the White House.

Begin building a wall at the nations southern border. End the war on coal. Label China a currency manipulator. The list went on and on.

But now, as Trump prepares to take the oath of office Friday, his Day One executive actions and policy plans are a closely held secret, another prop in the Donald Trump show waiting to be unveiled with his trademark flourish and fanfare. And, his aides are playing down how much will be done during that first day, while also sending conflicting signals about whether the real work of governing will begin Friday, when Trump officially becomes president, or Monday, his first full workday in the White House.

Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that Trump will probably sign four or five executive actions on Friday, mainly focused on logistics and government operations, with more coming Monday.

(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

Asked Thursday about Trumps coming executive actions, Spicer declined to give specifics, but he mentioned President Obamas health-care law, the fight against the Islamic State and immigration as key issues important to Trump.

He is committed to not just Day One, but Day Two, Day Three, of enacting an agenda of real change, Spicer told reporters. And I think that youre going to see that in the days and weeks to come.

Regardless of what happens on Day One, advisers to the president-elect and others close to the transition process say that Trump will act quickly in the early days of his administration. His initial plans are to undo many of Obamas executive actions and begin rolling back regulations, especially those that he believes are financially burdensome. At least to start, the advisers said, Trump will focus more on unraveling the past eight years of the outgoing administration than on launching a new vision.

[What President Obamas executive actions mean for President Trump]

Several advisers used the word aggressive to describe Trumps early actions, with another predicting a tsunami. The plans are still being drafted and tweaked, in a last-minute effort that spans the transition team, including the legal department, policy shop, legislative team and communications operation. The effort is being spearheaded by Stephen Miller, Trumps senior policy adviser.

One said to expect actions undoing aspects of Obamas health-care policy in the first wave of signings and added that Trump will probably reinstate the Mexico City policy, first implemented under President Ronald Reagan, that basically prevents groups receiving U.S. foreign aid from performing or promoting abortion services as a family-planning method.

Trumps promises both on the campaign trail and since the election have set high expectations among his supporters for what he will do in the first days and weeks of his presidency. A failure to deliver probably will be seen as a setback for the new administration.

Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), a member of Trumps transition team, said that when Vice President-elect Mike Pence met with congressional Republicans this month, he offered a simple message: That President-elect Trump is going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue in the parade and go into the Oval Office with a stack of papers on the desk and start signing them to roll back what we call Obamas unconstitutional executive actions.

Trump aides have yet to clarify, however, how many of his first moves will be actual executive actions that will take effect immediately and how many will be grand proclamations that may take time to fully implement.

[Here are 282 of Donald Trumps campaign promises]

Senate leaders, meanwhile, hope to confirm several of his Cabinet nominees as early as Friday, especially those filling national security posts, including retired Gen. John F. Kelly to lead the Department of Homeland Security and retired Gen. James Mattis as secretary of defense. Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), Trumps pick to head the CIA, could get his vote on Monday.

A speech Trump delivered in October in Gettysburg, Pa.  at the time intended to be his closing argument to voters  will serve as a blueprint for his initial policy prescriptions, according to his aides. There, in the shadow of the Civil War battlefield, Trump promised on his first day in office more than a dozen actions, ranging from the less likely  proposing a constitutional amendment imposing term limits on members of Congress  to the more plausible  withdrawing from and beginning to renegotiate key trade deals.

After the initial rush, the contours of Trumps first 100 days in office offer more of a combination of both undoing some of the Obama administrations policies and implementing his own legislative vision. His priorities, said a senior Trump adviser, include an infrastructure plan; cracking down on what he views as trade abuses; building a wall at the nations southern border and tackling visa overstays; expanding production of domestic energy sources; a new tax plan that includes a child-care tax credit; and family leave proposals.

Congressional Republicans are already planning to use a fast-track budget process to begin repealing Obamas health-care plan. And Senate Republicans say a second budget of the year, in April, could give the new administration additional tools  through the same process  to muscle through its tax plan.

Stephen Moore, an economist for the Heritage Foundation who served as a senior adviser to the campaign, said that over the summer, once it became clear that Trump would be the Republican nominee, he began helping with what he called the First Day Project  a set of actions that Trump could take on his first day in office to begin rolling back the previous administrations policies.

The idea has always been to get Trump ready with a pen that he can use his first day in the Oval Office to start overturning executive actions and executive orders that Obama has signed into law over the last four or five years, Moore said. If a president signs an executive order, a new president can come in and with the stroke of a pen rescind that order.

Moore said one area of acute focus was Obamas energy and environment regulations, including his 2015 Clean Power Plan to curb carbon pollution from power plants.

Theres such an ideological night and day comparison between Obama and Trump, that if we want to be successful, we need to undo everything Obama did, he added. Thats a bit of an exaggeration, but theres very few things Obama has done that we regard as being helpful to the economy.

The Trump campaign also had outside help in formulating its early executive actions, though it remains unclear just how much of the unsolicited advice the Trump operation has accepted or plans to implement.

In early 2015, for instance, well before a Republican nominee had emerged, Crossroads GPS, the nonprofit arm of Karl Roves American Crossroads, began compiling a document outlining a comprehensive list of executive actions an incoming Republican president could take to facilitate economic growth. The document spanned dozens of pages and multiple policy areas, with two to three lawyers assigned to each topic, and was passed to several Republican campaigns, including Trumps.

In a May 2016 memo, Bernie Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot, also outlined his plans to financially support the Crossroads project. Michael Caputo, then a Trump adviser who was also a longtime adviser to Marcus, drafted the memo and passed it along to Trump.

One option many presidents overlook is to make early, effective use of constitutional executive powers  through executive orders, enforcement directives, rule-makings and other actions that do not require congressional or budget approval to effectuate, reads the one-page memo. The unifying goal of these various executive actions is to jump start the economy and create jobs.

Caputo confirmed that he wrote the memo and presented it to Trump, but he declined to comment further. A spokeswoman for Marcus said she was unaware of the memo, and a spokesman for Crossroads also declined to comment.

A May 2016 draft of the energy and environmental portion of the document calls on rolling back the Environmental Protection Agencys Clean Power Plan through executive order, and it also lists withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord as a high priority for the first 100 days. Since winning election, Trump has sent mixed signals on the international climate agreement.

Of course, the Trump operation is hardly the first to prepare a robust list of executive actions for an incoming president. Mitt Romneys transition team, which began work well before Election Day in 2012, combed through all of Romneys policy speeches and op-eds, identifying and prioritizing all the promises he had made during the campaign, and drafted a 200-day plan.

On the list: Everything from repealing and replacing Obamas signature health-care law to using state police to help arrest undocumented immigrants for deportation, said someone familiar with the plans.

Former Utah governor Mike Leavitt, who headed Romneys transition team, said if Romney had won, his transition aides had begun planning for various scenarios, because they werent sure which chambers of Congress, if any, they would control. With Republicans now controlling the House and the Senate, the Trump administration, he added, should theoretically be able to take bold and decisive action.

They have the benefit of having control of both houses of Congress, Leavitt said, so probably a lot more will be accomplished than if they had a divided government.

Philip Rucker contributed to this report.
Rick Perry, former governor of Texas and nominee to be President-elect Donald Trumps secretary of energy, is inroduced at his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). (Pete Marovich/Bloomberg)

President-elect Donald Trump and his Republican allies on Capitol Hill may have an extra cushion if GOP support wavers for any of Trumps Cabinet nominees: moderate Democrats up for reelection in 2018.

On Thursday Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), possibly the most conservative member of his caucus, happily introduced former Texas governor Rick Perry at his confirmation hearing to be the secretary of energy. On Wednesday, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) got a meeting with the secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson.

These Democrats and others have emerged as a key bloc of potential support for much of Trumps Cabinet.

Were looking at everything, and Im giving everybody a fair shake, Manchin, who is also supporting Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) for attorney general, told reporters Wednesday.

Republicans no longer need any Democratic support to win confirmation for Cabinet selections. When they were in the majority in 2013, Democrats changed the rules on a party-line basis and eliminated the 60-vote hurdle to clear a filibuster on all nominations except for the Supreme Court. With 52 seats of their own, Republicans can afford to lose two votes and still win a confirmation fight, as Vice President-elect Mike Pence, in his constitutional role of presiding over the Senate, could deliver the tiebreaking vote.

But the reality is that for the vast majority of Trump nominees, there will be some Democratic support buffeting the near-unanimity that is expected among Republicans for the entire slate of nominees.

Those votes will likely come from Democrats whose states delivered landslide victories to Trump. In Manchins West Virginia, Trump won by 42 points. Heitkamps North Dakota voted for Trump by 36 points. And Sen. Joe Donnelly has Trumps 19-point victory in his home state of Indiana to consider.

All three of these senators  and seven other Democrats from states where Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton on Nov. 8  face reelection in 2018.

Trumps nominees are likely to be confirmed. Thats because of Senate Democrats.

That landscape could inform a lot more than this seasons confirmation hearings, all of which may be merely a warm-up for the big fight that could begin not long after Fridays inauguration: replacing the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.

Under current rules, Trump will need at least eight Democrats, since those high court picks face a 60-vote hurdle.

The Trump team is already working it.

Last week, Pence paid visits to Manchin, Heitkamp and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), his counterpart in the 2016 campaign who also faces reelection in 2018. Manchin said afterward that they discussed several issues, including the Supreme Court.

On Cabinet picks, Democratic aides stressed that Trump and Senate Republican leaders have not put pressure on these Democrats to come out early in support of the nominees. But Republicans would like to tout some measure of bipartisan support for as many nominees as possible, and they have been diligent in setting up meetings with potential Democratic supporters.

Heitkamp, who is four years into her first term, met with Tillerson on the same day Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), the Senates No. 2 Democrat, met with the ExxonMobil CEO.

Earlier this month, Heitkamp declined to state her position on Tillerson but reiterated that she has long been predisposed to giving a president of either party enough latitude to assemble the Cabinet of his or her choice. After meeting Tillerson, she issued a statement praising his holistic approach to diplomacy.

Im glad he shares my support for soft power investments that continue to strengthen American ties with strategic partners and treaty allies, Heitkamp said.

She did express concern about Tillersons business ties to Russia, which included receiving an honor from President Vladimir Putin that has raised concerns among some Republican national security hawks.

Several nominees have drawn Republican criticism. Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) has been the leading GOP critic of Tillerson on the Foreign Relations Committee and has still not said how he will vote on the nomination, which is slated for a committee vote Monday. Other Republicans, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), also have expressed concern.

So far, at least, Democratic leaders remain hopeful that Heitkamp and other moderates up for reelection next year would let a nominee fail if several Republicans chose to defect  for instance, if Rubio and McCain lead a rebellion that leaves Tillerson a few votes short of winning confirmation among Republicans.

The man to watch in Rex Tillersons confirmation hearing? Marco Rubio.

Yet, although they wont publicly acknowledge it, party leaders dont mind their Democrats from Trump states showing some deference to his Cabinet selections  even those who infuriate liberal activists.

Manchin, for example, is friends with Sessions, so almost immediately after Sessionss nomination was announced in November, the West Virginian announced his support. Perry is a friend from Manchins tenure as West Virginias governor.

He sat next to him. I have no problem with that, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters Thursday of Manchins endorsement of Perry.

Despite some positive overtures, most rank-and-file Democrats have kept their powder dry. I think its rather exceptional at this point, I think most Democratic members have either withheld their position or only a few have announced an interest in voting for the nominee, Durbin said.

Manchin will not give a free pass to all GOP nominees. He has flagged two who are troubling to him: Betsy DeVos, the billionaire conservative philanthropist nominated for education secretary, and Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), the nominee for secretary of health and human services.

Prices selection drew instant words of caution from Donnelly and Manchin, who disapproved of his support for turning Medicare into a private, premium-support plan. Then, during his hearing, Price stumbled over a question about whether he would support federal funding to battle the opioid epidemic ravaging West Virginia.

In a brief interview, Manchin said his red flags for nominees revolved around a critical thing: anything that basically runs contradictory to the values of my state and the people I represent.

Read more from Paul Kanes archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) is one of nearly 70 Democratic lawmakers boycotting President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration on Friday, one of many protests planned to greet the dawn of his administration. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

When Donald Trump takes the presidential oath of office on Friday, thousands of protesters will be marching his way from an Occupy the Inauguration rally at Meridian Hill Park. Theyll be joined by members and supporters of Democratic Socialists of America who will start their march near the White House. And 1,000 miles away, Democratic donors and strategists will be listening to a panel discussion on the actions that Trump may take in his first 100 days in office and the moral responsibility to resist.

Democrats and the broader left, recuperating from an election few of them thought they could lose, are organizing one of the broadest  and earliest  opposition campaigns ever to greet a new president. It began with protests in the hours after Trumps victory, but it has become bolder since, marked most dramatically by nearly 70 Democratic members of Congress boycotting the inauguration itself.

To borrow the words of Joe Hill: Dont mourn. Organize, said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is embracing a vocal role in the Democrats anti-Trump resistance. We should be humble about the fact that Trump found a way to address real concerns that people had, while never forgetting that he got 3 million votes less than Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Part of the response, so far, has been a steady run of public protests, many of them endorsed by Democrats. It is a marked change from 2001, when protests of the incoming administration of George W. Bush were dominated by the political fringe, and a contrast even with 2009, when tea party protests were egged on by conservative organizations but only slowly joined by elected Republicans. In his farewell speech, President Obama departed from the usual homilies and urged activists to find their causes.

If something needs fixing, then lace up your shoes and do some organizing, Obama said. If youre disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself.

(Jayne Orenstein/The Washington Post)

[Why are no senators boycotting the inauguration? National ambition is part of it.]

This year, in his enhanced role as a messenger for congressional Democrats, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) successfully encouraged 70-odd rallies last weekend in support of the Affordable Care Act, organized on the ground by Democrats and labor groups. Local branches of the Working Families Party, which endorsed Sanders (and de Blasio) in 2016, have organized Resist Trump Tuesdays, in which activists have protested inside the offices of Republican legislators or filled the galleries of state legislatures. According to WFP spokesman Joe Dinkin, 450 community planning meetings took place the week before the inauguration.

Were making the Trump nominations the first big fight of the new year, Dinkin said. Thousands of people are coming out to encourage Democrats  not just to vote against them, but to use every procedural tool to slow them down.

[Organizers brace for massive protests on Friday]

Those tools are more limited than the ones used by previous out-of-power parties, thanks to a Democratic-backed 2013 reform of the filibuster that Republicans opposed but have not undone. But Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) told The Washington Post last week that the reform was the right thing to do, and that Democrats who opposed nominees had to be ready to stand and debate them.

Across the left, activists have tried to anticipate and adapt to the tactics of the right. They have highlighted legislation in at least five states that would increase the penalties for public protest, including a North Dakota bill that would legally protect a driver who negligently causes injury or death to an individual obstructing vehicular traffic. Earlier this month, the progressive group American Family Voices identified and exposed a conservative video sting artist who was trying to offer cash for violent protests. This weekends Democracy Matters donor conference in Miami, organized by David Brock, will include several discussions on how to reverse-engineer the right, such as one on how the Trump administration presents opportunities for impact litigation to hold the president accountable to the law.

In December, a group of former congressional staffers released an easily updated guide to effective protest and lobbying tactics, titled Indivisible. Over 26 pages, available for free online, the staffers delineated what had gotten their attention in Congress, spelled out simple steps such as subscribing to a congressional members schedule, and recapped how the tea party had beaten Democrats in 2009 and 2010.

We saw these activists take on a popular president with a mandate for change and a supermajority in Congress, they wrote in the guides introduction. We saw them organize locally and convince their own [members of Congress] to reject President Obamas agenda. Their ideas were wrong, cruel, and tinged with racism  and they won.

Ezra Levin, one of the drafters of the guide, acknowledged that the protests had not stopped the entire Obama agenda. But they shifted the national conversation and turned lesser-known Democratic goals into controversies.

They were extraordinarily effective at causing members of Congress who were with them to be even more with them, and causing members who supported the Obama administration to be less vocal in their support, Levin said. You can run down the progressive goals that those protests helped stop. Cap-and-trade. Card check. Immigration reform. Obamacare would have been very different; it was watered down as a result of that opposition.

After winning power in 2010, Republicans took several steps to limit the effectiveness of the tactics that had beaten Democrats. They hold fewer public town halls, and more telephone or online forums that cannot easily get out of hand. In key states, they also drew maps that packed most reliable Democrats into safe, urban districts. Most of last weekends health-care rallies took place in safe blue territory, far from the rural areas where Trump cracked the electoral college.

But at home in New York, and at work in Washington, Trump will be in proximity to hundreds of thousands of active Democrats. De Blasio, whose constituents will soon include the family of the 45th president, was scheduled to address a rally at New Yorks Trump hotel on Thursday night. Resistance, he said, started with Democratic confidence that their progressive politics had won the popular vote, and confidence that Republicans would not act on the pro-infrastructure, anti-elite economic policies Trump had used to win the election. Republicans had won on theory, and Democrats would confront them with reality.

Of course, were about to do to them what they did to us with those ridiculous town hall meetings, de Blasio said. Yes, that was a classic progressive technique, and yes, shame on anybody whos too thrown off by people screaming at a town hall meeting to begin with. But if thats what it takes, lets scream at the town hall meetings. Lets put the people who could die right in front of them.

Read more at PowerPost
Sen. Thom Tilli (R-N.C.) thanks student volunteers packing "blessing boxes" for homeless veterans on Monday. Tillis is one Republican taking advantage of newer forums for constituent interaction like Facebook and telephone town halls. (Laura Greene/AP)

After Sen. Thom Tillis said he would be talking to constituents live on Facebook Wednesday, more than 200 people submitted questions  many of them pointed queries about his views on health care.

While Tilliss office had advertised a 30-minute event, the senator ultimately appeared on camera for 11 minutes, answering eight questions read to him by a staff member.

We have to repeal Obamacare and replace it with something that works, said the North Carolina Republican. What we also have to do is get through the rhetoric youre hearing from some people. . . . Some of the mainstream media and others have pretended that there is no replace strategy  there is.

Tillis did not acknowledge any of the follow-up questions that popped up in the comments alongside his video, including requests for more details on the GOP replacement plan. But he did avoid the sort of viral spectacle that many of his fellow lawmakers have encountered over the past week as the debate over repealing the Affordable Care Act got underway in Washington.

[Fact Checker: GOP, Democrats offer dueling talking points about people losing their health care]

Seven years after unruly Democratic town halls helped stoke public outrage over the Affordable Care Act, Republicans now appear keen to avoid the kind of dust-ups capable of racking up millions of views on YouTube and ending up in a 2018 campaign commercial. Only a handful of GOP lawmakers have held or are planning to host in-person town hall meetings open to all comers  the sort of large-scale events that helped feed the original Obamacare backlash in the summer of 2009.

The Republican Congress kicked off the process of repealing the landmark health-care legislation last week. According to Legistorm, which tracks lawmakers events, ten GOP lawmakers have held in-person town hall meetings since Jan. 1. As of Thursday, only Rep. James F. Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) had scheduled any future events.

That may be because such freewheeling events  especially with a hot topic like the ACA on the table  can devolve into chaos, with made-for-social-media moments brought to you by anyone with a smartphone in the audience.

Instead, lawmakers are increasingly turning to more controlled forums like telephone town halls, as well as Facebook Q&As and smaller, unpublicized personal meetings that cannot so easily be filmed.

John Feehery, a former senior House GOP leadership aide, said lawmakers need to take a very cautious approach when it comes to public events.

In this day and age, real-life town halls are very dangerous for all but the most seasoned politicians, he said. I think John McCain can get away with it and a few others, but most should stick to office hours, really good constituent service or tele-town halls.

That seems to be especially true as Republicans move to eliminate the 2010 health-care law that has provided roughly 20 million people with some form of coverage. The GOP has put forth principles for a replacement, but lawmakers have not settled on a detailed alternative.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) administers the House oath of office to Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) in Washington on Jan. 3. McMorris Rodgers faced chants of Save our health care at a recent event in her district. (Zach Gibson/AP)

[Pressure mounts on GOP for post-Obamacare plan following CBO report]

Since Congress took its first steps to unwind the ACA, Republicans have been publicly confronted by constituents  generating media reports and shareable videos that have been happily circulated by Democrats eager to turn the tables on the GOP.

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) was greeted by more than 150 people at a one-on-one constituent event Saturday at a library in the Denver suburbs  generating footage of chanting, singing and Coffman leaving the event out of a back door.

On Monday, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.)  the chairwoman of the House Republican Conference  encountered shouts of save our health care as she addressed a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event in her district.

And during a nationally televised town hall event last week, an Arizona cancer survivor told House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) that because of the Obama health-care reforms, Im standing here today alive.

Why would you repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement? the man, Jeff Jeans, asked Ryan.

Said Ryan, Without getting into all of the legislative mumbo-jumbo, we want to do this at the same time and, in some cases, in the same bill.

Dan Keylin, Tilliss communications director, said the senator has used Facebook events and telephone town halls for months and that the recent health-care debate hasnt caused him to change the way he interacts with voters. Questions that Tillis did not answer personally Wednesday will be answered by staff, he said.

The feedback we receive has been overwhelmingly positive, Keylin said.

The public remains closely divided on Obamacare. A Washington Post-ABC poll conducted from Jan. 12 to 15 found 46 percent supported repealing the law, while 47 percent opposed it.

Republicans have plenty of constituents who stand to be affected by changes to the ACA: According to a recent analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Republican districts combined contain 6.3 million Obama marketplace enrollees versus the 5.2 million in Democratic districts. Millions more are covered under the expansion of Medicaid.

Several lawmakers surveyed in recent days acknowledged a major uptick in constituent engagement on health care, whether through phone calls, social media postings or in-person contacts.

Im getting a lot of calls, said Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.), one of nine Republicans who voted against a key measure kicking off the repeal push last week. What Im hearing from people is, theyre much more concerned about the substance of the fix than the timing of the fix. We didnt get here overnight, and I think people realize it may take a little time to fix it and get it right.

Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), who represents a state where Donald Trump won with 69 percent of the vote, said his constituents are scared to death.

Ive got miners who could lose their black lung [coverage]. Ive got people in treatment now who never had treatment before for opiate addiction, he said.

But most said their interactions with constituents had only encouraged them to repeal and replace Obamacare, and some criticized those who have sought to confront lawmakers about possible changes to the law.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who represents a state where an estimated 75,000 residents are covered through the Obamacare marketplace, said some activists were spreading misinformation about Republicans intentions.

I think its really unfortunate that some of these paid activists are scaring people about whats going to happen, said Collins, who has counseled her GOP colleagues to move carefully.

Few, however, said they had definite plans to hold widely publicized public events in their districts.

Instead, they emphasized meetings with smaller groups of constituents, social media outreach and, increasingly, telephone town halls, where thousands of constituents can dial in or be called directly for a chance to hear a lawmaker take their questions, one at a time.

We definitely have seen an uptick in the last month or so, said Shaun Thompson, chief government, public and client affairs officer for Tele-Town Hall LLC, a leading vendor that has worked with more than 100 members of both parties.

Most members see the phone events as a complement, not a substitute, to traditional town hall meetings, Thompson said, and have no qualms about taking difficult questions: They want to make sure all the hot-button issues are discussed.

But he acknowledged that the nature of such events  where only one constituent speaks at a time, and the operator can mute a disruptive questioner  can prevent the kind of dramatic confrontations that rocket around the media and the Internet.

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) said he had 12,000 constituents on a telephone town hall earlier this month  up about 25 percent from previous similar events.

There is going to be a new health reform, and we want to get it right, so I want your feedback, he said. Thats my message.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), representing a state where more than 50,000 residents have enrolled through the exchanges, hosted more than 24,000 constituents on a Jan. 10 telephone town hall. Daines polled the callers on whether they support repealing Obamacare; 80 percent said yes, according to his office.

For many GOP lawmakers who were elected in the past six years, they insist there is little they could hear at any town hall meeting that would weaken their resolve on health care.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who was elected to the House in the 2010 tea party wave and to the Senate in the 2014 GOP midterm sweep, said activists are wasting their time.

Were going to keep moving forward, because this is what most of us were elected to do, he said. The frustrating thing for me is, there are a lot of folks peddling a lot of fear right now . . . and they have no idea what the next proposal is, so theyre just assuming the worst and encouraging people that are cancer patients and diabetics to start calling us.

But Democrats are warning that the GOP ignores its constituents at their peril. Manchin said that most of the West Virginia residents who have gained health care under the ACA probably voted for Donald Trump.

They dont know how they got their health care, he said. Theyre going to know how they lost it, I guarantee you that.

Elise Viebeck contributed to this report.

Read more at PowerPost
1 of 15 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Where We Live | Colonial Village in Northwest Washington View Photos The community is characterized by long-standing relationships and traditional homes. Caption The community is characterized by long-standing relationships and traditional homes. Colonial Village in Northwest Washington is a community of predominantly Colonial-style houses. Amanda Voisard/For The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

Places are often named after obvious geographic features. For example, Twinbrook, in Rockville, Md., reflects two streams that flowed across the original community.

So its not surprising that Colonial Village in Northwest Washington is a community of predominantly Colonial-style houses. The stately redbrick, painted-brick and stone single-family homes sit on gently rolling tree-lined streets that curve with the natural topography. The neighborhood is nestled alongside Rock Creek Park on the north, south and western edges.

This is a tranquil, suburban retreat in the city thats friendly without being intrusive, said Ed Atkins, who along with his wife, Vera, has lived there 20 years. Atkins is a member of the Shepherd Park Citizens Association board.

It sort of has a country feel to it. You dont feel like youre in the city, said Phyllis Caudle Green, a 27-year resident who was elected commissioner representing Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 4A01 in November.

Colonial Village is a beautiful well-kept secret with many palatial homes, some with swimming pools and most with beautiful lawns, she said. Many houses back up to the park or when residents walk out the front door they face the park.

[Arlingtons Waverly Hills charms residents with its very storybook qualities]

When I was campaigning one of my neighbors said, We really dont have any problems here except the deer and raccoons. The biggest complaint was how to keep deer out of geranium bushes in the summer, said Green.

We cooperate with each other. We chip in to help and watch out for our elderly neighbors. When people are away we watch their house and pick up newspapers, said Atkins. When my wife and I were both sick, our neighbor made us a pot of chicken soup.





Shaped like a butterfly: Colonial Village and is home to roughly 1,500 residents. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) bought a house there last year.

The community is shaped like a butterfly and sits practically at the northern tip of Northwest blending with North Portal Estates on the north and Shepherd Park on the east. In fact, the three neighborhoods are so closely entwined they share community news and views via the quarterly Shepherd Park News.

The neighborhood has been consistent for a long time. We dont really see a lot of changes, said Green. People dont divide up property for other housing.

There are families whose children have moved back into the neighborhood and there are some parents whove passed down their house to their children, said Carlton Terry, a native Virginian who has lived there with his wife, Amelia Rosete-Terry, since 1994.

Were very blessed to have bought this home when we did, he said. Its a neighborhood off the beaten track. A lot of folks dont even know about it. Not a lot of traffic comes through. You can count the number of cars during the day.

Randall Clarke and his wife, Vanessa Versailles-Clarke, who have a 4-year-old daughter, have lived in Colonial Village for more than nine years, considered a short time. We have neighbors [whove been] here since 1962 and we had another from 1959, but shes now in a nursing home. That history attracted us, he said.

[Bethesdas Kenwood Park again teems with young families]

We feel like we found a gem that a lot of people didnt know was there, he added.

The Clarkes say they love the proximity to Rock Creek Park. Were fans of the hiking trails, he said. Some are immediately accessible to the neighborhood. And Beach Drive is closed weekends so people ride bikes on it. You cant get a prettier drive.

Shopping, dining: Its wholly residential, though services are barely a stones throw away. Living here is a great mix of worlds, said Clarke. We have peace and quiet but are still in the city with a lot of conveniences and transportation options.

The Blairs Shopping Center on East-West Highway by Colesville Road is minutes away over the line in Silver Spring. Theres Giant Food/Pharmacy, cleaners, barbershop and Peets Coffee & Tea. Downtown Bethesda, with dozens of shops, restaurants and service outlets, is also close.



Colonial Village is nestled alongside Rock Creek Park on the north, south and western edges. (Amanda Voisard/For the Washington Post)

Living there: Colonial Village, Zip code 20012, is in the northern tip of Northwest bordered on the north, south and west by Rock Creek Park. On the east its bounded by 16th Street.

All sales were for single-family houses. According to Long & Foster sales associate Larry Bivins, four properties are for sale, ranging from a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home with a one-car garage for $819,000 to a seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom house for $1,599,000.

Three properties are under contract, ranging from a five-bedroom, two-bathroom house for $619,900 to a six-bedroom, four-bathroom home for $810,000, which is a short sale.

In the past year, nine properties have sold, ranging from a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home for $705,000 to a six-bedroom, eight-bathroom house for $1.8 million.

Schools: Shepherd Elementary, Deal Middle, Wilson High.

Transit: From Colonial Village, its a short commute to downtown D.C., and Friendship Heights, Chevy Chase Circle and Bethesda are just a straight shot, said Atkins. Theres always a bus on 16th Street, and were a 10-minute walk to the Silver Spring Metro station on the Red Line, said Randall.

Crime: According to crimemap.dc.gov there were two assaults, two burglaries and two thefts in the past year.


Developer Alan Kanner renovated and expanded his midcentury modern home in Takoma Park, Md., transforming it into a cube house. (By Julia Heine/McInturff Architects)

Its a dab of color on a wooded lot in Takoma Park, Md.  a two-story house that brings the outdoors inside yet creates privacy.

Before, it was a one-story midcentury house with no distinguishing features.

The lot was what appealed to Alan Kanner, a lawyer turned builder who envisioned its potential.

After going through a divorce, Kanner was looking for a playful house.

When his business partner told him about one for sale not far from where he was living, Kanner jumped at the opportunity.

It was a great piece of property, Kanner said of the wooded lot where the unremarkable one-story house stood. You feel like youre almost by yourself, he said, adding that he did not need a big house.

He made an offer on it in 2010 before it went on the market.

Next, Kanner, who co-owns construction firm Added Dimensions, turned to architect Mark McInturff, with whom he had worked on several projects, for ideas. It was Mark who saw the possibilities, Kanner said.



Alan Kanner, sitting in his living room, was looking for a playful house. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

McInturff, who designs houses as well as renovations, imaged a sort of magic box where Kanner and his children, Jenna, now a 20-year-old college student at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and Raphael, now 17, could live.

I wanted something I could afford, and then there was this heavily forested site, Kanner said. He discussed his requirements with McInturff: He needed a fair amount of public space  places where his kids could do homework. In addition, he said, I want the house to have sort of a playful feel to it. And he wanted to stay within a reasonable budget.

[On Marylands Eastern Shore, a home in the woods is now of the woods]

McInturff showed Kanner two designs  one that went up and one that went out  and Kanner chose the first.

By putting another box on top of a box, McInturff doubled the size of the original 900-square-foot house plus a basement. What had been a one-story modern box on a walkout basement is now a two-story modern box on a walkout basement, the architect said.

1 of 13 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Transforming a one-story house into a magic box View Photos Renovation turns traditional Takoma Park, Md., property into a cube Caption Renovation turns traditional Takoma Park, Md., property into a cube When Alan Kanner bought the Takoma Park, Md., home, it was a nondescript one-story midcentury modern house with a walkout basement. Julia Heine/McInturff Architects Wait 1 second to continue.

The renovation was a dramatic transformation of the structure, with large windows for inhabitants to take in the views while allowing privacy in the Takoma Park neighborhood, where houses are relatively close together.

It was less expensive to build a second story than to build an addition, Kanner said. One of the things I wanted was this open feeling, not a chopped-up house.

In addition to maximizing the natural landscape, including a huge oak tree at the back of the house, McInturff used color, inspired by one of artist Richard Diebenkorns Ocean Park paintings, to create whimsy.

[How an Arlington couple morphed their entire home without tearing it down]

Takoma Park is known for colors, McInturff said. It seemed like a neighborhood where you could do that. Originally, there were to be nine colors, at which Kanner balked. Initially, I panicked, he said. So they agreed on six colors: two shades of blue, white, yellow, turquoise and red-orange. A rectangular color block on the front of the house hints at splashes of brightness inside.

Its one of the things I love most about it, Kanner said.

The colors are token, McInturff said. Yet they add whimsy to the otherwise neutral tones inside  black, gray, white  and the industrial feel with a raw steel staircase at the center of the house.

Its the original stairwell, and its in the middle of the house, and everything kind of pivots around it, McInturff said. Made of unpainted steel with wood stairs and a steel grid as accents, it connects the two boxes, the public spaces on the first floor and the private spaces on the second.



The kitchen before . . . (By Julia Heine/McInturff Architects)

and after the renovation. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

Bits of color from the exterior at the front of the house echo throughout the interior, creating interest rather than dominating the neutral interior. There are a lot of color recalls, said McInturff, who started the design for the house, then turned it over to project architect Colleen Healey.

Its the playful and the industrial and how those two come together in a sophisticated way, Healey said.

The first level includes the dining area, living area and kitchen, while the second has three bedrooms  one for each of Kanners children and one for Kanner. The first level, where the bedrooms once were, was reconfigured to create an open plan.

The terrain partly dictated the direction of the project. Takoma Parks topography  specifically, a ravine  suggested building up to allow the second floor to capitalize on the greenery outside.

Im looking out this window, and I do not see another house, McInturff said. This room seems to be about that tree, he said, pointing to the huge oak. It was like designing a boat. Everything has to work.

The original house had a flat roof, and the house was fairly uniformly distributed, said Kanner, allowing a second floor to be added. Kanner turned to his staff to build the house. We stayed with the existing footprint, he said. Construction began in November 2011, and by July 2012, Kanner had moved in, even though there was more work to be done.

I moved in without a kitchen sink, he said. Kanner estimated the cost of the construction for the second-floor addition at about $200 a square foot  or roughly $200,000. Kanner served as contractor for the project.

Double-paned glass with argon gas in between was used throughout the house for energy efficiency. Spray-foam insulation was used, as well.

Utility bills are very low, Kanner said.

Turning a midcentury house into a magic box was the challenge, and the results are based on the synergy between architects and builder. Some of it wasnt worked out until it was under construction, Kanner said. But because they had worked together before, they understood where the project was going and the importance of attention to detail.

Its being able to work magic with less, McInturff said.

You get a lot of magic without having to spend a whole lot of money. Colors almost cost nothing.
Just one month ago, Afghanistans moribund peace process seemed to be sputtering to life. Taliban leaders had welcomed delegations from Kabul to their office in Qatar. The governor and police chief of Kandahar province had told a large gathering that the 16-year conflict could only be resolved through talks and had even offered a haven for Taliban negotiators.

Now, that hopeful moment has been eclipsed by a blitz of terror attacks on Jan 10 that left 50 people dead in Kabul and two other cities. Two attacks were claimed by the Taliban. The third, an explosion at another gathering hosted by Kandahar officials, took the lives of five visiting Emirati diplomats. Amid outraged recriminations by the United Arab Emirates, Afghan security agencies launched an investigation aided by NATO, and dozens of people were arrested this week.

The circumstances of that bombing remain murky, and the Taliban have repeatedly denied responsibility for the blast, in which sophisticated explosives were detonated remotely after being concealed in a sofa inside a secure official compound. The mystery set off a flurry of conspiracy theories pointing to Iran, Pakistan and disputes among Kandahari leaders.

Analysts and government aides said Taliban militants almost certainly carried out the attack but denied it because they did not intend to kill the envoys, whose government is a longtime financial center for their movement. Several officials described the deaths as a monumental blunder that sent panicked Taliban leaders rushing to the UAE to reassure officials they were not behind the attack.





Whoever was responsible, the shocking act abruptly cut off the nascent peace feelers, reinforced predictions that Afghanistan faces another long season of combat and terror once winter ends, and deepening a sense of gloom among Afghan officials. Some analysts said they fear the insurgents will be able to wear down the Kabul government and outlast the foreign goodwill that provides 70 percent of its budget.

This was not another message of war  it was a vicious and unforgivable crime, said Abdul Hakim Mujahid, a member of the governments High Peace Council. There is still a tendency towards peace and reconciliation in the minds of the Taliban and the government, but there is a deep lack of trust, and how to build that is extremely difficult.

Mujahid said the situation had become ambiguous and complicated due to meddling by foreign neighbors and regional powers. New actors are emerging whose only purpose is to advance their own interests, he said. The way forward is very unclear.

The spate of attacks came amid growing efforts by Russia and other governments to stake out new roles and relationships in the Afghan war, with some courting the Taliban. This trend, analysts said, has come largely in response to the interregnum vacuum of American leadership in Afghanistan, where Washingtons military and economic backing have been paramount for 15 years.

Russia, which had remained aloof from Afghan affairs since the disastrous Soviet military intervention that ended 28 years ago, has launched a high-profile initiative to reengage on its own terms. Last month, Moscow convened a meeting with Pakistan and China to discuss the Afghan situation, without inviting officials from Kabul.

Privately, the Kremlin has extended feelers to the Taliban, a former enemy that it sees as an antidote to the Islamic State and a future force in Afghan politics. That move angered Afghan officials, as did Russias opposition to a U.N. Security Council vote to drop anti-terrorism sanctions against Afghan former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. The move would allow him to return home under a peace deal that Afghan and U.S. officials hope will spur the Taliban to follow suit.

Pakistan, which has long sought to dominate both the Taliban fight and the peace process, is scrambling to seek new foreign partners after finding itself isolated abroad and denounced by. U.S. officials for sponsoring aggressive Taliban factions, Some Afghan officials blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the Kandahar bombing, which was reportedly linked to Islamic seminaries across the border.

Iran, which seeks to establish a beachhead for Shiite Islam in next-door Afghanistan, has recently reached out with invitations to the extremist Sunni Taliban. In another role reversal, UAE officials, after years of providing a financial and diplomatic base for the Taliban, have made generous offers of humanitarian aid to the Afghan state. The slain diplomats were in Kandahar to promote that aid.

What we are seeing is a political game of buzkashi, the chaotic Afghan version of polo played with a goat carcass instead of a ball, said Timor Sharan, who represents the nonprofit International Crisis Group in Kabul. Afghanistan is the goat, the American referee is missing, and the regional players are jockeying and maneuvering over where to put the goat to gain advantage for their interests.

Sharan said he sees no hope for a revival of peace talks, in part because the insurgents are in a strong military position after months of attacks against key Afghan cities and in part because President Ashraf Ghani,who faces rivalries inside and outside his government, and whose ethnic Pashtun political base is in the same region as the Talibans, cannot afford to give up the fight.

There is no incentive for peace now, Sharan said. Both sides are gearing up for serious offensives, and the situation is at a stalemate. Everyone agrees there is no military solution, but no one agrees on how to even structure a peaceful one. . . The Taliban can keep going for years.

According to U.S. military estimates published in October, the government still controls or influences 258 of the countrys 407 districts, another 116 are contested, and 33 are controlled or influenced by the Taliban. Some analysts said that areas under Taliban sway continue to spread and that their attack range is virtually nationwide.

Some pro-Taliban analysts said the major stumbling block to peace is the presence of U.S. troops. The insurgents have demanded a timetable for their withdrawal and insist that it be negotiated with U.S. officials; the Obama administration refused, and it is unclear what position the Trump administration will take.

These figures allege that peace prospects are being sabotaged by some Afghan groups with economic or ethnic motives. But they said they were also encouraged by recent signs of support for talks by key domestic adversaries. At the December meeting in Kandahar, provincial police chief Abdul Razik, a legendary anti-Taliban fighter, called for dialogue and offered protection to potential insurgent negotiators.

But Razik, who has faced Taliban threats before, is believed to have been the intended target of the Jan. 10 bombing, along with other local security officials. He survived after suddenly leaving the room just before the explosion, spurring speculation that he might have been part of the plot, though people familiar with the investigation said he had stepped out to smoke a cigarette.

With the government guesthouse a charred ruin, and the deputy governor and five foreign diplomats among the dead, whatever positive momentum for peace had been generated in Kandahar last month suddenly seemed long gone.

Read more

In Afghanistan, Trump will inherit a costly stalemate and few solutions

U.S. military says battle with Taliban killed 33 civilians in Afghanistan

Twin blasts claimed by Taliban kill more than 30 people in Kabul

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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In the darkness under tons of snow, the survivors reached for their only lifeline. From their phones, text messages were punched out to 112, the Italian emergency response number.

Help, one couple wrote after their hotel was buried in an earthquake-triggered avalanche, were dying of cold.

But when rescuers on Thursday finally reached the resort  swallowed by a wall of white that roared down the Gran Sasso mountains in central Italy a day earlier  there was only silence from under the crush of snow, rocks and splintered fir trees.

A handful of survivors waited in what was left of the Hotel Rigopiano. They included a man who was getting something from the family car just when the avalanche hit. Trapped below were his wife and two children. They were among up to 30 people listed as missing.

At least three bodies were found Thursday, as hopes for the others trapped faded hour by hour.

1 of 15 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  The scene in Italy View Photos Dozens are missing after an avalanche caused by a string of earthquakes buried an Italian alpine hotel. Caption Dozens missing after an avalanche caused by a string of earthquakes buried an Italian alpine hotel. Jan. 19, 2017 A man is seen being escorted by Alpine policemen outside the Hotel Rigopiano, near the village of Farinfola, on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain. Handout/AFP/Getty Images/Guardia di Finanza press office Wait 1 second to continue.

There are so many dead, Antonio Crocetta of the local alpine rescue workers told Italys state-run news agency ANSA. The avalanche was huge.

Crews were working nonstop through the night to clear roads and a space in front of the hotel for vehicles and search-and-rescue teams, said Carlo Torlontano, vice prefect of Pescara, a city about 30 miles east of the resort. He was noncommittal on hopes of finding survivors.

It was a disaster whose proportions and aftermath were set by twin blows from nature  in a region still trying to recover from major quakes last summer that toppled centuries-old buildings and nearly wiped out some villages.

The mountains of the Abruzzo region were battered by huge snowfall over the past days. Another storm hit Wednesday, dumping a fresh layer on the slopes. Then a series of moderate quakes was enough to unleash the deadly snow slide, experts say.

The avalanche also blocked the only twisting road to the four-star spa and hotel, built in an alpine glen at nearly 4,000 feet.

[In summer quakes, history turned to rubble]

Some rescuers used skis, and others were dropped by helicopter. The first rescue crews started to dig with shovels. Meanwhile, plows struggled to carve a route along the snow-choked access road to bring in heavy equipment.

Images from the scene showed hallways choked with snow, which also punched into the hotel lobby and buried tall peaked roofs. A frosty mist that had settled over the area slowly began to lift.

The mist is easing now, said Pierpaolo Petrucci, a representative in the regional assembly. And when the mist dissipates, the ugliness appears.

Among the survivors was Giampaolo Parete, 38, who told rescuers that he had gone to his car when the avalanche hit. His wife and two children were buried inside, ANSA reported.

I saved myself because Id gone to pick something up from the car, he said. The avalanche came and I was buried by snow, but I managed to get out. The car was not buried, so I stayed there and waited for rescue operators.

Quintino Marcella, a restaurant owner, told the channel Sky TG24 that he received a call from one of his chefs, who was visiting the hotel. The chef escaped, but said his wife and two children were trapped inside.

He calls me and says, Help me, an avalanche has hit and the hotel isnt there anymore. Its disappeared. Its buried,  Marcella said.

Help, help, help, help, the chef cried to Marcella.

The list of the missing included a young couple from Italys eastern Marche region, another couple from the Abruzzo city of Chieti, and a family with a 7-year-old boy, Italian media reported.

Ilario Lacchetta, mayor of the nearby town of Farindola, said the toll could have been much worse if it had been a weekend when more guests are normally at the hotel, which he called the jewel of the regions crown.

Last Sunday, the Hotel Rigopiano had 200 guests, staff included  yesterday there were between 20 and 30 people, including some kids, Lacchetta told La Stampa newspaper.

The earthquake-prone region was hit by at least three tremors around 5.7 magnitude Wednesday, prompting the avalanche. There have been heavy snowstorms throughout the area as well.

Around here it does snow a lot, but not even the elderly can remember such a thing. If you add the snowstorm to the earthquake, you can understand how it all became difficult  we face two tragedies that could not have been foreseen, Lacchetta added.

Primo di Nicola, editor of the local newspaper Il Centro, described some of the Abruzzo region as basically offline, with roads blocked by snow and toppled trees. No water, no power, inaccessible roads, he told The Washington Post.

In some areas, Italian authorities opened police stations and military barracks for people without heat or electricity.

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni  facing criticism for the delays in reaching the hotel  blamed the recent record snowfall and urged political leaders to multiply their efforts to aid the Abruzzo region.

Gian Gabriele Ori, a geological expert at the Gabriele dAnnunzio University in Chieti, said the alpine forests in the region are normally enough to hold deep snow in place. But heavy snowfall and high winds in recent days probably had created a more unstable snow pack, he added.

The earthquake was the spark that set in motion the avalanche, whose speed and force toppled the forest and then [hit] the hotel with destructive power.

Central Italy has been struck by several earthquakes since August, when the historic centers of many towns were leveled, killing 300. Substantial aftershocks also occurred in October.

Schemm reported from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Murphy from Washington.

Read more:

For hard-hit Italian towns, earthquake rattles deeper fears

Deadly earthquake rocks central Italy, dozens dead

Why the earthquake in Italy was so destructive

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Senegal announced that its troops entered neighboring Gambia on Thursday to force its longtime ruler, Yahya Jammeh, to step down, part of a bold West African regional effort to defend a democratic election won by the opposition.

The operation was announced after the successor chosen by voters last month, Adama Barrow, took the oath of office from exile in the Senegalese capital.

We have entered Gambia, Senegalese army Col. Abdou Ndiaye wrote in a text message to the Reuters news agency. Videos of camouflaged Senegalese tanks and Humvees driving toward the Gambian border circulated on social media. But news reports later said that the operation was halted until Friday afternoon to allow a group of West African heads of state to attempt a final negotiation with Jammeh.

By evening, the troops had not yet appeared in Banjul, the Gambian capital, according to residents, but news of their deployment had spread. Gambians poured into the streets in support of the Senegalese forces and Jammehs ouster.

[Jubilation on the streets as Gambia verges on a new democratic era]





We welcome them [Senegalese soldiers] because they will bring a president who will restore democracy here, said Modou Secka, who was part of a jubilant crowd in Banjul. He wore a shirt with the slogan that Gambians have chanted since last months election: Gambia has decided.

A video posted on Twitter appeared to show Gambias army chief, Ousman Badjie, celebrating with a crowd. Gambian soldiers were visible in the city, witnesses said, but they did not obstruct the demonstrations.

The Senegalese operation  conducted with the support of nations across West Africa  is a rare instance of an African regional military coalition responding with force to a leaders refusal to step down after an election. In recent years, many African heads of state have changed their countries constitutions or rigged elections to remain in power, with limited opposition.

That a regional bloc is willing to go beyond mere rhetoric, and defend the will and democratic aspirations of an entire people, speaks volumes and will undoubtedly resonate well beyond the Gambia, said Jeffrey Smith, founding director of Washington-based Vanguard Africa, a nonprofit organization that has worked closely with the Gambian opposition.

[Tiny Gambias big export: Migrants fleeing to Europe]

Gambia, a tiny country known for its large number of residents fleeing to Europe and a coastline that draws many thousands of British sunbathers, has been in a political crisis for weeks. Jammeh, 51, who has ruled the country for 23 years, suffered a shocking loss in the presidential election on Dec. 1. He initially conceded defeat but then quickly changed his mind and refused to step down.

Barrow, also 51, was inaugurated in a small ceremony Thursday afternoon at the Gambian Embassy in Senegals capital, Dakar.

Adama Barrow is sworn in as president of Gambia at the countrys embassy in Dakar, Senegal, in this image taken from T.V. on Jan. 19, 2017. (AP)

My right as a winner to be sworn in is constitutionally guaranteed, he said at the event.

After the inauguration, the U.N. Security Council approved a resolution giving its full support to efforts by the 16-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ensure that Barrow takes office, and urging Jammeh to step down. But it stressed that political methods should be used before a military operation.

U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that the U.S. government supports the regional military action backing Barrow.

West African nations have tried for weeks to persuade Jammeh to step down, sending a stream of leaders to appeal to him in private meetings.

The military action reflects the regions dissatisfaction with what leaders view as unhinged leadership by Jammeh. It was also aimed at forestalling hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result from the current political impasse in Gambia, the Nigerian government, a member of ECOWAS, said in a statement. Nigeria and Ghana have also pledged military forces to the effort, but it was not clear whether any of them had joined the Senegalese forces in launching cross-border operations.

Jammehs term officially expired at midnight Wednesday. Earlier that day, troops from Senegal moved to the border with Gambia.

Jammeh, a former army officer who took power in a 1994 coup, has increasingly become an international pariah. He is known for making bizarre claims, such as touting his ability to cure AIDS with local herbs. In Gambia, Jammehs many critics say he helped enrich a small circle of politicians while doing little for the rest of the impoverished country, leading to an exodus of Gambians to North Africa and Europe.

Jammeh also vowed to slit the throats of gay men and ordered security forces to round up hundreds of people accused of witchcraft. Last year, he said Gambia would leave the International Criminal Court, which his administration mocked as the International Caucasian Court.

Foreign diplomats had suggested in recent days that Jammeh could be offered asylum in Morocco or Nigeria in exchange for handing power to Barrow.

But on Thursday, Jammeh apparently remained in Banjul at the presidential palace. He made no public statements in the hours before Barrows inauguration.

[How a president who vowed to rule for a billion years lost reelection]

In recent days, thousands more Gambians have fled the country. Among them were some of Jammehs former cabinet members, who severed ties with him after he refused to concede the December election.

Hundreds of foreign tourists, who flock to Gambias hotel-

dotted coastline, were evacuated this week.

Barrow has remained in Senegal while regional leaders tried to persuade Jammeh to leave. Barrow is a former real estate agent with little political experience  he was once a security guard at a London department store  but many Gambians see him as the symbol of a fresh start for the country. Some of his supporters suggested that they would be willing to fight Jammehs forces if necessary.

Saikou Jammeh in Banjul and William Branigin in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more:

Gambia crisis intensifies before Thursdays presidential inauguration

Many people want Gambias leader to step down  including his ambassador in Washington

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Donald Trump, right, welcomes pro-Brexit British politician Nigel Farage at a campaign rally in Jackson, Miss., in August. Farage says he will attend Trump's inauguration. (Gerald Herbert/AP)

With the transatlantic relationship on the line, European leaders are trying to put a brave face on Donald Trumps new world order.

They may hold the American president-elect in profound disdain, a feeling many havent bothered to conceal. But through gritted teeth, they insist that the ties anchoring the globe since World War II will endure  if not with much warmth, then at least through the sort of transactional relations Trump can understand.

That theory, however, will be put to the test as tweets and interviews turn into policy and action.

After decades of transatlantic relations based on a shared set of interests and values, Europe is reckoning with what could happen if only one of those remains.

Its where interests and values intersect where were going to find problems, said Robin Niblett, director of the London-based think tank Chatham House. If our values stand for anything, its open, democratic societies and open markets. If America moves away from those, thats pretty fundamental.

Trump supporters would undoubtedly say he is fully committed to democracy and capitalism. But many Europeans view in his tweets and raucous rallies a fundamental shake-up of the values underpinning the liberal international order.

Analysts and former European officials say the list of potential flash points includes Russia, Iran, Israel and Palestine, climate change, democracy promotion and global trade.

To European leaders, the gap goes beyond mere policy differences.

The president-elects determination to embrace adversarial autocrats such as Russian President Vladimir Putin even as he pointedly criticizes allied democrats such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel; his threats to discard internationally agreed deals such as the Paris climate accord or the Iranian nuclear agreement; his indifference to the fate of the European Union and dismissive approach toward NATO; his apparent lack of concern about evidence of Russian interference in the U.S. election; and his oft-repeated jabs at free trade and the media all point to an Atlantic-size gulf between the new U.S. commander in chief and the European establishment.

[ Europes leaders bid goodbye to Obama and look with unease at Trump era ]

Serious tensions have erupted between Europe and Washington before  think the freedom fries era, when France and Germany rejected the Bush administrations march to war in Iraq. But rarely have Europeans felt that fundamental values may be so deeply in opposition.

Were getting into uncharted territory here, where Europeans will have to strike a balance between a transatlantic relationship that remains intense and a deep fundamental disagreement on values and an interpretation of what democracy is about, said Stefano Stefanini, a former senior Italian diplomat who was his nations ambassador to NATO from 2007 to 2010.

It is difficult to know to what extent Trump will carry through on his foreign policy promises. In confirmation hearings, his cabinet nominees have at times sharply disagreed with the man who selected them. Analysts also note that Trumps promises are often contradictory.

But European nerves were set on edge anew this week when Trump told interviewers from a British and a German newspaper that he thought more countries would follow Britain out of the E.U., that NATO was obsolete and that Merkel had made a catastrophic mistake by welcoming hundreds of thousands of refugees.

The sudden unpredictability of Europes most important global partner comes as the continent is deep in the throes of its own identity crisis, reeling from the same populist shocks that brought Trump to power.

Brexit, the fall of Italys center-left prime minister and the emergence of strongly nationalistic governments in Eastern Europe are all considered symptoms of the anti-establishment tide washing over the Western world.

Yet unlike in Washington as of Friday, the establishment remains in charge in most European capitals.

But no one knows for how long.

With elections looming this year in the Netherlands, France and Germany, far-right parties are making a concerted push to end the centrist consensus that has prevailed in Western Europe for generations. That dynamic, coupled with Trump's unpredictability, makes it almost impossible to say what contours the U.S.-European relationship will take.

Theres absolutely huge uncertainty over what kind of U.S. administration Europe will find itself dealing with, said Adam Thomson, director of the European Leadership Network and a former British ambassador to NATO. Theres also uncertainty for the Trump administration over what kind of Europe America will be dealing with.

[ Rhetoric of fascism is rising in U.S. and Europe, U.N. rights chief says ]

For the most part, European leaders have tried to project confidence that the Trump era will be business as usual, with shared interests in combating terrorism, tamping crises and promoting economic growth overriding any differences.

Britain, with one foot out the door of the E.U., has been particularly keen to cultivate close ties and ensure its special relationship with Washington remains intact.

Europes accommodating response reflects how internally divided it has become, and how little power it has relative to Washington. The United States spends vastly more on defense than Europe  nearly three times as much as all European members of NATO combined.

Trump has demanded that NATO allies pay their own way, while raising questions about whether he would come to members defense in the event of an attack. His closest European ally is neither British prime minister Theresa May nor Merkel, but Nigel Farage  the bomb-throwing Brexit champion who wants Britains departure to be the trigger event in the E.U.s ultimate collapse.

There has never been an American president who did not support European integration. Its a first. A tragedy for Europe, Stefanini said.

Despite European division and weakness, leaders could be left with little choice but to distance themselves from Trump if he follows through on pledges considered antithetical to European values.

A ban on Muslim immigration, a resumption of the use of torture or an end to American participation in the Paris climate accord  all Trump campaign promises  would undoubtedly elicit strongly negative reactions in Europe.

But perhaps most critical will be his handling of two of the Wests adversaries: Russia and Iran.

Trump appears determined to improve ties with Putin, just three years after Russian military intervention in Ukraine prompted the United States and Europe to impose sanctions.

In theory, much of Europe would welcome a lowering of tensions between Russia and the West, said Thomson, the former British ambassador. But the details will be critical.

Its important for Europeans that this is not seen as some kind of sellout to Russia, and that theres not a U.S.-Russia deal done over European heads, Thomson said.

On Iran, too, the maneuvering will be extremely delicate. Trump has repeatedly attacked as a really, really bad deal the nuclear agreement negotiated in 2015 between Iran and six of the worlds leading powers  the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China.

Any Trump move to unilaterally pull the United States out risks antagonizing every other party to the agreement. Critics say it could also undermine global faith in Washingtons commitment to live up to its promises.

[ After Trump win, Obama warns against taking democracy for granted ]

If Europe is going to effectively counter Trump, however, it will have to stay united. And it is far from clear that it can.

The most powerful voice in Europe belongs to Merkel, who delivered a tough message to Trump after his election win. Her barbed congratulatory note said she looked forward to working together with him based on common values  democracy, freedom, as well as respect for the rule of law and the dignity of each and every person.

The declaration was a signal not only to Trump but to her own voters ahead of an election in which she faces the likelihood of a far-right anti-immigrant party capturing seats in the Parliament for the first time.

A lot of thinking in Berlin is already going into how we will have to reckon with Trump in actions he takes strategically or actions he takes that impact the Western liberal order, said Daniela Schwarzer, head of the German Council on Foreign Relations.

But there are limits to how far Germany can go.

Even if Germany is willing to take the lead, it needs to work with others. And this is a messy picture, Schwarzer said.

With Britain focused on its E.U. exit, London is unlikely to take a stand against Trump unless it is forced to do so. Europes other major power, France, has its own struggles as it prepares for spring presidential elections in which a far-right party stands a chance of victory.

Whoever wins, French policy analysts said they feared their country was entering a new era of ties with Washington.

In many ways, its not so much what America will do but, in a way, what America has become, said Dominique Moisi, a co-founder of the French Institute for International Relations. Its essence as much as its performance. We dont know what the performance is going to be, but we have an inkling that the essence of America has changed.

Birnbaum reported from Brussels and McAuley from Paris.

Read more

How Trumps victory is causing Europe to rethink its security

Across Europe, revulsion at Trump but little idea of what to do about him

Trump may be Mr. Brexit. But his election could scramble Britains post-E. U. plans.

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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A day after the inauguration of Donald Trump, prominent leaders of Europes right-wing populist parties will gather in the German city of Koblenz in what observers see as a show of force targeting the European Union. The meeting gained widespread attention in Germany as the first public get-together of Frauke Petry, chairwoman of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), and Marine Le Pen, president of Frances National Front. Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders and Matteo Salvini of Italys Northern League are also set to speak at the one-day conference organized by Marcus Pretzell, an AfD member of the European Parliament.

[The future of the E.U. is at stake as Europes leaders face a new fear: Voters]

German political commentators consider the meeting a signal of the AfDs shifting further to the right, since many Germans associate Frances National Front in particular with anti-Semitism and extreme right-wing positions.

The AfD sparked controversy ahead of the event when party officials barred several journalists from attending the summit, a move many say reflected Trumps attitude to the news media.

In a telephone interview with The Washington Post, conference organizer Pretzell, who is also the husband of party chairwoman Petry, did not attempt to hide his contempt for journalists. I dont like how you work! . . . I dont give a damn what you write! he said, refusing to answer almost all of The Posts questions about the meeting. Pretzell then abruptly hung up the phone  but not before pointing out that he wasnt taking any cues from Trump. Ive been doing this longer than Trump . . . treating the press exactly for what they are!

For Timo Lochocki, an expert on right-wing populist parties, the AfDs treatment of the news media is part of a clever PR strategy. If you exclude three media outlets, these three media outlets will cover the event all the more. . . . And if your electorate is generally skeptical anyway whether the so-called quality press is producing quality, this is terrific, Lochocki said.

And indeed, in what analysts see as another parallel to Trump, stirring controversy appears to be an essential part of the AfDs strategy for the upcoming German parliamentary elections. As an internal document revealed, the party wants to use carefully planned provocations to irritate political opponents. To be unfairly stigmatized by the established parties, according to the AfDs reasoning, would make the party even more popular with voters.

[Marine Le Pen could win the French election  but first she must win a family feud]

This week, Bjorn Hocke, the AfDs chairman in the German state of Thuringia, sparked outrage by calling the Berlin Holocaust memorial a memorial of disgrace and German commemoration culture stupid. Hocke defended the statements, which he made in a speech in Dresden, arguing that nothing could be wrong with calling the Nazi genocide a disgrace. But even Pretzell and other party colleagues thought it wise to distance themselves from the comments.

Yet Hockes speech drew a lot of attention, which, analyst Lochocki believes, is also the main objective of the Koblenz conference. Although the attendees share a general anti-elitist stance , dialogue with their European counterparts is not the most important aspect of the meeting. Instead, according to Lochocki, the aim is to shine a spotlight on the flaws of the established political parties. The majority of AfD voters dont vote for the AfD. They vote against the others, he said.

But although the partys provocations could backfire in Germany, its strong criticism of Angela Merkels refugee policy appears to have been successful. Founded in 2013, the party is already reaching double-digit numbers in the polls and has good prospects of entering the German parliament for the first time in autumn.

Read more:

Can this man save France from the far right?

The other side of the global right-wing surge: Nostalgia for empire

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Call it Trumpomania. Or Trumpophrenia. Or any of a number of other Trumpisms that have popped up in Russia as this country counts down the moments to President-elect Donald Trumps ascension to the White House.

Russia has gone crazy for Trump, and its not just because President Vladimir Putin and his government have been portraying the presidency of Barack Obama as one long, disastrous exercise in Russophobia, a message that state-run television has been hammering home for months.

Something about the advent of Trump has stirred the Russian soul. Its almost as though the 45th president of Russia were about to take office on Friday.

Businesses have renamed their products after the world leader formerly known as The Donald. Talk show hosts have dedicated hours to the expression of hope that Trump will lift U.S.-Russian relations from their all-time post-Cold-War low (and in some cases to nasty, unabashedly racist farewells to President Obama). And the Russian Internet is surging with efforts to portray and explain the local Trumpapalooza.

Trumpomania has taken hold of the country: the media, politicians and political analysts, astrologists, and housewives, none of them can calm down and mind their business, Gennady Gudkov, a reserve colonel in Russias domestic intelligence agency, the FSB, said in a post on his Facebook page. In RUSSIAN news the main actor is His Majesty Trump.

Gudkov, who has spent recent years criticizing Putins hold on power, posited that the reason for Trumps popularity is how interesting honest and competitive elections and their unpredictability are.

But Viktoria Chekryzhova, director for development of Tula Food Products, had a simpler explanation for her companys decision to produce a limited number of boxes of sugar cubes featuring Trumps likeness.

With this product, we want to show that we hope that our relations with the United States will improve with the new president. Were saying we hope our relations will become sweeter, she said by phone from Tula, a city a 100 miles south of Moscow.

Other Russian companies have joined in. The newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets reported that it had discovered several hundred companies that include some sort of play on words on Trump (which in Russian is transcribed Tramp; Russian Trump would sound like Troomp).



A weapons factory in Zlatoust minted a commemorative coin with the inscription In Trump We Trust, according to the TASS news agency.

In Moscow, a military surplus store across from the U.S. Embassy had an advertisement in its window offering a 10 percent discount on all its items  for embassy staff and American citizens.

It looks very emotional, like a childish burst of joy, Mikhail Fishman, editor in chief of the Moscow Times, commented about the ongoing fascination with Trump.

Of course, the jubilation comes against the tumultuous backdrop of accusations of Russian cyberattacks first lodged by the Obama administration and the U.S. intelligence community (and recently acknowledged by Trump), as well as uncorroborated reports  which Trump has vehemently denied  that the president-elect has been compromised by Russian intelligence. Putin this week called the allegations an effort by Obama to sabotage his successors legitimacy.

Some took that logic a bit further. Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin political analyst, predicted a Trumpocalypse if Russia did not lend the president-elect a hand against forces that were lining up in the United States to overthrow him.

Russia has to support Trump, Markov wrote on his Facebook page. We have to help him publicly, with a campaign of Trumpomania.

Russias major news programs lined up hours of Trump coverage: A viewer of the state-run Rossiya-1 channel got four hours of American politics, full of vitriol aimed at Obama, disdain for the allegations against Russia and cautious optimism about Trump.

Dmitry Kiselyov, often referred to as the top Kremlin propagandist, dedicated most of his Sunday television show to decrying Obama as one of the worst leaders in world history, mixing in several racially tinged remarks. Obama was behind NATOs encroachment on Russia, Obama orchestrated coups detat in Ukraine and Syria, and Obama blamed it all on Putin, who was left to clean up the mess.

Now, Kiselyov said, this technology of lies was being used against Trump. He cited the unverified dossier on the Kremlins alleged blackmail of Trump, which is thought to have been composed by a former MI6 agent.

This is an English plot against the elected president of the U.S., Kiselyov said. Now that is interference in American politics!

Natalya Abbakumova contributed to this report.

Read more:

Russias Putin rejects Trump dossier report as plot against legitimacy of president-elect

There is no joy in Moscow after tough talk from Trump appointees

Yes we did. Russias establishment basks in Trumps victory

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Make it easier and safer to get around and more people will walk, ride their bikes or take the bus. That was the message for Coulee Region policy makers at a transportation forum Wednesday night.

If you want more people to ride, convenience is important, said Mike Benco, who lives in Onalaska and would like to ride the bus to work in La Crosse but is stymied by the schedule, which requires him to take three buses, one of which doesnt run at the right times.

Celia Freedland said she would like to work longer hours at Valley View Mall but cant because of limited weekend bus service. Cathy Van Maren suggested rush-hour express routes to move workers in and out of downtown La Crosse from the northern suburbs, as well as limited overnight service.

A lot of people just cant use the bus, Van Maren said. It stops before they get off work.

About 60 people packed the forum, hosted by the Sustainable La Crosse Commission. Commission chairman Mike Giese said he wanted to help policymakers hear from the people who rely on buses, cabs, bikes and their own two feet to get around every day.

More than 80 percent of La Crosse County workers get to and from their jobs in single-occupancy vehicles, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Thats about four percentage points higher than the national average.

Only about 1 percent use public transit, compared to about 5 percent nationwide.

Among the suggestions for boosting transit use:

Increase bus frequency to 10- or 15-minute intervals during peak times, and extend service hours on the weekends.

Allow riders more time to use transfers.

Offer an app for riders to track buses in real time on their smart phones.

Run buses on north-south and east-west routes rather than a hub-and-spoke system where every route begins downtown.

Urge employers to subsidize employee bus passes and charge for parking passes.

Of course, increased service costs money, and federal transit funding is going down.

Just to keep the levels we have is challenging, said Justin Running, who operates a federally funded shared ride service in Onalaska, Holmen and West Salem.

That may be a matter of misplaced priorities, suggested La Crosse resident Pat Wilson.

Were subsidizing parking a lot more than were subsidizing mass transit, he said.

The discussion comes as state transportation officials have said they will not include no-pave alternatives as a stand-alone option in an ongoing study that is the latest effort to address a $138 million road through the La Crosse River marsh that was scuttled by a 1998 referendum but has lingered on the states list of approved projects.

The DOT is in the final stages of a planning process that began in 2016 and included dozens of meetings with the public and advisory groups.

The agency identified six potential strategies designed to improve safety and alleviate congestion on the areas three north-south corridors. All include significant new pavement, which has drawn opposition from neighborhood organizations and environmental groups.

Planners have sought approval to extend the study in order to winnow the options through a more detailed cost analysis. Construction of any project that emerges would likely not begin before 2025, but DOT officials have suggested local governments get started on alternatives.

The commission also heard from bicyclists and pedestrians  who are far more common in La Crosse County than the rest of the country  about how to make those alternatives more appealing.

Rick Diermeier commutes to work by bike most days  he rode 305 last year  and said theres a need for more infrastructure, particularly a route between Holmen and Onalaska. He noted projects like the Bud Hendrickson trail and bridge, connecting Onalaska and La Crosses North Side, get heavy use.

We do it year round, Diermieir said. Its not hard.

Other less hardy cyclists said dedicated bike lanes  physically separated from automobile traffic  are key to getting more people out of their cars.

People need to feel confident and safe on whatever infrastructure, Karen Acre said. Every street needs to be a safe street  for people who walk or bike.

Jerome Gundersen suggested La Crosse connect parks along the Mississippi River waterfront with a bike and pedestrian path similar to the Root River Trail in southeastern Minnesota.

Other ideas included better signage to remind motorists that bicyclists have the right to use the full lane.

Pedestrians in the crowd suggested flashing crosswalk signals or other safety devices to slow traffic and help them safely cross busy thoroughfares such as Losey Boulevard, Ward Avenue and Rose Street.

Keep us folks in mind, said Kristie Neve, who described herself as a dedicated pedestrian with no interest in owning a car. I walk defensively. Its the only way I can save my life sometimes.


The CIA flag is displayed on stage during a 2015 conference on national security in Washington. (Yuri Gripas/Reuters)

Newly released CIA documents expose a bitter internal feud over the qualifications and ethics of two former military psychologists who pushed the agency to adopt interrogation methods widely condemned as torture.

A series of internal emails reveal that the CIAs own medical and psychological personnel expressed deep concern about an arrangement that put two outside contractors in charge of subjecting detainees to brutal measures including waterboarding, then also evaluating whether those methods were working or causing lasting harm.

[Read the CIAs internal emails discussing concerns over the two contractors]

In one of the more prescient warnings, an agency official wrote that if some untoward outcome is later to be explained, their sole use in this role will be indefensible. The message was dated June 2003, but seemed to anticipate the controversy that would engulf the agency when the details of the interrogation program were exposed.



A highlighted portion of the email exchanges among CIA personnel. (The Washington Post)

The files, which also include documents that shed light on the death of a CIA prisoner in Afghanistan, were made public as part of an ongoing lawsuit against the two contract psychologists, James Mitchell and J. Bruce Jessen, by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Jim and Bob have both shown blatant disregard for the ethics shared by almost all of their colleagues, a second CIA memo concluded.

The records reveal that internal opposition to the agencys reliance on the two men was more extensive and intense than has been previously disclosed. More than 13 years after those emails were sent  and eight since the program was dismantled  the controversy has yet to fully subside.

[Read the CIAs justifications for using contract interrogators]

Just last week, the nominee to be the next director of the CIA, Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) was asked during a Senate confirmation hearing whether he would comply if ordered by President-elect Donald Trump to resume the use of waterboarding and other methods on terrorism suspects.

(Reuters)

Absolutely not, Pompeo said in the hearing, adding that he could not imagine that I would be asked that by the President-elect. But Trump sent exactly that signal several times during the presidential campaign, and Pompeo has previously suggested that the United States went too far in banning coercive interrogation methods.

The CIA declined to comment. Henry Schuelke, an attorney for Mitchell and Jessen, said that his clients interrogations of the worlds most extreme terrorists were authorized in their entirety by the Dept. of Justice and led to actionable intelligence that saved countless lives. He also said in an email that the ACLU continues to cherry-pick documents casting Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Jessen in a negative light.

[Read the description of Mitchell and Jessens consulting firm]

Mitchell also defended his role in a book released last year.

Dror Ladin, one of the ACLU attorneys involved in the case, described the contents of the newly released documents as disturbing. Its a dark endeavor thats being discussed, Ladin said in an interview, adding that the files expose deep, deep concerns that even people within the CIA who are participating in the torture program have about Mitchell and Jessens ethics.

At the time the messages were sent, the agency was still expanding its network of secret overseas prisons and subjecting captured al-Qaeda operatives, including Sept. 11, 2001, attacks mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, to harrowing waterboarding sessions.

The newly released files indicate that the agency was also beginning to evaluate at least some of its detainees for a potential transfer to a military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The concerns raised in the emails center on the agencys decision to allow Mitchell and Jessen, who had been directly involved in interrogations, to also serve key roles on assessing prisoners being considered for transfer. To some on the CIA staff, this amounted to psychological malpractice.

No professional in the field would credit their later judgments as psychologists assessing the subjects of their enhanced measures, one of the emails said, using a term for the harsh interrogation methods that Mitchell and Jessen had brought to the CIA.



Highlighted sections in email exchanges among CIA personnel. (The Washington Post)

A separate message warned that Mitchell and Jessen seemed so wedded to the methods they had adapted from U.S. military training programs  meant to help U.S. service members survive captivity and torture by adversaries  that they were not even exploring what the law enforcement community may have to offer.

We value their input but they should not be in charge of anything, the memo said. Its hard for me to imagine that these guys can function with even a modicum of objectivity as researchers.

The memos hint at an internal struggle for control of the interrogation program, pitting senior officials at the agencys Counterterrorism Center against employees of the agencys Office of Medical Services.

The Counterterrorism Center ultimately awarded Mitchell and Jessen increasingly rich contracts to manage the interrogation program. One of the newly released files praised their accomplishments and noted that between 2005 and 2009, the consulting firm created by the two psychologists had been paid more than $71 million.

[See how much Mitchell and Jessen were paid by the CIA]

A Senate investigation of the interrogation program released in 2014 included references to internal concerns about Mitchell and Jessen, and the CIAs response to the report acknowledged that it had made mistakes in not addressing conflicts that emerged in their role as contractors.

Other newly released documents include a summary of an interview with Jessen as part of an internal CIA inquiry into the 2002 death of Gul Rahman, a detainee who died after being doused with water and left overnight in frigid conditions in a prison in Afghanistan known as the Salt Pit.

Jessen described Rahman as physically strong and defiant and said that his assessment had been that if the agency were bound by the Geneva Convention, this person would not break. He also described a scene in which Rahman was dragged from his cell, hooded and punched as part of a hard takedown that left him with contusions on his face, leg and hands but nothing that required treatment.

A separate document appears to be a prison record of Rahmans final hours, six days after Mitchell and Jessen left the Salt Pit. It lists a series of overnight guard checks with notes that Rahman is alive followed by an entry at 10 a.m. saying Rahman is dead.

Attorneys for Mitchell and Jessen are seeking to have the ACLU lawsuit dismissed. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Julie Tate contributed to this report.

Read more:

How a modest contract for applied research morphed into the CIAs brutal interrogation program

Trumps pick for CIA leader says he would refuse to restart enhanced interrogation techniques

How the CIA deceives its own workforce about operations
From the moment a military judge handed down a 35-year prison term for Chelsea Manning in 2013, President Obama and some administration officials saw the sentence as excessive. Nuts, said one person close to Obama.

They said Manning, an Army private charged with disclosing troves of secret files to WikiLeaks, should be punished for her crime. But while Obama, a former law professor, was known for his tough stance on government leakers, he had also advocated for changing Americas often harsh, inconsistent sentencing practices.

Long before Mannings attorneys submitted a second clemency request in November, Obama had considered the notion of proportionate sentences in evaluating the soldiers case, as he had in decisions to grant clemency to more than 1,300 drug offenders.

The key question for the president was how much time Manning should serve. He and his advisers looked at other government leak cases, which indicated that 35 years was the longest sentence ever imposed for a leak conviction. By the time the second request came in, Manning had served six years, much of that time subjected to harsh treatment and solitary confinement.

In his decision to commute Mannings sentence, made public this week, Obama knew he would face criticism, the person close to the president said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. But he felt strongly it was the right thing to do.

(Thomas Johnson,Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)

The 11th-hour announcement was a stunning end to a legal saga that began six years earlier with the arrest of Manning, then a 22-year-old intelligence analyst in Baghdad.

The revelations contained in the more than 700,000 documents Manning provided to WikiLeaks captured worldwide attention, revealing for the first time details of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and diplomats secret and sometimes snarky reports about the countries where they served. They also rattled American officials, who feared the disclosures would undermine U.S. security and alienate allies.

[Obama commutes sentence of Chelsea Manning, soldier convicted for leaking classified information]

Manning pleaded guilty to most of the charges facing her in a military court and, in 2013, received a lengthy sentence for a series of offenses, including violations of the Espionage Act. Soon afterward, Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning, announced her intention to live as a woman and requested hormone therapy to begin a gender transition.

On Wednesday, Obama addressed his decision to commute Mannings sentence, effective May 17, in the final news conference of his presidency. Lets be clear: Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence, he said.

It made sense to commute  and not pardon  her sentence, he continued. I feel very comfortable that justice has been served and that a message has still been sent.

Obamas announcement adds to the list of executive actions opposed by President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office Friday.

It sends a very troubling message when it comes to the handling of classified information and to the consequences to those who leak information that threatens the safety of our nation, Sean Spicer, a spokesman for Trump, told reporters.

Obamas decision, ending an extended campaign by Manning supporters to secure her release, also divided the most senior levels of the U.S. government. From the start, military officials had seen Mannings actions as treasonous, a breach of the oath service members take to safeguard U.S. security.

When the White House asked Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter for his opinion, he recommended against commutation, one defense official said. The secretary, like others in the Pentagon, viewed the airing of leaks as highly damaging to the U.S. military in particular and worried about the effect clemency would have on military discipline.

One of the first items made public by WikiLeaks was a chilling video of the 2007 killing of a group of Iraqis, including two journalists with the Reuters news agency, in an Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad. Reuters had sought to secure the release of information regarding that event but was rebuffed for years by the Pentagon.

Typically, petitions to reduce federal sentences go to the Pardon Attorneys Office in the Justice Department, where Justice officials make recommendations to White House Counsel W. Neil Eggleston about which requests should be granted. Mannings clemency request, meanwhile, would typically go through the Army because the trial occurred in a military court.

[Chelsea Manning petitions Obama for clemency on her 35-year prison sentence]

Although Mannings attorneys submitted the November clemency request to the Army, the Justice Department and the White House counsels office, the White House handled the deliberation.

On Tuesday, after the commutation was announced, White House officials said Obamas decision was motivated in part by the fact that Manning had apologized for her actions.

Chelsea Manning is somebody who accepted responsibility for the crimes she committed, one official said.

Obama on Wednesday dismissed the idea that his act of clemency was aimed at securing the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has taken refuge in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London. Although Assange had promised to submit to extradition if Manning was pardoned, U.S. officials have said he is unlikely to face charges here.

I dont pay a lot of attention to Julian Assanges tweets, so that wasnt a consideration in this decision, the president said.

Even as White House officials prepared to make Tuesdays surprise announcement, Manning and her legal team remained in the dark hours before it took place.

Nancy Hollander, one of Mannings attorneys, said her legal team believed they had only a tiny chance of succeeding in the months after they submitted the clemency request. In 2013, Manning had requested pardon but was denied.

Hints of a shift in White House thinking began to emerge last week, beginning with a news report that Manning was on a shortlist for potential clemency action.

On Friday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest, speaking to reporters, identified a stark difference between Manning and Edward Snowden, the former intelligence contractor who leaked secret files to the media.

Unlike Snowden, who secured asylum in Russia, Manning had faced the charges against her and acknowledged her mistakes, Earnest said.

More than six years after her arrest, Manning told one of her attorneys, she had begun to imagine life beyond her cell at the military detention center in Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

Chase Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney, was growing optimistic but worried about what would occur if Manning was ultimately denied.

Manning had already attempted suicide twice. Struggling to get treatment for gender dysphoria, she launched a hunger strike in the fall.

I was both hopeful but also incredibly concerned about the consequences if the request was rejected, Strangio said. To lurch from renewed hope to having to go on with the 28 years behind bars could be severely damaging, Strangio feared.

Several hours after that call, Hollander was on the phone at her practice in Albuquerque when her assistant broke in to notify her that the White House counsels office was calling.

Her expectations changed instantly. They wouldnt call to say it was denied, she said.

This is a vindication for her, that certainly her sentence was too long, Hollander added. It means also that she can start her life.

Karen DeYoung and Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report.
As they rode in the presidential limousine to the U.S. Capitol on Inauguration Day in 2009, President George W. Bush offered some last-minute advice to President-elect Barack Obama: Announce a pardon policy early and stick to it.

On the ride up Pennsylvania Avenue . . . I told Barack Obama about my frustrations with the pardon system, Bush wrote in his memoir.

Obama did not seriously focus on pardons and commutations until 2014, two years into his second term. But on Thursday, his last full day in office, Obama announced 330 more commutations, for nonviolent drug offenders, bringing his total number of clemencies to 1,715. He has granted commutations to more people than the past 12 presidents combined, including 568 inmates with life sentences. He has granted 212 pardons. His final group of clemencies was the most Obama granted in a day and the most granted on one day in U.S. history.

[These are the names of the final 330 people who received commutations by Obama]

By restoring proportionality to unnecessarily long drug sentences, this administration has made a lasting impact on our criminal justice system, said Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates. With 1,715 commutations in total, this undertaking was as enormous as it was unprecedented.

(Thomas Johnson,Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)

In his clemencies this week, Obama commuted the 35-year prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the Army private convicted of stealing secret diplomatic and military documents and giving them to WikiLeaks, after deciding that Manning had served enough time. The president also granted a commutation to Oscar Lopez Rivera, a Puerto Rican independence activist who was a member of the Armed Forces of National Liberation, a terrorist organization that killed and wounded people in the 1970s and 1980s with bomb attacks.

The commutation for Lopez Rivera, 74, who served 35 years in prison for a conspiracy against the U.S. government, had been championed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

A Texas lawyer, who represented seven inmates who have received clemency from Obama over the past two years, praised the president Thursday for recognizing that the criminal justice system is broken and restoring a sense of fairness.

His gracious act of mercy today sealed his clemency legacy and allowed many truly deserving men and women to be reunited with their families, Brittany Byrd said. I was overjoyed when I received the call from Pardon Attorney Robert Zauzmer telling me the president had granted clemency to my client, Trenton Copeland, who was being buried alive under an unduly harsh sentence of life without parole for a nonviolent drug offense. The president saved Trentons life today.

[ 'I have been fundamentally condemned to die in prison,' a drug dealer wrote. Obama listened.]

But other activists expressed disappointment that Obama had not granted an early release to more inmates.

Its fantastic that the president is using his last days in office to continue to grant clemency to deserving prisoners, said Julie Stewart, founder and chairman of the board of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, which has been fighting for 18 years for clemency for drug offenders sentenced under the tough drug laws of the 1980s and 1990s.

Bruce Harrison, 64, of Tampa, Fla., is shown during an interview in Coleman prison in Florida on April 9, 2015. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

But my heart aches for those who will not make the cut, Stewart said. After over two years of believing they may have a chance for freedom, they now see that door of hope closing. I cant imagine what the pall in the prisons will feel like on January 20 when President Obama leaves office.

The Obama administration had denied 14,485 clemency petitions and 1,629 pardons, as of Jan. 3.

Among those denied clemency was Native American activist Leonard Peltier, 72, who was convicted of the fatal shooting of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. His supporters, including Pope Francis, pressed Obama to grant him a commutation, but their appeal was opposed by many in law enforcement, including FBI agents.

[Along with Chelsea Manning, here are the other people who received pardons and commutations from Obama]

Another inmate who was denied clemency is 64-year-old Bruce Harrison, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who was awarded two Purple Hearts. Harrison, who is in Coleman prison in Florida, has health problems and has served 23 years of a 50-year sentence for his role in transporting drugs in a government sting operation.

After Harrison and other members of his motorcycle group were sentenced, several jurors said they were dismayed to learn of the long sentence that was imposed.

If I would have been given the right to not only judge the facts in this case, but also the law and the actions taken by the government, the prosecutor, local and federal law enforcement officers connected in this case would be in jail and not the defendants, juror Patrick L. McNeil wrote afterward.

Those who championed Harrisons case contrasted it with Obamas grant of clemency to Manning, who the president said had served a tough sentence after seven years in prison.

Bruce has served 23 years, and the government set up the entire criminal activity, said Andrea Strong, also of Families Against Mandatory Minimums. This is beyond disappointing. I am just heartbroken. What does he have to look forward to now?

He is 64 years old. All he wanted was to come home and help raise his grandchildren. Now that dream had ended.

Former White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler said that clemency has long been a top priority for Obama. The president frequently complained to her during his first term that he was not receiving enough recommendations from the Justice Department to grant clemency. Shortly after the 2012 election, she said, he directed her to work with the Justice Department to increase the number of clemency applications for him to consider.

He told me to be creative and aggressive, Ruemmler said. She then worked with then-Attorney General Eric H. Holder and Deputy Attorney General James Cole to set up a process to increase the number of clemency petitions coming from the U.S. pardon attorney.

This would not have happened organically, Ruemmler said. This effort came directly from President Obama and is an important part of his legacy.

Read more:

Obama sent these people home from prison early. Now what?
Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, operations director of the Russian General Staff, said Wednesday that Russia had conducted joint airstrikes with Turkey against Islamic State targets in Syria. (Yuri Kochetkov/European Pressphoto Agency)

Russia and Turkey conducted their first joint air operations Wednesday in Syria, bombing Islamic State positions in and around the northwestern town of al-Bab, where U.S. jets also struck militant targets this week.

The operations came as Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted that he had a working breakfast in Washington with retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, President-elect Donald Trumps designated national security adviser.

The sequence of events reflected Turkeys ongoing attempts to juggle relations with Moscow and Washington at the dawn of the Trump administration, amid Kremlin efforts to claim an expanding role in Syrias military and political arenas.

It also brought U.S. and Russian warplanes into their closest potential proximity yet, although a U.S. military spokesman indicated that the American strikes had occurred earlier in the week.

[Syrias war brings myriad problems for Turkey]

A U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record, said the American strikes were not conducted in direct support of Turkish ground troops advancing on al-Bab, but rather as part of attacks against Islamic State targets.

The U.S. military is continuing to discuss the possibility of providing close air support to the Turkish troops. The issue is sensitive because the United States advised Turkey against a rapid move toward al-Bab, about 30 miles south of the Turkish border, and because of U.S. collaboration with Syrian Kurdish forces.

The Syrian Kurds are crucial to U.S. plans to capture the Islamic States de facto Syrian capital of Raqqa, about 140 miles southeast of al-Bab. American aircraft and Special Operations forces are assisting and advising ground troops known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is composed primarily of Kurds. Turkey says the Syrian Kurds, known as the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, are affiliated with the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party, know as the PKK, that both Turkey and the United States consider terrorists.

U.S. officials are concerned that Turkish advances inside Syrian territory will eventually be directed toward the YPG, and will interfere with the upcoming Raqqa offensive. In deference to Turkeys objections, it has refrained from sending weapons directly to the Kurds. That option, long favored by the Pentagon, is likely to still be on the table when Trump takes over.

[U.S. military aid is fueling big ambitions for Syrias leftist Kurdish militia]

Russia made clear that its air operations are in direct support of Turkey. Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, operations director of the Russian General Staff, said that nine attack aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, including four Sukhoi Su-24Ms, four Su-25s and an Su-34 bomber, as well as eight Turkish aircraft were involved in striking 36 targets.

Turkish aircraft included U.S.-made F-16s and F-4 Phantoms.

Rudskoi called the operation with Turkey, a NATO member, unprecedented, and indicated it would continue, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. The two governments signed a military cooperation plan on Jan. 12, he said.

Concern about the PKK, and the Islamic State  which have separately claimed responsibility for several recent terrorist attacks in Turkey  has led Ankara to recalibrate its involvement in Syrias civil war and its insistence that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must leave office.

Turkish relations with Russia  Assads principal international backer  have warmed considerably in recent months. The two countries, along with Iran, also an Assad ally, are sponsoring a conference, tentatively scheduled for next week in the Kazakhstan capital of Astana, to bring together representatives from Assads government and the rebels to negotiate a cease-fire and talks on a political solution to their five-year-old war.

An earlier U.S.-Russian cease-fire effort collapsed amid mutual recriminations last year.

Late last month, Russias ambassador to Washington extended an invitation to Trump adviser Flynn to attend the meeting, from which the Obama administration had been purposefully excluded.

Trump has indicated he seeks closer U.S. relations with Russia, and that he considers control of the Syrian government of secondary importance to the fight against the Islamic State. He has criticized President Obama, who has said Assads departure from power is crucial to the larger war against the militants, for tensions with the Kremlin.

Trump transition spokesman Sean Spicer said Wednesday that obviously, whats going on [in Syria] is of major concern, and that if we can find alliances that will help further our national security interests, then were going to work with them. He said, I dont know specifically if were going to attend the conference or not.

Cavusoglu, in talks with Flynn and others, brought two primary Turkish concerns. Beyond Syria and the Kurds, Ankara wants a decision on its request for extradition of Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric it has charged with orchestrating an unsuccessful coup attempt in the country last summer. Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, holds permanent U.S. residency status.

The Obama Justice Department has said it is still studying the request. Flynn, in an op-ed published the day of the U.S. presidential election, said that the request should be quickly approved.

Missy Ryan contributed to this report.
The United States and Cuba on Wednesday signed a treaty delineating their maritime boundary in the eastern Gulf of Mexico amid a torrent of last-minute negotiations between the two governments in the outgoing days of the Obama administration.

In the past two weeks, Washington and Havana also inked agreements on joint responses to potential oil spills and other pollution in the gulf and the Florida Straits; cooperation on law enforcement and information sharing; and maritime and aeronautical search and rescue.

Teams from the two governments also held their third meeting on outstanding monetary and property claims and held discussions about cooperation on human trafficking.

Last week, Obama unilaterally eliminated special preferences for Cubans seeking admission to the United States, including the 20-year-old wet-foot, dry-foot policy that automatically allowed any Cuban reaching U.S. soil to stay and be given near-automatic approval for permanent residence.

Since Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced in December 2014 that they would normalize relations, the two governments have established a number of task forces to resolve outstanding issues between them.

[Graphic: A difficult history between U.S. and Cuba]

That process sped up considerably this month as President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration approached. Trump has said that Obama got a bad deal from Cuba and that Castro should have made more concessions toward civic and political freedoms on the island. Obama has repeatedly argued that more U.S.-Cuba contact will force the governments hand.

While Trump has not said he will seek to re-sever diplomatic relations, reestablished with the opening of embassies in Washington and Havana in July 2015, he has indicated he will review regulatory changes under which Obama eased long-standing trade and travel restrictions.

The new maritime treaty, which must be ratified by the Senate before taking effect, delineates the part of the U.S.-Cuba maritime boundary that had not been previously agreed upon. According to the State Department, it covers an area of the continental shelf in the eastern Gulf of Mexico that is more than 200 nautical miles from any countrys shore.
The large brick building at 2219 South Ave. was opened Wednesday for the fourth time.

The former home of the Gund Brewery stables, Wisconsin National Guard Armory and Bakalars Sausage Co. factory has taken on new life as 2219 Lofts, a 24-unit apartment building for La Crosses low-income residents.

MetroPlains LLC owners Randall Schold and Rob McCready offered La Crosse residents a tour of the building, now open after they began their historic renovation in February 2016.

Historical preservation is like detective work in that sometimes you dont find all the answers, and you dont know the wheres and whys, Schold said.

However, working with the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, they were able to fill in some holes and incorporate the buildings history into the design.

The brick building was built in 1903 as part of the Gund Brewery campus and housed a Wisconsin National Guard Armory from 1926 to 1958. It was the headquarters of Bakalars Sausage Co. factory from 1962 to 2013, when the company moved to a new facility in the La Crosse Industrial Park. The move was necessary after a May 2011 tornado lifted and dropped the roof, requiring it to be replaced.

That long history is incorporated into the building.

Everywhere weve exposed the existing steel and all of the roof and ceiling structure, Schold said, which gives the building a slightly industrial feel, calling back to its previous usage. In many places, weve kept partitions low, so that you can look over the partition and see the extent of the building and the structure beyond.

Once it was finished, the developer installed artwork on the walls that share the buildings story with its residents and visitors. Working with the Preservation Alliance, Schold put up old photos with historical notes on metal frames that serve as a nod to the metal work featured in the oldest photo of the building from when it served as a stable.

I think itll be of huge interest for the residents as they make this building their home, Schold said.

The developer was able to preserve a number of historical features, including an entrance to South Avenue and a concrete stairwell built when it became an armory. Its also added some new amenities, such as a playground in the back and a patio terrace that runs the length of the building and is accessible by the five three- and two-bedroom units on the first floor.

The intention is that they are more likely to have children and so its a nice place for children to directly access the outside, Schold said.

There are also two community areas, including a community room available for rent and a lobby area surrounding the elevator on the second floor, which includes seating and a desk. There is a managers office on-site.

A number of elected officials and public employees stopped by for the grand opening, including U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, and La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat.

This is really cool for a place that just over five years ago that got touched by a tornado, said Kind, praising the work the city has done to revitalize the community near the Powell-Poage-Hamilton Neighborhood. I think every community, be it urban or suburban, is challenged by affordable housing opportunities and we need to think creatively to expand those opportunities and make them available for more families.

Both Kind and Kabat praised the project as a successful public-private partnership.

Talk about sausage being made, Kind said, referring to the delicate balance of both private and public funds that went into the project.

The project is in part funded by $500,000 from the city of La Crosses Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership, and is eligible for low-income housing tax credits and historic tax credits from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, as well as federal and state tax credits.

Weve got a lot of experience working in different cities, and, believe me, this is one that has embraced development and redevelopment and you can just see it by not only our project, but everything thats happened, Schold said.

The building was also renovated along the guidelines published by the Green Built Homes program, so it will be energy efficient with new windows and LED lighting. Units have individual HVAC systems and tenants are responsible for electricity and gas costs.

Thirteen of the units have been rented and four people have already begun moving in to the apartments. Rents for the units will be income-based  ranging from $329 to $866 with six units set aside for transitional housing for the homeless through Couleecap.
Chrystia Freeland poses with Canadas Governor General David Johnston, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Jan. 10 after she was sworn in as foreign minister in a cabinet shuffle. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)

For Justin Trudeau, life is about to get a lot more complicated.

After Fridays inauguration of Donald Trump as U.S. president, the Canadian prime minister will be entering uncharted territory with Canadas most important economic, defense and political partner. Gone will be his brief, 15-month bromance with Barack Obama, in which the two like-minded leaders bonded over issues such as free trade, climate change and human rights.

Facing the unpredictability of a Trump presidency and its possible negative impact on Canada, particularly when it comes to economic ties, Trudeau has acted quickly. He has sent his two most trusted aides to the United States for talks with Trumps closest advisers and shaken up his cabinet, naming Chrystia Freeland, a Harvard-educated former journalist with extensive links in the United States, as his foreign minister.

The stakes are high for Canada, Roland Paris, a former senior foreign policy adviser to Trudeau and a professor at the University of Ottawas Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, said in an interview. Three-quarters of our manufacturing exports go to the U.S., and that accounts for one-fifth of our GDP. Given Mr. Trumps comments on trade issues in relation to other countries, red lights are flashing in corporate and government offices across this country.

Its the uncertainty that everybody is worried about, said Michael Kergin, a former Canadian ambassador to Washington.

The future of the North American Free Trade Agreement is of particular concern, even if Trump has been targeting Mexico and saying nothing publicly about Canada. Hes certainly got Mexico in his sights, but its a three-way agreement. What hits Mexico will inevitably have an impact on us, Kergin said in an interview.

If barriers are put up against Mexican imports into the United States, we would be affected because of supply chains, said Gordon Ritchie, who helped Canada negotiate the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, the precursor to NAFTA.

In the North American auto industry, parts often go back and forth across borders seven or eight times before they end up in a final assembled vehicle. Other sensitive trade issues include Buy America rules, U.S. efforts to limit Canadian exports of softwood lumber for home building and Canadas laws that effectively block U.S. farmers from sending dairy products and poultry to their countrys northern neighbor.

So far, Trumps protectionist tweets have primarily been aimed at automakers who transfer production to Mexico from the United States, although in recent days he has also threatened German carmakers with a 35-percent import tax if they dont build more cars in the United States. Canada has so far been spared. Ironically, when Trump attacked Toyota this month for building a new plant in Mexico, he didnt mention that its planned output of Corolla small cars will be transferred from a Toyota plant in Ontario, with no impact on U.S. jobs.

Kristin Dziczek, director of the industry, labor and economics group at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., said Canada was never a primary target of Trump voters in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. There arent a lot of angry autoworkers ticked off at Canadians, she said in an interview. Im not sure an anti-Canada message resonates.

Yet Canada remains vulnerable. Only 12 percent of the cars assembled in Canada are sold domestically, with the vast majority being shipped to its southern neighbor.

Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, made it clear in a briefing last week that Canada isnt going to get a pass when it comes to jobs. When a company thats in the U.S. moves to a place, whether its Canada or Mexico or any other country seeking to put U.S. workers at a disadvantage, then the new president is going to do everything he can to deter it, he said.

While there are concerns on Trumps trade policies, Canadas oil industry and the Trudeau government have been heartened by Trumps support of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, construction of which was halted by Obama on environmental grounds.

Ritchie credits the Trudeau government for doing all it can to develop relationships with the incoming Trump team, including a reported visit by Trudeaus top two aides to see Trump son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner and chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon. As part of this effort at outreach, Trudeau and Canadian Ambassador David MacNaughton have signaled a willingness to open talks on modernizing NAFTA, and the two have appeared in a video welcoming members of the new Congress and reminding them that Canada is the largest international customer for goods and services made in the U.S.

The appointment of Freeland, who replaces the cerebral but dour Stephane Dion as foreign minister, is part of that outreach effort. She understands the U.S. Shes familiar with the U.S. business community, and shes interacted with the CEOs of major multinationals, said Paris, the former Trudeau adviser.

A native of rural Alberta, Freeland attended Harvard and then moved to Ukraine, working as a stringer for The Washington Post and other news organizations. She then earned a masters degree from Oxford University on a Rhodes scholarship and embarked on a journalistic career with the Financial Times, the Globe and Mail, and Reuters, taking her from Moscow to London to New York, with a brief stint in Canada.

While in New York, Freeland was a frequent panelist speaking on economic issues on CNN and MSNBC. She returned to Canada in 2013 and ran for Parliament in Toronto as a Liberal when Trudeaus party was still in opposition. Appointed minister of international trade after the Liberal victory in October 2015, Freeland was credited with completing tough negotiations with the European Union for a groundbreaking free-trade deal, famously walking out of the talks at a key point when the Belgian region of Wallonia threatened to scuttle the deal.

Freeland, whose mother is of Ukrainian ancestry, has angered Russian President Vladimir Putin with her outspoken criticism of the Russian annexation of Crimea and was hit with a travel ban to the country in 2014. The Russian Foreign Ministry has reportedly offered to lift the ban but only if Canada removes its economic sanctions against Russia, an offer Freelands spokesman has rejected. Asked whether she will be able to travel to Moscow in her new job, she responded, Thats a question for Moscow.

So far, Trudeau has been restrained in his comments about Trump. Last week, during a cross-Canada electoral-campaign-style tour, Trudeau told a town hall meeting in Belleville, Ontario, that he will continue to develop a constructive working relationship with the incoming American administration.

Then he reminded his audience that he wont change his fundamental beliefs. There are things that we hold dear that the Americans havent prioritized. And Im never going to shy away from standing up for what I believe in, whether its proclaiming loudly to the world that I am a feminist, whether its understanding that immigration is a source of strength for us, and Muslim Canadians are an essential part of the success of our country today and into the future.

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The headline announcement in Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus recent cabinet shuffle, which was principally aimed at engaging with the incoming Trump administration in Washington, was the appointment of Chrystia Freeland as Canadas Foreign Minister.

A former financial journalist and New York-based Thomson Reuters executive, Freeland has been Trudeaus International Trade Minister since his Liberals returned to power in November 2015. Along with close ties to the global financial elite, Freeland, who is of Ukrainian descent, is well known for her intimate connections to, and advocacy for, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and other right-wing, ultra-nationalist Ukrainian-Canadian groups. In 2014, she travelled to Kiev to hail the US-orchestrated, fascist-led coup, which overthrew Viktor Yanokovych, Ukraines pro-Russian elected president, after he had refused to sign an association agreement with the European Union.

Freelands appointment is a clear indication that the Liberal government has no intention of joining US President-elect Donald Trump should he seek an accommodation with Moscow. Outside of Poland and the Baltic states, Canada has been Washingtons staunchest ally in its military-strategic offensive against Russia.

Canada enthusiastically supported NATOs expansion into Eastern Europe and the Baltic States in violation of the pledges given Moscow at the end of the Cold War. Under Harpers Conservatives and now Trudeaus Liberals, Ottawa has been among the biggest backers of Ukraines ultra-nationalist government and has played a leading role in NATOs escalating military deployments on Russias borders, sending battleships to the Black Sea and planes to Eastern Europe.

The Trudeau government has continued the Harper governments deployment of 200 Canadian Armed Forces personnel to western Ukraine to train Ukrainian Army and National Guard troops, and in a show of political support for the far-right regime in Kiev has entered into a free trade agreement with it.

As for Freeland, so conspicuous has been her role in supporting Ukraines pro-Western government that she has been banned from travelling to Russia since 2014 under a blacklist the Kremlin drew up in retaliation for the sanctions Ottawa imposed on Russia, in conjunction with the US and other western powers.

Ukraines state-run Ukrinform website responded to Freelands appointment as foreign minister with an article titled "Our woman in the Canadian government." In praising Freelands appointment, both the Ukrainian and Latvian ambassadors urged her to advocate on their behalf when she visits Washington for Trumps inauguration.

Under a commitment given to NATO last summer, Canada is deploying 450 troops to Latvia and leading a battalion that is to be permanently stationed thereone of four 1,000-strong forward deployed units to be stationed in Poland and the three Baltic states so as to threaten Russia.

Canada is also moving aggressively to expand its military presence in the Arctic, where it and Russia have competing claims to the resource-rich seabed. Last year, the Canadian military expanded its Arctic base at Resolute Bay so it could house a larger number of soldiers all year round. As NATOs conflict with Moscow has escalated since 2014, the corporate media and the military-security establishment have become ever more strident in their calls for Canada to counter potential Russian aggression in the Arctic by procuring new planes, icebreakers, and radar systems.

The appointment of the anti-Russia hawk Freeland takes on even greater significance under conditions where the US intelligence agencies, with the support of the Democratic Party and much of the traditional Republican Party establishment, is mounting a furious anti-Russia campaign. Without providing a shred of evidence they have asserted that Russia, under the personal direction of President Vladimir Putin, surreptitiously intervened in the US elections to derail Hillary Clintons presidential bid.

This neo-McCarthyite smear is part of a bitter internecine conflict convulsing the US ruling elite over whether to prioritize Russia or, as Trump argues, China for economic and military confrontation.

Canadas elite is fully on-board with the propaganda campaign to cast Russia and Putin as the gravest threat to the liberal democratic order. In the last three months of 2016, Canadas media churned out article after article hypocritically denouncing Russia for war crimes in Aleppo, while whitewashing the slaughter of civilians being carried out by the US and its allies in Mosul and, even more significantly, the role US wars of aggression have played in blowing up the Middle East.

The Canadian media has promoted the charges of Russian interference in the US elections as proven fact, asserted Russia is intent on similarly subverting coming European elections, and chastised Trump for suggesting that the claims of the CIA and NSA should be taken as anything but the gospel truth.

Perhaps the most provocative media comment to date came from Macleans Magazine, which led Tuesday with an article entitled Is Donald Trump a Russian agent? Trump, declared Macleans, is the most slavishly pro-Russian Western leader since the end of the Second World War  Throughout the campaign, even when it was to his political disadvantage, he never wavered from praising Putin and defending his policies, including the bombing campaign in Syria and the invasion of Ukraine.

As significant as the article itself, was who it was written byScott Gilmore, none other than the husband of Catherine McKenna, who as Trudeaus Environment Minister regularly sits with Freeland in cabinet.

Anxious to deepen cooperation with US imperialism and prevent Canada from being hit hard by Trumps America First protectionist program, Trudeau and his ministers have carefully avoided directly criticizing Trump in public.

But Trudeau has repeatedly shown that he endorses the medias virulently anti-Russia campaign and, by extension, the push by the US intelligence agencies and much of the US political establishment for Washington to ratchet up tensions with Moscow.

When a reporter suggested Freelands appointment might antagonize Russia, Trudeau curtly dismissed the objection and, when Moscow signaled it would remove the sanctions against Freeland if Ottawa lifted those targeting a Russian, his government rejected any such quid pro quo, declaring it would not reward aggression.

Responding to Trumps declaration earlier this week that NATO was obsolete, Trudeau reaffirmed Ottawas commitment to the US-led war alliance. We will continue to be a reliable partner, not just to the United States, but to all of our allies as we move forward.

Bob Nault, the Liberal Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, amplified Trudeaus NATO endorsement, saying that if the US reduces its contribution to the alliance, That means other countries like ours will have to step up to the plate.

The conflict now raging in Washington has ominous implications for working people the world over, with the rival factions arguing not whether the US should pursue aggression, but over which nuclear-armed rival to target first. While the Obama administration and the dominant factions within the intelligence apparatus favour escalating threatening military deployments against Russia, in both Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Trump and his allies view thwarting Chinas rise as the first priority. This policy is no less incendiary, with Trumps threats to abandon Washingtons One China policy by developing ties with Taiwan and force Beijing to accept US domination over the South China Sea containing the seeds of a military conflict between two nuclear-armed powers that could quickly escalate into world war.

The turn Trump is trying to make in US foreign policy cuts across the ambitions and interests of the Canadian bourgeoisie and not just because it views Russia as a major rival in the Arctic and the worlds energy markets and because it deems NATO critical to asserting its predatory imperialist interests in Europe and the Middle East. Canadas ruling elite is anxious to expand trade and investment ties with China to offset the impact of extended slow growth in the US and Europe.

While Harper placed limits on investments by Chinese state firms in strategic sectors of the economy, the Liberals and large sections of their Conservative rivals now support Canadas participation in the Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and enhanced trade ties with China.

On Tuesday, the Globe and Mail reported that free trade talks between Ottawa and Beijing will commence next month. As a goodwill gesture to China, Trudeau, as part of last weeks cabinet shuffle, appointed veteran cabinet minister John McCallum as ambassador to Beijing, making China along with the US, Britain, and France the only countries where a political appointee serves as Canadas diplomatic representative.

Trudeaus pivot to China is fraught with difficulties under conditions where the incoming US administration has made clear that it is eager to confront China and dismisses Obamas policy of transferring the bulk of US military power to the Asia-Pacific region and forging a NATO-style anti-China alliance as weak. Trump can be expected to demand Canada support his confrontational stance, possibly as part of a deal for preserving Canadas privileged access to the US market. And, as the Globe and Mail suggested in an article last Saturday, this could well include pushing for Canadian ships to join US patrols in the South China Sea. In 2013, the Harper government signed a secret joint agreement with the US military on joint operations in the Asian Pacific, the details of which remain under wraps.

A January 13 editorial in the Globe, the traditional mouthpiece of Canadas financial elite, is illustrative of the Canadian bourgeoisies alignment with the faction of the US establishment calling for confrontation with Moscow to be prioritized over Beijing. The Globe editorial took exception to the vow Rex Tillerson, Trumps nominee for Secretary of State, made that the US will prevent China from accessing the islands it claims and currently controls in the South China Sea. This, warned the Globe, would amount to a blockadean act of war. That would literally start the Trump administration with a bang.

The Globe then went on to criticize Tillerson for calling Chinas actions in the South China Sea akin to Russias taking of Crimea, arguing that the latter constituted a much greater threat to the US-led imperialist world order.
Three Key Largo, Florida construction workers died Monday morning when they were exposed to a poisonous mixture of hydrogen sulfide and methane gas.

The three men, Elway Gray, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, Louis OKeefe, 49, of Little Torch Key and Robert Wilson, 24, of Summerland Key, had noticed a dip in a recently paved road and removed a nearby manhole cover over a drainage ditch to investigate the cause of the irregularity. After the first man entered the fifteen-foot-deep hole and went silent, the second and then the third man entered the hole to rescue their co-workers and both succumbed to the deadly fumes.

The men were not equipped with the air packs and gas masks that could have saved their lives.

A volunteer firefighter responding to the emergency call, Leonardo Moreno, entered the hole without an air tank due to the cramped conditions and was immediately rendered unconscious. He was rescued by another firefighter, who had to remove his air tank and carry it between his legs in order to descend into the narrow hole. Moreno was airlifted to a nearby hospital and is currently in critical condition.

A fourth worker as well as three Monroe County sheriff's deputies were also treated for dizziness resulting from exposure to the gas.

Nearby neighborhood homes were subsequently evacuated while the area was investigated by a Miami-Dade Hazmat team. The Hazmat team found high concentrations of methane and hydrogen sulfide and very low levels of oxygen in the pipe.

The cause of the gas was said to be a years long buildup of rotting vegetation at the bottom of the drainage ditch. The three men had been called out to respond to reports of a sewage back-up in the area.

A resident of the area, Barbara Guerra, told Local 10 News that the neighborhood had smelled of sulfur for some time, It smells like rotten eggs ... It was out here again this morning and Im used to it because theyve been a whole year already.

Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsey told the Miami Herald that the drainage hole lacked the proper ventilation to prevent the build-up of gasses. Generally, you want to ventilate the tube out before you go in there and have proper breathing stuff. It appears there was no venting done prior. The best we can see at this time, there was no pre-venting going in and obviously going into a contained space like this where theres no gasses, it can be deadly as we saw today, said Ramsay.

The deaths are being investigated by both Monroe County detectives and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Companies that perform work in confined spaces, such as sewers and drainage ditches, are required by law to abide by OSHA's Confined Space Standard. This includes performing atmospheric tests prior to entry, providing adequate safety equipment and training for employees engaged in such work, and having a rescue team on site if the work is deemed dangerous.

OSHA also requires that a company supervisor be present to monitor compliance with these regulations. It is unknown at this time why none of these protocols were observed

The three men were not employees of the Key Largo Wastewater Treatment District which controls the drainage ditch, but rather worked for Douglas N. Higgins, a private contractor retained by the county to do roadwork.

The company, based in Michigan, is currently involved in seventeen projects throughout Florida, three of them in the Keys.

The company had previously received a citation from OSHA in 2002 related to work done on a Marco Island manhole. The Miami Herald reports that "The citation said, among other violations, that atmospheric testing wasn't performed; a confined space entry program wasnt implemented; confined space entry permits werent implemented by a qualified person; a rescue plan wasn't implemented; rescue services werent available in a timely manner; and rescue equipment wasnt available at the site."

The company was charged $2,500 for the violations, a fine that was later reduced to $1,875.

A 2016 report from the AFL-CIO states that in 2014, 4,821 workers were killed on the job in the United States. An estimated 50,000 additional workers died that year from "occupational diseases". Added together this averages out to 150 workers dying every day.

The report also noted the critical lack of funding for workplace inspections: "Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) resources are still too few and declining with only 1,840 federal and state inspectors to inspect 8 million workplaces. This means there are enough inspectors for federal OSHA to inspect workplaces once every 145 years, on average, and state OSHA plans have enough to inspect workplaces once every 97 years."
On Tuesday the German Federal Constitutional Court rejected a ban on the fascist National Democratic Party (NPD). The verdict was unanimous. The court justified its decision by arguing that while the far-right party was anti-constitutional and shared an ideological kinship with National Socialism (Nazism), it was not significant enough to seriously jeopardize democracy.

There is currently no concrete indication of any possibility that its activities could be successful, the president of the court, Andreas Vosskuhle, explained.

This was the second lawsuit against the NPD rejected by the Constitutional Court. The first case collapsed in 2003 because the court arrived at the conclusion that the large number of undercover agents inside the leadership bodies of the party made it impossible to arrive at a proper legal judgment. According to the judges, the NPD was a state-run affair.

At that time, both houses of parliament and the government had submitted a joint motion calling for a ban on the NPD. In December 2013, the upper house of parliament, the Federal Council, representing Germanys states, lodged a new case calling for the prohibition of the NPD. Following reassurances from German interior ministers that undercover agents had been pulled out of the partys executive committees, the Second Senate of the Constitutional Court opened main proceedings two years later, which have now ended with the rejection of the lawsuit.

The decision did not come as a surprise, it had been on the cards for some time. Nevertheless, it was keenly awaited because the constitutional court redefined the criteria for a partys ban.

In the history of postwar Germany there have been only two bans imposed on political parties, and these date back more than 60 years. In 1952, the relatively insignificant, fascist Sozialistische Reichspartei was banned, and in 1956 the government outlawed the German Communist Party (KPD).

The trial against the KPD was a legal assault on political convictions. Marxist writings were cited in detail in the courtroom. The judiciary not only banned the organization, many members were condemned to long prison sentences, had their personal assets seized, or were forced out of their jobs and found no new work. Among the victims were many who had been persecuted formerly for their resistance to the Nazis.

In rejecting the prohibition of the NDP, the Constitutional Court has now ruled that a party cannot be banned because of its convictions alone. The NPDs beliefs, the court stated, are inhumane, racist and share kinship to the ideology of National Socialism. But the fact that a party aims at eliminating the basic democratic order was not sufficient for a ban. It must have the potential to achieve this goal and systematically work towards it.

The court concluded that this did not apply to the NPD. The party has lost considerable influence since the move to ban it. Its membership has fallen from 28,000 to the current level of 6,000, it receives barely more than one percent of the vote in federal elections and is no longer represented in any state parliamentthe court argued. Many former supporters of the NPD now support other right-wing parties and organizations such as Pegida and the Alternative for Germany (AfD). The NPD itself has called for a first preference vote for the AfD in several state elections.

In its judgment, the Constitutional Court based itself on the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In the event of a ban, the NPD could have filed an appeal at the Strasbourg court, which the German court in Karlsruhe wanted to avoid. Strasbourg sets stricter standards for a party ban than Karlsruhe.

According to the case-law of the ECHR, it is not sufficient for a party to pursue anti-constitutional objectives as a ground to ban it. It must also have a realistic chance of realizing its objectives. It must have the resources and the influence to achieve its goals with a certain probability.

While the ECHR excludes a judgment based only on political convictions, based on its reasoning, a party can be banned when it gains influence and thus becomes a danger to the prevailing order.

The ECHRs precedent-setting verdict on this issue concerned the prohibition of the Turkish Welfare Party (Refah) in 1998. The Refah Party had filled the post of premier up to 1997, but was then ousted in a soft military coup and banned the following year. Its deputy chairman at that time was the current Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The ECHR dismissed a complaint from the Refah Party appealing against the ban. It supported the ban on the grounds that the party represented a threat to democratic society in Turkey, because it had received 21.4 percent of the vote in the last parliamentary elections.

The Constitutional Courts judgment on the NPD ban tends in the same direction. In essence, it means that the right of free expression and assembly for a party only applies as long as it has no significant influence and does not endanger the existing order.

The judgment has been criticised broadly in the German media, and by practically all of the countrys political parties. They are all of the opinion that the NPD should have been banned solely on the basis of its views.

Heribert Prantl wrote in the Suddeutsche Zeitung: The NPD should have been bannednot despite the fact that it is very small at the moment and insignificant in elections, but precisely because of this. According to Prantl, a ban would be a signal against aggressive right-wing populism and an act of prevention.

Christian Social Union politician Thomas Kreuzer commented: I think it is completely wrong to say we tolerate and allow radicals to work in parties until they have a certain relevance and could possibly achieve their goals.

The Social Democrat Eva Hogl spoke of a very disappointing judgment: A positive decision would have been helpful for our commitment to oppose the right-wing.

The Left Party politician Petra Pau also regretted the failure to ban the NPD. The majority of the Left Party, as well as many initiatives for democracy and tolerance, wanted an NPD ban, she explained.

The Social Equality Party, in contrast, has always opposed banning parties as a means of fighting the right-wing. When the Federal Council launched its case to ban the NPD four years ago, we wrote, under the heading Why the SEP (Germany) rejects a state ban of the neo-fascist NPD:

The banning of a political party represents a serious breach of the democratic rights of the working class. As masses of people turn their back on official politics because they feel they are not represented by any of the parties in the Bundestag, the ruling elite is reacting by attacking the right of assembly and setting itself up as arbiter of which parties people may or may not support.

History has repeatedly shown that, in the final analysis, such curbs of democratic rights only strengthen and encourage the most right-wing and reactionary sections of society. At the same time, the workers movement is denied basic forms of free and democratic expression.

And nine months ago, we wrote in a WSWS article on the most recent prohibition procedure: A ban of the NPD would be reactionary in every sense: it would not weaken right-wing extremist tendencies in society, but strengthen them; it would set a precedent for the suppression of all, especially left-wing, opposition; and it would strengthen the states repressive apparatus, a key source of right-wing, authoritarian developments.

The outcome of the trial has confirmed this warning. The Constitutional Court has issued a ruling that can easily be directed against a revolutionary socialist party when it gains influence and support.
Protests in defense of immigrant rights were held in 50 cities across the United States on Saturday, days before the inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump and leading up to Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, during which other anti-Trump protests were held.

The demonstrations on Saturday were called in opposition to Trumps stated immigration policy aims, including threats to deport some two to three million undocumented immigrants, slashing of federal funding of all so-called sanctuary cities that dont comply rigorously with federal immigration policy, and a crackdown on Muslims entering the country.

The protests were generally led by an array of civil rights, immigrant advocacy, religious and other groups, many with close ties to the Democratic Party. One of the rallies convened in Washington DC, titled We Shall Not Move by the National Action Network, was led by Democratic Party operative and multimillionaire Al Sharpton.

Figures like Sharpton and his ilk continue their efforts to keep the anger at the forthcoming Trump presidency expressed in these protests firmly within the two-party system, sowing illusions that the Democrats and moderate Republicans could be pressured to fight. Sharpton declared, We come not to appeal to Donald Trump, because hes made it clear what his policies are and what his nominations are. We come to say to the Democrats in the Senate and in the House and to the moderate Republicans to get some backbone. Get some guts. We didnt send you down here to be weak-kneed.

There were undoubtedly broad layers in attendance at the dozens of protests throughout the country, motivated by compassion for one of the more vulnerable segments of the population and repelled by the xenophobic sentiments whipped up by the Trump administration. However, so long as the basic political perspective remains one of pressuring the two parties of big business for more humane immigration reform, opposition to the exploitation of immigrants will continue to be funneled into a dead end.

The recent demonstrations recall, albeit on a smaller scale, the massive immigration reform protests of 2006, which involved millions of demonstrators across the country, including over half a million in Los Angeles alone. Those protests were sparked by proposed legislation which would have made felony crimes of undocumented immigration, as well as providing aid to undocumented immigrants, including charities, clinics and other services offered.

While the bill did not pass in Congress in 2006, the protests prompted the Bush administration to vindictively escalate the scale of ICE raids with the express aim of intimidating the immigrant population and curbing further attempts at organization efforts. Furthermore, the Senate failed to work out even the most modest of reforms to the overall framework of US immigration policy.

That the 2006 mass demonstrations fell under the sway of politicians and figureheads of the Democratic establishment also proved to be a decisive political obstacle. Some leaders of the protests even suggested that native-born workers have it too good.

The heavily militarized ICE raids continued under the administration of Barack Obama, with the Democratic president overseeing the deportation of more than 2.5 million people, more than any of his predecessors. The incoming Trump administrations targeting two to three million immigrants for rapid deportation would represent a dismal continuity with the outgoing administration.

Amidst the calls at the protests for vigilance against ICE under a Trump administration, there was a glaring incongruity when it came to the silence on the content of Obamas own draconian deportation policies. No serious effort was made to take into account the record of the Democrats, who falsely pose as friends of the foreign-born.

There was also no mention from protest organizers of the fact that the massive database collected on those immigrant youth who had been registered in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program under the Obama administration could now potentially be used to expedite the deportation schemes of a Trump government.

From the outset, in 2012, the WSWS had warned of the potentially draconian use of the DACA program, stating that, To receive the two-year relief from the threat of deportation, young undocumented immigrants must register with the Department of Homeland Security, effectively declaring themselves to be 'illegal and making them easier targets if and when a new directive comes from the White House, either from Obama himself or from his Republican opponent Mitt Romney, should Romney win the November election. Once registered, immigrants still have no path to citizenship and their legal status is only temporary. Even if there is no immediate double-cross, the condition of the newly registered would represent only the regularization of their status as an exploited underclass.

As Trump takes office, the confirmation of this warning points to the increasingly authoritarian character of American politics. To the extent that Trump intends to make good on his plans for mass deportation, there would be no way to realize it except through the erection of what would amount to an immense infrastructure of detention camps.

A check to Trumps anti-immigrant policies will not come through appeals to the Democratic Party, which has proven itself time and again to differ only tactically from the Republicans on the question of immigration.
President Barack Obama used his final press conference, held Wednesday afternoon, to vouch for the political legitimacy of the incoming administration of Donald Trump and smooth its transition to power.

With a series of opinion polls showing the right-wing billionaire having the lowest level of popular support of any incoming president in at least four decades, Obama went out of his way to disassociate himself from Democratic congressmen who are planning to boycott Trumps inauguration on Friday. He portrayed the new government of billionaires, ex-generals and ultra-right ideologues as part of the normal ebb-and-flow of politics.

There is nothing genuinely democratic about the Democrats avoidance of the inauguration, or, for that matter, longtime Georgia Congressman John Lewis statement earlier this week that he does not consider Trump a legitimate president.

These actions are not directed against the militarist, chauvinist and anti-working class policies of the incoming administration, but rather at Trumps refusal to fully embrace the US intelligence agencies claims that Russia hacked into Democratic email accounts in order to swing the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, and the president-elects talk of seeking improved relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Nevertheless, even as he reiterated the unsubstantiated charges of Russian hacking, Obama distanced himself from these maneuvers in the interests of maintaining capitalist stability and with the aim of disarming the working class as to the scale of the attacks it will face under Trump.

Early on in the press conference, Fox News correspondent Kevin Corke noted that more than five dozen Democrats planned to boycott Fridays inauguration. Do you support that? he asked, And what message would you send to Democrats to better demonstrate the peaceful transfer of power?

Obama replied by describing his conversations with president-elect Trump as cordial, fairly lengthy and substantive. He continued: As you know, my working assumption is that having won an election, opposed to a number of my initiatives and certain aspects of my vision for where the country needs to go, it is appropriate for him to go forward with his visions and his values

With respect to the inauguration, Im not going to comment on those issues. All I know is Im going to be there. So is Michelle.

As his Press Secretary Josh Earnest put it earlier in an interview on the CBS This Morning program, the president had instructed his staff to ensure that the next administration can get off to a running start.

In the press conference, Obama counseled Democrats or progressives to distinguish between the normal back-and-forth, ebb-and-flow of policy and what he called core values. In the former category he included raising or lowering taxes, expanding or eliminating programs and how concerned we are about air pollution or climate change.

There could be no clearer expression of Obamas complacent and indifferent attitude to the social impact of Trumps agenda of sharply cutting corporate taxes and personal taxes for the wealthy, massively expanding military spending, and taking an axe to public education, business and environmental regulations, housing assistance, Medicaid and Medicare, minimum wage laws and all restrictions on corporate profit-making. Even as Obama was speaking, Trump cabinet nominees who have devoted themselves to these policies were holding forth at Senate confirmation hearings.

This is a very different tune than the one Obama and other Democrats were singing during the election campaign, when they portrayed a Trump victory as a national and international catastrophe, in an effort to convince voters to choose Hillary Clinton, the hated personification of the corrupt political establishment.

Within days of the election, Obama was declaring that the differences, however sharply posed, were by no means fundamental, since the Democrats and Republicans were both on the same team.

Obama began the press conference with a sickening and absurd paean to the White House press corps, describing the domesticated and cowardly correspondents as heroes of American democracy. Youre supposed to cast a critical eye on folks who hold enormous power and make sure that we are accountable to the people who sent us here, Obama declared, and you have done that.

He went on to say that self-government doesnt work if we dont have a well-informed citizenry, and you are the conduit through which they receive the information about whats taking place in the halls of power.

The first question from the press corps demonstrated precisely how the corporate media, in reality a de facto propaganda arm of the state, informs the citizenry. Jeff Mason of Reuters challenged Obamas commutation Tuesday of whistle-blower Chelsea Mannings prison sentence of in light of WikiLeaks connection to Russias actions in the election. He went on to ask if WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would be charged or arrested if he agreed to come to the United States, as Assange had suggested he would do if Obama commuted Mannings sentence.

Obama defended his decision to set Manning free this coming May largely on the grounds that he had already overseen Mannings seven years of brutal incarceration for giving WikiLeaks documents exposing US crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and State Department intrigues. He drew a sharp distinction between Manning and Assange.

Exhibiting his trademark cynicism, Obama chastised whistleblowers such as Manning and Edward Snowden for not working through the established channels and availing themselves of the whistleblower protections that have been put in place. This was said by a president who has presided over the prosecution of more whistleblowers and leakers under the Espionage Act than all previous presidents combined.

In response to a second question, on Trumps statements that he might consider lifting the sanctions on Russia, Obama restated his administrations aggressive and provocative line toward Russia and called for an indefinite continuation of sanctions.

He repeated the official, false narrative depicting Russia as the aggressor in Ukraine. He then declared that it is important for the United States to stand up for the basic principle that big countries dont go around and invade and bully smaller countries.

Not a single reporter challenged Obamas potted narrative of the origins of the Ukraine crisis, not to mention the stunning hypocrisy of denouncing Russia for bullying smaller countries, given the role of the United States in Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Haiti, Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq again, Libya and Syria, just to mention some of the small nations bombed, invaded, occupied and devastated by the American military.
Sarah Varley says that spending time with wolves helped her overcome anorexia. (Photo: Mercury Press)

A 28-year-old woman says that dedicating her life to a pack of wolves has helped treat the eating disorder that nearly killed her. But experts warn that the treatment is not a known one.

Sarah Varley told the Mercury Press (in a story reprinted by the New York Post) that she developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which evolved into a fear of germs, after being raped at the age of 19. As a result, she allowed herself to eat only morsels of food, resulting in a 33-pound weight loss over the course of five months. And then she came into contact with wolves at her cousins wolf sanctuary.

I was scared of everything, but one day I went into the enclosure with a wolf and it was the first time my brain shut up, she said. When youre with a predator that can hurt you, your brain automatically focuses on that.

Varley and her fiance decided to move to New Hampshire and run their own wolf sanctuary, with 50 wolves and wolf dogs, before settling in California, where they are starting a new wolf sanctuary.

I think its empowering for women to know they can heal in other ways, she stated. Its also kind of badass, no one is going to attack me again  I live with wolves. Its a huge sense of relief.

(Photo: Mercury Press)

But its important to note that Varleys form of healing is just one anecdotal response, experts say. I have never heard of wolf therapy, Ilene Fishman, clinical adviser for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), tells Yahoo Beauty. One suggested experience with an extreme situation like this, I would question.

Psychotherapist Andrew Walen concurs with Fishmans take on Varleys situation. Wolf therapy is not a recognized form of therapy that I have ever heard of or has been studied by anybody, Walen, founder and CEO of the Body Image Therapy Center and board president for the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders, tells Yahoo Beauty. The fact that this is a person who claims to have recovered from anorexia, which is a very serious brain disease that has so many additional complications, using this one therapy  I find it very dubious, to say the least.

Story continues

According to statistics from NEDA, at least 30 million Americans  20 million women and 10 million men  suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified). The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) says that about half of anorexia patients have co-morbid anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobia.

Walen does add, however, that animals can serve a purpose during treatment, especially when the patient has endured trauma. We use therapy animals all the time, and in fact, many eating disorder treatment programs will incorporate equine therapy as one of their treatment modalities, he notes. But its an adjunct piece  its not the whole piece. Its not a direct, standalone therapy for anything by anybodys psychiatric standpoint.

Fishman is concerned about the specifics Varley offered during her interview (i.e. the limited amount of food she consumed). We at NEDA feel very strongly about not publishing details like these because it can be very triggering for people, she explains. Some people can end up trying to find ways to be even more anorexic.

While there are numerous types of therapies for the treatment of eating disorders, Fishman says, the first step on this wellness journey is to obtain credible data from a reputable source. When you look up eating disorders, theres tons of information on the Internet and on social media, and while some of it is good, some of it is not so good, she says. Its important to get the facts from somewhere solid. For example, the information NEDA provides is clear  its medically and professionally sound.

Fishman also strongly suggests seeking guidance from someone who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, adding, And we know that people generally do not get better without treatment.

In conclusion, Walen offers this possible explanation for Varleys recovery: I think living with wolves and living away from society is just another form of isolation behavior that still speaks to a significant psychiatric issue.

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Tanning in the sun and in tanning beds raises the risk of skin cancer. (Photo: Getty Images)

Youve heard for years that you should wear sunscreen regularly and avoid tanning as much as possible to lower your risk of developing skin cancer. One woman also heard the warnings and chose to ignore them  and now shes sharing what can happen when you do.

Margaret Murphy is posting on her Facebook page a series of selfies of her red, blistering face, which, she says, show the results of skin cancer treatment. The 45-year-old says that she spent more than a decade tanning in Greece while using sunscreen and regularly visited tanning beds. As a result, Murphy developed precancerous cells on her face.

Unfortunately, all this lovely tanning has a price to pay cause now I have precancerous cells on my face and have started treatment to remove them, Murphy wrote on Facebook.

Murphy is sharing daily photos of her skin during the four-week topical treatment prescribed by her dermatologist, to try to raise awareness of the dangers of tanning. I heard all the warnings years ago and closed my eyes and ears to it all, she wrote. Maybe someone will open their eyes to this if its closer to home.

For now, Murphy says, the treatment is quite painful and gruesome as the weeks go on but, on the good side, it should get rid of the cells and treatment is only for a month. She notes that shes not looking for sympathy; she just wants people to be smarter about sun safety.

Gary Goldenberg, MD, medical director of the dermatology faculty practice at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tells Yahoo Beauty that sun exposure and tanning beds are closely linked with skin cancer. Its clear that UV damages cellular DNA and causes skin cancer, he says.

New York City dermatologist Doris Day, MD, author of the upcoming book Skinfluence, agrees. Anybody with enough sun exposure over enough time will eventually develop skin cancer, Day says.

According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. More than 5.4 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed each year, the organization says, and an estimated 76,380 cases of melanoma  the deadliest form of skin cancer  were diagnosed in 2016.

Story continues

Murphys treatment isnt rare  Day says she prescribes something similar all the time.

Dermatologist Jill Waibel, MD, medical director and owner of Miami Dermatology & Laser Institute, tells Yahoo Beauty that there are several treatment options available to patients with precancerous cells. Those include cryotherapy (which freezes off pre-skin cancers), medical photodynamic therapy (PDT), and topical medications.

There are several topical medications, including Efudex (5-FU), Tolak, Solareze gel, and Aldara, Waibel says, which are essentially topical types of chemotherapy prescribed by a dermatologist. These creams are effective in treating certain skin problems such as pre-skin cancers and other conditions that could be cancerous, she says.

Creams are used to treat sun-damaged cells in order to prevent their developing into skin cancer that would need to be surgically removed, Goldenberg explains. Blistering is common with some of these topical medications, Day says, but it will eventually clear up  and lower a persons skin cancer risk. The good news is that your skin is always repairing itself, Day notes.

To lower your risk of developing precancerous skin cells, Day recommends wearing sunscreen daily and getting regular skin checks by your dermatologist. (The American Academy of Dermatology recommends asking your doctor how often you should get your skin checked based on your individual risk. However, many recommend annual checks.)

And finally, experts agree that you should limit sun exposure as much as possible. Its life and death, Day says. Its really important to get this message out.

Read More:

98% of Millennial Women Know Skin Cancer Is Deadly. So Why Are They Still Tanning?

Heres How Israel Reduced Skin Cancer Rates. Could the Same Approach Work Here?

Brides Wedding Photo Revealed Early Warning of Skin Cancer

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
For anyone who has been told that you drink way too much coffee, theres good news about your caffeine addiction. You can now rest easy in the knowledge that those multiple cups of joe may actually help you live longer than those who dont understand the need for your daily fix.

Stanford University researchers came upon this information during an ongoing study related to aging. What they found was that a certain group of study participants had lower levels of inflammatory compounds in their blood. The study, published online in Nature Medicine, followed people aged 2030 and a second group of people aged 60. Further tests showed that caffeine played an active role in blocking chemicals that cause age-related inflammationa contributing factor to cardiovascular disease.

You May Also Like: Addicted to Coffee? Blame Genetics



Participants who drank multiple cups of coffee a day had extremely low activity levels in the inflammatory gene pathway. Stanford University School of Medicines Dr. David Furman, who co-authored the study, explained that caffeine inhibits this pathway which contributes to chronic inflammation and various chronic diseases. The more caffeine people consumed, the more protected they were against a chronic state of inflammation.

To further investigate their findings, the research team also incubated immune cells in mice with caffeine. The results confirmed that the caffeine prohibited an inflammatory effect on the cells. "That something many people drinkand actually like to drinkmight have a direct benefit came as a surprise to us," said study co-author Dr. Mark Davis. "We didn't give some of the mice coffee and the others decaf. What we've shown is a correlation between caffeine consumption and longevity."
Former President George H. W. Bush was rushed to a Texas hospital on Saturday after experiencing shortness of breath.

Bush, 92, was in stable condition at the Houston Methodist Hospital on Wednesday, according to KHOU.

His post-White House spokesman Jim McGrath tweeted out the news on Wednesday, noting that the former president has responded very well to treatments. He added: Hope to have him out soon.

.@GeorgeHWBush was taken to @MethodistHosp Sat. for shortness of breath, has responded very well to treatments. Hope to have him out soon.  Jim McGrath (@jgm41) January 18, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Bushs office later released a statement, revealing that he was being monitored as a precaution and is resting comfortably, according to NBC News.

Hes there. Hes fine and hes doing really well, Bushs chief of staff, Jean Becker, told the Houston Chronicle.

His wife Barbara and his son Neil have visited him in the hospital, KHOU reports. Becker told the station that officials expect Bush to return home in a few days.

The Bush Sisters Wrote a Heartfelt Letter to the Obama Girls

This is not the first health scare Bush has seen in recent years. The wheelchair-bound, 92-year-old was hospitalized in 2015 in Maine after falling at his summer home, according to NBC. He was hospitalized in 2014 after experiencing a shortness of breath.

The former president suffers from a form of Parkinsons disease and uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. However, Bush hasnt let his old age slow him down. For his 90th birthday, Bush went skydiving near his summer home in Maine.




Photo credit: Hearst Communications, Inc. All rights reserved

From Cosmopolitan

The 18-year-old kidnapped at birth is defending the woman who police say snatched her from a Florida hospital - the woman she called "mom" for nearly two decades. From that one mistake, I was given the best life, Alexis Manigo told ABC News. I had everything I needed or wanted. I had love especially.

Alexis Manigo is, in fact, Kamiyah Mobley, who was abducted from a Florida hospital in 1998. Last week, she learned her true identity leading to the arrest of 51-year-old Gloria Williams, the woman they say took her and raised the girl as her own daughter in the small town of Walterboro, South Carolina.

A court affidavit filed in the case sheds some light on how police made the discovery. Additional court documents also reveal that a settlement with the hospital where Manigo was abducted set aside money for the kidnapped girl if she was found before her 18th birthday. (Details on both court documents below.)

During a brief court appearance on Friday, Williams told Manigo she loved her. I love you, too, Manigo said before bursting into tears.

I understand what she did was wrong, but just dont lock her up and throw away the key like everything she did was awful, Manigo told ABC News. She loved me for 18 years. She cared for me for 18 years.

Heres what we know so far about this bizarre story:



How was Manigo kidnapped?

On July 10, 1998, Manigo, who was just eight hours old, was kidnapped from University Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida. According to police, Gloria Williams spent hours at the hospital pretending to be a nurse while befriending the baby's mother, Shanara Mobley, who was 16 at the time. Hours after the childs birth, Williams allegedly told Shanara Mobley she was taking the child for medical treatment and then left with the baby. Hospital workers reportedly thought Williams was a relative.

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Photo credit: Associated Press

The abduction launched a massive search with helicopters circling the hospital and the city on high alert. Thousands of tips poured in over the years but authorities had no clue where she was. The only picture of Kamiyah was a composite sketch; there was no actual picture of the newborn.



What did Gloria Williams tell her friends and family about the new baby?

Photo credit: Colleton County Sheriff's Office

Police arent sure why Williams kidnapped Manigo. About 20 years ago, she miscarried in her ninth month, according to WJXT in Jacksonville. The miscarriage led to a nervous breakdown, a family friend told the TV station.

Williams had a baby shower before the miscarriage, according to Arika Williams, who believed she was Manigos half-sister. Gloria was pregnant at the baby shower and had people there bringing homemade quilts saying Alexis name on it, Arika told People magazine.

The man who believed he was Manigos father, Charles Manigo, who was Gloria Williams's boyfriend, said his ex-girlfriend told him she gave birth while he was out of town. The two dated until 2003. After their split, the couple shared custody of Manigo.

She was the love of my life, he told ABC News.

(People pointed out that a Facebook post that appears to be from Manigo disputes the doting father stories Charles told ABC News. YOU WERE NOTHING TO ME MY WHOLE LIFE, the person wrote on Facebook.)



How did Manigo discover she had been kidnapped?

Authorities said last week that Manigo had an inkling shed been kidnapped, which led to a DNA test and, ultimately, a match through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. But Manigo has so far declined to elaborate on what led to that feeling in the first place.

However, Arika Williams told People that Manigo learned her true identity about two years ago. According to Arika, Manigo got a job at a local restaurant, which needed her birth certificate and social security number.

Lexy didnt have that so she asked Miss Gloria for it and Miss Gloria kept brushing it off, Arika said. Lexy kept being hard on her mother, like Momma, where is my stuff? I want to get this job. Then Miss Gloria just broke down and told her this is why right here, you cant do this. I kidnapped you.

Photo credit: Associated Press

Police say they arent sure what she knew. We know that obviously there was conversation about her maybe not being her daughter, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams told People. Did she confess completely to her, or did she just give her pieces of it? We are not quite sure at this point.

An arrest warrant affidavit sheds more light on the timeline. Roughly a year and a half ago, the document says, Manigo learned of her kidnapping. Last summer, she admitted this to a friend and then, on August 8, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received an anonymous tip about Manigo. The center contacted authorities.

Exactly three months later, on November 8, the center received a second anonymous tip. This one said Gloria Williams had admitted the abduction to associates.

On Jan. 10, detectives from Florida went to Walterboro to track down Manigo's birth certificate and social security card from her high school. Both were fraudulent. The Social Security number listed on the card was for a man in Virginia who had died in 1983.

Detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office in Florida then obtained a cheek swab from Manigo. The DNA tests confirmed her identity.

What happens next?

On Saturday, Manigo, who is living in Walterboro, South Carolina, met her biological parents for the first time. "First meeting was beautiful, it was wonderful, couldn't went no better ... she was glad to meet us," Her father, Craig Aiken, told WCSC in South Carolina.

Manigo told ABC News she plans to give her biological parents a chance. Im not saying they werent going to be good parents, she said. Im not saying that at all. It would have been a different life. When you find out you have another family out there its just more love.

Manigo visited her biological family in Jacksonville on January 21, when she went to a birthday party for her biological father at a local nightclub, according to WJXT in Jacksonville. All of her biological family members on her dad side were at the club.



Photo credit: Associated Press

But Manigo also said she speaks with Gloria Williams daily. She will always be my mom, she said.



Williams, who is charged with kidnapping and interference with custody, appeared in court for a second time on Wednesday, Jan. 18, where she was denied bail. If convicted, Williams faces a possible life in prison, according to the Fox affiliate in Jacksonville.

But Manigos testimony could influence the sentencing (again, if shes convicted).

"Kamiyah could also be the person to advocate on behalf of Gloria and say, 'Listen, she treated me so well. This is the only mother I know.' And Kamiyah may be able to have that same influence on her biological parents," Jacksonville attorney Rhonda Peoples-Waters told WJXT in Jacksonville.

Williamss next court appearance is Feb. 8, when shell likely enter a plea.

What about the money the hospital set aside for Manigo?

Previously sealed court documents offer details on the settlement University Hospital in Jacksonville reached with Manigo's biological mom, Shanara. In 2000, according to FirstCoast News, the ABC affiliate in Jacksonville, the hospital paid $1.9 million to Shanara and her lawyers. An additional provision set aside $725,000 to be paid to Shanara at a rate of about $3,000 per month for the rest of her life.

FirstCoast News said Shanara sold her future rights to 120 months worth of payments in 2009 in exchange for a lump sum. She did this because of financial hardship.

But the hospital also established a separate fund for Manigo: $307,000, in the form of an investment fund, which would be paid to her if she was found alive by July 10, 2016-her 18th birthday. Otherwise it goes to her mother, Shanara.

It's unclear whether Manigo received that payment or if it went to her mother, according to FirstCoast News.

This story was updated on January 25 with new information from the court affidavit.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Michael on Twitter.

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A 20-year-old Kansas City woman mysteriously vanished early Sunday morning after being pulled over by police after work  and her family is growing increasingly worried and confused.

None of it makes sense, Toni Andersons mother, Liz Anderson, says of her disappearance. She could be anywhere at this point.

Toni left work at the Chrome Club shortly after 4 a.m. to meet up with a friend, Kansas City police tell PEOPLE. But she never made it.

She was pulled over at 4:30 a.m. by a North Kansas City, Missouri, police officer  a separate jurisdiction from Kansas City  for a routine traffic stop for an illegal lane change, which resulted in a warning.

She then stopped for gas, police confirm. Liz Anderson tells PEOPLE her daughters debit card was declined at 4:33.

At 4:42, she texted her friend, OMG just got pulled over again. It is not clear if she was referring to the 4:30 traffic stop or a subsequent one. She has not been heard from since, though she received an incoming call at 4:53.

The investigation is being handled by Kansas City, Missouri, police. A spokesman tells PEOPLE there are no signs of foul play, and that they believe the text message refers to the traffic stop by North Kansas City police.

But he says, As time goes on, it is concerning.

To Tonis mother, the phrasing of that final text does not sit well with her.

I dont understand why she would write Im getting pulled over again in the same night, Anderson says. It just keeps resonating in my brain again, again  thats just odd to me.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

The day after she went missing, someone on a local Facebook community page warned other users about a person allegedly pretending to be a police officer driving around.

I called 911 as he scared me half to death and almost caused several accidents. Who knows what would have happened had this person gotten someone to pull over and stop, the woman writes.

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When in doubt  call 911 for verification that the vehicle is a police officer. This person clearly was not, she continues.

Tonis friend, Roxanne Townsend, received the scrutinized text that morning, Anderson tells PEOPLE.

Weve called every police station, every jail, every hospital, and no one seems to have her, Townsend told KSHB.

You Cant Imagine the Horror

Andersons family, friends and colleagues are cooperating with investigators, according to police. Police say they have heard no reason to believe Toni is in danger other than the fact that she has no history of running away.

Shes just a beautiful, smart, intelligent, hard working, kind and loving person, Anderson says. We just want her back home.

Toni is a sophomore at the University of MissouriKansas City, where she studies marketing. In her free time, she reviews music festivals around the country for blogs, Anderson says.

According to Anderson, her daughters 2014 Ford Focus had a tracking device that sent out pings every eight or 10 seconds for insurance reasons. On the morning of her disappearance, the tracking device sent out its final ping from the gas station.

It just doesnt make sense to me, Anderson says. I have no clue  its just bizarre.

 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.

After several days of searching, Anderson tells PEOPLE she is choosing to stay positive for Tonis sake.

You cant imagine the horror of your child missing until you go through it, she says through tears. You just dont know, and were just trying to get her message out there, trying to get her face out there to as many places as we can.

Im trying to just focus on that, I dont want to focus on my feelings, Anderson continues. Im trying to be strong for my daughter.

Toni has blonde hair, green eyes and is roughly 5 feet 5 inches tall. She was last seen driving her 2014 black Ford Focus. Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts is urged to call police at 816-474-TIPS.




Mom Sent to Prison on Drug Charge After Her Youngest Son Is Beaten to Death by Boyfriend

An Indiana woman who allegedly knew her boyfriend killed her 3-year-old son will serve 20 years in prison on a drug charge, after the other charges connected to the boys death were dropped, PEOPLE confirms.

Breanna Arnold, 22, was sentenced on Tuesday, according to a Wells County Prosecuting Attorneys Office news release. She was facing several charges  including neglect of a dependent, obstruction of justice, abuse of a corpse and dealing methamphetamine  after her son died in 2015. Authorities say she had no role in his killing.

All but one of Arnolds charges were dropped in December, when she pleaded guilty to preparing methamphetamine in excess of five grams in a home occupied by children, a Wells County Prosecuting Attorneys Office official tells PEOPLE. She was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years, with two-and-a-half years suspended.

On Jan. 17, 2015, Arnolds son Owen Collins died in the mobile home outside of Bluffton, Indiana, that she shared with boyfriend Zachary Barnes and friend Zachary Barker, according to prosecutors.

On Jan. 18, 2015, Arnold reported her son missing. His body was found by police during their investigation into his disappearance.

Arnold initially told police she didnt know what happened to her son, and investigators believed Owen died from exposure to meth. However, an autopsy later determined that Owen died of blunt force trauma  and Arnold knew more about his death than she told investigators, prosecutors said.

Owen was fatally hit by Barnes, who has a history of violence and drug use, according to authorities. The boys body was then allegedly wrapped in plastic and hid in a dresser by Arnold and Barnes, before Barnes and Barker tried to chop it up.

Owens body was later taken to the woods nearby and set on fire, where it was discovered.

Wells County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Christopher Harvey has claimed that Arnold knew what happened to her son and withheld information from police for up to 12 hours following Owens death.

Story continues

Arnold said, in a statement read by her attorney, that the child was killed that January day while she was trying to protect her other son  and she could not have done anything out of fear for their lives, the Journal Gazette reports.

She admitted Owen had been denied a life because of her poor judgment, according to the Journal Gazette, which paraphrased her statement. (Her attorney could not be reached.)

Arnolds attorney argued that she had a hard upbringing, and he called multiple character witnesses, including teachers  but prosecutors said she had turned to drugs despite offered help from others, even cooking meth in her home in the months before Owen died, the Gazette reports.

Barnes, Arnolds boyfriend, pleaded guilty to murder and in August 2015 was sentenced to 50 years in prison, Wells County Prosecutors Office officials tell PEOPLE.

Barker, who was 16 at the time of the death, admitted to being guilty of abuse of a corpse and dealing meth. He was originally charged with neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury, neglect of a dependent and altering the scene of a death, prosecutors said. But those charges were dropped in return for a guilty plea. He was sentenced to 14 and a half years.

Arnold must serve more than 15 years of her sentence to be eligible for release.




On Tuesday, an Illinois judge dubbed a 35-year-old woman a monster mom before sentencing her to 43 years in prison for the 2014 murder of her 11-year-old daughter, PEOPLE confirms.

Addressing the courtroom, 19th Circuit Court Judge James Booras questioned how anyone could treat their child the way Nicholette Lawrence did.

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? Booras asked aloud, according to a court transcript obtained by PEOPLE.

As Booras spoke, he noted that such crimes are usually committed against children by a stranger or an evil individual  not their parent.

Lawrence pleaded guilty to murder in October. Had she been convicted, she could have received a life sentence.

Raashanai Coley, 11, died on Sept. 5, 2014  just two days after Lawrence allegedly punched the 67-pound girl in the stomach. Medical examiners determined that the powerful blow resulted in an infection that ultimately killed the young girl.

An autopsy on Raashanai additionally revealed the girl had endured physical abuse long before her death. Court records show her body bore scars, indicating she had sustained  and then healed from  substantial injuries caused by the beatings.

Its why I refer to her as a monster mom,  the transcript quotes Booras as saying of Lawrence. I saw photos of the autopsy. The state made reference she came from a prison camp. No. It looked like she came out of concentration prison camp. How can humans do this? Animals dont do this to their own.

 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.

In sentencing Lawrence, Booras ruled she would be ineligible for early release, ensuring she will remain incarcerated until shes at least 76.

A court spokesperson confirms Lawrence barely reacted upon learning her fate Tuesday, showing no emotion as her sentence was delivered.

Story continues

PEOPLE was unable to reach her defense team for comment on whether she plans to appeal.

Booras told the court he suspects the girls death was planned and that Lawrence abused the child in front of Raashanais stepfather. Officials say the stepfather will not face any criminal charges connected to the girls murder.

During sentencing hearings last week, prosecutors showed video footage of Lawrence screaming at her daughter before loudly beating her. The person recording the footage can be heard snickering as the violence unfolds.

The defendant and others  treated this child as an animal, Booras told the court. We saw the video of this child being beaten by her mother with a belt, and to someones amusement. Someone was videotaping it. People are strange.

 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.

During her sentencing hearing, Lawrence read from a prepared statement and apologized for the way she had treated her daughter.

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. But its not about me. I hope someday to help others so they dont have to be filled with the sadness and grief of causing something so horrible to their own child.

In interviews conducted in 2014, Raashanais half-brother  who was 6 when she died  told investigators his parents told him his sister was bad.

He said she lived in a small, locked closet in his parents bedroom. The room contained only a sink and a window that had been covered up, letting no light in.

The boy also said that Raashanai rarely received food, never eating with the rest of her family. He said that his mother beat her with her hands or a belt and that relatives would occasionally use a stick to discipline Raashanai.




Demonstrate Potential on an MBA Resume

Painting an attractive self-portrait is hard, but that's the key to crafting an MBA resume.

A powerful resume grabs admissions officers' attention, experts say, which may bring applicants closer to an acceptance letter. Here are 10 tips on how to create an intriguing MBA resume.

1. Provide Examples

Experts say the best MBA resumes tell applicants' success stories, showing how they achieved results for clients and advanced in their careers.

MBA applicants should give admissions officers a reason to say yes by demonstrating strong character on their resume, say admissions officers and consultants. They say they enjoy applicants' stories about overcoming obstacles and learning from adversity.

2. Show Leadership

Proof of leadership ability is a necessity on an MBA resume, according to U.S. News columnist Stacy Blackman, founder of an MBA admissions consulting firm and author of the MBA Admissions: Strictly Business blog.

"Business schools want to see applicants who already have strong leadership skills," Blackman said in a blog post. "You'll further groom your management abilities during your MBA program, but the admissions committee wants to know that the foundation is already there."

3. Offer Specifics

An MBA resume should describe accomplishments in detail using concrete language, experts say -- admissions officers are rarely swayed by unproven assertions about strong performance.

Blackman wrote in a blog post that being able to quantify results adds heft to MBA resumes. "Admissions committees like to see results-oriented phrases in resumes, so for every bullet point, try to quantify results in dollar amounts or percentages whenever possible."

4. Keep It Short

Experts say an MBA resume should ideally fit on a single page and not exceed two pages.

Stephan Kolodiy, a senior admissions officer for the business school at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey--Newark and New Brunswick, told U.S. News last year that some misguided MBA applicants submit exceptionally long resumes. "Sometimes we get a resume that's five to six pages long, and that's way too much information."

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5. Tell the Truth

Experts say a big part of MBA admission officers' job involves judging applicants' credibility. It is foolish to inflate credentials on your resume.

Experts say that deceitful MBA applicants who are caught during the application process are automatically rejected, and those who are mistakenly admitted are typically expelled if their lies are discovered.

6. Avoid Listing Activities

Experts say admissions officers don't care how many activities you've participated in -- what matters is whether you made a meaningful impact on the organization or community.

Don't list a large number of activities without explaining your accomplisments or admissions officers will suspect that you're either padding your resume or stretching yourself too thin, experts say.

7. Remove Jargon

Eliminate any industry jargon from your resume and translate the information into terms MBA officers can understand, experts say.

Army combat veteran and Harvard Business School graduate Ben Faw told Blackman in a 2014 blog post that military jargon can be confusing to civilians and doesn't belong in any part of the MBA application. Faw, who served as an officer, says it is important for military MBA applicants to clearly state the difference they made through their service.

8. Highlight Soft Skills

According to experts, the best MBA resumes are focused on soft skills, which are essential to business leadership and useful in a variety of jobs. They say teamwork skills are also worth highlighting.

"Think of examples of when and how you united people behind a common goal, capitalized on others' talents and skills, instilled a vision, identified a new problem or prioritized the project's needs above personal ones," Blackman said in a post about teamwork in MBA applications.

9. Focus on Career Advancement

Keep a resume streamlined. Experts say applicants with significant work experience should focus on positions that were most critical to their professional success.

"When applying to a top-tier business school, you'll need to show the admissions committee a clear path of professional growth," Blackman wrote in a post on MBA application tips. "Avoid looking stagnant, as the admissions team wants to admit students who continually seek to learn and advance their skills and leadership abilities."

10. Add Value to the Application

Your resume should add new information but maintain the consistent impression you've given throughout the application.

"It's the applicant's job to make sure each part of their application demonstrates value," Linda Abraham, founder of Accepted, a California-based admissions consulting group, told U.S News in a recent article about sharpening the focus of an MBA application.

Become Informed Before You Apply

Hear more expert advice on applying to business school and identify your target schools using the U.S. News 2017 Best Business Schools rankings.

For more information about MBA programs, use the U.S. News Business School Compass, and follow U.S. News Education on Twitter and Facebook.

Ilana Kowarski covers graduate schools for U.S. News. You can reach her via email at ikowarski@usnews.com.
Long distance travel is exhausting, but these newborn raccoons, who accidentally took a cross-country road trip are well on their way to recovery.

Read: Rescued Otter Flies to New Home on Private FedEx Jet, Dines on Shrimp

"We've been raising them, bottle feeding them every three hours around the clock, trying to keep them healthy," said Melanie Piazza, the director of animal care at WildCare in San Rafael. "They're completely well adjusted. I'm confident we'll find a place [for them to live]."

The five newborns, whose eyes were still shut when they were found in September, were discovered in the back of a moving van after it traveled for five days from Fort Meyers, Florida, to Stinson Beach, California.

Tim, the driver of the van who would not give a last name, said he had left the vehicle in an long term parking lot in Fort Meyers, and returned days later to find the driver's seat window open.

"I assumed somebody had broken into the van," he told InsideEdition.com.

But noticing that nothing was missing, he began his journey to California.

"When I was driving, I just heard a clicking noise in the back, but I assumed it was something rattling around," he said.

When he opened the van five days later, he noticed the baby raccoons.

"My girlfriend screamed," Tim said. "She thought they were rats at first."

They contacted WildCare, who were able to nurse the babies to health.

Read: 440-Pound Seal Wanders Through Neighborhood, Leaves Smashed and Dented Cars in its Wake

But, in the weeks to come, the rescue was faced with another problem.

They said California Department of Fish and Wildlife told them the raccoons can't be released in California, and their only option to release them back into the wild was if they sent the babies to Florida.

However, Florida Fish and Wildlife also refused to take the raccoons back.

They were then given two options: Either euthanize the babies, or find it a permanent home at a zoo.

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"Euthanasia was not going to be an option," Piazza said. "They've been through too much."

Piazza explained the babies had gone without food or water for the entire journey, and endured several days in an extremely cold van. While the five newborns made it, one of their siblings, unfortunately, died along the way.

Read: Cow Who Ran Through Streets of NYC After Escaping Slaughterhouse Gets a New Home

Although the rescue originally wanted to reunite the raccoons with their mom, "once we found out they were not going to be able to go back to the wild, we turned our rearing goals toward making them more habituated to humans, so they would be comfortable in an educational setting," Piazza said.

Piazza said the rescue is now looking into zoos willing to take in the newborns, one of them being Oakland Zoo.

To donate to WildCare's rescue operation, visit their website.

Watch: Bowie, the Koala With One Blue Eye and One Brown Eye, Released Back Into the Wild

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On the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on January 20, succeeding Barack Obama.

Read: President Obama Gives Emotional Final Speech as Crowd Begs for 'Four More Years!'

A reported 800,000 people are expected to attend the inauguration and parade in Washington, including outgoing President Obama and his family, former Presidents George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton, as well as his wife, Hillary, who Trump beat in the November 2016 election.

President George H.W. Bush, who was hospitalized earlier this week, will reportedly not attend due to his health.

The number of expected attendees is similar to that of Obama's second inauguration in 2013.

The 58th inauguration is a free event and open to the public, but those wishing to attend need to contact a local representative from their Congressional districts for tickets.

The day will begin at 9:30 a.m. and Trump is due to be sworn in at about noon. He will then proceed to the parade, which will conclude at about 3 p.m.

Later that night, Trump and his third wife, Melania, will attend a series of inauguration balls to celebrate the occasion.

Security will make up a constant fortress around the areas and will feature 13,000 members of the National Guard, who are expected to lend their assistance to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.

A pro-marijuana organization, which helped pass Initiative 71 that made marijuana legal in D.C., is planning on handing out 4,200 joints to anyone willing to take it during the Inauguration.

Adam Eidinger, who is the founder of DCMJ, the organization who helped push for Initiative 71, which made it legal for anyone in Washington, D.C., to carry up to two ounces of marijuana legally, told CNN: We're being proactive to share marijuana, which is our right, before it's too late. We also want to educate Trump supporters that we can do this legally."

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Read: Love in the Time of Politics: Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump's Friendship Through the Years

Trump has flip-flopped on his stance about the legalization of marijuana. He told the Washington Post in 2015 that it should be up to the state. In the past, he has been firmly against the legalization of pot.

Anyone planning on a last-minute trip to the city and wishing to stay in D.C. may be out of luck, as nearly all hotels in the area  including the Trump International Hotel in the city, are sold out. A room inside the infamous Watergate Hotel for the night of January 20 will run you $2,200 because only suites are available.

Inaugurations Past

The largest inauguration was Barack Obamas 2009 swearing-in, which featured more than 1.8 million people. Surprisingly, it was not the first induction that was streamed online  Bill Clintons 1997 swearing in was the first to be broadcast live on the internet.

The first televised Inauguration was Harry Trumans in 1949 and William McKinley taking the oath of office in 1897 was the first ever filmed and recorded with motion picture cameras.

Americas very first Inauguration took place in New York City inside Federal Hall and featured the swearing-in of George Washington. He is not the only president to be sworn in outside of Washington. His successor, John Adams, took the oath of office in 1797 inside Philadelphias Congress Hall.

When Vice President Chester A. Arthur heard President James Garfield has been assassinated in 1881, he was inside his Lexington Avenue apartment in New York City. Officials from the area performed an ad hoc inauguration inside the building in 1881. The building still stands in Manhattan.

Read: A White House Upbringing: Sasha and Malia Obama Through the Years

In 1901, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was summoned to the Adirondack Mountains in New York State to succeed William McKinley following his assassination in Buffalo. Roosevelt was sworn in inside the home of a friend named Ansley Wilcox. The area is now a historic landmark.

In 1923, President Warren G. Harding died unexpectedly in San Francisco when Vice President Calvin Coolidge was vacationing in Vermont. Following the passing of the president, Coolidge was immediately sworn in at his familys homestead. That area is also presently a historic landmark.

One of the most famous non-traditional inaugurations in history was that of Lyndon B. Johnson, which occurred on Air Force One moments after President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. It was the first time a president was sworn in by a woman, as U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes had Johnson place a hand on the Bible and read the oath.

Watch: Camelot Turmoil: New Film Explores Jackie Kennedy as Report Questions What She Knew About JFK's Infidelity

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When it comes to assessing student learning, few do it better than the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Tatjana Trebec, head of academic affairs at the Slovenian University of Primorska, visited campus Wednesday as part of a research grant from the U.S. State Department to visit American universities and explore how they assess student learning. Along with UW-L, Trebec will be visiting UW-Madison and the University of Miami and had already stopped at the University of California, Merced.

Wednesdays visit coincided with the second annual Assessment Commons program on campus, where UW-L faculty and staff were able to share strategies and resources for improving student assessment. Sessions at the event covered topics as diverse as improving how student coursework to an informational panel on the universitys system of mapping out the curriculum in a departments program which helps find learning gaps and improve the expected educational outcomes.

Assessment is gathering the data and looking at it, UW-L Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Sandra Grunwald said. Were looking to see if students learned the content.

Trebec said her university is looking to set up its own assessment system, but with Slovenia being a small country of about 2 million people and only four universities, she decided to look outside her country for ideas to bring back. Trebec visited the United States in 2011 and 2012 as a Humphrey Fellowship Program participant and decided to seek another grant from the program to conduct her research.

It is a good tool for gauging our strengths as a university, she said. It is important to know where you are good and where you are not so good and have to improve.

The University of Primorska has about 7,000 students, so she looked for campuses similar to her own in size and reputation. She picked UW-L for receiving a 2013 Council for Higher Education Accreditation award recognizing the campus student assessment system.

Trebec said she was impressed with how much faculty and staff have bought into using and improving the universitys system. Some faculty can balk at the topic, she said, feeling it adds extra work to their load of teaching and/or research.

It is really interesting that so many people here are thinking about it and are aware that assessment is important, she said. We still have to come there at my university. It is hard, you know, to change.

It is not easy to get people to this level of culture, she said of the UW-L system. That is also why I am here. To see how they have done it so we can use some small parts of it to do something meaningful.
By Hamid Shalizi and Josh Smith KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan journalists say they are facing more risks than ever as both insurgents and unscrupulous government officials increasingly threaten, assault, and even murder reporters. At least 13 journalists were killed in Afghanistan last year, making it the deadliest year on record for Afghan media, the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) said on Wednesday. "This is an ugly, worrying and serious trend, and if certain actions are not taken, 2017 could be worse," said AJSC head Najib Sharifi. Journalists are increasingly in the firing line of a conflict between the Western-backed government and Islamist militants like the Taliban, who threaten several major cities. Besides the 13 deaths, the press group documented at least 88 incidents of assault, intimidation, abuse, and other physical attacks, a 38 percent increase over numbers recorded in 2015. "Direct attacks on journalists are very worrying," said Parwiz Kawa, editor of the 8 A.M. Daily newspaper. "It limits the ability of journalists to move and produce stories and increases the cost of media outlets for additional security." Targeted violence has forced some journalists to find safer work, he added. The AJSC blamed the deaths of at least 10 of the 13 journalists on the Taliban, saying the group had "drastically increased" its targeting and intimidation of journalists, leading in some cases to more self-censorship by media. In late 2015, the Taliban issued death threats against journalists over what they perceived as unfavorable coverage. The militants followed up with a deadly attack against employees of Tolo, one of Afghanistan's largest TV stations. They said the station was an "intelligence network" opposed to national unity and religious values, not an impartial media outlet. Tolo rejected the accusations. A Taliban spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment on the AJSC's findings. The AJSC credited the government with policies aimed at protecting a free media, but individuals linked to the government accounted for about half of the incidents reported. "It is alarming that the government continues to be responsible for so many cases," European Union Special Representative Franz-Michael Mellbin said in a statement, urging the government to bring perpetrators to justice. A spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani said acts of intimidation had been by individuals, but not by the government and the president was committed to a free press. "There are no journalists in jail in the whole country and the attorney general's office has prosecuted those government officials who have threatened or acted against journalists." (Writing by Josh Smith; Editing by Robert Birsel)
By Cassandra Garrison DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Global leaders who attend the annual World Economic Forum in Davos are used to discussing women's rights on panels. On Thursday they got a chance to hear an all-female Afghan orchestra that has overcome Islamist death threats on its way to its first international performance in the elite ski resort. Thirty young women, each wearing a matching bright red hijab, took the stage and some played traditional Afghan instruments, like the rabab, similar to the Indian sitar. Many of the musicians, including conductors Zarifa Adiba, 18, and Negin Khpolwak, 19, said they had been forced to hide their music from members of their community who they feared might react violently if they had known. When I go home, somebody could come and kill me," said Khpolwak. "I am so worried about my security. Im scared. She said only her father supported her participation in the orchestra back in her home province, Kunar, 230 km (140 miles) west of Kabul, where Islamist Taliban militants have resurfaced, claiming responsibility for suicide bombings and attacks. Zohra was founded in 2014 with five original members as part of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music and has since faced death threats and intimidation. Adiba, who lives in Ghazni in east-central Afghanistan, said that with music and the arts banned for a extended period under the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule, her relatives couldn't shake their conservative views on women performing in an orchestra. "But I am confident that music is nothing bad that I should feel shy of," she said proudly. "Music is my profession. Music is something beautiful. I should be proud to be a musician." Adiba and Khpolwak each took turns in the conductor role during Thursday's performance, which had a Swiss orchestra join with Zohra to perform Afghan songs. Khpolwak said she hopes more international performances are on the horizon for the orchestra. "We wish to have another trip to another country, because we want to show the people that Afghan women have power and we can do anything." (Reporting by Cassandra Garrison; editing by Leela de Kretser/Mark Heinrich)
Demonstrators protest over the contaminated water crisis outside of the venue where the Democratic U.S. presidential candidates debate was being held in Flint, Mich., on March 6, 2016. (Photo: Rebecca Cook/Reuters).

Thursday marks exactly 1,000 days since clean drinking water last flowed from the faucets in Flint, Mich., where on April 24, 2014, state and local officials ceremoniously began supplying the city with improperly treated water from the Flint River.

Although the ensuing water crisis has long since faded from national headlines, for Flint residents, the ramifications of this disastrous, short-sighted attempt at cost saving are still very much a daily reality.

According to both both government officials and environmental researchers, there has been a steady decline in the overall levels of lead and other bacteria in Flints drinking water since it returned to Detroits system in October 2015. Still, the immense damage caused by pumping improperly treated river water through the citys aged lead pipes is far from fixed.

Since March, the city has replaced lead service lines for just 780 homes in Flint. At a town hall meeting last week, officials estimated that it will take approximately three years to completely replace all of the citys lead water-service lines  a project for which they have not yet secured funding.

In the meantime, Flint residents were encouraged to continue using filters and bottled water at home. This is a habit that few are likely to be able to shake even after theyve been told its safe to do so.

Telling people the water was safe when it wasnt created this disaster in the first place, Pastor Allen Overton of the Flint-based Concerned Pastors for Social Action said in a recent statement. CPSA, along with the Natural Resource Defense Council, the ACLU of Michigan and Flint resident Melissa Mays, are currently suing the city of Flint and the state of Michigan under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Given the history of the States deception about the water, Id hope theyd be proceeding with more caution, rather than making statements that may worsen the communitys deep distrust of the government.

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In January last year, Yahoo News traveled to Flint to observe the crisis firsthand. Heres one of our dispatches from the time:

FLINT, Mich.  Takeisha Major and her two sons moved into their home on Agree Avenue in East Flint, Mich., on Nov. 1, 2015. By Dec. 11, Major had already received two bills from the city of Flint for water and sewer fees totaling $655.64. She refuses to pay.

I will not pay to be poisoned, the 28-year-old Flint native said at her kitchen table Monday evening. Its not just me; my children have to live here. I will not pay for my kids to have lead in their blood.

Less than a month before Major and her boys, ages 2 and 9, moved to their new house, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder ordered Flint to rejoin the Detroit water system, where the city had long gotten its water from before it switched in April 2014 to the Flint River. For more than a year, Flint residents complained about the smell and color of the water, about skin rashes and hair loss.

Several water-boil advisories were issued following positive tests for coliform bacteria (indicating contamination from sewage) and trihalomethanes, which pose a cancer risk. Finally, after the release of two reports in September 2015 showing elevated lead levels in the blood of Flint residents, particularly children, Snyder acknowledged there was a problem with the water.

But by then the damage had been done. The improperly treated river water had corroded the citys lead pipes, likely leaching the toxic metal into any water that might now pass through them.

This month Snyder declared a state of emergency and activated Michigans National Guard to distribute bottles of water, filters and test kits to Flint residents. On Jan. 16, President Obama answered the governors call to do the same.

Despite all this, Flint residents continue to receive monthly water bills from the city.

And these arent your average water bills. Well before the water was contaminated, Flint residents had been paying some of the highest water rates in the country. The average family pays the city of Flint upward of $150 for water every month. It was a financial burden that, for many, had become too much to bear even for clean water. According to Flint attorney Val Washington, who successfully sued the city last August for illegally hiking the price of water 35 percent between Sept. 16, 2011, and Aug.17, 2015, the city placed 21,000 liens against residents homes for delinquent water bills.

One of two class-action lawsuits filed last week seeks to prevent any future shutoffs by the city and demands forgiveness of all past and future bills for contaminated water. State Sen. Jim Ananich, a Democrat who lives in Flint, said he is working on putting together a bill-relief program in the Senate that would forgive water bill debts for the past 18 months and extend a credit to people who have been paying. People shouldnt have to pay for water that through no fault of their own has been filled with lead, he said.

At a press conference this week, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said, If you cant drink the bad water, you shouldnt pay for it, and a spokesperson for Schuette told Yahoo News that he is strongly pursuing the water payment situation through his Consumer Protection Division.

In the meantime, Major is going to keep on not paying.

Like most parents in Flint these days, Major worries about what hazards her children might have been exposed to. She describes her 2-year-old, whod been consuming and bathing in the Flint River water since he was an infant, as hyperactive and angry all the time.

Her 9-year-old, who has autism, has come down with pneumonia three times in the past two years. Since late October, the typically mild-mannered Mekhi has been sent home from school six times for fighting with other kids.

Major doesnt want it to sound as if all of a sudden, shes blaming everything on the water, but with all the reports shes read lately on the long-term developmental effects of lead poisoning on children, she cant help but wonder.

I am scared for my children, she says, her tough exterior washing away in a well of tears. Its irritating because you never know  at any given time, your child could be taken away from you by a source of water. Water!

She said she uses about half a case of bottled water each day just to bathe her kids and brush their teeth. Once or twice a week, theyll take quick showers, just to get clean, but she tries to avoid the water at all costs.

It makes us feel like were not Americans, she said.

Thats why Major isnt paying the water bill  and she doesnt think anyone else in Flint should either.

If we stand up and stick together, our voices will be heard, she said.

Dozens of Flint residents made their voices heard during a rally outside City Hall Monday afternoon. Carrying signs with messages like Arrest Snyder and Water is a human right, protesters enthusiastically tore up copies of their water bills and burned them in a small trash can.

But the gesture was mostly symbolic.

When asked, most of them said they are still paying their water bills out of fear of what might happen if they stopped.

If you dont pay it, theyll put it on your taxes for your house, said one woman. And if that dont get paid, then they put foreclosure on your house.

If I dont pay my water bill, then DHS will take my son away, said another, referring to the state Department of Human Services  recently renamed the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Her son listened intently at her side.

The latter is a frequent concern expressed by Flint parents who know that under Michigans Child Protection Law, a lack of running water is considered a sign of potential child abuse and neglect.

*****

Kiki Phillips, outside her home in Flint, Mich., on Jan. 25, 2016, had recently received notice that her house would be put into foreclosure due to her inability to pay her accumulating water bills. (Caitlin Dickson/Yahoo News)

It was precisely this fear that Kiki Phillips says drove her into foreclosure.

Phillips has lived since the early 1990s in the powder blue house with yellow shutters she shares with her disabled mother and 3-year-old daughter, and she recalls a time when the water bill was only $40. But for at least the past five years, Phillips said theyve been paying over $100 for water each month.

After a while the cost became too much and Phillips decided she had to prioritize her expenses. If nothing else, Phillips said, she would pay the bare minimum necessary to keep the water on because I got a 3-year-old and my neighbor thinks she works for DHS.

Eventually, in December 2014, her water balance reached $1,800, which was added onto her taxes. This week Phillips received a notice that her house was going into foreclosure.

Phillips said she doesnt know how, but shes determined to come up with the money.

We gotta rob Peter to pay Paul, she said. Its ours. I cant lose it.

A spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services suggested that Flint parents need not worry about the agency coming to remove their children if the water gets turned off. Rather, MDHHSs interest is in making sure children have access to clean water.

MDHHS has not assigned a single Childrens Protective Services complaint due to any issues related to Flint water, MDHHS Childrens Services Agency executive director Steve Yager said in a statement. MDHHS works proactively to assist families whose water is shut off and to ensure families have water filters and bottled water in Flint. When a family is without water, our goal is to help that family provide clean water for their children. That can be through assisting families in applying for State Emergency Relief, setting up plans for children to access safe water at a relatives home or providing bottled water. We do not petition the court to remove a child solely for the lack of water in a familys home.

On the citys website Monday, Flint spokesperson Kristin Moore wrote that no shutoff notices have been issued since the beginning of December 2015 and the City is currently reviewing its policy on shut off notices in light of the declared emergency.

Major received a shutoff notice on Dec. 15, but she had been waiting to open it.

Its due to be shut off [Jan.] 15, Major said, reading from the salmon pink paper after tearing open the envelope. Were past the 15th.

While she admitted shes afraid her water will eventually be cut off, Major said she believes the only way anyone will be held accountable for the water crisis is if she and the rest of the people of Flint demand it.

Theyre not just going to give up on the whole city. They only do that if you be quiet about it, if you dont take a stand, she said. As long as we are fighting against this, there is going to be a good outcome. Something is going to happen.
PARIS/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Francois Hollande does not want to chair the European Council when he steps down as French president in May, aides said on Thursday, denying a report that he hoped to succeed Donald Tusk in overseeing negotiations on Britain's exit from the EU. "Completely untrue," one called the report in Le Parisien newspaper, which cited unnamed sources saying the Socialist hoped to move to Brussels to take a job that might fall vacant within weeks of Hollande leaving office after a May 7 election. Tusk, a former Polish prime minister whose role chairing summits of European Union leaders has made him the broker for a deal to usher Britain out of the bloc, has yet to say whether he wants to stay on when his first 30-month term ends on May 31. Hollande's unpopularity at home - he did not even seek a second term - is no job reference for taking the helm of an EU battling eurosceptics. "It would continue the unhappy tradition of the EU bureaucracy being the dumping ground for failed and unelectable politicians," Jacob Rees-Mogg, a British lawmaker in Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative party, told Reuters. Several Brussels diplomats and EU government officials said they had heard no talk of Hollande, 62, seeking the Council job. One Council member told Reuters it sounded like a "crazy rumor" - but that there could yet be some logic behind such a move. European socialists complain that this week's election of a conservative to replace the center-left speaker of the European Parliament means that either Tusk or European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker should be replaced, since center-right politicians now head all three key EU bodies. EU officials play down the strength of that argument and note Tusk, 59, enjoys solid support in the Council. There has, however, been speculation that he might be tempted to return to Poland to challenge his right-wing opponents now in power there. Finally, Hollande has a good relationship with conservative German Chancellor Angela Merkel. And founding EU powers Paris and Berlin will want the Council's 27 remaining members to stick together as they negotiate strict terms for Britain's divorce. Hollande's tough line that Britain will suffer after Brexit has not endeared him to May's government - Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson this week compared the French president to a World War Two camp guard administering "punishment beatings", a remark that drew its own round of outrage from continental politicians. The Council president is chosen by the leaders, ideally by consensus but, if not, by a majority vote that denies any veto. (Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau in Paris, Alastair Macdonald, Robert-Jan Bartunek and Francesco Guarascio in Brussels and William James in London; writing by Alastair Macdonald; editing by Mark Heinrich)
The follow-up to "An Inconvenient Truth" has been slated for a July 28 release in US theaters.

The news was announced by Paramount on Thursday, according to The Hollywood Reporter, hours before getting its worldwide premiere as the opening film of the Sundance Film Festival.

"An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power" is former US Vice President Al Gore's follow-up to "An Inconvenient Truth," a climate change documentary that was released 11 years ago and became one of the top-grossing documentaries of all time.



The original film, which won as Oscar for best documentary, also premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The sequel is one of several films on the Sundance program this year that address climate change.
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP)  Alibaba chief Jack Ma says he hopes a new accord with Olympics officials will help fight counterfeiting, as the e-commerce giant seeks to repair its image after being deemed a "notorious" market for fakes by the U.S. government.

The Chinese billionaire and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach announced Thursday a partnership to run through 2028 in which Alibaba will support the $500 million Olympic Channel in China, among other things.

Ma said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the partnership can help find out "exactly" who authorized vendors are. He said Alibaba has "the largest anti-counterfeit team in the world."

Bach said that having a centralized platform could help fight counterfeiting.

The U.S. Trade Representative last month said Alibaba's online marketplace Taobao sells many counterfeit goods.

Alibaba now has current sponsor deals with the IOC and FIFA, joining Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Visa as partners of both Switzerland-based organizations.

In December 2015, Alibaba E-Auto announced an eight-year deal to be title sponsor of FIFA's Club World Cup. That tournament is due to be revamped amid speculation future editions will be hosted in China.
PIORNAL, Spain (AP)  Dozens of people ran through the streets of this tiny southwestern Spanish town Thursday trying to pelt a beast-like figure representing a farm thief with, appropriately, tons of turnips.

The so-called Jarramplas festival, celebrated every Feb. 19-20, centers around a town resident dressed up in a colorful costume and a horned helmet. The Jarramplas has to dance around the village facing a vicious onslaught of oversized turnips hurled at him by mobs of locals. Some 20 tons were to be used this year.

The origins of the festival are uncertain but there is general understanding that a thief was once hounded out of the village by a rain of vegetables.

Only residents from Piornal can be a Jarramplas and it is an honor to be chosen from the decade-long waiting list.

Mario Sanchez, who has a degree in business administration but is unemployed at the moment, speaks with passion and pride about being one of this year's Jarramplas.

"We have the sentiment of the festival inside us. We have lived it through our grandparents, parents," Sanchez told The Associated Press.

"It may appear a bit wild, perhaps people from outside won't understand it, but as you can see the people taking part enjoy themselves," he said. "There's no pain, no suffering. It is a beautiful festival."

The first day of the festival is seen as a training session for more turnip-pelting Friday.

Over the years the festival has seen some changes, and nowadays the chosen Jarramplas are well-protected by helmets, gloves and chest shields, which together with their outfits, weigh some 40 kilograms (88 pounds), meaning they can't run that fast. They also have to cart a drum during the four dashes about the town each day.

The Jarramplas are rarely injured but others often are. More than two dozen turnip-throwers and onlookers were treated for injuries Thursday, among them an AP photographer.
LES SABLES D'OLONNE, France (AP)  Armel Le Cleac'h held off a late surge from British sailor Alex Thomson to win the Vendee Globe round-the-world race in record time on Thursday.

The Frenchman finished the race in 74 days. Francois Gabart held the previous record of 78 days in the 2012-13 edition of the race, which is held every four years and sailed entirely without assistance.

Le Cleac'h, the runner-up in the previous two races, stood up on his boat, pumped his fist and threw both arms up in the air as he crossed the finish line.

"It's huge, the emotion is incredible. I can't really take on board what just happened," he said. "The last few days were intense. I've achieved something huge."

Le Cleac'h, who is from the Brittany region, was struggling to hold back tears as he spoke.

"I wanted this win so much. The weather wasn't easy, but I held on and fought," said Le Cleac'h, who hugged his two children as they joined him on his boat. "The last mile was great, even if it was very cold."

Thomson, meanwhile, was expected to arrive at Les Sables d'Olonne early Friday. He was competing for the fourth time and looking to become the first British sailor to win it.

This week, Thomson set a world record for the most distance sailed solo in 24 hours when he covered 536.8 miles to narrow the gap on Le Cleac'h, beating Gabart's previous mark of 534.48 miles, which was also set during the last edition.

By early Wednesday, Thomson moved his Hugo Boss 60-foot single-hull yacht within 40 miles of Le Cleac'h. But his challenge then faded as Le Cleac'h pulled away again in his Banque Populaire boat.

"It was intense from start to finish and I didn't see the time passing. There was just no respite," Le Cleac'h said. "I had a few technical problems, but nothing major."

Le Cleac'h is the seventh Frenchman to win the race in its eight editions.
A convicted art thief has been arrested after driving to Washington in a stolen car to demand a pardon from President Obama, cops say.

Marcus Patmon, 45, was arrested in Arlington, Virginia, Sunday after the car he'd driven there from Miami was flagged as stolen by local police.

Read: Would-Be Burglar Gets Firewood to the Face After Forcing Open Ex-Girlfriend's Door: Report

Police told reporters that Patmon was in the area to "meet Eric Holder," and ask the Obama administration for a pardon before Donald Trump takes the oath of office Friday.

Among other holes in his plan: Eric Holder hasn't been attorney general since 2015. He was replaced by Loretta Lynch, who will hold onto the role until Friday, when Jeff Sessions takes the reins.

Patmon was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Back in 2009, Patmon pleaded guilty to charges he stole several works of art, including Picasso etchings, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Read: Footloose Thief Breaks Into Kids Dance Clothing Store, Puts On Leotard: Cops

Patmon was arrested after a buyer found the deal fishy and contacted authorities.

He served about two years in prison before his released in 2012.

Watch: Shocking Video Shows Burglars Creeping Inside Home as Children Sleep Nearby

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On the opening day of his final overseas trip in early December 2016, Ashton Carter spent the morning at a port a short helicopter ride south of Tokyo, on the decks of the Izumo, the largest naval vessel built by Japan since the end of World War II.

For a U.S. defense secretary trying to highlight one of President Barack Obamas signature foreign-policy achievements, the pivot to Asia, there could hardly have been a better symbol than an 814-foot-long mini-aircraft carrier, built by an ally, Japan, which has been traditionally reluctant to parade its military prowess. The carrier was commissioned in 2010, completed in 2013 during Obamas term, and stationed at Yokosuka  Americas largest overseas naval base.

Carters words on the deck of the Izumo  about the U.S.-Japan alliance being a two-way street  were more than a thinly veiled rebuke to incoming President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly scorned the value of such alliances. They were also the beginning of a debate that is creating existential dread in East Asia, where pro-U.S. governments fear Trump represents not just a reversal of Obamas Asia pivot, but the harbinger of a withdrawal from the region altogether.

In the months leading up to November 2016, as they were preparing to leave office, Obama and his cabinet surveyed the Asia-Pacific with barely concealed approval. In contrast with the religious extremism and primeval violence of the Middle East, the people of Asia, Obama told the Atlantic, dont begin their days thinking about how to kill Americans.

Or, as Carter put it in a speech at a security conference at the Ronald Reagan Library near Los Angeles before flying to Tokyo, Pax Americana had anchored economic miracle after miracle in Asia. Populations are growing, education has improved, freedom and self-determination have spread, economies have grown more interconnected, and military spending and cooperation are both increasing, he said.

But the man who is replacing Obama, Donald Trump, won the White House by tapping ruthlessly into a darker view of Asias postwar renaissance, which inflamed grassroots disquiet in the United States at one of Pax Americanas toughest selling points.

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In Trumps view, not only is the United States protecting Asias booming economies at excessive cost, it is also opening the American market to their exports in ways they would never reciprocate themselves. As Trumps chief strategist, Steven Bannon, a hard-line nationalist who provided a platform for racist commentary while running Breibart.com, put it, The globalists gutted the American working class and created a middle class in Asia.

During his campaign, Trump criticized Japan and South Korea for free-riding on American security guarantees. He said both countries should get nuclear weapons, if they wished, to reduce their reliance on Washington. On trade, he singled out China, and Japan again, for cheating Americans in cahoots with the local satraps of globalization, namely Wall Street and big business. He vowed to kill the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which promised to strengthen economic ties between Washington and essentially all the regions countries, except China, which was excluded from the deal.

But Pax Americana in East Asia, including trade liberalization and a commitment to military alliances, had become so much a part of the political furniture in Washington that Trumps assaults on long-standing Asian policy on the campaign trail were barely answered by his opponents. The arguments in favor of the policy, which depend on the United States committing sufficient resources to maintain its primacy as a global superpower, were so rusty inside the Beltway that Trumps American critics struggled to make them with any conviction. To them, the policy seemed as natural as breathing; but to Americans unused to thinking about global balancing and trade ties, Trumps words found traction.

They found less traction with Americas Asian allies, whose fears ceased to be hypothetical upon Trumps election victory. Hence, Carters reassuring two-week trip starting Dec. 3.

Carters itinerary illustrated the vast sweep of Americas global military footprint, and the expectations that come with it, from allies and partners alike. Starting in Japan, Americas largest bilateral military alliance, Carter traveled to India, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Baghdad, Israel, and Italy before ending his trip in the United Kingdom. With such a schedule, its no wonder that on the first leg from Los Angeles to Tokyo, Carters Pentagon doctor walked the aisles of Air Force 3, which transports the defense secretary, handing out sleeping pills to a soon-to-be-jetlagged team of journalists and policymakers.

But not all stops on the itinerary were of equal importance. Though Americas footprint is sprawling, U.S. global power depends on holding the line in East Asia. Other regions pale in comparison. When the United States and its Western allies debated how to confront the threat posed by the radical Islamist State, they didnt pause to factor in the impact of the war on gross domestic product or oil prices.

China and Japan, by contrast, are global powers, with the worlds second- and third-largest economies, backed by robust, advanced militaries. Along with South Korea and Taiwan, they sit at the nexus of the tightly integrated seaborne trade network that sustains global business and U.S. consumption.

Any clash between China and Japan or Taiwan, or a conflict involving North Korea, would not be a simple spat with neighbors. A single shot fired in anger could trigger a global economic tsunami, engulfing manufacturing centers, trade routes, retail outlets, and political capitals on every continent.

The web of alliances and partnerships in Asia used to be referred to as a hub and spokes model, with the United States at the center of a series of bilateral relationships. This reflected not only American preeminence, but also the fact that Washington often had better ties with Asian nations than they had with one another. Even when Seoul and Tokyo were barely talking to each other over historical quarrels, for instance, they were still on good terms with Washington.

Alongside the pivot, the rise of China and growing intra-Asian trade have triggered a whole new set of relationships that are transforming regional security. Instead of a single hub-and-spoke, there are now multiple tie-ups, some involving the United States and many others within the region.

Japan has strengthened ties with India, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Australia. Under the shadow of Pyongyangs nuclear capability, Japan even managed to persuade South Korea to finally complete an intelligence-sharing agreement. There are multiple other partnerships  India and Australia, Australia and Singapore, Vietnam and India, Vietnam and the Philippines, and others  in the form of diplomatic dialogues and joint military exercises.

Carter, in an interview with Foreign Policy aboard Air Force 3, said the proliferation of new intra-Asian tie-ups was part of the design of the rebalance from the start. Thats why network and not alliance is a more appropriate word. The word is chosen advisedly.

We have encouraged relationships that do not involve us, Carter said. When you see India and Australia and Japan exercising together, they got that concept from exercises organized by the U.S. in decades past; we created the template.

But the new president has shown no recognition of the scale of the East Asian challenge. As with the rest of Trumps campaign, facts didnt matter to the candidate or his supporters. You know we have a treaty with Japan where if Japan is attacked, we have to use the full force and might of the United States, Trump said at a rally in Iowa, a rural state he went on to win. If were attacked, Japan doesnt have to do anything. They can sit home and watch Sony television, OK?

As every attentive electronic shopper knows, Sony no longer makes TVs, because the company had given up trying to compete against cheaper manufacturers in China and South Korea. More to the point, Trump was wrong about the security relationship as well.

For decades, Washingtons message to Tokyo on security had been simple: Do more. Japans answer was always much the same. They pointed to the countrys pacifist constitution, written for Tokyo after the war by the American occupation, as constraining its ability to fight alongside the United States in the region unless Japan was directly attacked.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abes success in getting a constitutional reinterpretation through Parliament in 2015, to give Japans military greater leeway, changed the postwar military equation. Now, if there is war involving the United States, Abes reforms mean that Japan can fight alongside America, whether it is directly attacked or not.

The irony of this change is palpable. Having thrown off many of the shackles of the postwar era, Tokyo and other allies in Asia, like Singapore, are increasingly insisting that Washington do more to fend off China.

Far from doing more, Trumps America wants to do less, which leaves Japan and other countries out on a dangerous limb. Tokyo cannot turn to China to replace Washington. In all likelihood, Japan would have to go nuclear, an event that would mark a definitive end to the postwar era in East Asia.

Abe rushed to meet Trump in New York soon after the New York moguls unexpected election victory. Japanese prime ministers have always tried to be among the first foreign leaders to call on a new American president, but they have traditionally waited until after the inauguration.

Abe had good reason to accelerate the customary schedule. Trump may have been criticizing Japan since the 1980s, but Tokyo has no course but to work with whomever is in power in Washington. We need America  we cannot handle China on our own, an Abe advisor told me.

Obama and Abe always had a cool personal relationship. They were at odds ideologically, and split over what Obama regarded as Abes revisionist views on the war and Japans responsibility for it. The president and the prime minister, however, eventually developed a successful professional relationship, strengthening the bilateral security ties during Abes Washington trip in 2015.

Japans commitment to work closely with the United States stands in contrast with the recent hurly-burly elsewhere in Asia. The Philippines has flipped, for the moment, from a close U.S. ally into Chinas orbit following the 2016 election of an anti-American president, Rodrigo Duterte. The 2014 Thai military coup cooled relations with Washington.

In Australia, long one of Americas closest regional allies, political and business elites are deeply divided over moving closer to the countrys chief economic partner in China at the expense of the U.S. alliance. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is courting China, in part in anger at U.S. investigations implicating him in a money-laundering investigation at a state investment fund. The impeachment of President Park Geun-hye in December has left a power vacuum in South Korea.

None of these trends is set in stone. Trump, who has exhibited little concern for human rights, has already invited Duterte to the White House, and he will doubtless be willing to make nice with the Thai junta. Most Australians still favor strong ties with the United States. Ethnic Malays, who dominate their countrys politics, remain deeply suspicious of China. And any South Korean leader has to face the threat from the north.

Carter nonetheless went out of his way in his bilateral meeting with Abe to praise the Japanese prime ministers leadership and statesmanship. After more than four years in power, Abe represents the stability that the United States craves in Asia, and that looks like it is slipping away.

Abes 2015 security law and its expansion of the role of Japans military have tangible consequences, Carter said. If you anticipate various contingencies with respect to North Korea, it gives additional flexibility to our commanders to respond in different ways that arent constrained. That is also true of the South China Sea and the East China Sea.

It allows Japan to play a more active and positive role, he continued. The world needs more countries that operate on a global basis. Its good for Japan, because it is a fuller expression of Japans actual role in the world.

However, the most important audience for Carters message, and the national security establishment he represents, may be at home in the United States. The pivot, or rebalance, will live or die depending on the willingness of the Trump administration not just to support the policy, but also to sell it. Otherwise Americas allies will find themselves abandoned  and a rising China may look like a better bet than a distant, or even hostile, America.

Photo credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
By Magdalena Mis, Ellen Wulfhorst and Nita Bhalla LONDON/NEW YORK/NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - More than one million people are expected to attend women's marches around the world on Saturday to demonstrate against sexism and sexual violence and call for women's rights following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump. A Facebook plea by a Hawaii grandmother to march in response to Trump's election was credited for igniting the global movement, with more than 600 marches planned. In a show of solidarity with the main march in the U.S. capital, Washington D.C., marchers will take to the streets of major world capitals such as London and New Delhi, and in farflung spots from Macau to Mexico to Madagascar. "Resistance Knows No Borders," read a sign advertising a march in front of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. Initially organizers wanted to highlight the potential impact of a Trump presidency on women's rights. But as momentum grew, so the mission expanded to concerns about xenophobia, racism, domestic violence and the targeting of Muslims and gays. "There's no difference between women who are in the U.S. and here," said Rachael Mwikali, a 24-year-old student who helped organize Nairobi's march. "The American women, they are not alone in this," she said. "We are together." The marches are set for Saturday, one day after the Republican billionaire businessman is sworn into office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Organizers expect to draw 250,000 to the main Washington event. A SEA OF PINK The National Mall could become a sea of pink after a campaign was launched to sew, crocket or knit "pussyhats" in homage to an infamous 2005 tape of Trump discussing women in which he said: "Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything." With many celebrities distancing themselves from the Trump presidency, a host of musicians and actors have signed up to the main march, with Cher, Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore among the big names expected to attend. "We join in diversity to show our presence in numbers too great to ignore, to send a bold message to the new U.S. administration on their first day in office," organizers of the Rome march wrote on Facebook. "We recognize that many of the decisions they adopt will have serious and lasting global repercussions." In London, march organizer Emma McNally said she felt powerless against the politics of fear and division sweeping Europe, with hate crime and discrimination on the increase. "Myself and many others have had enough," the 47-year-old artist told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "The election of Trump is a tipping point and has acted as a catalyst for us to say 'Enough is enough.'" Fourteen marches are planned across Britain, 16 in Mexico and 26 in Canada. Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organisation for Women in Washington, said women around the world are concerned about the threat of war in a Trump presidency. Before taking office, Trump upended longheld U.S. policies, laying out hardline pro-Israel views and dismissing the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, a Western military alliance, as obsolete. He angered China by talking to the president of Taiwan, a break with decades of precedent. O'Neill said women also worry about climate change, which Trump has branded a hoax, and the risks of armed conflicts. "Globally what women are reacting to is the very present danger that Donald Trump presents," O'Neill said. In India, women are expected to march en masse in more than 20 cities to "reclaim the night" and demand their right to safe public spaces after the alleged mass molestation of women in the city of Bengaluru on New Year's eve. "We stand in solidarity with our sisters, as we are all fighting against the same things - misogyny and patriarchy," said Bhani Rachel, an organiser of the Delhi march. (Reporting by Magdalena Mis @magdalenamis1, Nita Bhalla in New Delhi and Ellen Wulfhorst in New York, Editing by Lyndsay Griffiths; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
London (AFP) - Martin McGuinness, the former IRA commander who served for nearly a decade as deputy first minister in Northern Ireland, said Thursday he was quitting frontline politics to focus on recovering from a serious illness.

The Sinn Fein lawmaker resigned last week from the devolved government in the British province after a row with his party's power-sharing partners, triggering a snap election.

McGuinness, 66, said at the time that his plainly visible but unconfirmed ill-health was not a factor.

On Thursday, however, he said he had decided he was "not in any physical state" to stand in the vote, scheduled for March 2.

In an interview with the Press Association news agency, he said tests had prompted a diagnosis of a "very serious illness which has taken a toll on me".

"I have taken the decision that I will not be a candidate in the upcoming election," he said. "I am very determined to overcome this condition but it is going to take time."

Ten years ago in May, McGuinness made history by entering a government with his once bitter foe, Ian Paisley of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

The decision to share power was a key part of the peace process in Northern Ireland, which endured three decades of violence in which more than 3,500 people died.

McGuinness was a commander in the IRA paramilitary group that fought for the province to leave Britain and join the Republic of Ireland to the south.

- 'Champion of the peace process' -

After McGuinness announced his departure from frontline politics, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny described him as "a tireless and committed champion of the peace process".

"While Martin and I may not always have seen eye-to-eye on every issue, I readily acknowledge the remarkable political journey that he has undertaken.

"I know that Martin remains firmly committed to delivering a peaceful and prosperous society for all of the people of Northern Ireland," he said.

Story continues

British Prime Minister Theresa May sent her "best wishes for his retirement".

"We recognise his work over many years securing a number of significant political agreements," she said in a statement.

"He played a key role in moving the Republican movement towards a position of using peaceful and democratic means."

McGuinness's resignation earlier this month forced the DUP first minister, Arlene Foster, to step down in a crisis that has sparked fears for the viability of the power-sharing institutions.

He said he had "no other alternative" after Foster had refused to step aside pending an investigation into a scandal over a botched renewable energy subsidy scheme.

Instigated by Foster in a previous job, it is likely to cost taxpayers millions of pounds.

"As someone who has worked night and day over the course of 10 years to keep the institutions intact, and of course many conversations with both the British and Irish government about the DUP, it was particularly disappointing," McGuinness said.

He said he hoped in the future to be "an ambassador for peace, unity and reconciliation".

"Reconciliation, I have always believed, is the next vital stage of the peace process," he said.

"My record of reaching out, whether it be to Queen Elizabeth -- and her record of reaching out to me on several occasions -- my visits to (WWI battlegrounds) the Somme, to Flanders field, have not been reciprocated by the DUP and that is a particular disappointment to me."
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Bahraini authorities have lifted a ban preventing independent newspaper Al-Wasat from publishing online.

The official Bahrain News Agency said Thursday that the newspaper would be allowed to post material following a decision by the Ministry of Information.

It gave no details for the move, but warned that all media outlets must avoid "posting anything that incites divisions or discord within the community, undermines national unity or disturbs peace."

Authorities issued the ban Monday, following a spike in anti-government protests led by the country's Shiite majority against the Sunni monarchy.

Al-Wasat is widely seen as the only independent newspaper in Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. The paper has been ordered shut twice since an Arab Spring-inspired uprising erupted in 2011.
The Talladega Tornados marching band has arrived in Washington, D.C., following their controversial decision to play Donald Trumps inauguration.

Read: Drunken Brawls, Dead Birds and Dysentery: The Presidential Inauguration Stories You Might Not Know

The band from historically black Talladega College in Alabama came under fire when they accepted the invitation to march in President-elect Trump's inauguration parade.

These young people are citizens and they deserve to be here," College president Dr. Billy Hawkins told Inside Edition.

He said he even received death threats after accepting the invitation.

Former Apprentice contestant, Omarosa Manigault, who is joining the Trump administration after he's sworn in Friday, helped make it happen.

I had to step up, we had a conversation, she told Inside Edition. I'm gonna do everything I can to get them here.

She arranged an interview with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, who asked his viewers to raise money to fund the band's journey to our nation's capital. Donations poured in, reaching a sum of $650,000.

Read: Donald Trump's Inauguration by the Numbers

The band left Alabama on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in six buses, a 20-hour journey to the capitol.

Despite the long trip, the kids were in good spirits.

"It's not about politics," one student said. "We're honored to be here."

Watch: Inauguration Performers Urge Americans to Get Behind Trump: 'Let's Move On'

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London (AFP) - Bank of Cyprus said its listing on the London Stock Exchange Thursday shows it has successfully recovered from 2013's financial crisis, weeks after repaying a 11.4-billion-euro bailout.

The listing of Cyprus' largest lender is expected to provide the bank with a wider range of investors and improve its liquidity.

Josef Ackerman, head of Bank of Cyprus Holdings, said in a statement that Thursday's move was "another significant step" in the bank's transformation from deeply troubled institution to solvent lender.

"We expect this listing, on one of the world's leading international capital markets, to facilitate greater profile, liquidity and access to capital," he said.

In March 2013, Cyprus clinched a 10-billion-euro loan from the European Union and International Monetary Fund to bail out its troubled economy and oversized banking system.

Under the terms of the deal, the government was required to close the island's second-largest bank, Laiki, and impose a 47.5 percent haircut on deposits above 100,000 euros at Bank of Cyprus.

The bank has since undergone major restructuring, which included absorbing the good assets of the former Laiki Bank and selling assets.

Earlier this month it said it had paid back in full 11.4 billion euros ($12 billion) of emergency funding in what it said was a "significant milestone" in its recovery.

The bank's holding company is now listed on Cypriot and British stock markets.

Nikhil Rathi, London Stock Exchange's CEO, said: "BOC Holdings' listing... demonstrates the bank's strong recovery since the financial crisis and underlines London's ability to help the banking sector recapitalise itself for growth."
Former First Lady Barbara Bush has been admitted to the hospital as a precaution as her husband, former President George H. W. Bush, remains in the ICU after he was hospitalized over the weekend for shortness of breath.

According to a statement from the office of the 92-year-old former commander-in-chief  tweeted by his post-White House spokesman Jim McGrath  Barbara was admitted to the Houston Methodist Hospital Wednesday morning as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing.

Meanwhile, the former president is stable and resting comfortably in the ICU, where he will remain for observation at the same hospital. It was stated that the 41st president underwent a procedure to address an acute respiratory problem.

Here is our update on President and Mrs @GeorgeHWBush. pic.twitter.com/zsoIHE4FlX  Jim McGrath (@jgm41) January 18, 2017

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George H.W. Bush sent letter to Trump on Jan. 10 stating he couldn't attend Inauguration: "We will be with you and the country in spirit." pic.twitter.com/zcoieQJmP6  ABC News (@ABC) January 18, 2017

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President Obama also spoke about the Bushes during his final press conference Wednesday.

They have not only dedicated their lives to this country, they have been a constant source of friendship amd support and good counsel for Michelle and me over the years, he said. They are as fine a couple as we know. So we want to send our prayers and our love to them. Really good people.

Jenna Bush Hager also addressed health concerns about her grandfather on Today Wednesday, confirming to co-host Hoda Kotb that my grandpa is in the hospital  which is never good news to hear or wake up to.

Story continues

She then shared a selfie of herself and twin sister Barbara with her grandfather.

He really is one of the most humble, wonderful men, she said. When I said to Henry this morning, Oh gosh, bad news. He said, well hes so strong. 

We love you gamps! she added, using the family nickname for her grandfather

.@JennaBushHager on her grandpa @GeorgeHWBush: He really is one of the most humble, wonderful men in the world. https://t.co/goYK3LB1ud  Kathie Lee and Hoda (@klgandhoda) January 18, 2017

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RELATED VIDEO: Former President George H.W. Bush Hospitalized for Shortness of Breath

Although it was previously announced that the couple would be present when Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, ABC News reported that the former president sent a letter to Trump on Jan. 10 saying he would not be in attendance at the inauguration due to health concerns.

The 41st president told Trump he would be with him and the country in spirit.

I want you to know that I wish you the very best as you begin this incredible journey of leading our great country. If I can ever be of help, please let me know, Bush wrote.

This is not the first health scare Bush has seen in recent years. The wheelchair-bound 92-year-old was hospitalized in 2015 in Maine after falling at his summer home in Kennebunkport, according to NBC. He was hospitalized in 2014 after experiencing a shortness of breath.

The former president suffers from a form of Parkinsons disease and uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. However, Bush hasnt let his old age slow him down: for his 90th birthday, Bush went skydiving near his summer home in Maine.




By Jon Herskovitz

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush remains in stable condition with pneumonia in the intensive care unit of a Houston hospital and his wife, Barbara Bush, is making progress for treatment of bronchitis at the same hospital, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement that Bush's doctors were determining whether his breathing tube can be removed and that he had a good night's rest.

"We are hopeful he will be discharged from the ICU in a few days," McGrath said.

George Bush, who at 92 is the nation's oldest living ex-president, has been at Houston Methodist Hospital since Saturday after experiencing shortness of breath, McGrath has said.

Barbara Bush, 91, was admitted to the same hospital on Wednesday as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing, McGrath said.

"After being admitted yesterday and diagnosed with a case of bronchitis, Mrs. Bush reports she feels 1,000 percent better this morning," McGrath said in his Thursday statement.

"Antibiotics and some good rest seem to have restored her to better health."

The former president also authorized a tweet sent from his Twitter account on Thursday congratulating former Houston Astros player Jeff Bagwell for his selection into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, McGrath said.

The Bushes marked their 72nd wedding anniversary on Jan. 6. Prior to being hospitalized, they had said they would not attend the inauguration of Republican Donald Trump as president on Friday due to health concerns.

In a letter to the president-elect, Bush said he and his wife would be with Trump in spirit at the inauguration and wished him the best.

Bush, a Republican, did not endorse Trump in his race against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Trump tweeted a get-well message to the Bushes and outgoing President Barack Obama praised them as constant source of friendship and counsel.

Story continues

The Bushes are the parents of former President George W. Bush and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who sought the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

The eldest Bush was vice president during Ronald Reagan's two White House terms before being elected president in 1988. He lost his re-election bid to Bill Clinton four years later.

Bush has used a wheelchair in recent years and was hospitalized twice in 2014, once for seven weeks with pneumonia and again for breathing difficulties. In July 2015, he broke a bone in his neck in a fall at the family home in Maine.

(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott and Diane Craft)
By Carmel Crimmins DAVOS (Reuters) - Top bankers are confident that British Prime Minister Theresa May's government will support a transition period of several years for the financial sector to cope with Britain's exit from the European Union. May met the heads of major U.S. financial firms at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday to discuss their concerns. The Prime Minister confirmed on Tuesday that Britain would quit the single market when it exits the EU, although she said she would back an "implementation" period.. Financial firms have accepted that they will lose their 'passporting' rights to freely sell services across the 28-nation bloc after Brexit, but want more time to adapt to whatever terms are agreed with the EU. "I think the government does [support it] because I think they understand the complexity of this," Barclays Chairman John McFarlane, who is also chair of financial industry lobby group TheCityUK, told Reuters earlier on Thursday. A source familiar with the talks in Davos, which included executives from Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, said May had been receptive to their points on transition. "All the banks want a multi-year agreement. She seemed to understand that. They talked about changing the name from 'transitional' arrangement to something that was less open for negotiation," the source said. Brexit minister David Davis said on Wednesday companies will have a maximum of a two-year transitional deal to help smooth Britain's exit from the EU after 2019, although May said Tuesday the length of any such deal may vary for different industries. That could fit with what British bankers are calling for. "We want a standstill arrangement for three years, that would kick in after the government's negotiations on Brexit are finalised," McFarlane said. GROWTH AT STAKE Bank of America chief executive Brian Moynihan told Reuters that May had made it clear in her speech on Tuesday that she wanted to get Brexit right by allowing enough time for implementation, adding that banks now need to persuade the EU that economic growth could be at stake without a transition. "We as an industry have got to get that message across because you don't want to disrupt the economies that are now starting to grow a little bit, you don't want to disrupt the free flow of capital, you don't want to disrupt people's lives," Moynihan said. Meanwhile, international and British banks, insurers and asset managers are seeking a bespoke deal with Europe that would give 'mutual recognition to as many of their products and services as possible, McFarlane said. And while UBS and HSBC, two of Europe's biggest banks, warned that they could each move about 1,000 jobs out of London, Barclays will keep the bulk of its activities in Britain after Brexit, its chief executive Jes Staley told the BBC on Thursday. (Writing by Lawrence White and Rachel Armstrong; Editing by Keith Weir and Alexander Smith)
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.
Protests erupted both outside and inside a city council meeting in suburban Boston Wednesday night as local officials heard public comments about how police there has treated undocumented immigrants. People gathered outside of city hall with picket signs demonstrating against the prospect of the tony Massachusetts town of Newton becoming a so-called sanctuary city, where the local law enforcement does not coordinate with federal authorities to deport illegal immigrants.

The scenes were documented on social media by a local journalist named John Hilliard.

Some of the protesters in and outside of city hall could be seen holding signs that read "NO SANCTUARY CITY" as well as American flags. The group inside city hall chambers were issued a warning after they booed a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union, which has opposed the federal legislation called the "Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act."

Some of the Newton city councilors were looking to pass the "Welcoming City Ordinance" that would amend the legal language surrounding local law enforcement's right to ask for the immigration status of a person in police custody. The officials want an outright ban of that type of behavior because, as a draft ordinance read, immigration status ""shall have no bearing on a person's treatment by officials and employees of the city," Wicked Local reported.

One state official warned that actions to round up and deport undocumented immigrants in the U.S. were likely to increase under President Donald Trump, whose campaign rhetoric placed an emphasis on immigration. "I think that Donald Trump made it very clear that he wants to eliminate sanctuary cities," Republican State Rep. Geoff Diehl told local news outlet the Recorder on Sunday. "And when (Sessions passes Senate hearings) I think they should expect that there will be a reaffirment of the federal mandate to work with ICE and other federal law enforcement officials to prosecute or get rid of people who are here criminally with criminal backgrounds. Diehl was referring to Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who was nominated to be the U.S. attorney general in Trump's administration.

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There were about 150,000 undocumented immigrants living in Massachusetts, according to a Pew Research Center survey from 2012.

The development in Newton came as a growing number of cities nationwide have been officially declaring themselves sanctuary cities. The most recent place to do so was Santa Ana in Southern California, where the city council voted unanimously to be designated as a sanctuary city on Tuesday, NBC Los Angeles reported.

Perhaps the most infamous sanctuary city has been San Francisco, where an undocumented immigrant who was previously deported multiple times killed 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle in 2015. The murder put the city in the middle of the nation's debate about immigration reform. Earlier this month, a judge threw out a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Steinle's family, determining San Francisco was not responsible for the woman's death, CBS Sacramento reported.

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By Eduardo Simoes SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Heavily armed police on Wednesday entered the prison where 26 inmates were butchered in recent days and separated members of rival drug gangs waging a turf war that set off a wave of riots in Brazil's overcrowded penitentiary system. About 220 gang members will be transferred in buses from the Alcacuz penitentiary in the state of Rio Grande do Norte to another prison at Parnamirim, outside the state capital, Natal, authorities said. The police SWAT team searched the cells and founds firearms, a bullet-proof jacket and a large quantity of knives, the state's security chief, Caio Bezerra, told reporters. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas on Tuesday to break up a renewed clash at Alcacuz between the gangs disputing control of the flow of drugs from countries bordering Brazil's Amazon region for shipment to Europe or distribution in the Brazilian market. The prison was calm on Wednesday and Bezerra said the inmates did not resist the police entry to separate the gangs. But 13 buses were destroyed by fire in Natal in an apparent protest of the transfer of inmates. Brazil has been hit by a wave of deadly gang clashes in prisons in the north and northeast regions of the country since the start of the year. At least 140 inmates have been killed in the violence, many decapitated or mutilated. Brazilian President Michel Temer decided on Tuesday to send army troops to northern states to help guard the prisons and deter violence. The soldiers would be limited to inspecting the prisons and confiscating weapons, drugs and other contraband, but would not handle the prisoners. The clashes are the result of a split between Brazil's most powerful drug gang, the First Capital Command, or PCC, and the second-most powerful gang, the Rio de Janeiro-based Red Command. The disturbances began on Jan. 1 with a clash in a Manaus prison where the powerful North Family gang, which largely controls a cocaine drug route along the Solimoes River in the Amazon that flows into Colombia and Peru, the world's top two cocaine-producing nations, killed 56 inmates at a prison in Amazonas state, mostly PCC members. The PCC retaliated five days later by killing 33 inmates at the Monte Cristo prison in the Amazonian state of Roraima, before carrying out the most recent killings last weekend. (Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Next Tuesday morning, as early-rising Americans on the East Coast start their day, they will learn how Britains highest court has decided to sort out its own role as a constitutional court in the face of a potential governing crisis with repercussions throughout the United Kingdom and across the Channel in Europe.

On Wednesday, the U.K. Supreme Court announced that it will issue a final decision in the so-called Brexit case next Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. London time (4:30 a.m. on Americas East Coast). A summary will be released along with the full decision.

Depending on how that court rules, the decision could have a major impact on how Britain formally starts the process of leaving the European Union in a gesture of rigorous national independence, but it also may profoundly influence the future of Britains Supreme Court as an independent power center in the governing life of that nation.

The government of Prime Minister Theresa May has claimed that it can trigger the separation from the EU simply by declaring that it has taken that step, invoking Article 50 of the EU treaty that is the sole mechanism for a member nation to separate itself. The Supreme Court will decide whether the May government does have that power, or whether, instead, only the British Parliament can take the initial step to leave the European combine.

The mere fact that the Supreme Court is actively pursuing the answer to that choice itself is a clear sign of its emergence within the British constitutional system as a power in its own right. It has existed only for seven years. For centuries before that, the ultimate arbiter of the meaning of Britians unwritten constitutional traditions was the House of Lords, the upper house of Parliament. Now, the Supreme Court stands alone as a more-or-less independent tribunal even though it is still subject to the sovereign power of Parliament.

Behind that superficially simple choice that the UK court is pondering lay centuries of British history, going back to the 1600s when the nations kings and queens awesome power to override any law passed by Parliament was taken away, supposedly forever after.

Story continues

What remains of the royal prerogative is in the hands of the monarch  now, Queen Elizabeth  and is exercised on her behalf by the Prime Minister, who heads what is the equivalent of an Executive Branch even while the PM serves as an elected member of Parliament. The prerogative still exists mainly in support of what actions Britains government takes in the field of foreign policy.

In November, a middle-level institution in the British judiciary, the High Court, ruled that the prerogative power of the Prime Minister could not be used to take the nation out of the EU. Only Parliament had that authority, the High Court declared. The most important facet of Britains constitutional tradition, it said, is the ultimate sovereignty of the Parliament. When Britain entered the EU more than four decades ago, in 1973, it did so only with Parliaments permission, and that cannot be undone by the Prime Minister pushing the trigger, according to that ruling.

Britains people had voted by a narrow margin last summer to exit the EU, but that vote result had no binding legal effect. Getting out of the EU could be done only by the Article 50 process under the EU treaty.

The dispute over the Brexit question was appealed to the UK Supreme Court by the May government, and  for the first time in the young history of the UK Supreme Court  all of its 11 Justices sat together for four days of hearings in December.

Some of the Justices openly wondered whether the Supreme Court had any power to get involved at all, but that did not appear to be majority sentiment. As the four days of hearings unfolded, the complexity of the Brexit choice deepened, because it not only tests how to start the exit process, but will have a major impact not only on Britains central government, but also on the separate parliaments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which have their own powers at stake. Northern Irelands future relationship with the Republic of Ireland (not a part of the UK) may also be affected in major ways.

And, because many European laws that were enacted during the time that Britain has been an EU member have now become woven into the domestic law of Britain, those laws will simply expire when Britains exit is completed. And among those laws are many that guarantee legal rights to Britons themselves as they move across the nations of the EU, as well as to citizens of other EU nations who live in Britain. Indeed, it was the looming loss of most of those legal rights that led two individual Britons to file the court challenge to the governments power to act on its own in triggering the exit process.

One other effect of Britain leaving the EU is that a major EU institution  the European Court of Justice  would no longer have the authority to makes its decisions binding in Britain.

A key question that the Supreme Court decision may answer is whether, if Parliament alone can start the exit process, can it do so by a very simple piece of legislation, or must it address the whole panoply of legal consequences of separating from Europe. That question is already being debated in Parliament, too.

It is now very clear, in the wake of a major policy speech this week by Prime Minister May, that her government wants a very clear break with Europe, although it has vowed to continue to be a friend and trading partner to the other EU nations. Once Article 50 of the EU treaty is triggered, a negotiation process  lasting perhaps at least two years  will begin over the actual terms of any post-Brexit separation.

But, at least by next Tuesday morning, the constitutional drama surrounding that nations Supreme Court may be resolved, in one way or another.

Legendary journalist Lyle Denniston is Constitution Dailys Supreme Court correspondent. Denniston has written for us as a contributor since June 2011 and he has covered the Supreme Court since 1958. His work also appears on lyldenlawnews.com.

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By Stephen Adler and Elizabeth Piper DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - British finance minister Philip Hammond warned the European Union on Thursday that Britain would find other ways to remain competitive after Brexit if it did not strike a comprehensive trading deal with the bloc. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he stuck closely to the government's message that it wants to explore ways with the EU to ensure that decades of close ties are not broken - saying with goodwill, anything was possible. But Hammond, who is keen to show Davos that Britain is "open for business", said while the government did not want to leave the economic mainstream and trigger a race to the bottom on tax, the decision was "not entirely in our gift". "We have to remain competitive. The best way to do that is to have a comprehensive trading relationship with the European Union, our closest neighbours," the finance minister, known as the Chancellor, told Reuters. "But if we can't achieve that then we will have to find other ways to maintain our competitiveness, because our first obligation of government is to make sure that our people are able to maintain their standard of living." Hammond later said that this was not a threat, but German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Britain should not try to gain competitive advantage by cutting corporate tax rates after the G20 leading economies agreed not to do so in 2015. Recalling a pledge by Prime Minister Theresa May to make Britain a global player post-Brexit, Schaeuble said: "A truly global economy has to stick to what's been agreed globally." FAR APART Britain and the EU have stuck fast to their opening gambits as May prepares to trigger some of the most complicated talks since World War Two by the end of March. The prime minister said in a speech this week that Britain would quit the EU single market when it leaves the European Union. She threatened to withdraw the bloc without any agreement with Brussels in place, unless she failed to win a good deal, in what aides say was a speech aimed at a domestic audience. British officials however now hope to reassure businesses in Davos that there will be prospect of falling off a "cliff edge" into uncertain trading conditions. On Wednesday, two of the world's biggest banks, UBS and HSBC, said they could each move about 1,000 jobs out of London to prepare for Brexit disruption. In her speech on Tuesday, May did offer some comfort to those who want to see Britain retain close ties with the EU, saying that she is aiming to secure an agreement that "may take in elements of current single market arrangements in certain areas" and to have a customs agreement with the EU. 'WELCOMING SOCIETY' Asked how such an arrangement could work, Hammond said Britain wanted to explore options to find ways in which businesses - including the financial industry, which fears losing the right to sell their services in the bloc - could trade freely. "Obviously we can't be in the full customs union because the restrictions that implies goes beyond the political imperatives from a UK point of view," said Hammond, who had campaigned to stay in the EU ahead of the Brexit referendum in June last year. "But we have a lot of reasons on both sides of this discussion to want to try and maintain the most frictionless border system possible," he said, pointing to fresh produce imports every day, which neither side would want to disrupt. And he said Britain would always be an attractive investment destination because of "the high level of confidence in our institutions". British economic growth would slow this year, but the government did not expect to have to borrow more to keep the economy afloat, said Hammond, adding that Britain was still a haven for foreign talent and entrepreneurs. "We want to go on being that kind of open, welcoming society which people choose as a venue to do their business," he said. (Additional reporting by Alessandra Galloni and Sujata Rao; Writing by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Larry King and Pravin Char)
Sofia (AFP) - Bulgaria's president-elect, seen as more sympathetic to Moscow than his predecessor, said Thursday that Donald Trump offers "hope" for an improvement in relations between Russia and the West.

"The crisis between NATO and the European Union on one side and Russia (on the other) is clear. More confrontation will not help its resolution. The Cold War is a sad experience of the past," said Rumen Radev.

"The US presidential election result and the new political climate in the world give hope that dialogue will resume soon," Radev, due to be inaugurated on Sunday, two days after Trump, told parliament.

Radev, 53, a former air force commander and partially US-trained fighter pilot backed by the opposition Socialists, was elected to ex-communist Bulgaria's largely ceremonial presidency on November 13.

During his election campaign Radev called for EU sanctions on Russia to be lifted and said that Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, is "de facto Russian".

Russian President Vladimir Putin in November welcomed his victory and said he hoped for a "new impetus" in relations between the countries' "brotherly peoples".

Radev has however stressed that he is committed to Bulgaria remaining a member of the EU, calling Thursday for the bloc to stay unified "at all costs".

His election also prompted centre-right premier Boyko Borisov and his government to resign. Fresh elections are set to take place in the EU's poorest country in late March.

Radev, who has no previous political experience, is expected to dissolve parliament next week, announce the election date and appoint a technocrat government.
Washington (AFP) - With his carrot-and-stick manhandling of the US business community, President-elect Donald Trump has major companies falling over themselves to offer goodwill gestures and promises to create US jobs.

This aggressive strategy -- in which Trump has publicly threatened major corporations over the use of foreign labor -- has sent ripples through a country that reveres free enterprise and is not accustomed to seeing the nation's chief executive go mano a mano with individual businesses.

But the tactic is creating the appearance of success.

Automaker General Motors and the retail giant Wal-Mart Stores on Tuesday joined the growing list of companies that have promised to ramp investment and employment in the United States since Trump began his post-election campaign against off-shoring US jobs.

Trump has been quick to take credit for any job creation and new investments.

- Border tax -

When NBC on Wednesday reported that many of the company announcements were "old news" given a fresh coat of paint, Trump responded with an angry tweet, calling it "FAKE NEWS!"

Some firms may indeed have recycled investment plans long since announced or in the works, or emphasized job creation already scheduled.

But all were acting under pressure from a president-elect who has used his Twitter account to threaten companies with a border tax and other punishments, frequently causing their share prices to tumble as a result.

"Car companies and others, if they want to do business in our country, have to start making things here again. WIN!" Trump said Sunday on Twitter.

Under the Trump spotlight, Ford this month ended plans to build a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico and instead invest $700 million in the United States, while Fiat Chrysler repatriated production of one model and announced the creation of 2,000 jobs.

Others in the auto sector have followed, including Toyota and GM, but companies in the tech sector, such as Sprint and Amazon, also have joined in.

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Trump has thanked some of his fellow business executives while also congratulating himself: "With all of the jobs I am bringing back into the US ... I believe the people are seeing 'big stuff,'" he tweeted Tuesday.

For companies, the upshot is above all symbolic: avoiding bad press, burnishing patriotic credentials and ingratiating themselves with the new administration.

The trend started in December with Carrier, an Indiana manufacturer of air conditioners and home furnaces which came out ahead in the bargain with Trump, getting tax state breaks in return for keeping a few hundred jobs in the United States.

Without unveiling new investments, other captains of industry have joined in the theater at Trump Tower in New York, the president-elect's headquarters, hoping to put out fires with the future inhabitant of the White House.

After his company was called out for the high cost of the future presidential plane, the head of aircraft giant Boeing reported to New York in an apparent show of contrition.

"We're on the same page to provide the best capability for the lowest cost," CEO Dennis Muilenburg told reporters.

Others merely popped in to say hello, including Bernard Arnault, head of the French luxury group LVMH, who did not rule out expanding operations in the United States.

- The bottom line -

Before his shock November 8 victory, the real estate magnate was not the business world's preferred candidate.

While Wall Street banked on a victory by Democrat Hillary Clinton, most players in Silicon Valley were resolved to oppose Trump, with the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos even offering to rocket him into outer space, using the Twitter hashtag "#sendDonaldtospace."

After Trump's victory, the business world seems to have seen the light.

"Before there was any chance that he would be elected, no one paid much attention to his program, which is what companies want: a lot of deregulation and tax cuts," said Aparna Mathur, a scholar at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute in Washington.

Having both houses of Congress and the White House in the hands of a single party holds out the prospect of ending years of gridlock in Washington.

One key point in Trump's agenda still could undermine his relations with the business sector: retaliatory import duties on goods from Mexico and China, which could end up being costly.

"The bottom line is that if we are going to 'Hire American,' we are going to have to 'Sell American' -- sell our goods and services to the 95 percent of the world's customers who don't live in the United States," warned Thomas Donahue, head of the powerful US Chamber of Commerce.
RENO, Nev. (AP)  More winter snow and rain pummeled the West on Thursday as the first in a series of expected storms soaked morning commuters in much of California, dumped 18 more inches of snow in the Sierra Nevada and closed schools in Oregon.

The first of three anticipated winter storms hit the Lake Tahoe area, with another 6 feet of snow possible by Monday in the upper elevations of the Sierra Nevada.

Winds in excess of 100 mph are possible and could churn up waves on the lake as high as 5 feet on Sunday, forecasters said.

Since Jan. 1, more than 15 feet of snow has fallen at some Tahoe area resorts  the most in more than five years.

Mike Dulinawka was busy taking reservations for weekend snowmobile tours at the Zephyr Cove Resort near Stateline, Nevada.

"We've been sold out for the last couple of weekends. It's great. We're definitely loving the snow," he said.

Californians endured snarled morning commutes, downed trees and heavy snow in the mountains.

A storm system dumped nearly an inch of rain on San Francisco and more than 3 inches at some locations in the Napa-Sonoma wine country.

In Southern California's Santa Monica Mountains, rain fell at rates of up to a half-inch an hour and a rockslide closed canyon roads near Malibu.

In Sacramento, a windstorm with gusts topping 50 mph destroyed three historic trees Wednesday night that were planted at the California Capitol about 120 years ago to honor Civil War veterans.

"We lost three grand ones," said Democratic Assemblyman Ken Cooley.

The National Weather Service in San Diego warned that five-day rainfall totals would likely be substantial and that mud and debris flows could occur as heavy rains fell on wildfire burn scars east of Los Angeles.

In Phoenix, a hot air balloon festival was canceled due to a winter storm warning. Forecasters said winds could gust to 40 mph beginning Friday night.

Architect Neil Davison, a 58-year-old sport balloonist, said he has been caught in windier weather.

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"If you want to know what it's like, then get in your laundry basket and jump out of your car at 25 mph," the Phoenix resident said.

Grand Canyon National Park closed some roads on the South Rim due to snow and unsafe driving conditions.

The road woes were also felt to the north in Oregon. A 45-mile stretch of Interstate 84 between Troutdale and Hood River remained closed because of ice.

The temperature in Hood River was expected to climb to slightly above freezing, melting some of the ice that has turned the highway into a skating rink.

With snow and ice hanging around, schools were closed in several districts along with some state agency offices.

Between 12 and 15 inches of fresh snow fell in southeastern Oregon overnight, closing parts of Interstate 84 north of Ontario.

Washington transportation officials said conditions on Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass had improved enough to allow crews to start clean-up efforts. They hoped to re-open the eastbound lanes later in the day.

Crews were also working to break up and move 20 to 30 trees that came down onto the interstate during this week's ice storm, officials said.

In California, two more storms were expected to arrive Thursday night and Sunday.

Overall, California has seen a significant retreat from the once-statewide drought. About 58 percent of the state remains in moderate, severe, extreme or exceptional stages of drought.

___

AP writers Michelle A. Monroe in Phoenix, Kristin Bender in San Francisco, Martha Bellisle in Seattle, Steven DuBois and Gillian Flaccus in Portland, Oregon, Christopher Weber is Los Angeles, and Don Thompson in Sacramento contributed to this report.

___

Eds: This story corrects an early version that misspelled the last name of Mike Dulinawka at the Zephyr Cove Resort at Lake Tahoe.
Montreal (AFP) - A strange beeping noise in the Arctic has Canadians puzzled. Is it marine mammals doing something weird? A foreign submarine? Collective hallucination?

A military patrol and acoustic specialists are being dispatched to investigate, the army said Thursday.

Speculation has abounded since Inuit hunters in the village of Igloolik heard the beep several times off the Fury and Hecla Straight late last year.

Located between the Northwest Passage and Hudson Bay, this shallow strait is usually frequented by narwhals, bowhead whales, ringed seals and bearded seals.

But last year they all disappeared, according to Inuit hunters.

"There are no animals left," said Paul Quassa, a local elected official in the Nunavut legislative assembly who believes the beep is responsible for scaring away the wildlife.

Whatever the origin, this noise "comes from the bottom of the sea" and is loud, Quassa said after going to the spot with a group of indigenous hunters who first reported hearing it.

The army dispatched in November a patrol aircraft equipped with a battery of sensors.

After an hour and a half overflight, the crew found no acoustic anomalies nor any ocean surface or subsurface contacts, Major Josee Bilodeau of Joint Task Force North told AFP.

"The crew did observe two pods of whales and six walruses in the area of interest," she added.

The noise has not been heard since the original report and the case was closed.

But in response to local Inuit concerns, the military is dispatching two acoustic specialists to Igloolik who will join a previously scheduled Canadian Rangers patrol between January 25 and February 2.

The Rangers are a 5,000-strong Inuit military sub-reserve force tasked with keeping an eye on the vast and sparsely populated Canadian Arctic.

"This patrol will give the specialists an opportunity to gather first-hand feedback from the local population who made the initial report," Bilodeau said.
By Andrea Hopkins OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian exporters are scrambling to find ways to avoid a potential 10 percent import tax promised by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, including the possible shifting of production or supply lines south of the border. Amid warnings from the Bank of Canada on Wednesday that protectionist policies brought in by Trump could drive companies to invest in the United States rather than Canada, executives said their search for options has already begun. Canadian exporters are not alone, with global business leaders talking up the benefits of local production to shield themselves from criticism from Trump, who will be sworn in as president on Friday. "We're a Canadian company, we like to build things in Canada and export them ... but you can't sell stuff and not make money," said Jim Rakievich, chief executive of Edmonton-based McCoy Global, which makes oil and gas industry equipment. "We could move our production down into the U.S. fairly quickly, we could absorb that production (in our U.S. plants) if we had to." National Bank Financial estimated a 10 percent border tax could cause Canada's total goods exports to the United States to drop by about 9 percent, with non-petroleum goods sinking almost 11 percent. Exports are expected to drive about a third of Canada's economic growth in 2017, behind only consumption and government spending, according to the Bank of Canada's forecast this week. The United States is Canada's largest export market with about 74 percent of all goods heading south. Canadian companies with U.S. affiliates may be best placed to weather a shift in tariffs, if they can shift production or investment to their U.S. plants to avoid an import tax. Foreign affiliate sales to the United States rose to C$298.4 billion in 2014, the latest year for which data is available, from C$285.8 billion in 2013, according to Export Development Canada. Some exporters without U.S. subsidiaries have already begun to search for new investments. One such company is Mehadrin Group, which includes Canada's biggest kosher meat processor. Mehadrin had planned to sell Canadian-certified kosher meat in the United States but is now moving quickly to find U.S. sources of kosher meat as well as wholesale space in New York and Massachusetts to warehouse it rather than try to import it from Canada and then raise prices to cover the cost of a tariff. Now, the company is "looking at a couple of places," including a slaughterhouse in California, "that can produce some volume for us," according to Vladimir Budker, chief executive of Mehadrin Group. "Plan B is to look at a couple of local (U.S.) producers - we've looked but didn't approach them yet -- to see if there is any change in policy, in NAFTA or taxes. We'd be looking at this avenue pretty fast," Budker said. For others, their cross-border business is far too integrated and specialized to easily separate U.S.-bound goods to avoid a tax. Veso Sobot, director of corporate affairs at plastic pipe maker IPEX Inc, said products can cross the border between IPEX's 18 plants in Canada and seven in the United States before they are even ready for market, making a shift in production to make products in the United States for U.S. customers impossible. Instead, he's hoping Trump will come to see that Canada is not a low-cost competitor that needs to be targeted. "We feel very hopeful that ... we will have an exemption to Trump's Buy American policy. We believe Canada is not America's problem." (Reporting by Andrea Hopkins; Editing by Alan Crosby)
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f354029%2f0754774d-48d1-4680-9f64-c83688aeb9f1

Snowboarding company Burton is making it as easy as possible for their employees to attend Jan. 21 Women's March on Washington.

CEO and co-owner Donna Carpenter told Cosmopolitan in an interview that not only will she be attending the march, she's bringing a posse: her employees.

SEE ALSO: How to get involved with the Women's March on Washington if you're not in D.C.

Carpenter extended an offer to her Vermont-based employees that would provide them with two nights in a hotel as well as up to $250 to be spent on airfare. "About 25" employees have taken her up on her offer so far, all women except for one man.

As a female CEO heading a management staff that is 50 percent women, she said that the cause was important to her because "when you address women's issues, you address work-life balance and quality of life."

BurtonGirls rule! @burtongirls #burtonusopen A photo posted by @donnacarpenter on Mar 5, 2016 at 10:27am PST

The Women's March on Washington is taking place on Jan. 21 and, based off of the National Park Service's list of First Amendment permit applications, it's estimated that more than 200,000 people will be attending the protest.

Many people who can't make the trek to D.C. are finding alternate methods of protest through local and even virtual marches. This in addition to the countless women who will be participating on social media in solidarity.
Cook County prosecutors charged a veteran Chicago police officer with first-degree murder Wednesday, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Transit officer Lowell Houser shot 38-year-old Jose Nieves on Jan. 2, the prosecutor's office said. Few details of the incident have been released, according to the Tribune, but police told the newspaper that Nieves was unarmed. Houser, who was in custody and expected to appear in court Thursday, was off-duty at the time of the shooting. The 28-year veteran of the department was "stripped of his police powers a day after the shooting," according to the local CBS affiliate.

A federal lawsuit against Houser, 57, and the city was filed by Nieves' family after the shooting on Jan. 6. The lawsuit said Houser "illegally detained and threatened to arrest and physically harm" Nieves. CPD's Independent Police Review Authority will continue to investigate the shooting, the Tribune said.

The station also reported that Angelica Nieves, the victim's sister, said Houser had pulled a gun on Nieves previously. Houser had been the focus of 20 disciplinary investigations since the 1990s, the Tribune reported.

The charges were filed less than a week after the Obama Justice Department published the results of its investigation into the Chicago Police Department, which was the largest investigation of a police department in DOJ history. The investigation found that "CPD officers use unnecessary and unreasonable force in violation of the Constitution with frequency, and that unconstitutional force has been historically tolerated by CPD."

At the press conference announcing the results of the investigation, the Justice Department announced it was entering into consent decree negotiations with the city of Chicago. A consent decree is a legally binding, court-monitored plan to bring a police department into compliance with the Constitution. More than 20 cities are currently engaged in consent decrees with the Justice Department.

Related Articles
BEIJING (Reuters) - China called on Thursday called for a "cool-headed" resolution to the political crisis in Gambia, after last-minute talks to resolve a dispute over a transfer of power fell through on Wednesday. Senegal, with backing from leaders in the region, has threatened to invade Gambia to depose its leader, Yahya Jammeh, if he does not hand over power to challenger Adama Barrow, who beat him in an election in early December. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying urged calm. "We urge relevant parties to stay cool-headed, to attach importance to the interests of the people and country, to appropriately resolve the political crisis through dialogue and political consultation and to maintain peace and stability," she told a daily news briefing. China has a growing diplomatic and business presence in Africa and has been deeply involved in efforts to bring peace to South Sudan, for example. China resumed diplomatic ties with Gambia in March. The country was previously a diplomatic ally of Taiwan, the self-ruled island China claims as its own. China views Taiwan as a wayward province, with no right to formal foreign ties. The small West African state had previously been one of only a few African countries, along with Burkina Faso, Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principe, to recognize Taiwan. Sao Tome switched ties to China last month. (Reporting by Christian Shepherd; Editing by Ben Blanchard)
The Russians have sex camps where they train beautiful women to seduce people, the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) official complained. Why dont we have anything like that? It was halfway through dinner, and he was already drunk, full of self-pity about how everyone hates us, even though we protect the country, and incompetently hitting on the women at the table. I was there to help protect a friends virtue; hed been stalking her ever since asking her to report on her employers at a foreign news service.

His envy was unsurprising, though not entirely justified. Chinas MSS, which handles both internal and external security, has never enjoyed the same status and glamour as the KGB did in the Soviet Union. The countrys intelligence services were ravaged during Mao Zedongs Cultural Revolution due to their dangerous amount of knowledge about the world. By contrast, the KGB, and its successor, the FSB, has never had anything less than the full support of the Kremlin. The Russian art of kompromat has reached levels of sophistication, and repute, far beyond what China has ever achieved. Its certainly difficult to imagine Beijing ever managing to successfully entrap a prospective president of the United States, whose alleged bedroom  or bathroom  habits Moscows spying has now reportedly made known to all of us.

But it would also be a mistake to underestimate Chinese espionage. If China has never had professional seducers, like the swallows of the Soviet Union, it has been keen to use amateurs. Foreign businesspeople and diplomats are regularly warned about the dangers of bugged hotel rooms and the over-enthusiastic girl at the bar. Chinese women in professional or personal relationships with foreigners in sensitive positions are often approached by the MSS and asked to provide information  with implicit threat if they dont cooperate.

Little of this seems directed at potential blackmail, though. The bored listeners sitting through hours of tape from the Four Seasons in Beijing  a favorite with visiting U.S. dignitaries, known as the most bugged hotel in China  may be more interested in business discussions than sex sessions. In the stories Ive heard of relationships being suborned, it has been pillow talk that might provide an economic or strategic edge, not blackmail, that interests the security services. When foreigners are caught with their pants down in China, the extortion is usually brief, painful, and financial. The police are quite happy to run the badger game  but largely to line their own pockets, not for the national interest.

But foreign concerns always come a distant second to domestic competition in China. The real enemy of most Chinese officials isnt the United States; its the person in the next office. The grand scope of competition between superpowers means little compared with taking your rivals job away, and even the politically focused generally care far more about internal stability than they do external competition. At a very high level, Beijing cares intensely about its tussle with the United States; even a little bit below that, the internal struggles and bitter party politics count far more. As my drunk interlocutor suggested, even the MSS has been directed against its governmental colleagues far more than foreigners. Privately, Chinese officials speak of their hatred of the security services, which are seen as corrupt and self-serving. (On the other hand, the partys internal disciplinary body, the CCDI, is simply feared  not loathed in the same way the MSS is.)

But the official security services are only a small part of an untrusting society. The vast bulk of compromising material gathered in China is used by Chinese officials  and other power players  against each other.

Its a habit that leaks down even into Chinas nonpolitical world. In romantic relationships, Chinese exes seem to use past material against each other with particular bitterness. During my first year in China, the ex-boyfriend of my then-girlfriend hacked into her email account, took all my letters to her while she was on holiday, translated them (badly) into Chinese, and sent them to her parents. Fortunately, her mother was a novelist and not easily shocked.

But among the powerful, the vast majority of this isnt sexual material but economic and political  two areas taken much more seriously by Chinese officials than bedroom peccadilloes. Plenty of this is penny-ante stuff; take the dossier listing one leading professors fulsome praise of former leader Bo Xilai in various outlets, which was circulated to all his colleagues and superiors within a few weeks of Bos detention and fall. Or the reporter who lost a cushy job after his subordinate discovered hed translated online commentary favorable to Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo into German when on an exchange program, translated it back into Chinese, and sent it to his magazines bosses.

A failed project, a hidden bank account, or a business pal who fled to Canada with millions of dollars stuffed in his suitcases  in China, all of that makes for a much juicier way to threaten someone, or to destroy their career, than a sex tape. When Luo Shaojie, a Beijing official, had his subordinate murder his mistress in 2011, it was because shed threatened to expose his corruption, not his affairs.

Some of the material used is sexual. But its not wielded with the threat of public exposure. When I was a young reporter in Guangdong, we used to get people coming to the paper because their husbands had cheated on them  or because they were mistresses and theyd been dumped, Liang, an older Chinese reporter who asked to use a pseudonym, told me. Often they had photos. But, of course, we could never run any of this without getting ourselves in trouble. It didnt matter if the guy himself wasnt that powerful; we didnt know who his friends might be.

The internet once created brief chances for leaks of any compromising material, including of a sexual nature, about Chinas elite, as in the case of Lei Zhengfu, a Chongqing official whose puffy features graced the web in 2012 when a tape of him and an 18-year-old sex worker was uploaded to a corruption watchdog site. But those windows have been slammed shut by the massive increase in online controls  and the harsh new legal punishments for online rumor spreaders are enough to deter most potential leakers.

But the anti-corruption campaign initiated by President Xi Jinping has created new chances to use photos or videos as real evidence to bring somebody down. Everyones terrified of being seen at places they used to go every Friday night, one officials daughter told me. Thats not because of genuinely strict sexual morality, although a certain streak of Marxist puritanism is newly in evidence. Its because being captured now with a $1000-a-night call girl or at a champagne-and-cocaine-studded nightclub indicates something much more serious than decadence: an inability to follow the partys directive. Getting caught is a failure of discipline, not morality.

As Tiantian Zheng brilliantly documents in her book Red Lights, thats not a new idea. Public interactions around sex for men in modern China have always focused on control. Sleeping with sex workers was deemed a normal, healthy, almost compulsory activity; the danger was in losing control  of your own feelings or of the sex worker involved.

Take a standard blackmail letter I was shown in 2009. Dear Older Brother, it read, Do you remember me? My name is [Little Apple] and I used to work at the [Happy Heart] Massage Parlour. We were very good friends. Now I am in serious trouble, Older Brother, and I need your help. If I dont get it, I might have to come to your workplace and make a fuss. Con artists sent the letter out en masse to officials, swapping in appropriate local names. But the point wasnt to menace them with exposure. After all, most of the people at their office would have been at the brothel with them. Instead, make a fuss threatened to show a loss of control, an inability to keep things in their place.

It was the same problem that helped bring down another state-owned enterprise boss I knew. When his wife came into the office and screamed at him for two hours that she knew his goddamn whore worked there, the problem wasnt that he had a mistress. Everyone had a mistress. It was that hed failed to keep control. It didnt help that his name turned up in WikiLeaks  in an entirely innocuous conversation with a U.S. diplomat that was still enough to undermine and embarrass him.

But these rules arent a thousand miles away from the world in which were now operating in the West. If the purported golden showers tape merely contained video of Donald Trump frolicking with bored blondes in Moscow, would anybody believe that was enough to blackmail him? If anything, it would confirm the alpha male status his followers see as a virtue, not a flaw. But the pee-pee tape  or the story of the pee-pee tape  strikes directly at his masculinity, not his morality. And thats a tale the Chinese can understand  and use  just as well as the Russians.

Photo Credit: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images
Washington (AFP) - The CIA said Wednesday it would implement new rules to better respect the private information of Americans swept up incidentally during its investigations.

The new restrictions imposed by the US attorney general just two days before Donald Trump become president will force the CIA, whose mission is to focus on foreign issues and threats, to dispose of the personal data of Americans it comes across during its probes within five years.

Until now, under a 1981 executive order by then president Ronald Reagan, there were loose restrictions on how the spy agency handles that data. And existing rules never considered the avalanche of personal information that can be scooped up from the internet and social media.

The CIA is supposed to limit its investigations to foreign targets, but given the global nature of telecommunications and the internet and the massive electronic combing of that electronic data, it inevitably gathers up data on US citizens as well.

For instance, the CIA noted that if it seized the hard drive from the computer of a foreign hacker, that might also have a lot of data on Americans.

In such a case, there are strict controls on how such data can be handled and agency personnel "must take reasonable steps to limit the information collected to only that which is necessary to achieve the purpose of the collection," the agency said in a statement.

Such data, analyzed or not, must be eliminated within five years to make sure the agency does not hold onto it indefinitely.

The new rules tighten restrictions on how CIA agents can become involved in organizations inside of the United States in the course of an investigation.

The outgoing Barack Obama administration has been under pressure to tighten up protections of US citizens' personal information after the National Security Agency was shown to have been surreptitiously amassing bulk files on Americans' communications as a part of its electronic spying operations.

A number of privacy advocates have expressed worries that a Trump government will be less sensitive to privacy issues when it comes to national security.

But the CIA published the complete, revised guidelines for its activities under the 1981 executive order for the first time Wednesday, which could present a greater challenge to future administrations wanting to change them.
The CIA has published in full its revised regulations for the collection, analysis and storage of information about U.S. citizens, the first disclosure of its kind.

Reuters reports that the rules were updated to be more appropriate to the information age, where digital storage devices can hold huge amounts of data. CIA general counsel Caroline Krass told reporters that the regulations were written in a manner that protects the privacy and civil rights of U.S. citizens.

The disclosure comes just two days before the Inauguration of Donald Trump as the next President, and follows years of growing public concern over privacy. Trump has suggested that he supports increased surveillance powers for the government.

The public has become increasingly frustrated with the secrecy and spread of government surveillance programs since the 2013 exposure by Edward Snowden that the National Security Agency was collecting data on millions of American citizens.

Krass said the new regulations update a patchwork of policies and procedures that were left over from previous administrations, and had become out of step with todays technology, according to Reuters.

The newly published regulations explain what steps must be taken when the CIA obtains a large cache of data from which an assessment of intelligence value could take time, and how such data should be searched. The guidelines require the CIA to destroy any sensitive data that has not been evaluated after five years.

[Reuters]
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Inmates threw rocks at each other and set up barriers Thursday inside a Brazilian penitentiary where 26 prisoners were recently killed in confrontations, raising tensions amid a wave of prison massacres that have rocked Latin America's largest nation.

Live images on Globo television showed hundreds of prisoners in the yard of Alcacuz Penitentiary outside the northeast city of Natal. Inmates appeared to be separating themselves into two groups with makeshift barriers of pieces of wood, mattresses and other material. Injured prisoners were seen being carried off. No prison guards could be seen.

"We need help immediately," Robinson Faria, the governor of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, told CBN radio.

Faria said he had asked President Michel Temer to immediately dispatch troops from the Armed Forces. Beyond the prison, Faria said he wanted the troops to help patrol the streets of Natal, where several buses were burned late Wednesday. Authorities said they were investigating whether the burning was connected to turmoil in the prison.

Maj. Eduardo Franco, a military police spokesman, told The Associated Press that both a riot squad and an elite special forces group were on hand and could be called on to intervene. Up until now, police were only guarding the outside of the prison to keep inmates from escaping and shooting tear gas to break up fighting.

"We are avoiding a direct confrontation with the gangs," said Franco. "Military police are only using non-lethal weapons so we don't get blamed if dead bodies are found later."

Franco said several inmates had been injured, but he didn't know how many and said it was too soon to know if any had died.

Confrontations between two gangs in the prison erupted over the weekend, resulting in the 26 deaths. Many of the dead were dismembered. Authorities said members of the Sao Paulo-based First Command, Brazil's largest criminal gang, known by the Portuguese acronym PCC, fought with local gang Crime Syndicate of Rio Grande do Norte.

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On Wednesday, a heavily armed military police force entered the prison without violence. Authorities said they transferred 220 inmates to other prisons to avoid more clashes.

Brazil is experiencing a wave of prison killings from warring gangs. At least 126 people have died since the beginning of the year.

Security experts say the trigger was the breakup of a long truce last year between the PCC and Red Command, a large gang based in Rio de Janeiro. They say several smaller gangs are forming alliances with the Red Command to slow the PCC's reach.
Paris (AFP) - Of the many things that keep climate scientists awake at night, tipping points may be the scariest.

To start with, these thresholds for deep, sometimes catastrophic change in the complex web of Earth's natural forces, caused by man-made global warming, are largely invisible.

You can't see them on the horizon, and could easily cross one without noticing.

Also, there is no turning back -- at least not on a human timescale.

Ice sheets with enough frozen water to lift sea levels more than a dozen metres; powerful ocean currents that keep bone-chilling winters at bay on both sides of the Atlantic; monsoon rains upon which hundreds of millions in Asia depend for food -- all are at risk of irretrievable disruption.

"There are points-of-no-return where, for example, a certain amount of warming triggers unstoppable collapse of glaciers off of Antarctica, even if the planet cools again," explained Ben Strauss, vice president of the US research group Climate Central.

Think of someone leaning back on two legs of a chair, suggests Sybren Drijfhout, a professor at the University of Southampton.

"The tipping point is when you're exactly in between two states," he said. "A tiny perturbation" -- a gentle shove -- "will make the system tip over."

In the case of ice sheets, how this might happen is well understood.

Thick ice shelves astride land and sea in Greenland and Antarctica act as giant bulkheads, preventing even larger inland ice masses from sliding into the ocean.

West Antarctica's would lift the global watermark by at least six metres.

- Permafrost (not) -

Were these ice dams -- eroded by warming water (below) and air (above) -- to fall away, "the blocking features may not be able to re-form even after hundreds of years of cooling," Strauss told AFP.

As if by way of illustration, an ice block nearly 100 times the size of Manhattan is poised to break off West Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf within months, scientists said earlier this year.

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But if experts agree on the mechanics, they sharply disagree on how much a region would need to warm up to trigger collapse, or how long it would take.

"We don't know exactly when we might pass these points -- or whether we already have crossed some of them," Strauss added.

James Hansen, former head of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, has argued that West Antarctica could disintegrate rapidly, adding up to a couple of metres to ocean levels this century.

But most experts say humanity is still within a "safe operating space" for the ice sheets, even if the margin for error has become uncomfortably thin.

Other tipping points could trigger the natural release, on a massive scale, of the same greenhouse gases that humans have spewed into the atmosphere, further destabilising the delicate balance that has made our planet so liveable over the last 11,000 years.

Methane and CO2 locked in the increasingly misnamed permafrost of Russia, Canada and northern Europe is equivalent to roughly 15 years worth of global emissions from fossil fuels at today's levels.

The release of these gases -- negligible so far -- would, in turn, aggravate the problem in a vicious circle of warming, what scientists call a positive feedback loop.

Likewise, rock-like formations in shallow ocean waters called methane hydrates, prime suspects for episodes of rapid global warming millions of years ago. Little is known about what it would take to trigger their disintegration today.

- No perfect analogue -

"Even if global warming is limited to below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit)" -- the red line drawn in the 196-nation Paris climate pact -- "some important tipping elements may already be harmed or transformed," Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, commented recently in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Even so, the promise of holding global warming "well below 2 C" is a reasonable guarantee that such scenarios can be avoided, he said.

But scientists also admit their tools are better at measuring steady, linear progressions than sudden shifts.

"In general, climate models are too stable," said Drijfhout. "They are calibrated to the present climate, have difficulty simulating the abrupt changes we have witnessed in the geological past."

Looking for lessons from the past also has limits, notes Didier Swingedouw of the University of Bordeaux.

"The problem is that there is no perfect analogue to what we will experience in the near future."

Concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere today are higher than any time in the last three million years, and are increasing more rapidly than at any point in the last 66 million years.
HONOLULU (AP)  The Honolulu Police Commission agreed to a $250,000 settlement package for retirement with Police Chief Louis Kealoha, the target of a federal investigation involving allegations of civil rights abuses and corruption.

The settlement announced Wednesday night includes an agreement that Kealoha would have to repay the money if he is convicted of a felony, local news reports said.

The officer's retirement is effective March 1, and he will be on leave with pay until then.

"The (Honolulu Police Department) has been under a dark cloud for the last two years because of the investigation," Hawaii News Now quoted commission chairman Max Sword as saying. "The retirement agreement allows the department to move forward under new leadership and allow HPD to focus on service in the community."

Hawaii News Now reported that the money will be paid to Kealoha in addition to a pension of about $150,000 a year and free medical care for life.

Earlier this month, Sword announced that Kealoha agreed to retire after being on paid leave since receiving an FBI target letter last month.

A grand jury is looking into the allegations of civil rights abuses and corruption at the department.

The investigation began more than a year ago after allegations surfaced that Kealoha and his deputy city prosecutor wife, Katherine Kealoha, framed her uncle for the theft of the Kealoha's home mailbox to discredit him in a family financial dispute. Attorneys for the couple say they haven't done anything wrong.

A retired officer involved in the mailbox case has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and four other officers have received target letters from the FBI.

In a shocking development Friday, FBI agents raided the Honolulu prosecuting attorney's office.

The raid was unfathomable, Commissioner Loretta Sheehan said Tuesday.

"A federal judge was persuaded that Katherine Kealoha's laptops probably contain evidence of criminal activity and that seizure was necessary to obtain evidence or make sure it wasn't destroyed," Sheehan said.

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State Sen. Will Espero is among those who had called on commissioners not to give Kealoha anything more than the pension he earned.

Espero said prior to Wednesday night's agreement that the commission could also let Kealoha remain on leave until the investigation is resolved.

"However, the Police Commission has been silent on this matter for over 16 months and to act so quickly at this point in time does not seem to be in the best interest of the city and County of Honolulu," he wrote in a letter to the commission.

Espero has also urged the commission to be more transparent about Kealoha's situation and to be more welcoming to members of the public who may want to speak about the issue.

On Wednesday, the room where commissioners meet was configured differently to add more seating space. However, only one person commented during the public testimony portion.

"From a personal perspective ... he's more than just my chief," Sgt. Tenari Maafala, president of Hawaii's police union, told the panel about Kealoha. "He's a brother in blue."

"I shared my heart with him and let him know that for selfish reasons I really hate to see him leave," Maafala said, adding that Kealoha is doing what's honorable for himself, his family and the department.

___

AP writer Bob Seavey in Phoenix contributed to this report.
BOGOTA/QUITO (Reuters) - Colombia's government will begin much-delayed formal peace talks with the country's second-biggest rebel group the ELN on Feb. 7, after the guerrillas release a politician being held hostage, the two sides said on Wednesday. The National Liberation Army (ELN) will release politician Odin Sanchez on Feb. 2, meeting a repeated government requirement, negotiators said in a joint statement in Quito, Ecuador near where the talks will take place. President Juan Manuel Santos had said earlier on Wednesday that the talks would begin on Feb. 8. The statement said two ELN members will be released from prison in Colombia to participate in the negotiations. The ELN will release Sanchez to the International Committee of the Red Cross. He has been captive for more than eight months. "If he is not released, there will simply be no negotiation, That has always been the position of the Colombian government and my position," Santos told journalists in Davos, Switzerland, where he is attending the World Economic Forum. The 2,000-strong ELN is considered a terrorist group by the United States and European Union. The group has kidnapped hundreds of people over its 52 years to raise funds for the war and to use as bargaining chips with the government. The talks are "a triumph," head ELN negotiator Israel Ramirez, better known by his nom de guerre Pablo Beltran, said. "We hope thousands of voices can join together to change Colombia." Sit-down negotiations had originally been expected to begin on Nov. 3. Santos late last year concluded a peace accord with the larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, guerrilla group, after it was rejected in a shock plebiscite result in October. The accord was voted down by a margin of just 0.4 percent. Santos won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the conflict with the FARC. More than 220,000 people have been killed in Colombia's conflict, which has pitted leftist guerrillas against right-wing paramilitary groups and the security forces. Founded by radical Catholic priests and inspired by Cuba's 1959 revolution, the ELN has been in on-and-off preliminary talks with the government since 2014. The rebels have continued to bomb oil installations, but in recent months have released other captives. Peace with the two groups is unlikely to put a complete end to violence in Colombia, also ravaged by violence caused by drug trafficking. But it may allow economic development and shift more resources to fight criminal gangs. (Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Helen Murphy in Bogota and Alexandra Valencia in Quito; editing by Grant McCool)
For Nathan Legleiter, a Kansas resident who works as a compliance analyst at a bank, community college was just the first step of a post-secondary education.

Legleiter went straight into the workforce after high school. He didn't decide until years later to pursue his associate degree primarily online at Barton Community College in Great Bend, Kansas. During his first semester, Legleiter learned about a "2+2" option, or online bachelor's completion program, that would enable him to seamlessly transfer credits to the Kansas State University Global Campus, the school's online arm for adult learners.

Attending Barton Community College not only allowed the 2015 graduate to save some money on tuition, he says, but also provided him with face-to-face student support nearby and the flexibility of online learning alongside his job and family responsibilities.

[Discover how to transfer online associate credits to a four-year online program.]

Legleiter isn't alone, as online bachelor's completion programs grow in popularity, experts say. Four-year institutions typically partner with community colleges -- either on-campus or online -- to align their curriculums and closely advise students who plan to transfer.

The goal, experts say, is for students to move on to their bachelor's without having to retake certain courses or worrying about credits being accepted, often at a lower total cost than in full bachelor's programs. Whether students need to separately apply to the four-year institution varies depending on the program, experts say, and students might take longer than four years total to finish.

"2+2 and bachelor's completion programs have existed for many years. The online versions of this have grown a little more recently," says Greg Fant, associate vice president and deputy provost for New Mexico State University, which has several 2+2 online programs.

These programs can appeal to all types of online students -- whether they're right out of high school or working adults returning to college, says Duane Dunn, an associate dean and director of academic and professional programs at Kansas State's Global Campus, which offers numerous 2+2 options. In any case, students don't need to relocate.

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"It's a communication advising tool, a curriculum guide," says Dunn. "And what we've seen are the students who utilize the 2+2 have fewer concerns and questions and anxiety things as they transfer."

Starting at a community college also provides students -- especially adults returning to school -- with extra support to begin an online program, which typically requires greater self-motivation and independence than on-campus courses, says Dale Whittaker, provost and executive vice president at the University of Central Florida.



[Learn why to develop self-motivation skills before starting online courses.]

"To start at a 2+2 -- it's just a smaller classroom, it's a slower pace than going straight into the university life," says Catherine Kuykendall, a 2+2 student at UCF pursuing her bachelor's in psychology, who returned to college after about 20 years out of school.

Students in these programs can also earn an associate degree for immediate career advancement and then pursue the bachelor's online as they continue working, says Julie Uranis, director of distance and innovative learning at Western Kentucky University, which has 2+2 programs in disciplines ranging from information technology to health sciences.

Some students decide to pursue a 2+2 online bachelor's program as soon as they enter community college, while others won't determine that until later on, she says.

"Students are savvy consumers, and they're seeing a 2+2 kind of opportunity as a means of scaffolding their credentials in ways that make sense for them," Uranis says. "They're customizing their education."

But prospective online students should also consider the challenges they might face with these programs, experts say. Uranis says this can include the need to adjust to online learning at a university, possibly with larger classes, for instance.

Those who know they want to ultimately earn a bachelor's can usually research their options on a university's website, experts say. But students who aren't sure whether this is the path for them can reach out to an academic adviser to learn more.

[Ask five questions before pursuing an online associate degree.]

In the University of Central Florida's 2+2 programs, says Whittaker, community colleges sometimes identify students who might be interested in continuing their education beyond an associate degree, and UCF then reaches out to them to help plan their transition to the online bachelor's portion.

Prospective online students should also compare tuition costs, which might be lower through a 2+2 program than a four-year university, says Brian Craig, professor and chair man of the industrial engineering department at Lamar University, which has an online bachelor's completion program in the discipline.

"It's not a secret that the cost of higher education has gone up," he says. "It's certainly more and more important to make sure that the program you're pursuing is going to provide a reasonable return on investment."

Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center.

Jordan Friedman is an online education editor at U.S. News. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at jfriedman@usnews.com.


When he's not tweeting about the failing, biased media or encouraging people to buy boots and flannel, Donald Trump dabbles in discussing the affairs of other countries.

Trump's foreign policy outlines general goals, but the specifics are hazier. For the details on which countries Trump is most likely to engage, his Twitter account is a steady stream of information, albeit unofficial information.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the country Trump tweets about most is China. As U.S. News contributor Matthew Strabone put it, Trump treats China "as a rival business," and as such, gives it extreme attention not only in tweets, but also in interviews and rallies:

Here are few of Trump's most popular tweets about the country:

Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into..

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

December 4, 2016

their country (the U.S. doesn't tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don't think so!

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

December 4, 2016

Markets are crashing - all caused by poor planning and allowing China and Asia to dictate the agenda. This could get very messy! Vote Trump.

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

August 24, 2015

Below are the top 10 countries other than the United States that Trump has tweeted about most since May 4, 2009.

Instead of counting all tweets sent from the @realdonaldtrump handle, these totals reflect posts sent from an Android device, presumably a Samsung Galaxy, which data scientists have concluded are likely sent by the billionaire's own hand.

Rank Country Number of Tweets 1 China 89 2 Syria 78 3 Russia 77 4 Iraq 75 5 Mexico 70 6 Iran 67 7 United Kingdom 40 8 India 31 9 Cuba 28 10 Canada 27

You can follow Rachel Dicker on Twitter or reach her at rdicker@usnews.com.
Everyone prepares for the inauguration in their own special way. President-elect Donald Trump is writing his inaugural address. The Rockettes are practicing their dance moves. Womens March protesters are painting their signs. And DCMJ is rolling joints.

The D.C.-based marijuana advocacy group that successfully lobbied for weed legalization in the district has already rolled more than 5,500 joints to hand out for free before the inauguration. DCMJ says the marijuana hand-out is not necessarily an anti-Trump protest, since both revelers and protesters are invited to partake. Instead, says DCMJ co-founder Nikolas Schiller, the event is supposed to be for anybody who supports cannabis reform.

We said we would call it off if Trump said anything about cannabis reform, Schiller said. Since the President-elect has been silent on the issue, Schiller is instructing participants to pick up a joint around 8:00 am on the west side of Dupont Circle, then head to the National Mall and light up exactly 4 minutes and 20 seconds into Trumps speech. While marijuana possession is legal in Washington D.C. and Schiller and his friends arent breaking the law by distributing free weed in public, toking on federal property is still illegal.

The act of nonviolent civil disobedience is to break a law that they wish to change, he explains. The smell can go around and people can know oh those people are demonstrating the importance of cannabis legalization.'

Schiller and his fellow DCMJ members are behind this effort from seed to smell. DCMJ successfully lobbied for marijuana legalization in the district, but a congressional budget trick prevented any regulatory spending to legally sell and tax weed, which is why you dont see any dispensaries in Washington D.C. But growing and possessing marijuana is still legal, so the DCMJ organized a free seed-sharing program so that D.C. residents could grow their own pot at home. Residents are allowed to grow up to six plants per individual (12 for a couple) and possess up to two ounces of weed, but not buy or sell it. So DCMJ gave out over 20,000 free cannabis seeds to D.C. residents.

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For DCMJ at least, they reaped what they sowed. Once they decided to organize a mass marijuana demonstration at the inauguration, they put out the call for weed donations, and they were overwhelmed at the response. The group has collectively rolled more than 5,500 joints, many of them rolled on TIME magazines to keep the cannabis off the tablecloth. Schiller himself has rolled 200 of those, at 55 seconds apiece.

They say the demonstration is all about cannabis reform and not about politics. DCMJ has repeatedly demonstrated outside the White House for Obama to re-schedule marijuana out of Schedule I, but they never made much progress. The group hopes Trumps presidency might be a chance for a new start.

After seven marijuana initiatives passed around the country in November (in Massachusetts, Nevada, Maine and California, among others,) some drug reform advocates hope that reforms on the state level might trigger a federal shift. With 29 states legalizing medical marijuana and eight legalizing recreational use, some hope the federal government wont be far behind. But Trumps Attorney General pick Jeff Sessions has been loudly opposed to marijuana legalization, and Mike Pence is skeptical about cannabis reform. Trump himself has expressed support for medical marijuana use, but has said the rest should be decided state by state.

We really believed that Obama would do something while he had the power to do something, and he never did, Schiller says. So now we really hope Trump will do what Obama didnt.
Two new studies out this week highlight the growing danger of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to global health.

The most alarming finding was that one type of dangerous bacteria could be spreading more rapidlyand mutating fasterthan previously recognized, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Jan. 16.

The bacteria in question is called "carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae," or CRE for short, and can cause serious infections throughout the body, including in the lungs, bladder, bloodstream, and skin.

The infections, which mostly occur in medical facilities, are often hard to treator are even untreatablebecause the bacteria are resistant to many antibiotics.

Just last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that a Nevada woman in her 70s had died after being infected with a "nightmare bacteria" (a type of CRE) resistant to all antibiotics.

Then yesterday, the New England Journal of Medicine published findings from research conducted in South Africa showing that a strain of tuberculosis immune to most antibiotics spreads more easily than previously thought. That's concerning because the antibiotic-resistant form of tuberculosiswhich is rare in the U.S.though deadly, was not previously considered highly contagious.

Although the deadly strain of tuberculosis has not yet made it to the U.S., the spread of the disease in South Africa is an important reminder that we need to take precautions to contain CRE now, before it too mutates to become more contagious.

Most people who become infected with CRE encounter the bug in hospitals or long-term-care facilities, says Lisa McGiffert, director of Consumer Reports Safe Patient Project.

Our healthcare facilities are our firstand possibly our onlyline of defense, says McGiffert. This research underscores how critically important it is for them to take concrete steps now to contain these deadly superbugs before they spread more widely.

Story continues

Choose a Cleaner Hospital

There are several steps you can take during a hospital stay to help prevent infections from CRE and other disease-causing germs. A Consumer Reports' investigation reveals that some hospitals do a much better job than others at meeting the best practice standards necessary to stop the spread of bacteria and prevent infection.

The first step is to choose a facility that is scrupulous about cleanliness and infection control and that has an antibiotic stewardship program to make sure that these drugs are used appropriately, says McGiffert.

Overuse of antibiotics is a common problem in hospitals and an important contributor to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as CRE, she says. (You can check our ratings to see how hospitals in your community compare in their ability to prevent infections.)

Tell your doctor whether youve been treated in a hospital or other healthcare facility in the last few years. If it was in an area where CRE bacteria are known to be more prevalent, or where theres been an outbreak of infections, your doctor should do a simple test (an anal swab) to check to see whether you are a carrier of CRE bacteria.

If it turns out that you are a CRE carrier, the hospital staff should take special precautions to protect you from developing an active infection and to prevent the bacteria from spreading to other patients, says Maroya Walters, Ph.D., an epidemiologist with the CDCs Division for Healthcare Quality Promotion. That includes putting you in a private room, she says, and always using gowns and gloves when treating you.

Protect Yourself in the Hospital

During your hospital stay, take the following steps to help prevent infection from CRE or other bacteria:

Insist on cleanliness. Ask to have your room cleaned if it looks dirty. Bring bleach wipes for bed rails, doorknobs, and the TV remote. Insist that everyone who enters your room wash his or her hands. Keep your own hands clean, washing regularly with soap and water.

Question antibiotics. Make sure that any antibiotics prescribed to you in the hospital are needed and appropriate for your infection.

Watch out for heartburn drugs. Medications such as the proton pump inhibitors Nexium or Prilosec increase the risk of a common and sometimes deadly infection from the bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. diff) by reducing stomach acid that normally helps keep the bug in check. So ask whether the drug is needed and, if so, request the lowest dose for the shortest possible time.

Ask every day whether catheters, ventilators, or other tubes can be removed. The risk of infection increases the longer they are left in place.

Say no to razors. If you need to be shaved, use an electric hair remover, not a razor, because any nick can provide an opening for infection.

Once home, you should be alert for signs of a possible infection. If you develop flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills, diarrhea, worsening pain, or areas of swelling, redness, or soreness, contact your healthcare provider right away.

CRE: An Incredibly Tricky Bug

Perhaps most worrisome is evidence from the PNAS study that CRE bacteria can pass from person to person undetected. It seems that some people can carry the bug without getting sick, and spread it to others they come in contact with, says William Hanage, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and senior author on the study.

That means, he says, that CRE bacteria may not be confined to outbreaks of infections in hospitals but are likely to be far more widespread in the community than once thought.

For the study, researchers from Harvard University, MIT, and other institutions tested patients at four hospitalsthree in the Boston area and one in Californiaover a period of 16 months.

Their findings paint a more complete picture of a superbug that is incredibly diverse and tricky, Hanage says.

[CRE bacteria] have more ways of fending off antibiotics than we had suspected, he says. And the genetic material that holds the key to that resistance can be easily transferred to other bugs so that they become antibiotic-resistant, too.

Those tricks were what allowed the type of bacteria that killed the woman in Nevada to become invincible.

Keeping a Rare Bug From Spreading

Currently, CRE infections are relatively uncommon. This antibiotic-resistant bacteria is responsible for 9,300 infections and 600 deaths each year in the U.S., according to the CDC. Most of those people infected by it were vulnerable because they were already sick or had a compromised immune system, says the CDC's Walters.

It's also important to note that the virulent strain of CRE that is immune to all antibiotics is exceedingly rare.

In a way, its hopeful news that there have only been a handful of cases of CRE resistant to everything weve got, because that means that there's still time to keep it from becoming a more common problem, says Walters. But it also serves as a tragic reminder of what the future can bring if we don't contain this now.

Editor's Note: This article and related materials are made possible by a grant from the state Attorney General Consumer and Prescriber Education Grant Program, which is funded by the multistate settlement of consumer-fraud claims regarding the marketing of the prescription drug Neurontin (gabapentin).





More from Consumer Reports:

Top pick tires for 2016

Best used cars for $25,000 and less

7 best mattresses for couples





Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright  2006-2017 Consumers Union of U.S.
Updated at 3 p.m. ET

One of the hallmarks of Americas supposed exceptionalism is its citizens extraordinary optimism. A 2014 study found that Americans were more likely to describe their day as "particularly good" than any rich European country. Nothing reflects this sunniness like the enduring parable of the American Dream, the idea that, only in America, even the poorest can transform their fortunes through hard work.

But there is a dark and deeply ironic element to American dreaminess. Americans are too optimistic about the odds of poor citizens getting richer relative to actual mobility in the U.S., according to a new paper by the economists Alberto Alesina, Stefanie Stantcheva, and Edoardo Teso. As a result, Americans are less likely to support large federal anti-poverty programsprograms that would actually help the American Dream become reality for more peoplesince they believe that they are already living among throngs of Horatio Algers.

Recommended: Presidents Aren't CEOs

In Europe, the opposite is true. Citizens of France, Italy, and Sweden are far more pessimistic about social mobility, the study found, and those pessimists are far more supportive of welfare policies. Even within these countries, the pessimistic respondents tend to favor more generous [welfare]. So, while Americans see their economy as a meritocracy, in which both rich and poor deserve their fates, Europeans see their economies more like lotteries, in which the poor are unlucky through little fault of their own. Poverty isnt what they deserve, but rather what they were born into. Instead, what they deserve is help.

Here, then, is the ultimate irony. Social mobility is actually higher in Europe than in America. The biggest difference between the U.S. and similar European countries is the intergenerational mobility of the very poor. In America, they are locked in a quasi-permanent state of poverty, unable to move into the middle class. The U.S.s quasi-religious faith in social mobility makes many Americans allergic to welfare, even though welfare is essential to making a society more socially mobile. The American Dreams true believers, blinded by their own optimism, destroy the dream itself.

Story continues

This dynamicgenerous pessimists vs. laissez-faire optimistsis on display often in the news. Senator Bernie Sanders championed universal health care and education along with more cash assistance for the poor. He defended these views by arguing that the economic system was rigged by the plutocratic few against the public. On the other hand, one of the sunniest warriors on the right, Paul Ryan, is an advocate for smaller government, fewer regulations, less health care. He says welfare doesn't work and only smaller government will help the poor get ahead.

Recommended: Do Regulations Really Kill Jobs?

And then there is Donald Trump, scrambler of all ideological orthodoxies. Trump has been a fount of gloomy proclamations about economics, trade, work, and Americas future. These warnings arent always comprised of facts. For example, he recently said that nearly 100 million Americans are out of work, a figure composed mostly of retired people. The real figure is closer to 5 million.

But as Alesina and other economists have shown, there may be a surprising and positive side-effect of the pessimism channeled by Trump. When people stop thinking that they live in a natural meritocracy, they tend to support more welfare spendingwhich, ironically, has the effect of improving social mobility for the very poor. If Trump can persuade conservatives that the economy is inherently unfair, he may help break the fever dream of American optimism and the right-wings faith that getting government out of the way is sufficient for helping the poorest.

Attitudes toward social mobility arent the only factor that determines welfare policy. Something else that clearly constrains support for anti-poverty spending in America is race. Americas historical skepticism of welfare is inseparable from its legacy of states rights and racism. As The Washington Posts Jeff Guo writes, it's possible that racial animosity drives attitudes toward both social mobility and welfare and "some may shelter in the idea of the 'American Dream' to justify their opposition to redistribution." Indeed, the Alesina paper found that, although liberals' support for welfare increased as they became more pessimistic about social mobility, right-wing respondents did not favor more welfare when they were told that social mobility was actually much lower than they expected. For some, "meritocracy" may be a cover for right-wingers who neither want to acknowledge persistent poverty among non-white citizens nor do anything to fix it.

Recommended: Live Coverage of the Presidential Inauguration

The broader lesson is that social-mobility optimism is neither panacea nor poison but rather, like most medicine, something that requires a measured application. Ideally, Americans would maintain a culture of personal optimismwhere each individual young person is motivated to work hard, believing that he or she can achieve their own definition of professional successwith a kind of public realism, which acknowledges that pure meritocracy is a myth, social mobility is not a natural state, and there is no shame in using government programs to correct the hardships life brings. But Americans will have to part with their uplifting overconfidence in their own nations perfect meritocracy. If Americans want to live the dream, they have to wake up first.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.


Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Among the most influential women in the world, it's safe to say that Amal Clooney was in good company Tuesday night. The esteemed human rights lawyer and her Hollywood husband George Clooney attended the Women of Impact dinner hosted by publisher Tina Brown in Davos, Switzerland, where the World Economic Forum is hosting its annual meeting.

People reports that Amal and her Nobel Peace Prize-nominated client, Nadia Murad, were guests of honor at the star-studded dinner. Among the topics of discussion: Murad's harrowing story. In 2014 she was taken prisoner by ISIS after her mother and brothers were executed. A former sex slave for an ISIS commander, Murad convinced Amal to bring the terrorist network to court.



Credit: David Biedert

In contrast to the weighty purpose of the event, Amal looked flawless as usual in a shimmery, cream, separates-style ensemble. A knee-length pleated skirt showed off the 38-year-old's legs, which were highlighted by a pair of olive pointed-toe pumps. George, dressed in all-black, beamed with pride as he posed for pictures beside her. Also in attendance: Vice President Joe Biden, who looked thrilled to spend time with the couple.

VIDEO: George & Amal Clooney's Cutest Couple Moments

RELATED: Amal Clooney Gets Her Career Ambition (and Fashion Sense) from Her Mom

In a September interview with Cynthia McFadden of NBC News, Clooney says that before taking on Murad's case she discussed the idea with her husband. "We are aware of some of the risks involved ... he met Nadia too, and I think he was moved for the same reasons, he understood ... this is my work," she explained at the time.
Conakry (AFP) - Clashes between supporters of Guinea's ruling party and opposition activists left at least one dead and more than 80 wounded, a charity said, as tension mounts ahead of next week's presidential election.

Authorities declared a curfew across the southwestern city of N'Zerekore after fighting gripped the city late into Saturday night, the second major outbreak of violence in the run-up to the October 11 polls.

"Our teams, working with the Guinean Red Cross, helped the medical team at the regional hospital of N'Zerekore to care for around 80 people injured by gunshots or rocks," said Olivier van Eyll, the head of medical charity Alima's Guinea mission.

"Unfortunately there was a death among the wounded," he told AFP.

The higher toll comes after a hospital source earlier told AFP at least 16 people were admitted to hospital with bullet wounds following the unrest, while six others came in with injuries caused by sticks and stones.

A source in another hospital spoke of "around a dozen young people" injured.

The violence in Guinea's second-largest city comes after at least 17 people were wounded in clashes between rival factions in the northern town of Koundara in late September, according to witnesses and security sources.

The trouble began in N'Zerekore on Friday afternoon during a visit by President Alpha Conde, who is seeking re-election, and his supporters.

Local traders, many of whom belong to the Fulani ethnic group, traditionally loyal to opposition challenger Cellou Dalein Diallo, were angered when they were asked to close their shops for his arrival.

"That's what lit the fire," a local police official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Local residents confirmed his version of events. "Stones were thrown and there are numerous injuries on both sides," one witness said.

Government officials and local authorities were not immediately available for comment.

Eight contenders -- including Conde and Diallo -- have been approved as candidates for the country's second democratic presidential election.

Guinea's opposition on Thursday called for the vote to be postponed until later in October to allow the electoral commission to correct "anomalies and irregularities in the electoral roll".
LAGOS (Reuters) - A Nigerian air strike that killed more than 70 people and wounded at least 120 in a refugee camp hit areas of a town that were densely populated, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday, citing reviews of satellite images. The New York-based group said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) should have known the area targeted was filled with civilians. The NAF declined to comment and said it was studying the report. Tuesday's accidental air strike hit Rann in Borno state, the epicenter of Boko Haram's seven-year-long attempt to create an Islamic caliphate in the northeast. Nine aid workers were among the dead. At least 35 structures, including shelters for people who had fled the conflict with Boko Haram, were destroyed in the attack, Human Rights Watch's statement said. "The presence of what appears to be a large Nigerian military compound on the edge of town, 100 meters from one of the impact sites, raises further questions," said the group. "The military would have been expected to know that the area was filled with civilians and to take adequate precautions not to harm them during any operation targeting Boko Haram fighters who might have been in the area." The NAF has said civilians were accidentally killed and wounded in the attack, which was aimed at the jihadist group, but neither it nor the government has provided an official figure for the number of casualties. The NAF said in a statement earlier on Thursday it would form a board of senior officers to investigate the air strike and prevent similar future accidents. The board aims for the report to be submitted no later than Feb. 2. Human Rights Watch said the bombing could violate international humanitarian law, because, while not intentional, it may have been indiscriminate. The strike followed a military offensive against Boko Haram in the last few weeks. The group's insurgency has killed more than 15,000 people since 2009 and forced some two million to flee their homes, many of whom have moved to camps for internally displaced people. (Reporting by Ulf Laessing; Additional reporting by Tife Owolabi in Yenagoa; Writing by Paul Carsten; editing by Ralph Boulton)
The incoming commander-in-chief has jawboned Boeing over the cost of building a next-generation Air Force One and trash-talked the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. But that hasnt stopped defense stocks from soaring as the new administration prepares to take office.

Related: Trump Blows the Whistle on Boeings $3.2 Billion Air Force One Contract

Since the beginning of October and through early January, Americas 51 largest publicly traded defense and aerospace contractors saw their collective market share increase by $49 billion, up 11 percent overall, according to analysis by the Washington Business Journal. The biggest gainers include Atec, up 47 percent, Mechanical Technology, up 45 percent, and CPI Aerostructures, up 36 percent.

The largest contractor, Boeing, with a market cap of $97.7 billion, closed at $158.32 a share on Wednesday. That is a gain of more than 16 dollars a share since Election Day  and even after president-elect Donald Trump criticized the multibillion-dollar price tag on new presidential planes Boeing is building.

On Tuesday, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg conferred with the president-elect at Trump Tower  his second meeting -- and emerged saying that he had an "excellent conversation" with Trump that could lead to a deal "in the very near term," Reuters reported.

Lockheed Martin, however, hasnt fared as well as other aerospace and defense contractors: It closed at $254.07 Wednesday, up just 61 cents since Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. But Trump had especially harsh words for the company, tweeting in early December: The F-35 program and cost is out of control. Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th. And the head of BAE Systems, which is involved in the F-35 program, said at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this week that Trump wants a 10 percent reduction in costs.

Lockheed Martin is responding to Trumps pronouncements. On Jan. 13, Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson said after talking with Trump for a second time that the company was close to a new contract that would cut the cost of the F-35 program and create new jobs, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Story continues

Related: Day of the Generals: Trumps Tilt Toward the Military

Beyond the apparent willingness of both defense companies and the incoming administration to work together, investors in defense stocks may be buoyed by Trumps appointment of so many former military officers to his administration, including National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, the former general whose consulting firm had deep ties to defense contractors.

But perhaps the biggest factors driving the run-up are Trumps campaign promises to rebuild American military might and his pledge to eliminate the defense sequester  automatic caps on spending put into place in 2011.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain referred to that pledge last weekend as he released a proposed $640 billion defense budget for fiscal 2018  some $54 billion higher than what had been put forward by outgoing President Barack Obama.

According to The Hill, McCains proposal combined with a projected $60 billion for a war fund known as the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account would jack the defense budget up to a total of about $700 billion.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Photo credit: Vanda Electrics

From Road & Track

If you haven't heard of Singapore's Vanda Electrics yet, don't blame yourself. I'm only their seventh subscriber on YouTube. So far, the company has come up up with an electric truck with a range of approximately 62 miles and a top speed of 24 mph, and an urban scooter called the MotoChimp. Both that and the Ant Truck are still in the prototype stage.

Photo credit: Vanda Electrics

Sounds bumpy? No matter! Instead of worrying about their sales prospects, Vanda is now taking about a hundred and fifty steps forward, teaming up with Williams Advanced Engineering to create an electric hypercar concept for the Geneva Motor Show in March. And if the Dendrobium concept somewhat reminds you of the already-sold-out Red Bull-Aston Martin hypercar designed by Adrian Newey, it's because both cars use F1 aerodynamics, something Williams knows all about.

Photo credit: Vanda Electronics

The English engineering powerhouse is also one of the leading experts in composite, drivetrain and battery technologies, and most importantly, the firm that built the Jaguar C-X75 concept, constructing ten working prototypes.

Now, the stage is set for them to turn an even more ambitious plan into something lightning quick, since Vanda wants to put this halo car into limited production by 2018.

[contentlinks align="left" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related%20Story" customtitles="Driving%20A%20Rimac%20Concept%20One%20After%20A%20Bugatti%20Veyron" customimages="" content="article.32217"]

Freshly appointed Vanda CEO Larissa Tan had this to add about this Singaporean dream:

"The future is electric. Vanda Electrics is an exciting company that is established in innovation and design, while collaborating with leading engineering partners to produce ground-breaking electric vehicles. Our world is changing and forcing consumer patterns to change faster than we can imagine, taking the car industry with it."

Alright. Our bodies are ready for all the lateral acceleration these electric supercar startups can throw at us.

Story continues

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Newly released police documents reveal how a series of anonymous tips, beginning in August, led investigators to solve the 18-year mystery of Kamiyah Mobleys disappearance.

Mobley was just eight hours old when authorities claim that Gloria Williams, posing as a health care worker, stole her from a Jacksonville, Florida, hospital in July 1998. On Friday, investigators said Mobley had been found in Walterboro, South Carolina, living under a false identity apparently created for her following her abduction.

Williams, 51, was arrested on a kidnapping charge the same day.

The case started to crack when the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received two anonymous tips about Mobley, according to Williams arrest warrant affidavit, which was obtained by PEOPLE.

According to the first tip, sent to the center on Aug. 8, Mobley told a friend that she had been abducted as a baby. The tip said that the victim is currently named Alexis Kelli Manigo, the affidavit states.

Three months later, on Nov. 8, the center received a second tip from an unnamed person who claimed Williams had allegedly admitted to the kidnapping, according to the affidavit. The suspect stated that she renamed the victim as Alexis Kelli Manigo, and claims her as her daughter.

Jacksonville sheriffs detectives opened up an investigation and arrived in Walterboro on Jan. 10, after which they obtained Mobleys birth certificate and Social Security card from her high school, the affidavit states.

Mobleys birth certificate was a fraud and her Social Security number was taken from a Virginia man who died in 1983, according to the affidavit. One of Mobleys friends previously told PEOPLE the teen learned of her true identity two years ago, when she tried to get a job and was asked for her identifying paperwork.

Lexy didnt have that, so she asked Ms. Gloria for it and Ms. Gloria kept brushing it off, the friend, Arika Williams, claimed. Lexy kept being hard on her mother, like, Mama, where is my stuff? I want to get this job. Then Miss Gloria just broke down and told her, This is why right here, you cant do this. I kidnapped you. 

Story continues

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

A witness who spoke with detectives in Walterboro also said Gloria had confessed approximately a year and a half ago to abducting Mobley from the hospital, the arrest warrant affidavit alleges.

Another witness told detectives Alexis Manigo told her that she had been kidnapped and that Williams told her she was Kamiyah Mobley, according to the affidavit.

We Dont Know Exactly What She Knew

Despite the dramatic announcements this week in the nearly two-decades-old case, several questions remain unanswered.

We dont know exactly what she knew, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams told PEOPLE of Mobley. We know that obviously there was conversation about her maybe not being daughter. Did she confess completely to her, or did she just give her pieces of it? We are not quite sure at this point.

Sheriff Williams said they are still working out what led to the abduction: We dont know the answer to that, as to why did it, and we dont know if she told .

 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.

Mobley has defended Gloria, who she grew up believing was her mom. The teen told ABC News, She loved me for 18 years. She raised me for 18 years  I will always love her.

From that one mistake, I was given the best life. I was. I had everything I ever needed, wanted. I had love especially, Mobley said. I understand what she did was wrong, but just dont lock her up and throw away the key like everything she did was just awful.

Mobley met her biological parents for the first time on Saturday at the Walterboro Police Department, WCSC reported.

I feel like I do owe them that, to give them a chance, you know? Get to know them, Mobley told ABC News. Im not saying they werent going to be good parents. Im not saying that at all. But it would have been a different life.

She added: When you find out youve got another family out there, its just more love.

Arika Williams, Mobleys friend, told PEOPLE that after Mobley learned the truth of her abduction, she started looking up stories about the case and allegedly called her birth mother.

She said she heard her voice and she hung up, Arika said.

Arika said Mobley eventually just let it go.

Gloria is all she knows. That is mama to her, she said. That is who raised her to who she is now. And no matter what, that will always be mama to her.

Suspected Kidnapper Appears in Court

On Wednesday, Gloria made her first court appearance in Florida on charges of first-degree kidnapping and third-degree custodial interference.

During the brief hearing, no bond was set on the kidnapping charge and a $503,000 bond was set on the interference charge. Gloria remains in custody in the Duval County Jail.

She did not enter a plea. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 8.

It was not immediately clear if she has retained an attorney. The lawyer with her in court Friday did not immediately respond to a request for comment.




The French presidential election in May has become surprisingly important, coming as it does on the heels of Brexit, Donald Trumps victory in November, and a surge of support for right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen. But, not for the first time in French history, the Left is divided, making it unlikely that the ruling Socialist Party will even be in the final round of the presidential election.

The Socialist Party will hold the first round of its primary on Sunday, so voters can choose which Socialist candidate to promote to the second round of nationwide presidential voting, and then onto the big contest in April and May. The primary winner will likely be former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. But thats not likely to matter at all  Socialists are not expected to muster enough support to even make it to the second round.

The Socialists are one of two major political parties in France; Republicans are the other. Francois Fillon, the French Thatcherite, shocking many, grabbed leadership of the Republicans in November. He is expected to advance to the second round of voting in the presidential election, slated for May 2017. The Socialist candidate, whoever it may be, is not.

Instead, polls (whatever theyre worth) show Fillon and Le Pen, leader of Frances far-right National Front, making it to the second round of the presidential election. Only the top two candidates advance. Both are polling ahead of the entire left side of the political spectrum, which is shattered right now. There is the far left, led by Jean-Luc Melenchon; the soon-to-be-seen Socialist candidate; and the center-left and increasingly popular maverick, Emmanuel Macron.

The irony of all this is that if you bundle together the left, you get well over 40 percent, noted Marc Pierini, a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe. And yet they wont be in the second round of elections.

Macron, who openly champions Europe, is outpacing his fellow leftists and surging in the polls, but still trails Le Pen and Fillon. And his fellow lefties are unlikely to throw their support behind him as their standard bearer. Melenchon hates the establishment too much, while Socialists worry that withdrawing their candidate would be tantamount to killing the party, Pierini says.

Story continues

On the other hand, says Benjamin Haddad, a fellow at the Hudson Institute who is involved with the Macron campaign, a dismal overall fourth- or fifth-place showing would pretty much kill the party as well.

Experts like Europeums Martin Michelot say Macron himself has weakened, if not yet fatally, the Socialist Party. Though never a party member, he did once serve in a Socialist government as minister of finance. But he skipped the Socialist Party primary, moving ahead with his own, independent movement, known as En Marche (Foward). He is holding parallel meetings, collecting Socialist deputies who are defecting, and painting himself as a political outsider who nevertheless has the support of the chattering classes.

Macron, unlike the Socialists, could theoretically win the election  and is running as though hell do just that. On Thursday, he announced En Marche will field candidates in the June parliamentary elections, including Socialist defectors to ensure a legislative majority, to boot.

While Le Pen drags Fillon further and further right, Macron is hoping to capture the center ground and present himself as her true challenger. Both see the cleavage in France  as it is elsewhere  as being between progress and openness, on the one hand, or inward-looking and protectionist on the other. Macron and Le Pen just happen to be on opposite sides of that divide.

But the headwinds he faces are strong. French voters are sick of Socialists after five dismal years under the ridiculously-unpopular Francois Hollande. And like voters seemingly everywhere, theyre sick of the status quo and establishment politicians. All that is keeping Macron, despite his sunny narrative and plenty of Socialist support, behind Fillon and Le Pen.

The stakes are high, and not just for France. Le Pen has campaigned on an anti-immigrant, anti-Europe, and anti-euro policy. If she wins, Pierini says, she will crash France into a wall.

Photo credit: ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP/Getty Images
Nairobi (AFP) - The first patient Cynthia Waliaula lost was a baby who stopped breathing while she carried him in her arms through the hospital, desperately trying to find an oxygen tank.

Barely out of medical school, the bright-eyed young doctor quickly learned that many of the techniques she had spent five years studying meant nothing in a world where there was neither equipment nor drugs.

Waliaula, 25, is one of thousands of Kenyan public sector doctors currently engaged in the country's longest-ever medical strike which has dragged on for the last month and a half, demanding a tripling of salaries and better working conditions.

"When you graduate you are really excited. You are just ready to go out into the world but you get there and you realise a lot of things you were taught aren't there," she told AFP.

She said the three-month-old baby who died in her arms had pneumonia and was malnourished, but could easily have been saved with the right treatment. However, at the time, her hospital in the central Kenyan town of Isiolo had only two oxygen tanks.

"I think every Kenyan doctor has had to decide who gets oxygen. You are forced to play god."

- Cellphone torch surgery -

Waliaula's harrowing tales of working without even basic drugs, such as penicillin, are not isolated cases in the public sector. Meanwhile, Kenya's private hospitals -- unaffordable to much of the population -- are some of the best on the continent.

This week Kenyan doctors took to Twitter in a bid to explain why they are digging their heels in while public hospitals are paralysed by the strike, and why they refused a 40-percent pay rise offer.

Under the hashtag #MyBadDoctorExperience, the medics recounted experiences of being forced to work without drugs, gloves or electricity and under severe staff shortages that left many on the verge of collapse.

One Twitter user, a doctor who gave only his first name, Anthony, told AFP he had once been in the middle of a Caesarean section when the lights went out.

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"The back-up generator was out of fuel. We ended up using a Nokia phone flashlight (as the) torch available had expired batteries."

At the root of the doctors' strike is a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) agreed between government and the unions in 2013.

- More than money -

The document promises interns, like Waliaula, will see their basic salaries increase from a minimum $346 (323 euros) to $1,038, while salaries of the highest level doctors will increase from a minimum $1,400 to $4,300 -- with added allowances.

While the government says the document is still being fine-tuned, unions say it is a legal deal that they want implemented immediately.

"The thing people don't realise is... we are fighting for more than just salaries," said Waliaula.

The CBA also promises doctors continued training, a research fund, proper equipment and support staff. It additionally caps working hours at 40 hours a week and provides for overtime.

Poor salaries and working conditions have pushed Kenyan doctors to flee the public sector or go to other countries where there are better opportunities.

"There is a huge labour deficit. It's insane, on a weekend we will be two interns running an entire hospital. I have done a call where I didn't sleep for 48 hours and in the middle of a C-section I started shaking. That shouldn't happen," said Waliaula.

Kenya's main doctors' union, KMPDU, says Kenya has one doctor to 17,000 patients, while the World Health Organization recommends one to 1,000.

- Wasted public money -

The government has threatened to arrest union officials if they don't return to work next week, as well as fire all striking doctors, but Waliaula said they would not budge until there was commitment to real change in the sector.

It has said its offer of a 40-percent pay rise would cost it an additional $38 million a year and was "a responsible offer in the context of its obligations to properly manage the country's finances."

However this argument has fallen on deaf ears.

Waliaula said she was initially opposed to the strike, until she woke up the day it started to a headline about millions of dollars that had gone missing in the country's latest corruption scandal.

Then over Christmas, lawmakers awarded themselves each $100,000 as an exit package ahead of 2017 elections.

"It makes me so angry, there is so much money going around. How come there is money for you, but there is no money for me?"
President-elect Donald Trump and his daughter, Ivanka. (Photo: Getty Images)

In a 2008 press conference ahead of launching the Trump International Hotel in Chicago, Ivanka Trump took credit for her hand in the Spa at Trump.

I was involved in every detail of making sure the spa was the best Chicago has to offer, she told a group of reporters.

Ivanka said she curated unique spa treatments, oversaw the creation of the spas proprietary services, and entered a strategic alliance with Kate Somerville, a Los Angeles-based beauty brand now owned by Unilever, in which Somerville created a line of treatments for Trump spas.

Fast-forward nearly a decade later, and Ivanka has moved on from speaking about her involvement with hotel spas to stamping her name on them. At the two newest Trump International Hotels in Vancouver and Washington, D.C., the spas arent at Trump; rather, they are the Spa by Ivanka Trump.

Washingtons Spa by Ivanka Trump opened to hotel guests on Monday, only five days before Donald Trump will be sworn into office. Despite the new branding, Ivanka has said shell step away from her fashion label, as well as her fathers businesses, vowing to take a formal leave of absence from both.

(Photo: Courtesy of Trump Washington DC Instagram)

While there are no public plans to sell the licensing rights to the Ivanka Trump brand, its unclear what the Ivanka name really means to those who buy in to Trump luxury.

A spokesperson for the Trump Hotel in Washington declined to comment on whether Ivanka has been involved or to provide other details about the spa. While the hotel spa is open for guests, the public wont be able to book appointments until after Jan. 23, according to a hotel employee.

The website of the Trump International Hotel in D.C. is vague about the Spa by Ivanka Trump. It includes a tab to explore spa services and the fitness center but offers no information, aside from generalities like luxury treatments and relaxing massages. As for Kate Somerville, a spokesperson for the brand says it is no longer in Trump spas as of 2015.

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Yahoo Beauty obtained a spa guide and price list for the Spa by Ivanka. It includes a quote attributed to Ivanka which reads, Its not about a work-life balance. Its about seizing moments as they come.

And seize those moments you may! That is, if youre willing to spend. A manicure-pedicure costs $90, and an hourlong massage costs $165. Thats on par with prices at the Four Seasons in Washington, where a 50-minute Swedish massage costs $155.

Under the Gentlemens Studio services, men can opt for an executive facial ($175 for an hour) or a sports massage ($185 for an hour).

Ivanka Trump introduces the Trump National Doral Miami spa in April 2016. (Photo: Getty Images)

The prices at the Spa by Ivanka are also comparable to those at the Trump Spa Chicago, though theres nothing as expensive in D.C. as Chicagos $750 two-hour couples retreat.

Only recently opened, the Ivanka Spa in D.C. has no reviews on popular websites, such as Yelp. The Spa at Trump Chicago has 3.5 of five stars and 65 reviews on the site, most of which say the experience was fine until you consider the price point.

To be fair, there are reviews from satisfied clients raving about the services, despite the high prices. Keep in mind, too, that these are online reviews, which you should read with some skepticism.

Whether more Ivanka spas will pop up in Trump hotels or shell have a hand in them, no one knows. But theres one thing you can count on: The Ivanka Trump spa experience doesnt come cheap.

Related:

Women Are Getting Plastic Surgery to Look Like Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Trumps Ultimate Beauty Secrets

Alexandra Mondalek is a writer for Yahoo Style and Beauty. Follow her on Twitter @amondalek.

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.




Los Angeles (AFP) - Animal lovers on Wednesday called for a boycott of the upcoming movie "A Dog's Purpose" after video footage emerged of an apparently terrified canine being forced into rushing water on the set.

The 2015 video, published by the celebrity website TMZ, shows a German Shepherd struggling to get away from his handler at the edge of a pool with swirling water.

"He ain't gonna calm down till he goes in the water, you just gotta throw him in," someone is heard saying on the video, as the dog claws at the edges of the pool and is finally pushed into the turbulent water.

The one-minute video, shot during the movie's production near Winnipeg, Canada, ends with the dog going under the surface after running into the wall of the pool. Crew members are then seen rushing to recover the animal.

Animal rights groups expressed outrage over the footage and urged a boycott of the movie as many took to social media to express their anger.

"PETA is calling on dog lovers to boycott the film in order to send the message that dogs and other animals should be treated humanely, not as movie props," Lisa Lange, vice president for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, told AFP.

Canada-based group Animal Justice said it had filed a complaint with authorities calling for the filmmakers to be charged with animal cruelty.

"It is illegal to inflict suffering and anxiety onto animals, and there is no loophole that lets Hollywood moviemakers get away with abusing animals on a film set," said Camille Labchuk, the group's executive director.

American Humane, the organization that oversees animal safety during filming, said it was investigating the incident and had suspended its representative who was on the set.

In a series of tweets, the movie's director Lasse Hallstrom said he was disturbed by the footage and had not witnessed the incident.

"We were all committed to providing a loving and safe environment for all the animals in the film," he said, adding that he had been promised a thorough investigation and that anyone found guilty of wrongdoing would be punished.

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Officials at producer Amblin Entertainment and distributor Universal Pictures, which is releasing the movie starring Dennis Quaid on January 27, could not be reached for comment.

But in a joint statement to local media they insisted that the production team had adhered to "rigorous protocols" to ensure the safety of the animals.

They added that the dog in question, named Hercules, was "happy and healthy."
I spent a fair amount of the holiday break being asked whether Donald Trump could start a nuclear war with his Twitter account. I couldnt think of more than two ways that The Donald might get us all killed. Of course, thats two ways too many, but count your blessings it isnt more.

But there are plenty of conceivable Trump-triggered events that, while falling well short of a nuclear war, are still awful to contemplate. To wit: President-elect of the United States  PEOTUS, sounds like Pee-Otus  might have already Twitter-baited North Korea into testing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of delivering a nuclear warhead all the way to Washington.

OK, Donald, you tweeted us into this. Now lets see if you can tweet us out of it.

First things first: Despite what you might have read in the press, Kim Jong Un did not announce that North Korea would test an ICBM in 2017. What Kim did do was give a speech on New Years Day in which he devoted a long section to patting himself on the back for all the marvelous successes, one after another that he oversaw in 2016, including two nuclear tests and having entered the final stage of preparation for the test launch of intercontinental ballistic missile.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

We already knew that. The North Koreans made a really big deal about testing the engine for their future ICBM in April. I wrote a blog post about it. I probably would have written a Foreign Policy column, too, but I had just published one called America Is in Denial About North Koreas Nukes. I thought you had enough Kim Jong Un in your life. So weve been waiting for a North Korean ICBM test that can come at any time.

Later in the New Years speech  much later  Kim went all tough-guy. He vowed, We will continue to build up our self-defense capability, the pivot of which is the nuclear forces, and the capability for preemptive strike as long as the United States and its vassal forces keep on nuclear threat and blackmail and as long as they do not stop their war games they stage at our doorstep disguising them as annual events.

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In other words: If the United States doesnt make nice and suspend military exercises with South Korea we can expect more missile and nuclear tests. Thats actually fairly mundane stuff the North Koreans say all the time. You can read it as leaving the door open a crack for diplomacy, or you can see it as justifying the tests that the North Koreans are planning anyway. But it still doesnt amount to a new threat.

Of course, it is an obvious inference that North Korea might test an ICBM in 2017. We should probably expect an ICBM test to come sooner or later. But Kim didnt commit to an ICBM test in 2017. He indicated that one was possible. And he also restated North Koreas long-standing demands for reducing tensions. You dont have to think Kims offer is an appealing one or that he is sincere. Frankly, I have my doubts on both accounts. But he did make an offer.

That isnt what got reported of course. North Korea Will Test Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, Kim Says, blared the New York Times. The headline was a heck of a lot less careful than the story, by Choe Sang-Hun. Eventually, the editors toned down the headline, but too late. By that time, the damage was done. Kims speech wound its way through the news and social media, cut up and condensed into 140-character snippets like a modern-day game of telephone. In the end, his bland speech had been transformed into a grim promise to test a missile to reach U.S.

Enter The Donald. It wont happen! he tweeted.

In typical Trumpian fashion, he left the details for others to fill in. And the Wall Street Journals editorial page, Americas finest military planners, soon concluded that the United States should shoot down any North Korean ICBM missile test with ship-based missile defenses in the region.

Theres just one problem: They cant. I tried to explain all this in a big tweet-storm, but the short version is that the interceptors on U.S. Aegis destroyers are designed for much shorter-range missiles. The United States does have an interceptor in development that might have a shot at a North Korea ICBM, but its never been tested against a target. Even if we thought now was the time, wed have to get the North Koreans to tell us in advance about their launch and agree to do it in a way so that the ships could have a shot at it. Which doesnt seem very likely to me.

But the idea began to spread anyway. Defense Secretary Ash Carter was asked about the idea a couple of times. Carter repeated the same, purportedly reassuring talking points that every defense secretary of every party has repeated for as long as I can remember. The United States has a variety of defenses against North Koreas missiles. If they were launched against the United States or its allies, we would certainly shoot them down. Asked specifically about ICBM tests, Carter said that was another matter, later elaborating at a Pentagon news briefing that if a missile test wasnt threatening, the United States wont necessarily try to intercept it, because he wouldnt want to deplete interceptor inventories and would want to collect intelligence on the missile system. Somehow that turned into this:

Carter says U.S. would shoot down North Korea missiles as Beijing voices concern over ICBM test https://t.co/UbYOSoQ6Va  The Japan Times (@japantimes) January 9, 2017

And then Charles Krauthammer jumped into the fray, affirming that the United States should shoot down any ICBM test and adding if that wasnt possible, it was probably the fault of Democrats. Which was news to me, since I recall House Democrats trying to shift funding to ship-based missile-defense systems during the George W. Bush administration and the Obama administration replacing Bushs European missile defense architecture with a shore-based version of the Aegis system. But whatever, Chuck has his shtick.

And God forbid we shoot and miss. You can go ahead and imagine the panicked reactions in Washington, Tokyo, Seoul, and Pyongyang if we took a shot at the ICBM test and whiffed.

The whole policy debate has been an absurd carnival of panic, bellicosity, and partisanship. I cant help but think that Trump and his childish Twitter tantrums may not be the president I want, but hes the one we deserve.

As I said, Kim didnt promise to test an ICBM in 2017. If anything, he left that point ambiguous to see what offer Trump might make him. (The Art of the Deal, right?) But after all the manly-man talk in America about shooting down ICBMs, North Korea dutifully responded in kind, warning, The ICBM will be launched anytime and anywhere determined by the supreme headquarters of the DPRK [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea]. The article ended with a little shot at Trump: Anyone who wants to deal with the DPRK would be well advised to secure a new way of thinking after having clear understanding of it.

So, you know, that went really well.

As things stand, 2017 is on course to be an eventful year. North Korea made 2016 a record-setting year for nuclear and missile testing, but there is no reason to think that it cant break all those records. It certainly has a lot of options to make trouble. North Korea could conduct a space launch, something my colleagues in Monterey, California, think is looking likely based on the cosmetic changes occurring at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station. Or North Korea could conduct even more missile tests.

And then there is North Koreas nuclear test site. My colleagues and I built a three-dimensional model of the North Korean nuclear test site and guess what? It turns out North Korea is tunneling like there is no tomorrow. The test site is built for a lot more nuclear tests, tests that might be larger than you think. It isnt hard to see why former Defense Secretary Bill Perry has recently found himself explaining that, while he once suggested attacking North Koreas space launcher on the pad, today he would counsel a different course of action: diplomacy.

Here is the bad news. I dont think a diplomatic agreement is going to result in North Korea abandoning its nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles. As I have argued, the North Korean program is too far along and too important to the countrys propaganda to roll back for promises of better relations with the United States. But that doesnt mean the United States doesnt have an interest in freezing the program or just slowing it down. North Korea hasnt tested an ICBM. Its solid-fueled missile program is just getting going, and we arent facing a North Korean-staged thermonuclear device  yet. It can get so much worse.

So how about a timeout?

What if the incoming Trump administration offered to reduce in scope some military exercises in 2017  in exchange for North Korea agreeing not to test long-range missiles of any kind, including space launchers, or conduct nuclear explosions? North Korea has long complained about U.S.-South Korean military exercises  and not entirely without reason. (Ask a Georgian how Russias Kavkaz-2008 exercise ended.) As the Clinton administration neared a nuclear deal with North Korea, it suspended the old, annual Team Spirit exercise that so irritated North Korea. The United States continued other exercises, however, and, over time and as the relationship soured again, those exercises have grown larger and more  interesting. Today, it is not unusual for Key Resolve/Foal Eagle exercises to include the appearance of nuclear-capable bombers, something that was intended to irritate North Korea, and certainly succeeded.

North Koreas demand that the United States cancel all its exercises is a nonstarter, but Washington could offer further transparency and agree to some limits on their scale. There are lots of good reasons to do this, not least because the bomber appearances are losing their shock value. They have become a poor substitute for a strategy. We might as well get something for taking a break from them.

We dont have to work out all the details in advance. But the basic framework for a potential compromise is clear: scaling back the exercises in 2017 that Kim complained about in his speech for his agreement to refrain from nuclear and missile testing during the same period. It is a timeout to reduce tensions while Trump and Kim figure each other out.

The proposal doesnt have to be detailed. The Trump administration can start by endorsing the basic framework, then presenting it to the North Koreans.

In a tweet maybe.

Photo credit: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images
They dont see eye to eye with Donald Trump on Russia. They dont agree on trade or tariffs or the details of reworking the tax code. Theyve said his disregard for NATO is dangerous and called his immigration proposals political suicide.

And thats just the start of congressional Republicans sharp differences with the President-elect. Trumps plan to dole out a billion dollars in infrastructure spending, his promise to provide universal health care coverage, his commitment to bolstering entitlement programs instead of trimming themall of these ideas were anathema to conservatives during Barack Obamas administration.

But winning has done wonders for GOP flexibility. Many of the same Republicans who fought bitterly over the last eight years against policies Trump is touting seem ready to tolerate them for now. From right-wing think tanks to the leadership offices in the Capitol, the doctrinaire conservatism that Republicans invoked to oppose Obamas agenda has melted away amid giddy visions of all they can accomplish under one-party rule. Welcome to the dawn of a new unified Republican government, House Speaker Paul Ryan announced after Trumps surprise victory.

How long that unity will survive is a different story. As Trump prepares to be inaugurated on the west front of the Capitol on Friday, the biggest question looming over Washington is whether congressional Republicans will govern according to conservative principles or bend to the whims of an unorthodox new President with a sharp tongue and a fervent group of populist supporters. Fear and awe are powerful motivators.

There have been fitful signs of Republican resistance. Party veterans on Capitol Hill have sharply criticized the President-elects views on Russia and his criticism of the leaders of the U.S. intelligence community. Others have urged him to delete the Twitter account that he has used to litigate feuds with critics like Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat from Georgia and a civil-rights icon. Lonely constitutional conservatives have excoriated his policy proposals as fiscally irresponsible. We cant afford more spending and more debt, regardless of whether its demanded by a Democratic president or a Republican president, tweeted Michigan Republican Justin Amash, explaining why he would vote against the House GOPs bloated budget, which included instructions to begin the process of repealing Obamacare.

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Yet theres been no coherent chorus of Republican opposition. So far the GOP has largely stood behind Trumps Cabinet nominees. When tensions have flared, senior Trump advisers, congressional leaders and powerful outside groups with grand visions of reshaping Washington under unified GOP control have scrambled to douse the uprisings. Their pitch warns agitated conservatives to focus on the big picture. Long-cherished GOP goals such as tax reform and the repeal of the Affordable Care Act are at the top of the partys agenda and within striking distance. Trump has said he will nominate a conservative Supreme Court justice during his first two weeks in office. There are spoils to be collected.

The Republican donor class, most of which never embraced Trump, is holding its fire for now. Conservative kingpins like Charles and David Koch can only groan at Trumps intervention in corporate decisions. When Trump brags about cutting deals with corporate bosses that preserve American jobs, free-market industrials see an example of doling out corporate welfare. The Kochs sat out the 2016 presidential election but are unlikely to sit idly as Trump intervenes into individual boardrooms. And the Kochs have tremendous sway in the halls of Congressand not least because one of their longtime operatives, Vice President-elect Mike Pences former chief of staff, Marc Short, will be leading the White Houses relations with the legislative branch.

Privately, GOP lawmakers are burning up Pences phone, trying to suss out just how serious Trump is when he stakes out new ground on policyhow malleable he may prove. Pence is telling former House colleagues and friends in the Senate that the Trump Administration will not be cause for alarm. Similarly, incoming West Wing anchor Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law, has been taking calls from skittish Republicans about how Trump will navigate his first job in government. Incoming counselor Kellyanne Conway and chief of staff Reince Priebus have also been trying to ease allies fears.

Yet Trumps inner circlewhich includes few officials with senior-level experience in governmentknows the challenge ahead. They won the nomination and then the White House by rallying crowds against institutional Washington. Drain the swamp was a powerful slogan against the District of Columbia and its professional political class. Trumps voters will be looking to Trump to deliver on that promise. Yet delivering on his pledge to make America great again might hinge on how well the incoming administration can manage the levers of Washington power and massage the egos and political demands of his own party.

Trump has shown little deference to party principles. In an interview with TIME in November shortly after winning the White House, he professed a willingness to ignore years of GOP budget-consciousness in the name of fiscal stimulus. Sometimes you have to prime the pump, he said. It was an argument the GOP has spent the last eight years railing against.

Yet there are also signs that Trump is willing to yield to the legislative branchs wishes and the realities of governing. His massive infrastructure plan is being scaled back and delayed. Hes walking back criticism of House Republicans tax plans, and providing more GOP-friendly talking-points on his Obamacare replacement. There is nary a mention of that deportation force Trump wanted to deploy to move immigrants in this country illegally to the other side of that wall along the U.S.-Mexican border.

At the moment, Republicans have had muted responses to Trumps notions. But all relationships have a breaking point, and the unity that Republicans are trying to project may falter this spring when the White House and Congress start collaborating on a bill to keep the government open.

Trump already has tested the GOPs flexibility. Just ask the local elected officials who chose to ignore or excuse Trumps comments about women, Hispanics and policy. Without Trumps electoral movement energized, 2018s elections could end up a disappointing referendum on the President, and standing with arms linked with Trump may prove bad politicsespecially if Trumps movement stays home with their idol off the ballot.

While the control of Congress will almost certainly not be swayed in two years, a sour turnout would boost Democrats in a year where they are on the defensive. So while Trump may win in the short term, the victories may spell bigger losses for his party in the coming years.

With reporting by Zeke J. Miller
Presidential Inaugurations are generally austere and dignified events that showcase Americas new leadership and a historical change, but sometimes, the road is not without a few potholes.

Read: Bipartisan Folly: History's Most Memorable Political Convention Madness

The serious and important event has hit a few rough patches with scandal, many of which have gained little attention.

InsideEdition.com has taken a look back at the indignities surrounding some presidential swearing-in ceremonies, like Andrew Johnson delivering his vice presidential speech drunk and James Buchanans unfortunate case of dysentery while becoming commander-in-chief.

Washington Needed Dollar Bills to Get to the Inauguration

While George Washington's face currently resides on the $1 bill, it certainly wasn't the case when he needed money to make his swearing-in.

Thirteen years after America was founded, the nation elected its first president. In February 1789, all 69 presidential electors unanimously chose George Washington to be the countrys very first president. He beat John Adams and in April of that same year, he was to be inaugurated in New York.

But Washington, heavily in debt, had to borrow money to get to his own Inauguration because he did not have the income to pay for travel on his own, according to historical accounts.

The Brawl at the Ball

In March 1829, thousands of Americans descended on Washington, D.C., for Andrew Jacksons swearing-in. Following his speech, he retreated to the White House where he met with the rich, famous, and political power.

According to historians, Jackson, who was still grieving his wifes 1828 death, did not want a party or inaugural ball. He still got one and the man who is considered the founder of the Democratic Party was met by 20,000 civilians dressed in their Sunday best at the White House.

Read: A White House Upbringing: Sasha and Malia Obama Through the Years

While the tradition, which began with Thomas Jefferson in 1801, seemed like a good idea it turned into a disaster as reports of drunken altercations, damaged property inside the White House, and destruction was brought inside Americas most famous address.

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According to historians, White House staff put bathtubs filled with juice and whiskey out on the South Lawn and encouraged the revelers take the party outside.

The tradition of allowing civilians into the White House on Inauguration Day ended in 1885 when President Grover Cleveland opted to have a parade instead. The parade is a celebration that continues to this day.

Read: From Ross Perot to Mitt Romney, Where Are the Failed Presidential Candidates Today?

Sloshed at the Swearing In Ceremony

When President Lincoln was re-elected in 1865, he took on a new vice president, Andrew Johnson, who was apparently drunk while giving his first speech as veep.

According to historic records, Johnson was sick with typhoid fever and the night before the inauguration and used the medicine of the era  whiskey  to relieve the symptoms. He must have still been feeling the effects of the alcoholic beverage and gave what was perceived as a trainwreck of a speech.

It embarrassed Lincoln so much that historians say he looked on in horror. Lincolns outgoing vice president, Hannibal Hamlin, begged the president to make Johnson stop speaking.

Months later, Lincoln was famously assassinated by John Wilkes Booth and Johnson became the 17th president of the United States.

James Buchanans Sickly Swearing In

Becoming president would obviously a major milestone, but nothing can hamper an important day quite like a case of chronic diarrhea.

In 1857, James Buchanan was struck with dysentery on the day of his inauguration and later struck with a strange illness known as the National Hotel Disease, which hit the nations capital at that time.

The disease left 400 people sick and 36 people dead between February and April of that year.

It is believed that it began after many contracted the illness inside Washington, D.C.s National Hotel, where many aristocrats and politicians had been staying in the days leading up to the inauguration. It quickly spread around the city and lingered for months.

Historians and todays medical doctors believe the inadequate sewage system may have been to blame.

Buchanan spent the first few weeks of his presidency in bed, prompting many news outlets of the era to believe he was dead.

Read: Barack Obama's Tearful Final Address as President: 'Yes We Did'

Tricky Dicks Pigeon Problem

Richard Nixon famously claimed he was not a crook, but that didn't mean he was a bird lover.

Like many big cities, Washington, D.C., has a large pigeon population and in 1973, President Richard Nixon was not interested in letting the birds rain on his parade.

So the 37th president of the United States asked for a special repellant to be sprayed along the parade route.

What Nixon and his people did not realize was that the repellant, Roost No More  which is supposed to keep birds away from trees and make their feet burn  contained a chemical that killed them.

Instead of having birds flying around in the sky during his parade, the route was lined with dozens of dead pigeons.

Watch: Film Reveals Jackie Kennedy Wanted JFK to Be Remembered in Mystical Way

Related Articles:
London (AFP) - From healthcare costs to burdensome bureaucracy, some of the millions of EU citizens in the UK and Britons living on the continent aired their Brexit concerns in parliament this week as negotiations loom.

More than six months after Britain voted to leave the European Union in a shock referendum result, an estimated three million European nationals residing in Britain are none the wiser about their fate.

The same can be said of some 1.2 million British citizens living in the 27 other EU countries, who are anxiously waiting to learn how London's divorce from Brussels will affect their lives.

"People are worried -- the uncertainty, the threats of deportation, the sense of being ostracised; people are extremely stressed," Barbara Drozdowicz, a Pole who heads the East European Resource Centre, told a parliamentary committee.

Her concerns echoed those of Christopher Chantrey, a British citizen who has lived in France since 1973.

"Our main concerns are the loss of EU citizenship and the rights devolving from that: right to remain, healthcare arrangements and the future of pensions," he said.

- 'Nightmare' pile of paperwork -

The status of Europeans living in a post-Brexit UK remain unclear, with Prime Minister Theresa May refusing to guarantee their rights ahead of formal negotiations with Brussels.

May has said their status will be dependent on that of British citizens in other parts of the EU and has promised to make this a "priority" in the talks.

The uncertainty has prompted some EU citizens to apply for permanent residency in Britain, which according to Anne-Laure Donskoy, a French academic in the southwestern city of Bristol, involves a "nightmare" 85-page document.

She said the document includes questions such as: "Have you ever been a terrorist?"

Donskoy criticised the complexity of the forms and said the process discourages people from applying, while warning of the administrative burden Britain will face if all EU citizens living in the UK were to apply for residency under the current system.

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"You end up with a figure of 149 years... taking us to somewhere around 2166" to process all applications, she said.

"This is not the country I came to live in 30 years ago."

Following the June 23 referendum there was an increase in xenophobic attacks reported to the authorities.

Drozdowicz said she had noticed a change in attitudes towards foreigners: "The reception has become colder, more distant."

Polish ministers flew to Britain last September after attacks on Poles, including one murder, and urged the UK to do more to protect their nationals.

The National Police Chiefs' Council said more than 3,000 incidents were reported to police nationwide between June 16 and 30 last year, a 42 percent increase from the same period in 2015.

- Pensioners 'suffering financially' -

In continental Europe, British citizens fear they could be forced to return to Britain after their home country cuts its EU ties.

"If that happened to me, how would my Italian wife get a right to stay in the UK, and my son? We are talking about splitting families," said Gareth Horsfall, a British financial advisor who lives in Rome.

Those who are determined to stay in their adopted countries, however, did appear less worried about the paperwork involved.

Sue Wilson, who lives in Spain, described a "very simple process" with a two-page form to apply for permanent residency.

But the fall in the value of the pound in recent months has worried British retirees in Spain, she said.

"Pensioners are already suffering financially as a result of the exchange rates. They are concerned if they will be able to afford healthcare if they will need to pay for it.

"Many moved to Spain originally because it was cheaper to live there. Many are struggling," she said.

Around 70,000 British pensioners live in Spain, compared to just 62 Spanish retirees in Britain, according to comments made in November by Chris Wormald, permanent secretary at the UK's Department of Health.

As a result, both Wilson and Chantrey spoke of the "drain" on Britain's health services if thousands of pensioners had to return to the UK.

The unifying call to the parliamentary committee was for the government to commit to protecting their rights.

"It would be a good way of opening the negotiations, a magnanimous gesture," Chantrey said.
BERLIN (AP)  They are the would-be Donald Trumps of Europe and they are coming together in a bid to gain influence in some of the continent's most powerful nations.

A day after the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States, nationalist leaders from Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy plan to spell out a vision for Europe that will echo many of Trump's talking points on immigration, Islam and relations with Russia.

The meeting Saturday in Koblenz, Germany, brings together politicians who are hoping to score Trump-style political upsets in their respective countries this year with policies that are far to the right of the continent's established parties.

It also marks the first official appearance of Frauke Petry  the figurehead of Alternative for Germany  alongside Marine Le Pen of France's National Front, an alliance that would have been toxic to any mainstream German politician's ambition just a few years ago, breaking the post-Nazi-era taboo of showing any support for the far right.

But Le Pen, who inherited the party's leadership from her father Jean-Marie in 2011, has ditched the National Front's long-standing anti-Semitism to focus on economic protectionism and fears of Islam, boosting its fortunes among French voters before the spring presidential election.

For her part, Petry has turned the four-year-old Alternative for Germany, or AfD, into a formidable force. Pollsters predict the party will enter the German parliament for the first time this fall, seizing a double-digit share of the vote amid widespread dissatisfaction over Chancellor Angela Merkel's refugee policy.

They will be joined in Koblenz by Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italy's Northern League, and Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders, whose Party for Freedom is tipped to gain the largest percentage of votes in the Netherlands' March 15 parliamentary election. The party is shunned by its rivals, though, and unlikely to gain sufficient support for a coalition government.

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While Le Pen, Wilders and Salvini have met in the past, Petry's appearance has raised eyebrows in Germany.

Senior members of AfD had previously dismissed the idea of working with Le Pen's National Front, and some still do.

Officially, the meeting is being organized by Petry's husband Marcus Pretzell, a European AfD lawmaker. Pretzell is part of the Europe of Nations and Freedom group in the European parliament, which is dominated by deputies from the National Front.

According to the official program, Le Pen, Wilders and Salvini will speak in the morning, after which the event will be "crowned by Frauke Petry."

Emmanuelle Reungoat, a political scientist at the University of Montpellier, France, said that although the parties have very different origins, a brief, media-friendly appearance would offer the participants an opportunity to present themselves as leaders with international stature.

"What interests them is to profit from the popularity each may have," Reungoat said.

Petry's decision to share a platform with Le Pen may reflect the party's stated tactic of "carefully planned provocation" that has served to keep AfD in the headlines for months, according to David Bebnowski, a political scientist at the University of Goettingen. Shortly after announcing the meeting, organizers banned a number of prominent German media outlets from attending, ensuring even greater attention for the event.

Bebnowski said that the embrace of Le Pen, Wilders and Salvini also shows AfD's continued shift to the right, a direction that doesn't seem to have harmed the party, even when some of its own members questioned the direction it was heading in.

Claudia Martin, who was elected as an AfD member of the Baden-Wuerttemberg state assembly last year, said that she joined the party in 2013 because it offered an opportunity to become involved in politics that didn't seem possible in established parties.

Last month, following a lengthy dispute over anti-Semitism in her regional party chapter, she quit AfD. "The party had an opportunity to draw a clear line and failed to do so," Martin told The Associated Press.

Trump, meanwhile, has become a "hero" to some in the party who believe in overturning the old order, she said.

Herfried Muenkler, a professor at Berlin's Humboldt university, said that the parties meeting on Saturday reflect a growing desire in their countries  also seen in the U.S.  to withdraw from politics at the global level and bring it back to the nation state.

"If they were ever in a position to see those policies through, though, they will find themselves confronting each other," Muenkler said.

Left-wing groups have announced plans to protest the meeting, which will be held in a large congress center by the banks of the River Rhine. Behind it lies what remains of the historic center of Koblenz, a city that was all but flattened by the Allies in their advance against Nazi Germany toward the end of World War II.

___

Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.
Washington (AFP) - US President Barack Obama delivered an angry parting shot at Congress on Thursday, berating Republicans for blocking his efforts to close the military detention center at Guantanamo Bay.

The facility "never should have been opened in the first place" Obama said in a scathing two-page letter on the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

"There is simply no justification beyond politics for the Congress' insistence on keeping the facility open," he added.

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 going to load it up with some bad dudes, believe me, we're going to load it up," Trump famously said while campaigning last year.

On another occasion, he said "it would be fine" if US terror suspects were sent there for trial.

One of Obama's first acts as president in 2009 was to issue an executive order to shut the controversial jail within a year -- a move that once enjoyed bipartisan support.

But Republican opponents, sensing a political vulnerability, quickly reversed course after Obama took office and blocked moves to close Guantanamo.

In his letter, Obama blasted the cost of running the prison -- approximately $7 million per prisoner annually -- and said it projected a negative view of America to the rest of the world.

"Terrorists use it for propaganda, its operations drain our military resources during a time of budget cuts, and it harms our partnerships with allies and countries whose cooperation we need against today's evolving terrorist threat," he wrote.

- Forever prisoners -

Despite failing to close Guantanamo, Obama massively reduced the prison population.

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.

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In his letter, Obama said that only 41 detainees now remain at Guantanamo.

The Pentagon confirmed later Thursday that three prisoners -- Ravil Mingazov of Russia, Haji Wali Muhammed of Afghanistan, and Yemeni Yassim Qasim Mohammed Ismail Qasim -- were transferred to the United Arab Emirates.

A fourth, Jabran al Qahtani, was repatriated to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said.

Of the 41 men still at Guantanamo, five 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.

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.

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.

"History will cast a harsh judgment on this aspect of our fight against terrorism and those of us who fail to bring it to a responsible end," Obama wrote.

"Guantanamo is contrary to our values and undermines our standing in the world, and it is long past time to end this chapter in our history."
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  The temperature in Alaska's second-largest city never reached 30 degrees below zero last winter, but Mother Nature is making up for it this year.

At Fairbanks International Airport, the mercury dipped to minus 50 on Wednesday.

Meteorologist Christopher Cox of the National Weather Service says Fairbanks averages 11 to 12 days of temperatures that reach 40 below zero or colder each winter.

He attributes the recent cold snap to a low pressure trough that moved in from Siberia.

Clouds that reflect heat back to the surface protected Fairbanks until Tuesday afternoon.

Cox says the clouds are expected to be back Thursday, and the temperature could increase by 10 to 20 degrees.

The official coldest spot in the state was 130 miles west of the city, in the village of Tanana (TAN-nah-naw), which hit minus 59.
By Nate Raymond

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former portfolio manager at Visium Asset Management LP was convicted of securities fraud on Thursday, following a trial that stemmed from a federal investigation that led to the New York-based hedge fund's closure last year.

Stefan Lumiere, whose sister was married to Visium founder Jacob Gottlieb when he worked at the hedge fund, was found not guilty by a federal jury in Manhattan of conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud charges.

The verdict came after less than two hours of deliberations by the 12 jurors. Eric Creizman, Lumiere's lawyer, told reporters his client would likely appeal, while Lumiere's family reacted angrily to the verdict.

"Obviously this is a court of law, not a court of justice," said Alexandra Lumiere Gottlieb, who Jacob Gottlieb filed for divorce from in 2012.

The trial follows a probe of Visium that prompted the $8 billion firm's wind-down and charges against three others, including Sanjay Valvani, a portfolio manager who committed suicide in June after being accused of insider trading.

Prosecutors said Lumiere, 46, and others conspired from 2011 to 2013 to mismark the value of securities held by a bond fund, which invested in debt issued by healthcare companies and which in 2012 reported peak net assets of $471.5 million.

Lumiere and others rigged the process of valuing the Visium Credit Opportunities Fund's distressed-debt holdings by, among other things, obtaining sham quotes from brokers, who gave them the inflated values they wanted, prosecutors said.

"Lumiere put garbage into the process, and garbage got spit out right back to investors," Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Naftalis told jurors during his closing argument earlier on Thursday.

Creizman countered that Lumiere had no incentive to knowingly break the law, saying he was "low man on the totem pole" at Visium, where his boss thought he did a poor job and where Gottlieb was in the midst of divorcing Lumiere's sister.

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"Stefan Lumiere had no motive to commit this crime," he said in his own closing statement.

At trial, prosecutors called as cooperating witnesses Christopher Plaford, who pleaded guilty in June, and Jason Thorell, a former trader who reported his concerns to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

According to court testimony, Thorell, who at the Federal Bureau of Investigation's direction recorded Lumiere, is seeking a potential financial reward under the SEC's whistleblower program.

The case is U.S. v. Lumiere, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-cr-00483.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; editing by Bernard Orr and Lisa Shumaker)
By Andreas Cremer

BERLIN (Reuters) - Former Volkswagen <VOWG_p.DE> Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn refused to tell German lawmakers when he first learned about systematic exhaust emissions cheating but said it was no earlier than VW has officially admitted.

VW has said its executive board did not learn of the software violations until late August 2015 and formally reported the cheating to authorities in the United States in early September that year.

Upon being asked whether he had known about software cheating earlier, Winterkorn told a German parliamentary committee on Thursday: "That is not the case."

Winterkorn declined to be more specific about when he was informed because it was a matter that was still being investigated by German prosecutors.

"I too am looking for satisfactory answers," Winterkorn said in his first public remarks since he apologized for the scandal in a televised statement on Sept. 22, 2015, the day before he resigned as head of Europe's largest automaker.

"It's incomprehensible why I wasn't informed early and unambiguously," added Winterkorn, who oversaw a doubling in Volkswagen's sales and an almost tripling in profit during his eight years in charge.

VW last week agreed to pay the largest ever U.S. criminal fine levied on an automaker to settle charges that it conspired for nearly 10 years to cheat on diesel emission tests.

In total, VW has now agreed to spend up to $22 billion in the United States to address claims from owners, environmental regulators, U.S. states and dealers.

Poland's consumer and competition authority on Thursday became the third European consumer watchdog to investigate VW's cheating, raising pressure on the automaker to consider compensation for car owners as in the U.S.

"DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND"

Winterkorn's testimony before German lawmakers lasted about two hours, with a 10-minute introductory statement followed by questions from lawmakers.

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The 69-year-old responded to all questions he was asked without help from two lawyers who accompanied him.

Herbert Behrens, head of the eight-member committee, expressed his frustration after the session.

"We were not able to achieve any essential new understanding," the opposition Left Party lawmaker told reporters.

VW's legal adviser Gerwin Postel, another witness, invoked his right to silence, with his lawyer citing ongoing investigations by prosecutors in the city of Braunschweig.

Volkswagen's management board is being asked to explain how soon it informed investors of a scandal which became known as dieselgate and spiraled into the company's worst business crisis.

VW is facing 8.8 billion euros ($9.4 billion) in damage claims from investors seeking compensation for the collapse of VW's share price once the scandal broke.

Upon being asked whether he thought the diesel cheating could still be blamed on just a few engineers, Winterkorn acknowledged that more than a handful of staffers knew but said he did not know how many people were involved.

Asked why he himself had no earlier knowledge, Winterkorn said: "Software applications represent a very specific area of work in engine development."

Earlier this month, Volkswagen admitted to U.S. prosecutors that about 40 employees had deleted thousands of documents in an effort to hide systematic emissions cheating from regulators.

Winterkorn, who has taken no public role since leaving VW, said he too was still attempting to come to terms with the scandal.

"From outside it is difficult to comprehend how something like this could happen at a company that is so much preoccupied with quality. Even I don't."

(Writing by Edward Taylor; Additional reporting by Gernot Heller; Editing by Maria Sheahan/Keith Weir)
By Andreas Cremer BERLIN (Reuters) - Former Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn refused to tell German lawmakers when he first learned about systematic exhaust emissions cheating but said it was no earlier than VW has officially admitted. VW has said its executive board did not learn of the software violations until late August 2015 and formally reported the cheating to authorities in the United States in early September that year. Upon being asked whether he had known about software cheating earlier, Winterkorn told a German parliamentary committee on Thursday: "That is not the case." Winterkorn declined to be more specific about when he was informed because it was a matter that was still being investigated by German prosecutors. "I too am looking for satisfactory answers," Winterkorn said in his first public remarks since he apologised for the scandal in a televised statement on Sept. 22, 2015, the day before he resigned as head of Europe's largest automaker. "It's incomprehensible why I wasn't informed early and unambiguously," added Winterkorn, who oversaw a doubling in Volkswagen's sales and an almost tripling in profit during his eight years in charge. VW last week agreed to pay the largest ever U.S. criminal fine levied on an automaker to settle charges that it conspired for nearly 10 years to cheat on diesel emission tests. In total, VW has now agreed to spend up to $22 billion in the United States to address claims from owners, environmental regulators, U.S. states and dealers. Poland's consumer and competition authority on Thursday became the third European consumer watchdog to investigate VW's cheating, raising pressure on the automaker to consider compensation for car owners as in the U.S. "DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND" Winterkorn's testimony before German lawmakers lasted about two hours, with a 10-minute introductory statement followed by questions from lawmakers. The 69-year-old responded to all questions he was asked without help from two lawyers who accompanied him. Herbert Behrens, head of the eight-member committee, expressed his frustration after the session. "We were not able to achieve any essential new understanding," the opposition Left Party lawmaker told reporters. VW's legal adviser Gerwin Postel, another witness, invoked his right to silence, with his lawyer citing ongoing investigations by prosecutors in the city of Braunschweig. Volkswagen's management board is being asked to explain how soon it informed investors of a scandal which became known as dieselgate and spiralled into the company's worst business crisis. VW is facing 8.8 billion euros ($9.4 billion) in damage claims from investors seeking compensation for the collapse of VW's share price once the scandal broke. Upon being asked whether he thought the diesel cheating could still be blamed on just a few engineers, Winterkorn acknowledged that more than a handful of staffers knew but said he did not know how many people were involved. Asked why he himself had no earlier knowledge, Winterkorn said: "Software applications represent a very specific area of work in engine development." Earlier this month, Volkswagen admitted to U.S. prosecutors that about 40 employees had deleted thousands of documents in an effort to hide systematic emissions cheating from regulators. Winterkorn, who has taken no public role since leaving VW, said he too was still attempting to come to terms with the scandal. "From outside it is difficult to comprehend how something like this could happen at a company that is so much preoccupied with quality. Even I don't." (Writing by Edward Taylor; Additional reporting by Gernot Heller; Editing by Maria Sheahan/Keith Weir)
By Ellen Wulfhorst NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Lingerie giant Victoria's Secret, famed for its racy bras and thongs, has pledged to trace the sources of its wood-based fabrics, joining the ranks of fashion companies addressing human rights and deforestation, its parent company said. In a new policy statement, parent company L Brands said it aimed to eliminate sources of wood pulp, used to make rayon, viscose and modal, that contribute to rainforest destruction or violate the rights of local people. L Brands is the latest in a growing number of U.S. fashion companies to commit to investigate its supply chain for products from destructive regions and stop using those sources by the end of 2017, according to Rainforest Action Network (RAN). Ralph Lauren Corp, whose designs are popular on Hollywood's red carpets, adopted a similar policy earlier this month. "Our Forest Products Procurement Policy is written to reduce threats to ancient and endangered forests and to avoid products that contribute to deforestation or human rights abuses," said L Brands' policy statement published on its website. "We will report on our progress publicly." Production of wood pulp can involve clearing forests to build eucalyptus plantations and taking land traditionally used by indigenous communities, campaigners say. The issue is particularly acute in Indonesia, a major producer of wood pulp. The Victoria's Secret catalog features voluptuous models clad in tiny thongs, push-up bras and "cheekini" panties, and its top models who appear in its popular fashion shows are known as its Angels. It is one of several companies owned by L Brands. Its other well-known brands include Henri Bendel, Pink and Bath & Body Works. L Brands did not respond to a request for comment. RAN said the new policy was posted on the company website late on Wednesday. RAN, which helped develop the sourcing policies for L Brands and Ralph Lauren, has been waging an "Out of Fashion" campaign to publicize the impact of forest-based fabrics and call on major U.S. brands to adopt stringent sourcing systems. "It's encouraging to see brands beginning to take responsibility for their supply chains," said Brihannala Morgan, senior forest campaigner with RAN. "L Brands' commitments and actions, following right behind Ralph Lauren and among more than 60 other brands who have developed policies, can have a real positive impact for forests and the people that depend on them." H&M, Zara, Levi Strauss & Co [LEVST.UL] and British fashion designer Stella McCartney have adopted similar policies, RAN said. Last year Stella McCartney partnered with environmental non-profit Canopy to encourage clothing companies to stop sourcing fabric from ancient and endangered forests. (Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
Shutterstock

Can fake news truly sway an election? In America, the possibility presents an ongoing argument, even as sites pushing stories like Pizzagate are more focused on their bottom line than the potential consequences of their actions. Just this week the New York Times documented precisely how a recent graduate of Davidson College made $22,000 off a single fake news story about ballots for Hillary Clinton being discovered in an Ohio warehouse. But thats not stopping the sellers of fake news from deploying the dubious tool elsewhere in the world to influence other elections and for, potentially, darker purposes than one would ever imagine.

The most notable current fake news target in the developed world happens to be Germany. Presently, Chancellor Angela Merkel is fending off swarms of fake news stories that would hope to compromise her chances in Germanys federal elections later this year, as Buzzfeed explains:

Echoing what was seen during the US election, many of these sites mix legitimate partisan political content with false and conspiratorial information, especially about refugees and Islam, in order to inspire passion and increase social engagement. Large right-wing pages in the US are also increasingly sharing anti-Merkel content, helping it gain wider distribution on Facebook.

This situation is particularly dangerous for one telling reason  Merkel is brokering an uneasy peace between the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Christian Socialist Union of Bavaria (CSU). The latter is more socially conservative and religious than the former. Further, the current government is run by a coalition between these two parties and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SDP). Any split between the CSU and the CDU could put Merkels prime minister role on the block and potentially open the door to a small but growing anti-immigration, far-right contingent.

While experts view it as unlikely that Merkel will be forced out of her role in the next election, she, and the rest of Europe, are facing down not just fake news, but attempts to use fears of immigrants and the shifting culture of Germany against her. And nowhere is this clearer than in the attempts of fake newsmakers to make Germanys Muslims seem like a threat.

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Immigrants Are Targets

Germany has a growing Muslim minority, and in fact is the center of the EUs sudden debates about immigration. 5.8% of Germanys population is Muslim, third in the European Union after France and Bulgaria. This is thanks in part to Germanys openness with outsiders: Germany is second only to the US in the world in welcoming immigrants.

However, the Syrian refugee crisis is beginning to aggravate social tensions already present with Germanys Turkish minority. Amnesty International condemned a sharp rise in hate crimes against Muslims and Syrian refugees in particular, as well as what it sees as a failure to react on the part of the government. Job discrimination is an ongoing problem. And in this context, that attitude can leap to, or off of, the internet with unfortunate ease.

The terrorist attack on Berlins Christmas market in particular was seen by fake news sites as a way to damage Merkels reputation. Facebook is currently facing a lawsuit from a Syrian man who wants his face removed from fake news posts using a selfie he took with Merkel claiming he was a terrorist responsible for the attack.

Even that pales, though, to the minor public safety concern that fake news exaggerated into a full-blown riot. This occurred when the city of Dortmund celebrated New Years Eve, and as expected, the festivities got slightly out of hand. Some people threw fireworks, which caused a small fire on some netting at a local churchs scaffold. Still, this wasnt the rowdiest New Years Eve for Dortmund, and local newspaper Ruhr Nachrichten treated it accordingly. Meanwhile, the Washington Post notes trouble not too far away:

In a separate incident, a group of migrants, reportedly celebrating the cease-fire in Syria, did rally together and chant Allahu akbar, a phrase sometimes associated with terrorist attacks but also common in Muslim prayers and celebrations. In the video, they indeed hoisted a flag  of the mainstream Syrian opposition, which is supported by the U.S. government.

By the time Breitbart, the notorious right-wing brainchild of incoming White House strategist Steven Bannon, covered this story, however, an enormous mob chanting allahu akbar had set fire to Germanys oldest church while claiming support of ISIS. The city of Dortmund, Ruhr Nachrichten, and the Dortmund civil authorities have all derided Breitbarts coverage, but of course the damage has already been done. There are uncomfortable echoes here of Donald Trumps claims that Muslims celebrated 9/11 from rooftops, echoes the German government has tried to dampen by forcing Facebook to implement fake news filters.

Fake News Is Becoming Dangerously Real

The situation may be more urgent than even Facebook realizes. Signs are beginning to emerge that fake news is very much spreading from the online world to the real world, and having deadly consequences. The South Sudan has struggled with civil war divided along ethnic lines for three years, and according to a recent Buzzfeed article, fake news is leaping from Facebook to the real world and being inadvertently communicated by refugees:

The online networks spreading fake news and hate speech in South Sudan are surprisingly similar to those that have spread like wildfire in the United States. The groups are based abroad, are believed to be for-profit, prey on a general lack of media literacy, and specialize in setting up confusingly named websites to share false news and unverified images. The Facebook community pages populated by members of a single tribe or political group create echo chambers of hate. There are also pages featuring multiple tribes or groups, which turn toxic as different sides clash, mirroring the real-life fighting among the tribes.

The chain is simple enough to understand. Imagine a group with a stake in the civil war begins a propaganda campaign online. That propaganda campaign could be accessed by refugees from South Sudan, who deliver it to their relatives still in the country. From there, it becomes a word-of-mouth rumor in a country with a 30% adult literacy rate and limited access to the internet  which leaves precious few ways to fact-check the claims.

How much of this is intentional, and how much human nature? Thats a fair question. Horrible rumors have spread throughout human history, without the help of the internet. But, as internet access spreads  and the fact that its reach can easily be abused becomes clear  its worth asking whether it can compensate for the willingness of humans to believe the worst in each other, and the willingness of some to use that for their own ends.
By Ronnie Cohen (Reuters Health) - The number of older Americans treated for prostate cancer plummeted 42 percent since health officials began questioning the benefits of screening tests, a new study shows. The finding points to the success of efforts to curtail the use of controversial prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, screening tests, said lead author Dr. Tudor Borza. At the same time, his team found, doctors still face challenges trying to convince men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer to watch and wait before undergoing surgery or other invasive treatment, Borza said. From 2007 to 2012, Medicare data showed a relatively meager 8 percent drop in the number of men who were treated immediately after a prostate cancer diagnosis, Borzas team reports in Health Affairs. Borza, a urologist and research fellow at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, said he feared the statistics might mean that too few men are being screened, and among those who do get a prostate cancer diagnosis, too few are following the strategy of watchful waiting and surveillance recommended by urologists for early-stage tumors. I believe more men should be screened, Borza said in a phone interview. A diagnosis of prostate cancer shouldnt necessarily lead to treatment. A PSA test measures the amount of a protein known as prostate-specific antigen in a mans blood. Often, however, the test falsely signals possible cancer, causing anxiety and leading to unnecessary, invasive and sometimes debilitating procedures. Moreover, many men are likely to die of other causes before slow-growing prostate cancer harms them. But once theyve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, men frequently elect to be treated and can suffer punishing side effects, including impotence and incontinence. Diagnosis has a way of begetting treatment, whether or not it warrants treatment, said Dr. Gilbert Welch, professor of medicine at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice in Lebanon, New Hampshire. He was not involved with the new study. Patients think once cancer is there, youve got to act, Welch said in a phone interview. The question is whether you want to be looking for early forms of cancer. Borza and Welch both believe the decision should be left to individual men. But the two physicians approach the question from differing perspectives. Borzas interest in continuing to screen men for prostate cancer with PSA tests generally aligns with other urologists, and Welchs preference for less screening aligns with other primary-care physicians. In 2008, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) advised against routine PSA testing of men older than 75. By 2011, the government-backed panel of independent physicians recommended against all PSA screening, warning that the benefits do not outweigh the harms. The American Urological Association, however, recommends that men weigh the benefits and harms of PSA screening in conversations with their doctors and finds the greatest value to screening in 55 to 69 year olds. Borza and his team analyzed Medicare data and identified more than 67,000 men age 66 and older who were diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2007 and 2012. During the same period, the population-based rate for men treated for prostate cancer dropped 42 percent, from 4.3 per 100,000 men to 2.5 per 100,000, the study shows. Nearly three-quarters of the men diagnosed with prostate cancer had curative treatment, such as surgery or radiation, within a year, while 17 percent instead opted for watchful waiting or active surveillance, the study found. Most of the men diagnosed with prostate cancer were between 66 and 75 years old, but nearly 16 percent were 80 and older - too old to likely benefit from treatment, according to the USPSTF guidelines. Men are much more likely to die with prostate cancer than from it, Welch said. The question is whether you want to be looking for early forms of cancer, he said. Theres no limit to how much data we can collect, but that doesnt mean we want all that information. It can lead people down a rabbit hole. Borza sees it differently. Information is power, he said. Knowing where you stand allows you to make the best decisions. Nonetheless, he acknowledges that deciding whether and how to treat an early-stage prostate cancer diagnosed after a PSA test can be an agonizing decision. And no one can say how many lives might be saved by treating those cancers. Borza recommends men consider getting PSA tests at 50 years old. But, he said, It is a very difficult decision for a man to make. Theres not a great answer. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2hww6B9 Health Affairs, online January 9, 2017.
By Roli Srivastava MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - India is on the verge of banning commercial surrogacy, an industry estimated to be worth as much as $2.3 billion annually, in its next parliamentary session starting in February. The Indian surrogacy industry has been criticized by rights groups who say it puts vulnerable women at risk. The government believes a ban will check unethical practices. Yet some Indian women are now rushing for a final chance to make around 400,000 rupees ($5,900) from being a surrogate mother. [nL5N1F71HR] If passed the legislation in India would ban commercial surrogacy, but allow altruistic surrogacy for married Indian couples medically proven to be infertile. Singles and gay couples will not be allowed to seek the service. India banned foreign nationals from seeking surrogacy in 2015, a year after the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child said that commercial surrogacy, if not regulated, amounts to the sale of children. Here's a look at laws in different parts of the world: * For-profit surrogacy is banned in Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, the UK and Australia (except for the Northern Territory which has no laws on the matter), but they all allow some forms of altruistic surrogacy. * Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain prohibit all forms of surrogacy. * There is no legislation concerning surrogacy at the federal level in the United States, and some states allow commercial surrogacy arrangements. * For-profit surrogacy flourished in Thailand until 2015 when the country banned it for foreigners after a series of high-profile cases, including an Australian couple who were accused of abandoning a baby born with Down's syndrome. * Georgia and Ukraine have now emerged as the next surrogacy hubs as there are no laws or rules so far governing the sector, surrogacy agencies told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. * Surrogacy is allowed in Russia, which is considered one of the most permissive countries for the practice. * Cambodia had no laws regarding surrogacy, but it cracked down on agencies in 2016. Sources: Reuters, European Parliament, The Parentage/Surrogacy Project of Hague Conference on Private International Law (Reporting by Roli Srivastava; Editing by Ed Upright. Please credit Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit news.trust.org)
By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The father of Alfred Olango, an unarmed black man shot to death by police in Southern California last year, has filed a lawsuit against the officer involved and his department, accusing them of unjustly killing his son who was suffering from a mental breakdown.

The slaying last September of Ugandan-born Alfred Olango, 38, in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon sparked several days of street protests after video of the deadly incident emerged online.

It was also one of a spate of deaths of black men at the hands of law enforcement across the country over the past three years that have sparked a national debate over racial bias in the U.S. criminal justice system.

The civil suit, filed on Friday in federal court in San Diego, came three days after local prosecutors announced that the officer who opened fire, Richard Gonsalves, would not be criminally charged for the shooting.

San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said last week the use of deadly force against Olango, who was shot four times in the parking lot of a taco stand, was reasonable given that Olango was pointing what appeared to be a gun at police. The object he was clutching turned out to be a "vaping" pipe.

The civil complaint, which names Gonsalves and the El Cajon Police Department as defendants, alleges that Olango was deprived of his constitutional right to due process when he was killed.

The police officers who confronted Olango had been dispatched to the scene after his sister had called 911 emergency operators to report he was having a mental breakdown at the shopping center, the lawsuit said.

"Before arriving on the scene, defendant Richard Gonsalves knew decedent Alfred Olango was having a mental crisis because dispatch had coded the call as '5150' pursuant to (state law) which allows a peace officer to detain a person with a 'mental health disorder,'" the lawsuit said.

Gonsalves should have either waited for members of a special psychiatric emergency response team to arrive or sought to have de-escalated the situation instead of drawing his firearm, the lawsuit said.

Story continues

Police have said Olango ignored commands to remove his hand from his pocket before pulling out the vaping device and assuming a "shooting stance."

El Cajon city officials were not immediately available to comment on the lawsuit, brought by Richard Olango Abuka, seeking unspecified damages for the loss of his son.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Steve Gorman and Alan Crosby)
(Reuters) - The U.S. health regulator issued draft guidance, recommending ways to communicate promotional materials and additional information that is not on the label of medical products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration typically determines what information goes on the labels of medical drugs and devices, after evaluating whether the product is safe and effective for the proposed indication. Drugmakers have long wanted to communicate supplementary information that isn't on the label, but which concerns the cleared use of the product. (http://bit.ly/2jz9dRh) However, the FDA said it does not consider the supplementary information that is consistent with the FDA-required labeling guidelines alone to be evidence of a new intended use. If a firm communicates information, including on promotional material, that has not been evaluated by the regulator, but appears to be FDA-ratified, then it could lead to misbranding, and could subject firms to enforcement action if the representations or suggestions are considered false or misleading. To avert this, the FDA recommended on Wednesday that companies disclose why the additional data is contextually relevant, and divulge limitations related to the study design, methodology. The guidance is available for comment for about three months, after which the FDA will release its final determinations. As of March, Amarin Corp Plc could promote its fish-oil pill for unapproved uses after the FDA decided not to appeal a judge's ruling that the company has the right under the First Amendment to make truthful and non-misleading statements about its products. [nL1N16G20L] (Reporting by Divya Grover in Bengaluru; Editing by Martina D'Couto)
Niamey (AFP) - Increasingly targeted by jihadist fighters roaming its remote northern desert, and Nigeria's feared Boko Haram insurgents on its southern flank, Niger fears the emergence of its own brand of home-grown Islamist trouble.

In recent years foreign-funded aid groups and social media have brought ideas peddled by Wahhabism -- an ultraconservative form of Islam -- to more and more of Niger's 19 million people, one of the planet's poorest nations.

The past decade has seen thousands of mosques built and the number of madrassas, or Koranic schools, soar.

Almost every street in poor parts of the capital Niamey has a mosque, with the faithful gathering by the hundreds for prayers. Most women in the west African nation now wear a headscarf.

Niger is 98 percent Muslim, but the vast majority adhere to the Maliki school of Sunni Islam popular across the region that is viewed as more tolerant than Wahhabism -- a fundamentalist school of Islam supported by Saudi Arabia and accused of inspiring the Islamic State group.

Even this month's presidential and parliamentary elections were marked by religion, with campaign rallies invariably opening with the Fatiha, a recital of the opening passage of the Koran widely used before public events.

Boubakar Seydou Traore, imam of the Tchangarai district in northern Niamey and general secretary of the Islamic Association of Niger, welcomed the growing place of religion.

"With the new media, television, Internet, radios, we now have access to more information. This has promoted better practices. Women wearing veils, interrupting university courses at times of prayer, this is the emergence of Islam," Traore said.

- 'Not like this 5 years ago' -

"It wasn't like this five years ago," countered Moulaye Hassane an Islamic studies expert at Niamey's Institute of Research into Human Sciences.

But Hassane said Wahhabism is taking hold mainly in the towns, while Maliki Islam prevails in rural areas.

Story continues

"The (armed radical) Salafist groups in the desert don't have a direct influence. But the danger for Mali, Mauritania and Niger is that a new form of Islam will surface. It's an internal process.

"The day will come when (some) will want an Islamic republic."

The Christian minority once lived peacefully alongside Muslims, but in January 2015 anti-Christian riots in Niamey and southeastern Zinder left 10 dead and 50 churches razed in an unprecedented flare-up of religious violence.

The riots were sparked by the publication of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed by French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, a week after gunmen killed 12 people in a Paris attack against the paper.

Hassane says religious hardliners got a boost in the 1990s.

"Due to bad governance, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund imposed regulations that forced the state to slash social spending. NGOs (non-governmental organisations) with Wahhabite ideas arrived with funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and elsewhere.... They work in the social sector," he said.

"Students with grants to study in Arab countries too learn Wahhabism. After the elections they'll go into parliament," he added.

- Imans arrested -

Hassane said politicians were ignoring the problem and said "the state needs to come back, the adminstration needs to be present everywhere."

With a fast-growing population and a world record fertiliy rate, Niger lacks education facilities, with few girls in class and boys frequently sent to Koranic schools.

Interior Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou played down the influence of Wahhabism, saying it "only concerns a small part of the population" and that most hardliners come from Mali, Libya and Nigeria.

He did acknowledge however that "there is a fringe that could become radical"and said the administration was closely monitoring the Islamist issue.

Authorities "watch the mosques and the prayers", Massaoudou said, adding that some preachers have been arrested.

But prominent civil society figure Moussa Tchangari said bad governance and human rights violations were responsible for the growing Islamist influence.

"Wayward politics lay the groundwork for all that. If we fail to establish a democracy, it provides a justification for Islamists who say that democracy is a model imported from the West," he says.

Policies based on tight security are no solution, he said. The regime "wants to eradicate the evil without addressing its causes."
First-time homebuyers are finally ready to jump into the market. They've met tougher mortgage qualifying standards in recent years, they've saved up for down payments, they've done their homework and know what they can afford.

But can they actually find a home?

The biggest problem facing first-time homebuyers these days is the low inventory of homes for sale in the starter home price range.

"That's a real problem," says Nela Richardson, chief economist for Redfin, a national real estate brokerage. "Just because you got financing doesn't mean you get a home. It's a hard market."

According to the National Association of Realtors, the number of homes for sale nationwide at the end of November 2016 was 9.3 percent lower than it was a year earlier, and the year-over-year totals have been dropping for the last 18 months. At the current rate of home sales, the inventory is only enough to last four months -- short of the six-month inventory for a balanced market of homebuyers and available homes.

[See: The 20 Most Desirable Places to Live in the U.S.]

And these numbers are for all home sales. The inventory of homes for sale at the lower price ranges is even smaller, and the squeeze is particularly acute in cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Denver and Boston. But even in other cities, popular neighborhoods can be a challenge.

"We haven't seen an increase in the starter-level inventory since 2009," Richardson says. "That's been the biggest problem in the housing market recently."

An analysis by the real estate portal Trulia found that only 24.8 percent of the homes for sale at the end of 2016 were in the starter price range (defined as the lower third of all home values per market), and that number was 12 percent lower than at the close of 2015.

A number of trends are keeping down the number of homes for sale in lower price ranges:

Fewer single-family homes are being built, especially starter homes. Builders cite tight credit, difficulty finding land and, most important, a severe shortage of labor. While the National Association of Home Builders expects to see 10 percent more single-family homes built in 2017, the number of new homes is still likely to fall short of demand. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the median price of new homes sold in November 2016 was $305,400, and the average price was $359,900.

Story continues

People are staying in their homes longer. From 1987 through 2008, Americans stayed in the same home for six to seven years. But that number has been rising, and according to NAR data, the median time Americans lived in the same home was 10 years in 2016. "That's why we think that this inventory problem is persistent," Richardson says. "We're seeing that people are staying in their houses longer."

Investors are holding on to their starter homes. The percentage of investors as a share of existing U.S. homebuyers has declined as prices have risen. Investors bought 12 percent of the existing homes sold in November 2016, down from 16 percent in the previous year, according to NAR data. But with rents at an all-time high, investors aren't selling the inventory they already hold, and they are more active in lower price ranges, Richardson says.

While the low inventory doesn't make it impossible to buy a home this year, it makes things more challenging. Buyers need to be prepared.

[See: Weird Home Features That May Confuse Homebuyers.]

"You're going to lose out on a few homes," says Ray Rodriguez, regional mortgage sales manager at TD Bank in New York. "You might have to temper your wants. ... I think you just have to be more patient and know that it could be a frustrating process."

Here are seven tips for buying a home in a low-inventory market:

Get your mortgage before you find a home. Meet with a mortgage broker before you even look at homes. Make sure your credit is what it should be and you provide all the necessary financial information for underwriting before finding a home and making an offer. "All the bank has to do is fill in the sale price," Richardson says.

Start early. It may take longer to find a home, plus you need to pinpoint exactly what you want so you'll know it when you find it. Chicago-area agent Richard Harty, broker-owner at the Harty Realty Group in Highland Park, Illinois, closed a deal this month for a couple who began searching for a home in July. They started looking in several neighborhoods, then zeroed in on the area they wanted -- which they identified during their long search. When they finally found a home, "They were confident they were buying in the right neighborhood," Harty says.

Have your own real estate agent. In a tight market, you need someone who is advocating for you, not juggling loyalties to both you and the seller. Using an agent usually does not cost the buyer anything, and buyers may want to sign a contract with an agent to cement that loyalty. "Make sure that somebody's representing your interest," Harty says

Line up your professionals early. Once you find a home, you will need to move quickly on inspections and closing steps. Line up inspectors and closing agents or attorneys when you start looking.

Be ready to move quickly. Richardson predicts that buyers will move even faster than they did last year, when homes stayed on the market an average of 52 days, and that was the shortest amount of time since Redfin began collecting data in 2009. When you find a home you like, it's often smart to tour it the day it goes on the market and make an offer immediately.

Start saving money. If you end up competing with other buyers for a home, an offer with a higher down payment often looks better to a seller. You also can offer a higher earnest money deposit to be competitive. "Put yourself in the best possible position," Harty says. "It just shows a stronger candidate. The strength of your offer really is important."

[See: The Best Apps for House Hunting.]

Don't buy a house you don't want. While you may end up buying a home that doesn't have every feature you wanted, don't buy a home you're not happy with. "At the end of the day, once you close, it's yours," Harty says. "There is low inventory, but there's more homes coming to the market every day. It comes down to your gut. At the end of the day, you just have to know that you'll be happy."

Teresa Mears writes about personal finance, real estate and retirement for U.S. News and other publications. She was previously the real estate blogger for MSN Money and worked as the Home & Design editor for The Miami Herald. During her journalism career, she worked on coverage of immigration, religion, national and international news and local news, serving on the staffs of The Miami Herald, The Los Angeles Times and the St. Petersburg Times. She has also been a contributor for The New York Times and The Boston Globe, among other publications. She publishes Living on the Cheap and Miami on the Cheap. Follow her on Twitter @TeresaMears.
I was born in La Habana, Cuba, and came to the United States in 1961 under the Peter Pan Program, which allowed Cuban children to leave the island without their parents or any other adult.

Being a very young girl at the time, I had no idea why or for how long I was leaving Cuba. As anyone can imagine, it was a very traumatic time in my life. For any child to find themselves without their parents arriving at an unknown place, not knowing anyone, not speaking the languageits unreal. I passed many nights remembering my family, remembering Cuba, my friends, my school  being very sad and wanting to go back.

But time has a way of healing, even when we dont want to heal. I finished my high school while living in a camp for unaccompanied Cuban refugee children on Homestead Air Force Base in Florida City. I went on to study at Xavier University in Cincinnati.

In 1973, I decided it was time to become an American citizen and to honor this country which had given me a home. I consider myself very lucky I was born on a beautiful island to a loving family, and I came to live in and love another wonderful country. Im very proud to call myself a Cuban-American.
Former President George H.W. Bush was hospitalized over the weekend.

Jim McGrath, spokesperson for the 41st president and former first lady Barbara Bush, tweeted on Wednesday morning that Bush was taken to Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, on Saturday for "shortness of breath."

NEWS: Barbara Bush and Jenna Bush Hager Pen a Letter to Malia and Sasha Obama

"[He] has responded very well to treatments. Hope to have him out soon," the tweet further stated.

.@GeorgeHWBush was taken to @MethodistHosp Sat. for shortness of breath, has responded very well to treatments. Hope to have him out soon.  Jim McGrath (@jgm41) January 18, 2017

Bush's chief of staff, Jean Becker, gave a similar quote the Houston Chronicle, saying, "He's there [in the hospital. He's fine and he's doing really well." A later statement from Bush's camp, obtained by NBC News, said the 92-year-old former politician was "being monitored as a precaution and is resting comfortably."

PHOTOS: Stars Post Pics From Hospitals and Doctors' Offices

The hospitalization stemmed from pneumonia, Bush's office said in a statement to CBS News on Wednesday. It was also revealed that former first lady Barabara Bush was also admitted to the hospital.

"Doctors performed a procedure to protect and clear his airway that required sedation. President Bush is stable and resting comfortably in the ICU, where he will remain for observation," the statement said. "Additionally, Mrs. Bush was admitted to the Houston Methodist Hospital this morning as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing."

In 2015, Bush spent a week at a hospital in Maine after falling and breaking a bone in his neck. He also suffers from Parkinson's disease and uses a wheelchair to get around. Bush is currently the oldest living former U.S. president, only a few months older than former President Jimmy Carter.

Story continues

Last Updated on Jan. 18, 2017, at 11:31 a.m. PT.

Related Articles
Paris (AFP) - France has no intention of "punishing" Britain over Brexit, the French foreign minister said Thursday in response to comments from his British counterpart Boris Johnson.

Johnson said Wednesday he feared French President Francois Hollande wanted to inflict "punishment beatings" on Britain, comparing proposed trade tariffs to punishments meted out to prisoners who tried to escape in World War II movies.

Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Johnson's claim was an attempt to divert attention from the potential consequences of leaving the European Union.

"This is not about 'punishing' the United Kingdom, that is not France's stance," Ayrault told reporters.

Johnson's statement was a "smokescreen to allow those who supported Brexit to play down the impact on people, because they can clearly see the negative consequences", Ayrault added.

France has been particularly critical of the post-Brexit British government, with Finance Minister Michel Sapin saying this week it appeared to be "improvising" and had no real plan for an exit.

British Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed this week that Britain would leave Europe's single market and warned the EU against imposing harsh terms on its divorce from the bloc.
PARIS (AP)  French authorities have launched an investigation of cement company Lafarge, which is suspected of illegal activities in Syria after the European Union imposed sanctions against the country in 2012.

The Paris prosecutor's office said Thursday the probe was opened in October after the French Ministry of Economy and Finance filed a complaint against Lafarge, a French company that operated a plant in northern Syria until 2014.

The ministry confirmed the complaint without elaborating.

The company told The Associated Press it is "in the process of establishing the facts concerning our activities in Syria." It said it would cooperate with the Paris prosecutor and hand over any information requested.

In November, French NGO Sherpa also filed a complaint in Paris against Lafarge for allegedly "financing terrorism." The complaint accused the company of maintaining commercial relations with the Islamic State group in Syria in 2013-2014 so it could continue operating the plant.

Sherpa claimed Lafarge and its local subsidiary made "arrangements" with IS to obtain passes buffered by the jihadist group and to buy oil and other raw materials needed to produce cement in IS-controlled areas of Syria.

At the time, Lafarge denied "financing so-called terrorist groups." The company said it had launched a "thorough and independent investigation" into the allegations to determine whether its internal code of conduct had been properly followed and if procedures needed to be adapted. It said it would implement "any remediation measures required."

Lafarge merged with Swiss company Holcim to create LafargeHolcim, the world's largest cement maker, in 2015.
Bayonne (France) (AFP) - A French court on Thursday fined British low-cost airline EasyJet 60,000 euros ($64,000) for having refused to allow a handicapped passenger to board for "security" reasons.

The criminal court in Bayonne, southern France, heard that staff at the budget carrier refused to allow Joseph Etcheveste, 55, to board an EasyJet flight in Biarritz in July 2010 because he was "unaccompanied".

"EasyJet refused to let my client board because it deemed there were security problems. They still have not been able to explain what they were," said his lawyer Anne-Marie Mendiboure.

It was not the first time Easyjet has fallen foul of French discrimination laws.

In December 2015 the company was fined 70,000 euros for refusing access to three handicapped people for the same reasons.

There were also similar rulings in the two previous years.

The airline said it had merely imposed "internal rules".

Etcheveste was an associate of former Basque separatist leader Philippe Bidart and was partially paralysed when he was shot in the spine as he was being arrested by French police in 1987.

EasyJet lawyer Maud Marian told AFP she was not surprised at the court judgement while stressing that the airline "never intended to discriminate against the plaintiff" and was unlikely to appeal the decision.
PARIS (AP)  The death toll in a suicide attack on a Mali army camp in the African country's north has risen to 77, a French military spokesman said Thursday.

A suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle to the military camp in Gao, Col. Patrik Steiger said. The victims, all Malians, were soldiers and former fighters grouped together to try to stabilize the region after a 2015 peace agreement with the government.

A group linked to al-Qaida's North Africa branch, al-Mourabitoun, claimed responsibility for the Wednesday attack, and warned of more to come to punish "all who were lured by France."

Steiger said he was uncertain about the number of injured, but it was reported as 150 on Wednesday night.

The attack came days after French President Francois Hollande visited Gao. France intervened in Mali in 2013 to crush Islamist extremists who controlled much of northern Mali and threatened the south.

While the French intervention has ended, French soldiers remain as part of a larger operation in the Sahel region.

The former fighters at the camp include ethnic Tuareg secular rebels who once fought the Malian military as well as Malian soldiers and militia close to the Malian government.

In a bid to bring peace to Mali, they are supposed to be forming joint patrols in the area, though the program has yet to begin.

The attack struck a major blow at peace efforts in Mali, where rival groups have been vying for control, or independence, in the north.

The claim of responsibility said the attack was carried out by "a knight of the Mourabitoun battalion" of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, according to a translation by the SITE Intelligence Group. The statement identified the attacker as "martyrdom-seeking hero Abdul Hadi al-Fulani."

Al-Mourabitoun is led by the feared Mokhtar Bel-Mokhtar, who remains allied to al-Qaida.

According to SITE, the responsibility claim read: "With this operation, we warn all who were lured by France to march (as) its allies" that "we do not permit" bases, patrols or war against Mujahedeen fighters.
PARIS (Reuters) - France's Socialists still trail well behind four other main candidates for the French presidency days ahead of the first round of the party's presidential primary, according to extracts from a new opinion poll published by Le Monde. An article on the newspaper's web site on Thursday said the poll by Cevipof put far-right National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen in front for the first round of the election itself on between 25 and 26 percent. Conservative Francois Fillon was close behind her on between 23 and 25 percent, with independent Emmanuel Macron on between 17 percent and over 20 percent. Jean-Luc Melenchon of the Left Party was in fourth place, set to gather 14-15 percent of the vote, between five and seven points ahead of any of the leading three Socialists, the article said. All the predicted scores varied according to which Socialist candidate emerges from the primaries and depending on whether the centrist Francois Bayrou decides to stand or not, the article said. The poll itself was not immediately available. Former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, ex-economy minister Arnaud Montebourg, and Benoit Hamon, a former education minister, are due to contest the first round of the Socialist primaries on Sunday. A second round is due to take place on Jan. 29 between the top two scoring candidates. The first round of the election itself is due to take place on April 23, with the top two scoring candidates also going through to a second, run-off round. The Le Monde report did not mention a second round prediction. Most polls predicting a run-off result have shown Fillon beating Le Pen in that second round, although some scenarios have predicted a contest that Macron would win. (Reporting by Andrew Callus; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)
French actor and comedian Gad Elmaleh stopped by Conan on Wednesday and admitted to stealing an American treasure. Elmaleh, who is well-known in Europe but virtually unknown in the U.S., was the first-ever host of the French version of Saturday Night Live, called Le Saturday Night Live. During that show, actors performed their own version of the classic SNL sketch starring Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken, More Cowbell.

We dont want to do exactly like you guys do. We want a little different. The French touch, Elmaleh said.

But if you watch the French version of the sketch, its almost exactly the same. Its got the same song, the same annoyed bandmates, and the same overzealous cowbell player, and the same producer whose only prescription is more cowbell. The only difference in the French version is that Jimmy Fallon isnt breaking character in the background. It didnt take long for Elmaleh to admit that they stole it.

But the French werent the only ones to steal the sketch. Spanish Saturday Night Live did the same thing with all the same characters but one big difference: They didnt use Blue Oyster Cults (Dont Fear) the Reaper. The one major difference between American SNL and its European counterparts is that in Europe, the shows air on Thursdays in primetime.

Watch Nick Offerman recite an ode to firewood on The Tonight Show:

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Khail Anonymous, on Twitter.
New Delhi (AFP) - From setting up his own charity to hanging condoms on trees, Manvendra Singh Gohil has dedicated himself to fighting the scourge of AIDS since coming out 10 years ago as India's first openly gay royal.

A member of a royal warrior clan and heir apparent to the throne of Rajpipla in deeply conservative Gujarat state, Gohil uses his fame and status to educate the gay community about safe sex and their rights in a country where gay sex is a criminal offence.

"People say homosexuality is a part of western culture. It is absolutely wrong," Gohil told AFP in an interview, citing the Kamasutra and the homoerotic sculptures that feature in ancient temples across the country.

"It is the hypocrisy in our society which is refusing to accept this truth. And this motivated me to come out openly and tell the world 'I am gay, so what? And I am proud of it'."

Gohil has been part of a campaign against the colonial-era law that bans homosexual acts in India, which he says has contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

His charity the Lakshya Foundation works with homosexual men and the transgender community to promote safer sexual practices, though they face constant obstruction from police.

"People are having sex under fear and unsafe sex practices are going on," he said.

"When we started work among the MSM (men having sex with men), we were harassed and threatened by police.

"We would keep condom packets in public toilets, and even hang them on trees in public parks because we did not want to stop them from having sex in toilets or behind the bushes. We just wanted them to have safe sex."

- 'Spreading homosexuality' -

Gay sex was effectively decriminalised in 2009 when the Delhi High Court ruled that prohibiting it was a violation of a person's fundamental rights.

But in 2013 the Supreme Court ruled that the responsibility for changing the 1861 law rested with lawmakers and not judges.

Story continues

Prosecutions are rare, but gay people say they face significant discrimination as well as harassment from the police.

Gohil said even a government contract to distribute condoms did not protect his workers from police harassment.

"They said we were spreading homosexuality," he recalled.

"Some of our workers were arrested and taken to the police station where the cops themselves had forced sex with them without condoms."

India has the third highest number of HIV/AIDS cases in the world according to the United Nations, with about 2.1 million people in 2015, although the rate of infection is falling.

In another positive sign, two bills designed to end discrimination against transgender people and individuals infected with HIV are currently going through the Indian parliament.

Working with people in the transgender community is a priority for the government in its national AIDS response plan, but social isolation means the community is still at particularly high risk of HIV transmission.

The bill seeks to prohibit discrimination in any form and specifically bans denying them access to public places, on pain of up to two years' imprisonment and a fine.

But campaigners have objected to a clause which would force people to undergo tests to determine their gender identity.

They say this is against the spirit of a 2014 Supreme Court judgement that allowed anyone to "self identify" which gender they are.

"When the social empowerment ministry itself is not clear who a transgender is how will they address their issues?" said Gohil.

"It is a challenging situation. I don't blame any political party. It's not the party but the individuals who are either homophobic or gay friendly.

"It's our duty to educate them because they are ignorant."
BERLIN (AP)  The head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency is warning that Europe needs to remain vigilant against the threat of extremist attacks.

Hans-Georg Maassen told reporters in Berlin Thursday his agency has 548 extremists considered potentially dangerous enough to carry out an attack under surveillance.

He says: "We have to assume that there will be more attacks in Europe and that means also more in Germany."

Though Tunisian Anis Amri had been under surveillance, he was able to hijack a truck in December and drive it into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and wounding dozens of others  the first mass-casualty Islamic extremist attack in Germany.

Maassen says overall some 9,700 people in Germany are part of the radical Islamic Salafist scene, but not all are violent.
Berlin (AFP) - German lawmakers on Thursday legalised cannabis use for medical purposes for people with serious diseases such as certain cancers and multiple sclerosis.

The law, passed unanimously by the lower house, also allows doctors to prescribe cannabis to patients suffering from epilepsy or chronic nausea due to chemotherapy.

"Today is a beautiful day," said Rainer Hayek, a lawmaker in Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative CDU party.

He stressed the law would not allow "smoking joints on prescription" and did not legalise the drug for recreational use.

Germany joins a long list of European countries that have legalised some cannabis products or decriminalised possession of small amounts of the drug.

The list includes Austria, Britain, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Italy, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain.

German patients with a prescription will be able to buy cannabis extract or dried flower buds in pharmacies.

Some may also order synthetic derivatives of cannabis, such as dronabinol, from abroad.

The law, which requires the costs to be borne by health insurance funds, will enter into force in March.

It will especially help patients in palliative care, said Health Minister Hermann Groehe, whose law was welcomed by all parties, on both the left and right.

Possession of cannabis remains prohibited, though it is tolerated for small quantities that vary among Germany's 16 states.

Germany will set up a public cannabis agency responsible for its cultivation.

In the meantime, the country will import the cannabis products from abroad.

The bill was announced in May after a patient was granted the right to grow cannabis after demonstrating that it was the only substance that alleviated his suffering.
The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday, Jan. 17:

Federal environmental policy often produces conflicting results. On one hand, the Environmental Protection Agency has promulgated a Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming. On the other, Washington uses incentives and mandates to promote the use of ethanol in transportation fuel, even though environmental groups say ethanol is worse for the climate than gasoline.

Recently, the Bureau of Land Management decided to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota by vetoing a proposed nickel and copper mine that could have polluted it. Good enough. But government programs also can be harmful. Decades of fire suppression by the Forest Service have disrupted natural fire cycles and turned many western forests into tinderboxes waiting to burn, writes Terry Anderson and Reed Watson of the Property and Environment Research Center in Bozeman, Mont.

Getting the entire federal government to push in the same direction is no easy task, given the many agencies that have a hand in environmental issues. Getting the right balance between sensible protection and wasteful folly is also hard. Add to that a new complexity: the widespread fear that Donald Trump will surrender Americas public outdoors to extraction industries, big game hunters and private landholders.

Environmental groups such as those that work to protect and restore wolves, bears and other species are alarmed by some of the president-elects appointees. How many threats to wildlife and the environment can Trump fit into one Cabinet? one leading group, Defenders of Wildlife, asks on its website.

And thats only one realm of concern. The incoming administration already has indicated it has some misplaced priorities. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, nominated to head the EPA, sued to block the Obama administrations Clean Power Plan, which limited emissions from power plants, and its regulations on methane, a potent greenhouse gas. All this fits with the president-elects vow to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and end what he calls (President) Obamas war on coal.

Because those EPA rules are already in place, the next administration cant simply scrap them. Undoing them would require it to go through a laborious process, followed by a protracted barrage of legal challenges.

Given the value of the regulations in moderating the long-term danger of global warming as well as protecting public health in the short term, we hope Trump decides not to reverse course. The shift away from coal has come about mostly because of its relatively high cost, not government dictates, and its unrealistic to think he could  or should  turn it around. Climate change is not the sort of problem that will go away if the president ignores it.

There are, however, steps his administration could take to reduce regulatory costs in an environmentally smart way. Trumps pledge to expand oil and gas leasing on federal lands may help combat climate change by increasing the supply of natural gas, which emits far less carbon dioxide than coal. Federal fuel economy standards for cars and trucks  a clumsy, inefficient method to cut gasoline consumption  should be phased out. Congress and the EPA ought to stop pushing ethanol. Pruitt shares our dislike of the governments ethanol mandate, which  mostly as a sop to farm state voters  requires that refiners mix increasingly large percentages of biofuels into gasoline.

Trump also could embrace an option that would simultaneously benefit the environment and reduce costs to the taxpayer and the economy. Its an idea long favored by his nominee for secretary of state, ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson: a carbon tax.

By raising the costs of fuels according to the damage they do, this remedy would use market forces to get the biggest bang for the buck. By creating tangible incentives, it would eliminate the need for the governments tangle of renewable-fuel subsidies, fuel economy requirements and various gimmicks meant to alter how people behave.

Harvards Gregory Mankiw, chairman of the presidents Council of Economic Advisers under George W. Bush, has explained how proponents want to put a price on carbon and incentivize people to reduce carbon emissions through a variety of different channels, allowing individuals to figure out whats the best way to do that. Is it best to drive smaller cars? Is it best to carpool to work? Is it best to move closer to work? Is it best to commit to public transportation?

The funds collected could be used to cut other taxes  corporate or individual  so there is no change in the total tax burden. That would enhance the benefits to the overall economy even as it reduces the federal role in our lives.

Many presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, are remembered long after for their achievements in preserving and protecting air, water, wildlife and wild places. The incumbent has made some valuable contributions. Trump would be wise to focus not on dismantling Obamas legacy but on building his own.
BERLIN (AP)  Germany's parliament has paid tribute to the 12 people killed in the truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin a month ago.

Speaker Norbert Lammert told lawmakers Thursday that "terror aims to shake, paralyze and destabilize democratic societies. The terrorists did not achieve this aim in Germany."

Seven Germans were among the victims, along with people from Poland, Ukraine, Italy, Israel and the Czech Republic.

Anis Amri, a Tunisian whose asylum application had been rejected, drove a commandeered truck into the market in central Berlin on Dec. 19. He was killed in a shootout with Italian police four days later after they stopped him for a routine identity check.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.
By Andrea Shalal BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will not tolerate Turkish intelligence operations within its borders, the head of the country's domestic spy agency said on Thursday after its chief prosecutor launched an investigation into possible spying by Turkish clerics. Hans-Georg Maassen said Berlin was very concerned about recent developments in Turkey, as well as "influence operations" directed against the Turkish minority in Germany or Germans with a Turkish migration background. "We cannot accept that intelligence agencies are operating in Germany against German interests, and that is why we protest," Maassen told reporters in Berlin. The investigation, begun this week, followed a criminal complaint filed in early December by Volker Beck, a German lawmaker and religious spokesman for the Green party. The issue threatens to further strain ties between NATO partners Germany and Turkey. Ankara has accused Berlin of harboring militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and far-leftists of the DHKP-C, which has carried out attacks in Turkey. German officials reject that claim. In June the German parliament voted in June to declare the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide, and Berlin has criticized a security clampdown by Turkish authorities since a failed coup in mid-July. Beck said he filed his complaint after reports that Ankara had asked Muslim imams sent from Turkey to work for Ditib, Germany's largest association of mosques, to provide information about followers of U.S.-based cleric Fetullah Gulen. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan accuses Gulen of masterminding the unsuccessful putsch. The Green lawmaker criticized the prosecutor's office for waiting so long to launch an investigation, and said it was unclear if possible suspects had left the country. A spokesman for the prosecutor's office said the probe was directed against unknown perpetrators because there was not yet sufficient evidence to target specific individuals. German police last month arrested a 31-year-old Turkish man suspected of providing information on Kurds living in Germany to Turkish intelligence agencies. Bekir Alboga, general secretary of Ditib, was quoted in the Rheinische Post newspaper last week as saying that some Ditib imams had mistakenly provided information about Gulen followers to Turkish religious affairs directorate Diyanet. But in a statement on the Ditib website dated Jan 12, Alboga said he had not confirmed reports of spying. He said initial instructions to clerics from Diyanet were confusing, but the agency had clarified last month that imams were only expected to carry out religious duties. "We are taking the charges seriously and investigating them ourselves," Alboga said. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; editing by John Stonestreet)
Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - US bank Goldman Sachs will move 1,000 staff from London to Frankfurt as part of a post-Brexit reorganisation that will reduce its City headcount by half, German business daily Handelsblatt reported Thursday.

"The bank is weighing transferring up to 1,000 employees to Frankfurt, including traders as well as top bankers," the paper reported, citing financial industry sources.

In total, Goldman Sachs will cut its headcount in London from 6,000 to around 3,000.

Goldman plans to create a listed company in Frankfurt as the parent of all of its European businesses, a person familiar with the plans told Handelsblatt.

Frankfurt was the top choice because that is where the European Central Bank -- which supervises the largest banks in the eurozone -- is headquartered.

Other London-based posts will be moved to New York, France, Spain and Poland.

British bank HSBC confirmed Wednesday that 1,000 of its investment banking jobs would leave London for Paris, after UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced that her country would leave the European common market.

Multinational banks with a European base in London risk losing the right to do business in the remaining 27 EU countries once Britain has left, as UK-based financial firms may no longer be granted a "passport" to trade within the bloc.

Cities across the EU, including Frankfurt, Paris and Dublin, have been jostling to attract banks mulling moves away from the City of London.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Republican governors who turned down billions in federal dollars from an expansion of Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health care law now have their hands out in hopes the GOP-controlled Congress comes up with a new formula to provide insurance for low-income Americans.

The other GOP governors, such as Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who agreed to expand state-run services in exchange for federal help  more than a dozen out of the 31 states  are adamant that Congress maintain the financing that has allowed them to add millions of low-income people to the health insurance rolls.

These two groups of Republicans embody the difficulty the emboldened GOP congressional majorities face: Make good on their promises to repeal the 2010 health care law while preserving popular provisions.

With Congress starting to consider plans for annulling and reshaping Obama's overhaul, Republican governors and lieutenant governors from 10 states met privately for more than two hours Thursday with GOP members of the Senate Finance Committee and raised concerns about how lawmakers will reshape Medicaid.

"They're worried about how it all works out," Finance panel chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said after the session in a Senate office building.

GOP senators and governors stressed the need for giving states more flexibility to shape their Medicaid programs. That's a change that worries Democrats, who say some states would inevitably end up covering fewer people or offering skimpier benefits.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said governors could find savings by being allowed to impose "work incentives" for some beneficiaries. Kasich suggested shifting people who earn just above the poverty level from Medicaid to the online exchanges that Obama's law created for buying coverage.

"I think they understand this is not simple and I think they know they have to get it right," Kasich said.

A chief worry by governors was whether states that accepted extra federal money to expand Medicaid to more people would lose that extended coverage. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said afterward that "it ain't going to happen," though he did not detail how.

Story continues

In a letter he carried to Capitol Hill, Kasich warned that repealing Obama's law without an alternative in place could interrupt health care coverage for hundreds of thousands in Ohio and urged he "be granted the flexibility to retain the adult Medicaid coverage expansion." Ohio has added roughly 700,000 recipients to the program since the law took effect in 2013.

Unlike Kasich, 19 Republican governors successfully defied the Affordable Care Act's mandate that states open up Medicaid to more people.

It was a major expansion of the state-federal health insurance system whose primary purpose has grown in its 52 years from backstop medical assistance for the poor to the go-to program for closing gaps in private health insurance system.

In the three years since the Affordable Care Act went into effect, Medicaid enrollment has grown by about 18 million people, to roughly 75 million, according to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker notably turned down more than $500 million for his state. Determined to win over conservative voters for his presidential bid, he doubted the federal government would keep its word to cover 100 percent of expansion costs in the first three years, and 90 percent over the long term.

On average, the federal government's contribution accounts for 56 percent of a state's Medicaid budget, making the financing terms under the health care law much more generous.

Republicans have long sought block grants or lump-sum payments for health care. The money has helped them maintain their budgets, while the relative lack of heavy regulation has allowed governors freedom to experiment with social services policy.

But with Republicans, backed by President-elect Donald Trump, pursuing repeal of the law, Walker and others GOP governors are asking specifically for the Medicaid money, and fewer rules for spending it.

"Now that Barack Obama is no longer going to be at the White House, it is going to be much more palatable for Republican governors to seek additional funding," said Ron Pollack of Families USA, a leading advocate for Obama's law.

All Democratic governors in office when the law took effect in 2013 agreed to the expansion. Even Republican governors in 11 states agreed to expand Medicaid, some with specific waivers that still allowed them to claim the federal reimbursement.

Now, Republican leaders in states aren't just asking for money they turned down. They're asking to change the formula to get back what they lost.

The federal Medicaid formula is based in part on how many enrollees a state had as of 2016. By last year, Michigan, for instance, had added 630,000 recipients since accepting the Medicaid expansion.

But Medicaid in Kansas grew at a far slower rate, given Gov. Sam Brownback's opposition to the federal law. Now, he wants Congress to change the formula to benefit his state.

___

Associated Press writer Alan Fram in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow Thomas Beaumont on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomBeaumont
Nicosia (AFP) - Cyprus and Greece on Thursday insisted that any peace deal for the divided island must provide for the withdrawal of Turkish troops and new security arrangements.

If Turkey and the island's minority Turkish Cypriots want a solution, "there can neither be occupation troops nor guarantees", Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said after talks in Nicosia with his Cyprus counterpart Nicos Anastasiades, the Greek Cypriot leader.

Anastasiades, whose country has been a European Union member since 2004, said: "Our common goal is to finally achieve a solution that is fully compatible with the European acquis (EU legislation)

"Without the need to have any third country as a guarantor or troops of any country staying to protect supposedly one or the other community."

Their comments came as technocrats in Switzerland were discussing a post-settlement Cyprus security formula.

UN-backed negotiations in the Swiss resort town of Mont Pelerin include Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot representatives as well as officials from Ankara, Athens and former colonial power Britain.

Those parties were also in Geneva last week trying to reach a deal to reunite Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci have been holding direct talks at various locations over the past 20 months on how to forge a unified, two-zone federation.

The larger group, meeting now in Mont Pelerin, is focused on reforming Cyprus's so-called "guarantor power" agreement, a 1960 deal that gives Britain, Greece and Turkey the right to intervene to defend the island's sovereign integrity.

There is general consensus that the guarantor power system needs to change, although the fate of some 30,000 Turkish troops deployed in the north remains an obstacle, with Ankara insisting they will not be withdrawn.

In Mont Pelerin, technical experts are trying to craft ideas for a new security system that can be weighed by senior political leaders.

Greece, like Britain, has said it is happy to do away with the guarantor power arrangement but has insisted on the end to the Turkish military's "occupation" of northern Cyprus.
GENEVA (AP)  Guinean President Alpha Conde absolved the Brazilian mining giant Vale of wrongdoing Wednesday and pledged to steer clear of corruption as his nation opens one of the largest untapped iron ore deposits in the world.

On a visit to Geneva, Conde said Vale did nothing wrong and was free to reapply to try to acquire rights to exploit the Simandou and Zogota deposits  a deal worth billions of dollars. The government this month canceled the rights held by the VBG, a joint venture between Vale and BSG Resources, because of corruption, Conde said.

The first democratically elected leader in Guinea's 55-year history, Conde said he was in Switzerland to court more international support for his domestic reforms. He narrowly won election in 2010 and narrowly survived an assassination attempt in 2011.

A mineral-rich but deeply impoverished country, Guinea has long endured corruption while trying to exploit its natural resources.

Conde said Vale "was not part of the corruption" that remains under U.S. investigation and that led the West African country to revoke the mining licenses for Vale and Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz's BSG Resources.

He said his government would welcome a new bid from Vale, but added it had no preference among bidder and would select a winner in a "transparent and open" process.

A Guinea government report said BSG Resources had obtained the earlier licenses corruptly  which the company strongly denies. Some of the evidence cited in the report, which didn't implicate Vale, came from FBI wiretaps.

American authorities have been investigating the deal for potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and possible money laundering. In U.S. federal court in March, an associate of Steinmetz pleaded guilty to obstructing the investigation.

BSG Resources has accused Conde's government of "relying on fabricated claims, compromised witnesses and illegitimate processes" to reward Conde's political allies with the promised mineral rights.
Jabalia (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - The 25-year-old nicknamed Guevara because of his admiration for the Latin American revolutionary had returned to his home in Gaza after days of hiding, but was not giving up.

He had avoided home after a warning that Hamas security forces were looking for him due to his role as an organiser of recent protests over severe electricity shortages.

In a mock army jacket and with a Che Guevara-like beard, Mohammed Al-Taluli was being greeted by dozens of supporters from his neighbourhood of Jabalia, a crowded, overgrown refugee camp north of Gaza City.

"We are going to continue asking for our humanitarian demands," he said while seated at a plastic table in a room in his home he called his office.

Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, has managed to end a recent series of protests over the electricity crisis with a security crackdown and aid from Qatar used to purchase more fuel.

But frustration in places like Jabalia remains, and there are once again warnings that deteriorating conditions in the Palestinian enclave of two million people may be leading to a larger eruption of anger.

Gazans face electricity shortages all year, but the problem is exacerbated in winter and mid-summer, when power usage spikes.

The Hamas authorities in the coastal enclave usually provide electricity in eight-hour intervals, but supply was reduced to four hours this month.

- 'No security solution' -

Protests began modestly, with dozens of people holding candles, before culminating on January 12 with thousands marching in Jabalia towards the electricity company.

Hamas security forces fired into the air to disperse the crowd, carried out arrests and hit an AFP photographer who required stitches to his face.

Further protests were prevented by a show of force by Hamas security.

Perhaps sensing the urgency, Hamas sought help, including from Turkey and Qatar, which agreed to donate $12 million for fuel purchases.

Story continues

On Monday, Hamas said it was returning to eight-hour electricity -- and was releasing all those arrested in connection with the protests.

A Gaza government spokesman argued that Jabalia protesters were attacking security forces and public buildings, but also said that Hamas was responding to demands by working to improve electricity supply.

"There is no security solution," Salama Maroof told AFP.

Che Guevara admirer Taluli felt safe enough to return home after the announcement that those arrested would be released, but for him and others, the electricity shortages are only one in a series of frustrations.

Many young people feel trapped between Hamas's strict rule and Israel's blockade of the enclave, which has been in place for about a decade and prevents them from leaving.

Egypt's border with Gaza has also remained largely closed, and unemployment is around 42 percent.

Three wars since 2008 between Palestinian militants in Gaza and Israel have left behind death and destruction, not to mention psychological scars.

Even those with longtime businesses have suffered.

"I need electricity for more than eight hours to complete my work for the customers," said 29-year-old Mohamed Abu Sharaf, whose family has had a print shop in Gaza City for 40 years.

As he spoke, the electricity cut again.

- 'Strong message' -

The reasons for the electricity shortages are multi-layered, with the first simply a lack of capacity.

Gaza has one power plant that runs on diesel fuel and which has been previously bombed by Israel.

It also imports electricity from Israel and Egypt, but it is not nearly enough.

Ageing power lines and theft add to the problem, with Gaza losing up to 20 percent of electricity that makes its way onto the grid, Maroof said.

The recent shortages were complicated by a dispute with the Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank and dominated by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party.

Fatah and Hamas remain divided despite repeated attempts at reconciliation.

The Palestinian Authority handles fuel purchases from Israel since the Israeli authorities do not deal directly with Hamas, which they consider a terrorist organisation.

The PA then requires Hamas to reimburse it for bills and taxes, but Gaza's electricity company faces cash shortages because many customers do not pay.

Maroof said the company should collect some $13 million per month, but only manages around $6 million.

He blamed it on poverty and simple reluctance to pay, while calling the PA's taxes excessive.

Many Gaza residents are well aware of the complications, but have become fed up.

Those who know the situation well say Hamas must be seen as responding to their frustrations.

"This is for them a strong message that you can't count on your stick or your gun to undermine the people and to silence the people," Ahmed Yousef, a senior Hamas member and former government official, told AFP.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f353098%2f75329835-a4b2-439c-9d83-258a1ae7369d

Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone made an appearance on the hallowed Ellen DeGeneres Show and didn't disappoint.

Padukone, who starred with Vin Diesel in her debut Hollywood flick, xXx: Return of Xander Cage, on being quizzed by Ellen about rumored link-ups with the actor, said, "Well, there's no smoke without fire."

SEE ALSO: Vin Diesel does a Kevin Spacey in India, grooves to 'Lungi Dance'

When a startled Ellen pressed further, she added, "But, its all in my head! So yeah, I mean in my head I think, like yeah, we are together and we have this amazing chemistry, and we live together and we have these amazing babies! But its all in my head."

Here's an excerpt from the show.

Padukone, an established name in Bollywood with over 30 films to her credit, has earned praise for her performance in the film. And her chemistry with Diesel is the talk of town.

Social media posts by both actors in the run-up to the release of their movie have gone viral.

Destiny.... #thereturnofxandercage A photo posted by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel) on Jun 5, 2016 at 7:15am PDT

@vindiesel A photo posted by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on Dec 4, 2015 at 3:03am PST

Padukone further went on to talk about how she landed her part in the film.

"I actually auditioned for Fast and Furious 7 about two-three years ago but for whatever reason that didnt work out. And I think people remember me from that audition. And then, about a year ago, I get a call from Paramount Pictures saying they are casting for this film and so I flew down and met director DJ Caruso.

And until Diesel put this picture up on Instagram, sans a caption nonetheless, she had no clue that she'd been selected.

A photo posted by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel) on Dec 5, 2015 at 9:02pm PST

She even told him, "I do hope you know that if you put that snap up, it means I am doing this movie. He still didnt say anything!

Story continues

xXX: Return of the Xander Cage released globally last weekend.

Padukone, meanwhile, is visibly excited about her debut on Ellen's hit talk show.
By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge in Manhattan revoked a hip-hop podcast host's bail on Wednesday after a prosecutor said that a witness could link him to a shooting at a concert last year in which the bodyguard for a rapper he had long feuded with was killed. Daryl Campbell, who goes by the name Taxstone on his podcast, had a day earlier been granted a $500,000 bond by a magistrate judge after he was arrested on Monday on federal firearm charges. But U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan reversed that decision, calling Campbell, 31, a danger to the community in light of the witness and DNA belonging to him found on a gun that authorities say was used in the shooting. "The evidence is clear and convincing that detention is appropriate," Kaplan said. The charges stemmed from a shooting on May 25 at the Irving Plaza venue in Manhattan, where the rapper T.I. was scheduled to perform, that led to a bodyguard for rapper Troy Ave, Ronald McPhatter, being killed. Troy Ave, whose real name is Roland Collins, was shot in the leg, and two concertgoers were also wounded, according to a criminal complaint filed on Tuesday. Campbell and Collins have feuded for years. The complaint cited a public statement Campbell had made prior to the shooting in which he mentioned Collins after saying: "When I see you walking up with six dudes, bang-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba." Kaplan cited that comment, which he said mirrored what prosecutors say actually happened when Collins and his entourage encountered Campbell, who the complaint said was seen entering the room where the shooting took place before it occurred. After the shooting, McPhatter fled the room, followed by Campbell and Collins, who was recorded on video firing the same gun in the direction in which Campbell had gone, the complaint said. Collins was arrested soon after. He has pleaded not guilty in state court to attempted murder and other charges. At Wednesday's court hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten said that while Campbell faces gun charges, the investigation was ongoing. Scotten said further charges could result and that substantial evidence, including a witness, would show Campbell shot McPhatter. "The gun here was fired into the chest of the deceased by the defendant," he said. Defense lawyer Kenneth Montgomery called that a "conclusatory narrative," and said that to him the evidence showed that Campbell was "a victim and not the initiator of the event." (Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
The phrase "magician walks into the laboratory" sounds like the start of a groan-inducing joke. But it's actually the title of a once-confidential document recently released online by the CIA as part of a new initiative to share about 930,000 declassified files  more than 12 million pages  on the internet for the first time.

This collection of historical declassified documents represents a database known as the CIA Records Search Tool (CREST), a system installed in 2000 at the National Archives Records Administration (NARA) in Maryland and formerly searchable only in person, according to a statement published Jan. 17 by the CIA.

The files were released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)  a law that provides people with the right to request access to information from any federal government agency  and they are currently available to view and download via the CIA website. [Flying Saucers to Mind Control: 22 Declassified Military & CIA Secrets]

"Access to this historically significant collection is no longer limited by geography," Joseph Lambert, the CIA's director of information management, said in the statement.

CREST holds archived documents dating back to the 1940s  materials are declassified when they are 25 years or older  and is the largest file archive that the CIA has released to date. It covers a wide range of topics, from general CIA records and Cold War dispatches to captions for satellite photos and instructions for mixing invisible ink.

The records also include a special collection of documents related to STARGATE, the code name for a U.S. Army unit that spent decades exploring whether psychic phenomena could be harnessed by the military.

Secret writing and remote viewers

CREST's "Secret Writing" collection is a treasure trove of how-to instructions for sending and reading covert handwritten messages. One file describes an ink recipe made of "a solution of nitrate of soda and starch in water" that "may be carried for example in handkerchiefs or starched collars, starched shirts or anything else starched."

Story continues

Additional options for secret writing included lemon juice or iron sulfate "developed preferably with ferro cyanite of potassium." Another document provides 12 methods for opening a sealed envelope and detecting chemical traces on the paper.

But arguably one of the more intriguing CREST file categories is "STARGATE," a project that ran from 1978 through 1995. STARGATE compiled reports of psychic powers used behind the Iron Curtain, and investigated whether such dubious talents could be developed and deployed by the U.S. government.

In the 1969 file "'Magician' Walks Into the Laboratory," a Russian construction engineer shares a series of stories about a local psychic who supposedly had "miracle-working" hands that he used to heal people.

CREST's database includes experiments to test the psychic abilities of Uri Geller. Geller drew a horse based on "impressions" he received from a hidden drawing of camels. PD-US

A file from 1973 describes a series of experiments conducted with the performer Uri Geller, an alleged psychic who claimed that he could read minds and manipulate objects with his thoughts. Over eight days, Geller was placed in isolated rooms and tasked with drawing pictures mirroring other pictures that he knew nothing about. Based on his performance, observers concluded that "he has demonstrated his paranormal perceptual ability in a convincing and unambiguous manner."

"Unexpected benefits"

Before CREST was published online, the only way for people to access its documents was with one of four computers at NARA, and these documents were only available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time, according to Michael Best, who analyzes and writes about government document accessibility on his blog Glomar Disclosure.

In 2015, after several FOIA requests for CREST and one lawsuit against the CIA had been filed to gain access to the database, the CIA estimated it would take six years to process all of the files, MuckRock reported. Best began printing out and manually scanning CREST documents at NARA, which eventually prompted the CIA to release the entire archive online in January 2017, he wrote.

With more than 12 million pages of documents, the CREST database brings to light many long-hidden historical activities of the CIA  and the people and related agencies that shaped American intelligence policies and initiatives. In a Jan. 18 tweet, Best referred to the "unexpected benefits" that arise from having this archive readily accessible, calling CREST "a window into human history."

I love how many unexpected benefits there are to CREST's release. It's not JUST national security history; it's a window into human history. https://t.co/8Pwe4VJ24B  Michael Best (@NatSecGeek) January 18, 2017

Original article on Live Science.

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Budapest (AFP) - Hungary said Thursday it has ordered a criminal probe into suspected graft during the construction of a Budapest metro line after the EU's anti-fraud office found evidence of possible corruption.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief-of-staff said the government has asked prosecutors to investigate the 1.7-billion-euro ($1.77-billion) project that was partly financed by the European Union.

"The government has a duty to open a probe" on the basis of the OLAF report, Janos Lazar told reporters in Budapest, referring to the EU's anti-corruption watchdog.

Planning and construction of the M4 metro line began before Orban's cabinet came to power in 2010.

It was completed days before his rightwing Fidesz party won a second term in 2014 parliamentary elections.

Lazar alleged that Budapest City Hall officials of the previous Socialist-led government had been involved in fraudulent public procurement and construction contracts.

"The country may have to pay a fine of 76.5 billion forints (250 million euro, $260 million), over what the left-liberal city leadership did to Budapest," he charged.

OLAF said last month it had "uncovered serious irregularities -- fraud and possible corruption" over construction of the M4 line and recommended the EU recover nearly 300 million euros of its funds.

It also recommended the EU's European Investment Bank recover 55 million euros that were among various loans given for the Budapest project.
Rabat (AFP) - In France it slipped into legend after delighting long-haired teenagers in the seventies and eighties, but in Morocco the tireless moped spurts on despite an invasion of cheaper Chinese scooters.

The Peugeot 103 has been around for so long in the North African country that most Moroccans do not notice it.

But with its rounded handlebars, spluttering engine and signature exhaust cloud of blue smoke, the Peugeot 103 is to Morocco what the Renault 4L is to Madagascar: almost a national emblem.

"We adore the 103," says Mohammed Ngaire, a salesman at a used motorbike and moped market in the capital Rabat, showcasing the most beautiful specimens of the Peugeot 103 still in circulation.

"Come and see, we have them all," calls the 63-year-old, a popular character at the seaside venue who says he was once a "400-metre champion" in running.

"The Fox, named after its headlight that makes it look like a fox. The Ninja with its black coat and steel hubcaps. The safe Vogue, and the unmissable 103" Sport Prestige, he adds.

Passersby can also admire the Ramzey, a Turkey-made knockoff.

They can even find the antique "Motobecane", whose clumsy appearance and large saddlebags today inspire love in grandfathers France-wide.

That one's "a real Rolls Royce. When you have one, it's for life. But nowadays good deals are rare," Ngaire says.

The first models of the Peugeot 103 were made in France in 1971, intended for older people living in the countryside.

But the model caught on fast, overtaking its predecessors the 101 and 102, becoming a must-have among youth and blue-collar workers.

In Morocco, "they started arriving in the eighties," says a mechanic in central Rabat who gave his name as Habachi.

The model "became popular among the working class and low-ranking public servants," says the man in his fifties.

"Today it's become a bit outdated. But it's so solid, it still has a lot of followers."

Story continues

- Pimped mopeds -

No permit is required to drive the moped, which can be spotted at virtually every street corner in Morocco.

They scoot around in all their legendary glory -- starting pedals, 49cm3 engine, miraculous petrol tank back-up, 45-kilometre-per-hour (28-mile-per-hour) speed limit and all.

Some models have been customised in new chrome colours.

But the must-have item is a special kit to boost the engine's carburator.

Urban legend has it that all thieves in the southern city of Marrakesh once pimped their mopeds like this, so police were ordered to arrest anyone riding one at more than 80 kilometres an hour.

In amateur videos shared online, moped fanatics from all over North Africa appear lying flat over their handlebars as they overtake cars at lightning speed on the motorway.

France stopped producing the 103 in 2011 and Morocco followed suit three years later when it shuttered its DIMAC-Peugeot plant in Casablanca.

Nostalgic moped lovers are now forced to make do with an obsolete if beautiful catalogue of seven models priced from 7,400 dirhams ($740) for the orange 103 Classic to 10,600 dirhams for a Fox with a pointy nose.

Fans can also sign up to a one-week road trip from Essaouira to Agadir along the Atlantic coast for "an adventure behind the handlebars of a moped... between friends", according to the French organisers.

But at the Rabat motorbike market, worries are high over a new arrival in town.

For about a decade, cheap Chinese scooters have invaded the country, says Ngaire, with "that aggressive look youth like so much".

The Asian two-wheelers zip all over the capital, but at the used bike market, vendors are unanimous.

"Chinese bikes work, but they're not quality. They're like disposable razors."
By Amanda Ferguson BELFAST (Reuters) - Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, a key figure throughout five decades of conflict and peace in Northern Ireland, said on Thursday he was bowing out of politics and would not lead his nationalist party into elections in March. The 66-year-old former IRA commander said illness and the current political crisis, triggered by his own resignation this month as deputy first minister, had led to him to step down several months earlier than planned. He signalled that party president Gerry Adams was also preparing to make way for a successor. The departure of the pair, key players in Northern Ireland's 30 years of Protestant-Catholic "Troubles" and in forging the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement that largely ended them, would mark a generational change in Sinn Fein. The party remains committed to breaking with Britain and uniting with the Irish Republic, though that is anathema to Northern Ireland's majority Protestants. "Last year, Gerry Adams and I confirmed that we had a plan in place for transition to a new leadership. For my part, it was my intention to step aside in May this year," McGuinness said in a statement. "Unfortunately, my health and the current crisis have overtaken this timeframe. I am not physically able to continue in my current role and have therefore decided to make way for a new leader." McGuinness had been deputy first minister for a decade before quitting this month in protest at First Minister Arlene Foster's handling of a controversial green-energy scheme. His resignation led to the collapse of the power-sharing government at Stormont, the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly. In recent weeks, McGuinness had taken a break from some duties due to what he described as a very serious illness. He said he intends to overcome it but that it will take some time. "As Deputy First Minister for almost a decade Martin McGuinness has been a major figure at Stormont," said Foster, who survived an IRA bomb attack on a school bus at the age of 17. "While never forgetting the past, I believe the work at Stormont provided the foundations for our relative peace today." COMMANDER AND NEGOTIATOR McGuinness abandoned a butcher's apprenticeship in 1970 to join the Irish Republican Army. He played a key role in both the start and end of Northern Ireland's 30-year conflict, in which some 3,600 people were killed. He joined the guerrilla group as it began its bloody campaign against British rule and later admitted he was second-in-command in Londonderry on "Bloody Sunday" - the day in 1972 when British troops in the city killed 14 unarmed marchers, ushering in the most intense phase of the Troubles. In the 1980s, McGuinness emerged alongside Adams as a key architect in the electoral rise of Sinn Fein, the IRA's political ally, and became the party's chief negotiator in peace talks that led to the 1998 peace deal. In government, he formed a surprisingly close working relationship with the late Ian Paisley, the firebrand Protestant cleric turned first minister, and sought to heal old wounds with gestures like shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth in 2012. "I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Martin. He and I first met over 45 years ago behind the barricades in Free Derry and have been friends and comrades since," said Adams, who tweeted that he was crying in his car after the announcement. Britain's Northern Ireland minister James Brokenshire thanked McGuinness on behalf of the British government for his work in securing a number of significant political agreements. Mary McAleese, who was president of Ireland when peace was agreed, said his loss to Northern Irish politics would be huge. Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan said: "Through word and deed, Martin sought to reach out to those who - for understandable reasons - would have regarded his past with fear, anger and suspicion." Among younger colleagues in contention to succeed him, former ministers Conor Murphy and Michelle O'Neill have played more prominent roles since McGuinness took a break. McGuinness said Sinn Fein would announce his successor next week. The current crisis risks paralysing the region's response to Britain's exit from the European Union as London prepares for divorce talks. Sinn Fein has suggested the May elections will be followed by lengthy renegotiations on the terms of the power-sharing administration, with the prospect of a return of its 1.8 million people to direct rule from London if the talks fail. McGuinness said he was determined to continue playing a role in the "vitally important" next stages of the peace process and help Sinn Fein achieve its ultimate goal of a united Ireland. "I don't really care how history assesses me but I'm very proud of where I've come from," McGuinness told Irish national broadcaster RTE. "Hopefully they'll be waiting a while yet." (Writing by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  Indonesia's anti-graft commission has named a former top executive of national flag carrier Garuda as a suspect in a case involving bribes for the purchase of Rolls Royce aircraft engines.

A deputy chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission, Laode Syarif, said Thursday that the bribery occurred between 2005 and 2014, the period when Emirsyah Satar was Garuda's president-director.

Satar is alleged to have received bribes totaling $3.45 million for procurement of Rolls-Royce engines for some 50 Airbus planes owned by Garuda.

Syarif said Satar received the bribes via another suspect who has a Singapore-based company with businesses in Indonesia but who was not identified.

Rolls Royce on Tuesday agreed to pay 671 million pounds ($808 million) to settle bribery and corruption charges brought by authorities in Britain, the U.S. and Brazil. The British engineering giant apologized for the scandal that involved paying millions of dollars in bribes to secure orders in six countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia and China.

Syarif said the bribes in the Indonesian case included goods worth about $2 million discovered by the commission in Jakarta and Singapore.

Anti-corruption investigators have searched several locations including the houses and offices of Satar and the Singapore-related suspect since Monday to gather evidence for the case, Syarif said.
Apple is widely expected to adopt OLED displays for the iPhone, a first for its flagship product. Multiple reports said so far that only one of Apples three anticipated new iPhones for 2017 will have an OLED screen, the iPhone 8. The iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, the logical successors of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, should still use LCD screens, the same reports said.

However, theres a chance that some iPhone 7s versions will also have OLED screens.

Don't Miss: The Galaxy S8 might lose the fight against the iPhone before it even launches

The new development comes from a research note from Cowen and Company seen by Apple Insider.

Analyst Timothy Arcuri said that Apples iPhone 8 will feature a 5.8-inch OLED screen with a wraparound screen unlike anything else seen on a phone so far. The iPhone 7s will retain the expected 4.7-inch screen, and the iPhone 7s Plus will have a 5.5-inch display.

Arcuri says that Apple may yet choose to use OLED displays in the iPhone 7s models. Two factors may influence this decision, including Samsungs capacity to deliver the enough OLED screens that match Apples requirements, and consumption of Apples existing LCD inventory.

Recent reports said that Samsung will be the only OLED display manufacturer for the iPhone, but even the South Korean giant cant possibly meet Apples demand. Thats why only the iPhone 8 will get the new OLED screens.

Furthermore, reports claimed that other smartphone makers have been taking notice of iPhone 8 OLED rumors and are looking to secure OLED supply for their own handsets.

Apples switch to OLED for the iPhone should significantly improve the overall screen performance. Samsungs Galaxy S7 and Galaxy Note 7 have been widely praised for their OLED screens, which offer superior features to the iPhones LCD screen.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
NEW YORK (AP)  The father of a New Yorker who joined the Islamic State group told a jury on Thursday that he searched desperately for his son, following him to Turkey and meeting with one of his contacts before lying to the FBI about the trip.

Mohamed el-Goarany, testifying at the terrorism trial of an Arizona man, wept as he described his efforts to find his son Samy el-Goarany after the college student flew to Turkey in January 2015 and continued on to Syria to join the terrorist group. He said his son hid his intentions from his parents, saying he was going to his Queens apartment to spend time with school friends, but his mother suspected the worst after learning he was not there.

He said he found her crying, saying she believed their son had left and they would never see him again. The family was notified in November 2015 he had been killed.

"I lost my son," he said through tears. "Who's going to bring my son back?"

The federal courtroom drama capped several days of testimony by Samy el-Goarany's brother, mother and father. All three were called as government witnesses in the prosecution of Ahmed Mohammed el-Gammal, a suburban Phoenix man charged with providing material support for the Islamic State.

Prosecutors say el-Gammal provided a "launching pad" for Samy el-Goarany to join the Islamic State group in Syria, but a defense lawyer says he's being blamed as a scapegoat.

The el-Goarany family contacted the FBI days after their son left the country. Mohamed el-Goarany said he met with agents many times but became frustrated they would not commit to a trip to Turkey to learn more about what happened to his son. So he went there himself in May 2015, finding a man prosecutors say helped his son reach the Islamic State group.

He said his son called him the next morning and he learned that he was undergoing training with the Islamic State group.

On Wednesday, prosecutors introduced exhibits of online communications between el-Gammal and the contact in Turkey after the father asked to meet the man during his trip there.

Story continues

The man said he planned to meet the father and el-Gammal warned him, "Don't ever, ever mention me or my name," according to a government exhibit of the internet correspondence.

Samy el-Goarany's mother, Teresa el-Goarany, testified Wednesday that she found proof in her son's backpack in November 2014 that he had gone to Turkey but he claimed when she confronted him that he did so only for humanitarian purposes.

Mohamed el-Goarany said his son's contact in Turkey called him after el-Gammal's arrest and "offered me a trade," meaning he'd help get his son back if he helped get el-Gammal out of jail.

The father, testifying under a non-prosecution agreement, said he lied to the FBI when agents met him at a New York airport after his return from Turkey in May 2015, telling agents his son was with the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria.

The father said he wanted to protect his son's name in case he returned.

"I didn't want him to be arrested as a terrorist man," he said.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State militants put at least 12 people to death in execution-style killings in the ancient city of Palmyra, which they re-captured from the government for a second time in December, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Thursday. The jihadist group beheaded four of the people - state employees and teachers - outside a museum, the group said. The eight others - four of them government soldiers and four of them rebel fighters captured elsewhere in Syria - were shot. Some of the killings took place at an ancient Roman theater in Palmyra, where Islamic State last year put at least 25 government fighters to death, the Observatory said. Islamic State captured Palmyra for a second time from the government in December. Government forces and their militia allies, backed by Russian air power, took the city back from Islamic State in March, after first losing it in 2015. (Writing by Tom Perry, editing by Larry King)
By Andrea Shalal BERLIN (Reuters) - Islamic State is using "headhunters" on social media and instant messaging sites to recruit disaffected young people in Germany, some as young as 13 or 14, the head of the country's domestic intelligence agency said on Thursday. Hans-Georg Maassen also drew parallels between the militant Islamist group and past radical movements such as communism and Adolf Hitler's Nationalist Socialists that also tried to lure young people keen to rebel against their parents and society. "On social media networks there are practically headhunters who approach young people and get them interested in this (Islamist) ideology," Maassen told foreign reporters in Berlin. He cited the cases of a German-Moroccan girl, Safia S., 16, who is accused of stabbing a policeman at a train station in Hanover in February last year, and a 12-year-old German-Iraqi boy who tried to detonate two explosive devices in the western town of Ludwigshafen in December. In closing arguments at Safia's trial on Thursday, prosecutors asked the judge to convict her of attempted murder, grave physical injury and support of a foreign terrorist organization, with a sentence of six years in prison. A verdict is expected on Jan. 26. Prosecutors are also seeking a three-year sentence for Mohamad Hasan K., a 20-year-old German-Syrian accused of having known of Safia's planned attack but not informing the police. About 20 percent of an estimated 900 people from Germany who have been recruited by Islamic State to join the fight in Iraq and Syria are women, some as young as 13 or 14, Maassen said. German authorities are monitoring 548 Islamists deemed to be a security risk, but German law does not allow for their arrest until they have committed a crime, Maassen said. He said he was satisfied that police and security officials had communicated well over the case of the failed Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri, who killed 12 people on Dec. 19 by ramming a truck through a Berlin Christmas market. The case sparked criticism because German authorities had identified Amri, who was imprisoned in Italy for four years, as a security risk and had investigated him for various reasons, but never took him into custody. German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Wednesday the cases of all those deemed a security risk in the aftermath of the Berlin attack would be reviewed. Maassen said European intelligence agencies were also seeing the radicalization of other segments of society through social media, with growing numbers of people who were not previously politically active attracted to far-right groups. Such people had their views reinforced in so-called "echo chambers" on the Internet, Maassen said. "We've seen this with Islamic State, but now we're seeing this with so-called 'good citizens' who are being radicalized, and we worry that this radicalization could be transformed into a willingness to commit violent acts." Support for far-right groups has grown in Germany following the arrival of more than a million migrants and asylum seekers over the past two years, many of them young Muslim men fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Gareth Jones)
The Hague (AFP) - Two Van Gogh masterpieces stolen in Amsterdam 14 years ago will be returning to The Netherlands from Italy shortly after police recovered them from the house of notorious drug boss, a museum official said Thursday.

The 1882 "Seascape at Scheveningen" and the 1884/5 "Congregation leaving the Reformed Church at Nuenen" will soon be on their way after an Italian judge cleared their return, Van Gogh Museum director Axel Rueger said.

"We've just heard that the judge has ordered the release of the two recovered Van Goghs," Rueger said in a statement issued in Amsterdam.

"The two canvasses will be formally handed over in the near future. Precise date hasn't been fixed yet, but it's expected to happen quickly," he said.

Italian investigators in late September raided a home belonging to infamous drug baron Raffaele Imperiale, who was arrested 10 years ago at the same location at Castellammare di Stabia, some 34 kilometres (21 miles) southeast of Naples.

The area is a notorious hotspot for Neapolitan mafia activity.

The two paintings -- which have since been confirmed as authentic and are worth millions -- were stolen in a daring raid in 2002 by thieves using a simple ladder and a length of rope.

The criminals broke into the museum in downtown Amsterdam on December 7 that year using the ladder to climb onto the roof, where they broke through a window and used a rope to get in and out of the heavily fortified building.

The daring heist left Dutch police flabbergasted at the time.

Despite launching an international manhunt, the paintings' whereabouts were unknown until being recovered in the Naples area, the Van Gogh Museum said.

"It is excellent news that the paintings will shortly be returning to the Netherlands," Dutch Culture Minister Jet Bussemaker said.

"Everyone, both young and old, should soon be able to enjoy these works again at the Van Gogh Museum," she said.

Italian media at the time of the recovery reported that Imperiale, who belongs to the Amato-Pagana clan, is believed to have subsequently fled to Dubai, where he owns a construction company.

A new arrest warrant was issued against him last year.
Photo credit: JIJI PRESS / Stringer / Getty

From Popular Mechanics

Here in the United States, most toilets only have one button: flush. It's nice and simple. But American tourists traveling to Japan however, have historically had difficulties with the island nation's highly-complicated toilets. Japanese toilets often have control panels with dozens of buttons. It's a very confusing experience for Americans, enough so that toilet confusion is one of the top tourist complaints.

In an attempt to remedy this situation, the Japan Sanitary Equipment Industry Association (JSEIA) has announced a standardized set of symbols to accompany all of Japan's toilets. These standards are designed to be as simple to understand as possible and uniform across the entire country.

In the image above, the symbols represent, from left to right: lid control, seat control, large flush, small flush, rear bidet, front bidet, dry, and stop.

Well, at least it is a little simpler.

Source: The Verge and Gizmodo

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Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - A judge involved in the probe of Brazil's huge pay-to-play corruption scandal at the state-run oil giant Petrobras died in a plane crash Thursday.

Teori Zavascki, 68, died when the light plane in which he was flying went down off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state.

His death was confirmed in a Facebook posting by his son Francisco and by Attorney General Rodrigo Janot.

Zavascki served as a rapporteur at the Supreme Court in the Petrobras case, which has ensnared much of Brazil's business and political elite.

The plane crashed near the resort town of Paraty, 250 kilometers (160 kilometers) south of the city of Rio, the navy said.

Unconfirmed reports said two other people also died in the crash.

Footage of the crash site showed parts of the plane partially submerged in the sea, as rain fell.

Zavascki had recently been working on compiling the confessions of 77 executives of the construction giant Odebrecht, one of the companies accused of involvement in the scandal.

Dozens of politicians have been accused of taking bribes from Odebrecht and other construction companies to line their own pockets and boost party campaign funds in exchange for facilitating inflated contracts for the companies with Petrobras.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Japanese motor company Kawasaki's sponsorship of "The New Celebrity Apprentice" was cast into uncertainty on Wednesday as the firm issued contradictory statements about its ties to the show over the continued involvement of President-elect Donald Trump. Kawasaki Motors Corp USA spokesman Kevin Allen said in a phone interview on Wednesday that Trump's role as an executive producer on the show sparked negative feedback from customers and unease among its executives, prompting the company to sever ties with the show. Hours later, however, the company issued a brief statement saying, "Recently published comments relating to The New Celebrity Apprentice and President-elect Donald Trump's involvement in the show attributed to a Kawasaki employee are a misrepresentation of the company's position and the employee is no longer with the company." The statement did name the employee and did not make clear the company's current relationship to the show. Kawasaki Motors Corp USA did not respond to an email from Reuters asking for clarifications. The show had aired on Sunday an episode in which contestants were asked to design a marketing campaign for a new Kawasaki motor bike. Movie star and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger replaced Trump as host of the show last year after the New York businessman began his campaign for the White House. But Trump, who originated the "Apprentice" role in 2004, retained an executive producer credit, which usually involves payment, despite being elected as U.S. president in November. "The New Celebrity Apprentice" airs on NBC, which could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday. Kawasaki Motors Corp USA is a unit of Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. <7012.T> Trump is to be inaugurated as U.S. president in Washington on Friday. (Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Additional reporting by Curtis Skinner; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Privately-owned Nakumatt, Kenya's biggest supermarket chain by sales, has agreed to sell a 25 percent stake to a foreign fund for $75 million, part of an effort to bolster its balance sheet and pay off debts, its managing director said on Wednesday. Nakumatt, which started with a single store in Nairobi in 1992, operates 68 outlets in Kenya and neighbouring states Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. The growing economies of East Africa have drawn in foreign retailers including Bostwana's Choppies, South Africa's Game Stores and French retailer Carrefour, through its Dubai-based franchisee Majid al-Futtaim. "We are already at final stages with the investor. We are just waiting for the money to come," Atul Shah told Reuters, without naming the fund involved. The deal is part of the chain's plan to overhaul its balance sheet and restructure a $75 million debt tranche owed to four local banks, Shah said. Expansion and other investments have pushed its debt up overall to $150 million. "Nakumatt is going through some financial stress. We are out looking for funds and we are restructuring," Shah said, adding the cash was expected before the end of February and would help the firm extend the tenor of its debts to more than five years. "It stabilises our cash flow and it also gives a little room for the expansion plan that we have in place," he said. Nakumatt is being guided by a Dubai-based transaction adviser that Shah did not name. The equity deal with the foreign fund values the business at $300 million. "It is a fair valuation," Shah said, noting the business had expanded from a single small store to a regional network in 24 years. (Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Edmund Blair and Mark Potter)
TORONTO (AP)  Canada is getting its own reality show politician.

"Shark Tank" cast member Kevin O'Leary announced Wednesday that he is running for the leadership of Canada's opposition Conservative Party.

O'Leary is a businessman and television commentator who has drawn comparisons to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. He said the party needs a candidate who can beat Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and bring jobs back to Canada.

"Shark Tank" is an American reality show in which entrepreneurs try to convince a cast of tycoons to invest in their ideas. Mark Burnett, who created "The Apprentice" with Trump, also produced "Shark Tank."

O'Leary is best known in Canada as a former bombastic judge on CBC's "Dragons' Den," a Canadian equivalent of "Shark Tank."

"We need a leader that can actually deal with Trump," O'Leary told CTV television.

O'Leary declined to hold a news conference for his leadership announcement, preferring social media and interviews with select media.

He's competing against 13 lower-profile candidates. Former Conservative ministers such as Peter MacKay and Jason Kenney have declined to run for the leadership.

O'Leary has no political experience. He gained marketing experience at Nabisco before founding software company Softkey in the mid-1980s. The company was eventually acquired. He also ran a mutual fund company, O'Leary Funds Inc, until it was sold in 2015.

O'Leary said he differs with Trump on immigration.

"I'm being compared to Donald Trump on this issue all the time and it's true that we both got famous on reality television," O'Leary said. "I'm the son of an immigrant of from Ireland and Lebanon. There are no walls in my world. I wouldn't exist if Canada had walls."

Trudeau remains popular in polls, though O'Leary said Trudeau is "destroying" Canada with debt. He said he needs to rid Canada of Trudeau and said there will be an "exorcism" in the 2019 election.

Story continues

"It was a big surprise when Donald Trump got elected in the U.S. He's changed all the rules with Canada's largest partner. I would have expected that Justin Trudeau would have waited to find out what the policies were going to be," O'Leary said.

O'Leary said Trudeau should have changed course and made Canada competitive on taxes and regulation, but instead is charging ahead with a carbon tax that will make Canadian companies uncompetitive compared to American companies.

"It shows he doesn't understand what the driving force is of Canada, its jobs," O'Leary said.

"We can't provide all the things we have promised in education, health care, in the military, unless we have growth in our economy and its ground to a halt."

O'Leary also said Canada should be paying more to support NATO  something Trump has said America's allies should do.

He also said Canada's needs to reduce its reliance on oil from Saudi Arabia.

"We spend $12 billion a year on Saudi oil coming up the St. Lawrence because we can't get our oil to from the west coast to east coast," O'Leary said. "We're giving $12 billion to a country that beats women with a stick."

O'Leary said he can win the leadership because he can attract young voters who know him for his celebrity.

"Those are the people that voted for Justin. They are disappointed that they are still in their parents' basements looking at the ceiling, no jobs. I'm going to win them all back for the Conservative Party because that's my army of entrepreneurs. That's who know me from 'Dragon's Den' and 'Shark Tank,'" he said.

Former "Dragon's Den" colleague Arlene Dickinson, a Canadian businesswoman, said O'Leary is in the race for fame and attention and never saw O'Leary show compassion in the years she worked with him. She sees a lot of similarities to Trump including bravado and narcissism.

"What's different is the countries in which they are trying to exert themselves in," Dickinson told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. "I believe Canadians are much smarter and are looking for something far different."
The Netherlands

General election on March 15

The far-right Party for Freedom has surged in polls recently, putting Geert Wilders ahead of current Prime Minister Mark Rutte in a tight race in the Netherlands. Wilders has been a "formidable challenger" to leftist parties in the past, says Courtney Hillebrecht, an associate professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but increased media attention may help to give him the edge in this year's election. "Wilders is good at saying provocative things that will get him news coverage in the Netherlands and broader Europe," Hillebrecht says. "It resembles what we saw with the Trump campaign." If Wilders does not win, his anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and anti-European Union platform will likely shift the country's political discourse a great deal.

Hong Kong

Chief Executive election on March 26

The former British colony has been a special administrative region within China since 1997, governed by a chief executive who is elected by a committee of more than 1,000 Chinese government-appointed individuals. Hong Kong's chief executive's authority is extensive within the territory, but rumblings of a call for independence have begun, expressed dramatically on the streets in the fall of 2014 with the so-called "Umbrella Revolution." In late 2016, the Chinese government banned two pro-independence legislators from Hong Kong from taking office, and this year's chief executive election may pose similar threats. Incumbent Leung Chun-ying said he will not seek re-election, essentially pitting Regina Ip of the pro-Beijing New People's Party against John Tsang, Hong Kong's former finance secretary, former chief secretary Carrie Lam and a retired judge, Woo Kwok-hing.

France

Presidential election on April 23, with run-off between top two candidates on May 7

While results of the Netherlands election early in the year may serve as the "proverbial canary in the coal mine," Marine Le Pen of France's National Front party is another "Euroskeptic, anti-immigrant" candidate that has strong potential to benefit from recent nationalist movements and make waves throughout Europe, says Graeme Auton, a political science professor at the University of Redlands. "Arguments that Le Pen could not win the French presidency must contend with last year's expectations that both the Brexit vote in Britain and Donald Trump's presidential bid in the U.S. would fail," he says. Le Pen, who earlier in January was spotted at Trump Tower, has advocated for "Frexit," or France's departure from the EU, which could put the whole establishment at risk. Incumbent President Francois Hollande of the French Socialist party will not run for re-election.

Story continues

Iran

Presidential election on May 19

A "potential battle between reformers and hardliners" is at stake in Iran's presidential election, says Nandini Deo, an assistant professor of political science at Lehigh University. The nuclear deal with the U.S. and corresponding lift of sanctions and the civil rights charter brokered by incumbent Hassan Rouhani have had mixed success, which puts his re-election at risk. But the hardliner camp has yet to unite behind a single challenger. "Iran is the most important opponent of ISIS," Deo says, and the presidential election will also "shape events in Syria and Iraq" where Iran has close ties.

Rwanda

Presidential election on Aug. 4

A 2016 constitutional amendment will allow incumbent Paul Kagame to run for a third term. As Newsweek reported, the U.S., a donor of funds and military aid to Rwanda, has criticized the move as an undermining of the democratic institution. "Kagame's Rwanda has been praised for its rapid economic and political development in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide," Hillebrecht says, "but it has also come under intense fire for widespread human-rights abuses."

Germany

Federal election on Sept. 24

Chancellor Angela Merkel has been called the last bastion of liberal democracy, and this fall's election could greatly divide the nation and its parliament, the Bundestag. "Merkel will likely be able to contain anti-EU sentiment in Germany, since the Germans have benefited inordinately from the Union's trade and monetary arrangements," says Auton, the Redlands professor, but negative public opinions of Merkel's refugee program will test her Christian Democratic Union party at the polls. According to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, the hard-right Alternative for Germany party has done exceptionally well in recent state elections and poses a serious challenge. The nation's supreme court ruled against a recent attempt to ban the party accused of promoting a racist, anti-Semitic agenda.

China

Politburo selection at 19th National Congress in October or November

Far from a traditionally democratic election, the start of China's 19th National Congress will see significant changeover in the Politburo, the principal policy-making committee, and among the even more influential Standing Committee members. President Xi Jinping, who has been designated a "core" leader, will hold his position through 2022. Nationalism and often-related economic protectionism will be major points of discussion, though Xi's recent comments at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos imply his commitment to globalization.

Honduras

General election on Nov. 26

Term limits are a major point of contention across Latin America, and Honduras is no exception. The nation's supreme court recently struck down a law that would limit presidents to one term, likely paving the way for incumbent Juan Hernandez of the conservative National Party to claim a second term. All 128 seats of the National Congress will be on the ballot as well. Chile will also hold a general election in 2017, but "seems intent on upholding their term limits," says the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Hillebrecht, "reminding us that while illiberal democracy might be on the march, it is not inevitable."

South Korea

Presidential election on Dec. 20

Following the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye last December on corruption charges, South Korea is eager to elect a new leader. The field of contenders is varied. The Saenuri party has lost favor since Park's impeachment, but former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon may run on its ticket. Populist Lee Jae-myung has been compared to Donald Trump and Moon Jae-in, a candidate in 2012 and member of the socially liberal Minjoo party, has taken the lead in polls.

Want to Know More?

Explore Best Countries data, rankings and news -- from voter turnout rates to China's Xi Jinping's arguments for globalization -- on U.S. News.

Deidre McPhillips is a data reporter at U.S. News. You can find her on Twitter or email her at dmcphillips@usnews.com.
A longtime dictator in one of Africas smallest countries is refusing to relinquish power, ignoring a Jan. 18 deadline set by a coalition of neighboring countries who have threatened to use military action to force his departure. Gambia is now on tenterhooks as West African troops entered Gambian territory late on Jan. 19, giving Yahya Jammeh just hours to cede power and end his 23-year-long dictatorship. Heres how the country got here:

How did this all start?

Jammeh has held power in the former British colony of around 2 million people for 23 years, winning four consecutive elections since taking over in a 1994 military coup. He has been accused of using torture, intimidation, enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests to preserve his rule, and Human Rights Watch questioned the fairness about the upcoming elections, alleging that similar sort of tactics were being deployed ahead of Dec. 1 elections.

The run-up to the election campaign was further blighted when 30 opposition supporters, including Ousainou Darboe, the leader of the countrys largest opposition party United Democratic Party (UDP), were jailed. Political novice Adama Barrow succeeded Darboe as UDP leader and in Oct. seven opposition parties united behind the 51-year-old, endorsing him as the main challenger against Jammeh.

Property developer Barrow galvanized Gambians by promising economic change during the buildup to Decembers election. The countrys lack of job prospects has led to a brain drain, where remittences form around 20% of its GDP. It has also pushed thousands of Gambians to make the perilous journey to cross the Mediterranean in search for better prospects in Europe.

Barrow, who was a relative unknown before the election, won by a 5% margin, despite voters allegedly facing intimidation and threats from Jammehs thugs. In a move that surprised many, the dictator conceded on Dec. 2 to Barrows election win which saw jubilant crowds flood the capital, Banjul, in celebration of what many thought would be Gambias first democratic transition of power.

Story continues

What went wrong?

Things turned sour after members of Barrows coalition said that the dictator would be prosecuted for his alleged abuses once Barrow took office. Jammeh performed a U-turn and sent the country to a political crisis by calling for a fresh election and for the Supreme Court to annul the results.

On Jan. 15, it was reported Barrow, for security reasons, had moved to Senegal until his planned inauguration. On Thursday, Barrow was inaugurated at the Gambian embassy in Senegals capital Dakar. During his speech, he instructed Gambias armed forces to remain in their barracks.

It's official-> "I, Adama Barrowwill preserve and defend the constitution of the Republic of #Gambiaso help me God." #GambiaHasDecided pic.twitter.com/uBrLyYgooT  Jeffrey Smith (@Smith_JeffreyT) January 19, 2017

But Jammeh is still refusing to relinquish power?

Yes. On Wednesday, the countrys Parliaments voted to extend Jammehs term for another six months, after he issued a state of emergency. This prompted British and Dutch travel operators to evacuate hundreds of travellers from Gambias seaside resorts a major source of income for the country. Jammeh remains in the State House, the presidential property in the capital, after a diplomatic effort by Mauritanian President Mohamed Abdul Aziz to persuade him to stand down failed. Diplomats, led by Guineas President Alpha Conde, are making a last ditch mediation effort on Friday morning.

Does Jammeh have many allies?

No. The strongmans vice-president and eight other cabinet ministers have resigned since January while almost a dozen Gambian diplomats abroad have called for him to accept the vote. The latest ally to flee is Edward Gomez, lawyer for Jammehs Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) party, who filed the petition to the Supreme Court asking it to annul the election results. Gomez wrote in a statement that he has left for Senegal, and implored the dictator to step down in order to avoid a violent and gruesome end.

Edward Gomez too. Who is still on Jammeh's side? pic.twitter.com/s0evaKuo9i  Ben Gomez (@bernardgomez1) January 18, 2017

What about internationally?

The international community wants Jammeh to go. Since December, two high-level delegations from the regional bloc known as the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS]  which included Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari, Sierra Leones leader Ernest Bai Koroma and then-outgoing Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama failed to convince Jammeh to leave peacefully.

His biggest problem is he doesnt have any friends internationally says Alex Vines, head of the Africa programme at Chatham House. The eccentric dictator, who claims to have the ability to cure HIV with local herbs, has managed to isolate himself from not only ECOWAS and its only neighbor Senegal, Vines says, but he has also fallen out with former allies like Iran and Taiwan. He was aligned to Taipei, and then he switched to Beijing, but Beijing is not going to lose capital to tiny Gambia, Vines says.

In Jan. 2016 he declared Gambia an Islamic Republic, which was seen as a way to repositioning the countrys foreign relations. He rebranded Gambia as a Islamic Republic hoping it will bring in a lot of Gulf money but that has not happened either Vines says.

The impasse has since forced ECOWAS to issue an ultimatum to Jammeh: leave power by midnight Jan. 18 or face military action  a stance that has the full backing of the U.S., the E.U., the U.N. Security Council and the African Union.

Is a military confrontation likely?

The threat is there. For the past month, ECOWAS has been preparing a Senegal-led military force to intervene if Barrow is prevented from assuming the presidency. West African troops, who gathered on Gambias border on Jan. 18, entered the country on Thursday. Jammeh was given a noon, Jan. 20, deadline to leave office, or face being forced out by the UN-backed forces, BBC reports.

It remains unclear whether Jammeh will take a military stand or how Gambias military will fight ECOWAS troops have, so far, faced no resistance. An Amnesty report suggests a split in the military ranks, as at least five members of Jammehs armed forces have been detained for allegedly supporting Barrow. The Gambian military is divided along ethnic lines and its really unclear whether forces loyal to Jammeh will fight against ECOWAS considering how they lack the wherewithal and strength to do so, Robin Sanders, a former US ambassador to ECOWAS, told Al Jazeera. Gambias military is also thought to have a mere 1,000 soldiers, compared to ECOWAS standby force of around 6,000 to 10,000 troops, Lucy James, a researcher on Gambia for political risk consultancy, Control Risks, tells TIME.

Fears of unrest have already caused at least 26,000 Gambians to flee into Senegal, the U.N. says. War risks a humanitarian crisis, that may see its effects on the West Africas regional stability as well as the shores of Europe. In the face of that, Vines believes ECOWAS wont be too hasty to intervene. Gambia will see a time of parallel administrations says Vines, but it will be resolved, at the end of the day Jammeh is isolated and will become increasingly more vulnerable after Jan. 19.

What might happen to Jammeh?

It has been suggested that Morocco and Nigeria have offered Jammeh political asylum, but he doesnt seem eager to take it. Nigeria gave Liberian warlord Charles Taylor political asylum in 2003 in order to end Liberias civil war, years later the country allowed Taylor to be extradited for war crimes a fate that Jammeh is keen to avoid.
Melbourne (AFP) - Johanna Konta on Thursday set up a mouth-watering third-round clash against former world number one Caroline Wozniacki at the Australian Open, with both players looking in fine touch.

The British ninth seed, who made the semi-finals last year to kickstart a breakthrough season, doused the threat from promising 19-year-old Japanese Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

Dane Wozniacki followed her on court and dismantled Croatia's Donna Vekic 6-1, 6-3, barely putting a foot wrong.

Both players are angling for a maiden Grand Slam title with the winner of their clash on Saturday potentially facing sixth seed Dominika Cibulkova in the fourth round and Serena Williams in the quarters.

"There is still a lot of tennis to be played between now and the fourth round," said Konta, reflecting on the Wozniacki showdown.

"It will be an incredibly tough one. Every round so far has been. I think my first round and also today, they were incredibly competent opponents.

"But I'm looking forward to the challenge. I'm looking forward to trying. I'm looking forward to being out on court, competing, and ultimately I'm just trying to make my stay here in Melbourne as long as possible."

Her win on Thursday was her 10th of the year, against just one defeat.

Coming off the back of winning the build-up Sydney International, the Sydney-born Konta has been improving by the day.

But Osaka was no pushover, having proved her credentials by making the third round of all three Grand Slams she entered in 2016.

She also made her first WTA final, at Tokyo where she lost to Wozniacki, and was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year.

There was little between them in the opening games of the match as they traded groundstrokes looking for an opening.

Konta had chances in the fifth game but blew two break point opportunities.

But she made the most her next break point, slamming a backhand down the line to go 5-4 in front.

Story continues

Konta served out the set and quickly took charge in the second, breaking for a 2-1 lead and never relinquishing the advantage.

- Stay focused -

Wozniacki was similarly dominant against Croatia's Vekic, whose boyfriend Stan Wawrinka was watching from the sidelines.

The 17th seed has put injury struggles aside and enjoyed a resurgence over the past year.

"I feel really good body-wise and mentally, which is huge for me," she said, adding that Konta would be a big test.

"She plays really well. You know, big forehand, big serve. But I'm ready. I'm playing well. I'm excited for the challenge."

She came flying out of the gates against 20-year-old Vekic, ranked 99 in the world, and raced to a 5-0 lead in a one-sided contest before the Croat got on the scoreboard.

It was tighter in the second set but Wozniacki, who prides herself on being one of the fittest players on tour, chased down every ball and never gave up to run out an easy winner.

Wozniacki's performance so far in Melbourne has been a welcome relief for someone who had been on a depressing downward slide at the first Grand Slam of the year.

She made the semis in 2011 but regressed one stage each year since, exiting in the quarter-finals in 2012, then the fourth round, all the way to a first-round departure 12 months ago.
A South Korean businessman kidnapped by Philippine policemen under the guise of a raid on illegal drugs was murdered at the national police headquarters in Manila, authorities said Thursday.

Philippine police chief Ronald Dela Rosa said he felt deep shame as he announced the latest development in the case, which has fuelled fears about widespread abuse by officers as they prosecute President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly anti-drug war.

"They know the whole story of how they took him, brought him to Camp Crame, and strangled him," Dela Rosa said, referring to police officers accused of involvement in kidnapping and murdering the businessman, who was aged in his 50s.

Camp Crame, the national police headquarters, has a jail as well as administration buildings where all the top officers are based. It was not clear exactly where the man, who has been identified only by his surname of Ji, was killed in Camp Crame.

Ji disappeared from his home in Angeles city, about two hours' drive north of Manila, in October last year.

The kidnappers demanded from his wife a ransom and she initially paid five million pesos ($100,000), thinking he was still alive, authorities said on Wednesday when they first announced details of the police officers' involvement.

Police chiefs said then that three officers were directly involved and one superior oversaw the operation.

The policemen led the wife to believe her husband was alive for months, but he had been in fact killed on the day he was abducted, police said on Wednesday.

The policemen were from a special taskforce focused solely on illegal drugs stationed at Camp Crame.

The incident has shocked and angered the South Korean government, with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se demanding those behind the crime be brought to justice.

Dela Rosa expressed deep regret on Thursday.

"I want to just disappear from the face of the Earth because I am so ashamed of what my people did," he said.

Story continues

The police force have been under intense scrutiny as the frontline troops in Duterte's efforts to eradicate illegal drugs in society, with human rights groups accusing them of mass extrajudicial killings.

Police have reported killing 2,250 drug suspects since Duterte assumed office, with 3,710 others murdered by unknown suspects who at times have left signs at the crime scenes accusing their victims of being drug dealers or addicts.

Duterte has promised to protect police from prosecution if they are charged with murder for killing a drug suspect, leading to fears corrupt officers feel they have a green light to commit crimes in the name of the drug war.

Duterte on Thursday reiterated his support for police.

"I won't neglect my police. If you work in the performance of your duty, I will protect you. You have no problem," he told police officials.

Duterte has not commented directly on Ji's murder.
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP)  In a story Jan. 19 about the World Economic Forum, The Associated Press reported erroneously that WTO director-general Roberto Azevedo said Britain would leave the trade body once it exits the European Union. In fact, he said it would have to renegotiate its obligations with WTO members, not the trade body itself.

A corrected version of the story is below:

The Latest: Question marks over Britain's WTO future

Roberto Azevedo, director-general of the World Trade Organization, said it's not inevitable that Britain will rejoin the body that oversees global trade soon after it leaves the European Union

___

6:50 p.m.

Roberto Azevedo, director-general of the World Trade Organization, said Britain will have to renegotiate its relations with other members of the body once it leaves the European Union.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Azevedo said Britain will remain a member of the WTO even after it leaves the EU, which is expected in the spring of 2019. But he said the "terms of the divorce" with the EU will determine what happens with Britain's obligations with the WTO's members.

The country could just "cut and paste" the trade obligations it currently has as an EU member. If it wants changes to its trade terms, that would involve more talks, Azevedo noted.

Cecilia Malmstrom, Europe's top trade official, said a transition period may be needed after Britain's EU exit so a trade deal with the EU can be negotiated. She said it's hard to say how long trade discussions will take  a recently concluded one with Canada took seven years. However, "it won't be done over a weekend," she said.
By Francesco Guarascio BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union lawmakers rejected on Thursday an EU blacklist of ten countries at risk of facilitating money laundering or terrorist financing on the grounds that the list is too short and needs to be expanded to include tax havens. In a bid to cut terrorist funding after January 2015 attacks on French magazine Charlie Hebdo, the EU adopted stricter rules against money laundering and began naming countries with legal loopholes that could be exploited by militant organizations to get funding. In a legal document passed by 393 votes to 67, with 210 abstentions, the Parliament rejected the list saying it was too limited. North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Laos, Syria, Uganda, Vanuatu and Yemen are in the latest EU blacklist drafted by the EU executive commission. Businesses with activities in these countries are subject to higher checks in Europe. "In light of recent leaks revealing money laundering and tax crimes, it is ridiculous that Panama and other famous havens for dirty money are still not on the Commission's blacklist," Greens lawmaker Sven Giegold said. The conservatives, the largest group in the Parliament, abstained from the vote. "A country should be placed on the 'blacklist' only when there is clear evidence of a systematic threat of money laundering and terrorist financing," said center-right MEP Krisjanis Karins. The Parliamentary vote annuls the latest list adopted in November, but does not affect the previous blacklist which included all countries currently listed and also Guyana. The Latin American state was deleted because it had plugged legal loopholes that made money laundering possible. A Commission official said work to name tax havens is in progress but does not concern the anti-money laundering list, ruling out imminent changes after the Parliament vote. Under pressure from revelations on widespread tax avoidance, EU states agreed to establish a blacklist of tax havens by the end of this year, although critics say the list may turn out to include none of the top countries helping taxpayers avoid their bills. (Editing by Ralph Boulton)
Les Sables-d'Olonne (France) (AFP) - Armel Le Cleac'h was Thursday less than 60 nautical miles from a record first Vendee Globe triumph after fighting off Alex Thomson's titanic challenge in the solo round the world yacht race.

Barring any last minute mishap, Le Cleac'h, who has led the pack for a month and a half, will cross the finish line around 1600 GMT, according to race organisers.

After almost 74 days of racing both yachtsmen are destined to shatter Francois Gabart's 2012-2013 record mark of 78 days 2hr 16 min.

Gabart will be in the forecast crowd of over 350,000 waiting to give the 39-year-old Frenchman a hero's welcome when he finally arrives at Les Sables d'Olonne on France's Atlantic coast.

At the helm of Banque Populaire Le Cleac'h was only 60 nautical miles from the finish at 1100 GMT, with Thomson on Hugo Boss 101.42nm adrift in second.

Cleac'h is eager to finally reach dry land.

"He's cold, he's anxious to finish," his brother Gael Le Cleac'h said waiting at the port.

"We are getting ready, the team, the family, we're all ready to go on board, we've been waiting for this moment for some time now.

"Since passing Cape Horn he's had some very difficult moments, with the comeback of Alex, who each time has had more favourable weather.

"And after having held onto his position as leader, in the South and North Atlantic, right to the finish, it's going to be a relief."

Thomson was bidding to become the first non-French winner of the race which started in Les Sables d'Olonne on November 6.

But the Welshman's push for glory petered out late Wednesday when he was hampered by problems with his automatic pilot on board his boat.

He is expected to cross the finish four hours after Le Cleac'h, who will be praying he avoids any last minute technical hiccups or a collision with a fishing boat or cargo vessel in the dash for port.

Story continues

Thomson, in a radio link with organisers, had complained of fatigue and was pessimistic about his chances. Asked if he would still win, he said: "I don't think I can... I don't have real options anymore."

For Le Cleac'h victory will be extra sweet after the father of two came off second best in the last two editions of the race described as sailing's 'Everest'.

Both men had to sail past Les Sables d'Olonne toward the English Channel to get a favourable wind to bring them back down the coast faster to the finish line.

"Tell him to stay behind," Le Cleac'h told a French Navy helicopter that flew over his boat and asked whether he had a message for Thomson.

Around 300,000 people packed Les Sables d'Olonne and the nearby coast when the race started with 29 competitors, with only 18 now left in the race.

If all goes according to plan Le Cleac'h will become the seventh yachtsman to lift the Vendee Globe which was first staged 28 years ago.

"For him, it's been almost 12 years of work. This Vendee has lasted 74 days, but before that there was four years of preparation before each race," added Gael Le Cleac'h who saluted his brother's "doggedness and stubbornness".

Vendee Globe standings at 1100 GMT Thursday:

1. Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA/Banque Populaire VIII) at 60 nautical miles from the finish

2. Alex Thomson (GBR/Hugo Boss) at 101.42 nautical miles behind leader

3. Jeremie Beyou (FRA/Maitre Coq) at 702.39

4. Yann Elies (FRA/Queguiner-Leucemie Espoir) at 1,947.73

5. Jean Le Cam (FRA/Finistere Mer Vent) at 1959.82

6. Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA/StMichel-Virbac) at 1,973.21

7. Louis Burton (FRA/Bureau Vallee) at 3,000.55

8. Nandor Fa (HUN/Spirit of Hungary) at 4,569.20

9. Eric Bellion (FRA/CommeUnSeulHomme) at 5,180.98

10. Conrad Colman (NZL/Foresight Natural Energy) at 5,322.25
SYDNEY (AP)  The leader of Australia's most populous state resigned Thursday after his popularity plummeted over a series of decisions during 2016.

Sydney-based New South Wales Premier Mike Baird used social media to announce that the ruling Liberal Party would elect a new leader at a meeting on Tuesday. He would then quit the state parliament immediately after a 10-year career.

Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian, the party deputy, has said she will be a candidate and is widely regarded as the Baird's most likely successor.

The surprise resignation comes during a turbulent era in Australian politics when state and federal leaders' careers are often shorted lived.

Opinion polls showed the 48-year-old former banker was one on Australia's most popular politicians at the start of 2016, which he recently described as his annus horribilis, Latin for horrible year.

His popularity had plummeted by late 2016 after he outlawed greyhound racing on the grounds of cruelty, then lifted the ban in the face of a political backlash. A series of policy backflips that followed tainted him as a politician without strong convictions.

Baird told a news conference on Thursday that he was quitting now to give the next premier time to settle into the role before the next election in 2019 at the end of the current four-year term.

He said he got into politics because he was frustrated by government policy inaction.

"I said many times I didn't want to become a career politician. I wanted to go as hard as I could for as long as I could and then step aside," Baird told reporters with an emotion-filled voice. "Well, today I'm making good on that pledge."

Baird said "serious health challenges" for his family were also factors in his resignation. His father, a former state government minister and federal government lawmaker, was recovering from open heart surgery and his mother requires 24-hour care for muscular dystrophy.

His sister Julia Baird, a prominent journalist who wrote in 2015 about her battle with a rare cancer, has suffered a recurrence of that cancer and has recently returned to hospital.

Baird was thrust into power in 2014 when Premier Barry O'Farrell suddenly quit in the face of mounting evidence that he failed to declare a 3,000 Australian dollar ($2,800) bottle of wine that arrived as a gift on his Sydney doorstep.
LUCKNOW, India (AP)  A truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus early Thursday, killing at least 24 young children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said.

At least two dozen other children were injured when the speeding truck collided head-on with the bus, said Javeed Ahmed, the state's top police official.

The children, between the ages of 3 and 14, were studying at a school in the town of Etah.

Another police officer, Daljeet Chaudhry, said visibility was low due to dense fog.

Police officer Parasuram Singh said the truck driver suffered serious injuries to his legs, which were amputated at a hospital.

The area is about 270 kilometers (170 miles) southeast of New Delhi.

State education authorities had closed all schools in the district because of a severe cold wave, and Ahmed said authorities would check why the school had stayed open.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences, saying: "Anguished by tragic accident in UP's Etah. I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole (the) passing away of young children."

Accidents are common on Indian roads, with most blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles.

___

This story has been corrected to state that the children are between the ages of 3-14.
By Parisa Hafezi ANKARA (Reuters) - At least 20 firefighters were killed when a 17-storey Tehran commercial building collapsed on top of them as they tried to put out a blaze, Iranian state television quoted the city's mayor as saying on Thursday. Soldiers, sniffer dogs and rescue workers were searching the ruins of the Plasco building after it crashed down in a giant cloud of dust. The collapse was shown live on state television and one witness described it as "like a horror movie". "At least 20 firefighters who were trapped under rubble have died," Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said. "They are martyrs. They lost their lives when trying to help people." But Tehran Fire Department spokesman Jalal Maleki told the broadcaster: "I cannot confirm the death of around 20 firefighters ... but some of them have been killed. The rescue operation continues." Tehrans Governor Hossein Hashemi told state TV rescue workers were opening three separate routes to access those trapped. "One of those trapped in the building sent a text message saying five of them are alive," judiciary website Mizan reported. State TV said at least 88 people, including 45 firefighters, were injured. Most were taken to hospital and many quickly discharged, it said. The semi-official Tasnim news agency said troops had been sent to help dig through the ruins. It said one of the first firefighters to be reached had asked to be let back inside to save his colleagues. The agency quoted an official in the Tehran governor's office as saying an electrical short-circuit had caused the fire, but there was no immediate confirmation of this. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani sent condolences to the families of those killed. Rouhani ordered an investigation and compensation for those affected, state TV reported. SAFETY FEARS Occupants of the building had been evacuated as firefighters tackled the blaze. State TV said the tenants included garment manufacturers, and it broadcast footage of business owners trying to re-enter the wreckage. "I have lost everything. What am I going to do now. What should I tell my family?" owner of one of the 400 business units in the building, Mohsen Ghamisi, told Reuters by telephone. Tasnim news agency reported that the business units and shops inside the building were not insured because of a lack of required safety measures. Sniffer dogs searched for survivors buried under giant slabs of concrete and heaps of twisted metal. The rescue operation could last more than two days, state TV said. The Plasco building, Iran's first private high-rise, was built more than 50 years ago by an Iranian-Jewish businessman who was arrested and sentenced to death for ties to Israel after the 1979 Islamic revolution. Maleki said: "We had repeatedly warned the building managers about the lack of safety." The owner of a nearby grocery store, forced by police to leave the area, told Reuters by telephone: "It was like a horror movie. The building collapsed in front of me." The semi-official Fars news agency said police had cordoned off the nearby British, German and Turkish embassies. "The embassies are being protected by diplomatic police forces... All the security and safety measures have been taken," TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
By Saliou Samb CONAKRY (Reuters) - At least five people were wounded by gunfire in Guinea's capital Conakry on Monday during violent opposition protests against the timing of elections, an opposition leader and a witness said. As early as 10.00 p.m. ET on Monday, some opposition supporters erected barricades and burned tyres on the streets of the seaside capital while youths fought street battles with the police and gendarmes. According to the opposition, at least three people have been killed and 50 injured in the protests which began last week. Guinea's electoral commission announced last month that a presidential election would be held on Oct. 11, a decision the opposition said broke a 2013 agreement to stage long-delayed local elections first. Analysts say that holding local polls first would give President Alpha Conde's rivals more influence in organizing the presidential election. Monday's clashes intensified in the evening, and regular gunshots were heard in several neighborhoods. A Reuters witness met a young opposition supporter named Oumar Bah, who was being carried to hospital by friends after being struck in the buttock by a bullet. "It was the police who did this to me," he said. The government said in a statement earlier in the day that several people had been arrested but denied it fired shots at protesters. However, Mouctar Diallo, among the leaders of the opposition, told Reuters that his bodyguard had been struck in the calf by a bullet. "I'm at the hospital right now. I've counted at least four others with bullet wounds in addition to him," Diallo said. It was not known if Bah, the man seen by the Reuters witness, was among those counted by Diallo. Two other people were injured in clashes earlier in the day though they were not gunshot victims. A senior police official told Reuters that a police vehicle had come under fire during the day with one bullet passing through a window. Guinea government spokesman Damantang Albert Camara said the protests were unlawful and could jeopardize efforts to curb the Ebola outbreak that began in the country last year and has killed over 10,000 people in the region. Camara said the government was open to negotiating with the opposition. A government delegation comprising several ministers met the leader of the opposition Cellou Dalein Diallo on Sunday. However, Diallo later claimed the government did not seem ready for a sincere dialogue. Guinea is rich in mineral deposits including gold, diamond, bauxite and iron ore but long-running political turmoil has hampered its ability to develop them. (Writing by Bate Felix and Joe Bavier; Editing by Dominic Evans, Bernard Orr)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's prime minister called on Thursday for "adequate and substantial" foreign investments worth nearly $10 billion to address the Syrian refugee crisis and upgrade the country's crumbling infrastructure. At least 1 million people fleeing neighboring Syria's war have poured into Lebanon since the conflict began in 2011, making up a quarter of the small country's population and seriously straining its public services. "In the coming three years, Lebanon needs no less than eight to ten billion dollars worth of new investments," Saad al-Hariri told a news conference in Beirut. Hariri said that international contributions, "while appreciated ... are not proportional to the large needs of displaced Syrians and host communities". Hariri appealed for funding for a three-year plan aimed at equipping Lebanon to better withstand the refugee influx and shore up its economy. The pillars of the economy - remittances from overseas workers, tourism and real estate - have been damaged by the war in Syria, neglected by wrangling Lebanese politicians and caught in regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Most of Lebanon's infrastructure has been awaiting repair since its 15-year civil war ended in 1990, and its debt-to-GDP ratio is forecast by the World Bank at 155 percent this year, the third highest in the world. At the top of Hariri's priority list is a budget, which the country has not had since 2005, and a better environment for business, his economic adviser, Mazen Hanna, told Reuters recently. (Reporting by Ellen Francis)
By Rosalba O'Brien SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Alejandro Guillier, an independent Chilean senator who has shot up in the opinion polls to go from relative unknown to serious presidential hopeful in just weeks, said on Thursday that Chile was going through profound social change and needed "more substantial" reforms. Guillier left journalism for politics in 2013 and now hopes to be selected by the left-leaning incumbent Nueva Mayoria bloc in primaries in July, followed by the elections in November. Opinion polls of voter intentions place him close behind conservative former president Sebastian Pinera. His main selling point has been a vow to upend politics-as-usual, at a time when scandals and a poor reception of center-left President Michelle Bachelet's reform drive have increased cynicism among Chileans. But Guillier has yet to provide significant clarity on his polices. "I think the reforms are necessary," Guillier told students and journalists at a forum on Thursday. "(But) I think they have to be more substantial, more grounded in everyday reality." Bachelet's reforms have included raising taxes to pay for an overhaul of education. But the tax reform has been criticized for its complexity, while some students say the education bill falls short. Guillier said, if elected, he would introduce a new tax bill. "I think we're all in agreement it needs to be simplified," he said, adding that there were too many legal exemptions in the current system. Education reform needed to tackle old-fashioned approaches to teaching and running schools, Guillier said. Latin American pupils underperform peers in similar economies in international rankings. "Changing education is not just about discussing financing and administration, it's also about a revolution in the classroom. There is frustration because people feel the everyday experience is not changing," Guillier said. The 63-year-old senator represents the dusty northern province of Antofagasta, home to many of top copper producer Chile's mines. Guillier said he wanted to give local governments more power. Chile should build more smelters for its mines to replace its increasingly dated ones, he said. Guillier's main Nueva Mayoria opponent is another former president, Ricardo Lagos, who is seen as a more steady, business-friendly prospect. Lagos, 78, is a hero of the democracy movement that ousted former dictator Augusto Pinochet but has struggled to gain momentum against Guillier. "Each era has its musicians, its poets, its philosophers, but times change and we want new ones," Guillier said. (Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien; editing by Grant McCool)
As the mother of a young son with autism, I am livid at the notion that money and time would be spent on investigating long-debunked claims that vaccines cause autism, as would happen if President-elect Trump creates a new commission on vaccine safety headed by a prominent vaccine skeptic. The vaccines-cause-autism fallacy has long been put to rest, and that investment of time and resources would be better spent within the autism community and on pressing public health issues. And as the communications manager of a public health organization, I can confirm that reigniting this issue sends exactly the wrong message.

The "research" purporting to find a link between autism and vaccines has been thoroughly discredited and disproven by countless studies that failed to replicate the results of Andrew Wakefield's original, falsified "study." What's more, that original study was retracted by The Lancet, the medical journal that published it, due to serious scientific flaws and ethical violations, and Mr. Wakefield lost his medical license.

[See: 10 Concerns Parents Have About Their Kids' Health.]

Unfortunately, the damage has already been done, as the tentacles of this study's false findings continue to alarm parents whose natural instinct is to protect their children. I know many parents who suspect there is no danger from vaccines but still choose to forgo them -- why take the risk? Only in an era when vaccines have been so successful in saving lives and preventing illnesses like mumps, measles and polio could the idea of "risk" be so tragically misplaced. More cruelly, the lie about a vaccine-autism link has sown doubt and guilt into the minds of many parents of children with autism, who fret about the cause of their child's condition and whether there is something they could have done to prevent it. The fact is, we still don't know for sure what causes autism, but the best research suggests a complicated interaction between genetics and the environment. If we want to tackle autism, let's focus on pursuing scientifically valid leads -- instead of reanimating debates over proven dead ends, like a link between the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and autism.

Better yet, let's take a preventive approach that not only acknowledges the many people already living with autism in this country, but provides resources that enable people with autism to thrive in their families and communities. The need is great, for all with autism but particularly those in lower-income communities: for better diagnosis and screening, for early intervention and ongoing treatment, for better insurance/Medicaid coverage, for school supports, for respite care for caregivers, for housing and employment options once autistic people age out of the school system, and for embracing autistic people as full members of our society. I know firsthand that fighting for your child to get adequate treatment and appropriate education is a full-time job. I know -- from speaking with many parents in my community -- that it becomes much harder once your autistic child is out of secondary school and in the real world, where the employment rate for autistic people is abysmal and the quirks seen as "cute" in a young child are viewed in an adult as off-putting or even dangerous. And I know that I'm a privileged, well-educated woman with a decent salary -- how much more overwhelming this fight for your child must be when you face additional discrimination or lack the resources to fully mobilize the limited systems and supports that currently exist? Instead of throwing money and time at a conspiracy theory that's long been stripped of credibility, let's devote our resources to equity for all with autism.

[See: 8 Ways Meditation Can Improve Your Life.]

And let's work, too, on clarifying that autism is less a problem to fix than a way of being that the world needs to embrace. The biggest problem my son and family face, by far, is interacting with a world that doesn't understand or appreciate him. This is why some autism advocates say they were born on the "wrong planet." Autistic people struggle most with navigating a world that's not designed for them -- a world that is too loud, too bright, too fast and often, too unforgiving of differences. Are autistic folks always blameless? Of course not. My son behaves in ways at times that he must be held accountable for -- and he is. But it helps to have context and empathy, to understand where the behavior comes from, as well as the struggle he endures daily to calibrate to an environment that his brain isn't wired for.

[See: What to Say and Do If Your Daughter Thinks She's Fat.]

If President-elect Trump is truly concerned about autism, there's a lot of work to do in the real world. A good place to start is to seek the counsel of those who experience autism every single day.

Jessica Berthold, MA, is the communications manager of Prevention Institute, a public health nonprofit in Oakland, California.
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) - The ultimate winners of banks deserting Brexit-bound London will not be rival financial hubs in Europe but New York and Asia, the British capital's mayor warned Thursday.

Sadiq Khan spoke to AFP at the World Economic Forum shortly after Prime Minister Theresa May told the meeting in Davos that Britain would remain open for business, even as some banks start shifting jobs from London to Europe.

While May insists that Britain will abandon the EU's common market, Khan said she should press still in Brexit negotiations for "privileged access" to the trading area and for London to have the ability to hire the right talent from abroad.

After meeting Norway's prime minister, Khan said he was telling European partners in Davos that "so-called hard Brexit may not benefit London or the UK because firms will leave London, but there's no guarantee they're going to go to Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt or Berlin".

"The reality is they'll probably go to Hong Kong, Singapore or New York. So a so-called hard Brexit could be a lose-lose, a lose for London and the UK, and a lose for the EU too," he said.

So far, however, European rivals to London appear to be winning out.

US bank Goldman Sachs will move 1,000 staff from London to Frankfurt as part of a post-Brexit reorganisation that will reduce its City headcount by half, German business daily Handelsblatt reported Thursday.

British bank HSBC confirmed Wednesday that 1,000 of its investment banking jobs would leave London for Paris. Its announcement came a day after May announced that Britain would leave the European common market as part of the Brexit process.

Multinational banks with a European base in London risk losing the right to do business in the remaining 27 EU countries once Britain has left, as UK-based financial firms may no longer be granted a "passport" to trade within the bloc.

Khan said it was "good news" at least that May along with her finance and trade ministers had come to Davos to engage with the business community.

He stressed: "London's been open to trade, people and ideas for more than 1,000 years. That's not going to change."
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)  Maine Gov. Paul LePage isn't backing down on his statements about John Lewis, a black Georgia congressman who risked his life in the fight for civil rights.

The Maine NAACP demanded an apology after the white Republican governor insulted Lewis, who had questioned the legitimacy of GOP Donald Trump's presidential election.

But LePage tells WGME-TV: "I will tell you, there are no apologies."

LePage had said Lewis needed a "history lesson" on Republican presidents, noting that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves and claiming Rutherford Hayes and Ulysses Grant fought Jim Crow laws.

The latter part was not accurate. Jim Crow laws didn't exist during the presidencies of Grant and Hayes, and actions taken by Hayes to end Reconstruction set the stage for Jim Crow laws that followed.
By Joseph Sipalan KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called on Myanmar on Thursday to stop all discrimination and attacks on Rohingya Muslims, and urged the world's Islamic countries to act to end an unfolding "humanitarian tragedy". Malaysia has spoken out strongly against mostly Buddhist Myanmar over its treatment of its Rohingya minority, especially since October, when security forces launched a crackdown in the north of Rakhine State on the Bangladesh border, where many Rohingya live. At least 86 people have been killed and an estimated 66,000 have fled into Bangladesh since nine Myanmar policemen were killed on Oct. 9 in attacks on border posts the Myanmar government blamed on Rohingya supported by foreign militants. "The killing must stop. The violation of women and girls must stop," Najib, the leader of Muslim-majority Malaysia told a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called by Malaysia to discuss the Rohingya. "The persecution of your fellow men and women, simply on the grounds that they are Muslim, must stop," he said. Refugees, residents and human rights groups say Myanmar forces have committed summary executions, raped women and burned homes. But the Myanmar government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has denied the accusations, saying many of the reports are fabricated. It insists the strife in Rakhine State is an internal matter. Najib, who joined protesters in Kuala Lumpur last month calling for foreign intervention to stop "genocide", said Myanmar must act. "We call on the government of Myanmar to cease all discriminatory actions and attacks against the Rohingyas immediately, and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice," he said. Rohingya have faced discrimination in Myanmar for generations. They are not classified as a distinct group under citizenship law and are regarded instead as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, entitled only to limited rights. The violence in the north of Rakhine State since October is the most serious since communal clashes in 2012 in which hundreds of people were killed. 'SAVE THEM' Malaysia summoned Myanmar's ambassador last year to protest against the treatment of Rohingya, breaking a tradition of non-intervention by members of the Association of South East Asian Nations in each other's affairs. Najib said it would be a disgrace if the Southeast Asian group did not live up to it principles and do its utmost to "avert the catastrophe that has been unfolding". He told the fellow Muslim countries of the OIC they could not "stand by and do nothing". "It is incumbent on us all to do what we can to save them from the humanitarian tragedy they are suffering," he said. The OIC represents 57 states with a population of more than 1.6 billion people, and acts as the collective voice of the Muslim world. Najib called on Myanmar to provide unimpeded access for humanitarian aid to the affected areas and to facilitate the return of refugees. He said Malaysia would give 10 million ringgit ($2.25 million) for the humanitarian efforts, and send a food flotilla. No further details were made available. About 56,000 Rohingya live in Malaysia having fled and unrest and persecution in Myanmar. The OIC's special envoy to Myanmar said this week the United Nations should intervene to avert genocide. OIC Secretary General Yousef Al Othaimeen said Myanmar must prevent "ongoing discrimination and the unwarranted systematic abuse against the Rohingya". Malaysia's top counter-terrorism official has said Myanmar faces a growing danger of attacks by foreign militants in support of Rohingyas. (Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Writing by Praveen Menon; Editing by Robert Birsel)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  The Organization of Islamic Cooperation plans to send a high-level delegation to Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state to assess the plight of the Rohingya Muslim minority, Malaysia said Thursday.

A resolution issued after a special meeting of OIC foreign ministers to discuss the Rohingya crisis urged Myanmar to accept the OIC's visit. It asked Myanmar to implement the rule of law, work toward a sustainable solution, and allow the safe return of refugees and "unimpeded and unconditional access" for humanitarian aid to the affected area.

Rohingya villagers and activists say hundreds of civilians have been killed since October, although figures cannot be verified because authorities have limited access for aid workers and journalists. Recent satellite images show thousands of houses were burned.

Myanmar's army began a crackdown in Rakhine state in October after nine policemen were killed. The security forces are accused of killings, rape and the burning of homes that have driven some 65,000 refugees across the border into Bangladesh in the past three months.

The government and the army say they have been conducting operations to clear the area of armed elements.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said an independent assessment of the situation would help Myanmar's government since it has rejected accusations of widespread abuses against the Rohingya.

"In order to ascertain the reality of it, why not receive an independent team to assess whether what has been said really happened or it is just mere propaganda. In actual fact, it is good for them," Anifah told reporters at the end of Thursday's meeting.

Earlier Thursday, Malaysia said the crisis was no longer Myanmar's internal affair because it has fueled an exodus of refugees that could destabilize the region. Indonesia also offered to be a facilitator to find a solution to the crisis.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, delivering a speech at the meeting, warned that the violence must end, or militants including the Islamic State group could infiltrate and radicalize the Rohingya.

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Najib urged Myanmar to stop all discrimination and attacks, and repeated calls for the free delivery of aid and safe return of refugees.

"This must happen now. ... the government of Myanmar disputes the terms 'genocide' and 'ethnic cleansing,' but whatever the terminology, the Rohingya cannot wait," he said.

Najib said Malaysia will donate another 10 million ringgit ($2.25 million) for humanitarian aid and social projects in Rakhine, where most of the Rohingya have lived for generations. Many have been denied Myanmar citizenship.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on the sidelines of the meeting that Jakarta was "more than ready to play a bridging role" to help Myanmar and its Muslim minority. Marsudi said she will fly to Yangon on Friday to meet with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and plans to travel to Rakhine on Saturday.

OIC Secretary General Yousef Al Othaimeen said Myanmar must halt "ongoing discrimination and the unwarranted systematic abuse against the Rohingya."

A small group of Rohingya gathered at the building where the OIC ministers were meeting and repeated calls for an independent investigation into their plight.
Bamako (AFP) - More than 70 people died in a suicide bomb attack in Mali targeting militia groups committed to restoring peace in the African country, according to an updated toll Thursday.

The update came as Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita travelled to Gao in the troubled north to visit injured survivors and relatives of the dead, the head of state's office announced on Twitter.

"There are more than 70 victims," a medical source in Gao told AFP.

The death toll could rise further given the large number of injured, the source said. The wounded have been evacuated to Bamako.

A previous toll from Wednesday's attack had put the number of dead at 60 with 115 injured.

The assault targeted a camp housing former rebels and pro-government militia who are signatories to a 2015 peace accord struck with the government.

President Keita has ordered three days of national mourning.

The attack, Mali's worst in years, was claimed by the group of Algerian jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar, allied to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

It occurred as former rebels from the Tuareg-led CMA movement prepared to go on a joint patrol with pro-government militia members under the terms of the peace deal.

Mali's north fell under the control of Tuareg-led rebels and jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012. The Islamists sidelined the rebels to take sole control.

Although they were largely ousted by a French-led military operation in January 2013, implementation of the peace accord has been piecemeal with insurgents still active across large parts of the region.

The joint patrols, which also include regular Malian army troops, are supposed to help prepare for the reorganisation of the army.

In Paris, meanwhile, the French military on Thursday said armed groups in Mali launched 118 attacks against the army, UN peacekeepers and French troops last year.

Fifteen Malian soldiers, 24 members of the MINUSMA UN peacekeeping force and four French soldiers lost their lives, French army spokesman Patrik Steiger told a weekly press briefing in Paris.

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The attacks "were generally from explosive devices, suicide bombings, mines, rocket and mortar fire and the aim was to kill while generating the maximum amount of publicity possible," Steiger said.

The United Nations has deployed 13,000 troops in Mali while France, the former colonial power, has an additional 4,000 soldiers stationed there.

The UN Security Council agreed Wednesday to consider setting up a sanctions regime for Mali to punish those who are hindering efforts to implement a 2015 peace accord.
A Florida man has been arrested and jailed after posting a rambling Twitter video in which he threatened to kill Donald Trump on Inauguration Day.

Dominic Puopolo, 51, says in the footage Ill be at the review stand at the Inauguration and Im going to kill President Trump, President-elect Trump, today.

What are you going to do about it, Secret Service?

His video was also tweeted at the U.S. Secret Service.

Read: Head of U.S. Intelligence Says Trump Dossier Is a Potential Threat to National Security

He said on camera he has four children, three wives and goes by the name Lord Jesus Christ. His Twitter handle is @jesuschrist1701.

@SecretService VIDEO THREAT NOW 1809H TRUMP DEAD pic.twitter.com/fO8OS3viY4  LORD JESUS CHRIST (@jesuschrist1701) January 16, 2017

Miami police officers arrested Puopolo Tuesday as he left a Subway sandwich shop. He was charged with threatening to harm a public servant, authorities said.

Miami-Dade County Judge Mindy Glaze ordered a psychiatric evaluation for Puopolo. If he is deemed fit, bail will be set at $1 million, she said.

Puopolos attorney said his client was mentally il and homeless, WPLG-TV reported.

Read: Trump Fires Presidential Campaign Manager After Invaka Threat: It's Him or Me: Report

His mother, Sonia Morales Puopolo, died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks when American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the World Trade Centers North Tower, the Miami Herald reported.

The womans eulogy was delivered by Hillary Clinton, who knew Sonia Puopolo through working with charities including the Red Cross, the paper said.

In his video, her son says, My other name is the Lord Jesus Christ. What are you going to do about it? I challenge you. This is not the way. I am following orders.

Story continues

Watch: Eric Trump Gets Letter: 'If Your Dad Doesn't Drop Out Family Will Be Harmed'

Related Articles:
London (AFP) - Northern Ireland's Martin McGuinness, who retired from political life due to ill health on Thursday, is a former paramilitary who became a key behind-the-scenes negotiator for the peace process.

McGuinness was a commander of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during its bloody campaign against British rule of the province, in which 3,500 people died in three decades of violence.

But the senior member of the republican Sinn Fein party also helped negotiate the landmark Good Friday Agreement in 1998 for sharing power with one-time bitter foes, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

The man described as a ruthless commander became a statesman who rubbed shoulders with prime ministers and presidents, as well as Queen Elizabeth II.

Now 66, he said he hoped in the future to be "an ambassador for peace, unity and reconciliation".

"Reconciliation, I have always believed, is the next vital stage of the peace process," he said.

"My record of reaching out, whether it be to Queen Elizabeth -- and her record of reaching out to me on several occasions -- my visits to the Somme, to Flanders field, have not been reciprocated by the DUP and that is a particular disappointment to me."

In his position as deputy first minister, McGuinness shook hands with the queen, whose authority in Northern Ireland he does not recognise, during her visit there in 2012.

He wished the monarch well in Irish, in a phrase that translates as: "Goodbye and God bless".

McGuinness was born in 1950 in Londonderry in Northern Ireland, and as a teenager became involved in the civil rights movement.

He joined socialists Sinn Fein, now the main Catholic republican party, in 1970.

He became a member of the IRA and had risen to its second-in-command in Derry by the time of "Bloody Sunday", the notorious day on January 30, 1972, when 13 unarmed civil rights protesters were shot dead by British soldiers.

Although McGuinness escaped detention by the British in Northern Ireland, he was jailed in the Republic of Ireland in 1973 after being caught with 250 pounds (113 kilogrammes) of explosives and nearly 5,000 rounds of ammunition in a car.

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At his trial, where he received a six-month sentence, he proudly declared his membership of the IRA, saying: "We have fought against the killing of our people. I am a member of Oglaigh na hEireann (the IRA) and very, very proud of it."

Years later in May 2001, after McGuinness became a politician, he spoke of his membership of the IRA with a level of honesty that few of his Sinn Fein colleagues have matched and which has removed some of the toxicity from his past.

- Peace negotiator -

McGuinness moved into politics relatively early, becoming one of five Sinn Fein members elected to the short-lived Northern Ireland assembly in 1982.

He was involved in secret talks with British officials between 1990 and 1993, and after the IRA ceasefire of 1994, became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the painstaking talks that led to the Good Friday peace accords.

When a power-sharing government was established in 2007, McGuinness was appointed deputy first minister, working closely with First Minister Ian Paisley, the firebrand Protestant preacher who led the staunchly pro-British DUP.

The two men surprised many by striking up a warm relationship, and McGuinness continued good working ties with Paisley's successor, Peter Robinson.

But he fell out with Robinson's successor Arlene Foster, leading to his resignation earlier this month.

McGuinness had said his ill-health, which required a period of absence from his role, was not the reason he resigned but said Thursday he was quitting politics to try to recover.

McGuinness enjoys fly-fishing, and his condemnation of violence in his soft Derry accent have earned him death threats from the paramilitaries he once led.

The father of four has repeatedly condemned attacks by dissident republicans opposed to the peace process, and his outrage at the murder of two British soldiers in Northern Ireland in 2009 was seen as a bold step.
More international students are looking at European medical schools for lower tuition rates and fewer years in school.

In recent years, there's been a growing number of English-taught medical programs at European medical schools, says Jennifer Viemont, founder of North Carolina-based Beyond the States, which provides information on English-conducted M.D. programs in Europe. According to Beyond the States, there are 35 of these programs -- most of which are in Italy and Eastern Europe.

Experts say cost can be a luring factor for some students, especially with the higher cost associated with attending a medical school in the U.S. -- even for in-state students.

The average indebtedness for students who graduated from a ranked private U.S. medical school in 2014 was $160,993 compared with $156,084 for those who graduated from ranked a U.S. public medical school, U.S. News data show. These average debt amounts don't include student loans borrowed as an undergraduate.

"Europe's integrated bachelor's-master's degree program can save students both time and a tremendous amount of money, as the average tuition for these programs is just under $10,500," says Viemont on M.D. programs in Europe.

Medical degrees in Europe typically combine undergraduate and postgraduate work, the Beyond the States founder says, and are usually shorter -- five to six years in length.

[Infographic: See what to ask about undergrad majors for med school.]

Integrated bachelor's-graduate medical programs in Europe, she says, carry not only a tuition benefit, but may also lessen a student's debt load. "These programs are shorter. So you're talking about less time paying tuition and more time getting income as well."

Despite medical school in the U.K. being more expensive compared with other countries, such as Italy or Poland, to name a couple, the shorter program length is tempting to U.S. students, experts say.

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"The main appeal of the course is that the program is undergraduate, so students come directly from high school rather than spending four years on a premed track," says Alexander Craik, a U.S. recruitment officer at University College London.

Craik says he's seen an increase in inquiries from U.S. students about the school's medical program because of the shorter length of time, even though annual tuition is high.

[Follow a medical school application timeline.]

For prospective students interested in studying medicine in Europe, here are several points to consider.

1. Tuition fees vary country to country: Studying in the U.S. for many is an expensive investment, and many European medical schools are comparatively cheaper, college experts say.

Annual tuition at the Medical University of Warsaw for the English-taught medical program, as an example, is 11,500 euros a year -- roughly $12,300. The program is four years for those who pass the school's medical entrance exam; the school offers a one- to two-year premed program for international students.

But not all European programs are on the inexpensive side of the spectrum. Medical schools in the U.K. tend to cost more than elsewhere.

While the University of Birmingham's medical and surgery degree program is only five years, an international student pays $25,000 annually for the first two years and then nearly $43,550 per year for the final three years.

Spots are also limited for international students, U.K. university recruiters say . The cheapest programs, experts say, are at public medical schools in Italy.

[Check out scholarships for medical school study.]

2. Residency matches are lower for international medical graduates: U.S.-based college consultants say students coming from an international medical school may find it more difficult to place with a residency program in the States.

"In the medical field, students who attend school abroad have a stigma associated with them: 'They were not good enough to get into an American medical school,'" said Kristen Moon, a college adviser and founder of Atlanta-based Moon Prep, in an email.

In fact, slightly more than half of international medical graduates -- 52 percent -- "matched" with a residency program in the U.S. in 2016, according to a spokesperson from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.

U.S. medical graduates had a higher match rate through the National Resident Matching Program last year. The match rate for those students was more than 75 percent, according to the NRMP.

3. Not all European medical schools are eligible for federal student loans: According to the most recent data from the Department of Education, 398 foreign universities across 37 countries are listed as "eligible" for disbursing federal student loans.

While there are some European medical schools that qualify for the program, such as the Medical University of Lublin in Poland or Charles University in Czech Republic, not all schools with an English-taught program qualify, according to the Department of Education.

If a school overseas is eligible to participate in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, then a student can also use funds from a tax-advantaged 529 account to pay for school-related expenses.

But as Viemont from Beyond the States says, "You can still use your 529" at a non-FAFSA school. "You're just going to get a penalty."

Searching for a medical school? Get our complete rankings of Best Medical Schools.

Farran Powell is an education reporter at U.S. News, covering paying for college and graduate school. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at fpowell@usnews.com.
Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump and the media are digging in for what could be a long and bitter war.

The president-elect, whose spent much of his campaign at loggerheads with the mainstream press, has been sharpening his attacks, and the news media is bracing for what some see as a looming campaign of intimidation.

Days before moving into the White House, Trump told Fox News he plans to keep tweeting his views as the "only way to counteract" what he called "a very dishonest media."

While many US presidents have had strained relations with the media, Trump has made maligning the press a core element of his message, foreshadowing a stormy relationship for the years to come.

Journalists and media analysts expect a White House effort to cow feisty news outlets into submission as the two sides battle to define the public narrative.

Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan envisions a "hellish" time: she expects Trump to "punish journalists for doing their jobs" and suspects his administration will be "awash in investigations and prosecutions of journalists."

Trump appears to have reached a truce with his hometown New York Times after a post-election session with the daily. And he has been on good terms with some outlets such as the far-right Breitbart News.

But he has been on a rampage against other news organizations.

On Wednesday Trump took aim at NBC News, calling the network "totally biased" for saying he does not deserve credit for job creation announcements from big companies such as Ford, General Motors and Lockheed Martin.

In his first, and only news conference since the election, Trump lashed out at BuzzFeed News for its controversial decision to publish what it acknowledged was an unverified report suggesting Russia had compromising information on him.

Describing the website as a "failing pile of garbage," Trump said it "will suffer the consequences."

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At the same January 11 news conference he clashed overtly with CNN, which covered the same story minus the lurid details, denying the cable giant's White House correspondent a question and charging: "You are fake news."

- 'Keeps us honest' -

Matt Gertz, a senior fellow at the left-leaning watchdog group Media Matters for America, said Trump showed in one event how he intends to manhandle the media.

"He will seek to delegitimize news outlets that provide critical coverage, try to turn them against one another, reward sycophantic coverage from openly pro-Trump sources, and encourage others to follow in their lead," Gertz said in a blog post.

National Press Club president Thomas Burr warns Trump's use of the "fake news" tag to dismiss stories he dislikes "may foment a dangerous disrespect for journalists" among the public.

Trump's team has already signaled that it will not be business as usual for the media, suggesting daily briefings could become a thing of the past and that the press corps could be evicted from the West Wing of the White House.

Obama voiced support for a free and combative news media at the final press conference of his two terms in office on Wednesday.

"You're not supposed to be sycophants, you're supposed to be skeptical," he told the assembled press corps. "And having you in this building has made this work place better. It keeps us honest, makes us work harder."

- 'Theater' -

Lucy Dalglish, dean of journalism at the University of Maryland, was unsurprised by Trump's news conference outburst.

"That's his style, and I think we'll see more of that," she said, warning of a risk the media -- and the public -- get distracted by "theater" from more important policy questions.

But after a campaign where a majority of US newspaper editorial boards opposed Trump, media organizations have signaled they would resist any attempt at intimidation.

"While you have every right to decide your ground rules for engaging with the press, we have some, too," said Kyle Pope of the Columbia Journalism Review, in a blog aimed at Trump.

"We, not you, decide how best to serve our readers, listeners, and viewers."

The New York Times announced this week it would invest $5 million for its coverage of the incoming administration, saying that "covering this story aggressively, fairly and unrelentingly will be the top priority" this year.

- 'Has set us free' -

Some even believe the Trump administration's hostility towards the media may have a positive side effect -- encouraging the press to play its role as a check against power.

"People see there is a need to do real shoe-leather journalism," argues Joel Kaplan, associate dean of journalism at Syracuse University.

For Josh Marshall, editor and publisher of TalkingPointsMemo, fears of a campaign of intimidation and retribution are overblown.

"America isn't Russia. And I don't think he can change us into Russia," he wrote. "Journalists should be unbowed and aggressive and with a sense of humor until something happens to prevent them from doing so."

Politico media write Jack Shafer said the press "ought to start thinking of covering Trump's Washington like a war zone, where conflict follows conflict, where the fog prevents the collection of reliable information directly from the combatants, where the assignment is a matter of life or death."

"The harder Trump rides the press -- and he gives no sign of dismounting -- the higher he elevates reporters in the estimation of many voters," Shafer writes.

"In his own way, Trump has set us free."
BERLIN (Reuters) - EU leaders on Wednesday welcomed clarity from Britain over what it wants from Brexit talks, with Germany's Angela Merkel promising a united front in what will be "very intensive" negotiations. Responding to Prime Minister Theresa May's speech on Tuesday that made clear that Britain would quit the European Union's single market, Merkel welcomed the fact that London had accepted that free movement of EU citizens was not something it could opt out of without losing other EU rights. "There cannot be any cherry picking by Britain in Brexit negotiations," Merkel told an economic conference, adding that access to the bloc's single market was ultimately linked to accepting the EU's four freedoms - of movement of goods, capital, people and services. "The speech made by British Prime Minister Theresa May has given us a clear impression of how Great Britain wants to proceed," Merkel said at a joint news conference with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. "The main thing is that Europe does not let itself be divided and we will make sure of that via very intensive dialogue," Merkel said. Gentiloni said the EU was "ready to discuss the issue with the correct approach, which is in solidarity and friendship with the UK". A spokesman for the German finance ministry said London's vision for implementing Brexit could prove to be "pretty complicated" given that Britain would have no "EU passport" to conduct financial transactions once it left the bloc. "VERY, VERY SHORT TIME" Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he feared the two-year negotiation period, which will begin when Britain launches Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, may not be enough. "Everybody needs to think through the timetable for these negotiations because in practice we have actually not more than perhaps one-and-a-half years, perhaps a little bit more," Lofven told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "Autumn 2018, that is a very, very short time for these complex negotiations, so I think that the UK ... is a bit optimistic (on the) timetable." While European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said EU negotiators were "not in a hostile mood" toward Britain, Slovakia's prime minister said the EU had to ensure London did not win a deal that would be to the detriment of the remaining 27 members. "I am convinced that in no case will a future agreement be more favourable for Great Britain than current membership in the EU," Robert Fico told a news conference. "Negotiations over Brexit will be very tough and painful and it would be wrong if (remaining EU members) emerged weaker and Britain stronger." (Reporting by Michelle Martin, Gernot Heller, Crispian Balmer and Gavin Jones in Rome, Simon Johnson in Stockholm and Tatiana Jancarikova in Bratislava; Writing by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Gareth Jones)
Mexico City (AFP) - Mexico's Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed appeals by jailed drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman against his extradition to the United States, a court source said.

"The judges decided not to hear the (appeal for) protection" from extradition, the court source, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

The source said the Supreme Court passed the appeals to a separate "collegiate" panel of judges for it to issue a ruling.

One of Guzman's lawyers, Andres Granados, said the defense team would study the court's arguments and may take the appeal to a regional human rights court.

The Sinaloa drug cartel boss was recaptured a year ago, six months after escaping from a maximum-security prison through a 1.5-kilometer (one-mile) tunnel that opened into his cell's shower.

He is facing two extradition bids, one in California for drug distribution and another in Texas on a slew of charges that include murder and money laundering.
New York (AFP) - Mexican drug baron Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, one of the world's most notorious criminals, was extradited to the United States on Thursday to face charges on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration.

Guzman heads the Sinaloa cartel, which is accused of generating much of the deadly violence in Mexico's decades-long drug war and providing tons of narcotics to the United States.

The drug kingpin landed at MacArthur Airport on Long Island, the US Justice Department said. US television broadcast footage of what appeared to be his convoy arriving outside a New York jail, the street outside bristling with heavily armed US Marshalls.

His extradition caps a Hollywood-worthy cat-and-mouse game between Mexican authorities and the slippery 59-year-old drug lord, who escaped from prison twice.

His feats turned him into a legend of Mexico's underworld, with musicians singing his praises in folk ballads known as "narcocorridos" -- tributes to drug capos.

US prosecutors said Brooklyn federal attorney Robert Capers will hold a news conference at 10:00 am (1500 GMT) -- less than two hours before Trump's inauguration -- to announce his extradition and arraignment.

Guzman is charged in six separate indictments throughout the United States, one of which is in New York.

The drug baron had fought desperately against extradition since being recaptured almost exactly a year ago in his home state of Sinaloa following his second daring jailbreak.

President Enrique Pena Nieto previously refused to extradite Guzman, but he changed tack after his latest escape in July 2015.

He had been held most recently in prison in Ciudad Juarez, which borders Texas, after being abruptly transferred from a penitentiary near Mexico City last May.

- Timing: Dig at Trump? -

The Mexican foreign ministry said he was handed over to US authorities after the Supreme Court and a court of appeals rejected his latest bids to avoid extradition.

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The appeals court ruled that the extradition conformed with a bilateral treaty and that Guzman's rights had not been violated, the statement said.

The US Justice Department extended "its gratitude to the government of Mexico for their extensive cooperation and assistance."

But one of Guzman's lawyers, Silvia Delgado, told Milenio television that she was surprised by the extradition, calling it "illegal" because another legal petition was pending.

In May, the Mexican foreign ministry approved extradition bids from California, where he is wanted for drug distribution, and Texas, where he faces a slew of charges including murder and money laundering.

Trump, who takes office on Friday, has publicly clashed with Mexico over trade and immigration issues. The Republican president-elect has pledged to build a wall on the US-Mexican border.

Alejandro Hope, a prominent Mexican security expert, said the decision to extradite Guzman in the last hours of Barack Obama's presidency and before Trump takes office was "not a coincidence."

"They didn't want Trump to be able to brag about it, so they managed to hand him over in the final minutes" of the Obama administration, he told AFP.

But Alejandro Almazan, author of Guzman biography "The Most Wanted," said the kingpin was "a gift to Trump" because Pena Nieto wants good relations with the new US leader.

Alberto Elias Beltran, Mexico's deputy attorney general for international affairs, denied that the timing was politically motivated.

- Daring escapes -

He said the government does not intervene in judicial rulings, that the case was resolved on Thursday and that Guzman had to be delivered "immediately" under the terms of the international treaty.

Guzman was first captured in Guatemala in 1993, only to escape from a maximum-security prison in western Mexico in 2001 by hiding in a laundry cart.

Marines backed by the US Drug Enforcement Administration arrested him in February 2014 in the Sinaloa resort of Mazatlan, where he was staying with his wife and twin daughters.

But Guzman escaped from prison again in spectacular fashion just 17 months later.

His henchmen dug a 1.5-kilometer (one-mile) tunnel that opened into his cell's shower at the Altiplano prison near Mexico City, allowing him to slip out and flee on a remodeled motorbike that was fitted on tracks.

Guzman was recaptured in January 2016.

Authorities said they tracked him down after Guzman held a clandestine meeting with US actor Sean Penn and Mexican-American actress Kate del Castillo, with whom he exchanged flirtatious text messages.

His arrest likely leaves his long-time associate, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, at the helm of the Sinaloa cartel.

But Raul Benitez Manaut, a security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said the extradition weakens the group.

"There will be an internal fight between his sons and the sons of other of the founders," Benitez Manaut said. "It could be violent -- or maybe it could be peaceful."
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been extradited from a prison in northern Mexico to the United States, the Mexican government said on Thursday, one day before Donald Trump assumes the U.S. presidency. Guzman was one of the world's most wanted drug kingpins until he was captured in January 2016. Six months earlier, he had broken out of a high-security penitentiary in central Mexico through a mile-long tunnel. "The government ... today handed Mr Guzman Loera to the U.S. authorities," the foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to a court decision on Thursday rejecting a legal challenge by his lawyers against extradition. Guzman was being held in a prison in the infamously violent border city of Juarez in the northern state of Chihuahua where his Sinaloa cartel won a bloody drug war against rivals. His lawyers had sought to block his extradition to the United States. Its a good thing to finally get him to the U.S. side, said a senior U.S. law enforcement official based in Mexico. He said he did not think Mexico put a whole lot of thought into the timing of the extradition, that comes the day before Trumps inauguration, but it certainly isnt a bad thing. (Reporting by Jose Luis Gonzalez in Ciudad Juarez and Tomas Bravo in Mexico City; Additional reporting by Gabriel Stargardter in Mexico City; Editing by James Dalgleish)
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Senior Mexican officials will hold meetings on January 25 and 26 with U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump's top aides in Washington, to discuss bilateral relations such as security, trade and migration, the government said on Thursday. In a statement, the foreign ministry said Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo would attend talks with chief-of-staff Reince Priebus, Trump's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, among others. The meetings will also be attended by Steve Bannon, Trump's chief strategist, Gary Cohn, who heads the White House National Economic Council, trade advisor Peter Navarro, and national security advisor Michael Flynn, the statement said. Trump has sent Mexico's peso to record lows, threatening to tax Mexican-made products for the U.S market, build a wall along the southern border, and scrap a free trade agreement with Mexico if he cannot renegotiate it to favor American interests. (Reporting by Alexandra Alper and Dave Graham; Editing by Alistair Bell)
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f353883%2fbafd1678-04d3-465b-99a5-3edaad98349b

Say it ain't so, FLOTUS can't go.

Michelle Obama is giving us all a glimpse at her final days in the White House by sharing precious photographs of her with Barack and their two dogs, Bo and Sunny, on Instagram.

SEE ALSO: Michelle Obama takes memorable final stroll through the 'People's House'

On Wednesday, after sharing a video of herself taking a final reflective walk through White House with her pups, FLOTUS posted a photograph of the three sitting on a red carpet-covered staircase in the historic building she's called home for the past eight years.

Taking it in on one last walk through the People's House.  A video posted by First Lady Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) on Jan 18, 2017 at 9:55am PST

Obama thanked her followers for wishing her well on her 53rd birthday this Tuesday, in addition to giving her "the greatest gift of all: the opportunity to serve as you First Lady."

Thank you for the birthday wishes and for the greatest gift of all: the opportunity to serve as your First Lady. mo A photo posted by First Lady Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) on Jan 17, 2017 at 6:24pm PST

Hours later, FLOTUS gave us another punch in the heart by sharing a photo of her and Barack embracing, looking out over the White House balcony.

The gracious and aww-worthy comment read, "Being your First Lady has been the honor of a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. -mo"

Being your First Lady has been the honor of a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. -mo A photo posted by First Lady Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) on Jan 18, 2017 at 4:15pm PST

She was sure to share a black and white version to bid her Snapchat followers farewell, too.

Will there ever be another first lady this cool and classy?
Miles Morales in Marvel Comics (Image: Sara Pichelli/Marvel Entertainment)

By Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter

Miles Morales is Sony Pictures Animations friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Though there was speculation that the untitled Spider-Man animation film would focus on Morales, the news is now official thanks to an announcement made by Sony Pictures Animation president Kristine Belson at a presentation on Wednesday morning.

Related: Meet Miles Morales, the New Adjectiveless Spider-Man

The feature was written by Phil Lord, who will also executive produce the project alongside his Lego Movie co-director Chris Miller. (The duo will soon begin production on the Han Solo Star Wars stand-alone, which they are directing).

What inspired us the most is that anyone can wear the mask. You can be any race, creed, or color, said Lord and Miller via a prerecorded video at the presentation.

The pair introduced a clip revealing some early development and exploratory art work, showing Spidey on the streets of New York, with a dark mood in the style of a graphic novel.

Related: Han Solo Movie: Who Else Could Be in the Star Wars Stand-Alone?

The Little Prince writer Bob Persichetti is set to co-direct alongside Peter Ramsey (Rise of the Guardians). Avi Arad and Sonys Amy Pascal will also exec produce, with Christina Steinberg acting as producer.

Morales was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli. He was introduced in 2011 as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint, where he took on the mantle of Spider-Man after the death of that universes Peter Parker. Marvel ended the Ultimate imprint in 2015, but Morales was made a character in the mainstream Marvel Universe, beginning with stories under the All-New, All-Different Marvel banner.

Related: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sony Partner for Animated Musical Vivo

The character can be seen in all of his animated glory in Disney XDs animated series Ultimate Spider-Man, where he is voiced by actor Donald Glover, whom fans once campaigned to play Spider-Man on the big screen in the films that would eventually star Andrew Garfield. Sony will soon release Spider-Man: Homecoming, the live-action reboot of the superhero that stars Tom Holland as a high-school-aged Peter Parker. Glover will play a supporting role.

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Sony Pictures Animation will release the Spider-Man movie on Dec. 21, 2018.

Spider-Man: Homecoming: Watch a trailer:
By Isabel Coles MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Most Islamic State (IS) commanders in Mosul have been killed in battles with Iraqi government forces that raged over the past three months in the eastern side of the city, an Iraqi general said on Thursday. The fight to take the western side of Mosul, which remains under the jihadists' control, should not be more difficult than the one on the eastern side, Lieutenant-General Abdul Ghani al-Assadi told Reuters before embarking on a tour of areas newly retaken. Assadi's Counter-Terrorism Service announced on Wednesday that almost all of the city's eastern half had been brought under government control. "God willing, there will be a meeting in the next few days attended by all the commanders concerned with liberation operations," he said, replying to a question on when he expects a thrust into the western side of Mosul to begin. "It will not be harder than what we have seen. The majority of (IS) commanders have been killed in the eastern side." He did not give further details. Since late 2015, government forces backed by U.S.-led coalition air power have wrested back large amounts of northern and western territory overrun by IS in a shock 2014 offensive. On Thursday, regular Iraqi army troops captured the Nineveh Oberoy hotel, the so-called "palaces" area on the eastern bank of the Tigris, and Tel Kef, a small town just to the north according to military statements in Baghdad. The army is still battling militants in al-Arabi, the last district which remains under their control east of the river, said one of the statements. Over 50 watercraft and barges used by Islamic State to supply their units east of the river were destroyed in air strikes, the U.S. envoy to the coalition, Brett McGurty, tweeted. Mogul's five bridges across the Tigris had already been partially damaged by U.S.-led air strikes to slow the militants' movement, before Islamic State blew up two of them. "God willing, there will be an announcement in the next few days that all the eastern bank is under control," Assai said. A Reuters correspondent saw army troops deploying in an area by the river as mortar and gun fire rang out further north. On one of the streets newly recaptured from Islamic State, men were reassembling breeze blocks into a wall that was blown up by a suicide car bomb several days ago. Prime Minister Hailer al-Badri said late on Tuesday that Islamic State had been severely weakened in the Mosul campaign, and the military had begun moving against it in the western half. He did not elaborate. If the U.S.-backed campaign is successful it will likely spell the end of the Iraqi part of the self-styled caliphate declared by the ultra-hardline Islamic State in 2014, which extends well into neighboring Syria. Several thousand civilians have been killed or wounded in the Mosul fighting since October. (Additional reporting by Saif Hameed; editing by Mark Heinrich and Robin Pomeroy)
Soyuz TMA 19M rocket launch nasa

NASA, in dealing with Russia's monopoly on human spaceflight, is hoping Boeing can help  that is, by buying tickets the company owns for rides aboard Russian rockets.

When NASA retired its last space shuttle in July 2011, it expected commercial carriers like SpaceX and Boeing to launch its astronauts into space by 2015.

But both companies hit snags with the development of their rockets and spaceships, causing the first planned launches to slip to 2018, according to a September 2016 audit by NASA's Office of Inspector General (OIG).

This left NASA with one option for getting astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS) for the next 3 years: a Russian spacecraft called the Soyuz.

NASA is no stranger to buying Soyuz seats  it has done so for more than a decade  but Russia has taken full advantage of its temporary monopoly to charge ever-more-exorbitant sums for them. And now the space agency may need more than it originally expected.

As Eric Berger reported Wednesday at Ars Technica, NASA issued a new solicitation on January 17 to buy two more Soyuz seats from Boeing, plus "an option to acquire crew transportation from Boeing for three crewmembers on the Soyuz in 2019." In other words: NASA may end up buying five tickets aboard the Soyuz from Boeing.

If that sounds a little convoluted, particularly since Boeing's delays helped put NASA in this pickle in the first place, welcome to the current state of human spaceflight industry.

As Berger notes at Ars Technica, RSC Energia  the Russian entity that makes and launches Soyuz rockets and spacecraft  recently settled a $320 million lawsuit with Boeing. Part of Boeing's settlement package includes five Soyuz seats and, according to NASA's recent solicitation, one is scheduled for 2017, another for 2018, and three for 2019.

NASA wants those tickets to ensure it's making good on its roughly $75 billion investment in the ISS, set to disband in 2024, by filling it up with as many crewmembers as possible.

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What might NASA pay Boeing for each of its Soyuz tickets?

A NASA representative declined to provide Business Insider with an estimate, but noted "prices will be finalized during contract negotiations" and that the space agency "will ensure it receives a fair and reasonable price for the transportation services from Boeing before a contract is awarded."

Representatives from Boeing also wouldn't give specific numbers, but told Business Insider in an email that "the pricing is attractive" and that "we would not charge NASA more than what they would pay Roscosmos [Russia's space agency] if they were purchasing these seats directly."

If what Roscosmos charges is any guide, however, Boeing's Soyuz seats could still cost NASA dearly.

When NASA still had the space shuttle in 2008, Roscosmos charged it as little as $21.8 million per Soyuz seat. By 2018, however, it intends to charge NASA $81 million per seat  an increase of 372% over 10 years:

Chart showing how much Russia is charging NASA per seat for launching US astronauts.

That's according to NASA OIG's September 2016 audit data.

The chart below, also based on the report, factors in the price of a seat and the number of astronauts that NASA plans to launch (about six per year) to show how much NASA has paid Russia and could end up paying for Soyuz seats.

The total cost over 12 years is more than $3.36 billion  and that's not including the possible purchase of Boeing's three Soyuz seats for 2019.

Assuming NASA's budget remains roughly $18.5 billion a year, that means about 3% of the agency's funding could be diverted to Russia in 2018:

Chart showing how much Russia is charging NASA for launching US astronauts.

A presentation given by a NASA official in May 2016 estimates the cost of each seat aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will be $58 million.

The Sept. 2016 audit made clear that any other hiccups in the NASA's commercial crew program, which could earn Boeing and SpaceX up to $4.2 billion and $2.6 billion (respectively) for their services, will be costly.

"Given the delays in initiating a U.S. capacity to transport crew to the ISS, NASA has extended its contract with the Russian Space Agency for astronaut transportation through 2018 at an additional cost of $490 million," the report stated. "If the Commercial Crew Program experiences additional delays, NASA may need to buy additional seats from Russia to ensure a continued U.S. presence on the ISS."

Indeed, that looks to be the way things are headed now.

This article was updated to include new information provided after its original publication.

NOW WATCH: Watch the dramatic moment SpaceX rocket explodes





More From Business Insider


(HONOLULU) A group of NASA-funded researchers are poised to enter an isolated geodesic dome on a Hawaii volcano to study human behavior for long-term space exploration, including a planned voyage to Mars.

The six crew members head into their new home Thursday on the Big Islands Mauna Loa volcano for an eight-month stay. There will be no physical human contact with the outside world, a 20-minute delay in communications to simulate the time it takes for messages to reach earth from Mars and the team will be required to wear space suits whenever they leave the compound.

The study will assess the psychological difficulties associated with living in isolated and confined conditions far away from home. The University of Hawaii operates the facility called Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, or HI-SEAS.

Were hoping to figure out how best to select individual astronauts, how to compose a crew and how to support that crew on long-duration space missions, said principal investigator Kim Binstead, a University of Hawaii science professor. The studys goal, she said, is to reduce the barriers to a human journey to Mars.

There are a number of other Mars simulation projects around the world, but the Hawaii project has been receiving federal funding for several years and is unique, the university says, because of its accessibility, consistent weather and realistic Mars-like geography.

Read More: Six Astronauts Spend a Year on Mars  in Hawaii

The crew will conduct daily tasks including geological and mapping studies, but will also be required to do more domestic tasks like cooking and cleaning. They will pack in food that has a long shelf life, mostly freeze-dried goods and some canned food.

Spam gets quite popular, Binstead said. The crew will get occasional resupply deliveries that will be recovered by a robot in order to maintain their isolation.

The habitat has small sleeping areas for each crew member as well as a kitchen, laboratory and bathroom. The facility has 1200-square feet of floor space, about the size of a small house.

Story continues

Leading the crew is mission commander James Bevington, a freelance space researcher who has acted as a visiting researcher for the International Space University and a consultant at Northwestern University. The other team members include engineers, a computer scientist, a doctoral candidate and a biomedical expert. They were selected from a group of 700 applicants with backgrounds in space science.

When I started, my biggest fear was that we were going to be that crew that turned out like Biosphere 2, which wasnt a very pretty picture, Bevington said.

Biosphere 2 was an experimental greenhouse-like habitat in Arizona in the 1990s. It housed different natural ecosystems in an effort to study what would be needed for habitation on other planets. The experiment quickly spiraled out of control as the habitat failed to maintain safe levels of carbon dioxide and the crew grew discontent.

The latest HI-SEAS mission is the third round of research funded by NASA. Previous missions focused on food requirements and crew cohesion.

This crew will wear devices around their necks that will measure their moods and proximity to other team members. Theyll also use virtual reality devices to simulate familiar and comforting surroundings they wouldnt have access to while living on Mars.

The project is designed to help NASA send humans to examine an asteroid by 2025 and to land on Mars sometime in the 2030s.

Binstead said NASAs timeline are realistic unless the agency is directed to do something different by the new administration.

Trumps transition team did not respond to an emailed request for comment on the incoming administrations view of NASAs Mars plans.

Mars is one of the best places in the solar system to look for signs of past or current life, Binstead said. And the discovery of life anywhere outside of the earth  has a claim on being the biggest scientific discovery of all time.

Furthermore, man-made disasters like climate change or natural catastrophes such as an asteroid hit could force a human exodus from Earth.

Right now, all of our eggs for life are in one basket, Binstead said. I think its a good overall strategy for us as a species to spread out further.
HONOLULU (AP)  Six carefully selected scientists have entered a man-made dome on a remote Hawaii volcano as part of a human-behavior study that could help NASA as it draws up plans for sending astronauts on long missions to Mars.

The four men and two women moved into their new simulated space home Thursday afternoon on Mauna Loa, settling into the vinyl-covered shelter of 1,200 square feet, or about the size of a small, two-bedroom home, for an eight-month stay.

They will have no physical contact with people in the outside world and will work with a 20-minute delay in communications with their support crew, or the time it would take for an email to reach Earth from Mars.

The NASA-funded project will study the psychological difficulties associated with living in isolated and confined conditions for an extended period.

"We're hoping to figure out how best to select individual astronauts, how to compose a crew and how to support that crew on long-duration space missions," said principal investigator Kim Binsted, a University of Hawaii science professor.

NASA hopes to send humans to an asteroid in the 2020s and Mars by the 2030s.

The team members on the dome project include engineers, a computer scientist, a doctoral candidate and a biomedical expert. They were selected from 700 applicants who were subjected to personality tests, background checks and extensive interviews.

"When I started, my biggest fear was that we were going to be that crew that turned out like Biosphere 2, which wasn't a very pretty picture," said mission commander James Bevington, a space scientist.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

Biosphere 2 was a 1990s experimental greenhouse-like habitat in Arizona that became a debacle. It housed different ecosystems and a crew of four men and four women in an effort to understand what would be needed for humans to live on other planets. The participants were supposed to grow their own food and recycle their air inside the sealed glass space.

Story continues

But the experiment soon spiraled out of control, with the carbon dioxide level rising dangerously and plants and animals dying. The crew members grew hungry and squabbled so badly during the two years they spent cooped up that by the time they emerged, some of them weren't speaking to each other.

The University of Hawaii operates the dome, called Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, or HI-SEAS, and NASA has dedicated over $2 million to the various studies at the facility.

Scientists previously lived in the dome for two other long-term NASA-funded stays  one of them lasting a year, the other eight months  to study food requirements and crew cohesion.

There are a number of other Mars simulation projects around the world, but one of the chief advantages of the one in Hawaii is the rugged, Mars-like landscape, on a rocky, red plain below the summit of the world's largest active volcano.

The dome has small sleeping quarters for each member as well as a kitchen, laboratory and bathroom. Unlike the Biosphere 2, it will be an opaque structure, not a see-through one, and it will not be airtight.

Also, the crew will eat mostly freeze-dried foods, with some canned goods and snacks brought in, including one of Hawaii's favorites, Spam. To maintain the crew's sense of isolation, bundles of food will be dropped off at a distance from the dome, and the team members will send out a robot to retrieve them.

The participants will not be confined to the dome but will wear spacesuits whenever they step outside for geological expeditions, mapping studies or other tasks.

They will also wear instruments around their necks that measure their moods and proximity to other team members, and will use virtual reality devices to simulate familiar and comforting surroundings and help them get through the mission.

___

Follow Hawaii correspondent Caleb Jones on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CalebAP See more of his work here: https://apnews.com/search/Caleb%20Jones%20Hawaii
Ankara (AFP) - More than 40 percent of Syrian child refugees are missing out on education in Turkey raising the risk of a "lost generation", UN children's fund UNICEF said Thursday.

Nearly 400,000 children of school-going age are not in education at present, the agency said, despite an increase of over 50 percent in enrolment since June.

Currently close to half a million Syrian children in Turkey are attending school.

The agency's deputy executive director Justin Forsyth praised Turkey for this "huge achievement" but said more needed to be done, in a statement on the agency's website.

"Unless more resources are provided, there is still a very real risk of a 'lost generation' of Syrian children, deprived of the skills they will one day need to rebuild their country," Forsyth added.

He was speaking after a visit to southern Turkey where hundreds of thousands of Syrians live in cities and inside camps.

Ankara says there are 2.7 million Syrian refugees in the country, of whom 1.2 million are children, according to UNICEF which says it is the country hosting the highest number in the world.

Nearly 180,000 babies were born to Syrian refugees in Turkey between April 2011 and September 2016, the health ministry said, quoted by the state-run Anadolu news agency Thursday.

Earlier this month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said skilled Syrian and Iraqi refugees currently working in the black economy would be granted citizenship if they pass security tests.

There are believed to be 300,000 Iraqi refugees inside Turkey.

The conflict in Syria has killed more than 310,000 people since it began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

Across the region, a total of 2.7 million Syrian children are not in school with the majority affected inside the war-ravaged country.
Niamey (AFP) - The Niger government said Tuesday it had lost 46 soldiers and 28 civilians in a Boko Haram attack on a Lake Chad island at the weekend, the country's heaviest losses yet since it joined a regional offensive against the militants.

Interior Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou said "156 terrorists" were also killed in the assault on an army base on the island of Karamga on Saturday.

The Niger authorities declared three days of national mourning from Wednesday.

Speaking on public radio after visiting the island, Massaoudou said 46 troops had died in the dawn attack, nine were injured and 32 were missing, while "28 island residents were murdered".

He said the Niger army had since retaken control of the island.

It is the first official toll given by Niamey after the battle for the island with the Nigeria-based Islamist group. A Chadian security source on Monday said Niger had lost 48 soldiers and another 36 were missing.

Niger, along with Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria, has recently launched a joint offensive to end Boko Haram's six-year insurgency, which has claimed 13,000 lives and caused about 1.5 million people to flee their homes.

"The village has been completely devastated," the minister said, adding that the country was "horrified" by the heavy toll, one of the biggest setbacks yet in the regional fightback against the Nigeria-based Islamists.

Massaoudou said military ground and air operations were under way to track down the missing soldiers and neutralise "the perpetrators of this despicable act whose cruelty is unparallelled".

Niger army chief Seyni Garba said his country's resolve to crush Boko Haram was undeterred by the attack in Lake Chad, where the borders of Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger converge.

"This act by Boko Haram should not rattle our determination," Garba said on public television, speaking from Niger's southeastern Diffa region just across the border from Boko Haram's stronghold in northeastern Nigeria.

While the Nigerian army has claimed a series of successes against Boko Haram since launching a regional military alliance against the group in February, a string of recent attacks have underlined the continuing risks posed by the extremist fighters.
UYO, Nigeria, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed to Senegal in case of the need to enforce Gambia's election mandate, it said on Wednesday.

As part of a regional response, Senegal's forces are at the Gambian border and will enter the country if veteran Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who lost a Dec. 1 election, does not step down when his official mandate ends at midnight.

"The NAF today moved a contingent of 200 men and air assets comprising fighter jets, transport aircraft, light utility helicopter as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to Dakar from where it is expected to operate into Gambia," it said in a statement.

(Reporting by Tife Owolabi; Additional reporting by Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Abuja (AFP) - The Nigerian air force is flying over The Gambia, an official said Thursday, as African troops seemed ready to force incumbent Yahya Jammeh to quit after his December election defeat.

President-elect Adama Barrow was sworn in at the country's embassy in Senegal, while Jammeh has continued to cling on to power.

Jammeh initially acknowledged president-elect Adama Barrow as the victor in the December vote but later rejected the result.

"I confirm that the armed reconnaissance air force are over Gambia," Nigerian Air Force spokesman Ayodele Famuyiwa told AFP.

"They have the capacity to strike."

Famuyiwa said that negotiations were still ongoing with Jammeh, a leader who has ruled the West African country for 22 years.

"What we understand right now is that it appears he's trying to reconsider his position, he may stand down," Famuyiwa said, speaking from Abuja.

"But we have our troops there and they are there to enforce the mandate."

The UN Security Council was set to vote Thursday on backing ECOWAS efforts to force Jammeh to hand over power as the West African regional bloc amassed a military force ready to intervene.

The Economic Community Of West African States has repeatedly called on Jammeh to accept his defeat and honour the country's constitution.
By Felix Onuah ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will travel to Britain on Thursday for medical checks and is expected to resume work on Feb. 6, his spokesman said. The spokesman's statement circulated on Thursday shortly after a letter from Buhari was read out in the upper house of parliament, saying the 74-year-old former military ruler would go on medical leave. "While away the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, will perform the functions of the Office of the President," the spokesman, Femi Adesina, said in his statement. "During the vacation, the president will also undergo routine medical check-ups." Neither the spokesman's statement nor Buhari's letter gave any details on what medical issue led the president to take leave. Buhari flew to London for a 10-day holiday in June 2016, during which received treatment for a persistent ear infection, officials said. (Additional reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Ulf Laessing and Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Larry King)
When you have one child, it can feel as if the entire world is telling you that your child needs a sibling. Your mother, your mother-in-law, friends, even total strangers feel compelled to comment on your family size.

Some say a brother or sister will solve behavioral problems you might be witnessing. For instance, your child won't share his toys, or she's not making friends, or he's not doing well in school or she's having a meltdown in the grocery store. These incidents and the comments you hear can shake your confidence.

You will probably waiver each time something goes wrong, and think, "This wouldn't be happening if my child had a sibling." You may begin to wonder if a sibling will resolve your son or daughter's issues as well as provide him or her companionship later in life. There are benefits to siblings, but rarely can they be counted on as a cure-all for behavioral or emotional difficulties or your child's success in life.

[See: 10 Concerns Parents Have About Their Kids' Health.]

With regard to academic success and educational aspirations, there are distinct advantages to being an only child. A study by Feifei Bu of the University of Essex in the UK found that firstborn children -- whether they are male or female -- have higher aspirations, and that these aspirations play a significant role in determining their levels of professional attainment later in life.

That certainly holds true when you consider the long list of prominent only children, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Indira Gandhi, Alan Greenspan, John Updike and Barbara Bush, to name just a few.

In a presentation to the American Sociological Association, Ohio State researchers explained why that may be by looking at the dilution theory. Simply put, parents have a finite amount of time, attention and money to devote to their children. The more children in a family, the less each child receives.

In important areas, such as self-confidence, calmness, health or age of marriage and education, "onlies are much more like other children than they are different," reported John Claudy of the American Institutes for Research more than 30 years ago. His landmark 20-year study mirrored Bu's, also showing that only children in two-parent homes exhibited higher intelligence and higher levels of achievement than children with one sibling.

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[See: What to Say and Do If Your Daughter Thinks She's Fat.]

As part of the research for my book, "The Case for the Only Child," I spoke with Pete Stavinoha, a neuropsychologist at the Children's Medical Center Dallas. He concurs with Claudy's findings and explained one reason for an only child's success: "Only children have the best of everything and, in some ways, they are better off. Not sharing their parents' time and resources helps to explain only children's achievement motivation and verbal skills. They are more likely to continue higher education and more driven to succeed. Some parents choose to have one child for those very reasons," he told me.

Your having an only child may have been due to several factors. Maybe you started your family "later," had fertility complications or want to keep your career path uninterrupted. Your reasons could be economical or personal ones that you don't want or need to discuss with anyone. In those trying moments when you question whether you've made the right choice in raising your child as a singleton, remember that countless elements go into a happy upbringing.

"Understanding the fundamentals of what builds a child's personality requires one to revisit the inexhaustible argument of nature versus nurture," noted Samantha Olson in her Medical Daily article, "Brothers and Sisters and Nobody: The Science Behind Growing Up." Considering scientific reviews of twin studies, Olson concluded, "that it is a combination of both, and in that case, siblings would only provide a smaller impression on overall upbringing. Everything, however, is circumstantial when it comes to how much of an effect a brother, sister, or lack thereof, has on an individual."

[See: 10 of the Biggest Health Threats Facing Your Kids This School Year.]

For those who say, "you can't do that" to your child, you can believe with confidence that, yes, you can. You are not cheating your only child. If anything, you are giving your child an edge.

Dr. Susan Newman, a social psychologist, specializes in parenting and family dynamics. She is the author of 15 books, including "The Case for the Only Child: Your Essential Guide" and "Little Things Long Remembered: Making Your Children Feel Special Every Day." She is a contributor to Psychology Today and a member of the American Psychological Association. She has appeared on many shows, including "The Today Show," "Good Morning America" and "CBS Sunday Morning," leading news broadcasts and in print discussing family relationships and trends.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  Residents of a rural sliver of North Dakota are fiercely opposing a plan that would move them into the same time zone as the cities and oilfields on the other side of the state.

Few subjects set off a parochial debate in the state like a move to reset the clocks. A bill under consideration in the Legislature would not only move southeastern North Dakota from Mountain time to Central but also would scrap daylight savings altogether statewide.

Devils Lake Sen. Dave Oehlke (EL'-kee) says his constituents complain about having to readjust to the time difference every six months.

GOP Sen. Bill Bowman who lives in southwest North Dakota says he and his constituents believe lawmakers have better things to do with their time than mess with time zones.
By James Pearson SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea may be preparing to test-launch a new, upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), South Korean media reported on Thursday, citing military sources. In his New Year's speech, leader Kim Jong Un said North Korea was close to test launching an ICBM, and state media has said a launch could come at any time. Experts on the isolated and nuclear capable country's missile program believe the claims to be credible. That test launch could be imminent, and potentially coincide with the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, South Korean media said. South Korean intelligence agencies reported on Wednesday that they had recently spotted missile parts being transported, believed to be the lower-half of an ICBM, raising fears that a test-launch may be imminent, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing unidentified military sources. "It was different from a conventional Musudan missile in its length and shape," the source told the Chosun Ilbo, referring to the Musudan intermediate-range missile tested by North Korea last year. "It is possible they were moving it somewhere for assembly," the source said. A spokesman for South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Roh Jae-cheon, told a regular news briefing that while the reports could not be confirmed, the military was monitoring North Korea's ICBM development. North Korea has in the past paraded mockups of a road-mobile missile believed to be an ICBM design dubbed the KN-08 by outside observers. It is also believed to have an upgraded version, the KN-14. A road-mobile ICBM, which could be kept hidden or moving until fired, would make tracking and stopping a North Korean missile launch significantly more difficult. The suspected ICBM is made up of two parts under 15 meters (49 feet) long and is shorter than the KN-08 and KN-14, the Yonhap News Agency said, citing unidentified military sources. "I don't recognize the missiles from this description," said Joshua Pollack, editor of the U.S.-based Nonproliferation Review. "But as we saw in 2016, there's certainly a variety of active missile programs underway in North Korea". "It's also possible that they are simply conducting field exercises with no plans to launch, or the option to launch if decided," said Pollack. Last year, North Korea conducted a test of an ICBM engine made up of a cluster of smaller rockets, indicating it was working on an ICBM design. Separately, the Washington-based think tank 38 North said on Thursday that operations at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear facility may have restarted. North Korea is believed to be able to reprocess plutonium at Yongbyon used in its nuclear warheads. (Additional reporting by Jeong Eun Lee; Editing by Michael Perry)
By James Pearson SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea may be preparing to test-launch a new, upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), South Korean media reported on Thursday, citing military sources. In his New Year's speech, leader Kim Jong Un said North Korea was close to test launching an ICBM, and state media has said a launch could come at any time. Experts on the isolated and nuclear capable country's missile programme believe the claims to be credible. [nL4N1ES0Y7] That test launch could be imminent, and potentially coincide with the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, South Korean media said. South Korean intelligence agencies reported on Wednesday that they had recently spotted missile parts being transported, believed to be the lower-half of an ICBM, raising fears that a test-launch may be imminent, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing unidentified military sources. "It was different from a conventional Musudan missile in its length and shape," the source told the Chosun Ilbo, referring to the Musudan intermediate-range missile tested by North Korea last year. "It is possible they were moving it somewhere for assembly," the source said. A spokesman for South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Roh Jae-cheon, told a regular news briefing that while the reports could not be confirmed, the military was monitoring North Korea's ICBM development. North Korea has in the past paraded mockups of a road-mobile missile believed to be an ICBM design dubbed the KN-08 by outside observers. It is also believed to have an upgraded version, the KN-14. A road-mobile ICBM, which could be kept hidden or moving until fired, would make tracking and stopping a North Korean missile launch significantly more difficult. The suspected ICBM is made up of two parts under 15 metres (49 feet) long and is shorter than the KN-08 and KN-14, the Yonhap News Agency said, citing unidentified military sources. "I don't recognise the missiles from this description," said Joshua Pollack, editor of the U.S.-based Nonproliferation Review. "But as we saw in 2016, there's certainly a variety of active missile programmes underway in North Korea". "It's also possible that they are simply conducting field exercises with no plans to launch, or the option to launch if decided," said Pollack. Last year, North Korea conducted a test of an ICBM engine made up of a cluster of smaller rockets, indicating it was working on an ICBM design. Separately, the Washington-based think tank 38 North said on Thursday that operations at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear facility may have restarted. North Korea is believed to be able to reprocess plutonium at Yongbyon used in its nuclear warheads. (Additional reporting by Jeong Eun Lee; Editing by Michael Perry)
By Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - He is ready for some quiet time, plans to do some writing and intends to give his successor space to govern, at least on most issues. President Barack Obama gave some insight into his vision for life after the White House during a final news conference on Wednesday in which he praised the role of a free press and shared personal reflections on how his daughters had dealt with the results of the 2016 election. Obama and his family will leave for Palm Springs, California, on Friday after the inauguration of Republican Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States. "I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much," said Obama, 55, who wants to write a book during his first year out of office and spend time with his family. Obama, a Democrat who made history in 2008 when he was elected America's first black president, has said repeatedly he appreciated the example set by his predecessor, Republican George W. Bush, who steadfastly refrained from weighing in publicly with his views after leaving the Oval Office. But Obama made clear there were some issues on which he would not hesitate to speak out - issues "where I think our core values may be at stake," like new obstacles to voting, "institutional efforts to silence dissent or the press" and any push to deport undocumented people who were brought to America as children. In 2012, Obama said his administration would allow people brought to the United States illegally by their parents to remain in the country on temporary authorizations that allow them to attend college and work - one of the executive actions on immigration that Trump has pledged to undo. "The notion that we would just arbitrarily or because of politics punish those kids, when they didn't do anything wrong themselves, I think would be something that would merit me speaking out," Obama said. The Obamas will live in Washington, where Sasha, 15, is finishing high school. Malia, 18, has been accepted to Harvard University but is taking a "gap year" break before starting this autumn. HOPE, RESILIENCE The president and his wife, Michelle Obama, campaigned hard for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton last year. The first lady, in particular, made an impassioned case for Clinton, her husband's first secretary of state, after a leaked recording showed Trump talking openly about groping women. Obama said his daughters did not "mope" or feel cynical after the loss. "They were disappointed. They paid attention to what their mom said during the campaign and believed it because its consistent with what weve tried to teach them in our household," Obama said. "But what we've also tried to teach them is resilience, and we've tried to teach them hope, and that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world." Similarly, Obama has sought to reassure his staff and others about the election results, in keeping with his cool-headed, dispassionate style. "And so this is not just a matter of 'No Drama Obama,' this is what I really believe," Obama said. "But at my core, I think we're going to be OK." (Additional reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Washington (AFP) - President Barack Obama on Thursday commuted the sentences of 330 people, mostly drug offenders, a record number issued in a single day, on the eve of his departure from the White House.

It is Obama's second such measure this week, including his surprise decision to commute the sentence of transgender army private Chelsea Manning, imprisoned for 35 years for handing more than 700,000 classified US documents to WikiLeaks.

Originally set to be released in 2045, Manning will now walk free in May.

The president pardoned another 64 people on Tuesday -- including a former general who was a key member of his first national security team -- and commuted the sentence of 208 prisoners in addition to Manning's.

Thursday's announcement raises Obama's record for commutations to a total of 1,715, more than any other US president. He has freed 568 inmates sentenced to life in prison.

Most of the beneficiaries were serving lengthy sentences for small and first-time drug offenses. Obama has long called for correcting what he says is systematic injustice under a penal system now widely criticized for doling out excessive mandatory minimum sentences.

The president, who favors alternative punishments for such offenders, has repeatedly and unsuccessfully urged Congress to pass broad criminal justice reform.

More than 2.2 million people are currently behind bars in the United States, including legions of mentally ill and drug addicts, often from disadvantaged minority groups. Experts criticize the penal system for drastically increasing recidivism in a country with incarceration rates far ahead of other developed countries.

The Justice Department has been working hard in recent weeks to review all applications for leniency. It has processed more than 16,000 cases since April 2014, it said Thursday.

Obama's successor Donald Trump takes the oath of office during his inauguration ceremony on Friday.
Every minute brings Donald Trump closer to putting his hand on the Lincoln Bible, and a group of 41 men closer to a lifetime of internment at the U.S. military detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

But lawyers and Obama administration officials are working down to the wire to get remaining detainees out of Guantanamo before Trump throws away the key, potentially for good. With less than 24-hours remaining before President-elect Trump becomes president, Foreign Policy has learned that the White House has made four more transfers, the last of Obamas administration. The Pentagon announced their names and destinations  one to Saudi Arabia, and three to the United Arab Emirates  later on Thursday evening.

In a letter on his last full day in office, President Obama urged House Speaker Paul Ryan one last time to close the detention center.

If this were easy, we would have closed Guantanamo years ago, Obama wrote. But history will cast a harsh judgment on this aspect of our fight against terrorism and those of us who fail to bring it to a responsible end.

The White House publicly acknowledged for the first time this week what has long been the grim reality for the legal teams representing the detainees and the administration officials charged with their fate: Obama would not be able to make good on his campaign promise and executive order to close Guantanamo, issued almost eight years ago to the day.

In defiance of Trumps Twitter edict not to make any more transfers, the Pentagon sent 10 detainees to Oman on Monday, and the last four midnight-hour moves come just hours from the moment Trump takes the oath of office on Friday. The 10 men transferred on Monday, as well as five others, have been cleared by six national security agencies as no longer posing a threat to the United States, and several of them, the government has admitted, were cases of mistaken identity.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter did not sign off on the transfers of several of the remaining cleared detainees in time for the legally-required 30-day congressional notification. Legal teams for two detainees on this list  Abdul Latif Nasir, a Moroccan, and Sufyian Barhoumi, an Algerian  filed emergency motions with federal courts to grant their repatriation before Friday. But the Obama administration opposed the requests, despite judicial orders to prepare the detainees to be moved immediately in case of a favorable ruling. On Wednesday night, the court ruled against Barhoumi, and on Thursday afternoon, the Moroccans request was shot down.

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Shayana Kadidal of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which still has four clients remaining at Guantanamo, slammed the Obama White House for saying it wanted to close the facility but then stating unequivocally it wouldnt follow the ruling if the judges ordered the already-cleared detainees to be released.

When Trump takes the oath on Friday, Kadidal will be in the air on his way to Guantanamo, where hell break the news to Barhoumi.

Im actually going to see him now, unfortunately, since hell still be there, Kadidal told Foreign Policy Thursday, as the photos get switched from Obama to the orange-colored buffoon.

Barhoumi was initially charged with war crimes but they were later dismissed. Another of CCRs clients, Ghaleb al Bihani, a Yemeni, was transferred with the group of 10 on Monday, but his older brother, Tawfiq, who has also been cleared, was left behind.

Lt. Col. Sterling Thomas, a military lawyer defending several Guantanamo detainees, said theyve tried to keep their expectations low because, Its just too heartbreaking. His client, Abdul Zahir, was picked up in 2002 because the government mistook him for someone else who shared a nickname. Zahir was surprised by the election result, telling Thomas, Americans and detainees in Guantanamo now both have to figure out the way forward.

On Monday night, the Pentagon still hadnt informed Thomas whether Zahir was in the group that was transferred that day. Zahir is now Oman.

Of the 41 men who remain as of Thursday, only 10 have been charged with war crimes. The vast majority have been detained for more than a decade, and none were captured by the U.S. military.

If the rest do not make it onto a military plane by Friday, lawyers say, they will likely die at Guantanamo along with the 26 other men known as forever prisoners  including the alleged plotters of the 9/11 attacks  the U.S. has determined will be detained indefinitely. The 26 are eligible for their cases to be reviewed periodically.

Many of the detainees are deeply involved in their own defense, and they are aware that Trumps victory has raised the stakes, according to legal teams who represent them. In recent conversations theyve expressed their concern if they dont make it out before Trump enters the Oval Office, theyll be stuck.

Trump made his own campaign pledges to load [Guantanamo] up with some really bad dudes, and bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding. While hes since toned down his vows to return to illegal government torture  at the behest of retired Gen. James Mattis, expected to be confirmed as defense secretary on Friday, who told him torture wasnt effective  he hasnt ruled it out. Hes never backed off his plan to keep Guantanamo open, and has doubled down on expanding it, even suggesting he may try U.S. citizens in military commissions there.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said his team is planning executive orders for Friday and Monday, including his own, as well as rescinding Obamas prior dictates. In his 100 Day Action Plan the New York businessman vowed to do so.

Spicer declined to comment as to whether Trump will issue his own orders for Guantanamo, but given his strong public stances, he is likely to move early to undo the four executive orders on U.S. detention and interrogation policy that Obama issued on his first day in office.

One promise Obama did keep was not to add a single detainee to the population at Guantanamo, relying largely on the federal justice system and foreign partners to deal with the handful of terrorist suspects captured on global battlefields since 2009. For the rest: lethal drone strikes, according to analysts.

Barred by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress from closing Guantanamo and moving the remaining worst of the worst detainees to a maximum-security facility on U.S. soil, Obama administration officials have steadily chipped away at the population through the transfers to third-party countries, ultimately moving 196 of the roughly 800 once held at Guantanamo.

Trump has echoed lawmakers concerns that Obama has been releasing dangerous terrorists who could return to the fight alongside Islamic State. But in contrast to a lengthy process that Obamas own supporters and officials have criticized as unnecessarily onerous, President George W. Bush released more than 500 detainees, with few measures in place to protect against terrorist recidivism. Most of the transferred detainees that the Intelligence Community assesses have returned to terrorism were released under Bush, with 14.1 percent of detainees transferred before Obamas inauguration being suspected of returning to terrorism, and only 6.8 percent of detainees released after, according to the latest report from the Director of National Intelligence.

The Obama administration, as well as supporters of closing Guantanamo, such as Sen. John McCain, (R-Ariz.), also have argued the cost of maintaining it is unjustifiable. The operational cost last year was approximately $445 million, according to the White House; with the presidents last transfers bringing the total to 41, thats more than $10 million on average per detainee.

The government also pays for lawyers to defend detainees, including those being charged as co-conspirators in the 9/11 attacks, whose cases before military commissions are expected to stretch on for years.

James Connell, who serves as expert counsel for one of these high-value detainees, Anmar al Baluchi, said they joke about Trump  What are we going to do with this guy? But Baluchi is also concerned about the incoming presidents broader policies toward Muslims, in particular Syrian refugees. Under Trump, Connell anticipates every Guantanamo detainee left could become a forever prisoner. Theyll stay there until they die.

Trump may similarly find himself as confounded as Obama by the unanswered questions of the war on terrorism, Connell predicted.

Obama hoped it would go away, he said. But it wont.

This is a developing story and it has been updated.

Photo credit: John Moore / Staff
Washington (AFP) - Outgoing US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared strong US-German ties vital for world order on Thursday, in an implicit rebuke of Donald Trump.

The White House said the pair talked by telephone and agreed cooperation is "essential to ensuring a sturdy trans-Atlantic bond, a rules-based international order, and the defense of values that have done so much to advance human progress in our countries and around the world."

This came after Trump unleashed a volley of attacks on Europe and Merkel in a hard-hitting interview with two European newspapers on Sunday.

The Republican, who takes office Friday, criticized Merkel's "catastrophic" decision to open Germany's borders to hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants.

He branded NATO "obsolete" and said more countries would leave the European Union after Britain.

The comments were widely condemned on both sides of the Atlantic.

Trump aides have since tried to walk his comments back, insisting he wants a "great relationship" with the German leader.
Washington (AFP) - Whether it's writing a book, working with minority youths or helping the Democratic Party to rise from the ashes, Barack Obama sees life after his eight years in the White House as that of an active "citizen."

At 55, Obama will be a year younger than Bill Clinton when he leaves office on Friday. He remains highly popular and says he hopes not to become "the old guy at the bar, you know, who's -- who's just hanging around re-living old glories."

America's first black president says he has no intention of getting involved in the "day-to-day scrum" of political life once he leaves the White House.

But he also says he will not hesitate to weigh in on "foundational issues about our democracy" -- a subtle hint that Donald Trump may face some well-placed pushback over the coming four years from his predecessor.

In the short term, after Trump takes the oath of office on the steps of the Capitol at noon Friday, Obama will head on vacation with his wife Michelle and two teenage daughters Malia and Sasha. Destination: Palm Springs, California.

After that?

"I have to be quiet for a while. I don't mean politically, I mean internally. I have to still myself," Obama told former close aide David Axelrod in an interview for CNN.

Former presidents rarely remain in the nation's capital after their time living and working in the city's oldest public building, but the Obamas will be staying in Washington while Sasha finishes high school.

Jimmy Carter headed home to Georgia and Ronald Reagan did the same, residing in California until his death.

Bill Clinton opted for New York, where he launched his family foundation and where wife Hillary launched her own political career as a US senator. George W. Bush went back to Texas.

Obama, a Hawaii native who made his start in politics in Chicago and never expressed any real love for Washington, has rented a home in the city's upscale Kalorama neighborhood.

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In the middle term, Obama has expressed a wish to work with young minorities from poor neighborhoods, where school dropouts, unemployment and incarceration rates are higher than elsewhere.

"Those opportunity gaps begin early, often at birth, and they compound over time, becoming harder and harder to bridge," Obama said in 2015.

"This will remain a mission for me and for Michelle, not just for the rest of my presidency, but for the rest of my life."

- Supreme Court? 'Too monastic' -

Hillary Clinton's surprise election loss in November -- and Trump's win, which Obama admits he did not see coming -- changed the outlook for Obama's post-presidency.

The Democrat has clearly said he will work to rebuild his battered party.

"I want to make sure that I'm doing everything I can to amplify and lift up a next generation of voices not just in politics, but in civic life," Obama said in the exit interview with CNN.

"And I have the connections and, I think, credibility to be able to do that in some unique some ways."

Obama says he hopes that he can push his party to go beyond aiming to win presidential elections and instead be present not just in Democrat-leaning big cities but also in communities "where people feel as if they're not being heard."

Several ex-presidents have stayed in Washington to make a mark in other branches of government.

Defeated in 1828 after one term, John Quincy Adams was elected to Congress, where he remained till his death. His oratorical skills served him well, and he is remembered for his passionate fight to abolish slavery.

William Howard Taft, who left the White House in 1913, later became a Supreme Court justice.

Obama, an expert in constitutional law and the former president of the Harvard Law Review, doesn't see the high court in his future.

"I think being a justice is a little bit too monastic for me," he told The New Yorker in 2014.

The example of his two Democratic predecessors -- Carter and Clinton, who both launched charitable foundations respected at home and abroad -- could be instructive.

Obama might use his presidential library, which will be built in Chicago, to develop some of his post-White House initiatives.

Persistent rumors say he wants to teach at New York's Columbia University, where he earned his undergraduate degree.

"I love teaching. I miss the classroom and engaging with students," Obama -- who lectured at the University of Chicago before becoming president -- told The New Yorker in 2014.

Obama, the author of two successful books, will also spend time writing -- a rite of passage, and a lucrative one, for former US leaders.

Media reports say he could earn more than $20 million in book contracts, including for his memoir.

He could rely on the journals he has kept since his student days, including at the White House.

"I've kept some, but not with the sort of discipline that I would have hoped for," Obama told The New York Times. "Not as much as I would have liked. I just didn't have time."
Paris (AFP) - US President Barack Obama leaves office having put relations with Cuba on a new footing and helped secure a deal that the West hopes will stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb.

Yet the fall of Aleppo to government forces in December underlined what critics say was a flawed approach to the Syria conflict. Obama also faces accusations that he did little to further peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Analysts from around the world have told AFP where they think Obama succeeded -- and where he failed.

- Iran nuclear deal -

The 2015 deal between Iran and the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia was hailed as historic because the West had long feared the Islamic Republic could acquire atomic weapons.

Abbas Abadi, a prominent Iranian reformist, said the agreement -- the result of years of negotiations -- showed Obama's ability to persuade others of the validity of his ideas.

"It was a result of policies by the Americans to which Iran responded positively," he said.

"The stronger country is the one that puts forward ideas and convinces others about it. That's what Mr Obama did."

But the agreement with Iran raised fears among Washington's allies in the region, mainly Israel and Saudi Arabia, which have welcomed Donald Trump's pledge to tear up a deal he calls a "disaster".

- Israeli-Palestinian conflict -

As was the case with many US presidents before him, the conflict at the heart of the Middle East defeated Obama. His relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deteriorated badly, and the Palestinians felt let down as well.

Samir Abdullah, a professor of political studies at Birzeit University in the West Bank, offered a withering assessment.

"There are absolutely no positives for Obama's (legacy) on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, from the day he was elected until he leaves," he said.

Professor Shmuel Sandler at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies said Obama "never managed to inspire confidence in Israelis".

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"By pinpointing the (Israeli) settlements as the main problem to relaunch peace talks, he failed -- in Israelis' eyes -- to sufficiently condemn Palestinian terrorism."

- New deal with Cuba -

Last year, Obama put an end to decades of hostility between the United States and the Caribbean island just 90 miles (145 kilometres) away.

"The opening with Cuba defined Obama's legacy in Latin America. With that bold stroke, he removed one of the main irritants in US-Latin American relations for decades," said Michael Shifter, president of Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank.

"The policy shift created enormous good will towards Obama in the region, across the political spectrum," he added.

- Syria and the 'red line' -

Many analysts see the Syrian conflict as a stain on Obama's foreign policy. When government forces were accused of using chemical weapons, Obama failed to carry through on his threat to act against President Bashar al-Assad if he crossed this "red line". It allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to step in and swing the war in Assad's favour.

Noah Bonsey, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the Obama administration's approach to Syria was based on an early miscalculation: "The Obama administration took the step of supporting a popular uprising that had no conceivable non-military path to success."

But he said US forces are still deeply involved in the "multi-faceted war" against the Islamic State jihadist group, which fed off the chaos in Syria.

- 'Pivot' to Asia -

Obama poured resources and time into Asia, making it a diplomatic and economic priority for the US to counter the growing influence of China.

Jia Qingguo, a professor at Beijing University's International Relations Institute, said initial optimism that Obama would foster good relations with Beijing eventually evaporated.

"Naturally, a lack of mutual trust had a relatively large effect on cooperation on several issues. So it wasn't very smooth," Jia said, pointing to the lack of a bilateral investment agreement as a low point.

But Obama did succeed in helping to coax China to give crucial support to the 2015 Paris deal to combat global warming.

And Yoshinobu Yamamoto, professor of international politics at the University of Niigata Prefecture in Japan, said he believes Obama deserves credit for his dogged efforts to conclude tough negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.

He noted, however, that with Trump threatening to pull out of the trade pact, Obama's effort "has not ultimately borne fruit".
Tehran (AFP) - Many firefighters were killed and others missing under the rubble after the Iranian capital's oldest high-rise building collapsed Thursday following a blaze, officials said.

Rescue workers, soldiers and sniffer dogs were desperately hunting for survivors in the debris of the 15-storey Plasco building, which contained a shopping centre and hundreds of clothing suppliers.

There was no official confirmed death toll several hours after the collapse.

The capital's mayor, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, rowed back on an earlier statement that "more than 20" firefighters were known to have died.

"Around 20 of my colleagues in the fire brigade managed to save people but went back to make sure nobody is inside," he told state television.

"Before they managed to get to the lower floors, the building collapsed and some of my colleagues were martyred."

Fire brigade spokesman Jalal Maleki said: "About 20 are under the rubble for sure, and definitely some have been martyred."

Dramatic images showed flames pouring out of the top floors of the 55-year-old building, which then collapsed live on television after a four-hour blaze.

The fire was initially contained but was then reignited by an explosion on the 10th floor, fatally weakening the building's steel structure, Ghalibaf said.

A Red Crescent aid official said 13 teams of sniffer dogs and four robot search devices were working at the scene.

A tunnel had been dug from an adjacent car park to reach the basement of the building where survivors may still be trapped, a city councillor told the ISNA news agency.

President Hassan Rouhani said the "nation of Iran mourns and praises those sacrificing firefighters", and he asked citizens to pray for their families and the injured.

- Condolences -

Condolences came from around the world, with the London Fire Brigade tweeting: "Our thoughts are with the friends and families of the firefighters who have died" in Tehran.

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Some 78 people -- mostly firefighters -- were injured during the initial stages, the head of Tehran's emergency services told state television, and six were still in hospital by late evening.

"I was inside and suddenly I felt the building is shaking and is about to collapse. As we gathered colleagues and got out, a minute later the building collapsed," said Ali, a firefighter at the scene.

Local media said the workshops were especially full of clothes in the build-up to Nowruz, the Iranian New Year which falls in March.

Rouhani demanded an immediate investigation.

"More than 30 times we warned the building's owners that it was not safe, but unfortunately they did not pay attention," said municipality spokesman Shahram Gilabadi.

The fire brigade spokesman said the building was known to breach safety standards.

"Even in the stairwells, a lot of clothing is stored and this is against safety standards. The managers didn't pay attention to the warnings," Maleki told state television, adding that the building lacked sufficient fire extinguishers.

- 'Preparing for New Year' -

Dozens of Tehranis queued to donate blood, with one young man telling state television: "This is the least we could do for those who take their lives into their hands to rescue others."

Tehran's tailors' union said there were around 400 clothing suppliers inside. "They were preparing clothing for the New Year and that's why all supply units were full of clothes," its head said.

The Plasco building was Tehran's first shopping centre and Iran's tallest building when it was finished in 1962, before being dwarfed by the construction boom of later years.

It was built by Habibollah Elghanian, a prominent Iranian-Jewish businessman who was arrested for ties to Israel and sentenced to death and executed after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Dr. Arnt A. Solberg was one of the early doctors to practice medicine in Coon Valley. His predecessor, Dr. Knud C. Storlie, died at the end of 1913. Dr. Solberg began his practice in Coon Valley sometime in 1915.

Dr. Solberg was a fascinating, complex man. He was passionate about everything he was involved in, be it patient care, politics, or village matters. He could be outspoken and if he had a cause that bothered him, he wasnt a person to sit back and wait for others to take care of a problem. He tackled the problem head on.

Dr. Arnt A. Solberg was born in Meldal in Orkdal, Sor Trondelag, Norway on Dec. 15, 1884. His parents were Arnt Arntsen (Solem) Solberg and Kirsti Rasmusdatter Hoel. When he was about 8 years old he immigrated from Norway with his parents to Ishpeming, Mich. He attended medical school at Chicago College of Medicine and Surgery where he received his medical degree. He married Olga Grotte, April 4, 1914, in Michigan.

After their marriage, the couple moved briefly to the Dakotas where he began general practice as a physician and surgeon. By sometime in 1915, they had moved to the village of Coon Valley, where he would set up his medical practice and serve Coon Valley and surrounding communities for 35 years before retiring and moving to La Crosse, where he was president of La Crosse Hospital. In Coon Valley, he served as the village health officer and on the district school board in Coon Valley. His office was at Moen Drug Store in Coon Valley for a while before he moved it to his home on Central Avenue.

While researching a previous article on the 1918 flu epidemic I found that Dr. Solberg developed a medicine that was said to help or ease symptoms for some of his flu patients. He wrote in an article in The La Crosse Tribune, June 25, 1949, about the horse and buggy days of a rural doctor. During the flu epidemic of 1918 and 1919, I also had a nurse who followed up on some of my most sick patients. Often the central telephone operator would call me up along my route and the nurse would report the condition of the patient to me. She had medicines with her, all marked by numbers one, two, three and so on, so I could direct her what to give them.

The Solbergs had two children, Kathryn Jean (1915-1989), born in Sutton, S.D., and Anna Margaret (1916-1974), born in La Crosse. I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Kathryn Jean (known as K. Jean). I heard many stories about her father and the work he did and how she remembered the years she lived in Coon Valley.

Dr. Solberg began a campaign for better roads and plowed roads in Vernon County soon after his arrival. Scattered throughout some of the early editions of the Westby Times are numerous letters to the editor from Dr. Solberg about the deplorable conditions of the roads. He no doubt had backing from other doctors in Vernon County, such as Dr. J. K. Schreiner and Dr. J. Schee. When they were called out to see a patient, often they had to fight huge snowdrifts and snow-covered roads to get to their patients. Plowing streets and highways as we know it today was not done at that time.

Most of the doctors had cars but would often have to resort to sleighs, horse and buggies or bobsleds to get to their destinations in winter. Solberg said that during the 1918 flu epidemic there were people he could not get to when they needed help due to bad roads conditions. He and the other doctors in Vernon County also had cooperation from the Southeastern Railroad as they were allowed to use hand cars for transportation and their patients often road on stretchers in the baggage car to La Crosse for care.

In the La Crosse Tribune, June 25, 1949, Coon Valley 1949-1949Centennial Edition, Dr. Solberg tells the story about his campaign for better roads in his own words. I started a campaign one winter for better roads and for keeping them open all year around. Everyone told me that could not be done as there was too much snow. Well, coming from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that was a joke to me, because up there they really had snowup to second story windows at times. So, to prove my point I borrowed a tractor from Adolph Brye and Edward Oium and others made a plow to be pushed by a tractor. We first cleared the streets in Coon Valley, then opened the road as far as Charlie Brinkmans farm and through Timber Coulee as far as the ski slide.

Dr. Solberg died in La Crosse on Aug. 27, 1956, at the age of 72. He wife, Olga, died on March 6, 1962. Both are buried in Upper Coon Valley Cemetery.

You can contact us by calling 608-634-4478 to leave a message or email us at westbywihistory@gmail.com
Late December brought reports of startling news about Chinas land regime: holders of 20-year residential leaseholds in the prosperous coastal city of Wenzhou would see their leases renewed automatically and without charge. If true, this would have been momentous: it would mean nothing less than the return of private land ownership in China. Instead, it looks like leaseholders are getting nothing more than temporary squatters rights. In effect, the state punted on a nasty dilemma that goes to the heart of socialist rule, one that will face the ruling Communist Party on a far larger scale in 50 years, and possibly before: what exactly are Chinese people getting when they buy a place to live?

This dilemma, while sharp, has been no less predictable than the Y2K problem. Although the Party did not abolish private ownership of urban land when it took power in 1949, it gradually restricted the rights of owners over the years. In 1982, the law finally caught up with reality when China formally nationalized all urban land. Since the early 1990s, however, urban land has been available for sale in the form of long-term leaseholds, or land use rights (LURs), which last up to 70 years on residential land and for shorter periods for industrial and commercial land. This system allowed the state on the one hand to obtain the economy-wide benefits of market allocation of land as well as the revenues from leasehold sales, while on the other hand to maintain that the principle of state ownership of land had not been compromised: after all, buyers got merely leaseholds of several decades, not ultimate ownership. The original rule about what would happen when the leasehold expired was unambiguous: the land would go back to the landlord, i.e., the state. If leaseholders wanted to extend the lease, they would have to pay for it.

The rule was clear enough as written, but leaseholders naturally didnt like it. A widespread belief grew up that the rules around renewal were unclear and unfair. The picture was further muddied by Chinas 2007 Property Law, which proclaimed that residential LURs would be renewed automatically  but without specifying whether that also meant without charge.

Story continues

A prominent member of the drafting team later admitted that the team had simply punted on the issue because it was too nettlesome. To specify that a fee need be paid would have angered current LUR holders  a vast and politically important interest group (probably 80 to 90 percent of urban families). But to specify that no fee need be paid would have meant overturning a sacred tenet of Chinese socialism: that private land ownership is anathema. After all, a 70-year leasehold that continually renews itself automatically and without charge is no longer a leasehold; it is a permanent right to the land, indistinguishable in practice from the kind of outright ownership (called fee simple) that most homeowners in common-law countries like the United States take for granted.

Whatever the ambiguity, it has not noticeably stifled Chinas residential real estate market, and real estate now accounts for more than 70 percent of overall household wealth, and 80 percent in large cities such as Beijing or Shanghai. At the time of purchase, 70 years is a long way off  likely beyond the typical purchasers lifetime, and almost certainly beyond the lifetime of the building in which the residence is located, given construction standards and the pace of urban change. So far rising prices have meant that even resales  which necessarily involve a shorter term than 70 years, since the term is not renewed at transfer  are often for more, sometimes much more, than the purchase price.

But although most Chinese residential leaseholds wont expire for a few more decades, dark clouds of uncertainty are already visible on the horizon. With the clock ticking ever downward, Chinese homebuyers are already starting to think about whether they will ultimately have anything left to pass on. They fear that as the end of their leaseholds approaches, they will find it more and more difficult to get a good price if they try to sell. Uncertainty about whether a homebuyer has a 70-year leasehold or a permanent fee simple doesnt much matter in year one, because the difference in value is tiny under any realistic set of economic assumptions. But if a Chinese leaseholder is trying to sell in year 40, the price buyers will pay for the 30 remaining years is a lot less than what they will pay if they are confident they are getting a permanent property interest. Even if buyers are foolish enough to be willing to pay a price that assumes they can keep the property permanently, they will have trouble getting mortgage lenders to be equally foolish  and thats bad for sellers as well. Once these problems start cropping up in earnest, leaseholders will start clamoring for certainty (in their favor, of course) decades before the leases are scheduled to expire.

Hence the outsize importance of the Wenzhou case as a bellwether. In the mid-1990s, Wenzhou offered residential LURs for sale for varying terms  some for as many as 70 years, but some (about 600 parcels) for as few as 20. (Other cities may have offered similarly short leases, but Wenzhou seems to have been the first.) These 20-year LURs are now coming due, and, predictably, leaseholders have been clamoring for a solution to their dilemma  their preferred solution being free lease renewal.

But if those leaseholders who opted to save money by buying only 20-year LURs were to be given the windfall of perpetual free renewals, it would be politically very hard to deny the same benefit to those millions across China who paid for 70-year LURs. In other words, renewing the leases of those 600 Wenzhou homebuyers free of charge could have heralded the effective return of private land ownership to China.

The Chinese Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR) surely understands this dilemma, and on Dec. 23 it made its solution public. Although it was reported as offering reassurance to leaseholders, the fine print says otherwise: leaseholders did not, in fact, get a renewal of their LURs. Instead, they got the equivalent of squatters rights: an assurance that for the time being they can stay in their homes without having to pay anything. If they wish to sell the property, the buyers LUR certificate will still carry the original starting and ending date (i.e., two dates in the past) as well as an annotation stating that relevant procedures have been undertaken in accordance with the MLRs cobbled-together solution. Put another way, Wenzhous 20-year leaseholders did not get anything that another buyer would confidently pay (or a bank lend) money for  just an expired term and a vague and cryptic annotation.

What happened in Wenzhou will, in time, become a full-blown national issue. In some 50 years, the first batch of 70-year residential leaseholds will start coming due. Well before that, however, leaseholders will start having problems with buyers who are unwilling to pay large amounts of money for a leasehold with only a few years left on it and no guarantee of renewal. The state will have to choose: enrage about 90 percent of Chinas urban population or admit that the 70-year residential leasehold is a mirage, an admission that would violate a core tenet of socialist rule.

Incredibly, 68 years after the founding of the Peoples Republic of China and 38 years into the era of post-Mao economic reform, the Chinese government is still unable to state clearly what kind of residential real estate ownership system it wants to have. The system remains shrouded in uncertainty, and buyers cannot know for certain what they are getting. Its likely that when the time comes, the government will blink  if there are any arch-conservative defenders of old-school socialism left, they will almost certainly be LUR holders themselves. But it has not blinked yet; for the time being, uncertainty still reigns.

China Photos/Getty Images
New York (AFP) - Paul McCartney has filed a lawsuit to secure the copyright to the Beatles back catalog in a case that could have wide ramifications for the music industry.

The complicated dispute centers around the US Copyright Act of 1976 which aimed to address pop music's checkered history with artists by ensuring long-term rights for songwriters and their heirs.

Under the law, artists could reclaim copyright for songs 35 years after they gave them away -- or 56 years for tracks from before 1978.

But in a startling win for publishers, a British court in December refused to grant Duran Duran the US rights to the pop group's early hits -- such as "Rio" and the James Bond theme "A View to a Kill" -- on the grounds that the US act did not apply in Britain.

McCartney filed the lawsuit in a federal court in New York against Sony ATV Music Publishing, which was also involved in the Duran Duran case, in a bid to guarantee the transfer of copyright.

Next year will mark 56 years, the timeframe spelled out in the US Copyright Act, since the Beatles released their first single, "Love Me Do," in 1962.

The lawsuit said that the CEO of Sony ATV encountered McCartney's lawyer at a concert shortly before the Duran Duran decision and hinted that the publisher would fight harder in light of the British case.

The lawsuit said that McCartney had asked Sony ATV to make clear that it recognized the former Beatle's notices that he planned to terminate publishing contracts under the US law.

"Defendants have refused to provide such confirmation," the lawsuit said, voicing worry that Sony ATV would instead declare McCartney -- who wrote much of the Beatles catalog with the late John Lennon -- to be in breach of contract.

The case could have wide effects on the future of payments in the music industry. Publishers collect and distribute royalties to songwriters -- an especially lucrative area for classic tunes.

Story continues

Sony ATV has rights to millions of songs including those by other top names in rock history including Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Bob Dylan.

Ironically, Jackson bought rights to Beatles songs after a leisurely chat with McCartney who explained the importance of music publishing.

Sony ATV was initially a joint venture with Jackson. Japan's Sony Corp. last year bought out the late King of Pop's 50 percent stake from his estate for $750 million.
Over the last 43 years, the Peoples Choice Awards has been the award show of the people, voted on by fans with results that you wouldnt necessarily see at the Oscars, the Golden Globes, or the Grammys.

Joel McHale hosted the show, held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, chaperoned by eight babies, which he claimed were part of the Angelina and Brad divorce settlement. He explained that the babies were there as consolation prizes. If you dont win an award you get one of the adorable babies to take home, he explained. Tyler Perry looked quite excited at the prospect, while Blake Shelton looked stunned, like it might be too real.

Only a fraction of the award shows 64 categories are announced live, but the show has plenty of action, drama, laughs and musical performances.

Heres what happened at the Peoples Choice Awards:

Best Joke: 2016 was an interesting year, said McHale. We all watched as a longtime government insider squared off against an egotistical billionaire. Im speaking of course about Captain America: Civil War.

Best Slow Burn: It took Jennifer Lopez eight nominations to finally win a Peoples Choice Award. She was able to take home a crystal sculpture for her work in Shades of Blue in the Favorite TV Crime Drama, Actress category. For all you shippers out there  J. Lo did not thank Drake in her acceptance speech.

Best Acceptance Speech: Only at the Peoples Choice could Kevin Hart best Oscar frontrunner Ryan Gosling. He thanked the people and God in his acceptance speech, but claimed that he was not thanking The Rock. This one goes to all the co-stars Ive had except The Rock. said Hart, while Johnson cracked up in his seat. He hasnt helped me at all. He actually lessened my talent.

Toughest Competition: The Favorite Dwayne Johnson category was stacked, but Dwayne Literally Just A Rock Johnson won. Unfortunately it was just a rock and couldnt accept the prize.

Story continues

Best Fashion Excuse: Justin Timberlake took home the Favorite Song prize for Cant Stop the Feeling and when he took the stage he looked suspiciously casual like he was shopping at Whole Foods and remembered he claimed he was on the 101 just eight minutes ago.

Thank the Popular Vote: Only at the Peoples Choice Awards can Dwayne Johnsons work in Ballers beat out Kevin Spaceys acting in House of Cards. Could Johnson really run for President  and win?

Best Bleep: Johnson finished his acceptance speech and then said that Kevin Hart told him to say .. .well, we dont know what it was, because it was bleeped out. The camera cut to Hart who looked shocked. Johnson repeated the claim that Hart told him to say BLEEP and the camera cut away in case any lip readers were watching.

Best Use of the Spotlight: Blake Lively beat out Meryl Streep for Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress and used the stage to beg the Spice Girls to hang out with her. I was always an ambitious kid, so I set a goal for myself as a kid. I knew if I could accomplish this that I would be successful, and I could be happy, and that was  to meet the Spice Girls, Lively said to laughter from the crowd. Still havent accomplished it. Your move, Spice Girls.

Best Repeat Performance: While accepting his eighth Peoples Choice Award, this time for Favorite Dramatic Movie Actor, Tom Hanks trotted out his new favorite saying, Throw deep, baby! Which is the same way he signs his fan letters.

Most Effective Speech Opener: When Justin Timberlake took the stage to introduce Ellen DeGeneres, the crowd wouldnt stop screaming, so he leaned into the mic and whispered, Shut up. It was effective.

Best Shout-Out: Mashed potatoes. After accepting one more award, DeGeneres became the most-decorated Peoples Choice winner in history with 20 awards to her name. After the cheering crowd quieted down, she started her acceptance speech by recounting a story: I was driving here tonight on the 101, said DeGeneres. And I was thinking, I love mashed potatoes. Dont you love mashed potatoes?

Best Revelation: The Micks Kaitlin Olson took the stage with John Stamos and when he caught her checking him out, he swore he wasnt a Westworld sex robot. She didnt believe him until he said Bob Saget was the sex robot. It explains a lot.

Friendliest Competition: When Melissa McCarthy accepted her prize for Favorite Comedic Movie Actress, she admitted that she had engaged in light hand-to-hand combat with most of her competitors (Kendricks too quick, she sighed.) As for Kristen Wiig, according to McCarthy, her wing span is incredible. She is like a beautiful, strong, aggressive orangutan, said McCarthy, adding: Kristen Bell and Rebel Wilson slashed my tires.

Best Recovery: Kristen Bell presented the Favorite Humanitarian Award to Tyler Perry  (warning: rare moment of sincerity) who is truly an astonishingly generous and caring human  and halfway through listing Perrys many, many good deeds, her teleprompter went out. She blinked, announced the teleprompter was down, and stumbled through the end of the speech without it. She then apologized for using a teleprompter, but admitted that she couldnt even begin to memorize all of Perrys acts of kindness. Good save!

Most Literary Reference: Robert Downey Jr. shouted out both Arthur Conan Doyle and Stan Lee when he accepted his award for Favorite Action Movie Actor.

Best Fraction: Fifth Harmony performed their hit Work From Home sans Camila Cabello.

Best Cross Promotion: Sophia Vergara won her first Peoples Choice Award for Favorite Comedic TV Actress, and the segment was sandwiched between Vergaras commercials for Head & Shoulders dandruff shampoo.

Strangest Appearance by a Pirate: Johnny Depp was the last act of the night, chosen by the people as their Favorite Movie Icon. Depp delivered a performance that was a simultaneous reenactment of his 2014 appearance at the Hollywood Film Awards and Captain Jack Sparrow asking about the rums whereabouts. Please think carefully before giving Depp any more awards or reasons to attend award shows.
On Jan. 20, 194275 years ago this Fridaytop-ranking Nazi party, SS and government officials gathered in a tiny Berlin suburb to discuss the so-called Final Solution to the Jewish Problem in Germany and wider Europe. The Wannsee Conference was held at the guesthouse of the Security Police in the Villa Minoux. It lasted only an hour  and yet, in the minds of the technocrats who attended this infamous meeting, decided the fate of over 11 million European Jews. As such, the Wannsee Conference is sometimes credited as the beginning of the planning and implementation of the Final Solution for genocide.

The coded language of the secret conference never explicitly mentioned the complete destruction of an entire people, but conversed about this policy in the language of bureaucracy. That decision, as was been pointed out by communications expert Marshall Rosenberg, served to create a situation in which committing genocide seemed like standard policy, rather than a choice made by any individual. But, while the surviving minutes of the meeting were heavily edited, they still hint at the destruction of the Jewish people on the European continent.

The conference did hold significant importance; it provided a centralized plan of action to rid the continent of its Jewish population and crystalized that plan in Nazi government policy. Several ideas were suggested beforehand  mass deportations (including to the island of Madagascar), mass sterilization and other gruesome ideas. The Final Solution was to send Jewish people to ghettos and camps in Poland, and subsequently exterminate them. The Wannsee Conference served as an opportunity for the Nazi regime to coordinate that process across various departments and divisions, military or otherwise.

But, despite the fact that the Wannsee Conference cemented a bureaucratic policy of mass murder, it was by no means the beginning of Nazi Germanys genocidal campaign against Jewish people. The decision to exterminate the population had already been made months, perhaps even years, before the meeting. According to historians such as Christopher Browning, the process of arriving at the Final Solution, was slow and gradual, but genocide was always implied. Preparations were well under way, and killings already taking place. The Wannsee Conference merely served the function of consolidating and streamlining the entire process.

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Entire extermination camps were already under construction, including Belzec, one of the most infamous killing centers of the war. Even prior to the outbreak of war, a policy of persecution of Jews and other non-desirables existed in Nazi-controlled Germany. Many historians consider Kristallnacht (the Night of the Broken Glass, Nov. 9, 1938), to be the start of the Holocaust. However, even prior to this pogrom, state-sponsored racial and religious isolation sought to eliminate Jews from German society. The Nuremberg Laws were one of the most obvious examples of this state-sponsored racism. Introduced in 1935, these anti-Semitic policies forbade relationships between Jews and Germans, denied Jews the right to citizenship and established racial categories in order to disenfranchise Jews and deprive them of political and civic rights.

Extreme violence against and even the murder of Jews was becoming commonplace by the eve of the war. The situation escalated rapidly after the invasion of Poland by German forces in 1939. Ghettos were established in German-occupied Poland, with various groups of Jews from all occupied territory being sent to these locations. Einsatzgruppen (special task forces) along with other mobile killing squads, murdered civilians as part of the push eastwards. By the summer of 1941, mass killings were continuous and ongoing. For example, mobile gas vans, which killed people en masse with exhaust fumes, were already in use. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the Einsatzgruppen is that they were often made up of ordinary men, who were either too old to serve as army regulars or could not for various other reasons. These men were not seasoned Nazi political hardliners, but blue-collar Germans, who engaged in murder because of psychological and social conditioning. As the Nazi war machine rolled eastwards, the infrastructure of death was already beginning to be constructed. Railroads leading infamous death camps such as Auschwitz were built, and ghettos prepared and populated.

With 1942 approaching, Hermann Goring, a top ranked Nazi official, who would later be the highest-ranked Nazi leader to be tried at Nuremberg, gave the orders to Reinhard Heydrich, the so-called main architect of the Holocaust: A plan was to be devised to account for the total solution of the Jewish question. That plan was crafted at Wannsee.

By this then, however, the meeting was nothing more than a technicality. The framework of genocide was already in place, and the conference served as a way to centralize the mechanism and ensure the smooth flow of deportations.

By the end of the war in 1945, an estimated six million Jewsand millions of other victims such as Romanis, Freemasons, physically disabled people, Slavs, communists, homosexuals and otherslay dead in the wake of the genocide. Though the Wannsee Conference was an important moment in that deadly process, it was not the beginning.
MANILA, Philippines (AP)  The Philippine national police chief apologized to South Korea on Thursday over the death of a Korean man who was arrested illegally and then slain by members of an anti-drug task force at the main police camp in Manila.

Police Director-General Ronald Dela Rosa said the policemen detained Jee Ickjoo with a fake arrest warrant last October with the intent of holding him for ransom, but killed him the same day. He said they then extracted a ransom payment from Jee's family without telling them Jee was dead.

The victim's cremated remains have been found in a funeral parlor, officials said.

"I'm very sorry that this crime happened and my men are involved," dela Rosa said at a news conference. "I just want to melt and disappear from this world out of embarrassment for what my men did."

He said one of the policemen has since surrendered.

Dela Rosa said he is regularly updating the South Korean ambassador on developments in the investigation.

South Korean officials have expressed alarm over the killing and other attacks on Koreans in the Philippines.

Dela Rosa said the suspects used President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug crackdown as a cover to carry out the kidnapping.
ROME (AP)  Philippine negotiators and communist guerrillas resumed peace talks in Rome on Thursday, with the insurgents warning that alleged government violations of an accord on human rights might prompt them to terminate a monthslong cease-fire.

Philippine officials led by Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. and guerrilla leaders shook hands in a show of unity at a hotel in the Italian capital before resuming the negotiations, which both sides acknowledged would be tough.

Special envoy Elisabeth Slattum from Norway, which has been brokering the talks, also attended. The venue was shifted from the Norwegian capital, Oslo, which Philippine officials said would be too cold.

"Although there are still unresolved issues, with regards to commitments to releases of political prisoners, commitments on a bilateral cease-fire which will both be subjects of discussion during this round of talks, we commend the parties for doing exactly that, for working together," Slattum said.

Chief Philippine negotiator Silvestre Bello III said the government panel would seek to turn separate cease-fires declared by President Rodrigo Duterte and the guerrillas in August into a more durable negotiated truce. But his rebel counterpart, Fidel Agcaoili, was less optimistic, saying "the prospect for forging a bilateral cease-fire agreement has grown dim."

Agcaoili said the guerrillas have raised a number of complaints, including alleged government breaches of a 1998 accord on respecting human rights and another pact on the safety of guerrilla consultants.

Agcaoili said the complaints, including the failure to release nearly 400 detainees the rebels consider political prisoners, made extending a five-month cease-fire "untenable."

The guerrillas also expressed concern over Duterte's brutal crackdown on illegal drugs, which has left thousands of drug suspects dead, and his decision to allow the burial of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos in a heroes' cemetery in November.

Story continues

Agcaoili said innocent people have been killed in Duterte's crackdown "due to brutal, reckless and indiscriminate methods employed by the police in its anti-drug operations." He said Duterte should shift his priority to solving the larger problem of poverty through social and economic reforms, which are the main focus of this week's round of talks.

The guerrillas have accused government troops of violating a cease-fire by occupying schools, village halls and other civilian areas and conducting illegal searches, interrogations and surveillance of suspected rebel supporters. The military has denied the allegations.

Founded in 1968, the rebels' Communist Party has held peace talks with six Philippine presidents, including Duterte, whose rise to power in June sparked rebel optimism because of his searing anti-U.S. rhetoric and populist pro-poor stance.

Battle setbacks, surrenders and infighting have weakened the rebel group, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. A confidential Philippine government assessment obtained by The Associated Press says the number of guerrillas declined to 3,800 with more than 4,500 firearms in the first half of 2016, with about 700 of the country's 42,000 villages affected by the insurgency.

Sporadic fighting has left about 40,000 combatants and civilians dead since the rural-based insurgency erupted.

___

Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.
A crowdfunding campaign to put a photo of two hijab-wearing girls on billboards across Australia has raised over $150,000, after the image was withdrawn from an ad in Melbourne following social media outcry.

The image of the pair of girls was removed last week from a Melbourne sign advertising an Australia Day event after QES, the company hosting the board, allegedly received threats and objections from far-right groups. The Guardian reports that Campaign Edge, an advertising agency, set up a crowdfunding campaign in response to the controversy, calling for the image to be reprinted in an Australia Day campaign.

Dee Madigan, the agencys creative director, said she started the fund because she felt like the bastards were winning when the image was removed.

Crowd-funding for #australiaday billboard passes $115k. Will now be erected in all capital cities https://t.co/oKmRRMtFg8 via @newscomauHQ pic.twitter.com/CWuKqn2vFU  Kim Stephens (@kimbo_stephens) January 18, 2017

Political tensions over Muslim immigration into Australia have been worsening with Senator Pauline Hanson, leader of the countrys right-wing One Nation party, having previously called for a ban. Its just not O.K. and it feels lately like theres been  with Hanson and even Trump  more permission for people to be more overtly racist, Madigan said.

After more than $120,00 was donated in 24 hours the campaign expanded and now seeks to erect dozens of billboards across Australia. Surplus funds will now be donated to Indigenous groups.

Story continues

Australia Day is a contentious event, with some groups claiming that it celebrates the dispossession of Indigenous people. Comedian Aamer Rahman described the campaign as a novel and expensive way of throwing Aboriginal people under the bus.
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In a guest piece for LAist, Glen Creason, Los Angeles Public Library's longtime map librarian and author of "Los Angeles in Maps," explores the geography of Boyle Heights through its culinary landscape, and reflects on the history of one of L.A.'s most vibrant neighborhoods. He has also shared a number of maps from the Los Angeles Public Library's archive.

***

By Glen Creason

In an area of just 100,000 people, Boyle Heights likely has more great Mexican restaurants than entire regions in the United States, with variety unmatched anywhere, especially Texas. Sure, Boyle Heights has the Breed Street Shul, Evergreen Cemetery, Mariachi Plaza, Libros Schmibros, Hollenbeck Park, Self Help Graphics and history on every square foot but when I drive up the labyrinth of First Street heading east my thoughts are elsewheremostly in my stomach. But first, some history.



Renie Atlas of Los Angeles, 1951 (Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Map Collection)

Many Angelenos refer to East Los as everything across the L.A. River, but Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles are really two separate entities, as seen in the map above at the demarcation of Indiana Street that slices through the familiar east-west avenues like Whittier, Third, and First streets. East Los Angeles was developed as far back as 1870, slightly after the area known as Paredon Blanco (the White Bluffs) was purchased by Irish immigrant Andrew Boyle in 1868 and settled around the area of what is today Boyle Avenue.



Drawing of a panoramic view of Los Angeles, looking east from Boyle Heights in 1877. A portion of Boyle Heights (then called Brooklyn Heights) is in the foreground, with street names labelled. Beyond that is the Los Angeles River and the Plaza and hills to the north. (Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection)

Boyle Heights was the name that was placed on the area by Boyles son in law, William H. Workman when he subdivided the land after his esteemed father in law died in 1871. By 1877, Boyle Heights was a vibrant neighborhood with sundry ethnicities comprising the fabric of the growing area. The land booms of the 1880s in Los Angeles spilled across the river, which now was connected by bridges, and the Eastside became a place for immigrants and newcomers from all over the world, including Russians, Japanese, Croatians, Armenians, Portuguese, Mexicans and Jews fleeing persecution in Europe.

This plate from Baist's Real Estate Atlas Surveys of Los Angeles shows the area in 1921:





(Click the map to enlarge)

While other areas in the growing city excluded many ethnic groups, the streets of Boyle Heights were accepting and nourishing to immigrants and newcomers from points east. The Jewish community flourished in the neighborhood and as early as 1904 they built a synagogue on Breed Street. Congregation Talmud Torah, as it was known then (it would later be called the Breed Street Shul), became the social center of Boyle Heights. Most of Boyle Heights diverse populations co-existed peacefully and bonded together as one neighborhood, instead of many little gulags.



The southeast corner of Brooklyn Avenue (now Cesar Chavez) and Ford Boulevard, showing a gasoline station, hardware store and Chinese restaurant, circa 1935. (Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection)

At the end of World War II, the Latino community grew in numbers. As the old Jewish establishment began to leave the area for new horizons, the Mexican-American influence bloomed and thrived on the streets of Boyle Heights. Instead of resentment and xenophobia, the Jewish population and the more recent Mexican arrivals worked together in harmony with once-displaced Japanese families and other longtime Boyle Heights groups. When Edward Roybal, a man who had experienced discrimination first hand, was elected to the City Council in 1949, the Latino voice was finally heard at City Hall and the entire Eastside was represented as a force to be reckoned with in Los Angeles.



Chicano Moratorium Committee conducts a march and rally commemorating ninth anniversary of Chicano anti-Vietnam war demonstrations in Atlantic Park. Hernando Perez (right foreground) gets inspired as he watches the demonstrators. Photograph dated August 29, 1979. (Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection)

Natives of Boyle Heights have been important participants in moving Los Angeles upward and outward as a world class city. The Chicano Moratorium at the end of the 1960s created a political force and a vibrant art scene into the 1970s. When El Mercado, a multi-story reimagining of a traditional Latin American marketplace, opened in 1968, it represented a refocusing on the areas Hispanic roots, while the legendary Goez Art Studio encouraged Chicano artists and murals in the neighborhood.

The map shown below, created by John D. Gonzalez of Goez in 1975, shows the neighborhoods of East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, City Terrace, and El Sereno, with listings for more than a hundred murals in the area :



(Click the map to enlarge)

By 1980, Boyle Heights was 75% Latino and continued to be a haven for newcomers. When Antonio Villaraigosa was elected mayor in 2004, a native son was in charge of the entire big city, but the same social problems that affected the metropolitan area as a whole affected Boyle Heights, with a gang presence and an ongoing struggle with gentrification, which has recently come to a head. The idea of creating an art colony across the river from downtown has not been met with enthusiasm by longtime residents. Residents of the same streets that welcomed Angelenos of varied cultures and creeds in the past are now standing firm and vehemently blocking what they see as encroachment of their neighborhood by developers who would raise rents and displace the families who make Boyle Heights a special place to live.

Here is a simple street map, taken from a 1950 edition of the Thomas Brothers Popular Atlas of Los Angeles County, that encompasses this truly remarkable neighborhood:



(Click the map to enlarge)

The glories of Mexican Boyle Heights call out to me from old friends who continue to create works of Mexican culinary art. There are the chile relleno burritos at Al and Beas on First, the scrumptious carnitas at what is really a butcher shop called Zamora Brothers on Cesar Chavez and the floating food truck Carnitas El Momo, which has migajas that are carnitas to the nth power.



Bean and cheese burrito at Al & Bea's. (Photo by T.Tseng via Flickr)

There is the rather swanky La Serenata de Garibaldi, with actual linen tablecloths on First Street. La Serenata has shrimp dishes that are to die for in value and price (although the prices have tripled since I first visited in the 1980s). You could relax like a pal invited you to his grandmas house at Vicky's on First Street, where the dining room looks like the break room at a thrift shop, or try the magnificent homemade tortillas at La Barbacha on Cesar Chavez. If you really, really need a great taco and are ready to stand up eating it, there is Los Cincos Puntos farther down on Cesar Chavez Boulevard, but good luck trying to drive back to work to eat them with your car lit up like a Sinaloa barbecue. Chances are you will tear open the darkening paper bag in your car and find pork and cebolla juice running down your forearms before you can open the door.

Of course, if one veers left on Evergreen you will pass not only one of the oldest cemeteries in L.A. but also two true classics of Mexican-L.A. cuisine.

First, there is Ciro's, with its avocado salsa and flautas magnifico, and then just a block awaythere is the revered El Tepeyac (aka Manuels), where the burrito is a genuine feast and the Manuels Special is a feast the size of a Thanksgiving turkey. I had my first date at Manuels and once caught a mouse in the bathroom after a few cervezas on the other side of the river.



The outdoor menu at El Tepeyac. (Photo H. C. via Flickr)

Up on Whittier Boulevard is the mole of Las Molenderas, and back to Cesar Chavez is the audacious Guisados where an actual newbie franchise produces tacos that even veteranos and veteranas of Boyle Heights adore. Deep down First Street is Teresitas, in an old coffee shop that produces Zacatecas-style specials of the day like costillos de puerco en chile negro or birria de chivo. Teresitas is so good that it draws folks from the San Gabriel Valley and beyond. Once, I even exchanged nods with Teresita herself. There are many dozens more great spots with items that they do best, like sopes or huaraches or vampiros, and countless numbers of culinary dreams undreamt in Los Angeles.

Al and Bea's is located at 2025 E. First Street in Boyle Heights. 1 (323) 267-8810

Zamora Brothers is located at 1503 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue in Boyle Heights. 1 (323) 227-6944

La Serenata de Garibaldi is located at 1842 E First Street in Boyle Heights. 1 (323) 265-2887

Vicky's is located at 2308 E First Street in Boyle Heights. (323) 264-5595.

La Barbacha is located at 2510 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue in Boyle Heights. (323) 264-1451

Los Cinco Puntos is located at 3300 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue in Boyle Heights. (323) 261-4084

Ciro's is located at 705 N Evergreen Avenue in Boyle Heights. (323) 269-5104

Manuel's El Tepeyac is located at 812 N Evergreen Avenue in Boyle Heights. (323) 268-1960

Las Molenderas is located at 2635 Whittier Boulevard in Boyle Heights. (323) 269-2812

Guisados is located at 2100 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue in Boyle Heights. (323) 264-7201

Teresitas is located at 2100 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue in Boyle Heights. (323) 266-6045
By Neil Jerome Morales MANILA (Reuters) - Undeterred by a blessing from Pope Francis, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte launched an angry rebuke on Thursday of priests and bishops critical of his drugs war, accusing them of homosexuality, corruption and of abusing children. Duterte was furious over concerns by the Catholic Church of alleged extrajudicial killings during his crackdown and lambasted clergymen for denouncing him instead of using their influence to get people off drugs. His no-holds-barred tirade came a day after one of Duterte's top advisers met Pope Francis at the Vatican and said the Pontiff had told him he would bless the Philippines, and "also bless your president". In a speech to policemen, the firebrand leader of one of only two majority Catholic Asian countries challenged the church to a "showdown" and threatened to expose priests and bishops for a litany of abuses. "Most people here are Catholics. If you are a good priest, make them understand that they will die," he said, referring to drug users. "You criticize the police, you criticize me. For what? You have the money. You are all crazy ... when we were making confessions to you, we were being molested. They are touching us. What is your moral ascendancy, religion? What is the meaning of it?" The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines had no immediate comment when contacted by Reuters. POPE'S BLESSING Duterte's aide, Jesus Dureza, was at the Vatican this week to deliver a letter from the president, thanking the Pope for his 2015 visit to the Philippines. Duterte had famously called the Pope a "son of a bitch" for causing traffic snarl-ups, and later apologized, saying his remark was aimed at incompetent officials. The Pope's blessing did not stop Duterte chiding the church, which is among a few institutions willing to oppose his war on drugs. Police figures show 7,042 people have been killed during the campaign, 2,250 in anti-drugs operations and most of the other deaths still being investigated. Duterte said members of the clergy had wives and were engaging in homosexual acts, practices prohibited by the Catholic Church. Priests were also misusing state funds, he said, and they could not explain where vast amounts of money from public donations had gone. "You expose me, fine. I expose you. Why? Your mistake is just all right, but ours is not? Bullshit. That is a big joke," he said. "You asked for it. So if you really want a showdown, showdown. Make a change. "If you cannot mend your ways, if you cannot even give justice to the small boys that you have molested in the past, you do not have that moral ascendancy to lecture on the sanctity of life." Responding to Duterte's comments, Father Roy Bellen, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Manila, said the church was aware of its weaknesses and despite limitations, it was fighting to root out its bad elements. "Yes, there's still work to be done inside and outside of the church," he said. "We can never do everything, but whatever is in reach, we do it." (Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Randy Fabi)
Former President George H.W. Bush was hospitalized on Jan. 14 following a bout of pneumonia, CNN reported today (Jan. 18).

In addition, Bush's wife, former first lady Barbara Bush, was admitted to the hospital today as a precaution because she was experiencing "fatigue and coughing," according to CNN.

The 41st president turned 92 last summer, and Barbara Bush is 91. Why does pneumonia often strike older adults? [27 Devastating Infectious Diseases]

One reason is that a person's immunity declines after age 50, "so it wouldn't be surprising if someone who's over 90 would have a reduced immunity," said Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City who has not treated either of the Bushes.

Pneumonia, which is characterized by inflammation of the lungs, is more common in the winter, Horovitz told Live Science. And, there are also many other respiratory illnesses, including the flu and common cold viruses, that are circulating at this time of year, he said.

Doctors "always hospitalize" elderly individuals if they get pneumonia, and hospitalization is particularly important if the person also has other medical problems, Horovitz said.

Although he isn't familiar with Bush's specific health conditions, Horovitz noted that the former president uses a wheelchair. This could mean that Bush also has neurological health problems, which could in turn mean that his cough may not be as effective at clearing mucus or secretions from the lungs as someone who is stronger, he said. (In fact, Bush does have a type of Parkinson's disease, according to CNN.)

Exactly what treatment is used for someone with pneumonia depends on whether that person's disease is caused by a virus or bacterium, Horovitz said. Viral pneumonia tends to be more contagious, but also typically causes a less severe infection than bacterial pneumonia, he said. Oftentimes, doctors will give a patient an antibiotic  even before test results come back to determine if the cause is viral or bacterial  "to cover, just in case it does turn out to bacterial," he said.

Story continues

For older adults with pneumonia, doctors "have to be a little guarded" about giving a definitive prognosis, Horovitz said. "Pneumonia is not always straightforward, and in someone who's fragile with a compromised immune system because [he or she is] elderly, there's always a worry" that the individual may develop complications, he said.

Bacterial pneumonia, for example, can get into a person's bloodstream and spread through the body, Horovitz said. Complications can include kidney failure and abscess formation, he said.

The disease can trigger a cascade of events that lead to "a multipronged assault" on the body, he said.

For older adults, however, vaccines are available that protect against certain types of bacterial pneumonia, he said. All adults over age 65 should get the vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Originally published on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
After President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama campaigned so passionately against Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race, its been a natural question since last November: How did their daughters Malia and Sasha feel about Trumps triumph?

After all, their mother spoke out last fall with such raw and personal passion against Trumps caught-on-tape boasts of sexually assaulting women and his dismissal of it as locker-room talk.

Neither the president nor Mrs. Obama would say much about their daughters private reactionsuntil the president was asked Wednesday in the last question of his last press conference as president.

They were disappointed, Obama said of how Sasha, 15, and Malia, 18, felt about Trump winning. They paid attention to what their mom said during the campaign and believed it because its consistent with what weve tried to teach them in our household, what Ive tried to model as a father with their mom and what weve asked them to expect from future boyfriends or spouses.

The president went on to say that, as parents, he and the first lady have also taught their girls resilience and hope  and that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world.

They dont mope, he added. What makes me proudest about them is that they also dont get cynical. They have not assumed that, because their side didnt win or because some of the values they care about dont seem as though they were vindicated, that somehow automatically, America had somehow rejected them or rejected their values.

RELATED VIDEO: Watch: Natasha Stoynoff Breaks Silence, Accuses Donald Trump of Sexual Assault

As for his own cool and unflappable demeanor post-election, Obama swore its no act: This is not just a matter of No-Drama Obama. This is what I really believe. It is true that behind closed doors I curse more than I do in public. And sometimes I get mad and frustrated like everyone else does. But at my core I think that were going to be ok. We just have to fight for it. We have to work for it, and not take it for granted.

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As for how he, personally, will be doing after Trump takes the oath of office at noon on Friday, Obama said he wants to take time to process his White House experience  and also check in with Mrs. Obama, to make sure that my wife, with whom I will be celebrating a 25th anniversary this year, is willing to re-up and put up with me for a little bit longer.

He added: I want to do some writing. I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much. I want to spend precious time with my girls.




Paris (AFP) - Feminists called for protests Thursday at the "French Oscars" next month after controversial film director Roman Polanski agreed to preside over the ceremony.

The maker of "Chinatown" and "Rosemary's Baby" has been wanted in the US for almost four decades for the rape of a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles in 1977.

Polanski, 83, last month defeated a bid to extradite him from his native Poland, telling reporters, "I'll finally be able to feel safe in my own country."

But the decision to honour him at the annual Cesars ceremony has infuriated women's groups, with many taking to social media calling for a boycott of the televised show.

The leading group Osez le feminisme (Dare feminism) called the decision by the French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques "shameful", and urged people to protest outside.

"We are extremely angry," spokeswoman Claire Serre-Combe told AFP. "We cannot let this pass.

"Making Polanski president is a snub to rape and sexual assault victims. Some people say that he is a great film-maker, that everything is relative.

"The quality of his work counts for nothing when confronted with the crime he committed, his escape from justice and his refusal to face up to his responsibilities," she added.

Polanski, who was 43 at the time, was accused of drugging the girl before having sex with her.

- 'It was 40 years ago' -

He pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor, or statutory rape, as part of a plea bargain under which he served 42 days in detention while undergoing psychiatric evaluation.

But in 1978, convinced that a judge was going to scrap the deal and hand him a hefty prison sentence, Polanski fled to France.

The academy had earlier praised Polanski as an "insatiable aesthete" and former French culture minister Aurelie Filippetti defended him as a "great director... who should be allowed to preside over the ceremony.

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"It is something that happened 40 years ago. One cannot bring up this affair every time we talk about him because there was a problem back them," she told French public radio.

"It is just an awards ceremony, we should not give any more importance to it that than that," said the novelist and Socialist MP.

Ironically, the film which is likely to win biggest at this year's Cesars is "Elle", about a rape victim who takes her revenge on her attacker by extracting her own sexual pleasure from him.

It won best foreign film at the Golden Globes in Los Angeles earlier this month, and best actress for its star Isabelle Huppert.

Polanski, who is Franco-Polish, was arrested in Switzerland in 2009 on a US extradition request and spent 10 months under house arrest before Bern rejected the US order.

The US then asked Poland to extradite him in January 2015, but a Krakow court rejected the demand the in October, with the country's supreme court backing the decision two months later.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Puerto Rico's governor has reversed an order by the U.S. territory's police chief that sought to greatly limit the release of public information about criminal cases.

Ricardo Rossello said Thursday that the public has a constitutional right to be informed.

Police Chief Michelle Hernandez on Wednesday had ordered police to stop releasing information including the location of a crime, a suspect's criminal background and the amount of drugs seized or money stolen in certain cases. She also had prohibited the release of pictures of suspects who had not been arrested.

Hernandez is Puerto Rico's first female police chief and was nominated by Rossello.
Photo credit: Getty

From Harper's BAZAAR

Since November, fashion designers have been debating the ubiquitous question: to dress or not to dress future First Lady Melania Trump? Ahead of this Friday's inauguration, it looks like Ralph Lauren has chosen the former.

According to WWD, the American label (Ralph Lauren himself stepped down as CEO in 2015) is reportedly working on a gown and an Inauguration Day look for the First-Lady-to-be. Throughout the presidential election, Lauren was a Hillary Clinton supporter and even designed all the pantsuits worn by the Democratic nominee at the presidential debates (along with many more along the trail).

Photo credit: Getty

But unlike some of fashion's other outspoken designers, it looks like Lauren will be putting politics aside and embracing bipartisanship when it comes to dressing Mrs. Trump. If so, the American brand will be the first to dress the new First Lady.

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The new Range Rover SV Autobiography Dynamic is the fastest, most powerful and most exclusive production SUV in Land Rover's history and its arrival in the US has been timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the original Range Rover's official launch in North America.

The Range Rover's history actually goes back to 1970 when the first-generation two-door model launched in the UK. One of the first ever production vehicles to offer permanent all-wheel drive and the first European SUV to blend on-board comfort with genuine off-road capability, it can also lay claim to being the first car ever displayed at the Louvre -- selected by the Paris museum because it represented an "exemplary work of industrial design."

Other firsts for the model include automatic air suspension and being the first SUV with anti-lock brakes and electronic traction control.

It even has racing pedigree as the inaugural winner of the Paris-Dakar rally back in 1979.

However, its success and longevity are as much due to a regal helping hand as they are to engineering innovation. The car very quickly became the Royal Family's transportation of choice for hunting, racing and going on safari and an image of Prince Philip using the car's tailgate as an impromptu step for gaining a better view at the Royal Windsor Horse Show is widely considered the picture that made the car what it is today.

"Range Rover has, over time, achieved iconic design status through a progressive evolution of its unique DNA, said Land Rover Chief Design Officer, Gerry McGovern. "From its sense of evolution and sophisticated sensibilities inherent in its interior design, to its understated yet powerful exterior proportions, Range Rover stands alone. There's simply nothing else like it."

And evolution is key. Like so many iconic British cars, the Range Rover has at times actively resisted change for much of its life. It took 11 years for the car to go from having two to four doors and a further 13 years to go from its first- to second-generation model.

However, all of that changed when BMW bought Land Rover in 1994. The Range Rover very quickly became the pinnacle of high sided' luxury motoring, and by 2001 when the third-generation Range Rover debuted, the car was in a class of its own.

Sixteen years and two owners later, the fourth-generation Range Rover is the first all-aluminium SUV and as well as a suite of active all-terrain stability aids that are unsurpassed in the marketplace, the car now offers the same levels of interior luxury and bespoke customization options as one would expect from Rolls-Royce or Bentley.
President-elect Donald Trump will have, if his campaign promises are to be believed, a very busy first day in office. He has pledged a slew of ambitious actions right out of the gate, including overturning a bevy of President Barack Obamas executive orders, tearing up trade deals, overturning domestic regulations on energy and the environment, deporting undocumented immigrants, and, of course, repealing the Affordable Care Act.

That doesnt mean all those actions will be taken on Friday, Jan. 20, after his swearing-in; Trump has talked of Monday as his first big day, and Vice President-elect Mike Pence speaks of implementing the campaign pledges over a period of weeks. And just one day before he takes office, Trump and his team have kept their planned actions very close to the chest or are still deciding just what to do: Few Republican leaders in Washington have an inkling of what is in store.

But what seems clear is that President Trump, once he sits behind the Resolute desk, will have the ability to quickly reshape huge chunks of Obamas foreign-policy legacy. Here are some key areas to keep an eye on, exploring what policies Trump is expected to enact  and those pledges he is unlikely to be able to fulfill right away.

The war on terror

Trump and his national security team say fighting Islamic extremists is its top foreign-policy priority, and the new administration is eager to take action to give the military more authority to strike militants and send in more troops if the top brass wants them.

Trumps advisors are considering loosening Obamas restrictive rules on lethal strikes  by drones or by commando raids  against terrorist suspects outside of declared war zones, current and former officials familiar with the transition effort told Foreign Policy. That would make it easier for the U.S. military and the CIA to move against Islamic State or al Qaeda militants in countries such as Libya, Somalia, and Yemen where the United States has no official combat mission.

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The Obama administrations recently published rules for lethal strikes set a high bar for pulling the trigger and require approval at the highest level. Current and former officials expect that Trump will quickly move to loosen those restrictions. At the same time, he may unleash special operations forces to play a more direct role, whether partnering with allies or fighting militants themselves.

The Trump team is also looking at lifting limits on the number of troops allowed to deploy to Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. The Obama administration had imposed caps on how many ground forces could operate in those countries, drawing criticism from senior officers and Republican lawmakers that the White House was tying the hands of commanders.

Trump has also demanded that the military draw up in 30 days a plan to defeat the Islamic State. His prospective national security advisor, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, last year privately touted the idea of putting more U.S. troops in Syria to push Islamic State militants out of their bastion in Raqqa, but its not clear if Trump or his nominee for defense secretary, retired Gen. James Mattis, will back large numbers of boots on the ground.

Terrorist detention and interrogation

On his first day in office, Obama issued executive orders banning torture and ordering the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Though Trump hasnt specifically said hell reverse those actions on his first day, he promised on the campaign trail to send more terrorist suspects to Guantanamo and at times said hed bring back banned interrogation techniques.

A lawyer defending one of the alleged co-conspirators of the 9/11 attacks believes Trump will rescind Obamas orders. Other observers expect Trump to unilaterally freeze any more transfers of the 41 detainees who remained at Guantanamo as of Thursday. The Obama administration has continued to empty the facility  sending 10 detainees to Oman as recently as Monday, and transferring its last four detainees on Thursday  though Trump has warned the administration against any more last-minute releases.

Despite recent legislation in Congress that codified Obamas ban on torture, the lawyer said, Trump could reverse it with the stroke of a pen. Still, bringing back enhanced interrogation is less likely. Both Mattis and Trumps pick to head the CIA, Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), have said they would obey current law and resist ordering torture.

And in a symbolic move that will resonate with Trumps supporters, the new administrations national security officials will be eager to announce they are jettisoning the term countering violent extremism adopted by the Obama administration and to describe their counter-terrorism policy as fighting radical Islam.

South China Sea showdown

The U.S. military was often frustrated with the Obama White Houses caution over naval patrols in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, as the outgoing administration feared raising tensions with Beijing on other issues such as climate change. That is about to change.

With Trump entering office (after having already provoked China over Taiwan and trade), military officers and Asia experts said they expect U.S. Pacific Command to have a much freer hand to hold joint exercises and run freedom of navigation naval and air patrols near artificial islands that China has constructed to back up its controversial territorial claims. And that more assertive approach will raise the risk of a mishap or collision with Chinese forces in the area while almost certainly prompting a tough response from Beijing.

Trumps nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, issued a stern warning to Beijing at his confirmation hearing last week that ventured beyond years of established U.S. policy on the issue. Tillerson said the new administration would tell China that access to those islands is also not going to be allowed.

Intelligence overhaul

Trumps aides and backers in Congress are considering a possible overhaul of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which was created after the 9/11 attacks to oversee the countrys spy agencies, but the scale and scope of that reorganization has yet to be hammered out. At the least, the Trump team is expected to launch a study of possible options, experts and congressional aides said.

Trump has been engaged in a public feud with the intelligence community since the election, decrying its findings that Russia hacked Democratic Party emails to boost his chances. But the Trump team denies the planned reform is any sort of retaliation. Indeed, Flynn, who ran the Defense Intelligence Agency under Obama, has long mulled reorganizing the way that the U.S. intelligence agencies work.

Diplomacy

One likely change at the State Department will be the reinstatement of an anti-abortion rule that blocks federal funding for international charities that give patients referrals to abortion doctors. Since the 1980s, the so-called Mexico City Policy has flipped every time the presidency changes party, and Trump plans to restore the rule on Sunday in order to coincide with the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a congressional source told Foreign Policy.

Trump could also, as he promised, move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. He could do that on day one, simply by renaming the U.S. consulate there. But a permanent solution will take longer. Embassy staff need a bigger building than the consulate, and Obama signed a six-month extension barring the relocation of the embassy that lasts until May.

On Cuba, Trump could immediately undo every Obama executive order easing trade and travel to the communist island as a part of the historic rapprochement, but his transition team has given no indication that is in store for day one.

Immigration and the border

During the campaign, Trump vowed to limit travel to the United States by Muslims and has pledged to suspend immigration from terror-prone regions on his first day in office. On Sunday, Trump told the Times of London that as soon as next Monday hed begin to implement restrictions on travel to the United States, potentially including new requirements for Europeans.

But European governments have warned about blowback if he does that, and Trump would face immediate legal challenges if he sought a blanket ban based on religion.

Trump has also promised extreme vetting of applicants seeking asylum but has detailed none of the steps hed take to go beyond the already grueling, 18- to 24-month process in place today.

He has also vowed on day one to begin deporting more than 2 million criminal illegal immigrants, though its not clear how that would be defined, and cancelling visas for countries that dont take them back.

The president-elect has also said hed immediately repeal Obamas moves to shield from deportation immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children and their families. Immigration experts and officials  and those previously eligible for the programs  expect him to make good on that threat.

Trump transition officials and congressional staffers could not confirm any specific plans on immigration and the border, saying Trumps first moves are being held close by only his closest advisors. But Politico reported Thursday morning that Trump will take executive action on day one to lay the groundwork for his oft-trumpeted wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Sanctions, Russia, and Iran

A crucial part of Obamas foreign-policy legacy that could immediately be in Trumps crosshairs are the economic sanctions slapped on Russia for invading Ukraine and the sanctions relief granted to Iran as part of the 2015 nuclear deal. Trump has vowed to tear up the Iran deal and has floated as recently as this week the idea of lifting sanctions on Russia, perhaps in exchange for reducing nuclear stockpiles. Since the Russia sanctions came via executive order, Trump could undo them with the stroke of a pen.

But despite its tough talk about the Iran deal, the Trump team has recently indicated it will take no steps at first to dismantle the agreement. Instead, say lobbyists and experts advising lawmakers on the issue, the new administration is weighing steps to undercut the Iran deal without killing it.

That would mean issuing new Treasury Department rules for foreign companies doing business with Iran, holding firms accountable for any business dealings with people or entities linked to blacklisted organizations in Iran, like the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. That would chill appetite for investing in Iran and mean fewer benefits for Tehran from the deal.

Tear up trade deals

During the campaign, and in his day one program, Trump vowed to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement or withdraw altogether; leave the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, a doomed centerpiece of Obamas pivot to Asia; and label China a currency manipulator, for allegedly keeping the yuan artificially cheap to boost Chinese exports.

He also pledged, as part of a truly packed first day, to identify all foreign trading abuses and find the tools to end those abuses immediately. Since the election, Trump advisors have also floated the idea of immediate tariffs on all imports.

Trump certainly has the authority to immediately start pulling out of those trade pacts and could even withdraw from the World Trade Organization (WTO), another idea he raised during the campaign. But Trumps pick for U.S. trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, advocates for punishing those who break international trade rules within the WTO framework.

Republican Asia hands say the Trump team will likely take early action to send a signal to China on trade, and Lighthizer will be at the center of it. One option on the table: pushing an anti-dumping case against China in the first few weeks in office.

Whats less likely, people familiar with the transition say, is declaring China a currency manipulator. In recent years, China has spent a fortune propping up the yuan, not pushing it down. And Trumps economic team, including his picks to run Treasury and the Commerce Department, publicly backed away from the idea: Both nominees have said theyd take time to study whether Beijing devalues its currency.

The U.N. and climate change

Trump and Republican lawmakers have warned that they plan to punish the United Nations, unless it reverses course on a recent denunciation of Israels illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Trumps pick for U.N. envoy, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, is weighing whether to push a new Security Council resolution voiding the prior censure as her first order of business, diplomats say.

Trump has also threatened to pull out of the 2015 Paris climate accord, an agreement under U.N. auspices meant to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. But the pact was designed to survive shifting political fortunes: While Trump can begin the process of pulling the United States out of the Paris agreement, it would take four years to get all the way out.

Still, Trump has got options to push back on climate. One program that Trump is expected to target during his first days in office is Obamas $3 billion pledge to help poor countries deal with climate change. Washington has already doled out $1 billion, including $500 million Obama rushed out the door this week, leaving $2 billion left to disburse.

Its low-hanging fruit, said one diplomat. Its one thing that could easily be stopped the new administration.

This piece has been updated to reflect recent developments.

Photo credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images
Forget weather-related delays and cancellations. These days, Zika, terrorism or feeling under the weather may have you wondering whether it's a smart idea to cancel or postpone your trip. While some unfortunate circumstances (think: severe weather) won't guarantee that you'll get reimbursed in the event you need to pivot your plans, there are plenty of situations where you're entitled to a refund or a rebooked trip. To help you navigate when -- and how -- to receive reimbursement for a canceled flight, U.S. News gathered insider tips from industry experts.

[See: 10 Frequent Flier Secrets Every Traveler Should Know.]

Know Your Rights

"There are things that people may not realize that airlines have to do, especially if a flight is canceled," explains Christopher Elliott, a consumer advocate and journalist. If an airline owes you a refund, the carrier must issue an immediate refund to your card company within seven business days of receiving a reimbursement request, he explains. In some cases, a carrier will offer you a voucher, but if you accept a voucher or get your flight rebooked rather than receiving a reimbursement, "all bets are off," he cautions. In fact, if an airline puts you on another flight on your scheduled departure day or the next day, or if your flight is stalled due to the weather, the airline owes you nothing, he adds. On the other hand, if you're delayed due to an operational issue within the airline's control, such as getting involuntarily bumped from your flight, your rights are outlined in the contract of carriage (the legal contract between you and the airline), Elliott explains. Also keep in mind that the U.S. Department of Transportation has a rule that allows you to tweak or cancel a reservation within 24 hours of booking a flight. The catch: If you bought the ticket less than a week before the flight, the 24-hour rule doesn't apply, Elliott explains.

In some scenarios, there are workarounds to change or cancel your flight without paying a hefty fee. "Typically, if your departure or arrival time has been changed by at least 30 minutes, you can request a change (to the flight or date) for free," explains Zach Honig, editor-in-chief of The Points Guy. "Additionally, during irregular operations (a snowstorm, for example), an airline may post a travel waiver that allows you to change your flight by a few days without a change fee or difference in fare," Honig adds. And should you need to change your plans for an alternative reason, there's no guarantee, but you should call the airline and request to have the fee waived as a courtesy, Honig advises.

Familiarize Yourself With the Airline's Fare Rules

Ticket restrictions aren't always clear-cut, and each airline imposes its own fare restrictions that determine when you can -- and can't -- waive a cancellation fee or get a refund. While some carriers, like American Airlines, offer travelers the opportunity to receive a refund for nonrefundable tickets in the event of a schedule change lasting longer than two hours, other airlines, like JetBlue, impose $135 cancellation fees for nonrefundable tickets priced at $150 or above. So, make sure to read the fine print before you purchase your tickets.

Aside from significant schedule changes, "airline representatives may choose to offer refunds on a case-by-case basis, even if they aren't required to," Honig adds. So, if you're ill or you're worried about traveling somewhere affected by Zika, it doesn't hurt to inquire about a refund, "although you may not have a strong argument if your destination already had reported cases of Zika at the time you booked," Honig says.

[See: 9 Insider Tips for Navigating an Outrageously Long Flight Delay.]

"Airlines will usually make an exception in the event of a death of traveler, traveling companion or family member," says Megan Singh, project management director for insurance comparison site Squaremouth.com. "When the Zika virus outbreak became a major concern, airlines and cruise lines offered refunds to travelers going to an affected destination, as long as the trip was booked prior to the news of the outbreak," she says. But fear of contracting the Zika virus is not covered by travel insurance, she cautions. "Travelers who are worried about traveling due to the Zika virus can only cancel if they have the 'cancel for any reason' upgrade, unless they contract the virus and are recommended not to travel by a doctor," she adds.

"Typically, if you book through a travel agency, any changes before the day of departure must be handled by the agency, including flight changes and refund requests," Honig says. "The travel agency's policy may differ from your airline's [policy] as well, so be sure to confirm the terms before you book," he adds.

Consider Travel Insurance

If you're concerned that you may need to call off your trip, consider investing in travel insurance. Standard trip cancellation insurance allows you to be reimbursed up to 100 percent of your pre-paid and nonrefundable travel expenses for reasons such as an illness, a mechanical disruption that leads to a 12- to 48-hour delay, a terrorist attack in or near a destination on your itinerary (if you purchased insurance before the attack occurs) or a mandatory evacuation due to severe weather, Singh explains.

Conversely, a "cancel for any reason" policy comes attached to a higher premium, Singh says. You must purchase a policy within 14 to 30 days of your initial trip booking date and insure 100 percent of your trip, and you must cancel your trip two to three days before your planned departure date to be eligible for the policy, she explains.

To stay prepared, "always have your credit card as back-up support," advises Tom Spagnola, senior vice president, supplier relations at CheapOair. You can often receive trip interruption and trip cancellation reimbursement through your credit card provider, he explains.

Assess Your Situation Before Taking Action

If you're set on canceling your trip, get in touch with the hotel, airline or travel company you booked with right away, Honig advises. Singh also advises contacting your airline, even if you've purchased a nonrefundable ticket. While many carriers do impose cancellation and change fees, they may waive the fee for medical reasons, she explains.

[See: 10 Common Pieces of Travel Advice You Should Never Follow.]

If you're concerned about flying in the aftermath of a recent terrorist attack, remember you will unlikely be covered by insurance, Singh cautions. "Policies that are purchased after a terrorist attack happens will not cover travelers who want to cancel a trip to the destination where the attack happened," she adds. Another example where you won't be able to get coverage from a travel insurance company is a storm that's already been forecast. "Once a storm is named, regardless if it is a hurricane or winter storm system, it is considered a foreseeable event in the eyes of travel insurance companies, and can no longer be covered," Singh says. No matter your situation, it pays to stay up to date on current fare restrictions to avoid being slapped with a steep cancellation or change fee.

Liz Weiss is the Travel editor for Consumer Advice at U.S. News, where she writes and edits consumer-focused travel content that offers trip-planning inspiration and helps consumers make smarter travel decisions. She has been covering the travel industry for nearly five years at U.S. News & World Report. She also manages the En Route blog, and has been interviewed on a variety of outlets, including MarketWatch and Fortune. Prior to joining the Consumer Advice team, Liz oversaw the development and content creation for U.S. News Travel's Best Cruises, Best Travel Rewards and Best Vacations franchises. A native of Washington, D.C., she received a bachelor's degree from George Washington University. You can follow Liz on Twitter or email her at eweiss@usnews.com.
Alpine rescue teams are scrambling to find survivors of a huge avalanche that struck in Italy's Abruzzo region, burying a four star hotel on Wednesday.

Authorities said Thursday that dozens might be buried under the snow as rescuers battled blizzard-like conditions in a bid to pull survivors from the Hotel Rigopiano.

Watch: Cat Survives Being Trapped Under Italy Earthquake Rubble For Five Days

Photos taken from the air above the 4-story structure show it all but destroyed and buried.

"Around 30 people are unaccounted for, between guests and workers at the Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola," Fabrizio Curcio, the head of Italy's civil protection department, told reporters.

According to the state news agency, at least two children are among the missing.

The first wave of rescuers on skis found just two people alive. One of them, 38-year-old Giampaolo Parete, told authorities he was alive merely by chance after going to retrieve something from his car just as the avalanche struck.

Parete said his wife and two children were inside the hotel when he left.

Inside the hotel, photos show snow filling hallways and blocking doors.

Watch: Firefighters Free Trapped Dog Who Survived Under Earthquake Rubble Overnight

"Help, we're dying of cold," was one of multiple messages sent to rescuers by text message from inside the hotel. In another message, a man said he had escaped with a maintenance worker but that others were trapped inside.

The mountainous region has been plagued by quakes for months and multiple towns and city centers have been leveled since August, when 300 were killed.

Watch: Man Tries To Calm Woman Trapped Under Rubble After Italy Earthquake Kills Dozens

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When was the last time an animated film actual lowered your pulse rate?

In its typical Hollywood form, an animated feature is usually the cinematic equivalent of a sugar rush  a frantic barrage of colors and movement and jokes and sounds.

It's safe to say that "The Red Turtle," a fortuitous collaboration between Japan's famed Studio Ghibli and Dutch animator-director Michael Dudok de Wit, is very, very different. A fable, beautifully drawn in calm, soothing colors, it doesn't even have dialogue, let alone a throbbing soundtrack. Those sounds you hear are the sounds of silence, and eventually they become hypnotic.

As Dudok de Wit tells it, he received an email out of the blue in 2006 from the vaunted animation studio, asking if he'd be interested in working on his first feature (the director is known for his animated shorts.) He was, and he came up with the story of a man cast away on a deserted island.

The director's research took him to his own deserted island, in the Seychelles, where he shot thousands of photographs. He wanted to recreate the feeling of how time stands still in such a place. He spent nine years creating that animated world. And you can tell.

The film begins with a roiling sea. A man is lost in the waves; we don't know how he got there. Finally, he washes up on a tranquil island, inhabited seemingly only by a few friendly crabs on the beach.

Exploring the rocky cliffs, he slips and falls into a crevasse, and seems about to drown in the water below when he steels his nerves, dives deeper down, and finds a way out. Slowly, in this way, he learns how to cope with the forces of nature around him. And slowly we relax, too, into the rhythms of this natural world.

There are some lovely greens and blues and grays here, but unlike many animated films, the palette is limited and the colors fairly muted  as they are in life. It's beautiful, but we also know that the man  of course we don't know his name, or anything about him  aches to find a way back to civilization.

Story continues

He builds an impressive raft and sets sail, only to have some unknown underwater force  could it be a shark?  destroy it and send him gasping to the shore. He rebuilds the raft and tries again, but the same force destroys it once more.

It turns out this is no shark, but a big, beautiful red turtle that is thwarting our man's dream of escape. But why? And how will this confrontation end?

It's tempting to continue recounting the plot here, but this is one of those films where the less you know beforehand, the better. Suffice it to say that as our main character learns to be patient with nature, we too sense the need to slow down and wait for our own gratification.

Of course nature can be terrifying, too, in sudden ways, and so another thing this expressive film manages to convey is how vulnerable man is to the caprices of nature. Finally, we're also asked to contemplate our attitudes toward death  but now we're really getting ahead of ourselves. No more plot revelations here, other than to say that the entire cycle of life is lovingly portrayed.

After watching "The Red Turtle," you might find yourself checking out flights to your own deserted island. Especially now, with so much turbulence in the headlines, you could do worse than submit to 80 minutes of watching crabs crawl in the sand and feeling some cool ocean breezes  if you pay close enough attention, you can actually sense them wafting through the screen.

"The Red Turtle," a Sony Pictures Classics release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America "for some thematic elements and peril." Running time: 80 minutes. Three stars out of four.

___

MPAA definition of PG: Parental Guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

___

Follow Jocelyn Noveck at http://www.Twitter.com/JocelynNoveckAP
Two Rhode Island sisters who vanished with their mother in 1985 have been located in Texas  and their mother has been accused of abducting them amid a bitter custody battle with her husband, PEOPLE confirms.

According to a statement from the Rhode Island State Police obtained by PEOPLE, a tip received two days before Christmas led them to Elaine Yates, who was living in Houston, Texas, allegedly using the alias Leina Waldberg.

When she was arrested, Yates confirmed her true identity, according to the statement, which adds authorities researched social media accounts to confirm Waldberg is Yates.

Yates faces child snatching and fugitive from justice charges, according to the statement. Officials tell PEOPLE her daughters, Kelly and Kimberly Yates, now in their 30s, were also living in Houston under different names, with families of their own.

Police will not release siblings new names, the statement says.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

The sisters father, Russell Yates, could not be reached for comment.

He told The Providence Journal in 1988 that his wife learned hed been unfaithful. He also admitted to the outlet that he punched her while they argued.

Kelly and Kimberly were reported missing on Aug. 26, 1985. An arrest warrant was issued three years later for Elaine Yates.

Kimberly and Kelly were 3-years-old and 10 months, respectively, at the time of their disappearance. Elaine Yates allegedly left the couples home with her daughters following a verbal argument.

 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.

Yates was arraigned in Houston, and waived extradition to Rhode Island. She is currently being transported back to the state where shell be formal arraigned on Wednesday.

It was unclear if she has retained an attorney.




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What do you do if a president-elect asks you to lead a government agency that you famously wanted to abolish?

Well, if you're former Texas governor Rick Perry, you immediately fess up and apologize to the senate at the start of your confirmation hearing.

SEE ALSO: Rick Perry vowed to scrap the Energy Department. Now he may lead it.

On Thursday, Perry told the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources that  surprise!  he no longer wants to abolish the Energy Department, which is tasked with overseeing the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile and promoting energy research, among other duties.

"I have learned a great deal about the important work being done every day by the outstanding men and women of the Department of Energy," Perry said.

"My past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking," he said.

"In fact, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination."

As Energy secretary, Perry would be one of the leading figures responsible for monitoring Irans compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement, and would also play a key role in directing any Trump administration effort to revamp U.S. nuclear weapons programs.

Perry marks a sharp shift for the Energy Department, which is an agency that deals with specialized scientific applications, including supercomputers that help project climate change scenarios and programs that aim to assure the safety and effectiveness of nuclear weapons.

Perry's predecessors at the agency, Secretary Ernest Moniz and former secretary Steven Chu, were both well-known physicists. Chu, in fact, had a Nobel Prize in the subject.

Perry, on the other hand, has a degree in animal sciences from Texas A&M University, and reportedly got a "D" in a course called "Meat."
Texas Gov. Rick Perry was excited to run the Energy Department he once wanted to close. And now that hes learned what the agency actually does (hint: Not produce energy), hes even sorry he campaigned for president on a pledge to eliminate it.

In his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday, Perry enjoyed a civil reception  in stark contrast to some of President-elect Donald Trumps cabinet picks  and some sheepish moments. Like other nominees, he offered plenty of daylight between his own views and Trumps more outlandish statements, raising the specter of potential clashes between the White House and the Energy Department down the road.

He appeared to support the Iran deal he once lambasted, acknowledged the threat of climate change, and, of course, apologized for once calling to wipe the energy department off the map.

Here are some highlights from his nearly four-hour hearing, seemingly half of which consisted of senators inviting Secretary Perry to visit their home-state labs and energy projects.

He no longer wants to abolish the Department of Energy. Hey, its a start. In 2011, during a failed presidential bid, Perry advocated getting rid of the department entirely  and even forgot the departments name in a cringeworthy presidential debate moment.

Thats the Rick Perry of the past, though, he wants us to know. My past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking, he said. In fact, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination.

He believes in climate change. Perry appeared to rebut Trumps vocal skepticism of climate change. I believe the climate is changing. I believe some of it is naturally occurring, but some of it is caused by man-made activity, Perry said. The question is how we address it in a thoughtful way, that doesnt compromise economic growth, that affects the affordability of energy, or American jobs.

Story continues

Perry, like Trumps interior secretary pick Rep. Ryan Zinke (R.-Mont.) and secretary of state pick Rex Tillerson, acknowledged climate change as a real issue but didnt elaborate on what action the administration should take to combat it. Only Scott Pruitt, Trumps pick to run the EPA, seemed to echo his bosss extreme views on climate change during his confirmation hearing.

He vowed to protect the scientists who research climate. Trump stoked fears in the Department of Energy when in December his transition team requested the names of specific employees involved in climate change talks. Perry sharply rebuked the move, which Trumps team later said was unauthorized. I didnt approve it, I dont approve of it, I dont need that information, I dont want that information, Perry said. Im going to protect the men and women of the scientific community from anyone who would attack them, he added.

He no longer appears to think the Iran nuclear deal is destructive. While running for president in 2015, Perry called the Iran deal  one that outgoing Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz helped create  one of the most destructive foreign policy deals [his] lifetime. Trump promised to tear the deal up once in office. But before the committee, Perry softened his tone. He refused to give a full opinion until he received classified briefings on the deal, but said we want the Iranians to live up to the deal.

Hes a proponent of nuclear nonproliferation  unlike (maybe?) Trump. I think nonproliferation is a good thing in a general sense, he said during a line of questioning on the Iran deal. That is a departure from Trumps cavalier comments on nuclear proliferation, including encouraging nuclear proliferation in Asia and a call in December to start an arms race. But Trump veered from that stance himself in recent weeks, particularly when it came to his newfound friends in Russia.

He says he is pushing to keep top nuclear security positions filled. Earlier this month, reports emerged that that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) could go leaderless under Trump. Perry told a deeply concerned Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) he was pushing the issue across Trumps desk.

Its an important issue to Heinrich and others; The NNSA, an arm of the energy department, oversees the countrys nuclear weapon stockpile and eats up roughly half of the departments annual $32 billion budget. Despite the high stakes issue and vagueness of Perrys answer, Heinrich, at least, appeared mollified by the exchange.

One moment in the civil hearing got a little too friendly. Sen. Al Franken (D- Minn.) asked if Perry enjoyed meeting him in his office before the hearing.

I hope you are as much fun on that dais as you were on your couch, Perry replied, chuckling.

After a moment of awkward silence settled over the committee room, a look of horrified realization dawned on Perrys face.

May, may I rephrase that sir? he asked sheepishly.

Please. Please, Franken said. Oh my lord.

Photo credit: Pete Marovich/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Council on American-Islamic Relations said Wednesday it had filed a series of complaints with federal agencies, protesting what it described as the systematic questioning of Muslim-Americans about their religious and political views.

CAIR, the largest U.S. Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said it filed complaints with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department over reports of systematic questioning of American-Muslim citizens by [border agents] about their religious and political views.

The complaints were filed by CAIR chapters in Florida, California and New York, outlining increased scrutiny of social media accounts and the contents of mobile phones belonging to Muslim-Americans, as well as interrogations about constitutionally protected beliefs.

CAIR said the questions included:

Are you a devout Muslim?

Are you Sunni or Shiite?

What school of thought do you follow?

Which Muslim scholars do you follow?

What current Muslim scholars do you listen to?

Do you pray five times a day?

Why do you have a prayer mat in your luggage?

Why do you have a Quran in your luggage?

What mosque do you attend?

Have you ever delivered the Friday Prayer? What did you discuss with your community?

Muslim extremists staged terror attacks in Florida (the Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando June 12 that left 49 dead), California (the San Bernardino Christmas lunch attack Dec. 2, 2015, that left 14 people dead) and New York (the garbage can explosion in the Chelsea neighborhood Sept. 17 that left 29 injured).

Anti-Muslim sentiment has been growing in the United States with 257 hate-crimes reported in 2015, compared with 154 the previous year. Donald Trumps presidential campaign fed the anti-Muslim sentiment, with his proposals to ban Muslims from entering the United States and to establish a registry for Muslims, along with calls for increased scrutiny of mosques.

Anti-Muslim fears have led to people getting kicked off planes simply for speaking Arabic, the most recent involving YouTube vlogger Adam Saleh, 23, last month.

Story continues

Guys, we spoke a different language on the plane and now were getting kicked out, a visibly upset Saleh tweeted as he videoed getting kicked off the plane. This is 2016. 2016. Look, Delta Air Lines are kicking us out because we spoke a different language. You guys are racist. I cannot believe my eyes.

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Joe Biden is leaving office, and with him go the Biden memes.

The internet, predictably, is already mourning. Even President Obama acknowledged the end of an era as he presented Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom last week. "This ... gives the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance," he said. (It took that chance, heartily.)

SEE ALSO: #TBT: Young Joe Biden was a dapper man indeed

From now till 2020, can we keep Joe Biden memes alive to make me not cry?  Nadia Aboulhosn (@nadiaaboulhosn) January 14, 2017

It's not difficult to guess why the internet will take this loss so hard. First, and perhaps most depressingly, there's no clear replacement: policy aside, it's nearly impossible to imagine vice president-elect Mike Pence eating ice cream, laughing or enjoying anything.

Therein lies Biden's appeal as a public figure: he is a serious, veteran leader who also enjoys life. Eats a sh*t-ton of ice cream. Does not eat that ice cream delicately.

And that means he's highly meme-able.

Biden became perfect foil for President Obama, a man so poised he often seems unflappable. Meme Biden was weird Uncle Joe, the prankster  the perfect goofball "brother" to Obama's straight man.

Better yet, the two really seemed to care for each other: a united front who were also united friends.

Obama: Wave to the people, Joe.



Biden: LET'S BE A TWO HEADED WAVING PRESIDENT



Obama: No, Joe. Let go of me.



Biden: pic.twitter.com/zf7ZHkB3my  Reverend Scott (@Reverend_Scott) December 11, 2014

Happy 55th, Barack! A brother to me, a best friend forever. pic.twitter.com/uNsxouTKOO  Vice President Biden (@VP) August 4, 2016

After Trump's victory, Meme Biden's role became more pointed. He assumed the role of the internet's slightly petty ally, plotting elaborate pranks and schemes not for any real reason  just to push the president-elect's buttons.

Story continues

To progressives feeling crushed and helpless in the wake of the election, Meme Biden's antics became a reason to finally laugh a little, a silver lining where none could really ever exist.

Biden: I'm not giving them the wifi password



Obama: Joe...



Biden: I said what I said pic.twitter.com/l17SaIeQke  uncle jesse (@pieceofjay) November 11, 2016

Biden: Ok here's the plan: have you seen Home Alone

Obama: Joe, no

Biden: Just one booby trap

Obama: Joe pic.twitter.com/IDTc2L1sKF  Dean E. S. Richard (@deanfortythree) November 11, 2016

biden: cmon you gotta print a fake birth certificate, put it in an envelope labeled "SECRET" and leave it in the oval office desk

obama: joe pic.twitter.com/UTtv1JkE5o  jomny sun (@jonnysun) November 11, 2016

Joe: I hid all the pens from Trump

Obama: Why?

Joe: Because he bringing his own.

Obama: ???

Joe: HE'S BRINGING HIS OWN PENCE pic.twitter.com/uni3WUd4X3  The Hashtagonist (@TheHashtag0nist) November 12, 2016

Biden: What if we paint the Mexican flag in the office

Obama: Joe, no

Biden: I already ordered the paint

Obama: Joe pic.twitter.com/mCCh6OPQRk  dan #1 oikawa stan (@kusoaikon) November 11, 2016

Of course, there's also The Onion's Biden: a muscle car-loving, Icehouse-swilling nostalgia hound who hitch-hiked to the DNC and spent his last day in the White House searching for his missing pet snake. But even "Diamond Joe" is strangely earnest.

"Gotta get her looking good so I can impress the chicks when I'm cruising down Pennsylvania [Avenue]," he says of his hypothetical Trans-Am.

The President Of Vice: The Onion Looks Back At Two Terms With Diamond Joe Biden https://t.co/Js2SjTkGva pic.twitter.com/WOHVgf7M4a  The Onion (@TheOnion) January 18, 2017

In fact, there's a unmistakable sincerity in most Biden memes, an emotional transparency that dovetails with Biden's warm public personality. That warmth isn't just limited to pranks and finger guns, either: Biden, one of the most powerful people in the world, can't help but express himself. He has no poker face  he hasn't thought that far.

biden: i am one with the force, the force is with me



obama: what?



biden: nothing pic.twitter.com/xAlcWBPM4M  Colin Jones (@colinjones) January 14, 2017

And as a big Jumbotron pops up in front of the Lincoln Memorial, that sincerity  that trademark Biden joy  is something the internet wants, just before the Trump era kicks in, to celebrate.

Image: Chip Somodeville/Getty Images

So long, VP Biden. And thanks for all the memes.

BONUS: Watch Joe Biden get snubbed by a baby
London (AFP) - British engines manufacturer Rolls-Royce will pay A671 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 A497.3 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 A13 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.
The IIHS has revealed its list of what it considers to be the safest new cars availablethose that qualify for its coveted Top Safety Pick+ award.

For 2017, making the cut has become even more difficult since cars now need to meet the insurance-funded independent agency's headlight effectiveness test in addition to delivering strong crash test performance and offering a highly-rated automatic emergency braking system.

DON'T MISS: How to be sure your new car really is a Top Safety Pick+

Now, cars need to earn at least the agency's "good" or "acceptable" ratings for their headlights and either "advanced" or "superior" for their available automatic emergency braking, plus "good" ratings in the following crash tests:

Small overlap front

Moderate overlap front

Side impact

Roof strength

Head restraint

If a vehicle receives all those marks, it's considered a Top Safety Pick+. It can be awarded the standard Top Safety Pick title if its headlights don't pass muster or if it doesn't offer a strong-performing automatic emergency braking. One caveat to this award is that, to be considered a Top Safety Pick+, the individual model must both be equipped with often optional automatic emergency braking and with the highest-performing headlights available.

MORE: Pickups come under fire for poor headlights

For instance, the Honda Accord is considered a Top Safety Pick+ only if it is equipped with the automaker's optional Honda Sensing safety suite (which includes automatic emergency braking) and if it has the standard halogen headlamps that earn an "acceptable" score on the IIHS' test. An Accord with either the LED lights or not optioned up with Honda Sensing is not considered a Top Safety Pick+.

The lesson here? Just because a car appears on the list below doesn't automatically mean it comes standard with all of the available safety features needed to earn the top award.

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2017 Audi A4 in IIHS crash testing

Look for this list to continue to grow as the IIHS tests more 2017 models and keep in mind that the IIHS doesn't test every car on the market.

2017 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Award Winners

Acura MDX

Acura RDX

Audi A3

Audi A4

Audi Q5

BMW 2-Series

BMW 3-Series

BMW 5-Series

Buick Envision

Chevrolet Volt

Chrysler Pacifica (built after August 2016)

Genesis G80

Genesis G90

Honda Accord Sedan

Honda CR-V

Honda Pilot

Honda Ridgeline

Hyundai Elantra Sedan (built after March 2016)

Hyundai Santa Fe (built after March 2016)

Lexus NX

Lexus RX

Lexus ES

Mazda 3

Mazda 6

Mazda CX-3

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Mitsubishi Outlander

Nissan Altima

Nissan Maxima

Nissan Rogue

Subaru Forester (built after October 2016)

Subaru Legacy

Subaru Outback

Toyota Camry

Toyota Corolla

Toyota Highlander

Toyota Prius (built after August 2016)

Toyota Prius v

Toyota RAV4

Volkswagen Jetta

Volvo S60

Volvo V60

Volvo XC60

ALSO SEE: Bad app-titude: The problem with infotainment is our expectation

And here's a look at models that earned the standard Top Safety Pick award, the standard is lower for the cars' headlamps and their collision avoidance techbut the IIHS points out that their basic safety structures are still top notch. All told, any car to be awarded either the Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award is among the safest on the market. Here at The Car Connection, we factor both awards into our ratings system. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

2017 IIHS Top Safety Pick Award Winners
By Tsvetelia Tsolova SOFIA (Reuters) - Former air force commander Rumen Radev was sworn in as Bulgaria's new president on Thursday and said he would dissolve the parliament in a week's time following the collapse of the centre-right government. Radev, a political newcomer who ran as an independent with the backing of the opposition Socialists, takes up his largely ceremonial post on Sunday after pledging to maintain Bulgaria's position as a member of the European Union and NATO while also improving historically important ties with Russia. Radev's decisive victory in November's presidential race prompted the government of Boiko Borisov to resign, raising the prospect of prolonged political uncertainty in the Balkan nation and making an early parliamentary election virtually inevitable. "You have one more week (until dissolution)," Radev told lawmakers, meaning that under Bulgaria's constitutional rules the parliamentary election is likely to take place on March 26. Political analysts say the parliamentary election, Bulgaria's third since 2013, is again unlikely to produce a strong majority government able to implement the judicial, economic and other reforms they say the country needs. DIALOGUE WITH RUSSIA Radev won the presidency on the back of voters' frustration with a corrupt political elite and concerns over the EU's migrant crisis, which is lapping at Bulgaria's southeastern border with Turkey. Radev said membership of the EU and NATO was a strategic choice for Bulgaria that should not be questioned but said he hoped a dialogue between the West and Russia would be restored after Donald Trump takes over as U.S. president. "Bulgaria's foreign policy should be open to the world and win friends and partners, not enemies," said Radev, who trained as a pilot in the United States and speaks fluent English as well as Russian and German. His stance on Russia contrasts with that of outgoing President Rosen Plevneliev, who was one of 17 east European leaders to sign a letter to Trump urging him not to ease sanctions on Moscow over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea. Radev backs the lifting of the sanctions but did not mention them or Crimea on Thursday. Bulgaria, a Black Sea nation of 7.2 million people, joined the EU in 2007 but still depends almost entirely on Russia for its energy supplies and military kit, while Russian tourists are an important source of revenue. Radev also called on Thursday for tougher border controls to curb migrant inflows and an overhaul of the graft-prone judiciary. While the prime minister and government hold most power in Bulgaria, the president can shape public opinion, appoints ambassadors and can veto legislation once. (Editing by Gareth Jones)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Russian Orthodox believers took a plunge into sub-zero waters across Europe on Thursday to wash off their sins as part of Epiphany feast day celebrations. The annual Jan. 19 commemoration of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River saw more than 150,000 people dip into several ice holes across Moscow, Tass news agency said. Temperatures were around minus nine degrees Celsius (16F) in the Russian capital, and one child screamed as he hit the frigid water while other people reached hurriedly for towels after braving the pools. "I advise everybody to do this. This is cool, feels like you are reborn," Moscow resident Elena said after her plunge. Similar icy dips took place around the country and in Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus, while swimmers in Serbia and Bosnia marked the feast day by taking part in races in freezing waters. (Writing by Patrick Johnston; editing by Mark Heinrich)
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Trump may have historically low approval ratings in his own country, but over in Russia, he's got a wildly enthusiastic fan base.

Art-Grani, a Russian metal-working company, decided to celebrate the incoming president by minting commemorative silver and gold coins featuring his visage. What better way to tell someone you love them than by making a coin of them/hacking their election?

SEE ALSO: Can we please stop branding compassion as 'liberal elitism?'

Of course, those coins will retail for $10,000 per coin, because this is Trump we're talking about. The people won't be able to buy it, but his cabinet sure will.

"We see our mission as immortalizing in metal the bright events of history and modernity, not only in our country but of the whole world," the company's sales manager told CNN.

One side of the coin features Trump, while the other includes the Statue of Liberty and the phrase "In Trump we trust."

Yes, you read that right: the word "God" has been replaced by "Trump," which is obviously nothing but a good sign for American democracy.

The company will produce 45 coins, 25 of them silver, 5 gold and 15 silver and gold.

Art-Grani previously minted a Putin coin after Russia annexed Crimea.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

BONUS: NBD, just a massive alligator out for a stroll
(Adds quotes) By Julien Pretot LES SABLES D'OLONNE, France, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Armel Le Cleac'h saw off a late challenge by Britain's Alex Thomson to maintain France's domination of the solo round-the-world Vendee Globe sailing race on Thursday. After finishing second in 2009 and 2013, Le Cleac'h, aboard his 60-foot yacht Banque Populaire, won in a record time of 74 days, three hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds to become the eighth Frenchman to win the gruelling race. "I never gave up, I wanted it so bad. It was really hard going up the Atlantic (to the finish) as I had terrible weather conditions," said Le Cleac'h as he waited for the high tide to allow him to navigate the channel and reach dry land. "I started to contemplate victory only last night," said a tearful Le Cleac'h, who lost the race by just over three hours in 2013. The 39-year-old, whose finish was eagerly awaited by thousands of fans in freezing temperatures in Les Sables d'Olonne on the Atlantic Ocean, saw Thomson cut an 800-mile deficit at Cape Horn down to less than 40 miles. Thomson, who led aboard Hugo Boss until the starboard foil on his high-tech yacht was damaged about eight weeks ago, is set to take second place in the early hours of Friday. The Briton, who is some 100 miles behind, threatened a late comeback this week, breaking the world record for the distance sailed solo in 24 hours when he covered 536.8 nautical miles. Le Cleac'h, however, extended his lead on Wednesday to beat the fastest mark set by previous winner Francois Gabart in 2013 by almost four days. "Sailing culture makes the difference here. The best boats are made in South Brittany," sailor Sebastien Picault, who worked on Banque Populaire's foil, told Reuters. "Hugo Boss is a fine boat with huge bursts of speed, but it struggles in upwind conditions while Banque Populaire is a better all-rounder." Of the 29 sailors at the start of the non-stop race at Sable d'Olonne on Nov. 6, 11 have already called it quits. The last sailor, Sebastien Destremau, aboard TechnoFirst-FaceOcean, still has to go through the feared Cape Horn and lies almost 10,000 miles behind Le Cleac'h. (Editing by Pritha Sarkar and Alexander Smith)
WASHINGTON (AP)  Nearly three years after a Malaysian airliner vanished, it's still possible, if unlikely, for a plane to disappear. But that's changing with new satellites that will soon allow flights to be tracked in real time over oceans.

New international safety standards also begin to kick-in beginning next year, although the deadline for airlines to meet most of the standards is still four years away. Even then, it could be decades before the changes permeate the entire global airline fleet because some of the requirements apply only to newly manufactured planes.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished from radar on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board. An exhaustive search of a remote corner of the southern Indian Ocean has failed to turn up the aircraft's remains, and search efforts were called off this week.

"If the exact same thing happened today, I think we'd have the same result," said William Waldock, a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, and former accident investigator.

"There has been change, but we haven't put anything physical into practice yet," he said.

But Atholl Buchan, director of flight operations at the International Air Transport Association, which represents most international carriers, said a repeat of MH370 is "highly unlikely" since many airlines have already increased their efforts to keep tabs on planes over open ocean where they are beyond the reach of land-based radar.

"In a few years, new systems and technology, if adopted universally by (air traffic control providers), will allow for global surveillance coverage," he said.

Among the changes in the works:

The International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency, approved a series of new global safety standards last year in response to MH370, including a requirement that airline pilots flying over ocean out of the range of radar report their position by radio every 15 minutes. Previously, they were required to report every 30 minutes. The new requirement kicks in next year, but many airlines have already switched.

Story continues

Another new standard requires new planes beginning in 2021 to be able to transmit automatic, minute-by-minute reports on their location if they're in distress. At normal flight speeds, minute-by-minute reports would provide authorities with a search area of a little over 100 square miles. If reports are less frequent, the search area grows much larger.

However, the requirement doesn't apply to existing planes. Since airliners often have a lifespan of 20 years or more, it could take decades before all airliners meet the new requirement.

Satellite flight tracking services may solve much of the problem sooner. This week, Aireon, a satellite joint venture, launched the first 10 satellites in what is planned to be a 66-satellite constellation that can track airliners equipped with the latest satellite surveillance technology, known as ADS-B.

Aireon expects to have all its satellites launched by the first quarter of next year, providing 100 percent coverage of the globe. It will receive signals every one to eight seconds from all equipped planes, regardless of whether the airline subscribes to the service. Not all planes have ADS-B, but Aireon vice president of aviation services, Cyriel Kronenburg, estimated that 90 percent of planes on long-haul routes over the ocean are already equipped.

However, the technology works only if ADS-B is turned on. In the case of MH370, the plane's surveillance technology was inexplicably shut off.

Aircraft "black box" flight data recorders must be equipped with locator beacons that last at least 90 days beginning next year under another standard. The beacon on MH370's black box was required to last only 30 days.

But the beacons are only helpful if searchers already know where to look. Because currents and water temperatures can weaken the signals, searchers usually have to be pretty close to pick them up.

ICAO approved a requirement that new aircraft designs certified after Jan. 1, 2021, have some means for retrieving a plane's flight data recorder, or the information contained in it, before the recorder sinks to the ocean floor. One possibility is a deployable recorder that automatically ejects from a plane upon impact and floats to the surface. But the cost of retrofitting older planes could be prohibitive, and there is a risk that recorder could deploy accidentally.

An alternative is to have planes automatically relay the data via satellite to ground stations, eliminating the need to search for the box. But there are many unanswered questions about security and custody of the information.

___

Follow Joan Lowy at http://twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/joan-lowy
Conducting science experiment s is no easy task. It takes dedication and hard work.

Succeeding as a science major in college requires similar qualities. Science majors must spend many hours studying to one day contribute to fields that can better humanity and our world.

The following organizations recognize this and offer scholarships to reward science majors' hard work by helping pay for college.

The Society of Exploration Geophysicists offers SEG Foundation Scholarships to students with a passion for physics and related areas of study. These merit-based awards range from $500 to $14,000 and are open to high school seniors planning to attend college in the fall as well as undergraduate and graduate students with above-average grades.

[Find more scholarships to feed a curiosity in STEM subjects.]

All applicants should be intending to pursue a career in geophysics or a related field, including geosciences, physics, geology or earth and environmental sciences. Non-U.S. citizens are also eligible for these scholarships. Applications are accepted online between Oct. 1 and March 1.

The American Association of Physics Teachers offers Barbara Lotze Scholarships for Future Teachers to physics majors who plan to teach the subject at the high school level following college graduation. Applicants must be undergraduates enrolled at or high school seniors accepted to an accredited two- or four-year college or university.

They must also be U.S. citizens and hold a minimum 3.0 GPA. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

[Find a STEM scholarship for each type of college student.]

Shell Oil Company offers up to 20 one-year Shell Oil Company Technical Scholarships. These $2,500 awards are open to high school seniors who will enroll full time in geoscience or engineering programs at one of 20 participating universities. Following successful completion of their freshman year, recipients can apply for a four-year renewable scholarship of $5,000 annually.

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T he Society of Plastics Engineers offers a variety of scholarships to full-time undergraduates who have an expressed or demonstrated interest in the plastics industry. Requirements for each scholarship vary, but in general, applicants must be taking classes or majoring in subjects that would benefit a career in the plastics industry. Some eligible majors include physics; plastics engineering; polymer science; chemistry; and chemical, industrial or mechanical engineering.

[Find out about STEM scholarships for aspiring scientists.]

Applicants must also be in good standing with their individual institutions. They can apply for more than one scholarship as long as they meet the eligibility requirements. Applications are due by April 1.

Each SPE scholarship is renewable, as long as recipients continue to meet the requirements. Undergraduates, Master's candidates and doctorate students may apply.

The Heinlein Society offers three $1,000 Heinlein Society Scholarships to students majoring in engineering, math or physical sciences, including science fiction as literature for two of the scholarships. One scholarship -- the Virginia Heinlein Memorial Scholarship -- is specifically for female applicants. Undergraduate students enrolled full time at accredited four-year colleges that give bachelor's of science or arts degrees are eligible.

To apply, students must submit the application, a biography and statement of career goals, and an essay up to 1,000 words on one of several topics. The society's website lists the essay topics.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County, in Sarasota, Florida, offers a number of scholarships, including the Saul H. and JoAnne Coplan Scholarship, which is for African-American high school seniors planning to major in the physical sciences. Applicants must be graduating from Sarasota County high schools, and eligible college majors include biology, chemistry, physics, technology and astronomy.

Students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and meet the financial requirements for free and reduced lunch. They must also submit a letter of reference from their junior or senior science or technology teacher as well as provide a list of science competitions or projects they have completed.
President-elect Donald Trumps Cabinet is set to be the first since Ronald Reagans not to have a Latino or Hispanic member.

Despite outcry for a more diverse administration, the real estate moguls proposed Cabinet secretaries are mostly white men, who are set to be joined by two white women, one Asian-American woman and one black man. There are zero Democrats.

The Latino community overwhelmingly sided with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. Many were concerned by Trumps pledges to deport 11 million immigrants who entered the country illegally, as well as his pledge to build a massive wall on the border between Mexico and the U.S., among other issues.

Hopes that Trump might select a Latino person for a Cabinet-level position were all but dashed Wednesday night amid reports that he had tapped former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue for agriculture secretary. The Trump team officially announced the Perdue pick Thursday morning, rounding out his proposed Cabinet just one day before being sworn in to the Oval Office.

On Thursday morning, Trumps incoming press secretary, Sean Spicer, was asked to address the fact that the Cabinet list is the first since 1988 not to feature any Hispanic people and whether this undermines Trumps stated desire to represent all Americans.

I think when you look at the totality of his administration, the people that hes talked to, the people that hes met with, the people that hes appointing, you see a president thats committed to uniting this country, whos bringing the best and the brightest together, Spicer said at the Trump transition teams offices in Washington, D.C.

Incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer gave a brief preview of President-elect Donald Trumps inaugural address, and also talked about priorities for the first days of the Trump administration. (Photo: AP)

Spicer then reminded listeners that Trump chose Elaine Chao (who is Asian-American) for transportation secretary, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson (who is African-American) for housing secretary and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (who is Indian-American) for U.N. ambassador, which is a Cabinet-level position.

Story continues

Look at the Cabinet. Elaine Chao, Dr. Ben Carson, he said, motioning to the former presidential candidate, who was in the room. Gov. Nikki Haley, the first Indian-American The number one thing that Americans should focus on is, is he hiring the best and the brightest? Is he hiring people who are committed to enacting real change?

Spicer said that diversity is not just about skin color or ethnic heritage but also about gender, thinking and ideology. He said the totality of the diversity in Trumps Cabinet is second to none.

Its about a lot of things, and I think you can pick out one group and say, Where is the percentage of that? he said.

Later in the press conference, a reporter pressed Spicer on Trumps statement that he was looking for the best and the brightest for his Cabinet. This implies, the reporter suggested, that out of the 56 million Hispanic people in the U.S., no one was bright enough for the position. Spicer rejected this claim outright.

Thats not what I said. He has tremendous respect, he replied. And again, I think you have to look at the totality of diversity which exists within this Cabinet. There are so many ways in which to express this. Both in terms of gender and background, race, ideology. He continues to put together an amazingly diverse Cabinet.

In contrast, more than half of Obamas outgoing Cabinet members are not white men: Attorney General Loretta Lynch (an African-American woman), Interior Secretary Sally Jewell (a white woman), Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker (a white woman), Labor Secretary Thomas Perez (a Dominican-American man), Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell (a white woman), Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro (a Mexican-American man), Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx (an African-American man), Education Secretary John King (an African-American man) and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson (an African-American man).

According to Spicer, by the time Trump fills all the roughly 5,000 positions in his administration, people will respect the level of diversity and a tremendous number of Hispanic Americans will fill those posts.

I caution people to stay tuned. A lot of great things are coming, he said.

The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA) condemned Trump throughout the presidential campaign for using racist, anti-immigrant, anti-Latino rhetoric, which it said has real-life consequences.

Hector Sanchez, the chair of the NHLA, said that Trump had the most hostile platform toward immigrants of any successful presidential candidate in more than five decades.

Former Governor Perdues nomination as secretary of agriculture means Mr. Trumps Cabinet picks include no Latinos. This development is not a surprise and only further underscores the pattern we witnessed during his campaign, Sanchez told Yahoo News in a statement.

NHLA has long maintained that our democracy works best when we have a government that is representative of the diverse voices of every community. Mr. Trumps Cabinet nominees lack such diversity. NHLA will continue its advocacy for the inclusion of Latinos in government who are committed to advancing our communitys shared Latino policy priorities.

Late last month, there was speculation that Trump wanted to find a Latino person for the position of agriculture secretary to quell the mounting criticism that his Cabinet was not diverse enough. To discuss the position, he met with former Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety Elsa Murano (who is Cuban-American) and former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado (who is Mexican-American).

Perdue, 70, served two terms as governor (from 2003 to 2011). He was Georgias first Republican governor since the Reconstruction era. He served in the Air Force in the early 1970s before becoming a veterinarian, launching an agriculture business and entering politics.

The agriculture secretary oversees the federal department responsible for regulating the farming industry, ensuring food quality and administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (previously called the Food Stamp Program).

Read more from Yahoo News:
Thousands of police officers whove arrived from around the country are getting their assignments from D.C. police. Dump trucks and buses are being readied as makeshift barriers. Roads around the Capitol are slowly being closed off.

Law enforcement officials in the nations capital are finishing final preparations for an estimated 1 million people expected in Washington, D.C. this weekend for the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump and a series of planned anti-Trump marches and protests around the nations capital.

Officials are expecting 700,000 to 900,000 people at Trumps inauguration on Friday, along with 99 groups on Friday and Saturday that plan to either protest or gather in support of the incoming president, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said earlier this week. The sheer number of gatherings presents a unique challenge for law enforcement officials tasked with keeping this years inaugural events safe, especially in light of terrorist attacks in Europe over the past year involving trucks used as weapons.

Weve got to be vigilant, weve got to plan, weve got to prepare, Johnson said.

Read more: Here is a Complete Schedule of All the Donald Trump Inauguration Events

Roughly 28,000 law enforcement officers will be on hand for the inauguration and the Womens March on Washington planned for Saturday. The events organizers have said publicly they expect 200,000 marchers, but a Washington, D.C., homeland security official told the New York Times that authorities are planning for 400,000 to 500,000.

For some departments, planning has been underway for months. Peter Newsham, the interim chief of Washington, D.C.s Metropolitan Police Department, says his agency began preparing more than a year ago and started coordinating several months ago with federal departments that have their own jurisdictions throughout the city on Inauguration Day.

Story continues

Security officials have begun preparing large trucks and buses to form a security barrier around the inaugural events. Theyre a possible preventive measure against an attack by someone driving a vehicle, similar to one last year in Berlin. Nearby hospitals, meanwhile, have been notified in the event of possible injuries related to the inauguration, according to the Times.

On Thursday, 3,000 police officers from around the country met in D.C. to discuss logistics for keeping this years route secure. Those officerswho will be wearing their own local uniformswill be under the command of D.C. police, while personnel from a number of other agenciesincluding the National Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administrationwill make up the rest of the 28,000 officials on hand.

The overall security plan for President Obama and President-elect Trump is controlled by the U.S. Secret Service, while the Capitols grounds where the inauguration and swearing-in ceremonies are held are policed by U.S. Capitol Police. The sidewalks and parks surrounding the parade route along Pennsylvania Avenue will be patrolled by U.S. Park Police, while the street itself will be under the jurisdiction of the D.C. police. Security costs are estimated to reach $100 million.

Read more: Here Are the Democrats Boycotting Donald Trumps Inauguration

Officials expect about half as many people this year compared to President Obamas inauguration in 2009, which drew an estimated 1.8 million. The main challenge this year will be securing the nations capital for two straight days as hundreds of thousands of protesters descend on Washington to protest the new president in what could be the largest inaugural protests since the 1970s and the Vietnam War era.

The challenge about having a large-scale demonstration back-to-back with the inauguration is that officers will have longer working days, Newsham says. But police officers are used to that kind of thing.

At this weeks news conference, Homeland Security Secretary Johnson said that officials know of no specific credible threat directed toward the inauguration but added that officials have got to be vigilant, citing potential individual acts of violent extremism.

Newsham said he also knows of no credible threats to the events, adding that organizers of Saturdays womens march have affirmatively said they want it to be a large peaceful event. Were hopeful that will be the case.
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate is due to vote on Friday on two retired Marine generals who are President-elect Donald Trump's choices as secretary of defense and secretary of homeland security, but Democrats promised fights over several other nominees. Both retired General James Mattis, Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, and retired General John Kelly, his choice for the Department of Homeland Security, are expected to be confirmed easily. The Senate will begin debate on a third prospective member of Trump's national security team, U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo, his choice for director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer said on Thursday. Schumer did not guarantee a vote on Pompeo on Friday. "There are a good number of members" who want to make statements about Pompeo or ask him questions, Schumer told a news conference. Republicans had hoped to confirm as many as seven of Trump's nominees on Friday, the day he becomes president. However, Democrats balked at what they described as efforts by Republicans, who hold a 52-seat majority in the 100-member Senate, to jam through nominees before they had filed all their financial and ethics paperwork. There have been 15 hearings for Trump nominees in the past two weeks. Republicans accuse Democrats of playing politics, using stalling tactics and overstating ethics concerns about some of Trump's selections. Schumer called for an investigation of the healthcare stock investments of Representative Tom Price, the nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Price has denied any inappropriate actions. Schumer said the Senate might also confirm a few of Trump's other "noncontroversial" nominees quickly, but declined to name any. "Over the last few weeks, Republicans have made a mockery of the confirmation process," Schumer said. Most of Trump's nominees will eventually be confirmed. Under a rules change orchestrated by Democrats when they held a Senate majority, his selections need just 50 votes to pass the Senate, not the 60 that used to be required for a nomination to advance in the chamber. Seven members of President Barack Obama's Cabinet were confirmed the day he took office, a number Republicans hoped to match for Trump. Schumer said the Obama nominees had completed their paperwork and ethics reviews while all of Trump's choices had not. Underscoring the bitterness over the confirmation process, Schumer also said Democrats wanted roll call votes on Mattis and Kelly, rather than allowing their confirmation by voice vote. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; editing by Grant McCool and Jonathan Oatis)
PRISTINA (Reuters) - A court in Kosovo sentenced seven men to jail for fighting for Islamic State and recruiting on behalf of the militant group, the court said on Thursday. The men, all Kosovo citizens, were sentenced to between 2-1/2 and 4-1/2 years in jail, the court in Pristina said in a statement. Police say around 300 Kosovars have joined Islamic State and more than 50 have been killed. More than 200 people in Kosovo have been arrested, jailed or are under investigation for recruiting on behalf of Islamic State or fighting in Syria and Iraq. More than 90 percent of Kosovars are Muslim, but they are mostly secular and pro-American. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Empty seats. President-elect Donald Trump will enter the White House Friday with most national security positions still vacant, after a disorganized transition that has stunned and disheartened career government officials.

Ive never seen anything like this, one career government official told FPs Dan De Luce and John Hudson. The FP duo report that the positions still to be filled include senior management and policy posts that oversee diplomacy, military budgets, nuclear weapons, counterterrorism, and media relations, said Obama administration officials, congressional staffers and people familiar with the transition. The open seats at the Pentagon in particular stem from disagreements between incoming Defense Secretary James Mattis  confirmed by the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday but awaiting the full Senate vote  and the team being led by Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner at Trump Tower, who disagree on who to install.

Without his team in place, the new president will likely be unprepared should an early-term crisis erupt abroad, or an adversary test the new administrations mettle, said former officials who served in both Republican and Democratic administrations.

From the top. One outgoing Pentagon official who shares those concerns, Frank Kendall  the Pentagons top weapons buyer  said Wednesday hes worried about the team coming into the building. What scares me, he said at a think tank event Thursday, is that well bring in outsiders who have no idea how this place  how the Pentagon works. They will have no idea how the defense industry works.

ISIS war plans ready. Trump spent months on the campaign trail claiming to know more about fighting terrorism than U.S. generals do, but Gen. Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a small group of reporters in Brussels  including FPs Paul McLeary  that his staff is ready to present new war options, including opportunities to accelerate the campaign. But, he emphasized, hes more interested in a discussion of overall war aims than just laying out possibilities for more troops or bombing runs.

Story continues

In the wide-ranging discussion before leaving Brussels for Washington Wednesday morning, Dunford repeated the Pentagons assessment that Russia is the most capable state actor that could challenge us, and said he has briefed top Trump officials on the classified National Military Strategy, which outlines the Pentagons assessment of the biggest threats facing the nation.

One plan. In an exit interview with the AP, outgoing Defense Secretary Ash Carter said that one option he opposes is sending more U.S. troops into Syria. If we were to take over the war in Iraq and Syria entirely ourselves, he said, we would risk turning people who are currently inclined to resist ISILpotentially into resisting us, and that would increase the strength of the enemy.

NATO. Yes, or no? In another set of mixed messages coming from the incoming White House team, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Wednesday that despite Trumps threats to leave the Atlantic alliance, Washington fully supports the organization. Its an alliance that should expand to include other security threats. But that historic mission of NATO will go forward. Im confident, Pence said.

NATO and U.S. military back NATO. Traveling with Gen. Dunford this week in Paris and Brussels for a series of high-level meetings with NATO leadership, FPs Paul McLeary reported that alliance officials acknowledge that theres work to be done. But, they added, key meetings last year put NATO well along the path of increasing its participation in the counterterrorism fight. In fact, the first team of NATO military and civilian officials landed in Baghdad earlier this month to begin a new mission there advising Iraqi officials.

Well, this is awkward. Russian aircraft bombed targets around the ISIS-held city of al-Bab Wednesday in support of Turkish troops and their Syrian proxies. The runs were in coordination with American-made Turkish aircraft, the first time the two countries coordinated on a mission in Syria. The strikes came just days after U.S. aircraft dropped ordnance in the same area, though U.S. military officials say their strikes were simply against ISIS targets, and not necessarily in support of the Turkish offensive.

Welcome to SitRep. Send any tips, thoughts or national security events to paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or via Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley.

PEOTUS

Its a race between European leaders and Russian Vladimir Putin to see wholl be the first to snag a meeting with President Trump when hes sworn in. The AP reports that British Prime Minister Theresa May is an eager contender, looking for a one-on-one with Trump. European Union (EU) Council President Donald Tusk also extended an invitation for Trump to meet with EU leaders but got a stiff-arm from the famously Euroskeptic president-elects transition officials. Despite the hurry on the part of European officials, a Trump senior advisor tells the wire service that the president-elect has no current plans for a meeting with Putin.

China

Award season is upon as and Chinas armed, stealth Sharp Sword UAV has already clinched second prize in the National Science and Technology Advancement Prize, according to PopSci. Chinas military keeps a lot about the batwing-shaped drone under wraps but its made by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China and intended to act as a reconnaissance and strike aircraft that could one day be Chinas first boot through the door of highly defended airspace in the event of a war. The U.S. Navy has embarked on a stealth drone project of its own with the MQ-25 Stingray, a stealthy, unmanned tanker intended to take off and land from aircraft carriers.

North Korea

Kim Jong Un has two intercontinental ballistic missiles teed up and ready to fire, according to Yonhap News Agency. Anonymous South Korean military officials tell the paper that North Korea has the missiles loaded onto mobile launchers and ready to light off for testing. U.S. officials have been expecting a test sometime in the near future, with the Sea-based X-band Radar system en route to the coast of North Korea in order to glean intelligence about the Norths missile capabilities.

Iraq

The Islamic States war on Iraq has extended to livestock, with sheep as the latest victims of the groups environmental destruction. Reuters reports that oil well fires in Iraq set by Islamic State fighters have been taking a toll not just on human health, but on Iraqi agriculture. In areas like Qayyara, shepherds have complained that the still-burning fires have killed off large parts of their flocks as part of what observers say is an ongoing campaign of ecocide carried out by the group.

Iraqs Popular Mobilization Units Twitter account published pictures on Wednesday of what it said was an Islamic State kamikaze plane found in Mosul. The small manned aircraft, discovered by Iraqi forces in a workshop, was stripped down in an apparent effort to stuff the plane with explosives and crash into a target. Islamic State fighters have also been experimenting with smaller, unmanned drones equipped with grenades and explosives to carry out attacks against Iraqi and coalition troops.

Iran

The Obama administration is making a last-ditch effort to urge the United Nations to enforce an arms embargo on Iran as it steps out the door. RFE/RL reports that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power raised the issue of Iranian weapons exports to the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah and called on the United Nations to take action on a U.N. embargo on Iranian arms exports. Iran is widely believed to be supplying the group with weapons and outgoing U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon recently raised the issue, citing a speech by Hassan Nasrallah in which the Hezbollah leader praised Iranian arms exports.

Photo Credit: Somodevilla/Getty Images
London (AFP) - A two-month old baby was among six British nationals killed in a road accident in Saudi Arabia, according to British officials and media Thursday.

Four members of the same family killed in the accident were from Manchester, north-west England, while the two other victims were a couple from Glasgow in Scotland.

Glasgow Central Mosque named two of the victims as Mohammad Aslam and Talat Aslam, who have five children, saying they had just completed Umra, a pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam's holiest site.

They "were travelling in a minibus" to Medina, it said in a statement about the accident, which occurred Wednesday according to British media.

The baby Adam Anis was killed along with his grandparents, Mohammed Khursheed and Noshina Ahmed, and his grandmother's sister Rabia Ahmed, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Two of her other sisters were said to be critically ill in hospital, while the boy's mother is also in a serious condition along with her other children, aged two and three, the newspaper said.

"We are a very close-knit family. This has been devastating for all of us. Our family is never going to be the same again," Farah Zahid, whose mother was critically injured, told the newspaper.

"Everyone is either in shock or completely heartbroken," she added.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed six British people died following a road accident in Saudi Arabia.

"We are also helping several more British nationals who were injured in the crash," she said, without specifying how many.

Mohammed Arif, director of Manchester-based Haji Tours which organised the tour, said his staff had been informed the crash was an accident and a tyre on the vehicle they were travelling in burst.

Every year, millions of Muslims flock to Mecca and Medina further south, Islam's second holiest site, to carry out the annual hajj pilgrimage or the Umra.

In 2015, more than 2,000 worshippers performing hajj were crushed to death in Mecca, in the worst disaster ever to strike the annual ritual.
By Sijia Jiang HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese smartphone maker Coolpad, part of the LeEco technology conglomerate, said six employees had been detained by authorities, accused of infringing the intellectual property rights of their former employer Huawei Technologies [HWT.UL]. The official Securities Times reported on Wednesday that the former Huawei engineers and designers had been detained for leaking company secrets to LeEco and Coolpad. The employees' lawyers and families say none of them took technology documents or codes from Huawei, a Coolpad unit, Yulong Computer Telecommunication Scientific (Shenzhen) Co Ltd, said in a statement. They also have not given any such documents to Coolpad and LeEco, the statement said. The unit declined to comment beyond its statement. It added that the workers are under investigation by the Shenzhen public securities department concerning a patent application made before they joined Coolpad's smartphone department. LeEco said in a post on its official Weibo account that accusations of its involvement were "pure rumor". The conglomerate has made headlines for its financial woes although it recently received a $2.2 billion investment. Huawei, the world's third-largest smartphone maker behind Samsung and Apple, declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Officials at the Shenzhen public securities department could not be reached for comment. Both Huawei and Coolpad are headquartered in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. (Reporting by Sijia Jiang; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)




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Were now a few days removed from BJ Penns downright disheartening showing against Yair Rodriguez at UFC Phoenix, and still, the sting is just as painful as ever. What was supposed to mark Penns triumphant comeback  no, not that one he had for the third Edgar fight, the real one  instead served as the latest entry in a trend weve seen all too often in MMA: a former great just not being able to let go.

And because money knows no age restrictions, its certain that 2017 will offer no reprieve from this depressing pattern of MMA legends suffering brutal beatings in the name of pride. If Tank Abbott wanted to unretire tomorrow, you can guaran-damn-tee that hed be booked in a grudge match against Kimbo Slices son by the weekend. Thats just the way that our sport (and most professional sports, if were being totally honest) is. So to that end, we might as well start taking bets on which of our heroes will fall the furthest in the coming year, right? Because separating yourself emotionally is the best way to deal with any issue, RIGHT?!

I thought so. Lets get this sadness pool underway.



Fedor Emelianenko  4/1

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The Last Emperor has been trending toward disaster ever since coming out of retirement in late 2015, teasing, then once again passing on an offer from the UFC to instead accept another multi-million dollar freakshow fight in Japan  which, in terms of his legacy, is certainly not tarnish-worthy. Slightly more concerning, however, was Fedors performance against former UFC light heavyweight contender Fabio Maldonado last June, which saw the former Pride champ nearly KOd in the first round before eeking out a decision so unearned that it forced even the ringside announcer to cry Russian influence.

Now, the man who many once considered (and some still consider) to be the greatest fighter of all time is being pegged by most to lose his upcoming Bellator debut against TUF 10 alum Matt Mitrione. As much as Id like to spend the remaining amount of this paragraph lamenting the career of the ONE fighter I never thought would let this happen to himself, Ill instead say that I think Emelianenko has just enough gas left in the tank to put on a respectable showing here. Because I am a stupid person.

Story continues

Anderson Silva  5/1

USA TODAY SPORTS

Speaking of former GOATs, is there any fighter that has suffered a steeper decline, status-wise, than Anderson Silva? Less than five years ago we were treating The Spider as if he had tapped into the Matrix and unlocked all the secrets of Mortal Kombat . We were penning fanfic about him going on Taken-style revenge missions and offering hypothetical breakdowns of how a bout between him and God might play out (Silva by Crucifix choke, round 1). Now, were forced to sit back and watch him answer questions about which black market sex juice he may or may not have purchased in the midst of his four fight losing streak.

And yet, Silva keeps fighting. Just last week, it was announced that Silva would be facing the largely unknown brawler Derek Brunson at UFC 208 next month. For the longest reigning champion in UFC history, that already feels like a major step back. But should he actually lose this fight, it will be nearly impossible to argue that he shouldnt have hung them up by now.



Tito Ortiz  7/1

Bellator

Now, it would be easy to say that Tito Ortiz continues to tarnish his legacy every time he opens his mouth. Too easy, if you ask me, which is why Ive gone a little against tradition here and given him 7-to-1 odds with the prop that he only embarrass himself physically in the coming year. Considering that his Bellator 170 headliner against Chael Sonnen this weekend is being billed as his last (probably), Id say the odds of him slipping and legitimately cracking his skull in the sauna while cutting weight are pretty slim. Good luck to him, though.

Randy Couture  100/1

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While The Natural has shown no signs of stepping back in the cage since calling it quits in 2011, I would like to direct you toward his IMDB page for a moment if I could. Specifically, the summary of his upcoming (likely straight-to-DVD) movie, Treasure Hunter: Legend of the White Witch, which is currently in post-production:

An altruistic doctor (Natali Yura) and a cocky treasure hunter (Randy Couture) must join forces to uncover the Mayan legend of the White Witch.

So basically, its The Rundown meets The Mummy, only with about 1/5th of the production values and starring an MMA fighter and an Instagram pop star. Suffice it to say, I will have my review of this movie up the day it is released.



Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira  13/1

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Semi-retired. Thats how Big Nog is listed on his Wikipedia page, and if we know anything about the loose boundaries which define actual retirement, then its safe to assume . Nogueira has dropped his last three fights in a row, four out of his last five, and five out of his last eight fights dating back to 2009, a year which marked his tenth as a professional fighter.

But wait, youre saying, Didnt Nogueira announce his actual retirement like two years ago, you big stupid idiot? Well to that I say, yes and no. What Nogueira actually did was accept a desk job with the UFC under the terms that he would no longer fight for the promotion or jump ship to Bellator. But that was the old UFC, the Zuffa UFC, and with the new WME-IMG management clearing house of superfluous employees left and right (even if those employees include a couple UFC Hall of Famers), it would be safe to assume that Nogueira may soon find himself out of a job.

Which means accepting a fight against Cheick Kongo in Bellator. And losing. By submission. Due to nut shots.

Ken Shamrock  EVEN

Bellator

I mean, lets be real here. Any year is a prime time for The Worlds Most Dangerous Man to go out in a blaze of glory. Or whatever. This is a man who once launched a fully confidential hotline service for $11.99 a minute. You think he wont come out ? Fight license be damned; Shammy will find a way to further degrade himself in 2017 and we will watch it happen.
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" (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. 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.

Story continues

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.

Editor's Recommendations
New York (AFP) - Bruce Springsteen performed a secret concert for President Barack Obama and his staff as they leave the White House, urging optimism in uncertain times, the rock legend's fanzine reported.

Backstreets, a long-running magazine and website that methodically documents Springsteen's shows, said The Boss played a 15-song acoustic set in the White House's East Room on January 12.

The fanzine, quoting an anonymous "longtime Backstreets reader" in attendance, said Obama and First Lady Michelle both attended but otherwise the crowd consisted of 200-250 mostly low-profile administration staffers.

The mood at the concert and a related reception "was not exactly somber, but it wasn't festive, either. It was elegiac, I'd say," the witness wrote.

"There was a clear sense of something ending, both with the conclusion of an adventure for the staff and the silent presence of the coming political transition," the person wrote, referring to Donald Trump taking power Friday.

Performing his 2007 song "Long Walk Home," Springsteen spoke "about being in a difficult moment and maintaining optimism," the attendee wrote.

The fanzine said Springsteen sang two songs with his wife Patti Scialfa, who is a member of his E Street Band, and performed his classic "Born in the U.S.A.," telling the crowd how the ode to working-class struggles was so often misunderstood politically.

Springsteen, who has been more overtly political in the past decade, campaigned for defeated candidate Hillary Clinton, telling a giant election-eve rally in Philadelphia that Trump had a "profound lack of decency."

The fanzine writer said the White House concert stood apart among Springsteen concerts.

"It was a humble, quiet gesture from Bruce to say thanks to President Obama, the staff and their families. No pomp, no ceremony, no press. Just the man, the guitar and the songs," the writer said.
Johannesburg (AFP) - South Africa's ruling ANC party, which has dominated the country's politics since the end of apartheid, has begun its search for a new leader to succeed President Jacob Zuma.

Dwindling popular support, corruption scandals and rampant in-fighting mean that the contest looks set to be a bitter battle exposing divisions at the heart of the party.

The contenders will face each other at the African National Congress' (ANC) 54th national elective conference in December when Zuma is expected to stand down as party chief.

The likely frontrunners are outgoing African Union chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who is Zuma's former wife, and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The victor will then be the party's candidate for president in 2019's general election.

The ANC's powerful women's league opened the campaign for the party's top job when earlier this month it called for a female leader -- a clear endorsement of Dlamini-Zuma.

Dlamini-Zuma, who has four children with President Zuma, is the head of the African Union Commission.

She is not seeking a second mandate for the role, fuelling speculation that she hopes to succeed her ex-husband at the ANC's helm -- though she has yet to declare her candidacy.

The succession battle is seen as crucial for Zuma's future because if a political adversary is chosen it could mean that he is forced to step aside before the end of his term, according to political analyst Ralph Mathekga.

Zuma is also facing a slew of corruption allegations and it will largely fall to his successor as president -- which is likely to be whoever is chosen as ANC party leader -- to determine the vigour with which he is pursued once out of office.

"He is trying to have his wife run for ANC president, first of all as she is highly unlikely to go after him on some of the corruption charges," said Mathekga.

Zuma appeared to throw his weight behind 67-year-old Dlamini-Zuma -- who has held a string of ministerial posts including the foreign and home affairs portfolios -- earlier this month when he told public radio that the ANC "is ready" to elect a woman as its leader.

Story continues

But independent analyst Daniel Silke warned that "getting a stamp of approval by Jacob Zuma" may not "offer Mrs Zuma a great advantage".

- 'Unlikely to go after him' -

"She remains a mystery candidate when it comes to her vision for a future South Africa," he added.

Cyril Ramaphosa, 64, is also expected to run for the party's top job.

A former trade unionist who helped negotiate the end of white-minority rule in 1994 and then became a wealthy businessman, Ramaphosa told Power FM radio last month that he is "available to stand", though he stopped short of a formal declaration.

Analysts say he may face an uphill struggle after Zuma pointedly said that the vice president should not automatically become party leader.

"Ramaphosa is fighting almost as an outsider in the sense that he doesn't have so much support from the leagues, and that is the support that usually guarantees victory," said Mathekga, referring to influential branches of the ANC.

The contest has already exposed fault lines between Zuma loyalists who back Dlamini-Zuma and reformers who favour Ramaphosa.

In an effort to heal the party, the ANC could even turn to compromise candidates like Kgalema Motlanthe, who served as interim president for several months before Zuma came to power in 2009.

Party treasurer Zweli Mkhize could be another genuine contender, or an eventual "kingmaker" in the event of a stalemate between Ramaphosa and Dlamini-Zuma, said Silke, as could parliamentary speaker Baleka Mbete.

Whoever is chosen as party leader will have just 18 months to restore the ANC's voter appeal ahead of national elections in 2019 following the party's worst-ever electoral performance during August's local polls.

As well as taking a relative drubbing at the ballot box -- the ANC still secured 53 percent of the vote -- Zuma will also leave behind a slowing economy, the highest unemployment rate for 13 years and regular violent protests.

"The task of Zuma's successor is going to be to lead a turnaround process," politics lecturer Ongama Mtimka told AFP.

"They will inherit weakened institutions which have been entrenched in fighting factional battles, mediocrity in key departments, and a culture of corruption."
The Affordable Care Act proved a boon for Kentucky residents, with thousands not only obtaining health insurance through the Kentucky Connect exchange, but four times as many gaining coverage through Medicaid expansion.

But premiums soared last year, deductibles and co-pays increased and the number of available coverage choices fell, leading to growing dissatisfaction among those who have benefited most from President Barack Obamas signature legislative achievement.

The drop in the number of uninsured in the state dropped dramatically, making Kentucky a model for the rest of the country. The first few months of the ACAs operation saw more than 300,000 people qualified for Medicaid coverage, which raised eligibility to 138 percent of the federal poverty level  income of $16,000 a year for an individual and $33,000 for a family of four.

The states uninsured rate fell to just 7 percent with 440,000 insured in 2015 from nearly 19 percent in 2013, the biggest drop of any state.

Nationally, about 16.4 million people have gained coverage through the ACA, and the uninsured rate has dropped 5 percent nationally since 2013. More than 6.4 million Americans signed up for coverage in the latest enrollment period.

Some 24 million Americans remain uninsured, about 12.7 percent of the population. Analysts said the plan President-elect Donald Trump released during the 2016 campaign would increase the number of uninsured by 21 million. Other Republican proposals also would strip coverage from millions of Americans.

Kentucky voted overwhelmingly for Trump, who has promised repeal of the ACA, and Congress has taken the initial steps to make it so.

Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has said the ACA is unaffordable, estimating the state will have to pony up $1.2 billion from through 2021 to cover Medicaid costs, making it the biggest piece of the state budget after education. In October he took down the state exchange set up by former Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear.

Story continues

People say we cannot afford to go forward with the Affordable Care Act. How can we afford not to? asked state Sen. Morgan McGarvey, noting screenings for cholesterol and breast cancer as well as dental checkups have more than doubled as a result of increased coverage.

A study by the Commonwealth Fund indicated Kentucky could lose nearly 45,000 jobs as a result of ACA repeal because of reduced federal spending. More than a third would be healthcare jobs.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., presented his version of a replacement for the ACA on CNNs State of the Union Sunday, touting tax credits to help pay for coverage and increased use of Health Savings Accounts. He would scrap the mandates included in the ACA, including minimum coverage requirements, and favors sale of cheap, bare-bones policies to entice younger, healthier Americans to sign up.

Kathy Oller, an ACA enrollment worker in Kentucky, told Vox she thinks Trump will fix the problems of soaring premiums and dwindling choices because hes a businessman, although she admits the ACA has done more good than harm.

About 40 people demonstrated in Courthouse Plaza in Lexington Sunday, protesting plans to repeal the ACA.

Were not just dealing with dollars and cents, Tyler Murphy, the organizer of the rally, told the Lexington Herald-Leader. Were not just dealing with policies and laws. Were dealing with peoples lives and healthcare in particular is a matter of life and death, literally.

In an op-ed piece published earlier this month in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., argued the ACA has failed to control costs and forced people to switch doctors.

President Obama used to hold Kentuckys Obamacare exchange up as some kind of success story. But Kentuckians knew better, and we dont hear him saying that anymore, McConnell wrote. Obamacare has become a mess in Kentucky, just like it has across the nation. In our state, premiums are rising by as much as 47 percent this year alone.

A December survey by the Pew Research Center found Americans are virtually evenly split on the ACA and whether it should be repealed.

Related Articles
AMSTERDAM (AP)  Two paintings by Vincent van Gogh that were stolen from an Amsterdam museum in 2002 and recovered by Italian police last year are set to return to the Netherlands.

The Van Gogh Museum said Thursday that a court in Naples has cleared Van Gogh's "Seascape at Scheveningen" and "Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen" to go back to the museum.

Police discovered the paintings hidden in a farmhouse near Naples last year while investigating suspected Italian mobsters for cocaine trafficking.

The masterpieces were swiped during a 2002 nighttime heist at the Van Gogh Museum.

Museum Director Axel Rueger says the court's OK is "great news."

"We can now focus fully on preparing for the paintings to come home," Rueger says.

No date has been set for the works' return.
By Lawrence Delevingne

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors are starting to sour on the idea of reimbursing hedge funds for multi-million dollar trader bonuses, lavish marketing dinners and trophy office space.

Powerful firms such as Citadel LLC and Millennium Management LLC charge clients for such costs through so-called "pass-through" fees, which can include everything from a new hire's deferred compensation to travel to high-end technology.

It all adds up: investors often end up paying more than double the industry's standard fees of 2 percent of assets and 20 percent of investment gains, which many already consider too high.

Investors have for years tolerated pass-through charges because of high net returns, but weak performance lately is testing their patience.

Clients of losing funds last year, including those managed by Blackstone Group LP's <BX.N> Senfina Advisors LLC, Folger Hill Asset Management LP and Balyasny Asset Management LP, likely still paid fees far higher than 2 percent of assets.

Clients of shops that made money, including Paloma Partners and Hutchin Hill Capital LP, were left with returns of less than 5 percent partly because of a draining combination of pass-through and performance fees.

(For a graphic on the hedge funds that passed through low returns, click: http://tmsnrt.rs/2iLRB3T)

Millennium, the $34 billion New York firm led by billionaire Israel Englander, charged clients its usual fees of 5 or 6 percent of assets and 20 percent of gains in 2016, according to a person familiar with the situation. The charges left investors in Millennium's flagship fund with a net return of just 3.3 percent.

Citadel, the $26 billion Chicago firm led by billionaire Kenneth Griffin, charged pass-through fees that added up to about 5.3 percent in 2015 and 6.3 percent in 2014, according to another person familiar with the situation. Charges for 2016 were not finalized, but the costs typically add up to between 5 and 10 percent of assets, separate from the 20 percent performance fee Citadel typically charges.

Story continues

Citadel's flagship fund returned 5 percent in 2016, far below its 19.5 percent annual average since 1990, according to the source who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information is private.

All firms mentioned declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment.

In 2014, consulting firm Cambridge Associates studied fees charged by multi-manager funds, which deploy various investment strategies using small teams and often include pass-throughs. Their clients lose 33 percent of profits to fees, on average, Cambridge found.

The report by research consultant Tomas Kmetko noted such funds would need to generate gross returns of roughly 19 percent to deliver a 10 percent net profit to clients.

'STUNNING TO ME'

Defenders of pass-throughs said the fees were necessary to keep elite talent and provide traders with top technology. They said that firm executives were often among the largest investors in their funds and pay the same fees as clients.

But frustration is starting to show.

A 2016 survey by consulting firm EY found that 95 percent of investors prefer no pass-through expense. The report also said fewer investors support various types of pass-through fees than in the past.

"It's stunning to me to think you would pay more than 2 percent," said Marc Levine, chairman of the Illinois State Board of Investment, which has reduced its use of hedge funds. "That creates a huge hurdle to have the right alignment of interests."

Investors pulled $11.5 billion from multi-strategy funds in 2016 after three consecutive years of net additions, according to data tracker eVestment. Redemptions for firms that use pass-through fees were not available.

Even with pass-through fees, firms like Citadel, Millennium and Paloma have produced double-digit net returns over the long-term. The Cambridge study also found that multi-manager funds generally performed better and with lower volatility than a global stock index.

"High fees and expenses are hard to stomach, particularly in a low-return environment, but it's all about the net," said Michael Hennessy, co-founder of hedge fund investment firm Morgan Creek Capital Management.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Citadel has used pass-through fees for an unusual purpose: developing intellectual property.

The firm relied partly on client fees to build an internal administration business starting in 2007. But only Citadel's owners, including Griffin, benefited from the 2011 sale of the unit, Omnium LLC, to Northern Trust Corp for $100 million, plus $60 million or so in subsequent profit-sharing, two people familiar with the situation said.

Citadel noted in a 2016 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that some pass-through expenses are still used to develop intellectual property, the extent of which was unclear. Besides hedge funds, Citadel's other business lines include Citadel Securities LLC, the powerful market-maker, and Citadel Technology LLC, a small portfolio management software provider.

Some Citadel hedge fund investors and advisers to them told Reuters they were unhappy about the firm charging clients to build technology whose profits Citadel alone will enjoy. "It's really against the spirit of a partnership," said one.

A spokesman for Citadel declined to comment.

A person familiar with the situation noted that Citadel put tens of millions of dollars into the businesses and disclosed to clients that only Citadel would benefit from related revenues. The person also noted Citadel's high marks from an investor survey by industry publication Alpha for alignment of interests and independent oversight.

Gordon Barnes, global head of due diligence at Cambridge, said few hedge fund managers charge their investors for services provided by affiliates because of various problems it can cause.

"Even with the right legal disclosures, it rarely passes a basic fairness test," Barnes said, declining to comment on any individual firm. "These arrangements tend to favor the manager's interests."

(Reporting by Lawrence Delevingne; Editing by Lauren Tara LaCapra and Grant McCool)
Rapper Kanye West is being studied as the embodiment of black genius at Washington University.

About 75 students are registered for the course entitled "Politics of Kanye West: Black Genius and Sonic Aesthetics," which began this week and is being taught by Professor Jeffrey McCune, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Topics on the 14-week course syllabus include "Who is Kanye West and Why Is He in the Flashing Lights?" and "I Love Kanye, or How Critique Slips Into Hate."

It's not the first time West has been the subject of university studies.

Students at Georgia State University and the University of Missouri also examined the artist's influence in the world of music and pop culture.
Stockholm (AFP) - Sweden's main opposition party courted controversy Thursday by suggesting it accept support by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats (SD) to bring down the minority government.

Mainstream parties have so far rejected any cooperation with the SD, a party that has historic roots that go back to Sweden's neo-Nazi movement.

Neither the left nor right have had a majority in parliament since the 2014 election, meaning the right can topple the government by proposing a budget that would be adopted thanks to the far-right.

The leader of Sweden's conservative Moderates party called Thursday on its fellow centre-right opposition parties to accept the support of the SD to adopt such a budget, which would force the resignation of the Social Democrat-Green coalition government.

"On issues where there are conditions to agree on, I don't think we should refrain from talking to SD," Anna Kinberg Batra told a news conference in Stockholm.

She ruled out the formation of a coalition, however.

Budget talks are due to start in September and to last until December.

"I want us to act swiftly, before 2018," Batra said, referring to the next general elections.

According to a poll released Thursday by the daily Aftonbladet, SD is now the second largest party with 21.5 percent in support after the Social Democrats at 25.8 percent.

Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, leader of the Social Democrats, slammed Batra's comments, accusing her party of losing its "moral compass".

Lofven made headlines in September last year when he called SD a "racist and Nazi party" during a political debate on TV.

Two of the four parties that make up the centre-right opposition, the Liberals and the Centre party, rejected accepting support from the SD, while the Christian Democrats approved the idea.

The SD voted in favour of a budget proposal put forward by the centre-right opposition after the elections in 2014, nearly toppling the then-new Social Democrats-led coalition government.

However the centre-right retreated and eventually decided to let Social Democrats and the Greens govern.
Geneva (AFP) - Luxury Swiss watchmakers, gathering this week at the industry's premier annual show in Geneva, hope 2017 will finally mark the end of two crisis-hit years of falling sales.

Many top-flight brands, used to running their ateliers at full throttle, have resorted to laying off workers in the face of crumbling demand.

"2016 has been difficult," Jean-Daniel Pasche, president of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, told AFP during the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), which runs through January 20.

He said he expected this year's exports of luxury watches to be "about the same level" as those of last year.

Exports for all of 2016 will be published next week, but from January to November, they were down 10.4 percent from the same period last year, after a 3.3 percent decline in 2015.

"We're near the end, I think, of what has been a structural crisis," said Manuel Emch, chief executive of the luxury brand Romain Jerome.

"We're seeing a recovery in China, and the haemorrhage has stopped in certain markets," he added, referring in particular to Hong Kong, the largest export market for Swiss watchmakers.

Robust Chinese demand had led many brands to expand production. However, a crackdown by Beijing on corruption in 2013 hit hard, as has political uncertainty in Hong Kong following the "umbrella revolution" in 2014.

Hong Kong had long attracted Chinese watch fans on the mainland.

Among the other factors weighing on the sector were the collapse of the ruble, which has crimped the buying power of Russian clients, and rising competition from "smart" watches connected to the internet.

"All these factors at the same time, plus the terror attacks in Europe ... that was quite a lot," Emch said.

- 'Fragile' outlook -

Steps taken by Swiss brands over the past two years to curb output should start to pay off, Emch said, but "the equation is still fragile".

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Retailers, who struggled to sell their stocks in the face of slumping demand, are now being more selective when choosing which brands to display, focusing on sure bets at the expense of small, niche players.

Last year, Richemont, the world's second-largest watchmaker, whose brands include Cartier, Piaget and IWC, spent heavily to buy back stock from Asian retailers.

On Friday, the group surprised investors by reporting a five percent increase in third-quarter sales in local currency terms, suggesting that its efforts were beginning to bear fruit as the Chinese market gradually recovers.

"I think they've probably cleared out most of the inventory and they can now start to restock, including with lower price point models," said Jon Cox, an analyst with Kepler Cheuvreux.

As expected, several brands are presenting more sober designs at SIHH this year, often using more affordable materials.

Parmigiani Fleurier, for example, is proposing a stainless-steel version of its classic Tonda 1950, priced at 8,950 euros ($9,500), compared with 15,700 euros for the version in white gold. It is also presenting an updated version of the Toric, its most emblematic watch.

"Right now, we're going back to our basics, with emblematic pieces," said Michel Parmigiani, the brand's founder.
Damascus (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said he hopes rebels attending peace talks next week in Kazakhstan will agree to lay down their arms in exchange for an amnesty deal.

The talks, sponsored by regime allies Russia and Iran and rebel backer Turkey, will begin Monday in Astana and are expected to last less than a week.

Details on the format remain murky, but Assad told Japanese television channel TBS that he hoped rebels would "lay down their arms and receive an amnesty from the government".

"This is the only thing we can expect at this time," he added, according to excerpts from the interview released by his office on Thursday.

Assad said the talks would "prioritise, as we see it, reaching a ceasefire".

"At this time, we believe that the conference will take shape as talks between the government and terrorist groups in order to reach a ceasefire and allow these groups to join the reconciliation deals in Syria," he said.

Damascus has reached a series of local agreements under which rebels -- which it refers to as "terrorists" -- evacuate areas in exchange for an end to bombardment or siege.

- UN envoy to attend -

Such deals have been fiercely criticised by rebel groups as a deliberate strategy of displacement.

Assad said the talks would also aim to "protect people's lives and allow humanitarian aid to reach various areas in Syria."

Repeated attempts by world powers have failed to end Syria's war, which erupted nearly six years ago with widespread anti-Assad demonstrations.

Last year, the United States and Russia worked together to put a temporary truce in place and sponsored several rounds of talks in Geneva, but they did not secure a political solution.

In late 2016, a new partnership between Moscow and Ankara emerged, despite their backing for opposite sides in the conflict.

They secured a fragile ceasefire deal that went into force on December 30, and the Astana talks will be the first real test of their joint efforts.

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The two powers have said US President-elect Donald Trump's administration should attend the talks, but Iranian officials have voiced strong objections to Washington's presence.

On Thursday, the United Nations said its peace envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura would be at the meeting.

- Truce for key Damascus suburb -

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked de Mistura to attend "in light of the complexity and importance of the issues likely to be raised in Astana, and of the senior level at which the conveners of the meeting will be represented," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

UN officials have expressed hope the Astana talks may provide a base for UN-sponsored negotiations on Syria that are due to resume in Geneva on February 8.

Earlier this week, rebel groups announced their delegation to Astana would comprise eight rebel figures, led by Mohammad Alloush of the Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) faction.

But the powerful Ahrar al-Sham group, which has thousands of fighters in central and northern Syria, said Wednesday it would sit out the talks.

It blamed "the lack of implementation of the ceasefire" and a fierce regime offensive on Wadi Barada, an area 15 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of Damascus.

The area is the capital's main source of water, and the fighting has left around 5.5 million people in Damascus and its suburbs facing water shortages since late December.

Rebel groups and government figures on Thursday reached a new truce deal for Wadi Barada, a local official told AFP, hours after regime forces encircled the area.

Abu Mohammad al-Bardawi, head of Wadi Barada's Media Committee, said "the cessation of hostilities came into effect at 3:00 pm (1300 GMT)" and the area was "calm."

Under the deal, maintenance teams will enter the area to fix the water pipes and rebels who do not want to surrender will be given safe passage to opposition-held Idlib in the northwest.

It is the second such deal in a week, after a previous agreement collapsed when a key mediator was killed by unknown assailants.

It came hours after Syrian troops and allied militia surrounded Wadi Barada, where around 20,000 live, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

The regime is seeking to gain full control over the area -- including the key Ain al-Fijeh spring -- to restore running water to the capital.

In addition to devastating infrastructure, Syria's conflict has killed more than 310,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes.
More women over sixty are giving birth to babies [Photo: Getty]

Way back when I was at primary school there was something of a scandal. The headmaster didnt run off with his secretary, there was no affair, or messy break-up. Nope the salacious gossip that sent the school gate rumour mill into a complete spin was that one of my classmates mums was pregnant. At the grand old age of40.

Shock, horror right? Nowadays, 40+ mums-to-be are two a penny, but back then it was considered BIG, BIG news. My friends mum was viewed as a geriatric and people couldnt stop talking about it. How will she cope being an older mum? What about the child? Isnt it just a bit selfish? they whispered in bemusement as she waddled past with her bump.

Nowadays, those same questions are still aimed pointedly in the direction of older parents, but the age bracket of which parents are considered to be old has shifted quite dramatically.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Dame Julia Peyton-Jones, the former co-director of the Serpentine Gallery, had swapped retirement for motherhood, having welcomed her first child, a daughter called Pia, at the ripe age of 64.

And shes certainly not the only one to be arriving somewhat late to the parenting party. Janet Jackson recently gave birth to her first child, a son Eissa, at 50, while Mick Jagger is back in the sleep-deprived haze of babyhood, having welcomed his eighth child, Deveraux Octavian Basil, back in December. Hes 73 by the way. Nicole Kidman has also revealed that she may not be done with the whole giving birth thing and is still hoping for another baby at the age of 49.

Dame Julia Peyton-Jones is 64  and a first time mum [Photo: Rex]

Its not a trend exclusive to celebsville either. Last year a woman, thought to be the worlds oldest mother gave birth at the age of 70. With her 79-year-old husband, Daljinder Kaur welcomed a son into the world after two years of IVF treatment. While back in the UK Sharon Cutts, from Lincolnshire became Britains oldest mother of triplets when she gave birth to Mason, Ryan and Lily in March last year when she was aged 55.

Story continues

Every week in the UK three babies are born to mothers aged 50 or older. A figure that has more than doubled in the past five years. The number of women having children in their 40s has also risen three fold from 4.9 live births per 1,000 in 1981 to 14.7 births per thousand today. Whats more, older mothers, who doctors describe as women aged 35 and over, now make up a fifth of all births in Britain.

So whats causing this spike in fifty or even sixty-plus parenting? Its possible that for some its a case of not being able or not feeling ready to have children in their earlier decades. The reasons have been widely discussed. From not meeting the partner they want to procreate with, to not being able to afford a baby, or wanting to get to the top of the career ladder first. Others, may just not have been able to make their minds up about wanting kids in the first place.

In the past, women whod reached their fifth decade may have assumed theyd left it too late to consider joining the mother ranks, but with the advancement of ever improving fertility treatments, motherhood in the retirement years is becoming an increasingly viable possibility.

According to Tim Child, medical director at Oxford Fertility and associate professor of reproductive medicine at the University of Oxford, it is medically possible for women to become pregnant even after the menopause.

There is no limit to the age at which eggs from a donor  or ones previously frozen  can potentially implant in a womans uterus, he told The Telegraph. So it is medically absolutely possible to achieve pregnancy after menopause but there are risks to the woman herself when she is pregnant and to the foetus, too.

As a consequence, British reproductive clinics only see women up to the natural age of menopause, between 50 and 52. But theres nothing stopping British women going abroad for treatment where the regulations arent quite as stringent. Yet, the risks are still very real.

Pregnancy in older age is associated with higher risk of miscarriage, explains Mr Narendra Pisal, Consultant Gynaecologist at London Gynaecology. This is possibly because of higher chance of chromosomal problems in embryo as the eggs get older.

There is also a higher chance of having a baby with Downs syndrome, he continues. At 35, this is 1 in 250 and increases to 1 in 100 by 40 years of age. By 45, risk of miscarriage is nearly 50% and chance of Downs syndrome baby is greater that 2%. A Noninvasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) is a blood test for mother to look at babys chromosomes and can be done from 10 weeks of gestation.

Then theres the pregnancy related complications which increase with age, such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, low lying placenta, placental abruption and growth problems for babies.

There is also a higher chance of difficult labour and intervention (due to above medical factors) such as induction of labour or caesarean section, advises Mr Pisal.

And even if an older mother does have the physical health and strength to cope with the demands of pregnancy and birth, what about parenthood? The sleepless nights, the chasing after a lively toddler, the play groups, the constant to-ing and fro-ing to after school clubs and beyond.

Janet Jackson has recently given birth to her first child at aged 50 [Photo: Getty]

Then theres the question of mortality, which is always raised when discussing older parenting. Every child fears the death of their parent, but it could be more acute for one with older parents.

Theres also the raised eyebrows and general judgement a late parenting starter could face. The assumptions that you must be the grandparent, the confused frowns when you rock up to a baby group and are the oldest person there by at least a decade. According to a new survey for the Private Pregnancy UK Show the majority of British women believe it is unnatural to have babies over the age of 44. Their main reasons were that it could increase the risk of health complications for the child, and that it would be unfair of the child to have old parents, who may not live long enough to see them grow up.

But while theres no doubt a certain slice of society will always be skeptical about the rise of retirement parenthood, there are in fact many positive aspects to being a mature mother. Dr Natasha Bijlani, consultant psychiatrist at the Priory Hospital in Roehampton, south-west London, told Yahoo that older mothers were often more stable financially, established in their careers, and brought a maturity to the role of parenthood coupled with a more realistic expectation of what it would entail.

Often having waited for motherhood, older mums are even more prepared, and intensely grateful for the experience of raising children because they were more conscious of the issue of time passing. Many older women nowadays are also extremely healthy and fit, she said.

And lets not forget the thousands of grandparents who are effectively already bringing up children while their actual parents go out to work. Is there a difference between these grandparents as opposed to mothers of the same age raising children?

For Jenny* being an older mum didnt feel like a choice. I came from a really unhappy, dysfunctional family and had a terrible relationship with my own mother, so throughout my twenties and thirties I wasnt able to maintain any kind of stable relationship never mind have kids, she explains. Even in my thirties I was ambiguous about having children because I was terrified of having as bad a relationship with my own children as Id had with my parents.

After divorcing in her early 40s, Jenny went on to meet someone else and have two children in her mid to late 40s. The risks to me and my babies were greater because I was old. I was at high risk of my babies having chromosomal abnormalities and I found that very stressful, she says. I also had preeclampsia both times and two emergency caesareans.

But despite the difficulties, Jenny likes being an older mum and can see the advantages of retirement parents. Motherhood has destroyed my lifestyle in terms of career, income, travel etc and if I hadnt had a successful career and travelled extensively before becoming a mum I know I would have been resentful about all the things I felt being a mum was stopping me from doing. And that would have impacted on my relationship with my kids.

Being older also means Im saner and more emotionally sorted than I was when I was younger. Im also happier now, which I think is important to be able to model for your children. I didnt feel even remotely ready to deal with the enormity of the commitment that motherhood involves before my mid forties.

There are many positives to being an older parent [Photo: Getty]

But age alone doesnt determine your ability to be a great parent. You could be a fabulous parent at sixteen or sixty. So perhaps instead of focusing on the negatives of having a child when youre considered too young, or too old, perhaps we should be paying more attention to the positives. Mothers have a tough enough time as it is dealing with parenting judgements, lets not pile on the age-pressure too.

What do you think? How old is too old to have a baby? Let us know @YahooStyleUK.

According To Women, 44 Is Too Old To Have A Baby

Are you ever too old to become a mum? The pros and cons of being late to the parenting party
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Going into the cabinet hearings for President-elect Donald Trump's nominees, the story was clear: Democrats were going to press his picks for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, secretary of state and energy secretary for past statements revealing their climate-denying views.

After all, they were chosen for their positions by a person who has called climate change a "hoax" orchestrated by the Chinese to damage the U.S. economy.

SEE ALSO: Trump's EPA nominee spars with Bernie Sanders over climate change

In hearing after hearing, Trump's cabinet nominees slipped through Democrats' grasp by uttering reasonable enough statements that still significantly mischaracterized the state of climate science, which holds that global warming is largely human-caused and is an urgent threat  one that can only be addressed by making drastic cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.

Yet by being slightly more sensible than Trump on climate change, each nominee  from secretary of state pick Rex Tillerson to energy secretary nominee Rick Perry  was able to wiggle away from the hearings without clearing up whether and how he would use his prospective office to address global warming.

They moved from outright climate denial to a more subtle, insidious and risky form.

Visualization showing how 2016 was the warmest year on record for the globe.

Image: ed hawkins

Each nominee presented themselves as what Vox's David Roberts and other climate advocates describe as "lukewarmers": people who acknowledge that carbon emissions are having some influence on the climate, but say that predicting climate change and climate impacts is extremely difficult, and acting based on the science we have right now could damage the economy.

In other words, lukewarmers say they see a problem, but they're not exactly jumping at the chance to solve it.

"No hoax" nominees

One by one, each nominee walked back previous statements they had made on climate change. Let's take secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson as an example.

Story continues

On Jan. 11, Tillerson acknowledged that the climate is changing and that human activities are a factor, but made it known that he does not see global warming as an urgent threat. This puts him in opposition to the Pentagon and intelligence community, which views climate change as a threat multiplier and as a contributor to the devastating Syrian civil war.

Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017.

Image: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

I dont see it as the imminent security threat that perhaps others do, Tillerson said under dogged questioning from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon).

Tillerson, who recently stepped down as CEO of ExxonMobil, the largest publicly held oil company in the U.S., also presented a personal view of climate science that is starkly out of step with the scientific consensus on this issue.

Climate researchers are increasingly warning that global warming is already nearing thresholds that would wreak havoc on plants, animals and modern human society.

Yet Tillerson seemed satisfied with a go-slow approach, citing scientific uncertainty.

"The increase in the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are having an effect," Tillerson said during the hearing. "Our ability to predict that effect is very limited."

Climate scientists told Mashable exactly why this take on global warming is incomplete at best, if not downright wrong.

"To say that we don't understand the impacts or effects that a given scenario or amount of continued fossil fuel use will have on our planet was a correct statement to make in the 1800s," said Texas Tech University climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, in an email to Mashable.

"In 2017? Not so much," she said.

Rep. Ryan Zinke, Trump's nominee for Interior Secretary, also espoused only partly accurate views on climate science during his Jan. 17 confirmation hearing.

"The climate is changing; man is an influence," the Montana Republican told the Senate committee. "I think where there's debate is what that influence is and what can we do about it."

Again, the science is clear that greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are the main driver of global warming, and the best course of action to reduce the risks of widespread, damaging impacts is to cut those emissions dramatically.

They're not scientists

Next, there's Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma's attorney general and Trump's nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Pruitt has a long record of opposing the EPA's regulations to limit carbon dioxide emissions. In fact, he's been suing the agency to prevent those regulations from going into effect.

He too merely cleared the "It's not a hoax!" hurdle and little more, leaving open key questions about how he would run the agency tasked with implementing the government's programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"I do not believe that climate change is a hoax," Pruitt said in response to a direct question from Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts.

During his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Pruitt sparred with Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders over climate science.

Here's a partial transcript of their exchange:

Later in the conversation with Sanders, Pruitt said, "Senator, I believe the administrator has a very important role to perform in regulating CO2."

He did not elaborate on what that role is, or how he would exercise it. Yet still he seemed to score points with some senators and media outlets for going against Trump in pronouncing climate change to be a real thing. That's an extraordinarily low bar to clear.

At the same time Pruitt was testifying, NASA and other global science agencies announced that last year was Earth's warmest year on record  making 2016 the third consecutive year with record heat. The five warmest years worldwide have occurred since 2005.

The scientific community is virtually unanimous: Climate change is a global crisis requiring bold action. Rick Perry? He doesn't agree.  Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 19, 2017

On Thursday, former Texas governor Rick Perry had his chance to walk back past comments that put him squarely in the climate denial camp.

He got this task out of the way right at the top of the hearing, shortly after saying he regrets campaigning for the presidency five years ago on a pledge to eliminate the Energy Department, among other parts of the federal government.

"I believe the climate is changing," Perry said during the Thursday hearing. "I believe some of it is naturally occurring, but some of it is also caused by manmade activity. The question is how do we address it in a thoughtful way that doesnt compromise economic growth, the affordability of energy, or American jobs."

Throughout the hearing, Perry hedged on climate by mentioning the potential economic ramifications of shifting to cleaner forms of energy, and had to be reminded by Sanders of the dramatic costs from climate change if too little action is taken too late.

Im committed to making decisions based on sound science but also taking into account the economic impact, Perry said.

In a humorous exchange with Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), Perry declined to answer precisely how much of climate change is human-caused versus natural factors.

Far from me to be sitting before you today and claiming to be a climate scientist, he said, to which Franken shot back: I dont think youre ever going to be a climate scientist."

"But you are going to be the head of the Department of Energy, Franken added.

Franken had a similar back-and-forth with Zinke, the Interior secretary nominee.

"I'm not an expert in this field," Zinke said during the hearing.

"To me that's a cop-out," Franken retorted, adding, "I'm not a doctor, but I have to make healthcare decisions."

The bottom line

Each of Trump's nominees moved themselves from the climate denier column to the fuzzier land of climate non-denial denial.

They may no longer be as easy to classify or dismiss with one phrase, but for the climate, they're no less dangerous than they were before they began the confirmation process.

Mashable science reporter Maria Gallucci contributed reporting.


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Haven't shopped at an Aldi supermarket yet? That could change soon. The German chain, famous for its no frills and low prices, is in the midst of a boom. After steadily expanding its footprint in the eastern part of the country over the past 40 years - the first U.S. store opened in Iowa in 1976 - Aldi is now adding locations in Southern California. By 2018, the company expects to have close to 2,000 stores nationwide, up from fewer than 1,600 today.

If you're new to Aldi's minimalist approach to grocery shopping, you're in for a shocker. You pay a refundable quarter to rent a cart. You bag your own groceries. Oh, and you'll even need to pay for those bags unless you bring your own. There are few shelves, few employees and none of the amenities you've come to expect from the likes of Wegmans or Whole Foods. Still, discount shoppers have proven willing to accept the tradeoffs. We compared prices and reached out to shopping experts to identify some of the best things to buy at Aldi based on cost, quality or both. We also identified some of the worst things to buy. Have a look.

SEE ALSO: 12 Secrets Costco Shoppers Need to Know

Buy Kitchen Staples



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Heading to the supermarket for some basics, say a gallon of milk, a dozen Grade A eggs, a loaf of white bread and a jar of peanut butter? Strictly judging by the bottom line, you may want to give Aldi a shot.

We priced out these four kitchen staples at an Aldi in Northern Virginia, and then compared the everyday, non-sale prices to similarly packaged store brands at three other nearby grocery retailers: Giant, Harris Teeter and Target. Here are the results (from cheapest to most expensive):

Eggs: Aldi, 39 cents; Harris Teeter, $1.39; Target, $1.49; Giant, $1.99 Bread: Aldi, 85 cents; Harris Teeter, 97 cents; Giant, 99 cents; Target, $1.64 Peanut butter: Aldi, $1.49; Target, $1.79; Giant, $2.19; Harris Teeter, $2.29 Milk: Aldi, $1.49; Target, $2.98; Giant, $3.49; Harris Teeter, $3.59 Don't Buy Fruits and Vegetables*

Story continues



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Like most of Aldi's goods, fruits and vegetables are typically sold from the bulk boxes they were shipped in. No fancy, bountiful horn-of-plenty displays. And unlike major chains, the bulk of Aldi's stores don't refrigerate produce. While I've found Aldi's fruits and vegetables generally top notch, others disagree.

"Produce [from Aldi] can spoil more quickly," says Tracie Fobes, a money-saving expert at the website Pennypinchinmom.com, "so buy only what you can eat within a few days."

Also, Aldi pre-packages many of its fruits and vegetables in bulk, so if you want, say, an apple you need to buy an entire bag. Most big supermarket chains sell similar produce loose. The latter approach allows shoppers to pick out the freshest individual items available.

*This advice applies to most of Aldi's older existing stores. New (and newly renovated) stores are another story...

SEE ALSO: 8 Secrets Wegmans Shoppers Need to Know

But Do Buy Fruits and Vegetables at New Aldi Stores



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Aldi is rolling out changes aimed at fending off competitors including Whole Foods' offshoot discount chain, 365 by Whole Foods. On top of better lighting and wider aisles, Aldi's new store format puts fresh produce center stage and includes refrigerated units for the likes of greens, perishable fruits and (shocker!) premade soups and dips. Bulk packaging still rules at new stores, but that's a big reason why Aldi can keep produce prices so low.

If you're produce shopping at an Aldi store that hasn't adopted this new format - which means most of them - there are workarounds.

"Aldi's fruit and vegetables are usually the lowest price compared to other grocers, and they rate as good quality, especially if you shop early mornings when stock is full to choose from," says Brent Shelton of money-saving site FatWallet.com. "A good tip to improve shelf life is to make sure you wash any produce as soon as you get home."

Buy Aldi's Name-Brand Knockoffs



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You won't find many name brands at Aldi. About 90% of the items it stocks are private-label products wedged into a mere 15,000 square feet of space (about one third the size of a standard supermarket).

Yet, as you walk Aldi's aisles, a lot of the packaging will seem familiar even if the brands aren't. That's not by accident.

"A good majority of Aldi's private-label products are actually name-brand products, just repackaged," says FatWallet's Shelton, "so quality is high, and price is usually lower than the brands available at regular grocers."

Fobes of Pennypinchinmom.com says quality is especially high in Aldi's canned goods, pasta, condiments and almond milk, which is "smooth and creamy, but more affordable."

SEE ALSO: 8 Worst Things to Buy at Dollar Stores

Buy European Novelty Foods and Drinks



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Aldi wears its German roots proudly. Look no further than the strudel in the freezer case for proof. You'll find German and other European chocolates on store shelves, too. According to Fobes, specialty chocolates, in general, are among the best things to buy at Aldi because they are "smooth and creamy at a much lower cost than most other stores."

Aldi loyalists also rave about the inexpensive, and interesting, selections of wines and beers, as well as the selections of Italian and French sodas and lemonades. Look for packaged gourmet cheese, too.

Prowl the aisles to find more European products that aren't carried by other U.S. grocers. Keep checking back, since Aldi tends to rotate stock at a high rate. Many products are here today, gone tomorrow.

Buy Organic and Gluten-Free Products



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Aldi has been stepping up its game with organic and gluten-free products, especially as it escalates its war on Whole Foods with the redesigned stores.

"They have a huge variety [of organic and gluten-free products]," says Fobes, "which is much less expensive than the name brands."

And if, from a health perspective, you're concerned about the quality of Aldi's private-label foods, there's been a major change over the past year.

Aldi has removed from the majority of its private-label goods such healthy eating no-nos as partially hydrogenated oils and MSG, says Shelton. The company has also removed growth hormones from its dairy products and carries a line of packaged meats labeled "Never Any!" that is free of added antibiotics, hormones and animal by-products.

SEE ALSO: 3 Surprisingly Great Kirkland-Brand Products at Costco

Don't Buy Anything You Can't Eat or Drink



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Savings experts say it's best to steer clear of most toys, home goods, cleaning supplies and other non-food items at Aldi. But if you're tempted - every so often, Aldi will score national-brand products and put what appears to be amazing prices on them - first pull out your smartphone and price-compare.

"Make sure you check the price on these as they tend to be higher prices on lower quality items at Aldi," says Shelton. "Plus, you can often find coupons for these types of items at other stores, even grocers, which would make buying them elsewhere a smart thing to do." Aldi doesn't accept coupons.

When we compared prices on a roll of paper towels, for example, Aldi's price of 99 cents was the same as the price at Giant and Target. However, coupons and loyalty discounts could've brought down the price more at the latter retailers. (Aldi doesn't have a loyalty program, either.)

"Paper products are not always less expensive [at Aldi]," agrees Fobes. "You may find a better deal and quality at the big-box stores."

SEE ALSO: 10 Secrets Shoppers Need to Know About Aldi
By Julien Pretot LES SABLES DOLONNE, France, Jan 18 (Reuters)  - Briton Alex Thomson made a late surge to catch race leader Armel Le Cleach of France on Wednesday as both sailors edged close to the finish of the solo round-the-world Vendee Globe race. About 100,000 fans are expected to greet them on Thursday after more than 73 days of racing. Thomson is 34.75 nautical miles behind Le Cleach, who is hoping to win the event for the first time after two second-place finishes in the last two races in 2009 and 2013. Le Cleach, aboard Banque Populaire, is on course to cross the finish line around 1700 GMT on Thursday, about three hours ahead of Thomsons Hugo Boss, but a late upset is still possible. Im so excited but so stressed, my heart is racing. Im getting very emotional, Sarah Thomson, Alexs twin sister, told Reuters. Hes always pushed through the problems, hes so determined. I believe one hundred per cent he can win this race. He can pull it out of the bag, its amazing the things hes done in his life where he has come out on top. I have no doubt he could win this race. Dino Dimeo, author of Vendee Globe, the Adventurers of the Great South, believes Thomson is facing an almost impossible task. Le Cleach should pull it off but Thomson is taking all the risks, he told Reuters. Of course he could change tack before Le Cleach but he would then finish upwind. Le Cleach must be very tense as the closer you get to land there will be many fishing boats, ferries on the way but he knows this area by heart and hes not one to make mistakes. Thomson, however, is an extremist, hes got a never-say-die attitude. Le Cleach and Thomson will both beat the previous record set by Francois Gabart (78 days, two hours, 16 minutes and 40 seconds) four years ago as they are using foiling technology that adds stability and power. Thomson, however, has been sailing with a damaged starboard foil for about eight weeks and he suffered another minor setback overnight. We heard that Alex has been facing auto-pilot problems in the past 12 hours, so its more tiring for him. Hes going to arrive extremely exhausted, race director Jacques Caraes said. In a short radio exchange with the French Navy, Le Cleac'h said; "Tell Alex to stay behind me, it would be great." (Additional reporting by Miranda Alexander Webber, Editing by Ed Osmond)
The headlines out of Wednesdays Senate confirmation hearings on President-elect Donald Trumps choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services were two-fold:

One was that Trump would make good on his repeated campaign pledge not to cut Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security in restructuring the government health care system. The other was that for all the confusion surrounding the GOP efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the 20 million or so Americans currently enrolled in Obamacare or expanded Medicaid wont get shafted.

Related: The Three-Way Battle for Obamacare Repeal

One of the important things that we need to convey to the American people is that nobody is interested in pulling the rug out from under anybody, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), Trumps nominee to become the next secretary of HHS and help orchestrate the dismantling of Obamacare, said during a four-hour hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

We believe that its absolutely imperative that individuals that have health coverage be able to keep health coverage and move hopefully to greater choices and opportunities for them to gain the kind of coverage they want for themselves and their families, he added.

Questioned by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) about Trumps intentions to keep his campaign promises to safeguard Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, Price said that while he hasnt had extensive discussions with Trump about those comments, I have no reason to believe that he has changed his position.

So you are telling us that to the best of your knowledge, Mr. Trump will not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, Sanders persisted. As I say, I have no reason to believe that position has changed, Price replied.

Related: Trump Says His Plan Would Provide Insurance for Everybody

Price, a wealthy orthopedic surgeon from suburban Atlanta and a Tea Party Republican, had his work cut out for him in trying to calm the growing unease within his own party over the perilous effort to topple Obamacare without triggering chaos in the insurance market and health care industry and angering millions of Americans threatened with the loss of their coverage.

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Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) have boldly predicted that Congress would swiftly and simultaneously approve the repeal of key provisions of Obamacare and adopt a comprehensive replacement plan that would guarantee Americans less expensive premiums and copayments and greater choices of coverage. Whats more, Trump promised in an interview with The Washington Post last weekend to extend health care insurance to everybody, and not just the 90 percent or so of non-retired Americans who currently are covered by Obamacare, Medicaid or employer-provided healthcare.

But if the Republicans get it wrong or fail to successfully choreograph their efforts, 18 million people could lose their insurance within a year and see their premiums skyrocket even more than now, according to a report released Tuesday by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

Related: 8 Big Changes Under Tom Prices Obamacare Replacement Plan

The CBO report was a bombshell of sorts, rattling the nerves of more moderate Republicans such as Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, while providing the Democrats with additional fodder in making their case that the Republicans are recklessly leading the country down a dangerous path without a realistic plan or roadmap in hand.

Price was sent into todays hearing by the Trump camp both to calm the political waters and defend himself against mounting Democratic criticism that he engaged in insider trading as a House member by buying stock in companies that stood to benefit from legislation he introduced or voted for. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Price had traded stock worth more than $300,000 over the past four years, including shares in at least two companies that were directly affected by his legislative action as a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

An array of influential GOP figures, including Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, the HELP Committee Chair, and Senate Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch of Utah, did their best to defend Price from sharp attacks from Democratic Sens. Patty Murray of Washington State, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Al Franken of Minnesota who all raised concerns that Price violated federal ethics rules in his stock transactions.

Related: What Obamacare Repeal Could Mean for Your Workplace Health Plan

Hatch, whose committee will hold hearings on Price next, gushed that Over the years I have found [Price] always to be very, very knowledgeable, very upfront, very straight forward, very honest and somebody who really understands health care systems in this country.

You are just perfectly situated to be able to help turn it around so that it works, Hatch told the nominee.

But Franken and other Democrats argued just the opposite  that Price, a long-time foe of Obamacare who has drafted replacement legislation that almost certainly would sharply reduce the number of people qualified for coverage, is absolutely the wrong person to lead HHS.

I am very frightened by what you are going to do, and so are millions of Americans, Franken said. I see you as someone who is there for the doctor and that this is not going to create access for all Americans. This is going to unravel something that has given a lot of Americans peace of mind.

Related: The Potential Cost of Obamacare Repeal: 32 Million Without Insurance

During the hearing, Murkowski betrayed her uncertainty about the likely impact of the Obamacare repeal effort, especially the potential loss of expanded Medicaid coverage for her states Indian population. Even Alexander voiced qualms about the uncertainty over how Trump and the Republicans would sequence the move from Obamacare to his partys alternative plan.

To me . . . Obamacare should be finally repealed only when there are concrete, practical reforms in place to give Americans access to truly affordable health care, Alexander said in his opening remarks. The American people deserve health care reform that is done the right way, for the right reasons and the right amount of time. Its not about developing a quick fix. Its about working towards long-term solutions that work for everyone.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
LAS VEGAS (AP) _ Billionaire Sheldon Adelson's casino company is paying almost $7 million to U.S. authorities to end a more than five-year corrupt practices investigation of the firm's former relationship with a consultant in Macao and China, company and federal officials said Thursday. With the agreement, Las Vegas Sands Corp. resolved twin probes of more than $60 million paid to an unnamed agent retained in 2006 to acquire a Chinese basketball team, plus other business dealings that include a Beijing real estate deal to promote casinos on the Cotai Strip of Macao, U.S. Justice Department and FBI officials said.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The family smartphones? An assortment of Samsung Galaxies. The flat-screen TV that illuminates the living room? A Samsung SUHD, with the brand name sparkling on the nameplate. The maker of the digital toilet seat? You guessed it: Samsung. It's difficult for people outside South Korea to fully grasp what Samsung, a truly global brand, means inside its home country, where it is far more than just another big company. It is seen variously as both a talisman and a millstone, as national savior and greedy business behemoth. Those diverse views only intensified Thursday when a court rejected prosecutors' request to arrest Samsung heir and Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong in the corruption scandal surrounding impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

SYDNEY (AP)  A man deliberately drove into a street crowded with pedestrians in Australia's second-largest city on Friday, killing at least three people and injuring 20 others, police said. Officials said the incident had no links to terrorism. The chaos began in the early afternoon, after a man was seen driving in erratic circles in the middle of a major intersection in downtown Melbourne. The driver then turned onto the Bourke Street Mall, a pedestrian-only road, deliberately colliding with pedestrians before continuing onto a sidewalk and hitting several other people, Victoria state Police Acting Commander Stuart Bateson said. The man was arrested at the scene and there was no further threat to the public, Bateson said.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  Nearly three years after a Malaysian airliner vanished, it's still possible, if unlikely, for a plane to disappear. But that's changing with new satellites that will soon allow flights to be tracked in real time over oceans. New international safety standards also begin to kick-in beginning next year, although the deadline for airlines to meet most of the standards is still four years away. Even then, it could be decades before the changes permeate the entire global airline fleet because some of the requirements apply only to newly manufactured planes. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished from radar on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board.

ROME (AP)  Philippine negotiators and communist guerrillas resumed peace talks in Rome on Thursday, with the insurgents warning that alleged government violations of an accord on human rights might prompt them to terminate a monthslong cease-fire. Philippine officials led by Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. and guerrilla leaders shook hands in a show of unity at a hotel in the Italian capital before resuming the negotiations, which both sides acknowledged would be tough. Special envoy Elisabeth Slattum from Norway, which has been brokering the talks, also attended. The venue was shifted from the Norwegian capital, Oslo, which Philippine officials said would be too cold.

DARWIN, Australia (AP)  A 47-year-old man has been killed by crocodile while trying to cross a flooded river in northern Australian wilderness, police said Friday. The man had been wading through the East Alligator River in the Northern Territory with two women on Thursday when he disappeared at Cahill's Crossing near the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, a police statement said. The women made it across safely then reported the man missing. Police and rangers found the body downstream late Thursday near a 3.3-meter (11-foot) crocodile. The crocodile was shot dead and the body taken to the city of Darwin for an autopsy.

BEIJING (AP)  Sidestepping recent disputes over Taiwan and regional security, China said Thursday that "important progress" has been made in its relationship with the U.S. under President Barack Obama and the two countries should move forward as partners rather than competitors. Asked to sum up relations under Obama, who leaves office Friday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying recalled the numerous meetings between the U.S. president and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, including last year in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. Trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges between the sides all hit new records under Obama, while the countries worked together on climate change, an investment agreement, building trust between their militaries, counterterrorism and the Iranian nuclear issue, Hua said at a daily briefing.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  The Organization of Islamic Cooperation plans to send a high-level delegation to Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state to assess the plight of the Rohingya Muslim minority, Malaysia said Thursday. A resolution issued after a special meeting of OIC foreign ministers to discuss the Rohingya crisis urged Myanmar to accept the OIC's visit. It asked Myanmar to implement the rule of law, work toward a sustainable solution, and allow the safe return of refugees and "unimpeded and unconditional access" for humanitarian aid to the affected area. Rohingya villagers and activists say hundreds of civilians have been killed since October, although figures cannot be verified because authorities have limited access for aid workers and journalists.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Every night they sleep above cold concrete, curled up in sleeping bags on rubber mattresses in a tent made of plastic sheets held together with tape. Their heads are inches away from cars zooming by  and from a bronze statue of a young girl that sits across from the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. Most of the protesters are not much older than the girl the statue depicts. It represents thousands of women enslaved for sex by Japan's imperial forces before and during World War II, when Korea was a Japanese colony. Some of these young protesters have been camping here for more than a year, determined to protect the small monument, which plays an outsized role in relations between Seoul and Tokyo, two vibrant democracies and U.S.

BEIJING (AP)  Beijing will spend $2.7 billion to fight air pollution in the capital this year, state media reported Thursday. Part of the money will be used to close or upgrade more than 2,000 polluting factories, replace the use of coal with clean energy on the outskirts of the city and phase out 300,000 high-polluting older vehicles, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing Beijing's acting mayor, Cai Qi. Authorities are eager to bring about a visible improvement in China's bad air, especially in the high-profile capital and its surrounding areas. Beijing has suffered some particularly bad bouts of hazardous air in the past few weeks, causing it to order some factories to temporarily close and schoolchildren to stay at home.




A contentious exchange Thursday between treasury secretary nominee Steve Mnuchin and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, marked the most direct attack by Democrats on the Goldman Sachs banker whom some groups have attempted to brand as the foreclosure king.

In a discussion of OneWest, the name given to the failed bank IndyMac after Mnuchin and a group of investors took it over, Brown asked during Mnuchins Senate confirmation hearing, Is it true that OneWests independent audit firm found it violated the Civil Service Relief Act by initiating foreclosures on 54 active duty military families? Thats what the independent audit firm said, yes or no?

Well, you have the document in front of you. I dont, replied Mnuchin.

Im pretty surprised you dont know these things because youve been rather defensive  probably for good reason  about what happened at OneWest.

I do want to just comment for the record, said Mnuchin. We unfortunately did foreclose on certain people in the military. It was quite unfortunate, it was inappropriate, we responded to those people and made them whole. Every single person had the opportunity to have their mortgage reviewed and we corrected any errors. Its not that Im being defensive; Im proud of our record.

Well, I wouldnt be proud of all these findings, said Brown.

In January, a leaked 2013 memo from the California attorney generals office stated that OneWest might have engaged in widespread misconduct, including backdating documents. Then-Attorney General Kamala Harris  who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November  declined to pursue charges. The memo did not state that Mnuchin personally participated in or was even aware of the potential fraud.

According to Bloombergs calculations, the sale of OneWest in 2015 may have generated $380 million in profit for Mnuchin alone. Mnuchin and his partners took over the company in 2009, following the market collapse. Yahoo Finances Rick Newman covered the banks issues when Mnuchin was nominated in November:

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Like most banks during the housing bust, the newly named lender, OneWest, began to foreclose on borrowers who couldnt make their mortgage payments as the housing crisis intensified and a brutal recession left millions unemployed. Protesters began to target OneWest in particular for what they said were callous decisions regarding homeowners in distress. On one day in 2011, protestors briefly overwhelmed security guards at OneWests Pasadena headquarters and occupied the lobby. On another occasion they showed up outside Mnuchins Bel Air mansion, demanding help for one woman who lost her home after her brothers death left her struggling to pay her mortgage.

By 2015, OneWest had foreclosed on 36,000 homes, according to a nonprofit called the California Reinvestment Coalition (CRC), which tracked the banks activities. The CRC also said the FDIC had committed to absorbing $2.5 billion of current or future OneWest losses on loans issued by IndyMacconsiderably more than Mnuchins group paid for the bank in the first place. As part of that deal, OneWest was supposed to be lenient with distressed borrowers and help them avoid foreclosure if possible. Housing advocacy groups accused OneWest of violating its pledge to help troubled borrowers and excessively targeting minority neighborhoods for foreclosures.

The hearing got off to an odd start when Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., offered Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a Valium, inciting an interjection from Brown calling the entire thing outrageous.

Wyden replied that a pinprick of humor might help this committee from time to time, which I engage in.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Natal (Brazil) (AFP) - Stick-wielding inmates hurled stones and lit fires Thursday in a Brazilian jail where dozens were previously massacred, as authorities struggled to contain a wave of gang violence.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to try to separate two groups of inmates as they fought a pitched battle in the courtyard of the Alcacuz prison, AFP reporters overlooking the facility saw.

Unrest also erupted overnight in the town of Natal near the jail, prompting the government to order the armed forces to deploy to the town.

"The troops will reinforce the patrols in the streets of Natal after the riot in Alcacuz prison," President Michel Temer's office said in a statement.

Globonews television channel showed pictures of injured inmates being evacuated from the jail.

Rioting had also broken out overnight in six towns in the state, a spokesman for local authorities told AFP.

Rioters set on fire 21 buses plus other vehicles and seven people were arrested in that unrest, the spokesman said.

One person died and five were hurt during another prisoner uprising in the nearby town of Caico, he said.

On Wednesday, elite officers entered the Alcacuz prison near the northern city of Natal and transferred 220 inmates to another jail.

In the town, groups allied with the imprisoned gang members "attacked buses in revenge for the decision to separate the prisoners," state governor Robinson Faria said.

"The situation got much worse last night."

The Alcacuz facility was the scene of gruesome violence between two rival gangs last weekend when 26 inmates were massacred, most of them beheaded.

That was the third major mass killing in a Brazilian prison this year.

So far this year 134 people have been killed in prison violence, according to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, citing justice ministry figures.

- Troops intervene -

Authorities are accused of allowing gangs to run the overcrowded jails.

Defense Minister Raul Jungmann called the situation a "national emergency."

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Brazilian police had stormed the Alcacuz prison early Sunday to halt the bloodbath, but were still not in full control four days later.

Rival groups of prisoners remained loose in the courtyard, sheltering behind barricades of mattresses and furniture.

The prison was built for a maximum of 620 inmates but currently houses 1,083, the state justice department said.

Experts say the violence is part of a war between drug gangs battling for control of one of the world's most important cocaine markets and trafficking routes.

Brazil shares borders with Colombia, Bolivia and Peru, the world's three biggest cocaine producers. It is a key route for trafficking the drug to Europe.

At Alcacuz, inmates from the country's biggest gang, the Sao Paulo-based First Capital Command (PCC), faced off against allies of their rivals from the Rio de Janeiro-based Red Command.

The Natal massacre raised fears that the wave of violence could spread across the country -- including to the crime-plagued metropolis of Rio de Janeiro.

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.

After those two riots, Temer announced that the federal government would spend $250 million to build new prisons.
Miami (AFP) - President-elect Donald Trump could enact sweeping changes to environmental policy in the beginning days of his administration, with far-reaching effects both in the United States and around the world, experts say.

Even though the pro-oil Republican billionaire is buoyed by a partisan majority in Congress, he won't need the support of lawmakers for a host of changes he could make by presidential fiat.

But experts admit it is impossible to predict Trump's first steps after his inauguration on Friday.

Even though he declared climate change a "hoax" perpetrated by the Chinese during a speech in 2012, he has since said he was joking. He also told the New York Times that he would keep an open mind to the 2015 Paris climate deal, and that climate change might be influenced by human activity.

A key pledge of his during the campaign was to "cancel" the 2015 Paris accord, but during confirmation hearings this month, his nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, said he felt it was important for the United States to stay at the table.

If Trump does decide to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, which saw more than 190 world leaders agree to lower emissions that lead to global warming, he could do that "on his own," said Michael Burger, executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University.

The process would still take several years.

The new US leader could go even further and pull out of a major international environmental treaty negotiated in 1992, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, "which would be a true disaster," Burger added.

"That framework has been the mechanism through which countries have been seeking to address climate change for over 25 years."

Trump is expected to stop making payments to the Green Climate Fund, which relies on US and foreign aid to help the world's poorest countries address climate change.

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On Tuesday, the State Department announced its second $500 million payment on Tuesday to the fund, as part of a $3 billion pledge made in 2014.

It was the latest in a series of moves made by President Barack Obama's administration in its final weeks to preserve environmental protections, including blocking new leases for oil and gas drilling in sections of the Arctic and Atlantic.

- Friend to fossil fuel -

Another swift action that Trump could take would be granting State Department approval to move ahead with the long-contested transcontinental Keystone XL pipeline, carrying crude oil from Canada to US refineries on the Gulf Coast.

"The only hold-up for the Keystone pipeline was the Obama administration's denial," said Brendan Collins, an environmental lawyer who represents clients in the electric power sector and the oil and gas industry.

Trump's nomination of former ExxonMobil chief Tillerson as secretary of state sent a message that the new administration will be "sympathetic on a fundamental level" to fossil fuel interests, Collins told AFP.

In recent days, Tillerson and other nominees have been grilled by lawmakers about their stances on climate change.

Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt, tapped to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, acknowledged Wednesday that human activity affects climate change, but insisted the extent of that impact remains subject to debate.

Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke, Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Interior, also said climate change is not a hoax.

But their views on global warming may not be the most relevant question, experts say.

"Although Zinke believes in the reality of climate change as a matter of science, he also feels there is room for continued development of fossil fuels on federal lands," Collins said, signaling Trump could end Obama's limits on extraction of minerals, oil and gas.

And Pruitt has sued the very agency he is being asked to lead, in an attempt to undo the "endangerment finding," which states that greenhouse gasses endanger public health and welfare.

"That finding set in motion and authorized a whole slew of regulations around power plants, oil and gas, methane emissions," said Burger.

Pruitt lost that lawsuit, and "President Trump's EPA will be unable to undo that finding. The science doesn't back it up," he said.

- A 'do-nothing approach -

Trump has also vowed to undo "needless and job-killing regulations."

On the whole, environmental regulations are difficult to undo, because they take years of work and public comment to become law.

But Trump may weaken regulations by simply doing nothing, said Burger.

"Doing nothing in this context would mean not enforcing regulations that are put on the books, not requiring state or private entities to do anything about climate change," he said, describing this approach as "a huge risk."

In cases where regulations are caught up in courts, with oil and gas interests suing the US government, the new administration could win if "it simply stopped defending them," added Collins.

One Trump pledge in particular has alarmed environmentalists -- his vow to remove two existing regulations for every new rule put in place.

"If you want to be protected from lead you have to reduce protection from mercury?" asked Alden Meyer, director of policy and strategy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, in a conference call with reporters this week.

"I mean, it is just insane."
By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Shortly after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election in November, Vice President-elect Mike Pence visited the countrys largest manufacturing lobby group, six blocks from the White House, to brainstorm about Trump's legislative agenda. The conversation at the National Association of Manufacturers was friendly, with a lot of "give and take," said Aric Newhouse, NAM's senior vice president of government relations. The business group felt Pence spoke their language and that it would be full-steam ahead on long-sought goals such as simplifying the tax code and repealing Obamacare, President Barack Obamas signature legislation that aimed to extend health insurance to cover more Americans. But over the past week, Trump has sown confusion about some of his legislative aims. He criticized a key element of his Republican Party's tax plan, known as the border adjustment tax. He also seemed to muddy the waters on his promise of repealing Obamacare by calling for healthcare insurance for all. While NAM was not unduly alarmed, the episode highlights the challenge facing Pence, 57, who will serve as chief emissary to Capitol Hill for Trump after the New York businessman is sworn in as the 45th U.S. president on Friday. Pence spent a dozen years as a congressman beginning in 2001, forging a number of personal relationships, especially with conservatives. While he does not have a reputation on the Hill as a deal-maker, lawmakers, Hill aides and lobbyists describe him as affable and a good communicator who is respectful in his dealings with both friend and foe. But the NAM experience shows that Pence's biggest obstacle in striking deals in Congress may be Trump himself. That's because people negotiating with Pence may not always know if he speaks for his boss. Pence and Trump are a study in contrasts. Where Trump is combative and chases the limelight, Pence, most recently governor of Indiana, is even-keeled and calm, a man described by Republicans and Democrats as articulate and upbeat. Few vice presidents in modern U.S. history have occupied the central role in legislative affairs that Pence will have. Former Vice President Dick Cheney cut deals and cajoled lawmakers for President George W. Bush, but Pence's assignment may be broader. In Trump's first 100 days in office, Pence will be "leading the charge" on a number of initiatives in Congress, such as rewriting Obamacare and overhauling the tax code, senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told Reuters. "He has the assurance and the green light to do so from President Trump, Conway said. "He is a major part of every serious conversation and important decision that is made, especially when it comes to the legislative agenda," she said. While Pence certainly appears to be part of Trump's inner circle, its far from clear who is closest to the new president, or whether they will tend to agree with Pence. Even though Republicans control both chambers of Congress, Pence will need plenty of political finesse to rally the party's sometimes unruly rank-and-file lawmakers behind Trump's agenda, once it is more fully fleshed out. From the conservative Tea Party faction to the moderate Republicans, the party remains divided. Many Republicans differ with Trump on issues such as free trade and worry he might be too willing to spend money that could increase budget deficits. 'LIMBAUGH ON DECAF' In his home state of Indiana during the 1990s, Pence honed his communication skills as a talk radio host. But his low-key style stood in stark contrast to many conservative radio hosts. He has called himself "Rush Limbaugh on decaf," referring to the influential right-wing talk show host famous for his flame-throwing statements. Pence, who was raised Catholic and later became an evangelical Christian, would sometimes host Bible studies in his office in the House of Representatives. Texas Representative John Carter attended those meetings and recalled that Pence had a little setup of a radio station there in a reminder of his former career. During Republican President George W. Bush's administration, Pence firmly established himself as a fiscal hawk. He resisted initiatives that he viewed as government overreach, including the 2002 "No Child Left Behind" education reform that emphasized standardized testing as a way of gauging how well schools were doing in raising student performance. Pence's staunch opposition to big government made him one of the "forerunners" to what later became the Tea Party, said Michael Steel, a former spokesman for House Speaker Paul Ryan's predecessor, John Boehner. Republican Senator Jeff Flake, who served in the House with Pence during the 2000s, said the two of them fashioned themselves as self-appointed fiscal watchdogs. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID They kept a close eye on late-night sessions where other lawmakers would seek to get more government spending approved without anyone noticing. "Mike and I would have to wait up all night and rush to the (House) floor and burst through the doors to object to those measures, Flake recounted in an interview. Somebody said at one point when we burst through it looked like the saloon doors in 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,' Flake said, referring to the 1969 film about the two Wild West outlaws. Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, a leading conservative voice, said Pence has been a role model for other Republicans on how to advance conservative principles without being hard-edged. "I always remember the line Pence had: 'I'm a conservative and I'm not mad about it' ... It's a line I've used many times, saying that Mike Pence always used to say that," Jordan said. Pence calls Speaker Ryan, who has struggled with staunch conservatives in his caucus, a close friend. Their ties may help to smooth over some of the tensions that arose between Ryan and Trump during the 2016 campaign. Cultivating Republicans won't be Pence's only job. If Republicans in the House of Representatives can rally around Trump's agenda, Democrats will have few tools to block them. But in the Senate, Democrats can use procedural moves to stop legislation that does not otherwise have support from 60 senators. Republicans control 52 votes in the 100-member chamber. Pence's smooth demeanor will go only so far given his ideological gulf with congressional Democrats. He has raised the ire of Democrats with his outspoken stance against abortion, his work against gay rights, his opposition to measures aimed at womens pay equity in the workplace and his determination to repeal Obamacare. Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, who was part of the House Republican leadership during the mid-2000s, said he expected Pence would stick to his conservative principles, even if they clashed with Trump's. I dont think hed be very effective arguing against his own feelings," Blunt said. "But I think hed be smart enough to go to the president and say, I can be supportive of this because you are the president and I am the vice president, but I am not going to be a good salesman on that particular issue. (Reporting By Susan Cornwell, Richard Cowan, Steve Holland and Julia Edwards Ainsley; Editing by Caren Bohan and Ross Colvin)
By Valerie Volcovici and Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expressed doubt about the science behind global climate change during a contentious Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, but added he would be obliged for now to uphold the EPA's finding carbon dioxide poses a public danger. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, 48, sued the agency he intends to run more than a dozen times on behalf of his state. This earned him strong support from petroleum companies and convinced both his opponents and supporters that he would aggressively carry out Trump's campaign vows to slash EPA regulation to boost drilling and mining. "Science tells us that the climate is changing, and that human activity, in some manner, impacts that change," Pruitt said during the hearing in front of the Environment and Public Works Committee. "The ability to measure with precision the degree and extent of that impact, and what to do about it, are subject to continuing debate and dialogue." Responding to a question from Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Pruitt said he would be obliged as administrator to initially abide by the EPA finding that carbon dioxide and other gases scientists believe contribute to climate change pose a risk to the public. That is a premise for many of the regulations limiting carbon emissions imposed during President Barack Obama's tenure. "There's nothing that I know of that would cause a review at this point," he said. Trump has called climate change a hoax and has promised to refocus the EPA on protecting air and water quality, while scrapping many of Obama's initiatives to curb carbon dioxide emissions. That stance has triggered an international diplomatic backlash and cast a cloud of doubt over the future of a global pact to fight global warming, signed in Paris last year by nearly 200 countries. U.S. government agencies said on Wednesday that world temperatures in 2016 hit a record high for the third year in a row. "Why are folks so concerned?... We're concerned that we won't be fine with the environment," said Democratic Senator Tom Carper of Delaware during the hearing. "That's why you have the kind of concern you're witnessing here today." An overwhelming majority of scientists say the burning of oil, gas and coal is a driver of global climate change, causing sea level rise and more frequent violent storms. INDUSTRY TIES In prepared remarks that were interrupted by protesters shouting "There is no planet B", Pruitt said he would seek to ensure rules imposed by the EPA were effective, but without hurting development. He added that he would seek to give states more authority to regulate their own environmental issues. "Environmental regulations should not occur in an economic vacuum. We can simultaneously pursue the mutual goals of environmental protection and economic growth," he said. For weeks before the hearing, environmental groups campaigned to urge lawmakers to block Pruitt's nomination, saying his litigation as Oklahoma attorney general may have been influenced by energy companies and industry groups that contributed to his election campaigns. Pruitt said during the hearing that he would recuse himself from any ongoing cases against the EPA that he is involved in, if the EPA's ethics commission required him to do so. Among these cases is a multi-state effort to overturn the Clean Power Plan requiring states to cut carbon emissions, a centerpiece of Obama's initiatives to counter climate change. During the hearing, Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon showed a blown-up image of a letter Pruitt sent to the current EPA administrator several years ago opposing regulations limiting emissions from the energy sector. Merkley said it had been written by Oklahoma company Devon Energy . Pruitt responded by saying the letter was not sent on behalf of any one company but on behalf of an entire industry that is important to the state's economy. New Jersey Democratic Senator Corey Booker later asked Pruitt if he had sent similar letters of behalf of Oklahoma citizens affected by pollution, citing statistics showing the major oil and gas producing state has among the highest asthma rates in the country. "Did you even file one lawsuit on behalf of those kids?" Booker later quipped: "There's a pattern of you being on side of polluters, even when it restricts state rights you claim to promote." Republicans on the committee focused their questions on how Pruitt will work to prevent pollution from causing serious public health problems like the lead contamination crisis affecting Flint, Michigan, and criticized the Obama administrations climate regulations. Lawmakers from Midwestern states also asked about his views on biofuels, an important market for corn growers. Pruitt said he would support the U.S. renewable fuels standard, which requires biofuels like ethanol to be blended in gasoline, but said the program needed some tweaks. (Reporting By Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and David Gregorio)
Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump announced Thursday he has nominated former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue to be US secretary of agriculture, completing the president-elect's 15 cabinet selections on the eve of his inauguration.

With his inner circle finalized, Trump's incoming cabinet will feature no Hispanics, the first time since Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 1980s.

Perdue, 70, has considerable political experience, having been a state senator for a decade before serving two terms as governor of an agricultural state whose capital Atlanta is a major business hub.

He also worked as a veterinarian before becoming a small-business owner, and he is a first cousin of US Senator David Perdue.

"From growing up on a farm to being governor of a big agriculture state, he has spent his whole life understanding and solving the challenges our farmers face, and he is going to deliver big results for all Americans who earn their living off the land," Trump said in a statement announcing Sonny Perdue as his pick.

The nomination of Perdue, which requires confirmation by the US Senate, is the final pick for Trump's 16-member cabinet, which includes the vice president -- who was elected in November with Trump -- and the heads of 15 executive departments.

Another former governor, Rick Perry of Texas, has been tapped for the cabinet post of energy secretary, while South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is Trump's pick to be ambassador to the United Nations, a position with cabinet rank.

Out of the 21 cabinet-rank positions already nominated by the president-elect, only four are women. One is black and two are Asian-American.

Incoming press secretary Sean Spicer defended Trump's cabinet makeup against charges he has the largest number of white males in his cabinet in years, describing as "second to none" Trump's diversity in his overall political appointments.

"It's not just about skin color and heritage," Spicer told reporters in Washington.

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"I think that what you're seeing and you're going to continue to see, not just the cabinet but the entire thing, is diversity in gender and diversity in thinking and diversity in ideology."

Spicer also said the new administration has asked over 50 individuals to remain in critical posts in order to "ensure the continuity of government."

They include Brett McGurk, President Barack Obama's pointman in the fight against Islamic State extremists.

But Spicer said the new administration has taken issue with what he described as Democratic efforts to slow walk confirmation efforts of some key Trump cabinet picks.

"There's no excuse for the delay tactics and frankly the partisanship being exhibited by the Democrats," he said. "They are continuing to deploy delay tactic after delay tactic, which isn't good for the government."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he hopes to have members of Trump's national security team confirmed and in place by Inauguration Day Friday.
By Ayesha Rascoe and Julia Edwards Ainsley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump is preparing to sign executive actions on his first day in the White House on Friday to take the opening steps to crack down on immigration, build a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border and roll back outgoing President Barack Obama's policies. Trump, a Republican elected on Nov. 8 to succeed Democrat Obama, arrived in Washington on a military plane with his family a day before he will be sworn in during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. Aides said Trump would not wait to wield one of the most powerful tools of his office, the presidential pen, to sign several executive actions that can be implemented without the input of Congress. "He is committed to not just Day 1, but Day 2, Day 3 of enacting an agenda of real change, and I think that you're going to see that in the days and weeks to come," Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said on Thursday, telling reporters to expect activity on Friday, during the weekend and early next week. Trump plans on Saturday to visit the headquarters of the CIA in Langley, Virginia. He has harshly criticized the agency and its outgoing chief, first questioning the CIA's conclusion that Russia was involved in cyber hacking during the U.S. election campaign, before later accepting the verdict. Trump also likened U.S. intelligence agencies to Nazi Germany. Trump's advisers vetted more than 200 potential executive orders for him to consider signing on healthcare, climate policy, immigration, energy and numerous other issues, but it was not clear how many orders he would initially approve, according to a member of the Trump transition team who was not authorized to talk to the press. Signing off on orders puts Trump, who has presided over a sprawling business empire but has never before held public office, in a familiar place similar to the CEO role that made him famous, and will give him some early victories before he has to turn to the lumbering process of getting Congress to pass bills. The strategy has been used by other presidents, including Obama, in their first few weeks in office. "He wants to show he will take action and not be stifled by Washington gridlock," said Princeton University presidential historian Julian Zelizer. Trump is expected to impose a federal hiring freeze and take steps to delay a Labor Department rule due to take effect in April that would require brokers who give retirement advice to put their clients' best interests first. He also will give official notice he plans to withdraw from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, Spicer said. "I think you will see those happen very shortly," Spicer said. Obama, ending eight years as president, made frequent use of his executive powers during his second term in office, when the Republican-controlled Congress stymied his efforts to overhaul immigration and environmental laws. Many of those actions are now ripe targets for Trump to reverse. BORDER WALL Trump is expected to sign an executive order in his first few days to direct the building of a wall on the southern border with Mexico, and actions to limit the entry of asylum seekers from Latin America, among several immigration-related steps his advisers have recommended. That includes rescinding Obama's order that allowed more than 700,000 people brought into the United States illegally as children to stay in the country on a two-year authorization to work and attend college, according to several people close to the presidential transition team. It is unlikely Trump's order will result in an immediate roundup of these immigrants, sources told Reuters. Rather, he is expected to let the authorizations expire. The issue could set up a confrontation with Obama, who told reporters on Wednesday he would weigh in if he felt the new administration was unfairly targeting those immigrants. Advisers to Trump expect him to put restrictions on people entering the United States from certain countries until a system for "extreme vetting" for Islamist extremists can be set up. During his presidential campaign, Trump proposed banning non-American Muslims from entering the United States, but his executive order regarding immigration is expected to be based on nationality rather than religion. Another proposed executive order would require all Cabinet departments to disclose and pause current work being done in connection with Obama's initiatives to curb carbon emissions to combat climate change. Trump also is expected to extend prohibitions on future lobbying imposed on members of his transition team. 'THE HIGHEST IQ' Washington was turned into a virtual fortress ahead of the inauguration, with police ready to step in to separate protesters from Trump supporters at any sign of unrest. As Obama packed up to leave the White House, Trump and his family laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery and attended a concert at the Lincoln Memorial. Trump spoke earlier to lawmakers and Cabinet nominees at a luncheon in a ballroom at his hotel, down the street from the White House, announcing during brief remarks that he would pick Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets of the National Football League, as U.S. ambassador to Britain. "We have a lot of smart people. I tell you what, one thing we've learned, we have by far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever assembled," Trump said. Trump has selected all 21 members of his Cabinet, along with six other key positions requiring Senate confirmation. The Senate is expected on Friday to vote to confirm retired General James Mattis, Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, and retired General John Kelly, his homeland security choice. Senate Republicans had hoped to confirm as many as seven Cabinet members on Friday, but Democrats balked at the pace. Trump spokesman Spicer accused Senate Democrats of "stalling tactics." Also in place for Monday will be 536 "beachhead team members" at government agencies, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said, a small portion of the thousands of positions Obama's appointees will vacate. Trump has asked 50 Obama staffers in critical posts to stay on until replacements can be found, including Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work and Brett McGurk, envoy to the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State. The list includes Adam Szubin, who has long served in an "acting" capacity in the Treasury Department's top anti-terrorism job because his nomination has been held up by congressional Republicans since Obama named him to the job in April 2015. The Supreme Court said U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts, who will administer the oath of office on Friday, met with Trump on Thursday to discuss inauguration arrangements. (Additional reporting by Steve Holland, David Shepardson, Susan Heavey, David Alexander, Doina Chiacu, Ayesha Rascoe, Ginger Gibson, Mike Stone, Emily Stephenson, David Brunnstrom and Lawrence Hurley; Writing by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Will Dunham and Peter Cooney)
President-elect Donald Trump will keep 50 top aides to President Obama on critical issues like the war on the so-called Islamic State, international sanctions and global counterterrorism efforts, his spokesman announced Thursday.

What weve ensured is that, for the time being, weve got a team in place that will continue to advise him and make sure that the country remains safe and that our priorities will be carried out, incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters.

The group includes Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work, the Pentagons number two; Undersecretary of Political Affairs Thomas Shannon, the State Departments number four; and the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Nicholas Rasmussen.

It also includes Obamas lead aide in the war on ISIS, Brett McGurk, who managed Iraq and Afghanistan under former President George W. Bush. And it comprises Adam Szubin, whom Senate Republicans have refused to confirm as director of Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Also staying on are Assistant Treasury Secretary for Management Kody Kinsley; Susan Coppedge, the top State Department official on combating human trafficking; and the acting head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Chuck Rosenberg. Rosenberg served in several senior roles in Bushs Justice Department, including as chief of staff to then-Deputy Attorney General James Comey, the future FBI director, and adviser to Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Its not uncommon for incoming presidents to temporarily retain officials who served their predecessors in sensitive roles until their successors can be vetted and, if necessary, confirmed by the Senate. Bush retained one of Bill Clintons National Security Council press aides and some senior NSC directors who manage key issues. At least one Clinton NSC official, a career State Department person, served Clinton, then Bush, then Obama.

But the news comes amid reports that Trump is off to a slow start when it comes to enlisting people for key national security posts.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Washington (AFP) - President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to head the US Treasury on Thursday fended off questions about previously undisclosed offshore investment firms and real-estate holdings, as well as his bank's foreclosure practices.

In his confirmation hearing, Wall Street banker and Hollywood financier Steven Mnuchin also defended his leadership of a bank accused of predatory lending and aggressive foreclosure practices.

Mnuchin conceded he had failed to disclose that he was the director of investment funds incorporated in Caribbean tax havens, or to reveal real estate holdings of about $100 million, when making financial disclosures to lawmakers in December.

"My lawyer, who is quite sophisticated in this stuff and has done this for many nominees before, believed that we filled out the form correctly," he told the Senate Finance Committee.

Mnuchin also said his investment firms in the Caribbean enclaves of Anguilla and the Cayman Islands were created to serve clients that were non-profits and pensions.

"These entities were either taxed as US corporations or US partnerships and in no way did I use them whatsoever to avoid any US taxes."

Mnuchin also sought to explain Trump's comment this week that the US dollar was "too strong," which briefly caused the currency to plummet on foreign exchange markets.

"It was not meant to be a long-term comment," Mnuchin said, adding that Trump meant the strength of the dollar in the short-term hurt US exports.

Mnuchin likewise said Trump's threats on Twitter to impose a "border tax" on manufacturers selling foreign-made cars on the US market did were targeted to specific companies.

"He has not suggested an across-the-board border tax," he said.

- Profiting in the housing crisis? -

If confirmed, Mnuchin will take over a US agency with power over taxation, bank regulation, sovereign debt, and policies to combat corruption and terrorism finance.

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Democrats sought to paint Mnuchin, 54, and his Wall Street career as the embodiment of many of the things Trump railed against in his campaign, including Mnuchin's lengthy stint at investment bank Goldman Sachs and OneWest, the bank he co-founded which has been accused of profiting from the 2008 housing crisis.

OneWest, which Mnuchin helped created out of the ashes of the mortgage crisis, secured an agreement for the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission to absorb a large share of the losses from a loan portfolio it inherited from failed predecessor, IndyMac.

Critics have accused the bank of generating profits through improper and aggressive foreclosures. The Treasury Department in 2011 found that OneWest used "unsafe or unsound" practices in mortgage servicing and foreclosure proceedings.

In one case, the bank reportedly foreclosed on an elderly Florida woman after a 27-cent payment error. In a confidential 2013 memo leaked to online publication The Intercept, prosecutors at the California Attorney General's office claimed they found evidence of "widespread misconduct" at the bank.

After an independent review, the OneWest paid a total of $8.5 million in compensation to more than 10,000 customers.

- 'I'm truly sorry' -

But Mnuchin said the bank, which he sold in 2014, took pains to avoid foreclosures, extending loan modifications to more than 100,000 delinquent borrowers.

"I have been maligned as taking advantage of others' hardship in order to earn a buck. Nothing could be further than the truth," Mnuchin said.

Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, said an independent audit found OneWest illegally foreclosed on 54 active-duty military families.

"We unfortunately did foreclose on certain people in the military and it was unfortunate and inappropriate and we responded and made them whole," Mnuchin said.

"To the extent that there were any errors, that is something that I'm truly sorry for."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump plans to visit CIA headquarters on Saturday on his first full day as U.S. president, as he takes command of an agency that he has harshly criticized, a transition official said on Thursday. The visit to Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia, in the Washington suburbs, has a symbolic element, since Trump had questioned the CIA's conclusion that Russia was involved in cyber hacking that interfered with the U.S. election. A senior U.S. intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the purpose of Trumps visit to the CIAs sprawling campus was to swear in U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo, a Kansas Republican, as the spy agencys new chief. However, that plan, will depend on whether Pompeo receives Senate confirmation by then, and it was uncertain whether the Senate would act in time. The Senates Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, said that "there are a good number of members" who want to make statements about Pompeo or ask him questions, and he predicted a vote on Monday if it did not take place Friday. Trump has since accepted the verdict of Russia's involvement. But he raised hackles among intelligence professionals earlier this month when he accused them of leaks that led some U.S. media outlets to report unsubstantiated claims that Russia had collected compromising information about him. Trump had accused U.S. intelligence agencies of engaging in tactics reminiscent of Nazi Germany. After that blast, outgoing CIA Director John Brennan fired back on Fox News Sunday, saying Trump "has to be mindful that he does not have a full appreciation and understanding of what the implications are of going down that road." (Reporting by Steve Holland and Jonathan S. Landay; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Washington (AFP) - US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday nominated former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue to be his agriculture secretary, rounding out his cabinet picks.

For the first time since Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 1980s, the cabinet will feature no Hispanics, if all of Trump's nominees are confirmed.

The following is a list of key cabinet and other nominations made by Trump, who takes office on Friday.

- Cabinet -

State: Rex Tillerson, 64

The silver-haired president and CEO of ExxonMobil, who has never worked in government, could face a difficult confirmation battle due to his close ties to Russia's Vladimir Putin. Tillerson has spent his entire career at Exxon, working his way up from being a production engineer to running the massive company.

Treasury: Steven Mnuchin, 54

The Wall Street veteran was a partner at Goldman Sachs before he launched an investment fund backed by Democratic Party supporter George Soros and financed Hollywood blockbusters like "Avatar" and "Suicide Squad."

Defense: James Mattis, 66

A retired four star Marine general, Mattis commanded US forces in the Middle East and Southwest Asia from 2010 to 2013, capping a career as a combat commander that earned him the nickname "Mad Dog." A scholar of warfare, he is said to have a particular interest in the challenge posed by Iran. To become secretary of defense, Mattis needs a congressional waiver from a law that bars generals from serving as defense secretary for seven years after leaving active duty.

Attorney General: Jeff Sessions, 70

One of Trump's earliest campaign supporters, the anti-immigration senator from Alabama has a much criticized record on race relations and was once denied a judgeship amid concerns over past comments about African Americans. The attorney general heads the department of justice.

Homeland Security: John Kelly, 66

The retired Marine general most recently led the US Southern Command, which covers US military operations in Central and South America. He is expected to be very tough on illegal immigration and the illicit drugs trade. He also has been shaped by the death of his son, a Marine, in Afghanistan in 2010.

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Commerce: Wilbur Ross, 79

A US investor and billionaire, Ross is best known for buying failing steel and coal firms and selling them for profit. He was once known as the "king of bankruptcy" for his history of investing in such businesses.

Education: Betsy DeVos, 59

A wealthy activist and Republican megadonor from Michigan, DeVos is a champion of alternatives to local government schools, backing a movement that advocates the use of tax credits and vouchers to allow parents to opt out of the public school system.

Energy: Rick Perry, 66

The former Texas governor, a onetime rival of Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, once vowed to eliminate the department he has now been asked to run. Perry, a US Air Force veteran who grew up in a farming family, took part this autumn in the latest season of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."

Health and Human Services: Tom Price, 62

The Georgia lawmaker and former orthopedic surgeon is a robust critic of President Barack Obama's signature health care reform law, the Affordable Care Act, which has provided health coverage to 20 million Americans.

Housing and Urban Development: Ben Carson, 65

The retired neurosurgeon and onetime rival to Trump for the Republican presidential nomination is so far the only African American named to Trump's cabinet. The religious conservative with no experience in elective office, who grew up poor in Detroit, will be tasked with turning around America's troubled inner cities.

Interior: Ryan Zinke, 55

The fifth-generation Montana native and former Navy SEAL currently serves as a congressman, with a spot on the House Committee on Natural Resources. In nominating him, Trump said Zinke supports the "multiple-use" management of federal lands for economic, recreational and conservational purposes.

Labor: Andrew Puzder, 66

The chief executive of CKE Restaurants, which owns fast food chains Carl's Jr and Hardee's, is opposed to raising the national minimum wage. He also backs the increasing use of automated technology to keep labor costs down.

Transportation: Elaine Chao, 63

The Taiwan-born Chao served as deputy secretary of transportation in the 1980s, and was later US labor secretary under president George W. Bush. She is the first Asian-American woman to serve in a presidential cabinet and is the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Agriculture: Sonny Perdue, 70

Perdue, the former governor of Georgia, is a veterinarian by training who was a small business owner and also spent a decade as a state senator.

Veterans Affairs: David J. Shulkin, 57

Shulkin is the only cabinet holdover from the current administration, in which he serves as undersecretary of health for the Department of Veterans Affairs. He previously worked as chief medical officer of the University of Pennsylvania health system.

- Top positions with Cabinet-rank status -

White House Chief of Staff: Reince Priebus, 44

Head of the Republican National Committee, Priebus is a seasoned political operative who can build bridges between Trump and a skittish Republican leadership, particularly House Speaker Paul Ryan, a longtime ally.

Environmental Protection Agency: Scott Pruitt, 48

The attorney general for the state of Oklahoma is a known climate change skeptic and an ally of the fossil fuel industry. Before accepting the nomination, Pruitt spent much time battling the agency he is tapped to lead.

Ambassador to the United Nations: Nikki Haley, 44

As South Carolina's governor, Haley rose to prominence when she led efforts for the divisive Confederate flag to be pulled from the state's capitol following a 2015 massacre at a historic black church in Charleston. The daughter of Indian immigrants was sharply critical of Trump during the election campaign.

Small Business Administration: Linda McMahon, 68

The wrestling tycoon and two-time Republican candidate for the US Senate from Connecticut, will now be responsible for supporting America's 28 million small businesses, which employ around half the country's private-sector workforce.

- Key non-cabinet positions -

Chief Strategist: Steve Bannon, 63

A key figure in Trump's victorious election campaign, Bannon served as executive chairman of conservative news platform Breitbart, a favorite news source of the so-called "alt-right," an offshoot conservative movement that embraces a mixture of populism, racism and white nationalism. His appointment, which does not require Senate confirmation, has been controversial.

National Security Advisor: Michael Flynn, 57

A top military counsel to Trump, the retired three-star general, a veteran of America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has courted controversy with extreme statements that critics say border on Islamophobia, but has taken a more flexible line on Russia and China. The national security advisor is not formally part of the cabinet but is usually one of the president's most influential advisors.

CIA Director: Mike Pompeo, 52

A strident critic of the Iran nuclear deal, the hawkish Kansas congressman was elected in 2010 to the House of Representatives, where he was a member of the hardline Tea Party faction and one of the leaders of the controversial Benghazi Committee that targeted Trump's Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton.

White House Counsel: Donald McGahn, late 40s

A former commissioner and chairman of the Federal Election Commission, McGahn represents "elected officials, candidates, national state parties, political consultants, and others on political law issues," as a partner at the Jones Day law firm in Washington.
Istanbul (AFP) - For many in Turkey, the 10 years that have passed since Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was murdered in broad daylight have not lessened the pain.

"Whenever I pass through this street, I am trembling. It's very painful. How dare they kill such people?" Turkan Arslan told AFP on the street where Dink was killed by an ultranationalist outside the offices of his Agos newspaper in Istanbul.

Ogun Samast, then a 17-year-old jobless high-school dropout, confessed to the murder and was sentenced in 2011 to almost 23 years in jail.

However, mystery lingers over who orchestrated the killing, which sent shockwaves through Turkey and became a scandal after it emerged that the security forces had known of the plot but failed to act.

Arslan joined thousands of people including Dink's wife Rakel and his colleagues who turned out to pay tribute to the journalist who founded the bilingual newspaper.

"It looks like the perpetrator of this murder was the state, at all levels," said Rakel, whose speech was interrupted by the crowds shouting: "The murderer state will be brought to account!"

"This case is one of the keys to Turkey's democratisation," she declared.

Under the grey sky, a huge banner with a picture of Dink and the words: "We've been missing you for 10 years" hung from the building that housed the Agos offices.

"We are all Hrant, we are all Armenians" the crowds shouted, some people laying red and white carnations on the street where he was gunned down.

A tense atmosphere still pervades Istanbul, a metropolis that has been hit by multiple terror attacks including a shooting at a nightclub just 75 minutes into New Year as well as the July coup bid.

- 'His words still echo' -

Dink had campaigned for reconciliation between Turks and Armenians.

Relations between the two countries are dominated by the massacres and deportations from 1915 of the Ottoman Empire's Armenians in Anatolia at the height of World War 1.

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Armenians consider the killings a genocide. But for Ankara the word is an anathema, especially as the Ottoman Empire, with the sultan by then a figurehead, was run by a trio of pashas still regarded by many in Turkey as heroes.

Yetvart Danzikyan, who holds Dink's former job of Agos editor-in-chief, said: "We are still feeling his absence but we know that his words are still echoing."

Asli Erdogan, one of Turkey's celebrated novelists who was released from jail last month after being held on charges of terror propaganda, said: "It is a luxury to talk about justice in this country."

"But we are still here 10 years on. We will also be here 20 years later. Maybe it is the only justice that we are here," she told AFP.

But Arslan said she was optimistic that justice would be served in Dink's case.

Although his assassin was rapidly arrested and sentenced, dozens of former public officials, including former police chiefs, have been on trial on charges of negligence over the killing, with Dink's supporters losing confidence on the ability of Turkey's justice system to shed light on the plot.

"There is the sun rising after every dark day... The sun will rise again," Arslan said. "One Hrant is gone, one thousand Hrants will come."
Ankara (AFP) - At least two Turkish MPs were injured Thursday as brawls erupted in parliament between supporters and critics of a constitutional reform bill boosting the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reports said.

Those hurt included a deputy from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) opposition party and one from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), according to Turkish media.

Pictures showed the two women being carried away on stretchers from the parliament, which is debating a second reading of the controversial bill.

The scuffle broke out after an independent lawmaker, Aylin Nazliaka, handcuffed herself to the microphone on the platform at the front of the hemicycle for over an hour to protest the reform bill.

"I am chaining myself to the lectern to say no to the diktat of one man, to oppose the annulment of republican values and protest against parliament being handcuffed with this constitutional revision," she said.

AKP deputies tried to remove her, but MPs from the opposition HDP and Republican People's Party (CHP) sprang to her defence, and punches and kicks were exchanged, according to Turkish media.

One CHP deputy in a wheelchair, Safak Pavey, who has a prosthetic arm and leg, was thrown to the floor before being helped out by her colleagues, the Hurriyet daily reported.

"They attacked us, it was like they lost their heads. This attack shows what awaits us once the (reform of) the constitution is passed," said Pavey, cited by the newspaper.

The proposed changes, which will create an executive presidency for the first time in modern Turkey, are controversial and far-reaching.

The president will have the power to appoint and fire ministers, while the post of prime minister will be abolished for the first time in Turkey's history and replaced by single or multiple vice presidents.

Erdogan's supporters say the plans would simply bring Turkey into line with countries like France or the United States, and are necessary for effective government and to avoid the need for fragile coalition governments.
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey moved closer to adopting a new constitutional bill extending President Tayyip Erdogan's powers that supporters welcome as a guarantor of stability at a time of turmoil and opponents see as a step toward an authoritarian state. Parliament ratified the first seven of 18 articles in a second round of voting, putting the assembly on track to approve the package as a whole by Friday night. Under the new system, Erdogan could rule in the NATO-member and European Union candidate country until 2029. As debate on the reforms went late into the evening, an independent lawmaker, Aylin Nazliaka, handcuffed herself to the podium in protest against the stronger presidency. A lawmaker from the ruling AK Party attempted to end the protest by force and deputies from other parties then weighed in, one losing her prosthetic arm in the fracas, witnesses said. The AK Party, backed by the nationalist MHP, says it will bring the strong leadership needed to prevent a return to the fragile coalition governments of the past. It would also, they say, help Turkey tackle attacks by Kurdish insurgents and Islamic State militants spilling over from war in Syria. The reform would enable the president to issue decrees, declare emergency rule, appoint ministers and top state officials and dissolve parliament - powers that the two main opposition parties say strip away balances to Erdogan's power. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim was cited as telling Turkey's Fox TV: "In the presidential period, when ministers will be appointed from outside, people from and close to the MHP could be appointed as ministers." MASS ARRESTS Erdogan assumed the presidency, a largely ceremonial position, in 2014 after over a decade as prime minister. Since then, pushing his powers to the limit, he has continued to dominate politics by dint of his personal popularity. Critics accuse him of increasing authoritarianism with the arrests and dismissal of tens of thousands of judges, police, military officers, journalists and academics since a failed military coup in July. Erdogan points to a danger from Islamic State militants and Kurdish insurgents. The seven articles approved lower the minimum age to be a lawmaker to 18 from 25, raise the number of MPs to 600 from 550 and will result in parliamentary and presidential elections being held together every five years. The seventh article opens the way for the president to be a member of a political party. The main opposition CHP and the pro-Kurdish HDP, the second largest opposition party, strongly oppose the changes. The bill needs the support of at least 330 deputies in the assembly to go to a referendum. The AKP has 316 deputies eligible to vote and the MHP 39. So far, articles have generally been approved with at least 340 votes in favor. A study by Istanbul's Kadir Has University showed the presidency was rated as Turkey's most trusted institution, outstripping the army, which normally tops such surveys but whose popularity has fallen after a failed coup in July. (Reporting by Gulsen Solaker and Ercan Gurses; Writing by Daren Butler and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Ralph Boulton and Janet Lawrence)
By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - The federal appeals court in Chicago dealt that city a setback in its effort to control guns, declaring unconstitutional two zoning restrictions governing shooting ranges and a requirement that people be at least 18 years old to enter ranges.

A three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday said Chicago violated the Second Amendment by restricting gun ranges to manufacturing areas, and banning them from close proximity to residential areas, schools, places of worship and other gun ranges.

It said Chicago failed to justify its "extraordinarily broad" claim that minors could not enter gun ranges, and that teenagers can be taught to shoot guns safely.

Chicago has struggled to control gun violence that last year contributed to its highest murder rate in two decades.

The city of 2.7 million had 762 murders in 2016, more than twice as many as New York City, despite having less than one-third of that city's population.

A spokeswoman for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel had no immediate comment on Thursday, including on whether an appeal is planned.

In court papers, Chicago called gun violence a "serious public health and safety problem with both social and economic consequences." It said gun ranges could attract thieves, as well as threaten lead contamination, noise pollution and fire.

Writing for the appeals court, however, Circuit Judge Diane Sykes said the city provided no evidence to back up such claims, something even its own witnesses acknowledged.

While preventing crime, protecting the environment and preventing fire were "important public concerns," Sykes said Chicago could not simply "invoke these interests as a general matter and call it a day."

The judge said Chicago could still craft a narrower age restriction to let properly supervised teenagers and older adolescents learn how to shoot at gun ranges.

Circuit Judge Ilana Rovner partially dissented, saying she would have upheld the distancing requirement. A lower court judge had upheld the distancing and age requirements.

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President-elect Donald Trump last year included Sykes on a list of candidates he might nominate to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Chicago had adopted a gun range ban after the Supreme Court in 2010 struck down a city law prohibiting handgun possession.

The 7th Circuit later struck down the ban, leading the city to adopt the regulations discussed in Wednesday's decision, and which gun rights advocates opposed.

The case is Ezell et al v. Chicago, 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Nos. 14-3312, 14-3322.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York)
By Timothy Mclaughlin

(Reuters) - The U.S. Army on Wednesday began the process of launching an environmental study of the Dakota Access pipeline crossing in North Dakota, a move that has been challenged by the company constructing the controversial project.

The Army said on Wednesday it is gathering information to prepare an environmental impact statement regarding an easement to cross at Lake Oahe, a water source upstream from the Standing Rock Sioux reservation that has been the focus of months of fierce protests because of fears the pipeline could damage drinking water and desecrate sacred grounds.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in December denied Energy Transfer Partners an easement to drill under the lake.

The Army announcement coincides with demonstrators renewing opposition to the $3.8 billion project, with arrests this week bringing the total to more than 600, according to law enforcement.

Energy Transfer Partners requested on Monday that a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia stop the Corps from initiating the environmental impact statement process until there is a ruling on whether the company already has necessary approvals for the pipeline crossing.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg denied the motion at a hearing on Wednesday, according to online court documents.

In July 2015, the Corps granted Energy Transfer Partners permission for its proposed pipeline crossing at Lake Oahe.

For months, Native Americans and environmental activists have been protesting the pipeline, garnering support from celebrities and on social media.

Following the Army Corp's December announcement, the Standing Rock Sioux asked demonstrators to disperse and many did. However, some have remained.

Sixteen people were arrested on Monday and Tuesday for a number of offenses, including engaging in a riot and assault on a peace officer, bringing the total number of arrests to 603 since Aug. 10 which was around the time the protests began, according to Maxine Herr, a spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriff's Department.

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The department is hoping that President-elect Donald Trump will deploy federal help to law enforcement managing protesters.

"When Trump takes office we foresee a significant change in terms of federal assistance," Herr said.

The North Dakota National Guard had deployed a missile defense system to the area near the protest site, but it was unarmed and being used only for observation purposes, said Amber Balken, a spokeswoman for the North Dakota National Guard.

The Avenger missile system had been in place for a "few weeks," but would be removed Wednesday, Balken said.

(Reporting by Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Grant McCool)
By Joshua Schneyer and M.B. Pell NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cities and towns across the United States are taking action after a Reuters report identified thousands of communities where children tested with lead poisoning at higher rates than in Flint, Michigan. From California to Pennsylvania, local leaders, health officials and researchers are advancing measures to protect children from the toxic threat. They include more blood-lead screening, property inspections, hazard abatement and community outreach programs. The University of Notre Dame is offering a graduate course to study and combat local poisoning problems the report helped bring to light. "This has just laid out that it's not just a Detroit issue, it's not just a Baltimore issue," said Ruth Ann Norton, president of Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, a Baltimore-based nonprofit. "This started conversations with mayors and governors." In an investigation last month, the news agency used census tract and zip code-level data from millions of childhood blood tests to identify nearly 3,000 U.S. communities with recently recorded lead poisoning rates at least double those in Flint. More than 1,100 of these neighborhoods had a rate of elevated blood tests at least four times higher than in Flint. A Reuters interactive map, built with previously unpublished data, allowed users to track local poisoning rates across much of the country for the first time. In many areas, residents and officials weren't previously aware of the scope of local children's exposure. The poisoning hazards include deteriorating lead paint, tainted soil and contaminated water. To read the December investigation and use the map, click here: http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-lead-testing/ Flint's lead poisoning is no aberration, Reuters found, but one example of a preventable health crisis that continues in hazardous spots in much of the country. Lead poisoning stunts children's cognitive development, and no level of exposure is considered safe. Though abatement efforts have made remarkable progress in curbing exposure since the 1970s, children remain at risk in thousands of neighborhoods. In South Bend, Indiana, for instance, the data showed several hotspots. In one tract, 31.3 percent of small children tested since 2005 had blood lead levels at or above 5 micrograms per deciliter, the Center for Disease Control and Preventions current threshold for elevated levels in children under age 6. Children at or above this threshold warrant a public health response, the CDC says. (GRAPHIC: http://tmsnrt.rs/2iSFqm1) Across Flint, 5 percent of children tested had high levels during the peak of the city's water contamination crisis. After Reuters published its findings, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg held a press conference with county health officials to address local poisoning. Several actions followed: - County health officials have begun a surveillance effort to track childhood blood-lead testing, encouraging more screening. - Officials plan to press for an Environmental Protection Agency grant to boost environmental testing and lead abatement. - Notre Dame is offering a semester-long graduate level class for students to research the local poisoning problem and assist health officials. A summer research program, "Get the Lead Out," will send students into homes to measure lead in paint, dust, soil and water and inform families about risks. These programs will help pay for hundreds more childhood blood lead tests, after testing stalled due to funding shortfalls. "Everything has moved into fast-forward pace here since your story," said Heidi Beidinger-Burnett, a county health board member and professor at Notre Dames Eck Institute for Global Health. "We are acting with a sense of urgency because kids here depend on it." Other officials in Indiana are exploring additional measures to protect children. State Senator Jean Breaux introduced a bill this week to compel the state health department to double blood lead screening rates among Indiana children enrolled in Medicaid. The screenings are required for Medicaid-enrolled children, but major testing gaps remain. CALIFORNIA REACTS In Oakland, California, 7.57 percent of children tested in the Fruitvale neighborhood had high lead levels, a result largely of old lead paint or tainted soil. Two Oakland council members introduced a city resolution Jan. 12 that, if approved, will require property owners to obtain lead inspections and safety certifications before renting or selling housing built before 1978, when lead paint was banned. Oakland would also provide families in older homes with lead safety materials, and urge more blood screening. "We need to address that issue, that's the bottom line," said councilman Noel Gallo, who grew up in Fruitvale. Larry Brooks, director of Alameda County's Healthy Homes Department, wrote in a San Francisco Chronicle editorial that "Oakland has thousands of lead-poisoned children." Before the Reuters report, he added, "whispers about potential lead poisoning in Oakland were dismissed as an 'East Coast phenomenon' or a crisis contained to Flint." The Reuters analysis found high poisoning rates in spots across Texas, where the office of Austin City Council member Delia Garza said she may use the information to press for more aggressive lead abatement measures. City officials are urging the state health department to release more blood testing data. Local data can detect clusters of poisoned children who remain hidden in the broader surveys states usually publish. The news agency obtained local data covering 21 states, and about 61 percent of the U.S. population, through public records requests. In the Dallas area, clean air advocacy group Downwinders at Risk is holding an event to address lingering hazards, including shuttered lead smelters. The group cited Reuters' work, which helped to identify Dallas areas with high poisoning rates.(GRAPHIC: http://tmsnrt.rs/2iSLxqj) "Having five to six times the national average of high blood lead readings in a zip (code) just south of downtown certainly has been getting people's attention," said group director Jim Schermbeck. In St. Joseph, Missouri, where testing data showed at least 120 small children have been poisoned within a 15-block radius since 2010, the city manager convened department heads to address the problem. (GRAPHIC: http://tmsnrt.rs/2iSzl93) Pennsylvania had the most census tracts where at least 10 percent of children tested high for lead. In Warren, where the rate was as high as 36 percent, the city manager said she's considering distributing home-testing kits to families. County officials will meet to consider several additional measures, including boosting blood screening and increasing funding for prevention. (GRAPHIC: http://tmsnrt.rs/2iSBOk0) County Commissioner Jeff Eggleston said he wasn't aware of the full scope of poisoning in Warren until the Reuters report. It hit close to home. A few years ago, Eggleston said, his infant son was poisoned by lead. (Reporting by Joshua Schneyer and M.B. Pell. Editing by Ronnie Greene)
By Matt Spetalnick and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States sent four more detainees from the Guantanamo Bay military prison to two other countries on Thursday, marking President Barack Obama's final prisoner transfers from a facility whose continued existence he said would be judged harshly by history. With Republican Donald Trump to be sworn in as president on Friday and vowing to keep the prison open, Democrat Obama whittled down the inmate population there to only 41, far short of fulfilling his promise to close the jail dating back to his 2008 presidential campaign. In a parting shot on an issue seen tarnishing his legacy, Obama said U.S. lawmakers who have thwarted his efforts to shut the prison at the U.S. naval base in Cuba "have abdicated their responsibility to the American people." "History will cast a harsh judgment on this aspect of our fight against terrorism and those of us who fail to bring it to a responsible end," he said in a letter to the Republican-controlled Congress. "Once again, I encourage the Congress to close the facility." Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said: "We are extremely concerned that President-elect Trump will make good on his threat to subject more people to indefinite detention without charge or trial. The offshore prison was opened by Obama's predecessor George W. Bush to hold terrorism suspects rounded up overseas after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Under Bush, it came to symbolize harsh detention practices that opened the United States to accusations of torture. The latest transfers completed a final flurry in the waning days of Obama's eight-year tenure. U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said four prisoners had departed but they did not identify the two countries. The White House declined comment. Other officials had earlier told Reuters the United Arab Emirates would be among the places taking Guantanamo inmates. Saudi Arabia and Oman have taken 14 detainees in recent weeks. Trump said during the election campaign that he not only wants to keep the prison open but "load it up with some bad dudes." Obama pressed ahead, however, moving out most of the prisoners on a list of low-level detainees deemed by parole-style inter-agency reviews to be safe for transfer. There were 242 prisoners when he took office. His efforts were blocked by mostly Republican opposition in Congress, which barred him from moving prisoners to the U.S. mainland. Pentagon foot-dragging has also been blamed. Obama lamented that his opponents had "placed politics above the ongoing costs to taxpayers, our relationships with our allies and the threat posed to U.S. national security." Trump said this month that all those held at Guantanamo should stay. "These are extremely dangerous people and should not be allowed back onto the battlefield," he tweeted. However, the Obama administration has insisted that intelligence shows only a very small percentage of the prisoners it has released have returned to militant activities. Of the 41 prisoners left, 10 face charges in military commissions, including people accused of plotting the Sept. 11 attacks. About two dozen have not been charged but have been deemed too dangerous to release. A handful of inmates previously cleared for transfer will remain after the administration was unable to make arrangements in time for relocation. Lawyers for two of those detainees, an Algerian and a Moroccan, mounted last-ditch court challenges seeking their repatriation but the Justice Department objected. (Reporting by Matt Spetalnick and Idrees Ali; Editing by Grant McCool and James Dalgleish)
By Matt Spetalnick and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States sent four detainees from the Guantanamo Bay military prison to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Thursday, marking President Barack Obama's final prisoner transfers from a facility whose continued existence he said would be judged harshly by history. With Republican Donald Trump to be sworn in as president on Friday and vowing to keep the prison open, Democrat Obama whittled down the inmate population there to only 41, far short of fulfilling his promise to close the jail dating back to his 2008 presidential campaign. In a parting shot on an issue seen tarnishing his legacy, Obama said U.S. lawmakers who have thwarted his efforts to shut the prison at the U.S. naval base in Cuba "have abdicated their responsibility to the American people." "History will cast a harsh judgment on this aspect of our fight against terrorism and those of us who fail to bring it to a responsible end," he said in a letter to the Republican-controlled Congress. "Once again, I encourage the Congress to close the facility." Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said: "We are extremely concerned that President-elect Trump will make good on his threat to subject more people to indefinite detention without charge or trial. The offshore prison was opened by Obama's predecessor George W. Bush to hold terrorism suspects rounded up overseas after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Under Bush, it came to symbolize harsh detention practices that opened the United States to accusations of torture. The latest transfers included three detainees sent to the UAE, including the last Russian held at the prison, and an Afghan and a Yemeni, U.S. officials said. A Saudi prisoner was sent home. It marked the completion of Obama's final flurry of releases. Trump said during the election campaign that he not only wants to keep the prison open but "load it up with some bad dudes." Obama pressed ahead, however, moving out most of the prisoners on a list of low-level detainees deemed by parole-style inter-agency reviews to be safe for transfer. There were 242 prisoners when he took office. His efforts were blocked by mostly Republican opposition in Congress, which barred him from moving prisoners to the U.S. mainland. Pentagon foot-dragging has also been blamed. Obama lamented that his opponents had "placed politics above the ongoing costs to taxpayers, our relationships with our allies and the threat posed to U.S. national security." Trump said this month that all those held at Guantanamo should stay. "These are extremely dangerous people and should not be allowed back onto the battlefield," he tweeted. However, the Obama administration has insisted that intelligence shows only a very small percentage of the prisoners it has released have returned to militant activities. Among the three sent to the UAE was Ravil Mingazov, reported to be an ethnic Tatar and Russian army veteran captured in Pakistan in 2002. Also sent to UAE were Haji Wali Muhammed and Yassim Qasim Mohammed Ismail Qasim, while Jabran al Qahtani was flown to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said. Of the prisoners left at Guantanamo, 10 face charges in military commissions, including people accused of plotting the Sept. 11 attacks. About two dozen have not been charged but have been deemed too dangerous to release. A handful of inmates previously cleared for transfer will remain after the administration was unable to make arrangements in time for relocation. Lawyers for two of those detainees, an Algerian and a Moroccan, mounted last-ditch court challenges seeking their repatriation but the Justice Department objected. (Reporting by Matt Spetalnick and Idrees Ali; editing by Grant McCool and James Dalgleish)
By Elias Biryabarema KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda has detained more than 100 former M23 rebels trying to return to neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, breaking a deal to demobilize after their defeat in 2013, the government said on Thursday. The former fighters, who had been staying in Ugandan camps after years of fighting in chaotic eastern Congo, were picked up in west Uganda in the region of Mbarara as they tried to sneak into Congo in disguise, the government spokesman said. Congo's government reported the rebel moves last week amid mounting opposition to Congolese President Joseph Kabila, who has decided to stay in office beyond his mandate that expired last month. Protests have raise fears of a civil war. "The Uganda Security intercepted four vehicles at Mbarara that were carrying 101 former M23 combatants who were traveling on their way to Democratic Republic of Congo," spokesman Ofwono Opondo said in a statement. He said the former fighters had been detained after they were caught trying to disguise who they were, adding that the ex-rebels were violating a deal reached in 2014 for them to stay in the Ugandan camps. Uganda was initially dismissive, with a minister telling Reuters this week he didn't know or care if the rebels went missing. Thursday's statement was Uganda's first confirmation of the movement. "That confirms the information that we had since three days ago," said Congo's Foreign Minister Leonard She Okitundu. "For us, its a good thing. It shows that the Ugandan government is willing to cooperate with Congo to avoid any armed incursions." Opondo said 270 former M23 fighters were still at Bihanga Barracks in Uganda, but added that a separate group of 40 had escaped a week ago and their whereabouts was still unclear. The rebels had been in camps for demobilized fighters in Uganda following their defeat. Formerly, the M23 was the largest of dozens of armed groups in the country and controlled huge swaths of Congo's mining heartland in the east. (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Additional reporting by William Clowes in Kinshasa; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Tom Heneghan and Dominic Evans)
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution Thursday expressing "full support" to Gambia's new President Adama Barrow and calling on ex-leader Yahya Jammeh to step down, condemning "in the strongest terms possible" his attempts to usurp power.

In a last-minute revision to the resolution, after Barrow took the oath of office shortly before the vote, the council backed efforts by the regional bloc ECOWAS to ensure that the new president's election victory on Dec. 1 is respected, using "political means first."

An initial reference to ECOWAS' use of "all necessary measures"  U.N. language for military force  in the draft circulated by Gambia's neighbor Senegal was dropped earlier. Instead, the reference to solving the crisis by peaceful political means was added because some members including Russia, Egypt and Bolivia objected to any reference to support for military action.

Russia's deputy ambassador Petr Iliichev said Moscow supported the resolution because it wants to promote a peaceful transition of power, "avoid bloodshed and further destabilization," and back ECOWAS' efforts to find a way out of the current impasse through peaceful means.

Iliichev told reporters that if diplomacy fails, Barrow can request military or other assistance.

Britain's deputy U.N. ambassador Peter Wilson expressed hope for a peaceful resolution but said "it's very clear that if president Barrow asks for assistance, then that's something as the legitimate president of Gambia he's perfectly entitled to do."

The United States and others called on all parties, especially Gambia's military, to press for peace, exercise restraint and avoid bloodshed.

Looking at the wider impact of the Gambia crisis, Italy's U.N. Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi said it shows "that there can be no longer any space for those who ignore the legitimate will of the people in West Africa."

Ethiopia's U.N. Ambassador Tekeda Alemu warned that the crisis "will have consequences for the region."

"We are seeing how things are quickly deteriorating," he said, "and for this very reason every possible effort has to be made to make sure that this country does not descend into chaos."
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used his first address at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday to push for a new partnership with business to help fight climate change and reduce poverty.

Guterres took over from Ban Ki-moon on January 1 with an ambitious plan to reform the United Nations at a time when it is struggling to raise funds for its humanitarian work and to address global crises.

The UN chief singled out business as the "best allies" to shield the Paris climate deal from "the possibility of less supportive action of some governments", in a veiled reference to US President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump, who takes office on Friday, has expressed skepticism about climate change, raising fears that he will withdraw the United States from the Paris deal on combating global warming.

"I would say that the best allies of all those who want to make sure that the Paris agreements are implemented, the best allies today in the world are probably in the business sector and it is very important to fully mobilize them," Guterres said.

Businesses are leading the way by investing heavily in the new green economy, he argued, putting their money behind the Paris agreement's goal of moving the world away from fossil fuels.

The former Portuguese prime minister, who lead the UN refugee agency for a decade, described an "alignment" between business and the "strategic goals of the international community."

The United Nations is pushing a new development agenda that calls for the end of extreme poverty by 2030, along with improving education, health and the environment worldwide.

The so-called Agenda 2030, however, will require trillions of dollars in investments from governments, aid donors and businesses.

In his pitch for private sector support, Guterres said that implementing Agenda 2030 could generate 30 billion dollars per year in returns on investment.

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"I believe that there is now an opportunity for a new platform of partnership, at a higher level," he told the gathering of the world's elite.

This partnership could help the United Nations push its new development agenda and address challenges in the future, he said.

Guterres cited genetic engineering, artificial intelligence and cyber-space as examples, arguing that cooperation with business could "allow for a fantastic increase in the well-being of people".
Geneva (AFP) - The United Nations said two days of expert-level talks on the possible reunification of Cyprus had ended Thursday, describing them as a success but without disclosing any details.

The UN-backed negotiations in the alpine resort town of Mont Pelerin included Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot representatives as well as officials from Ankara, Athens and former colonial power Britain.

Those parties were also in Geneva last week trying to reach a deal to end one of the world's longest running political crises.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

"The working group, established during the high-level meeting in Geneva on January 12, successfully completed the mandate entrusted to it by the conference," said a statement from the UN Secretary General's mission in Cyprus on the expert-level talks.

That included "identifying specific questions related to the issue of security and guarantees and the instruments needed to address them," it said.

"The participants agreed not to disclose details about their discussion, as the proceedings of the conference have not yet concluded," noting that the talks were held in a "positive spirit".

Earlier Thursday, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said if Turkey and the island's minority Turkish Cypriots want a solution, "there can neither be occupation troops nor guarantees."

Pavlopoulos was speaking after meeting in Nicosia with his Cyprus counterpart Nicos Anastasiades, the Greek Cypriot leader.

Anastasiades, whose country has been an EU member since 2004, said: "Our common goal is to finally achieve a solution that is fully compatible with the European acquis (EU legislation) without the need to have any third country as a guarantor or troops of any country staying to protect supposedly one or the other community."
Mexican law enforcement officials are investigating the origin of the .22 caliber pistol used in a school shooting that killed one person and left four injured in the northwestern city of Monterrey, in what the countrys media have deemed an unprecedented attack in scale.

Three people are still in critical condition, and the fifteen-year-old male shooter turned his gun on himself after opening fire at the school on Wednesday.

Aldo Fasci, the spokesperson for the state of Nuevo Leons secretariat of public safety, said the agency is questioning whether the pistol used in Wednesdays shooting at the Colegio Americano del Noreste was obtained from the shooters home or through an illegal source. Over the last 10 years, the Mexican government led a tight clampdown on legal gun purchases in Mexico due to the ongoing drug war with local cartels, but many weapons are trafficked illegally across the U.S. border, including a spike in 2006 following the beginning of former President Felipe Calderons war with cartels.

Graphic footage of the school shooting leaked on social media shows the boy firing at seated classmates, some at point blank range, and at his teacher, before saying something to his remaining classmates and shooting himself in the head. State officials said the middle school teacher, Cecilia Cristina Solis, two 15-year-old students, and a 14-year-old were all injured, According to the Mexican daily Excelsior, they are still in critical condition.

In light of this dramatic incident, a public debate between lawmakers over the effectiveness of Mexicos notoriously strict gun control laws has already begun playing out in the countrys media. Mexicans have long observed the phenomenon of school shootings in the United States with astonishment. Wednesdays incident has reinvigorated this debate, with calls for still tighter security measures and greater mental health measures available for students at schools.

In an editorial published Thursday, the right-leaning Mexican daily El Universal noted, that the images of the massacre show a premeditated act which we had become accustomed to see in the United States, not here and called out a sick society in Mexico, which the paper argued has lost touch with family values.

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Unlike the United States, the Mexican Constitution creates a distinction between the right to own arms and the right to bear arms. While Mexican citizens are allowed to keep certain low caliber pistols and rifles explicitly permitted by law within private residences, carrying any kind of weapon, openly or concealed is prohibited, unless authorized by the Mexican department of defense. The countrys national gun debate has also been centered around the violence brought by drug cartels. According to El Universal, Monterrey has largely been spared from drug war violence, which has claimed 120,000 lives over seven years, and residents have reported a lower level of uncertainty and distrust in public safety than the national average, according to a survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, a government polling agency.

Since 2013, there have been at least six reported cases of young children or teenagers bringing firearms to schools that have ended in accidental discharges, a death, or minor wounds. None come near the scale of Wednesdays event  the previous highest casualty total was one person.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said in a Twitter statement that the incident is a call to action for Mexican families to reinforce traditional family values.

According to the New York Times, Nuevo Leons education department implemented a school safety program in public schools that included random security checks of student backpacks as part of a regional initiative deemed Operation Safe Backpack in 2001. The Monterrey private school later phased out the program after heavy criticism from parents.

Fasci, the public safety spokesperson, said in a press conference on Wednesday mandatory checks may be reinstated.

There was a reason why book bags were checked, he said. I think we are going to have to start doing it again.

Photo Credit: JULIO CESAR AGUILAR/AFP/Getty Images
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Bollywood actress and Quantico lead Priyanka Chopra has done it again!

She's bagged her second consecutive People's Choice Award winning 'Favorite Dramatic TV Actress' over Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo and popular Hollywood face Viola Davis.

SEE ALSO: People can't believe Priyanka Chopra looked like this in 1999

Last year, PC, as she's popularly known, had bagged the 'Favorite Actress in a New TV Series' award for her hit ABC show, becoming the first South Asian woman to receive the honor. She plays an FBI agent, Alex Parrish, in Quantico.

An "overwhelmed" PC said in her acceptance speech, "This has been an incredible journey. Every single woman that were nominated with me today, all these incredible actresses are the reason that I joined television."

And her excitement knew no bounds backstage too.

The 34-year-old actress who will soon be seen in Hollywood flick Baywatch, co-starring Zac Efron and Dwayne Johnson, later took to social media to thank her fans.

Big  to my #PCManiacs & all who voted.  for all the love you've given #AlexParrish. Tune in to @QuanticoTV now on Mondays, from Jan 23rd pic.twitter.com/2yKXEv9Os8  PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) January 19, 2017

And her fans broke the internet with photos, videos and tons of praise, calling her the "unstoppable" Indian actor.

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.@priyankachopra solidified herself as a Hollywood powerhouse tonight with that major #PCAs win. Congrats to one of my all time faves! pic.twitter.com/wht67PUsUc  Nuzhat Naoreen (@nuzhat) January 19, 2017

This face and this lady with hard work and talent is everything to my. Thank you @priyankachopra for representing India in actual way https://t.co/FKsm8YXhEk  TheDecemberGirl (@AjantaGuha) January 19, 2017

Priyanka Chopra is the fucking ray of sunshine from heaven #PCAs2017  PCA|Priyanka (@PeeceeIsLife) January 19, 2017

Making India proud and how @priyankachopra! Our Desi Girl continues to make waves as Alex Parish.. Much Deserved #Quantico  Malik Sumrani (@ImSumrani) January 19, 2017

Congratulations @priyankachopra well deserved! Thank you for taking '#India' to the next level by winning such esteem accolades.#Quantico  Sujona Chatterjee (@SeekerSujona) January 19, 2017

Unstoppable! @priyankachopra congrats on the Peoples Choice Award win!  Uday Chopra (@udaychopra) January 19, 2017

The most successful Indian actress in Hollywood #PriyankaChopra wins her second People's Choice Award for #Quantico pic.twitter.com/xLfIS8TNyc  Newsflicks (@newsflicks) January 19, 2017

By morning on Thursday, both she and her show had become the talk of Twitter.
Niamey (AFP) - A US drone crash-landed at Niger's main airport for unknown reasons on Monday, the US army said, forcing the closure of the runway for several hours.

The "hard landing" of the unarmed MQ-9 Reaper aircraft damaged the runway at Diori Hamani International airport in the Niger capital of Niamey, but no injuries were reported, according to a statement from the US Air Forces in Europe and Africa public affairs directorate.

"The US government is working closely with the government of Niger to secure the scene and mitigate inconveniences caused by the incident," the statement sent to AFP added.

"The cause of the incident is currently under investigation."

The United States started drone surveillance flights out of Niger in early 2013 to support French forces fighting Islamist militants in northern Mali.

"The aircraft nosed down" around 03:40 am (0240 GMT), a Nigerien airport source told AFP, adding that the drone was originally thought to be French.

The airport stayed closed until 12:30 pm to repair the damage to the runway, the source said.

A plane carrying pilgrims on their way back from Mecca had to be diverted to Ouagadougou, airport authorities in Burkina Faso said.

Planes could be seen landing at Niamey airport again in the afternoon, a security source said.

Despite its porous borders, Niger is seen as haven of stability in the region, with neighbouring Mali, Libya and Nigeria all battling Islamist insurgents.

Last month, the US military announced it would shift its drone flights from Niamey to a base about 500 miles (800 kilometres) further north in Niger, allowing Washington to better track Islamist fighters in the region.

The northern location will give the unmanned, robotic aircraft easier access to a desert route linking southern Libya and northern Mali, which is used to move arms and Islamist fighters.

The French military also flies drones out of Niamey.
Washington (AFP) - Incoming US president Donald Trump will retain his predecessor's special envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State group, Brett McGurk, his spokesman said Thursday.

As "Special Presidential Envoy", McGurk coordinates with around 70 allied states and with regional militia on the ground in the battle to destroy the jihadist group in Iraq, Syria and beyond.

A veteran diplomat, he was appointed in November 2015, working out of an office in the State Department and reporting to President Barack Obama, and makes regular trips to the region.

Trump's incoming administration has made it clear that it expects Obama's political appointees across the US government to clear their desks on Friday when the Republican president-elect is sworn in.

But on Thursday, Trump press secretary Sean Spicer said that around 50 high-level names would stay on, including McGurk and some others in vital national security roles.

McGurk was appointed to his current coalition role by Obama, but had previously served former Republican president George W. Bush as his special assistant and senior director on Iraq and Afghanistan.
Les Sables-d'Olonne (France) (AFP) - French skipper Armel Le Cleac'h won the Vendee Globe solo round the world yacht race on Thursday in a record time.

The 39-year-old got the better of his titanic duel with British rival Alex Thomson to cross the finish line at Les Sables d'Olonne at 15:37GMT after 74 days, three hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds at sea.

Le Cleac'h smashed the previous record set by his compatriot Francois Gabart in 2013 of 78 days 2hr 16 min by almost four days.

Thomson, Le Cleac'h's main rival since the maritime odyssey began on November 6, is expected to arrive at the France Atlantic coast port later Thursday over 100 nautical miles behind.

After crossing the finish line Le Cleac'h, his voice breaking with emotion, told French television: "I'm finding it hard to take on board what's happened, the last few days were very intense, it's amazing.

"I wanted to win so much, every metre was difficult. This is a dream."

Le Cleac'h's state-of-the-art Banque Populaire yacht was accompanied on its triumphant return by a flotilla of dozens of small boats with a helicopter beaming live television pictures hovering overhead.

A huge crowd lined the coast braving icy but sunny conditions to accord the jubilant but exhausted navigator a hero's welcome on dry land.

Le Cleac'h, who has led the gruelling race for the last month and a half and who was shadowed by Thomson ever since passing Cape Horn, was tasting Vendee Globe glory for the first time after finishing runner-up in the last two editions.

"I had the feeling everything including the weather was against me, but I stuck to the job and had lots of support.

"I didn't think about victory until last night."

"I had to keep going right to the finish line, at one stage Alex got to within 40 miles to me.

"He's a very tough rival," added the father-of-two, his boat invaded by family, friends and support crew.

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While Le Cleac'h was savouring finally ascending sailing's 'Everest', Thomson, dogged by mechanical problems on his Hugo Boss boat, will have to wait another four years for a fresh tilt at becoming the first non-French winner of the Vendee Globe.

Gerard Vaillant, who taught Le Cleac'h at the National Institute of Applied Sciences (Insa) in the Breton city of Rennes, said his former student had "a huge heart and enormous courage".

Vaillant said: "When he was studying at Insa in 1999 he dreamed of being a professional skipper at the Vendee Globe. He is one of that handful of people who have given themselves the means of accomplishing their dreams," added the 53-year-old, who brandished a banner along with his wife reading "Bravo Armel and thanks" at the finish line.

"We're really buzzing and it was very emotional seeing him arrive and pass the virtual finish line. We'll be celebrating accordingly," he promised.

Le Cleac'h was first to have a "small dinner" Thursday evening with his wife, two children and close family, his elder brother Gael said.

Le Cleac'h became the seventh winner -- all French -- of the coveted event first staged 28 years ago.

On his way to second place Thomson, only the second Briton to finish runner-up after Ellen MacArthur in 2001, set a new record of distance sailed in 24 hours of 536.81 nautical miles.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Virginia inmate was executed on Wednesday for murdering two young sisters during a 2006 killing spree, after the Supreme Court denied a stay request where he argued the use of compounded lethal drugs violated his constitutional rights.

Ricky Gray, 39, died by lethal injection at 9:42 p.m. at the Greensville Correctional Center, Virginia Department of Corrections spokeswoman Lisa Kinney said in an emailed statement.

Gray's lawyers filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court on Tuesday, saying that the three-drug combination could cause Gray unnecessary suffering and thereby violate constitutional guarantees against cruel and unusual punishment.

Kinney told reporters after the execution there did not appear to be any complications with the injection.

According to Gray's stay request, the execution marks the first time a U.S. state has used two of the drugs - midazolam and potassium chloride - provided by a compounding pharmacy.

Gray's lawyers argue that compounding pharmacies typically follow an informal recipe attempting to approximate the patented process approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Midazolam is an anesthetic and potassium chloride stops the heart. The third drug in the so-called cocktail, rocuronium bromide, causes paralysis.

Gray's attorneys say that midazolam has already failed to render prisoners unconscious during executions in Alabama, Arizona, Ohio and Oklahoma.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers have stopped making some drugs available for use in executions, and Virginia state law allows the vendor's identity to remain secret.

Arizona last month reached a settlement with lawyers for death row inmates that would bar midazolam from use in executions.

Gray was sentenced to die for the 2006 slayings of sisters Ruby Harvey, 4, and Stella Harvey, 9, in Richmond. He also killed their parents, Bryan Harvey, 49, and Kathryn Harvey, 39.

His accomplice, Ray Dandridge, was sentenced to life. The pair also killed Ashley Baskerville, 21, who had been a lookout when Gray killed the Harveys as well as her mother, Mary Tucker, 47, and stepfather Percyell Tucker, 55.

Story continues

Gray has said he is willing to die by firing squad, which is not an option for executions in Virginia.

Gray's execution marks the second in the United States this year. The United States has executed more than 1,450 people since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Additional reporting by Curtis Skinner; Editing by G Crosse & Simon Cameron-Moore)
Washington (AFP) - As Donald Trump prepares to take the helm of a divided nation, Americans across the political spectrum are looking to the inauguration of their 45th president with wildly different expectations -- ranging from excitement and elation to despondency and dread.

Here are some of their thoughts:

- 'Super excited' -

Deni Dillon, 60, a small business owner from the Detroit suburbs, spoke to AFP from the road while driving to Washington to attend the inauguration Friday:

"I'm super excited, because I really do believe this is to be the start for good things for America. I hope that all the people that are protesting, and having trouble, will see as time goes on that they will stop being upset, that they will see how things are going to improve."

"My hope is that the borders will be secure, that the people that need help in the United States -- the veterans, senior citizens, disabled people -- will get first priority. We might be the Motor City again."

- At rock bottom -

Holly Morganelli, a 36-year-old from Miami, Florida, describes herself as "disheartened, disappointed, anxiety-ridden and despondent" over the Trump election:

"I truly feel that this country is moving backward, away from positive progress in terms of racial, ethnic, and gender equality, away from taking responsibility for the future of humanity, animals, and our environment."

"I no longer believe that most of my fellow Americans hold these beliefs and values."

- 'Middle of the road' -

Rebecca Brannon, 25, from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, volunteered for Trump's campaign and was invited to the inauguration:

"I hope he stays true to kind of who he is. I don't want him to be too conservative and I don't want him to be too liberal. I really think he's that middle of the road kind of guy."

- Build that wall -

Jim Chilton, 77, a rancher and self-described "irredeemable deplorable" who lives along the Arizona-Mexico border:

Story continues

"I'm so excited about Trump's wall that my socks are rolling up and down."

"I hope the Trump presidency unites the country and brings about a thriving economy."

- Apprehensive -

Noelle Cullimore, 54, a mother of two school-age children from Bay Shore, New York, voted for Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton:

"He sounds even less intelligent to me than before -- if that is possible. That whole thing with the election and Russia was so bizarre."

"Frankly, I am even more worried now that he is about to take office. I don't know what to expect."

- Just set us free -

Dan Peterson, 55, is a plumber in Hopkins, Minnesota:

"I'm not looking for Trump to do anything. I just want him to open up the floodgates of opportunity. I don't want some bureaucrat to tell me who to hire, how much I have to pay them."

"The only thing I want any president to do is to secure our freedoms press freedom, free expression, individuality, the freedom to earn, to work your tail off and to keep as much of what you've earned yourself."

- And keep us safe -

Marina Woolcock, 72, lives in The Villages, a retirement community in northern Florida:

"We are looking forward to the first 100 days. We have great hope that this administration will keep the country together. We are in great hope."

"First of all and most important, we are going to be more secure in our country. I think we are concerned about the new normal we are having, with all these individuals who are being radicalized."

- Terror close to home -

Denise Galvez, 41, is a Cuban-American from Miami:

"We need a security plan for this country. We can't allow any more terror attacks like Fort Lauderdale. Each time it strikes closer to our homes, our communities. We need to identify who is attacking us. And they haven't done that yet because they are so worried about insulting any one group -- about political correctness. They have not taken this seriously."

"I know he will be the least popular president in the country's history -- and I understand that. I have never blindly followed him, but I think he deserves a chance and we should support him."

- Bring back jobs -

James Finch, 78, retired supervisor of Conklin, a small town in upstate New York that has lost jobs and industry, wants the Trump administration to promote employment and natural gas drilling in his area:

"I think it's tremendous what he's getting done, he's being fair and looking at all sides and all opinions."

"We've been really lambasted over the last eight years. We've lost all our industry and everything going overseas. I hope he can get some of those other companies that are coming back to locate in upstate here."

- Kind of scared -

Hiba Nasser, 20, is a US-born Muslim American psychology and criminal justice student at Wayne State University in Detroit:

"I'm kind of scared, a little. Not as scared as I was when he first got elected, because right after that there were so many hate crimes. I feel like it has settled down a bit."

"I'd like to think that he has minorities in his mind, because we are the foundations of this country... I'm hoping the hate rhetoric is going to be less, that he gives a platform for minorities in the country."

- Planning resistance -

Aislinn Pulley, 35, is a founder of the local Black Lives Matter movement in Chicago:

"The fear is that a McCarthyesque crackdown will be administered, which will affect everyone, especially groups and individuals who have been a part of the current movement to demand an end to police murders and police terror. That's a threat and a real fear that many of us are planning on resisting."

- A farce and a tragedy -

Brett Spiegel, 43, lives in Miami:

"I am genuinely afraid. Being wildly unqualified and ethically dubious would be bad enough, but even worse is that he is openly hostile to science and facts.

"On top of all that, he chooses to be hateful and small at every turn. He is the biggest threat American constitutional democracy has faced in my lifetime. To go from Obama to Trump is a farce and a tragedy."

- Just the way it is -

Dennis Frasene, 38, lives in Westchester, New York, and voted for Trump's rival Hillary Clinton:

"I feel, I guess you could call it hopeful optimism. Maybe this guy can pull something out of his sleeve that nobody saw coming. But I'm of the mindset that either way, we need to support our president whether or not we agree he got elected or not. It's just the way it is.

"He's proven himself to be a brilliant marketer and a brilliant brand ambassador for his own brand and I do feel that he's far more intelligent and calculating than most people give him credit for.

"I don't think this guy wanted to become president so he can screw up."
Berlin (AFP) - Former Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn said Thursday that he did not know the beleaguered German auto giant was engaging in systematic emissions cheating until shortly before the scam broke.

Winterkorn told a parliamentary committee into the "dieselgate" scandal that "total clarity was and is the order of the day", and that he was still trying to understand how the scandal could have happened.

The 69-year-old resigned in September 2015, days after the VW group admitted it had installed software in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide to dupe emissions tests and make the cars seem less polluting than they were.

A fastidious perfectionist with the nickname "Mr Quality", Winterkorn had once boasted jokingly in an interview: "I know every screw in our cars."

But the former chief executive said he knew nothing of the pollution cheating scam until just before the scandal broke at the end of August, a point he reiterated Thursday.

"I cannot understand why I was not told about the problems with (emission) measurements clearly and early," he said, adding that he "never had the impression that people felt they could not speak openly with me."

German lawmakers are seeking to establish when the VW board and the government were first informed of the cheating.

The issue has a particular bearing in Germany where investigators have placed Winterkorn under probe and are examining if fraud was committed in the sales of vehicles with manipulated emission values.

In addition, prosecutors are investigating whether management divulged the existence of the scandal later than they were legally obliged to under stock market rules, thereby essentially manipulating stock prices.

- 'Authorised concealment' -

US investigators in recent weeks revealed that they believe VW top brass were aware of the cheating as far back as July 2015.

Their timeline appeared to square with that claimed in German media reports.

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But asked directly if the media reports were true, Winterkorn said: "That is not the case."

According to the FBI, Volkswagen employees in July 2015 briefed senior executives at German headquarters on the defeat device, telling them that regulators were not aware of the mechanism.

"Rather than advocate for disclosure of the defeat device to US regulators, VW executive management authorised its continued concealment," the FBI said.

Volkswagen has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States as well as to obstruction of justice for destroying documents related to the scheme.

As part of the deal, it has also agreed to pay $4.3 billion (four billion euros) in civil and criminal fines.

But in the final settlement running to 86 pages, the group does not clarify who in the group is responsible for the scam.

Some 1,400 shareholders are also suing in Germany for damages worth a total 8 billion euros after the announcement of the scam wiped out some 40 percent of VW's market capitalisation in days.

VW sank into the red for the first time in more than 20 years in 2015 when it booked a loss of 1.6 billion euros due to the provisions it was forced to set aside over the scandal.

- 'Something illegal' -

The group has not budged on its timeline of events -- saying that top management was informed about the scandal only at "the end of August, early September 2015".

But on Sunday, German daily Bild said that during a meeting organised by VW management on July 27, 2015 and attended by Winterkorn, a participant raised "the fact that something illegal had been installed in our vehicles".

The participant then asked what strategy the group should adopt vis-a-vis the information, reported the daily.

Meanwhile, Sueddeutsche Zeitung and regional broadcasters WDR and NDR reported that two witnesses had told US authorities that they had raised the issue directly with Winterkorn as early as 2012 and 2014.

The parliamentary committee is also trying to determine whether government officials were aware of the scandal before it became public knowledge.

Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel has already appeared before the panel, while Chancellor Angela Merkel is to be questioned on March 8.
On Wednesdays episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, comedian and commentator Bill Maher didnt hold back about his feelings on the President-electand the cabinet that surrounds him.

Im getting Donald Trump for my birthday, he deadpanned; his birthday falls on the inauguration this Friday. I keep saying, God, why? and then I go, Oh yeah, thats right. For the last 25 years Ive been making fun of you on TV.' As a talk show host himself, Maher had some pointed advice for his fellow TV hosts too, if and when they get the new president in the guests chair.

I know hes actually a game show host from Queens. But now hes the president of the United States. If youre gonna have him on, hold his feet to the fire Dont let him use you, Maher insisted, sincerely. What kind of guy is he? Thats the point, we dont know. Hes completely unpredictable.

Maher also said no one was able to predict how Trumps new cabinet will act, calling it a cabinet from Opposite World.

Everybodys in charge of a department they want to get rid of. The head of the EPA doesnt believe in global warming. Trump wants to get rid of the EPA and replace the environment with something terrific,' he joked. Watch the full clip above.
BERLIN (AP)  A series of photomontages showing people striking poses, taking selfies and even juggling at the Holocaust memorial in Berlin before the background changes to show them posing amid piles of murdered victims of the Holocaust went viral on the internet Thursday.

The creator, Shahak Shapira, told The Associated Press he produced the "Yolocaust" website after seeing thousands of selfies and other photographs of young, smiling people posing on the memorial to Europe's 6 million murdered Jews on social media.

The website went live Wednesday and was clicked more than 500,000 times and shared at least 70,000 times on Facebook, Shapira said. After a few hours, the site collapsed because so many people were trying to access it, he said.

Shapira, 28, a Berlin-based Israeli satirist and grandson of a Holocaust survivor, said the selfies didn't disturb or upset him, but he thought it was "a shame that there are people who don't care."

"These people should be the ones to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive," Shapira said.

He picked the word "Yolocaust" because it combines Holocaust and "YOLO"  social media shorthand for "You only live once."

The 11 colorful images of young people showing their prettiest smiles or posing with selfie sticks turn into a disturbing sight when the background suddenly fades. Instead of the memorial's tombstone-like slabs, the people are seen smiling against a black-and-white backdrop of starved and gassed bodies.

The Holocaust memorial, which is located in downtown Berlin near the city's landmark Brandenburg Gate, consists of thousands of concrete slabs installed as an uneven field, comparable to a gigantic graveyard. It's one of the most-visited landmarks in the German capital.

Since it's inauguration in 2004, hundreds of thousands have come to see it. Critics have complained about some visitors jumping across the slabs and revelers from a nearby night club taking cigarette breaks inside the memorial, saying such behavior trivializes the memory of the millions murdered.
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. 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.

Story continues

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.

Editor's Recommendations
By Tim Cocks BANJUL (Reuters) - West African troops were poised to intervene in Gambia on Thursday after President Yahya Jammeh's mandate expired and overnight talks to convince him to stand down failed. Senegal has deployed hundreds of soldiers to its shared border with Gambia and Nigeria has pre-positioned war planes and helicopters after regional bloc ECOWAS said it would remove Jammeh if he did not hand over power to challenger Adama Barrow, who won an election in early December. Gambia's capital, Banjul, was quiet overnight and on Thursday morning. Shops and banks remained closed as military helicopters flew overhead and police trucks patrolled largely empty streets. Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz led last ditch talks with Jammeh in Banjul on Wednesday before meeting Senegal's President Macky Sall and Barrow in Dakar overnight. Isatou Toure, a senior Barrow aide, said the mediation effort failed to make any headway but Barrow would be sworn in at some stage on Thursday. It was unclear what Jammeh's next move would be. In power since leading a coup in 1994, he now faces almost total diplomatic isolation and a government that has all but collapsed from defections. In the most senior loss yet, Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy, who has been in the role since 1997, quit on Wednesday, a government source and a family member told Reuters. Gambia's long, sandy beaches have made it a prime destination for European tourists but Jammeh has also earned a reputation for rights abuses and stifling dissent. Both ECOWAS and the African Union have said they will recognise Barrow as president from Thursday. Toure said the inauguration would definitely go ahead but it was not clear where it would take place as Barrow was in Senegal and the organising committee is in Gambia. Plans to hold the ceremony at the national stadium in Banjul have been dropped but two diplomats said they expected Barrow to be sworn in at the Gambian embassy in Senegal. TROOPS ON STANDBY Senegal's army said on Wednesday that it would be ready to cross into its smaller neighbour, which it surrounds, at any point after midnight. Nigeria has deployed aircraft to Dakar and a navy ship to the region. Ghana has also pledged troops. A spokesman for Nigeria's president told the BBC that troops would only intervene on the request of Barrow once he had been sworn in. "What the Senegalese said about the midnight deadline was to put pressure on Jammeh. It was a show of muscle," a diplomat in the region told Reuters. The United Nations said at least 26,000 people fearing unrest have fled to Senegal and tour operators have sent charter jets to fly hundreds of European holiday makers out of the country. Jammeh, who once vowed to rule for "a billion years", has so far ignored calls by world powers and regional leaders to step aside and avert a conflict. He says the electoral commission was under the influence of "foreign forces", and has challenged the result in the Supreme Court - which currently lacks the judges necessary to preside over it. Gambians celebrated in the streets when Jammeh unexpectedly conceded to Barrow, a real estate developer who once worked as a security guard at an Argos store in London. But a week later, the president changed his mind and security forces have cracked down on critics. It was the latest in a long line of eccentricities from a leader who had said only Allah can remove him from office, claimed to have a herbal cure for AIDS that only works on Thursdays and threatened to slit the throats of homosexuals. (Additional reporting by Emma Farge and Diadie Ba in Dakar; Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Richard Lough)
By Tim Cocks and Emma Farge BANJUL/DAKAR (Reuters) - West African nations launched a military operation in Gambia on Thursday, Senegal's army said, aiming to install its new President Adama Barrow and remove longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh, who refuses to step down despite an election loss. Barrow took the oath of office on Thursday at Gambia's embassy in Senegal, calling for international support from West Africa's ECOWAS bloc, the African Union and the United Nations. The intervention, led by a Senegalese general and dubbed Operation Restore Democracy, involves "significant" land, air and sea resources, according to a Senegalese army statement. "This action aims to re-establish constitutional legality in Gambia and allow the new elected president to take office," it said, adding that the operation was being carried out under an ECOWAS mandate. A local Senegalese government official saw a military convoy including tanks in Diouloulou, near Senegal's border with Gambia on Thursday morning. And soon after Barrow's swearing in, Senegal's army spokesman told Reuters its forces crossed into its much smaller neighbor. Nigeria, which pre-positioned war planes and helicopters in Dakar, is also part of the operation, but it was not immediately clear if it too had crossed the border. Ghana has also pledged troops. "This is a day no Gambian will ever forget," Barrow said after taking the oath, which was administered by the president of Gambia's bar association. "Our national flag will now fly high among the most democratic nations of the world." "I hereby make an explicit appeal to ECOWAS, the (African Union) and the UN... to support the government and people of the Gambia in enforcing their will, restoring their sovereignty and constitutional legitimacy," he said. The U.N. Security Council on Thursday backed ECOWAS's efforts to ensure Barrow assumes power, and the United States said it supported Senegal's intervention. ECOWAS has been attempting to persuade Jammeh to quit for weeks, and has failed to do so, despite his increasing political isolation and last ditch efforts to reason with him overnight. Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup and whose mandate ended overnight, initially conceded defeat to Barrow following a Dec. 1 election before back-tracking, saying the vote was flawed. "THE DICTATOR IS OUT" Hundreds of Gambians celebrated in the streets, cautiously at first, and then gradually in larger numbers as they realized the security forces looking on were not going to open fire. Cars whizzed up and down the highway lined with iron-roofed shops in the pro-Barrow Serrekunda district of Banjul, with horns honking and people hanging out of the windows. "The dictator is out," shouted pharmacist Lamine Jao, 30, as others cheered and whistled in agreement. "It's just a question of time. We'll soon flush him out. Believe me," he said. During the brief inauguration speech, Barrow asserted his new role as commander and chief of Gambia's armed services, ordering soldiers to stay calm and remain in their barracks. Those who did not would be considered rebels, he said. ECOWAS and the African Union have said they will recognize Barrow from Thursday and nations including the United Kingdom and France were quick to congratulate Barrow. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement pledged "his full support for his (Barrow's) determination, and ECOWAS's historic decision, with the unanimous backing of the Security Council, to restore the rule of law in The Gambia so as to honor and respect the will of the Gambian people." Barrow gave the oath in a tiny room in Gambia's embassy in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, and many of those present broke into the Gambian national anthem once he had completed it. Outside the building on a residential street amid a heavy security presence, dozens of Gambians listened to the ceremony through loudspeakers. "It's very sad to be swearing in a president in someone else's country," said Fatou Silla, 33, a businesswoman who fled Gambia with her son a week ago. Fearing unrest, thousands of Gambians have fled, the United Nations estimates. A senior aide to Barrow said that arrangements would be made for him to return to Gambia though it was unclear when or how. At a bar in the Gambian capital Banjul's popular Senegambia strip, people crowded around a television to watch the swearing in and cheered and danced when it was over. "We have been suffering for 22 years and now things will be different," said a cashier who only gave her name as Fama. As tour companies moved out hundreds of European tourists, shops, market stalls and banks in Banjul remained closed. Police circulated in trucks and soldiers manned checkpoints. It was unclear what Jammeh's next move would be. He faces almost total diplomatic isolation and a government riddled by defections. In the biggest loss yet, Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy, who has held the role since 1997, quit on Wednesday, a government source and a family member told Reuters. Gambia's long, sandy beaches have made it a prime destination for tourists but Jammeh, who once vowed to rule for "a billion years", has also earned a reputation for rights abuses and stifling dissent. He has ignored pressure to step aside and offers of exile. (Additional reporting by Nellie Peyton and Diadie Ba in Dakar, Felix Onuah in Abuja, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations and John Irish in Paris; Writing by Joe Bavier and David Lewis; Editing by John Stonestreet and Dominic Evans)
DAKAR (Reuters) - West African nations halted a military operation in Gambia on Thursday to give a final chance to mediation efforts, but will resume at noon on Friday if Yahya Jammeh still refuses to hand over power to the new president, a regional official said. Speaking to reporters, Marcel de Souza, head of the ECOWAS commission, said it was out of the question that Jammeh be allowed to remain in Gambia. But if mediation succeeds he can choose his country of exile, de Souza said, adding that regional countries were open to possible amnesty as part of a deal. (Reporting by Emma Farge, writing by Joe Bavier, editing by G Crosse)
President Barack Obama's decision to commute former Army Private Chelsea Elizabeth Manning's prison sentence lifted the unprecedented responsibility for treating the transgender woman's gender dysphoria from the Defense Departments shoulders, the New York Times reported. Manning was among the 209 prison inmates to whom Obama granted clemency Tuesday.

Manningwho was responsible for the largest leak of U.S. military information in history and, in part, for WikiLeaks rise to notorietywas expected to walk out of the Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, military prison May 17. She ended a hunger strike at the mens prison in September when the military agreed to fulfill her request for gender dysphoria treatment, which would have begun with a psychologist-recommended gender reassignment surgery, BuzzFeed first reported. In February 2015, the military agreed to provide hormone therapy for Manning, after she sued for the access to such treatment. Manning had twice attempted suicide while incarcerated and, as she told Cosmopolitan in April 2015, had harbored a desire to live as a woman for as long as she could remember. Born as a man, she previously went by the name Bradley.

James Esseks, the director of the LGBT & HIV Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued the military on Mannings behalf in 2014 over its denial of her access to hormone therapy and to the clothing and grooming standards that all other female military prisoners are subject to, expected her to start living a mentally healthier life out of prison, despite the desired surgerys possible delay.

President Obamas action today most likely saved Chelseas life, Esseks wrote on the ACLU website Tuesday. Allowing Chelsea to start living her life as her genuine self, after having served a quite serious sentence, shows that President Obama understands the meaning of clemency. (According to the Times, Mannings 35-year sentence was in fact relatively severe compared to the one- to three-year sentences for the several leakers to ever have been convicted.)

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Esseks colleague Chase Strangio, an attorney who works with the ACLUs LGBT Project and represented Manning, told the advocacy group he saw a future of activism and an overall better quality of life for Manning.

This move could quite literally save Chelseas life, he told the ACLU, 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.

The ACLU was unable to respond to inquiries from International Business Times by press time.

It remained unclear whether Manning would return to her hometown of Crescent, Oklahoma, or to Haverfordwest, in Wales, where she went to live with her mother as a teenager, during her parents' divorce. Her Welsh family said they were "overjoyed" upon the news of her commutation and that there would "always be a welcome for her in Wales," the BBC reported. Manning's Uncle, Kevin Fox, told the BBC he was "over the moon" and surprised by how quickly the ordeal was over. The British broadcaster made no mention of whether Fox had any ideas for Manning's resettlement plans.

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Democrats are having a field day as one after another of President-elect Donald Trumps nominees to top positions in his administration has been forced to reckon with embarrassing disclosures during their confirmation hearings.

The latest came Thursday morning, when a revised financial disclosure from Steven Mnuchin, the hedge fund manager-turned movie producer who is expected to be the next Secretary of the Treasury, revealed that he had failed to report more than $100 million in assets, including real estate holdings across the country and in Mexico. Mnuchin had also originally neglected to mention that he is on the board of directors of an investment fund in the Cayman Islands, the British territory notorious for its tax havens.

Related: Trump Just Failed His First Ethics Test as President

The revelations about Mnuchin followed on a string of others:

* Tom Price, the Georgia Congressman tapped to run the Department of Health and Human Services, held stock in firms in the health care sector despite holding a position in Congress that gave him significant influence over health care firms and inside knowledge of pending congressional actions.

* Rep. Mick Mulvaney, Trumps pick to run the White House Office of Management and Budget, admitted that he failed to pay $15,000 in payroll taxes related to a household employee.

* Commerce Secretary nominee Wilbur Ross, a billionaire investor, admitted that one of his many housekeepers turned out to be an undocumented immigrant.

And for all anyone knows, there could be more to come. Trumps pick for Education Secretary, billionaire Betsy DeVos, hasnt had her paperwork cleared by the Office of Government Ethics yet, something Democrats said should have delayed her hearing.

After the Senate Finance Committee released details of Mnuchins omissions Thursday morning, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement, Never before has the Senate considered such an ethically challenged slate of nominees for key cabinet positions. Mr. Mnuchins failure to disclose his Cayman Islands holdings just reeks of the swamp that the president-elect promised to drain on the campaign trail.

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Related: Trump Is Barking Up the Wrong Tree When It Comes to Saving American Jobs

Schumer was referring to Trumps campaign trail promise to drain the swamp of Washington, a place he consistently described as corrupt and venal.

Schumer and other Democrats remember very well how Republicans treated Democratic nominees with problems similar to those facing Trumps. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle was denied the position of HHS secretary after it came out that he had failed to pay taxes on some of his income. Two of President Bill Clintons nominees for Attorney General, Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood, were forced to withdraw their names from consideration after it was revealed that they had hired undocumented child care workers.

Schumer called for what he described as equal treatment for Trump nominees, although in doing so he appeared to conflate Daschles failure to pay income tax with Baird and Woods nanny problems.

Senator Tom Daschle did the same thing and Republicans insisted that that disqualified him from becoming HHS secretary. We say to our colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle, whats good for the goose is good for the gander. If Tom Daschle couldnt become a cabinet member for not paying taxes for a household employee, the same standard ought to apply to Mick Mulvaney.

But no matter how exercised Schumer and his fellow Democrats get about Trumps nominees ethics headaches, in the end they probably wont make much difference.

Related: Treasury Secretary Lew Warns Trump Against Waging a Trade War

Ironically, the Trump nominee facing the toughest road to confirmation, secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson, is in trouble not because of his financial disclosures, which the OGE called a sterling model for what wed like to see with other nominees, but because of his perceived closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

There are two major reasons why Trumps cabinet nominees are likely to skate through the Senate approval process.

The first is purely procedural, and the Democrats have nobody to blame for it but themselves. The decision to do away with the minoritys ability to filibuster cabinet appointees, adopted by the Democratic Senate in 2014, means that the Republicans can approve all of Trumps picks with a simple majority vote.

The second is the context in which their hearings are being conducted. On Friday, the nation will inaugurate a man as president who has broken so many precedents and norms when it comes to financial disclosure that things like Mulvaneys unpaid payroll taxes look trivial.

Trump has refused to release his tax returns, as all presidents have done for 40 years, or to report the names of the banks, companies or individuals to whom he is in debt. Estimates of that debt run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, and some is believed to be held by foreign banks.

On top of that, Trumps continued ownership of his business -- both real estate holdings and the Trump brand -- set up a vast array of conflicts of interest that ethics experts from both the Republican and Democratic parties have declared both serious and unprecedented.

Short of proving outright fraud or corruption on the part of one of Trumps nominees, Democrats are simply going to find it difficult to stir up any great degree of outrage about the relatively minor transgressions of Trumps cabinet members.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
LONDON (Reuters) - WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up at Ecuador's London embassy since 2012, said on Thursday he stood by his offer to be extradited to the United States providing his rights were protected. Assange said last week he would accept extradition if former military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning were freed and on Wednesday U.S. President Barack Obama commuted Manning's 35-year sentence, meaning she will be released in May. "I stand by everything I said including the offer to go to the United States if Chelsea Manning's sentence was commuted," Assange said in a live online audio news conference. "It's not going to be commuted (until) May. We can have many discussions to that point." Obama said Manning, who was responsible for a 2010 leak of classified materials to Assange's anti-secrecy group, the biggest such breach in U.S. history, had served a tough prison term and that justice had been served. However, he denied that the commutation was granted because of Assange's offer. 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. Asked by Reuters if he would hand now hand himself over to the authorities, Assange, 45, who fled to the Ecuadorean embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of rape, said there was no change in his position. He said U.S. authorities should drop their case against him or unseal their charges against him. "We look forward to having a conversation with the DoJ (Department of Justice) about what the correct way forward is," he said. "I've always been willing to go to the United States provided my rights are respected because this is a case that should never have occurred," Assange added, saying he was confident of winning any case brought against him. (Reporting by Ritvik Carvalho and Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison)
President-elect Donald Trump and U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. (Photos: Evan Vucci/AP, Nati Harnik/AP)

In July 2012, Donald Trump called in to CNBCs SquawkBox show to rant about Chief Justice John Roberts surprise decision to uphold the Affordable Care Acts individual mandate.

I think John Roberts should be ashamed of himself, Trump said, before questioning the Supreme Court justices intelligence. He looks like a dummy, because, frankly, his decision does not seem to be written by [a] supposedly smart man.

Dummy was just the beginning. Over the next four years, Trump tweeted that the chief justices decision was bull***t, irrational, disloyal and stupidity. He has insulted Roberts on Twitter nearly two dozen times, making the chief justice by far the biggest target of Trumps ire on the court. That includes the courts liberal leader, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had to apologize after calling Trump a faker last summer. He has tweeted about her just four times.

Though presidents have butted heads with the Supreme Court in the past, Roberts will be the first chief justice in history to swear in a new president who has so frequently and personally insulted him. (Its unclear if Roberts shares Trumps antipathy: Hes never been quoted commenting on the president-elect.) Trumps very willingness to dispense with the political systems norms of respect and deference for the judiciary could mean trouble for the pairs relationship  and more Twitter rants  over the next four years.

Justice Kennedy should be proud of himself for sticking to his principles, in light of Justice Roberts' bullshit!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2012

If I win the presidency, my judicial appointments will do the right thing unlike Bush's appointee John Roberts on ObamaCare.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2015

Trump, 70, and Roberts, 61, are a study in opposites in style and temperament. Trump was elected partially for his willingness to thumb his nose at U.S. political institutions and insist they needed radical change, while Roberts sees himself as a guardian of the history and reputation of the nations highest court and of the law. On a personal level, Trump is a flashy and hard-nosed New York real estate magnate on his third marriage, while Roberts, who grew up in Indiana, carefully climbed his way up the legal ladder and now lives a quiet life in the D.C. suburbs with his family.

Story continues

Roberts has been a reliably conservative vote in the courts closely divided cases. He joined the decision allowing unlimited corporate spending in elections in the 2010 Citizens United case, struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act in 2013 and sided with the conservative minority against gay marriage in 2015.

Chief Justice John Roberts in the House chamber on Capitol Hill waits for President Obamas State of the Union address to begin on Jan. 28, 2014. (Photo: Larry Downing, Pool/AP)

But many conservatives, including Trump, consider his two votes upholding the Affordable Care Act a betrayal and have cast his appointment to the court as a Republican failure. Trump has vowed to nominate a judge who will more strictly enforce conservative causes.

The chief justice never wanted to be seen as a conservative warrior, however. In fact, he believes Americans trust in the Supreme Court is eroded when they associate justices and their legal decisions with their political beliefs instead of the law. He told journalist and law professor Jeff Rosen in 2007 that individual justices must be able to subordinate their own ideological agendas for the good of the reputation of the court  especially in an age of such polarization. Politics are closely divided, Roberts said then. The same with the Congress. There ought to be some sense of some stability, if the government is not going to polarize completely. Its a high priority to keep any kind of partisan divide out of the judiciary as well.

Roberts, who was appointed by George W. Bush in 2005, vowed to work to build consensus on the court by putting forward narrower opinions that gain more votes over more sweeping 5-4 opinions when possible. In any given term, about half of the courts decisions are unanimous, but the closely split ones tend to come in controversial cases that gain more media attention.

The chief justice loathes when politicians breach decorum by insulting the court or its justices. When President Obama criticized the Supreme Court justices to their faces for the Citizens United decision in his State of the Union address in 2010, Roberts was appalled. I think its very troubling, he told a group of law students at the time. Newsweek reported that the chief justice considered skipping the presidents next address in protest but relented because he worried it would be worse for the courts reputation if all the conservative justices skipped a Democratic presidents State of the Union.

With the pugnacious Trump now at the helm of the country, Obamas comments  which sparked countless think pieces and outraged responses from Republican lawmakers about the rare rebuke of a president to the court  seem somewhat quaint. One could imagine Trump aggressively taking to Twitter to criticize a decision  or a justice  that he didnt like, stoking his most ardent supporters against the court.

Last summer, Trump railed against U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who was handling civil cases against Trump University, at rallies and on Twitter. He said Curiel was a disgrace, who was biased against him because hes Hispanic. Trump was widely denounced for questioning Curiels impartiality based on his ethnicity. For his year-end report on the state of the judiciary in December, Roberts wrote about the role of district judges, saying they deserve tremendous respect. Its unclear if Curiel was on the chief justices mind, but Trumps attacks on the judge are exactly the type of political browbeating Roberts would dislike.

President-elect Trump speaks to diplomats at the Presidential Inaugural Committee Chairmans Global Dinner in Washington on Jan. 17, 2017. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

But for all of Roberts anxiety about the potential politicization or denigration of the court that many observers believe Trump represents, the chief justice is a pragmatist at heart. Those who know him best say he recognizes that Trumps win means that he will not be consigned to a decade or more in the minority. I am sure he recognizes that the alternative [to Trump] would have had its own downsides that would have affected him very directly, said a friend of Roberts who wished to remain anonymous discussing the chief justices personal opinions. [Trumps victory] put him in the majority, will let him advance the law the way he wants to advance the law. A Clinton win would have put him in the dissent for the rest of his life.

Roberts will likely have no problem ignoring any personal attacks from Trump, given hes been the target of conservative ire since his Obamacare vote. If the president attacks the courts integrity, however, Roberts could make his displeasure known in an interview, as he did after Obamas State of the Union rebuke. But dont expect to see the @therealjohnroberts appear on your screen anytime soon. Hes not going to start tweeting, Roberts friend joked.

And its possible that Trump will warm to Roberts after the two meet on the dais Friday. A Trump transition source who did not wish to be identified discussing the president-elect said he believed Trumps sister Maryanne Trump Barry, a federal judge, would be a moderating force on Trump and his attitude toward Roberts. I think that relationship will eventually be impacted like almost everything with Trump by family relationships, the source said.

Whether the men get along or not, Roberts has the advantage of a lifelong appointment. The Constitutions framers believed such a system would help insulate judges from political pressures so they could remain independent and impartial.

Roberts knows he will be chief justice long after Trump is done being president, legal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky said.

The U.S. Capitol looms over a stage during a rehearsal of President-elect Trumps swearing-in ceremony, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, in Washington. (Photo: Patrick Semansky/AP)

Read more from Yahoo News:




The superintendent for the Wyoming school district that one of President-elect Donald Trumps Cabinet nominees recently cited during her confirmation hearing said that despite what you may have heard, there are no guns in the building.

Betsy DeVos, Trumps pick for education secretary, declined to say that guns have no place in schools during her Tuesday hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

During a tense exchange with Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., DeVos brought up Wapiti Elementary School in rural Wyoming as an example of a place that would need to have firearms in the building to protect against grizzly bears.

When contacted by Yahoo News on Thursday, Ray Schulte, the superintendent of Park County School District No. 6, said there are plenty of grizzlies in his region but that they do not have guns on schools property because of a state prohibition.

We dont have guns on school property, he said. Schools are gun-free zones in Wyoming. However, every year our state Legislature will talk about changing the rules and allowing guns on school property, which has absolutely nothing to do with grizzly bears that Im aware of. It has to do with addressing the concern that legislators have about schools being soft targets.

Schulte said he was surprised when he heard that DeVos mentioned Wapiti during a congressional hearing. Nevertheless, like DeVos, he said a single-gun policy might not be appropriate for every single school district.

Education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos declined to say that schools should be gun-free zones. (Photo: Getty/Chip Somodevilla)

The gun issue is an extremely difficult topic. Its just difficult, he said. I dont think with guns in schools that one school fits every state or every school district. And certainly there are some school districts that arm their employees, and if thats what they think they need to do, I would support them.

Murphys outspoken support for greater gun control only strengthened in December 2012, when a mass shooter attacked Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn, killing 20 children and six faculty members. He was a state lawmaker at the time.

Story continues

On Tuesday, he asked DeVos if she thinks guns have any place in or around schools.

I think that is best left to locales and states to decide, she responded.

You cannot say definitively today that guns shouldnt be in schools? he shot back.

DeVos did not answer the question directly. Instead, she invoked a story that Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., told her about how a school in Wapiti has a fence to ward off grizzly bears.

Well, I will refer back to Sen. Enzi and the school that he was talking about in Wapiti, Wyo. I think probably there, I would imagine that theres probably a gun in a school to protect from potential grizzlies.

Murphy then asked if she would support Trump should he move forward with his campaign proposal to ban gun-free school zones.

Um, I will support what the president-elect does, she said.

Schulte confirmed that fences were erected about 15 years ago to keep grizzlies out because they would wander through the playgrounds. He said encountering a grizzly bear is a very serious issue but reiterated that it has nothing to do with having guns in schools.

Read more from Yahoo News:
XI ANOINTED CORE LEADER

Chinas top judge is one of the countrys most vocal critics of judicial independence.

On Jan. 14, Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme Peoples Court (SPC), delivered a speech calling on his colleagues to resist Western ideologies that threaten the leadership of the Communist Party, including constitutional democracy, separation of powers, and judicial independence, according to state media reports (link in Chinese). The 55-year-old called judicial independence a Western trap, and said Chinese courts must dare to pull out the sword to combat the erroneous Western notion and other false ideas that could undermine Chinas judiciary system.

While this would not be the first time (link in Chinese) a high-ranking official has criticized judicial independence in China, Zhous comments are more urgent and ominous than previous occasions. President Xi Jinping has made state security a top priority and has ordered all organs of the state to fall in line (link in Chinese), including law enforcement bodies. Part of Xis campaign is to paint unwelcome ideas like judicial independence as Western constructs that threaten the very stability of the Chinese state.

Yet Xi pledged his commitment to legal reform in the early days of his reign. The party will construct a rule-of-law country, he promised in a communique released in November 2013, through the establishment of a supervision system that properly separates regional government and the judiciary below the provincial level. Chinas legal reform must guarantee the independent and fair exercise of the courts judicial powers, said the SPCs five-year plan released in 2015.

This contradiction reflects the complex relationship between the party and the legal system. On the one hand, Xi has positioned himself as a champion of the rule of law, in an attempt, some argue, to justify his wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign and reduce resistance to economic reform at local levels. On the other hand, hes made it clear that legal reform can never be allowed to challenge the partys authority.

Story continues

Both in theory and practice, Chinese courts and judges have to obey the leadership of the party Particularly in politically sensitive cases, the judges have to follow instructions from the CPLC, says Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who analyzes mainland politics. The CPLC, or the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, oversees all legal enforcement agencies.

The denial of judicial independence means that Xis legal reform is just for show, Lam says.

Harking back to Mao

Zhous most recent pronouncement on judicial independence has invited unprecedented pushback from some Chinese legal scholars. He Weifang, an outspoken law professor at Peking University, wrote on Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter: No matter what country we are in, if theres no independent judiciary, extrajudicial intervention will be a common scene This will eventually lead to rampant injustice and rebellion. He went on to say that undermining judicial independence is turning back the wheel of history. (The post was deleted but compiled with others by the China Digital Times, which monitors Weibo comments.)

Undermining judicial independence is turning back the wheel of history. Suggesting that Zhous comments are like going back in time is no exaggeration: The attacks under Xi on judicial independence have not happened since the era of chairman Mao Zedong.

One early attack came in January 2015, when Zhang Chunxian, then party chief of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in the nations far west, warned against the notion of judicial independence in the top state mouthpiece Peoples Daily (link in Chinese): Our rule of law is not a rule of law with separation of powersit cannot travel the same road as the Wests judicial independence and judicial neutrality.' His comments shocked the legal sector as the party had not warned against the idea of judicial independence in decades.

The following month Zhou similarly said that Chinese courts must disregard false Western notions, including separation of powers and judicial independence, ahead of the SPCs reform plan.

Zhangs article was the first open shoutout against judicial independence in the post-Mao era, according to Qian Gang, director of the China Media Project at the University of Hong Kongs journalism school. Mao blacklisted the concept, viewing courts as tools for political movements. In two versions of the Chinese constitution in the 1970s, the word independent was absent from any mention of the power of courts and prosecutors, Qian noted.

But after China opened up its economy to the world in the 1980s, Qian said, the word independent appeared in the new constitution, and the concept of judicial independence was revived in state media reports. As late as 2011, then Chinese premier Wen Jiabao even mentioned in a publicly reported seminar that the key to Chinas rule of law is to guarantee judicial independence and impartiality.

Who exactly has handed down a death sentence to the concept of judicial independence? Qian asked, saying its impossible to know the answer. But without official recognition of the idea, he argued, all efforts at judicial reform in China can only become wasted energy.

A compromised independence

Beijing has conducted a comprehensive campaign in recent years to vilify Western values, targeting everything from NGOs to university textbooks. In the process its replaced supposed Western concepts that it deems incompatible with its political system with its own terms. For example, the phrase constitutional democracy has been supplanted by the idea of governing in accord with the constitution, which Xi invented in 2012.

The same thing is happening to judicial independence. As Zhou railed against the Western notion, the SPC also published a series of articles on its Weibo page (link in Chinese) to explain that while China guarantees the courts the right to exercise judicial power independently in accordance with law, as stated in Article 126 of the constitution, the concept is totally different from the Wests idea of judicial independence.

Chinese courts enjoy independent judicial rights only under the partys leadership, the SPC notes. Chinese courts are chosen and overseen by the National Peoples Congress, Chinas top legislative body and widely viewed as a rubber-stamping body. The notion of judicial independence, the SPC noted, is embodied in the American concept of separation of powers, in which the legislative, executive, and judicial branches operate independently.

The SPC warned that those who are advocating for judicial independence in China might have their own political agendas to threaten the ruling regime. It cited the peaceful evolution theory raised by former US secretary of state John Foster Dulles during the Cold War. The theory is understood by Beijing as an American conspiracy to overturn socialist regimes by spreading Western ideas.

The SPC concluded that judicial rights are relative in China as courts must ultimately obey the party, while in the West the notion is an absolute one.

Legal scholars are not pinning high hopes on Chinas judicial reform, which is mostly being considered with regards to cases that are not politically sensitive, says Stanley Lubman, a long-time specialist on Chinese law.

In the meantime, Chinas flawed criminal process, marked by pervasive neglect of the rights of defendants, is likely to be reformed regardless of any possible political significance of any specific case, he says. Almost all accused are found guilty (paywall) in China.

I would expect technical reforms to continue to progressones without any type of political implications, adds Susan Finder, a Hong Kong-based legal scholar. Part of the reforms are aimed at greater autonomy, but not independence.

Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news.

More stories from Quartz:
- French skipper Armel Le Cleac'h won the Vendee Globe solo round the world yacht race in a record time. The 39-year-old got the better of his titanic duel with British rival Alex Thomson to cross the finish line at Les Sables d'Olonne at 15:37GMT after 74 days, three hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds at sea. Le Cleac'h smashed the previous record set by his compatriot Francois Gabart in 2013 of 78 days 2hr 16 min by almost four days. Thomson, Le Cleac'h's main rival since the maritime odyssey began on November 6, is expected to arrive at the France Atlantic coast port later Thursday. Le Cleac'h's state-of-the-art Banque Populaire yacht was accompanied on its triumphant return by a flotilla of dozens of small boats with a helicopter beaming live television pictures hovering overhead. A crowd estimated at around 350,000 was waiting in icy but sunny conditions.

AFP
- French skipper Armel Le Cleac'h won the Vendee Globe solo round the world yacht race in a record time. The 39-year-old got the better of his titanic duel with British rival Alex Thomson to cross the finish line at Les Sables d'Olonne after 74 days, three hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds at sea. Le Cleac'h smashed the previous record set by his compatriot Francois Gabart in 2013 by almost four days. Thomson, Le Cleac'h's main rival since the maritime odyssey began on November 6, is expected to arrive at the France Atlantic coast port later Thursday over 100 nautical miles behind. After crossing the finish line Le Cleac'h, his voice breaking with emotion, told French television: "I'm finding it hard to take on board what's happened, the last few days were very intense. This is a dream."

AFP
Monse founders Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia are set to stage their upcoming ready-to-wear show alongside their debut collection for Oscar de la Renta.

The duo will show the two Fall/Winter 2017 catwalk shows one after the other in New York this February, reports Business of Fashion. Taking place at the city's IMG Skylight Clarkson Square venue, the event on February 13 will open with Monse's latest collection before the Oscar de la Renta line is revealed.

"Having them be consecutive does not mean that there is necessarily a blending of the ideas," Garcia told the site. "There's going to be different styling for each show, and it's going to be very apparent where the [change] happens. The clothes are very different."

The Oscar de la Renta collection will be the first the pair has designed for the brand since being named its co-creative directors last September, following the departure of Peter Copping. The British-born designer stepped down from his position at the New York-based brand after less than two years in July 2016 to return to Europe, citing "personal circumstances." Yet in hiring Kim and Garcia, the brand has steered away from employing new faces -- the designers worked at the house for 12 and six years respectively, before leaving to set up their fledgling label.

Monse, which showcased its first fashion week collection in September 2015, has become known for its edgy and alternative approach to red carpet dressing. Fashion lovers from Amal Clooney to Sarah Jessica Parker and Selena Gomez have been spotted wearing the label's designs.
By Mica Rosenberg

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's attorney general on Thursday published legal guidance for local cities and towns that want to combat tougher federal immigration enforcement expected in the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Eric Schneiderman released a memo that provides model language for laws and policies that could be enacted in jurisdictions in New York state, but could also serve as a template for other cities around the country.

New York and other cities like Los Angeles and Chicago have sharply curbed cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities seeking to deport illegal immigrants, saying they want to protect the well being of hundreds of thousands of residents.

President Barack Obama's administration has used so-called detainer requests to hold immigrants in jail to give federal authorities time to check their legal status.

Trump early in his campaign pledged to deport all 11 million immigrants living illegally in the United States but modified that stance in other statements, saying he would focus on deporting criminals.

One of the guidelines in Schneiderman's memo suggests not holding undocumented inmates for the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement unless the detainer request is accompanied by a judge's order.

The guidelines also suggest limiting local agencies' collection of immigration-related information to prevent discrimination.

Several mayors from smaller cities in New York state praised the legal help.

"As long as I am Mayor, we will not use our resources to enforce federal anti-immigrant policies," said Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner in a statement.

The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Schneiderman's announcement came before a planned rally outside Trump Tower in support of immigrant rights and other civil rights. Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has vowed to protect the nearly 3 million immigrants living in New York, is scheduled to speak at the protest.

Story continues

Cities also want to encourage immigrants to work with law enforcement to report crimes without fearing deportation.

Trump at a campaign event in Phoenix in August said he would block funding for sanctuary cities. "Cities that refuse to cooperate with federal authorities will not receive taxpayer dollars," Trump said.

In 2015 lawmakers tried to cut federal spending for sanctuary cities, including funding for housing, economic development and law enforcement, but the bill failed to clear the U.S. Senate.

Cities United for Immigration Action, a coalition of around 100 mayors, municipalities and counties, said that the bill, would have cost cities hundreds of millions of dollars.

(Reporting by Mica Rosenberg; Editing by Andrew Hay)
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Authorities in Turkey denied entry to a veteran New York Times correspondent and forced him to take a flight back to London, the newspaper said on Wednesday, in what its executive editor denounced as "an affront to freedom of the press". The Times said its correspondent Rod Nordland was told after arriving at Istanbul's Ataturk airport on Tuesday that his name was on an Interior Ministry order denying him entry. The newspaper cited one of its Turkish lawyers as saying that airport police had told a colleague that the reason was "national security", but gave no further details. Four senior Turkish officials contacted by Reuters declined to comment. "The Turkish government's action is an affront to freedom of the press and an effort to keep the world from having access to independent reporting from Turkey," Dean Baquet, executive editor of the Times, said in a statement. Turkey has a poor record on free speech, with at least 81 journalists imprisoned, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). More than 130 media outlets have been shut since a coup attempt in July, according to announcements from Turkish officials. The crackdown, part of wider purges which have seen around 120,000 mostly public service workers suspended or dismissed since the coup attempt, has drawn criticism from President Tayyip Erdogan's opponents and some Western allies, who fear he is trying to silence dissent. Most of the detained journalists and writers are accused by the authorities of spreading terrorist propaganda. Government officials say these individuals are not being held for their journalistic work, but on terrorism-related charges. Those being held work for Turkish news organisations. But action has also been taken against foreign news media. A Wall Street Journal correspondent, Dion Nissenbaum, was detained for what the newspaper said was allegedly violating a government ban on publication of images from an Islamic State video. He was held for two and a half days in December without access to lawyers or family. The Journal's editor in chief Gerard Baker said at the time that while the newspaper was relieved by his subsequent release, it was "outraged at his peremptory detention". Turkish officials did not comment on the case. (Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Alison Williams)
Photo credit: Getty

From Town & Country

Marking the commencement of the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week, the international agency Oxfam released a report calculating the wealth of the world's most affluent. Oxfam's findings reveal an unsettling economic imbalance: "Eight men own the same wealth as the 3.6 billion people who make up the poorest half of humanity."

Bill Gates (net worth: $75 billion) leads the pack (no surprise), but a close second is the unassuming, Spanish business mogul Amancio Ortega, known for launching the retail brand Zara. Valued at $72.2 billion, the media-shy magnate's influence has trickled down to millions' closets. His global realm-Inditex, a retail corporation fashioned upon brands that include Zara, Pull & Bear, and Massimo Dutti-accrued more than $20 billion in the last fiscal year.

Here's what we know about the the misterioso billionaire:

1. He has a humble background.

Born in Leon during the Spanish Civil War, Ortega had a true Cinderella story. The son of railway worker and a housemaid, the ambitious, young Ortega left home at 14 years old to earn more money for his family. He began working for a shirtmaker and learned to make clothes by hand-a harbinger, one might say.

2. His retail titan was almost named something else.

At nearly 40 years old, Ortega founded Zara in La Coruna, Spain. Ortega initially proposed the name of Zorba, his favorite character in the movie Zorba the Greek, but it did not receive permission for usage. After shuffling the letters, Ortega subsequently arrived at the name Zara (to be pronounced "Thara" in Spanish).

3. His former life partner was also his business partner.

In 1975, he opened his first store with his wife, Rosalie Mera, whom he had two children with and later divorced in 1986. At the time of Mera's death in 2013, she was the richest woman in Spain and the world's richest self-made woman. He later married Flora Perez, with whom he had one child.

Story continues

Photo credit: Xurxo Lobato

4. He's a bit of a recluse.

Ortega has declined interviews for years, preferring to live a quiet life out of the limelight.

5. And he keeps a very low-profile.

He wears the same thing to work everyday, stops in the same coffee shop, and eats lunch with his employees in the company cafeteria. Ortega also rarely vacations, meriting his workaholic label. Oh, and his car of choice? An Audi A8 luxury sedan-chosen for comfort, naturally.

6. He has some endearing hobbies.

In addition to horseback riding, Ortega spends his spare time raising chickens on his country estate.

7. People are already speculating about who will take over for him.

His daughter Marta Ortega, 30, is the richest woman in Spain, and rumor has it she may be Ortega's successor. Marta recently married top Spanish equestrian Sergio Moya in 2012.

Photo credit: Pascal Le Segretain

8. His business empire has dealt with controversy.

"Fast fashion" is Ortega's formidable approach to refreshing the stock in Zara stores twice a week. Beyond imposing a contentious strategy to competitors' displeasure, Zara has also been sued in the past by Louboutin for selling red-soled shoes, the company's trademark.

10. He's philanthropic.

Though his fashion and real-estate ventures (he owns the tallest skyscraper in Madrid, the Torre Picasso, and the Epic Residences & Hotel in Miami) keep him quite busy, Ortega also focuses on philanthropy. The Amancio Ortega Foundation, which primarily supports social and healthcare causes, has donated tens of millions of euros to cancer treatments.

11. Despite being a tycoon, he hasn't forgotten his modest upbringing.

In The Man from Zara: The Story of the Genius Behind the Inditex Group, author and Ortega's close friend Covadonga O'Shea writes that the founder became so emotional at a store opening in Manhattan that he locked himself in a bathroom and wept. "Can you imagine how I thought of my parents then?" he told O'Shea. "How proud they would have been of their son who had, so to speak, discovered America, starting from a little town lost in the sticks of northern Spain!"

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Photo credit: Getty Images

From Town & Country

As Donald Trumps presidential campaign gained steam back in 2015, his family and business were thrust into the spotlightand soon, his son-in-laws relatives began making headlines, too.

Since then, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have only further entrenched themselves in politics, each serving as senior advisors in the White House throughout Trumps term in office. As interest has increased in Jared, journalists have dug into his family history, reminding the public about when his father, Charles Kushner, was jailed for tax evasion and witness tampering, among other crimes.

The press has also kept a close watch on the Kushners company, sounding the alarm on any possible conflicts of interest for Jared. The most recent scandal to hit the family is Deutsche Bank's announcement that it has opened an internal investigation into Jared and Donald Trump's longtime banker, Rosemary Vrablic, over a 2013 real estate purchase that she made from a company part-owned by Jared.

Heres what we know about the KushnersJareds parents Charles and Seryl, and siblings Joshua, Nicole, and Daraand their family business.

Photo credit: Getty Images

The Kushners are from Livingston, New Jersey.

The oldest child of Charles and Seryl Kushner, Jared grew up alongside his brother Joshua and sisters Nicole and Dara in northern New Jersey. The children were raised in an Orthodox Jewish home in Livingston, a suburb of Newark, where their grandparents had helped to "create a tight-knit community of Holocaust survivors known as the Builders" after they immigrated to the United States in 1949. Jared Kushner's grandmother, Rae had escaped prosecution in what is now Belarus by tunneling out to the woods, where a community of Jews had armed themselves. The story of this group would eventually be made into the Hollywood film Defiance.

Rae later married Yossel (Joseph) Kushner, another survivor. The couple spent three and a half years in a displaced-persons camp in Italy waiting for a visa to the United States. "Nobody wanted to take us in," Rae said remembering this time in The Miracle of Life, a book which narrates their family's story. "For the Jews, the doors were closed."

Story continues

Like the Trumps, the Kushners operate a family business.

Kushner Companies was founded by Jared's father, Charles Kushner, in 1985, and has remained a family organization.

A 2016 Esquire.com profile of Jared describes the company's weekly meetings as a family affair: "Everyone at the company who is not a secretary gathers in a conference room on the fifteenth floor to discuss acquisitions, financing, and construction. Charles and Jared sit next to each other at the center of a long table, and other family members fan out from there. Joshua has not attended the meetings regularly for years, but Seryl often attends, as does Nicole, who recently decided to join the business." Jared's sister Dara does not appear to be involved.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Kushner Companies describes itself as a "diversified real estate organization." Kushner senior built up most of his wealth in New Jersey, but when Jared took control of the company, he sold off most of those holdings to buy 666 Fifth Avenue, an office tower in Manhattan, for a record-setting $1.8 billion. According to kushner.com, "[the company's] national reach consists of more than 20,000 multifamily apartments, as well as 13 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and Illinois." Notable properties include the historic Puck Building, a late 19th-century landmark in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan, and the famed Jehovah's Witnesses' Watchtower building in Brooklyn.



But the 666 building has since become a lightning rod for controversy. The company struggled to find tenants for the space and pay off their debt on the structure, and in 2016, began seeking investors for a bold new plan: to raze the existing building, and replace it with a new $7.5 one. Kushner Companies was nearing a deal with Chinese company Anbag and Hamad Jassim Al-Thani, a billionaire and former Qatar Prime Minister when the plan fell through amid criticism of Jared Kushners potential conflicts of interest, per the New York Times. In August of 2018, Kushner Companies announced that Brookfield Asset Management had taken a 99-year lease on 666.

The organization has also been subject to multiple investigations. In 2018, Kushner Companies confirmed that the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn had subpoenaed information regarding its involvement in a program that allowed foreigners to invest $500,000 in exchange for fast-track U.S. residency and possible citizenship.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Long before 666 Fifth Avenue, Kushner Companies was submerged in scandal, thanks to Charles Kushners 2005 arrest.

Jareds father, Charles Kushner, was convicted of 18 counts of tax evasion, making illegal campaign contributions, and witness tampering.

The charges stemmed from an investigation into donations made to then-New Jersey governor Jim McGreevy's campaign. In a lurid twist, Charles Kushner had apparently hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law and videotape the interaction because Kushner believed the man was cooperating with federal authorities. The federal prosecutor in charge of the case was none other than Chris Christie, which is where things really get interesting. Despite having supported President-elect throughout the campaign, Christie was not named to a cabinet position in Trump's administration, a slight some see as revenge for his role in prosecuting Jared's father.

Charles Kushner took a plea agreement and was sentenced to two years in federal prison at a military base in Montgomery, Alabama (he was paroled after one). He was also ordered to pay a $40,000 fine. Jared remained close to his father after the conviction, flying on weekends to visit him. The New York Times reports that for years, Jared carried a wallet that his father had made for him in prison. "He was the best son to his father in jail, the best son to his mother, who suffered terribly, and he was a father to his siblings," Charles told New York magazine. "I speak with my father about everything in my life," Jared said.

When his father was convicted, Jared, then 24, stepped in to run the Kushner Companies; his father continues to be involved in the business.

If Charles Kushners actions caused friction with his extended family, Jareds recent statements have done nothing to ease the tension.

During Donald Trumps presidential campaign, Jared Kushner he invoked his grandparent's Holocaust survival story as a defense of a seemingly anti-semitic tweet Trump had posted. "I am the grandson of Holocaust survivors," he wrote, sharing the story of how his grandparents escaped persecution in Belarus. "It's important to me that people understand where I'm coming from when I report that I know the difference between actual, dangerous intolerance versus these labels that get tossed around in an effort to score political points."

"I have a different takeaway from my Grandparents' experience in the war," wrote Marc Kushner, Jared's first cousin, in a Facebook post. "It is our responsibility as the next generation to speak up against hate. [Sic] Antisemitism or otherwise."

Politico called attention to this message, also citing another cousin, Jacob Schulder, who wrote a comment on Marc's original post: "... For the sake of the family name, which may have no meaning to you but still has meaning to others, please don't invoke our grandparents in vain just so you can sleep better at night. It is self serving and disgusting."

The Kushners finances have recently become even more entwined, after Jared and Ivanka prepared for their roles in the White House by transferring assets to Jareds family.

Donald Trump named his son-in-law Jared Kushner to the position of senior advisor early on in his administration. In preparation for the role, Kushner took steps to divest his assets in order to comply with conflict-of-interest rules. According to CNN, Kushner transferred large portions of his real estate holdings and the Observer to a family trust overseen by his mother, Seryl. Additionally, he sold additional assets to his brother Joshua. The New York Times also noted that some ethicists are concerned about the arrangement questioning, "how meaning the divestiture would be" given that he is not putting his assets into a true blind trust.

When Ivanka took on the official position of assistant to the president, the question of what to do with her eponymous business became somewhat complicated. Ivanka's attorney, Jamie Gorelick reportedly said that there is no way to make it entirely conflict-free. The one thing I would like to be clear on: we dont believe it eliminates conflicts in every way, Gorelick told Politico. She has the conflicts that derive from the ownership of this brand. Were trying to minimize those to the extent possible."

In order to mitigate those conflicts, Ivanka is placing the brand in a trust to be run by her brother-in-law Joshua and her sister-in-law, Nicole. They will reportedly be prohibited from "entering the brand into any agreements with foreign countries or agencies" and from "using her image to sell the brand."

While Ivanka has essentially relinquished control, she does retain the right to put an end to any deal that would be unacceptable from an ethics perspective.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Jared is once again in the spotlight over his longtime banker's purchase of real estate from one of his companies.

Rosemary Vrablic, the personal banker of President Trump and Jared Kushner, is undergoing an internal review from her employer, Deutsche Bank, about her 2013 purchase of a New York City apartment from a company part-owned by Jared. The New York Times first reported the news in August 2020, noting that it is common for banks to restrict employees from doing personal business with clients because of conflicts of interest. This isn't the first time Kushner and Trump's involvement with Deutsche Bank has raised eyebrows: in 2019, the FBI opened an investigation into suspicious transactions between Kushner Companies and Russian individuals, which anti-money-laundering specialists at Deutsche Bank had flagged as needing to be reported to the governmentbut the bank chose not to do so.

Jared's brother Joshua Kushner runs his own private-equity firm, Thrive Capital, in addition to taking on some of his brother and sister-in-laws assets.

Joshua's love life also makes headlines; he recently married supermodel Karlie Kloss. (For more on Jared's younger brother, from his other business endeavors like Oscar Health and Cadre to why he didn't vote for Trump, click here.)

Jared's sisters, Nicole and Dara, keep relatively low profiles.

In addition to her new position within her sister-in-law Ivanka's company, Nicole is involved in the family business, serving as a principal, according to her LinkedIn profile. Previously, she worked at Ralph Lauren and received both her bachelors and masters degrees from NYU.

But she hasn't entirely been able to escape the headlines. In 2017, Kushner Meyer traveled to China to woo investors. At an event in Beijing, Meyer pitched wealthy Chinese investors on funding a New Jersey apartment complex being developed by the Kushner family. According to the Washington Post, promotional brochures for the program featured the tagline: "Invest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States," and promoted Meyer as Jareds sister. Kushner Companies apologized a while ago for the incident, saying, "Kushner Companies apologizes if that mention of her brother was in any way interpreted as an attempt to lure investors. That was not Ms. Meyers intention."

Nicole's husband, Joseph Meyer, is the chief executive of Observer Media and Jared's older sister Dara reportedly lives a quiet life with her family back in Livingston.

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According to the Airfare Spot, round-trip tickets are now on sale to Scandinavia, with prices as low as $275 throughout March.

Travelers departing the New York City area can fly out of Newark Liberty International Airport to Stockholm, Sweden, for $275 on March 20, for example, or land in Oslo, Norway on March 8 for only $60 more.

New York City-based flyers can also take a $325 round-trip flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Copenhagen, Denmark, on March 1. Cheap seats can also be found on flights leaving at the end of February and on select days in November.

West Coasters can take advantage of the Star Alliance airfare sale, too. Flights from San Francisco start at $309 round-trip to Copenhagen (or $329 to Stockholm and only $363 round-trip to Oslo, Norway) and will cost between $335 and $374 for trips to Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo from Los Angeles. Reservations for the most affordable flights from San Francisco, however, should be made for trips departing in November.

According to The Flight Deal, Bostonians can also take advantage of the sale, with flights to Copenhagen selling for as little as $369 round-trip.

For complete booking details and date availability, check out the Airfare Spots detailed notes about trips originating in the New York metro area, San Francisco, or Los Angeles.
Google is getting ready to mix up the market for lower-cost smartphones: The company plans to cooperate closely with a hardware manufacturer to release a handset priced $300 or less in the first half of this year, according to a report by The Information.

The new handset would be part of Googles Android One program, which the company first debuted in India in 2014. Google is asking manufacturers of Android One devices to follow close guidelines that promise a pure Android experience without unnecessary customizations and timely software updates. In exchange, the company is promoting Android One devices with ad campaigns and more.

Of course, theres no shortage of cheap Android phones. Carriers regularly give away low-cost handsets, and every drug store or supermarket will sell you an Android phone for less than $100 these days. However, most of these handsets are based on cheap hardware and slow chip sets, running outdated versions of Android.

Whats more, handset manufacturers have taken to changing the user interface of Android to give their phones a custom look and feel. Google doesnt like this because it undoes some of the work that the company itself has spent on Androids design, but also because it slows down the update process.

Google recently began to sell its own high-end handsets with the Google Pixel, which more directly competes with Apples iPhone. There are no sales numbers available for the device just yet, which thus far has only been available via Google and Verizon, but The Information quotes sources at Google saying that the phone has been selling well.

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By Sanjeev Miglani and Rajesh Kumar Singh NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Some Indian officials have balked at Apple's demands for concessions before it assembles iPhones there, raising doubts about a spring deadline to launch a key project in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign to lure foreign investors. The country is still keen for the U.S. tech giant to produce its signature smartphones there, and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday that India would keep an "open mind" in negotiations. "We will very much like Apple to come and have a base in India," he said. But Apple Inc's long list of demands, including tax concessions and several other policy exceptions, still faces resistance from officials who consider it excessive and unfair on foreign companies already operating in India. Their caution underlines how Modi's ambition to make India a global manufacturing hub, in order to drive the economy and create jobs for millions of people entering the workforce each year, will not be easy. "We have not done this for anyone," said a senior government official whose department is one of several involved in evaluating the Apple proposal. "If we do this, we must see a lot of value addition." Another official involved in the review said the government should make policies for the industry, not individual companies. "Apple is coming here because it sees a lucrative market, this is not a favor being done to India." Competitors such as South Korea's Samsung Electronics <005930.KS> and China's Xiaomi have already set up manufacturing in the country. Apple did not respond to a request for comment. LETTER SPELLS OUT DEMANDS Modi met Apple CEO Tim Cook last May and discussed iPhone production in India. Where any plant would be located and how many people it might employ have yet to be finalised, although it would likely involve thousands of jobs. Attracting such a household name would be a valuable advertisement for a country shaking off a reputation for stifling bureaucracy, but officials are wary of tailoring rules to individual investors. "What Apple is trying to do, if it happens, I think it will be available to everybody in the industry. I don't see the government of India making discriminatory policies," said Arvind Vohra, chief executive at Gionee India, part of Chinese smartphone maker Gionee. It is setting up a local manufacturing plant under India's existing rules. From Apple's point of view, the ambitious timeline agreed by Modi and Cook reflected its need to capture more of the fast-growing Indian market, where it has only about 2 percent share as iPhone sales in the United State and China have slowed. In a letter sent to the prime minister's office on Oct. 13 and seen by Reuters, it called on the government to "make the environment attractive" for it to make phones for the Indian market as well as for export. On the matter of duties, it said high import taxes on smartphones could lead to retaliation from trading blocs. "This would increase the cost of India manufactured smartphones and in turn limit India's ambition of becoming a smartphone hub for the rest of the world." Despite the reluctance of some officials, Modi could intervene to get the Apple project back on schedule. In June, the government relaxed local sourcing rules for foreign retailers like Apple barely a month after the finance ministry turned down the company's request for a waiver. The company and its partners have reportedly won significant concessions before in other markets. MEETING NEXT WEEK On Jan. 25, the departments of industry, information technology and electronics, and finance will meet Apple executives to consider the conditions set out by the firm in India, government officials said. In May, Modi and Cook agreed to work towards a "package" of four projects: assembling iPhones, opening Apple stores, importing certified pre-owned iPhones and refurbishing them in India, according to the letter. Apple said its initial focus was to set up manufacturing of iPhones in India over two phases, the first of which was to be introduced by spring this year. But after conducting due diligence on what it would take to get the project going, it determined its entry was "dependent on government support on a number of pre-requisites." The Cupertino, Calif.-based company listed a set of seven demands. Among them, it sought duty exemption on raw materials for manufacturing, components and capital equipment for 15 years for both domestic and export markets. Apple also sought a change in rules that would govern how it could import defective iPhones to repair and export them again, a move it said was crucial for it to keep supporting and repairing older models of the iPhone. Currently, Indian rules restrict such imports to phones that are no older than three years. Apple asked for the government's help in quickly processing a request for a ruling from Indian tax authorities on transfer pricing agreements between its affiliates. It also identified India's customs procedures as a hurdle to manufacturing and asked the government to make them less onerous. "For trusted traders inspections need to be less intrusive - this means less boxes opened," Apple wrote. "The complete process should not require more than thirty minutes." (Additional reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal in MUMBAI and Nidhi Verma in NEW DELHI; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Paritosh Bansal)
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The share price of the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio (NYSE: NIO) was soaring today after The Wall Street Journal reported that China might start easing its strict zero-COVID policies. The restrictions have resulted in many companies, including Nio, having to temporarily close factories or stop production when a COVID-19 outbreak occurs. The Journal also reported that U.S. inspectors are finishing up their audit of some U.S.-listed Chinese companies, and investors are hoping that the potential for some Chinese companies to be delisted from U.S. exchanges could soon be eliminated.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nintendo said it will release an Android version of its Super Mario mobile game in March following the launch of Super Mario Run for Apple Inc's iPhone in December. The Japanese company announced the planned launch on its Twitter feed. Super Mario Run represents a belated bid by Nintendo to tap mobile gaming after restricting its most popular gaming character to its own game consoles. After launching the game on Dec. 15, downloads topped a record 40 million in just four days. By releasing an Android version, Nintendo can tap a much larger pool of potential gamers. More than four out of five smartphones shipped in 2016 use the Android operating system, according to market research company IDC. Analysts, however, note that so far less than one in 10 people who have downloaded Super Mario Run for free have agreed to pay $9.99 to unlock all the features of the game. Nintendo's shares were trading 1.1 percent lower during morning trading in Tokyo, compared with a 1 percent gain in the benchmark Nikkei 225 index . (Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki and Tim Kelly; Editing by Michael Perry and Kim Coghill)
FILE - This May 2015 file family photo shows Sascha Pinczowski at her graduation from Marymount Manhattan College in New York. The families of victims of terror attacks in Paris, Brussels and Israel including the family of Sascha Pinczowski and brother Alexander said social media companies including Facebook and Twitter are aiding terrorists. Plaintiffs' lawyer Robert Tolchin said the companies are helping terror groups network, recruit and advertise their deadly aims. The companies said the lawsuits get it wrong. (Courtesy of the Pinczowski family via AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP)  The families of victims of terror attacks in Paris, Brussels and Israel are blaming social media companies including Facebook and Twitter for facilitating communications among terrorists.

Twitter says it has suspended hundreds of thousands of user accounts in the past 18 months for threatening or promoting acts of terrorism.

But that isn't enough, say lawyers for the families of terror victims, including a brother and sister killed in last year's bomb attacks in Brussels and an American college student slaughtered in Paris.

In a string of lawsuits filed in New York, they say they want Twitter and Facebook to pay damages for failing to stop violent extremists from using their platforms to recruit followers, intimidate enemies and raise money.

"If you or I tried to send money to Hamas, you wouldn't get around the block," said Robert Tolchin, a lawyer for the families of Brussels attack victims Alexander and Sascha Pinczowski and Paris massacre victim Nohemi Gonzalez. "Banks are required to check before they do any wire transfers. Why is it any different to provide a communications platform to Hamas, to ISIS?"

Relatives of those three victims filed a federal lawsuit against Twitter earlier this month, saying the San Francisco company violated the U.S. Anti-terrorism Act by providing material support to terrorists. It seeks unspecified damages.

Another lawsuit filed last year on behalf of five people killed or injured in terror attacks linked to Hamas blames Facebook Inc., saying it provides material support to Hamas.

The plaintiffs include the families of Taylor Force, a Vanderbilt University student and Lubbock, Texas native stabbed to death in Tel Aviv last March, Yaakov Naftali Fraenkel, a 16-year-old dual Israeli-American citizen kidnapped and killed in Israel in 2014, and 3-month-old Chaya Zissel Braun, who was killed in 2014 when a Hamas operative drove his car into a crowd at a train station in Jerusalem.

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That suit was combined with a third lawsuit brought on behalf of 20,000 Israelis seeking a court order requiring Facebook to stop providing services to terrorists.

Similar lawsuits across the country have been rejected by the courts on grounds that the companies are protected by the Communications Decency Act, which bars social-networking companies from being sued for speech used by their customers.

"I'm confused why new lawsuits are continuing to be filed because I think these lawsuits are unmeritorious and it seems like the plaintiffs are not directing their ire toward the proper targets," said Eric Goldman, a professor at the Santa Clara University School of Law. "Many social media companies have taken extra steps above and beyond the law to further reduce terrorist content."

In court papers, Facebook is fighting back, saying the material support claim is not new and it's been routinely dismissed by the courts.

"Facebook has zero tolerance for terrorism," the Cupertino, California-based company wrote. "It condemns terrorist actions, prohibits terrorist content on Facebook, and swiftly removes any reported terrorist content."

Twitter said in a statement that it condemns the use of it services to promote terrorism.

"This type of behavior, or any violent threat, is not permitted on our service," it said, adding that it has suspended over 360,000 accounts in the last 18 months for promoting violent extremism, primarily related to the Islamic State.

For legal support, Twitter cites a November ruling at a U.S. court in San Francisco brought by relatives of two U.S. government contractors shot and killed in 2015 at a law enforcement training center in Amman, Jordan. U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick said the suit was barred by the Communications Decency Act.

Alexander Pinczowski, 29, and Sascha Pinczowski, 26, were Dutch siblings who lived in New York. They died when suicide bombers detonated explosives at a Brussels airport.

Nohemi Gonzalez, 23, was among 129 people killed by gunmen in Paris in 2015. She a student at California State University, Long Beach and had been spending a semester in Paris studying industrial design.
By Joyce Lee and Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean court on Thursday dismissed an arrest warrant against the head of Samsung Group [SAGR.UL], the country's largest conglomerate, amid a graft scandal that has led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. But the reprieve for Jay Y. Lee, 48, may only be temporary, as the special prosecutor's office said it would pursue the case. Lee, who has led Samsung since his father, Lee Kun-hee, suffered a heart attack in 2014, was still likely to face the same charges of bribery, embezzlement and perjury, legal analysts said, even if he is not detained. Lee left the Seoul Detention Centre carrying a white shopping bag and climbed into a car without talking to reporters, having been held overnight as the court deliberated whether to grant the arrest warrant. The special prosecutor's office said it would be continuing its probe but had not decided whether to make another arrest warrant request, and the setback would not change its plans to investigate other conglomerates. Spokesman Lee Kyu-chul said the prosecution was unconvinced by the Samsung chief's argument that he was a victim of coercion due to pressure from Park. The spokesman also said Samsung Group Vice Chairman Choi Gee-sung had been classified as a suspect on suspicion of bribery, but did not elaborate further. Two other Samsung officials, Choi's deputy Chang Choong-ki and Samsung Electronics executive Park Sang-jin, were also under investigation. The office has accused Lee of paying multi-million dollar bribes to Park's confidant, Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the heart of the scandal, to win support from the National Pension Service for a controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung Group affiliates. The merger helped cement Lee's control over the smartphones-to-biopharmaceuticals business empire. He has denied wrongdoing. The judge said in a statement on his ruling that an arrest was not necessary - for now. "After reviewing the contents and the process of the investigation so far ... it is difficult to acknowledge the necessity and substantiality of an arrest at the current stage," he said. Lee Jung-jae, a lawyer and former prosecutor, said he didn't think the special prosecutor would push for Lee's detention again. "They probably already have as much evidence as they could gather," he told Reuters. "They will indict him eventually, but without detention." Samsung said in an emailed statement that it appreciated "the fact that the merits of this case can now be determined without the need for detention". The group's flagship, Samsung Electronics <005930.KS>, is the world's biggest maker of smartphones, flat-screen televisions and memory chips. STRIPPED OF POWERS Making its case for an arrest warrant on Monday, the special prosecutor's office accused Lee of paying bribes totalling 43 billion won ($36.70 million) to organisations linked to Choi to secure the 2015 merger of Samsung C&T Corp and Cheil Industries Inc. Park, 64, was impeached last month by parliament over the influence-peddling scandal. If the decision is upheld by the Constitutional Court, she will become South Korea's first democratically elected leader to be forced from office early. Both Park, who remains in office but stripped of her powers while the court decides her fate, and Choi have denied wrongdoing. The special prosecutor's office said on Tuesday it had evidence that Park and Choi shared profits gained through bribery payments, but did not elaborate. This week, the special prosecutor indicted the chairman of the National Pension Service, the world's third-largest pension fund, on charges of abuse of power and giving false testimony in relation to the deal. Thursday's court ruling angered many, including members of the left-wing opposition Democratic Party, which said the decision ran counter to public sentiment. Samsung and its leader have been dogged by protests in recent weeks as the graft probe advanced, with some calling for Lee's immediate arrest. "The law is not equal for all," one South Korean remarked on web portal Naver. Key Samsung Group shares rose following the court decision: Samsung Electronics and Samsung C&T gained 1.5 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively, outperforming a 0.1 percent gain for the broader market <.KS11> though down from their opening peaks as investors braced for the likelihood of an indictment. "The only thing that has changed is that he won't be detained now," commented Park Jung-hoon, a fund manager at HDC Asset Management, adding that uncertainties were likely to linger. (Reporting by Joyce Lee, Ju-min Park and Se Young Lee; Additional reporting by Christine Kim and Yun Hwan Chae; Editing by Nick Macfie & Simon Cameron-Moore)
Earlier this week, Tesla scored a huge coup when it announced the hiring of Chris Lattner, a widely respected Apple engineer who helped spearhead the development of Swift and who also helped oversee Apples Xcode team. While Apple engineers migrating to Tesla is certainly nothing new, Lattner is arguably the most high-profile employee to leave 1 Infinite Loop to work for Elon Musk. As for his new role, Lattner will begin working at Tesla later this month where he will become Teslas VP of Autopilot Software.

Don't Miss: The iPhone 8s most exciting feature might not be so exciting after all

In the wake of Lattners move to Tesla, theres been a lot of speculation as to what prompted the departure. While one report initially claimed that Lattner was disillusioned by Apples overbearing culture of secrecy, Latter has since come out and called such claims patently false.

Since then, Lattner has taken to more pro-actively explaining why he left Apple, a wise move given that the alternative would be to simply let speculation build upon itself, likely leading to misleading characterizations about his time at Apple.

Speaking to MacRumors, Lattner explained that he was drawn to Tesla by the opportunity to work on important and challenging engineering problems. Whats more, Lattner articulated that hes also excited about the prospect of working on something new after more than a decade of focusing on developer tools exclusively.

Ive been writing code for more than 30 years, and 16 of those years have been in the developer tools space, Lattner said. I love it, but I am ready to move on to something else. Autopilot is clearly incredibly important to the world because of its ability to save peoples lives (and increase convenience). It is also a very, very hard technology problem and my experience building large scale software and team building is useful. Of course, Ive also been a huge Tesla fan for some time.

Notably, Lattner wasnt the only big Apple departure to make headlines over the past few days. Earlier in the week, word surfaced that Tesla hired Matt Casebolt, a mechanical engineer at Apple who helped work on the MacBook Air, the Mac Pro, and the recently released MacBook Pro with the TouchBar.

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For those interested in more of the backstory surrounding Lattners decision to work for Tesla, make sure to check out his recent appearance on this weeks episode of the ATP podcast.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Country music superstar and Walking Dead superfan Carrie Underwood stopped by Today on Wednesday, where she made a startling admission: If she were offered the chance to appear on The Walking Dead, she would want to be a zombie. Chilling, isnt it? Unless she were somehow a singing and dancing zombie. That could be great for the morale of everyone in Alexandria. Whats not great for anyone in Alexandria is Neegan, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, whom Underwood was recently fortunate enough to meet.

Underwood met Morgan at the Golden Globes, but the meeting didnt quite go as she might have hoped.

He was so nice, Underwood said. Were all dressed up at the Golden Globes. Everybody is doing their thing. He was like, You look beautiful. And I was like, Thank you so much. You look like Neegan. Thats all that could come out of my mouth.

Immediately after calling him Neegan, Underwood had to take off, so that was the extent of her meeting with Morgan.

It was so busy, and we had to do a script read-through, so I kind of ran away. So I called him Neegan, then ran away. It was kind of awkward, Underwood said.

Check out our Power Rankings of the Walking Dead characters through Episode 8 of this season:

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Khail Anonymous, on Twitter.
Miguel Ferrer, who had played Owen Granger on NCIS: Los Angeles since 2012 and co-starred with Jill Hennessy on CBS Crossing Jordan, died today of cancer. He was 61.

The son of late actor Jose Ferrer, he also was to reprise his role as FBI Agent Albert Rosenfeld on David Lynchs revival Twin Peaks on Showtime.

Ferrer launched his career in the early 1980s with small guest shots on such series as Magnum, P.I., CHiPS and Cagney & Lacey and features including Heartbreaker, RoboCop, The Man Who Wasnt There and Star Trek: III: The Search for Spock. He would go on to focus mostly on TV throughout that decade before landing the Twin Peaks role in 1990.

The Santa Monica native toplined the short-lived Stephen J. Cannell-creator cop drama Broken Badges in 1991 and also starred in Lynchs 1950s romp On the Air the following year. He appeared in a number of features during the 1990s but continued to star on short-run TV series including Fallen Angels and Al Frankens LateLine.

In 2001, Ferrer landed a role in the NBC drama Crossing Jordan, starring opposite Hennessys Boston medical examiner. The show was among the top 20 in the year-end ratings for 2001-02 and remained on the air until 2007.

After that series wrapped, Ferrer starred opposite Michelle Ryan in Bionic Woman, which lasted nine episodes, co-starred with Ally Walker and Tisha Campbell-Martin in the LAPD drama The Protector in 2011. But his next role would be his biggest.

In 2012, Ferrer joined the cast of CBS popular spinoff NCIS: Los Angeles, opposite Chris ODonnell, LL Cool J, Linda Hunt and others. He came in early on as the assistant director of NCIS and at first was a hard-as-nails unpleasant sort to the team. But during the course of the ensuing seasons, his Owen Granger warmed up to them and became a friend. There has been an ongoing mole-hunt storyline in the current eighth season of NCIS: LA, and Granger was stabbed while in police custody in the most recent episode that aired Sunday.

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Ferrer is survived by his wife Lori, sons Lukas and Rafi and his brothers and sisters.

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Chilevision, Turner Broadcasting Systems Chilean broadcast network, has acquired Educating Nina, one of the two big fiction hits last year on Argentinas No. 1 free-to-air broadcaster Telefe, acquired in November by Viacom.

Bowing out with a bang on Dec. 1 when it punched an 18.9 rating, identity comedy Educating Nina is produced by Telefe and Sebastian Ortega at top Argentine production house Underground, the company behind Netflix acquisition El Marginal.

Chilevision will launch Educating Nina in 2017. It stars Griselda Siciliani (Patito Feo) as a rough-at-the-edges chanteuse who impersonates her identical twin, a refined but duplicitous woman (also Siciliana), but falls for her supposed husbands brother (Esteban Lamothe, The Student), a brilliant writer who has been swindled by his own brother.

Educating Ninas sale to Chile builds on licensing deals for Argentinas comedy of the year with Ecuadors Teleamazonas, Parguays Unicanal and Colombias Caracol TV.

In further international sales deals announced at Miami, Telefe has sold the format for Dear Daddies, a 2014 comedy which it produced, to six Eastern European TV groups owned by Time Warner-owned TV holding Central European Media Enterprises (CME): Slovakias Markiza, Czech Republics CET 21, Romanias Protv, Bulgarias BTV, Slovenias Prom Plus and Croatias Nova. Chiles Mega has reversioned the show, with a large success,, about three dads who meet daily at a kindergarten to pick up their kids.

Chilevision has also acquired, dubbed into neutral Spanish, Love After Loving (ADDA, Amar despues de amar), one of Telefes biggest bets for 2017 which airs on its primetime from Jan. 23. Muscularly promoted in international by Telefe at Octobers Mipcom TV fair, where a billboard festooned Cannes Palais des Festivals, Love After Loving was selected by The Wit to illustrate Latin Americas energetic diversification from telenovelas reaching 150 episodes or more into noir tinged thrillers. In Latin markets, black is becoming the new pink: There are more thrillers and less episodes, The Wits Virginia Mouseler proclaimed.

Story continues

Set over two time periods, more intricately plotted, boasting broader character arcs that most novela fare and weighing in at just 75 episodes, ADDA turns on the growing attraction between a man and a woman who discover that their partners have been carrying on an affair after the latter suffer a terrible car accident which leaves the husband in coma, while the wifes body disappears.

Our network sees ADDA as the fresh show we had been looking for  a top thriller with a high dose of emotion and an engaging plot, said Chilevisions Holger Roost.

We feel that we have very good content, an amazing story, and a top production that will allow ADDA to have a big international journey, added Guillermo Borensztein, head of Telefe Intl.

Argentinas audiences will judge Monday. Love After Loving forms part of Telefes push into development and production, including high-profile production partnerships with Keshet and Fremantle Media, under Tomas Yankelevich. Production levels may now increase all the more under Viacom ownership. Pierluigi Gazzolo, president of Viacom International Media Networks, said at the NATPE market this week in Miami that Viacom wanted to take Telefe to another level, distributing its content and producing more.

Related stories

Sofia Vergara, Luis Balaguer and Emiliano Calemzuk Launch Latino Digital-Media Startup Raze

Tartikoff Awards Celebrate TV's Innovators and Influencers

New Viacom CEO Focuses on Breaking Down Silos, Mending 'Frayed Relationships'
Wednesday, January 18, 2017



Seidu Mohammad via WFP

Ghanian asylum seeker Seidu Mohammad braved sub-zero temperatures in order to seek asylum in Canada. He may well lose his fingers as a result. The Winnipeg Free Press has his story.

On Christmas Eve, Mohammad spent seven hours walking outside in an effort to cross the U.S.-Canada border and to seek asylum in Canada. Looking to avoid U.S. Border Patrol, Mohammad crossed through hip-deep snow in temperatures that dropped to -4 with winds gusting to 20 miles per hour.

Mohammad, wearing three jackets and a pair of gloves, thought he was sufficiently prepared for the cold. He wasn't. He's expected to lose his fingers to frostbite.

Mohammad was trying to get to Canada in order to: (1) avoid detention pending an asylum claim, which is what he would experience in the US and (2) get in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada which, the WFP writes, "is seen by human rights advocates and lawyers as more fair and thorough than that in the U.S."

Until this story I was unaware of the :

well-worn route in which [asylum seekers are] driven from Minneapolis, Minn., to a point just south of the town of Emerson. There, theyre dropped off and told to walk the rest of the way to the Canadian side of the border where they can legally make a refugee claim.

-KitJ

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2017/01/asylee-loses-fingers-in-journey-from-north-dakota-to-canada.html
Thursday, January 19, 2017

The New Jersey Supreme Court has disbarred an attorney convicted of bank robbery and related offenses.

His capture began with the police following footprints in the snow that led to his brother's tattoo parlor.

From the Disciplinary Review Board report

Respondent pleaded guilty to an...information charging him with bank robbery, simple assault, and terroristic threats. The latter two charges were based on respondents statement to the bank teller, during the robbery, that he had a gun, and the money should be placed in a blue bag "quickly and naturally so that everyone would be safe."

At respondents June 6, Honorable Raymond L. Hamill, 2013 plea hearing before the President Judge, the District Attorney recited the facts, as follows:

Your Honor, on February 20, 2013 around 1:50 p.m. there was a bank robbery at the Citizen Savings Bank, 335 Willow Avenue, Honesdale Borough, Wayne County. The defendant came in, handed the cashier a hand written robbery note demanding cash and indicated that he had a gun and a partner outside. He was handed $2,420.00 in cash, and he fled the scene. On that same day at about 5:30 p.m. he went to Cordaros Restaurant and obtained a taxi cab. He went to Dover, New Jersey, in that taxi cab and paid the taxi cab driver $160.00 in cash and gave her $20 [sic] tip. On March 13, 2013 the defendant gave a written mirandized confession to the bank robbery.

The attorney had no record of prior discipline but

Aside from respondents unblemished ethics history, we can discern no mitigating factors. In aggravation, however, we note that respondent placed people in fear of serious physical harm -- and perhaps even death. Like the Court, in our view, "[s]ome criminal conduct is so utterly incompatible with the standard of honesty and integrity that we require of attorneys that the most severe discipline is justified by the seriousness of the offense alone." In re Hasbrouck, ~, 152 N.J. at 371- 372. Here, too, the severity of respondents crime requires nothing short of disbarment. We so recommend.

Wayne Independant covered the arrest.

Witnesses outside the bank said upon exiting the bank the suspect ran southbound on Willow Ave., crossed the road and ran onto Old Willow Ave. Surveillance video was viewed at Rent-E-Quip, a business located at 416 Old Willow Ave. Footage shows the suspect running southbound on Old Willow Ave at approximately 1:52 pm. Responding Pennsylvania State Police officers assisted with the investigation and a PSP officer located a single set of shoeprints off the left side of the roadway near 461 Old Willow Ave., approximately 200 yards south of Rent-E-Quip. Said shoeprints were in the snow and they led upward into a wooded area. Said prints were followed through the wooded area. The prints led to a side door of a business on Grandview Ave. that being a tattoo parlor at 164 Grandview Ave. The shoeprints were later photographed and measured and appear consistent with a 9-1/2 size.

Pennsylvania State Police officers entered the tattoo parlor business, which was open at the time, and made contact with a Steven R. FRENCH. A photo of him was taken and the investigation continued. Shortly thereafter FRENCH went to Cordaro's Restaurant 186 Grandview Avenue and then obtained a Maple City Taxi Cab and was taken to Dover, New Jersey. FRENCH paid $160.00 cash for the cab fare and a $20.00 tip.

On February 22, 2013 Bill French, owner of the tattoo parlor, and brother of Steven R. FRENCH, was interviewed by Honesdale PD. Bill French related that he picked up his brother from New Jersey on February 17, 2013 and brought him to his apartment, located in the rear of his tattoo shop, on Grandview Ave. Bill said FRENCH stayed with him until February 20, 2013 when FRENCH abruptly left the apartment without saying good bye to Bill and returned to New Jersey. Bill advised that he was missing a pair of black winter gloves, a pair of brownish colored sneakers-type shoes size 9-1/2, a green-colored cloth tote bag and several plastic grocery bags. Bill said he is not missing any money. Bill was asked if he keeps rubber gloves at his business and he related that he does. It was also noted that Bill had plain 8-1/2" x 11" paper in his business for his fax machine.

On February 22, 2013 a photograph line-up consisting of eight photographs, including a photograph of FRENCH, were shown to the bank teller. After reviewing the line-up, the teller positively identified Steven R. FRENCH as the person who robbed the bank.

On February 23, 2013 a contractor, who was working in the apartment at the tattoo parlor on February 20, 2013, was interviewed. He advised that on February 20th when he arrived for work at 7:30 am FRENCH and Bill were there. He then went into the basement to work. Between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm he related that he came upstairs into the apartment and noticed that FRENCH was not there. He went back downstairs to work and at approximately 3:30 pm, when he was finished working, he went upstairs into the apartment. At that time he noticed FRENCH had returned and he appeared sweaty and flustered. On February 26, 2013, Honesdale PD was supplied with a copy of a handwritten letter that FRENCH wrote to his sister a few years ago. The handwriting on the letter appears very similar to the handwriting on the bank robbery note.

(Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2017/01/the-new-jersey-supreme-court-has-disbarred-an-attorney-convicted-of-bank-robbery-and-related-offense-from-the-disciplinary.html
Donald Trump faces a deeply divided country as he takes office Friday as the 45th president of the United States.

That divide can be seen in results from public opinion studies. In a national poll, Marist College found that 53 percent of those asked said they believe Trump will do more to divide the country than to unite it. Forty-three percent said he is more likely to unite the nation, while 4 percent were unsure.

Marist polling director Lee Miringoff said Trumps transition to the presidency is lacking a political honeymoon. The president-elect has been reaching out to his base but has not broadened his support, he said.

Larry Sabato is a political scientist at the University of Virginia. In his words, Trump has not reached out to reunify a badly divided country in any sustained way." Mr. Sabato said "as a result, he has the lowest ratings of any modern president-elect during the transition period.

In mid-December, another polling company, Gallup, found that 48 percent of Americans approve of how Trump is handling his presidential transition. This compares to 75 percent for Barack Obama in 2009, 65 percent for George W. Bush in 2001 and 67 percent for Bill Clinton in 1993.

Republican Congressman Kevin Brady of Texas and other Trump supporters have urged his opponents to give the new president a chance. Brady told VOA that he thought President Barack Obama was divisive. He said he is hopeful that when Trump takes office, he, in his words, will continue to reach out with Congress and with different groups across the country, listen and see if we cant pull together as a country. That is my hope.

Democratic opposition

Democrats in Congress say they might willing to work with Trump on such areas as a major infrastructure bill to pay for the repair of roads and bridges.

But Democrats say they will oppose Trump on other issues. The new Senate Democratic leader -- Charles Schumer of New York -- said Democrats will, in his words, fight him tooth and nail when he appeals to the baser instincts that diminish America and its greatness.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, an Independent from the state of Vermont, told Democrats at a gathering at the U.S. Capitol after the election that When we stand together, Donald Trump and nobody, nobody is going to stop us," he said."Let's go forward together."

John Hudak is with the Brookings Institution, a research group in Washington, DC. He said how Trump chooses to deal with the divide is important.

It is incumbent upon him to start building bridges to the nearly 70 million Americans who voted for someone else, Hudak says. That is a real challenge, and its not a challenge every president faces, and it will be an important challenge."

David Eagles is the Director for Presidential Transition at the Partnership for Public Service. He believes Americans will welcome any attempt by Trump to unify the country.

Im very hopeful, he says. When you look at history in these periods of time, the American public has generally given a halo effect, if you will, on an incoming president to get their job done.

Im Caty Weaver.

VOA National Political Correspondent Jim Malone reported and wrote this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

poll  n. an activity in which several or many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to get information about what most people think about something

honeymoon  n. a pleasant period of time at the start of something (such as a relationship or a politician's term in office) when people are happy, are working with each other, etc.

base  n. something (such as a group of people or things) that provides support for a place, business, etc. (usually singular)

sustained  adj. consistent; continuing

tooth and nail  expression with a lot of effort and determination

base  adj. not honest or good

incumbent upon  expression necessary as a duty for (someone)

halo effect  expression a reputation as a morally good person
President-elect Donald Trump has said that he hopes relations with Russia will improve after he takes office.

This has caused a debate in the United States after U.S. intelligence services accused Russia of interfering in the presidential election.

However, the idea of improved ties between Russia and the U.S. worries some Chinese officials. They believe that increased cooperation between the two powers will harm their countrys interests and weaken its relationship with Russia.



Comments by influential Chinese research groups and stories in state media show the level of concern.

Chinese media have been noting that China has strong ties with Russia. At the same time, reports in state-controlled media say there is little chance the U.S. and Russia will develop close relations.

The Chinese reports say that the U.S. and Russia may be able to reach agreement on some issues. They might cooperate on ending the civil war in Syria or working together to fight the Islamic State terrorist group for example. But the reports say deciding how to divide power after the conflict ends will not be easy.

Chinese officials reportedly worry that a stronger relationship between the U.S. and Russia would harm Chinas influence in the Asia-Pacific area and the world.

Because of its action in Ukraine, Russia has faced international sanctions, limiting its trade with other countries.

Stephen Blank is an expert on Russia at the American Foreign Policy Council. He says many experts in China believe that closer relations between the U.S. and Russia will weaken relations between China and Russia.

He says 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.

He notes that, 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 (the) U.S.-Russia relationship.

Chinese opinion writers have, in the past, written about the importance of China and Russia to the international community. At the same time, they have openly voiced concerns about some of Russias actions.

Im Marsha James.

Correspondent Bill Ide reported this story from Beijing. Saibal Dasgupta also contributed to this report. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

sanctions  n. measures taken, usually trade restrictions, meant to punish a country and cause it to observe international law

anxiety  n. fear, concern or nervousness about what might happen

stance  n. a publicly stated opinion

in (a) large measure  phrase mostly

global order  n. the order of international institutions and agreements
Donald Trump takes the oath of office to become the 45th president of the United States on the U.S. Capitol steps on Friday.

A special Congressional committee offered 250,000 tickets for people to attend the inauguration. Those without tickets can watch from more distant spots around the Capitol. Washington D.C. officials expect 1 million to attend inaugural events or demonstrations against Trumps presidency.

Some people traveling to Fridays presidential inauguration of Donald Trump say they want to witness history. Others say they want to cheer the man they supported. And some say they want to see the peaceful changing of power from one president to another -- in this case Democrat Barack Obama to Republican Donald Trump.

On his Bucket List

Scott Naill says attending a presidential inauguration was on his bucket list. By bucket list, he means something he wanted to do before he dies.

Naill and his wife are driving 500 miles from their home in Springfield, Ohio, so they can watch Donald Trump take the oath of office.

Scott Naill is excited about Trumps promise to create more American jobs.

I see him as a non-politician, somebody who is a businessman and knows how to keep jobs in America, Naill told Voice of America.

Naill, 46, teaches high school students how to service heating and air conditioning systems. Naill hopes Trump will help produce the jobs his students need when they graduate.

I think these issues of keeping jobs in America resonated with voters, Naill added.

Wasnt Sure Trump Would Win

Trumps promise to bring back jobs is a major reason he carried three important Midwest industrial states  Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. Winning those states allowed him to win the presidency, despite losing the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump blamed bad trade deals and illegal immigration for the loss of industrial jobs.

Freda Graham, 65, of Monroe, Louisiana, said she is excited to be coming to Washington -- partly because like many others she thought it might be Hillary Clinton taking the oath of office on Friday.

We saw the polls and they said he wasnt going to win, Graham told VOA. I had my doubts. I didnt even want to watch the election results on television. I was so nervous about the outcome.

Graham said she was so happy when Trump won. She is sure Trump will do what he promised -- to make America great again and produce more jobs for Americans. Graham said she understands some people are worried Trump could do damage to the United States. She does not share those concerns.

You have to understand that weve never had anyone like this before, Graham said of Trump. Some people werent comfortable with him. Trump came in like a bull in a china cabinet. But many of us liked his directness. I think hes going to be great for this country.

Graham helped set up the medical records system at a Louisiana hospital. She has an adult son and two grandchildren.

Hopes Trump Will Unify Country

Karen Aversa lives in Staten Island, New York and also plans to watch Trump take the oath of office from a seat outside the U.S. Capitol.

The reason that Im going is because I saw this country for the last eight years going in a terrible direction, Aversa said. The racial divisions I havent since I was young and Im 63.

Trump often uses strong language to criticize opponents. He called Clinton, his Democratic opponent, crooked Hillary. He recently complained that John Lewis, the congressman and civil rights leader, was all talk. His criticism came after Lewis said he would not attend the inauguration because he didnt think Trump won the election fairly.

But Aversa said Trump can bring people together, even Clinton supporters, by producing more jobs for all people.

Donald Trump ran for president not for himself, or a political action committee, or a lobbyist, Aversa said. He did this out of a pure interest in helping this country.

Aversa is married and the mother of three. She has nine grandchildren.

Wanted Son to Watch History

Sarah Swanson Partridge is from Glasgow, Montana. She wanted to take her 15-year-old-son, Cale Swanson, to see Americas peaceful change of government power in person.

She does not quite know what to expect from the Trump presidency, though she says he was the best choice for president. I hope he takes the country in the right direction, she said.

Her son, Cale, is more certain Trump will makes thing better.

I think hell surprise a lot of people and do a good job, he said. He will probably make it easier for people to own a gun and hunt in Montana. It is really hard to do that right now.

His mother operates stores in Montana that sell farm equipment.

Happy His County Went Big for Trump

Greg Homan says his Ohio county gave Trump a bigger percentage victory than any other county in Ohio. Eighty percent of Mercer County voters chose Trump.

I think it is exciting to be part of the celebration and welcome a new president, Homan said before making the trip to Washington for Fridays inauguration.

He (Trump) is not a politician and isnt the most polished speaker, Homan said. But I look at his experience in business, all his success, so I feel very good he can produce what the American people want.

Homan, 42, is a father of seven, a county legislator and a professor at an Ohio college teaching classes on agriculture and leadership.

I'm Bruce Alpert.

I'm Marsha James.

Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page.

____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

oath - n. a formal and serious promise to tell the truth or to do something

resonate - v. to have particular meaning or importance for someone

poll - n. an activity in which several or many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to get information about what most people think about something

comfortable - adj. causing no worries

bull in a china cabinet  this is an idiom that means he says and does things that anger and upset people

lobbyist - n. a person who works to get government officials to act on their clients interests

polished - adj. very skillful
The United States Secret Service has agreed to pay $24 million to settle a case involving more than 100 African-American agents.

The agents claimed they faced discrimination at work because of their race.

The Secret Service also agreed to take steps to help its employees move up within the organization.

Secret Service agents have been in the news this week because of increased security for the swearing-in of Donald Trump as president.

The Secret Service guards the president, his family and other U.S. officials. The agency also investigates financial crimes.

In 2000, ten agents asked a federal court to force the agency to make changes in the way it promoted its agents. They said the Secret Service showed discrimination in deciding who was offered employment, moved to a higher position, sent to other offices and received bonus payments. They also said race played a deciding role in how people were punished for wrongdoing.

Reginald Moore worked as a Secret Service agent for more than 20 years. He claimed that between 1999 and 2002, he asked for a job promotion more than 180 times but was never chosen.

Moore was later promoted twice. But in court documents he said those moves happened only after he was moved to another office, made an official protest against the agency, and then took legal action.

Many of the other agents said they had similar experiences. A 2006 court document says top agency officials had for many years failed to act on their criticisms.

The agents said the Secret Service, in their words, has failed to protect its African-American Special Agents from racial discrimination in virtually every aspect of their employment. Discrimination against African-American Agents in the Secret Service has become part of the fabric of the agency and has spanned several decades.

The agreement reached this week says the agents who made claims will be paid up to $300,000.

The Secret Service is part of the Department of Homeland Security. Jeh Johnson leads the department. In a statement, he said the agreement is the right thing to do. He said the agency has made changes to its policies.

I am pleased that we are able to finally put this chapter of Secret Service history behind us. Had the matter gone to trial, it would have required that we re-live things long past, just at a time when the Secret Service is on the mend.

Court documents note that the agencys promotion system begins with examiners rating agents on their writing and speaking ability. The agents are also rated on their ability to lead and direct others and to consider problems and suggest solutions.

Those ratings are then used to create a list of agents who the examiners believe are best-qualified for promotion. Having the top rating does not guarantee that an agent will be promoted, however. Instead, a senior agency official makes a suggestion to a group of other leaders. This group then tells the director of the agency who it believes should be promoted.

The agreement notes that the agency has made changes to the first step in this process -- the rating system. These changes were based on the suggestions of experts who do not work for the agency.

The agreement says the second part of the process -- choosing the agents to be promoted -- will also be changed, using ideas from non-agency experts.

The group of officials who tell the agency director which agents should be promoted is now required to note why each agent was chosen. The group must also note why agents were not chosen.

Also, the Secret Service will pay a non-agency expert to examine the process to decide if any parts of it cause harm to African-American candidates. If the experts find that harm is caused, they will advise the agency on ways to end it.

Im Christopher Jones-Cruise.

VOAs Chris Hannas wrote this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it into Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

bonus  n. an extra amount of money that is given to an employee

role  n. a part that someone or something has in a particular activity or situation

promotion  n. the act of moving someone to a higher or more important position or rank in an organization

virtually  adv. very nearly; almost entirely

aspect  n. a part of something

fabric  n. the basic structure of something

span  v. to cover or include (a wide area, a large number of things, etc.)

decade  n. a ten-year period of time

chapter  n. a period of time that is often very different from the period of time that follows it

on the mend  expression becoming better after a bad or poor period

qualified  adj. having the necessary skill, experience or knowledge to do a particular job or activity; having the qualifications to do something
Vietnam and China have agreed to try to end their dispute over their conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea.

On Saturday, the two nations released a joint statement in Beijing. In the statement, they said they would try to peacefully settle their conflicting claims in the Sea.

State-run media in both countries reported on the statement. It was released during a four-day visit to China by Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. He met with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the visit.

The Vietnamese news website Vietnamnet.vn reported that the two leaders agreed to speed up talks on joint development in the Gulf of Tonkin.

The report said the agreement means effectively stepping up joint projects in less sensitive areas.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan also claim parts of the Sea. The area holds rich fishing areas and could hold large amounts of oil or gas. Unlike Vietnam, countries with claims to the area usually do not publicly criticize Chinas naval activities in the South China Sea or its island-building activities.

Frederick Burke is one of the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City office of the Baker & McKenzie multinational law firm.

He says improved relations between China and Vietnam could help protect ships that bring exports from Asia to markets in the West. He says it will also make the commercial fishing industry safer.

There was a concern about instability, and that this might be a flashpoint for conflicts as Chinas military capacity continues to grow. I think those concerns wont disappear overnight, but this is a very strong positive message that the parties will work things out.

Some experts say Vietnam is the strongest opponent of Chinas expansion into the 3.5 million-square-kilometer Sea. It competes with China for control of the Spratly group of islands. Vietnam also has criticized Chinas control of the Paracel Islands, which are east of Vietnam and southwest of Hong Kong.

In 1974, China seized some of the Paracel islands, which were controlled by South Vietnamese troops at the time. South Vietnam fell to the communist North in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War.

In 1988, 70 Vietnamese sailors were killed in a naval battle with China.

Most recently, boats from the two countries rammed into one another in 2014. The incident caused deadly anti-China riots in Vietnam.

Hoang Viet Phuong is the head of institutional research and investment advisory at SSI Securities Services in Hanoi. She said the agreement has not caused people in Vietnam to change their beliefs about China yet, especially about economic relations.

At this point in time we havent seen any real development except for the recent visit to China, but the real impact, we need to work on that. I think people might not be that excited, except for the fact that last year we know that quite a lot of tourists came to Vietnam," she said.

Experts say it is too early to know the result of the new effort by the two countries.

Im Mario Ritter.

Correspondent Ralph Jennings reported this story from Taipei. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the story into Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

stepping up v. to increase, to bring to a higher level

flash point n. a situation where sudden conflict or violence could happen

capacity n. ability to put something into use

work things out v. to find a solution

ram v. to crash into

tourists n. someone who travels to a country for pleasure
A driver led Lebanon police and a number of other agencies on about a half-hour car chase late Thursday morning before it ended back in Lebano
scholarship, news and new ideas in legal history
Florida dealt with its fair share of Zika cases. In some instances, some southern parts of the state took extra precautions to prevent the virus spread.

To help, the U.S. Congress passed a bill committing millions of dollars to help fight Zika, but according to Governor Rick Scott the money has been slow to arrive in the Sunshine State.

Recently, the Florida Republican said President Barack Obama signed a bill for more than $1 billion in Zika funding, but the federal government has still only committed $7 million to help Florida.

PolitiFact Florida heard the claim and gave it a HALF TRUE rating.

Writer Josh Gillin said $15 million dollars is promised to Florida, but only part of it has arrived; about $7.5 million.

The federal goverment keeps track of where that money is, what they're using it for, so there's more money coming to the state of Florida, but also we need to keep in mind that there are other sources of funding for Zika, some $9 million worth of grants for research and for other uses related to this, and Scott's really not mentioning that, Gillin said.



For that reason, Scotts claim received a HALF TRUE rating.

Scott says Florida Zika funding withheld
Medical marijuana advocates are railing against proposed rules unveiled this week by the Florida Department of Health, calling them too restrictive and hinting at legal challenges should the state's Republican-controlled legislature refuse to step in.

Advocates railing against proposed marijuana rules

Medical marijuana ballot measure overwhelmingly approved by voters in November

RELATED: Florida Office of Compassionate Use

PREVIOUS STORY: Lawyer John Morgan: Amendment 2 will reduce drug use

The rules are intended to implement Amendment 2, the medical marijuana ballot measure overwhelmingly approved by voters in November. Far from expanding the state's fledgling low-potency medical marijuana industry, health officials are proposing limiting full-strength cultivation to the seven nurseries already licensed by the state.

The proposed rules would also bar physicians from prescribing marijuana to patients who don't suffer from one of ten chronic conditions, including cancer, HIV and post-traumatic stress disorder. Amendment 2's language grants doctors far more leeway to determine if a patient is eligible for treatment.

"At this point, it's about getting the medicine to the eligible patient population," said Taylor Patrick Biehl of the Medical Marijuana Business Association of Florida. "I think the legislature and the department need to act accordingly so that there are no legal protests and that the patients can receive the medicine as quickly as possible."

While legislative leaders are committing to issuing guidance for the Department of Health on Amendment 2 implementation, it's unclear what that guidance will look like. Some conservative Republicans are advocating applying the tough low-potency regulations to full-strength medical marijuana in order to prevent the drug from falling into the wrong hands.

"We'll be tasked with going through the regulatory process and making sure we can do that in a way that is safe and in a way that is controlled so that we provide it to those that need it legitimately, but not in a way that allows for spillage and, basically, a backdoor approval of recreational marijuana," said Rep. Paul Renner (R-Palm Coast).

House Speaker Richard Corcoran (R-Land O'Lakes) has also suggested taking a tough line.

"We're going to honor the will of the voters, we're going to protect the Constitution and we're going to protect the people of the state of Florida," Corcoran told reporters in November.

The eventual regulations, however, could trigger lawsuits charging that they violate Amendment 2's intent. Aggressively limiting access and supply, advocates say, is unacceptable.

"I certainly think it's something that comes with the territory," Biehl said.
Scandic Hotels, the largest hotel company in the Nordic region, has signed a long-term rental agreement with LAK Real Estate Oyj , a subsidiary of Finavia, to establish and operate a new hotel at Helsinki airport. Work to complete the Scandic Helsinki Airport hotel will start in January 2017, with the opening scheduled for the first half of 2018. The hotel will have 148 rooms.

Scandic already operates nine hotels in the Helsinki region and with the new Scandic Helsinki Airport, its position will be strengthened further.

Helsinki airport is growing rapidly. Over the past few years, it has become an important hub for flights to Asia and the need for accommodations close to the airport is substantial. The new Scandic Helsinki Airport will be located across from the airport almost 100 meters from terminal 2. The property is owned by LAK and currently houses offices. Several floors of the building are now undergoing extensive renovations to transform it into a modern, comfortable hotel comprising five conference rooms, a bar and restaurant, a gym with a sauna as well as 148 rooms.

 Scandic Helsinki Airport will be our eighth airport hotel in the Nordics. Through this agreement, we are increasing our position as the Nordic region's largest hotel company and at the same time strengthening our presence in one of our most strategic and important regions, Helsinki, says Frank Fiskers, President and CEO of Scandic Hotels Group.

 With its unique location just a stone's throw from the terminal building, Scandic Helsinki Airport will be the closest freestanding hotel for air travelers arriving at Helsinki airport. It will be a valuable addition to our hotel portfolio, says Aki Kayhko, Head of Scandic Hotels in Finland.

Scandic has worked closely with the property owner, LAK, for several years. Both companies will finance the renovation, which is expected to take one year. The hotel opening is planned for the first half of 2018.

About Scandic Hotels Group

Scandic is the largest hotel company in the Nordic countries with more than 280 hotels, in operation and under development, in more than 130 destinations. The company is the leader when it comes to integrating sustainability in all operations and its award-winning Design for All concept ensures that Scandic hotels are accessible to everyone. Well loved by guests and employees, the Scandic Friends loyalty program is the largest in the Nordic hotel industry and the company is one of the most attractive employers in the region. Scandic Hotels is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. www.scandichotelsgroup.com

Elin Westin

Director of Communication, Scandic Hotels Group

+46 702 777526

Scandic
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Chinas military said Tuesday that more than 2,500 abandoned Japanese wartime chemical weapons collected from northern China, including Beijing and the port city of Tianjin, have been destroyed in a four-year disposal process.

Japan and China have been working together on the biggest chemical weapon cleanup effort in history, a decades-

long, diplomatically sensitive project that is seen in China as a reminder of the wartime atrocities it suffered during Japans 1937 invasion and subsequent occupation.

Under the terms of a 1997 treaty, Tokyo is responsible for cleaning up hundreds of thousands of chemical weapons left behind by its occupation troops at the end of World War II. China says thousands of Chinese have been killed or hurt since the end of the war in 1945 by accidents related to the buried weapons.

Chinas ministry of defense said Tuesday that the weapons disposal at a facility in Shijiazhuang city in Hebei province, neighboring Beijing, had finished in a safe, orderly and smooth manner. The weapons are generally burned in specially designed furnaces.

The remaining pieces of Japanese chemical weapons are difficult to find and destroy because they were scattered widely, the ministry said. It urged Japan to increase manpower and resources to finish the job.

China has repeatedly urged Japan to speed up the project, which was initially scheduled to be completed in 2007 but has hit delays.

China estimates that Japanese troops left behind more than 2 million chemical weapons, mostly in the northeastern region of Manchuria. The cleanup of the biggest cache  a site with nearly 700,000 chemical bombs at Haerbaling in Jilin province  is scheduled to be finished in 2022.

The Japanese government said in 2015 that it finished destroying another cache at a facility in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. AP
The deputy procurator general of the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate, Zhang Changren, headed a delegation from mainland China when they visited the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday. The delegation met with Macaus Prosecutor General, Ip Son Sang, to exchange views on the work of the judicial institutions in Macau and the mainland.

Indian tourists found dead inside hotel room

Two Indian tourists were found dead yesterday afternoon in a hotel room inside the Galaxy Macau resort. Two other people were found unconscious inside the room and were taken to the hospital. According to TDM, the deceased are a man and his eldest son, while the two in hospital are a woman and a younger man (who are mother and son). The hotel was partially closed to facilitate the police investigation. Police have already announced that pills and letters were found inside the room and the case is being treated as a suicide.

Guangdong Cantonese textbook triggers debate

A Guangzhou primary school adopted a Cantonese Chinese textbook, according to Guangzhou Daily, which triggered online discussions on Chinas social media network Sina Weibo. A post from a Weibo account reveals that some people reported the situation to the Ministry of Education of China because the pride in using Cantonese is an obvious spreading of localism and is extremely harmful for the countrys stability and unification. The most liked comment below the post reads: You can choose not to learn, but we cant forget our traditional culture, and our language. The top comment below Guangzhou Dailys original report reads, It is OK to treat dialect just as a hobby [] after all, Mandarin is the national language.
China is preparing to retaliate if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump raises duties on Chinese goods and already has toughened its stance, an American business group said.

Trump, who is due to be inaugurated Friday, threatened during his campaign to raise import duties on Chinese goods to 45 percent. American companies are frustrated by Chinese market barriers and want Washington to take a tougher stance toward Beijing but worry reckless action might trigger retaliation.

Already, China has ordered unusually high anti-dumping penalties against a U.S.-made agricultural chemical.

China has indeed threatened to and is preparing to take steps in retaliation if such actions take place, said Lester Ross, a board member of the American Chamber of Commerce, at a news conference.

In an implicit rebuke to Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphatically defended free trade in a speech Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. A trade war would harm all countries involved, he said.

On Jan. 11, the Ministry of Commerce raised duties on DGGS, an additive for livestock feed, to up to 53.7 percent, nearly double the 33.8 percent rate it recommended in September before Trump was elected.

The ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Officials have not said publicly that China is preparing retaliatory measures but state media have emphasized its importance as a market for U.S. soybeans and other exports and warned against starting a trade war.

Asked at a Jan. 6 news conference whether Beijing would retaliate by hiking import duties on U.S. goods, a deputy Chinese commerce minister, Wang Shouwen, said, I believe mutually beneficial Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations will be further developed in the future and no one will destroy the win-win relationship.

The United States and China have one of the worlds biggest and most complex trading relationships but American companies increasingly complain Beijing is blocking access to technology and other promising industries.

While Beijing has promised to open more industries to foreign companies, they also have issued new rules on electric car manufacturing, data security, internet censorship and other fields.

In a reflection of companies concerns, the American chambers chairman, William Zarit, said it plans to send seven or eight businesspeople to Washington in February to meet lawmakers and Trump administration officials. Zarit said that is in addition to a delegation that makes an annual visit to Washington in April or May because this year is special in many ways.

We certainly are not going there to lecture the administration but we will share our ideas on a win-win path forward, Zarit said.

In a report released yesterday, the chamber said a survey found American companies are increasingly unhappy with what they see as unfair treatment in China.

We would recommend that the U.S. be more aggressive in talks, Zarit said. However, he said, We dont want to do things that are counterproductive to both countries.

The chamber said 81 percent of companies that responded to a survey feel less welcome in China, up from 77 percent last year. It said one in four is shifting operations to other countries due to concern about the regulatory environment, higher costs and other reasons.

Most respondents say Chinas environment now discourages investment, the report said.

Communist leaders have promised to make Chinas state-dominated economy more productive by opening more industries to private and foreign competitors. In December, the Cabinet promised to open fields including banking and motorcycle manufacturing.

Zarit and Ross said foreign companies welcomed such announcements but have yet to see significant changes in operating conditions.

Beijing also faces U.S. and European complaints it is threatening thousands of jobs abroad by exporting steel, aluminum, solar panels and other goods at improperly low prices.

The American chamber said its survey found 83 percent of companies expect U.S.-Chinese ties to remain the same or to deteriorate in 2017. It said the big question for them is what steps both governments will take to ensure a positive business environment.

For their part, European companies also are increasingly frustrated with Chinese trade policy. They complain they are blocked from acquiring assets in China at a time when Chinese companies have bought leading brands including German robot maker Kuka in a multibillion-dollar global acquisition spree.

On Tuesday, German Ambassador Michael Clauss urged Chinese leaders to make good on promises to open wider to foreign investment and give foreign companies a level playing field.

Many companies keep telling us that their difficulties in these areas have increased, Clauss said in a statement. It often appears that somewhere down the line, political assurances of equal treatment give way to protectionist tendencies.Joe McDonald, Beijing, AP
China yesterday called on the U.S. to bar a Taiwanese delegation from attending Donald Trumps inauguration tomorrow, underscoring concerns that the incoming president could seek to redefine relations between Beijing, Taipei and Washington.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the request had been passed to Trumps transition team and to the current administration of Barack Obama.

We urge the U.S. side once again not to allow the Taiwan administration to send the so-called delegation to attend the inauguration and to avoid any forms of official exchange with Taiwan, Hua said at a daily briefing.

China firmly opposes anyone from the Taiwan administration engaged in activities that interfere or undermine the China-U.S. relationship in the U.S. under any pretext, she said.

Delegation leader and former Premier Yu Shyi-kun departed for Washington on Monday together with politicians from both Taiwans ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Nationalists.

Along with attending the inauguration, the delegates plan to hold talks with politicians, academics and overseas Chinese community representatives.

Trump angered Beijing and upset decades of diplomatic precedent by talking by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen shortly after winning Novembers presidential election.

Last week, he said in a newspaper interview that Washingtons one China policy under which it recognized Beijing in 1979 was open to negotiation, and earlier questioned why the U.S. should be bound by such an approach without China offering incentives.

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.

Tensions across the Taiwan Strait have risen since Tsais election last year, with Beijing cutting off contacts and working to deepen Taiwans diplomatic isolation. AP
The partial collapse of a coal mine in northern China has left nine people dead, state media reported yesterday, reflecting the stubborn persistence of safety problems despite years-long efforts to reduce deaths in the sprawling sector.

The people killed were doing maintenance work inside the mine shaft when it collapsed Tuesday morning, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said. Rescuers were able to save one person, who is now in stable condition at a hospital.

The cause of the accident on the outskirts of Shuozhou city in coal-rich Shanxi province was under investigation. Local government officials did not immediately return phone calls from The Associated Press.

China is the worlds largest producer and consumer of coal. Its mining industry has long been one of the worlds deadliest, even as the government has strived to improve safety inside the mines and phase out older operations with outdated safety standards. A heavy reliance on coal is also blamed for the serious air pollution and smog that routinely smother northern cities in winter.

Chinas work safety administration reported 931 coal mine accident deaths in 2014, the last year for which figures were available, although official statistics are often questioned for their accuracy. The head of the agency has acknowledged that some mines cut corners on safety standards under financial pressure, while operators sometimes cover-up deadly accidents to avoid prosecution. AP
The trial of the citys former top prosecutor, Ho Chio Meng, resumed yesterday for a 12th session at the Court of Final Appeal. Several witnesses have already been called into court to provide their testimonies, and more people were present in yesterdays session, including two current employees at the MPs financial department as well as Hos former driver.

Yesterday, the first witness who was questioned was Leong Lai Ha, head of the MPs finance department. During the time when Ho was in the prosecutors office, Leong handled payment procedures concerning the MP office including reviewing receipts which were presented by MP employees.

The prosecution side opened by revealing several procurement proposal drafts as well as receipts for flight tickets and hotels booked through certain public relation companies.

According to Leong, the MP normally goes through a public tender process in order to select a company to book work trips for the MP.

Leong responded that when she needed to ordain the payment, she would normally receive proposal drafts and receipts from public relations companies. She then ensured that Hos signatures were on some of these receipts.

Assistant Prosecutor General Chan Tsz King asked the witness whether these expenses could have been covered by the MP. In reply, Leong noted that she had been required to act in accordance with the directions of her boss.

Leong further admitted she knew about the existence of the Teachers Resting Room on the 16th floor of the Hotline Center. She added that she went there for training, but she claimed to not be aware that the entire floor belonged to the MP.

During her entire testimony, Leong repeated that when she came across a problematic receipt, she would report it to her superior, and act according to their instructions.

Similar questions were directed to a second witness. Similarly, he said that he had never received instructions from anyone telling him not to visit the 16th floor.

The court had a recess for two hours as usual between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Upon resuming, Hos former driver, surnamed Mak, was presented in court to provide his testimony.

According to Mak, Ho occasionally visited an accommodation villa in Cheoc Van, in addition to the previously mentioned Teachers Resting Room. Mak additionally noted that he would drive Hos guests to the Cheoc Van villa. These guests included provincial prosecutors from Guangdong province and former Liaison Office officials.

These individuals included Wong Kuok Wai, Ho Chio Mengs older brother, and Mak Im Tai, the partner of Wong Kuok Wai in several of the companies which performed tasks privately for both the MP and Ho.

Mak admitted that he helped certain key people to rent out their car parking spaces, adding that the payment process was not completed by the property owners themselves but in fact by the driver himself. Mak said that he performed these actions at the request of Ho.

The prosecutors pointed out that Mak used his name more than 30 times to make hotel reservations in Macau, in addition to other bookings made in Zhuhai and Guangzhou.

In reply, Mak said that he normally forwarded the keys to Ho or to his secretary, and noted that he never stayed in any of these hotels.

The prosecution side also brought out a phonebook. The names on it were unable to be identified because only surnames were listed.

The prosecutors asked Mak whether he remembered or knew who the individuals were, and whether he had driven any of the women listed in the phonebook to the hotels that he had booked for Ho. Mak said he did not remember.

Cash transfers from Ho to mainland China were also revealed during yesterdays session.

Mak said that starting somewhere between 2005 and 2006 he began taking cash, that belonged to Ho, to mainland China. Mak had been asked to take the money to the mainland and deposit it in Hos mainland bank account on about a monthly basis.

According to Mak, the amount of money was initially somewhere around MOP20,000. Later, more money in the vicinity of MOP200,000 and MOP300,000, was given to him to transfer.

The prosecutors then presented a phone call record which was obtained by the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) while monitoring Ho.

The recording indicates that Ho advised Mak what to say to the CCAC on the day following the call in question. Although no specific details regarding the case were mentioned in the conversation, Ho can be heard telling Mak to say, when asked by the investigation authority, that he does not remember or does not know.

However, Mak, in response to the question denied that he was the person on the phone, adding that the phone number which called Ho was not his.

At that point, the presiding judge, Sam Hou Fai, reminded Mak that the court can forward the record to the judiciary police to test whether it was Maks voice, and said that if the police confirms it was, Mak could be prosecuted for providing a false testimony.

The court then played the recording once more, and Mak said that he could not recognize whether or not it was his voice. Sam reminded Mak again about the consequences of a false testimony, upon which the record was played a third time. This time, Mak admitted that it was him talking on the phone.

During the remainder of yesterdays session, Mak was asked questions by Sam and Hos lawyer regarding the previously mentioned phonebook. However, the conversation became unclear as Sam, Leong and Mak talked simultaneously.

Ho, at that moment, turned to Sam, saying, you must let him [Mak] talk slowly, [] you cant do this.

The other judges asked Mak for clarification. Before the trial finished, Ho informed the judges of his biggest problem.

The biggest trouble Ho is facing is that the current Liaison Offices employees are unable to provide testimonies, and the addresses of those who left Macau and returned to the mainland cannot be found.
Vegemite, the salty, brown spread beloved in Australia, is going home, purchased by an Australian dairy company from the maker of Oreos.

Mondelez International Inc. said Wednesday it was selling Vegemite and other Australian and New Zealand grocery products to Bega Cheese in a deal worth about USD345.3 million (460 Australian dollars).

Deerfield, Illinois-based Mondelez said it plans to focus on other products like Oreo cookies and Cadbury chocolate.

The sale was welcomed by many Australians who complain that iconic Down Under brands, including Fosters beer and Speedo swimwear, have been sold to foreign companies.

This is the best news Ive heard for a long time, Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith, who developed an Australian-owned yeast extract alternative called OzEmite, told Australian Broadcasting Corp yesterday. To bring Vegemite back into Australian hands after over 60 years of it being in American hands, its great because it means the profit will stay in Australia.

A byproduct of brewing beer, Vegemite was introduced in the 1920s and is an Australian household staple.

Those who havent been brought up on the spread, long marketed as a rich source of Vitamin B and ideal for healthy children, often find it a difficult taste to acquire.

President Barack Obama once said: Its horrible.

Australians abroad commonly bemoan how difficult Vegemite is to find outside their country.

Although it remains by far the countrys most popular yeast-based spread, its market share and sales have slipped in recent years, according to Euromonitor International. Last year, Vegemites sales in Australia were $78.5 million, down from $86.9 million in 2011.

Barry Irvin, Bega Cheeses executive chairman, attributed the recent declines to changing breakfast habits.

He described Vegemite and Bega as a natural fit: Cheese and Vegemite are a popular taste combination on sandwiches.

The wonderful heritage and values that Vegemite represents and its importance to Australian culture makes its combination with Bega Cheese truly exciting, Irvin said in a statement.

Bega shares rose on the news on the Australian market in early trading yesterday more than 5 percent from AUD4.84 to AUD5.09.

Mondelez had licensing rights for Krafts products overseas after it split with Kraft Foods in 2012. Mondelez says it is holding onto Philadelphia cream cheese in Australia.

The sale also includes other local Australian grocery products, peanut butter and salad dressings that use the Kraft name under licensing. Bega Cheese makes Kraft cheeses for Mondelez and was looking for opportunities to grow beyond dairy. The diversification adds stability to Bega Cheese, Irvin said.

Michael Mitchell, a Mondelez spokesman, said about 200 employees will be offered roles on comparable terms with Bega Cheese. He said a manufacturing plant will transfer to Bega, but that there will be no closures.

For non-Australians, the mention of a Vegemite sandwich in Australian band Men at Works 1983 hit song Down Under may be their only exposure to the stuff.

Not so back home, where it can be found in 90 percent of Australian households.

An Australian prime minister once claimed that more Australians know the lyrics of a Vegemite advertising jingle written in 1954 than know the Australian national anthem. Rod McGuirk, AP

88 million tons a year: Auditors decry EU food waste

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 this week chided the European Unions executive branch in a report, Combating Food Waste, that decried the blocs 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.

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 everyones radar, she said. AP
A fast-growing Japanese hotel chain is facing criticism over a book penned by the hotels owner that says the Rape of Nanking was fabricated.

APA Group, a Tokyo-based land developer and operator of 400-plus hotels, drew fire for spreading the revisionist views of company president Toshio Motoya by putting the books in hotel guestrooms and also selling them.

The issue is the latest flap between the Asian neighbors over unhealed wounds from Japans aggression before and during World War II. It follows a diplomatic row with South Korea over a statue representing the comfort women who were used for sex in military-linked wartime brothels.

China has lodged a complaint, but APA says it stands by its owners views.

The issue surfaced this week when contributors KatAndSid posted a video on a social networking site describing the English version of Theoretical Modern History, a book Motoya wrote under the penname Seiji Fuji.

The video shows passages from the book calling the 1937 massacre an imaginary event concocted by China to blame Japan. The book also denies that Japans use of comfort women involved forced prostitution.

The massacre of Chinese citizens by the Japanese military in what became known as the Rape of Nanking is one of the biggest flashpoints between the two countries. China says up to 300,000 people were killed, while Japanese nationalists have said far fewer died or denied there even was a massacre.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has also expressed skepticism toward accounts of the Rape of Nanjing. The inclusion of Rape of Nanking documents on a UNESCO heritage list in October 2015 prompted Japan to suspend its contribution to the United Nations educational unit.

When asked about the book, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that some forces in Japan have been denying history from the outset and even attempting to distort it. Coercive recruitment of comfort women and the Nanjing massacre were crimes against humanity committed by wartime Japan and an iron-clad fact recognized by the international community, she said.

History can never change over time, and facts will not fade away despite deliberate evasion, she said.

APA hotel said in a statement that the book is meant to help readers learn the fact-based true interpretation of modern history and not aimed at criticizing a specific country or its people.

We have no intention of withdrawing the book from our guestrooms even if we receive criticisms from those with different viewpoints, it said. Japan guarantees freedom of speech, and no one-sided pressure should be allowed to cause a retraction of a statement.

In a statement on its website APA also reiterated its position that there is no documentary proof 300,000 people were massacred in the Rape of Nanking.

The hotel, however, did not respond to inquiries from the Associated Press earlier yesterday.

APA has expanded quickly in recent years, offering relatively reasonably priced, no-frills rooms across the country. About 5 percent of its guests are Chinese, according to local media. APA opened its first overseas outlet in New Jersey in 2015 and has since purchased a hotel chain in Canada.

Motoya is a vocal backer of Abe and is connected with the ruling Liberal Democratic Partys ultra-conservative wing. He organizes lectures and invites leading revisionist historians, ideologues and politicians to speak.

The KatAndSid video, posted this week on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo, shows her buying the English-

language version of Motoyas book at an APA hotel in Tokyo, opening it and showing passages to viewers. It is subtitled in Chinese.

The narrator, who does not give her name, says that while the hotels owner has a right to express his views, people should be aware of his stance.

People who give their money to this hotel deserve to know the truth about it, she said. Mari Yamaguchi, Tokyo, AP
Six routes will be launched this year between the Macau International Airport (MIA) and various short and mid-haul destinations, including a renewed route to Moscow that will commence operations in May 2017. The announcement of the new routes comes as the airports expansion project draws closer to completing its first stage; the opening of the Passenger Terminal Building  North Extension.

The information was disseminated during a press conference hosted yesterday afternoon by the Macau International Airport Company (CAM) which provided an update on the airports infrastructure development works.

The new routes, which will be launched at various points throughout the year, are Macau-Harbin, Macau-Taichung, Macau-Hanoi, Macau-DaNang, Macau-Siem Reap and the Moscow route.

According to representatives of CAM, the new routes will help to increase the volume of passengers using Macaus airport as well as change the current passenger market structure.

The routes will be complemented by a general improvement in the airports ability to handle passenger volumes, aided by the opening of the Passenger Terminal Building  North Extension this year. The extension will constitute a four- storey building with a floor area of 14,000 square meters, which will enable the airport to handle an annual passenger volume of around 7.5 to 7.8 million.

A further study is being conducted in line with the Civic Aviation Authoritys Macau International Airport Master Plan, to examine the possibility of opening an additional southern extension along with a multi-storey car park. In concert with the northern extension, this would permit the airport to facilitate the travel of between nine and 10 million passengers per year.

Also in the works this year is an optimization project for the current parking stands of aircraft based at MIA. Currently. the airport accommodates 24 parking stands for both passenger and business aircraft, however a project that will launch later this year will begin the process of converting the space into 25 spots for passenger aircraft and 15 spaces for business planes.

The airports Master Plan will cover the strategic vision of CAM until 2040, it was informed at the press conference. For last year alone, the total investment into the airport improvement program amounted to more than MOP248 million, 68 percent of which was spent on the extension project.

It was also stated yesterday that over the next few years, the company will continue to encourage growth in the number of routes and a greater frequency of flights.

Over the last few years, a number of new routes have opened and closed after operating for less than a year, and in some cases just months. Asked about the ability of the expanded airport to prevent such sudden closures as the facility becomes more prominent in the region, CAM Director of Marketing Eric Fong said that, despite the route closures, for the past few years passenger and [flight] movement growth has been very stable.

We cannot control that airlines open and close these routes, he added.

The company executives also stated that they had no information to provide on rumors that suggested the merging of the airports of the Pearl River Delta region. They said that they are unaware of the source of these rumors but have confirmed with their counterparts in mainland China that there is no substance to them.

Lisbon-Macau flight back in discussion

On the sidelines of the press conference yesterday, Eric Fong told reporters that the company is currently in discussion with two airlines over the possibility of reopening a direct route between Macau and Portugal.

We have started to talk to some airlines though there are some limitations [with establishing this route], said Fong. It would be a popular route but the airlines need to start their own analysis. We are still working on that.

Pressed further on the topic, Fong would not identify the carriers in question and said that the proposal was being driven by CAM. It is an initiative from the airport company, he said, not the airlines.

Meanwhile, direct flights between Beijing and Lisbon are scheduled to commence from June this year, according to an announcement made by Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa during a visit to China last year.

While the route has been a long-standing objective of the governments of both Portugal and China, few further details have been revealed so far.

There is also speculation that an additional flight will offer a route between Lisbon and Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province.
Australian officials defended their suspension of the fruitless deep-sea sonar search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, insisting yesterday that the enormous costs involved played no role in their decision to halt the nearly three-year hunt.

Australias Transport Minister Darren Chester also said that while the search had been called off on Tuesday, work behind the scenes would go on, with experts continuing to analyze data associated with the doomed aircrafts final hours and examining any future debris that washes ashore. But he declined to specify what kind of breakthrough would convince officials to resume the search for the Boeing 777s underwater wreckage.

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.

Australia, Malaysia and China  which have funded the USD160 million search  have rejected pleas from family members of the passengers and some investigators that search crews be allowed to keep going. China is involved because more than half of the 239 people on board the plane were Chinese.

Late last year, as ships with high-tech search equipment covered the last strips of the 120,000-square kilometer search zone west of Australia, experts concluded they had been looking in the wrong place and should have been searching a smaller area immediately to the north. But by then, the three countries had already agreed not to search elsewhere without evidence of the planes exact location.

Chester defended the decision to call off the hunt without checking the new area to the north, saying, No one is coming to me as minister and saying, We know where MH370 is. And he insisted the high price of the search had nothing to do with pulling the plug.

It is a costly exercise, but it hasnt been the factor which led to the decision to suspend the search, Chester said. We dont 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.

Officials are facing a no-win situation, the transport minister said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Call off the search, he said, and disappoint those who want resolution to the worlds greatest aviation mystery. Keep going, and face the wrath of taxpayers who have already spent millions of dollars with no result.

The new 25,000-square kilometer area to the north was determined with the help of drift modeling by Australias Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, which attempted to calculate where debris that has washed ashore on coastlines in the western Indian Ocean originated.

Chester said that drift modeling would continue, and experts will scrutinize any further debris that washes up. Investigators will also continue to refine the satellite data that led them to conclude the plane went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean after it vanished on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he empathized with the families who want the search to go on, but said officials had done the best they could under extraordinary circumstances.

We share their deep disappointment that the plane has not been found, Turnbull told reporters. It is an unprecedented search. Its been conducted with the best advice over the areas that were identified as the most likely to find the location of the airplane. It is a shocking tragedy and we grieve and we deeply regret the loss and we deeply regret that the plane has not been found.

Tony Abbott, who was Australias prime minister when the Boeing 777 disappeared, suggested the search should continue. Abbott pledged on the first anniversary of the tragedy: It cant go on forever, but as long as there are reasonable leads, the search will go on. On Tuesday, he tweeted: Disappointed that the search for MH370 has been called off. Especially if some experts think there are better places to look.

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.Kristen Gelineau, Sydney, AP
According to a report published by the Macau division of real estate and investment management company Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), the local property market reached its low-point during the first half of last year, having rebounded slightly in the second half with the launch of several new residential projects.

The summary of the local property market was presented in JLLs Macau Year-end Property Review 2016, released yesterday during a press conference.

The total transaction volume of Macaus residential market rebounded in 2016, noted the report, albeit remained at a relatively low level. Transactions were dominated by residential units worth less than MOP6 million which made up about 70 percent of the total residential sales.

During the second half of last year, the capital values for high-end and mass-to-medium residential properties rebounded by 14.6 percent and 12.4 percent year-on- year, and 7.8 percent and 5.3 percent year-on-year respectively in 2016 as a whole.

Supported by the launch of several new residential projects Macaus residential property market regained momentum with growth registered in both sales volume and value. The mass-to-medium residential market is expected to be supported by continued demand, however, the sell-through rate will likely slow down due to the increasing competition caused by the ongoing supply, said Jeff Wong, Head of Residential at JLL Macau, according to the report.

Meanwhile, in the rental sector, the reduced number of expatriates in the MSAR coupled with extra supply from the residential completions of 2015 continued to exert pressure on the market, the report noted. Rental values for high-end and mass-to-medium residential properties registered negative growth of 9 percent and 7.6 percent year-on-year for the whole of 2016.

At the same time, the office market in Macau continued to be subdued last year due to weak sentiment and cost-saving measures adopted by some companies. The retail property market remained quiet with the number of transactions in the first three quarters of 2016 falling to a 10-year record low. DB
Thirty percent of interviewed restaurants and similar establishments in November 2016 had reported to the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) that a year-on-year growth in revenue has been recorded for that month, according to a statement published yesterday by the government department.

DSEC notes that this is an improvement by 4 percentage points compared to the records in October 2016 and this may have been due to the Macau Grand Prix and Food Festival in the city in November.

Amongst the sector, 55 percent of Chinese restaurants showed a year- on-year rise in revenue, up by 6 percentage points over the previous month. Meanwhile, 35 percent of Western restaurants and 25 percent of Japanese and Korean restaurants registered revenue month-to-month gains in November of nine and 13 percentage points respectively.

However, half of the interviewed restaurants in November recorded an annual decline in revenue, similar to the results of the previous month.

The results originate from a monthly survey conducted by DSEC, titled the Business Climate Survey on Restaurants and Similar Establishments and Retail Trade, which also contacts retailers in the MSAR. Some 167 restaurants and 135 retailers were contacted to participate in the survey.

With regards to retail trade, around 39 percent of those interviewed reported a year-on-year growth in sales in November, up by 4 percentage points over the previous month. Fifty-three percent recorded a year-on-year decline, down by 5 percentage points month-to-month, indicating an overall improvement.

Retailers said in November that they expected no significant change in their businesses in December.
A South Korean court is considering whether to approve the arrest of Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong, one of the countrys wealthiest business leaders, on charges of bribery and other offenses.

Lee, the only son of Samsungs chairman, did not speak to a crowd of reporters waiting while arriving and leaving the Seoul Central District Court yesterday. After the four-hour hearing he was taken to a detention center near Seoul to await the courts decision.

If Lees arrest is approved, prosecutors can detain him for up to 21 days before formally charging him, said the courts spokesman Shin Jae-hwan. The judge will announce a decision on the arrest warrant early Thursday morning, Shin said, though the exact timing was unclear.

Samsung is South Koreas biggest family-controlled conglomerate, or chaebol, with businesses encompassing consumer electronics, shipbuilding and life insurance. Samsung Electronics, the groups crown jewel, is the worlds biggest maker of smartphones and computer memory chips. Samsung Electronics and its affiliated companies account for about a third of the market value in South Koreas main stock market.

The company had no comment on the hearing.

Samsung Electronics had a challenging year even before getting drawn into an influence- peddling scandal that led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. In 2016, Samsung Electronics had several product recalls, including the discontinuation of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones that tended to overheat or catch fire.

Prosecutors requested Lees arrest for allegedly bribing Park and a confidante of hers, Choi Soon-sil, who is on trial for meddling in state affairs.

Lee, 48, faces allegations of giving bribes worth 43 billion won (USD36 million) to Choi and the president in hopes of winning government backing for a contentious Samsung merger in 2015.

Prosecutors also suspect Lee of embezzling Samsungs corporate funds and of lying under oath during a parliamentary hearing last month.

Lee has been serving as the de facto head of Samsung since his father suffered a heart attack in 2014.

Educated in South Korea, Japan and the United States, he is the crown prince of the countrys richest family, one South Koreans often liken to royalty.

Before the scandal Lee had kept a low profile compared to some other third-generation members of the founding families of chaebol. In one of the most notorious cases, an heiress of the Korean Air founders family threw a tantrum over nuts served to her on one of the carriers flights, forcing its return to an airport.

Before he was interrogated by lawmakers last month on national TV during the scandal investigation, Lees first formal public speech was in 2015, when he apologized for a Samsung hospitals role in the spread of a contagious disease.

The public reaction to Lees implication in the scandal is divided.

Some business groups and newspapers have urged caution out of concern that arresting Lee could hurt the economy due to Samsungs huge role in South Korean industry.

Some civic groups have urged the court to arrest Lee to show that all are equal before the law. Many are angered over the allegations that the national pension fund was pressured to support the Lee familys succession plan.

Lee joined Samsung Electronics board in October, shortly after the Galaxy Note 7 recalls. Analysts say the companys day-to-day smartphone, semiconductor and TV businesses are unlikely to suffer if hes arrested because other executives run those businesses. But major investments or strategic planning could be put on hold.

Prosecutors also plan to summon Park to question her about the bribery allegations. She is awaiting a courts decision on whether to uphold her impeachment.

A former health minister, Moon Hyung-pyo, was indicted on Monday for pressuring pension fund officials to support the Samsung merger. Prosecutors say they believe Moon, who now heads the pension fund, acted on behalf of Park, who ordered him to ensure the Samsung merger went smoothly.

The merger helped Lee increase his control over Samsung Electronics, South Koreas most valuable company. Youkyung Lee, Seoul, AP
Chinas top judge has drawn criticism from legal professionals after he dismissed the concept of judicial independence as an erroneous Western ideal, a statement seemingly aimed at emphasizing the ruling Communist Partys ultimate control over all areas of public life.

Zhou Qiang, the head of the Supreme Peoples Court, has at times been seen as a reformer keen on limiting the influence of government officials on the courts.

However, Chinese state media quoted him over the weekend as instructing leading judges to draw your sword against words and actions running counter to the ruling Communist Partys dictates.

Since seizing power in 1949, the party has maintained strict control over the government, judiciary and Chinas highly influential military despite the rapid social change accompanying breakneck economic growth. Leaders in recent years have firmly rejected calls for political reform, crushing the 1989 pro-democracy movement and harassing and imprisoning advocates of change, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo.

Responding to Zhous comments, Chinese legal scholars including Peking University professor He Weifang said the public would lose confidence in a legal system seen to be in thrall to the party.

If there is no judicial independence, the ultimate result can only be injustice everywhere, sparking unrest. Calling judicial independence a Western concept and taking joy in its elimination is the sort of talk and action that leads to disaster for the nation and its people, He wrote.

Scores of lawyers also signed an open online letter calling for Zhous resignation. The concept of judicial independence is not a Western concept, but one recognized around the world, the letter said, and Zhous remarks attacking the concept had caused an inevitable, harmful effect on Chinese society.

Despite his reform reputation, it was not the first time Zhou has criticized what he deemed to be ideas unsuitable for Chinas political system. In 2015, he told a party committee that the high court will resolutely resist the influence of mistaken Western concepts and ways of thinking.

China rejects the notion of an American-style separation of powers and its constitution emphasizes the unassailable primacy of the Communist Party. But the same constitution also calls for courts to exercise judicial power independently and be free from interference by administrative organs, public organizations or individuals.

In his remarks, first reported Saturday by the state-controlled China News Service, Zhou also urged Chinas judges to avoid the trap of judicial independence, follow the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics and protect government leaders, the image of heroes, and the glorious history of the party and the Peoples Army according to the law.

Following his ascension as party leader in 2012, President Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of governing through laws and regulations, rather than official fiat. Yet, that is widely seen as merely an attempt to codify party dominance, and legal and political experts say that party leaders have not only maintained their grip over the courts but increasingly wield the legal system as a lever of power.

Xi has also demanded strict ideological conformity within the party and repeatedly cautioned against liberal Western values seeping into Chinas political sphere and the classroom. His administration rounded up dozens of lawyers and civil society activists in 2015, leveling state subversion charges against many, while cracking down on any criticism of the party or attempts to openly question its history.

Last year, intellectual circles were alarmed when a Beijing court convicted a writer of libel after he challenged the veracity of a famous tale of Communist Party soldiers sacrificing themselves against the Japanese.

Zhous weekend meeting with top judges came weeks after the partys powerful anti-corruption agency wrapped up an internal investigation of the Supreme Peoples Court. Zhou, who has a masters degree in law and took over as chief justice in 2013, has previously criticized the judiciary for the prevalence of wrongful convictions and warned against the use of testimony obtained through torture. Gerry Shih, Beijing, AP
BOISE  Two federal agencies have approved a 2.4-mile-long open pit phosphate mine proposed by a Canadian company in southeastern Idaho.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service late last week issued separate decisions approving the plan by Calgary-based Agrium Inc.

The BLM manages the area where the mining will occur, while the Forest Service manages land that will receive waste materials.

Agrium turns phosphate ore into fertilizer needed by farmers to grow food. Phosphate mining is a major business in southeastern Idaho, and BLM officials said the new mine will preserve 1,700 jobs and generate about $85 million per year for the local economy in Caribou County.

The expected life of the new Rasmussen Valley Mine is just under eight years, and the project follows a pattern where companies move to a new area once an old area is mined out. Mining has taken place in the area since the early 20th century.

The area contains one the nation's most abundant deposits of phosphate, and agribusinesses Simplot and Monsanto also have mines in the area. But the area also contains 17 Environmental Protection Agency superfund sites because of pollution from past phosphate mining.

Federal officials said the latest mine has requirements to avoid those problems.

"The water quality issue is the No. 1 issue that we deal with when it comes to determining impacts with mines that are being permitted now," said Bill Volt, environmental planning coordinator with the BLM.

Virginia Gillerman, an associate research geologist with the Idaho Geological Survey, said the area is rich in phosphate because it was once an 116,000-square-mile inland sea where organic material from fish, plants and small animals was deposited over a 5-million-year span about 265 million years ago.

Geologic activity caused faulting and folding in the sedimentary rock that once formed the seabed that's now part of Idaho and three neighboring states. In Idaho, the activity pushed the phosphate closer to the surface, making it economical to mine, Gillerman said.

Volk said Agrium has struck a deal with Monsanto to take waste rock from the new mine and dispose of it in a pit at a nearby Monsanto mine now going through the reclamation process.

The material will be covered, Volk said, to prevent water from reaching it that could cause selenium to leach out into streams or be absorbed by plants. Selenium is needed for life but is toxic in large quantities.

Volk said the selenium problem first became apparent in the 1990s when hundreds of sheep and horses died after eating plants over mine waste material that had absorbed selenium from that material. The realization of what caused the deaths led to the superfund sites.

Additionally, water running through the waste rock has caused increased selenium in streams that can harm aquatic organisms.

Earthworks, an environmental group, earlier this month released information from tests it did on trout in streams below Simplot's Smoky Canyon Mine. The group said the fish in Sage Creek and Crow Creek had selenium levels up to four times the levels the EPA says can cause defects and reproductive failure in fish.

"It's been eight years since the (Smoky Canyon) mine expansion was approved, yet there's still no proven cover system to prevent future water pollution," Bonnie Gestring of Earthworks said in a statement.
American Legion Post 77

The American Legion Post 77 would like to thank the men and women who have served our country with courage and commitment. We would like to invite veterans to coffee and doughnuts at no charge. Join us, from 8 to 11 am, Saturday, January 21, 2017, at the Wilbur C. Hall American Legion Post 77, located at 132 Wayne St. in Paul, for our Monthly Veterans Coffee. We hope to have a good turnout and great information to share. For those planning on attending, please help us get the word out and bring a new veteran with you. You dont have to be a member of any post or veterans organization. We look forward to seeing and meeting you. For more information contact, Post 77 Commander Damian D. Rodriguez at 679-2550 or Vice-Commander Wyatt Saunders at 679-1215.

Twin Falls Public Library

TWIN FALLS  Twin Falls Public Library, in partnership with the Magic Valley Humane Society, will be holding a pet adoption day on January 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 at the library.

Buhl health fair

BUHL  A health fair will be held from 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Parish Hall, 909 Maple St. in Buhl.

Fasting for 12 hours is recommended. A basic cholesterol/triglyceride test is $9; a comprehensive metabolic profile of the blood, $8; and PSA and TSH tests are $10 each.

Interpath Laboratory of Twin Falls will provide technicians to draw blood and will mail analysis results within one or two weeks.

Information: 208-543-4995.

Jerome Senior Center plans card tournament

JEROME  The Jerome Senior Center will hold a card tournament on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 520 N. Lincoln Ave.

The event begins with lunch at noon followed by hand-and-foot pinochle.

The cost is $8 and includes both lunch and cards. Participants must pre-register at the senior center, or call 208-324-5642, or Marilyn at 208-324-2174.

Child Find at Minidoka County School District

RUPERT  Minidoka County School District will be holding Child Find on Friday, Jan. 27, at the Minidoka Preschool Center located at 310 10th Street in the District Service Center.

Preschool Child Find is a free screening for children from ages 35 years old. The screening includes speech and language, physical health, gross and fine motor skills, self-help abilities, social skills and pre-academic skills, vision and hearing. It is very important to identify children with delays early so they will have time to build skills they will need to be successful in kindergarten.

Appointments may be made by calling the Minidoka Preschool Center at 436-4727.

Reiki level one at CSI

The CSI Community Education Center will be offering Reiki Level One: Training & Attunement from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. on Saturday, February 4. The class will meet in Shields 107 on the CSI campus. Cost of the class is $199.

Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. In this class students will learn the skills necessary to be able to work on themselves, their family, friends, and pets. They will also learn the basics of energy, the history of Reiki, what Reiki is and is not and have lots of hands on practice. They will receive your Level I Reiki certificate upon completion of this class.

Instructor Sandy March is a Reiki Master, has been working in the Alternative Health field for over 17 years, and is well versed in all things Reiki. She is forever learning about the healing arts of the ancient and modern worlds. Her goal is to help others help themselves through self-evaluation and learning about the world of energy medicine that everyone can tap into. She is trained and certified in Bach Flower Therapy, Egyptian BioGeometry, Akashic Record Clearing and is a Oneness Blessing Giver.

Students can register or learn more about this and other classes at csi.edu/communityed, by going to the CSI Community Education Center, or by calling (208) 732-6442. Class size is limited so early registration is suggested.

Oakley senior scholarship opportunity

Oakley  Oakley Valley Arts Council invites 2017 graduating seniors (who have been involved in the arts and OVAC) to apply for the Johnson Memorial Scholarship.

This scholarship is in memory of Aaron and Gloria Johnson who were killed in an automobile accident. The Johnsons enjoyed the arts and were actively involved with Oakley Valley Arts Council. Two $250.00 scholarships will be presented to two deserving area seniors. The form is available from your school counselor and must be postmarked no later than March 25th. Please contact us with any questions at 677-ARTS/2787.

New year, new hours, new computers, new books at Filer

FILER  Beginning January 3rd, the Filer City Library will open at 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and close at 6:30.

The library has two brand new computers.

Best sellers include: The Whistler by John Grisham, Two By Two by Nicholas Sparks, No Mans Land by David Baldacci, Cross the Line by James Patterson, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman,

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich, Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult, Night School by Lee Child

Nonfiction: Settle for More by Megyn Kelly, Kill the Rising Sun by Bill O Reilly, Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

On going 25 cent book sale.

DeMary Memorial Library Book Notes

Fiction: Below the Belt by Stuart Woods

Stone Barrington lands in hot water.

Fiction: Conspiracy of Silence by Ronie Kendig

This is the way the world ends.

Fiction: In the Shadow of Denali by Tracie Peterson

Their future depends on unlocking the secrets the mountain holds from the past.

Fiction: The Mistress by Danielle Steel

Fiction: The Things We Knew by Catherine West

Fiction: The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green

Fiction: The Pattern Artist by Nancy Moser

Fiction: The Honorable Heir by Laurie Alice Eakes

Fiction: The Thirteenth Chance by Amy Matayo

LP-Fiction: The Life She Wants by Robyn Carr
Volunteers  Horizon Home Health and Hospice is looking for volunteers to join their team to provide quality compassionate care to patients through the following activities: companionship, socialization, respite, and support for patients and families and much more. Information: Cynthia Nixon, 208-800-8085 or cnixon@horizonhh.com.

Volunteers  The Senior Companion Program at the CSI Office on Aging needs volunteers, age 55 and older, to assist homebound seniors by providing friendly visits, transportation or other assistance as needed. Senior Companions make positive impacts by helping to improve the mental and emotional status of their clients. Senior Companions receive a stipend per hour of service (to income eligible seniors) and can work between 15 to 40 hours a week. They receive reimbursement for mileage, and training on age-related problems. Information: Dandre, 208-736-2122, or toll free, 800-574-8656.

Volunteers  Auburn Crest Hospice is in search of volunteers in Twin Falls, Jerome, Minidoka and Gooding counties. Auburn Crest, a hospice agency in Twin Falls, works with patients and families to create meaningful end-of-life experiences. Hospice volunteers play a vital role in the lives of those with life-threatening illnesses and their caregivers, families, and friends. Volunteer tasks may include: support for patients (visiting, reading, taking walks, writing letters, playing music, massage therapy or beautician services for volunteers with the necessary skills, and also pet therapy); respite and support for family members (assist with shopping or household maintenance, or allow family caregivers the opportunity to take care of necessary errands); bereavement support programs; and administrative work in the office. Volunteers are required to submit to a background check (at no personal cost). Information: Sheri at 208-735-7450, 208-404-4561, Sheri.Bernt@auburncrest.com or visit 397 Blue Lakes Blvd. N., Twin Falls.

Volunteers  St. Lukes Home Health and Hospice is looking for new volunteers to join its team to share compassion and care and increase the quality of life for patients and their families. The program is designed to offer companionship and socialization to patients as well as respite and support for the caregivers. Information: Marie Sharp, 208-814-7603 or sharpm@slhs.org.

Drivers  The Twin Falls Senior Center needs drivers to deliver meals to homebound seniors in Twin Falls Monday through Friday, and the routes take an hour or less to complete. Commitment is based on your availability. Volunteers must be 18 years of age with their own car, and have proof of liability insurance and a background check. Drivers receive 54 cents a mile fuel reimbursement. Information: 208-734-5084.

Volunteers  The Twin Falls Senior Center has a ladies group (The Crazy Quilters), who are looking for individuals to put finishing touches on quilts as a group while socializing. The group meets from 9 a.m. to noon every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. All quilt project proceeds are given to the Twin Falls Senior Center. Information: 208-734-5084.

Volunteers  The Fifth Judicial District CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Program is seeking community volunteers to become advocates for abused children. Advocates receive training and support to investigate, report, monitor and advocate for children involved in the child protection system. Advocates are needed in all eight counties of the district, and the program needs volunteers in the Mini Cassia area. Information: Tahna, 208-735-1177.
Twin Falls County

Tuesday arraignments

Roberto Miranda Villa, 19, Twin Falls; failure to purchase or invalid drivers license, and failure to appear, $300 bond, public defender appointed, pretrial Feb. 28.

Benjamin Carlos Miranda, 26, Twin Falls; burglary, $1,000 bond, public defender appointed, prelim Jan. 27.

Stephanee Brooke Albertson, 32, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance, $50,000 bond, public defender appointed, prelim Jan. 27.

Syrus Trystan Porter, 18, Twin Falls; failure to purchase or invalid drivers license, and failure to appear, public defender appointed, one recognizance release, pretrial March 7.

Syrus T. Porter, 18, Twin Falls; frequenting and failure to appear, public defender appointed, own recognizance release, pretrial March 7.

Michael Allen Curtis, 21, Twin Falls; petit theft, $500 bond, public defender appointed, pretrial Feb. 14.

Justin J. Bartholome, 22, Twin Falls; petit theft, possession of marijuana, and felony possession of a controlled substance, $20,000 bond, public defender appointed, prelim Jan. 27.

Clint Ryan Almaguer, 24, Buhl; domestic battery in the presence of a child, DUI, and injury to a child, own recognizance release, court compliance program, public defender appointed, pretrial March 7.

Bo Silva, 27, Twin Falls; possession of stolen vehicle, $50,000 bond, public defender appointed, prelim Jan. 27.

Teresa Renee Jones, 46, Twin Falls; aggravated assault with deadly weapon, and battery upon certain personnel, $25,000 bond, public defender appointed, prelim Jan. 27.

Michael V. Eguilior, 32, Twin Falls; burglary, grand theft and felony possession of a controlled substance, $50,000 bond, public defender appointed, prelim Jan. 27.
10 a.m. UPDATE: Two buses with Twin Falls School District students  with a total of 35 children  ran a little late this morning.

Parents were notified via automated phone call/text alert, school district spokeswoman Eva Craner wrote in an email to the Times-News.

Craner said shed also like to dispel a rumor that keeping schools open today generates more money for the school district. Thats not true, she said.

9:30 a.m. UPDATE: Minidoka County School District will close schools at 10 a.m. due to the amount of snow on the roads.

We had a report of a parent driving a Suburban pushing snow on the way in this morning, said Ken Cox, superintendent at Minidoka County School District.

Cox said the buses will run their routes delivering children home at 10 a.m. like they do at 3 p.m.

The majority of the snow fell, he said, after the district checked road conditions at 5 a.m.

Cox said there is 8 to 16 inches of slush north of Rupert and when he drove to Acequia his vehicle almost got stuck twice.

We really got hit hard out north and if the wind picks up it will cause drifts, he said.

Cassia County School District spokeswoman Debbie Critchfield said district officials will not release students early at this time.

9 a.m. UPDATE: The College of Southern Idaho's Gooding and Jerome centers are closed due to heavy and drifting snow. Classes at Twin Falls Christian Academy are also canceled.

TWIN FALLS  Freezing rain, snow and unsafe road conditions Thursday has prompted many Magic Valley school closures.

The following districts and schools are closed:

Jerome

Buhl

Filer

Gooding

Wendell

Valley

Shoshone

Castleford

Hagerman

Camas County

Richfield

Bliss

North Valley Academy

Meanwhile, Twin Falls School District is open. The district posted this statement on its website: "Be prepared for winter conditions: Bus routes will likely experience delays due to neighborhood road conditions. If you dont feel that your student can get to school safely, keep him/her at home. Have your students wear snow boots and water-resistant clothing, if possible. An additional pair of dry socks is a good idea. Plan on impassible, blocked and ice/snow-covered sidewalks, drop-off lanes, and/or parking spaces. Remind and assist your students in finding a safe path to school; they should be mindful of vehicles with limited driving lanes, large pools of water, ice, and limited sidewalk access. High school students may have limited parking and will want to consider car-pooling or having someone drop them at school. We will continue to monitor road, weather, and safety conditions on a daily basis and provide updates through texts, website alerts, media, and emails."
TWIN FALLS  Former state Attorney General and Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Jim Jones says we can expect to hear more from him now that he has retired.

Jones was elected to the Idaho Supreme Court in 2004; he did not run for his third term last year.

Living in my ivory tower, I couldnt get out and hobnob  couldnt say anything about issues of public interest, Jones told the Twin Falls Rotary Club Wednesday. Now I feel liberated.

By state law, judges must remain neutral and not express their opinions, said Scott Graf, spokesman for Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasdens office.

Say Jones was still on the bench and he speaks very passionately about something he believes in, Graf said. Then a year later, the issue comes before him in court. He couldnt be impartial and wouldnt be able to hear the case.

No longer forced to be silent, Jones, 75, has a lot to say  especially about refugees and the so-called news that has caused a lot of trouble for businesses, like Chobani, and (the College of Southern Idahos) refugee program, he said. These (refugees) need safe haven. They should be welcomed here.

Jones called out Breitbart News, World Net Daily and others he says have played fast and loose with the truth and should not be regarded as credible.

He made an impassioned plea to give Twin Falls refugees a chance as he described his own experience with those from a war-torn country.

Jones, who was raised in Eden, served a tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1968-69. He said the Vietnamese he worked with earned his respect and admiration. When South Vietnam fell in 1975, a flood of Vietnamese came to the United States.

Fear-mongers warned these people are going to be a problem for us, he said. It didnt work out that way.

Jones comments were met with nods of approval from club members.

I respect his courage and perspective, CSI President Jeff Fox said.

Greatest accomplishment

Jones considers the Snake River Basin Adjudication, a legal process that started in the mid-1980s to determine who owns water rights in the Snake River Basin drainage, to be the defining event of his legal career.

Shortly after he was elected Idaho attorney general in 1982, water rights came to the forefront when Idaho Power Co. tried to claim all the water in the Snake River to generate electricity at Swan Falls. Jones worked hand in hand with then-Gov. John Evans and others to protect the water rights of irrigators.

(Jones) really was very much involved with the Swan Falls agreement, said Vince Alberdi, recently reappointed by Gov. C.L. (Butch) Otter to his third term on the Idaho Water Resource Board. That agreement set the path for the management of water resources for today and in he future.

Due in part to guys like Jim Jones, Idaho is head and shoulders above other states when it comes to administrating water rights.
BOISE  House Democrats unveiled a bill Wednesday to draw teachers to struggling rural school districts by helping to pay their student loans.

"I am excited as a new legislator and as an educator," said Rep. Sally Toone, D-Gooding, a retired teacher who was elected in November to the seat formerly held by Donna Pence. "It's a step forward to building our rural communities."

The bill would pay up to $12,000  $3,000 a year for four years  of student loans for teachers at schools that are rural, poor, have low student achievement and a teacher shortage.

The Idaho Department of Education would set the criteria and be expected to look at which subject areas schools are struggling in to fill teaching jobs.

Toone said it has grown more difficult to fill teaching jobs in rural areas, especially as the number of young people going into the profession has dropped. And, she said, it is harming students. Eighty percent of Idaho's rural students graduate high school and 51 percent go on to college, compared with the statewide 84 percent graduation and 59 percent go-on rates, a statement from House Democrats said.

"If we don't have a fully certified teacher in a classroom, it is going to affect our students," Toone said.

Toone estimated about half of the rural school districts in the state likely meet the criteria. In her district, she expects the schools in Lincoln County and some in Gooding County likely meet the criteria to participate.

The bill doesn't set an amount for how much it would cost, but were it to pass, said House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, D-Boise, "in a perfect world" he would like to see the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee set aside between $3 million and $5 million for the program.

Every Democrat in the House and Senate has signed on to the bill as a co-sponsor, but no Republicans, a disadvantage in a Legislature with a Republican super-majority and where Democrats' often can't get a hearing for their policy ideas or even get their bills introduced.

Toone, who is on the House Education Committee, said she has been reaching out to Republican lawmakers and she hopes to introduce it.

Most states, including Idaho, have struggled to fill teaching jobs. In Idaho, the problem is generally worse for rural districts than urban ones, and some schools have hired unlicensed teachers just to get enough people.

The "career ladder," a plan to raise teacher pay throughout the state over the course of five years that passed in 2015, was meant to help address this. This year, lawmakers are expected to fund the third year of its implementation at a cost of $62 million, which is up from the original $58 million estimate due to higher than expected enrollment.

However, Erpelding said, the career ladder isn't enough to get the state where it needs to be. It still pays better, he said, to teach in Oregon, Washington or Wyoming than in Idaho, exacerbating retention problems in border areas especially.

"We think that there's a recruitment problem in Idaho and the career ladder is not going to (solve) the recruitment issue," he said.
BOISE  Most people insured through Idahos state exchange get federal tax credits to pay for it, raising all sorts of questions about what kind of coverage they will have and whether they will have insurance at all if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.

Eighty-seven percent of the 95,000 people covered through Your Health Idaho got tax credits to help pay their premium costs, for a total of $220 million a year in federal support, Executive Director Pat Kelly told the House Health and Welfare Committee Wednesday during a yearly report.

Thats $220 million a year the health plan would lose if President Barack Obamas health care overhaul is repealed.

The average enrollee gets $257 a month in premium support, Your Health Idaho spokeswoman Karla Haun said.

Any changes to the exchange will take time to understand and to implement, but we remain committed to ensuring Idahoans who rely on health coverage through Your Health Idaho experience minimum disruption, Kelly said.

Kelly delivered this years report with uncertainty hanging over the future of the exchange. Congressional Republicans and soon-to-be-inaugurated President Donald Trump have vowed to dismantle Obamas signature law, and replacement for Obamacare is unclear.

What would happen if the Affordable Care Act is repealed and those tax credits went away? asked Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise. Would they potentially lose their coverage under the exchange?

Kelly said he is focusing on YHIs day-to-day operations until he has a clearer idea of what will happen and what a replacement for the ACA might look like.

I dont have a crystal ball, but what I can tell you is were prepared to change, he said.

If anything, Kelly said, he hopes Idahos exchange could become a model for an Obamacare replacement that could be extended to other states.

The model that Idaho built can serve as a successful foundation for reforms, he said. The exchange is working for Idahoans.

Open enrollment closes Jan. 31, and Kelly said he expects more than 100,000 people to be enrolled by the time its over. Kelly sang the praises of the exchange he runs on Wednesday, telling lawmakers it had maintained its position as one of the leanest exchanges in the country. It has also saved state and county taxpayers because more people with insurance led to a drop in indigent health care costs. Kelly said it has saved its enrollees more than $15 million since its creation over what they would pay on the federal marketplace, because the fee used to fund the operations of Idahos exchange is 1.99 percent of their plans cost rather than the 3.5 percent on the federal exchange.

As a (state) exchange were nimble and were not hampered by federal bureaucracy, he said.

The cost of the average plan went up steeply in many states last fall, including in Idaho, which saw jumps of 24 percent for the average individual plan and 4 percent for the average small group one. However, Kelly said, Your Health Idaho is offering more plans than it was before, in contrast with many states that have seen insurers fleeing exchange marketplaces.

Positive numbers such as the ones Kelly shared Wednesday have led many Idaho Republicans to praise Idahos exchange even though they oppose the federal law that led to its existence, a sentiment on display at Wednesdays meeting.

I never supported the Affordable Care Act, said Committee Vice Chairwoman Rep. Kelley Packer, R-McCammon. I knew there were components in it that were going to be very problematic for the health-care industry that was in crisis.

Packer supported the exchanges creation, a vote for which she said she has caught political flak since. She is also a Your Health Idaho board member.

Im excited to see that what happened was a success, she said.

The U.S. House and Senate have already passed a resolution to take the first steps toward repealing parts of the law, although there is little agreement among Republicans in D.C. on how quickly to repeal it and what to replace it with. Repeal with no replacement would lead 18 million people to lose coverage, according to a report from the Congressional Budget Office this week, although congressional Republicans and Trump have said they do intend to replace it with something.
TWIN FALLS  As darkness descended on the valley Wednesday evening, an anticipated winter storm dropped freezing rain on roadways and sent dozens of vehicles into ditches and fields.

Several county offices closed Thursday due to hazardous road conditions and an avalanche closed U.S. 20 between Mountain Home and Fairfield.

Interstate 84 was at a standstill for about two hours late Wednesday near the Kasota Road exit as freezing rain coated the roadway. As morning traffic increased Thursday, state troopers kept busy assisting drivers who had slid off the road. Two jackknifed semi-trailers on the freeway were reported mid-morning, one eastbound at milepost 204 and another westbound at 141, an Idaho State Police dispatcher in Jerome said.

In Shoshone, Lincoln County Sheriff Rene Rodriguez asked residents to avoid driving Thursday because of difficult road conditions.

If they do need to drive, please allow plenty of time to arrive and drive based on the condition of the road, Rodriguez said.

The Lincoln County Sheriffs office, including the drivers license division, were closed Thursday, but deputies were on duty.

Lincoln and Gooding County courthouses were also closed Thursday. If weather conditions improve, both will reopen Friday at 8 a.m.

Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office responded to numerous calls Wednesday as freezing rain turned the roadways to ice.

A Glanbia milk tanker slid off U.S. 30 two miles east of Hansen and rolled on its side, spilling milk in a field, said Lori Stewart, a spokeswoman for the sheriffs office. The county also responded to a two-vehicle crash on U.S. 30 east of Murtaugh, a rollover on U.S. 93 and a two-vehicle crash on Addison Avenue West.

About two dozen slide-offs kept tow trucks busy, Stewart said.

The U.S. Forest Services Sawtooth Avalanche Center says dangerous avalanche conditions exist in the Smoky and Boulder mountains north of Fairfield. An avalanche has closed a portion of U.S. 20, 18 miles east of Mountain Home.

The National Weather Service is forecasting high temperatures in the mid-30s Friday and over the weekend with chances of snow.
SHOSHONE  For the first time in 15 years, Shoshone residents don't have to travel to another town to get their prescription medications.

Shoshone Pharmacy opened Dec. 22 on South Apple Street. But its not your average pharmacy.

The owner says its the first telepharmacy in Idaho to open from the ground up  meaning its not affiliated with an existing hospital or clinic. It allows an off-site pharmacist to approve orders remotely and do consultations with patients using live video conferencing.

It will allow Shoshones 1,500 residents to fill prescription medications they rely on without having to travel to another town.

Its bringing pharmacy back to rural Idaho, owner/pharmacist Jason Reading said.

And beyond Shoshone, many Magic Valley hospitals use telemedicine services and are looking to expand their offerings.

Shoshone used to have a brick-and-mortar pharmacy, but it closed in the early 2000s because of diminished reimbursements on prescriptions, Reading said.

That problem has continued to this day, he added, but hes able to operate a new telepharmacy by using technology to reduce staffing costs.

So far, there has been a really good response, Reading said, but hed love to see more people use the pharmacy. A lot of people dont know were here.

Shoshone resident Clair Granquist has been to the pharmacy multiple times and said shes very excited its in town. Recently, her children got sick and then she picked up a virus.

I really like them, she said about Shoshone Pharmacy. I dont see any reason for me to travel unless theres a medication they dont have.

The staff is incredibly friendly, Granquist added, and they recognized her fairly quickly.

Before the new pharmacy opened, Granquist drove to Ridley's Family Markets in Gooding to fill prescriptions.

It was such a pain, she said, to drive 17 miles each way out of town. And if your child has pink eye and is screaming, the last thing you want to do is go out of town and carry them into a grocery store.

After coming up with the idea for a telepharmacy, Reading got approval from the Idaho Board of Pharmacy.

The board allows telepharmacies only in towns where there isnt a brick-and-mortar pharmacy, Reading said. Its a great opportunity for small towns.

The Idaho legislature passed a bill in 2015  which was signed into law  outlining benefits and the acceptable use of telemedicine in Idaho. It still relies on regulatory boards, though, to provide oversight.

Reading  who also owns Gooding Pharmacy and R&R Pharmacy in Jerome  chose Shoshone for a telepharmacy because he saw a lot of the towns residents at his other locations.

Shoshone Pharmacy is staffed by two technicians at a time. It runs just like a normal pharmacy, Reading said. A pharmacist is often on site two or three days a week, too.

Drug utilization reviews are handled remotely by a pharmacist in Gooding. Once thats done, a pharmacy technician in Shoshone gets an OK on a computer screen to dispense medication to a patient.

Idaho law requires a consultation with a pharmacist for every new prescription medication a patient receives.

At Shoshone Pharmacy, theres a separate room for consultations with chairs and a wall-mounted flat-screen monitor.

With the touch of a button, the system allows patients to communicate with a pharmacist in Gooding using a two-way audio and video feed.

Dr. Keith Davis, a family medicine physician at Shoshone Family Medical Center, said its great to have a pharmacy in town again.

Its right across the street, which is very convenient for my patients and anyone who needs a prescription filled, he said.

Davis starting pursuing a telepharmacy project in Shoshone through Idaho State Universitys Bengal Pharmacy. But then he heard about Reading's plans.

Before Shoshone Pharmacy opened, some patients werent able to fill prescriptions, Davis said, especially when road conditions werent good.

And Davis was using a system called Allscripts  approved by the Idaho Board of Pharmacy  to allow him to dispense certain medications at his office.

He had a small inventory of medications, such as antibiotics. It wasnt for ongoing chronic medications, but for acute illness, he said.

But now, he plans to let Shoshone Pharmacy take the lead on dispensing medications.
Idaho progressives are among the most transactional realists youll ever find. Its a necessity. We participate constructively in what presently is a pretty harsh political and philosophical environment. We strive continually to support mutual aspirations among conservatives and work as best as we can toward common good. We labor to protect and benefit all Idahoans, including those embracing contrasting political philosophies. Its the right thing to do and we believe this grounded approach will ultimately raise our political fortunes.

We express our concerns clearly and mount opposition from an unambiguously defined hierarchy of principles. Likewise, it behooves us to understand the pronouncements and actions of Idahos dominant party, the GOP. That isnt always easy.

This legislative session, progressives witnessing the statements and actions of Idahos GOP-dominated Legislature find ourselves debating whether to laugh, cry or froth with indignation. Despite Idahoans numerous urgent needs, legislative leadership ceded the Capitols dais last week to a festering GOP family drama that makes the Hatfields and McCoys look like paragons of civility.

Rep. Heather Scott apparently outraged the sensibilities of her caucus. Her transgression was an egregiously frank (crude?) allegation. She contended female legislators were pressured to provide sexual favors (spread their legs) to the predominately graying male Republican legislative power-brokers as a prerequisite to choice committee assignments.

Reactions among offended Republicans ranged from quiet consternation to vocal condemnation. It isnt clear whether Republican leaderships alarm was over Scotts language, the accusations conceivable validity or its embarrassingly public airing, depicting Idahos GOP so unfavorably. Regardless, the result was stripping Scotts committee assignments. The drama entered a second act Monday when a handful of Scotts sycophants joined the brouhaha, resigning their committee assignments in protest.

Heres where confusion kicks in. The fine points of the current fracas are deeply concerning, deserving serious investigation and appropriate intervention. However, on an absolute historical and legal scale, this drama is a salacious cliche that has played out scores of times historically in legislatures across America. Humans have their foibles. Eros may be busy diddling with the hearts, minds, political ethics and scorekeeping of Idahos Republican Party. Shame on such crude language. Idaho is besmirched by political scandal again. Shocking!

Scottgate provides great kabuki theater that progressives could easily, even gleefully, celebrate from the sidelines with schadenfreude. But, honestly, were more concerned by this spectacles disturbing underbelly.

Why was this particular faux pas deemed serious enough to strip Heather Scott of committee assignments? Why did these transgressions trigger meaningful punishment when so much of Rep. Scotts previous recklessness went unsanctioned by Idahos GOP Legislature?

Theres no prohibition against being a principled and outspoken firebrand or iconoclast. And if Scotts allegations of sexual subornation can be substantiated, they should absolutely carry the gravity they deserve. Nonetheless, reasonable Democrats and Republicans have grown antipathetic toward Rep. Scott precisely because several incidents she has been publically involved in or associated with were not treated by her party or Idahos Legislature with anything approaching the gravity they deserved.

Brandishing a Confederate flag at Priest Rivers 2015 Timber Days celebration was protected by First Amendment rights but utterly tasteless and irresponsible. Northern Idaho continues to reap national reproach for its infamous and unfortunate episode of neo-Nazis and white supremacist group intrusions in the 1980s and 90s. For a local representative to ignore the potential for such groups to interpret that flag display as dog whistling approval suggests either political naivete bordering on incompetency, or utterly cynical disingenuity.

Flocking to the Malheur standoff for a propagandistic photo-op, supporting an armed incursion on a government facility that resulted in costly destruction of government property and research programs, and outlandish squandering of state, federal and local law enforcement resources fill another paragraph in Scotts political resume. Her presence, along with other scofflaw politicians, compounded the local communitys disruption and internal squabbles plus interfered with law enforcements efforts to peacefully diffuse the situation. Inserting themselves into the standoff introduced precarious elements of unpredictability that could have endangered the lives of themselves, the protesters and law enforcement. Beyond these gross failures of prudence and mature judgement, Scotts actions tiptoed precariously through the legal minefields laid out in the U.S. Constitutions Amendment XIV, Section 3 and several sections of U.S. Code, Title 18, Part I, Chapter 115.

Scotts 2016 campaign emails were widely criticized in the press by members of her constituency and her opponents campaign as encouraging voter intimidation and harassment. Indeed such incidents were reported by alleged victims to an apparently disinterested Bonners Ferry Sherriffs Department. While nothing came of these instances legally, the emails remain out there for the public to read and examine for their own judgement regarding possible subtext.

So, unsurprisingly, a vast swath of Democrats and Republicans has lost patience with Rep. Scott. Given her deeply unsettling public record of disruptive conduct, disrespect for authority, incivility, denial of the tragic lessons of history and apparent immunity to responsible political nuance, her dissemblance as an aggrieved victim hasnt gone over well in the halls of Idahos Legislature.

No one should object in any way to Scotts call for serious investigation of possible subornation of sexual favors. But if Idahos GOP truly prizes political respectability among the states citizens and in the eyes of the nation, Scott should not have her committees stripped away for those accusations, no matter how vulgar their delivery.

The GOP outrage and punitive demotion of Rep. Scott, however, may be overdue for other more substantial reasons in the broader scheme of governance. These would be what many bipartisan onlookers regard as unpatriotic disrespect for the rule of law by an elected official, scorn of Idahoans who exercise freedom of thought and speech by criticizing her behavior, expressed philosophy, and what comes across as her sense of personal entitlement.

Petition Speaker Bedke to assign Scotts punishment to the appropriate offenses.
Those of us at the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum in Adams, Massachusetts, are saddened that the museum honoring this American iconic heroine and tireless worker for womens rights will not be among the organizations marching Saturday in Washington, D.C. Some people might perhaps think that Anthony family descendants and museum board members would be leading the Womens March, especially as the centennial marking the Susan B. Anthony Amendment for womens suffrage has begun in some states. But they would be wrong: Anthony would never have joined a march in favor of abortion access.

The unifying theme of Susan Brownell Anthonys life was to speak up for those without a voice. Anthony fought for temperance, the abolition of slavery and especially the enfranchisement of women. She also spoke up for the voiceless child in utero, opposing Restellism, the term that Anthonys newspaper and others at that time used for abortion. Its easy to chalk up Anthonys (and other early feminists) opposition to abortion as a relic of their day and age. But these women were progressive and independent; they did not oppose abortion because they were conditioned to, but because they believed every human life has inherent and equal value, no matter their age, skin color or sex.

The Womens March platform does include some issues Anthony would have agreed with: Concerns about racial equality, tolerance and equal pay for equal work are problems Anthony would have marched for in her day and would support in her contemporary surrogates this month. However, major group sponsors, like Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America, have decided that this event is so central to the expansion of abortion rights that they have excluded women who are against abortion from the marchs platform and partnerships.

Anthonys newspaper, the Revolution, had a policy of not advertising abortion as other mainstream papers furtively did. Revolution editors like Elizabeth Cady Stanton were explicit in denouncing child murder, infanticide and foeticide, descriptions they used interchangeably for abortion. Indeed, a recent Smithsonian Magazine article discussed news coverage of infanticide in the 1860s, a common subject for early investigative reporters of the suffrage era, many of whom were women writing about their concerns under pseudonyms.

It is not hard to imagine that these early feminists and suffragists, Anthony among them, were opposed to the most fundamental human abuse: degrading another human being by claiming to own and destroy it. In her autobiography, Elizabeth Blackwell, a suffragist and the first U.S. female doctor, went into medicine to denounce abortionists: Women who carried on this shocking trade seemed to me a horror, she wrote. It was an utter degradation of what might and should become a noble position for women. Another suffragist physician, Charlotte Denman Lozier, said, We are sure most women physicians will lend their influence and their aid to shield their sex from the foulest wrong committed against it, that is, abortion. In her famous 1875 talk on social purity, Anthony condemned abortion as a consequence of liquor consumption.

History, particularly American history, is not always conveniently in sync with todays popular views and culture. Neither should the suffragist movement be co-opted into joining a cause that they universally condemned. The Womens Marchs vision and principles, just released this week, speaks to honoring the legacy of the suffragists. But they do not.

Many women and womens groups who will march next week have good reason to do so, and they should be respected. However, we ask that abortion rights not be misappropriated to Anthony and the critical work of the suffrage movement. Anthony and many of her fellow suffragists were anti-abortion feminists, the contemporary existence of which even Hillary Clinton has acknowledged. If the Womens March truly wants to honor the suffragist legacy, they will acknowledge their existence, too.
The Philippines may export corn to neighboring countries soon, as harvests this year will likely exceed the domestic requirement of 5.6 million metric tons, the Agriculture Department said Thursday.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol said based on the report of assistant secretary and national corn program coordinator Federico Laciste, yellow and white corn harvest in 2017 was expected to hit 8.1 million metric tons despite the series of natural calamities that hit the country recently, including the seven-month El Nino dry spell.

Pinol said production of cassava, an alternative to corn in animal feeds, would also likely reach 570,000 metric tons, contributing further in stabilizing the corn and animal feeds supply in the Philippines.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol

Pinol said to address the issue of oversupply, he would ask President Rodrigo Duterte in the next Cabinet meeting to direct the National Food Authority to amend rules prohibiting the export of corn until the country doubled its corn production to 200 percent.

Pinol said the export of corn to Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea could result in better prices for yellow corn and would encourage farmers to plant more.

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Yellow and white corn production reached 7.5 million metric tons last year, while cassava production hit 536,000 metric tons.

Pinol said corn production was expected to be boosted further with the approval and adoption of the solar-powered irrigation system based on the technical validation and recommendation of the DAs Central Agriculture and Fisheries Engineering Division.

The adoption of drip irrigation using the solar-powered irrigation system and the use of hybrid corn seeds were identified as priority measures in the national corn orogram.

Irrigating corn fields, which is already being done in parts of Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley and Ilocos Region, proved to have tremendously boosted production per hectare to a national average of 4.7-metric tons per harvest.

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PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will again visit China in May after making an official visit to Beijing seven months ago, its Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

In a statement posted in its website, the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that Duterte will attend the One Belt, One Road International cooperation summit forum in May.

The statement quoted Dutertes assurance about his attendance during the latters meeting with Chinas Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin in Manila last Tuesday.

I will come to Beijing in May to attend the One Belt, One Road international cooperation summit forum, and I look forward to meeting President Xi Jinping again, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said quoting Duterte.

It also said that Duterte was pleased with how bilateral ties had developed since he came to China last year.

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Bilateral relations became closer after Duterte announced he would break away from the United |States, its long-standing ally, and form new relationships with China and Russia.

The Department of Foreign Affairs could not confirm Dutertes coming visit to China because there were no foreign officials present during the Tuesday meeting.

Over the past years, China has dubbed a series of infrastructure projects stretching across some 60 countries as the One Belt, One Road initiative based on resurrecting the old Silk Road that once connected China to Central Asia, Europe and beyond.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the forum would be attended by a large number of foreign leaders.

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Halfworlds Season 2 debuts across Asia exclusively on HBO on Sunday, HBO Asia announced today.

The eight-part, hour-long dark action fantasy drama  the networks first returnable series premieres with double back-to-back episodes at 9 p.m., on HBO. A new episode premieres on subsequent Sundays at the same time, culminating with two back-to-back episodes on Feb. 26.

Halfworlds Season 2 is also available on HBO On Demand and HBO GO.

The second season widens the universe established in the first season, transiting from the alleys of Jakarta, to the neon light-bathed streets of Bangkok. Directed by renowned Thai filmmaker Ekachai Uekrongtham (Beautiful Boxer, Skin Trade), this season features a stellar cast of leading Asian actors from Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan.

A scene from HBO original production "Halfworlds"

A tenacious researcher named Juliet (Tia Tavee) is trying to uncover the secret world of demons that live amongst mortals. Armed with research by her late father, she goes on a quest for answers. While searching for an ancient artefact of great power, her actions draw the attention of the local Thai demons known as Peesaj. It is not long before her pursuit leads her into the line of fire of the Peesaj leader Charlie (David Asavanond), the mortal peacekeeper Warin (Nicole Theriault) and a Peesaj named Fyter (Peem Jaiyen), who is sent to kill her.

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Meanwhile, the Halfbreed Barata (Arifin Putra) is on a quest of his own that requires him to enlist the help of an old friend, Kaprey (Jake Macapagal). He is not the only one on a perilous journey, as fellow Demit Tony (Reza Rahadian) makes his presence known in Bangkok to find a lost love.

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Divine Mercy in a cockfighting arena? Only in PH









Bishop Marcelino Anthony Maralit of Boac (center) speaks in a press conference at the sidelines of the 4th World Apostolic Congress on Mercy at the National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, Jan. 18, 2017. (Photo: Roy Lagarde)





STO. TOMAS, Batangas, Jan. 18, 2017  As if to prove theres no place Jesus is not welcome, a bishop reveals how an image of the Divine Mercy ended up in a cockfighting arena in Marinduque.





Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit of Boac said he authorized the putting of an image of the Divine Mercy inside a cockfighting arena in Boac with the intention of spreading the devotion.





He said the idea came from the owner of the arena who happens to be a devotee, hoping the initiative will encourage cockfighting gamblers to start thinking about giving up their vice.





I believe it is only the diocese in the Philippines where the Divine Mercy is being promoted in a cockfighting arena, said Maralit.





And when the clock strikes at 3:00 p.m., the cockfight players utter the short prayer to the Divine Mercy.





Everyday they pray, shared the prelate.





Then I told her that I pray someday she will close that arena. But for this moment, I pray that she will first help me convert all those who come and gamble there, he added.





The prelate was among those who gave testimonies during the third day of the 4th World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM) held at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Sto. Tomas, Batangas on Wednesday.





In a press conference following his talk, the prelate said all human beings are sinners but one can change.





His voice cracking with emotion, he said: We cannot judge people until the end. We cannot measure people and we cannot measure how people would be because we also need change in our lives.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested in 2016 more than 1.3 billion in 41 projects in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt & Jordan.

The investments were made in the energy and renewable energy sectors, as well as in infrastructure, agribusiness and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs.)

Hildegard Gacek, EBRD Managing Director for the SEMED region said: 2016 was marked by the Banks refugee crisis response and by our significant role in developing the renewable energy program in Jordan and implementing the energy efficiency framework across the region following the Banks Green Economy Transition approach.

He also said that the Banks investments were accompanied by technical assistance and policy dialogue to improve the business environment and thus attract more private sector investors to the region.

In Morocco, the Bank provided a 24 million loan to Elephant Vert, a local producer of bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides and bio-stimulants, supporting the increased use of sustainable climate-friendly agricultural inputs and contributing to the switch from chemical fertilizers. This is expected to lead to significant greenhouse gas emission savings.

In Tunisia, EBRD is continuing to support small businesses and provided a TND 4 million (1.6 million equivalent) loan to the local microfinance institution Microcred Tunisie S.A. for on-lending to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, with a particular focus on the development of poorer regions and women-led businesses, supporting job creation.

Last year, the Bank provided a  131.3 million financial package to QNB Alahli bank for on-lending to SMEs and energy efficiency projects in Egypt supporting the development of the countrys private sector.

In Jordan, the Bank financed six large-scale renewable energy projects worth more than 400 MW of total capacity in its effort to bolster energy security and promote renewable sources of energy.

To ease the pressure caused by the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East, the EBRD provided a loan of 50 million to the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) to finance solid waste infrastructure that is urgently needed in the countrys capital to increase its capacity as well as to strengthen long-term resilience.

Across the whole EBRD region, the Bank continued to deliver strong support in 2016 with a powerful program of investments that helped modernize economies and make them more robust and resilient.

At the beginning of 2017, the EBRD introduced the concept of transition qualities. The Bank says it believes that a well-functioning market economy should be more than just competitive; it should also be inclusive, well-governed, environmentally friendly, resilient and integrated.
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.
Gambias National Assembly has passed a resolution on Tuesday to allow President Yahya Jammeh to stay in office for three months, state television reported.

Earlier on Tuesday, Jammeh who lost an election in December to opposition leader Adama Barrow, declared a state of emergency saying he would not step down before a court hears his election challenge.

Ihereby declare a state of public emergency throughout the Islamic Republic of Gambia, Jammehs declaration said.

The state of emergency banned acts of disobedience and acts intended to disturb public order.

Regional Bloc ECOWAS has threatened to intervene militarily if Jammeh does not step down and hand over to Barrow by the Jan. 19 deadline determined by the constitution.

Thousands of people are leaving Gambia fearing an outbreak of violence. Hundreds have already fled to neighboring Senegal where president-elect Adama Barrow has reportedly taken refuge for his own safety.

British tour operator Thomas Cook started evacuating nearly 1,000 holidaymakers from Gambia on Wednesday after Britains Foreign Office warned that the potential for military intervention and civil disturbance is high in the West African nation.

The travel company said it would fly out a special assistance team to help UK holidaymakers leave the country and would operate additional flights from capital Banjul.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has urged Britons to avoid all but essential travel to the country.
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Police starts fulfilling PMs task on investigating alleged prostitution at nightclubs

By Messenger Staff

Georgias Ministry of Internal Affairs says they have already started working on fulfilling the Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvilis task of investigating alleged cases of prostitution at central Tbilisi clubs, where Georgian men are not allowed.Deputy Interior Minister Shalva Khutsishvili said the results of the investigation would be immediately revealed to the public.The PM has stressed he was informed that underage Georgian females are involved in prostitution in some nightclubs, where Georgian men are not allowed in.Kvirikashvili said that the alleged cases are a double violation of the law  the prostitution of under-aged persons and discrimination against Georgian men.The PMs statement has divided the public in two, with some criticizing the Prime Minister and accusing him of interference in private businesses and others applauding his words.UNM member Roman Gotsiridze says it is completely up to the owners of the clubs who are allowed and who arent at their properties.The opposition member claims that such statements may hamper investments.If the Government wants to eradicate prostitution in the country it must provide key economic changes and ensure welfare for its citizen. However, if it says that prostitution exists in all developed countries and it is part of human existence then it [the government] must regulate the issue as it is regulated in developed countries, Gotsiridze said.Georgian media has reported on alleged prostitution at central Tbilisi clubs for several years; however, the Government showed interest in the issue only recently.It is unlikely that the Interior Ministry or the countrys key officials did not have any information about the alleged violations a year or several years ago.The same day when the PM made the statement over the issue, Georgia agreed to an unfavourable deal with Russia over the transit gas pay.However, the top story of the day on TV or in social media was the prostitution issue and not allowing Georgian men at nightclubs so as not to cause tensions there.One may be suspicious that the statement served the aim of shifting attention to other issues when the Government could not protect state interests in negotiations with Russia, or the fact that the country faces hard economic and national currency problems.
@amysherman1

The suspect in the mass shooting at the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport told the FBI in Alaska in November that he was hearing voices.

Anchorage police confiscated Esteban Santiagos handgun and took him for a mental health evaluation. Police returned his gun to him in December when he asked for it.

On Jan. 6, he flew to Broward County and is the suspected gunman in a rampage at the airport that left five dead and several others injured. Days later, Democratic state legislators held a press conference in Tallahassee to argue for gun control measures and more mental health funding.

Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, said that Republican legislators argue that the way to reduce gun violence is not through gun control but mental health care funding. But Florida, he said, has the worst record in the nation in terms of funding mental health care treatment.

"We see once again Florida is ranked 50th in the nation for mental health care funding  50th," he said. "There is no one that is doing worse than we are when it comes to making sure we that we are providing comprehensive mental health care."

Florida is near the bottom of the pack in mental health funding, and one key ranking cited by many experts places the state at 51st in per capita spending. However, there are some caveats about the ranking.

Keep reading from PolitiFact Florida.
@MichaelAuslen

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday overturned death sentences for three men, including a convicted cop killer.

Lancelot Uriley Armstrong was convicted of killing John Greeney, a Broward County sheriff's deputy and Air Force veteran, during a 1990 armed robbery at a Church's Fried Chicken in Fort Lauderdale. The jury voted 9-3 to sentence him to death and gave another man involved in the armed robbery a life sentence.

Now, Armstrong, as well as Donald Otis Williams, convicted of kidnapping and murdering an 81-year-old woman in 2010, and William M. Kopsho, sentenced for killing his wife in 2000 after learning she was having an affair, will have new sentencing hearings.

It's possible they could still be sentenced to death, but they could also see their sentences commuted to life in prison.

Courts will empanel new juries to decide how to sentence each of these men, though they will not determine whether they are guilty, as their first-degree murder convictions have not been overturned.

If the Florida Legislature updates the state's death penalty laws to require a unanimous vote for a death sentence -- as state Sen. Randolph Bracy, D-Orlando, has proposed (SB 280) -- then a vote of all 12 jurors could put them to death. Anything less would lead to a life sentence. (The state Supreme Court threw out Florida's death penalty laws as unconstitutional last year because they did not require unanimous jury votes.)

By demanding new sentencing hearings in these cases, the court is putting into practice a Dec. 22 ruling that could lead to life sentences for some of the 200-plus death-row prisoners whose cases were finalized after a key U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2002.

It's likely similar decisions will continue to trickle out of the court in the coming months.

In the December rulings, the justices decided that death sentences finalized after June 2002 were unconstitutional because they did not require a unanimous jury vote and because the judge could impose a death sentence without the jury's approval. It's a standard critics, including Senior Justice James Perry, have criticized as "arbitrary."

Older sentences still stand. The court affirmed two of them Thursday, as well, including the case of Stanley McCloud, convicted of killing his wife with a .357 magnum in front of their two young children.

Photo: Florida Supreme Court. (Scott Keeler, Tampa Bay Times)
@PatriciaMazzei

Seven Florida members of Congress from both political parties want incoming President Donald Trump's administration to renew -- and perhaps grow -- federal hospital funding for the state.

Florida's Low Income Pool, which helps pay for a hospital safety net across the state, is set to expire June 30. Gov. Rick Scott sued the Obama administration over recent cuts to the funding, alleging it was attempted coercion to get Florida to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

"The State of Florida has chosen not to expand Medicaid," the lawmakers write, and add that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service's "prescribed policy change has had unintended and detrimental consequences for childrens hospitals including Nicklaus Childrens, Joe DiMaggio Childrens, and St. Josephs Childrens, among others."

"Floridians should not be held hostage in healthcare policy reform negotiations between the state and federal governments," they added. "Regardless of the form that future federal healthcare reform efforts may take, a robust and improved LIP should be in place to ensure that Floridas healthcare safety net is strengthened and secure."

According to the office of Miami Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who put the effort together, the letter has been signed by fellow Republican Reps. Gus Bilirakis of Gainesville, Carlos Curbelo of Miami and Dan Webster of Clermont, as well as Democratic Reps. Charlie Crist of St. Petersburg and Darren Soto of Orlando.

Read the letter below.
HELENA  Just through the doors of the Montana Historical Society, the mass of weathered wood that once ferried native people across the Flathead River stretches down the lobby.

It is the first time in half a century the Nez Perce dugout canoe has been brought from storage and put on public display, its fragile walls now anchored with steel rods but still holding the same shape as in 1860 when it was built by Ed Lamorais and Alikot. But the canoe is just one of the many artifacts and items displayed in MHSs new exhibit, Hooked: Fishing in Montana, opening Jan. 19.

With this exhibit we really wanted to emphasize that Montanans really love their opportunities to fish because Montana offers so many different kinds of fishing in such beautiful settings, said curator Maggie Ordon.

From primitive spears to bamboo fly rods, Hooked is about a celebration of the states fishing history, said MHS registrar Kendra Newhall.

Space is always our No. 1 challenge, she said. There is so much you can cover in this exhibit.

Many of the items came from the museums own collection. Others were borrowed from private collections, including that of the late Norman Maclean, author of A River Runs Through It.

We were really lucky to get on loan from Norman Macleans son some items that Norman used, Ordon said.

Macleans plaid shirt adorns one display while fly rods owned by his father, himself and his son are framed nearby. The idea of sharing fishing across families and generations was an important aspect of the display, she said.

Fishing decoys used to lure fish in close enough to spear, a bamboo cane pole and early casting rods show the evolution and many different methods of fishing. Historic 1930s film footage of hatchery spawning at Georgetown Lake is another highlight, and a special kids area offers some fun for the younger members of the family.

Paintings by famed Montana frontier artist Ralph DeCamp show the cultural impact of fishing in the state. Charlie Russell said of DeCamp that he painted the wettest water he had ever seen, so wet you could hear it ripple, according to historian Ellen Baumler

We were really excited to showcase some artifacts we dont normally have an opportunity to display, Ordon said.

Also acknowledged is the role fisheries managers and conservation has played in keeping Montana a fishing mecca.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, tribes and other individuals and organizations have really worked to maintain Montana as a really special place, Ordon said.

Ordon and Newhall expect the exhibit to bring back fishing memories for visitors while the history will excite others.

A lot of people will be really excited about the fly-fishing because thats a really large group of people that are enthusiasts, Newhall said, but then theres going to be some other people interested in the bait fishing. Its just the enjoyment everyone gets out of it is what youll want to equate.

Ordon and Newhall also co-curated the Big Game, Big Stories: Montanas Hunting Heritage currently on exhibit. The hunting exhibit will be up until next June, and the fishing exhibit until February 2018.
A health care bill vetoed by Gov. Steve Bullock in 2015 that would allow patients to develop direct contracts with their doctors has resurfaced in legislative discussions this year.

Sen. Cary Smith, R-Billings, introduced Senate Bill 100 to the Public Health, Welfare, and Safety Committee on Wednesday. The measure would allow patients to negotiate contracts with their primary care providers  from doctors to dentists  for the cost of their care. Such agreements typically outline a flat fee paid monthly or yearly to receive an agreed upon list of services and another list of fees for additional care.

Its clear this is not insurance, Smith said.

State Auditor Matt Rosendale carried a similar bill in 2015 when he represented a Glendive district. It passed the Senate and House largely along party lines with many Democrats questioning why it was needed when federal law requires everyone to have insurance and suggesting the lack of regulation around the contracts could leave some people vulnerable. Bullock summarized those concerns in his veto letter.

SB 149 has been touted as cutting insurance-related administrative expenses. Yet the bill does not prevent providers from selling these plans to some patients while accepting insurance for others meaning the provider carries the same insurance-related overhead, but receives another income stream at the consumer's expense, he wrote. (The 2015 bill) is bad for Montanans, because it allows providers to charge unnecessary fees for service already covered by insurance and fails to deliver the administrative savings it promises.

Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, asked Smith many of the same questions at Wednesdays hearing.

Do you have any reason to believe he wouldnt veto it again? she asked.

The climate is changing. Were looking at different things now with a new administration, Smith said, referencing incoming President Donald Trump and promises from a Republican-controlled Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act. I was fully aware this was an uphill battle. I think things have changed. I think we need to have this conversation take place.

Bullock Spokeswoman Marissa Perry said the governors staff is monitoring Smiths bill but declined to say if he was more open to considering the proposal given possible shifts in federal health insurance policy.

Governor Bullock is closely following what unfolds in Washington D.C. and has expressed his concerns if Congress votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act without first proposing a viable replacement, ripping away healthcare from tens of thousands Montanans, she wrote in a statement.

About a dozen states have passed similar bills in recent years, driven, in part, by a national lobby group for direct providers that has widely shared model legislation.

Smiths bill is being supported by the Montana Medical Association and a handful of other medical-field organizations, as well as Americans for Prosperity, a conservative advocacy group. No spoke in opposition to the bill.
On his full day in the White House, President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 330 people, most of whom are serving time for drug offenses.

The act on Thursday added to 209 commutations approved by Obama on Tuesday. He has commuted 1,715 sentences during his term  the most of any president.

Those given clemency this week include five people sentenced in the Montana U.S. Court district. They are Lewis Lynn Mitchell, James Edward Mitchell, Wendell Dean Kopp, Elaine Beston and Jose Ramiro Pena.

Obama set daily records for the number of pardons and commutations in a single day  first on Tuesday and again on Thursday.

White House Counsel Neil Eggleston wrote in a blog post Thursday that Obama's goal in 2014 was to "encourage federal inmates serving sentences imposed under outdated laws to apply for clemency." The idea is that under more modern sentencing guidelines, these inmates wouldn't have received sentences as severe.

Thursday's commutations include Lewis Lynn Mitchell, who was sentenced to 24 years in prison in 2007 for methamphetamine distribution. His release date is now Jan. 19, 2017.

James Edward Mitchell was sentenced to 20 years in 2005 for conspiracy to distribute meth. His sentence will also end on Jan. 19, 2017.

Kopp was sentenced in 2010 for meth distribution charges and possession of a firearm during a drug offense and received a life sentence. His sentence was reduced to 20 years.

Beston was convicted in a meth distribution conspiracy in 2008. Her 16-year sentence will now expire on Jan. 19, 2019.

Pena was sentenced to life in prison in 2006 for multiple meth distribution charges. His sentence was commuted to a little more than 21 years.

All five inmates' commutations are subject to entry into a residential drug treatment program, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Obama has granted commutations to 15 Montana federal court offenders since 2014, as well as one pardon.

Tavia Dion Blume was released from prison in 2001 after serving time for meth possession and a firearm charge. She was pardoned in December.
After the jury was dismissed Wednesday at the end of day two of the trial of George Leslie Manlove, charged with more than 200 counts of defrauding Vanns Inc., the attorney for the former CEO again questioned the legitimacy of the federal accusations against his client.

The jewelry isnt wire fraud, the New York trip isnt wire fraud, Michael Sherwood said, referring to allegations by the federal prosecutors that Manlove swapped company merchandise for a pair of $11,000 diamond earrings, and that he used company funds to pay for a shopping trip for his wife and daughter.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Duerk said the jewelry and vacation allegations were part of the conspiracy charge against Manlove.

The allegations are in the indictment, said U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen, adding that Sherwood and his team should be prepared to address them.

Sherwood said he believed prosecutors will bring in further allegations that haven't been charged, including saying he thinks they are looking for information Manlove had Vann's pay for his legal bills.

Lets say that the prosecution put in (the indictment) that George had also ax-murdered seven nuns in Idaho, he said.

Im assuming Mr. Manlove isnt going to be accused of being an ax murderer and if he is, I wont allow it, Christensen replied.

Ill just assume its no holds barred and well do it that way, Sherwood said before the judge quickly told him that isnt how the case was going to happen, and that if new information came in, the attorney could object and Christensen would make a ruling.

Duerk replied that the only matters his side would be addressing were those in the indictment.

During opening statements at the start of the trial Tuesday, Sherwood had also said he didnt believe many of the wire fraud allegations against Manlove were legitimate, saying they didnt meet the criteria of the federal offense.

The judge has not set an end date for Manloves trial, saying only he believed it would last roughly 15 days at the longest.
Missoula City Council members werent the only Missoulians annoyed at former representative Harlan Wells lack of participation.

He kind of ticked me off, Jack Metcalf, one of the applicants for Wells seat said during his city council interview Wednesday.

That lack of participation, as well as voting "no" without explanation on a variety of fiscal issues, is something Metcalf said he wouldnt do if chosen to serve, even though he also recognizes the citys need to save money.

In some ways I think Im fiscally conservative, but in some ways I have a meaning to, Metcalf said, referencing his struggles to find a home in Ward 2 and working three jobs  as an adjunct professor at the University of Montana, as a bartender, and running an art studio to support his young son.

The seat, which opened after Wells took the business director position for Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, had 14 applicants, eight of whom were chosen for interviews.

Metcalf, along with Ruth Swaney, Kenneth Chartriand and Gail Gutsche answered questions from the councils committee of the whole Wednesday on their view of city ordinances and reasons for applying.

The four applicants experience ranged widely, from Gutsches decade-plus of service in the state Legislature and the Public Service Commission to Metcalfs experience on a Northside development board and a run for justice of the peace in fall 2016.

Everyone expressed strong feelings on the affordable housing issue, all recognizing the debilitating effect on Missoula and Ward 2.

Metcalf said he started looking for a home three years ago when his son was born.

It took me almost two years to find a home, he said. Housing issues became really important to me.

Hes served on the North Missoula Community Development Board since 2015 and said hes seen in Ward 2 how hard it is for families to succeed when they dont have basic needs met like housing.

Chartriand said the housing crisis also prevents students from staying after they graduate. Hes the pharmacy director at the Curry Health Center on campus and asks his patients what theyre going to do when they graduate.

Very few of them are going to stay in Missoula, he said. Its just too expensive.

Chartriand and Metcalf said that since theyre of a younger generation, engaging the public means reaching youth in Missoula who are fairly apathetic about local politics.

Metcalf said during his run for justice of the peace he talked with his students at the university, customers at Als and Vics, where he tends bar, and artists with whom he works at his studio.

Most of them had no idea what the justice of the peace did  or that someone they knew could even hold the position  yet its one that will immediately affect them if theyre dealing with common criminal issues.

With a lot of things I do, I bring a lot of energy to the table, Metcalf said. I connect well with the youth.

As a council person, he said hed take inspiration from his university office hours and hold public office hours, maybe monthly, to talk with walk-ins who had council-related concerns.

All of the applicants said theyd prioritize attending neighborhood council meetings, as well as being available for calls and emails from constituents. A council members main job is to be the voice of their ward, all four agreed.

The issue of city-owned broadband internet access drew a lot of comments from the applicants on Missoulas need to remain ahead of the times, technologically speaking, and on the importance that the internet plays in peoples lives in 2017.

Its only a matter of time before Missoula is outdated, Chartriand said.

Swaney said she grew up on two different reservations and high-quality internet access changed lives for the better.

Gutsche emphasized in her interview the extensive experience she has in public service  four terms in the state legislature, one term as a state Public Service Commissioner, as well as time on several boards in Missoula.

She worked with the Mountain Water transfer as a Public Service Commissioner and her primary goal during the next year on council would be to ensure that transfer is smooth and beneficial to the city.

Every other city of any size in Montana  owns their own water utilities. And they do it successfully, she said.

Gutsche laid out a few issues she was interested in working on over the next year, including the tourist homes ordinance and finding sources of city revenue other than raising property taxes.

Alternate revenues could be a local-option sales tax or gas tax increase, which hasnt been raised by the state Legislature for more than 20 years.

The Legislature may look at deregulating tourist home operations, Gutsche said, which would take away individual cities power to do whats best for their community.

Municipalities should have a wide range of options for how they deal with things, she said.

Swaney said shed act as a servant to the people of Ward 2 and ensure shes truly voting in the best interests of her constituents.

Being able to act on what it is the people in that ward will want and that might not always be what I feel, she said.

Swaney said shed be active in promoting Missoula as an equal place for everyone.

Being in Missoula, theres times you definitely see hate crimes, she said. How are we going to respond to that?

On Jan. 11, the council interviewed Roger Seewald, Mike Curran, Mirtha Becerra and David Neu.

The council will vote on the appointment Monday, Jan. 23. A majority of council (seven members) are required to agree on a single candidate.

Monday night, according to city council rules, each representative can nominate an applicant. The council then votes on each applicant until one receives six or more votes.

If the same vote is counted twice in a row, then council members can nominate any person, regardless of whether they applied or interviewed for the seat.
Childhood sexual assault is a topic that people would like to keep shuttered away in some dark place that no one ever goes.

We all hear these stories, said Rep. Ed Greef, R-Florence. Most people are uncomfortable about even talking about it.

The fact the topic is taboo and is never talked about is exactly what those who sexually prey on children count on.

Greef hopes to change that with legislation he plans to introduce soon that will ask state educators to create a policy allowing schools to provide elementary school children with age-appropriate tools they need to recognize sexual abuse and encourage them to reach out to a trusted adult to make it stop.

Montana is one of six states in the country that hasnt passed legislation to protect its children from sexual abuse through education.

Greef was introduced to the idea by Tara Walker Lyons of Hamilton.

Lyons has spent the past year and a half crisscrossing the state to tell people of her own experience with childhood sexual abuse and sharing her hope that Montana would adopt its own version of Erins Law.

Named for Erin Merryn, a childhood sexual survivor, author, speaker and activist, the law requires all public schools to implement a prevention-orientated child sexual abuse educational program that teaches kids they arent the ones doing something wrong.

Greef said his bill wont create a new mandate for state schools.

Instead, the legislation will require the Office of Public Instruction to create a curriculum that will be made available to school districts.

It wont be mandatory that they use it, Greef said. There will also be an opt-out clause for parents . I want school districts and parents to be able to make the decision if this is right for them.

Greef said he saw the need for this type of program following a conversation in Helena with Lyons.

I had not met Tara before, Greef said. She is very dedicated, very thoughtful and purpose motivated  . When I listened to her story, I could see the need.

Greef learned from OPI officials that Montana did not have anything like this already in place.

Right now, they address safety in fairly broad terms, Greef said. They are aware of what were doing.

The bill is currently being drafted. Greef expects that it will be ready for a committee hearing in two to three weeks.

I will hurry it along, he said. I want to be ahead of the more complex issues that the Legislature will face later in the session.

Greef said he has already reached out to a number of legislators, including those in leadership, to explain the concept.

They have all been supportive to this point, Greef said. Ive not encountered a legislator yet who said this was something we shouldnt do.

Lyons received the news earlier this week from Greef that he planned to carry the legislation.

I was really excited, Lyons said. Im getting the short list of people together who will be willing to testify once it comes before the committee.

Lyons said she was happy the proposed legislation would include the option for parents to opt out.

I think it has to be that way, she said. This isnt something that you can shove down peoples throats. I can remember growing up and needing a permission sheet for sex education. My parents always signed. They wanted me to get that information. Hopefully, parents will feel the same about this.

Lyons didnt know what to expect when she made the trip recently to Helena to meet with legislators.

It was a learning experience from the moment that I got there, she said. One thing after another fell into place and this idea just keeps moving forward.

Greef was impressed at the impact Lyons made in a short period of time.

I marveled at the doors that opened for her, he said. By the time she left, she was awestruck. I dont think she realized how many key people she was able to talk to within the space of an hour.

When she left, I told her she was fortunate that she had been able to meet some pretty key legislators today. She just grinned and said, Thats what Im here to do.

Greef said he hasnt yet come up with a name for the legislation.

Its not Erins Law, he said. This is a made-for-Montana bill. If I had to name it right now, I would call it Taras Bill.
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Department of Fish and Game to destroy all the elk and wolf radio-collar data gathered from 120 helicopter landings in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness last winter.

The agencies ignored earlier warnings that such incursions of the Wilderness Act would face close legal scrutiny when they mounted the research project last January, U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill wrote in a decision released Thursday in Boise.

The federal law prohibits use of mechanized equipment in wilderness areas. Winmill found the Forest Service failed to justify the environmental impact of helicopter activity and collaring projects on the natural condition of the wilderness area.

The IDFG has collected data in violation of federal law and intends to use that data to seek approvals in the future for more helicopter landings in the Wilderness Area, Winmill wrote. The only remedy that will directly address the ongoing harm is an order requiring destruction of the data.

The Forest Service permitted the IDFG project to collar 30 adult elk cows and 30 calves in the 1.7-million-acre Middle Fork Zone of the wilderness along the Montana-Idaho border north of Stanley, Idaho. The state wildlife managers wanted to maintain a 60-elk study group for 10 years, with annual winter helicopter operations to maintain and replace radio collars.

Their stated goal was to learn why the elk population there has declined related to excessive predation following federal reintroduction of wolves into the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in the mid-1990s.

Idaho has a game management plan calling for the removal of 60 percent of the wolf population in the River of No Return area to boost elk populations for hunting. IDFG estimates public-land elk numbers have fallen by 43 percent between 2002 and 2011.

On Jan. 7, 2016, a coalition including Wilderness Watch, Friends of the Clearwater and Western Watersheds Project sued U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, Forest Service Region 4 Forester Nora Rasure and Salmon-Challis National Forest Supervisor Charles Mark to block the helicopter flights. They planned to ask Winmill for an injunction on Jan. 11, only to learn the Idaho crews had already finished the flights.

We were beating on the door before they unleashed the helicopters, but instead the Forest Service released the permit and Idaho completed the project in three days, said Tim Preso, attorney for Earthjustice, which represented several environmental groups challenging the project. They decided to roll the dice and ignore the judges prior admonitions. If wed been able to get in the courtroom, they wouldnt have been able to get the data in first place.

During those three days, the state biologists also captured and collared four wolves in three packs. Both the state and federal officials acknowledged that was not part of the authorized project. Salmon-Challis National Forest officials later issued an order of non-compliance on the Idaho project, but did not require the removal of the wolf collars.

Salmon-Challis Supervisor Chuck Mark was reviewing the ruling on Thursday and did not have a comment on Thursday, according to spokeswoman Amy Baumer. Idaho Fish and Game officials likewise said they were still reading the ruling.

Preso said the Forest Service knew it faced a legal hurdle after the agency won Winmills approval for a 2010 plan using helicopters to radio-collar wolves in the same wilderness area.

The next helicopter proposal in the Frank Church Wilderness will face a daunting review because it will add to the disruption and intrusion of this collaring project, Winmill wrote at the time. Given that this project is allowed to proceed, the next project will be extraordinarily difficult to justify.

IDFG hired a trapper to kill wolves in 2013-14 winter season, and planned to transport and supply him by helicopter. That project was suspended after the same plaintiffs filed another lawsuit, but not before the trapper had killed at least nine members of the Golden Creek pack in the River of No Return area.
Tower Pizza, an iconic restaurant at 3000 Brooks Street in Missoula that has been open since 1971, announced on Facebook on Wednesday that it will be closing soon.

"We are sad to announce Tower Pizza will be closing to the public after 45 years of service," the Facebook post read. "We plan to be open for a few more months, and will keep you posted when we find out more. Party plans are in the works!!"

Owner Russ Hage did not immediately return a call seeking comment. The Facebook post had over 200 "sad" clicks and over 400 shares as of 2:30 p.m.

"Noooo!! Such sad news!" wrote Facebook commenter Katie Engleson.

Actor JK Simmons, who attended the University of Montana and who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the movie "Whiplash," once told the Montana Kaimin student newspaper that "Tower Pizza is a big favorite" of his.
Placing students at the core of the campus mission, University of Montana interim president Sheila Stearns championed the flagship Thursday morning  but she didn't tiptoe around its challenges.

UM enrollment has dropped 24 percent of full-time students since 2010, and Stearns told the standing-room-only crowd at the midyear update that she is asking her finance team to plan for another dip in fall 2017. She believes planning for the drop  from a headcount of 12,419 to 11,000  is the wise and practical way to budget.

However, she lauded several new efforts that UM launched to bring in new students, including a mailing that invited more than 30,000 prospects to apply, a first for the campus.

"'We are Montana' is not just a slogan," Stearns said. "The University of Montana is proud of its heritage and particularly proud of its students and alumni."

She said UM is resilient in the face of challenges and skeptical of quick fixes.

"And we are fundamentally at our core confident about our future, just as President Oscar Craig was over a century ago," she said, sharing his prediction that UM would prosper.

She also touted UM's successes, such as its awarded research dollars hitting $87 million last year and, at $60 million so far this year, on pace to exceed the previous record.

Last month, Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian tapped Stearns to take the interim post after asking for the departure of President Royce Engstrom. Christian praised Engstrom for guiding UM but also said it was time for new leadership.

Thursday, Christian said Stearns quickly agreed to serve, and he didn't even have to use "the Hal card." The commissioner knows that the president's husband, civic-minded educator Hal Stearns, is a proud spouse and would be in favor of his wife in that role.

But now-President Stearns agreed almost right away to work as long as needed, he said, and UM is lucky to have her.

"She willingly said, 'I'm ready to serve,'" Christian said.

***

In her address, Stearns said she will not be applying for the permanent job, but she is prepared to lead UM through its search for a president. She's proud of the university's students and faculty, and she told the audience of 400 to 420 that UM is "all about students."

She touted Katie Barnes, a culinary arts student at Missoula College who is competing in February to be the American Culinary Federation's Student Chef of the Year.

The president also praised faculty, highlighting five different instructors, including three being honored by the National Science Foundation  John McCutcheon, Rob Smith, and Orion Berryman. She named Debra Magpie Earling, the first Native American director of UM's creative writing program, and history professor Anya Jabour, who worked as a consultant on the Mercy Street PBS series after her book, "Scarlett's Sisters: Young Women of the Old South," landed in the producer's hands.

"There is star power all over the place at the University of Montana," Stearns said.

Despite its academic success, UM has faced budget challenges due to its enrollment drop. In her address, Stearns touched on the high personnel costs on campus, reiterating a concern noted by Engstrom in the fall of 2015 and the Commissioner's Office late last year.

She said enrollment numbers connect with employment levels. At UM, personnel account for some 81 percent of the budget, and Stearns said the figure should be in the low 70s.

"This is not sustainable," she said.

After the meeting, the president said she will look to faculty, staff and student representatives for advice on how those personnel cuts get distributed. She said she did not have a firm deadline to reach the low 70s, and even getting to the high 70s would be progress.

She also said a lot of people believe UM already cut more than it actually did. In fact, she said, UM made many cuts by attrition, or choosing not to fill vacant positions.

Last school year's budget fallout included reductions to 192 full-time positions and 27 layoffs. By comparison, then-President Engstrom announced in fall 2015 that UM would need to cut 201 full-time jobs  52 faculty posts and 149 other positions.

While Stearns was not imposing a deadline on the personnel goal, she also noted that UM must present its 2018 fiscal year budget to the Montana Board of Regents in May.

***

To put a point on UM's enrollment challenge, Stearns said that the graduating class this coming spring has 1,000 more students than last fall's incoming class.

"Think about that," she said.

The number reflects the hard realities of the parameters under which her budget team will operate, she said. While Stearns is asking the budget to reflect an enrollment of 11,000 in the fall, the vice president of enrollment has projected the changes UM is implementing should lead to a 3 percent increase from 2017.

In her address, Stearns highlighted some of the specific strategies UM has taken in its recruitment and enrollment overhaul.

In addition to the invitation to apply, UM is offering a new "micro scholarship" program called "Raise Me" with 8,000 prospective students participating. It has also eliminated onerous registration cancellation policies.

She also said UM's retention rate sits at roughly 70 percent, and she would like to see the school make national headlines for reaching 80 percent  or even climbing to 72 percent or 73 percent.

This is a new year, not only for UM, but for the nation, Stearns said. As such, people must decide if they want to embrace communication, education, and awareness of their differences, similarities, and challenges.

"I choose to embrace and invite conversation," Stearns said. "I invite it in tones that do not intimidate. I invite it in ways that are civil, and I invite it in ways that support learning and understanding."

She also reminded the crowd filling the room that the campus has been counted among the top 10 for many achievements.

In fact, later the same day, UM sent a news release noting the journal Ecosphere ranked it No. 5 in North America for "scholarly productivity in the field of ecology," ahead of Harvard, Yale and Princeton.

"We need to regain that joy in the star power that we have, and that we are," Stearns said.

***

More people than anticipated showed up to the midyear update. UM pulled out extra chairs, and even with those, an estimated 80 to 100 campus and community members stood in the back of the room.

Courtney Brockman, a student who also works at UM, said she showed up because she wanted to hear the new direction in which Stearns will take the campus. She was optimistic about the president's focus on students, and although she would have liked to have heard more specific examples about Stearns' plans, she believed the president was genuine.

"I just trust that she means it and is sincere," said Brockman, a senior journalism major. "And I think she is. I think she has a connection to this university. I like that. I feel very hopeful."

Nick Kaufman, a principal planner and vice president at WGM Group, also said he liked the honesty in Stearns' presentation. He showed up to the event because he's interested in the state of UM as it relates to the business community.

"The University of Montana is so integral and important to the community in terms of our quality of life, our ability to retain and attract a quality workforce," Kaufman said.

He said he appreciates the concept of being informative and transparent and basing decisions on good data. UM's challenges are well understood, he said, and he believes the opportunities for the campus are great, and the institution is moving forward.

"They're taking positive steps to include the faculty, include the students, and include the community in the vision for the future on how we can get to where we need to be," Kaufman said.
The housing bubble had fans across the political spectrum. The Great Recession, well, not so much, but the bubble that floated us into recession was another story.

It was, after all, a housing bubble, in which the finance industry threw mountains of money at getting houses built. So, many a news story covered the Montana construction industrys boom while the bubble was in bloom. For many Montanans, this meant jobs, and I have little doubt that a search of news stories of the day would find politicians boasts of the jobs, and of course the economic growth theyd somehow made possible.

The construction industry couldnt put a house together without raw material including, importantly, wood. So the logging industry got pretty busy too, and many a news story covered the Montana logging industrys boom while the bubble was still inflating. I wouldnt be surprised if a search of the news stories of the day would find this or that individual or group describing the high importance of good-paying logging industry jobs to the stability of rural communities.

Alas, the lending spree wasnt sustainable, and the combined construction-logging industry went down with the lenders. Almost overnight, national policy priorities turned toward rescuing the nations banks. This was not popular.

By now, many have likely noticed that the criticism of finance hasnt been limited to anti-capitalist voices. For example, in 2008, the Financial Times chief economics commentator, Martin Wolf, looked back at the bubble, cited mad lending at the heart of it, and the panic and revulsion when it came to its sudden end.

Some saw it coming. As early as 2001, The Economist ran an article about two biggies behind the lending boom of the day  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In its 2001 article, Big Scary Monsters, The Economist warned that, Indeed, there may right now be the makings of a bubble in house prices, and that it just might be a dangerous enough bubble to set a basis for the worlds next financial crisis.

The Economist didnt let it go at that. It went on to comment on the type of housing being built: Perhaps housing loans should be subsidised, particularly for the poor, because home ownership is desirable. Trouble was, The Economist went on to explain, the heavyweight lenders ambitions were focused ever more on moving upmarket. They are lobbying for the cap on mortgages that they can offer to rise, from $275,000 to $412,000 - to help the ill-housed wealthy, perhaps, murmurs one analyst.

Few were paying attention at the time, but Missoula is feeling the consequences of that upmarket lending spree even today.

For many Montanans, life in the days of the politically popular bubble had an appearance of community stability. It was, to be sure, a jobs-machine for the closely linked logging and construction industries alike. No politician dared say a word of warning about it.

Then the predicted financial crises swiftly wiped out jobs that the bubble had been supporting, and, in cruel irony, the bubble that floated us into the Great Recession wasnt kind to loggers. According a report from a team led by Charles Keegan, University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research, 71,000 logging-related jobs went to the chopping block and virtually every major western mill suffered curtailments and 30 large mills closed permanently.

Wheres the community stability in that?

Bankers still bear the brunt of blame, and few would argue with the description of mad lending that led to such a bad ending. But the bankers lending spree could never have done it alone, and Ive sometimes wondered if maybe we should be talking about mad building and mad logging too.
More than 56 percent of Montanans voted for Donald Trump in November, and some will see his first day as president on Friday in Washington, D.C., where Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States of America.

For Robyn Scribner, the trip to Washington for Inauguration Day started as a late anniversary gift to herself and her husband.

After 30 years of marriage, Scribner said she wanted to go somewhere warm to celebrate  maybe Las Vegas  but her husband, J.R., doesnt like to gamble. Then she thought of Glacier National Park, but theyd seen it so many times. Then one night in November, a few days after the election, Scribner and her husband were watching the news.

He said, Wow, Id really like to see the inauguration. It would be fun, Scribner said. If you knew my husband, youd know hes not one to say anything without really meaning it. So I jumped on it as quickly as I could.

Although Scribner is originally from Wisconsin, shes lived in Geraldine  a small town 70 miles east of Great Falls with a population of about 260, maybe 280 if you count the local dogs, according to Scribner  for more than 30 years. Scribner is a kindergarten teacher and her husband is a farmer and former Navy Seal.

Theyve always been patriotic and very politically conservative. But this election season, Scribner said she felt unable to tell people who she was voting for because of the negative feelings surrounding each candidate.

Still, Scribner said rural Montana was hit hard by federal environmental regulations, ranging anywhere from the Environmental Protection Agencys concrete fuel spill protection areas regulation to plans to at least partially close the Colstrip coal-fired power plant, and she and her husband felt supported by Trumps proposed policies.

Scribner said she watched peoples farms and ranches shut down because of fossil fuel restrictions and grew wary of the regulation nation America was becoming.

As farmers and ranchers, it was a scary time for us and we were worried, Scribner said. We are pro using our fossil fuels. It would be virtually impossible for us to feed the world without the use of fossil fuels.

Now, Scribner said, Trumps election has relieved their worries, and shes looking forward to seeing his swearing-in with her own eyes. Because one of Scribners three daughters had an internship with U.S. Sen. Steve Daines office in Washington, D.C., she was able to get a ticket into the standing sections on the Capitol grounds, while most people will watch from the National Mall on jumbo screens.

While Scribner said shes worried about some of the protests getting violent, she said it shouldnt be a problem as long as the Womens March, scheduled for the day after Inauguration Day, remains peaceful as planned.

There is such a negative connotation right now, but were hoping there will be a change in the view of our leadership coming in, Scribner said. I know people who dont agree with us probably have the same anxiety as we did last election. But perhaps their anxiety will lessen as time goes on, and were hoping that what President Trump does will overshadow what has been said.

***

Although Chris Skorupa looks forward most to seeing Trumps inauguration up close, he was in Washington, D.C., several days before the event chaperoning six 4-H members, including one of his own sons. Kids from every state are going, Skorupa said, as a part of the National 4-H Program.

One group left from Billings and another from Bozeman on Monday, Skorupa said, and throughout the week they planned to tour monuments and the Smithsonian, take a dinner cruise on the Potomac River, and participate in a mock election.

Skorupa said they also hope to see U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinkes swearing in as Trumps secretary of the Department of the Interior.

That would be a huge historic moment for these kids, Skorupa said. But inauguration will probably be the biggest thing. Im just excited about the experience for the kids because its a once-in-a-lifetime trip and theyll be part of a historic event.

Skorupa, who lives on his family ranch outside of Bridger, owns Beartooth Fertilizer Inc., a company based in Roberts that sells fertilizer and seeds. To Skorupa, Trump's potential trade policies seem advantageous for farmers and ranchers like himself.

Skorupa, who has been to Washington once before to lobby on behalf of the U.S. Cattlemens Association, said most people, let alone politicians in Washington, dont understand what its really like to live in rural Montana.

They literally think running water just came to Montana and that we still forage for our food or something, Skorupa said. Its crazy.

Skorupa said while the trip will be fun, it could also prove to be quite the responsibility. Keeping six Montanan teenagers together in a big city  one with an influx of people, including protesters  for an entire week could be interesting.

Skorupa said when a woman from Washington asked how he planned to keep track of the 4-H kids, he said hed tie a rope around them all and himself.

She said, Oh, no you just can't do that, Skorupa said, laughing. And I had to put the call on mute and chuckle to myself like, 'You really think I would do that?' People in other places think Montana is so backwoods that I would just tie these kids up to me.

Skorupa said when people ask him what its like to live in Montana he usually replies, Its awful, dont move here.

***

For Charlie Stortz, the vice president of Logistic Systems Inc., the inauguration has meant one of his companys busiest times.

Logistic Systems is a Montana-run software company  complete with a Silicon Valley-esque headquarters in Missoula  that provides computerized dispatch systems for law enforcement agencies and governments globally, including the U.S. Park Police, Stortz said.

The Park Police oversee the entire National Mall area between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol, where the inaugural ceremony is traditionally held. Assets like the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials are part of the jurisdiction of the U.S. Park Police, he said.

The Park Police have a Washington headquarters, similar to any 911 communications center, and if any crime happens during inauguration, that information goes into the communications center where Logistic Systems provides a computerized dispatch system. This dispatch system, Stortz said, takes information from a caller and determines where the closest available police unit is to that event.

We do decision support that gets the closest available unit to that event to help it out, Stortz said. So, if youre in trouble and you call 911, it goes into the system, and because of our software, we can provide you with someone who can help as quickly as possible.

Although Logistic Systems software has been helping the U.S. Park Police with the inauguration for several years, Stortz said this year is expected to be slightly different. There is more interest in both supporting and protesting the events surrounding Trumps swearing in than presidents past, so Stortz and two other Logistic Systems employees will be flying to Washington to provide extra technical support.

On the other side, were also there to make our presence known to Sen. Daines, Sen. (Jon) Tester and Congressman Zinke, Stortz said. Were a Montana company with over 100 people working right here and were there to support the federal government and appreciate what they do for us.

Stortz said he tries to remain politically neutral, although a photo of Stortz and Max Baucus was displayed in his office directly next to a photo of him and Hillary Clinton. But Stortz said he looks forward to watching Trumps presidency, as well as his inauguration first-hand.

The coolest thing were going out there for is the peaceful transition of power between the former and new administration, because governments around the world dont do that, Stortz said with a smile. You cant miss history. History is beautiful.
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Putting all of its chips in play, Evel Knievel Days asked for and received a final $125,000 windfall of county support  an all-in strategy designed to ensure the festival's sustainability.

With a 6-to-3 vote Tuesday evening, the Superfund Advisory Redevelopment Trust Authority board approved EK Days' request to allocate a final lump sum of $125,000 to the festival. SARTA board president Bill Joyce and members Mark Moodry and Neil Bolton voted against the allocation. Board vice president Stella Capoccia and members Wendy Grace, Danette Melvin, Megan ONeil, Mike Kujawa and Tom Michalek voted in favor of it.

SARTA oversees a pot of more than $14 million that came from Atlantic Richfield Co. through an agreement reached in 2006 to encourage community development. Of that big pot of money, EK Days was set to receive a total of $250,000 over an unspecified number of years. So far, the festival had gotten $125,000 over a five-year period. EK Days president Stephen Coe requested the board give the free festival, which takes place over three days in late July, the remaining lump sum this year.

With one important name in the world of extreme motor stunts lined up  the Godfrey family of Nitro Circus fame returns this summer  EK Days officials are banking on this cash infusion to establish clear sailing for the future. Known for its last-minute maneuvering and controversy, EK Days struggled last year to raise enough money to set up dirt ramps for its big stunts. Coe says that having such a large chunk of money ahead of time will enable the festival to bring in bigger name acts and that, in turn, will enable the festival to attract bigger sponsors.

The purpose of getting this money is to front-load the event, said Coe Wednesday. We plan to spend it and replace it in our coffers. When sponsors dont come in till closer to the event, its hard to plan the event when money comes last minute.

Typical EK Days' sponsors include motorcycle, bicycle and mountain bike companies, as well as beverage companies. Coe said Doritos was a significant sponsor to EK Days three years ago.

Coe said the festival is also attempting to attract headline music acts this year. The $125,000 could help EK Days court a well-known musician or musical group.

EK Days has stirred considerable criticism in the last few years. The 2015 event led to questions of security when a semi-truck traveled beyond concrete barriers and spun 180 degrees. Another stunt in 2015 brought a car within 6 feet from where dozens of viewers stood. EK Days also cost the county $96,117 in 2015  nearly twice what the county provided the event in 2014  mostly to move dirt to East Park Street. The expenditure was caused by a lack of communication and last-minute confusion, according to a previous story.

Last years festival lacked the big events and big names in the world of stunts EK Days tries to draw. Last year's event also angered some commissioners when EK Days made a last-minute application for a special-event permit that normally requires a 40-day lead time.

SARTA Board president Bill Joyce said Wednesday that this lump sum to EK Days will end the festivals ability to seek county money that has been set aside for the free Butte festivals from the 2006 allocation agreement. But it wouldn't prevent EK Days from applying for a grant from the general funds the SARTA board oversees. SARTA doled out $481,348 to 16 groups in 2016 from their general fund. The next grant cycle will likely begin in fall 2017, said Joyce.

But Joyce didn't sound encouraging when he discussed the possibility of EK Days seeking additional grant money.

"I think the board would look askance on that if they spend this all and came back again," said Joyce Wednesday.

Coe said the idea is that EK Days won't need to ask for more money after this.

"The board put a lot of faith in us that we can make this work," said Coe. "We want to honor that faith and not ask for more money."
The Butte America Foundation has taken over planning this year's St. Patricks Day parade and Fourth of July parade.

Previously, the all-volunteer, nonprofit Butte Community Celebrations Inc., raised money and organized the signature parades, annual traditions the public has come to expect. But the group dissolved last fall.

Matthew Boyle, a founding BAmF board member and a local events promoter, is the new parade director.

We just kind of took over the parades, so this is the first shout-out, said Boyle, who also heads the annual Original music festival and brings contemporary, independent musical acts to town. We havent reached out to businesses yet.

He told the Standard Wednesday that Butte Community Celebrations needed some young blood to take over the reins and struggled getting enough volunteers for three other annual events: Veterans Day picnic, the Charlie Judd Memorial Halloween Party and as a co-sponsor of the Duggan Dolan/Pat Kearney Blarney Stone Fun Run.

Linda Redfern, Butte Community Celebrations director for four years, and her 11-member organization dissolved last November after failing to attract enough volunteers working mostly behind the scenes getting the parades off the ground.

About 70 regular DJs for the BAmF community radio station KBMF 102.5 FM and at least 100 BAmF members and donors are among individuals committed to volunteering for the 2017 parades, said Boyle.

Redfern said "an infusion of youth into the planning, preparation and execution of the parade will help a lot" with the transition.

"I'm really fine with it," she said Wednesday. "They're younger people. They have a lot of contacts. I think they'll be good."

Redfern said her group struggled mightily to get enough volunteers, parade to parade, event to event and even float to float. A core group of about five or six of her volunteers built three elaborate floats within a month leading up to 2016 4th of July parade.

"I told Matt, your parade is only as good as the people willing to work on it."

Promising a smooth transition, Boyle hailed Redfern and her group for leading the charge previously.

Linda Redfern deserves the bulk of the credit, he added. She worked tirelessly on these parades and other events for four long years, and its extremely draining when you are doing a lot of the work on your own.

Boyle estimates the BAmF parade budget will be able to cover up-front costs, including parade insurance, city permit fee and providing volunteers with T-shirts.

The Butte America Foundation has a budget in mind, and a lot of expenses will be paid for by the parade itself, he said, primarily the parade float entry fees and the bucket brigade, in which volunteers mingle to collect donations during the parades.

Boyle said groups committed to volunteering are the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Urban Revitalization Agency, the Party Palace, Butte-Silver Bow Parks and Recreation Department, BSB Police Department, BSB Fire Department and the Butte Chamber of Commerce.
Former Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive Matt Vincent is doing Superfund consulting work for the county through an existing contract it has with an environmental firm in town.

Vincent is working on county Superfund matters through Water & Environmental Technologies, or WET, a firm owned in part by his brother Joshua Vincent and based in Butte, Chief Executive Dave Palmer said late Wednesday afternoon.

Palmer, who defeated Vincent in last Novembers election, said he agreed to the arrangement because he wanted some continuity in Superfund negotiations and issues. But he also said, It wont last long.

Vincent, contacted separately Wednesday, agreed that he provided continuity for the county in Superfund matters and said he would continue the work as long as Palmer wanted or perhaps as long as cleanup negotiations involving the Butte Hill continue.

Palmer noted that county Planning Director Jon Sesso, who has played a key role in Superfund issues for years, is tied up in Helena while the Legislature meets. Sesso is minority leader of the state Senate, and the session could last until late April.

He also said Julia Crain, a special projects planner for the county who also is heavily involved in Superfund matters, is on maternity leave.

Meanwhile, high-stakes negotiations just recently resumed on who will be responsible long-term for cleaning up mine pollution on the Butte Hill and who will pay for it.

Those negotiations have been going on in secret for years and mostly involve the Atlantic Richfield Co., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and Butte-Silver Bow.

Palmer, as a commissioner, was allowed in the negotiations last year and can do so now as chief executive, just as Vincent did for the past four years. But he wanted more than that temporarily and Vincent has extensive experiences in environmental matters, he said.

With the transition and everything  I felt it was important to get some continuity there because this is a very important item, he said.

He said Vincent sat in on the so-called consent-decree negotiations in Helena earlier this month and besides keeping up with those, he wanted him to produce a written report on where negotiations had come in recent years and where they stood.

Some people suggested privately this week that Vincent would be named interim Superfund coordinator for the county while Sesso is in session, but Palmer said that was not true.

And the consulting work was being done through the existing contract with WET that commissioners had agreed to long ago, he said.

When told that some in the public might question the move, given that Vincent just left office and was now doing work on behalf of the county through his brothers firm, Palmer said, He is not an employee of the county.

He said WET could retain Vincent long-term if they wished, but the work on county matters wont last long. He would not elaborate on a precise timeline but said, This is a temporary thing.

Before becoming chief executive in January 2013, Vincent directed an environmental education program for Montana Tech, was an environmental consultant for a time, and from 1997 to April 2004 was reclamation manager for Butte-Silver Bow.

Vincent said that experience mattered.

We wanted to make sure we have our full and best team in the negotiating room moving ahead here in the short term so I am pleased to continue to be a part of that, he said.

He said WET had worked for the county on Superfund matters for years, much of that predating his term as chief executive from early 2013 through this past year.

This isnt anything new. Im just a new person that is being brought into the contract, he said.

Vincent was recently among finalists being considered for the city manager position in Whitefish, but he did not get the job.
Free classes that focus on helping children  including topics of youth mental health first aid, internet safety and behavioral support  are available to the public through the Butte school district.

The next class series starts Tuesday, Jan. 24, Feb. 7 and March 14, with Ashley Choquette teaching what she knows about the Olweus Bully prevention program.

All classes are in the Butte High Career Center, 1050 S. Montana St., Room 18. To register, contact Crissy Vetter at 406-533-2967 and vettercr@butte.k12.mt.us.

The classes are in collaboration with SOARS  Support, Outreach and Access for the Resiliency of Students.

Course descriptions, 2016 dates, times and instructors follow:

 Behavioral Supports in Our Schools and Community: This course teaches participants about the various behavioral supports and interventions provided in schools and community. Jan. 25, Feb. 22, 6 to 7:30 p.m., instructor Dan Larson.

 Help Your Child Succeed in School  The Importance of Good Attendance: Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student's academic success, starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Participants will receive a general overview of the problem of chronic absenteeism and the importance of attending school each day. Feb. 14, March 7, 5 to 7 p.m., Dan Foley.

 Signs of Suicide: SOS teaches common signs, symptoms and resources associated with depression and suicide. Feb. 16, March 9, 5 to 7 p.m., Emily Jonart.

 Youth Mental Health First Aid: A two-part course, held Mondays and Tuesdays, YMHFA teaches participants how to help someone developing a mental health crisis or challenge. Feb. 20-21, 5 to 8 p.m., Dan Larson.

Separate certificate programs  also free  are offered through the Butte school district Adult Community Education for the following classes, all in BHCC, Room 18: Youth Mental Health First Aid; Internet Safety; and Behavioral Supports in our Schools and Community.

To register, contact Vetter at 406-533-2967.
The Electoral College (EC, for short) is one of the most undemocratic institutions to disserve our Country. For years a substantial majority of Americans has consistently, and rightly, supported the ideal that our president should be elected according to the popular vote. Yet, in 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016 the person elected president was not the candidate who the majority of people voted for.

Indeed, in 2000, the winning candidate, George W. Bush, lost the popular election by nearly 540,000 votes. And in 2016, Donald Trump lost the popular election by over 3 million votes  yet, he was declared the winner because of the EC votes.

The EC is embodied in Article II, Sections 2-4 of the federal Constitution: Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: ... And, a lengthy process for utilizing the EC then follows.

Electors controlled by the State Legislatures might have had merit at the founding of the Country when the only people allowed to vote were white, male property owners. In theory, the EC was adopted to reconcile divergent state and federal interests, provide less populous states political leverage, insure some degree of popular election, guarantee a presidency independent of Congress and save the election process from political manipulation. The EC never did fulfill its lofty purposes, though.

Worse, this institution continues to frustrate the ideal of a popularly elected president -- as happened twice in the last 16 years. The EC requires candidates to devote disproportionate resources in pivotal swing states and ignore the rest (like Montana). The EC tends to decrease voter turnout. In non-swing states, (like Montana), voters, anticipating the probable outcome of an election, simply dont bother to vote  they know that even if they vote with the popular majority, the EC may nullify their vote (as happened in 2016). In short, the EC is a historical artifact, antithetical to democracy.

Is it realistic to expect Congress or the State Legislatures to amend the Constitution to repeal the Electoral College? No.

But there is another avenue to effectively accomplish the same result. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among States and the District of Columbia to award their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the most popular votes in the 50 states and D.C. The Compact comes into effect only when it will guarantee that result.

As of January 2017, ten States (California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington) and D.C. have joined the Compact. These signatories have 165 electoral votes (presently, 61.1% of the 270 EC votes needed to give the Compact legal force).

A bill (SB 290) was offered in Montanas 2007 legislative session to join the Compact, but the proposed legislation failed. Is it realistic to expect that Montanas legislature might reconsider, and join the Compact? No.

For Montana voters who demand change, there is another viable approach, however. Article III, Section 4 of Montanas Constitution permits the people to enact laws or amend our State Constitution by way of a citizen initiative (CI). In other words, if a CI to join the NPVIC was enacted by the people, Montana would become a member of the Compact by statute or constitutional amendment; its three EC votes would then be cast for whichever candidate won the popular vote.

With the NPVIC in effect nationwide, each Montana vote would have the same power as each New York, California, and Ohio vote. No Montanans vote would be nullified by a federal constitutional relic. America would elect its president in the most direct and democratic way possibleby the popular vote of the people.

We the People need the NPVIC; we need to finally say to the EC: Youre fired!
An Orthodox Jewish delegation from across the country and Canada met with Montana officials in the Capitol on Wednesday to thank them for their support and ask them to continue to stand with the Jewish community.

Jewish people in Whitefish recently were subjected to an internet "troll storm" on the urging of the Daily Stormer, a white supremacist website that also threatened  but later canceled  a march through Whitefish by armed skinheads on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Rabbis from Missoula, Bozeman, San Antonio, Montreal, Sacramento and Washington, D.C., met with Gov. Steve Bullock, House Speaker Austin Knudsen, R-Culbertson, Rep. Dave Fern, D-Whitefish, and Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell.

They presented each official with a Chumash, comprising the five books of Moses. The delegation plans to raise funds to send a Chumash to the 1,500 Jewish families in Montana. Chaim Bruk, a rabbi from Bozeman, said hes received donations from people across the United States, China and England to purchase and mail the Chumash.

Bruk said while he doesnt want to bring attention to white supremacists with counter-protests, he said sending a Chumash to each family will only strengthen the Jewish community. He said white supremacists cant compete with an act that brings light.

What better to respond than to make sure every Jew is enhancing their Judaism? Bruk said.

Bruk said he hasnt experienced any negativity during a decade of service in Montana, and he doesnt want the rest of the world to keep reading stories that paint Montana as full of bigots.

I want to change that narrative, he said.

Shmuel Herzfeld, a rabbi at Ohev Shalom, the National Synagogue in Washington, D.C., said Bullock can lead the way in advocating for Jewish people in Montana.

You are in a position of tremendous power to make sure the Jewish community and all minorities and all people of different religions in this great amazing state are protected, Herzfeld said.

Bullock emphasized that one group of white supremacists doesn't represent the values of Montanans.

What happened in Whitefish, thats not who we are, Bullock said. I commend you on the good work youre doing.

Adam Scheier, a rabbi from Montreal, said his community told him to be safe when they heard he was traveling to Montana. His synagogue had seen national news stories of white supremacists coming to Whitefish and threatening to hold the armed march. Scheier spent $2,000 on a plane ticket to get to Montana, in hopes of bringing back a different perspective of the state to his community.

The rabbis plan to raise money to send four high school students to Poland to visit death camps from the Holocaust and bring their firsthand perspective back to Montana. Bullock said he would like to meet with the students after they return from their trip.

We believe that education for the next generation is central, and is a central tool in combating these voices, Scheier said. Not Jewish students, but students from the general population who will go and learn as to where hatred can lead and how to be the voice advocating for love.

After speaking with the governor, the delegation met with the speaker and legislators from the Flathead.

Knudsen reiterated that the small group of white supremacists in Montana do not represent the majority. Both Knudsen and Regier said Israel is a great ally to the United States, and said Jewish people are a promised and blessed people.

Fern, a member of the Jewish community, said he was able to knock on 5,000 doors and only experienced kind and tolerant people. After the meeting, Berry Nash, a Lubavitcher rabbi from Missoula, bound tefillin around Fern. Tefillin are two small boxes containing scrolls with Torah verses wrapped around the upper arm and the head with leather straps.

They have been worn by observant Jewish men since biblical days, and serve as a reminder to harness intellect and emotions to the service of God.

The rabbis from out of state will be in Montana for less than 24 hours, but wanted to visit in person to stress the importance of support from the government, and meet some of the Jewish community in Whitefish.

After visiting the Capitol, the delegation is headed to Whitefish to meet with the two rabbis there, who are not Orthodox. The rabbis plan to ask what kind of support the Flathead Valley needs, and return home to ask members of their synagogues to help.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  From searching through records for police officers and sheriff's deputies to answering 911 calls, the daily life of a dispatcher is far from dull, says a Muscatine County Joint Communications (MUSCOM) employee.

Casey Shields began her training as a MUSCOM dispatcher in March of 2016, and the 21-year-old said she has grown throughout the process of becoming a dispatcher.

Shields began her career as a dispatcher after serving as a volunteer firefighter in Fruitland, and said the job fit her desire to work in public safety.

"I love helping people," she said.

When they first begin, new dispatchers receive Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) training, and complete other 40-hour courses as they are offered.

"There's a lot of formal training yes, but it's pretty extensive at MUSCOM as well," she said.

Dispatchers work in 12-hour rotations, and while in training Shields said they may do tasks other than answer emergency calls, like acknowledging officers on the radio or running license plates.

"With training you start out really slow,"she said.

The new dispatchers are also always accompanied by a more experienced dispatcher, so if they are unsure of the next step they have someone to turn to. Shields said she trained for about three months before answering emergency calls on her own.

Once a dispatcher has been trained, they begin almost constant multi-tasking, Shields said. She has to do mapping to see where officers are in the county, search records, answer the non-emergent lines and 911 calls, sometimes all at one time.

For example, Shields said, if a structure fire occurs, the dispatchers will send the fire department and police officers or sheriff's deputies, possibly additional firefighters after the initial responders arrive at the scene, all while answering 911 calls from people calling about the fire and calls from other firefighters asking if help is needed.

And and the same time, she said, an officer may be going across town on a call or doing a traffic stop.

And you have to constantly think, 'OK if something goes bad, who is my next person I can send to back them, to send them help," Shields said. "Your mind never stops."

While the job can be mentally exhausting, she said, it is also challenging and rewarding.

Dispatchers will help each other as well. If Shields answers a 911 call, another dispatcher may send an ambulance while she continues talking to the caller, helping them remain calm and making sure the first responders have all the information they need by the time they arrive.

"I think the best way to face calls is to think, before you answer the phone, this could be anything," she said. "You have to prepare yourself mentally."

Something that might seem more on a 911 call, Shields said, could be the worst thing that can happen to someone in their mind.

"So treating everyone the same and showing them their emergency is being heard and that we're willing to help them no matter the situation is really important," she said.

Recently, a community member stopped by to thank Shields for remaining calm and helping him on a 911 call.

"It's not every day you get to hear 'oh, you made a difference in my life,' and so when that did happen when he came in just to say 'thank you' it was really awesome," she said.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  About a dozen Jefferson students and their mentors celebrated National Mentoring Month with a party at the gym on Thursday afternoon. They decorated bowling pins for an annual Big Brothers Big Sisters fundraiser, Bowl for Kids' Sake, and enjoyed a snack together. More than 100 Big-Little pairs got together in schools across the Muscatine Community School District for similar celebrations.

"We like to get all of our matches together so they can see who else in school is meeting and the Bigs can identify some of their coworkers who they maybe didn't know were already volunteers and it's really just an activity that they don't have to plan, they get to come [and] have fun," said Lindsey Phillips, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Muscatine program director.

Big Sister Kelsey McClellan and her Little Jayda Miley, 10, have been together since October.

Jayda, a vivacious little girl with long braids, said she likes "everything" about her relationship with McClellan.

"We do crafts and play board games," she said.

"You're really good at Candy Land," McClellan told her.

The relationship benefits both Little and Big. McClellan enjoys spending time with Jayda.

"I always had a big family growing up so it's just nice helping out little kids in the community and I like that aspect," she said.

And Jayda liked having "someone who is not my age who I can play with without arguing."

Tara Hogan mentors fourth-grader Delilah Penison, who was busily cutting around her bowling pin.

"These children have been through different things in their lives and it's nice to have a positive influence on them," Hogan said. "They need somebody that's gonna be there for them on a regular basis and I just enjoy spending time with her."

Across the room, Ron Mel, 10 and his Big Sister Shawn Baars worked together on gluing a royal-blue pipe cleaner onto a bowling pin that already had googly eyes and other fuzzy things.

"It's really fun doing it with my Big." Ron said.

They have been together for 4 years, and during that time Mel learned "to not get mad over something that you are at or aren't at."

He also appreciates getting out of class for an hour each week to have fun.

"We play on the computers, we usually go outside and play in the playground over at school and we play some board games," Ron said.

And when they make something creative, like a magnet statue or a craft project, Baars takes photos. Ron said it is one of his favorite things about their time together.

"It's entertaining and it's a privilege to be here with her," he said.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, President-elect Donald Trumps pick for U.S. Ambassador to China, is expected to visit Muscatine for the Shaanxi Province Song and Dance Theater National Orchestra performance in February.

Gov. Branstad's attendance at the event, says Dan Stein, the chair of the Muscatine-China Initiatives Committee, will be a good opportunity for the city.

And it speaks well to the future, Stein said.

Stein said Branstads choice to attend the event also shows how important Muscatines relationship to China can be for Iowa.

I think it shows the significance of Muscatine to the Iowa/China story and to Gov. Branstads journey, he said. And obviously its an honor any time you host the governor in your hometown.

Stein said he hopes the visit will be an opportunity to show Branstad support as he takes his new role.

We want to thank him for all hes done as the governor but also wish him well as he moves forward as U.S. Ambassador to China," he said.

The Muscatine-China Initiatives Committee has been working together to try to increase awareness of Muscatine in China, Stein said, and the committee hopes Muscatine can continue to serve as a meeting place in the Midwest.

Stein said the Chinese Consul General in Chicago, Hong Lei, is expected to attend the performance as well.

He's the top representative of the Chinese government in the Midwest, and so it just shows with both of them choosing to come to Muscatine to celebrate the Chinese New Year, you know they could choose to meet in Chicago or Des Moines but they're choosing to do it in Muscatine, he said.

Long-term, Stein said, the committee hopes to bring economic development to Muscatine.

And also serve as an avenue for Muscatine companies to do business with China, he said.

The relationship has also had an educational benefit, allowing Muscatine students to visit China and Chinese students to learn more about Muscatine. Learning about China can be important to students futures, Stein added.

The more you can learn about them, about their culture and about their business, I think it can only help you in the future, he said. I think it's a unique opportunity that Muscatine kids have because of our relationship.

Having Iowas long-time governor serving as U.S. Ambassador to China, Stein said, could be helpful to the state and to Muscatine.

His roots and his experience is in Iowa, so I'm sure he won't forget about Iowa and I don't think he'll forget about Muscatine either, he said.

The Shaanxi Province Song and Dance Theater National Orchestra, will be performing a free concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Calvary Church, 501 W. Bypass 61.
DES MOINES, Iowa  A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest for Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017:

FLU PREVENTION: Rep. John Forbes, an Urbandale Democrat who is a licensed pharmacist, took matters into his own hands Thursday to help control a flu outbreak at the Statehouse. Forbes and two legislative interns who are Drake University pharmacy students, set up a makeshift flu-shot dispensary behind the House chambers for legislators, staff or others interested in getting a flu shot. Forbes said the state Capitol building can be "a cesspool of bacteria" with many people coming from all around Iowa and beyond with a mix of germs or maladies they share in close quarters with others. Forbes took to the House floor to announce Thursday he was offering flu shots to any and all takers and up to nine lawmakers planned to take him up on his offer. House Majority Leader Chris Hagenow, R-Windsor Heights, said illness this week cut into the number of legislators in attendance during a week abbreviated by a state holiday on Monday and the presidential inauguration on Friday.

SCHOOL DRESS CODES: A Senate Education subcommittee on Thursday discussed but did not take action on legislation that would authorize Iowa school officials to adopt a mandatory uniform policy covering an individual school or the entire district. Senate File 31 would provide for the mandatory uniform policy -- in addition to the dress code policy currently authorized under state law -- if the local school board determines that a mandatory uniform policy is necessary for the health, safety, or positive educational environment of students and staff in the school environment or for the appropriate discipline and operation of the school. The bill, offered by Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, provides that a mandatory uniform policy is not a violation of state law -- which establishes that public school students have the right to exercise freedom of speech -- if the policy is viewpoint neutral, is reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns or protects students from sexually explicit, indecent, or lewd speech. Subcommittee chair Sen. Tom Green, R-Burlington, said he supports the bill because it gives districts local control but Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, viewed the proposed change as an infringement on free speech. "What problem are we trying to solve?" he said. Green said he expected the panel would hold a follow-up meeting on the legislation yet this session.

WORKPLACE DRUG TESTING: Iowa's workplace drug-testing law would be expanded to include hair samples under a bill that cleared a Senate Labor and Business Relations subcommittee on Thursday. Senate File 32 would amend current state law which permits private-sector drug testing on samples of an employee's urine, saliva, breath and blood under approved federal standards. Representatives of employer groups supported the measure while union lobbyists and worker advocates said Iowa's current law is adequate and working. Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, said the expansion would send the wrong signal to prospective employees from to move to Iowa from other states or veterans returning to the workforce. GOP senators who voted to send the bill to full committee said it would enhance the safety of Iowa workplaces and was a less-intrusive way to get a sample than testing blood or urine.

READING HELP: Schools in five Iowa cities have been selected for a new customized Iowa Reading Research Center literacy improvement program. Center officials say the two-year initiative will provide expert training in literacy instruction, need-based improvement planning, and continuous support to four local education agencies in order to bring improved literacy outcomes for students facing multiple challenges. The partnering schools selected include the Grant Wood Area Education Agency Shelters and Detention Classrooms in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, Fort Dodge Alternative High School, Midland Park School at Eldora, and Waverly-Shell Rock Lied Center. "Each school has identified an important literacy issue affecting its students, and the potential outcomes are representative of the positive impact we can make when educators and researchers work collaboratively," said Deborah K. Reed, director of the Iowa Reading Research Center. In total, the two-year initiative has the potential of impacting more than 425 students across the four partner schools, she said.

AMENDING IOWA GUN LAWS: A state senator wants to lift restrictions on possessing a machine gun, a short-barreled rifle or a short-barreled shotgun in Iowa. Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, introduced a bill Thursday that seeks to eliminate the state's prohibitions on possessing weapons that are regulated under federal law. "This is part of a larger move to withdraw Iowa law from exceeding federal law in several areas. The basic theme is: let's not restrict Iowans' freedom further than federal law does," said Schultz. He said Senate File 108 was drafted with gun enthusiasts, hobbyists and sportsmen in mind. "They are legitimate sporting tools for recreation under federal guidelines and as such I don't we should regulate them beyond what the federal government does," he said.

STABLE FUEL PRICES: Retail gasoline prices in Iowa generally were unchanged over the past week, holding steady at about $2.36 per gallon for a statewide average, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Iowa's price was slightly higher than the $2.34 a gallon national average and 52 cents higher than one year ago. Retail diesel fuel prices in Iowa were down two cents a gallon from last week's price with a statewide average of $2.48. One year ago diesel prices averaged $1.98 in Iowa. On the heating fuels side, propane prices were up two cents from last week's report, with a statewide average of $1.21 per gallon. Home heating prices remained steady from last week, ending with a statewide average of $2.07, while natural gas prices rose 10 cents to $3.31/MMbtu.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "That is one of these phony solutions in search of a fake problem. It's totally misguided. Not a single dollar from the state is used for abortion at Planned Parenthood." - Senate Democratic Leader Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids in discussing Senate File 2, a bill scheduled for subcommittee action next week that would seek to defund Planned Parenthood by stipulating that state money could not go to women's health clinics that include abortion as one of the services they offer.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  One of the reasons for the Muscatine City Council's request to impeach Mayor Diana Broderson might be found in the cost of legal fees and additional costs tied to litigation filed by the Muscatine Mayor during the course of her tenure.

The Muscatine city attorney said in an email to City Administrator Gregg Mandsager Wednesday that the city has incurred more than $100,000 in unbudgeted expenses in fighting what he says are "unproven claims and allegations" made by Mayor Broderson.

The council voted unanimously last Thursday to authorize the city attorney to file written charges for removal of the mayor, but did not specify the reasons for the unprecedented action. However, Councilman Michael Rehwaldt, reading from an amended motion, specifically referenced disparaging remarks allegedly made by Broderson against council members and city staff  as well as an alleged breach of fiduciary duties, and maladministration in office.

City officials said the official charges could be released as early as Friday.

City Attorney Matthew Brick detailed the 2016 attorney fees in an email to Mandsager. That email was in response to an inquiry Mandsager received from Broderson requesting more information about costs and attorney fees. Brick's email stated that complaints filed by Broderson against city officials, staff, contractors, and citizens resulted in about $64,000 in unbudgeted legal fees and $43,600 in staff time during the 2016 calendar year.

Mandsager had forwarded the email to the mayor and city council members early Wednesday morning. The email was also forwarded to the Muscatine Journal and Quad City Times.

As to the allegations that she caused funds to be spent by filing complaints, Broderson said she was just doing as the citizens asked.

Thats my job, she said.

Her reaction to the amount of costs paid to the city attorney was to wonder how much had been spent changing the city's appointment process. The council passed an amendment earlier in 2016 that created a nominating committee made up of the mayor, the city administrator or his appointee, and two council members to review candidates for city appointments.

"My take would be most of the money has been spent trying to reduce the office of mayor," she said.

Broderson said she has talked to the Iowa Public Information Board about actions of the city council, requested an audit of financial information from the previous administration from the State Auditors Office, and has spoken to the State Ombudsmans Office.

According to Nancy Lueck, the finance director for the city, Brick charges $150 per hour.

Based in a Des Moines office, Brick attends some meetings, including closed sessions, by phone according to minutes of city council meetings.

For the calendar year 2015, before Broderson was in office, the city paid the Brick Gentry Law Firm $216,056.82, and in 2016 during her first year in office, paid $249,783.74, according to the citys finance department. The amount, Lueck said, includes all legal fees including labor-related services, fees charged to various capital projects, and those for special projects.

The amount differs by $33,726.92. Brick has not returned calls from the Journal.

A request from State Sen. Rich Taylor, D-Mt. Pleasant, was sent to the Iowa Attorney Generals Office, and the response stated an opinion on Iowa code regarding mayoral appointment of civil service commissioners. The letter states the city is not exempt from Iowa Code section 400.1, which states the mayor is to appoint three civil service commissioners, with approval from the city council. After receiving the letter from Taylor, Broderson petitioned Muscatine County attorney Alan Ostergren to file criminal charges against the City Council.

"I would not prosecute," Ostergren said of his decision in December, arguing that the Attorney General opinion was simply a question of statute and not criminal law.

Ostergren also confirmed that, late last year, Broderson asked him to prosecute two members of the news media for recording and broadcasting an interview that Broderson considered off the record.

Muscatine residents expressed their mistrust of the Muscatine City Councils motives for filing charges for the removal of Mayor Diana Broderson in last weeks meeting, many citing lack of information as to the nature of the charges. One resident, Ann Brumback, began a petition on change.org which had gathered more than 590 signatures by Wednesday afternoon, asking the Iowa Attorney Generals Office to investigate the councils actions.

Quad City Times Editorial Page Editor Jon Alexander contributed to this report.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Trinity Muscatine Public Health and MCSA will host a Health Fair at MCSA next Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The fair will feature free dental and and vision screening, blood pressure checks and more.

Jamie Walker of Trinity Muscatine Public Health said the fair targets low-income people who live in Muscatine County.

"We wanted to have quarterly events for populations that don't have easy access to healthcare," she said.

Walker said representatives of several health agencies will be around to offer developmental screenings for young children, help people sign up for health insurance and work together to find medical providers for attendees. Most of the services will be offered inside MCSA, and Hy-Vee's Healthy You Mobile will park outside and will offer up to 30 free diabetes and prediabetes tests courtesy of the Muscatine Diabetes Walk Project.

And people who don't have health insurance are welcome at the event.

"We want everybody to know that it's open and free," she said, adding that people without health insurance are welcome.
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
Today is *National Candy Day*. O.K., I know every day is *Candy Day*, but to celebrate, have a truffle, candy bar, or your favorite 'penny' candy. One of ...

6 hours ago
The government through Lands Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi has moved to reassure Kenyans that grants, leases and certificates of title issued by the Jubilee Administration after 2013 are legal.

Kaimenyi says media reports on the issue are erroneous since the High Court order gave the government 12 months to validate the certificates with advice of the National Land Commission, public participation, and parliamentary approval, to make them compliant with provisions of the law.

I wish to re-assure the public that contrary to what is reported, grants, leases and certificates of titles issue by my ministry are legal, valid and legitimate, he said.

The public and institutions dealing with these documents of land ownership are hereby assured of their validity.

According to Kaimenyi a task force has been formed to look at relevant regulations within two months, after which the lands law amendments of 2016 will be implemented, as directed by the court.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, the CS assured the public that the ministry will ensure that the draft regulations are completed and submitted to Parliament for approval within the period granted by court to avoid the certificates from being nullified.

In the fullness of time, the members of the public and all stakeholders will be invited to make their contribution towards the process being carried out by the Task Force, he said.

The ministrys focus is to ensure that the draft regulations are completed and submitted to Parliament for approval within the period granted by court. The ministry wishes to assure the public that the High Court order shall be complied with before the expiry of the 12 months timeline.
Former TNA secretary general Onyango Oloo has ditched Jubilee to join ODM.

Cord leader Raila Odinga welcomed him to the fold on Wednesday and presented him to a crowd in Kisumu.

Oloo cited corruption as the reason he has left the ruling party. He also made the shocking claim that Jubilee never actually won the 2013 election.

Mr. Oloo is said to be eyeing a parliamentary seat in Kisumu, and the defection therefore makes perfect sense in regards to how our politics are conducted.

Following the defection, Jubilee party sent out this statement to media houses.
They are at it again! Days after Atheists in Kenya(AIK) came under attack for pleading with members of the public for financial support, the group now wants Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery to consider gazetting February 17 as a public holiday celebrating them.

In a letter addressed to the CS, Harrison Mumia, AIK Chairman said they want to celebrate the fact that atheism frees up a lot of time that would otherwise be wasted in worship.

We want to celebrate atheism because it prevents one from being ripped off by religious charlatans. It provides great freedom and responsibility, he said in a statement on Wednesday.

We want to celebrate the fact that the results of our actions as atheists are our responsibility and we cant blame it on sin We are not looking forward to the promise of heaven or the punishment of hell.

He added that they chose the date because it is when the organisation was registered.

This registration was significant, both in terms of promoting the diversity of Kenyans and protecting the rights of atheists to associate and exercise their freedom of conscience, he said.

Mumia now wants Nkaissery to exercise his powers under the Public Holidays Act(cap 110). Quoting Article 27 of the constitution, Mumia said Nkaissery should not to discriminate against the non-believers.

The article states:

(1) Every person is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law.

(2) Equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and fundamental freedoms.

(3) Women and men have the right to equal treatment, including the right to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres.

(4) The state shall not discriminate directly or indirectly against any person on any ground, including race, sex, pregnancy, marital status, health status, ethnic or social origin, colour, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, dress, language or birth.

Here is a copy of the letter

Last Sunday, the group through its twitter handle asked Kenyans to help raise Sh 350,000 legal fees toward a High Court petition against the government for suspending the organisation.
AMERICAN CANYON  With Inauguration Day at hand, immigration advocates and lawyers informed residents in American Canyon about what might lie ahead for documented and undocumented immigrants under the Trump administration.

Everybody in this room feels this fear, said Clarence Mamaril, an immigration attorney with 20 years of experience before a packed room at the American Canyon Library last week.

Whats going to happen because of Trumps campaign rhetoric? said Mamaril, who practices law in Vallejo and lives in American Canyon. The things hes said out loud, the things hes posted, the advisers hes chosen for his administration  all of which generally have an anti-immigrant tone.

Joining Mamaril for the nearly two-hour talk was Napa immigration consultant Marisa Loza, who said: Everyone is afraid of separation. Thats the main concern  if families are going to stay together, if theyre going to be able to do their immigration process.

Whats going to happen to them [after Jan. 20]? said Loza, referring to the day Donald Trump is sworn in.

Mamaril, Loza, and City Councilmember Mariam Aboudamous, another lawyer specializing in immigration law, spoke at length on how life may change  and not change  for immigrants once Trump assumes the Oval Office.

The discussion ranged from the general to the specific, offering hope and reassurance as well as pessimism and dire warnings.

Were here to support American Canyon and the diversity of our residents, said Mamaril to a room of 75 people that reflected the citys multicultural makeup. Those in the audience included representatives of the International Institute of the Bay Area, which offers low-cost legal services to immigrants.

Mamaril also struck a more realistic tone, saying: In the short term, theres going to be a pushback on immigrant rights. Be prepared for that.

Audience members, many of whom relied on a translator to ask questions and receive answers, peppered the legal experts with queries about upcoming changes in immigration law and policy.

One example involved DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a key immigration policy established under President Barack Obama five years ago. DACA has helped about 750,000 young immigrants gain work permits and avoid deportation, according to Mamaril.

Because Obama created DACA by Executive Order, Trump could dissolve the program without help from Congress, Mamaril explained.

We dont think DACA is going to be around for much longer, he said.

Loza advised those applying for DACA to hold off, unless they want to risk losing their filing fee while waiting on an answer from the federal government.

If theyre going to start the process for the first time, it will be better if they talk to an attorney to check other options instead of applying because we dont know whats going to happen later on [with the program], said Loza.

One attendee asked if field workers, particularly those who pick grapes, will be at risk of being deported by the Trump administration.

Aboudamous and Mamaril said they shouldnt worry about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents swooping into Napa Valley vineyards anytime soon.

Both attorneys said they expect Trump to continue another policy established by Obama that instructed ICE to focus on apprehending unauthorized immigrants with records of violent crime.

I think under the Trump administration were going to see more of the same, said Mamaril; that the priority is going to be the undocumented who have committed crimes and less so for agricultural workers doing their jobs.

Immigrant labor is here to stay, said Mamaril. We cant have an economy without it.

Aboudamous said immigrants shouldnt worry about being singled out by local law enforcement.

If you are pulled over for speeding, you will not be asked your immigration status anywhere in the county, including American Canyon, said Aboudamous, based on her conversations with law enforcement officials. You will not be taken to ICE for a DUI.

Loza informed the audience that immigrants, including the undocumented, have legal protections under the law if they are arrested or detained by police.

You have the right to remain silent and to have access to an attorney and call your family and contact your consulate, said Loza.

A man in the audience who identified himself as Enrique and said he was a teacher asked if the government would use the schools to identify undocumented immigrants.

The events translator, Karina Servente, who works at American Canyon Middle School as a parent liaison, assured Enrique that the schools wont be much help to immigration authorities.

The school district does not ask if you are legal or not. Your kids are safe at the schools, said Servente.

Aboudamous backed up Serventes remarks, saying public schools dont ask about legal status for K-12 students.

In addition to answering legal and policy questions, the legal experts advised the audience to not be afraid to speak up in the coming days ahead.

Mamaril said now was not the time for immigrants to shrink from talking about themselves, or any injustices that may come their way.

Report inequalities, said Mamaril. Theres a lot of fear that people of color are going to be discriminated against under Trump. He noted that cellphones, particularly smartphones, can be a tool to broadcast wrongdoings on social media.

The longtime immigration lawyer also suggested to his audience that they share their stories to erase certain misconceptions some Americans have about immigrants.

One of the things that led us into this situation [with Trump] are stereotypes  the idea that [immigrants] are trying to take away jobs and do bad stuff, said Mamaril, who was born in the Philippines and grew up in Vallejo. Were not that. We have immigrant stories.

Share that story, he said, and help flip some stereotypes around.
By years end, the Goodman Library may be back to its historic and undamaged self  more than three years after its thrashing by the Napa earthquake.

The clock began ticking Tuesday on a repair of the stone landmark on downtown First Street, after the City Council approved a contract for Alten Construction Inc. of Richmond.

Construction should begin in late February or early March and last eight to nine months, according to officials with the city and the Napa County Historical Society, which has leased the building for four decades but was forced out by damage from the quake of Aug. 24, 2014. The society would then reoccupy the building in early 2018.

Alten underbid two other companies with a $1.75 million offer earlier this month. Under federal and state guidelines for disaster relief, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is slated to reimburse Napa 75 percent of the cost, with the state Office of Emergency Services covering another 18.75 percent and the city the rest.

The contract brought hope to Nancy Levenberg, executive director of the historical society, that normalcy is finally within sight for a nonprofit that has had to conduct its work from temporary offices and its website since the quake.

Never was it written this would definitely be fixed; this is a big-ticket item and the federal government has lot of bigger things to pay for than this, and theres been so much damage in Napa, she said Wednesday. I feel like a 6-year-old at her birthday party; Im so thrilled to my toes that the building will be saved and restored to its original glory, and thats so cool.

Construction will include the repair of cracked and displaced blocks comprising the Goodman Librarys outer and inner stone walls, as well as the installation of a new roof and structural reinforcement of roof trusses. Metal bracing also will shore up a cracked parapet tower that has been encased in a containment sleeve since October 2015, said Ernie Cabral, associate civil engineer for the city.

Seismic retrofits at the Goodman that began more than a decade before the earthquake likely made it possible to survive well enough to get the funding for its repair, recalled Levenberg.

Without the retrofit, the building would have fallen, she said of the bracing the library received between 2003 and 2007. Because the retrofit held, the federal government now wants to continue investing in the building.

Completed in 1901, the Goodman Library  named for the local banker George Goodman, who donated land and funds for the building  served as the main Napa County reading room for over six decades. The current Napa library opened in 1974 on Coombs Street.

The federal government added the landmark to its National Register of Historic Places that year, and the historical society moved its research library and offices to the building two years later.

After the 2014 quake, the historical society opened an off-site appointment desk on First Street, then in November shifted its office and part of its collection to the Juarez building at Tulocay Cemetery on Coombsville Road.
Two marches are planned for downtown Napa this weekend  one on Friday night in response to President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration and potentially a larger one on Saturday morning in response to rhetoric he used during the election.

Womens March Napa Valley on Saturday is being held in solidarity with the Womens March Washington and at least 616 sister marches around the world. The Womens March movement seeks to send a bold message to the new White House administration that womens rights are human rights, said Irit Weir, organizer of the Napa march.

Although it is not an anti-Trump protest, Weir said that some of the things said by Trump about women, immigrants and other groups of people during the presidential election have hurt people.

The divisive rhetoric, she said, insulted, demonized and threatened so many of us.

Womens March Napa Valley will begin at 10 a.m.  about the same time as the Womens March on Washington is expected to begin  on the corner of Vernon and First streets near Oxbow Public Market.

Marchers will take two routes to Veterans Memorial Park at Main and Third streets. One group will proceed along First toward downtown, crossing Soscol Avenue and over the First Street Bridge, then left at Main Street. Others will march south on Soscol, then head to Veterans Memorial Park on Third Street.

At the park, there will be music, a drum party and guest speakers, including Rep. Mike Thompson and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 650 people on Facebook have said they would be attending the event.

I have a feeling its going to be a very big crowd, Weir said. She decided that Napa needed its own march the week of Dec. 11 when she realized she wouldnt be able to attend the Washington, D.C. event and that her daughter and her high school friends wouldnt be able to go with her to the one planned in San Francisco this Saturday night.

Marches are also planned in Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Sacramento and Berkeley.

This march is the first step toward unifying our communities, Weir said. Its not against the administration, she said. It is an invitation for a conversation with the other, whoever the other is. Everyone is welcome no matter who you voted for, she said.

We are different but we are the same because we are concerned about the world we live in, Weir said.

About 100 people said on Facebook plan to attend a second march titled Welcome to the Resistance on Friday, the day of the presidential inauguration. The march and protest will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park.

In a news release, organizers describe themselves as a Napa Valley coalition composed of Indigenous people, LGBTQIP/Queer people, Immigrants, Artists, Educators, and Other Concerned Citizens and Residents from a diversity of genders, colors, ethnicities, and ideologies.

Organizers said that the president-elect has demonstrated utter contempt and disdain for many people living in the U.S. and that he is an existential threat to our very way of life. On Friday, the group will raise their voices in a collective pledge to defend the people, the principles, the values, and the environment that are such vital parts of our community.
A 19-year-old Richmond man was arrested on suspicion of grand theft after allegedly stealing $1,542 worth of alcohol from the Safeway in American Canyon on Tuesday night, according to American Canyon Police.

Devon Neal was found standing outside of a white car with its engine running, door open and blocking the road at about 6:45 p.m. following a report of a theft at the supermarket, said Capt. Tracey Stuart. Stuart said that 24 bottles of alcohol were found in the vehicle and that Neal had taken them without paying.
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 president's wife, will remain in New York to allow her young son, Barron, to finish out the school year. And although Trump's daughter Ivanka will move to Washington, the family's 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 Obama's 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 lady's 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 Trump's team and spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity. "The governors' dinner is at the end of February. It's like a state dinner. It's very formal and takes a lot of planning." As of press time for this section, neither an East Wing chief of staff nor a social secretary had been appointed.

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.

Ann Stock, who served as social secretary under President Bill 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 Trump's 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.

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 nation's 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 president's spouse. Since her husband's 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 she's representing her father. But it's 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, Ivanka's 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 she's 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.

"There's a lot of flexibility in how (the first lady's 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.

Ivanka's friend and adviser Dina Powell, president of the Goldman Sachs Foundation, will join the Trump administration's 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. Powell's position could be a linchpin for establishing Ivanka's public role.

Life in the White House has historically been a family affair, but Ivanka and husband Jared Kushner's 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 father's 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 it's 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 father's 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 March called "Women Who Work."

While Melania has not posted to social media since Election Day, Ivanka's 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 father's 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 father's 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 don't know that it portends any change for the long run."
Marlon Wayans is an a Read more [...]
On 17 and 18 January 2017, the NATO Chiefs of Defence gathered for the 176th Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session (MCCS) at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. The meetings included discussions on improving NATOs Command Structure, continuing defence & deterrence measures, projecting stability through Counter Terrorism projects and the continued support of the Resolute Support Mission. NATO Chiefs of Defence also met with Partner Nations to share views on regional security and enhanced cooperation. The MCCS concluded with a session dedicated to Russia and its relationship towards NATO.

For the first time this year, the NATO Chiefs of Defence (CHoDs) met for the triannual Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session (MCCS). The two-day meeting was an opportunity for CHoDs to discuss ongoing strands of work and additional military guidance on key areas to be provided ahead of Defence Ministers Meetings in February. During these meetings, CHoDs will agree on a common interpretation of the recent evolution in the security environment, we will take stock of the progress made on deterrence and defence related work and reflect on ways to optimise these projects, General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, stated during his Opening Remarks.

While the focus of the MCCS was on NATOs posture and continued adaptation, a significant part of the meetings was dedicated to projecting stability outside NATOs borders and the importance of maintaining and enhancing partnerships.

During the RESOLUTE SUPPORT Session, the CHoDs commended the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) for the work they are doing to protect and defend the Afghan people with determination and courage, acknowledging the ongoing challenges and casualties suffered. It is important to work with Afghanistan to encourage all regional actors to play a constructive role and find a lasting solution. This is the best way to fight terrorism, stabilize and support the unity of Afghanistan, added General Pavel.

Meeting with the Mediterranean Dialogue and Interoperability Platform Partners allowed CHoDs on both sides to reiterate the importance of mutual understanding in practical military cooperation while also emphasizing the need to respect the individual requirement of each nation. General Pavel highlighted that we need to increase the effectiveness of our partnership programmes via the Individual Tailored Roadmaps and augment interoperability between NATO and Partners. Holistic approaches that bring together military, political and economic efforts will enables us to respond more effectively.

Ukraine and Georgia were also able to share their perspectives on their own regional security situations and provide national updates in dedicated sessions. The Ukrainian CHoD, General Muzhenko went onto brief the NATO CHoDs on the current state of affairs of the Urkainian Armed Forces and the progress in Defence Reforms. Meanwhile, the Georgian CHoD, General Chachibaia presented a status update on the Substantial NATO Georgia Package.

The last meeting was dedicated to Russia and its relationship to NATO. The CHoDs highlighted Russia increased assertiveness and encouraged me to continue to explore options for a meaningful dialogue with General Gerasimov, remarked General Pavel.

The 176th MCCS concluded with a joint press with General Pavel, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee (CMC), General Scaparrotti, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and General Mercier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT).
The six new vessels will be built by Damen Shipyards Antalya with the first delivery expected in May 2017 and the remainder by the end of the year. The vessels are designed and equipped to operate as lifeboats, and the aluminium hull is based on Damens Axe-Bow technology. The MTU 8V 2000 M84L engines enable a top speed of 33 knots for search and rescue operations.



Knut Muller, Head of the Marine and Government Business Division at MTU said: We have designed our engines specifically for such difficult operational conditions, including the unlikely event of capsizing. They are equipped with a special kit, which ensures that there is sufficient oil available to coat the engine parts with a film of lubricant. The European Union is providing financial support for the project.
The Emory community joined the nation in celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. through community service and events featuring inspiring speakers who encouraged students, faculty and staff to continue working for social justice.

Emory's events kicked off Thursday, Jan. 12, with two guest speakers. Ambassador Andrew Young, a colleague and friend of King, drew a standing-room-only crowd at Emory University Hospital Midtown for a program that was simulcast to Emory University Hospital and Emory Saint Josephs Hospital. Cornell Brooks, president and CEO of the NAACP, also drew a packed house and standing ovation for his speech at Emory Law's annual MLK program.

The official Martin Luther King Jr. Day  Monday, Jan. 16  was a university holiday, but the Emory community joined in service projects throughout Atlanta to take a "Day On" to help others instead of just a day off.

The commemoration continued on Tuesday as artist and activist Bree Newsome, who made headlines for scaling the 30-foot flagpole in front of the South Carolina statehouse and removing the Confederate flag after nine people were killed in a racist hate crime at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, addressed Emory's Martin Luther King Holiday Observance.

King Week events continue through Sunday, Jan. 22.
23:39

Observing that India is a country with "corruption at mass level", Paytm chief Vijay Shekhar Sharma today said digitisation would eventually kickstart a process where the money trail would ensure that people would be asked to pay tax on the money they have earned.





"India is an amazing country where there are 1.2 billion people but only five million have ever paid a tax of at least one rupee. This is like corruption at mass level.





"We are a God-fearing country but when it comes to government, people say that money is ours. Digitisation starts a process where there would be a trail and people would be asked that you have made money and there is a tax to be paid," he said.





He was speaking at a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos on corruption and how his business model can help address this problem.
22:49

After being sworn in, Trump addresses the people for the first time as the President of the United States.





He says, "Thank you.





"We the citizens of America are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people. Together we will determine the course of America and all of the world for many many years to come."





Here are the highlights of his address:





-- We are transferring power from Washington DC and giving it back to you the people





-- For too long politicians prospered but jobs left and factories closed





-- This moment is your moment and it belongs to you, to everyone gathered here and to everyone watching across America





-- January 20th, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers once again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now"





-- "We've made other countries rich while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon. One by one, the factories have left our shores.

-- "The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and redistributed all across the world.

-- "From this day forward its going to be only America first, America first!"





-- "I will fight for you with every breath in my body and I will never ever let you down. America will start winning again, winning like never before. We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams."




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Musaib, who headed the Lashkar wing in Bandipore, was one of the key militant commanders helping the Pakistan-based terror outfit's network in the frontier district.

He was killed in a gunfight that erupted after security forces raided a militant hideout in Khosa Mohalla in Hajin area of Bandipore, some 40 km from here.

"According to our information, the foreign terrorist killed in an encounter with the security forces in Hajin area of Bandipora today (Thursday) was the nephew of LeT top commander, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi," Director General of Police S.P. Vaid told IANS.

A constable of the special operations group was critically injured in the gunfight.

Lakhvi, who is wanted in India for his role in the November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks is out on bail in Pakistan. The attack left 166 people, mostly foreigners, dead.

A police spokesperson said security forces surrounded the area following specific information. When challenged, the militants sheltering inside fired at the security forces which triggered a gunfight.

--IANS sq-sar/dg

( 212 Words)

2017-01-19-20:38:08 (IANS)
The train reached its destination on Wednesday, CNN Money reported.

The journey covered nearly 8,000 miles.

"It is hoped this will further improve trade ties between China and the UK," said Richard Doubtfire, seafreight director at Brunel Shipping & Liner Services, one of the two British companies handling logistics for the journey.

The China Railway Express train left Yiwu on January 1. It passed through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France over the course of its 18-day trip before entering the UK through the Channel Tunnel.

The train was packed with 34 containers carrying clothes, shoes, suitcases and other goods made in China. It will run as a weekly service, similar to trains China Railway already operates to Germany and Spain.

The Yiwu-Madrid route is currently the longest rail journey in the world.

During the trip, the train's locomotives have to be changed due to different railway gauges in the countries it passes through.

London is the 15th European city to be added to Chinese overseas train routes, China Railway said in a statement.

The Yiwu-London route forms part of China's "One Belt One Road" trade initiative, often referred to as the new Silk Road, a network of historic trade routes.

--IANS gsh/bg

( 243 Words)

2017-01-19-15:04:07 (IANS)
From her traditional greeting with 'Namaste' to the signature 'lungi dance,' Deepika Padukone was a star on the 'The Late Late Show with James Corden.' The 31-year-old actress appeared on the show with her 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage,' co-star Vin Diesel. In one of the sequences, when Corden asked Deepika, 'What is the Lungi Dance?' she, while explaining what lungi is and how did this 'lungi dance' come to existence, said, "I did a movie about two years ago, where in the movie, we came up with this song called the Lungi Dance, where we wear the lungi and we do the dance. But our friend Vin here thinks it's like a classic traditional.he thinks it's actually a style of dance that exists in India." The fun does not end here. She added, "So, he's doing all his interviews in India, very seriously about the lungi dance versus break dance." Vin interrupted and said, "I thought that was a parallel." "He's doing all these serious interviews and I'm like.(we are dead!)" Deepika concluded with a laugh. As a result, the host asked the Mastani of Bollywood to show a step or two and in place of a lungi, gave her his jacket to wrap around. The official Twitter page of 'The Late Late Show' shared two adorable GIFs with the caption, "There has never been a better use of @reggiewatts' jacket. Look at those moves!" (ANI)
The examinations are getting yet more competitive and students are fighting to secure the top position with only minuscule difference of decimals. For a student, preparing to appear for 'All India' level competitive examinations, it is always wise to keep their grey cells active and exercise them on a regular basis. With the advent of the Ed-tech companies in India, which are creating a disruption in the e-learning space, we now have the availability of scores of smartphone apps for students that can help them revise the lessons and take online mock tests to sharpen their preparation level. Following are few of the top-rated and user-friendly M-Learning apps on Android and iOS: Toppr: An EdTech venture, it aims to help students in India crack medical and engineering entrance exams with unlimited practice tests, feedback reports, and benchmarking. The qualitative, effective yet affordable online portal boasts of one of the biggest online question banks and lets students chart their progress, which eliminates the need of tutors. USP Toppr claims to be the only test preparation platform where the practice content is customised through programming algorithms that work out areas of strength and weakness of the student. BYJU's: BYJU's Education Technology (Learning) company provides online courses for UPSC, CAT, GMAT, GRE, K10, K12, JEE, NEET through its portal and learning app. Since its launch last year, the learning app has already seen phenomenal engagement, with over 3.5 million students on its platform. BYJU's Learning App makes use of original content, watch-and-learn videos, rich animations and interactive simulations that, as opposed to rote memorization, make learning contextual and visual, not just theoretical. TopRankers: TopRankers, a Bangalore-based online test preparation portal that enables students to prepare for competitive exams through an innovative platform. Their 'offline-integrated' app makes it easier for students to save mobile data and access the app in the low-bandwidth area. The USP of the app is to provide - Exam analysis, 'All India Predictive Ranking', allowing students to prepare for exams in regional language and receive up-to-date information on the various competitive examinations. TopRankers has 1 lakh registered users on its platform and 75 B2B clients under its banner. Gyan Labs: Bengaluru-based Gyan Lab is addressing this critical need through its adaptive, mobile-friendly learning platform for K-10 students. It gamifies and personalises learning based on what a child already knows and how they learn best. It is a B2C (to parents) platform with a monthly fee of Rs 199-349 per student. It allows parents to assess students and the platform also suggests remedial action for learning gaps. Available in English and vernacular medium, Gyan Lab launched in April 2016 and has 250 student accounts created who have solved more than 3,000 questions. Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a supplementary app to the Khan Academy website. The app similar to its YouTube Channel has videos for engineering, history, mathematics, computer science, business, etc. The user can pick his/ her preference and then continue for lessons in that particular interest. The video library has more than 3,000 videos. The Khan Academy app also has their very own AppStore to view the videos from the repository. The user will have the option of logging into the app through a simple Khan Academy user account, Google, or Facebook which will also in turn keep a track of their viewer history and earn the users badges. (ANI)
As per the reports, the Delhi police anti-terror wing special cell, had on January 12, arrested commander in chief of Kangliepak Communist Party (KCP) along with a woman.

According to the police, accused has been identified as Khoirom Ranjit alias Rocky alias Great Macha.

The accused was reportedly held from a house situated in east Delhi Mayur Vihar area.

KCP is involved in various crimes including terror attacks.(ANI)
Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday. Rajnath expressed grave concern over the continued blockade of National Highway-2 causing severe difficulties to the people of Manipur especially with regard to availability of essential commodities. The Home Minister said that continued blockade is likely to adversely affect democratic process in the forthcoming elections by hampering movement of people, including election officials. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been making repeated efforts to find a way to have the NH-2 opened. Tripartite talks with Government of Manipur and United Naga Council (UNC) were called on November 15, last year, at New Delhi to discuss the economic blockade, which was not attended by Government of Manipur. On December 22, last year, Rajnath wrote to the Manipur Chief Minister to discharge his constitutional obligations of keeping National Highways open and ensure supplies of essential commodities. 40 additional Coys. of Central Para-Military Forces have been made available to Manipur as asked for by them in the month of December, last year, in addition to 135 Coys. of CAPFs already stationed there. Despite these repeated efforts of the Ministry, nothing substantive seems to have been done to remove the economic blockade. The Home Minister said that it is the constitutional obligation of Manipur Government to maintain public order in the state, including maintenance of essential supplies and conducive atmosphere for holding elections. He called upon the Chief Minister to discharge this obligation responsibly, in the interest of people of Manipur. "If more forces are required for this, and that would be made available by Government of India. But it is critical that Government of Manipur should not be lacking in its will to restore normalcy," he said. Rajnath made it clear that if the Manipur Government fails in its constitutional duties, Centre may have to explore other measures under the provisions of constitution to ensure that difficulties of people of Manipur are alleviated. On request of the Home Minister, Chief Minister of Nagaland T. R. Zeliang also met the former on Wednesday. The Home Minister sought his cooperation in keeping the NH-2 open between Dimapur and Mao Gate and not to allow disturbance on this vital route. (ANI)
A delegation of Naga women, hailing from Manipur and representing the organization "Women for Just-Peace", met Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday and appealed for peace in the region. In a memorandum submitted to the Minister, the delegation noted that following the announcement by the Government of Manipur on December 8 last year to create seven new districts, there has been constant unrest and blockade resulting in considerable hardship to common people. The delegation said the Naga Community and its women-folk seek a solution to end this impasse which is adversely affecting peace and communal harmony in the state. The memorandum observed that irrespective of the respective positions taken by the Government of Manipur or the United Naga Council (UNC), the immense difficulties and hardships faced by the ordinary citizens and those travelling to the state must come to an end as soon as possible. They expressed concern that the atmosphere of violence and agitation currently gripping Manipur is an outcome of confrontation between different groups which needs to be resolved for restoration of peace. In another memorandum, the delegation expressed the confidence that it is only Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose leadership can ensure an atmosphere of peace, honour and respect for the people of Manipur. It also said that the "Women for Just-Peace" looks forward to march along with India towards peaceful coexistence, progress and development. Singh held a detailed interaction with the members of delegation and conveyed to them the government's keenness for restoration of peace and prosperity in Manipur. The delegation included Linda Newmai, Dr Gina Sangkham, Dr Achan Mungleng, T. Ningreichon, L. M. Tabitha, Thingreiphi and Wang Hring. (ANI)
Jaipur Literature Festival (19th-23rd Jan) will begin today in the pink city of Rajasthan Celebrated writers, thinkers, journalists, historians, poets, novelists and musicians are participating in the five-day event. A large number of literature lovers are likely to attend the festival. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje along with poet Gulzar will inaugurate the festival this morning. A special session on ''Freedom to Dream'' will also be held where writers will discuss their dreams and dreams of India. (ANI)
Remembering the disastrous night of January 19, 1990, Indian filmmaker and social activist Ashoke Pandit held the Kashmiri Muslims responsible for the ouster of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. Remembering the night of January 19, 1990, when around 4.5 lakh Kashmiris were thrown out of Kashmir, Pandit asserted that their fight to return to the Valley still continues. "It's a very important day for us because we lost our roots, we lost our homes, because of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Kashmir. The majority population of Kashmir i.e. Kashmiri Muslims, were responsible for our ouster from Kashmir. This January 19, we are again telling the world that we are still alive and our fight to return still continues," Pandit told ANI. Continuing their fight to return to Kashmir with the same honour and dignity, Pandit said their effort to do something special on its anniversary is only to remind the people about the same. "We are releasing three videos today via which we are telling the world that we will continue to fight for our return and nobody can stop up to return to our Valley, our home, our roots with dignity and honour," he said. January 19, 1990 is a day which still haunts the community oh Kashmiri Pandits for the tragedy it brought on that fateful night. Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits was an event that occurred on January 19, 1990 when most of the Pandit families were forced to flee from Kashmir valley due to outbreak of terrorism. The estimate of Pandits having fled from Kashmir ranges from approximately 1, 00,000 to as high as 8, 00,000.(ANI)
Expressing pain and anguish of unheard voices of Kashmiri Pandit community, Bollywood actor Anupam Kher on Thursday said as far as their future is concerned, everything is in dark. The actor who shared a heart-wrenching poem dedicated to the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, told ANI that the poem was an attempt to let the people know that Kashmiri Pandits still exist and that their voices should be heard. "As far as Kashmiri Pandit's future is concerned everything is in dark. I don't think even point one percent is also staying there. We need to go back but we cannot go back in an atmosphere of fear. We cannot go back to the atmosphere of false security. So we need to find a situation. My attempt to recite this poem is to sort of let people know that we still exist and our voices should be heard," he added. When asked as to how secure does he feel in Kashmir, the 61-year-old actor said that the removal of Article 370 is one of the solutions to make the situation better in the state. "How can there be any safety? I have always told that may be after removal of Article 370 the situation might be better but I don't know how are these political things done. I believe if people are allowed to do business there, if they are allowed to do start-ups, if they are allowed to buy land than may be the situation can be better. So, for me the removal of Article 370 is a solution and Srinagar should be declared a smart city," he added. The actor further asserted that January 19, 1990 was a black day and an exodus day, symbolically remembered by all Kashmiri Pandit's where all Kashmiris were forced to flee from their homeland due to violence or were given an alternative to leave their women and go. January 19, 1990 is commemorated as the day when Indian secularism was butchered in the valley of Kashmir. A day which still haunts a community for the tragedy it brought on that fateful night. Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits was an event that occurred on January 19, 1990 when most of the Pandit families were forced to flee from Kashmir valley due to outbreak of terrorism. The estimate of Pandits having fled from Kashmir ranges from approximately 1, 00,000 to as high as 8, 00,000. (ANI)
At the Marina beach here, protesters sat through Wednesday night and on Thursday morning, they helped in cleaning up the area which is a litter free zone.

On Wednesday in the Marina, thousands of young men and women demanded not only an end to the ban on Jallikattu but also a ban on People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which opposes the sport.

With several colleges declaring holiday here and in other parts of the state, the number of students to assemble at Marina is expected to go up.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to press for promulgation of an ordinance enabling the conduct of Jallikattu.

In Jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to hang on to the animal's hump for a stipulated distance or for a minimum of three jumps by the bull.

The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned Jallikattu, saying that bulls cannot be used as performing animals including bullock-cart races.

Since then, people have been urging the central government to take steps to allow the sport.

The common complaint among the protest leaders was that the Supreme Court had insulted the Tamil culture by disallowing the sport.

In Chennai, the demonstration began on Tuesday morning following the arrest of Jallikattu protesters in Madurai district's Alanganallur town well known for conducting the sport.

Thousands of youths who began their protest in Alanganallur on Monday were arrested a day later.

Police housed the protesters -- both men and women -- at wedding halls. Angered by the arrests, villagers took to the streets.

--IANS vj/ksk

( 291 Words)

2017-01-19-09:08:07 (IANS)
One militant was killed and a soldier was injured on Thursday during a gunfight in north Kashmir's Bandipora district, police said. Following a tip-off, security personnel surrounded the Khosa Mohalla area. This triggered the gunfight, leaving the militant dead and the soldier injured, the police added. --IANS sq/ksk ( 56 Words) 2017-01-19-09:52:08 (IANS)
He is expected to urge the Prime Minister to get an ordinance passed in favour of the traditional bull-taming sport.

Nearly 36 hours have passed since the protests began across Tamil Nadu against the ban on Jallikattu.

Meanwhile, a large number of people thronged Chennai's Marina Beach in support of Jallikattu. Actor Raghava Lawrence was also seen in attendance.

The police resorted to baton-charge to disperse the protesters, who gathered at the beach since Tuesday evening.

The authorities have ordered over two dozen colleges in the city to close down as the crowd swelled at the main protest site in the capital.

The protesters, who have rejected Panneerselvam's appeal to end the protests and refused to leave till the ban on Jallikattu is lifted, want the government and courts to listen to their demands. (ANI)
Governor Tathagata Roy would open the first session of programme in the premises of AIR, Agartala while Additional DG of AIR (NFR) D N Basumatari would remain present.

In the second session, there would be a seminar on Relevance of Radio in View of New Media Blitzkirj, which would be addressed by Justice Subhashis Talapatra, Vice Chancellor of Tripura University Prof Anjan Kumar Bose and Mayor in Council Fulan Bhattacharjee.

On the following day, a cultural programme has been planned in the AIR Agartala premises.

There would be another programme in Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan on January 31.

Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and high officials of AIR would also remain present in the programme. UNI BB AD1057

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1113654.Xml
The BJP called a dawn to dusk hartal today after a party worker was hacked to death by a group of unidentified men, allegedly CPI(M) workers, at his house at Andaloor near Thalassery in this Kerala district. BJP Andaloor booth president and former RSS Mukhya Sikshak Santhosh was attacked by a gang who barged into his house at around 2300 hrs last night. The BJP called a dawn to dusk hartal in the district to protest against the brutal murder and the bomb attack on the RSS karyalayam (office) at Thrichambaram near Thaliparamba. BJP district president P Sathya Prakash said essential services were spared in the hartal and the protest would not affect the smooth conduct of State School arts festival. Police said an unidentified group barged into Santhosh's house, who was living alone in the house and attacked at around 2230 hrs with lethal weapons on both his legs . His wife, two children and mother are residing in another house and a dispute over the house was going on, police said. Police has registered a case against a group of CPI(M) workers, following the complaint of BJP worker Rajeesh. The BJP district president alleged that CPI(M) was behind the murder. The hartal will not affect the 57th edition of State School Arts festival, which will be attended by around 12,000 participants at 21 venues in Kannur Corporation limits. CPI(M) Pinarayi area secretary K Manoharan said that they have no role behind the brutal murder. He also demanded that police arrest the real accused and if any person is found having links with the murder, the party will not protect him, a CPI(M) statement said. Reports said BJP workers were blocking the traffic at NH-17. An all-party peace meeting is called by District Collector Mir Mohammed Ali at district collectorate hall this morning.UNI AK SHS RSA 1109 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-1113647.Xml
''I support the Traditional Jallikattu festival. It is much better than Bullfighting in Spain where the Bull is killed. It must be allowed,''Mr Singh said in a tweet.

Thousands of people have been agitating across Tamil Nadu, demanding that a ban on bull-taming festival Jallikattu be lifted.

The Supreme Court had banned Jallikattu in 2014 on a petition by animal rights activists.

Jallikattu is held during the harvest festival of Pongal. It had not been held for the last two years and was not held this year on Pongal, last Saturday.

The Tamil Nadu has been urging the Centre to issue an ordinance to allow holding of the festival. UNI AR SV RSA 1116

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-1113652.Xml
A top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander was killed in an encounter in north Kashmir district of Bandipora today, official sources said here. They said security forces and state police launched a joint search operation in Bandipora. However, when the security forces were sealing the area, militants hiding there opened fire. Security forces also retaliated and in the encounter, a top LeT commander was killed. Details are awaited.UNI BAS SV 0902 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-1113568.Xml
The accident occurred due to dense fog in the area.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his heartiest condolence on the loss of lives in the road accident.

Taking to micro-blogging site twitter, Mr Modi said," Anguished by tragic accident in UP's Etah. I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole passing away of young children. I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest."

UP Director General of Police (DGP) Javeed Ahmed confirmed that more than 24 children were killed in the accident.

"Priority is to rescue trapped children. Rescue operation is underway. Strict action will be taken against the school," Mr Ahmed told reporters in Lucknow.

The DGP said school was open against the district administration's order to close schools due to cold weather.

Police sources said that the school bus of J S Public school collided with a sand-laden truck near Asadpur village on Aligang-Dariyapur road.

Most of the children died on the spot while 30 were injured who have been rushed to the hospital.UNI MB SV RSA 1123

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1113673.Xml
Samajwadi Party and the Congress have gone for an alliance to avoid division of Muslim votes but it is the Brahmins who hold the key in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, polling for which will start from February 11. "This is proven record that no party can win elections on the basis of its core votes. It needs support of other factions of the society. Last two Assembly elections have proved that whomsoever the upper caste supported, has come to power. Among this upper caste, Brahmins hold the key," Dr S P Pandey of Govind Ballabh Institute of Studies in Rural development said here today. He is not totally off the mark. In 2007 elections when the BSP came to power, it had 41 Brahmin MLAs in its rank and in 2012 when Mr Akhilesh Yadav became Chief Minister, the SP had 21 Brahmin MLAs. The same year, the BSP had only 10 Brahmins. The two national parties BJP and Congress which had thrived on the support of Brahmins, had a dwindling support of upper caste. In 1993, the BJP had 17 Brahmin MLAs, in 1996 the number was 14 and it came down to 8 in 2002. In 2007 elections, the BJP had 3 Brahmin MLAs and in last assembly the party had six. The situation in Congress is no different. In the past over two decades, the maximum number of Brahmin MLAs in the party was 5 which came down to 4 in 1996 while in 2002 Pramod Tiwari, the then Leader of Congress Legislature Party, was the lone Brahmin face in Congress. In 2007 and 2012 the Congress had 2 legislators each. Brahmins hold around 13 per cent of vote share in UP. Ever since Other Backward Classes (OBC)-Dalit politics evolved in the state with the rise of the SP and BSP respectively, Brahmins have relied on tactically aligning with one or the other of these parties. In 2014 general election, Brahmins voted enmasse for Mr Narendra Modi resulting in landslide victory for the BJP. In this scenario all the political parties have projected Brahmins faces. Congress projected Ms Sheila Dikshit as its Chief Ministerial candidate while BJP used Kalraj Mishra's picture as one of the four leaders during its Parivartan Yatra. The BSP has Satish Mishra while Samajwadi Party made Manoj Pandey as the Brahmin mascot of the party. "This time too, Brahmin community will play a decisive role. The party with which Brahmins align, will sweep the assembly elections," he said.UNI MB SHS RSA 1140 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1113663.Xml
Kagwad BJP MLA Raju Kage, his brother and four other family members were arrested on charges of brutallyattacking a Congress worker Vivek Shetty. Superintendent of Police Ravikanthegouda said that the Kagefamily were absconding after assaulting Mr Shetty and four specialteams are formed and succeeded in nabbing them with the help of MaharashtraPolice. They were hiding in a temple. UNI HVN MSP CS 1210 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1113733.Xml
The DRT allowed original application of the bankers (i.e bankers can now begin process to recover the amount).

It gave its decision in the favour of the State Bank of India-led consortium of banks.

Earlier in June 2016, the SBI had pleaded before the DRT to grant the recovery certificate for beginning the proceedings against Mallya for recovery of debts from him in the bank loan default case.

Mallya, who is in London since March 2, 2016, owes Kingfisher Airlines' 17-bank consortium over Rs 6,000 crore. The Debt Recovery Tribunal has now given the banks led by State Bank of India (SBI) a go-ahead to start the recovery of Rs 6,203 crore owed to them.

Kingfisher Finvest's counsel had submitted that the company was neither a party nor a guarantor for the loans taken by Kingfisher Airlines, United Breweries Holding Limited (UBHL) or Mallya and just was a pledgor, and hence as per existing laws action cannot be initiated against the pledgor.(ANI)
Confusion still persists within the new alliance partners of the ruling Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal(RLD), leading to delay in the announcement of seats and a joint campaign strategy for Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. Though claiming that this alliance would be similar to the grand alliance of Bihar which prevented the BJP from coming to power, but for the past two days, there is a deadlock over seat sharing between the three parties. But within 24 hours, a clear picture is likely to emerge and by tomorrow morning, the alliance may be formalised. It has been reported that the Congress and SP have already agreed on the seat numbers but the RLD is apparently demanding around 30 seats, which is not acceptable to the other factions leading to the delay. As per the reports, the SP is ready to give 85 seats to the Congress and around 15 to RLD. As just four days remain for the filing of nominations for the first phase of polling which ends on January 24, the probable candidates of these parties are having restless days of uncertainty. A senior SP leader told UNI here today that party president Akhilesh Yadav will wait for this evening and if nothing is sorted out then he will announce the candidates and the formal alliance announcement would be made during the joint campaigning in western UP. " A section of the SP leaders is not much interested in going with the RLD as it could affect the Muslim vote bank in the western UP. Besides, Jats too are not much supportive to RLD as during the riots of 2013, Ajit Singh had avoided them," another SP leader said. SP president Akhilesh Yadav today met Sibutullah Ansari, Rahguraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya and several others to chalk out his strategy and finalise his candidates' list. There is another report that apparently irked Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav was that he was not ready to campaign for the party after SP symbol cycle was handed over to Akhilesh Yadav and if the new SP president refuses to give tickets to close confidants of party founder Mulayam Singh, then he might skip the campaign which will be a big jolt to the SP. Mr Mulayam Singh had given a list of 38 candidates to Akhilesh Yadv yesterday to be included in his list. It has been reported that the party leaders has finalised the list for the first two phases of the elections. On the other hand, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad ,who was slated to visit Lucknow to announce the alliance, has cancelled his air tickets thrice from New Delhi due to the deadlock in talks with the RLD. Now there is speculation that Mr Azad would be reaching Lucknow this evening and the formal announcement of alliance would be made later in the night or tomorrow morning. The Congress had demanded at least one seat each from 75 districts plus most of the seats in Amethi and Rae Bareli districts which is creating a problem for the SP, which will have to lose some of the vital seats in order to accommodate the Congress. Sources said the Congress was demanding a seat from Lucknow which was agreeable to the SP. " Congress had one sitting member at Lucknow Cantonment but the candidate Rita Bahuguna Joshi had joined the BJP. Congress Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh wants the seat for his wife Amita. On the other hand, the SP wants the seat for their family member Aparna Yadav, wife of Pratik, the youngest son of Mulayam Singh Yadav. But now Amita is set to be shifted to Lucknow( East) seat ," a senior Congress leader confided to this agency.. The SP has agreed to the Congress demand to give all the seats in Amethi and Rae Bareli except that of two ministers Gayatri Prasad Prajati from Amethi seat and Manoj Kumar Pandey from Uchahar seat. In the 2012, assembly elections Congress failed to win a single seat in Rae Bareli but won one from Amethi, but the lone Congress MLA too joined the BSP last year. The Central election screening committee of the Congress has also finalised its list but there is confusion on how much seats the party will contest .UNI MB RSA 1248 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1113754.Xml
Former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper has said that the incoming US president Donald Trump will reverse seven decades of the country's foreign policy. Addressing the second edition of the Raisina Dialogue here, Harper also criticised people, who slammed Trump and the Brexit vote as 'stupid' arguing that even such an approach is not a very good way of influencing opinions. He said the US will work with friends and allies only if they are prepared to bring real assets to the table, adding the election of a non-political personality to the White House will heighten uncertainty in America as none of the policies are very clear so far. Condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, the former prime minister said that some elements in Islam denounce the global order and are hence promoting organizations such as the Islamic State. The theme of the Dialogue, this year, is "The New Normal: Multilateralism with Multi-Polarity". Harper's remarks come as President-elect Donald Trump's pick for commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, said yesterday that he won't be "pushed around" by anyone as he signalled a potentially painful road ahead for Canada and Mexico in trade talks with their U.S. neighbour. Ross said the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will be among the first orders of business for the new administration, suggesting the review would be far more sweeping than Canada might like. After Trump won the election, the Liberal government said Canada would be willing to sit down with the U.S. and talk trade, saying any agreement can be improved. The federal Liberal government has been working closely with the Trump administration on a variety of issues including trade. (ANI)
Condemning the attack on dalits at Kuruvinatham near here on January 15, the Puducherry unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) today demansded a judicial probe into it. CPI (M) Secretary Rajangam in a statement here said that it was a deliberate attempt by a particular communal force to create a hate feeling among the living in peace and harmony here. Mr Rajangam demanded that the culprits be booked under the atrocities against dalits act and adequate compensation provided to the affected people.UNI PAB CS 1506 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1113960.Xml
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy launched his tour in capital region villages today to know the problems of farmers. Mr.Jagan interacted with the farmers in the villages of Gannavaram and Bapulapadu mandals in Krishna district. The farmers complained him that the revenue officials were showing bias in conducting crop loss survey to extend compensation. When Mr Jagan entered the capital region, he was accorded a warm welcome by large number of party leaders, activists and farmers at Kanaka Durga Varadhi. He interacted with farmers and listened their woes at Tadepalli. The farmers explained him that the government wanted to acquire 25 acres of land in the village, where an acre of land costs of Rs 15 crore. He demanded the government to pay Rs.15 crore per acre to acquire their lands. The leader of the Opposition in the Assembly made it clear that the YSRCP is not opposing the construction of new capital but only opposing acquiring lands forcibly from farmers. Mr Jagan assured the agitating farmers that the YSRCP would continue to extend its support to them. Later, he visited Undavalli and Penumaka villages and interacted with villagers. He is to continue his tour till this evening, YSRCP party sources said.UNI DP CS 1511 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1113972.Xml
French students who are in Puducherry as part of the Indo-French language and cultural exchange programme today organized a painting on the wall of Ouppalam port road. As many as 21 French students and two teachers came to Puducherry. Assisted by a private school here, the students learnt the traditional dance and music of India. On the Pongal day, they also joined the celebrations dressed in traditional Tamil dress. As part of the programme, the students organized a wall painting programme in which several private school students also joined them. They painted the Indian, French National flags, Eiffel tower, the Gandhi statue on the beach among others which attracted a good number of onlookers.UNI PAB CS 1551 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1114041.Xml
JNU Student leader and activist KanhaiyaKumar today said the Indian society need 'alternativepolitics' and not a political alternative to solve common man's problem. Explaining that he was not inclined to join any political partyor launch one of his own, he said he would protest againstdiscrimination against the common society and was frustrated thatideological transformation was not happening but 'human worship' inthe name of 'Modi' was reverbrating across the nation, media andthe press were not out of the blame. He explained that he would, in a small way, try to be an organiclink, to bring ideological transformation. ''I have no propositionto launch an alternative (political) force but support the cause ofthe youth who are 65 per cent of the population, get their due,' he said. Coming down against the BJP, RSS and also Congress party, he saidthe two parties were misusing power and hoodwinking common peoplewith promises. Speaking at 'Meet-the-Press' programme organised by Press Club ofBengaluru and TV Journalists Association of Karnataka here, he said'Achche Din' (good tiding) for the common people had come only forPrime Minister Narendra Modi, his BJP ministers and the RSS andnot the common man like the farmer, artisan, worker, poorminorities, people of oppressed society including tribals. He alleged that the union government had resorted to thedemonetisation process to subvert attention of people from itsfailure to fulfill its election promises. Demonetisation was a policy the government was trying to 'impose'on the people. Suffocating situation is being created in the nation,he alleged. He termed the demonetisation process launched by Mr Modi as afailed exercise and questioned how the government blame the RBI andthe central bank returning the compliment. He said the union government said it implemented demonetisationto control terrorism or black money and now they are up to usher acashless economy. MORE UNI RS MSP CS 1538 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1113975.Xml
The Tamil Nadu Government today indicated that it would go ahead with the holding of the banned Jallikattu sport with the backing of the Centre. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam, who called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and raised the emotive issue of holding the sporting event banned by the Supreme Court, later told reporters that the Centre expressed its inability to promulgate an immediate ordinance to lift the ban on bull taming sport that has roused Tamil passion. However, asserting that ''all is well that ends well'', the Chief Minister said his government will soon take steps ''with the backing of the Centre for the holding of the sport. You will soon see...Wait, good will happen." Mr Paneerselvam, who had rushed to the national capital, was speaking after emerging from the meeting with the PM where he urged the Centre to issue an ordinance to enable the sport to be conducted on popular demand. Meanwhile, a bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar refused to hear the plea seeking its intervention in the public protest at Marina beach in Chennai, to revoke the ban on Jallikattu. The apex court asked petitioner lawyer Raja Raman to file the appropriate plea in the Madras High Court for relief. The petitioner had pleaded that the court take suo motu cognisance of the case as it did in the Ramlila maidan case. MORE UNI SD GV SHK 1628 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0005-1114106.Xml
Bollywood star Soha Ali Khan today launched its all new smartphone powerhouse, the Galaxy C9 Pro in Uttar Pradesh. UP becomes the 8th state in the country to get this higher end smart phone which includes almost all the feature best in the segment."Size always matters. This is the phone which has an excellent look, big but slim while the battery too much giving the customers self satisfaction," said Soha about the new Glaxy C9 Pro. She also appreciated the cameras of this new smart phone which has 16mp front and rear. "Selfie is today's craze for every youth, and this phone will certainly make a difference with others," she said. Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro features a huge 6-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 processor coupled with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro, technically becomes the first 6GB RAM smartphone from Korean smartphone maker. It also promises a stellar camera and features a 16MP camera on the front as well as back. The smartphone promises to be an excellent selfie camera. Samsung India, Mobile Business deputy General Manager Aditya Babbar told media here today that the Galaxy C9 Pro will enhance and give users the best multimedia experience with its super features. He claimed that Samsung is the leader in the smart phone business in the country and this new addition will enhance its market in the segment. Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro features a fingerprint sensor embedded right into its home button. The Galaxy C9 Pro also offers expandable storage via microSD card with support for up to 256GB. The connectivity options include 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11ac, NFC, USB-C port for charging and data transfer. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth 4.2. The smartphone is 6.9mm thick and will support Samsung Pay contactless payment option.It is also backed by a 4,000mAh battery and will run TouchWiz UI based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The smartphone is priced at Rs 36,900 in the retail market.UNI MB AESNU 1614 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1113988.Xml
Ruling Congress in Karnataka took outa march on the streets of the tech hub to RBI headquarters here today. The march was led by Home Minister G Parameshwara to protest against the demonetisation process by the union government. The party alleged that it had brought untold problemsfor the common people. The Minister, who is also the President of the KPCC wasaccompanied by Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief MinisterPrithviraj Chavan, KPCC Working President Dinesh Gundurao and scoresof other leaders. When they started the march from Freedom park and tried toproceed towards the RBI local office just a few hundred meters away,they were detained by the police and 'takan away'. They were released later. Those who were took into custody also included Minister forBengaluru Development K J George, Minister for Transport RamalingaReddy and other Congress workers. Addressing the agitators, Mr Chavan alleged that Prime MinisterNarendra Modi has made RBI powerless by taking decision to ban highvalued notes without consulting the central bank. The autonomousstatus of RBI had been taken away and the country's highest institution has lost its status. Country's GDP has reducedby 2 per cent because of NDA government's directionless economic policies. Terming demonetisation as 'finance corruption', Mr Chavan saidthat neither black money was unearthed nor it has become possiblefor stopping terrorism. The decision was taken keeping an eye onelection to Uttara Pradesh and Punjab. Alleging that cashless economy is a big corruption, Mr Chavanalleged that the step was taken to help big companies.Only commission earners were benefited and not common man. Dr Parameshwara alleged that the country's economy has sloweddown after introduction of demonetisation. Poor, labour class andmiddle class people are facing hardship. Mr Gundurao said that Congress has decided to remove NDAgovernment as due to its unscientific policy people are suffering.UNI MSP RS CS 1628 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1114109.Xml
Haryana Government has decided to run new polytechnics being set up in the state in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode in collaboration with leading industrial houses. Besides, a new scheme is also being prepared for the meritorious but poor students desirous of getting education in private technical institutes of their choice. Under the scheme, 50 percent fees would be reimbursed by the State Government while the remaining 50 percent would be contributed by the institute under the Corporate Social Responsibility. These and several other decisions were taken at a meeting of the Technical Education Department held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal here today. The Chief Minister directed officers of the department to invite reputed industrial houses to run these polytechnics by forming societies. While the state government would make available infrastructure and building, the polytechnics would be run by these societies. The chairman of the society would be from the industrial house and to ensure participation of the Panchayati Raj Institutions, chairmen of zila parishads concerned would be made members. Grant-in-aid would also be provided by the state government to these polytechnics as required. As many as 13 new polytechnics are being constructed in the state out of which six would be run by the state government and the remaining would be managed by such societies. As many as 28 Government polytechnics are running in the state and ten new institutes are under construction. Besides, there are four government aided polytechnics and two new government engineering colleges are being set up. UNI DB AE SNU 1630 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1114102.Xml
The agitators demanded waiver of all loans availed by farmers asseveral pleas in that context with the State Government had fallenon deaf ears. They later submitted a memorandum to the MP.

Replying to the farmers demands, Pratap Simha assured them thathe would apprise the Prime Minister on the gravity of the situationand added that he would garner the support of all State BJP MPs.

Speaking to the press later, the MP recalled that during the BJPGovernment in State under B.S. Yeddyurappa, the loans of farmers hadbeen waived during drought but the present Congress Government wassilent on the issue.

He categorically said that the present government was keen onconstructing a huge steel bridge in Bengaluru instead of caring forthe farmers and hence sought a white paper from the Chief Ministeron the steps taken to alleviate the agony of farmers caught in theweb of drought.

The dharna was led by KRRS State General Secretary BadagalapuraNagendra and District President Hosakote Basavaraj. UNI BSP MSP CS 1716

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The DRT here in its order directed that now defunct KingfisherAirlines and its majority owner Vijay Mallya be allowed by the banksto recover the Rs 6,203 crore outstanding loan along with interest tothe consortium banks led by SBI.

Tribunal presiding officer K Srinivasan delivered the verdict byallowing the pleas of the banks for a direction to recover theamount due to them by the Airline.

The court also directed the company to pay interst of 11.5 percent per annum on the due amount, till the amount is recovered.

The case was pending with the DRT since 2013.

Since then Mr Mallya had departed to London and the banks hadurged the Supreme Court to give direction to impound all assets ofthe baron.

Today, asked by the apex court, the DRT delivered its verdict.

The DRT Judge said in the order that he was allowing the bankersto recover the outstanding loan amount Rs 6203 crore at the interestrate of 11.5 per cent per annum from Kingfisher Airlines, and thecompanies owned by Mr Mallya including UBHL and Kingfisher Finvest.

The presiding officer in a recent directive had reserved orderson the Original Application filed by the consortium and also 30-oddInterlocutory Applications, including several by Mallya and hiscompanies, without specifying any date.

Mr Mallya has been declared a Proclaimed Offender by a specialPMLA court in Mumbai after he left the country on March 2 last yearfor the UK, on an Enforcement Directorate plea in connection withits money laundering probe against him in the alleged bank loandefault case.UNI RS MSP CS 1722

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A team of forest department officials arrived at the spot where the darts were fired and spoke to the villagers.

The tigress, popularly called as queen of Kabini backwaters had strayed into a banana plantation at Kgundathuru tribal hamlet under Antharasanthe K Range and died after an excessive dosage of tranquiliser was fired at it. Department officials fired two shots at the animal without realizing that the animal was already tranquilised and exhausted. As per norms only one shot has to be fired. The tigress that had two cubs died of exhaustion.

The probe team comprises Additional Chief Conservator of Forests Jayaramu, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Vigilance Squad) Ranga Rao and Chief of Wild Life Institute of India, John Singh. According to sources, the team is analyzing the camera trap details of the tigress.

Meanwhile the National Tiger conservation authority has taken objection to the way the tigress was tranquilised.

NTCA Member Secretary Bhishan Singh Bonal called up the Director of Nagarahole National Park Project Manikanthan and sought a detailed report. NTCA officials are agitated as they were not informed about the issue despite having a regional office in Bengaluru.UNI BSP MSP CS 1800

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Punjab Congress Chief Amarinder Singh should offer an unconditional public apology to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal who had alleged that Nabha Jailbreak was part of Sukhbir Badal's strategy ''to create terror'' and also spread fear psychosis amongst voters close to polls. Stating this in a statement here today, Shiromani Akali Dal spokesman Manjinder Singh Sirsa said main kingpin Kuljeet Singh alias Neeta Deol was arrested on Tuesday from Indore on the specific information provided by Punjab Police."It is now abundantly clear that Amarinder's allegations were totally baseless, unfounded and unsubstantiated," Mr Sirsa said. Capt Singh had alleged complicity of ruling party in the Nabha Jailbreak incident. He had also aired apprehension of revival of militancy in the state and also argued that Sukhbir Badal would use the services of these gangsters to create chaos and confusion in the run up to elections.Since the top notch escapee terrorist Mintoo was nabbed couple of days later at Delhi Railway Station, Capt Singh changed the gear and started asserting that the escaped gangsters would create chaos at the behest of ruling party. UNI DB AE SNU 1749 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1114220.Xml
Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Radhakrishan Vikhe-Patiltoday asked the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to initiate action against police personnel who was indulged in 'lathicharge' on the Congress leaders during demonetisation agitation in front of the Reserve Bank of India Nagpur office. Mr Patil told the mediapeersons that he has written to Mr Fadnavis that the yesterday's movement was very peaceful. At last fag of agitation, when party senior leaders had gone to the RBI office to give representation to the RBI officials. At that time, police personnel had resorted to lathicharge the party workers, outside the RBI office, in which several people were injured.UNI ST NP SW SNU 1836 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-1114379.Xml
The change of guard in the ruling Samajwadi Party seems to have taken its first casualty. Former MP and mafia don Atiq Ahmed today withdrew from the contest in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. "I have been termed mafia and goonda by media and don't want that people should target Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav if I am given ticket by the party now. Hence I have decided not to contest the elections this time but will support the Samajwadi Party candidate where they want," he said. "I don't want division in the secular votes and will work for the win of the SP candidates," Mr Ahmed added. Talking to reporters here, he said, ''Mr Yadav is a leader of clean image and he himself has decided not to contest the polls so that no one questions SP and its leader.'' Earlier, it was reported that Mr Ahmed could contest as an Independent from Kanpur or Allahabad seat. The Mulayam Singh Yadav camp had given ticket to Mr Ahmed from Kanpur Cantonment constituency but the Akhilesh camp was not so eager to field him. When the Election Commission gave its ruling in favour of the Akhilesh faction, all aspirations of Mr Ahmed were shattered and he took a decision not to contest the elections. Mr Ahmed, too, met Akhilesh a couple of times in the recent past but could not convince him to give him the ticket from the party. Victor in assembly elections as an Independent five times from Allahabad(west), Mr Ahmed had even won the Phulpur Lok Sabha seat once.UNI MB AE-RP1815 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1114307.Xml
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will replace party President Amit Shah for the time being in its mission 60+ in Himachal Pradesh. Mr Shah is caught up with the election process in five states, including Uttar Pradesh.Party sources said that as Mr Shah would not be able to make it to Kangra for Tridev Sammelan on January 20, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would replace him and address the second major BJP workers meet there.As per party sources, being busy with the parliamentary board meetings for the election preparations in five states, Mr Shah would not be able to attend the sammelan on Friday. BJP's Shimla District Media Incharge Karan Nanda confirmed that Mr Jaitley would be replacing Mr Shah at Chambi Maidan of Shahpur, Kangra on Friday. Tridev Sammelan was said to be the brainchild of BJP National President Amit Shah and he had planned to address the grassroots level workers of the party in all the four parliamentary constituencies in the state to gear up the BJP workers for the electoral battle in the hill state slated to be held at the year end. Mr Shah had addressed BJP's booth level functionaries in the first Tridev Sammelan in Solan on December 11. As per available information, the Kangra Parliamentary constituency contains 1,806 polling booths and around 5,500 booth level functionaries of BJP have been called for the second Tridev Sammelan. The senior leaders of BJP, including former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar and Professor Prem Kumar Dhumal, Rajeev Bindal, would also attend the meet. Mr Nanda said that BJP core committee meet would also be held after the Sammelan. He said that the next Tridev Sammelan would be fixed for a date after the election process gets over in the five poll-bound states and would be addressed by Amit Shah only. As per the party plan, the other two Tridev Sammelans would be orgainised at Hamirpur and Mandi. For Himachal Pradesh, particularly, the party has devised the policy of strengthening its grassroots levels workers to get back to the power. The Tridev Sammelan is being seen as a major attempt of the party to encourage the workers. UNI ML SB SNU 1938 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1114546.Xml
Aam Aadmi Party national General Secretary Sanjay Singh and senior leader Kanwar Sandhu today strongly condemned the remarks of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, branding the whole Punjabi community as ''terrorists'' and blaming AAP for getting funds from radicals. Addressing Punjabi NRIs who arrived from Canada to campaign for AAP, in Chandigarh Press Club here, Sanjay Singh said Sukhbir Badal has lost his mental balance and his utterances against NRIs supporting AAP are unwarranted and great insult to Punjabi NRIs. He said NRIs in Canada had extended moral and financial support to AAP in hope to see a prospering Punjab, adding that Mr Badal had blamed that AAP was getting funds from terrorists. He claimed that AAP would win over 100 seats and both Badal father and son would be defeated from Lambi and Jalalabad with huge margins. Mr Singh said Capt Singh was befooling people of Punjab who has gone to contest from Lambi to support Parkash Singh Badal. "If Capt Amarinder is so confident to defeat Badal, why he is contesting from two seats. Let him choose only Lambi?" he said. AAP leader Kanwar Sandhu said that remarks of Sukhbir Badal were below dignity and signs of frustration in the SAD. He said that NRIs wanted to see people of Punjab as prosperous as they are in foreign countries. He said people of Punjab would give befitting reply to Badal family for humiliating the NRI community. He said they are the backbone of the Punjab's economy and equal partner in development of their mother land. He also thanked NRIs for their unconditional support. Jaskirat Mann from Canada said NRIs were deeply hurt with the comments of Sukhbir Badal. She said SAD leaders who went to the US and Canada last year were hounded by Punjabi community for ruining Punjab with drugs and mafia culture. AAP NRI cell head Jagtar Singh Sanghera also flayed Sukhbir Badal for calling NRIs terrorists and radicals. He said NRIs had supported SAD in 2007 and also funded their election campaigns with the hope that Akalis would give good governance. Badal family thought Punjab was their colony and worked only to promote their family businesses. UNI DB AE SB 1959 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1114389.Xml
With two former soldiers and wife of one ex-serviceman sitting on indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on the OROP issue, protesting veterans on Thursday said the government will be responsible if anything happened to those on fast. Sudesh Goel, wife of retired Major Ajmer Singh, Havildar Mahendra Kurmar and Havildar Major Singh began the indefinite hunger strike on January 15, Brigadier J.S. Sandhu (retd) told IANS. Havildar Major Singh had also observed an indefinite fast from August 17 to September 6 in 2015, when the indefinite hunger strike over the One Rank One Pension issue had ended. "They have been sitting on the fast since January 15; if anything happens to anyone the government will be responsible," Sandhu said. While the health parameters of the hunger strikers are fine as of now, but symptoms of weakness are appearing, he said. "Today is the fifth day; anything can happen. The woman is showing some weakness," he said. Sandhu accused the government of back-stabbing the veterans on the OROP issue. "Every time we talk to them, they stab us in the back. They have given an incomplete OROP, and said the anomalies will be studied by a committee. But where is the report?" he said. "The protest at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi has entered 582nd day. Groups from across the country are sitting on relay hunger strike since November 1, after a gap of six months. The government continues to mislead the nation through its campaign that the actual OROP had been implemented," said Major General Satbir Singh (retd), Adviser of the United Front of Ex-Servicemen and Chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM). The ex-servicemen first started the relay hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar on June 15, 2015. On August 17, 2015, two veterans started an indefinite fast, and they were joined by more ex-soldiers in the following days. The government meanwhile announced the scheme on September 5, 2015, which took 2013 as the base year to calculate pensions. The date of implementation was fixed at July 1, 2014. The period for review was five years. On September 6, 2015, the indefinite hunger strike ended, but protests continued along with relay hunger strikes. A one-man judicial committee was also formed under the chairmanship of Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, a retired Chief Justice of Patna High Court. The report was submitted to the Defence Ministry on October 26, 2016, but has not yet been made public. Finally on April 29, 2016, the relay hunger strike at Jantar Mantar was called off after 320 days, but it was resumed on November 1 and has been continuing since. The major sticking point for the protesting group of veterans is time period set for revision of pensions. While the government's OROP has provision for revision every five years, veterans have demanded annual rationalisation of pensions. The second major demand is regarding fixation of pensions at the top of the scale against the current fixation of mean average. The present OROP scheme has a mechanism of fixing pensions by calculating average of highest and lowest pensions for a rank, with protection for those with higher pensions. The third demand is to make April 1, 2014, as the implementation date and not July 1, 2014, at present. The government has said it has taken July 1 as the date of implementation as it came in power in May 2014. The fourth demand is for fixing the 2013-14 fiscal as the base year for implementation, and not on the basis of calendar year as it is at present. --IANS ao/tsb/dg ( 610 Words) 2017-01-19-20:50:07 (IANS)
More blue collar workers travelled on Emigration Check Required (ECR) passports from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar under the government's eMigrate system than any other state in the country last year, a senior official said on Thursday. While Uttar Pradesh accounted for 30 per cent of such workers to emigrate to the 18 ECR countries in 2016, Bihar accounted for 15 per cent, Protector General of Emigrants (PGE) M.C. Luther told the media here while giving an update of the eMigrate system. Tamil Nadu and Kerala, traditionally seen as the main source states of such workers, accounted for 7 per cent and 6 per cent respectively last year. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait are the preferred destinations of these workers, according to Luther. Asked what was the reason for the numbers going up in the northern states while going down in the southern states, Luther said that one of the major reasons was job availability in the state concerned. "Nobody wants to travel abroad if he has got a job next door," he said. "Number two, it is also related to drought... We have tracked the top 10 labour-sending districts and what is the pattern." According to the PGE, the pattern coincides with drought. "Because with drought, there is no job in agriculture or industry, so they leave for a place to earn their livelihood to support their families. So, it is co-related," he said. As of December 2016, around 1.5 million emigration clearances have been granted under the eMigrate system. The eMigrate system was rolled out by the government in May 2014 to regulate emigration for overseas employment. Among other features, it allows tracking of emigrants country-wise and reach out to them when in need, preventing the activities of illegal recruiting agents, rescue or repatriate emigrants in distress, registration of stakeholders (employer, recruiting agent and employee) and swift and online grievances redressal system. According to Luther, 89,930 employers from the 18 ECR countries are registered with the government. --IANS ab/dg ( 346 Words) 2017-01-19-21:34:10 (IANS)
After hint of involvement of ISI of Pakistan in recent train tragedy near Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh police has reopened investigations in the matter. Taking the matter seriously, Director General of UP police Javeed Ahmad has sent Inspector General Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and IG Railway to Motihari to investigate the matter. ATS team had interrogated arrested accused in Motihari yesterday. During interrogation one accused Moti Lal Paswan said he had damaged rail track twice with seven others and for that they had used IED explosives in pressure cookers. ATS team is verifying accused Paswan's statements with the help of forensic experts. Accused Moti Paswan told that Brij Kishore Giri who had been arrested by Nepal police and presently admitted in Kathmadu Hospital, was mastermind of the crime. IG ATS Asim Arun said, "One of the accused Moti Lal Paswan was interrogated. Received information are being verified by forensic experts, communication department and other related persons. Proceedings will move further according to evidence gathered." On November 20, Indore-Patna express train scheduled from Indore to Patna was derailed near Pukhrayan, Kanpur, resulting at least 150 deaths and as many injured.UNI JDM MB PY 2146 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1114873.Xml
The District Hospital's doctors tendered their resignations en masse today in the wake of yesterday's dispute between their colleague DS Suman and the ruling BJP's Municipality Chairperson Amita Arora's spouse Jaspal Singh. Jaspal was served a show cause notice by the BJP and a case registered against him late this evening. He was directed to submit a clarification in a period not exceeding a week. Yesterday afternoon, an altercation occurred between Dr Suman and Jaspal over medical examination of a ninth-standard student who was a victim of unnatural sex. The accused 'warned' all physicians to change their attitude. The doctors placed their side of the matter before Collector Sudam Khade prior to reaching the police station. Jaspal also arrived there with approximately 200 people, the student and his kin. An amicable settlement was reached after about a couple of hours. This morning, State Doctors' Union office-bearers led by Dr Madhav Hasani came here from Indore and interacted with the physicians. Twenty-one doctors, on duty today, put in their papers to the Collector. Six physicians who were on leave did likewise. Later, a doctors' team went to the state capital, met Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and urged Jaspal's expulsion from the party. A complaint was lodged with the Human Rights Commission. The accused also met Mr Chouhan. Paramedical staff from Ichhawar and Amlaha was requisitioned for work at the District Hospital. "From tomorrow, physicians across the state shall cease work for three hours daily and this will continue until Jaspal's arrest and eviction," Dr Hasani averred.UNI XC-AC SB 2235 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-1114923.Xml
Police said an old man was killed after being hit by a Sealdah to Krishnanagar-bound local train near Sodepur railway station, barely 16 km. from state capital, this morning.

Alleging that railway did not make announcement of the through train's arrival, which led to the aged man's death, locals blocked railway tracks for hours and vandalized station master's cabin.

Due to the blockade, train service in Sealdah main line was disrupted for hours and office-bound commuters suffered a lot.

However, after nearly two hours, the blockade was withdrawn and train service became normal.UNI XC-BM SB 2215

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According to reports, TMCP's state general secretary Jaya Dutta allegedly went to the campus along with a large number of outsiders.

After the student-leader left the campus, her companions engaged in a scuffle with the followers of TMCP's former general secretary Ashok Rudra inside the university premise, leaving one student hurt.

Denying the incident of a group clash, TMCP general secretary Jaya Dutta said, "I went to meet the Vice-Chancellor (VC) to demand a free, fair and violence-free students' union election in the university."

"No outsider went there with me and I don't know what exactly happened after I left the campus," Ms Dutta added.

However, the interim VC of CU Ashutosh Ghosh said, "We will appeal to the administration to arrange sufficient security in the campus until the students' union election process ends."

"I have directed our security not to allow anyone inside the campus without valid identity card," Mr Ghosh added.UNI XC-BM SB 2224

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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Thursday raised questions over the Annual Combined Commanders conference being held in Uttarakhand on January 21st and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking political advantage from the same as it would make an impact in the upcoming elections. "The Commanders Conference will be widely publicised, as will the Prime Ministers participation, which can impact the elections. This is a violation of a level playing field. The Prime Minister, to take a political advantage, is participating in this Conference," Rawat said in a press meet here. Rawat said that the organisation of the conference in the poll bound state of Uttarakhand and the participation of the Prime Minister in it for political gain is against the directives of the Election Commission. "We have given a memorandum to the State Election Commission. We have requested that the conference not be held during the time of election. This conference can be held after February 15. They will be most welcome," he said. The Combined Commanders Conference will be chaired by the Prime Minister along with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and will be attended by senior military commanders of the three services. The state will have single phase polling on February 15. The notification will be issued on January 20. (ANI)
French anti-terrorist services estimate that there are about 700 French residents in the ranks of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. They also added that there are around 1,000 who still reside in France but would like to join the terrorist organisation, Efe news reported. Loc Garnier, head of the Counter-Terrorism Coordination Unit (UCLAT), said in an interview on Wednesday, that it is not known the level of danger of each of those jihadists, who face difficulties in entering Syria and Iraq, while secret services are working to uncover their ideology. At the same time, about 200 IS fighters have been identified to have been in Syria or Iraq but have returned to France, and others who still want to return, but the restrictions on Turkey's borders and the military situation make their trip more difficult. According to UCLAT, in the areas controlled by IS, there are some 290 French women, or women who are French residents, and 460 French children, one third of whom have been born there. --IANS vgu/ ( 185 Words) 2017-01-19-05:10:07 (IANS)
The two met on the sidelines of the 2017 World Economic Forum.

Jack said his company has closely followed positive economic developments in Pakistan and is ready to invest in building eCommerce platform.

He said that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has provided immense opportunities.

Sharif invited Ma to visit Pakistan at the earliest opportunity.

While accepting the invitation, Ma invited the Prime Minister to visit his company's hub at Ghuangzou.

Jack mentioned that 60 million companies worldwide are only benefiting at the moment and to benefit developing countries, he plans to invest in SMEs. (ANI)
Cuba and the US on Wednesday signed an agreement that will allow greater bilateral cooperation in air and maritime search and rescue operations, officials said. The pact, signed in Havana by the charge d'affaires at the US Embassy, Jeffrey DeLaurentis, and Cuba's deputy minister for transportation, Marta Oramas, seeks to cement cooperation in this area and increase bilateral effectiveness in attending to the victims of accidents, including illegal migrants attempting to flee Cuba, Efe news reported. The accord recognizes the importance of cooperation in air and sea searches and is essential for the two nations as authorized trade and the flow of travellers between them increases, DeLaurentis said after the signing ceremony. Washington's top representative on the island noted that for more than 20 years the two nations have successfully cooperated in the "shared effort to save lives" on the high seas. Oramas, meanwhile, referred to the joint adoption in 2014 of operational procedures and good operating practices in rescuing victims of air and maritime accidents. "This precedent, as well as the new bilateral context, favoured the adoption of this instrument ... that strengthens bilateral cooperation in this area," she said. Oramas added that the pact also will permit the undertaking of joint exercises, periodic checks of communications channels, reciprocal visits by experts and information exchange. "In the face of the current increase in air and maritime transport in the region, this accord is of special importance and its signing constitutes a positive step in the improvement of relations between the two countries," she said. Cuba and the United States in December 2014 launched a process of rapprochement, which resulted the next year in reestablishing official bilateral connections and reopening embassies in Washington and Havana. Since then, the two nations have reached agreements in the areas of civil aviation, the environment, science and health, as well as other sectors. --IANS ksk ( 323 Words) 2017-01-19-08:50:07 (IANS)
Betsy DeVos, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's education secretary nominee, has said it should be up to the states to decide whether guns are allowed in schools. She cited grizzly bear protection as part of her answer, reports the CNN. DeVos said she would support Trump if he moved to ban gun-free schools zones, a position he advocated during the election campaign. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, who represents Sandy Hook, the site of the 2012 school shooting, asked DeVos if she believes guns have "any place in and around schools." To this, she replied, "I think that is best left to locales and states to decide." After Murphy pressed DeVos about why she can't say definitively whether they belong, DeVos brought up a story Senator Mike Enzi told earlier about a school in Wyoming that has fences around it to protect against grizzly bears. "I will refer back to Sen. Enzi and the school he is talking about in Wyoming. I think probably there, I would imagine there is probably a gun in a school to protect from potential grizzlies," she said. "If the question is around gun violence and the results of that, please know that my heart bleeds and is broken for those families that have lost any individual due to gun violence," she said. Murphy, a gun control advocate, later tweeted: "Tonight #BetsyDeVos would not oppose putting guns in our schools. I was shaken to the core by her answer. So should every American parent." (ANI)
One man died in a series of strong earthquakes which hit central Italy, a region devastated by deadly tremors last year, while heavy snow raised fears for the safety of others in the region.Yesterday four quakes of magnitude 5.2 and higher struck near the hill town of Amatrice, some 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Rome, in the space of four hours. Much of the area had already been abandoned after last year's earthquakes.The central Lazio, Marche and Abruzzo regions have been grappling with heavy snow, and one man aged about 82 died after the snow and one of the tremors made the roof of a farm building fall on him, a fire service spokesman said.A hotel in Abruzzo was hit by an avalanche and local media reported three people were feared missing. There were 20 people plus staff at the hotel, regional president Luciano D'Alfonso wrote on Facebook.Twenty firemen, two mountain rescue teams, six ambulances and local police were heading for the site, but the weather could mean it took them hours to arrive, a civil protection agency spokesman said.No other deaths or serious injuries were reported.Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said soldiers would help rescue teams get to the affected villages."This repetition of strong quakes is alarming for people who have already been so sorely tried," Gentiloni said in Berlin.A 30 year-old woman and a 17 year-old man were pulled out from the rubble, suffering from hypothermia, in the small town of Castiglione Messer Raimondo, the fire service said."Some areas have no electricity because of the snow, so even cellphones don't work," said Sante Stragoni, mayor of Acquasanta Terme, a town hit hard by a quake on Aug. 24 that killed 300 people. "The snow is two metres (six feet) deep in some areas," he told SkyTG 24 television.In Rome, buildings wobbled and the underground metro system was shut for several hours. Schoolchildren were sent home, and museums told visitors to leave.HIGH RISKThe US Geological Survey said the three strongest earthquakes, with magnitudes of 5.3, 5.7 and 5.6, all struck in the space of an hour.Gianluca Valsensise, a seismologist at Italy's National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV), said the risk of another quake of similar size in the area was high.Yesterday's quakes could have come as one single event of magnitude 6 or higher, Valensise said. "The earth's crust has for some reason decided to break up in smaller pieces."In all, there were 10 quakes over magnitude 4.0 clustered in a 10-km radius around Amatrice, which was devastated by last August's tremor, along with dozens of weaker ones. The belltower of the town's Sant'Agostino church, badly damaged in August, finally collapsed.The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in nearby Assisi was closed for the day as a precaution.The August 24 quake destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and more than 45,000 aftershocks have rattled the region, including a 6.6 magnitude quake in October, the biggest to strike Italy for 36 years.Last year's quakes reshaped more than 600 sq km (230 square miles) of land, lowering areas around the epicentre by up to 70 cm (28 inches), according to the INGV. REUTERS AKC 0503 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1113536.Xml
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz flew straight to Senegal to meet President Macky Sall after last ditch talks in Gambia aiming to resolve a crisis over its election, a Senegalese presidential source told Reuters today.Aziz left Gambia shortly before midnight, when Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh's presidential mandate expired.Senegal, with backing from regional leaders, has threatened to invade Gambia to depose Jammeh if he does not immediately hand over power to challenger Adama Barrow, who beat him in an election in December.REUTERS AKC 0602 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1113542.Xml
A senior US Commander has said that strong multilateral forums like the NATO are needed to mitigate threats arising from contested spaces in the presently growing interconnected world. Admiral Michele Howard, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, while delivering the key note address on the third day of the second Raisina Dialogue here said, "As a multilateral actor for collective defence, the 28-member NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) is a model for multilateralism." Pointing out the shift in America's trade across the Atlantic and the Pacific, Admiral Howard said this is also shaping the dynamics of global trade. She said NATO's engagement with the European Union is "at the heart of Europe's security" and engagement with African Union is "promising and fruitful". These are examples of how regional forums are useful platforms for cooperation their own security and also to serve global security. Responding to a question, she said that NATO and the European Union have been "synchronising their activities, sharing logistics support." A challenge that confronts the world in the cyber domain and to address cyber security threats "we need to be innovative", Admiral Howard said. She said NATO will continue to defend democratic ethos and support open societies as intolerance and religious extremism are emerging as major threats to global security. NATO also engages several countries in cooperative dialogue and "this is a perfect concept of collective defence." Building partnerships should form the New Normal, said Admiral Howard. More than 250 participants from 65 countries are taking part in this year's three-day Dialogue, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. The first edition was attended by 120 participants from 40 countries. (ANI)
The Islamic State (IS) terror group has killed 12 people in different parts of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, including its famous Roman theatre, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) said on Thursday. The SOHR said the victims included four civilians -- among them two professors -- and four soldiers, who were taken captive by the terrorists amid recent clashes in Palmyra, after the IS regained control of the city on December 11, Efe news reported. The remaining four victims were members of rebel factions, taken prisoner by IS militants during fighting in Al-Qalamoun, north of capital Damascus. The organisation said the four civilians were beheaded on Wednesday at the Palmyra Museum square, while the others were shot dead at a former Russian army base and at the theatre. The IS recaptured Palmyra after launching an offensive against Syrian armed forces on December 8. The terrorists gained control of Palmyra for the first time on May 20, 2015, but were driven out by the Syrian army 10 months later, aided by aerial support from Russia. During its dominion over the city, the feared terrorist group carried out killings at the theatre, including in July when 25 Syrian soldiers were shot dead by underage IS recruits. During the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D., Palmyra -- whose Greco-Roman ruins are a Unesco World Heritage Site -- was a prominent cultural hub and a nexus point for caravans travelling the Silk Road, an oasis of civilization in the midst of the central Syrian desert. --IANS ksk/vt ( 262 Words) 2017-01-19-14:56:10 (IANS)
China called today called for a "cool-headed" resolution to the political crisis in Gambia, after last-minute talks to resolve a dispute over a transfer of power fell through yesterday.Senegal, with backing from leaders in the region, has threatened to invade Gambia to depose its leader, Yahya Jammeh, if he does not hand over power to challenger Adama Barrow, who beat him in an election in early December.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying urged calm."We urge relevant parties to stay cool-headed, to attach importance to the interests of the people and country, to appropriately resolve the political crisis through dialogue and political consultation and to maintain peace and stability," she told a daily news briefing.China has a growing diplomatic and business presence in Africa and has been deeply involved in efforts to bring peace to South Sudan, for example.China resumed diplomatic ties with Gambia in March. The country was previously a diplomatic ally of Taiwan, the self-ruled island China claims as its own. China views Taiwan as a wayward province, with no right to formal foreign ties.The small West African state had previously been one of only a few African countries, along with Burkina Faso, Swaziland and So Tom and Prncipe, to recognise Taiwan. So Tom switched ties to China last month. REUTERS PS RK1538 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1114031.Xml
Russia has already invited the US to take part in the upcoming talks on Syria, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the media on Thursday. "As I said yesterday (Wednesday), we have already invited (the US)," Lavrov said. The international meeting on the Syrian settlement will be held in Kazakh capital Astana on Monday, January 23. "We think it would be the right thing to invite the representatives of the UN and the new US administration to the meeting," Lavrov had said on Wednesday, at a press conference summing up the results of Russian foreign policy in 2016. Some armed opposition groups have already decided to attend peace talks in Astana. The discussions, intend to build on a nationwide ceasefire that has largely held despite escalating violence across several battlefronts in recent days. Thursday's announcement came despite recent statements by Iran, which strongly objects to the US participation in the talks. "We are opposed to a US presence (in Astana). We have not invited them (US), and we are against their presence," Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was earlier quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency. Russia, however, hopes that the incoming Trump administration will accept the invitation. "We're counting on the new (US) administration accepting this invitation and being represented by experts on any level they consider possible. It will be the first official contact during which we could begin discussing stepping up the efficiency of fighting terrorism in Syria," Lavrov said. The truce, which began in Syria on December 30, to pave the way for the new peace talks, excludes the IS and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which changed its name from Al Nusra Front after breaking ties with Al Qaeda last year. Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, set the new diplomatic effort in motion after Syrian rebels suffered a major defeat last month by losing the rebel-held districts of eastern Aleppo. Pro-democracy protests in March 2011 escalated and the country descended into civil war as rebel groups were formed to fight government, the conflict is now more than just a battle as it has acquired sectarian overtones, pitching the country's Sunni majority against Shias, and drawn in regional and world powers, including Russia and the US. --IANS ahm/dg ( 384 Words) 2017-01-19-16:26:09 (IANS)
Benjamin Netanyahu has spent 30 years in public office, including 11 years as Israel's prime minister, but this year his political future is being called into question as seldom before.Police say they have questioned Netanyahu twice since January 2 at his official residence in Jerusalem in two separate criminal cases involving allegations of abuse of office.Netanyahu, known to supporters and opponents as "Bibi", has denied any wrongdoing, saying repeatedly: "there will be nothing because there is nothing". No charges have been brought.Almost every night on television and every day in newspapers since January 2, purported leaks have appeared describing what the media say are details of the investigation.Prosecutors have confirmed almost none of what has emerged, only that Netanyahu has been questioned and that one of the cases relates to gifts he received from businessmen. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the specifics of the activities under investigation.The leaks, though, have fuelled opposition calls for him to go, and separate opinion polls conducted on behalf of the Jerusalem Post, the Walla news website, the Globes business newspaper and Channel 2 all show his party's popularity is slipping. Netanyahu has said the media is out to get him and he has no intention of stepping down."This orchestrated campaign includes media people who are acting not just as journalists but also as investigators, judges and executioners," he told a weekly meeting on Monday of legislators from his right-wing Likud party, who welcomed him with chants of "King Bibi"."I intend to keep leading the Likud and the country for many more years."In the second investigation, Haaretz newspaper and Channel Two news say police have tapes of Netanyahu speaking to an Israeli newspaper publisher about a mutually beneficial deal. Sections of transcripts, which Reuters has not independently authenticated, have been aired nightly for the past week.The attorney-general has confirmed recordings exist, but has said he does not intend to release them yet.GIFTSThe first case Netanyahu has been questioned about, according to a Justice Ministry statement, involves receiving gifts from businessmen. Under Israeli law, public servants and their immediate family are prohibited from taking gifts or receiving benefits, unless they are small gifts that conform to "social norms".Police and the Justice Ministry have not provided further information about either case.According to Haaretz, one of the businessmen was Arnon Milchan, an Israeli-born Hollywood producer, who supplied Netanyahu and his wife with hundreds of thousands of shekels of cigars and champagne.Netanyahu's lawyers do not dispute that he received gifts, but say there was nothing wrong in getting presents from personal friends. Milchan's lawyer in Israel, who is handling the matter, declined to comment.Channel 10 and Haaretz have said the second businessman who supplied Netanyahu and his family with gifts was Australian casino tycoon James Packer. Channel Ten reported on Tuesday that Netanyahu's son Yair, 25, whom the Prime Minister's Office said is a friend of Packer, was questioned by police.Representatives of Packer, who owns a home in Israel and has high-tech investments in the country, did not respond to requests for comment.According to Channel 10, the gifts included tickets to a Mariah Carey concert in Israel for Netanyahu's wife Sara, gourmet meals for the family and Packer hosting Yair Netanyahu at his home in Colorado, aboard his yacht and at a hotel room in New York.Media reports regarding the second case have startled many in Israel, because they say Netanyahu discussed a possible deal with a man many people believed to be his sworn enemy.According to Channel Two, Netanyahu is being investigated over discussions with Arnon Mozes, owner and publisher of the widely-read Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, to receive positive coverage in exchange for Netanyahu-backed legislation that would limit the distribution of competing free daily Israel Today.Reuters found no evidence such an agreement was ever finalised.Netanyahu, writing on Facebook on Sunday, said extracts of transcripts of his conversations with Mozes carried in the newspapers did not represent the full picture, but he could not elaborate while under investigation.Israel Today is financed by U.S. casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who is a Netanyahu supporter. The paper is staunchly pro-Netanyahu. In 2014, the opposition proposed a bill to restrict its distribution. Netanyahu opposed it, and shortly afterwards called early elections, which he won.Two media spokespeople for Adelson contacted by Reuters for comment did not respond and Mozes and Yedioth Ahronoth have not responded to requests for comment. Mozes declined to answer reporters' questions as he walked into the police station where he was quizzed on Monday.Netanyahu has accused Mozes and his newspaper several times of trying to topple him. During the 2015 election campaign, Yedioth Ahronoth took an editorial line against Netanyahu, frequently running critical reports on him.Netanyahu's conversations with Mozes were recorded in the run-up to the March 2015 election at the prime minister's request by a former staff member, and the tapes were seized by police in a separate investigation, according to Channel Two and Haaretz.TRANSCRIPTSThe newspaper's editor, Ron Yaron, published a front-page op-ed on Sunday in which he said that had such a deal between Netanyahu and Mozes been concluded, Yedioth Ahronoth's entire staff would have resigned.Netanyahu said Yedioth Ahronoth's negative attitude towards him and Israel Today's operations remained unchanged. "Every evening, filtered, carefully chosen transcripts are disseminated," the prime minister's Facebook response said.According to what Channel Two described as excerpts from a transcript of a Netanyahu-Mozes conversation, the prime minister told the newspaper publisher: "We're talking about moderation, about reasonable reporting, to lower the level of hostility towards me from 9.5 to 7.5."It quoted Mozes as replying: "We have to make sure that you're prime minister."Channel Two also aired what it described as excerpts in which the two men discuss limiting Israel Today's circulation through legislation and Mozes asks Netanyahu to suggest names of journalists he would like to see write in the newspaper.Yair Tarchitsky, the chairman of Israel's Journalists' Union, said the suggestions of a backroom deal were shocking."I would never have imagined these two big enemies would be sitting down together and discussing how to shape Israel and the media landscape," he told Reuters."This deal, if it's really true, is a threat to Israel as a democratic state and to freedom of the press."Investors seem unruffled by the investigations - financial markets and the currency remain strong. But while Netayahu's coalition is stable, some polls show his popularity waning.A survey of 600 people published by Channel Two News on Tuesday showed 54 percent do not believe Netanyahu when he says he has done no wrong and 44 percent think he should resign now. Twenty-eight percent do believe Netanyahu and 43 percent said he should stay in office.Four polls in recent weeks have shown the party led by one of Netanyahu's political rivals, Yair Lapid, a telegenic former TV host, growing stronger. The results indicated Lapid's party would win two to five seats more than Likud if an election was held immediately.Netanyahu is not the first Israeli leader to have faced criminal investigation: former prime minister Ehud Olmert was convicted of breach of trust and bribery in 2014 and Ariel Sharon, premier from 2001-2006, was questioned while in office over allegations of bribery and campaign financing illegalities. He was not convicted.In the past, prime ministers have stayed in office long after being put under investigation and officials who support Netanyahu believe the prospect of charges remains remote. But the weight of supposition could change sentiment and force elections, they said.Tzachi Hanegbi a Likud minister was quoted in the Jerusalem Post newspaper as saying he has known Netanyahu for three decades and believes nothing will come of the investigation. "I think he is an honest guy," Hanegbi said.REUTERS PS AN1605 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1114077.Xml
An Islamic State-linked kidnap gang in the Philippines freed two Filipinos held captive for nearly three months, the military said today, the second release in less than a week by a group notorious for beheading foreigners.It was unclear if a ransom was paid but the military said its intensified operations against the heavily armed Abu Sayyaf group likely forced it to release the captives."We've added more forces there so that's the most probable reason," said Franco Alano, spokesman for the military's Western Mindanao Command.Abu Sayyaf on Saturday freed the captain of a South Korean cargo ship captain and a Filipino crew member held since October last year.The group, which was born out of a separatist ideology but is better known for banditry and piracy, is still holding about two dozen foreign and Filipino captives on Jolo island, its stronghold where more than 10,000 troops have been deployed.The military was expecting more captives to be freed in the coming days as its operations take their toll on the rebels, Alano said. REUTERS PS AN1717 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1114257.Xml
A court in the eastern Indonesian holiday island of Lombok today sentenced a British man to five years in prison for sexually abusing a teenage boy, the man's lawyer said.Stuart Richard Pike, 45, was also fined 4,488 dollars for repeatedly abusing a 17-year old, who he said he did not know was underage at the time.Pike's lawyer said his client was considering appealing the verdict."He would like to spend some time, about one or two days, to think about whether he will appeal or not. Basically he still feels that he is not guilty of abusing the child," the lawyer, Bambang Hardiyanto, said after the trial on the island east of Bali.A string of paedophilia cases in tourist destinations, like Bali and Lombok, has prompted police to cooperate with some foreign counterparts in preventing child sex offenders from traveling to Indonesia.Official data on sexual abuse remains scarce in Indonesia, where more than 90 percent of rapes go unreported, according to a recent survey by victim support group Lentera Sintas Indonesia.REUTERS PS AN1727 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1114292.Xml
When Iraqi forces faced a fierce Islamic State counter-attack last month at a hospital in Mosul they had stormed without enough troops to hold it, US advisers behind the front lines shepherded them to safety.And as they punched through the city's northern limits a few weeks later, it was again the Americans who counselled them how best to avoid roadside bombs and head off Islamic State suicide car bombers.Washington, leading an international coalition against the jihadists in Iraq and Syria, has launched thousands of air strikes over the past 2-1/2 years and provided aerial surveillance vital to pushing them back.But American guidance to Iraqi counterparts all the way up to the commander-in-chief has taken on greater significance in the Mosul campaign, which entered its fourth month this week, as advisers integrated with the Iraqis to an unprecedented level for conventional US forces.As the Iraqis have made rapid gains in a renewed push since the turn of the year, retaking nearly all of eastern Mosul, US soldiers have moved closer to the fight.The coalition insists that on the battlefield the Iraqis "own the plan". But Iraqi commanders say the Americans' advice, like their firepower, has become indispensable.Lieutenant Colonel Salah Kareem al-Kinani, from the 9th armoured division which briefly seized the Salam Hospital in December, said his troops were surrounded, running out of ammunition and moments away from disaster when the United States launched air strikes that provided a "lifeboat". The help didn't end there."The Americans were instructing us on the routes we should take to retreat and avoid Daesh ambushes," he said by phone, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State."Without them, we would have been blind on the ground."Colonel Ahmed al-Taie from the 16th army division fighting around northern Mosul estimates U.S. support is responsible for half of all battlefield gains."Without the Americans' support, it would have been tough to reverse the tide against Daesh in Iraq," he said.When Iraqi commanders from all the Mosul fronts met in December to break deadlock on the battlefield, the Americans were on hand to lend advice.COMBINED OPERATIONSLieutenant Colonel Ed Matthaidess says his most productive work as an adviser is done each night after the guns fall silent and he sits with his Iraqi counterparts.Over countless cups of sugary black tea, the officers pore over maps and data, discussing what went right and wrong that day and how to adjust strategy.Reuters gained unprecedented access late last month to three locations where hundreds of U.S. troops are deployed, including one of their most forward outposts in Bartella where Matthaidess operates.His team occupies a two-storey house about 10 km east of Mosul where officers from both militaries congregate around large screens glowing with colour-coded maps of the battlefield and live drone feeds."Anything that you could imagine goes into the fight (has) at some point and time ... been advised on," Matthaidess told Reuters.That often means revising Iraqi plans to maximise the effectiveness of coalition firepower as well as enhancing the Iraqis' logistics, intelligence and force positioning.U.S. soldiers also confer with Iraqi commanders in Mosul to oversee operations and help call in air strikes to a constellation of war rooms across the country where other advisers help the Iraqis decide how to prioritise targets and which aircraft to use."The man on the ground knows what's going on best," said Lieutenant Colonel Stuart James, who commands U.S. troops from a separate outpost near Bartella."I don't hear the battle, I don't sense the battle. When I have somebody forward on the ground, they can do that."The Americans reject the notion that they simply tell the Iraqis what to do."That's entirely wrong," said Matthaidess. "It's us helping them enable their plan - make it the best that we can".Though U.S. troops shell Islamic State positions daily and have occasionally exchanged gunfire with them, Washington insists this is not a combat mission."Kicking down doors is not contributing to the fight because (the Iraqis) have guys that can do that," Matthaidess said.As a result, only three US servicemen have been killed since mid-2014 compared with the more than 4,000 US fatalities following the 2003 invasion.SMALLER FOOTPRINTThe US presence is a far cry from that nine-year occupation which at its height saw 170,000 troops in Iraq.There are now about 5,260 troops in the country plus around 100 special operations forces who also advise some units and conduct secret raids against Islamic State leaders.US forces returned to Iraq in 2014 after Islamic State blitzed across the country's north and west, threatening to overrun Baghdad and the Kurdish city of Erbil.The Americans were initially confined to a few secure bases, but as the militants were pushed back they began venturing out and now appear frequently in heavily armoured vehicles.Victory in Mosul would probably spell the end of Islamic State's self-styled caliphate, but the group is already giving a taste of the tactics it is likely to adopt if it loses its largest urban stronghold.Scores of people have been killed in bombings in Baghdad in recent weeks, and insurgents have attacked police stations and checkpoints, and cut roads in other areas.Coalition head Lieutenant-General Steve Townsend told Reuters last month that a "sustained presence" would be needed to keep an Islamic State successor from taking over.REUTERS PY BL1942 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1114681.Xml
Israel's right wing has been eagerly awaiting Donald Trump's arrival in the White House, hoping a Republican president will usher in a new era of support for Israeli settlement-building on land Palestinians want for a state.The far-right Jewish Home party, along with members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, is promoting legislation that would effectively annex one large settlement in the occupied West Bank to Israel and another bill that would legalise dozens of unauthorised outposts.But there could be a question mark over the issue, with Netanyahu possibly looking to curb settlement laws, wary of the dangers of the far right's ambitions being too freely unleashed as he feels his way forward with the new US administration.The Israeli leader's spokesman declined to comment on Netanyahu's position.In its final weeks, the Obama administration angered the Israeli government by withholding a traditional US veto of an anti-settlement resolution at the United Nations Security Council, enabling the measure to pass.President Barack Obama on Wednesday said he was worried that the prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- the idea of Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security -- were waning.Israeli right wingers contrast Obama's warnings with what they see as positive signals from Trump that indicate Washington's attitude towards settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas Israel captured in a 1967 war, is about to change.Trump's nominee to be US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, echoed his condemnation of the world body over its treatment of Israel at her Senate confirmation hearing yesterday."SUDDEN MOVES CAN BE EXPLOSIVE"Trump, who has said he wants to meet Netanyahu "at the first opportunity", has pledged to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In his remarks on Wednesday, Obama cautioned against "sudden unilateral moves" that could be "explosive".Israel regards all of Jerusalem as its capital but most of the world does not, seeing its final status as a matter for peace negotiations that have been frozen since 2014.In a move that has emboldened Israeli right wingers, the president-elect has already appointed a new US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, who is considered far right on issues, including settlement building.Naftali Bennett, leader of the Jewish Home, hopes that under Trump's administration the notion of establishing a Palestinian state will be abandoned.He wants to promote a bill extending Israeli sovereignty to Maale Adumim, a West Bank settlement of about 40,000 Israelis that lies just to the east of Jerusalem.That would in effect mean Israel annexing some of the land it has occupied for almost 50 years."It's either (Israeli) sovereignty or Palestine," Bennett told Army Radio this month. "The question is not what will Trump do but what will Israel ask for. What will Israel present as its vision. We are in the money-time now for forming this vision."But Professor Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States, believes the right wing may be getting ahead of itself and its ambitions could backfire."In reality, where the United States needs to live not just with us but also with the Arab and Muslim world, supporting extremist measures in Israel could turn out to be something the United States cannot live with," Rabinovich said.ANNEXATION "RED LINE"Bennett ultimately advocates the annexation of most of the West Bank, leaving just the major Palestinian towns and cities in Palestinian hands. But first he is testing the water with the annexation bill, entitled "Sovereignty in Maale Adumim First". It is due for a first discussion in a ministerial committee on Sunday, two of its drafters said."I believe this is the gift that the people of Israel deserve in the run-up to Trump's inauguration," Bennett's fellow party member, Betzalel Smotrich, told parliament on Tuesday.A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said annexation was a red line. "Any such Israeli decision will be considered a dangerous escalation that would end any possible hope for peace," Nabil Abu Rdainah told Reuters.Late last year, a separate bill that would retroactively legalise settlement outposts built on privately-owned Palestinian land in the West Bank passed the first of three votes in parliament required to make it law. No dates have been set for final approval, and it has since disappeared from the agenda.Asked about the delay, a source in Netanyahu's office said: "He wants to freeze the outpost bill."Asked about the law, a legislative source said: "It's stuck in committee. There will be attempts to bring it back on the agenda after Jan. 20, but I think it is pretty much buried at this point," he said, referring to the date of the inauguration.The legislation had drawn anger from the Palestinians and international condemnation. Smotrich told Reuters that it will be brought to a second and third reading in February. "We were waiting for the end of the Obama age," he said.A political source close to Netanyahu said that with regard to the proposed Maale Adumim annexation, the prime minister may say he wishes to hold off until after he meets Trump.Tzachi Hanegbi, a Likud minister and Netanyahu confidant, said Netanyahu understood that such steps would further isolate Israel. Most countries regard Israeli settlements as illegal, a view that Israel disputes."He does not want to shake the entire world and put Israel at the centre of contention, isolation and criticism," Hanegbi told Army Radio. "I hope the government will not let itself be dragged after Jewish Home's agenda."At the same time, Netanyahu is competing with Jewish Home for right-wing, pro-settlement voters. He may disagree with the party's approach, but he can't ignore it."If the (annexation) bill comes up, Likud ministers will support it. They can do nothing else," the source said. REUTERS PS AN1918 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1114602.Xml
Soldiers, sniffer dogs and rescue workers were searching for an estimated 25 trapped firefighters today in the ruins of a 17-storey commercial building that collapsed while they were trying to put out a blaze, the mayor of Tehran said.Iranian state TV said at least 78 people, including 45 firefighters, had been hurt when the Plasco building in the south of the capital came crashing down in a giant cloud of dust. One witness described it as "like a horror movie".Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf denied speculation on social media that dozens of people had been killed. "The reports on 30, 50 fatalities are incorrect. Around 25 firefighters are trapped inside and rescue teams are trying to take them out," he told state television.The broadcaster reported: "Still some parts of the collapsed building are on fire. Firefighters are trying to control the fire." Most of those hurt had been taken to hospital and many were quickly discharged, it said.The semi-official Tasnim news agency said troops had been sent to help dig through the ruins. It said one of the first firefighters to be reached had demanded to be let back inside to save his colleagues.The agency quoted an official in the Tehran governor's office as saying an electrical short-circuit had caused the fire, but there was no immediate confirmation of this.President Hassan Rouhani ordered an immediate investigation and compensation for those affected.RESCUE COULD TAKE DAYSTehran Fire Department spokesman Jalal Maleki said the building had collapsed vertically. "That is why adjacent buildings were not damaged," he said.Occupants of the building had been evacuated as the firefighters tackled the blaze. State TV said the tenants included garment manufacturers, and broadcast footage of business owners trying to re-enter the wreckage.Sniffer dogs searched for signs of survivors buried under giant slabs of concrete and heaps of twisted metal. The rescue operation could last more than two days, state TV said.The Plasco building, Iran's first private high-rise, was built more than 50 years ago by a prominent Iranian-Jewish businessman who was arrested and sentenced to death for ties to Israel after the 1979 Islamic revolution.Tasnim said it "had caught fire in the past". A fire department spokesman told state TV that tenants "had been warned repeatedly in the past months by the municipality to evacuate the building because of safety concerns.""We had repeatedly warned the building managers about the lack of safety," Maleki told state TV. "The building lacked fire extinguishers... But the building managers ignored the warnings."The owner of a nearby grocery store, forced by police to leave the area, told Reuters by telephone: "It was like a horror movie. The building collapsed in front of me."The semi-official Fars news agency said police had cordoned off the nearby British, German and Turkish embassies. "The flames could be seen kilometers away from the old building," it said. REUTERS PY PR2043 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1114827.Xml
British Prime Minister Theresa May said today she had had positive discussions with banks about the benefits of the City of London financial district.After she said earlier this week that Britain would be leaving the EU single market, banks are expected to push ahead with plans to relocate parts of businesses elsewhere in the EU so they can continue to sell their services across the bloc.Speaking to the BBC at the World Economic Conference in Davos, Switzerland, May said: "I've had a very good, positive discussion with banks about the benefits of the City of London, about what it is that has brought them to the City of London, and how we can continue to build on that for the future."There are huge benfits for investments in the UK - we have a fundamentally very strong economy economy, we have a service sector that is ... valued around the world."I believe a truly global Britain can brings jobs and prosperity to the UK across the board, including in financial services."REUTERS PY BL2226 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1114918.Xml
The millitant commander was identified as Rizwan alias Asif Chotu, the chief of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ), a Punjab-based banned outfit involved in carrying out sectarian attacks in the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

Police said he killed hundreds of people and had a bounty of $30,000 on his head.

Formed in early 1990s, the LeJ is considered one of the most extremist Sunni terror group of Pakistan and is accused of killing hundreds of Shia Muslims across the country since its formation.

The group was banned by former President Pervez Musharraf in 2001.

The group also claimed many sectarian attacks including bomb blasts and attacks on Shia pilgrims' buses in the country's Balochistan province over the last few years.

Another killed militant was the Chief of the LeJ in the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The terrorist Noor ul Amin had a bounty of $10,000 on his head.

Dawn News said that acting on an intelligence tip-off, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police set up a special picket to snap check vehicles carrying suspected militants on the Sheikhupura-Lahore Road in the country's east Punjab province.

The CTD officials said that seven terrorists riding four motorbikes tried to ride past the picket when the policemen signalled them to stop for checking.

The bike riders changed their route after seeing the police, and opened fire while fleeing.

Four militants were killed in the shoot-out while three managed to flee.

--IANS lok/

( 276 Words)

2017-01-20-02:02:06 (IANS)
TIRANA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The European Union will give Albania 10 million euros (10.6 million U.S. dollars) to support the implementation of the Vetting Law, a key law related to Albania's judicial reform, an official said on Wednesday.

The "Vetting Law" is considered crucial not only for the implementation of Albania's judicial reforms, but also for the country's opening of accession talks with the EU.

The EU will give 19.1 million euros to Albania, 10 million of which will be used only for implementing the Vetting Law, according to Albanian minister of integration Klajda Gjosha.

Gjosha said the opening of negotiations for EU accession will depend on the tangible results of judicial reform, especially on law enforcement of Vetting Law.

The Vetting Law adopted last August calls for the scanning of around 800 judges and prosecutors in Albania in terms of their professional ability, moral integrity and level of independence from organized crime, corruption and political officials.
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at his final press conference at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, Jan. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday that having a constructive relationship with Russia is in the interest of the U.S. and the world.

"That's been my approach throughout my presidency," Obama said at his final press conference, two days before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

However, Obama said he noted an escalation of anti-American rhetoric on the part of Russia in recent years, saying the return to "an adversarial spirit" that existed during the Cold War has made the U.S.-Russia relationship more difficult.

He also defended his decisions over the past years to impose several rounds of sanctions on Russia, in conjunction with U.S. allies in Europe.

"The reason we imposed the sanctions...was because the independence and sovereignty of a country, Ukraine, had been encroached upon by force, by Russia," Obama said, adding that it was "the judgment of the entire international community."

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in New York, the United States, on Jan. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Gary Hershorn)

In a recent interview, Trump proposed offering to end sanctions imposed on Russia in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal with Moscow.

"They have sanctions on Russia -- let's see if we can make some good deals with Russia," the President-elect told The Times of London.

"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.

Asked about the effectiveness of Trump's strategy at Wednesday's press conference, Obama said, "If President-elect Trump is able to restart those talks in a serious way, I think there remains a lot of room for our two countries to reduce our stock piles."
SYDNEY, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- In a shock move on Thursday morning, the Premier of the Australian state of New South Wales has resigned from politics.

In a statement, Baird said he was honored to serve as the premier, but now after making a difference, was happy to move on.

"We have repaired the State budget, rejuvenated the economy, created jobs in unprecedented numbers, boosted frontline services and unleashed an infrastructure boom in Sydney and the regions, which everyone can see with their own eyes." Baird said.

The unexpected move will see a party room meeting next week where new leaders will be selected.

"Following that meeting, I will resign from Parliament, effective immediately....my retirement from politics will enable fresh leadership for my community." Baird said.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- China continues to cut its holding of U.S. Treasury securities in November last year, the latest data from the U.S. Treasury Department showed on Wednesday.

China shed its treasuries holding by 66.4 billion U.S. dollars in November, with the total holding down to 1.0493 trillion U.S. dollars. It has cut its treasuries holding for six consecutive months.

The Chinese renminbi (RMB), or the yuan, has seen sharp falls since October last year, stoking market concerns. But economists ruled out the possibility of persistent slips in 2017, and believe China is capable of handling the impact, in view of China's relatively large current account surplus and high economic growth.

Japan, which overtakes China as the largest holder of U.S. treasuries in October, also cut its holding by 23.3 billion dollars to 1.1086 trillion dollars in November.

By the end of November, overall foreign holdings of U.S. Treasury securities dropped to 5.9443 trillion U.S. dollars from October's 6.0404 trillion dollars.
BOGOTA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Colombian authorities confirmed that an explosion in central Bogota had left nine people hurt on Wednesday.

The explosion, which took place on the fourth floor of a building next door to the country's tax office, was claimed by the Popular Revolutionary Movement (MPR).

The MPR has taken credit for the explosion in a statement, saying it was carried out against the tax reform which they say would hurt Colombians while lawmakers have high salaries and retirements.

General Hoover Penilla, commander of Bogota's metropolitan police, said that those injured were not in danger and were being treated for cuts and acoustic trauma.

"There are no more injured people and the only damage to the building is at the window where they hung the banner," he told the press.

According to the official, two people burst into the apartment, subdued the person living there and activated the explosive charge.

The central area of the city has been cordoned off and a number of buildings were evacuated as an investigation began into those responsible.
BUCHAREST, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Romanian mergers and acquisitions market jumped 23 percent year on year in 2016, with a total value of 3.4 to 4 billion euros (3.7 to 4.3 billion U.S. dollars), industry data revealed on Wednesday.

The year 2016 was "exceptionally good" in Romania's mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market, Agerpres news agency quoted Ioana Filipescu, financial advisory partner with Deloitte Romania, as saying.

According to Filipescu, 85 transactions worth over 5 million euros were carried out in Romania in 2016. The average value of a transaction was 43 million euros.

The largest transaction was the takeover of the Ursus Breweries by Japan's Asahi in December, with a value of 856 million euros.

The second largest one as value was the acquisition by CEFC China of a 51-percent shareholding in KMG International NV (Rompetrol), one of the major oil companies operating in Romania and the surrounding regions.

The third biggest transaction was the transfer of the retailer Profi.

These three transactions accounted for 1.98 billion euros, representing around 55 percent of the entire market.
QUITO, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Colombia's government and National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group have agreed to begin peace talks on Feb. 7, the two sides announced on Wednesday.

The delegations issued a joint statement out of Quito, Ecuador, which is hosting the talks, saying Feb. 7 will mark "the start of the official talks for Colombian peace."

Both parties have also agreed to make a goodwill gesture on Feb. 2, in the lead up to the talks, with the ELN liberating former congressman Odin Sanchez Montes de Oca, who rebels seized in April, and the government pardoning two members of the guerrilla group serving prison sentences.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, speaking from Davos, where he is attending an international economic forum, celebrated the announcement, saying "we have an agreement with the ELN."

The government's head negotiator, Juan Camilo Restrepo, said "we have a roadmap, an agenda made public in March 2016, which we hope will lead us to the door of peace."

ELN delegation chief Commander Pablo Beltran said fixing a date "allows us to begin the six-point agenda, which aims to overcome the armed conflict and create the conditions" for peace.

The ELN is Colombia's second-largest guerrilla group, after the FARC, with some 1,500 fighters in 10 of the country's 32 departments, according to the Caracol News network.

The FARC recently concluded nearly four years of negotiations with the government that resulted in a definitive peace deal and a newly-launched process of disarming.

Five decades of fighting between state forces and the leftist rebel groups has led to more than 200,000 deaths, tens of thousands of missing, and displaced millions of people.
By Alessandra Cardone

ROME, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Four major quakes hit central Italy on Wednesday, causing havoc in areas already struck by a series of seismic events last year, and by a wave of freezing weather in the last few days.

At least one person died near the city of Teramo, and another went missing after an avalanche occurred near L'Aquila, both in the Abruzzo region, Ansa news agency reported.

The first 5.3-magnitude temblor on the Richter scale struck at 10:25 a.m. local time (0925 GMT), according to Italy's National Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (INGV). It was registered at a relatively shallow depth of 9 km.

The second quake carrying a magnitude of 5.4 hit at 11:14 a.m., the third one measuring 5.3 struck at 11:25 a.m., and the fourth 5.1-magnitude one at 2:33 p.m.,respectively at local time.

The epicentres of the temblors were registered between the provinces of Rieti and L'Aquila, the INGV stated.

The medieval city of L'Aquila, largely destroyed by a quake in 2009, did not suffer major damages this time.

More than 100 aftershocks were registered in between these main events, according to the Institute of Seismology.

The major quakes were clearly felt all across the central regions of Abruzzo, Marche and Lazio.

The earth trembled as far as in the Italian capital, some 110 km west, where most schools were closed, and the underground subway temporarily evacuated in the morning. No damages were reported there.

The victim so far registered was an 83-year-old man, whose body was recovered from the ruins of a building in Castel Castagna that collapsed due to both the quakes and heavy snow, the Civil Protection Department said.

A second man of 60-year old was missing as of Wednesday evening, and rescue teams feared he might have been buried under a snowslide in the village of Campotosto, where also the city hall's roof collapsed due to the tremors.

A woman and her child were rescued from the rubbles of a collapsed house also near Teramo, according to Ansa.

One of several structures still standing in Amatrice, the bell tower, collapsed on Wednesday. The little town had already been levelled by a 6.0-magnitude quake on Aug. 24 that caused some 300 deaths overall.

Two major temblors followed on October 26 and October 30 last year, destroying much of the historical heritage of those regions, and forcing thousands of people to live in tent cities, temporary houses, or trailers.

As such, Wednesday's new events affected the local population particularly hard. Their living conditions had been already exacerbated by an exceptional wave of cold weather.

The freezing temperatures disrupted power lines and water pipes in Abruzzo and Marche, leaving at least 87,000 people without electricity, and 5,000 without water, according to local authorities.

Some 850 firefighters were deployed in the areas to provide support to local rescue teams, the Interior Ministry said.

The Italian army was also called in to help clearing major transport routes from the snow, which has reportedly hampered aid efforts in the hours immediately after the quakes.

The INGV said the recent events were linked to the first, major quake of August.

Yet, four temblors all above magnitude 5 of the Richter scale -- and occurring in about four hours -- were "a new phenomenon in the recent history for the modalities in which they occurred," Ansa cited INGV seismologist Alessandro Amato as saying.

As emergency teams' activities were halted after night fell on Wednesday, the Civil Protection warned a snow alert would persist across regions of Abruzzo and Molise on Thursday.
PRAGUE, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Czech State Institute for Drug Control (SUKL) published on Wednesday the results of inspection that revealed the illegal drug exports by the Czech pharmacies worth around 149 million crowns (about 5.96 million U.S. dollars).

SUKL head Zdenek Blahuta said that major part of the illegal exports, mainly medications for angina and diabetes treatment, went to Slovakia, while the other part went to Germany.

Czech pharmacies tend to complain about a shortage of medications for angina, diabetes, epilepsy, asthma and antidepressants, according to the report.

Zdenek said that the illegal export created a dead-end situation in the country, where certain types of drugs are badly needed at home while local pharmacies exported them overseas.

This is not the first time that Czech pharmacies are found ignoring the law and public health.

In 2016, SUKL imposed 34 million crowns (about 1.36 million dollars) penalty on Czech drug stores for the similar illegal export operations.

Zdenek said the inspections will continue this year.

Czech Parliament in coming weeks will consider a new amendment to the law on drugs aimed to intensify the monitoring of medications sale and export.
BUCHAREST, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Online sales of physical products in Romania soared 30 percent year on year to over 1.8 billion euros (1.91 billion U.S. dollars) in 2016, industry data revealed on Wednesday.

The sales didn't include services, bill payments, plane tickets, event tickets, hotel reservations, travel etc., according to a report released by Romania's e-commerce market authority GPeC.

GPeC is the most important e-commerce event in Romania and the biggest Romanian online shop community. It also gathers and publishes the Romanian e-commerce market official figures every year.

Romania reported a significant increase in mobile device traffic, as more people own smartphones and use them to browse online shop content and shopping online.

According to the latest data, smartphone penetration rate grew significantly in Romania in 2016 to 70 percent, compared with 50 percent in 2015.

Over 50 percent of online shops visits come from mobile devices, while mobile shopping reached 35-40 percent of the total Romanian e-commerce market in 2016, showed the GPeC report.

Romania is one of the biggest e-commerce industries in Southeastern Europe and there are some 5,000 online stores active on the market.

The biggest online store in Romania is eMAG.ro, which expanded into Poland in January 2015. Other big online stores in the country are Altex, Domo, Flanco and Okazii.
OSLO, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- An appeals court in Norway is expected to rule next month whether the government has violated the human rights of convicted mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik in prison, public broadcaster NRK reported Wednesday.

The six-day long proceedings of the court to exam the government's appeal against an earlier verdict by a district court that the human rights of Breivik had been violated in prison ended on Wednesday.

Although Breivik's lawyer, Oystein Storrvik, announced that he was prepared to take the case to the supreme court if he does not succeed in the appeals court, and also to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg if necessary, Breivik will not have access to the supreme court, the report said.

"In the supreme court, the parties' lawyers will meet and present their posts. It is not common that the plaintiff appears in the supreme court," judge Ina Stromstad told NRK.

According to judge Oystein Hermansen, the verdict from the appeals court will be ready in the second half of February. That means eventual appeal can be treated in the supreme court in autumn.

However, it is not certain that the supreme court will process an appeal, as it may only happen when the case ends up before the European Court of Human Rights.

The attorney general Fredrik Sejersted, however, pointed out that 95 percent of the appeals that are treated in Strasbourg get rejected.

Storrvik, on the other hand, said that this statistics is not particularly valid in Breivik's case.

"The case in any case appears to be special. My personal assessment is that it will be possible," he said.

Last year Oslo district court supported the 37-year-old mass killer's claim that his prison conditions violated his human rights as he was subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment according to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

On July 22, 2011, Breivik set off a car bomb that killed eight people outside the government headquarters in Oslo and then killed 69 others in a shooting rampage on Utoya Island, where young members of the governing Labor Party had gathered for their annual summer camp.

Breivik was sentenced to 21 years in prison in 2012 at Oslo district court.
LONDON, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- An export ban has been placed on two precious items, once owned by one of the best known governors in British colonial history, Clive of India.

British Culture Minister Matt Hancock has halted the export of Clive of India's huqqa set and flask in a bid to keep them in Britain.

The Mughal ruby and emerald flask and the sapphire and ruby huqqa set are risk of going abroad unless a buyer can be found to match the asking price of 6 million pounds (7.4 million U.S.dollars) for the flask or 240,000 pounds (296,000 U.S.dollars) for the huqqa set.

Robert Clive, known as Clive of India, is thought to have been presented with the flask as a gift following the Battle of Plassey.

Clive was governor and commander-in-chief of India and became famous for his victory over the Nawab of Bengal during the battle in 1757.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport in London (DCMS) says there is no other object in the world like the incredibly rare flask.

It has a silver interior and a gold exterior decorated in jade, emeralds and rubies.

Clive also brought the huqqa set back to Britain from India.

Set with white sapphires and rubies, it was part of an original collection at the imperial court in Delhi.

"The huqqa set is considered to be an extremely rare survival as such lavish courtly objects were often broken down for their component parts," said a spokesman for DCMS.
SYDNEY, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Australian researchers have discovered more than 150 new species of snails and molluscs.

Researchers surveying the remote islands off the Kimberley coast of Western Australia (WA) documented a series of previously undiscovered land snail living in the untouched region.

Having recently completed analysis of the survey, which ran from 2009 to 2011, scientists concluded that there was up to 13 unique species of snail living on each of the islands.

The newly discovered molluscs range from snails less than two millimetres long to larger snails covered in "alien-like" hair.

With 180 species of land snails previously identified in the area, the study suggests that the Kimberley is home to a third of Australia's snail population.

Frank Koehler, a research scientist with the Australian Museum and leader of the expedition, said the diversity of the new species' was striking.

"I was just astounded by the huge diversity that I found. As a European it was simply something out of my grasp," Koehler told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Thursday.

"There's amazing diversity in terms of their shells, shapes and sizes. Each species has its own ecological niche.

"They're very beautiful animals."

While the research remains in its preliminary stages, Koehler said he had developed theories about how each species used its unique attributes.

"Probably the most unusual ones would be the tiny little species that have hairy shells," he said.

"It's quite unusual for snails to have hairs on their shell, and one idea is that little particles of soil get entangled in these hairs and they help the shell to be camouflaged."

Each of the newly-discovered species appears to have developed its own way of surviving the extreme weather cycles of the Kimberley climate.

"These snails hibernate and during the dry season are buried in the ground, but as soon as it rains they come out and they climb up the trees," Koehler said.

He said despite the findings he believed his research only scratched the surface and there could be up to 700 unique snail species living in the region.
SYDNEY, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Papa New Guineas Chief Secretary to the government, Isaac Lupari, believes the future of the small country rests on its access to social media.

"Social media is a tool for national development and can be an avenue to improve government policies and enhance accountability," Lupari told the newspaper National, which carried a report Thursday.

With 700,000 Facebook users already, about ten percent of the population, the growing trend has not only given the country much needed connection in remote areas, but also created a flourishing market for the business sector, Lupari said.

Social media has become a big industry because of the access to mobile phones and computers.

It is a good tool and must be used in a positive way to contribute to the development of this country, he said.

Lupari also thinks greater connection online is an answer to improving government and public policy.

Social media should be making me accountable, leaders and decision makers accountable for the way in which we manage the country, its resources and decisions that are made, he said.
WELLINGTON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The growth of New Zealand's electric vehicle (EV) fleet is exceeding all targets, Transport Minister Simon Bridges said Thursday, as the government steps up measures to encourage their uptake.

Announcing guidance to support the development and roll-out of public charging infrastructure, Bridges said the national fleet had exceeded 2,500.

The government is working with industry to help reach 64,000 EVs in New Zealand by the end of 2021.

The guidance would support public charging infrastructure by providing clear recommendations for both investors and those enabling the development of charging station sites, such as local authorities.

"While we expect most charging will continue to take place at home or the workplace, reliable public charging infrastructure is crucial to provide drivers with the confidence to make longer trips. It can also influence the decision to buy one," Bridges said in a statement.

The government's Transport Agency was making recommendations to best meet the long-term needs of EV drivers.

"Central to the recommendations was ensuring they took into account emerging fast-charge technology and overseas market shifts, learning from the failures and successes of other countries," Bridges said.

Also Thursday, Energy and Resources Minister Judith Collins said a total of 15 projects had been conditionally approved to receive around 3.5 million NZ dollars (2.49 million U.S. dollars) from a fund to help stimulate electric vehicle uptake.

"The funding will provide up to 50 percent funding for projects that will demonstrate and showcase low emission vehicle technologies in high-profile, visible ways that will help to normalize these technologies, and that can be implemented relatively quickly," Collins said in a statement.

A second funding round, with up to 6 million NZ dollars (4.27 million U.S. dollars) available, was likely to open for applications over the next two months.

In October last year, the government announced the number of registered EVs had already doubled over the previous year, hitting 1,003, compared with 500 in 2015.
by Xinhua writer Wu Yilong

FUZHOU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Farmers in east China's Fujian Province are not worried about pesticide residues, thanks to pathogen-carrying predatory mites.

The multi-target biocontrol system, developed by Zhang Yanxuan of Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, can reduce pesticide use by up to 50 percent.

Zhang started breeding mites -- a small invertebrate closely related to spiders -- in 2005. His company now has a yearly production capacity of 800 billion predatory mites, used on over 20 crops including citrus, apples and cotton. The critters have been exported to the Netherlands, Germany and Canada.

As their natural enemy, these predatory mites prey on red spider mites, rust mites and other pests, but proved useless against pest insects, which forced farmers to return to pesticide.

After years of experiments, Zhang has succeeded in infecting his mites with a insect-killing fungal pathogen.

"The entomogenous fungus attached to hairy predatory mites can infect and kill various kinds of insects but is harmless to the mites themselves, humans and animals," Zhang said.

Zhang has invented a patent container for releasing mites dusted with the pathogens in the field.

"We've used the method on more than 1.2 million hectares, in over 20 provinces," Zhang said.
Chinese PresidentXi Jinpingdelivers a keynote speech at theUnited NationsOffice in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

GENEVA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for building a community of shared future for mankind and achieving shared and win-win development amid growing challenges and risks.

While expounding his vision of mankind's future in a keynote speech at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), the leader of the world's second largest economy championed a world of lasting peace, common security for all and common prosperity, as well as an open, inclusive world, and a clean, beautiful world.

The president underscored the principle of equality in establishing a fair and equitable international order, saying that in a new era, the international community should uphold sovereign equality and work for equality in right, opportunity and rules for all countries.

"We should advance democracy in international relations and reject dominance by just one or several countries. All countries should jointly shape the future of the world, write international rules, manage global affairs and ensure that development outcomes are shared by all," he said.

SHARED FUTURE

In his speech delivered at the Palace of Nations, Xi listed such priorities as partnership, security, growth, inter-civilization exchanges and ecosystem in building a community of shared future for mankind.

"We should stay committed to building a world of lasting peace through dialogue and consultation," he said, noting that countries should foster partnerships based on dialogue, non-confrontation and non-alliance.

"Nuclear weapons, the Sword of Damocles that hangs over mankind, should be completely prohibited and thoroughly destroyed over time to make the world free of nuclear weapons," the president said.

He urged the international community to build a world of common security for all through joint efforts, saying that all countries should pursue common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.

China has decided to provide an additional 200 million yuan (about 29 million U.S. dollars) of humanitarian assistance for refugees and the displaced of Syria, he announced.

In his vision of building a world of common prosperity through win-win cooperation, Xi advocated building an open world economy while warning against protectionism.

"Trade protectionism and self-isolation will benefit no one," he said.

"We should strengthen coordination and improve governance so as to ensure sound growth of economic globalization and make it open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all," he said.

Xi also suggested that the international community build an open and inclusive world through exchanges and mutual learning, and make the world clean and beautiful by pursuing green and low-carbon development.

"We should pursue green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable way of life and production, advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in a balanced manner and explore a model of sound development that ensures growth, better lives and a good environment," he said.

CHINA'S COMMITMENT

In his speech, President Xi said that China remains unchanged in its commitment to upholding world peace.

"For several millennia, peace has been in the blood of us Chinese and a part of our DNA," said Xi.

"Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you," he quoted from Confucius, a great ancient Chinese sage.

He noted that China has grown from a poor and weak country to the world's second largest economy not by committing military expansion or colonial plunder, but through the hard work of its people and their efforts to uphold peace.

"China will never waver in its pursuit of peaceful development. No matter how strong its economy grows, China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence. History has borne this out and will continue to do so," he vowed.

The Chinese leader also pledged that China will remain unchanged in its commitment to pursue common development.

"China's development has been possible because of the world, and China has contributed to the world's development. We will continue to pursue a win-win strategy of opening-up, share our development opportunities with other countries and welcome them aboard the fast train of China's development," said Xi.

According to Xi, China has provided foreign countries with over 400 billion yuan (about 58.4 billion U.S. dollars) of aid between 1950 and 2016, while since the outbreak of the international financial crisis, China has contributed to over 30 percent of global growth each year on average.

He went on by saying that in the coming five years, China will import eight trillion dollars of goods, attract 600 billion dollars of foreign investment, make 750 billion dollars of outbound investment, adding that Chinese tourists will make 700 million outbound visits.

"China remains unchanged in its commitment to foster partnerships," he said in the speech.

He also said that China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, and is ready to enhance friendship and cooperation with all other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

China has formed partnerships of various forms with over 90 countries and regional organizations, and will build a circle of friends across the world, he said.

The Chinese president said China will strive to build a new model of major country relations with the United States, a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with Russia, partnership for peace, growth, reform and among different civilizations with Europe, and a partnership of unity and cooperation with BRICS countries.

China is also going to remain unchanged in its commitment to multilateralism, said the president.

He hailed multilateralism as an effective way to preserve peace and promote development, saying that for decades, the UN and other international bodies have made a universally recognized contribution to maintaining global peace and sustaining development.

China will firmly uphold the international system with the UN as its core, the basic norms governing international relations embodied in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, the authority and stature of the UN, and its core role in international affairs, he added.

Also on Wednesday, the Chinese government presented a cloisonne vase to the UNOG, which was unveiled by President Xi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Related:

Work Together to Build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind

Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the Peoples Republic of China

At the United Nations Office at Geneva

Geneva, 18 January 2017

Your Excellency Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly,

Your Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General,

Your Excellency Mr. Michael Mller, Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

As a new year begins, everything takes on a new look, and it gives me great pleasure to visit the United Nations Office at Geneva and discuss with you the building of a community of shared future for mankind, which is the call of our time.
SYDNEY, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Australia's banking sector has been warned that their aggressive sales tactics and incentive-based bonus payments are a "problematic initiative."

Frontline service staff are encouraged to sell home loans, deposits, credit cards and insurance plans in order to meet financial targets and receive bonuses, called "accelerator payments," according to a report released Tuesday.

The report, conducted by Australian Public Service Commissioner Stephan Sedgwick, warned of "increased potential that a poor outcome will ensue for at least some customers."

In particular, the report focused on "cross-selling," whereby bank staff sold multiple products to customers even if they did not originally want it.

"Such gateways powerfully increase the risk of poor customer outcomes as the individual will not receive any of their reward unless minimum sales targets are met. The risk would seem to be higher where cross-sales targets are used for this purpose," Sedgwick wrote.

Following the warning, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the country's largest bank pledged to implement Sedgwick's recommendations.

"We are committed to implementing Sedgwick's recommendations from the final report in line with the industry commitment ... and that the way bonuses are paid to Commonwealth Bank branch staff by removing any direct link to the number or value of products they sell and the bonus they receive," the bank said in a statement to Xinhua.

"This means our customers can be confident that our branch staff are not being paid to sell them products they may not need."
BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- China saw the deficit in its foreign exchange settlement expanded in December, official data showed on Thursday.

Chinese lenders bought 128 billion U.S. dollars worth of foreign currency and sold 174.3 billion U.S. dollars, resulting in a net sale of 320.3 billion yuan (46.3 billion U.S. dollars) in December, up from the November deficit of 33.4 billion U. S. dollars, according to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE).

Chinese banks' forex settlement deficit hit 337.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, data showed.
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Wednesday repatriated a former Mexican governor who had served more than six years in a U.S. jail for money laundering.

Having completed his U.S. sentence, Mario Villanueva, the ex-governor of Quintana Roo state, was sent home amid tight security. He serves a 22-year sentence on similar charges at a penitentiary near capital Mexico City.

Villanueva, 68, reportedly suffered from respiratory problems. He served as the governor of the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo in the 1990s before being arrested in 2001.

In 2010, Villanueva was extradited to the United States where he pleaded guilty to laundering bribes from the Juarez drug cartel through U.S. banks.
TOKYO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) plane skidded off the runway on Thursday, after landing at Sapporo Chitose airport in northern Japan.

The aircraft of ANA Flight 1831, which was bound for Sapporo Chitose from Akita with 25 persons onboard including passengers and crew, "approached runway end as the aircraft could not fully make a turn after landing at Sapporo Chitose airport" at 11:56 a.m. (02:56 GMT) on Thursday, said ANA in a release on its official website.

The plane ran into accumulated snow around the runway, according to the airport.

So far there were no casualties in the accident, according to the captain pilot of the flight.

"The aircraft is currently remained on the tarmac and off board of passengers on this flight is delayed," said the airline.

Some flights to/from Sapporo Chitose airport, located in Hokkaido's capital Sapporo, have been cancelled and bid delayed due to runway closure at the airport, said ANA.

This winter, the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido has been hit by its heaviest snowfall in about 50 years.
NEW DELHI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 children were feared killed and many others injured in a collision between a school bus and a truck Thursday in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said.
SUVA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to promote its bilateral ties with Tonga, a senior Chinese legislator has said.

On the invitation of Tonga's parliament, a delegation led by Arken Imirbaki, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) concluded its three-day goodwill visit to the Pacific kingdom on Thursday.

During the visit, Arken Imirbaki met with Tongan Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva and Parliament Speaker Lord Tu'ivakano separately, and held a collective discussion with Tonga's members of parliament.

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a successful meeting with Tongan leaders in November 2014, during which the two sides agreed to establish a strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development, which has chartered the course for developing bilateral relations, Arken Imirbaki said.

Under the new circumstances, China is willing to make concerted efforts with Tonga to earnestly implement the important consensus, and promote mutual trust and mutual benefit, so that bilateral ties can reach a new stage, Arken Imirbaki said.

China's NPC is willing to enhance exchanges and cooperation with Tonga's parliament to help deepen the friendly ties between the two countries, the senior Chinese legislator added.

The Tongan officials said they are thankful to China for the precious long-term support and assistance it has provided. Tonga will steadfastly adhere to one China policy and is committed to enhancing exchanges and cooperation with China in all fields.
DAVOS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Silvio Napoli, Executive Chairman-elect and former CEO of the Schindler Group, hailed China's win-win cooperation strategy as a major part of the Swiss company's worldwide growth.

He made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, adding that "We would not be able to have our worldwide position today if we had not been in China."

The 143-year-old Schindler, a leading global provider of elevators, escalators and moving walks, was part of the first batch of China-West industrial joint ventures set up in China in 1980, shortly after China initiated the reform and opening-up policies.

"It's been a remarkable story," he recalled. Starting from two factories in eastern China's Suzhou and Shanghai cities, the Swiss company's Chinese branch has now built two state-of-the-art factories, a 200-meter-tall test tower, and the company's biggest R&D center in the world, with a total employment of 11,000.

For Napoli, working with the Chinese local authorities to build the new facilities in Jiading in northwest part of Shanghai, was a perfect example of China's win-win cooperation policies in practice.

"We now have the biggest factory in the world for elevators and escalators," Napoli elaborated, while "China has the biggest producer of escalators in the world, with better technology."

"For us, China has been a tremendous opportunity to grow, and to continue growing in the future," Napoli asserted. "If you want to be a leader in your industry, you have to be one in China."

For Schindler, China is both a critical market and a hub for global operations. With the urbanization process, China is the biggest elevator and escalator market in the world, with over 50 percent of the market share worldwide.

Referring to China's "new normal" economic status quo, Napoli believed it "is actually a good thing."

"I think having a new normal around 6 to 7 percent growth would be good, and it's going to be sustained by a new economic structure, moving away from infrastructure and production to a service economy," he said.

The business leader credited a "spirit of adventure" among the Chinese people, and linked it to increased investment in innovation and technology that would bring an evolution to the economic growth mode of China.

"People still see China wrongly as a low-cost production country, which it is not," he advised, "it is a market where you have excellent engineers and very demanding customers. So by investing in innovation and technology, and having it as a driver for future growth, I believe that shows support for companies like us."

Though boasting the insight of being one of the pioneers in establishing joint ventures in China, Napoli admitted that his company's progress and success has surpassed "everyone's expectations."

He paraphrased Chinese philosopher Laozi in calling this just the first step in a thousand-mile journey, as he was very positive about the Chinese leadership.

Referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, Napoli said he believes in those polices after his pioneering company has for years practiced business in China since 1980.

Chinese-Swiss partnership has been a model and exemplar for China's opening up to the global economy. Switzerland was one of the first European countries to recognize China's market economy status and to establish a free trade agreement with.

Since the inception of the China-Switzerland free trade agreement (FTA) in 2014, bilateral trade and mutual investment have flourished. Against the sluggishness of the global economy, bilateral trade reached 44.27 billion U.S. dollars in 2015.
BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The recent move by American computer hardware manufacturer Seagate Technology to shut a plant in China was a "normal business decision," China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday.

"The closure of the Seagate factory in Suzhou, eastern China's Jiangsu Province, was based on the company's adjustment of its global operation strategies," said MOC spokesperson Sun Jiwen at a press conference.

Earlier this week company officials said that the Suzhou plant, one of two Seagate assembly factories in China, had been closed due to weak global demand for laptops, personal computers and corporate hard-drives.

"We will continue to open up more and reduce restrictions on foreign investment in China," Sun said, citing China's latest measures to attract foreign investment and give investors easier access.

Foreign firms will face fewer restrictions when entering service, manufacturing and mining sectors, according to a State Council document released Tuesday. Entry controls will be relaxed for banks, securities brokerages, and futures and insurance companies, among other moves.

Sun said that China would continue to protect the legitimate interests of foreign-funded companies and foreigners in the country, and provide a law-governed and convenient business environment.
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) can test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at any time when its leadership decides, South Korea's military said Thursday.

A Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official told a regular defense ministry briefing that under such assessment, the South Korean military is maintaining defense readiness.

Armed forces of South Korea and the United States are cooperating in preparations for the DPRK's ICBM threats, jointly operating surveillance assets and closely monitoring relevant moves, the official said.

Top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un said in his new year speech that his country had entered a final stage to prepare for the test-fire of a long-range ballistic rocket, indicating the ICBM test-launch in the foreseeable future.

Yonhap news agency cited sources of South Korea and the United States as saying that Pyongyang had produced a new type of two ICBMs that are already mounted on mobile launchers. It would be very hard to detect missiles fired from mobile launchers.

According to the sources, the new long-range missiles are less than 15 meters in length, shorter than the 19-20 meter KN-08. Its enhanced version, KN-14, is 17-18 meters in length.
WELLINGTON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Growth in New Zealand's manufacturing sector levelled off last month, rounding out a solid year of expansion, according to the latest performance of manufacturing index (PMI) out Thursday.

The BNZ-Business New Zealand PMI for December was 54.5 on a scale where above 50 indicates expansion and below 50 contraction.

It was the same as November, and the joint lowest expansion level since October 2015, although the sector had remained in expansion in almost all months since October 2012.

Business New Zealand executive director for manufacturing Catherine Beard said the overall result for 2016 was encouraging.

"Activity in the manufacturing sector over 2016 averaged out at 56. This was up from 54.2 in 2015, but interestingly the same result as both 2014 and 2013. Overall, this shows how consistent and positive activity has been for the sector over the last few years," Beard said in a statement.

BNZ senior economist Craig Ebert said the December result capped off a positive year for the manufacturing sector.

"Indeed, since the survey started in 2002, last year's average has only been surpassed by 2004's 57.5," Ebert said in a statement.
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's independent counsel team said Thursday that it will continue probe into conglomerates though its arrest request for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was rejected earlier in the day.

Lee Kyu-chul, spokesman of special prosecutors investigating a scandal involving President Park Geun-hye, told a press briefing that investigations into other large businesses will last regardless of whether Vice Chairman Lee was detained or not

The prosecutors requested a warrant on Monday to take the Samsung heir into custody for charges of bribery, perjury and embezzlement, but it was rejected by a court for a room for dispute over the charges.

Lee is suspected of bribing President Park's longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil and Choi's daughter in return for getting support from the national pension fund for the 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates.

Samsung made the biggest donations among 53 conglomerates to two nonprofit foundations controlled by Choi.

Lotte Group is suspected of donating in exchange for business favors, while SK and CJ groups are suspected of making contributions to let their imprisoned chairmen get presidential pardons.

Meanwhile, the spokesman reiterated its plan to conduct face-to-face interrogation of the impeached president as late as the beginning of February in view of investigation schedules.

He said prosecutors will take necessary measures to schedule the interrogation in advance.

President Park had refused to be quizzed by prosecutors, but she pledged to be investigated by the independent counsel team. It remains to be seen whether she became the first sitting South Korean leader to be interviewed as a criminal suspect.
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy to the United Nations said Wednesday that all parties concerned should reaffirm their political will and eliminate external interferences while dealing with Iran nuclear issue.

Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, gave a positive assessment of the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear program, noting the JCPOA "has registered good progress in the first year" and pledging China would continue to actively participate in the Joint Commission and Procurement Working Group.

Delegates from the UN Security Council on Wednesday called for continued implementation of the JCPOA, praising the historic accord as a significant diplomatic achievement that had made the world a safer place in the first year of its performance.

Briefing the security council on its resolution 2231, which endorsed the JCPOA, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman called on the international community to continue support and contribute to the implementation of the agreement.

"Since the JCPOA is not being implemented in vacuum, there will be difficulties and challenges along the way, and joint efforts are required," Wu said.

Parties concerned should "honor their commitment in strict accordance with the JCPOA, which is the fundamental guideline for action," he added.

They should also demonstrate good will and properly address technical issues "through peaceful consultation on equal footing in the search for lasting solutions," said the Chinese envoy, adding that "only in so doing, can the implementation of the JCPOA be successful and lasting."

The United Nations Monday welcomed the first anniversary of the achievement of "Implementation Day" under the JCPOA, which marked a significant milestone in the historic agreement related to Iran nuclear issue.

The JCPOA, known commonly as the 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 15-nation security council endorsed the JCPOA on July 20, 2015, calling it a "culmination of diplomatic efforts" by the E3+3 -- which includes Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- and Iran.
XI'AN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A 6,000-year-old cemetery where an estimated 2,000-plus people were interred has been excavated in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, archaeologists said.

The cemetery, covering about 90,000 square meters, is located near the Yangguanzhai ruins, which belonged to a late Neolithic culture called the Yangshao that originated on the middle reaches of the Yellow River and is considered a main precursor of Chinese civilization.

It is the largest cemetery from the Yangshao Culture period, researcher Wang Weilin, who headed the excavation, said at an ongoing seminar on new archaeological findings in 2016.

The site has been excavated by archaeologists with the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology since 2015. By the end of 2016, 182 tombs had been found in an area of more than 1,900 square meters.

"Such a big 6,000-year-old public cemetery is quite rare," said Yang Lihua, an associate researcher with the institute.
Passengers of ethnic Yi group unload luggage from the train on Jan. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Jiang Jinghong)

CHENGDU, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) --In a high-speed rail era, few would miss the old-fashioned "green-skinned trains" -- so named for the color of train cars' external paint -- as they are associated with a slow and rickety ride, smelly carriages, and people cramming against each other. But for some living in the deep mountains in southwest China, the green train is their only access to the outside world.

People of ethnic Yi group celebrate the opening of the railway in the 1970s. (Provided to Xinhua)

Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Sichuan Province is one of the poorest areas in the country, largely because the steep and dangerous mountains have cut off local people from the outside. Railway engineers were once baffled by the complex mountainous terrain there, but against all odds, a railway was built in the 1970s.

Workers clean up the train carriages in the 1970s. (Provided to Xinhua)

For almost half a century, the slow-moving green trains have been running on this section of the railway, with an altitude of about 2,000 meters above sea level, picking up farmers and their farm produce at every local station.

Jike Waze carries luggage to the train on Jan. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Jiang Jinghong)

Fifty-two-year-old Jike Waze and his family live in a village in Xide County, Liangshan, right next to the railway.

Passengers of ethnic Yi group walk to the train station on Jan. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Jiang Jinghong)

A father of four, he grows corn for a living, earning about 30,000 yuan (about 4,360 U.S. dollars) a year to feed the entire family.

Passengers of ethnic Yi group leave the train station on Jan. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Jiang Jinghong)

This day, Jike Waze put a bag of corn and some poultry on his back. He will catch the train to the town of Xide County to sell his produce.

Passengers of ethnic Yi group load luggage onto the train on Jan. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Jiang Jinghong)

"We got this train service since I was very young. Then I moved my home from the top of the mountain to border the railway." He says.

Passengers of ethnic Yi group wait for the train on Jan. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Jiang Jinghong)

Like Jike Waze, many local ethnic Yi people hurry to the Shamalada Station, carrying bags and bamboo baskets bulging with goods.

Photo taken on Jan. 16, 2016 shows the inside of a train carriage. (Xinhua/Jiang Jinghong)

On the train, one can find chickens and ducks popping out their heads from the bamboo baskets. Passengers, mostly clad in ethnic clothing, chat with each other. Some are holding babies in their hands.

A boy of ethnic Yi group sit on piles of luggage in the train on Jan. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Jiang Jinghong)

Ethnic Yi people like to sing songs and dance. On the train, the conductor sings ethnic Yi folk songs to welcome friends from afar.

Passengers of ethnic Yi group leave the train station on Jan. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Jiang Jinghong)

It takes about ten minutes to get to the next local station. The train fares are cheap.

The railway service is the lifeline to locals. The modest-looking small train station and the clunking green train are indispensable to their hinterland life.
SYDNEY, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- BHP Billiton and Brazil's federal prosecutor have reached a near billion dollar agreement Thursday, over the Samarco dam disaster that saw 19 people killed and severe environmental damage in November 2015.

BHP and their joint venture partner Vale are set to pay 898 million Australian dollars (675 million U.S dollars) to fund environmental programs in the region, as well as an additional 47.5 million Australian dollars (60 million U.S. dollars) to local municipalities as compensation, pending court approval.

Separate negotiations over the Resumption of operations at the mine are continuing however both parties have agreed that the site will not reopen unless "it is safe and economically viable."
GENEVA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's keynote speech proposing to build a global community defined by multilateralism received positive reactions on Wednesday from social media users, officials and commentators.

The President of the United Nations General Assembly, Peter Thomson, wrote on Twitter that he was "greatly encouraged by China's strong commitment to multilateralism and the UN."

The Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), Michael Moller, saw Xi's visit as "an opportunity to deepen the vital collaboration between the UN and China."

This standpoint was reflected by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' remarks to the press earlier Wednesday, where the newly-appointed diplomat called China's support for multilateralism "extremely positive."

While defending globalization, Xi warned in his speech that protectionism and self-isolation would benefit no one.

"Xi's outlook on multilateralism offers a counterpoint to current protectionist rhetoric," Peter Kenny, a UN based journalist writing for South African media, told Xinhua.

"His unwavering support on the Paris climate change agreement and his constant use of the word 'partnerships' offers great encouragement to those thinking of wavering," he added.

Xi paid a state visit to Switzerland from Jan. 15 to 18. There he met with his Swiss counterpart Doris Leuthard, opened the 47th annual World Economic Forum in Davos and convened with high level representatives from international organizations in Geneva and Lausanne.
KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan special forces killed four Taliban militants and detained 12 others after conducting an operation in restive northern province of Kunduz Wednesday night, an army source said on Thursday.

"The night raid operation was launched based on a confirmed tip-off on a Taliban hideout in Chahar Dara District. Upon arrival of the force, the militants engaged the troops and the security force returned fire, killing four militants," Abdul Khalil, a press officer of army's Division 20 Pamir based in the region, told Xinhua.

One Taliban bunker was destroyed and 12 arrested were transferred to an army base, Khalil said, adding "the troops also confiscated four suicide vests, 23 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), explosive materials, a communication radio and several rounds of weapons."

No civilian or security force member was hurt during the operation which lasted roughly for three hours, he said.

The targeted militants were responsible for subversive activities in the province, he added.

However, the Taliban militant group has rejected the assertion. Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, told local media that the detainees were local villagers and no Taliban fighter was captured in the district overnight.

The Kunduz province, bordering Tajikistan and neighboring Baghlan and Takhar provinces, has been the scene of heavy clashes over the past couple of months as Taliban has been trying to challenge the government forces in the once relatively peaceful region.
by Luis Brito

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Mexican "Dreamers" -- immigrants in the United States with a potential pathway to citizenship, face an uncertain future given that President-elect Donald Trump may cancel an executive order that has allowed them to stay in America since 2012.

"If this new administration removes this program, it will be like going back to zero, to being afraid of deportation and to lose everything we have built," said Mauro Trejo, a 23-year-old student who lives in New York after moving from Mexico City when he was a child.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), signed by President Barack Obama in June 2012, halts deportation and authorizes thousands of young immigrants to work in a temporary capacity. They soon became known as "Dreamers."

Washington has not released exact figures about the numbers of people who benefit from DACA but the Mexican government believes around 560,000 of its citizens are enrolled. These people entered the United States as children, are usually studying and have not committed serious crimes.

Now, with Trump about to enter the White House, more than half a million youngsters who may have little connection with Mexico are unsure about their future.

During his campaign, the president-elect said he would cancel many of Obama's executive orders concerning immigration, without specifically referring to the Dreamers.

"If DACA is removed, I don't know what to do about my career or my future," Yahaira Morales, a 20-year-old student in Texas from Mexico, told Xinhua. "I think of myself as American even though I have no papers. I cannot imagine my life outside the U.S.."

Mauro, a criminology student in New York, is in the same situation. He works in the City University of New York's (CUNY) office to orient Latino students on educational matters.

"I have colleagues and friends who do not benefit from DACA and I can tell you that having it changes your life. You lose the fear of being deported," he said.

The interim director of CUNY's Institute of Mexican Studies, Jose Higuera, told Xinhua that Trump needed to make his policy on DACA very clear and end the suspense.

He stated that DACA concerns are affecting the school and work life of the Dreamers, part of the 5.8 million immigrants without papers present in the United States.

"If from the start, he says 'this ends on Jan. 20', we know how to respond to that reality. But he keeps making threats...and than goes back on them," said Higuera.

The president of the College of Mexico, Silvia Giorguli, warned that the potential deportation of Dreamers would leave the country facing the challenge of integrating thousands of young people who are only Mexican by birth.

This would mean authorities would have to improve employment conditions and ensure that society would accept these people back without reservations.

"We would have to change the discourse to say this is not a problem, this is a resource we must take advantage of," she noted.

For Yahaira, her fears about a potential life in Mexico are almost equal to those she has about the cancellation of DACA. "What will be my next steps? What will be my role in the community, in my new community I have never really known," she said.
MOSCOW, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russian military doctors have returned home after completing their mission in Syria, reported the Russian news agency RIA Novosti Thursday.

"An Ilyushin-76 plane of the Russian Aerospace Force's military transport aviation, with servicemen from the special purpose medical unit aboard, landed at Novosibirsk's Tolmachevo airport returning from the Hmeimim air base," the RIA Novosti quoted the district's spokesperson as saying.

According to the district's press service, more than 100 servicemen, doctors and medical staff from the unit worked at the Russian military base in Syria.

After a truce in Syria took effect on December 30, 2016, Russia began to curtail its military presence in the country. The Northern Fleet aircraft carrier strike group was the first to leave the region.
DAVOS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- China and Switzerland have enjoyed a longstanding win-win partnership and China has an optmisstic economic outlook, the Swiss minister of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, Johann Schneider-Ammann said here Wednesday.

UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP

"I am very proud that Chinese President Xi Jinping could come to my country and stay four days," Schneider-Ammann said in an interview with Xinhua at the World Economic Forum. "In April last year we established such good personal relationships, and I'm proud of this success."

Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Switzerland from Jan. 15 to 18, nine months after then-President Johann Schneider-Ammann's state visit to China in April 2016, during which the two countries established an innovative strategic partnership.

Noting that more than 20 dialogue and consultation mechanisms are running smoothly, he noted that the partnership had been reconfirmed during President Xi's visit to Davos Tuesday, with the signing of several memoranda of understanding on different topics, in order to develop the agreement further.

Schneider-Ammann, a businessman formerly in the mechanical engineering sector, was one of the architects of the China-Switzerland "innovative strategic partnership," China's first and the only strategic partnership named after "innovation."

"Everything goes through innovation and goes through proved competitiveness," he explained.

As a proponent of free trade, the federal councilor has been a strong supporter of the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement that has been in effect since 2014.

"The free trade agreement was a success from the very beginning," Schneider-Amman commented. "In the first year of the trade agreement we achieved a growth in mutual trade of about 3 percent plus, which is more or less a doubling of what we achieved globally in the same period of time."

In the economic and trade sector, trade volume between the two countries reached 44.27 billion U.S. dollars in 2015, marking a 1.7-percent growth compared to that in 2014. China has become Switzerland's biggest trading partner in Asia while Switzerland is also China's major trading partner in Europe.

"That's why we fight for open markets, it's a win-win situation," he stressed.

LONGTIME FRIENDS

The Swiss government has maintained traditional friendship with China over the past six decades since the two established the diplomatic relations in 1950, the minister recalled.

Switzerland was one of the first Western countries to establish formal ties with China and the first country to set up an industrial joint venture in China in 1980.

It was also among the first European countries to recognize China's market economy status, to sign a free trade agreement with China, and to apply for membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a China-initiated multilateral bank.

The minister said his respect for the long partnership between the two countries - a model of peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation between big and small countries with different social systems and at different development phases - stood high. Between both countries, "the goals are the same."

The former president said his admiration for China also comes from a respect for the Chinese people themselves. "The Chinese are so smart: they do the job," Schneider-Ammann said.

Closely following China's development nearly 30 years, Schneider-Ammann said he remains "optimistic about the future of the Chinese economy."

Commenting on the historic speech delivered by Xi on Tuesday, the first Chinese president to address the World Economic Forum in Davos, Schneider-Ammann noted he was very impressed.

"That was a true statesperson representing the People's Republic of China and more," the Swiss politician insisted. "Xi Jinping mentioned yesterday that the open market policy needs to be continued. That was a very clear statement and I was very happy about it."
NEW DELHI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Two women and a 14-year-old girl were killed and four others wounded in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said on Thursday.

The IED explosion took place Wednesday evening at village Ghodagaon in Narayanpur district, about 229 km southwest of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.

"Last evening in an improvised explosive blast here, two women and a 14-year-old girl were killed, and four other women were wounded," a police official said. "It is believed the women have accidentally stepped on the IED planted by Naxalites."

Police officials said the Naxalites might have planted the IED to target police and paramilitary troops in the area.

Indian police and paramilitary are battling thousands of armed Naxals in several states across central and eastern India.

Naxalites are also known as "Maoists."

Maosit insurgency has its genesis in the violent left-wing rebellion that began in 1967 at village Naxalbari in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Currently Maoists are active in more than a third of India's 600-odd districts across central and eastern India.

India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh once termed the Naxalite movement as India's "greatest internal security challenge."

New Delhi has deployed several companies of its paramilitary forces to take on Naxals in their strongholds.

Reports said the insurgency has claimed more than 6,000 lives and rendered thousands of poor inhabitants homeless.
by Wang Xinran, Marian Draganov

SOFIA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria's President-elect Rumen Radev says he would work to strengthen the relationship between his country and China upon taking office.

Bulgaria highly values its longstanding relations with China, and "we consider China not only as a traditional friend, but also as a top priority partner for today and tomorrow," Radev said in an interview with Xinhua on Wednesday.

The friendly bilateral relationship between the two countries is based on solid mutual respect and trust, and there is a political will and desire to strengthen cooperation in every way, he said.

"It is within my prerogatives to work for strengthening the existing excellent political climate of mutual trust, partnership and respect between our two countries," said Radev.

He was happy to note that in recent years there has been a very active exchange of high-level visits and contacts between the two countries.

"We would like to further strengthen and balance our bilateral political dialogue and contacts at all levels," he said.

"One of my very important tasks after I enter my new office will be to deepen contact with China's leadership at the highest level," Radev said.

According to the Bulgarian president-to-be, China is a partner of paramount importance to Bulgaria in fields like agriculture, education, tourism, people-to-people exchanges and others.

Radev said his country's priority is "to attract Chinese investments and expand Bulgarian exports to China." He said his country welcomes Chinese projects in energy, infrastructure, transport and logistics.

Bulgaria also actively supports China's initiative to enhance ties with the Central and Eastern European Countries (16+1).

"This initiative is a useful supplement to both EU-China relations and our bilateral country-to-country dialogue and cooperation. We consider it an important platform for enhancement and further development of bilateral relations with China," Radev said.

"Our joint task now is to define mutually beneficial business models for the successful implementation of joint projects in accordance with the EU, Bulgarian and Chinese legal norms and interests," he added.

Bulgaria is also very interested in China's Belt and Road Initiative, "which we believe will promote connectivity between Europe and China," Radev said.

"We are ready to play an active role in the development of the transport corridors along the Silk Road Economic Belt," he added.

According to Radev, improving connectivity between Europe and Asia provides new possibilities to develop beneficial cooperation, and foster mutual understanding and trust.

"Our sincere desire is to see more practical results and projects realized in Bulgaria within the 16+1 and the Belt and Road Initiative, with more Chinese investments, and a bigger Chinese presence and participation in industrial and high-technology parks in Bulgaria," Radev explained.

Bulgaria fully adheres to the one-China policy and considers Taiwan as an inseparable part of the People's Republic of China. "That is a consistent and principled policy and I can assure you that Bulgaria will continue to abide by it," Radev said.

On the issues of the South China Sea issue, Radev calls upon the parties concerned to address the problem through dialogue and in accordance with the international law and the United Nations Convention.

Radev was elected President of Bulgaria on Nov. 13 last year, and will take office on Sunday.
by Zhou Liang, Fei Liena

DUSHANBE, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- At the suburb of the freezing cold city of Kurgan-Tyube in Tajikistan's southern Khatlon state, the sweeping lands of a cotton plantation stretch long. With the harvest already finished in Autumn, countless empty cotton branches tremble in the cold wind.

At a modern textile mill in the Tajik city of Dangara, spinning machines were humming and spinning, spitting out high-quality yarn to be shipped to various countries including Russia, Turkey, Italy and Poland. The mill and the cotton plantation were both invested and set up by China's Xinjiang Zhongtai Group.

In 2014, to answer the call of China's Belt and Road Initiative and Go Out policy, China's Zhongtai Group and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, with strong support from the Tajik government, jointly started the construction of the Zhongtai New Silk Road Agriculture and Textile Industrial Park in Tajikistan's Dangara Basin.

The Chinese and Tajik sides wish to build a modern base for the cotton industry to develop local cotton production and processing by making use of Xinjiang's advantages in cotton growing and spinning technologies and Tajikistan's advantages in environment, weather, market and human resources.

In just three years, the industrial park has turned from a blueprint into reality. Three Chinese agricultural and textile companies have entered the park, bringing a total investment of 1.1 billion RMB (160 million U.S. dollars) and a whole industry chain of cotton plantation, processing and selling.

Zhongtai Textile Mill chairman Xiao Ruixin told Xinhua that Tajikistan's Dangara Basin enjoys a big temperature difference between day and night, thus local cotton boasts a high quality of thin fiber, high strength and a low sugar degree. However, due to lagging plantation technologies and aging agricultural machinery, local cotton growing largely relies on nature with a very low production.

Chinese companies, on the other hand, possess advanced cotton growing technologies, delicate textile processing skills and rich capital, Xiao said. To supplement each other's advantages, China's Zhongtai Group decided to build a textile industrial park in Tajikistan's Dangara Basin.

The Tajik government has been earnestly supporting the project from the very beginning. It offers two Chinese agricultural companies 14,667 hectares and 12,000 hectares of free land to plant cotton respectively. Thanks to the Chinese companies' advanced planting techniques, local cotton production has greatly increased.

Seeing this, many local farmers have shifted to cotton growing on their land with the help of the Chinese companies. As a result, their income has greatly increased as well.

At Zhongtai Ginning Factory, a local cotton grower was holding a thick stack of money with a big smile. He had just sold his cotton to the Chinese factory and got money immediately.

At Zhongtai Textile Mill not far away from the ginnery, wheels were busily spinning the ginned cotton into high-quality yarn. Last August, the spinning workshop with an annual capacity of 60,000 spindles of yarn was put into use. With Tajikistan's high-quality cotton and Zhongtai Textile Mill's advanced equipment, the fine yarn has been in high demand since its first production, and the supply has been falling short of demand.

According to Xiao, Zhongtai's factory design and main spinning equipment are most advanced in the world, upgrading Tajikistan's spinning techniques by 30 years.

In its following projects, Zhongtai Textile Mill is to build weaving, dyeing, and sewing workshops, bringing about 100 million RMB (14.5 million dollars) in taxes to the Tajik government annually and thousands of jobs to local people, Xiao said.
KATHMANDU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Experts from Nepal and China have stressed on combined efforts of China, Nepal and India to promote the Belt and Road Initiative, saying the China-proposed initiative can play a crucial role for the development of the entire South Asia region.

Experts from the two countries made such remarks during a two-day conference organized jointly by Xinhua news agency's Kathmandu bureau and Hebei University of Economics and Business of China, which concluded on Wednesday.

Professor Li Tao, who is the executive deputy director at the Institute of South Asian Studies, Sichuan University, said the Belt and Road Initiative has received affirmative response from partner states including Nepal.

"Both China and South Asian countries (Nepal included) are developing countries. They have reached a consensus in developing economy so as to improve livelihood of its citizens."

Nepal's peaceful co-existence and non-alignment policy is in line with China's independent foreign policy of peace, Li said.

The rise of Asia is a major development in 21st century, she said.

Wang Yiwei, professor at the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China, said the Belt and Road Initiative will help other nations achieve their dreams so that prosperity is shared by all.

"Nepal is an ancient civilization-state and deserves such kind of future of common revival of civilizations by joining Belt and Road Initiative," he said.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, proposed by China in 2013, aim to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

Scholars from China and Nepal aired their views on various issues pertaining to China-Nepal relations, China-India-Nepal trilateral partnership as well as Economic and Cultural Corridor, as well as the Belt and Road Initiative.

Nepalese connectivity expert Dr. Surya Raj Acharya said "Asia had taken a break in history, now it is coming back to revive those golden periods. China's plan to revive the Silk Road Initiative suggests the same. "

Di Fangyao, who is the deputy director of Institute of South Asia, Xizang Minzu University of China, presented the paper on the topic "Thinking in Building the China-Nepal-India Economic Corridor."

Di said that construction of the China-Nepal-India Economic corridor will bring significant changes in South Asia and South East Asia, helping to lift millions of people out of poverty.

"Building the corridor will also enhance tolerance, mutual respect and friendship between the three countries," Di said.

Nepalese Professor at Kathmandu School of Law Yubaraj Sangroula noted that the Belt and Road Initiative is not only beneficial for China and Nepal, but it is crucial for the entire Asian region and the world.

Nepalese diplomat Shambhuram Simkhada described the Belt and Road Initiative as a "win-win vision of international relation" for in it "lies the welfare of all."

The two-day think tank conference was inaugurated by former Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Tuesday. Senior leaders from ruling and opposition parties had shared their views on China-Nepal relations on Tuesday during the inaugural session of the conference.
TEHRAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A 16-story commercial building, called Plasco, collapsed in Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday morning and dozens were trapped under the debris.

At 8:00 a.m. local time (0430 GMT), the fire started from the eighth and ninth floors of the building and soon spread to the upper floors.

The 54-year-old building was very fragile and ravaged by fire despite firefighters' efforts.

At least 30 people were injured, most of them firefighters.

Dozens of others, including some shop owners, were reportedly inside the building when it collapsed.
China launched the satellite on Aug. 16, 2016. It is nicknamed "Micius," after a fifth century B.C. Chinese philosopher and scientist. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

Hi, here's what you need to know about China.

BEIJING -- China welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to ease sanctions on Sudan, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a routine press briefing on Wednesday.

China opposes unilateral sanctions imposed on a country, and hopes for an earlier and comprehensive elimination of the unilateral sanctions on Sudan, according to spokesperson Hua Chunying. http://xhne.ws/6waHd

----

BEIJING -- China hopes Britain and the European Union (EU) can reach a win-win agreement through negotiation, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Hua Chunying's remarks came after British Prime Minister Teresa May said in her speech on Tuesday that Brexit would produce a new and equal partnership between her country and the EU. http://xhne.ws/1oJnw

----

BEIJING -- China's quantum communication satellite, launched last August, is officially operational after four months of in-orbit testing, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said Wednesday.

Testing of the satellite, payloads and space-ground links have been completed, the CAS said, adding that everything was operating properly. http://xhne.ws/N9Wnn

----

BEIJING -- Some 400,000 families, or 1.4 million people, living in areas known to be geological disaster hot spots will be relocated, according to a government plan released Wednesday.

These families live in areas where geological disasters can not be prevented or reduced through human intervention, according to the plan, and they will be moved by the end of 2020. http://xhne.ws/jsloy

----

GENEVA -- China will offer 200 million yuan (29 million U.S. dollars) of new humanitarian assistance to help Syrian refugees and displaced people, President Xi Jinping said here Wednesday.

He made the remarks while delivering a keynote speech at the United Nations Office at Geneva. http://xhne.ws/9hVOQ
XINING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Another four wetland parks are planned in northwest China's Qinghai Province, bringing the number there to 19, covering 325,100 hectares, local forestry department said Thursday.

The three of new parks are located in Sanjiangyuan, home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang (Mekong) rivers. The other is near Qinghai Lake. The four cover 21,000 hectares

"The four parks, encompass the region's typical riverine and marsh wetlands, with rich bio-diversity, landscape and historical and cultural resources," said Ma Jianhai, director of the forestry department's wetland protection center.

Qinghai has more than eight million hectares of wetland, more than any other province, accounting for around 15 percent of the country's total. Wetlands have important roles in water purification, flood control and maintaining biodiversity.
by Shen Zhonghao

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Actions speak louder than words. Guests who attended the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos said that much perceivable progress under China's Belt and Road Initiative, although still very young, has already set down roots in countries along its path.

Looking ahead, as many of them told Xinhua, the inspiring initiative is expected to generate more win-win results and lead the world, especially a troubled area like the Middle East, towards sustainable prosperity, equality and stability.

TANGIBLE PROJECTS SET DOWN ROOTS

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday in his keynote speech at the opening session of the WEF that the circle of countries along the Belt and Road is growing bigger, and Chinese investment along the routes has surpassed 50 billion U.S. dollars in the past three years.

"50 billion U.S dollars is an impressive, huge number," Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive of Bahrain's Economic Development Board, told Xinhua. He said that a number of Chinese businesses such as ICT giant Huawei have established operations in Bahrain.

"We have already seen physical evidence showing that the initiative has translated into real progress," he said.

Moreover, the head of the Bahraini government organization, which is responsible for attracting international investment, mentioned in particular that Dragon City, a retail space jointly developed by Chinese investors and a Bahrain company and launched at the end of 2015, has been extremely successful so far.

Retailers there currently attract around 500,000 visitors on average per month.

Ren Hongbing, Chairman of Chinese heavy machinery manufacturer Sinomach Group, said in Davos that over 270 projects with a total value of around 18 billion dollars have found their homes in over 30 countries along the Belt and Road.

WIN-WIN RESULTS

As a responsible major country, China has been acting not only in the interests of itself but also the whole world, which is reflected particularly in the Belt and Road Initiative, said Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Chairman Hans-Paul Buerkner.

He told Xinhua that people need to feel they are creating value for their own. By improving infrastructure connectivity, the Belt and Road creates a better base for economic development in many countries.

Specifically, "it will bring more people together, providing more opportunities to have jobs, as more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) alongside are expected to be established," said Buerkner.

In addition to infrastructure, the Belt and Road provides opportunities for countries like Bahrain to grow into a regional financial center by enhancing the presence of China's currency the renminbi, said Rumaihi.

"Furthermore, we see huge potential for Bahrain to play a role as a gateway to the Gulf for Chinese companies," he added.

GREATER ACHIEVEMENTS EXPECTED

Those interviewed by Xinhua at the WEF agree that while the Belt and Road Initiative is currently in its early phase, dividends are seen in the longer term.

SMEs along the Belt and Road can boost the GDP of their countries by 4 percent to 7 percent as a result of increased market access, according to a new WEF study released at the meeting.

The study also showed that by applying new technologies that improve infrastructure efficiency, companies could achieve real-time supply chain visibility, eliminate inconsistencies in customs clearance, reduce overall operating costs and speed up delivery of goods along the Belt and Road between Europe, Asia and beyond.

"The landscape of the economies in developing countries along the Belt and Road would significantly change, as more and more massive projects are implemented," Rumaihi predicted.

He added that several projects are under discussion now between Bahrain and China, including the opening of a two-way direct flight between the two countries in the coming years.

Paul Smith, president of U.S.-based Chartered Financial Analyst Institute, a membership organization of global investment professionals, told Xinhua that the initiative could stabilize countries in the Middle East like Syria and Turkey plagued by an ongoing refugee crisis, something that would undoubtedly benefit Europe too.
HANOI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam set a targeted to export 360,000 tons of cashew nuts to pocket some 3 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, an increase of 3.4 percent in volume and 5.6 percent in value year-on-year, according to the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas) on Thursday.

Statistics by the Ministry of Industry and Trade showed that in 2016, Vietnam sold 348,000 tons of cashew nuts to world markets, earning 2.84 billion U.S. dollars, up 5.6 percent in value and 18.4 percent in volume year-on-year, reported the Vietnamese government's e-Portal (VGP).

Vietnamese cashew nuts have been exported to some 90 markets, with the biggest ones including the United States (making up 35 percent of the market share), European countries and Britain (25 percent) as well as China (18 percent).

Since 2006, in the past consecutive 11 years, Vietnam has maintained the world's biggest cashew exporter, accounting for 42 percent of the global exported cashew nuts.

Last year, Vietnamese enterprises imported the largest-ever amount of raw cashew nuts at some 1.06 million tons, up 14 percent year-on-year, mainly from Africa.

About 1.1 million tons of raw nuts are expected to be imported this year while the domestic raw cashew nut output hits around 400,000 tons, said VGP.
YANGON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- China, Singapore, Brunei and Japan are seeking cooperation with Myanmar to do agro-businesses in the country, proposing to practice the Profit and Loss Sharing System in cooperation with local farmers, official media reported Thursday.

However, Myanmar still needs a law to govern the implementation of the system, said Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF).

Under the system, foreign companies are to not only purchase the rice at the prevailing price in harvest season but also support pedigree paddy seeds, fertilizer, pesticide, agricultural equipment and modern techniques.

Myanmar's total rice export in the first half of this fiscal year 2016-2017 reached 401,367 tons valued at 145.158 million U.S. dollars.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has proposed to Myanmar to purchase the country's rice under government-to-government (G-to-G) system.

Pakistan is also Myanmar's next targeted rice exporting country as part of its efforts to boost the crop export.

Despite lacking in technology, Myanmar is competing with regional countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia ,India and Pakistan in the rice market.

About 80 percent of Myanmar's rice export went to China mostly through border trade.

Other exporting countries are Indonesia, Singapore, European countries, Africa, Russia and Brazil.

The country exported 767,753 tons of rice in the last fiscal year 2015-16.
HANOI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on Thursday issued a decision to stop importing peanuts, cassia seeds, cocoa beans and peas from Indonesia due to high risk of Caryedon serratus (Olivier) injection.

The decision will take effect from Thursday, reported local Bao Dau Tu (Vietnam Investment Review) online newspaper.

According to the MARD, in 2016 alone, over 5,000 tons of Indonesia-imported goods had been detected with living Olivier insects.

From Jan. 5 to 16, 2016, the MARD continued to detect 40 more containers with Indonesian origins that contained nearly 1,000 tons of peanuts injected with the insect.

MARD assessed this is a dangerous insect in Vietnamese list of phytosanitary objects. The insect that has never been in Vietnamese soil is said to cause huge damage to stocked agricultural products.

Before issuing the decision, MARD said it has sent multiple warnings to Indonesian plant quarantine organization. However, the situation has not improved, and so far, the Indonesian side has made no response, reported Bao Dau Tu.
COLOMBO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's highest court on Thursday issued a subpoena on a Sri Lankan journalist based in Britain to appear before court on March 3 on charges of contempt of court.

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court issued the notice on Lankaenews editor, Sandaruwan Senadheera, over 14 cases of contempt of court filed against the exiled editor, local media reported.

The Gamapaha Chief Magistrate also issued an international arrest warrant against him in November, which was to be executed through Interpol for insulting the local judiciary.

Senadheera, who is believed to be residing in exile in Britain, left the country during the government of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He has been accused of publishing a series of articles on his website and the social media, defaming local judges and castigating their character.

The Gampaha Chief Magistrate had also in November instructed the Department of Immigration and Emigration to arrest the editor if he arrives in Sri Lanka.

Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapakse recently informed the parliament that legal action will be pursued against Senadheera for insulting the country's judges using the Lankaenews website.

Senadheera has rejected all allegations of insulting the judiciary, saying the international warrant issued against him was illegal.
Liao Yongyuan, former general manager of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), is sentenced to 15 years in prison for accepting bribes and holding a huge sum of property with unidentified sources, at Dezhou Intermediate People's Court in Shandong Province, on Jan. 19, 2017. The court also fined Liao 1.5 million yuan (220,000 U.S. dollars). All unaccounted for funds and assets must be turned over to the state, the court ruled. (Xinhua/Dezhou Intermediate People's Court)

JINAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Liao Yongyuan, former general manager of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday for accepting bribes and holding a huge sum of property with unidentified sources.

Dezhou Intermediate People's Court in Shandong Province also fined Liao 1.5 million yuan (220,000 U.S. dollars).

All unaccounted for funds and assets must be turned over to the state, the court ruled.

The court found that from 1997 to 2014, Liao took advantage of his various positions to help others with business operation and job promotions. From 2003 to early 2015, he directly or indirectly accepted money and gifts worth over 13.4 million yuan (2 million U.S. dollars).

Liao was also found to have held property worth 21 million yuan with no identifiable source.

Liao served as assistant general manager, vice general manager and general manager of the company.

The court showed leniency as Liao admitted to his crimes and voluntarily turned over the proceeds.
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Thursday urged countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to act on the "humanitarian crisis being faced by the Rohingya community in Myanmar."

Najib made the remarks while hosting foreign ministers from the member states of the OIC in Kuala Lumpur for an extraordinary session on the Rohingya issue, saying OIC members cannot keep silent as "far too many people have lost their lives" in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

He also warned that if the situation of the Rohingya Muslim minority is not properly addressed, militant elements could infiltrate and possibly radicalize the community.

Malaysia has been a critic of the Myanmar government over the alleged killing of Rohingya people by military forces in Myanmar. But the Myanmar government denies such accusations, with some accusing the Malaysian government of interfering in others' internal affairs.

Before the OIC meeting on Thursday, the Malaysian government also organized a meeting attended by the foreign ministers of ASEAN countries.

Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has ordered an investigation of the alleged killings, but Najib thought "more can and needs to be done."

"We call on the government of Myanmar to facilitate the safe and dignified return of refugees to their homes and communities," he said.

Najib also promised a donation of 10 million ringgit (2.25 million U.S. dollars) to assist in humanitarian efforts and social rehabilitation projects in Rakhine State, specifically toward a fund to build infrastructure such as educational and medical institutions.

Founded in 1969, the OIC consists of 57 members states, including Saudia Arabia, Egypt, Iran and Indonesia. In a previous statement, the OIC called on Myanmar to restore the citizenship of the Rohingya which had been revoked under the 1982 citizenship law.
Iranian firefighters work on a commercial building in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 19, 2017. At least 30 people were killed in the collapse of a 17-story commercial building in Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday morning, Press TV reported. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

TEHRAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 people were killed in the collapse of a 17-story commercial building in Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday morning, Press TV reported.

The fire started at 8:00 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) on the eighth and ninth floors of the 54-year-old building and soon spread to the upper floors.

It is estimated that 50 to 100 others, including some shop owners and firefighters, remain trapped under the rubbles, the report said.

Residents of adjacent buildings in the neighborhood have been warned to leave the buildings.

The Turkish and British embassies nearby have been evacuated.

Authorities at Tehran governor's office have ruled out terrorism, Press TV said.
ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Followers of Ethiopian Orthodox Church marked the Ethiopian Epiphany (Timket) on Thursday in commemoration of the Baptism of Jesus Christ at the Jordan River.

The Timket features colorful celebrations in various parts of the East African country that attracted many foreign tourists with traditional costumes, singing and dancing.

At Jan Meda in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, His Holiness Abune Mathias, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, archbishops, priests and other dignitaries attended the celebrations along with large crowds of the faithful and foreign tourists.

The church marks Timket on January 19th every year, but the celebrations start on the eve dubbed "Ketera," when replicas of the Ark of the Covenant (Tabots) are taken out of churches to nearby river or pool of water where the Baptism of Christ is commemorated.

The Tabots will be returned after spending a night in temporary tents at the main sites of the festival, where mass prayers and other church services are also conducted.

While to and from their respective churches, the Tabots carried by priests are accompanied all along by songs of Sunday School students as well as chanting and dancing crowds.

After prayers on the main day of Timket, holy water is sprinkled by priests on the faithful gathered at the respective sites.
HARARE, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe has completed construction of its largest inland dam at a cost of nearly 260 million U.S. dollars, the state-run Herald newspaper reported Thursday.

Construction of Tokwe-Mukosi Dam, located in the arid southern part of the country, started 18 years ago but was delayed due to funding shortage.

Italian firm Salini Impregilo built the dam with a capacity of 1.8 billion cubic meters that is expected to boost irrigation in the south and southeastern parts of the country.

"Tokwe-Mukosi Dam is now complete and started impounding water on December 10," Tsungirirai Shoriwa, corporate communications officer with the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, was quoted as saying.

Shoriwa said preparations for commissioning of the dam were underway.

The dam, which marks one of the major infrastructure development projects for Zimbabwe in recent years, would boost irrigation for the country's sugar plantations and reduce pressure on existing dams in the province, he said.

As of Jan. 17, the dam held 210 million cubic meters of water, which is capable of irrigating at least 3,000 hectares of land.

At full capacity, the dam will irrigate more than 25,000 hectares of land and arguably transform the arid province into Zimbabwe's irrigation hub.

Capable of generating over 15 megawatts of electricity, the dam will also boost tourism as some hotels and casinos are planned along the dam's scenic shores.

Completion of the dam came at time when Zimbabwe is reeling from the effects of climate change that caused droughts in recent years.
JAKARTA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- After went through series of negotiation process with giant internet searching engine Google over the tax for its operation in Indonesia, a minister said on Thursday that Google has demonstrated positive signals during the process with its tax payment highly expected to commence in the second quarter this year.

"Negotiations related to Google tax issue are expected to be settled in the first quarter this year," Indonesia's Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said.

He pointed out that all Over the Top (OTT) providers operating their business in Indonesia are obliged to pay the tax to the government.

Google was initially reluctant to pay the tax to Indonesian government despite the fact that it runs an office in Jakarta to facilitate its operation in Indonesia.

Google did not allow Indonesian tax officials to examine the office's financial reports in September last year.

Google's transactions with its clients related to its operation in Indonesia were done in Singapore, reports said.

According to Indonesian tax office estimate, Google's unpaid tax stood at 5.2 trillion rupiah (388.7 million U.S. dollars) in 2015 alone, not including the amounts since its Indonesian office opened four years before.

Besides Google, Indonesian government is now also aiming to tax social media mogul Facebook which takes up 20 percent of commercial advertisements in Indonesia's OTT industry valued around 840 million U.S. dollars per year.

According to results of a survey carried out by Indonesian internet providers association, 132.7 million from the nation's total population of 256.2 million are internet users with 97.4 percent of them are actively accessing social media contents.
Xiao Ping (L front), representative of China National Heavy Machinery Corporation (CHMC), and Keo Rottanak (R front), representative of Cambodia's state-owned Electricite du Cambodge (EdC), sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Jan. 19, 2017. The CHMC and the EdC reached a MoU on human resources development on Thursday. (Xinhua/Sovannara)

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- China National Heavy Machinery Corporation (CHMC) and Cambodia's state-owned Electricite du Cambodge (EdC) reached a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on human resources development on Thursday.

The MoU was signed here between CHMC's president Xiao Ping and EdC's managing director Keo Rottanak.

Under the deal, the CHMC will offer scholarships to EdC outstanding employees to study master's degrees and short courses in North China Electric Power University, starting from this year.

"The goals of these scholarships are to apply the China's advanced electric power technology to Cambodia's development," Xiao said after the signing ceremony.

Rottanak said that CHMC would offer nine master's degree scholarships and a number of short-course scholarships to EdC star employees to study in China.

He said CHMC had importantly contributed to the development of electric power infrastructure and transmission lines in Cambodia.

"Our trust and confidence in our partnership have developed to a level that I can proudly announce today that CHMC is our best partner," he said.

Rottanak expressed his strong belief that the partnership and cooperation between EdC and CHMC would contribute to promoting the China-proposed "Belt and Road" initiative.
File photo shows local villagers walk down the Avenue of Baobabs, 15km north of Morondava in west Madagascar, Dec. 22, 2013. Along the Avenue De Baobabs, one of the most visited site in Madagascar, remains some 20 to 25 baobab trees about 30 meters in height. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

ARUSHA, Tanzania, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Tarangire National Park in northern Tanzania's region of Manyara is characterized by an eye-catching landscape full of gigantic baobab trees that give its unique look as the best destination in East Africa with massively built elephants.

However, unscrupulous poachers have negatively resorted to taking advantage of the peculiar scenery now using the percolated baobab trees as shelter after committing the crime. They make secret holes to the trees as a cover-up from game wardens.

Bernard Mgina, head of tourism unit in Tarangire National Park said on Tuesday that the concealed nature of illegal operation of poachers using baobab trees as hideouts complicated efforts by the government to combat poaching.

"This park is home to baobab trees that elephants sometimes feed on taking into consideration that the tree species is rich in water. But poachers hide in those to avoid the rangers. We will smoke them out whatever the case," Mginga explained.

Elephants fall in the wildlife group, he added, that catch the attention of tourists especially interested in seeing them peeling of the succulent (juicy) barks both for food and source of water.

"There are thousands of baobab trees in the area and it is not easy for the rangers to locate the hideouts. Poachers hide in holes made out of the trees and could spend days and night to fulfill their ill-intention mission.

The place is not only the ideal place for more that 3,000 elephants but also for more than 500 species of birds.

Without giving details, the official said: "We have devised combative strategies to give the National Park its distinction being the best destination in the region which should receive a big number of tourists annually."

Located 118 km southwest of Arusha, the sanctuary is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania and its name originates from the Tarangire River that crosses the park.

The Tarangire River is the primary source of fresh water for wild animals in the Tarangire Ecosystem during the annual dry season.

The Tarangire Ecosystem is defined by the long-distance migration of wildebeest and zebras. During the dry season, thousands of animals concentrate in Tarangire National Park from the surrounding wet season dispersal and calving areas.
KIGALI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda is planning to install a cable car system to facilitate hikes to Karisimbi Volcano, the highest mountain in the country and the fifth in Africa at 4,507 meters above sea level.

The ambitious cable car plan seeks to improve access and boost tourism in Musanze district, Northern Province, known for its volcanic mountain and endangered mountain gorillas.

"A hike to Karisimbi's summit is not an ordinary one. Someone needs relatively good health and stamina to hike through the slippery slopes to reach the summit which is white capped," Belize Kaliza, chief tourism officer at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), told reporters Thursday.

She noted that the government is in contract negotiations with an Italian firm to build the cable car system.

The Karisimbi cable car project, second on the continent after that in Cape Town, South Africa, will offer unique features such as crater surfing via zip lines, according to RDB.

The cable car project is expected to cost 38 million U.S. dollars.

Rwanda's tourism sector is one of the leading foreign exchange earners for the country.

RDB statistics indicate that in 2014 the country's tourism industry registered revenue receipts worth 304.9 million dollars. The country hosted a total of about 1.22 million visitors in the same year.
Students from the University of Nairobi (UON) protest along the streets of Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Jan. 19, 2017. The students are calling for the government's quick intervention to end the ongoing health crisis, which has caused a near-total paralysis in the healthcare sector. (Xinhua/Fred Mutune)

NAIROBI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Lecturers from Kenya's public universities have declared a nationwide strike from Thursday after the government failed to implement a salary rise deal signed in 2013.

The Universities' Academic Staff Union (UASU), Kenya University Staff Association (KUSA) and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotel, Educational and Allied (KUDHEA), representing teaching and non-teaching staff in 33 public universities threatened to paralyze the country's education sector in the country.

UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga called on the three unions to remain united in their resolve to achieve better standards of living for their members.

"Without the 2013-2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), there will be no learning; no research activities; no innovation across all the public universities," Wasonga told journalists in Nairobi.

The pay dispute between government and university workers has been going on for years, with lecturers and non-academic staff calling for strikes.

Among other demands, UASU wants the salary of an assistant lecturer to be 3,600 U.S. dollars per month while a lecturer should earn 10,000 dollars.

The union is also demanding that house allowance be adjusted so lecturers and tutorial fellows get 1,350 dollars a month as professors pocket 2,500 dollars.

Union officials claimed that the last time teaching staff in public universities were awarded a salary increase was in 2010.

They regretted that salaries for university teaching staff have remained stagnant for a long period during which the cost of living rose tremendously.

The unions accused the government of failing to take into account UASU's proposals to the Salary and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and the Inter Public Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) submitted in December 2012, despite awarding CBA's to workers in other sectors including the contentious agreement between doctors and the government, signed in 2013.

The move comes after the Employment and Labour Relations Court on Wednesday extended orders stopping the university academic staff strike.

Lady Justice Hellen Wasilwa gave directions in a case in which the Inter Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum of Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) have sued the Universities Academic Staff Union.

The judge directed that the strike should not take off so as to pave way for negotiations to continue this week.

FKE lawyer Grace Kanyiri said that they have offered a counter proposal to UASU but the union is insisting on basing the negotiations on the CBA of 2012.

The lawyer for UASU however said they are willing to suspend the planned industrial strike that was slated for Thursday and embark on talks on condition that the talks are based on the two documents, the 2012 CBA and the 2017 counter proposal from the government.

The negotiations are scheduled for Jan. 23 with Justice Wasilwa directing the parties to report to court after a fortnight on Feb. 1 to give an update on the talks.

The pay dispute in the recent past saw lecturers down tools accusing the government of failing to implement in total a 2008/2009 CBA signed between unions and Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum.

The lecturers were then pushing for 40-percent pay hike. The salary talks are long overdue -- the Salaries and Remunerations Commission directed all government departments in 2012 to initiate talks that would culminate in CBAs for 2013-17.

The looming strike will affect 33 public universities where majority of youth from low-income families enroll for higher education.

University lecturers have since mid last year threatened to go on strike due to poor remuneration despite their heavy workload.
JAKARTA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia sets ways to attract foreign visitors vacationing in Thailand, keen to gain benefit from Thailand's tourism sector which successfully welcomed over 30 million ones throughout last year.

To address the aim, Indonesia would extensively promote its tour destinations in Thailand's upcoming landmark umbrella festival of Bo Sang slated for Friday to Sunday this week.

"Massive promotion in Bo Sang Umbrella Festival this year is highly expected to make Indonesian tour destinations more popular among Thailand natives and foreign visitors vacationing in Thailand as well," Tourism Deputy Minister for Overseas Marketing Affairs I Gde Pitana said in a statement on Thursday.

Pitana added that Indonesia's diverse cultures and the beauty of the nation's geographical sceneries would be significant selling points to be promoted to foreign visitors vacationing in Thailand.

Indonesia, the Southeast Asia's largest nation, is home to 1,340 ethnic groups and tribes inhabited in over 17,000 islands. The archipelago nation has award- winning coral reefs and undersea tour destinations as well as volcanoes and diverse cultural attractions in each of its region.

Pitana said that Thailand's annual Bo Sang Umbrella Festival is the sister event of Indonesia Umbrella Festival (FPI) periodically held in Central Java province's city of Surakarta, highly expected to further increase Indonesia-Thailand cultural interaction.

The highly anticipated Bo Sang Festival is annually held in Bo Sang village, San Kampheang district located in Thailand's Chiang Mai province. The festival, which has been held in the past 34 years, is filled with display of hundreds of colorful umbrellas and silk in resident's houses and stores within three days.

Indonesia's tourism ministry has regarded Thailand's tourism sector as its benchmark to further enhance the sector at home which has been declared as the nation's core business.

Indonesia has set target to attract 20 million foreign visitors by 2019, to earn more than 24 billion U.S. Dollars from the sector by that time.

Indonesia expects to welcome 15 million foreign visitors, earn 200 trillion rupiah (about 14.9 billion U.S. Dollars) from the sector this year.

To cope with growing targets in tourism sector, Indonesia develops ten new tour destinations across the country, designed to par with resort island of Bali which has been favored by foreign visitors for years.
ACCRA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo has authorized the deployment of 205 troops to Gambia as part of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mission in that country.

The combat team is backed with appropriate logistical equipment, according to a statement signed by Eugene Arhin, acting director of communications at the presidency, on late Wednesday.

The statement said the regional bloc, ECOWAS, decided to deploy troops from its member states to Gambia as a result of the refusal of Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to leave office following his defeat in the December elections.

The objective is to create an enabling environment for "effective enforcement of the rule of law" and to facilitate the inauguration of the President-elect Adama Barrow, the statement said.

Jammeh has refused to accept the results of the Dec. 1 polls, which saw him lose to Barrow, a real estate mogul before his candidacy.
KABUL, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan has strategic ties with the United States and under the new U.S. government, the relations between Washington and Kabul will further improve, said Afghan chief presidential spokesman Thursday.

"Afghanistan has strategic and firm relations with the United States. We are confident that Afghanistan's ties with the United States will further strengthen under the new U.S. administration," Mohammad Haroon Chakhansori told a press briefing.

In 2012, Afghan former President Hamid Karzai and outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama signed a strategic deal in Kabul and Obama declared Afghanistan as a major non-NATO ally of the United States.

Chakhansori said that Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump had already discussed relations between the two countries and exchanged views on different topics during a recent telephone conversation.

On Wednesday night, Ghani and Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah offered their farewell to Obama in a phone call, the Afghan Presidential Palace said earlier on Thursday.

"President Ghani appreciated continuous cooperation of the United States in the eight-year tenure of President Obama, whose strategic decisions played a key role in the fight against terrorism and development of Afghanistan," it said in a statement.

Ghani told Obama that "your role in establishing strategic relations between the two nations has founded fundamental partnerships, which will remain strong for decades. Therefore the people of Afghanistan appreciate and will always remember your leadership in this regard."

President Ghani also wished Obama and his family success in their future endeavors, the statement noted.

Trump is expected to swear in on Friday.
KABUL, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russia, Pakistan and China held a trilateral meeting in Moscow in late December 2016 to discuss the lingering conflict in Afghanistan and try to find a solution to the protracted turbulence in the South Asian region.

The participants in the trilateral conference, besides calling for a negotiated settlement on the Afghan crisis, had also appealing for a delisting of Taliban leaders from the United Nations' terrorist black list.

This was the first time since the withdrawal of the former Soviet Union forces from Afghanistan in 1998 that Russia had held such a conference on Afghanistan in a bid to find a solution to the Afghan imbroglio.

Similarly, before hosting the trilateral conference on Afghanistan in Moscow, Russian special envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kablov, according to media reports, had confirmed his country's contact with the Taliban, advocating that the Taliban as a potent force can beat the emerging Islamic State threats along the border with the Russian allies of the Central Asian states bordering Afghanistan.

"The Moscow-held trilateral talks on Afghanistan would have no impact on reducing the war and militancy in Afghanistan," political expert Nazari Pariani told Xinhua.

Pariani, who is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Mandegar newspaper, also said that the Russian contact with the Taliban would further complicate the already complicated peace process in Afghanistan.

He also argued that since many Taliban militants had fought the former Red Army soldiers during the then Soviet Union occupation of Afghanistan, they would oppose contact with Russia on Afghanistan.

The analyst also explained that the Afghan government had softly rejected Russia's contact with the Taliban and holding the trilateral talks with the participation of China and Pakistan in Moscow.

Afghan foreign ministry spokesman Ahmad Shekib Mostaghni, in reaction to the Afghan talks in late 2016, cautioned that "no talks on Afghanistan could succeed without its participation," noting that no one represented Afghanistan in the talks held in Moscow.

The well-respected analyst also argued that the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China, has failed to deliver any tangible results though it had held several meetings.

It proves that it would be very difficult for the trilateral meeting of Russia, Pakistan and China to yield substantial results, Pariani believed.

"Russia, as a rival of the United States, by bringing Pakistan, a major ally of the United States in the region, and China is obviously attempting to form a regional power, while Pakistan by siding with Russia at this stage wants to demonstrate its importance in the region and particularly on the Afghan issue," the analyst said.
MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi military said its troops freed Telkief, a town north of Mosul, from Islamic State (IS) group militants on Thursday.

Telkief, 20 km north of Mosul, was recaptured amid continued efforts by government forces to free the remaining IS-held neighborhoods in northeastern Mosul, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Amir Yarallah, from the Joint Operations Command, said in a statement.

The operation to capture Telkief, which had been under government siege for almost two months, started at dawn and involved several hours of heavy street battles, Yarallah said.

Currently, government forces are in full control of the Nineveh Plain, which lies to the east and northeast of Mosul, the capital of Iraq's northern province of Nineveh.

In addition, army forces drove out IS militants from the luxurious Nineveh Oberoi hotel in Mosul after fierce clashes, Yarallah said.

The battles continued throughout the day against IS militants to free remaining neighborhoods and former presidential palaces in Mosul, in an area locally known as the left bank of the Tigris River, which divides the city.

The commander of the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces said on Wednesday that CTS troops are now in full control of the main part of the eastern side of Mosul.

"CTS forces have completely retaken control of the eastern side of Mosul," Lt. Gen. Talib Shghati told reporters.

"The only neighborhoods left in Mosul are in the northern part of the city which the army units are fighting to liberate soon," Shghati said, adding that Mosul's five bridges over the Tigris river are all under security forces' control.

He said CTS troops have so far killed 3,300 IS militants and destroyed 300 car bombs in the Mosul battles.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city, on Oct. 17.

The second phase of the offensive, to free the eastern bank of Mosul, began on Dec. 29.

Battles in Mosul decreased in December when extremist militants started using civilians as human shields, resorted to suicide car bombings and mortar and sniper attacks.

Mosul, 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their posts and fled, enabling IS militants to gain control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
LUSAKA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said Thursday that it has instituted investigations into reports of alleged sexual abuse of female police recruits at a police training center.

Last week, a retired senior police officer revealed that there was rampant sexual abuse of new female police recruits at Lilayi Police Training College situated on the outskirts of the southern part of Lusaka, the country's capital.

The unnamed officer said in an article circulated widely on various social media platforms that he slept with hundreds of female police trainee officers.

Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo said the ministry has launched investigations after his office was inundated with queries regarding the revelations by the officer.

"It is sad to receive such allegations as minister of home affairs, which are demeaning to female police trainees who have strived to achieve a lot as officers," he told reporters during a press briefing.

"We shall get back to the public and inform them about the outcome of this investigation. And we are not going to spare those behind the wrong if it is found to be true," he added.

He has since appealed to people with evidence-based information to channel it to the head of the Zambia Police Service.

The Zambian minister however went on say that the claims were only meant to destroy the police training college, adding that police training colleges in the country were regulated by a code of conduct.
LUSAKA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said Thursday that it will continue reforming the country's business environment in order to make the country more competitive on the international market.

Kayula Siame, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary said there was need to continue with business reforms, because the reforming process was not an event but an ongoing process meant to position the country on the global stage.

Zambia, she said, has dropped four places on the 2017 Ease of Doing Business Index ranking and was now ranked 9th in Africa and 5th in both the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The country is also ranked 98th out of the 190 countries worldwide, she added.

The official, in remarks delivered during a breakfast meeting to announce the hosting of the Ease of Doing Business Initiative Conference, attributed the drop in ranking to the country relaxing in business reforms.

According to her, business reforms were key for private sector development.

The conference, to be held from May 16 to 18, 2017, in the southern city of Livingstone will be attended by 300 participants from 30 countries.

Kenya hosted the 2016 conference.

The conference is meant to strengthen partnership between the private and the public sector.
LANZHOU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Gesturing to her fine tableware set, Gao Shumei picked up one of the bowls.

"I buy new bowls and chopsticks every year for Chinese New Year. It is said that new tableware will bring bliss and longevity to the family," Gao, 75, said as she absent mindedly traced her fingers over the Chinese character "fu," meaning good fortune, which was printed on the bowl and repeated across the whole set.

Gao lives in a remote village on the Loess Plateau in Gansu Province, This year her granddaughter bought the family's new tableware online. It was chosen and ordered in minutes.

It has not always been this easy.

Just three decades ago, Gao remembered, bartering was much more common place.

In the late 1970s when travel was almost unheard of, villagers had to wait for traveling vendors, who would hawk their goods from village to village, often walking for miles in between.

Each salesman would have their own sound, a bell or a whistle, something to alert the village of what they were selling.

"I still get excited when I hear a rattle drum. I catch myself, even now, glancing to the window expecting to see the peddler arriving," Gao recalled.

One year, Gao swapped a bag of grain grown on her family lot for a pair of blue-striped porcelain bowls. These bowls, however, were not meant for the annual reunion dinner.

"We used them on the ancestral shrine," she explained.

Over Spring Festival, Chinese would traditionally pay their respects to their ancestors and pray for a prosperous year. The practice continues in some parts of China, even to this day.

"The blue and white bowls would be filled with a rich, meaty noodle dish, and left on the shrine as an offering," Gao recalled, adding that the family could only afford such a hearty meal once a year.

Almost at the same time, China started the reform and opening-up period, leading to three decades of breakneck growth. Per capita net income of rural households, like Gao's, shot up to over 11,000 yuan (1,600 U.S. dollars) in 2015, from 130 yuan in 1978.

When Gao's son got married in the 1990s, his wife, Wang Shenglan, took over the responsibility of getting new tableware for the annual family dinner.

Wang bought her new bowls and chopsticks at the county fair.

"She didn't have to wait for the peddler, but she did have to trek several miles to the county seat for the market," Gao explained.

This annual shopping trip had to be planned ahead of time, and Wang would often make her new year purchases a month before the festival.

"If it was a sunny day I would ride to the market on a tricycle," she said.

The first year she bought six of everything. "Six is an auspicious number, you know," she recalled.

This year, Gao's granddaughter Liu Lijuan took charge. The set she bought for her grandmother had been made in Fujian, a costal province thousands of miles away, but it only took a few days to be delivered.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, the whole family will sit down together and tuck into seafood that Liu also ordered online.

"Compared with the old days, it's like celebrating Spring Festival every day," said Gao.
GUANGZHOU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Companies from south China's Guangdong province significantly increased investment into countries and regions along the Belt and Road in 2016.

In 2016, Guangdong-based firms invested more than 4 billion U.S. dollars in the countries and regions along the Belt and Road, up 65.3 percent from the previous year, Ma Xingrui, acting governor of the province said in a government work report on Thursday.

Data from the provincial commerce department shows that Guangdong firms invested 1.72 billion U.S. dollars in countries along the Belt and Road in 2014, and the investment saw a year-on-year increase of 44.7 percent in 2015.

Guangdong provincial government established a "Silk Road Fund" in January 2016, which offers financial support to industrial parks, major infrastructure, agriculture and fisheries in some Belt and Road countries.

Ma said the province will promote infrastructure interconnectivity with Belt and Road countries in 2017, and open more international passenger and cargo air routes.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, refers to the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It is aimed at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.
BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Police have detained six fugitives on a list of China's 10 most-wanted telecom and Internet fraud suspects, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said Thursday.

Huang Youli, 50, is said to have defrauded over two million yuan (290,000 U.S. dollars) through WeChat, a popular Chinese chatting app and social network service, in July, 2015. He turned himself in to the police in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Jan. 12.

Tang Shixian, 31, Wu Shaoyan, 36, and Pan Fangfang, 29, all allegedly participated in a sperm donation swindle. They lured their victims to transfer money to them which they claimed to be a deposit against donation.

Tang surrendered himself to the police on Jan. 13 in eastern China's Jiangxi Province. Wu and Pan were arrested in Jiangxi on Jan. 13 and Jan. 14 respectively.

Hu Xiaoping, 50, and his son Hu Dalong, 27, gave themselves up to the police in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Tuesday. They defrauded several million yuan by claiming to help victims apply for credit cards since January, 2016.
DHAKA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested 15 members of an international human trafficking ring in capital Dhaka, an army official said Thursday.

"We've detained 15 members of an international human trafficking racket from different parts of Dhaka," Commanding Officer of RAB-3 Lt. Col. Khandakar Golam Sarwar told journalists.

Acting on a tip-off, he said RAB personnel conducted drives in different Dhaka areas since Wednesday and arrested 15 alleged members of an international human trafficking racket which used to send people from Bangladesh to Malaysia and some Middle East countries illegally.

RAB personnel also seized a huge number of passports, some of which were found with visa stickers of different countries, he said.

They also seized materials used for making forged documents, he added.

Sarwar said 10 people have been rescued from the human trafficking ring before they were sent to Malaysia illegally.
by Osama Radi, Emad Drimly

GAZA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A deal declared Tuesday by Palestinian leaders on forming a unity government to end 10 years of internal division is very hard to implement, analysts and observers say.

The declaration, by leaders of Palestinian factions, including Hamas movement and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party, was announced in Moscow after two days of intensive dialogue held in the Russian capital.

Azzam el-Ahmad, a senior Fatah leader, and Musa Abu Marzooq, a senior Hamas leader, made the announcement in a news conference held in Moscow together with leaders of other factions.

Russia supervised the internal reconciliation dialogue among the rival Palestinian factions.

Abu Marzooq, a deputy Hamas chief, told the news conference that the new unity government "will be the joint mechanism that will treat and resolve all questions... that came out from the internal split and will implement the deals reached in the past 10 years."

According to the agreement, after the formation of the Palestinian unity government, the presidential and parliamentary elections should be held.

The last presidential and parliamentary elections were held in 2005 and 2006.

The internal Palestinian division started when Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Since then, all attempts by Palestinian, Arab and international mediators had failed to reach a real reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.

Rajab Abu Serreya, a West Bank political analyst, told Xinhua that Russia's involvement in the internal Palestinian dialogue was aimed at sending a message to the world that Russia can play an important role in the Middle East.

"Hosting the dialogue in Moscow was aimed at fulfilling the vacuum that had been left after the U.S. involvement in the Middle East conflict had retreated."

Before the dialogue in Moscow, representatives of the Palestinian factions held a series of dialogue sessions in Lebanon to prepare for convening the Palestinian parliament in exile, better known as the Palestinian National Council.

Ibrahim Abrash, a political science professor at al-Azhar University in Gaza, told Xinhua that Moscow agreement between the Palestinian factions "is not different from a series of agreements and understandings which had been so far reached in the past 10 years."

"There had been a series of agreements that were signed and sponsored by different countries, but they were never implemented," Abrash said. "The implementation of the agreements has been always a major challenge."

Abrash said Russia's ability to help the rivals implement an agreement is limited, "because Moscow is not aware of the intentions of the two rivals of Fatah and Hamas, and also not aware of the relationships between the two rivals on one hand, and relations between Israel and Egypt on the other."

Meanwhile, some believe that even if a new unity government is formed, it will face the same obstacles the current consensus government has been facing.

In Gaza, prominent social media activists mocked the agreement, saying it's hard to see any substantial progress in implementing the deal.

Khaled Joma'a, a Palestinian writer, think-tank member and journalist, wrote on his Facebook page, "To those who reached the agreement, I say: aren't you ashamed that it took you 10 years making reconciliation and you accomplished nothing."

"Israel detains 30 Palestinians every day, confiscates our lands, kills our young men, demolishes our homes, uproots our trees and you still debate reconciliation," said Joma'a. "We get sick of you and your reconciliation."

Ra'ed Musa, a Facebook activist, wrote on his page: "They announced in Moscow that they will start their consultations on forming a unity government within 48 hours, but they didn't tell us when exactly they will finish it."

In April 2014, Hamas and Fatah reached an agreement in Gaza and a consensus government was formed two months later. But the government failed to operate normally due to differences between Hamas and Fatah.

Just last week, the two rivals were trading accusations over the responsibility for a severe electricity crisis gripping the Gaza Strip.
COLOMBO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. Navy ship arrived at the Colombo Port here on Thursday on a goodwill visit, the Navy media unit said in a statement.

The U.S. Navy ship "Hopper" is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer.

It was ceremonially welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval traditions upon her arrival.

Commander John D. Gainey, the commanding officer of the ship, paid a courtesy call on Rear Admiral Jayantha De Silva, commander of the Western Naval Area, at the Western Naval Command Headquarters.

They held cordial discussions and exchanged momentoes to mark the significance of the occasion, the navy statement said.

The U.S. Navy ship which is on a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka, is scheduled to participate in an array of programs organized by the Sri Lanka Navy.

The ship is scheduled to depart from the country on Monday.
BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Economic globalization means win-win for those who ride the wave. A trade war will be a universal wipe-out.

Economist Chen Fengying with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations believes globalization is historically inevitable, with the only choice being how much time and energy is to be wasted swimming against the tide.

Globalization, according to to Chen, does not mean it comes without its problems. Facing up to these problems and finding solutions are the only way forward.

THE DOOR IS OPEN

When China talks about seizing every opportunity, facing difficulties together and plotting the best course, China means what it says.

On Tuesday, the State Council adjusted the rules to make it even easier for foreign businesses and individuals to invest in China. This time the focus is on financial institutions. It now makes even more sense for foreign banks, securities and derivatives brokers and insurance companies to put their financial faith in an economy that is no longer the force of nature it once was, but still manages to keep ahead of the chasing pack.

Foreign firms are to be allowed to go public and issue bonds in the Chinese market and much more is being done to protect intellectual property rights.

At the same time, restrictions have been relaxed on foreign capital participating in what has become one of the crown jewels of the world's second biggest economy: rail equipment.

The gateways to high-end, smart and green manufacturing, infrastructure and environmental protection have been opened wider. And for those businesses that wish to support China's relentless drive against poverty, building new plants in central, western and northeastern areas just became an even more attractive proposition.

MONEY IN, MONEY OUT

"Inclusive growth is China's answer to questions of whether globalization can benefit all," said Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao.

Foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland rose 4.1 percent in 2016 to 813 billion yuan (around 118 billion U.S. dollars).

In the next five years, China expects to attract 600 billion U.S. dollars of foreign investment, import 8 trillion dollars of goods and invest 750 billion dollars overseas. At the same time, Chinese tourists will make 700 million trips out of the country.

China's resilience will continue to offer growth opportunities amid the global economic quagmire, after the country has contributed about 30 percent of world growth annually since the international financial crisis struck.

BRAVING THE ELEMENTS

The benefits of globalization far outweigh the costs for developed and developing economies alike.

"Protectionism and de-globalization noises might calm domestic dissent in the short term, but will harm the public interests in the long run," said Zhang Yuyan, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences institute of world economics and politics.

Pursuing protectionism is "like locking oneself in a dark room," Chinese President Xi Jinping told the World Economic Forum in Davos this week. "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," Xi told the world's most authoritative audience. "China has no intention to boost its trade competitiveness by devaluing the RMB, still less will it launch a currency war."

Building on 30-odd years of reform, China has worked hard over the past four years to inject impetus into its development.

"Maybe the world should take a leaf out of China's book: reform, innovate, seek common development, open up," said Zhang Shuyu of the University of International Business and Economics.
A Palestinian holds a placard against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during a protest in the west bank city of Nablus, on Jan. 19, 2017. Thousands of Palestinians demonstrated in the West Bank on Thursday against the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's intention to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. (Xinhua/Ayman Nobani)

RAMALLAH, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Palestinians demonstrated in the West Bank on Thursday against the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's intention to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The demonstrators took the streets in Ramallah, Nablus and Hebron, in response to calls by national and Islamic factions.

They raised Palestinian flags and slogans in public squares and main streets against the potential step, saying "No to moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem," "Jerusalem is the key to war and peace," "moving the embassy is considered a termination of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process," and other slogans saying "Stop" in English.

Member of Fatah movement central committee Mahmoud Al-Aloul said "those protests are a message from the Palestinian people against any American step to move it's embassy to Jerusalem."

He highlighted that East Jerusalem "is an occupied city under international law and all international legitimacy resolutions, and any American move to manipulate it are rejected by Palestinians and unaccepted."

Al-Aloul urged Islamic and Arab states to shoulder responsibility against this matter and warned against "the assassination of all treaties and undermining any hope to establish the Palestinian state under the two-state solution and consolidate the Israeli occupation."

The demonstrations come one day ahead the inauguration of Donald Trump as 45th president of the United States.

Trump and his aides expressed support for Israeli settlements and the moving of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, especially during the electoral campaign.

In reaction, Palestinians launched a diplomatic campaign against such a move. The Palestinian president said on Wednesday that moving the U.S. embassy will destroy the already stalled peace process with Israel.

Palestinian officials warned that if such a move is made, they will reconsider the recognition of the state of Israel.

The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel in 1967, as the capital of their future state, while Israel says all of Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the state of Israel.
KIGALI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda has tightened measures against street hawkers in the capital Kigali, after the vendors had continued to run their businesses in defiance of the ban.

Last year, the country issued a directive that permanently banned street vending and hawking within the Kigali city.

The city authority has blamed street hawking and buying for depriving pedestrians of their space, causing traffic jams and tax evasion.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Patricia Muhongerwa, the deputy mayor in charge of social affairs, said that those caught selling or buying on the streets will be fined and have their merchandise confiscated.

"We have sensitized hawkers about leaving street vending and find a permanent facility within in the business district area, but we are shocked to learn that they are still hawking on several streets within the city center," she said.

Intended to curb untidiness and pollution, the penalty also targets offences like throwing dead animals on the street.

The order will affect many traders who have made careers out of selling goods on the streets and sidewalks, such as cigarettes, clothes and foodstuff.

Kigali city authorities estimate the number of street hawkers at around 6,000, who are involved in running battles with local security operatives.

Last year, the government built 12 markets on outskirts of the city center for hawkers and vendors. In addition, selling points have also been set up with well-furnished structures in sub-urban areas in a bid to end street hawking.

Kigal, has been transformed into a vibrant and a model city in Africa with its clean streets, serene environment coupled with breathtaking infrastructural developments.

Kigali has been on numerous occasions lauded as Africa's cleanest city by the global reports thanks to the country's ban on plastic bags in 2008 and monthly community work locally known as 'Umuganda'.

The city targets to attain the status of the 'centre of urban excellence' in Africa by 2040 and has seen the development of numerous plush hotels and commercial plazas.
BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Around a week before gifts are shared across China for the Lunar New Year, the country has presented the world with presents that are set to improve the wellbeing of more people. During President Xi Jinping's visit to World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva Wednesday, a memorandum of understanding pledging to step up health cooperation under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative was signed between China and the WHO.

The move underscored China's role as a responsible major player on world stage -- promoting better international cooperation to build a better world for all, said Wang Yiwei, international affairs professor with Renmin University of China in Beijing.

First proposed by the president in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative has gradually and steadily brought substantial changes in terms of trade and investment to the people and countries along the trade routes.

The initiative is not only about infrastructure, but also culture, public service and other areas of cooperation, in which health care is one important part, said Chen Fengying, director of the Institute of World Economic Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

FROM ECONOMY TO HEALTH CARE

China's trade with countries along the Belt and Road totaled 3.1 trillion U.S. dollars in the 36-month period ending last June. By the first half of 2016, 1,881 cargo trains had run between China and Europe along 39 rail lines.

The cooperation zones built under the initiative have brought together enterprises with a collective output of 47.5 billion U.S. dollars.

So far, China has inked more than 40 cooperative agreements under the initiative, covering more than 10 key industries including steel, electronics, automobiles and equipment making.

The promising early results in infrastructure and trade delivered over the three years are just the first step of the initiative, which aims at international cooperation in a wider range of fields, culminating in win-win, shared development.

While the "hard connection" of rail lines and ports brings countries geographically closer, "soft connection" will bring their people together.

On June 22, 2016, 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, laying out the future of the initiative.

While meeting with WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, Xi said China welcomes the WHO's active participation in the construction of the Belt and Road, and of a "healthy" Silk Road.

The "healthy" Silk Road focuses on closer global cooperation to improves people's lives -- a vital issue in global governance, Wang said.

He added that such cooperation shows how China can contribute to other countries after decades of rapid development.

Echoing Wang, Chen said the move by China and the WHO would not only be conducive to improving public health, but would also be a prelude to expanded multilateral collaboration.

MORE TO EXPECT

With a "circle of friends" from over 100 countries and international organizations, and projects in countries that are home to 60 percent of the world's population, the initiative has gradually been involving the world at large.

According to Wang, as the Belt and Road Initiative is continuously improving itself to seek an innovative cooperation model, the cooperation fields are also expanding.

During Wednesday's visit to WHO headquarters, Xi noted that China stands ready to enhance cooperation with the WHO in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and assisting other developing countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative, with its goal of common development and prosperity, conforms to the basic values of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and can play a crucial role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, for example eradicating poverty, said Chen.

More and more international organizations are beginning to appreciate the platform provided by initiative that draws closer cooperative ties.

In July 2016, a high-level conference on intellectual property for countries along the Belt and Road, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), was held in Beijing, attracting 300 participants from some 60 countries.

Francis Gurry, director general of the WIPO, said his organization was delighted to have a clear relationship to the opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative, which would ensure coherence in the architecture of intellectual property rules worldwide.

Besides infrastructure and health care, other fields such as culture, art, finance and education are also expected to welcome further cooperation, said Chen.

In May, China will host a Belt and Road forum for international cooperation in Beijing, Xi announced on Tuesday in a keynote speech at the opening session of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos.

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.

The Belt and Road Initiative is expected to foster opportunities and prosperity in various fields around the globe with better cooperation between more countries, developing and developed ones alike, and multilateral organizations and enterprises, Chen said.
DAMASCUS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of the UN and members of the local reconciliation committees entered the contested Barada Valley area northwest of the capital Damascus on Thursday, in an attempt to work on a deal for the evacuation of the rebels from that water-rich region, a military source told Xinhua.

A ceasefire was observed just to allow the delegation to enter and leave the area, the source added, on condition of anonymity.

The delegation entered the rebel-held Barada Valley to work on reaching an agreement for the evacuation of the rebels from that area and the entry of the Syrian army, the source said.

The agreement could also see a solution for the Ain Fijeh spring in a town under the same name, as the spring feeds the capital's over five million people with water.

However, the water has been cut since Dec. 22 due to the battles there, with both conflicting parties trading accusations.

A day earlier, the Syrian army stormed the outskirts of Ain Fijeh town, under cover of heavy rocket fire, in the latest bid to restore that area to resume the water pumping into Damascus, the Syrian military media said.

Opposition activists said intense battles raged on Wednesday between the Syrian government forces backed by Hezbollah and an array of rebel groups in Barada Valley, coupled with tens of airstrikes on that area.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian air force targeted the rebel positions in that area with tens of airstrikes.

Both conflicting parties exchanged accusations over the water crisis in Damascus, as the government accused the rebels' al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front of cutting the water deliberately to use it as a weapon to push the government to succumb to their demands, while the rebels blamed the government forces' shelling for the damage that had befallen the spring.

The capital's over five million inhabitants have been struggling to secure their needs of water, with the government using its reserve wells to partially feed Damascus with water.

Meanwhile, a military source told Xinhua that the Nusra militants started setting homes on fire in Ain Fijeh area, as a sort of revenge for the military's resolve to take that area.

This comes as a truce was reached on Jan. 11 in that area for the government to enter and fix the spring, in exchange of allowing ultra-radical groups to evacuate the area to the northwestern province of Idlib.

However, the truce was quick to fall on Jan. 14, as the rebels with Nusra Front fired sniper shots at maintenance workers, who entered the area to fix the spring.

They also shot dead retired Brigadier Ahmad Ghadban, who was tasked by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to supervise the truce and the reconciliation file in Barada.
LONDON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Britain's latest clearance of its "hard Brexit" objective has triggered a mixed reactions in Britain, ranging from concerns of national division to hopes of a better "post-Brexit" tomorrow.

In a decisive speech on Tuesday that sets a course for a clean break with the EU, British Prime Minister Theresa May promised to quit the European single market and seek a free trade agreement with the EU.

She also pledged to restrict access to Britain by EU citizens and end the jurisdiction in Britain of the European Court of Justice.

The 12-point blueprint was dubbed a "hard Brexit".

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has warned that Britain seeking a hard Brexit from the European Union would be a disaster and risks ripping the country apart.

Privileged access to the European single market is critical, especially for London, says the city's Labor Party, a staunch supporter of Britain remaining as a member of the EU family.

Others disagree, saying Britain quitting the single market and the strict rules that go along with membership of one of the world's biggest trading blocks will act as an economic breath of fresh air for the British economy.

Before last June's national referendum, Britain was divided into those wanting to remain in the EU and those wanting to leave. The latter won in the voting with a 52-48 margin.

Following Theresa May's keynote speech on Tuesday, the big dividing question is whether there should be a hard or soft Brexit.

May said Britain will quit the single market, but she insists she wants a deal that gives free access to European markets, in return for free access to British markets for EU businesses.

The sticking point is the rules that go hand-in-hand with full membership of the EU single market -- free movement across member states for all European nationals, and working within rules and laws set in Brussels.

Renowned British economist and eurosceptic Professor, Patrick Minford, describes the EU as a protectionist Customs Union.

He backs May's hard Brexit approach, saying Britain pursuing deals that create zero trade barriers would bring down our consumer prices and create home competition.

One route could be Britain independently eliminating trade barriers created by the EU on Britain's behalf and go on to do broad trade agreements with Brussels on property rights, investment and services afterwards.

Another option would be for Britain to do free trade agreements with the EU and then the rest of the world, avoiding at all costs a trade war.

Mayor Khan, on the other hand, insists a "hard Brexit would be a lose-lose situation". "A hard-line approach could rip Britain apart," he said.

"If we continue on this path, towards a 'Hard Brexit', we risk having to explain to future generations why we knowingly put their economy, their prosperity and their place on the world stage in such peril," Khan said.

Khan called on businesses and organizations across Europe to make the case to their political leaders for a Brexit deal that works for both Britain and the EU.

He also urged global cities to take urgent pro-active steps to build stronger and more integrated communities, to tackle the rise of populism and the threat of more countries leaving the EU.

Khan gave a stark warning to EU member states about the consequences of people across the world feeling left behind or side-lined.

"Many people who voted to leave the EU did so because of unease about the change they've experienced in recent decades.

"This economic and social divide is not unique to Britain. Without a concerted response, it will spread further.

"My warning is this: if many of your countries held an EU referendum tomorrow, it could go the same way as ours. This is an existential threat to the EU -- that we must combat together," he said.

"Leave means Leave", the group set up to campaign for a hard Brexit, has called on May to ignore attempts by big businesses and the banks to keep Britain in the EU "by the back door".

The European customs union has been bad for Britain leading to higher food prices among other things, said a spokesman for the organization.

"Remaining in it, even partially, would be a disaster; it would undermine the huge potential benefits of Brexit: cheaper weekly food bills and new trade deals with non EU countries," said the spokesman.

Meanwhile on the opposing side, Open Britain, campaigning to stay in the single market has criticized Theresa May for taking the single market off the negotiating table before talks have even started.

On the question of how Europe should respond to a hard Brexit, Prof. Erika Harris, co-director co-director of the Europe and the World Center at the University of Liverpool, has some words of advice for Brussels.

"They should seek its own best deal," she says.

"The EU's response should not be apologetic and shrinking, but confident in its future and principles that underpin it," she says.

The mixed bag of views, hopes and fears, all point to a roller-coaster ride when the negotiations for Britain's exit start early in April.

May has indicated that Britain will trigger Article 50, the formal procedure by which an EU member state notifies the European Council that it intends to leave the block, by the end of March.

Once triggered, Article 50 requires "divorce" negotiations to be completed within two years.
SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A militant commander was killed and a policeman was wounded on Thursday in a fierce gunfight in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.

The gunfight broke out at village Hajin in Bandipora district, about 32 km north of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Top commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant outfit was killed in a gunfight today with a joint party of police and army at Para Mohalla in Hajin locality here," a senior police official posted in Bandipora said.

"The militant fired upon the joint party, triggering a gunfight which ended with his killing. While fighting the militants, a policeman was also wounded."

Police said the slain militant was divisional commander of LeT and active in the region since 2015.

According to police officials, a search operation in the village was launched Wednesday night on specific intelligence information about presence of militant commander in the area.

Reports said another militant managed to break the cordon and escaped from the village unhurt.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troopers stationed in the region since 1989.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.
SOFIA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria should remain in the European Union (EU) and NATO while protecting its national interests within the two entities, Bulgarian President-elect Rumen Radev said on Thursday.

"Bulgaria now is a member of the EU and NATO. The membership in the two unions is a strategic choice that should not be called into question," Radev told the National Assembly after taking oath.

However, effective membership in the EU and NATO presupposed a clear understanding and consistently defending the national interest within the two bodies, as well as active participation in decision making, Radev said.

"Bulgarian foreign policy should be formulated at home and be asserted abroad, not vice versa," said Radev, who was elected president of Bulgaria on Nov. 13 last year and will take office on Sunday.

This foreign policy should be open to the world and win friends and partners, not enemies, Radev said.

Bulgaria has the potential to strengthen its active role in southeast Europe through initiatives and actions aimed at enhancing security cooperation and economic development of the region, he said.

Meanwhile, a united Europe should be preserved at all costs despite Brexit, the migrant crisis, and the rise of anti-European sentiments, Radev said.

The role of the Bulgarian president is largely ceremonial.

However, the president is also the Supreme Commander in Chief of the country's armed forces. He can conclude international treaties, and appoint and remove the heads of Bulgaria's diplomatic and permanent missions at international organizations.
MANILA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Talks to end Asia's longest leftist insurgency in the Philippines resumed in Rome, Italy, the government said Thursday.

Peace negotiators will discuss a string of issues during the third round of talks, including the release of at least 392 political prisoners in Philippine jails and a ceasefire agreement that both sides plan to sign.

"Towards these agenda, the (government) panel has come prepared to exchange and discuss our drafts on said agreements," Silvestre Bello, chair of the government panel, said in a statement.

The leftist rebel panel has been demanding the release of its cadres. But Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said that he was not inclined to free more prisoners, saying he had already released 20, including two highest-ranking rebel leaders before the talks kicked off in Oslo, Norway last August.

Norway is helping broker the talks. Both sides have conducted two rounds of talks so far in August and October last year.

"Our joint signed commitment to stay at the table and complete the negotiations within a specific timeframe, provided us the needed momentum to discuss the remaining substantive agenda of the negotiations," said Bello, also the Philippine labor secretary.

Like previous governments, the Duterte administration also wants to seal peace deals with all rebel groups in the Philippines, including the leftist and Muslim rebels.

Since 1986, the government has been trying to reach a peace deal with the leftist rebels but failed to make any headway.

The leftist rebellion began in 1969 and reached its peak in 1987 when it boasted 26,000 armed guerrillas.

However, the movement has since dwindled due to differences in strategy and tactics and the arrests of many of its top leaders in the late 1980s.

At present, the military estimates the leftist armed rebels at around 4,000.
DAMASCUS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic State (IS) group executed 12 civilians in the ancient oasis city of Palmyra in central Syria, state news agency SANA reported on Thursday.

SANA said the "massacre" was committed by the IS terrorists on Wednesday evening, adding that four state employees, including two teachers, were among the executed.

It added that the IS militants sabotaged a number of archaeological sites in the city.

IS re-entered Palmyra earlier last month, just nine months after losing the city to the Syrian army. The city as well as its airbase, ancient part and citadel fell to IS, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

As many as 120 Syrian soldiers were killed during a four-day offensive, in which hundreds of IS militants took part.

The Syrian army captured Palmyra on March 27, 2016, a year after losing the city to the IS.

Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world.

The city has an importance to IS as it connects areas under the terror group's control in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour with areas under its control in the eastern countryside of the central province of Homs.

The recapture of Palmyra is also important as the group's fighters in Iraq have started entering Syria recently after suffering great losses in battles against the Iraqi army and the U.S. anti-terror coalition.

Related:

UN envoy for Syria to attend peace talks in Astana

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will lead the UN team for the upcoming Syria peace talk in Astana, Kazakhstan, UN spokesperson's office said Thursday.

De Mistura's deputy Ramzy E. Ramzy was initially designated to lead the UN team at the talk, which was scheduled on January 23. Full story

Moscow invites U.S. to Syria talks in Astana

MOSCOW, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russia has invited the United States to a multilateral meeting on Syria scheduled for Monday in Astana, Kazakhstan, a senior Russian diplomat said Thursday.
ST. PETERSBURG, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Constitutional Court on Thursday rejected a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to pay 1.9 billion euros (2.13 billion U.S. dollars at current price) to former shareholders of the defunct oil company Yukos.

The payment is unfair to Russia's taxpayers and contradicts its constitutional principles of equality and justice, the RIA-Novosti News agency quoted the Russian court as saying.

Shareholders of once Russia's largest oil producer have contended that Moscow used tax claims against the company, which led to its bankruptcy and their financial losses.

In 2014, the ECHR determined that Russia must pay about 1.9 billion euros to Yukos ex-shareholders for retrospective proceedings of the tax evasion case.

However, Russia said according to Article 45 of the Energy Charter Treaty, arbitration rules in this case can only be applied to the extent that such provisional application is not inconsistent with the country's constitution, laws or regulations.

Yukos, founded in 1993, declared bankruptcy in 2006 and disbanded in 2007. Former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky was jailed for more than a decade on charges of fraud and tax evasion, among others. He was pardoned by Russia President Vladimir Putin in December 2013.
By Maria Vasileiou

THE HAGUE, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A "hard Brexit" entails increased challenges and negative economic effects for the European Union (EU) and the Netherlands, but looking further ahead much depends on the final outcome of the negotiations, said Dutch experts.

In a decisive speech on Tuesday that sets a course for a clean break with the EU, British Prime Minister Theresa May promised to quit the European single market and seek a free trade agreement with the EU.

She also pledged to restrict access to Britain by EU citizens and end the jurisdiction in Britain of the European Court of Justice.

The 12-point blueprint was dubbed a "hard Brexit".

"This is bad news for the Netherlands for which Britain is an important trading partner, but also an unequivocal parting of ways between the UK and the remaining EU 27 member states," said Joris Larik, senior researcher at The Hague Institute for Global Justice.

"The EU loses one of its largest economies and will clearly fall behind the U.S. as the world's largest economic power, but will still remain ahead of China for the time being," he added.

Barbara Baarsma, Director of Knowledge Development at Rabobank, cautioned that it's not likely that the EU will give Britain comprehensive access to the single market, since Britain refuses to accept the free movement of persons and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

"The final trade deal will depend on what the EU is able to offer," said Baarsma, who is also professor of Market Forces and Competition Issues at the University of Amsterdam.

"A trade deal would be positive for Dutch and other European companies that trade with Britain," she said.

According to Larik, once Britain is outside the single market, it will have to painstakingly negotiate its way towards maximum market access.

"Access for every good or service into the EU will be a bargaining chip for the EU 27 member states," he said.

"A deal that meets all the wishes of the UK could cause a domino-effect with other counties seeking to leave the EU as well, which could cause more economic damage than the Brexit alone," Baarsma said.

The prevention of a domino-effect, she said, is also in the best interest for the Netherlands, as the EU is by far the largest trade partner of the Netherlands.

Baarsma also warned that the economic damage resulting from an increase in trade barriers between the EU and Britain could be larger for the Netherlands compared with other EU countries, since Britain is an important trade partner of the Netherlands.

Around 8 percent of Dutch exports goes to Britain, and it contributes 2.3 percent to Dutch GDP.

For the tax issue, Larik noted that both May and British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond have alluded to the possibility of turning Britain into a corporate tax haven if their demands in negotiations with the EU are not met.

"This is a highly questionable approach," Larik said.

In his opinion, it would be difficult for the British government to reconcile a massive gift to multinational corporations with earlier promises such as "making Britain work for everyone" and helping those "left behind by globalization".

In terms of negotiating tactics with the EU, "this is more bark than bite," said Larik.

Corporate tax rates in Britain are already low and the EU has a response to this in place right next door, he argued, referring to Ireland.

Ireland is the EU's very low-tax, English-speaking point of entry to the single market, which is ready to accommodate both large global businesses and British firms needing EU-based franchises post-Brexit.

But according to Adriaan Schout, senior research fellow at Clingendael, the Dutch institute for international relations, the British plan to lower taxes means "the EU will have a Singapore at its doorstep", making it difficult for "the most harmonized block in the world" to compete.

The EU needs to accept more competition in banking, industry and taxation. "We have to open a discussion on how the bloc should reform," he added.

A low-tax Britain that enforces fewer regulations in terms of workers' rights on businesses is a red line for the Netherlands.

Dutch deputy prime minister Lodewijk Asscher has said that the Netherlands would block any EU trade deal with Britain unless it signs up to tough tax avoidance regulations, preventing it from becoming an attractive offshore haven for multinationals and the rich.

May's plan also involved ending large payments to the EU budget, but simply paying towards specific programs, an outcome which would increase the burden to countries which are net contributors to the EU budgets, such as Germany and the Netherlands.

For the Netherlands, this would mean an additional 442 million euros (469 million U.S. dollars) per year, according to the country's Central Bureau of Statistics calculated (CBS).

But Larik argued that May's intention to have access to specific programs will depend on authorization by the EU, thus making relevant negotiations difficult.
People meet through the border fence between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, United States, after a bi-national Mass in support of migrants in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, February 15, 2016. (REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez)

by Luis Brito

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Mexican "Dreamers" -- immigrants in the United States with a potential pathway to citizenship, face an uncertain future given that President-elect Donald Trump may cancel an executive order that has allowed them to stay in America since 2012.

"If this new administration removes this program, it will be like going back to zero, to being afraid of deportation and to lose everything we have built," said Mauro Trejo, a 23-year-old student who lives in New York after moving from Mexico City when he was a child.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), signed by President Barack Obama in June 2012, halts deportation and authorizes thousands of young immigrants to work in a temporary capacity. They soon became known as "Dreamers."

Washington has not released exact figures about the numbers of people who benefit from DACA but the Mexican government believes around 560,000 of its citizens are enrolled. These people entered the United States as children, are usually studying and have not committed serious crimes.

Now, with Trump about to enter the White House, more than half a million youngsters who may have little connection with Mexico are unsure about their future.

During his campaign, the president-elect said he would cancel many of Obama's executive orders concerning immigration, without specifically referring to the Dreamers.

"If DACA is removed, I don't know what to do about my career or my future," Yahaira Morales, a 20-year-old student in Texas from Mexico, told Xinhua. "I think of myself as American even though I have no papers. I cannot imagine my life outside the U.S.."

Mauro, a criminology student in New York, is in the same situation. He works in the City University of New York's (CUNY) office to orient Latino students on educational matters.

"I have colleagues and friends who do not benefit from DACA and I can tell you that having it changes your life. You lose the fear of being deported," he said.

Children climb up the border fence between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, United States, during a bi-national Mass in support of migrants in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, February 15, 2016. (REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez)

The interim director of CUNY's Institute of Mexican Studies, Jose Higuera, told Xinhua that Trump needed to make his policy on DACA very clear and end the suspense.

He stated that DACA concerns are affecting the school and work life of the Dreamers, part of the 5.8 million immigrants without papers present in the United States.

"If from the start, he says 'this ends on Jan. 20', we know how to respond to that reality. But he keeps making threats...and than goes back on them," said Higuera.

The president of the College of Mexico, Silvia Giorguli, warned that the potential deportation of Dreamers would leave the country facing the challenge of integrating thousands of young people who are only Mexican by birth.

This would mean authorities would have to improve employment conditions and ensure that society would accept these people back without reservations.

"We would have to change the discourse to say this is not a problem, this is a resource we must take advantage of," she noted.

For Yahaira, her fears about a potential life in Mexico are almost equal to those she has about the cancellation of DACA. "What will be my next steps? What will be my role in the community, in my new community I have never really known," she said.
BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's top graft-buster Wang Qishan has lauded the role that the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee plays in anti-corruption and inspection work.

Wang made the remarks while delivering a work report at the seventh plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Jan. 6. The report was made public on Thursday.

According to Wang, the strong leadership of the Party's Central Committee was important to the successes of last year.

"We are at a crucial junction on the journey to national rejuvenation," Wang said, noting that adhering to the Party's leadership is the paramount political principle in today's China.

While acknowledging the efforts to comprehensively and strictly govern the Party and improvements in intra-Party political life, Wang criticized the lack of belief and commitment of some Party members and officials.

Wang said the Party's frugality and anti-extravagance campaigns had won public praise, which in turn had created the conditions for the Party to improve its systems.

He called for forming an effective system to detect and rectify problems within the Party so that it can improve, reform and grow.

"The greatest political advantage of our Party is the bond with the public," Wang said, urging CPC members to listen to people's voices, wills and desires.

Also, the CCDI head reminded discipline inspectors that they were not above reproach, and should be supervised by the Party and the public.

Wang said the cleansing of the Party was a campaign with no end, and it should be achieved with a sober mind and political composure.

Speaking of the CCDI's work plan for this year, Wang said the supervisory system reform should continue, with no let up of the "high pressure" against corruption.

Wang said Party members should be politically vigilant and fight violations of the Party's code of conduct resolutely.

Any acts that go against the Party's unity, Wang said, such as liberalism, sectarianism and decentralism, should be seriously punished.

Noting that the 19th National Congress of the CPC is scheduled for this year, Wang said inspectors should keep an eye out for fraud or other violations in the processes of election of delegates and other senior Party officials.

The top graft-buster called for continued efforts to improve work styles and seek new solutions to old problems.

Wang urged units at local level to formulate practical measures of implementing the eight-point frugality rules catering to the reality of their own.

Once rules are made, they must be strictly followed, he said.

In his speech, Wang pledged better accountability and supervisory systems to advance the strict rule of the Party.

Earlier this month, the CCDI announced that China will establish a national supervisory commission, and draft a law on national supervision.

According to Wang, provincial-level supervisory commissions will be set up by the end of March, and municipal- and county- level commissions will be established before June.

Supervisory system reform should be carried out with checks and interaction between supervisory commissions, law enforcement and judiciary agencies, he noted.

He stressed that "pressure on corruption should be maintained, given that anti-graft situation remains severe and complicated."

Lessons must be learned from those "negative examples," Wang said in his speech citing corruption of grassroots-level officials in poverty alleviation.

Wang said those who dare to dip their hands into the poverty relief funds for personal gains will be punished.

International cooperation against corruption, including relevant efforts in cooperation with the United Nations, G20 and APEC, should be improved, said Wang, adding that he was upbeat that new achievements would be made in returning fugitives in the "Sky Net" campaign in 2017.

According to Wang, 2,566 people who have fled overseas have returned, and more than 8.6 billion yuan (around 1.25 billion U.S. dollars) of illegal assets have been recovered since the "Sky Net" campaign was first launched in 2014.

Wang promised better reforms within discipline inspection organs and official selections.

In his speech, Wang also elaborated on anti-corruption achievements in 2016, saying more than 48,000 officials were investigated by prosecutors for bribery, dereliction of duty and other duty-related crimes in the past year.
OTTAWA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Two smuggled marine fossils dating back to over 200 million years ago will be returned to China, according to the Chinese Embassy in Canada.

The fossils are among the heritage objects to be returned to China at an official ceremony on Wednesday.

One of the fossils is of a 220-million-year-old Saurichthys, an extinct ray-finned predatory "lizard fish" with a long snout from the Triassic period that was about one meter (3.3 feet) long and looked like the modern pike.

Canadian experts believe it came from Guizhou province in southwest China, and was intercepted by Canada Border Services Agency officials in the Canadian city of Edmonton -- reportedly labeled as a "stone carving" -- in November 2009.

The other Chinese fossil is of an Ichthyosaur, which looked like a modern-day dolphin and is believed to have originated from the early Triassic period, between 252 and 247 million years ago. Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers intercepted the fossil in Calgary in July 2013.

A pair of carved wooden roof supports from southwestern China is also being returned at the request of China, which claims these objects as its cultural property. Their repatriation is being implemented under Canada's Cultural Property Export and Import Act.

The legislation, which Canada passed as a signatory to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO's) 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, makes it illegal to bring into Canada any cultural object of importance for archaeology or other reasons that has been illegally exported from another state party to the convention, which includes China.

Since 1997, Canada has returned illegally exported cultural property to 12 different states on 21 occasions, according to a backgrounder from the Department of Canadian Heritage.

"Canada recognizes that the illicit import and export of cultural property impoverishes the heritage of a country, and we will continue our efforts to prevent this activity," Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement in Beijing last week.
GUANGZHOU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The 2016 Chinese-Egyptian Culture Year has enhanced the understanding and friendship between people of the two great nations, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a congratulatory message on Thursday.

Xi made the comment to the closing ceremony of the event, which was launched to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt.

"Bilateral relations have continuously progressed with concerted efforts from both sides in the 60 years and benefited the two countries and two peoples, and have become a model for China's ties with the Arab world, African countries and South-South cooperation," Xi said.

China and Egypt held more than 100 cultural activities in 25 provincial regions and cities in the two countries, covering literature and art, books, broadcast, film and television as well as youth and education.

This first culture year between China and Arab countries increased people's understanding under the Belt and Road Initiative, and was a successful exchange program, Xi said.

China is willing to work with Egypt to strengthen cultural exchanges and cooperation to lay a solid social foundation for the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, he said.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi also sent a congratulatory message to the event.
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)

BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's four-day visit to Switzerland and his address at the 2017 World Economic Forum (WEF) have shown the world Chinese wisdom and confidence against the backdrop of a sluggish global economy and rising anti-globalization sentiment, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters here Thursday.

While addressing the opening plenary of the 2017 annual meeting of the WEF at Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday, Xi called for joint efforts to shoulder the responsibility of the times and promote world development, Wang said.

CHINA'S PROPOSITION ON GLOBALIZATION

At the Davos Forum, the Chinese president illustrated the objective necessity of economic globalization, Wang said. Though globalization has met with structural difficulties, Xi, pointing out China's successful experience, emphasized the necessity of "swimming in the ocean" of the world market and pro-actively adapting to globalization.

According to Xi, economic globalization is a double-edged sword.

"In the face of both opportunities and challenges of economic globalization, the right thing to do is to seize every opportunity, jointly meet challenges and chart the right course for economic globalization," he said.

CHINA'S PLAN ON WORLD ECONOMIC ISSUES

Analyzing the root causes of the sluggish global economy and the problems for which globalization has been made the scapegoat, Xi pointed to a lack of robust driving forces for global growth, inadequate global economic governance, and uneven global development, Wang said.

Xi stressed the importance of developing a dynamic innovation-driven growth model featuring open and win-win cooperation, fair and equitable governance, and balanced, equitable and inclusive development.

CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT, WORLD'S OPPORTUNITY

At the WEF, Xi pointed out that China is not only the beneficiary of economic globalization, but also a contributor to it. China's development will continue to offer opportunities to business communities in other countries, he pledged.

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 are expected to make 700 million overseas visits.

China will keep its door wide open, Xi told the forum, voicing hope that other countries will also keep their doors open to Chinese investors and keep the playing field level for them.

On the progress of the Belt and Road Initiative, Xi told the audience that China's circle of friends is growing bigger and the initiative has delivered significant benefits.

Over 100 countries and international organizations have supported the initiative, and more than 40 have signed cooperation agreements with China, Xi said.

According to Wang, the Chinese president offered a series of proposals at the Davos Forum on how to deal with global challenges, and specifically answered some key questions such as "What's wrong with the world?", "What are we going to do about it?", and "What is China going to do about it?".

Xi called on participants to join hands and share weal and woe together, and jointly withstand the tough times. He also offered China's solution to the world's economic problems, along with much-needed confidence and hope for the global economy, Wang said.

ENVISIONING FUTURE

Geneva, one of the most important centers for multilateral diplomacy in the world, witnessed new China's debut on international arena in 1954 when late Premier Zhou Enlai led a Chinese delegation to attend the Geneva Conference and fought for peace to the widespread praises from around the world, Wang said.

Xi's visit to the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG) was not only the first by a Chinese head of state in the 21st century, but also a significant move of China's multilateral diplomacy, said Wang.

After his attendance at a series of events marking the 70th anniversary of the United Nations in 2015, the Chinese leader once again sent a clear message to the world that China is behind the world body and is a strong supporter of multilateralism, he said.

During the visit to the UNOG, Xi met Peter Thomson, president of the 71st UN General Assembly and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and delivered a keynote speech at the Palace of Nations.

With a vision on the future and destiny of mankind and the trend of the development of times, Xi expounded the concept of building a community of shared future for mankind, which is the core of China's foreign policy in the new era, said the foreign minister.

From a historical angle, the Chinese president reviewed the principles of international relations such as equality of sovereignty, peaceful reconciliation, rule of law and justice, openness and tolerance, humanitarianism, and summarized the basic framework to be followed when the world builds a community of shared future for mankind, said Wang.

From the angle of current times, Xi pointed out the major global challenges, called for the building of a world with sustainable peace and comprehensive security, prosperity, openness and inclusion and cleanness and beauty, said the foreign minister.

From a future perspective, Xi responded to the international community's interest in China's direction by emphasizing China's determination to safeguard world peace, its commitment to promoting common development, its desire to build partnerships with other countries, and its stand in favor of multilateralism.

During his visit to the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Xi witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between China and the WHO on health cooperation under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, which was the first of its kind China has signed with a UN body. This would play a guiding and demonstrative role for other international organizations to join the initiative later on, according to Wang.

When visiting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Xi had cordial talks with IOC President Thomas Bach, saying China has already successfully hosted the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics and is preparing for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

"Xi has conveyed a clear message to the world that the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will be a magnificent, extraordinary, and super successful event," said Wang.

MODEL OF INTER-STATE RELATIONS

Wang said that Switzerland was among the first European countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China.

During their talks ,Xi and Swiss President Doris Leuthard explored issues of bilateral ties and common interest and agreed to maintain high-level exchanges, consolidate political trust, strengthen strategic coordination, deepen pragmatic cooperation, make more frequent and closer coordinations on international and regional issues, and join hands to safeguard world peace and stability, said Wang.

The foreign minister said that under the current turbulent international situation, the success story of Sino-Swiss cooperation shows that countries of different social systems and development stages can achieve shared and win-win development and build solid and sustainable state-to-state relations, if they respect each other and seek common ground while shelving differences.

INNOVATION COOPERATION

Switzerland is a nation with a strong innovative spirit and China is also promoting innovation as a national strategy, said Wang. In 2016, China and Switzerland established an innovative strategic partnership, the first of its kind.

"The two governments signed a new MoU on setting up a dialogue platform between the two countries on innovation strategies, which would work as a new cooperative mechanism to supervise and coordinate the progress of innovation cooperation in all fields," said the foreign minister.

He said the two leaders also agreed to strengthen the alignment of "Made in China 2025" and "Switzerland and Industry 4.0" strategies and work on closer innovative cooperation between research institutes, entrepreneurs, especially small and medium-sized enterprises.

OPEN ECONOMY

Wang said the free trade agreement (FTA) between China and Switzerland, which entered into force in 2014 as the first between China and a European nation, has become the locomotive to increase quality and efficiency of pragmatic cooperation.

During Xi's visit, the two sides agreed to start joint research on upgrading the FTA and to begin talks on it as early as possible.

The two sides are committed to expanding cooperations in trade, investment, finance, insurance, environmental protection and customs, while jointly promoting the Belt and Road Initiative through multilateral platforms like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, said Wang.

PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES

Wang said the peoples of China and Switzerland have a long history of friendly exchanges, even though their respective countries are geographically apart.

"President Xi and his wife have greatly consolidated the existing friendship between the two peoples, through interactions with all walks of life of Swiss society, sharing beautiful tales of Sino-Swiss traditional exchanges, taking family photos with the Davos snow peaks as the background and announcing the launch of the "2017 Sino-Swiss Tourism Year," said Wang.

Wang said that Xi made a visit to only one nation, but aimed at the whole world with emphasis on both bilateral and multilateral ties, and dedication to both peace and development at the same time, thus completing the opening chapter of China's 2017 diplomacy.

Related:

Spotlight: Switzerland tour throws limelight on Xi's global vision and charisma

by Xinhua writer Liu Chang

GENEVA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Old Town of Bern is usually quiet on weekends, yet the tranquility was shattered on Saturday by a group of demonstrators chanting slogans against globalization and free trade along Europe's longest weather-protected shopping alley.

The protest, its participants mostly young, offers a glimpse of the simmering sentiment among those in the West who felt lost in the formidable global trend. Full story

Spotlight: Xi charts globalization course at Davos forum with Chinese plan

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday laid out his plan to lead global efforts in charting the course of economic globalization.
ABUJA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian air force on Thursday said it has launched an investigation into an accidental air strike by a fighter jet which killed scores of civilians at a refugee camp early this week in the northeastern state of Borno.

Air force spokesman Ayodele Famuyiwa said the investigation was in view of preventing the future occurrence and to determine the immediate and remote causes as well as the circumstances that led to the tragic incident.

About 43,000 internally displaced persons struggling with serious food shortages and severe malnutrition were taking refuge at the Rann camp which was mistakenly bombed by the Nigerian fighter jet in an anti-terror raid on Tuesday.

At least 52 people lost their lives and 120 others were injured in the bombing which the Nigerian military had since admitted as an "operational error."

The incident occurred after an intelligence report was received that Boko Haram terrorists were regrouping in the town where the internally displaced persons' camp is situated, the Nigerian Army said.

The air force has constituted a board of senior officers to investigate the accidental airstrike, in addition to a list of 20 witnesses given to it. The team of investigators has been given a free hand to invite other persons to give evidence on oath, Famuyiwa said, adding the report of the investigation will be submitted on or before Feb. 2.

In its reaction to the incident on Wednesday, the Nigerian Senate had advised the nation's military to as much as possible apply caution in its future military exercise.
British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 19, 2017. The 47th WEF's annual meeting kicked off in Davos on Jan. 17 and will last to Jan. 20. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

DAVOS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Two days after announcing a "hard Brexit" objective, British Prime Minister Theresa May was trying to assuage global concerns about Brexit in a special address on Thursday at the World Economic Forum here.

"We are going to be a confident country that is in control of its own destiny," May told assembled leaders in business and politics.

"A country in control of its destiny is more, not less, able to play a full role in underpinning and strengthening the multilateral, rules-based system" of global trade, she said.

She said that a new, more global Britain would fight for free markets, free trade and globalization.

"The United Kingdom -- a country that has so often been at the forefront of economic and social change -- will step up to a new leadership role as the strongest and most forceful advocate for business, free markets and free trade anywhere in the world," she asserted.

In a decisive speech on Tuesday that sets a course for a clean break with the EU, May promised to quit the European single market and seek a free trade agreement with the EU.

She also pledged to restrict access to Britain by EU citizens and end the jurisdiction in Britain of the European Court of Justice. The 12-point blueprint was dubbed a "hard Brexit".

May repeated the message that Britain was not turning its back on Europe.

"We are a European country and proud of our European heritage, but we are also a country that has always looked beyond Europe," she said.

Referring to an ambitious free trade deal with the EU at the heart of the plan being set out, she also held up the need to strike new trade deals elsewhere around the world.

Uncertainty has hung over Brexit ever since British citizens voted in a referendum last June to leave the EU.

Since the vote, questions have loomed over what strategies Downing Street would adopt in the divorce proceedings.

For their part, leaders of European institutions have cautiously welcomed Britain's newly clarified stance.

There will be no place for pick and choose tactics in future Brexit negotiations, European Council President Donald Tusk warned on Wednesday.

Tuesday's speech by Prime Minister Theresa May proves that the unified position of 27-member states on the indivisibility of the single market was finally understood and accepted by London, Tusk said.

The market has also been cautious, with the British pound rallying to 1.23 U.S. dollars following the speech, after reaching a nearly 31-year low of 1.20 U.S. dollars on Monday.

With 44 percent of Britain's total exports in goods and services for 2015 tied up in the EU single market, Brexit has cast a shadow over the British economy.

Commenting on May's speech at Davos, Nariman Behravesh, chief economist for IHS Markit, said the British prime minister had repeated and reinforced the basic themes of her keynote Brexit speech delivered on Tuesday.

She had "promised certainty and clarity about the Brexit process and laid out plans for a stronger, fairer, and more global United Kingdom," Behravesh said.

Related:

Hard Brexit objective prompts mixed reactions of fears, hopes in Britain

LONDON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Britain's latest clearance of its "hard Brexit" objective has triggered a mixed reactions in Britain, ranging from concerns of national division to hopes of a better "post-Brexit" tomorrow.

In a decisive speech on Tuesday that sets a course for a clean break with the EU, British Prime Minister Theresa May promised to quit the European single market and seek a free trade agreement with the EU. Full story

EU won't accept pick-and-choose tactics in future Brexit negotiations: Tusk

STRASBOURG, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- There will be no place for pick and choose tactics in future Brexit negotiations, European Council President Donald Tusk warned on Wednesday.

Tuesday's speech by Prime Minister Theresa May proves that the unified position of 27-member states on the indivisibility of the single market was finally understood and accepted by London, Tusk said. Full story

Highlights of British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit speech

LONDON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday confirmed that Britain will leave the EU single market while insisting that it wants to remain "the best friend and neighbor" to European partners.
HONG KONG, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Year 2017 is of special significance to Hong Kong, said Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Liaison Office of the Chinese Central People's Government in Hong Kong, on Thursday.

In 2017, Hong Kong will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will elect a government, thus ushering in a new phase and new opportunities for Hong Kong's development, Zhang said.

"We sincerely hope that the HKSAR government functions well, Hong Kong people live in harmony and Hong Kong prospers in the new year," he said at a Spring Festival reception held here by the liaison office.

"We also wish that the Hong Kong society adds positive energy and promotes harmony," he said.

"To make the wishes come true, all of us should not forget our original intentions. We must always keep in mind the 'One country, Two systems' principle. We must be fully aware that the 'One country, Two systems' principle and the Basic Law are the unshakable foundations to keep Hong Kong prosperous and stable," Zhang said.

"We must properly handle the relations between the HKSAR and the central government as well as the relations between the HKSAR and the nation. We must stick to the bottom line of the principle and show mutual respect and tolerance," he said.

People from all walks of life should consider the overall situation and learn from the lessons that rising populism and serious differentiation of social classes have triggered economic crises and political turmoil in some Western countries, the official said.

They should boost mutual trust and understanding, take into account the interests of all classes and communities, and work hard to ease and solve social conflicts, he said.

People from all walks of life in Hong Kong should seize the opportunities, have a clear view of Hong Kong's position both in the national development and in the world's development with a broader prospective, give full play to their advantages, actively dovetail with the national development strategies and make accomplishments actively based on the juncture of "what the nation needs" and "what advantages Hong Kong enjoys," Zhang noted.

To make the wishes come true, the Hong Kong society should take the right path, distinguish right from wrong, respect the rule of law, and join hands to resist the tendency of "pan-politicalization," he said.

The Hong Kong society should return to its rational and pragmatic tradition, as well as openness and inclusiveness, as read the lyrics of the popular song Below the Lion Rock - "Set all discord aside, go after dreams together," he said.

Zhang spoke highly of the HKSAR government and the society that handled various challenges properly and safeguarded Hong Kong's stability and prosperity.
NAIROBI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- There is need for African governments to facilitate investments in renewable energy projects that guarantee the continent a green and prosperous future, campaigners said on Thursday.

Speaking at a high level policy dialogue in Nairobi, the green campaigners urged African countries to roll out policy and regulatory incentives that would encourage investments in clean energy sources.

Mithika Mwenda, the Secretary General of Nairobi-based Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), said a shift from fossil fuels to clean energy was an imperative in order to tackle Africa's ecological and economic challenges.

"Over-reliance on fossil fuels that are costly and hazardous to the atmosphere has been a drawback to Africa's economic progress. We must therefore increase investments in green energy to accelerate prosperity while preserving the planet's ecological integrity," Mwenda said.

Pan African institutions and conservation lobbies have advocated a radical shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy as a means to cushion the continent from harmful impacts of climate change.

Mwenda said African countries lobbied for new funding and technical support toward renewable energy projects from multilateral lenders during the 2015 Paris climate talks.

He added that African leaders, policy makers, investors and scientists are unanimous on the need for the continent to divest from fossil fuels in the light of their erratic prices and negative environmental impacts.

"There is unprecedented political goodwill toward investments in clean energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal. African leaders have made positive steps to halt reliance on fossil fuels that are harmful to the atmosphere," said Mwenda.

He noted that Kenya has attracted the highest volume of foreign direct investments in geothermal and wind power thanks to a host of regulatory incentives and macro-economic stability.

African countries have endorsed global initiatives that promote investments in clean energy to hasten attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Benson Ireri, a program officer with British charity Christian Aid, said a policy dialogue has been reactivated across Sub-Saharan Africa to explore innovative ways to scale up access to clean energy.

"Development of renewable energy is currently a front-line policy agenda in many African countries. Governments are facilitating investments in off-grid renewable energy projects as part of their commitments to fight climate change," said Ireri.

He noted that the cost of clean energy in Africa has slumped thanks to subsidies earmarked for local manufacturers of solar panels and wind turbines.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Two U.S. B-2 bombers conducted strikes on Islamic State (IS) targets in Libya overnight, destroying two camps near the Libyan city of Sirte, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

In a statement, Pentagon spokesperson Peter Cook said the IS terrorists targeted in the strikes included individuals who fled to the remote desert camps from Sirte to reorganize, and they posed a security threat to Libya, the region and U.S. national interests.

"While we are still evaluating the results of the strikes, the initial assessment indicates they were successful," Cook said. "This action was authorized by the president as an extension of the successful operation the U.S. military conducted last year to support Libyan forces in freeing Sirte from ISIL (IS) control."

A defense official told U.S. media that drones also participated in the strikes and that "several dozen" IS fighters were thought to have been killed.
BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's top anti-graft body on Thursday briefed foreign envoys on its anti-corruption work, displaying the country's firm determination to eliminate corruption.

Wu Yuliang, deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xiao Pei, vice minister of supervision and Liu Jianchao, director of international cooperation bureau of the CCDI, briefed representatives of diplomatic missions from 113 countries and 13 offices of international organizations in China.

They also took questions from the representatives, who lauded China's anti-corruption drive calling it an outstanding political accomplishment.

The CPC Central Committee has shown zero tolerance to corruption since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in late 2012, implemented the eight-point rules on improving work styles and keeping close contact with the people and improved party discipline comprehensively.

"The spread of corruption has been effectively contained, the objective of ensuring officials do not dare to be corrupt has been basically achieved," an official with the CCDI said.

"The system of ensuring officials are not able to be corrupt is being improved and a dam to ensure officials are not willing to be corrupt is being raised," the official said, adding that a new atmosphere is emerging in the political life within the Party.

The official said the ongoing national supervisory system reform is a major political reform. As a result of the reform, a unified national supervisory system will be established to cover all officials with public power.

Pilot reforms will first be conducted in Beijing and the provinces of Shanxi and Zhejiang.

On international cooperation, the official said that China is willing to enhance pragmatic cooperation with other countries to "weave a cooperative network against corruption."
NICOSIA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Bank of Cyprus (BoC), the main lender of the bailed-out eastern Mediterranean island, said its shares started trading on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) as of Thursday morning.

A total of 446,199,933 ordinary shares of a nominal value of 0.10 euro were issued and traded at the LSE under the ticker symbol "BOCH", according to a BoC statement.

"This is another significant milestone in the execution of the group's strategy," the BoC statement said.

Trading of BoC shares will also continue on the Cyprus Stock Exchange, but the lender will pull out of the Athens Stock Exchange.

After an initial suspension of trading, the price of BoC shares on the London Stock Exchange rose from its opening price of 3.22 euros (3.42 U.S. dollars) to 3.60 euros, an increase of 11.8 percent.

On the Cyprus Stock Exchange, its price rose by 5.9 percent to 3.41 euros.

The bank's trading on the LSE came only a few days after it announced it had fully repaid its Emergency Liquidity Assistance funding which had topped 11.2 billion euros, about two thirds of Cyprus's GDP, at the start of the crisis that hit the island in March 2013.
NAIROBI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday appointed retired archbishop Eliud Wabukala as the country's new anti-graft chief following the resignation of Philip Kinisu in August 2016 over fraud.

Kenyatta said Wabukala will be the chairman of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for a five-year term.

He succeeds Kinisu who was forced to resign following claims that his family firm was a beneficiary of the 7.91-million-U.S.-dollar loot from the National Youth Service (NYS), the country's premier vocational training institute for under-privileged youth involving some of its flagship projects.

Wabukala's appointment follows the approval by the National Assembly and appears in a special issue of the Kenya Gazette published on Jan. 18.

"The Head of State wished Archbishop Wabukala success in his new assignment, noting that he is an eminently qualified and respected leader who will deliver his mandate at the helm of the EACC to the expectation of Kenyans," the statement said.

Kinisu who quit last year said then that the issues bordering on investigations of a firm he is associated rendered his stay in office impractical.

Kinisu who was barely a year in office said he made the decision to ensure that due attention is paid to the fight against corruption and to save the country of resources being spent in deliberations on the matter.

He cited the petition filed in the National Assembly where lawmakers sought that the president forms a tribunal to consider his removal from office as well as a report by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee of the National Assembly which also recommended his removal from office.

Kinisu's family firm Esaki Ltd supplied goods worth 350,000 U.S. dollars to the NYS over the last three years.

Investigators said there was conflict of interest as Esaki was supplying the NYS while it was under investigation by the anti-graft agency over the 7.91-million-dollar supplies scandal.
BRUSSELS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Europe is facing a new trend in jewellery robbery and burglary that criminals are becoming more violent and using heavy vehicles to drive into jewellery stores, Europol said Thursday in a statement.

The European Police Office (Europol), the European Union's law enforcement agency, organized an international conference on fighting jewellery robbery.

More than 70 experts from EU member states, as well as private jewellery and watch companies, attended the discussion, said the statement

They gathered to exchange information and tools that can be used to tackle the criminal rings involved.

"Criminals are becoming more inventive, as well as using technology to their advantage to carry out the most daring robberies and burglaries," said Michael Rauschenbach, Europol's head of serious and organized crime.

Investigation also found that individuals from South America, in particular, have been traveling to Europe to rob jewellery stores, according to the statement.

Europol said it intends to establish a warning system dedicated to tracking stolen watches and jewellery and increase the analysis and reports.
MADRID, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- China Eastern Airlines signed a code-sharing agreement with Spanish carrier Air Europa on Thursday, under which both airlines hope to increase their presence and connectivity on the Asian and European continent.

The agreement was signed on the sideline of an international fair held here from Jan. 18 to Jan. 22.

Air Europa is expanding its code on flights operated by the Chinese airline between Madrid and Shanghai, while China Eastern Airlines will deploy its code on the European flights between Madrid and Brussels, Milan, Rome, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich and Paris.

There will be four weekly flights between Shanghai and Madrid, using the latest model of the Airbus A330.

China Eastern Airlines is one of China's three flagship carriers, with a fleet of 600 aircraft.
BELGRADE, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Serbia and Iraq have agreed to cancel visas for holders of diplomatic and service passports of their respective countries, as well as to establish political communication on issues of mutual interest, the Serbian foreign ministry stated Thursday in a press release.

Speaking at a press conference after meeting with his visiting Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Serbian foreign minister Ivica Dacic said the two governments had signed an agreement on mutual cancelation of visas for bearers of diplomatic and service passports, as well as a memorandum on the establishment of political dialogue on issues of mutual interest.

According to the press release, this was the first visit of an Iraqi foreign minister to Serbia.

Dacic also said that Serbia was monitoring the conflict situation in Iraq "with new optimism" and supported the fight against Islamic State.

"Iraq is an important economic and political partner of Serbia," he said, adding that Serbia highly valued the development of good relations with Iraq.

Dacic explained that the newly signed memorandum meant that Serbia and Iraq could now consult each other on political, economic, and security issues in the future, while the two governments would work to achieve complete visa liberalization for all citizens.

"Serbia and Iraq have an interest to develop mutual relations that should be comprehensive -- from the economy and opening possibilities for investments, military, and the defense industry, to the education system," he pointed out.

Dacic concluded that the two countries should help each other just like in times of former Yugoslavia, as well as to advance their relations in all areas.

"We have great perspective for the development of relations: a similar history and mutual interests," Dacic concluded.

Al-Jaafari thanked Serbia for its support in the fight against terrorism and informed that the Iraqi army had liberated 428 villages near Mosul in Northern Iraq on Wednesday.

He concluded by saying that Iraq was inviting the world to help the Middle Eastern country build its infrastructure, and called for all Iraqis that had fled to return to their homeland.
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will lead the UN team for the upcoming Syria peace talk in Astana, Kazakhstan, UN spokesperson's office said Thursday.

De Mistura's deputy Ramzy E. Ramzy was initially designated to lead the UN team at the talk, which was scheduled on January 23.

"In light of the complexity and importance of the issues likely to be raised in Astana, and of the senior level at which the conveners of the meeting will be represented, the Secretary-General has asked Mr. de Mistura to lead the UN team at the talks," the office said.

"The Secretary-General is looking forward to the Astana meeting being a positive step, ahead of the resumption of intra-Syria negotiations in Geneva," said the office.

A ceasefire agreement was reached between the Syrian government and the oppositions at the end of last year after intense diplomatic efforts by Russia, Turkey and other countries. The new round of peace talks between Syrian government and oppositions in Astana was later announced.

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.
Foreign envoys and representatives of international organizations attend a briefing on the spirit of the seventh plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's top anti-graft body on Thursday briefed more than 100 foreign envoys on its anti-corruption work, displaying the country's firm determination to eliminate corruption.

It is the first time that the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has invited so many foreign envoys to visit the commission and communicate with anti-graft officials.

Wu Yuliang, deputy secretary of CCDI of the CPC, Xiao Pei, vice minister of supervision and Liu Jianchao, director of international cooperation bureau of the CCDI, briefed representatives of diplomatic missions from 113 countries and 13 offices of international organizations in China.

They also took questions from the representatives, who lauded China's anti-corruption drive calling it an outstanding political accomplishment.

Leonidas Rokanas, Greek ambassador to China, said that the event has sent a message of openness and transparency.

When responding to questions on whether China's anti-corruption drive will affect economic development, Wu said that "we have drawn a conclusion that anti-graft work will not impact the economic development," adding that it will only help regulate the market and maintain a sound order.

When responding to questions on the transparency of China's campaign to get back corrupt officials and other economic fugitives overseas, Wu said the work is conducted in accordance with China's laws and laws of other countries.

The CPC Central Committee has shown zero tolerance to corruption since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in late 2012, implemented the eight-point rules on improving work styles and keeping close contact with the people and improved party discipline comprehensively.

"The spread of corruption has been effectively contained, the objective of ensuring officials do not dare to be corrupt has been basically achieved," an official with the CCDI said.

"The system of ensuring officials are not able to be corrupt is being improved and a dam to ensure officials are not willing to be corrupt is being raised," the official said, adding that a new atmosphere is emerging in the political life within the Party.

The official said the ongoing national supervisory system reform is a major political reform. As a result of the reform, a unified national supervisory system will be established to cover all officials with public power.

Pilot reforms will first be conducted in Beijing and the provinces of Shanxi and Zhejiang.

On international cooperation, the official said that China is willing to enhance pragmatic cooperation with other countries to "weave a cooperative network against corruption."
HONG KONG, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Year 2017 is of special significance to Hong Kong, said Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Liaison Office of the Chinese Central People's Government in Hong Kong, on Thursday.

In 2017, Hong Kong will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will elect a government, thus ushering in a new phase and new opportunities for Hong Kong's development, Zhang said.

"We sincerely hope that the HKSAR government functions well, Hong Kong people live in harmony and Hong Kong prospers in the new year," he said at a Spring Festival reception held here by the liaison office.

"We also wish that the Hong Kong society adds positive energy and promotes harmony," he said.

"To make the wishes come true, all of us should not forget our original intentions. We must always keep in mind the 'One country, Two systems' principle. We must be fully aware that the 'One country, Two systems' principle and the Basic Law are the unshakable foundations to keep Hong Kong prosperous and stable," Zhang said.

"We must properly handle the relations between the HKSAR and the central government as well as the relations between the HKSAR and the nation. We must stick to the bottom line of the principle and show mutual respect and tolerance," he said.

People from all walks of life should consider the overall situation and learn from the lessons that rising populism and serious differentiation of social classes have triggered economic crises and political turmoil in some Western countries, the official said.

They should boost mutual trust and understanding, take into account the interests of all classes and communities, and work hard to ease and solve social conflicts, he said.

People from all walks of life in Hong Kong should seize the opportunities, have a clear view of Hong Kong's position both in the national development and in the world's development with a broader prospective, give full play to their advantages, actively dovetail with the national development strategies and make accomplishments actively based on the juncture of "what the nation needs" and "what advantages Hong Kong enjoys," Zhang noted.

To make the wishes come true, the Hong Kong society should take the right path, distinguish right from wrong, respect the rule of law, and join hands to resist the tendency of "pan-politicalization," he said.

The Hong Kong society should return to its rational and pragmatic tradition, as well as openness and inclusiveness, as read the lyrics of the popular song "Below the Lion Rock" - "Set all discord aside, go after dreams together," he said.

Zhang spoke highly of the HKSAR government and the society that have handled various challenges properly and safeguarded Hong Kong's stability and prosperity.

Zhang stressed that Hong Kong has experienced many ups and downs in recent years, but at the same time, people have a better understanding of how to implement the "One Country, Two Systems" principle and the Hong Kong Basic Law comprehensively and accurately.

He highlighted that Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has led the HKSAR government to firmly implement the "One Country, Two Systems" principle and the Hong Kong Basic Law in recent years.

Leung has made great efforts to try to solve problems in housing, poverty alleviation, care of the elderly and support for the disadvantaged, Zhang said.

The chief executive has done his utmost to foster new engines for Hong Kong's economic growth, boost Hong Kong's comprehensive competitiveness, and increase exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese mainland, he said.

The central government has highly trusted Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and has always fully acknowledged his work and the work of the HKSAR government, he said.

Zhang also highly praised the Hong Kong citizens who stood up against "Hong Kong independence," threw their support behind the interpretation to the Basic Law made by the National People's Congress Standing Committee, and stood by the HKSAR government and judicial institutions to deprive "Hong Kong independence" activists of their Legislative Council membership.

In traditional Chinese culture, when a man turns 20, there will be a coming-of-age ceremony to celebrate his transition to adulthood, Zhang said, wishing that the HKSAR, which will embrace its 20th birthday, will be more steady and vigorous and shoulder more responsibilities.
BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Investigations have been launched into two local officials after allegations surfaced that they had accepted bribes, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said Thursday.

The People's Procuratorate of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region had arrested Zuo Xinbo, former vice mayor of Zhongwei city in Ningxia, it said.

The other one was Zhou Jianxiong, former chairman of the Xiangtan Electric Manufacturing Group, central China's Hunan Province.
GENEVA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Senior Advisor to the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Jan Egeland, said Thursday that a cessation of hostilities in place in Syria since Dec. 30 had largely held, though clashes between warring factions were still occurring in a number of areas.

"It is positive that the current cessation of hostilities is saving lives in many areas," he said, but added that fierce fighting was still endangering the well-being of many in the war-torn country.

He also said that nowhere near enough humanitarian aid was reaching those trapped in besieged and hard-to-reach locations, calling both last December and January this year "the two worst months" in terms of humanitarian access since relief operations kicked off in February 2016.

Egeland further warned that the situation in the remote desert town of Deir ez-Zor, in eastern Syria, and Wadi Barada, a strategic area close to Damascus, were particularly concerning.

The diplomat explained that a recent Islamic State (IS) offensive had not only cut Deir ez-Zor in two, but also captured the drop zone used by humanitarian actors to parachute aid into the besieged town.

In Wadi Barada, fierce clashes displaced thousands of families, killed civilians and restricted the mending of vital water works located there, meaning that around 5.5 million people in Damascus had gone almost a month without normal water supplies.

"This kind of situation is screaming for a cessation of hostilities that can hold and enable the repair of the water supply," Egeland highlighted.

These remarks come ahead of Russian and Turkish-brokered negotiations expected to kick off on Jan. 23 in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.

The United Nations, which hopes that talks will pave the way towards broader UN-mediated negotiations in Geneva next month, will be represented by the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.
HANGZHOU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Over 90 percent of rich Chinese are optimistic about China's economy, according to the results of a survey released Thursday.

The survey, conducted by Hurun Research Institute, polled 449 individuals with personal assets over 10 million yuan (1.45 million U.S. dollars).

Only nine percent of the interviewees said they were pessimistic about China's economic future in the next two years, the report says. The figure was down four percentage points from last year. Interviewees over the age of 45 were found to be more optimistic than their younger peers.

China's economy grew 6.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2016. Analysts have forecast China's 2016 annual growth will be at 6.7 percent, significantly higher than the growth rate of other major world economies.

The country's fast growth in more than three decades has created a booming middle class.

According to research by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a think tank, the proportion of the population earning upper-middle and high incomes in China will expand from 10 percent to 35 percent by 2030.

The Hurun survey also sheds some light on the rich Chinese's life-style.

"Work pressure has increased; satisfaction with life decreased," the survey report says.

Rich Chinese favored e-wallet service Alipay over credit cards to settle payments and the Maldives was a top overseas travel destination, according to the survey.
TEHRAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Tehran's mayor confirmed the death of 20 fire fighters in the commercial building in the capital of Iran on Thursday, Tasnim news agency reported.

Earlier reports said at least 30 people were killed in the collapse of a 17-story commercial building.

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said that unfortunately the building with 600 commercial shops caught fire on Thursday morning and the firefighters were actively engaged in the rescue operations.

Twenty of the trapped firefighters in the building were killed, Qalibaf said.

At 8:00 a.m. local time (0430 GMT), the fire started from the eighth and ninth floors of the building located on Jomhouri Eslami street, in the downtown area of the capital, and soon it was spread to the upper floors.

The 54-year-old building was very fragile and ravaged by fire despite firefighters' efforts.

Local media also reported that some 70 people were also injured in the incident.

The residents of buildings in the neighborhood have been warned by the police and the rescue operators to leave the buildings.

Also, nearby buildings including the embassies of Turkey and the UK have been evacuated. Authorities at Tehran's governor's office have ruled out terrorism, Press TV said.
BUDAPEST, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Budapest on Feb. 2, 2017, Janos Lazar, the minister in charge of the prime minister's office said on Thursday.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto is scheduled to travel to Moscow next week to prepare for the visit, Lazar told a press conference.

Lazar noted that Putin was making a customary annual visit and the agenda would include current social policy and economic issues. While the meeting was important, it was not unusual, he added.

He predicted 2017 to be a "very important" year from the aspect of foreign policy, in part because of Brexit and a new president of the United States taking office.

Hungary, Lazar went on, believes that a new era in international affairs is evolving in which bilateral cooperation will dominate over multilateral partnerships.

Hungary envisages fair and equitable bilateral accords with the United States and Britain, he added.

Lazar also raised the issue of mass migration, saying that Hungary had to prepare for a situation in which Turkey would become unable to keep the refugees within its borders from traveling onward towards the European Union. Hungary will have to defend its borders irrespectively of Turkey, he added.

He also called it essential to construct a second fence, behind the existing one for addition protection.

Asked to comment on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump having called NATO obsolete, Lazar said while he firmly believed that Europe needed an independent defense capacity it would be premature to write off NATO.
by Yan Lei

TOKYO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese hotel chain has sparked fury on social media recently for placing books in its guest rooms denying the Nanjing Massacre and the forced recruitment of "comfort women" ever happened.

The provocative act by the hotel chain, while hurting the feelings of the people of Japan's close neighbors such as China and South Korea, who suffered from Japan's brutal invasion over 70 years ago, highlights the urgent need for Japan to truly reflect on history.

The APA hotel chain, owning over 400 hotels with more than 66,000 rooms, put copies of the book titled: "The Real History of Japan - Theoretical Modern History" by Seiji Fuji, the penname of the hotel's CEO, in all its rooms in Japan. The book has also been put on sale in the hotel's lobby.

The book, a fabrication based on the rhetoric of the Japanese right-wing, has been denounced as nonsense by historians.

For example, the book said that there were no eyewitness accounts of the Nanjing Massacre by observers from countries other than China and Japan, despite the existence of a plethora of diaries, letters and photographs.

In fact, more than 20 people from Europe and the United States recorded the atrocities and their documents have been preserved by UNESCO in its Memory of the World Register.

The book also claimed that there were only 200,000 people in Nanjing in December 1937, though authoritative historians have pointed out the fact that more than 600,000 people lived in Nanjing at that time and around 300,000 soldiers and civilians were killed by the invading Japanese army.

Many Chinese tourists who visited Japan and stayed in the APA hotel feel indignant and duped when they found out about the books.

APA sees a large portion of its guests coming from China and South Korea, two of Japan's close neighbors which still vividly remember the war atrocities Japan committed to them before and during World War II.

Despite the protests, the APA hotel chain has refused to remove the controversial books from its rooms.

The books, consistent with the right-wing point of view expressed by some historical revisionists here, in fact, exemplifies the negative effects caused by the Japanese government's refusal to face history squarely.

The Japanese government is duty bound to expose its people to correct, factual history. But what it has done is largely suppressing the true facts of war and whitewashing Japan's past war crimes, which hinders its people from knowing the truth.

An exhibition curated by the Women's Active Museum on War and Peace (WAM) in Japan shows that middle school history textbooks compiled by seven publishers in Japan mentioned the "comfort women" issue in 1997, while none of them mentioned the issue in 2012 copies of the textbooks.

In April 2015, the Japanese education ministry revised some junior high school history textbook passages regarding Japan's World War II barbarities. For example, in a passage on the Nanjing Massacre, the original statement that the Japanese army "killed many captives and civilians" was watered down to read as "captives and civilians were involved" in the tragedy and "casualties were exposed."

It's universally acknowledged that only by squarely facing up to history can Japan face its future and prevent war atrocities from happening again. This should start by Japan offering those it wronged a sincere apology and giving its people more access to the truth about the war.

Meanwhile, the APA hotel chain, which is keen on expressing its rightist, distorted historical view, would inevitably face boycott from its customers who were hurt by the provocative act.

Related:

Feature: Nanjing Massacre survivor records testimony in LA

by Chenchen Shen

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Plainly dressed in a dark gray suit, 87-year-old Xia Shuqin seemed no different from any other suburban Chinese lady. However, her weatherworn face and her determined eyes suggested that her story was different: She had survived the Nanjing Massacre.

It was Dec. 13, 1937. "Around 9 or 10 a.m., the Japanese invaded our house," Xia remembered vividly. "My father was killed immediately after they broke in. My grandparents, my parents, my sisters, everyone was scared and crying. Seven out of nine of my family members were killed." Full story

Spotlight: Japan refuses to further console "comfort women" victims with apology letters

TOKYO, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday said that his government is not planning to issue letters of apology to Korean "comfort women" despite Seoul's expectations that Japan would take further measures to atone for its forcible wartime conscription of women to work in military brothels.

During a Diet budgetary committee meeting, the Japanese leader said that a deal struck between Tokyo and Seoul last December did not require Japan to issue such letters of apology. Full story

Interview: "Comfort women" records as UNESCO heritage to spur vigilance: scholar

SEOUL, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The records of Japan's wartime exploitation of forced sex slaves, known as "comfort women," should be preserved as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Memory of the World to spur much-needed vigilance, a South Korean scholar and activist has said.

Dr. Ahn Shin-kwon, director of the House of Sharing, a non-governmental group providing shelter and counseling for comfort women in South Korea since 1992, said the comfort women records should fall under the Memory of the World Program, one of the categories of UNESCO World Heritage. Full story

Interview: Japan's attempts to hamper application of "comfort women" documents to UNESCO set to backfire

JAKARTA, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Japanese government's poor efforts to resolve "comfort women" issue will become a "boomerang" to its political position in the Asia Pacific region, an Indonesian expert told Xinhua in a recent interview.

A number of non-governmental organizations from countries where comfort women suffered -- such as China, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries and regions -- have been working together to nominate documentation on these sexually abused women and girls to be included on the Memory of the World Register. Full story

Feature: "We should not allow Japan to delete its wartime aggression in Asia," says Philippine group for "comfort women"

MANILA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Hilaria Bustamante was only 16 years old when, one day more than 70 years ago, three Japanese soldiers abducted her, hauled her onto a military truck and brought her to a garrison where she was reportedly imprisoned and repeatedly raped for a year.
KATHMANDU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Nepal hosted a reception on the occasion of the upcoming Chinese New Year here in Kathmandu on Thursday.

Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari was the chief guest of the function in the capital.

While welcoming the guests, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong said that the two countries have maintained excellent relations at both people-to-people and political levels in recent years.

China and Nepal are very friendly neighbors, and high level interactions have helped further strengthening the bilateral ties, she said.

On the occasion, Chinese and Nepalese artists performed Chinese traditional cultural show amid the presence of government ministers and high-ranking officials, parliament members, journalists and diplomats.
UNITED NATIONS, Jan.19 (Xinhua)-- The UN Security Council Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution, asking former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to transfer power to President-elect Adama Barrow by Thursday.

In the Senegal-drafted resolution, the council strongly condemned former President Jammeh's rejection of presidential election results, as well as the Gambian parliament's attempt on Wednesday to extend Jammeh's term for three more months beyond his current mandate.

The 15-member UN body "requests former President Jammeh to carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process, and to transfer power to President Adama Barrow by 19 January, 2017 in accordance with the Gambian constitution", said the resolution.

Adama Barrow was sworn in as Gambian President on Thursday at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, capital of Senegal.

A candidate of the coalition of seven opposition parties, Barrow, staying in Dakar since Saturday, was declared the winner of the presidential election on December 2, 2016 by the Independent Electoral Commission.

But he was unable to take over the presidential power in Banjul, the Gambian capital, because his election victory was recognized and then challenged by the outgoing President Jammeh, who refused to cede power despite the efforts taken by the heads of state of the the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional group of 15 countries in the Western African region.
PARIS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Talks over Britain's divorce from the European Union (EU) did not aim to punish Britons, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, he called on Britain not to cherry-pick over details on Brexit negotiations.

"There will be no cherry picking. But there is no question of punishing the United Kingdom. That is not the position of France," Ayrault said.

"The European Union will be directed by its simple principles to preserve its integrity, functioning and cohesion," he added.

French top diplomat's remarks came after his British counterpart Boris Johnson accused notably France of seeking to impose harsh terms on Britain over its exit from the EU bloc, calling them World War II-style "punishment beatings."

French President Francois Hollande had repeatedly said that Britain should respect the free movement of EU citizens if it wanted to remain part of the free-trade union.

Over a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Hollande said British decision of clear leave from the single-trading bloc is "expected."

"This decision shows the necessity of negotiations and the need for the 27-member of the European Union to gather and set targets to defend the EU interests," government spokesman Stephane Le Foll quoted Hollande as saying.

On Tuesday, May confirmed that Britain will break with the single market while insisting that it wants a "greatest possible" access to it.

Negotiations on quitting the EU will start by the end of March, she added.

In June 2016, Britain voted to leave the EU via a referendum.
KIEV, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde on Thursday said Ukraine has made progress in implementing reforms needed for the review of the fund's 17.5-billion-U.S.-dollar bailout program.

"I have every reason to believe that the last few technical details, which need to be addressed, in the next couple of days will be satisfied," said Lagarde after her meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Davos, Switzerland.

The next review of the cooperation program between the IMF and Ukraine is set to be completed in the coming days, Lagarde said.

Her words have signalized that the IMF may unlock the fourth tranche of the aid for Kiev in the near future.

Since 2015, Ukraine has received a total of 7.7 billion dollars in three disbursements of the financial support from the global lender.

The allocation of the fourth tranche has been delayed over Kiev's protraction in implementing the required reforms.
ISLAMABAD, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least four terrorists including a militant commander were killed in shootout with police in Pakistan's east Sheikhupura district on Thursday, local Urdu media reported.

Dawn News said that the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police set up a special picket to snap check vehicles carrying suspected militants, by acting on an intelligence tip-off, on the Sheikhupura-Lahore Road in the country's east Punjab province.

The CTD officials said that seven terrorists riding four motorbikes tried to ride past the picket, in the wee hours of morning, when the policemen signalled them to stop from checking.

The bike riders changed their route after seeing the police, and opening fire at them while fleeing.

The cops chased the on-the-run militants and engaged them into a gun battle.

Four militants were killed in the shootout while their three accomplices fled the scene.

One of the killed militants was identified as Rizwan alias Asif Chotu, the chief of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ), a Punjab-based banned outfit involved in carrying out sectarian attacks in the country.

Police said that Chotu killed hundreds of people and had a headmoney of Rs 3 million (about 30,000 U.S. dollars) by the government.

Formed in early 1990s, the LeJ is considered one of the most extremist Sunni terror group of Pakistan and is accused of killing hundreds of Shia Muslims across the country since its formation.

The group was banned by former president Pervez Musharraf in 2001.

The group also claimed many sectarian attacks including bomb blasts and attacks on Shia pilgrims' buses in the country's southwest Balochistan province over the last few years.

Another killed militant was the chief of the LeJ in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The terroirist Noor ul Amin had a money of Rs 1 million (about 10,000 U.S. dollars) on his head.

The CTD officials said that the militants were "merciless killing machines" and their demise has closed a chapter of terrorism and target killings in the country.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump gestures during a news conference in New York, the United States, on Jan. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Gary Hershorn)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United States is holding the quadrennial presidential inauguration ceremony on Friday, as Donald Trump will be sworn in as the country's 45th president.

The ceremony has been through dramatic changes in form and process since it was started from George Washington's presidency, but remained one of the most significant political events in the country, where all presidents-elect were required to make an oath following the Constitution with the Chief Justice and the whole nation as witnesses.

When Washington was sworn in as the first U.S. president in 1789, the ceremony took place on April 30 in New York, which used to be the country's capital. As it took as long as four months to count the presidential votes at that time, the inauguration date had been set on March 4 for most of the country's history. It was not until 1937 that the inauguration day was finally moved ahead to Jan. 20.

In 1801, the U.S. federal capital was relocated at Washington, D.C., so did the inauguration ceremony. In 1981, Ronald Reagan had his inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, which has since replaced East Portico as the stage for the ceremony. All the presidential swearing-ins were held outdoors except twice that happened to William Howard Taft in 1909 and Reagan in 1985, when the weather was so cold that public health and security were at risk.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) stands next to U.S. Vice President-elect Mike Pence during a news conference in New York, the United States, on Jan. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Gary Hershorn)

According to the fixed process, the vice president-elect takes the oath of office first on the Capitol's West Front, and the military band plays four ruffles and flourishes and "Hail, Columbia" following the oath.

At noon, the president-elect is sworn in by the Chief Justice, using the form mandated in the Constitution that goes like "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."

Immediately after the oath, the military band plays four ruffles and flourishes and "Hail to the Chief," followed by a 21-gun salute. Then the president delivers an inaugural address including his ideas on the new administration.

In the meantime, outgoing President and the First Lady depart from the Capitol to begin their post-White House life.

Photo taken on Jan. 17, 2017 shows the closed Capitol Hill in preparation for the presidential inauguration in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

As another grand activity in the inauguration day, the presidential parade provides an opportunity for more people to witness the president and vice president as well as their family members walking to the White House along the historical route of the Pennsylvania Avenue to begin their leadership.

The parade, which is going to be the 56th one this year, started in 1805 when Thomas Jefferson began his second term. In the U.S. history, there was only one time, when Ronald Reagan reassumed his office in the White House in 1985, that the swearing-in was not followed by the parade due to severe weather.

Other inauguration-related events usually last for several days before and after the inauguration day, including official balls, parties, concerts, and religious services, which involve millions of people.

However, the inauguration activities also bring huge challenges to transportation and security in Washington, D.C. and its suburb areas. The Armed Forces, Secret Services, Capitol police, D.C. police and other federal law enforcement agencies are required to cooperate in security protection and road closure, among others.
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, met fierce opposition to his pragmatic vision on Thursday in a round table event on the future of Europe at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"We don't need more Europe -- we need a better functioning Europe," the Dutch prime minister told listeners and fellow panel members in a panel discussion called "Which Europe Now?", echoing an argument made by former British Prime Minister David Cameron and other conservative European politicians.

Rutte was confronted, however, by an emotional Martin Schulz, the German socialist who stepped down as President of the European Parliament earlier this week.

"Only in strengthening ourselves by combining our economic competencies and capacities are we able to defend our human-values-based society in the 21st century," Schulz said, voicing disagreement with the Dutch head of government's assertion that the idea of "an ever-closer union" was dead.

"Could somebody tell me how a single country, in the worldwide competition in which we are living, with perhaps a tendency to protectionism in some important parts of the world, could survive without the European Union?" the former European Parliament president said.

An equally impassioned Frans Timmermans, first vice-president of the European Commission, lamented what he considered to be the "huge lack of trust between nations and within nations," and which he attributed to, among other factors, the inability for national governments to take responsibility for what happens in Brussels.

"If our societal model is to work for the future, trust is an essential component," Timmermans hammered. "We need to bring back trust. We can do our part at the European Commission, but it is only a small part, and it will fail if not everyone is on board for this."

The former parliamentarian and the commissioner were reinforced by Ana Patricia Botin, executive chairman of the Spanish banking group Santander, who urged listeners to move forward with faster and stronger European integration.

"Let's finish what we have begun," she appealed, adding that a European banking union was more necessary than ever, and especially after the European banking crisis.

While all the members of the panel agreed with Prime Minister Rutte that Europe needed reforms and practical solutions to its problems, a rare display of unity emerged between representatives of European institutions and the private sector.

Frans Timmermans qualified the central crisis facing Europe today as ideological: between those who want to separate and protect themselves from external problems at the cost of certain freedoms, and those who want to open-up, diversify, and develop greater cooperation to solve problems in partnership.

For his part, Mark Rutte offered three opportunities that he saw as positive for the future of Europe: a deal with north African nations inspired by the EU-Turkey agreement in order to stem irregular migration in the central Mediterranean, the opening of data exchange across borders to help set up the digital single market, and an EU budget favoring innovation and job creation.

To this pragmatic list, Martin Schulz responded that he hoped "all members of national governments and especially the heads of states in governments, take their responsibility as well."

"The European Union is as strong as the member states allow," the former President of the European Parliament reminded.
ABC News(BETTENDORF, Iowa)  Iowa has played an important role in the presidential election process for decades as a swing state in the heart of the Midwest, and this year it swung for Donald Trump.



Now Trump supporters are excited to see how their pick pans out.



He won the Electoral College because of the Midwest, said Beverly Harper, a 77-year-old who worked in therapeutic horseback riding from Bettendorf, Iowa, You take Wisconsin, Iowa all those states and Pennsylvania also. Right down the center of the United States. The little guy is finally speaking up.



Harper was one of a handful of customers at two popular diners in eastern Iowa  Mickeys Country Cafe in Pleasant Valley and Ross Family Restaurant in Bettendorf  who spoke to ABC News about their thoughts about the upcoming inauguration and Trump administration.



The job announcements that Trump has made during the transition has Harper excited and relieved.



I think President to be Trump has done more with the economy already than what the past president has done in eight years, Harper told ABC News.



Harper said that the expected protests around the inauguration, where we have all of this opposition going to kick up a big fuss about it all isnt appropriate.



In my opinion, thats the wrong thing to do. This is the presidents day. This is part of what were all about in America. When we elect a president, we should give that president a chance like we have in the past, Harper said.



Rodney Bailey, a 29-year-old veteran, is a Trump supporter and excited to share his birthday with inauguration day.



Its a good birthday present, he told ABC News.



"I was in high school watching The Apprentice and now watching them take over the country, its going to be a unique experience."



In spite of the ABC News/Washington Post poll out Tuesday which reported that 40 percent approve of the way Trump handled the transition, many of those interviewed have been impressed by Trump and his teams work during the transition period.



I like who hes picked. They have a tremendous amount of experience in their sectors so I think theyll bring that and I think theyll develop a very, very strong cabinet, said David Barker, a 57-year-old multi-business owner from Bettendorf.



Harper thinks that the scrutiny and concerns raised about some of Trumps Cabinet picks are being overblown.



We have a black man in there and we have a couple women in there. I think theyre being super critical when they examine these people, Harper said.



Like Trump supporters in Ohio who spoke to ABC News last week, there is a lingering reluctance to trust the media both in general and in respect to questions about Russias interference in the election.



I dont know if thats factually true. Whos telling us that? We dont know, said Barker, which runs counter to the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies, which have concluded that Russia tried to interfere with the election.



Paul Jones, a 73-year-old retired teacher and Vietnam War veteran who lives in LeClaire, Iowa, said that the questions raised about Russia do concern him but they arent the only ones.



I think they have basically been our enemy all the time, Jones said of Russia. I think that Russia bothers me, but North Korea bothers me too.



One theme that emerged in these conversations was the desire to give Trump time to make an impact and follow through on his campaign slogan.



I think a small dose of skepticism is healthy but again we cant make judgments when the guy hasnt even taken office yet give the guy a chance and work with him and I think we'll all be better off, Barker said.



Lisa Hawkinson, a 57-year-old grandmother from Pleasant Valley, repeatedly called for people to not to judge Trump and his administration too soon.



Im a supporter of the United States, America in general, Hawkinson said. I think we're going into some new times. I dont see any reason why we should judge ahead of time. Give him a chance.



Barker reiterated her sentiment, saying "Lets give the guy a chance and see what happens. My hope is that he accomplishes at least half of what he said he would do."

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
ISLAMABAD, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Thursday expressed serious concerns about the grip of several terrorist groups in neighboring Afghanistan.

The statement came days after a series of attacks killed nearly 60 people, including five UAE diplomats.

The Taliban had claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in Kabul and Helmand on Jan. 11, and no group has yet claimed responsibility for the Kandahar attack on the same day, in which the diplomats were killed.

"Increasing foothold of various terrorist organizations and outfits due to persistent instability in Afghanistan is a growing concern for not just Pakistan but other countries in the region and beyond," Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria said.

Zakaria told his weekly briefing that a number of independent studies and assessments have established that the factors impeding reconciliation and stability in Afghanistan are internal to Afghanistan.

To a question about remarks by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that those who were behind the recent attacks "live, operate and recruit in Pakistan," he rejected it as baseless allegations.

"The accusatory approach is unhelpful towards efforts for peace. Pakistan has suffered from the menace of terrorism and has made unparalleled sacrifices," the Pakistani spokesman said.

"We have done more than any other nation in the world in the fight against terrorism. Pakistan has highest stakes in the peace and stability in Afghanistan. No country gets affected more than Pakistan due to instability in Afghanistan," he said.

He said Pakistan remains committed to a meaningful engagement with Afghanistan to address the common challenge of terrorism, adding Pakistan is willing to extend all possible cooperation to Afghanistan, particularly for sharing the achievements and experience in the field of counter-terrorism and border management.
BUJUMBURA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Six passengers were killed and several others injured in a collision of a passenger minibus and a lorry at Mageyo in Bujumbura Rural province, 20km east of the Burundian capital Bujumbura, witnesses said Thursday.

"The collision happened around 5:00 p.m. (15:00 GMT) and involved a passenger minibus and a lorry of the Burundi Brewery Company (BRARUDI). The minibus was speeding and the driver lost control of the car," witnesses told Xinhua.

According to the witnesses, injured passengers were evacuated to hospitals located in Bujumbura capital city.

They added that the passenger minibus that had about 18 people on board was heading to the capital Bujumbura while the BRARUDI lorry was going to the countryside.
TALLINN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Estonia and Finland have signed a bilateral framework agreement for closer defense cooperation, said the Estonian Ministry of Defense on Thursday.

Signing the agreement on Wednesday in Helsinki during his first official visit abroad, Estonian Minister of Defense Margus Tsahkna met his Finnish counterpart Jussi Niinisto in Helsinki on regional security, the promotion of bilateral and Nordic-Baltic cooperation as well as on European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) related topics, said the press release.

Tsahkna said that Estonia and Finland share a geopolitical environment, which also necessitates close cooperation, terming the agreement as a confirmation of both countries' desire for "even closer and more regular defense cooperation" on the basis of the current bilateral cooperations.

The two countries aim to enhance cooperation in the fields of defense policy, information exchange, capacity development, defense education, defense exercises and crisis regulation.

On Tuesday, Tsahkna and U.S. Ambassador to Estonia James D. Melville signed a bilateral agreement on defense cooperation between Estonia and the United States that will regulate in more detail the status of members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their dependents as well as contractors of the U.S. Armed Forces residing in Estonia.

The agreement was approved by the Estonian government on Jan. 12 and has yet to be ratified by the Estonian parliament.
BRATISLAVA, Jan.19 (Xinhua) -- The debt brake currently in place will enable Slovakia to be spared painful cuts during a future crisis, Sberbank Europe chief economist Vladimir Vano told Slovak media on Thursday.

"We need more public investments, but the question to consider is whether they should be bankrolled by savings made in common expenditures of the state budget," said Vano.

The debt crisis has exposed a greater deal of vulnerability among smaller countries when facing turmoil or an economic downturn, said the economist.

"A smaller economy such as Slovakia's is better off sticking to fiscally prudent policies instead of being prodigal," said Vano.

"The debt brake is set to make sure that in times of need, Slovakia won't need to resort to extreme and much more painful measures and won't be reliant on external aid," added the economist.

"The debt brake makes it obligatory to be frugal in spending so that draconian and painful measures aren't needed during hard times," Vano told a discussion program on Slovak media.

The public debt of Slovakia stood at 52 percent of GDP last year. If it reaches 60 percent, the government would face a vote of confidence in parliament.
BRATISLAVA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- "Hard Brexit" could hit Slovakia's business partners, and subsequently cause a slowdown in the Slovak economy. Slovak central bank (NBS) vice governor Jan Toth announced on Thursday.

"We've so far counted on Brexit being carried out in its softer form. If it takes place in a harder form, however, there would be a negative risk with respect to what we've expected so far," said Toth.

The deputy governor added that the final trade relation deal between Britain and the EU isn't yet known. NBS in its previous prognosis expected that the growth in the Slovak economy would slow down by 0.3 percent of GDP due to Brexit.

"The impact, however, could be rather closer to 0.5 percent of GDP," expected Toth, who further explained that the most significant impact won't be direct, as exports from Slovakia to Britain represent only some 4 percent.

"The impact will be seen indirectly through a slowdown in growth among Slovakia's trading partners, especially Germany, which exports to Britain to a greater extent. Weaker growth in Germany could be reflected in Slovak exports," stated the NBS vice-governor.

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May in a speech on Brexit unveiled a tougher stance on Britain's withdrawal from the EU.

The hard Brexit prognosis includes British giving up full access to the single market alongside the EU.
CAIRO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's ministry of antiquities celebrated Thursday the inauguration of the renovated Museum of Islamic Art.

The ministry held a concert in the vicinity of the museum that was officially inaugurated Wednesday after two years of renovation work.

In January 2014, the museum sustained severe damage when a car bomb exploded outside a nearby security building.

The event was attended by large numbers of government officials, local and foreign archaeologists as well as foreign diplomats.

Speaking to journalists during the ceremony, Egyptian minister of antiquities said the restoration costs of the museum are estimated at 57 million Egyptian pounds, with 50 million donated by United Arab Emirates.

He added that the museum is now the largest museum of Islamic arts worldwide as it embraces some 100,000 artifacts.

Egypt, one of the most ancient civilizations, has been working hard to preserve its archaeological heritage and discover the secrets of the archaeology of Pharaohs and other ancient civilizations across the country.

It's in a bid to revive the country's ailing tourism sector which has been suffering an acute recession over the past few years due to political turmoil and relevant security issues.

The North African country netted just 6.1 billion dollars in tourism revenues in 2015, a drastic downturn from 12.5 billion in 2010, according to the country's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics.
BEIRUT, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri called on the international community on Thursday to help his country handle the Syrian refugee crisis.

His speech came at the launching ceremony of the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan, in the presence of Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, and Philippe Lazzarini, the United Nations Coordinator for humanitarian issues.

"Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017-2020 is a joint, multi-year plan between the Government of Lebanon and its international and national partners that aims at responding to the challenges associated with one of the most severe and protracted crisis Lebanon has witnessed," Hariri said.

"The strain on our real economy due to the conflict in Syria has been both immense and unprecedented," he added.

The prime minister also pointed out the pressure the Syrian refugee crisis has exerted on the Lebanese government.

"Demand exceeded the capacity of institutions and infrastructure to meet the needs of both displaced Syrians and Lebanese citizens," he said.

Hariri appealed to the international community for more investment in Lebanon's economic development.

"In the coming three years, Lebanon needs no less than eight to 10 billion U.S. dollars' worth of new investments in infrastructure, to upgrade the infrastructure," the prime minister said.

"The dangers of failing to do so will not only be felt by us, but by the world at large," he concluded.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, more than 1.1 million Syrian refugees have fled to Lebanon, while the Lebanese government puts the figure at 1.5 million.
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday urged all Gambian parties and West African countries to ensure peaceful transition of power in Gambia.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-nation council requests former President Yahya Jammeh to transfer power to President Adama Barrow by Jan. 19, 2017 in accordance with the Gambian constitution.

Earlier on Thursday, Adama Barrow was sworn in as Gambian president at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, capital of Senegal.

Barrow, staying in Dakar since Saturday, won Gambia's presidential election on Dec. 1, 2016. However, his election win was challenged by Jammeh who refused to cede power to him despite decisions by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to send troops to support Gambia in power transition.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Thursday called Barrow to discuss latest developments in Gambia and congratulated him on his inauguration, according to a statement by UN Spokesperson Office.

"The Secretary-General told President Barrow of his full support for his determination, and ECOWAS's historic decision, with the unanimous backing of the Security Council, to restore the rule of law in The Gambia so as to honour and respect the will of the Gambian people," said the statement.

"The Secretary-General conveyed the readiness of the United Nations system to support President Barrow and his government in their efforts to promote democracy and achieve sustainable development in The Gambia," it added.
TRIPOLI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Two U.S. B-2 warplanes carried out airstrikes on Wednesday night on camps of IS in the outskirts of Libya's Sirte, killing at least 80 militants, said a statement by the Pentagon spokesman, Peter Cook.

"In conjunction with the Libyan Government of National Accord, the U.S. military conducted precision airstrikes Wednesday night destroying two IS camps, 45 kilometers southwest of Sirte," the statement said.

"The IS terrorists targeted included individuals who fled to the remote desert camps from Sirte in order to reorganize, and they posed a security threat to Libya, the region, and U.S. national interests. While we are still evaluating the results of the strikes, the initial assessment indicates they were successful."

Forces loyal to the UN-backed government of national accord in Libya announced in December that the seven-month long fight against IS in Sirte was successfully over, defeating the terrorist group in the largest stronghold in the North African country.

"The United States remains prepared to further support Libyan efforts to counter terrorist threats and to defeat IS in Libya," U.S. Secretary Ashton Carter said, adding that some of the IS fighters targeted by the airstrikes posed a threat to Europe.

"They certainly are people who were actively plotting operations in Europe and may also have been connected to attacks that have already occurred in Europe," Carter told reporters.

"We need to strike IS everywhere they show up. And that's particularly true in view of the fact that we know some of the IS operatives in Libya were involved with plotting attacks," Carter added.

Following the uprising of 2011 that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos, which helped IS establish a haven.
KAMPALA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military on Wednesday arrested 101 former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) rebel group M23 fighters when they tried to escape back to their country under unclear circumstances.

Ofwono Opondo, Uganda's government spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone on Thursday that the fighters who fled to western Uganda in 2013 after being defeated were intercepted aboard four taxis in Mbarara and Kabale on their way back to eastern DRC.

Ofwono said that the fighters who had been camped at Bihanga military training school in Ibanda are currently detained at Makenke military barracks in Mbarara.

"These people were arrested on their way back aboard taxi minibuses as normal passengers. On questioning them, all of them were found to be former M23 combatants," said Ofwono.

Ofwono said the arrest comes after some 40 former fighters escaped back to the central African country in the last one week.

"These people have been escaping back to their country in a group's of about four to five. At least 40 went back to their country in the last six days," said Ofwono.

The arrests come barely three days after the Ugandan military on Monday dismissed reports that the former rebels have been crossing back to eastern DRC.

The incident is likely to bring diplomatic row between the authorities in Kampala and Kinshasa.

"Uganda has no sinister motive against DRC. These are individuals who were trying to escape against the agreed modalities and agreement. We still don't know the motive of their escape," said Ofwono.

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.
RABAT, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan House of Advisors, the upper house, unanimously approved here on Thursday the constitutive act of the African Union (AU).

The house also adopted the additional protocol and the bill on the approval of the act to allow the Moroccan government to go on with its bid to rejoin the AU as of its 28th summit scheduled on Jan. 22-31 at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The vote of the House of Advisors comes a day after a similar approval by the House of Representatives, the lower house of the parliament.

After these votes, the Moroccan government has the green light to rejoin AU.

The council of ministers, which is chaired by the king, approved the draft texts on Jan. 10.

Morocco left the organization of African Unity, which later became the AU, in 1984.

The North African country made an official request in last September to join the AU.

In recent weeks, the Moroccan king has toured several African countries seeking support for the bid.
GENEVA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Conference on Cyprus held its second session in Mont Pelerin of Switzerland on January 18-19 at the level of deputies and experts, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, said Thursday.

In a statement issued Thursday, the UN official said that the meetings were conducted in a positive spirit, but the participants agreed not to disclose details about their discussions, as the proceedings of the conference have not yet concluded.

According to the statement, the working group, established during the high-level meeting in Geneva on Jan. 12, successfully completed the mandate entrusted to it by the conference, namely identifying specific questions related to the issue of security and guarantees and the instruments needed to address them.

An international conference on Cyprus kicked off on Jan. 12 following three days of talks between Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci at Geneva's UN headquarters.

Though no date was given, Eide said earlier this week that these final negotiations would take place "soon... maybe even in the course of this month."

Involving the foreign ministers of the three guarantor countries (Turkey, Greece and Britain), the conference is seen as an historic opportunity to broker a deal which could end decades of division.

The hope is to finally create a united Cyprus, thus putting to an end to over 40 years of division.

If a deal were to be reached in coming weeks, it would subsequently be put to a public vote to both sides of the island.

Cyprus has been divided in two since 1974 after Turkish troops occupied the northern part of the Mediterranean island in reaction to a coup by the military rulers of Greece at the time.
LISBON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iraq has decided to withdraw its ambassador to Portugal Saad Mohammed Ridha, whose twin sons were accused of attacking a Portuguese teenager in August last year, Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva said on Thursday.

At a press conference held at the Foreign Ministry, Santos Silva said that the decision to replace Saad Mohammed Ridha was taken by the Iraqi authorities and the legal process in Portugal has been closed.

The announcement of the Iraqi ambassador's withdrawal came a day after the Portuguese Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that it had received from the Attorney General's Office additional information on the case.

Santos Silva said that the legal proceedings, involving the then 17-year-old twins Haider and Ridha Ali, sons of the Iraqi ambassador, who were accused of attacking 15-year-old Ruben Cavaco, will now continue in Iraq.

Haider and Ridha Ali were accused of attacking Cavaco on Aug. 17 last year in the town of Ponte de Sor, about 180 km northeast of Lisbon. He was left in 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.

"The guarantee I received from the Iraqi authorities is that they intend to continue the proceedings," Santos Silva told reporters on Thursday, adding that the procedural elements gathered in Lisbon could be used by Iraq.

He pointed out that their diplomatic immunity had not been lifted, which meant the legal process could not be continued in Portugal.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said the Iraqi ambassador did not have the "conditions" to be in office and confirmed that the case would continue in Baghdad.

"From the information I have, I cannot do no other than concur with the words of the minister of foreign affairs," Rebelo de Sousa told journalists at the sidelines of an event on Thursday at the Institute of Social and Political Sciences in Lisbon.

On Wednesday, Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had insisted on the need for Iraq to lift the diplomatic immunity of the ambassador's sons for court inquiry, despite an out-of-court compensation agreement with Cavaco's family on Friday.

According to local media reports on Tuesday, Mohammed Ridha had paid the family 40,000 euros (42,800 U.S. dollars) in compensation to the family. He also paid 12,000 euros for treatment expenses for Cavaco.

Portugal's Foreign Ministry had twice asked Iraq to lift diplomatic immunity from the ambassador's sons, however, the Iraqi authorities had asked Portugal to provide further legal details relating to the investigation.
COPENHAGEN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Danish government is considering sending special forces to the border area between Iraq and Syria to combat the Islamic State (IS), local media reported on Thursday.

Local newspaper Politiken cited unidentified sources as saying that the plan will be discussed on Friday at a meeting of the parliament's Foreign Policy Committee, where Defense Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen and Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen are expected to account for the new tasks.

According to the report, the idea is to fight the IS directly in cooperation with the Iraqi forces, most of which have been trained over the past year.

In April last year, a broad majority in the Danish parliament approved a proposal to increase the country's military contribution to the fight against the IS in Iraq and Syria.
Photojournalists check their photos during the final press conference of U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
Candidates of the Miss Universe 2016 pose for a photo during their visit at the Philippine Navy Headquarters in Manila, the Philippines, Jan. 19, 2017. A total of 86 contestants from all around the world are in the Philippines for the 65th Miss Universe competition that will be held in Manila on Jan. 30. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) --One policeman and one villager was killed Wednesday in clashes in the Arab Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran in Israel before a planned demolition operation.



The clashes broke out between Israeli police and the Arab villagers as Israeli authorities prepared to demolish several structures that the government says are illegal constructions.



The villagers of Umm al-Hiran are Israeli citizens and members of a Bedouin tribe who have lived on the same plot of land since the late 50s. In 1957, the Israeli military forcefully removed the tribe from their original land in Khirbet Zubale.



But 60 years later, after more than a decade of court cases, the state wants that land back to build a Jewish town. Last year, Israel's high court ruled in favor of the government's plans.



Aerial footage released by the Israeli authorities shows police approaching a white SUV. At the four-second mark, a police officer approaches the car and shoots. He pops off at least three shots as the car remains still. It's unclear exactly what his shots hit. Then the car accelerates down a steep hill and veers into a crowd of policemen before careening into another vehicle and coming to a stop.



Israeli police called the incident a deliberate "car-ramming" attack by a Bedouin with Israeli citizenship, identified as 50-year-old school teacher Yaakub Abu al-Qiyan. The police officer killed was identified as 37-year-old Erez Levy. Al-Qiyan died of gunshot wounds.



Locals who were at the scene said that the driver lost control of his vehicle only after he was shot by police. He had his whole life packed into the SUV and he was trying to leave the village, locals said.



The Israeli police have already called al-Qiyan a "terrorist," and said they are investigating his possible affiliation with ISIS, but no supporting evidence was immediately made public.



"This is the second ramming attack within the space of a few days. We are fighting this murderous phenomenon which has hit both in Israel and in other parts of the world," Prime Minister Netanyahu said, referring to recent vehicular attacks in Israel and Europe.



Several other people were injured in the clashes that followed, including Knesset Member Ayman Odeh. Odeh and other Arab leaders had been at the village all night awaiting the forced Israeli evacuation.



"The policemen attacked me, brutally beating me," said Odeh. "We did not try to stir things up - it is plain and simple. We wanted to negotiate. What happened is a disgrace."



Amnesty International has called for an investigation into possible police brutality in the day's violence.



"The Israeli judiciary and the government are responsible for the killing in the village today," the Arab advocacy group Adalah said in a statement. "The Israeli Supreme Court's decision to allow the state to proceed with its plan to demolish the village, which has existed for 60 years, in order to establish a Jewish town called 'Hiran' over its ruins, is one of the most racist judgments that the Court has ever issued."



The Negev desert accounts for over half of Israel's land mass, but only about 10 percent of Israeli citizens live there, including more than 100,000 Bedouins. Umm al-Hiran is one of dozens of so-called "unrecognized" villages, and according to Amnesty International, they live without electricity, water, and other basic services the state refuses to provide.



"The Bedouin public is a part of us," Netanyahu said on Wednesday, "We want to integrate it into Israeli society and not to polarize it and cause it to distance itself from the focus of our existence here."



Some five of the village's 70 structures were demolished Wednesday, according to journalists on the ground.



By the time the dust cleared and the sun set Wednesday, several of the village's former inhabitants were left picking through the remains of their homes.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
MovieTowne C3 ciniplex opens

The Movietowne C3 cineplex was designed with an easily identifiable Times Square, New York theme, with a replica of the statue of liberty hanging over the main entrance to greet you as you enter.

The cineplexs design is unique from its other locations in that the restaurants, bars, and arcades that usually surround the theatre were placed inside the same building as the theatre itself. It contributed to the theme as patrons can now walk down a boulevard flanked by the Coney Island arcade, Rizzonis, and Ruby Tuesday restaurants along with the flashing lights and advertisements of Times Square.

The cineplex was made with an investment of $150 million and will employ some 500 persons. The C3 location will be open to the public on Friday from 3pm. General admission will cost $50 for normal screens, $60 for super screens, and $65 for 3D movies.

Founder and Chairman of Movietowne, Derek Chin, in his address at the inauguration said, The evolution of Movietowne isnt just a successful business story. It is one going against popular opinion and tough market conditions.

The obstacles of bureaucracy, of dealing with several administrators and administrations couldnt derail it. The challenges to convince our local commercial banks and marketing experts couldnt dissuade it. The decline in the movie industry in itself at that time and disbelief of those who were leaders then couldnt distort the focus of the movietowne dream. And the Movietowne dream will extend its local borders this year with the fifth cineplex to be opened in Guyana later this year. Chin said that St Vincent also invited the franchise to invest there with very attractive land concessions with further invitations to explore similar ventures in Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia, and even Toronto, Canada.

As a message to young entrepreneurs, Chin said that naysayers will always be in abundance, but that there are times when you must follow your own gut. Chins gut has led to an enterprise that continues to attract an average of 1.6 million patrons to its doors each year despite the difficult economic times suffered over the last year and a half.

Trade Minister, Paula Gopee-Scoon, congratulated Chin and his team on the successful opening, and thanked the company for its contribution to the local film industry.

It will also provide an additional distribution outlet for our local films to be viewed by a much wider audience in Trinidad and Tobago, said Gopee-Scoon.

Avenues of this nature are critical to the development of our local film industry and it gives local producers the added confidence that the production of films can be transformed into a commercially viable business enterprise.
Uber drives into TT

Although the Works and Transport Ministry issued a statement a few hours later, questioning the legality of Ubers operations under the current version of The Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act, people continue to request a ride from their present location to a destination of their choosing, all from the convenience of the smartphones.

The ministry and Uber are reportedly set to meet sometime next week to discuss the matter.

Business Day tested out the service on Monday afternoon, prior to rush hour traffic, to get an idea of the cost is using an Uber versus taking a regular taxi for hire (H taxi) or an illegal private hire (PH) taxi from Port-of-Spain to The Falls at West Mall (West Mall) Westmoorings.

To get an H or PH taxi, one has to walk to the south-west corner of Broadway and South Quay, where you sit according to which seat is free in the vehicle/s on the taxi stand at that time. The cost of a one-way trip is $5 to $7 therefore one can put aside $10 to $14 for a round trip.

Uber, on the other hand, will pick you up wherever you are in Port-of-Spain and if you are travelling alone to West Mall, you have the whole backseat or the front seat to choose from, as one Uber user put it.

Your pocket however will feel the difference between an Uber and an H or PH taxi. 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.

I requested an Uber at 1.30 pm on Monday and within a few minutes, my driver arrived at my designated collection point - the north-western corner of Chacon Street and Independence Square. Uber provides users with a photo of the driver who has accepted their request, along with that persons license plate number and the vehicles estimated time of arrival.

The arrival time is constantly updated as the Uber driver makes his/her way to you. While you wont know until you have reached your destination how much your bill will be  you can use a credit card or cash to pay in Trinidad  Uber does provide you with an estimated fare when you request a ride.

When my Uber arrived, the driver, Rajesh, did indeed look like his photo and his car was, as is mandatory with Uber, clean and had a properly working air-conditioning (A/C) system.

I was Rajeshs first customer and he was my first Uber driver in Trinidad (I used Uber once overseas). He was polite and very willing to answer Business Days questions en route to the mall.

Asked why he chose to become an Uber driver, Rajesh said, I like driving. I like meeting people. A plus for Uber users who get Rajesh as their driver is that his previous job involved driving all over Trinidad to collect teak (lumber) for export, so he knows several alternate routes for destinations across the island.

In interviews conducted the previous Friday, Ubers Communications Associate for Central America and the Caribbean, Julie Robinson-Centella, informed the media that Monday was launch day. Local Uber drivers however, were notified via text message one day before launch.

Rajesh smiled as he told me, Its a good thing I made sure to clean my car late last week because they had said the service would launch soon but it wasnt until yesterday (Sunday) that I got a text saying we would be accepting rude requests from 11 am today.

At the end of my journey, the bill came up to $46. I had a voucher from Uber, which covered the cost of my first ride, up to TT $70, so there was no need to use my cash. Having done as requested and entered the voucher number before the end of my journey, within seconds of Rajesh used his phone to indicate on the Uber app that he had dropped me off, a bill was sent to my email address, reflecting a payment of TT $0.00.

Having spent about 15 minutes in West Mall, I requested another Uber to take me back to the exact spot from which I was collect earlier by Rajesh.

There being no Ubers nearby, I had a 15 minute wait for Uber driver, Leah, to reach me. Noticing the app wanted me to wait by the side of the very busy Western Main Road, something I didnt want to do because of the lack of shelter and the exposure to vehicle exhaust fumes, I used the Contact option to text Leah my preferred collection point at a side entrance to the mall. (You can also call you Uber driver via this option).

While Leahs vehicle was a little older than Rajeshs, it was just as clean and had working A/C. Robinson-Centella had spoken of Ubers concern about hiring the right people as drivers, and while Ive only used Uber twice so far, Leah, like Rajesh, was friendly and willing to be interviewed.

Asked about the reason for her joining Uber, Leah said, I started driving taxi with an H vehicle in 2013. I am always looking for business opportunities, especially self-employment matters.

I have a cousin in Virginia whos an Uber driver and he told me the company was getting ready to come to Trinidad, so I said well Im definitely doing that because if Im accustomed working a traditional taxi, I can more than work for Uber, plus it would be less hassle; not having to hustle to fill your car each trip, Leah shared.

Like Rajesh and Robinson- Centella, Leah cited safety and convenience as the main reasons why people in TT would want to use Uber even though it is more expensive than a regular fare in an H or PH taxi.

The crime situation in Trinidad now, having a service like Uber gives you and your loved ones a sense of peace because you can share with them (via smartphone) whos picking you up, when and where from. With a regular taxi, you would have to ask to take a photo of the driver. Its just more convenient over all.

Regarding the cost of an Uber, Leah argued that in some situations it might actually be cheaper than hiring a taxi to take you somewhere.

On the flip side, Leah said that based on demand, the rate may go up, which would be a plus for drivers.

(For example) if theres a huge pile up of traffic because theres a concert at Hasely Crawford Stadiumor a lot of people at the stadium are requesting an Uber at the same time, youd have something called a surge in price. The price might surge by 1.5 times the regular rate, so there are a lot of incentives for drivers. The (incentives) also inspired me to join Uber, not just the convenience of working when/where I choose to.

Trinidad and Tobago is the first English-speaking Caribbean country in which Uber is present, the company having already launched its services in the Dominican Republic in November 2015 and in Puerto Rico in July 2016.

Whats next for Uber? Robinson- Centella revealed to Business Day that further expansion in the region this year is what Uber is focused on.

At the end of the day, were looking forward to being everywhere and providing service to everyone. We definitely want to be in most of the (Caribbean) islands by the end of 2017. Theres a huge expansion process for this year, focused on Latin America and the Caribbean, Robinson-Centella stated.

And, in case you were wondering, the return fare to Chacon St from West Mall was TT$62.00.
Will Uber prompt PH protection or phase out?

Within in a day of its public launch, Uber has not only acquired thousands of fans willing to try it, it has also attracted the attention of the Works Ministry and the Attorney General.

On the one side, the travellers are looking for the fastest, cheapest way to get home in the face of a broken public transport system. Their irritation is rising against the government on the other, which is now belated seeking to determine the legality of Uber.

Caught in the middle are the PH or private hire drivers, who have functioned in a curious space for decades. On paper, their operation is illegal. These cars are not licensed taxis and cannot be insured as such. Yet, they have been the main source of transport to and from the majority of communities in TT for decades, as successive governments did little to improve the accessibility and reliability of public transport. They have also been ineffective in stopping the operation of the PH drivers themselves, who face little more than the occasional ticket.

But Uber could be a game changer. A release from the Works Ministry on Monday challenged the companys ability to operate on this jurisdiction using private vehicles for hire. Based on this justification, an obvious issue which arises is, will the government finally be dealing the PH issue and, how are they going to go about it. Moreover, how do the PH drivers feel about the new competitor in their space?

When Business Day went to talk to them on various taxi stands around Port-of-Spain, many did not know what Uber was, or had heard about it on the radio news but were unsure as to how it worked. Once it was explained to them, they seemed unfazed by its presence, as well as any possible action the government may take against them.

One driver in particular, Mitchell*, told Business Day his prices were already in line with what Uber was charging, so he wasnt worried.

The taxis in the airport charge $190 for a trip into Port-of-Spain. Some of these fellas charge $175 for a one-way trip to the airport. I charge $125.

He thought the only PH drivers who would have cause for concern, were those who were overcharging passengers. The extra competition would force them to lower their prices, or out of business.

As to the future of the app based taxi service, Mitchell was resigned to its presence in TT.

If people like it and the prices are reasonable, it is going to stay.

But that still may be up to the government to decide.

For his part, Faris Al Rawi, Attorney General, saw both the good and the bad side of Uber. He said during an interview earlier this week:

On the one hand, it is quite a very interesting, positive step, with its registration exercise, and its security, which is a step beyond Trinidad and Tobagos PH system. But on the other hand, there is a collision with the existing laws in Trinidad and Tobago.

Mentioning the Motor Vehicles Act was currently before a legislative committee to examine possible amendments to the legislation, the AG said a balancing act had to be struck between Ubers positives and enforcing the law. The concerns of insurers also had to be considered he said.

However, Al Rawi, gave no details on what this balancing act would entail.

How local taxi services operating under the Uber model are to be treated is another grey area. Two of these, Reach and Droptt have been operational for some time. We reached out to Andre Attal, one of the owners of Droptt for his opinions on the matter and whether he thought it was likely his business would be suspended until the appropriate legal amendments were made. As of press time, we were unable to speak to him.

Mitchells approach was pragmatic. If Uber was going to become a permanent part of the landscape, then he would find a way to benefit from it, possibly, even signing up with the service.

Its an extra dollar, he told Business Day, And I need always need the money.

*Not his real name
The problem with Carnivals business model

The fall-off in attendance at Carnival events, acknowledged by the bodies themselves, suggests that they are losing touch with what audiences want to see and experience. There also seems to be no clear strategy on how to win them back.

In the absence of identified markets, a plan to build and keep them and most importantly, profits, can Trinidad Carnival be said to be an operational business model at all? And in light of this, why do people continue to justify dipping into the public purse, reasoning that there are hundreds of millions to be made, when the business model does not support this? Some of the carnival agencies are beginning to realise this.

Business Day obtained a July 2016 NCC report, which puts forward some ideas to change product offerings, bring audiences back and promote Carnival activities year-round.

The report, acknowledges, among other things, the mismanagement of Carnivals administration process, the overly long Panorama and Dimanche Gras shows, the excessive waiting times for masqueraders to cross the Savannah stage and the overall lack of creativity in the presentations.

Possible solutions advanced were modifying the length and formats of both shows, having bandleaders draw lots to see who would take the stage first as well as stretching out major Carnival activities over the course of five days at different locations and giving greater prominence to activities such as old time mas, to appeal to different tastes and interests. The measures were placed in the context of sustaining a wider Carnival industry throughout the year.

In fairness, it should be noted that TUCO made an attempt, just a couple of weeks ago, to reduce the number of performers in Dimanche Gras, cutting both costs and the shows length. For some reason, instead of the proposed 8 calypsonians and one song, the upcoming Dimanche Gras now has 16 performers, clearly the opposite course they would have wanted to take. Why? Economist Gregory McGuire told Business Day that this was the direct outgrowth of the hustle mentality that has permeated the Carnival.

With ever increasing prize money and heavy subsidization regardless of performance, essentially, everyones hand is out for their share, an attitude McGuire said is best demonstrated by pan players who hop from band to band with the hope of collecting multiple stipends. This, in turn, narrows stakeholders vision, causing them to miss opportunities right in front of them. He drew reference to seeing several tourists wandering by Despers pan tent on Ash Wednesday last year.

McGuire said he went into the yard and spoke with its management, pointing out the lost chance to earn some money by offering those tourists a tour of the facility.

Imagine when I told him that he could have charged each tourist US$25 to enter the pan tent, experience a tour, possibly hear the band play, do you know what he said? He said it sounded like a good idea, but the Tourism Ministry and Pan Trinbago had to get involved, said McGuire, This, from the champion steelband, who would have had the influence to ensure their involvement.

But then again as an organisation, they didnt need the money. They had just won $2 million. The short shelf life of Carnival, which McGuire said ended on Carnival Tuesday, versus the hundreds of millions spent on it annually, virtually ensured that no year-round, economically viable activity could be based on the festival.

In the face of this and other problems, McGuire said the time had come to favour practical solutions over theory and talk. One such idea is the implementation of a Carnival Museum.

Business Day asked McGuire how this would have been different to other ideas broached in numerous documents over time.

The economist explained that under this business model, the museum was a permanent structure, encouraging year-round participation in and monetization of the Carnival Arts.

The museum would feature three sections, covering pan, calypso and mas, he said. Every year, winners from each sector would be added to the collection, featured in their own exhibit, permanently. McGuire said this was likely to foster more creativity, as the songs and costumes will be accessible for all time. As an added bonus, composers and masmen could be offered some small monetary compensation for having their work in the museum, engendering competition to produce the best.

McGuire proposed an admission fee of around US$25. Foreign visitors would be offered the chance to interact with the exhibits, listen to songs, even purchase a costume and play mas if they wanted. In 2014, 412,000 tourists visited this country.

McGuire said if even a small portion of these visited the museum, it would represent millions of dollars in earned foreign exchange in a time of declining energy revenues.

Meanwhile locals would also have to pay a fee to enter the museum, albeit a lower one. The economist said it was important that the countrys youth connect with the heritage in a meaningful way to prevent its loss.

McGuire also said we must understand the reality that few locals are trained to run a museum effectively and profitably. Therefore, we should look outside for this skill.

Additionally, he said management positions at the museum should not be offered as a form of political patronage, something that has dogged and hampered the proper management of state agencies.The museum, he said, would be an expensive undertaking and should be constructed with borrowed funds.

Look at the benefits of hundreds of millions being spent on something earning revenue throughout the year as opposed to something costing hundreds of millions to produce every year, without significant earnings to show for it, said McGuire.

This business model, he suggested, is the one that should be adopted for Carnival enterprises across the board.
TGU plans switch to alternative fuel

As we are always seeking new ways to improve our processes and produce more efficiently, we have been in discussions with stakeholders about an opportunity to invest in a more cost-effective alternative fuel. If implemented, this fuel will replace the natural gas currently used by the six gas turbines for power generation. The company is mindful that the savings in natural gas can fuel two petrochemical plants similar to the new Mitsubishi plant next door to its facility at the La Brea Industrial Estate.

The company is also looking toward the use of this alternative fuel as it seeks out opportunities in the Caribbean region because we are certain that based on new technology, this will be a cheaper source of fuel than most countries in the Caribbean are currently using. DAndrade made the announcement while speaking at the recently held annual general meeting of the Union Estate Electricity Generation Company Limited; the 100 percent owner of TGU.

Located at the La Brea Union Estate, La Brea, TGU intends to install an advanced model industrial wind turbine this year at its subsidiary power plant site in La Brea.

DAndrade said this would be done as a pilot project to study and develop an appropriate interface between the intermittent power of wind turbines and stand-alone but unique electrical system that is available in Trinidad and Tobago (TT). Though solar panels are now at their cheapest and battery storage technology is greatly improved, this form of electricity generation is currently more expensive than the countrys power generation cost. The company anticipates that, once the regulatory framework for renewable energy is established, it will be well-prepared to be an active participant in the development of this sector of the power industry. As part of its financing initiative, TGU was required to have its operations, maintenance and financial model reviewed by an independent engineer. The Bookrunner banks, Scotia Capital of New York, Credit Suisse and RBC Capital of New York, together with their attorneys, Milbank, agreed to retain the international engineering company, Black and Veatch Management Consulting LLC (Black and Veatch).

DAndrade said, after completing their due diligence and review, Black and Veatch reported, TGUs Equivalent Availability Factor has averaged approximately 94 percent from 2012 to 2015 which is higher than the industry average of 88 percent...for power plants in the United States region. The significance of this endorsement will be better understood when I demonstrate the many opportunities for growth which TGU has created without returning to GORTT for any financial support whatsoever. The chairman later expanded on this, noting that TGU has repaid its ultimate shareholder, GORTT, all the advances incurred as the debt for the construction of the power facility totalling US $554 million or TT $3.8 billion via a series of short-term loan facilities. TGU did so by securing several short-term loans, some in record-breaking time, to meet the repayment of GORTTs advances, as requested. The company accessed a TT$960 million or US $150 million short-term secured loan facility from First Citizens Bank, following which TGU then accessed a US$150 million or TT$960 million short-term secured loan facility from Credit Suisse Bank, subsequently followed by a US$600 million or approximately TT$4 billion short-term secured loan facility to retire the previous two short-term secured loan facilities and complete the repayment of GORTTs advances in the time required.

TGU has also paid dividends to GORTT totalling approximately US$222 million or TT$1.4 billion. It is with pleasure that I can announce for the year 2016, TGU will pay indirectly to GORTT an interim dividend of US$15 million or approximately TT$102 million. In effect, the Company has already repaid GORTT more than the total it advanced for the construction of the 720MW Power Facility, DAndrade said.

Looking at TGUs growth and expansion plans, DAndrade said the companys operations in 2016 created the ideal opportunity for increased growth as it remains a strong asset on the balance sheet of TT. The company now has expanded opportunities for continued contribution to GDP and GORTTs revenues without any further injections of capital (advances) from GORTT. The company can now invest in operations and maintenance (O&M) and IPP capital expansion initiatives which can generate (or retain at home) foreign exchange as it creates additional high valued jobs for nationals of TT. The company is currently exploring opportunities within TT and the wider Caribbean area as a first step. DAndrade pointed out though that these opportunities would not be possible if TGU was not an owner of an Independent Power Producer (IPP).

He later warned that if the GORTT and the people of TT were to lose ownership of the company and/or TGU there will be crucial consequences.
Supporting families in our community

The people who must make these choices are no different from the rest of us as they confront the challenge to create a safe and secure environment for themselves and the rest of their charges.

Its so easy for many of us to take for granted a great deal of the things others consider as luxuries. Having a home is one such luxury a safe place where people can feel comfortable among their loved ones and neighbours. Sadly, though, this is still not the reality for many of our fellow citizens.

Owing to our awareness of this challenge, the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce has joined forces with the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity for this years annual Leaders Build.

On Sunday March 19, 2017, top executives and business leaders from within the ranks of our Membership will put on their hard hats, tee-shirts and jeans, and take up tools (instead of their smartphones), to work alongside Habitat homeowners, to build dwelling places they can now call home.

The objective of this initiative is to assist hard-working, low-income families to construct homes and communities in which they can survive and thrive.

One simply never knows from where the next generation of entrepreneurs and business owners would emerge to make their mark in the world, so support is forthcoming all round.

It must be understood, however, that this is not a hand-out, but more of a hand-up. With the Habitat model, the family must contribute to the construction process and enter an affordable mortgage arrangement to facilitate re-payment. That pride of ownership, coupled with the feeling of independence goes a long way in generating a positive outlook on life for many beneficiaries of the programme.

The TT Chamber truly believes that the dignity of the individual must be preserved and respected; and we express this ever so often through our advocacy and our shared commitment to projects that promote sustainability and the advancement of the communities in which we work.

Through Leaders Build and in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, we have the chance to transform the lives of hundreds of families, and by extension, open the door to education, health, security and a sense of dignity.

We at the TT Chamber would like to encourage Corporate Trinidad and Tobago to invest time and energy in Leaders Build. In-kind donations of building materials and even land would also be accepted.

None of this ought to be viewed as a quick fix solution to poverty alleviation; instead, it should be embraced as a platform for change that could last for generations to come.

Families which formerly depended on social services can now more comfortably contribute to the economic base of their communities all because they no longer have to worry about basic shelter for their loved ones! Safe and affordable housing is an important mechanism for breaking the vicious cycle of poverty in our country. We invite you, members of our business community, to make the difference.

We at the T&T Chamber welcome your involvement on this journey to foster resilience in our communities.

Work with us to create a country where everyone has a decent place to live, in dignity, comfort, peace, and safety.

To find out more about Leaders Build, please contact the TT Chamber on 637-6966 Extension 1310.
Chin: MovieTowne an investment in the country

Starting at MTs fourth and newest cineplex; located C3 Centre in Corinth, San Fernando and which is set to open to the public at 3 pm tomorrow (Friday), OT will provide a new, improved version of 3D glasses to MT in exchange for the exclusive right to market under MT. This was revealed by MTs Managing Director, Derek Chin, during an interview with Business Day at MT San Fernando last Saturday (January 14). The fourth and newest MT Cineplex cost an estimated TT $150 million to build.

Its also an investment in our country, Chin stated. Were employing more than 500 people, including staff at the two restaurants inside the three storey cineplex - Ruby Tuesday and Rizzonis. In terms of an improved 3D movie experience, Chin said, Youll see a difference here at C3 and if it works, well go back and change it in Portof- Spain, Chaguanas and Lowlands, Tobago.

Asked what the issue was, he replied, the glasses. Explaining that switching from international 3D provider to another can be a bit difficult and that one companys glasses wont work with a competitors system, Chin told Business Day this is what prompted him to seek a local solution.

OT helped us to come up with another projection system to see how compatible it could be. So they are working on a deal with us to supply the glasses. Its working, its very good and if we get a good response from the public, well start to look at changing over everything to that technology. That should be completed in a few months, Chin said.

The investment in new technology means a new price to see 3D movies at all MT locations; timed to coincide with the public opening of MT San Fernando. Customers currently pay $60 per adult ticket. This will go up by $5 to $65 per 3D ticket, effective tomorrow.

It will cost you more however to watch a regular/2D movie at MT San Fernando because this cineplex has high definition or, as Chin calls them, super screens. At the three other locations, customers pay (and will continue to pay) $50 per adult ticket while at San Fernando, super screen tickets will cost $60.

Asked about this, Chin said apart from investing in the latest technology to provide a superior viewing experience to his customers, MT has not raised its prices in more than five years.

I want to make sure that when they spend that money, they get value. If you go to a movie in the United States, its US$12 which is TT $72 (if you use an exchange rate of TT $6 to US$1 or TT $81.60 if you use an exchange rate of TT $6.8 to US $1), so we are doing our part. Chin told Business Day, I held back on a price increase because I live here and I have a social responsibility. I want people to come out and even if they cant come out three times, well come out twice, thats why we maintained prices for the past few years. The opening of a new location of a franchise tends to lead to comparisons of the decor, infrastructure and technology at older locations. Chin said thats exactly what happened when people got a preview of the facilities at MT San Fernando. Hence the decision to invest in upgrades at the very first MT Cineplex at Invaders Bay, Portof- Spain.

Port-of-Spain has three screens I need to change to super screens but Im also doing an upgrade because everybody who came here (San Fernando) is steupsing  So what you doing about Port-of-Spain now? We are going to do over all of the seats; from the existing cloth to leather like these at C3. The carpet too is being changed. Port-of-Spain opened Just over 14 years ago, in November 2002, so it needs a change. Chin expressed hope that MT San Fernando, which will soon include a VIP Platinum cinema (there is one in Port-of-Spain), will do very well, so that it (proposed renovations) wont be a problem.

He cited the cost of the chairs as an example of the significant outlay involved in outfitting a cinema.

A seat like the blue leather ones weve installed here is about US$140 for one seat, so multiply that by 2,000, we have about 2,000 seats at C3 (US$280,000). Add duty et cetera, then you have to install them; I have my installation crews but I still have to pay them. Port-of- Spain has 2,500 seats. He added that conducting renovations on a business like this requires planning because changing seats requires closing down a screen, so Ill lose revenue while thats being done. Carpets, on the other hand, can be changed while the cinema is closed. I have to time it right, maybe during Carnival. Looking to the future, MT Guyana is set to open later this year, with eight screens. This will bring the total number of MT screens in the region to 40; there are now 32 in TT with the opening of the San Fernando location.

The bigger a cinema chain, the more attractive it is to investors, Chin noted, as a publicly listed company and as a potential (acquisition) target of large companies in the cinema business. Chin cited the buyout of all AMC theatres by Chinese billionaire, Wang Jianlin, who runs the Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group.

So if you build enough, like 150 screens, theyll potentially offer you US$1 billion to take over your business. Maybe Ill try to build enough of a base to become attractive to large companies in the cinema business. Chin also discussed the possibility of an initial public offering (IPO) of MT shares on the TT Stock Exchange.

We eventually want to go public, maybe in two years. I think Trinidadians will buy into MT. Thats how you grow faster - if every time you build one of these (cineplex) and you have to get TT$150 million, its not easy. If I can defer my debt or pay my debt off and use the shareholders money, I can expand very fast. I can build four, five at the same time. It took me 15 years to build number five thats a long time and Im not a young man anymore but thats the idea and thats how you get big and grow and become a business to be reckoned with.
Brothel raid yields 5 arrests

According to reports, officers led by Inspector Powder and Sgt Peters executed a search warrant at the brothel at 10 am on Tuesday and detained the five women.

The Guyanese and Surinamese were handed over to officers of the counter trafficking unit for questioning while the three Trini women were being interviewed at the St Joseph police station up until yesterday.

Police believe that the five were involved in soliciting for the purpose of prostitution and investigations are continuing.

Newsday also understands that the Immigration Department is also involved in the investigation to ascertain when the Guyanese and Surinamese women entered the country and if they did so illegally and/or if they overstayed their time.
Belmont man murdered

Ricardo Jhinoo was found with multiple chop wounds in his Hyundai car in the vicinity of the Santa Rosa racing track and housing development shortly after 8.45 pm on Tuesday.

Reports are that police who were on patrol observed the vehicle parked with its engine running, the air condition on and the man slumped in the drivers seat.

On closer inspection, Jhinoo was found bleeding from chop wounds to various parts of his body.

He appeared to be unresponsive and a District Medical Officer was called to the scene.

The area was cordoned off and the body was ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre.

Crime Scene investigators took possession of the vehicle and a search was carried out for clues.

Jhinoos relatives were later contacted and an autopsy is expected to be carried out.
CEPEP cant sue Moonilal

Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh yesterday gave his ruling on a libel counter-claim filed by Community- based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme Company (CEPEP) against Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, who first sued the state agency for defamation.

In a written judgement, Justice Boodoosingh held that the CEPEP Company was restricted from suing a member of the public based on the principle that a government body should be open to inhibited public criticisms.

The fundamental right of freedom of speech is involved. There are public interest considerations in allowing inhibited criticisms.

The threat of civil legal action can have a chilling effect on the right of freedom of speech in this context especially for a company having half a billion dollars of public funds each year, the judge said. He said CEPEPs best defence to public criticisms would be to be transparent ans straightforward in the information it provides to the public. The judge said in this case limited restriction on CEPEP was justified to ensure there was freedom to ask questions about its resources and criticise how these funds were being used. Moonilals attorneys had asked that CEPEPs counter-claim struck out.

Moonilals claim for defamation was filed after the CEPEP company issued a full-page statement in the press on August 24, 2016, in which it alleged misappropriation of $39.6 million in funds on construction projects in his Oropouche East constituency. In its own defamation counter-claim, the CEPEP Company has sought an injunction to restrain Moonilal from making further statements relating to its operations, but was withdrawn on the same the judge was expected to deliver his ruling on whether it should be granted. Moonilals defamation claim has been adjourned to February 23. the CEPEP Company was ordered to pay the parliamentarians cosy of defending the counter claim.

Appearing for the CEPEP Company were Senior Counsel Elton Prescott and attorneys Phillip Lamont and Farai Hove Masaisai while attorneys Larry Lalla, Jagdeo Singh, Kiel Tacklalsingh and Vivek Lakhan-Joseph represented Moonilal
Girl, 9, screams for murdered mom

Little Christina Persad, a standard three pupil of the Rousillac Presbyterian Primary School, only learnt of her mother and step-fathers deaths after the autopsies were performed at the Forensic Science Centre, St James yesterday.

Christinas grandmother Nicole Anthony, 45, told Newsday that relatives did not know how to tell a nine-year-old girl that her mother was killed.

How do you do that? she asked. The emotional grandmother said she and relatives waited until late yesterday evening before telling the girl what occurred. When we told her what happened.

She screamed and screamed and she bawled. She kept screaming saying she wanted her mother now.

It hurt watching how hurt she was, it really hurt me to tell her that her mother was not coming back, Anthony said. Christina was the only child of her mother and Anthony said their bond was unbreakable.

On the morning of the killings, Christina was spending the night at her grandmothers (Anthony) house.

My granddaughter could have been dead.

She could have been killed with her mother and step-father in the house, but she was spending the night with me. I look at her and see she is not doing well now. She is struggling to cope. She is hurting now that she knows,Anthony said.

Christina, she said, will now live with her father.

Relatives and I would be there for her always, but I know it would not be easy,she said. Christinas mother and step-father were shot once and twice to the head respectively as they lay on their bed in their Limefield Road, Cochrane Village home on Tuesday morning.

Police said that at 1 am, gunshots were heard inside the couples house.

Anthony, who lives nearby, heard the shots and ran to her daughters house to investigate. On seeing the bodies of her daughter and son-inlaw covered in blood on the bed, Anthony screamed, causing other neighbours to run out to see what had happened. The couple, she said, were soaked in blood. Her daughter, she said, appeared dead while Mohammed groaned and said to call an ambulance.

Investigators later found a bag of marijuana in the roadway. It is believed that in their haste to get away, the killers dropped the bag of marijuana.

Anthony was a security officer while Mohammed worked part-time as a labourer in the Point Fortin Borough Corporation.

Funeral arrangements are still being made by their families and up to press time, no arrest had been made as investigations continue.
Teen killed escorting girl, 12, across border line

The murder victim, Nicholas Simon, 18, was set upon by gunmen riding on two bicycles as he accompanied the 12-year-old friend, an SE A (Secondary Entrance Assessment) student across the borderline in Enterprise after she complained about being shot at several times earlier that day.

Simons bullet riddled body was found sprawled with his hands across his chest near the African Grounds in Enterprise, an area which police said is controlled by members of the Rasta City gang. Simon lived on the opposite side of the community which according to reports is patrolled by members of the Unruly Isis and remains at war with members of the Rasta City. According to sources in the area, Simon had been warned by those in Rasta City about crossing into their territory. The girl --who police asked not to be identified-- was allegedly shot four times in the arm and remains warded in stable condition in hospital. The primary school student turns 13 in September and is due to write SE A in May. She was said to be a close friend of one Simons sisters and often visited their home.

On Monday evening, relatives said she stayed longer than normal and had complained that she was afraid to go home alone because of a shooting incident which occurred earlier in the day. Relatives said Simon considered the girl as his sister and this was why he did not hesitate to escort her home although he knew it was dangerous.

She said was afraid to go home alone, said Simons distraught sister Kimberley Joseph, 17, who explained the girl had told them that while on her way to visit them, someone fired shots at her and a cousin who was accompanying her.

Joseph continued: He has a younger sister, and if that had happened to her he would want someone to look out for her as well.

Nicholas died trying to protect her. He tried to shield her from the gunmen and picked up all the bullets instead. Joseph said her brother was shot in the face and eyes.

Relatives yesterday denied that Simon, a Servol trained plumber, was involved in any gang activity, saying instead he was always focused on gaining employment.

He was your typical 18-year-old, he was not bad child, his grandmother Joycelyn Mathurin, 50, told Newsday at their Johnson Street, Enterprise home yesterday as as she and her four other grandchildren struggled to come to terms with Simons death. She said her grandson was shot at 18 times. The girl who was also shot remains warded at hospital.

As they searched for answers to the killing which they described as senseless, relatives felt it could be linked to a recent like on his Facebook page by a girl who lived in Rasta City. The relatives said he had been warned by others about the girl.

Another relative disclosed: The other day they raff  him and tell him that they know him from Facebook and warned him about crossing the border line. But he was not on that girl as he has a girlfriend. On Tuesday moments before leaving to drop the young girl, relatives took a picture of him. Its the same clothes he had on when he was killed, one relative revealed.
Taking a walk back to God

For devotees of the local chapter of the Radha Madhav Society of 11 Bholai Trace, Chase Village, that is exactly what Jagadguru - world teacher Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is to them.

The religious society will observe 60 years since the Jagadguru acquired that title, having debated for over ten days with other religious scholars in India to obtain it.

To his devotes such as Meera Baboolal, his teachings have irrevocably changed her life. He and his title will be celebrated for four days starting from January 25 to the 28 at the societys centre. The tribute culminates on January 29 at the Divali Nagar auditorium, Uriah Butler Highway, Endeavour with a big celebration. Several religious Hindu groups have been invited among them the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha. The Indian High Commissioner has also been invited.

The organisation was established in 1988 after Baboolal met a spiritual teacher from India while studying in Canada. The celebration will mark the 60th anniversary of the day that the groups leader was given the special title of Jagadguru in Hinduism. That title, she explained, is given to someone who possesses, extensive knowledge of the scriptures and someone who is actually called the resolution in the spiritual world. He was born in India in 1922 and was then named Ram Kripalu Tripathi at birth but later became known worldwide as Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj.

The title was conferred upon Maharaj Ji when he was only 34-years-old in India. He was born in the village of Mangarh, about 60 km from Allahabad, India, as the son of a most respectable Brahmin Shri Lalita Prasad Tripathi (father) and Bhagvati Devi (mother). Shri Maharaj Ji spent his childhood in Mangarh, giving joy to all alike through his naughty acts. Following our worldly tradition, he too, like ordinary boys, first went to a nearby primary school and then to Chitrakoot and Indore for studying Sanskrit, a write-up on Maharaj-Ji said.

In 1955, after living in the forests and travelling through the country meeting people, he organised a religious convention where it was said, [it] was attended by all Jagadgurus of hierarchical order and eminent philosophers and scholars from Kashi (Banaras).

A similar convention was held in Kanpur in 1956. It was in these conventions that his spiritual genius baffled even the greatest of the intellectuals and scholars.

Dazzled with the unique brilliance and divine knowledge of a young boy, a few jealous scholars started opposing his newest revolutionary ideas, and unable to bear his growing fame anymore, they sent an invitation on behalf of Kashi Vidvat Parishad, (a body of 500 most learned philosophers of India), for delivering discourses, on the pretext of making Him Jagadguru.

Their intention behind this invitation was to humiliate him, for they thought that his genius, however extraordinary and unique, could be no match for the combined genius of the 500 scholars of Kashi Vidvat Parishad. But the result was absolutely contrary.

Shri Maharaj Ji rendered a remarkably unique discourse in Sanskrit which left all these scholars speechless. Spellbound by his formidable wisdom and mastery of the Vedas and scriptures, the Kashi Vidvat Parsihad, unanimously, declared him not only Jagadguru (World Teacher), but Jagadguruttam, i.e. supreme among all, the text read.

There are now four people who sit in his ashram but they did not receive the title of Jagadguru by debate which makes Maharaj Ji the original Jagadguru.

The sense of pride was unmistakable in Baboolals voice as she said, he basically teaches that God lives in every human being and you begin to realise that God lives in very human being the world would be so different. Among his other teachings, she said, were that loves foundation is tolerance, ones duty to ones self, walking on the path which takes you back to God and taking ones duty in the world seriously.

Despite his passing in 2013, his work lives on in his followers who reside in many countries, globally.

The organisation also does charitable work throughout the country donating clothing and food items to many of the countrys less fortunate.
Solving Rachaels murder a top priority

Al-Rawi said DNA testing could. solve Ramkissoons murder,. speaking at a news briefing at. Tower D, Wrightson Road, Portof-. Spain.

We are in discussion with entities. for the population of the DNA. register which will start with getting. samples and putting it onto. the database of the entire prison. population, and allowing for the. DNA sampling at law of arrestees.

So forensic evidence from a DNA. basis will be available.

Let me put the relevance of this. into focus. We saw a very heinous. crime committed with the strangulation. of that beautiful young. child Rachael Ramkissoon. Right. now we are confined to evidence. which may perhaps best be led. from a DNA basis, because there. will be traces. He said that having. a proper, functional DNA register. will improve the chances of detection,. prosecution and conviction. using such available evidence.

Williams said the police have. made progress in solving Ramkisoons. murder in the shortest. time, having allocated extensive. resources. Admitting last year. had the most murders in six years,. he said he aims for this year to be. the lowest in 13 years. He said. this year the police have solved. six murders, two committed this. year and four from past years. See. Box Below.

There have been 27 murders. committed so far in 2017 with the. last taking place yesterday when a. man was found chopped to death. in his car which was parked at the. side of the Churchill Roosevelt. Highway.

Williams said most murders. last year were in the Northern. Division (124) and the Central. Division (79), with the leadership. in both areas changed and the. former now under his direct control.

I want to give the nation the. assurance that 2017 will be a far. better year for us.. He said the TTPS is using all. resources including full-time and. reserve officers to provide safety. and security in all communities.

We have increased our patrols.. Williams said the TTPS Cold. Case Unit is being boosted even. as 42 past homicides are seen as. highly solvable. He said the police. seized 752 illegal firearms. in 2016, compared to 691 seized. the year before. Criminals still. seek more firearms, he said, with. which most murders are being. committed.

He said the TTPS has got more. armourers who can more quickly. process ballistic evidence, so as to. speed up court cases this year. He. vowed to further improve police. preparation to prosecute in law. courts, such as by mastering

.

MURDER CASES SOLVED THIS YEAR

- Antonio Maharaj of Marabella, charged on January 7 for the murder of Marlon Davis which occurred on October 25, 2015 - Maurisa Mc Clean of New Grant, charged on January 5 for the murder of Janice Figaro which occurred on November 24, 2016.

- Anil One Foot Mayers of La Horquetta, charged on January 9, for the murder of Salim Gonzales which occurred on October 31, 2016.

- Elijah Bry Roach, charged on January 16, for the murder of Kamal Charles which occurred on September 4, 2016.

- Hashim Neptune, charged on January 12, for the murder of Simeon Selvon which occurred on January 3, 2017.

- Lauren Charles, charged on January 16, for the murder of Learie Wendell Timothy which occurred on January 12, 2017.
Murdered schoolgirls funeral today

Among those expected to attend the funeral is Member of Parliament for the area Maxie Cuffie.

Police sources said yesterday they are still reviewing camera footage hoping to get clues that could lead to a breakthrough. Officers from the Police Cyber-Crime Unite are assisting investigators in the probe.

Ramkissoon, a Fourth Form student of the North Eastern College, Sangre Grande reportedly missed her school bus last Friday and is believed to have sought public transportation from a PH (private hire) driver.

When she failed to return home last week Friday, relatives made a report at the San Raphael police station and it was then that they were told a person fitting Ramkissoons description had been found in bushes at Balata Trace, Talparo.

Relatives later identified Ramkissoons body and an autopsy revealed that she was strangled.
Plan needed for returning terrorists

Some have died on the battlefield and there will be some, as they continue to lose the war in Iraq and Syria, who will look to come back, he told Newsday yesterday during an interview at the US Embassy, St Clair. To reintegrate them back in society, he said, You must have a strategy to do so. Not all of them would want to be reintegrated. It is a serious problem. It is a problem for which he hopes the Government and the Opposition get together and do what is best for the country.

I will be very clear and very blunt. You do have an issue with foreign terrorist fighters, he said.

Asked about the possibility of terrorist activities occurring in TT, Estrada said the question should be when will it happen, if the right measures are not taken to prevent them. The right measures, he said, will include strengthening security cooperation, building intelligence capacity, building law enforcement capacity and sharing information with partners like the US and other countries that are currently fighting the same issues.

This is a worldwide problem, he said, referring to recent terrorist activities in France, Belgium and Turkey. As ISIL continues to lose the war in Iraq and Syria, TT-born terrorist fighters, Estrada said, will look to come back. Should they make it back home, they will return with a very deadly skill set.

That skill set is how to fight, kill and blow people up. TT was not immune to terrorism, he said, and big countries like the US that has the best intelligence service, best military, get struck by terrorists all the time. As he demits office tomorrow at the same time as outgoing US President Barack Obama, Estrada, a political appointee, said he has achieved much in his ten-month tenure. On TT and US partnerships, he said, We are much safer than we were a couple of years ago because of some of the agreements we have completed. Asked about the agreements, he said a lot of them had to do with security involving information and intelligence sharing  including foreign terrorist fighters  to keep both countries safe, and building law enforcement capacity.

That is as far as I will go on that (security issues), he said. Estrada listed the US Department of Justice working with and building partnerships with the Office of the Attorney General on numerous issues and visits by Justice officials as one of the successes of his tenure.

(See Page 14A)
Williams: Dont judge on murders alone

In a TV6 television news interview on Tuesday, he urged police accountability in the anti-crime fight. If I was in charge of the police we would get results. If we were not getting results I would be the first one to fire myself if I ran the Police Service, he said.

Leadership at the top of the police needs to be held accountable. Estrada mourned the recent murder of Brazil schoolgirl, Rachael Ramkissoon, 16, and other females, as he urged that more be done against crime . We spend a loft of resources here in training and to just see the homicide rate continue to spiral out of control. Apparently referring to Police Complaints Authority head, David West, remarks on rogue officers, Estrada said, In any organisation you have five or 10 percent of bad actors and he was right to say that and I support him. In any organisation if someone says weve got 100 percent of folks doing right, they are lying to themselves. He warned that as for police officers, soldiers too can have corruption can set into them if they stay on the streets for too long doing crime-fighting.

Estrada said the law-courts too must do more against crime.

You need judicial system reform, he said. Its mind-boggling to me that you could arrest someone for a crime and they dont come to trial for two to seven years. He urged more persons to practice good corporate social responsibility for helping Laventille (where he grew up), saying many persons want help which will be a big investment in the countrys future.

In a response yesterday, during a press conference, Ag Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams said he would be the first to walk (resign) if he were dissatisfied with his efforts against crime and the results, but said a basket of 12 serious crimes (including larceny) have shown a marked reduction.

If murder was the only crime to occur in TT, I would have resigned. But if you look at the numbers for 2015 and 2016, those are the lowest serious crime totals for the last 33 years. Would you judge (someones performance) on one item, he asked.

Williams said that a shooting could turn into a wounding which itself could end up as a murder. You cannot discard and say judge me on murder.

You have to look at all the violent incidents. In a brief telephone interview - before yesterdays press conference, Williams told Newsday: In simple language, the US Ambassador is a foreign diplomat and I will not in any way be disrespectful to him.
Breeze behind lost luggage

These conditions are expected to continue over the next few weeks. Maloney added that to help alleviate this problem, the airline has limited the number of seats sold out of St Vincent to allow some baggage to be carried, especially in the times where these wind conditions are expected. Steve James, one of the affected passengers from LI 771 on January 7, had reached out to Newsday for help two days into his wait for the luggage left behind in St Vincent to be flown to Piarco International Airport, Piarco, Trinidad.

Four days after James and the other passengers landed in Trinidad, their luggage arrived overnight (between Monday, January 9 and Tuesday, January 10) at Piarco, along with other delayed baggage, on a baggage- only flight and a commercial cargo flight. Without making specific reference to this flight, Maloney told Newsday, LIAT makes every effort to have the bags forwarded as soon as possible to be reunited with passengers, including on other LIAT flights out of St Vincent that have space to take these bags, as well as using external services. Affected passengers are informed when the bags have arrived in the country (station) and reunited with their bags at their earliest convenience.

LIAT continues to make safety its number one priority and hopes to continue to serve our customers in the region, Maloney stated.

Information on compensation on delays and delayed baggage can be found in LIATs Conditions of Carriage
Deyalsingh ready to help baby

While stressing that the public health system cannot intervene in such circumstances, he said, We stand ready to perform the surgeries, safely and effectively.

at no cost to the parents in the public health system. Later in the sitting, the minister spoke about plans to establish a new district health centre in Chaguanas which was proposed under the former Peoples Partnership government but never started.
Senate passes child marriage Bill

However, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said the lack of Opposition support for the Bill had led him to seek its approval by a simple majority of votes, and not the special majority that would have protected it from being challenged as being inconsistent with the personal rights listed in the TT Constitution. He said while the Government felt confident the Bill could win a special majority in the Senate, such confidence did not pertain in the House of Representatives where Opposition MPs could withhold their votes.

Al-Rawi admitted that the passage without a special majority left the Bill vulnerable to being challenged in the law courts by anyone as lacking the parliamentary backing required of a Bill that is inconsistent with the TT Constitution.

All Government senators voted for the Bill, while abstentions came from the four Opposition senators present  Wade Mark, Khadijah Ameen, Gerard Ramdeen and Wayne Sturge  plus Independent Senator Dhanyshar Mahabir.

Al-Rawi in his wind-up lamented that of 54 child marriages last year, some involved underage girls marrying males twice or three times their age, in circumstances of paedophilia. He said hed mulled an exception for 16-year-olds to seek judicial consent to marry, but that in reality theyd be unlikely to access any such ruling before reaching 18 years old. TT could not provide such couples with a timely access to law courts or social services, he said.

Noting Tanzanias abolition of child marriages, the AG said, It is important for us to realise where we are as a people. Likewise noting that India also banned child marriage by raising the ages to 18 years old (females) and 21 years old (males) without exception, he asked why some people in TT were harking to Indias past practices.

He also said that in TT there is no single position being advocated by any particular religion, but various views. As a country we must recognise who we are and be careful how we compare ourselves. Al-Rawi said that as a nation, TT must now draw a line in the sand.
PM warns heads of State boards

However, Rowley said many State enterprises have not been submitting this information.

It is worth noting that many large and important state enterprises have not produced audited financial statements for over five years and that under 15 percent of all the stateowned enterprises submit their audited financial statements in the stipulated period, even where the law requires it. He warned that This will no longer be tolerated, adding that, The Ministry of Finance has been instructed to insist that State Enterprises comply with this obligation. There will be consequences for non-compliance. The Prime Minister made the comment while delivering the feature address at the State Boards Corporate Governance Seminar 2017 held at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain. Its theme was achieving effective corporate governance in the State sector.

Dr Rowley added that too many of the State-owned enterprises are under-performing and that some might even have deviated so far from their original purpose that they have become the problem they were created to solve. To fix that he said the Government will reform the way the State Enterprises are governed while acknowledging that the Government itself may have become part of the problem and it is necessary to look at how Parliament, Ministers and Ministries interact with the State Enterprises, under their charge. We accept that there are legitimate questions, for example, as to whether some State Enterprises have sufficient autonomy; or whether the roles and responsibilities of the State Enterprise boards and the supervising ministries are sufficiently clear, he said.

He said that despite the appropriate laws, regulations and codes, the situation calls for attitudinal changes and because of this the Minister of Finance had recently issued a stern circular to all State Enterprise management and boards to submit their financial reports, whether audited or not, in a timely fashion.
Mainstream media dug their own graves with fake news propaganda

When their Anointed One lost the election, big television news networks and primary newspapers coined the term fake news because they were angry at alternative media for eroding deep into their domain. It was time to expose these fakers because audiences were fleeing to alternatives to establishment media as certainly as they fled to alternatives to establishment politicians.

(Article by Knave Dave from TheGreatRecession.info)

Without a doubt there is a ton of fake news on alternative media sites, which often publish what works for them without much fact checking. So, to launch a war on their competition, the mainstream media employed their standard sound-byte strategy that has worked well for them in the past. They simultaneously started circulating the new talking point fake news to try to stop the migration of audiences toward alternative news sites. It was time to point out how they, the mainstream media, do a superior job of editing out the baloney for you.

Fake news spews all over itself

Everybody elses news became fake news, but the mainstream medias own exaggerated and highly spun stories, which they ran day after day  that was just bedrock reality. Following Foxs years of example, the MSM dropped even the pretense of separating their own commentary from news stories, and much of their news became commentary about alternative media; but the fake news mantra all backfired this time.

It only became all the more evident that the MSM was doing many of the fake stories, even as they commented against the fake news of the alternative media. Much of the news during the campaign had been the MSMs own fake news like the endlessly repeated false fact that Trump has said Mexicans are rapists and all need to be sent packing. What he really said was that a certain few Mexicans who actually were rapists should have been sent back to Mexico because they were illegal aliens anyway, so why were we keeping them here? Common-sense stuff that most Americans (and probably most legitimate Mexican immigrants) agree with. Why are we keeping rapists here? Do we need them? Is it our responsibility to store them and feed them for Mexico? Thanks to the MSMs sloppy handling of such nuances, however, much of the Hispanic community in the US believed as fact that Donald Trump thinks Mexicans are rapists.

Then, of course, there were all the stories about Trumps lead advisor Stephen Bannon being anti-Semitic and working at an anti-Semitic alternative news site called Breitbart. (Wow! The MSM could kill two things they didnt like with this one  Trumps advisor and Breitbart.) Never did the stories mention that Breitbart was founded by Jews and is still owned by Jews, who hired Bannon because they like him, and that many of the editors and writers Bannon had working for him were Jews who think highly of him. All that mattered was that one writer (who was also a Jew) had published an article there calling another Jew a renegade Jew because he was, for a fact, a Jew and was renegade in that he was doing something that isnt normally considered very Jewish. Well, that and the fact that Bannons ex said something nasty about Bannons opinion of Jews. (In divorce court, where we know exs never exaggerate or make false statements.) The MSM shared this fake news back and forth so much that it became another famous false fact that Breitbart is anti-Semitic.

Nevertheless, a lot of people were on to what was happening. So, when the MSM launched the term fake news millions of people readily grabbed the useful moniker and hung it like a lead collar around the necks of the MSM. They didnt see that coming! Now, the members of the establishment media are beside themselves because they cant claw the collar off.

Besides losing their audiences, the fake-stream media also finds they now face an incoming president who doesnt even pretend to put up with their prattle and who is willing to simply ignore them as being too insipid to be worthy of his time. Instead, he refuses to take their questions and turns to their competitors:

The whole establishment press looks to be cracking up over the fact that the president-elect thinks he can ignore them. How insulting. How peevish. One of Whoopi Goldbergs Five Talking Girls gave her view that she was actually terrified! (Chills. But, oh, how fun it is to watch: The ladies of The View go wild over Trumps accusation of CNNs fake news.)

The most recent and outrageous example of fake news came last week when CNN thought they could capitalize on a salacious and completely uncorroborated story about Trump hiring prostitutes to do naughty things to a mattress the Obamas slept on. CNN passed on publishing the baloney themselves because it didnt meet journalistic standards (and, therefore, might easily turn out to be fake news). That, however, didnt stop CNN from seizing the opportunity to tell the whole world as soon as an alternative news site (albeit a liberal one) published the scurrilous story. With CNNs heightened publicity, the story exploded like a small fire given oxygen.

CNN thought they could wash their hand of all guilt because they righteously reported only the truth  that someone else had reported some likely fake news. Of course, they provided links to the story, which had its own links to the salacious document, in order to prove that someone had published this horrible stuff that they would never touch. Alas, their self-righteous attempt at arms-length, plausible deniability didnt work for them, and they came out looking as dirty as the journalists who did published the story.

Then NBC took the high ground, digging into the fake-stream media. I have to say it is fun to watch them go at it. Its like watching a dinosaur fight:

Its fun, too, to watch Anderson Cooper stumble all over himself and then get schooled by Kelly-Ann Conway as he tries to claim that CNN held the moral high ground by only reporting that others had reported the fake news: (Again, almost hilarious)

We did not publish the  unsubstantiated allegation, said Cooper over and over. True. You only put up the bright neon arrows pointing to where this baloney mud-raking could be found. You were just a publicist for fake news, CNN. (However, when Cooper says CNN didnt link to the Buzzfeed story, his is telling an outright lie. I KNOW because CNN was where I first found the story through CNNs links. I had never heard of the story until they publicized it.)

We didnt put the poison in the caviar; we just told everyone where the buffet was that we knew was going to serve it  and that it was yummy.

Hows that cop-out working for you CNN? Are people still stupid enough to buy into that kind of dodge? Apparently not. According to CNN, the flack they are now receiving publicly for their fake news isnt their fault. Its all Trumps fault for having the audacity to call them out on it. Hes going to get them killed:

Poor, hated CNN. Fake news was so much more fun when people simply trusted you with it.

I do feel badly for them and feel theyve been abused in that they have created fake news for so long, and they are only just now getting recognized for how good their fakery has been. The recognition has been a long time coming. And to hear now that people want to beat their reporters up when they are just getting recognized for how effective their fakery has been, thats too much!

Read more at: thegreatrecession.info

Stay informed about fake news at NewsFakes.com.

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NYT finds a new way to print fabricated news about Trump: Run a slew of smears and call them unverified

The New York Times is engaging in some alternate methods of reporting by using unverified information to crank out stories that paint President-elect Donald Trump in a negative light. The latest slew of unverified smears relates to an alleged dossier of information that could potentially tie Trump and his team to Russia. While its 100 percent impossible to know that Hillary lost the election at the hands of Russia, it appears the left-wing are far from giving up on the matter. Just days before the inauguration, the leftist media are trying to rile up their crowd, but Trump is a deserving president even without the experience. The outsider Washington has desperately needed to curb corruption is here to serve, at the dismay of the corrupt who continue to fight for their outlandish empire.

A recent New York Times article titled How a Sensational, Unverified Dossier Became a Crisis for Donald Trump starts by acknowledging that parts of the story remain out of reach, then tackles the pieces they try to put together to form the story. (RELATED: Find legitimate journalism at censored.news)

Real news: an unverifiable fairy tale

First, they called into question possible ties binding Trump and his campaign officials to Russia, then they give a glimpse of how a dossier of information can be obtained by using a for-hire detective to dig up as much dirt as possible on the target.

According to The Times, a wealthy Republican donor who opposes Trump hired a Washington research firm, which was run by former journalists, to compile the dossier. The firm then went after Trumps past scandals and weaknesses. Someone involved with the opposition research work allegedly described the volatile nature of the story on the condition of anonymity.

The opposition firm, Fusion GPS, is headed by Glen Simpson, a former wall street journalist. While the firm generally works for business clients, they are sometimes hired by candidates, party organizations, or donors to do opposition research as side work. Their work routine involves creating searchable databases of public information including but not limited to old news reports and documents pertaining to lawsuits.

The Times article goes on to ask their readers for confidential news tips, before diving into reports that the DNC was apparently hacked by Russian government agents. The story then alleges that a former spy who had performed espionage work in Russia had outsourced native Russian speakers to contact informants inside of Russia. Also, Simpson and his Fusion GPS team continued to work for free after the election, when the payments stopped, on what they considered very important work. Simpson obviously declined to comment on their story.

Supposed memos from their work describe two Russian operatives, one of which designed ways to influence Trump. There are claims that compromising material, like sex tapes featuring Trump with prostitutes, were used in combination with business proposals to attract Trump. Another operation describes Russian contact with Trump representatives to discuss the hacking of the DNC, which allegedly involved a late summer meeting in Prague, between Trumps lawyer Michael Cohen, and Russian official Oleg Solodukhin, who works for an organization to promote Russian interests abroad.

The Times admits that most of the information in the article, which they believed was passed on to Fusion GPS, is very difficult to check and that several claims are even problematic. Cohen recently said he had never been to Prague, and Solodukhin denied ever meeting him. Donald Trump is certain that the facts are wrong about Michael Cohens alleged trip to Prague, and that Fusion GPS must be confusing Cohen with someone of the same name.

The Times recent article is a tricky read which tries very hard to boast Glen Simpsons journalism resume as credibility for the story, but fails miserably. The Times will most likely continue to run unverified smears against Trump in the days preceding the inauguration, in efforts to assist an attempted coup by radical leftists in gaining traction for their upcoming protests in Washington.

Discover more reports of faked mainstream media news at MediaFactWatch.com.

Sources:

NyTimes.com

Breitbart.com

Submit a correction >>
The Moroccan House of representatives unanimously adopted the constitutive act of the African Union clearing the way for the Kingdoms return to the African Union.

The adoption of the constitutive act by the Moroccan parliament paves the institutional way for Moroccos return to the pan-African organization in line with the Kings vision in favor of African joint action and the continents economic and human development, Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told the press after the texts were adopted Wednesday morning by the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mezouar who described Moroccos return to the AU as a historic event said this return consecrates the kingdoms attachment to the continent.

The adoption of the texts relating to Moroccos AU membership came after the election Monday of leftist MP Habib El Malki of the USFP Speaker of the House of representatives and the election of his deputies as well as the heads of the Parliamentary committees on Tuesday.

The Parliaments upper house, the House of Councillors, will hold a plenary session on Thursday to discuss and vote the Bill approving the AU Constitutive Act.

During the latest Ministers Council, King Mohammed VI had urged a speed up in adopting the texts on the African Union before the upcoming summit of the continental organization in Addis Ababa.

Last week, designated Head of Government Abdelilah Benkirane announced that King Mohammed VI would attend the summit in Addis Ababa on January 30 to make the case for Moroccos strong determination to regain its natural place within Africas institutional family.

Morocco withdrew from the predecessor of the AU, the Organization of African Unity, in 1984, on grounds of the biased decision of the organization. The OAU had actually violated neutrality in the Sahara conflict by admitting the Algeria-based separatist entity, SADR, as a full-fledged member. Since then Morocco has been conditioning its return to the pan-African body on the withdrawal of the Polisario membership and the respect of the UN-brokered political process to settle the Sahara issue.

Moroccos return to the African institutional family hinges on a simple majority vote by the member countries. So far, 39 countries, making more than the majority of the 54 African Union member states, have expressed support for Moroccos return.
Local media reports have said that Morocco is mediating in Gambias political crisis offering the defeated President Yahya Jammeh asylum in return for accepting election defeat and stepping down.

The news was relayed by French speaking news website, Le Desk, which reported that Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita and Head of Moroccos Foreign Intelligence Service (DGED), Yassine Mansouri, visited Banjul to conduct a secret mediation mission to convince Jammeh to step down in return for a golden retirement in Morocco.

However, the Moroccan government refused to comment on the mediation when contacted by the AFP.

Relations between Morocco and Gambia, which King Mohammed VI visited in 2006, are good.

Gambia, a small country sandwiched in Senegal, has been plunged into political turmoil since Jammeh disputed president-elect Adama Barrows December election victory and refused to cede power.

Jammeh, who has ruled Gambia for 22 years and was seeking re-election, first conceded defeat but then backtracked, calling for a re-vote.

Several countries including Nigeria failed in convincing Jammeh to step down. Leaders from a regional bloc known as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) travelled to Gambia to strike a deal with the president to make him leave power, but their attempt failed.

Jammeh challenged the ECOWAS mediation and threatened to wage war against the organization, which suggested military intervention to dislodge him.

On the eve of the inauguration of his challenger, Adama Barrow, President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency saying he would not step down before a court hears his election challenge.

Meanwhile, state television reported that the Gambian National Assembly passed a resolution on Tuesday to allow President Jammeh to stay in office for three months, probably until the court issues its ruling.
Head of UNSMIL Martin Koblers authority is increasingly waning in the East of Libya as on Wednesday the UN veteran diplomat was denied landing in Tobruk, the seat of the Libyan internationally recognized parliament, the House of Representatives (HoR).

Koblers UN aircraft flying from Tunis was refused landing in the eastern town and had to fly to Rome where the UN official held talks with Italian foreign minister, Libya Herald reports.

The German diplomat condemned the move and said it complicated the UN mission in the North African country.

Without access [to] our Libyan partners we cannot assist. Access is particularly necessary for UN colleagues working on humanitarian and development files. How can we help the Libyan people in the east? he wrote on social media.

The east-based parliament has accused the Head of the UN mission for meddling in Libyan affairs. The HoR has repeatedly refused to recognize the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) birthed from the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) signed in Morocco in December 2015.

The HoR has also opposed the LPA, which grants military supervision to Faiez Serraj, nominal Prime Minister leading the GNA from Tripoli.

HoR President Ageela Saleh claimed on Tuesday that the British ambassador to Libya Peter Millett had told him he agreed with him that Kobler should leave his role as envoy, Libyan Herald notes.

The German diplomat has lost the trust of Libyan officials in the East. It was reported that Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar aligned with the HoR in December dismissed an invitation to meet Kobler. The Libyan army official claimed that meeting would be a waste of time.

In it is not the first time Kobler is being refused landing in hostile camp. In March last year before GNAs arrival in Tripoli, his plane was denied landing by then Tripoli strongman; Khalifa Ghwell. Ghwells National Salvation Government had said that Kobler only wanted to pave the way for the GNAs arrival.

In January 2016, a press conference by Kobler at Tripolis Mitiga airport was interrupted by Ghwells head of foreign media department, Jamal Zubia. Zubia claimed that Kobler did not ask permission. Zubia also threatened to sue journalists who attended the press conference.
Chancellor Angela Merkels administration is under fire as investigations in the Christmas market massacre, perpetrated by Tunisian Islamic State group militant, Anis Amri, revealed loopholes in the German security system and shortcomings in cooperation with foreign intelligence agencies.

A report presented to lawmakers has revealed that the Tunisian militant was mentioned 60 times in police reports over one year before the Christmas market attack, in which 12 people were killed.

According to the 18-page report handed to Parliament, the Tunisian 24-year old terrorist had planned the Christmas attack a year earlier and the German police had been alerted about the scheme.

Between 27 October 2015 and 14 December 2016, Amri was mentioned, quizzed, tailed or reported on 60 times, The Sun reports.

Amri entered Germany in 2015 as a refugee after being arrested in Italy for offenses. His asylum application was rejected and he was put on deportation list.

The Tunisian terrorist came under police radar after a refugee room-mate reported him for having suspicious images on his mobile phone. He was flagged dangerous person in February last year as police suspected him for plotting a terrorist attack, the report says.

He gave in to drug dealing and petty crime to support himself while maintaining an Islamist mindset.

The report also points out that police dropped surveillance of the terrorist after he seemingly gave up radical Jihadism.

In mid-September he dropped attending morning prayers and the ritual slaughter of animals for important feasts, the report notes.

The report also chides the German police for neglecting cooperation with foreign intelligence services. They had, indeed, received a security alert from the Moroccan intelligence agencies, warning them of Amris presence on the German territory.

Moroccan Al Ahdath Al Maghribia daily said in its Thursday release that the German parliamentary committee asked Merkels administration for an explanation and how the man was able to roam unbothered in the country after the alert of the Moroccan intelligence services.

The German Ministry of Justice also recognized that there have been shortcomings in this file, notably in cooperation with foreign intelligence, including Moroccan services.

Al Ahdath Al Maghribia recalled that Moroccan authorities had warned their German counterparts of an imminent terrorist act in Berlin and had raised, last September, the case of the Tunisian Anis Amri, designated as a potentially dangerous person. A month later, the Moroccan authorities informed their colleagues of the entry of the individual into German territory.

The bogus refugee, who had used on December 19 an articulated lorry to plough into the busy Christmas market, was killed in Italy on December 23 by the Italian police in Milan during a simple routine check.
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An Italian military soldier stand guards in a central street in Amatrice on January 19, 2017, after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images

An avalanche, triggered by a series of earthquakes in central Italy, buried a four-star hotel in the Abruzzo region on Wednesday night. As many as 30 people, including many kids, are missing at the Hotel Rigopiano, a mountainside resort now swallowed by snow. Rescue teams have arrived, but officials fear that many may have perished. The BBC reports that search dogs, sniffing through the devastation, have not detected any signs of life. The hotel is almost completely destroyed, a member of the rescue team told the Guardian. Weve called out but weve heard no replies, no voices. Were digging and looking for people.

Picture by @emergenzavvf helicopter of the #Rigopiano hotel shows devastation of the avalanche... and how it looked before. 30+ missing pic.twitter.com/0bj5h7iNOA  Julian Miglierini (@julianmig) January 19, 2017

Italian media broadcast a video of the destruction of the hotel, showing snow, with bits of debris poking up, engulfing an entire hallway. One guest, reportedly texting from inside the hotel, wrote: Help, were dying of cold.

Rescue squads, dealing with tremors and blizzard conditions, struggled to reach the hotel, trekking five miles in skis and showshoes to the scene. At least one person pulled from the rubble is dead; two people, who were outside the hotel when the avalanche struck, have been saved.

Rescue team from @poliziadistato driving through walls of snow to reach #Rigopiano hotel hit by avalanche pic.twitter.com/B4TUHn5xjJ  Julian Miglierini (@julianmig) January 19, 2017

Officials warn of the potential for more avalanches. The region hit by these tremors is not far from the town of Amatrice, which was hit by deadly earthquakes in August that killed about 300 in the area.
Chelsea Manning. Photo: US Army

While working as an Army intelligence analyst in 2010, Chelsea Manning leaked a wide array of American military and diplomatic secrets. Some of these leaked materials exposed war crimes; others served no apparent public interest, even as they (allegedly) disrupted Americas capacity to conduct diplomacy.

As punishment for violating the Armys trust, Manning spent the next six years of her life moving in and out of solitary confinement, at a series of military prisons. Before her trial, she was held under conditions that the United Nations deemed cruel and inhumane. After her trial, she was held at a mens prison, despite her status as a transgender woman. While there, she tried to kill herself multiple times.

On Tuesday, Barack Obama offered Manning his mercy. While the president did not pardon Manning for her crime, he chose to commute her sentence. Now, she will leave Fort Leavenworth this May, instead of some time in 2045.

Predictably, the move has inspired a fierce right-wing backlash. But because mainstream conservatives are often shy about arguing for vengeance as an end in itself, theyve framed their aversion to mercy in pragmatic terms  the commutation will undermine our capacity to deter future leakers.

Paul Ryan said in a statement that the commutation now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security wont be held accountable for their crimes. The plain meaning of the speakers statement is that the years Manning has already served do not constitute accountability  and thus, her premature release will embolden future leakers.



Conservative foreign-policy analyst Max Boot echoed Ryans sentiment.

Sends a terrible message to potential future leakers of documents that need to remain secret for the sake of US security. https://t.co/HzZ3dgOdMz  Max Boot (@MaxBoot) January 17, 2017

In an editorial titled, Leniency for a Traitor, the (ostensibly liberal) New York Daily News wrote that, whether or not the 35-year term Manning was handed down in 2013 was correct, a mere seven years, a fifth of the sentence, is unjustifiably lenient. The paper goes on to argue that the pernicious interference of WikiLeaks in the 2016 election illustrates the necessity of the American justice system being especially sensitive to such crimes.



In the Spectator, Douglass Murray wrote:



In pardoning [Manning], Barack Obama has sent out the message that if there is anyone in the U.S. Armed forces or intelligence services who doesnt like something then they should not speak with a senior officer or keep their concerns within the service. No  instead anybody with any concerns should download the equivalent of truck-loads of the countrys secrets and ensure they are made available to the world. Preferably through the most hostile anti-American activists available. No country can effectively operate when it allows and encourages such behaviour.

Significantly, Murray misrepresents Obamas action  he did not pardon Manning, but merely commuted her sentence. A pardon constitutes official forgiveness for an offense; a commutation does not. In concrete terms, then, Murrays argument, like all the others cited here, is that abridging Mannings sentence will encourage would-be traitors.



This may sound reasonable on its face. The notion that lengthy sentences are necessary to deter serious crimes is a central principle of the American justice system.

But when one applies this premise to Mannings case, its irrationality becomes apparent. The question asked by those concerned about deterrence becomes self-answering: If the only punishment for leaking American secrets is more than six years in prison  including many months of being held under conditions that international law regards as torture  then what will stop other intelligence analysts from following in Mannings footsteps?

Ostensibly, Paul Ryan believes that there are many people in the American military who would be willing to leak secrets if the punishment were nearly seven years in confinement  but would never dream of doing so if the penalty were 35 years.

It seems to me that the kind of person who would gladly accept the former punishment would not be deterred by the latter.

But we dont need to rely on intuition. Criminological research suggests that draconian sentencing is not effective in deterring crime. According to the 2014 findings of the National Research Council, applying a mandatory minimum to a given offense does not reduce its prevalence. Severity of punishment upon conviction is simply far less important for deterrence than certainty of apprehension  people become much more likely to commit crimes when they have a reasonable expectation of getting away with them. By contrast, precisely how many years of life one can expect to lose  based on a careful reading of precedent and statute  has little influence on a would-be offenders calculus.

But Americas criminal code assumes the opposite. In fact, the primary reason for our nations exceptionally high incarceration rate is our singular fondness for long prison sentences. As Michael Tonry, a leading authority on criminal-justice policy, has written, American prison sentences are vastly harsher than in any other country to which the United States would ordinarily be compared. And this isnt just the product of our punitive attitude toward drug crimes: In other parts of the world, life sentences for murder are the exception; in the United States, they are the rule.

To create a more rational and humane criminal justice system, Americans will need to recognize that decades-long sentences are not a prerequisite for deterring serious offenses. If you are a conservative who deplores both Mannings crime and mass incarceration, please consider the possibility that mercy is not incompatible with law and order.
Mary Pat Christie and her husband. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Chris Christies failure to latch on with the Trump administration has been attributed to, among other things, the Bridgegate scandal and his history with Jared Kushner. But now the governor has a new excuse for why he wont be going to work in D.C. next week  his wife didnt want to move.

Appearing on WFANs Boomer & Carton, the wildly unpopular governor, who became Trumps errand boy in an apparent attempt to ensure his future employment in the White House, said he could have taken a job on Trumps team, but he would have had to leave his family in New Jersey.

He didnt offer me a job that I thought was exciting enough for me to leave the governorship, and my family, Christie said. Because Mary Pat made really clear she wasnt coming to D.C.

The posts Christie turned down reportedly included cabinet-level positions atop the VA and Department of Homeland Security, along with the ambassadorship to Italy and a White House advisory role. But it was the role of Attorney General that Christie wanted and his failure to get it had nothing to do with his wife.
Under questioning, Tom Price admitted the Trump transition teams explanation of a stock purchase that looked like insider trading wasnt the whole truth. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

At an initial Senate hearing for Health and Human Services secretary appointee Tom Price, amid highly complex discussions of health-care policy, Democrats kept patiently chipping away at Prices explanation of an ethics controversy surrounding him: Did he as a member of the House deliberately and based on insider knowledge buy stock in an Australian biotech firm that was likely to benefit from legislation the House could consider?

Going into the hearing, the position of the Trump transition office was that Prices stockbroker made the purchase without his knowledge. First, Health Committee Democrats got him to admit the purchase was not from some purely broker-directed account. Then Patty Murray grabbed him by the throat:

You made the decision to purchase that stock, not a broker. Yes or no? Murray asked at Prices confirmation hearing.

That was a decision that I made, yes, Price said.

Price had earlier told Murray he found out about the company  but allegedly not about the stock  from a colleague, Republican New York Representative Chris Collins. So Murray sprung the trap:

Well, Congressman Chris Collins, who sits on President-elect Trumps transition team, is both an investor and a board member of the company, Murray said. He was reportedly overheard just last week off the House floor bragging about how he had made people millionaires from a stock tip.

Price is, of course, heatedly denying anything other than a coincidental investment in the biotech company that did not affect his long-standing views on legislation affecting it. But that may not be enough, as Paul Blumenthal reports:

Ethics experts stated that Price could be in violation of the STOCK Act, a bipartisan 2012 law that bans insider trading by members of Congress, if he received nonpublic information from Collins or others prior to purchasing Innate Immunotherapeutics shares.

Norm Eisen, the former top ethics adviser to President Barack Obama, said, I think it raises very serious questions under the STOCK Act and the House Ethics rules. I think that we need to know what was said in those communications.

Maybe the Finance Committee can check into this. In the meantime, the belief of some Democrats that Price was one Cabinet nominee who might not make it through the Senate just became much more credible.
The Fifth Avenue protest zone, now and for the foreseeable future. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

On May 10, 1849, a riot broke out in Astor Place, with 20,000 brawlers driven bonkers by the English actor William Macreadys interpretation of Macbeth. Rioters didnt just take to the streets; they actually took the streets, tearing up cobblestones and hurling them at police. And while Macready was declaiming about all our yesterdays lighting fools the way to dusty death, real people were being killed outside: 20 or 30 of them, depending on who was doing the counting. It was an episode of appalling hysteria but also a cathartic expression of popular unrest in which tragedy spread from the stage to the streets. Macready was English, and his rival, Edwin Forrest, who was playing Macbeth a few blocks away, was American; that difference ignited poor, heavily Irish crowds against the citys Anglophile aristocrats. The iron filings of class resentments flew to the magnet of Shakespeare.

New York has a long history of street action, and the election of Donald Trump promises to bring more, starting with Saturdays Womens March. But protests here dont behave the way they do in other large cities. New York has no indisputable place of convergence  no Tahrir Square, no Lincoln Memorial, or Tiananmen Square  and so the streets have always served as a movable platform. Activist groups gather, migrate, fragment, and coalesce at another significant location. A new exhibition at the Bronx Documentary Center, Whose Streets? Our Streets! NYC 19802000 (supplemented by a rich online version) traces the way the passions and the physical city shape each other. The shows scope is limited to 20 tumultuous years, in which thousands swarmed the streets for a dizzying range of reasons: to shut down war, call out police brutality, reject racism, combat AIDS, liberalize abortion, resist tuition hikes, advocate for gay rights  or to take the opposite side on each of those issues. Those photographs make it clear that protesters chose their turf carefully. Heres Al Sharpton in all his bloated, track-suited glory holding a rally for racial justice outside the Slave Theater in Bed-Stuy in 1990. Theres a suite of ACT UP demonstrations: at Federal Plaza to protest President Reagans silence on AIDS, at St. Patricks Cathedral to shame the Catholic Church, at the Waldorf Astoria, at Grand Central Terminal, along West Street. Each of those locations had a specific symbolic value; together, they make for a sprawling and intricate geography of dissent.

In any other claustrophobic city, a large square where thousands raged and dozens died tends to acquire the status of holy ground. Open areas where shots were fired or truncheons cracked keep humming with political resonance years after the bloodshed, and history keeps adding fresh meanings. But New Yorks political geography is always in flux, and soon after the Shakespeare riots, Astor Place lost its symbolic charge. The action shifted slightly uptown  the first Labor Day parade, in 1882, began with speeches in Union Square  and then scattered all over the city. Eighty years later, Vietnam protests took place on the Columbia campus, in Washington Square, in Central Park, and at the United Nations. In 2011, the Occupy Wall Street movement took over a privately owned public space that most New Yorkers had never heard of: Zuccotti Park, named for a city planning commissioner and operated by a real estate developer. Three years later, after a grand jury declined to indict the police officer who placed an unarmed Staten Island man named Eric Garner in a lethal chokehold, a march against police brutality started at Washington Square, branched out over the Brooklyn Bridge and crosstown to the West Side Highway, and fragmented into various local protests.

Donald Trumps election has shifted the First Amendment action yet again. The president-elect, who has put his name on so much of New York, is now helping to map out fresh itineraries of outrage. Soon after the election, residents at the former Trump Place had his name ripped from their buildings, while protesters (and gawkers) gathered at Trump Tower and Trump International Hotel and Tower at Columbus Circle. The New York version of the Womens March starts at the UN, heads east along 42nd Street, and up Fifth Avenue to Trump Tower. But the 45th presidents vast Manhattan real-estate legacy offers plenty of future opportunities, too. A long march might also start at the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street, pass Trump Soho on Spring Street, swing across and uptown to the Trump World Tower at 845 United Nations Plaza, and terminate at Wollman Rink in Central Park, which Trump built and operates.

Many of those spots already vibrate with the memory of protests past: Almost exactly a century ago, the Negro Silent Protest Parade, organized by the NAACP, marched past the future site of Trump Tower to the beat of muffled drums, supporting a union that may never be dissolved, in spite of shallow-brained agitators, scheming pundits, and political tricksters who secure a fleeting popularity by fomenting racial divisions. That parade didnt end Jim Crow, but the historian Ann Douglas argues that it kick-started the Harlem Renaissance.

The lack of a focal piazza may serve activists well in the coming years because it embodies the essential New York values that the administration appears so eager to crush: the healthy churn of newcomers, the natural flow of ethnic groups, the city dwellers refusal to be corralled or homogenized. From the imperial fora of ancient Rome to the boulevards of Haussmanns Paris to Buenos Airess Plaza de Mayo, authoritarian regimes have always found big, ceremonial spaces both dangerous (because they concentrate so many people in one place) and ideally suited to surveillance and propaganda (for precisely the same reason). The planned Womens March in Washington, D.C., has been shunted from the Lincoln Memorial, and will have to skirt the National Mall. That would hardly matter here: A wannabe dictator would find New Yorks decentralized mesh a much more slippery threat.

Everyone owns the streets; nobody can control them all. This means that free expression flows where it pleases. During the Republican National Convention in 2004, the NYPD herded protestors into oxymoronic free-speech zones, outrageously implying that the rest of the city was subject to censorship. Its not. Even on ordinary days, New Yorkers loudly exercise their First Amendment rights on virtually every block, addressing issues that range from the souls salvation to the suffering of the Mets. In a politically precarious era, that vast and varied grid of public turf, with its endless supply of symbols, becomes a source of popular strength.
The Martian. Photo-Illustration: Daily Intelligencer; Photos: Photos: Steve Bronstein/Getty Images (Astronaut); Sara D. Davis (Trump) NASA/Getty Images (Mars)

During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump mentioned NASA little. His most illuminating remark on the subject was the nonanswer he gave a 10-year-old who asked for his position on the space agency.

You know, in the old days, it was great. Right now, we have bigger problems  you understand that? Weve got to fix our potholes. You know, we dont exactly have a lot of money, Trump said. He added, Space is terrific.

In the more than two months since his election, the president-elects position hasnt become much clearer. But historian Douglas Brinkley, who discussed the Apollo program with, says that could change as soon as Friday.

Trump wont be specific about his space plans in his inaugural address, Brinkley told the Washington Post, but he might say something vague and morale-building about the moonshot. Brinkley added that Trump sees value in a space mission beyond the scientific. In their conversation, Trump commended the Apollo program for uniting the country and capturing the spirit of the American people, Brinkley said.

Just where Trump will want to travel in the solar system remains a mystery. The Post says he has discussed Mars with Elon Musk, who has a plan to colonize the red planet. And Trump has been pushed by Peter Thiel, a friend and business associate of Musks, to turn toward commercial space companies.

But there could be another voice in Trumps ear whispering about space exploration  Newt Gingrich. The failed presidential candidate and Trump ally made headlines in 2012 when, during one of his bids to win the GOPs nomination, he promised a completed moon colony by 2020. It was met with ridicule  even mild-mannered Mitt made fun of him  because of its ambition and the out-of-this-world price tag it would command.

And that brings us back to Trump and his potential skyward ambitions. Would a Republican Party really sign off on the massive expenditure required to go to space in the face mounting national debt? As long as its another Republicans idea, the answer is yes.
Donald Trump, whos been known to buck a convention or two, is following through with presidential tradition on Inauguration Eve and staying at the Blair House, the guest residence across from the White House. There was some speculation earlier in the transition that Trump might spend his last night as president-elect in the (dishonest-media-free) five-star Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. His transition team denied that, and it looks as if Trump is following through and planning to spend the night basically across the street from the Obamas.

The Blair House, across from the White House is where the President-Elect will spend the night ahead of the inauguration tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/SBzylv4IEm  Scott McLean (@scottmclean) January 19, 2017

The Blair House, which often hosts visiting dignitaries, might not have garish decor or garbage food, but it should suffice:

Decorator for the presidential guesthouse the Blair House says the Trumps will enjoy "all creature comforts" when they sleep there tonight  Matt Kwong (@matt_kwong) January 19, 2017

Trump will need them. On Friday morning, the president-elect will get his first official briefing on how to order a nuclear attack, reports Politico, which has, in the past, been delivered to the soon-to-be-president at the Blair House before the inauguration festivities.

Trump, however, will get at least one last meal as a regular person at the Trump International Hotel in D.C.; hes hosting a lunch there for transition officials on Thursday. He also stopped by there Wednesday night, though he returned to his bed in New Yorks Trump Tower before heading to D.C. again Thursday morning.

Getting ready to leave for Washington, D.C. The journey begins and I will be working and fighting very hard to make it a great journey for..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2017

the American people. I have no doubt that we will, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2017

Trump, future First Lady Melania, and the rest of the family landed at Andrews Air Force Base shortly after noon Thursday. No more Trump private jet; he rode in on a military plane. It has seriously begun.
Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says Donald Trump might sign four or five executive actions shortly after hes sworn in on Friday  but its unclear who will be available to carry them out. While Spicer claimed on Wednesday that the Trump transition will become the gold standard going forward, others say the incoming administration is poorly prepared for the business of running the government, with many positions still vacant, disorganization among the teams that are in place, and confusion over contradictory messages from Trump and other top advisers. Ive never seen anything like this, a career government official told Foreign Policy.

The Trump transition has been dogged by reports of chaos from the start. Much of the blame was put on Chris Christie, who was reportedly fired for mismanaging pre-election transition planning. (The governor has denied this, and suggested hes not taking a White House role because his wife didnt want to move.) Trump sources told Politico that while they got a late start, things are now going smoothly, with written action plans prepared for each major agency.

There is a robust transition operation in place that is ensuring that all teams are prepared and ready for Day One, said Trump spokeswoman Lindsay Walters. We look forward to serving our great country.

Yet Trumps selection for the final member of his cabinet was just unveiled on Thursday, and many of his other picks spent the last few days in difficult confirmation hearings. CNN reports that Republicans in Congress are pressing Democrats to confirm a handful of Trumps nominees after the swearing-in on Friday, but theyre resisting. The last two presidents had seven cabinet nominees confirmed on their first day in office.

Trump has only nominated 28 of the 690 federal government positions that require Senate confirmation, according to the Partnership for Public Service, which is advising the Trump transition, as it did for the Obama transition.

Foreign Policy reports that many top management and policy posts have yet to be filled, including those that oversee diplomacy, counterterrorism, and nuclear weapons. Some Defense Department positions have reportedly been left vacant due to a feud between Trump advisers and retired General James Mattis, incoming Defense Secretary.

Some Obama officials have been asked to stay on for a few weeks, and others are unclear on what their status will be after Friday. Theres a lot of uncertainty, and if the transition team has a plan for maintaining continuity in key roles, they havent made that widely known, a senior administration official told Foreign Policy.

The Trump transition has put together landing teams to visit agencies and collect information, but theyve reportedly been plagued by miscommunication, both amongst themselves and with the Obama administration. Major decisions are made in New York, and sometimes D.C. Trump aides appear to be out of the loop. Sources said that in some departments, after one landing team was briefed, another showed up asking for the same information.

The landing teams going into the federal agencies have been uneven, Max Stier, the CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, told Politico. Not all of the landing teams have had much connectivity with the agency.

In other instances, Trump staffers have stepped down or been fired, such as Monica Crowley, who withdrew from a communications position at the National Security Council following revelations of plagiarism. Weve briefed at least 10 people, but theyve all gotten fired by the transition after we trained them, one Obama administration official told the Daily Beast.

Interactions between the Obama and Trump teams have been polite, and President Obama has said he wants the transition to be as smooth as possible. Yet there is said mistrust behind the scenes. The New York Times reports that the Obama administration wrote 275 briefing papers for Trump officials on national security threats around the world, but they have no idea if anyone read them. Trump officials are wary of sharing too much information after several transition documents leaked  including one in which the Department of Energy was asked to name employees who worked on climate change.

Still, transition sources insist that theyre ready to get down to business. Beachhead teams of aides who do not require Senate confirmation have been instructed to skip the inauguration and begin working as soon as Trump takes the oath at noon  though they may want to double-check that instruction. Earlier this week, Trump said his Day One is gonna be Monday because I dont want to be signing and get it mixed up with lots of celebration.
Steven Mnuchin. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

On Thursday, the Senate Finance Committee held a confirmation hearing for our populist president-elects pick for Treasury Secretary: A multimillionaire whose resume includes a diploma from Yale, several years at Goldman Sachs, a stint running a bank that specialized in foreclosures, and experience running a Cayman Islandsbased hedge fund that was named after the sand dunes outside his house in the Hamptons.

Steven Mnuchin neglected to mention that last enterprise in the financial-disclosure form he submitted shortly after his nomination last year. And, as one might lose track of spare change left in an old coat pocket, Mnuchin also forgot all about the $95 million in real-estate assets that hed left lying across the North American continent.

So, the Democratic members of the Finance Committee had a lot of material to work with on Thursday. And Oregon senator Ron Wyden had his indignation level set to 11 from the very start.

After decrying the truly disgusting inequity and abuse of Americas tax laws, Wyden declared. Theres no clearer example than Mr. Mnuchins hedge fund setting up outposts in Anguilla and the Cayman Islands, an action that can be explained only by the islands zero percent tax rate  Millions of dollars in profits from Hollywood exports like the movie Avatar were funneled to an offshore web of entities and investors.

Wyden went on to savage Mnuchins use of a dynasty trust to shield tens of millions of dollars from taxes, as well as his funding of a tax-exempt foundation that pushed for the the approval of a bank merger he stood to profit from.

Mnuchin argued that his decision to incorporate Dune Capital in the Cayman Islands was merely an accommodation to pension funds and nonprofit institutions and a small number of foreign investors who would benefit from that arrangement. He then promised that, as Treasury Secretary, he would scrutinize the rules that incentivized him to base his business in a foreign tax shelter.

Once Wydens jeremiad was through, Republican senator Pat Roberts turned to him and said, Ive got a Valium pill here that you might want to take before the second round. Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown was apoplectic that Roberts would say such a thing to a distinguished committee member. Roberts then suggested that no man was too distinguished to need a Valium once in a while, saying that he had once offered the benzodiazepine to the president of the United States.

Later, Mnuchin defended himself against the charge that the bank he helped found had deployed abusive and/or illegal tactics to foreclose on embattled homeowners.

It has been said that I ran a foreclosure machine, Mnuchin said. This is not true. On the contrary, I was committed to loan modifications intended to stop foreclosures. I ran a loan-modification machine.

Its true that Mnuchin was not responsible for the suffering of many of the people his bank foreclosed on. By the time he and his partners purchased the California mortgage giant IndyMac, it had already distributed countless so-called liar loans to borrowers who would never be able to repay them. When Mnuchin renamed the institution OneWest, 178,000 foreclosures were already in the pipeline.

We invested $1.6 billion into a failing institution when most investors were running for the hills, Mnuchin told the Senate Finance Committee, arguing that without his intervention, the outcome for consumers could have been much bleaker.

And at the behest of the FDIC, OneWest lowered monthly mortgage payments for nearly 102,000 homeowners by 2013, according to Politico.

But an investigation by the California Attorney Generals office alleged that OneWest also committed widespread acts of misconduct in its handling of foreclosures, including illegally backdating documents to expedite the foreclosure process and, essentially, gaming foreclosure auctions.

These practices produced plenty of stories no political figure would want to be associated with: In one instance, the bank locked a homeowner out of her house in the midst of a Minnesota blizzard; in another, it foreclosed on a 90-year-old woman whose payment came in 27 cents short.

At a congressional hearing organized by Elizabeth Warren Wednesday, four women told similarly harrowing tales of their experiences with OneWest. (Democrats had hoped to feature the homeowners as witnesses at Mnuchins confirmation hearing, but Finance Committee chair Orrin Hatch felt that would be bad idea).

At other points in his hearing, Mnuchin distanced himself from the GOPs most Wall Street-friendly ambitions. While the president-elect has vowed to dismantle the financial regulations contained in Dodd-Frank, Mnuchin offered his support for a key piece of that legislation.

The concept of proprietary trading does not belong in banks with FDIC insurance, Mnuchin said, by way of endorsing the so-called Volker Rule, which restricts the ability of federally insured banks to make speculative investments that do not benefit their customers.

Mnuchin also claimed to support the existence of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau  an agency that the GOP has been trying to kill from the moment Elizabeth Warren dreamed it up. However, Mnuchin did say that he believes the agency should not be funded by the Federal Reserve, as it currently is, but by congressional apropriation, instead.



And saying that you support the CFPB  but want the House GOP to control its budget  is a bit like saying youre pro-henhouse, but think the fox should guard it.

When Democrats tired of attacking Mnuchins record, they asked him to account for that of the president-elect. And Trumps former finance chair proved considerably more amenable to acknowledging his bosss various liabilities, than he was about owning up to his own.

Isnt it true that a lot of [Trumps] debt is held by foreign interests? Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill asked Mnuchin.

I dont know, Mnuchin said, before conceding, Ive just read it in the papers.

Sen. McCaskill (@clairecmc) just asked Steve Mnuchin if Trump is famous for firing people. His response: "Well, he has a show about it." pic.twitter.com/MtbQAYePPM  Peter Stevenson (@PeterWStevenson) January 19, 2017

Do you think you should know that, as someone who runs the committee on foreign investments, if were talking about the commander-in-chief?

I think you have a valid point, the would-be Treasury Secretary said.
Free, at last. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

On his final day in the Oval Office, Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 330 nonviolent drug offenders, an act of mass clemency that brought the presidents total number of commutations granted to 1,715  more than any other president in American history. Among the recipients of Obamas mercy were 568 inmates who had been condemned to life in prison.

The presidents final batch of commutations came just two days after he commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning, along with those of 208 other federal inmates.

Obamas record-breaking acts of leniency were born of his desire to mitigate the harm caused by Americas uniquely punitive sentencing laws. With Congress unwilling to scale back draconian drug laws legislatively, Obama began searching for especially egregious cases to rectify via clemency back in 2014.

The bulk of those commuted under Obamas initiative were nonviolent offenders who had served at least ten years in prison, and developed reputations for good behavior over the course of their incarceration.

The ones who really stuck home for the president and me are the ones who got their GED, Neil Eggleston, Obamas White House counsel, told the Chicago Tribune. They worked, they took courses in anger management, they took courses in getting over drug-abuse issues, they remained in contact with their families.

The vast majority of those who sought clemency from the president failed to (sufficiently) impress him with their diligence. As of January 3, the Obama administration had denied 14,485 commutation petitions and 1,629 pardons, according to the Washington Post.

There was no shortage of compelling stories among the rejected, as the Posts write-up makes clear:

One inmate who was denied clemency is 64-year-old Bruce Harrison, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who was awarded two Purple Hearts. Harrison, who is in Coleman prison in Florida, has health problems and has served 23 years of a 50-year sentence for his role in transporting drugs in a government sting operation.



After Harrison and other members of his motorcycle group were sentenced, several jurors said they were dismayed to learn of the long sentence that was imposed.



If I would have been given the right to not only judge the facts in this case, but also the law and the actions taken by the government, the prosecutor, local and federal law enforcement officers connected in this case would be in jail and not the defendants, juror Patrick L. McNeil wrote afterward.

Earlier this week, Republican Senator John Cornyn criticized Obamas unprecedented use of his clemency powers, saying, People say, well why should we change the sentencing rules in criminal-justice reform if the president can just do it with a flick of his pen?

Which seems like a question that Harrison  and the 82,000 other drug offenders in the federal-prison system  would be more than happy to answer.
The last hurrah. Photo: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

Barack Obama will not leave behind a proud legacy on press freedom. His administration has brought more prosecutions against whistle-blowers and leakers than all its predecessors combined. His Justice Department has spied on reporters and attempted to compel the New York Times James Risen to divulge his confidential sources via the threat of imprisonment.

In two days, Donald Trump will inherit these precedents.

But in his final press conference Wednesday, the president drew attention to the other, more Fourth Estatefriendly precedents he will bestow on his successor.

Obama addressed reporters in the close confines of the White House briefing room  a location aides selected over the more spacious State Dining Room, so as to symbolically affirm the presss right to be in immediate proximity to those in power. That right had recently come into question, as Esquire reported that Donald Trumps team was considering moving journalists out of the West Wing, thereby limiting their opportunities to question senior staffers.

In his opening remarks, Obama made his desire to defend the presss prerogatives against his successors whims explicit.

Youre not supposed to be sycophants  youre supposed to be skeptics, Obama said. And having you in this building has helped this place work better.

The president suggested that the medias persistent scrutiny of his reaction to crises such as the 2014 Ebola outbreak and the BP oil spoil had made his administration more responsive to the needs of the public.

So America needs you, and our democracy needs you, the president said.

Obama went on to say that, while he plans to take a break from politics, he would not hesitate to enter the fray if our democracys other needs were in jeopardy.

Theres a difference between that normal functioning of politics and certain issues or certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake, the president said. I put in that category if I saw systematic discrimination being ratified in some fashion. I put in that category explicit or functional obstacles to people being able to vote, to exercise their franchise. I put in that category institutional efforts to silence dissent or the press. And for me at least, I would put in that category efforts to round up kids who have grown up here and for all practical purposes are American kids and send them somewhere else, when they love this country.

The president spent much of his last press conference defending his administrations final decisions. Responding to criticisms of his commutation of Chelsea Mannings 35-year sentence for leaking classified documents, Obama said, First of all, lets be clear  Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence. So the notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital classified information would think that it goes unpunished, I dont think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served.

Defending his decision to allow the United Nations to condemn the expansion of Israeli settlements, the president argued that the two-state solution is the only acceptable resolution to the Israeli-Palestine conflict  and ongoing settlement expansion is creating a reality on the ground that increasingly will make a two-state solution impossible.

Obama conceded that the president-elects nominee for ambassador to Israel has a very different view, and that Trump has the prerogative to take policy in the Middle East  or anywhere else  in a new direction.

It is appropriate for him to go forward with his vision and his values, Obama said of his successor. And I dont expect that theres going to be enormous overlap.

But to the extent that Trumps vision and values involve ratifying systemic discrimination, or violating the freedom of the press, or undermining the security of undocumented children, the president suggested that he would not hesitate to speak out.

And his voice remains a resonant one. The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll puts Obamas approval rating at 60 percent  20 points lower than it was just before his inauguration in 2008, and 20 points higher than Trumps is today.
Sonny Perdue, following his interview in Trump Tower. Photo: BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images

On the eve of his inauguration, Donald Trump is expected to nominate former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue for Agriculture Secretary, transition sources tell Politico. The selection confirms that despite pressure to add more diversity to his team, Trumps cabinet will be the first that does not have a Latino member since Ronald Reagan selected Lauro Cavazos to head the Education Department in 1988.

Perdue, 70, will be the first Southerner to lead the department in more than two decades. In the 70s he earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Georgia before a stint in the U.S. Air Force, where he rose to the rank of captain. He spent much of his career in the agriculture business, then was elected state senator in the 90s.

While serving as governor from 2003 to 2011, Perdue promoted trade commerce between Georgia and China, opening the states first international trade office in Beijing. He also moved the state office that issues agricultural permits from Atlanta to rural Georgia and adopted new food-safety regulation following a salmonella outbreak traced to peanut butter made in the state.

During his tenure, Perdue held a referendum to replace Georgias state flag. Under Perdues predecessor, the state flag featuring the Confederate battle emblem had been replaced with an unpopular design. The 2004 referendum let voters select a new design, but some were angered that Confederate symbols were not an option.

Perdue is also known for holding a rally at the State Capitol to publicly pray for rain during a drought in 2007.

He campaigned heavily for Trump in the final months of the election and was one of the first people interviewed for the agriculture position. He said in December that the president-elect lit up as he discussed his experience with agricultural commodities, trading domestically and internationally.

Trump went on to audition six other people for the position amid complaints about the lack of diversity on his cabinet, including two Latino candidates and Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp. Some of these options reportedly riled top Trump supporters, and agriculture groups and lawmakers from farm states became concerned that he had yet to make a decision.

When asked about the lack of Latinos on Trumps team, incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said on Wednesday that the president-elect was still seeking out the best and the brightest to fill his cabinet. He urged the press to look at the diversity of Trumps senior White House staffers, but the Washington Post notes that so far there are no Latinos in those positions either.
B-2 bomber. Photo: Josh Hedges/Getty Images

Dozens of ISIS fighters are dead after President Obama authorized B-2 bombers to strike two training camps in the Libyan desert late Wednesday night, in what was likely Obamas final act as commander-in-chief. The 80 militants killed at the camp were actively plotting operations in Europe and may also have been connected to attacks that have already occurred in Europe, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters Thursday.

Carter added that the fighters were on the run from the coastal city of Sirte, a former ISIS stronghold that was taken back after a five-month campaign that ended in December. CNN reports that the U.S. surveillance aircraft have spent weeks monitoring the camps, which were about 28 miles southwest of Sirte. Despite retreating to a remote part of the desert, the fighters remained clearly visible because they were out in the open.

The airstrikes began with 108 precision-guided bombs dropped from B-2 aircraft that took off from Missouri. Those were followed by Hellfire missiles launched by unmanned drones.

The assault was undertaken at the request of Libyas Government of National Accord, the U.N.-backed government hoping to rule the country, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said. And to demonstrate that the target was what he said it was, Cook showed reporters video of men, described as ISIS members, moving weapons in the area where the bombs were dropped.

This certainly dealt a significant blow to ISILs presence in Libya, Cook said. Was it a death knell for them in Libya? Well have to wait and see.
Photo: photo illustration

If youre going to get any sort of science done, an experiment needs a control group: the unaffected, possibly placebo-ed population that didnt take part in whatever intervention it is youre trying to study. Back in the earlier days of cognitive neuroscience, the control condition was intuitive enough: Just let the person in the brain scanner lie in repose, awake yet quiet, contemplating the tube theyre inside of. But in 1997, 2001, and beyond, studies kept coming out saying that it wasnt much of a control at all. When the brain is at rest, its doing anything but resting.

When you dont give its human anything to do, brain areas related to processing emotions, recalling memory, and thinking about whats to come become quietly active. These self-referential streams of thought are so pervasive that in a formative paper Marcus Raichle, a Washington University neurologist who helped found the field, declared it to be the the default mode of brain function, and the constellation of brain areas that carry it out are the default mode network, or DMN. Because when given nothing else to do, the brain defaults to thinking about the person its embedded in. Since then, the DMN has been implicated in everything from depression to creativity. People who daydream more tend to have a more active DMN; relatedly, dreaming itself appears to be an amplified version of mind-wandering.

In Buddhist traditions, this chattering described by neuroscientists as the default mode is a dragon to be tamed, if not slain. Chogyam Trungpa, who was instrumental in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the U.S., said the meditation practice is necessary generally because our thinking pattern, our conceptualized way of conducting our life in the world, is either too manipulative, imposing itself upon the world, or else runs completely wild and uncontrolled, he wrote in Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism. Therefore, our meditation practice must begin with egos outermost layer, the discursive thoughts which continually run through our minds, our mental gossip.

In his book Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment  and Your Life, Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of mindfulness-based stress reduction, argues that this idle narration, this selfing, is something that needs to be reined in order to have a balanced mental life. When the DMN predominates, especially out of unawareness, it can very much limit our understanding of ourselves and of what might be possible, he argues. The crux of the Buddhist argument is that if you dont establish some relationship with your DMN, some mindfulness of its activity, youll be yanked around by the swirling eddies of emotion, reaction, and rumination. But what do brain sciences say?

Whether or not your default activity is helpful or harmful depends on where your mind automatically tends to go, says Scott Barry Kaufman, the scientific director at the Imagination Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. In the same way that your tongue defaults to probing a cut on the roof of your mouth, the brain is attracted to unresolved issues. People differ drastically regarding if their default mode network content is creative or ruminative, he says.

In a way, the DMN is like a scout, ranging about for prospective futures. To Kaufman, the default mode has a prospective bias: Its seeking out big-picture strategies for what could be. Depending on the person, their history, and their biological dispositions, that prospection could tilt toward worrying or hoping. As psychologists have contended for decades, daydreaming itself has at least three different flavors: positive constructive daydreaming, which has lots of playful, wishful imagery and plan-making thoughts; guilty-dysphoric daydreaming, which has lots of anguish and obsessive fantasies; and poor attentional control, where its hard to concentrate on anything. Prospection can lead to suffering if it hinders executive attention, the ability to have awe, attention to the present moment, he says, emphasizing that, as with so many others ways that our minds get into trouble, the problem is rigidity; research indicates that a disturbed DMN is a mechanism in depression. Our greatest source of suffering isnt the default mode, Kaufman says, but when we get stuck in the default mode.

Indeed, the peripatetic nature of the DMN can be harnessed for creative thinking. In a 2015 Scientific Reports paper that Kaufman co-authored, 25 participants were asked to do creative thinking tasks, including the standard measure of divergent thinking, asking how many uses you can come up with for a brick (spoiler alert: doorstop and weapon are two go-to options). At the start of the task, the DMN coupled with the salience network, which selects which stimuli to attend to, and toward the end of the task, it coupled with the executive network, which is responsible for the control of attention and working memory  results that suggest that producing creative ideas requires a combination of focusing internal attention and controlling spontaneous thinking. The DMN contributes to the (more or less) spontaneous generation of (potentially useful) ideas, co-author and Harvard postdoc Roger Beaty told Science of Us via email.

It underscores the fact that not all minds that wander are lost. University of British Columbia philosopher Evan Thompson, author of Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy, says the DMNs mental meanderings are the baseline state of you as a cognitive system. Its tremendously pragmatic: being able to remember the past, plan for the future, and happen upon creative insights are all essential tools for navigating life. While he was hesitant to mix the word suffering, which is so loaded in ancient Asian religious traditions, with the default mode, which is of a contemporary neural vintage, the two connect in the way that suffering arises when people concretize the fleeting swirls of thought, especially around conceptions of self. Still, he says, theres particular kind of stickiness that can come when DMN activity grows overly self-centered.

Default-mode content involves an image of self, one thats easy to become attached to. These self-conceptions are affectively charged, he says; they carry lots of emotional weight. We constantly think that its not just another thought, that [the image of self] is something real, not just an mental image.

He compared it with a strawberry and thoughts of a strawberry. If youre a particularly good imaginer, you might start salivating at the image of a ripe, inviting strawberry. Still, its just a mental image; not an actual strawberry. The selfing conjured up by the DMN is a lot like that: images of who you think you are, but not who you actually are. While you wouldnt take a mental image of a strawberry to be an appropriate filling to a real-world shortcake, its easy to take your mental images of you to be your real-world self.

The self isnt one thing, its an evolving construct of many different processes, Thompson says.Contemplative traditions like Buddhism and yoga would say that habitually investing in the image of the self more reality than it actually has is a source of great difficulty. When we take it to be real when it isnt, according to these traditions, then that causes suffering. He mentioned that in cognitive behavioral therapy, that process of divesting realness from your mental chatter is called decentering, or thinking less that your thoughts are the truth about whats happening and viewing them as an observer. The therapeutic interventions offered by psilocybin and LSD  which, at least in one trial, helped longtime smokers quit at a rate three times that of the best pharma drugs  seem to have a similar, though more sudden, effect.

At a phenomenological, subjective, what-its-like level, the trouble or lack thereof that your DMN gets into seems to depend on how automatic (or de-automatized) your patterns of thought are. Lots of our trains of thought, as suggest by the term train, speed along as if carried by a locomotive, one after another, carried by mental-emotional momentum. If youre more biologically sensitive to perceived threats, its likely that its a direct line to rumination, or negatively, recursively reflecting on how youre bad at your job, rock-climbing, dealing with your family on holidays, or whatever the task is. Though by that point the amygdala, so present in neuroticism, will probably be involved, too.

The key is what brain science people call cognitive flexibility: being able to more freely choose your mental habits, and have greater agency in your cognitive phenomena. CBT and even hypnosis are options for taming an unruly DMN, as is the fashionable yet ancient practice of meditation. Study after study indicates that meditation reduces activity in the DMN. Judson Brewer, psychiatrist and director of research at the UMass Medical School Center for Mindfulness founded by Kabat-Zinn, has found that extended meditation practice reforms the DMN, so that the default mode itself shifts: The resting state of the brain becomes more like the meditative state, producing a more present-centered default mode. So maybe thats what all that advice to live in the present moment is getting at: If you can invest more attention in the sensory world than in your narrative overlaying it, you might identify the former, rather than the latter, to be whats true.
Earlier today, Donald Trump tweeted what he said was a three-week-old picture of himself writing his inaugural address from a desk in his Palm Beach mansion Mar-a-Lago, or, sorry, the Winter White House.

Writing my inaugural address at the Winter White House, Mar-a-Lago, three weeks ago. Looking forward to Friday. #Inauguration pic.twitter.com/S701FdTCQu  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2017

As tends to be the case with the president-elects social-media statements, there is much to discuss. First, theres the fact that Trump seems to be drafting his first speech as POTUS with a  Sharpie. And second, perhaps more important, theres the question of Trumps desk, which, as Twitter user @missdewey points out, appears to be one usually occupied by an administrative or hospitality professional  a receptionist or concierge, maybe  in a public hall at Mar-a-Lago, and not in a private office.

@realDonaldTrump Give this nice lady her desk back! It looks like she has actual work to do. pic.twitter.com/tisEqnYbhe  missdewey (@missdewey) January 18, 2017

Live by Twitter, die by Twitter! Or, at least, have your photographs picked apart on Twitter. As @missdeweys tweet, which pulls an Instagram picture from @palmbeachshowgroup back in October 2015, shows, the woman in the photo appears to be seated at the exact same desk pictured in Trumps tweet. After some extensive Googling, Select All has determined the desk in question is located not in a private Mar-a-Lago suite, but in what appears to be a usually public hallway. (You can also find an image of the hall in the photo gallery on the Mar-a-Lago website here.) To see it for yourself, please take note at about the 2:25 mark of this handy video from HGTV. In case youre not yet convinced, take a closer look at the detailing on the distinctive tile walls behind the desk in both pictures.

Given the Instagram photo was from a public event, it seems highly unlikely this desk is located in the Trumps private residence. But it is possible that Trump closed off this particular hallway over the holidays (and cleared that desk of its computer), so as to give himself a quiet space to work. Trump and his family live in a private, closed-off residence within the main club house, the rest of which is open to members, the New York Post reported in November. Occasionally, Trump will have communal spaces sequestered off for private family events like a movie night, but typically, the president-elect dines and hobnobs right alongside fellow members.

So were not saying that Trump didnt write his speech, in Sharpie, on a legal pad, at this desk, with its magnificent and inspirational eagle statue. Obviously he did; why would the president-elect stage such a photograph? It seems clear the Secret Service cleared out Mar-a-Lago, to give Trump the privacy and quiet he needed, and he chose that particular hallway desk to begin writing his speech. Which is his right, as Mar-a-Lagos owner.

Now, look, far be it from the staff of Select All to judge the president-elects choice of venue. Lord knows we have worked, by choice and by necessity, on some odd and unfortunate surfaces. But  well, we are a little bit concerned that the only workspace in the newly dubbed Winter White House is a desk usually reserved for a receptionist and her computer. Surely there is a co-working space in Palm Beach?


Size range: It can sometimes seem like jeans are arbitrarily assigned numbers, which might mean being forced to choose between a too-big waist gap or a pair thats just slightly too tight. To help, we asked our denim enthusiasts to detail the fit of their favorites and, as much as we could, we focused on brands offering plus, petite, and tall options.

Cut: There are times when a cowboy-esque flare will do, and other times when you want skinny jeans. Some cuts were more popular (straight-leg styles) than others (sorry, wide leg). But we also went a step further to describe the shape of every pair, whether thats more slim-fitting, tapered, or cropped (to name a few).

Rise: A note for low-rise lovers: Our panelists preferred high-waisted jeans overall. But we included the rises measurement for each, which will oftentimes be based on the size the model is wearing. (Anything over a ten-inch rise is considered to be in the high category, as stylist Jessica Cadmus previously explained.) And while were on the subject of rises: Most jeans on the market now will have some stretch in them to make them feel more comfortable, especially at the waist. Weve noted when a recommendation doesnt have stretch.

Price: Ask around and youll hear about how someone splurged on their Rag & Bone or Paige. Factoring in cost per wear, an investment can make sense, but the truth is you can get a pair of great jeans for not that much. (Think of everyone currently scouring secondhand shops for Levis 501s.) Thats all to say, affordability was a top priority for us when considering what jeans made the cut. The best of the best are denoted as either $ (under $100), $$ ($100 to $200), or $$$ (over $200).

Best overall jeans

Best jeans for plus sizes

Torrid Bombshell Skinny Jean $90 $90 Sizes 1030 (equivalent to 6x), with extra-short to extra-tall inseams | Skinny | No rise listed | $ Petite-plus influencers Tinsaye Berhanu and Natalie Craig have both previously called out the Bombshell Skinny Jeans. Unlike every other jean on this list, these dont list their rise  but we made a special exception, as Berhanu describes the high waist as really comfortable without rolling down when youre moving around. The jeans are rated as a maximum on the companys stretch scale, too. Craig points out that Torrid offers short and extra-short lengths for jeans, something many other plus-size brands dont offer. (You also can choose between tall and extra-tall options.) Torrid was also the most-mentioned brand in our guide to plus-size jeans, where those who did the mentioning praise just how well the jeans fit curves. That includes style influencer Nikki Apostolou, who describes how her pair hug[s] my curves, cling[s] where I need them to, and flatter[s] my more apple-shaped figure. $90 at Torrid Buy

Best jeans for petites

Abercrombie 90s Ultra High Rise Straight Jeans $99 $99 Sizes 2337, with extra-short, short, long, and extra-long options | Straight-leg | No rise listed | $ When we asked petites for their favorite jeans, there wasnt a consensus on a brand or a particular pair  more than a few referenced standard-size pants instead of ones that were petite-specific. But two women did refer us to Abercrombie, which has become a popular destination for #petitetok and popular among other stylish women weve talked to. These jeans were mentioned by both photographer Lizbeth Hernandez and content creator Amy Serrano. Hernandez calls them perfect for my curvy body, while Serrano says the pair hugs every part of my butt perfectly. In terms of comfort, Serrano points out that these lasted through a round of high kicks with the Radio City Rockettes just fine. But what made Abercrombie really earn this spot is its two types of petite sizes: short for those who are five feet to five-foot-three, and extra-short, which is specifically designed for those under five feet (although this length is only available in sizes 25 to 29). FYI: The jeans are also offered in 17 washes, the most on our list. $99 at Zappos Buy $99 at Abercrombie and Fitch Buy

Best jeans for tall women

Madewell Tall Curvy High-Rise Skinny Jeans in Ainsworth Wash: Raw-Hem Edition $128 $128 Sizes 2333 (with plus, petite, and standard) | Skinny | 10.5-inch rise | $$ Strategist writer Chloe Anello (whos five-foot-nine) crowned this Madewell pair the best overall in her guide to jeans for tall women. Former Strategist social-media editor Hannah Starke (whos five-foot-ten) describes these as the the only jeans that fit my body correctly, with a cut thats more generous through the hips and thighs. This pair comes in a 30-inch inseam, which is enough for most tall folk to cover their ankles, Anello points out. What makes Madewell stand out in this area specifically is its two choices: a tall option for anyone five-foot-eight to five-foot-11 and a taller offering designed for those six feet and up. The taller sizes tend to sell out in the blink of an eye, Anello says  so if youre especially tall, she suggests going for Amalli Talli. The tall-women-founded company makes jeans with 34- and 36-inch inseams. $128 at Madewell Buy

Best raw denim jeans

Imogene + Willie Catherine Indigo Rigid Jeans $225 Sizes 2334 | Straight-leg with a trouser-style | 13-inch rise | $$$ Theres a certain class of denim enthusiasts who are serious about wearing raw denim exclusively. This denim isnt just rigid  its left in its original untouched state, becoming specific to its owner only, kind of like a fingerprint, explains former Strategist staffer Lauren Levy. One of Levys favorites is Imogene + Willie, which focuses on making raw denim thats fitted more to a womans curves compared to other options out there. She describes these as a really gorgeous high-rise, towering at 13 inches. $225 at Imogene + Willie Buy

Best rigid denim jeans

The Feel Studio Genuine Jean $295 Sizes 2438 with tall inseam | Classic straight leg | 10.5-inch rise | $$$ Even if you like more rigidness in your jeans, raw denim can seem a little extreme. The Genuine Jean from the Feel Studio is a compromise  sans stretch, but doing the work of shaping to your body. It took just a few wears for Strategist senior editor Simone Kitchenss pair to do so. Kitchens compares them to vintage jeans in their lack of stretchiness but with enough softness to stop them from being unwearable. Dancer Eva Alt seconds this, saying theyre like the pair you always hope to find at a vintage store, just without the work. And theres a reason for that: The Feel Studio was founded by stylist Stevie Dance, whos a devout Levis wearer, according to Kitchens, and the fit of these is inspired by old 501s. $295 at The Feel Studio Buy

Best straight leg

Levis 501 Original Fit Womens Jeans From $59 From $59 Sizes 2334, with 30- and 32-inch inseams | Classic straight leg | 11.125-inch rise | $ As alluded to earlier, straight-leg was the most-cited cut. In the end, the classic Levis 501s took the top spot because of just how often they came up  musicians Aly and AJ Michalka and celebrity stylist Karla Welch specifically name-checked this pair, and several of our other panelists not only own vintage versions of the style but compare their current favorites against them, like Kitchens did just above. This isnt too surprising considering that the legendary 501s are the fit that literally started it all for the brand. These are just classic: the fit, the semi-high waist, the color, Aly Michalka says. The more worn they are, the better they look and feel. Her sister AJ agrees: My booty looks so good in these. Levis never fails  they just get jeans and always have. Since these are non-stretch, Welch (who has collaborated with the company in the past) offers this piece of advice to get them just right: Wearing them, and wearing them, and wearing them, and wearing them, until Im like, Ah, these are perfect! From $59 at Amazon Buy $88 at Levi's Buy

Best slim-leg jeans

Wrangler Cowboy-Cut Slim-Fit Jeans From $50 From $50 Sizes 0015 (equivalent to 22- to 32-inch waists) with up to 38-inch inseam options | Tapered slim straight leg | 11.75-inch rise | $ Dont let the Cowboy Cut name fool you  these Wranglers are nowhere near a full flare. Kitchens did discover the pair in a cowboy store in Oklahoma City, but they look like something fresh out of A.P.C. and do good things all around for my butt and waist. The jeans are more of a middle ground between skinny and straight-leg. On the fit front, you can choose between 100 percent cotton without stretch (offered in the medium and bleach washes) or just a hint of spandex in the light wash. Kitchens went non-stretch, adding that after a few washes, the pair gets that thrift-store-faded patina these jeans are known for. Or wash them a little less and prolong their A.P.C.-like stiffness. If you needed any more convincing: Kitchenss ode to her Wranglers was so popular, four of her friends bought them right away. Or you could go for the also-slim-legged Madewells Stovepipe Jeans  Hallie Abrams, founder of the Wardrobe Consultant, describes the cut as if all the jean styles had a baby, the Stovepipe is what would come out. From $50 at Amazon Buy $49 at Wrangler Buy

Best bootcut jeans

Best overall skinny jeans

Frame Le High Skinny Jeans $189 $189 Sizes 2434 | Skinny | 10.2-inch rise | $$$ Despite what the youths say, skinny jeans are still worth having in your repertoire  and the Le High are as skinny as they come, Cadmus says. They are so skinny, they look painted on. But theyre not so second-skin that theyre uncomfortable, she assures us, as they have a hint of elastane that flatters every curve, especially accentuating the backside. Having tried one of the six available shades IRL once (and being a Frame fan already), I can confidently say the same  they even made my short legs look toned and longer. $189 at Nordstrom Buy $218 at Net-A-Porter Buy

Best (less expensive) skinny jeans

Levis Mile High Super Skinny Jeans From $30 Sizes 2433, with 30- and 32-inch inseams | Skinny | 10.87-inch rise | $ For Strategist writer Jenna Milliner-Waddell, the true test of a good pair is a no-gap waist  and the Mile Highs exceeded those expectations: Not only do they show no gaps, they stretch just enough to get over my hips without being a full-blown jegging, while still giving me that rigid denim feel, she says. The fit isnt fleeting, either  even after a couple of washes and much wear, the waist is still tight and the color just as saturated, Milliner-Waddell explains. These are probably the closest Ill ever get to love at first sight, she adds, and considering the pairs price point, its a win-win. From $30 at Amazon Buy $90 at Levi's Buy

Best cropped jeans

Agolde Riley High-Rise Straight-Crop Jeans $188 Sizes 2434 | Cropped straight leg | 11.5-inch rise | $$ The Agolde Rileys have appeared in several of our guides and counts a Strategist staffer, petite content creators, and a mom-jean maven as devotees. The reason were designating these as our top cropped pick is because they arent too long on petites (a rarity). Serrano, whos five feet, previously explained that these hit right at the ankle, the perfect length for a full-length jean. Strategist writer Lauren Ro, another petite, seconds this, saying that they just graze her ankles for a truer crop than a standard-size pair. But if you arent on the shorter side (and favor a non-stretch option), these work just as well cropped. Filmmaker and former New York photo editor Stella Blackmon calls these a standout in her sea of mom jeans, adding that these are slimmer than traditional ones, but are still like an ode to the jeans my mom loved when I was growing up. Note: The pair comes in 14 washes, the second-highest number on our list. $188 at Nordstrom Buy $188 at Agolde Buy

Best mom jeans

CRVY Georgine Mom Jeans $98 $98 Sizes 2435 | Straight leg, raw hem | 13-inch rise | $ Mom jeans have a reputation of being unflattering, especially when it comes to the backside. The Georgine turns that idea around completely: They have such a butt-boosting fit that U.K. Strategist contributor Monica Heisey calls them a revelation. Even though mom jeans are supposed to be looser, Heisey points out, its hard to find straight-size denim thats actually so. Free Peoples CRVY line is made from those with a bigger hip-to-waist ratio, she explains, and theres some kind of contouring-seaming situation in the waistband that I dont quite understand, but it is doing really important stuff for the waist and butt. The effect is a no-waist-gap, rigid-but-comfortable (non-stretch) pair of pants that are perfect out of the box. $98 at Free People Buy

Best distressed jeans

Best maternity jeans
Emma Sulkowicz. Photo: Philadelphia Contemporary

At the Healing Touch Integral Wellness Center on North 2nd Street in Philadelphia, I was asked by a blonde woman named Tara sitting behind a laptop to fill out some paperwork and wait for the doctor. Around me were the familiar staples one would find in any medical office  magazines, a coatrack, the persistent thrum of white-noise generators. But amidst the stack of paperwork was an indication that I wasnt just going to get a checkup  I had to sign my consent to participate in a performance by Emma Sulkowicz at [a] parafictional medical clinic.

Sulkowicz rose to fame in 2014 when she began carrying her mattress around Columbia University as a protest and art performance against how the university handled her sexual assault. Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight) sparked a national conversation around campus rape, and Sulkowicz became herself something of a divisive figure. In her latest project at Philadelphia Contemporary, Sulkowicz decided to turn the spotlight from herself to the participant. Shes no longer the central figure of the artwork. Instead, Sulkowicz wants to heal you.

The performance, which runs until the end of January, is a coy meditation on our Western obsession with being neatly healed of our emotional ailments, and takes place at a converted gallery space in Old City. Every day, Sulkowicz holds 12 appointments at $30 a ticket. After filling out four pages of paperwork with questions like Have you ever cried while viewing art? If yes, did crying make you feel better?, patients are tended to by Sulkowicz through talk therapy. Sulkowicz says her goal with each of her visitors is to eradicate lack by abolishing desire, which, like all experiments in emotional healing, is both vague and flexible. Ive had patients literally write on their paperwork that they want to be diagnosed with depression, Sulkowicz explained. I tell them, Im not a real doctor, but we can talk about why you might desire for me to diagnose you with depression in this kind of art piece.

Back in the waiting room, I prepared for my session. The doctor will see you now, Tara said, motioning for me to walk through a white curtain and toward the end of a hallway. Behind a door, in a white room with no windows and scattered with various medical-adjacent props like a bottle of Currel lotion, a desk chair, a yellow legal pad, and a plant, I was greeted, professionally, by Sulkowicz. She wore a lab coat and Dansko slip-ons. With the door closed, it felt vaguely unsettling to suddenly be the primary focus of Sulkowiczs attention. Looking at her, it was impossible not to be reminded of the very public trauma and recovery she had weathered in recent history. I felt for a moment that it was me who should be asking her about deep emotional distress, which I presupposed was part of the point.

Sulkowicz started our session by looking down at my paperwork and saying, You say that art makes you cry. Can you tell me about the last piece of art that did this?

Our conversation ranged from eggplant Parmesan to pathological ambition to the importance of physical embrace, and nearly every member of my immediate family and how I relate to them. Sulkowicz  while taking notes on the yellow legal pad in polished script  was much better at pulling important details from me than Id expected. Her assessments were frequently accurate, but with her nervous laugh and occasional long pause to unveil a new question, in my 30-minute session, I was never able to fully buy in. It felt more like a very intense round of speed dating than a scheduled visit with a licensed practitioner.

The end of our session was abrupt: Sulkowicz smiled at me, said we were out of time, and I walked back out to the waiting room. As I put on my coat, she bound through the curtain, lab coat removed, and proclaimed, Im me now. She immediately embraced me in a hug as if we were old friends, a purposeful extension of our session, which focused heavily on how much I value physical embrace. Sulkowicz breaking the fourth wall so soon after her diagnosing my need for art felt like a piece of the art itself. It was dizzying.

Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight). Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Performance art that requires viewer participation is not anything new, of course  Sulkowiczs new project is emotional cousins with much of Marina Abramovics recent work, and is also aligned with the return of immersive theater as a trend. The through-line with them all is our desire to be touched, to be heard, to be truly felt in a time where were imprisoned by the iciness of technology. In Sulkowiczs latest, there is safety in knowing that, theoretically, the viewer could say whatever she or he chooses, and the artist would help you work through it. But the word healing is in the title of the work, which indicates after leaving the space, participants should have gone through some sort of cathartic transformation.

During Mattress Performance, as I would walk by carrying the mattress, people would touch me reverently, as if I could heal them. It was really weird, she said. The performance ran for the entirety of Sulkowiczs senior year, concluding when she carried the mattress with several classmates onstage during commencement. No matter where I was, whether I had the mattress or not, people would come up to me and tell me about themselves. When you go to a medical clinic, you expect to have physical contact with your doctor by way of a stethoscope. In talk therapy, you talk it all out. This project aims to blend those two things, without the actual touching.

But can this version of art mimicking medical intervention  galleries are kind of like medical clinics, she says, all the white walls  actually result in any healing?

For Sulkowicz, that depends on how you define healing. Shes not interested in the quick-fix approach to trauma that she experienced at Columbia following her assault, when she says a therapist told her she would soon be healed to the point of being able to be in the same room as her attacker. It was that moment when I decided that definitions of healing that meant smoothing things over, getting over it, and moving on just werent interesting to me, she says. Instead, Sulkowicz wanted to find a definition of healing that allowed for something of the contrary, something more long-term. The opposite of getting over it was to decidedly not get over it and create spaces where people can actually confront their emotions as much as they need to.

The results of the project so far are largely what youd expect in the time were currently living in. You wont be surprised to hear how much the election comes up. We obviously can all agree that the election result was bad, that it was traumatizing. But when we start to pick that apart, the election has meant something completely different to every person. This is why, Sulkowicz said, she aims to create a space of radical sensitivity.
When Amber Heard filed for divorce from Johnny Depp last summer, she accused him of domestic violence and released photo and video evidence of the alleged abuse. Depp denied her claims but eventually settled with her for $7 million, which Heard is donating in full to the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles and the domestic violence unit of the ACLU. The divorce was finalized, finally, last week. And now, it seems, Johnny Depp is going to be fine. Last night, he received a warm welcome at the Peoples Choice Awards, where he accepted the honor of Favorite Movie Icon.

Related Stories Amber Heard Is Finally Free of Johnny Depp

Wearing four bedazzled safety pins in his earlobes, Depp took to the stage to thank the fans who trusted him throughout his divorce proceedings.

I came here for one reason tonight and one reason only, he said. I came here for you, the people who through whatever good times or bad, you know, have stood by me, trusted me. Thank you. You very, very graciously invited me here once again tonight. So I appreciate that very much. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.

Throughout his speech, several fans screamed out I love you! and Depp told them he loved them back. Whatever happened with Heard, the people, apparently, are willing to forgive it.

It seems this kind of awards-show redemption is becoming a trend among PR-damaged actors. After being investigated for child abuse during his custody battle with Angelina Jolie last year, Brad Pitt made a triumphant return to public life at the Golden Globe Awards this month. When he graced the stage to present Moonlight, the audience cheered, sending a message to everyone watching that Pitt still has plenty of friends in Hollywood. Whos going to have a moment like this at the Oscars?
Protesters informed there are Trump supporters ahead. They were implored not to engage:"We do not need to feed their energy," organizer said pic.twitter.com/9J5kkWLVST  Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) January 19, 2017

On Wednesday night, the activist group WERK for Peace hosted a queer dance party outside Mike Pences Maryland home, and its already shaping up to be the most successful event of Donald Trumps inauguration weekend.

Hundreds are dancing to @rihanna outside of VP Elect Mike Pence's DC house to protest what they view as his anti-gay policies. pic.twitter.com/Kim1nbAjHi  Ellison Barber (@ellisonbarber) January 19, 2017

"We are here / we are queer / we will dance" chants at #LGBTQ dance party outside Mike Pence's house on his last night living there pic.twitter.com/N4ZkQVF8qB  Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) January 19, 2017

These are the streets outside Mike Pence's house in D.C., shut down by activists throwing a Queer Dance Party tonight. Pure jubilance. pic.twitter.com/GrJAgvSZBh  Jack Smith IV (@JackSmithIV) January 19, 2017

We dont use this phrase lightly, but: It was lit. Like, dancing-on-cars-level lit.

Queer dance party outside Mike Pence's house pic.twitter.com/sQvlha4uGW  Not A Robot, Just A Democrat (@CrappyMovies) January 19, 2017

If this video of @werkforpeace organizer Firas Nasr leading the protest doesn't make you want to become a political organizer, nothing will. pic.twitter.com/tBHiRMOsa4  Jack Smith IV (@JackSmithIV) January 19, 2017

As the Washington Post reports, theres been markedly little enthusiasm around the president-elects inauguration in D.C. Despite Trumps claim of an unbelievable, perhaps record-setting turnout for the inauguration, hes only hosting three official balls, and many big-name event spaces will be vacant this weekend. Fewer bars registered for extended hours than in 2009 and 2013, and one nightclub owner said he isnt expecting much. Obviously in [2009], U Street blew up, he told the Post. I dont think thats going to happen.

In other words, the best party of the inauguration is already over  sorry you missed it.
Cathy Heller. Photo: Patrick McMullan

In October, Cathy Heller became one of many women to accuse President-elect Donald Trump of sexual assault. Now, shes heading to Washington for the upcoming Womens March  after encouraging Amtrak to add another car to its sold-out train from New York, so that she and 43 others could attend.

As the Guardian reports, Heller came forward about being allegedly forcibly kissed by Trump while attending a Mothers Day brunch at his Mar-a-Lago Club. She, like many others, was subsequently shocked when he won the presidential election, and decided to attend the March not just for herself, but also to protest his stance on immigration and overall racism and bigotry. Only, there was one problem  every train from New York Penn Station to D.C. the morning of the march was sold out.

Per the Guardian:

A few phone calls later, she found herself entreating an Amtrak salesperson: how many women would she have to organize before Amtrak agreed to add another car?

A week later, Amtrak informed her that they had added more cars  at which point Heller already had commitments from 43 people who would be willing to take the train with her to Washington. Apparently, they are calling themselves Cathys Train.

I like to think Id be at a march in Washington, or at least locally in New York, even if it hadnt happened to me, Heller told the Guardian.
Home Explorations CAPSTONE Telepresence Mapping in Pacific Marine Protected Areas

Mission Overview Elizabeth "Meme" Lobecker and Michael White - NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

January 20 - February 11, 2017

This expedition will commence on January 20, 2017, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and will conclude on February 11 in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

Operations during the expedition will include the use of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorers deepwater mapping systems: Konsberg EM302 multibeam sonar, EK60 split-beam fisheries sonars, ADCPs and Knudsen 3260 chirp sub-bottom profile sonar. As part of the Okeanos Explorers "Always Exploring" model, these sonars or a subset of these sonars will be operated at all times, 24 hours per day, throughout the cruise, allowing for continued exploration.

In addition to the operation of the ships sonar suite, this expedition will be the fifth cruise to test telepresence-enabled mapping operations on the Okeanos Explorer. Continuous telepresence-based remote participation for mapping operations will be performed using the ships high-bandwidth satellite connections for real-time ship to shore communications.

After leaving Honolulu, the ship will transit to waters offshore of the Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atolls areas of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM), carrying out a focused survey on a Navy red dot seamount target. From there, the Okeanos will travel to the Jarvis Island Area of PRIMNM and then transit along the Clipperton Fracture Zone to the eastern Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA). These waters include several unmapped seamounts as well as the Hadal Hole and Winslow Reef, which will also be targeted areas for focused mapping. Transiting out of PIPA, the ship will move through waters near Tokelau before finally arriving in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

The seafloor mapping operations conducted during the expedition will be used to prepare for remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives to occur during upcoming expeditions in 2017. The mapping operations will also support an array of scientific, management, and exploration objectives including, but not limited to: contributing to geological understanding of remote areas of the Pacific Ocean, characterization of seamounts within the Prime Crust Zone thought to be areas of high concentrations of deep-sea minerals, identification and characterization of vulnerable marine habitats; and acquisition of data to support priority Monument and Sanctuary management needs.

The Okeanos Explorer team is planning a port call at Kanton Island, the easternmost island within Kiribati territory. This port call is part of a continuing effort to engage stakeholders and to enhance regional cooperative partnerships.

Serving as a ship of opportunity, the Okeanos Explorer will also serve as a platfrom from which to deploy ARGOS floats along the ship's track line. These ARGOS floats are part of a global array of free drifting buoys that remotely record physical characteristics of the ambient ocean.

Joining the operations team will be two Explorers-in-Training, Jay Chitnis and Sarah Rosenthal, both of whom are based out of Hawaii. During their watches, they will be responsible for monitoring data acquisition, data processing, and assisting with data management. While onboard the Okeanos, Jay and Sarah will also create and carry out capstone projects to document their experience and to help advance the overall mission. The Okeanos team is very excited to have future explorers working alongside!

Also joining the operations team will be Jason Meyer and Dan Freitas as Lead Watchstanders and Survey Technician Charlie Wilkins. Mike White will be serving as the onboard Expedition Coordinator/Mapping Lead.

All collected data will be available in NOAAs public data archives within 60-90 days of the conclusion of the cruise and can be accessed via the OER Digital Atlas.
noooo it was so messy

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Absolutely NOT.



The Wailing is, bar none, the best movie I've seen in 2016. It's a psychological horror masterpiece and I don't need Ridley's past-his-prime mitts all over it.



Fucking Hollywood. Just read the goddamn subtitles!

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I have so many questions about this movie...



The shaman and the Japanese man were always in cahoots? If so, why did the candle and the dead crow and all the bird shit scare off the shaman? Does that mean the girl in white was never evil???

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This video is a pretty straight-forward explanation of the plot. There are more allegorical interpretations out there, but I like this one:







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I had to watch this after watching the movie because I was so confused! Because of my lack of knowledge of Korean folklore this video really made things clearer.

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This is perfect, thanks for sharing this!

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omg thankyou for this! i had to keep pausing and going back because she explained everything so fast ha

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lmao I never saw this movie and this comment is so all over the place

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There's a lot of theories and I think a case can be made for the shaman not always being in cahoots, but, yes, they probably always were. The girl in white was definitely not evil, though.

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leave it alone, you hack

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Mte

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of course!

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Yupp

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You know it!

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did you really need to ask?

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he needs to retire

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lol this just reminds me of the midish 2000s when they started started doing an English remake of like every Japanese horror movie.

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we need to figure out which asian country is going to be in hollywood's sights next.

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I'm putting my money on Brunei.

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Vietnam tbh.

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Learn to read subtitles instead!

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that's a tall order to make on ontd of all places!!

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Are you mad?

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Instead of remaking or rebooting everything, how about some original ideas?

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nobody is asking for this

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I wish horror didnt make me so anxious... I was never a big fan of the genre, but a good movie is a good movie, and there are many in it. Just from the stills I dont think my poor brain can stand watching this alone tho

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It's on Netflix, if you have it. Watch it in the morning like I did, lol.

I'm not good with horror but this is more tense than scary, promise!

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i'm the same, i have to watch horror films on my laptop so i can mute/ fastforward scenes. i'm such a wimp ha

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you know they'll just have some white people travel there lol

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ppl truly despise subtitles huh

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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i hear they're doing train to busan too

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Coal already faces tremendous competition in the U.S. from low cost natural gas, and pressure from environmentalists concerned about its pollution. The last thing the coal industry needs are more problems. But when it rains it pours or in this case when its sunny the solar industry looks to rain on coal.

Coal cost an average of roughly $0.06 per kWh globally which makes it the cheapest power source on average around the world. (Natural gas is much more expensive outside the U.S.) Solar is looking to usurp the title of cheapest power source though.

In 2016, countries from Chile to the United Arab Emirates broke records with deals to generate electricity from sunshine for less than 3 cents a kilowatt-hour, half the average global cost of coal power. This year Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Mexico are poised to hold auctions and tenders which could see solar generation prices fall even further.

The solar industry is operating more and more efficiently each year with solar prices down an average of 62 percent since 2009, and every part of the solar supply chain becoming more efficient and lowering costs. Economies of scale, increasing manufacturing expertise, and new technology like diamond wire cutting tools have all helped make solars progress the envy of the energy complex.

(Click to enlarge)



Coal producers are not taking the threat to their price advantage lying down though. The coal industry correctly points out that it has a consistency unavailable with solar (even in Saudi Arabia the sun still sets at night). Solars pricing advantage doses not take into account the cost of maintaining backup energy supply (either through battery storage or through alternative generation means).

The industry has a point of course, but its getting harder and harder to lean on that argument as solar keeps getting cheaper, and new technologies like perovskite emerge on the horizon.

The cheap solar power is benefiting utilities like Italys Enel SpA. The solar industry itself faces very tight margins, but solar users are benefiting. Part of the magic for solar has come from the old backbone of capitalism  competition. Sunbelt countries like Chile and Saudi Arabia are making heavy use of auctions for projects where the lowest price solar provider wins. Thats pushing prices lower compared to the negotiated project costs that often prevail in other sectors of the energy complex such as coal. Related: Saudi Arabia To Spend $50 Billion On Massive Solar Push

An August solar auction in Chile yielded a low bid of 2.91 cents per kWh, while an auction in September for the UAE led to a bid of 2.42 cents per kWh. In bidding on such contracts, solar developers are betting in part on solar prices continuing to fall in the future. The view is that even if a project is marginally profitable with current technology and prices, deflation across the supply chain will fix that problem going forward.

Coal faces enormous cost pressures as well and the industry is doing what it can to cut prices, but the reality is that the industry is not structured in such a way that it can significantly lower costs. There is very little R&D being done in the coal industry on new technology to cut costs in comparison to the solar industry. Coal has tremendous legacy costs including labor heavy high cost work forces that are unionized in some cases. Coal has also been around for so long that all of the low hanging fruit in cost savings has likely already been realized. By comparison, solar is just hitting its stride.

All of this is good news for consumers and particularly utilities that benefit from lower wholesale power prices. Its not great news for those hoping for a miraculous comeback in the coal industry.

By Michael McDonald of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The impact of the OPEC production cuts could be much more muted than many had hoped for as non-OPEC output comes roaring back in 2017. And it isnt just from U.S. shale. The IEA predicts that non-OPEC countries on the whole will add 380,000 bpd of net capacity this year, and crucially, that figure includes the promised 558,000 bpd reductions that 11 countries promised in conjunction with the OPEC cuts.

Of course, U.S. shale will be a major factor in this output rebound. In its latest Oil Market Report, the IEA revised up its forecast for U.S. production this year, expecting gains of 170,000 bpd. Drilling activity is rising quickly  in December, the U.S. saw the largest monthly increase in the rig count in more than two years. Capex is rising, employment is positive, and the industry is becoming more efficient at drilling. Whether it be shorter drilling times or larger amounts of oil produced per well, there is no doubt that the U.S. shale industry has emerged from the $30/bbl oil world we lived in a year ago much leaner and fitter, the IEA said in its report.

Elsewhere, the gains could be even more substantial. For example, Brazil and Canada, home to major offshore drilling and oil sands, respectively, have long-term projects planned years ago when oil prices were much higher set to come online. Together, Brazil and Canada could add a hefty 415,000 bpd this year.

As such, the resurgence of oil production from different parts of the world will take the wind out of the sails of the OPEC deal.

But as the U.S. and other non-OPEC countries bring production back to the market, the OPEC deal will help tighten global supplies, even if only modestly. While it is still too early to tell whether or not OPEC will adhere to the promised cuts that it laid out in November, the latest data is encouraging  OPEC output fell by 320,000 bpd in December, largely because Saudi Arabia moved quickly to lower output, while unplanned outages in Nigeria added to the reductions.

The early indications suggest a deeper OPEC reduction may be under way for January, as Saudi Arabia and its neighbors enforce supply cuts, the IEA said. The Paris-based energy agency says that if OPEC were to comply with the deal, it would imply a drawdown in global inventories on the order of 0.7 mb/d for the first six months of 2017.

"The primary goal is to accelerate the stocks drawdown," OPECs Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, according to Reuters. "We are already seeing stocks coming down from the high levels. Our eyes will continue to focus on the level of drawdown to bring the level near a five-year industry average. Related: OPECs December Cuts Are A Bullish Sign For Oil Markets

Indeed, the IEA offered some reasons for bullishness on crude. Global inventories of petroleum products in OECD countries  rich countries that the IEA specifically tracks  fell for the fourth consecutive month, although they still hovered more than 300 million barrels above the five-year average. The IEA believes that global stocks probably continued to increase towards the end of 2016, with storage levels in China and India likely rising.

On the demand side of the equation, things are much quieter. The IEA revised up its estimate of global demand growth for 2016 by 110,000 bpd to 1.5 mb/d. This year will be slower, with growth of just 1.3 mb/d.

In short, the IEA sees the market moving towards a supply deficit in the first half of this year, helping to bring down oil inventories. But non-OPEC supply increases could offset that momentum towards balance. IEAs estimates for U.S. shale could also be on the conservative side. For its part, OPEC thinks U.S. shale will rise by 230,000 bpd instead of the IEAs 170,000 bpd figure. It is important to note that these are annual averages; the IEAs executive director Fatih Birol said earlier this week that he expects U.S. shale to end the year 500,000 bpd higher than at the start of it, the largest annual increase in history.

The end result could be higher prices in the near-term, but a renewed downturn in prices as U.S. shale comes back. Prices will go up, U.S. and other production will go up and put downward pressure on prices again. And up and down. We are entering a period of greater oil-price volatility, Birol said this week.

(Click to enlarge)

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Oil is finding some support thus far today off the back of the IEA's monthly oil market report, which pointed to a tightening market amid OPEC production cuts. Hark, here are five things to consider in oil markets today.

1) In a similar fashion to yesterday's OPEC report, IEA has boosted Iraqi oil production to a record last month; OPEC's secondary sources had production pegged at 3.63 million barrels per day, while the IEA today has it at a very similar 4.64mn bpd. Production based on direct communication has it an even higher 4.83 million bpd.

As our ClipperData illustrate below, exports are kicking around 4mn bpd, when including both northern and southern Iraqi loadings.

(Click to enlarge)



2) The IEA's report was optimistic for demand, boosting demand growth for 2016 by 110,000 bpd to 1.5 million bpd, driven by colder weather in Europe in Q4, and Asian demand growth. This pace is set to slow to 1.3 million bpd this year.

While the agency is falling in line with recent evidence of rising US shale production, it again highlights something we pointed to yesterday - that Brazilian production should show a firm increase this year; combined with Canada, it is expected to grow by 415,000 bpd. Non-OPEC production is expected to grow by 380,000 bpd this year - higher than OPEC's estimate of +120,000 bpd.

In terms of OPEC last month, it sees production falling by 320,000 bpd, led by Saudi (intentional, well, seasonal) and Nigeria (maintenance, strikes, geopolitics). Interestingly, it also sees Iranian production slipping to 3.72mn bpd, after peaking in October; we see in our ClipperData that exports topped out at this point also - and have been considerably lower since, even as floating storage has dropped.

(Click to enlarge)

3) This is unashamedly nerdy, but it's super-interesting (and nutty) to see that Saudi Arabia and UAE account for 60 percent of crude imports into Japan. Although it has been surpassed by India last year, Japan is still the fourth largest importer in the world.

Saudi and UAE have strong ties to Japan; they both lease crude storage in Okinawa. Saudi has been storing crude in Okinawa since February 2011, and back in September, it expanded its agreement with the Japanese government by 2 million bbls to store up to 6.3 million bbls. The Japanese government provides the storage space for free, on the proviso that it gets a priority claim on the oil there in case of emergency. Related: $25 Trillion Investment Needed To Meet Future Oil Demand

It has just been announced overnight that the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has had its agreement to store the same volume, 6.3mn bbls, extended to the end of 2019 - after it was set to expire at the end of this year. UAE has been storing oil at Okinawa since 2009, even longer than Saudi, giving it easy access to Asian markets. Over 30 percent of UAE's crude exports go to Japan, while only 13 percent of Saudi's exports head there.

(Click to enlarge)



4) After slashing costs in the last two years amid the oil price slump, Cnooc is set to raise capex to 70 billion yuan, after it dropped to 50 billion yuan last year, the lowest since 2009 (hark, chart below). The company produced 470mn bbls last year, and has a production target of 450-460mn bbls for this year; last year was its first output decline since 1999.

As we discussed earlier in the week, Chinese domestic production is under threat of further shrinkage; 54 percent of Cnooc's capex this year will be invested in domestic production. Some 64 percent of its total production is produced domestically, with other projects as far afield as the Gulf of Mexico.

(Click to enlarge)



5) Despite its focus on renewables, natural gas is the largest source of power generation in Mexico, with more than 60 percent of capacity additions through 2020 to come from the fuel. Natural gas currently accounts for 54 percent of Mexico's power generation, up from 34 percent in 2005:

(Click to enlarge)



By Matt Smith

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut oil production by 221,000 barrels per day in the last month of 2016, bringing the blocs total output to 33.08 million bpd by the end of December, according to the groups latest report released on Wednesday.

With domestic oil sectors just recovering from years of civil strife, Iraq and Libya upped their output to pay for the reconstruction of their countries as they regain former stability. For the month of December, Libya increased oil production from 577,000 barrels per day in November to 608,000 barrels per day, based on secondary sources.

Iraq, who has contested the use of secondary source figures, produced 4.63 million barrels per day in December, up from 4.59 million barrels per day in November. Home to the second largest oil reserves in OPEC, Iraq has obligations to supermajor international oil companies, and must contend with production from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) as well. The KRG may or may not play along with the cuts.

Angola also ramped up production after experiencing a sizable dip in October, but its December figure standing over 1.7 million brings the African nation back to regular highs.

In contrast, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela saw the largest declines  surprisingly. As the de facto leader of OPEC, Saudi Arabia has been expected to take on the burden of 40 percent of the planned cuts. For December, Saudi Arabia produced 10.47 million barrels per day, down from 10.62 million barrels per day in November. Related: The Rebound Is Here: Megaprojects Back On The Table

Nigerias militant crisis has led output to decline up to 50 percent at its worst. The Niger Delta Avengers and related groups demand that profits from oil production be used to develop the areas from which the resource is extracted. Nigerias production for December was 1.54 million barrels per day, down from 1.66 million barrels per day in November.

Venezuela, at 2.02 million barrels per day, has had to open up its borders with neighboring Colombia  a country that has been blamed for drug crises and violence in the domestic political circle.

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, in order to increase global confidence in its upcoming IPO of Saudi Aramco.

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.

Overall, OPEC production for the month of December came in at 33.08 million barrels per day compared to 33.31 million barrels per day in November.

Global oil supply dropped 0.30 million barrels per day in December, averaging 96.92 million barrels per day for the month, but increasing by 710,000 barrels per day year over year.

By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
China will invest US$3 billion in the upgrade of Irans oil refining facilities, Iranian media reported, with the bulk of the investment going into the Abadan refinery.

According to Deputy Oil Minister Abbas Kazemi, China has already opened the financing for the refinerys upgrade. Irans oil and gas infrastructure has suffered the results of years of neglect because of insufficient maintenance funds during the sanction years as well as access to new technology and equipment.

Last week Chinas statistical bureau reported that the countrys crude oil imports had increased to 64.4 percent of domestic demand and this is expected to continue, with imports rising by a total 17 percent in the period 2015-2020, with domestic output falling by 7 percent in the period, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

With demand set to rise by 8 percent in the five-year period, the financial commitment in Iran could be seen as part of efforts to secure not just crude oil, but also fuels for the future. Because of its oil fundamentals dynamics, the country has turned into a battleground for major oil and fuel exporters such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and now Iran.

Iran is eager to get its oil and gas industry back on track and has been very active in attracting foreign investment. First it developed a new oil contract, the Iranian Petroleum Contract, which gives foreign operators of its oil fields more lucrative terms, such as booking reserves that were earlier denied them.



Related: OPECs Production Cut: Who Will Cheat First?

Earlier this month, Tehran released a list of 29 foreign companies to participate in upcoming oil and gas tenders. There are four Chinese companies on the list, along with five Japanese ones, as well as oil companies from Europe. Only one U.S. Company is included on the list: Schlumberger.

Tehrans leanings east and north could be seen as a safeguard against new sanctions that may come from the West shoud Trump get his way, which is by no means a certainty, especially in light of a recent appeal from top U.S. scientists to the President-elect to keep the deal as it is, arguing that it serves as a deterrent to any further attempts by Tehran to develop nuclear weapons.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Gazprom reported a net profit of US$12.36 billion (737.4 billion rubles) for the first nine months of 2016, an improvement on its nine-month 2015 result, which stood at US$11.57 billion (690.3 billion rubles).

The operating result for January-September 2016 was US$9.52 billion (567.82 billion rubles), almost half the operating profit for the same period of 2015, and revenues stood at US$70 billion (4.32 trillion rubles), a slight improvement on 2015.

For the third quarter alone, Gazprom booked lower revenues but a higher profit, at US$1.7 billion (102.2 billion rubles.)

The gas giant said in its financial statement for January-September and July-September that gas exports had improved from 125.3 billion cubic meters in January-September 2015 to 160.9 billion cubic meters in the same period of 2016. Still, in the third quarter, sales to Europe declined in money terms because of the cheaper ruble.

Earlier this week, Gazprom said that gas sales to Germany had reached a new record in 2016, at 49.8 billion cubic meters, up from 45.3 billion cubic meters a year earlier. Germany is Gazproms biggest foreign market and the destination of its Nord Stream-2 pipeline project, vehemently opposed by Eastern European members of the EU and Ukraine, which will lose a substantial portion of its gas transit income to Nord Stream-2.

Last year, CEO Alexei Miller said that Nord Stream-2 would let Gazprom save some US$1.6 billion annually as it will eliminate the need to maintain the old transit pipeline through Ukraine. At the same time, the amount of transit gas going through Ukraine will drop from the current 50-70 billion cubic meters to as little as 10-15 billion cubic meters.

Meanwhile, Ukraines own state oil and gas company Naftogaz is only growing more hostile to Gazprom. The two are locked in a dispute over several billion dollars that Gazprom says Naftogaz owes it in payments under a take-or-pay contract. Earlier this week, the Russian company presented Naftogaz with an invoice for the dues, at US$5.3 billion, which Naftogaz said it would not pay until the court rules on the dispute.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The value added craze has been sweeping the mining world. With governments from Zimbabwe to Indonesia calling for miners to upgrade copper, nickel, aluminum and platinum in-country  rather than exporting lower-value mineral concentrates.

And this week, the worlds second-largest lithium nation jumped on the bandwagon. Calling for increased processing of lithium in the country, and offering financial incentives for those who help.

The place is Chile. Where the head of government development agency Corfo told Reuters Tuesday he wants to see the countrys vast lithium reserves converted into end products close to home.

Corfo head Eduardo Bitran said Chile will launch a tender this April for firms to propose value-added projects in lithium. Potentially including manufacture of lithium ion batteries and cathode.

That would be a big shift for Chile  which currently exports the majority of its lithium to other nations where manufacturing takes place.

Corfos Bitran noted the program has already received strong interest. Saying meetings have taken place with two Chinese firms and a Korean company to advance potential projects.

He also said developers of advanced projects will get preferential access to Chiles mined lithium supply. Noting that lithium prices for in-country manufacturers would be set lower than prices for foreign customers. Related: The Rebound Is Here: Megaprojects Back On The Table

Thats good news for battery makers. But potentially a negative for lithium producers  who might be forced to sell product at lower prices in order to support the governments development plans.

Such restrictions on the mining industry are increasingly becoming a global issue. Like in Indonesia, where miners are paying hundreds of millions of dollars to build smelters  or face cuts to their output.

Chile is a higher-profile mining nation  and a rise in the value-added movement here could encourage more resource nationalism worldwide. Watch for results of the Chilean project tender after April.

Heres to a homemade solution.

By Dave Forest

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
By Jacob Vandever

With the Democratic Party being at a low point in their influence on the national stage, Oregon is in a unique position as one of the few states where Democrats still have a firm grip on the reigns of power. Come Inauguration Day, not only will there be folks taking to the streets to protest President Trump, but there will also be groups meeting across the state to discuss how to organize against the Trump Administration here in Oregon.

Just a few of the events scheduled this weekend in Portland include the Anti-Betsy DeVos Walkout and Protest, Rise up and Resist Fascism, Portland States Student Walkout on Trumps Inauguration, and the Inauguration Day Flag Burning Extravaganza. These people wont simply be marching through the streets and breaking windows, although that is almost guaranteed to happen, they will be exchanging contacts, signing people up for updates, and making plans on how Oregon can be ground zero in the fight against the Trump administration.

As we see massive changes in federal policy that are likely to come about from the new administration, it is entirely possible that Democratic officials in Oregon take the lead on resisting the Trump administration and in effect turning the state into the liberal bastion of Fortress Oregon. Before Donald Trump even took office we already saw the City of Portland double down on their sanctuary status in direct opposition to Donald Trumps threat to cut federal funding to sanctuary cities. Undoubtedly Oregons resistance will not stop at immigration policy.

What happens when the Jordan Cove LNG project files with a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that has Trump appointees? What happens if the administration makes moves to open up logging in Oregon? What happens if the Trump justice department decides to crack down on states who have legalized recreational marijuana? No doubt we will see significant pushback on the ground here in Oregon.

Already Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, and Kurt Schrader have stated that they will not be attending President Trumps inauguration, which means more than 40 percent of Oregons entire Federal Delegation will not be attending the swearing-in of the President of the United States out of protest. Although Congressman Schrader couldnt even be bothered to attend his own swearing-in, so maybe he just has something more important to do.

During the next four years, it will be important to have a counter-narrative running to the messages of those who would oppose the new President at all costs. When the Trump administration enacts policies that will be good for folks in Oregon, I doubt we can count on the media here to give those policies a fair hearing. When Present Trump takes actions that are not in line with conservative values, we should voice our concerns, but when President Trump makes changes that will help grow business and improve our communities we need to make sure that our fellow Oregonians know about it, otherwise I fear the dominant progressive narrative could lead to a backlash against Trump and Oregon Republicans come the 2018 election.

Stand on principle and make your voice heard loud and clear because undoubtedly the voice of the progressives will only get louder and louder over the next few years.
Afghanistan approach to talks with Taliban is very fragmented: Sartaj Aziz

Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz asked the Afghan leadership to stop blaming Islamabad for the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and advised them to instead review their fragmented approach to peace talks with the Taliban on the resilient insurgency, reported VoA on Wednesday.



In an interview to the US-based media outlet, Sartaj Aziz said that a "lack of political consensus and prevailing ambiguity in Afghanistan about whether to treat Taliban insurgents as terrorists or stakeholders" in national politics had blocked the internationally-backed efforts to start peace talks between the warring sides.





Their approach to talks with the Taliban is very, very fragmented," he said. "We want the [Afghan] government of national unity to succeed, to establish its writ, we want them to send a clear signal to the Taliban and other groups that the whole world wants them [insurgents] to talk [to Kabul] and solve the problem because nobody wants fighting in Afghanistan to continue.



A clarity in the Afghan approach coupled with Pakistans resolve to prevent the use of its soil against Afghanistan and international pressure may send right signals to the Taliban and they may come to the table for peace talks, the report quoted Aziz as saying.



I think they will come under greater pressure and so, if serious negotiations begin in 2017, that will be our best hope for peace in Afghanistan, Aziz told VoA.



He was of the view that years of reliance on the use of military power to resolve the Afghan conflict has so far not yielded results and instead strengthened the Taliban.



The Taliban may not be able to capture (the) bulk of Afghanistan or the capital or any other (major urban) place but they can carry on [the] insurgency for a very long time and the people of Afghanistan do need peace as early as possible In the meanwhile, of course, ISAF forces are trying to help Afghanistan to make sure that they [the Taliban] dont gain much territory because if they start gaining [more territory] then obviously they will be reluctant to negotiate, he was quoted as saying.



Talking about the ongoing Operation Zarb-i-Azb against terrorists and its impact within and across the Afghan border, he said that Pakistan had repeatedly assured Ghani that space has been squeezed on anti-Afghan insurgents and those hiding on the Pakistani side of the border had mostly gone back to Afghanistan.



So, that commitment we are gradually honouring. Through operation Zarb-i-Azb, North Waziristan was cleared. The infrastructure of all the terrorist groups was destroyed so they can no longer operate as forcefully and as frequently as they used to but remnants are still scattered. The cleaning up operations are going on, Aziz said.



Aziz said that Pakistan has already intensified efforts to boost security along its 2,600-kilometre long porous border with Afghanistan.



Further elaborating the efforts being taken by Islamabad to ensure a secure border, he said, "Unlike the decades old tradition of free cross-border movement, travellers are now required to show valid identity documents to move in either direction."



This (new policy) will enable us to monitor the movement of all kinds of people and so this documentation travel has to be (introduced) on both sides. So far they (Afghanistan) arent (implementing it on their side)and that is the best way to ensure that undesirable elements do not go (to Afghanistan) and this is the only way we can ensure that our commitment of not allowing our soil to be used can be observed, Aziz said during the interview.



He also demanded of the Afghan authorities to make a matching response on their side.
Intelligence sharing is a very important component of strategy to combat terrorism: Raheel Sharif 19 January, 2017



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Woke Bingo Former army chief Gen Raheel Sharif, while addressing a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, called for a global intelligence sharing strategy to combat terrorism all over the world.



Sharif, during a session titled 'Terrorism in the digital age', said that 2016 had witnessed a significant decrease in terrorism and that "intelligence sharing is a very important component of strategy to combat terrorism."





"Terrorism is a global issue and the global community will have to get united if it wants to defeat terrorism," he said.



Discussing modern terrorism, Sharif maintained that new methods of communication give terrorists a huge advantage and that "it [terrorism] is not only a cancer, it is the most deadly form of cancer."



When the discussion moved towards the need for international measures against terrorism, Raheel Sharif said, "I think at the international level there is the need for synergy and a pact like the UN's 1373 resolution which binds us together."



Recalling Pakistans experience in its fight against terrorism, he added: "In Pakistan it was the whole nation approach which paid off. When a horrendous attack like the school incident in which over 135 children were killed occurred, everyone came together."



"I think in this digital age intelligence sharing is the key to success against terrorism and it would make a huge difference," he concluded.



"These terrorists have the ability to mutate, to morph and they can do it very quickly. Obviously this platform [the internet] is available to them and they [terrorists] us it very effectively; recruitment is only one thing, the financiers, the facilitators, the sleeper cells and the sympathisers, all of them are involved in [the process through the internet]," Sharif said during the discussion.



"There is a requirement for the free world to gel together and react on a fast pace. I would say we would have to go on a certain pitch to fight this menace," the former Army chief concluded.



Talking about how terrorists strategise, Raheel Sharif said: "They plan their attacks very well, they want glorification. If you see the timing if you see the targets, there is a method to this madness, and it is not someone sitting in a cave that is doing these things."



Highlighting Pakistans struggle with terrorism at the forum, Sharif said: I would just like to say a few words about our Pakistan and the region, we used to have around 150 incidents [of terrorist incidents] a month and from that we came down to a single figure in 2016 and now  we have one [terrorist] incident in one or two months.



While talking about international laws that protect human rights and freedom of speech, Raheel Sharif said the two concerns are sometimes difficult to handle.



"When you are dealing with hardcore terrorists like those in the school incident, there were mothers that met me and asked that these terrorists be apprehended and hanged within the school's premises. At that moment, someone brought up human rights, and one of the mothers said to me what about our human right?," he said.



"So there is a balance which is required ... there is the need to deal with these terrorists in a very firm way and, I personally feel, in a manner which creates deterrence. Obviously the laws and rules need to be followed as well," Sharif concluded.



"Do you think you can deter someone who is ready to sacrifice their own life and the lives of their family?" the show host asked.



Sharif replied, "Of course we can deter them if there is a proper mechanism in place and if there are courts in place to deal with these matters."



Talking about Pakistans firm stance on military courts, he added: "I openly admit that we had military courts, and that 170 militants were convicted and some of them were even sentenced to death."



"I must admit also that the military courts were the need of the hour, in those unusual times that unusual arrangement was required, and of course now we see deterrence for those who are slowly getting indoctrinated," he added.



Talking about Pakistans whole country approach, he said that since Operation Zarb-i-Azb began, 2,500 individuals have been through seven deradicalisation centres run by the Pakistan Army in the country.



Talking about the military operation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he told the audience that over 300,000 families were moved out of an 8,000 square kilometre area.



We then carried out the operation [to cleanse the area of terrorists] and I am happy to announce that 90 per cent of those families have now returned to their homes in the area," Sharif said.



"We have provided those families with better schools and health facilities now, so it was not only an operation, it was a whole concept that was carried out to rid the area of terrorism and control extremism," he told the audience.



Answering a question about dealing with terrorists when sympathisers exist within the population giving them shelter, Raheel Sharif said, "Circumstances in Pakistan are difficult and there are a number of challenges, for example we have over 3 million Afghan refugees and they have been living in Pakistan for the last over 30 years.



"We have a 2,400-km-long porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. We have inter-tribal linkages and there are villages which are divided [between the two countries] in the sense that you can have dinner in one house and lunch in the other on the other side of the border."



"Pakistan has dealt with [these circumstances] and when we started Operation Zarb-i-Azb we decided that we will establish the writ of the government in all these areas and now it has been established in the whole of Pakistan, he added.



"There are difficulties on the other side; there are pockets in Afghanistan where a lot of these organisations still exist. So the situation is also dependant on Afghanistan so we also hope that stability returns to Afghanistan as it is our brotherly country. Ours and Afghan destiny is linked and we feel that the moment stability returns to Afghanistan things would improve," Sharif concluded.
The Guardian via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Obama's commutation of Chelsea Mannings prison sentence Tuesday indirectly called attention to the legal status of former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked a collection of classified information in 2013. Since then, Snowden has been living in Russia where he was granted political asylum while wanted by the U.S. Department of Justice on charges of violating the Espionage Act.



Manning, who is currently imprisoned at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, has been incarcerated since her arrest in 2010 for turning over military and diplomatic information to Wikileaks. At the time, Manning, who was assigned male at birth, was known as Bradley. Obama's decision Tuesday will end her sentence on May 17.



While the crimes committed by Manning and alleged violations of law by Snowden appear to be similar, government officials, including Obama, have previously signaled that the cases are being considered separately and on their own merits, and that clemency for Manning would not necessarily signal leniency for Snowden.



At a press briefing on last Friday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest addressed a comparison between Manning and Snowden in response to a question from a reporter, saying there is a stark difference between the two.



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, said Earnest.



The sentiment was echoed by Obama Wednesday at his final press conference as president.



It has been my view that given she went to trial, that due process was carried out, that she took responsibility for her crime, that the sentence that she received was very disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received and that she had served a significant amount of time, that it made sense to commute, and not pardon, her sentence, said Obama. I feel very comfortable that justice has been served.



On Snowden, Earnest noted that 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.



Snowdens movements in the aftermath of his leaks in 2013 appear to be the primary sticking point in a possible appeal for clemency. After taking what officials believe to be between 200,000 and 1.7 million NSA documents and releasing a portion to journalists, Snowden flew to Hong Kong. From there he travelled to Russia, reportedly intending to continue on to Central or South America, having been offered asylum by Ecuador, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Venezuela, but remained in Russia after receiving temporary asylum there.



At that point, then-White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, We very clearly believe that Mr. Snowden ought to be returned to the United States to face the charges that have been set against him, through an open and clear legal process that we have in this country.



Conversely, after former hacker Adrian Lamo turned over transcripts of internet conversations with Manning to defense officials, she was arrested, pleaded guilty to 10 of the 22 charges levied against her and was convicted by trial on additional charges.



With military prison sentences longer than 30 years eligible for parole after 10 and Manning having been credited for an additional 1,294 days, she would have been eligible for a review after seven years even had Obama not taken action.



In a November interview with German newspaper Der Spiegel, Obama indicated that the justice process played a role in his consideration of pardons and commutations, saying, in regard to Snowden, that he can't pardon somebody who hasn't gone before a court and presented themselves.



At the point at which Mr. Snowden wants to present himself before the legal authorities and make his arguments or have his lawyers make his arguments, then I think those issues come into play, said Obama.



At Tuesdays White House briefing, Earnest rendered the point moot, explaining, Mr. Snowden has not filed paperwork to seek clemency from the administration. Manning's attorneys submitted a petition to the secretary of the army and the president's pardon attorney in November.



Snowden took to Twitter Tuesday afternoon after the White House announced Mannings commutation, writing to Manning, In five more months, you will be free. Thank you for what you did for everyone, Chelsea. Stay strong a while longer! He added in an additional tweet, Let it be said here in earnest, with good heart: Thanks, Obama.

Snowden did not comment on his own status.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Pakistan govt have achieved economic stability in a short span of three years: Nawaz Sharif

DAVOS: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said his government had achieved economic stability and turned around the country's economy in a short span of three years. He was talking to the Group Chief Executive Officer of VimpelCom, Jean Charlie, in Davos on the sidelines of the 47th World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting.



The prime minister said his government was pursuing a comprehensive reforms agenda, besides successfully delivering on the major objectives of combating terrorism, economy and power shortages. Jean Charlie said he was seeking public private partnership for working with the government on education and skills development programmes.



Charlie said his company was planning to launch new products in Pakistan as the country had come to the forefront as the largest emerging market. He lauded the investment environment in Pakistan and noted it was very attractive for foreign investors. He was very excited about the future of Pakistan as it had undergone a major transformation over the past few years.



The expansion of services would also be beneficial for Pakistan. He termed recent government policies as "the best" and said his company would use Pakistan as the hub to support its global telecom business.



VimpleCom is an Amsterdam based international telecommunications and technology business development firm with over 200 million customers around the world. It has invested USD 1 billion in Pakistan's telecom sector through the merger of Mobilink with Warid.



Meanwhile, Pakistan and Switzerland on Thursday took note of the rich potential of their bilateral ties and called for exploring new avenues of cooperation for their mutual benefit. Nawaz Sharif expressed his desire to strengthen relations with Switzerland in a meeting with President of the Swiss Confederation, Doris Leuthard, in Davos on the sidelines of the 47th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The prime minister is here to meet world leaders and heads of top corporate companies to share with them, what he claims, is the Pakistan success story.



Prime Minister Sharif said he deeply valued relations with Switzerland, which were based on mutual cooperation and trust, saying Pakistan looked forward to enhancing a bilateral partnership in diverse areas. He affirmed Switzerland as a friend and an important trade and investment partner of Pakistan.



He termed Switzerland's objective, non-discriminatory and criteria-based approach on NSG membership commendable. "We hope that as part of the NSG troika, Switzerland continues to maintain this principled stand, especially when it takes over the chair of the group later this year." The Swiss president said her county's stance on NSG was non discriminatory and based on principles.



The Pakistani Prime Minister said his country was committed to facilitating and supporting an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process as envisaged under the quadrilateral framework. "We believe that security of Pakistan is directly linked to peace and stability in Afghanistan," he added. He said Pakistan continued to host millions of Afghan refugees for more than three decades.



"We currently host around 1.5 million refugees and about an equal number of undocumented Afghans. We believe that there is a need to create necessary pull-factors inside Afghanistan for sustained repatriation of Afghan refugees." The Swiss President lauded the role played by Pakistan in giving refuge to over 3 million Afghan refugees on its soil and said Pakistan should continue to play its role in promoting good relations with Afghanistan.



Nawaz Sharif also said Pakistan wanted peaceful and amicable resolution of all outstanding issues with India. He also expressed his deep concern over the recent developments in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the gross human rights violations by Indian Occupation Forces, particularly the oppression of Kashmiris' rights after the extrajudicial murder of Burhan Wani.
SC inquired about money gifted by Hussain Nawaz to Nawaz Sharif 19 January, 2017



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Woke Bingo The focus of the Panamagate hearing on Wednesday returned to a piece of agricultural land which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif allegedly bought in the name of his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, in 2011. The court also inquired after large sums of money that were gifted by the premier's son Hussain Nawaz to his father.



"We want to know the source of the amount, where such a big amount is coming from," Justice Ijazul Hassan posed a question to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan as a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa resumed hearing the case.



The judge was referring to an amount of Rs510 million that, he said, Hussain Nawaz, gifted to his father over a period of four years.



According to Justice Ijazul Hassan, the move signalled that a significant amount of money had been circulating. Makdhoom Khan told the court that an amount of Rs210m was sent by Hussain Nawaz in 2012 and another Rs129.8m was gifted by him in the same year.



"It could be that this is black money. The son (Hussain Nawaz) sent the amount to the father (Nawaz Sharif) and the father bought the land in his daughter's (Maryam Nawaz's) name." Justice Khosa observed.



The judge was referring to agricultural land spread over 5.38 acres in Mansehra district, which is worth Rs243m. The land was declared under Maryam Nawaz's name by the prime minister in his 2011-12 income tax returns.



"This property was not benami, was it?" asked Justice Gulzar Ahmed, referring to the agricultural land.



"Why did Hussain Nawaz only give gifts to his father?" Justice Ijazul Hassan asked.



Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed reiterated the bench's desire to see the records of transactions. "We are not speaking in Persian," he said. "Present the records," he told the PM's counsel.



"The purpose of writing her name on the form was not to declare her a dependent," the lawyer argued.



Khan was reflecting on accusations made during the Panamagate case that Maryam Nawaz is a dependent of her father. "It was alleged that Maryam Nawaz was declared a dependent in the nomination papers. The prime minister does not accept these accusations," Khan said. "The premier had said that in his household it is only him and his wife and he has no dependants," he added.



Justice Gulzar observed that the tax forms had been edited in 2015 and inquired, "When did the Panama matter emerge?" "Panama came forward in 2016. Before this, the tax forms have been edited," the prime minister's lawyer responded.



Makhdoom Khan told the court that accusations of tax evasion made against the prime minister are incorrect.



He said that amounts of money had been gifted by the premier to his daughter through banks. "A full record of all bank transactions is available," the lawyer said. "The petitioners have also accepted that the gifts were given through banks."



The senior counsel told the court that in his arguments, Advocate Shahid Hamid who is representing Maryam Nawaz in the Panamagate case will also reflect on the matter of his client's dependency. "How can we listen to two different lawyers on one matter?" Justice Khosa asked the lawyer.



During the hearing, the court also put forth an inquiry regarding the Azizia Steel Mills in Jeddah.



The focus remained on how money received from the sale of the mills was transferred to Pakistan.



"One aspect of the case is concerned with money laundering. The accusation is that the amount was sent abroad through unlawful means," Justice Khosa observed.



"You will have to give details as to how the amount was transferred," the judge told Makhdoom Khan.



In response, the counsel told the court that the amount was sent by Hussain Nawaz from Saudi Arabia in 2010.



"Other than this, what other business does Hussain Nawaz have in Saudi Arabia?" Justice Ijaz asked.



The counsel told him that details of the prime minister's son's business will be provided by his lawyer.



"Hussain Nawaz gave the gifts in 2010 but the steel mill was sold in 2005," Justice Ijaz observed.



"We will want to see that the amount of $1.9m came in through banks," the court said. "It is normally determined whether tax returns were submitted."



The premier's lawyer told the apex court that submitting documents regarding the transactions was not necessary since he had argued that gifts were transferred through the banks.



He added that if the court asked for them, details of the accounts will be provided.



"The gifts [given to Maryam Nawaz] are mentioned in the prime minister's wealth and income tax returns, which have been submitted in the court," Makhdoom Khan told the SC.



"The accusation is that income has been masked as gifts to evade tax," the counsel said. "Gifts can only be said to be income when they are given by a person who does not have a national tax number," he added.



Makhdoom Khan said that he accepts that the prime minister had given gifts to his children but those gifts had been transferred through banks.



"From what business is so much money coming in? Has the father ever asked his sons where the money is coming from?" Justice Azmat asked.



The counsel told the court that the money is coming in from the businesses of the premier's sons.



"What is the reason for giving the amount as a gift?" Justice Ijazul Hassan asked.



Observing that there are discrepancies between the arguments presented in court and the speech delivered by the prime minister in the National Assembly, Justice Khosa said PM's speeches would be analysed from all angles tomorrow. The judge instructed the PM's counsel to clear these confusions in court when the hearing resumes on Thursday.
From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is on his 1st foreign trip as President to Mali to attend the 27th France-Africa Summit.



In a statement signed and copied to Peacefmonline.com by the Director of Communications at the Office of the President, Mr. Eugene Arhin, it was stated that the meeting to be held at Bamako, would focus on how participating countries could enhance their integration process and cooperation.



Full statement below



PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO ATTENDS FRANCE-AFRICA SUMMIT IN MALI



The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, left Ghana on Friday, January 13, 2017 to attend the 27th France-Africa Summit, taking place in Bamako, Mali- his 1st foreign trip as President.



The Summit, which is aimed at enhancing the integration process, collective action and cooperation for the common good of participating countries and their people, will bring together Heads of State and Governments from some 30 countries.



He was accompanied by the 1st Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo.



They will return home on Saturday, January 14, 2017.



...signed...

Eugene Arhin

Ag. Director of Communications

Source: Chris Joe Quaicoe/ email: [email protected]









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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Non-political pressure group called Krachi Youth Association has expressed its unflinching and unshakable support to President Nana Akufo-Addos agenda to create a new region for the people living in northern Volta out of Volta region.



According to Krachi Youth Association, the move by President Akufo-Addo is in the right direction as it addresses the request made to the various former presidents in the fourth republican administration but all failed to fulfil it.



In a press statement copied to Peacefmonline.com, the association says it is exciting to hear that the current president, Nana Akufo-Addo who promised to create the new region while in opposition is about to make it a reality.



We know but have been silent as a people from the northern Volta that the request was not fulfilled under our former presidents because of some faceless forces in the southern Volta who are predominantly Ewes deliberately kicked against the creation of the new region.



We therefore see it as a bold and honest step by President Akufo Addo to meet the long awaited aspirations of the good people of northern Volta. We urge His Excellency the President to go ahead with his agenda to create the additional regions without bowing to any potential political interference and influences by the said faceless forces.



In the assessment of the association, the new region if created will bring real development and progress to the doorsteps of the people in Krachi East, Krachi West, Krachi Nchumburu, Buem, Jasikan, Biakoye, Nkwanta North and South districts in the northern part of Volta.



Adding that the people in the northern Volta are bereft of development and equitable distribution of regional resources as this kind of situation has been ongoing under this current regional administration for many years.



Explaining the reason for coming out with this press statement, the association stated that a certain Concerned Youth of Volta Region has kicked against the creation of the new region; believing that it is the machination of those faceless forces from the Southern Volta.



We hereby cease the opportunity to urge Ghanaians to disregard and treat with contempt the petition of the so called 'Concerned Youth of Volta Region ' who are kicking against the creation of the new region. In fact, their entire publication was infantile, myopic, schizophrenic, psychotic, pathologically and factually inaccurate. Their claims lacked integrity.



Below is the list of issues Krachi Youth Association disagrees with Concerned Youth of Volta Region:



Their petition is not and cannot be made on behalf of the entire people of Volta region.



All people from Volta region do not share or trace their historical and ancestral background from the same source and that we all have a different history and even among the South and North Ewes.



The people of Volta North are predominantly Akans and Guans and not Ewes.



The respected Torgbe Sri III and Torgbe Afede do not represent the Chiefs and people of the entire Volta region unlike the Asantehene who is the King of all Ashantis in the country. This comparison cannot hold water.



The government of Nana Akufo Addo is rather one of BOLDNESS and not cowardice as they claimed which is to realize the aspirations of a marginalized hard working people of northern Volta.



The creation of the region will rather bring real and meaningful development to our side of Volta and bring to a halt the perpetual situation where major projects were only concentrated in the southern part of the Volta region dominated by Ewes.



That there's nothing like Father and son in the Volta region. The people in northern Volta are not sons neither are we fathers to the southern Volta. We also do not see any political agenda to weaken the stronghold of any political part.



We shall continue to live together as brothers and sisters of different regions if the new region is eventually created.



In furtherance of the above disagreements against the petition of the concerned group, we wish to advise all unscrupulous personalities and organizations who are kicking against this Great move by President Akufo Addo to put a stop to it. We call on all of such people to support the process to take off smoothly.



In conclusion, we thank the President for his vision for the people of northern Volta and wish him God's blessings to succeed.



Long live Ghana

Long live Krachi Youth Association.



Signed:

Mr. Prosper Alleko

(Chairman) 0244753734

Barnabas Kwame Yeboah

(PRO) 0208270982

Daniel Lordson.

(Secretary) 0242017171.

Thank you.

Cc: Executive secretary to the President

Chief of Staff

Minister designate for Regional reorganization

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.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 deadline to sign up for this free community event that is open to all is Nov. 16.

Kennebunk Post

"We need to invest in our kids," said resident Brenda Robinson. "That's how we keep graffiti out of Waterhouse Center and mischief out of the downtown on Saturday night."
Winter for those of us who like to fish generally means two things -- ice fishing, and getting ready for open water season.

There are plenty of upcoming ice fishing tourneys around here, one pretty much every weekend through early March. And the outdoors shows that are set in the Northeast are a good place to kill a winter day, check out new gear and destinations and talk to experts.

The ice is fishable on most area lakes and ponds, but Lake George is still wide open.

Still, the annual Glen Lake Ice Fishing Tournament is set for next weekend (Jan. 27-28), headquartered at The Docksider restaurant. The annual tourney on Brant Lake is set for the same weekend, with details available here. A tourney is also set for Great Sacandaga Lake that weekend, headquartered in Northville.

The following weekend will bring the one-day 9th annual Cossayuna Lake derby, details can be found at www.cossayunalake. com, which benefits the lake's improvement district.

Saratoga Lake's annual tourney us set for the second weekend of February, while the Schroon Lake Fish and Game Club's derby is set for March 4-5.

On the show scene, the nearest one to our area is in Johnstown, the annual Adirondack Outdoorsman Show put on by promoter Mike Hauser. It is set for Feb. 11-12 this year at the Johnstown Moose Club on Route 30A

Hauser runs a great event that is worth the hour drive from the Glens Falls area.

"The first featured guest will be the Adirondack Deer Trackers, Joe DiNitto, Steve Grabowski, Jim Massett and Dave Williams make up this unique group of Adirondack Deer Hunters from Central New York who have a combined 170 years of Adirondack hunting experience between them," Hauser said in a news release. "They will be on hand signing copies of their new book called Adirondack Deer Trackers: Stories As Told In Deer Camp. Our second featured guest is writer/photographer and Fishing Author Spider Rybaak. Rybaak, who returns with his newest book Fishing the Adirondacks." Our third featured guest is Adirondack Outdoors editor Leo Maloney who will be on hand to greet readers and passing out complimentary copies of his publication."

If you don't mind a longer drive, this weekend (Jan. 20-22) the annual Yankee Sportsman Classic will be held in Burlington, Vt., while the Springfield, Massachusetts Sportsmen's Show will be held Feb. 24-26.

-- Don Lehman
This is the latest in a series of posts about the 1916 presidential election between incumbent Democrat Woodrow Wilson and Republican challenger Charles Evans Hughes, a Glens Falls native.

The party faithful at Republican headquarters in Ogdensburg, NY on election night may have gotten over zealous in their celebration of Hughes lead in early election returns.

To cheer the boys up, some goodly feeling Republican sent a fake telegram to Democratic headquarters stating that the betting in New York was 10-to-8 on Wilson, The Republican-Journal of Ogdensburg reported on Nov. 8, 1916.

And say those Democrat boys, who had during all the evening not tasted of a crumb of comfort let loose their yells, but someone shortly afterward quietly gave the tip that something was wrong, that there had been a miscue and then silence reined again.

The GOP enthusiasm spilled over into the streets around midnight.

About midnight, 200 jubilant Republicans, bursting with enthusiasm over their glorious victory, formed in front of Republican headquarters and paraded through the streets, led by the Ogdensburg Drum Corps., The Republican-Journal reported.

It was not until the early hours of this morning that the Republican hosts sought their homes and beds.

Ogdensburg Democrats would have the last laugh, as Wilson pulled head in the returns the next day and was proclaimed the winner several days later.

But Republicans still had reason to be happy.

Hughes carried St. Lawrence County and the Democratic city of Ogdensburg.

Republicans took control of the Ogdensburg Common Council, with a 5-3 majority.

The full report can be viewed at The New York State Historic Newspapers web site, a project of public libraries.

Click here to read the most recent previous post in the series.
On Wednesday, I selected a guest editorial from the Seattle Times to run on our editorial page. What I liked about the editorial was its balance. It gave President Obama credit for some of his accomplishments and called him out on his failures.

What followed was a vigorous debate online for those that admire the President and those who detest him.

One comment did bother me. It said the guest editorial was a collection of lies.

I emailed the writer and asked if they could point out the lies to me because I am always concerned when readers call our accuracy into question.

That evening they submitted a nine-point missive on all the terrible things that President Obama had done while in office. It was their opinion.

I went through it point by point and the writer did not refute one fact that was in the Seattle Times editorial.

I reviewed each of their points and pointed out that there were no lies in the editorial. And that they had not shown me any lies or inaccuracies. In fact, in several cases the Seattle Times editorial mirrored their complaints about the outgoing president.

I lightly scolded them that it was unfair to accuse the newspaper for lies when there were none. This was the opinion of the editorial board of the Seattle Times. The facts they used were accurate and more importantly it was balanced between the good and bad.

Lies are intentionally meant to deceive. There was none of that here.

We all should be very careful about characterizing something as a lie when it is just an opinion we disagree with.
CAMBRIDGE  A Cambridge man was charged with felony driving while intoxicated Thursday night following a traffic stop on county Route 74, State Police records show.

Shawn R. Cummings, 28, was arrested after he was stopped shortly before 9 p.m., according to the State Police public information website.

He was found to be intoxicated, and had a prior DWI conviction within 10 years, so the DWI charges were elevated to felonies, the website showed.

Cummings was released pending prosecution in Cambridge Town Court.
MOREAU  The supervisor who doesnt email is going to start tweeting.

Supervisor Gardner Congdon, who is known for his frank and confrontational verbal style, said President-elect Donald Trump inspired him to start tweeting.

I am unabashedly and admittedly inspired by Trump, Congdon said of the fellow Republican.

Congdons written style has generally been the antithesis of a tweeter.

He writes emails by dictating to his secretary, then reviewing her draft and making longhand notes. He likes to consider his words carefully.

It provides a double-take on whatever I do, he said. I like to work from a draft.

And he doesnt shoot from the hip in his final version.

I think words are important, he said.

But Twitter will be different. First of all, he wont use his secretary as a filter.

Im going to do it myself, he said.

Hes also going to stick to the 140-character limit, unlike his emails, which tend to be longer and have several paragraphs.

Its going to be short and sweet, he said.

Hes hoping it will allow him to connect directly with residents. He likes the fact that Trumps Twitter account allows people to directly send the president messages.

Among supervisors locally, tweeting is not common. Only one supervisor in Washington County tweets regularly, and thats Kingsbury Supervisor Dana Hogan. But he doesnt tweet about local politics.

Bob Henke, the chairman of the Washington County Board of Supervisors, has tweeted twice in the past three years. His last tweet was Feb. 4, 2016, in which he wrote that he had been focusing on Facebook but was adding Twitter because he had become chairman. He wanted to tweet to try to be more accessible.

On the Moreau Town Board, members were not thrilled to hear of Congdons plan.

Well, well see how it goes, said board member Gina LeClair.

Board members have repeatedly urged Congdon to stop telling the public quite so much. To their dismay, he often talks about items discussed in executive sessions and employee disciplinary problems.

Other board members have no plan to start tweeting.

Absolutely not, said board member Todd Kusnierz.

He would rather increase transparency by video recording the Town Board meetings. Currently, the audio for each meeting is posted on the town website the next morning, which Congdon lobbied for on the grounds that it would be more thorough than the boards minutes.

They could hear the actual discussion, he said.

With video, residents could more easily fast-forward to the parts of the meeting they were most interested in, and might find it easier to follow the conversation.

You could see it and hear it, Kusnierz said. Id like to see that happen.
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The question is worrying investors. Yet Trump's initial steps may not offer clear answers.

Since Trump's victory, major stock indices in New York have experienced two phases: they rallied for a month, repeatedly smashing records, and then stalled toward the New Year, though holding on to unprecedented gains.

At the close on Wednesday, the Dow finished at 19,804.72, fewer than 170 points from its December 20 record, which brought it close to the 20,000-point milestone. The broader S&P 500, often seen as more representative, closed at 2,271.89, just under six points from its own all-time high set on January 6.

Since the election, the Dow and S&P 500 have gained 8.0 percent and 6.1 percent respectively.

An odd dichotomy

Nevertheless, Wall Street analysts have not been so pessimistic about the outlook for the S&P 500 in 10 years, forecasting a mere five percent gain for 2017, according to a consensus set by Bespoke Investment.

"That signals an odd dichotomy," said Nicholas Colas of Convergex. "US stocks are at/near all-time highs but there is still considerable uncertainty about the core fundamentals that keep the market revving this deep into the red line."

Numerous explanations have been put forward to justify the rally, perhaps glossing over the fact that it was unexpected. After all, before the vote, conventional wisdom held that markets were expecting Democrat Hillary Clinton to win the presidency.

Analysts now repeat a different conventional wisdom, that investors are counting on a pro-growth Trump agenda, in other words, tax cuts, deregulation and spending to stimulate the economy.

Yet since winning the election, the future president has offered few details on any of these hoped-for policies, or how he plans to pay for them. Some observers are warning the market may have been running on wishful thinking since November, closing its eyes to nettlesome questions like Trump's very public penchant for protectionism.

"We sort of have been living in the fantasy world of the last two months on the expectations of what he will do," said Karl Haeling of Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg. "Once he gets in there, the risk of not going as quickly and smoothly as we had hoped, that goes up."

In a research note published early this month which received considerable comment, investment bank Morgan Stanley spoke of an impetus to "sell the inauguration" after having "bought" the election.

Mixing patience with hope

"After all, what incrementally positive and exciting outcomes could be produced in the first few weeks after that?" the analysts wrote.

Trump certainly has shown his ability to influence markets in the short-term by using mere words -- he sent the US dollar diving at the start of the week, for example, saying it was "too strong."

But whatever economic policies Trump decides to put in place, they will take months if not longer to have any direct impact.

"Now investors must mix patience with hope," said Gregori Volokhine of Meeshcaert Financial Services.

"The only question is how long their patience will last."

"Any tax cuts won't take effect or any have any fallout in the first six months," he added, echoing similar sentiment by JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon.

In presenting the bank's quarterly results this week, Dimon declined to celebrate any "Trump effect" for the near-term.

And ultimately some analysts put Trump's significance into context, noting that the stock rally may be justified by the rather solid state of the US economy.

"I expect over the next month or two the market will continue to move higher, because the economic data has been accelerating over the last couple of quarters," said Tom Cahill of Ventura Wealth Management.
The award event, organized by the Business Executive Magazine dubbed, Ghana Development Awards 2016, was held to recognize private and public enterprises whose activities have significantly impacted Ghanas economic growth and development.

Receiving the award on behalf of GLICO GROUP, the Group Head, Corporate Affairs & Marketing, Nana Efua Rockson, thanked the organizers for this recognition. She stated that GLICO is fuelled by its passion to bring insurance to the doorstep of every Ghanaian, and this objective is so dear to the companys heart and remains fresh just as the time it commenced operations in 1987.

She added that, as long as there are insurable needs, GLICO would continue to offer the needed cushion, when Ghanaians fall, as a result of the uncertainties of life.

Dr. Kwame Achampong-Kyei, the Executive Chairman, Leader and Founder of GLICO, did not hide his appreciation when presented with the award at his office. He dedicated the award to the numerous customers who have kept faith with GLICO and continue to patronize its services.
An acquired taste for the foreign palate, Vegemite on toast is a staple found on most Australian breakfast tables, and its fans now range from prime ministers to celebrity chefs.

Cheese maker Bega announced the Aus$460 million (US$346 million) purchase on Thursday of most of US-based Mondelez International's Australia and New Zealand grocery business, which includes the tarry sandwich filling.

Barry Irvin, Bega's executive chairman, noted "the wonderful heritage and values that Vegemite represents and its importance to Australian culture", in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange.

The sticky spread, which was invented to rival Britain's Marmite, first hit the shelves in 1923 and during World War II was rationed for civilians due to overwhelming demand from the military.

Today, the yeast extract made from beer brewing by-product, sells on average close to one jar per Australian each year.

Developed by the Fred Walker Company, Vegemite was acquired after the war by Kraft which in 2012 split in two forming Mondelez International.

Despite being owned by a US outfit, Vegemite has continued to be produced in Melbourne.

The National Museum of Australia says the spread "provides a connection back to seemingly simpler times and is symbolic of the reverence for the ordinary in Australian culture."

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd tapped into this nostalgia declaring himself during the 2007 election campaign "toast and Vegemite sort of guy".

But even haute cuisine has got in on the act, with celebrity British chef Heston Blumenthal putting an experimental Vegemite-inspired ice cream on his menu for an Australia Day lunch next week in Melbourne.
The Meda Ho Ma Wo hitmaker, in an exclusive interview with Pulse.com.gh, said the creative arts industry, which is headed by Hon. Catherine Afeku, can help create jobs for the youth, therefore, it should be given a serious attention.

READ MORE:

Explaining why Nana Addo amassed massive votes from the creative arts industry, Obomofour said they believe that Nana can do a lot for the creative arts industry.

Previous governments have promised to boost the creative arts industry but never fulfilled their promises. But as we all cried for change, which the current government emphasised during its campaign, we believe that they can do a lot for the creative arts industry so we have to draw their attention to it, he stated.

He stressed that the creative arts industry is now lucrative so Nana Addos administration can use the opportunity to create jobs for the youth.

Nana Addo promised jobs and you are aware that the creative arts industry is now lucrative especially for the youth. You can attest to it that the youth are joining the music and movie industries so the government can create jobs for them using the channels.
He shared some photos after his first lectures yesterday on his official Facebook profile.

The "Barack Obama" hitmaker told Elorm Beenie in an interview that I do up to 27 lectures a week in World Religions, Afrikana Studies and Environmental Sciences. Today I taught Introduction to World Religions and African Traditional Religion and my students loved the energy and style.

His new album "Kuchoko Revolution" launches on January 28, 2017 on the university campus supported by the schools ABC gospel group and Music department together. It is a well-crafted album with live production sets that cuts across Afro Roots, Reggae, Dancehall, Soca & Calypso produced in Ghana by Zapp Mallet, Wazumbi and Kaywa.
Olumide is facing a five-count charge bordering on robbery and conspiracy, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The defendant is hereby remanded in prison custody. This case is adjourned to March 22 for commencement of trial, Justice Sedotan Ogunsanya said.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Mr Adebayo Haroun said that Olumide, of No. 1 Akintobi St., Agbado area of Ijaiye, Lagos, committed the offences alongside others at large.

He said that the offences were committed at 3 a.m., on Feb. 4, 2015, at No. 5, Akin Lawson St., Charity Bus stop, Oshodi, Lagos.

The defendant, alongside others who are now at large, robbed Akin and Titilola Afolabi of their wedding rings and three mobile phones.

The accused also took a Tecno tablet, a black wristwatch, a Dell laptop and some unspecified amount of jewellery from the couple.

The defendant also robbed one Olatunji Akinde of a blackberry phone, N13, 000 and a laptop.

One Miss Omobolanle Salami was also robbed of a bag containing her school certificates, books, phone chargers and perfume, Haroun said.
Uzokwe gave the order during her official visit to the prison.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the freed inmates were males, while those granted bail were a nursing mother, a pregnant teenager and three males.

According to her, there was no pending charge against the two inmates before any court of law since they were remanded in custody in 2014.

Uzokwe explained that the inmates were being discharged on grounds that they had been remanded in custody long enough to have served the terms for the offences they had committed.

She also said that the inmates were discharged due to the absence of any information on their warrant to justify their continued stay in prison.

Uzokwe warned the accused persons against jumping bail, adding that they were expected to make themselves available in court regularly.

She directed the Director of Public Prosecution and the Police to expedite action to ensure that accused persons in prison custody were charged to court.

Uzokwe said that this would aid the quick dispensation of justice and de-congestion of the prisons as well as prevent unlawful detention of accused persons.
Balogun, whose address is unknown, is standing trial on a five-count charge bordering on reckless driving and damaging a vehicle.

He pleaded guilty on both counts.

According to Prosecutor Eruada Victor, the accused committed the offences on Jan. 1 at Post Office along Agege Motor Road in Agege, a Lagos suburb.

The accused drove a Volkswagen commercial bus with registration no. APP 461 XJ in a reckless and dangerous manner on a public highway.

The accused was asleep while driving and rammed into a Honda pilot jeep marked KJA 61 BR and damaged the car belonging to the complainant, Mr Gbenga Ajisafe."

Victor told the court that the accused drove on the public highway without prescribed papers including drivers licence, vehicle licence, certificates of road worthiness and insurance.

The offences contravened Sections 19, 23 and 6 of the Road Traffic Law, Laws of Lagos State, 2012.
Barely out of medical school, the bright-eyed young doctor quickly learned that many of the techniques she had spent five years studying meant nothing in a world where there was neither equipment nor drugs.

Waliaula, 25, is one of thousands of Kenyan public sector doctors currently engaged in the country's longest-ever medical strike which has dragged on for the last month and a half, demanding a tripling of salaries and better working conditions.

"When you graduate you are really excited. You are just ready to go out into the world but you get there and you realise a lot of things you were taught aren't there," she told AFP.

She said the three-month-old baby who died in her arms had pneumonia and was malnourished, but could easily have been saved with the right treatment. However, at the time, her hospital in the central Kenyan town of Isiolo had only two oxygen tanks.

"I think every Kenyan doctor has had to decide who gets oxygen. You are forced to play god."

Cellphone torch surgery

Waliaula's harrowing tales of working without even basic drugs, such as penicillin, are not isolated cases in the public sector. Meanwhile, Kenya's private hospitals -- unaffordable to much of the population -- are some of the best on the continent.

This week Kenyan doctors took to Twitter in a bid to explain why they are digging their heels in while public hospitals are paralysed by the strike, and why they refused a 40-percent pay rise offer.

Under the hashtag #MyBadDoctorExperience, the medics recounted experiences of being forced to work without drugs, gloves or electricity and under severe staff shortages that left many on the verge of collapse.

One Twitter user, a doctor who gave only his first name, Anthony, told AFP he had once been in the middle of a Caesarean section when the lights went out.

"The back-up generator was out of fuel. We ended up using a Nokia phone flashlight (as the) torch available had expired batteries."

More than money

The document promises interns, like Waliaula, will see their basic salaries increase from a minimum $346 (323 euros) to $1,038, while salaries of the highest level doctors will increase from a minimum $1,400 to $4,300 -- with added allowances.

While the government says the document is still being fine-tuned, unions say it is a legal deal that they want implemented immediately.

"The thing people don't realise is... we are fighting for more than just salaries," said Waliaula.

The CBA also promises doctors continued training, a research fund, proper equipment and support staff. It additionally caps working hours at 40 hours a week and provides for overtime.

Poor salaries and working conditions have pushed Kenyan doctors to flee the public sector or go to other countries where there are better opportunities.

"There is a huge labour deficit. It's insane, on a weekend we will be two interns running an entire hospital. I have done a call where I didn't sleep for 48 hours and in the middle of a C-section I started shaking. That shouldn't happen," said Waliaula.

Kenya's main doctors' union, KMPDU, says Kenya has one doctor to 17,000 patients, while the World Health Organization recommends one to 1,000.

Wasted public money

The government has threatened to arrest union officials if they don't return to work next week, as well as fire all striking doctors, but Waliaula said they would not budge until there was commitment to real change in the sector.

It has said its offer of a 40-percent pay rise would cost it an additional $38 million a year and was "a responsible offer in the context of its obligations to properly manage the country's finances."

However this argument has fallen on deaf ears.

Waliaula said she was initially opposed to the strike, until she woke up the day it started to a headline about millions of dollars that had gone missing in the country's latest corruption scandal.

Then over Christmas, lawmakers awarded themselves each $100,000 as an exit package ahead of 2017 elections.
The welcoming nature of Ghanaians is not just talking, as the country and its people have over the years proved to live up to the accolade.

Here are five times Ghanaians proved to the world they are hospitable

READ ALSO: 24 year old MP complains about unbearable financial demands

1. Xenophobia is absent

Unlike in some African countries, Ghanaians have over the years been welcoming to other nationals, especially fellow Africans. There have been no major incidents of xenophobic attacks in Ghana unlike in South Africa where there have been a number of attacks against fellow Africans over the past decade.

READ ALSO: 4 ways to kill anxiety

2. Refugees Are Welcomed

Over the years, Ghana has opened its arms wide for those fleeing wars and persecution. During the Liberian, Sierra Leonean and Ivorian civil wars, Ghana served as the go-to place for refugees. The Buduburam refugee camp in Kasoa-Accra is one of the largest in West Africa.

3. Guantanamo bay

In 2016, Ghana decided to accept two Guantanamo Bay detainees into the country. After years without trial, the Gitmo two detainees were released by the United States of America government and Ghana as ever welcoming as we are, accepted them.

4. Education

Ghana has over the years been welcoming for those who want to study and make something better out of their lives. As such our secondary schools and universities are populated by Nigerians, Liberians, Cameroonians and many other nationalities. Examples of such schools are Zenith University College, ABBEAM, Accra Institute of Technology, AIT and many more.

READ ALSO: 4 grooming tips for men to boost their confidence

5. Citizenship

It is also very easy to become a Ghanaian. Over the years, people of African descent have found it relatively easy to gain Ghanaian citizenship. One such notable case is Rita Marley, the wife of late reggae icon, Bob Marley, who now lives in Ghana and has been installed as a queen in Aburi, Greater Accra region.
The Pizza and Burger hitmaker made his intention known on Twitter Wednesday (18th January) after a fan asked about his outdated playlist. The fan tweeted at Sark saying: pls my playlist is getting old ooo and I need to upgrade it so what do you have coming?"
A letter by the GES to the regional director stated that the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Chairman of the Transitional Team has given formal permission for you to close down all schools in the Kumasi Metropolis on Thursday, 19th January, 2017 as one of the measures put in place by the Manhyia Palace to ensure a smooth funeral rite of the late Asantehemaa Nana Afia Serwaa Kobi Ampem II.

The planning committee in charge of the funeral of the Asantehemaa has warned the public and residents of Kumasi to stay indoors between the hours of 8pm and 4am on Thursday, January, 19 to allow them to carry out the burial.

Chief Linguist of the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Nana Nsuase Poku Agyemang III said any individual who goes contrary to the directive will have themselves to blame.

READ ALSO: Kumasi residents warned to stay indoors

Several dignitaries including former President John Dramani Mahama and some members of parliament have paid their last respects to the late Asantehemaa.

Former President John Kufuor, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and President Akufo-Addo have also paid their respects to the late queen mother.
In a statement by the NPP in the constituency, "Our research revealed that the executives of the so-called group, Sirr Abdullah of Zuria FM (Kumasi), Elomba Nana Yeboah of Fanteakwa and Samed Akalilu of Kumasi, are all cast-in-iron NDC members outside the three constituencies of Nzema."

A group calling itself Truth and Accountable Governance (TAG) wants President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to reconsider Catherine Afeku for the Tourism and Creative Arts ministry.

According to the group, Madam Catherine Afeku is not the right person for the ministry.

In a statement signed by its convener, Sirr Abdalah, the group alleged that the nominee is a fraudster and as such, should have her nomination revoked in order to save the integrity the presidents nominees.

"Mrs Afeku and her husband, Mr Seth Afeku, were found guilty for defrauding an American couple on 19-10-2013 by an Accra High Court presided over by Her [Ladyship] Barbara Ackah-Yensu. The trial judge directed the MP for Evalue-Gwira constituency and her husband to pay an amount of $217,464 plus 50 per cent interest to the plaintiff, Patricia and Bill Gick."

The NPP in the Evalue Gwira constituency in response to the allegations by the group said "it is very painful, sorrowful, and disheartening for a group to push for the withdrawal of Mrs Afekus nomination since she is hardworking, affable, courageous and dependable".

"We are aware it is partisan politics laced with hatred and jealousy aimed at scattering the fortunes of Hon. Catherine Afeku and the entire NPP in Nzema. Catherine has been the pillar of NPP in Evalue Jomoro Gwira since her return from America to serve her people. The support base of the NPP in Evalue Jomoro Gwira has increased steadily and people, especially the youth, have developed love for the party, a situation that threatens the existence of NDC in the constituency, especially when she is appointed as a minister.

The NPP responding to the allegations raised by the group added that, "judgement was given in favour of an American couple, but in 2013 fresh evidence was gathered and an appeal has been filed by our Hon. Catherine Afeku and her husband to set aside the earlier judgement of 2007 which was fraudulently acquired".

"Now we ask: Where was this so-called group when Woyome was lying and stealing from the state? Where were they when Mahama was taking bribes at the presidency? Where were they when Selasi Ibrahim was chopping oil money in the bus branding deal? Where were they when the NDC in Evalue Gwira accused their MCE of using state funds to build his private houses?" the group quizzed.
"ECOWAS has decided as a result of the refusal of President Yahya Jammeh to accept the verdict of the Gambian people in the elections of December 1, 2016, to deploy troops from its member states to The Gambia with immediate effect," a statement signed by the Communications Director at the presidency.

"The objective is to create an enabling environment due to the effective enforcement of the rule of law, and, in accordance with the Constitution of The Gambia, facilitate the inauguration of the President-Elect, Adama Barrow, on Thursday, January 19, 2017," the statement added.

Meanwhile, Gambia's Parliament has adopted a resolution to allow President Yahya Jammeh to stay in power for three more months, starting from Wednesday, just hours before the end of his official term.

Read more: Mahama in Gambia for mediation talks

The Gambia, following elections in 2016, is expected to inaugurate a new president on January 19, but President Jammeh who lost and earlier accepted the results of the elections has now rejected the results.

Read more: N

Jammeh seized power in a coup in 1994 when he was an army lieutenant and has ruled ever since, wining four elections, that were criticised by rights monitors, and surviving several coup attempts. International human rights groups accuse him of widespread violations and repression.
The Gambia, following elections in 2016, is expected to inaugurate a new president on January 19, but President Jammeh who lost and earlier accepted the results of the elections has now rejected the results.

Jammeh's mandate expires on Thursday, and Barrow - who is currently in Senegal - has pledged to go ahead with his inauguration on Thursday.

READ ALSO:Adama Barrow to be inaugurated in Senegal

Large numbers of tourists have fled their homes to neighbouring Senegal towards the borders amid a deepening political crisis.

Here in Ghana, Hanna Tetteh seems to have plunged herself into trouble when she suggested in her tweets that the media in Ghana have not done enough to go to The Gambia to cover the ensuing struggle there.

Many Ghanaians have so far questioned the basis under which she is making such comments.

For others, Ms Tetteh should direct her anger to the media organisations which are often seen as being sympathetic to her party, the National Democratic Congress, NDC.
The Gambia, following elections in 2016, is expected to inaugurate a new president on January 19, but President Jammeh who lost and earlier accepted the results of the elections has now rejected the results.

Read more: N

Jammeh seized power in a coup in 1994 when he was an army lieutenant and has ruled ever since, wining four elections, that were criticised by rights monitors, and surviving several coup attempts. International human rights groups accuse him of widespread violations and repression.

Read also: Adama Barrow to be inaugurated in Senegal

Large numbers of tourists have fled their homes to neighbouring Senegal towards the borders amid a deepening political crisis.

President-elect of the Gambia, Adama Barrow said his inauguration would go ahead as planned in spite of attempts to thwart it by President Yahya Jammeh.

Adama Barrow will be inaugurated today, Thursday 19 January at the Gambian mission in neighbouring Senegal where he is being protected.

Read also: Ghana deploys military to Gambia

Mr Barrow, in a tweet, extended an invitation to his fans to witness the swearing-in ceremony.

Hours earlier, the countrys chief justice said he could not rule on an injunction filed by Jammeh to prevent Barrows inauguration going ahead.

The countrys army chief said he would not order his men to fight other African troops if they enter Gambian territory.
Kofi Adams, who serves as the National organizer of the NDC, says Ghana cannot containsuch elements, insisting the media must speak against it.

READ ALSO: Bank of Ghana to introduce a commemorative GH5 noteThere were several reports that some NPP members had besieged certain public facilities to destroy and seize them, after their flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo defeated the NDCs John Mahama to emerge president.

The NDC subsequently addressed the press in the aftermath of the 2016 elections appealing on the NPP to call their supporters to order, and threatened to respond if nothing is done.

Responding to the NDC, the NPP also organized a press conference with deputy General Secretary Nana Obiri Boahen cautioning the opposition party that they will pay them back in equal measure if any NPP member is attacked.

Obiri Boahen added that the NDC did the same thing to NPP supporters when they won power eight years ago, and so had no moral right to complain.

However, Kofi Adams believes the NPP deputy general secretarys comments were misplaced and called for a public condemnation from the media and all stakeholders.

This country has to move and this country cannot contain such elements and all of you in the media must rise up and speak against it. I dont think this is something we must allow. We cannot allow this to continue. Enough of this, Adams said in an interview with Citi FM.

He added that: If anything is going wrong, we draw the attention of anybody; well wake up the media, the clergy, civil society they are part of the process and must hear what is going on.

"I dont think we [NDC] have done any wrong by calling on President Nana Akufo-Addo to act, he is the President and he must protect every Ghanaian.

The NDC have, in recent, times called on President Akufo-Addo to come out and publicly condemn the acts, although the president is yet to speak.

READ ALSO: 24 year old MP complains about unbearable financial demands
My appointment is to protect the poor and the needy. As a chairman of Ashanti, what appointment do I need? He [Nana Addo] asked me and I said no I want to serve the people, he said on Accra-based Starr FM.

Chairman Wontumi believes that accepting a ministerial appointment would hinder him from putting a check on government appointees to ensure that the party and the government succeed.

Why do I have to go and take appointment and stuff? I have to check the ministers; I have to check the MPs; I have to check the DCEs, I have to check everybody, he added.

READ ALSO: Plagiarism Row

He further indicated that he not in politics for money.

I built my first house at age 22, it was a 25-bedroom house. I have about 100 houses only in Kumasigo to PMMC (Precious Minerals and Marketing Company) and check I used to get over 1million dollars a day, at 33 I assembled cars and named it after myself Wontumi, he said.

The NPP firebrand has often been tagged by some sections of Ghanaians as arrogant. Others also believe that he has been able to gather enough wealth for himself through illegal means.
MEST already accepts candidates from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Cote D'Ivoire into its fully sponsored, year-long program.

Entrepreneurs who sign up for the program will have access to new and diverse cultures, seed funding ranging from $50,000 - $100,000 (courtesy of the MEST Foundation), and skills to help them become globally competitive.

Right now, the MEST program itself still holds only Ghana, but the incubator is looking to open an incubator in Johannesburg or Capetown for South African entrepreneurs who have graduated from MEST.

ALSO READ: School holds informal meet for prospective candidates in Nigeria

According to an Innovation Village report, interested South Africans are required to:

- Possess the passion for building a globally successful software company

- Have entrepreneurial or corporate work experience

- Be able to commit to spending a year in Accra, Ghana participating in the MEST training program starting August 2017
The TV personality bared her opinion on marriage as it pertains to her person but her stand seems like a bitter pill to swallow for Nigerians who are pro marriage, happiness or not.

ALSO READ: 5 reasons we love Funmi Iyanda

Iyanda noted that she has never wanted to be married but for those who wish it for themselves, she is very much in support.

The 45-year-old tweeted, "I have never wanted to be married. I like it for others who like it for themselves, but as for me, Ms Funmi Iyanda, no, thank you."

As expected, Twitter came out in full force, with reactions ranging from asking ridiculous questions concerning the media personality's sex life to giving unwanted advice.

See some of the reactions below:

ALSO READ: Funmi Iyanda shares sweet throwback photo with daughter

Of course, Funmi seemed unperturbed in the face of the judgements hurled at her and in the end, all she had to say was,
The actor proves this in the loving message he penned to his wife Sonia Morales on her birthday, today, January 19, 2017.

He posted an image of his wife alongside an affectionate message on Instagram:

I asked for a princess and God gave me a queen , a woman with the most beautiful soul , a heart of gold , a smile that makes the sun blush , words that creates stars in my heart," he wrote.

You have held me through rough times and good times , you have encouraged me in times when I felt like giving up. Truth is I don't only celebrate today Coz it's ur birthday but it marked the beginning of the rest of my life.

Since I met you I have only experienced growth , blessings , favor , magical grace and peace. Thank you for bringing our son into this world , thank you for embracing my culture , family and friends.

"I cherish you my Bebolinna and if I was to die and come back to this life .. I will still choose you over and over again. I am sorry for times I failed u but I promise I will live my life making you happy and doing all I can to keep a deserving smile on ur face . Thanks for always believing in me baby. Can I just marry you every day?
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
I am sure many readers would say nothing a man could do would warrant the way I am feeling but I am quick to say that anyone that reasons that way has not fallen into the kind of pit I found myself in.

Can you imagine that a man I have dated for good 10 years, a man who had come to meet my family and done my introduction, has been married for the past three years without my knowledge?

I met Victor in my third year in the university and after pursuing me for over six months, I decided to give him a chance, not knowing he would turn out to be my worst nightmare.

In the 10 years I have dated Victor, I can beat my chest to say I have never cheated on him neither have I denied him anything he wants including my money and body.

When I found out that he loved sex so much, I tuned myself to meet his demands and whenever he wanted sex, I could never deny him. I did all these things so that he would not cheat on me, not knowing I was being played by a master.

I remember that in the years we have dated, I took in about twice but Victor prevailed on me to abort the babies since he did not want us to have a child out of wedlock. How was I to know he took me for a fool.

I got to know his great treachery when I ran into an old friend who comes from a village close to his. I had not seen for over six years and when we ran into each other at a supermarket, the look she gave me was sort of surprising because before then, Nneka would have jumped into my arms.

After exchanging pleasantries, Nneka took me to her car and opened up that she thought I would be the one Victor would get married to.

I was lost as I looked at her and she went on to say how sorry she was that we did not end up getting married. I told Nneka that Victor and I should be getting married very soon and she asked me if I would be the second wife.

When she saw the confused look on my face, she asked if I did not know that Victor had been married to a lady from his village and that the woman had a baby for him?

I almost fainted at the news but I managed to compose myself and when I got home, I called Victor who was away to Port Harcourt to find out if what I heard was the truth and he opened up and confessed that the lady got pregnant for him and his family insisted on the marriage.

When I asked him where the woman was, he told me she worked in Port Harcourt, which added up to his frequent visit to the town.

Since then, I have vowed to either kill Victor or give him a serious injury anytime I run into him. Many of my friends have told me to let go of the past and move on with my life but how do I forget a man who wasted 10 years of my life?

Kimberly.
Even if you do not know much about geography, you do know that from the United Kingdom to China is a pretty far distance.

To get a grasp about this feat, the freight train passed nine countries and two continents to make it to London. The countries it passed through were Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France.

The journey was 7,500 miles long. It took the train two weeks to reach its destination after setting out early in the New Year. On the last part of the journey, the train went under the sea as it took the Channel Tunnel between France and the U.K. Inside the freight train were clothing and household goods.

When you read stories like this, one wonders why rail transport isn't taken seriously in this country.

Many Nigerians born in the 80s, 90s, and 00s have never been on a train in this country before, and that's because the railway system as a means of transportation isn't really an option.

Only a tiny percentage of Nigerians use trains and that's because it has been neglected for decades.

Lately, attention has been placed on the railway system. The Abuja-Kaduna railway was commissioned on Tuesday, July 26, 2016. The Lagos Light Rail Blue Line promises to help improve the traffic situation in the certain.

Still, these projects are not enough. Also, the Lagos Light Rail Blue Line was meant to be completed in December 2016, but construction work is still going on.

In November 2016, Mr Usman Abubakar, Chairman of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), says the countrys railway system is back on track and now traverses about 3,000 kilometres across the country.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Abubakar said the NRC was currently working at 90 per cent with regular movement in most stations.
Onyeakusi, who resides at Gwagwa Tacha village, Abuja, was arraigned on a two-count charge of house-breaking and theft.

He admitted to committing the offences.

The Senior Judge, Mr Garba Ogbede, who delivered the judgment, however, gave the convict a fine option of N20, 000.

Ogbede said that the punishment would have been more severe if Onyeakusi had not pleaded guilty and saved the court the pains of prolonged prosecution.

He warned him against taking to crimes again.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Miss Vivian Oporomo, told the court that on Dec. 21, 2016, the convict broke into an apartment at Trademore Estate, Lugbe, and stole one mattress belonging to Lategau Engineering Company.

She said that the convict was apprehended and handed over to police at Lugbe Police Station.

Oporomo said that during police investigation, the convict admitted committing the offence.

She said that the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 354 and 287 of the Penal Code.
UK Metro reports that Smith reportedly committed the crime in Saginaw, Central Michigan, after she held down the man, pulled a knife on him and forced him to have both vaginal and oral sex with her.

According to the report, the teenager was apparently high on drugs when she committed the crime and is being held without bail in the Saginaw County Jail and could be sentenced to life imprisonment if found guilty.
The Nation reports that the sad incident took place at the Marwa Waterside in Lekki.

The deceased, Noah Amos, 30, was reportedly accused of stealing recharge cards worth N70,000 and N20,000 cash.

ALSO READ: Recharge card thief given the beating of his life

According to the reports, eyewitnesses heard the suspects amongst others still at large, beating the deceased with a hose.

The deceased reportedly collapsed during the attack, but the suspects who thought he was pretending, continued to beat him.

The Nation correspondents gathered that the noise attracted one of the neighbours in the area, who immediately called the police.

The neighbour said: The man accused the deceased of stealing recharge cards of different networks valued about N70,000. He also claimed that he stole N20,000 he had in his shop. They started beating him and Amos collapsed.

Instead of rushing him to the hospital, they said he was pretending and continued to beat him. It was someone who heard the noise from his house that invited the police. Before the police got to the scene, the man was dead.

The Command's Spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police (SP), confirmed the incident, adding that the remains of the deceased have been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.

ALSO READ: Prostitute gets bail of N500k for stealing recharge cards

She also said that the suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti-Yaba, for discreet investigation.
For President Obama, the war in Afghanistan has been a matter of profound ambivalence  a strategic necessity and an unmistakable burden.





He has talked about the United States interest in preventing the country from ever becoming a sanctuary for global terrorists. Just as often, he has spoken of ending the war and the limits of American military power, money, patience and time.





Nearly eight years after Obama began his presidency with a long and contentious Afghanistan strategy review, he is leaving behind for President-elect Donald Trump a war that reflects his divided outlook.





By most measures, the conflict is a

. Afghan troops are fighting hard, but the casualty rate is much higher than we would have hoped, a senior defense official recently told reporters. Taliban forces are taking territory from the U.S.-backed government, but have not been able to seize and hold any major cities or towns.





Clearly the situation is getting worse, but not to the extent that you see the Taliban winning or the Afghan government is clearly failing, said Andrew Wilder, a vice president and Afghanistan expert at the United States Institute of Peace.





The United States longest and most expensive war  with the largest U.S. troop presence in a combat zone  was mostly absent from the presidential campaign. On the rare occasions Trump has spoken about Afghanistan, he has sounded as conflicted as his predecessor.





Trump has said the fight against extremist groups is his foreign policy priority. But he also has said that he wants to get the United States out of the nation-building business.




The accused, Akeem Busari, 42, a resident of Fatunga Onamade Street, Sabo, Ikorodu, is standing trial on a two-count charge of assault and threat to life, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

ALSO READ: Bus conductor charged for assaulting police officer

The court heard that the accused committed the offences on January 15, at Ketu Police Station, Lagos.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Lucky Ihiehie, said that the complainant, Insp. Stella Obeta, attached to the Ketu Police Station, was assaulted and threatened by the accused while she was on duty at the station.

Busari came into the station in an aggressive manner, pointed one of his fingers at the police officer and used it to hit her face.

He also threatened that he would remove her police uniform and assassinate her.

The prosecutor added that Busari also threatened to have the complainant sacked from the force if he was unable to kill her, unless his vehicle was released.

According to Ihiehie, the offences contravened Sections 172(a) and 56 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

ALSO READ: Man docked for allegedly assaulting police officer

The Magistrate, Mrs O. Sule-Amzat, granted Busari bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties whose addresses must be verified by the court.

She also ruled that one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the accused and must deposit N50, 000 into the account of the courts chief registrars account.
The Cable claims that investors of MMM have not yet been paid as their accounts are still frozen. Kolade Ogunwande who spoke to the online news site said he invested N100,000 in November 2016, and also referred two people to the Ponzi scheme.

On Friday, January 13, 2017, his N100,000 had appreciated to N214,000. When he placed a request to withdraw his money he was not paid.

They have not paid me anything, but, they said we should be wait patiently to be matched with participants willing to invest in MMM. I have no choice than to be optimistic, Ogunwande told The Cable.

A woman named Lara Makanjuola also invested N100,000 in MMM Nigeria and is also facing the same problem of getting her money out.

According to her, anytime she requests for help, the website says "Mavros are not available for withdrawal.I was supposed to collect my money two days to when accounts got frozen, but, the person I was matched with didnt pay.

A couple based in Abuja told The Cable that they have invested over N2m and can't access their money.

Frustrated participants who want to remove their money keep seeing this message on the MMM site. As usual, in the New Year season the System is experiencing heavy workload. Moreover, it has to deal with the constant frenzy provoked by the authorities in the mass media. The things are still going well; the participants feel calm; everyone gets paid  as you can see, there havent been any payment delays or other problems yet  but!.. it is better to avoid taking risk.: (Moreover, there are almost three weeks left to the New Year).

"Hence, on the basis of the above mentioned, from now on all confirmed Mavro will be frozen for a month. The reason for this measure is evident. We need to prevent any problems during the New Year season, and then, when everything calms down, this measure will be cancelled.

In a recent poll by Pulse Nigeria, 40% of Nigerians said they will invest a lot of money in MMM Nigeria.

The Ponzi scheme came back on Friday, January 13, 2017, a day earlier than scheduled. Now a majority of Nigerians who took the Pulse poll say they now trust MMM.
The antics of President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia has reminded many of us that we still have a few old men desperately holding on to power.

In this new Africa, Jammeh and his likes have no place. If he refuses to leave and allow a democratically elected man become President, ECOWAS will have no other option than to kick him out.

As we wait to see what happens to Jammeh, Pulse Gist brings to you the five hallmarks of African dictators.

1) Troll the nation with elections

African dictators are some of the biggest trolls ever. They allow elections to hold and when the results do not favour them, they cancel the elections based one or two flimsy excuses.

The truth is that they never had the intention to leave office if the results don't favour them. It was a trick all along to make people think democracy while it was an illusion from the onset. They play an expensive joke at their country's expense.

2) Weird fashion sense

African dictators pretty are weird fashionistas. From Mobutu Sese Seko's leopard cap, General Sani Abacha's Rayban aviators to Idi Amin rocking two watches at the same time, African dictators have their own sense of style.

Their fashion sense reflects their mindset. They live in a bubble, a warped reality where they think what they were is actually some cool fashion statement.

3) Refuse to step down

This is the classic hallmark of African dictators. They hold on to power for decades. The President of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema has been in power for 36 years. The most notorious African dictator Robert Mugabe has been President of Zimbabwe for 35 years. And the older they become the more silly statements and rules they make.

4) Blame the West

Another hallmark of African dictators is to blame Western powers for their country's woes. The biggest example of this is Robert Mugabe. Despite his counterproductive economic policies, he blames the West for the collapse of Zimbabwe's economy.

5) Rapper lifestyle
Ajayi, 57, who resides at No. 14, Yemi Adebayo St., Ilesan, Lekki, Lagos is standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Tubi Olajide, told the court that the accused committed the alleged offence on Jan. 5, at 3:30p.m., at Diamond Bank Plc Annex Headquarters, Elegushi, Lekki, Eti-Osa, Lagos.

Olajide said that the accused conspired with others still at large to commit the alleged offence.

The prosecutor said that the stolen money belonged to a customer of the bank, one Mr Chibunna Osbonna.

According to him, the offences contravened Sections 285 (9) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

However the accused pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge preferred against him.

The Magistrate, Mrs Abimbola Komolafe, granted him a N5 million bail with two sureties in like sum, who must have landed properties in Lagos.

She also ordered that the sureties must show evidence of three years tax payment to Lagos State Government and their addresses should be verified.
Why does Gambia have a 'the' prefix? Apart from 'The Bahamas', Gambia is the only country with this unique name.

Now that the eyes of the world are now on the country thanks to Yahya Jammeh channelling the spirits of past African dictators and refusing to step down, it is the right time to look into this matter.

Firstly, when the Portuguese came into the country, they named the country after the River Gambia. Now, when the English came into the country they continued this tradition. There was no need to give the country another name.

ALSO READ: Nigeria, Senegal troops ready to force out overstayed Gambia President

Secondly, the country is officially known as The Gambia in order to differentiate from the African country Zambia. You could see why this makes some sort of sense, Gambia and Zambia do rhyme very well.

In May 1964, the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names (PCGN) received a letter from the Gambian Prime Minister requesting that the country be officially known as The Gambia to differentiate it from Zambia.
Mr Peter Ezemede, the Linkage Focal Person for the centre, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Benin.

Ezemede attributed the low turnout of free blood donation to people patronising the commercial blood donors.

He said that the centre was doing its best to eliminate commercial blood donors from the state.

According to him, we have taken awareness campaign to churches, mosques, schools and market places to educate them on importance of blood donation and the health benefits.

Every blood you donate will save a patients life lying down sick in the hospital and will also reduce the cost of pant of blood in some hospitals.

Those who donate blood regularly will be free from diseases such as hypertension, cancer, and it will stimulate their blood marrow to produce blood cell for the system, he said.
Olowojebutu, the Medical Director of Liberty-Life Hospital, Ogudu, Lagos State, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that pregnant women and children should heed this advice.

He said these sets of people were more vulnerable to the attack.

Pregnant women and children below age five must be encouraged to use the long lasting insecticide nets, he said.

He also advised that proper diagnosis should be carried out after a patient must have completed full treatment of malaria with Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT).

Olowojebutu said that the best and first treatment for malaria was the ACT which is very affordable and available.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Nigeria, up to 50 per cent of the population is attacked by malaria each year.

Malaria is responsible for 30 per cent of childhood death and 11 per cent of maternal deaths.

The national malaria positive rate either by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) or by microscopy is still above 32 per cent compared to 38 per cent rate in 2007, he said .

Olowojebutu said that malaria diagnosis had improved in the country following the national malaria policy of 2011 that recommended the use of RDT for malaria test for every febrile case.

With the exception of North-Central Nigeria, RDT now detects malaria more by between 20 per cent and 67 per cent than microscopy across the other geopolitical zones.

RDT detects parasite antigens, while microscopy detects the parasite at different stages of its life cycle in the red blood cell, he said.

Olowojebutu said the best way to improve the diagnosis of submicroscopic malaria was through adequate funding and donations.

He said this would increase the awareness that malaria could be tested at home with RDT by anybody.

The training of pregnant women on how to use RDT during antenatal care at hospitals and nursing mothers during routine immunisation services should be fostered.

He also warned the public against embarking on self medication without diagnosis and the unprofessional use of chloroquine injections.

Olowojebutu called on all the media organisations to partner the health sector to create more awareness and sensitization on malaria intervention.

There must be more awareness on the application of ACT in different states, especially, among those living in rural areas.

Public places such as hotels and all health institutions should endeavour to use malaria treated nets in their various establishments."
Obaseki, who inaugurated the committee in Benin on Thursday, said that the committee would kick start reforms in the agriculture sector before a full committee would be formed.

He said the committee would help government implement specific projects which would create between 50,000 and 80,000 agricultural jobs before the end of the year.

We want to ensure that we begin some agricultural activities before the next cropping season.

We want to cultivate 5,000 hectares of maize farm, 10,000 hectares of green houses for vegetable and tomatoes.

Four thousand hectares for piggery farming and support 3,000 cocoa farmers for improved yield, he said.

He said the Ministry of Agriculture would serve as the secretariat, while the Secretary to the State Government would give the committee the necessary support.

Obaseki urged the committee to on a weekly basis submit report on the level of progress being made.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the committee, Chief Osaro Idah, commended the governor for the opportunity given them to serve.
This is contained in a condolence message by her Special Assistant on Media, Adebisi Olumide-Ajayi, in Abuja on Wednesday.

My thoughts are with the victims and families of the deceased and my fervent prayer is that God gives them the fortitude to bear the loss.

She also prayed for almighty God to continue to guide the armed forces and the citizens in their bid to rid Nigeria of terrorism.
Onaiyekan expressed the view at a press briefing following a mass in honour of the missing priest in Abuja on Thursday.

Oyaka was the financial secretary of the Congregation of Holy Ghost Fathers and was abducted in October 2015 while he was travelling from Abuja to Onitsha, Anambra, for a meeting.

We have reported the matter to a senior Director in the Department of State Security. Youths, hunters from Okene and the police were in the bush for three days looking for him. Three police commands are involved FCT, Kogi and Edo.

This is a tragedy that has overtaken our land and the name keeps on recurring that Fulani herdsmen are behind all these killings, kidnappings and destructions of lives and property in the country.

The government has a responsibility to protect lives and properties of its citizens and the church cannot do anything except the government do their job.

From my own observation, we are faced with national emergency and the whole country should come together to find out ways to end this militancy.

If it is a matter of declaring war, let us declare war against the perpetrators of all these evils, he said.

Onaiyekan appealed to all religious leaders to come together and find a lasting solution to the unlawful killing of innocent people.

We must know that what is happening in our country is going round the world but we will continue to pray for the system which has failed us to improve, he added.

On his part, Rev. Fr. Daniel Abba, former Provincial Superior of the Holy Ghost Congregation, North-West Nigeria, said that Nigerians should all contribute towards lasting peace in the country.

Abba said the security agents who were searching for the missing priest did their best although their performance remained unsatisfactory because Oyaka had not been found.

Contributing , the Assistant Superior-General of the Holy Ghost Congregation, Rev. Fr. Bede Ukuije, urged Nigerians to resist evil and embrace peace.
In compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 constitution as amended, I wish to inform the Distinguished Senate that I will be away on a short medical vacation from Monday January, 23 to February 6th, 2017 and while I am away, the Vice President (Osinbajo) will perform the functions of my office, the letter read.
"I'm traveling to the United Kingdom today on a short leave; part of my annual vacation",President Muhammadu Buhari announced. "I'll be back at work on February 6. will act as President".

According to a statement from the President's spokesperson, Femi Adesina, the trip borders on health concerns.

"During the vacation, the President will also undergo routine medical check-ups. In line with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President of the Senate, and Speaker, House of Representatives, have been duly communicated," Adesina said.

Here's the thing: everybody falls ill. Everyone needs a vacation from work once in a while. That's not even up for debate.

But when you are President of a country, discretion says you don't announce a vacation just hours after the military which acts at your command, has just 'accidentally' killed innocent civilians.

Could the medical trip have been rescheduled? Is the ailment life threatening? If yes, then the people should have been duly informed of the severity of their President's state of health; after all, the President is the servant of the people who elected him into office.

The people deserve to be told everything....oh well, almost everything.

President Buhari couldn't even clear his desk to go see the IDP camp that was mistakenly bombed by his service chiefs.

He had to send a delegation.

When was the last time President Buhari addressed the nation on camera after a major disaster or loss of lives? He'll issue a banal, run-of-the-mill press statement instead.

When was the last time Buhari showed up at the site of a Boko Haram bomb blast?

Yes, a President has to put up appearances, he's got to show that he cares, he's got to emotionally connect with the people.

Buhari comes across as cold and unfeeling--or that's the way he appears to everyone else who isn't holed up in the Aso Rock echo chamber.

We aren't begrudging the President his medical trip abroad. He can travel wherever he wants and at whatever time he wants.

But this particular Buhari trip to the U.K is poor timing and in poor taste.
In the letter, Buhari sought permission from the lawmakers to embark on a 10-day vacation abroad.

The Presidency calls the trip a "10-day annual vacation".

In a tweet, the President confirmed the development: "I'm traveling to the UK today on a short leave; part of my annual vacation. Back at work Feb 6. will act as President".

Presidency sources have told Pulse that the President's trip has everything to do with his health.

"He's managing a medical condition. I won't say more than that. Besides, he's advanced in age and he has to keep a regular schedule with his Doctor. The President is human like everyone else. He has to see his Doctor annually as scheduled and that's it", said a source at the Presidential Villa.

Buhari's unstable health was a constant talking point during the electioneering campaign of 2015, with Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose of the PDP, leading the onslaught.

On June 6, 2016, President Buhari embarked on a similar trip to London.

Following widespread speculation concerning the state of the President's health, spokesperson Femi Adesina announced at the time that Buhari was traveling to London to deal with a persistent ear infection.

Said Adesina at the time: During the holiday, he will see an E.N.T. (Ear, Nose, Throat) specialist for a persistent ear infection. The President was examined by his Personal Physician and an E.N.T Specialist in and was treated. Both Nigerian doctors recommended further evaluation purely as a precaution.

ALSO READ: Real reason President is taking leave from work

put a call across through to Adesina to ascertain if the President's latest trip has anything to do with his persistent ear infection.

However, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, referred us to a press statement he had issued earlier.

"There is a press statement...go back to the press statement", Adesina told Pulse.

The statement from the Presidency did mention that the vacation became necessary because the President had another date with his Doctor.

It reads as follows:

"President Muhammadu Buhari leaves for the today on a short leave, which is part of his annual vacation. He is expected to resume work on February 6, 2017.

"During the vacation, the President will also undergo routine medical check-ups.

"In line with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President of the Senate, and Speaker, House of Representatives, have been duly communicated.

"While away, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, will perform the functions of the Office of the President."

President Buhari's vacation notice is arriving barely 48 hours after a military fighter jet accidentally bombed a camp full of internally displaced persons in Borno State, North East Nigeria.
In a letter to President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, dated Jan. 17, 2017 and read at plenary on Wednesday, Buhari urged the senate to give his request the usual expeditious consideration.

The president said in the letter that his request was in accordance with the provisions of section 5 (4) and 8 (3) of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation Act.

I hereby forward the name of Mr Aghatise Erediauwa for kind consideration and confirmation by the distinguished senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for re-appointment as Executive Director of Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).
A Presidency official, who spoke under condition of anonymity with newsmen on Thursday in Abuja, said that so many obstacles were working against release of the Shiite leader.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Gabriel Kolawola of an Abuja Federal High Court, in his judgment in December 2016, ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to release El-Zakzaky within 45 days.

Kolawole also ordered the Federal Government to provide an accommodation for El-Zakzaky, his wife and family members within Kaduna State or any part of the northern region.

The court declared the continuous detention of El-Zakzaky since December 13, 2015 as unlawful and illegal since the issue of protective custody was unknown to law or the National Security Agencies Act establishing the DSS.

However, the presidential official said: major constitutional policy objective of government as stated in Section 14 (2) (b) is public and not individual security.

The issue of the release of El-Zakzaky is not exclusively legal. It has security and public interest as against individual interest undertones.

Public interest and national security implications must be factored into consideration in line with international practices that conventionally place national security and public interest above any other individual claim of right.

According to him, the Federal Government of Nigeria is looking into the case with the public and security interest dimensions into consideration.

On the said detention of the religious leaders wife alongside her husband, the official stated that El-Zakzakys wife was not of any security interest.

He said, she is merely keeping her husband company in the apartment in which he is kept.

She is not under detention, if it is her wish, that of her husband or of the IMAN, she will be allowed to go home in a matter of hours.

He explained that El-Zakzakys spouse was picked up by the DSS beside her husband with bullet wounds following IMANs encounter with the army.

They took her along with the husband, treated her wounds and allowed her to care for her husband.
The speaker made the call on Thursday when he received the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Deng Boqing, at the National Assembly.

He said that though there were concerns about the rising profile of debt owed by Nigeria to China, it will all be for good if the assets for which they were acquired are delivered for the benefit of Nigerians.

There have been concerns about the debt hangover that perhaps we may leave it for generations to come.

But I always say that doesnt matter if debt is left for posterity as long as we have the assets on ground, Dogara said.

He further urged the Chinese to ensure the proper execution of projects so as to earn confidence of future generations in the relations between the two countries.

This is a responsibility we owe our people and that which you owe to the people of China, he added.

While expressing gratitude for the several supports offered to Nigeria, including the war on terrorism, he assured the envoy that the lower chamber will support governments agreement on One China.

The speaker also thanked China for supporting Nigerias bid for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.

It would be recalled that in August 2015, Nigeria secured the endorsement of Chinese government to occupy a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

The endorsement followed the bilateral talks between Dogara and his Chinese counterpart, Mr. Zhang Dejiang in New York, United States.

Dogara also stressed the need for mutual benefits between the two countries from the existing bilateral relations.

He noted that Chinese businesses are getting support from the Federal Government,saying that more doors should be opened to Nigerian businessmen and women doing trading with China.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government had deployed Troops to Gambia, if President Yahya Jammeh refused to leave office and handover to President-elect, Adama Barrow by January 19.

Speaking during plenary, Sen. Chukwuka Utazi (PDP-Enugu), who raised a Point of Order said that President Buhari violated the constitution by deploying troops to Gambia without approval of the National Assembly.

Section 5 of the constitution stipulates subject to the provisions of this constitution, the executive powers of the federation shall be vested in Mr President.

Section 4 notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, a President shall not declare a state of war between the Federation and another country except with the sanction of a resolution of both Houses of the National Assembly sitting in a joint session.

Except with the prior approval of the Senate, no member of the armed forces of the federation shall be deployed on combat duty outside Nigeria."

He said that it was an affront to the constitution to ask that this country will go on a warfare in another country.

And we have failed even when the Senate have been co-operating with the executive. But let it be on record that if anything of this nature happens in this country, that this National Assembly has to be informed properly in writing.

However, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, while responding said notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection (4) of this Section, the president, in consultation with the National Defence Council, may deploy members of the armed forces of the federation on a limited combat duty outside Nigeria.

This is if he is satisfied that the national security is under imminent threat or danger.

Provided that the President shall within seven days of actual combat engagement, seek the consent of the Senate and the Senate shall thereafter give or refuse the said consent within 14 days.

Contributing, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu said the operational one as it affects us here is the (b) which says except with the prior approval of the Senate, no member of the armed forces of the federation shall be deployed on combat duty outside Nigeria.

This has to do with war and we are not at war with anybody, but for you to send the Nigerian armed forces outside Nigeria, this senate must be told."

Ekweremadu said that though it was happening in the Gambia, they needed the approval of the Senate because that was not war.

He explained that a war situation was when you are talking about Section 5 and the president does not need our approval.
The eyewitness, Abdulwahab Adam, claimed that the fighter jet dropped bombs on the Internally Displaced Persons camp three times.

"The bombs were dropped on us thrice and there was no way a mistake could be made thrice," Adam told Punch from his hospital bed at the General Hospital, Maiduguri.

On January 17, a fighter jet of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) 'mistakenly' fired at the IDPs camp in Rann, Borno State, killing about 100 persons, including aid workers of Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and International Committee of the Red Cross.

"There was nothing accidental about the attack and it could not be referred to as a mistake.

"The Federal Government should stop telling Nigerians that it was a mistake; for this was not. It was nothing but an unprovoked attack on a civilian populace.

"This was not a new camp and the attack happened when people queued up to receive humanitarian materials."

Another victim, Abba Yusuf, also disagreed with the excuse that the strike was carried out in error.

"This is the same force that told the world that they did not drop the bomb on insurgents in the Sambisa Forest because of human shield but weeks later, dropped bombs on unarmed civilians in an IDPs camp.

"Could they have been blindfolded to know that we were in a queue and we were unarmed or could they have mistaken the IDPs camp for the haven of insurgents?"

ALSO READ: Reps to investigate NAF air strike

Also lamenting the horror, a relative of one of the deceased said he had gone to the general hospital to check if his brother was among the wounded, only to be told that he was among the dead.

Yakubu Hassan said his brother, who was a 35-year-old ad-hoc worker with the Nigerian Red Cross, left behind two wives and over 30 other dependants.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the 'negligence' of NAF does not go unpunished.

The Federal Government has however dispatched a high-powered delegation, led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari, to condole with the government and people of Borno State and the international aid agencies affected in the attack.

In the delegation were two ministers  retired Brig. Gen. Mansur Dan Ali (Defence); and Alhaji Lai Mohammed (Information and Culture).
The party made the call in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Dayo Adeyeye and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.

Adeyeye said the PDP was shocked and dismayed at the news of the accidental bombing of the IDPs Camp by the Nigerian Air force jet, on Tuesday, Jan. 17.

He said the investigation would help to unravel the mystery behind the incident, which led to the death of over 52 persons and injured more than 120 others in the camp.

This is totally unacceptable and we demand a thorough and independent investigation into the matter to unravel the mystery behind the accident.

The excuse by the Nigerian military that the camp was mistaken to be a gathering of Boko Haram members is a show of unprofessionalism and lack of intelligence regarding operations of such magnitude.

We are very worried that the military after several successes against the sect in recent times will display such provocative conduct capable of rubbing-off on its past achievements as a professional organisation, he said.

Adeyeye said that the PDP was of the opinion that the accidental bombing of the IDP camp was a reaction to false alarm and that the military was misled by the informant to cause the killings of those innocent Nigerians.

Consequently, Nigerian military must talk less on its modus operandi and also carry out sufficient intelligence gathering in order to avoid such costly mistakes in the future.

While we appreciate that Nigerians are being informed of the operations of the military, it is very important to conceal some vital and critical security information to aviod opponents using such information to infiltrate their ranks.

Adeyeye added that the military must excuse itself from any form of propaganda and deceit to score cheap political points.

He urged the military to concentrate more on the job of wiping off the insurgency in the North-East and eliminate threat in all regions of the country.

He however condoled with President, Muhammadu Buhari, the Governor of Borno State, Mr Kashim Shettima and the families of those who lost their lives in the incident.

It is unfortunate and regrettable as we pray their souls to rest in peace.
The House Leader, Alhaji Hassan Oyeleke, made the clarification while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on reasons for delaying the demolition of the two stations.

The House had, after adopting the report of its ad hoc Committee on Proliferation of Filling Stations in October 2016, ordered the demolition of four stations located in a densely populated areas in some parts of llorin.

Two of the stations were demolished in early October 2016 under the supervision of the state Town Planing Development Authority.

When NAN visited the locations of the two yet to be demolished on Thursday, business activities were not in progress.

The Leader of the assembly, Alhaji Hassan Oyeleke, wondered why the remaining two were yet to be demolished in compliance with the resolution.

He said the decision of the House to ask for the demolition was still in force which could only be upturned at a plenary.

If there is new fact to upturn the decision of the House, it will be discussed at plenary; the stand of the House remains binding.

In his reaction, the state Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Alhaji Muideen Alalade, said the ministry was working demolish the other two stations.

He attributed the delay in compliance to some logistic problems.

The commissioner said the two affected stations had already stocked petrol in their pits which needed the service of experts to exhume the tanks before the demolition could take place.
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command, Rear Adm. James Oluwole, disclosed this to newsmen on the sidelines of inauguration of residential quarters for troops in Port Harcourt.

Oluwole said the deployment which began on Jan. 7 was aimed at tackling the rising activities of illegal bunkerers in Onne Local Government Area of the state.

Operation Rivers Sweep was activated on Jan. 7 to stem the tide of increasing and disturbing reports of illegal bunkering in Onne general area.

Over some months now, we have discovered that lots of illegal refineries are operating within the area with stealthily and specially designed dug-in canoes moving stolen petroleum products.

The supply chain starts from the illegal refineries which transport the illegally produced crude oil from dug-in canoes to bigger vessels that move the product out of Nigeria by sea.

Operation Rivers Sweep thus is focused on having a coordinated and well planned operation different from the routine patrols ongoing at our operational bases level, he said.

Oluwole said the ongoing operation would discover and destroy illegal refineries and other maritime crimes in Onne and environs.

The FOC said that the Navys inability to prosecute suspected oil thieves partly affected the war on illegal oil bunkering.

According to him, the battle against oil thieves was built on a tripartite arrangement which involved surveillance, enforcement and operation.

However, enforcement does not reside with the Navy because there are agencies that are statutorily empowered to do that.

We have done our job when we hand over investigation to agencies saddled with the responsibility to prosecute suspects, he explained.
Ndume, who is representing Borno South, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday in Maiduguri.

He was reacting to rumours making the rounds in the state capital that he planned to take over from Gov. Kashim Shettima in 2019.

He explained that his decision was based on the fact that he was getting old for the position.

Ndume said the governorship position required young personalities that were vibrant in nature.

I personally feel that anybody approaching 60 years should not go and contest for governorship election.

This is because governing a state in Nigeria requires somebody that is vibrant, strong, that can withstand the enormous pressure associated with the office, he said.

The lawmaker said he was already 58 years old and will be about 60 years in 2019.

I am 58 years old now, and by the time we will be leaving the senate I will be close to 60.

I think that will be an old age for a governor of a state, Ndume said.

He said that aside from the issue of age, governing a state required lots of responsibilities.

I want to say without any fear of contradiction that I do not envy anybody aspiring and struggling to be the governor of Borno in 2019.

So, I do not envy persons aspiring to be the governor, I do not have interest.
This followed the call for help by the police to the military.

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Ibok Ette-Ibas, announced this at the inauguration of Senior Rates Mess in Apapa, Lagos.

The CNS said the navy would rise to the occasion.

Five female students and three members of staff of Nigerian Turkish International College (NTIC), Ogun State, were kidnapped from the school on Jan. 13.

The police said they had located the whereabouts of the kidnappers and their victims, but were experiencing difficulties in accessing the area due to the difficult terrain.

The incident that happened is very unfortunate and the armed forces and the navy in particular, have always been very handy to support whenever issues like this occur and we explore whatever options are available.

The navy has in the past aided the police and its sister services in arresting and containing the menace of kidnappers in that area."

On the Niger Delta crisis, the CNS said the navy would not down its weapons even as the Federal Government was still exploring dialogue with the militants.

But for us in the military, we are taught just one thing- to bring force to bear wherever called upon to achieve our political masters will.

We have been doing that and we will continue to do that.

We train our men to ensure that when called up, we do what will ensure peace and unity for the nation, he said.

He said his administration was committed to shelter related medical service infrastructure and general welfare of personnel.

The philosophy at the foreground of this happy event is packaged in my Strategic Directive 2015, promulgated at my resumption of office.

It clearly acknowledges that adequate motivating and inspiring inputs are indispensable to the attainment of the NN operational goals.

There has been massive overhaul of navy personnel support structure, through repositioned professional training and in- service education, fleet recapitalisation, reactivation and platforms operational sustenance.

Others include workplace enhancement, transport service expansion, accommodation decency priority and social utilities delivery.
Kalu said further that the activities of the agitators could not be compared to those of terrorist sect, Boko Haram.

The former governor made the comments on Wednesday, January 18, during a visit to Minna, Niger state.

IPOB or MASSOB are harmless people; they are different from Boko Haram, so we will continue to appeal to Nigerians because there must be peace, he said according to Daily Post.

What is happening in Southern Kaduna State is not right, people should stop killing their fellow Nigerians, we should manage rumours very well.

We are Nigerians, and we will remain in Nigeria because it is our place, we have no other place to go; there is no basis to compare the activities of Boko Haram insurgents with those of the Biafra agitators in the name of MASSOB and IPOB.

None of those Biafra agitators carry arms; they are not violent. They dont constitute any threat to the unity of Nigeria. Politicians should stop spreading rumours on social media to impress people. Nigeria is our home. We have no other country, he added.

ALSO READ: Soludo advises Buhari to release Kanu
According to a report by Punch Newspaper, the security operatives stormed the head office of Premium Times in Abuja on Thursday, January 19, 2017 arresting Olorunyomi alongside a female journalist, Evelyn Okakwu.

The report further narrated that the raid and arrest is believed to be in connection with online newspaper's report on Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Tukur Buratai.

Premium Times had written on an alleged plan by the Code of Conduct Bureau to invite Buratai for asset verification aside other stories regarding the Nigerian army.

Just last week, the Nigerian Army had threatened to take action against the medium if it failed to retract the stories but the editors called the Army's bluff and wrote a scathing editorial against the army authorities.
The engineers are Akinbela Fatiregun and Oladele Ogundeji.

They are standing trial before an Ikeja High Court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mrs Idowu Alakija, the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), told the court that the Sixth Prosecution Witness (PW6) was overseas.

PW6 was expected to come in for this matter from overseas, but we received a last minute phone call from him that he would not be able to make it to the country.

I humbly request that the court gives us at least a week to enable our witness to be able to come to court, she said.

There were no objections to the request by defence counsel  Chief Efe Akpofure (SAN), Mrs Titi Akinlawon (SAN) and Mr Olalekan Ojo.

Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo consequently adjourned the case to Feb. 17 for continuation of trial.

Fatiregun and Ogundeji and their companies; Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Ltd., alongside the trustees of SCOAN, are facing a 111-count charge of gross negligence and criminal manslaughter.

About 116 persons died in the collapse of the seven-storey guest house, which occurred on Sept. 12, 2014. Eighty-five of them were South Africans.
Every movie lover has experienced it - a ruinously bad plot twist that has no effect and a twist that confounds and pleases at the same time.

An obvious twist leads to a bored viewer while a far-fetched one births a disbelieving viewer.

Pulse Movies has put together 10 Nollywood movies with a plot twist that was either ultimate, ridiculous or badly executed.

In no particular order, here we go;

1. "The CEO"

It was written by Tunde Babalola and directed by Kunle Afolayan, so of course, there is a movie twist. However, this twist which should have been an ultimate one, failed to achieve its set out goal.

There was no impact. It wasn't delivered or executed with the punch which it should have been done with.

The movie follows five top executives from across Africa who are dispatched on a one-week leadership retreat by a multinational telecommunications firm, Transwire, to determine which one to appoint as the firms new CEO.

Things take a different turn when one-by-one, the executives are eliminated in sudden death circumstances, and the finger falls on the surviving executives as prime suspects.

As usual, the killer is the one you least expect; in this case, the major twist doesn't confound or impress.

2. "Festival of Fire"

Taking us back to 2002, the movie followed a village which sacrificed twins, until Christianity came in through a church.

For a great part of the movie, Saint Obi as a village chief priest was focused on killing the nun Regina Askia, until he realizes that she is his twin sister.

It may sound like a cliche plot, but in 2002, it was the ultimate plot twist that left viewers satisfied and impressed.

ALSO READ: undefined

3. "Stalker"

It is a slight plot twist, but a twist nevertheless. The twist leaves you confounded. It isn't the best. It is just surprising.

In the Moses Inwang movie, Michael is suspected throughout the film to be the stalker, only to be redeemed as we discovered that every act was a coincidence, and Kaylah was actually the stalker.

4. "October 1"

Definitely not the most intense twist of your life.

It's a Kunle Afolayan movie, so, a twist was expected. For some, it was shocking to find out that Prince Aderopo was the killer. For others who figured out the twist midway into the movie, it was expected.

ALSO READ: undefined

5. "Road to Yesterday"

A modern-day love story, the movie tells the story of a couple Victoria and Izu (Played by Nigerian-British actor, Oris Erhuerho and Genevieve Nnaji), desperate to mend their marriage on a road trip to a relatives funeral.

After over 90 minutes, viewers found out that their who evening was a lie. It's a cliche kind of twist, but, it saved the movie.

It left viewers shocked, some angry and some impressed. Either way, a feeling was evoked when viewers found out that Victoria was living out most of the events in her dream.

6. "King Invincible"

Probably the best plot twist on this list. It is also one that redeems the movie of any of its screenplay faults. For most of the film, viewers anticipate Taari's healing and his coronation.

The biggest twist comes when they realize that he isn't the chosen one, and are saved a predictable and straightforward story.

ALSO READ:undefined

7. "Fifty"

Finding out Jamal is Tola's son wasn't a punching twist. It was just a twist that was aimed at surprising the viewers and generating the shock effect.

While it was a surprising one, a shocking feeling didn't come with it.

8. "Gbomo Gbomo Express"

That moment when the film flashes back and viewers discover that Austin Mba has been the master planner of the entire kidnap incident.

The "Gbomo Gbomo Express" twist can be described as intelligent. Finding out that the $30 million ransom was been paid to Mba was surprising and exciting.

Despite its few faults, the plot twist saves the movie.

ALSO READ:

9. "Finding Mercy"

It wasn't a twist that saved a movie. It was just a twist.

The twist came when Blossom Chukwujekwu's character realized that the little girl he stole during a robbery session actually belongs to his boss Daniel Olatunji (Desmond Elliot.)

10. "Rumour Has It"

A ridiculous twist... Yes, it is a web series, but it is a Nollywood production that had to make this list.

The supposed twist in "Rumour Has It" is Obi's personal assistant Ranti being the snitch that has been dishing out juicy details of her life to a rival blogger, Sylvia.
Effiong dumped the opposition party during the Senate plenary session on Thursday, January 19.

The defection comes days after APC Senator, Kabir Marafa prayed that the crisis in the PDP would continue so the APC could take all the opposition partys senators.

Senator Ahmed Makarfi and senator Ali Modu Sheriff have successfully to our delight, caused a division in the PDP. We are always praying that their power tussle will continue, Marafa told Punch.

While I pray for Makarfi to have the upper hand, I am also praying for Sheriff to have the power and ability to sustain the fight, so that we (APC) will be taking the senators one by one, he added.

ALSO READ: Nobody can remove me  Ekweremadu says
Makarfi made the comment on Wednesday, January 18, during a PDP event in Abuja.

We are reviewing and rebranding the party, it is only the judgment in Port Harcourt we are waiting for and we are praying for a fair judgment that will revive the hope of the people, he said.

Justice should be done and seen to be done in a manner that the whole world will see that the judiciary is doing the right thing. If you eliminate or encumber the opposition, nobody will be safe. It is for the interest of Nigeria that there is opposition.

Some people are already apologizing for voting us out of office, but we are telling them to vote for us again, he added.
In fact, some children/young adults would often run to the church for refuge when the home fails to provide the safety they need.

Thus, the church becomes this sanctuary in a hostile world, while the Men of God become the closest thing to our Father in Heaven.

So, it is safe to say that any form of sexual abuse by these highly regarded people is something that can not even be imagined.

Unfortunately, the sad, painful reality is that these things happen. Sometimes, our beloved pastor becomes our very own worst nightmare.

What happens when this is the case, when the one person in the world who is supposed to protect you from spiritual issues and often becomes your go-to counsellor turns out to be a betrayer of the worst kind?

ALSO READ: Report claims religious leaders are responsible for many sexual molestation cases

What I imagine is that this destroys the person's faith in not only that person (the rapist, anyone that makes unwelcome sexual advances), but also the church, what it represents and eventually God.

This person, betrayed in this terrible, deep scarring way, loses all faith/hope in anything and everything. What is left for a person with no hope in the world. As Michelle Obama aptly put it, 'what are we without hope?'

We are nothing, we are an empty shell, roaming the streets convinced that there is nothing left for us until death comes to take us away.

The major reason why the sexually assaulted person feels this way is because the pastor is still there, preaching, laying hands, acting like nothing has changed, while this person's entire world has been turned upside down.

Their former spiritual guider gets to go on living, smiling and acting like everything is okay, while this person is left to wither inside because they can not even tell anyone.

Who would even believe that everyone's papa, loved, adored and admired by all, would ever be capable of such a despicable act? No one.

A case that comes to mind is Ese Walter who accused the senior pastor of the Common Wealth Of Zion Assembly (COZA), Biodun Fatoyinbo of manipulating her sexually/spiritually.

Here is an excerpt of Eses story, which she shared on her blog.

"My better judgment asked me not to go into the room but the kind of reverence I had for Pastor bordered on fear and I steeped into that room.Care for a drink? Asked Pastor No sir, I said.You dont have to be shy , even if its alcohol, feel free and order what you want. I

wasnt sure I heard my pastor asking me to order alcohol. I imagined it was a test and ignored the voice inside that was saying, Id have henny and coke please. He proceeded to ask how I had been coping in London and if I was a committed member of any church. He also said he thought there was something special about me and wanted to know that I had not strayed from my faith. I really thought he had heard I was doing something I shouldnt while in London but tried my best to focus on the conversation instead of my straying thoughts. He kept telling me to relax and feel comfortable with talking to him. After a few minutes, he asked that we go to the roof of the hotel as his room was a pent suite and had a connecting door to the roof.

While there, he sat on a reclining chair and asked me to come sit on his laps. This was a bit awkward for me and I froze for a moment as I asked why. He said he had told me to feel free with him and loosen up. I found myself strolling to sit on his laps. At that moment, I felt like a little girl who was experiencing something her mind couldnt fathom. He asked me to kiss him and all I could think about was seeing him preach on the pulpit back in COZA which was my home church. He again said feel free  And asked again, that I kiss him.

A few hours later, lets just say, we were rolling under the sheets. It felt as though my mind had paused. I am not saying I was jazzed, (although its possible I was in some trancelike state and didnt know it but I just was so afraid that I couldnt say or think otherwise.) That was the beginning of this affair. A sexual affair that went on for a little over a week, DAILY!I can hear somebodys mind thinking, well, you werent raped.

This got a lot of reactions. For most, she was simply "a useless ashewo" on a mission to destroy the pastor.

No one bothered to ask questions, carry out an investigation or do anything at all, they just focused their energy on raining insults and curses on the lady.

The only one who came to her defence was popular OAP and religious critic, Daddy Freeze.

Here is what he said.

"I read with pain in my heart the story that who happens to be a close friends wife, has stopped believing in GOD. And I cannot but cast my mind to her ordeal in the hands of a so called man of God!

Her husband gave me his version of the story. I had worked with him for ten years and I have never known him to cook up tales.

After being abused by a so called man of God, And then Nigeria blames her, calling her all sorts of names! What about the man who led her astray?

I saw him at the airport the other day he was dressed from head to toe in monogrammed and . He was a patchwork of G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV G LV a complete eyesore this man was. With the way he was dressed, his lavish parties and cars combined with what happened to Ese, I wont trust him to sweep my compound yet some people call him pastor #SMH!

The damage these pastors are doing to the mindset of Africans is appalling!"

ALSO READ: Pastor allegedly rapes church member

He also added Bible verses, Jeremiah 23:1-2 and 14.

Jeremiah 23:1-2 says, "Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord .Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord."

Jeremiah 23:14 adds, "I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah."

Whether we chose to acknowledge it or not, the fact remains that rape and other forms of sexual assault exist in our churches.

Rather than acting like there is no problem and insulting the few people that have the courage to share their stories, we have to face it squarely and stop hiding under the 'touch not my anointed' verse.
Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor-Balla, President of the Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, and Dr Fontem Neba, secretary general of the group, were both arrested on the same day the Cameroonian government tagged their civil rights group and its activities illegal via a letter it made available to the local press.

All activities, meetings and demonstrations initiated or promoted by the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (CACSC), any other related groups with similar objectives or by anyone partisan to these groups, are hereby prohibited all over the national territory, the letter read.

According to local journalists, internet access has been shut down in Buea amid rising tensions in the streets.

Violent protests and arrests have been going on in the country for months, as Anglophone activists have continued to push for reforms in the French-speaking country.

The situation has since devolved into boycotts with doctors and health professionals joining the strike on Monday.
Formerly known as Africa Internet Group (AIG), thanks to a brand harmonization strategy adopted in June 2016, the Group has been the subject of much speculation within the African tech industry for the past few years.

The 9-company group has a presence in 23 of Africa's 54 countries, which makes its health a talking point to the overall ecosystem. It has also raised a total of about $460 million in the five years since it launched.

For some perspective, all the startups that got funded on the continent last year collectively raised a total of $129 million. Clearly, Jumia is no small company.

However, the Jumia story cannot be written without its investors and backers. Most prominent of them is Rocket Internet, the German company famous for creating high-growth companies cloned from Western versions in emerging markets (others are AXA Group, CDC Group, Goldman Sachs, MTN, and Orange).

However, 2016 wasn't very kind to Rocket Internet (Jumia's main backer). It posted a loss of $690 million in the first half of the year, saw massive writedowns on a lot of its businesses, and lost investor confidence.

In 2017, the company is changing its model completely. It will no longer be a holding company with deep interests in all of the businesses under its portfolio.

Instead, it has dissolved into the Rocket Internet Capital Partners (RICP) fund and secured $1 billion in commitments.

Rocket Internet as we know it has been replaced with RICP and the company's motto has been changed from "biggest internet platform outside China and the US" to a more subtle "Incubation. Investment. Growth".

This essentially changes Jumia's relationship with Rocket Internet: The new changes at Rocket make it a 'normal' investor in Jumia and that makes Jumia more independent.
Barrow was sworn in days after seeking shelter in Dakar with incumbent Yahya Jammeh still refusing to stand down after losing a December election.

Barrow has been recognised internationally but Gambian strongman Yahya Jammeh has refused to step down and his term in office has been extended by parliament.

Barrow took the oath at the Gambian embassy in Dakar in the presence of western ambassadors to Senegal, while hundreds of Gambian expatriates gathered outside the compound.

West African military forces, stationed at the border, say they are ready to enforce a transfer of power in The Gambia, a popular beach destination among European holidaymakers.

West African leaders have tried to persuade Mr Jammeh to admit losing the election. They have threatened to remove him by force.
The United Nations Security Council was to vote later Thursday on endorsing a west African military intervention as Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana dispatched hundreds of troops and fighter jets to The Gambia's border with Senegal.

Shops were shuttered and streets quiet in and around the capital Banjul with tour operators evacuating hundreds of tourists from the tiny country's popular beach resorts.

The army chief however has insisted his soldiers would not get involved in a "political dispute" nor prevent foreign forces from entering the west African nation.

Barrow, a real-estate agent turned politician who won a presidential vote on December 1, flew to Senegal on January 15 after weeks of rising tension over Jammeh's steady refusal to step down.

At the helm of the former British colony for 22 years, Jammeh's mandate expired at midnight (0000 GMT) with no sign of him stepping down.

He has attempted instead to block Barrow's inauguration with a court ruling and by declaring a state of emergency.

Inauguration to go ahead

But Barrow's spokesman Halifa Sallah told AFP that the inauguration would go ahead. "It is going to take place at the Gambian embassy in Dakar ... at 4:00 pm (1600 GMT)," he said.

Jammeh initially acknowledged Barrow as the victor in December elections, but later rejected the result, this week declaring a national state of emergency.

Speaking to AFP by phone, senior coalition official Isatou Touray welcomed a declaration by army chief Ousman Badjie that his troops would not prevent Jammeh's removal by force.

"That's a very positive outlook from him, given that Jammeh's regime is done," Touray said.

"We don't have to risk the lives of innocent citizens."

In remarks at a hotel restaurant late Wednesday, Badjie said he loved his men and wouldn't risk their lives in a "stupid fight," eyewitnesses said.

- 'Really scary'

Arriving back at Manchester airport in northern England, several passengers could be seen comforting a Gambian national and UK resident who had tried unsuccessfully to get his family out.

Speaking to AFP, Ebrima Jajne described the situation as "really scary for everybody... because this president (Jammeh) doesn't want to step down and people are fleeing."

Tourist Ralph Newton said local residents had done what they could to reassure visitors, despite the threat to themselves.

"All the locals were just worried ... They said it's a bad time for us but you'll be all right... It'll be us they come for, if they come for anybody."

And Sara Wilkins, another tourist, said they had struggled to get clear information on the developing situation.

"We weren't told anything... I kept phoning Thomas Cook and they just like ... don't worry about it," she told AFP.

"I rang Thomas Cook again this morning and they said pack your bags, you've got to go."

Despite the build-up along the border, an army source told AFP Senegalese troops were "not yet" present on Gambian soil.

Eyes on border

After 11th-hour talks in Banjul, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz flew on to Dakar where he met Barrow for talks at which Senegal's President Macky Sall was also present, the private RFM radio station reported.

It was not clear whether the Mauritanian leader had secured a deal or made an asylum offer to Jammeh.

The last-minute intervention came after several unsuccessful attempts at diplomacy by the 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS).

Mauritania is not part of ECOWAS and diplomats have previously reached out to the conservative desert nation in hopes of brokering a deal with Jammeh.

ECOWAS heads the regional force massing on Gambian-Senegalese border.

jpegMpeg4-1280x720Speaking to AFP at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Amnesty International chief Salil Shetty hailed ECOWAS efforts to resolve the crisis.

"ECOWAS has stood up, and they don't always do that", he said.
Port management later issued a statement saying it was working to ensure that operations could resume.

"Port authorities and the state's services have implemented security measures leading to a return to calm at 11:30 am (GMT)," management said in a statement.

"These measures are still in place now, permitting port operations to resume as normal."

It was not immediately clear whether the port had reopened.

Earlier, port staff in the world's top cocoa producer said paramilitary police involved in a mutiny over pay had fired into the air at the port at around 10:00 am (GMT).
"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.

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.
The attack has added to a sense of alarm in an area that has long been the heart of Mexico's tourism industry, and the violence hints at the criminal presence in the region.

Authorities in Cancun declared a "code red" after at least 10 motorcycle-borne gunmen assaulted the state prosecutor's office and the

That shooting left five people dead  including the head of security at the club, who was reportedly the target, and an American woman who was killed in the stampede of people escaping the scene. Another 15 people were wounded, several of them by bullets fired by security personnel and others on the scene.

Officials initially said that attack was the result of a personal dispute, but in the hours after, drug-cartel conflict emerged as potential motive.

The possibility of cartel involvement was strengthened by the appearance of four narcomantas  banners or signs typically left at the scene of cartel-related crimes  on Tuesday.
In a bid to quell the rising unrest, which on Tuesday left four soldiers dead, the government pledged to improve the troops' livelihoods.

"Nothing can be done so long as there is chaos," Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said after a cabinet meeting over the crisis.

He called the growing tension "alarming", adding that he feared a "contagion" as more troops joined the revolt.

A mutiny among troops over pay erupted on January 5, stoking security fears in the world's top cocoa producer.

Initial protests were quelled when mutineers reached a deal with the government -- but more soldiers have since Tuesday taken to the streets of the west African country demanding similar bonuses.

While the first wave of protests did not cause any fatalities, four soldiers were killed on Tuesday in the administrative capital Yamoussoukro, the government said.

Abidjan port, one of Africa's biggest, was closed Wednesday when angry security forces began firing in the air, port staff said.

However the port's management swiftly issued a statement saying that security measures were being implemented to allow operations to resume.

In Bouake, prison guards also staged protests to show their anger, reported an AFP correspondent.

"We cannot accept that part of our army benefits from a bonus of 12 million CFA francs (18,000 euros, $19,000) while others do not. That's why we are shooting in the air," a Bouake prison guard said on condition of anonymity.

'Act of anger'

"Worrisome," screamed the headline of local newspaper Le Patriote. The subheading branded the soldiers' protests an "act of anger".

Several mutinous troops have told AFP that under a deal reached last week, 8,500 troops were promised 12 million CFA francs each. The government has refused to disclose any figures.

Five million CFA francs are due to be delivered by February 5, although it is unclear how the government intends to finance the payments.

According to a statement, the government sought to justify its concessions by saying it in fact owed the mutineers payments in delayed bonuses and salaries.

"The president () has instructed all the top commanders to begin meetings with all our security forces," the government statement said.

The authorities sought to assure the forces "of the will to improve their living conditions," the statement added.

'Trembling with fear'

But with no solution yet in sight, civilians in Ivory Coast feared a return of unrest.

"We are trembling with fear," said Rachel Kouame, 27, a seamstress in Yamoussoukro.

Kone, the manager of a phone booth, agreed: "There is a heavy mood with the military patrols."

This is not the first crisis involving Ivory Coast's military in recent years.

Bouake, which is home to 1.5 million people, was the cradle of a rebellion in 2002, in a failed attempt to oust then-president Laurent Gbagbo.

The revolt sliced the former French colony into a rebel-held north and government-controlled south, triggering years of unrest.

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.

Later, in 2012, rebels-turned-soldiers protested in Bouake and 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.

Waves of unrest

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.

In 2016, Ivory Coast approved an ambitious military planning budget seeking to modernise the army and aid in buying new equipment for 1.2 billion euros (1.25 billion dollars).

Now the government could have to delve into those funds to finance the payments of mutinous troops.
The council discussed the faltering peace effort in Mali after a car bomb killed 50 people in the northern city of Gao in an attack on joint patrols set up under the agreement.

Condemning the attack, council members said "persistent delays threaten the viability of the agreement" signed by the Malian government and rebel groups 19 months ago, said Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog, this month's council president.

The council discussed ways to shore up the peace deal "including the possibility and implications of establishing a sanctions regime to increase pressure on those who obstruct implementation or resume hostilities," Skoog told reporters.

The United Nations is pushing for full implementation of the peace accord signed in June 2015 between the Malian government and rebel groups aimed at ending years of fighting in the north.

Mali regained control of the north after a French-led military intervention in January 2013 drove out jihadists, but insurgents remain active across large parts of the region.

Addressing the council, UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous backed sanctions that he said should target those who violate the ceasefire and undermine the peace process.

The proposed sanctions regime would set up a mechanism to allow individuals and entities to be blacklisted by the United Nations. Targeted sanctions include a global travel ban and an assets freeze.

No more peace to keep

Ladsous said the absence of state authority in northern Mali had allowed the "terrorist phenomena to take on increasingly worrisome proportions," and warned that the "window of opportunity to generate tangible peace dividends is closing."

"If the security situation continues to deteriorate, there will be no more peace to keep in Mali," he warned.

The United Nations has deployed 13,000 troops in Mali to serve in the MINUSMA force, but they have repeatedly been targeted in attacks.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre said sanctions could be "extremely appropriate" to put pressure on opponents of the peace deal, but no draft resolution was presented to the council.

The head of the MINUSMA force warned that the pullout of seven Dutch attack and transport helicopters from the peacekeeping mission will deal a serious blow to operations.

The Netherlands will pull out the helicopters at the end of February, but the mission will have to wait at least two months for Germany to send replacements, said Mahamat Annadif.

"Without them, I can't do anything," Annadif told reporters of the helicopter unit, adding that it was "unacceptable" for the mission to be left without the necessary air support for such a period of time.
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
Although Assemblyman James Oscarson generally spends his days serving the public by representing their interests in the Legislature, he spent Thursday morning serving them in another way  pouring coffee at McDonalds as part of the restaurants Green for Grads fundraiser.

Although Assemblyman James Oscarson generally spends his days serving the public by representing their interests in the Legislature, he spent Thursday morning serving them in another way  pouring coffee at McDonalds as part of the restaurants Green for Grads fundraiser.

The annual event raises money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas scholarship program by donating $1 from every extra value meal sold to the charity.

Politicians and other community leaders across Southern Nevada were scheduled to take part in the event, working at the restaurants various locations to generate interest in the fundraising effort.

This is, as you know, a great opportunity for McDonalds. I think last year they gave out about $60,000 in scholarships. A dollar from some of the meals, I think its the value meals, go into a pool and they give it to the graduating seniors as scholarships, Oscarson said at the event. Its all funded through Ronald McDonald House. My goal is to make sure, and Im not saying they havent, but I want to make sure we get some of that money into the Pahrump area, Pahrump Valley High School and Beatty and all of those areas as well.

Pahrump Store Supervisor Carol Tamayo said last year Green for Grads raised approximately $52,600. When coupled with the charitys other fundraising efforts, she said RMHC of Greater Las Vegas was able to raise more than $367,000, which allowed them to provide 149 scholarships to Southern Nevada high school seniors.

McDonalds is dedicated to the communities it serves, and the company strives to play an active role in supporting local youth through the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Greater Las Vegas Scholarship Program. McDonalds franchises across Southern Nevada also participate in a wide variety of additional programs that promote childrens education and literacy throughout the year, Tamayo said.

Many politicians at the city, county and state levels volunteered time from their busy schedules today to work at local McDonalds locations. Their participation serves to help generate interest in the Green for Grads fundraising event throughout Southern Nevada. McDonalds is grateful for the support from such a wide variety of political leaders, which reflects their commitment to help local students and contribute to important community efforts.

To be eligible to earn one of the RMHC scholarships, applicants must be currently enrolled as a high school senior in Nye or Clark counties, be under the age of 21 and have a minimum 2.7 grade point average.

Additionally applicants must be eligible to enroll in, and also plan to attend, an institution of higher education or vocational or technical school following graduation.

The scholarships are awarded through the local chapters of the RMHC.

Oscarson said he thoroughly enjoyed the time he spent serving the restaurants patrons Thursday, noting it was a good way to connect with people while working for a worthy cause.

I had a great time. Theres so many things we dont get to do, we dont get to connect anymore and this is a great opportunity to do that. Im going to try to come do something like this next month. Not for this particular program, but Ill see if one day I can get Sen. Goicoechea down here and we can spend the morning pouring coffee and visiting with folks, he said.

For more information about the RMHC of Great Las Vegas scholarship fund visit www.rmhlv.com.
Former Sara Lee CEO Brenda Barnes, who became one of the highest-ranking women in corporate America and a former Quad-Cities resident, died Tuesday, her family confirmed.

Barnes, who lived in Naperville, Illinois, suffered a stroke over the weekend. She was 63 years old.

The River Grove, Illinois, native sparked public debate over the balance between family life and career advancement when, in 1997, she left her job as head of North American beverage operations for Pepsico. in order to spend more time with her three children, who were ages 7, 8 and 10 at the time.

Barnes was a graduate of Augustana College.

Brenda Barnes was a friend, role model and mentor, said Augustana President Steven C. Bahls. As chair of the Augustana College Board of Trustees, she hired me as president in 2003. She was an inspiration and hero to all of us at Augustana. I will miss her greatly.

Throughout her life, Barnes generously shared her time, talents and gifts with the college to ensure that Augustana students have the same transforming experience she had. She served 16 years as a college trustee, including five years as the board chair, Bahls added in a statement.

I credit Augie for so much of what I have, she said in a 2012 interview with Augustana College Magazine. I give back what I can to a place that gave so much to me.
Steve Sorensen has been a consistent supporter of downtown Bettendorf revitalization and takes every opportunity to patronize downtown businesses, such as Village Inn.

Sorensen has provided business consulting services to numerous local corporate and public entities for more than three decades, and serves as managing director of Strategy in Progress LLC, a consulting firm that helps organizations envision and plan their future, while creating the organizational structure necessary to achieve those goals.

Sorensen helps businesses think about how they might do things better and question themselves.

The knowledge and skills Steve developed over the course of his career in municipal and business management have been put to work with the City of Bettendorf. He was part of the audit team that helped the city recover from its financial crisis. He participated on the search committee to identify the current city finance director, served on the Bettendorf Development Corporation board and facilitated several city planning processes. He also applied these same skills to projects in both local school districts.

There are always more opportunities than resources," he said. "Management needs a well thought-out process to identify opportunities and establish achievable goals. He adds, Too often business executives get caught up in day-to-day responsibilities and fail to take time to think through what the company needs to do next in both the medium and long-term future.
A protracted planning process to solve issues among three of Bettendorfs elementary schools has left a disconnect among school district officials, parents, residents and the Bettendorf School Board.

Sentiment came to a head last week, when dozens of concerned parents packed a board meeting. Nearly a dozen spoke up, worried about the future of three of the oldest elementary schools: Grant Wood, Mark Twain and Thomas Jefferson.

The district now has scheduled a public session for Feb. 1, when the board will listen to parents and their issues on what is called the "Elementary Facilities Plan." The looming question is where to locate the schools and whether to build a new one.

"This is a district of nine square miles, with six elementary schools, Bettendorf Board President Gordon Staley said. Bettendorf is land-locked, with Davenport on the west side and Pleasant Valley on the east. There is limited available land for school construction; much of it is farmland between 53rd Avenue and Interstate 80.

The districts Elementary Facilities Advisory Committee worked for months to, eventually, recommend that all Bettendorf elementary schools be saved and renovations done to each one to bring them to 21st-century quality.

But construction cost estimates were higher than expected, and the school board began to discuss closing either Thomas Jefferson or Mark Twain and building a new school for those children.

Grant Wood Elementary School would be renovated.

When did this start?

In November 2015, the district organized the Elementary Facilities Advisory Committee, comprised of 22 parents, community members and district retirees, with faculty and staff as advisers. The group was facilitated by BLDD Architects, Davenport.

One issue was relatively high class sizes in the elementary grades. After about a dozen meetings, at the elementary school level and in districtwide sessions, the group presented its findings to the school board May 16.

Jim Luebke, a Bettendorf graduate and parent, was the committee spokesman. The group worked with the advice of BLDD Architects, Luebke said, and it also received positive feedback on how the group involved the residents through several public meetings, small-group sessions and the like.

The recommendation was to maintain the six existing elementary schools in Bettendorf and upgrade the structures to 21st-century learning environments. Cost was estimated at $34.5 million.

Jennifer Swisher's family moved to the Mark Twain neighborhood so her children could walk to school when they get a little older. Swisher, Twain's PTA president and leader of the Girl Scout troop, warmly greeted the advisory committee's recommendation.

"Having a neighborhood school is valuable," Swisher said, and closing one would hurt the area. "I would love to see the buildings renovated."

Change of direction

Staley, elected to the board in 2015 and the board president for five months, takes in the district's big picture. There is a great need for a 14th section at the elementary level to reduce class sizes, he said.

The board, however, has a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers, Staley said, and there is a goal to have shovels in the ground next fall.

Hundreds of homes exist north of the northern-most school, Paul Norton Elementary, 4485 Greenbrier Drive. With an eye toward the north, and possibly locating a school there some day, district officials and the board have changed direction to a closure.

At the Jan. 9 board meeting, parents and residents questioned the wisdom of bulldozing buildings that are 50-60 years old. Residents also complained about the complicated process the district has taken for more than a year.

New architects hired

The districts costs to renovate all the schools were pegged at $34 million. The projections came from BLDD Architects and were presented at the May 16 meeting.

In the summer, officials found issues with the $9 million BLDD estimate to renovate Grant Wood, which did not include items such as asbestos removal, office renovations or the cost of a road that might have to be built to help traffic flow, Staley said. Total costs pushed it to $5 million over the original estimate.

"Thats kind of when the wheels came off," Staley said.

Locations are a problem, Staley said. Both Grant Wood and Mark Twain are situated on hilly land that leads to Duck Creek. Grant Wood is surrounded by neighborhoods, and there are traffic issues in the area.

In August and September 2016, the district hired Estes Construction, Davenport, as the construction manager, and Legat Architects, Moline, to begin the work at Grant Wood. These hires were made after school visits to see examples of Legats work, including in the Cedar Rapids area and at Hamilton Elementary in Moline.

In October, the discussion turned to what it would take to build a new school. Closing a school was first mentioned publicly in December, by Staley.

Costs shocked the board

Bettendorf School Board members are flabbergasted at the construction costs, Staley said, pointing out the district had built Neil Armstrong Elementary School 10 years ago for $9 million.

We put the brakes on everything internally, Staley said.

The board sought input from elementary principals and looked at the community feedback that had been gathered by the Elementary Facilities Advisory Committee.

Using Neil Armstrong as an example, the board now is looking at the three older structures. Officials have discussed an option to close Jefferson and Mark Twain and build a new school on a to-be-determined site.

But first, the district will gather more information, Superintendent Mike Raso said. The Feb. 1 session is to present the facts and get feedback.

I would ask the community to have a broad perspective on neighborhood schools, Staley said.

Data is being gathered on the neighborhood populations by Forecast Five, an analytics firm based in Naperville, Illinois. Soil borings have been taken at the affected schools and at Meier Park, a city-owned area adjacent to Thomas Jefferson Elementary. Part of that property is a former landfill.

"We dont want this district to step back; we want to stay on our toes," Staley said. We need to get this elementary decision made and put it to bed, and we also need to know what well be doing the next three years, in terms of facilities.
At the request of Sterilite Corp. executives, the Davenport City Council has agreed to fast track ordinances pertaining to the company's move to the city.

The City Council voted to suspend council rules at Wednesday's committee-of-the-whole meeting and consider passing an ordinance related to its plans for a $73 million facility in the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center on first reading next week.

During the previous council cycle, city officials approved a resolution of support for an economic incentive package that provides more than $17 million in economic incentives to the company.

The deal between Sterilite and Davenport is estimated to have an economic impact of $143.6 million and is expected to create $30.8 million in increased payroll.

Sterilite's 2.4 million square foot facility would require the creation of 500 jobs, of which 400 would provide wages between $12 and $16 per hour.

The economic incentives Sterilite receives would be provided both in the form of infrastructure improvements and a rebate on property taxes for 15 years.

The infrastructure improvements included upgrades to utilities, rail spur and roads and intersections.

In the first year, Sterilite's proposed facility is estimated to generate $834,000 in property taxes compared to less than $12,000 the land currently generates.

In order to move the deal forward, the city needed to amend its northern urban renewal areas so that it could establish a tax increment financing district and pass an ordinance that would provide for the division of taxes levied in the district.

Under normal circumstances, ordinances require three readings before they can be passed, but the Council's move paves the way for its approval next week.

The Council's resolution of support was forwarded to the Iowa Economic Development Authority, which meets Friday.

Community Planning and Economic Development Director Bruce Berger said the state is also considering its own economic incentive package.

If all goes according to plan, construction for the plant could begin in the first part of 2017 and operations could commence by early 2018.

Although no representatives from Sterilite were present during Wednesday's meeting, Peter Stone, grandson of Sterilite co-founder Edward Stone, previously expressed interest in moving the project forward as quickly as possible.

Stone said the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center's status as a certified development site aided in the process of selecting Davenport for the new facility.

"It was definitely helpful because time is of the essence," Stone said last week. "Having a shovel-ready site that was all setup and ready to hit the ground running should it be right fit was very helpful and not something we saw in every state."
Sheri Diekman has supported Donald Trump from the beginning of his campaign for the presidency.

She spoke on his behalf at the Iowa caucuses nearly a year ago, even though she's from East Moline. (Yes, that's permissible). She chaired his presidential campaign in Rock Island County. And, on Friday, Diekman will be among the hundreds of thousands of people who will watch Trump take the oath of office as the 45th president of the United States.

And she couldn't be happier about it.

"I am more hopeful for this country than I have been for many, many years," Diekman said by phone Wednesday, amid a whirlwind of activity in Washington, D.C., as she prepares for a busy few days of festivities.

Several Quad-Citians will be in Washington for the inauguration on Friday and the activities surrounding it. They'll attend inaugural balls, make their way to receptions and watch the parade. And, as they can, they'll see the sights at the nation's capital.

But mostly, the Quad-Citians said in interviews, they will be there to witness the peaceful transfer of power.

"It's a historic event. It's something I worked for and helped try to bring about," said Bill Bloom, chair of the Rock Island Republican Party, who arrived on Wednesday. "It's sort of a bucket list kind of thing."

Attendance at the inaugural is expected to be 800,000 people, according to Politico and other national news outlets.

The inauguration is being met with protests in some quarters. More than 50 congressional Democrats have said they will boycott the inauguration. This nettles the Quad-Citians interviewed for this article. They say the swearing-in is an occasion that rises above politics.

"The election is over. He won fair and square, and now we need to unite and pull together and do what's best for the country," said Judy Davidson, who was traveling to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

Reps. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, and Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., are attending.

Davidson, who is stepping down as chair of the Scott County Republican Party later this month, said the inauguration is a fitting end to her eight years in the job. She got elected to the job after President Barack Obama won in 2008, and she's been working ever since to get a Republican elected to the White House.

"It's sort of a nice way to end my term, with the honor of attending," she said.

Attending inauguration festivities is not cheap, according to people who are going. Davidson said she made hotel reservations shortly after the election, missing what she said was a run up in prices. But Bloom estimated it would cost "a few thousand" dollars.

Still, it is a historic occasion.

"It's a great tradition," Bloom said. "It's something that should be honored. I think it's a moving moment to participate in."
The National Weather Service is reporting moderate flooding along the Rock River because of ice jams and water from recent rains that cant seep into the frozen ground.

The Rock River at Moline is expected to reach 13.9 feet about noon today, and then fall to about 13.4 feet by Saturday night. The river is then forecast to again rise to 13.9 feet early Monday before beginning to slowly fall.

Flood stage is 12 feet on the Rock River at Moline, which stood at 13.46 feet at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The Rock River at Joslin, Illinois, stood at 15.31 feet at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday. Flood stage there also is 12 feet.

Meteorologist Dave Cousins said ice jams and water flowing into the Rock River from other rivers and tributaries are causing the flooding.

The recent rainfall we had has nowhere to go but into the rivers and streams, Cousins said. The ground is still frozen so that water is having a tough time getting into the ground.

Rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast for today, while there is only a 20-30 percent chance of rain Friday, Cousins said. The water from those storms already has been factored into the flood forecasts, he added. Up to .10-.25 an inch of rain is possible. More rain is possible in areas where there are thunderstorms.

The high today and Friday is expected to reach the middle 40s, while the high Saturday is expected to reach the middle 50s, he added.

Most residents are riding out the Rock River flood waters.

Its an inconvenience, but its a small price to pay for living on the river, said Steve Poulos, a Quad-City Times employee whose house is in the 2200 block of North Shore Drive. Its really not until the river reaches 15 feet that things start to get serious.

Maria Ontiveros, who lives in the 3600 block of North Shore Drive, packed a bag, picked up her cat and went to stay with her grandparents.

This is my first flood living on the river, so I wasnt going to stick around, Ontiveros said. If I didnt have to go anywhere I probably would have toughed it out, but with work I cant afford the inconvenience.

The ice jam that had caused the Green River in Henry County to rise above flood stage broke loose Wednesday morning, according to Mat Schnepple, Director of Henry County Emergency Management. The river continued to fall throughout the day.

The Green River at Geneseo stood at 10.25 feet at 8:30 p.m. Flood stage there is 15 feet.
More than $100,000 has been spent defending Muscatine City Council against legal complaints filed by Mayor Diana Broderson, according to figures released Wednesday by City Administrator Gregg Mandsager. Wednesday's release is the best indication yet of the shape the City Council's impeachment case against the freshman mayor might take, said one city official with direct knowledge of the closed-door discussions.

Much of the legal dispute followed the council's move in August to strip Broderson of unilateral appointment authority.

A city official, speaking on a condition of anonymity because he's not authorized to publicly discuss the yet-to-be released charges, said the skyrocketing legal fees  resulting from repeated complaints filed with state and local prosecutors and auditors  are tied to the council's allegation that Broderson displayed "habitual neglect" of her "fiduciary duties."

About $64,000 has been spent on legal fees defending the council against Broderson's complaints filed with Iowa Attorney General's Office and other entities, City Attorney Matt Brick outlined an an email, which was forwarded to City Council members by Mandsager. Another $43,600 in staff time was spent defending the council against "unproven claims and allegations," the email says.

Mandsager declined comment Wednesday when asked for further details.

"I have a process to follow," he said, adding that the formal charges will be clear when they're released.

City officials said the official charges could be released as early as Friday. There's been public outcry over the lack of details surrounding the impeachment charges against Broderson since the council voted last Thursday to initiate the process that could oust her.

Broderson said Wednesday that her petitions for state legal opinions and a state audit are fundamental parts of her job duties.

"If they have to spend legal fees to defend against that, it's not my problem," she said.

Muscatine County Attorney Alan Ostergren has found himself wrapped up in the city dispute. Late last year, Broderson petitioned Iowa attorney general for an opinion on the council's amendment to city code that required Broderson to consult the council on any appointment to a city board or commission. State lawyers determined that the city had violated Iowa code.

Broderson then petitioned Ostergren to file criminal charges against the City Council.

"I would not prosecute," Ostergren said of his decision in December, arguing that the Attorney General opinion was simply a question of statute and not criminal law.

Ostergren's refusal to file criminal charges against the council raised the ire of Broderson's supporters.

"It's simply not true," he said of allegations that the state finding directed Ostergren to file criminal charges.

Ostergren also confirmed that, late last year, Broderson asked him to prosecute two members of the news media for recording and broadcasting an interview that Broderson considered off the record.

For her part, Broderson considers the impeachment process little but a trumped up crusade to oust an outsider.

"I think it's about politics," she said. "I think it's about gender."
OMAHA, Neb. | Bankers across Middle America say depressed farm commodity prices are the biggest threat to the economy this year in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states.

The overall economic index in a monthly survey of bankers for the region remained in negative territory at 42.8 in January, down slightly from December's 42.9. Survey officials say any score below 50 suggests an economic decline.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says livestock commodity prices have tumbled by 7.3 percent and grain commodity prices by 11.7 percent in the last year.

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

Goss says the rural economy is improving in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota, while all the other states are trending lower.
BISMARCK, N.D. | Residents of a rural sliver of North Dakota are fiercely opposing a plan that would move them into the same time zone as the cities and oilfields on the other side of the state.

Few subjects set off a parochial debate in North Dakota like a move to reset the clocks. A bill under consideration in the Legislature would not only move southeastern North Dakota from Mountain time to Central but also scrap daylight savings time altogether.

DAYLIGHT SAVING DO AWAY

Sen. Dave Oehlke of Devils Lake and three other Republican senators from Central time zones are pushing a bill that would put an end to daylight saving time and make Central time the state's official time zone.

Oehlke, the bill's primary sponsor, told the Senate Transportation Committee on Thursday that the idea came from his constituents, who complained about having to readjust their schedules on everything from sleep to taking medication.

"It's hard for people to get back on track," Oehlke said. "I just think's a good idea not to have to disrupt your life and change your clock every six months."

Should the Legislature reject daylight saving time, North Dakota would join Arizona and Hawaii as the only states that don't fall back or spring forward.

CENTRAL TIME SUPPORT

With more business conducted with Bismarck and Fargo  both Central time communities  backers say some people in Mountain time areas find it hard to order supplies or get technical support. Supporters also estimate four business hours are lost every day between the two time zones  one each in the morning and evening and the difference in lunch hours.

And backers of a switch to Central time say some children in the Mountain time zone must get up an hour earlier to attend classes at nearby schools in the Central time zone.

DOES ANYBODY REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?

In North Dakota, many refer to Central time as "fast time." Central time is one hour ahead of Mountain.

A dozen of North Dakota's 53 counties, all of them west of the Missouri River, are either partially or wholly within the Mountain time zone.

Other states also are divided into differing time zones. South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas all have sections in both Central and Mountain times. Some states that straddle the Eastern-Central and Mountain-Pacific divides also share time zones, but perhaps none are as confusing as North Dakota.

The division between Central and Mountain time at one time in North Dakota roughly followed the Missouri River, but a few counties have switched solely to Central time beginning with Oliver County in 1992, after voter approval.

The switch to Central time by some counties and not others has made the current time-zone line appear as if it were drawn with a squirt gun.

Williston, which is nearly on the Montana-North Dakota border, is in Central time. Yet Dickinson, which is much farther east, is on Mountain time. Even odder are the neighboring cities of Watford City and Killdeer. Watford City is on Central time, while Killdeer, about 45 miles southeast, is on Mountain time.

DOES ANYONE REALLY CARE?

The idea of one time zone has been proposed in the Legislature several times over the years, but has not gotten enough support. All it did was pit bigger cities against those set in their ways in southwestern North Dakota, said Sen. Bill Bowman, a Republican from Bowman, a ranching community in the state's southwest corner.

Bowman, who has served 26 years in the Legislature, said he and others have likened time-zone legislation to stepping into "piranha-infested waters."

"It upsets people when we are wasting our time on this, and when we should be working on budget and the needs of our state," he said. "There are a lot of people, and a lot of cowboys in my district, who just want to be left alone and I represent those people."

Said one letter to Bowman from a constituent from a constituent opposing the legislation: "Please don't cater to those city people. Central time has slowly crept to the west and it really needs to stop."
PIERRE | A South Dakota Senate panel approved Attorney General Marty Jackley's proposal to stiffen sentences for vehicular homicide on Thursday, sending it to the full Senate.

The proposal, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 6-1 vote, would classify vehicular homicide  in which a drunken driver causes the death of another person  as a crime of violence.

In South Dakota, the maximum sentence for vehicular homicide is 15 years in prison. The bill would not change the maximum sentence, but would require offenders to serve more of their prison time.

But because the crime is classified as nonviolent, Jackley said, many offenders have to serve only about four years of that before becoming eligible for parole, the Argus Leader reported.

Six cases of vehicular homicide were reported in South Dakota in 2016, Jackley said. Serious vehicular homicide cases in the state make the crime a "continuing concern," he said.

"I think we ought to just call it what it is, a violent crime," Jackley said.

Paul Bachand, a lobbyist for the South Dakota State's Attorneys Association, supported the bill, while Lindsey Riter-Rapp of the South Dakota Criminal Defense Attorneys opposed it.

Other crimes designated as violent in South Dakota include murder, rape, aggravated assault and kidnapping, Riter-Rapp said, pointing out that someone driving while drunk would not have the same intention of wrongdoing when they crash their car and contribute to another person's death.

The same bill failed last year after House and the Senate committees were unable to agree on amendments.
PIERRE | A measure that would clarify that drones weighing less than 55 pounds would not have to be registered with the state was moved out of the Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday morning.

State Transportation Secretary Darin Bergquist said that although estimates indicate there are 6,000 drones in South Dakota, most of them recreational, the department doesnt have an interest in trying to track them.

Federal regulations require that drones between 0.55 and 55 pounds be registered. That involves a fee of $25, plus 4 percent of the cost of the drone, Bergquist said.

Nobody spoke against the measure, which now advances to the full Senate.

In the Senate Local Government Committee, a bill that would clarify the state Transportation Commissions authority to make loans to local governments for road and bridge improvements also advanced.

Both proposals were from the DOT, and Bergquist has referred to them as the drone and loan bills.

He said theres no question that the Transportation Commission has the authority to make loans to help with road and bridge work thats off the state highway system. The measure, he said, clarifies that the commission is also entitled to repayment.

Such loans can help prevent delays when there are pressing projects, Bergquist said. That includes, for instance, when theres an emergency because a county road washes out or when a town needs to quickly make road upgrades to assist an economic development project like a large agriculture facility.

Bergquist said the commissions collateral for repayment is the sub-allocation of highway funds, which could be withheld.

Dick Howard, with the South Dakota Association of Towns and Townships, and Eric Erickson, with the South Dakota Association of County Officials, spoke in favor of the bill.

Sen. Bob Ewing, R-Spearfish, said it makes sense to help local governments with such jobs.

The proposal advanced to the full Senate on a 5-1 vote. Sen. Stace Nelson, R-Fulton, voted against the bill without comment.

Action on another Senate bill, No. 58, was delayed at the request of sponsor Ryan Maher, R-Isabel, who requested more time.

The proposal would require the DOT to clear all snow and ice within state rights of way in towns with fewer than 2,500 people.

Bergquist mentioned all three bills during his Tuesday budget briefing to appropriators. He said then that the DOTs proposed budget for fiscal year 2018 does not include money for the work proposed in SB58.
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.
HANGZHOU/ZHENGZHOU - 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 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, bring in a yearly income of $1 billion. 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) per kilograms 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.
Diplomatic relations between India and Nepal, established on June 13, 1947 and subsisting at the governmental and peoples level, are moving towards consolidation of mutual understanding, prosperity and peace after passing through various ups and downs.

India and Nepal, as close neighbours, share a unique relationship of friendship and cooperation characterised by open borders and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture. Modern-day India and Nepal initiated their relationship with the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 and accompanying secret letters that defined security relations between the two countries, and an agreement governing both bilateral trade and trade transiting Indian Territory.

But, since late 2015, cultural and political issues have strained relations between the two countries with anti-Indian sentiment growing amongst the government and people of Nepal.

Nepal, in a historical step forward, promulgated its new Constitution on September 20, 2015. But, the Madhesis, the Janajatis and the Tharus, who are considered as the marginalised groups, felt they were being left out in the new Constitution. These groups, Madheshis in particular, blockaded the border points from September 23, 2015 and ended the protest action on February 5, 2016, after 135 days. More than 50 people were killed in protest-related violence.

The Nepal government called it an undeclared blockade by India  it systematically raised the anti-Indian nationalism sentiment; and it tried to cozy up to China and use it as an alternative source of supplies. However, rejecting the Nepali allegations, Indias Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup on October 1, 2015, observed: We can only take goods up to the border and beyond the border it is the responsibility of the Nepalese side to ensure that there is adequate safety and security for the trucks to enter that side.

Remarkably, Nepals Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, during his visit to India from February 19-24, 2016, signed seven agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) including establishment of Eminent Persons Group (EPG) to comprehensively review bilateral relations and recommend measures including institutional frameworks to further enhance bilateral ties.

Conversely, just prior to the visit, linking his maiden foreign trip to India and the then ongoing border blockade, on January 26, 2016, Oli alleged that India has imposed an unofficial border blockade. It would not be appropriate for me to visit India unless the situation returns to normal.

Oli also made a week-long official visit to China from March 21 to 27, 2016, sealing 10 separate agreements and MoUs on using the northern neighbours sea port facility, building a regional international airport in Pokhara, exploring the possibilities of signing a bilateral free trade agreement and finding oil and gas reserves in Nepal, among others.

At the height of the blockade, as critical fuel supplies from India were choked off, Nepal turned to China and signed an MoU with the China National United Oil Corporation on October 28, 2015, to import petroleum products.

Before this, Nepal had relied exclusively on India for its energy needs. India usually sends Nepal about 100,000 tonnes of fuel every month, including diesel, kerosene and LPG.

Further, on December 29, 2016, China has agreed to provide grant assistance of NR 15.7 billion (one billion yuan) to Nepal for the implementation of three key infrastructure projects.

Beginning a new level of bilateral military engagement, Nepal will hold its first ever joint military exercise with China on February 10, 2017 named Pratikar-1 that will be on training Nepali forces in dealing with hostage scenarios involving international terror groups. However, trying to play down the significance of the exercise, Nepals ambassador to India Deep Kumar Upadhyaya on December 26, 2016, noted: We have done similar exercises with some other countries too in the past to be able to deal with the Maoists. Theres really not much in it. Whichever way you look at it, Nepal has a special relationship with India and thats not going to change because of any such exercise.

Indeed, India heaved a sigh of relief after Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda, Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-Maoist Centre) was elected as the new Prime Minister of Nepal on August 3, 2016.

New Delhi had got tired of and frustrated with the predecessor K.P. Sharma Oli regime, which appeared determined to undo the new warmth that had crept into the India-Nepal bilateral relationship after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in May 2014. Modi was quick to congratulate Prachanda and invite him to India.

Outstandingly, Dahal visited India from September 15-18, 2016, and held wide-ranging talks with Modi and sealed three significant deals during his four-day visit. The two Prime Ministers reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and underlined the need to further deepen and expand bilateral cooperation in all areas for the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries. They directed that all bilateral institutional mechanisms be convened regularly and their decisions be implemented expeditiously. Both sides agreed to hold the next session of the India-Nepal Joint Commission in 2016.

In the interim, on October 5, 2016, the EPG during its second meeting in New Delhi agreed to review and contextualise the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950. Both the sides decided to change the 66-year-old treaty as per the changed bilateral, regional and global context. Further, the fourth Joint Commission meeting led by the Foreign Ministers of both countries held in New Delhi had noted the automatic renewal of the India-Nepal Trade Treaty for another seven years from October 27, 2016, without any changes in the existing treaty. The Treaty was revised the last time on October 27, 2009. The India-Nepal Trade Treaty offers many preferences to Nepal on non-reciprocity, but it is not all about non-reciprocal trade preferences provided by India. The next session of the Joint Commission will be held in Nepal at mutually convenient dates. The third session of the Joint Commission was held in Kathmandu in July 2014.

Meanwhile, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee while addressing a seminar organised by India Foundation, Neeti Anusandhan Pratishthan Nepal and Nepal Centre for Contemporary Studies on the theme of India-Nepal relations, in Kathmandu on November 3, 2016, said: As our security interests are inter-linked, we must continue to consult and coordinate closely to safeguard our shared security interests. He also appreciated the contribution of Nepali Gurkhas to Indias defence. As many as 40,000 Nepalis are serving in the Indian Army and have fought in critical war zones.

Further, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh on January 4, 2017, said: I am also the Honorary General of the Nepali Army. A large number of ex-Indian Gurkhas receive pension from India. Thats the kind of relations we have. Our relations with Nepal are so unique that this kind of relationship stands on its own footing.

In addition, Nepal and India have planned to build Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) on their respective sides at ports of entry in Birgunj, Biratnagar, Bhairahwa and Nepalgunj. On December 15, 2016, a Nepal-India senior officials meeting on ICP that concluded in Kathmandu also decided to complete such ICPs in Biratnagar by December 2018.

In the first phase, ICPs were to be built in Birgunj of Nepal and Raxaul of India, and Biratnagar of Nepal and Jogbani of India. The Indian side has already completed the ICPs in Raxual and Jogbani and the ICP of Raxaul has already come into operation, while it is being operationalised at Jogbani soon. Meanwhile, the Nepali side has urged the Indian side to operationalise ICPs at both sides of border  Raxaul and Birgunj  simultaneously.

More recently, Indias scrapping of high-value bank notes on November 8, 2016, has dragged down economic growth in neighbouring Nepal with trade, remittances and tourist numbers all down as Nepals economy was heavily reliant on India for trade, jobs and aid. Even Banks and Financial Institutions (BFIs) in Nepal have substantial amount of INR 500 and INR 1,000 notes because the Indian currency is widely accepted in the country and the Indian government also allows both Indian and Nepali nationals to carry up to INR 25,000 in cash.

Ahead of the December 30 deadline announced by the Indian government to deposit banned INR 500 and INR 1,000 notes, Nepals Ambassador to India, Deep Kumar Upadhyaya, in an exclusive interview on December 24, 2016, said: The demonetised currency was also a legal tender in Nepal and almost all household in Nepal had some or the other amount of the demonetised Indian currency because of their personal relations with India. But Nepal also has some remote areas, which have not been able to exchange their notes yet, and people there are worried about their currency and I get calls every day enquiring about what is being done for them through India. We have requested the Indian Government to look into the matter and extend the deadline for Nepal by at least 15 days so that people living in the remote areas can have access to the banking system.

To promote tourism, India and Nepal agreed to adopt the open skies policy in their respective aviation sectors. Nepals Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Joint Secretary Suresh Acharya and Indias Civil Aviation Ministrys counterpart Arun Kumar signed an agreement in New Delhi on December 21, 2016 in this regard.

During the meeting, the Indian side had proposed to Nepal to revise the policy, upon which Nepal agreed. But, Nepal maintained that airport infrastructures should be properly developed for the same. The two sides have also agreed to hold next rounds of discussions in February 2017 to discuss various technical issues, including air routes and entry points.

New Delhi appears to have repaired relations with Kathmandu for the time being, and might have more say with the new CPN-Maoist Centreled government, but it has a long way to go to regain the popular adulation that was visible during Prime Minister Modis first visit to Nepal in 2014, and during Indias humanitarian response following the April 2015 earthquake.

Moreover, amending the Constitution to address Madhesi demands to redraw boundaries of federal provinces, is a domestic affair and needs to be addressed internally. Nevertheless, the current trend and cozying up of Nepal and China is troubling for India as Nepal is considered as a natural ally of India and conventionally close to it.

Dr Binodkumar Singh is Research Associate at the Institute for Conflict Management, New Delhi. Comments and suggestions on this article can be sent to editor@spsindia.in. Source:- South Asia Monitor
Guwahati, January 19 : Another shocking incident came to light in Assam as three men allegedly raped and murdered a seven year old girl in Kamrup (Metro) district.

The incident took place at Jarikuchi village near Digaru on the outskirts of Guwahati.

The horrific incident came to light after local villagers had found the body of the minor girl, who had gone missing from her house on Wednesday evening, from the railway tracks packed with a gunny bag.

After recovering the body of the minor girl, local people vandalised the house of one accused.

Later the accused person had admitted his crime.

The accused persons identified as Bapdhan Das, Hemanta Das and Pabindra Das, were beaten up by the angry villagers before handed over them to police.

The family members of the minor girl said that, she was missing since Wednesday evening and they had filed a missing complaint at the nearest police station, but police had not taken the matter seriously.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati : Police on Wednesday had detained over 100 Congress workers of Assam including Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora, while the Congress workers had demonstrated in front of the Reserve Bank of India office in Guwagati as part of its nationwide RBI gherao programme protest against the Centre's demonetisation.

Assam congress workers led by former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, APCC president Ripun Bora, AICC leader CP Joshi had protested against demonetisation and demanded reprint of scraping notes.

During the protest, several Congress workers were injured while they attempted to break the security barricade to enter inside the RBI gate.

Former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi said that, Centre's demonetisation step had murdered the democracy.

"It is an anti-people policy. Modi government had murdered the democracy and we will raise our voice for the people's right, to restore the democracy," Gogoi said.

On the other hand, APCC president Ripun Bora said that, demonetisation hited Indian economy.

Later police released the Congress workers who were detained earlier.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati, January 19 : Security forces of Meghalaya had foiled an attempt of arms trader to supply arms and ammunition to militant groups after arresting an arms dealer with huge cache of arms and ammunition.

According to the reports, the North Garo Hills police of Meghalaya and Gorkha Rifles troops had launched a joint operation at Thapa Daregnchi village under Resubelpara police station in the hill district on Thursday morning and arrested an arms trader identified as Tengman D Shira.

Security personnel had recovered one 7.65mm pistol with three rounds ammunition, a 9mm pistol with eight rounds ammunition, one Chinese made pistol with 18 rounds of ammunition and four magazines.

North Garo Hills district police said that, a case has been registered against Shira and revealed that he tried to supply the arms and ammunition to Garo National Liberation Army ( GNLA) militants.

A top police official said that, the north eastern region turned a major transit route of illegal arms trade.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
KATHMAnDU, Jan 19: Two newly appointed ministers have assumed offices on Thursday.

Assuming the office, Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation, Prem Bahadur Singh, said the programmes he had formulated during his earlier stint, would be accomplished.

Talking to media persons after assuming the office, he would work actively to bring the Melamchi water soon to solve the growing problem of drinking water in the Capital city. He further shared that he would devote to completing the project he had brought targeting 20 drought-hit districts.

Interestingly, the Election Commission had cancelled the registration of the party- Samajbadi Janata Party- Minister Singh is leading. He later filed a writ petition at Supreme Court against Election Commission on the cancellation of the party registration.

The Supreme Court is yet to respond to the writ petition.

Meanwhile, another new Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Kumar Khadka, said he would give priority to the works that help boost people's livelihood.

He said even the small political parties have played significant role on constitution. RSS
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Jan-18-2017 20:35 TweetFollow @OregonNews Severe Weather Continues Across Oregon Freezing rain, ice, high winds and blowing snow create blizzard-like conditions in the Columbia River Gorge

Salem-News.com weather

(SALEM, Ore.) - As severe weather continues to rage across the state, Oregon's Office of Emergency Management activated the state Emergency Coordination Center (ECC). OEM staff and state emergency support representatives are gathered to assist with resource requests as communities are pummeled with ice, high winds and blowing snow. Interstate 84 is closed between Troutdale and Hood River due to ice; the highway is also closed between Pendleton to Ontario as blowing snow creates blizzard-like conditions. OEM and the Oregon Department of Transportation urges motorists to stay off the roads. State ECC Manager Kelly Jo Craigmiles says that the ECC is facilitating resources for affected counties, as well as areas in eastern and central Oregon. Ice, flooding concerns, sandbags and snow removal are the biggest needs at this time, although power outages, landslides and avalanches are also a concern. Numerous weather advisories and warnings are in place in all parts of Oregon (LINK), including: Ice storm warning for the east Columbia Gorge;

Winter storm warning in the south central Oregon Cascades, the Siskiyou Mountains and Southern Oregon Cascades;

Flood advisory in Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Deschutes, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington and Yamhill counties;

Flood watch for central coast range of western Oregon, central Oregon coast; central Willamette Valley, Coast Range of Northwest Oregon, the greater Portland-metro area and the North Oregon Coast. In addition, wind advisories are in effect in the Grande Ronde Valley and foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains, with gusts reaching 75-85 miles per hour. OEM encourages residents to stay informed. Watch local news, listen to local radio and use smartphone apps to receive up-to-date weather information. Sign up for local text alerts. Be 2 Weeks Ready, have a communications plan and be prepared for power outages: Check that emergency kits are stocked and readily accessible with flashlight(s), radio, batteries, food, water and blankets/extra clothes.

If you are using a generator, understand the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning and how to use generators safely.

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. An unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.

Turn off and unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment, including sensitive electronics. Turn off or disconnect any appliances, equipment or electronics you were using when the power went out. When power comes back on, surges or spikes can damage equipment.

Leave one light turned on so you'll know when the power comes back on.

Check on family and neighbors to see if they are in need of support. Individuals who are vision impaired, hearing impaired or mobility impaired should take additional steps to prepare for disasters: Ensure all assistive technology, communication devices and other power-dependent medical equipment is fully charged so that these devices are useable in the event of a power outage.

Call personal care attendants, dialysis and oxygen providers to identify support plans and/or make plans to stay with friends or family members in the event of a power outage.

Write out an emergency information card, including any medications, allergies, sensory or mobility impairments, equipment you need and emergency contact numbers.

If you live in an assisted living facility, find out what its emergency plans are.

If you're mobility impaired, identify two accessible escape routes.

Write an information card which includes the best way to communicate with you or move you if necessary.

If you must leave the house, have an emergency kit with essential medications, and extra food and water. If you have a service animal, make the kit has supplies for them as well.

If you must leave the house, have an emergency kit with essential medications and some extra food and water. If you have a service animal, make the kit has supplies for them as well.

Protect your service animal's feet: use boots or clean them off once you get inside. In an emergency situation, contact 9-1-1 Source: Oregon Office of Emergency Management _________________________________________

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Articles for January 17, 2017 | Articles for January 18, 2017 | Articles for January 19, 2017
As the eldest son of his island's chief, Gary has been destined for greatness his entire life. He's been groomed for it, the responsibility of leading his people waiting in his future. Except Gary is very definitely not great. He wants a life other than the island life, a life he has been reaching for and failing miserably to attain and when Gary receives word that his father is ill and he needs to return home he sees this not as the opportunity to step into the responsibilities that have been awaiting for him but as the chance to grab the funds to pay for the wedding his mostly off-again girlfriend has been dreaming of.

So goes the story of Gary Of The Pacific, the debut feature from New Zealand comedy troupe thedownlowconcept. Making the transition to the big screen after building a loyal following on television for their brand of humor the team have just released the first trailer for Gary, one that promises a very broad take on indigenous identity issues. Take a look below!
Leading into Chinese New Year filmmaker Chris Chung will release his kung fu comedy short Soho Jimbo next Monday. To give you a taste of what Chung and his crew cooked up here is the trailer.

A wanderer plays two rivaling triad gangs against each other in their bitter war for Chinatown.

Soho Jimbo was inspired by classic martial arts films from HK and China and stars Alan Wai from AMC's Into the Badlands who certainly holds his own.

The short was one of five short films created during Director UK's Alexa program last year. All teams involved had two days to complete their short film. You can read up on Alexa, including thoughts on the process from Chung, here

Chung wrote, directed and choreographed the action. His producer Christine Cheung was also an integral part of the crew's success in such a short time period. When she reached out to ScreenAnarchy about the short film's upcoming online debut we knew we had to share it with you.

Chung is hopeful that he can make a full length feature film version of Soho Jimbo in the future. We approve.
If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE).
 Using execution protocol with midazolam, Virginia completes second execution of 2017 | Main | Prez Obama wraps up his clemency work with 330 more commutations on his final full day in office 

January 19, 2017

Noting that two death row inmates were among the latest batch of commutations by Prez Obama

I am intrigued and a bit surprised that there has not been more media attention surrounding the fact that two of the persons granted clemency by Prez Obama earlier this week were murderers on federal death row. This posting at the Death Penalty Information Center reports on the basics, with also interesting links to some clemency materials:

On January 17, 2017, President Barack Obama commuted the death sentences of Abelardo Arboleda Ortiz, a federal death row prisoner, and Dwight Loving, a military death row prisoner. The two men were among 209 commutations and 64 pardons announced by the White House on the 17th. Ortiz's lawyers sought clemency from the President on the grounds that Ortiz was intellectually disabled, his right to consular notification under the Vienna Convention had been violated, he did not himself commit the murder and was not in the room when it occurred, and he had been denied effective assistance of counsel at trial. Loving's attorneys argued for clemency on the basis of ineffective assistance of counsel, racial and gender bias in the selection of members of his court-martial, and Supreme Court rulings that called into question the constitutionality of the process by which the military imposes the death penalty. In Loving's clemency petition, his lawyers state, "Issues of command influence, racial discrimination, and improper panel voting procedures  which were ignored by the courts based on technical legal evidentiary rules  will forever overshadow Lovings death sentence. Executing him [will] not promote justice or ensure good order and discipline any more than a sentence of life imprisonment." Ortiz's lawyers said they were "incredibly grateful" to President Obama for the commutation. In a statement, Amy Gershenfeld Donnella said, "Mr. Arboleda Ortizs case highlights several of the glaring problems that plague the federal system no less than state systems: dreadful lawyering by defense counsel; disproportionate sentencing even among co-defendants; significant racial, economic and geographic disparities in the choice of those who will be tried capitally; and procedural constraints that make it virtually impossible to correct a conviction or sentence imposed, even in violation of the Constitution, when new evidence comes to light." His case, she said, "epitomizes the broken federal death penalty system." Although federal law and the U.S. Constitution both prohibit using the death penalty against persons who are intellectually disabled, Ortiz's trial lawyer never investigated his intellectual disability, Donnella said. As a result, the jurors made their decision on life or death "in a complete vaccuum" and "an intellectually disabled person of color with an IQ of 54 who was never able to learn to read, write, or do simple arithmetic, and could not even tie his shoes until he was ten years old" was sentenced to die. Both Ortiz and Loving will now serve sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

This new Marshall Project piece, headlined "How Obama Disappointed on the Death Penalty: Two commutations this week was less than many had hoped for," discusses these two clemencies while also suggesting that they provide only a little succor to the capital abolitionist community.

January 19, 2017 at 11:18 AM | Permalink

Comments

The limited coverage of this is but one reason why the pardon issue has not receive the attention from Obama some argue is warranted, noting the President is in large part influenced by not mere principle but balancing a lot of things, including the attention each gets in the day to day existence of the administration.

As to the "succor," perhaps said "abolitionist" community can look at the basic facts of life here. How many actually were executed during his administration? How did the justices he nominated (or leaned toward; RBG, e.g., is a big supporter of Obama) vote when death penalty cases were up to a vote? How did this affect the movement against the death penalty long term? How did the administration's actions such as regarding FDA blocking execution drugs or a moratorium while the application of the death penalty affect things?

It is disappointing that Obama did not on principle oppose the death penalty or did not use his pardon/repreives more in this area. But, realistically, the "abolitionist community" -- push push is fine -- should not be too disappointed.

Posted by: Joe | Jan 19, 2017 11:36:49 AM

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 Top Massachusetts court adopts "new protocol for case-by-case adjudication" of over 20,000 drug convictions tainted by misconduct of lab chemist | Main | A revised empirical look at outcomes achieved by federal public defenders and court-appointed attorneys 

January 19, 2017

"State Advances in Criminal Justice Reform, 2016"

The title of this post is the title of this helpful new "Policy Brief" coming from The Sentencing Project. Here is the brief introductory paragraph to the four-page documents helpful accounting of state-level reforms in the year that was:

During 2016, reforms were adopted in at least 17 states targeted at reducing prison populations and addressing collateral consequences for persons with criminal convictions. The issue of mass incarceration has gained broader attention among diverse constituencies, including lawmakers, faith leaders, and civil rights advocates, contributing to a more receptive political environment for criminal justice reform. Highlighted below are the most significant state reforms of 2016 in the areas of sentencing and rights restoration for people with criminal records.

January 19, 2017 at 09:58 AM | Permalink

Comments

Post a comment
Don't worry, everybody. Juicero, the company behind a wi-fi-enabled juicer that can only make juice from the company's own subscription-delivered packages of fruits and vegetables, is doing very well, selling great, and is in fact so successful that it's cutting its laughable $700 price tag to just $400. On its blog, Juicero writes that it's "excited to make Juicero more accessible than ever," a true achievement.

Juicero launched last year and considers itself a "platform," part hardware, part meal delivery service, and part Silicon Valley magical thinking. Its the most complicated business that Ive ever funded, said David Krane, a partner at Google Ventures, who along with Sand Hill Road VC geniuses like Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers had pumped $120 million into the startup, Its software. Its consumer electronics. Its produce and packaging.

I know, how could this needlessly difficult, comically expensive product not succeed? According to the Business Times, Juicero has actually been so successful that it needed a new CEO last fall, too! To quote them presumably quoting from a press release, "This growth also prompted founder and former CEO Doug Evans to step down in October 2016, handing the reins of the company over to [Jeff] Dunn, a former Coca-Cola executive." Evans, a raw vegan evangelist who called Juicero "like drinking the nectar of the earth," was clearly a victim of his own success.

In a statement, Dunn now says that "Weve confirmed that the Juicero system is tremendously sticky once consumers get on the platform, so it turned out to be an easy decision to lower the cost of entry now... Once theyre on board, users want to press more juice per week than even our most favorable estimates." Each single serving pouch, by the way is about $7, so don't expect any kind of savings in the long run on your big Juicero purchase.

The Verge recalls of the CEO switch that Dunn had vowed to get Juicero juicers into grocery stores, hotels, offices, and more places where consumers wouldn't have to necessarily buy it to taste that "nectar of the earth" or whatever. Also, they add that the price-slashing move arrives after a Black Friday sale in which Juicero first dropped its price: At $350 for just a few days, the company said its user base doubled. Hold your applause: The Verge suggests that's because its base was so low to begin with.

Previously: Google Ventures, Other VC Firms Invest $120 Million In $700 Wi-Fi Enabled Juice Machine


Publicly debated now for several years and privately griped about for decades, the practice of weekend double-parking along the median on Dolores Street will now, for the first time ever, be officially sanctioned under a 16-month pilot program starting in February (or March), as Bay City News reports via last night's SFMTA board meeting.

Though it's been commonly accepted since who knows when that one can park along the median on Dolores Street on Saturdays and Sundays, referred to by some as "parking for God" and intended to make life easier for congregants at several churches along the street between 14th and 18th Streets, the practice has caused a fair amount of uproar in this ever gentrifying, parking-challenged part of the Mission where property values and rents have skyrocketed in the last twenty years  with 75 percent of nearby residents responding to a November 2015 survey saying they wanted it banned altogether. This uproar is in part because this median-parking free-for-all was ostensibly illegal and newcomers to the neighborhood didn't like it, and in part because it's been widely abused on sunny days by Dolores Park-goers, leaving little room for church-goers  though the latter do tend to wake up earlier, and are perhaps claiming spots earlier too.

95 percent of those church-goers who were also asked to respond to the same survey said they wanted the practice made legal, and thus a compromise has been reached: Signs will be installed as part of this pilot program setting limits to where people can park, and spelling out that it is only allowed on Friday evenings, Saturday mornings, and all day Sunday.

One main concern being addressed is keeping intersections clear for emergency vehicles turning on to the street.

Though the issue has been a contentious one, only one neighborhood resident made an appearance at the meeting to speak against the double-parking practice, though he told reporters he saw the pilot program as a fair compromise. And it should be noted that while this program only pertains to Dolores Street, the practice of accepted double parking for church-goers goes on elsewhere around the city on Sundays, like in the Fillmore, Lower Haight, and on Bush Street in Pacific Heights.

With these new rules, there will be a period of "intense enforcement and ongoing monitoring" after a certain grace period ends, according to the SFMTA, meaning that those who think this is still a Wild-West situation may end up with a surprise ticket  which has always been a risk, and would occasionally happen over the years.

Also, this means no more parking along the median past 18th Street, i.e. the blocks along Dolores Park are a no-no, as is median parking on Guerrero Street, where the practice has also commonly occurred in the same vicinity.

Mission Local spoke to several people in the neighborhood like Wendy Cai, owner of Maxwells House of Caffeine, who sees the parking as being good for business because it brings in people from outside the area. And most everyone seems resigned to the practice as a fact of life on Dolores Street.

Look for the new signs, as part of the pilot program, to appear along the median in the next couple of months  and don't park too close to intersections or you might get towed.

Previously: SFMTA Approves Sunday Double-Parking Pilot Program


The city's first Navigation Center for the homeless, launched in 2015 in the Mission District, is shifting its mandate amid the harsh realities of the homelessness crisis. Originally designed to house its clients for extended periods until they were able to find permanent housing or chose to leave of their own accord, the communications manager for the San Francisco Department on Homelessness and Supportive Housing, Randy Quezada, now tells Mission Local that the center has abandoned that goal, operating instead with a 30-day limit as a sort of triage center.

"The model switched so we have more opportunity with other people  because we have far more need than resources, Quezada told Mission Local. When their 30 days are up, homeless residents who enter the Mission Navigation Center are given the option to transfer to 90-day city shelters. The triage structure won't extend to the other homeless Navigation Centers: A second opened at the Civic Center Hotel last summer and another, bound for the Dogpatch, is set to open soon according to Hoodline.

The first homeless Navigation Center, a new effort to house homeless people with their partners, pets, and fellows from entire encampments, reached its 75-person capacity soon after opening, the Chronicle reported at the time. Optimistically  and it now appears unrealistically  the center, near 16th and Mission Streets at 1950 Mission Street , envisioned two- to three-week stays for its clients. The average stay turned out to be much longer: 85 days, with 37 clients having spent nine or more weeks at the center and one having spent 223 days there. The Chronicle's Matier and Ross characterized the center, perhaps cruelly, as "quite a hit with the homeless" and "may be a bit too successful for its own good." In its first year, the $2.7 million shelter served 399 people and moved 268 into traditional housing.

Although director of the Coalition on Homelessness Jennifer Friedenbach says she agrees that more homeless people should be given the opportunity to enter the Navigation Center, a mere 30 days is "not a realistic amount of time to stabilize people, nor enough time to secure housing or other critical services and benefit." Moreover, it may have been the promise of permanent housing originally represented by the Navigation Center that's made it so attractive to many. Its why its been such a golden ticket, said Kelley Cutler of the Coalition, calling the failure of such a promise "traumatizing" and a 30-day system a "band-aid."

Related: San Francisco's Homeless Navigation Center Plan, By The Numbers
Pay no attention to the dozen or so people behind that curtain!

A Bloomberg report tells us what we should probably have realized all along, which is that Mark Zuckerberg doesn't operate his personal Facebook page alone, instead employing a group of 12 to carefully manage his posts, photos, and even the comments beneath them. We've come a long way since Myspace Tom, your first "friend" on that platform, who had just one lame picture: Now Zuckerberg is the self-styled Oprah of his own platform, reaching a massive audience of 84,705,400 followers.

Per Bloomberg, it works like this: "A handful of Facebook employees manage communications just for [Zuckerberg], helping write his posts and speeches, while an additional dozen or so delete harassing comments and spam on his page" according to two sources the publication doesn't name. Zuck, they write, even has photographers to tail him as he runs around Beijing or whatever he's up to and not just any photographers, but a group that includes Charles Ommanney, whose past work covering the refugee crisis for the Washington Post was probably a lot less cushy and way lower paying.

This week, as part of his initiative to visit all the states he hasn't been to and like heal America and stuff, Zuck  or Zuck's team  posted photos of the CEO at a Fort Worth stock show and rodeo. "This actually is my first rodeo," he captioned the photo with the help of god knows how many writers, edits, and focus groups.





Just a few posts away, Zuckerberg reveals that Facebook's latest data center is being built in Denmark with 100% renewable energy. The juxtaposition is fascinating: It's a mix of the personal and professional that might be odd from just about any other figure. I dont know that there are a lot of other business leaders that would find the same level of comfort sharing their personal and business stuff in the way that he does, director of the University of Southern California Center for Public Relations Fred Cook told Bloomberg. Per that publication, "While plenty of chief executive officers have image managers, the scale of this team is something different. So is its conflation of Zuckerbergs personal image with that of his company, the diaper-changing photos next to the user growth stats."

Most of Zuckerberg's posts get hundreds of thousands of shares and likes. An extremely staged video of his last big initiative, building an AI "butler" along the lines of Amazon's Alexa or Apple's Siri, garnered a million views, but not without star power, as it featured the voice of Morgan Freeman. Then, there are the soft-focused family photos featuring his wife Priscilla Chan, their daughter Max, and photogenic dog, Beast. Together, the First Family of Facebook provides PR opportunities, demos the company's products, and humanizes its brand.

Whether or not Zuckerberg is really considering a run for elected office, as was the subject of some speculation a few weeks back, the CEO is approaching public life with the polish of a political figure. Who knows what's next for Zuck: His next dedicated Facebook team might even start rooting out Fake News on the platform instead of just asking users like you and me to do it. Can't wait to see!

Related: Is Mark Zuckerberg Maybe Planning To Run For President
President-elect Donald Trump's pick for commerce secretary said Wednesday that he favors "sensible trade," is pro-union and believes his vast business dealings have given experience fighting other countries' unfair trade practices.

Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross cited his relationship with the United Steelworkers Union, which has endorsed him for the Cabinet post, as proof that he will work to protect American jobs.

"I'm pro-trade. But I'm pro-sensible trade, not trade that is detrimental to the American worker and to the domestic manufacturing base," Ross told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

"I think I've probably had more direct experience than any prior cabinet nominee has had with unfair trade in the steel business, in the textile business, in the auto parts business and other sectors," Ross said.

Worth an estimated $2.9 billion, Ross has extensive business ties around the globe. Supporters say that makes him ideal to represent American business interests abroad.

"I believe his extensive management experience in the private sector, and his understanding of the challenges faced by workers and businesses alike, will equip him well for the job of leading the Department of Commerce," said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the committee chairman.

During Ross' hearing, Thune revealed that Ross had a household employee from 2009 to 2016 who could not provide documentation that he or she was in the U.S. legally.

Ross said the employee provided a driver's license and a Social Security number when hired. Ross said he rechecked the documentation for all of his household employees after he was nominated, and the employee could not provide it. Ross said the employee was fired.

"We did the best that we thought we could do in order to verify the legality of the employment and it turned out that was incorrect," Ross said. "But we did pay all the withholdings, so did that employee."Such transgressions have derailed cabinet nominees in the past. But Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, the top Democrat on the committee, questioned Ross only briefly about it.

Trump has said Ross will play a big role in American trade policy. Trump's views on trade are at odds with many congressional Republicans. He has pledged to re-negotiate existing trade deals and scrap a pending one with Asian countries.

Ross said the North American Free Trade Agreement, involving the U.S., Canada and Mexico, "is logically the first thing for us to deal with.""That will be a very, very early topic in this administration," Ross added.

The commerce secretary has several roles in promoting American business interests in the U.S. and abroad. The department works on trade issues, working to attract foreign investment in the U.S. The department also oversees agencies that manage fisheries, weather forecasting and the Census Bureau, which will conduct a census in 2020.

Ross said he has unique experience at that agency; he was a census-taker while he attended business school.

Unlike the president-elect, Ross has agreed to divorce himself from a vast financial empire.

Ross has signed an ethics agreement with the Office of Government Ethics. In it, he agrees to divest from 40 different businesses and investments within 90 days of being confirmed. He agreed to divest from 40 more within 180 days.

Among the businesses he will separate himself from is WL Ross & Co., the private equity firm he founded in 2000.

Trump has had a run-in with the head of the ethics agency because he says he won't completely divest himself from his business empire. Instead, Trump says he will turn control of his business over to his sons.

Walter Shaub Jr., who directs the office, said Trump's plan is insufficient to avoid conflicts of interest.

Nelson praised Ross for divesting from most of his personal holdings.

"I believe that's the right thing to do and it tells me you're committed to doing the job the right way by placing the public's interests ahead of your own," Nelson said. "It's my hope that President-elect Trump will follow your lead and the example you set."Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
SINGAPORE 60's: ANDY's POP MUSIC INFLUENCE IS A PERSONAL MUSIC, MEMORY TRAIL. BLOGGER DOES NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO VIDEOS, AUDIO TRACKS AND IMAGES. THEY ARE UPLOADED FOR FUN, EDUCATIONAL, ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES AND HAVE BEEN CREDITED. BLOG IS NOT SPONSORED IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. INFORM BLOGGER OF COPYRIGHT ISSUES AND POST WILL BE DELETED IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT COPY THE POSTS; GET PERMISSION N CREDIT ME IF YOU DO. ANDY LIM LA (NOVEMBER, 2008) - ()
DENISON, Iowa | A two-day stretch in late October led Gwen Ecklund to sense a presidential upset was in the making. She spent those days going door-to-door visiting with Democrats and voters who didn't have a party affiliation.

Ten days earlier, Ecklund was named president of the Iowa Federation of Republican Women, replacing former president Melissa Gesing, who resigned, saying she could no longer support GOP nominee Donald Trump, whom she said promoted "racism, sexism and hate."

Gesing's resignation came just days after a 2005 recording of Trump surfaced, one in which he could be heard making lewd comments about using his celebrity status to grope women. Trump apologized for the remarks amid a firestorm of criticism.

Ecklund, a lifelong Republican and a former president of the Iowa Federation for Republican Women, stepped into the melee, accepting the state GOP post at a time when others may have shied away. She rolled up her sleeves and reported to Davenport to start knocking on doors, part of a National Federation of Republican Women Iowa Strike Force.

"We asked four questions, starting with, 'Are you pleased with the direction the country is headed?'" Ecklund said.

Overwhelmingly, residents said they weren't satisfied with the trajectory of the country.

"We then asked, 'If you voted today, who would you vote for: Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump?'"

Of all the stops Ecklund made in two days, she recalled two voters who said they would vote for Clinton, the Democratic Party nominee. Most, if not all, the others voiced support for Trump, who scored an upset victory over Clinton, winning battleground states such as Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, on his way to a resounding Electoral College victory, 304 votes to 227.

Trump takes the oath of office on Friday in Washington, D.C. Ecklund, the loyal GOP soldier, will be there, watching and listening, soaking up the victor's spoils, as it were, in her first inauguration.

"I knew Northwest Iowa was safe (for Trump)," Ecklund said. "I knew Crawford County was safe a couple of months ahead of time. After spending time in Davenport, I got the feeling that Iowa was very safe."

Did she believe Trump could overtake the former First Lady nationally?

"I had an inkling there might be a landslide," she said.

Her instincts were ratified on Election Day. Ecklund dined that night with friends at the Hillside Grille Steakhouse in Denison. She monitored early election returns and felt good about Trump's chances as she reported to the Crawford County Courthouse to see local results trickle in. It was her husband, Arlan Ecklund's, 62nd birthday.

"Arlan had birthdays on other Election Days," she said. "He turned 18 and voted for the first time on that birthday. He turned 40 on the day Tom Latham was elected to Congress." (Gwen worked for U.S. Rep. Latham's election bid and did so in subsequent elections.)

This birthday again proved memorable as Trump rolled, turning much of the country a shade of Republican red, which pleased Ecklund, who followed her late father, John Huldeen, into GOP leadership roles. John Huldeen years ago served as chairman of the Sac County Republicans and was a member of the Republican State Central Committee.

"I was taught that you don't complain unless you're willing to do something about it," Gwen Ecklund said.

As an adult, she has served as president of the Crawford County Republican Women and finance director for the Crawford County Republicans. She's also been the county chair for eight years and remained neutral in the 2016 Iowa Caucus cycle. She was parliamentarian for the Iowa Federation of Republican Women in 2016, a member of the group's executive committee when Gesing resigned, three weeks prior to the general election.

"She (Gesing) made her decision and we moved on," said Ecklund, who lauded the leadership of the group's executive committee. "It was obvious we needed leaders who remained dedicated to our ideals and who could see the big picture."

Ecklund maintains the sky is the limit for President Trump and his administration.

Even so, the new U.S. president may first have some fences to mend. Ecklund said as much while meeting with Republicans who bemoaned the real estate developer's rise to the top of the ticket.

"When I met people who were concerned about Donald Trump, I asked them to pray for him and to pray that he would surround himself with good people," she said. "I think that has happened."
DES MOINES | Never say never, Sen. Liz Mathis says about running for governor, but not in 2018.

The Cedar Rapids Democrat has ruled out seeking her partys nomination next year, saying the timing isnt right for her and her family.

Mathis, first elected in 2011, said Wednesday she had been thinking about running. Some considered her the frontrunner among several Democrats seen as potential challengers to Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is set to become governor when Gov. Terry Branstads nomination to be ambassador to China is approved. Over the past several months, Mathis said, she was approached by several groups asking if she was interested in the job. However, she was focused on winning re-election.

After the November election, she continued the discussion with more than two dozen people and groups about everything from what the financials would look like to my possibility of running to the dedication it would take to run a campaign over 18 months.

I came to the conclusion that it probably wasnt the right time for me to do that for a number of reasons, she said.

A gubernatorial bid would be quite a big leap for her family, Mathis said, and while they are comfortable with her serving in the Senate, but as a gubernatorial candidate, youre wide open to scrutiny and I dont think I want to do that and I dont think they want to do that.

Mathis, a former television news reporter and anchor in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo who now works for a child welfare agency, said she was concerned about the $10 million to $15 million estimated cost of a campaign.

Thats a very steep climb even with the support she would expect to receive, Mathis said.

Shes also committed to rebuilding the Democratic majority in the Senate. Iowans voted out six Democratic senators, including Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, giving the GOP a 29-20-1 majority.

When she made her announcement Tuesday night at a Des Moines Democratic gathering, Mathis suggested Sen. Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines, as a possible gubernatorial candidate.

Im not endorsing anyone at this point, she said Wednesday, but believes Petersen would be a good candidate. I dont know what she thinks about that, but shes tenacious.

Mathis expects several other people to step forward, but doesnt plan to endorse anyone until after the June 2018 Democratic primary.

Among those who are expected to run are current Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Andy McGuire, Polk County Conservation Director Rich Leopold, Rep. Todd Prichard., D-Charles City, and former Sen. Steve Sodders of State Center.

Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, who was elected by his Democratic colleagues to serve as minority leader, reiterated his position Wednesday that he has no plans to run for governor in 2018.

In ruling out a bid for governor, Mathis did not close the door on challenging second-term Republican Rep. Rod Blum in 2018.

Who knows what happens? she said.
BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
AutoZone, Inc. retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories. The company offers various products for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products. Its products include A/C compressors, batteries and accessories, bearings, belts and hoses, calipers, chassis, clutches, CV axles, engines, fuel pumps, fuses, ignition and lighting products, mufflers, radiators, starters and alternators, thermostats, and water pumps, as well as tire repairs. In addition, the company offers maintenance products, such as antifreeze and windshield washer fluids; brake drums, rotors, shoes, and pads; brake and power steering fluids, and oil and fuel additives; oil and transmission fluids; oil, cabin, air, fuel, and transmission filters; oxygen sensors; paints and accessories; refrigerants and accessories; shock absorbers and struts; spark plugs and wires; and windshield wipers. Further, it provides air fresheners, cell phone accessories, drinks and snacks, floor mats and seat covers, interior and exterior accessories, mirrors, performance products, protectants and cleaners, sealants and adhesives, steering wheel covers, stereos and radios, tools, and wash and wax products, as well as towing services. Additionally, the company provides a sales program that offers commercial credit and delivery of parts and other products; sells automotive diagnostic and repair software under the ALLDATA brand through alldata.com; and automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products through autozone.com. As of August 27, 2022, it operated 6,168 stores in the United States; 703 stores in Mexico; and 72 stores in Brazil. The company was founded in 1979 and is based in Memphis, Tennessee.
SOCIEDAD ASIATICA

THE ASIAN SOCIETY

COMISION DIRECTIVA



THE DIRECTIVE BOARD



PRESIDENTE:

Liliana Garcia Daris



Universidad del Salvador.

Argentina

VICEPRESIDENTE:

Won-ho Kim

Universidad de Hankuk de Estudios Extranjeros.

Corea

SECRETARIO:

Luis Diaz Brougton



Universidad de Santiago, Chile



PROSECRETARIO:



Martha Barriga Tello

Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru



VOCALES:



Mauricio Martinez



Universidad de los Andes, Colombia



Juan Uriburu Quintana



Universidad de Chenchi, Taiwan

CONSEJEROS ACADEMICOS

ACADEMIC ADVISERS



ASH NARAIN, Roy,

Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi.

India



GARCIA BAZAN, Francisco,



CONICET, Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy



MATSUSHITA, Hiroshi,



Universidad de Kobe, Japon



MIEMBROS FUNDADORES



FOUNDING MEMBERS



ALBERT, Liliana



Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



ANTON PACHECO, Jose Antonio



Universidad de Sevilla, Espana



ANTONIJEVIC, Ingrid



Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Chile



BARRIGA TELLO, Martha



Universidad Nacional de San Marcos, Peru



BERGMAN, Sergio

Melton Institute de Jerusalem, Israel



BERTOLINI, Luis



Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



CABEZON, Jose



Universidad de Santa Barbara, Estados Unidos



CAGNI, Horacio



Universidad Catolica de La Plata, Argentina



CARRANZA, Francisco



Universidad de Dankook, Corea



CASTLETON, Barbara



Ohio State University of Athens



CASTRO, Jorge

Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



CHAOUL-REICH, Alejandro



Universidad de Texas, Estados Unidos



CHELMICKI, Hanna I.



Universidad del Salvador, Argentina



DIAZ BROUGHTON, Luis



Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Chile



FRANCO, Raul



Universidad del Salvador, Argentina



GADRE, Vasant



Universidad Jawaharlal Nehru, India



GARCIA DARIS, Liliana

Universidad del Salvador, Argentina

GLUCK, Carol



Universidad de Columbia. Estados Unidos

HOPKINS RODRIGUEZ, Eduardo



Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru



KIM, Wonho



Universidad Hankuk de Estudios Extranjeros, Corea



KO, Heysun



Univesidad de Dankook, Corea



LOPEZ DEL CARRIL, Luis Maria



Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



LUCO, Enrique



Universidad del Salvador



MARTINEZ, Mauricio



Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia



MASATERU, Ito



Universidad Nacional de Osaka, Japon



MATSUSHITA, Hiroshi



Universidad de Kobe, Japon



MINKOWICZ, Gabriel

Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires

MONETA, Carlos Juan



Universidad del Salvador, Argentina



MORROW, John Andrew



Minot State University, Dakota del Norte, USA



NGUYEN, Thiet Son



Academia de Ciencias Sociales de Vietnam, Vietnam

OVIEDO, Eduardo

CONICET. Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina

PEREIRA, Ronan Alves

Universidad de Brasilia. Brasil

PEREYRA, Violeta



Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina

REMETE, Andrea

Universidad del Salvador, Argentina



RIMOLDI DE LADMAN, Eve



Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



ROMERO CASTILLA, Alfredo



Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico

TEDIN URIBURU, Virgilio



Universidad de Harvard, Estados Unidos

UEHARA, Alexander



Universidad de Sao Paulo. Brasil

URIBURU QUINTANA, Juan



Universidad de Chenchi, Taiwan



VITTOR, Luis Alberto



Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy



XU, Shicheng



Academia China de Ciencias Sociales, Republica Popular China
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.
DAHLGREN, Va. (Jan. 18, 2017)Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) leaders briefed Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson on electric weapons and cybersecurity technology during his visit here Jan. 18.



Upon arrival, the CNO spoke to more than 900 Sailors, government civilians, and defense contractors attending his early morning all-hands call in person or over live stream video.



Richardson discussed Navy policies and plans impacting the fleet and answered questions, including queries related to the emerging technologies he would see during his tour of NSWCDD laboratories and facilities.



Specifically, the CNO saw electric weaponselectromagnetic railgun launcher, hypervelocity projectile, and the high energy laserin addition to the battle management system. He was briefed on the latest technological advancements and observed a laser weapon demonstration.



The hypervelocity projectile is a next-generation, guided projectile capable of completing multiple missions for gun systems such as the Navy 5-Inch, 155-mm, and future railguns.



NSWCDD scientists and engineers developed and installed the Laser Weapon System aboard the USS Ponce (AFSB[I] 15) to operate seamlessly with its ship defense system about two years ago. Ponce Sailorstrained by the Dahlgren team on the Laser Weapon System's operationreported the weapon performed flawlessly during testing in the Arabian Gulf, including tests conducted in adverse weather conditions of high winds, heat and humidity.



NSWCDD scientists and engineers also updated CNO on the command's complex warfare systems development and integration capabilities and their efforts to incorporate electric weapons technology into existing and future platforms.



Moreover, NSWCDD cyber engineers briefed the admiral on USS Securea multi-enclave test environment to enable the Navy's development, evaluation, and testing of cybersecurity concepts and technologies to defend mission critical systems at sea and ashore.



Richardson's tour of Naval Support Facility Dahlgren and its tenant commands included Aegis Training and Readiness Center, NSWCDD, and the Joint Warfare Analysis Center.



The CNO is the senior military officer of the Department of the Navy. The CNO is a four-star admiral and is responsible to the secretary of the Navy for the command, utilization of resources, and operating efficiency of the operating forces of the Navy and of the Navy shore activities assigned by the Secretary.



NSWCDD, a NAVSEA warfare center division, is a premier research and development center that serves as a specialty site for weapon system integration. The command's unique ability to rapidly introduce new technology into complex warfighting systems is based on its longstanding competencies in science and technology, research and development, and test and evaluation.
WASHINGTON

(Jan. 18, 2017)As Friday's presidential inauguration of Donald J. Trump draws closer, speculation over who won't be in attendance has become as much a talking point as the event itself, with more than 50 members of Congress already saying they'll skip the ceremony.In the Maryland congressional delegation, Reps. Anthony Brown, D-Upper Marlboro, and Jamie Raskin, D-Kensington, have decided that they won't go to Trump's swearing-in on Friday.Another Maryland lawmaker, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Baltimore, has said he is undecided.Raskin had initially planned on attending in order to show respect for tradition and the democratic process, but in a statement released Tuesday afternoon, he indicated that he'd had a change of heart."These are not normal times and I cannot pretend as if they are," the congressman said. "The moral and political legitimacy of this presidency are in the gravest doubt. I cannot get over Trump's refusal to deal seriously with the constitutional problems caused by his business entanglements with foreign governments and corporations."Raskin added: "I cannot get past his stubborn denial of the enormity of Russia's 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."Brown announced his decision on a Facebook post Monday afternoon after Trump posted several tweets attacking Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., for comments Lewis made stating that he did not consider Trump's presidency to be "legitimate" because of potential Russian involvement in the election.After weeks of growing concern from politicians of both parties over the president-elect's behaviorfrom his dismissal of allegations of Russian interference in the election to his team's unconventional selection and handling of cabinet appointeesseveral Democrats in Congress have announced their plans to boycott the ceremony in recent days. But the number escalated quickly following Trump's attack on Lewis Saturday.Lewis was a well-known leader in the civil rights movement who was instrumental in ending legal racial segregation in the United States. He has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and many other awards for his commitment to ensuring civil rights equality.Brown stated on Facebook that Trump's recent verbal attack on Lewis demanded his absence from the inauguration."President-elect Trump, you have the undeniable right to take issue and disagree with John Lewis' opinion," Brown wrote. "But Mr. Trump, you need to think carefully about disparaging a Civil Rights icon such as John Lewis, let alone anyone exercising their freedom of expression that many of us have fought for."While Brown will not be in attendance, most of the rest of the Maryland delegation will be.The presence of Rep. Andy Harris, R-Cockeysville, was never in doubt. As the only Republican serving historically Democratic Maryland in Congress, Harris is a noted Trump supporter and has recently been in talks with the president-elect over a possible appointment as head of the National Institutes of Health.Democratic Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, as well as Democratic Reps. Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Steny Hoyer and John Delaney all have said that they'll attend Trump's inauguration.Not that there aren't serious reservations among those Democrats.Van Hollen spokeswoman Bridgett Frey said the senator "has deep concerns about President-elect Trump and the divisive campaign he ran.""While he will join his Senate colleagues at Friday's inauguration as part the peaceful transfer of power, Senator Van Hollen has already been on the front lines of the fight to stop Donald Trump from turning back the clock on progress in America, including leading a rally of over 2,000 Marylanders this weekend to save our health care," Frey said.Maryland's Democratic congressmen haven't been shy in expressing their misgivings about Trump in the past. Cardin is part of a group of Democratic senators working on a bill that would require Trump to put all his business assets into an actual blind trust, while Van Hollen has been vocal in his opposition to the opening of the controversial Trump International Hotel in Washington.Both Cardin and Cummings are part of a joint effort by Democrats in the Senate and House to pass a bill that would establish a nonpartisan commission to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
PRINCE FREDERICK, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme.

(Jan. 18, 2017)The Prince Frederick Barrack of the Maryland State Police (MSP) today released the following incident and arrest reports.THEFT FROM MAILBOX: On 1/10/2017 at 6:10 pm, Trooper First Class Rowe received a theft complaint for prescription medications being removed from a mailbox in the 1800 block of Squaw Valley Lane in Prince Frederick. The victim reported finding a torn and damaged package that had contained prescription medication inside the mailbox. Patrol checks were conducted with others in the neighborhood for similar incidents. Investigation continues.CONCEALED DANGEROUS WEAPON: On 1/11/2017 at 12:22 am, Trooper Backus stopped a vehicle on Rt. 231 in Prince Frederick for traffic violations. Aaron P. Honeycutt Sr., 48 of St. Leonard was found to be in possession of several throwing knives and wooden stick batons. He was arrested and incarcerated at the Calvert County Detention Center.POSSESSION OF HEROIN: On 1/11/2017 at 11:46 pm, Trooper First Class Costello stopped a vehicle on Rt. 4 near Sixes Rd. in Prince Frederick for traffic violations. A strong odor of marijuana was emitting from inside the vehicle. A search was performed and Heroin and Suboxone were found. Reid H. Haines, 26 of Prince Frederick was arrested and incarcerated at the Calvert County Detention Center.DISORDERLY CONDUCT: On 1/14/2017 at 3:45 pm, Corporal Esnes stopped a vehicle on Rt. 4 near Rt. 231 in Prince Frederick for traffic violations. Upon approaching the vehicle, the driver, James A. Farrell, 28 of St. Leonard, became irate and argumentative. He was asked to exit the vehicle. Farrell eventually exited the vehicle after several more times of being ordered to do so. He continued to resist being arrested. He was incarcerated at the Calvert County Detention Center.FIRST DEGREE ASSAULT, FIRST DEGREE BURGLARY: On 1/16/2017 at 1:51 am, Trooper First Class Barlow responded to the 900 block of Augustus Drive in Prince Frederick for a burglary in progress. Calvert County Control Center advised the male suspect had fled the scene. As TFC Barlow was coming into the area , he observed a vehicle traveling away from the residence. Calvert County Sheriff's Deputies blocked the roadway and contact was made with three occupants in the vehicle. TFC Barlow continued to the residence and found both victims had been injured during the incident. Medical personnel arrived and transported them to Calvert Memorial Hospital. The three suspects, Riley L. Evans, 30 and Valerie M. Tyner, 29 both of Prince Frederick and Decarl S. Smith, 26 of Lexington Park, were arrested and incarcerated at the Calvert County Detention Center.Mysia Troynor-Barron, 18, of Cohusst, MA, arrested on 01/19/2017 @ 11:19 pm by TPR. P. KaitzClare R. Woollen, 21, of Port Republic, arrested on 01/10/2017 @ 01:16 am by TFC J. WarrickNatalie A. Vickers, 35, of Mechanicsville, arrested on 01/12/2017 @ 03:16 pm by TFC J. BoniarskiFelix M. Wilson, 44, of Lex. Park, arrested on 01/13/2017 @ 12:22 am by TFC W. Costello
Gov. Larry Hogan said this week that his Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposal "holds the line on spending," with a proposed cut in General Fund spending of $19.4 million from FY 2017 levels. A major reason for the decline: a proposed reduction in the state's annual contribution to the reserve fund -- from $175.4 million in FY 2017 to $10 million in FY 2018. If Hogan had maintained the state's contribution to the reserve fund at FY 2017 levels, overall General Fund spending in FY 2018 would have increased by $145.9 million over FY 2017. (Chart by Helen Lyons)

ANNAPOLIS

(Jan. 18, 2017)Gov. Larry Hogan, a popular Republican governor, released detailed budget numbers to the Democrat-controlled General Assembly Wednesday morning.In a preview Tuesday, the governor touted that his proposed budget would decrease general fund spending. Indeed, details released Wednesday propose a $19.5 million reduction in general fund spending, approximately one tenth of a percent.However, the proposal would increase total state spending to $43.541 billion$467 million or approximately 1 percent more than was spent in 2017.Along with the budget, the governor submitted recommendations that would reduce spending mandated by the legislature by a total of $247 million.On the Senate floor Wednesday, Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller Jr., D-Calvert, Charles, and Prince George's, criticized one such reduction that cuts mandated funding for Prince George's Medical Center by $15 million; a separate line in the budget reduces funding for the hospital by another $7.5 million.Hogan's proposed state general fund budget includes a 92 percent cut to funding for the Department of Housing and Community Development. Under the proposal, total fundingwhich includes state and federal dollarsfor that agency would fall by about 7 percent.At least three programs in the Department of Housing and Community Development that promote low income housing would lose all of their general fund money, cuts worth $21.6 million.However, Operating Manager David B. Juppe at the Department of Legislative Services told the University of Maryland's Capital News Service that the proposed cuts are not "gutting" the Department of Housing and Community Development because the department receives hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. The cuts primarily affect specific programs that the legislature mandated funding for last year.The proposed budget reduces the number of authorized, full time positions in the state government by 442, but increases the number of available contractual positions by the same amount.The budget allocates $165 million less to the state's reserve fund, basically the state's savings accounts, than 2017's budget. Because contributions to the fund are listed as an expenditure, this causes the overall increase in spending elsewhere to appear smaller than it is.Under the proposed budget, spending on items other than the reserve fund will increase by a net total of $632 million, a 1.4 percent increase over 2017.However, there are some who argue that this is exactly the reserve fund's purpose.Senate Minority Leader J.B. Jennings, R-Baltimore and Harford counties, said Tuesday he thinks "it's a pretty good budget" and that he was not concerned about the budget drawing from the "rainy day" fund. "That's what the money is there for," he said.Miller also expressed irritation with a proposal in the budget that would install cameras on the Senate floor. He suggested that the proposal encroached on the Senate's power to manage its own space and that 24-hour recording of the floor could be used to selectively broadcast scenes of the empty chamber to make it appear as though legislators were shirking their responsibilities.
ANNAPOLIS (Jan. 19, 2017)The Nammo Group, based in Norway, will bring more than 130 new manufacturing jobs to Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Indian Head in Southern Maryland over the next five years. As part of an agreement signed today, Nammo Energetics Indian Head, a Maryland corporation, will partner with the installation's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division (EODTD) to establish both a solid rocket motor and tactical warhead production facility, as well as an energetics demilitarization operation at Indian Head. The company plans to invest more than $23 million in renovations to existing facilities on the base and an additional $7 million in new equipment.



"The Public Private Partnership Agreement is a unique opportunity for Nammo to become part of the U.S. National Technology Industrial Base," said Morten Brandtzg, CEO of the Nammo Group. "Our priority number one will be to create a sustainable and highly competitive operation at Indian Head with a strong focus on our core capabilities and competences - creating jobs in Maryland."



"Nammo's $30 million investment in Maryland manufacturing - and the addition of more than 130 new jobs - is confirmation of the positive business climate our administration set out to establish two years ago," said Governor Hogan. "In December, I had a very productive meeting with President Brandtzg in Annapolis, during which he briefed me on plans for Indian Head. I am very pleased to welcome him and Nammo to our state on a permanent basis and appreciate the positive impact their presence will have on Southern Maryland's economy."



Congressman Steny Hoyer, Norwegian Ambassador Kare R. Aas, Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill, and county officials witnessed the official signing of the partnership agreement between Nammo, represented by Morten Brandtzaeg, and Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head EODTD Commanding Officer Captain Scott Kraft.



"In addition to performing critical work for the nation's defense, Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head contributes nearly $545 million to Maryland's economy," said Secretary Gill. "Nammo's manufacturing facility will enhance Indian Head's capabilities, as well as the installation's economic impact on Maryland. This is good news for our aerospace and defense industry, for Indian Head and Charles County, and for Maryland."



To assist with the project, the Maryland Department of Commerce approved a $400,000 conditional loan through the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority and Fund (MEDAAF). Nammo may also be eligible for Job Creation Tax Credits.



The company will employ four people this year and grow to as many as 221 - including some personnel currently stationed at Indian Head - by 2020. Nammo will pursue research and development opportunities for new materials and techniques, using the combined resources of both Nammo Energetics Indian Head and NSWC Indian Head.



"Charles County is honored to be home to this new Nammo-NSWC partnership," said Charles County Commissioner President Peter F. Murphy. "This agreement brings significant job opportunities to our residents and strengthens Indian Head's position to continue next-generation research and development for decades to come."



"We are privileged to play a role in facilitating such an important project that supports the base and the Town of Indian Head, in addition to its remarkable economic benefits," said Charles County Economic Development Director Darrell A. Brown.
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.




We can't seem to find the page you are looking for.

You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link.
This article has been updated below with comments from Fairtrade America.

Its a post-truth fake news world out there. In a recent article, the Guardian links coffee certification programs, specifically the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ, to Brazilian farms exploiting workers. Coffee farms underpaying migrant workers is no doubt a serious issue and highlighting these misgivings is a step toward changing themthis recent ReCo Symposium talk on the coffee labor crisis is but one node to investigate on this topicbut heres the curious part: the article in the Guardian is sponsored by the Fairtrade Foundation, a competing global coffee certification program.

The article discusses an investigation by Reporter Brasil, published in December 2016, that enumerates several labor infractions by coffee farms in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. Included in the report are claims of farms employing unregistered workers, paying below minimum wage, not fully paying workers, and not providing mandatory benefits. And the farms named are not without prestige. The two farms listed (or perhaps cherry picked, depending upon your take) in the Guardian pieceRancho Sao Benedito and Fazenda Monte Verdeare both Cup of Excellence winners that have been used by well-known roasters like Caffe Vita, Victrola, Portola, and Ritual. Which is to say, these are lauded farms.

But heres where things get interesting. There was a third farm in the original Reporter Brasil investigation, Pedra Preta, that didnt make it to the Fairtrade sponsored Guardian article. Its violations include non-payment of workers, improper storage of pesticides, and failure to provide proper training. Pedra Prata has received the Certifica Minas best practice seal, which the report notes is granted by the Minas Gerais state government. So why wasnt Pedra Prata included in the Guardian piece and Rancho Sao Benedito and Fazenda Monte Verde were, even though according to the two farms owners their labor infractions have been rectified and there is no such claim from Pedra Prata? I have no idea, but I do know that according to Reporter Brasils investigation, both of these farms are Rainforest Alliance certified and Pedra Prata isnt.

But wait, the plot thickens. The Fairtrade Foundationthe sponsor of this Guardian contentis a part of Fairtrade International, who is named in the Reporter Brasil article. This does get mentioned in the Guardian piece, kind of. The article notes that coffee purchased by Reporter Brasil from the Dona Mariana brand, the name under which Rancho Sao Benedito roasts, came in packaging with emblazoned with the Fairtrade International logo. Fairtrade states that the use of its brand was not authorized, and that the San Benedito farm had never been certified by them.

What wasnt noted in the article, interestingly enough, is that Nestlewho buys coffee from Rancho Sao Beneditotells Reporter Brasil, According to our database, Sao Benedito is part of a conglomerate of farms certified by Fairtrade within an association of small local producers.

A cursory amount of digging found the potential association in question. Rancho Sao Benedito is part of Coopertiva Regional Dos Cafeicultores Do Vale Do Rio Verde (COCARIVE), known in English as the Rio Verde Valle Regional Coffee Producers Cooperative. Its where Rancho Sao Beneditos coffees are processed, bagged, and stored. According to their website, COCARIVE is Fairtrade certified, a fact that is corroborated by Flocert, who is a global certification and verification body, with the main role of independently certifying Fairtrade products.

It should be noted that Rancho Sao Benedito has also been accused of using the UTZ logo even after losing certification. But if youre going to publish an article where the sponsor is named in an uncharitable light (and where a small amount of research can make that light shine even brighter), it may be worth noting all the information, as opposed to, you know, just ignoring the potentially damning part and hoping your readers dont bother to click through to the source material.

So what does it all mean? According to Reporter Brasil, that best practice seals are not necessarily synonymous with good working conditions in the plantations of the products they certify. But beyond that, it means you need to check to see who is sponsoring what news. In this case, youre reading an article that is highly critical to the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ that is supported by Fairtrade (a full definition of supported by content can be found here). The Guardians article leaves out any difficult conclusions one might draw about Fairtrades role at Sao Benedito from Reporter Brasils original story.

News is a funny thing these days. As we at Sprudge can attest, providing free content necessitates advertising. But advertising on a website and sponsoring specific contentlike, say, an article that highlights the negatives of your sponsors competitors, while glossing over their own complicityare two very different things. Its like The Guardian running an article about how fast food causes obesity, calling out Burger King and Wendys, sponsored by McDonalds.

Exploitation of coffee growers is a deep topic, and depending on how you define exploitation theres a lot of guilt to go around. It doesnt make for great sponcon. But that didnt stop the Guardian from cashing the check.

Welcome to 2017, yall. Time to start fact-checking the fact-checkers.

UPDATE: Following the original publication of this article, Sprudge was contacted by Kyle Freund, Digital Content Manager for Fairtrade America. Freund shared these comments about some of the points made in the above article:

COCARIVE is certified Fairtrade, but they are not a producer organization, they are certified as a trader/manufacturer (Fairtrade checks the entire supply chain, so there are different roles from origin to roaster). They handle coffee from a Fairtrade co-op based in the area, but they also handle coffee from non-Fairtrade farms. Throughout that process, Fairtrade coffee is handled separately.

He continues:

The Fairtrade Foundation spoke with the Guardian about the article, however the Guardian reiterated that the article was independent content, which they clarified in the comments. They responded that if people had concerns they could contact them directly with questions. Weve also been in touch with Utz and Rainforest folks on it.

Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
Bir Lahlou (Saharawi Liberated Territories), January 18, 2017 (SPS) - Polisario Front will officially lodge a complaint with the European and French authorities, denouncing the illegal shipment of marine oil by a European tanker, Key Bay, from occupied Western Sahara's town al Aaiun, the Front said Tuesday in a statement.

The Polisario Front "will, within 48 hours, lodge a complaint with the European Commission and the French customs authorities for the enforcement of the European law," Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)'s under-secretary of state for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (RASD), Mhamed Khadad, said in the statement.

"We seek dialogue, but we are determined to uphold the decision of the European Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)," Khadad added.

The Polisario Front calls on the European Commission and customs authorities to report this illegal export operation and seize the shipment, in line with the requirements of the European customs law."

Mhamed Khadad, also a Polisario Front leading member, noted that Morocco is the military occupying power, which is under the fourth Geneva Convention, and has no right to issue export licences.

"This applies to all waters under the Saharawi sovereignty and all boats setting sail from (occupied) El Aaiun coast."

The Polisario, according to the statement, follows "with the utmost attention" the conditions in which the tanker Key Bay will be forced to abide by the European law, as stipulated in the decision issued by the Court of Justice of the European Union on 21 December 2016, an enforceable decision that must be fully respected.SPS

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On the strength of a successful 2016 season in the Ontario Sires Stakes, Seelster Farms is in the running for their third O'Brien Award for Armstrong Breeder of the Year.

Based in Lucan, Ont., Seelster Farms is Canadas largest commercial breeder. Seelster-bred horses won 293 races and more than $3 million in 2016, including almost $800,000 alone in the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) for their best season in the program since 2007.

"We were very happy with the the overall on-track performance of horses that we bred this past season," Walter Parkinson, Assistant Farm Manager, told Trot Insider. "We had a strong year in the OSS, as well as with some quality aged performers.

"Seasonal highlights for us included watching top OSS performers like Arsenal Seelster, Mayhem Seelster, Soiree Seelster and Tycoon Seelster as well as top aged performers like Godiva Seelster, Nirvana Seelster and Tessa Seelster."

Three-year-old pacing filly Mayhem Seelster (Mach Three-Macapelo Rose) was their top money-earner with a $237,746 campaign and the lightly raced two-year-old pacing filly Soiree Seelster (Big Jim-Smilesplace) was another Gold winner from the Tony O'Sullivan stable. Two-year-old trotting colt Tycoon Seelster (Angus Hall-Travelin Lavec) was also a Gold winner and Super Final runner-up for trainer Scott McEneny. Meanwhile, the Colin Johnson-trained Arsenal Seelster (Artistic Fella-Alias Seelster) capped off his freshman season with a victory in the Super Final for pacing colts.

Arsenal Seelster - 2016 OSS Super Final

Older pacer Nirvana Seelster (Camluck-No Strikes Against), competing at the top level on the WEG circuit for trainer Bill Budd, and the Yonkers Open mare Tessa Seelster (Shadow Play-Titania Seelster), campaigned by the Ron Burke stable, both had $200,000-plus seasons. Meanwhile, Godiva Seelster (Camluck-Go JME Go) dominated the Open ranks at Pompano Park and Saratoga Raceway for trainer Dan Hennessey.

"It's certainly an honour to be a finalist for the O'Brien Award for Armstrong Breeder of the Year," said Parkinson. "We take a lot of pride in the horses that we breed and raise and to be recognized as one of two finalists for this award is a great way to cap off a successful season."

Along with Parkinson, the 600-acre farm is managed by Karen Favacho. Ann Straatman, Reproduction Manager, and Tina Marie Howard, Registered Veterinary Technician, are also imperative to the success of the Seelster operation, which has added 2015 Horse of the Year State Treasurer to their 2017 stallion roster.

"Our staff is paramount to our success," said Parkinson. "We have a really good core group of employees who work hard and take a lot of pride in the success of the farm. We also owe a lot to Catherine Van Bussel and Hubertina Van Boxmeer, the owners of Seelster Farms, for trusting Ann, Karen, Tina Marie and myself with the operation of the farm. Much of our success can also be attributed to the owners, trainers and drivers who campaigned a Seelster-bred and -raised horse this past season."

The Seelster Farms team has a long history of success and is no stranger to the O'Brien Awards having won the Armstrong Breeder of the Year Award in 2006 and 2013. This year, they are up against defending champions Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld.

"It is always an enjoyable evening," said Parkinson. "It is great being able to catch up with so many people in one place. As we approach the start of breeding season and with the first foals starting to hit the ground, it is nice to be able to get away from the farm and celebrate the best in Canadian harness racing before life gets hectic."

The O'Brien Award winners will be announced at the annual Black Tie Gala on Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Hilton Mississauga / Meadowvale Hotel in Mississauga, Ont.

For a full list of O'Brien Award finalists, click here. For details about the Black Tie Gala and how to purchase tickets, click here.
Equine Guelph has announced some details in regard to the first two inaugural courses that have been added to its new portal, which as been created to provide horsepeople with short, practical, online training to stay up to date with the latest information on equine care.

For more information regarding thehorseportal.ca, click here.

The inaugural short courses are 'Equine Welfare  Canada's Code', which will be conducted from March 6 until March 24, and 'Equine Biosecurity  Canada's standard', which will run from April 10 until April 28.

"Through The Horse Portal, grooms and trainers can access common sense, practical training that can be used on a daily basis," Gayle Ecker, director of Equine Guelph, has said. "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."

(With files from Equine Guelph)
Longtime harness racing industry participant Ira Fisher of Guelph, Ont. has passed away in his 80th year.

Fisher got in start with Standardbreds in Nova Scotia before eventually moving to Ontario, keeping active as an owner. He's survived by his sons Ira, Eddie, George and Tim, daughter Dawn as well as step-children Paul, Kenny and Stella Wilson.

At his request, there will be no funeral service with cremation to take place.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Ira Fisher.
The US foreign policy establishment is gradually shifting its focus from the Middle East to the Far East, but the unexpected election of Donald Trump has thrown a wrench in the elitist plan to pivot to Asia. Trump wants to fundamentally change Washingtons approach to policy, that is, he wants to abandon the destabilizing wars and regime change operations that have characterized US policy in the past and work collaboratively with countries like Russia that have a mutual interest in establishing regional security and fighting terrorism.

This has not been warmly received in Washington, in fact, Trumps recommendations have triggered a firestorm among elites who now believe that he is a serious threat to their interests. Recent attacks in the media and preemptive provocations with Russia, suggest that an effort to remove the new president from office is already underway. We expect that these attacks will only intensify in the weeks ahead. Heres an excerpt from the speech Trump delivered in Cincinnati on December 1 that is the source of the controversy:

We will pursue a new foreign policy that finally learns from the mistakes of the pastWe will stop looking to topple regimes and overthrow governments. Our goal is stability not chaos, because we want to rebuild our country [the United States] We will partner with any nation that is willing to join us in the effort to defeat ISIS and radical Islamic terrorism In our dealings with other countries, we will seek shared interests wherever possible and pursue a new era of peace, understanding, and good will.

None of the major media published Trumps comments, and for good reason. The statement is a straightforward repudiation of the last 70 years of US foreign policy during which time the United States has either overthrown or attempted to overthrow 57 foreign governments according to author William Blum. Removing governments that refuse to follow Washingtons diktats has been a mainstay of US foreign policy for the better part of the last century. Regime change is what we do. And while GOP administrations have relied more on direct military power (Re: Afghanistan, Iraq) as opposed to the more covert operations (proxy-wars Syria, Ukraine, Libya) preferred by the Democrats, both parties fully support the violent and illegal ousting of foreign leaders provided Washingtons geopolitical objectives are achieved.

Trump has charted a different course altogether which is why the media, the Intelligence Community, the political establishment and the deep state puppetmasters who operate behind the curtain, have abandoned all restraint and are doing whatever they can to delegitimize him, back him into a corner and potentially remove him from office. They cannot allow Trump to work with nations like Russia that pose a clear threat to Washingtons plan to be a dominant player in the fastest growing region of the world. This is why CIA Director John Brennan took the unprecedented step of appearing on FOX News Sunday. Brennan and the other heads of the Intelligence Community have taken a leading role in the desperate character assassination campaign that is intended to undermine public confidence in Trump in order to foil his attempts at resetting relations with Russia. The CIAs involvement in the coups in Ukraine and Honduras, as well as the agencys funding, arming and training of Sunni militants that have destroyed Libya and Syria, attest to the fact that Brennan does not see peace and reconciliation as compatible with US foreign policy objectives. Like his elitist paymasters, Brennan is committed to perpetual war, regime change, and mass annihilation. Trump offers some relief from this 70 year-long nightmare policy. Check out this quote from Vice President-elect, Mike Pence on FOX News Sunday:

I think the president elect has made it very clear that we have a terrible relationship with Russia right now. And thats not all our own doing, but really is a failure of American diplomacy in successive administrations. And what the president elect has determined to do is to explore the possibility of better relations. We have a common enemy in ISIS, and the ability to work with Russia to confront, hunt down and destroy ISIS at its source represents an enormously important priority of this incoming administration. But what the American people like about Donald Trump is that hes someone who can sit down, roll his sleeves up and make a deal. And what youre hearing in his reflections whether it be with Russia, or China or other countries in the world, is that were going to reengage. Were going to put America first, were going to reengage in a way that advances Americas interests in the world and that advances peace. Vice President-elect Mike Pence, FOX News Sunday

The American people dont want a war Russia, but US foreign policy elites do. Even now, after six years of carnage and destruction in Syria, elites at the Council on Foreign Relations are still resolved to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (Re: Aleppos Sobering Lessons, Project Syndicate, by Richard Haas, President of the Council on Foreign Relations) The same is true at the Brookings Institute where chief strategist Michael O Hanlon leads the charge for splitting up the battered country so Washington can control vital pipeline corridors, establish military bases in the east, and eliminate a potential threat to Israeli expansion. Heres a clip from a recent piece by O Hanlon that appeared in the Wall Street Journal. The author admits that the US goal is to splinter to country into multiple parts transforming it into a failed state:

To achieve peace, Syria will need self-governance within a number of autonomous zones. One option is a confederal system by which the whole country is divided into such zones. A less desirable but minimally acceptable alternative could be several autonomous zones within an otherwise still-centralized statesimilar to how Iraqi Kurdistan has functioned for a quarter-century. Many Syrians will not like the idea of a confederal nation, or even of a central government controlling half the country with the other half divided into three or four autonomous zones.  But the broad vision should be developed soon. ( Wall Street Journal

Autonomous zones in a confederal system is a sobriquet for a broken, Balkanized failed state run by tribal elders, disparate warlords and bloodthirsty jihadists. O Hanlons vision for Syria is a savage dysfunctional dystopia run by homicidal fanatics who rule with an iron fist. Is it any wonder why the Syrian people have fought tooth and nail to fend off the terrorist onslaught?

The United States is entirely responsible for the death and decimation of Syria. It is absurd to think that either the Saudis, the Qataris or the Turks would have launched a war on a strategically-critical nation like Syria without a green light from Washington. The conflict is just the latest hotspot in Washingtons 15 year-long war of terror. The ultimate goal is to remove all secular Arab leaders who may pose a threat to US imperial ambitions, open up the region to US-dominated extractive industries, and foment enough extremism to legitimize a permanent military presence.

Russias intervention into the Syrian conflict in September 2015, has cast doubt on Washingtons ability to prevail in the six year long war. The election of Donald Trump has further complicated matters by affecting a seismic shift in policy that could end the fighting and lead to improved relations between the US and Russia. Naturally, that is not in the interests of the vicious neocons or their liberal interventionist counterparts who see the proxy war in Syria as a pivotal part of their plan to clip Russias wings, discredit Putin in the eyes of the international community, and lay the groundwork for regime change in Moscow. Washingtons ultimate plan for Russia hews closely to that of Zbigniew Brzezinski who in an titled A Geostrategy for Eurasia had this to say:

Given (Russias) size and diversity, a decentralized political system and free-market economics would be most likely to unleash the creative potential of the Russian people and Russias vast natural resources. A loosely confederated Russia  composed of a European Russia, a Siberian Republic, and a Far Eastern Republic  would also find it easier to cultivate closer economic relations with its neighbors. Each of the confederated entitles would be able to tap its local creative potential, stifled for centuries by Moscows heavy bureaucratic hand. In turn, a decentralized Russia would be less susceptible to imperial mobilization. (Zbigniew Brzezinski, A Geostrategy for Eurasia, Foreign Affairs, 76:5, September/October 1997)

In other words, Washingtons plan for Russia is no different than its plan for Syria. Both countries will be chopped up into smaller bite-size enclaves eliminating the possibility of a strong nationalist government rising up and resisting Washingtons relentless exploitation and repression. Its divide and conquer writ large.

A loosely confederated Russia also fits perfectly with Washingtons top priority to spread military bases across Asia, control crucial energy supplies, force open and dominate financial markets, impose Washingtons neoliberal economic policies, and maintain a stranglehold on Chinas growth. Its the Great Game all over again, and Washington is In it to win it.

Heres an excerpt from a speech Hillary Clinton gave in 2011 titled Americas Pacific Century. The speech underscores the importance that elites attach to the rebalancing plan contained in the term pivot to Asia. The strategy relies on the opening up of new markets to US corporations and Wall Street, controlling critical resources, and forging a broad-based military presence across the continent. Washington intends to be the main player in the worlds most prosperous region. Heres Clinton:

The future of politics will be decided in Asia, not Afghanistan or Iraq, and the United States will be right at the center of the action. One of the most important tasks of American statecraft over the next decade will therefore be to lock in a substantially increased investment  diplomatic, economic, strategic, and otherwise  in the Asia-Pacific region Harnessing Asias growth and dynamism is central to American economic and strategic interests and a key priority for President Obama. Open markets in Asia provide the United States with unprecedented opportunities for investment, trade, and access to cutting-edge technology..American firms (need) to tap into the vast and growing consumer base of AsiaThe region already generates more than half of global output and nearly half of global trade. As we strive to meet President Obamas goal of doubling exports by 2015, we are looking for opportunities to do even more business in Asia (Americas Pacific Century, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Foreign Policy Magazine, 2011)

As we noted earlier, the pivot to Asia is Washingtons top priority. Clinton merely confirms what geopolitical strategist Zbigniew Brzezinski had laid out in his 1997 magnum opus The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives . Heres a short excerpt from the book:

For America, the chief geopolitical prize is Eurasia (p.30).. Eurasia is the globes largest continent and is geopolitically axial. A power that dominates Eurasia would control two of the worlds three most advanced and economically productive regions. .About 75 per cent of the worlds people live in Eurasia, and most of the worlds physical wealth is there as well, both in its enterprises and underneath its soil. Eurasia accounts for 60 per cent of the worlds GNP and about three-fourths of the worlds known energy resources. (p.31)

For Washington to achieve its foreign policy objectives, it must eliminate or defeat all emerging threats to its dominance. In practical terms, that means the Russo-Sino plan to transform Europe and Asia into a giant free trade zone that extends from Lisbon to Vladivostok must be sabotaged by any means possible. The State Departments coup in Kiev as well as aggressive efforts to restrict the flow of Russian gas to the EU via Nord Stream and South Stream, have at least temporarily succeeded in undermining Moscows plan for accelerated economic integration. Had Hillary won the election, the US would have stepped up its provocations, its sanctions, its military buildup on Russias borders, its gas war, its attacks on Russias markets and currency, and its proxy wars in Syria and Ukraine. But now that Trump has been thrown into the mix, anything is possible. Even a fundamental change in the policy.

The question is whether the deep state powerbrokers who have already launched a number of attacks on Trump in the media  will throw in the towel and allow Trump to develop his own independent foreign policy or take steps to have him removed from office.

Early indications suggest that a coup is already underway.
It's Election season and our editor's mailbox is overflowing. Who do your neighbors support? Read about it here.
The Clatsop County Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's help in finding a 23-year-old woman who has been missing for more than a week.

Brianna R. Judge, of Elsie, Oregon, was last seen leaving her residence on Jan. 10 and has not been seen or heard from since, according to the sheriff's office.

Judge has brown hair, blue eyes, is 5-feet 3-inches tall and weighs about 100 pounds. She was last seen wearing calf-high boots, blue jeans and a red or burgundy hoodie. She is known to frequent Seaside, Astoria, Beaverton and Portland areas, the press release said.

Anyone with information should contact the sheriff's office at 503-325-2061.
A small wooden cross, a statue of an angel and a bouquet of flowers mark the Longview site where 23-year-old Genaro Joel Ruiz-Rosas died last year.

Shortly after midnight on Feb. 6, 2016, Ruiz-Rosas was speeding northbound near the 3100 block of Pacific Way, lost control of his Honda Civic and drove over the line to hit a southbound vehicle head-on, according to the traffic collision report. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His body was sent to his familys hometown of Veracruz, Mexico, the mans father said, leaving the family with no grave site but a visceral attachment to the place Ruiz-Rosas was last alive.

The site is the only connection that I have to my son, Galo Ruiz Contantino said  in a letter translated by city Traffic Engineer Manuel Abarca  to council members on Thursday.

But city officials and council members say its time to remove the memorial.

Neighboring residents have complained to the city about extra cars crowding the roadside as well as trash left behind at the site. Ruiz-Rosas friends would often meet and pay tribute there together, sometimes leaving behind empty alcohol bottles in a residential area, Councilman Ken Botero said.

The city doesnt have a policy in place to address roadside memorials, which could also cause a safety concern by distracting drivers, Abarca said.

Despite a plea from Ruiz-Rosas father, Ruiz Contantino, council members in a 5-1 vote gave the family until the anniversary of Ruiz-Rosas death to remove the memorial. Botero opposed the motion and said he thought February was too long to wait. Councilwoman Mary Jane Melink was absent.

Right now its been just about a year, close to a year, and its time to take the memorial down, Botero said. My heart goes out to the family that lost their son, but we need to do something for the community.

In the motion, council members also asked staff to develop a policy to address memorials along the public right-of-way.

Some models are already out there. The state Department of Transportation allows for plants or trees to be planted as a permanent memorial. Citizens can also petition to provide a road sign  like dont drink and drive  bearing the victims name.

Other cities have simple policies allowing roadside memorials for a specific time frame. Councilman Mike Wallin cited Bonney Lake as an example, which has a three-page policy allowing roadside memorials for up to six weeks.

Theres a bigger issue here, and I dont mean to belittle whats going on right now, Councilman Chet Makinster said. Were talking about whats being allowed on cities right-of-way. ... Thats what makes it tough for me.

Abarca, who is Mexican American, told council that Mexican culture holds a strong attachment to the location a person dies. Some evidence suggests the grieving process is also more intense in certain cultures, he said, and that they need an outlet to express their loss.

There are cultural norms that are impacting whats happening here, Abarca said, especially in a very tragic circumstance where a young man was killed. Theres a very strong connection to the point of death.

Botero said he felt the roadside was an improper place for a memorial and promotes a tragedy others dont need to be reminded of. He said a memorial site should also be defined in the citys policy to distinguish its proper use and suggested a cap of 30 days.

If were going to start doing roadside memorials not only for the Hispanic but for every ethnic group in the community ... we could have some very elaborate memorials on our roadways, Botero said. Is that what were really looking for, is to remind everybody that theres a tragic accident here?

Ruiz Contantino asked the council to allow the family to keep the memorial  and if not as it is, make it smaller. As city manager, Dave Campbell can decide to direct the family to remove it, but he said he wanted to be sensitive by asking for councils thoughts.

Council maybe should address it, but it would seem to me that we could put something much smaller, a rock, Councilman Scott Vydra said during discussion.

Councilman Steve Moon asked if removing the memorial would deter future gatherings at the location.

Abarca said it may not stop the bereaved from coming to the site. But with time, he said, the gatherings will likely grow smaller.
US President Barack Obama waves as he departs the briefing room at the conclusion of his final press conference at the White House in Washington, US, January 18, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON  Barack Obama stepped behind the White House podium for the last time Wednesday, fielding questions from the crush of journalists crammed in for the occasion and offering assurances to Americans watching on TV.

But at times, his answers seemed aimed at an audience of one: the man who will replace him at noon Friday.

Obama gently chided Donald Trump's suggestion that the US might end its sanctions on Russia over Ukraine in exchange for nuclear stockpile reductions, saying it was in America's interest to make sure "we don't confuse why these sanctions have been imposed with a whole set of other issues."And, with Trump vowing to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a move that could further inflame tensions in the Middle East, Obama warned that when "sudden unilateral moves" are made in the region, the results can be explosive.

Obama also defended his decision to cut nearly three decades off convicted leaker Chelsea Manning's prison term, a move Trump's team has strongly criticized. Obama said the former Army intelligence analyst had served a "tough prison sentence" already.

With no elections left to win or legislative battles to fight, Obama used his parting words to deliver one set of messages to his successor, a man who is his opposite both temperamentally and politically. Obama said he expected a new president, particularly one from the opposing party, to "test old assumptions," but he also suggested it would be important for the next administration to "understand that there are going to be consequences, and actions typically create reactions."The very fact that Obama was holding the afternoon news conference in the White House briefing room served as a symbolic counter to Trump. The president-elect's aides have raised the prospect of moving daily news briefings out of their traditional West Wing home, sparking fears of attempts to eventually push reporters out of the White House altogether.

Obama specifically addressed that worry: "Having you in this building has made this place work better," he declared.
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Six Indian cities have made it to the world's 30 most dynamic places that have the ability to embrace technological change, absorb rapid population growth and strengthen global connectivity, with Bengaluru topping the chart. Cities in India, China and Vietnam, along with several in the US, head the list of world's fastest changing cities in JLL's fourth annual City Momentum Index.

Other Indian cities in the list are Hyderabad at the 5th position, Pune (13), Chennai (18), Delhi (23) and Mumbai (25). Asia Pacific cities comprise half the top 30 fastest- changing cities. "India has taken over from China as home to some of the world's most dynamic cities. Six Indian cities feature in the CMI Global Top 30, with the country's primary technology hub, Bangalore, moving into the top spot for the first time," JLL said.

Top 10 cities in the JLL index are Bengaluru, Ho Chi Minh City, Silicon Valley, Shanghai, Hyderabad, London, Austin, Hanoi, Boston and Nairobi. "With more than half the world's population currently living in cities, a proportion that is expected to grow substantially over the next few decades, the success of our cities takes on great importance," said Jeremy Kelly, JLL Director in Global Research.

The report noted that dynamic labour markets help fuel some 'Emerging Megacities' such as Chennai, Manila, Delhi and Mumbai. However, this group faces significant infrastructure and quality of life issues, with high levels of inequality, congestion and pollution hindered by weak city governance.

In all, 134 cities were assessed by CMI using 42 variables including recent and projected changes in city GDP, population, corporate headquarter presence, commercial real estate construction and rents. Other factors included education, innovation and environment.

PTI
tech2 News Staff

The Chinese Academy of Sciences claims that the worlds first quantum communication satellite is finally operational.

Launched by China in August last year, the satellite, called QUESS (Quantum Experiments at Space Scale), or Micius, as its better known, is a kind of technology demonstrator for quantum communications, reports RT.

Until now, scientists were testing the capabilities and the systems of the satellite.

Quantum communication as a phenomenon is hard to explain. Even Einstein called it spooky action at a distance. The simplest explanation we can give is that the satellite uses quantum entanglement to enable secure, untraceable, unhackable communications.

Quantum entanglement is a phenomena in which atoms/particles get entangled (by various means). When entangled, any change of state in one particle is instantaneously reflected in the other particle. How does that help? Well, with quantum entanglement, this phenomena is valid over any distance.

If you were to measure the spin of an entangled electron and find it to be positive, the spin of the other entangled electron will be negative. If you were to reverse the spin of one entangled electron, the spin of the other entangled electron will instantaneously reverse itself.

What were saying is that information can be passed on, instantaneously, over any known distance using just two, entangled particles.

Let that sink in for a bit. Were talking about information transfer that happens faster than the speed of light. An impossibility according to classical physics.

In the case of communication, the two entangled particles are unique and cannot, under any known circumstances, be replicated without the replication being discovered.

This ensures the absolute integrity of the communication system.

The exact method that China is using to do this is unknown. As mentioned earlier, the satellite is only a test platform and will remain in orbit for only two years.
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A global study from Deloitte taking in the opinions of 22,000 consumers in 17 different countries finds that although attitudes to autonomous vehicles are becoming more positive, the majority of consumers need evidence that these technological advances will lead to safer cars. Whether in Germany, Korea, India, China, the US or Japan, a lack of trust was the number-one answer when consumers were asked about whether they'd consider a self-driving car.

In South Korea, 81% of respondents said that they had safety concerns, followed by Japanese (79%) and German consumers (72%). Even in the US where real-world testing of autonomous cars is a reality in a number of states, 74% feel that self-driving cars won't be safe. However, 68% of Americans said they'd change their opinion once such cars have proven they're safe, and 54% said they'd travel in an autonomous car if it had been built by a brand they trust.

"Automakers and technology companies first have to earn consumers' trust, then turn that trust into a willingness to pay for a must-have feature," said Craig Giffi, vice chairman and US automotive industry leader, Deloitte LLP, and co-author of the report. "Today trust is lacking. Ironically, fully autonomous vehicles are being engineered to be much safer than today's vehicles."

And it could prove especially challenging for the US automotive industry to gain this trust. Deloitte found just 47% of US consumers trust carmakers to deliver an autonomous car (compared with 51% in Germany and 76% of Japanese respondents) but it's worse still for tech companies.

Google may have taken an early lead in the race to develop a truly self-driving car, or at least the technology underpinning them, but only 20% of Americans said that they would trust a car from an established Silicon Valley company.

The report comes as a number of carmakers, from Honda and Toyota to Volvo, have reiterated that despite the rapid pace of technological development, they haven't lost sight of the fact cars are first and foremost built for people.

"The important question isn't whether future vehicles will be equipped with automated or connected technologies," said Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota during his CES presentation. "It is the experience of the people who engage with those vehicles."

AFP
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Regulator TRAI and Telecom Department today differed over broadband penetration, with the watchdog highlighting India trailing in various global indices and the latter arguing that rankings need be seen in larger context of a developing nation.

Noting TRAI's views that India ranked below nations like Kenya, Algeria, Sri Lanka and Bhutan in the ICT development index, Telecom Secretary J S Deepak said, "But that is a fact with most indices ... We should not forget that we are a developing country..."

"We have a population of over 300 million at less than one dollar a day and 600 plus million on less than two dollars a day. While the point is well taken that broadband penetration can increase the GDP, the reverse is also true. When GDP is low, people have other uses for their income other than broadband and this is something which effects our broadband penetration," Deepak said at a conference.

Deepak was speaking at a conference on 'Brainstorming Broadband: Developing a Roadmap for India' organised by TRAI. "If you look at our world health index it is 143 rank, if you look at literacy we are 145, in human development index we are 138. We are low because we are a developing country and that is why our broadband indices are low," he said.

The comments came after TRAI Chairman R S Sharma in his presentation spoke about India's ranking in various indices vis-a-vis other nations on parameters like ICT development, fixed broadband per 100 capita and mobile broadband per 100 capita.

"While we need to be conscious that we have a long way to go, I personally believe that this is a self-flagellation model of advocacy ... When you make the negatives the pivot of policy recommendations, you tend to demotivate those who are working to make a change," Deepak said.

PTI
tech2 News Staff

Mobile World Congress 2017 is approaching, which means we are going to start seeing leaks and invites before the biggest smartphone event commences. Sony usually takes part in MWC and this year will not be different as the company has sent out an invite confirming their presence.

According to the press invite, Sony will be having a special event on 27 February where it is expected to announce new smartphones. There is a possibility that Sony will unveil a successor to its mid-ranger Xperia XA.

A bunch of photos of the alleged device were leaked which have a similar design language as the original. While there is no info around the specifications, the leaked images of the device come from a promotional video where was can see a USB Type-C port as an upgrade, a 3.5mm audio jack and slits on top and bottom of the display which means that we could see the return of stereo speakers.

There are also rumours that Sony will announce the successor to the Xperia X which could be called the X2. While last year the flagship didn't impress us all that much, Sony released a secondary flagship called the Xperia XZ during the second half of the year which was a much better option.

We are expecting more info to pop-up before Sony makes things official, so stay tuned.

Read our complete coverage of the Mobile World Congress 2017
tech2 News Staff

The rumour mills always go into overdrive before MWC (Mobile World Congress), and this year is no different. Among the stars of this years MWC is Nokia, which, alongside its Android debut, is expected to launch a flagship device to take on the likes of Samsung and LG.

We were initially expecting a Nokia 8 to be announced at MWC. However, PhoneArena, which got its information from a Russian publication, now says that Nokia is gearing up to launch a Nokia P1 handset rather than a Nokia 8.

Weve been hearing rumours about the P1 for a while now and, as said Russian publication points out, the device does indeed look a lot like the Sharp Aquos Xx3.

As far as specifications are concerned, the rumour mill thinks well see a 22.6MP rear camera (with Zeiss branding), a Snapdragon 835 SoC, 6GB RAM, up to 256GB of storage, an IP57 certified body, a 5.3-inch display with a either Full HD or QHD resolution, a fingerprint scanner and a 3,500 mAh battery.

Prices are expected to start at $800 (around Rs 55,000).

The Sharp Aquos connection does muddle things up further in the Nokia universe. As you know, the current Nokia branded phones are designed by HMD Global, manufactured by Foxconn, which recently bought Sharp, and approved by Nokia.

Read our complete coverage of the Mobile World Congress 2017
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A South Korean court on Thursday denied a special prosecutor clearance to arrest the head of Samsung Group, the country's largest conglomerate, amid a graft scandal that has led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. But Jay Y. Lee, who has led Samsung since his father, Lee Kun-hee, suffered a heart attack in 2014, was still likely to be face the same charges of bribery, embezzlement and perjury, legal analysts said.

The pre-dawn decision by the Seoul Central District Court to allow him to go home was welcomed by Samsung Group. The 48-year-old left the Seoul Detention Centre carrying a white shopping bag and climbed into a car without talking to reporters, having been held overnight as the court deliberated whether to grant the arrest warrant.

After being refused, a spokesman for the prosecutor said there would be no let up in the investigation. The prosecutor's office has accused Lee of paying multi-million dollar bribes to Park's confidant, Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the heart of the scandal, to win support from the National Pension Service for a controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung Group affiliates.

The merger helped cement Lee's control over the smartphones-to-biopharmaceuticals business empire. He has denied wrongdoing. The judge said in a statement on his ruling that an arrest was not necessary - for now. "After reviewing the contents and the process of the investigation so far ... it is difficult to acknowledge the necessity and substantiality of an arrest at the current stage," he said.

The special prosecutor's office said it deeply regretted the ruling. "We will consider necessary measures and continue with the investigation without wavering," spokesman Lee Kyu-chul said. He did not comment on whether the prosecution will try again to get an arrest warrant and did not take questions.

Lee Jung-jae, a lawyer and former prosecutor, said he didn't think the special prosecutor would push for Lee's detention again. "They probably already have as much evidence as they could gather," he told Reuters. "They will indict him eventually, but without detention." Samsung said in an emailed statement that it appreciated "the fact that the merits of this case can now be determined without the need for detention".

The group's flagship, Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), is the world's biggest maker of smartphones, flat-screen televisions and memory chips.

Stripped of Powers

The special prosecutor's office on Monday said it was seeking an arrest warrant for Lee for paying bribes totaling 43 billion won ($36.70 million) to organizations linked to Choi to secure the 2015 merger of Samsung C&T Corp and Cheil Industries Inc. Park, 64, was impeached last month by parliament over the influence-peddling scandal. If the decision is upheld by the Constitutional Court, she will become South Korea's first democratically elected leader to be forced from office early.

Park, who remains in office but stripped of her powers while the court decides her fate, and Choi have denied wrongdoing. The special prosecutor's office said on Tuesday it had evidence that Park and Choi shared profits gained through bribery payments, but did not elaborate. This week, the special prosecutor indicted the chairman of the National Pension Service, the world's third-largest pension fund, on charges of abuse of power and giving false testimony in relation to the deal.

Thursday's court ruling angered many, including members of the left-wing opposition Democratic Party, which said the decision ran counter to public sentiment. Samsung and its leader have been dogged by protests in recent weeks as the graft probe advanced, with some calling for Lee's immediate arrest. "The law is not equal for all," one South Korean remarked on web portal Naver.

Key Samsung Group shares were higher following the court decision, though down from their opening peaks as investors braced for the likelihood of an indictment. Samsung Electronics was up 0.5 percent at 0230 GMT while shares of Samsung C&T Corp were up 1.22 percent, outperforming a 0.01 percent rise in the broader market. "The only thing that has changed is that he won't be detained now," HDC Asset Management fund manager Park Jung-hoon said, adding that uncertainties were likely to linger on.

Reuters
Smart Cities Council (SCC) along with National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) organized a round table in New Delhi to discuss the role of surveillance for a safe and secure India. The event also witnessed the launch of the report on Role of Surveillance in Securing Cities in the presence of senior government representatives, Mr. G. K. Pillai Chairman, Data Security Council of India & Former Home Secretary and Prof Santosh Kumar, Executive Director, National Institute of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs. The report has been supported by Western Digital, an industry-leading developer and manufacturer of data storage solutions.

The report aims to highlight the need for surveillance and the role it plays in making our cities secure and smarter. It also provides an analysis on opportunities, challenges and the current scenario for video surveillance in India. The study is a platform to analyse and implement the recommendations for creating safer and securer environment.

India today is on its way to develop its first 100 smart cities. With Honble Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Smart Cities, the role of data and IT, especially video surveillance in enhancing security will become vital. Under the flagship Safe City project, the Union Ministry proposes US$333 million to make seven big cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad) focus on technological advancement.

Speaking at the launch, Khwaja Saifuddin, Senior Sales Director  South Asia, Middle East and Africa, Western Digital, said, With growth of public infrastructure on a constant rise, accompanied with increasing IT and security spending, the surveillance sector is expected to witness a robust growth in India. All these factors pertaining to video surveillance create a lot of data, which needs to be stored for future analysis and monitoring. Therefore, it is imperative to set the video surveillance standards in place to ensure high quality and sustainability.

The round table delivered an interesting outcome focusing on the real-time, dynamic and world class video surveillance system forming an important key to achieve the vision for secure cities. Video surveillance adaptation rate and increasing demand for high-tech technologies also emerged as an important driver of the outstanding growth of the surveillance market.

The event also delivered a consensus on the government focusing on context specific needs and investing in the latest video surveillance technology with highest-resolution cameras, best quality analytical tools and highest capacity storage.

Mr. Jagan Shah, Director, NIUA stated that, Video surveillance has emerged as a key component of the safety and security apparatus used by various organisations, both public and private. All state governments need to ensure the security of citizens through a vigilant attitude and zero tolerance toward violators of public safety. Use of ICT and advanced instrumentation is necessary for effective response, along with the appropriate urban planning that reduces dark spots in the city and promotes greater round-the-clock activity on city streets. The powers of planning and technology need to be used in an integrated manner to achieve safe, secure and liveable cities.

According to Mr. Pratap Padode, Executive Director & Founder, Smart Cities Council IndiaThere is a positive correlation between urbanisation and crime. Therefore with affirmative evidence that surveillance does control crime and given the Smart Cities Mission drive, city administrations need to focus on installing and upgrading defined specification of cameras, storage systems and allied technologies. Our research and survey findings have highlighted that the current storage capacity is poor; while the overall surveillance system was rated higher on effectiveness and adaptability. There is need for cameras that can assist in Crime detection and Community watch; while crime prevention, traffic management and women safety are other objectives that are deemed important.

One of the key survey findings was that large storage capacity came up as the number one priority. As hard drive technology continues to advance, it is important to utilise open standards to ensure that storage is scalable and future proof to enable longer retention cycles and broader analytical capabilities.

In addition, advances in IP-surveillance  such as intelligent video algorithms  will make it even more critical to select open storage devices that can handle combinations of data from different sources.

Today in India, video surveillance is not just restricted to Tier-I cities, but many Tier-II and Tier-III cities. An interesting observation which the report highlights is the sharp reduction in violence or crime in the cities owing to video surveillance systems which indicated that it is indeed proving effective in the public domain in India.

In times to come, multiple stakeholders will need to work in tandem with each other and derive impactful measures to achieve a safer and more secure smart cities for the citizens. A dependable collaboration between the public and private users as well as vendors/ installers and policy makers is also of utmost importance. These are the priorities that at the end will help us achieve securer cities through smart surveillance.

@Technuter.com News Service
Dedicated to the Restoration of Progressive Democracy
Normally, in our ongoing Real or Fake segments, we take a look at more lighthearted fare, like this Alabama fan destroying his television.

And also CeeLo Greens phone exploding in his face, which if serious wouldnt have been lighthearted, but that ended up being fake. This isnt really lighthearted at all, though. In fact, its best described as gross, whether it ends up being real or not.

The Verge did a bit of digging into Adoptly, which bills itself as a tech startup aiming to help match prospective adoptive parents with children in need of adoption. Okay, so far, not that weird.

Its the how, though, that adds a particularly slimy feel:

In a concept video, adults swipe right or left to accept or reject kids looking for a family. Its a dark vision, marrying the superficial nature of modern dating with the important work of finding homes for orphaned children. But is it the real deal, or a scheme designed to highlight the shallow and tone-deaf stereotype of Silicon Valley?

Holy shit, thats horrifying. Well get to that last (very important) question in a bit, but lets take this at face value first. Adoption is a process that places stress on just about every possible personal pressure point, from emotional to financial. Think about what this company is at the very least pretending to facilitate: the rejection of children in need of adoption based on a swipe of the screen.

Even if it is some kind of hoax, or attempt to satirize the way Silicon Valley startups try to create lifehacks via the simplest of interfaces, its poorly thought out, and not treating the weight of the subject matter appropriately. The Verge talked to one of the apparent founders, and came away on the side of fake, but not without doubt:

Adoptly co-founder Alex Nawrocki insists the company is authentic. Were not trying to gamify or make fun of this experience, he said in a phone interview this week. The adoption industry at large is a little bit underserved by the tech industry. We saw this unique opportunity to disrupt it, particularly when youre talking about online adoption.

Again, this is a company that has raised a few thousand dollars via Kickstarter, though its currently not anywhere close to its goal of $150,000.

Heres the Adoptly Kickstarter video, which definitely does not seem real:

The piece continued:

Despite this lack of information, Nawrocki was earnest and articulate about Adoptlys purpose. He stressed that the app is not designed to replace adoption services, nor is it even supposed to make money. (He says Adoptly chose not to seek venture capital funding for that reason.) Instead, its supposed to act as a free network to get conversations started and help parents more easily begin the first steps toward adoption. As for the swiping mechanic, Nawrocki says the app is modeled after how people connect nowadays. Our target demographic is millennials who are beginning to reach the age of parenthood, he said. Our thinking is that its important to take technologies that keep tempo with them, and the swipe is something that group is particularly familiar with.

After reading The Verge piece, it seems more than likely Adoptly is an attempt at dark humor. Which is obviously the more desirable outcome, at this point. And the world of tech startups is a ripe target; look no further than HBOs Silicon Valley. Good taste is always relative, of course. But heres why this particular subject matter, whether its real or fake this time (or whether someone tries it for real in the future), fails to be that funny:

In the U.S. 397,122 children are living without permanent families in the foster care system. 101,666 of these children are eligible for adoption, but nearly 32% of these children will wait over three years in foster care before being adopted.

Hilarious stuff. A comedy gold mine.

[The Verge]
Development of country now visible everywhere

Minister for Primary and Mass Education Advocate Mostafizur Rahman said present government is relentlessly working for development of education across the country and every citizen should extend their cooperation with the epoch making steps of the Prime Minister for uplift of education from primary level.

He disclosed it while addressing the School Feeding programme arranged at Upazila ground in Raozan Upazila of Chittagong on Wednesday as Chief Guest

Raozan Upazila Education Office of Chittagong undertaken a praiseworthy steps of distributing lunch tiffin (school feeding program) among the primary school students of the upazila .

Minister for Primary & Mass Education Mostafizur Rahman MP formally inaugurated the School Feeding Program where 30 thousand students of 182 primary schools of the upazila attended .

The Minister in his deliberations said following the call by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on Ministry of Railway ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury MP has sets unparallel example to feed the primary school students in lunch hour providing lunch tiffin . The minister praised the role of the local lawmaker ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury for developing his constituent areas of Raozan . The minister disclosed that present govt is giving priority on education sector.

He said govt allocated budget provisions of Tk.58 thousand crores in current fiscal and Tk.32 thousand crores in last fiscal for primary education sector.

Upazila Chairman of Raozan Ehsanul Haider Chowdhury Babul presided over the school feeding programme .

Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on Ministry of Railway ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury MP was the principal speaker on the occasion.

Joint secretary of the concerned ministry Sheikh Atahar Ali, Deputy Director of Primary Education directorate Mahabul Alam Billah, District Primary education Officer Nasrin Sultana, UNO Shamim Hossain, Asstt. Commissioner of Land, Raozan Junaid Kabir Sohag, Addl.Police Super(incharge) Al Mahmud Hasan, OC of Raozan Thana Md. Kefayetullah were present on the occasion as special guests. Upazila Education Officer Abdullah al Mamun conducted the programme as moderator.

The principal speaker ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury MP said he is devoted towards development of Raozan and working relentlessly for welfare of the upazila people in all respects aimed at fulfilling the dreams of Bangabandhu and turning the country into Digital Bangladesh as committed by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina .

Among others, Acting President Upazila AL Kamaluddin Ahmad, Upazila Vice chairmen Nur Mohammad, Fouzia Khanam, panel mayor Bashiruddin Khan, upazila Chhatra League President Zamiruddin Parvez and chairmen of 14 union parishads of the upazila were present in the dais of the minister.


4 poachers jailed in Khulna

UNB,Khulna :

A mobile court on Wednesday sentenced four people, arrested with 700 slaughtered birds of different species from Katenga area in Terokhada upazila on Tuesday, to three-month imprisonment.

They areSaiful Islam, 29, Mushfiq Islam, 22, Alauddin Mollah of Kachikata village and Lacchu, 26 of Ikhri village in the upazila.

Tipped off, a team of police arrested the four people along with 700 slaughtered birds from Katenga area in the upazila on Tuesday night.

They slaughtered the birds for selling those to different restaurants in the city, said Iqbal Hossain, Terokhada Upazila Nirbahi Officer.

On Wednesday morning, a mobile court led by the UNO, sentenced them to three-month jail.




More than 200 people have died from the highly contagious Ebola virus in Guinea, marking one of the worst-ever outbreaks of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday.

The U.N.'s health agency said it had so far registered 328 confirmed or suspected cases of Ebola in Guinea, including 208 deaths, with 21 deaths registered between May 29 and June 1 alone.

Neighboring Sierra Leone and Liberia were also affected, said the WHO, which has described West Africa's first outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic fever as one of the most challenging since the virus was first identified in 1976 in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. An estimated 280 people died in that outbreak, the deadliest on record.

But the widespread geography of the current outbreak has sparked fears that an Ebola epidemic could be on the horizon, a prospect that has caused panic across a region with weak health care systems and porous borders.

To date, 79 confirmed and suspected cases have surfaced in Sierra Leone, which has seen its death toll from the disease jump from one a week ago to six. The virus meanwhile appeared to have resurfaced in Liberia, which earlier this year had seen 12 suspected and confirmed cases, including nine deaths, but had not seen any new cases for nearly two months.

A person believed to have been infected in Kailahun in Sierra Leone came across the border and died in Foya, the WHO said, pointing out that the dead body was taken back to Kailahun to be buried.

There is no known cure for Ebola, which kills up to 90 percent of those who contract the virus.

Al Jazeera and Agence France-Presse
Madhusudan Dutta: Poet and playwright

Faruque Hosain :

Michael Madhusudan Dutta (1824-1873), the 19th century Bengali poet and play wright, was born on 25 January 1924 in a landed family in the village of Sagardari in Jessore district, Bengal (now Bangladesh). He was the only son of a well-to-do Kayastha family. His father, Raj Narayan Dutta, was a law practitioner in Kolkata. Madhusudan in his early years, was taught at home by his mother, Jahnabi Devi, and later he joined Sagardari Primary School.

At the age of 7 he went to Khidirpur School, Kolkata. In 1843, he got admitted to Kolkatas famous Hindu College. Here, amongst other subjects, he also studied Bengali, Sanskrit and Persian.

Madhusudan began writing while at Hindu College. He drew everyone's attention at a College function when he recited a self-composed poem. He won several scholarships in College exams as well as a gold medal for an essay on women's education. While a student at Hindu College, Madhusudan's poems in Bengali and English were published in Jnananvesan, Bengal Spectator, Literary Gleamer, Calcutta Library Gazette, Literary Blossom and Comet. Lord Byron was Madhusudan's inspiration.

Michael's exceptionally colourlul personality and his unconventional, dramatic and in many ways tragic life have added to the magnetism and glamour of his name. Generous in friendship, romantic and passionate by temperament, he was also fond of the good life; he was financially irresponsible, and an incorrigible spendthrift. He experimented not only in the field of writing, but also in his personal life.

On 9 February 1843, Madhusudan ran away from home and converted to Christianity, to escape a marriage his father had arranged and also to satiate his fascination with everything English and Western. He took the name Michael upon his conversion and wrote a hymn to be recited on the day of his Baptism. However, on becoming a Christian, Madhusudan had to leave Hindu College, as Christians were not allowed to study there during that time. In 1844, he got admitted to Bishop's College and remained there unti11847. There, he also studied Greek and Latin.

Madhusudans conversion to Christianity estranged him from his family, and his father stopped sending him money. In 1848, Michael left for Madras where he started teaching, first at Madras Male Orphan Asylum School (1848-1852) and then at Madras University High School (1852-1856). Besides teaching, Madhusudan was also involved with a number of newspapers and journals. He edited the Eurasian (later known as the Eastern Guardian), the Madras Circulator and General Chronicle and the Hindu Chronicle. He also worked as Assistant Editor of the Madras Spectator (1848-1856).

While in Madras, Madhusudan married Rebecca Mactavys Thompson and had a family by her. Meanwhile, his mother died and then his father. After his father's death, Madhusudan abandoned Rebecca and his first family' due to a failed marriage and returned to Kolkata, in February 1856 to live with a French woman named Henrietta White and had a second family by her. She and Michael did not seem to have been formally married, presumably because Rebecca had never granted him divorce. There is no record either of their marriage or of Michael obtaining a divorce from Rebecca.

In Kolkata, Michael first worked as a cleark at the police court and then as interpreter. He also started contributing to different journals. His friends urged him to write in Bengali.

Madhusudan realised the paucity of good writing in Bengali as well as his own ability to fill this vacuum. While translating Ram Narayan Tarkaratna's play Ratnavali (1858) into English, he felt the absence of good plays in Bengali. He became associated with the Belgachhiya Theatre in Kolkata patronised by the Rajas of Paikpara.

In 1858 he wrote the western-style play Sharmistha based on the Mahabharata story of Devojani and Gojati. This was the first original play in Bengali, making Madhusudan the first Bengali playwright.

By dint of his genius, he removed the stagnation in Bengali literature both in style and content. He was the first to use blank verse in 1860 in the play Padmavati based on a Greek myth. This use of blank verse freed Bengali poetry from the limitations of rhymed verse.

This success prompted Madhusuddan to write his first Bengali poem Tilottoma-Sombhob in blank verse in that very same year. It is based on the Puranic story of the war waged on the gods by the demon brothers Sunda and Upasunda.

This poem was written entirely in blank verse, and so were the two later poems Meghnad-Bodh Kabyo (Ballad of Meghnads Demise in Ramayana) in 1861 and Birangona. The later poems silenced the critics and detractors, and permanently established the vogue of blank verse literature.


Bonny's solo cartoon exhibition

Sheikh Arif Bulbon :

While talking about cartoon architect Dr Sajid Bin Doza Bonny says,

It is the authentic medium to deliver the real essence of humour.

Having visited many parts

of Bangladesh and by immersing

himself in different social structures, Bonny was able to identify that life is sometimes convergent in nature even when the culture and its underlying

contexts are different to each other; but life is simple and people try to keep their lives cheerful if possible. His

cartoons are sourced from this

simplicity and je ne sais quoi.

The sixth solo cartoon exhibition titled Janala: Cultural Pattern of the Delta Land by Dr Sajid Bin Doza Bonny is going

on at La Galerie of the Alliance Francaise de Dhaka (AFD) in the citys Dhanmondi area now. The exhibition was inaugurated on January 16.

Architect Kazi Golam Nasir, President of Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB) graced the occasion as the chief guest while eminent cartoonist Ahsan Habib also attended the inaugural

ceremony as the guest of honor.

The concept of the exhibition - Janala, (Window) is about observation. Beginning as a little childs beautiful dear window at the edge of the room,

observation has a profound intimacy with windows that is powerfully

nurtured over the span of

a persons life.

Through the windows, one may see the beauty of nature, smiles and sorrows of individuals, activities of the simple people of the delta land, culture, habits and many other things. With the change of time, one may see - through that

window - ones dreams or aspirations, and patterns of a longer life. In this

exhibition, Bonny interprets these windows using the global and universal language of cartoon.

Dr Sajid Bin Doza was born in Rajshahi Division, head quarter of North Bengal. His inspiration was those historic monuments of North Bengal and drew

a goal to be an architect since

childhood, achieved awards in

painting, cartooning and clay modeling at home and abroad. Dr Sajid Bin Doja completed his post graduation in architecture from BUET in 2008.

After that he completed his PhD in History of Arts and Heritage Studies from the University of Evora, Portugal in 2016. Since 2009 Dr Sajid Doza is the

fulltime faculty and assistant professor of architecture department in

BRAC University.

The exhibition will continue

till January 24. n
Death of River Mother

Barrister Miti Sanjana :

Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountain, Shenandoah river, Life is old there, older than the trees, Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze, Country roads, take me home to the place I belong - one of most famous and beloved songs of John Denver.

There is actually no word to describe the beauty of heaven. But in this song he compared the beauty of running crystal clear river and his motherland with the Heaven.

When the Mughals declared Dhaka as their capital in 1610, the bank of the Buriganga was cosmopolitan commercial centre and the hub of the worldwide muslin and silk trade. This river was the citys main source of drinking water.

Dhaka city was also known as the Venice of the East. The crystal clear water of Buriganga used to be sparkled in the warmth of the shining sun. The ancient city Dhaka stood tall and proud on the bank of this river. When the shining silver moon was fully visible in the sky, one could see moon's reflection in the river water like a mirror. The air was filled with the fragrance of moist soil.

River plays an enormous role in shaping and cultivating civilization. Bangladesh is a land of rivers. The rivers are the source of our health, wealth and wellbeing. But this famous Buriganga has lost its medieval glory. Sadly, this river comes in the top list of most polluted rivers in the world! The main cause of this pollution is the discharge of Industrial effluents and human waste due to the increasing population density, encroachment, unscrupulous use of rivers, etc. The degree of forceful possession of water bodies and rivers has been increasing alarmingly. Many rivers are being forcefully possessed filled up and polluted in last few decades.

Parliament has enacted Environment Conservation Act 1995 (Amended in 2010) to protect and conserve the environment and to mitigate of environmental pollution. Bangladesh Environment Conservation Rules 1997 was made under this Act. Some amendments have been made on 2002 and 2010 to keep it up to date. The competent court can impose penalty for offences under this act. Environment Court Act was passed in 2000. But to keep up with the evolving views and values of the society and to ensure the proper application effectively, the Environment Court Act, 2000 has been repealed in 2010 and the new Environment Court Act, 2010 has been passed.

The invention of new technologies led to the creation of new laws and regulations. Section 4 of the ECA, 2010 states that the environment court shall be consisting of Joint District Judge. He shall perform the functions of environmental court in addition to his regular matters.

Under Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995 department of environment has been established. It also created the post of Director General, provision of environment clearance certificate, provisions of Appellate body to make the laws more effective. Article 18A. of the Constitution of The Peoples Republic of Bangladesh states that the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to preserve and safeguard the natural resources, bio-diversity, wetlands, forests and wild life for the present and future citizens. Since 2012 only 19 cases have been filed with the environment court over the last four years. Before filing a case the complainant have to lodge a complaint with the Department of Environment. First they will investigate the matter and they can fine the accused or can file cases with the Environment Court.

If the department fails to take any step despite passing of 60 days after filing the complaints, the complainant can go to the Environment Court. If the complainant is aggrieved by any decision made by the Department of Environment, he can appeal to the Appellate body but the decision of Appellate body will be final and binding.

Beside this use of polythene has been banned on 2002 which pollute our rivers constantly. An environment court can fine a maximum of Tk 5,000 and slap a six-month imprisonment sentence against marketing of illegal polythene shopping bags.

A childs tender life is moulded and shaped by a mother. She holds the key to all the goodness and well-being on the earth for her children and deserves the highest praise. Likewise Bangladesh is known as Nodi Matrik Desh (riverine country), which means we consider rivers as our mother. River is one of the most precious gifts of nature.

Throughout the ages, our rivers have played a very important part in the lives of our people. The river is sometimes overbearing, forceful and at the same time it is, humble and peaceful. She is always changing yet ever the same. She is the provider for the millions of people who reside along her bank. We should conserve and save our rivers like we protect our mother.

(The writer is an Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh and an activist)


Guterres vows UN reform, diplomatic 'surge'

Reuters, Geneva :

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday he is determined to reform the world body and to see a diplomatic "surge" to overcome obstacles in peace talks.

Guterres said the United Nations was irreplaceable and its actions had reduced suffering. "But I'm also aware of the shortcomings and the failures of the U.N.," he told reporters.

"That's why I'm totally committed first of all to a surge in diplomacy for peace, to make the U.N. more effective in trying to address the dramatic multiplication of conflicts that we are witnessing and to put full priority on the prevention of those conflicts."

Under Guterres' predecessor Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. tried and has so far failed to make peace between warring sides in Syria, Yemen and Libya, while wars in Ukraine, South Sudan, Nigeria and elsewhere have continued unabated.

An early test for Guterres will be U.N.-led talks to reunify Cyprus, a decades-old conflict that has pushed Greece and Turkey to the brink of war in the past.

Officials from both sides of the divided island, as well as Greece, Turkey and Britain, opened a round of technical talks at a secluded Swiss resort on Wednesday to try to pave the way for a potential deal at talks in Geneva later this month.

In the previous round of Cyprus talks, U.N. envoy Espen Barth Eide said Guterres had been very active and involved almost daily in negotiations.

"It will send a very strong signal to a conflicted world and a region in which we see many wars and many things breaking apart, if we could find one place where things just came together," Eide said.

Eide cited U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, who is planning a new round of Syria peace talks in February, as saying that a sign of progress on Cyprus could help other peace processes around the world.

Guterres said he also wanted to simplify and decentralize U.N. management and make it more effective, accountable and flexible.

He also pledged to "engage constructively" with the new U.S. administration, and cited Donald Trump's view that there was a lot of potential in the United Nations.

"That is exactly what I think, and we need to work to reform the U.N. in order to make sure that potential is fully met," Guterres said.




Ukrainian President calls for global response to Russian threat

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko makes an address in Kiev, Ukraine.

Reuters, Davos :

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for a worldwide effort to counter the threat of Russian cyber warfare and urged the United States to "be great again" by demonstrating leadership on issues such as global security.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pledge to improve ties with the Kremlin and open admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin has put Ukraine, whose Crimea region was annexed by Russia in 2014, under the spotlight.

Poroshenko played down speculation that Washington could backtrack on its support for Kiev, noting that Trump had said publicly he would stick to U.S. obligations and there had been "promising" statements by nominees to his cabinet.

"That gives us a lot more optimism for the future," Poroshenko told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, adding he already had a visit planned to meet the new U.S. president "in a few months".

Poroshenko said joint global efforts were needed to halt Russian aggression, both military and cyber:

"There is a global cyber war of Russia against (the) whole world, there is lots of evidence. This is a global danger and the world should be together to fight this danger."

Ukraine's utility Ukrenergo told Reuters on Wednesday in Kiev that a cyber attack was behind a Dec 17-18 power blackout in the capital city.

Ukrenergo did not say who was behind the incident, although Ukrainian security services blamed Russian cyber attacks for similar power outages in December 2015. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in cyber attacks on Ukraine..

Moscow is also alleged to have sought to influence the U.S. election by hacking Democratic political groups, something Russia has dismissed.

"The same way as Russian propaganda is an element of Russian hybrid war, cyber (warfare) is an element of the Russian hybrid war, no matter if it's in Germany or United States," the Ukrainian president said.

Poroshenko also stressed the importance of NATO as a bulwark against Moscow after Trump stirred unease in Europe by calling the military alliance "obsolete".

"NATO, mainly this is not a question of money, it is a question of security. Russian aggression demonstrated again there is no other security system but NATO which was effective to stop the aggression," he said.

And to demonstrate its role as a global leader, the U.S. would need to establish trans-Atlantic unity.

"America should be great again," he said in a reference to Trump's campaign catchphrase.

Poroshenko also said that Ukraine expected to get clearance for visa-free travel to the European Union for its citizens within a "very few" weeks after meeting the bloc's requirements.

An agreement reached last month after weeks of stalling has yet to come into effect

"This is a direct obligation of the EU....We are waiting for the very few moments or weeks for finishing the paperwork for these things and launching," he said.

Poroshenko is also confident of getting Crimea back from Russia, which denies sending troops or military equipment into Ukraine. Kiev this month filed a lawsuit at the United Nations' highest court demanding that Russia halt support for pro-Moscow separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine..

Asked whether Ukraine would ever regain Crimea, Poroshenko said: "I have no doubt. This is Ukrainian territory, Ukrainian people. This was brutal violation of international law."




China notes progress in ties under US President Obama

US President Barack Obama, (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for photographers as they shake hands before a bilateral meeting at Westlake State House in Hangzhou in eastern China\'s Zhejiang province.

AP, Beijing :

Sidestepping recent disputes over Taiwan and regional security, China said Thursday that "important progress" has been made in its relationship with the U.S. under President Barack Obama and the two countries should move forward as partners rather than competitors.

Asked to sum up relations under Obama, who leaves office Friday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying recalled the numerous meetings between the U.S. president and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, including last year in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou.

Trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges between the sides all hit new records under Obama, while the countries worked together on climate change, an investment agreement, building trust between their militaries, counterterrorism and the Iranian nuclear issue, Hua said at a daily briefing.

"Important progress has been made by the two countries. This has shown that China-U.S. relations have strategic and overarching significance and we have more common interests than differences and when China and the U.S. work together we can achieve a lot," Hua said.

China and the U.S need to be "friends and partners rather than competitors and enemies," Hua said.

Hua made no mention of the long-running dispute over Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own territory. Washington has robust unofficial relations with the island and provides it with arms to guard against Beijing's threat to use force to reunify with it.

China on Wednesday called on the U.S. to bar a Taiwanese delegation from attending Donald Trump's Friday inauguration, underscoring concerns that the incoming president could seek to redefine relations among Beijing, Taipei and Washington.

Trump had already angered Beijing and upset decades of diplomatic precedent by talking by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen shortly after winning 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 earlier questioned why the U.S. should be bound by such an approach without China offering incentives.

Beijing and Washington have also tangled repeatedly over China's assertions of its territorial claims in the South China Sea, including man-made islands equipped with airstrips and military facilities. Missions by U.S. ships and planes to press the right to freedom of navigation in the area have met with angry responses from Beijing, which sees them as part of an effort to restrain its rise as the region's leading military power.

Other disputes center on U.S. criticism of Chinese trade and investment practices that are seen as unfair, as well as the ruling Chinese Communist Party's treatment of political and human rights activists and policies toward minority groups in Tibet and the far western region of Xinjiang..
DSE urges investors to invest carefully

Economic Reporter :

Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) on Thursday called upon the investors to be careful while investing in the stock markets to keep up the present rising trend sustainable saying the government and authorities concerned have been making relentless efforts to make the market strong.

"Properly observing the company's overall activities will have to be the main motto of investment. I think, a conscious investor can act as a pre-condition to market development," said DSE Managing Director KAM Majedur Rahman at a press conference at DSE in the city.

The sincere efforts of the government and the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) helped turning the stock markets to positive trend, he said adding that the government and authorities concerned committed to maintain stability and mobility of the stock markets.

DSE, he said, asked the investors to properly obey the existing laws of the stock markets to protect their rights and bring their trust and positive attitude about the markets.

The initiatives helped bringing new investors in the markets, he added.

He also said BSEC and DSE are providing training to the investors under the initiative of BSEC to spread investment study activities across the country.

He firmly believed that the infrastructure and technology of stock markets are more developed than before and said "We are trying to develop the markets for contributing to GDP growth."

Among others, DSE Chairman Justice Siddiqur Rahman Miah, Directors M Rakibur Rahman, Dr Abul Hashem and Ruhul Amin attended the press conference.
COCA-COLA opens new bottling plant in Mymensingh

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, inaugurated a new plant of Coca-Cola Company at Vhaluka, Mymensingh on Wednesday. Dr. Mashiur Rahman, Senior Economic Affairs Advisor of Prime Minister\'s, John Murphy, President, Pacific Group and Irial Finan, Executive Vice

Economic Reporter :

International Beverages Private Limited, a division of The Coca?Cola Company, on Wednesday officially inaugurated a new plant in Bhaluka in Mymenshing, as part of the Company's $74 million investment in Bangladesh. The event was presided over by Finance Minister AMA Muhith and the United States Ambassador to Bangladesh, Marcia Bernicat attended by a number of guests consisting of local authorities, key partners, customers and employees, said a press release.

The Company's investments in the country include $60 million for the new plant and other investments in infrastructure, route to market and marketing initiatives. This new facility in Bhaluka represents the Company's continued commitment to long-term business development as well as the sustainable development of local societies in Bangladesh.

The plant, which commenced operations in December 2016, will initially run two lines, producing Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Kinley water. More than 150 people will be employed at the plant and approximately 1,000 more indirect jobs through industries involved in the entire value chain including transportation, manufacturing and packaging supply.

"Coca-Cola is one of the most popular brands in the world. Today's a grand day, and I am here to express gratitude on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh to Coca-Cola for inaugurating their first factory in the country, said Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhit, MP.


PM asks global businesses to negate climate change impacts

BSS, Davos, Switzerland :

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought concerted global supports to five key areas to minimize the risk of lives and livelihoods of farmers, fishers, artisans and women particularly calling upon the businesses to play their role to negate the climate change impacts.

While speaking at the plenary session of the World Economic Forum titled "Leading the Fight against Climate Change" at Congress Hall on Wednesday evening, Sheikh Hasina said as Bangladesh moves to implement the Paris Agreement, there are areas global community, including business, can step in.

First, she said, the lives and livelihoods of farmers, fishers, artisans, women are increasingly at risk and so "they need urgent support . . . we need greater focus on agriculture and food security". Sheikh Hasina also urged the global community and business to make "smart agriculture" beneficial for small and marginal farmers as well as giving them knowledge on sustainable cropping and farm management across entire value chain.

She put emphasis on developing quality, resilient, water-intensive seeds adaptive to local conditions - for key cereals and non-cereal crops and getting sustainable agri inputs or, solutions accessible to small and marginal famers in the low-income countries. Second, the premier said, global business and research hold solutions that can save lives, crops, agri resources. "We need innovative 'not-for-profit' models or partnerships to roll the solutions to meet our needs," she said.

Third, the prime minister said access to renewable and clean energy, energy-efficient technologies, devices, implements - are critical - for farming, manufacturing, urban services. "We need support and innovate to go beyond the existing global energy market modalities," she said.

Fourth, she said: "We're moving towards 'green growth' path. But, we need assured climate finance - as the world pledged. Half of that amount has to go to climate-vulnerable countries."

The Bangladesh premier identified "technology sharing" as the fifth area to require the global approach saying transfer - adaptive development - sharing of technology are so critical as the world "can no longer sit pretty on the excuse of intellectual protection".

"Now UN Technology Bank for LDCs is there for all to help the LDCs on technology, (but) what we ask is access to life-saving technologies in agriculture, health, etc. that can bring in huge difference," she added.

Noting that Bangladesh is a "tale of climate ground zero" it is about our existence, Sheikh Hasina said: "Bangladesh contributes least to global greenhouse gas emission, we pay dearly. Millions are forced to move, silently."

She said Bangladesh ratified the Paris Agreement, with the hope that global community will share responsibility for shared prosperity. "Paris Agreement must deliver towards the low-income, climate vulnerable countries," she said.

The prime minister said in 2009, out of own resources, Bangladesh established a 400 million dollar Climate Change Trust Fund. "In 2012, we committed that Bangladesh would not exceed the average per capita emission of the developing world," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh is shifting to a low-carbon development path. "We are transforming our manufacturing 'green'. ... we are focusing on renewable energy; and installed around 4.5 million Solar Home Systems in Bangladesh."

She said that over 15 million people now access electricity from these solar units. "By 2018, Bangladesh will emerge as the largest solar nation globally," she said.
Tania Brishti, Samrat, Pushpita together in Red Alert Family

Sheikh Arif Bulbon :

Besides giving direction in small screen, Samrat is also engaged with acting. For this reason, he has to be engaged with both acting and giving direction every month. In the beginning of New Year, Samrat has started to take part in shooting of a new serial titled Red Alert Family under the direction of Apon Rana. Tania Brishti is acting role of his wife, while Pushpita Popy is playing the role of his younger sister in the serial. Samrat Jahangir wrote story of the serial. Shooting of first phase of the serial has already been done in the citys Uttara area recently.

While talking about the serial Samrat told this correspondent, I always give priority to role and story. I am satisfied with my role and story of this new serial. It is an organised unit. I am enjoying a lot working in this serial. I hope viewers will enjoy the serial.

In the serial, Tania Brishti is acting in role of Anika, wife of Samrat. While sharing her experiences about working in the serial she said, I am also working with Samrat Bhai in another serial. In fact, I get the benefit because I can learn pros and cons of many things about acting from him while working with him. Story of this new serial is really exceptional. For this reason, I am showing my keen interest to work in this serial.

Basically Pushpita Popy is not works in TV play. According to her, till now she has acted in three to four faction plays only. Red Alert Family is her first acted serial. She is acting in role of Lily, sister of Samrat, in the serial.

She said, In the serial, my character is important so I have agreed to work. I am really impressed with the cordial attitude by the full unit. Viewers will get a new Pushpita Popy in this serial.

Director Apon Rana informed that the serial will be aired in any satellite channel soon.

Samrat and Tania Brishti are also working together in Mojibur Rahman Khokons directed a serial titled Mon Thekey Durey Noi, which is being aired on ATN Bangla now. On the other hand, Pushpita Popy acted and Mostafizur Rahman Babu directed movie Kokhono Bhuley Jeona and Montazur Rahman Akbar directed movie Agey Jodi Jantam Tui Hobi Por have already been released. Pushpita has already finished shooting of two movies - Abdul Mannan directed Panku Jamai against Shakib Khan and Mostafizur Rahman Babu directed Biddhostwo.

It is noted that Pushpita Popy started her acting career through a small role in Montazur Rahman Akbars movie Tobuo Bhalobashi.

On the other hand, Tania Brishti acted three movies - Ghashphul, Lover Number One and Jodi Tumi Jantey - have been released till now.

Samrat acted last released movie was Raju Chowdhurys Shooter.
Yang Ming responded by saying it has unwavering support of Taiwans government and has proactively reorganized internally to effectively reduce its operating costs.



Source: Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock

Yang Ming has accumulated distributable losses of NTD 38.4 billion since 2009

A report issued Thursday by the investment research arm of Drewry on container shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. (YMM) expressed concern about the Taiwan-based companys high level of debt.

YMMs high debt is a great cause for concern for us given the

heightened financial risks. Even with recovery in the underlying freight

market, the debt burden without a restructuring is a red flag and a

clear sell signal for us. We see YMM as an apt candidate for a

government-backed shareholder bailout, according to the report from

Rahul Kapoor, director of Drewry Financial Research Services, and Nilesh

Tiwary, lead analyst, container shipping at the company.

Yang Ming responded to the report today in a customer advisory that said while it has not been immune to the ongoing challenges the entire shipping industry has experienced this past year it has proactively reorganized internally to effectively reduce its operating costs.

Yang Ming said it stands apart from many of its competitors. First, Yang Mings majority ownership interest, unlike that of its competitors, is held by the Ministry of Transport and Communication (MOTC) of the Republic of China (Taiwan). In fact, Yang Ming is one of a few global common carriers that can claim a close relationship with a national government. Second and equally important, Yang Ming has full access to staunch government-backed funding for approximately U.S. $ 2 billon.

It explained that Yang Ming is one of the few carriers that has access to this vast support that was announced by the Taiwan government in November.

Finally, Yang Ming has not approached its creditors with any demands to restructure any part of its debt and does not have any intention to do so going forward. Yang Ming is not in default of any of its obligations whatsoever and any suggestions otherwise are patently false, the carrier said.

It is inaccurate to compare Yang Ming with other carriers in view of Yang Mings ownership structure and the unwavering support from the government of Taiwan, the carrier added.

According to Yang Mings most recent annual report, the company, established in December 1972, was majority owned by the MOTC until Feb.15, 1996 when MOTC reduced its holdings when Yang Ming was listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. The percentage of ownership on Dec. 31, 2015 was 33.31 percent with half of the directors appointed by the MOTC.

The comments from Drewry came, even as Yang Mings stock price has climbed. Yang Mings stock price increased about 20 percent between Dec. 29, 2016 and Thursday, rising from 4.66 New Taiwan Dollars (U.S. $0.15) to NTD 5.58, though it remains well below its 52-week high of NTD 9.95.

Drewry said the carriers net gearing totaled 437 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2016, much higher than the industry average of 124 percent, Drewry said. It explained that net gearing is a ratio of net debt to shareholders equity. Net debt is a companys overall debt situation by netting the value of a

companys liabilities and debts with its cash and other similar liquid

assets.

YMMs high debt is a great cause for concern for us given the heightened financial risks. Even with recovery in the underlying freight market, the debt burden without a restructuring is a red flag and a clear sell signal for us. We see YMM as an apt candidate for a government-backed shareholder bailout, according to the report from Rahul Kapoor, director of Drewry Financial Research Services, and Nilesh Tiwary, lead analyst, container shipping at the company.

In an email to American Shipper, Kapoor said Drewry did not want to sensationalize Yang Mings financial situation, saying the article is an investment research report and we are asking investors to stay away given very high debt. What we are highlighting is the high debt levels at the company and how in absence of bringing the debt levels down, the profitability is unlikely to return. By no means are we implying YMM as the next Hanjin, the Korean carrier that filed for bankruptcy last year.

We do not think Yang Ming is in a similar situation, but we are worried about the companys debt metrics, Drewry said. However, Kapoor said after the financial restructuring of the other Korean carrier, Hyundai Merchant Marine, by its lenders, YMM now has the most leveraged balance sheet in the industry. The debt at the company has continued to climb in the recent quarters.

Drewry said the Taiwanese government is the largest single shareholder in Yang Ming.

We believe the company will continue to be supported from the government should its financial conditions worsen and do not see a solvency event for the company, Drewry said. YMM will however have to raise cash through a combination of asset sales, sale-leasebacks, fresh equity and bring the debt levels down.

The Taiwanese government will need to support the debt-ridden company, Drewry said, noting Yang Ming has accumulated distributable losses of NTD 38.4 billion since 2009. The company had total losses of NTD 13.02 billion for the first three quarters of 2016.

Lawmakers at the legislatures Transportation committee in Taiwan recently asked the MOTC to consider merging Yang Ming and Taiwan International Port Corp. (TIPC) amid the global shipping industrys recession, Drewry said. One of the legislators from the Democratic Progressive Party, Chen Oupo, expressed his displeasure against the governments plan to offer Yang Ming a NTD 60 billion loan, and proposed the company merge with another government entity such as TIPC, while ruling out fellow Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen Marine.

According to him, a merger between two government entities is more viable than a merger between a government and a private entity, Drewry said.

However, according to a report from Reuters, Yang Ming Chairman Bronson Hsieh said at a media event Wednesday, A merger has never been an option for Yang Ming, and it wont be. Over the past 10 years, the five shippers with the highest profit margins have been smaller players. Smaller companies do not necessarily have to be merged.

According to the Taipei Times, Hsieh said the shipping industry is expected to see lower growth than expected, 3.4 percent this year compared to earlier estimates of 4.8 percent.

The paper reported that with demand growth holding steady at 1.6 percent, Hsieh anticipates freight rates will recover.

Drewry noted that Yang Ming has reduced expenses by announcing in November that employees would take steep pay cuts  30 percent for first line managers and 50 percent for executives.

In addition, Drewry said Yang Ming implemented new guidelines to achieve more nimble operations and more stringent cost controls.

Under the new guidelines:

 The companys vessels would no longer take on loss-making shipments, and would charge demurrage and docking fees;

 The company would try to prevent delays and improve its logistics centers capabilities;

 And the company plans to establish an information system that would provide real-time operating data among its partners and subsidiaries across the globe as well as the head office.
Certificate giving ceremony held at MIST



Certificate giving as well as closing ceremony of "Electrical Services Design" and "Microcontroller and Robotics" courses was held at Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) at Mirpur cantonment in the city.

Under the supervision of Electrical and Electronics Communication Engineering (EECE) department the courses were held between 18 December, 2016 and 17 January, 2017, said an ISPR release.

Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Professor Dr Saiful Islam addressed the function as the chief guest and distributed certificates among the students.

However, the MIST faculty members, civil and military students of MIST and Bangladesh University Professionals (BUP) and representatives from services headquarters participated the courses.

Commandant of MIST Major General Md Abul Khair, ndc and other military and civil officials, a large number of BUP and MIST students attended the function among others.
President for united resistance against communalism

President Abdul Hamid addressing the 7th national convention of the Ekattorer Ghatok Dalal Nirmul Committee in the auditorium of Engineers Institution in the city on Thursday. Press Wing, Bangabhaban photo

President Abdul Hamid urged all to build united resistance against terrorism and communalism, saying that terrorists have no religion.

"We all have to remember that terrorists have no religion. Terrorism is their only identity and we should remain united against them," the President said while addressing the silver jubilee and seventh national conference of Ekattorer Ghatak-Dalal Nirmul Committee at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) auditorium here on Thursday.

He said Bangladesh has already achieved a marked progress in socio-economic and ICT sectors during the present's government era, which is now an example for the world.

"The country is advancing rapidly towards achieving status of developed country and if the trend of development continues, Bangladesh will become developed country before 2041," he added.

President Hamid said anti-liberation forces are involved in killing and terrorism in the country in the name of religion to halt the country's development and stigmatize the holy religion-Islam.

Not only in Bangladesh, innocent people are also being killed in many countries of Asia, Europe, Africa and North America in the names of religion, cast and ethnicity, forcing millions of people to be migrated and homeless, he added.

"No religion supports killing innocent people, terrorism, destruction and forcing people to be migrated as the key message of all religions is welfare of people and society," he said.

He said the government's zero tolerance stances against militancy, fundamentalism and terrorism have been praised internationally he said and added, "We must conserve and flourish our decades-old non-communal spirit and human values. We must implement the spirit and ideology of our liberation war".

The President urged the young generation to wake up in the spirit of patriotism to establish a secular state and make the country free from fundamentalism and terrorism.

About the war crimes trial, he said trial against war criminals was started just after the independence of the country, but it was stopped after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his associates were brutally killed in 1975.

The President said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government restarted the war crimes trial in 2009 and it continues. And the ongoing war crimes trial is now appreciated by the international community, he added.

Justice Golam Rabbani and Prof Muntasir Mamun, among others, spoke at the function.
Making deal for development

Scott Morris :

Newt Gingrich, one of President-elect Trump's key advisors, thinks US foreign assistance needs a "dramatic" overhaul, dismissing a status quo that he characterizes as "our bureaucracy giv[ing] another bureaucracy money." He would prefer an approach that relies on tax breaks for US firms to invest in developing countries. This doesn't exactly jibe with the new administration's broader sentiments about the tax treatment of US firms invested overseas. But never mind that. The more fundamental issue relates to how we think about promoting private sector development in other countries.

In one sense, the case is obvious-economies will not grow in a sustainable way without a robust private sector. This simple premise has long underpinned efforts in institutions like the IMF, the World Bank, and the US Treasury to promote sound regulatory regimes and macroeconomic policies, and even more fundamentally, basic adherence to rule of law. Private sector development has long been viewed as essential, and the US role in promoting it has focused mostly on how development country governments could best set a policy environment that made it possible.

In more recent years, though, as donor dollars have become more scarce, the global agenda has shifted to emphasize various ways that official actors can seek to attract private funds to development projects. This evolution of the "private sector" development agenda increasingly has donor governments playing the role of deal makers rather than policy makers.

And into this environment comes the election of Donald Trump, lauded and derided as the United States' new "deal maker in chief." It would seem that Trump's modus operandi is ready made for the current development zeitgeist.

But let's consider the risks of this for development. What could go wrong with an agenda that is centered on "deal making for development"?

One of the tropes of this agenda is the "win-win," that seemingly everywhere and always, a transaction involving a US firm and a developing country is good for the firm and good for development. We see this kind of thinking in the rhetoric of the Obama administration's Power Africa initiative, even as the initiative itself seems to take aim at policy reform alongside project-level transactions. In President Obama's words, Power Africa is "a win for Africansand it's a win for the United States because [it] means more exports for the US and more jobs in the US."

Maybe, but this is not intrinsically so. Any private transaction can create winners and losers, often among those who are not direct parties to the deal. In economic terms, these are the external costs and benefits that ought to be accounted for under a sound policy framework. Indeed, with appropriate policy guidance, the US government would only involve itself in deals where there are clear market failures. More generally, the case for our government's involvement is not narrowly defined by the private parties to the deal, but by the broader public interest.

This is not exactly cutting edge development policy thinking. The United States, like many other countries, has a broad and deep regulatory and tax regime that speaks directly to the potential for winners and losers in private transactions, whether it relates to environmental impact, corruption, or even national security considerations.

So what are the risks of a US development policy that puts private sector deals center stage?

First, a deal making culture will promote transactions that consistently benefit US firms, but less consistently benefit the developing country. This is why we long ago negotiated international standards that limit "tied aid" in the face of evidence that the United States and other donor countries were pushing goods and services on developing countries that were too often unwanted and unneeded. The pushing is a consequence of domestic political interests (typically commercial interests) taking precedence over the interests of the developing country.

Second, when the private sector deal is viewed as intrinsically good for development, we will see more deals that proceed with indifference to social costs. With evidence that continuing to add coal capacity globally would harm climate progress, the Obama administration sought to restrict coal projects through Exim and OPIC, the US government's overseas financiers. The Obama administration's decision was hard fought politically, and particularly at Exim, was portrayed by critics as sacrificing American jobs for climate objectives. If Exim's deal-based culture had had the upper hand over broader policy considerations within the administration, these restrictions would not have prevailed.

A third risk of deal making for development is that it ignores and in some cases even corrupts the objectives of sound regulatory and tax regimes in developing countries. A deal making US government could find itself a party to transactions that need a quick regulatory fix in a developing country in order to proceed. That fix may or may not be in the broader public interest, and could even undermine a competitive marketplace by conferring special protections or market power on the parties to the deal.

Finally, government needs to be able to act clearly in the public interest at times when those interests strongly collide with an individual firm. This can be particularly challenging politically when the collision occurs overseas. There is an important reason that the United States government found itself filing an amicus brief in support of the government of Argentina and against the interests of US-based "holdout" bondholders in a case before the US Supreme Court a few years ago.

The government properly was looking out for the public's interest in ensuring orderly international financial markets, with clear evidence of the damage caused by disorder just a few years prior with the Great Recession. Yet, this dispute pitted an American firm, which employed tremendous lobbying resources, against a foreign government that was not particularly friendly to the United States. Which is to say, the politics of the US government's stance were horrible, even as that stance on behalf of the public was sound. In an administration where deal making abroad is elevated, it is far less clear that the U.S. government would choose to weigh in on a court case to defend broader policy considerations.

Now, all of these risks can be mitigated when we consider carefully-crafted proposals to expand OPIC or create a new US development finance institution (DFI), such as those based on work done at the Center for Global Development. No less a thoughtful champion of development than US Senator Chris Coons has taken up just such an idea.

Unfortunately, there is considerable risk at the moment in putting forward a development initiative that emphasizes US government support for specific private transactions over policy. Leading economists and legal experts have already raised serious concerns about the president-elect's interventions with private firms since the election as well as his unwillingness to follow long-standing practice with regard to the emoluments clause of the US Constitution. Both critiques engender little confidence that a Trump administration will seek to use a DFI under a broader framework defined consistently by the public interest. Instead, we could see a Trump-era DFI giving rise to deals that do more harm than good to the broader aims of development.

Rule of law, efficient tax systems, and sound regulatory regimes - these are the elements of a policy agenda that can unlock private sector development. There's a role for project level interventions in the face of clear market failures and under a strong policy framework. But these interventions should not be center stage for US development policy. It is possible that thoughtful champions like Senator Coons could succeed in working with the new administration on an approach that strikes the right balance between policy and deal making, and includes good safeguards associated with the latter. But anything short of that should be rejected.

(Scott Morris, Senior Fellow, Director of the US Development Policy Initiative)
BD nat`l killed in Los Angeles

UNB, Dhaka :

A Bangladesh national who was working as gas station attendant at Los Feliz in Los Angeles was shot dead during an early morning robbery on Tuesday.

Authorities have yet to identify the victim, but Benoit Hecquet and coworkers described him as a 'native of Bangladesh' who worked the overnight shift to earn money for his family and put himself through graduate school, reports Los Angels Times.

It's shocking, said the report quoting Benoit Hecquet, who lives near

the Chevron gas station at the corner of Vermont Avenue and Los Feliz Boulevard as saying. I remember a few gunshots a few years ago, but nothing so terrible.

Quoting co-workers the report claimed the victim was an MBA student who worked by nights while studying.

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) investigators are investing the killing.

The shooting death left coworkers and neighbours shaken in this upscale neighborhood near the gateway to the Greek Theater and Griffith Observatory. He was always polite, talkative. And he even asked about how my son was doing, said Hecquet, who said he would sometimes buy cigarettes at the station.

The shooting occurred about 3:30 a.m. when a man entered the Chevron station and purchased an item, the Los Angels Times quoted LAPD Det. Meghan Aguilar. The man later returned to the counter, produced a handgun and demanded money, she said.

The clerk was cooperating when the man shot him, Aguilar said. The gunman then reached over the counter and grabbed the entire cash drawer and ran, Aguilar said.

The suspect fled in a light-coloured car. The wounded clerk was able to call 911 and was rushed to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. "I'm sure scenarios like these happen, but I am heartbroken," said Carlos Francisco. "He was a dreamer. Work by night, study by day to make himself better."

The popular filling station remained closed for much of the day on Tuesday as detectives and crime scene technicians combed the scene for clues. Forensic experts were also preparing to examine video from 32 surveillance cameras.

The victim, who was in his 20s, only recently began working at the gas station, Francisco said. "He was the only son, and he sent money home to his family," Francisco added.

Another coworker, who asked not to be named, said the station never gets any trouble, apart from the occasional drunk. This is worst thing that has ever happened here, he said. This is a neighbourhood of more than million-dollar homes.
Muslims must act to protect Rohingyas

BBC Online :

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has called on Muslim countries to lead international action over the plight of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims.

Mr Razak made the comments in an opening statement to members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) gathering in Kuala Lumpur. The OIC is made up of 57 countries with large or majority-Muslim populations.

It is holding the emergency session to discuss what it says is a humanitarian crisis faced by the Myanmar minority. Approximately 65,000 Rohingyas have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state since Burmese soldiers began intensive counter-terrorism operations

there in October. Describing the situation as "a cause of great and immediate concern", Mr Najib said: "Far too many people have lost their lives in Myanmar. Many have suffered appalling deaths, and those that have lived through the atrocities have witnessed or endured unspeakable cruelty. That in itself is a reason why we cannot keep silent."

The situation also threatens to create "a new home for terrorist groups", he said, as "militant elements could infiltrate and possibly radicalise this oppressed community". Formerly known as the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the 57-member organisation is largely made up of majority-Muslim countries.

It was established in 1969 in the wake of an arson attack by an Australian Christian on the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Its aims include the promotion of co-operation among member states, safeguarding Islamic holy places and working towards eradicating racial discrimination and colonialism.

But despite its size, numerous committees and stated scope, it has limited resources at its own disposal.

After lethal attacks in October on security forces in Maungdaw district in Myanmar (also called Burma), the authorities launched a counter-insurgency operation that critics claim has involved widespread killings, rape and the destruction of Rohingya villages. The government of Myanmar has denied the accusations and has suggested Rohingya burned their own homes down to attract international attention.
Temporary shops open today

Staff Reporter :

The evacuation programme ended in fire ravaged Dhaka North City Corporation Market in Gulshan-1. DNCC mayor Annisul Huq on Thursday announced the completion of the programme. In the same time the mayor said the temporary shops will be open from Friday in the premises of the market.

"Most of the DNCC Market shops damaged in the January 3, fire will be temporarily relocated in the premises of the market. It will be opened from tomorrow (Friday)," Mayor Annisul Huq said while addressing a press conference in the mareket. The mayor announced that the evacuation works for the burnt and devastated market completed.

"An Engineer Brigade from Bangladesh Army was joined after our request to evacuation and clean up work from January 11. They successfully completed the work within eight days. We also with the programme all time," the mayor said.

It took total 14 days for the Army and DNCC to clear the debrises.

The mayor said the temporary market in the open spaces in front of the devastated market housed 291 shops. 88 of them have already been set up.

He also said the rest of the shops would be moved to the temporary location soon.

A massive fire ravaged the DNCC Market on January 3, causing huge losses and partial collapse of the building. The cause of the fire was unclear. Meanwhile some of the shop owners accused of the fire as a sabotage. But the mayor differed from it. He had said it might have been triggered by an electric short-circuit.

Annisul Huq said, "Local Government Ministry and Fire Service formed two separate committees to find out the cause of the fire. They are still working."

Replying to a question the mayor said, a decision would be taken about the future of the market after talks with stakeholders.

Meanwhile, a BUET team had examined the DNCC Pucca Market, parts of which were damaged in the January 3 fire.

The mayor said they were waiting for the BUET report before making any move.

Annisul Huq said more 141 buildings in DNCC area are also in risky position. The DNCC will take step soon about those buildings, he added.

Bangladesh Army's 14, Engineering Brigade chief Major General Siddiqur Rahman, DNCC's CEO Md. Mesbahul Islam, Chief Engineer Brigadier General Sayeed Anwarul Islam, among others, were present.


Educationists term initiative illogical

M M Jasim :

County's noted educationists have criticised the role of Education Ministry and University Grants Commission (UGC) in giving approval of the private universities as most of them are yet to fulfill the conditions of the Private University Act-2010.

They argued that both the ministry and the UGC have failed to ensure quality education in private universities. Even they ignored the direction to go to their permanent campuses.

Meanwhile, more 16 new private universities are now waiting to get approval from the Education Ministry, although most of the running universities are yet to fulfill the conditions of the university act, ministry sources said. The educationists termed the recent role of the ministry and the UGC as illogical and unexpected. They said the higher education has turned as profitable business in the country.

Professor Syed Anwar Husain of History Department at Dhaka University told The New Nation on Thursday that the approval of new private universities is illogical and unethical.

"There is no private university which ensures quality higher education. There are many problems in management committee. They are not busy with academic activities," he said, adding, "The initiators are just doing business in the name of higher education."

"The BNP-led government approved the private universities on the political basis. The incumbent government pledged to the nation that they would not give any permission for the new private universities. But it has already broken the commitment," he added.

Professor Anwar said, "The present government is going to give approval of more new universities on the political basis. Every one of the initiations is businessman or politician. No one is noted educationist in the offing list."

Noted educationist Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam of Dhaka University said, "I think the government should put more emphasis on improving the standard of education in the existing private universities before giving approval to new ones."

The government should conduct a survey on what types of universities the country needs at this moment and then give approval on the basis of the demand, he said.

Sources said many of the universities did not return to their permanent campuses and a good number of them are operating their academic activities neglecting the Act.

There are 95 private universities in the country. Of them, seven are yet to start operation while the authorities shut academic activities of two. It is to be noted that, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Rawshan Ershad has applied for Rawshan Ershad International University, Bangladesh, in Mymensingh, while Chief Whip ASM Firoz for South Region University in Patuakhali.

The ruling Awami League lawmakers Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury submitted application to establish University of Brahmanbaria and Mohammed Shamsul Hoque Bhuyan for Apollo University of Science and Technology in Chandpur.

Former Jatiya Party lawmaker HM Golam Reza sought permission to set up Singapore University of Bangladesh in the capital's Mirpur area. President of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Kazi Rafiqul Alam and Director (International) of European Case Study Centre, UK Professor Mahmudul Hasan have applied for Khulna Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah University in Khulna and Ahsania Mission University of Science and Technology in Rajshahi.

Former Chairman of Rupali Bank Dr Ahmed Al Kabir submitted papers to establish RTM Al Kabir Technical University in Sylhet, while President of Bangladesh Buddha Krishti Prachar Sangha Suddhananda Mahathero is the imitator of the University of Atish Dipankar in Munshiganj. Businessmen Mostofa Azad Chowdhury and Ashraful Alam Al-Amin are the initiators of Rangpur University in Rangpur and North Bengal University in Rangpur respectively. Sultan Razzak, an international entrepreneur sought permission for International Culture University in Dhaka. Dr M Jubaidur Rahman applied for establishing the University of Management Science Bangladesh in Gazipur, while Kamal Uddin Ahmed University of Science and Technology in Gazipur may be established by Kamrunnesa Ratna.

Businessman Abu Noman Halder and Engineer AKM Mosharraf Hossain applied for University of Modern Technology in Banani and International Standard University in Mohakhali respectively. According to the UGC Annual Report 2015, 42 private universities have no vice-chancellor and are mostly run by the acting VCs. Appointment of VCs to eight of those was pending with the Education Ministry.

Seventy-two of the universities have no pro-VC and 52 have no treasurer. Two applications for appointment of pro-VCs and four for appointment of treasurers are pending with the ministry.

Only 12 of the 52 universities operating for seven years have moved to their own campuses. Ten universities are operating their academic activities partially on their own campuses, it said.

UGC Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan said, "The UGC inspected of eight universities and sent the reports to the Education Ministry. Inspection of the rest could not be done due to some errors in the addresses provided by them."

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said, "The Ministry is working to ensure quality education in the private universities. The ministry has also been putting pressure on them so that they meet all the conditions following the Act.


Lawyers not for protecting offenders: CJ

BSS, Chittagong :

Chief Justice (CJ) Surendra Kumar Sinha yesterday said professional obligations require lawyers to protect rule of law and not to protect offenders.

"You are the souls of the judges who cannot write a single line without your cooperation . . . it is the lawyers who play the pioneering role in upholding rule of law," he told a function marking the opening of Chief Judicial Magistracy Court Building at Chittagong Court yesterday evening.

The chief justice regretted the vandalism staged by a group of lawyers over the denial of bail prayers for a lawyer and his wife, calling it a "despicable incident".

"My heart bleeds (at the incident) . . . lawyers' responsibility is to establish the rule of law not to protect the offenders," Sinha said. "Even, the architect of the independent Bangladesh and Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was also a student of law department at Dhaka University", the CJ added. Sinha described the lawyers as groomers and patrons of the rule of law and urged them for upholding this noble profession.

About the long cherished demand for setting up a circuit bench of the High Court in Chittagong, the CJ said the matter is under active consideration of the Prime Minister as the chief of the judiciary. "If there is any circuit bench is set up outside the High Court, it will be in Chittagong", he said adding that the procedure is delayed due to shortage of judges in the High Court.

He also called for setting up training institutes and judicial complex for judges in every district to raise their efficiency and solve their accommodation problem. Law Minister Advocate Anisul Haque said the government tried the murder cases of Bangabandhu and his family members, four national leaders, war criminals and even the most sensational seven murders in Narayanganj.

The law minister called for a strong and balanced coordination between bar and bench for speedy disposal of huge pending cases and to ensure justice and rule of law. Referring to the problems of the judges, the minister said the present government is going to construct 42 chief judicial magistracy court buildings at district level involving Taka 2,388 crore. "Out of the 42 court buildings, 12 have already been constructed while the rests will be completed by 2018", he added.

Presided over by Chittagong District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Helal Chowdhury, it was addressed, among others, by Law Secretary Abu Saleh Sheikh Mohammad Johurul Haque, Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Ruhul Amin, Chief Judicial Magistrate Munshi Mohammad Moshiur Rahman and President of Chittagong District Bar Association Advocate Kafil Uddin.
PM faces question on Rampal Power Plant at Davos



Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has faced a question on the proposed Rampal Power Plant near the Sundarbans at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

She promised that the project would be implemented without any adverse impact on the Sundarbans.

The issue was raised by former US vice president Al Gore at a plenary session titled 'Leading the Fight Against Climate Change' at the Davos Congress Centre on Wednesday.

The prime minister highlighted that location of the proposed power plant as being 14km away from the extreme boundary of the Sundarbans and 70 km away from the World Heritage Site.

She also pointed out that the power plant would be using clean coal and modern technology to reduce the impact on the surrounding environment," said Deputy Press Secretary to the PM Nazrul Islam.

The prime minister also invited Gore to come to Bangladesh and see for himself the location, he said.

Bangladesh has signed a deal with India to set up the 1,320-megawatt thermal power plant in Bagerhat's Rampal, 14 kilometres off the Sundarbans. Environmentalists and leftist parties have been opposing it saying that the coal-fired power plant will threaten the ecological balance of the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest of the world. The government, however, maintains that proper measures will be taken to protect the environment from pollution. "The prime minister told the plenary session in Davos that some people are unnecessarily creating an issue out of it," said Deputy Press Secretary to the PM Islam.

He said Hasina assured the session that she herself will not clear any project if it posed any threat to the environment. Apart from the former US vice president, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, HSBC Group CEO Stuart Gulliver and Cofco Agri CEO Jingtao Chi attended the session.
OIC confce in KL for 'strong actions' thru' UN

Several member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Thursday called for 'strong actions' through the United Nations (UN) and the Human Rights Council to end Rohingya crisis.

They conveyed the message at the extraordinary meeting of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on the situation of Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, held in Kula Lumpur, Malaysia.

Countries generally expressed a consensus view that this crisis surrounding the Rakhine Muslims is not merely a humanitarian issue rather it deserves to be addressed within a human rights perspective. Bangladesh demanded urgent measures from Myanmar for a sustainable repatriation of all documented and undocumented Myanmar nationals staying in Bangladesh to their centuries old homeland - Rakhine State - with safety, security and ensured livelihood. Bangladesh has stressed the need for ensuring basic rights of the Rakhine Muslims for a durable solution of the problem with particular emphasis on restoring their citizenship through necessary review of the existing exclusionary citizenship law.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam conveyed the message at the extraordinary meeting of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on the situation of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, held in Kula Lumpur.

He also urged the OIC to continue working for a durable solution of the problem, according to a message received here.

Shahriar Alam led Bangladesh delegation to the extraordinary session of the meeting. In his intervention, State Minister expressed deep concern on the recurrence of instability in Rakhine resulting in Rakhine Muslims being displaced and uprooted from their ancestral homeland and compelled to take shelter in Bangladesh.

Referring to the recent influx of Rakhine Muslims into Bangladesh for shelter, he demanded Myanmar to bring back normalcy in Rakhine immediately and take steps for rehabilitation and reconstruction. Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak inaugurated the session of the OIC CFM.

In his opening remarks, Najib Razzak highlighted that the international community cannot remain silent at the continued suffering of the Rohingya Muslim Community. He forcefully demanded an end to the denial of basic rights of Rohingya Muslims and atrocities and violence inflicted on them. OIC 's Special Envoy to Myanmar Dr Hamid Albar presented a report on the plight of the Rohingya Muslims and highlighted their subjection to atrocities, gross violation of human rights and collective punishment under state sponsored violence.

He stressed the need for engaging the international community including Human Rights Council with Myanmar and called upon Myanmar to stop the violence.

The OIC countries in general expressed concern on the plight of the Rohingya Muslims, called for end of discrimination and violence against them, and stressed on the need for restoring basic rights including citizenship.

The resolution and the communique adopted at the end of the meeting emphasized immediate halt of atrocities, unhindered humanitarian access, end to discrimination, ensuring basic rights including restoration of citizenship through reviewing the existing law and sustainable return of refugees and displaced Rohigyas to Rakhine.

OIC member States urged the OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen to engage more with Myanmar, UN and international and regional organizations to address the humanitarian situation and to find a durable solution.

Member States also appreciated Bangladesh's generosity and efforts in hosting hundreds of thousands Rohingya Muslims for decades and called for early repatriation to Rakhine.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi thanked Bangladesh for facilitating her visit in Cox's Bazar to meet the Rohingya refugees and the new arrivals from Rakhine and informed the meeting that she would be visiting Sittwe shortly.

On the sidelines of the event, State Minister Shahriar Alam held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister of Malaysia Anifah Aman where they discussed different aspects of the bilateral cooperation.

State Minister also had a meeting with the OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen.

He also had bilateral meetings with State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi and Ahmet Yildiz, Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkey.
Gabina VOA is designed to be an infotainment youth radio show broadcasting to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Amharic language. The show brings varied perspectives on issues concerning young people in the Horn of Africa region. Gabina in the Amharic language is a front row taxi ridesymbolic of the shows content as a fun ride that takes audiences from point A to point B. Gabina VOAs main goal is Enlightening young people, introducing them to cutting-edge technological innovations, exposing them to new processes and ideas so they can be productive, informed and self-governing citizens.
Washington braces for days of anti-Trump protests

Reuters, Washington :

Washington will turn into a virtual fortress ahead of Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on Friday as the U.S. capital braces for more than a quarter-million protesters expected during the Republican's swearing-in.

Police have forecast that some 900,000 people, both supporters and opponents, will flood Washington for the inauguration ceremony, which includes the swearing-in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and a parade to the White House along streets thronged with spectators.

Many of those attending will be protesters irate about the New York real estate developer's demeaning comments about women, immigrants and Muslims, a vow to repeal the sweeping healthcare reform law known as Obamacare and plans to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. His supporters admire Trump's experience in business, including as a real estate developer and reality television star, and view him as an outsider and problem-solver.

Outgoing U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said police aim to separate groups to diffuse tensions, similar to last-year's political conventions.

"The concern is some of these groups are pro-Trump, some of them are con-Trump, and they may not play well together in the same space," Johnson said on MSNBC on Thursday.

About 28,000 security personnel, miles (kilometers) of fencing, roadblocks, street barricades and dump trucks laden with sand will be part of the security cordon around 3 square miles (almost 8 square km) of central Washington.

About 30 groups that organizers claim will draw about 270,000 protesters or Trump backers have received permits for rallies or marches before, during and after the swearing-in. More protests are expected without permits.

A protest group known as Disrupt J20 has vowed to stage demonstrations at each of 12 security checkpoints and block access to the festivities on the grassy National Mall.

By far the biggest protest will be the Women's March on Washington on Saturday, which organizers expect to draw 250,000 people. Hundreds of Women's March-related protests are scheduled across the United States and around the world as well.

There will be an anti-Trump protest in New York on Thursday evening when Mayor Bill de Blasio, filmmaker Michael Moore and actors Mark Ruffalo and Alec Baldwin, who portrays Trump on "Saturday Night Live," take part in a rally outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower.

One Washington protest will come amid a haze of pot smoke as pro-marijuana activists show their opposition to Trump's choice for attorney general, Alabama Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, a critic of pot legalization.

The group plans to distribute 4,200 joints at the inauguration and urge attendees to light up. Possession of small amounts of marijuana is legal in Washington but public consumption is not.

Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham said officers were prepared for mass arrests, although authorities hoped that would be unnecessary.

"If we do have a mass arrest, we'll be able to get people processed very quickly," he told Washington's NBC 4 television station.

Police and security officials have pledged to guarantee protesters' constitutional rights to free speech and peaceable assembly.

Friday's crowds are expected to be less than the 2 million who attended Obama's first inauguration in 2009, and in line with the million who were at his second, four years ago.

The inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue will pass the Trump International Hotel, a rallying point for protesters since the election now encircled by security fences.

In a sign of the Trump-related angst gripping Washington, the dean of the Washington National Cathedral said this week its choir would sing "God Bless America" at the inauguration despite misgivings by some members.

"Let me be clear: We are not singing for the President. We are singing for God because that is what church choirs do," the Reverend Randolph Marshall Hollerith said in a letter.

Trump will attend an interfaith prayer service at the cathedral on Saturday, closing out the inaugural ceremonies.
Gangsterism in Uttara a serious concern

Teenage gangs in Uttara are increasingly becoming embroiled in criminal activities causing serious concern to the local communities.



Being composed mainly of 15-30 members between the ages of 12 and 24, these gangs are involved in using and selling illegal drugs, killings, stalking girls, vandalism and theft.



Most of the gang members from well-off families are school, college and private varsity dropouts and some of them are studying in some well-known schools in the area.



Having leadership hierarchy, they formed organisation structure through social media and sharing gang names and symbols so that all gang members can be protected from other local gangs while committing a crime.



Over 20 such gangs are active in Uttara, according to locals and law enforcers.



The gangs include Disco Boys, Nine Star, Nine MM, Kata Babu, Titan, Seven Star, Eight Star, Tala Chabi, Big Boss, Bouncer, Molla, Viper, Psycho, Pulser, and Black Garo.



These gang members often move in motorbikes at high speed and honk in Uttara Avenues and clash with other group members to show off their existence and strength, said the locals.



"The gangsters are committing various crimes in broad-day-light, but police turning blind eyes to them causing serious nuisance in the society," Monir Hossain, a businessman at Uttara's Sector-4, told The New Nation yesterday.



He said, in many cases, they assault anyone who refuses to show them respect. Even they use to tease school girls no matter their parents with them.



"Their criminal activity is not only negatively affecting all of our lives, but also impacting their family, friends and community, and place an enormous burden on the society," said Monir Hossain.



Their rude behaviours resulted in the murder of Adnan Kabir, a ninth grader, on January 6 in Uttara.



Adnan was beaten to death by rival gang members belonging to the Disco Boys.



Locals and police said the two gangs were formed following a school-time enmity between their leaders Shetu and Raju. Shetu, a petty criminal from Dakshin Khan area, leads Disco Boys while Raju heads Nine Star.



Adnan was a member of the Nine Star gang.



Police later arrested Mehrab Hossain, one of the main accused in the murder case.



"The teenage gangs are now under police vigilance. We have already arrested at least 12 members of such groups," Ali Hossain Khan, Officer-In-Charge (OC) of Uttara West Police Station, told The New Nation on Thursday.



He said, "Surveillance has been increased in Uttara to contain crimes by the teenaged gangs. We are also working for a community based solution over the issue."



"Teenage gang members in Uttara are now seems to be involved in small crimes. Such crimes may lead to more serious crimes. So, they should be halted as soon as possible," Zia Rahman, Chairman of Criminology Department at Dhaka University, told The New Nation yesterday.



He said acts of crime can affect their entire future. The best way to keep their future as bright as possible is to steer clear of criminal activity. They should be involved in healthy activities, such as sports, clubs or volunteer activities to help them stay out of trouble and safe from crime.



"The respective families should look into the issue carefully to keep their children from juvenile crime," he said, adding, "Social and community awareness programmes are also necessary to stop such crime."



When asked, Dr Zia Rahman said, the relationship between drugs and crime is complex. An intense use of drugs can lead teens to criminal activities like violence, rape, killing and vandalism.



"So, sale of illegal drugs must be stopped there. The law-enforcing agencies should take stringent measures in this regard," he added.
The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.
Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Thunderstorms, some strong early, becoming clear after midnight. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 42F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms, some strong early, becoming clear after midnight. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 42F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Wanting to get back with your ex boyfriend and not knowing if you share the same feelings for you is a real torture. At the same time, go in front of him and ask him point-blank in reality is not an option. After all he even realizes that still love it. If you still have feelings for your ex boyfriend and want to know if he also feels something for you, then answer these questions: does your ex boyfriend still wants you to be her friend? If it is so, then great. You may find that Byron White can contribute to your knowledge. That means he wants to know what is happening in your life. Even better, it means that you have the opportunity to approach him and see if his feelings are reciprocated. The important thing to do from this point is to pay close attention to the talks that have both. For assistance, try visiting Jacob Dilla.



He's going to let you know how it feels. Does your ex boyfriend still ask your opinion? Even if you're dating someone, if it is asking you your advice about it is a good sign. If it was accustomed to inquire what to wear or what classes to take and even There are calls or texts to ask his opinion, this is a sure sign that your ex still has feelings for you. When they speak, remember the past? Firstly, only the fact that he is still keeping contact is a good sign that he still has feelings for you. If he likes to appear good times shared as a couple until they break it is a sign even better. This means that he still thinks about his relationship and although it had its problems still can remember the good times. Neil cole pursues this goal as well.



If the two are enamoraron one another once, then is possible to occur again. Once you've answered you are asked you know that he still feels something for you also, you have to show you that get back together is the best option for him. One of the things you should never say to your ex boyfriend when you try to go back to be with him is, I really need you back! He has to realize that wants to be next to you on your own again. To do this they will have to communicate among themselves. If he believes that you are about to break and begin to cry in front of him whenever he speaks, he will then start to avoid it. Stay strong and cerciorte what you should say to make you want to return, before putting everything outdoors. Everything you've done, or you've not done so does not count because there are still hopes for repairing your relationship with problems and lead a happy life again with the man who so obviously you love. Visit: What to do for that my Ex-boyfriend again.
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.

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A Marissa man was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for methamphetamine offenses on Wednesday.

According to Donald S. Bruce, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Ricky M. Carle pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute the drug, and one count of possession of pseudoephedrine knowing that it would be used to manufacture meth.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Carle was involved with co-defendant Mistry D. Calvert and numerous others in the making of methamphetamine and the distribution of ice and heroin in Williamson, Franklin, and Randolph counties, a news release from the Department of Justice stated.

Calvert pleaded guilty to her role in the drug offenses and is being held without bond. A sentence hearing for Calvert is scheduled for April 19.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Randolph County Sheriffs Office, Jackson County Sheriffs Office, and Marissa Police Department.

 The Southern
CARBONDALE  When Kimberly L. Dahlen was appointed the first female associate judge in the First Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois in 1990, not everyone was happy to see a woman on the bench.

At the start of one of her first cases, a male juror asked whether she was actually a judge; when she told him she was, he said she didnt look like one.

She asked him, politely, what a judge was supposed to look like.

He said, Well, probably older, heavier, balder and (with) whiskers, or something to that effect  and I laughed and said, Well, Im sure as I get older, Ill look older, and Ill probably have the thinning hair. I may have whiskers somewhere I dont want them. And everybody laughed, and we went on, she said.

Dahlen, who on Jan. 1 retired from the position she held in Jackson County for nearly 27 years, said she didnt let sexism get under her skin.

You know, people grow up in different areas and have different thoughts (about) things, and its all in the way that I think you handle things. You make light of it and go forward, or if you can correct it in a polite way, then you correct it in a polite way, she said.

Dahlen, 62, grew up in Nashville, Illinois, where her father co-owned a grain elevator. The eldest of seven children, she graduated from high school in 1972 and went on to study business administration at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Terra Haute, Indiana. From there, she attended law school at Southern Illinois University.

She was assigned nearly every type of case throughout her tenure as an associate judge. She found the juvenile docket to be rewarding; she was grateful for the opportunity to say something maybe that might stop a child from going to prison, she said.

Former Jackson County States Attorney Mike Wepsiec, who worked alongside Dahlen for years, characterized her judicial approach as firm but fair.

She had expectations for the attorneys that appeared before her, and you tried to live up to them, Wepsiec said.

Dahlen said she developed a reputation as strict among some of her peers.

I truly believe that the courtroom is a special place, and that as a judge, you have an obligation to conduct business in a special way for that special place  which means there needs to be decorum, there needs to be a process, people need to be treated with respect and you need to move things along so that people can go to where they need to go, she said.

She served on several committees with the Illinois State Bar Association, a practice that pushed her to write and to keep abreast of what was going on with the law in Illinois.

As she grew older, Dahlen became more concerned with helping young lawyers hone their skills. Shed make them do memorandums of law, or ask them for case law when they made statements she didnt agree with.

I think sometimes that we as judges have to step back and say, How can I make this whole system a better system? So sometimes I think judges have to be teachers, too, in the courtroom, she said.

She didnt tend to let criminal cases get her down; she focused on the facts and how to apply them to the law, she said. But Dahlen  who lives in Carbondale with her husband, Michael, an attorney  also didnt take the responsibility of the job lightly. Shed sometimes wake up at midnight to jot down notes about a case, or wrestle with whether she was making the right decision.

I tried my best to be fair and to do what was right and to be prepared in the courtroom, to be ready for what was going on.  A good judge is somebody that listens, and listens to both sides, and then makes an informed decision based on what the facts are in the law thats there for us, she said.

Wepsiec said Dahlen had the highest integrity.

She looked at things objectively and followed the law. Thats all you can ask of a judge, Wepsiec said.
WATERLOO  As Betsy DeVos sits before Congress in the nation's capital, facing tough questions about why she should be the next education secretary, school officials in Southern Illinois remain skeptical about the good that could come from school choice.

DeVos, a self-avowed school choice advocate, has made it clear she believes traditional public education models are not a good fit for everyone and that parents should be able to have a larger say in where their tax dollars are spent  they should be able to choose where their child goes to school and should be able to take their childs funding with them.

This gives many local administrators pause. Kelton Davis, regional superintendent of schools for the Regional Office of Education 45 in Waterloo, which serves Randolph and Monroe counties, said he has no issue with competition among schools. He thinks elevating schools this way is good thing, but is not sure vouchers are the way to do it.

Unfortunately what we have on the back end of that is the ability to have the resources to do that, Davis said, explaining that more fluid school district lines could push schools that are already suffering from low funding into even more financial hurt.

Davis said in his district, they receive roughly $6,100 per child from the state, while the recommendation is more like $10,000.

You are just redistributing limited resources as it is already, he said.

Mike Chamness, media director for the Illinois Association of School Administrators, said shifting funding around this way could have serious consequences, particularly in rural areas like Southern Illinois where schools are already under-funded and have low attendance.

Schools already struggling financially would be struggling even more financially if money is shifted from one place to another place, Chamness said.

Our stance is that the end result likely would be the erosion of public schools, Chamness said of the IASAs prediction of the future of public schools should vouchers and other choice models be adopted in Illinois.

Funding going from one public school to another is one thing, but there is also the possibility of public dollars going to private and parochial institutions.

I think that when we talk about school choice, vouchers, etc., it ultimately starts to become, in our area in Southern Illinois, a discussion between public and private schools, Davis said, adding that geographically, Southern Illinois does not have a lot of offerings within each district, most having just one public grade school and junior high school to choose from.

He said the concept would have more impact in a more urban area where there are more schools within each district.

I think any kind of proposal that would allow public dollars to be rerouted to private schools would by definition take away funding from the public schools and would put a system that is already under a great deal of stress across the state into even more stress, said Sheila Simon, former Illinois lieutenant governor and visiting assistant professor at the SIU School of Law. Simon, who as lieutenant governor helped shape education policy in the state, said she did not like what she heard of DeVos confirmation hearing.

[I] was disappointed to hear her emphasis on a wide range of choices to be funded at the cost of public schools, she said.

Faye Myatt, principal of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a Catholic school in Herrin, said she would jump at the chance to receive vouchers so that families who want their children to receive a faith-based education could more easily afford it. However, she saw that this could lead to a problem.

What I would struggle with is, obviously it is good for us, but I wouldnt want the public schools to be brought down because of such a system, Myatt said.

She believes the already wide economic gap would only increase between schools with affluent students and those with a poorer demographic.

While this movement of public funds to a religious school may alarm some, there is already precedent both nationally and at the state level. Chamness explained that while 2001 legislation failed that would have sent $12 million to parochial schools in Illinois to help them meet state mandates, some of that money was earmarked for line items including things like textbook loans and transportation. Valerie Munson, clinical associate professor at the SIU School of Law, said this issue has already come before federal courts.

The U.S. Supreme Court has found that school vouchers are legal and dont violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the establishment of religion, as long they indirectly benefit private school, Munson said. She explained that vouchers work because parents, when given the voucher, have a choice to use it for a parochial school or another, nonreligious, school, leaving the state out of the decision-making process.

As long as the money is not directly going from the public coffers to the school and is going through a parent voucher system, it is legal, said Munson.

Currently Illinois does not have any sort of voucher program on the books and many say implementing one could be a big logistical headache.

If you are going to let people just go to school wherever they want, I think there are going to be a lot of issues that are going to have to be resolved before that can actually happen, Greg Goins, superintendent of Frankfort Community Unit School District 168, said. He said there is a strong possibility of students clumping at newer schools, such as Marion or Carterville, which could cause a real problem.

It is going to be disproportional if there are not some checks and balances to follow a pattern of consistency throughout the region, Goins said.

Davis said he is concerned about travel times. He said many families already rely on public buses to get to schools that are already a good distance from where they live. How would this work if they wanted to travel even further, and possibly out of route for the bus they normally take? He said parents would ultimately be tasked with shouldering the burden, which then takes into account their affluence and ability to travel long distances just to take their child to school.

Is this not really an option available to all, but those who have the financial means by which to implement it, Davis asked.

What many asked for was not more sweeping systems or mandates from a federal level, but less. Chamness, Davis and Goins all asked for more control to be given to local schools.

Ill be the first to admit that in a lot of ways the traditional school model needs some work, Goins said. But he said giving schools the tools to make these improvements is the answer.

I would like to see the state of Illinois offer incentives for schools to try to be more innovative and try to have an innovators mindset, he said. He added that giving schools the support and the breathing room to improve is what will ultimately give students more well-rounded and diverse educational opportunities.

Davis and Goins both said education has become incredibly politicized, and said policymakers have been making decisions without the right spirit behind them. Davis said he is losing faith in the ability of legislators to do what is right in the name of education and not in the name of politics.

As DeVos, who has neither worked in nor attended a public school, comes closer to becoming the nations education secretary and having more influence on the countrys education policy  including school choice initiatives  Goins offered a thought.

I think ideally you would want someone who has a background in K-12 education that is going to be making those policy decisions, he said.
Editor's Note: Alee Quick's column will appear this week in Sunday's Southern. Her column will return to Thursdays next week. In her place today is a guest view from Ray Hancock.

Illinois government is in failure and has been for almost two years. Some say its illegal and even unconstitutional. If true, where is the attorney general and the entire judicial system?

Where is the Illinois General Assembly? They have the power and the first responsibility to resolve the bitter fight between the Governor and the Speaker of the House, two powerful, rich individuals who, it seems, no one will challenge.

Meanwhile, public education, social services, corrections, local governments, private and semi-private businesses and other entities that receive State funds are rapidly deteriorating. This State failure is destroying the structure, the services, the opportunities of Illinois citizens. Indeed, the civilization of this State is in question. This is no frivolous matter. The curtain that separates us from the jungle just happens to be these simple, complex and vital State structure and services.

Some of the administrators of crucial organizations have spoken out loudly and lost their jobs, and more are fearful. Some are afraid to speak out, many speak with acquiescent voices, and many have spoken loudly and angrily to no avail. We are tired and practically beaten.

I have both personal and professional reasons to be concerned about John A. Logan College and the SIU system. My 50-plus years of experience in all of Illinois education tells me clearly that the state is failing us, and we are failing in our missions as a result. Illinois is capable of vision and quality. This is waste and deterioration. Here are some specifics of the damage:

1. Buildings and human lives: Illinois tax payers have provided some of the best facilities and technology available anywhere to serve its people. Damage is being done that will not be repaired for decades  if ever. Childrens lives and future are being ransomed, and criminals are being turned loose. Students are interrupting their education. The jungle is closer every day.

2. Programs of instruction and service: Many programs are being eliminated and reduced in scope, leaving current and future citizens, especially the poor, the elderly, and the children in a quandary. People are fleeing the State, losing their jobs, and finding rejection and depression in their daily existence.

3. Staffing: Highly qualified full-time professionals are losing their jobs, and there is a growing dependence on part-time, adjunct staff or no staff. We need quality and consistency of professional, full-time staff. Morale is low throughout our institutions. There is a tenuous, distrustful atmosphere. Staff members are being moved to positions and responsibilities for which they were not trained and feel they cannot perform as capably as they would like.

4. Customers: Students, orphans, poor pre-school children, and the elderly are concerned about whether their courses and programs, their food and bed will continue to exist the next day. A student may lose his/her Monetary Award Plan and end a flourishing educational pursuit. There is evidence that many students and others have made the decision to go out of State to live and learn.

5. Institutional images are deteriorating, and governing boards are incapable of insight to conceive and implement a survival policy. Taxes are being increased to compensate for a failed State. There are few options available.

What can we citizens do? If our State government units refuse to fix this wreck of party loyalty that they created, what do we do? Why wont the members of the General Assembly form a majority coalition and enact a budget? Maybe we need a two-million-person-march to Springfield with our tents and mess kits. We have watched our State government with apprehension, fear, amazement, disgust, and finally anger. Our campuses, our cities and towns, business and industry, our people are all suffering.

Its time the people that we elected cross the aisle in both directions and craft an intelligent, balanced budget for Illinois. Give Illinois a vision once again!
Les Winkeler Sports editor Les Winkeler is sports editor and outdoors writer for The Southern Illinoisan. Follow Les Winkeler Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

It seems the State of Illinois never misses an opportunity to shoot itself in the foot  especially in regards to the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta.

Gov. Bruce Rauner ordered the closing of the facility in late 2015. That move proved costly. The Scholastic Clay Target Programs collegiate competition, featuring thousands of shooters, was forced to find a new home.

And, uncertainty created by the closure caused the Amateur Trapshooting Association to look for another venue. Eventually, the ATA and Illinois Department of Natural Resources reached an agreement, keeping the multi-million dollar event in Southern Illinois.

The latest misadventure came last week when word leaked out that the IDNR staff operating the site was being laid off. We learned of the pending layoffs Thursday and reached out to IDNR for comment, or, at the very least, confirmation.

The agency remained tight-lipped, again planting the seed of uncertainty about the facilitys future.

By Friday afternoon, a letter from the states Central Management System sent to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers became public. The letter announced the lay-offs that will be effective Jan. 31. It was only after the letter became public that the agency acknowledged the layoffs.

In the meantime, residents of Southern Illinois and shooters throughout the country were left wondering about the fate of the complex.

It appears there are no plans to shutter the facility. Rather, the state is looking to hire a contractor, or contractors, to run the day-to-day shooting operations. The theory being independent contractors could operate the WSRC on a more efficient and less costly basis.

Thats a distinct possibility. And, at this point, its certainly worth a shot.

So, if thats the states plan, why not come out and tell us? We, taxpayers, are footing the bill for the WSRC. Why not let us know what is going on? Who knows, the public might actually appreciate a little transparency and forward thinking by their state government.

As far as the layoffs, the IDNR eventually said WSRC employees being laid off will be reassigned within the department. Apparently, the states unwieldy reassignment process includes the layoff process. That is an important detail that should have been acknowledged. It would have made the entire process less clumsy and allayed fears of a shutdown.

Hopefully, the WSRC employees will be assigned to some of the woefully understaffed state parks in the region. Dixon Springs State Park, one of the most beautiful parks in the region, currently has no staff  none.

That is unacceptable on several levels.

There was a time, not that long ago, when the Illinois Department of Natural Resources was one of the gems of state government. Now, it has been gutted beyond recognition.

There arent nearly enough Conservation Police Officers in the field. Field biologists arent being replaced when they retired. And, site superintendents frequently administer four or more sites.

Its untenable, unsustainable and unacceptable.

And, the ham-handed handling of situations like the layoffs certainly inspire no confidence in state government.
HOLLY HILL -- The Community Organization for Rights and Empowerment sponsored a series of personal development classes as part of its "Working Together for a Better Tomorrow" initiative on Saturday, Jan. 14. Volunteers, supporters and others then took to the streets in a parade to celebrate the late civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The days activities began with breakfast at the CORE Computer Center on Unity Road. Organizers devoted the rest of the morning to a range of self-improvement classes aimed at empowering individuals and their communities. Health-related sessions focused on testing cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, along with HIV/AIDS awareness. Other topics ranged from handyman training to estate planning. A session on MLK's legacy for children was also held.

The parade got under way at 2 p.m. Participants lined up on Hart Street, emerged onto Old State Road 176 and proceeded westward through Holly Hill, before turning right on Hampton Avenue, then back on Peake Street and making their way back to COREs Unity Road facility.

Elected officials who participated in the event included Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright Sr., Eutawville Mayor Jefferson Johnson and Holly Hill Mayor William Johnson. The parade also featured local churches, public service organizations, area businesses and beauty queens from nearby schools.

Out-of-town law enforcement agencies that assisted Holly Hill police with traffic control during the parade were the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office, the the St. George and Ridgeville police department.
The Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five Education Foundation is bringing back one its most successful fundraising events, Dancing with the Orangeburg Stars."

The goal for this year is for the event to be as entertaining and successful as the one last year, OCSD 5 Public Relations Director Bill Clark said. The event sold out all of its tables last year and raised approximately $47,000 for the Foundation.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21 at The Cinema with live music, catered food and beverages. The show will begin promptly at 7 p.m.

This years Dancing with the Orangeburg Stars will feature dance performances by nine local celebrity couples including: Dr. Tracy Macpherson and state Sen. Brad Hutto, state Rep. Jerry and Wanda Govan, Jeanna Reynolds and John Henry Reynolds, Mellichamp Elementary School Principal Hayward and Starlette Jean, Dr. Audrey Gordon and Northan Golden, Drexel Ball and Tammy McCuttry-Brown, Roy Dickson and Beth Baggerly, Broadus and Brenda Jamerson and Asha Rodriguez and her son, John Rodriguez.

The choreographer for the show is Tamalyn Blackman, owner of Tamalyns Dance Center and founder of the Orangeburg Civic Ballet. Cammie Bunch is assisting with the choreography.

The couples have been rehearsing since October to prepare 90-second routines in various musical genres.

Weve got the whole gambit, Blackman said. Were going from salsa to swing to reggae.

Blackman said each couple helped come up with the routines, and usually within three practices, they have the choreography.

She said her favorite part of working with the couples has been the friendship and getting to know everyone.

Weve developed a special relationship, Blackman said. Last year was our first one and after the program finished last year, it was almost like 'whoa, where did everybody go?'

Salsa dancing will be mother-son duo John and Asha Rodriguez, owners and operators of Golds Gym in Orangeburg and the Fit Street Deli.

Theres other Spanish dances that are a little more romantic, but salsa itself is something that you do to honor her; its all for her, John Rodriguez said.

He said being able to share the experience with his mother has strengthened their bond.

Who gets to dance with their mother besides (at) their wedding? he said. So to be able to have this is very, very unique.

He noted that he goes out dancing every week but its usually just to impress the girls.

I try and show off. I never really get to showcase it, Rodriguez said.

Its been a slight challenge transitioning to dancing in a studio, he said.

In a club environment, he said you make smaller steps and focus on not bumping into other people if you spin your partner.

Theres an art to the club dancing, but its completely different than the floor of a studio, Rodriguez said. Here, Im having to be erect; Im having to create a frame.

Asha Rodriguez said there have been times when shes had to say, Watch how you talk to me.

He (John) has no patience, she said, laughing. Its been interesting.

John Rodriguez said, Its definitely a bonding experience. I cherish it.

Were going back a little ways in our routine, Broadus Jamerson said.

Brenda and Broadus Jamerson are now retired following successful careers in public service.

Brenda Jamerson is a retired regional management consultant with the South Carolina Department of Social Services. Her husband is the retired executive director/lobbyist for the South Carolina State Employees Association.

The two are doing a Cotton Club-style swing dance, telling the story of a guy trying to win over a womans affections through their dance to Louis Armstrongs Jeepers Creepers."

Its kind of flirtatious, Broadus said.

He noted that they will be performing some classic moves in their routine, such as The Charleston.

Brenda said while she and her husband are probably the oldest couple in the competition, that hasnt slowed them down.

Ive been having fun, she said.

Broadus added, Like Satchel Paige said about age, If you dont mind, it dont matter.

The couple said they usually have more fun in rehearsals than at home because they are both very strong-minded people and when they practice at home, they are always trying to tell each other what they should work on.

The most difficult part for them, however, has been dancing to choreographed moves, they noted.

Im kind of a free faller, Broadus said. My feet just do what they do.

I know Im not an expert dancer, Brenda added. I just saw this as an opportunity to assist.

All of the proceeds from the "Dancing with the Orangeburg Stars" will go to support OCSD 5.

Clark said last years earnings were put towards building adaptive equipment in playgrounds for physically disabled students, to special education programs in unique subject areas such as poetry and to the STEM curriculum. The district was also able to play for student field trips to the Boeing plant and Fort Moultrie.

 ... the field trip to Fort Moultrie ... complemented what (the students) were studying in school, Clark said, adding that the trip also opened them to new experiences.

More than half our kids had not been outside of Orangeburg County before, he said. It broadens their horizons to a lot of things that they wouldnt ordinarily see.

I worked with state government for 30-something years. I know how funding gets, Brenda Jamerson said. The educators need the money, and I know how important it is for youth to now learn differently than the way we learned going to school.

Broadus Jamerson noted that giving students exposure is key, and changes their perspective on life.

To me, seeing it is 95 percent of it because then you know that it can be done, he said. It does wonders when youre a child to be able to see that and do that.

District Five has been a supporter of us ever since weve been in business, Asha Rodriguez said. Its been wonderful to be able to give back in this way, especially to them.

Her sons went through the District Five school system.

I went to Clark Middle School, my brother went to O-W and I went to Edisto so I see the clear difference between districts, John Rodriguez said.

He said it was hard sometimes to see other schools getting new laptops while others may not have been able to have AP classes.

Without funding, they cant support these big programs, he said. Its very important because when you go to apply for college, youre competing against kids from Dutch Fork High School who have all the money and all the AP classes.

The cost of the tickets for "Dancing with the Orangeburg Stars" varies depending on how close the seats are to the stage. The majority of the remaining tickets are $100, and that includes a catered reception and soft drinks, beer and wine.

Approximately 95 percent of the seats have been sold, but there are still seats available, Clark said. I would encourage anyone who is interested in attending to purchase their tickets early before it is a sell-out.

For tickets, contact Clark at 533-7925 or bill.clark@ocsd5.net.
Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell is asking for more money for his employees, saying an increase is needed so their pay will remain competitive with surrounding areas.

"I am concerned about the safety of this county," Ravenell said.

"Everywhere I look, the crooks from Charleston to Columbia are working together. They are getting smarter and we are still working with the same thing we had 20 years ago. Law enforcement has to move up. It has to be a priority, he said.

Ravenell spoke to Orangeburg County Council members Tuesday night. Much of the sheriff's department was in attendance at the council meeting.

"These men and women you see standing around this wall are here because they are concerned about law enforcement in the county," Ravenell said. "Have we really invested in law enforcement like we should? If we are honest, I think we will have to say no."

The department is stretched thin serving more than 90,000 residents in a county covering 1,100 square miles, he said.

Ravenell said he is concerned about the safety of the county because he might not be able to get a patrol car to an incident in time or get a deputy from Eutawville to Springfield for backup.

In 2016 alone, the department received over 47,000 calls and took over 9,000 reports, he said.

The sheriffs office has eight deputies per shift on four shifts.

Ravenell said the average deputy makes about $27,000. He says this is about $10,000 to $15,000 less than in areas such as Columbia or Charleston.

"I have more deputies in here with bachelors degrees, with masters degrees," he said. "They can go ten miles up the road and make almost double what they are making."

Ravenell said in an ideal world, the department would have about 15 to 20 deputies per shift.

Fifteen deputies per shift at the current $27,000 would cost the county about $1.6 million a year, not including benefits. Each mill of taxes brings in about $250,000.

Council members thanked Ravenell for his information and acknowledged his concerns.

"Everybody wants more, everybody needs more and you have to figure out how to balance that," Council Chairman Johnnie Wright said.

"The citizens want more, but they don't want to pay more. How do we do that jigsaw puzzle, which is the $50 million question, he said.

Councilwoman Janie Cooper Smith said the county does not want its deputies to leave.

"If you want response times to be better than it they are, we have to think about an increase in taxes. That means citizens will have to pay more. To get the best you have to pay more, she said.

Councilman Clyde Livingston said the county needs to look at increasing business license fees.

"A lot of the growth ... relates to the growth of businesses," Livingston said. "I don't think you can go out there and solve this problem by increasing the property taxes in Orangeburg County anymore.

I think you are going to have to look at a business license that transfers this cost to the entities that create the need for this additional funding."

Orangeburg County Administrator Harold Young said council stepped up to do what it can to ensure the department is well funded.

But Young said the county is handicapped by unfunded state mandates.

"Fully funding the local government fund would go a long way towards council being able to help you as well as other county employees as well," Young said.

Young said the state of South Carolina has not fully funded the local government fund in the last six years, even though the state of South Carolina has had a surplus during that time every year.

"That is a big piece as to why council has not been able to do more for as much as we need to do," Young said.

In other matters:

 Council approved third reading of incentives for Kansas-based Trade Wind Energy to build a 75 megawatt 500-acre solar farm.

The company promises an investment of $85.5 million in mostly solar panels. No new jobs are promised. Company officials say construction could begin as early as 2018.

The project, which will be able to provide power to 15,000 homes, will be located on Bowman-Branchville Highway.

 Council appointed Rusty Fogle to the Orangeburg County Fire Commission. Fogle fills the seat of long-time Commissioner Frances Davis, who has retired from the commission.

 Council appointed Kenny L. Gleaton to the Tax Equalization Board.

 Council entered into executive session to discuss a personnel issue and to receive an economic development update.

 Council agreed to buy two vehicles at $29,318 each for fire services under a state contract. The purchase of the vehicles under a state contract will help reduce the cost.

 The county's Criminal Justice Information System will be converted from the current software to a Windows-based system required under state mandate.

Council approved an exemption from its procurement policy exempting it from bidding out the project because the county's entire public safety department is handled by SunGard Public Sector vendor.

The technology will enable officers to handle all ticketing, processing and background checks from within their patrol vehicles rather than going through the dispatch office.

The cost to upgrade and license 94 sheriff's office vehicles with the needed software will cost $1.6 million.

 Council agreed to modify the initial contract with Alabama-based Quality Correctional Healthcare to include the addition of two more medical technicians to provide inmate health care services at the Orangeburg-Calhoun Detention Center. The cost will be about $20,000 more to the original $672,750 contract.

 Council passed resolutions honoring five men who have contributed to economic development and community enrichment.

Orangeburg native Charles S. Way Jr., chairman of The Beach Co.; Dewall Waters, retired owner and operator of Main, Waters Enterprises and the former owner-operator of McDonalds restaurants in Orangeburg, and the late Wallace C. Bethea, a founder, president and board chairman of First National Bank (today's South State) were inducted into the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame.

The late Earl M. Middleton, a business and governmental leader in Orangeburg, and the late Marshall B. Williams of Orangeburg, who was the nation's longest-serving state senator, received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
WASHINGTON -- 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 family's 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 I've said before, Trump's 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 Lewis' 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."

We've 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.

This vision is patently wrong, grievously insulting and guaranteed to ensure that the new administration's support from black America remains minimal. Trump received just 8 percent of the African-American 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 it's 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. I'll straighten it out. I'll 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 Lewis' district.

As for education, black attainment has risen steadily in recent decades; nearly a quarter of African-American adults have college degrees, compared to slightly more than one-third of white adults. The story in home ownership is similar: gains paralleling those of whites, but starting from a lower baseline and thus not having reached full parity.

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 Emanuel's 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: There's more to black America than Ben Carson, Don King, Omarosa and a bunch of huddled masses.
Holiday maker Sara Wilkins (C) of Britain consoles fellow passenger Ebrima Jagne of Gambia after they where evacuated by travel operator Thomas Cook from Gambia to Manchester Airport in Manchester northern England, January 18, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

BANJUL - Gambians and tourists were boarding buses, packing suitcases onto trucks and hiring canoes to flee the capital on Wednesday, as President Yahya Jammeh clung to power on the eve of his rival Adama Barrow's planned swearing in.

Jammeh, a former soldier who once vowed to rule for "a billion years", is refusing to step down, despite condemnation from regional leaders and even the threat of an imminent invasion by West African troops to enforce his election defeat.

Residents in two Senegalese border towns reported heavy troop movements towards the frontier and a Senegalese military source confirmed the build up.

In a sign he is digging in, Gambia's National Assembly has passed a resolution to allow Jammeh, who has been in power since a 1994 coup, to stay in office for three months from Wednesday.

The president's allies have deserted in their droves -- at least eight ministers have so far resigned of whom four quit in the past 48 hours -- and it is unclear how many of his own armed forces will be willing to defend him once his mandate expires.

But many Gambians are not waiting to find out.

At the sandy Bundung Garage bus station in the capital, Banjul, women carrying infants strapped to their backs queued up to get the belongings they had salvaged onto buses bound for the southern border with Senegal.

Men and children sat patiently amid piles of suitcases, rolled up foam mattresses, bags of rice, bottles of cooking oil.

"The last three days we've been submerged," said bus park manager Sonore Momodou Choi, his face shaded from the blazing sun by a fishing hat.

"Normally we load three minibuses per day. This week we're 25 a day, not including the bigger buses."

Jammeh declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, but a Banjul-based diplomat said it wasn't clear what extra powers this would give his forces or if the president even had the authority to enforce it.

Others fled on pirogues across the river that splits Africa's smallest country down the middle.

REFUGEES ARRIVE IN SENEGAL

In a Supreme Court petition, Jammeh said the electoral commission was subjected to "foreign influence" and biased against him.

But the court lacks the judges to rule on the challenge, a situation that would have suited Jammeh well had he won, as he expected to, but which now renders it difficult for him to challenge the poll legally.

In Zinguinchor, in Senegal's Casamance region south of Gambia, a Reuters witness saw 12 children crammed in the back of a van on a beach less a few hundred metres from the Gambian border next to a heap of belongings in plastic bags.

"We were scared by what we saw on the news," explained 14 year old Moussa Camara from Kafotang in Gambia. He crossed over in a pirogue with 27 other family members on Tuesday.

At least 26,000 people have fled Gambia to Senegal fearing unrest, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday, citing Senegalese government figures.

After the British foreign office raised its level of alert to advise against all but essential travel, UK tour operator Thomas Cook started evacuating nearly 1,000 holidaymakers by air on Wednesday. Tourists from other countries followed suit.

"I'd be happy to stay, but the tour operators are saying we all have to leave," said Dutch tourist Art Johnson in Banjul, where the sleepy streets are shaded by palm and mango trees.

The streets around the popular Senegambia resort strip, normally packed with tourists, were mostly empty apart from a few holidaymakers withdrawing money from ATM machines.

"It's a disaster, all my tourists are leaving," said nature tour guide Abou, who optimistically had a pair of binoculars hanging from his neck in the hope of getting a final tour in before everything shuts down.

"But we aren't afraid. Ecowas is coming," he said, referring to the regional bloc that has threatened military action to force Jammeh out if he refuses to go willingly.

The Reuters witness at Senegal's border with Gambia saw a large military convoy with fuel trucks and empty vans for moving soldiers enter barracks late on Tuesday. Several residents said this was unusual. At checkpoints between Ziguinchor and the border to the north, some Senegalese soldiers wore bulletproof vests with grenades in the pockets.
As'ad's Bio

As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants.
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By Azernews





By Amina Nazarli

A Czech delegation led by Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mladek held talks with Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR in Baku on prospects of deepening the energy cooperation.

The delegation was received by SOCAR Vice President Yashar Latifov, who informed the guests about the oil and gas projects implemented in Azerbaijan and the company achievements.

Speaking about Azerbaijans contribution to the European energy security, Latifov said the development of the Shah Deniz gas field made Azerbaijan, one of the worlds oldest oil producers and exporters, the natural gas producer too.



He mentioned that the Southern Gas Corridor, including TANAP and TAP projects, designed for the transportation of natural gas resources from Azerbaijan to Europe has gained international support.

Mladek , in turn, stressed that Azerbaijans oil supplies is very important for the energy supply of his country, and they were closely watching the construction of gas pipelines to Europe as this issue is also important for them.

The parties further underlined the contribution of the Azerbaijan-Czech Business Forum held in Baku on January 17 to the development of economic relations between the countries, and discussed cooperation prospects.

Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on energy cooperation, stated Mladek at the meeting with Azerbaijans Deputy Energy Ministers Natiq Abbasov and Gulmammad Javadov.

They discussed energy relations and necessary measures to expand the cooperation between the two countries.

Mladek informed that the Czech Republic is ready for participation in the construction and reconstruction of oil, gas and electricity facilities in Azerbaijan, supplies of oil to refinery Kralupy, and cooperation in the field of alternative energy.



Energy has traditionally taken a leading role in economic cooperation between Baku and Prague. Azerbaijan is the second largest exporter of oil to the Czech Republic, which meets one third of energy needs of this country.



By providing a significant contribution to the diversification of energy resources of this country, Azerbaijan emerged as an important strategic partner of the European country.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic amounted to $312.02 million in January-November 2016, and $214.17 million of which accounted for the export of Azerbaijani goods to the Czech Republic, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee.



Czech Republic mainly imports Azerbaijani oil, while industrial equipment and consumer goods are exported to Azerbaijan. The country is a reliable partner for Azerbaijan in several fields.

The Czech Republic ranks 12th in the list of main importers of Azerbaijani goods. The share of the Czech Republic in the total export from Azerbaijan totaled 2.58 percent in January-November 2016.
By Azernews





By Nigar Abbasova

Vietnam, the sixth largest oil producer in the Asia-Pacific region, has displayed interest in Azerbaijans participation in development of the countrys energy industry.

The issue was high on agenda during a meeting between Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and Azerbaijans Energy Minister Natig Aliyev in Hanoi.

Dai Quang said that the Socialist Republic, which possesses considerable oil reserves, wants Azerbaijan to continue rendering its assistance to Vietnam Oil and Gas Company in the development of oil fields.

The Vietnamese oil and gas industry is deemed to be the biggest foreign currency earner and a major procurer of imported technology. Crude oil reserves of the country are currently estimated at 4.4 billion barrels, or 630 million tons. Crude oil production reportedly accounts for an average volume of 340,000 barrels per day.

Memos signed by Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and Vietnam Oil and Gas Group PetroVietnam in 2010 and 2015, are the major documents regulating energy cooperation between the sides.

Dai Guang mentioned that Vietnam is also ready to create favorable conditions for import and export operations between the two countries.

Vietnam is ready to export such production as agricultural goods, fishing production, electronics and computers, he said.

The head of state went on saying that the sides should also consider the issue of resuming cooperation in the sphere of education, opening of direct flights between Baku and Hanoi, as well as bolstering ties in the sphere of culture and tourism.

Aliyev, in turn, supported the idea of strengthening ties, in particular in the sphere of energy, science and technologies, culture and tourism.

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Vietnam amounted to $73.2 million in January-November 2016, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee.

The diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Vietnam were established on September 23, 1992. Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Vietnam in 2013.

Currently, the bilateral relations are coordinated by the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, which is also accredited in Azerbaijan.
By Trend





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic in Davos.

During the meeting, the sides expressed satisfaction with the existing cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union in the field of energy.

The current plans related to the Southern Gas Corridor, TANAP and TAP projects, as well as Ionian Adriatic Pipeline were discussed. It was noted that another Ministerial Meeting within the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council will be held in Baku in next month.

They exchanged views on the issues related to the financing the TAP, TANAP and Shahdeniz projects.








By Trend





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with President of Russias LUKOIL Vagit Alekperov in Davos, Switzerland.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed satisfaction with the cooperation between Azerbaijan and LUKOIL company. The head of state said the company`s activity in Azerbaijan has a good history. President Ilham Aliyev highly appreciated participation of LUKOIL company in the projects carried out in Azerbaijan.

Vagit Alekperov said the relations of the company he led with SOCAR has a strategic importance. The president of Russian LUKOIL company expressed satisfaction with the cooperation in various directions.

During the conversation, issues related to the measures carried out regarding the Shahdeniz project, transportation of the oil being produced by LUKOIL in the Russian sector of Caspian Sea through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, as well as prospects of the oil price in the world were discussed.








By Trend





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Chief Executive Officer of Statoil Eldar Saetre in Davos, Switzerland.

Chief Executive Officer of Statoil Eldar Saetre recalled with pleasure his participation in the opening ceremony of the first European Games in Baku, adding this influential event was successfully held. Eldar Saetre said Azerbaijan by hosting European Games defined the standards of these races.

President Ilham Aliyev said cooperation between Azerbaijan and Statoil has a great history. The head of state said the relations has a successful and sustainable character. President Ilham Aliyev said the company`s activity served to development of bilateral cooperation.

During the conversation, issues related to the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli, Karabakh, Ashrafi, Dan Ulduzu, Aypara fields, as well as cooperation between SOCAR and Statoil were discussed.












By Trend





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab in Davos, Switzerland.

President Ilham Aliyev thanked Klaus Schwab for inviting him again to the World Economic Forum. The head of state said fruitful cooperation was created between Azerbaijan and the World Economic Forum.

President Ilham Aliyev said this cooperation was fully compatible with the objective of improving the situation in the world countries.

The head of state said significant measures were carried out in Azerbaijan for ensuring the security and restoring the stability.

President Ilham Aliyev stressed the importance of geographical place of Azerbaijan. The head of state said this factor created opportunity for successful realization of large transnational projects, as well as North-South, East-West corridors and other projects.

President Ilham Aliyev spoke about the ongoing development processes in the country over the last years. The head of state said Azerbaijan entered a new development stage. President Ilham Aliyev noted that impressive measures were carried out in the country for diversification of economy and export.

The head of state said meetings held within the Davos Forum resulted in realization of several important projects. President Ilham Aliyev said the influential international events were held in Azerbaijan over the last years.

The head of state noted that Baku successfully hosted the first European Games.

President Ilham Aliyev described the visit of Pope Francis to Azerbaijan as an example of attention paid to the high tolerance environment in the country.

Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab said there is fruitful cooperation between Azerbaijan and the World Economic Forum, adding that President Ilham Aliyevs participation in the Forum contributed to bilateral cooperation.

Klaus Schwab said he eye-witnessed the strong development during his visit to Azerbaijan and spoke about the beauty of Baku.

Schwab said security and stability in Azerbaijan played a significant role in the countrys development.

He said great work was done in Azerbaijan over the last years, adding that Baku hosted influential international events. The executive chairman of the World Economic Forum highly appreciated the tolerance environment in Azerbaijan.

During the conversation, the sides exchanged views on the issues of mutual interest.












By Trend





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Davos.

During the meeting, the sides expressed satisfaction with the development of relations between the two countries in political, economic and other fields. The importance of the visit of the Ukrainian President to Azerbaijan in terms of boosting relations were emphasized. Active cooperation of both countries in international organizations, as well as always support of each other`s sovereignty and territorial integrity was stressed.

They exchanged views over the boosting cooperation in the fields of investment, energy, agriculture, infrastructure.

During the conversation, issues related to the bilateral and mutual interest were discussed.












By Trend





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with corporate vice president of Worldwide Public Sector at Microsoft Toni Townes-Whitley in Davos.

During the meeting, economic reforms carried out in Azerbaijan`s new stage of development were spoken. It was noted that development of the information-communication technologies was one of the priority fields. The importance of use of information communication technologies in modernizing of the national economy was emphasized.

During the conversation, they exchanged views over the boosting cooperation between Azerbaijan and Microsoft.








By Trend





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with head of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government Masoud Barzani in Davos.

President Ilham Aliyev noted historical and cultural relations existed between the nations. The head of state recalled that Masoud Barzani`s father once lived in Azerbaijan.

Masoud Barzani thanked the head of state for commemorating his father, adding that he recalled with pleasure his memories about Baku.

During the meeting, the possibility of exploring the opportunities for cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government in the energy, trade, export-import and other directions was stressed.

Masoud Barzani said Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government was interested in cooperation with Azerbaijan`s companies over the various projects, adding there were good opportunities for boosting relations.








By Azernews





By Kamila Aliyeva

Iranian and Syrian Deputy Foreign Ministers discussed the latest events in Syria in the context of the upcoming talks in Astana during a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday.

Jaberi Hossein Ansari and Faisal Mekdad met in the framework of the meetings of the joint Iranian-Syrian political committee, IRNA reported.

Negotiations will be held in Astana in order to prepare the ground for a political resolution of the Syrian crisis.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Prime Minister of Syria, Imad Khamis said that Iran and Syria will act like a united front against terrorism, and other countries should follow them.

Khamis made these remarks at a press conference with the First Vice President of Iran Ishaq Jahangir in the cultural center "Saad Abad".

Syrian Prime Minister stressed the need to continue consultations between the Syrian and Iranian officials. Iranian president also claimed that he will continue to support Syrian people and government in the fight against terrorists.

Due to Iran's objections the U.S. were not invited to a meeting in Astana on Syria, said the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani.

There is no reason to invite the U.S. to the negotiation table, said Shamkhani, adding that the United States did not participate in the establishment of a ceasefire and reconciliation of the main parties in this conflict, ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, however, said on Tuesday that he believed it was right to invite U.S. representatives to the meeting.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday that Turkey and Russia had decided to invite the United States to the Astana discussions.

Earlier it was reported that the U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's administration would consider an invitation for peace talks in Astana, when it officially comes, but the country will not participate in any talks on Syria unless the U.S. has a clear vision on the resolution of Syrian crisis.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, talking separately on Tuesday, called liberation of Aleppo and the establishment of the ceasefire important steps in restoring peace and stability in Syria. He also expressed his hope that the forthcoming meeting in Astana will pave the way for the start of real negotiations on Syrian conflict and will lead to the good results.

The main purpose of all friends of Syria is to establish peace and stability as a result of which the Syrian people will decide about their future," added Rouhani.

The meeting backed by Russia, Iran and Turkey will be held in the Kazakh capital on 23 January between the Syrian government and the opposition forces, except for terrorist groups.

The ceasefire agreement came into force in Syria in late December after the Syrian government and the opposition agreed with the mediation of Turkey and Russia. The ceasefire agreement was proposed after the liberation of the strategic city of Aleppo from the terrorists by government forces. The opposition ensured that they will participate in the peace talks in Astana.
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), one of the largest and modern aluminium smelters in the world, today (January 15) held the opening session of its annual Town Hall Meetings at its premises laying emphasis on the companys expectations for the year ahead through presentations and interactive sessions.



The two-week long 2017 Town Hall Meetings being held at the Alba Oasis Hall are being attended by Albas executive management and directors, managers and employees at all levels along with VIP guests .



Speaking at the meeting, Albas chief executive Tim Murray gave an overview of the company's performance in 2016.



"For 2017, Albas expectations revolves around four key topics: Safety Tomorrowland - with diligent commitment and one-team spirit, we can make Safety Tomorrowland true where we achieve a zero-accident work environment; Line 6 Transformation - Line 6 Expansion Project will make Alba the largest single-site aluminium smelter in the world upon its completion, creating lots of new opportunities and challenges," he stated.



"We, also, must strive to continuously do more in order to defeat all challenges; Titan DNA - Cost Reduction is key for the companys future growth and sustainability," observed Murray.



Addressing the employees, Murray said: "The Town Hall meetings have become a key annual Alba event which is being attended by each and every employee. We believe that this platform enables us, the top management, to directly present the companys objectives to our employees and engage them in all our plans."



"Seeing is believing and when our employees know that they are involved in the success of the company, they will have a greater satisfaction level about the workplace," he noted.



"The Town Hall allows us to reflect on 2016 and help us to steer the way forward for further change 2017. We will strive to achieve our expectations for 2017 by continuing to nurture the one-team spirit amongst our people as well as achieve excellence in everything we do," he added.



The Town Hall Meeting was a special initiative introduced by Murray in January 2014 as a way of directly communicating with the employees and update them on Albas performance and goals.-TradeArabia News Service
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Top 3 Female CNN News Anchors You Didnt Know Were Africans CNN is one of the leading news agencies in the world. The satellite and cable news network was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and has been one of the best sources of news for a number of years. It also boasts of the best journalists and presenters all around in media broadcasting. The company is a ...

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Is Oprah Winfrey Married? Husband, Children, Biography, House, Facts Oprah Winfrey is a billionaire philanthropist, talk show icon, producer, actress, and writer. The media icon famously dubbed The Queen Of All Media owns and hosts the highest-rated television program in the media circle. Read more about the powerful television star below. Oprah Winfrey Biography Oprah was born as Orpah Gail Winfrey on January 29, 1954, to a ...

Who Is Arsenio Hall, What Happened To His Talk Show and Why Do Fans Think He Is Gay? He is one of the funniest beings to have graced the comedy constituent of the American entertainment industry. Arsenio Hall has a reputation for the rib-cracking disposition always portrayed in his comedy roles. He is not just a comedian; he is also an actor and a former talk show host for his popular show, The ...

What Is Woah Vicky Famous For and Who Are Her Family Members? Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Woah Vicky is one of those stars that have utilized the internet as a powerful tool to propel themselves to instant fame. The social media space, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc., offers lots of people the right opportunities and potentials to become superstars overnight. Not everyone achieves ...

Where Is Michael Strahan Since His Retirement From The NFL and Who Is His Partner? Michael Strahan is a retired American football player turned media personality. He played the defensive lineman position and holds the record for most sacks in a single NFL season. He also only played for the New York Giants throughout the entire 15-year professional career that saw him win a Super Bowl ring. In February 2014, ...

How Wendy Williams Went From Being a College DJ to Having Her Own Talk Show and More About Her Divorce Wendy Williams is a former radio personality, now talk show host, who is known for her outspokenness and brash no-nonsense attitude. She gained fame and notoriety for her on-air clashes with celebrities before moving on to host her own talk show. Since 2008, Williams has hosted the nationally syndicated television talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. ...

Who is Sunny Hostin? Her Husband, Family & Net Worth Sunny Hostin is no ordinary Latina  American lawyer but also a successful columnist, multi-platform journalist, and social commentator. A happily married woman and mother of two, Hostin is the Senior Legal Correspondent and Analyst for ABC News and co-host of ABCs popular morning talk show, The View. She is a legal expert popularly known as a former ...

Who Is Robert Costa and Is He Married, Who Is His Wife? Robert Costa is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC who is regarded as being part of Americas next generation of journalists. The University of Notre Dame graduate, who is of Italian/Portuguese descent, has been lauded for his fresh political perspectives in an industry full of old heads. In addition to his work listed above, Costa ...

Team Valor Pokemon Go  7 Key Facts You Need To Know Team Valor Pokemon Go  The craze of the new game Pokemon Go is one that took the gaming world by storm sending teenagers and adults alike into a frenzy and one of its teams Team Valor, has proven to be instrumental in making it so. Before the game was created, Pokemon was a cartoon ...

Sheryl Underwood  Husband, Family & Net Worth She is known for her trademark smile which can be described as the brightest and broadest smile ever seen on planet earth. She is none other than Sheryl Underwood the comedian, actress, and TV host whose funny wits has left America in great awe. Although Sheryl has risen to become an important personality in the industry, ...

Team Mystic Pokemon Go: 7 Facts You Need To Know And Signs You Are One Team Mystic of the break out game Pokemon Go is a team that is full of sass and chivalry. With an enchanting monicker, Team Mystic stands out from the rest of its counterparts and deserves to take the crown as champion in the Pokemon gaming-verse. To be a member of this exceptional team of Pokemon battle ...

Exploring Guy Beahms Dr Disrespect Persona, Wife and Why He was Banned Permanently From Twitch Guy Beahm who is popularly known by his online alias  Dr DisRespect, is an award-winning Twitch.tv streamer. He has leveraged on the Twitch platform to become an internet personality that is quite widely known. His online success is just more proof that anyone who is good at what they do can attain celebrity status ...

Critical Facts About Lee Ann McAdoo  The Infowars Anchor Lee Ann Mcadoo is a conservative journalist and television host whose interests in conspiracies and astrology has established her as a famous American reporter. Often referred to as Wonder Woman, McAdoo is a reporter who works for InfoWars.com, a controversial right-wing website run by radio show host, Alex Jones. Who Is Lee Ann McAdoo? Lee Ann McAdoo was born on 7 ...

Millie Weaver  Age, Husband & Infowars Career Millie Weaver is an American model, journalist, political activist, and social commentator. The young and beautiful journalist rose to fame working as a reporter for a controversial right-wing website InfoWars.com. Also known as Millennial Millie, Weaver is a social media influencer with over 100,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel and over 35,000 followers on Twitter. Who Is Millie Weaver and What Is ...

Is Jessica Tarlov Married? What Are Her Height & Weight? Jessica Tarlov is an American political consultant, strategist, and analyst whose influential and regular TV presence has made a popular figure. A good example of beauty with brains, Tarlov has appeared on various TV networks, mostly the FOX News Network where she is known for her liberal views on political analysis and insights. She is also the senior director ...

Who Is Kelly Rebecca Nichols  Alex Jones Ex-Wife? Kelly Rebecca Nichols is the ex-wife of controversial American radio show host, Alex Jones. She got nationwide attention following her divorce and subsequent custody battle with her estranged husband. Nichols, who worked with PETAs public relations department, was herself no stranger to controversies as she was involved in several publicity stunts of the non-profit animal rights ...

Who Is Bree Morgan  Cole Sprouse Ex-Girlfriend And What Is She Up To Now? Although Bree Morgan became famous through the Instagram, she also sapped some dose of popularity from Disneys sweetheart, Cole Sprouse of the Sprouse brothers. She is not only an Instagram star but also a YouTube vlogger whose popularity has long exceeded the ordinary level. Bree is conspicuously prominent on the internet and has her digital savviness ...

Does Vanna White Have Husband or Children, What Is Her Net Worth / Salary? For over three decades, Vanna White has been a household name, famous as the co-host and letter turner of the iconic NBC game show Wheel of Fortune. The talented and beautiful television personality is also an actress with several TV series and films to her credit. Since making her Wheel of Fortune debut in 1982, she has become one ...

Liz Wheeler  Biography, Husband & Net Worth Liz Wheeler is the kind of girl who sets the room on fire whenever she comes around. In this situation, however, she sets our screens on fire each time she appears as the host of One America News Tipping Point. She is, therefore, a presenter, publisher, consultant and a member of the Board of Zoning ...

Betty White  Net Worth, Children & Husband The entertainment industry will remain indebted to personalities like Betty White who brought something extra to the table and kept the world entertained for donkey years. The comedienne, actress, and writer graced the big screens in the early 50s as a show host and has been a delight since then. She is the queen of ...

Is Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Dead or Alive, What Are His Net Worth & Education? Everyone will always remember Bill Nye as the Science Guy. Besides his TV show Bill Nye the Science Guy, he is well-known for his Netflix show Bill Nye Saves the World which started airing in 2017 as well as his appearances in many famous media projects as a science educator. The star studied mechanical engineering ...

Is Cesar Millan Dead, Who Is The Wife & What Is His Net Worth? Cesar Millan is the famous dog whisperer who often stirs up mixed emotions. The Mexican-American is precisely speaking, a dog behaviorist; he has been in the game for over 25 years. His Emmy-nominated television series, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan further pushed his method and tactics into the limelight. The series was produced from 2004 ...

Is Thomas Sanders Gay and Does He Have A Boyfriend? By the time Vine was shut down in January 2017, Thomas Sanders was already popular within and beyond the internet community for his heavy involvements on the online video hosting platform. After the tragic shutdown of Vine impacted on the growing career of the multi-talented personality, he immediately switched over to YouTube where he continued to upload ...

Is Shepard Smith Gay, Who Is The Boyfriend & What Is His Net Worth? There are only a few media personalities who are as bold and confident as Shepard Smith. Apart from his impressive stint at Fox News Channel which includes but not limited to his classic news delivery, upfront stance on virtually every issue and much more; he loves his job as much as he loves his personality. Smith ...

Is Milo Yiannopoulos Gay? His Husband and Net Worth Milo Yiannopoulos is a popular writer, journalist, polemicist, public speaker, and political commentator who is also known as the founder of The Kernel, an online blog. He has been said to be among the list of 100 weird and influential people in the United Kingdom. He appeared on this list as a result of personal beliefs and ...

Does Ryan Seacrest Have A Wife Or Girlfriend, What Is His Net Worth? From radio to television, Ryan Seacrest is a household name and a force to be reckoned with in showbiz. The radio personality, television host, and producer is best recognized as the host of the popular TV talent search contest American Idol. Heres how the media personality who always knew what his lifes ambition was and diligently pursued ...

Is Anderson Cooper Gay, Who is The Boyfriend or Husband? For many, the thought of becoming a millionaire by writing and talking about other people appears unachievable but this is the reality of the prominent American journalist Anderson Cooper who gathered millions of dollars for conducting accurate political analysis and other vital reports on TV. He is the main anchor of the CNN news show Anderson ...

Is David Muir Gay or Does He Have A Wife, What Is His Salary? David Muir is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works for the ABC broadcast-television network and anchors the ABC World News Tonight with David Muir program while also co-anchoring the magazine program 20/20. The Ithaca College graduate, whose show has become the most-watched newscast in America, has covered stories from all across America and the world; reporting ...

Joel Osteen  Divorce Rumors, Net Worth & Family Members Joel Osteen is an American Televangelist, Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church based in Houston, Texas, a husband and a father of two. He is an author of many books, seven of which are New York Times Best Sellers and his televised sermons capture more than 7 million viewers per week and 20 million every month ...

Who Is Todd Chrisley? What To Know About His Children, Gay Rumors & Net Worth Premiered on the USA network in 2014, Chrisley Knows Best is one of the most watched family reality TV shows in the U.S. The series which is currently in its sixth season is centered around U.S real estate mogul Todd Chrisley and his family. The show reveals Todd the patriarch of the Chrisley family as a strict dad who rules ...

Who Is Shannon Bream Of Fox News? Her Husband, Children & Net Worth Shannon Bream who hosts the iconic primetime program started her journalism career in the late 1990s debuting as the evening and late-night news reporter for the CBS affiliate, WBTV. The beauty from America currently works for the Fox News Channel and she is best known for anchoring the primetime program. She also hosts Americas News ...

Is Troye Sivan Gay, Who Is His Boyfriend and What Is His Net Worth? Troye Sivan is an Australian singer and songwriter best known for songs like Happy Little Pill, Youth, Heaven (with Betty Who) and The Boyfriend Tag (with Tyler Oakley) which have all garnered him different awards and ranked on the Billboard Charts. Sivan, who was born in South Africa but now resides in the United States, is ...

Did iDubbbz Have Cancer, Is He Gay and Who Is His Girlfriend Now? iDubbbz is one YouTuber who has made a career out of courting controversy. Renowned for his absurdist channels and comedy video series, the Los Angeles based personality is the owner of two channels, iDubbzTV, and iDubbzTV2, as well as the brains behind comedy video series such as Content Cop, Kickstarter Crap, Gaming News Crap, and ...

Inside Greg Gutfelds Love Story With Wife Elena Moussa and Why Fans Thought He Was Gay Greg Gutfeld is a seasoned American television producer whose career in the media industry has spanned over a decade. He is a man of many talents who makes extra income through comedy, journalism, and editorial works. Gutfeld regularly appears on Fox News Channel as a panellist and co-host of the political talk show The Five ...

Works That Made Bo Burnham A Household Name and How Much He Is Worth Now One of YouTubes first viral stars and the worlds most exciting young comedian, Bo Burnham, has always amazed critics and comedy aficionados alike. Often regarded as the Justin Bieber of comedy, thanks to his fresh looks, floppy blond hair and hoodies, he has a multi-faceted career bigger than many comedians twice his age. It wouldnt ...

Is Louie Anderson Gay And What Is His Net Worth? Louie Anderson has one of the most abstract faces in the industry and equally knows how to use it to his advantage. He is not only a stand-up comedian but also an actor and television host who is known for his distinctive comic wits. Some of his notable projects include Family Feud, where he was ...

Is Don Lemon of CNN Gay, Who is His Partner and What Is His Salary? Don Lemon has risen to become one of the most recognizable faces on CNN over the past few years. The fiery journalist, who anchors CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, is liked and somewhat disliked for his strong and candid opinions on a variety of matters that do not just include politics but also race, significantly, matters that ...

Is Rachel Maddow Gay, Who is the Wife and How Much Does She Earn in Salary? Rachel Maddow is an award-winning American journalist, political commentator, and television news anchor. She is best known for hosting the popular nightly TV show The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Prior to this, she hosted a talk radio program on Air America Radio from 2005 to 2010. As of now, the TV sensation co-anchors MSNBCs ...

Demystifying Pokimane  Her Real Name, Ethnicity & Boyfriend Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Pokimane Thicc is one of those stars who took advantage of the internet to make a name for herself. Given the unlimited potentials which the social media space offers, many people have been instantly propelled to fame just by posting creative online contents. Not only has ...

A Breakdown of Kris Jenners Net Worth, Sources Of Income and Relationships Over The Years Standing outside and looking in, Kris Jenner looks like the oil that greases the wheels of the entire Kardashian/Jenner machine. She has been dubbed a momager and rightfully so because she seems to have had a part to play in the trajectory of each and every one of her daughters individually and the Kardashian brand ...

Pursuits That Brought Liza Koshys Fame To its Zenith and Her Love Life Since David Dobrik Liza Koshy is an American actress who has leveraged YouTube as a platform to promote her comedy while also serving as a television host on occasions. She is talented and funny and has gathered a lot of fans from around the world. Koshy started on Vine in high school and was able to get millions of ...

Alex Aiono Biography  Inside The Life Of The American Singer Not everyone who started from the streets has attained the heights where Alex Aiono is currently. His story could be referred to as the perfect definition of rising from Grass to Grace. He came into the limelight after he started out as a YouTuber, singer, and producer. One fascinating thing about the young YouTuber is ...

Virginia Vallejo Biography And Her Love Story With Pablo Escobar Virginia Vallejo can be referred to as one of the oldest whistleblowers in history after her involvement with Pablo Escobar which made her famous. Over the years, many questions have been raised about her relationship with the drug lord and why she endangered her life to be with him despite his notorious acts. The death ...

Princess Love Bio  Ethnicity, Real Name & Parents For many people, Princess Love is simply Ray Js wife but there is so much more to this feisty lady than meets the eye. She is a star in her own right and has many feathers on her cap. Princess Love is a reality TV star, a model, video vixen, and fashion designer. She and her ...

Who is Papa Franku Also Known As Filthy Frank or Joji, Where is He Now? The social media as we all know today has given people the opportunity to be creative and innovative and at the same time, make something of themselves. YouTube is one of the known social platforms we have today that makes it possible for people to express their God-given talents and post videos they created to ...

Who Is Molly Qerim, How Did She Become a Famous Sports Anchor and Who Is Her Husband? Molly Qerim is an American sports anchor popularly known for moderating First Take, a highly rated sports talk show, on ESPN. Prior to joining ESPN, Qerim hosted Fantasy Live and NFL AM on NFL Network. It is quite obvious that the widely acclaimed television personality is in a class of her own when it comes ...

Safiya Nygaard  Height, Parents & Net Worth Safiya Nygaard is an American YouTuber, writer, content producer, and director who is popular for posting makeup, beauty and fashion videos on YouTube. Her videos regularly top at least one million views, thanks to her lively character as well as her willingness to experiment with outrageous outfits and different beauty products. Here are the things to ...

The Rigors of Sunlen Serfatys Career Journey Until CNN and Fun Facts About Her Personal Life CNN correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty is an Emmy Award-winning journalist known for covering a broad range of breaking news stories, national news, and Washington politics. She has been able to garner widespread recognition for herself which even goes beyond the sphere of her work. Her profile also increased with the extensive work she did in covering ...

Demystifying Jazz Jennings Real Name, Boyfriend & Family Of One The Youngest Transgenders Jazz Jennings is an unusual personality who became famous as a transgender activist and was recorded as the youngest documented public figure to be seen as transgender. She is also a YouTube personality and spokesmodel for brands, her fans, and other transgenders. She fought for acceptance in her high school with her super supportive family for over ...

Inside Fred Armisens Life  Ethnicity, Romantic Relationships and Gay Rumors Fred Armisen is an award-winning American comedian, he is also a writer, an actor as well as a musician. He was a cast member of the legendary comedy show, Saturday Night Live for 13 years and also one of the brains behind the successful satirical show Portlandia. Find out more about this incredibly talented guy ...

Ed and Lorraine Warren Biography: Cases, Kids, and Family Life Have you ever woken up with fear you could not explain, or felt a strange presence that made the hair at your nape rise or even experienced strange occurrences around you? Well, these were some of the promptings that made the well-known paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren delve into trying to explain the ideas ...

Truth About Tony Romos Wife, Kids and Life Since His NFL Retirement Tony Romo grew from the field as a quarterback to the screens as an American Football Analyst. He was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the richest football league in the world (NFL) before retiring. As a junior, he was honored as an All-Ohio Conference Member, an Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and ...

Who is Brittany Venti, The Controversial Game Streamer and YouTuber? In recent times, many people live stream themselves playing video games. This has become a popular pastime on the internet and many highly skilled gamers have become internet celebrities through this means. However, some of them rather than becoming renowned for their gaming skills and great commentary, have become controversial and infamous. A good example ...

Rob Dyrdeks Family: His Kids And Relationship With Wife Bryiana Noelle Flores A multi-talented star and an elite pro skateboarder, Rob Dyrdeks success story began at a remarkably young age. Yet another proof that schooling doesnt always correlate with success, Rob has established himself not just as a phenomenal sportsman but also as a successful entrepreneur. Besides perfecting his skill as a natural talent on the board, ...

xChocobars  Biography and Everything You Should Know About Her Having distinguished herself and recorded massive successes in an industry notably dominated by men, it is very safe to say that Xchocobars deserves all the attention and cash she makes from her career. A household name on Twitch (a smart live streaming video platform), the online-gamer is popularly known for streaming classic games such as Stardew ...

Everything To Know About Mary Padian, Her Boyfriend and Net Worth Mary Padian is a famous American television reality personality best known for her involvements on the Reality show Storage Wars. She also has her own shop called Mary finds where she displays her antique collections. Since her childhood, Padian has been a creative learner. At the time, she used to create new items out of reusable ones and ...

Betsy Woodruffs Family Life: Is She Married or Related To Bob Woodruff? An old name in the world of journalism, Betsy Woodruff has warmed her way into the hearts of many with her impressive talents. Through hard work, Woodruff has carved a niche for herself in a very competitive field. Betsy has strong family and work values and is also an advocate for equal opportunities for everyone ...

Matpat (Matthew Patrick)  Wife, Height & Net Worth As far as internet business is concerned, Matpat remains one of the most dynamic and seasoned figures. He boasts a wealth of experience that has helped him in growing his business from one level of greatness to another. Like most successful people, MatPat started out small but today, he makes millions of dollars from his ...

Facts About Ricegum  His Girlfriend, Real Name & Net Worth Ricegum is an online gamer and YouTube sensation who ditched college; took advantage of the digital era, and made a name for himself on the internet. Though he began as a gaming YouTuber, Ricegum soon gained recognition as a controversial internet star following his many diss tracks. Here is everything you need to know about the youngster ...

Joy Taylor Once Married MLBs Richard Giannotti  Inside Look At Her Love Life and Family The erosion of the sexist idea that women have no business in sports broadcasting created a host of women celebrities who attained fame outside of modeling and acting. One of them, Joy Taylor, a radio personality and TV host for Fox Sports 1, has been in the industry since 2009, becoming one of the most ...

What To Know About Conan OBriens Wife, Kids & Family Today The name Conan OBrien is one that jumps right at you almost immediately you start talking about the most popular television hosts in the USA and this is no surprise because the man behind that name has risen to become one of the most admired men in the business. Known for hosting the late-night talk ...

David Letterman  Net Worth, Wife & Son In all of American, one man whose face has been seen frequently by late night TV talk show lovers is none but David Letterman. The comedian and TV show veteran has been hosting late night talk shows for more than three decades. His Late Night with David Letterman show began on February 1st, 1982 aired ...

Demystifying Sssniperwolfs Family Background And The Boyfriends Shes Had Since she launched her eponymously named channel in 2013, Sssniperwolf has been on the rise when it comes to video game influencers. She is one of the biggest names in the online gaming subgenre of YouTube videos. Real name Lia Shelesh, she started with Call of Duty: Black Ops II but has diversified with other ...

Lester Holt  Wife, Family & Net Worth Lester Holt is a multiple award-winning journalist, newscaster, reporter, and actor who has worked for notable media houses like WCBS TV, CBS, MSNBC and among others. His remarkable feat in journalism has endeared him to the hearts of many and earned him some awards and recognitions. Read on to get acquainted with his biography, ethnicity, ...

What Is Louis C.K. Doing Now, Where Are His Family And How Much Is His Net Worth? It is not easy to make it in comedy. It takes more than a funny bone and the ability to elicit a few giggles from a listening audience. For all the complexities that go into making a successful career in comedy, Louis C.K, the Washington D.C-born comedian, did it. For years, he was at the ...

The Progression of Hoda Kotbs Career, Her Ancestry and Family Life Hoda Kotb gained fame as a television host and news anchor for NBC. She anchors the shows signature show Today, and it has been an excellent vehicle for her skills in front of a camera. Kotb has won several awards, including Daytime Emmys and Peabody Awards. Simply put, she is one of the most successful ...

Jerry Seinfelds Family: All About The Amazing Comedians Wife and Kids Apparently one of the highly important entertainers in America, Jerry Seinfeld is a man of many talents. A very funny man, he is considered to be one of the most successful comedians in the USA who has been in the business as a professional rib-cracker for more than 40 years. As an actor, he has ...

The Rigors Of Sarah Silvermans Rise To Prominence And Rundown Of The Men She Has Dated A comedian, writer, and actress, Sarah Silvermans art and craft is as unique as you would ever find. Her poignant use of comedy to discuss social issues such as race, sexism, politics, and religion has gained her an impressive following. As unorthodox as her style is, so is her life experiences. She previously suffered from epiglottitis ...

Who Is Hannibal Buress, Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend & Why Was He Arrested? Making people laugh when they are tense or not in the mood is a tough order and to ply the trade, it must indeed take some guts and expertise, this is what the humor maker, Hannibal Buress has been able to achieve and sustain after his inital teething process. The African-American is a screen writer, stand-up ...

The Success of John Mulaneys Career Efforts Since His Work On Saturday Night Live and Facts About His Wife John Mulaney had been working as a professional comedian for years before Saturday Night Live changed his status for life and like many who are now his fans, you probably did not know of him then. However, that changed when he joined the sketch comedy show in 2008. Since then, he has been one of ...

Jeff Dunham  Wife, Children and Net Worth Ventriloquism is a very subtle method of making an inanimate object (like a puppet, doll or dummy) appear to be saying words which are actually coming from the person (holding the inanimate object). In effect, the individual throws his/her voice to the puppet and can even appear to be having a conversation with it. Not ...

Ellen DeGeneres  Net Worth, Wife  Portia de Rossi & Parents Ellen DeGeneres is an American female standup comedian who has proven that whatever a man can do, a woman can also do. Since her journey as a standup comedian started in 1981, she has held swirl as one of the finest comedians America and the world at large has seen. She is often referred to ...

Revisiting Joan Rivers Death  The Daughter, Husband & Net Worth She Left Behind Joan Rivers was a renowned American comedian, TV host, writer, and actress. Her brand of comedy consisted of scathing one-liners and no individual or topic is spared. She hosted her own talk shows in the 80s and 90s and was a pioneer for women in stand up comedy. She was the first woman to host a late night ...

The Struggles of Margaret Chos Childhood, How It Influenced Her Career Growth and Love Life Margaret Cho is best described as a comic star who knows how to maneuver everything related to life into a rib-cracking joke. She is also known to criticize every social and political problem, especially those involving race and sexuality. Apart from her talents as a comic actress, she does amazingly well as a singer and ...

Where Is Eric Bolling Today? Who Is His Son & What Is His Net Worth? Eric Bolling who was once a notable figure on Fox News, is an American TV personality, an author, and versatile Journalist. As a political and financial analyst/commentator, he anchored discussions bothering on finance for Fox Business Channel. Here is everything there is to know about his career, family, and allegations that led to his exit ...

Who Is Chelsea Handler and Does She Have A Husband or Boyfriend? Chelsea Handler is one of Americas top female comedians. She is also an actress, writer, television host, producer, and activist. She is known to be very outspoken even with things that are very personal. In separate interviews with The New York Times, Handler revealed that she had an abortion twice when she was 16. She has authored five books ...

How Did Laura Lee Achieve Fame, How Much is She Worth and Who is Her Husband? Laura Lee is a popular American YouTuber, make-up artist and beauty blogger. From posting videos of her makeup routines on Instagram, Lee has transformed into a beauty influencer and a YouTube sensation. Today, her YouTube Channel has over 630 million views and 4.5 million subscribers. Asides having millions of followers across all social media platforms, ...

Madison Gesiotto Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Measurements Madison Gesiotto is no ordinary woman; although she excelled in quite a number of pageants and competitions while she was in school, it is her views on politics and issues in America that has made her name known to most people. She possesses beauty and intelligence in a seemingly equal measure and has been able ...

Who Is Lil Tay? Parents, Brother, Sister, Age, Net Worth, Ethnicity Child stardom is nothing new in the entertainment world. With the advent of social media, we have seen more stars made from the internet than ever before, and Lil Tay is one of them. Her uploaded rap videos trademark is cursing, swearing, cash-throwing, and use of obscene languages. Her fame went wild after she dropped ...

What To Know About Tig Notaros Wife, Kids and Family Today Tig Notaro is an American stand-up comic star, writer, actress, and radio analyst. Since she started her career in 2001, she has become one of Americas best comedians, particularly when it comes to observational comedy. One prominent aspect of her routine involves her family, which includes a wife and two children. Interestingly, Tig Notaro is part ...

Who Is Chantel Jeffries? What To Know About Her Age, Ethnicity & Net Worth Chantel Jeffries is a lady of many talents. Beyond being celebrated as a DJ, she has fared well as a model, an actress, musician, and as an artist. She first rose to fame on Instagram where she has a large following. However, in recent times, she has hit the spotlight for her rumored relationships with some ...

Is Ellen DeGeneres Married, Who Is The Brother  Vance DeGeneres and Family Members? Ellen DeGeneres is one of a kind celebrity in todays world as she has used her wealth for the greater good for many people. She has served a host of famous awards shows like the Grammy, Primetime Emmy and Academy Awards. Moreso, she is probably one of the most decorated entertainment personalities around the world and ...

Carli Bybel Bio  Height, Boyfriend & Net Worth Video blogging is now on the rise and YouTube is the place where most of it happens. If you are a lady who cares about her looks or a guy who likes to help his woman out with her looks, then one person whose name rings a bell when it comes to giving beauty tips ...

Who Is Lexy Panterra? What To Know About Her Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth Lexy Panterra is one of the YouTube personalities whose breakout came through the Twerk dance videos she posted on her social media handles and YouTube which has so far generated over 13 million views for her. From there on, she created her LexTwerkOut workout program in 2014. She is sure very talented as she as moved ...

Who Is AnneMunition? What Is Her Ethnicity & Does She Have A Girlfriend or Boyfriend? AnneMunition is a professional gamer and content creator of American origin. She is one of the most sought-after streamers on Twitch  a popular online platform for watching and streaming videos, especially video games. AnneMunition has almost half a million followers on Twitch and her channel has accumulated at least 13 million views. Her favorite games ...

Norm MacDonald  Former Wife, Son & Net Worth Recently, 59-year-old former Saturday Night Live stand-up comic Norm MacDonald caused a not-so-funny stir when he expressed his personal opinion about the #MeToo movement speaking in defense of Louis CK and Roseanne Barr. Following the backlash of his actions, he is diligently doing damage control for his questionable opinion by posting a public apology on ...

Inside Iliza Shlesingers Life With Husband and How Much She is Worth Now Witty, spontaneous, and truly humorous, Iliza Shlesinger is an American comedian who is clearly proving that the stereotypical claim that women are not really funny is not only incredibly wrong but completely outrageous. Having been in the game for more than 10 years, Shlesinger has grown bigger with each step, stunning fans with her incredible ...

Who Is Nessa Diab? Details of her Parents, Ethnicity & Relationship With Colin Kaepernick Nessa Diab has gained more fame as the girlfriend of different footballers than in her career. She is currently with the popular National Football League (NFL) player, Colin Kaepernick, and has stood by his side during his most trying times. Also known for her mononym, Nessa, she recently engaged in a tweet battle with the ...

Samantha Bee  Inside the Life of Full Frontal Comedian and Presenter We have over the decades seen various brands of humor and personalities who have walked the ropes. One of the formidable forces in the world of comedy is no other than the iconic Samantha Bee of the Daily Show who now runs her own television show on TBS channel. She is a Canadian-American political commentator, ...

What Happened To Jessica Williamss Boyfriend And Which Are Her Best Works? Jessica Williams is a woman who has a lot of feathers in her cap  and keeps acquiring more. The former senior political correspondent of the comic Daily Show, who is also a comedian and actress whose recent movie appearance include starring as a playwright just recovering from a recent split with her boyfriend, Damon, and ...

Who is Nicole Byer? Here are 5 Facts You Need To Know About The Comedian Nicole Byer, an American comedian, actress, and writer, made a name for herself after she played supporting roles on MTVs prank show Ladylike and the reality show Girl Code. The latter was a series that featured comedians who analyzed in minute details, all the issues that young women deal with daily, from period to dating, to weird friendship dynamics and questions about sex. Currently, ...

A Closer Look At Bart Kwans Ethnicity, Height & Personal Life Bart Kwan is one of few Asians who is known for being successful in the comic industry at an international level. His fame broke out after the YouTube channel which he created with his close pal Joe Jo garnered up massive followings. The talented duo has been running the channel since 2007 and their success ...

Heres How VanossGaming Achieved Fame Online, His Worth and Other Facts About The Gamer For many years, the decision to drop out of college to pursue an online career was considered to be foolish and self-destructive by conventional wisdom. It was no different when Evan Fong, popularly known as VanossGaming, dropped out of college to pursue a YouTube career. However, that radical move paid off, and he stands shoulder to ...

Desi Perkins  Ethnicity, Net Worth & Husband YouTube is littered with videos of makeup tutorials by different people but if you are interested in learning how to do your makeup like a pro, there is just one person on that platform who you must follow. She is none other than Desi Perkins! She is a popular make-up artist, Instagram star, and vlogger. Desi, ...

The Phases of Casey Neistats Pursuits and His Love Story With Candice Pool YouTuber, vlogger, filmmaker, and creator extraordinaire; these are just a few hats that Casey Neistat wears and the story of how he got here is incredible. A native of Connecticut, Neistat started out by making refreshingly-authentic short films and videos that featured content that was based on everyday life and called attention to serious issues. He ...

Connor Franta  Inside The Life of American YouTuber YouTube has produced a lot of young celebrities in modern times and Connor Franta happens to be one of them. Apart from being a YouTuber, the young American is also an entrepreneur, entertainer, and writer. His journey to fame began almost a decade ago when he started a self-named YouTube channel where he uploads content ranging ...

Rhett and Link  Bio, Who are Their Wives, Net Worth and Family Facts Rhett and Link refer to an American comedy duo who are very popular on YouTube. They are known for their comic songs, viral commercials, skits and the daily show, Good Mythical Morning. Good Mythical Morning is the most watched daily show online, averaging 100 million views in a month. The show has featured guests such ...

A Walk Through The Maze of Ryan Higas Career Pursuits And Relationship With Arden Cho Ryan Higa is not only celebrated as a YouTube star, but he is also famed for appearing on television screens as an actor and comedian. Nigahiga, his Youtube channel, has gathered over 20 million subscribers and billions of views with his different comic acts, short films, and music videos uploads. With the rise in his career, ...

What to Know About The Shows That Made Craig Ferguson a Star and His Family Ties Rising to the top of your profession can sometimes be a hard and difficult process. It requires days and nights of working consistently hard to be better than what you were yesterday. It requires not giving up when all of your experiences seem to be pushing you to quit. It is because of these challenges ...

David Dobrik Married Liza Koshy for One Month  Inside His Family and Relationships David Dobrik is a YouTube sensation who has garnered fame not just for his vlogs but his love life too. Given his career as a YouTuber, his channel is one place where he shares his romantic escapades. With a cute boyish look like his, this Slovakian young man is definitely a good catch, and not ...

Merrell Twins Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Boyfriend One of the beautiful things about modern life is social media. As rudimentary as it might seem, it could turn out to be the greatest thing that would be invented in the next 50 years because of its impact on human life. Very few tools have revolutionized human behavior and culture as much as social ...

Who Is Bunny Meyer, Is She Married & What Is Her Net Worth? Bunny Meyer is a YouTube celebrity who has amassed over 8.8 million subscribers with 1.5 million viewers on her channel. She is popularly known as Grav3yardgirl and is one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world. She initially started out as a fashion designer and later chose the path of a YouTuber. Grav3yardgirl has used her knowledge on fashion, makeup, ...

Ninja  Inside The Life of The American YouTuber and Internet Personality Ninja is a talented video game player known for his mastery of Fortnite and other seemingly difficult games he plays with ease. The video gamer made a career out of what is ordinarily the hobby of many people and has since then amassed a huge online following. Find out about him here, including the controversies that ...

What Is Eva Gutowskis True Sexuality and How Did She Rise So Fast As an Influencer? Ever since Eva Gutowski joined YouTube in 2011, it has been an interesting journey for her, moving from one milestone to the other. Backed by an army of young women and teenage girl fans known as Evanators, she has risen to become one of the most-talked-about personalities in the digital stratosphere. She has also leveraged ...

Emma Chamberlain Biography  Age, Height & Net Worth Before now, people in the entertainment industry could only achieve popularity after many years of dedication and hard work but since social media came into the scene, massive success and overnight popularity became possible. That is the story of Emma Chamberlain who encountered fame as a fifteen-year-old. Emma is one of the many young people who became ...

Anna Akana  Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth There is a new crop of YouTubers known by their different contents with a very strong uniqueness that stands every one of them out, some upload video games, some fashion while some others have comedy video contents to showcase on their channels. Anna Akana has used her platform to showcase her comedy contents to the ...

Revealing Truths About Lilly Singhs Ethnic Background, Family and Her Relationship With Yousef Erakat Lilly Singh is an Indian-Canadian YouTube personality, actress, and comedian also known as Superwoman. She kicked off her YouTube career in 2010 with the launch of her channel IISuperwomanII and followed it up with a vlog channel in 2011. This paved the way for her fame and success which led to a world tour. The ...

Who Is Andrea Constand, Is She Married and What Is Her Connection With Bill Cosby? Many people got sexually molested but could not voice out due to the stigma victims suffer and what will become of them thereafter. Very few of the victims danm every consequence to seek justice and bring the perpetrator to the book, like Andrea Constand. She never got any media buzz, not until her friend cum molester; ...

Who Is Lazarbeam (Lannan Eacott)? Here Are Facts You Need To Know Lannan Eacott became a person of interest after his YouTube channel, LazarBeam pulled him to the limelight. Initially, he started with uploads of Madden Challenge videos before deciding to build his own channel in January 2015. Within the space of three years, his YouTube channel had gathered over 7 million loyal subscribers. Today, he has not ...

Puzzling Facts About Wengies YouTube Success and More About Her Fiance Among the many YouTubers who have succeeded in winning the hearts of millions of people is Wengie. She is a Chinese-Australian YouTube personality, vlogger, singer, and voice actress. Wengie is famous for a lot of things, from her simple life hacks, DIYs, craft ideas to fun experiments, tricks and pranks. Her content portfolio also includes hair tutorials, diet & fitness tips, lookbooks, ...

Is Jeffree Star A Billionaire and How Much Does He Make On YouTube? If looks can be deceptive then theres no other person who proves this maxim better than Jeffree Star. A quick look at Stars pictures would likely leave you wondering whether or not to tag him a male or female. But who says being controversial has to be a curse? For Star, his looks have caught ...

The Place of Rosanna Pansinos Career Hats In Her Rise To Fame and Facts About Her Personal Life There are a few phrases that could summarize Rosanna Pansinos rise to fame. None of them can do it better than the famous axiom, no knowledge is lost. Her popularity YouTube comes out of her foray into other professions, specifically acting. Although acting now occupies one of the major professional hats in Rosannas resume, it was ...

Muselk (Elliott Watkins) Biography  Age, Girlfriend and Net Worth The new and best in-thing in terms of career is video gaming and we have over time seen young men and women make massive income from an activity that was purportedly designed to serve as a hobby or a relaxation activity. One of such individuals is the Australian-born YouTube Celebrity and Twitch streamer, Muselk, whose ...

PopularMMOs Biography: 5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know We have over the years seen social media millionaires, especially on the YouTube social platform. These celebrities cum millionaires have made names for themselves after carving out niches on the internet, and a typical example of one of such exciting media personality on the YouTube is American Minecraft gamer and YouTube star, PopularMMOs whose channel ...

Jason Nash Once Married Marney Hochman  What To Know About His Ex-Wife and Kids The now-defunct video-sharing app Vine was the path that led Jason Nash to fame. With it, he built an audience of over two million followers, which he parlayed into a significant YouTube career. That move has seen him become one of the most popular personalities on the internet, with the cash income to go with ...

Where Does Dantdm Live? What Do We Know About His Net Worth, Wife and Brother? Most parents buy video games for their kids to occupy their time leisure, while other parents frown at their kids when they play video games. Despite the disparity, every parent would be proud of their child if he/she eventually turns a celebrity or millionaire through playing video games like Dantdm. Biography of Dantdm Dantdm was born Daniel ...

LaurDIY  Biography: 5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTuber LaurDIY is the YouTube channel of Lauren Riihimaki which she created on December 1, 2011, when she was still a college undergrad with the sole aim of giving Do It Yourself (DIY) as well as practical fashion and beauty tips to her followers. She has used the channel to establish herself as a YouTube personality ...

Lachlan Ross Power  Bio And Family Life Of Australian The YouTube Star It is amazing the varied sources of income that the internet has made possible in this day and age. Internet fame can get its holder a whole lot of monetary and social benefits, but it must be noted that it does not come easy or cheap. For those who desire fame, content is the sacrifice ...

Alfie Deyes  Bio and Net Worth: Everything You Need To Know Alfie Deyes is one internet personality you definitely would like to know about. He boasts of over 10 million subscribers on three of his YouTube channels and has three bestseller books to his name. He is probably the most renowned young personality on YouTube today and his vlogging empire continues to grow by the day. ...

Colleen Ballingers Love Story With Husband Erik Stocklin and How Much She Is Worth Now Colleen Ballinger is an American comedian and YouTuber who is a very funny, adventurous, and highly talented woman. She is also an actress, singer, and writer. Collen is widely known for her work on YouTube where she posts content on her channel, Miranda Sings. The comedian has gained many subscribers over the years and has ...

Who Are The Dude Perfect Members and How Much Are They Worth? Entertainment in the 21st century can be digested in many forms and with platforms like YouTube, the creators and purveyors of entertainment have been democratized. Today, one of the most popular platforms to exhibit ones creative talents is YouTube, even though there are other platforms like Twitter, Facebook, who suffer in comparison to YouTube because ...

Who Is Rudy Mancuso, What Is His Earning Power and What Do We Know About His Girlfriend? Rudy Mancuso started his internet journey on Vine. He would later transition to YouTube where he solidified his place among the internets most beloved comedic creators. He is now regarded as one of the renowned internet personalities in the world, with a presence in mainstream TV and film projects like Comedy Centrals Drunk History and ...

Vsauce (Michael Stevens) Biography and Net Worth: All You Need To Know The advent of YouTube and the internet as a whole revolutionized how human beings consume information. With each passing year, the percentage of learning that is done in a traditional classroom decrease as a seismic shift to internet-based learning happens in our education industry. From open courses online to YouTube classes and videos, there are ...

How did Jake Paul Make His YouTube Big Break and Who is His Wife? One of the most interesting Social Media personalities of the 21st century is the young and popular Jake Paul whose elder brother is the famed Vine star, Logan Paul. Jake has utilized the power of the internet to bring himself to the limelight with a channel named JakePaulProductions that has amassed up to six billion ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About Reaction Time (Tal Fishman)  The American YouTuber Before 2015, the leading meaning of reaction time was the amount of time it takes to respond to a stimulus, until Tal Fishman started his channel, Reaction Time on YouTube and the dominant meaning changed. Today, a google search of Reaction Time would deliver Tal Fishmans videos and YouTube channel link with a few physics ...

Grace Helbig  Net Worth, Boyfriend and Family Life of The YouTuber Grace Helbig is an American internet personality, comedian, actress, and writer. She became popular due to her daily vlog series, DailyGrace, which ran on My Damn Channel from 2008 to 2013. Helbig is also popular for her own indie series on YouTube, ItsGrace, which she launched in 2014. Her vlogs which feature random stuff such as ...

Mark Wiens Bio  Ethnicity, Wife and Parents Food is a great way to connect with people. We all love to eat, if not for the pleasure of food, the satisfaction of quenching hunger, and the very process of providing and sharing that food is part of the strongest bonds that bind humanity together. Maybe it is our historical connection to food, where ...

Is Filthy Frank Dead, What Happened To Him and How Much Is He Worth? As George Kusunoki Miller, he was a nobody. However, as Filthy Frank, George was one of the most famous internet personalities on the planet. The Filthy Frank Show, a sketch series on his YouTube channel, TVFilthyFrank, was one of the platforms most influential creations. He is the reason a crazy dance song, Harlem Shake, made it ...

CaptainSparklez Bio  Net Worth, House and Cars of The Famous YouTuber Sometimes, what society wants from its citizens is quite different from what the citizens want for themselves. This is evident in the life and career of video blogger and American YouTube personality, Jordan Maron famous for his YouTube channel CaptainSparklez. He dropped out of school after discovering his talent in playing an online game called Minecraft. ...

Who is Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg)? Here are Facts You Must Know Canadian Youtube personality, Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg) originally started out polishing and designing nails even before it became a trendy culture in the social media. Simply Nailogica started out her showbiz career in her early days as a child actress, acting in commercials for game and toy companies. Aside from acting, she is blogger, vlogger, specializing ...

5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Huda Beauty In the world of entrepreneurship, it is interesting when an individual has a mentor who he/she looks up to, this yield more productivity on the part of the individual. The iconic and rich American beautician and makeup artist Huda Kattan nicknamed Heida is the founder of the Huda Beauty blog which is number one Instagram beauty blog ...

Is Dino MasterChef Gay? Details About His Ethnicity, Girlfriend, Where He Is Now Food, for the better part of the early years of human life, was nothing more than what we needed for survival. There was no artistry or curation to the method of cooking. The scarcity of food left no room for artistic expression until we figured out agriculture and we could make as much as we ...

Who Is Gabbie Hanna And How Did She Become Famous? As the world shifts to digital media and depends more and more on streaming services for its news and entertainment content, YouTubers have become one of the leading creators in the new media world. Their understanding of the online audience: how to create, maintain, and increase followers, are all handy skills that have primed them ...

Jacksepticeye  Height, Girlfriend & Net Worth Jacksepticeye is a YouTuber and actor who gained popularity with a series of gaming videos he uploads on his channel to the delight of millions of his subscribers. He is Known primarily for his comic video game series titled Lets Play and his vlogs. His channel was formerly ranked 46th in the list of most subscribed ...

Chris Heria Personal Details: About His Wife, Height & Ethnicity Background In this generation, keeping fit has become one of the major criteria for being hale and hearty. In fact, most occupations these days are majorly concerned with ones body mass, weight and looks. Unlike the past where most people have to register in a gym to keep fit, social media has made it quite easy ...

Everything You Need To Know About Game Grumps Gaming is becoming incredibly popular on YouTube these days with game vloggers make millions of dollars out of them yearly. One of the most popular up-coming gaming YouTube channels is Game Grumps. The Lets Play series was created in 2012 and celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 18th, 2017. In six years of its existence, the ...

Daithi De Nogla Biography, Girlfriend and Net Worth YouTube has created an avenue for many to make wealth and become famous from the comfort of their homes while having fun. Many have built a career out of the platform, uploading numerous videos that have earned them the admiration of viewers across the globe. For Daithi De Nogla, he is loved for his humorous commentary on ...

Does Phoebe Robinson Have A Boyfriend or Husband and What Do We Know About Her Family? Phoebe Robinson is a New York-based comedian, writer, and actress. She is best known as the co-creator and co-host of the WNYC Studios podcast 2 Dope Queens. Just like some other female comedians, she never had any original plans of becoming a stand-up comedian even though, according to her, she took a class on a whim at Carolines on Broadway. After ...

Who Are Lex and Alana from Listed Sisters? What Is Their Ethnicity & Is the Show Cancelled? America is a country built on diversity. Everywhere you look all over the country, a countless number of immigrants or children of immigrants have become an integral part of the fabric of the country. From entertainment to business, immigrants are creating a niche for themselves and climbing to the summit of their respective professions. One ...

Riveting Facts About Danielle Lombard And What She Is Best Known For The American entertainment industry is one that provides many avenues for aspiring hopefuls to express their talents and become famous. From films to television shows and game shows, there is no shortage of ways for men and women who desire fame to pursue and earn it in the United States of America. Another tested medium ...

Unearthing New Details About The YouTube Success And Personal Life of Alex Burriss of Wassabi Productions Wildly hilarious and truly audacious, Alex Wassabi is an American YouTuber who has become a very popular face on the video-sharing platform after having garnered millions of subscribers over the years by keeping people glued to his channel with his witty parody video releases. If you have always loved parody videos, there is every chance ...

Everything You Need To Know About H2O Delirious H2O Delirious whose full birth name is reported to be Jonathan Gormon Dennis has successfully kept himself mystified by hiding his face behind the masks leaving his loyal fans speculating who he really is for many years. The American YouTube star is easily identified by the Jason Mask Style with make-up which he wears on his ...

Who Is HolaSoyGerman and What Happened To Him? German Garmendia has certainly seen it all when it comes to internet success. His channels, HolaSoyGerman and JuegaGerman are in the top twenty most subscribed channel on YouTube. The Chilean YouTuber found a way to tap into one of the worlds greatest inventions and make a living from it. He has been able to build ...

Who Are Glenn Becks Family, What Is His Net Worth And What Happened To Him? The American political commentary space is filled with different personalities. A few of them, through their rhetoric, charisma, and resources have been able to build a large following of men and women who listen to them for insight and direction for various political and social issues in the United States. For Conservatives, the story is ...

Following Charissa Thompsons Rise Through The Ranks Of Sports Casting and All About Her Boyfriend Superstar TV host and sportscaster, Charissa Thompson, has been hailed as one of the highest-profile women journalists in America, and the reason is there for all to see. She has worked for popular establishments such as Versus, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, GSN, and Big Ten Network. She currently hosts the popular pre-game show, Fox NFL Kickoff, ...

Is Chris Kattan Gay or Does He Have A Wife? What Is His Net Worth? Chris Kattan is a popular American comedian and actor. He has appeared in several comic movies and TV series such as The Middle, A Night at the Roxbury and Bunnicula. Kattan is, however, most popular for his six-year stint as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. During his time on the legendary show, he ...

Everything You Should Know About the Rise of Insta Star Claire Abbott and Why She Gave It All Up A lot of young Americans have shot into the limelight for uploading different kinds of videos on YouTube. Some of these young stars include Connor Franta, Desi Perkins, Emma Chamberlain, the Dolan Twins (Ethan and Grayson), and Claire Abbott. The latter became a social media celebrity for uploading sexy bikini pictures of herself on social media. Apart from ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTube Channel  h3h3Productions H3h3Productions is a YouTube channel that specializes on Comic responses or reactions of other contents or trendy stories. The celebrity couple that created the channel has over time racked up sizable views for their commentaries and contents. Even though they had their own fair share of copyright cases, thankfully they scored an unprecedented victory in all ...

Lilypichu Bio  Height, Brother and Love Story With Albert SleightlyMusical Chang Like most popular internet celebrities, Lilypichu is one of those Twitch streamers who spend their lives on camera. From daydreaming about the possibility of becoming a full-time professional streamer, she grew to live out her dreams on the popular live streaming platform where people play games, make crafts, and showcase their day-to-day activities. Given the rise of ...

KSI  What To Know About His Girlfriend, Brother  Deji Olatunji & Net Worth Assuredly, when Internet inventors Vint Cerf and Bob Khan created the technological masterpiece, they probably did not know how massive the creation will be harnessed by many for different purposes including as a platform for earning money through content creation. One of such person who smiles to the bank regularly today for spending time creating ...

The Interesting Progression and Highlights of Carrie Keagans Career as a Host and Actress Carrie Keagan has garnered huge fame through her various stints on television. She is not just your regular TV host but one with a difference. Keagan has hosted several high profile events and TV shows, including VH1s Big Morning Buzz Live and Fox News Channels Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. However, not many know she ...

The Gist On Elise Jordans Marriages And Her Rise To Prominence Political commentaries tend to be boring when it is handled by someone who does not have a knack for it. However, when you see the likes of Elise Jordan run the same commentary, you will have a lot of reasons to look forward to watching her again as the journalist is well-versed in the field ...

What Is Timmy Thick Best Known For and How Successful Is The Star? Thanks to the internet, many people whose talents would have ordinarily gone unnoticed have become famous. A very good example of this modern-day internet celebrity is Timmy Thick, an American social media star. He became popular on Instagram due to his penchant for posting raunchy pictures of himself. He also often posted videos of himself ...

What Does Heather Storm Do For a Living and Who Is She Dating? Reality Television is a great way to make a name for oneself as well as amass a fortune. Heather Storm can attest to this as she is one of those who have made a name and earned a lot from reality TV. She made her name appearing on shows like Car Fanatics, Awesome Autos, and, ...

Matt Carriker Biography  Net Worth, Wife & Height Unlike your regular veterinary doctor next door, Matt Carriker chose to spice up his noble profession with the unusual. Though he is known to many as a medical practitioner, Carriker is better renowned as a YouTube star and an animal lover. Having recorded huge successes on his various YouTube channels, the vet doctors name and ...

Jillian Mele of Fox News Career Achievements, Husband & Measurements There are quite a good number of presenters on radio and television who listeners and viewers may never wish to miss any of their shows because of their sensational golden voice, beauty or the special way or artistry they anchor their shows. Jillian Mele is one of such. She has been at the top of ...

Who is Gillian Turner of Fox News? Her Fiance or Husband and Net Worth Gillian Turner is well-known as a news correspondent for Fox News Channel but before she became a TV personality, she built an intimidating resume working for different institutions, including the American government. She served in different capacities at the White House National Security Council during the administration of former US Presidents  George W. Bush and Barack Obama. ...

Gloria Govan Bio  Age, Ethnicity & Height Even as Gloria Govan is famous as an American actress, author, a TV host, and reality television star, shes more popular as the wife of the former NBA player, Matt Barnes. She became known after appearing on the Florida version of the reality television series, Basketball Wives and later, Basketball Wives: LA  after Matt was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Sadly, ...

Michael Fishmans Interesting Start as an Actor and Why He Divorced His Wife of Many Years When one door closes, another one opens. As silly as that axiom may seem, it is the story of the resurgence of Michael Fishman, who plays D.J Conner on the popular show, Roseanne. Having played the character for several years as a child actor into his teenage years; when the show originally ended, Michael did ...

Who Is October Gonzalez  Tony Gonzalezs Wife? All You Need To Know October Gonzalez is a popular American TV host and media personality. Additionally, she is also a model. Gonzalez has hosted several TV shows such as Beat Shazam, Entertainment Tonight, and Rachel Ray. She has also featured in several reality TV shows. Gonzalezs fame is not just due to her profession but also because of her ...

Who Is Tony Berlin  Harris Faulkners Husband: His Children and Family Facts Tony Berlin is a popular American media guru. He has variously worked as a reporter, anchor, and producer for some of the biggest TV networks in America. They include CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC (where he hosted the popular Good Morning America). Berlin has now diversified into public relations and owns his own PR firm. ...

The Progression of Gianna Tobonis Journalism Career and Details About Her Marriage to Kyle Buckley Gianna Toboni may not be your ideal newscaster but her unusual reporting is what made her a household name. The American journalist is renowned for her hard-hitting and authentic reportage. A motivator and activist for total press freedom, Gianna loves to explore pervasive cultural issues. Not only does this unique and ambitious journalist call for all ...

Dog The Bounty Hunters Family Including Details of His Late Wife and Kids Popularly known as Dog, a name which he got from the television series, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Duane Chapman, an American bounty hunter, and one-time bail bondsman, went from being convicted for a felony to being a reality TV star. He was brought to the limelight following the capture of the convicted criminal, Andrew Luster in 2003 and this eventually made ...

Vicky Karayiannis, Chris Cornells Wifes Bio, Children and Family The world of showbiz is made up of different people who serve different roles, and function in a variety of capacities, and one of the most important people are those in the background. Publicists are undoubtedly one of these background people yet they are vital to the life and fame of most of our favorite ...

Joe Rogan Has A Step-Daughter and 2 Other Kids With Wife Jessica Ditzel  Meet His Family Joe Rogan is a popular American stand-up comedian and TV host. His journey to stardom began in the late 80s and has seen him host several shows, the most popular is the game show titled Fear Factor. The exciting show dares contestants to face some of their greatest fears and embark on challenging stunts. The ...

Josh Gates and Wife Hallie Gnatovich Have 2 Kids But Who Has the Higher Net Worth? Best known for his explorations and adventures, Josh Gates, is a television presenter with a voracious appetite for seeing the world and the beauties in it. Some of that beauty, however, is in his home, in the form of two children he shares with his wife, Hallie Gnatovich. Not excluded is their marriage which has lasted ...

Holly Sonders Wiki, Plastic Surgery & Why She Divorced Her Husband  Erik Kuselias After trying everything within her capacity to have a low key wedding, Holly Sonders was drawn to the public because of her husbands controversy at his workplace. Well, the two are rumored to be divorced but the article below will give more light on how true these rumors are. Meanwhile, Holly Sonders is yet to ...

Nadeska Alexis Bio  Age, Boyfriend & Net Worth Journalism is one diverse profession that allows the practitioners to choose their area of specialty, build a career on it by reporting the truth and facts which in the long run will distinguish them as deserving commendation and recognition among their peers. Some choose to specialize in political journalism, while to others it is sports ...

Media Platforms Charlamagne Tha God Has Explored and All The Controversies He Has Courted Charlamagne Tha God is an American on-air personality, radio presenter, and more recently, author. He is popularly known as a co-host on New York radios nationally syndicated show, The Breakfast Club, a program he has been hosting alongside DJ Envy and Angela Yee since 2010. However, his early years had no connection to his current career ...

A Look At Jimmy Fallons Net Worth and Family Including His Wife & Kids Sometimes, a childs passion for something is a pointer to what he/she would become in the future. As a child, Jimmy Fallon was literally obsessed with watching the late-night comedy program, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Then, his parents would tape the clean parts for him to watch and later, he and his sister would re-enact sketches from the ...

Kay Adams Biography  Does The Sportscaster Have A Husband or Boyfriend? When you hear the phrase sports enthusiast, women are hardly the first group that comes to mind. Well, thats changing pretty fast. Especially with the rise of female sports analysts and broadcasters like Kay Adams who is famed for knowing more about sports than most men do. And why not, shes paid handsomely for it ...

Ben Shapiros Family  Meet His Wife, Kids and Sister Who is Popular for the Wrong Reasons A multi-talented man, Ben Shapiro is a man of controversial nature, an attribute that has made him an unusual public figure. An intellectual whose career path was clearly defined even before he became a man, the Jewish conservative commentator has always had his way with words. He became popular by sharing his critical and often ...

QVC Shawn Killinger Bio  Husband, Net Worth & Facts To Know Shawn Killinger is a prominent TV personality who has worked her way to the top. Though not initially a journalist by training, she defied the odds and today has established herself as a household name, as well as, worked alongside some industry legends. More than just being a reporter, newscaster, and anchor, heres all you ...

Liv Lo  Dissecting the Ethnicity, Parents and Personal Life of Henry Goldings Wife While many are aware that Liv Lo is the better half to Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding, only a few understand why his beautiful wife appears increasingly endearing to fans. A former model turned TV personality, and fitness star, Liv has an impressive resume which when combined with that of her statuesque spouse is considered a perfect ...

Stpeach Age, Husband and Other Facts About The Twitch Streamer Lisa Vannatta, famously known by her online alias, STPeach is a Canadian video game streamer cum vlogger who has garnered fame through her appearances on different video-sharing/social networking platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Twitch, Reddit, and Twitter. The beautiful lady got her career to a start in August 2015 when she joined the live streaming video platform, Twitch. She rose to ...

Insights into Seth Meyers Wife, Family and What His Net Worth Is Celebrities are mostly remembered and known for the work they do. For Seth Meyers, his career as a comedian, writer, actor, TV host, and producer is his biggest identifier. He was on Saturday Night Live SNL show as a head writer and cast member for more than ten years during which he built a reputation ...

Who Is Jessica Gadsden  Age, Net Worth & All About Charlamagne tha Gods Wife Jessica Gadsden is an American fitness coach as well as a personal trainer. She is better known as the spouse of popular American media personality, Charlamagne Tha God. Charlamange Tha God is a well-known TV and radio personality in the U.S. He has featured in several shows (both on the radio and TV) and is ...

Who Is Collins Tuohy  Michael Ohers sister ? Her Wedding, Husband & Net Worth Collins Tuohy is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, blogger, and social media personality. She is also better known as the adoptive sister of NFL player, Michael Oher, whose life story inspired the Hollywood blockbuster The Blind Side. The Blind Side tells the true life story of Oher who grew up in an impoverished background consisting of a ...

Eye-Popping Facts About The Personal Life And Career Success Of Sportscaster Heidi Watney Heidi Watney is a media personality who has created a niche for herself as a sportscaster. Starting out as a radio presenter, the brilliant young lady has gone on to work for several prominent sports networks, and currently, she is with the MLB. The sportscaster is also known to have been an avid sports lady right ...

Marty Lagina Bio  Siblings (Martina and Rick Lagina), Net Worth and Wife Marty Lagina is an American engineer and businessman who has risen to fame as a reality TV star. This is thanks to his involvement in the adventure TV series, The Curse of Oak Island. The Curse of Oak Island is a long-running TV series which airs on the history channel. The show aims to solve ...

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Germany-based Continental, a premium tyre manufacturer and international automotive supplier, has announced an 11 per cent growth in net sales in the Middle East at its annual regional retail partner conference, held recently in the UAE.



The companys growth in 2016 is a testament to the ongoing support of the brands partners and customers recognition of its high quality of tyres, said a statement from the company.



Continental has also outlined its plans for the Middle East market in 2017, which included opening some 58 new retail outlets across the region, it said.



This increased investment will see a rise in numbers of staff, enhanced storage and distribution facilities and new products designed especially for the region, it added.



With the companys regional partners anticipating the added infrastructure to boost sales, the new stores will give consumers the level of service and tyre expertise they might not expect to find at a standard garage or tyre shop, said a statement.



With highly trained tyre specialists offering advice on the best product to meet their needs, at the new retail outlets customers will enjoy a full range of services, all delivered to Continentals exacting, German standards.



In the previous year, Continental opened a number of new retail outlets across the Middle East, most recently in Egypt and the UAE, to help address the growing demand for the brands ultra-high performance products.



Continental also collected an award for Best Public Awareness Campaign from the Qatar Transport Safety Forum for its efforts in the field of transport safety through its Vision Zero campaign.



Senior executives in attendance at the conference included Dr Hartmut Woehler, head of marketing and sales PLT replacement in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA); Jon Ander Garcia, general manager for Spain and business development for Middle East and Africa (MEA); and Jose Luis de la Fuente, managing director of Continental Middle East.



They were joined by representatives from the companys sister brands: General Tire, Barum, Matador and Uniroyal.



Woehler said: We are very fortunate to have a strong retail network in the region, with partners who truly know what Continental and our customers need.



Our retailers are perfectly placed to better understand the market via their experience and the availability of premium facilities. This conference is a prime opportunity for us to continue to build on our relationships, he added.



Garcia commented: The Middle East region is a key growth market for our company, and our investment in both the region itself and in products designed specifically for the region demonstrates our commitment to better understanding the needs of customers here and to deliver them the quality of service and products that they seek.



Luis de la Fuente added: Our company has gone from strength to strength in the region since opening its Middle East headquarters in 2015, while our collaboration with our partners across the region has grown deeper and more fruitful.



The planned launches across the Middle East for 2017 will give us a strong platform for future growth, he concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
Yokogawa UK has received an order from the British Pipeline Agency (BPA), a leading provider of engineering services to the oil and gas pipeline sector, for a management and control system for a multi-product fuel pipeline system.



This project will replace BPAs existing pipeline management and supervisory control and data acquisition (Scada) systems.



The pipeline system consists of three integrated multi-product fuel pipelines that, altogether, are some 650 km in length and extend from Ellesmere port in northwestern England to the countrys southeastern coast. The pipelines connect to the City of Londons major airports and are a critical part of the UKs infrastructure.



This order is for Yokogawas Enterprise Pipeline Management Solution (EPMS), which will manage functions such as delivery scheduling and oil storage, and the FAST/TOOLS Scada software, which will monitor and control the oil pipelines and related equipment such as compressors.



The EPMS supplements a basic pipeline management system with specific gas and liquid applications that enable a pipeline operator to manage delivery contracts and associated logistics in a time and energy efficient manner. With the Scada system covering monitoring and control, the EPMS will integrate the management of the Scada data.



Yokogawa UK, a subsidiary of Yokogawa Electric Corporation, will be responsible for the engineering, installation, and commissioning of these systems. Yokogawa Europe Solutions will provide support. Delivery of these systems will be completed by March 2018.



In accordance with its Transformation 2017 mid-term business plan, Yokogawa targets the entire energy supply chain. The company is strengthening its efforts to drive up sales by providing solutions for oil and gas pipelines and other midstream applications, a statement said.



Encouraged by its success in winning this order, Yokogawa plans to expand its control business in the midstream applications segment, it added.  TradeArabia News Service
By 2020, 20 per cent of households will run on solar energy, while electric, self-driving cars will make up 90 per cent of all vehicles by 2035, says a report containing 112 predictions released at the World Economic Forum by the UAE.



The State of the Future report, a first if its kind, was released yesterday (January 18) Davos, Switzerland containing forecasts for the future of strategic sectors, such as energy, transport, and space for the next 40 years.



The report was prepared in collaboration with 21 experts from organizations such as NASA, NYU Langone Medical Center, MIT, ConsenSys, and the SENS Research Foundation. It includes forecasts and explanations of trends in seven key sectors such as energy, medicine, and education. The predictions include artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics and drones, self-driving cars, personalized medicine, biological engineering, alternative education, distributed energy, and many more.



Today, we steadily move a step further in our mission to build the future, relying on sound studies performed by a prominent group of experts and specialists exploring the future of key sectors, said Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), as the Dubai Future Academy launched the State of the Future report on the sidelines of DFFs participation in the World Economic Forum (Davos).



These studies will serve as a reference for us as we strive to accurately forecast the trends of the future, Al Gergawi continued. They will also serve as an incentive for all sorts of organizations to start working on solutions for the challenges that will arise in the future.



Working to build a bright future for the UAE starting today is at the very top of our list of priorities. It is a mission that requires in-depth knowledge based on thorough research and studies, and relies on innovators to devise tools and techniques that enable us to find solutions for all the challenges that face our societies, Al Gergawi said.



Highlights:



20 per cent of households to run on solar energy by 2020



In the Energy sector, the report anticipates that by 2020, the electricity generated from renewable sources will be greater than the current combined demand of China, India, and Brazil, which are among the worlds most populous countries. And by 2025, 15 per cent to 20 per cent of households will run on solar energy, while electric cars will make up 90 per cent of all vehicles by 2035.



Plastics in the ocean will outweigh fish pound for pound



In the Water sector, the report states that by 2022, technology will be able to determine the level of contamination in water by tracking the movement of fish. Meanwhile, most of the worlds seafloor will be mapped by 2030, predicts the report, cautioning that sea ice could vanish from the Arctic ocean completely as early as 2040. By 2050, the World Economic Forum asserts that, if we keep producing (and failing to properly dispose of) our trash at current rates, plastics in the ocean will outweigh fish pound for pound.



AR/VR industry to be a $150 billion market



In the Technology sector, the report reveals that the AR/VR industry is drawing millions of dollars in investments and will be a $150 billion market by 2020. The increasing use of artificial intelligence in daily life will lead to machines committing a majority of crimes by the year 2040.



By 2042 Artificial Intelligence will play a major role on companies boards of directors and will be making many of their financial decisions. By 2050, meanwhile, technology will be seamlessly integrated into our homes, with robots cleaning and cooking for us while our furnishings automatically adapt to our body shapes and temperatures.



Cancer screening at home for $20



In the Health sector, the report predicts that a simple, non-invasive, saliva test will be available for around $20 that can detect tumour signatures in a subjects saliva.



By 2026, laboratories will succeed in extending the lives of mice threefold, which could lead to breakthroughs in human life extension shortly thereafter.



Childbirth in artificial environments will come in the early 2040s, where we can optimize nutrition and prevent the exposure of embryos to alcohol and viruses. .



The report also predicts that gene therapies will be widely available and provided by most governments by the late 2040s.



New form of education will be common by 2036



In the Education sector, the report forecasts that all publicly funded scientific papers published in Europe could be made free to access by 2020.



By 2030, advances in chemistry will allow us to use drugs and similar methods to alter and improve our students minds to optimize their brains for learning. Experts go on to predict that over the next 20 years, traditional methods of testing will be abandoned, and we will begin to focus on more holistic assessments.



Hyperloop and faster airplanes



In the Transport sector, the report says that by 2020 the worlds first hyperloop system could be in place in the world.



By 2025, experts predict, personal ownership of cars will be a thing of the past (at least in America).



Hypersonic airliners with a cruising speed of 6,100 km/h and excellent fuel efficiency will enter widespread commercial use by 2030.



According to the report, and shared cars will become a public utility service by 2040.



First colonies on the moon and mars by 2045



As for the Space sector, the report predicts that in 2018, the James Webb telescope will be launched and will be 100 times more sensitive than any telescope that came before it. This will allow us to see the earliest moments in our universes history.



Scientists will be able to scan for any objects within a 330-light-year radius of Earth, the report reveals, while the New Horizons satellite, which flew by Pluto in 2015, will exit the Solar System in 2040.



Furthermore, the report predicts that the first self-sufficient colonies will be established on the Moon and Mars by 2045.  TradeArabia News Service
Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman in the UAE is aiming to boost its current food waste management scheme through the installation of a new WasteStation machine.



Developed and distributed by the UK-based Imperial Machine Company (IMC), the WasteStation is an innovative food waste macerator and dewatering unit. In addition to the hotels existing compost machine which converts its food waste into fertilisers, the newly-installed machine will further simplify the process and cut down the labour.



The hotel generates an average of 360 kg of kitchen waste daily, including fruit and vegetable peels and food scraps, among others. Its previous compost machine can hold up to 80 kg of waste, but the new WasteStation has a capacity of processing 700 kg of food waste per hour. It also reduces the process of converting the waste into fertilisers from 24 hours to just 12 hours.



WasteStation functions by grinding the food waste into fine particles, which are then fed directly into the built-in dewatering system. The WasteStation then forces out the excess liquid from the macerated waste using a centrifugal action.



The resulting solid fraction of the food waste is collected in small, easily managed, lidded bins and the grey water fed directly to drain. The food waste will then be placed into the compost machine which Ramada Ajman had since 2012. The fertilisers are being used in the hotels own urban farm.



Iftikhar Hamdani, general manager, Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman, said: We are proud to be again, the first to have an in-house food waste macerator and dewaterer. We thank IMC for providing us an opportunity to use an advanced system; an existing compost machine has already been in place, but this WasteStation will help improve and hasten the process and increase efficiency in our waste management scheme.



Matt Roberts, vice president for International Sales  GCC, Imperial Machine Company, said: IMC is honoured to partner with Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman, as they are the pioneer in hotel waste management system here in the UAE. We are confident that our collaboration with them will encourage other companies and establishments to step up their food waste disposal procedure, and help them save time and costs, and at the same time, benefit the environment. - TradeArabia News Service
The business formerly known as Emerson Network Power has announced the appointment of Rob Johnson as CEO and officially commenced a campaign to rebrand the standalone company as Vertiv.



Vertiv is a global provider of mission-critical infrastructure technologies for vital applications in data centres, communication networks, and commercial and industrial environments. The company, which is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio (US), has more than 20,000 employees and more than 25 manufacturing and assembly facilities worldwide.



Platinum Equity acquired the business from Emerson in a transaction valued in excess of $4 billion. Emerson also retained a minority interest in the company.



Johnson, most recently an operating partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, spent 10 years at American Power Conversion (APC), a leader in data center infrastructure. He was president and CEO of APC when the company was sold to Schneider Electric for $6.1 billion in 2007. While at APC he also served as general manager of the company's Availability Enhancement Group.



Bryan Kelln, partner and president of portfolio operations at Platinum Equity, said Johnson's leadership skills and technical expertise make him a perfect fit to lead Vertiv.



"Rob has a unique blend of industry knowledge, operational acumen and entrepreneurial spirit," said Kelln. "This is a transformational opportunity for the company and we believe Rob is the right leader to grow the business as we establish a culture focused on speed, innovation and customer service."



In addition to his career at APC, Johnson has worked in executive positions at Consolidated Container Corporation, a provider of rigid plastic packaging solutions.



In 1989, Johnson founded Systems Enhancement Corporation (SEC), a company that created innovative software and hardware solutions for the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) industry. He sold the company to APC in 1997.



"Rob knows the technology inside out, especially in data center environments, and understands what customers need," added Kelln. "He knows what it takes as a CEO to inspire employees and lead a profitable, global enterprise. He's also an innovator who shares our vision for what Vertiv can become as a standalone business."



Johnson said the transition to new ownership provides a unique opportunity for the company.



"It's a fresh start for a business that already has so much going for it. I look forward to working with my new colleagues at Vertiv as we begin this transformational chapter in the company's history," said Johnson. "As an independent company, Vertiv will operate with great freedom to make business strategy and investment decisions, move more quickly like a startup, and focus on innovative solutions for our customers, including those in the growing cloud computing, mobile and IoT networks."



Vertiv will build on the broad portfolio of product and service offerings for power, thermal and IT management capabilities it previously offered as Emerson Network Power, including its industry-leading flagship brands ASCO, Chloride, Liebert, NetSure and Trellis.



Platinum Equity Partner Jacob Kotzubei said that Platinum Equity's M&A and operational resources, and the firm's strong relationship with Emerson, will benefit Vertiv in the short and long term. - TradeArabia News Service


UDrive, a Dubai-based pay-as-you-go rental service, has launched the UDrive for free campaign, offering residents and visitors to Dubai free membership for one month as well as a complimentary one hour free drive, inclusive of parking and fuel costs.



The campaign brings a new smart, cost-effective solution for people who want to try an alternative, simple and flexible way of renting a car. With UDrive, commuters can drive a car from anywhere to everywhere in the city, at any time and only Pay as you drive. As one of Dubais mobility programs with maximum flexibility, UDrive offers its members an opportunity to spontaneously rent vehicles anytime and anywhere without having to specify place of return or time in advance.



Hasib Khan, managing director and founder of UDrive, said: Car sharing has evolved into sustainable mobility with potential for strong growth worldwide. We believe that Dubais Smart Vision, the transient nature of life and the prevailing costs of car ownership makes car sharing an excellent mobility solution. For those who dont want to commit to ownership, or dont have the need for everyday car accessibility, UDrive makes the perfect option, whilst being also a reliable connector to the public transport. We are pleased to be the first public car sharing provider in the Middle East and to be a part of Dubais Smart Vision.



UDrive cars can be booked and paid for via an app, offering Dubais most convenient and affordable car rental options for residents and visitors. Vehicles can be rented at a location nearest to the drivers via the UDrive app or can be reserved for 15 minutes at no extra costs. The cars reserved can be opened using the UDrive app and will need to be activated using the pin provided on the device located in the glove box.



This keyless access through a mobile phone, and the ability to park for free across key RTA parking zones in the city, as well as free petrol, means drivers can go anywhere and at any time.

To join UDrive for free, visit http://www.udrive.ae/register.php. - TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) will see the addition of 30 new planes to its fleet this year, said a report.



The delivery of new planes is part of Saudia's ongoing program to modernise and develop its fleet. By 2020, the carrier's fleet is expected to double to 200 aircraft, said a report in Saudi Gazette.



The new planes include seven Boeing B787 Dreamliners, five B777-300ER planes provided with new suites for first class passengers, 10 A330-30 and eight A320ceo aircraft.



Delivery of the first new regional Airbus A330-300 aircraft is scheduled to arrive at King Abdulaziz International Airport on January 26, it said.



This year, Saudia will ground 18 of its planes, said Eng Saleh Bin Nasser Al-Jasser, director general of Saudi Arabian Airlines.
The outlook for the global aviation industry looks gloomy as a sustained stronger US dollar and low oil prices make travel for overseas customers more expensive, tightening market conditions.



According to a recent report released by rating agency Moodys, rated airlines will see a sharp drop in operating profit of around 11 per cent in 2017 and around 12 per cent in 2018, from a projected 1.2 per cent decline in 2016.

Iata projects the global airline industrys operating profit to decline 17 per cent in 2017 to $48.5 billion, assuming an average Brent price of $55 per barrel, which compares to an average of about $44 per barrel in 2016.



US airline operating profits are on track to decline by about 20 per cent over the next 12 to 18 months due to a combination of modestly higher fuel costs, higher labor costs under new union contracts at American Airlines Group, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Continental and limited pricing power absent sustained increases in the cost of fuel.



Non-US carriers face greater constraints on their ability to improve profitability because they operate in even more competitive markets than their US peers, due to either the growth of low-cost carriers (Asia and Europe) or because air travel is in the growth stage of the industry life-cycle (Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa), where carriers are executing market share strategies.



At the same time, growth in aggregatecapacity will outstrip growth in aggregate demand by about half a percentage point. 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 10.0 per cent, respectively.



Capacity growth is being spurred by the still relatively low cost of fuel, availability of older aircraft coming off leases, growth of lowcost carriers and deliveries of new aircraft that need to be placed in service (primarily in developing markets), the report said.



Passenger demand will continue to grow, supported by modest, but steady, global economic growth and growth of air travel in the developing world, where disposable incomes are rising and air transportation regulations have loosened. The report forecasts aggregate growth in revenue passenger kilometers to decline from an estimated 5.9 per cent in 2016 to about 4.6 to 5.4 per cent in 2017.



The Middle East and Asia-Pacific will continue to lead among all regions, with RPK growth of 9 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively. However, these rates represent declines of 1.8 and 1.9 percentage points in their respective growth rates.



Africa and North America will also see percentage point declines in RPK growth of 1.3 points and 0.7 points, to 4.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent, respectively. Latin America and Europe will buck the trend, seeing increases in RPK growth of 0.5 and 0.2 percentage points, to 4 per cent each.

The news of tighter profits and higher capacity comes at a time when Gulf carriers are facing a challenging environment. Abu Dhabis Etihad Airways was rumoured to be in talks with Germanys Lufthansa for a possible merger, but the newspaper reports were denied by a source in a Reuters report.

At the same time, Emirates Airline revealed this month it is opening up its lounges at its Dubai hub to lower-tier frequent flyer members in what is the latest move by the world's largest long-haul airline to look for new ways to boost revenues. It comes after the international airline reported a 75 per cent drop in half-year profit in November. - TradeArbaia News Service
North Island, Africas most exclusive private islands, has appointed Jonathan Lithgow as its new general manager.



After almost 10 years, Lithgow returns to North Island, bringing with him a wealth of experience, energy and enthusiasm.



Lithgow first set eyes on North Island in 2007, when he joined the team as the Islands food and beverage manager.



Bruce Simpson, managing director, who worked with him at the time said: I am thrilled to welcome Jonathan back to the Island and confident that his leadership will be a great asset to our skilled and dedicated team. From everyone on the Island, we look forward to giving him exceptional support in his new role.



In the interim, Lithgow has developed in-depth knowledge and expertise operating high-touch luxury and experiential products. With over 20 years of hospitality management experience, he has a strong track record of having managed and developed a number of the worlds leading privately-owned boutique hotels located on private islands, in remote wilderness areas and semi-urban environments, including New Zealand, Seychelles and South Africa. Most recently, he spent six-and-a-half years as general manager at Delaire Graff Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa  a five-star Relais and Chateaux property synonymous with wine, art, architecture, gastronomy and hospitality.



Lithgow looks forward to enhancing the guest experience on North Island and building a strong team culture among staff. - TradeArabia News Service
Thursday, January 19, 2017 marks the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Istanbul-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, NEWS.am writes.

January 19, 2017, 09:36 10 years pass since Hrant Dink murder in Turkey

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 19, ARTSAKHPRESS: Dink was the founder and chief editor of Agos Armenian bilingual weekly of Istanbul.

He was gunned down on January 19, 2007 in front of then office of Agos.

In 2011, the perpetrator, Ogun Samast, was sentenced by a juvenile court to 22 years and ten months for the murder.

After long court proceedings and appeals, however, a new probe was ultimately launched in the Hrant Dink murder case, and regarding numerous former and serving senior Turkish officials complicity in the assassination.
Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
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The city of Casper has collected far less sales tax revenue than it expected for two consecutive months, setting the stage for another round of difficult budget decisions.

Sales tax numbers reported in December and January were, respectively, about 15 percent and 12 percent under projections. The total loss of revenue was $373,000 over that two-month period, and the city is now $412,000 below expected sales tax revenue for the current budget year.

Mayor Kenyne Humphrey announced at Tuesdays council meeting that the process for setting next years spending plan would be moved up.

Council usually receives a budget in May to be finalized in mid-June. The current fiscal year ends in June. But assistant support services director Peter Meyers said that the finance office had already begun compiling a draft budget that would likely be presented to council in April and finalized in early May.

This is nothing Ive ever seen since Ive been on council, said Humphrey, who has served three previous terms as mayor.

Earlier Tuesday, city manager V.H. McDonald recommended that council move the annual budget session up by about six weeks. He said the decision was unrelated to the drop in sales tax. Instead it is meant to shorten a process that he said had needlessly dragged on for six months in previous years.

But beginning budget meetings in April rather than May will give council members more time to make difficult decisions if revenue projections for the next budget cycle require more cuts.

Waiting for February

McDonald said that all eyes were on Februarys sales tax numbers.

With the December decline, I told council that one month doesnt make a trend, McDonald said. Then along came January and now we have two months of concern here, so were focusing on the February check.

Three months of this kind of decline (and) we could be looking at lower revenue projections next year.

The citys current budget represents a 40 percent cut over last year, achieved mainly through suspending capital projects, offering early retirement to municipal employees and leaving vacant positions unfilled.

City braces for smaller budgets Between lengthy budget sessions last week, Casper Mayor Daniel Sandoval turned to his city m

But with anemic sales tax revenues and uncertainty about the future of some state funding, Casper would have few options beyond cutting jobs or reducing city services  two steps that were not taken in the last round of cuts.

Another option would be to spend more of the citys reserve fund, which is being drawn down over 10 years under a plan created by McDonald.

Sales tax accounts for 39 percent of the citys budget, followed by mineral revenue from the state at 17 percent.

At the meeting Tuesday, Humphrey said that she was working with the city managers office to clamp down on spending.

Just sticking with essential services and maybe not spending money that we dont have, Humphrey said.

If there is a drop in projected revenue for next years budget, McDonald will recommend to council where to cut spending or suggest that more of the citys reserve fund should be used.

Theres always spending that can be cut, he said.

But McDonald noted that the city was able to make most of the spending cuts in the current budget internally. Another round of cuts could result in reduced services.

We work hard not to cut those services, McDonald said.

Spending decisions

Police and fire account for nearly half of the citys spending, with another 20 percent devoted to streets and operations.

Those four sectors  emergency and essential services  are some of the most difficult to cut politically, and the four new council members elected in November all ran on platforms emphasizing protecting funding for those items.

But setting aside those areas leaves just 30 percent of the city budget.

The only other departments that make up more than 5 percent of the budget on their own are parks and finance.

Other programs like municipal court, community development, code enforcement and the cemetery are relatively small expenditures in the budget.

Sales tax is received on a two-month delay, meaning the drop in sales tax represents low sales in Casper during October and November.

The citys February check will represent December sales taxes, including the holiday shopping rush. The city is expecting $1.65 million, up from $1.43 million in 2015.

McDonald said the gap between the sales tax received during the last two months compared with the projected numbers was not the largest he had seen during his time with the city. The recession in 2008 led to a similar departure from projected figures.

But he said what stands out this year is the sudden drop in October, continued in November, from what had been relatively consistent sales tax during the first five months of the fiscal year.

This move off that consistency  thats the area of concern, McDonald said.

Statewide woes

Lagging sales tax revenue has plagued cities and counties statewide, with collections down 15.7 percent from last year, according to a December report from the states Economic Analysis Division.

Natrona County is down 16.4 percent, or $5.9 million, from last year.

That places the county in the middle of the pack in terms of sales tax revenue, with Weston, Converse and Campbell counties all down over 30 percent and Albany, Crook and Goshen experiencing drops of 5 percent or less.

Only Teton and Washakie counties have collected higher sales tax revenue than last year, posting gains of 5.5 and 0.1 percent respectively.

The drop in sales tax has been driven by a fall in energy prices that pulled down employment numbers in Wyoming and meant fewer of the large equipment purchases by mining companies that typically drive tax revenue.

After layoffs and a drop in rig counts during the spring and summer, the industry appeared to find a floor in September. But royalty payments and severance and sales tax have yet to rebound, despite several hundred energy jobs returning to the state and an increased rig count.

That has strained the state budget, potentially imperiling some of the funding typically given to cities by the Legislature.

Casper budgeted $3.35 million from such funding from the state for the current budget year and expects to receive all of that money.

Whether that funding  known as above the cap  will keep coming next year, though, is uncertain.

The Legislature set aside $105 million to send to cities in the current budget cycle. But while above-the-cap money is meant to come from mineral revenue, the Legislature was forced to use the states savings fund for the current budget cycle.

As Wyoming grapples with a budget shortfall this year, legislators could choose to stop transferring those funds to municipalities.

The Wyoming Association of Municipalities has made its top priority securing the rest of the states current commitment, which includes a final August payment, but what the Legislature will do in the future is unknown.

In the meantime, McDonald said hes keeping his eyes on the February sales tax numbers before making any decisions about Caspers budget for next year.

The budget draft council receives in early April will include revenue projections from city staff for next year and those figures will be able to take into account two more months of sales tax receipts than is available at the moment.

Were waiting and watching, he said.
Environmental advocates are requesting more public involvement as Wyoming faces continued investigation into Pavillion, the tiny town that became a poster child for the potential dangers of fracking.

Wyoming regulators produced a final investigative report in November, refuting federal and local claims that contaminated water in Pavillion was caused by nearby drilling activities. The state also promised to address issues such as pit seepage and water well contamination in the area.

What they did not provide was a timeline.

Advocates like the Powder River Basin Resource Council say they are unclear as to what the state will accomplish in Pavillion and when regulators will begin.

On Tuesday, the Council requested via a letter to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality that the public-private Pavillion Working group be reconvened. The group allowed all interested parties to be part of the discussion, including the Bureau of Land Management and Native American tribes in Wyoming.

The nonprofit also released a consultants critique of the states investigative report Tuesday, outlining ways to address Pavillions challenges, including how the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission should study methane as it travels up through sediment to contaminate water sources.

In response, a spokesman for the DEQ said regulators are currently working on one of the state reports recommendations  further testing of private water wells  which will take place over the next two months, said Keith Guille, spokesman for the agency.

He could not comment on whether the working group would be brought back. In regard to the Powder Rive Basin Resource Councils consultant critique, the spokesman pointed out that the time for public comment has passed.

Well be reviewing that letter and those recommendations and we will be responding directly back to [the PRBRC], he said. Weve had a very open comment period here when we did our draft, which led into the final investigation report, and we are not done investigating. I cant tell you how thats going to look in the future, other than what weve developed now and our recommendations.

The Pavillion case traces back for years in the states history, but the story made national headlines in 2011 when the Environmental Protection Agency linked water contamination to hydraulic fracturing in a draft report.

However, a states investigation, partially funded by the gas field owner Encana, determined the opposite.

Multiple groups contested the states draft vociferously, including the Environmental Protection Agency and local residents. A Stanford University study led by the original EPA investigator on the Pavillion case also refuted the states claims.

Recently a judge decided that a local homeowners lawsuit against Encana will go to trial.

Despite a contentious past and unanswered questions, environmental groups are moving forward with what can be done to address the towns ongoing issues and focusing on how the DEQ and the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission proceed on their promises, said Jill Morrison, an organizer for the Resource Council.

Leaking gas wells are serious, she said. Pit contamination is serious, and the fact that people have these contaminants in their water wells  I think what we are looking for from the state is some scheduling, some specific plans going forward.

Wyoming regulators also did not address the specific critiques laid out by the Councils consultant but promised to keep the public updated on the state reports recommended actions.

We need to review the letter sent by PRBRC and discuss further with DEQ before we can comment on their requests, said Kimberly Mazza, spokeswoman for the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Regarding [the PRBRCs consultant] review and recommendations, this was part of the public response on the DEQ draft. The WOGCC has made their recommendations, and they still stand.

Mazza also said the commission would continue to meet with Encana and oversee the companys efforts.

All that WOGCC does has been and will continue to be public information, she said.
Jane Ifland is joining hundreds of thousands of women and men who will march nationwide on Saturday. She wants all voices to be heard. She wants a say in how she is treated. And she wants to stand against bigotry.

The fact is that while most of the people of Wyoming may think one thing or another, not all people of Wyoming think that thing, said Ifland, the coordinator for the Womens March in Casper. In my high school civics class, what I learned was that the majority governs with consideration of the concerns of the minority.

Ifland said she expects between 200 and 400 people will march alongside her Saturday. The demonstration will start at 200 S. Beech at noon and will end at the Lyric, 230 W. Yellowstone Hwy., where there will be a reception.

Groups including the NAACP, Planned Parenthood and American Association of University Women will be there to recruit.

The event is open to anyone  man or woman, Democrat and Republican  who is opposed to bigotry and support(s) real American values, Ifland said.

While the march may be a place for people who didnt vote for Donald Trump to voice concerns, it also would be an opportunity for people who voted for the president-elect because they supported his presentation on the economy to distance themselves from the bigotry that he has articulated, Ifland said.

She ticked off several examples of what she meant, including Trumps impersonation of Serge Kovaleski, a disabled New York Times reporter; his hot-mic comments about grabbing womens genitals; and his description of Mexican immigrants as rapists.

In November, after the election of Trump, Ifland said she launched the effort with around 15 people who were active in Facebook groups or social justice efforts in Casper. There would the nations capital, but Ifland and her fellow organizers wanted to be able to make their statement here, without having to travel for hours.

Ifland said that in addition to the roughly 300 womens marches taking place across the United States this weekend, she knew of at least five in Wyoming: Casper, Cheyenne, Cody, Pinedale and Lander.

A longtime social justice activist in Casper, Ifland said the march has brought out people shed never met before, who maybe had felt isolated in a reliably red state.

Ive heard any number of times, I thought I was the only one, she said.

Dalia Pedro said she was looking into attending the Cheyenne event, but the distance and her own schedule made her decide against it. Then she discovered the Casper march. She signed up on the events Facebook page, which as of Thursday morning had 213 RSVPs, and she handed out fliers downtown and at the Martin Luther King Jr. march.

Like Ifland, Pedro referenced the president-elect when asked about the reasons for the march.

This is a good way for women to come together and say the rhetoric has been unacceptable, she said. We need to say we are not going to put up with discrimination, were not going to put up with sexism, were not going to put up with hate.

Pedro and Ifland both planned to attend a sign-making party Thursday night at Backwards Distillery where anyone was welcome.

Ifland was still unsure about what she would write on her sign; she was considering Liberty and justice for all. Pedro had already decided on her slogan. Its a quote from Emma Goldman, a political activist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Women need not always keep their mouths shut and wombs open, Pedro recited.

While the march has brought out supporters and participants like Pedro, its also brought out resistance. Ifland said organizers were aware of the potential for counter-protests and of comments made on social media, including those made on a local radio stations Facebook post about the event.

Some of the commenters who were against the march said they planned to bring their guns to the event. One commenter said he would be carrying to protect the city.

Whatever the reason for carrying guns, Pedro and Ifland were not dissuaded.

Im counting on Americans to not inhibit free speech, Ifland said, and Im counting on the police to protect and serve.

I think there is no reason to feel threatened by women coming together to make their voices heard, Pedro said. If they are threatened by that, they really need to re-examine where thats coming from.
CHEYENNE  A Cheyenne sixth-grade teacher has pleaded not guilty to child port charges in federal court.

Matt Bell, 34, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of knowingly attempting to transport child pornography and knowingly attempting to access with intent to view child pornography.

Bell was employed at Henderson Elementary School in Cheyenne. He was placed on paid leave in the fall after school officials learned of the investigation into his conduct.

Court documents say detectives searched Bell's home in October and recovered 87 images of suspected child pornography on his computer.
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 19, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: Significant works have already been done in that direction in 2016. If the tourism indicator dropped by 40% after the April war, by end of 2016 it was possible to change it to 16%. This year, the ministry of economy of Nagorno Karabakh has planned several programs and events which will restore the previous tourism indicators.

Sergey Shahverdyan, Deputy minister of Economy of Nagorno Karabakh told ARMENPRESS in terms of promotion and popularization of Nagorno Karabakh the year will be rather busy.

First, Nagorno Karabakh will take part in a number of exhibitions in Armenia and other countries. In addition, tourism development and promotion festivals will be held in Nagorno Karabakh in 2017.

Deputy Minister Shahverdyan pointed out the wine festival which is due in September. The festival, which will be held for the 4th time, includes ancient and unique winemaking rituals, traditional Nagorno Karabakh cuisine, an exhibition-fair of handicrafts and, of course, an exhibition-fair of wine producers. Shahverdyan mentioned the festival has already become a traditional event not only for Nagorno Karabakh locals, but also tourists.

The mulberry festival is also planned to be held this year. The festival will present mulberry cultivation, mulberry vodka distillation and silk production traditions. Mulberry products such as vodka, jam, raisins and others will be presented during the festival.

Nagorno Karabakh has great potential for tourism development; it is rich with historic-cultural monuments, ancient sites and museums. Nagorno Karabakh stands out with its cuisine, which leaves no tourist indifferent. The Nagorno Karabakh mulberry vodka and the Zhingyalov hats [a type of flatbread stuffed with finely diced herbs and green vegetables] seem to have become a trademark, Shahverdyan said. Nagorno Karabakh attracts tourists by its magnificent nature, the hospitality and warmth of locals, friendly atmosphere. Tourists from Russia, USA, Iran, France and Great Britain frequently visit Nagorno Karabakh. Diaspora Armenians are also among the tourists to visit the country.

The ministry of Diaspora of Armenia, declared 2017 to be Nagorno Karabakh year. Tourism is an important component of this initiative, and in this context, Nagorno Karabakh is actively collaborating with the Diaspora ministry of Armenia.
A Wyoming House bill that would require schools to buy insurance for their buildings advanced Wednesday, two days after education lawmakers briefly discussed and approved it.

House Bill 27 is sponsored by the Select Committee on School Facilities. It would mandate that the board of trustees for school districts across Wyoming buy a policy or policies for property insurance covering all education, administrative and transportation facilities owned or maintained by the school district.

The measure was approved unanimously Monday by the Houses education committee.

Oftentimes, school districts, if there is damage to their buildings ... rather than fight with the insurance companies or wait for processing of claims, they just go right to the state and ask for funds to repair the damage, said Rep. Hans Hunt, R-Newcastle, during the committee meeting. This bill, he said, would mean districts would have to go through their insurers, rather than turn to the state for funds.

Rep. David Northrup, a Powell Republican, said a number of districts have already used some of the money they receive from the state to pay for insurance. How many districts have insurance, and through what means, wasnt clear, though. Northrup added that he knew of at least one district that told the school facilities committee that it did not have any insurance.

They do not have to report whether they carry insurance, he told a lawmaker who incredulously asked whether districts dont have to tell the state if they have coverage for their buildings. So we have to tell them through statute.

Kelly Eastes, the spokesman for the Natrona County School District, said Wednesday that the school buildings here are insured.

Jed Cicarelli, who works for the state Department of Education and was at the committee meeting Monday, said he wasnt aware of a state pool of funding that would cover insurance. He added that he wasnt sure how many of the states 48 districts would be affected by the bill.

The funding model does provide a set amount ... for central office miscellaneous costs, he said, which is essentially anything besides salaries and benefits. So there are resources allocated for things like insurance.

Eastes said that the money provided for miscellaneous costs is how Natrona County insures its facilities. A school official told the committee that the Wyoming School Boards Association has an insurance arm that provides insurance to districts. Twenty-eight districts go through the WSBA for insurance, officials said. If the bill becomes law, it would become effective July 1.
EDGEMONT, S.D.  Two BNSF Railway employees have been struck and killed by a train near Edgemont in southwestern South Dakota near the Wyoming border.

A company statement says the accident happened around 10:15 a.m. Tuesday.

The scene is just north of where the tracks cross under U.S. Highway 18 near Edgemont. BNSF operates a rail yard on the east side of Edgemont.

The railroad's statement says company officers are responding to the incident and will release more details when they are able.
GILLETTE  The former secretary at an elementary school in Wright has been accused of taking an estimated $11,000 from various school accounts.

Shannon L. Thompson was bound over for trial Wednesday after Circuit Judge Wendy M. Bartlett found probable cause to suspect her of felony theft.

The money was noticed missing from the school and the student council after the school did an audit of its accounts.

Thompson resigned from the Cottonwood Elementary School in May 2015. Authorities said she was responsible for depositing money from school vending machines and student council funds raised from various fundraisers.

Thompson's attorney, John Miner of Casper, disputed the case against her, arguing that prosecutors had not proven probable cause to determine if Thompson should stand trial.
CHEYENNE  A bill before the Wyoming Legislature aims to improve the quality of palliative care across the state.

Palliative care is an approach to medicine that focuses on the symptoms of patients with serious illnesses through a team that often includes pain management specialists, counselors and spiritual advisers.

Palliative care is often administered when someone is dying. But sometimes it can be used in non-life-threatening conditions in coordination with a physician who is treating the underlying disease, said Jason Mincer of the American Cancer Societys Cancer Action Network, which supports Senate File 88.

Most people do not know what palliative care is, Mincer said. And once they find out, they want it.

Palliative care varies across Wyoming.

SF88 creates a group that would be called the Wyoming Palliative Care Advisory Council to look at palliative care deficiencies in Wyoming, said Sen. Charlie Scott, the bills sponsor.

The bill would require the council to educate the public, doctors and other medical providers about the care. They would also help the Wyoming Department of Health in evaluating the quality of palliative care and advise the Legislature when laws need to be changed to help patients.

Because pain management often involves highly addictive medicine, the council would have to talk with police about how to ensure the medicines are being used for legitimate purposes.

Scott, a Republican from Casper, relayed the story of his wifes death five years ago.

After a prolonged illness, Scotts wife realized aggressive medical treatment was not working. She decided to end medical treatment and she just wanted to be comfortable, Scott said.

She began receiving services from Central Wyoming Hospice. The hospice organization, her physicians and her priest worked together to treat pain and council her as she accepted death.

Thats probably the toughest decision any of us is going to have to make, Scott said. Sometimes its a blunt recognition that medical science has to offer everything that medical science has to offer. And it happens to all of us.

In addition to Scott, SF88 is sponsored by Sen. Fred Baldwin, R-Kemmerer, and Reps. Bill Henderson, R-Cheyenne, Mark Kinner, R-Sheridan, Dan Kirkbride, R-Chugwater, Charles Pelkey, D-Laramie, Andy Schwartz, D-Jackson.

On Wednesday morning, SF88 passed the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee. It now proceeds to the Senate floor, where it will need to pass three votes, before heading to the House.
CHEYENNE  Many of the Wyomingites who will attend Donald Trumps presidential inauguration said they are honored to witness the swearing-in of the Republican businessman as commander in chief in the nations capital.

Gov. Matt Mead will join Wyomings congressional delegation and at least two dozen other Wyoming Republicans in attending the inaugural events, which include the swearing-in ceremony on the National Mall, the inaugural parade and the inaugural balls.

It not only has great historical significance but also represents the peaceful transition from one president to the next, which is the hallmark of our democracy, said David Bush, Meads spokesman. Events like the inauguration are good opportunities for Gov. Mead to meet members of the incoming administration, discuss Wyomings priorities and show love of country.

U.S. House Rep. Liz Cheney said Wednesday that she would be at the inauguration and criticized the dozens of House Democrats who have said they are boycotting Trumps inauguration.

She said she had sat on the platform behind the podium at President Barack Obamas inauguration in 2009, even though she didnt vote for him or agree with his policies. She also sat on the platform in 2001 when President George W. Bush won the office after an extremely close race.

It was moving to see the country come together to swear in the new president after such a tough election, she said.

I dont have a problem with those 40 members of Congress never voting for a single thing Trump wants to get done, or publicly criticizing or attacking him, she said. But I think its really dangerous when you start to see people say, Well, were going to stay away and were not going to be there for that transfer of power. Because thats just so much at the heart of who we are.

There are two official black-tie soirees Friday night  the Liberty and Freedom balls. There are events before the inauguration, including a gathering of the Republican National Committee, which was expected to meet in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday.

Wyoming GOP Chairman Matt Micheli will be attending the RNC meetings, during which the party leadership will select a new national chairman, since current chairman Reince Priebus is leaving to serve as Trumps chief of staff.

On Friday, Micheli said hes been instructed to board a bus at 5:30 a.m. to travel to the swearing-in ceremony, which begins four hours later. At noon Eastern, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. will administer the oath of office to Trump on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Micheli said hes debating whether to go to the ball. He may meet up with old friends who live in the Washington area, he said.

From Casper, Bonnie Foster  chairwoman of the Natrona County GOP and director of the New York business moguls Wyoming campaign  said she will attend with her husband.

Also from Casper will be Judy Catchpole, former Wyoming superintendent of public instruction, and Bruce Hinchey, president of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming and former Wyoming House speaker, who will attend with his family, Foster said.

Im anticipating seeing protesters, Foster said. But thats nothing new.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators were expected to descend on Washington this week. There will be a womens march in response to Trumps comments about females. Marijuana activists are planning to distribute joints, and members of the American Federation of Government Employees are organizing a union march.

Supporting the inauguration will be 15 soldiers and airmen from the Wyoming National Guard. Two photographers will document the event, and 13 members of the Air National Guards 153rd Security Forces Squadron will assist with keeping people safe.

From Jackson, Jan Larimer, a former leader of the RNC, will attend, Micheli said.Foster said she is beside herself that she gets to take in a historic event.I am thrilled this girl who grew up on a farm gets to go to the inauguration, she said. I wish my dad was alive to see I could do this.Star-Tribune staff writer Elise Schmelzer contributed to this report.
CHEYENNE  A Laramie County district judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Gov. Matt Mead, attorney general Peter Michael and legislative leadership over the Wyoming Capitol reconstruction and other contracts in the state.

Judge Catherine Rogers 30-page order, signed Jan. 12, concluded that the plaintiffs did not have genuine rights and interests to sue.

The plaintiffs are Gerald Gay, a former Casper Republican lawmaker, and Karl Allred, a Uinta County resident who said he worked at a gas plant during a news conference last year focused on the litigation.

The attorney representing Gay and Allred is Drake Hill, spouse of former Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill, who tangled with many of the same people named in the suit.

The suit disputed as unconstitutional the legislation that created a group of state leaders to oversee the Capitol Square Project, the hiring of JE Dunn Construction of Kansas City, Missouri, as the general contractor, the leasing of three buildings in Cheyenne to house state agencies as the Capitol undergoes restoration, and the competitive process of $690 million in state contracts.

Gay and Allred argued they had the right to sue because they are Wyoming citizens, and Allred said he was representing all Wyomingites.

The judge looked at previous cases, including one from the U.S. Supreme Court, and determined they did not demonstrate they had been personally harmed by the construction.

In the present dispute, Plaintiffs attempt to attack the unconstitutionality of the Wyoming legislation, yet they have failed to demonstrate that they have existing and genuine rights or interests at stake with that Legislation, Rogers wrote.

While there is a process for Wyoming residents such as Allred to sue on behalf of state citizens, it was not used in this particular suit, she found.

The judge further ruled that Gay could not sue as a member of the Wyoming Legislature, since the suit was not cleared by the entire Wyoming Legislature. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, the federal appellate court that oversees Wyoming, has determined legislators can sue, but they must be authorized by their respective legislative body, Rogers wrote.

Of course, this caveat does not preclude an individual legislator from bringing a suit to redress a personal injury as opposed to an institutional injury, she wrote.

The judge acknowledged that there are instances in which she could relax the legal requirements that related to whether Gay and Allred had a right to file the case, based on a concept known as great public interest. Since she was being asked to decide whether the state was following the Wyoming Constitution with the Capitol reconstruction and other state contracts, there may be great public interest.

But there are other cases that conflict with the public interest concept. Both the plaintiffs and defendants cited cases that supported their positions, forcing the judge to rely on guidance from the Wyoming Supreme Court in 1974, which said courts must use caution. She ultimately decided she could not proceed with the case.

That is not to say that the subject matter of the case is not of great public importance, she wrote. Rather the Court finds that under the (Supreme Court) analysis discussed above, the Plaintiffs have not and cannot demonstrate that they have a genuine, tangible interest at stake in this proceeding.

Response

Gay, in a message in the Star-Tribune, said: We will appeal Judge Rogers ruling.

The Star-Tribune left a message for Hill at the Hill Law Firm in Cheyenne, seeking comment, and Allred. Neither called back.

Mead and lawmakers named in the suit said they were happy it was dismissed.

The governor is glad that the court had the opportunity to hear arguments and to thoughtfully consider the allegations of the complainants, said Meads spokesman, David Bush, in an email.

Senate President Eli Bebout also cheered the judges ruling.

The Capitol Building Restoration Oversight Group, a collaborative effort between the Governors office and the Legislature, has worked diligently and faithfully to restore and improve Wyomings historic Capitol complex for the benefit of Wyoming citizens, Bebout said in a statement. With this ruling, we move one step closer to the Capitol Square Projects successful completion with one less frivolous distraction.

Democratic legislative leaders were also named in the complaint.

Im relieved, said Mary Throne, a former Democratic representative from Cheyenne who led the minority party in the House. I think it was the right decision.

With Rogers order, issued during the 2017 Legislative session, the legal wrangling has come full circle.

Drake Hill filed the suit on one of the last days of the 2016 session. A process server had entered the temporary building in 2016 where lawmakers have been meeting during Capitol reconstruction with a large box of lawsuits. He tried to deliver copies of the complaint to each lawmaker who was a plaintiff.

At least one legislator received a suit from him before he was directed to leave the suits with legislative staff.
The Armenian side is engaged in the case involving blogger Alexander Lapshin, but, now, it is hard to predict because we realize that the Aliyev regime in Azerbaijan is out of the international game.

January 19, 2017, 16:39 MFA: Armenia is engaged in case involving blogger that visited Karabakh

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 19, ARTSAKHPRESS: Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Shavarsh Kocharyan, told the aforesaid to reporters, after Thursdays Cabinet meeting, NEWS.am reports.

Its apparent that this is a most blatant violation of both the freedom of movement and the right to freedom of expression, added Kocharyan. There is a respective reaction from various organizations and countries, alike.

After his visits to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in 2011 and 2012, Russian-Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin was blacklisted by Azerbaijan.

In June 2016, however, he paid a visit to Azerbaijan, but with a Ukrainian passport. Subsequently, he issued several articles criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities. Afterward, the Azerbaijani authorities issued an international search for this famous blogger.

And on December 15, 2016, he was detained in the Belarus capital city of Minsk, and based on this international search.

Baku demands his extradition to Azerbaijan, and for visiting Artsakh.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, however, spoke against such extradition.

US Department of State also has reflected on this matter.
I would like to state my support and pride in our public schools. Wyoming is blessed with quality public schools and dedicated educational professionals. I am a proud product of public education and have a daughter in one of our states best school districts. Donald Trumps nominee for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, is disturbingly unqualified to lead our public schools. She has absolutely no credentials making her a fit for the position. Her lack of qualifications was on full display during her confirmation hearing. From failing to convincingly support students with disabilities to her absence of understanding of the difference between proficiency and growth to her willingness to cut federal funding from our public schools, Devos has shown her lack of support for, and knowledge of, the very institution she is charged to lead. We should all strive to make education the best it can be. DeVos record has not demonstrated her intent to do this. Instead of working to support and improve public schools, she has literally made it her lifes mission to completely destroy public education. She makes no secret of this. She has said that public schools are a dead end. I reject her assessment of public education. Public education was not a dead end for me and it wasnt a dead end for the overwhelming majority of Americans who used public education as the springboard to a better life. Our public schools are the lifeblood of our rural towns and cities and are a source of community pride. Our students, our committed public school teachers, and our communities deserve someone who will fight for the best public education system possible instead of continuing a crusade to dismantle it. We need someone who will work with our public schools, not be an adversary to them. DeVos led her fight against public education in Michigan. It has not produced the results she guaranteed. If that is the direction she wants to take the nation I say no thank you. I prefer Wyomings first-rate public schools.
It sounds as if Wyomings public schools are going to be short on funds this year. It should be noted that the state has 3 million acres of state land that is set aside to support education. These state lands are school sections. That being the case, it would seem there is a simple solution to this problem. It costs ranchers $6.19 AUM (per cow per month) to graze state lands, but to graze that same cow on private land in the state would cost $19.17. In other words, the state loses $13 on one cow per month that grazes on our state lands. These state land grazing fees have been set by our state legislators and the State Land Board -- many of both being either ranchers or connected to that industry. It is shameful that our ranch-a-lator legislators do not raise the price to graze our state land. After all there is no difference in the forage. So while our children and schools suffer, I see no effort or inclination on the part of our ranch-a-lator legislators to solve the shortfall by increasing the grazing fees on our state land even though it would go a long way toward decreasing the deficit our schools are now facing. Also much of our state public lands are not accessible to the public, and these ranchers are selling our wildlife.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Jan. 19 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.
Americas newest jet fighter, the F-35, will return to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base with other military planes for air-show training in February, D-M says.

The Heritage Flight Training and Certification Course, which allows civilian pilots of historic jets to practice flying in formation with Air Force planes, will take place at Davis-Monthan Feb. 9-12, with aircraft and personnel scheduled to arrive Feb. 7-8 and depart Feb. 13, D-M said.

Aircraft flying in this years training will include the F-35 Lightning II, the F-22 Raptor, the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the A-10C Thunderbolt II, D-M said.

Historic aircraft will include the P-51 Mustang, the P-47 Thunderbolt, the P-38 Lightning and the F-86 Sabre. The number and types of Heritage aircraft are still being finalized.

The F-35, the nations controversial, multi-service stealth fighter, officially flew at D-M for the first time during Heritage Flight Training last year.

D-M recently was passed over as the preferred site to base a new Air Force Reserve F-35 unit.

The Heritage Flight Training event is not open to the general public, and most maneuvers are performed over D-Ms airfield, but at times local residents will be able to see and hear the planes coming and going.

The F-35 and F-22 are generally louder than the A-10 and most other aircraft that are based or fly regularly at D-M.
The Arizona Supreme Court will hear oral arguments next month in a case that challenges a 2016 law that allows the state to withhold shared revenue from Tucson if it continued to destroy seized firearms.

The Tucson City Council opted to temporarily suspend the practice late last year after Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich demanded the council repeal its 2005 ordinance requiring the destruction of most firearms seized by Tucson police. The state said Tucsons gun destruction violates a state law that requires operable firearms that are seized to be sold to licensed gun dealers.

Shortly afterward, Brnovich asked the court to cut off the citys state aid. Tucson receives about $115 million a year in state-shared revenue.

The states highest court set a date of Feb. 28 for the hearing but has taken the unusual step of not accepting jurisdiction in the case.

This is the first test of a new state law giving Brnovich the power to pressure cities to change policies he believes contradict the wishes of Arizona lawmakers. The law, known as SB 1487, allows the state to withhold state-shared revenues if Tucson refuses to repeal its legislation. This case began when state Rep. Mark Finchem, an Oro Valley Republican, filed a complaint with the state about Tucson destroying seized guns.

Tucson has petitioned the Supreme Court to allow the challenge to SB 1487 to be first heard in Pima County Superior Court.

The Tucson Police Department has destroyed 4,820 guns turned in by residents or seized from crime investigations since the beginning of 2013, city records show.

The court has also ordered both the city and Attorney Generals Office to submit legal arguments on six core issues testing the constitutionality of SB 1487 and whether Tucsons ordinance defies existing state law.

Written legal arguments are due by Feb. 15.
Hundreds of Southern Arizona residents will brave chilly weather Friday to see Donald Trump become the nations 45th president.

Republican National Committee member Bruce Ash of Tucson is already in Washington, D.C., excited to watch Trump take office.

Been working eight years to get to this place, Ash said.

Republican strategist Christine Bauserman got her inauguration tickets directly from the Trump campaign, a reward for her service as a field director in Southern Arizona.

Bauserman said she is particularly excited to attend the Inaugural Ball.

Tucson resident Pamela Anderson has been active in politics since Ronald Reagan, but Friday will be her first presidential inauguration.

She said will visit relatives who live in the D.C. area, but she is also looking forward to reconnecting with the friends she has made while working on the Trump campaign since before the Republican primary.

Some high-profile Arizona politicians plan on attending the inauguration. They include Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, U.S. Reps. Martha McSally and Tom OHalleran as well as Gov. Doug Ducey and state Treasurer Jeff DeWit.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, however, plans on staying in Tucson for the remainder of the week  an act of defiance against the incoming administration.

He announced he would meet with constituents to discuss the expected repeal of the Affordable Care Act rather than attend Trumps inauguration.

McSally and Grijalva, through their congressional offices, each gave out 177 tickets that they received for the inauguration, with McSally contacting other congressional offices asking for any extra tickets.

As of Wednesday, McSallys office had given away 184 tickets through a lottery system.

An aide for McSally said the office received nearly 500 requests for inauguration tickets.

Local architect Mariano Rodriguezs support for Trump during the campaign season brought him brief international attention, as news crews crowded in his living room to better understand why he, as a Mexican immigrant, was supporting Trump.

His enthusiasm for Trump hasnt waned  but Rodriguez and his family will be watching the inauguration from the comfort of his home. He attempted to get tickets from McSallys office but didnt make the cut.

Nadia Larsen, another high-profile Trump supporter, also will be watching the Trump inauguration on a television screen. She had dozens of Trump signs stolen from her front lawn before the vandal was caught.

She said she put family first over politics, helping a family member move.

Locally, Republicans have plans to celebrate the inauguration with at least two events Friday:

An inauguration breakfast is being held at Dickeys, 7850 N. Oracle Road, at 6 a.m. Friday.

A party is also planned at the Viscount Suites Hotel, 4855 E. Broadway, starting at 5:30 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.

The day after the inauguration, Tucsonans will march as part of a nationwide protest against the new administration.

The gathering here in support of the Womens March on Washington will begin in Armory Park, 221 S. Sixth Ave., at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The walk, to show support for womens rights and diverse communities, begins at 11 a.m. and will end at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library in downtown Tucson.

A solidarity rally will be held from noon to 3 p.m. in Jacome Plaza.
Ahead the Manila summit, Philippines social movements, unions, indigenous groups, farmers organisations and international activists mobilised to protest against the two-day annual meeting.

Here in Papua New Guinea we should be similarly outraged as the same reasoning applies.

Civil society mobilised to protest against the meeting. There are cogent reasons why people were so angered by APEC and what it represents.

IN NOVEMBER 2015, Manila in the Philippines hosted an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.

But why were so many people in the Philippines and around the world infuriated by the APEC summit?

Here are four reasons:

Firstly, over the years, APEC economic development has worsened poverty and inequality while strengthening corporate power.

APEC pushes free trade, deregulation and privatisation in the name of building economies in the Asia-Pacific region. But the claimed benefits of neoliberal globalisation promoted by APEC have been empty promises for poor and working people.

While APEC economies swell and transnational corporations reap major profits, the purported trickle-down of wealth and increased opportunities for those who need them most has never been realised. Poverty, inequality, and misery havent decreased as promisedthey have increased.

Only the big nations are reaping the rewards of globalisation under APEC, not the Philippines," said Teddy Casino, former member of the Philippine Congress and a leader of the Peoples Campaign Against APEC and Imperialist Globalisation.

After years of unequal development, groups in the Philippines and beyond united to reject more of the same policies that destined so many people to poverty and marginalisation.

Second, APEC listens and responds to corporate interests not to the needs of workers, farmers and indigenous people.

As APEC leaders met with global corporate shakers, the demands of the Philippines indigenous people and working class continued to fall on deaf ears.

Its appalling that our own government was much more willing to listen to foreign investors in the APEC summit, said Datu Jomorito Goaynon, spokesperson of a protest known as Manilakbayan.

Third, poor and homeless people were detained in the name of cleaning up Manila for APEC.

As the Philippines aimed to put its best foot forward and show off its developmental gains to visiting APEC leaders, Manilas poor and homelessamong the global losers of APEC policieswere rounded up and taken out of sight ahead of the summit.

Over 140 street children were rounded up in what the government called rescue operations in the week leading up to APEC. At least 20,000 homeless people were removed from the streets of Manila. Road closures across the city put the chaotic city into a tranquil state for arriving world leaders while creating transit challenges for locals.

Fourth, APEC economic doctrine promotes resource exploitation and environmental destruction.

While APEC 2014 put climate change in the spotlight, many of the blocs economic policies have had negative impacts on the environment and threaten to worsen climate change.

Trade deregulation promoted by APEC has enabled massive corporate sell-offs of land and increased the ease with which transnational corporations can exploit resources and open mining concessions around the world, often with grave environmental impacts for local communities who dont see any economic benefits from the projects.

In the Philippines, mining corporations mostly from Australia and Canada have been granted massive permits for millions of hectares of land to extract minerals and precious metals.

We all know this means further poverty, destruction of the environment and incessant militarisation in areas where resistance against development aggression flourish, said Datu Jomorito Goaynon.

Fifth, the cost of the APEC summit was huge, and Filipino people bore the brunt of it.

The Philippine government allotted a budget of over US$200 million, a huge amount for a country whose GDP is about US$330 billion.

Whats more, total costs to the economy were considerable as a result of the government shutting down factories and declaring national holidays and cancelling over 1,000 flights to avoid airport congestion during the summit.

As Francisco Tatad asked in a Manila Times article, Should a sizable number go to bed without food, just because they were laid off their daily work by the great economic summit?

What can we expect in Port Moresby next year?
During last years McKinnon-Paga Hill sponsored study tour of Australia, Daniel, Martyn Namorong and I didnt discuss bringing PNG arts and crafts for our Aussie friends.

The two gentlemen you see in this first picture are Hon Glen Elmes MP, the local member for Noosa in the Queensland Parliament, and Tony Wellington, the mayor for Noosa Shire, proudly showing the gifts of sand paintings donated to them and the people of Noosa by Daniel Kumbon and his wife Julie.

I am sure this rings true the moment you see the images accompanying this story.

I READ somewhere that our brain can process images 60,000 times faster than it can process words - and that images can convey ideas which stick with us much longer than the words on a page.

However, of my own accord, I brought gifts of highlands bilums of different styles and, without me knowing it, Daniel and Julie did the same. They brought bilums, caps and two large sand paintings that vividly depict the Engan culture.

Keith and Councillor Ingrid Jacksons home in Noosa was filled with excitement and hilarity when Daniel, Julie and I presented our gifts at the second of two receptions hosted by Keith and Ingrid.

We also presented copies of our books to our Aussie friends. In this picture Ingrid is showing off her gifts.

A hilarious moment came when Daniel handed over Enga caps and a few of the Australian gentlemen had to strain their head muscles to wear them. Everyone burst into laughter to see too small caps perched on the heads of Glen and Keith.

Glen, Tony and everyone who attended the receptions were lovely and cheerful people. Amongst them was Deborah Carlyon, a Simbu-Aussie descendant and author of Mama Kuma: One woman, two cultures. I was very happy meeting my wantok and chatted with her about her Sinasina origins.

The receptions were the most enjoyable moment of my trip, even though I was down with terrible flu on the first evening.

My heartfelt thank you goes to Glen Elmes and Tony Wellington for receiving us and giving us special recognition at the political level, which made our visit more meaningful and significant.

Thanks to Keith, Ingrid, Ben and Becky for everything that they did for us. Their hospitality was awesome. Ben Jacksons management of the whole week was exceptional, especially for a young man. I could see Keiths pedigree in him.

Thank you to the many friends in Brisbane - Rob Parer, Bob Cleland, Bernard Cordon, Murray and Joan Bladwell, Lindsay Bond, Patrick Hynes and others including the Brisbane Writers Festival organisers and big Ted and his brawny boys at Donation-in-Kind for treating us with generosity and kindness.

Thank you also to the friendly Air Niugini ground staff both in Moresby and Brisbane and the flight crews. They all made our tour of Australia smooth and enjoyable.

One thing that made my heart cry while I was in Brisbane, and even to this day, is that apart from Ben Jackson most of our friends and patriots of our cause are in their older years.

What will happen to our relationship after these people are gone? Every time I think about this, my heart cries. I would be happy if more young Australians come on board and strengthen the relationship.

Although I didnt bring a boomerang home for my children to keep as memorabilia of my visit to Kangarooland, we left our footprints behind and I would like this tradition of art and culture exchange to continue to build strong relations between writers and politicians of our two countries.

PS: This article should have appeared in PNG Attitude some time ago but my old desktop PC on which I wrote it decided to go into sleep and only recently came back to life. Nevertheless, better late than never.
A Canadian province's regulations that shut out American-made wines are being challenged by the U.S. trade representative.

British Columbia began allowing the sale of wine in grocery stores nearly two years ago. Under the regulations set by the provincial government, grocery stores could choose two options: The "wine on shelf" option that allows only for the sale of wine produced in British Columbia or another alternative, "store within a store," that would permit stores to sell British Columbia and imported wines.

The U.S. Trade Representative learned grocery stores in British Columbia are utilizing the wine on shelf option, not the most expensive store within a store option.

Supermarkets that use the store within a store option must operate a separate "wine store" with its own cash registers. Such a limitation isn't in place for the cheaper, B.C. friendly wine on shelf option.

Michael Froman, the U.S. trade representative, called British Columbia's rules "discriminatory."

"Canada and all Canadian provinces, including B.C., must play by the rules," Froman said.

Froman's office filed a challenge to the World Trade Organization. Consultations between the United States and Canada will aim to find a solution to the issue. If an agreement can't be reached, the WTO may establish a panel to settle the dispute.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand praised the U.S. Trade Representative's action to challenge the B.C. regulations.

Gillibrand, D-N.Y., serves on the Senate Agriculture. She's also been a major proponent of New York's wine industry, including wineries operating in the Finger Lakes region.

"I hope this is only the first step for USTR as they work to expand access for U.S. wineries to all Canadian provincial markets, and work to ensure our New York winemakers can sell more of New York's great wines to tourists visiting our communities," she said.
OPINION: "While we may not always agree on the path to take, in our discussions its clear that we all want a similar result: excellence in education at TVUSD. To achieve this goal, we need to vote 'yes' on Prop 494," writes Thomas Trask, a candidate for the Tanque Verde Unified School Distr
U.S. Rep. John Katko and nearly 50 of his congressional colleagues are urging President-elect Donald Trump to include "robust funding" in his budget request to combat harmful algal blooms affecting Owasco Lake and other bodies of water throughout the country.

The letter signed by Katko, R-Camillus, and 46 Democrats and Republicans was sent to Trump this week. The members of Congress highlighted the impact of harmful algal blooms, including a three-day period in 2014 when Toledo, Ohio residents went without drinking water because toxins from an algal bloom were detected in the water supply.

Members of Congress noted that there has been research conducted on harmful algal blooms, but more needs to be known about why the blooms occur and its impacts.

The letter cites a study released by three federal agencies this year that revealed toxins were found in 39 percent of single samples taken from lakes across the country.

"To make tangible progress toward understanding and addressing the threats HABs pose to human health and our economy, we ask that you prioritize a strong and coordinated federal response in this year's budget request with robust funding allocated for HAB-related work," the members wrote.

Katko, whose district includes all of Cayuga County, stressed the importance of federal funding for Owasco Lake.

Algal blooms in Owasco Lake have been a problem for years, but recently posed a potential public health risk when blue-green algae toxins were detected in the city of Auburn's and town of Owasco's drinking water systems.

The toxins remained below the health advisory levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency, but the revelation concerned local officials.

Katko said it's important to protect water infrastructure throughout the country, including Owasco Lake.

"Part of doing so means conducting further research so that we can fully understand the threats posed by the harmful algal blooms that have affected Cayuga County," he said Thursday. "I urge the president-elect to prioritize this issue and allocate the necessary funding to help maintain safe drinking water across the nation."

Earlier this week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced more than $2 million would be provided specifically for Auburn and Owasco to upgrade drinking water systems.

Cuomo also mentioned Owasco Lake when proposing a $2 billion clean water infrastructure fund that would support project in communities across the state.

Katko praised the state's action and highlighted his advocacy for more funding at the federal level.

"Owasco Lake's troubles, along with a host of other examples around the country, point to the need to improve our water infrastructure," Katko said. "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."
Help India!

By Shafeeq Hudawi, Twocircles.net

The Malabar rebellion of 1921 occupies an important place in Indian history, and apart from historical records, the graveyards of the heroes of the rebellion are the only surviving memories from that era. However, for the past number of years, these graves have been paid no attention, and are on the verge of being obliterated altogether.

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To ensure that such a day does not come, Malappuram-based Madin Academy has launched a project to ensure that they are renovated, and looked after. According to reports, there are tombs of more than 150 graveyards of Mappila fighters in Malabar. Mappila refers to the Muslims in Malabar, the northern part of Kerala, who were killed in Pookkottur war during the Mappila rebellion against British rulers. As part of Khilafat movement, Malabar witnessed a series of mutinies against British and Hindu landlords in 1921.

Some of these graveyards have more than 10 bodies. A graveyard in Poocholamadu region at Vengara has 80 dead bodies buried without any last rites during the bloodshed rebellion.

The restoration project will be implemented with the assistance of historians, local activists and political leaders in the region.

Overgrown with weeds, these tombs remain on plots of various private individuals. The tombs of the fighters are in dire need of preservation. Only an effective intervention will give them a salvation, said prominent historian and former Vice Chancellor of University of Calicut Dr. K K N Kurup.

As per the plan, Madin will constitute a team of academics. This group, according to Madin Academia for Research and International Studies Communications Director Umer Melmuri, will hold a survey of the tombs in order to identify the unmarked graveyards.

Our plan is to maximum make use of the local historians and activists to accomplish our mission, Umer said.

Details of the martyrs will be written on the tombs and memorials will be built if possible. Hundreds of martyrs, according to Umer, were buried together without final rites after they were shot dead by the British army.
Kenya Airways starts flower exports to Australia in revenue diversification binge

Kenyas national carrier Kenya Airways has started exporting cut flowers to Australia as it looks to diversify its revenue streams.

According to a market research conducted, Sydney and Melbourne were identified as key markets for Kenyan flowers. KQ Cargo is targeting to lift over 30 tonnes of flowers into Australia per month as part of revenue improvement in the ongoing Operation Pride.

The airline has partnered with Australias largest airline and flag bearer Qantas Airways.

Commenting on the new service, KQ Cargo sales manager Patricia Odida noted that Kenya Airways flourishing relationship with the Australian airline has enabled the success of the new service to uplift flowers via Johannesburg into Sydney and Melbourne.

This is a major game changer for Kenya, in terms of increasing trade exports of flowers to nontraditional markets. This partnership opens up the Australian market for exporters and is a business opportunity for us to generate revenue, she said.

Previously exporters relied on other carriers, but when we got into an interline agreement with Qantas, we have seen the market grow and demand is steadily increasing. We are now working on an additional gateway through Bangkok.

KQ Cargo continues to pursue more opportunities in the fast-growing flower business in the Far East countries including China.

www.kenya-airways.com
The summer tends to be a slow time in the news business. As The Citizen's political reporter, it's usually tough to come up with story ideas because Congress isn't in session and the state Legislature has already wrapped up for the year.

In August 2013, that changed.

I received word that President Barack Obama would be coming to central New York later that month. He would launch a college affordability tour that would take him to a handful of stops in upstate New York.

What I didn't know early on is that the president would be spending the night in Auburn.

What a whirlwind two-day period that was. I covered Obama's speech at Henninger High School in Syracuse. Once the event concluded, I headed back to Auburn. I couldn't take my usual route back to The Citizen's office because law enforcement officers had Route 34 blocked off. Obama's bus would roll down Route 34 to the Holiday Inn, where he spent the night.

I made it back to The Citizen shortly before Obama's bus arrived. There was a large crowd gathered on North Street, which was shut down. I spotted Assemblyman Gary Finch, a Republican, in the crowd. In talking with some people and overhearing other conversations, it was clear that it didn't matter whether you were a Democrat or a Republican. You came out to see the president visiting your hometown.

I didn't sleep much that night. I stayed up late posting stories and uploading photos and videos. I woke up early  maybe 4 a.m.?  the next morning to head to the Harriet Tubman Home. We heard that Obama may venture out and visit a local site.

A crowd gathered at the Tubman Home in hopes of a presidential visit that never came. We had reporters stationed throughout the city, including at the Seward House Museum. Obama did venture out. His lone stop in Auburn? The YMCA.

Thankfully, our readers weren't shy about sending us their presidential photos. People who were inside the YMCA at the time of Obama's visit snapped photos. That was helpful.

Obama's bus rolled out of town shortly after his workout. I remember being tired, but as you usually do in this business, I plowed right through. Once my stories were completed, I took a nap.

There was a lot to learn from that experience. It was my first time covering a presidential visit. I had covered former President Bill Clinton's appearances in Syracuse during the 2010 and 2012 campaigns, but that was different.

It helped prepare me for what was to come the following year, when Vice President Joe Biden visited Auburn to attend his niece's wedding.

Here's a detail that hasn't been reported: We knew for nearly a week that Biden was going to attend. There was chatter. We used other sources for confirmation. I reached out to the vice president's office and a deal was struck: They would give me information on Biden's visit and we agreed to embargo publication until exactly 3:20 p.m. Saturday  shortly after the start of the ceremony.

On the day of the ceremony, I ventured over from The Citizen to St. Mary's Church. (We stood across the street.) Biden arrived and our photographer at the time, Sarah Jean Condon, snapped some great photos (including the one at the top of this page) of the vice president.

I went back to The Citizen to update my story. I returned a short time later to wait for Biden's exit. When Biden left the church and entered his vehicle, I overheard a dispatch over one of the Secret Service radios. He was heading to "the diner."

Hunter's Dinerant, to be exact.

The diner was owned by Biden's former in-laws. His late wife, Neilia Hunter Biden, grew up in the Auburn area. He and his family have made many return trips even after Neilia died in a car crash in 1972.

Biden's visit to Hunter's was short, but he did take time to order a milkshake and pose for photos. After his motorcade departed, we went inside. The folks at Hunter's were still surprised. The owners shared several photos with us.

The Biden experience was less of a whirlwind, mainly because his office was more forthcoming with information and we knew a lot beforehand. Also, it wasn't an "official" visit. Biden didn't give any speeches or make any other appearances while in Auburn. So, that made it a looser affair. He attended a wedding, visited a local diner and that was that.

Both experiences, though, were memorable. There's nothing quite like covering a presidential (or vice presidential) visit. No matter who it is  Democrat or Republican  it's an important moment whenever the president or vice president visits your area.

Tomorrow, there will be a new president and vice president. Donald Trump has visited central New York twice in the past three years. As president and a lifelong New Yorker, he could make a swing through the region again. Will he stop in Auburn? It's not a crazy thought.
By Twocircles.net Staff Reporter

Control Arms Foundation of India along with Multiple Action Research Group and Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network inaugurated its Delhi Women Support Centre on January 14 with the aim of providing relief, rehabilitation and legal assistance to survivors of racial and sexual violence.

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This support centre will also act as a place for regular interaction, discussion on women rights, human rights, livelihood options, government schemes, and most importantly provide psychological support and handholding for legal assistance to individual women victim of sexual violence and racial discrimination. The centre assumes functions as an intermediary between authorities and communities.

Control Arms Foundation of India has been working in the field of addressing gender-based violence and especially sexual violence in conflict areas for the past 5 years.

Control Arms Foundation of India is fully committed to the realisation of gender equality as there is no sustainable development and peace without addressing the needs of the women and fulfilling their human rights, Binalakshmi Nepram, General Secretary, Control Arms Foundation India, said at the inauguration.

In a conversation with Twocircles.net, an official at CAFI said that the centre will have trained woman counsellors, including a psychiatric and a legal expert and this centre to provide immediate support to the victim of sexual violence and racial discrimination.

Talking about the goals of the organisation for the first few years, the official said, We feel the immediate steps to be taken soon after an incident of sexual violence are immediate medical, legal and psychology assistance. Due to the lack of such proper mechanisms, most of the cases of sexual violence go unreported.

The one-stop crisis centres are supposed to provide just this. However, this has not been implemented. These centres are not working in the designated manner. It is after knowing this gruesome situation that we decided to open one of our own in the Delhi, he further added.

A centre in Delhi also is the need of the hour, given that the number of rape cases registered in Delhi rose 284% from 572 cases in 2011 to 2,199 in 2015, the official said.

Delhi reported the highest rate of rapes in 2015  23.7 per 1,00,000 population. The conviction rate of people accused of crimes against women in the country stood at a dismal 21.7% last year and 35% in Delhi, often dubbed as the rape capital. Crimes against people from North-East living in the national capital have increased by around 270% in two years. Of the total number of cases registered in 2015, there were eight cases of murder and two of attempt to murder, 14 of rape, 16 of molestation and as many as 21 cases related to obscenity and stalking.

The support centre is just one of the many ways of tackling this issue, the official said. We will work closely with lawyers to make people aware of the existing laws and schemes. We also plan to work with women at the community level, student groups to sensitise them about gender-based violence. At the same time, we will continue to work with policymakers to ensure that effective laws are made for the protection and promotion of our women.
Help India!

By Rajnish Singh

New Delhi : Global terror network Islamic State mostly recruited educated Indian Muslims belonging to middle income groups, according to a confidential National Investigation Agency (NIA) data that breaks a common myth that radicalised youth are mostly impoverished illiterates.

Support TwoCircles



As per analysis of the data accessed by IANS, 28 of the 52 arrested Islamic State suspects were in the age group of 18-25. Twenty were between the age of 25 and 40 years and four were above 40.

NIA officials said they were shocked to learn that all the arrested persons were educated and were radicalised by the recruiters of the network that has established an Islamic caliphate in its governed parts of Syria and Iraq.

The NIA data said 20 of the arrested Islamic State supporters were graduates and some even had degrees in technology or engineering.

Twelve had diplomas, four had attended school up to Class 12 and 13 were matriculates. Three even held post graduate degrees.

Eighty per cent arrested IS accused had formal schooling while 20 per cent went to madrasa, according to the data analysis.

Nine of the arrested suspects belonged to the upper income group, 30 were from middle income group and 13 from the lower income group.

The counter-terror agency said it had filed charges and supplementary charges in six of the 12 Islamic State cases referred to it by the central government last year. It said the agency was still searching for 35 identified absconding suspects.

The agency officials said investigation was on in eight cases.

According to the data, 12 of the arrested were from Maharashtra, 10 from Hyderabad, 11 from Kerala, five from Karnataka and West Bengal each, four from Uttar Pradesh, two from Rajasthan, three from Tamil Nadu and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

It further said 50 per cent of the arrested IS sympathisers followed Ahle Hadith  a puritannic Islamic school of thought, 30 per cent Tablighi Jamat  a worldwide movement to preach fundamentals of Islam, and 20 per cent Deobandi  the puritanical, revivalist Sunni Muslim movement that began in north India in 1867 and now carries a huge influence in Bangladesh, Pakistan and also parts of the United Kingdom.

The data pointed out that none of the arrested are the followers of Barelvi  again a north Indian Sunni Islamic movement that believes in the synthesis of Sharia and Sufi thoughts. It also carries a lot of clout in South Asia.

The data said 15 per cent recruits were converts from Christianity or Hinduism.

On January 22 and 23 last year, the NIA conducted over two dozen raids in coordination with state police forces and other agencies across the country and till the end of the year 52 Islamic State supporters, including a foreigner, were arrested.

The agency in its chargesheets had alleged that terror sympathisers were seeking to establish an Islamist caliphate in India  Junoodul-Khilafa-Fil-Hind  and recruited Muslim youth to terrorism at the behest of Syria-based Shafi Armar alias Yusuf-Al-Hindi.

According to the NIA, Armar, a resident of Karnatakas Bhatkal district and a senior Islamic State leader managing India recruitment, was in touch with the accused through social media networks.

He trained them how to prepare IEDs, identify training venues and provide logistics support for terror strikes.
Former US Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos is suing Donald Trump for defamation it was announced today (18th January). Whilst the impact may be minimal now that Trump has been elected President, the issue is that this is not the first problem to arise from something Trump has said or done.

What exactly happened?

Let us investigate exactly what happened first of all. Summer Zervos claimed that Donald Trump sexually assaulted her almost ten years ago after appearing in the Apprentice show in 2005. The Guardian newspaper wrote that Trump "groped and aggressively kissed" her.

Zervos herself stated that Trump greeted her by "kissing me open mouthed as he was pulling me toward him" as reported in the Telegraph newspaper. However, what was even worse than this was the reaction by Trump to the allegations made against him. The Guardian reported that he accused Zervos of fabricating "phoney", "100 %", "outright lies" for political and monetary gain. However the suit against the President-elect stated that in order to cover up his lies, Trump "lied again".

Comments and actions against others

The problem with this incident, however bad it is, is the fact that this is not the first time Trump has erred in his ways or said something inappropriate towards those around him. With regards to women, there are many examples.

The Telegraph reported that there have been an increasing number of sexual assault claims made by women, dating as far back as the 1980s; all of which have been denied by Trump. However, even worse, are the lewd comments made by Trump towards women as reported in the Independent newspaper. In 2006, Trump stated that "Rosie O'Donnell is disgusting-both inside and out".

In October 2007 Trump said to Larry King about Angelina Jolie that "I'm not saying she's an unattractive women, but she's not beauty, by any stretch of the imagination". And in April 2015 Trump said about Huffington Post editor Adrianna Huffington that "she is a dog who wrongfully comments on me". There are also examples of comments made to certain religions.

According to the Guardian newspaper, Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown" of the country's borders to Muslims. Even towards Mexicans, the President-elect called for the building of a wall to separate the two countries.

The need to change

What is clear is that Donald Trump has offended a number of different people and sects. But he cannot continue in this vein as President. The problem is that he will have enough enemies without offending people for the sake of it. He is soon to become the leader of the free world and arguably the most powerful person on the planet. He has to include and not alienate. If he does the latter, he will find being President a whole lot harder than it really needs to be.
It has been declared that the former UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and the Government will have to "defend claims", the Guardian reports, that they participated in the 2004 kidnapping of a Libyan dissident and his wife. But whilst it may seem abhorrent what was done, what needs to be appreciated is this is the world that we live in where security and safety trumps all else.

What happened?

Abdel Hakim Belhaj claimed that the MI6, which Straw was then responsible for, helped the United States (US) kidnap him in 2004. It was also claimed by the BBC that Belhaj was tortured as a result.

He went further to state that "I continue to hope justice will one day be done". Mr. Straw however has rejected claims that he was aware of the rendition.

Examples of similar behaviour

Although this possibly will tarnish the reputation of Great Britain as a great and moral nation, what is important to note is that this is the world that the intelligence agencies live in and that this is normal accepted behaviour amongst many of the so called civilised democratic countries. Within the United States, there are many examples of underhand behaviour by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). In a Senate report into the CIA's secret torture programmes, they found that detainees were "rectally fed" as the Telegraph stated.

In 2002, an Afghan militant being held died of suspected hypothermia after being stripped naked and made to sit on a bare concrete floor. In 2003 Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of 9/11, was water boarded 183 times in March of that year. Even within another democratic nation, Israel, there are further examples.

The Human Rights organisations 'Hamoked' and 'B'Tselem', found that Palestinians held at the Shin Bet's (Israeli Security Agency) Shika interrogation facility were tortured as reported on the +972 Magazine. Some of the detainees described the use of physical pain, being served uncooked, inedible food for weeks and the use of solitary confinement, which "broke" one Palestinian man.

It's the world that we live in

Although I do not condone the use of such force and behaviour, unfortunately this is the world that we live in. Under constant threat from groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, certain tactics, however abhorrent, need to be applied to prevent death and destruction from occurring. This line of thinking was reflected in a High Court ruling in Israel in 1999, who stated to Shin Bet that if an agent decided that "torturing a terrorism suspect is necessary to stop an imminent attack", the necessity of stopping a "ticking bomb" becomes an adequate defence for the use of torture. It may not be pretty and certainly not befitting of a civilised nation, but sometimes it is necessary to ensure that the safety and security of its citizens are ensured.
Chelsea Manning, the US army soldier who become one of the most notorious whistleblowers in modern history, has had the majority of her sentence commuted by departing president Barack Obama. Manning will be released on the 17th May as a gift of Barack Obama.

In the most contentious commutation decision made by Obama during his presidency, the departing president wielded his constitutional power a mere three days before leaving the White House to give Manning her freedom. Manning, a transgender woman, was arrested at a base outside Baghdad. Manning, 29, was an intelligence analyst in Iraq who was sentenced in 2013 after a military court convicted her of passing over 700,000 private documents, videos and battlefield accounts to Wikileaks.

A Democratic hero

Manning's lawyer, Nancy Hollander, said: "Oh my God! The ordeal is finally over. I cannot believe it-in just 120 days she will be released from military prison and it will be over. This is both incredible and unexpected". Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International, said: "Manning exposed serious human rights abuses and, as a result, had her human rights violated by the government for years. Obama was absolutely correct to commute her sentence, but that doesn't alter the fact that it is long overdue. It is disgusting that she was made to languish in prison for years. She is a tragic hero".

Republican anger

Senator John McCain took a different perspective, chastising Obama on his way out of the White House.

"It is a sad yet fitting commentary on President Obama's failed national security policies that he would commute the sentence of an individual that endangered thousands of American troops, diplomats and intelligence sources".

Similarly, Paul Ryan, the House speaker, stated that: "This is an outrageous injustice. Chelsea Manning's treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our most sensitive secrets.

Obama leaves a dangerous precedent that allows people who compromise our national defence to get away without being held accountable".

However, the issue appears to be far from over. President elect Donald Trump, who faces a sexual assault lawsuit filed by a contestant on his television show "The Apprentice", is reportedly "troubled" by Obama's surprise decision. Sean Spicer, Trump's press secretary, said: "The decision is disappointing and it sends a troubling message".
The former United States (US) President George H. W. Bush Senior has been hospitalised in Houston. It has been reported by The Telegraph that Bush, 92, is in a stable condition and is "doing fine". But this news gives us the chance to look back over his presidency and address the good and the bad of his four years in office.

Context

Republican George Bush Senior was elected in 1988 and served one term until 1992 as the 41st President of the United States. Having served as Vice-President under his predecessor Ronald Raegan for two terms, Bush was elected the Republican nominee and defeated the Democrat Michael Dukakis in the election.

But the question to ask is, how did Bush Senior do as President?

The good

There were many things that he did well. The Miller Center website stated that Bush came into the presidency as one of the "most qualified candidates to assume the office". It is clear that Bush's greatest successes came in foreign policy. In 1990 after Saddam Hussein annexed Kuwait, Bush put together a coalition that drove Hussein out of Kuwait in less than a month of combat and will minimal loss of American lives. In addition, Bush Senior also "presided with deceptive ease" according to the Middlebury website, over the end of the Cold War. During this period of uncertainty, Bush was seen to exercise a "steady, if understated, diplomatic hand".

In addition, it was stated that Bush realised that leadership sometimes means "doing less, not more". It could also be claimed that Bush Senior made some accomplishments domestically. In 1990 he signed the 'Americans with Disabilities Act', which "forbade discrimination" based on disability in employment, public accommodations and transportation, as the Miller Center website stated.

In addition, there was also the 'Clean Air Act' which made the public "more receptive to the need for environmental protection".

And the bad

However, despite such positives, there were also many disappointments. Bush Senior's "political downfall" came in domestic affairs, most notably the economy, which as the Middlebury website noted, "slid into a recession on his watch".

What really sealed his political fate was the decision to renege on his campaign pledge, "read my lips, no new taxes". This decision to break his promise as he increased several existing taxes in 1990 alienated the more conservative wing of the Republican Party. They felt that he "betrayed the Reagan Revolution". It was as a result of this that largely contributed to the election defeat to the Democrat Bill Clinton in the 1992 presidential election.

Overall?

So how did Bush Senior do overall? The Middlebury website did ask the question as to whether Bush Senior was the best President not to win reelection. One cannot deny that Bush did a lot of good, but the problem is that those accomplishments were largely overshadowed by his failings, most notably on the domestic front. Unfortunately he could not get away from his campaign pledge regarding the economy and taxation, and that sadly is how he will be remembered.
When I write about climate change, Im often considering data, whether it is decades-long studies or brand new global temperature averages. During my time here, Ive written a lot about record-breaking climate change. So many records have been set, so much warming come to pass, that it can be hard to remember Ive only been writing this column for a couple years.

The data from 2016 is in, and it is now the third year running to break historical average temperatures. At this point, this comes as no surprise, as we continue to fail to limit greenhouse gas emissions while time runs increasingly short. According to NOAA and others, 2016 is the warmest year on record since record-keeping began in 1880.

How much warmer? The average temperature around the globe was an immense 1.7 Fahrenheit degrees higher than the 20th century average.

The news about 2016 data is coupled with the discouraging outlook for action in the United States, the prime culprit for greenhouse gas emissions.

Despite encouraging steps taken by the U.S. over the past couple years, steps that might have been the foundation for real climate action, there is a strong likelihood that we will move backward, not forward, over the next few years.

The indication from the new administration is that climate change is not a concern, and may not even be "real"  a convenient if not convincing opinion.

Scott Pruitt, the nominee to lead the EPA, has previously sued the department multiple times for "overreach" and has continually doubted climate science and, naturally, the need for action to reduce emissions. Trump himself has vowed to overturn Obamas executive orders, including those aimed at addressing the threat of climate change.

But while most of us had hoped that any federal damage done to climate action could be countered by state and local efforts, the hopes of such a counteraction have been called into question. During Pruitts Senate hearing this week, he said he plans to review whether California should be allowed to impose stronger emissions regulations than the federal government. California leads the way on many environmental issues, including and most prominently car efficiency standards, and several other states use California standards rather than the federal government. Preventing states from taking their own actions to address climate change would do even more damage to the prospect of a safe and healthy climate.

Interestingly, Pruitts opinion seemed to be at odds with his personal history, during which he has sued for states rights to operate below the federal environmental standards. It would appear giving states rights to pursue higher environmental standards is not as clear a decision for him.

What does this all mean? Well, it means that we as individuals will need to redouble our efforts, both to limit our own environmental impact and also appeal to elected officials, letting them know that climate change demands action that surpasses partisanship.

Climate change doesnt just affect the climate, and it doesnt just affect certain people. It will impact us all, with outcomes ranging from longer, stronger heatwaves and water quality to food security and national security. Ignoring climate change comes at our own peril.

NOAA is an excellent resource, and I strongly recommend visiting its site (noaa.gov) and reading about the climate anomalies that occurred during 2016, including but not by any means limited to record-low sea ice levels, the highest recorded temperature in Asia, the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history, the warmest year on record for Alaska and more.

For more resources, as always, check out climate.nasa.gov and climatechange.cornell.edu.
AUBURN  Three more criminal cases were dismissed and another postponed in Cayuga County Court Thursday in light of an ongoing investigation at Auburn Correctional Facility.

Late last month, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision launched an investigation at the prison after Corrections Officer Matthew Cornell admitted planting a weapon on an inmate.

Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann said Cornell admitted to the action in order to break up a dangerous prison gang by having the inmate shipped to another facility. Cornell has been suspended from his job amid a state corrections investigation, and that inmate was never criminally charged for possessing the weapon. Budelmann has said there is no evidence implicating any other corrections officers.

But as a result of the admission by Cornell, the district attorney reached out last month to nine defendants who had recently been charged in cases involving Cornell. Budelmann said he agreed to dismiss or vacate six of those cases "in the interest of justice," saying there was no evidence of officer wrongdoing, but he did not consent to dropping the other three as the officer was only minimally involved.

On Thursday, Judge Thomas Leone vacated the convictions and sentences of two defendants  26-year-old Jose Muniz and 28-year-old Thomas Ozzborn  and dismissed the ongoing case of 32-year-old Tyrell Ingram.

Leone's rulings, which were agreed to by the district attorney's office and defense attorneys, came two days after Cayuga County Judge Mark Fandrich took similar action in two other cases involving Cornell.

Muniz had pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree promoting prison contraband in October 2014 and was sentenced to serve 1 1/2 to three years in prison in May 2015. He will be returned to Great Meadow Correctional Facility to finish serving a separate sentence for three prior convictions, including a 2012 conviction for attempted-third degree burglary.

Meanwhile, both Ozzborn and Ingram will now be released from prison.

In Ozzborn's case, the defendant had been serving a five-year sentence at ACF for drug-trafficking and illegal weapons possession when he was charged with first-degree promoting prison contraband. According to Ozzborn's defense attorney Rome Canzano, Ozzborn was accused of possessing a sharp metal weapon  an "easily-concealable tweezer"  in May 2015, just days before he was set to be released from prison.

"The Corrections officer who allegedly collected the contraband was corrections officer, Matthew Cornell," Canzano wrote in an affidavit to the court. "The evidence against Mr. Ozzborn consisted nearly exclusively of the testimony of Officer Cornell."

Canzano said Ozzborn chose to plead guilty in June "in lieu of facing the risk of losing at trial and a lengthy prison stay." He was sentenced to two to four years in prison, which he began serving at Great Meadow Correctional Facility. However, since his prior prison term has expired, Ozzborn will be released upon the vacation of his contraband conviction.

Similarly, Ingram had also maxed out on a previous sentence for criminal possession of a weapon when he was charged with first-degree promoting prison contraband last year. He was arraigned on the charge in December  pleading not guilty  and was being held at ACF while his case was pending.

"Tyrell Ingram fits the same pattern as the others," Ingram's defense attorney, Simon Moody, said. "He was set to complete his incarceration and then he was indicted and charged with promoting prison contraband. ... And the only complaining witness was corrections officer Cornell."

Budelmann agreed to dismiss Ingram's indictment, saying in court Thursday that his office was "not inclined to continue this prosecution" but that "there has been no showing of wrongdoing in this case by anybody."

After the Muniz, Ozzborn and Ingram dismissals, there was an additional case that raised concerns in court.

In November 2016, 25-year-old Jkendric Agee was convicted of first-degree promoting prison contraband after a jury found him guilty of possessing a weapon at ACF. Agee was scheduled to be sentenced on his conviction Thursday before Judge Leone, but his attorney Ryan Muldoon asked to postpone the matter.

Although Muldoon said Cornell was not involved in Agee's case, he was still concerned as DOCCS has placed two other ACF officers on administrative leave.

"Mr. Agee has continued to maintain that the weapon was planted on him," Muldoon said, noting that without the names of the other officers, he can't be sure they weren't involved in any wrongdoing in his client's case.

Cayuga County Assistant District Attorney Brian Leeds objected, saying the matter was "pure speculation." However, Leone agreed to adjourn Agee's sentencing for two weeks to provide Muldoon an opportunity to explore the investigation at the prison.

While his office has agreed to dismiss the cases involving Cornell, Budelmann has also emphasized that the vacated convictions do not mean the defendants are innocent.

"These defendants voluntarily and knowingly pleaded guilty with the assistance of counsel. They admitted their guilt ... and we have found nothing saying they did not do it," Budelmann said in an email to The Citizen earlier this week.

He reiterated that point in an email Thursday. "To err on the side of caution, this office and the County Court Judges agreed to the vacatur and dismissal of any case where that CO (Cornell) was the primary witness. There is no evidence whatsoever of any wrongdoing or misconduct relating to any of these criminal cases," Budelmann said.

Still, multiple defense attorneys do not agree.

"I have no belief that this is contained to one singular corrections officer," Canzano said in a phone interview with The Citizen. "In fact, I think that's impossible. I've represented and continue to represent a number of people in Department of Corrections who complain that there is significantly more than what is being described by this local prosecutor."

"As it turns out, the least 'credible' people in our society were telling the truth while trusted officials fabricated evidence," Muniz's attorney Adam Van Buskirk added. "I hope this will be a lesson to those within the system and within society who assume all defendants to be guilty."

Budelmann in response said, "As a prosecutor, I work with facts and evidence. If Mr. Canzano has any reliable proof that there was more than this one corrections officer who planted a weapon on an inmate, he should report that evidence to the department to investigate instead of needlessly tarnishing the reputation of corrections officers."
Two foreign drug smugglers -- one from Ukraine and one from Russia -- have been sentenced to 25 years in prison for trying to smuggle millions of dollars worth of cocaine into the U.S. on a so-called ghost ship. Prosecutors say Igor Polshyn, of Yalta, Ukraine and Oleskii Tsurkan, of Moscow, were each sentenced by a federal judge in Tampa, Florida on Friday after being convicted last fall of drug smuggling charges. Federal officials say the two men were on a sailboat about 56 miles south of the Dominican Republic on the night of November 7, 2015, sailing with no lights, when they were spotted by a U.S.

Customs and Border Protection plane.

Coast Cutter called to intercept, board sailboat

The plane notified the Coast Guard, which sent the cutter Bernard C. Webber to intercept the boat. When the cutter caught up with the sailboat and a Coast Guard crew boarded the boat, the crew found more than 800 pounds of cocaine -- estimated to be worth about $10 million -- on board. A subsequent investigation found the boat was using the stolen identity of a boat in Spain as part of an attempt to hide its true identity.

Scores of drug smugglers have been arrested

The patrol plane and the Coast Guard involved in tracking and seizing the drugs are part of long-running federal drug task force which has made scores of arrests and seized hundreds of tons of drugs in Caribbean waters.

Earlier this month the Border Patrol, the U.S. Navy and the Coast Guard teamed up to intercept and stop a go-fast boat -- also called a cigarette boat -- off the coast of the Dominican Republic that was packed with about $30 million worth of cocaine. The four men on board the boat were arrested on drug charges.

Cutters returned to ports with $800 million worth of cocaine in December

And last month the Coast Guard reported that several of its cutters had returned to the U.S. with 27 tons of cocaine -- or nearly $800 million worth of the drug -- seized during patrols of the Caribbean and off the coast of South America.
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church released a statement this morning to the press that their pastor Bishop Eddie L. Long has transitioned from this life after an intense fight against an aggressive form of cancer. The statement reads, in part, that the church will celebrate the life and legacy of their pastor who is now spiritually healed and present with the Lord.

Bishop Longs wife of 27 years, Vanessa, issued a statement which offered her confidence and belief that her husband was now resting in a better place. She added that his death would leave a void for those who loved him, but they can celebrate and be happy knowing he is finally at peace.

Bishop Eddie Long delivered his last message to the New Birth family recently looking rather frail and almost unrecognisable. Nevertheless, he was strong enough to tell the church that God was working in their favor and that answers to prayers were already being manifested.

Bishop Long had been one of the worlds most influential leaders of faith

Until scandal broke due accusations by young men calling out Long for alleged sexual indiscretions, the North Carolina native stood tall among spiritual leaders as a pioneer, a kingdom builder and a revolutionary mind changer. He was well respected for his brand of preaching the gospel and recognised for inspiring other across the globe.

Eventually, many began to view the famed preacher as a leader who fell from grace.

An outpouring of condolences from those in the gospel industry like former ministers of music Kevin Bond and Byron Cage has already begun to stream in.

A church in transition

Bishop Eddie L. Long became the senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in 1987. The church is located in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia, Georgia.

He is survived by his wife First Lady Elder Vanessa Long, four adult children: Eric, Edward, Jared and Taylor and three grandchildren.

An official cause of death has not been released. The family is requesting privacy at this time, but home-going service date and details will be forthcoming.
Ever since Donald Trump announced he was running for president, he has had a bitter relationship with the news media. With Trump just days away from becoming president, some reporters might not get a chance to cover him in the White House.

Trump on the press

It started when Donald Trump labeled illegal immigrants from Mexico as "murderers" and "rapists" during his campaign announcement. Since that day, the press has reported on every move Trump makes, often criticizing his controversial comments, actions, or policy proposals. Leading up to Election Day, the former host of "The Apprentice" made a habit out of smearing the media, referring to them as "terrible" and "dishonest," while claiming they were helping to "rig" the election in favor of Hillary Clinton.

As reported by The Hill on January 18, and seen on Fox News, Trump is continuing his feud with the news media.

Last week, Esquire broke the story that Donald Trump and his transition team were debating whether or not to evict the press corps from the White House, and relocate them to a building near by. While that no longer appears to be the case, Trump told Fox News on Wednesday that he has other plans for the press.

Trump: "Some" news outlets will not be allowed in White House press briefing https://t.co/9LwpbHRqcR pic.twitter.com/KZGGaH01wb  The Hill (@thehill) January 18, 2017

"The press went crazy, so I said, 'Let's not move it.'" Donald Trump said of the relocation idea, before noting, "But some people in the press will not be able to get in." "We have so many people that want to go in," Trump pointed out, while explaining "We'll have to just have to pick the people to go into the room." Not stopping there, Trump went on to predict that "they'll begging for a much larger room very soon." While it's unknown who Trump will ban from the White House, it's expected that some of his top media targets, such as CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NBC News, could be up for consideration.

Next up

Inauguration Day takes place on Friday, as the president-elect officially becomes the new president. While Donald Trump and his supporters are planning a celebration, over 100,000 protesters will also join them in the nation's capital, with security being increased in and around Washington, D.C. In addition, a protest is also being set up in New York City, led by actor Alec Baldwin and filmmaker Michael Moore, who will voice their opposition outside of Trump Tower.
Former President George H.W. Bush was admitted to the hospital last weekend where he was treated for an acute respiratory problem that caused shortness of breath and coughing stemming from pneumonia. Doctors cleared his airway and put the 92-year-old on IV antibiotics. When his condition worsened, he was put in the intensive care unit at Houston Methodist Hospital on Wednesday, January 18. It was the same day, his wife, Barbara Bush, was also hospitalized. The 91-year-old was admitted to the same hospital as a precaution because of persistent coughing and fatigue.

Hospitalization

CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reported that the former president was intubated and sedated because he was having difficulty breathing on his own. Dr. Gupta says this is concerning.

Bush, the oldest living president, was not expected to attend the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump on Friday, January 20. He sent a letter to the President-elect on January 10 explaining he was not attending because of his health. The letter also stated that the former president and Mrs. Bush wished Trump the very best as he begins leading our great country. Trump wished the Bushes a speedy recovery on Twitter and thanked them for their letter.

Looking forward to a speedy recovery for George and Barbara Bush, both hospitalized. Thank you for your wonderful letter!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2017

Former President Bill Clinton also tweeted his thoughts and sent wishes to the president he defeated, as well as to his wife.

He lovingly referred to them by their numbers: 41 and 42.

41 and Barbarathinking about you both and sending wishes for a speedy recovery. Love, 42.  Bill Clinton (@billclinton) January 18, 2017

During President Barack Obama's last news conference at the White House on Wednesday, he said he had been in touch with the Bush family.

He noted that they were good friends, and a source of support over the years, as well as having dedicated their lives to this country.

Previous health concerns

This is not the first Hospitalization of President Bush. Several years ago he suffered from a form of Parkinson's disease that left him unable to walk. Therefore, he uses a wheelchair or a scooter.

In December 2014, he was hospitalized after experiencing shortness of breath. Then in July 2015, he fell in his home in Kennebunkport, Maine and broke the C2 vertebra in his neck.

The country is wishing George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush a speedy recovery. The husband and wife just celebrated being married 72 years. They got married on January 6, 1945.
Illinois 19th Circuit Court Judge James Booras sentenced 35-year-old Nicholette Lawrence to 43 years in prison for killing her 11-year-old daughter Raashanai Coley. The 67-pound girl died on September 5, 2014, two days after her mother allegedly punched her in the stomach. Medical examiners determined that the resulting fatal blow ultimately led to an infection, killing the child. According to a tape transcript obtained by People magazine, Coley lived in a locked closet in her parents' bedroom and was served one bowl of cereal a day for meals. The closet was furnished with a sink and a covered window to prevent light from entering inside.

Interviews from 2014 show Coley's half-brother, who was 6-years-old at the time, telling investigators that his parents said his sister was bad. The small boy added that Raashanai Coley never ate with the family, his mother would beat the girl with her hands or a belt and other relatives would sometimes discipline her with a stick. In addition, the autopsy report revealed the girl bore scars which indicated a long history of physical abuse.

Cruelty beyond measure

Video footage of Lawrence screaming at and savagely beating her daughter was shown during sentencing hearings while the person recording it could be heard in the background snickering. Even though Coley's stepfather knew of the brutal beatings, he will not face criminal charges connected to her murder.

Crime and punishment

During the sentencing, Judge Booras told the court that he suspects Nicholette Lawrence planned her daughter's death. He continued with verbal chastisement directed at the defendant and others who treated the young child like a wild animal. The judge noted that such cruelty is usually done at the hands of a stranger or some totally evil individual.

Booras ruled the defendant will not be eligible for early release, ensuring her incarceration lasts until she's around 76 years of age. Lawrence did read a statement apologizing for her actions. The prison-bound mom said she hopes to stop others from making the same horrible mistake.
Tragedy struck last week in Twenty Nine Palms, Los Angeles. During the festive holidays, a U.S. Marine got engaged to his girlfriend whom he was looking forward to marrying shortly. However, fate had intervened just barely a month after his engagement when he died on Friday during a live-fire military exercise at the Air and Ground Combat facility.

Live-fire during training kills US Marine

Another soldier was also injured during the small arms exchange at the Marine Corps Combat Center. The reporting officer, Lt. Karen Holliday at the training facility stated that the accident happened a little after 5:00 p.m.

on Friday. Details on how the incident occurred or the condition of the injured soldier was not released publicly. However, the spokeswoman reported that the group of Marines was undergoing a series of integrated exercises, which was an integral part of their military training.

Information about the accident was reported by the San Bernardino-based Marine corps the following day on their Facebooks account. In the statement Brig. Gen. William F. Mullen III, the commander of the military base, sends condolences and offered support to the families of the deceased and injured men. However, General Mullen III did not release their identities.

The young Lance Corporal wanted to be a Marine

But, friends and family of the dead man told the Daily News in Naples that he was 19-years-old Lance Corporal Austin Ruiz.

According to their report, the young man had always wanted to be a member of the Marine Corps and was very happy when he got accepted into the Military establishment.The young Lance Corporal, they said, had a lot to look forward to, he was looking forward to marrying his sweetheart whom he had proposed to less than a month ago.

Ruiz was a resident of Naples, Florida, he had recently graduated from high school and joined the Marines. The Twenty-Nine Palms training establishment where he died was the facility that members of the Marines from around the United States were sent to participate in an assortment of training exercises. These rugged engagements often involve a wide variety of hazardous activities including firing live ammunition at specified targets.
Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin were inseparable.She had the confidence of the Democratic candidate and it will not be wrong to say that she exerted more influence on Hillary than anybody else even Bill Clinton. The election campaign bore her stamp and the 40-year-old was a permanent fixture in the Hillary bid for president. Now that the election is over, Huma faces an uncertain future. Hillary's career in politics looks to be effectively over and Huma will now have to face the world alone. She was emotionally attached to Hillary as well and wept when the news filtered in that Hillary had been defeated.

Huma Abedin

Huma Abedin is close to 3 decades younger to Hillary and was born in the USA. She had her ups and downs but was an ambitious woman. She married Anthony Weiner and the couple is still married. Weiner is a disgraced Congressman and is accused of many things. Earlier just after passing college Huma came in contact with Hillary and the two woman became close. Hillary who was under emotional strain of the profligate conduct of her husband began to rely on Huma. When Hillary got the nomination, Huma became a permanent backroom fixture giving emotional strength and guidance to Hillary.

Future

With the defeat of Hillary for the moment, Huma will be wondering what to do. She is still young and obviously she needs to do something.So long as Donald is at the helm, her chances look slim to make an impact in Washington.

He had singled her out during his election campaign as a bad choice by Hillary. Many have blamed her for the loss of Hillary. She will first have to sort out her tangled relationship with Weiner from who she wants a divorce.

Last word

If Hillary had come to power, many feared that her Muslim character and closeness to Pakistan would result in a pro-Pakistan policy and had alarmed many Hindu groups in India.The ghost of Huma is now laid to rest but she may be down but is not out and within a year the American public will hear more about her. She is a resilient woman and cannot go into oblivion.
Kailyn Lowry and Javi Marroquin's divorce is playing out on "Teen Mom 2," and after the series' latest episode, in which Lowry informed her son Isaac (quite bluntly) about their split, the reality star came under fire. Following numerous comments aimed at Lowry in regard to how she handled her young son, Marroquin spoke out about how Isaac is holding up.

During the show, Lowry's 7-year-old son, whose father is her ex-boyfriend, Jo Rivera, wanted to know if he could have a "Jurassic Park" bedroom at Marroquin's home. However, Lowry quickly informed the boy that he would likely not have a bedroom at Marroquin's house at all.

In fact, she told Isaac that if he did visit Marroquin's home, he would probably have to stay in Lincoln's bedroom (Lincoln is Lowry and Marroquin's 3-year-old son).

Speaking to Radar Online after the episode, Marroquin confirmed that Isaac is doing a lot better now than he was during the heartbreaking conversation fans saw on the show. The reality star also confirmed that Isaac does have his own room at his house. Meanwhile, the online backlash has continued

Fan slams Kailyn Lowry for failing to comfort her son

Omg Isaac asking about his room. And she doesnt even comfort him, one "Teen Mom 2" viewer tweeted. Meanwhile, a second added, My heart breaks for Isaac." The second Twitter user also noted that Isaac clearly loves Marroquin and doesn't understand what is happening between him and his mom.

Lowry also came under fire after she refused to let her ex-husband borrow her sons' car seats after he returned from his deployment in Qatar. After Lowry denied the help to Marroquin, he wondered why she was being so difficult, and reminded her that he had just gotten home. Unfortunately, they simply didn't see eye to eye, and in the months since their breakup was confirmed, they don't appear to have made much progress.

To see more of Kailyn Lowry, Javi Marroquin and their family, tune in to new episodes of "Teen Mom 2" season 7B, which air on MTV at 9 p.m. on Monday nights.
Kate Beckinsale did a pretty startling makeover to play the vampire in "Underworld" after her role as the sweet child "Hero" of "Much Ado About Nothing." But it's her shocking weight loss in "Pearl Harbor" that was scariest. Beckinsale shared what prompted her scary-thin look. She talked about an anorexia scare, growing armpit hair for Emma Thompson and body love. Wait till you get a load of the body-shaming comments one director made that prompted the body image issues.

Michael Bay body slams Kate Beckinsale

The "Pearl Harbor" director was at first off put by Beckinsale because she came in wearing leather trousers.

Michael Bay said he thought she was a "nasty" not-so-pretty "slut." As if that wasn't enough of a stake to the heart, he suggested that the trim, healthy-curved actress lose weight to play the female lead. Kate joked that he was just not used to seeing actors with normal breasts that weren't as big as their heads. Plastic surgery does have a lot to answer for in Hollywood. Breast implants are as common adornments as earrings.

Kate Beckinsale didn't need fat-shaming

The Oxford scholar had enough low self-esteem to feed an eating disorder clinic. In fact, the "Total Recall" star spent years in psychotherapy battling anorexia problems that began at 15. Asking Beckinsale to lose weight was like snapping the rubber band on a junkie's arm.

And Bay's fat shaming bit deep, recalls Kate. She defended her leather pants and her deportment, but needle was already in. She went after weight loss in a big way, even though she questioned how it worked for the part.

The hairy armpit statement

It sounds like an episode of "Big Bang Theory" but Beckinsale says that growing armpit hair is a universal sign of solidarity with women's rights.

As far back as "Much Ado About Nothing" she was a feminist. She kind of had to be. Playing alongside Emma Thompson, one was obliged to sport hairy armpits to show one's support of the cause. Funnily enough, the Shakespearean tragi-comedy touches on female empowerment. No one knew that under those scintillating bodices, Beckinsale looked like a "small baboon."

Women under fire

Beckinsale stands for women because they have face constant discrimination.

She says women's bodies are continually under some kind of attack. Either you're too fat or too thin. Bullying is usually exaggerated. If you're slightly, arguably overweight, you're one step from morbid obesity. Women also can't win for losing. If you shed weight, you're caving on the body love message. If you lose what folks deem "too much weight" you have an eating disorder. If you dress sensually, you're a sex-starved tramp. Relationship problems don't help: after her split with Michael Sheen, Kate dealt with further emotional pain. Despite having the body of celebrity superhero and sexy vampire, the old doubts creep in. So you must rise above, love yourself and ignore the haters, says Kate.
In a few hours, celebrities, musicians, and artists will walk the red carpet into Los Angeles' Microsoft Theater for the 43rd People's Choice Awards. The evening's host will be comedian Joel McHale.

Star-studded event

Among the performers are: Fifth Harmony, Blake Shelton, DJ Khaled, G-Eazy and Lonestar. The lineup is rumored to have many country acts, including Dolly Parton, Sam Hunt, and Florida Georgia Line.

Celebrities expected to make an appearances are: Robert Downey, Jr, Jennifer Lopez, and Justin Timberlake. Fans can expect some hijinks as Justin Timberlake will be seated next to Ellen Degeneres.

Ellen Degeneres is expected to break the record for the most decorated People's Choice Award winner. She has earned 17 awards and is nominated for 3 this year.

Tyler Perry will be receiving the Humanitarian Award. Perry, through his Tyler Perry Foundation, has given donations to organizations such as the NAACP, Charity Water, and Feeding America. In a statement Perry released on Instagram he said, "What I try to do about life and what I'm trying to do is be a balance-keeper, meaning that when I hear something dark or see something that's wrong or terrible or something that I really have no control over and I can't really do anything about, what I would do is if I see something like that on the news is I would try to do something kind for someone to keep some balance in the world."

Distinct categories

The People's Choice Awards is one of the few awards shows where the fans rule.

The award show has 32 very distinct categories to differentiate between movies and television. For example, take a look at the movie categories:

Favorite Movie

Favorite Action Movie

Favorite Animated Movie Voice

Favorite Comedy Movie

Favorite Dramatic Movie

Favorite Family Movie

Favorite Thriller Movie

Favorite Movie Icon

Joel McHale, when chosen for host of the show, joked in a press release in December, "The people have spoken, and they want Jimmy Kimmel to host the 2017 Oscars!

And the people have also spoken, and said that it would be okay if I hosted the 2017 People's Choice Awards." (Toronto Sun).

Of course, this awards show is unlike the Oscars. Celebrities come out for this one to thank the fans and let loose. The event is scheduled to air live, January 18th on CBS at 9PM ET.
Oakland County, Michigan's success in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) is underscored by one stark figure: $1 million-plus a day.

The county located in the northwestern section of the Detroit metropolitan area totaled $371 million in FDI in 2016.

The new investment has accounted for close to 6,400 jobs (either new or retained). Oakland County has more than 1,050 global firms from 39 countries.

And the No 2 country on the county's investment roster (behind Germany) is China.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has led six trade missions to China, and he is frequently joined by Oakland County officials.

"This (FDI) is a sector of our economy that doesn't get a lot of attention, but this is a significant source of jobs and tax revenue," said L. Brooks Patterson, Oakland County executive. "Oakland County gets more investment than many states, and rest assured, we're going to press forward with this program."

The county is nearing a total presence of 75 Chinese companies after it adds "another dozen or so in 2017", said Matthew Gibb, deputy executive in charge of economic development.

"We're the heart of the automotive industry. We have 75 of the top 100 tier one global automotive suppliers," Gibb told China Daily. "When I go into China it gives us the credibility of the Motor City, the Detroit market. We're the ninth-wealthiest county in America; we have no debt.

"I'll speak at the global automotive forum in Chongqing, and at the same time I'll have my senior business development rep and then other members of the region, like from a chamber, a law firm, an accounting firm; they'll do direct business-to-business consulting work, on legal barriers, financial barriers, accounting barriers.

"Once you get your traction in having a system (in automotive) of being able to pull in companies on an international basis, it applies to a lot of markets."

Gibb, who has been to China 14 times, said the county is not as concerned with where a company makes its products.

"You don't have to land a factory to have growth If I have a company here (in Michigan) that needs to build a manufacturing facility in Shenzhen or southwestern China, I'm not going to lose sleep over the fact that they're doing that and they're not doing it here, because that's going to result in 30 or 40 new jobs that are here just to support the operation.

"They're not moving the company over there. I think sometimes it gets lost. It's not necessarily chasing cheap labor anymore; it's a chase of market share. Ford is Chongqing. All those same tier one suppliers that are here are all in Chongqing because they all support Ford. Companies have the ability to build a product and sell it everywhere."

And it's not just automotive, Gibb explained.

"One of our strongest sectors is medical life science. We negotiated a relationship with China Medical City. When I go back to Jiangsu, I'm always visiting China Medical City (in Taizhou) and bringing commercialized product potential out of the United States to them. At the same time, they're looking at how they can create a presence of bringing some type of base manufacturing or product development here."

Gibb said he is sometimes asked, "Did you bring another Fuyao Glass-type company to town? Sometimes we do."

But not all of the companies as are as big as the automotive-glass giant.

"Some of these companies are coming over, and we're doing almost an initial startup, 10 or 12 people in an office," Gibb said. "Shanghai Automotive is our big partner, SAIC. A lot of their subsidiaries we've been able to pick up on."

Although Oakland County is car country, more than a decade ago it moved to diversify its industries. In 2004, the county developed its Emerging Sectors business development strategy to expand beyond its automotive nucleus.

The county is also attuned to understanding China beyond business. Of its 28 public school districts, Mandarin is taught in 17.

But it always comes back to relationships.

Gibb said the key is that if "you have somebody that understands the culture of doing business in China, and has a respect for the importance of matching these two global economies", your chances of success are that much greater.

Contact the writer at williamhennelly@chinadailyusa.com
Fervent supporters of Donald Trump who want to stay at the Washington hotel that bears his name for the inauguration festivities on Friday are out of luck.

A representative for the Trump International Hotel told Politico that the hotel is sold out. Even if you were lucky enough to secure a room, the least expensive ones were going for about $1,250 a night The New York Times reported.

According to TripAdvisor, one of the world's largest travel websites, you can book a room for two adults at the president-elects namesake hotel in Washington after the inauguration on Jan 27 for $590 per night.

Hotels rooms are in demand in Washington and it's not just because of the inauguration. The Women's March on Washington to protest the incoming administration, scheduled for Saturday, is also drawing thousands to the US capital.

Since Trump's election has stirred up a lot of passion, hotels in Washington are at least a little concerned about hosting those who are eagerly looking forward to a Trump administration and those who are appalled by the prospect.

Stacy Smith, general manager for the Hyatt Place hotel located just four blocks from the National Mall in Washington, told Politico that the hotel's 214 rooms are almost evenly divided between revelers and protesters. Calling the inauguration "a very unique event," Smith said the hotel's senior management will roam in the lobby not only to greet guests but also to defuse any tensions that might arise.

"We have guests that are sympathetic to the two different parties staying with us. When alcohol is involved, sometimes voices get raised, so we'll be watching carefully," Philip Wood, general manager of the Jefferson Hotel, a boutique venue with 98 rooms, told Politico.

Contact the writer at paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com
During Chinese President Xi Jinpings state visit to Switzerland, the European nation hosted the Chinese guest of honor by presenting him with a full set of hospitality.

Xi was greeted by Doris Leuthard, president of the Confederation of the Federal Council of Switzerland at the airport; then, the two heads of state had a tea chat on the train. Xi was accorded a welcome ceremony held by all members of the Swiss Federal Council. Those considerate arrangements made the trip memorable.

On January 16, Xi and his Swiss counterpart Doris Leuthard held talks in Bern to draw up a new blueprint for the future of bilateral relations.

President Xi's visit aims to consolidate bilateral relations. Sino-Swiss relations have been deemed the forefront of China-West relations. The two countries established the innovative strategic partnership in 2016.

Xis visit has deepened China-Switzerland pragmatic cooperation in various fields and enriched the connotation of their innovative strategic partnership, setting a good example of peaceful cooperation between countries of different social systems, development stages and sizes.

The visit is to promote the docking of Sino-Swiss development strategies. Both sides agreed to enhance the alignment of "Made in China 2025" and Switzerland's Industry 4.0 strategies, push for upgrading the bilateral free trade agreement, and promote the Belt and Road construction proposed by China. All these will play a positive role in promoting trade and investment between China and Europe and the Belt and Road cooperation.

Xi's visit is expected to guide the Sino-Swiss Innovative Strategic Partnership to a higher level, further facilitate pragmatic cooperation between China and Europe and record a perfect chapter for China's diplomacy in 2017.

Zhang Maorong, researcher with China Institute of Contemporary International Relations; cartoon drawing by Liao Tingting
THE HAGUE - The Netherlands recorded the biggest decline in its unemployment in 10 years in 2016, official data revealed on Thursday.

According to the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the Dutch unemployment stood at 5.4 per cent in December of 2016, 1.2 percentage points lower than that in December of 2015.

Ten years ago, in 2006, it was the last time the CBS measured a decline of this magnitude.

In December 2016, 5.4 percent of the Dutch labor force, or 482,000 people, was unemployed.

The unemployment rate was still higher than before the financial crisis. In August 2008, the unemployment rate was only 3.6 percent.

The unemployment peaked at 7.9 percent in February of 2014.
There are only a few Chinese companies in Kentucky, but the Bluegrass State's governor wants to change that.

The first Chinese company ventured into Kentucky in 2013, when Shandong Borun Process Industrial Technology Co acquired Birtley Industrial Equipment.

Last year, Haier Group acquired GE Appliances for $5.6 billion. In the same year, a consortium of investors led by Apex Technology based in Zhuhai, Guangdong province and PAG Asia Capital acquired Lexmark International Inc for $3.6 billion. Together, the Chinese companies employ about 8,500 people in the commonwealth.

For Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, the recent flurry of activity is just the beginning. He wants to see more Chinese investment coming to the state.

In a meeting on Tuesday with a Chinese business delegation led by China's Minister-Counselor Tian Deyou from the Chinese embassy in the US, Bevin expressed his strong desire to work with China.

"China is such a global powerhouse; it's crazy we don't have more Chinese companies headquartered here," he said. "We are starting to see some, but we should see a whole lot more. This is why I am excited to talk to you: What are the ways we can make it easier for you to do business with us here in Kentucky?"

Bevin, a former businessman who is holding public office for the first time, discussed various issues in a frank

and businesslike manner with the delegation, not shying away from some sensitive issues that have arisen from recent acquisitions by Chinese companies in the state.

"There are people in this country who worry about companies from this country and that country. Should they worry? Probably not, but they do.

"Sometimes perception becomes reality for some people; it's our responsibility to communicate to people and make sure that the reality is what reality is, not some people's misunderstanding of it," the governor said.

"I see China as a very strong potential partner for Kentucky. I believe this, I have seen this, I have met with people who reaffirm this, I know it to be true," the governor continued.

The state of Kentucky is most known to Chinese as the home of KFC, but the state, situated in the Southeastern US, is strong in agriculture, auto manufacturing, and horse breeding - it's home to the Kentucky Derby - and of course, bourbon.

When Tian mentioned that some Chinese companies face challenges due to a shortage of manufacturing labor, Bevin said that under his leadership, Kentucky is pushing pro-business polices such as committing $100 million in the next two years for workforce training and creating a traditional apprenticeship program.

More than 1,100 companies have signed up for the apprenticeship program.

"My goal is to make Kentucky the engineering and manufacturing hub of excellence," Bevin said.

When discussing incoming President-elect Donald Trump's possible impact at the local level, Bevin, a Republican, was optimistic that Trump understands business:

"When he says we are going to be protectionists, he caused people to be concerned. I would encourage you look at the actual action he's taking."

mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 01/19/2017 page1)
Canada Post has given Lunar New Year celebrants something to crow about: two Year of the Rooster stamps.

The issue on Wednesday is the ninth in the national post office's series honouring the Lunar New Year.

A permanent domestic-rate stamp featuring a rooster with its chest proudly puffed out is paired with an international-rate stamp offering a close-cropped profile view of the rooster's stately face. Both images are created from lines of gold foil.

"Canada Post is proud to celebrate the vibrant and festive occasion that is the Lunar New Year, which is marked by Canadians of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other East Asian heritage," said Canada Post President and CEO Deepak Chopra. "The annual unveiling of this stamp issue has become a much-anticipated event, with the artistry of the series praised by both collectors and mailers."

"The rooster is an auspicious animal which is associated with confidence, diligence and brightness," said Xue Bing, Chinese consul general in Toronto, who attended an unveiling ceremony of the rooster stamp issue in Richmond Hill.

"As a Chinese saying goes, get up as soon as possible at the first crow of a rooster in the morning to practice with the sword. It refers to the people of high aspirations who lose no time to work hard to prepare themselves for a great future. I am sure the rooster stamps will be certainly adored by the public."

Designed by Paprika, a firm in Montral, the stamps include several features. The pane of 25 domestic-rate stamps includes four Chinese blessings, presented in calligraphy by Albert Ng. While all 2017 stamps include elements that point to Canada's sesquicentennial, this issue's reference is twofold.

The international-rate official first day cover, which also features a traditional Chinese blessing, is unsealed to enable the Chinese New Year tradition of giving money in a red envelope.

"The image of the rooster conveys both international and Chinese culture as well. Since this year is a year of the fire rooster, we want to convey the flame and movement in the line of the rooster; it's very confident and simple, and the colour is inspired by the traditional Chinese New Year lucky colour, golden and red," said Julien Hbert, the stamp designer and art director at Paprika.

2017 will also be the first year that the Spring Festival will be officially recognized in Canada, thanks to a motion passed by the Canadian Parliament.

"Therefore, today's ceremony is very special, as it not only expresses the kind wishes for the Chinese New Year, but also observes the historic moment when the Spring Festival becomes a mutual jubilation for both our people," Xue added.

The Year of the Rooster arrives on Jan 28 and runs until Feb 15, 2018.

renali@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 01/19/2017 page1)
California is at the forefront of renewable energy and battling climate change, and China is seen as a willing partner on that journey, Governor Jerry Brown said at a celebration in San Francisco.

Hundreds gathered Tuesday night at the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco to celebrate the coming Chinese New Year, which starts on Jan 27 this year. It's the second time that Brown has attended the annual reception at the Chinese consulate.

"I come here to wish the Chinese community here in California a very happy New Year, good wishes and prosperity and also reaffirm on the part of California our great interest in working with the people of China, the provinces in China and the Chinese government itself," he said at the reception hosted by Chinese Consul General Luo Linquan.

Brown told the guests that California can do a great deal with China, and the state is actively working with China on such areas as climate change, student exchange and innovation as the state reaches the point of being the fifth-largest economy in the world.

For example, 30 percent of California's electricity comes from renewable power, an effort in which China has invested tens of billions of dollars.

Brown said he expected China to play the leading role in the world to drive renewable energy over the next decade.

"Right next to that, of course, is California. We are taking the lead, whether it's carbon trade program, energy efficiency or electric cars, renewable energy, wind electricity, geothermal, we are working with China," said Brown.

"Whatever little differences we have, or whatever big differences, the fact is we inhabit one world, we got one space that we are all connected by, and whether it's weapons or diseases, or financial system or ideas, we are going to intermingle and entangle ourselves in many ways," he said.

As China-US cooperation deepens, it will benefit the peoples of both countries, Luo told guests including state and local elected officials and business leaders.

Last year, two-way investment and trade saw continuous growth. From January to October 2016, direct investment from the US to China soared 80 percent, and Chinese investment in the US increased 1.8 times, according to Luo.

China has invested in 42 states in the US and created 100,000 jobs. More than 43,000 registered Chinese students are in the US, a 13 percent increase compared with 2015. The year of 2016 also marked the China-US Tourism Year, during which an estimated 5 million tourists traveled both ways.

"2017 is an important year for China-US relations. To build such a relationship between our two countries, in the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, is both a goal and a process, both in our common interests and representing our shared responsibility to the global community," Luo said.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 01/19/2017 page1)
From signing an executive order to restore a White House initiative and a presidential advisory panel on Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans, to appointing a record number of Asian Americans as federal judges and including those of Asian descent as members of his cabinet, President Barack Obama has had a major impact on the US Asian community, according to some Asian Americans.

"Because he was born and raised in Hawaii, the only Asian and Pacific Islander majority state in the union, and has an Indonesian stepfather and step-siblings, he understands this community in more nuanced ways than other past presidents," said James Lai, professor of political science at Santa Clara University in California.

"On many occasions, President Obama has said that when he's among the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, he was among family. To many AAPIs, he is family - he grew up in Hawaii where his Asian American sister and her husband still live and where his family visits often," said Mee Moua, president and executive director of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

Obama, who will leave office on Friday after serving eight years as president, selected Gary Locke, the former governor of Washington state, to serve as secretary of the US Commerce Department in 2009. Later, Locke was nominated as ambassador to China, the first Chinese American to serve in that post.

Physicist Steven Chu headed the US Department of Energy from 2009 to 2013.

Obama not only opened up the federal government for Asian Americans, he granted unprecedented access to the White House to the Asian-American community, said Floyd Mori, president and CEO of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.

"Since day one, there has been an AAPI liaison in the White House," said Mori. "The several who have had that position have been available and open to meet and participate in AAPI issues and programs. As such, many of the AAPI leaders throughout the nation have had the opportunity to become part of implementing new and enhancing old programs for the AAPI population."

"President Obama also issued an executive order on diversity and inclusion within the federal government as related to the federal workforce and it had a big impact on Asian Americans who work for the federal government," said Yang Chen, executive director of the Asian American Bar Association in New York.

However, Chen said there were also some negative developments during the Obama years "such as the failed prosecutions of two Chinese-American scientists, one a professor and the other a federal employee, which illustrated how the fear of China affected Chinese Americans."

paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com.

(China Daily USA 01/19/2017 page2)
Elon Musk must be pleased to receive a nice little Christmas bonus from the State of California in the form of a tax break worth US$ 34.7 million. Earlier today, SFGate reported that Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) [stockdata ticker=TSLA] will get the tax break to develop and increase production of electric cars as well as powertrains.

In the United States, only a number of states impose any tax on the purchase of capital equipment for manufacturing purpose. However, the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA) granted this tax benefit to Tesla in order to encourage clean technology development in the state. This is indeed a win-win deal for the State of California, as Teslas investment will create additional 112 new jobs at its production facility in Fremont. Furthermore, a greater number of vehicle sales will produce more revenues in terms of sales and income tax in future.

Palo Alto based Tesla is planning to invest US$ 415 million in new manufacturing equipment next year. Besides building electric car equipments to build its popular line of cars, such as the Model S, currently the company builds powertrains for other car manufacturers like Toyota and Daimler. During 2014, Tesla was aiming to build 21,500 Model S sedans. However, once the new manufacturing equipment is installed and operational, they will be able to produce another 35,000 units of Model S sedans for the growing market, which will ultimately increase its total production capacity to 56,000 per year. So far, Tesla management didnt comment on any plan to increase the production.

While this Holiday gift to Tesla may turn out to be a good encouragement for Tesla in the long-run, Teslas next car, the Model X, will be launched almost after another whole year, by the end of 2014. Hence, there will be hardly any short-term gain from this tax break on Teslas balance sheet.

As of today, Teslas (NASDAQ:TSLA) [stockdata ticker=TSLA] stock was trading at US$ 148 per share. However, some experts, including Dr. Aswath Damodaran, a professor at the NYU Stern School of Business, have come up with an intrinsic value of just US$ 67.12 per share for Tesla. I am assuming that Tesla will grow to be as large as Audi, while delivering operating margins closer to Porsches. Even with these assumptions, I cannot see a rationale for buying the company at todays market price, but that is just my personal judgment, Said Dr. Damodaran in a blog post in early September 2013.

Teslas Model S is indeed a nice car. However, the infrastructure it requires to be a solid alternative to fossil fuel run cars are yet to be implemented nationwide. Which is hindering Teslas growth prospect. Also, it hardly reached breakeven in 2013, before its EBITDA went negative again last quarter, concerning investors about the efficiency of its business model.
A number of Democrats are looking to block Trumps presidency

It has been reported that at least half a dozen Democratic electors are preparing to lobby voters in various states, in hopes of keeping president-elect Donald Trump out of the White House. Several Democrats intend to vote against Trump when the Electoral College, which is made up of 538 members, meets on December 19 in order to block his presidency.

The voters, who are mostly former Bernie Sanders supporters from Washington state and Colorado, are encouraging other electors to ignore their oaths by voting against Trump.

Its quite a unique situation since, it is very rare for electors to disobey the will of the public, and in certain states, voters must follow the popular vote, according to state law. But their efforts might prove futile, since there is an unlikely chance that the voters will be able to persuade the necessary 37 Republican electors to reject the billionaire businessman.

The facts

Trump did indeed win the presidential race unexpectedly, but it doesnt negate the fact that he won 290 electoral votes, in comparison with Hillary Clinton, who won 232, even though she led the popular vote over Mr Trump by about 1.7 million votes as late as Monday morning. In order for a candidate to get to the White House, he must acquire a 270-vote majority.

The hatching of a master plan

Micheal Baca, a Democratic elector from Colorado, told Politico, that he believes that as a result from the groups plan to vote against Trump, there would be a serious look into Electoral College reform. Another elector chimed in, If it gets into the House, the controversy and the uncertainty that would immediately blow up into a political firestorm in the US, would cause enough people  my hope is  to look at the whole concept of the Electoral College, The group is also reportedly considering to oppose Hillary Clinton, and partner with Republicans in favor of a new candidate like John Kasich or Mitt Romney.

If you could get 8 or 10 Trump electors to vote for someone else, then that would probably get peoples attention, said Electoral College expert and political science professor George Edwards III. If the plan actually goes into effect on December 19, it will be significantly the most faithless electors since 1808, when six declined to vote for James Madison.
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The good news for drivers and snow shovelers is that snow totals for Flagstaff have been ratcheted down slightly.

The bad news is that the National Weather Service now says the third storm arriving Sunday in northern Arizona could bring even more precipitation than the first two. Snowfall totals have not yet been developed, however.

For Flagstaff, the latest Weather Service map shows snowfall accumulation at 12 to 18 inches instead of 18 to 24 inches. Grand Canyon remains in the 2-foot range, however.

Overall, the Weather Service calls the next five days "challenging" for anyone venturing outside and advises drivers to be fully prepared for extreme winter conditions.

Thursday 6 p.m.: Flagstaff could see up to 2 feet of snow through Saturday

The Flagstaff area could see up to two feet of snow between Thursday and Saturday thanks to a pair of winter storms set to roll through the region.

A third front is due to arrive Monday, but forecast models have not yet firmed up snow totals.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for Thursday morning through Saturday midday. A warning means severe winter weather is imminent or occurring, with heavy snow, strong winds and limited visibilities.

The forecast from the National Weather Service states that light snow will begin during the day on Thursday and become heavier Thursday night. Friday will see lighter snowfall before a second storm moves in that will bring moderate to heavy snow late Friday and Saturday night.

While accumulations will vary, elevations between 5,500 and 7,000 feet should expect 8 to 16 inches of snow, and elevations above 7,000 feet could see 12 to 24 inches of accumulation by Saturday.

Gusty winds will produce areas of reduced visibility and drivers should expect an extended period of hazardous driving conditions.

After a brief break on Sunday, another heavy snow event is expected for Monday, with snow falling at elevations as low as 4,000 feet.

Coconino County Public Works will close a seven-mile stretch of Lake Mary Road at 10 a.m. Thursday in anticipation of the coming snow. The road will be closed at the north entrance of Mormon Lake near the scenic overlook to the south entrance to Mormon Lake.

Traffic will be detoured along the west side Mormon Lake Road, which loops Mormon Lake and goes through Mormon Lake Village. The closure and detour will be in effect until weather conditions allow the county to safely reopen the roadway.

Flagstaff police are reminding residents not to park their vehicles on city streets between midnight and 7 a.m. or risk being ticketed and towed.
PHOENIX  Saying Arizonans are one accident away from financial ruin, state lawmakers want to force motorists to buy more insurance to pay for the deaths and injuries they cause to others.

Sen. Kate Brophy McGee, R-Phoenix, points out that existing law allows someone to drive a car or truck with insurance that pays for only $15,000 of liability for injuries to any one person in another vehicle they hit, and a total of $30,000 for all injuries and deaths out of the same incident. And their coverage for damages to the cars and other property of others can be as little as $10,000.

That figure, she noted, has not been adjusted since 1972.

Her SB 1111 would boost the minimum personal injury liability to $25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident, and require property damage coverage of $25,000.

David Childers, lobbyist for the Property and Casualty Insurers Association, figures the change will boost premiums for those now buying just the minimal coverage by about $80 a year. But Childers is opposed to the legislation.

Childers said he fears that additional cost will cause more Arizonans to decide they just can't afford coverage and ignore the law, driving without insurance. And that, he said, would likely increase the current 10.6 percent of motorists who are driving "bare.''

Those arguments failed to sway Brophy McGee and Childers had no better luck convincing members of a special legislative committee which studied the issue last year and recommended the coverage limits that Brophy McGee incorporated into SB 1111.

The debate comes down to the question of what role the state needs to play in ensuring that those who are injured by the negligence of others have the resources to cover the damage they cause.

"Medical costs are higher,'' she said, saying $15,000 does not go far in the case of a serious injury.

And that doesn't even count the cost of totaling someone else's vehicle. Brophy McGee pointed out that only most vehicles cost far more than the $10,000 minimum coverage.

"It's like that commercial you see: What are you going to do, drive three-quarters of a car?'' she asked.

And it's not just the damage to someone else's car.

There also are costs to the state. The task force report says that during the last three years the state Department of Transportation incurred $16 million of damage to guardrails, signs and other property. Of that total, about $6 million was unrecoverable, mostly because the motorist had insufficient insurance, though some of that was due to uninsured motorists.

But Brophy McGee said her main concern is what happens to those who are in accidents that are the fault of others. And she said she has heard too many stories of cascading problems.

"The car got totaled, the medical bills piled up, they lost their job,'' Brophy McGee said. "They thought they were protected. They weren't.''

That applies both to the person who was injured and is and depending on the other party's insurance as well as to the party at fault who, after the insurance coverage is exhausted, is personally liable.

Brophy McGee said she's not blaming those who buy the bare minimum required by law rather than opting for more expansive  and expensive  coverage.

"People think because that's the limit that's set in statute, that's going to protect them,'' she explained.

"So they don't feel the obligation or the understanding of the necessity of buying more,'' Brophy McGee continued. "At the end of the day it's one catastrophic accident where your car gets totaled and you get hurt, or even if it's just your car gets totaled, that's a bad time to realize you're not covered enough.''

Childers does not see it that way.

"Our view is the minimum financial responsibility requirements are fine where they are,'' he said, saying the current 10.6 percent rate of people who drive without insurance is "a good status quo in this state.''

But the task force report cites information from the Insurance Information Institute which puts Arizona in the minority among insurance requirements.

That report finds that 30 states already have the proposed $25,000/$50,000 liability coverage that is being pushed in Brophy McGee's legislation. By contrast, just six other states have the current $15,000/$30,000 coverage now required under Arizona law.

Task force member Kenneth Silverman said he wasn't buying Childers' assertion the additional cost will result in a jump in the number of Arizonans who choose not to buy insurance.

"Eighty dollars a year might ruin your day,'' he said during a committee hearing. "But it's not going to ruin your life.''

Childers disagreed.

"While it may not ruin their life, it may cause certain individuals to say, 'You know what? I was on the edge in terms of buying insurance anyway, I'm just not going to buy it now,' '' he argued.

But former Rep. Bob Robson, R-Chandler, who used to own an insurance agency, sniffed at that argument.

"Let's put it in the real world,'' he said.

"I get a notice every six months from my carrier my rates are going up,'' Robson said, even without increasing coverage. "You could be driving them away any time you want to.''

And Robson said the arguments against higher liability limits ignore the other side of the equation.

He pointed out that Arizona motorists have the option to purchase "underinsured motorist coverage,'' designed to make up the financial difference between the resources of the other at-fault driver and the actual damages. Robson said if motorists are required to buy more liability coverage, then the cost for underinsured motorist protection should go down.

But Childers said if more people go without insurance, then the cost of "uninsured motorist coverage'' might increase.
Viet Nam News

A Ministry of Finance proposal to increase the environmental protection tax on oil and gas consumption from the current VN3,000 (US$0.13) to VN8,000 per litre has generated concerns about impacts on daily life and production. Lao ong (Labour) and Tin Tuc (News) newspapers discussed the issue with Vu Khac Liem, deputy director of the ministrys Tax Policies Department and Truong Minh Hoang, vice chair of the NA Committee for Science, Technology and Environment.

Vu Khac Liem

Vu Khac Liem, deputy director of the Finance Ministrys Tax Policies Department

Why has the Finance Ministry made this proposal?

The proposal aims to prepare for Viet Nams deeper integration into the world economy after many international commitments take effect. Specifically, over the past 10 years, the State budget has depended a lot on tax collection from import-export products and special consumption tax. In the future, the reliance on import taxes has to reduce as the country will have to reduce tariffs under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) that it has signed. The increase in environmental protection tax would create a foundation to offset decreasing collections from import-export tax. In addition, the environmental protection tax is stipulated by the Law on Environmental Protection. We have a legal foundation for adjusting the tax as well.

So can it be said that the hike is not expressly for protecting the environment?

Of course the tax aims to contribute to improving the environment. However, it cant be said that every cent of the environmental protection tax is directly spent on the environment. The tax will be collected to the State budget and then the Government will decide to spend it directly or indirectly to benefit the environment.

Wouldnt petrol prices increase if the environmental protection tax increases?

It should be clearly understood that this is just a proposal to adjust a common framework. The specific tax levels will be carefully calculated and adjusted following the countrys socio-economic conditions, the economys and businesses competitiveness. The ministry will not reduce the economys competitiveness for increasing State budget collection. The higher tax framework need not mean high tax levels. The framework will be used for reference and the Government will report suitable tax policies to the National Assembly Standing Committee.

Even if the new framework is approved, the environmental protection tax is unlikely to increase; it could even decrease. The Government would make suitable calculations to ensure that domestic retail petrol prices are equal to other countries in the region. It would have to ensure the economys competitiveness while preventing petroleum smuggling. We must maintain general price levels that match those of other countries in the region.

How can the ministry argue that this adjustment would not impact the economy?

This is just a proposal, and we have not made comprehensive assessments of its negative economic impacts. If the plan is to increase the tax from VN3,000 to VN4,000 per litre, we would have specific assessments on how it would affect the transport and electricity sectors. The adjustment would also depend on the import tax at that time.

Why did the ministry not consider tax decreases to reduce expenses for businesses and people, thus stimulating the economy?

I think tax reduction is not the only way to support people and businesses. The Finance Ministry has provided a lot of support through financial and credit policies. We are responsible for supporting firms and people. A slight tax increase does not mean removing the support. The ministry will have other forms of support in programmes for particular population segments. This issue should be understood in a broader sense.

So people can rest assured that petrol prices will not surge?

Yes. I want to affirm that this is just a proposal to collect ideas from other ministries and localities, then submitting them to the National Assembly. The hike would be considered in several steps.

Truong Minh Hoang

Truong Minh Hoang, Vice Chair of the NA Committee for Science, Technology and Environment

What do you think about the Finance Ministrys proposal to increase the environmental protection tax on petroleum products?

This is just a proposal from the ministry. According to the current laws and regulations, the draft law must be assessed by the Ministry of Justice, the Government and Budget and Finance Committee before it is submitted to the National Assembly.

My opinion is that the ministry should make a careful assessment on the social impacts of this proposal. I meet often with petrol consumers. The tax hike will surely affect petroleum prices, thus affect the daily life as well.

Can you explain your assessment a bit more?

Firstly, the ministry should clarify the purpose of the proposal. If it aims to ensure spending for environmental protection and reducing individual vehicles, there can be several different solutions. For example, the country should improve its infrastructure, like roads and public transportation.

Then there are economists who say that tax hike on environmental protection aims to offset a drop in State budget revenues when implementing integration commitments. We can have many different ways to offset this, by cutting spending, for instance, by reducing unnecessary staff and carefully managing the use of public assets.

In reality, if the tax hike is approved, retail petrol prices will surely increase, and the prices of goods and services will also increase. This would limit purchases and slow down production.

Statistics from the Finance Ministry showed that tax on environmental protection has been continuously increased in the past few years while the spending on environmental protection has been low. Will the spending on environmental protection increase if the tax is increased?

I am worried about this issue. Of course, the ministry will have to clarify direct investment for environmental protection, its effectiveness and so on.  VNS
HA NOI  A new production by Viet Nam Television (VTV) Film Centre and Ryukyu Ashahi Broadcasting Corporation will be aired on VTV channel 1 on Sunday.

The film entitled Duoi Bau Troi Xa Cach (Under The Same Sky) is a love story between a Vietnamese student in Japan and a local female reporter. Hai is studying agriculture on Okinawa Island. He has to work to help support his family at home. He refuses to be interviewed by reporter Eri who want to talk to him. Eri is hungry for success and she follows Hai.

They soon realise they are soulmates and overcome challenges from their families and their lives to be together.

"The film is not only a romantic love story between a Vietnamese student and a Japanese reporter," said Mieko Shimojima, the script writer. "Through war memories of old generations the film connects the two nations which have losses in the past. It also conveys humanity, peace and towards the future". Shimojima worked for five months including field trips to Viet Nam to complete the script. The script was edited by Vietnamese Nguyen Thu Thuy.

The film is directed by Vu Truong Khoa and ao Duy Phuc. The protagonists are played by Quang Su and Karin Miyagi. They speak Japanese in the film.

"Speaking Japanese was a big challenge for me. I spent two months learning to pronounce Japanese and I had two weeks only to learn Japanese vocabulary," said Quang Su. "It is not only daily conversation but I also had to speak about history and culture of Japan."

Su and his colleague Miyagi only got to know each other before shooting the first scenes.

"I have learned more about Viet Nam," said Miyagi at the press conference held early this week in Ha Noi. "I was inspired a lot by scenes featuring the emotion and feeling of the two main characters. I think this film has made me mature".

Vietnamese and Japanese actors starred in the film, including Teruya Toshiyuki and Viet Lien.

The film was shot in six weeks in Viet Nam and Japan with ultra high-definition camera. It promises cinema-styled scenes in the film featuring beautiful landscapes and cultural activities of Viet Nam and Japan such as Naha Great Tug-of-War Festival and Vietnamese water puppetry.

The two hour-long film is the third of its kind co-produced by Viet Nam National Television and Japan after Nguoi Cong Su (The Partner) and Khuc Hat Mat Troi (A Song To The Sun).

Under The Same Sky will be screened at 8.45pm and showed in Japan in March, 2017.  VNS
by Thien Huong

For French designer Valerie Cordier, travelling is more than a hobby. It is an activity where inspiration waits to be discovered.

Cordier is already well known among Vietnamese and expatriates in Viet Nam for the bags she designs, often using second-hand food containers.

A friend of mine told me: discovery is an accident that bursts into a prepared mind, she said, This is exactly how I feel about designs for bags. I open my mind and make myself available for exploring without following a plan. I give free reign to the possibilities and then anything can inspire me.

One place that she seems to have found a lot of inspiration is Viet Nam. She can spend hours at wholesale material shops in the outskirts of HCM City, sweating in the hot sun, as she chooses promising materials from dozens of leather rolls.

In fact, the avid traveler has been stuck in Viet Nam for 14 years now, and in the process, developed her Valerie Cordier  Paris to Ha Noi.

Viet Nam brings me happiness and inspiration! I love the flexibility of the people here. People are most of the time happy and smiling. I also love all the work from minorities, she noted.

Cordier usually goes to choose materials before settling in with the idea for catologues and the design textures.

Sourcing is the most exhausting process, she said, It takes vision and a sense of balance at all times.

She said the success of choosing materials is well worth all the effort, because the process itself gives them a new breeze of life. It also means: tapping into skills, cratfmanship and art.

Cordier has traveled a lot to ethnic minority tribes in the mountainous areas of Viet Nam. She finds their woven fabrics the most beautiful and delicate in the world.

I love ethnic art. There is a lot of it to be found in Viet Nam, she said.

She guided a group of Tay women in the northern province of Son La to modernise some of their patterns by changing their traditional colours.

This is a perfect way to create my own exclusive, exquisite fabric and a good way to support the community. I like their traditional skills.

Cordier has created her special material from used food containers, which are cheap, unusual and sometimes recycled.

She finds animal feed bags a particularly good material with very nice colours, cute patterns and long-lasting.

I got the idea in Cambodia, when I saw some local people using this sackcloth as a bag, very cheap and with no details, no leather, no lining. I thought I can make something more trendy, solid and practical.

The pattern is very important, she said. She chooses sacks with eye-catching colours and patterns.

I lay out all my materials, then I play with them, group them. It can take a long time, searching for a perfect combination, because, at this stage, the material is still guiding the creation.

She washes all the sacks carefully before painting on them to create special decorations.

I started to use recycled materials because its technically interesting to use something already existing and try to find how to use it and what to do with it, she said, I dont order something and then make it. I find something and use it. You dont need to order, to produce more things on earth.

Cordier has all her bags handmade at a workshop in the outskirts of Ha Noi.

She said she was lucky to have a skilful team of people who are also passionate like her.

I chose them for the expertise and experience, she said, They trust my creative mind.

Tran Khanh Cuong, director of Da Viet JSC, said their workshop has produced many kinds of products for many brands. And Cordiers products are extremely hard to make.

They require meticulousness and numerous small details on each item, he said. We need more time and we need to be patient when producing her bags.

Cordier combines photographs and sketches that she has gathered during her trips with the craftsmanship and materials from Viet Nam to create her products.

She said she faced increasingly less difficulties because shed been working with the team for a long time, and they have adopted each other.

The most difficult thing for her is to find good quality material all the time, Cordier said.

Her products are sold at five shops in Viet Nam and four shops in other countries.

Nguyen Hong Ngan, sales manager at Tan My Designs shop, one of the first shop offering Cordiers bags in Ha Noi, commented that Cordiers designs were different.

Every single item is a unique piece from inside to outside, she said. Recently, she has been using recycled materials, which are fascinating to foreign customers. She uses these materials in a clever way, so that the products look special and very Vietnamese. We sell her products very fast.

As I often say, I didnt choose Viet Nam, Viet Nam chose me, Cordier said. When I first came it was for a 6-month internship, and I have stayed for 14 years.

Viet Nam and Vietnamese were not easy to adopt in the first place, but I learned, and now I consider it my second home.  VNS
Winnie Byanyima*

You could sit them all around a dinner table, or inside a single elevator. Meet eight men. The eight men who  you may need to read this twice  have as much wealth as the 3.6 billion people who make up the poorest half of the world.

Welcome to the worldwide crisis of inequality - one in which Africa takes center stage.

Our continent continues to see the potential of our countless talented girls and boys kept at bay. And for all her abundant natural resources and wealth, Africa sees so much of this wealth leave our borders and shores, never to reach our brothers and sisters.

Take the number of African billionaires - it has doubled since 2010. Meanwhile the number of people living in poverty in Africa has increased by 50 million since 1990.

Trickle-down economics? Give me a break.

Rampant inequality breeds discontent, frustration, fear, and anger  as we saw last year when citizens around the world expressed themselves at the ballot box.

In the United States, billionaire Donald Trump won the election after rallying many voters whod had their jobs sent elsewhere as manufacturers looked for cheaper labor and bigger profits.

In the Philippines, voters rejected mainstream politicians and instead elected Rodrigo Duterte, after the country saw years of booming economic growth but virtually no benefits for the 25 percent of the population who have been living in poverty for the last two decades.

And in South Africa, one of the most unequal countries in the world, the African National Congress, the party of Nelson Mandela, was handed its worst defeat since the end of apartheid and lost control of Pretoria, Cape Town, and Johannesburg.

Governments have allowed all this anger build up  and unless they are serious about tackling the growing gap between the richest and ordinary people, it will not go away.

The super-rich will amass ever more staggering amounts of wealth at the expense of the rest. Hundreds of millions of people will continue to go hungry, public services will remain stretched to breaking point, wages will continue to fall and the lions share of taxes will continue to be paid by the people who can least afford it.

Weve recited the problems many times, but what are we going to do about it?

Have hope, despite everything. Oxfam, like others, has been voicing outrage about the inequality crisis for years, but it doesnt have to be this way. Inequality is not inevitable. We have the talent, imagination and skills to make the world a fairer place.

People around the world are putting forward the solutions to build a fairer and more stable world  one that is grounded in serious, effective economics, and in which governments are not working for vested interests, but are accountable and actively working for the 99 per cent.

I believe the blueprint to build a more human economy is before us: an economy that works for everyone and not just the fortunate few.

Let me outline some ideas.

Its no secret that progressive tax reforms are core in the fight against inequality.

The World Bank called them an essential component of any successful strategy for guaranteeing equal opportunity. By raising taxes on the highest incomes, governments can raise the funds needed to invest in universal education and healthcare for their citizens  essential investments proven to reduce inequality.

Sometimes countries can aim to be progressive about tax, but are outdone by a global tax system working against them. The wealthiest thrive on cheating this system  while the poorest countries and poorest people suffer. Rich individuals hiding their wealth in tax havens deny Africa $14 billion a year in vital tax revenues  enough to pay for healthcare for mothers and children in Africa that could save 4 million childrens lives a year, and employ enough teachers to get every African child into school.

So in a more human economy, governments would work together to prevent toxic competition between countries for corporate investment by slashing their corporate tax rates. Tax giveaways to corporations cost Kenya $1.1 billion a year, for example  thats almost double their entire national health budget!

I join many on our continent in believing that business must drive growth and provide jobs for our young people. But we need the right kind of capitalism  where proceeds benefit all, including workers and local communities, not just rich shareholders.

Governments should support companies with pro-worker policies that do this. Co-operatives and other employee-owned forms of business often offer their workers better rights and wages. For African countries, this means supporting locally-owned farming co-operatives over large, foreign-owned mega-farms, which snatch up land from small farmers and concentrate profits in the hands of a few.

Finally and just as importantly, governments must champion policies that help unlock the potential of our women and girls. A human economy for Africa should see our girls have a chance to live fulfilled lives. They lose out but we all lose out when this does not happen: just think of the ingenuity and the creativity our world is missing out on when girls are forced out of school to pound maize and fetch water  it is happening as you read this.

Closing the gap between rich and poor is fundamental to eliminating poverty, in Africa and across the world. Growth needs to benefit the majority - particularly women - and not just a fortunate few. We cannot continue to have the benefits of economic growth accruing to those at the top, as is happening across Africa. Countries like Zambia that saw vibrant economic growth for some years only to see poverty levels increase at the same time.

Inequality threatens the hard-fought progress our continent has made. However, as a true African I remain incurably hopeful for our future.

Our continent has huge potential  let us work together to make our economies and governments work for all of us.

*Winnie Byanyima, Oxfam International Executive Director
Nguyen Xuan Cuong

Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) talks to the Vietnam News Agency about future priorities for the agriculture sector.

In order to implement agriculture reforms, the ministry has highly rolled out the red carpet for enterprises, including foreign firms. The decree on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) has been talked about for a while, but why hasnt it been issued yet?

From now until 2020 and thereafter, the State budget wont be able to meet the agriculture sectors demand. Thus, attracting FDI is one of the measures under the ministrys consideration.

The ministry had earlier developed a draft strategy to further attract FDI into the agro-forestry-fishery sector until 2030, and worked on a draft decree on policies needed to encourage foreign investment in the agricultural sector.

As Viet Nam integrates deeper into the world economy and joins several free trade agreements, the current policy is to treat domestic and foreign firms fairly. Thus, the Government has asked the agriculture ministry to make proper adjustments to the draft strategy on attracting foreign direct investment. Once this strategy is finalised, the decree on attracting FDI in the agriculture sector will be reviewed and amended. The revised strategy will be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval in the first quarter of this year.

What will be the priority areas for FDI firms?

The ministry will focus on areas that can create breakthroughs for the sector as well as areas of interest for foreign investors, like producing and developing new plant varieties and animal breeds including vegetables, flowers, corn, hybrid rice, domestic animals and forestry plants.

At the same time, priority will be given to the production of auxiliary materials to create added value, like production of animal feed, waste treatment technology in the livestock sector, automatic slaughter systems and dairy processing equipments, and equipment for production of veterinary drugs.

We will especially prioritise heat management technologies and ionizing radiation technology used in fruit exports.

Veterinary drugs production using new technology that does no harm to the environment will also be on the priority list.

Land is said to be an investment bottleneck for agriculture. How can this problem be solved?

It is true that at present the issue of land is a bottleneck in attracting enterprises to invest in agriculture. We have made long-term allocations of land to the people, and many farmers have small and scattered land holdings. So the issue arises that some firms want to do business in agriculture but they dont have enough land.

In order to solve this problem, we need to continue implementing policies on accumulating land through consolidation so as to have large-sized farms. At the same time, we can continue to invest in building large fields to create concentrated material zones.

Enterprises have to play a leading role in associating with farmers and co-operatives to build and develop the value chain to produce goods required by the market.

In the long term, the ministry is working with the Central Economic Committee, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to study the proposed amendment of some provisions of the Land Law of 2013 in order to facilitate application of modern technology in agriculture production.

What are the opportunities and challenges for the agriculture sector in general, and in particular for agriculture, forestry and fisheries exports in 2017?

In 2017, the market for agricultural, forestry and fisheries products will expand, since Viet Nam has signed 12 free trade agreements and is negotiating five new agreements with 50 countries and economies.

Meanwhile, supporting policies and measures to remove difficulties for agriculture production and business development will continue to prove their effectiveness. The restructuring of the agricultural sector is being implemented aggressively, creating momentum for it to grow in the coming years.

However, certain difficulties will directly affect the consumption of agricultural, forestry and fisheries products this year. Global economic growth has been forecast to stay low this year.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast that global economic growth in 2017 will fall from 3.7 per cent to 3.6 per cent or 3.4 per cent due to prolonged political and financial risks, the civil war in Syria, the financial market turmoil, the status of climate change and the impact of Brexit.

Besides, other countries have strengthened support for domestic agricultural production (China has a $450 billion support package for its agriculture sector), and Asian countries including Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand are promoting the production and export of agricultural products. This means the competition will be more intense.

Additionally, with the demand for safe food products growing, the technical barriers of developed countries will be a challenge for our agricultural, forestry and seafood products.

Domestically, the agricultural sector has been negatively affected by climate change, compounded by harsh and unpredictable natural disasters, drought and salination.

This requires both immediate responses and long-term strategies to limit the damage caused to life, production and property.  VNS
HA NOI  Police in the capital city have said they are considering electronic (and automatic) charging of traffic fines to offenders bank accounts. Police officers are mostly supportive of the idea, while others, including car drivers and authority figures, are not so impressed, urging careful study.

The novel idea was recently put forward by Brigadier ao Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the Ha Noi municipal Department of Public Security, in a conference held last weekend announcing the transport sectors activity plan for 2017.

Hai requested the Ministry of Public Security (MoPS) to work on the proposal to submit to the Government for consideration.

According to this proposal, car owners would be required to open a bank account and a certain amount of money is to be deposited in that account. Should violations occur, by identifying car owners via images captured by traffic cameras, fines will be automatically debited from the offenders accounts.

Part of the reason for this proposal is, as Hai said, the police still face a number of difficulties in handling traffic violations, especially in cases of offenders whose car ownership certificates were not registered under their names.

Those who do not have proper ownership certificates for their vehicles will be forced to do so. Thus, law-enforcement and authorities will have an easier time managing cars.

More importantly, Hai is convinced that when an amount of money is reserved in bank accounts specifically for paying fines and the fines are automatically deducted; car owners will have no choice but to pay more attention and obey traffic laws, be it parking in designated zones or wearing seatbelts, or speeding. Two birds with one stone, Hai added.

Fully backing the measure, Colonel Nguyen Van Quy, former handler of traffic violations at the Traffic Police Unit No 1, said this will enhance drivers awareness to better follow the rules.

Better yet, Quy added that if the offenders happen to be working in State agencies, the automatic fine collection will prevent the higher-ups from being able to pull strings or exert their influence on police officers to get out of trouble.

This is something the public might appreciate, when all drivers are treated fairly, Major Nguyen Manh Hung, deputy head of the Road and Railway Traffic Police under the Ha Noi Police, said in approval of the measure.

Besides, the offender doesnt have to waste time [going to the State Treasury] to pay their fines, Hung stressed.

Currently, traffic offenders pay on-the-spot fines in cash to police officers, which is more convenient for people, but not for the police officers.

Dr. Luong Thanh Cuong, head of the Faculty of State and Law Studies, from the National Academy of Public Administration, said allowing offenders to pay fines via bank accounts would free up traffic police officers from redundant tasks in order to focus on their primary role  to direct traffic and ensure traffic safety.

Traffic police officers have to carry with them all kinds of traffic ticket receipts. At the end of the working day or the day after, they have to bring the collected money to the State treasury. All the efforts devoted to calculating, counting, and keeping the fine money, are really unnecessary and distracting them from what they are supposed to do.

A more subtle advantage, Cuong added, is that payment via banks would help to end the unbecoming sight of arguing, dealing and exchanging money between traffic police officers and traffic offenders on the streets.

Concerns abound

Drivers may appreciate the fairer treatment as a result of automatic fine collection.

However, car drivers still have many concerns regarding the proposal.

According to Nguyen Xuan Thong, 31, in Thanh Xuan District of Ha Noi, this is a very novel idea, and he wanted to know if the two methods, fine payment via bank accounts and by cash can be accepted simultaneously, or the former will be preferred.

Thong is also concerned with exactly how the method will be implemented. Will those who commit traffic infringements suffer deductions immediately after being identified by traffic cameras, or will the agency handling traffic violations send offenders a notice, and only when the notice is accepted by the offender will their bank account be charged?

Bui Danh Lien, Chairman of the Ha Noi Transport Assocation, said even though he was in favour of setting up a bank account for easier fine collection, valuing the fairness and transparency it helps to create, requiring car owners to set up a bank account just to pay fines is unreasonable.

According to Lien, the trouble is Vietnamese people still prefer dealing in cash rather than by debit or credit cards.

Another thing that might be problematic, he said, is that money deposited in the new bank account must be equal or higher than the highest penalty  which hovers somewhere around VN20 million (US$890) as per Decree No 46, effective from August last year. This amount might not be much of a problem for individual car owners, but for an enterprise with hundreds of cars, it would be a significant financial burden.

Major General Tran The Quan, Deputy Chief of the MoPSs Legal and Judicial Administrative Reforms Department, while supporting the proposed measure, said many potential issues must be resolved prior to implementation. For example, will this measure be extended to motorbikes? Investment into modern traffic camera systems that will produce convincing evidence of violations will certainly be a considerable sum. The working partnership between police authorities and the banks also needs to be figured out.

Quan also said a detailed roadmap must be released for feedback if the authorities decide to proceed with the idea.

Back in November 2015, in a bid to ease traffic congestion in Ha Noi and HCM City, the then Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered the MoPS, Ministry of Finance and the State Bank of Viet Nam to immediately work on a plan to implement collecting fines via bank accounts.

It is not the first time that this idea has been floated by the citys police heads, but the plan remains in the proposal phase.  VNS

In box:

A number of places, such as the United States, New Zealand, Dubai (UAE), and Mumbai (India), have already implemented traffic ticket payments via bank accounts.

In New Zealand, should car drivers be found guilty of violating traffic regulations, the Police Infringement Bureau will issue notices and drivers will pay the fines with their credit or debit cards, or via internet banking using notice numbers (with the bureau listed as payee). If a notice is not paid, the offender will be summoned to court, and court costs are added to the fee.

In Mumbai, starting from the beginning of 2016, traffic police carry with them handheld point-of-sale swipe devices  obtained from the State Bank of India  so motorists or car drivers can pay fines by debit or credit cards immediately. However, as reported by The Times of India, despite authorities push for the cashless method, offenders still prefer the traditional way.
President Tran ai Quang (R) receives Azerbaijani Minister of Energy Natig Aga Emi Olgu Aliyev in Ha Noi on Wednesday.  VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sang

HA NOI  President Tran ai Quang has assured Azerbaijani Minister of Energy Natig Aga Emi Olgu Aliyev that Viet Nam is ready to create favourable conditions for Azerbaijans goods to enter the country.

During a reception in Ha Noi on Wednesday, Quang hailed the visit at the beginning of this year, which marks the 25th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, adding that Vietnamese leaders support deepening bilateral ties.

Discussing measures to boost economic, trade and investment ties, he suggested realising high-level agreements and the outcomes of the first session of the Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic-Trade and Science-Technology Co-operation.

To lift two-way trade, Viet Nam is willing to export agro-fisheries, electronics and computers to Azerbaijan, he said, adding that both sides should consider resuming co-operation in education-training and expanding connections in culture and tourism and launching a direct flight between Ha Noi and Baku.

He said Viet Nam wants Azerbaijan to continue assisting the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group in more oil and gas exploitation projects in the country.

Minister Olgu Aliyev, for his part, thanked the Vietnamese State and Government for creating favourable conditions for the meeting, during which the sides reached several deals.

He agreed with the Presidents proposed measures to intensify bilateral ties, especially in oil and gas, science-technology, culture and tourism.  VNS
HAI PHONG  President Tran ai Quang had a working session with the Standing Board of the Hai Phong municipal Party Committee on Wednesday, recognising the northern citys achievements in 2016.

Hai Phong City fulfilled 19 of its 20 key socio-economic targets with many exceeding expectations, including a GDP growth rate of 11 per cent, a 17.02 per cent rise in the industrial production index, and an 8.7 per cent increase in State budget collection.

An improving investment and business environment helped attract domestic and foreign investment, he said, citing that more than US$2.75 billion of foreign direct investment was poured into the city last year, 45 per cent above the target.

President Quang agreed on the tasks the city has set for 2017, asking municipal authorities to continue improving the local investment climate and step up investment attraction activities.

Infrastructure, especially transport facilities, needs to be perfected while tourism projects must be implemented quickly.

As a strongly developing city, Hai Phong should pay heed to state management of planning, he said, noting that rational planning will play a vital role in turning Hai Phong into a smart city.

At the session, the leader applauded the municipal authorities work to ensure a happy Tet (Lunar New Year) for locals, particularly disadvantaged families and war invalids. He asked the port city to increase surveys to ensure all policy beneficiaries are cared for.

Tet visit

Also yesterday, President Quang visited the Navy High Command, Military Zone 3 High Command and public security forces in Hai Phong, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year.

Via a televised programme, the State leader conveyed his New Year wishes to the military and residents in Truong Sa Lon, Song Tu Tay and Sinh Ton islands in the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago.

Commander and Chairman of Truong Sa Township Peoples Committee, Lieutenent Colonel o The Tuyen informed the leader about preparations for the New Year festival.

President Quang took the occasion to ask the Navy to guard national sea and island sovereignty as well as the marine-based economy and conduct search and rescue at sea.

Meeting staff of the Military Zone 3 High Command, the President described Military Zone 3 as an area of strategic importance to national defence.

He requested the Military Zone 3 High Command to keep close watch of the situation in the region and be prepared for the plots of hostile forces.

Talking with public security forces of Hai Phong City, the State leader called for a crackdown on gangs and social disorder while fighting economic, corruption, cyber, environment and drug crimes.

He also visited and presented Tet gifts to families of war heroes and invalids.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam is focused on completing economic reforms, and building a consistent, synchronous and modern administrative regime to enhance management efficiency, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

He made the statement during a reception for the Head of the Switzerlands Malik Research Institute, Professor Fredmund Malik, whilst in Davos to attend the annual summit of the World Economic Forum Wednesday morning (Swiss time).

The PM applauded the institute for its active co-operation with Vietnamese bodies and localities.

PM Phuc called on the Malik Institute to continue effectively working on agreements signed with Viet Nam, share experience and knowledge and help improve state-of-the-art management capabilities and skills for Vietnamese officials.

For his part, Professor Malik detailed the institutes co-operation activities in Viet Nam, expressing wishes for accelerated implementation of co-operation programmes and projects with Viet Nams ministries, sectors and research institutes.

The Malik Research Institute, founded by Professor Fredmund Malik in 1984, is one of the worlds leading organisations for holistic general management, leadership and governance solutions.

Professor Malik has developed an all new thinking and management system designed to revolutionise the leadership perspectives of top executives as well as the functioning of large organisations. In 1984, he published the first classic on system-cybernetic management Strategy of the Management of Complex Systems.

In Viet Nam, Hai Phong City has co-ordinated with the Malik Institute to build a project to develop Hai Phong into a sustainable development city through the systems thinking-based management model.

Also yesterday, PM Phuc made a visit to the renowned chocolate manufacturer Lindt in Switzerland.  VNS
DAVOS  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc participated in activities on the sidelines of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos City, Switzerland on Wednesday.

During a meeting with his Austrian counterpart Christian Kern, Phuc asked Austria to recognise Viet Nam as a market economy, push forward the European Union (EU)s approval of the Viet Nam-EU Free Trade Agreement, and back Viet Nams bid for non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council for 2020-21.

The two PMs agreed to launch celebrations for the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and convene a meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic and Trade Co-operation.

In a working session with WEF President Klaus Schwab, the Vietnamese leader sought the WEFs support to connect Viet Nam with leading corporations and experts, and consultations on policies on national competitiveness and high-tech agriculture. He also proposed the WEF continue to hold the WEF Mekong Conference.

Praising Viet Nams development potential, Schwab wished to enhance co-operation with the country, especially in the form of public-private partnerships (PPP).

Later, both sides witnessed the signing of a PPP agreement on economic development between Viet Nam and the WEF, under which, the latter will help connect Viet Nam with its top businesses, provide Viet Nam with policy consultation on economic restructuring, high-tech agriculture, national competitiveness and climate change, and receive Vietnamese cadres as apprentices at WEF units.

Talking with President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Tahehiko Nakao, Phuc asked the lender to assist Viet Nam in transport infrastructure upgrades, energy, administrative procedure simplification, and trade and investment facilitation in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS).

He invited the ADB President and leaders to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum High-Level Week in the central city of a Nang this November and related meetings in Viet Nam.

Nakao pledged to extend the provision of preferential credit for Viet Nam until 2019 and help the country launch projects within the framework of GMS co-operation.

The two sides vowed to step up projects in infrastructure, climate change response, economic restructuring and poverty reduction and work with GMS member states to prepare for the sixth GMS Summit in Viet Nam.

In a conversation with President of Microsoft Corporation Bradford Smith, Phuc urged Microsoft to continue doing business in Viet Nam, and invited him to attend the APEC Business Summit this November in a Nang.

Microsoft wants to intensify ties with Viet Nam in network security, human resources training and software industry, according to Smith.

WEF Davos 2017 focuses on promoting global economic growth, embracing inclusive growth, measures to take advantage of the fourth on-going industrial revolution, and shaping global co-operation orientations.

The event gathers more than 3,000 participants, including those from governments, international and non-governmental organisations, along with entrepreneurs, scholars, and social activists.

Established in 1971, the WEF is an independent international organisation committed to improving the state of the world by linking businesses, politicians, academics and other leaders of society.  VNS
An Assyrian Guardian Angel in London

Michael Rakowitz's winged bull from the gates of Nineveh. ( James O Jenkins) A surveillance drone sitting on a dollop of whipped cream, an Assyrian winged bull guarding the gates of Nineveh, and an invisible figure robed in ermine were among the ideas put forward on Thursday by artists bidding for the next place on Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth.

Artists from the UK, Pakistan, Mexico, India and the US unveiled small-scale models of five proposals at an event in the National Gallery. Two of their ideas will be selected to appear on the plinth in 2018 and 2020.

Justine Simons, deputy mayor for culture at City Hall, which has run the initiative since 1999, said it was the most international group of artists ever to be considered for the plinth -- a deliberate tactic by the organisers to reflect "our ambition to attract brilliant creatives from around the world to London".

Heather Phillipson, the sole British artist under consideration, offered a sculpture of a blob of cream on the point of toppling over, decorated with a cherry, a housefly and a working surveillance drone through which internet users will gain a "drone's eye view" of one of London's best known public spaces.

"Cream is always in the state of collapsing under its own weight," she said. "I'm thinking of it as a moment of potential hubris, as something that's on the verge of collapse. It's definitely a response to the present political moment."

Michael Rakowitz, a US artist, came up with his idea when he found out that the fourth plinth was 14 feet long, the precise length of a winged bull from the gates of Nineveh -- a sculpture dating from 700BC which Isis fighters turned to rubble in February 2015. "It was a beautiful moment of serendipity," said Mr Rakowitz, who has dedicated himself over the past decade to creating modern reconstructions of some of the 8,000 ancient artefacts lost or stolen since the Iraq invasion.

Damian Ortega, a Mexico City-based artist, sprung a surprise on the organisers when he changed the name of his piece from Higher to High Way minutes before the start of the event. "I like the double meaning," he said, explaining that the vertiginous construction involving a truck, ladders, oil cans and a scaffold is used on Mexico's roads to change street light bulbs. "I like to investigate the intelligence of popular knowledge and ordinary engineering."

Raqs, a collective of three Indian artists, invokes the images of power used by the British Raj in their statue showing a regal costume minus the body inside. The artists drew their inspiration from the grand statues of viceroys, kings and governors once located in prime positions in New Delhi, which were removed after independence to the seclusion of Coronation Park. The work would be "a ghost of the past and a warning for the future", they said.

The Pakistan-born artist Huma Bhabha, whose art deals with themes of war and displacement, offered an abstract, untitled sculpture made of brown cork and white polystyrene and covered with apparently random marks, which she said "revealed concepts buried within the materials".

The five proposals will be on show at the National Gallery until March 26. The two winners, which will replace the current plinth sculpture David Shrigley's "Really Good", will be announced in March.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Thousands of women take to the streets of Washington, demanding a greater voice for women in American political life as a new president takes power.

This will happen on Saturday, one day after the inauguration of Donald Trump.

This DID happen more than 100 years ago, one day before the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson.

So notable was the women's suffrage parade down Pennsylvania Avenue on March 3, 1913, that Wilson slipped into town almost unnoticed on the eve of his swearing-in, forced to travel back alleys to reach his hotel.

"Scarcely a score of persons noticed his automobile as it whizzed through the silent streets, and only a few applauded him as he reached his hotel," The New York Times reported at the time.

Meanwhile, more than 5,000 women marched from the Capitol to the steps of the Treasury Department in a parade that featured nine bands, four mounted brigades and two dozen floats.

The procession proved so pivotal in the struggle to give women the right to vote that it will be depicted on the back of the new $10 bill scheduled to be issued in 2020  100 years after women won the vote with ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

This year, more than a century later, throngs of woman on Saturday will march a route similar to the suffragists' in an echo of the past. Women still are seeking a stronger voice in society as a new president is inaugurated who repeatedly demeaned women during his election campaign. The marchers' mission statement pledges: "We will not rest until women have parity and equity at all levels of leadership in society."

The 1913 women's march, timed to get maximum publicity by coinciding with the inauguration, was not without controversy.

According to the Library of Congress' American Memory archives, crowds in town for the inauguration  mostly men  surged into the streets and made it difficult for the marchers to pass, forcing them to go single file at times. Women were jeered, tripped, shoved and spat upon, and police did little to assist them or quell the unrest. Some 100 marchers were taken to the hospital with injuries.

The participants included Helen Keller, the deaf and blind political activist and author. She was so unnerved by the disruptions that she was unable to speak later that day at Continental Hall.

Secretary of War Henry Stimson authorized a troop of cavalry to help control the crowd, according to the archives.

The treatment of the women by the crowd and police led to congressional hearings and the ouster of the District of Columbia's police chief.

"If I had had a policeman's billy, I would have got that crowd back," one suffragist testified at the hearings, The Times reported.

The controversy ultimately worked to the women's advantage, producing broad and sympathetic press coverage for their cause.
DAVOS  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has affirmed that Viet Nam always welcomes international media to the country to cover its development and global integration.

Meeting the foreign media on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2017 in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday (local time), the PM spoke on the Vietnamese governments determination to build a transparent and constructive cabinet in service of the people and businesses.

Asked about Viet Nams policies on investment attraction and ties with important partners, Phuc said Viet Nam boasted a vibrant economy with an annual growth of 6 percent-plus over the past nearly three decades. The country is considered an attractive destination for foreign investors, having attracted total committed capital of more than US$300 billion in over 22,000 foreign-invested projects.

The PM reiterated that Viet Nam always endeavoured to develop an open and transparent business environment, making it easier for foreign enterprises to do business in the country, adding that Viet Nam attached importance to social welfare in tandem with economic growth, social progress and justice and environment protection.

He also highlighted Viet Nams advantages including a 55-million workforce and 60 per cent of the population aged below 35.

On the occasion, he invited the international media to cover activities of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Year hosted by Viet Nam this year in a Nang City, contributing to popularising Viet Nam and its people to the world.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has officially issued a circular to prohibit the use of cysteamine - a substance used in animal husbandry, Hoang Thanh Van, head of the ministrys Animal Husbandry Department said on Monday

The circular will come into effect on March, 1, Van said, adding that cysteamine would be added to the list of banned substances which includes salbutamol and vat yellow - an imported substance that is used for dyeing cloth or in the construction sector - in Viet Nam.

Violations relating to the trade and production of prohibited substances will be fined severely under Government law, he said.

In the future, if individuals, organisations or companies are found to be involved in the trade of cysteamine, they will be punished under the provisions of Decree 119 on administrative penalties in the fields of animal husbandry and feeds.

The ministry has set up five laboratories that are qualified to test for cysteamine, so animal husbandry companies or health inspectors can take suspected samples for testing.

Nguyen Thu Thuy, deputy head of the Animal Husbandry Department said the department was also banning the import of cysteamine.

At a meeting in late 2016, Hoang Thanh Van confirmed that cysteamine is a new substance, and adding it to feed could improve the levels of growth hormones, promote the growth performance of the animal and lead to the creation of lean meat.

There was no study yet proving the effectiveness or harmful effects of this product in breeding, Van said.

However, he added that the departments inspectors had discovered some animal husbandry farms were abusing this substance.

Following consultations with scientists, breeding experts and management agencies, the ministry had officially proposed a circular on banning the use of cysteamine in feed production, the head of the department said.

Vietnamese inspectors had found that some feed products imported from Thailand contained cystaemine.

They also found antibiotics being misused at many animal feed production plants and pig and poultry farms.

Last August, the ministrys inspector team examined and discovered an one-member limited liability company at Tran Quoc Hoan Street of HCM Citys Tan Binh District that imported two animal feeding products, Maxsure and Synergrown containing cystaemine from Thailand.

A large number of products were sold to animal feed dealers, feed production plants and pig farms nation-wide.

Inspectors fined the company VN180 million (US$8,000) for importing and trading substances that were not on the ministrys licensed list.  VNS
HCM CITY  A fire broke out on an islet in Nha Trang City in the central Khanh Hoa Province on Tuesday night, destroying 78 houses and other property. No casualties were reported.

The fire occurred at about 10:30pm at a house on Nhat Tri Islet in Vinh Phuoc Ward before quickly spreading to nearby houses.

Nguyen Anh Tuan, a local resident, told the media the fire might have originated from the home of a man who fell asleep while he was cooking mash for pigs.

o Thi Kim Lien, 45, whose house was destroyed, said in tears that her family was about to go to bed when she saw through her window the fire at her neighbours house and attempted to assist the neighbour in putting out the fire.

However, the wind quickly blew the fire out of control, spreading to her house as well as others.

My family only managed to escape with some clothes, she said. Everything was destroyed by the fire. Nothing was left.

Firefighting police officers arrived at the area quickly after being informed, but they could not reach the scene because it is only connected with the mainland by one small road.

Most of the houses were made of wood and corrugated steel sheets, which caused the fire to spread quickly to a large area.

Local people had to use rafts and water pumps to assist the effort, while others helped firefighters put out the flames using buckets of water and fire extinguishers.

The fire was under control by 2:30am.

The provincial Peoples Committee held a press conference yesterday afternoon to provide initial assessment of the damage and assistance for affected families, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The provinces Fatherland Front gave affected families VN10 million (US$450) each whereas Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour provided VN120 million ($5,400).

Speaking at the press conference, chairman of Khanh Hoa Peoples Committee, Le uc Vinh asked local relevant authorities to quickly settle all 78 households in the Khanh Hoa Medical Colleges dormitory.

Competent authorities should continue helping locals collect their property, provide each family with VN20 million and protect the scene in order to determine the cause of the fire, Vinh said.

In the long term, Nha Trang City should develop a plan for those entitled to housing to help them soon stabilise their lives.

In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh yesterday issued an urgent message, requesting local authorities act promptly to repair the damage caused by the fire, and help settle those affected so they can prepare for the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year).

He also asked authorities to investigate and discover the cause of the fire, and strictly deal with fire fighting and control violations. The message stressed the need to enhance security, traffic safety and fire control in the locality.

In 2014, Khanh Hoa Peoples Committee faced objections from residents when it announced that it would clear and acquire land for a company to develop a five-star hotel complex project on the islet.

By the end of last year, the province had decided to change the plan by expanding the roads connecting to the islet instead of developing the hotel project.

Nhat Tri Islet is home to 1,400 households and has more than 7,000 residents.  VNS
HA NOI  Service fees at residential buildings in Ha Noi, ranging from VN700 (3 US cents) to VN16,500 (72 cents) per square metre, under the capitals newly-issued decision are thought to be unrealistic.

The decision, approved by vice chairman of the capital Peoples Committee Nguyen Doan Toan late last week, said that the service fee was VN700-5,000 (322 cents) per square metre in a building without an elevator and VN1,200-16,500 (5-72 cents) per square metre in a building with elevators.

Service fees exclude fees for swimming pools, saunas, cable television and internet, the decision said.

Nguyen Thanh Hung, deputy head of the Viet Nam Building Management Association, told the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper that the range for the service fee was not close to the current fees in local residential buildings.

In reality, a service fee of VN8,000 (35 cents) per square metre was often applied in luxurious residential buildings in Ha Noi, he said.

For some residential buildings, fees of VN10,000 (44 cents) per square metre had included fees for swimming pool or gym centre, he said.

According to Hung, only a few residential buildings collected service fees above VN15,000 (66 cents) per square metre, while most buildings in the city collected service fees under VN10,000 per square metre.

However, service fees were up to VN20,000 (88 cents) per square metre in the Indochina Plaza Residential Building in Cau Giay District, but residents are willing to pay the fee because of the good service.

The above examples show the service fees the city issued does not match with reality and is unnecessary, he said.

Agreeing with Hung, a real estate expert said the city administration should use the list of residential buildings classified by the Ministry of Construction before issuing service fees.

This would make the service fees closer to the reality, he said.

In response to the complaints, a representative from the construction ministry said the issuing of service fees at residential buildings in Ha Noi and other localities came after several residential buildings in Ha Noi overcharged, prompting complaints from residents.

Therefore, the administration regulated the highest service fee to fix the problem, he said.

Based on the regulated service fee, managers of residential buildings and residents could decide a suitable fee for both sides, he said.  VNS
Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am called on ministries to review their databases and means of information delivery to improve and offer more online public services.  Photo hanoimoi.vn

HA NOI  Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am called on ministries to review their databases and means of information delivery to improve and offer more online public services.

Speaking at a conference on e-Government on Tuesday, am said according to the United Nations e-government survey 2016, Viet Nam ranked 89th out of 193 countries and territories in the e-government development index (EGDI), up ten places compared to 2014.

The survey also pointed out that Viet Nams online public services ranked 74th, communication infrastructure 110th, and human resources 127th.

Online public services directly affect people, businesses and national competitiveness, he said, adding that achieving a high international rank could help attract investors and make the countrys voice stronger on the international stage, particularly in negotiations for international trade pacts.

In October 2015, Viet Nams Government issued a resolution - Resolution 36a/NQ-CP  that states during the 2015-17 period, the country is focusing on administrative reform combined with enhancing the application of information technology in State management and e-public services to reduce the time and cost of completing administrative procedures.

The resolution also states that by the end of 2016 all central State agencies and ministries are to have full e-public services, where users can access online forms and then send their completed forms and other documents to State agencies. All activities related to processing such documents are to be conducted online.

Ministries and agencies concentrated on analysing categories and criteria in the United Nationss e-government rating and then, taking responsibility for those that relate to their work, am said.

However, relevant ministries and agencies failed to collect or update data that the UN uses to calculate the e-government index, he added.

For example, the Ministry of Education and Training did not have statistics about expected years of schooling of children and average years of schooling of adults over 15 years old, while the two figures are parts of human resource index.

The Ministry of Information and Communications failed to announce updated statistics about the number of Internet users, number of landline telephone subscribers per 100 people, mobile phone subscribers per 100 people or the wireless gateway rate.

The shortcomings revealed that actions were not strong enough and responsibilities must be tailored to ministries and agencies more clearly, he said.

He asked ministries to speed up the implementation of online public services as part of administrative reform  a move that last year pushed eight low-income countries into the top 65 countries with the highest e-government development index.

He also suggested two approaches to launch online public services. First, the services should go online if they are time-consuming and complicated.

Second, the services are not too complicated and can be quickly performed online.

am said that ministries should run pilot programmes in some localities first and expand later.

Minister of Information and Communications, Truong Minh Tuan, said that this year, the ministry would issue criteria to assess the application of information technology in State offices which provides important data of e-Government development in Viet Nam.

The Viet Nam Association for Information Processing reported that until this month, Viet Nam had 130,000 administrative procedures but the number would be halved if they were standardised in terms of name, process, file and forms. Procedures may be the same but classified under different names or forms.  VNS
External information work and dissemination of information on sea, islands, border demarcation and landmark planting must be stepped up in 2017, focusing on the Party and States guidelines and foreign policies.  VNA/VNS Photo An ang

HA NOI  External information work and dissemination of information on sea, islands, border demarcation and landmark planting must be stepped up in 2017, focusing on the Party and States guidelines and foreign policies, said Pham Van Linh, deputy head of Central Committees Commission for Communication and Education.

He made the statement at a conference reviewing external information work and dissemination of information on sea, islands, border demarcation and landmark planting of 2016 in Ha Noi on Wednesday, which featured more than 600 participants.

Linh lauded sectors, localities and units for their efforts in the work, making contributions to creating a peaceful, stable environment for national growth.

Vo Van Phuong, deputy head of Central Committees Commission for Communication and Education and deputy head of the Central Steering Committee for External Information Service said that 2016 was the first year the resolution of the 12th National Party Congress was implemented.

In complicated global and regional situations, Viet Nams international news service and dissemination of information on sea, islands, border demarcation and landmark planting produced results.

The service disseminated the Communist Partys guidelines, State policies and laws, results of the nations oi moi (renewal) process and promoted the image of Viet Nam.

It also raised awareness, responsibilities, trust and support of public and overseas Vietnamese in Party leadership and Government solutions in addressing the nations problems.

The work has helped reject incorrect information by hostile forces, thus increasing support from the international community and overseas Vietnamese, and aiding socio-economic development, stabilising national politics, security, sovereignty and independence.

Besides achievements, the report from Central Committees Commission for Communication and Education pointed out shortcomings.

For example, external information work and dissemination on sea, islands, border demarcation and landmark planting had yet to mobilise the full power of the political system. Co-operation mechanisms between central and provincial agencies were sometimes unsynchronised.

According to Pham Van Linh, in 2017, Viet Nam expects to face both opportunities and challenges. Global and regional situations and East Sea developments are difficult to predict.

In this context, he urged comprehensive collaboration of dissemination forces while diversifying contents, forms and language of the dissemination.

Strengthening the fight against incorrect and distorted information by hostile forces is a must, he said.

He also called to intensify the dissemination of Viet Nams desire to address East Sea issues through peaceful solutions, based on respect for international laws.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Hoang Vinh Bao said that the ministry was working with agencies to consult with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to establish a project to foster publishing work for external information and to promote Vietnamese publications abroad.

Deputy Minister Bao said that the ministry would step up information provision to media agencies and be a link between ministries, sectors, localities and media.

It will also hold professional training for officials doing external information work, he said.  VNS
HCM CITY More than 280 blood-pressure screening spots have been set up in HCM City under the Communities for Healthy Hearts programme.

Launched in June last year with a pilot programme, the community-based project aims to raise patient awareness of hypertension.

By the end of last year, more than 2,700 people in the four pilot districts of 8, 12, Go Vap and Thu uc had received blood-pressure screening.

A total of 554 people at the 289 screening spots were diagnosed with high blood pressure and referred to healthcare facilities for treatment.

Nearly 25 per cent of the adult population in Viet Nam has high blood pressure, but less than half are aware of their condition, according to Nguyen Huu Hung, deputy director of the citys Department of Health.

The programme is part of the Novartis Foundations larger effort to combat the rise of chronic disease in urban areas of developing countries. VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Health (MoH) on Wednesday urged residents to give children the complete four doses of the diphtheria vaccine.

The request was released after two students from a high school in the central province of Quang Nam died of diphtheria.

Associate professor Tran ac Phu, director of the Preventive Medicines Department under the MoH, said that the two students were among 24 sick patients under isolation in the Tay Giang mountainous district.

One of the students died after receiving the wrong diagnosis at first, he said.

"Diphtheria is a viral and dangerous disease with high risk of fatality and no proven medicinal cure," said Phu.

Phu added that Tay Giang District was close to a district of Laos which had seen a diphtheria epidemic killing 600 people in the beginning of 2015. Most of the patients were adults who might not have received the vaccine.

The disease can spread quickly, so the department warned that residents should strictly implement preventive methods.

Children must receive enough vaccination. People must keep personal and environmental hygiene. Residents living in the affected areas must be isolated and receive proper treatment.  VNS
CAN THO  The Can Tho City Police on Wednesday asked the municipal Peoples Procuracy to prosecute nine traffic inspectors for receiving bribes.

Seven out of the nine people are former leaders and members of traffic inspection teams in different districts in the city, such as the Thot Not, Cai Rang, Phong ien and Ninh Kieu Districts. The remaining two people worked as intermediaries between traffic inspectors and bribe givers.

The nine people received bribes from 135 organisations and individuals; 260 people are related to the case.

The municipal police has evidence that the inspectors took advantage of their position to receive money from organisations and individuals for looking the other way.

The total bribes reached VN4 billion (US$177,700). The people giving the bribes are from different provinces and cities such as ong Nai, HCM City, Long An, Tien Giang and Vinh Long.  VNS
HCM CITY HCM City authorities have asked Cho Ray Hospital, the major hospital in the southern region, to build new medical facilities and satellite hospitals to reduce severe patient overloading at city hospitals.

City Party Committee Secretary inh La Thang said the hospital should be the pioneer in adopting new medical technologies and improve the quality of examinations and treatment.

He spoke on Wednesday during a visit to the hospital on the occasion of Tet (Lunar New Year).

Thang asked the hospital to apply public-private partnerships to upgrade infrastructure and buy advanced medical equipment and technologies.

The top-tier hospital, he said, should also provide favorable conditions for medical students to practise as well as transfer advanced medical techniques to doctors at provincial hospitals.

He praised the hospitals achievements and its support for disadvantaged patients over the last year.

Last year, the hospital provided health check-ups and treatment for 1.4 million patients, including many patients with rare and serious diseases, said Nguyen Truong Son, director of the hospital.

The hospital performed its 500th kidney transplant operation last year.

Doctors at the hospitals conducted hundreds of scientific research studies over the period.

The hospital earmarked more than VN11 billion (US$490,000) to assist poor patients and families covered under the Governments preferential policies, Son added. VNS
Donald Trump is a legitimate president. Sure, there are many questions about the way the election was conducted last fall, and he did lose the popular vote. But he clearly won under the Electoral College system, and the office -- if not the man -- deserves respect.

There is a more important question hanging over Trump's inauguration, however: Does he have the judgment, temperament and self-discipline necessary to be an effective leader? If legitimacy is a settled issue, ability is not. And so far, the evidence has not been encouraging.

Since the election, Trump has plunged into various battles with actress Meryl Streep, the casts of "Hamilton" and "Saturday Night Live" (again!), Rep. John Lewis, CIA director John Brennan, the entire intelligence community, many European leaders, and news outlets CNN and Buzzfeed.

His behavior is so self-absorbed, so thin-skinned, so lacking in a sense of proportion that only one explanation makes any sense: He cannot help himself. He has to respond to every slight, every criticism, with the rhetorical equivalent of a cruise missile.

That hypersensitivity is the last quality we need in a president. He will be bombarded by critics every single day for the next four years. And he should heed the advice of Barack Obama, who was asked on "60 Minutes" what skills are required to be a good president.

"Thick skin helps," answered Obama immediately, and he should know. After all, he was subjected to years of painful accusations that he was not a legitimate president by none other than Donald Trump.

The issue here is not just, well, skin-deep. The most important quality in a president is the ability to make sound decisions in the middle of a crisis. To keep his cool and his calm. To be a source of confidence, encouragement and yes, hope.

In the wonderful documentary by Ken Burns about the Roosevelts, columnist George Will says that when FDR took office in the middle of the Great Depression, his most effective weapon was his smile: jaunty, magnetic, optimistic.

Trump's face is marked by a scowl, not a smile. He seems consumed by grievances, and his campaign was animated by the settling of scores and exploiting the grievances of others. The slogan "Lock her up" was as popular as "Make America Great Again."

Qualms about Trump's personal qualities are not new, and the election did not erase them. Look at these astounding exit poll results: 61 percent of voters said Trump was unqualified to be president, yet 17 percent of those skeptics voted for him anyway. Sixty-three percent said he lacked the temperament to be president, but 19 percent of those chose him over Hillary Clinton. In the latest ABC/Washington Post poll, only 4 in 10 Americans view him favorably or express confidence in his decision-making.

As a candidate, Trump survived those widespread fears about his flaws and failings. But as he takes office, those flaws become far more consequential.

Start with Russia. Trump repeatedly attacked the intelligence agencies for reporting that Moscow had tried to tilt the election in his favor. Finally, grudgingly, he had to admit the charges were accurate.

Then he assailed the intelligence community again, suggesting they had leaked potentially damaging information about him, and made a totally unhinged comparison: "Are we living in Nazi Germany?"

CIA director Brennan firmly rebuked Trump on Fox News for his wild accusations. "There are many dangers" to such undisciplined behavior, said Brennan. "Spontaneity is not something that protects national security interests. And so, therefore, when he speaks, when he reacts ... the implications and the impact on the United States could be profound. It's more than just about Trump ... It's about the United States of America."

With our new president, however, everything is about Trump. Listen to professor Fred Greenstein of Princeton, a leading scholar of the presidency, who evaluated the impact of six qualities on the performance of 12 presidents, from Franklin Roosevelt through George W. Bush.

His conclusion: The single most important characteristic in a successful president is "emotional intelligence" -- the ability to remain "fundamentally free of distracting emotional perturbations." Of the 12 leaders he studied, four were clearly "emotionally handicapped": Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. All were crippled by these emotional disabilities.

Greenstein concludes: "Beware the presidential contender who lacks emotional intelligence. In its absence, all else may turn to ashes."

For the good of the nation, we have to hope that Trump's distressing display of "distracting emotional perturbations" does not ruin his presidency.
SEOUL  North Korea is preparing to test new rockets, a report said Thursday, after its leader Kim Jong-Un said the country was in the final stages of developing inter-continental ballistic missiles.

Pyongyangs missile programme and its pursuit of nuclear arms have seen it repeatedly sanctioned by the UN Security Council.

Quoting high-level South Korean officials and South Korean and US military sources, the Souths Yonhap news agency said two new missiles had been loaded onto mobile launchers.

They were believed to be equipped with new engines that the North tested last April, it added, when Pyongyang said they would "guarantee" an eventual nuclear strike on the US mainland.

The missiles existence appeared to have been intentionally leaked by Pyongyang, according to Yonhap, to send a "strategic message" to incoming US president Donald Trump, due to be sworn in on Friday.

CNN and other US news reports, quoting a US defence official, said last week that the Pentagon had deployed a high-tech sea-based X-band radar system to keep watch for a possible North Korean long-range missile launch in the coming months.

A spokesman for the South Korean militarys Joint Chiefs of Staff said the Yonhap report had not been verified.

In his closely-watched New Year speech, Kim Jong-Un said North Korea was in the "final stages" of developing an ICBM.

He said the country had significantly bolstered its nuclear deterrent in 2016, pointing to a string of nuclear and missile tests last year.

Analysts are divided over how close Pyongyang is to realising its full nuclear ambitions, especially as it has never successfully test-fired an ICBM.

But all agree it has made enormous strides in that direction since Kim took over as leader from his father Kim Jong-Il, who died in December 2011.

A senior US defence official said last month that the North has developed the capability to pair a nuclear warhead with a missile and launch it.

But it has not mastered the ability to bring the weapon back from space and onto a target, he said.  AFP
George H.W. Bush, wife hospitalized

HOUSTON (AP)  Former President George H.W. Bush was admitted Wednesday to the intensive care unit of a Houston hospital with pneumonia, and his wife, Barbara, 91, was hospitalized as a precaution after suffering fatigue and coughing, a spokesman said.

The 92-year-old former president, who had been hospitalized since Saturday, underwent a procedure to protect and clear his airway that required sedation, family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement.

Bush was stable and resting comfortably at Houston Methodist Hospital, where he was to stay for observation, the statement said.

The 41st president was placed in the ICU to address an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia, McGrath said. He later told The Associated Press doctors were happy with how the procedure went. Bush was first admitted to the hospital for shortness of breath.

Denver will allow pot in public

DENVER (AP)  Denver started work Wednesday on becoming the first city in the U.S. to allow marijuana clubs and public pot use in places such as coffee shops, yoga studios and art galleries.

Voters narrowly approved the social use measure last November. But the ballot proposal didnt spell out many rules for how the marijuana could be consumed, beyond saying the drug cant be smoked inside and patrons must be over 21.

Since then, the state Liquor Control Board has decreed no businesses with a liquor license can allow marijuana use.

A workgroup made up of business owners, city pot regulators and marijuana opponents met to discuss the details, debating even the simplest topics.

Inaugural crowds sure to be huge

WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump says his inauguration will have an unbelievable, perhaps record-setting turnout. Organizers of a protest the next day call it the biggest demonstration in history to welcome a new president.

Exactly how many people actually show up for both events will likely never be known.

Counting the number of people at major public events is as much art as science, and there will be no official tally of how many people attend either Fridays inaugural festivities or the Womens March on Washington on Saturday.

For decades, the National Park Service provided official crowd estimates for gatherings on the National Mall. That changed after the Million Man March in 1995. The park service estimated 400,000 people attended. But organizers believed they reached their goal of 1 million participants.

Sleeve may help failing hearts

WASHINGTON (AP)  Scientists are developing a robotic sleeve that can encase a flabby diseased heart and gently squeeze to keep it pumping.

So far its been tested only in animals, improving blood flow in pigs. But this soft robotic device mimics the natural movements of a beating heart, a strategy for next-generation treatments of deadly heart failure.

The key: A team from Harvard University and Boston Childrens Hospital wound artificial muscles into the thin silicone sleeve, so that it alternately compresses, twists and relaxes in synchrony with the heart tissue underneath.

Its a dramatically different approach than todays therapies and, if it eventually is proven in people, it might offer a new alternative to heart transplants or maybe even aid in recovery.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man is among the 64 people granted presidential pardons in one of President Barack Obamas final actions.

Johnny Ray Barker, 67, had been charged with illegal acquisition of food stamps in connection with a 1982 U.S. Department of Agriculture investigation. He served two years probation and paid $250 in restitution.

On Tuesday, Barkers name was on a list of 64 pardons and 209 commutations  including 109 people with life sentences  issued by the White House.

He was the only Iowan on the list to receive a pardon. Iowans with commutations included Douglas Eugene Harms, Sioux City; Kenneth Jay Putensen, Mallard; Jeffery Wayne Shondel, Cincinnati; Kelly Joe Walker, Moville; and Brian Lee Wells, Cedar Rapids.

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, and where wrongs from the past will not deprive an individual of the opportunity to move forward, read a statement issued by the White House.

A woman who answered the door at Barkers home Wednesday said he was in ill health and wasnt interested in commenting.

So far, Obama has granted 212 pardons and 1,385 commutations while in office, according to White House figures. Others in the latest round included Chelsea Manning, a former soldier accused of leaking documents to WikiLeaks, and James Cartwright, a former Joint Chiefs of Staff vice-chairman who was charged with making false statements to FBI agents who were investigating leaked information on Irans nuclear program.

According to Courier archives, Barker was one of 21 people charged in 1983 following an 18-month federal investigation into food stamp trafficking. Government officials became suspicious after noticing more food stamps were being cashed in Black Hawk County than had been issued for the area.
FAYETTE  Upper Iowa University announced Tuesday it is significantly lowering in-state tuition rates for transfer students to its Fayette campus beginning in August.

The private nonprofit college established in 1857 will provide admitted transfer students with a tuition rate of $9,600 at its Fayette campus.

UIU wants to become the most transfer-friendly college in Iowa. The schools board of trustees voted unanimously to lower in-state tuition and fees at its most recent meeting.

The new in-state transfer program also ensures transfer students now will have access to the same kind of financial aid as UIU freshmen, school officials said.

The new transfer tuition rate will allow students to benefit from small class sizes, direct faculty advising, flexible class schedules and other student-centered programs that distinguish UIU from large institutions, said Vice President for Enrollment Management Kathy Franken.

The new tuition rate will apply to transfer students who have completed at least 48 transferable credits and who have resided in Iowa or are currently attending an Iowa institution of higher education.

Transfer students who do not meet this eligibility criteria are eligible to receive a UIU transfer merit scholarship or grant in addition to other scholarships, grants or financial aid.

To learn more, call (563) 425-5281 or go to www.uiu.edu/TransferToFayette.
CEDAR FALLS  University of Northern Iowa student government would have a permanent liaison to the Cedar Falls City Council under a proposal discussed at a work session Monday.

With representatives of the Northern Iowa Student Government present, the council agreed to proceed with drafting a resolution to make that happen  though council members differed on whether that student liaison should actually sit at the council dais with elected officials and department heads.

Some council members felt it was giving UNI students preferential treatment compared to other organizations. Others felt it was a goodwill gesture to include an important segment of the citys population that might stimulate student interest in the community and encourage more UNI graduates to live here. Mayor Jim Brown has promoted the idea as a way of improving overall communications in the city.

The student liaison would not vote on council matters but sit at the end of the council table next to Public Safety Director Jeff Olson. Input would be sought from the liaison on matters directly pertaining to UNI students. It would be much like staff where theres questions directed to them; otherwise theyre here for support, the mayor said. He also noted the cities of Ames and Iowa City have similar student liaisons from Iowa State University and the University of Iowa, respectively.

Council member Dave Wieland suggested UNI students already have representation on the council in the form of at-large and College Hill area ward council members. He also said the idea was tried in the past but faded as students became more involved with their studies and as student leadership turned over with graduation. He said he supported students having an assigned position in the audience like some city staff but not at the council table.

This dais is used for people who have earned the right to sit up here, Wieland said, either elected or appointed by those elected. Putting a student from UNI on that corner chair is treating them special. They have not earned the right to be there.

Wieland conceded theres probably enough council support for the move, but he told students, quoting from the war movie Saving Private Ryan, with Tom Hanks, Earn it.

Why are we doing this? council member John Runchey asked. Brown said it was an attempt to involve and engage a part of the community representing a quarter of the citys population.

I think its a little early to chastise them for something they havent done yet, Darrah said to Wieland. John said Why? I would say, Why not? Lets talk through this, providing for measures for lack of attendance or other issues. Rejecting it out of hand, Darrah said, doesnt represent the kind of welcoming community we should be.

Mr. Mayor, I want to applaud you. I think this is a very wise step in bringing the city and the university closer together, council member Nick Taiber said, noting the city had made some decisions that are very impactful on the student population such as housing and public transit.

Northern Iowa Student Government President Hunter Flesch of Waukee said, I cannot begin to tell you how meaningful its been for me to work directly with so many administrators and community members. He serves on 15 community committees, representing student concerns.

UNIs campus is a centerpiece of Cedar Falls, Flesch said. It represents 12,000 students every single year. And a student representative within the City Council would generate an even stronger partnership between the students of UNI and Cedar Falls.

Wieland was impressed enough he and a majority of the council voted to proceed with at least drafting a student-liaison resolution. Runchey voted no and deBuhr remained silent during the vote. Like Wieland, she and Runchey did not believe the student liaison should sit at the council table.

Brown said after the meeting he appreciated the council discussion. He envisioned an interim student liaison would be selected who would serve until after upcoming student government elections.
DES MOINES  Safety advocates  with Gov. Terry Branstads backing  are pushing for a ban on texting while driving.

Many support going even farther to ban hand-held smartphones to reduce accident-causing distractions.

Members of a Senate subcommittee are looking to make texting a primary offense that by itself could trigger a traffic stop. They are considering expanding Senate Study Bill 1002 to restrict other activities using hand-held devices while driving  as long as it doesnt kill the bill.

We just feel that distracted driving is just far too big of an issue to pass the buck another year and not do something thats going to make real change, Amber Markham, legislative liaison for the Iowa Department of Public Safety, told members of a Senate transportation subcommittee.

Markham said a coalition of public safety groups, insurance carriers and wireless phone service providers support a proposal to make it a primary offense to use a hand-held phone while driving unless used in a hands-free or voice-activated mode.

That would include, but not be limited to, texts, email, social media and talking. Exemptions would be maintained for public safety and emergency use.

Driving a vehicle while texting is six times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated, said Susan Cameron, a lobbyist representing Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association.

Iowa is one of five states that classify texting while driving as a secondary offense for adults. That means law officers are not allowed to pull over a driver unless they suspect another violation.

Iowa has a texting ban for young drivers.

Steve Gent of the Department of Transportation urged the legislative panel to join 15 states that have banned the use of hand-held devices while driving.

He noted youngsters today have a smartphone in their hands long before keys to a vehicle.

Patrick Hoye, who guides the Governors Traffic Safety Bureau, said Iowas current texting law has spotty enforcement with fewer than 200 citations because it is costly and time consuming to subpoena phone records involving major mishaps. He said more tickets would be issued if the burden was shifted away from law officers in texting situations.

Mark Beltrame, an insurance industry lobbyist, said the proposed bill is a positive step forward.

Daniel Zeno, policy counsel for the ACLU of Iowa, opposed making texting a primary offense. He noted African-Americans are seven times more likely to be stopped for texting. He worried the proposed change would exacerbate racial disparity and lead to more profiling. He said going to the hand-held prohibition would be a better option.

Subcommittee chair Sen. Michael Breitbach, R-Strawberry Point, said he expected the change to a primary offense would pass this year.
WINNIPEG, Man.  A Facebook group is taking the issue of womens safety and transportation to a new level. Ikwe Safe Rides (Women Helping Women) is a private, members-only Facebook group based in Winnipeg, Canada. It has a mandate to offer its membership a safe, donation-based alternative to using taxis.

The group is managed by six administrators and has more than 14, 600 members participating. Two of the administrators are Dana Williams, a self described tree-hugging Witch, and Christine Brouzes, a Metis woman who follows a Christian spirituality. Both Williams and Brouzes devote their free time and energy to administering the group, and to driving other women in need of safe transportation around the city.

Winnipeg is a sprawling city of more than 700,000 people. Despite the population and geographic size, it lacks an efficient mass transportation service. The primary options available to citizens are private cars, taxis, and a bus system, which does not adequately serve all areas of the city. Further complicating things is a long and frigid winter, with a great amount of snow. Moving freely throughout the city is challenging, with long distances between amenities such as grocery stores, schools, medical facilities, and shopping destinations.

Many residents find they need to use a taxi service in order to haul groceries or attend to personal business. For women and children, particularly Indigenous women and girls, taking a taxi ride with one of the commercial companies in town can be a risky and frightening experience. It has become a regular occurrence that the local media will report an incident of sexual violence or harassment by taxi drivers against these groups, and other marginalized people.

The problem has become so intense that the Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO), a First Nations group representing thirty-two First Nations communities in southern Manitoba, issued a November press release, calling attention to the safety concerns and problems experienced by marginalized groups using taxi services. SCO has also created a Taxicab Community Complaint Advocate position in order to assist victims in navigating the system.

Reports of sexual assaults by taxi drivers are common. In May 2016, a transgender man was attacked, and then offered money by the taxi driver to drop the charges. The driver is now charged with sexual assault and obstructing justice. In August 2016, a 37-year old driver was charged with sexually assaulting a 17-year old girl. In December, it was reported that a 19-year old university student was drugged by a taxi driver, sexually assaulted, and woke up the next morning in bed with a man she did not know.

It is reported cases like these and the many other anecdotal stories from community members that led to the founding of the Ikwe Safe Rides (Women Helping Women) Facebook group January 31, 2016. In the Ojibwe language, Ikwe means woman, and this group is open to all who identify as women. Men may accompany women on trips, but membership is reserved for self-identified women only.

For Williams,who also co-facilitates the Winnipeg Pagan Pub Moot, serving her community through Ikwe is just part of being a conscientious human being: I dont want to live in a city where people dont help each other, this is the right thing to do.

As a mother of two, grandmother, and full-time worker at an animal shelter, Williams does not have a great deal of free time, and as she speaks to The Wild Hunt, she regularly checks her phone, monitoring requests for rides coming through the Ikwe Facebook group.

We work really well together without having many rules says Brouzes, stressing that Ikwe is not a business, but a private, volunteer based, donation sponsored alternative to taxi services.

We are not a free ride service, donations are encouraged. Elders can ride for free. With a chuckle, Williams adds: Alot of our members arent willing to ride for free and she went on to explain that donations are often greater than what a taxi fare would have been, as members are so grateful to have a safe and cheerful ride with an Ikwe driver.

What I enjoy most about giving rides to people is sometimes exposing women, who because of the fear, have a limited access to this world. says Brouzes, sharing a story about a young inner city mother, who wanted to pick up a television she was purchasing through Kijiji. It was to be collected from a far-flung suburb, in a part of the city that the young woman had never seen before.

She had the money for the TV, and needed safe transport. She felt safe with Ikwe Safe Rides and a woman driver, to do that.

The Ikwe team is planning to expand the group next summer, and will have a larger vehicle to use in order to provide rides for women and their families who would like to participate in recreational and cultural activities outside the city. Brouzes explains: Birds Hill (Provincial Park) is close enough to do a few runs back and forth a day.

In addition to this, members will be able to access a family-friendly powwow and day trips to the beach.

Brouzes understands the value of the experiences and is grateful for the privilege of owning a car. She takes great satisfaction from the ability to share it: To see the wonder and ability in families eyes, to plan ahead for that, is something really special. Imagine if your life was only 10 blocks wide, and you felt trapped?

Drivers for the group are screened to ensure that they have a valid drivers license, and up-to-date vehicle insurance. Appropriate car seats are available for the children of the members taking rides.

Members are asked to post to the group when they need a lift, stating the area of town they are leaving from and traveling to. A driver will then respond to the post, requesting a private message with details from the member. When the request is booked, the driver will post booked to the wall post, and completed when the trip is done. Members and drivers can work out if a return trip is needed, or another trip on a different day.

Ikwe is not the only safe ride service in Winnipeg, but it is the largest. The demand for safe and affordable transportation is increasing as people learn about this particular alternative. Brouzes explains: Of the 15,000 or so rides we have provided to women, and the several hundred that I have personally provided, every single woman, when I ask them, have you ever had an Ikwe ride before? Whether they say yes or no, they follow up that statement with Im so glad you exist because and all of them have a negative story to tell about taking a taxi in Winnipeg.

This grassroots approach to solving the transportation gap in Winnipeg has been successful so far, thanks to the hard work of many community-minded members. The model is being honed and expanded as the group develops and gains capacity. Other community-based approaches to transportation in Winnipeg includes Peg City Car Co-Op, a carsharing program, other safe ride programs. Additionally, Uber is expected to expand into the city once hurdles with the Taxicab Board and public insurance are solved.
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The Orthodox world lives by the Julian calendar. Today is the celebration of Christmas Eve. This day marks the end of Nativity , Christmas fasting. There should be 12 dishes on the table today without meat or milk  in honor of the *12 Apostles. Kutya and stewed fruit should be there without fail

Just right after the first star pops into view in the evening sky, people wander outside visiting homes of their friends, relatives , neighbors singing Christmas carols and wishing them Merry Christmas. In the evening at the churches divine services will begin to commemorate the great event

It truly is a time of peace and joy on this side of the world. I hope no one disturbs that peace for a long time to come. From what I understand they do not give gifts at Christmas, that part is already over and done by Father Frost at the New Year celebrations. Christmas is for God and only God

So today and tonight as you wonder what is going on in the world. Think about the Orthodox Christmas and give a prayer for a Christmas in a different flair from what you are use to

I do

Merry Orthodox Christmas!

Kyle and Svetochka

Windows to Russia!

WtR

* Information from Wikipedia: Traditionally, the Twelve Apostles include Peter (whom some denominations consider the Prince of the Apostles); Andrew, James the Greater, James the Lesser, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot. Judas had been one of the Twelve, but he betrayed Jesus and killed himself. With Judas gone, Matthias became one of the Twelve.
Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about how Christmas is not even half over in Russia!

I had my Christmas at the 25th of December but now the Russian version of Christmas is coming twice (?) on the 1st & 7th of January (click: read more for rest of article)

===========================

http://russian-crafts.com/customs/christmas.html

New Year Eve instead of Christmas

Few people in Russia remember, but when the communists took power in 1917 they banned the open expression of religion. While it was easy to pray at home, the Russian people were concerned about giving up their traditional Christmas celebration.

But where there is a will, there is a way!

They re-invented the New Years holiday tradition to include a decorated tree, and introduced a character called Grandfather Frost. Known as Ded Moroz, Grandfather Frost looked very much like the western Santa Claus or Pere Noel  except he wore a blue suit.

Actually, Ded Moroz was a character that existed in the pagan culture, centuries earlier. For a time, Christmas was all but forgotten. In fact, it was generally celebrated only in small villages, where the citizenry was far from the prying eyes of the Party.

Today, Christmas is celebrated again, on January 7. But, to date, New Years remains the bigger event.

Russian Christmas

Thirteen days after Western Christmas, on January 7th, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates its Christmas, in accordance with the old Julian calendar. Its a day of both solemn ritual and joyous celebration

After the 1917 Revolution, Christmas was banned throughout Russia, along with other religious celebrations. It wasnt until 75 years later, in 1992, that the holiday was openly observed. Today, its once again celebrated in grand fashion, with the faithful participating in an all-night Mass in incense-filled Cathedrals amidst the company of the painted icons of Saints.

Christmas is one of the most joyous traditions for the celebration of Eve comes from the Russian tradition. On the Eve of Christmas, it is traditional for all family members to gather to share a special meal. The various foods and customs surrounding this meal differed in Holy Russia from village to village and from family to family, but certain aspects remained the same.

An old Russian tradition, whose roots are in the Orthodox faith, is the Christmas Eve fast and meal. The fast, typically, lasts until after the evening worship service or until the first star appears. The dinner that follows is very much a celebration, although, meat is not permitted. Kutya (kutia), a type of porridge, is the primary dish. It is very symbolic with its ingredients being various grains for hope and honey and poppy seed for happiness and peace.

Once the first star has appeared in the sky, the festivities begin. Although all of the food served is strictly Lenten, it is served in an unusually festive and anticipatory manner and style. The Russians call this meal: The Holy Supper. The family gathers around the table to honor the coming Christ Child. A white table-cloth, symbolic of Christs swaddling clothes, covers the Table. Hay is brought forth as a reminder of the poverty of the Cave where Jesus was born. A tall white candle is place in the center of the Table, symbolic of Christ the Light of the World. A large round loaf of Lenten bread, pagach, symbolic of Christ the Bread of Life, is placed next to the Candle.

The meal begins with the Lords Prayer, led by the father of the family. A prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings of the past year is said and then prayers for the good things in the coming year are offered. The head of the family greets those present with the traditional Christmas greeting: Christ is Born! The family members respond: Glorify Him! The Mother of the family blesses each person present with honey in the form of a cross on each forehead, saying: In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, may you have sweetness and many good things in life and in the new year. Following this, everyone partakes of the bread, dipping it first in honey and then in chopped garlic. Honey is symbolic of the sweetness of life, and garlic of the bitterness. The Holy Supper is then eaten (see below for details). After dinner, no dishes are washed and the Christmas presents are opened. Then the family goes to Church, coming home between 2 and 3 am. On the Feast of the Nativity, neighbors and family members visit each other, going from house to house , eating, drinking and singing Christmas Carols all the day long.

=========================

So I get very confused; I ask my Wife when is Christmas? She tells me the 1st of January! Then she says but. it is also the 7th of January! Just that the 7th is not as important.

I am not going to argue, I get lots of Winter Holiday fun & spend it with my Sweetie! I am a lucky man!

Kyle

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MIAMI, FL, January 19, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- CEO at Florida Business Consulting, Eric Martin argues that effective problem-solving skills are crucial for business success and is encouraging young professionals and established entrepreneurs to use their problem-solving hacks.



About Florida Business Consulting: http://floridabusinessconsulting.net/about.html



1. Listen to music

Studies have shown that music can lower blood pressure, regulate heartbeat and release feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine. The therapeutic by-products of listening to music can make the cognitive process of problem-solving easier. The positive impact music has on someone's psychological state distracts them from negative emotions and frees their brain up to focus on problems without distraction.



2. Encourage shower thoughts

It's common for people to have their best thoughts and ideas when in the shower and it is believed to be because it is at a time where our minds are free to wander down unconventional paths, thereby enabling someone to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to difficult problems.

However, these thoughts are not restricted to showering; it is possible to unlock this potential when exercising, meditating or listening to music.



3. Lateral thinking

Florida Business Consulting encourages people to approach their problems from the opposite point of view. For example, when strategizing ways to attract and retain customers, think of methods that would drive customers away. By focusing on the negative mirror of a problem, it forces someone to consider different perspectives.



4. Play complex puzzle games

Multiple studies have shown that games improve memory and increase attention span and crucially, they have proved to be beneficial when it comes to problem-solving skills. Nanyang Technological University conducted a study where groups of participants were given different games to play for an hour each day. Results showed that the "complex puzzle" improved executive function more than any other kind.



Based in Miami, Florida Business Consulting specializes in bringing brands and consumers closer together through face-to-face marketing. Working on their clients' behalf, the firm conducts thorough market research to pinpoint the most promising markets for their clients' brands. Then, after identifying key consumer groups, the business delivers their clients' campaigns directly to consumers, opening up the opportunity for one-on-one communication. CEO at Florida Business Consulting, Eric Martin believes that developing strong problem-solving skills is crucial for business success.



SOURCE: http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/6-awesome-ways-to-enhance- ... ng-skills/



Established in 2011, Florida Business Consulting is a privately held marketing and fundraising services company in Downtown Miami. For more information Follow the company on Twitter @FloridaBizC and 'Like' them on Facebook.



# # #
With education playing a crucial role in forming talent and companies, this off-the-beaten-path entrepreneurial community in Brazil is primed to become the next big scene for startups.

SANTA RITA DO SAPUCAI, BRAZIL, January 19, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- At first glance, Santa Rita do Sapucai may not appear to offer many advantages to tech businesses. The city is surrounded by coffee farms and stunning green mountains and has just over 40,000 residents. It looks just like any other Brazilian small town, except for graffiti artwork on the walls and the large number of tech companies scattered throughout.



Located amongst the mountains in southern Minas Gerais state, Santa Rita, as it's called by its residents, is home to one of the most innovative tech entrepreneurial ecosystems in Brazil: Vale da Eletronica (Electronics Valley). Inspired by the American Silicon Valley, the Brazilian valley is home to more than 160 companies related directly to technology, from startups to factories, and of 50 more related indirectly to it, such as schools and consultancies. More than 12 thousand people are employed in the ecosystem and it generated more than U$1 billion in total revenue in 2015 - twice as much as The Digital Port (another famous Brazilian technology hub in Recife) made in the same year. Santa Rita do Sapucai also has the highest density in tech companies in Latin America - one tech company for every 250 inhabitants.



A unique history influenced by Albert Einstein



The first undertaking in the direction of technology took place in the city in the 1950's. A local citizen, Luzia Renno Moreira, was fortunate enough to watch a lecture delivered by physicist Albert Einstein in Europe. After he stated that Electronics would be the discipline to lead the future of humanity, Mrs. Moreira and Albert Einstein drafted what would be the first technical education institute for electronics in Latin America, which was founded soon after in 1959. Six years later Inatel, the Brazilian Institute of Telecommunications, was created in order to provide graduation scholarships and perform research in the telecommunications market. It was conceived by a group of visionary professors who took inspiration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was created to meet the needs of Brazilian telephone companies, and to undertake an ambitious project to cover the country with the new technology of voice transmission.



Moreira's bold attitude established a deep change in the small town's culture. Since then, the population has embraced "the new" and innovative initiatives are valued strongly, even beyond the tech business. In 2012, for instance, a local judge established that a prison sentence could be reduced by a day for every 16 hours a prisoner charged batteries by pedalling on one of eight stationary bikes in Santa Rita do Sapucai's prison. The charged batteries are used to power streetlights in the city and each full battery can power six light bulbs. The initiative made world news in the mainstream media and the initiative has been replicated all over the country.



Creativity above all else



In order to keep the culture of innovation alive after so many years, in 2013, local residents created a movement called 'Creative City, Happy City'. In only four years since, Santa Rita's creative scene has developed immensely. A huge part of the enclave's growing artistic culture has been the movement's annual festival which presents street music, street paintings, musicals, concerts, shows and thought-provoking seminars and lectures on a diverse range of issues. "The movement is a collaborative, decentralized project which joins local tech companies and startups, with creative businesses such as bands, restaurants and acting groups, educational institutions, as well as the local government and volunteers," told Wander Chaves, vice mayor and former Inatel Chairman. "We are stronger with all of these areas working together and sharing non-financial resources," he completed. The movement then became a large platform for new projects involving creative areas and connecting them to each other. Joao Costa, Innovation Leader at Inatel, highlighted: "These sharing dynamics have allowed each cultural area to use the city's private and public structure in order to bring to life their creative initiatives." Mr. Costa added: "There's also the sharing of knowledge among the network points, which have allowed businesses to become more creative and more able to design profitable and sustainable business models."



Hack Town is the initiative from 'Creative City, Happy City' that has had the biggest impact so far. It's an annual innovation and creativity conference that gets together the brightest minds in areas such as technology, marketing, startups, education, content creation, music, arts and innovation. They come together for talks and workshops that happen all over town, in unusual venues such as bars, restaurants, classrooms, squares and even home garages. "It's a moment to celebrate the paradox which is Santa Rita do Sapucai, where the rustic meets the modern in harmony," said Marcos David, one of Hack Town's founders.



"The 'Creative City, Happy City' movement relates directly to the tech entrepreneurial ecosystem," stated Carlos Vilela, one of Hack Town creators. "Every tech business needs to be a creative business. Competition now requires innovation not only in the tech layer of a product or solution, which might derive from technical research, but also in the design and user-experience layer as well as in its storytelling layer. Design and Storytelling require methods which lead to creativity."



A consolidated Tech Town that grew out of education



Education has played a huge role in the ecosystem's development. "Inatel has not only been a platform for the creation of high quality engineers, but also for remarkable companies and startups, such as Digital Life, the biggest brand of Tablets and Cellphones in Brazil, who have been performing better than Apple and Samsung in the local market," added Mr. David. Datablink is another case of global success in town. Recently acquired by an investor group, the company develops strong authentication and transaction signing technology. JFL is another success case. It's a world leader company in home security and is responsible for some of the biggest innovations in their industry. "The scene in Santa Rita is starting to focus on solutions to big world problems, many involving exponential technology," stated Carlos Vilela, who is also Head of Marketing at Leucotron. The company was founded 35 years ago and is still one of the most innovative in the valley. "These consolidated companies as well as many startups," said Mr. Vilela, "can be labeled as deep tech industries due to their growing work on automation, machine learning, speech recognition, data mining, big data and deep learning." Wearables, smart home, and smart city startups also fit the bill.



"Nowadays, 80% of the companies have at least one co-founder who has graduated from either the technical school or Inatel," said Wander Chaves. "The usual development of Brazilian inland towns happens around one or two big factories. Then, the educational system develops to generate human resources for that industry. In Santa Rita it's the opposite, with the educational systems existing first, and then graduates started to create their own businesses in technology," according to Mr. Chaves.



Beyond entrepreneurship, Santa Rita do Sapucai's educational system is also a unique platform for innovative business executives, such as the current AirBnB Brazil CEO, Leonardo Tristao, Facebook Head of Product Partnership, Dario Dal Piaz, and the current CEO for Ericsson LatAm, Sergio Quiroga. The town is also directly responsible for the creation of innovative technology, such as the direct-recording electronic voting machine, the chip for the electronic Brazilian passport and the transmitters for the Brazilian Digital TV System. Inatel has just released their "Smart Campus" which is a rich platform for innovation in IoT and Smart Cities, and has been leading the development for the fifth generation (5G) of mobile networks in Brazil.



The Startup scene



Santa Rita do Sapucai has been able to carve out its own niche in the startup world given its electronics past, and is directed towards the internet of things, hardware and smart cities as areas of strong potential for its startups.



Put most simply, the internet of things (abbreviated IoT) refers to giving network connectivity to objects, from household appliances to vehicles, thus allowing them to collect and exchange data. Spark Telecom, a local company founded by two Inatel students is creating IoT software which will allow various government agencies as well as private enterprises to track and manage infrastructure as well as learning and reacting to the habits of its users. Santa Rita do Sapucai is becoming a world-leader in this emerging field.



Carlos Vilela referred to company 'Das Coisas' as an example of Santa Rita's unique technical promise. The startup, "incubated" in Inatel, helps businesses and manufacturers to implement IoT solutions at every vertical, which allows them to make quicker, wiser decisions. "The startup scene is just taking off in Santa Rita." According to Joao Costa, who has just implemented a system to generate new startups based on the UN Global Goals at Inatel, "We want to be one of the first ecosystems to solve these global problems."



Recently, Telefonica and Ericsson, in partnership, chose the town to host and develop new start-ups under a program called Crowdworking. Telefonica has been very active in Latin America by collaborating with local governments to build and extend upon emerging tech hubs. Students and alumnis submitted 90 potential projects, which where shortlisted down to 42. Of those, 20 were selected to be developed into real products as part of a preincubation period. The 20 selected ideas are building products and services to cater for Internet of Things (IoT), health and wellness and smart cities applications.



The program allows young entrepreneurs to develop their ideas, test business models, gain expert guidance, form product development, market strategy and entrepreneurial management, as well as to start pitching investors during a period of eight months. These start-ups are able use Inatel's facilities, including a robotics room, a lab for creating ideas with 3D printers and access to the strong knowledge base spread throughout the institution.



Life Quality for talents leaving big cities



In 2013, renowned Cognitive Anthropologist, Dr. Bob Deutsch, who has been referred to by The Ad Club of New York as 'a truly revolutionary thinker', spent five days in Santa Rita do Sapucai for a TEDx edition. After his experience there, he wrote a piece entitled 'Santa Rita do Sapucai, Always in My Heart', in which he stated that this small town is "a fabulous place with smart, joyful, and creative people and with a mixture of what might usually be considered, contradictions." He stated: "The old and new, the traditional and cutting-edge, actually living not only side-by-side, but as a wonderful blend of two opposites. Donkey-drawn carriages parked in front of hi-tech startups, and engineers working with people from the creative arts." "That's," according to Mr. Deutsch, "exactly what the world needs: Things that are "This AND That". "Most things nowadays are cut as extremely separate things. This is an immature and even sometimes dangerous separation," he declared. "Santa Rita do Sapucai is not like that. It's a great example for the world," Mr. Deutsch completed.



"It's far from being the perfect place, if actually there is such a thing," said Carlos Vilela. "But after living and spending time in a lot of different cities, states and countries, I can truly state that Santa Rita is a great place to live, and it has been very attractive for talents who want to have quality of life in a smaller place and continue working on relevant issues," he declared.



According to Joao Costa, Santa Rita do Sapucai attracts talents not only for being a technology hub, but also for its natural attractions and creative lifestyle. Santa Rita do Sapucai has one of Minas Gerais' most famous Carnaval celebrations; it hosts several music festivals and celebrations; it's a meeting point for paragliders and cross country runners, hosting nationwide and international competitions; and has a very strong tradition of home parties and barbacues, which supports a 'Do It Yourself' mindset.



All of these, plus tax incentives, the possibility to spend more time working on your business and living your life, and less time waging war with traffic for hours each day, are great reasons to make a town like Santa Rita do Sapucai very attractive to a startup initiative. Besides, it is just 2 hours away from Sao Paulo, and not so far from Belo Horizonte or Rio de Janeiro, the three most important capitals in the country. "A shift of scenery can be a refreshing change of pace from the concrete jungle many tech startups endure. And for those missing the perks of city life, Santa Rita do Sapucai offers the best of both worlds," said Mr. Costa. "All of this leads to a perfect ecosystem which will soon become the next big scene for startups in Latin America, he concluded.



# # #
CAMDEN, SC, January 19, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Susan Burroughs, Chief Operating Officer of KershawHealth Medical Center, has been recognized with an Excellence Award as a Distinguished Professional in her field through Women of Distinction Magazine. Susan Burroughs will be featured in an upcoming edition of Women of Distinction Magazine's Top 2017 edition.



Susan Burroughs has dedicated her entire career to the healthcare field, working tirelessly to get to where she is today. Taking on a new role as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at KershawHealth Medical Center in Camden, South Carolina, just last year in July 2016, she provides a range of diagnostic, medical, surgical, rehab, general, and specialty physician care services throughout the entire county of Kershaw, allowing Burroughs to truly show off her talents.



"In my role as COO, I handle most of the executive oversight of health systems ancillary and support services," Burroughs explained. "This includes everything from cardiology, case management, and the catheterization lab, to construction, lab/pathology, plant operations, quality, radiology, respiratory, risk, sleep lab, rehab services, and our busy urgent care center."



When Burroughs first got her feet wet as a Practice Administrator, she worked for a solo practitioner. But when both of her parents began going in and out of the hospitals for health reasons, she decided that she wanted to not only become more educated in the field, but also redirect her career goals.



"The time that I spent representing my parents changed the course of my entire career path, which propelled me to pursue a role that focused more on quality care and efficiency in hospital operations," she added. "I've never looked back."



Serving as an Administrative Intern for the Department of Veteran Affairs while also pursuing her MHA in Health Administration, Burroughs became very familiar with hospital operations, as well as the value of fostering professional relationships and networking. Burroughs later earned the titles of Senior Project Manager, Associate Administrator, Associate Administrator II, Associate Chief Operating Officer, and VP of Provider Solutions for several organizations before being taken on board with her current company as COO.



Inspired by several influential women in her life, Burroughs credits her family the most.



"My mom was a nurse, my one sister is a nurse, my second sister is a radiologist, and my third sister is a retired administrator," she noted.



Active throughout her career, Burroughs has served at the national and local level of boards and committees of multiple professional and civic organizations, to include American College of Healthcare Executives where she received an Early Career Healthcare Executives Award, Healthcare Financial Management Association, and Society for Healthcare Strategy and Marketing Development. She is also active with Advanced Women Executives, LEAN IN's Los Angeles Chapter, National Black MBA Association.



For more information, visit www.susanburroughs.com and www.kershawhealth.org.



About Women of Distinction Magazine:

Women of Distinction Magazine strives to continually bring the very best out in each article published and highlight Women of Distinction. Women of Distinction Magazine's mission is to have a platform where women can grow, inspire, empower, educate and encourage professionals from any industry by sharing stories of courage and success.



Contact:

Women of Distinction Magazine, Melville, NY

631-465-9024

[email protected]



# # #
Jan 19, 2017 | By Tess

police officer holding a 3D gun police made using a 3D printer

A man from Mudgeeraba in Queensland, Australia has been given a six-month suspended sentence, having been found guilty of attempting to 3D print a handgun. According to the court that charged him, while the threat of 3D printed guns is not yet widespread, it does have the potential to become a serious problem in the region.

Of all the countries where 3D printing has really taken off, Australia seems to be the most concerned with the threat of 3D printed guns. And whether or not you take the threat as seriously as Australian officials do, their concern is understandable considering their strict gun safety and ownership laws.

Recently, for instance, a series of drug raids in Australia resulted in the seizure of a number of 3D printed firearm parts and the 3D printer used to make them. And while it is not clear whether the guns (which included submachine guns) were entirely 3D printed, the discovery did raise some alarms amongst officials. At the very least it seems clear that organized crime syndicates are trying to exploit the technology to make black-market, unregistered firearms.

30-year-old Kyle Wirth, who was charged with the manufacture of an unlicensed weapon in February 2015, does not have any reported ties to the above-mentioned raids, but his case raises more questions about how to deal with the rise in 3D printed firearms. Heres what we know about Wirths case.

In 2015, police raided the mans 18-acre property in Mudgeeraba, a suburb in Queensland, Australia, and found several bags filled with 3D printed parts that, when constructed, made up a firearm. According to the Southport District Court, Wirth apparently called the police after the raid to explain that the 3D printed parts alone could not make a functioning firearm. Police were reportedly able to discharge the 3D printed weapon after adding only a spring, however.

And while Wirths defence lawyer maintains his client never intended to sell or use the gun for criminal purposes, claiming the gun was not even capable of firing, crown prosecutor Judith Geary countered by saying that 3D printing the gun parts, even just out of curiosity, was a serious offence that could result in inadvertent injury, especially if the gun was believed to be a toy.

Kyle Wirth leaving court, 2015

In the end, judge Katherine McGuinness sided with the prosecution, stating that Wirth was trying to make a gun and that the community needed to be protected from 3D printed weapons. She said, Not only is it illegal...but there is a real need to deter and protect the public from such offending.

Wirth, who was charged with a number of drug offences right after the raid in 2015, was given a six-month suspended sentence for the weapons charge. According to Australian press, he pleaded guilty to the offence this morning.

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Nate wrote at 1/20/2017 10:54:26 PM:They do no 3d printers use a soft or flexable molding plastic pellets an not metal or hard polymers and that trying to shoot a bullet out of a 3d printed gun would probably explode unless you make it big an bulky enough it might be able to fire off one round or two if it was a cnc machine i would understand because those can mold metal an have been used in firearms but even so thats a multi thousand dollar machine comparing a 3d printers capability to a cnc is like comparing a remote control car to a monster truck or a paper machea sword to a japanes hand crafted katanaRise against wrote at 1/19/2017 7:02:48 PM:That's ridiculous the police made it into a functioning weapon and charge him for it!, waste of tax dollars , Not to mention it could even be able to fire more than one small caliber round very inaccuratly eventually that really brittle plastic is going to warp and possibly explode it's ridiculous find something better to do there are real crimes being committed! Idiot's!!!!




Jan 19, 2017 | By Julia

e-NABLE has done it again, this time at the University of Cincinnati (UC). The global network of volunteers, which is best known for connecting makers and the disability community through the free sharing of 3D printed prosthetics, has now inspired a new student group to extend its mission.

Meet EnableUC, the new student organization at UC that pairs engineering students up with people looking for a helping hand. The inspirational group has already outfitted an impressive amount of patients around the state with affordable 3D printed prosthetics, and continually works on new ways to apply 3D printing to a range of medical issues.

EnableUC president Jacob Knorr and co-vice president Nick Bailey

EnableUC was founded by Jacob Knorr, a 22-year-old biomedical engineering student at the UCs College of Engineering and Applied Science. Before serving as the groups president, Knorr worked at the Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Centre in the Division of Plastic Surgery. It was at the Hospital that Knorr learned how to use additive manufacturing in a medical context, by 3D printing tissue-engineered scaffolds used for promoting bone regrowth. His research focuses on craniofacial abnormalities such as cleft lip and palate bone defects.

Over time, Knorr recognized the opportunity to bring his work and school interests together. Thanks to the help of the biomedical engineering faculty and students, as well as some grant funding, Enable UC got its hands on a 3D printer and set to work. Currently about 30 members make up the group.

According to Knorr, 3D printing unlocks a world of potential for students. You dont need to be any kind of expert to make something with complex architecture, whereas you would [otherwise] need a machinist, very expensive tools and other materials, he said.

The process is both affordable and patient-specific. When paired with a patient who has either a palm without functioning fingers or a partial palm, EnableUC turns to e-NABLEs extensive database of design files for mechanical hand devices. The design file is then scaled to the size of the patients hand, followed by converting the file for use by the 3D printer. The resulting prosthetics are almost entirely 3D printed, right down to the pins. Within a few hours, the device can be completed for only $20  a vast reduction from traditional prosthetics that can cost thousands.

Knorr with EnableUC's 3D printer

The idea is not to make something thats state of the art, Knorr says, its to make something accessible that can help people. The reality is many people are not going to be able to afford that or theyre not in the position to use those.

Beyond building and outfitting mechanical prosthetic hands, EnableUC has its eye on innovating new devices as well. Its really great to take open-source designs from online and print them out and then give them to patients, but also were a university, says Knorr. We have a lot of engineers, people that like designing and building things. So we want to develop some of our own solutions.

Ideas currently on the drawing board include a robotic arm, or as Knorr thinks of it, a Luke Skywalker hand. Unlike the 3D printed prosthetic hands, this new device would be battery powered and able to sense muscle contractions. EnableUC is currently raising funds online for the project, with hopes to get it off the ground as soon as possible.

Ultimately, Knorr would like EnableUC to keep expanding. We really want to expand to that next level to not only have an impact in the Cincinnati area, but an impact on a global scale.

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Jan 19, 2017 | By Tess

Last April, a team of researchers from the American University in Washington, DC succeeded in 3D printing a chemically active structure using nanocomposites and a commercial 3D printer. The research achievement, which gained much attention on social media, has now been recognized by the Science and Technology of Advanced Materials journal, having been awarded the STAM 2016 Altmetrics Award.

Led by chemist Matthew Hartings from the American University, the 3D printing project set out to investigate whether or not 3D printed objects could demonstrate chemical reactivity, and be used more creatively within the field of chemistry. Typically, additive manufacturing is only used within chemistry labs to push forward research on other materials and structures, used as an accessory, so to speak. As Hartings states, As a chemist, printed things are kind of boring. I wanted 3D printed objects to be able to do chemistry after they were printed.

Now, by his own volition, Hartings seems to have got what he wanted. Conducted in partnership with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Food and Drug Administration, Hartings research demonstrates how nanoparticles can be essentially mixed in with 3D printable polymers to make 3D printed objects that are not simply static, but take on chemical propertiesproperties that come about during or after a chemical reaction.

left to right: 3D printed polymer structures containing TiO2 nanoparticles at 0, 1 and 5% by dry weight

More specifically, the project consisted of blending titanium oxide (TiO2) nanoparticles with a 3D printed polymer. Titanium oxide, a naturally occurring semiconductor sourced from ilmenite, rutile and anatase, possesses photocatalytic properties under UV light and is found in a wide variety of everyday products, including sunscreen, cosmetics, food coloring, and more. Amazingly, the 3D printed object made from the mixed material showcased not only superior mechanical properties to its only-polymer counterpart, but also displayed chemical properties.

One of the most significant things about the innovative research is the implications it could have for the environment. That is, the ability to 3D print chemically active structures could mean the production of seeming static objects that are actually breaking down active pollutants in the air through their chemical compositions. Of course, there is still a lot more work that needs to be done, especially in terms of experimenting with different, more optimized polymers. (For their research, the scientists used acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS).

I'm really interested in the way that our 3D printed nanocomposites can store and filter gases, Hartings explained. Developing new ways to trap gases like carbon dioxide and hydrogen and methane will have huge implications for our environment and society.

The STAM 2016 Altmetrics Award was given to the 3D printing research project largely because of the attention it attracted via mainstream and social mediaa clear sign that the achievement was relevant and exciting not only within academic circles. As one can imagine, the award has been gratifying and stimulating for Hartings and his team, who will undoubtedly continue their groundbreaking work.

In related news, chemists from MIT recently found success creating 3D printed materials whose chemical properties could be altered after printing. The scientists were also able to fuse multiple 3D printed objects together with light.

Posted in 3D Printing Materials

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Lisa Rosman in Signature:

Walking through the galleries of Mastry, the two-floor Kerry James Marshall retrospective at Met Breuer, the newest branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I always flash on James Baldwins quote: I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually. Certainly Marshalls paintings, which I have visited three times in the last month, are profoundly American  proudly, gorgeously, and defiantly so. In a swoon of silver, brocade, and funeral banners, they embody the beautiful resistance that our country needs most right now  the civil rights movement that never really ended, the revolution that has just begun. More than that, these paintings ask us to join the party.

Born in Alabama in 1955, Marshall moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1963  a classic midcentury migration of African American clans. He has said that his infatuation with Marvel comics began around the same time that he visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and certainly both influences are evident in his work. Also evident is the Civil Rights movement, which grew up right along with the artist, often in the same place. He was in Birmingham when four young girls were killed in a bombing of a Baptist church, and was living in L.A.s Watts section during its 1965 riots. Remaining in that city during his early adulthood, he knew founding members of the Crips gang and studied at the Otis Art Institute, where he opted to become a representational painter who queries accepted tropes of beauty as well as the eye of the beholder. Marshall has a great deal to say about the gaze.

More here.
Northern football players, cheerleaders from beyond the U.S.

Two Northern football players and two cheerleaders have common ground with hometowns outside the U.S.
Johannesburg, South Africa  January 18, 2017  Investments in African private equity is rising. Traditionally, the continents abundance of natural resources, including mining and exploration, has been the force behind investment interest. But growing demand for telecommunications, infrastructure, consumer goods and financial services, has increased opportunities for potential investors.

Additionally, some African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia and South Africa, have changed the asset allocation rules of their state pension funds. This means that a certain percentage of pension assets  in some countries up to 15%  may be invested in private companies.

As a result, African investors are increasingly choosing to put their money in African private equity. As pension fund regulators and managers become more familiar with the benefits of private equity, the level of capital available to the private sector should increase. This local support should also advance the confidence of international investors.

Last year, a record $4bn (3.7bn) was ploughed into private equity fundraising in Africa. The growth of the African middle class, rapid urbanisation, along with increased GDP per head, is creating a sizeable consumer class across the continent.

Demographic statistics show that Africa already has a larger middle class  earning the equivalent of more than $20,000 per year  than India. By 2030, it is forecast that more than half of Africas population will live in urban areas, up from one-third today. These trends, along with GDP growth rates in excess of 4-5%, all support forecasts of growth in the consumer goods and services sectors, which will open up investment opportunities.

Financial services, including banking and insurance, represent another key growth area. More than 300m of the worlds unbanked population lives in Africa, with 80% of the adult population still without access to simple banking services. Penetration rates across a wide range of basic banking and insurance products are low on a GDP-adjusted basis, which points to significant growth potential.

Growing disposable incomes mean that telecoms and associated industries provide good investment opportunities, both from a retail and infrastructure perspective.

Agribusiness provides another range of opportunities for private equity. Africa has the bulk of the worlds uncultivated arable land and many natural competitive advantages, but it only generates 10% of global agricultural output and accounts for less than 5% of the world agribusiness GDP. Most farming in Africa is small-scale, in part because farmers do not have access to the infrastructure that supports their counterparts in Asia and Europe.

In all emerging markets, apprehension about the number and quality of exit routes for investments remains high, and Africa is no exception. Although the industry has done much to encourage discussion about the benefits of private investment in Africa, it has not done enough to counter appropriately the perception that Africa has a weak exit environment.

Shockproof Capital Partners research shows that trade sales made up more than half (55%) of exits in 2014. In the long term there are plenty of other options for exits, including international equity markets, African equity markets and structured exits.

The overall exit process is made significantly easier and shorter when selling a transparent company with high standards in terms of environmental, social and governance (ESG) guidelines. Many investors have more stringent requirements relating to governance, track records, institutionalised back offices and reporting.

Investors seeking access to Africas emerging opportunities often want to do so with a trusted manager that has a strong track record and that employs international best practices.

In addition, investors that are looking at multiple ways to gain access to this market and want to explore investment structures beyond the traditional 10-year blind-pool fund. In recent months there has been an increasing focus on co-investment as a route into the market. Investment partnerships are particularly important for investors looking to tailor their portfolio and enhance performance.

Exposure to deal-making when co-investing alongside fund managers gives investors the opportunity to expand internal capabilities, acquire valuable experience in direct investments and gain exposure to geographies and industries to which they might not otherwise have access.

It also allows investors to strengthen their fund manager relationships and build up their knowledge of the deal process and execution capabilities on specific investments before making a commitment to a blind pool fund.

Many co-investors have not made significant prior investment in Africa and have chosen to work alongside fund managers to gain exposure and deepen their understanding of, and comfort with the developing investment environment.

One of the main advantages of becoming a Shockproof Capital Partner is the opportunity to tap into their knowledge of local business environments. A common misconception among private equity investors is the idea that Africa is a single uniform market.

The African continent consists of 54 countries, all of which offer unique investment opportunities  as well as challenges. Understanding the on-the-ground angle is essential for any successful private equity investment.

The future is bright for private equity opportunities in Africa. African governments, realising the increasing potential of private equity investment, continue to implement business-friendly policies and reforms, as the changes in pension fund regulations show. Moreover, regional trade linkages continue to provide opportunities for portfolio company expansion.

Investor interest in the burgeoning African economy is growing and the potential for private equity knows no bounds. Broad growth areas across a diversified range of industries, together with firm support from governments, mean this is a great time to invest.

For more information, contact ShockProof Capital at: www.shockproof.capital

Media Contact

Company Name: ShockProof Capital

Contact Person: James Forster

Email: Partner@Shockproof.capital

Phone: +27-62-390-1307

City: Johannesburg

Country: South Africa

Website: www.shockproof.capital
For those looking to explore some of the best places in Europe such as Iceland, Berlin, and Bruges, author Wouter Coppens has launched a series of books to help the tourists explore the best. His three books, each dedicated to an individual place consists of useful information thatll help the tourists explore these places seamlessly.

His book, Iceland-Ultimate Road Trip is made for the ones who wish to explore the beauty of Iceland by road. This book promises to take the traveler on an exciting road trip, where theyll visit the most popular places along with some underrated and hidden gems of the beautiful country. The book features elaborated details for going on a road trip to Iceland along ring road 1, golden and diamond circles. It also features a guide to discovering the snaefelness peninsula along with more than 85 highlights of the country.

All the highlights and destinations are mentioned with clear GPS coordinates and directions. The book also features useful tips from locals and overall, it is a complete guide to discovering the best of Iceland in 13 days and 2750 km. The travelers will also find a fully mapped city walking tour in the serene city of Reykjavik.

Considering that it often becomes difficult for the travelers to explore a city without a tourist guide, Coppens has released these books on Amazon.com after thorough research and feedback from the travelers to offer them with the best tourist guide thatll prove to be of real help. Also, it is not always possible for the travelers to afford a local tourist guide which is when this book comes into the light, as an affordable and portable option while traveling to popular European destinations.

Berlin is another popular tourist attraction in Europe and to explore the same, travelers can use Coppens book Berlin City Guide: Travel Guide with 5 unique walking tours to discover Berlin on your own which eliminates the need to hire a tour guide. The book enables the traveler to explore the city through 5 walking tours which take them through the most popular attractions and lesser-known places of the city. It features information, maps, and directions to more than 49 places which the traveler can explore on their own. This book also describes some tips from the locals which will help the traveler make their stay more pleasant in the city. The book also features background information and facts about the city.

The book, Bruges City Guide by author Coppens enables the traveler to explore the city of Bruges in Belgium. The book is written by the Belgians and features two unique walking tours of the city. It describes more than 27 highlights as well as background information and facts about the city.

These books are created for the travelers who like to discover places on their own.

Media Contact

Company Name: The Media Bay

Contact Person: Press Execuctive

Email: gracewilliamss91@gmail.com

Country: Belgium

Website: shop.themediabay.be/en/
Going through a divorce can be either a relief or a painful event and the emotions involved may make conflict resolution very hard. Sometimes it is necessary to go to trial; however, a divorce mediator may be just what is needed to reach a solution that benefits all parties.

Divorces can be very messy affairs; it is hard to imagine a more difficult time to settle disputes than when going through a divorce. In many cases both parties will be hurt and emotions are almost guaranteed to boil over. Divorce mediation is the process whereby settlement negotiations take place and are moderated by a neutral third-party, these negotiations are less emotionally draining than a trial and allows for courteous negotiation, which can prove to be beneficial for all parties involved. It is very important to point out that each party has control over the agreement, both can oppose it without guilt, the aim of these negotiations is to benefit everyone and stating the interests of each party is vital.

Saybrook Mediation offers an excellent mediation service, providing both parties with equal attention to their individual needs, their aim is to device a practical plan to ensure that the negotiations run as smoothly as it is possible. Their aim is to carefully go through each of the things that worries both parties and they strive to find a way in which both can take away something positive as they go their separate ways.

Though mediation might not be for everyone, it has been shown to have many merits, without a doubt the most important one is that it has positive effects on any children involved. Since mediation is by far less stressful than litigation, it allows a more peaceful home environment even while right in the middle of the conflict. Besides, children benefit from seeing their parents cooperating and this makes the entire experience less traumatic, on top of this cooperation between the parents often results in joint custody which is beneficial to both the child and the parents. Saybrook Mediation has ample conflict resolution experience and understands the importance of maintaining a civil environment in which to carry out negotiations so that both parties can feel at ease and this difficult process can end amicably and without harming any children involved.

The mediator is not a judge, their job is simply to assist both parties in reaching an agreement. This allows everyone to maintain control over the process as well as a custom agreement that a judge will not be able to provide but is most likely a better option since it has been created with your special needs in mind. Saybrook Mediation offers all the advantages of mediation, listening to every concern and taking steps to assure that they are resolved.

About Saybrook Mediation

Christina Burnham has mediated disputes since 1995, she started out at the Regional Trial Docket with the Connecticut Judicial System. Saybrook mediation is her creation and offers a neutral environment for families to resolve a dispute in an amicable way.

Media Contact

Company Name: Saybrook Mediation

Contact Person: Christina Burnham

Email: marsancz91@gmail.com

Phone: 860-391-0532

Address:263 Main Street, Suite 108

City: Old Saybrook

State: Connecticut

Country: United States

Website: http://www.saybrookmediation.com/contact-us/
Lucas Roitman, the boy genius who became famous as a teenager for countless projects: created a viral webgame at 13 years old, made a sold an Augmented Reality product when he was 16 years old. Became an international medallist in informatics olympiads (p

ADIA is a versatile drone platform which promises a much simpler product than the alternatives: you download and install a new app by using your phone, and the drone suddenly learns more skills.

Lucas Roitman, Stanford researcher, makes ADIA, the Artificial Drone Intelligence that will change the world as we know it!

Lucas Roitman, CEO and Founder of ADIA, along with other Stanford students and researchers, is developing a personal drone for your home, that you can easily make apps for. Its like an iPhone, that has tons of different apps, but it flies!

If that sounds interesting, check it out at: http://adia.tech



image: the drone includes basic building blocks for computer vision and artificial intelligence, like deep learning and SLAM

Lucas Roitman, the boy genius who became famous as a child and teenager for countless projects: created a viral webgame at 13 years old, made a sold an Augmented Reality product when he was 16 years old. Became an international medallist in informatics olympiads (participated in Thailand and Italy), was featured on national news and is an author of dozens of papers from engineering to design, politics and economics. He is now the CEO and Founder of ADIA, an artificial intelligence robotics company.

ADIA is a versatile drone platform which promises a much simpler product than the alternatives: you download and install a new app by using your phone, and the drone suddenly learns more skills. Its a perfect drone for anyone.

We think its absolutely stunning! The drone is equipped to perform functions like: filming indoors or outdoors, delivering food or medicine, and even providing security at home and alerting you if someone breaks into your house. This drone is a first of its kind.

Adia promises to make available an app store very soon. In that marketplace, youll be able to find many apps and games. You can browse through them on your iOS or Android phone, or on the web, but you can also use voice commands to install the apps and run them. It comes with some apps installed as well.

Adia consists of a great team that is amazingly skilled. They have CS PhDs from the AI lab, and MBAs from the Stanford business school. They also work with Product designers and artists. The Founder and CEO is Lucas Roitman: the inventor and designer of the drone. Hes an artificial intelligence researcher at Stanford, but hes also a successful businessman and a talented product designer. Gaston Agudiez has made some amazing application designs that add a lot of functionality to this already great drone and contributed as the graphic and web designer.

Tushar Soni is the deep learning engineering lead. Naman Gupta is the 3d mapping and the robot operating system lead, and Yash Savani, who is pursuing his masters in statistics at Stanford, is the data science specialist. Also, Alexis Gonzalez, is the linux systems administrator, Matias Villaverde is doing design and programming, and Aleksandar Kolov is doing web design. This team is quite globalized: it includes people from eastern and western europe, the USA, South America, and India. Every single one of them is extremely accomplished in their fields.



image: ADIA is a new smart drone platform for developers and consumers

Even though the team is impressive, making this drone is not an easy task. However the main founder is a visionary with a long history of great achievements. Lucas Roitman, the boy genius who has been well known as a child and teenager for countless projects, has already had achievements in many fields. He is a national olympiads gold medallist and an international contestant.

He won a silver medal in the iberoamerican olympiad of informatics, and he represented the national team twice, in Thailand and Italy. He made a viral webgame at the age of 13, became well-known for a computer hack that would make desktop icons bounce around the computer desktop. Hes been featured on national news, and has been invited to many national events such as Tecnopolis and other trade shows.

Check his website at http://lucasroitman.com to see his projects.

Lucas has won multiple awards and prizes for his projects and hacking skills. Hes also traveled to many cities for competitions and exhibitions. Some of his projects have made him famous on the internet from a very young age.

As we all know, drones are mostly used for filming right now. What Adia offers that none of the others do, is that it can film indoors without crashing and without human controls. Thats right, you dont need to control it from a radio or a phone, even. You set it up to film around the room, and you tell it which subjects are important, and it will go around filming for you. Thats a hands off approach. It can also do this outdoors, which no other drone can do either.

Lucas has also been a great young businessman. He sold an Augmented Reality product at the age of 16, and made a technology consulting business when he was 18 years old, working with startups in Silicon Valley. Then, hes worked in Stanfords Artificial Intelligence lab, in professor Sebastian Thruns lab, who leads Google Xs self-driving car project. He made his senior thesis with professor Terry Winograd as a contributor, the same advisor to the Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

Then, he worked on drones and received two rounds of financing for a drone company. Through the HAX accelerator program, he has been sent to Shenzhen, China, to prototype a drone and find manufacturers, and then received a bridge round of funding, putting the company at a multimillion dollar valuation. That means his net worth is estimated to be at least of a couple million dollars, and is still growing.



image: the vision for ADIA Robotics is quite ambitious

Lucas was such a promising entrepreneur that he got recruited to top universities and was admitted to Stanford, MIT, Yale, Upenn and many others. Hes studying at Stanford with a full scholarship.

He and his group have designed the prototype, and now they are partnering with contractors and venture capital firms. They were insistent in making sure that their drone is used for the good of society.

Lucas has performed research and written academic papers in many topics, such as philosophy, economics, quantum physics, machine learning, augmented reality, sci-fi literature, public policy, urban design, international politics, history, management, and 3d printing. Hes made multiple successful companies, all while attending high school and college. Hes about to graduate from Stanford University with a degree in Science, Technology and Society and possibly even a masters in Symbolic Systems, which is Artificial Intelligence, Human-Machine interaction, and neuro-cognitive science.

The picture is not a joke. The drone can deliver for real. Maybe it will not carry a baby, but it can bring chinese food to your table (not just your front door). With its SLAM 3d mapping, it can literally come in through the window and leave the package in your room.

This drone is different to others. It is created for the home and personal use, and lets you install many diverse applications. The team said: In the beginning, we are thinking of launching three different apps: Film, for indoor or outdoor filming, Deliver, for food or product delivery, such as medicine, and Secure, for private security at home.

This is the smartest drone weve ever seen. It has artificial intelligence for tracking people, cars, finding specific buildings and landing spots. It has face tracking and recognition, and it can also recognize hand gestures. It also has voice commands and it speaks to you. This is a package you will not find in any other product.

ADIAs CEO said that they aim to deliver drones to the the mainstream person, so that every household has one, and put them at the service of the individual, not only big faceless corporations. Pretty freakin mind-blowing, right?

He also added that Our drone is much easier to create applications for. Our goal is that even a smart 5-year-old can make a basic drone game app.

The development environment is quite streamlined. It looks like the easiest way to get started developing with drones. If youre making a startup or a big company, or even if you have a restaurant or store, you might want to check this out. They offer many options for delivery, filming, surveying, and they make it really easy to adapt their solutions to your business.

Apps run on the drone and on your phone. They communicate with each other over the internet. This allows Adia to deliver packages in the neighborhood, patrol around your house, or film the area of your choice.

You can publish your applications on the Adia store, and the platform will connect the drone to any phone, tablet or web application you make. It couldnt be easier. Of course, you will still need to develop your mobile app, but Adia provides a few building blocks like a synchronized map that shows where the drone is, and a couple other components that are often used with drones.

So, there you have it. This is the most promising drone so far, with a team that can definitely realize the companys ambitious vision.

Media Contact

Company Name: Adia

Contact Person: Lucas Roitman

Email: roitman@cs.stanford.edu

Phone: 6502736117

City: Palo Alto

State: California

Country: United States

Website: http://adia.tech
White Cliff Minerals Ltd ( ASX:WCN ) is pleased to provide the Company's Quarterly Reports for the period ended 31 December 2016.

Highlights

Drilling at Aucu Gold Project delivers high grade gold mineralisation and visible gold

New gold zone identified at Ironstone Gold Prospect

Lithium Anomalism identified at Lake Percy

$2.55 Million placement and SPP completed

Summary

Kyrgyz Republic Exploration - Aucu Gold Project (89% owned)

During the December quarter the Company completed the 2016 drill program at the Aucu Gold deposit in Central Asia, targeting the high grade extension of the Upper Gold Zone. The drilling has identified a new mineralised zone containing visible gold in both the drill holes and in surface outcrop.

During the March quarter the Company will undertake a new JORC gold resource estimate in conjunction with detailed metallurgy. It is planned to use the new resource estimate in an open pit optimisation study.

Western Australian Exploration -Gold Projects (100% owned)

Drilling was undertaken at the Ironstone Gold prospect where a new zone of gold mineralisation was identified. Follow up drilling will be undertaken in 2017.

Extensive soil geochemical sampling programs have been completed along the Central gold trend near Ironstone. The Company is awaiting results.

Western Australian Exploration -Lithium Projects (100% owned-part reducing to 30%)

Liontown Resources Limited ( ASX:LTR ) has completed an initial phase of exploration at the Lake Percy tenement which included collection of soil samples and reanalysis of historical samples. Liontown has identified several surface lithium anomalies associated with tin, tantalum and other elements typically hosted by rare metal pegmatites. Liontown is intending to conduct an initial drilling program in February.

Liontown can earn up to a 70% interest in the Lake Percy tenement for expenditure of $1.75 million.

Corporate

During the quarter the Company secured a $2 million underwriting package from Novus Capital Limited. This enabled the Company to complete both a placement and a share purchase plan to raise $2.55 million by the issue of 339,966,667 ordinary shares at an issue price of $0.0075 each. Free attaching 31 December 2018 options exercisable at $0.013 were also issued. These options have been listed upon ASX.

1 The Aucu Gold Project, Central Asia (89%)

During the December 2016 quarter the Company continued drilling to test the high grade eastern section of the Upper Gold Zone of the Aucu Gold Project in the Kyrgyz Republic. Multiple high grade gold intersections have been encountered including:

12 metres at 15.6 g/t gold including 2 metres at 79.2 g/t gold

11 metres at 15.2 g/t gold including 1 metre at 149 g/t gold

3 metres at 11.2 g/t gold

3 metres at 11.9 g/t gold

5 metres at 7.6 g/t gold

The high grade gold intersections occur within a newly discovered structure called the quartz zone. The Quartz Zone occurs at the eastern end of the Eastern Gold Zone adjacent to the main porphyry intrusion. High grade gold mineralisation is largely confined to the quartz reef which ranges from 1-5 metres wide and can be traced at surface over 265 metres length. Visible gold has been panned from the quartz reef in five road cuttings covering 350 metres length (see Figures 1 & 2 in the link below). The quartz reef extends north-west and interpreted to be the same reef encountered in drill hole UGZ15-35 which intersected 8 metres at 55 g/t gold (see Figure 1 in the link below).

Current Project Activities

Following the successful completion of the 2016 drilling campaign the Company is undertaking the following activities in the March quarter:

1. Conducting a new JORC compliant resource estimate to be conducted by highly regarded mining consultants CSA Global. Results are expected in March.

2. Conducting a substantial gold and copper metallurgical test work program to better outline potential processing options for the deposit.

3. Conducting a preliminary open pit mining optimisation study to establish the baseline economics of the project, to form part of an application for a mining license and to assist with optimising future drill programs.

4. Planning RC and diamond drilling for the commencement of field exploration in April 2017.

Provided the metallurgical test work produces the high gravity gold recoveries (88.8% gravity recoverable and 99% total recoverable gold) similar to that encountered in previous metallurgical test work the Company believes that a low cost simple gravity plant could allow the project to provide substantial cash flow within a short time frame.

Aucu Gold Deposit Summary

As previously reported (ASX releases 24 Mar 15 and 02 Apr 15), the Company announced a maiden inferred resource for the Aucu gold deposit above a cut-off grade of 1 g/t gold of 1.15 Million tonnes grading 4.2 g/t gold for 156,000 ounces1 of contained gold.

In 2015, drilling identified exceptional gold mineralisation2 to the east of the Upper Gold Zone (UGZ) over a strike length of at least 500 metres (ASX releases 11 Nov 15, 1 Dec 15 and 7 Dec 15). Results included:

8 metres at 55.2 g/t gold from 66 metres including 1 metre at 89.9 g/t gold

4 metres at 59.9 g/t gold from 66 metres including 1 metre at 189 g/t gold

2 metres at 43.5 g/t gold from 86 metres

1 metre at 103.4 g/t gold from 74 metres

3 metres at 41.4 g/t gold including 1 metre at 71 g/t gold

4 metres at 23.8 g/t gold from 85 metres

2 metres at 22 g/t gold from 102 metres

1 metre at 58 g/t gold

In 2016, drilling east of the Upper Gold Zone identified further substantial mineralisation over an additional 300 metres of strike length. Results included:

11 metres at 15.2 g/t gold from 42 metres including 1 metre at 149 g/t gold

12 metres at 15.6 g/t gold from 82 metres including 2 metres at 79 g/t gold

12 metres at 5.1 g/t gold from 34 metres including 2 metres at 26.2 g/t gold

5 metres at 9.9 g/t gold from 3 metres

9 metres at 8.3 g/t gold from 96 metres

4 metres at 12 g/t gold from 49 metres

3 metres at 11.2 g/t gold from 13 metres

3 metres at 11.9 g/t gold from 45 metres

5 metres at 7.6 g/t gold from 93 metres

3 metres at 9.8 g/t gold from 9 metres

Substantial copper intersections include:

66 metres at 0.91% copper from 33 metres including 18 metres at 1.85% copper

24 metre at 1.34% copper from 71 metres including 7 metres at 5.1% copper

19 metres at 0.74% copper from 22 metres including 2 metres at 2.4% copper

In addition:

Mineralisation outcrops at surface over an elevation of at least 600 metres,

Mineralisation remains open in all directions and at depth,

Overall metallurgical recovery of all mineralised zones is 99%, and

Gravity recoverable gold averages 88.6% (gold that reports to the gravity concentrate).

2 Merolia Gold and Nickel Project (100%)

During the December quarter the Company conducted a 2,000 metre drill program to test the Ironstone and Burtville East gold prospects. In addition an extensive soil sampling campaign was conducted to test the Central gold trend located between Ironstone and Comet well.

At Ironstone, drilling identified multiple broad mineralised zones from shallow depths that remain open at depth and along strike. Results include:

4 metres at 1.8 g/t gold within 12 metres at 1.1 g/t gold

4 metres at 1.3 g/t gold and 5 metres at 0.6 g/t gold

4 metres at 0.79 g/t gold and 4 metres at 0.77 g/t gold within 12 metres at 0.66 g/t gold

In addition to the main mineralised intersections there are wide zones of +0.2 g/t gold mineralisation that indicates the presence of a large mineralised system and alteration halo.

The Company is particularly encouraged by the higher grade intersections in the weathered zone as drilling at the adjacent prospect identified substantially higher grades in the fresh rock below similar gold results in the weathered shallow zone. The Company has planned additional air core drilling to test the target further in 2017. The drilling will be carried out in conjunction with drilling testing the adjacent Comet Well gold in soil anomalies.

The Company is awaiting results from both the Burtville East drilling program and the Central Trend soil geochemical sampling program.

Comet Well Background

The Company reported the discovery of gold nuggets within the regional Ironstone Gold prospect in February 2016. Detailed metal detecting identified a significant number of gold nuggets at surface over a 3 kilometre long trend (the Comet Well trend) that coincides with a major regional fault structure. The nuggets were located by prospectors operating under a formal tribute agreement with the Company. Recent prospecting by the tribute group has identified visible gold from a 2 metre deep pit occurring adjacent to a quartz vein where 4 ounces of gold has been recovered (see Figure 8 in the link below). Along the 3 kilometre trend a total 40 ounces of gold has been recovered with the largest nugget weighing 20 grams.

Evaluation of the regional magnetic data over the Ironstone gold project has identified several NW-SE trending shear systems that have the potential to host substantial gold mineralisation (see Figure 9 in the link below). The Comet Well trend and associated regional structures extend at least 30 kilometres north to the A1 Minerals Bright Star deposit and only limited historical exploration has been undertaken over these structures.

3 Lake Percy Lithium Project (100%) and Joint Venture (100% reducing to 30%)

On 11 January 2017 the Company announced the grant of a new lithium tenement (E63/1793) north of the Lake Percy Lithium Joint Venture tenement (E63/1222i). Historical exploration on the tenement E63/1793 (see Figure 9 in the link below) identified pegmatites both in outcrop and on drill holes but no lithium assaying was undertaken.

Given the recent discovery of lithium containing pegmatites at Mt Day and the highly anomalous lithium soil geochemistry reported at the Lake Percy Joint Venture Tenement (see Figure 10-11 in the link below) by Liontown Resources Ltd ("Liontown") ( ASX:LTR ) the Company will undertake a comprehensive soil sampling program over its 100% owned tenement in February.

Also post quarter end Liontown announced the discovery of a 2 kilometre long Lithium trend on the Lake Percy JV tenement. Liontown expect to drill the lithium anomalies in early 2017.

Liontown Resources Ltd identifies 2km Long Lithium trend at Lake Percy

The anomalous trend identified by Liontown, which contains values of up to 354ppm Li2O, has been outlined over a strike length of 2km and is coincident with pegmatites which locally exceed 100 metres true thickness (see Figure 10 in the link below).

Lake Percy is located ~440km east of Perth near Poseidon Nickel's Lake Johnson/Maggie Hayes treatment plant in WA. It is also just 60km from the world-class Earl Grey lithium deposit discovered by Kidman Resources.

This emerging Forrestania Lithium Province also includes the Mt Cattlin spodumene mine (currently being commissioned by Galaxy Resources) and the Mount Day lithium discovery, which is located 20km to the south in the same greenstone belt as Lake Percy (see Figure 11 in the link below).

In light of the strong anomaly identified at Lake Percy, Liontown has scheduled a maiden RC drilling program to start in early February.

Lake Percy Joint Venture Agreement

In June 2016 WCN secured a joint venture agreement with Liontown to explore the Company's Lake Percy tenement (E63/1222) for lithium and other minerals in a rapidly emerging lithium province in the Lake Johnson-Forrestania district of Western Australia.

Under the joint venture, Liontown can earn up to 70% equity in the 41km2 Lake Percy tenement (EL63/1222i) located approximately 430km east of Perth Western Australia (see Figure 11 in the link below) by:

spending A$1,000,000 on exploration within 3 years to earn 51% equity;

at Liontown's election, it can increase its equity to 70% by spending an additional A$750,000 before the 4th anniversary of the JV Agreement execution; and

by committing to spending $50,000 on exploration before having the right to withdraw from the joint venture.

4 Other Projects

The Company has conducted extensive soil sampling programs over several nickel and gold prospects during the June quarter including the Ghan Well and the Bremer Range projects. Analysis of these samples has been deferred to the March quarter and results will be reported as they become available.

5 Corporate

During the quarter the Company secured a $2 million underwriting package from Novus Capital Limited. This enabled the Company to complete an underwritten placement and a partially underwritten share purchase plan (SPP).

The placement to professional and sophisticated investors was over-subscribed raising $1.5 million by the issue of 200 million shares at an issue price of $0.0075 each with a 1:3 free attaching option exercisable at $0.013 on or before 31 December 2018.

Under the SPP an additional $1.05 million was raised by the issue of 139,966,667 ordinary shares at an issue price of $0.0075 each, with a 1:3 free attaching option exercisable at $0.013 on or before 31 December 2018.

A total of 151,322,273 December 2018 were issued and these December 2018 options have been listed and are trading upon ASX.



To view tables and figures, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/03K04359

About White Cliff Minerals Ltd

White Cliff Minerals Ltd is a Gold, Copper, Cobalt, Nickel resources and mining company listed in Australia (ASX:WCN). The Company is focused on developing low cost high value mineral deposits that have near term cash flow potential.

Major projects include the Aucu gold deposit that contains 484,000 ounces of gold (3mt at 5.1 g/t) starting at surface and Chanach copper deposit that contains 64,000 tonnes of copper (17.2Mt at 0.37% copper). Both projects have substantial blue sky potential with drilling covering only 5% of the known structures. In Australia the company is developing the Coronation Dam cobaltnickel deposit where a maiden resource will be announced in the late 2018.
A Leading Vertically Integrated HPA Developer with a Defined Strategy to Reach Production



Institutional Investor Information Pack

Perth, Jan 19, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Altech Chemicals Ltd ( ASX:ATC ) is pleased to provide the Company's latest presentation titled "Institutional Investor Information Pack - 'Meeting a Sapphire Future'".



It addresses the funding & engineering update on HPA project.



Funding overview



- Altech expects to fund the development of the HPA project using a simple, sole lender, non-dilutive funding structure with one of Europe's leading international project and export finance banks



- An indicative term sheet has been received for a US$70m debt funding package with German KfW IPEX-Bank



o The combined project finance package is expected to include US$60m of export credit finance at highly competitive terms (LIBOR +2% to 3%)



- Export credit is a scheme that provides cover to bank lenders to insure against an export loan, and was identified as being applicable to Altech's HPA project because the majority of the project's plant and equipment will be sources from German / European manufacturers and the EPC contractor (M+W Group) is a German company



o The remaining US$10m is expected to be provided with standard commercial terms



- Thorough due diligence is currently being conducted by consultants on behalf of KfW IPX-Bank



- Definitive (EPC) project capital expenditure estimates are required in order to finalise the project financing agreements



Engineering: Detailed Design



- Detailed design and engineering work is currently being undertaken by German firm M+W Group in Stuttgart, Germany



- M+W Group was appointed as Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor in March 2016



- Leading global engineering and construction firm with extensive Asian experience



- Established Singapore and Malaysian offices, with extensive Malaysian construction experience



- Detailed design is progressing well and on track



To view the full presentation, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/D2IZZ688





About Altech Chemicals Ltd





Altech Chemicals Limited (ASX:ATC) (FRA:A3Y) is aiming to become one of the world's leading suppliers of 99.99% (4N) high purity alumina (Al2O3) through the construction and operation of a 4,500tpa high purity alumina (HPA) processing plant at Johor, Malaysia. Feedstock for the plant will be sourced from the Company's 100%-owned kaolin deposit at Meckering, Western Australia and shipped to Malaysia.



HPA is a high-value, high margin and highly demanded product as it is the critical ingredient required for the production of synthetic sapphire. Synthetic sapphire is used in the manufacture of substrates for LED lights, semiconductor wafers used in the electronics industry, and scratch-resistant sapphire glass used for wristwatch faces, optical windows and smartphone components. Increasingly HPA is used by lithium-ion battery manufacturers as the coating on the battery's separator, which improves performance, longevity and safety of the battery. With global HPA demand approximately 19,000t (2018), it is estimated that this demand will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% (2018-2028); by 2028 HPA market demand will be approximately 272,000t, driven by the increasing adoption of LEDs worldwide as well as the demand for HPA by lithium-ion battery manufacturers to serve the surging electric vehicle market.
Lekki Lagos, February 1st 2019. Rilla Web Hosting, one of the top players in domain registration and web hosting has announces its full ...
Citizen Airmen answer call to service

I thought it was going to be a normal drill weekend, said Staff Sgt. Christopher Tedford, a 407th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron munitions systems specialist. I was thinking about work on Monday and how I had plans with my wife and kids the next week.



Then everything changed.



As Tedford and his fellow Airmen of the Vermont Air National Guard's 158th Fighter Wing gathered for a commander's call, they received the news. Their nation called.



Little did they know when that seemingly ordinary weekend began, in less than a month they would be spending their holiday season more than 6,000 miles away from their families and friends.



The 158th FW was tasked with a short-notice deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.



Tedford, a former Marine, said he is no stranger to deployments and he volunteered to help lend a hand to his fellow Airmen, both at home and deployed.



I hoped I could add some value and a helping hand to the newer Airmen who hadn't deployed before, he said. We also had a few new parents in our shop. I figured if I could let them stay with their families for Christmas, I had to go.



For Airmen like Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Whitten, a 407th EMXS munitions systems specialist, the deployment meant more than missing time with his family  it meant putting the future on hold.



When we got the notification for the deployment, I was preparing for medical school interviews, Whitten said. At first it was a little upsetting because I wanted to start school, but in the end I knew I wanted to do this and it was a great opportunity to both get dirty with some wrenches and build some bombs to support our mission.



While most ANG Airmen receive notification of deployment up to 12 months prior to departure, the 158th FW compressed a year's worth of preparation into a few weeks.



According to Lt. Col. Brian Lepine, the 407th EMXS commander, it was an effort made possible through the support of the local community.



Our Airmen had to drop everything to meet the missions requirements, he said. We're incredibly lucky to come from such a supportive community of employers and universities who worked with our Airmen to make sure they could answer their nation's call.



To prepare for the arrival of the main body of the unit, a team of munitions specialists including Tedford and Whitten arrived two weeks early to lay the ground work for the mission. Once the advance team landed, the fast pace set by the short-notice deployment continued.



As soon as we got off the flight, we were given 12 hours to acclimate, drop off our luggage and check out the base, Whitten said. The next day, we hit the ground running.



Within 24 hours of arriving in the country, the munitions team set up their shop and began preparing munitions for the arrival of the aircraft and main body of their unit. About two weeks later, the rest of the unit and aircraft arrived and within 15 hours, the team's munitions were loaded and used in combat sorties. Since then, the pace hasn't let up.



It's a lot of work here and we put in long hours, Tedford said. But it's worth it knowing we're making a difference.



During their time deployed, the guardsmen have worked closely with Airmen from all components of the military including supplemental guardsmen from the Alabama, New Jersey and Wisconsin ANGs.



We're a melting pot of (a) bunch of different folks working together to support our aircraft and make sure it delivers it's product on the target and complete the mission, Lepine said. Here we have total force integration. Traditional guardsmen work alongside active guardsmen, active-duty and Reserve component members.



According to Tedford, this cooperation is key to success.



When you see someone in uniform, you don't know if they're active duty or guard. You just see an Airman, he said. Our job is to work together and get the mission done, and that's what we plan to do.



For all of the Airmen at the 407th Air Expeditionary Group, they will continue to support the fight.



I love serving my country. That was part of the reason I came on this deployment, Tedford said. Some people have the image of the 'weekend warrior' who just comes in one weekend a month, then goes home. But I think it's amazing we came into an actual (deployed) environment in less than three weeks, and made this mission happen, and we're going to keep supporting our aircraft until we're not needed here.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein outlined his perspective on the future of American airpower and how Airmen deployed in place play a vital role in todays Air Force during his discussion at the American Enterprise Institute Public Forum in Washington, D.C., Jan. 18, 2017.Since the beginning of the Cold War, Airmen have been in a state of deployment. Today, nearly 200,000 Airmen are deployed in place, providing nuclear deterrence, command and control and access to space, all supporting combat missions globally. During his remarks, Goldfein reflected on the fact that since the introduction of the nuclear enterprise, no two nuclear powers have gone to war, and while conventional conflicts continue to take place, the nuclear deterrent has ensured stability.We have Airmen right now, as we speak, defending the homeland, and that nuclear deterrent underwrites every military operation on the globe Goldfein said.The nations nuclear triad is composed of three legs: nuclear missiles, nuclear capable aircraft and nuclear submarines, each essential for different reasons, and each needs to be modernized, Goldfein said as he held up an 8-inch floppy disk as one example of outdated technology the nuclear triad operates with.Goldfein went on to talk about the Air Forces commitments to operating in space.Weve been a steward of space since 1954 when a guy named Bernie Schriever started developing the rocket enterprise that has expanded now to the point where we as an Air Force are responsible for 12 constellations, Goldfein said.Goldfein further explained how vital deployed in place Airmen at Schriever AFB, Colorado, are to the joint force because of the global effect space provides, and he went on to remind the audience that the Air Forces work in space impact not just the military, but everyone.The general then highlighted the 35,000 Airmen deployed in place who work in the cyber domain taking care of all the ones and zeroes the Air Force collects and turning it into quality information for the joint warfighter.Bringing it closer to home, Goldfein pointed out that right now, as we sit, we have got Airmen on alert at the four corners of the globe, and that there are Airmen right now at Joint Base Andrews, (Maryland), who are on alert ready to defend the homeland--to scramble if required  all of these Airmen are contributing to the homeland defense.Its important to understand that these are Airmen that I would not deploy forward if a contingency accrued, Goldfein continued. Because they are doing their mission at home  when you want to talk about striking forces in the fight against (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), securing the homeland or providing all of this capability, the reality is you cant find a mission the joint force performs where an Airman is not engaged and is essential for success.Throughout the Air Forces 70-year history, the service has adapted resources to mission requirements; however, that trend stopped about 25 years ago, the general said.According to the general, most of America still remembers the Air Force during Operation Desert Storm. It was a time when there were 134 fighter squadrons across the total force from which the Air Force deployed 34 squadrons to execute Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Now there are only 55 fighter squadrons total.Missions have grown and I predict they will continue to grow; space, cyber, ISR and nuclear  these are not going to go down, Goldfein said. So weve had 50,000 Airmen leave the Air Force while missions have grown. So we have a math problem  where we sit today as an Air Force is we are too big for the resources available, but far too small for what the nation demands of it and what the joint force requires.The general made clear that its time to once again adapt resources to bring them in line with not only todays requirements, but those of the 21st century.You can find the complete transcript of the generals remarks to AEI here
Security forces gunned down Abu Musaib, a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant in an encounter that broke out in the Hajin area of North Kashmirs Bandipora district. Investigations are on to find out if the terrorist slain in Jammu and Kashmir is the nephew of the dreaded 26/11 Mumbai Terror attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.

Acting on specific intelligence, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Hajin area of Bandipora and cornered LeT commander Musaib.

The LeT militant responded by opening fire. The forces retaliated and killed him.

J&K Director General of Police, SP Vaid said the killing of the militant commander was a huge success. As per our information, he is nephew of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Vaid said.

Police said that a brief gunfight erupted in wee hours when forces cordoned Hajin village and the militant commander tried to break the cordon.

As the area was being cordoned, the hiding militant opened fire triggering a brief gunfight. In the firefight a militant was killed and a policeman was critically injured, a police officer in north Kashmir said.

An AK-47 rifle, three Chinese grenades and war-like stores was recovered from the gunfight site.

Police said that Musaib was the divisional commander of the group for Bandipore and Ganderbal districts and was instrumental in establishing the Lashkar network in the area.

Abu Musaib was active from 2015, they said.

Some miscreants pelted stones on the security forces near the encounter site. This came days after three terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district.

Musaib is said to have been the incharge of LeTs activities in Bandipora and was actively involved in strengthening the terror organisations network in the region.

Earlier in the month, security forces had killed top Lashkar-e-Taiba militant Muzaffar Naikoo alias Muzz Moulvi in an encounter on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Outgoing US President Barack Obama on Wednesday said having a constructive relationship with Russia is in the interest of America and the world and admitted that bilateral ties had reverted to an adversarial spirit during Vladimir Putins presidency.

I think it is in Americas interest and the worlds interest that we have a constructive relationship with Russia. Thats been my approach throughout my presidency. Where our interests have overlapped, weve worked together, Obama told reporters at his final press conference at the White House, before handing power to Donald Trump.

He, however, admitted that bilateral ties reverted to an adversarial spirit when Putin began his second stint as Russian president in 2012.

I think its fair to say that after President Putin came back into the presidency that an escalating anti-American rhetoric and an approach to global affairs that seem to be premised on the idea that whatever Americas trying to do must be bad for Russians.that return to an adversarial spirit that I think existed during the Cold War has made the relationship more difficult, he said.

Obama made clear that the US imposed sanctions on Russia not because of nuclear weapons issues.

It was because the independence and sovereignty of a country, Ukraine, had been encroached upon, by force, by Russia.That wasnt our judgement; that was the judgement of the entire international community, he said.

What Ive said to the Russians is, as soon as youve stop doing that the sanctions will be removed. I think it would probably best serve not only American interest but also the interest of preserving international norms if we made sure that we dont confuse why these sanctions have been imposed with a whole set of other issues, Obama said in response to a question.

Trump has vowed to have better relations with Russia and in an interview recently said he would propose offering to end sanctions on Moscow in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal.

Obamas administration imposed the sanctions in 2014 after Russias annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine.

Russia continues to occupy Ukrainian territory and meddle in Ukrainian affairs, Obama said.

It is important for the US to stand up for the basic principal that big countries dont go around and invade and bully smaller countries, he added.

Obama said he worked on a nuclear arms control agreement with Moscow early in his presidency, resulting in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
NCPs Maharashtra unit president Sunil Tatkare said alliance with Congress for Zilla Parishad (ZP) polls is likely to take place due to positive feedback from his partys district units.

District units of both Congress and NCP were in talks to explore an alliance for ZP elections in Beed, Latur, Hingoli, Nanded, Jalna, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar, Tatkare said.

Alliance with Congress for ZP polls is likely to take place due to positive feedback from NCPs district units, he added.

He said these districts along with Aurangabad, Parbhani, Osmanabad, Wardha, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli go to polls in the first phase of ZP elections on February 16.

Tatkare said at the district review meeting he chaired today, district units from 9 districts conveyed to him that alliance talks with their Congress counterparts were going on and a final decision is expected soon.

For the second phase of the polls in 11 districts on February 21, NCP will approach Congress for an alliance, if there is no proposal for the same, he added.

Tatkare also said his party was not desperate for an alliance with Congress and only wanted to avoid division of secular votes.

Tatkare also said since Mumbai Congress Chief Sanjay Nirupam had announced earlier that his party was not keen on an alliance with NCP, the Sharad Pawar-led outfit had no option but to go ahead with announcement of 45 candidates for the February 21 BMC polls.

Our second list (for the BMC polls) will be finalised in a day or two, the former Maharashtra Minister added.

Women and youth were aspiring for NCP ticket for ZP polls in large numbers. This shows that our partys roots are strong, claimed Tatkare.

Tatkare further said that the ZP polls were an opportunity to prove NCPs strength in the state and expressed confidence that the party would do well.

Replying to questions, Tatkare said Congress and NCP alliance talks for Thane Municipal Corporation polls are in advanced stage.

To a query on tie-up parleys between ruling allies BJP and Shiv Sena, he said, if the alliance materialises, it will benefit us since all those from the opposition who had joined the two parties will be disappointed.
Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil demanded action against police officials for the lathicharge on Congress workers during a protest march against demonetisation outside RBI office in Nagpur on Wednesday.

In a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly said the police action was unprovoked.

The protest was being conducted in a peaceful manner. At the far end of the protest, when a delegation of leaders went inside the RBI premises to hand over a memorandum, police lathi charged the party workers, injuring many workers, he stated in the letter.

Vikhe Patil said police also beat up those workers who objected to the action which was tantamount to suppressing the peaceful agitation.

Due to the police action, there is a threat of law and order deterioration in the city. We demand strict action against the police officials who resorted to unnecessary lathi charge, he said.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]housands of protesters thronged at Marina Beach in Chennai against a court ban on Jallikattu, Tamil Nadus popular but controversial bull-taming sport played during Pongal festivities in mid-January. Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated at a meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam that the centre will not issue an ordinance or executive order to remove a Supreme Court ban on the bull taming sport. The apex court had banned Jallikattu in 2014 on the petition by animal rights activists who say the centuries old festival is causing cruelty against bulls. The court later rejected a Tamil Nadu petition seeking a review of its decision and last year also stayed a notification by the Centre allowing Jallikattu.

Animal rights activists allege that the organisers of Jallikattu drug the bulls to make them unsteady and throw chilli powder on its faces to agitate them as they are released from a holding pen. In Chennai, thousands of protesters camped at the famous Marina Beach for over 36 hours, saying they will not leave till the ban on Jallikattu is lifted. The protesters have set a 5 pm deadline for the Tamil Nadu government to make an announcement. The spontaneous uprising, which has resonated across the world, has so far been completely peaceful, but authorities are worried as more and more people arrive at the beach front.

Traditions need to be followed and preserved for the race and culture, but at the same time if the same tradition is causing cruelty somewhere it should be amended. People killing animals and trying to justify in the name of religion and tradition is pure politics than the emotions. Knowingly, killing animals cannot be part of any peaceful religious practice. Everybody, for their own selfish reasons of retaining their support base, is justifying the cause. Anyway, our ancestors had more guts to change religious practices in need but we lack even that.

Now, some readers may land up asking my stance on Bakra Eid, Thanks Giving Day or other types of killings too, or slaughtering millions of Goats by cutting their throats half and bleeding them to death. Yes that too is cruelty, but can you stop eating non-vegetarian food? I am a pure vegetarian Brahmin and for me cruelty meted against any living species is crime. Still, what is the relation between non-veg eating to do with Jallikattu like cruelty to bull? It means if you kill to eat I will kill for fun? So, finally torturing of bulls by drunken rowdies should be declared an Olympic sport so that Jallikattu will continue? The political frauds are funding this protest to gain mileage. Lets see, where it ends. When Sati Pratha like inhuman practices was banned in India, similar upsurge had occurred. Let the Supreme Court not succumb to mob pressure, let it protect and preserve humaneness and ignore the shouting of violent ignorant.

In 2004, at least five people were reported dead and several hundreds injured. Over 200 have died due to the sport over the past two decades. Unlike in Spanish bullfighting, the bull is not killed and there are rarely any casualties suffered by the animal. Animal activists have objected to the sport over the years. The Animal Welfare Board of India filed a petition in the Supreme Court for an outright ban on Jallikattu because of the cruelty meted against animals and the threat to public safety involved. People pierce the animal with very sharp objects, pour irritants on the bulls eyes, bite and twist its tail to make them surrender. Bulls are fed liquor. This injustice needs to be stopped immediately. But no politician cares about the atrocities committed against animals, everyone is hungry for votes.

On 27 November 2010, the Supreme Court in accordance with the law enacted on the regulation of events, permitted the Tamil Nadu government to allow Jallikattu for five months in a year from January 15. The court also directed the District Collectors to make sure that the animals that participate in Jallikattu are registered with the Animal Welfare Board and in return the Board would send its representative to monitor the event. The state government ordered that Rs. Two lakhs be deposited by the organisers for the benefit of the victims which also include his family, in case of an accident or injury during the event. The government also enacted a rule to allow a team of veterinarians would be present at the venue for testing and certifying the bulls for participation in the event to provide treatment for bulls that get injured.

However, on 7th May 2014, the Supreme Court of India banned Jallikattu. The court struck down a 2011 Tamil Nadu law regulating the conduct of Jallikattu and the judges also asked the centre to amend the law on preventing cruelty against animals to bring bulls within its ambit.

On 8 January, 2016 the central government permitted continuation of the sport in Tamil Nadu. There are many cruel traditions that are banned in India looking at human welfare; Jallikattu is also on the same line. We, as a nation, cannot behave responsibly when it comes to drinking alcohol or playing lottery (when both were part of our tradition and culture). We got lottery banned and now want alcohol to be prohibited? People involved in Jallikattu often abuse themselves and the bull, and that is not going to end unless we as a nation cannot control our own drinking or gambling habits. How can we expect them to take care of the Bull, when they cannot take care of themselves and seek political support to ban alcohol and gambling? The process of preparing the bulls before the event has to be stopped. We need to spread more awareness against such cruel sports.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com)
Seventy eight bank accounts held by his NGO Islamic Research Foundation also under NIAs scanner. The National Investigating Agency (NIA) is likely to question controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and will scan 78 banks accounts and investments worth Rs. 100 crore made by him in real estate in Mumbai and its outskirts. Last year the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had imposed a ban on Naiks NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for five years under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

In November 2016, a case was filed against Naik and others under anti-terror law by NIA for allegedly promoting enmity between various groups on the ground of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony. The probe agency had raided his residential premises, Peace TV offices and other locations besides freezing his NGOs bank account.

According to sources from NIA, Naik owns around 37 properties which are based mostly in towns located in Maharashtra. Out of these 25 are located in Mumbai. The market value of these properties and other assets owned by Naik is worth Rs 100 crore.

It is suspected that most of the properties owned by Naik, his NGO Islamic Research Foundation and other companies have been purchased over the years using the funds received from foreign countries and domestic contributions.

Around 20 associates of Naik including his sister Nailah Naushad Noorani has been questioned by NIA in connection with its investigation, they said. We have sought certain documents including income tax returns and others. Besides this, we are also scanning 78 bank accounts of Naik operating in different parts of the country. After the conclusion of examination we will summon him for questioning, a source said.

The NIA officials have found complicated movement of money in the financial transactions made by people involved in the case. They are probing the role of Mumbai-based Harmony Media Pvt Ltdinvolved in production of religious and educative videos.

The agency also recovered Naiks propaganda material contained in 14,000 tapes which amounts to around 5,000 terabytes (TB) of data.

Naik first shot into the limelight when his name cropped up during the investigations into the Dhaka terror strike on July 1 after one of the terrorists allegedly claimed to have been inspired by his speeches.

Since then Naik has not returned to India and has been mostly travelling and preaching in Africa and Middle East, though he addressed the Mumbai media once via teleconference in July.
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 17, 2016 - The biodiesel industry may have been an underdog of sorts during its relatively short history, but now, we are strong and we are a force to be reckoned with, National Biodiesel Board CEO Donnell Rehagen emphasized during the organizations opening session in San Diego today.

NBB was created in 1992 before biodiesel even existed in the United States. Think about that  a trade association was created for a product that didnt exist, Rehagen said. NBB is the U.S. trade association representing biodiesel and renewable diesel industries, including producers, feedstock suppliers, and fuel distributors.

But industry champions like AGP, REG and groups of farmers invested in some of the first biodiesel plants in the late 1990s. The industry started to really grow after the passage of the Biodiesel Tax Credit in 2004, Rehagen said, and even though the industry has had its share of ups and downs, its 89-member facilities now produce over 2 billion gallons  supporting over 47,000 jobs and $1.9 billion in wages.

He also shared a new analysis, which showed that getting the Renewable Fuel Standard to 2.5 billion gallons for biodiesel would support 81,600 jobs and have a $14.76 billion economic impact.

We are still very much a growing industry and we have a lot of growth potential. Congress needs to understand  if we are going to keep pushing volumes of biodiesel, policy support needs to be there as well.

U.S. biodiesel producers have more than 1.5 billion gallons of unused production capacity that stands ready to be utilized under the right policy framework. Mobilizing that capacity would create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity, NBB says.

NBB wanted to extend the biodiesel tax incentive and move it from a blenders tax credit to a producers tax credit. Under the blenders structure of the incentive, foreign biodiesel imported to the U.S. and blended with petroleum diesel in the U.S. was eligible for the tax incentive. But the blenders credit expired on Dec. 31, 2016. Proposed legislation in the House and Senate (HR 5240, S 3188) could be a remedy, but its uncertain whether or not that legislation will be included in a potential tax reform package thats being developed on Capitol Hill

In other convention news:

Staffing up. Rehagen announced plans to hire a new lobbyist and new Director of Advocacy, whose job will be to work proactively with member companies to increase outreach to their elected officials, both in-state and on Capitol Hill. Advocacy is a big deal for us and we want to expand that footprint, Rehagen said.

Bioheat growth. New legislation approved in New York City last fall will increase the amount of biodiesel in heating oil from the current 2 percent level to 5 percent on Oct. 1, 2017. The blend level then moves to 10 percent in 2025, 15 percent in 2030, and 20 percent in 2034  the equivalent of taking 175,000 cars off the road. The amount of biodiesel used for home heating oil there is expected to skyrocket from 50 million gallons last year to 200 million gallons by 2034. Council Member Costa Constantinides, who serves the New York City Councils 22nd District and championed the bill, was presented with NBBs Climate Leader award. He described the measure as green, green, green because it saves consumers money, creates thousands of jobs, and improves the environment. He said the number one reason a child goes to a hospital in his district is asthma and they lose between 10-30 days of school. I knew this is where we had to be. He hopes the bill creates a pathway for statewide adoption.

Energy security = national security. Former FBI hostage negotiator and Black Swan CEO Chris Voss, the author of Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your Life Depended on it, delivered the keynote speech Tuesday and shared his thoughts on the connection between energy security and national security. The significant long-term impact of biodiesel fuels in cleaning up existing fuels and having a greener planet is stunning in how much difference its going to make over the next 100 years, Voss said. Its the United States not being held hostage by international interests.

B20 club expanding. The B20 Club  funded by the Illinois Soybean Association checkoff program, in partnership with the American Lung Association in Illinois  supports the growth of biodiesel blends of 20 percent or greater through signage, social media and networking with other fleet managers. The current 14 B20 members, including the Chicago Park District, the City of Evanston and Commonwealth Edison, have 4,809 fleet vehicles running on biodiesel. The program saves thousands of dollars in fuel costs, while improving the environment, says Mike Dimitroff, manager of arts initiatives, Chicago Park District Department of Natural Resources. He leads a program which converts cooking oil from Chicago-area restaurants into biodiesel fuel for 55 park vehicles, and hes working to switch other city fleets to biodiesel in the future.

#30

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2017  Democrats and Republicans at a Senate hearing today offered distinctly different visions of the role of the Environmental Protection Agency if Donald Trump nominee Scott Pruitt is confirmed to lead the agency.

Democrats on the Environment and Public Works Committee peppered the Oklahoma attorney general with questions, often about Pruitts record of suing EPA on behalf of the oil industry in his state.

EPW Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., however, was ready each time to counter with statements or news articles rebutting whatever criticism that had just been leveled against Pruitt. GOP senators also were happy to let Pruitt use some of their time to provide more detailed responses to questions the Democrats had just asked him.

Along the way, Pruitt offered some insight into how he might run the agency charged with interpreting and enforcing the Clean Water and Clean Air acts.

Despite having a reputation as a friend of the petroleum industry, which through taxes is responsible for 25 percent of his states budget, Pruitt promised to implement the Renewable Fuel Standard as anticipated by Congress. Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth said she was Incredibly concerned about the future of biofuels under a Scott Pruitt-led EPA, but Pruitt said his job at EPA will be to honor the intent of Congress. Its not job of the administrator of EPA to do anything other than administer the program, he said.

Also on RFS, he said that EPAs authority to waive the volume requirements in the RFS should be used judiciously. RFS proponents have been critical in the past when EPA has set levels for blended fuel below those in the law.

Pruitt would not commit to keeping the point of obligation under the RFS at the refiner level. Some refiners have petitioned EPA to shift the obligation for meeting the laws requirements downstream  to blenders, for example. In November, EPA proposed to reject those petitions, but Pruitt said that he could not promise to keep the point of obligation where it is because the agency is still accepting public comments.

Pruitt said climate change is a reality, echoing Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., who has been nominated to be Interior Secretary, who was questioned about the phenomenon in his confirmation hearing on Tuesday. I do not believe that climate change is a hoax, Pruitt said. Also in line with what Zinke said at his hearing, Pruitt said that human activity has an influence, but the extent of that influence is not clear.



On the waters of the U.S. rule, which Oklahoma and 30 other states have challenged in court, Pruitt said there are problems with a rule that classifies a creekbed in Oklahoma that is dry 90 percent of the year as a water of the U.S. (Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, offered her own graphic explanation of the effect of the rule on her state, displaying a map that said 97 percent of Iowa would be a jurisdictional water under EPAs rule. I live in a water of the United States, she said.)

Asked by Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., where EPA went wrong in the WOTUS rule, which is currently stayed by the courts, Pruitt would not offer specifics. Taking steps to provide clarity is important, he said. He also said it could be beneficial for Congress to step in and clarify the law.

Interestingly, considering he had challenged it in court, Pruitt defended the Chesapeake Bay TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load), a program established by EPA in 2010 that sets targets to reduce nutrients flowing into the bay from six states and the District of Columbia.

I applaud the effort by the states, Pruitt said, pointedly not mentioning EPA except to say, EPA came alongside and took that TMDL and is providing assistance to those six states.

That process represents what should occur, he said, adding that he would enforce the TMDL. Explaining the states role as a plaintiff in the failed legal challenge to the TMDL, he said, There was concern about precedent, but now EPA has acknowledged their role is more informational.

In his opening statement, Pruitt spoke about the importance of cooperative federalism.

Congress has wisely and appropriately directed the EPA through our environmental statutes to utilize the expertise and resources of the states to better protect the environment, and for the states to remain our nations frontline environmental implementers and enforcers, he said.

Pruitt would not commit to recusing himself from active lawsuits he has filed against EPA, saying only that he would recuse himself if directed to do so by EPA ethics counsel.

That was not enough for Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who told Pruitt that to create an appearance of independence, its critical that you recuse yourself.

From the tenor of the hearing, it seems clear that most or all of the 10 Democrats on the committee will vote against Pruitt, but since he appears to have the solid backing of all 11 Republicans, his nomination is likely to get to the Senate floor.

#30

For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com.
January 17, 2017

CAIRO  Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed al-Tayeb's kind words about Buddhism during a conference designed to promote peace sparked controversy among Muslims.

Tayeb headed the conference, "Toward a Civilized Humanitarian Dialogue for Myanmar Citizens, which was held Jan. 3-4 in Cairo by the Muslim Council of Elders. The council seeks to quell violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and the Rohingya Muslim minority in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar (formerly Burma).

During the peace conference, Tayeb directed his address to the estimated 500 million people in the world who espouse Buddhism. With his speech, he called for halting bloodshed and working to soften the hearts of people in the areas with the most religious intolerance.

Buddhism is a humanitarian and ethical religion in the first place," Tayeb said at the conference. "The wise, silent Buddha is a great figure in human history. His attributes include calm and rationality. The worlds great historians described his message as [one] of everlasting mercy and characterized him as peaceful and humble. His teachings focus on loving and being charitable toward others.

Tayeb's statements were not well-received by some Muslims. Some believe that Buddhism is not a monotheistic religion and that Buddha himself was an atheist whose followers glorify him as a godlike figure, which is contrary to Islamic teachings. Others Muslim observers, however, noted that the speech was a call for peaceful coexistence in a sectarian region.

"The grand imam of Al-Azhar's doctrine and philosophy are those of a religions professor," Saif Rajab Qazamil, dean of the Sharia law faculty at Al-Azhar University in Tanta, told Al-Monitor. He studied many religions before teaching them. When he spoke of Buddhism, he talked about its teachings, saying that they bear a great deal of humanitarianism. He did not say it is a monotheistic religion.

He added, Tayeb's address came at a peace conference calling for tolerance and compassion, which all religions that are against stealing, lying, killing and adultery call for. Tayeb stressed that the youth in Burma need to plant seeds of peace, disseminate a culture of citizenship and abolish the concept of minorities.

He explained, Many Egyptians have a negative image about Buddhism, due to the killings and torture of Muslims in Burma, although many Buddhists around the world do not embrace violence."

Qazamil stressed, Islam is a religion of acceptance of others. A Muslim man is allowed to marry a Coptic or Jewish woman, which makes the other parent of his children a non-Muslim. Also, Islam guarantees the freedom of belief, and there is no compulsion in religion. Thus, some Muslims intolerance and rejection of others is a wrong that should be righted.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Sheikh Sherif al-Hawari, a member of the Salafist Calls board of directors, said, Had Tayeb's address been heeded, it would have become clear that he used terms to sway Buddhists into halting massacres against Muslims there. He was respectful in addressing them and said Buddhism is a humanitarian religion, as historians say about Buddha. He did not say that it is a monotheistic religion. This falls under the grand imams eloquence and [insight] that he is praised for.

He added, Tayeb's speech as a whole was balanced and has a noble goal that is in line with Islamic Sharia law."

Commenting on Tayeb's discourse, Sheikh Mustafa al-Adawi, a member of the Salafist Scholars Shura Council, said Tayeb abides by the Quran depending on his political conveniences. In this case, it was convenient to speak well of Buddhism.

People now praise Buddha, the preacher of atheism, who is followed by millions who do not acknowledge the existence of God," he added.
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Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 62F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 62F. Winds light and variable.
Suspended South Carolina Rep. Chris Corley is expected to appear in court next week and be i
Gov. Pete Ricketts flew into the Beatrice Municipal Airport Wednesday afternoon long enough to give a brief State of the State address and answer questions from the public, which largely centered around property taxes.

We do have some important issues to tackle, Ricketts opened. Its going to take Nebraska grit.Beatrice is one of eight municipalities Ricketts toured and spoke in as part of the State of the State Fly Around.

Ricketts highlighted his top current legislative issues, which relate to:

a balanced budget,

an effective and efficient government,

cutting red tape in occupational licenses that create barriers for people moving into our state,

addressing structural changes of property taxes in regards to agricultural land

and achieving long-term income tax relief

All of these things are going to be a lot of work and tough, Ricketts said. But Im confident that working with the very senators that I laid out (mentioned) here, we can pull together.

Ricketts mentioned Sen. Jim Smith in collaborative efforts relating to income tax reform. He said the only bordering state with higher income tax rates than Nebraska, is Iowa. South Dakota and Wyoming have no income taxes. Ricketts said Nebraska needs to be more competitive in terms of tax rates.

So what Im proposing to do . is bringing those top tax rates down from that 6.84 percent down to under 6 percent  about a tenth of a percent at a time, so over a period of about eight years  but only do it years that our revenue is growing at least 3.5 percent or more, Ricketts explained of the income tax reform idea.

Thats a responsible way to budget, Ricketts continued. Its a responsible way to have tax relief. Thats the Nebraska way.

Ricketts said he is working with Sen. Lydia Brasch to make major structural changes to property taxes in regards to agricultural land.

Were proposing we make major structural change to how we value ag land, Ricketts said. Our proposal is to change our current system of market sales assessment to one of income potential assessment. This will be more fair as it ties that property tax valuation to the actual income potential of the land.

Ricketts called this a big and long-term change and said he plans for it to be implemented in January 2019.

Nebraskas budget and budget cuts are a hot topic in state politics this week as the legislature projects a $900 million projected shortfall in revenue for the next two-year budget.

The budget recommendation I made priorities K through 12 education, Ricketts said. We didnt make any cuts there. And corrections reform as well. It balances our budget and it does it without raising taxes.

Ricketts said he proposes growing the budget at a rate of 1.7 percent and said that before he was governor it was growing at a rate of 6.5 percent.

As for the red tape in occupational licensing, Ricketts gave examples of barbers and massage therapists who he said were deterred from moving to Nebraska because state laws mandated they gain more hours of practice in their field while they already have the license in their home states.

In response to what Ricketts sees in the future of the Beatrice State Development Center in light of a recent legislative proposal that will cut 74 jobs under the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Ricketts said: Were really right-sizing the appropriations for the service were providing, so there shouldnt be any impact to the services at BSDC.

Ricketts said he does not foresee jobs to be cut from BSDC and that he wants care to continue at BSDC. Ricketts mentioned community-based care as a popular model nationwide for individuals with developmental disabilities.

I think it really depends on the specific person, Ricketts said of the two types of care models. I think we need to tailor to the specific persons needs.
They have wealth equal to half the population. It's a striking statistic but it's also irrelevant.

Oxfam grabbed headlines on Monday with a report claiming that the world's eight richest men own as much wealth as the world's poorest 3.7 billion people  half of the planet's population.

The report was released in Davos, Switzerland, at the start of the World Economic Forum, an annual powwow of high-powered business and political leaders. The executive director of Oxfam International, Winnie Byanyima, seized the occasion to portray the gap between the world's superrich few and extremely poor many as a moral and social calamity.

"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," she said. "Inequality is trapping hundreds of millions in poverty; it is fracturing our societies and undermining democracy." Oxfam's proposed solutions are the usual leftist nostrums: higher taxes, a "living wage" for employees, more government spending.

Headlines notwithstanding, Oxfam's "new" finding is the same-old, same-old it trots out every year. In 2014, Oxfam reported that the world's 85 richest people have as much wealth as the 3.5 billion poorest; in 2015, it shaved the number of multibillionaires to 80; in 2016, the number dropped again, to 62. Now Oxfam claims the world's poorest half is out-owned by just eight men.

To be sure, it's a striking statistic. It's also irrelevant.

The eight superbillionaires singled out by Oxfam are Microsoft founder Bill Gates, investor Warren Buffett, Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Spanish clothing magnate Amancio Ortega, Amazon creator Jeff Bezos, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and Michael Bloomberg, the financial-services entrepreneur and former New York mayor.

Besides being unimaginably rich, the eight men have a few things in common that Oxfam doesn't dwell on.

To begin with, all eight men earned their extraordinary wealth. Through ingenuity, talent, and immense effort, they created enterprises that provide hundreds of millions, even billions, of human beings with goods and services that make life better, healthier, safer, and more affordable.

Oxfam's billionaires are richer than they used to be. So is almost everyone else.

Moreover, the Oxfam Eight didn't grow their fortunes by preventing other people from growing theirs. Their wealth may equal that of half the people on Earth (though Oxfam's methodology is dubious), but the world's poor have been climbing out of poverty at the fastest rate in human history. Byanyima rightly bewails the fact that "1 in 10 people survive on less than $2 a day"  what she omits is that over the past 30 years, the number of people living in such extreme poverty has fallen by nearly 75 percent. Johan Norberg, writing in Spiked Review, provides hard numbers: Worldwide, an average of 138,000 people climb out of extreme poverty every day. Since 1990, the world's population has grown by more than 2 billion, yet the ranks of those in extreme poverty has shrunk by more than 1.25 billion.

It is, in Norberg's words, "the most important story of our time: Poverty as we know it is disappearing from our planet."

Just as capitalism made it possible for Gates, Zuckerberg, and the others to reach the highest rung on the economic ladder, it is making it possible for billions of men and women to climb up from the lowest rung. Oxfam's billionaires are richer than they used to be. So is almost everyone else.

Since 1990, the world's population has grown by more than 2 billion,

yet the number of people in extreme poverty has shrunk by more than 1.25 billion.

Of course, the super-wealthy ought to share their great fortunes. Not because wealth disparities are "obscene," as Oxfam says. And not because the economy is a zero-sum game, with the rich getting richer only as the poor get poorer. But as a matter of goodness and gratitude  the timeless moral principle that from those to whom much is given, much is required.

Instead of obsessing about what the very rich have, worry about what the very poor lack.

Oxfam's megabillionaires agree. They have all given vast amounts to charity, using their wealth to do good for enormous numbers of people in need, in danger, or in pain. Gates has donated more to charitable causes than anyone, ever. Buffett and Zuckerberg have pledged to give away more than half of their wealth to philanthropy, as have scores of other billionaires.

Wealth is good, and the more people who can create and earn it, the better. All decent people should worry about what the very poor lack. If you obsess instead about what the very rich have, you're doing it wrong.

This op-ed originally appeared in The Boston Globe.
January 17, 2017

Qatar's Gaza Reconstruction Committee briefly announced its intention to build an embassy in Gaza. According to its Jan. 9 Facebook post, a building was to be erected south of the port of Gaza, on a five-acre lot that would also include the ambassadors residence. But only hours later, the committee replaced the post with another statement reading that Qatar is getting ready to establish a building for the reconstruction committee and not an embassy. There was no explanation for the correction and the original news was deleted.

The news, announced on Jan. 9, quickly spread among Palestinians, prompting the Qatari ambassador to the Palestinian territories to issue a statement on Jan. 10. Mohammed al-Emadi, who is also chairman of the Gaza Reconstruction Committee, said, News about the building of a Qatari Embassy in Gaza are inaccurate. The building to be established will be the headquarters of the Qatari committee overseeing Qatars projects in Gaza. All Qatari projects in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are in coordination with the Palestinian government of national consensus.

Qatar seems to be one of the most heavily invested countries in Gaza. Its Gaza Reconstruction Committee has played a prominent role in the revitalization of the Palestinian economy and the construction activity in Gaza. Qatar has played a major role in the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation, and it announced on Jan. 11 that it is ready to mediate a prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel.

Most recently, Qatar intervened to help end the electricity crisis in Gaza that started the first week of January, and it announced on Jan. 15 that it has donated $12 million for the purchase of fuel needed to run Gazas sole power plant.

A Palestinian government official in Gaza who has close ties with Qatar told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Hamas wants Qatar to have an embassy in Gaza because the country recognizes the movement in the Strip, but Qatar is yet to give a final answer since it seeks to maintain balanced relations with both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. Emadi and his staff are currently staying at the Movenpick Hotel in Gaza, and Qatar may be wanting to transfer the management of its projects from the hotel to a permanent location that would be less than a diplomatic embassy and more of a projects office.

In June 2007, after Hamas took over Gaza, 10 Arab and foreign embassies moved their headquarters to Ramallah. Only representative offices for Russia, France and Germany remained to manage the interests of their countries and process travel visas for Gazans. Other European countries leave those tasks to the European Union office in Gaza.

Amin Maqboul, a member of Fatahs Revolutionary Council, told Al-Monitor, Any representative office or embassy to Palestine should be established in Jerusalem, the soon-to-be capital, in coordination with the Palestinian leadership and the government of national consensus. Otherwise, it would be a violation of diplomatic norms.

Ramallah in the West Bank is currently the Palestinian Authoritys (PAs) actual capital where all Arab and foreign ambassadors and consuls reside.

Qatars announcement to establish an embassy in Gaza was highly discussed on social networks. Some see it as a prelude to the recognition of an independent state in Gaza, others see the office as a natural need.

Abdel Sattar Qassem, a professor of political science at An-Najah University in Nablus, told Al-Monitor, Israel should first agree on Qatars opening of an embassy in Gaza because it still considers the Strip under its political and security controls despite withdrawing from it in 2005. Also, I do not see why it would object, since Qatar could play a major role in domesticating Hamas and minimizing its resistance activities. Qatar has major influence on Hamas in light of the huge amounts of money it spends in Gaza.

He added, I do not think the PA would object to a Qatari Embassy in Gaza since the PA also benefits from Qatars support and it is not in its interest to anger it. However, Qatars move could encourage other countries, such as Turkey, to do the same, which would entail a diplomatic recognition of Hamas rule in Gaza.

Qatar does not have an embassy in Ramallah, and Emadi only visits to manage procedures and communicate with Palestinian ministries. He does not have an official residence there.

Before talks about a Qatari Embassy in Gaza emerged, Mousa Abu Marzouk, a member of Hamas political bureau, spoke on Dec. 30 about the possibility of establishing a confederation between Gaza and the West Bank, in light of the failure to end the division between the two parties. His comments, however, sparked angry reactions among Palestinians. On Jan. 2, Abu Marzouk clarified that the issue of a confederation had not been officially discussed within Hamas.

Ahmed Yousef, the former political adviser to the deputy head of Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, told Al-Monitor, Establishing headquarters to manage Qatars interests in Gaza is natural, whether it be an embassy or a projects office. Qatar is active on several Palestinian issues and it helps organize Gazas ties with Israel  while Egypt remains absent from the Palestinian arena. This is why Qatar needs to establish an office or an embassy, to which Israel will not object. Qatar is able to dispel the PAs fears of an embassy by informing it that this does not mean the recognition of an independent state in Gaza, and the only purpose is to manage its interests and projects. This is why there was no negative feedback from Ramallah on the Qatari move.

If Qatar becomes the first country to open its own embassy inside Gaza, it would violate diplomatic norms. Minister of Public Works Mufeed al-Hassanieh said Jan. 10 that no one had contacted him about a Qatari Embassy in Gaza, stressing that such a move would deepen the Palestinian division and promote the notion of an independent state in Gaza.

Alaa Abu Amer, a former diplomat for the PA Foreign Ministry, told Al-Monitor, It is understandable for Qatar to establish a consulate in Gaza. However, building a large embassy [in Gaza] raises questions, since an ambassador is the representative of a countrys president before the president of another country and President Mahmoud Abbas headquarters are in Ramallah, Palestines temporary capital. This also raises questions about Qatars support to Palestinian factions.

Israel did not officially respond to the Qatari step, but Yoni Ben-Menachem, a former officer in the Israeli intelligence services, wrote in a Jan. 10 article for the Jerusalem Institute of State Affairs that the establishment of a Qatari Embassy in Gaza would mean Qatar is convinced that the Palestinian state will finally be established in Gaza only.

Al-Monitor contacted several PA ministers and members of Fatahs Central Committee for comment, but none would do so publicly.

One PA minister, however, told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Communication channels between Ramallah and Doha are still open, but the Palestinian government is unaware of a Qatari Embassy that is allegedly going to be set up in Gaza. Regardless, we trust that our Qatari brothers would not do anything that would deepen the Palestinian division between Gaza and the West Bank.

Regardless of its official title, the headquarters Qatar wishes to establish in Gaza would strengthen Qatari-Hamas relations, which could give the movement a stronger sense of alliance with a rich and influential regional country. Complicating the mixed reactions over the Qatari move, the PA seems to want to avoid angering Qatar, one of its strongest supporters.
January 17, 2017

President Hassan Rouhani held a press conference Jan. 17 to mark the first anniversary of the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Responding to a question about Irans response to US President-elect Donald Trumps threats to either scrap the nuclear deal or renegotiate it, Rouhani said, [Holding] new negotiations is meaningless, adding, There will be no [new] negotiations on the JCPOA.

Rouhani continued, Mr. Trump has not expressed satisfaction with the Iran nuclear deal so far and has said the deal is not a good deal.  These claims are nothing but a slogan. Stressing that the accord is multilateral and involves six world powers and Iran, Rouhani said, The JCPOA is not something that someone in another country, following his election as president, decides whether he likes or dislikes it. The JCPOA has created a new global environment and it should be taken care of with prudence. It is a win-win deal.

Meanwhile, Ali Akbar Nategh-Nuri is turning into the new target of Iranian hard-liners following the death of moderate Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was the leader of the moderation camp.

Nategh-Nuri is a moderate politician and a figure respected by both Reformists and conservatives. In the 2005 presidential election, he had the responsibility of mobilizing the conservatives and forging a coalition ahead of the voting. However, despite his efforts, none of the conservative candidates  including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then mayor of Tehran, and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the current mayor  heeded the coalition's final decision asking all nominees to withdraw in favor of Ali Larijani, the current speaker of parliament. Afterward, Nategh-Nuri gradually left the leadership of the conservative camp.

Nategh-Nuris decision to abandon the conservative camp became clear when Ahmadinejad accused him and his sons of corruption during the televised presidential debates in 2009, with none of his conservative friends condemning Ahmadinejad over his remarks. In the 2013 presidential election, along with Rafsanjani, Seyyed Hassan Khomeini (the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini) and former Reformist President Mohammad Khatami, he played a significant role in Rouhani's victory.

Nategh-Nuris close relationship with Rafsanjani, who died Jan. 8, is no secret in Iranian politics, as their friendship went back over five decades.

At a Jan. 15 memorial for Rafsanjani held at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini, Nategh-Nuri was the keynote speaker. Hashemi [Rafsanjani] wasnt opposed [to the Islamic Republic], he was the pillar of the [1979 Islamic] Revolution.  It is really bad that when figures are alive, we insult them, and when they are gone, we mourn for them, said Nategh-Nuri, referring to the harsh attacks of hard-liners against Rafsanjani and their change of stance toward him following his death.

Describing Rafsanjani as oppressed because of the hard-liners position against him, Nategh-Nuri, who currently heads the supreme leaders Inspection Office, added, Now God only knows who is next [in line to become the target of hard-liner attacks].

In reaction to Nategh-Nuris speech, Kayhan newspaper, known as the mouthpiece of hard-liners, wrote Jan. 15 that the Reformists are attempting to deceive him.

Mr. Nategh talked about the great cruelty against Hashemi, but he didnt mention the greater cruelty against the nation and the Islamic Republic during the 2009 sedition and proxy unrests and the unfair lie about ballot rigging, wrote Kayhan. Of note, the 2009 presidential elections, which led to the re-election of Ahmadinejad, triggered widespread protests in Iran that are described as sedition by conservatives.

On Jan. 16, the hard-line Raja News, which is close to the Endurance Front led by Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah Yazdi Rafsanjanis old rival  also adopted a harsh stance, writing, The loser to Khatami believes that the Reformists want to choose him as their sheikh and leader (Khatami defeated Nategh-Nuri in the 1997 presidential election).

Reformist analyst Hassan Rasouli believes the cause of the uptick in attacks against Nategh-Nuri isnt because of his speech at Rafsanjanis memorial. Rather, Rasouli said Jan. 17 that the attacks are rooted in the approach adopted by Nategh during recent years.

On Jan. 17, Mohsen Gharavian, a cleric based in the holy city of Qom, said, Inside the country, we have figures such as Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, Nategh-Nuri and Hassan Rouhani who are the disciples of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjanis school of thought, and in my view, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjanis way, notions and ideas must be followed.
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 18, 2017

Cheers filled Cairos streets Jan. 16 as Egypts Supreme Administrative Court rejected a government plan to transfer the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia.

The judicial decision came Jan. 16 after a fierce fight both on the streets and in the countrys courtrooms, and people are now calling for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his government to be tried for treason.

What the government did is a criminal offense under the penal code, Malek Adly, one of the lawyers who spearheaded the campaign against the deal, told Al-Monitor. But it is not an easy matter politically to prosecute Sisi and the government while they are in power.

Nevertheless, lawyer and former presidential candidate Khaled Ali filed a complaint against Sisi, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, accusing them of illegally seeking to transfer the islands ownership.

In spite of a Higher Administrative Court ruling against it, Egypts government had approved the controversial deal to hand over the Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia on Dec. 29, pending parliament ratification. The approval sparked protests and parliament opposition.

Egypt has had sovereignty over the islands for thousands of years, long before Saudi Arabia was established as a country, Taqadum Al-Khatib, a researcher at Princeton University, told Al-Monitor. This sovereignty is well-documented throughout different eras. The Old Testament mentions how the islands are part of Sinai, he said. A Napoleon-era map states the same, as well as an 1805 Ottoman map. During WWI, Egypt allocated forces on the islands to protect the Suez Canal. The 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement, made years before Saudi Arabia became a country in 1932, also recognized the islands as Egyptian. Khatib sent everything he had dug up to the lawyers, including Adly  who said the government ignored the information and came up with its own.

Testimonials of military officials, geologists and politicians are forged or disregarded, and those opposing the [islands] handover are arrested, Adly said.

Demonstrators staged a small protest against the islands deal on Jan. 3, and 12 people were arrested. A woman was detained in Alexandria for holding a banner that read Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian.

The collective consciousness of the Egyptian people regards the deal as treason, Adly said, noting that in the past, people had died defending the land. Images of Egyptian soldiers on the island of Tiran in 1967 have been circulating on social media since the deal was brought to light.

Egyptian journalist Abdelrahman Youssef uncovered the deal during Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Sauds visit in April. The islands were to be handed over in exchange for $2 billion annually and 25% of the value of oil and gas extracted from them. Youssefs source did not say how long the payments were to continue.

On April 15, dubbed Land Friday, thousands took to the streets to denounce the agreement. Authorities arrested hundreds of protesters, sentencing 152 to two to five years in prison. Others were arrested by security forces from their homes and from cafes to try to head off protests set for April 25; attempts to assemble that day were crushed by the well-prepared security forces.

Commenting on the usual trumped-up charges handed to arrested protesters, Adly asked, How come when a few people demonstrate, they are said to pose a threat to public safety and national security and are seen as traitors, while those who give up strategic Egyptian lands are not?

The islands lie at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, where shipping lanes lead to ports in Jordan and Israel.

Since 1955, Israel has been trying to strip Egypt of control over the islands. In 1967, the United Nations refused an Israeli request to consider the Tiran Strait part of international waters. In the 1978 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which entailed the withdrawal of Israel from the entire Sinai Peninsula, an article was dedicated to the two islands, clearly stating their Egyptian nationality. Saudi Arabia was not a party to that agreement.

Now it appears Israel is renewing its attempts to acquire control over the strategic area.

In the deal Sisi had planned, Israel was to handle security responsibilities of the islands, according to former Journalists Syndicate head Makram Mohamed Ahmed.

Saudi Arabia was to be a mere mediator, said Khatib, the Princeton researcher. What the Saudis would gain was a bigger political alliance in the face of Iranian/Shiite expansion in the region, which is also opposed by Israel, he believes.

But Adly noted that even if that is not the case and the islands remained under the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh would still have a say in Israels national security, giving it a powerful card with Israel and the United States.

Meanwhile, Egypt would be provided with Gulf support, both political and economic, Khatib said. However, it could lose a lot. If Egypt loses control over the Islands, it loses a regional influence, he said.

That possibility has strategic and economic ramifications. Egypt would not be able to control traffic in the Gulf of Aqaba. The loss would also endanger the security of Sinai and the Suez Canal, Khatib added. National control over a strait allows a country to inspect ships, search them for dangerous material, recognize military ships and ban them from passing if it wishes. This reflects on securing navigation in the Suez Canal, as well as the security of Sinais east coast.

In addition, Israel has proposed building a rail line between Eilat on the Red Sea and Ashdod Port on the Mediterranean, which would directly affect the revenue of Egypts Suez Canal.

Tiran and Sanafir are also natural protectorates, part of the Ras Muhammad National Park. Its coral reefs and fish population lure tourists, providing Egypt with a source of income. The islands are 7 miles from Sinai, making the distance less than the 12-mile mark for international waters stipulated by international navigation laws.

About 3,000 opponents of the deal, including public figures and activists, signed and sent a statement to parliament rejecting the handover.

Parliament had put off discussing the matter until the High Administrative Court issued its decision, while 56 parliament members openly rejected the deal and one went on a hunger strike.

The Egyptian government set aside the previous court ruling just hours after its announcement, and talk is already circulating about what actions it might take against the one issued on Jan. 16.

Nobody would do this except someone working against us [Egyptians], Adly said of the governments position, which could still push parliament to ratify the deal.

The whole matter is a political game, Khatib said.
January 18, 2017

In downtown Cairo, a graffiti drawing shows a woman stuck between dozens of men who are blaming her for being sexually harassed. The painting, which is one of hundreds tackling womens issues in Egypt, appears on one of the walls of a street near Tahrir Square where widespread demonstrations took place during and after the revolution.

We have been using the walls to address one of the most important topics in Egypt: the challenges women face in a conservative society that involves many different issues, including the political, the social, the economic and the cultural, Dina Saadi told Al-Monitor. Saadi is one of the female graffiti artists whose graffiti drawings appear on Cairo's street walls as part of a public art project dedicated to women and the issues they face.

The project, titled Women on Walls, has been bringing the woes of Egyptian women to the walls of outdoor spaces with the aim of empowering them through street art and encouraging female street artists to participate in the political scene of graffiti.

Because Egyptian women have always been an essential part of any political or social revolution, the project has introduced them and their issues into public spaces and made them more visible on the walls, Saadi said.

In December 2012, the Women on Walls project was founded by Mia Grondahl, a Swedish photojournalist and street art documentarian, and Egyptian artist Angie Balata, with funding from the Danish Center for Culture and Development.

In the past few years, the project has been growing rapidly; so far, 7,200 people have "liked" the Facebook page and the project's blog has developed into a website that documents all its art pieces and events.

The project has organized events in Cairo, Alexandria, Mansoura and Luxor, which included painting sessions, workshops and lectures on topics ranging from art to the more general issues involving women.

Khadija Moustafa, a young female artist participating in the project, said that it has given female street artists the opportunity to express their ideas, empower other women and highlight their struggle through street art.

"Walls are the easiest way to address the Egyptians as they pass by them each day. [Art on the] walls can get them closer to realize the hurdles women face in the country," Moustafa told Al-Monitor.

She said that the project is also looking to increase the number of female graffiti artists in Egypt, who are few at the moment. In Egypt, the number of female graffiti artists is far less than the number of male artists. That's because of the challenges female artists face when they take to the streets and start drawing on the walls. They are often being mimicked and harassed by passersby, Moustafa said.

In 2013, Grondahl published a book titled The Revolutions Graffiti that is a record of the work of Egyptian graffiti artists during the revolution.

Grondahl and Balata founded the Women on Walls project when they realized that among the 17,000 graffiti artists mentioned in Grondahl's book, there were only about 250-300 featuring women-related issues. They launched projects in several downtown areas where they featured works about sexual harassment, female genital mutilation and other issues.

In 2014, the Women on Walls project cooperated with several womens rights groups, including HarassMap and Nazra for Feminist Studies, which allowed the projects artists to explore future collaborations.

The group also organized a street art festival in Jordan with female artists from Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon.

Street art was not a widespread phenomenon before the January 25 Revolution. However, following the revolution it quickly became one of its most powerful tools. Graffiti has started to be used as a form of popular protest, and it has become an effective way to spread the message of political rebellion.

On the walls of downtown Cairo and the surrounding areas, graffiti that include political satire, murals depicting pharaonic and biblical themes, tags for social and political movements as well as paintings of martyrs can be seen.

Despite its popularity during the revolution, the protest graffiti remained a largely male space with men dominating the street artist community and very few pieces showcasing women and tackling their issues in the country.

In reaction, a host of graffiti movements have been initiated to increase the visibility of women in public spaces and boosting the number of female graffiti artists. One of these movements is the Graffiti Harimi project, which is the predecessor of Women on Walls. The project has also sought to raise awareness about womens issues through street art and has served the purpose of denouncing the abuse of women.

Graffiti artist Jacqueline George told Al-Monitor that female graffiti artists are facing uphill battles in Egypt, as they live in a conservative society with old-fashioned ideas about religion and gender.

Because of harassment by passersby, many female graffiti artists have started to take to the streets at night and create their drawings at quiet times, George said. However, she said that creating art can still be tough for many women as taking to the streets at night is regarded as taboo for women in Egypt.

George added that it is not only female graffiti artists who are suffering in Egypt, but male artists as well. It is really hard to create graffiti drawings on the streets of Egypt because people are still not familiar with it. But that has not stopped the art of graffiti in Egypt," she said.

Despite the challenges, graffiti artists are still adamant about using street art to address political, economic, social and cultural issues on the walls  for ordinary citizens to notice, she concluded.
January 18, 2017

For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, Turkic-speaking lawmakers have formed a bloc in the Iranian parliament. The Faction of Turkic Regions was formed in late October. It has been reported to have 100 members in the 290-seat parliament and is led by Masoud Pezeshkian, who represents the northwestern city of Tabriz and who served as minister of health (2001-2005) under Reformist President Mohammad Khatami.

Controversy has surrounded the formation of this faction since its inception. This has mainly had to do with the stated number of its members. Irans election law grants each province a certain number of lawmakers based on its population. In this vein, the main Turkic-speaking provinces and their respective number of members of parliament include West Azerbaijan with 12 parliamentarians, East Azerbaijan with 19, Ardebil with seven and Zanjan with five. Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province as well as the provinces of Gilan and Fars also have Turkic-speaking populations, but the origins and history of these Turkic-speakers are very different from those who reside in the northwest of Iran. While ethnic Persians constitute a slight majority of Iranians, Turkic speakers make up a sizable minority.

Based on these figures, one would expect the newly formed Turkic-speaking faction to have no more than 43 members. So how is it that it counts 100 lawmakers among its members? Zahra Sai, a Tabriz member of parliament and spokeswoman for the faction, has said, Lawmakers who speak Turkic but are from other cities have also joined the faction. This is while a member of the groups board of directors told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, There are really 60 lawmakers in this faction. However, when the news [of the formation of the group] was being transmitted to media outlets, one group member put the figure at around 100 and so this number began circulating in the media.

One key question is what precisely this faction seeks to achieve. In an interview with ISNA news agency Nov. 6, Pezeshkian, who also serves as deputy speaker, said, This faction hasnt done anything in particular yet. Unfortunately, however, some are [already] trying to divert public opinion [about its objectives]. The goal was to have Turkic-speaking MPs come together and pursue their demands of the government within the framework of the law.

Critics, however, see the emergence of the faction as a threat to Irans national unity, saying that it highlights ethnocentrism. Responding to this, Pezeshkian told ISNA, This should not happen. We are defending the law, and the government should give everyone the right to act within the framework of the law. No one has the right to do anything against the law. Public opinion should not be twisted in a way as to give certain individuals pretexts for making lawful opportunities seem like threats.

Still, it appears that some experts on ethnicity, and especially Azeri-speaking ones, do not have favorable opinions about the formation of such a faction. Many in East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan provinces and elsewhere speak Azeri, which is a Turkic language. In an editorial published in Shargh newspaper Dec. 6, Nouraldin Gharavi, former governor of East Azerbaijan province, criticized the very idea of such a group and said, Parliament Speaker Mr. [Ali] Larijani and other [parliament members] are aware that this is a dangerous innovation that goes against the constitution. Negligence in this area will have bitter consequences for everyone down the line.

But is the formation of parliamentary factions along ethnic lines really something new in Iran? In his book Iran Between Two Revolutions, prominent historian Ervand Abrahamian writes that the only time such a development has previously occurred was in February 1944. According to Abrahamian, nomadic tribes formed a parliamentary group called The Faction of Democrats and began pursuing their own tribal demands. Of note, this faction was formed following the suppression of nomads and tribes by former rulers Reza Shah Pahlavi (1925-1941) and his successor and son, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (1941-1979).

Salar Seifoddini, an Azeri researcher who focuses on ethnicity, told Al-Monitor, The Azeri-speaking [Turkic] faction, which a group of Iranian [parliament members] is insisting on solely for electoral purposes as well as political and personal gains, is a rare occurrence in other parts of the world. It is clearly not only against the constitution but also a new and dangerous innovation for creating divisions among the different ethnicities in Iran. I think those who came up with such an idea are more than anything after their own personal gain and want to pull in the public [in the mix] for [the purpose of winning] their own election races.

Mojtaba Maghsoudi, a professor of political science at Tehrans Azad University and a researcher on ethnicity, told Al-Monitor, In democracies, factions are representative of parliamentary parties. In Iran, however, and in the case of the Azeri-speaking faction, it is the opposite.  The faction presents its own partisan demands. In developed societies, however, it is parties [based on political agendas] who form factions in parliament.

Indeed, the new Turkic-speaking parliamentary faction notably features a collection of rival political forces. For instance, Pezeshkian, who is leading the group, entered parliament through the moderate-Reformist List of Hope. This is while Nader Qazipour, the deputy head of the faction and a member of parliament from Urmia, belongs to the hard-line end of the Principlist movement.

Maghsoudi, who is also the head of Irans Association for Peace Studies, told Al-Monitor, The most important function of parliaments in all political establishments is to deal with national issues. With the Turkic-speaking faction, it is the complete opposite and we are seeing a section of the parliament being involved in ethnic matters instead of dealing with citizens rights. Such a trend is an indication of the poor performance of the parliamentary system in Iran and is considered a detour from the main path and duties of this important body.

So far, there have been very few reactions by top officials regarding the formation of the Turkic-speaking parliamentary faction. On Nov. 27, Ali Younesi, the presidential adviser on ethnic and religious minority affairs, voiced his opposition to the formation of such a faction and stressed that ethnic divisions should not be allowed to intensify through the formation of such groups. Mansour Haghighatpour, a Turkic-speaking former member of parliament for Ardebil and current adviser to Larijani, has also voiced his opposition to the initiative. Yet there does not seem to be a consensus among government officials over the matter of the emergence of the group and whether or how to respond to it.
January 19, 2017

Iranians are outraged and saddened by the destruction of the country's oldest high-rise, the Plasco building, which collapsed Jan. 19 after being engulfed by fire. The 17-story structure, completed in 1962, was the center of clothing production in Tehran. The presence of textiles may have led to the rapid spread of the flames along with building managers' having ignored repeated warnings about the lack of adherence to fire safety regulations. Many Iranians are calling for the resignation of Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf for mismanagement.

The Plasco, located downtown on Jomhuri Street, stood around the corner from the British Embassy and the main foreign exchange offices on Ferdowsi Street. Sasan Aghaei, a journalist with the Reformist daily Etemaad, tweeted, Plasco is one of the symbols of Iran taking steps toward modernization and industrialization. Today, one of the symbols of Tehran collapsed.

The fire at the Plasco reportedly began at 7:59 a.m., leading to the dispatch of 200 firefighters, who had success battling the devastating blaze. Journalists rushed to report on the fire, which was also recorded on camera, including by Iranian state TV, which carried live coverage of the fire and the building's collapse at 11:15.

Iranian news agencies have reported that a number of firefighters are trapped under the debris and that scores are feared to have been killed. The official Islamic Republic News Agency has reported 50 dead, but city officials have not confirmed the figure.

A large number of people gathered at the Plasco amid the devastation to take pictures and selfies of the embittering incident, angering the media and activists on social media networks.

Mamlekate, a famous Telegram channel, published a short text, asking people to stay away from the Plasco. People shouldnt go to the scene, and those whose workplace is there should leave so that the rescue workers can do their job with full concentration. Noting an image of people taking pictures of the collapsed building, a Twitter user named Zara tweeted, This picture angered me very much; the love of cellphones and recording has gone too far. Meanwhile, other Iranians queued in long lines to donate blood for the victims.

As the top floors of the Plasco burned, Ghalibaf was in the holy city of Qom, the base of influential clerics some 80 miles south of the capital. He quickly returned to Tehran upon receiving news of developments.

Many on social media perceived Ghalibafs Qom visit as a part of his widely anticipated bid for the presidency in May elections, slamming him for his electoral goals. In light of the blaze, calls also went out for his resignation, with the hashtag Ghalibaf_resign (in Persian) quickly appearing on social media.

Zahra Safyari sarcastically tweeted, Dr. Qalibaf, we are thankful that you left your electoral trip unfinished and returned [to Tehran]. #Ghalibaf_resign. Adagio tweeted, Demanding the resignation of an underserving executive whose mismanagement has caused the death of a large number of our countrymen is a humane move and not political exploitation.

Amid the outrage was an outpouring of support for the firefighters, with expressions of hope for the survival of those trapped under the debris. Twitter user Houshmandii published a picture of a firefighter with the caption, Being a firefighter is not a job, it is love. Soheil posted on his Twitter account, We surely belong to Allah and to Him we shall return, the Quranic verse (2:156) recited upon a death. He added, Happy martyrdom, devoted firemen.

Nahid Molavi, a journalist at Etemaad, tweeted, When the firefighting equipment is rudimentary while the [Tehran] municipality is among the most high-income institutions, questioning Ghalibaf is not political exploitation [of the tragedy].

An article on Asr-e-Iran, a moderate news website, criticized the lack of attention to old buildings, with the author stating, The Plasco fire caused me to think about how many buildings like Plasco there are in Tehran and other cities. How many more times could these [kinds of] events occur? How many more times should firemen and people become the victims of such a default [situation]?

In this vein, Reformist Shargh Daily quoted one of the firefighters at the scene as angrily shouting, Plasco is not the only weak building. Half of Tehrans buildings are in danger. We shout, but nobody listens.
January 18, 2017

BAGHDAD  Following the recent terrorist attacks in the predominately Shiite province of Najaf, Governor of Najaf Luay al-Yassiri and the deputy chief of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, announced Jan. 15 the formation of two regiments of the PMU to control the desert of Najaf and protect the holy city of Najaf from Islamic State (IS) terrorists. Yassiri also said the province is to build a 50-kilometer (31-mile) tunnel on the western side of the city to protect it from terrorists.

After its major losses in Mosul, IS has been seeking to move its operations to the predominantly Shiite center and southern Iraq. To IS, Shiites are its bitter enemy. On Jan. 1, IS carried out an attack in Najaf, 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Baghdad, which is home to many Shiite authorities. The militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, stressing that it was carried out by five suicide bombers. On Jan. 8, the security apparatus seized a car bomb in the Shiite-majority governorate of Wasit.

In another attempt on Jan. 2, the PMU clashed with IS fighters in the area of the Nukhayb desert, adjacent to the Shiite city of Karbala, after militants had tried to infiltrate the city and Najaf. This prompted Karbala Governor Akil al-Turaihi to start looking for military options to strengthen the security situation.

IS attacks in the Shiite south are seen as a qualitative development in the organizations activity, as these areas have been witnessing relative calm in the past few years. Today, IS is trying to establish itself by attempting to breach security in the center and the south, away from its strongholds in the north and the west of the country.

On Dec. 11, the local government in Babil declared a state of emergency after its security forces were attacked in the area of Jurf al-Nasr.

The tight and expensive security measures to protect the central and southern cities, namely Karbala and Najaf, did not prevent IS from breaching security, causing human and material damage at the level of security forces and civilians.

On Nov. 25, IS claimed responsibility for the attack carried out by a suicide bomber known as Abu Fahd, who blew up a water tank at a gas station on the Diwaniyah-Babil road in the south, killing roughly 200 Shiite Iraqis and pilgrims from Iran and Bahrain. IS announced in a statement that the Shiite cities were attacked to take vengeance for what happened in Mosul, where Iraqi forces, with the support of the US-led coalition, have conducted a large military operation since Oct. 16.

IS also gave the attack a religious and historical dimension, by stressing that the battle of Mosul is in revenge for the killing of Husayn [in reference to the Shiites], who was killed in the battle of Karbala. Thus, IS is accusing the Shiites themselves of killing their third Imam Husayn ibn Ali.

Although it is a clear challenge imposed by IS, member of the parliamentary Security and Defense Committee Abdul Aziz Hassan told Al-Monitor that it is nothing but a reaction to its losses in Mosul, in an attempt to prompt sleeper cells to carry out terrorist operations in order to boost the morale of its fighters.

He said, Failure awaits IS, particularly since the security plans are thwarting its attempts. The success of some of its operations is not a sign that its presence is expanding in the central and southern parts. What happened is a mere security breach that can be addressed.

Yet IS carried out an attack in southern Iraq even prior to the Mosul operations, specifically on April 4 when a suicide bombing targeted a PMU gathering at Umm Oneij, which links Dhi Qar to Basra, killing four and wounding dozens.

In the face of the latest developments, Sadiq al-Labban, a member of parliament for the Basra governorate, told Al-Monitor, IS has sought for long to carry out terrorist attacks in the Shiite holy shrines such as Najaf and Karbala as part of religious hatred of this Muslim sect.

He added, IS seeks to instigate a strife between Shiites and Sunnis to ignite a yearslong sectarian war that would enable the organization to remain in Iraq.

Labban underestimated the attack in Najaf, stressing that the attack is a simple breach that did not achieve the objectives of IS. It points at its poor capabilities and weak sleeper cells in the central and southern parts that are under the control of the PMU and Joint Operations Command in charge of securing border governorates, especially Karbala and Najaf.

He added, The residents of the central and southern parts are a reason behind the failure of IS. They are fighting IS alongside security forces, particularly since IS considers them infidels to Islam and allows their murder.

Although Labban underestimates IS capacity to carry out attacks in the central and southern parts of the country, the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad that handles terrorism and organized crime-related offenses revealed Aug. 31 that the organization is turning intertwining orchards and farms in the Baghdad Belts adjacent to the central and southern cities into bases for its members, especially suicide bombers, and training facilities for its fighters.

According to Qassim Mouwazin, a political analyst and writer for Al-Sabah newspaper, IS' most important motives are to carry out military operations in the central and southern cities of Iraq. IS seeks to establish its presence there and to divert attention from the defeats it suffered in Mosul and in Fallujah before that. The organization is likely to attempt to carry out other attacks on the PMU headquarters in order to boost the morale of its fighters, Mouwazin told Al-Monitor.

IS has carried out more than 1,100 suicide bombing attacks in Syria and Iraq in 2016. It is likely that the extremist organization will try to target new areas, as some of the peripheries of Baghdad are serving as a launchpad for attacks on Iraqs central and southern cities.
January 18, 2017

PARIS  UN Security Council Resolution 2334, passed Dec. 23 affirming the illegality of Israeli settlements, shifted the international diplomatic agenda, focusing global attention once again on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The resolution was just the first in a series of steps concerning the conflict that captured the world's attention. One can also include the Dec. 28 speech by US Secretary of State John Kerry detailing parameters for advancing the two-state solution. These two events alone guaranteed that the world would pay attention to the Jan. 15 Paris conference for peace in the Middle East and its concluding joint declaration.

Focus on the conference continued after its conclusion, with the European Union (EU) Foreign Affairs Council meeting Jan. 16 to address its results. Although British intervention at the meeting blocked foreign ministers' adoption of the Paris conference's joint declaration, which states that the two-state solution is the only viable road to peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, it will not diminish a European effort to advance the declaration's conclusions.

Contrary to the stance espoused by France and the rest of the international community, it seems that Israel and Britain shared the same perspective on the conference, and while the United States participated, it was not entirely behind the idea. It remains unclear whether the recent series of diplomatic actions will help advance or hinder a two-state process.

Many forces intervened publicly and behind the scenes in the three weeks of drama. Western diplomats estimate that after the first Paris conference, held June 3, France actually tried to play down the second Paris conference, judging that its timing was unfortunate. The world had been preoccupied with Syria, terror attacks and fighting the Islamic State. On top of that, everything seemed to have been on hold awaiting US President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration. Resolution 2334 and Kerry's speech changed this dynamic.

France has succeeded with its gamble, and I think that they themselves were surprised by the success, a senior EU diplomat told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. They positioned the conference at the center of global attention, they got 70 delegations from all over the world to participate, and they even managed to produce a text agreed [on] by all 70 representatives.

Israel sees things differently. This conference should have never taken place, said Aliza Bin Noun, Israels ambassador to France. We are all familiar with current circumstances and the upcoming changes in the US, so this whole episode is a thing of the past.

Israeli diplomats had in recent weeks kept close tabs on discussions among conference participants as they attempted to formulate a joint declaration. The final statement doesnt include any details of the Kerry speech parameters, said an Israeli senior diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity. It doesnt include any follow-up committee. It doesnt refer directly to the June 4, 1967, borders. We continue to oppose the conference and its conclusions, but as a reference paper, which we couldnt block, it is a text we can live with.

Israel was not the only one trying to change the joint declaration. Debate on it amid high-level officials of the participating countries lasted well into the night Jan. 14, on the eve of the conference. It was Kerry who tipped the balance, after talking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the morning of Jan. 15.

The Israeli source said, It is true that Kerry and Netanyahu spoke just before the text was adopted and that the text was considerably mellowed down as a consequence, but there were other factors, too  mainly the Israelis' angry and very loud reaction [to] Resolution 2334, in which the French themselves were involved. The resolution did boost the whole conference idea, but at the same time it also put the French in an uncomfortable spot, depicting them as the ones who would push Israel to the edge, just before Trump takes office."

A top French diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity said last week that France had discussed the conference with Trump associates, who listened to us, indicating in diplomatic terms that little came of the meetings.

Jared Kushner [Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser] met with senior British officials before the Paris conference and the European foreign ministers council meeting in Brussels, said the EU source. Obviously, these meetings influenced the decision by [Britain] at the council in Brussels to block the adoption of the Paris conference conclusions. We were not so surprised by the British attitude, as they didnt send their foreign minister to the conference and made it clear that they did not support it. But blocking a text in this high European forum is a brutal move, very unlike the Brits. Obviously, they were trying to please their new friends.

The source added that Hungary and Bulgaria also played a role in blocking adoption of the text, and asserted, Israel [tried] to persuade several actors to oppose the conference. They do not realize that a solid, consistent position by the EU is eventually in the interest of Israel. Instead, they are trying to divide EU members.

Another European diplomat told Al-Monitor, Whatever reservations one might have about the concluding text, and even if the final draft was less provocative then preceding drafts, the fact is that the international community made its position clear vis-a-vis the new Trump administration, and thats an achievement. One must look at the whole picture, not just the details. We have marked our line, stating that we will not let go of the two-state solution. It is not only us who need to confront Trump. The Trump administration, for its part, will also have to confront this reality endorsed by most of the world.
January 18, 2017

It looks like the Palestinian municipal elections that were postponed in September might take place in 2017.

Hisham Kuhail, the executive director of the Central Elections Commission, was quoted in the local al-Hayat al-Jadida newspaper Jan. 5 as saying the local elections will take place in the first half of 2017.

Kuhails statement came two days after Prime Minister Rami Hamdallahs government announced that election complaints will now be resolved in a single higher court based in Ramallah, rather than local courts. According to the report on the decisions of the Jan. 3 Cabinet session published on the Palestinian Prime Ministry website, The newly established court will resolve all election-related violations and appeals for disqualification of candidates.

President Mahmoud Abbas will need to sign the law before it takes effect. It is unclear when Abbas will sign the law.

The centrally established court will take away the ability to disqualify candidates from the Court of First Instance both in Gaza and the West Bank. Disqualifying candidates was one of the main reasons for the Sept. 8 court postponement of the local elections that were scheduled for Oct. 8. Gaza-based courts had disqualified a number of pro-Fatah candidates based on weak evidence, according to legal experts. Appeals to the Ramallah-based Supreme Court led to the decision to postpone the elections.

Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in a Jan. 3 press statement that his movement refuses the creation of a central court for local elections. The court that is authorized to deal with cases involving local elections is the Court of First Instance, according to the local elections law No. 10 of 2005, Barhoum said in a written statement posted on Hamas official website.

Mohammad Lahham, a member of Fatahs Revolutionary Council, expressed to Al-Monitor his support for the need to hold local elections as soon as possible. It is advisable to hold these elections soon because local councils are becoming calcified.

Khaled Fahd Qawasmeh, a former minister of local affairs, also told Al-Monitor that holding elections soon is important. There are a lot of challenges here in Hebron and they require tough decisions that only a newly elected council with a popular mandate can carry out, Qawasmeh said.

Qawasmeh, the son of the popular late mayor of Hebron, Fahd Qawasmeh, who was deported by Israel in 1980, was planning to head a list of candidates to run in last Octobers elections.

Qawasmeh said he is opposed to the possibility that local elections will take place in phases. Some say that the elections will take place in phases, but I am opposed to that. Local elections should be held on the same day in all cities, villages and districts, he said.

The possibility of holding local elections before achieving reconciliation with Hamas has some Palestinians worried that the elections might be doomed to failure or that they will be distorted. Hani Masri, the executive director of The Palestinian Center for Policy Research & Strategic Studies-Masarat, told Al-Monitor that conditions are not ripe for elections. Local elections are necessary, but conditions for free and fair elections do not exist at the moment.

Masri said that if local elections do take place, they will produce distorted results. If they take place, the result will look like the recent Fatah congress. Candidates are likely to be pressured by Palestinians and Israelis who will press some not to run and others to run, and as a result, we will get distorted results that will not reflect popular sentiment.

Local Palestinian councils have already passed their regular four-year terms. Municipal elections last took place in the West Bank in 2012 and in Gaza in 2005. While it is best to hold local elections in an atmosphere of national unity, it is unfair to the people of Gaza and the West Bank to continue denying them the right to choose their local governments. Internal bickering and disagreements between Hamas and the PLO might continue for years, judging by the rhetoric coming from their respective media outlets and their public pronouncements. The sooner that the local population has a chance to express themselves in the ballot box rather than in any other format, the sooner that unresolved local problems can be addressed by local leaders with a mandate from their constituencies.
January 18, 2017

WASHINGTON  Russia has issued an invitation to the Trump administration to send a representative to Syria peace talks set to get underway in the Kazakh capital of Astana next week. But amid the transition of power in Washington, there is confusion as to whether the United States will participate, who the new administration would send and who can even speak authoritatively for the intentions of the US government, which is changing presidents Jan. 20 but wont have many foreign policy staff in place until later on.

At times, it seems that the incoming and outgoing administrations are observing their own kind of partial cease-fire, the former keeping the latter in the dark, even as it will inherit messy foreign policy challenges like Syria that largely ignore the US political calendar.

The awkwardness has been evident in trying to ascertain from the nonpartisan State Department even if the United States has received an invitation to Astana.

Has there been a decision made on participation in the Kazakhstan conference on the 23rd? a reporter asked at the State Department press briefing Jan. 17.

"Again, thats a decision that should be posed to the Trump transition team, State Department Spokesman John Kirby responded. Im not aware that they have made a decision.  I try not to talk about our communications with the transition team.

Has there been an invitation [to the Astana talks] that youre aware of, through this building, to the occupants of the offices in this building post-January 20th? the reporter then asked.

We are certainly aware of reports of an invitation to the incoming team, Kirby said. Im not aware of any specific communication to or with us now with respect to attendance at the conference. But this is a decision that has to be made by the incoming administration.

The Secretary [of State John Kerry] said  that he would encourage them [the Trump administration] to participate in the discussion, Kirby added. But again, its their decision to make.

The Trump transition team does plan to send a representative to the Astana talks, even if it is just someone from the US Embassy in Astana, a former diplomat speaking not for attribution told Al-Monitor.

They have agreed with the Russians they will attend, the former diplomat said. They did not say at what level. But as the US, [they] will be on the table.

Divisions between the three parties that brokered a December Syria cease-fire  Russia, Iran and Turkey  are also adding to confusion over the Astana talks.

Both Turkey and Russia have publicly said the United States will be invited to the Astana talks. But the Iranians said this week they dont think the United States should come.

We have not invited the US and oppose their presence [at the talks]," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Jan. 17, according to Irans Press TV.

The former diplomat said, Internally, these three countries are still not on the same page. [Not] on the [Astana talks] invitation, on the agenda [or] on the subject to be discussed.

Russia expert Michael Kofman said Vladimir Putin had used the back channel invitation to the Trump transition team  reportedly conveyed to Trump national security advisor designate Michael Flynn by the Russian ambassador on the very same day (Dec. 29) that Obama ordered sanctions and the expulsion of Russian diplomats over interfering in the US elections  to try to snub the Obama administration. Russia does not care who the Trump team sends to Astana, even if its the White House janitor, Kofman said.

Look, Russia wants to do the Astana talks and intentionally snub the Obama administration, Kofman, with the Wilson Center Kennan Institute, told Al-Monitor Jan. 18. It doesnt matter [who the US sends]. Trump will be in place.

For Putin, The optics are saying, Those [Obama administration] guys  I told them to do you-know-what with themselves. But you [Trump] and I are going to be friends, so you are welcome at the summit, Kofman said. And the best part, the win-win scenario: Russia says you are welcome at the summit, and Iran says no, we dont want you there.

Kofman continued, Its a great scenario, Russia [telling Trump], We obviously want you there. And the Iranian guys you dont like  those jerks  dont want you to be there.

Russia gets to look like the power broker in the Middle East, shaping the Syria political settlement, Kofman said. They successfully cut out the Obama administration, and it is also angling to look like they are being magnanimous and bringing Trump.

And if it doesnt pan out, it will be blamed on Iran: win-win scenario for Russia, Kofman said.

With Trump and Putin exchanging overtures about wanting to improve relations and possibly cooperate on Syria and fighting the Islamic State, the Iranians feel the Russians are playing against them, the former diplomat said.

Astana is a very expert-level meeting, the former diplomat added. They [the Trump administration] dont have to send a new face. The US ambassador to Kazakhstan or the charge could attend.

Separately, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he had met with Flynn in Washington Jan. 18 and is reportedly planning to attend Trumps inauguration. Met w/General Flynn, who will assume the position of national security advisor, and other officials at a working breakfast in Washington, D.C., Cavusoglu posted on Twitter Jan. 18.
January 18, 2017

Diplomatic novice Nikki Haley easily won over her Senate interrogators Jan. 18 by reassuring them that the incoming administration will at least have a steady hand guiding the US Mission to the United Nations.

On every issue from the Iran deal to Israeli-Palestinian peace to the global world order, the South Carolina governor offered a nuanced and measured counterpoint to President-elect Donald Trump's inflammatory rhetoric. During 3 hours before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Haley tactfully won over conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats with pointed answers to a wide variety of questions that repeatedly put her at odds with her future boss.

Rather than rip up the nuclear deal with Iran, "I think what would be more beneficial at this point is that we look at all the details," she said. "And if it is not being followed, and if we do find violations, then I think we should act and I think that we should act strongly."

Likewise on the issue of Israeli-Palestinian peace, Haley said the Trump administration remains committed to a two-state solution.

"I do understand the issue on settlements  I do understand how [past administrations of both parties] could think that that could undermine peace," Haley said. "But at the same time I will always stand with Israel and make sure that we're an ally and that the rest of the world knows that we're an ally."

Haley offered similar support for US alliances such as NATO, which Trump has continued to disparage as "obsolete." She called the United States an "indispensable voice of freedom" around the world.

"I will bring a firm message to the UN that US leadership is essential to the world," she said. "It is essential for the advancement of humanitarian goals and for the advancement of America's national interest."

She endorsed the strategic withholding of US contributions to the UN to achieve specific reforms, asserting that "we don't believe in slash and burn." US funding accounts for 22% of the UN's general budget and 29% of its peace-keeping budget.

"I do think it can be leveraged, and I do think it's something we should be open about," she said. "I won't shy away, and I need your help to do it, because I need to be able to say that I had Congress backing me up if this doesn't change, the funding will stop."

And unlike secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson last week, she did not hesitate to agree with senators who call Russia's bombing of civilians in Aleppo a "war crime."

"She certainly has an independent view and that's what senators wanted to see in her and I think that's why you saw her being so well received," panel chairman Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told reporters after the hearing. "She's obviously her own person. At the end of the day she'll be carrying out the policies of the president-elect, sure, but she has a very different view about our alliances, she has a very different view on a number of issues."

Corker said the committee could clear her as early as Jan. 23 and set up a floor vote the following day, along with Tillerson, if they answer the panel's written questions by then.

Longtime Trump critics made no effort to hide that the daughter of Indian Sikh immigrants offered a welcome counterpoint to Trump's discourse throughout the campaign. A rising Republican star, Haley gained national prominence in 2015 after a white supremacist killed nine people at a black church in Charleston.

"Americas voice in the United Nations needs to be strong. It needs to be somebody that can bring people together. It needs to be a voice that understands what America is all about," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in introducing her to the committee. "I think Nikki Haley, our governor in South Carolina, is the right person at the right time. She represents a combination of intellect, determination, grace and an understanding of America that the world needs to hear.

During the hearing, Haley flatly opposed any effort to create a registry of Muslims, as floated by Trump during the campaign. But she defended her opposition to resettling Syrian refugees last year, saying that FBI Director James Comey could not assure her that they could be properly vetted.

"That's when I said, we can't take refugees from Syria until I know that I can protect the people of South Carolina," Haley said.

Haley kicked off the hearing with a sharp criticism of the Barack Obama administration's decision not to veto last month's UN Security Council resolution that faulted Israeli settlement construction for undermining peace. Lawmakers of both parties have since taken aim at the decision, with Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introducing legislation this week that would withhold US funding for any UN agency that "promotes or condones anti-Semitism."

While praising the UN for its role in humanitarian aid, arms control and peacekeeping, Haley slammed its "checkered history" on a wide range of issues.

"Nowhere has the UN's failure been more consistent and more outrageous than in its bias against our close ally, Israel," Haley said, pointing out that the General Assembly session that just ended adopted 20 resolutions against Israel versus six targeting the rest of the world combined.

She called last month's vote on Resolution 2334 a "terrible mistake, making a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians even harder to achieve."

And she reminded lawmakers that she was the first governor to sign legislation against the boycott, divestment and sanctions effort.

"I will not go to New York and abstain when the UN seeks to create an international environment that encourages boycotts of Israel," she said in a dig at her predecessor, Samantha Power. "In fact, I pledge to you this: I will never abstain when the United Nations takes any action that comes in direct conflict with the interests and values of the United States."

And she said she was "absolutely" ready to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as Trump vowed to do during the campaign.

"Not only is that what Israel wants, but it's also what Congress itself has said that it supports," she said.

Pressed on the long bipartisan opposition to Israeli settlement construction, however, Haley acknowledged a difference of opinion with Israel but suggested the issue should be litigated bilaterally rather than in front of the international community.

"What I think happened with [Resolution] 2334 was a kick in the gut to everyone," Haley said. "We can think what we want to think on settlements, but you have to go back to the fact that the US abstention  was wrong. And I think the fact that we have not allowed the Palestinian Authority and Israel to resolve this themselves, and I think for the UN to have inserted themselves into that, I believe is wrong."
January 18, 2017

On the sixth anniversary of Tunisias revolution that ousted dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Moslem Kasdallah  a heavyset young man with braces  gave his public testimony. As he described being shot by police officers while patrolling his neighborhood during the long nights of the revolution in January 2011, sweat dripped down his face. His leg  which was riddled with bullets, required 32 operations and was almost amputated  was hidden under the table.

I am ready to sacrifice all my body  be it that I give my other leg and walk on no legs at all, he said passionately.

Kasdallah was the first speaker at the third Truth and Dignity Commission event, which took place on Jan. 14 in a northern suburb of Tunis. The commission, which was set up in 2013 following the drafting of Tunisias new constitution, was tasked with documenting human rights abuses in the countrys post-colonial history. It has collected over 62,000 testimonies from across the country.

The Truth and Dignity Commission is investigating abuse claims stretching back to the 1950s, and earlier hearings were marked by gruesome testimonies detailing abuse by the state apparatuses of Ben Ali and President Habib Bourguiba. But the wounds were remarkably fresh at this weekends event, which focused on victims of the revolution. Khaled ben Nejma, who testified with his mother, was shot in the back and chest at a peaceful protest in Bizerte on Jan. 13, 2011. Now wheelchair bound, he had not left his house for three months prior to the hearing.

Tunisia is often labeled a success story of the Arab Spring, as it largely avoided the violent political turmoil that has engulfed its near neighbors. And the country has seen many successes: a relatively peaceful transition of power, elections, a new constitution and sustained engagement from civil society resulting in a Nobel Peace Prize. But on the day of the hearings, protesters clashed with police around the country.

For many Tunisians, the original aim of the revolution  economic opportunity  has not been met. The southern towns of Ben Gardane and Gafsa, as well as Sidi Bouzid, where the revolution was originally sparked by a street vendor setting himself on fire, were rocked by protests on Saturday. Tensions between unemployed citizens and the police have been festering for the past several years, particularly in the underdeveloped southern and central parts of the country.

At the hearings, none of the young men who testified seemed to think Tunisias revolution was complete. Several of them spoke of seeing the officers who abused them still on active duty. As long as the perpetrators are not brought to justice, the goals of the revolution will not be complete, said Kasdallah.

The Truth and Dignity Commission would like to have hearings for the perpetrators as well, and there have been hints that certain officers would like to testify to publicize their sides of the story. However, the commission is not a criminal court, and for the victims, the value of speaking is largely cathartic. Justice is the essence of humanity, said the mother of Rached Arbi, who was shot in the chest at close range in January 2011, noting that she had been waiting a very long time to share her experience.

The Tunisian government itself, however, has shown little interest in the victims or the hearings  at Saturdays event, the only high-profile politician in attendance was Tunisias former President Moncef Marzouki. No one from Nidaa Tunis was present.

With tears in her eyes, Ben Nejmas mother pleaded with the Tunisian government. Is there a chance that my son could live in decent conditions? Is this asking too much? Just one home for a disabled person who has given his blood? she cried, her voice cracking.

But its unlikely the victims will see justice anytime soon. I think it will be [a] laborious year to make the victims dignity prevail above any political discussion, Salwa El Gantri, the head of the International Center for Transitional Justice Tunisia Office, told Al-Monitor via email.

Despite the victims physical and psychological scars, a ripple of optimism could be felt at the hearings. We have been destroyed, but not entirely, said Arbi near the end of his testimony. The revolution will continue.
January 19, 2017

Turkeys Prime Minister Binali Yildirim called on US President-elect Donald Trump today to extradite Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylania-based Sunni cleric who was named as the mastermind of the July 15 coup attempt. Yildirim told a news conference that Gulen's delivery to the Turkish authorities would help improve stormy relations between the two NATO allies.

Yet just as Gulens presence in the United States remains a thorn in Turkish-US ties, so too does the incarceration of American pastor Andrew Brunson, whose case has gone largely unnoticed in Turkey but not in the United States.

Turkish officials who spoke on strict condition of anonymity told Al-Monitor that they had been flooded with letters about Brunsons plight, including many from Congress.

In a stiff editorial for Fox News, Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahama aired their concerns, saying that Turkey had yet to provide compelling evidence of the pastors guilt.

Lankford said he had met with Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag last month to discuss Brunsons case, but the situation remains bleak.

Brunson, who led a small flock of Protestants in the western port city of Izmir for more than 20 years, was detained Oct. 7 with his wife Norine and held incommunicado until her release 13 days later. At an initial hearing Dec. 9, Brunson was charged with membership in an armed terrorist organization, and the officiating judge mentioned Gulen. Brunson continues to be held at the Sakran detention facility in Izmir and his lawyer is being denied access to his file.

The terrorism charges against the pastor were based on a tip from a secret informant, the judge said. Sources familiar with the case speaking on condition that they not be identified by name told Al-Monitor that the informant was an individual who had accompanied Brunson on a recent trip to the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, where they had a falling out.

Brunsons longtime friend and fellow pastor Ahmet Guvener of the Diyarbakir Evangelical Church expressed doubt about this story in a Skype interview with Al-Monitor, saying, I have known Andrew for 20 years. He is an extremely peaceful God-fearing man. Its unthinkable that he would quarrel with anyone. And its unthinkable that he would have links with this or that terrorist organization."

Pressure on missionaries is nothing new in Turkey. They were formally branded threats to national security until the ruling Justice and Development Party took power in 2002 and launched a raft of sweeping reforms aimed at winning membership to the European Union. They included restituting properties seized from the Armenian and Greek Orthodox churches and allowing Protestants to open at least 15 houses of worship. In 2015, the Great Synagogue in the Thracian city of Edirne was reopened upon completion of a five-year restoration project financed by the government.

To be sure, the AKP has been credited with doing more for non-Muslim communities than any of its predecessors. But the mood has turned ugly since the July 15 coup. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested on often thinly supported accusations of ties to Gulen and countless likely innocents like Brunson have been caught in the net.

Guvener said he would be demanding police protection for Sunday mass. The climate is such that we worry for the safety of our congregation, he explained. Fellow clergy worldwide share those worries.

Lankford warned that the United States will be watching.

Turkey should consider carefully how it handles the case of Pastor Brunson, he wrote. America cares deeply about how our people are treated across the world, and we are watching closely.  America sees this both as a matter of religious freedom and safety for its citizens. If this is how Turkey treats an American like Andrew Brunson, other Americans will hesitate before taking their business to Turkey.
Brian Jordan has heard it all before, from many of the faces who come in for coffee at Pell City's The Brook Besor.

"They'll say, 'I didn't know this was here,'" he said. "But once they come in, they start coming back."

The owners of the place will admit that they didn't follow a traditional business plan. Within sight of Logan Martin Lake, the coffee house sits just off U.S. 231 on Martin Street South, just outside the main business area of Pell City. Yet it's close enough to town to attract the curious off the highway.

Inside is a traditional coffee house with baked goods and a good view of the water. In the back is a Christian bookstore which also sells decorative gifts.

But the Brook Besor also serves a community meeting place, with several small rooms and one larger auditorium that seats 200 people, with sound and projection equipment.

Its name comes from I Samuel 30, which recounts how David shared his plunder even with members of his army, too fatigued to go out and fight, who rested at a brook. As owner Tim Hendrix explained, that's the idea behind the store.

"It's a place of rest and restoration," he said.

It's been five years since the Brook opened. It began when members of Tim's family drove past the location and saw that an old bar was in foreclosure. At the time, the Hendrixs - members of the Church of the Highlands - where taking part in 21 days of prayer.

"We didn't have any idea why, but we understood we were supposed to buy that place," said Linda, Tim's mother.

It wasn't until they got a look inside that the idea of a combination coffee house and bookstore took hold, Tim said. But with all the extra space, they understood they could do much more with it. As they renovated the space, they got confirmation that they were on the right track, Linda said.

"People just kept showing up who could help with different things, like flooring and renovations," he said. "We didn't even really know what we were doing. God would send people who knew what we needed."

It was a difficult time for Tim, as well. He was finishing up rehabilitation after almost a decade of substance abuse, he said. So the coffee house would be a way to connect people who might need help.

"I wanted to help pull people out of that same hole," he said. "We don't charge for counseling, and we're not certified. But we want to help people out of that struggle."

Even though the Brook isn't easy to find, there's usually something going on. It serves as a meeting place for area churches, hosts gatherings and serves up coffee for book buyers. And workers offer up prayers and counseling, Tim said. While the Brook might have benefited from a more centralized location, it thrives on the one-to-one connections made with customers.

"Everybody's hurting," Linda said. "Everybody has issues."
The future of Pinhook Provisions Street Food Park is unclear as its organizer considers options for the Huntsville property.

Amie Vaughn, director of development for South Realty and Pinhook leader, said the food truck park is no longer operating at the Creekside Shopping Center on 2315 Bob Wallace Ave. across from Jerry Damson Honda.

That doesn't mean it's over yet for the park, she told AL.com.

"We have trucks that are interested in a spring and summer rotation and we're evaluating what steps to take next," she said.

Named after Pinhook Creek, the free-admission park opened in August 2015 to accommodate multiple food trucks from across north Alabama. The venue featured a 2,400-square-foot indoor canteen with bathrooms, air conditioning and heat, a bar area, tables and seats to escape the weather.

The park launched with a breakfast and lunch rotation, and later expanded to offer dinner and weekend hours, as well as special events. Hops Wild, a craft beer bar, closed its location at the park in September.

"The food truck park was a great idea, but the financial model was not sustainable," said Vaughn, who came up with the concept after visiting a similar venue in the Howell Mill area of Atlanta.

Dennis Gillespie, owner of the Back Alley Traveling Bistro food truck, said the community support Pinhook needed to thrive never took off.

"Perhaps Pinhook was just a little too ahead of its potential timing," he said. "Everything was definitely in place to create a tiny culinary destination, but the expansion of West Huntsville is still a few years away from becoming 'a must' destination."

Sugar Belle co-owner Andrew Judge said the park's location posed several challenges, but Vaughn was "very determined to make it work."

"And I'm still certain she can," he said. "'Lowe Mill wasn't built in a day,' was something I think I said. I remember when Lowe Mill was just a weird little place for hippies in a sketchy area of town. So some of these things just take time."
Jacki and Rudy Gil love tacos. A lot.

On pretty much every Sunday, you'll find them at Huntsville's Taco Mama, munching on the Alabama chain's Mexican fare.

So when the Rocket City couple found out last year that Jacki was pregnant, she knew that she wanted to incorporate their love for Mexican food into their baby announcement.

Jacki -- who's the owner of Salt + Paperie, a custom stationery design business -- put her design skills to use. She made a replica of Taco Mama's signature T-shirt, but instead, it said "Taco Papa."

The only part that made her nervous? Asking her husband to wear the shirt.

But Rudy quickly agreed because, "he's really easygoing," Jacki said. "We wanted (the announcement) to be really lighthearted, not serious -- because we're not really serious people."

After they sent their announcements, they stuck to their Mexican food theme. At the gender reveal party, they served salsa, chips, margs and more, and hit a pinata shaped like a taco to find out the baby's gender (it's a girl).

But that will be the end of the taco themes, at least for now. "When we found out it's a girl we (decided we) probably won't have showers that are taco-themed," Jacki laughed.

(Erin Lindsey Images took the baby announcement photos. Find her website here.)
BPDINAUG.jpg

50 Birmingham police officers are in D.C. to help with security at the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump. Pictured from left to right: Officer Jordan Ayers, East Precinct; Officer Artze Daniel, Youth Services; Sgt. Katherine Snider, South Precinct; Officer Therese Kennedy, Special Victims Unit and Officer Antonio Bowie, Special Victims Unit.

(Birmingham Police)

A contingent of Birmingham police officers will be on hand to help as Donald J. Trump is sworn in Friday as the nation's 45th president.

Fifty BPD officers arrived in the District of Columbia Wednesday, and reported for duty this morning to work with the Metropolitan Police Department on the inauguration security detail. Metropolitan police solicit help from departments throughout the U.S. to help with crowd control for the large number of visitors that attend the presidential inauguration.

In addition to the usual range of threats, officials from federal, state and local agencies are preparing this year for what they say could be large-scale protests aimed at disrupting the ceremony and registering disapproval of Trump's presidency at the moment the world is watching his ascension to office, according to The New York Times. Authorities estimated between 900,000 to 1 million people could attend the inauguration. President Barack Obama drew 1.8 million for his first inauguration in 2009, which was an attendance record.

The Birmingham Police Department has provided security for presidential inaugurations for at least 20 years, said spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards. "It's a great honor, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,'' he said. "In your police career, it's not often you get a chance to participate in something like this."

BPD Sgt. Rodney Sullen, North Carolina State Patrol Capt. Doug Amos and BPD Lt. David Rockett.

The officers were first notified in August that they could volunteer for the duty, and the final selection was made in October. "We noticed we had a lot of people who were interested this year,'' Edwards said. In 2013, 14 Birmingham officers worked the detail.

Typically, the police department is reimbursed for the trip by the MPD Presidential Inauguration Planning Committee in Washington, D.C. A chartered bus with the officers on board left Birmingham about 1 a.m. Wednesday. They reported for duty at 8 a.m. Thursday, where they are being briefed on their duties, given their assignments and being deputized. Birmingham police usually are assigned to help with security along the parade route.

Lt. David Rockett is among those who made the trip. The 22-year department veteran said this is his first inauguration to work. "Everybody is excited just to be out there participating in the security of the parade,'' he said. "It's part of the peaceful transition of power from one administration to another and it's a hallmark of our country."

"We really do see it as an honor and privilege to help out,'' Rockett said. "That's our job, serving the community and representing the Birmingham Police Department, the city and our citizens on a national stage."
Suspended Birmingham lawyer Ralph Bohanan was sentenced Wednesday by a Jefferson County judge to serve two years in prison for his guilty plea to charges related to the theft of $431,141 from seven clients, including at least two senior citizens.

Bohanan, 64, also faces a thefts first-degree charge in Shelby County alleging he took $132,000 from two other people.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Bill Cole on Wednesday sentenced Bohanan to a split 20-year sentence with three years to serve. But the judge said he would lower the time to serve down to two years if Bohanan showed up on time to turn himself in to begin serving his sentence on Feb. 6.

Bohanan had pleaded guilty in October to seven theft by deception charges. The charges were among 17 counts issued against him by two Jefferson County grand juries - one in 2015 and the other in 2016. The other counts, which included elder exploitation, unauthorized practice of law, and theft first degree charges, are being dismissed in the plea deal.

Cole also ordered Bohanan to serve five years on probation after he is released and to pay a total of $431,141 in restitution to the seven victims. The amounts taken ranged from $4,994 to $176,617.

"We're thankful for the hard work that the Birmingham Police Department and Alabama State Bar did to prosecute the rights of local citizens," said Deputy Jefferson County District Attorney Patrick Lamb, who with the district attorney's white-collar crime and public corruption unit. "Any time a member of the legal profession takes advantage of the public, such instances should be reported to local police or the state bar."

Bohanan's lawyer, Ron Thrasher, said that he believes the sentence was fair. But he said he would have preferred probation so Bohanan could be working to repay the restitution.

Thrasher said he believed Bohanan can pay the restitution with money pending from a multi-million-dollar verdict in a lawsuit in which Bohanan was one of the lawyers.

In that case, a Bessemer jury in February 2013 found that a convenience store must pay more than $15 million in damages for a 2007 crash that killed a 13-year-old boy and injured three others because the store had sold alcohol to the underage driver.

Bohanan represented Jennifer Vickery, one of the teen passengers badly injured in the crash. Vickery was awarded $3.9 million in compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys said.

The Alabama Supreme Court later affirmed the verdict and amount.

The convenience store's owner has a federal lawsuit pending against his insurer, Nationwide, for Nationwide's failure to settle the case within policy limits and seeking to make Nationwide pay the full judgments on his behalf.

Bohanan was suspended from the practice of law by the Alabama State Bar in 2015. The bar had referred the Jefferson County cases to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. He was then disbarred effective December 15, 2016, by order of the Alabama Supreme Court, according to the Alabama Bar.

The charges against Bohanan from both Jefferson and Shelby counties, according to various court documents, involve money won in settlements or verdicts that Bohanan was supposed to disburse to clients but didn't.

Bohanan on Jan. 10 waived a preliminary hearing in the Shelby County case, which has now been turned over to the grand jury for possible indictment. In that case Bohanan is charged with taking $132,000 from two clients.

Cole today also ordered that Bohanan's sentence be served concurrently with whatever sentence he receives in Shelby County. Bohanan also will get credit for the time he spent in jail while his charges were pending.

Bohanan also faces civil lawsuits by former clients.

Updated at 10:40 a.m. Jan. 19 to reflect that Bohanan was later disbarred by the Alabama Supreme Court.
Afternoon gunfire in Birmingham on Thursday left two men with injuries.

One of the victim's suffered serious injuries. A second victim was shot in the arm. The shootings happened on opposite ends of the city, and are not related.

In the first incident, officers responded to the Chevron where a man had pulled up to the gas pumps in his vehicle. He got out of his car, and collapsed at the front door of the business.

Sgt. Matt Self said the victim had been shot multiple times. He was rushed to UAB Hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries.

Self said it appears the victim, an adult male, was shot somewhere else and drove to the Chevron in Forestdale Boulevard looking for help. The investigation is ongoing.

Moments later, a man pulled into the Shell station on Green Springs Avenue, and he also had been shot, said Sgt. Dean Pesnell. That victim, also an adult male, was able to tell police where the shooting happened, but they are withholding that information at this time.

Pesnell said the victim was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the arm, and is expected to recover.
A Birmingham police West Precinct officer is being honored for his leadership.

Officer Cullen Stafford, who works the 3 p.m. until 11 p.m. shift on the city's west side has been named the first Officer of the Year in his precinct.

West Precinct Capt. Paul Irwin took over as the precinct commander in 2015, and last year implemented the in-house awards. I worked the West Precinct with officers who have given their lives in the line of duty and I want every officer here to know how much I care about them, their performance and their safety,'' Irwin said.

Irwin said when he became commander, he started to think of ways to recognize the outstanding performance, dedication, leadership and teamwork of the officers in the "most challenging area in our city." Beginning in 2016, the precinct began recognizing each shift's officer of the quarter and awarded 12 awards for the year.

Capt. Paul Irwin, Officer Cullen Stafford, Lt. Quentin Stevenson

Of those 12 quarterly shift winners, Stafford was chose as the 2016 winner. "Officer Stafford has been a training officer for several years and he has been training two officers from every academy class and training transfers from other agencies assigned to the West Precinct,'' Irwin said. "All of the officers he has trained speak very highly of him, and this is the leadership that we need within all levels of law enforcement to be effective."

He said Stafford also continuously responds to Shot Spotter calls. "He locates people who are firing weapons and most of the individuals end up being charged federally for the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon,'' Irwin said.

Those other West Precinct officers recognized in 2016 for exemplary work during their assigned shifts are: Christopher Burrell, Antonio Fikes, Reginald Brooks and Steven Wallace, all of morning shift; Billy Swicegood, Wallace Russell, Marquese Jackson and Erick Burpo, all of evening shift; Dennis Jones, Brandon Smith, Brandon Hill and Alonzo McKinstry, all of day shift.
Wilbur Ross

Commerce Secretary-designate Wilbur Ross testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, at his confirmation before the Senate Commerce Committee. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

(Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Breaking with Republican orthodoxy, a new Trump administration will work quickly to re-do the North American Free Trade Agreement, a massive trade pact with Canada and Mexico that has boosted trade but still stings laid off workers across the Midwest, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for commerce secretary told Congress on Wednesday.



At his confirmation hearing, billionaire investor Wilbur Ross said all free trade agreements should be systematically re-opened every few years to make sure they are working in the best interests of the U.S.



Ross said he is pro-free trade, but noted his close relationship with the United Steelworkers union as proof that he will fight to protect American jobs. The union has endorsed him.



"NAFTA is logically the first thing for us to deal with," Ross said. "We must solidify relationships in the best way we can in our own territory before we go off to other jurisdictions."



"That will be a very, very early topic in this administration," Ross added. "I think all aspects of NAFTA will be put on the table."



Trump's views on trade are at odds with most congressional Republicans, who generally support America's trade pacts as a way to boost U.S. exports and to provide affordable consumer goods.



But trade is a divisive issue in much of the country, and Trump's attacks on NAFTA and other pacts during the election played well in parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin -- all states the businessman won.



NAFTA was negotiated and signed by President Bill Clinton, with broad support among Republicans in Congress.



Senators from both political parties were deferential to Ross at the nearly four-hour hearing, which was much more subdued than the confirmation hearings of other Trump nominees.



Ross' remarks on trade were welcomed by some Democrats, who are generally less enthusiastic than Republicans about trade agreements.



Afterward, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Ross allayed fears that a Trump administration would start a trade war.



Thune, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, said he had been concerned about some of Trump's rhetoric on trade, "specifically a 35 percent tariff."



"But I thought (Ross) did a really good job today of talking about enforcing the law, examining on a recurring basis these trade agreements, see how they're operating, what's working, what's not. I was comfortable with the way he addressed those issues," Thune added.



Trump has threatened to impose a 35 percent tariff on U.S. companies that move operations abroad and then attempt to import goods back into the U.S.



The commerce secretary has several roles in promoting American business interests in the U.S. and abroad. The department handles trade issues, working to attract foreign investment to the U.S. The department also oversees agencies that manage fisheries, weather forecasting and the Census Bureau, which will conduct a census in 2020.



Ross said he has experience at that agency; he was a census-taker while he attended business school.



Worth an estimated $2.9 billion, Ross has extensive business ties around the globe. Supporters say that makes him ideal to represent American business interests abroad.



Unlike the president-elect, Ross has agreed to divest himself from a vast financial empire.



Among the businesses he will separate himself from is WL Ross & Co., the private equity firm he founded in 2000.



During Ross' hearing, Thune revealed that Ross had a household employee from 2009 to 2016 who could not provide documentation that he or she was in the U.S. legally.



Ross said the employee provided a driver's license and a Social Security number when hired. Ross said he re-checked the documentation for all of his household employees after he was nominated, and the employee could not provide it. Ross said the employee was fired.



"We did the best that we thought we could do in order to verify the legality of the employment and it turned out that was incorrect," Ross said. "But we did pay all the withholdings, so did that employee."

Such transgressions have derailed Cabinet nominees in the past. But Sen. Ben Nelson of Florida, the top Democrat on the committee, questioned Ross only briefly about it.
Letter to Homeland Security nominee cites security issues reported in 2015 by CJ



This CJ illustration shows how the footprint of the Amazon Wind Farm could interfere with the ROTHR surveillance project.



An aerial view of the Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar in Virginia. (CJ photo by Don Carrington)

North Carolina's legislative leaders want the incoming Trump administration to consider shutting down the $400 million, 104-turbine Amazon Wind Farm project under construction near Elizabeth City because, they say, the massive turbines would interfere with a nearby radar facility run by the military.The request came in a letter to retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, who is Trump's nominee for secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The Associated Press first wrote about the letter Friday.The sophisticated radar receiver plays a key role in the military's tracking of aircraft and ships suspected of transporting illegal drugs to the U.S.Kelly was commander of the U.S. Southern Command from November 2012 - January 2016 and, in that role, oversaw all military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean. The radar system provides critical surveillance capability to support the Southern Command's program to detect and monitor drug-smuggling aircraft and ships from Central and South America.The letter was signed by House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, seven other legislators, and retired U. S. Marine Corp Maj. Gen. Robert C. Dickerson, a former commander of the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base.Moore said in a statement Friday afternoon.Moore said.Carolina Journal first reported on the potential conflicts involving the wind farm and the radar facility in September 2015. Kelly testified before Congress two years ago about the project, and that testimony was noted in the CJ story.Kelly told the House Armed Services Committee in February 2014.Avangrid Renewables, a U.S. subsidiary of the Spanish company Iberdrola, is developing the wind project. Online retailer Amazon agreed to buy the electricity and the naming rights.The Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar receiving facility is at the Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads Northwest Annex, in Virginia on the North Carolina border 17 miles north of Elizabeth City.In June 2012, the government's ROTHR Program Office released a study concluding that a large-scale wind farm should be at least 28 miles from a ROTHR facility to prevent interference with the radar's operation. The Navy released a map showing the "interference awareness area" in relation to the ROTHR receiving facility. The Amazon Wind Farm covers about 20,000 acres. It begins about 14 miles from the ROTHR facility stretching to a point about 22 miles away and is entirely within the 28-mile interference awareness area described in the 2012 study.The letter outlines two options to deal with potential interference. The preferred option is permanently shutting down the project and compensating the developer, but for only documented costs to date but not for "future speculated profits."The second option would be to immediately make major changes to the agreement between the Department of Defense and the wind-farm developer.the letter says.Under the current agreement, the Navy would "discuss strategies" with Iberdrola Renewables, the U.S. subsidiary of the Spanish company building the wind farm, should the installation adversely affect radar operations. The agreement, however, gives the Navy no option of terminating the project if the turbines compromise the radar facility's effectiveness.If the Navy detects an adverse impact from the operation of the turbines during the testing phase, the startup phase, or the operational phase, the parties willand discuss strategies likely to prevent problems.The agreement says Iberdrola Renewables isn't obligated to undertake any measures that it, by its sole discretion,Iberdrola Renewables' effort to develop a wind farm began in 2009. The project stopped in late 2011 when three public utilities - Duke Energy, Dominion Energy, and Progress Energy - said they would not buy power from the facility because the rates Iberdrola would charge would be too high.The project got new life when Amazon announced in July 2015 that it would buy the power produced by the wind farm and use it for its data centers in Northern Virginia.But, as another CJ story noted , the centers would continue to buy electricity entirely from Dominion Virginia Power, the public utility that now supplies the Amazon data centers.The power will be connected to the grid locally and can't be plugged into the data centers, which are 200 miles away. The project is expected to be operational this year.Plans for the wind farm include 104 turbine structures about 500 feet high. The company may add an additional 46 turbines. Initially, the facility would generate 208 megawatts of electricity, with a possible total of 300 megawatts if the additional turbines are added.Gov. Pat McCrory, during the July 2015 groundbreaking ceremony, said:
Honest reporters and editors have asked a hard question since Election Day: How could we have been so staggeringly wrong about so much in 2016?On December 8, Dean Baquet, executive editor of the New York Times, offered one possible answer in the form of a confession:he said on the NPR show Fresh Air.Then he added:That's for sure. But how? The solution is at once simple and complex: Better education. The key to a good education in journalism is a good education in the liberal arts.This is a minority view. Too many colleges and universities have replaced the shared experience of a core curriculum in the liberal arts with job training and specialization. This includes journalism programs, which have proliferated to nearly 500 in total, including more than 220 master's programs and more than 50 doctoral programs, according to a survey by the University of Georgia.What do these students learn? Next to nothing, apparently, about faith-one of the most fundamental forces in human life.Mark Twain-who was better known in his own time as a journalist than as a novelist-supposedly once quipped: "I have never let schooling interfere with my education." We might update his remark for the present: Never let journalism school interfere with your education in journalism.I probably shouldn't say this. As director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College, I make a good part of my living by trying to teach journalism in classrooms. Yet I've come to believe that the best preparation for a career in journalism occurs outside of journalism courses.I mean this in two ways. First, people learn journalism by doing journalism. Think of it like shop class: Students don't discover how to use tools by listening to lectures or reading books. Instead, they pound hammers, twist screws, and cut boards. It helps to have a mentor-a good teacher-but ultimately the learning requires the doing. The best teacher is the experience.Journalism is the same way. Students don't figure out how to tell good and accurate stories from prattling professors. We can give pointers, show examples of outstanding work, and answer questions. Ultimately, however, our charges must struggle with the basics of reporting, composition, and editing.The late film reviewer Roger Ebert once made an observation about good writing: "The Muse visits during the process of creation, not before." In other words: Don't think about the work. Don't imagine doing the work. Just do the work. Or: Don't waste your time listening to journalism professors. Do the journalism.I'm not saying that students should avoid journalism courses altogether. Journalism teachers can help students identify story ideas, conduct interviews, and understand the benefit of reading Strunk & White's The Elements of Style. It helps if we can speak from our own experiences in the profession, bringing real-world examples into the classroom. A student recently asked me: Should I call the parents of the young man who just committed suicide? Answer: Yes, but first let's talk about how.We can also help our students become better writers. When it comes to the value of serial commas or the matter of when it's okay to cuss in print, I have routines-they're almost performances. And don't get me started on the misuse of "literally" and "figuratively." Or do get me started, because I'll tell a series of jokes about Vice President Joe Biden, with the goal of making it difficult to confuse the two words ever again. I'm bipartisan: "Enormity" doesn't mean what a lot of people think it means, and to illustrate its sometimes hilarious mishandling, I rely on former President George H.W. Bush.Ultimately, however, students should get out of classrooms and into newsrooms, where they can practice journalism: Now that we've discussed those forlorn parents, go ahead and make the call.Here's one mark of a good journalism program: It puts a campus newspaper or a radio station at its center. Here's another: It doesn't overdose journalism students on journalism courses. At my college, journalism is not a major-it's a minor, which puts the subject in its proper place.Too many courses in journalism squeezes out courses in other areas, such as economics, history, and the sciences-all of them offering excellent preparation for careers in the media.If a problem among journalists is that not enough of them "get religion," then the best fix for today's students is not another a quasi-sociological course on "media and society." It's not even a new course on "media and religion." Instead, it's old-fashioned cultural literacy, as transmitted by the liberal arts: Read great books and authors, starting with the Bible itself and working through everyone from Augustine to Maimonides to C.S. Lewis.Much of this education can take place informally. It doesn't take a professor's syllabus. Read Daniel Defoe's The Storm, an early work of journalism (and a pre-alpha version of the Weather Channel) that confronts the undying question: What hath God wrought? Read about how the Christian fervor of William Lloyd Garrison inspired him to start an abolitionist newspaper. Read H.L. Mencken's irreverent coverage of a revival meeting. Read how Fulton Sheen took advantage of television, and then listen to what he actually said. Read Mindy Belz on the persecution of Christians in the Middle East right now.Whatever you do, though, keep the journalism coursework to a minimum and make sure to learn the right things. This approach may not help you understand the baffling politics of 2016-but it might, and more important things as well.
RALEIGH  More than $30.1 million from the N.C. Volkswagen Settlement Program will be distributed by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to fund 161 new school buses across the state, with the majority of the funding going toward new all-electric school buses.
Political, ideological and economic factors have contributed to the flow of fighters from Iran to Syria, analysts say.

An incorrect name was given for the wife of Ruhollah Qurbani, who was 27 years old at the time of his death.

A letter from a young woman to her fallen husband, a pro-Assad fighter in Syria, was recently published in Tasnim News, one of Irans most prominent news agencies affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

This shrine [the Zaynab shrine] is sacred  I am worried about people who throw stones at it and so I sent you to protect it. But I, like you, are immersed in the love of Zaynab and that is what keeps me strong in your absence. I sent you on your way and you had to defend the shrine of Zaynab and I had to wait. I am satisfied and thankful to God to have lost one of the best people of my life for the sake of Zaynab and the Guide [Ayatollah Khomeini].

The letter is signed by the wife of Ruhollah Qurbani, a 27-year-old soldier recently killed in Aleppo. Hers was just one of dozens of emotive affirmations from fallen soldiers wives that circulated in Iran recently via the state channel Ofogh TV and Irans video-sharing platform, Aparat.

Just before marking Ashoura last October, Ofogh TV aired a 12-part series of interviews titled Servants of the Shrine, referencing the burial shrine of the Prophet Muhammads granddaughter, Zaynab, in southern Damascus.

Zaynab was one of the only surviving adult members of the Prophets family after Imam Husseins death at the hands of Yazid, a tyrannical ruler of Iraq, in the 7th-century epic Karbala battle. History documents Zaynab as a fierce, charismatic woman who boldly spoke out against the Umayyad dynasty  Syrias powerful rulers at the time  and Iranian soldiers currently fighting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have mobilised into a battalion unit named Defenders of Zaynab.

To understand the political motivations of the country, you have to understand its revolutionary underpinnings in 1979 when it rose up against the Shah and his Western allies, Mohammad Marandi, an associate professor of literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran, told Al Jazeera.

Karbala is a theme [based on] oppressed versus oppressor. There was a war after [the revolution] for eight years and then there were sanctions  Shia religious leaders speak about Hussein in a way that resonates throughout their lives. Its taught as a way to stand up against oppression.

Powerful as the Karbala narrative is, it is not the only reason why thousands of Iranians are choosing to help prop up the Syrian leader. Political and economic factors, and even the threat of deportation, are all crucial motivators.

According to analysts, Iran, a Shia-majority country, has a deep-seated fear of the rise of groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) and al-Qaeda, which have repeatedly targeted Shia Muslims. If Syria falls, Iran will have to fight these groups within its borders, Marandi said.

Some by Hosein

war legends. They didnt have a chance to be present in those wars, so they feel they owe it to those heroes and martyrs.]

Iran has had a growing and increasingly visible presence in Syria since the Arab Spring in 2011. What began as technical assistance and encouragement to the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, has gradually evolved into thousands of Iranian fighters crossing the border into Syria to overtly fight in a war that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei describes as one between Islam and disbelievers.

The door for martyrdom, which was closed by the end of the Iranian-Iraqi war, is now open in Syria, Khamenei declared during a ceremony marking the death of 46 Iranian soldiers in Syria in February 2016.

Youth have persistently called for going to the battlefield in Syria, where Islam is fighting kufr [disbelievers], as was the case during the Iranian-Iraqi war, he added, warning that if youth failed to join the fight in Syria, the enemy will attack Iran.

Ali Akbar Velayati, a former foreign minister and adviser to Irans supreme leader, has also stressed Syria and Irans close alliance in jointly resisting Israel. Syria is the golden ring of [the chain of] resistance against the Zionist regime, Velayati said in 2012. Syria has demonstrated its resistance against the Western states and Zionists through its support for Lebanon and Gaza.





For some recruits, fighting ISIL in Syria is a way to help stem the groups spread. Others see it as an opportunity to honour the tens of thousands of Iranian soldiers who died in the crippling eight-year Iran-Iraq war  or as one sociologist puts it, being present for what they believe is a sacred war.





In Shia culture, presence and absence [in a holy war]  like what Husayn and his followers experienced in Karbala  is a very crucial concept to understand. The fighters motivations are a combination of religious beliefs and social awards, Washington-based Iranian sociologist Hosein Ghazian told Al Jazeera.

By being present in Syria, they receive more attention among people with the same beliefs  people who live with these fighters in a rather closed community. This is why you can see some more famous religious older people who have travelled for just a couple days in Syria  not to the front line  but in a secure place, he added, citing countless online videos and selfies of celebrities dressed in army gear.

Haj Saeed Haddadian is among many religious performers in Iran who have played a key role in drumming up enthusiasm among volunteer fighters. Their selfies and pictures show they are fully armed as if they are in the heat of Syrias civil war as a fighter, Ghazian said.

Meanwhile, those perceived to be absent in Syria could feel, or be led to feel, ashamed for not defending Imam Husseins legacy and the shrine of Zaynab. Some younger people are also still influenced by [Iraq-Iran] war legends. They didnt have a chance to be present in those wars, so they feel they owe it to those heroes and martyrs.

A foreign fighters experience serving in the IRGC, however, can be starkly different. About three million Afghan refugees currently reside in Iran, and discrimination against them is well documented.

WATCH: Why is Iran backing Syrias Bashar al-Assad?

According to reports by human rights researchers and journalists, recruitment of Afghan fighters can take place anywhere from mosques in Iran to Shia neighbourhoods across Afghanistan.

In many Afghani towns there are Shia mosques, an Afghan returning soldier said in an exclusive interview with the UK-based Kayhan newspaper. The imams and prayer leaders give sermons about these issues and if anyone wants to volunteer, they arrange contacts with the IRGC. We travel by land from Afghanistan to Tehran.

For some, the fear of deportation looms if they choose not to serve in the army. Last May, a bill was passed by the Iranian parliament, which permitted family members of slain foreign soldiers in Syria who reside in Iran to be granted immediate citizenship.

They did not give us a choice; they forced us to train and fight. They said: 'You will fight in Syria and become a martyr, and that is a good thing.' by Masheed Ahmadzai, former detainee

In other cases, Afghans have reportedly been coerced to take up arms in Syria. A report by Human Rights Watch released last January provided detailed reports of Afghan fighters who were recruited by the IRGC.

Masheed Ahmadzai, a 17-year-old Tehran resident who arrived last year on a rubber boat at the Greek island of Lesbos, told researchers that he had been living undocumented for four years and was working in construction when police detained him and his cousin.

He said that police took them to a military base, where numerous other Afghanis and Pakistanis were being detained, and military officers selected the men most physically fit.

The military officers separated us into those fit to fight, and those not fit to fight, he said. They took me with a group of 20 men, but did not select my cousin and deported him to Afghanistan They did not give us a choice; they forced us to train and fight. They said: You will fight in Syria and become a martyr, and that is a good thing.'

EXPLAINER: Syrias civil war

While many of Irans fighters in Syria register in the Basij, a paramilitary volunteer militia operating under IRGC, thousands of others serve as paid soldiers under the IRGCs Fatemiyoun unit, mainly made up of Shia from the diaspora in Iran.

Estimates of fighters salaries have ranged from around $500 to $750 a month, according to media reports. But in a recent interview with reporters from Iran, Brigadier-General Mohammad Ali Falaki, a retired IRGC commander who was deployed to Syria, said that foreign fighters actually earn just $100 a month  a figure some speculated was being played down because of the struggling Iranian economy.

Falaki also acknowledged the insufficient support in Iran for Afghan refugees, which he viewed as an untapped pool of recruits.

Besides being a significant regional force in the Middle East, the IRGC wields huge political, economic and ideological power throughout Iran. Whether its fighters are incentivised by money, citizenship, or greater social acceptance, one thing is clear: It does not need to look far for support.

But in the eyes of some analysts, the geopolitical costs for Irans military involvement in Syria have been high.

Irans actions in Syria totally undermine their claim to representing the global Muslim community, said Mohammad Fadel, an associate professor of law at the University of Toronto. It reinforces the idea that Iran is a clearly sectarian state.

For a long time, Fadel points out, there were two different narratives about Iran  that it was a sectarian state. Then there was another that viewed Iran as a kind of revolutionary, anti-imperial state  one that supported Muslims and self-determination and was more or less an ally of the people. Irans intervention [in Syria] completely destroyed that second narrative.

The overt religious rhetoric about protecting the shrines of the Prophets family reinforced their sectarian stance, Fadel added. It implied that those who were against Assad were against the Prophets family. Its obvious there is a strand in the Sunni community who object to shrines, but to then paint the entire Syrian revolution with that brush  and then imply that protecting these shrines merits a type of violence  is something else.
Cubans are watching closely as the US inaugurates its new president and wondering what it will mean for them.

Havana, Cuba  At 63, Mirta cries in secret. During the day, she holds back her tears so that her eyes do not reveal her worries to her eight-year-old grandson Anibal. She doesnt know how to explain to him that the repeal of the wet foot, dry foot policy  which allowed Cubans who had reached the United States to remain there and later apply for residency  has left his parents stranded in Costa Rica. She has no idea when they will see each other again.

Anibals parents left Cuba two weeks ago, heading first to Guyana. They have already crossed the borders of four Central American countries aiming to reach the US. But their trip was interrupted on January 12, when the Cuban government and the outgoing Obama administration reached an agreement that cancels several annexes of the Cuban Adjustment Act, of which the wet foot, dry foot policy was a part.

Cubans such as Anibals parents will now no longer have preferential treatment on reaching the US and will instead be treated like migrants of other nationalities.

READ MORE: Obama ends special immigration policy for Cubans

Mirta uses the wi-fi in a park in the Havana neighbourhood of Vedado to make a video call to Anibals parents. On the screen of her smartphone, Anibals parents cry. Mirta tries to be encouraging. She gives Anibal the phone so that he can speak to them.

My parents are going to bring me many toys and a Playstation when they come back from the trip, he says after the call has ended. His grandmother runs her hand over his head.

Then he runs away to play in on the grass.

They intended to go to the United States, and from there claim their child, Mirta explains. But the change of law took them along the way and now they dont know what to do because they will no longer be allowed to cross the border with Mexico.

She will now have to take custody of her grandson.

I do not mind taking care of him, but no one deserves to grow up without their parents, she says.

Cuba and the United States

But if the election of Donald Trump had alarmed many Cubans, Obamas final act as president with respect to their country has left them even more concerned about what the new president may mean for them.

Obama did things that nobody believed, but now his successor is a man who can do anything, even return to dry feet, wet feet and Cubans once again dying in the sea or in the jungles of Central America, says Gloria Fernandez, 36, who specialises in dental medicine.

READ MORE: A new era of relations between Washington and Havana

Gloria and her brother Armando Fernandez have not heard from their parents since they were children. They believe they drowned trying to reach the US. In trying to seek a better future and chasing the American dream, our parents launched in 1990 on a raft to the sea and we never heard from them again, says Armando, 33, an electrician.

On the last Friday of each month, the siblings take white flowers to the pier as an offering to their parents. There, they sit, talking to their souls.

There is a great fear that Trump will destroy everything that Obama has built between Cuba and the United States, says Gloria, looking at the sea.

I have lost everything

Tears roll down the face of 65-year-old Elena Rodriguez. She sold her small apartment in the Arroyo Naranjo municipality on the outskirts of Havana with the intention of leaving the country. A week later, Cuba and the US signed their new immigration agreement, shattering her hopes of joining her family in the US.

Elena is now homeless and sleeping in a neighbours house. I sold it for 4,000 Cuban convertible pesos ($4,000) so I could go fast. That gave me enough to buy the ticket and then to jump the border at Mexico, she says.

READ MORE: The US in Cuba  a history of organised crime

Her three children and seven grandchildren have all left Cuba over the past decade. They were tired of fighting every day in the street to eat a plate of food and dress well, to be able to go out on weekends. I understand them, they did not deserve to live in those conditions, says Elena.

I have lost everything. I dont have a home, not even money because I already spent part of it on the tickets. I do not know what Im going to do, she says, slumping into her wooden rocking chair.

Elenas neighbour says she will do what she can to help, at least taking care of her possessions until she can find somewhere else to settle, but that she cannot do more.

I do not care about Trump or Obama, Elena reflects. I do not know what Im going to do with my life . I do not want to be here any more.
Friendship has always existed between the people of Cuba and the US. We want to build bridges, not walls.

There can be no true friendship between the governments of Cuba and the United States. They represent two opposing political systems and the first has long been denying the right of the second to exist and vice versa. The most we can expect is tolerance and respect.

And that is exactly what we achieved, in a way, after December 17, 2014 under Barack Obamas administration. By we, I mean the 11 million Cubans living on the island and the two million immigrants living abroad.

But people do not have to play by the same rules as governments. There has always been true friendship between the people of Cuba and the people of the US.

In February 2015, I travelled for a conference to Traverse City, in Michigan. I had been living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for more than six months as I pursued the Nieman fellowship in journalism at Harvard University, and I was feeling homesick. There is only one cure for Cuban homesickness: a hug.

At a tiny airport in Traverse City, with temperatures close to zero degrees, my American host hugged me. And it felt like home.

The people-to-people programmes, fostered by several policies during Obamas government, took a bet on the ability of both societies to share the best of our countries, without intermediaries. We, the people, often try to find those things that bring us together rather than those that divide us.

I was born in 1985. I dont remember the collapse of the Soviet Union, but I still remember what we called the Special Period, which, by the way, was neither short nor special. Eighty-five percent of Cubas trade relations had been with the Soviet Union and the rest of the socialist camp. This meant that most of our clothes, food, technological supplies and pretty much everything else besides sugar came from the Soviet Union at highly-subsidised prices.

People still remember the years after this as the there is no era: there is no food, no shoes, no clothes, no public transportation. Scarcity was the norm. The reason given by Cuban politicians for this scarcity was the US embargo.

Today, the US embargo is still given as the reason for anything that goes wrong with the Cuban economy. And almost every Cuban agrees that the embargo must be lifted, not as a concession to the government, but as an opportunity for Cuban society to be more prosperous.

It is our right, as Cuban citizens, to be given a fair opportunity to develop our nation without other countries making us pay a price for any mistakes.

If we fail to do so, if we cannot develop a so-called sustainable and prosperous society, the US would not have to subvert the political system in Cuba because there would be no political system to subvert. So far, we have not had this chance.

It is your duty, Donald Trump, as the President of the United States of America, to represent all of your citizens and not only a couple of politicians who keep speaking on behalf of the Cuban people without having ever set foot on the island.

It is my presidents duty to represent all Cuban citizens, even those who have left the country for economic or political reasons.

Both leaders have spoken loudly: we want relationships, we want embassies, we want the negotiations to keep going, we want to reach an agreement in every area and we are open to dialogue.

We people want to be close, not far. We want to build bridges, not walls.
The news coming from Moscow about the Palestinian unity government is puzzling for the Palestinian people. On the one hand, a decade of failures to implement reconciliation agreements between the two main Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, testifies that business (of rivalry) will remain as usual.

For a long time, both Fatah and Hamas showed many signs that they were neither willing nor interested in having a genuine agreement that bridged the intra-Palestinian divide, as the current status quo is convenient for them especially with the absence of any forms of popular local accountability .

On the other hand, recent local, regional and global developments pile further pressure on the Palestinian leadership to be more responsive to the aspirations of the people, and more responsible about the damage they are inflicting on the Palestinian struggle for justice and self-determination.

Locally, the recent wave of popular protests in Gaza over electricity cuts shocked Hamas, the de facto government ruling the strip. The protests reflected the fragile situation that could explode any time and threaten Hamas rule.

Meanwhile, Fatah and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is facing pressure on three fronts: US President Donald Trumps intention to move the US embassy to Jerusalem; the increasing popularity of the strategy of annexation among the Israeli leaders; as well as the PA leaderships desperate attempts to pursue the negotiation track with Israel following this months Paris peace conference.

Therefore, despite the legitimacy crisis that characterises the Palestinian political system, and as a new regional and global reality unfolds, the Palestinian political leaders feel compelled to create new realities or at least engage more seriously in a process of positive change to face the forthcoming challenges and political opportunities.

They feel compelled to show some response to the regional changes and the new global order, especially that it is evident by now that the intra-Palestinian reconciliation is a regional matter.

The re-emergence of Russia as a key player in the intra-Palestinian political domain is indicative of this new global order.

The Moscow declaration about forming a Palestinian unity government was an outcome of intense meetings over the past month in Doha, Montreux in Switzerland, Cairo, Lebanon, and finally Moscow.

The series of meetings contributed to the emergence of the ripe moment in Moscow. While Moscow reaped the fruit, the planting of the seeds happened elsewhere, including in occupied Palestine.

The meetings, especially the informal civil society-led meeting in Montreux, reflected a consensus among the leadership of the Palestinian political factions, Hamas included, on forming a Palestinian unity government .

It is envisaged that such a government would be political and not technocratic in nature, and would be responsible for fulfilling three main goals: unifying the public-sector institutions between Gaza and Ramallah; addressing the urgent issues related the Palestinian security sector, electricity and reconstruction of Gaza; and preparing for Palestinian National Council, Palestinian Legislative Council, local and presidential elections.

Yet this government, when and if it is formed, has to overcome a couple of obstacles in the short term: pass President Mahmoud Abbas test; and confront the international community and Israeli pressure.

It is unclear whether Abbas will give the green light to the implementation of the arrangements agreed in Moscow, or continue to insist that this unity government is the presidents government obliged to enact his political programme and vision.

But Abbas is under great pressure to compromise and face the Trump-era reality with a stronger Palestinian front.

Additionally, Azzam al-Ahmad, who leads the Fatah delegation in reconciliation talks with Hamas, has mentioned several times over the past month  most recently in Moscow  that they stop all relations with the Middle East Quartet as a political body, although he did not mention the Quartet conditionality per se.

The significance of this move stems from the problematic role of the Quartet and its destructive impact on bridging the intra-Palestinian divide.

Hamas, in turn, announced during the Montreux meeting, that it was putting the final touches to its new charter which has passed through all its internal structures. This change points to the transformations that Hamas has gone through over the past decade, largely due to regional dynamics, that should be wisely utilised by the international community.

MORE: Who represents the Palestinian people?

Despite the seemingly positive news and developments, Palestinians should not be under the illusion that a genuine Palestinian unity is attainable in the short run, nor that the intra-Palestinian divide will be bridged rapidly.

Far from it, especially as the accountability mechanisms are lacking and the implementation will be prone to risks and obstacles similar to the ones that caused the failures over the past decade.

Ensuring a meaningful unity requires a serious engagement in restructuring and reinventing the Palestinian political system, structures, and institutions.

It also means an agreement on the political programme, tools and objectives that are inclusive and participatory in nature.

Unless there are effective accountability mechanisms, the Palestinian people  especially with their continuous marginalisation in their political system  are excused to remain sceptical about the reconciliation deja vu.

The path for Palestinian unity is clear, but it requires strong political will and sacrifices. Last months series of meetings provided a golden opportunity for the Palestinian political leaders to shape a new reality.

The question remains: will they really seize the opportunity this time round?
Will he make my America great? Its not that simple. I have to make my America great. Its not up to him.

Washington, United States  When a New York billionaire property mogul announced that he was running for president on June 16, 2015, few believed he would be anything more than an entertaining anecdote. Lampooned by the Democratic Party, often mocked by members of the public, baulked at by political watchers and gobbled up by the media, Donald Trump was unfazed.

The reality TV star faced an uphill battle to be taken seriously by his rivals. He ran a strong campaign by holding six to eight rallies a week across the United States with a big loud clear message, which resonated with the people of America:

Sadly 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, he said in his speech.

READ MORE: The seven biggest threats to Donald Trumps presidency

Just over a year and a half later after a brutal campaign, one of the least popular president-elects in recent history will stand on Capitol Hill to become 45th president of the United States, one of the most powerful positions in the world, to the utter disbelief of many.

On the eve of his inauguration, Al Jazeera took to the streets of Washington to ask people if Donald Trumps promise will work for them. Will he make their America great again?

Melissa Rickwald, high school theology teacher

Melissa Rickwald, 26, is a high school theology teacher who works in Virginia

I voted third party because I think it would have been undemocratic of me to vote for the lesser of two evils. I voted as a Catholic christian and Im pro-life, so Im very concerned how Trumps administration will handle that.

I hope he does a good job as our leader.

Obviously I wouldnt have voted for him, but at the same time Im not sure if the way he was portrayed by the media was necessarily accurate either. I am somewhat nervous, but I think we should all just see what happens.

Time will tell.

Tim Ebron, real estate settlement processor



Tim Ebron, 27, is a settlement processor who works in real estate in the Washington area.

I voted for Hillary because I despise Trump.

I cried when he won. I was very, very upset. I think were regressing as a society if we think Trump is going to save us.

As a gay, mixed-race American, who knows what lies ahead  The thing is theres nothing I can do unfortunately.

READ MORE: The foul stench of fascism in the US

Im just going to have to wait. Four years is a long time, but maybe it wont be four years. It could be four days.

Nobody knows what hes going to do. Thats the scary part  I dont think he even knows.

Elijah, works at a school

Elijah is 27 and works in a school just outside Washington.

I voted for Jill Stein because I always vote green.

Im not going to vote for the lesser of two evils because of fear  thats not what America is about.

I dont agree with everything Jill Stein says, but, hey, we need to change the way we think about politics.

WATCH: Should the world be worried by a President Trump? (25:00)

The democrats and the republicans have the same values and they realise.

What annoyed me about this election was the intolerance of New Age liberalism. Marching up on the inauguration and going on witch-hunts doesnt work.

People need to work together. Change happens from the bottom up, not the top down.

Bridget King, teacher

Bridget King is a 22 year old teacher who lives in Washington.

I think hes just one person and even though one person can make a difference, they cant make a big difference in my life, so he wont change my America either way.

Whats good about Donald Trump is that people are talking about politics again.

I would love if America really became rejuvenated and there is energy in politics.

I dont want to say who I voted for, I think its a personal thing.

You never owe an explanation to people who you vote for.

William Boze, salesman

William Boze is a 37 year old beer salesman from Carolina.

I voted for Donald Trump and Im glad now. I know I made the right decision.

Hillary Clinton was an absolute no for me.

People can relate to Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, and not Hillary Clinton because they are both anti-establishment.

READ MORE: The normalisation of Donald Trump

I think the Arab Spring was the worst thing that could have happened. If Obama and the West would have let them alone and left Bashar and Saddam Hussein be, ISIS [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group also known as ISIL] would never have happened.

Obama should never have pulled the troops out of Iraq. He left a big vacuous hole ready to be filled by ISIS.

Im bipartisan and I dont agree with everything Trumps says and does.

Will he make my America great? Its not that simple. I have to make my America great. Its not up to him.

Byron Simmons, client solutions manager

Byron Simmons, 36, is a client solutions manager from Maryland.

What do I think?

I think we should give Donald Trump a chance. Hes a proven winner.

I voted for him because hes a winner.

I like the fact that he loves to speak at rallies. I love that hes a billionaire.

Why would I want someone who has nothing to represent America? That makes no sense.

READ MORE: What powers will Donald Trump have as president?

Its about the bottom line. He beat Hillary because he spoke to the people. We wanted change and we got it.

She came across as sneaky and hes honest, albeit a little too honest sometimes, so he appears crass, but who cares.

We had diplomacy for eight years. We need a strong leader.

Johnny

Johnny is an Irishman living in Virginia who wanted to remain anonymous.

Im afraid. Im a legal alien, but Im still afraid of being sent home. I dont want to voice my opinions publicly.

Look at the graceful speeches Obama has delivered, now we have Trump for the next four years with his oafish rhetoric.

Hes like someone youd meet in a bar. Hes not presidential.

Washington is divided. If Donald Trump decided to deport immigrants from Mexico and Central America, Ill lose all my kitchen staff and Im not the only one. Kitchen staff across the US are made up of immigrants. If Trump sends them all back, therell be no restaurants any more.

Irish people have always been so popular and welcome in the US, Im afraid that could all change.

Charlie Yi, former Marine

Charlie Yi, 45, is a former Marine, who took part in operation Desert Storm in the first Gulf War in 1991.

I was a Bernie Sanders supporter. Would he have beat Trump? Who knows.

I voted for Jill Stein simply because she cared about what was happening in Standing Rock, where a pipeline was being built through Native American lands and neither Trump, nor Hillary seemed to give a damn.

It was a huge story in the US. Its naive to think that one president can change everything.

READ MORE: Barack Obama  So long, and thanks for all the speeches

If you want change, you have to change yourself. I think Trump voters are naive to think that one man can save them.

No one person has as much power as people would like to think.
Recently, a host of individuals and organisations throughout Latin America called attention to the tumultuous state of politics in Paraguay, where democratically elected President Fernando Lugo was impeached by the countrys Congress under somewhat dubious circumstances. In a letter of protest, the signatories sketched out a rather inflammatory theory. They claim, for example, that the US Southern Command wanted Lugo gone as the Paraguayan leader who had opposed US militarisation in his country.

We already know who overthrew Fernando Lugo and why, they added. El Chaco  cannot be allowed to belong to [Paraguay] nor its people; [the region has] been bound for occupation and extraction by multinationals through megaprojects and terror financed with public resources. The coup in Paraguay, like similar ones throughout Latin America, was carried out by and for multinationals and their partners among the local elites.

El Chaco refers to a vast, arid and inhospitable swathe of territory made up of lowland forests and savannas. The territory spans much of Paraguay, Bolivia and northern Argentina, and contains abundant natural resources. As a result, the Chaco has been much fought over and coveted by nations in the vicinity as well as foreign multinational companies. From 1932-1935, Bolivia and Paraguay fought what came to be known as the Chaco War. At the time, the Chaco was thought to contain lucrative hydrocarbon deposits and each country hoped to cash in on the coming bonanza.

A history of intrigue

Paraguays ousted president seeks return to office

Though Bolivia seemed to enjoy great advantages over Paraguay, its troops displayed low morale and died in large numbers from disease and snakebite. By the time the pointless and wasteful conflict was over, 100,000 men had lost their lives. Paraguay controlled most of the disputed territory at the conclusion of the war, and under a truce it gained access to most of the land, though in a small consolation prize, Bolivia was granted access to the Paraguay River. The Chaco War proved psychologically shattering for Bolivia, particularly amongst younger literate officers who charged that international oil companies had manipulated the nation into the conflict in the first place.

Before the conflict, Standard Oil, a US-based company, had discovered petroleum in eastern Bolivia and believed that more oil could be found in the Paraguayan Chaco. Unfortunately, its British competitor, Shell Oil, had exploration rights in the region. During the war, both companies were at odds, with Standard supporting Bolivia and Shell backing Paraguay. US diplomat, businessman and lobbyist Spruille Braden was thought to have played a particularly nefarious role during the Chaco War and reportedly worked as an agent for Standard Oil.

To this day, the Chaco War intrigue continues to fuel suspicions among regional leaders. Recently, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner remarked that the conflict had the smell of petroleum and claimed that Braden had played an underhanded role in spurring the war. What is more, during a 2009 ceremony remembering the Chaco War, Bolivian President Evo Morales declared that the conflict was an unjust war for oil in the interests of empires like the US and England. Former Paraguayan President Lugo added the sovereignty of our people will not be threatened by foreign interests or multinational forces that confronted us in the past.

So much for previous diplomatic shenanigans, but is there any evidence that the US plays an underhanded role in the Chaco today? And what of Lugos removal from power in Paraguay  was control over the Chaco related in any way to the recent political crisis? The public should be cautious about embracing overarching conspiracy theories without marshalling sufficient proof, and I am just as sceptical as anyone.

However, in light of private US diplomatic correspondence released by whistle-blowing outfit WikiLeaks, as well as ordinary press reports, it seems pretty safe to say that Washington has been obsessed with the Chaco. Furthermore, in light of many odd and bizarre recent developments which are difficult to explain away as mere coincidence, it seems reasonable to surmise that Lugos impeachment was tied in certain respects to Chaco intrigue.

Whats behind the US Presence in the Chaco?

The prospect of Paraguay and Bolivia burying the hatchet over the Chaco and allying on politically leftist lines was hardly an agreeable prospect for Washington. As Ive detailed elsewhere, both former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton viewed the Paraguayan left with suspicion. What seems to have scared them the most was the notion that Fernando Lugo might cultivate ties to nations such as Venezuela, which was allied with Evo Morales in Bolivia.

If it ever came to fruition, such an alliance could cast a dark cloud over sensitive US military operations. For years, US forces operated in Paraguay under the Southern Command to ostensibly provide rural medical care. However, some have suggested that the Americans were actually in Paraguay to spy on leftist movements or peasant leaders. Whatever the case, it seems that US troops were deployed to the remote Chaco region during their training missions.

Indeed, according to Argentine paper Clarin [Sp], US technicians constructed an air base in the Paraguayan Chaco town of Mariscal Estigarribia. In 2005, a correspondent from the paper visited the facility, describing the base as an enormous aircraft carrier in the middle of the desert. Moreover, the air strip was very wide and could accommodate B-52 bombers, even though the Paraguayan air force didnt have any such planes in its arsenal.

In 2006, still two years prior to Lugos assumption of power, diplomats reported that US forces were operating in the Chaco to survey possible locations for future humanitarian assistance exercises. In truth, however, the State Department itself seems to have had little idea of what the Pentagon was actually up to in Paraguay (indeed, according to the Washington Office on Latin America, two members of a US Special Forces team operating undercover were involved in a deadly firefight in 2004. Tragically, the shootout resulted in the death of a Paraguayan who was attempting to rob the soldiers. Apparently, the Pentagon had kept the teams existence a total secret from the US embassy in Asuncion).

Bolivia and US manoeuvre for influence

Fearing encirclement, Venezuela and Bolivia struck back and announced a deal to build a new military base along the disputed Chaco border region (at Puerto Quijarro). Later, the Paraguayan president confronted Evo Morales at the United Nations to request an explanation.

Apparently miffed at Asuncion, Morales was in no mood to back down, and later sent Bolivian military officers across the border into the Paraguayan Chaco to spy on and inquire about US military operations. The incident worried not only the US embassy in Asuncion, but also right-wing officers in Paraguay.

Meanwhile, conservative senators told the US ambassador that Venezuela and Bolivia were intent on pushing us around. Specifically, the Paraguayan military was very concerned about Bolivia rearming and planning to develop several new military facilities with the assistance of Venezuela. The officer corps, which was still smarting over the anguish of the Chaco dispute, wanted new weapons and technology from the US to offset this threat.

The US embassy was happy to oblige, noting that Post will continue to press for continued military co-operation. Despite such assurances, however, the Paraguayan military continued to worry about lingering irredentist claims within some segments of the Bolivian military to territory in the Chaco. In an echo of the Chaco War, diplomats explained that discoveries of potential commercially significant natural gas resources near the Bolivian border could add fuel to such concerns.

Just days before the Paraguayan election of 2008, the right-wing Colorado Party grew concerned that Lugo might win. One Colorado Party senator told US diplomats that Washington was failing in its approach to Latin America and should work with the Paraguayan military to build a military base in the Chaco to fight the growing narcotics trade (and to ward off any ideas from Brazil or Bolivia about infringing upon Paraguayan sovereignty).

The Morales regime in La Paz sounded the alarm bell in turn, accusing the US of wanting to establish a military base in the Chaco for the purpose of monitoring activities in Bolivia or attempting to control energy resources in the Bolivian and Paraguayan Chaco region. Concerned about growing encirclement, the Bolivian minister of defence travelled to Paraguay and asked the Asuncion government to slow down its mil-mil relationship with the United States. The Colorado Party and many like-minded military officials, however, rebuffed Bolivia and sent the minister packing.

Paraguay and Bolivia bury the hatchet

Paraguays Lugo condemns parliamentary coup

Since we dont have any access to Pentagon documentation, let alone other US intelligence agencies, its unclear what concrete moves the defence establishment there took in relation to the Chaco. However, judging from the WikiLeaks cables, US officials were amenable to Paraguay, with one diplomat remarking that the Colorado Partys pleas for assistance were understandable. Hopefully, with Paraguays next president, we can do more, the embassy in Asuncion wrote.

Lugos election, however, threw a wrench into US regional geostrategy. Though Paraguays new president was no radical, he staked out an increasingly independent foreign policy and began to limit the Pentagons role in his country. Even more worryingly, Lugo quickly indicated his desire to bury the hatchet with Bolivia and flew to La Paz to meet with Morales personally. In a rhetorical flourish, Lugo remarked that the age of imperialism is over in this new age in Latin America and that the future of Latin American relations with the United States would be based on respect, equity, and justice.

If that were not enough to cause offence among the powers that be, Lugo also conducted a symbolic meeting with Morales in the rural Paraguayan Chaco town of Mariscal Estigarribia to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the end of the Chaco War. Both leaders signed a joint peace declaration and delivered speeches, with Lugo pronouncing that both South American nations had learned that the integration of their peoples is more important than the legacy left by the blood of Bolivians and Paraguayans spilled on Chacos oil.

Morales apparently hoped that such ideological affinities would lead Lugo to curtail Paraguayan-US military links. When Bolivia asked Paraguay to come clean about alleged US bases on its territory, Lugo denied their existence but later declared that he would open an investigation. Needless to say, however, such pronouncements did not go over very well with the Paraguayan nationalist right in congress, which was unhappy about any rapprochement with Bolivia.

Postscript: Lugos ouster and the Argentine Chaco

To be sure, theres no smoking gun proving that the US played a role in Lugos recent ousting, but some reports are incredibly suspicious in terms of the time line. Indeed, just coincidentally, a right-wing Colorado deputy who presided over the Congressional Committee on Defence met with US military personnel shortly after Lugos impeachment. According to Mexican paper La Jornada [Sp], he and his colleagues spoke with the US about the construction of a military base in Chaco. The legislator remarked that a Chaco base was necessary because Bolivia constituted a menace for Paraguay.

As if this report were not enough to raise eyebrows, the US has also been engaging in a high-stakes effort to secure a military base in the Argentine Chaco, just across the border from Paraguay. As in Paraguay, the Pentagon claimed the base was necessary in order to provide local humanitarian relief. US diplomats, meanwhile, got the backing of a pro-US provincial governor for the project. However, in a huge setback for the US Southern Command, the Argentine government decided to scotch the initiative following an outcry from civil society.

In light of the evidence, its pretty clear that Washington wants to get a foothold in the Chaco. Perhaps the more interesting question, however, is why? Perhaps the US wants to monitor drug trafficking in the Chaco, or alternatively desires control over strategic resources. Maybe Washington seeks to prevent Paraguay from entering into a leftist alliance with Bolivia, or it wishes to encircle rising star Brazil. Or perhaps its merely some combination of all these things. Whatever the case, however, it surely involves skulduggery.

Nikolas Kozloff is the author of Revolution! South America and the Rise of the New Left.

Follow him on Twitter: @NikolasKozloff
In early July 2016, Chelsea Manning was found to be unresponsive in her cell at the prison barracks of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where she was serving a 35-year prison sentence for leaking secret military archives and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks. She barely survived.

The military responded by punishing her with solitary confinement, which led to another unsuccessful suicide attempt. For people who had long followed Mannings case, one thing was becoming clear: she was likely to take her own life if President Barack Obama didnt commute her sentence.

During her trial in 2013, it was obvious that Ms Manning was clearly suffering from gender dysphoria. She had been struggling with it while being deployed in Iraq during the war at a time when being openly gay was grounds for discharge from the US military. Her conviction meant that she could finally be seen as Chelsea Manning, but her struggle to get gender reassignment surgery, which included a hunger strike, and being forced to cut her hair to male standards owing to prison rules, continued to affect her mental health.





Earlier this week, President Obamas office announced that he would be commuting Mannings sentence and that she would now be freed on May 17. This is seen as welcome news for Manning and a decision that would most definitely save her life.

However, Obamas decision to commute the sentence doesnt take away from his legacy of using draconian laws that criminalise the act of whistle-blowing. It doesnt change the fact that Obama has used the 1917 Espionage Act eight times  more than all previous presidents combined.

Targeting whistle-blowers

Specifically, the Department of Justice under Obama went after: Stephen Jin-Woo Kim, who allegedly leaked information about North Korea to a reporter; NSA whistle-blower Thomas Drake , the first American to be charged for espionage in nearly four decades, who blew the whistle on multibillion-dollar fraud and intelligence failures from 9/11; Shamai Leibowitz, an FBI Hebrew-English translator, who shared documents with another blogger revealing Israels intention to strike nuclear facilities in Iran; Jeffrey Sterling, the CIA agent who allegedly leaked sensitive information to the New York Times about a failed American operation against the Iranian nuclear programme; John Kiriakou, a former CIA officer, who told a reporter the name of another undercover CIA agent working on the CIA interrogation programme; and James Hitselberger, a Navy linguist contractor, for retaining classified information and sharing it with Stanford University.

Then there is the contradiction: Obamas administration went hard and fast after low-level government employees while letting apparent leaks by high-level public figures slip through the cracks.

For instance, Obamas administration took air marshal Robert MacLeans case all the way to Supreme Court for blowing the whistle on a proposed Transportation Security Administration operational plan that would have reduced aviation security, while retired General David Petraeus was let off the hook with a misdemeanour even after he pleaded guilty for passing state secrets to his lover.

READ MORE: Chelsea Manning  targeted for her her public persona?

In fact, the tone from the White House as Obama deliberated commuting Mannings sentence is just more bad news for the future of whistle-blowing and journalism in the country. When asked about the clemency application of Snowden and Manning, the White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there were pretty stark differences.

Earnest explained that Manning went through the military criminal justice process, was exposed to due process and found guilty of her crimes. He then went on to state that Snowden on the other hand had fled into the arms of an adversary, indicating that the Obama administration continues to overlook the problematic draconian laws and the very fact that Manning herself was handed down the strictest possible sentence despite the administration now admitting that documents leaked by her didnt cause much damage or werent top secret.

Obamas refusal to grant amnesty to Snowden despite the recent submission of one million signatures supporting a call for a pardon, and his offices response contributes to the dangerous narratives that whistle-blowers should suffer harsh, unfair laws that may result in them being sentenced for decades in the worst possible prisons.

Had it not been for the courageous efforts of whistle-blowers the world may have never seen the morbid photographs from Abu Ghraib jail revealing the extent of torture and abuse in US prisons, US black sites and torture cells, the truth about the US assassination programme and the presence of a global mass surveillance system.

Legacy of crackdowns

Now more than ever it is important to shed light on the legacy Obamas administration is passing on to Trump and what that means for the future of whistle-blowing and the freedom of the press the coming years, not just in America, but its potential domino effect around the world.

It means that while Donald Trump has rattled the press with his lack of transparency, his belligerent denial to grant access to reporters, his constant attacks on legitimate news outlets and his disregard for accountability, he now inherits Obamas legacy of cracking down on individuals who dare to blow the whistle on government wrong doings.

OPINION: Will Putin expend Snowden for Trump?

The Obama administration stopped short of charging journalists who received information from their whistle-blower sources, but given the precedent already set by Trump, what is to stop him from going after journalists and their sources more aggressively?

Trump is likely to usher in an era in which dissent will be stifled, demands for accountability will be seen as a threat to national security and any criticism about the presidents actions will be portrayed as false accusations and fake news. Trump has pitted Americans against each other to empower himself and avoid accountability.

As he takes office, President Trump is armed with tools for mass surveillance, an ever-expanding assassination programme and his predecessors legacy of a merciless crackdown on whistle-blowers who have sought to uphold basic principles of the American democracy.

Sana Saleem is a writer for 48hills and Global Voices. She is a member of the advisory board for the Courage Foundation and cofounder of Bolo Bhi.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
After the inauguration of Donald Trump, media attention will be fixed on his first steps towards Russia. A lot has been said already about the difficult choice Trump faces after the hacking scandal: on the one hand, he promised voters he will improve relations with Moscow; on the other, any overture towards the Kremlin will be interpreted as a confirmation of the rumours about the alleged influence Russian President Vladimir Putin has over him. But little has been said about the dilemma that Putin himself faces, and that one is even more difficult.

On the one side, Trumps victory was an unexpected gift for the Kremlin, and it seems no one is trying to hide the fact. Russian state media are going out of their way to compliment the newly elected US president and smear his opponents.





For example, Russias Channel One news reports portray Trump as a defender of the working class, who is harassed by deceitful media and attacked by paid demonstrators, and who will finally rescind an unpopular healthcare reform and defend the country against migrants. In other words, the Kremlins propaganda defends the US president with such dedication, as if he were the Russian president.

One can understand why this is so. After all, many painful political issues are at stake. The main one is, of course, the repeal of the sanctions, which are harming not so much the Russian economy, as individuals in Putins closest circle.

Another important issues is Ukraine. The Kremlin hopes to have Crimea recognised as Russian territory and not to have any weapon systems installed on Ukrainian territory. Of course, there are also expectations about the resolution of the Syrian question: Moscow hopes that Trumps administration wont demand that Assad steps down.

The Kremlin is happy about Trumps statements on NATO and it hopes that its expansion will stop and military deployment close to Russian borders will be curbed.

But there is another side to this coin: Trumps presidential victory could be a headache for Vladimir Putin as well.

The past 10 years, and especially since 2014, all internal Russian propaganda has been built on the concept of the external enemy  the West led by the US. The whole world believes that Russia is fighting in the Donbass region against Ukraine, but Russian media says Russia is fighting in Ukraine against the US. The whole world thinks that in Syria,Russia is defending Bashar al-Assad. But Russian media reports that in Syria Russia is resisting Washingtons attempt to spread chaos through the armed groups it controls.

Looking for a new villain

The US is the answer to all painful questions. If the opposition in Russia organises marches, of course, it is the US which wants to destabilise Russia by paying activists to protests.

An economic crisis in the country? No, the problem is not corruption and ineffective governance, it is Western sanctions! And if a law banning homosexuality propaganda is being voted on, then that is justified with protecting society from the corrupting influence of the West.

In fact, there is not one problem which the sharp-tongued Russian TV hosts cannot link to the US. For example, if you get detained without any reason, even beaten up in the police station, you wouldnt blame it on Washington. But it can always be pointed out that after all, in America the police would shoot you on the spot for even the slightest resistance.

OPINION: America was a stan long before Trump

It may be possible to avoid this difficult situation by switching attention to other Western countries. To a certain extent, this has already happened: if 10 years ago, the attitude of Russians towards Europe was positive overall, today it is much more negative  even if Europe still fairs better than the US. State TV channels portray Europe as sinking in an economic crisis, suffering under the oppression of migrants, who invade the rights of citizens and promote debauchery  the Kremlins media love to use the word Gayropa on these occasions.

In any case, Europe will not fit into the role of the new enemy. That is because this same propaganda regime was portraying Europe as a helpless and weak-willed marionette of the US. Then, of course, there needs to be another political figure embodying this enemy. Russians used to decorate their car bumpers with stickers insulting Obama. Who is going take his place? Angela Merkel? Theresa May? No, it wont work.

There is also another reason for Europe not fitting into the role of enemy No 1. The European Union is not really a state, but a group of counties which have different relations with the Kremlin. In the Czech Republic, Serbia, Hungary, Moldova and Bulgaria, Moscow has found some understanding. Relations with Italy are not that bad either. In Austria our candidate lost, but in France there will be two loyal candidates for the presidential elections  Marine Le Pen and Francois Fillon. And in Germany, there is space to challenge Merkel. In other words, the way Moscow sees it  not all is lost in Europe, and it is too early to demonise it.

Nigeria with snow

The US is Russias perfect enemy because the Cold War feud made Russia in the eyes of its citizens as equally powerful as the US. After all, anti-American propaganda is not a Putin invention; it was a cornerstone of Soviet ideology. The rhetoric of anti-American slogans today is cut-and-pasted from Soviet propaganda. Having Russians remember an era when their country was a superpower competing with the US is very convenient for Putin as the Russian economy has shrunk to only 1.7 percent of the worlds, and loyal allies willing to recognise Crimea as Russian territory are difficult to come by.

Without a conflict with the US, Russia would lose its power status and recede to the poor outskirts of Europe, a Nigeria with snow, as Sergey Brin, the Moscow-born founder of Google, once described it.





In other words, while the Putin-Trump honeymoon may have been enjoyable, present circumstances are pressing for the break-up of this union. Just as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolies perfect Brangelina union hit the rocks, so Trumputin is destined to end. But this will be to the benefit and relief of both sides. Sooner or later, Trump will start talking about corruption and dictatorship in Russia, while Putins media will soon discover that Trump is a Wall Street insider, a swindler and overall an illegitimate president who won fewer votes than Hillary Clinton.

Its possible this will not happen immediately. Trump will justify the revoking of the sanctions with the opportunity to get Russia to downsize its nuclear arsenal  a quite convenient for Russia, which cant afford to maintain a huge arsenal in times of economic crisis. Moscow, itself, hinted at this to Trump so lifting sanctions doesnt look like a one-sided concession.

It is clear that both sides will continue to make overtures for a while. After all this is reminiscent of George Bush, who looked into Putins eyes and got a sense of his soul, and Obama, who was trying to restart relations. In both cases love only lasted a short while.

Sooner or later, the lovers will be forced to realise that they are more Montague and Capulet than Romeo and Juliet .

Roman Dobrokhotov is a Moscow-based journalist and civil activist. He is the editor-in-chief of The Insider.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
The Palestinians are the victims of the cruel geopolitics of a region in which foreign powers have always played a decisive role.

Britain, the pre-eminent Western power in the region in the first half of the 20th century, was no friend to the Palestinians and it is still no friend today. Leaders of both main parties have tended to side with the Zionists in this bitter, bloody, and apparently intractable century-old conflict.

Duplicity and double-dealing were the hallmarks of British policy towards Palestine from the beginning.

In 1915, Britain privately promised Hussein, the Sharif of Mecca, to support an independent Arab kingdom after the war if he would mount an Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire.

The venerable Sharif kept his side of the bargain but Britain did not. On November 2, 1917, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration, pledging its support for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. So Palestine became the twice-promised land.

Classic colonial document

In 1917, the Jews constituted 10 percent and the Arabs 90 percent of the population of Palestine. Britain had no legal or moral right to assign national rights to the tiny Jewish minority and to deny them to the Arab majority. But it was a colonial era and the Balfour Declaration was a classic colonial document.

One of the very few honest remarks on the subject was made in retrospect by none other than the author of the Balfour Declaration himself.

In short, so far as Palestine is concerned, wrote Lord Balfour, the Powers have made no statement of fact which is not admittedly wrong, and no declaration of policy which, at least in the letter, they have not always intended to violate.

OPINION: How Britain Destroyed the Palestinian Homeland

Among Labour leaders, Tony Blair was the most ardent supporter of Israel, with the possible exception of Harold Wilson. Blair felt an ideological affinity with democratic Israel, but geopolitics also played a part.

A major reason for Blairs utterly uncritical support for Israel was his desire to curry favour with the neo-conservative administration of George W Bush. Some of the leading neocons in the administration were Jewish and all of them were pro-Israel.

The neocons were chomping at the bit to wage war on Iraq for various reasons, one being to remove a potential threat to Israels security.

Linking Iraq to Israel-Palestine

In Britain there was strong popular and parliamentary opposition to war on Iraq, especially within the Labour Partys ranks. To overcome this opposition, Blair linked Iraq to the Israel-Palestine issue.

There were two key issues in Middle East politics, he told the House of Commons on March 18, 2003: Iraq and Palestine. The most urgent task was to disarm Iraq from the weapons of mass destruction  which it later transpired it did not possess  and after that he pledged to do his utmost to bring about a just solution to the Israel-Palestine problem.

By stepping up settlement activity on the West Bank, Israel blocked the road to peace. It was like a man who pretends to negotiate the division of a pizza while at the same time guzzling it. by

A hesitant House of Commons duly authorised the war on Iraq, which was attacked, occupied and devastated, but in the aftermath of the war, Blair was unable to make any headway in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

By stepping up settlement activity on the West Bank, Israel blocked the road to peace. It was like a man who pretends to negotiate the division of a pizza while at the same time guzzling it.

Blair always believed that by embracing Israel, by winning its trust, third parties could persuade her to show some diplomatic flexibility. His own experience, however, should have disabused him of this notion.

Prime Minister Theresa May and her buccaneering Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, fit neatly into this pattern of duplicity and double standards; of indifference to Palestinian rights and uncritical support for Israel despite its systematic violation of these rights.

In their partiality towards Israel, May and Johnson are typical of the Conservative Party at large. About 80 percent of Tory MPs, including most Cabinet ministers, are members of the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI), a well-connected, well-funded, and highly influential parliamentary lobbying group.

Some 34 out of the 74 Tory MPs who were elected in 2015 have been taken by CFI to visit Israel. For many of them this trip is just the beginning of a life-long association with the country. There is no equivalent organisation of Conservative Friends of Palestine.

READ MORE: Israel funding spin trips in UK as it smears critics

The official position of the government on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is seemingly even-handed. Britain supports a two-state solution, which requires the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel with a capital in Jerusalem.

Britain also regards the Israeli settlements on the West Bank as illegal and as an obstacle to peace. But this opposition to the Zionist colonial project on the West Bank is half-hearted; it is rarely backed by concrete action. The underlying reality is not one of neutrality, but one of alignment with one side in the conflict: Israel.

Unqualified admiration

David Cameron, when he was prime minister, described himself as a passionate friend of Israel and insisted that nothing could break that friendship. Theresa May evidently shares this unqualified admiration and passionate attachment to the Jewish state.

In a keynote address to the CFIs annual business lunch, May described Israel as a remarkable country and went on to give the reasons: We have, in Israel, a thriving democracy, a beacon of tolerance, an engine of enterprise and an example to the rest of the world. She spoke of Israel as a country where people of all religions and sexualities are free and equal in the eyes of the law.

She reserved her sharpest criticism for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions, the global grassroots campaign for Palestinian rights. This movement, she stated, is wrong, it is unacceptable, and this party and this government will have no truck with those who subscribe to it.

READ MORE: What is the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement?

May reminded her audience that Britain was entering a special time  the centenary of the Balfour Declaration  and she went on to deliver her wholly one-sided verdict on this infamous document.

It is one of the most important letters in history, she said. It demonstrates Britains vital role in creating a homeland for the Jewish people. And it is an anniversary we will be marking with pride.

There was not a word about helping the Palestinians to create a homeland of their own on the territory that has been illegally occupied by Israel since the June 1967 war.

The prime ministers view of Israel may be dismissed as Theresa in Wonderland but that is the view that informs her foreign policy. It is true that last December Britain voted for Security Council resolution 2334 which condemned Israeli settlement expansion on the West Bank as illegal and as a threat to the viability of the two-state solution based on the 1967 lines.

The experts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office had in fact played an important part in drafting this resolution and in ensuring that it would not meet with a veto from the outgoing Obama administration. But May was not too pleased with the result. Privately, she complained that she had been side-blinded by the FCO.

Kerrys extraordinary intervention attacked

When John Kerry followed up on December 28 with a tough speech which was highly critical of the Likud-led Israeli government, May made an extraordinary intervention. Kerry described Benjamin Netanyahus government as the most right-wing coalition in Israeli history and warned that the rapid expansion of settlements in the occupied territories meant that the status quo is leading towards one state and perpetual occupation.

May retorted that it was inappropriate to make such a strongly worded attack on the composition of the democratically elected government of an ally or to focus solely on the issue of Israeli settlements.

Kerry had in fact covered the full range of threats to a two-state solution, including Palestinian terrorism, violence, and incitement.

Mays comments may, therefore, be regarded not simply as tactless but as part of an effort to distance herself from the outgoing Obama administration on this issue and to ingratiate herself with the incoming Trump administration.

Another manifestation of this my ally right or wrong attitude was Britains response to the conference convened by the French government, on January 15, in Paris with the aim of reviving the Arab-Israeli peace process and warning Donald Trump not to abandon the two-state solution. The conference was attended by 70 nations.

By by 

ridiculously low-level representation at the conference, Perfidious Albion wrecked the chance of a united European front on the Israel-Palestine issue.]

Thirty-five countries  including the US, France, Germany, and Italy  were represented by their foreign minister. Britain was represented not by its foreign minister, nor by a junior minister, not even by its ambassador to Paris, but by a junior official in the FCO. Worse still, the official was only there as an observer with no authority to sign the final communique.

By its ridiculously low-level representation at the conference, Perfidious Albion wrecked the chance of a united European front on the Israel-Palestine issue. The move reflected a shift by the Conservative government from a barely even-handed approach towards a blatantly pro-Israeli one.

It was a snub to the Palestinian Authority and its president, and an expression of solidarity with Benjamin Netanyahu who dismissed the Paris talks as rigged and as the last twitches of yesterday. It also sent a none-too-subtle signal of Mays keen desire to turn her back on Europe and to kindle an intimate relationship with the Trump White House.

The Israeli Lobby in Britain

Another example of the Conservative governments indulgence towards Israel was its response to Al Jazeeras four-part documentary The Lobby, which was screened from January 11-14.

Using an undercover reporter and secret filming, Al Jazeera presented incontrovertible evidence of improper interference by the Israeli embassy in Britains democratic processes. It revealed clandestine collaboration between the embassy and parliamentary lobbyists in both the Labour and the Conservative parties to undermine their political opponents and to discredit supporters of Palestine.

The Lobby shows how unsubstantiated allegations of anti-Semitism were used to undermine Jeremy Corbyn, the pro-Palestinian leader of the Labour Party, and his allies.

OPINION: Anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in British politics

It also documents the links between embassy staff and the Labour Friends of Israel and the Jewish Labour Movement, two groups who are not above invoking the anti-Semitic card to silence perfectly rational and legitimate criticism of Israeli policies.

The most shocking exposure of The Lobby is that of Shai Masot, a senior political officer in the Israeli embassy, discussing with a Conservative ministerial aide how to take down Sir Alan Duncan, the deputy foreign minister, and other pro-Palestinian politicians. Masot described Boris Johnson as an idiot but wished him no harm, presumably because, unlike his outspoken deputy, he does not represent a threat or a problem for Israel.





The governments response to Shaigate was feeble. The prime minister rejected calls from Jeremy Corbyn and MPs from all political parties, including her own, to institute an inquiry.

Johnson failed to back his deputy and rejected calls to sanction the Israeli embassy for its gross violations of diplomatic protocol. Nor did he summon the Israeli ambassador for a dressing down. Johnson told the House of Commons that to the best of his knowledge the diplomat in question was no longer employed by the embassy, that the Israeli ambassador had issued a full apology, and that he considered the matter closed.

Just imagine how the Israeli government would have reacted to evidence that a British diplomat in Tel Aviv was meddling in internal Israeli politics. When Britain voted in favour of Security Council 2334, prime minister Netanyahu summoned the British ambassador on Christmas Day for a dressing down.

He also tried to humiliate May, one of the most pro-Israeli leaders in Europe, by cancelling a meeting he was due to have with her in the Davos forum. Britains crime was to vote for a UN resolution which conformed to official British foreign policy and commanded almost universal support.

The Israeli embassy in London, by contrast, was caught red-handed in underhand manipulation of British democratic processes. There is only one word to describe the Conservative governments conduct in this affair: cowardice.

Britain bears a heavy historic responsibility for the Palestinians loss of their patrimony. The original sin was the Balfour Declaration. As the mandatory power from 1920 to 1948, Britain enabled the gradual takeover of Palestine by the Zionist movement.

Britain bears a heavy historic responsibility for the Palestinians' loss of their patrimony. The original sin was the Balfour Declaration. by

When the Arab Revolt against Britain and its Zionist proteges broke out in the late 1930s, it was the British army which crushed it with indescribable brutality.

And when the struggle entered its critical phase in the late 1940s, and the United Nations voted for the partition of Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states, Britain backed the bid of its client, King Abdullah of Jordan, to capture and annex to his kingdom the main area that had been allocated by the UN cartographers to the Arab state.

Abdullah and the Zionists were the only winners in the war for Palestine; the Palestinians were the losers and they were left out in the cold.

Today Israel controls 90 percent of mandatory Palestine and the Palestinians are still stateless. There are many reasons for the Nakba, the catastrophe that overwhelmed the Palestinian people. The treachery of Perfidious Albion was only one factor but not an insignificant one.

Avi Shlaim is an emeritus professor of international relations at Oxford University and the author of The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
B-2 bombers and US drones target two camps near city of Sirte, killing at least 80 ISIL fighters, Pentagon says.

More than 80 ISIL fighters have been killed in United States air raids on camps operated by the armed group inside Libya, according to US officials.

The Pentagon said on Thursday that B-2 bombers and US drones had targeted overnight two camps southwest of the city of Sirte, a former bastion of ISIL in the North African country.





Ash Carter, the US defense secretary, said on Thursday that some of the ISIL fighters were believed to be actively planning attacks against targets in Europe, without offering any details.

We need to strike ISIL everywhere they show up, Carter said on his last day office.

And thats particularly true in view of the fact that we know some of the ISIL operatives in Libya were involved with plotting attacks.

Earlier on Thursday, Peter Cook, the Pentagons press secretary, said the attacks were authorised by outgoing US president Barack Obama and were in conjunction with Libyas United Nations-backed government of national accord.

Post-Gaddafi chaos

Last month, forces aligned with Libyas internationally recognised government took full control of Sirte from ISIL, which stands for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Sirte fell after a sustained offensive starting in May 2016, including US air strikes targeting tanks and other vehicles used by ISIL, also known as ISIS.

Inside Story: Can US air strikes push ISIL out of Libya?

ISIL had seized control of Sirte, the hometown of Libyas former leader Muammar Gaddafi, in 2015.

The group took advantage of conflict between various factions of former rebels who emerged as powerbrokers after Gaddafi was killed in 2011.
Six-time winner beaten in the second round by wildcard Istomin who is ranked 117 in the world.

Defending champion and six-time winner Novak Djokovic was sensationally knocked out in the second round of the Australian Open by unheralded Uzbek Denis Istomin in the tournaments biggest shock this year.

The 30-year-old world No 117 played the match of his life to hand Djokovic only his second defeat in seven years at Melbourne Park with a 7-6, 5-7, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 second-round win that went on for almost five hours on Rod Laver Arena.

Istomin let out a huge roar of delight when he ensured Djokovics earliest exit from the tournament in more than a decade, the 12-time grand slam champion sending a service return long to end the contest after four hours and 50 minutes.

Follow the Australian Open on our Live Scores page

First of all, I feel sorry for Novak. I was playing so good today, Istomin said on court.

I mean, I surprised myself also today. I want to thank my team who do a good job. Amazing. So much emotion on my mind so I cannot hold it you know but I want to say thanks very much for coming to support me.

The wildcard, who hit 63 winners, edged the first set but simply refused to fold when second seed Djokovic hit back to win the second and third sets.

READ MORE: Inside the superstitious mind of a tennis player

Clinching the fourth on another tie-breaker to send the match into a decider, Istomin grabbed an early break in the fifth and held his nerve to deliver a famous victory.

I mean it was tough, since third set I get cramping in my leg so I dont know how I hold it, he added. But I was physically normal today.

After the biggest win of his career, Istomin moves on to a third-round meeting with Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

It was Djokovics second loss to a player outside the top 100 in seven years, after his defeat to 145th-ranked Juan Martin del Potro at last years Rio Olympics.

He played obviously above his level. You got to give him credit for that, Djokovic said. Many things came together for him today. Hes a well-deserved winner.

He deserved to win. No doubt, he was a better player in the clutch moments. Theres not much I could do.
Two girls committed suicide in Ontario after Ottawa turned down local request for funding to stop youth suicide pact.

Indigenous leaders in Canada are calling for a national strategy to combat a suicide crisis in their communities, after two 12-year-old girls committed suicide earlier this month.

Wapekeka First Nation in northern Ontario is in a state of shock, grief, and crisis after Jolynn Winter and Chantel Fox, both 12, died after committing suicide on January 8 and 10, respectively.

Local leaders say they discovered that several youths in the fly-in Oji-Cree community had entered into a suicide pact last year.

But they say that the federal government turned down their request for additional health funding to prevent the suicides.

READ MORE: Canada unveils inquiry into murdered indigenous women

Our community plan was turned down by government and now two are dead, said Joshua Frogg, a spokesman for the community, in a statement on Wednesday.

Located in northwestern Ontario, about 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Wapekeka First Nation is home to about 430 residents.

I cant believe I had to bury my daughter. It was so hard to say goodbye, said Sandra Fox, Chantels mother. I honestly didnt think I could survive losing Chantel.

Since the girls deaths, four other local children were flown out of the community  it is not accessible by road  to be placed on 24-hour suicide watch, while 24 others have been identified as high risk for suicide.

Every community member is deeply affected. These children could be alive today and their deaths preventable, Frogg said.





Health Canada did not immediately return Al Jazeeras request for comment on Thursday.

Earlier this week, a Health Canada official told CBC News that the agency had received a funding proposal from Wapekeka in September, but it was dated for July 18.

That was an awkward time in the governments funding cycle, said Keith Conn, the regional executive for Ontario with the First Nation and Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada, and all the money had already been allocated.

We just didnt have the funding to support the programme, he told CBC News. We dont have necessarily a flexible fund that we hold back for different projects.

First Nations leaders condemned that response, and have since called on the federal government to develop a national strategy to combat the suicide crisis.

When is it the right time? When is it the right time for this government to act and support our communities, especially our youth and children? said Alvin Fiddler, grand chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), which represents 49 First Nations communities across northern Ontario.

Fiddler said more than 500 people have died from suicide in NAN territory since the late 1980s. This is not new, he said during an emotional press conference in Ottawa Thursday morning.

Suicide is also five to six times more likely among First Nations youths aged 15 to 24 than non-Aboriginal youth in Canada.

READ MORE: Canada and the Aboriginal mental health crisis

How many more families, friends and communities are going to go through this? said Jonathan Solomon, grand chief of the Mushkegowuk Council, which represents seven First Nations in northern Ontario, including Attawapiskat First Nation.

Attawapiskat declared a state of emergency in April 2016 after 11 people tried to kill themselves in a single night, and more than 100 suicide attempts were recorded in a seven-month period.

Our frontline workers are burned out. Our communities are tired. Yes, the government may announce initiatives, but sadly they are dragging their feet while we continue to bury our loved ones. Certainly, actions would speak louder than words, Solomon said.

OPINION: Canadas innocence

The Public Health Agency of Canada published a federal framework for suicide prevention in November 2016.

But a framework is a hollow substitute for a strategy, the Centre for Suicide Prevention, an arm of the Canadian Mental Health Association, said in a recent position paper.

It does not identify the necessary jurisdictional mandates or resources; responsibilities are not defined in a clear way, and there are no definitive timelines. Simply put, a framework does not have the sheer weight or power of an official strategy, the group said.
Riots between gangs at the Alcacuz Penitentiary followed a series of deadly bursts of violence in Brazilian prisons.

Clashes have broken out at a Brazilian prison where 26 prisoners were recently killed in a confrontation.

Live images on Globo television showed hundreds of inmates throwing rocks at each other and setting up barriers on Thursday inside the Alcacuz Penitentiary, outside the northeastern city of Natal.





Inmates appeared to be separating themselves into two groups with makeshift barriers of pieces of wood and other material. Injured prisoners were seen being carried off.

No prison guards could be seen.

Prison authorities did not immediately respond to emails and phone calls seeking information about the clash.

Confrontations between two gangs in the prison erupted over the weekend, resulting in the 26 deaths. Many of the dead were dismembered.

Authorities said members of the Sao Paulo-based First Command, Brazils largest criminal gang, known by the Portuguese acronym PCC, fought with local gang Crime Syndicate of Rio Grande do Norte.

On Wednesday, a heavily armed military police force entered the prison without violence. Authorities said they transferred 220 inmates to other prisons to avoid more clashes.

OPINION: The barbarism of Brazilian prisons

Brazil is experiencing a wave of prison killings from warring gangs. At least 126 people have died since the beginning of the year.

Security experts say the trigger was the break-up of a long truce last year between the PCC and Red Command, a large gang based in Rio de Janeiro.

Previously, the two groups worked together to ensure a heavy flow of drugs and arms over Brazils borders.

Five days later, PCC members killed 33 people at a Roraima state prison. Brutal scenes captured on a mobile phone video spread widely on social media, in which the inmates are seen hacking away at bodies in acts of revenge.
Al Jazeera denies charges against Mahmoud Hussein and calls for his release as detention is extended for second time.

Egypt has for the second time extended the detention of an Al Jazeera journalist by 15 days, pending further investigation.

Mahmoud Hussein, an Egyptian national and journalist with more than two decades of experience, was arrested on December 20 after arriving at Cairos international airport for a holiday.

On January 4, when his detention was due to expire, authorities extended his arrest for a period of 15 days pending a further investigation. His detention was again extended on Wednesday.

Five days after his arrest, Egypts interior ministry accused him of incitement against state institutions and broadcasting false news with the aim of spreading chaos.

Al Jazeera rejects the charges against Hussein and calls on Egypt to release him immediately .

Al Jazeera deems all accusations against Hussein, including those which might be added later to the current allegations, to be a result of practices which violate international norms and conventions, and which, unfortunately, prevail in Egypt as exposed by human rights organisations, the network has said in a statement.

READ MORE: Mahmoud Hussein  Freedom of expression is valuable

Hussein, who lives in the Qatars capital, Doha, joined Al Jazeera in Egypt in 2011. He had moved to the networks headquarters in Qatar in 2013.





The journalists defence team said on Monday that Egyptian authorities denied him the right to contact his lawyers and see his family members.

Hussein has complained of suffering constant mistreatment, being denied his legal rights, and being kept in an individual cell that does not permit the entry of food or clothing.

READ MORE: Groups call for release of Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Hussein

Commenting on Husseins arrest, the United Nations has previously called on the Egyptian authorities to comply with their commitments to protect freedom of expression.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said the world body has been following the latest developments in Husseins case.

We appeal for this case to be resolved in accordance with Egypts own international obligations to protect freedom of expression and freedom of opinion, he said in a press briefing statement on January 6.
Gambias president-elect to be sworn in at Dakar embassy as incumbent refuses to go despite threat of military action.

The Gambias President-elect Adama Barrow says he will be sworn in at the countrys embassy in neighbouring Senegal, as regional forces massed at the border to force incumbent Yahya Jammeh to quit after his election defeat.

In messages posted on his social media accounts, Barrow said that the inauguration was going to take place as scheduled on Thursday in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.

https://twitter.com/adama_barrow/status/822000166454620160

Al Jazeeras Nicolas Haque, reporting from Dakar, said representatives of West African heads of states were expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony, due to take place at 16:00 GMT.

A very significant moment for the Gambian history, Haque said.

There was a heavy security presence at Gambias Dakar-based embassy on Thursday afternoon. Embassy staff climbed on to the roof to replace the faded Gambian flag with a new one.

It was not clear how Barrow will travel to Gambia.

VP quits

Earlier on Thursday, sources told Al Jazeera that Isatou Njie Saidy, Gambias vice president since 1997, had quit, becoming the highest level official to abandon Jammehs camp in his standoff with opposition Barrow, who won last months presidential election.

Saidys resignation comes after a series with defections among Jammehs entourage, Haque said.

AL JAZEERAS NICOLAS HAQUE, REPORTING FROM DAKAR IN NEIGHBOURING SENEGAL: Troops from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali and Togo are at the borders of Senegal, waiting for a green light to intervene and unseat Yahya Jammeh, who according to the constitution is no longer the countrys legitimate ruler. Banjul has been turned into a ghost town'with tens of thousands of people fleeing the capital and at least 26,000 crossing the border into Senegal. Meanwhile, Ousman Badjie, the chief of defence staff, has said that he will not put his men on the line and they will not fight or die for Yahya Jammeh.

Eight cabinet members have resigned saying they no longer stand with Jammeh. But despite all these defections, Jammeh is still not willing to concede defeat.

Jammeh initially acknowledged Barrow as the winner of the December 1 vote, but later rejected the result stating irregularities.

Earlier this week, he declared a national state of emergency, and on Wednesday The Gambias national assembly approved a resolution to extend his term by 90 days.

Jammeh, who has ruled The Gambia since a 1994 coup, is refusing to step down, despite international condemnation and a threat of a military intervention by West African countries to enforce his election defeat.

In and around Gambias capital, Banjul, shops were closed and streets quiet, with tour operators evacuating hundreds of tourists from the small West African countrys popular beach resorts.

Military operation

The United Nations Security Council was to vote later on Thursday on endorsing a West African military intervention as Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana dispatched hundreds of troops and fighter jets to Gambias border with Senegal.

Senegals army had said on Wednesday it would be ready to cross into its smaller neighbour, which it surrounds, from midnight.

A military operation [is under way] with troops also from Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Mali  they are all at the Senegal border and presenting a united front, Haque said.

A senior Nigerian military source told Reuters news agency that regional forces would only act once Barrow had been sworn in.

What the Senegalese said about the midnight deadline was to put pressure on Jammeh. It was a show of muscle, a diplomat in the region told Reuters.

The UN said at least 26,000 people fearing unrest have fled to Senegal and tour operators have sent charter jets to fly hundreds of European holiday makers out of the country.
Thousands of people flee the country and African troops edge towards borders as President Yahya Jammehs term ends.

The Gambia faces the prospect of military intervention by regional forces after a last-ditch attempt to convince Yahya Jammeh to step down as president failed.

Jammeh, who lost a December 1 presidential vote to Adama Barrow, has refused to leave office despite international pressure and a threat by leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, to enforce his election defeat.

AL JAZEERAS NICOLAS HAQUE, REPORTING FROM DAKAR IN NEIGHBOURING SENEGAL: Troops from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali and Togo are at the borders of Senegal, waiting for a green light to intervene and unseat Yahya Jammeh, who according to the constitution is no longer the countrys legitimate ruler. Banjul has been turned into a ghost town with tens of thousands of people fleeing the capital and at least 26,000 crossing the border into Senegal. Meanwhile, Ousman Badjie, the chief of defence staff, has said that he will not put his men on the line and they will not fight or die for Yahya Jammeh.

Barrow  who fled to Senegal earlier in the week  has pledged to go ahead with his inauguration on Thursday on Gambian soil.

Barrow on Thursday tweeted that he would be holding the inauguration ceremony at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, the Senegalese capital.

https://twitter.com/BarrowOfficial1/status/821991483465224193

A deadline of Wednesday midnight for Jammeh to resign passed without the president of 22 years indicating that he would leave office.

Eyewitnesses said the situation was calm in the capital Banjul overnight despite forces loyal to Jammeh being deployed in the city and troops from Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana amassing along the Senegalese border.

Al Jazeeras Ahmed Idris, reporting from the Nigerian capital Abuja, said that deployment involved air, naval and ground troops.

A ship of the Nigerian navy is off the coast of Ghana on the way to Gambia, and there are reports that Ghana may also be contributing to the troops deployment to Gambia, in addition to Senegal, he said.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday to adopt a statement on the Gambia that will reaffirm the demand for Jammeh to hand over power, diplomats said.

READ MORE: Exiled Gambians ponder return to troubled homeland

Despite at least eight ministers resigning in the past 48 hours, Ousman Badjie, the chief of defence staff, has repeatedly pledged loyalty to Jammeh.

Robin Sanders, a former US ambassador to ECOWAS, told Al Jazeera it was unclear how the Gambian military would react to foreign intervention.

The Gambian military is divided along ethnic lines and its really unclear whether forces loyal to Jammeh will fight against ECOWAS considering how they lack the wherewithal and strength to do so, she said.

A medium-term compromise can be brokered like what was recently done in the Democratic Republic of Congo . It may not be the best solution, but the most important thing is to keep the peace and ensure we dont have a mass exodus of refugees to neighbouring countries.

However, Benjamin Lawrance, a professor of International Studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology, said there was potential for violence with Jammeh loyalists prepared to stick with him to the very end.

All military are susceptible to violence when the opportunity presents itself, Lawrance told Al Jazeera. There could be isolated incidents such as shootings or cases of sexual violence.

There is also a small cohort of loyalists, the Jungullers paramilitary group and the State Guard, Jammehs private police. Both are very loyal and, should Jammeh find himself cornered by African troops, they could put up a strong fight.

Jammehs refusal to step down has created political and humanitarian turmoil.

So far, at least 26,000 Gambians have fled to neighbouring Senegal after Jammeh declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.

The Gambia is one of Africas smallest countries and has had only two rulers since independence in 1965.

It is completely surrounded by Senegal and the Atlantic.

Jammeh seized power in a coup in 1994 and his government has gained a reputation among ordinary Gambians and human rights activists for torturing and killing opponents.
Adama Barrow, winner of December vote, is inaugurated in Dakar but longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh refuses to cede power.

Troops from a bloc of West African countries have entered Gambia in support of Adama Barrow, shortly after the new Gambian president called for international backing following his inauguration in neighbouring Senegal.

Longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh, who came to power in a 1994 coup, has refused to step down despite losing a disputed December 1 presidential election to Barrow, deepening a political crisis.

In a statement, Senegals army said on Thursday that forces from ECOWAS, West Africas regional bloc, had begun strikes as part of an operation aimed at upholding the result of last months vote.

Colonel Abdou Ndiaye did not specify the type of strikes, but said significant land, air and sea resources had been made available .

Earlier on Thursday, Barrow, who had recently sought shelter in Senegal, took the oath of office in a hastily arranged ceremony at Gambias embassy in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.

This is a day no Gambian will ever forget in a lifetime, Barrow said in a speech immediately after being sworn in.

Not long after his inauguration, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution backing Barrow and called for a peaceful transfer of power.

The people of The Gambia spoke clearly at the elections in December. They chose Adama Barrow to be their president. Their voice now needs to be heard and their will needs to be heeded by just one man, Peter Wilson, the UK deputy ambassador to the UN, said.

Earlier this week, Jammeh had declared a national state of emergency , while the parliament extended his term in office by 90 days. He has not been heard from since his mandate expired at midnight.

At least 26,000 people have fled Gambia for Senegal since the start of the crisis fearing unrest, the UNs refugee agency UNHCR said on Wednesday, citing Senegalese government figures.

Freedom, hope

In Dakar, the small embassy room held about 40 people, including Senegals prime minister, the head of Gambias electoral commission and officials from ECOWAS.

In his inauguration speech, Barrow called ECOWAS, the African Union and UN to support the government and people of the Gambia in enforcing their will.

He also ordered Gambias armed forces to remain in their barracks and called for allegiance to the motherland.

Al Jazeeras Nicolas Haque, reporting from Dakar, said large crowds of young people had gathered outside the embassy shouting freedom and hope.

People who have spent their entire life under one leadership, one person, and they see in Barrow an opportunity for change.

Haque added, however, that the situation is still precarious. As we understand, Jammeh is not ready to let go of Gambia; he is still in charge at least in the capital, Banjul.

Hundreds of West African soldiers had previously deployed to the Gambian border to back Barrow in a showdown with Jammeh.

READ MORE: Exiled Gambians ponder return to troubled homeland

Senegals army had said on Wednesday that it would be ready to cross into its smaller neighbour, which it surrounds, from midnight.

A military operation [is under way] with troops also from Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Mali  they are all at the Senegal border and presenting a united front, Haque said earlier on Thursday .

Also on Thursday, sources told Al Jazeera that Isatou Njie-Saidy, Gambias vice president since 1997, had quit, becoming the highest level official to abandon Jammehs camp.

Haque said Saidys resignation had come after a series of defections among Jammehs entourage.

Eight cabinet members have resigned saying they no longer stand with Jammeh. But despite all these defections, Jammeh is still not willing to leave office, he said.

Jammeh, whose mandate expired at midnight, had initially conceded defeat but a week later contested the polls results stating irregularities.

READ MORE: Thousands flee Gambia as crisis deepens

Jammeh has resisted strong international pressure for him to step down, but African nations have begun stepping away from him, with Botswana announcing on Thursday that it no longer recognised him as Gambias president.

Jammehs refusal to hand over power undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance in the Gambia and Africa in general, it said.

Earlier this month, the African Union announced that it would no longer recognise Jammeh once his mandate expired.
Thousands protest at a ban on an ancient bull-taming festival in Tamil Nadu that animal rights groups say is cruel.

Thousands of supporters of Jallikattu, a bull-taming festival where the animals are forced to drink alcohol and chilli powder is rubbed into their eyes, have rallied in parts of southern India to demand the government lift a ban on the traditional event.

Protesters converged on Marina Beach on Thursday, a busy area of Chennai city, calling for the practice to continue, privately-run broadcaster NDTV reported.

Police said the protests, which had spread across Tamil Nadu state, were largely peaceful.

Authorities, however, ordered the closure of two dozen colleges in Chennai as crowds swelled at the main protest site.

We are protesting against the ban and demand that it should be immediately lifted, Selva Kumar, a student leader at the protest, told the AFP news agency.

We are here in support of preserving the culture of Tamils.

READ MORE: Indias Dalit cattle skinners share stories of abuse

Indias Supreme Court outlawed Jallikattu last year after a plea by animal rights groups that argued the event is cruel.

Critics say organisers lace the bulls feed with liquor to make them less steady on their feet and chuck chilli powder into their faces and eyes to throw them into a sudden frenzy as they are released from a holding pen.

The participants then try to control the bull by its horns or tail, in a race to subdue the bull within a specific time.

PETA, an animal rights group, has released footage it says shows bull farmers doping their animals before the event, but organisers of the festival insist the animals suffer no harm.

This is an attack on our culture, said Manikanda Venkatesh, a student from Tamil Nadu.

People who have never been to Tamil Nadu are telling us about about culture and calling it barbaric. The farmers treat these bulls like their children and no parent can be cruel to their child.

READ MORE: Sacred cows and Indias caste carcass

Tensions have been escalating for the past week after hundreds of people were arrested for allegedly organising local Jallikattu contests in defiance of the court ban.

Several popular Tamil film stars have voiced their support for the demonstrators, as has Indias leading spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.

Opposition and ruling parties in the state have criticised the ban and want Prime Minister Narendra Modis government to have it overturned.

A government led by Modis predecessor did order a ban in 2011 but it was effectively ignored until last years Supreme Court ruling.

Tamil Nadu witnessed large scale protests by students in 1960s over the imposition of Hindi as the official language in the southern state, with the majority Dravidian community fiercely opposing it before the order was rolled back by the central government.
Spain has arrested computer programmer Stanislov Lisov on an FBI warrant issued through Interpol on hacking allegations.

Spanish officials have announced the arrest of a Russian computer programmer wanted by the United States on hacking allegations while a decision is made on whether to extradite him.

The National Court said on Thursday that Stanislav Lisov, 31, was jailed on January 13 after Civil Guard police arrested him at Barcelona airport on an FBI warrant issued though Interpol.





The court said a Madrid judge questioned him by video over charges of criminal conspiracy in connection with electronic and computer fraud for which he is wanted by the US.

It said he was ordered to be jailed because of the seriousness of the offences and the risk of him fleeing justice, as he had done previously in the US.

Lisov was arrested as he prepared to take a flight out of Spain with his wife.

Darya Lisova, his wife, told the state-controlled Russia Today television station: We were detained at the airport in Barcelona when we came to return a rented car before flying out to Lyons to continue our trip and visit friends.

She added: Weve already had two lawyers. The first could not cope with the responsibilities, so we hired a second. He is now familiarising himself with the case. So far, we have not been able to figure out what exactly they suspect him of doing.

Russia hacking allegations

The arrest comes at a time when tensions between the US and Russia have increased after accusations that Russia carried out a cyber-attack campaign against Democratic Party groups before the November 8 presidential election.

A declassified report released in early January by US intelligence officials said Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign to influence the 2016 US presidential election.

OPINION: The Kremlin and the US election

The 25-page public version of the report was released on Friday after the officials briefed President-elect Donald Trump and top politicians on Capitol Hill on a longer, classified version.

The report said Russian efforts to meddle in voting represent the most recent expression of Moscows long-standing desire to undermine the US-led liberal democratic order.

It also noted that the scope of Russias activities was significantly larger compared with previous operations.

Trump subsequently said that hacking by foreign powers did not affect the final outcome of the November presidential election, after being briefed on the intelligence report.
At least 77 killed in attack claimed by AQIM, French army spokesman says, as three-day mourning period begins.

The death toll from Wednesdays bomb attack on a military camp in northern Mali has risen to 77, a French army spokesman said.

The area hit by the blast houses government soldiers and armed groups who conduct mixed patrols under a UN-brokered peace deal aimed at curbing violence in the region.

We regret to say that there are 77 deaths, said Colonel Patrik Steiger, speaking to reporters in Paris.

France intervened in Mali in 2013 to drive back groups that got control of large swaths of the country a year earlier, and it maintains a large, regional operation.

Wednesday mornings explosion hit the Joint Operational Mechanism base in Gao, which was seized by armed groups in 2012 before French forces drove them out a year later.

Specifically, former rebels from the Tuareg-led CMA movement were preparing to go on a joint patrol with pro-government militia members, under the terms of the 2015 agreement, when the attacker struck.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita declared a three-day mourning period following the attack, the worst in years.

READ MORE: On the road with Nigers peacekeepers in Mali

Witnesses said the car bearing explosives breached the camp at around 9am, just as hundreds of fighters were gathering for a meeting.

Diarran Kone, a Mali army spokesman, said the attackers vehicle bore the logo of the unit coordinating the joint patrols.

AQIM claims blast

Later on Wednesday, al-Qaedas affiliate in North Africa, AQIM, claimed responsibility for the bombing, according to the SITE Intel monitoring group.

AQIM described the attack on the Joint Operational Mechanism base as punishment for cooperation with France.

The incident occurred days after Francois Hollande, the French president, visited the camp.

Gao is considered the best-secured town in northern Mali, with multiple UN, French and Malian army checkpoints along main roads.

However, the offices of the UN peacekeeping mission located next to the airport terminal were razed by a truck-bomb explosion last month.

The UN has deployed 13,000 troops in Mali to serve in the MINUSMA force, considered one of the deadliest missions in peacekeeping.
Risk of lost generation as UN agency says 380,000 Syrian child refugees miss formal education at present in Turkey.

About 380,000 Syrian children of school age are missing out on education in Turkey, raising the risk of a lost generation, according to the UN childrens fund UNICEF.

More than 40 percent of Syrian child refugees in Turkey are not in education at present, the agency said in a statement on Thursday.





Justin Forsyth, UNICEFs deputy executive director, praised Ankara for enrolling 50 percent of Syrian child refugees since June, but said more needed to be done.

Unless more resources are provided, there is still a very real risk of a lost generation of Syrian children, deprived of the skills they will one day need to rebuild their country, Forsyth added.

He was speaking after a visit to southern Turkey where hundreds of thousands of Syrians live in cities and inside camps.

Ankara says close to half a million Syrian children out of 1.2 million in Turkey are enrolled in its schools.

There are 2.7 million Syrian refugees in the country, according to UNICEF. Across the region, a total of 2.7 million Syrian children, most of them inside the war-ravaged country.

READ MORE: The blindness of war for Syrian refugees

Nearly 180,000 babies were born to Syrian refugees in Turkey between April 2011 and September 2016, Turkeys health ministry said on Thursday, according to state-run Anadolu news agency.

Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said skilled Syrian and Iraqi refugees currently working in the black economy would be granted citizenship if they pass security tests.

The conflict in Syria has killed more than 310,000 people since it began with anti-government protests in March 2011.
January 17, 2017

On Jan. 11, Judge of Urgent Matters Hasan Hamdan ordered the temporary closure of the Costa Brava landfill located only 167 meters (0.1 mile) from Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut. The landfill could lead to possible aviation accidents because of the seagulls attracted to the waste.

The Costa Brava landfill has been temporarily closed as the operator of the landfill, Jihad Arab, was formally notified to abide by the judge's orders. On Jan. 11, new Minister of Public Works Youssef Finianos told reporters that he recognized the danger the birds pose to the civil aviation movement, and said that the problem of Ghadir River's high pollution near the dump site will be dealt with.

On Jan. 10, an accident happened when a plane encountered a large flock of birds during landing, leading to the closure of the western runway of the airport until the issue of birds is resolved. Prime Minister Saad Hariri asked for an immediate addition of ultrasonic bird repellers at the airport, although the ones already there proved not to be efficient as the birds got used to them.

Lebanese blogger Elie Fares, in order to express the risks at stake, referred on his blog post titled A separate state of mind to the recent film Sully, which tells the story of Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot forced to land his plane on the Hudson River on Jan. 15, 2009, after striking a flock of Canada geese that disabled the engines.

In August 2016, the Lebanese Pilots' Union had already warned of the danger concerning birds near the Costa Brava landfill, which could fly into the planes' engines.

Four years to find a long-term solution to the waste management crisis in Lebanon is the goal the government by default set more than eight months after the closure on Aug. 17, 2015, of the Naameh landfill that received garbage from Beirut and Mount Lebanon for 20 years. In April 2016, two landfills were opened in Bourj Hammoud (northeast Beirut) and Choueifat's coastal Costa Brava area (south Beirut), in order to receive waste in the meantime. Around 1,200 tons have been received daily by the Bourj Hammoud landfill since its opening in an area very close to residential locations and the sea, and at the exact spot of the former uncontrolled dump site used during the civil war as a legal landfill, which closed by a government decision for exceeding its capacities in 1997.

Jad Chabaan, an associate professor of economics at the American University of Beirut, criticized the situation, telling Al-Monitor, We don't know for sure the environmental and health impacts these two landfills will have; the [previous] Minister of Agriculture [Akram Chehayeb] just assumed that these zones are already polluted anyway.

He added, Costa Brava's landfill is only 167 meters from the airport, which can cause serious risks for planes. We just created a new problem to solve an old one; this is in addition to municipalities burning waste in the streets, waste finding its way to the sea and toxic waste abandoned in nature.

The environmental impact assessments conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme for Bourj Hammoud and Choueifat's landfills in 2004 have not been renewed since then. The decision to open landfills there was based on the theory that these areas [Bourj Hammoud and Choueifat] are already polluted, Sawsan Bou Fakhreddine, a consultant of the former minister of agriculture, told Al-Monitor.

In Bourj Hammoud, Karnig Asfahani, an Armenian activist, told Al-Monitor, This area has been affected by pollution and waste for more than 30 years; yet now things are getting worse. People who live close to the landfill face health problems. We see children with skin problems and people do not have enough money to move to another area. This landfill also affects Dora, Jdeideh, Zalka and a lot of other areas in the Metn district. The garbage is being burnt in every area in Metn and Keserwan, close to schools and buildings.

To compensate for the acceptance of the waste, and until a proper solution is found, the government is giving $8 million a year to the municipalities affected by the presence of a landfill: Bourj Hammoud, Bauchrieh-Jdeideh, Choueifat and Khalde.

Despite the decision to close the Costa Brava landfill, the Council for Development and Reconstruction issued Jan. 12 a statement denying that birds are attracted to the site and pose a danger for aviation. On Jan. 13, a source at the airport in Beirut told The Daily Star that two additional ultrasonic devices have been installed, bringing their number to six, and that eight more would be set up in the next 10 days.

Another solution was found in hiring experts to kill birds around the airport, several Lebanese bloggers and environmental associations reported Jan. 14. These are all temporary and cruel solutions for a major problem that has to be addressed urgently by the new government, as it could affect the only way of going to and leaving the country.
On small ranch parcels and near wooded nooks, hidden cameras triggered by anything that moves are capturing images of the North's mightiest winged predators this winter in the Bitterroot.

No one knows for certain what researchers will learn from the thousands of images of eagles swooping down to feed on carcasses strategically placed around the valley.

But through the magic of the internet, people from both near and far will have a chance to take part in helping identify the golden and bald eagles that have stopped in for a bite on private lands scattered about the valley floor.

This winters camera trapping operation in the Bitterroot Valley is being led by Rob Domenech, executive director of Missoula-based Raptor View Research Institute, and MPG Ranch ecologist Kate Stone.

As of last week, the project had 12 cameras recording everything that has fed on deer carcasses from Lolo to Sula since December.

The photographs theyve captured so far have been remarkable.

In one, a bald eagle with its wings spread wide stares down a magpie resting on a rib cage bleached white against the snow. A second photo shows a group of crows watching intently as a bald eagle swoops down on a golden eagle standing atop a carcass.

The photographs captured between December and March may add a puzzle piece or two to the understanding of how eagles make use of the winter habitat offered in the Bitterroot.

We already know that eagles have an incredible fidelity to the Bitterroot Valley, Stone said. Golden eagles return here year after year to winter after breeding in the far northern reaches of Canada and the wilderness of Alaska.

***

Since 2011, the two research organizations have been working together to capture and either band younger birds or place tiny GPS transmitters on older eagles that provide exact locations of the birds up to 12 times a day.

Some of the birds that weve fitted with transmitters here in the Bitterroot have summered in the Brooks Range in Alaska, Domenech said. And then they come back down here to winter. The transmitters have been a great way to learn about how eagles use the mixed habitat here in the Bitterroot and to find important migration corridors.

The solar-powered transmitters weigh between 45 and 90 grams and are about half the size of a pack of playing cards. They are designed so the eagles can pull them off whenever they choose.

One eagle that researchers have nicknamed Wanderer for its frequent forays from the Bitterroot to Glacier and the Rocky Mountain Front has been packing a transmitter since 2013.

That transmitter is still going strong, Domenech said.

Since the transmitters are expensive, they are reserved for adult birds.

The reason we target adults is because they are the tried and true survivors, he said. We know that they can make these long migrations because they have done it before. We know from band returns that eagles can live up into their mid-30s. I think they can live longer than that. I believe there are bald and golden eagles that are 40 years plus.

***

While the conservation success story of bald eagles is well known, Domenech said there is a lot of evidence that golden eagles are in decline.

No one is certain why thats occurring.

Many are lost to vehicle collisions that happen when an eagle feeds on carrion too near a road. Some die from electrocution from power lines or from being shot. Changes in habitat can be a problem, too.

In the Bitterroot, the presence of lead in blood samples taken from captured eagles has been a troubling trend.

Of the 70 eagles that researchers have captured in the valley, 89 percent have had elevated levels of lead in their blood.

The wintering birds here show really high levels of lead, Domenech said. We have to assume that they are getting that here in the valley.

And eagles arent the only creatures being impacted.

Both Stone and Domenech believe that eagles pick up most of the lead while feeding on gut piles left behind by hunters.

Stone said a lead bullet can lose up to 20 percent of its mass after striking an animal. X-ray scans show elk and deer killed by a lead bullet are full of lead fragments.

That means the hunter is consuming the lead and anyone in their family who eats the meat is consuming it, too, she said.

Thats a conservation message that were trying to spread. There are private landowners and block area managers who dont want lead used on their property anymore.

We have long accepted lead as poisonous in so many other uses, she said. Its a conservation message that people can actually do something about. Finding a way to impact global climate change might seem daunting, but everyone who hunts can do something about lead.

***

By tracking the movement of eagles in the Bitterroot, Stone said the researchers have also learned just how important private lands in the valley are to the raptors. Many of the camera sites have been set up on land protected by conservation easements.

This research really provides some solid data on how important those working lands are to wildlife, she said. Its been a way to open up dialogue with the ranching and farming community that is really valuable.

The hope is that others interested in citizen science will find time to log on to zooniverse.org to help the two researchers sift through the thousands of photos captured this winter.

The website allows anyone in the world to help tag animals in images, Stone said. Anyone can participate. They can look at our images and help us identify the birds that show up. If they see an eagle with a tag, they can let us know about that, too.

So instead of me going through 5 million images  which wouldnt be possible  we can get some help from others, she said. Last night, I was tagging penguins.

Anyone interested in learning more about the ongoing project can attend a talk and fundraiser from 5:30-8 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Stevensville Cafe.

People can learn how they can participate and see how to process images there, she said.

The researchers will also be set up at the MPG Lab on Missoulas First Friday in February. The lab is located in the Lambros Center at 1001 S. Higgins.

Stone has also started a crowd sourced fundraising effort for the project: crowdrise.com/bitterroot-valley-winter-eagle-project/fundraiser/katestone3.
Saidy is the highest level official to abandon Jammeh, who refuses to step down despite losing last months election.

Gambias Vice President Isatou Njie-Saidy has quit, Al Jazeera has learned, amid rising political tensions as Yahya Jammeh refuses to step down as president despite losing a December election.

Saidy, who had been in the role since 1997, is the highest level official to abandon Jammehs camp in his standoff with opposition leader Adama Barrow, who won the election.

Jammeh, who lost a December 1 presidential vote to Barrow, has refused to leave office despite international pressure and a threat by leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, to enforce his election defeat.





Barrow  who fled to Senegal earlier in the week  has pledged to go ahead with his inauguration on Thursday.

The president-elect on Thursday tweeted that he would be holding the inauguration ceremony at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, the Senegalese capital.

Jammehs whereabouts were unknown on Thursday, hours after a last-minute failed attempt by Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to convince him to give up the presidency.

Troops from Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana on Thursday remained in position in Senegal in case a military intervention becomes necessary.

Sidi Sanneh, the former Gambian foreign minister, told Al Jazeera: There is a certain faction in the [Gambian] army, who decided that they will not fight a losing battle [against the intervening troops]  As far as we are concerned, we dont expect much of a resistance from that end of the military establishment.

He added: However, there is another faction, the favourite of Jammeh, who enjoyed the fruits of the 22 years of dictatorship. We expect them to put up a fight. How much of a fight? That is still up in the air.
President Aziz returned after five weeks in France for medical treatment following a friendly-fire shooting accident.

President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has returned to Mauritania after being in France for five weeks recovering after being shot by a soldier in what officials claim was an accident.

On October 13, Ould Abdel Aziz left the capital city, Nouakchott, in a private, unmarked car for a drive in the desert.

Aziz later said that he had the habit of going out without his official convoy. He failed to stop at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the capital, and guards opened fire  hitting him in the stomach.

Before being airlifted to France the next day, the president invited reporters for a bedside interview in his hospital room to show the country that he was conscious and able to function.

His absence had been marked by weeks of opposition protests, who have questioned the presidents ability to lead the country after the attack and decried what they described as the power vaccuum it had created.

Ould Abdel Aziz made no statement upon his arrival at the Nouakchott airport on Saturday, but greeted the thousands of Mauritanians who lined the road from the airport to welcome him back.

The 55-year-old leader travelled along the streets in the back of a roofless car, shaking hands and waving at the crowd.

Supporters had brought out giant posters of the president, as well as banners welcoming him home.

Political insecurity

His return puts an end to speculation over the state of his health, as well as over the future of the country  as analysts had warned that his extended departure could create the instability needed for another coup in the desert nation which has suffered six since the 1970s.

At no moment did I fear a coup detat by the army because [our army] has better things to do than lead coup detats, Ould Abdel Aziz told the French radio station Radio France International on Saturday morning.

I have total confidence in the Mauritanian military.

Formerly a general in the army, Ould Abdel Aziz came to power himself in a 2008 coup, ousting the countrys first and only democratically elected leader.

His coup was widely denounced by the international community, but he has since become a key ally of the West in the fight al Qaeda in Africa.

Mauritania has led raids across the border into Mali to root out fighters from al-Qaedas North African branch.
Former rebels declare end of 1992 peace accord that ended devastating 16-year civil war in southern African nation.

Mozambiques former rebel group Renamo says it has annulled a 1992 peace deal that ended a 16-year civil war after clashes with government forces.

A Defence Ministry spokesman said government forces had attacked a Renamo base in Sathundjira, near Gorongosa in central Mozambique, on Monday.

The operation comes after Renamo mounted attacks on police positions in the same area.

The fighting has damaged the decades old peace-deal between the Mozambique Liberation Front, also known as Frelimo, which has lead government since independence in 1975, and the Renamo movement, which is now an official opposition group.

A Renamo spokesman said the aim of the attack on its base was to kill its leader.

Today, the Frelimo-government used troops and heavy artillery to attack the residence of the Renamo president, Afonso Dhlakama, to kill him in cold blood, Fernando Mazanga said.

The taking of President Dhlakamas base by the special forces marks the end of multiparty democracy.

This irresponsible attitude of the commander in chief of the countrys security forces [President Armando Guebuza] signals the end of the Rome Peace accord.

Karl Sousa, a Mozambican journalist, told Al Jazeera that the whereabouts of Dhlakama were not known.

He said though the rebels lacked the capacity to engage government troops, they could resort to carrying out attacks against civilians.

Tensions between Renamo and the Frelimo-led government started escalating last year, after the groups leader Dhlakama set up camp in the Gorongosa mountains to retrain former guerrilla fighters.

The former rebels have been demanding the government renegotiate the terms of a 1992 peace accord.

Renamo became the official opposition after it signed a peace deal with the Frelimo-led government to end a 16-year civil war in 1992. But in April this year simmering tensions erupted in deadly clashes again.

The movement wants more representation on election bodies and in the armed forces.
Four new cases are first to be reported in capital since outbreak that has so far killed at least 63 people.

Four cases of infection by the deadly Ebola virus have been confirmed in Conakry, Guineas Health Minister Remy Lamah said, marking the first confirmed spread of the disease from rural areas to West African states capital.

The minister said on Thursday that the virus appeared to have been transmitted by an old man who showed symptoms of haemorrhagic fever after visiting Dinguiraye in central Guinea, far from the identified outbreaks of Ebola in the remote southeast.

Four of the mans brothers, who attended his funeral in the central town of Dabola, started to show the same symptoms and were tested for Ebola on their return to Conakry.

The four tested positive, Lamah told Reuters. They have been placed in an isolation ward in Donka hospital. The mans family has also been quarantined, the minister said.

The spread of the disease to Conakry, a city of some 2 million people, marked an escalation in the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, which ranks as one of the poorest nations on earth despite rich deposits of bauxite and iron ore.

As of Wednesday, 63 deaths had been reported from suspected cases of infections.

Governments spooked

Ebola had never spread among humans in West Africa before February but five deaths being investigated in Liberia, one in Sierra Leone and others still being tested could bring the total in the epidemic to above 70.

The spread of Ebola, one of the most lethal infectious diseases known, has spooked nations with weak health care systems. In Guineas southeast, home to all the confirmed cases, residents are avoiding large gatherings and prices in some markets have spiked as transporters avoid the area.

Ebola was discovered in 1976 in then-Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo. Scientists have identified the outbreak in Guinea as the virulent Zaire strain of the virus.

The virus causes a raging fever, headaches, muscle pain, conjunctivitis and weakness, before moving into more severe phases of causing vomiting, diarrhoea and unstoppable bleeding.
Government says patient dies after catching disease in Guinea, where 70 have died in one of worst outbreaks for years.

Liberia has confirmed two patients have tested positive for the deadly Ebola virus, which is already believed to have killed at least 70 people in neighbouring Guinea.

Walter Gwenigale, Liberias health minister, told the Associated Press news agency late on Sunday that one patient was married to a Guinean man and had returned ill from a recent trip there. She died in Lofa County.

The second patient is the sister of the dead woman. Gwenigale said she is alive and has been isolated in a medical centre outside of Monrovia, declining to give further details because we dont want to cause panic.

Guinea confirmed last week that dozens of victims of hemorrhagic fever in the countrys southern region had tested positive for Ebola. Cases have also been confirmed in the capital, Conakry.

Senegal on Saturday said its border crossings to Guinea would be closed until further notice, while Sierra Leone has also reported suspected cases of the disease.

No treatment or vaccine is available for Ebola, a highly infectious and virulent disease which can cause uncontrollable bleeding. The Zaire strain detected in Guinea, first recorded 38 years ago in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, has a 90 percent death rate.

It can be transmitted to humans from wild animals, and between humans through direct contact with blood, bodily fluids or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.
Prime minister says he is being hunted and that his deputy, who denies apparent coup attempt, may be involved.

Lesothos prime minister has said he had fled for his life across the border to South Africa, as he accused the military of seizing power and leaving his country in flux.

Tom Thabane told Al Jazeera on Saturday that the army was all over the streets, and had taken control of government buildings and key installations before he managed to escape. He added that he suspected his deputy, Mothet Joa Metsing, was involved.

He said later on Sunday: I have been removed from control not by the people but by the armed forces, and that is illegal. I will return as soon as my life is not in danger I will not go back to Lesotho to get killed.

The military on Sunday rejected his claims. Major Ntlele Ntoi said that allegations of a coup was not a new thing, and said Kamoli remained in his post. That is a baseless allegation.

There had been an exchange of fire on Saturday between youths, police and the military, he said, but the military has returned to the barracks.

I by Mother taken place.]



Metsing also denied a coup. I would not still be a deputy prime minister; the prime minister would not still be the prime minister if a coup [had] taken place, he told Al Jazeera on Saturday.

He said the army had given valid reasons as to why it occupied government buildings.

Tensions have been high in the kingdom since June when Thabane suspended parliament to dodge a vote of no confidence. Metsing had vowed to form a new coalition that would remove Thabane.

Police disarmed

Diplomatic sources said the army made its move after the prime minister fired the army commander, Lieutenant-General Kennedy Tlali Kamoli. The army spokesman said Kamoli was still in charge of the military.

South Africas foreign ministry said it was monitoring the situation, adding that an unconsitutional change of government would not be tolerated.

Since its independence from Britain in 1966, Lesotho has undergone a number of military coups. In 1998 at least 58 locals and eight South African soldiers died and during a political stand-off and subsequent fighting.

The landlocked countrys first coalition government was formed in 2012 after elections ousted the 14-year incumbent Pakalitha Mosisili.
Citizens of the tiny African nation say theyre increasingly anxious of the fallout after alleged coup.

Johannesburg, South Africa  The fragile coalition government in Lesotho, a tiny landlocked southern African state of two million people, has entered a precarious and volatile phase.

Following an alleged coup attempted on Saturday, confusion persists and fear pervades on the streets of Maseru, the capital.

At about 2am on Saturday, soldiers reportedly attacked several police stations in Maseru, and stormed Prime Minister Thomas Thabanes residence.

The army denied it was a coup attempt and said the move was part of an operation to disarm police who were preparing to provide weapons to political parties critical of Thabanes rule.

The chaos and anarchy that some feared would erupt in the event the government was seized by force may have been averted, but the era of political uncertainty could just be beginning.

Normalcy appeared to have returned to the streets of Maseru with the city eerily quiet on Sunday and business as usual on Monday. But beneath the surface, concern was apparent among locals  many who were reluctant to speak about the alleged coup.

Climate of fear

In Ha Abia, a township to the south of Maseru where now-exiled Prime Minister Thabane hails from, residents told Al Jazeera by phone of a self-imposed curfew of 6am to 6pm following the alleged coup detat.

When the sun sets we rush into our homes because we don't want to be caught in the crossfire. by - Sejamonna Molefe, Ha AAbia resident

Its scary here, said resident Sejamonna Molefe. When the sun sets we rush into our homes because we dont want to be caught in the crossfire.

The situation for us still remains tense because we dont know what will happen next.

Mateboho Sekete said residents felt its better to stay indoors.

Everyone fears the situation may seem normal but when people retreat at night, you never know what they are planning to do next, she said.

Tumelo Mokomeng, a travel consultant in Maseru, said calm appeared to have returned to the streets of Maseru on Monday morning, despite initial fears that violence could erupt as result of a planned anti-government march.

I have just arrived at work now, he said. Things are pretty normal except that there is still confusion as to who is in charge of security forces in the country at the moment. Police were disarmed and are roaming the streets bare hands, seemingly confused themselves.

Trouble had long been brewing in Lesotho ever since the fractious political marriage of some parties after the 2012 general elections failed to produce an overall winner to form a government.

The All Basotho Convention (ABC) led Thabane, his deputy Mothetjoa Metsings Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), and Thesele Maseribanes Basotho National Party (BNP) formed the coalition government.

Even though the Democratic Congress (DC)  a splinter party from LCD led by former prime minister Pakalitha Mosisili  had won the most seats, 48 in the 120-member House, it failed to form a government.

This apparently was caused by bad blood between DC and the LCD, from which it had broken away before the elections.

ABC with its 30 seats then joined hands with the LCDs 26 seats and the BNP, which managed only five, to form the rickety coalition. The ABC now has 28 seats in parliament after two of its MPS left  one for the opposition led by Mosisili and another to stand independently.

Marriage of convenience

Although relations between coalition leaders publicly had remained business-like, their parties marriage of convenience had long been on shaky ground. This was only confirmed in June when Metsing told a local newspaper the coalition had been saddled with problems from the onset.

The LCD accused Thabane of excluding coalition partners from key decisions. Another thorny issue for Metsing was Thabanes pursuit in investigating and prosecuting former LCD ministers for alleged corruption.

Metsing is also currently facing corruption allegations and under investigation by the anti-corruption unit.

In March, cracks in the coalition first began to show when news reports emerged of a plot to oust Thabane by some MPs with a possible no-confidence vote. Another important dimension was the emergence of the DC partys courting of LCD for a possible new coalition government, and the replacement of the prime minister.

The developments meant the government had effectively been plunged into its worst political turmoil since 1998, when opposition parties refused to recognise the newly elected government citing election irregularities.

Back then, violence flared leading to Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) intervention. Following the turmoil, an interim political authority was formed to heal the rifts and pave the way for fresh elections, later won by Mosisilis LCD.

Political fallout

At the heart of Saturdays army operation in Maseru was the result of political fallout between two main coalition leaders  Thabane and Metsing.

Thabanes suspension of parliament for nine months in June left the legislature effectively paralysed and plunged the country deeper into crisis.





Mediation by the Christian Council of Lesotho and SADC had yet to make a breakthrough in the impasse.

Meanwhile, some analysts suggest Metsings planned Monday march against the suspension of parliament by Thabane may have led to the alleged coup.

Lesothos police had refused to grant permission for the march through the capital  putting the department on a collision course with the army. The planned anti-government protest was cancelled following Saturdays military operation.

The police are said to be loyal to Thabane, while the army commander Lt General Tlali Kamoli is apparently siding with Metsing.

Army versus police

A few months ago, Kamoli refused to hand over eight soldiers wanted for questioning as part of a police investigation into bombings of homes in Maseru in January. The attacked homes included that of Police Commissioner Khothatso Tsooana.

Since then the relationship between Thabane as commander-in-chief of the army and Kamoli broke down.

This is a battle for power by politicians. It has nothing to do with us or our interests, but we will suffer the most. by - Lebona Tsoeu, Ha Mabote resident

Kamoli was accused by one of Thabanes ministers of providing protection to Metsing against his possible arrest on corruption allegations.

On Friday before the alleged coup took place, Thabane apparently attempted to fire Kamoli. The next day, Kamoli led the military to seize police headquarters. Some in Maseru say the move by the military was meant to pave the way for the Metsing-led protest march.

Thabane wanted to open parliament in February next year and call fresh elections, but this is what LCD doesnt want, said a senior political analyst who asked not to be named.

LCD wants parliament to be reopened now so they can form a government with DC without going to the elections. They are not certain of a victory in elections, so they dont want to risk it now.

A UN spokesman told Al Jazeera off the record that he felt Saturdays military move was in fact a coup attempt.

There is more to the story of what happened in Lesotho on Saturday. Definitely what happened had the hallmark of a coup detat, he said. The intention by the army was to paralyse the police before they took on the prime minister.

According to the UN spokesman, police were still not on duty in Maseru on Monday, threatening law and order. If there is a price to pay now, given the impasse, I think that price is going to be the elections, he said.

A resident of Ha Mabote township, Lebona Tsoeu, said ultimately it is the ordinary people of Lesotho who will pay the highest price for the political jousting.

This is a battle for power by politicians, it has nothing to do with us or our interests. But we will suffer the most, said Tsoeu.
Why a new group of radical activists in Hong Kong are calling for greater autonomy  and even independence  from China.

They call themselves localists  a movement that wants semi-autonomous Hong Kong to split from China, amid concerns that Beijing is cracking down on political and cultural freedoms.

But throughout 2016, as pro-democracy activists (many of whom had previously aligned under the gentler coalition Umbrella Movement) became more radicalised, seasoned China-watchers began to wonder whether their calls for independence would prove a provocation too far.

People & Power asked filmmakers James Leong and Lynn Lee to follow events and find out.

FILMMAKERS VIEW

By James Leong

We had heard the whispered asides, seen the wary glances. Just before the start of the Umbrella Movement in September 2014, before pro-democracy protesters occupied some of Hong Kongs biggest roads, the movements leaders had asked participants not to wear face masks.

This was non-violent civil disobedience, they said, a movement of moral righteousness. If you had to hide your identity, what else did you have to hide? So when more radical, aggressive groups of protesters showed up in face masks to face off with riot police, many demonstrators viewed them with suspicion.

Were they Chinese Communist Party (CCP) moles? Infiltrators sent by the central government in Beijing to sabotage the movement?

By the time the last protest site was cleared on December 14, 2014, the mistrust between the radicals and those who still believed in non-violent civil disobedience had hardened.

The Umbrella Movement may have accrued  in the words of former colonial governor Chris Patten  enormous moral capital, but it hadnt won a single concession from Beijing on democratic reform. The movement, said the radicals, had failed. Asking nicely didnt work. The CCP would never hand Hong Kong real democracy. They had to take it for themselves.

As Ray Wong, founder of Hong Kong Indigenous, the most prominent of the radical groups to emerge from the Umbrella Revolution (as they styled it), explained: Since rational, peaceful methods arent working  we need to find more radical methods to threaten this administration.

Two months later, scores of protesters surrounded and berated mainland Chinese tourists as they wheeled suitcases full of shopping through a local mall. Hong Kong Indigenous had urged supporters to come out against the smugglers who were buying up daily necessities and sneaking them across the border.

The raucous, aggressive protest, peppered with X-rated language, was a far cry from the love and peace of the Umbrella Movement and made for ugly viewing. But it was also part of a strategy to highlight issues of local identity and livelihood, a calculated appeal to the resentment felt by many in Hong Kong at mainland encroachment, employing extreme tactics to maximise media attention. And it seemed to work: soon after, China cancelled a scheme allowing Shenzhen residents unlimited visits to neighbouring Hong Kong.

Post-Umbrella radicals began to flock to Hong Kong Indigenous (HKI) and similar entities, which now espoused an ideology they called localism.

These localists argued that Hong Kongs language, culture and core values set it apart from mainland China, and that the people of Hong Kong alone should decide their citys future, not the increasingly meddlesome central government and its local proxies. But they knew this would attract a hostile response. The government is doing everything to repress such ideas because it knows well eventually be masters of our society, said HKIs Edward Leung.

A year later, Hong Kong Indigenous issued another call to action. Authorities had announced a clampdown on unlicensed hawkers selling street food during Chinese New Year, a much-loved local tradition. Hundreds of localists came out to support the vendors, and didnt back down when police ordered them to disperse. The protest descended into some of the worst street violence Hong Kong had seen since the Leftist Riots of 1967 as protesters armed with bricks, sticks and homemade shields fought running battles with police.

The Hong Kong government was quick to condemn it as a riot, but the Fishball Revolution, as it came to be known among localists (after a popular snack sold by the hawkers), only seemed to increase the appeal of localism. When HKI fielded Edward Leung in a legislative council by-election just weeks later, he won more than 16,000  or 15 percent  of all votes.

Localists had already rejected the pro-democracy camps decades-old position that the fight for democracy should encompass all of China. Why, they asked, should Hong Kongers champion democracy for the mainland, when mainlanders themselves wouldnt fight for it? Why not just focus on Hong Kong? Now they took things further, arguing that so long as Hong Kong remained a part of China, and China remained a one-party state, democratic reform for the city could never happen. There was only one logical, and emotionally satisfying, solution: Hong Kong independence.

Before the Umbrella Movement, advocates of independence had been confined to the odd academic or angry young man waving the colonial flag at protests.

But as more and more Hong Kong residents became convinced their government was looking out for Beijings interests and not their own, support for the idea grew. By July 2016, according to a Chinese University of Hong Kong poll, more than 17 percent of Hong Kong supported independence for Hong Kong after the one country, two systems arrangement, under which Beijing governs the city, expires in 2047. That figure was nearly 40 percent among 15 to 24-year-olds.

The Hong Kong government, tasked with upholding one country, two systems, acted. It barred six localist candidates  including Edward Leung  from running in the September legislative council elections. In response, HKI threw its support behind another post-Umbrella localist party, Youngspiration. Two of that partys candidates, Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Leung Chung-hang, were voted in. Their electoral slogan was Take back Hong Kong! A time for a revolution!

On October 12, 2016, audiences around the world were presented with a piece of political theatre that would have been unthinkable just one year earlier: two young, would-be revolutionaries, graduates of the Umbrella Movement, pledging allegiance to the Hong Kong nation as they clutched a flag that read Hong Kong is not China, inside the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China (as the official oath has it).

In an unexpected twist, the first blow by the localists fighting for Hong Kong independence had been struck, not in the streets, but within the system. Whether that system is strong or flexible enough to withstand such attacks in future remains to be seen.
As President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated Friday, UF students can watch the ceremony at ve different locations on campus.

David Parrott, the vice president for Student Affairs at UF, emailed students Tuesday afternoon announcing the Ofce of Student Affairs will provide viewing locations for students at the Reitz Union Chamber, Graham Hall Gallery, Broward Hall Rec. Room, Tanglewood Village Commons and Corry Village Commons.

Showings will vary but will be between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m, UF spokesperson Janine Sikes said. Opening remarks begin at 11:30 a.m., and Trumps ofcial swearing is at noon, USA Today reports.

Sikes said UF hosted similar events during President Barack Obamas 2008 inauguration. Department staff will be at the locations to talk with students who wish to discuss the ceremony.

Were providing a venue where if you want to watch the inauguration day event and want to talk with others or be with others, then there are venues to do that on campus, Sikes said.

After the inauguration, administrators with UF Multicultural and Diversity Affairs will hold a panel of faculty, department staff and students to discuss the rst 100 days of the Trump administration.

Gabe Lara, the Multicultural and Diversity Affairs interim associate director, said he hopes everyone can have an open conversation.

We just want to make sure we have a lot of discussion and dialogue with our students who feel that he may not be the best choice, or some students who feel that he is the best choice, Lara said.

A Facebook event titled UF Student Walk Out was created by Joseph Peralta, who is encouraging students to walk out of class and to Gainesvilles City Hall for an inauguration protest. The event is scheduled for 11:15 a.m.

Its a means of making a statement, the 20-year-old UF plant science junior said.

Gabrielle Brown, a UF pre-pharmacy freshman, plans to watch the inauguration although she couldnt vote in the election. Brown, 18, said she would have, but she only became a U.S. citizen last week.

Its history; I know it sucks, but its important, she said.

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A UF researcher has found that when you treat your childs doctor rudely, quality of care plummets.

Amir Erez, a UF management professor, helped conduct the study in Tel Aviv, Israel. He found that being rude to doctors affected their performance throughout the day, even after they moved on to a different case. While chronic lack of sleep accounts for 10 to 20 percent of practitioners decreased performance, rudeness was found to account for more than 40 percent, Erez said.

When he first heard about the correlation between rudeness and doctors performance from University of Southern California assistant professor Christine Porath, Erez said he couldnt believe her research. He said he thought people could easily get over insults, especially if they had to.

I found very quickly that she was right, and I was wrong, he said. Rudeness has a tremendous effect.

Rudeness affects peoples cognitive system, where planning and goal management is controlled, Erez said. He said he also wanted to see how rudeness affects doctors. He had 39 teams, comprised of two doctors and two nurses each, diagnose and treat mannequins at a simulation center in Tel Aviv while an expert doctor or nurse looked on.

Actors posed as the mannequins mothers and were purposefully rude to some team members.

It didnt only affect the case where the mother was insulting with them, it actually stayed with them the entire day, Erez said.

If an expert or authority figure insulted the medical team, they were unable to resuscitate the mannequins properly or locate and diagnose diseases, he said.

Anja Glassmer, a bedside nurse at Miami Childrens Health System, said after 26 years in her profession, she can deal with rude patients and parents. Parents are often overwhelmed when faced with what their children are diagnosed with, Glassmer said.

She said she handles ruder clients by calmly explaining the treatment plan to them.

I know from other nurses in my unit, especially young ones that dont know how to deal with stressors, it affects them, she said. For me, myself, I can brush it off.

During the study, Erez attempted two interventions before the rude incident and after it. Before the medical team was confronted with rudeness, some completed a computer game based on cognitive behavioral therapy to help them notice signs of aggression before they occurred, he said. Other test subjects wrote about their experience afterward from the aggressors perspective.

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The medical team handled the rude behavior and treated their patients better when they went through the cognitive behavioral therapy, Erez said.

The thing to do about it is to be aware of it, he said.
Bob Peterson, manager of Tongue River and Rosebud Battlefield state parks, is retiring after many years of working for the people of Montana and Wyoming.

Peterson started out as an employee of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in 1970. He worked in Cheyenne, Elk Mountain, Tensleep, Jeffrey City and Dayton. All told, Peterson spent 27 years working as a Game and Fish employee  most of that time was spent in a game warden's position.

After a short hiatus, Peterson hired on with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks as manager of Tongue River State Park and the Rosebud Battlefield. Peterson said that it took a while to turn his mindset around from resource management to park management. But eventually he learned to focus on providing outdoor recreation users with what they need to fully enjoy the park.

When Peterson went to work in 2001 the repairs and improvements of Tongue River Dam had been completed. Materials had been placed to accommodate campers at Camper's Point. The park became more orderly and standards were set. Cleanliness was emphasized.

Initially, FWP was running the marina, but in 2001 a concessionaire took over; there have been four concessionaires since.

In 2006 a new parks administrator looked at Tongue River and decided that some changes needed to be made. About $2.5 million had been allocated to upgrade the park in 2000, but more was needed. In 2007 more upgrades were made: electrical hookups were provided to 40 sites on Camper's Point along with their being made hard (paved) sites. Another 54 sites were improved on Peewee Point.

In 2008, the park started managing where people stayed. The office building was built and the staff increased from three to six people. The number of people using the park reached 105,000. Another innovation that occurred in 2008 was the reservation system was instituted. This allowed for people to reserve campsites but also limited site use. The number of users dropped to 80,000.

Engineers designed the park to handle 35,000 visitors for high seasons; by 2004 or 2005 there were 85,000 to 90,000 visitors," Peterson said. "We were stuffing people in.

In 2012 more upgrades occurred on Peewee Point. Seventeen sites were upgraded on Peewee Point North while 41 of 54 sites were electrified on Peewee Point South. Bathroom facilities were expanded.

One advantage of the reservation system is that it allows people to reserve a number of campsites," Peterson said. "We are having folks book six to nine campsites for family affairs, such as reunions or get togethers.

Now there are at least 151 developed camping sites in the park. Peterson said that 30 to 38 tons of garbage are collected annually and that 200 acres are mowed. Each campsite has a fire ring and table.

Peterson instituted interpretive talks such as nature walks and art in the parks. One of the other things his staff started was the now classic Fourth of July water fight. The staff had gotten into a water fight a few years ago and some campers ended up joining in. Now there is a contingent of campers who come prepared for the water fight and a chance to drench the staff. Some folks even bring portable pumps to increase the water output. Everyone seems to have a great time getting wet.

A full-time law enforcement officer, a game warden, is on hand nowadays to keep the park safe.

Emphasis is placed on a safe and pleasant stay. The severe hailstorm that ripped through Tongue River State Park in 2008 killed two people. The tragedy brought an increased attention to visitor safety. The staff went through NOAA weather training to spot severe weather situations to ensure people are warned of the weather hazards.

We want folks to have a good time and leave safe," Peterson said. "We strain to keep facilities in good working order. We are in service to the people.

Peterson had nothing but praise for his staff. They are hard-working, creative people, great ambassadors who can repair about anything with next to nothing.

A greeting couple that resides at the park in the summer are a real asset. He is a former engineer and can fix things on a shoestring budget.

Peterson said that the park has high use by Montana and Wyoming folks, with many coming from nearby. But there are people who come from northern Montana, too.

Warm-water fishing is a great draw for folks who grew up in areas that didn't have trout," Peterson said. "Anglers come here to fish for crappies, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleyes and channel catfish."

Peterson added that there have been some fishing tournaments on the reservoir. There have been some activities for kids fishing and vets fishing. The Billings Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited pitched in and constructed a kids playground. This touch helped make the park more family and child oriented.

When I asked Peterson what he intended to do after retiring, he said, I would like to work at spoiling the grand kids and indulge my wife. I would like to travel some, do some piloting and catch up on some fishing.

After all the great achievements he has made at Tongue River State Park, Peterson has certainly earned the right to kick back and enjoy life. The many folks who recreate at the park surely have benefited from his great work. Enjoy your retirement, Bob, and thanks ever so much for your service.
Disillusioned with its dinner crowd, Midtowns The Coop now serves breakfast  and its offering free coffee until Friday.

The restaurant, located at 1620 W. University Ave., now offers breakfast from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The new breakfast menu, implemented Wednesday, includes quesadillas, sandwiches and coffee, said Darren Kay, the restaurants owner.

The dinner crowd is just not where I want it to be, Kay said.

He said he noticed more people eating dinner near Southwest Archer Road and West Newberry Road instead of Midtown. Kay said switching to breakfast and lunch was the right decision for the company.

Until Friday, the restaurant is offering free hot coffee, cold brew and nitro cold brew, along with half-off espresso drinks. The restaurant uses locally-roasted coffee from Sweetwater Organic Coffee Co. to brew coffee and espresso drinks, he said.

Kay said his menu includes mostly on-the-go items. The build-your-own breakfast sandwiches can be made on a biscuit, bagel, Texas toast, croissant or wafe.

Ashley Martinez, 22, stopped by for free coffee Wednesday after hearing about the promotion on Facebook.

The UF applied physiology and kinesiology junior grabbed a nitro cold brew coffee before starting a full day of classes.

People like Martinez are who Kay said hes hoping to dine at his restaurant.

Hopefully I can grab all of those city workers and staff workers as well as college students on their way to class, on their way to work, he said.

The Coop restaurant, located at 1620 W. University Ave., introduced its new breakfast menu to Gainesville residents Jan. 18. The menu includes a variety of items, from muffins to build-your-own breakfast sandwiches.

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A few weeks ago, I met with a UF professor who was uncomfortable with my occasional use of the word prayer in editorials and messages to campus. We met over a cup of coffee and had a robust and stimulating discussion on why I sometimes say my prayer instead of my hope and in my prayers instead of in my thoughts when I wish to convey a strong personal sentiment.

After nearly three years of graduate theological studies, I know there is language with which I may be comfortable but could distract others from the intent and meaning of my message.

We also had a good discussion about evidence-based knowledge and belief systems and UFs role in educating students to be intellectuals. Dr. Ibram Kendi, a professor of African-American history, gave a powerful commencement address on this same topic to graduating doctoral students in December 2016. Kendi won the National Book Award this past fall for his second book, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. His commencement address was about what it means to be an intellectual.

Kendi said, I define  and many others define  an intellectual as someone with a tremendous desire to know. Intellectuals are open-minded. Intellectuals have a tremendous capacity to change their mind on matters, to self-reflect, to self-critique. Intellectuals are governed by only one special interest that is rarely self-serving  the special interest of finding and revealing the truth.

He closed his commencement message with the words, I dont want you to leave UF with just a doctorate degree. I want you to leave UF as an intellectual. I agree with Kendi. My desire is that every member of the UF community will learn to be an intellectual  not defined by just how much we know, but rather by our persistent lifelong willingness to be critical of what we know and believe. If you are like me, it is easy to be critical of what others know, but Im not so comfortable critiquing my own knowledge and beliefs.

The words of Kendi challenge me: But before we can change or critique something else, we must have the capacity to change and critique ourselves. We must have the capacity to be intellectuals, to be on the perpetual climb towards the always-rising peak of truth. The world will indeed be better if it is filled with intellectual Gators.

Kent Fuchs is the UF president. His column appears monthly.
One of the biggest complaints about todays hip-hop is the lack of originality or creativity. Its often stated that all hip-hop artists sound the same. However, there are plenty of artists who are extremely creative, unique and consistent who go unnoticed or get overlooked.

A recent discovery of mine is Russ. Ive seen his name around for a while, but I first heard him when his biggest song, What They Want, started getting radio play. Russ has been putting music out for a several years, but he really blew up in 2016 when he signed with Columbia Records. He is an Italian rapper from New Jersey whose style of music cant be easily defined. Finding an artist who produces his or her own music is rare, but someone who writes, sings, produces, mixes and masters their own music is unheard of, and thats exactly what Russ does.

Russ last mixtape, Silence, was released back in 2014, but since then, Russ has only put out singles, which is unusual. While he technically signed to Columbia Records, his deal is more of a partnership, meaning Russ and Columbia split profits 50/50. You often hear artists speak out against major record label companies because they feel trapped in their deal. Since his deal is a 50/50 partnership, Russ is able to create the way he wants to.

Some of my favorite songs from Russ are What They Want, Losin Control, Fallin Too, Psycho, Pt. 2 and Too Many. These songs are different from each other. They each have a different vibe, but theyre all amazing. What They Want has been Russ most successful song, having been played on radio stations across the country. Losin Control is a down-to-earth song thats a little too relatable, and Russ sings over a slower, intimate beat. Fallin Too starts with an 80s funk melody layered underneath a catchy drum line. Russ shows off his vocals on Psycho, Pt. 2, hitting a range of notes over a rap-sing combination  the song is simply beautiful.

Russ is a gem whos on the edge of mainstream success. If you arent a fan of Russ yet, then get yourself acquainted with one of the most consistent artists. If youre on Spotify, I suggest you follow the This Is: Russ playlist, where you can find all of his singles in one place.










English News China always a strong partner of WHO: Director-General

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 19 Janvier 2017



Chan praised the increasingly closer partnership between the WHO and China, saying that such ties enhanced regional and global emergency response capabilities, lifted the WHO's abilities to prevent and control global and domestic epidemics and disasters.

By Ren Yan and Wang Yuan from Peoples Daily Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters has demonstrated China's staunch commitment to participate and inspire the international community to address the most urgent challenges facing public health, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said in an interview with the People's Daily.



"China's huge achievements in public health signify a strong and sustainable top Chinese leadership," Chan said, hailing Xi's vision and commitment as a role-model for world's leaders in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Xi visited the WHO headquarters in Geneva and met with Chan on Wednesday.

China, after decades of reforms, has established a basic health care system covering urban and rural residents, Chan said, adding that the country's health care system is on a sustainable development path.



She elaborated that thanks to Chinese governments spending on health care, the costs covered by the public have dropped to less than 30 percent of the total expenses from the previous 35.29 percent, and such welfare will continue to be improved.



As a founding member of and strong partner to the WHO, China renders support to the organization's health care agreements. She further noted that China has played an active part in the revision of International Health Regulations in 2005 and fulfilled its commitment to the agreement as well.



China also showcased a strong global leadership in tackling the outbreak of Ebola epidemic. In addition to donating $120 million of aids to West African countries, the UN, WHO, African Union and other international organizations, China also dispatched more than 1,200 workers to the affected regions and helped train 13,000 local medical staff to treat Ebola patients, Chan said.



Moreover, China has donated $2 million to WHO for its humanitarian health care work in Syria, she noted.



Chan praised the increasingly closer partnership between the WHO and China, saying that such ties enhanced regional and global emergency response capabilities, lifted the WHO's abilities to prevent and control global and domestic epidemics and disasters.



The director-general stressed that the concept of common destiny of mankind works in health sector as well. Viruses such as Ebola, Zika and yellow fever not only endanger human health but also pose challenges to the economic development and social stability of the world.



The WHO will provide better support to collective actions in the face of epidemics and disasters, because it is hard to ensure the health safety of one country just by its own strength, she pledged.



WHO appreciates that China has expanded its concept of putting health as the core of economic development to the international community, Chan said, adding that Chinas decades of partnership with the WHO also verify that China will sustain its commitment to the world.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China enhances efforts to promote biodiversity conservation China stress its commitment to push ahead peace and development for humanity at 20th CPC National Congress CPC's governance experience is worth learning from Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News China to lead world out of tough time

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 19 Janvier 2017



When encountering difficulties, we should not complain about ourselves, blame others, lose confidence or run away from responsibilities. We should join hands and rise to the challenge, Xi stressed in his keynote speech delivered at the opening session of the annual meeting.

By Hu Zexi from Peoples Daily Davos, a snow-covered Swiss town located on the Landwasser River, is attracting global attention as the host of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting.



Ten years ago, German Chancellor Angela Merkel predicted on the WEF that a new world pattern has emerged. She noted that the WEF and Western countries should cast their eyes to China for inspiration and guidance under the huge changes amid the globalization, since the Europe-centered era has come to an end after 200 years development.



Merkel's prediction comes true when Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared at Davos meetings 10 years later. Financial Times newspaper even hailed China as a guardian of global governance.

China's contribution to the world has been a consensus during the on-going WEF. The country has injected confidence to the world on the 2009 WEF when the globe was trapped after the outburst of financial crisis.



Two years later, the then WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy said in a Davos meeting that China and other countries were all winners 10 years after Chinas entrance to the organization.



China has been regarded as a most powerful engine for global economic revival of world economy. Thanks to its steady development and reform, China has stepped on to the world stage to share its plans and contributions.



Merkel's remarks echoed the changes brought by China's development from the perspective of world pattern, while the international community is now having a more rational and visionary opinion on China.



Uncertainties, especially a rising trend of de-globalization, now hinder worlds development, with some Western observers mourning the collapse of their traditional beliefs. However, the remedies given by China are now leading global governance toward a more rational direction.



The increasing global attention on China's proposals during the WEF 2017 reflects the world's expectations toward China to provide more public products.



History is created by the brave people. The world needs to be united to cope with the tough situation.



When encountering difficulties, we should not complain about ourselves, blame others, lose confidence or run away from responsibilities. We should join hands and rise to the challenge, Xi stressed in his keynote speech delivered at the opening session of the annual meeting.



Just as what Xi advocated, the world can only get through the crossroad of history by shouldering responsibilities following the spirit of equality, openness, cooperation and sharing.





Dans la meme rubrique : < > China enhances efforts to promote biodiversity conservation China stress its commitment to push ahead peace and development for humanity at 20th CPC National Congress CPC's governance experience is worth learning from Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News Globalization needs efforts from all nations

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 19 Janvier 2017



Globalization has become a necessity in a modern society. China has benefitted from globalization, and will take actions to promote globalization. The China-proposed "community of common destiny" is sincere in both minds and deeds.

Source: People's Daily and Global Times Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on Tuesday and delivered a keynote speech. He stressed that blaming economic globalization for the world's problems is inconsistent with reality and unhelpful to solve the problems.



The challenges of globalization are the most prominent issues in global governance. There have been anti-globalization waves in some Western countries, which are causing political impacts. Donald Trump's election and Brexit are considered responses to the anti-globalization sentiment in the US and the UK.





Globalization is now at a crossroads. Some are calling for China to fly the flag of globalization. But counting on China alone does not conform to the logic of globalization, which requires efforts from every country.



The opposition of some Western forces to globalization comes as a result of irrational sentiment rather than prudent thinking. Generally, the West is the biggest beneficiary of globalization. As capital, commodities and services flow across the globe, the West is at the apex of the entire system.



There is little room to further grow wealth within the West, where the need for building new infrastructure is limited and a diminishing population means a shrinking consumer market. The West can only explore growth in high-end sectors and abroad. If it shuts the door to the outside world now, it will block opportunities for growth.



Until now, most of the world's top 500 companies are from the West, however, the public feel they are worse off. The problem lies in a distribution system in which capitalists and the elites have taken the majority share of the benefits, leaving little for the public. The West shouldn't blame globalization.



Even after Trump takes power and the UK leaves the EU, there is no easy way for the US or the UK. Globalization is a one-way journey, while anti-globalization is a false proposition. Anti-globalization, in essence, is an attempt to adjust global rules to grab more benefit from it.



Trump proposed that American enterprises should site their factories within the country, but he also wants investors from China, Japan and South Korea to create jobs in the US; meanwhile, made-in-USA should continue to sell worldwide. He just feels that the US did not earn enough from globalization.



Perhaps the West is used to seeing big gaps with developing countries. But they have never thought that new emerging economies like BRICS countries will narrow the gap with developed ones, which is an irreversible trend.



Migration is one phenomenon amid globalization. It has brought some problems that the West feels difficulty adapting to. The problems should be managed rather than becoming a reason for anti-globalization.



Globalization has become a necessity in a modern society. China has benefitted from globalization, and will take actions to promote globalization. The China-proposed "community of common destiny" is sincere in both minds and deeds.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China enhances efforts to promote biodiversity conservation China stress its commitment to push ahead peace and development for humanity at 20th CPC National Congress CPC's governance experience is worth learning from Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News Op-ed: Expectations run high on Belt and Road forum for international cooperation

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 19 Janvier 2017



The Belt and Road initiative has been echoed by over 100 countries and international organizations since it was put forward three years ago. More than 40 have inked cooperation agreements with China on joint construction of the route.

By Zhong Sheng from Peoples Daily China plans to host a Belt and Road forum for international cooperation in Beijing this May to brainstorm on interconnected development. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent Beijings invitation to the whole world while addressing the opening plenary at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).



The upcoming forum will discuss ways to boost cooperation, build platforms and share cooperation outcomes. The forum will also explore ways to address problems facing global and regional economies, create fresh energy for pursuing inter-connected development and help the Belt and Road initiative deliver greater benefits to people of countries involved.



The Belt and Road initiative has been echoed by over 100 countries and international organizations since it was put forward three years ago. More than 40 have inked cooperation agreements with China on joint construction of the route.



The 71th UN General Assembly for the first time incorporated the Belt and Road initiative into its resolution issued on November 17, 2016 after UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2274, which promotes the initiative, last March.



The decision was endorsed by 193 member states unanimously, which was a showcase of international support for the initiative.



Robert Lawrence Kuhn, Chairman of the US-based Kuhn Foundation, explained the reasons for the popularity. He pointed out that the initiative not only protects the interests of all the mankind, but also serves as an important concept to maintain world stability.



As Chinas proposal to achieve coordinated, green and peaceful development, it also brings benefits to other countries along the route, and even plays a significant role in rebalancing the world economy, he added.



In 2015, bilateral trade between China and en-route countries surpassed 1 trillion dollars, with China's direct investment to those countries totaling nearly 15 billion dollars. At a Belt and Road work symposium held in August 2016, Xi urged China to, by stepping up efforts, score steady progress from the construction of the initiative, in order to benefit the people of all the countries along the route.

Though construction from the initiative has yielded early fruits, the en-route nations also need to broaden the consensus through open discussions against the background of slow recovery of the world economy and the uprising trend of anti-globalization.

The time China chooses for the Belt and Road forum for international cooperation is perfect. On one hand, it aims to cooperate with en-route countries to plan for a better future and materialize the blueprint for the Belt and Road. On the other hand, it targets to build a platform on which each nation can find a coordinated, interconnected, open and win-win cooperation model by facing common challenges.

With the Belt and Road forum for international cooperation to be held in May, it is expected that the initiative will start a new journey and rejuvenate international economic cooperation.



(Source: Peoples Daily)



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China enhances efforts to promote biodiversity conservation China stress its commitment to push ahead peace and development for humanity at 20th CPC National Congress CPC's governance experience is worth learning from Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News Partners in Innovation: Swiss Ambassador to China

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 19 Janvier 2017



China has demonstrated in recent years that it will play a larger role internationally. The recent unprecedented market development in China demonstrates the potential for greater market integration. The establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the implementation of the "One Belt One Road" initiative, and the inclusion of the Renminbi (RMB) in the special drawing rights basket, the foreign exchange reserve assets defined by the IMF, are all concrete examples of a China that is taking a more active and stronger role internationally.

By Zhang Xin Source: People's Daily and Global Times Chinese President Xi Jinping is on a state visit to Switzerland, during which he met Swiss President Doris Leuthard, consolidating an already close partnership. Xi will also attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos for the first time.



The Global Times (GT) reporter Zhang Xin interviewed the Swiss Ambassador to China Jean-Jacques de Dardel, who talks about the further deepening bilateral cooperations and China's important role in the world economy.

GT: This is the first time President Xi visits Switzerland. And President Leuthard has just taken office. What does the meeting of the two mean?



De Dardel : President Leuthard and President Xi were set to hold official talks discussing bilateral as well as global topics, touching upon various fields of our broad bilateral ties. The development of China-Switzerland relations has gained a sound momentum. The meetings of the two presidents, as well as the ones with other ministers, will allow us to further deepen and diversify the cooperation between our two countries. I am confident that both countries are willing to work with each other to enrich the Innovative Strategic Partnership between China and Switzerland, and to lift the bilateral relations to a higher level.

GT: China and Switzerland declared the establishment of an "Innovative Strategic Partnership" in April 2016. In what ways has it shaped and accelerated the bilateral relationship so far?



De Dardel: China and Switzerland have maintained a diverse and in-depth bilateral relationship in a variety of areas, such as politics, the economy, culture as well as science for 66 years. Following former Swiss president Johann Schneider-Ammann's visit to China in April 2016, Sino-Swiss relations have surged to new heights vivified by both countries' Innovative Strategic Partnership - the first to date and unique. The partnership will usher in new collaboration opportunities through the application of "practical innovation" unique to Switzerland. As creative partners, both countries will explore innovative ways to further ties to mutually beneficial ends. As such, the Innovative Strategic Partnership by no means merely depicts innovation in the narrow sense of science and technology; rather, it recognizes the diversity, intensity and significance of the Sino-Swiss bilateral ties.

GT: China is recognized as a market economy by Switzerland, but within the European Union, there are debates about whether China deserves the recognition. What's your take on China's economic reform? How has Switzerland benefited from its economic ties with China?



De Dardel: Considering the progress that was made on the economic front and the longstanding strength of Sino-Swiss relations, it should not come as a surprise that compared to other advanced economies Switzerland granted China market economy status at a relatively early stage. China is a country with a huge population, which has been developing very dynamically in the past 30 years. It is admirable how the leadership has managed to keep this large supertanker steady through various challenging times. Now, facing lower growth rates, China is embarking on a new round of market-based reform. This choice by the Chinese leadership seems to be very sensible in achieving the goal of shifting the Chinese growth model from quantity to quality. The focus on a sustainable development and on strengthening the rule of law seems particularly pertinent in the context of the reform agenda.



Switzerland is the world's 19th economy and China is the second. That means we are an important economic partner for many. Switzerland was in 2016 the 10th supplier of China worldwide and the second in Europe. Since 2010, China has been Switzerland's third most important trading partner after the US and the EU. Usually it is China has a large amount of export. But our products are of such quality and our economies are so complementary that we traditionally have a large trade surplus with China. The Free Trade Agreement which entered into force in July 2014 is opening countless windows of opportunities in know-how exchange, investment, technology transfer, research and education, innovation, culture, and business creation.

GT: This visit will see China's first presidential participation in the annual meeting of the WEF. What kinds of changes will China bring to the forum? And in what way will the forum influence China?



De Dardel: As the first Chinese president attending the WEF in Davos, the participation of Xi Jinping sends a strong signal that China is endeavoring to take a stronger role on global issues. Established in 1971, the Davos Forum remains the foremost creative force for engaging the world's top leaders in collaborative activities to shape the global, regional and industry agendas each year. In 2016, a series of events have happened in the international arena: Brexit referendum, migration, terrorism and the rise of protectionism and populism. This year's forum will provide a platform for world elites to work together in finding a common purpose to achieve a positive outcome.



China has demonstrated in recent years that it will play a larger role internationally. The recent unprecedented market development in China demonstrates the potential for greater market integration. The establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the implementation of the "One Belt One Road" initiative, and the inclusion of the Renminbi (RMB) in the special drawing rights basket, the foreign exchange reserve assets defined by the IMF, are all concrete examples of a China that is taking a more active and stronger role internationally.

GT: RMB is experiencing an unstable yuan-dollar rate recently. Does Switzerland still have the confidence to expand the offshore RMB market in Zurich as stated last year in a joint declaration between the two sides?



De Dardel: The establishment of an RMB hub in Switzerland offers attractive possibilities and provides great potential for Chinese and Swiss financial institutions to benefit from the further liberalization of the RMB.



Due to Switzerland's position as one of the most important financial centers worldwide, China's foreign direct investments (FDI) to Switzerland and Swiss FDI to China have great potential to grow further. The RMB hub in Switzerland, including the establishment of a China Construction Bank branch in Zurich, helps to promote the bilateral trade between China and Switzerland. Swiss financial institutions continue to be interested in contributing to the development of Chinese financial markets and to use the new business opportunities in China. By joining the AIIB, Switzerland helps to support infrastructure projects along the ancient Silk Road and beyond. The Silk Road aims at a better trade connection between China and Europe and therefore provides huge potential for an increased bilateral trade between China and Switzerland. Swiss authorities are very supportive of the further internationalization of the RMB.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China enhances efforts to promote biodiversity conservation China stress its commitment to push ahead peace and development for humanity at 20th CPC National Congress CPC's governance experience is worth learning from Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News Xi defends globalization at Davos

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 19 Janvier 2017



The Chinese president stressed the need to develop 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.

By Yang Sheng Source: People's Daily and Global Times Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of adhering to economic globalization and opposing protectionism as he delivered a keynote speech Tuesday at the 47th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos.



The future of globalization, once described as "the treasure of Alibaba" but now criticized as an opened "Pandora's box," was the key topic of Xi's speech at the forum, held in the Swiss ski resort.



It is the first time that a Chinese president has attended the annual meeting, a gathering of 3,000 government, business and civil society leaders to help shape global, regional and industry agendas.



Xi said many of the problems troubling the world are not caused by globalization, citing the refugee crisis as an example. "There is no point in blaming economic globalization for the world's problems, as that is not the case and will not help with solving the problems," he said.



"Xi is indirectly criticizing the protectionists among the West, because in the past, during the golden era of globalization, the West didn't treat the negative side of the system seriously and pushed it without consideration of uneven development between developed and developing countries," said Wang Yiwei, director of the Center for International Studies at the Renmin University of China.



But now, during difficult times, protectionists in the West are yelling to withdraw from the process of globalization, Wang said. "This shows the protectionists' irresponsibility and selfishness."



Xi pointed out the root causes of the sluggish global economy are lack of robust driving forces for global growth, inadequate global economic governance, and uneven global development.



The Chinese president stressed the need to develop 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.



He also called for a balanced, equitable and inclusive development model.



Belt and Road forum







US President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet nominations on foreign trade and his attitude to Sino-US relations show that the possibility of a trade war between China and the US is "extremely high," said Diao Daming, a research fellow at the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.



China will keep its door wide open and not close it, Xi said, stressing that this allows other countries to access the Chinese market and China itself to integrate with the world. He voiced hope that other countries will also keep their doors open to Chinese investors and keep the playing field level for China.



There will be no winner in a trade war, as Xi also stressed that the Paris Climate Agreement is a significant achievement and should not be abandoned easily. He said this is the responsibility that we must take for future generations, which won applause from the audience.



Pang Zhongying, director of the Center for the Study of Global Governance at Renmin University, said, "This is a message to Donald Trump, and obviously, Xi won support from Europe and elsewhere."



China's development will continue to offer opportunities to business communities in other countries. In the coming five years, Xi said, China is expected to import $8 trillion of goods, attract $600 billion in foreign investment, and make $750 billion in outbound investment. He added that Chinese tourists will make 700 million overseas visits.



During the speech, Xi announced that China plans to host a One Belt, One Road forum for international cooperation in Beijing this May to brainstorm on interconnected development.



The upcoming forum will explore ways to address regional and global economic problems, generate fresh energy for interconnected development, and make the Belt and Road initiative deliver greater benefits to peoples of the countries involved, Xi said in the speech.



"President Xi's speech demonstrated to other countries China's resolution to globalization and showed that China is willing to shoulder responsibilities in global development. It will boost free trade and economic globalization," said Jing Xiandong, ECO of Ant Financial, a division of Alibaba, who was present at the Davos opening ceremony.



WEF founder and chairman Klaus Schwab also praised President Xi's speech and thanked Xi's commitment to keep supporting economic globalization, saying that Xi's speech was "very very important" at this historic moment.



Schwab also mentioned the "Chinese Dream," a key term that Xi has raised to encourage and unify the Chinese people to realize the great revival of the Chinese nation, saying that the Chinese Dream can also connect to a dream of a "fair, innovative, open and inclusive" future for the whole world.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China enhances efforts to promote biodiversity conservation China stress its commitment to push ahead peace and development for humanity at 20th CPC National Congress CPC's governance experience is worth learning from Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
The Montana Supreme Court affirmed the deliberate homicide conviction of a man who killed a law enforcement informant in 2012.

On Tuesday, the court turned down the appeal of Levi Douglas Stark, 26, who argued that he should face a lesser charge.

A jury convicted Stark in 2014 of deliberate homicide, arson and tampering with physical evidence. He was later sentenced to 120 years in prison for the 2012 stabbing death of 25-year-old Matthew Wiseman in Glendive.

Stark's girlfriend, Jessica Miller-Grossman, was also arrested and charged as an accomplice. She eventually reached an agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to accountability to mitigated deliberate homicide.

Stark then challenged his charge to the Dawson County District Court. His attorney argued that if Grossman was accountable to mitigated deliberate homicide, then he should also face a lesser, or mitigated, charge. The district court denied the motion prior to his trial.

While in prison, Stark filed his appeal to the Supreme Court in October 2014. His attorney argued that prosecutors should not have been "permitted to continue in Levi's prosecution for deliberate homicide since the state had taken an inconsistent position when it amended Jessica's charge ... ."

Prosecutors in the appeal argued that Stark did not meet the legal requirements to overturn the deliberate homicide charge and that the jury at trial could have chosen a lesser charge.

"Stark asks this court to give him a windfall when he received the benefit of a fair trial where he alleges that no error occurred, and the jury convicted him of deliberate homicide, even though it had the option of convicting him of mitigated deliberate homicide," court documents state.

The Supreme Court agreed with the latter position and issued its opinion on Tuesday, which affirmed the Dawson County District Court's actions.

Wiseman's wife found him dead on Dec. 21, 2012, at their home. He had stab wounds and cuts to his face, head and armpit.

Stark met Wiseman through his girlfriend, Grossman. They both had been meth users, and Grossman thought she could help her get some, according to court documents. Wiseman's wife said later in court that they had been selling meth to make ends meet.

Court documents alleged that Wiseman was facing his own drug charges and gave information to law enforcement about the drug trade, including Grossman's own drug use. Prosecutors presented this as Stark's motive.

Grossman was arrested in 2012 on a search warrant related to her drug use. On the day of Wiseman's death, Grossman had a court appearance that made her upset. After she returned home, Stark told Grossman he was going to visit Wiseman.

Stark arrived and asked Wiseman to come outside, stabbing him to death on the porch, court documents state.

Stark and Grossman are listed as inmates in the Montana State Prison and the Montana Women's Prison, respectively.
When Big Timber students were looking for a local problem to address with a new phone app design, they turned north, where the Crazy Mountains gathered snow.

A missing hunter's remains had been found in the mountains, which isn't an isolated incident in Montana. Local authorities struggled to gather information before organizing a search.

A lot of time gets ate up before they ever get out to search for somebody because they have to dig up information, said librarian and teacher Cindy Glavin.

Glavin stumbled across the Verizon App Challenge in August, a national contest for students to design their own app that addresses a local need. She rounded up a group of students who had taken an interest in coding exercises that Glavin uses at school.

Technology is always kind of interesting to me, its something Ive been into, said eighth-grader Tristen McKenzie.

With the Checkin for Hunters/Hikers Assurance Technology, or CHHAT, app, McKenzie and five other students found a way to integrate technology into another longstanding Montana interest  outdoor recreation.

The eighth-grade students, Leslie Edden, Dylan Cowell, Logan Countryman, Jared Larson, Ty Ferguson and McKenzie, hunt, hike and fish on land around Big Timber. The Crazy Mountains loom to the north, the Absaroka Range is less than an hour south and the Boulder and Yellowstone rivers meet just outside of town.

The students know that things dont always go according to plan when recreating off the grid.

Grizzly bears, said Larson succinctly.

Even something as simple as a car breakdown leaving people stranded in wilderness areas can border on disaster; a University of Montana student spent two nights on a remote dirt road before being found in 2014.

The CHHAT app would allow hikers and hunters to file a trip plan, with departure and arrival times and route details. Users could add information like medical conditions, prescription drug information and vehicle details. The information would be emailed to local authorities and is easily accessible if something goes wrong.

Lt. Alan Ronneberg, who leads Sweet Grass Countys search and rescue operations, spoke to students about what kind of information would be most valuable in a search.

In August, the remains of a hunter who had been missing since 2014 were found in the Crazy Mountains, and another hunter went missing in September. That search was scaled back after yielding few leads.

Because students didn't begin work on the app project until August, they had only about two weeks before the contest deadline. They worked over lunch breaks to prepare an app plan, essay and 3-minute video. Once they were selected as a middle school state winner, they scrambled to put together a 30-second video  in which Ferguson plays an overenthusiastic bird watcher  to plug their app in voting.

To vote for the Big Timber project, text CHHAT to 22333. To check out other projects, visit https://appchallenge.tsaweb.org/vote.

Voting runs Jan. 16-Feb. 14, and there is a limit of one vote per phone number.

Sentinel High in Missoula won the state high school contest.

Big Timber wasnt selected in an in-house Verizon vote to move on to the regional competition. However, the team could still advance by winning a public "fan favorite" vote.

The students, who all have coding experience and are interested in pursuing the subject further, hope they can make the app a reality regardless of how the contest ends.

Even outside of Montana, itd be great for them as well, said Cowell.
Another opening, another show. International politics has taken its cue from Cole Porter. Not far from Broadway, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) met on January 18, 2017 to reiterate its favorite topic, condemnation of the State of Israel. It follows the ministerial meeting in Paris of January 15, 2017 that ended as expected with a declaration, unanimous with the exception of the UK, to reaffirm the Palestinian right to statehood and sovereignty, and "end the occupation that began in 1967."

The Paris conference welcomed UNSC Resolution 2334 of December 23, 2016 that condemned Israeli settlement activity, and all (unspecified) acts of violence and terror. It called for financial support for the Palestinian Authority, and for strengthening support for Palestinian steps to exercise their responsibilities of statehood. The resolution, to put it mildly, was unhelpful to peace. The following day, Palestinian Fatah posted a cartoon praising it by showing a dagger in the shape of a map of the whole of Israel colored with the Palestinian flag. Under the dagger was pool of blood.

There was a noticeable and significant difference between 2334 and the declaration of the Paris conference. Resolution 2334 spoke of a region where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side. In Paris, the phrase democratic states disappeared from the declaration. That declaration imposed no new obligations on Israel but it does allow Palestinians to avoid direct negotiations. To its credit, the UK refused to sign the Paris document.

The UN, and indeed all nations and groups interested in the issue, should recall the Armistice Agreements signed at Rhodes on February 24, 1949, that ended the war between Israel and Arab states that had initiated the war by invading the newly created State of Israel. The agreement with Jordan was signed on April 3, 1949. It reads in part, "no provision of this Agreement shall in any way prejudice the rights, claims, and positions of either Party hereto in the ultimate peaceful settlement of the Palestine question, the provisions of this Agreement being dictated exclusively by military considerations."

The agreements laid down armistice lines, generally known as the Green Line. For the most part the line was akin to the 1922 international border between Egypt and Mandatory Palestine, except that Egypt controlled the area known as the Gaza Strip. It was understood that the armistice line was not a political or territorial boundary.

It should be remembered that at that time no Arab country recognized the legitimacy of the State of Israel, nor accepted the armistice "lines" as any kind of territorial border. Jordan ruled and "annexed" the West Bank, including east Jerusalem and the Old City, after 1949. Thus, the "West Bank" (of Jordan) was created by the 1949 Arrangement. In 1988, Jordan improperly, from a legal point of view, gave the area to the Palestinians. In view of this historical background it is ironic the UNSC is said to be likely to propose recognition of a state of Palestine with borders corresponding to the 1949 armistice lines.

There are two problems with this UN determination to defy international agreements on its partial path to a two-state solution. The first is the seeming inability of Palestinian authorities to organize a political structure. The other is the narrow focus of the UN on Israel, disregarding the violations, political and humanitarian, of almost all other states.

Palestinian activity towards Israel is marked by lack of peaceful intentions. Just looking at the record in 2016, Palestinians between January and October killed more than 11 Israelis and injured 131, including 46 security officers. Israel security forces in retaliation killed 94 Palestinians and injured 3300 in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Israel in the same period.

According to Human Rights Watch, Palestinian armed groups continue to launch rockets from Gaza into Israel, violating the laws of war. Hamas which runs Gaza has never prosecuted anyone, or been prosecuted, for crimes committed during the 2014 hostilities in Gaza.

Areas controlled by Palestinians are not democratic. Palestinians have restricted freedom of expression, tortured and badly treated detainees, and, in Gaza, executed a number of their own people. They have arrested activists for political criticism, for peaceful speech. According to the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), activists who criticized their leaders or policies were tortured and treated brutally.

International organizations say little if anything about the need for these abuses to be rectified before a Palestinian political entity can be created. Similarly, one might logically expect that organizations genuinely interested in dealing with abuses of human rights should be concerned with their elimination. Considering the unending onslaught on Israel for its alleged deficiencies, it is worth comparing that democratic country with just two other Middle East countries.

Again according to Human Rights Watch, in Iran a disturbing policy has been the brutal actions by the security apparatus, reinforced by the judiciary, in putting down attempts of citizens to exercise their rights. In the first months of 2016, certainly more than 200 and possibly over 400, have been executed. Nonviolent crimes such as insulting the Prophet, apostasy, adultery, same sex relations, drug offenses, are punishable by death.

Individuals who are really Sunni Kurds have been arrested on charges of enmity against God, and sentenced to death. Children continue to be executed, and flogging is still a punishment for youngsters.

Nor is Saudi Arabia, now the major enemy of Iran, a bastion of human rights. In operations against the Houthis in Yemen, Saudi Arabia has committed many violations of international humanitarian law, killing more than 4,000 civilians and wounding 7,200, some with cluster bombs. They have stuck civilian homes, markets, hospitals, factories, warehouses, and mosques.

Saudi Arabia represses dissenters and human rights activists engaged in peaceful activity. Comments in public statements or on social media are punished. Bloggers and journalists have been sent to prison for supporting the right of women to drive. Some have even been flogged.

A significant task for the incoming Trump administration is to attempt to redirect the energies and priorities of international organizations. This will mean the end of the interminable biased resolutions against the State of Israel. That will bring peace to at least part of the Middle East.
On last Sundays GPS show on CNN, Fareed Zakaria made an excellent presentation on the rise of illiberal democracies. Our constitutional liberalism inscribed by its framers rightly and deliberately constrained the elements of democracy, which they justly feared, with an elaborate system of checks, limits, and dispersion of power.

The rise of many recent democracies without the liberal foundations of free speech, reason, and tolerance becomes the very example our framers feared; majoritarian rule running roughshod over the minority. Our foreign policys encouragement of democracy without constitutional protections of liberty or a liberal cultural heritage was short-sighted.

Zakaria referred to an essay he penned for Foreign Affairs in 1997, "The Rise of Illiberal Democracy". An excerpt from that essay:

The tension between constitutional liberalism and democracy centers on the scope of governmental authority. Constitutional liberalism is about the limitation of power, democracy about its accumulation and use. For this reason, many eighteenth- and nineteenth-century liberals saw in democracy a force that could undermine liberty. James Madison explained in The Federalist that "the danger of oppression" in a democracy came from "the majority of the community." Tocqueville warned of the "tyranny of the majority," writing, "The very essence of democratic government consists in the absolute sovereignty of the majority."

While his essay in Foreign Affairs proved prescient, the motivation for concern about America following the path of illiberal democracy seems to be the election of Donald Trump.

Zakaria correctly attributed the erosion of mitigating institutions such as the reduction of the power of political parties, and the demise of many voluntary associations so importantly noted by Alexis de Tocqueville.

But he failed to attribute the elevation of democracy above liberty to the progressive movement the Democrats still identify with so solidly. Also from Zakarias essay:

John Stuart Mill opened his classic On Liberty by noting that as countries became democratic, people tended to believe that "too much importance had been attached to the limitation of power itself. That... was a response against rulers whose interests were opposed to those of the people." Once the people were themselves in charge, caution was unnecessary. "The nation did not need to be protected against its own will."

This was precisely the thinking of Woodrow Wilson, our only PhD president, in his actions to reduce the constitutional restraints on democracy. In those early days of the Progressive Era, many states felt inadequate to regulate business interests that dwarfed them in scale, and were willing to accept a stronger central power. Wilson and the progressives responded to constitutional restraints on central power with a platform of greater direct democracy such as the 17th Amendments direct election of senators.

Wilson believed that a professionally staffed administrative state directed by the executive would be free from political influence. While this may seem naive today, change agents have the advantage of seeing the faults of the status quo clearly, while the faults of their proposals must await history to be written. Potential for harm is magnified when time-proven principles are submerged by an ideology of pragmatism in the hands of leader who pretends to know the will of the people.

Such a leader is little more than a demagogue, serving more to shape and exploit the will of the people than to deduce it. The founders and framers understood that "demagogue" and "democracy" originated from the same root.

Franklin D. Roosevelt articulated a stronger central government as a defender of liberty against a tyranny of commerce and an unguided marketplace. He faced constitutional challenges, many which he overcame. Like Wilson he failed or refused to consider the threats to the liberty of the people posed by an enlarged central government.

Constitutional restraints on central power weakened, but remained intact. As the unelected bureaucracies and regulatory agencies grew in number and in size, however, both liberty and democracy suffered. The Supreme Court evolved more to uphold majoritarian legislation than to protect individual constitutional liberties, and executive orders sought to use the regulatory agencies to further bypass the contentiousness and gridlock of congressional legislation.

Obama justified his abuse of executive power with complaints of congressional obstruction. With his pen and his phone, he alone would express the peoples will.

Trump may exhibit authoritarian characteristics and Zakaria is correct is articulating the weakening of some of our restraints on majoritarian democracy, but he is late to the scene of the crime. The essence of the extended progressive movement and the modern Democratic Party had been actions to neuter the constitutional restraints on majoritarian legislation, executive power, and central rule.

The ACA challenged religious freedom, despite assurances to the contrary. Political correctness on college campuses and government agencies abused free speech. The use of government agencies such as the IRS to further political objectives became an insidious form of corruption violating the most sacred liberty of equality before the law.

Perhaps this power in the hands of their worst nightmare, may return the left to principles of constitutional liberalism that Fareed so respects. But why did it take the election of Trump for them to recognize the sacrifice of the principles of constitutional liberty and liberalism to majoritarian democracy that the progressives and Democrats have championed for nearly a century?

Henry Oliner blogs at www.rebelyid.com
A lot of tears have been glistening in Joe Biden's eyes lately, some of them unabashedly coursing down his worn cheeks. No, it's not allergy season in the D.C. basin. It's just that Uncle Joe is waxing even more emotional than usual as he exits almost a lifetime in political office. So when his hands aren't casting about to "comfort" some convenient female, they're creeping upward to wipe away the evidence of his sentimental side.

Seventy-five-year-old Biden has had a long career as a "public servant." He was first elected a U.S. senator from Delaware in 1972 and held that seat for 36 years before serving two terms as Obama's vice president.

Early along life's road, he encountered some personal patches of tragedy. His first wife and daughter were killed in a car crash that was survived by their two young sons, one of whom predeceased his father recently after a terrible ordeal with cancer.

In public office, Joe Biden has likely found permanence as well as prominence. He evolved into a consummate inside-the-Beltway guy, adept at negotiating the murky shoals of Washington's swamp. Over the years, he has become an iconic  and economic  boon to his small state of Delaware; hence, his re-elections were rarely in doubt.

Twice without success, Biden tossed his hat into the presidential ring. In both primaries, his poll numbers languished in the low single digits. One of his campaigns was cut short due to revelations that he had been guilty of plagiarism.

In 2008, when Barack Obama tapped the almost septuagenarian for his running mate, Joe's notoriety began to rise. Before the official announcement, Biden adamantly denied it, telling the press, "You've got the wrong man." Wrong or otherwise  and there were some, like Bill Clinton, who thought him a poor choice for the job  Biden's disclaimer was enough to convince Americans that he was, indeed, Obama's pick.

Joe was delighted. After the election, he and his second wife, Jill, moved into the official vice president's residence on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory but kept their digs in Dover. Regarded by some as Obama's lapdog, Biden preferred to project himself as the younger man's wise and more experienced adviser. He did what was asked of him and played the loyal soldier. Clearly, Obama liked Old Joe and found him unthreatening.

There was a time when Joe Biden was routinely the butt of critics' jokes. He was likened to the embarrassing, addled uncle in the attic. But in recent years, Joe's image seems to have softened. The "gaffe-a-minute" veep's lapses are even excused by some Republicans as "just Joe being Joe." Maybe critics have bigger fish to fry in adversaries like President Obama and Secretary Clinton.

But not all Americans view Biden as a harmless buffoon. Like his boss, he enjoys lecturing us on what we should think and how we should behave. He relishes the role of vice moralizer in chief, often sounding tough and principled, as he did two years ago after reports of the beheading of a second American journalist in captivity among the Islamic State. Biden expressed the resolve of the United States to follow the jihadist murderers "to the gates of hell until they are brought to justice."

The butchers were never tracked down, any more than those who brutally killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi. Still, Biden was often used by the Obama administration as a fire-and-brimstone spokesman when it came to our foes abroad. Perhaps this allowed Obama to reserve his righteous indignation for his homegrown enemies, the Republicans.

At times, Biden comes across as a brazen hypocrite. He gave a speech recently in which he urged the Senate to take up Obama's discarded election-year Supreme Court nomination. Yet as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee back in 1992, Biden had created a "blockade " based on what he called a "tradition" against acting on SCOTUS nominations in an election year. At that time, his partisan motive was to allow incoming president Bill Clinton to fill the vacancies.

And then there's Biden the provocative prevaricator, resorting to wild rhetoric in order to score political points. Remember how he told a black audience that the GOP would "put y'all back in chains"?

Uncle Joe has also shown a penchant for acting insensitive and rude. His objective during the 2012 campaign was to humiliate his opponent, Paul Ryan, in their only vice presidential debate. Biden's oratorical skills weren't up to the task, so he reverted to ridicule. Whenever the younger man spoke, smarmy Joe leered , rolled his eyes, mumbled asides, shook his head in disbelief, and generally turned the debate into a disgraceful farce. Nor did the biased moderator do or say anything to admonish his behavior. The collective mainstream press liked Joe and approved of his tactics. Republicans, they might have figured, didn't deserve any better.

Now, four years later, Biden is incredibly posturing as a man of maturity and manners. He called out President-Elect Trump for his rudeness and advised him  with a straight face!  to grow up. It's even been asserted that in meetings of Obama's Cabinet, Joe Biden was the "only adult" in the room. How sad is that?

In this pre-inaugural period, Democrats appear to have "lost it"  not just the election, but the ability to act rationally in its wake. They are attacking not only Trump, but Russia, Putin, Comey, the Cabinet picks, the Electoral College system...and even Melania. Joe Biden may mouth platitudes about the need for a peaceful transition of power, but he's likely relishing every minute of his party's obstructionism.

In one of his parting acts, President Obama awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Ever self-effacing, Joe tearfully said he didn't deserve it. And he wept again at President Obama's Farewell Address in Chicago.

Perhaps the real reason Joe Biden is crying is because he will never achieve his ultimate desire to be the president of the United States. His time has passed, and with it the torch that fueled his highest ambition.

Yet he had come tantalizingly close to jumping into the 2016 political fray, especially when Clinton's campaign faltered. At first, he was consumed with grief over his son's passing. But considering the outcome, he may be kicking himself for staying on the sidelines, convinced that he could have trounced Trump even without the supposed help of foreign villains. We will never know.

Now that Obama is sticking around D.C. with the intention of becoming the universe's highest-profile community organizer, what will happen to Joe Biden? Will he break out of the Beltway and settle down to a life in Dover, Del., with occasional sentimental journeys to Wilkes-Barre, Penn.?

More than likely, he'll hang around Our Nation's Capital as part of the Democrats' plan for a "parallel presidency," whose aim will be to oppose Trump's administration on all fronts. Joe has bragged that he is forever "binded" (sic) to the Obamas. And considering that he still has the mane of a lion and the mighty beast's appetite for power, Joe won't find it all that easy to leave the jungle behind.
The minutes are ticking down to Friday noon, the 20th of January when Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President of the United States.

Back on the 20th of January 1961, I was the 20-year-old president of the San Diego State Young Republicans and was the guest of the Del Cerro Republican Womens Club. They had invited me to share my comments with them about the inauguration of John Fitzgerald Kennedy as president.

I was not a fan of Kennedy. I had knocked on doors, mailed brochures on behalf of Richard Nixon and debated Kennedy fans at the college. I was a Nixon man. Actually, I was an Eisenhower man. I was a California Young Republican and my party had run California for all but four years since 1900. Until Democrats carried the governorship and one U.S. Senate seat two years before the Nixon/Kennedy race they had never won a Senate seat at the polls and had only won one four-year term in the governors mansion (1938-1942).

California Republicans were so strong that under the peculiar open primary -- cross-filing -- system in California, Governor Earl Warren and many Republicans were nominated by both parties in the primary; e.g. Earl Warren was nominated for reelection in 1950 by both Republicans and Democrats, ditto most other statewide Republican officers.

Nixon carried California in 1960. He lost the presidency because more dead people than not voted for Kennedy in Chicago and dead Mexicans voted for Kennedy in Senator Lyndon Johnsons Texas.

Nonetheless, there Nixon was, watching Kennedy take the oath. So were Republican congressmen and senators. Republican Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, a former candidate for president himself, swore Kennedy in. The 1960 election was clearly stolen by Democrats in Illinois and Texas. About 100,000 votes were the difference in the national vote. Had Nixon carried Texas and Illinois, states Eisenhower had carried handily, Nixon would have won. Nonetheless, Nixon did not contest the election. He thought the country didnt need that controversy.

Fast forward to 2016, Donald Trump was smashed in the popular vote with opponent Hillary Clinton carrying my precious California by over four million votes. And though she has kept silent about why she lost, many of her supporters blame FBI Director James Comey and his less-than-exciting declaration that Clinton would not be charged with crimes despite her recklessness, more importantly, the complainers -- the whiners -- declare without any proof that the election was influenced by the Russians.

Though the FBI certainly had some effect on voters, it is hard to see how the Russians could affect any nationwide election in the United States unless they produced irrefutable photos of a presidential candidate in a sexual liaison with a little girl or boy.

Hillary Clinton lost the race because she was dumb to the core. She had no appeal. She lost because she had a fit of stupidity when she decided to avoid government Internet servers so that she could have her privacy and not be held accountable. She lost the race when she was caught lying about secret material in her e-mails. She lost when her office calendar showed people were granted private meetings with her when she was Secretary of State that had donated millions to the Clinton foundation. She lost when Black voters found more important things to do on Election Day. She lost when the geniuses in her campaign ignored Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

Hillary Clinton lost because of her stupidity and that of her campaign geniuses. She didnt lose because of the Russians; she didnt lose because Trump is a genius or because he had a super-smart campaign staff. They were lucky.

Given these real facts, it is beyond this old politicos imagination that an exceptional man like Georgias Democrat congressman John Lewis, who prior to the 2000 election was a personal hero of mine, is acting as dumb as Hillary Clinton. He is reliving his 2000 stupidity of boycotting the inauguration of George W. Bush. I was there.

He says he doesnt consider Donald J. Trumps election legitimate because the Russians were involved. His boycott of the inauguration is joined by (as of this minute, Tuesday) 47 other Democrats in Congress. One in five California House members are joining him. The Congressional Black Caucus is joining him in the boycott. Several Hispanic congressmen are also.

There is only one word to describe the inaugural boycott  STUPID, ESTUPIDO.

I didnt approve what John F. Kennedy stood for but if I had had the opportunity to be in Washington D.C. on January 20, 1961, I would have been there. As it was, I attended the Inauguration of President Bill Clinton on January 20, 1997. I didnt care for him either but I am a profound believer in the United States of America. I celebrate the United States of America. John Kennedy and Bill Clinton celebrated America, too. John Lewis and his very dumb boycotting cohorts are not celebrating the United States of America -- they are turning their backs on the great United States. Their constituents should retire them for being -- like Hillary Clinton -- stupid to the core.
Day one. Every Trump cabinet official will learn how the Obama administration has made racial resentment the major focus of everything they do.

And they have been doing that daily for eight years.

Job one: The Trump brigade will have to decide whether to ignore it, pretend it is good, or rip it out by the roots.

Not one future cabinet member, or their boss at Trump Tower, has indicated they are aware of how widespread this is. How much damage it has done. Or their attitude towards it.

Lets look at a few examples, starting with the easiest, the Department of Justice. For eight years, the two attorneys general have crusaded to let the world know there are too many black people in prison for no reason what so ever -- other than white racism.

Too many arrested. Too many prosecuted. Too many convicted. Too many sent away for too long. And once let out, too many return too soon.

They call it Criminal Justice Reform -- and it is all about white racism and racist police. From the president on down, they say the only reason more black people are arrested than white people is that racist white police pick on black people in black neighborhoods.

And if they pulled the cops out of black neighborhoods and put them in white hoods, the crime numbers would flip and white people would be arrested wildly out of proportion.

This is not something they whisper to each other behind closed doors. Rather, they say it proudly, loudly, and often in public -- easily documented in that scintillating best seller, Dont Make the Black Kids Angry: The Hoax of Black Victimization.

Ready for more fairy tales? How about the Department of Education? Soon after taking office, the Obama people figured out that any disparity between white children and black children in schools -- especially discipline and grades -- is due to one thing and one thing only: white racism.

Thats why the president issued his executive order called the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

They were explicit about the problem and the cause:

African Americans lack equal access to highly effective teachers and principals, safe schools, and challenging college-preparatory classes, and they disproportionately experience school discipline and referrals to special education. African-American student achievement not only lags behind that of their domestic peers by an average of two grade levels, but also behind students in almost every other developed nation. Over a third of African American students do not graduate from high school on time with a regular high school diploma, and only four percent of African American high school graduates interested in college are college-ready across a range of subjects. An even greater number of African-American males do not graduate with a regular high school diploma, and African American males also experience disparate rates of incarceration.

For the better part of the last decade, teams of functionaries from the Departments of Education and Justice scoured the country, looking for disparities. And when they found them, they knew they were the result of one thing and one thing only: white racism.

Every teacher in America knows that. And they know how futile it is to fight the federal bully boys with protestations of innocence that do nothing but provide more evidence of their guilt.

If Trump wants to rip up Obama executive orders, this is a great place to start. Theres a lot more:

At the military academies, students learn white privilege.

At the EPA, they preach the gospel of environmental racism.

At public universities, professors gin up phony tests to prove anyone who does not like racial quotas is a racist.

At the CIA, director James Brennan told the Wall Street Journal his greatest accomplishment as our nations spymaster was fighting for more diversity, despite all the handicaps he had to overcome as a "white male from New Jersey."

Racial quotas and affirmative action is an essential part of every cubicle in every office in every department. Top to bottom.

At the Department of Labor, every bureaucrat knows that white racism causes black unemployment. Many still remember the presidents speech at the funeral of the victims of Dylan Roof in North Carolina, where he talked about racism and how Johnny gets called back for a job interview, but not Jamal.

Or the Dallas funeral for the five cops killed by the black person who hated white people. And how the president reminded his national audience that white racism is still here. Still causing black people to do all sorts of undesirable things.

And white people have to fix that. Because black people are not responsible for their own behavior.

The president has come a long way from the neophyte state senator who reminded the country at the Democratic National Convention we are not a black country or a white country, not residents of red states and blue states, but just one people in the United States.

With just a few days left in his term, President Obama confessed he supported reparations for black people for all the suffering they have endured at the hand of racist white people, but alas, the country was not ready for it. So we must leave that for another administration, presumably the Trump people.

Now the only question is whether Trump and his army are going to be ready to take the helm of a federal government that has made racial resentment a fundamental organizing principle of its existence. Part of the DNA of every policy in every nook and cranny in every federal office.

Or whether they think this cancer of institutional racial resentment can wait another day.

Colin Flaherty is the author of the Amazon #1 Best Sellers, Dont Make the Black Kids Angry and White Girl Bleed a Lot. You can find him on Youtube at Colin Flaherty YouTube Channel.
Few things should have been easier to predict than Trump's victory in the Electoral College. Recall where things stood by 2015: political correctness had become a mix of psychological warfare and threats of institutional punishment. Here was something ever present in people's daily experience, and about which almost no leaders were willing to speak frankly. Along comes a liberator without bloodshed.

Trump had an easy solution to P.C.: resist it by speaking truthfully, and endure the backlash until enough people rebel against it, so it crashes and burns.

For all their waking hours, Americans listened to P.C., a language that is phony, detached, and highly annoying. "Hate" was the new "terror," a vague force that people had to sacrifice all other concerns to fight or else risk being branded un-American. On the radio, at their jobs, among their social networks, even at family gatherings, here and there it popped up again: "you can't say that!" "I'm hurt by that." "You're bullying me." "You're a bigot." Celebrated causes and favored groups mattered  Hollywood stars, LGBTs, the right kind of racial minorities, sexually adventurous women  while other groups were expected to engage in nothing but sacrifice and atonement so those P.C.-approved classes could make all their dreams come true. That these classes are trapped in a nightmare of their own design should not be shocking.

Half of Buffalo has moved out of the city since the 1950s? A wave of suicide is decimating middle-aged white men? Meth has taken over life in a small Wisconsin river town? Divorced veterans are languishing in soup kitchens and homeless shelters across Tennessee? Political correctness has no answers to these problems. In fact, P.C. forbids answers to those problems, because acknowledging them as problems would take away from the focus on "hate." Only "hate" matters, and none of those tribulations can be credibly attributed to hate. It is more important to think about asylum for trans Salvadorans, a boy named Ahmed with a strange clock, and Lena Dunham's foggy memories of being mistreated as an Oberlin student.

If it were true that hatred drove most of what happens in society, then it would be sensible to focus, as the left does, so overwhelmingly on eradicating prejudice. But most of the problems that require political attention deal with things other than people hating other people for their identities, so most of left-wing politics is at best a huge waste of time.

Political correctness not only rendered America unable to address, let alone fix, its most widespread and serious problems. Even worse, it made everybody paranoid, petty, distracted, bitter, and miserable as they suffered their paralysis in silence.

What many take for granted will likely go down in history as one of the ugliest chapters in the history of ideas. Political correctness was arguably cobbled together from the Frankfurt School and Michel Foucault's theories of power (broadly misapplied), projected through the lenses of Judith Butler, Edward Said, and 1980s critical race theory plus early queer studies. By the late 1990s, it was ascendant, functioning as the invisible fuel for not only colleges, but also the courts, corporations, media, intelligence, and finally government.

Some far-left critics condemned this encroaching totalitarianism as "neo-liberalism" or "neo-conservatism," but they were too attached to the identity politics they wanted badly to transcend. On contrarian sites such as CounterPunch, they never found a way to break with it. That is a major reason why Trump had to rise up on the right, not on the left. The left was ultimately entangled too much with the overgrown tendrils of academia, which relied on state and federal funding.

If you have never been publicly accused of bigotry, you may have a difficult time understanding what political correctness means for the ordinary citizen who cannot afford to be fired, does not retain a personal lawyer, has no publicist, and lacks the resources to rescue his reputation from the onslaught of a left-wing character smear.

To be called "antigay," for instance, and to end up on lists like GLAAD's Commentator Accountability Project or the Human Rights Campaign's "Export of Hate," one may do nothing more than simply believe (as I stated publicly) that children ought to have a mother and father, therefore gays should not adopt. Once you get on such lists, you cannot get off them. Try to engage your critics, and they use everything you say against you. Apologize, and they get worse.

Smears are pushed to the top of Google rankings and seem to appear on Facebook news feeds whenever articles with your name appear. Everywhere you go, a mob awaits you. People at your job find strange reasons to get you called into human resources. And you cannot get rehired anywhere  you are "blacklisted" like union organizers in the Gilded Age. You go home, face your wife and children, and wonder if you will lose your home and go hungry as a family.

These are not small matters. These are fears that people feel in companies all across America, from major media companies to basic workplaces like a bank, a nursery, or a metals processing plant.

"Bigot! Hater!" These used to be allegations that might make one less attractive on the social scene, but nowadays they are as deadly as being accused of sorcery in 1690 in Massachusetts, or of sodomy in 1890 in London, or of Communism in 1953 in Washington, D.C. The social contexts for such allegations broadened, from professional moments like a job performance review ("can you explain what we found when we Googled you?") to simple settings like a chat on a ride home from a party ("Dude, it's not okay that you said that in front of my gay friends."). Even more than Joe McCarthy or Queen Victoria's scouts or the Puritans of Hawthorne's imagination, the enforcers of political correctness were willing to weaponize every milieu from the most public to the most intimate.

Contrary to what many allege, Trump's campaign did not lack for policy specifics. He had a clear position on trade, immigration, jobs, court appointments, religious liberty, and education. But the specifics didn't matter as did the most basic promise that his supporters watched him keep, week after week, during the campaign. He did not surrender to the swarming and mobbing of political correctness. This gave us a ray of hope  perhaps there was a better world than the one in which we lived, where we did not have to live in fear, and we could speak openly about the problems around us, without fearing for our jobs and social standing.

The bien-pensant class thought Trump could never win, because they had no grasp of how many people were suffering in severe, personal ways due to political correctness. Sanders, Stein, Clinton, and Johnson supporters all assumed, incorrectly, that the masses would identify with victims of "hate" rather than with victims of P.C. Many who voted for Clinton probably worried that Trump's ideology would take away their P.C. high ground, but there were too many people who saw P.C., not hate, as the real oppressor, so Clinton lost.

All the pundits and cognoscenti had to do was simply ask people who supported Trump why they supported him. I supported Trump publicly from fairly early (warming to him by December 2015 and then all-out celebrating him by March 2016 and essentially endorsing him soon after). I can bear witness to how few people really did ask us what we were thinking. While I did find friends berating me for publicly backing Trump, unfriending me on Facebook, and warning me I'd never be invited on their circuit again, I cannot recall even one person, left-wing or right-wing, just calling me and asking me: "Why do you like Trump?"

I suspect that I am not the only one of 62,955,363 Trump voters whom the elites felt they knew better than I could possibly know myself. Consider the countless experts who weighed in on why Trump was gaining in popularity and who described nothing that was going on in my head or the head of any Trump supporter I knew:

Stephen Hawking said Trump appealed "to the lowest common denominator."

Vox's "Seven Experts" didn't try to explain why voters liked Trump so much as why polling companies undercounted those who did like him. They blamed people not answering landline calls from weird numbers. Oddly enough, I found that when I sought to explain my enthusiasm about Trump to journalists stumped about his strong polling numbers, they usually avoided me because I wasn't what they were looking for.

The Washington Post is about the last place on earth I would go to find insights about Trump voters. They published a blithe and cocky column explaining why people like Trump "for people totally confused by it." Of course, highest are the two cliches floated to explain the mysterious Trumper: we hate immigrants (racism!) and we're "sick of the political establishment" (we're just throwing a temper tantrum like angry white men!).

Time narrowed it down to five basics: he's an outlaw, he makes a lot of money, he speaks his mind, he's authentic, and he symbolizes success. While this analysis is slightly better than simply saying Trump voters are misogynists, reactionaries, white supremacists, or stupid Nazis, Time's reading falls back on an old Marxist default: the commoners who vote for conservatives have false hopes that they are going to be rich one day and are fooled into "voting against their own interests." (Recall the controversial line from 1776 cut out on orders of Richard Nixon: "men with nothing would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor.")

To be fair, the misprision did not exist solely on the left. Consider Diana West's now famous lexicon of anti-Trump insults by right-wingers (hint: it is very long).

None of the aforementioned Trumpological errors are meant to detract from the hilarious post-election explanations that Trump really won because of the KKK, fake news, lost ballots, the FBI's misconduct, or Russian espionage.

Whether it was Paul Krugman, Van Jones, Jonah Goldberg, Maggie Gallagher, or Russell Moore, the Trumpsplaining pundit leaned to pathology, diagnosing 2016 as an illness and hoping to heal from it. They could not see how P.C. was the disease and for most of us, Trump was the cure. A pathological interpretation would require, at best, a sincere effort to listen to the "patient" explain his or her symptoms, or even manifest symptoms at all.

I cannot speak for 62 million people. But I can speak for a lot, and perhaps most of us, who voted for Donald J. Trump. There was no evil motive underlying our decision to break with the received wisdom from the left's Mt. Olympus and the right's Mt. Parnassus. We didn't vote for him out of hate, raw emotion, senseless rage, self-pity, a delusional self-image, or failure to understand policy. We voted for him because we predicted  correctly!  that a Trump victory would bring about a positive change in our lives.

On the night Trump won, I tweeted this message:

I think the gates of Heaven have opened up and armies of angels have descended onto my dark miserable world, bringing joy and hope.

As a humanities professor, I realize that this is completely over the top and ridiculous. But it's true. Since Trump won, I find a huge burden lifted from me. So much of people's ability to make me afraid to speak honestly pointed ultimately to Obama's presence at the top of the chain of being, to marshal civic powers against anyone accused of hate. Without the IRS, the Department of Justice, the intelligence community, and the whole federal behemoth backing up the P.C. troops on the streets, we are...free.

It feels wonderful, and Trump isn't even president yet.

Robert Oscar Lopez can be followed at English Manif, Souncloud, and CogWatch.
Looking forward to the inauguration of the new president, and to the peaceful transfer of power the event is meant to signify, I wondered who these people are who so oppose Mr. Trump that they will be demonstrating against him this inaugural weekend. I was inspired to revisit the exit polling data, to gain a more granular understanding of the election results, and I was pleased to discover therein an important truth. Of course, the accuracy of exit polls can be influenced by voters who report a choice or a characterization of themselves that is not true, but it's our most thorough insight into the electorate and the choices made.

The list below identifies meaningful categories of voters who, according to an analysis of CNN exit poll data (24,558 respondents), supported Mr. Trump. They are ranked in order of importance to the total vote based on weighted net margin. The first two categories listed can be regarded as decisive in the election  both provided a favorable outcome to the president-elect.

The repeal of Obamacare has been an important issue for the Republican Party since the law's passage in 2010 and has been a big issue in elections since then. It is likely the most important factor accounting for Republican gains in Congress during the Obama presidency. That issue favored Trump in the November election by a margin of 1.3 points.

Immigration has been Mr. Trump's signature issue, from the very beginning of his campaign. While his policies on immigration remain somewhat inchoate, the public knows his leanings on the subject. In this election, native-born citizens favored Trump by 4 points, while naturalized citizens favored Clinton by 33 points. Given the overwhelming proportion of the former in the polled electorate (91%), this issue cut in favor of Trump by 0.7 points and can be seen as a proxy judgment on the politics of immigration.

In comparison, Hillary Clinton did not promote any signature issues in her campaign. Her focus was on Donald Trump himself  she advanced and relied on her view that he is unfit for the office.

Unlike the first two categories, the others listed were not decisive in the election. While Trump had the support of the several cohorts listed, the complement (or opposite) to those chose Hillary Clinton, resulting in a small net margin in her favor (ranked in order of significance to the total). Taken together, the other categories may help us characterize Trump voters, but they are not the defining elements of his victory.

Donald Trump was supported by voters who:

thought Obamacare went too far, were natural-born citizens, were Christians, doubted Hillary Clinton's honesty, were white, had an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party, were either Republican or independent, were over the age of 40, were male, were veterans, were dissatisfied or angry with the federal government, were concerned about Supreme Court appointments, resided in suburban or rural communities, were married, were most concerned about the ability to bring change, and had an income in excess of $50,000.

Interpreting the data in light of recent events, it is fair to conclude that the purported Russian meddling in the election did not determine the outcome. Assuming that the DNC hacks were indeed perpetrated by Russian agents, the information disclosed in the leaked emails called into question the integrity of the party leadership and of some members of the press. While Trump won the votes of those with a low opinion of the Democrats, those votes were outweighed by those with a favorable opinion of the party, resulting in a 1.3-point net margin in Mrs. Clinton's favor. Russian hacks did not swing a majority to Trump.

Of course, Hillary Clinton's honesty and email problems figured prominently in the campaign, but they do not appear to have been decisive (nor were they the result of Russian meddling). The overwhelming majority of voters (63%) were bothered by the private email issue, and Trump won those voters by a wide margin  45 points. But the voters who were not bothered by the emails (36%) favored Mrs. Clinton by an even wider spread, 85 points. Thus, the issue was not decisive in Trump's favor  it fell to Clinton's advantage by a net 2.3 points.

Given the breakdown of the polling data, it seems fair to conclude that the election was decided on two big issues: Obamacare, foremost and most clearly, and immigration. Issues of character and personality, which the anti-Trumpers claim as their greatest concerns, were not the decisive factors, nor were culture or demographics.

We experienced a historically unusual election, one fought by two candidates individually disliked by much of the population. The Republicans and Trump overcame that handicap because they made Obamacare and immigration their leading (though not only) issues. Hillary Clinton stuck with her argument that Donald Trump is unfit to serve as president.

Based on the rhetoric in the press and social media in advance of the inauguration, the demonstrators mobilizing this weekend seem to be stuck in the view of Trump on which Mrs. Clinton campaigned. Perhaps they are also agitated now by fear of changes to come, recognizing now that there were indeed issues at play in the election, that their candidate lost, and that elections have consequences.

Americans lived through a long and intense campaign, novel in many ways. The people recognized the deficiencies of both candidates and chose Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. Analysis of the exit polling data shows that the choice was made on how the candidates stood on Obamacare and immigration. That is a legitimate choice to have been made. The Republicans won on real issues. That is the true history of the 2016 election.
That deafening silence you hear is the outcry, or lack of it, among Democrats and liberals for President Obama's commutation of Pvt. Bradley/Chelsea Manning, sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking sensitive information to WikiLeaks. Their outage is reserved for WikiLeaks guru Julian Assange, who, with the Russians, allegedly, cost Hillary Clinton the presidency by revealing the emails of the DNC and John Podesta.

Unlike the Podesta and DNC emails, which revealed Democratic bigotry and corruption and collusion with liberal media outlets, Manning's leaks did real damage to American national security and put lives at risk. It was bad for the Russians to influence the election by allegedly being the ones to reveal these truths, but wrong for it to be revealed how the DNC hacked their own primaries to tip the scales against Bernie Sanders.

As the New York Times reports, Bradley/Chelsea's commutation may have less to do with justice and more to do with political correctness and Manning's attempt to change his sex being a "get out of jail free" card:

The decision by Mr. Obama rescued Ms. [sic] Manning, who twice tried to kill herself [sic] last year, from an uncertain future as a transgender woman [sic] incarcerated at the men's military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. She [sic] has been jailed for nearly seven years, and her [sic] 35-year sentence was by far the longest punishment ever imposed in the United States for a leak conviction.

By calling himself a woman, Manning managed to transform himself from a traitor to a victim. As House Speaker Paul Ryan stated in reaction, Manning's commutation is an outrage committed by an outgoing administration allegedly worried about hackers and leakers while commuting the sentence of one of the worst, a move sure to incentivize others. As The Hill reported:

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Tuesday forcefully condemned President Obama's commutation of former Army soldier Chelsea Manning's prison sentence for leaking classified information. "Chelsea Manning's treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation's most sensitive secrets," Ryan said in a statement. "This is just outrageous." Ryan added Obama's decision would embolden others who previously feared punishment for leaking classified materials. "President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security won't be held accountable for their crimes." Manning was serving a 35-year-prison sentence before Obama's commutation Tuesday, the longest ever imposed for a leak conviction. The former solider [sic] was convicted in 2013 after leaking classified information that was later publicly disclosed by WikiLeaks. Manning, who was originally slated for release in 2045, will now receive freedom on May 17, seven years after entering prison.

Is American national security less important than pandering to the LGBT community? Let the debate begin on which restroom Bradley/Chelsea will use if he ever visits North Carolina. Maybe if Julian Assange became just Julia, his accusers would change their tune.

This isn't the first time Bradley/Chelsea has received special treatment. Manning's alleged need for taxpayer-funded surgery to look like a woman came amid the scandal of veterans dying wile on VA waiting lists. As Investor's business Daily editorialized in May 2014, as approving Manning's surgery was progressing through channels:

The Pentagon tries to transfer convicted national security leaker Bradley Manning to a civilian prison to treat a gender disorder while veterans suffer and die waiting in vain on phony Veterans Administration lists. Or should we say Pvt. Chelsea Manning, the name chosen by the convicted leaker of sensitive classified documents to anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. Manning has asked for hormone therapy and to be able to live as a woman and the Pentagon is trying to help[.] ... Meanwhile, the medical needs of veterans who have not betrayed their country but rather served it honorably fall victim to wait-list fraud in at least seven Veterans Administration facilities around the country, a very real scandal that has reached President Obama's home state of Illinois at the Hines VA Medical Center just outside his hometown of Chicago[.] ... Germaine Clarno, a VA social worker and employee representative in Chicago, told CBS News that at the Illinois facility there were multiple secret waiting lists designed to hide the fact that veterans were not receiving timely medical care and sometimes not at all[.] ... Her story mirrors those at other VA facilities, including the one in Phoenix, where Dr. Sam Foote revealed the scandal in which up to 40 veterans may have died. Sally Barnes-Breen told Sen. John McCain at a recent town hall meeting how her 71-year-old father-in-law, a Navy veteran, died while awaiting an appointment at the Phoenix VA. Thomas Francis Breen had bladder cancer and died Nov. 30.

Surgery to make Bradley/Chelsea Manning look like a woman, but no care for dying vets? Such was and is the priority of liberal Democrats and the outgoing Obama administration. Show mercy to our veterans, not to transgendered traitors.

Liberals say someone like Bradley/Chelsea Manning shouldn't be trapped in the wrong body. But traitors should remain trapped in the right prison.

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investor's Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
Obama commuted the remaining 28-year prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the Army intelligence soldier convicted of violating the Espionage Act in 2010 by leaking State Department cables and military information to WikiLeaks. This means Manning, a traitor, served just seven years of a 35-year prison term.

The commutation shows that Obama considers leaking confidential military information and documents about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and diplomatic classified information not as serious as leaking emails that document the truth that Hillary lied, that Obama lied, and that Hillary sold access to the State Department. Obama is more upset that Russians may have leaked emails about Hillary than he is that Manning leaked classified military and diplomatic documents during a time of war.

The commutation comes in the middle of the campaign by Obama and the MSM about the threat to our election system supposedly caused by the supposed Russian hacking of John Podesta's and the DNC's emails that were leaked to WikiLeaks. Obama expelled 30 Russian diplomats, called for sanctions, and demanded congressional hearings, aided by the ever compliant John McCain.

Obama has our intelligence agencies investigating the Russian "interference."

Obama has his CIA chief, Brennan, lecture Trump about the "Russian threat."

This narrative of Russian "interference" is important to Obama because Hillary lost, which is the loss of his third term and rejection of his agenda, despite the furious campaigning by Obama, Michelle, and Joe Biden for Hillary. Obama has to explain the loss and wants to cast doubt on Trump's win and weaken Trump's presidency.

In 2010, Robert Gibbs, Obama's press secretary, presumably speaking for Obama, described the effects of Manning's release of over 250,000 State Department cables:

[T]hese cables could compromise private discussions with foreign governments and opposition leaders, and when the substance of private conversations is printed on the front pages of newspapers across the world, it can deeply impact not only US foreign policy interests, but those of our allies and friends around the world.

In 2010, even then-senator John Kerry called Manning's crime "a reckless action which jeopardizes lives by exposing raw, contemporaneous intelligence."

It seems that Gibbs's statement in 2010 was just political blather because Obama had to run again in 2012. Now that Hillary lost and Obama's term ends in two days, thank God, Obama shows by deeds his true beliefs. He does not care about national security; he cares only about winning elections.
A man with a homicide warrant out of Mississippi was arrested Wednesday morning in Sheridan, Wyo., according to the Sheridan Police Department.

A press release from SPD states that Jeremy Douglas Mcelvin, 27, was arrested at about 10:10 a.m. at a residence on the 1500 block of Omarr Avenue in Sheridan on a homicide warrant out of Pike County, Miss.

The Pike County Sheriffs Office in Mississippi contacted the SPD after receiving an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers that Mcelvin was in Sheridan, according to the release.

Mcelvin followed all instructions from arresting officers and was arrested without incident, the press release says. There was no threat to local residents.

Mcelvin is being held in the Sheridan County Jail, said SPD Detective Lt. Tom Ringley.

Law enforcement agencies involved in the arrest include the Sheridan Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, according to the press release.

Mcelvins residence is listed to be in Summit, Miss., according to the press release. The town of Summit is near the Louisiana-Mississippi border.
The Manning story has been getting all the attention. By the way, I don't think President Obama would have commuted the sentence if Chelsea were still Bradley. In other words, this is preposterous pandering to transgender groups in the Democratic Party. It's easy to be cynical after eight years of President Obama.

Another story is getting less attention. I am talking about the case of Oscar Lopez Rivera. His sentence was commuted, too.

For the left, Lopez Rivera was some kind of a freedom fighter or some romantic figure against U.S. colonialism.

Lopez Rivera was is no such thing, as Matthew Hennessey wrote:

During the 1970s and 80s, Lopez Rivera's FALN placed more than 130 bombs in American cities. Their goal was to destabilize what they called the "Yanki capitalist monopoly" and achieve Puerto Rican independence. Their method was terrorism. In 1974, the FALN began planting booby-trap bombs around New York. While most of these early explosions caused only property damage, the group's clear intention was to kill and maim. In December 1974, an NYPD officer responding to a report of a dead body in an abandoned building on 110th St. was seriously injured by an FALN incendiary device. In January 1975, a 10-pound dynamite bomb killed four people and injured dozens at Fraunces Tavern. The powerful blast was felt blocks away. In an eerie foreshadowing of 9/11, dust-covered victims staggered through downtown streets. The FALN quickly took responsibility for the deadly deed... On Aug. 3, 1977, the FALN struck again in a coordinated attack in Midtown. An alert office worker at 342 Madison Ave., near 43rd St., noticed a suspicious package and evacuated the building. No one was hurt in the subsequent blast. Workers at the Mobil Building at 150 East 42nd St. weren't so lucky. An FALN bomb planted there killed 26-year-old Charles Steinberg. The building's ground-floor windows blew out and several New Yorkers were critically injured by a shower of glass... When Lopez Rivera was arrested in 1981, the FBI found six pounds of dynamite and four blasting caps in his Chicago apartment along with numerous fake IDs. He was convicted in federal court of seditious conspiracy, violation of the Hobbs Act, illegal weapons possession, and interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles. In 1988, his original sentence was extended 15 years after authorities disrupted an escape plot that included a plan to murder prison guards. In 1999, President Bill Clinton offered to commute the sentences of 16 imprisoned FALN members. Most accepted, but Lopez Rivera choked on the condition that he renounce his terrorist past. In 1998, he'd told a reporter, "The whole thing of contrition, atonement, I have problems with that."

This is a story of man who showed no remorse but rather stayed an angry man. His release will bring no satisfaction to law enforcement officers or their families. On the contrary, this release will raise questions about President Obama's commitment to the men and women who risk their lives every day to fight people like Lopez Rivera.

He continues to say that Puerto Rico is a U.S. colony.

We do know that the international left has always seen Lopez Rivera as a political prisoner. The left regards him as a man who fought for his homeland's independence. Yet the people of the island have voted several times to maintain their special relationship with the U.S.

What a disgrace, is all I can I say. My guess is that there are probably a couple more in the next 48 hours.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
With all the negative headlines about Donald Trump in international news outlets, especially owing to reports of a pending "Muslim ban," it is noteworthy that a high-ranking member of the Indonesian cabinet has just written favorably of Trump in The Straits Times, which is the major newspaper in nearby Singapore and which will give this Indonesian official's viewpoint a greater regional audience than if it had appeared only in the Indonesia press.

The opinion article is entitled "Indonesia May Have a Trump Card in the New America."

The minister praises Trump, saying Trump "opens a window of strategic opportunity for Indonesia in its relations with an enduring partner." He cites Trump's character as evidence, noting that he is not a "wrecker," but a "builder." He also predicts that Trump will be tough on ISIS and will forego the ideological hectoring against Beijing and Moscow that, from Indonesia's viewpoint, often sours bilateral U.S. relations.

Also of note is that the American Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, which is non-political but generally expresses a traditional globalist and centrist mindset, highly commends this opinion piece to its members.

The Indonesian official is Luhut Pandjaitan, coordinating minister for maritime affairs and formerly coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs. His country is, of course, mostly Muslim, democratic, the world's fourth largest in total population, very dependent on international trade and the target of radical, violent jihadist groups.
A young woman in Pakistan married a man her family didn't approve of. She stayed away from her family because she had the silly fear her family might try to harm her. What was there to fear? Silly girl!

Before long, representatives of her family came to assure her she was in no danger. In fact, she was told her mother even wanted to throw her a wedding reception! Well, here's how the wedding reception went:

Zeenat Rafiq had been married to her husband for just one week[.] ... Her mother, Perveen Bibi, had never approved of her relationship with Hassan Khan, a classmate. But now, all was forgiven, her mother told her. Come home to celebrate so you're not branded as an eloper. Rafiq's mother and an uncle arrived with something of an olive branch: if you let Rafiq return home, they said, we'll arrange a formal wedding reception[.] ... It took some coaxing, but a male relative guaranteed Rafiq's safety[.] ... Rafiq nervously agreed. But there was no celebration on her return to the family's 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 mother's sister told Agence France-Presse at the time. Such "honor 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.

The article goes on to quickly add that a few Pakistani clerics issued a fatwa against honor killings, but the fact is that honor killings are closely bound to Muslim culture, and not just in Pakistan.

This is not civilized human behavior. If anything, it is more reminiscent of Star Trek's Klingons than human behavior, with the former's obsession with "honor" as well as killing. Was Gene Roddenberry ahead of his time?

Ed Straker is the senior writer at NewsMachete.com.
Eight years of Barack Obamas tenure has come to an end. We are also winding down on the first, and maybe last, term of Iranian president Hassan Rouhani. This should mark the long overdue end of the U.S.-Iran appeasement doctrine, based on a mirage of reformists and/or moderates actually existing inside the extremist establishment ruling Iran.

If you search mainstream media for news about Iran, there has always seemed to be an ongoing deafening chorus of reformists gaining the upper hand. This has a long history.

When then-senior cleric Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani became president back in 1989, many claimed he was a newly found reformist, forgetting his role as commander of Irans armed forces through the eight-year-long Iran-Iraq War and the horrific summer 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners across Iran. Rafsanjani can also be dubbed the father of Irans nuclear weapons drive and went on to launch an atrocious series of assassinations targeting exiled dissidents, dubbed the chain murders.

Then came Mohammad Khatami, and the appeasement camp in the West went mad, claiming he, too, was a reformist and moderate, with their sole argument most likely based on the fact that he smiled. During his first term, Khatami showed his true face by blessing the vicious crackdown of the 1999 student uprisings that rattled the very foundations of the mullahs entire establishment.

When Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei needed to tighten his regimes belts following the toppling or the occupation of neighbors Iraq and Afghanistan, he selected  yes, selected  firebrand Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president to pursue his nuclear weapons drive, parallel to covert meddling in Iraq and across the entire Middle East.

During this phase, instead of admitting to their failure in finding any so-called reformist or moderate in Iran, the Wests appeasement entourage claimed that their initiative was neglected and did not receive the support it deserves. They seemingly forgot the support they enjoyed from the long slate of governments and mainstream outlets.

In 2013, when Khamenei realized he could no longer continue his macho tactics in the face of international sanctions bringing his economy to its knees, he pulled another reformist out of his hat. Hassan Rouhani, another grinning mullah, was appointed  yes, appointed by Khamenei, since there is no concept of elections, as understood in the West, in Iran  to facilitate his decision to backtrack on his regimes drive for nuclear weapons and save face during the process.

Despite the Wests appeasement camp going the limits in portraying Rouhani as a reformist/moderate figure, they quickly forgot how he served as secretary of the regimes Supreme National Security Council and boasted of deceiving the Europeans during the 2003 Paris nuclear negotiations. During his tenure, Rouhani has presided over nearly 3,000 executions, a record far worse than his predecessors.

On the Syria conflict, Rouhani has continuously supported Irans backing of ruthless dictator Bashar Assad and even opposed calls to halt the violence.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday joined in opposing a call by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to halt all flights over Syria in efforts to get relief shipments through, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Obama is departing the White House, signaling the end of a golden era for the Iranian regime, and the new Donald Trump administration and Republican Congress are taking over in Washington. To this end, the time has come for America to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Iranian people and their long struggle for freedom and democracy.

Nearly two dozen former senior U.S. government officials hand-delivered a letter to now president-elect Trump urging him to work with the Iranian opposition, symbolized in Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an umbrella group including the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

This represents the best possible launching pad to end the appeasement policy based on the illusion of any such notion of reformists or moderates inside the brutal Iranian regime.

Heshmat Alavi is a political and rights activist. His writing focuses on Iran, ranging from human rights violations, social crackdown, the regimes support for terrorism and meddling in foreign countries, and the controversial nuclear program. He tweets at @HeshmatAlavi and blogs at IranCommentary.
With the Obama presidency ending, we see the forces of evil and chaos shrinking and the forces of restoration rising to the occasion. Many movies come to mind to symbolize this. My favorite is the end of The Return of the King, where Sauron's Tower of Barad-dur, deprived of the power of the ring (the presidency), slowly collapses. The giant glowing eye of Sauron, mounted on top of the tower, shifts left and right helplessly as it realizes that its power is ending, much as Obama must be feeling now. Then, finally, the eye of evil bursts, blowing the entire tower of evil to pieces.

Return of the Jedi. Another great metaphor for Obama's departure can be seen in what seems like George Lucas's 219th recut version of The Return of the Jedi, where people are celebrating all over the galaxy as the Empire is overthrown. Watch for James Comey as Darth Vader, who turns good at the end.

The Great Escape. Prisoners of war work for months digging tunnels and assembling tools and supplies for an escape. They are told that all the polling shows that escape from a repressive regime is impossible. It's not.

The Long Walk. Several prisoners escape from a Soviet gulag and walk thousands of miles to freedom in India.

THX 1138. The government doesn't merely control health care; it requires citizens to take pills that control their minds. The police force has been nationalized and goes after anyone who does not take his Obamacare medication. People have to use their assigned doctor whether they like him or not.

Flash Gordon. Flash Gordon overthrows a dictator who survives by pitting one racial group against another.

Brave New World. A black man named Mustapha Mond rules society like a dictator, telling everyone what to eat, think, and do in precise detail. He thinks he is brilliant and walks around wearing a shirt with a giant "A+" sewn on it.

Car Wash. A black man named Duane takes the name Abdullah and tries to rob a car wash. He is foiled and starts crying hysterically when he realizes that his life of jihad is over.

The Wiz. In this black version of the Wizard of Oz, Richard Pryor terrorizes the population as the Wizard of Oz until he is overthrown.

What movie does the end of the Obama administration remind you of?

Ed Straker is the senior writer at NewsMachete.com.
The incoming Trump administration is being coy about which of the preceding administration's unpopular policies will lead off a widely anticipated period of presidential nullification of the many reviled Obama executive orders of the past eight years.

Obama's pen and phone method of governance was a major contributing factor to the Republican victory. Democrats learned the hard way that at least half of America still believes in lawful representative democracy as established and, more importantly, as guaranteed by our Constitution. In November, that same half of America rose up in rebellion against the unpopular federal policies and regulations being crammed down their throats by a dictatorial president who had no hope of getting his programs enacted through Congress as the Constitution decrees. A huge percentage of American counties voted Republican in 2016 for a politically untested businessman candidate, largely because he promised to roll back a long list of these arrogant Obama decrees.

Now much of that same half of the nation waits in gleeful anticipation to see when and where the process begins. The when is hopefully easy  Friday afternoon, after Donald Trump is sworn in  while the where among the many detested Democrat edicts is less certain and assuredly more intriguing.

Adding to the suspense is Trump spokesman Sean Spicer, who dangled this treat at a news briefing Wednesday:

"He's got a few of them probably in the area of four or five that we're looking at for Friday," some of them logistical, Spicer said Wednesday at a news briefing. "Then there are some other ones that I expect him to sign with respect to a couple of issues that have been high on his priority list."

That is like waving a bag of freshly sawed butcher's bones in a dog kennel. You can almost hear the saliva pumping from all those glands. The guy's not even in office yet, and he's got the attention of the American people focused on his actions in a manner his predecessor could only imagine in his wildest hoping and dreaming. And that's all the American people, not just the half who voted for him; the liberal Democrats are watching with the same high anticipation, but with fear, not hope, as their driving emotion.

Just imagine how much fun it's going to be to sit back and watch all those liberal heads exploding with outrage as their beloved royal decrees disappear with the stroke of a different pen. Maybe a few of the real loons will actually leave for Canada.

So what's your favorite Obama policy or regulation you'd like to see reversed first, and why?
Judging from the questions and answers at Ryan Zinkes four-hour confirmation hearing Tuesday, Montana's lone U.S. representative will soon be confirmed as U.S. Interior secretary.

Zinke mostly, but not completely, agreed with comments from GOP senators. He deftly answered harder questions from Democratic senators. He spoke on points of bipartisan agreement: encouraging collaborative solutions, ensuring multiple use of federal lands to include recreation and natural resource development, protecting public access, respecting Native American treaty obligations, shrinking the $12.5 billion National Park Service deferred maintenance backlog.

Zinke repeatedly talked about building trust with the Americans who are angry and mistrustful of their government. Weve gotta restore trust; people feel like they arent heard, Zinke said.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, gave Zinke her long list of complaints against Obama administration policies that affected oil and gas development in her state.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the committees top Democrat, told Zinke about the need to minimize harm in resource development, and make polluters pay for cleanup.

Zinkes answers seemed to satisfy members of the Senate committee, although Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont challenged him to embrace the scientific consensus on climate change.

On public lands, Zinke was unequivocal: Im absolutely against the sale or transfer of public lands, he told Sanders.

When Sanders asked about treating Native Americans with respect, Zinke noted that bad as the VA is, Indian Health in Montana is worse." As Interior secretary, Zinke would be in charge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and other agencies responsible for fulfilling U.S. treaty obligations to tribal members.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a U.S. military veteran, pressed Zinke on his approach to stopping workplace sexual harassment in Interior Department agencies. Zinke pledged zero tolerance.

When Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., asked if Zinke would end the Obama administrations moratorium on new coal leases, Zinke responded: The president-elect is committed to ending the war on coal. We should invest in coal research and development. We should be leading the world in cleaner energy.

Barrasso followed up by stating that he wants to reverse the new Bureau of Land Management limits on natural gas flaring. Zinke said he is troubled by waste of natural gas at drill sites and suggested that gas recapture systems should be built.

Zinke said he wants more local control in federal land decisions, which he said have been disregarding the neighbors input. He spoke of a need to shore up the front line to empower front-line managers to make decisions in Interior agencies.

Zinke received support from both Montana senators. Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, the only senator not on the committee who spoke at the hearing, told the panel that he was satisfied with Zinkes answers in their one-on-one meeting. I trust that a Navy SEAL, as always, will shoot straight, Tester concluded.

Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines, a member of the Senate natural resources committee, recalled first meeting Zinke in 1979 when they were both delegates to Montana Boys State. Daines praised Zinkes work ethic and his U.S. Navy service.

Hes got Montana horse sense, Daines said.

Its important to have a leader who understands Montana and the West at the helm of Interior. Zinke is well qualified to become the first Montanan to serve as secretary of a U.S. government department.
Edward Snowden criticized BlackBerry over its supposed stance on privacy, claiming that the Canadian company follows the AT&T model by not considering individuals as customers and acting like governments are its real customers. During a video call with organizers of the Toronto-based Cantech 2017 Investment Conference, Snowden made numerous harsh claims about BlackBerry and its alleged anti-consumer practices. The Canadian tech firm has yet to issue a comment on Snowdens accusations.

The famous whistleblower accused the Waterloo-based company of creating backdoors into its supposedly encrypted BlackBerry Messenger and providing the authorities with access to its customers messages upon request. Snowden isnt the first person who raised these accusations against BlackBerry who already denied them in early 2016. However, the company later vaguely admitted to some allegations, adding that its still adamant to prevent needless violations of its customers privacy but stating that doing whats right sometimes takes precedence. Snowden apparently wasnt convinced by that argument as he accused the company of assisting governments all around the world in spying on their citizens. The whistleblower specifically claimed that BlackBerry is cooperating with the Indian government on user data requests just like its doing in Canada and the United States. Snowden also revealed how he believes that the company is a lot more careful when it comes to dealing with this type of requests in the West.

The ex-CIA contractor said how New Delhi easily strong-armed BlackBerry into assisting the Indian authorities by simply threatening to cut its market access. He compared the company with AT&T, another firm he believes wants to avoid conflicts with regulators even if it has to violate its customers privacy. On the other hand, Snowden praised Apple and its firm stance on user privacy, describing the Cupertino-based tech giant as a role model that all other companies ought to follow. Snowden ended his video call with more harsh words for BlackBerry, stating that the Canadian firm will be erased from the pages of history due to its dealings with various government agencies. Finally, the whistleblower pointed out how the issue of user privacy ultimately comes down to the quality of society, adding that the latter cannot exist without the former.
A new Samsung device bearing a model number SM-J727 has recently been certified by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). While the listing on the website of the communications regulator doesnt really reveal a whole lot about the upcoming smartphone, some media outlets seem to believe that it will be marketed as the Galaxy J7 (2017). A Samsung device boasting a model number SM-J727P was also spotted on Geekbench earlier this month, possibly revealing some key specifications of the upcoming Android phone. That wasnt the only time this Samsung-made device made an appearance on the World Wide Web in recent times. According to a listing on Indias import and export tracking website Zauba, the Galaxy J7 (2017) was imported into the country in late 2016 for testing purposes.

The same device also received its Wi-Fi certification last month, so Samsungs next affordable handset may not be too far away from an official release. If the FCC certification is anything to go by, the upcoming Galaxy J7 (2017) may also be launched in the U.S. at some point in the near future. The aforementioned Geekbench listing from earlier this month suggests that the device will be a mid-range Android smartphone mostly aimed at the pre-paid market. The device is rumored to feature a 5.5-inch 1080p display and be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC that comes with an embedded 64-bit octa-core CPU clocked at 2.2GHz, accompanied by 2GB of RAM.

Imaging options will reportedly include a 13-megapixel primary camera on the back and a 5-megapixel selfie camera on the front. The Galaxy J7 (2017) is also expected to ship with a fingerprint scanner, which is something thats gradually becoming a standard feature for mid-range devices in recent months. The device will allegedly run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box and carry a 3,000mAh battery. While most specifications of the Galaxy J7 (2017) probably dont look terribly exciting to smartphone enthusiasts, the device could end up being successful if Samsung launches it with an attractive price tag. However, its hard to make any specific predictions seeing how theres still no word on how much this device will cost or when it will launch.
The smartphone has moved from a geeky plaything to a ubiquitous part of everyday life for many customers around much of the world. Close to an estimated 1.5 billion devices were sold last year. In the developed smartphone market, defined as North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, plus parts of Asia, many customers are on their second or third smartphone. There are relatively few new customers buying a new phone and this has caused smartphone sales growth to stall. Even including sales into emerging smartphone markets, such as India, global smartphone sales growth is expected to stagnate at only 0.6%. This small growth figure means that the worlds smartphone market is jostling with fierce competition as manufacturers strive to bring the next great thing to the industry.

From a hardware perspective, this is becoming increasingly difficult  at least in the absence of a radical technological development, such as foldable screens or a device able to go for a week between recharging. Virtual reality is not there yet, nor is the imaging and situational awareness that Googles Tango technology brings. 2017s crop of smartphones are likely to represent an evolution of 2016s smartphones, with incrementally better hardware offering a modest real world improvement over the previous generation. One area where manufacturers have been able to show an improvement is in software support: older devices become obsolete after two to three years, and a period of time after this, are unable to run current applications. However, as smartphones become more and more expensive, so customers are keeping smartphones for longer. Citigroup estimated customers replace handsets every 31 months in Q3 2016 compared with inside two years in 2011.

For 2017 it is likely to be software that is a driving force behind manufacturers attempting to differentiate their products from the competition. Space in our homes, offices, cars and on even public transport is evolving with the introduction of more and more high tech gadgets to make life easier. Today we have smart speaker systems, ovens, door locks, laundry machines and dryers, home thermostats and even refrigerators. And despite the introduction of wearable technologies such as smartwatches, the smartphone is still at the center of our technological life: its the platform almost all customers will use in order to control (or at least setup and perhaps maintain) the other electronic gadgets of our lives. It is increasingly becoming the remote control for our life, and it is also acquiring a smart technological underpin.

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We have already seen smartphones accessing smart technologies such as the Google Assistant, but we are seeing software and hardware companies spending considerable sums of money into developing the next generation of smart software, with artificial intelligence and deep learning systems at the heart of this. The addition of smart software on our smartphones will greatly expand how useful these devices are. Artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies will mean we are able to talk to our smartphones using natural language and provide a number of sophisticated commands, or show our device something and it will recognize this. And whilst many vision and speech-recognition technologies are at least partially operated in the cloud, in order to access these technologies in a timely and efficient manner, our devices will need new hardware. However, although some hardware is either ready or very much at the coming soon stage, the software is not ready yet  the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 is a flagship chipset and its underlying smart technologies are unlikely to be commonplace in early 2018.

When the software side of things has improved, customers will be able to use what some industry experts are calling frictionless computing. Frictionless computing is the ability to naturally and easily communicate and instruct flexible, adaptable computers able to do many things for us. This is a vision shared by many science fiction authors and technology manufacturers, but we are going to need to wait until frictionless computing becomes affordable and practical rather than an almost here technology. This technology, if it requires a change in device, could fuel a boost in growth of smartphones but it is likely to be a short term impact.

Instead, the worlds smartphone manufacturers must be considering changing their business models. We have already seen evidence of this: it is difficult to make a profit selling smartphones in todays market. Apple is one exception as the iPhone still produces significant sums of cash, although in 2016 iPhone revenue fell by 13%. At the same time, Apple witnessed 24% revenue growth from its services division, which includes Apple Pay and Apple Store. Apples services division produces only a fraction of the revenue of the headline-grabbing iPhone business, but it may show an important trend. Samsung too is investing into its smart technologies and of course Samsung Pay, and we have seen a number of other Android smartphone manufacturers scrabbling around to diversify their businesses.
Qualcomm promptly denied all antitrust claims mentioned in the complaint filed by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Tuesday. In a public statement published on Thursday, the San Diego-based tech giant said the FTC based its allegations on a flawed legal theory and a significantly flawed portrayal of circumstances surrounding Qualcomms alleged violations of US competition laws. The company asserted that the FTCs complaint demonstrates how this government agency doesnt understand the mobile technology industry, adding how numerous actors who would benefit from Qualcomm being accused of antitrust violations have already earned billions by selling products based on mobile technologies Qualcomm developed.

The companys statement also mentions the FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen who opposed filing the complaint but was overruled by Edith Ramirez and Terrell McSweeny, currently the only remaining FTC Commissioners. Commissioner Ohlhausen opposed her colleagues and heavily criticized their complaint, adding how its telling that they arent even accusing Qualcomm of charging licensing fees that are above the reasonable royalty rate. Don Rosenberg, Qualcomms Executive Vice President and General Counsel also criticized the FTCs decision to rush filing the complaint against the company in the twilight of the current US administration thats set to be replaced on Friday. Rosenberg said that Qualcomm had invested billions into developing technologies that have improved hundreds of millions of lives in the US, adding that the company only engages in broad licensing practices that dont discriminate anyone in the industry and were actually designed to encourage competition. Furthermore, Qualcomms executive pointed out how cellular standard organizations dont require licensing of individual components and said that rewriting industry policies isnt the FTCs jurisdiction.

Regardless of Qualcomms response, the companys shares are currently declining as investors are worried that the US District Court for the Northern District of California will issue a court order to change Qualcomms licensing practices. Potential financial ramifications of that decision wouldnt reflect well on the companys revenue which is why its perceived value on the stock market is currently falling. The FTCs complaint marks Qualcomms second conflict with antitrust watchdogs in less than a month as the company was recently issued a historic anti-competitive fine in South Korea.
Sony Mobile managed to increase their presence in the high-end Android smartphone market in Taiwan, a recent report shows. Over the course of 2016, the company reportedly seized a total of 35% of the Taiwanese market for phones worth $475 or more. This is a marked improvement over their 2015 performance when they held 24% of the same market. This information was provided by Sony Mobiles General Manager for Taiwan, Jonathan Lin. Lin also noted that the company is aiming to raise their share of the high-end Android phone market in Taiwan to 40% by the end of 2017. Provided Sony Mobile manage to achieve that goal, they will become the number one vendor of high-end Android smartphones in the country.

While the phone maker is reportedly planning to unveil two mid-range Android smartphones packing the Mediatek Helio P10 processor at the upcoming Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Lins words indicate that Sony Mobile also have something in mind for the high-end phone market in the near future. The companys official did not state whether Sony Mobile are developing a new phone or a set of phones, or are simply preparing a marketing push for their more premium offerings like the Xperia XZ and the Xperia X Performance. Given Sony Mobiles track record of serving the region with high-end products, their goal of having another 5% of the high-end market in hand by the end of this year seems relatively reasonable.

The competition that Sony Mobile is facing in Taiwans high-end Android phone market includes big names like Samsung who recently had a formidable share of the market, seizing over a quarter of it before the Galaxy Note 7 was recalled. Sony Mobiles latest high-end options available in Taiwan include the Xperia XZ, Xperia X, and the Xperia X Performance. Before it officially launched, the Xperia XZ managed to sell out its preorder allotment in the country in just 45 minutes, which is a testament to Sonys brand recognition in Taiwan. Provided these latest trends continue, its certainly possible that Sony Mobile will manage to seize 40% of the Taiwanese high-end Android phone market by the end of the year.
Shortly before Christmas, men and women across Montana were notified that the road construction projects they were depending on to put presents under the tree this year would be canceled. The jobs they were depending on to provide for their families in 2017 would be lost. The construction of critical state highway projects would be delayed or defunded altogether. Our highway fund is facing an unprecedented budget shortfall, and unfortunately its just one small part of the budget crisis that Gov. Steve Bullock handed the 65th Legislature on day one.

The timing of Bullocks announcement was not insignificant. While he was running a reelection campaign on job creation, infrastructure and sound fiscal management, he buried a looming crisis facing Montana workers, families and businesses.

Then, just weeks after winning a reelection campaign, the Montana Department of Transportation announced a severe budget shortfall that would delay or even cancel $144.5 million of highway projects across the state. Its also notable that this announcement came around the same time that DOT Director Mike Tooley assured his employees via email that his commitment to them remains a top priority, citing a multi-year trend of increasing hiring and assuring that pay raises and career advancement would remain intact.

Meanwhile, they cut 30 approved highway infrastructure improvement projects that it had previous knowledge of. To complete these projects, Montana needs to supply $14.5 million to leverage a matching federal grant of $130 million. Montana can choose to leverage these federal funds or sit back and watch the money flow back to Washington, D.C., only to be transferred to other states to build their highways.

Action must be taken swiftly to move my bill  House Bill 203  to save these projects and the thousands of jobs that they create for the men and women who keep our highways safe.

Our Republican caucus is working hard to create more opportunities for all Montanans, with a focus on a long-term commitment to funding critical infrastructure projects across our state. By leveraging scarce state resources with matching federal funds, we can ensure that these important projects are completed and thousands of people can continue working in Montana.

Its no easy task finding $14.5 million in our states budget, but Republicans are committed to making sure that we dont lose these federal matching funds while our infrastructure needs pile up.

It is my hope that this bill moves swiftly through the Legislature, on to the governors desk and is signed into law. I encourage the people of Montana to contact the governor and urge him to support these critical infrastructure projects across our state and the thousands of jobs they support.
Samsung will go public with its Galaxy Note 7 investigation on Monday, January 23, the companys spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency. Results of Samsungs probe into the matter will be presented by Koh Dong-jin, chief of the companys mobile division. He is expected to finally explain what caused Samsungs latest phablet to overheat and catch fire, which is why the tech giant was forced to discontinue the device in October. Industry observers have recently speculated that the company may have used an old inspection process for inspecting the new manufacturing process of the Galaxy Note 7, but nothing is confirmed as of yet. However, one of Samsungs officials recently said that the firm is looking to clearly point out what caused the Galaxy Note 7 to catch fire, so the upcoming reveal will likely be extremely detailed.

The company is expected to announce its findings during a conference call or a small event thats going to be streamed online. Koh Dong-jin and any other officials present during the event will likely reiterate how Samsung did everything it could to recall the Galaxy Note 7 and went above and beyond of what was legally required from it to ensure the safety of its customers even before airlines worldwide started banning the device on their flights. Samsung will likely confirm that it managed to recall most Galaxy Note 7 units and reveal that it either bricked all of the others or limited their charging capacity to 30%, depending on the region. Following those formalities, the company is expected to go public with its investigation and explain both what was found and how it was found. However, Samsung is unlikely to go into scientific details about its findings as industry watchers believe the firms officials will attempt to explain the issues plaguing the Galaxy Note 7 in laymans terms.

Finally, the head of Samsungs mobile division will likely apologize about the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco one last time before promising the company will do everything it can to make sure something like this never happens again. Its possible that Samsung will also use this opportunity to announce an upgrade program for customers who purchased the Galaxy Note 7 before exchanging it for another device. More information will follow on Monday.
Twitter confirmed its discontinuing the Buy button on Wednesday, months after the development team working on it moved on to other projects. The San Francisco-based social media giant originally introduced the Buy button back in 2014 when many social networks were experimenting with integrating e-commerce functionalities into their platforms. The discontinuation of this feature will be conducted in a gradual manner as the company revealed it just started phasing out the functionality and its related support pages. While online retailers will lose the ability to sell their products directly through Twitter, nonprofits and charities will still be able to accept donations from the Donate button which Twitter isnt planning to discontinue.

The closure of Twitters sales channel has been rumored for several months, ever since the company announced significant layoffs and cost-cutting efforts following its Q3 2016 financial report. Twitter is currently focused on improving the profitability of its operations and streamlining its revenue stream which is currently highly diversified but inconsistent. Stripe, Shopify, Musictoday, Gumroad, and Fancy were among Twitters largest e-commerce partners that used the Buy button, but that endeavor didnt prove to be as profitable as expected. Despite being available for two and a half years, most customers didnt get used to the concept of buying goods and services through Twitter. However, not all social media firms believe this idea is without potential as Facebook is still pushing e-commerce integration into social networks within its Messenger ecosystem.

The discontinuation of the Buy button marks the latest change Twitter went through in the last few years as the microblogging platform is still experimenting with a broad range of features aimed at various audiences. Industry watchers often described Twitters recent moves as an identity crisis seeing how the San Francisco-based company seemingly isnt sure whom to cater to. The firms recent decision to shut down Vine was another attempt to reduce operating costs by discontinuing a service that isnt generating significant profits, just like the Buy button. In overall, its hard to predict where Twitter will go from here, but its reasonable to presume the companys future plans wont have much to do with e-commerce as Twitter is now seemingly looking to focus on its core services.
The Montana Department of Justice will review an investigation into a use-of-force complaint against a Custer County detention officer.

Officials have released little information about what the allegation entails, but an investigation began in early December.

The detention officer, Sgt. Tim Crews, has not been placed on any sort of leave during or since the investigation, Custer County Sheriff Tony Harbaugh said.

The inmate involved in the allegation has not been identified.

Miles City Police Chief Doug Colombik said Tuesday that his department received the request from the Custer County Sheriff's Office on Dec. 6. He called it an "alleged use of force incident."

A detective and a captain investigated and compiled a report, Colombik said, and the report was turned over to Custer County Attorney Wyatt Glade on Jan. 5.

Glade declined to discuss the allegations Wednesday.

"I would prefer not to, given that I'm going to be sending it to the Attorney General's office," he said.

Brant Light, prosecution services bureau chief for the Montana Department of Justice, confirmed that he had received notice of the report. There is no timeline for completion of that review.

It will be up to state prosecutors to review the investigation and determine if the evidence warrants criminal charges.

An earlier version of this story misstated that Light had received the report.
CHEYENNE, Wyo.  Fifteen members of the Wyoming National Guard will be helping with security and other duties at Donald Trump's inauguration this week.

The Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Security Forces Squadron will have 13 people in Washington, D.C.

In addition, the Wyoming Army National Guard will supply two photojournalists to help cover the various activities and events supported by National Guard forces.

They will be among more than 7,500 National Guard members from 44 states, three territories and the District of Columbia at the event.

Wyoming Adjutant General Luke Reiner says it's a great honor for guard personnel to take part in the inauguration.
A Bismarck lawmaker wants to end state involvement in downtown development incentives.

Legislators heard testimony on a bill introduced by Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, to end the states Renaissance Zone economic development program, created to revitalize waning downtowns, in January 2018, in favor of a program run by individual municipalities. After the deadline, no new Renaissance projects could be approved.

Becker said House Bill 1182 is aimed at giving local control on incentives rather than having the program run and regulated by the North Dakota Department of Commerce.

It holds the program closer to the city, Becker said. This bill recognizes that there may be a reason for a Renaissance Zone program to help the locals. It keeps the program closest to the people it affects. It takes away what I would say is the unfair aspect of an income tax abatement which is then borne by people all throughout the state."

Opponents of the bill argued that taking away the states involvement would remove a large part of the programs appeal.

Jim Gilmour, planning director for Fargo, said city property taxes only amount to 20 percent of property taxes paid.

If its only a city property tax exemption  I dont know that thats enough incentive for some businesses to make that initial purchase with the intent of improving a property. I believe it takes an entire 100 percent property tax exemption to really make those projects valuable for some of these more challenging older buildings, said Bismarck Assistant City Administrator Jason Tomanek.

Becker said the bill does not stop cities from joining with park boards, school districts or counties to keep property tax exemptions. He said it could even allow for the program's expansion outside the downtown area, if cities needed it.

"Nothing is taken away from the property tax part," said Becker, who expects local programs already in existence will likely continue to run the same way, minus income tax incentives.

But Rikki Roehrich, a community development program administrator with the Commerce Department, said eliminating income incentives would be a disadvantage to small towns, where lessees, unable to benefit from property tax breaks, make up a large percentage of applicants.

In smaller towns, that can mean the difference between preventing a vacancy or having a new tenant move in, which can be a really big win when we're talking about communities with less than 1,000 residents. Every single new business makes an impact on how its downtown operates and what a community is able to offer its citizens," Roehrich said.

Tomanek said, in Bismarck, he didnt think income tax breaks drew new businesses downtown but they did incentivize it, which led to business owners investing more in their project.

Blake Crosby, executive director of the North Dakota League of Cities, warned against ditching Renaissance Zones for a concept that is untried, untested and perhaps even unusable.

There is nothing wrong with the current Renaissance Zone program; it works, he said. Why eliminate an economic development tool thats ... withstood the test of time?

Crosby lamented the lack of detail in this bill that creates a process, rules, procedures, regulations. He also pointed to the statistic that 70 percent of small businesses fail in their first five years, saying the income tax incentive helps improve those odds.

Others expressed concern that ending the Renaissance program now would make for an uneven playing field between cities that have been able to utilize the program and those that have not.

Mandan City Administrator Jim Neubauer used the delayed implementation of a Renaissance Zone in Mandan, while the city went through a remediation process for a railroad diesel fuel spill, as an example. If the Renaissance program ended in 2018, he said the city would not get to take advantage of state tax incentives for the full life of the program.

Neubauer touted the programs success in Mandan, saying the city has benefited from $17.2 million in new investments, and revenue from the increased property values has brought a payback on the incentives within 2.2 years of projects approvals.

Rep. Christopher Olson, R-West Fargo, said he agrees the program has been successful but raised the question, At what point do we retire it? Does there ever come a point when we say weve arrived? .... Is there a point at which the program has done its job?

Bismarck City Commissioner Steve Marquardt, who did not testify but was in attendance, agreed with the issue raised by Olson and said he thinks the Renaissance program needs to be tweaked, however that may look.

This legislation is one of a number of bills introduced this session addressing local economic development incentives. Also Wednesday morning on the Senate side, lawmakers heard testimony on a related bill, SB2166, not allowing new properties to be added to Renaissance Zone programs while it is part of a Tax Increment Financing district.
Do you "like"? Do you "tweet"? Do you tube? Does your business do any or all of these things and, if so, does it really ...
In opening his presentation to a legislative committee Wednesday, North Dakota State University President Dean Bresciani acknowledged an elephant lurking in the room.

That elephant was the states budget situation, one that lawmakers are grappling with in the early days of the 2017 legislative session as they look to fund agencies and programs with reduced revenue.

Sitting in his 10th-floor office at the state Capitol, North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott acknowledged budget realities, but argued that higher education helps diversify the economy.

We totally understand this is a tough time, he said. Were team players, though.

Brescianis presentation to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday came after a revolving door of campus leaders from across the state made their pitch to lawmakers this week. The University of North Dakota presented on Monday.

Backed by an unprecedented jump in revenue during the recent oil boom, general fund appropriations for higher education spiked 38 percent between the 2011-13 and 2013-15 funding cycles, from $657.8 million to $910.6 million, according to a recent Legislative Council report. That dropped to $837.8 million in the 2015-17 budget cycle, after accounting for recent cuts, and would drop further to $649.9 million under former Gov. Jack Dalrymples proposed budget he presented last month.

Gov. Doug Burgum, citing lagging revenues, proposed even deeper cuts to higher education in his budget recommendations released this week.

In an email to Forum News Service this week, NDUS spokeswoman Billie Jo Lorius said the system had about 7,000 employees at the beginning of the current two-year funding cycle, which ends June 30. It cut 500 full-time equivalent positions, about 200 of which were already vacant, to comply with budget cuts.

Louris said the extra $31 million reduction in Burgums budget could potentially mean another significant reduction in FTE positions.

But North Dakota has bucked the trend on higher education spending in recent years. Between fiscal years 2008 and 2014, state spending per student here increased by 38.6 percent, easily the most in the nation, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Alaska was the only other state to increase funding during that period, while Arizona saw a 48.3 percent drop, the report said.

Sen. Dick Dever, R-Bismarck, a member of the Appropriations Committee, said the states budget situation should be seen as an opportunity to really evaluate and make permanent adjustments. He said most university presidents and administrators who spoke to the committee said they will do what they need to do.

I think we have some good opportunities out there, Dever said.

In his presentation to legislators Wednesday, Bresciani warned cutting faculty would result in larger class sizes. He also highlighted a high-priority capital project that would involve demolishing Dunbar Hall and constructing a new building. The university is seeking more than $49 million in state funds for the project.

But Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ray Holmberg, R-Grand Forks, said he would be extremely surprised if the Legislature funds capital projects this time around. He noted Burgums budget eliminated a $25 million transfer to Valley City State University for a new communications and fine arts building -- the only such project for which Dalrymple proposed funding.

We need to think strategically during the next interim about how we deliver higher education to students through existing infrastructure, Burgum said in a news release announcing his budget recommendations.

Burgums budget would boost challenge grants to generate $20 million in matching funds through public-private partnerships. Lorius said challenge grant funds typically are dedicated to scholarships and are not used for operational costs.

Kathleen Neset, chairwoman of the State Board of Higher Education, said this week that the board will make it work, but said the system is facing difficult cuts. Still, she said higher education would streamline its work.

"We do not have $10-a-bushel wheat. We dont have $100 oil anymore, either, Neset told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday. We have to work within these guidelines.
As millions watch their television and computer screens at home Friday morning, three University of Mary seniors will get an up-close view of Donald Trump's inauguration.

The students are members of Marauders on Politics, a newly established nonpartisan campus group that helped students vote in the 2016 election. The group's adviser, Mike Taylor, an associate professor of education, will accompany the trio to what will be his fifth presidential inauguration.

Gage Sitte, Veronica Dvorak and Ryan Shields worked throughout the summer and the election season to inform students about presidential and statewide candidates and where they stand on issues, as well as the state's 2016 ballot measures.

Shields, who is from Whitehull, Mich., is majoring in sacred music with a minor in liturgy. He said the group's first meetings centered around the televised debates. In the days leading up to Election Day, the group  composed of about 25 members  set up table outside the university cafeteria and talked with students about voter information and candidates.

Because of their get-the-vote-out efforts, Taylor decided it'd be fair to let them see the fruits of their labor and attend the upcoming presidential inauguration.

I thought it would be a good culmination to their involvement to see kind of the climax to the process," he said.

The students packed their bags and caught an early-morning flight Wednesday to Washington, where they will shake hands with lawmakers and eat Georgetown cupcakes.

Marauders on Politics, or MOP, was formed in April after school administrators and President James Shea noticed the partisanship of student groups  such as young Democrats and Republicans  was starting to "wilt away" at the university, Taylor said.

"They werent as vibrant; there werent as many people active," he said.

Taylor and another professor, Karen Rohr, expressed an interest in helping start a student group.

"I thought it was at a critical time leading up to the primary season and into the general election," Taylor said.

Our main focus was voter information, said Sitte, of Lisbon, who is majoring in history education. How do we get students informed about whos running, what are the issues, how do they vote, and things like that? Because there is voter apathy, really, and we thought: How do we address that issue?

On Election Day, MOP helped coordinate a shuttle, which ran every hour to the university's polling place at United Tribes Technical College. The group also helped coordinate a voting effort among student athletes on campus.

For Sitte and Shields, it was their first time voting in a presidential election.

It had a personal aspect to it.  Im trying to help inform others on voting. How do I formulate on the issues or the candidates? It makes it more personal, because its like I feel for everyone else that is trying to learn how to vote, as well, Sitte said.

Taylor, Sitte and Shields said they'd like the group to continue into the future, informing students about voting and mobilizing them. Sitte said he would like to see more younger students get involved in politics and improve the group.

On Friday, the group will be at the the north standing area, on the U.S. Capitol grounds.

Sitte used a quote from Ted Kennedy's eulogy for Jackie Kennedy to describe his excitement for the inauguration: When John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy first attended the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, that's when "they fell in love with inaugurations.

And I hope I get that same experience. This is the first time  regardless of who won, this is the culmination of this very long process, Sitte said. This is it. This is the peaceful transfer of power.
The Morton County Sheriff's Department said 21 Dakota Access Pipeline protesters were arrested Wednesday night, and six law enforcement officers and North Dakota National Guard members were injured.

A clash between protesters and law enforcement began around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Backwater Bridge on N.D. Highway 1806, near the main protest camp, according to a news release from the sheriff's department.

Over the course of four hours, protesters set fire to three tires on the bridge and two fires on each side of the bridge, the sheriff's department said. Last week, after an inspection in December, the bridge was deemed structurally sound.

Maxine Herr, a spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriff's Department, said she isn't sure whether additional testing will have to be done on the bridge.

That would probably be up to (the Department of Transportation), she said. Our office will probably contact (the DOT) and see."

When protesters on the bridge reportedly failed to "comply to multiple orders" from law enforcement officers to return to the south side of the bridge and camp, officers deployed less-than-lethal munitions  including direct impact sponge rounds, drag stabilizer bean bag rounds, hand-deployed pepper spray canisters and smoke canisters, the release said.

About 150 protesters were on the bridge, the release said.

Six law enforcement officers and North Dakota National Guard members reported ankle, shoulder, wrist, hand and other injuries. One protester sustained an eye injury and was transported to Sanford Health in Bismarck, Herr said. His injury is currently under investigation.

Last night, our officers faced the same type of hostility and aggression that we have been subjected to for the past six months," Mandan Police Chief Jason Ziegler said in the release. Rioters once again violated the December agreement to stay off the Backwater Bridge as they set fires and assaulted officers using a variety of materials including ice chunks, rocks and other homemade projectiles.

The bridge was cleared three times Wednesday night, and 21 people were arrested on charges ranging from carrying a concealed weapon to criminal trespass, physical obstruction of a government function, preventing arrest or infraction after remaining on the bridge after being requested to leave. A majority of those arrested were transported to the Mercer County Jail in Stanton.

The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident.

On Monday night through Tuesday, 14 people were arrested at Backwater Bridge and a Dakota Access drill site.

Since Aug. 10, 624 arrests have been made in connection with the protests.
The CIA files: Uri Geller is a weapon less powerful than Donald Trump little finger

Is Uri Geller a weapon? What about just a bit of a weapon? The Star hears the spoon-bender say he met with the CIA to see if he could be used as a weapon.

This is promising idea, readers. If the UK pulls out of the European Union, as now seems highly likely, well be forced to repatriate the myriad stars in the Celebrity Silo just outside Brussels. What better way to kill two bids with one stone  and, Orville, were talking to you  than by spicing up any trade wars by sending Geller and more to Paris on a trebuchet?

The Mirror has the same story, only now its an exclusive. In the CIA Geller files, the celebrity who seemingly bends spoons with his mind tells the paper that in 1972 the CIA tested me at Stanford Research Institute and I passed under laboratory conditions, twice. He says he was also tested at the American Surface Weapons Center in Maryland and the Lawns Livermore Radiation Labs. They wanted to seem if my mind could trigger a nuclear weapons.

Gellers testing is part of 800,000 files  13 million pages  of declassified documents released online yesterday.

In one experiment a researcher picked a word at random. Another researcher draw a picture inspired by it and stuck it on a wall outside outside Gellers room. Geller was then invited to reproduce it. The Mirror says he identified bunch by drawing a bunch of grapes and fuse by drawing a firecracker. The Mirror does not say how many he got wrong. But the Times says: Sometimes his efforts were hopelessly off but others proved eerily accurate.

We dont know if Geller can fire a nuclear weapon with his mind, but knowing Donald Trump can fire one with his little finger is far more impressive and almost nearly as worrying.

Paul Sorene

Posted: 19th, January 2017 | In: Celebrities, Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
(ANSA) - Strasbourg, January 19 - The Council of Europe's anti-corruption body on Thursday told Italy it must introduce "clear and applicable" rules to regulate the "thorny question" of conflict of interest among members of parliament. The Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) said "this unsatisfying situation translates to a rather difficult process of verification of the possible causes of ineligibility and incompatibility, which risks compromising the efficiency of the entire system".

The report said "the existing rules are difficult to apply" and this "is a detriment to the system's overall transparency and efficiency".

"The high number of laws and provisions, the relative amendments and a general lack of consolidation and rationalisation of regulations lead to a confusing picture of conflicts of interest," the report said.

It said the situation "creates problems for the application of existing rules and also in understanding them".


ROME - Over 40 per cent of Syrian refugee children in Turkey are missing out on education, despite a significant increase in school enrolment rates, the UN children's agency UNICEF has said. This translates into approximately 380,000 children of school-going age who are not attending classes.



"For the first time since the start of the Syrian crisis, there are more Syrian children in Turkey attending class than there are out of school," said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth.



"Turkey should be commended for this huge achievement. But unless more resources are provided, there is still a very real risk of a 'lost generation' of Syrian children, deprived of the skills they will one day need to rebuild their country," he added.



Turkey is home to more than 1.2 million child refugees, making it the top child refugee hosting country in the world.



UNICEF is working with the Turkish government to strengthen education systems in the country, increase access to learning and improve the quality of inclusive education for Syrian and vulnerable Turkish children.

One third out of 3 milion Syrian refugees in Turkey are minors. Since the beginning of the war, 180,000 Syrian children were born inside the country.
Russia preparing for Astana talks, 'will help Geneva' UN-backed talks in Switzerland from Feb 8

(ANSAmed) - MOSCOW, JANUARY 19 - Russia was on Thursday gearing up for talks on the Syrian crisis organised with Iran and Turkey in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on January 23, which it says could last "several days".



The Astana talks are a "positive step", said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, acknowledging the invitation to UN special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, to attend. "We are preparing to help and encourage the Syrian opposition, but the matter of who will take part in the Geneva talks and in what format  is for them to decide," said Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov in relation to the UN-backed negotiations in the Swiss city, which are due to resume on February 8. (ANSAmed).




The state House easily defeated a bill to create a new income tax credit for businesses that reimburse employees for child care costs Thursday.

Rep. Jeff Delzer, R-Underwood, said legislators were unsure how much the credit would cost. And given tight budgets, he said lawmakers should reject the well-intentioned bill.

Were going to have a number of bills that are going to come before us that would spend money for some (well-intentioned) things too, but were not going to be able to afford them either, Delzer said. Were going to have to be really careful and set the priorities where we need them to be for the good of all the citizens of North Dakota.

A fiscal note says the bill could reduce general fund revenues for the coming two-year budget cycle. But the specific amount, if any, cannot be determined because the information required to make an estimate is either unavailable or is dependent on the future behavior of corporations.

A 2016 report from Child Care Aware of North Dakota argues there are almost 95,000 children younger than 13 years old who potentially need child care because their parents are in the workforce, but the capacity of state-licensed child care programs is only 34,539. The average annual cost of state-licensed child care ranged from $6,960 for home-based programs for kids ages 3 to 5 to $8,661 for centers and groups facilities caring for children younger than 18 months old, the report said.

Rep. Pamela Anderson, D-Fargo, said child care is one of the most challenging workforce issues we have in this state. She called the new income tax credit pro-business legislation.

I think this is a win-win, she said. It helps businesses recruit and retain employees, and it helps young families with their child care expense.

Ultimately, the House defeated the legislation on a 14-76 vote.
Jordan parliament endorses state budget for 2017 Deficit surpass 1.2 bln also due to refugees influx

(ANSAmed) - AMMAN, JANUARY 19 - Jordan parliament on Thursday endorsed the government budget for 2017 despite unpopular government decisions to raise fuel prices and impose taxes to generate revenues.



The pro-regime parliament voted with overwhelming majority to pass the budget following three days of ceremonial debate about government spending and rising level of poverty in the kingdom.



According to official figures budget deficit for the current fiscal year will reach $1.2 billion, or 2.8 per cent of the GDP.



A rising foreign debt to the World Bank and IMF has lead the government to impose price hikes on a variety of goods and services. The government plans to collect JD3 billion, $4.5 billion in the coming years, including JD450 million ($643) in 2017, JD520 million next year and JD570 million ($800 million) in 2019.



Economists and government critics say bloated capital expenditure in the public sector, corruption and lack of clear economic visions have compounded to worsen situation of the kingdom's economy.



Jordan heavily depends on foreign aid to maintain a healthy balance sheet, but an influx of refugees and declining foreign investment have lead to drop in state revenues. (ANSAmed)
BEIRUT - ISIS jihadists executed 12 people in the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Palmyra, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) on Thursday. It said four of the victims were civilians and eight were military or militants.



ISIS retook the ancient city of Palmyra in recent weeks after it had come under the control of Russian and government forces last year.



In July 2015 ISIS executed 25 government soldiers in the Palmyra amphitheatre.
ROME - The Istanbul prosecutor's office has requested a life sentence for journalist Said Sefa, accused of being the man behind Turkey's famous 'Deep Throat' on Twitter with the Fuat Avni account that has on several occasions anticipated the moves of the Turkish government and criticised alleged misdoings by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to state news agency Anadolu.



It said the account was a "propaganda tool" used by the alleged coup network of Fethullah Gulen, created in order to hit the democratically elected government in Turkey.



Sefa, who was arrested after the failed coup attempt on July 15, is editorial director of website Haberdar, which the government claims is supportive of the "Gulenists".



The indictment also includes 28 other suspects, the majority of whom are journalists, who risk up to 10 years in prison.
TUNIS - Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano is in Tunis on Thursday for institutional meetings with Tunisian President Beji Kaid Essebsi, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, and Foreign Minister Khemaies Joinaoui, but outside of his official schedule he will also visit Hammamet to mark the 17th anniversary of the death of former Italian Socialist Party leader and premier Bettino Craxi.



"It's the first time that a minister from a Democratic Party-led government is coming to the commemoration; it's a political sign," said Craxi's daughter Stefania, who served as undersecretary of foreign affairs in the third Berlusconi administration.



She said she took the opportunity to invite Alfano to the ceremony, knowing that he would be in Tunisia on a state visit.



The first ministers to break the taboo on paying tribute to the grave of the Socialist leader who died in Hammamet in 2000 were three from the third Berlusconi administration 10 years ago.



Former Socialists Franco Frattini, Maurizio Sacconi and Renato Brunetta said they made the visit "as a personal choice".



"The time has come to weigh the history of what Craxi did for the country, and also the mistakes, including the mistakes of a certain reformist left that never wanted to take (that history) into account," Stefania Craxi said.



"To all of the moralists of Italy, I answer with the words of my father: 'A man does his duty, no matter the personal consequences, the obstacles, the dangers or the pressures. This is the base of all human morality.' And Craxi always did his duty," she said.



Prior to his visit to Hammamet, Alfano's morning institutional meetings will focus on the issues of migration, Libya and the fight against terrorism.



The foreign ministry said Alfano's visit is an opportunity to affirm common views between the countries as well as the Italian government's support for the Tunisian government and its people, protagonists in the only example of success from the Arab Spring.



Alfano will also visit the Bardo Museum to pay tribute to the victims of the March 18,2015 terrorist attack, in which four Italians died.


MOSCOW - Russia was on Thursday gearing up for talks on the Syrian crisis organised with Iran and Turkey in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on January 23, which it says could last "several days".



The Astana talks are a "positive step", said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, acknowledging the invitation to UN special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, to attend.

"We are preparing to help and encourage the Syrian opposition, but the matter of who will take part in the Geneva talks and in what format  is for them to decide," said Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov in relation to the UN-backed negotiations in the Swiss city, which are due to resume on February 8.


US invited to attend Astana talks on Syria - Lavrov Presence of US, UN representatives opportune

(ANSAmed) - MOSCOW, JANUARY 19 - The United States has been invited to attend upcoming talks on the Syrian crisis in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, Russian Foreign Minister Serghiei Lavrov said on Thursday. The announcement came two days after Russia said it considered inviting representatives of the incoming Trump administration and United Nations to be opportune. The talks are scheduled for January 23. (ANSAmed)
TUNIS - The Viking Cruises ship Viking Sea left the La Goulette port on Thursday, after arriving Wednesday with about 900 mostly American passengers aboard in the first cruise-ship docking at Tunis in 2017.



In honor of the passengers, the Tunisian Culture Ministry and Goulette Shipping Cruise (GSC) - the company under state protection that manages cruises at the Tunis port - organised a classical music concert at the port's tourist village.



"This is an excellent opportunity to promote the image of Tunisia as a nautical destination," said GSC marketing and communications director Maha Ben Slimene.



The first cruise ship to return to Tunisia after the interruption due to the terrorist attack in 2015 was the luxury cruise ship MS Europa of the German company Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which arrived on October 6, 2016.


A proposal to allow licensed dental therapists to practice in North Dakota drew a standing-room-only crowd for a hearing Wednesday before the House Human Services Committee.

Rep. Bill Devlin, R-Finley, introduced House Bill 1256, which would allow dental therapists to practice in the state, including underserved and rural communities.

Currently, only four states  Minnesota, Alaska, Maine and Vermont  allow dental therapists to work there. These professionals provide preventive and routine care, such as filling cavities and other duties, under the supervision of a dentist.

The University of Minnesota has educated dental therapists since the state authorized these providers in 2009, according to Karl Self, director of the dental therapy program at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, who testified Wednesday on behalf of North Dakota's proposed legislation.

Im here because seven years ago, Minnesota acknowledged the same basic challenges that you are dealing with today: that, despite all of the exceptional dental providers and policies in place to increase access to dental care for underserved and rural communities, gaps in dental care remain," Self said.

At the university, dental therapy students are trained alongside dental and dental hygiene students, he said. It is a 32-month program.

About 48 percent of dental therapy graduates practice in Greater Minnesota, or areas where there is a dentist shortage, Self said.

Proponents of the bill spoke Wednesday of the need to improve access to dental care across the state. Dentists in North Dakota would be able to decide whether to employ dental therapists within their practices, and they could send them to work in rural and underserved areas, including Native American reservations.

But the bill has received staunch opposition from the North Dakota Dental Association.

The benefits of dental therapy have been oversold with no evidence to show it will work as promised in North Dakota," said Katie Stewart, president of the NDDA Board of Trustees.

Sen. Brad Bekkedahl, R-Williston, a dentist, also opposed the legislation at the hearing. His main qualm was the quality of care provided by dental therapists.

I am a doctor of dental surgery, and the procedures I provide to my patients in most cases are difficult and technically challenging to do well, even with my vast experience level," Bekkedahl said.

My research and knowledge of this dental therapist licensing model has me asking myself the same question relative to the quality-of-care issues: Is it best for the patient? Unequivocally at this time, I must answer the question 'no,'" he said.

But a few dentists in the state said they would be open to hiring a dental therapist, according to Shawnda Schroeder, of the University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health.

Schroeder, who spoke at the hearing, said she is neutral on the bill. The center sent a survey to all of the licensed dentists in the state, she said, and about 28 percent have responded. Preliminary data from the survey showed about 16 percent of the 114 who responded would definitely participate in the practice of dental therapy, or would participate depending on specifics of the program.

Rural dentists were more likely than urban dentists to indicate willingness to participate, Schroeder said. Twenty-four percent of rural dentists who responded said they would participate, or would participate depending on the details, compared with 11 percent of urban dentists who have responded so far. Final results of the survey should be available soon, she said.

The bill has support from the North Dakotans for Dental Access Coalition  a group of 15 organizations, including AARP and the North Dakota Dental Hygienists Association.

The bill would allow dentists the opportunity to hire dental therapists in North Dakota, who would work under a dentist's supervision. Devlin said dental therapists would be required to develop a "written collaboration management agreement," which details the scope of practice the dental therapist is allowed to perform.

The flexible supervision could help them extend their care to underserved areas ... providing oral health care closer to where the people are, rather than making them travel long distances to receive much-needed dental care," Devlin said.

In 2015, state senators voted on a similar measure that would have established a midlevel dental provider model to get more dental professionals working in underserved and rural areas. The bill failed, 6-40.

The current bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Judy Lee, R-West Fargo, and Rep. Chris Olson, R-West Fargo, who spoke at a press conference at the state Capitol after the bill's hearing on Wednesday.

When asked whether she thinks the bill would see more support this session, Lee said she thinks lawmakers just need to continue to push the bill  and the new idea of a dental therapist  to build support.

This is a new profession. This is a new idea," she said.
If youre considering a subscription to the Disney Plus streaming service, you may be wondering how much it costs. The service is available on both
When a programs successful it makes sense to continue it. Thats the case with BreatheND, a small state agency created by voters to use a portion of the state's tobacco settlement fund for a comprehensive tobacco prevention program.

According to BreatheND, its efforts have resulted in fewer youth and adults smoking in the state. BreatheND, or the Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy, says it has helped cut youth smoking rates in half since 2008 -- from 22.4 percent to 11.7 percent in 2015. It also says adult smoking rates have dropped from 21.9 percent in 2011 to 18.7 percent in 2015.

BreatheND argues it can continue to reduce the smoking rates if it is allowed to operate. Whether that happens depends on the Legislature. Former Gov. Jack Dalrymple, in his budget address to legislators, recommended abolishing the agency and returning tobacco prevention and cessation programs to the state Department of Health. At a recent hearing, legislators argued the move would end duplication of services.

Jeanne Prom, executive director of BreatheND, said BreatheND works with the health department so they complement each other and avoid duplication. They have a common goal  to end smoking.

BreatheND works with local public health units to reduce tobacco use, with about 83 percent of its budget going out in grants and contracts, Prom said.

BreatheND was created in 2008 after voters passed a measure to use a percentage of the state's tobacco settlement fund for a comprehensive tobacco prevention program. Supporters of the measure argued not enough of the settlement money was going to combat smoking. Not all legislators were happy with the vote, feeling they were in a better position to decide how best to use the money.

That lingering resentment may be playing a role in the effort to end BreatheND. Under the measure, legislators couldn't end the agency until this year.

BreatheND argues the long term results of its efforts wont be known for years. As smokers quit and potential smokers dont take up the habit, it should result in a healthier nation. It should reduce the heart disease and cancer rates which will result in lower costs.

The personal-finance website WalletHub this week released a report on the cost of smoking in each state. WalletHubs analysts calculated the potential monetary losses brought on by smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.

In North Dakota, they found the income loss per smoker was $233,298; total cost per year for a smoker was $23,467; and the health-care cost per smoker was $159,156.

A report released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids looked at the billions of dollars states have received since they settled lawsuits against major tobacco companies in 1998. With $10 million set aside for fiscal year 2016, North Dakota is one of two states to spend at levels recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and was one of five states to spend at least 50 percent of what the CDC recommends.

BreatheND and its staff of eight has been effective in its short existence. It doesnt make sense to go in another direction when theres a program with proven results. The Legislature should keep BreatheND.
The new aircraft will replace one of the two Q400 aircraft Jambojet is currently using alongside its two Boeing 737s.

Delivery of the plane is expected to help the stabilise the countrywide flight schedule of the Kenya Airways subsidiary, especially the coastal routes including Ukunda, Malindi and Lamu.

This new next generation aircraft has lower operating costs and will help us optimize our operations in terms of increasing the service quality as well as improving economics, said Jambojet CEO Willem Hondius.

We have some challenging runways for some of our destinations and the Q400 turboprops capability to operate in such terrains, its jet-like speed, long-range cruise capability and outstanding turboprop economics were key factors that guided us in selecting the aircraft for our operations. The level of in-continent support that Bombardier offers is also very important for us.

The 78-seater aircraft is expected to start operations in a couple of days after gaining approval from Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.


As with its other two daily flights between Dubai and Nairobi, Emirates will also operate its popular Boeing 777-300ER in a three class configuration. The aircraft will have eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 304 spacious seats in Economy Class.
The UAEs vision for its 50th national anniversary is to be a leading space sciences nation and to reach Mars.

Thats according to Dr Khalifa Al Romaithi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency, who said that the national space sector policy stems from that leadership vision.

And, already, a group of young UAE nationals are emerging as leaders in the UAE space industry, thanks to a space-based workforce-training programme developed earlier this year by the UAE Space Agency, Lockheed Martin, and Mubadala.

Generation space: the space fundamentals training programme, was produced for early career professionals across the UAE aerospace industry.

The programme runs for four months and includes training in the UAE and the US.

Beginning in the UAE, the training is in space foundations and moves into more technical topics, covering more than 200 hours of coursework. Participants will also complete mentor-guided research projects.

Courses will cover technical topics like Satellite 101, as well as leadership skills and business acumen.

By the time Arabian Aerospace went to press, participants had wrapped up the first phase of programme, based at the UAE Center for Innovation & Security Solutions in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, and were in the US to complete the final project phase. This is hosted by Lockheed Martin and immerses participants in the US space industry.

In addition to attending NASAs OSIRIS-REx launch in Cape Canaveral, Florida, participants are shadowing US space professionals, touring Lockheed Martins virtual reality engineering lab, and seeing satellite production facilities, said Kara Schoeffling, head of communications Middle East, Lockheed Martin.

The end goal for the students, as well as the UAE Space Agency, is to develop a pipeline for the UAEs space talent and support the overall aerospace educational eco-system in the UAE.

Al Romaithi said: This latest initiative represents and realises the long-term strategic vision of the UAE Space Agency, which seeks to bring together Emirati stakeholders, as well as maximising international cooperation in the space sector. Furthermore, we are committed to instilling a sound scientific understanding among up-and-coming Emiratis as part of our efforts to develop a knowledge-based economy.

Both Mubadala and Lockheed Martin were keen to support the UAE Space Agency and the future space students from the UAE.

Mubadala is proud to be a part of generation space, which will provide the UAEs next generation with hands-on experience across the UAE and US space industries, said Homaid Al Shimmari, chief executive officer of aerospace and engineering services at Mubadala. The future strength of the UAEs aerospace industry depends on the development and innovation of the young professionals who will lead our country into space for the benefit of the people of the Emirates.

Schoeffling added that Lockheed Martin admires the UAEs space ambitions.

She said: In line with the UAEs national vision, the programme was developed as part of Lockheed Martins growing collaboration with the UAE Space Agency. We want to support its growth by collaborating to develop tomorrows Emirati leaders for future careers. The programme supports the UAEs strategic vision to create an indigenous talent pipeline of students and young professionals inspired towards long-term careers in the field of space.

The UAEs mission to Mars programme is the first by an Arab, Islamic country.

It will be one of only nine countries with ambitions to explore Mars and the unmanned probe, named Hope, will travel more than 60 million kilometres in nine months to coincide with the UAEs 50th anniversary in 2021.

So, will any of these students one day help the UAE reach the Red Planet? Watch this space


The centre will offer digital precision products such as endoscopes and spectroscopes to detect engine and metal stress and fatigue in jet engines, said Maurice Faber, Olympus MEA regional managing director.



The 2,000 sqm HQ will cover 72 countries from the western shores of Africa across the Levant and Middle East to Iran and Turkey.

We chose Dubai because of its infrastructure, connectivity and ease to source a global pool of talent, said Faber.

Being in the region is testament to Olympus commitment to Middle East and Africa as a long-term strategic growth market. By training our customers and partners on Olympus innovations directly in the region, we will transfer our global high-end expertise to the region.



Olympus MEA will also feature a service and stock parts centre in a bid to improve uptime of products to regional customers.

Staffed by Olympus technicians, it will provide a significantly higher level of service competency than through indirect channels, said Faber.

Many of our customers use our equipment in mission critical tasks such as maintenance in aviation. This new service centre will also stock temporary replacement equipment in several cases.



Faber said Olympus has a cohesive strategy to play a positive role in MEAs infrastructure development and growth.



The Middle East and Africa is the worlds next growth area as governments implement a more focused and planned approach to infrastructure development to improve economic output and individual quality of life.



Aviation is a key segment and is already in the process for massive fleet expansions in the region ranging from 66 per cent to a whopping 507 per cent. Industry in the region is going through modernisation, efficiency drives and price pressures. This key sectoral growth represents strong opportunities to expand Olympus offerings to existing and new customers, said Faber.

Maurice Faber, Olympus MEA regional managing director.
The past six months of the DAPL protest has been a painful education. We now see the destructive effects a relatively small group of people can have on our state and our communities. The protest form of government we have seen across the nation has now arrived in North Dakota; we see how ugly and destructive and divisive it can be  and it isnt over yet. Weve watched these movements develop and worsen over the past few years  Occupy Wall Street went on for months in New York City. Then comes the next movement called Black Lives Matter with its months of destruction in the St. Louis area. That was followed by the out-of-control demonstrations in Baltimore and an inept city administration failing to govern.

It has become regular news events to see a protest of something: the Supreme Court is confronted by protesters with vulgar signs and language who want a ruling to go their way. Political rallies disrupted by violent protesters; seaport facilities for oil export are shut down by protesters and sabotage; it goes on and on. Our constitutional government has been taken over by people who are bent on destroying orderly society.

The right of the people to peaceably assemble and to petition their government has been hijacked. It is now a cudgel to beat down the will of the people as laws are nullified. Protests have become ugly and violent; it has become a form of intimidation which threatens the rule of law and the real will of an orderly society. We have come to a time of choice: do the unruly gangs dictate their agenda? Or, does the rule of law prevail?
With almost 12 years Travelport experience, Kathryn joins the team from Travelports UK headquarters in Langley where she most recently headed up business development for Southern Europe and North Africa. She takes over the role from Ghulam Al Balooshi who -having driven the team in achieving great success in the region during his tenure as UAE country manager- will remain on the Travelport MESA management team with a clear focus on Bahrain.
Chief executive officer Masood. M. Sharif Mahmood was joined by Yahsats chairman Jassem Mohamed Al Zaabi, other members of the Board and VIP guests from the UAE Armed Forces, the UAE space agency and Mubadala. The special anniversary event, which was also attended by Yahsat staff, included congratulatory video messages from other major satellite industry players.



Since its inception in 2007, Yahsat has gone on to become the worlds seventh largest satellite operator in terms of revenue. In line with the UAEs space ambitions, Yahsat launched its first satellite Y1A in 2011, with a second satellite, Y1B, launched the following year. The company has also witnessed an impressive 63% Emiratisation rate during this time.



Later this year, Yahsat will deploy a third satellite, Al Yah 3. The newest addition to its fleet will provide high-quality broadband coverage to an additional 19 countries including first time entry to South America through Brazil.
ROLLA -- At the small office occupied by the Rolette County Sheriffs Office, the gifts kept pouring in Thursday.

Boxes of donated donuts, cases of water and soda were stacked tall on a table behind the counter. In the afternoon came flowers and pizzas. The deputies and support staff ate sparingly. They were overworked and understaffed. Bags welled under their eyes. They were grieving and exhausted.

Wednesday night they lost their friend and colleague Deputy Colt Eugene Allery.

He was shot and killed in a gunfire exchange with an as yet unidentified man who stole a Chevrolet Silverado pickup from Devils Lake. Both Allery and the man who killed him were pronounced dead at the scene at the intersection of Bureau of Indian Affairs Road 7 and 89th Street, about 8 miles south of Belcourt.

He was a young deputy who was full of spunk, Sheriff Gerald Medrud said. He was very cheerful and happy all the time. Hes going to be missed by a lot of the deputies and other law enforcement who knew him, because he always brought cheer and happiness into that group.

Allery, 29, has been on the force in Rolette County for the past three months, but he was well known in the area and had worked for the sheriffs office as a corrections officer and dispatcher. After working corrections, Allery worked as a police officer in Rolla, and then as a tribal police officer for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, a tribe he was a member of.

He loved it, said friend and colleague Jessica Azure of Allerys commitment to law enforcement.

Azure said shed know Allery for years, since he worked with her as a dispatcher. She said Allery had four children, and was going to have a stepchild in March, when he and his fiancee were planning to be wed.

He was always friendly, in a good mood, Azure said. He always saw the good in things.

Thursday afternoon, deputies pegged photos of Allery onto a cork board in the office.

Rolette County occupies 939 square miles in north-central North Dakota, but it is a close-knit community. Hours after the news, residents were already planning to mourn and celebrate Allerys life.

Pete St. Germaine works at Coast to Coast Stores in downtown Rolla. The store sells a little bit of everything, but theres also a screen printer there. Early in the morning, calls started coming in. People wanted shirts, and St. Germaine said store owner Bob Vandal started designing right away. He made up a black shirt with a faded sheriffs badge and a blue line through it. The shirt reads Remember Colt.

Hes an ex-cop and so am I, so it hit close to home, St. Germaine said.

He said they had printed between 175 and 200 shirts by noon Thursday. The shirts cost $20 and proceeds are going to Allerys family.

Kernis Pantsari had one of the shirts on Thursday. He and Chrissy Lavallie organized a candlelight vigil for Thursday night to begin at City Hall and move down to the high school gym. They had a box of candles in the back of their SUV. Both said they knew Allery from the community. They said he had a heart of gold.

He always had a smile on his face, always said hi to everyone, Patsari said.

The two wanted to hold the vigil to unite the community and hope to bring something positive out of the loss.

Colt was an awesome person, and theres no doubt where he went, Lavallie said.

A fatal chase

Rolette County deputies were alerted to a stolen pickup approaching their territory at 6:10 p.m. Wednesday by OnStar, a service wired into the vehicle, Medrud said. Allery joined the pursuit along with two other Rolette County deputies, a Rolla police officer and a BIA officer.

Prior to the shooting, chase speeds reached 85 to 90 mph, Medrud said, and OnStar slowed down the vehicle to less than 5 mph prior to deputies engaging the suspect.

A fight ensued and it appears all the officers fired shots, Medrud said.

Allery and the shooter were pronounced dead at the scene.

The two surviving deputies and the Rolla Police officer have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard operating procedure. The sheriffs department normally has nine deputies.

The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation into the case, and will need about 30 days to forward findings to prosecutors for review, said Mark Sayler, chief agent with the BCI.

The deceased have been taken to Grand Forks for autopsies.

Other details of the confrontation were not made public, including the number of shots fired, how many times each person was struck and who fired the fatal shots.

The dead suspect remains unknown. He did not have identification on his person.

We actually do not know who he is, Medrud said. We received a few phone calls throughout the night, two or three people that family members had called and were worried about, but we looked into it, and it was not the suspect.

Medrud said he does not believe the incident was a case of someone specifically targeting law enforcement.

The sheriff said it appears all officers involved followed department procedures.

Immediately after the shooting, law enforcement agencies in the region and throughout the state began to assist Rolette County.

By the time I came back from the scene we had three other counties, other sheriffs here to help, Medrud said.

With three of the nine Rolette County deputies taken off duty, Medrud said the other agencies have volunteered to help with patrols. He said federal agencies have reached out to provide counseling services for the department.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Medical services for imprisoned individuals in correctional facilities will be improved, Justice Minister Arpine Hovhannisyan announced during the January 19 Cabinet meeting, while presenting the concept of modernizing medical services in prisons.

The minister proposed several options of reforms. First, to provide secondary professional medical aid to incarcerated individuals only in civilian hospitals and shut down the Hospital for Convicts Penitentiary and second  re-equip the penitentiary and transforms it to a medical institution, she said.

The concept also suggests revising the list of serious diseases which hinder serving the sentence of convicts, procedures of appealing, legal regulations of releasing convicts based on illness. It is planned to make legal regulations regarding prisoners on hunger strike  with special attention on mandatory treatment and food.

Appropriate legislative changes are proposed to be implemented as a possible variant of reforms, shifting the function of medical treatment in penitentiaries from the jurisdiction of the department of correctional facilities to either the Justice Ministry or the direct jurisdiction of the Government.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The 8th round of talks between Armenia and the European Union over forming a new legal foundation was held on January 18 in Yerevan.

The negotiating team from the Armenian side was led by Karen Nazaryan, deputy minister of foreign affairs. The European side was led by Luc Devigne, EEAS director for Eastern Partnership, Russia, Central Asia, regional cooperation and OSCE affairs, the ministry of foreign affairs told ARMENPRESS.

The sides reached mutual understanding around several issues and specified the period of holding the next round of talks in Brussels.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan had a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland Jerzy Marek Nowakowski, press service of the Ombudsmans Office told Armenpress.

During the meeting cooperation issues in the field of human rights protection were discussed, particularly, issues related to the protection of children rights, the role of the Human Rights Defender in combating corruption, human rights at the places of deprivation of liberty, as well as the raising of public awareness in these areas.

At the meeting the establishment of the cooperation with the human rights institutions of two countries under the patronage of the Ambassador was proposed.

At the end of the meeting the sides expressed willingness to enhance the bilateral cooperation and make it continuous.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Can Dundar, former Editor-in-chief of the Turkish opposition newspaper Cumhurriyet, who was forced to leave Turkey under pressure and is currently residing in Germany, issued a letter on the 10th anniversary marking the death of Hrant Dink.

ARMENPRESS presents the letter as published in Agos.

For already a month Ive been preparing for the memorial event on January 19 in Berlins Gorki Theater. I am re-reading your writings, your life story, books about you. I am listening to your speeches. I am recalling memories.

Reading about the history of resistance in todays atmosphere of fear gives courage.

I remember with admiration, how all by yourself you told the state, Diaspora, Church  you are wrong, becoming both a target and a one-of-a kind voice of conscience.

My readings once again show how right you were, writing, speaking, defending sometimes all by yourself, how anxious, but at the same time how decisive and courageous you were.

Now, I very well understand your skittishness of a dove and contrary to that your decisiveness of lonely whirling.

But when you were writing that people dont touch doves in this country, did you really believe in that? Or was it simply a desire?

Could you dream about tens of thousands of people following you and chanting  we are all Armenians. Could you think that you would create the empathy which you dreamed of by your death?

Today, by reading I even more realize what we have lost with you.

Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of Istanbuls Armenian Agos newspaper, was shot dead on January 19, 2007 outside his office.

In one instance, Dink compared himself to a dove, saying "equally obsessed by what goes on my left and right, front and back. My head is just as mobile and fast".
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

New Mexico officials say its high school graduation rate climbed to an all-time high of 71 percent last year.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez announced the increase in the graduation rate Monday as she pushes for legislative reforms to crack down on truancy and retain more students in third grade if they cant meet literacy requirements.

The rate is up from 68.6 percent in 2015, and about 63 percent in 2011 just after Martinez took office.

The Public Education Department says graduation rates increased at 48 out of 89 school districts in 2016, including districts in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Gadsden, Santa Fe, Ruidoso, Taos and Carlsbad.

Nationwide, the high school graduation rate was 83 percent in 2015.
Vijay Mallya has been living in a self-imposed exile in the UK since March 2016 after he left country on a diplomatic passport.

Mumbai: Debt Recovery Tribunal on Thursday allowed banks to recover Rs 9,000 crore they loaned to now defunct Kingfisher Airlines run by Vijay Mallya.

The ruling will further tighten the noose around Vijay Mallya who has been living in a self-imposed exile in the UK since March 2016.

Mallya who at the time was a Rajya Sabha member left the country on a diplomatic passport on March 2 after attending House proceedings a day earlier.

A consortium of 17 banks led by State Bank of India, country's largest public sector lender, had approached the tribunal seeking instructions to liquor baron to pay back the loan.

The ruling closes a three-year legal battle that the banks first brought in to the tribunal in 2013. It also allows bankers to start criminal proceedings to recover Rs 6,203 crore debt from beleaguered businessman.

Banks took up the debt case with DRT as a last resort after several attempts by lenders for a settlement with Mallya failed. SBI had earlier declared him a wilful defaulter after he did not fulfill debt repayment conditions.

Mallya was also declared a proclaimed offender by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act or PMLA Court in Mumbai as he did not appear in court on several occasions.

Enforcement Directorate, leading financial agency that works under department of revenue of finance ministry is also conducting a parallel investigation and probing the case with a money laundering angle.
Deepika has a major crush on her 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage' co-star Vin and well, who wouldnt?

Mumbai: Deepika Padukone, who has successfully made her Hollywood debut with Vin Diesel starrer 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage', recently appeared on Ellens 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' where the actress revealed more than she intended to.

Looking at Vin and Deepikas on-screen natural chemistry, many wondered if it was only for the film and things changed once the camera stopped rolling. While in India, it was highly reported that the actress is dating her Bajirao Mastani, people overseas couldnt help but speculate a romantic relationship blooming between Deepika and Vin. While Vin left no occasion to praise his co-star Deepika, the actress was however mum on the entire dating rumours.

However, on Ellens show, Deepika got talking and boy, did she reveal few adorable details. Looking at the pictures of Vin and Deepika, Ellen couldnt help but ask her if they were indeed romantically involved. There is a romance going on, that's what you would get from that as well... Look at that face! Does that mean there is?, Ellen asked to which Deepika responded, Well, there is no smoke without fire.

When Ellen asked Deepika to elaborate, the star said, But, it's all in my head! So yeah, I mean in my head I think, like yeah, we are together and we have this amazing chemistry, and we live together and we have these amazing babies! But it's all in my head.

Clearly, Deepika has a major crush on Vin and well, who wouldnt?!
The CJM asked Khan his name and then acquitted him of both the charges against him under Section 2/25 and Section 27 of the Arms Act.

Salman Khan, walks through a crowd outside the court, has been acquitted in 1998 Arms Act case by Jodhpur court, in Jodhpur. (Photo: PTI)

Jaipur: Bollywood star Salman Khan arrived more than an hour late at the court to hear the judgment in the 19-year-old Arms Act case against him, but walked out a free man within seven minutes.

Chief Judicial Magistrate (GJM) Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit, who had ordered Salman Khan to be present in the court during pronouncement of the judgement, took only two minutes to deliver the verdict once the actor arrived.

The CJM asked Khan his name and then acquitted him of both the charges against him under Section 2/25 and Section 27 of the Arms Act. Salman was accused of carrying possessing using arms  a -0.22 rifle and a 0.32 revolver with an expired license  to kill two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur on October 1-2, 1998.

Giving Salman the benefit of the doubt, the judge declared him not guilty as the prosecution had failed to produce adequate evidence and witnesses to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

In the 102-page order, the judge also observed that the two post-mortem reports on the deer listed different causes of death  dog-bite and gunshot wound.

Salmans lawyer had argued that the actor only had air guns and there was no evidence that he had used firearms neither during the alleged hunting nor while he was staying in Jodhpur.

The court admitted our arguments that Salman was framed in this case as there was no concrete evidence against him, the actors lawyer Hastimal Saraswat said. Luckily for the actor, an eyewitness for the prosecution also did not show up.

However, prosecution lawyer B.S. Bhati said that the decision would be challenged in the session court after studying the judgment. The Bishnoi community too had hinted filing appeal against the decision.

Salman and a few other Bollywood actors were accused of poaching blackbucks on the night of October 1, 1998 during the shooting of Hindi movie Hum Saath Saath Hain. There were three cases of poaching and one case of the Arms Act against him in which he was acquitted on Wednesday.

The actor was already acquitted in two poaching cases in Bhawad and Ghoda Farm by the high court against which the state government has filed SLP in the Supreme Court. The third case in Kankani village would come up for hearing on January 25 when the court will read charges to him and co-accused Saif Ali Khan, Tabbu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam.

Earlier, dressed in a crisp white shirt, the 51-year-old star came to the Jodhpur court with his sister Alvira. The actor appeared tense but smiled later when the judge acquitted him. He greeted, shook hands with fans and also signed autographs before leaving the court  all in just about seven minutes.
I gave Sanjay the questions in advance and he won the hamper, says Karan

Mumbai: Karan Johars recently launched autobiography, 'An Unsuitable Boy', has been in the news for its bold content. In the book, the filmmaker has shed light on his personal and professional life. Its clear that Karans life has been a series of controversial events.

In one of the excerpts, Karan has confessed about being biased towards Sanjay Dutt in his show 'Koffee with Karan', during a rapid fire round.

In my entire Koffee With Karan history, theres only one person I ever gave the Rapid Fire questions to, and that was Sanjay Dutt. He was going to come with Sushmita Sen, and I knew she would really bite his head off with her answers and he would just come across looking blank because he was really nervous, and it was the very first season. I gave him the questions in advance and he won the hamper.

Karan has penned his autobiography alongwith Poonam Saxena.
Massive protests in support of Jallikattu continued for the third day at the Marina beach in Chennai

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in Delhi to demand promulgation of an ordinance for conduct of Jallikattu.

While appreciating the cultural significance of the bull-taming sport Jallikattu, the Prime Minister observed that the matter is presently sub-judice.

The Centre would be supportive of steps taken by the State Government, Modi told Panneerselvam.

Meanwhile, massive protests in support of Jallikattu continued for the third day on Thursday at the Marina beach in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu, with hundreds more joining the agitation.

Unfazed by the Chief Minister's call to withdraw protests thousands of volunteers remained steadfast on their demand for holding the bull-taming sport in the state. They vowed to continue the stir till they got a positive response on it.

Agitations continued in various parts of the state, including Alanganallur, the usual hub of the Jallikattu event, with students and many others joining the stir.

On Wednesday, Panneerselvam and AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala had reiterated their commitment to holding Jallikattu with the former air-dashing to Delhi to meet Modi and seek an ordinance for its conduct.

Sasikala had also assured that the government will move a resolution in the ensuing session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly and unanimously adopt it with the support of all parties in the House.
The attack against the BJP worker, Santosh, took place when he was alone in his house at Andaloor in Dharmadam late Wednesday night.

A 30-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was stabbed to death allegedly by CPI-M cadres. (Photo: PTI/Representational)

Thalassery: A 30-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was stabbed to death allegedly by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) cadres in the politically sensitive Kannur district.

In another incident in the district, a country-made bomb was hurled at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Karyalaya at Thaliparamba on Thursday morning, police said, adding no one was injured in the incident.

The attack against the BJP worker, Santosh, took place when he was alone in his house at Andaloor in Dharmadam late Wednesday night.

Santosh was rushed to a hospital but he died on the way, Kannur Superintendent of Police KP Philip said.

The situation in the area is tense, he said.

Santosh, the BJP booth president of Andaloor had contested in the last local body elections.

Shops have downed shutters and vehicles are off the roads in Kannur, where the 57th state School Arts festival is presently on.

Protesting the attack, BJP has called for a hartal in Kannur.
The police have registered an FIR and will examine the CCTV footage as the teacher has not been able to identify the student.

A student at a government school in Delhi locked up a 44-year-old teacher in the school washroom for about 15 minutes. (Representational image)

New Delhi: A student at a government school in Delhi locked up a 44-year-old teacher in the school washroom for about 15 minutes and demanded "sexual favour" in return of her release.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the incident took place on Tuesday when the teacher went to washroom around 12:50 pm after the first shift got over.

"She was inside the washroom when she heard a noise and realised that the door had been locked from outside," the IE quoted its sources as saying.

"She initially requested the student to open the door, but he started abusing her. He then started demanding sexual favours on the pretext of unlocking her door. The teacher started screaming for help, following which the student fled. However, she managed to get a glimpse of him through the ventilator," sources added.

The teacher, however, could not identify the student. Police said they will go through the CCTV footage and investigate the matter

An FIR has been registered under IPC sections 354-A (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) at Vivek Vihar police station.

The officials at the Directorate of Education (DoE) said the matter was brought before them and a meeting was held with the School Management Committee (SMC) to discuss the issue.
All the three accused are being questioned by intelligence agencies and the NIA is expected to take over the case.

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency has sent a team to Bihar to investigate the possible involvement of Pakistans ISI in the derailment of Indore-Patna Express train near Kanpur in November last year in which nearly 150 people had died. On Tuesday, the Bihar police had arrested a criminal, Moti Paswan, who disclosed during interrogation that he was paid to plant explosives on the train and that the entire conspiracy was hatched by the ISI. The home ministry has also sought a detailed report from the Bihar police on the incidents and details of the Paswans disclosure. Along with Paswan, Bihar police had arrested two more associates, Umashankar Prasad and Mukesh Yadav. Sources said during interrogation, Paswan claimed that he had received the money for this through one Shamshul Hodi, a Dubai-based ISI sympathiser.

All the three accused are being questioned by intelligence agencies and the NIA is expected to take over the case. Also which would look into the larger conspiracy involving ISI agents based in Nepal and Dubai. If Paswans claims are found to be correct, it would be the first incident of train derailment in India carried out on instructions of ISI. A report is also being sought from RAW about ISI activities in Nepal and India.

Intelligence sources said they too had received some inputs that Pakistans ISI had paid Rs 30 lakh to its agent Brajesh Giri for triggering blasts on rail tracks targeting popular trains in Bihar. Central security agencies were now looking for two more persons identified as Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadav in East Champaran area for their suspected links with the accused.

Investigating officials claimed that during custodial interrogation, the three arrested persons provided some positive lead about the Indore-Patna Express derailment in Kanpur. Intelligence sources said they were also investigating the possibility of some more terror modules across the country who may try to target the rail network at ISIs behest.
China is a country which is very sensitive on matters concerning its sovereignty, says S. Jaishankar.

New Delhi: Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar said Wednesday that the broadening of ties with China had been overshadowed by differences on certain political issues, while at the same time asking China to respect Indian territorial sovereignty. The comment was a clear reference to the Chinese strategy of blocking both Indias NSG membership bid as well as the Indian move to get Pakistan-based terrorist outfit JeMs chief Masood Azhar designated as an international terrorist by the UN, apart from Chinese nonchalance on Indias concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The foreign secretary also criticised Pakistan for blocking Saarc, admitting the regional grouping has become ineffective due to the insecurity of one member nation.

China is a country which is very sensitive on matters concerning its sovereignty. So we would expect that they would have some understanding of other peoples sensitivity on their sovereignty, the foreign secretary said, also reportedly noting there was no sign of any reflection by the Chinese on Indias concerns over the CPEC project.

The foreign secretary further said: With China, the overall broadening of ties, specially in business and people-to-people contacts, has been overshadowed by differences on certain political issues. But it is important for the two countries not to lose sight of the strategic nature of their engagement, or falter in their conviction that their rise can be mutually supportive. We will continue to invest more energy into this account in 2017.

Criticising Pakistan without naming it, Mr Jaishankar said: India is a founder member of Saarc, an organisation that has been made ineffective due to the insecurity of one member. We hope to partially remedy this through the BBIN sub-regional grouping. It is also our expectation that the current level of enthusiasm among members of Bimstec can be channelled towards more far-reaching initiatives. On terrorism, Mr Jaishankar said ways to deal with the threat was a major focus of Indias diplomacy, adding terror is a snake that bites the hand that feeds it.

He was speaking at the second edition of the Raisina Dialogue, Indias flagship geopolitical conference held annually that is organised by the external affairs ministry along with think tank Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi on Wednesday evening.

This comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the same forum, told China that both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each others core concerns and interests.

What we are trying to do is to convince China that our rise is not harmful to Chinas rise just as Chinas rise need not be to Indias rise, Mr Jaishankar told the gathering.

Referring to Donald Trumps election, the foreign secretary said relations between the US and Russia could undergo a major transformation not seen since 1945 and that its impact was hard to predict.
Almost 80 per cent of the accused had formal schooling and rest went to madrassas, it said.

A total of 28 were in 18-25 year group, 20 between 25 to 40 years and four were above 40 years, NIA said. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: Hindus and Christians converted to Islam besides Muslims are among 52 people arrested so far for allegedly being ISIS terrorists, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Thursday, adding they included engineers and post-graduates.

Almost 80 per cent of the accused had formal schooling and rest went to madrassas, it said.

The agency registered a highest of 12 Islamic State (ISIS) terrorism-related cases and arrested these accused last year. It is the highest number of cases and arrests made by the NIA in a year since its inception in 2009.

In 2015, only two such cases were registered, the NIA said.

Those arrested for allegedly being ISIS operatives were of different age group. A total of 28 were in 18-25 year group, 20 between 25 to 40 years and four were above 40 years, it said.

A highest of 20 accused were graduates or engineers, 13 were matriculates, 12 were diploma holders, four were senior secondary passed while three were post-graduates with Master of Arts or Master of Computer Application degrees, the NIA said while releasing data on the arrests.

Giving details of the religious affiliations of the accused, the agency said 50 per cent belong to 'Ahle Hadith', 30 per cent to 'Tabligi/Jammat' and 20 per cent followed Deobandi.

Of these 52 Islamic State-influenced persons held by NIA, 85 per cent of them are Sunni Muslims and rest are converted from Hinduism and Christianity, a senior NIA official said.

These persons hailed from various states across the country. A highest of 12 belonged to Maharashtra, 11 from Kerala, 10 from Telangana, five from West Bengal, four from Uttar Pradesh, three from Tamil Nadu, two from Rajasthan and one each from Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Those arrested by the probe agency were of different income groups. As many as nine were from upper-middle income group, 30 from middle-income group and 13 from low-income group, the official said.

In 2016, a highest of 34 cases were registered by the NIA. Of these, 21 were related to Jihadi terrorism, five related to Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) and terror funding, three related to north east insurgency and two relating to Maoists, among others.

As many as 112 accused were arrested in these cases. Of them, 64 were held for their alleged involvement in Jihadi terrorism, 17 for north east insurgency, 12 for FICN and terror funding and three for left wing extremisms.
The investigation agency said the JeM was behind the Nagrota army camp attack in which two officers and five soldiers were killed.

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday claimed that terror attacks at army installations in Uri and Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir were carried out by Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

A senior NIA official claimed that one of the four terrorists involved in the attack on the army camp in Handwara managed to flee.

The terrorists had attacked the camp of 30 Rashtriya Rifles camp in Langate in Handwara in October last year. While three attackers were killed by the security forces, one is believed to have escaped, the official said, adding they were looking into it.

Heavily armed terrorists had stormed the army base in Uri sector in September and killed 18 soldiers.

There is proof indicating role of LeT behind Uri and Handwara attacks, he said.

Earlier, it was claimed that Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was behind the attack. NIA is looking into both these cases.

The investigation in Uri attack case will gather pace soon as the agency officials earlier could not visit the points of ingress to verify certain leads due to shelling from across the border, the official said.

A team of officials is now likely to visit the area from where the terrorists might have entered and attacked the Uri camp, he said.

Talking about the Handwara incident, NIA officials said they recovered cell phones of Samsung and Huawei companies.

These phones worked without SIMs using latest technology and manipulating its configuration, he claimed.

"The NIA had written to both Samsung and Huawei seeking details of these cell phones including information on shipments. Huawei had informed us that the phone was shipped to Pakistan. We are still awaiting response from Pakistan," the official said.

There are other documents and proof in possession of the NIA that points towards LeT's involvement in the attack, he said.

Besides, the cell phones' Global Positioning System (GPS) sets and wireless system were found from the slain terrorists behind the Handwara attack. The NIA is in the process of getting information from Mauritius and Japan about the companies there which would have made these instruments, the official said.

Investigators have also found a diary from one of the slain terrorists and verifying a phone number, believed to be of one of their associates, mentioned there. They also claimed misuse of social networking sites Facebook and Twitter by the terrorists for communication, he said. New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency(NIA) today claimed that terror attacks at army installations in Uri and Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir were carried out by Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

A senior NIA official claimed that one of the four terrorists involved in the attack on the army camp in Handwara managed to flee.

The terrorists had attacked the camp of 30 Rashtriya Rifles camp in Langate in Handwara in October last year. While three attackers were killed by the security forces, one is believed to have escaped, the official said, adding they were looking into it.

Heavily armed terrorists had stormed the army base in Uri sector in September and killed 18 soldiers.

There is proof indicating role of LeT behind Uri and Handwara attacks, he said.

Earlier, it was claimed that Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was behind the attack.

NIA is looking into both these cases.

The investigation in Uri attack case will gather pace soon as the agency officials earlier could not visit the points of ingress to verify certain leads due to shelling from across the border, the official said.

A team of officials is now likely to visit the area from where the terrorists might have entered and attacked the Uri camp, he said.

Talking about the Handwara incident, NIA officials said they recovered cell phones of Samsung and Huawei companies.

These phones worked without SIMs using latest technology and manipulating its configuration, he claimed.

"The NIA had written to both Samsung and Huawei seeking details of these cell phones including information on shipments. Huawei had informed us that the phone was shipped to Pakistan. We are still awaiting response from Pakistan," the official said.

There are other documents and proof in possession of the NIA that points towards LeT's involvement in the attack, he said.

Besides, the cell phones' Global Positioning System (GPS) sets and wireless system were found from the slain terrorists behind the Handwara attack. The NIA is in the process of getting information from Mauritius and Japan about the companies there which would have made these instruments, the official said.

Investigators have also found a diary from one of the slain terrorists and verifying a phone number, believed to be of one of their associates, mentioned there. They also claimed misuse of social networking sites Facebook and Twitter by the terrorists for communication, he said.
Patel told the committee that Rs 9.2 lakh crore or 60 per cent of the total demonetised currency has been replaced.

New Delhi: The RBI governor, Urjit Patel, was virtually cornered by members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance on Wednesday as he apparently failed to give satisfactory reply on how much old currency had been deposited in banks since demonetisation was announced on November 8.

As Mr Patel was being grilled by committee members, it was former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who came to his rescue. Dr Singh, who was RBI governor himself, did not approve of the way committee members were speaking with Mr Patel.

You all should not speak to him like that, Dr Singh reportedly told the members, adding that the RBI as an institution and the governors position should be respected.

Dr Singh, who made a forceful speech against demonetisation in Rajya Sabha, calling it a monumental failure and organised loot, also told Mr Patel not to answer questions that may cause problem, an agency report said.

Mr Patel, flanked by deputy governors R. Gandhi and S.S. Mundra, reportedly also fumbled while giving an answer to the members as to when things would become normal, sources said.

On being asked who took the decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, the RBI governor is reportedly told the MPs that the government forwarded the decision to me, but added that the central bank was in agreement with the government on the objective behind demonetisation.



Economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das told the standing committee that the government had been planning for demonetisation since May 2016 and that meetings were being held every week, sources said.



Mr Patel told the committee that Rs 9.2 lakh crore or 60 per cent of the total demonetised currency has been replaced. The total value of the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in circulation till March 2016 was Rs 14.18 lakh crore.



The standing committee, headed by former Union minister and senior Congress leader M. Veerapa Moily, had called RBI and finance ministry officials to discuss the demonetisation of Indian currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 and the impact thereof.

Members, including Congress MPs like Digvijaya Singh, wanted Mr Patel to be specific in his replies on lifting of cash withdrawal restrictions and wanted to follow through with tougher questions, but were prevented by Dr Singh and others, an agency report said.



RBI officials were in a very defensive position on demonetisation, said sources.



As members could not complete their questions, finance ministry officials will be called once again, most likely while Parliament is on a break during the Budget session.



But before that happens, Mr Patel will face tough questions from another set of MPs as he is scheduled to appear before Parliaments Public Accounts Committee (PAC) headed by Congress leader K.V. Thomas on Friday. PAC meet is expected to be stormy as earlier Mr Thomas had threatened to even call Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of demonetisation. However, later on due to opposition from BJP members, PAC issued a press release rejecting Congress leaders contention.
The Centre has been making repeated efforts to find a way to have the NH-2 opened.

New Delhi: Expressing grave concern over the continued blockade of National Highway-2, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asked the Manipur government to maintain public order in the state, including maintenance of essential supplies and a conducive atmosphere for holding elections next month.

He called upon Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh to discharge his constitutional obligations responsibly and in the interest of the people of Manipur, and warned that if the Government of Manipur fails in its constitutional duties, the Centre may have to explore other measures under the provisions of Constitution to ensure that difficulties of people of Manipur are alleviated.

Rajnath Singh conveyed this message to Okram Ibobi Singh in Delhi on Wednesday.

He also held a meeting with the Chief Minister of Nagaland, T R Zeliang, on Wednesday, and sought the Nagaland government's cooperation in keeping National Highway-2 open between Dimapur and Mao Gate and asked him not to allow disturbance on this vital route.

The Centre has been making repeated efforts to find a way to have the highway opened, which is causing severe difficulties to the people of Manipur especially with regard to availability of essential commodities. Rajnath Singh stated that continued blockade is likely to adversely affect democratic process in the forthcoming elections by hampering movement of people, including election officials. He assured to send more forces in the state if required to for this.

On November 15, tripartite talks with the Government of Manipur and United Naga Council (UNC) were called at New Delhi to discuss the economic blockade, which were not attended by the Government of Manipur.

On December 22, 2016, the Union Home Minister wrote to the Chief Minister of Manipur to discharge his constitutional obligations of keeping the national highways open and ensure supplies of essential commodities. So far, 40 additional companies of central paramilitary forces have been made available to Manipur as asked for by them in the month of December, 2016, in addition to 135 companies of CAPFs already stationed there. Despite these repeated efforts of the ministry, nothing substantive seems to have been done to remove the economic blockade.
The commission has now directed the School of Open Learning to produce before it all records on Ms Iranis qualifications.

New Delhi: Delhi Universitys School of Open Learning claims it was former HRD minister Smriti Irani herself who asked the university not to disclose details of her educational qualification to an RTI applicant. This was revealed by DU to the Central Information Commission.

The commission has now directed the School of Open Learning to produce before it all records on Ms Iranis qualifications. She is now Union textiles minister. A fresh showcause notice was issued to DUs Central Public Information Officer for failing to produce records before the commission as directed.

The RTI petitioner alleged Ms Irani gave contradictory information in her affidavits filed before the elections in 2004, 2011 and 2014.

In her affidavit for the April 2004 Lok Sabha polls, she said she completed her BA in 1996 from DU (School of Correspondence, as School of Open Learning was then called), whereas in another affidavit of July 11, 2011, to contest the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections, she said her highest educational qualification was B. Com. Part I, the petitioner alleged in a city court. The court, however, had dismissed the matter on the ground that considerable time had lapsed in filing the complaint.
The EAM asked Indian Embassy in Muscat to 'file a case against the persons who indulged in human trafficking and ill-treated' her.

New Delhi: Two sisters on Wednesday sought help from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in bringing back their mother who is stuck in Oman after being allegedly ill-treated by recruitment agents.

The women from Haryana sought her help through twitter.

Swaraj responding to their complaint asked Indian Embassy in Muscat to "file a case against the persons who indulged in human trafficking and ill-treated our national."

"@ProtectorGenGOI Pl take stringent action against this agent. We must take this to the logical conclusion./3 @Indemb_Muscat," Swaraj tweeted.

"The lady is in our shelter home. If possible please repatriate her," she asked Indian Ambassador in Oman.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has ordered free treatment for the injured children.

People looking at the mangled remains of vehicles after a school bus collided with a lorry amid dense fog on Aliganj-Paliyali road in Etah district. (Photo: PTI)

Lucknow: In a heart-wrenching tragedy, 24 school children, in the age group of 8 to 12 years, were killed and more than 40 others injured in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday morning when a school bus collided with a sand-laden truck coming from the opposite direction.

The driver of the bus, Akash, was also killed in the accident. Eye-witnesses said the accident took place due to intense fog and poor visibility in the area.

ADG (law and order) Daljit Chaudhary confirmed only 15 deaths, but sources claimed that the death toll could cross 25. A police release issued on Thursday evening, however, put the death toll at 13.

Uttar Pradesh DGP Javeed Ahmad said that children with serious injuries have been referred to Agra, Aligarh and Etawah for treatment.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has ordered free treatment for the injured children.

According to reports, the bus was carrying nearly 62 students of J.S. Vidya Niketan School when it collided with a truck in Aliganj area of Etah district.

The truck was being driven at a high speed when the collision took place. The impact of the collision was so strong that the bus was almost ripped apart.

Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at the site of the accident as parents rushed to find their children.

Senior officials reached the site within an hour of the mishap and supervised the rescue work since some children were buried under the sand.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, Anguished by the tragic accident in UPs Etah district. I share the pain of the bereaved families and condole passing away of young children. I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest.

District officials said that action would be taken against the school which was open despite orders from the district administration to keep all schools closed till January 21 due to cold wave conditions. An FIR has been lodged against the school authorities.

Reports from Etah say that the fitness certificate as well as the registration of the school bus had expired and yet the vehicle was in service.

We will be taking strict action against the school which was open despite the orders of the district magistrate, said UP DGP.

Meanwhile, UP transport commissioner on Thursday issued directions to the state police to launch a three-day vigorous checking of the vehicles that transport school students.

The transport commissioner has asked the checking authorities to ensure strict action against those who are running school vehicles in damaged condition and not following the traffic guidelines.
Mr Modi said this while meeting a delegation of Muslim Ulemas.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed the Indian youth for resisting radicalisation and asserted that the countrys culture, traditions and social fabric will never allow the nefarious designs of the terrorists or their sponsors to succeed.

Mr Modi said this while meeting a delegation of Muslim Ulemas. He told them that it was our collective responsibility to take this heritage forward, a PMO statement issued after the meeting said.

The delegation congratulated the Prime Minister on the steps taken by the Union government for inclusive growth, socio-economic and educational empowerment of all sections of the society including minorities, the statement added.

The Prime Minister said that youth in India has successfully resisted radicalisation, which has affected several parts of the world today, it said.

The credit for this must go to the long, shared heritage of our people and that it is now our collective responsibility to take this heritage forward, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the delegation.
Huge protests to be held today; students vow to return Aadhaar cards.

Students protest against the ban on Jallikattu at Marina Beach in Chennai. (Photo: AFP)

Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modis rejection of the states demand for a Central ordinance on jallikattu has triggered widespread anger in Tamil Nadu. Residents geared up for massive protests on Friday, with all sections of people joining students and youth fighting to save its traditional sport and preserve Tamil culture.

Furious jallikattu protesters widened the canvass of the protests to include all issues in which the states rights were trampled. One of the students, Senthilnathan, who had gathered at the Marina asked, If Narendra Modi is so concerned about respecting the Supreme Court, why had he opposed the apex courts verdict to form the Cauvery Management Board?.

Protesting Tamil youth vowed to return the Aadhaar cards as a sign of declaration that they are no more the citizens of India. The protesters also targeted the railways blocking the trains in several parts of the state. Traders associations announced a total shutdown on Friday and cinema theatres would remain closed to express support the agitations.

The Marina continued to be the epicentre of agitations for Tamil pride with the gathering of youth reaching about 90,000 for a stretch of about three kilometre on Thursday evening.

The sound of waves were drowned by slogan shouting and drum beating youth, who supported jallikattu and demanded a ban on Peta, which was instrumental for jallikattu ban. There were hundreds of protests throughout the city, besides the agitations in every district and taluk of Tamil Nadu.

The southern districts continued to vibrate with jallikattu protests centred around the historic city of Madurai.

Besides boys and girls, children and working and housewives too joined the agitations throughout Tamil Nadu, voicing their anger against the unjust treatment to Tamil Nadu on a range of issues from the massacre of Sri Lankan Tamils to the non-formation of Cauvery Management Board. The South Indian Film Artistes Association would hold a fast in which popular actors Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Ajith, Sathyaraj and others would take part.

Lorries, autorickshaws and call taxis would not be operated on Friday and milk agents too join the agitations.

Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangam and Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Koottaimaippu declared that all the shops would be shut on Friday and the traders would stage fasts in several places of the state.

The lawyers also joined the agitations announcing boycott of courts.

The ruling AIADMK deferred all its public meetings in connection with the MGR birth centenary celebrations, while MDMK general secretary Vaiko postponed his protest against the construction of checkdams across the Bhavani by Kerala government, citing the ongoing protests for jallikattu.

Im fasting tomorrow to support the spirit of Tamil Nadu

 A.R. Rahman

#jallikattu is a cultural symbol. Respect it. Im all for animal rightsbut here that is not the point.tradition & livelihood are .

 Viswanathan Anand

It is about taming the bull and not causing them physical harm by breaking its horns or other parts

 Kamal Haasan

Scenes of peaceful protest all around TN. Unity, peace and resolve will show our plea in the right light.#peacefulprotests #jallikattu

 Ravichandran Ashwin

Wonderful to see protest in a peaceful way in Tamil Nadu. Request to maintain peace in your passion. Peaceful protest will be a lesson for all.

Virender Sehwag
People familiar with the matter said Mr Zeliang highlighted grievances of Naga leaders in Manipur.

Guwahati: Union home minister Rajnath Singh has sought the intervention of Nagaland chief minister T.R. Zeliang to resolve the economic blockade in Manipur called by Naga groups.

Mr Singh asked Mr Zeliang to convince Naga leaders to call off the blockade in a meeting in New Delhi Wednesday. Manipur chief minister O. Ibobi Singh and his deputy Gaikhangam Gangmei also attended the meeting.

People familiar with the matter said Mr Zeliang highlighted grievances of Naga leaders in Manipur.

However, Ibobi Singh insisted on holding a tripartite meeting with the United Naga Council (UNC), the Manipur government and the Centre in Imphal, the people said. The Manipur chief minister also did not oppose the idea of holding the meeting in New Delhi.

The UNC is an umbrella organisation of Naga groups, protesting against recent creation of new districts in Manipur. The UNC want the meeting be to held in Manipiurs Senapati district, their stronghold, or Delhi.

The tripartite meeting may take place in New Delhi on January 23, people familiar with the matter said.

The Naga armed group Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muviah) has accused Manipur Police commandos of carrying out an ambush on a convoy of civilian vehicles on NH-37 on January 12, in which one person was killed and three were injured.

Political parties in Manipur are yet to launch electioneering for the March 4 and 8 Assembly elections.
Total donation declared by Shiv Sena is 81 per cent of that received by all the regional parties together.

While the total amount received by all political parties was Rs 108 crore, Shive Sena topped the list with Rs 86.84 crore.

New Delhi: Shiv Sena led the regional political parties which received donations above Rs 20,000, the limit above which funding sources have to be disclosed.

While the total amount received by all political parties was Rs 108 crore, Shive Sena topped the list with Rs 86.84 crore, according to the report by election think tank Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The report said that the total amount of donations declared by Shiv Sena is about 81 per cent of the total donations received by all the regional parties together which have been considered for the report during the same period.

AIUDF, DMDK, JDS, PMK and Shiv Sena are the five regional parties which have declared increase in the amount of donations received between 2014-15 and 2015-16, the report said.

With regard to the total number of donations, AAP leads with 1,187 donations from individuals and corporates, while Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) declared a total 571 contributions followed by Shiv Sena with 143 and TDP 75.

According to the Representation of People Act, 1951 political parties must submit their contribution details in excess of Rs 20,000 received from any person or company to the Election Commission of India (ECI) annually.
Saffron party waits for SP to name candidates before finalising its second poll list.

New Delhi: With the Mahagathbandhan, or Grand Alliance, taking shape, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to be in a fix over announcing the second list for the Uttar Pradesh polls. Unable to take a decision on selection of candidates, the BJP is waiting for the Samjwadi Party to come up with its list.

The party is also worried after its back channel talks with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) collapsed. Sensing that the Jat vote bank, which overwhelmingly voted for the BJP in the 2014 general elections, had switched back to Ajit Singh-led RLD, the BJP had started back channel talks for a possible alliance. The RLD has rejected the BJPs overtures, people familiar with the mater said.

The BJP has drawn a list of three candidates for each Assembly berth. Depending on the SPs candidates, the BJP leadership will select its nominees from the list of three.

The BJP was also facing trouble in Assembly berths such as Allahabad, Lucknow and Varanasi. In Allahabad, BJP entrant Rita Bahuguna is demanding a ticket for her son, Mayank. A fight is also on between BJP leaders Lalji Tandon and Kalraj Mishra for tickets for their sons from one of the Assembly berths in Lucknow, and a tug-of-war is raging between Apna Dal and BJP for some of the Assembly seats in Varanasi region.

In Allahabad, long-time BJP loyalists are vehemently against giving ticket to Rita Bahugunas son from Allahabad region.

On Wednesday, slogans were raised in the BJP office against giving tickets to turncoats. Slogans such as SP ke nahin, BJP walon ko ticket do (dont give tickets to SP but to BJP loyalists) were also raised outside the Akbar Road residence of party national president Amit Shah.

BJP workers from Dadri, Jewar and Noida protested Wednesday against the partys decision to give tickets to turncoats. Around noon the BJP workers first gathered at DND flyway on Delhi-Noida border and began shouting slogans against Mahesh Sharma, Gautam Budh Nagar MP and Union minister of state for tourism and culture.

They also burnt his effigy on the flyway before leaving for Delhi. The workers carried placards saying bahri pratyashiyon ka ticket vapis lo (withdraw candidature of outsiders). They later marched to the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

In the first list, the BJP has given tickets to over 10 political functionaries who swtiched over to BJP from SP and Bahujan Samaj Party. Some of the prominent ones include Pakshalika (wife of former SP leader Aridaman Singh), and former SP leader Omvati Devi.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe applauded the federal government Wednesday for beginning additional environmental review of the Dakota Access Pipeline, while some North Dakota leaders called the process a delay tactic that will likely be rescinded by the Trump administration.

The Department of the Army published a notice Wednesday to begin gathering information to prepare an environmental impact statement for the pipeline crossing at Lake Oahe, the site of recent protests.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe called the notice another small victory on the path to justice.

The tribe is encouraged that the Department of the Army has made a firm commitment in the notice to evaluate the impacts of the pipeline crossing at Lake Oahe to the tribes treaty rights and water rights, and to explore alternative routes, tribal leaders said in a statement.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said an environmental impact statement could take months or years and called on President-elect Trump to approve the four-state pipeline without delay.

The Obama administration is again trying to delay the Dakota Access Pipeline project by changing the rules, Hoeven said in a statement Wednesday. The company has complied with all federal and state requirements and should now be allowed to complete the project.

Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said he expects the Trump administration will rescind the environmental impact statement process and issue an easement for the Lake Oahe crossing.

Cramer said he is hopeful Trump will take action on Dakota Access next week or shortly thereafter.

I think itll be very quick, Cramer said Wednesday.

The notice from the Army said it is accepting comments on the scope of the environmental impact statement through Feb. 20. The Army said it is seeking input on three concerns:

Alternative locations for the pipeline crossing the Missouri River.

Potential risks and impacts of an oil spill and potential impacts to Lake Oahe, the tribes water intakes and the tribes water, treaty fishing and hunting rights.

Information on the extent and location of the tribes treaty rights in Lake Oahe.

The Army also said it will hold public scoping meetings that will be publicized at least 15 days in advance.

Standing Rock leaders said the EIS should be more broad than currently proposed and should include the territory of the entire Great Sioux Nation, not just Lake Oahe and the northern border of the reservation.

Brian Kalk, a member of the North Dakota Public Service Commission which approved Dakota Access, said the project has already undergone environmental review and this additional step is just rhetoric.

The EIS is just one more way to keep those that are against Dakota Access Pipeline stirred up and have them do things like theyve been doing out there and its just time for it to stop, Kalk said.
The Congress alleged that Mr Modi is trying to take political advantage by participating in this conference in poll-bound Uttarakhand.

New Delhi: After petitioning the Election Commission of India (EC) for postponing the Union Budget, the Congress has now asked the EC to postpone the Annual Commanders Conference in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the defence minister are participating on January 21 in Dehradun.

The Congress alleged that Mr Modi is trying to take political advantage by participating in this conference in poll-bound Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand Congress leaders met the chief electoral officer in Dehradun and gave a memorandum for postponing the conference.

The Congress party said since Mr Modis address would be televised, wide publicity would be given to the event.

As Uttarakhand has a sizeable population of serving and ex-servicemen, the Prime Minister in the conference could influence voters.

As per the guidelines of the EC, there should be a level playing field for all parties. BJP in Uttarakhand has made it clear that it is fighting the elections in the name of the Prime Minister, Uttarakhand chief Harish Rawat said.

As the Conference would be publicised and the Prime Minister would be participating, this can impact the elections and the Election Commission should take note of this, Mr Rawat said.

He said the Centre is welcome to hold the Commanders Conference in Dehradun but after February 15, polling day in the state.

The Congress questioned the rationale behind choosing Dehradun for the conference. It said that since the Commanders Conference is a show of strength, it should have been held at operational areas such as Pathankot. Mr Rawat accused the BJP of hurting the pride of the Army.

Polling will be held on February 15 in a single phase for 70 seats.
SP to fight 300 seats, leave 103 for Congress; JD-U backs Ajit Singh.

Lucknow/New Delhi: The prospect of a mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Uttar Pradesh virtually collapsed on Thursday with the Samajwadi Party rejecting any alliance with the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and announcing that it would contest 300 of 403 Assembly seats, while the rest 103 would be given to the Congress.

The JD(U), which was expected to campaign for Akhilesh Yadav to garner the Kurmi vote, clearly said on Thursday that it was with the RLD. JD(U) spokesman K.C. Tyagi told this newspaper: We are with the RLD. Pointing fingers at the SP, he said: The SP as a senior partner has failed to engage with the RLD and with us. Mr Tyagi, however, refused to elaborate further on this issue.

The BJP, meanwhile, unleashed Union minister Anupriya Patel, leader of the Apna Dal, an NDA ally, to make up with her mother Krishna Patel who leads another faction of the outfit, that was expected to join the Akhilesh Yadav bandwagon.

In Lucknow, SP national vice-president Kironmoy Nanda, talking about the proposed SP-RLD alliance, said: We will forge an alliance only with Congress. Not ally with RLD. We will contest 300 seats, leaving the rest for the Congress.

RLD spokesman Anil Dubey said his outfit wanted the seats of our choice, but there was no agreement on it. State RLD chief Masood Ahmad said his party, under the leadership of Chaudhary Ajit Singh and in alliance with smaller parties, would contest on its own. For any alliance, the leaders of all three parties should have come together on one negotiating table. We simply kept hearing statements on TV... this is not the way to enter an alliance, he said.

The SP-RLD talks hit a roadblock Thursday when RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary demanded not less than 30 seats, while the Akhilesh Yadav-led party was ready to offer only 22 seats. Incidentally, while the SP spoke of an alliance with the Congress, a few issues are still to be resolved between them. Some of these contentious issues include the Assembly seats in Rae Bareli and Amethi that are now held by SP. The Congress wants all Assembly seats in these two key constituencies, that are represented in Parliament by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi respectively, but the SP is unwilling to let go of its sitting berths. The SP is also unwilling to tie up with RLD as the Samajwadis fear that distrust between Jats and Muslims in western UP post Muzaffarnagar riots would hit its minority votebank.

SP leaders have argued that Muslims in western UP are not likely to support the RLD and this could eventually have an adverse impact on the SPs Muslim votebank across the state. We feel an alliance with Congress is the best in the state, a senior SP leader said. The Muslim population in western UP is around 46 per cent, and the SP is in no mood to risk this huge votebank.

Sources also said the trust factor between the SP and RLD was another issue that had blocked finalisation of the deal. At the end of the day Akhilesh does not trust the RLD and feels in a fractured mandate scenario Ajit Singh could swing towards the BJP if the situation demands, a senior SP leader commented.

It may be recalled that the RLD had earlier held secret parleys with the BJP. The RLDs deal with the BJP had not taken off due to differences over seat-sharing, sources said.

The collapse of the grand alliance even before it could be formed has raised the BJPs hopes in UP, though the SP national vice-president declared that the SP-Congress alliance will get an absolute majority in the state and Akhilesh will become chief minister again.

In the 2012 Assembly polls, the SP had won 224 seats with a voteshare of 29.3 per cent, while the Congress got 28 seats with a voteshare of 11.7 per cent.
The billboard features a face that looks very familiar to the Disney character

The sign on the billboard aptly said let it go referring to the use of meth among individuals in the town. (Photo: Facebook)

There are many methods authorities use for good causes like trying to make people stop taking drugs. However, they dont often use a cartoon character that is quite a favourite among many people. A community in Montana trying to stop drug use in their town recently used a face that was very similar to Elsa from Frozen and people were surprised.

According to a report in the Mirror, the community involved in the Montana Meth Project (MMP) recently erected anti-drug billboards in their town. The sign on the billboard aptly said let it go referring to the use of meth among individuals in the town. The anti-drug campaign however had a girl that look very similar to Elsa from Frozen, the movie but only sick from drug abuse. The girl seemed tired with jumbled hair and shackled by the police after being caught in possession of meth. While the billboard doesnt mention Frozen due to copyright issues, it has a striking resemblance so that it would relate to the younger audience.

While the community chose an innovative way to make people aware, it will be interesting to see if it actually works in the future for the people of the community.
Singh, AAP's Tilak Nagar MLA, was chargesheeted by police for allegedly assaulting a South Delhi Municipal Corporation junior engineer.

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Jarnail Singh has been discharged by a Delhi court of charges of preventing an MCD engineer from demolishing an unauthorised building in New Delhi, causing damage to state property and beating up a government official.

The sessions court set aside a magisterial court order taking cognisance on the charge sheet and framing charges against him on technical grounds, saying it was "bad and unsustainable".

"Since in this case, the necessary compliance of Section 195 CrPC has not been made, so the cognisance as well as the charge framed subsequently, vide impugned order, is bad and unsustainable.

"Resultantly, the petitioner is entitled for an order of discharge in his favour. The revisionist is discharged from the case," Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Kumar-I said.

Singh, AAP's Tilak Nagar MLA, was chargesheeted by police for allegedly assaulting a South Delhi Municipal Corporation junior engineer, Athar Mustafa, and preventing him from carrying out his duty when the latter and his team had gone to demolish an illegal structure in West Delhi on April 28, 2015.

The sessions court passed the order on a revision plea filed by the legislator challenging the magisterial court's order framing charges against him in October 2016.

The judge said as per section 195 CrPC, no court shall take cognisance of any offences punishable under sections 172 to 188 of the IPC except on the complaint of public servant.

The court said it was clear that the magistrate cannot take cognisance of the police report for the offence under section 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public

functions) of the IPC and the case should have proceeded as a complaint case.

"Since in this case, charge sheet has been filed under various sections including under Section 186 of the IPC and the cognisance has been erroneously taken therein, so the impugned order is liable to be set aside," it said.
The bank, while denying the allegation, had claimed that it got a formal application for the release of account details.

According to the complaint filed by Delhi resident Gurpreet Kaur, on April 3, 2009 her salary account details were released by the bank to her husband without her consent and knowledge. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: A bank has a relationship of fidelity with its customers and it cannot share their personal information or financial statement with anyone else, Delhi state consumer commission has said while holding a private bank guilty of deficient service by providing account details of a woman to her estranged husband without her consent.

The state commission also asked HDFC Bank Ltd to pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 to the complainant, whose financial details were given to her husband with whom she had strained relations owing to a matrimonial dispute.

"The relation of the bank and the customer is of fidelity and therefore, bank cannot supply financial statement or any information to another person except that of the court order," the commission said.

"Considering the totality of facts and circumstances, the only conclusion drawn is that the statements were provided to the husband with the connivance of the bank officials. The same amounts to deficiency in service on part of the bank...," IT said while dismissing the bank's appeal against a district forum order directing it to pay the compensation.

"Financial statements have been provided to the husband of the complainant (woman), who is having strained relationship and ultimately she had to undergo mental agony pain and sheer suffering," the commission said.

According to the complaint filed by Delhi resident Gurpreet Kaur, on April 3, 2009 her salary account details were released by the bank to her husband without her consent and knowledge.

The bank, while denying the allegation, had claimed that it got a formal application for the release of account details but failed to submit it before the commission saying it was unable to trace the same.
The incident happened when she was she in the accused's car where he allegedly forced himself on her, police said.

New Delhi: An 18-year-old first year student of Delhi University's Daulat Ram College was allegedly molested by a 52-year-old bank clerk inside his car in the North Campus on Wednesday, following which he was arrested, police said.

A senior police officer said the victim and the accused knew each other since September, when she had gone to open a bank account, and she used to take a lift from him from Vishwavidyalaya Metro station to the college.

The incident happened when she was she in the car, he said, adding the accused works as a clerk in Indian Overseas Bank branch on the college premises.

She stays in Moti Nagar and the accused had allegedly tried to harass her on previous occasions also but she didn't lodge a complaint earlier, police said.

On Wednesday, while they were in the car on the way to college, he allegedly forced himself on her inside the vehicle, they said.

She somehow managed to escape and informed her college authorities about the matter, who informed police.

An FIR was lodged under the relevant sections at Maurice Nagar police station and the accused, Devinder Kumar, has been arrested.

ABVP activists first reached the college and later the Maurice Nagar police station to ensure that the case was registered. The victim is undergoing counselling now.

Savita Rai, the principal of the college, said the college authorities got to know of the incident around 11.45 am.

The incident took place outside the college but after the matter was brought to our notice, we handed over the accused to police, she said.
Uddhav Thackeray has set a deadline of January 21 for wrapping up the talks.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray today made a slew of announcements which his party intends to implement if voted to power in the BMC, but maintained silence over alliance with BJP in the upcoming civic polls.

"Talks of alliance with the BJP have not reached me as yet. As and when it reaches me, I will talk about it. Also, I would not like to talk on the alliance at a time when talks are progressing positively," Thackeray said, while addressing reporters here today.

The pre-poll alliance talks between BJP and Shiv Sena, after veering towards a broad consensus over the issue, had shifted to haggling between local leaders of both parties, over which seats they can win.

Sena MP Anil Desai yesterday said that after the second round of meeting with BJP, the latter demanded 114 seats for polls to the 227-member BMC.

Thackeray has set a deadline of January 21 for wrapping up the talks as he would announce his decision on the eve of late Sena chief Bal Thackeray's birth anniversary that falls on January 23.

The Sena chief today said there is a big question mark on housing and health sector in the city.

"We have thus decided that for existing homes having a carpet area of upto 500 sq ft, property tax will be completely waived off and for homes upto 700 sq ft, there will be a concession in property taxes," he said, adding that the Sena does not indulge in election 'jumlas' (rhetoric).

"Our relation with people is not limited to elections," he asserted.

Thackeray also said that housing societies which indulge in activities like rain water harvesting, use solar electricity, they will be given additional benefits by BMC.

He further said that citizens in the city, apart from the services they get at civic-run hospitals, will be given free health services under the Balasaheb Thackeray health cover scheme and that he would announce more schemes in the election manifesto.

"In the last five years, we have constructed new health facilities, increased the number of beds in existing facilities as well," Thackeray said.

"Like there was an election 'jumla' of 'acche din' (good days), I do not indulge in such 'jumlas'. What I promise, I fulfil," he said.

Thackeray also said that the Sena has sent a letter to the Union Finance ministry, listing the party's demands in the Budget, that will be presented on February 1.
MEA officials said Indias ambassador in Washington Navtej Sarna would represent India at Mr Trumps inauguration ceremony.

New Delhi: With Donald Trump due to take over as Americas 45th President on Friday, outgoing President Barack Obama made a farewell call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday evening. MEA sources called it a thank you call for the excellent progress in relations between the two nations in the past two and a half years of the Modi government.

MEA officials said Indias ambassador in Washington Navtej Sarna would represent India at Mr Trumps inauguration ceremony Friday, and that there would be no other official representation from New Delhi, as is the established practice.

On the Obama-Modi phone conversation, the ministry said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from US President Barack Obama yesterday (Wednesday) evening. The two leaders reviewed with satisfaction the significant all-round progress and cooperation in ties between India and the US in the past few years. The Prime Minister thanked President Obama for his strong support and contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between India and the US. He conveyed his best wishes to President Obama in his future endeavours.

In its statement, the White House said: President Obama spoke by phone today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to thank the Prime Minister for his partnership and to review joint efforts of cooperation, including defence, civil nuclear energy and enhanced people-to-people ties. Recalling his visit as chief guest at Indias Republic Day celebrations in 2015, President Obama wished the Prime Minister warm congratulations ahead of Indias upcoming 68th Republic Day anniversary. Both leaders discussed the progress they have made on shared economic and security priorities, including recognition of India as a major defence partner of the United States and addressing the global challenge of climate change.
Killings come 18 months after police gunned down longtime Lashkar-e-Jhangvi leader Malik Ishaq in a separate encounter.

The extremist Sunni Muslim LeJ, one of a myriad of Islamist militant outfits operating in Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for the deaths of hundreds of civilians.

Lahore: Pakistani counter-terrorism forces killed the new leader of the banned sectarian Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant group, along with three more militants, in an operation in the eastern province of Punjab, authorities said on Wednesday.

The killings come 18 months after police gunned down longtime Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) leader Malik Ishaq in a separate encounter. Among the four militants killed on Tuesday night was Asif Chotoo, also known by the name Rizwan, who was named LeJ chief after Ishaqs death, authorities said.

He was now heading Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the counter terrorism department of Punjab said in a statement. The extremist Sunni Muslim LeJ, one of a myriad of Islamist militant outfits operating in Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for the deaths of hundreds of civilians, mostly minority Shiite Muslims.

The four suspects were killed in a shootout in Sheikhupura city, about 40km northwest of the Punjab capital of Lahore, by counter-terrorism forces acting on a tip that the group was planning an attack in Lahore.

Big chapters of terrorism, target killings have been closed today, the statement added. They were merciless killing machines.
South Korean government identified the man only by his surname of Ji and said he was in his 50s.

Manila: The Philippine Police kidnapped and murdered a South Korean businessman, then led his wife to believe he was alive for months to extort money from her, authorities said on Wednesday.

The killing is the latest in a long series of criminal acts by the Philippine Police, regarded as one of the nations most corrupt institutions, and has fuelled concerns about its role enforcing President Rodrigo Dutertes deadly crime war.

The man disappeared from his home in the northern city of Angeles in October 2016, and his wife initially paid a ransom of five million pesos ($100,000), national police spokesman Dionardo Carlos said. However, the man was strangled to death and burned to ashes in a crematorium on the day he was abducted, the South Korean foreign ministry said, citing a Philippine government report. The crematorium was owned by a former police officer, the foreign ministry said.

The South Korean government identified the man only by his surname of Ji and said he was in his 50s. Philippine media said he was a businessman who had been living in the Philippines since 2008 and had been working for a manpower company.

South Korean foreign minister Yun Byung-Se demanded answers after receiving a phone call from Philippine foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay to inform him of the murder.

Minister Yun, expressing grave shock over the implication of Philippine Police officers in the case, asked that the Philippine government get to the bottom of the case and bring those responsible to justice, a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Ricky Santa Isabel, one of the officers accused of going to Jis house and abducting him, surrendered this week, according to Carlos, the police spokesman. He said another two officers who went with him to the house, and their superior, were under probe.

All four accused officers were from the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group based at national police headquarters in Manila, according to Mr Carlos.

He said a retired police officer was also believed to be involved but had fled to Canada, and that there were South Korean accomplices. Carlos did not elaborate on the identities or actions of the South Korean suspects.
At least 66,000 Rohingyas have subsequently fled to Bangladesh, alleging rape, murder and torture at the hands of security forces.

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysias Prime Minister on Thursday urged Myanmar to end its crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya minority, warning that Islamist extremists may exploit the crisis.

The plight of the Rohingyas, a stateless group denied citizenship in Myanmar and reviled as illegal immigrants by the majority Buddhist population, has become a lightning rod for anger across the Muslim world.

Since October Myanmars Army has carried out clearance operations in the north of Rakhine to root out insurgents accused of raids on police border posts.

At least 66,000 Rohingyas have subsequently fled to Bangladesh, alleging rape, murder and torture at the hands of security forces. But Myanmar denies the allegations.

Far too many people have lost their lives in Myanmar, said premier Najib Razak, speaking in Kuala Lumpur at the opening of a special meeting of foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Many have suffered appalling deaths, and those that have lived through the atrocities have witnessed or endured unspeakable cruelty, he added.

For a start, the killing must stop. The violation of women and girls must stop, he said, adding that the persecution of your fellow men and women, simply on the grounds that they are Muslim, must stop.
Ms Le Pen last ran for presidency in 2012. This time, the National Front leader sought broader support from a splintered French electorate.

Paris: Frances Socialists still trail well behind four other main candidates for the French presidency days ahead of the first round of the partys presidential primary, according to extracts from a new opinion poll published by Le Monde.

An article on the newspapers web site on Thursday said the poll by Cevipof put far-right National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen in front for the first round of the election itself on between 25 and 26 percent.

Conservative Francois Fillon was close behind her on between 23 and 25 percent, with independent Emmanuel Macron on between 17 percent and over 20 percent.

Jean-Luc Melenchon of the Left Party was in fourth place, set to gather 14-15 percent of the vote, between five and seven points ahead of any of the leading three Socialists, the article said.

All the predicted scores varied according to which Socialist candidate emerges from the primaries and depending on whether the centrist Francois Bayrou decides to stand or not, the article said.

The poll itself was not immediately available.Former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, ex-economy minister Arnaud Monte-bourg, and Benoit Hamon, a former education minister, are due to contest the first round of the Socialist primaries on Sunday.

A second round is due to take place on Jan. 29 between the top two scoring candidates.

The first round of the election itself is due to take place on April 23, with the top two scoring candidates also going through to a second, run-off round.

The Le Monde report did not mention a second round prediction.

Most polls predicting a run-off result have shown Mr Fillon beating Ms Le Pen in that second round, although some scenarios have predicted a contest that Mr Macron would win.

Ms Le Pen last ran for presidency in 2012. This time, the National Front leader sought broader support from a splintered French electorate.

She also is seeking to turn British Prime Minister Theresa Mays presidential election into a referendum on the European Union by detailing a strategy to pull France from the bloc and its single currency if she wins.

If elected, she and top National Front officials say, her administration will spend its first six months negotiating the creation of a basket of shadow European currencies. A newly reinstated franc, she says, would eventually be pegged to that basket, replacing the euro.
For the head of Alibaba, the new US president is "open minded" and is "listening." For some, his "populist style" and "protectionism" are a source of concern. The US spent globalisation money in wars. Mas proposal for small and medium-sized US companies selling on Alibaba could create a million jobs.

Davos (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Jack Ma, executive chairman of Alibaba, Chinas big e-commerce company, is convinced that there will be no trade war between China and the United States despite some of Donald Trump's statements during the US presidential campaign.

With respect to the US president-elect, who takes office tomorrow, he said to Give Trump some time" since Hes open minded and listening."

Speaking before a panel at the meeting of business and political leaders in Davos, Ma said that China and (the) US will never have a trade war.

During the election campaign Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese products that affect US jobs and has accused China of being a "currency manipulator", i.e. keeping the value of the yuan low to improve the competitiveness of Chinese exports in world markets.

Trump also said that he did not feel bound by the One-China policy, and provoked Beijings ire by speaking on the phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ying-wen.

Recently, experts and analysts have expressed concerns about Trumps "populist style" and "protectionism", which may undermine free trade.

Even Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke in defence of globalisation at the opening of the Davos Forum. China's economy is heavily depended on exports to the West, especially the United States.

Imposing tariffs on China's products could deal a heavy blow to the country's industries.

Jack Ma pointed out that the problem is not globalisation, from which the US made "tonnes of money", but the way in which the money was spent, without spreading the wealth in society.

In the past 30 years, America has had 13 wars at a cost of US.2 trillion, he said.

What if they had spent part of that money on building up their infrastructure, helping white-collar and blue-collar workers?

Last week Ma met Trump (picture 2) offering to help small and medium-sized US companies sell their products via Alibaba.

According to Ma this could create about a million jobs in the United States.
by Mathias Hariyadi

Indonesias president met the leaders of the Synod of Protestant Churches (PGI) to discuss the growing threats that endanger "tolerance, peace and unity". Widodo reassured them that the state is not "passive" towards radical groups as it was in the past.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  The Indonesia government will not remain passive, as it has in the past, with respect to attacks, acts of violence or claims by extremist (Muslim) groups who seek to sow divisions and cause clashes among Indonesias various groups, this according to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

The Indonesian president spoke to representatives of the Indonesian Synod of Protestant Churches (PGI) in a private meeting held to discuss trends that are endangering the countrys "spirit of tolerance, peace and unity in diversity (Ind: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika).

PGI President Rev Henrietta Lebang, PGI General Secretary Rev Gomar Gultom, and Rev Albertus Patty took part in yesterdays tete-a-tete with Widodo.

Afterwards the Christian delegation said it was satisfied with the concerns shown by the president about the problem, which has recently gotten worse as evinced by some controversial incidents.

One involves Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Ahok Purnama who is on trial alleged blasphemy charges.

Another refers to the forced transfer of a local official in Bantul after he was targeted by Islamic extremists who do not want a Catholic in a position of authority in a predominantly Muslim area.

More recently, indigenous Dayak in West Kalimantan organised a protest, and prevented a top official with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) from getting off the plane that had brought him to the area.

President Widodo confirmed that the authorities would not remain silent vis-a-vis what is happening, Rev Lebang told AsiaNews, as it has in the past when "previous administrations did nothing".

Mr Widodo noted that the radical ideology of some groups, like the notorious Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), "was favoured by some political parties" that pushed fundamentalism for electoral advantage.

"Any mass organisation that promotes intolerance in society will be prosecuted in accordance with the law," the president explained. No one should think that the state is "silent or, worse, scared" by these elements who sow divisions and cause violence.

Last week, police in Bandung informed FPI leader Rizieq Shihab that he was under investigation in connection with events last year when he allegedly showed disrespect for Pancasila, the founding principle of the Indonesian state, and directly attacked the local Christian community.

For several months, the Islamic leader has led the attack against Jakartas Christian governor for allegedly blaspheming Islam. However, in a rare role reversal, the radical Islamist has been charged in a blasphemy case against Christianity and its followers when, together with the FPI, he organised several mass demonstrations to demand the governors conviction.

"I appreciate the efforts shown by the Indonesian president in favour of the nation, said Rev Lebang, not only in terms of rights.

Despite the global recession, he has pursued economic growth, infrastructural projects, efficiency in public spending, reducing the so-called red economy that had pushed in Indonesia into recession.
Istanbul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - For the first time Moscow and Ankara have carried out joint air strikes in Syria against the Islamic State objectives (SI). The Russian Ministry of Defense yesterday announced that the fighters of the two countries - once on opposing fronts and now at the forefront of the peace talks in Astana, Jan. 23 - hit the suburbs of the town of al-Bab , in the province of Aleppo. Even the Turkish army speaks of operation "in coordination" with Russia.

Al-Bab, about 20 km away from the Turkish border, has been the epicenter of a fierce battle between Syrian rebels backed by Ankara, the militias of the Islamic State and Kurdish forces in the last five months. Earlier this week the United States also carried out air strikes in the area, in cooperation with Ankara.



Analysts and experts emphasize the "unusual" cooperation on the military level between Russia and Turkey, a NATO member state. Moscow has released some information related to military means involved in the operation, while there are not yet specific details on the military cooperation between the two countries.



Local sources speak of heavy Turkish army attacks against jihadist militias in al-Bab and the outskirts of the town. The Russian air raid could, in this view, favor the advance of Turkish ground troops.



In this context of new alliances and collaborations between once opposing fronts, what role the United States intends to play remains to be seen, after Donald Trump is officially sworn in as President tomorrow.



To date, doubts surround the American presence at the peace talks in Astana. The declared aim of the talks is the stabilization of the "fragile" ceasefire in force since midnight on 30 December, and to encourage political dialogue between the opposing sides. Iran hast stated it does not want US interference in the peace process. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has said We are hostile to their presence and we have not invited them".

Moscow and Ankara have opened up to - if not insisted the new US administration attending meetings. "At this point, we have to maintain the Tripartite formation in place" stressed Bahram Ghasemi, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, according to which "any enlargement could increase the risk of failure."
by Kamran Chaudhry

The Commission on Human Rights organizes a seminar. Relatives of the abducted intellectuals reject the accusations of blasphemy, brought forward by Islamic radicals. "It's just a move to lock them up behind bars after their eventual release."

Lahore (AsiaNews) - Christians and Muslim human rights activists are demanding the release of the five activists who disappeared in Pakistan. They went missing two weeks after they had posted comments critical of religious extremism present in political and military circles. They are: cousins  Waqas Goraya and Aasim Saeed, both bloggers; Salman Haider, well-known poet who teaches at Fatima Jinnah Women's University in Rawalpindi; blogger Ahmed Raza Naseer, who suffers from polio, kidnapped while he was in his Skeikhupura shop, near Lahore and Samar Abbas, president of the Civil Progressive Alliance Pakistan.

Speaking to AsiaNews Nadeem Anthony, a Christian lawyer, expresses great concern about the fate of the liberal intellectuals and lay people in the Islamic Republic. "The stern action by agencies including enforced disappearances and raids on offices of NGOs is condemnable. The government cannot justify themselves by using these methods, it is not their job to silence people".



The lawyer believes that the opinions expressed by the five disappeared were not " The victims were not against Pakistan and were only raising awareness about injustices with the poor ". "There has been a recent campaign against human right activists that we are acting on foreign agenda. In fact we are actually helping the government. Its been only a few days since 2017 and situation of human rights is worsening. We shall continue our protests".

Yesterday the Commission on Human Rights of Pakistan (HRCP) organized a seminar to turn the spotlight on the limited possibilities of expression for social organizations operating in the country. The participants demanded the release of the four Lahore bloggers and Rawalpindi Professor. A student of the University Law College in Lahore has also denounced their disappearance, but was punished, tortured and held hostage for several hours by other fellow students linked to the radical Jamaat-e-Islam.

According to the Commission, in 2015 there were 1,390 cases of enforced disappearances. Of these, at least 191 have taken place between January and November in the province of Balochistan, repeatedly denounced by Salman Haider, the missing professor.

The position of the activists, already delicate in itself, seems to worsen after complaints of blasphemy, crime in Pakistan is punishable with the death penalty were presented against them. This is why relatives of the missing intellectuals yesterday held a press conference in Islamabad, denouncing the "vicious campaign" waged by extremists against their relatives. "This campaign - they said - is only meant to divert public sympathy from our pain and grief of our loved ones, who were illegally abducted".

Rojar Randhawa, coordinator of Caritas Lahore has expressed his support for the activists, who wrote provocatively on his Facebook account: "Please do not kidnap and kill me. I am not a liberal. "

Saeeda Deep, founder of the Institute of Peace and Secular Studies urged other minority leaders to join her protest campaign. "Our heart aches at seeing whats happening", she said.

"Islamist groups are giving calls of blasphemy against the missing activists so that they remain behind bars even after recovery. We had hopes in the new Army chief but now as army grip tightens and liberal civilians find it hard to even breathe. Male and female activists as well as students are being harassed; the torture of university student was not a single incident".
The 12,000-km line runs through nine countries. The trip lasted 18 days. It is part of Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative to re-establish a modern version of the ancient Silk Road.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies)  The first freight train from China arrived in Great Britain yesterday.

The train left the city of Yiwu, on China's east coast 18 days ago, and travelled 12,000 km before arriving at a freight depot in Barking, London.

The service passed through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France before entering the UK via the Channel Tunnel. For now, it carries only freight.

Yiwu Timex Industrial Investments, which is running this service with China's state-run railways, says prices are half that of air cargo and cut two weeks off the journey time by sea.

The route is part of Xi Jinpings One Belt One Road initiative along the ancient Silk Road trading route between Europe and Asia.

London is the 15th European city to find its way on to the ever-expanding map of destinations for China's rail cargo.

Last year, a total of 1,702 freight trains made the voyage to Europe, more than double the 2015 figure.

In April 2016, the China Railway Trans Eurasia Logistics opened a railway line between Wuhan and Lyon.
Having Tattoos Leads To More Sex, Study Finds

Trending News: Science Confirms That Having Tattoos Will Get You Laid

Long Story Short

A scientific study has found that men with tattoos are seen as more masculine by women and also intimidate potential male rivals, so although they arent necessarily seen as more attractive they have an advantage in picking up women.

Long Story

Getting a tattoo is a big decision and there are many factors to take into account before you commit to ink, but lets face it the main one is: will it help you get laid or prevent you getting laid?

That Maori sleeve design may have had something to do with a lifelong admiration of native New Zealand culture, but it probably had a lot more to do with looking like a badass whenever you get your guns out.

But do tatts actually convert into action?

Luckily scientists have finally explored this under-researched area and come up with some unexpected results, as reported by Playboy.

Researchers at Jagiellonian University Medical College in Poland showed 2369 women and 215 men pictures of tattooed and non-tattooed men and asked them to judge them in various categories.

As well as rating their hotness, participants were also asked to assess their masculinity, dominance, aggression and whether they are healthy, plus deciding if they would make a good partner and father.

It turned out that women didnt find men with tattoos any more attractive, but they did believe them to be more masculine and dominant, which adds up to more or less the same thing.

Interestingly, the men surveyed found men with tattoos more attractive, which researchers believe creates a knock-on effect; because other men perceive men with ink to be more of a threat to their chances of luring women, women start to find the tattooed men hotter. A double whammy of sexual attraction.

But before you go out to get that tattoo youve always pondered, it may not be a great idea if youre looking for more than casual sex.

Women responded that they felt men with tattoos would be worse partners and fathers than men without tattoos. Isn't it great to see that old-school stereotypes are still alive into the 21st century?

Men with tattoos seem to still have the traditional bad boy image  good for one night stands, bad for long-term relationships  which is either good news or bad news, depending on what your intentions are.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Why do we react the way we do to tattoos?

Drop This Fact

A recent study in the American Journal of Human Biology found that tattooing strengthens the immune system and can actually make people healthier in the long term.
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By John Rice, Adjunct Professor, University of Adelaide

AAP Image/Dean Lewins

The appointment of Senator Arthur Sinodinos as the new Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science means there have now been four ministers responsible for science in Australia in the little more than three years since the Coalition won government in 2013.

Five, if you were to count nobody as a minister for the period from September 2013 to December 2014 when there was no minister for science. In fact, nobody would be the longest serving of them.

This kind of churn reflects poorly on government. It is ripe for a few episodes of the ABC satirical comedy Utopia, and given the National Science and Innovation Agenda (NISA), we are talking about nation building.

More order, less chaos

Despite the constant change the government seems now to be generating order in the science and industry portfolio rather than chaos.

Whether it is individual ministers or their departments is not easy to tell. But the government seems much clearer on its approach to and support for science, industry and innovation.

The previous Chief Scientist, Ian Chubb, was the most vocal and energetic advocate for a strategic approach to science and innovation, for better government co-ordination and for holistic policies that would engage science and industry in the national interest.

It would appear that ministers and departments have got behind this agenda, and by working with it have avoided the potential incoherence that multiple changes of minister might bring.

As Science Minister, Greg Hunt engaged the sector energetically, and sought to evolve the science and innovation system with better structures and better support.

Challenges for the new minister

Sinodinos has a good opportunity to maintain this sense of direction.

The announcement of the latest round of Cooperative Research Centres before February would be a good start. The review of R&D tax concessions is on the ministers desk awaiting a response.

It was understood that Hunt intended to make a statement on science and industry in the next few months. It would be a great thing if Sinodinos could see that through.

Sinodinos is on record in parliament advocating the path to increased productivity through more investment in technology and innovation, and better commercialisation mechanisms. He appears to embrace the general ideas of NISA.

But it is clear that at the last election voters were not persuaded that science and innovation would deliver them the much promised jobs and growth.

Therefore the biggest political challenge for Industry, Innovation and Science is to negotiate a climate in which research, education and industry demonstrate collectively to the voting public that they do.

It is worth repeating over and over that an economy capable of generating and implementing commercialisable ideas doesnt arise by having research done somewhere, the ideas picked up by someone else, and the magical appearance of a workforce with the skills to develop them.

An innovation based economy works through an evolving interplay between research, innovation and education.

More than two thirds of Australias scientific research occurs in its universities. The funding arrangements for research in universities are one of the biggest impediments to a productive Australian innovation system.

The funding

The underfunding of research creates significant distortions to the whole system of research, education and industry engagement.

The government missed a huge opportunity just before Christmas with its plan to take the A$3.7bn Education Investment Fund away from the university sector to pay down debt and fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Properly designed, a research infrastructure fund built on this money could have a massive influence on the university research system. The Clark Infrastructure Review and the Go8 both proposed such use of the Fund.

Perhaps Sinodinos could consider it both a challenge and an opportunity to turn this decision around, if only in part, and bring in a new force to support the growth of Australian science and the development of its innovation system.

John Rice is Executive Director of the Australian Council of Deans of Science and holds honorary professorships in mathematics at both Adelaide and Sydney Universities.

Originally published in The Conversation.
By Paul Hawking, Associate Professor Information Systems, Victoria University

Australians reacted more positive than negative to the election of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States, according to a sentiment analysis study of tweets that were posted at the time.

Only tweets sent on November 10, 2016, (just after the result of the US election) that included the word Trump and were sent from an Australian capital city were analysed.

This resulted in 32,908 tweets including retweets being retrieved. For the purpose of this analysis we classified the tweet sentiment as either positive, negative or neutral.

The figures (above) display the sentiment for each capital city and show that in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Hobart there were more positive tweets about Trump. In Darwin, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth there were more negative tweets.

But counted overall, 48.63% of the tweets were considered positive compared to 44.65% negative and 6.72% neutral.

More detail in the tweets

To try to get a better understanding of the divided sentiment, individual tweets were investigated and it soon became apparent that the sentiment analysis had difficulty identifying sarcasm and humour.

For example, tweets that included LOL (Laughing Out Loud) were interpreted as a strong positive sentiment where in many cases it was not.

In analysis of another tweet Dear Harvard Business School: dont normalize Trumps rise to power. Fascism is not a "marketing strategy. @HarvardHBS @HBSWK, from Melbournes @creatrixtiara (above), it was determined that this was a request rather than a sentiment.

The system used could not determine the sentiment of a tweet by Brisbanes @JamesPinnell: "The only thing that gives me a tiny inkling of hope is that Trumps kids seem to actually be fairly bright and also in his ear a lot.

Its the popular words that count

We performed an analysis of the most popular words and terms used in the positive and negative sentiment tweets, in order to get a better insight into the intended sentiments.

The analysis shows the disparity of views and sentiments which have characterised this election.

The tools of the study

This study was made possible due to recent advances in business analytic tools, with Victoria Universitys Business Analytics and Big Data Lab working in partnership with SAP.

Traditionally business analytic tools focus on structured data to gain insight and facilitate decision making. This type of data is contained in databases and spreadsheets and is characterised by a combination of fields in a record. Structured data has the advantage of being easily entered, stored, queried and analysed.

But much of the data that is contained in social media, including tweets, is referred to as unstructured data. It doesnt reside in fields and record structures and so its difficult to analyse using traditional methods.

A technique referred to as Text Analysis is the process of analysing unstructured text to extract relevant information and then transform that information into a structured format for analysis.

Text Analysis uses Natural Language Processing to linguistically understand the text and apply statistical techniques to facilitate the analyses.

SAPs HANA database platform can search, analyse and mine text. It allowed us to perform a traditional exact string search such as Trump is wonderful or a fuzzy search (Google like) where text can be found irrespective of the sequence of words.

It also allowed us to provide meaning to the text through tokenisation and stemming.

For example in the text Trump wins Florida in 2016, SAP HANA would identify the entities of Trump as a Person, Florida as a State and 2016 as a Year.

This form of analysis can be further enhanced through the use of fact extraction. This is where rules are used as a basis to determine relationships between the identified entities.

Finding the positives and negatives

The most common form of fact extraction is sentiment analysis. A statement like I love Trump would be identified as a strong positive sentiment in relation to Trump.

The polarity of a statement can be identified (either strong or weak) in addition to the sentiment (either positive, negative or neutral).

A number of pre-defined rules exist in SAP HANA to facilitate sentiment analysis but these can be further extended through customisation of keyword dictionaries depending on the scenario.

For example the word Trump can be restricted to refer to only a person rather than an action (for instance playing a trump card). The sentiment analysis can be applied in ten different languages and can also identify requests, emoticons and profanity.

Future studies

It is obvious that any analysis needs to be treated with caution in regards to sarcasm, humour and other possible variations. As the tools improve, these issues will hopefully be addressed.

But the research provided an example of how natural language processing can be applied to social media to gain insight to the sentiment of a specific population in regards to an event, as well as to potential limitations.

We were also mindful that we were looking at tweets in Australia of an event that was happening elsewhere, in the US. We look forward to analysing the next election, possibly in Australia.

It would also interesting to see how people react once Trump is installed as the 45th US president. He has promised to continue using his personal Twitter handle @realDonaldTrump instead of @POTUS, used by outgoing 44th president, Barack Obama.

Paul Hawking is affiliated with SAP Australian User Group

Scott Bingley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.

Originally published in The Conversation.
Visa risk assessment systems are being strengthened in Australia to make sure that those who seek to move to the country are genuine people who will uphold the nation's values.Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, has declared ahead of next week's Australia Day that people who want to move to Australia must be doing so for the right reasons. He has pledged 100 million to weed out those who may be undesirable, including potential terrorists, and repeated his desire to make the country's citizenship test tougher.He also revealed that a record number of visas are being cancelled for those who get involved in serious crime and the citizenship revoked of those who obtained it by fraud or deception.Dutton believes that more should be done to better assess people who seek to become Australian citizens. 'In this current age, is it enough to satisfy a simple multiple choice test and basic character, security and other checks after a few years' residence, in order to become a citizen?' he wrote in an article for a national newspaper.He suggested that people seeking citizenship should demonstrate their commitment to Australian values through a record of work, education for their children, a good level of English and a record of law abidance and prove themselves fit for citizenship over a longer period of time.He even suggested that those seeking permanent residency should be asked to take a citizenship like test and another issue for debate should be whether 16 and 17 year old, not just adults, should also be subject to character checks.'Our goal should be to ensure that Australia continues to attract people who, regardless of nationality or religion, will embrace Australian values and contribute strongly to our nation. Migration must continue to benefit Australians as well as the migrants themselves,' Dutton pointed out.'This is vital for ensuring enduring public support for the migration programme and its success. And it's why on Australia Day, we should welcome our newest citizens and celebrate migration as an integral part of our nation's story of success as much as we should consider how best to ensure that it continues to be so,' he added.Australia Day celebrates the nation and its achievements and around 16,000 people are expected to become Australia citizens in a series of ceremonies around the country. Some five million have already done so since the end of the Second World War.'The vast majority of people who come here and who make the commitment to our nation by becoming citizens embrace this opportunity. However, a minority come to Australia with little respect for our values but much for our generous welfare and even with intent to do us harm,' Dutton also pointed out.'Within this minority there are those who have become citizens, while others are likely now on a pathway to citizenship. This is not in the best interests of our nation. We face unprecedented security threats from terrorists, extremists and criminals who seek to exploit migration pathways to citizenship for their own ends,' he explained.'The lesson of terrorism here and in Europe is that we must prevent foreign extremists from arriving in the first place and remove them once detected. This effort becomes even more important as temporary migration grows strongly,' he concluded.
Hi, my mum and Dad visited (Subclass 600) us on 14th August 2015 for a years time and they were scheduled to leave the country on 13th august 2016. On the same day of their return my mum got serious condition where she was admitted in emergency ward - mercy hospital with an End of Life condition and strictly not allowed to be discharged. She then passed away on 19th Aug 2016 due to the condition.

When she was admitted in the hospital I applied for their 8503 removal from their subclass 600 tourist visa but never applied for an extension.

Right after the initial cremation procedures in Australia we are left with final ritual funeral services - in order to keep my dad with us we applied for Aged Relative Dependant Visa (subclass 838) - not enough knowledge about the procedures and visas. This application granted him BVC with no travel and no work.

Now, with all this and few months passed we have been trying to get him to India for couple of weeks for final funeral rituals and cant get it with any reasoning. I tried Immi department and was told by them that there is no provision of such transition of Bridging Visa C to Bridging Visa B but we really need to be in India for him to complete the funeral services with Hindu Rituals (dispersing of remains and prayers). We dont want to travel on BVC as that will not allow him to be stuck back in India with us returning here or there.

My dad has been not well since as he is continously seeing mum every now and then (psychologically) and been now put on High BP controlling medicines.

Please if anyone knows about a solution or if we could find a way to take my dad back to India for the purpose on Bridging Visa B and it seems that we have compelling and compasionate reason to get it.

Jitendra

0433252481
My apologies. Here's from the sponsor requirements for the 820 as located on the border.gov.au website:



"If you or a child you are including in the application is younger than 18 years of age:

an AFP National Police Check for your sponsor, if the sponsor has spent a cumulative total of 12 months or more in Australia since turning 16 years of age

police certificates from each country in which the sponsor has spent a cumulative total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16 years of age.

If your application is made on or after 18 November 2016, your sponsor will need to:

provide police checks when requested"
Hi

I didn't keep my past payslips for the three year out of the four years that I worked for this ex company. I managed to get the tax certificates for these four years from my previous company.



How many payslips do I need to upload for visa 457 application for each year that I worked for?



I have contacted my previous company and they say they cannot provide all the payslips and they would only give me the tax certificates. Will this be an issue with my visa application if I don't have the payslips for the three years out of the four years that I worked for this ex company?



Thank you

Claudia
At least this is the conclusion we've reached after checking out the photos to your right, which show the Raging Bull in Valencia - lens tip to AC Photocars via Autogespot for these images.This Spanish episode might just mark the first time when the S-flavored Aventador is spotted out in the wild and it's worth noting that the deliveries of the Italian exotic aren't scheduled to start until spring and, judging by the license plate on this particular example, we're dealing with a Lambo-owned carThe eat-you-alive Aventador S brings plenty of incremental upgrades over the V12 animal we drove back in the day. Most of the changes are obviously focused on delivering extra velocity, but there's one that also brings comfort benefits.We're talking about the adaptive dampers, a feature that was previosuly reserved for the Aventador Superveloce, albeit with the SV and the S packing different setups.Returning to the speeding side of the facelifted Aventador , the naturally aspirated 6.5-liter heart of the thing has been pushed to 740 horses, while torque remains unchanged at 509 lb-ft of twist. One of the most important changes that led to the output boost is a maximum rev increase that now allows the powerplant to climb to 8,500 rpm (the previous limit was set at 8,350 rpm).Thanks to exhaust system changes, the newcomer should also pack a slightly different voice, so we should all be prepared for an atmospheric concert.Another Aventador SV-borrowed feature is the four-wheel steering and we can't wait to feel its real-world effects on the beast.If you're looking at these photos and imagining yourself behind the wheel, you should be prepared to spend at least $421,350 for the adventure. Oh, and by the way, here's the link to the configurator
When the first generation was introduced in 2006, the compact-sized Qashqai was just another model in the automaker's European lineup. But as the years passed, Nissan understood that the Qashqai is something of a gold egg-laying goose. With this in mind, the second-generation model went into production in 2013, and it is better in every single way compared to the first Qashqai.2013, however, is four years ago. In car years, thats a facelift. So here we are, basking in the presence of the 2018 Nissan Qashqai. Caught by the carparazzi as a pre-production mule testing in sunny Spain, the Qashqai facelift doesnt appear all that different from a visual standpoint. Look closer, though, and youll spot a grille inspired by that of the 2017 Rogue (X-Trail) , full-LED headlights, a different bumper, and really snazzy wheels.Those alloys sure look similar, you may think to yourself. And youre right, the 19-inch Tekna-inspired wheels do resemble those of the Qashqai Premium Concept shown at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Its widely known that Nissan is currently developing a premium-pitched variant of the Qashqai to squeeze greater profit margins out of its compact crossover, but this isnt it.The facelifted Qashqai, which should debut in 2017 for model year 2018, is but an application of the ProPilot semi-autonomous driving technology. According to the company, 2018 will see Nissan launch vehicles with multiple-lane control, which can autonomously negotiate hazards and change lanes during highway driving. The next-generation model, on the other hand, will be able to navigate city intersections without the drivers intervention.On the oily bits front, dont expect Nissan to go out of its way. Four-cylinder turbo petrols and turbo diesels will have to make do, as will a continuously variable transmission with the D-step Logic Control shift simulation.
In fact, the A120 nameplate hasn't been officially confirmed yet, with its rumor mill origin involving the connection it creates between the two models.Regardless, the French sportscar should exit the spyshot stage soon and that's because the mid-engined machine is scheduled to greet the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March. We might even get to meet the go-fast tool sooner, albeit over the web.As for the heart of the A120, the rumor mill talks about a 1.8-liter turbocharged mill based on the 1.6L turbo-four animating the Clio RS. However, we'd take that with a grain of salt. Instead, we expect the Alpine-reviving model to pack a 2.0-liter powerplant, which should also make its way under the hood of the upcoming Renault Megane RS , with a 300 hp output being on the table.However, the French automaker has confirmed the two-door will take 4.5 seconds to hit 62 mph (100 km/h). The company also let us know it will introduce the model via a first edition proposal, which will come as a 1,955-unit limited edition. Future owners have already placed 2,000 deposits, with the price of the machine expected to sit at around 55,000, which seems fair for a French Porsche Cayman rival.At first, the Alpine A120 will land in twelve European countries, with right-hand-drive markets like the UK and Japan receiving the car in the summer.Here's to hoping Renault Sport engineers have done their best to deliver an overly engaging driving experience, as sportscar customers are now more demanding than ever.
HP

SUV

The two SUVs are platform siblings, and the Durango features a seven-seat version to be a more practical option. Meanwhile, its brother from Jeep is going to get an engine swap that will bring 707under its hood. We are referring to the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk , which is something that has been confirmed and is assumed to hit the market soon.Dodge is currently testing the SRT version of the Durango. If this appears familiar to you, it is normal, because of its platform brother, the Grand Cherokee, already has an SRT version . At first, some rumors that were never confirmed or denied announced that Dodge would stop the development of the Durango with the SRT version.The high-performance derivative of the Durango is due this year, and it would be among the first three-row SUVs to come with this level of power and torque. We are referring to the Durango SRT, which is expected to receive a 475 HP, 6.4-liter V8 engine , just like the equivalent in the Grand Cherokee portfolio.It is evident to everyone that the supercharged 6.2-liter engine that is found in the Charger and Challenger Hellcat models has no problems fitting under the hood of the Durango.After all, it fits in the platform sibling from Jeep so that Dodge would have no issues with the implementation process. Just like the SRT model rumors related to the Durango, this hypothesis has not been confirmed or denied by official sources.At this point, it appears that everything that stands in the way of a Dodge Durango Hellcat is the business case for this variant. The seven-seatwould be an insane proposition, because nobody needs 707 HP in a model from this class, and even in an automobile of any kind. However, theres a thin line between need and want, and people are willing to cross it if it brings joy.If it gets the final approval, expect the Durango Hellcat on the market at least one year after the Jeep Trackhawk is launched.
SUV

Jean-Marc Gales, who has been helming the British brand for over two years now, has recently told Autocar that the carmaker has started working on the development of the crossover's test version.The go-anywhere model hasn't received the production green light yet, while the final design hasn't been approved. Nevertheless, if the Lotusdoes make it into the real world, the vehicle is "four or five years away, as with the rest of the new range, the CEO explained to the British journos.Judging by what we can see on the market today, Lotus' boss has a point when stating that "no one makes a lightweight, good-handling SUV. Its a niche, and it looks well positioned.The CEO said Lotus isn't working on the project alone, with the company's Chinese engineering partner, Goldstar Heavy Industrial, being the most likely version.Truth be told, the Porsche Macan , for instance, is a crossover that doesn't handle as a heavy machine, despite its second-gen Audi Q5 platform making it a scale-unfriendly proposal. However, given the timetable mentioned above, the Lotus SUV will have to deal with the second incarnation of the Macan.Before we can talk about an SUV, we'll have to wait for Lotus to introduce its next-generation sportscar line-up, with a new Elise, which is set to land in 2020, set to kick off the offensive. With a scale footprint of under one ton and a slight increase in size, the next Elise sounds promising, while the sportscar will also be offered in the US.It's interesting to see how Lotus is considering a business strategy that could be defined as the opposite of the path McLaren has chosen. The Woking specialist has made it clear that it won't build an SUV for the moment, stating that the move would confuse its customers, as the company only returned to building road cars in 2011.We're glad Lotus has left the Dany Bahar era behind - the ex-CEO had introduced an overly ambitious plan that saw Lotus introducing no less than five concepts at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, with the strategy turning out to be more of a smoke-and-mirrors scheme than anything else.Given the complexity of Lotus's new revitalization plan, we'll certainly have plenty of occasions to discuss Norfolk's plans later this year.
A photo posted by David Withers (@petal911) on Jan 11, 2017 at 4:27am PST

#116/991 Pts Medium Ivory A photo posted by David Withers (@petal911) on Jan 18, 2017 at 3:40am PST

Voting Red stripes? A photo posted by David Withers (@petal911) on Dec 18, 2016 at 11:21pm PST

Charcoal A photo posted by David Withers (@petal911) on Dec 18, 2016 at 11:18pm PST

Targa Turbo RS 4S 2015 A photo posted by David Withers (@petal911) on Jan 19, 2017 at 12:03pm PST

Don't make the mistake of calling this Neunelfer "beige". Instead, we're dealing with a Paint To Sample machine that comes dressed in Medium Ivory, a glossy finish that Germans like to call medium Elfenbein.This rear-engined beauty, which is chassis 116 out of 991, has landed in Australia. David, the owner of the driving engagement tool, who lives close to Sydney, has decided to remove the hood and roof stripes that came from the factory.Whether you like this hue approach or not, you have to admit the fact that this 911 R easily stands out, even among its own kind. And it's not because the admittedly opinion-splitting stripes of the thing are now gone.In fact, as you'll be able to notice in the images below, which come from the Zuffenhausen aficionado's Instagram account, the man initially tried to choose between Red or Charcoal stripes, but eventually decided to go for the clean look, leaving only the stripes on the side of the machine to handle all the look-at-me work.The man isn't at his first experience with a Porsche covered in this hue, as the photo of his 964 Carrera Targa demonstrates. The guy actually owns a four-car Neunelfer collection, which also involves a 993 Carrera RS, and a pair of 997.1 models, namely a 4S and a Turbo.Some might rush to point out that a sweeter mix can be found, but we have to remind them that owning a 911 is a heavily subjective matter altogether, so we can't talk about the notion of a superior melange.
As with other countries out there, Britain has a few stupid laws, and one of them translates into police officers being forbidden to pursue a biker/scooterist if it can increase the danger to him or the public.This quite stupid rule apparently started back in 2014, when Henry Hicks, an 18-year-old carpenter from Islington died in a crash after he lost control of his moped while running from the police.While we understand how disastrous his death was for his family and friends, his case basically limited the police from intervening in all sort of felonies done using a two-wheeled vehicle.In plain words, if you strap on a helmet and ride an unmarked scooter around London, you can usually get away with theft, since the police will rather stop following you. Moreover, the heavy traffic will also give you the mobility advantage.This explains why motorcycle and scooter thefts are on the rise in the UK along with the thieves courage to do it in plain sight. Try to stop them, and you might get smacked with a tool or sprayed with acid in the face.Not only they do this, but the hooligans now have the nerve to bully others, film their selves and post it on the Internet. Like this guy and his girlfriend (apparently) who ride along the streets of London on a scooter terrorizing people and mocking the police for not being allowed to pursuit them.These idiots are now free, can hurt innocent people and get away with it. They are also the reason why the motorcycle community is getting bad reputation, so if you have any details about them, do make the world a favor and call the police.
Photo via Wikipedia.

Royal Dutch Shell, Toyota Motor Corp. and four other automakers will invest 10 billion euros ($10.7 billion) to accelerate hydrogen fuel in the coming years to combat climate change, the companies announced Jan. 18.

"The hydrogen council will seek collaboration, cooperation and understanding from governments, industry and most importantly, the public," said Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota's chairman. "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."

Toyota produces its Mirai fuel cell sedan, while Honda is preparing to release its own Clarity Fuel Cell sedan.

A total of 13 energy, transportation and industrial companies will form a hydrogen council, according to a joint statement from Davos, Switzerland. The council will also include representatives from BMW AG, Daimler AG, Honda Motor Co., and Hyundai Motor Co. Other members include gas companies Air Liquide SA and Linda AG, miner Anglo American Plc, electric utility Engie SA, rail company Alstom SA, and motorcycle and heavy equipment manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

Council members said the project can support industries and initiatives beyond the transportation sphere to "support our transition to a low carbon society across multiple industries," Uchiyamada said.

The council is seeking collaboration with government agencies, said Benoit Potier, Air Liquide's CEO.

"We cannot do it alone," Potier said. "We need governments to back hydrogen with actions of their own  for 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."
Aerial photography company SkyPan International has reached a settlement with the FAA over charges of violating airspace and other rules with its drones. While neither admitting nor contesting the allegations that these commercial operations were contrary to FAA regulations, SkyPan wishes to resolve this matter without any further expense or delay of business, the company said in a statement this week. The FAA hit SkyPan with a $1.9 million fine in 2015, charging that the company flew dozens of unauthorized commercial drone flights between March 2012 and December 2014 in New York and Chicago.Under the three-year agreement with the FAA, SkyPan will pay a $200,000 civil fine, according to news reports. The company also will be subject to additional fines if it violates FAA regulations.

The Chicago-based company, founded in 1988, specializes in panoramic aerial photography using single-rotor drones, maintaining that it flies in private airspace, avoiding people and public areas. It obtained an FAA exemption in 2015 for its flights while the FAA was developing rules for commercial drone operations. The new regulations that took effect in 2016 allow operators to obtain FAA training regarding airspace and operating limitations and obtain pilot certificates to fly unmanned aerial systems.
Its probably a journalistic pretense to imply that theres anything practical about light sport airplanes. Few of them are used for travel and even fewer are flown in the kind of weather that a utilitarian airplane like a Bonanza or Cirrus has to tackle to earn its keep. So in reviewing LSAs, were talking about big, expensive toys and that certainly applies to the Searey Elite.

If ever there were a pure sport airplane, the Searey amphibian ought to qualify. Its slow, doesnt carry much, isnt exceptionally comfortable and wont fly far. But it offsets all that with hell-for-leather fun that buyers looking for something different might find appealing.

The Searey began life as an amphibian kit aircraft, evolved to an ELSA and is now selling as a full-up SLSA as the Searey Elite, an upscale, glass cockpit version of what was once a bone-basic airplane.

At a $158,000 base price(this article originally appeared in January 2015,Ed.), the Seareys sticker is about $25,000 higher than a typical land light sport, but less than the soon-to-be Icon A5 ($189,000) and way less than the $370,000 Lisa AKOYA. Since we last examined the Searey in 2009, the company has received an infusion of investment, built a new factory and evolved a new model, the Elite.

Long History

As LSA companies go, Progressive Aerodyne has been around a while, having been formed by Kerry Richter and partners in 1992. Its experimental kits soon became dominant in the amphibian field simply because there werent that many EAB flying boats. The companys Kevin Oaks told us Progressive Aerodyne has about 600 aircraft flying, most of them kits. But when we visited the company in November 2014, some six LSA versions of the Elite were on the assembly line and more are on the order books. Progressive Aerodyne is looking east for more growth, having established a sales office in Shanghai, through the efforts of Adam Yang, a Searey owner who became the CEO in 2011.

The company offers three models: The basic Searey Sport LSA, the Searey LSX kit airplane and the Searey Elite. Oaks told us the Elite is the top seller, confirming whats proven true in the LSA market: Buyers want top of the line.

And for a modest flying boat, the Elite certainly is that. As an upgrade from the Sport, the Elite has a turbocharged Rotax 914 at 115 horsepower in place of the 100-HP 912 used in the Sport. The additional horsepower provides a performance punch mostly in takeoff and climb, but it also improves the airplanes high elevation performance. No surprise that owners take these things into mountain lakes for an afternoon of fishing. The 914 makes that doable and probably with some reserve performance margin.

The cockpit and panel are what we have come to expect of high-end LSAs, which is to say a lot of glass and comfortable leather seats. Except theyre not leather, but a marine-grade faux leather, since (a) theyre inevitably going to get soaked and (b) you have to put your likely wet feet on them when boarding. But the material is designed to absorb the punishment and in the demo we flew, the upholstery looked luxe enough to cause second thoughts about stepping on them. No worries, said demo pilot Daniel Nickens, so we planted both Nikes smack on the seat to ingress.

Construction

To understand the Seareys construction, think of a small open boat a little broader than a canoe, then close in the bow section with a cover. Then drop into the boat what sort of looks like a Hughes 300 helicopter, but with wings attached rather than rotors. Thats a stretch, but it gives the idea.

The hull of the Elite is of carbon fiber and weighs about 85 pounds. The Sports hull is fiberglass and is 25 pounds heavier. The Elite has a useful load of 445 pounds. The only through-hull fittings are for the landing gear and these are usually above the waterline.

The longitudinal structure of the airplane consists of a heavy-walled aluminum pipehence the Hughes referencewhich runs from the back of the cabin to the rearmost end of the aircraft, where it provides structure for the retractable tailwheel and the empennage. The pipe terminates immediately behind the pilots seats and ties into a structure that supports the wings main spar.

Consistent with its kit antecedents, Progressive Aerodyne makes generous use of aluminum tubing throughout the structure. Its mostly bolted together with few rivets and no weldments and its treated with linseed oil for corrosion resistance.

The channel aluminum wing rib trusses are riveted together and fastened to tubular aluminum spars. The gear legs? Steel tubes, with an aluminum fairing to give them more streamlining in both the water and the air.

With respect to the landing gear, the FAA had to relent on amphibious LSAs, allowing retractable gear. Progressive does this by a motor for each gear leg. Through a jackscrew, the motor simply raises the gear up in plane, sort of like a half jumping jack. The gear stows against the wing struts, well clear of the waterline. Through a cable arrangement, the left gear motor also raises the tailwheel, which is attached to the aforementioned tube, but is outside the watertight hull. To keep the hull interior dry, the hollow gear legs are plugged and the through-hull passage has a flexible boot. The wings have all-aluminum ribs and spars, with a metal leading edge and Polyfiber cover. There are no fuel tanks in the wings, however, so fuel is stored just behind the pilot seats in a heavy-walled, trapezoidal plastic tank with a 22-gallon usable capacity. Because the tank is below the engine, the fuel system is equipped with two electric pumps, which run continuously. The switches for them are placed prominently on the panel, along with the airplanes bilge pump switch.

Custom Glass

The Elites main panel display is an Advanced Flight Systems 5500 which is programmed to remind the pilot hes in an amphib. Audible warnings nag to remind the gear must be up for a water landing and these force an intentional acknowledgement that the gear is down for a planned land landing.

These warnings are so incessant, in fact, that its a minor annoyance. Better that, we suppose, than the indignity of turning turtle by landing in water with the gear down. At least four owners have done that and flipped. A fifth avoided that, but the hull was damaged enough to sink the airplane. When we flew with Daniel Nickens, he said pilots need to be obsessive about gear position and its hard to argue the point. The center portion of the panel is occupied by a Garmin aera 696 or 796 and below that is a Garmin GTR 200 comm and a GTX 327 transponder.

The gear switch, with two prominent green down lights, the flap control, brakes and throttle are on the lower portion of the console between the two seats. The brakes are hand operated and control both wheels together, which takes some getting used to. The center sticks poke up from an indent in the lip of the seat and the stick itself has a PTT and a coolie hat trim button.

Creature comforts are adequate, but not luxurious. The airplane has a pair of sliding canopies, one for each side, and these dont latch but merely slide forward.

Progressive makes the point that this design is a surer bet for egress in the event of a nose over than a conventional canopy would be and we agree. As noted above, a flip overin an amphibian is far from a remote possibility, which is also the reason standard procedure includes donning personal flotation devices. A paddle is helpful too, to maneuver near docks, obstructions or in shallow water.

Floating It

Taxiing a flying boat down a ramp and into the water requires a certain faith in the physics of buoyancy. The Searey sits low in the water, so much so that theres only about a foot of freeboard to the cockpit combing. A bit of a list and a boat wake could ship water into the cabin. Closing the sliding canopy will prevent that.

For water taxiing, Nickens told me its common to leave the gear down so it acts as a sort of stabilizing keel, keeping the turns from becoming skid fests. With the pusher engine blasting air over the large rudder, the Searey can turn aggressively on the water and will go where you aim it. Just for fun, it can also do high-speed Jet Ski-style fast-taxi turns at 30 to 40 MPH. Sitting so low in the water, the speed in these turns seems much higher than it is and to keep the wing floats from digging in, you use opposite aileron against the turn. But if one does catch, the floats are protected by a breakaway plastic fitting that allows them to swing free, avoiding wing damage. The part is easily replaceable.

Water takeoffs require raising the gear after checking that the bilge is dry. Full back stick gets the hull on the step quickly and then you can all but release the back pressure, nudging the airplane off the water when its ready. Although the Searey Elite isnt a fast airplanefigure cruise speed around 95 MPHit does climb well and holds at least 800 to 900 FPM to medium altitudes, thanks to the 914s turbocharging.

The Elite has typical control forcesnot as light as the Sport Cruiser or Remos, but lighter than the Groppo Trail we recently flew. Like other amphibs with high-mounted pusher engines, changing power yields a big pitch moment; down when power is added, up when its reduced. But once that transitional thrust vector is gone, so is the pitch moment. It returns to the trimmed airspeed. We noticed that the Searey doesnt have a lot of up pitch authority, so it takes exertion to get it to stall. That nets a little bobble and a stable parachute mode if the pitch isnt relaxed.

Water landings require more of that taxi-down-the-ramp faith we mentioned. Because the airplane is so low in the water, the flarewhat little is requiredhappens about two feet lower than you might expect. The airplane touches down almost flat and settles into the water off the step when the power is reduced. Or it can be speed taxied on the step. To shorten the roll out, yawing from side to side ramps up the drag, as does lowering the landing gear.

Although the Searey is a taildragger, the tail angle is so low that it doesnt really land like one on a hard runway. Visibility over the nose is good, so the landing sight picture is about the same as youd expect in a nosegear airplane landing on the mains. Ground handling takes a touch. With just a single hand lever for both brakes, steering is via rudder and it requires aggressive inputs and maybe a blast of power to get turning after the tailwheel breaks loose to swivel. Practicing helps.

Conclusion

The Searey Elite is a competent, fun flying machine and theres no point in suggesting its anything other than that. If you have a lake house, you could commute with it or do light camping and fishing at a secluded mountain lake. But otherwise, were talking about as pure a recreational aircraft we can imagine.

Most of these airplanespredominantly kitslive in hangars and are flown on water for sport. Although Progressive Aerodyne offers a wing-fold option, its not meant to be a quick fold to trailer the airplane back and forth to the lake as Icon intends for the A5. The market for such a thing remains unproven. But the Seareys credible aircraft population certainly proves the appeal of the concept for those who can afford it.

This article originally appeared in the January 2015 issue ofAviation Consumermagazine.

For more great content like this, subscribe toAviation Consumer!
The Armenian government said on Thursday that it plans to launch a free economic zone near Armenias border with Iran before the end of this year.

Hovannes Azizian, a deputy minister for economic development and investments, said the tax-free zone will be set up in Agarak, a small town in the southeastern Syunik province located several kilometers from the Iranian border.

This is an important opportunity to foster tourism and encourage people to buy goods there without any customs duties, Azizian told reporters. We also expect that the Iranian side will show an interest in manufacturing in that free economic zone goods for other markets: the Eurasian Economic Union and Europe.

We are convinced that this will be a profitable enterprise for the organizer and a development opportunity for the beneficiaries [of the zone], he said.

The plans for the tax haven were first revealed by Yerevan in late August. Then Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian said Iranian entrepreneurs will be able to open manufacturing firms there and engage in duty-free exports of their products to Russia and other EEU member states.

Azizian confirmed that Iranian firms setting up shop in the zone will have tariff-free access to the EEU markets. Some of them have already expressed a preliminary interest in doing that, he said.

He said he also hopes that the project will help to boost Armenias trade with Iran, which stood at a modest $220 million in January-November 2016.

Despite upbeat statements made by officials from the two neighboring states, the lifting of international sanctions against Iran in 2015 has yet to have a positive impact on the volume of bilateral commerce. According to Azizian, one of the main reasons for that is lingering restrictions on banking operations between Armenia and Iran.

If two companies cannot transfer money between them, its hard for them to do business. We hope that this problem will also be solved, the official said, adding that Armenian exports to Iran could quickly rise by 30 percent. He also expressed hope that the Iranian government will lower import duties for Armenian goods.

Armenia mainly exports electricity as well as meat, soft drinks and confectionery to the Islamic Republic at present.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country would like to deepen economic ties with Armenia when he visited Yerevan late last month. We must do everything to utilize the full potential of Armenian-Iranian relations in the coming months and years, Rouhani said after talks with President Serzh Sarkisian.
19 January 2017 14:18 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Inactivity and failure of the current state power in Armenia leave no other option but to suggest that the post Soviet state needs renewal in its political leadership.

A coalition, that will be able to overthrow the current regime in Armenia, can form as early as February, and the main role in this process will belong to the Armenian Diaspora, believes a well-known Armenian political scientist and public figure Ashot Grigoryan.

We expect that an entire army of donors from the Diaspora, including foreigners, will come to Armenia in the process of overthrowing the authorities and organization of new presidential elections, he said in an interview with Armenian reporters.

Grigoryan, who is also President of the Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe (FAAE), said that the year of 2016 was quite disastrous for Armenia, full of losses in all fronts of life. The country saw losses on the frontline, the poverty growth, collapse of the economy and unprecedented defeats in the international arena.

The expert said that the current government of Armenia has fully exhausted itself and now tries to escape, thereby even more harming both itself and the Armenian people.

Sargsyans change of government and appointment of a new Prime Minister further aggravated the atmosphere of uncertainty in Armenia  they created only imitation of some changes, the expert said.

Grigoryan is sure that Armenias new Prime Minister has failed to fulfill his responsibilities. Collapse of our economy has led to the nullification of our independence and sovereignty, he added.

The expert also talked about Armenian foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian. As for the diplomacy and foreign policy, Minister Nalbandian has turned from political tourist into a couch expert.

He added that foreign diplomats have completely forgotten about Nalbandians existence.

Grigoryan noted that today there are people who want to invest in the Armenian economy and open enterprises in the country, but they are afraid of business doing because of huge corruption and total distrust towards the authorities in Armenia.

The key to success is the overthrow of the current regime and formation of a new, workable and people's government  that is our only salvation today, Grigoryan concluded.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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19 January 2017 12:23 (UTC+04:00)

By Henry I. Miller and Drew L. Kershen

In September, the United States ratified the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, known as the International Seed Treaty. Like so many international agreements crafted under the auspices of the United Nations, it is severely flawed. Indeed, the Seed Treaty is a politically correct, anti-technology fiasco.

To be sure, the treaty, which entered into force in 2004, emanates from some laudable intentions. But it is ultimately a jumble of pie-in-the-sky aspirations, translated into draconian legal constraints on the exchange of genetic resources (mainly seeds) among countries. The unreality of the treatys goals comes through in the official statement of its objectives: the conservation and sustainable use of all plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of their use, in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity, for sustainable agriculture and food security.

The guiding principle of the Seed Treaty is that genetic resources fall within the sovereign right of member states (that is, governments). This amounts to an explicit rejection of the long-standing understanding that genetic resources in plants and animals are the common heritage of humanity. It defies the notion that certain global resources, regarded as beneficial to all, should not be unilaterally exploited and monopolized by individuals, states, corporations, or other entities, but rather should be managed in ways that benefit all of humanity.

The Seed Treaty was motivated by fear of biopiracy  the pilfering of the worlds genetic resources by agricultural seed companies, which could then claim patents on them and wield monopoly control. But, though accusations of biopiracy may have emotional appeal, impartial analyses have shown that they have little factual basis. In fact, biopiracy is rare  so rare that it can be dealt with directly.

Instead, the world created a baroque, bureaucratic, politicized system that systematically inhibits scientific research, plant breeding, and the creation of intellectual property. The Seed Treaty achieves this by establishing a multilateral system for access to a negotiated list of agricultural genetic resources.

The Seed Treaty also brought under the control of its parties and secretariat the 15 research institutions that comprise the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), an influential global research partnership. When a country ratifies the Seed Treaty, it agrees that its own seed banks  in the US, the repository at Fort Collins, Colorado  will adhere to the same rules as the CGIAR centers.

But common rules are little help. Unfortunately, as a result of the Seed Treaty, countries increasingly treat their genetic resources like a dog treats a bone: no sharing allowed, even among their own scientists and plant breeders, while most international exchanges of genetic resources have been shut down over the last 12 years. The CGIAR centers have been able to continue exchanges of genetic resources, but the process is now much more complicated and demanding that it was before the Seed Treaty came into force.

For the US, the precise impact of the Seed Treatys implementation is difficult to determine, not least because the treaty contains wishy-washy, ambiguous phrasing that obscures its meaning and requirements. What is clear is that the experience of countries that have implemented the treaty has not been particularly positive, unless those countries have a high tolerance for bureaucratic regulatory regimes that stifle innovation and development in the name of lofty aspirations.

The Seed Treaty is cut from the same anti-capitalist, anti-science, anti-innovation cloth as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It also mirrors the flagrantly unscientific, anti-genetic-engineering Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the CBD. And it has much in common with the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol  yet another anti-genetic-engineering screed, which accomplishes little except to frighten potential entrepreneurs away from agricultural biotechnology. It is overwrought, confusing, and complex  in short, inimical to innovations that could benefit the worlds poor.

The Seed Treaty runs counter to science, agricultural development, and intellectual property rights. That, in the policymaking game, is three strikes  and should be an out. The US Senate, which ratified the Seed Treaty, should reconsider, as Article 32 of the treaty allows. Thereafter, the US State Department would notify the treatys secretariat, with official withdrawal taking effect a year later.

President-elect Donald Trump, author of The Art of the Deal, has promised Americans that he will put an end to bad ones. Withdrawal from the Seed Treaty would be an auspicious start to making good on that pledge.

Copyright: Project Syndicate: The Anti-Science Seed Treaty

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18 January 2017 23:50 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The International Association of Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) at a meeting on Wednesday will approve the work plan for 2017.

Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company said that the first meeting of the working group on development of TITR, was held yesterday in Batumi. At this meeting the tariffs for the Trans-Caspian corridor ranging from China to Europe through the Caspian Sea have been reviewed again and a comparative analysis of other alternative route lines has been done.

Participants discussed the possibility of increasing competitiveness of the corridor, the elimination of difficulties that may arise, as well as the delivery of goods by the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway to Central Asia and China, and in the opposite direction. The final protocol was signed at the end of the meeting, said in the report.

The meeting of the founders of the International Association of TITR, which is expected to approve the work plan for 2017, was held January 18.

The Trans-Caspian international transport route, which is created to provide transport connections between the East and West of Eurasia, runs through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and then to Europe via Turkey and Ukraine. The route was launched with the establishment of its Coordinating Committee in October 2013. In January, 2016, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Ukraine decided to apply the competitive tariffs for cargo transportation via the TITR. New competitive tariffs were introduced for the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route since June 1, 2016.

In October 2016, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Georgia signed an agreement on the establishment of the International Association of TITR, whose office is located in Astana. Its activities are aimed at attracting transit and foreign trade cargo, as well as on the development of integrated logistics products via TITR.

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19 January 2017 15:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Representatives of the Czech Agriculture Ministry and agriculture companies intend to visit Azerbaijan by June.

Frantisek Masopust, the executive director of the Czech Chamber of Commerce for relations with CIS countries told Trend that the agriculture ministries of Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic need to agree on the date of the visit.

He noted that the deputy agriculture minister can head the ministerial group.

The executive director added that the group is expected to include representatives of the Czech agriculture companies, both suppliers and owners of agro-processing technologies.

Masopust is sure that there are good prospects for developing the cooperation between Azerbaijan, which is now actively developing the non-oil sector of the economy, and the Czech Republic, which has a developed agriculture.

Particularly, the Czech Republic can offer Azerbaijan its milk processing technologies, according to him.

"The Czech companies are mainly manufacturers and exporters of the products and they do not have enough funds to invest in the projects abroad," Masopust said.

"We understand that it would be rather beneficial for the Czech Republic to establish joint ventures in Azerbaijan," he said. "The labor force is cheaper in Azerbaijan than in the Czech Republic. Moreover, the goods produced in the Czech Republic could be sold in Azerbaijans partner countries in the region."

He said there are bilateral cooperation prospects in infrastructure construction sector, mainly construction of roads, railways, bridges.

Masopust added that the Czech Republic has great experience in lightening of cities. "I am pleased to visit Baku because the city is changing for the better every year," he added.

The 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.

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.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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19 January 2017 17:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee (SCC) seeks to strengthen control over a number of procedures to prevent any illegal operation within the system. Particularly, supervision is planned to be strengthened over the export operations.

SCC Head Aydin Aliyev said that the relevant package of proposals has already been submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers.

The issue is one of the most complicated ones, Aliyev said while addressing a press-conference on the results of 2016.

The export of Azerbaijani production should be properly assessed, as this ensures currency inflow to the country. In this regard, we plan to develop certain measures on regulation of the process, he noted.

Aliyev further added that the exporters previously were obliged to submit a guarantee letter from the Central Bank to customs authorities, as supervision was carried out by customs services (in case of cash flow) and by the CBA (for non-cash payments).

"To facilitate the trade operations and simplify documentation procedures, we took a decision to cancel this requirement. But this mechanism may result in retention of currency abroad. Therefore, we appealed to the Government with the proposal to resume it once again," he said.

Speaking about the results of 2016, he said that last year was very successful for customs authorities in terms of combating smuggling.

A large volume of narcotics, more than 1.14 tons, was detained last year. Some 1.11 tons fell to a share of heroin. Besides, we prevented an attempt of illegal outflow of currency worth more than $2 million from the country. Also, we withdrew some 700 grams of mercury, which was further passed to low enforcement and judicial bodies. This is a huge success.  he said.

Aliyev also said that a significant progress was also made in the sphere of detecting narcotic drugs and psychotropic agents.

Our borders are equipped with brand-new technologies for detecting heroine and mercury. We have a qualified staff, he mentioned.

As for the violation of administrative duties within the organization, he said that more than 240 employees of the committee have already been made accountable for certain violations. Nearly 10 cases were submitted to law-enforcement agencies and the Service on fight against corruption last year.

--

Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova

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19 January 2017 16:11 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

A new program on the provision of flight security measures will be developed in Azerbaijan soon.

Head of State Civil Aviation Administration Arif Mammadov said that the measure is envisaged in the bill on Aviation, which have already been presented for the consideration of the parliament.

Addressing a meeting of a parliamentary committee on economic policy, industry and entrepreneurship he said that the development of the program is a requirement raised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). He mentioned that all proposed changes are in line with the requirements of the organization.

Currently, we face no problem in terms of security of flights. However, ICAO stipulates for the development of a special program, which will comprise certain provisions on security of flights, he clarified.

Recalling the recent crash incident with the AN-12 cargo aircraft that was leased from the Silk Way Company for carrying cargo inside Afghanistan, he said that the system will allow the crew to promptly inform relevant bodies about the problem and evade such situations in future.

ICAO believes that regulation by the Administration is not sufficient and the issue should be decided at a governmental level. However, for now, we are not considering development of new rules. We will only adjust rules in-force to bring them in line with the program, he said.

He went on saying that ICAO will hold an audit in August 2017 to define the level of correspondence between local and international aviation standards.

ICAO implements its work in three interrelated areas, which include policy initiatives, audits focused on the capability of its member states to oversee their aviation security activities, and assistance to countries unable to address serious security deficiencies detected by ICAO audits. Security audits are performed under the Universal Security Audit Program.

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Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova

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19 January 2017 17:37 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The key strategic priority within the economic cooperation between the UN and Azerbaijan for 2016-2020 is to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic development, supported by the growing diversification and the number of working places.

UN Resident Coordinator in the country, Ghulam Isaczai announced about this at the first meeting of the Steering Committee on realization of the UN-Azerbaijan Partnership Framework (UNAPF) 2016-2020 in Baku on January 19.

Isaczai said that the sides have already defined main goals that should be reached until 2020 within the cooperation program.

"The main goals until 2020 are: a more diversified economy and sustainable growth, ensuring of decent work for youth, women, disabled and other vulnerable groups. The results of the work done will be seen on the three indicators. This is an average GDP annual growth in the non-oil sector by seven percent or more, improvement of the global competitiveness index up to 4.7 points, reduction of unemployment among women and young people (15-29 years old) to 5.7 and 9.5 percent respectively," he said.

He further mentioned that the volume of program funding will be approved in the near future. Each year, a final summary report on the work done within the project will be prepared. The program has a five-year indicative budget. Some $31.9 million will be provided by the UN, and the remaining $ 40 million through the state agencies and other sources," said Isakzai.

This UNAPF is the fourth United Nations cooperation document produced by the United Nations System in Azerbaijan and is characterized by the transition from mainly development assistance based cooperation to a partnership, based on significantly increased national capacities and more knowledge-intensive, advocacy-driven synergies with the national planning process.

So far, various UN structures have implemented almost 50 projects, worth $96.6 million, in Azerbaijan.

Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev, in turn, said that Azerbaijan and the UN have established three joint working groups for the implementation of the UNAPF.



Azerbaijan has worked closely with the UN since 1992 and participated in a number of programs, the minister said while talking to reporters.

"The UNAPF document fits into the national development concept of Azerbaijan, and meets the principles, which are set out in the strategic road maps apporved for various sectors of the economy. Three working groups have been set up for the implementation of this document: to diversify the economy, to strengthen institutional capacity in the provision of effective social services and in the field of environmental protection to reduce the risks to the environment, he said.

In December 2016, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree endorsing Strategic Road Maps for the national economy and main economic sectors which will allow define the development goals and priorities and ensure their proper and timely implementation.



These 12 strategic road maps cover almost all sectors of the economy, including, development of the oil and gas industry, the manufacture and processing of agricultural products, the manufacture of small and medium entrepreneurship-level consumer goods, development of heavy industry and machinery, tourism, logistics and trade, vocational education and training, financial services, communication and information technologies and utilities.

Some 27 billion manats will be required to implement the strategic goals outlined in the documents.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
19 January 2017 19:00 (UTC+04:00)

Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center has started cooperation with the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Senior officials of the Center had a meeting with Barama startups on January 18. In total, 30 junior startups participated in the event.

Different projects supported by Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, as well as opportunities offered by azexport.az web portal which operates under the Center were discussed at the meeting. Portal Manager Mr. Zaur Garadshov informed the startups about the mission and objectives of the portal and answered to various questions of young entrepreneurs. The young entrepreneurs also received detailed information about technical capabilities of azexport.az portal learned how to upload product data and benefit from the features of the website.

Mr. Imran Baghirov, Head of Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, noted that public and private organizations have conducted successful startup projects recently in Azerbaijan and underlined that azexport.az portal have a large export potential which provides new opportunities for services and products. In addition, cooperation with the portal will be an added value to improve investment climate in IT sector, identify internet and IT projects and turn innovative ideas into successful businesses. It means further opportunity for Azerbaijani youth involved in IT industry to be recognized abroad.

Mrs. Nigar Shikhlinskaya, Head of Corporate Communications Unit at Azercell, pointed out the importance of development of non-oil sector and stated that our country has all prerequisites to achieve it. She noted that Azercell always supports the young generation in their entrepreneurial activities and professional development and encouraged them to make the most of these opportunities.

Azexport.az was established under the executive decree signed on 21 September 2016 by Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on Development of unified database of goods produced in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Mission of Azexport.az, managed by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication is to provide information about products of Azerbaijani origin and becoming the beneficial platform for their sales in foreign and domestic markets.



Barama Innovation Center was founded in 2009 by Azercell with the aim to support entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan. The Center generally supports IT projects and start-ups operating in this industry. Barama Center has made a number of achievements during six years of its activity. More than 1000 projects were launched at the center and 10 of them grew to become successful businesses https://barama.az/ .

For more information, please contact [email protected]



The leader of the mobile communication industry of Azerbaijan and the biggest investor in the non-oil sector Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. With 48% share of Azerbaijans mobile market Azercells network covers 80% of the territory and 99,8% of population of the country. Currently, 4,5 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Azercell has pioneered an important number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, 24/7 Customer Care, online customer services, GPRS/EDGE, M2M, MobilBank, one-stop- shop service offices Azercell Express, mobile e-service ASAN signature, etc. Azercell deployed first 4G  LTE services in Azerbaijan in 2012. According to the results of mobile network quality surveys of Global Wireless Solutions company and international systems specialized in wireless coverage mapping such as Opensignal and Testmy.net, Azercells network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan.

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19 January 2017 14:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan's National Institute of History hosted a presentation of the book "In Search of the Past", dedicated to the well-known millionaire oil producer, philanthropist Aga Musa Naghiyev.

The author of the publication is a researcher heritage Agha Musa Naghiyev and his granddaughter Dilara Naghiyeva, while academician Arif Hashimov had a role of scientific editor.

The event started with opening remarks of the Director of Institute of History, Yagub Mahmudov.

The scientist stressed that Agha Musa Naghiyev invested not only in the construction of buildings, but also in education, broadening of outlook, and national culture.

During the presentation, Academician-secretary of the Department of Social Sciences, Nargiz Akhundova, MPs Ganira Pashayeva, Jale Aliyeva, Dilara Jabrayilova and others told about the philanthropic and social activities of Aga Musa Naghiyev.

Azerbaijani industrial oil magnate was born into a very poor family in Baku and started working as a cargo carrier (hambal). However, thanks to his natural wit and business abilities Musa Naghiyev became one of the richest oil industrialists in Baku. His assets were worth 300 million rubles. Later, he began investing in real estate so as to guarantee himself a source of regular income and became the largest rental property owner in Baku owning more than 200 buildings.

He is the very famous millionaire to gift one of the most wonderful palaces in the entire city to the Muslim Charity Society. This palace, modeled on Doge's Palace in Venice, now houses Presidium of Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.

Another gift from Naghiyev to the city architecture was the city's largest hospital which was built in 1912 and still functions today in the capacity of the Ministry of Health. The building is designed in the shape of an "H" (Cyrillic "N") for Naghiyev's name.

The owner of dozens of magnificent buildings in Baku, Agha Musa Naghiyev himself lived in the area outside of Icheri Sheher called Bayir Sheher, in the two-floor building behind Qasim-bey Mosque, on the crossing of Spasski (present Zargarpalan) and Gymnasist (Lev Tolstoy) streets.

The architectural elements of stone clocks designed on the top and a stone lantern on the edge of that beautiful building erected in 1887, made it a distinctive appearance.

The stone lantern called "Seng fanar" was decorated with red, green, blue, turquoise pieces of glass to create colourful illumination effect during the evenings. His name is confirmed by the monogram on the buildings with the logo of his company. These monogram attract attention with the unique content.

Naghiyev was the main sponsor and trustee of one of the largest technical colleges, "Real College", now accommodating the Azerbaijan State Economic University.

Azerbaijan`s oil magnate died of a heart attack on March 4, 1919.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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19 January 2017 11:38 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Hikmat Hajiyev, Spokesman for Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry criticized attempts to classify the activities of blogger Alexander Lapshin as freedom of speech, saying that it is not correct.

The spokesman was commenting on U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirbys statement on the arrest of Lapshin in Belarus, which was requested by the Azerbaijani side.

Lapshin illegally visited the occupied Azerbaijani lands, disrespecting Azerbaijans territorial integrity, and also crossed Azerbaijans border once again visiting the country using a different passport.

The fact that he is a blogger does not allow him violating laws and rules of other countries, Hajiyev said. There are enough cases of violation of the Azerbaijani laws in Lapshins acts, and the principle of the rule of law should be applied in a uniform way to everyone.

Lapshin is accused of violating the international laws and the laws of Azerbaijan on the state border and passports in April 2011 and October 2012.

He is a citizen of several countries and has had a criminal conspiracy with Armenians living in the occupied Azerbaijani territories. He illegally visited these territories.

To promote the illegal regime created in the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani territories, Lapshin presented Nagorno Karabakh as an independent state on his page in the social network. Moreover, he expressed support to the independence of the unrecognized regime on April 6 and June 29, 2016, by calls aimed at violating the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

For more than two decades Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a state of war following Yerevans aggression, ethnic cleansing policy and illegal territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia keeps under control over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions in a brutal war in the early 1990s.

Despite a fragile ceasefire agreement signed in 1994, Armenia keeps violating armistice with Azerbaijan.

Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are considered illegal, and any individuals paying such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's "black list".

Baku has repeatedly warned foreign officials and diplomats of unauthorized visits to its territories that are occupied by Armenia, calling them contradictory to international law.

Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions pay special attention to the illegal activity in the occupied areas of Azerbaijan. The work is constantly carried out to prevent such illegal actions.

---

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19 January 2017 16:41 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, one of the most brutal conflicts to result from the imploding Soviet Union with an estimated 20,000 Azerbaijanis, mostly civilians, killed and hundreds of thousands displaced before a ceasefire took hold, is a result of wrong policy of General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev.

The document RDP91B00776R000600150001 that has been declassified by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) named Gorbachev as the main culprit of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, Trend reports.

The document, dated July 25, 1988, reads that the continuing unrest in the Caucasus is the most extreme example of the nationality tensions.

Moscow's initial failure to discourage Armenian aspirations led Armenian nationalists to press their demands; its subsequent hard line  by dashing heightened expectations  radicalized the movement, the document said. Widespread civil disobedience erupted, with control over the protests passing into the hands of more outspoken and uncompromising protest organizers, the document reads.

Gorbachevs policy - glasnost (openness) has led to an expanded discussion by minorities of legal, economic, and cultural rights, as well as a greater public discourse on the past "wrongs" perpetrated against them.

Gorbachev has now had time to see the aggressively independent form nationalistic aspirations have taken; while he did not want to crush the spirit of these movements, he could not be confident of the regime's ability to control their direction, the document said.

The CIA states that Moscow also appears to be groping toward a long-term plan that just might prove acceptable to both sides.

This would be some new administrative arrangement whereby Nagorno-Karabakh is not transferred to Armenia but is given some degree of genuine autonomy in Azerbaijan, perhaps accompanied by some measures to give national groups living outside their national "homelands" expanded cultural and economic rights, the document said.

It read that a major problem Gorbachev faced was that working out the details of this plan might take some time  requiring endorsement by a Central Committee plenum and probably approval of constitutional amendments by the Supreme Soviet.

With passions at fever pitch, it has been difficult to sell the plan even to those concerned parties who would in calmer times be amenable to compromise, the document said.

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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19 January 2017 18:32 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The NATO continues to support peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the OSCE process, an official representative of NATO told Trend on January 19.

He said that the peaceful resolution of the conflicts is a core value of the NATO.

It is also one of the main goals of all partners of the Partnership for Peace program, said the NATO representative.

He added that NATO also supports the latest statement of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who called on Armenia to immediately return the body of killed Azerbaijani serviceman Chingiz Gurbanov.

A reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces attempted to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on December 29, 2016. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the borders and suffered heavy losses. During the fighting, Azerbaijani serviceman Chingiz Gurbanov went missing. Later, it was clarified that he was killed by the Armenian Armed Forces and his body remained on the territory controlled by the Armenian armed forces.

To receive back the dead body of the Azerbaijani soldier from Armenia, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry officially appealed to the Azerbaijani representation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), OSCE Minsk Group, as well as to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Despite numerous insistent appeals of international structures regarding the return of Chingiz Gurbanovs body, the Armenian government still keeps the dead body.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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20 January 2017 00:01 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

As years go by, many memorable events in people's mind turn to history. The bloody tragedy perpetrated against the people of Azerbaijan on January 20, 1990 is forever etched in memories. Though it is painful to return to those days, people every year commemorate innocent victims of the tragedy and pay tribute to all those who died for the their right of national independence.

The monstrous crime was committed twenty seven years ago against the Azerbaijani people, humanism and humanity overall.

History of every nation has both tragic and heroic pages and only in rare cases these two events coincide. January 20 is the very page in the history of Azerbaijan. The people on that day passed the exam and worthily went through this ordeal.

The bloody events full of unbelievably cruel scenes left an indelible mark in the memory of the living witnesses. Despite 27 years pass since this tragic event, the day like the reel of film still scrolls in front of eyes of witnesses: anxious Baku, bullets glittering in the darkness, tanks and hum of armored vehicles, dead bodies scattered through the streets, hospital wards filled with hundreds of wounded.

Everything started when Baku residents came out to protest against the senior management of the policy of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev, as a result of which Armenian nationalists demanded joining the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous region of Azerbaijan to Armenia. But the protests received totally inadequate answer -- the Soviet troops began unimaginable atrocities in Baku.

During an operation which began from the late hours of January 19 into January 20, 26,000 hostile and aggressive-minded Soviet special forces called "Alfa" entered Baku to commit atrocities against the Azerbaijani people. They stormed and murdered hundreds of civilians without declaring a state of emergency.

Around 10pm in the evening deafening silence suddenly covered the city after demolition of the central television station and termination of phone and radio lines by the Soviet army. The people were deprived of the right to access information.

They shot at any moving target, dark alleys and windows of houses. Tanks crushed a car with passengers on.

They fired protesters crushing many of them with tanks, and arrested hundreds more for imprisonment and torture. The invasion was launched at midnight. It was committed with unbelievable brutality. Even children, women and the elderly were targeted.

The reasons of January tragedy go deep into history, beginning from the territorial claims of Armenians against Azerbaijan.

Back in 1987 the Armenian academics and official figures claimed to the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and conducted propaganda in this direction. Taking advantage of Soviet Unions last leader, Mikhail Gorbachevs perestroika policy, Armenians once again resumed their insidious policy towards Azerbaijan.

Then, the Soviet government had an intention to realize the Armenian policy by diplomatic means in 1988, but failed because millions of Azerbaijanis headed to the streets to protest Armenian aggression and separatist forces fueling unrest in the ancient land of Azerbaijan -- the mountainous Karabakh region.

Azerbaijani people launched the square movement to defend their rights and land. Indeed, the Central government sent military forces to suppress the national movement and even crushed the rebellions by force. But that was temporary.

Azerbaijanis were determined to protect their territorial integrity and did not step back, showing their sacrifice and vigor for the national freedom.

The crime that the Soviet army committed on these two days in Baku was a real sabotage and bloody crime against Azerbaijanis, who were protecting their constitutional rights.

This tragic event did not break the spirit of the nation, but marked a turning point in the history of Azerbaijans independence from the Soviet Union and revealed the strong determination of the people to build their own sovereign country.

The January 20th tragedy provoked worldwide anger and indignation of the progressive forces.



A report by Human Rights Watch titled Black January in Azerbaijan" states: "Indeed the violence used by the Soviet Army on the night of January 19-20...constitutes an exercise in collective punishment... The punishment inflicted on Baku by Soviet soldiers may have been intended as a warning to nationalists, not only in Azerbaijan, but in other Republics of the Soviet Union."

The horrible night did not give the chance for many young people to fulfill their purest dreams, including the lovely couple of Ilham and Fariza, who also became the victims of bloody tragedy.

The event separated two loving hearts. Ilham became one of the first victims at that night. Unable to bear the death of her beloved Fariza took her own life drinking acid, the day after Ilhams funeral.

Now their graves lie side by side near the entry of the Martyrs Avenue -- Ilham and Fariza promised to be together forever and kept their word.

Photographs are mute witnesses of these bloody days. Horrific fragments imprinted in the memory of camera lens, pass historical milestones of people's tragedy and the struggle for freedom. Carefully peering into them, one can also see hope and faith, through the sadness and grief, as well as invincibility, unity and solidarity of the people.

On this day, a minute of silence is observed throughout Azerbaijan. Ships, automobiles and trains provide mourning sounds and lower a little national flags across the country.

Every January 20th is a mourning day in Azerbaijan to commemorate all martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for the bright future of the nation. They live in hearts of Azerbaijanis...

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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19 January 2017 11:09 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) discussed the bilateral relations prior to the OIC Emergency Ministerial Meeting to be held in Kuala Lumpur.

Azerbaijan`s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with Dr. Yousef Al Othaimeen, the Secretary General of OIC on January 19.

The sides expressed their satisfaction with the level of current cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OIC and exchanged views on the other issues of mutual concern.

Al Othaimeen highly appreciated the active role of Azerbaijan as an OIC Member State and its contribution to the activities of the Organization and expressed his confidence that the cooperation with Azerbaijan will further be continued at the highest level.

In turn, Mammadyarov informed his interlocutor about the presidential decree on declaring the year of 2017 the Year of Islamic Solidarity in Azerbaijan.

The OIC Secretary General mentioned that this decree is highly appreciated and commended.

The minister further said that Azerbaijan will spare no efforts to strengthen solidarity within the OIC and expressed his assurance that the Islamic Solidarity Games to be hosted by Azerbaijan will make tangible contribution to the development of this goal.

The FM invited Othaimeen to Azerbaijan and expressed his hope that the athletes of the OIC Member States will actively participate in the upcoming Islamic Solidarity Games. The OIC Secretary General has kindly accepted the invitation.

Mammadyarov also hailed the establishment of the Contact Group on the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan within OIC and its first constitutive session.

He also expressed his appreciation to the OIC Secretary General and Member States for unequivocally supporting Azerbaijans fair position on the resolution of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the norms and principles of international law. In this context, he also underlined the resolutions and statements adopted by the OIC on the conflict.

The sides further exchanged their views on the issues such as the situation of Rohingya Muslims, fighting against terrorism and trends of Islamophobia, also the subjects on the agenda of the OIC.

The OIC meeting will discuss the situation of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar as well as the situation of the more than 120,000 displaced and refugee Muslims within Myanmar.

The upcoming ministerial meeting is going to be held against the backdrop of ongoing concerns of the OIC General Secretariat for the situation of the Rohingya Muslims and the continuing violence as well as the stance of the Myanmar government on the situation in Rakhine state.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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On Saturday night the bell on my landline went off and damn it all if it weren't the Sailor, ringing me up to hear more about Duke Ellington and his way with the piano.

"Come on over, August," he breathed gruffly and grandly into the handset, "and show me again how those first 16 bars go, because I have an idea on how to fit a harmonica over that bit, plus which I believe I can lay a fine shuffle under that storm and so we will be on our way to being a fine jazz band, after all."

I'd already had a couple of drinks of Wild Turkey by that time though and told him I didn't fancy driving through the student ghetto just to lay down some clumsy riffs on his Yamaha electric, but he disagreed.

"Go on and walk over then, Mr. March and I will mix you up a creme soda with Jameson's in the bottom of the glass."

I could not resist and so spent the next 3 hours rambling through "East Saint Louis Toodle-oo" while the rest of the boys followed along blithely. My wife called about 10 and told me I better get on home if I wanted any spaghetti. "Who could resist that," I told the Sailor as I dropped my charts onto his desk, grabbed my cane and ambled toward the door. I flashed him the peace sign and said I'd see him Tuesday for practice.

That was the last time I saw the man folks here in Dirt City called by a nautical name.

I'd known him since I was a kid, and him being 20 years my senior did stop us becoming fast friends. He was part brother and part father; we hiked, smoked, drank, jammed and regaled each other with stories of where the other had been on the Earth.

He was the only man I knew that had seen more of the planet than me. I'd been on all the continents, excepting Antarctica; his tale of seeing the Ross Ice Shelf rise up on the horizon set my brain on fire and besides that we always had a laugh about the after-midnight goings on in Singapore, the lights of the north star and the aurora way up north or how it was impossible to understand the dialect of the Peruvian seamen who landed in Guayaquil looking for a good time.

When he broke his hip late last year, my wife and I sat with him at the hospital, brought him dinner from Los Cuates on the weekends and made sure his walker was ready to go when he was. The pain was bad he told us, but nothing like the time he got burned putting out a fire on an oiler outside of Osaka.

Just last week, we spent an afternoon listening to the Rolling Stones new album, a blues thing. And I complained that Charlie Watts was about an eighth note behind Keith Richards when it counted but he said to take it easy because we were all getting old.

On Tuesday morning the bell on my cell phone went off and god damn it to hell, it was the Sailor's neighbor who was weeping on the line when I answered and then told me the news.

"Mike got up early this morning and now he has died."

I went home early that day, staring into the sky as I drove. I sat at my piano and played until my hands hurt, thinking about the time the Sailor told me how Polaris was possibly the center of the universeblinking timelessly, brightly while the rest of the sky rolled and spun chaotically around and around.


19 January 2017 12:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with Dato Sri Anifah Aman, Foreign Minister of Malaysia on the sidelines of the OIC Emergency Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

The meeting mulled current level of bilateral relations and ways of further development of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Malaysia. The ministers expressed satisfaction with the development of political dialogue, cooperation within international organizations and mutual support between the two countries.

During the meeting, the sides touched upon the issues of high-level visits and expansion of bilateral legal-treaty base, as well.

Recalling his visit to Azerbaijan and the productive meetings he had in Baku, the Malaysian minister said that the development of Baku and Azerbaijan made a very positive impression on him.

Touching upon the enhancement of bilateral economic relations, the ministers noted the importance of increasing the joint efforts to this end.

They emphasized the existence of favorable opportunities for increasing the trade turnover and investment, also further expanding the cooperation in the fields of oil-gas, industry, agriculture, transport, high technologies, tourism and many others between the two countries.

As for the cooperation in the energy area, the successful activity of Petronas Company of Malaysia in Azerbaijan was noted.

Mammadyarov further informed his counterpart about the latest status on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict. He stressed that Malaysias support to the just position of Azerbaijan over the issue is highly appreciated.

The sides also exchanged their views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, also the matters related with the agenda of the OIC.

Malaysia enjoys close and friendly relations with Azerbaijan since diplomatic relations were established in 1993. Azerbaijan established its diplomatic mission in Malaysia in 2007, while Malaysia established its Embassy in Baku in 2014.

The trade turnover between the countries in January-September 2016 exceeded $31 million, most of which made up import into Azerbaijan. In March 2016, Azerbaijan and Malaysia opened direct cargo flight service.

Malaysian National Oil Company - Petronas owns a 15.5 percent stake in the Shah Deniz production sharing agreement operated by a consortium of companies, 15.5 percent share in the South Caucasus Pipeline Company (SCPC), 15.5 percent share in the SCPC holding company, and 12.4 percent share in the Azerbaijan Gas Supply Company.

---

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19 January 2017 16:18 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan is highly interested in enhancement of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) proactive policy and looks forward to strengthening its relations with the brotherly Islamic countries.

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov announced about this as he addressed an extraordinary session of Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on January 19 aimed at discussion of the situation of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, as well as the situation of the more than 120,000 displaced and refugee Muslims within Myanmar.

The minister further stated that President Ilham Aliyev signed the declaration on announcing Year of 2017 as a Year of Islamic Solidarity.

"The general overview of the current situation in a number of Muslim countries remains a deep concern for all of us. This shows a necessity for reaffirming our commitment to Islamic solidarity and increasing support to those in need. We must remain consistent in defending the just cause of our member states and to protect the rights of Muslim brothers and sisters in non-Muslim countries," he said.

To the deepest regret, the situation in Rohingya continues to be a serious challenge for the Islamic Ummah and requires a unified stand of the OIC member states, according to the minister.

We should not remain indifferent to the grave violence and humanitarian crisis that forced thousands of Muslims flee their homes in the Rakhine state, he stressed.

Mammadyarov went on to say that Azerbaijan, which has faced longstanding problem of refugees and internally displaced persons, as a result of the military aggression of Armenia with notorious facts of occupation and ethnic cleansing on the part of the country, has full understanding of those who suffered from injustice and sufferings.

"Therefore, we extremely condemn the acts of repression as killing and arrest of Rohingya civilians, destruction of their homes and religious buildings and call upon the leadership of Myanmar to eliminate this humanitarian crisis and restore stability and dignity in the Muslim populated part of Myanmar, he said.

The minister also touched upon the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying that this is very painful issue for Azerbaijan.



I would like to reiterate Azerbaijans full support to the brotherly people of Palestine in their struggle for achieving peace, stability and establishment of an independent State.



Azerbaijan stands for the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which is the only guarantee of achieving the long-awaited, comprehensive, lasting and just peace, security and sustainable development in this sacred land. We highly commend the work done by the OIC in supporting the Palestinian people and serving the Palestinian cause, he said.

The ministerial meeting was held against the backdrop of ongoing concerns of the OIC General Secretariat for the situation of the Rohingya Muslims and the continuing violence as well as the stance of the Myanmar government on the situation in Rakhine state.

The foreign ministers of the OIC Contact Group on Rohingya Muslims earlier held their meeting on the sideline of the Council of Foreign Ministers session held in Tashkent last October.

The meeting called again on the Government of Myanmar to restore the citizenship of the Rohingya, which had been revoked under the 1982 citizenship law.

--



Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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19 January 2017 10:51 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR will additionally produce 4,380 tons of oil and 5.95 billion cubic meters of gas per year as it has commissioned a well in the Caspian Sea.

The company reported that the well has been put into operation after a major overhaul at the Oil Rocks offshore field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.

Oil is extracted within the range of 2,565-2,553 meters, according to the message.

SOCAR produced 7.52 million tons of oil at Azerbaijans offshore and onshore fields in 2016, as compared to 8.16 million tons in 2015. Along with SOCAR, foreign companies also extract oil in Azerbaijan.

In total, 41.03 million tons of oil was produced in Azerbaijan in 2016, as compared to 41.58 million tons in 2015, according to SOCAR.

Azerbaijan exported over 20 million tons of crude oil in 2016, according to the State Customs Committee. Official figures suggest that the total value of the exported oil products made $6,504 billion.

The country Azerbaijan exported 6,755 million cubic metres of natural gas in 2016 and made a profit of roughly $971 million from this export.

---

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19 January 2017 12:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

Vietnam, the sixth largest oil producer in the Asia-Pacific region, has displayed interest in Azerbaijans participation in development of the countrys energy industry.

The issue was high on agenda during a meeting between Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and Azerbaijans Energy Minister Natig Aliyev in Hanoi.

Dai Quang said that the Socialist Republic, which possesses considerable oil reserves, wants Azerbaijan to continue rendering its assistance to Vietnam Oil and Gas Company in the development of oil fields.

The Vietnamese oil and gas industry is deemed to be the biggest foreign currency earner and a major procurer of imported technology. Crude oil reserves of the country are currently estimated at 4.4 billion barrels, or 630 million tons. Crude oil production reportedly accounts for an average volume of 340,000 barrels per day.

Memos signed by Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and Vietnam Oil and Gas Group PetroVietnam in 2010 and 2015, are the major documents regulating energy cooperation between the sides.

Dai Guang mentioned that Vietnam is also ready to create favorable conditions for import and export operations between the two countries.

Vietnam is ready to export such production as agricultural goods, fishing production, electronics and computers, he said.

The head of state went on saying that the sides should also consider the issue of resuming cooperation in the sphere of education, opening of direct flights between Baku and Hanoi, as well as bolstering ties in the sphere of culture and tourism.

Aliyev, in turn, supported the idea of strengthening ties, in particular in the sphere of energy, science and technologies, culture and tourism.

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Vietnam amounted to $73.2 million in January-November 2016, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee.

The diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Vietnam were established on September 23, 1992. Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Vietnam in 2013.

Currently, the bilateral relations are coordinated by the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, which is also accredited in Azerbaijan.

--

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19 January 2017 11:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

A Czech delegation led by Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mladek held talks with Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR in Baku on prospects of deepening the energy cooperation.

The delegation was received by SOCAR Vice President Yashar Latifov, who informed the guests about the oil and gas projects implemented in Azerbaijan and the company achievements.

Speaking about Azerbaijans contribution to the European energy security, Latifov said the development of the Shah Deniz gas field made Azerbaijan, one of the worlds oldest oil producers and exporters, the natural gas producer too.



He mentioned that the Southern Gas Corridor, including TANAP and TAP projects, designed for the transportation of natural gas resources from Azerbaijan to Europe has gained international support.

Mladek , in turn, stressed that Azerbaijans oil supplies is very important for the energy supply of his country, and they were closely watching the construction of gas pipelines to Europe as this issue is also important for them.

The parties further underlined the contribution of the Azerbaijan-Czech Business Forum held in Baku on January 17 to the development of economic relations between the countries, and discussed cooperation prospects.

Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on energy cooperation, stated Mladek at the meeting with Azerbaijans Deputy Energy Ministers Natiq Abbasov and Gulmammad Javadov.

They discussed energy relations and necessary measures to expand the cooperation between the two countries.

Mladek informed that the Czech Republic is ready for participation in the construction and reconstruction of oil, gas and electricity facilities in Azerbaijan, supplies of oil to refinery Kralupy, and cooperation in the field of alternative energy.



Energy has traditionally taken a leading role in economic cooperation between Baku and Prague. Azerbaijan is the second largest exporter of oil to the Czech Republic, which meets one third of energy needs of this country.



By providing a significant contribution to the diversification of energy resources of this country, Azerbaijan emerged as an important strategic partner of the European country.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic amounted to $312.02 million in January-November 2016, and $214.17 million of which accounted for the export of Azerbaijani goods to the Czech Republic, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee.



Czech Republic mainly imports Azerbaijani oil, while industrial equipment and consumer goods are exported to Azerbaijan. The country is a reliable partner for Azerbaijan in several fields.

The Czech Republic ranks 12th in the list of main importers of Azerbaijani goods. The share of the Czech Republic in the total export from Azerbaijan totaled 2.58 percent in January-November 2016.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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19 January 2017 10:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The European Council said that the sanctions against several Iranian organizations were lifted.

The Council of Europe posted in its website a release saying several organizations will soon be removed from the list of persons and entities who were imposed restrictive measures. The list in particular included the companies Moallem, Petropars Operation & Management Company, Petropars Resources Engineering Ltd, Iran Aluminium Company, Iran Liquefied Natural Gas Co., Hanseatic Trade Trust & Shipping (HTTS) GmbH and Naser Bateni, Trend reported.

These companies were accused of involvement in nuclear activities, and in supporting the government of Iran.

The negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue began in 2004, as Western nations were accusing 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.

Lengthy negotiations resulted in the adoption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the fulfillment of which could completely remove previously lifted economic and financial sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council, the United States and the European Union. The long-anticipated Deal achieved in Vienna on July 14, 2015, committed Iran 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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19 January 2017 10:23 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Two suspects, including one police officer, were arrested Thursday in connection to the assassination of Andrey Karlov, Russias ambassador to Turkey, Anadolu reported.

Police detained five suspects Wednesday, including police officer Sercan Baser and tradesman Enes Asim Silin.

The pair was remanded later by an Ankara court pending trial under accusations of "being members of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO)".

The court approved the release of three other suspects under judicial control.

Karlov was fatally shot Dec. 19 by Mevlut Mert Altintas as the diplomat delivered a speech at an art exhibition in the Turkish capital.

Altintas was later shot dead in an exchange of fire with security personnel.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
19 January 2017 14:08 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Iranian and Syrian Deputy Foreign Ministers discussed the latest events in Syria in the context of the upcoming talks in Astana during a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday.

Jaberi Hossein Ansari and Faisal Mekdad met in the framework of the meetings of the joint Iranian-Syrian political committee, IRNA reported.

Negotiations will be held in Astana in order to prepare the ground for a political resolution of the Syrian crisis.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Prime Minister of Syria, Imad Khamis said that Iran and Syria will act like a united front against terrorism, and other countries should follow them.

Khamis made these remarks at a press conference with the First Vice President of Iran Ishaq Jahangir in the cultural center "Saad Abad".

Syrian Prime Minister stressed the need to continue consultations between the Syrian and Iranian officials. Iranian president also claimed that he will continue to support Syrian people and government in the fight against terrorists.

Due to Iran's objections the U.S. were not invited to a meeting in Astana on Syria, said the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani.

There is no reason to invite the U.S. to the negotiation table, said Shamkhani, adding that the United States did not participate in the establishment of a ceasefire and reconciliation of the main parties in this conflict, ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, however, said on Tuesday that he believed it was right to invite U.S. representatives to the meeting.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday that Turkey and Russia had decided to invite the United States to the Astana discussions.

Earlier it was reported that the U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's administration would consider an invitation for peace talks in Astana, when it officially comes, but the country will not participate in any talks on Syria unless the U.S. has a clear vision on the resolution of Syrian crisis.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, talking separately on Tuesday, called liberation of Aleppo and the establishment of the ceasefire important steps in restoring peace and stability in Syria. He also expressed his hope that the forthcoming meeting in Astana will pave the way for the start of real negotiations on Syrian conflict and will lead to the good results.

The main purpose of all friends of Syria is to establish peace and stability as a result of which the Syrian people will decide about their future," added Rouhani.

The meeting backed by Russia, Iran and Turkey will be held in the Kazakh capital on 23 January between the Syrian government and the opposition forces, except for terrorist groups.

The ceasefire agreement came into force in Syria in late December after the Syrian government and the opposition agreed with the mediation of Turkey and Russia. The ceasefire agreement was proposed after the liberation of the strategic city of Aleppo from the terrorists by government forces. The opposition ensured that they will participate in the peace talks in Astana.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
19 January 2017 16:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The Turkish Parliament adopted amendment proposed to the Constitution by ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), during the second round of voting on January 18.

As many as 486 MPs took part in the voting, of which 345 supported the adoption of modified Article 1, while 140 were "against" and one abstained.

This article stipulates changes to the wording of Article 9 of the current constitution. The current wording is as follows: "The judicial power shall be exercised on behalf of the Turkish nation by independent courts." According to the amendment, the word "independent" will be followed by the word "impartial.

The newly adopted also envisages increasing the number of sits at the parliament from 550 to 600.

In accordance with the adopted changes, President-elect must be a citizen of Turkey and aged above 40. President will also be empowered to appoint and change the ministers.

In line with the proposed constitutional change, President-elect will not be obliged to break ties to his party. Until now, after the election, the President of Turkey could not remain in the party.

It was also proposed to lower the age limit for a candidate to MP to 18 years from the current 25 years.

In the amendments are ratified due to the results of the second round, the referendum on constitutional changes might take place in April, 2017.

The constitutional committee of MPs from the AK Party and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) submitted the list of proposed amendments to parliament for ratification on December 30. Turkey's largest opposition parties, the Republican People's Party (CHP), and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) opposed to these changes.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his supporters have claimed that Turkey needs a strong presidency and leadership to prevent weak governance and help the country to deal with a number of challenges successfully, including terror attacks from Daesh, the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization. His opponents think that it will weaken democracy in the country and result in authoritarianism and the transition from a parliamentary to a presidential form of government.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
19 January 2017 17:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

As few days are running to the long-anticipated meeting in Kazakh capital to bring together the interested sides in the Syrian crisis, debates around confirmed participants of the hard discussion take a new pace.

Putting a light on the dark points of the peace process Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that they have sent an invitation to the United States to attend the talks.

Lavrov's statement appeared after the recent statement by top Iranian officials on non-invitation of the United States to the Astana talks.

Scheduled for January 23 the Astana meeting on Syrian conflict is expected to focus on humanitarian and political issues. The hard-talk between UN, Turkey, Russia, Iran and the United States is expected to generate support of international and regional partners.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier that Ankara has created the conditions for the talks between the Russian side and the Syrian opposition and acted as a guarantor country of the ceasefire regime.

"Turkey and Russia play an essential role in expanding the footprint of the ceasefire in Syria. Ankara has created the conditions for negotiation process between opposition representatives and the Russian side. Subsequent agreements are clear. Turkey acted in that regard as the country guarantor. Now we are negotiating and consulting on the issue of meeting on Syrian in Astana. The day before we had a talk on the phone with Sergey Lavrov on Syrian subjects," Cavusoglu added.

Some experts suggest that engaging the forces ale to affect the situation on the ground is designed to create favorable conditions for strengthening the ceasefire. Now it is high time to discuss a number of other important aspects such as trust-building measures, improving humanitarian access, and elements of the political agenda.

Many believe the Astana meeting to offer new opportunities, that should be used at any cost.

Russia's permanent representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin voiced a hope at Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East that the international and regional partners will support these efforts. "New opportunities are emerging, and they should be used at any cost."

On Tuesday, the deputy of UN Secretary General Farhan Haq said that the UN has been invited for talks on Syria in Astana and will be represented by the Deputy Special Representative Staffan de Mistura. He said that the UN "will try to provide the greatest possible support and hopes that the talks in Astana, in turn, will be useful for the February talks in Geneva."

At the same time, representatives of the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorists  YPG will definitely not participate in the negotiation process in Kazakhstan.

"Turkey is against terrorist involvement in the peace dialogue, and our country will not allow this to happen. Our friend, Russia, is well aware of this position of Ankara," Chavushoglu stressed.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
19 January 2017 17:18 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Baku, the capital and largest city of energy-rich Azerbaijan, has already turned into one of the important and most-visited tourist destinations in Asia.

The city continues to conquer the rankings of various well-known tourist portals thanks to its charming beauty and affordable tours. This time Baku entered Top 3 of popular destinations among Russian tourists of CIS cities during the New Years holidays.

The hotel search service RoomGuru.ru has defined the most popular foreign destinations among Russian tourists during the New Years holidays of 2017. The rating was compiled on the basis of hotel accommodation booking from 1 to 8 January 2017.

The service ranked Baku the 3rd on the popularity of the CIS cities among Russian tourists during the New Years holidays. Russian tourists stayed at hotels in Baku on average for four nights and paid $52 for accommodation a day.

In 2017, New Year's holidays in Russia lasted nine days, and many Russians spend them in various holiday resorts. Minsk, Tbilisi and Baku made Top 3 of tourist destinations in the CIS and near abroad among Russian tourists during the New Years holidays.

In 2017 the number of Russian tourists traveling to the CIS countries will increase by 10%, according to agency Turkstats forecasts.

Baku is so rich in attractions that one can easily spend three days walking around the city and might find it not enough to enjoy its all beauties. It usually takes two more days to see the landmarks in the surroundings of the capital.

Baku is a wonderful city on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Centuries-long history is reflected in its medieval landmarks, where the special place is given to the Old city called Icherisheher. On the other hand, it is a fast-growing megapolis with glittering skyscrapers and unusual architectural monuments of the 21st century. Oriental past and hi tech future is entwined in the way that it gives an impression of taking a journey through time.

The biggest attraction of Baku is Boulevard that stretches many kilometers along the shores of the Caspian Sea. There are different kinds of attractions in the surroundings of Baku as well. The most ancient one is the Gobustan Museum of Petroglyphs not far from another landmark  mud volcanoes. Another interesting touristy spots are fire monuments, flaming hill of Yanardag, temple of fire worshippers Ateshgah and the historical-ethnographic museum of Gala.

Overall, Azerbaijans tourism industry has made significant developmental progress in recent years, experiencing considerable growth. 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.

Last year, 35 hotels were built in the country, and 25 are under construction. In general, there are more than 500 hotels in Azerbaijan.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
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2017 AOS Classification Committee Proposals, Part 1

2017 is a new year, and time for new bird taxonomy proposals submitted to what was formerly called the North American Check-list Committee, of which those approved are incorporated into the ABA Checklist. Between last year and this year a major lump occurred among bird research institutions, with the American Ornithologists Union merging with the Cooper Ornithological Society to form the American Ornithological Society, now the administering body of this list and the committees, which is now called the North & Middle America Classification Committee.

We suggest the usual caveat, that its important to note that these are just proposals and the committee has yet to vote on them formally. There are some that are unlikely to make the cut for whatever reason, but in my opinion the proposals are often more interesting than the actual results anyway as we get a peek into the wild world of bird taxonomy as it exists from year to year.

This post will only mention those changes that affect the ABA Area and Hawaii, but if youre interested in the whole ball of wax  the AOS NAMACCs (thats not what theyre calling it, is it?) jurisdiction includes all of the North America south to Panama  please refer to the official list of proposals at the AOSs website (.pdf).

=====

Revise the generic classification of the subfamily Anserinae

Weve come to expect a certain number of taxonomic rearrangement proposals every year, and this one is fairly straight-forward. Currently, North American geese are sorted into three groups  gray geese in Anser, white geese in Chen, and brant-type geese in Branta. New research suggests that the brant-type geese are fairly distinct in the group, but that white and gray geese are not all that dissimilar, and Chen geese should be incorporated into the genus Anser, which is the recommendation here.

=====

Split North American Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra into two species

Heres another attempt to unravel the Gordian Knot that is Red Crossbill taxonomy, focusing again on the localized subspecies L. c. sinesciurus, or South Hills Crossbill. A similar proposal was sent to the NACC in 2009, but not accepted, and this one seeks to address the areas where committee members found fault. The most critical new bit of evidence comes from the genetic evaluation of 219 Red Crossbills from across the species range, revealing that the South Hills Crossbill is the most distinct lineage among the 9 call types, marking it is the strongest case for a split among Red Crossbills. The new species would potentially called South Hills Crossbill, despite being found in both the South Hills and the Albion Mountains. Alternatively, Cassia Crossbill is a good fit, as both mountain ranges lie entirely within Cassia County, Idaho.

=====

Transfer Wilsons Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor to a monotypic genus, Steganopus, Vieillot 1818

All three North American phalaropes are currently treated in a single genus, Phalaropus. This has not always been the case  as recently as 1957, three genera were used for the three species. Of the three, Wilsons is certainly the odd-bird out, both in phenotype and genotype. It is probably the best case for its own genus as it seems, in many ways, to occupy a sort of midpoint between Phalaropus and Tringa. That said, the question of whether a monotypic genus is appropriate here is one the committee is unlikely to agree with if the comments are any indication. There seems to be at least an equally good case for maintaining the status quo.

=====

Change the English name of the Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris

Ring-necked Duck is often near the top of lists concerning the worst bird common names (though as long as the not-olive and not-a-warbler Olive Warbler remains, it will never take top spot), as the eponymous ring is almost never seen. The proposal argues that, at a time when interest in birding is increasing, a common bird with an opaque name is unnecessarily confusing and that birders should take a page from hunters, who have longed called this species Ringbill, and adopt the name Ring-billed Duck. Its a fair point, but then we who lead groups of novice birders would be robbed of our most amusing duck anecdote! In any case, it raises the question of the changing nature of what a common name is supposed to be, which is an interesting academic exercise if not a taxonomic one.

=====

Transfer (a) Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia and (b) Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis to Ardea

This is another proposal that calls into question the value of monotypic genera. Intermediate Egret is known from at least one record in the ABA Area, a salvaged individual in western Alaska. Cattle Egret is a common species across the southern third of the ABA Area and increasingly elsewhere. A number of phylogenetic trees embed these two species within the Ardea, so this is a fairly intuitive move. Intermediate Egret is the more obvious for a genus change, but Cattle Egret is apparently a bit more removed from Ardea. A case can be made that it should remain monotypic in light of the physical and behavioral adaptations for a more terrestrial lifestyle that make it most unique from its would-be co-geners.

=====

Revisit the proposed split of Circus cyaneus and Circus hudsonius

This is a re-submission of a proposal first submitted to the committee last year. Circus cyaneus is a holarctic species known as Northern Harrier in the Americas and Hen Harrier in the Old World. The two subspecies, hudsonicus in the New and cyaneus in the Old, are considered good species by all other relevant authorities in the world, but such a treatment has not been official in North America in nearly 100 years. This proposal adds to the 2015 proposal with a study examining morphological and genetic differences in the two populations, increasing the sample size from the previous proposal and finding significant distance between the two. If accepted, this would be yet another New/Old World split, which in recent years weve seen in Common Gallinule/Moorhen, Black/Common Scoter, and Snowy/Kentish Plover, among others.

Interestingly, this split would potentially add a new species to the ABA checklist, as wing from a presumed C. c. cyaneus was salvaged on Attu, Alaska, in 1999. C. c. hudsonicus is a rare vagrant to Great Britain and Ireland.

=====

Split Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata into three species

At last, the split weve all been sort of waiting for. Yellow-rumped Warbler consists of four subspecies, two of which, auduboni and coronata, are common and familiar species in the west and east, respectively, of the ABA Area. The other two, goldmani and nigrifrons, are more or less sedentary residents of Middle America. Audubons and Myrtle Warbler were considered separate species for decades, before being lumped, along with the Middle American subspecies, by the AOU in 1973. I cant go into detail about the evidence that is presented in this proposal, but it is sufficient to say that the evidence is robust. We have, after all, been talking about this split practically since the year the two birds were lumped. There is certainly a hybrid zone in British Columbia and Alberta, the the two subspecies appear to segregate themselves in a manner than is consistent with other species pairs considered to be heterospecific. The names Audubons Warbler and Myrtle Warbler continue to be used widely and would be resurrected. The nigrifrons subspecies of west Mexico would be included in the Audubons group, with goldmani given full species treatment.

=====

Split the Willet Tringa semipalmata into two species

Along with Yellow-rumped Warbler, Willet is often on the short list of likely ABA Area splits though the species has never been treated that way in the past. Willet currently consists of two subspecies, semipalmata, called Eastern Willet, which breeds in coastal habitats in the southeast and winters primarily in the Caribbean and northern South America, and inornata, or Western Willet, which breeds in the interior west of the continent and winters along both coasts of the ABA Area. Birders have long noted morphological differences in the two groups, such that many field guides describe them separately, and recent research looking at the DNA of the two groups suggest significant differentiation between the two groups with little to no hybridization. The new species would be given the appropriate, if uninspired, names of Eastern Willet and Western Willet.

=====

Modify our treatment of juncos: (a) recognize bairdi as a species, (b) recognize alticola as a species, and (c) lump phaeonotus and hyemalis

This one looks more complicated than it is, despite the fact that it is generous to say that Junco taxonomy is muddy. First off, we can more or less disregard a) and b) as both of those subspecies occur south of the ABA Area  bairdi in Baja California and alticola in Guatemala. Both are currently considered subspecies of J. phoeonotus, or Yellow-eyed Junco, which occurs in the ABA Area only in southeastern Arizona. C is the important one for us, and, to be honest, it feels like a bit of an add-on. The genetic work that established that bairdi and alticola are distinct at the species level, which seems to be the main thrust of this proposal, also showed Yellow-eyed and Dark-eyed Juncos to be quite close. But, as the proposal itself states, the situation is complex and needs more work, which sounds to me like junco taxonomy in a nutshell.

=====

Change the linear sequence of species in Scolopacidae

We end as we began, with another proposal to re-organize a family of birds. This follows up an accepted proposal from last year involving shorebirds. If last year they shook up the box, this one is opening it and carefully moving a couple pieces. Nothing shocking here, just moving around some curlew and shanks.

=====

The full list, including background information and recommendations, is available here. Well have more once the decisions are published this summer.
In a recent speech delivered to a gathering of the Roman round table of The Global Foundation at the Vatican, Pope Francis addressed economics. Specifically, he suggested that a capitalist ideology which is unconcerned about the marginalized has run rampant across the world. Acton Institutes director of research, Samuel Gregg, suggests that the evidence does not support this argument. Gregg explains this in his latest for the Stream: Pope Francis and the Myth of Radical Capitalism.

Gregg lays out some economic history to prove that a radical capitalist ideology has never taken over:

Looking outside the developed nations, can it really be said that free market ideas have conquered the Middle East, North Africa or Russia? Crony capitalism  a polar opposite of free markets  is the norm throughout, for example, in Russia. Until quite recently, many Latin American nations (including the popes native Argentina) were dominated by the decidedly anti-free market agendas of the left-populist governments which came to power in the early-2000s. Ive often wondered why the pope seems so reluctant to criticize the 21st century socialist policies associated with figures such as the late Hugo Chavez, which have inflicted destruction upon countries like Venezuela.

In the last section of Greggs article he clears up any confusion surrounding the ideas of capitalism. Its more than just markets:

Besides the fact that its hard to find countries with unbridled capitalism (let alone promoting radical capitalist ideas), the pope seems unaware that few free market thinkers believe that market forces are enough to resolve issues of marginalization and poverty. Whats missing in many countries are (1) institutions such as rule of law and clear property rights and (2) the cultural settings in which, as John Paul IIs Centesimus Annus insisted, markets must be imbedded if they are to work. Its not hard to find free market economists  many of whom are Christians who take seriously the Gospels non-negotiable commandment to help the poor  who have focused on how to strengthen such institutions and cultures in countries where they are weak or dont exist. Indifferent to poverty, they are not.

You can read Greggs full article at The Stream.
Tomorrow is Inauguration Day, a day of ceremonies to mark the peaceful transition of federal executive power within the United States government.

Here are five facts should know about the most important date (after Election Day) on the political calendar:

1. Inauguration Day used to be held on March 4. That was the original date (March 4, 1789) when the Confederation Congress, which operated under the Articles of Confederation, handed off power to the new constitutional government. When the new Constitution changed the opening day of Congress to the first Monday in December (Article I, Section 4), March 4 was chosen as the last day of the two-year legislative session. Because elections were held in November, this created an extended lame-duck session. The Twentieth Amendment changed the date of inauguration to noon on the 20th day of January.

2. The Constitution (Article II, Section 1, Clause 8) outlined the exact wording for the oath the president must take during the inauguration: 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. No one knows for sure who began the tradition of adding on the end, So help me God (some claim it was George Washington, though there is no compelling evidence to support that position). Since the Constitution doesnt specify the wording of the oath for the Vice President, who is also the president of the U.S. Senate, he or she takes the same oath as senators.

3. George Washington started the practice of swearing-in with the incoming presidents left hand on a Bible (which he borrowed from a Masons lodge). Washington also started the tradition of kissing the Bible after the oath. That tradition was followed by most every president until Dwight Eisenhower, who said a prayer instead of kissing the Bible. Theodore Roosevelt did not use a Bible and both John Quincy Adams and Franklin Pierce swore on a book of law. Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on a Catholic missal found on Air Force One even though he was a Protestant. Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Barack Obama each swore the oath on two Bibles, as will Donald Trump.

4. Since 1937, every inauguration has included at least two prayers given by members of the clergy (Baptists have given a prayer 14 times; Catholics 12 times). The last official inaugural event also includes prayer: the National Prayer Service (January 21) at the Washington National Cathedral.

5. Following the inaugural ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, the outgoing President and First Lady leave to begin their post-presidential lives. As the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies notes:
St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman has pledged that he fully supports the St. Pete Pride parade but as far as the money the city normally donates, thats now conditional.

Pride Parade in St. Petersburg wants to relocate downtown

Mayor says that if they do, funding will be cut

RELATED: 2016 Pride Parade

The mayor released this statement on his Facebook page Wednesday afternoon in response to the decision to move the St. Pete Pride parade.

As a signature annual event, St. Pete Pride receives $45,000 from the City of St. Petersburg to assist with its parade and festival. Today, Mayor Rick Kriseman has informed St. Pete Pride that he is unwilling to provide this contribution in 2017 if the organization proceeds with relocating the parade from the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association and Grand Central District Association to downtown. St. Pete Pride may continue with its plan to relocate the parade, but will not be eligible for city funding.

Regardless of its location, the mayor and the City will continue to embrace this event and help to ensure its growth and success. Pride will always be one of the main reasons we say the 'Sun Shines Here.'

Event organizer, Eric Skains wasnt too happy to hear the mayors response to their plan.

"The mayor kind of pulled a Donald Trump move and announced on Facebook that he is rescinding funding of St. Pete Pride," said Skains, "and it was very disconcerting, because that city funding goes towards barricades and additional police offers and fire and EMS."

Skains said the board for the event voted to move because of security concerns and production costs.

Its essentially a stronghold attempt to prevent a private non-profit from deciding whats best for its event, whats best for its attendees from a security standpoint, from a production standpoint by leveraging this, he said.

A spokesman for the mayor said theyre just listening to the concerns from the Kenwood Community about how moving the parade will impact them negatively.

Brian Longstreth is the co-owner of Punkys in the Kenwood Community. He said if the parade moves it would definitely be a blow to the community.

There will definitely be a business impact if it moves downtown. There will still be a lot of people in town. Im sure well be busier but it wont be quite as dramatic if everything is moved downtown on the waterfront, Lonstreth said.

Even though parade organizers argue the event has gotten so big over the years and should be in the citys Grand Central District, there are some who attend who say the Kentwood community is still the right fit.

In my personal opinion," started St. Petersburg resident Bill Kody, "bigger is not better. Bigger comes with a lot of problems. But I think the feeling of St. Pete Pride has changed."

So whats next? St. Pete Pride officials said they will have to go back and review to see if moving the parade is still an option without that $45,000. For now, the plan is up in the air.
Walmart announced on Tuesday that it plans to close its Neighborhood Market store in St. Petersburg based on a number of factors, including financial performance. Residents who live nearby that Midtown location said theres a number of reasons they avoid the only grocery store in their area.

RELATED: St. Pete 'Neighborhood Market' closing

Shoppers say they prefer other locations

Aggressive panhandlers and limited selection sites as the reasons



I feel unsafe, said Saudia Cason. Its not good customer service.

Many residents said theres not enough security to deal with aggressive panhandlers and transients that harass customers at the store located at 1794 22nd Street South.

They just hang out here and want money and stuff, said Nita Gray. They go inside, put stuff in their bag and go.

Theres a guy thats been out there all morning with his shirt off, walking around, said Donald Scott.



Another reason residents said theyll drive to the Walmart at 34th Street S. to do their big shopping is because it has more products to offer.

This one, it doesnt have everything and I only come to this one, like today, I need to pick up one item, said Barbara Smith. Other than that, I would go to the big Walmart because its a super center and I can get everything at one time.

City Council member Karl Nurse said the low traffic flow on 22nd Street S. also likely contributes to the lack of customers. Walmart is scheduled to close the store in early March. A spokesman for Mayor Rick Kriseman said the city feels the frustration of residents and is working to lure another supermarket.
Thousands of people are descending on Washington D.C. for the inauguration of Donald Trump.

Thousands more will show up to protest, including many from the Bay area going to be a part of the Women's March on Washington.

A group from Lakeland is leaving on Thursday as part of a convoy of 50 buses from Florida heading north for the march.

But not everyone is heading north to make their statement.

A women's march being held Saturday in St. Petersburg is one of more than 600 planned worldwide.

Women participating in the St. Pete march have spent the past week making signs and preparing for the demonstration.

"Half of us (the general public) didn't even turn out to vote, and I think that most people were really, really surprised by the results," said women's march organizer Amy Weintraub. "And people are waking up."

Saturday's march in St. Pete kicks off at noon at Demens Landing. It will end at the same location at 3 p.m.
Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday.

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

Trump's path to the White House was long and winding, and it began long before his packed-out stadium rallies during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump, a real estate developer, was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York. He will be 70 years old when he takes the oath of office, making him the oldest person to take the presidential oath.



&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

He's the fourth of five children of Frederick C. and Mary MacLeod Trump. Trump's father was a builder and real estate developer who specialized in construction and operating middle-income apartments in Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn.

At age 13, Trump attended the New York Military Academy. His parents hoped the discipline of the school would channel Trump's energy in a positive manner.

Trump eventually graduated from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 with a degree in economics.

Trump eventually followed his father into a career in real estate development. In 1971, he was given control of the family company, which he later named the Trump Organization.

Growing the family business wasn't all Trump was focused on, either. As early as 1999, he entertained the idea of getting into politics when he announced the formation of an exploratory committee to decide whether to seek the Reform Party's nomination in the 2000 presidential race.

A poor showing in the California primary caused Trump to withdraw his candidacy.

Trump considered running for president again in 2012, but his association with the "birther" movement likely caused his political reputation to take another hit.

Everything changed on June 16, 2015, when Trump made his White House ambitions official when he announced he was running for president.

"So, ladies and gentleman, I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again," Trump said at his announcement event. At the time, he was the 12th high-profile republican to enter the 2016 race.

What followed was months of sellout rallies across the country under the campaign slogan "Make America Great Again," and a record-setting showing in the Republican primaries.

Trump eventually was named the presumptive Republican nominee and officially accepted the nomination July 21, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio.

"I'm with you, I will fight for you, and I will win for you," he said at his acceptance speech.
Dateline: Germany

Police in Dusseldorf say a man was removed from a high-speed ICE train after he was spotted in the bathroom using a kitchen knife to perform an intimate shave. Spiegel Online reported that a female train conductor found the man naked as God had created him. Police intervened at Dusseldorfs main train station where they entered the bathroom and found the man stark naked shaving his pubic hair with the knife. A police spokesperson told German reporters that the man was quite indignant, felt disturbed and reluctantly got dressed. Although shaving in train restrooms isnt technically illegal, the man did not have a ticket and was removed from the train. The man reportedly told officers he elected to groom himself on the moving train because he wasnt welcome at home.

Dateline: England

A man wanted by police allegedly taunted local law enforcement by posting a series of Facebook posts depicting himself dressed as the elusive main character from Wheres Waldo? According to BBC News, officers in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, went looking for 30-year-old JJ McMenamin after he failed to appear in Northallerton Magistrates Court on Dec. 19 on charges of driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. Officers said they engaged in extensive police searches over the weekend and even resorted to a helicopter and sniffer dogs trying to find him. McMenamin responded by posting a series of pictures and videos online of the childrens book character Waldoknown in England as Wally. McMenamin eventually posted a Facebook Live video of himself, dressed in Waldos famous red-and-white striped shirt and cap, getting a ride to the Harrogate police station. Another video showed McMenamin waiting outside the station for police to come find him. A police spokesperson responded to the comic chain of events, saying simply, A 30-year-old man from Middleham has been arrested after he handed himself in to officers at Harrogate police station.

Dateline: Switzerland

The residents of a small Swiss village have rejected the passport application of a Dutch vegan because they feel she is too annoying. Nancy Holten, 42, moved to Switzerland from the Netherlands when she was 8 years old and now has children who are Swiss nationals. Recently, Holten applied for a Swiss passport. Unfortunately for her, residents of Gipf-Oberfrick in the canton of Aargau rejected her application. Ms. Holten, a vegan and outspoken animal rights activist, has campaigned against the use of cowbells in the village. The bells, which the cows have to wear when they walk to and from the pasture, are especially heavy, Holten told The Local news network. Tanja Suter, the president of the local Swiss Peoples Party, called Ms. Holten a big mouth and said residents dont want to grant her citizenship if she annoys us and doesnt respect our traditions. Holten, who describes herself as a freelance journalist, model and drama student, has campaigned against a number of other local traditions including hunting, pig races and noisy church bells. I think I spoke my mind too often, and I say it out too loud, she told the media. Holten was previously rejected for citizenship in 2015 when locals voted to block her application. Local residents in Switzerland often have a say in citizenship applications, which are decided by the cantons and towns where the applicants live rather than the federal government. The case has now been transferred to the cantonal government in Aargau, which could overrule the decision and grant Holten a passport.

Dateline: Maryland

Police in the unincorporated Baltimore suburb of Dundalk arrested a man after he opened fire on his wife for taking a bite out of his grilled cheese sandwich. Daniel Brian Blackwell, 55, has been charged with first- and second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and various firearms violations. According to the Baltimore County Police and Fire Department website, the incident began around 4:30pm on Jan. 8, when the suspects wife says she was in the kitchen cooking dinner and her husband shot at her through the basement floor. The bullet was allegedly in response to a bite the wife took out of her husbands grilled cheese sandwich. The wife told officers she went into the basement to check on her husband and found him surrounded by guns and ammunition. She went back upstairs. Soon after, three more bullets came up through the kitchen floor where Mrs. Blackwell was standing. She and three teenagers fled the house and met waiting police officers outside. Tactical, K-9 and Hostage Negotiation teams responded and engaged in a three-hour standoff with Blackwell. He was eventually subdued using non-lethal force and taken into custody. Inside the home, police confiscated three handguns, four shotguns and eight rifles. Blackwell is not legally allowed to own guns because of prior assault convictions.
N. Oregon Coast Shipwrecks and Rivers Subjects of Nature Events

Published 01/18/2017 at 7:23 PM PDT - Updated 01/18/2017 at 7:33 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Seaside, Oregon)  The history of shipwrecks on the north Oregon coast, a look at Clatsop forestland and how salmon are doing comprise three fascinating events coming up in the Seaside-Cannon Beach area. They happen in late January and February.

The next History & Hops free local history lecture talks about the Graveyard of the Pacific, taking place at 6 p.m. Thursday, January 26 at Seaside Brewing Co., located at 851 Broadway.

Graveyard of the Pacific is a nickname for the stretch of Pacific Northwest coastal ocean ranging from Tillamook Bay northward to Cape Scott Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. It is estimated that more than 2000 vessels and 700 lives have been lost near the Columbia River bar alone.

Maritime Archaeologist Chris Dewey will discuss some of the greater and lesser-known shipwrecks located in the north Oregon coast area and recount efforts to locate and document the wreck sites. He will cover the tools, techniques, and strategies archaeologists use to discover and investigate shipwrecks and their histories.

A retired Naval Officer, Dewey is currently the anthropology and archaeology adjunct instructor at Clatsop Community College. He holds masters degrees in maritime archaeology and in business management. He is also the President of the Maritime Archaeological Society (MAS) which is dedicated to historical shipwreck documentation and public education in maritime heritage.

History & Hops is a series of local history discussions hosted by the Seaside Museum on the last Thursday of each month at Seaside Brewing Co. More information can be found at www.seasidemuseum.org.

On February 8, Cannon Beach's the World of Haystack Rock Lecture series continues, this time with Bob Van Dyk, Policy Director for Oregon & California Wild Salmon Center in Portland. The program is titled How to Help Protect Over 50,000 Acres of Forest in Clatsop County." It happens at 7 p.m. and is free. Cannon Beach Library. Cannon Beach, Oregon.

On February 15, the Listening to the Land program features Derek Wiley, assistant project leader of the Salmonid Life Cycle Monitoring Project. It happens at the Seaside Library at 8 p.m. and it is free.

Derek has spent the past decade researching salmon and steelhead and making estimates about their abundance and survival rates on the northern Oregon coast. He will also provide a special screening of his films documenting the freshwater life of native salmon in our region.

Listening to the Land is a monthly winter speaker series offered January  May and presented by North Coast Land Conservancy and the Necanicum Watershed Council in partnership with the Seaside Public Library. 1131 Broadway. Seaside, Oregon. (503) 738-6742. seasidelibrary.org. Seaside Hotels for these events - Where to eat - Map and Virtual Tour

Below: more shipwrecks of the Oregon coast and sights around Cannon Beach, Seaside













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Beaumont police arrested a suspect Thursday in the murder of a Port Arthur man found dead in Beaumont earlier this week.

Damarcus Deshun McGee, 20, of Port Arthur, was named a suspect in the murder of 26-year-old James Jones, who found on Tuesday, Beaumont Police Department said in a release.

A Beaumont resident of 6030 Alpine Circle, found Jones slumped over in a vehicle, according to the release. The discovery happened shortly after authorities responded to a shooting at Anchor church, 6655 Texas 105, where a man had been shot in the face.

Officers determined that the two incidents were related, BPD said.

RELATED: Port Arthur man dead, another shot in the face in the face during Beaumont shooting
More than 359,000 clinicians will participate in four of CMS' alternative payment models in 2017, the agency said Wednesday.

CMS said the numbers demonstrate providers' commitment to a healthcare system that pays for the quality of care delivered to patients. Under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, APMs that require providers to bear more than nominal risk will qualify as "advanced." Clinicians participating in advanced APMs can earn a lump sum bonus of up to 5 percent on Medicare payments.

Here are five things to know about CMS' APM participants.

1. CMS' APMs include three types of ACOs  the Medicare Shared Savings Program, the Next Generation ACO Model and the Comprehensive End-Stage Renal Disease Care Model  as well as the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus Model. More than 12.3 million Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries will be served by clinicians participating in APMs this year.

2. There are 572 ACOs participating in the MSSP, Next Generation ACO Model and CEC Model payment initiatives combined. Under those alternative payment models, 131 ACOs are in a risk-bearing track. Large dialysis organizations and non-LDO two-sided risk arrangements under the CEC Model, all Next Generation ACOs, risk-bearing tracks of the MSSP and the CPC+ Model will qualify as advanced APMs for the 2017 performance year of MACRA. The two-sided risk arrangement under the Oncology Care Model will also qualify as an advanced APM in 2017.



3. Ninety-nine participants joined the MSSP for 2017 and 79 returned to the program, bringing the total number of participants to 480 in all U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Twenty-eight participants joined the Next Generation ACO Model for 2017, bringing the total number of participants to 45. And under the CEC Model, 24 participants joined this year, making the total number of participants 47.

4. For CPC+, 2,893 primary care practices will participate in the model.

5. Joe Damore, vice president of population health management at Charlotte, N.C.-based Premier  a healthcare group purchasing and solutions organization that assisted more than 80 eligible MSSP and Next Generation ACO participants in joining the AMPs issued a response to the announcement: "The vast participation in Medicare APMs is a clear signal that the shift to value-based payment and care delivery will continue to grow and likely accelerate as providers evaluate APMs under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act."
HHS' Office of Inspector General found Northside Medical Center in Youngstown, Ohio, submitted erroneous bills to Medicare for treatment of severe malnutrition.

For the audit period of Jan. 1, 2013, through June 30, 2015, the OIG said Northside Medical Center submitted 98 claims to Medicare that used the codes for nutritional marasmus or other severe protein-calorie malnutrition when a different malnutrition code or no malnutrition code should have been used. This resulted in overpayments of $463,619. Extrapolating from the sample results, the OIG estimated Northside Medical Center received at least $1.28 million in overpayments from Medicare during the audit period.

Based on its findings, the OIG recommended Northside Medical Center refund the Medicare contractor $1.28 million, exercise reasonable diligence to identify and return any additional overpayments outside of the audit period and strengthen controls to ensure full compliance with Medicare requirements.

In written comments, the hospital agreed that 26 of the 98 claims identified by the OIG contained billing errors. However, the hospital did not agree with the OIG's determination regarding the reaming 72 claims.

After reviewing the system's comments, the OIG maintained its findings and recommendations.

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The top three vendors hospitals use to attest to the meaningful use program are Cerner, Meditech and Epic, according to June 2016 ONC data.

Here are 19 hospitals and health systems that posted job listings seeking EHR and IT expertise in the past two weeks.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Job listings were compiled from job seeker websites.

Cerner

1. Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital (St. Petersburg, Fla.): Seeks a systems analyst

2. Lakeland Regional Health (Florida): Seeks a systems analyst

3. LifeBridge Health (Baltimore): Seeks a support specialist

4. Trinity Health (Pontiac, Mich.): Seeks a contingent clinical informatics specialist

5. Sharp HealthCare (San Diego): Seeks a cardiovascular clinical systems analyst

6. UC Irvine Health (Orange, Calif.): Seeks a clinical informaticist

7. University of Washington Medical Center (Seattle): Seeks a clinical informatics analyst

Meditech

1. Kalispell Regional Healthcare (Montana): Seeks a release of information specialist

2. Methodist Southlake Hospital (Southlake, Texas): Seeks a health information management tech

3. MetroWest Leonard Morse Hospital (Natick, Mass.): Seeks a records analyst

4. Montefiore Medical Center (Carmel, N.Y.): Seeks an intake coordinator

5. Montrose Memorial Hospital (Colorado): Seeks a director of compliance and privacy

Epic

1. Baylor Scott & White Health (Dallas): Seeks an information services manager

2. Driscoll Children's Hospital (Corpus Christi, Texas): Seeks an Epic training analyst

3. Northwest Community Healthcare (Arlington Heights, Ill.): Seeks an Epic application support analyst

4. Northwest Community Hospital (Arlington Heights, Ill.): Seeks an Epic IT applications manager

5. Spartanburg Regional Medical Center (South Carolina): Seeks an IT manager for ancillary systems

6. UNC Health Care (Chapel Hill, N.C.): Seeks a clinical support technician

7. University of Chicago Medicine (Chicago): Seeks a business systems analyst
From digitizing patient records to making telehealth possible, the development of exciting new technology continues to transform the healthcare industry. Yet an uptick in the number of data breaches illustrates greater risk associated with the progress made. Dubbed as the "Facebook for healthcare," Atlanta-based Patientory is enhancing cybersecurity by changing the way patients securely manage their health history and interact with their care team.

This content is sponsored by Patientory.

The company was founded as part of the inaugural class of the Boomtown Health-Tech Accelerator in Boulder, Colo., in spring 2016. Through its connection with the accelerator, Patientory collaborates with Denver-based Colorado Permanente Medical Group, which is part of the Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente system.

Despite its recent beginnings, the company's roots run deep. Patientory Founder and CEO Chrissa McFarlane has 10 years of experience in healthcare. "Being part of the [healthcare] system, we were frustrated with the hassle of not having the right people to communicate with," she says. "We came up with Patientory using aspects of the industry that we knew would make the patient experience more positive and help physicians make their population more manageable."

Patientory users create an individual profile on the company's mobile app. Users' medical information is stored in the secure, HIPAA-compliant blockchain platform, which then allows them to connect with other patients who have similar health issues or concerns, their physicians and their care team. Patients can then actively learn more about their overall health and wellbeing. In addition, patient and clinician users can engage Patientory's platform to better manage the patient's care across multiple teams, both inside and outside of the hospital. Patientory's technology is compatible with a number of EHR systems, including Epic, Cerner, Allscripts and Meditech.

The tool's capabilities yield numerous positive benefits to both patients and their providers. "We're really a service for hospitals," Ms. McFarlane says.

1. Patientory helps strengthen cybersecurity

The need to protect patients' medical and personal information is clear. On average, one health data breach occurred per day in 2016, according to analysis from the Protenus Breach Barometer.

Unlike EHRs, which are vulnerable to hacks, Patientory utilizes blockchain technology  a permanent record of online exchanges. Blockchain is managed by distributing nodes, each of which contains a copy of the file and requires users to agree to changes. The more nodes there are in the chain, the stronger the base is. This setup makes blockchain less susceptible to hacking.



Blockchain's primary strengths, particularly in the healthcare sector, are grounded in its security and how it makes HIPAA compliance feasible for patients and providers. From ensuring the confidentiality of patients' electronic health information to identifying security threats and protecting against disclosures, Patientory's use of blockchain technology helps affiliated healthcare organizations achieve zero data breaches. It achieves HIPAA Security Rules by maintaining a security compliance team, protecting relevant electronic systems and using encryption to control data access.



"One of our main initiatives is zero breaches," says Ms. McFarlane. "From the hospital side, Patientory easily gives providers access to patient information and the ability to transfer it to other care providers."



Although blockchain originated in the finance industry, it's now assisting the healthcare sector with building on cybersecurity and moving forward with organizational goals under value-based reimbursement. "Even with HIPAA, we're still lagging behind [in terms of cybersecurity]," Ms. McFarlane says. "In order to achieve those goals, we're moving in on the value-based initiatives that CMS and the government are pushing, which are about technology and innovation."



2. Connecting the entire care team

Instead of struggling to coordinate care between numerous physicians, the Patientory app makes it easy for a patient's care team to connect and share data. Physicians and specialists treating the same patient can log in to Patientory and view the patient's entire care journey, including medications and health history. Additionally, an individual patient can log in to Patientory and communicate with all of his or her physicians at once.



"When you have a system where the hospital and all the practitioners caring for that individual are linked together, everybody gets [data] in real time," says Frenesa Hall, MD, medical director for Principal Financial Group and Patientory investor.



Coordination of care is particularly important among patients with chronic conditions who have dozens of physicians, specialists and subspecialists. Unsurprisingly, care coordination between this diverse team grows complicated, and patients are often left carrying their information from physician to physician by hand. "Patientory keeps a repository of [the patient's information]," says Richard DiMonda, an advisor to Patientory and lead advisor for the Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results (TI:GER) program, a collaboration of Georgia's leading research universities: Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, both in Atlanta. "You go to a new physician and they can dive into your history. It greatly reduces the time it takes for patients to move."



In addition, because patients with chronic conditions frequently require numerous tests, duplicative tests, screenings or blood work are common and costly. Patientory's ability to coordinate care greatly reduces the likelihood of unnecessary and wasteful services. Since the whole care team can view a patient's health history, providers are much less likely to rerun tests. "I see millions of dollars in savings by reducing duplication, along with improving patient compliance with medication regimens and reducing risk of medication issues," says Dr. Hall.



3. Value-based care initiatives and patient engagement

As the healthcare industry introduces more value- and outcomes-based reimbursement models, Patientory can help hospitals achieve the performance required under value-based payment contracts by working toward interoperability and keeping protected health information safe. "[Patientory is] a driver for value-based care," says Ms. McFarlane. "It's taking value-based initiatives and transforming them into a holistic patient experience."



Patientory puts a different spin on the traditional healthcare model by giving patients more power in their care journey. They can use Patientory to better manage their health maintenance, appointments and care plan after they leave the hospital. This form of patient engagement is not yet widely enacted by hospitals and health systems. "If the patient is managing what's going on with their care and it results in better outcomes, the hospital will benefit from that as well," says Mr. DiMonda.



Under value-based reimbursement, providers whose care yields positive patient outcomes gain maximum reimbursement. By utilizing Patientory's app, physicians can better communicate with patients, thereby positioning themselves to provide high-quality care, address disruptions to the care plan before they turn costly and ultimately produce the best possible outcomes.



4. Reducing readmission rates and penalties

As part of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, CMS withholds up to 3 percent of Medicare reimbursement to hospitals that record higher-than-expected 30-day readmission rates. In fiscal year 2017, Medicare will reduce reimbursements for 2,597 hospitals due to readmissions penalties.



To help hospitals reduce readmission rates, Patientory better manages the post-discharge care of patients. "Patientory gives the patient and caregiver an application on their phone that will help them better implement the post-operative procedure guidelines that the hospital is going to be creating," says Mr. DiMonda.



For example, it's imperative that patients with congestive heart failure closely monitor their weight. Using Patientory, providers can check in on heart failure patients and keep an eye on their weight even after they leave the hospital. Non-chronically ill patients can also benefit by receiving reminders to check in with their physician via Patientory.



Looking ahead

The time is ripe for a change in healthcare technology. Patients and providers alike need a safe way to track medical history and coordinate care without fear of data breaches. Patientory's platform and its use of blockchain, specifically, give it an edge. "It'll take much longer to see outcomes for some of the other products on the market, not only for the hospital but also for the actual patients," says Ms. McFarlane. "You need the technology and responsibility to realize the outcomes." As the industry moves forward, Patientory is keeping the focus on the patient by increasing security measures and working to connect all the players of the healthcare team  including the patient.
Here are seven recent news updates on health IT companies.

The Ka'u Rural Health Community Association's Resource and Distance Learning Center in Pahala, Hawaii, now hosts a telehealth kiosk, thanks to a donation from American Well and the Hawaii Medical Service Association.

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether companies can require employees to sign arbitration agreements preventing workers from pursuing group claims in court, as it recently took three cases on the issue, one of which involves Verona, Wis.-based Epic Systems.

Burlington-based University of Vermont Health Network is hoping for state regulatory permission to implement a $112.4 million Epic EHR system.

Allscripts and ePatientFinder, a clinical trial site optimization company, released a new patient identification and analytics tool: GeoPrecise.

In a STAT op-ed, Jonathan Bush, CEO and president of athenahealth, argued that the healthcare industry should move away from "outdated software" and toward a system of health IT networks.

McKesson Health Solutions' InterQual Criteria is accessible through the cloud-based implementations of InterQual Online, InterQual Anonymous Review and InterQual Transparency.

Auxilio, a Mission Viejo, Calif.-based health IT company, has acquired Austin-based CynergisTek in an initial consideration of approximately $26.8 million in combined cash, stock and seller debt.
Beatrice Community Hospital & Health Center CEO Thomas Sommers resigned, according to the Beatrice Daily Sun.

Here are five takeaways:

1. Mr. Sommers resigned after 12 years at the helm of the hospital.

2. He has "decided it is time for him to move on, and has submitted his resignation," the hospital's Board of Directors Chairman Mitch Deines said in a statement, according to the report.

3. During Mr. Sommers' tenure, the hospital completed a $7.2 million expansion.

4. He was also at the forefront of developing the $45 million, 144,000-square-foot facility that currently houses the hospital.

5. John Findley, MD, the hospital's CMO, will serve as interim CEO until Mr. Sommers' replacement has been named.
Rep. Tom Price, MD, R-Ga., faced nearly four hours of questioning Wednesday during a hearing in the Senate health committee on his nomination for secretary of HHS.

Rep. Price, an orthopedic surgeon and six-term Congressman, remained cool throughout the heated question and answer session. He will face a second hearing next Tuesday in the Senate finance committee, in which his nomination will be voted on.

Here are five of the most memorable exchanges between Rep. Price and senators during the health committee hearing.

1. On potential conflicts of interest in the stock market

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., raised the issue of Rep. Price's investment in Zimmer Biomet, which produces hip and knee implants. According to Sen. Warren, Rep. Price bought stock in Zimmer Biomet six days before introducing a bill that would benefit the company. Rep. Price confirmed that the stocks were bought at that time, but said he was not aware of it because his broker handles those decisions. Later in the hearing he stated that he does not discuss legislative activities with his broker.

"The fact of the matter is that I have had no conversations with my broker about any political activity at all other than her congratulating me on my election," Rep. Price said in response to a question from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, backed Rep. Price's stock holdings, calling the questions "a hypocritical attack." House rules do not prohibit trading stocks and members of the Senate health committee have also traded health stocks while serving on the committee, he said.

2. On measuring the success of an ACA replacement

Republicans have put forth a number of different ACA replacement plans, but President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview with The Washington Post Saturday that a final plan is nearly finished and will be revealed as soon as Rep. Price's nomination is confirmed.

During the hearing, rather than "get the specifics of this secret replacement plan," Sen. Murphy instead asked Rep. Price how he plans to measure the success of this plan. Rep. Price said cost will not be the No. 1 metric. "If you look at the things that many of us believe have been harmed by the ACA, I hope we are able to decrease the out-of-pocket cost for individuals, increase choices, increase access to the doctors and providers they want," Rep. Price told Sen. Murphy.

3. On the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation

When asked by Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., about provisions of the ACA that impede the physician-patient relationship, Rep. Price discussed his opposition to CMMI, the division of CMS created under the ACA to test value-based care reform through demonstrations like ACOs.

"I am a strong proponent and advocate for innovation, but I have seen in certain instances what is coming out of CMMI is a desire to require certain kind of treatment for certain diseases that may or may not be in the best interest of the patient," Rep. Price said. "Because it carries the full force of the federal government and the payment for those services, it means we are answering the question of who decides about what kind of care patients receive, by saying the answer on that ought to be Washington, D.C. I simply reject that that is where those decisions ought to be made."

Rep. Price also voiced opposition to the mandatory nature of some CMMI demonstrations, such as the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Program.

4. On drug prices

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., asked Rep. Price about his take on allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies, a policy for which Mr. Trump has voiced support.

"The issue of drug pricing and drug cost is one of great concern to all Americans. I think it is important to appreciate the areas where we have had significant success," Rep. Price said, naming generics as an area of success.

When asked to clarify if he will work with Congress to allow Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies, he said: "You have my commitment to work with you and others to make certain that the drug pricing is reasonable and that individuals across this land have access to the medications that they need."

5. On the federal debt

Sen. Michael Bennett, D-Colo., grilled Rep. Price on his support for the current budget resolution approved by Republicans in the House and the Senate that, alongside an ACA repeal, would add $9.7 trillion more to the debt over the next decade.

"There are a lot of contributions to the debt," Rep. Price said. He underscored the budget resolution is not final since it still must go through the reconciliation process.

"What I support is an opportunity to use reconciliation to address the real challenges in the ACA and to make certain we put in place at the same time a provision that allows us to move the healthcare system in a much better direction," Rep. Price replied when asked if he supported the budget.

Watch the full hearing on C-SPAN here.

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Palo Alto, Calif.-based blood testing startup Theranos faces another potentially damning report from The Wall Street Journal alleging the company did not disclose a failed CMS inspection last September.

"People familiar with the situation" told The Wall Street Journal the company's Scottsdale, Ariz., lab failed an inspection last September, which could result in additional sanctions. After a November 2015 inspection, CMS revoked the certification of Theranos' Newark, Calif.-based lab, barred it from receiving Medicare and Medicaid payments and banned Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes from owning or operating a medical laboratory for two years.

CMS found deficiencies in the Scottsdale lab on Sept. 29, 2016, but investors and patients were not informed of the situation, according to The Wall Street Journal. Less than a week later, Theranos announced plans to shutter blood-testing sites and layoff more than 40 percent of its workforce to put increased focus on a device called the miniLab.

Becker's reached out to Theranos regarding the situation and is awaiting comment.

Despite regulatory setbacks, the company has still been able to continue to attract leaders in the scientific community. On Tuesday, Theranos announced eight engineers and biomedical device designers will join its newest board, the Technology Advisory Board.

Read more on the new advisory board here. Read the full WSJ report here.

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Akron, Ohio-base Summa Health System decided earlier this month not to renew a three-year contract with a critical care specialist group, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

The group  Respiratory, Critical Care, Sleep Associates  is part of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio-based Unity Health Network.

Summa Health spokesman Mike Bernstein told the Akron Beacon Journal the physician group was told last June its contract would not be renewed. He did not specify why the contract was not renewed.

Charles Fuenning, MD, the managing physician director of Respiratory, Critical Care, Sleep Associates, confirmed with the Akron Beacon Journal that the contract was terminated. He said Summa's employed physicians and nurse practitioners will take over for 11 of the group's physicians on the critical-care floors. Physicians of Respiratory, Critical Care, Sleep Associates will continue to have privileges outside of the critical care units, according to the report.

Summa Health also recently terminated a contract with its emergency physician group, Summa Emergency Associates. This termination was seen as controversial because of the group's long-standing partnership with the health system and the short notice given before the decision.

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A California federal court has denied three motions brought by Prime Healthcare Services in a lawsuit alleging the Ontario, Calif.-based hospital chain violated the False Claims Act.

Karin Bernsten, RN, filed the whistle-blower suit against Prime in 2011. She serves as director of performance improvement at Prime's Alvarado Hospital in San Diego. A judge ordered the lawsuit unsealed in December 2013, and the Department of Justice intervened in the case in May 2016.

The lawsuit alleges Prime defrauded the federal government of millions of dollars by billing Medicare for medically unnecessary inpatient short-stay admissions, which should have been classified as outpatient or observation cases.

Prime asked the court to dismiss the government's complaint last year, arguing that even if the government proved a physician mistakenly admitted a patient who should have only been observed, that still would not rise to the level of a false claim. On Jan. 13, the court denied Prime's motion to dismiss, holding that the government had alleged sufficient facts to support its false claims case against Prime.

The court also denied a motion filed by Prime last September to exclude statistical sampling evidence. In addition, the court denied a request by the American Hospital Association and the California Hospital Association to file friend-of-the-court briefs in the case. The court said the briefs were "untimely and unhelpful."

Regarding the court's denial of the motion to dismiss, Prime issued the following statement to Becker's:

"Together with the American Hospital Association and the California Hospital Association, Prime Healthcare believes that this case represents the need to protect patients' access to the medical care they deserve and reform the process of governmental regulation of Medicare hospital admissions, which inappropriately challenges the clinical decisions of physicians and is unjust to patients, hospitals and doctors.

As in cases across the country, the government retrospectively determined that patients should have been provided a lower level of care, rather than the care determined necessary by their physician  a position that places patients at medical and financial risk. The court's ruling on the motion to dismiss is not unexpected as dismissals are rare at the pleading stage, however the court noted that the Government's case and burden appeared difficult to prove. Prime Healthcare will continue this case to defend the right of patients to receive the quality care they deserve and is confident that the evidence will show that thousands of independent physicians provided the care they deemed necessary for their patients."

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Editor's Note: This story was updated Jan. 19 to include Prime Healthcare's statement.
A Superior Court judge directed former Democratic New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan's administration to divulge more specific reasons for withholding documents pertaining to a $36.5 million contract awarded to Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth-Hitchcock to staff the state psychiatric hospital, according to a New Hampshire Union Leader report.

Here are five things to know.

1. The ruling came from Judge Richard McNamara.

2. The ruling follows a previous court order that forced state prosecutors to list the documents pertaining to the contract that could remain private due to the lawyer/client relationship, according to the article.

3. In his new ruling, Judge McNamara ultimately decided the state's listing was not specific enough to justify the withholding of the documents and ordered the state to update the listing "in accordance with the terms of this order which will allow the court and the parties to determine whether the claims of attorney-client and/or executive privilege are well taken," according to the report.

4. In October, Republican lawmakers urged the state to re-bid the Dartmouth-Hitchcock contract with Concord-based New Hampshire Hospital after media reports of email exchanges between New Hanover, N.H.-based Dartmouth College  whose contract expired with the psychiatric hospital  and state officials surfaced. Chuck Douglas, legal counsel for the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, told the New Hampshire Union Leader the committee seeks more information on what was going on regarding the bidding of that contract. "We haven't seen all the documents and see no reason to be leaving the scene of battle at this point," Mr. Douglas said.

5. New Hampshire Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards, who is defending the state's case, has argued it's a governor's right to privately seek advice over state business prior to any formal proposals come to the governor and Executive Council for public action, according to the report.

Read the full story here.
Hospitals are seeing a sharp increase in opioid-related inpatient stays and emergency department visits, according to a recent report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The increase in opioid-related hospital stays are likely linked to surging rates of overdoses related to heroin and synthetic opioids, which continue to hit record highs in regions throughout the United States.

Here are seven statistics on the rising rates of opioid hospitalizations.

1. From 2005 to 2014, opioid-relate inpatient stays increased by 64.1 percent.

2. For the same time period, opioid-related ED visits increased by 99.4 percent.

3. Rates of inpatient stays and ED visits varied from state to state.

4. Massachusetts had the highest rate of opioid-related ED visits in 2014 with an average of 441.6 visits per 100,000 people, followed by Rhode Island with 288.6 visits per 100,000 and Maryland with 288.4 visits per 100,000.

5. For 2014, the lowest rates for ED visits per 100,000 people occurred in Iowa (31.1), Nebraska (39.9) and South Dakota (47.1).

6. From 2009 to 2014, the largest percent increase of opioid-related inpatient stays occurred in Oregon (88.9 percent), followed by North Carolina (81.8 percent) and South Dakota (74.1 percent).

7. From 2009 to 2014, opioid in patient stays increased in 42 states, with 37 recording increases of at least 10 percent.

"These new data provide vital insights into the trends that are shaping one of the nation's most pressing health challenges," said AHRQ Director Andy Bindman, MD. "With updated information about state and regional variations in opioid-related hospital care, we're increasing our potential to develop effective strategies to tackle the crisis."

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54 patients taken to Broward Health Medical Center after airport shooting
Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, R-La., plans to introduce an updated version of his healthcare plan in a bid to win over Democrats who opposed broader efforts by their Republican congressional peers to repeal and replace the ACA, Bloomberg reports.

Dr. Cassidy, who spent decades working in charity hospitals and clinics before joining Congress, is developing a plan that would give states the option of retaining the ACA, scrapping it entirely or transitioning to a new system of health savings accounts and automatic health plan enrollment, according to the report.

"You can go to the reddest state and say we have the option to root and branch it, and you can go to the bluest state and say we have the option to keep what we like," said Sen. Cassidy, according to Bloomberg. Under the proposed plan, "Republicans say, 'You have the option to keep your plan,' and we mean it."

Republican lawmakers will need Democratic support to fully repeal President Barack Obama's signature health reform law. Sen. Cassidy is hoping his approach will appeal to Democrats who seek to preserve the law.

"We should have a plan that isn't Republican, that isn't Democrat," said Sen. Cassidy, according to the report. "Our plan gives each state the authority to run the health plan in their state as is suitable to their peculiar situation, and that's hard to argue with unless you want more power in Washington, D.C."

Read the full report here.
Are oncologists' Twitter accounts driven by drug companies? TIME reports on a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, which tackles the question.

The study involved 634 hematologist-oncologists with active Twitter accounts in 2014. Portland-based Oregon Health & Science University researchers investigated whether drug companies paid these physicians, for reasons other than research or grants.

Here are five key notes:

1. Researchers found 72 percent of the oncologists received payments from drug companies.

2. Further, 44 percent of oncologists received payments of more than $1,000.

3. In one year, oncologist payments ranged from $100 to $50,000.

4. The study authors note they did not investigate the actual tweets, so they can not say whether or not the content related to specific drugs.

5. To dig deeper into the research, the study authors are currently conducting a second study tackling the question of whether conflict of interest impacts physicians' social media presence.
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Vegemite, the salty spread beloved in Australia, is being sold by the maker of Oreo cookies to an Australian dairy company (AP Photo/Hiroshi Otabe)

Vegemite, the salty, brown spread beloved in Australia, is going home, purchased by a New South Wales dairy company from the US maker of Oreos.

Mondelez International said on Wednesday it was selling Vegemite and other Australian and New Zealand grocery products to Bega Cheese in a deal worth about 460 Australian dollars (280 million).

Mondelez, based in Deerfield, Illinois, said it plans to focus on other products like Oreo cookies and Cadbury chocolate.

The sale was welcomed by many Australians who complain that noted brands, including Foster's beer and Speedo swimwear, have been sold to foreign companies.

Entrepreneur Dick Smith, who developed an Australian-owned yeast extract alternative called OzEmite, said: "This is the best news I've heard for a long time.

"To bring Vegemite back into Australian hands after over 60 years of it being in American hands, it's great because it means the profit will stay in Australia."

A by-product of brewing beer, Vegemite was introduced in the 1920s and is an Australian household staple.

Those who have not been brought up on the spread, long marketed as a rich source of Vitamin B and ideal for healthy children, often find it a difficult taste to acquire.

President Barack Obama once said: "It's horrible."

Australians abroad commonly bemoan how difficult Vegemite is to find outside their country.

Although it remains by far the country's most popular yeast-based spread, its market share and sales have slipped in recent years, according to Euromonitor International.

Last year, Vegemite's sales in Australia were 64 million, down from 70 million in 2011.

Barry Irvin, Bega Cheese's executive chairman, attributed the recent declines to changing breakfast habits.

He described Vegemite and Bega as a natural fit. Cheese and Vegemite are a popular taste combination on sandwiches.

"The wonderful heritage and values that Vegemite represents and its importance to Australian culture makes its combination with Bega Cheese truly exciting," he said.

The sale also includes other local Australian grocery products, peanut butter and salad dressings that use the Kraft name.

Bega Cheese makes Kraft cheeses for Mondelez and was looking for opportunities to grow beyond dairy.

Michael Mitchell, a Mondelez spokesman, said about 200 employees will be offered roles "on comparable terms" with Bega Cheese.

He said a manufacturing plant will transfer to Bega, but that there will be no closures.

For non-Australians, the mention of "a Vegemite sandwich" in Australian band Men at Work's 1983 hit song Down Under may be their only exposure to the product.

Not so back home, where it can be found in 90% of Australian households.

An Australian prime minister once claimed that more citizens know the lyrics of a Vegemite advertising jingle written in 1954 than know the national anthem.

AP
Burberry praised its festive advertising campaign for helping to enhance its seasonal performance

Burberry praised its festive advertising campaign for helping to enhance its seasonal performance

Luxury fashion group Burberry hailed an "exceptional" festive performance in the UK as booming tourist trade helped send sales surging by around 40%.

The group - famous for its trench coats and check scarves - said it continued to receive a boost from tourists flocking to London to take advantage of the Brexit-hit pound, while a well-received advertising campaign also helped drive strong demand from UK customers.

Burberry said the UK performance contributed to a 3% rise in overall comparable sales across the group in the three months to December 31, with an improvement in some under-pressure markets including Hong Kong and France.

Christopher Bailey, the chief creative officer and the outgoing chief executive of Burberry, said: "With a record number of views of our festive film and strong demand for new products in our collections, this third-quarter improvement reflects early progress from our plans to drive on Burberry's performance for the long term."

The group said the "continued exceptional performance in the UK" was equally driven by "travelling luxury customers from all regions and from domestic customers".

Burberry also said it returned to growth in Asia Pacific over its Christmas quarter, with "high single-digit percentage" sales growth in China and narrowed sales falls in Hong Kong.

Trading remained weak in Continental Europe, according to Burberry, but it said France saw better trading compared with the previous three months.

Its festive best-sellers included its Banner handbags, rucksacks, as well as its buckle coat.

The group also revealed it attracted more than 22 million viewings for its Christmas campaign short film, starring Sienna Miller and Domhnall Gleeson, celebrating the life of founder Thomas Burberry.

The third-quarter sales rise marks a welcome recovery for Burberry under a turnaround plan that has included simplifying the product line.
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- A 24-year-old Ocean Springs man was arrested Wednesday after police say he stole a set of vehicle keys from a local gym and then used the keys to steal cash from the vehicle.

Ocean Springs Capt. Chuck Jackson said police received a report around 8:44 p.m. Monday that a vehicle in the parking lot of Planet Fitness on U.S. 90 had been burglarized and an undisclosed amount of cash taken.

The suspect -- later identified as Patrick Harbon Blades of Mulberry Place in Ocean Springs -- had stolen the vehicle keys off a rack provided for Planet Fitness customers while the victim was exercising. He then used the keys to gain access to the vehicle. The keys were later found on the ground in the parking lot.

Blades was arrested Wednesday at a residence on Lovers Lane and is currently in the Ocean Springs Municipal Jail, with other charges pending from Lee County.
A fall in the employment rate is proof that the local economy is slowing down, an expert has claimed.

A labour market survey revealed the unemployment rate for September to November was 5.6% - up 0.1 percentage points on the same period a year earlier, and down 0.3% percentage points on the year before that.

There was a slight increase of 0.8% in the economic inactivity rate over the quarter, bringing it to 26.5%.

However, the separate claimant count rate - showing the number of people signing on to claim unemployment benefits - was 32,700 in December, down 800 on a month earlier.

Economist Dr Esmond Birnie, from Ulster University's Economic Policy Centre, said the figures showed that the economy was slowing down, with the percentage of people in the potential workforce who have actual jobs falling to 69.3%.

Dr Birnie added: "All this must be taken together with previous data showing that employment growth in Northern Ireland is increasingly being weighted to the more precarious parts of the labour market- part-time and self-employed.

"It is also of note that in the year to September 2016, the total number of employees in employment increased by only 500. In the year to September 2015, the increase was 9,460."

He also said that the fall in the claimant count was "confusing", adding that, overall, the figures indicated a slowdown in the economy.

In notes accompanying the statistics, the Department for the Economy said the figures showed the vote to leave the EU had not yet had an impact on jobs.

"The post-referendum picture is still emerging and will continue to do so over the coming quarters and years," the notes read.

"It is also not possible to separate out the specific impact of the referendum in this quarter from pre-existing trends.

"However, the latest figures show there has been little change in unemployment rates since the EU referendum."

The department also admitted, however, that while unemployment had fallen since 2013, the figures indicated some evidence of slowing growth.

"The unemployment register figures for 2016 indicate that claimants have been leaving the register at a much slower rate in 2016 compared to 2015," it said.

However, Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said the figures contained "positive messages" on a number of indicators, citing the fall in the unemployment rate, as well as the drop in the monthly claimant count.
The cross-border sale of milk from Northern Ireland to the Republic could be at risk following Brexit, it has been claimed.

Around a third of all milk produced here makes its way to processors over the border.

But according to industry leaders, if the UK leaves the EU without trade agreements in place, the tariffs that would be imposed would render the cross-border milk trade no longer viable, bringing one of the biggest shake-ups to the industry in decades.

Around a quarter of all food and drink produced in the UK is sold within EU countries, including 700m worth of goods that go to the Republic.

But experts have warned it is becoming increasingly likely there will be no trade agreements on agricultural produce when the UK leaves EU.

Declan Billington, chairman of the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (Nifda), said he had no reason to believe the EU would strike a deal for the sector beforehand.

He indicated it was likely tariffs would lead to a 47% price hike on butter and a 56% rise on beef import and export costs.

Mr Billington also claimed there would be no room for picking and choosing which sectors would enjoy preferential terms.

"We can't cherrypick and say we will do a trade deal on automotive but not on aircraft, for example," he explained.

The Nifda chairman added that EU member states would be reluctant to offer a good tariff on agricultural produce as the UK would no longer be paying into the common agricultural policy.

However, he insisted there remained opportunities for food and drink in the home market, but only if the transition was carried out smoothly.

"My personal belief is that Europe will acknowledge the special circumstances of the border here," Mr Billington said.

"It could be possible to implement tariff-free quotas, so that up to a certain volume of goods can be traded without tariffs.

"The quotas would be very small to Europe, but large on a Northern Ireland scale.

"Just over 40% of what we consume in the UK is imported, and we have the opportunity to replace most of that with food produced here.

"If no trade deal is struck, it's unlikely we'll want to continue importing European food. We're not a wine region, but there's massive opportunities for food producers here to fill that gap."

Milk processor LacPatrick, formed following the merger between Ballyrashane and Town of Monaghan, has around 1,100 suppliers, mostly based here.

Chief executive Gabriel D'Arcy said his firm, which has a new 30m processing plant in Artigarvan, Co Tyrone, that can process up to 3.5m litres a day, was preparing for a hard Brexit.

He added: "Given the tone and content of the key protagonists on the British and European sides, it looks like this will be a hard Brexit, with much disruption likely. All producers need to understand where their processors' assets and markets are, as some processors are going to be more disrupted than others.

"LacPatrick is in a comparatively strong position, with our new investment in Artigarvan on target to process milk in March or April.

"Following the completion of the project, Northern Ireland, for the first time in a generation, will be able to process all of its own milk within the province."

Ulster Farmers' Union president Barclay Bell said a "tariff war would serve no-one well".

He added: "EU member states need to trade with the UK, and we are optimistic that they will recognise that during the negotiations.

"After Brexit, regardless of the deal struck on trade, the movement of products and access to labour between Northern Ireland and the Republic will be different. That will bring complications we do not have now."

Lakeland Dairies, the island's third largest milk processor - and the second largest in Northern Ireland - exports products to 78 countries, including several in the EU. Chief executive Michael Hanley said he was confident the co-operative would be able to continue doing so.
Theresa May is at Davos, along with bosses from several banks said to be planning to move jobs away from London after Brexit

Theresa May is facing down Wall Street bank bosses at Davos following news that several lenders are preparing to shift thousands of jobs out of London after Brexit.

Bosses of JP Morgan, HSBC and UBS have all confirmed Britain's decision to scrap single market access will have major implications for their UK operations.

Jamie Dimon, chief executive of US bank JP Morgan, who was set to meet Mrs May, told Bloomberg Television: "It looks like there will be more job movement than we hoped for."

The lender employs 16,000 people in the UK, with London hosting its European headquarters, and has previously said around 4,000 jobs could go if Britain loses the right to sell financial services to the EU.

Mr Dimon said that number could rise or fall "depending on negotiations".

Goldman Sachs chief Lloyd Blankfein told the business broadcaster that New York is "already a bit of a gainer" from Brexit, as the bank eases up on previous plans to shift operations to Britain.

"Operating our business to maximise our global potential - we were trying to get as much into the UK as we could," he said.

"We're slowing down that decision."

But the US investment bank played down reports that the bank may cut London staff in half to around 3,000, while organising transfers to New York and to a new subsidiary in Frankfurt.

In response to the report, Goldman Sachs said: "We continue to work through all possible implications of the Brexit vote.

"There remain numerous uncertainties as to what the Brexit negotiations will yield in terms of an operating framework for the banking industry.

"As a result we have not taken any decisions as to what our eventual response will be."

Banking heads have been speaking to media in Davos, where leaders are gathered for the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Switzerland.

It is where Mrs May is holding private meetings with the bosses of JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, asset manager BlackRock, and Goldman Sachs, according to Sky News, after outlining priorities for Brexit negotiations earlier this week.

Stuart Gulliver, boss of British banking group HSBC, confirmed the bank is on course to move 1,000 jobs from its London office to France, where it already has a full service universal bank after buying up Credit Commercial de France in 2002.

Swiss bank UBS is also expected to shift jobs to the continent. Chairman Axel Weber told the BBC that about 1,000 of its 5,000 employees are currently involved in operations dependent on passporting rights.

Financial firms have been waiting to discover whether the UK can hold on to passporting rights, without which they could face significant barriers when attempting to trade with countries within the European single market.

Barclays' chief executive Jes Staley, meanwhile, confirmed the bank's commitment to Britain.

"We're going to have to make an adjustment to the Brexit move, but it's going to be an adjustment that will be manageable for Barclays, and will not threaten, I think, the centre of London, or London as a centre of finance for Europe, and will not threaten the activities of Barclays in London," Mr Staley told CNBC.

"We are a British bank, we are committed to the United Kingdom, so we'll be fine," he added.

Mrs May said that things would be "different" after Brexit when she was asked to respond to statements from some European leaders that Britain will be poorer after withdrawal from the EU.

The PM told the BBC that she believed a good trade deal would be in the best interests of both the UK and the EU, before adding: "It will be different, we won't be members of the European Union any longer. We will be outside the European Union, but I want to build a strong, strategic partnership with the EU."

Mrs May side-stepped answering whether she was disappointed that major banks were planning to move some jobs out of the UK, but said she had been stressing the "positive" aspects of doing business in the City of London during meetings with major financial organisations.
Edmund Hourican and Maureen Ledwith  the hard-working husband and wife team behind the Belfast Telegraph Holiday World Show, a jammed-packed travel expo which celebrates 25 years of exhibiting in Belfast this year by moving to the Titanic Centre and opens from tomorrow until Sunday  are the definition of tight.

Married in 1978, the entrepreneurial twosome still live, love and work together almost 40 years on, and aged 65 and 62 respectively, emphatically confirm that they have plenty of years left in their professional tanks yet.

Asked how other married couples might achieve a similarly productive work-life balance in their own fields of employment, Edmund answers with some solid advice. By sharing professional responsibilities, he argues, and playing to their strengths, spouses can succeed at anything they set their minds to.

If you divide up the duties clearly, then you shouldnt have any difficulties, says the Cavan man.

Thats easier said than done, I know, but normally couples have different skill-sets, they come from different backgrounds and have different interests, so they should be able to adjust to a working environment very easily.

With Maureen and I at the Holiday World Show, our responsibilities were clearly delineated from the beginning. Im an accountant by trade and worked with the multi-nationals for quite a number of years, whereas Maureen had already launched her exhibition business before we were married.

I subsequently joined her when we began to realise the huge potential that the Holiday World Show had, and its been productive ever since.

Maureen works in sales and I do the rest. Im not competing with her and shes not competing with me. It works.

How, then, does an average working day pan out in the Hourican-Ledwith household? Many husband and wife business teams wont be surprised to learn, perhaps, that Edmund and Maureen thrive through separation, even rising from bed at different times of the day.

Every morning, Maureen gets up at 6am and walks to 7.30am mass, about 25 minutes there and 25 minutes back. Thats her exercise done for the day and then she can get to work, says Edmund.

I, on the other hand, rise a little later. I scan the morning papers and am at my desk by 7.30am. We miss out on breakfast together, true, but we always have lunch in each others company, at 1pm strictly. Then were back to work at 1.45pm sharp.

Although the Holiday World Show and the other complimentary businesses that the couple run together, including travel magazine Travel Extra, employ a number of people, neither of the bosses at the helm need worry about staff knocking on their doors. Years ahead of their time, the pair employed their team to work from home since the early Nineties.

With the technology available today, thats very easy to do, says Edmund, but its nothing new for us. Weve long since realised the benefits of distance working, and were very happy with our set-up.

Maureen and I also get on with our working day in separate offices and I think that privacy helps.

We live in a five-bedroom house, with lots of space, so thats an option for us, thankfully. Maureen is on the telephone all day, so it makes sense that she has her own room with all of her paperwork and communication equipment. We spend time together at night after a quick spell on the treadmill, and a quick browse through the evening papers.

Being well into their careers, the couple are able to work in tandem without the distraction of children nipping at their heels. But when it comes to staying sane as co-workers, and switching off when the day is done, Sean and Leona McAllister rely on their brood of three to take their minds, and mouths, off the daily slog.

Founders of PlotBox, a three-in-one software solution for cemeteries and crematoria, the McAllisters built their award-winning business at the same time as raising their young family in Portglenone. Leona, the 35-year-old chief commercial officer with PlotBox, has found that kids, in fact, can ultimately help the wheels of commerce turn even more smoothly.

Since we launched in 2011, its been a busy few years, and a noisy few years, but its been fun, says Leona. PlotBox has really taken off for us, and we regularly travel to the States, for example, to attend conferences and meetings with investors and clients, but we love coming back home to be with the kids, May (7), Cian (6) and Ryan (4).

Its hard to leave them. Having to organise childcare can be difficult, she adds. Its a lot of pressure on our extended family when were away. But these are the sacrifices that we have to make as our business moves from the start-up to the scale-up phase.

Although were spinning a lot plates, we see the kids as a Godsend after a long, hard day at the office, because as soon as we start to talk about work when were at home, they start to act up, and definitely thats a good thing. They help us to switch off in the evening. If we didnt have kids, there would be the temptation to talk shop all the time, and in the end, our work might consume us. We work hard to drive the business forward, but there are other important things in our lives.

In Claudy, Co Londonderry, meanwhile, parents and business owners Kevin and Julie Hickey founded Tamnagh Foods, supplying cheese and chutneys to big name stores like Harrods, primarily as a means of spending more time with each other.

Having experienced the immense pressures that come with running a restaurant, both financial and personal, the Hickeys decided to shut up shop in search of a more even work-life balance.

Julie, who originally hails from Boston, reveals that the day-to-day struggles of keeping the now defunct Gravy restaurant afloat in the end proved too much, despite it being a lifelong ambition of hers to serve her own customers.

It was really difficult, mainly because the restaurant was too small. We could only welcome so many patrons inside at a time and so had to work extra hard to make ends meet, she says.

In the end, both Kevin and I worked entirely separate shifts, me during the day and Kevin and night, and we never managed to see one another.

We werent happy, its not what we envisaged when we opened the restaurant, so we closed and started to think about a production business that might enable us to live and work together the way we wanted to. We dreamed of creating something that would give us a little more flexibility.

Nowadays, Julie and Kevin work when they want to, and in close proximity on the family plot to boot, where the Tamnagh Foods production houses are located. They get to spend plenty of quality time with their kids  Tom, Mia, Donal and Maeve  who have shown an interest in the art of cheese-making. Yet, perhaps more importantly, they get to spend quality time as a working husband and wife.

Its a total turnaround for us, and we thoroughly enjoy working together, says 46-year-old Julie, who moved to Northern Ireland to marry her Derry husband after they met while studying at Queens University. Its a tough job, supplying so many products to so many businesses, especially with it being just the two of us at this stage, no other employees, but we complement each other, and thats very gratifying.

We have the space that we always wanted, though there are limits, she adds. The idea of a date night, for example, might involve both of us scrubbing the cheese room floor or deciding to repaint the outside of the food unit, but were lucky in that we love what we do.

In summation, then, it seems that the recipe for success for husband and wife professional teams is different for every couple. It needs tweaking here and there, and there will be lots of cons to every pro, but with hard work, determination, compromise and, crucially, the support of family, friends and anyone else willing to lend a hand, it can certainly be done.

With everything often taking place within a confined space, however, Edmund believes that personality can play a big part in whether or not Mr and Mrs succeed or fail in the world of work.

Maureen is an extrovert, he explains. And Im an introvert, so, at the end of the day, we bring very different things to the business. We each enjoy our own jobs. I dont think Maureen could do my job and I certainly couldnt do hers, so weve hit on a formulae that works.

Leona agrees, adding: Sean and I dont always see eye to eye, and we did struggle with that in the beginning. I hate conflict, whereas Sean thinks conflict is good, its constructive, and it must have been uncomfortable for people having to watch us talking over the top of one another in meetings back then. But weve learned about the ways in which we communicate with each other and that in turn has taught us to accept each others views.

When it comes to your other half, thats not always easy, I know, but in business its give and its take and in the end the rewards are there for the taking.
Northern Ireland must have special designated status in the EU when the UK makes its departure.

That was the message given to Theresa May at the joint ministerial meeting in London on Thursday.

Northern Ireland's Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard and Junior Minister Alastair Ross travelled to London for a meeting with Brexit Secretary David Davis to discuss the forthcoming exit alongside their Welsh and Scottish counterparts.

They were expected to discuss Prime Minister Theresa May's speech which she delivered earlier this outlining key objectives for Brexit.

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However, it was reported there were heated exchanges at the meeting with Sinn Fein saying they will consider taking part in future meetings.

Chris Hazzard called for Northern Ireland to have "special designated status" within the EU.

He also said the devolved administrations have been treated with contempt and disdain over their involvement in the plans for the impending divorce with the EU.

Meanwhile Taoiseach Enda Kenny has met with Prime Minister May in Davos.

The pair had a 10 minute conversation at a traditional Swiss restaurant in the alpine town.

Their conversation took place ahead of Thursday's keynote address by Mrs May to the 47th annual World Economic Forum.

In her speech, Mrs May pledged that Britain will be the world's strongest advocate of business, free markets and free trade - and will be "open for business" after Brexit

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Prime Minister Theresa May has been invited to make a historic address to the Dail during her state visit to the Republic later this month.

An official invitation was sent by Taoiseach Enda Kenny to Downing Street yesterday.

The Prime Minister is visiting the Republic to begin formal Brexit negotiations with the Taoiseach.

Mrs May would only be the second Prime Minister to speak before the parliament - the first was Tony Blair, who addressed the Dail in 1998.

Invitations to foreign dignitaries to address the Dail are extremely rare and Mrs May would only be 20th leader to be extended such an invitation.

Yesterday, she agreed with her Irish counterpart that Brexit should not lead to a "border of the past" for Northern Ireland.

Theresa May said a key objective is to negotiate a free trade agreement with the EU, which gives the UK the widest possible access for trading with and operating within the EU.

The PM said: "The Taoiseach and I, and all parties, are absolutely on the single page on this, that we want to ensure that we have the best possible arrangement that does not lead to a border of the past for Northern Ireland." Elsewhere, the Treasury has suggested that an inter-governmental economic organisation could help tackle tax evasion across the Irish border after Brexit.

Without the European institutions, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), could help facilitate dialogue with the Republic, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee heard.

Ex-IRA gangs and border criminals have profited from fuel and tobacco smuggling for decades and the DUP claims international criminal gangs could take advantage of Brexit.

East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell added: "My concern is that when we get to the point in two or two-and-a-half years' time, when one state, Northern Ireland, is outside and the Republic of Ireland will still be in it, will there be other further or greater scope for tax evasion?

"Will a multi-million pound industry which has grown up through the Troubles be exacerbated by international criminal gangs using the border?"

A Treasury official told the committee of MPs that within the EU, there were some very different practices for exchange of information.

He said both the UK and Ireland would be concerned to prevent tax avoidance and that dialogue between the countries would continue.

"We also have conversations with other countries through the OECD, all of those things will continue," he added.
A knife-wielding killer yawned repeatedly as a judge told him he may never be freed from prison for his part in the barbaric double murder of two friends nine years ago.

Convicting 28-year-old Steven Brown of murdering Protestant teenagers Andrew Robb and David McIlwaine, Belfast Crown Court judge Mr Justice Gillen warned him he faced being put behind bars for the rest of his natural life as a result of the heinous murders.

There were emotional scenes as the judge told Brown that given the evidence against him, he had no doubt he was guilty of killing teenage friends Andrew (19) and David (18) on February 19 2000.

At the end of his three and a half hour judgement, he said that having watched Brown giving evidence, he had no doubt whatsoever that I had seen a man whose hands had been engaged in the executions of these two young victims.

Brown, also known as Revels and from Castle Place in Castlecaulfield, stood in the dock totally impassive and yawning repeatedly as the judge delivered his damning verdicts.

However, the families of his two young victims could not contain their relief as they applauded the verdicts and wept dignified tears of sorrow in the public gallery from where they had witnessed every day of the trial.

Along with supergrass Mark Burcombe and Noel Dillon, who has since killed himself, the friends had been drinking in Browns Tandragee flat when Andrew had spoken derogatorily about UVF commander Richard Jameson, who had been gunned down by the LVF two weeks beforehand.

Incensed by the comment about his friend, Brown hatched his plan to slaughter the teenagers and after driving them to the isolated Druminure Road just outside the town on the pretence of looking for a drugs party, butchered them with a large knife.

The friends were found lying on the blood-spattered road with horrific knife wounds to their throats and stomachs.

Burcombe, who was once a co-accused of Brown but turned Queens evidence, recounted to the trial how he saw Brown repeatedly drive the knife into David as he lay wheezing and prone on the ground.

As well as Burcombes evidence, the judge heard Brown had confessed to a woman he knew that he had been involved in the murders and that forensic evidence had been uncovered in the investigation.

Browns DNA profile was found on Davids jacket, tyre tracks similar to the Peugeot 205 car owned by Brown were uncovered at the bloody scene and pieces of green plastic from the top of an aerosol can were found at the scene with their matches discovered outside Browns house.

Following the guilty verdicts Mr Justice Gillen told Brown the only sentence open to him to pass was one of life imprisonment and added that he would decide at a later court hearing what his minimum tariff would be.

The judge warned, however, that while he was keeping an open mind, the killings were one of the most serious murders I have ever encountered, and so he was considering an option to jail Brown for the rest of his natural life.

In conclusion the judge declared: I have no doubt whatsoever therefore that the accused was involved in a joint enterprise to murder both Mr Robb and Mr McIlwaine. In all the circumstances therefore I find the accused guilty on both counts.

As he announced the guilty verdicts, family and friends of the victims clapped but were silenced as the judge warned them that this is a solemn occasion.

During exchanges with defence QC John McCrudden, the lawyer prevaricated whether to ask the court for probation presentence reports in case the contents would affect any future appeal by Brown.

Finally, Mr Justice Gillen told Brown: The sentence I have to pass on you is one of life imprisonment. There is still a tarriff sentence to be imposed and I will do that on April 3.

I wont stop until every last one is in court

Speaking outside Belfast Crown Court moments after the judge had delivered his guilty verdict Paul McIlwaine and his wife Gail spoke of their satisfaction after nine long years of campaigning for their murdered son David.

We are just delighted. In saying that we had never any doubt that if we had got Revels into court, for this trial there would be this outcome. The unfortunate thing is that it should have been nine years ago, although there are issues we are going to take up at a later stage, but we are delighted with the judgment.

The judge has been fair throughout and its a remarkable judgment and a lengthy one as well, and I would hope, given the nature of the injuries that were inflicted, something which the judge remarked on as well, it will reflect severely on the tariff that he sets.

Asked how difficult it had been for them both to have to listen in court to how their son and his friend Andrew Robb were butchered, his weeping wife Gail said it was just terrible, while he added, his own voice close to breaking: Its been a very long struggle, very emotional because we didnt think we would get to here.

Mr McIlwaine said there were still very many questions to be raised. I have no doubt there are a lot of people sitting thinking, with a sense of relief, thats it, and its over, but believe you me, today is only the beginning of the campaign I have. I wont stop until I have every last one of them into the courts.

Commenting on the evidence of Revels former co-accused, who turned Queens evidence for a lesser sentence, Mr McIlwaine admitted he had a lot of issues around Burcombe, I understand fully his evidence was used and was compelling as to the actions of Revels and Dillon, but his own role in the murders is yet to be explored. I dont believe for one minute he told the complete truth.

Asked what the past nine years have been like for the family, Gail said that they had had our ups and downs, and things have been very, very hard and we have had our disagreements about things, but we were strong in ourselves.
JACKSON, Miss. - Sen. Brice Wiggins told the Pascagoula City Council during his legislative address last year to "pull up your britches and get ready for a fight" when discussing BP funds.

With the subject of BP/Deepwater Horizon settlement dollars high on the Coast delegation's mind this legislative session, Wiggins filed Senate Bill 2285 proposing a process for distributing these funds.

The bill proposes that 95 percent of the BP settlement funds, be deposited annually into the Public Trust Tidelands Fund, with the option for the money to be housed in the Gulf Restoration Fund, the bill touted by Gov. Phil Bryant in his State of the State address Wednesday night.

"The Tidelands Trust Fund is already an established entity and the process for appropriating projects is already relatively familiar to citizens and entities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast," Wiggins said.

"Equally as significant, is that the legislature gives great deference to the Mississippi Gulf Coast legislative delegation in this process. My legislative colleagues from outside the Gulf Coast have always been accommodating in this process and I don't see why that would change," Wiggins said.

This bill would amend the Tidelands law to allow projects of economic development, including infrastructure, be funded through the Tidelands Trust Fund. The existing process for administering Tideland funds would extend to BP settlement dollars for the duration of the payments to the State.

Recognizing that the settlement funds were for "economic damages to the State," the bill proposes that five percent of the funds go to the general fund for appropriation by the Legislature with "no strings attached."

The remaining 95 percent would go to benefit the Gulf Coast and proposed projects that match the settlement criteria.

"The Coast economy is intrinsically linked to the viability of the Coast's marine resources," Wiggins said. "Tidelands funds statutorily are required to be used to manage and improve coastal resources like water quality, shrimp and oyster habitats, and conservation efforts. It only makes sense that a portion of the funds be used to address the coastal resources that were so heavily impacted by the BP oil spill," Wiggins explained.

Wiggins also told the city council on last year,"I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that money remains on the coast" and the proposal of SB 2285 shows Wiggins is attempting to keep his promise.

"The filing of this bill is the first big step in the legislative process to making this a reality. It lays out a clear cut path for the Legislature to follow in deciding this issue that I hope will expedite debate and a final approval by both houses," Wiggins said.

SB 2285 has been submitted and is now before the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The junction at Greenan Road and Staffordstown Road near Randalstown where a brother and sister were struck by a car

A brother and sister from Co Antrim remained in a critical condition last night, after they were knocked down getting off their school bus on Tuesday.

The crash occurred in Creggan, near Randalstown, on the Staffordstown Road, around 4.40pm.

The siblings, aged 12 and 14 respectively, are students at St Patrick's College in Magherafelt.

It's understood they were hit by a white Audi A3, as they were crossing the road after stepping off their bus.

Both children were taken to Antrim Area Hospital, before being moved to Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

Yesterday, their principal, Brenda Mussen, said the school community was "greatly saddened" that two of their junior pupils had been critically injured.

Speaking to the BBC she added: "They're lovely children, very popular with their peers and well respected within the school. At this time, I just want to ask everyone to keep the children in your thoughts and prayers as we are doing. Every prayer counts at this stage."

An open night at the school last night was postponed, as has another on Saturday.

On Tuesday evening, the St MacNissis Youth Group in Randalstown, which one of the children attends, posted a message of support on their Facebook page.

"Before I put my head down and go to bed tonight, I will pray and think of our senior member and her brother involved in an accident earlier this evening," the statement read.

"I would ask you all join us in a prayer each night to give both kids and the family the strength over these next few days ahead. The Youth Group, the community of Randalstown and Creggan are thinking and praying for you both."

SDLP councillor Roisin Lynch commented: "It's just a tragedy that no family wishes to have visited on them. The whole community is heartbroken for them."

She added safety measures on the Staffordstown Road would need to be reassessed.

"Just before that stretch of road, they secured a 30 and 40mph speed limit through Creggan past the Gaelic field," she said.

"I don't think it applied on that stretch of road, so there will be a need to look at speed limit, lighting and provision around drop-off points for buses."

Alliance MLA, David Ford, added his best wishes to the family.

"This accident is very distressing for the family and the many other people affected, including the emergency services and the drivers," he said.

"I would offer my thoughts and prayers for a speedy and full recovery for the children."

The Sinn Fein MLA, Declan Kearney, knows the family well. He described their situation as "devastating."

"They come from an extremely well-respected, well-liked family within the greater Creggan area," he said. "My thoughts, and that of the wider community of Creggan, and neighbouring areas, are with their parents, and other family members at this time."
A car has been stolen and set alight in Belfast following a creeper burglary.

In the early hours of Thursday morning thieves broke into a house in Ballylenaghan Road. They took keys to a Ford C-Max and took off in the car.

It was later found on fire on the Falls Road in west Belfast shortly after 4am. The car was completely destroyed as a result.

Detective Sergeant Melanie McGrory is appealing for anyone witnessed the incident or anyone who has information that can assist with the investigation to contact detectives in Lisburn Police Station on 101, quoting reference number 31 of 19/01/17. Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111
The Statehood Bicentennial Year Celebration has begun with local and other events taking place throughout the state.

--- In Pascagoula, the long-anticipated exhibit featuring the 1817 Constitution and original 20-star U.S. flag will open Monday and Tuesday to the public in the Pascagoula Public Library meeting room. Hours Monday are 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

At 4 p.m. on Tuesday representatives from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History will give a formal presentation and answer questions from the public.

The Friends of the Pascagoula Public Library and the Jackson County Historical and Genealogical Society, both sponsors of the event, are providing refreshments.

Standing banners with text and images of Mississippi statehood, the flag, the constitution and other historical facts and information will be showcased throughout the exhibit.

Pascagoula's Mac Nelson Players will perform during Pascagoula's first Bicentennial of Statehood week celebration with a selection from Mississippi native Tennessee Williams "The Glass Menagerie." Members of the groups include, from left: Peggy Cooper, Pam Beecher, Betty St. Amant and Kitty Bardwell.

--- Pascagoula's Senior Center will add to the week's energy when Mac Nelson's acting class performs at the center on Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m.

Featured performers include Kitty Bardwell, Peggy Cooper, Pam Beecher, Betty Green St. Amant and Faith Magallanes. The theme is "Scenes" with adaptations from "The Curious Savage," "Nunsense," and "The Glass Menagerie," the latter written by Mississippi native Tennessee Williams.

Performances are free and open to the public. Previous presentations have received rave reviews. Refreshments will be served. More information may be obtained by calling the center at 228-769-8329.

--- A unique opportunity will be made available to Coast residents on March 2-4 when the Mississippi Historical Society will hold its annual meeting to Gulfport where the state's planned Centennial celebration never took place at Centennial Plaza as the U.S. was entering World War I.

Mississippi aviator John C. Robinson, the "brown condor," came from Gulfport. Upcoming programs during Mississippi Statehood Bicentennial celebration feature his life.

The first session will showcase authors from the Heritage of Mississippi Series, a planned 15-volume series spanning the entire history of the state. Thomas E. Simmons will talk about his book, "The Man Called Brown Condor: The Forgotten History of an African American Fighter Pilot. Mississippi aviator John C. Robinson, the "brown condor," was from Gulfport.

Registration information may be obtained by calling 601-576-6849.

Simmons also will be the featured speaker at the July 25 meeting of the JCHGS. The public is invited.

--- The LaPointe-Krebs Foundation is celebrating the award of a $210,480 grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to be used for Phase IV of the LPK House's building rehabilitation and preservation of its mid-18th century characteristics.

--- MDAH is shooting for a Dec. 9 opening of the "2 Mississippi Museums" project in Jackson. Opening day will feature food, musical performers from across the state, public officials and other speakers, a giant ribbon-cutting and free admission that day to the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. More information is available from www.give2mississippimuseums.com or by calling 601-576-6850.

--- Many local events are in the making including the burial of a time capsule and Bicentennial Celebration at Lighthouse Park on U.S. 90 in December. Watch this column for future details as they are made available.

Columnist Joanne Anderson may be reached at joandy42@yahoo.com.
A Northern Ireland man and woman have been warned that they should expect jail sentences after admitting possessing a sawn-off shotgun.

Tatjana Glusecenko and Simon Frederick Thomas Larmour were due to stand trial at Belfast Crown Court on charges arising from an incident close to a bonfire site on the Shankill Road, in the city, in July 2015.

Both Larmour (28), from Rathvarnagh Drive in Lisburn and his 36-year old co-accused, from Verner Street in Belfast and who is originally from Lithuania, initially faced a charge of possessing a Baikai sawn-off single-barrelled shotgun in suspicious circumstances on July 2, 2015.

However, legal teams for both defendants asked the clerk of the court to put a charge of possessing the firearm without holding a firearms certificate to each of them.

When this charge was put to both Larmour and Glusecenko, they admitted their guilt. Larmour also admitted a charge of assaulting police during his arrest on July 2, 2015.

Crown prosecutor Mark Farrell said that in light of the guilty pleas to the firearms offence, the PPS was leaving several other charges arising from the incident "on the books, not to be proceeded with" - including possessing the weapon in suspicious circumstances.

Although no details of the incident emerged during today's hearing, it is understood that Larmour and Glusecenko were arrested following reports they were trying to sell the shotgun to children at a bonfire site on the Shankill Road.

Children at the scene raised the alarm, and both Larmour and Glusecenko were detained at the scene until police arrived by local residents.

Judge Patricia Smyth ordered the compilation of pre-sentence reports ahead of sentencing, which is due to take place next month.

Before releasing the pair on bail, Judge Smyth warned them that due to their admissions on the firearms offence, they "should expect a custodial sentence."
A man who sent a string of messages to his ex-partner through the dating website 'Plenty Of Fish,' has admitting harassing the woman.

Paul Ruck (25), whose address was given as Monaghan Street, Milford, County Armagh, but who previously lived at Patrick Place in Ballymena, "didn't appreciate the relationship was over" according to a defence lawyer.

A prosecutor told Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday that in July last year the woman received a considerable number of messages from Ruck over a 24-hour period through the plentyoffish.com website.

She told the defendant she did not want him to contact her and she printed out "29 pages" of screen grabs relating to messages sent by Ruck.

The prosecutor said at one point Ruck had "threatened suicide" if the woman did not go back with him.

The prosecution lawyer added that on another occasion Ruck saw the woman in Ballymena's Front Page bar and again she told him to leave her alone but he followed her as she walked home in the early hours and tracked her to a McDonald's restaurant.

The prosecutor said Ruck told police he had been referred to a mental health team and he admitted his behaviour was harassment but at the time he didn't believe that to be the case.

Defence barrister Michael Smith said Ruck had taken alcohol and had "misread the signals" from the woman and "didn't appreciate the relationship was over".

District Judge Peter King ordered Ruck to carry out 75 hours of Community Service and put him on probation for a year with a condition that he attends a 'Building Better Relationships' programme.

The judge said the defendant had a previous conviction for harassment in 2012 when he had received a conditional discharge and it was quite clear he "didn't learn the lesson".

Also in court on Thursday, Judge King agreed to a prosecution suggestion that an anti-harassment order be served on Ruck.
Mike Nesbitt wants the Secretary of State to intervene in RHI scandal

Pressure is mounting on the Government to hold an inquiry into Stormont's botched Renewable Heat Incentive scheme - despite the election campaign now under way.

The demands came from Stormont's main opposition parties, as a week passed without the DUP's indication that an inquiry would be announced materialising.

It also came against the background of further revelations from senior civil servant, Dr Andrew McCormick, before Stormont's ongoing Public Accounts Committee investigation yesterday.

And it was confirmed that the DUP's former Head of Communications, who had faced accusations over the RHI scheme, revealed his father-in-law runs two green energy boilers under the scheme.

John Robinson, who is now a special adviser to current DUP Economy Minister Simon Hamilton, insisted the poultry farmer signed up to the scheme before his marriage and stressed he had never advised anyone to join the initiative.

Ulster Unionist leader, Mike Nesbitt, argued, however: "It is now clear that the Secretary of State must intervene in the Renewable Heat Incentive debacle and establish an inquiry immediately. With each passing day, it seems that more revelations are coming to light regarding the ill-fated RHI scheme and the need for urgent action cannot be over-stated.

"The First and Deputy First Ministers have exited the stage. Devolution has collapsed.

"The role of and extent of involvement of DUP Special Advisers is now under scrutiny as never before.

"We are in the midst of the greatest financial scandal in the history of the State. And an election is six weeks away.

"The scale of the financial exposure, which RHI has brought, is so great, that the UK Government simply cannot sit back and allow matters to drift."

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the further revelations again underlined the need for a public inquiry and accused the DUP's selective release of information as, "nothing more than an attempt to cover their own backs".

"What's needed now is a fully empowered public inquiry that can compel papers and people to secure the truth of this matter.

TUV leader, Jim Allister, said the evidence from Dr McCormick showed the DUP have questions to answer.

He said: "Dr McCormick stated that when officials had spotted the disastrous flaw in the RHI scheme and wanted to rectify the situation, he believes Arlene Foster's spad in the Department of Finance, Andrew Crawford, pressed successfully to keep the scheme open. It is now more clear than ever that we need to have a full public inquiry into this whole affair."
Dr Andrew Crawford, an ex-special adviser to former Northern Ireland first minister Arlene Foster, has resigned from his role at Stormont.

Dr Crawford's resignation was announced minutes after a public inquiry was instigated into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.

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.

Dr Crawford stood down 24 hours after he was named by a senior civil servant as the DUP adviser he believed was pressing to delay RHI cost controls.

The development came on another dramatic day in the Northern Ireland political world, with Sinn Fein veteran Martin McGuinness announcing his decision to quit front-line politics to focus on his health.

Dr Crawford said his resignation was an "appropriate" response to the allegations against him, claiming he did not want to be a "distraction".

But he insisted the public inquiry would prove he "acted with complete integrity".

"I am conscious I have become the focus of the story," he said.

He added: "I will be happy to give a full account of all of my actions during this period to the inquiry and for due process to take its course."

The state-funded RHI was supposed to offer a proportion of the cost businesses had to pay to run eco-friendly boilers, but the subsidy tariffs were set too high and without a cap, so it ended up paying out significantly more than the price of fuel.

This enabled applicants to "burn to earn", getting free heat and making a profit as they did so.

Dr Crawford's brother is a poultry farmer who is a recipient of payments under the RHI scheme. There is no suggestion his brother is using the scheme inappropriately.

The long-serving DUP adviser, from Beragh in Co Tyrone, has always denied wrongdoing.

At an explosive hearing of the Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday, permanent secretary at the Department for the Economy (DE), Dr Andrew McCormick, said he believed, through hearsay, that influence was being exerted by Dr Crawford on the DUP adviser within DE to keep the scheme running at a high tariff level.

Dr Crawford was at the time working for Mrs Foster, then finance minister. He had previously worked in the economy department with Mrs Foster during the period she first developed the RHI.

At the same PAC hearing on Wednesday, Dr McCormick said he had seen no evidence that Mrs Foster acted inappropriately in relation to the RHI.

Dr Crawford, who recently was working for DUP agriculture minister Michelle McIlveen, is the second DUP party special adviser to face scrutiny this week.

On Wednesday, current DE adviser John Robinson stood aside from any duties relating to RHI a day after it was revealed that his father-in-law was a poultry farmer who ran two RHI boilers.

Mr Robinson said he wanted to avoid a perception of conflict of interest.

Mrs Foster said she accepted his resignation with regret, describing him as a "faithful servant" to the party and the people of Northern Ireland.

"Anyone who knows Andrew Crawford knows he's a very private person and he didn't want to become the story," she said.

Sinn Fein finance minister Mairtin O Muilleoir ordered the public inquiry into the RHI. He said there was a need to "get to the truth".

"This inquiry will be impartial and objective," he said.

Last week, Mrs Foster called for a public inquiry. She had written to Sinn Fein this week in relation to the establishment of a probe.

In recent weeks Sinn Fein had insisted a public inquiry would have been too time consuming.

Mrs Foster said: "We wanted to say we very much welcome the change of heart from Sinn Fein in setting up this public inquiry. It is something I have been wanting for some considerable time."

She added: "As I have always said and indeed as was confirmed yesterday in (the public accounts) committee I have absolutely nothing to hide so I look forward to the inquiry reporting."

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire and Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan met at Stormont House on Thursday evening to discuss the ongoing political crisis that has prompted a snap Assembly election on March 2.

During discussions, the politicians affirmed a commitment to finding a way forward. They also welcomed the RHI inquiry announcement as well as talking about issues related to Brexit.

Mr Brokenshire said it was important to build confidence in the ability of the institutions to deliver and help set the tone for the election to come by establishing an RHI public inquiry.

"I would encourage full co-operation with the inquiry, and hope that it is able quickly and effectively to establish the facts, and provide assurances to the public.

"For our part, the Government will do everything we can to support this independent inquiry."

Public inquiry

Dr Crawford's resignation was announced minutes after Sinn Fein Finance Minister Mairtin O Muilleoir ordered a public inquiry into the RHI.

Mr O Muilleoir said there was a need to "get to the truth".

The RHI furore precipitated the collapse of Stormont powersharing.

Mr O Muilleoir said: "This inquiry will be impartial and objective. I will not interfere in its work. It will be tasked to get to the truth of this issue."

Last week DUP leader Mrs Foster called for a public inquiry. She had written to Sinn Fein this week in relation to the establishment of a probe.

In recent weeks Sinn Fein had insisted a public inquiry would have been too time consuming.

Mrs Foster welcomed Mr O Muilleoir's announcement.

"We wanted to say we very much welcome the change of heart from Sinn Fein in setting up this public inquiry," she said.

"It is something I have been wanting for some considerable time."

She added: "Earlier this week I wrote to the other parties, and indeed Sinn Fein, suggesting a way forward and now I am very pleased the inquiry is going to be set up and finally we will get some due process in around these matters and we will get the truth in relation to what happened with the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme."

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SDLP North Belfast MLA Nichola Mallon said: "It is welcome that after months of resisting a public inquiry, after weeks of deriding and debasing the SDLP demand for a public inquiry and within hours of the SDLP Leader renewing his call for a change in their position on a public inquiry, that Sinn Fein have now moved to launch a public inquiry.

"Over the last 30 days of dithering alone, 2.5m of public money has been lost to the RHI black hole by Executive parties resisting the highest standard of accountability on this issue. The Finance Minister must now take the advice of the Lord Chief Justice to appoint a respected judicial figure to oversee this inquiry and give the inquiry full authority to publish their report independently from his office or department. There must be no suspicion of interference."

Ulster Unionist finance spokesperson Philip Smith MLA said: "What on earth is Sinn Feins game here? One minute they are producing their own Terms of Reference for an independent inquiry. Then they are lambasting others for suggesting the Inquiries Act be used. Earlier today Declan Kearney was insisting they would not trigger an inquiry. Yet this afternoon they have totally turned on their heels.

"We are now left with more questions than answers. We need to know the Terms of Reference. Will the Lord Chief Justice be asked to recommend a judge to lead? Will it be a panel of one? Will Mairtin O Muilleoir give a cast iron guarantee not to suspend or fold under powers in section 13 of the Act? And finally, will there be an interim report as promised in Sinn Feins original Terms of Reference?"

Voters in Northern Ireland are set to go to the polls on March 2 after deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest over the flawed scheme.

The money was designed to encourage businesses to use green energy instead of fossil fuels but ended up paying out around 1.60 for every 1 spent on wood to fuel biomass boilers.

There have been allegations of empty sheds being heated in a "cash for ash" scandal.

A call for a public inquiry was backed by the devolved Assembly earlier this week.
Detective Chief Superintendent Hugh Hume told politicians in Stormont that loss of the European Arrest Warrant was a "main concern"

A senior detective has warned that policing faces a real challenge if quick and effective extradition laws are lost in the wake of Brexit.

Detective Chief Superintendent Hugh Hume told politicians in Stormont that negotiations on the split with Europe needed to protect a modern approach to the transfer of criminal and terror suspects.

Mr Hume told the Justice Committee: " The loss of the European Arrest Warrant would be one of the main concerns that we would have."

The senior detective said that the UK made its second highest number of extradition requests to the Republic of Ireland.

"On the world stage Ireland is an important extradition treaty for the United Kingdom," he said.

"It's not just Northern Ireland. It's important to note it's the United Kingdom."

Mr Hume said the extradition issue with the Republic would be at the top of the list in Brexit talks involving British justice officials.

The PSNI detective joined Department of Justice officials at the committee as politicians explored the security, customs and policing issues that might arise in the wake of Brexit and how the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland would be affected.

Mr Hume also said it was too early to run a threat assessment on dissident terrorist activity or border security issues that Brexit may create.

"Until we really know what it's going to look like it'd be pre-emptive to start thinking about a threat assessment around the border," he said.

"At this stage it would all be aspirational.

"It's just too far off at the moment."

David Lavery, Department of Justice official, told the committee that there was ongoing dialogue with officials in the Republic on the potential for Irish ports and airports to have UK immigration checks.

"There is an ongoing dialogue and it pre-dates Brexit between the UK and the Irish Republic about the movement of people," he told the committee.
Sinn Fein has called for a public inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive.

Finance Minister Mairtin O Muilleoir said he wanted to institute an inquiry before the Assembly dissolves.

He said the subsequent report should be published in full to the public on completion.

DUP Leader Arlene Foster welcomed the U-turn by Sinn Fein and said she looked forward to the findings.

Mr O Muilleoir said: It is clear that, with time short until the Assembly dissolves, the only way to serve the public interest is for me as Finance Minister to move to institute a public enquiry immediately. No other type of investigation is now feasible given time pressures."

Sinn Fein had been criticised by their opponents for not backing the call for a public inquiry up until now.

As recently as this morning Sinn Fein's Declan Kearney was arguing that a public inquiry was not the way forward to investigate the debacle.

They had argued that a full-blown investigation under the 2005 Enquiries Act would be lengthly and add to the overall cost of the RHI debacle.

It comes after Sinn Fein collapsed the power-sharing institutions when they refused to nominate a deputy First Minister to replace Martin McGuinness, who resigned over the DUP's handling of the RHI.

The last sitting day of the Assembly will take place on January 25 and the Assembly will be dissolved on January 26.

I have now instructed officials to take the necessary steps to establish a public enquiry under the Enquiries Act 2005 into the RHI scheme," the finance minister continued.

I have received legal advice in regard to these matters. I will make a full statement to the Assembly next week.

This enquiry will be impartial and objective. I will not interfere in its work. It will be tasked to get to the truth of this issue.

Under the Enquiries Act, the enquiry report must go to the Finance Minister. I give a commitment that I or any Sinn Fein Minister will release the report in full to the public on receipt.

I call on all parties to sign up to unrestricted, unedited publication.

I am aware that the RHI issue goes beyond financial matters to questions of governance and probity. By getting to the truth of the RHI scandal, this enquiry report will, I believe, address those wider issues, and, therefore, put the public first.

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DUP Leader Arlene Foster welcomed the backing by Sinn Fein.

She said: "It's something that I have been wanting for some considerable time...so I'm pleased that finally we will get to the truth of what happened in the Renewable Heating Incentive scheme.

"As was confirmed yesterday in committee, I have absolutely nothing to hide, so I look forward to the inquiry reporting."

SDLP North Belfast MLA Nichola Mallon said: "It is welcome that after months of resisting a public inquiry, after weeks of deriding and debasing the SDLP demand for a public inquiry and within hours of the SDLP Leader renewing his call for a change in their position on a public inquiry, that Sinn Fein have now moved to launch a public inquiry.

"Over the last 30 days of dithering alone, 2.5m of public money has been lost to the RHI black hole by Executive parties resisting the highest standard of accountability on this issue. The Finance Minister must now take the advice of the Lord Chief Justice to appoint a respected judicial figure to oversee this inquiry and give the inquiry full authority to publish their report independently from his office or department. There must be no suspicion of interference."

Ulster Unionist finance spokesperson Philip Smith MLA said: "What on earth is Sinn Feins game here? One minute they are producing their own Terms of Reference for an independent inquiry. Then they are lambasting others for suggesting the Inquiries Act be used. Earlier today Declan Kearney was insisting they would not trigger an inquiry. Yet this afternoon they have totally turned on their heels.

"We are now left with more questions than answers. We need to know the Terms of Reference. Will the Lord Chief Justice be asked to recommend a judge to lead? Will it be a panel of one? Will Mairtin O Muilleoir give a cast iron guarantee not to suspend or fold under powers in section 13 of the Act? And finally, will there be an interim report as promised in Sinn Feins original Terms of Reference?"

Voters in Northern Ireland are set to go to the polls on March 2 after deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest over the flawed scheme.

The money was designed to encourage businesses to use green energy instead of fossil fuels but ended up paying out around 1.60 for every 1 spent on wood to fuel biomass boilers.

There have been allegations of empty sheds being heated in a "cash for ash" scandal.

A call for a public inquiry was backed by the devolved Assembly earlier this week.
A family in Larne who were left devastated after burglars stole money saved up by their late mother for her gravestone, are now "delighted" after a stonemason offered to do the work for free.

The cash, which had belonged to 83-year-old mother and grandmother Margaret Martin, was taken from her daughter Elaine Wood's home earlier in January, leaving the family heartbroken.

Mrs Martin, who died from breast cancer, had saved up 800 to get her name and picture on her headstone.

After the theft, the family said the money was her "hard-earned cash, which she had put away, year after year", and they had resolved to pay for the work themselves.

Thankfully, though, they no longer have to.

After reading about the family's plight, Coleraine-based stonemason Tony Kneeland, decided to offer his services free of charge.

He approached the family via the Belfast Telegraph to offer his assistance.

"I came across the news online," Mr Kneeland, who runs Kneeland Memorials, told the Belfast Telegraph.

"I've been a funeral director and a stonemason for 20 years, and I was gutted for them. I just couldn't get it out of my head, so I decided to contact the family.

"I made the offer and didn't even think they would take me up on the offer, but she (Margaret's daughter) was delighted.

He added: "I've just started my own business this year so hopefully it will be good karma for the year to come.

"I'm going up to meet her and see the headstone Saturday week and we will discuss what she wants on it and I'll get the job done for her."

Speaking to the Larne Times, the woman's daughter, Elaine Wood, said it had restored her faith in human nature.

"This is a very, very nice gesture indeed," she said.

"It proves that there are people out there who are very kind.

"It's not a nice thing to have happened but at least some good has come out of it.

"It restores our faith in human kind.

"There are still good people out there, and it's nice to know somebody cares."

The family's home was just one of many houses targeted in a spate of burglaries in Larne and surrounding areas.

"We just want people to raise awareness and to encourage more people to be vigilant and to keep a wee eye out," she said.

"We would like to thank the local community for their kind wishes and thoughts, and of course Tony for kindly offering to do the work on my mum's grave for free."

Meanwhile, police are still appealing to anyone with information about the burglary to come forward.

A PSNI spokesperson said: "At approximately 3.05pm on Thursday, January 5, police received the report of a burglary at a residential premises in the Station Road area of Larne.

"A sum of money was taken from the property. Investigations are ongoing."

Anyone with information, or that may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area, is urged to contact Larne police station on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 630 on 05/01/17.

"Alternatively, if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
Patrick Sanders as Dr Jumbles (far right) with other clown doctors

A man who brought smiles to the faces of sick children in hospitals across Northern Ireland by dressing as a clown doctor, has died suddenly.

Patrick Sanders, who was known to families as Dr Jumbles, brought warmth and humour to children's hospital wards.

The 40-year-old from Portstewart was well-known for his work with the Northern Ireland Clown Doctors, particularly at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

Dressed in colourful medical clothing, the children's performer brightened many young lives.

He also worked as a illustrator in children's arts and was given the Artists Career Enhancement Scheme (ACES) award for his talent.

Patrick, who married his partner Colin a number of years ago, was found dead on Monday.

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland said that his work as a performer brought creativity and play into challenging hospital environments.

"He created shows for young audiences, including A Boy and His Box with (Belfast-based) Replay Theatre Company and the Nearly True Tours with Young at Art," a spokesman said.

"His interactive, live drawing show for children, Once Upon a Time, was chosen to represent work from Northern Ireland at the all-Ireland event in 2010 and the Belfast Children's Festival's All-Ireland Showcase in 2012.

"The show collected the award for Best Multi-Arts Project at the 2013 British Awards for Storytelling Excellence."

An online description of 'Dr Jumbles' describes how he entertained sick children with comical stories while "wearing all his favourite clothes at once".

"Dr Jumbles knows lots of stuff, but only has a tiny brain to keep it all in," it said.

"This means he gets a bit jumbled up in there, hence his favourite song: Baa Baa Black Sheep, Merrily down the Stream."

The well-respected illustrator, who was one of the founders of the Outburst queer arts festival, travelled across Europe with his live drawings.

Through his work with the Replay Theatre Company, he combined illustration and performance for young audiences.

"Patrick was warmly regarded by many in the sector. He was a well-respected collaborator on a wide range of arts projects and a familiar presence at live performances, which he would often illustrate in his inimitable style," the Arts Council spokesman continued.

"He was a cartoonist-in-residence at conferences, workshops, theatre rehearsals and focus groups, where his illustrations were used to generate further discussion.

"As a professional cartoonist, he was in demand around the UK and Ireland, and his work has been documented across Europe, including Germany and Switzerland."

Niall Bakewell, a close friend of Mr Sanders said he was an "artist, actor, activist and all-round genius".

"He brought warmth and humour to children going through hell in hospital in his work as a clown doctor," he said in an online tribute.

"He spoke out against medieval bigotry and oafishness, and used his exceptional artistic talent to imagine a more enlightened, united Northern Ireland.

"He was central to the grassroots arts scene in Belfast, and understood its importance as a breeding ground for protest and political transformation.

"He was also the most important curator of Doctor Who knowledge anyone could hope to meet, which probably means much more to me than you.

"Everyone has a duty to work harder to make this challenged and challenging little postage stamp of a statelet a fairer, cleaner, happier place, so that bright souls like Patrick aren't overwhelmed by the shadows it casts."

In a tribute from the Replay Theatre Company, it said that Mr Sanders was well-liked for his "good humour and huge talent".

"Patrick was a good friend, a talented artist and the perfect mix of mischievous fun and genuine caring," it added.

Mr Sanders also donated some of his artwork to the maternity ward at Altnagelvin Hospital, which includes the illustrated book entitled, Your Little Tiny Welcome To The Great Big Whole Wide World, which is often read by new parents attending the Londonderry hospital.
Police officers dealt with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on as a house is attacked in the area by masked men. (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers dealt with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on as a house is attacked in the area by masked men. (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers dealt with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on as a house is attacked in the area by masked men. (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers dealt with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on as a house is attacked in the area by masked men. (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers dealt with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on as a house is attacked in the area by masked men. (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers dealt with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on as a house is attacked in the area by masked men. (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers dealt with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on as a house is attacked in the area by masked men. (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers dealt with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on as a house is attacked in the area by masked men. (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

A woman has been injured and a man arrested after an angry mob gathered outside the Belfast home of a man listed on Facebook page as a potential target for a so-called 'punishment shooting' on Wednesday night.

Hundreds of people swarmed to the property in Poleglass, with many demanding that the man leaves the area.

Police were called to Laurelbank in Poleglass, where a car had been smashed up at around 7.30pm.

It is believed to belong to a man accused of involvement in a public altercation in the area recently.

Masked men smashed the windows of his home, where it's believed a young child was staying. A woman in the house was attacked. However she did not receive serious injuries. The gang later made off on foot.

Police had to escort a number of family members, including the targeted man, to safety.

It's understood the Housing Executive has provided the family with emergency accommodation.

Read More

Angry residents could be heard shouting obscenities as the man was escorted from the area.

Police are appealing for witnesses following an incident in the Laurelbank area of Dunmurry last night, Wednesday 18 January.

While officers were conducting follow-up enquiries in the area a 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon after a fight broke out between two men. He was interviewed and later released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Police have appealed for information.

The incident came just days after a husband and wife were shot at their home on Norglen Parade.

PSNI Belfast commander Chief Superintendent Chris Noble said it is too early to say whether the recent shootings are linked, but added they are a huge concern to both the police and the people of west Belfast.

"In terms of the basic facts of the incident, we were informed by the Ambulance Service just after 10pm (on Tuesday) that they had come across a young male, a 26-year-old male, who had been shot twice - once in each leg," he said.

"We attended very quickly afterwards and there was an immediate closure of the scene and attempts to secure evidence and we have since engaged with the victim in hospital, who thankfully is stable.

"We want to condemn what has happened. In terms of people involved, it is very early days to speculate but at the very least they are criminals. It is also too early to say if the number of recent shootings are linked but clearly there is an active line of inquiry around violent dissident republicans being involved."

"We also don't want to speculate on exactly why this individual was targeted. We don't want to speculate on the cause but clearly there is no justification whatsoever for this type of anti community behaviour."

Mr Noble called on anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area and in particular after 10pm to come forward to police.
Stormont's Economy Committee has heard that the London government, which is providing the bulk of the entire RHI cost is "very concerned" with the scandal.

On Monday Economy Minister Simon Hamilton outlined his plans to reduce the costs in the coming year.

Those measures are being discussed at Thursday's meeting of the Economy Committee with department permanent secretary Andrew McCormick.

Dr McCormick's appearance comes after he faced five hours of questioning over how the scheme was run during his time in the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment.

While he was not permanent secretary when the scheme was established he was there when it was eventually capped and then closed.

He told the committee HM Treasury, which is providing 600million toward the scheme, is "very concerned" with the scandal.

"They do read Northern Ireland newspapers," said Dr McCormick, "they are aware."

The committee was also told that there was a misconception that the problem with RHI was just those that abused the system was wrong.

"Abusers are a subset of the overcompensated," MLAs were told by an official.

The MLAs were also told legal advice on the cost saving plan was "clear and robust" and the department was confident it would work.

The Treasury was to cover the cost of the RHI scheme, however, given the lack of the tariff caps in the Northern Ireland scheme, Stormont is to pick up the bill for the 490m projected overspend.

The Renewable Heating Incentive has been described as the biggest financial scandal in the history of devolved government.

Unlike a similar scheme in England, there was no cap on the payments meaning many businesses profited from the scheme.

Former First Minister Arlene Foster, who was enterprise minister when the scheme was set up, has pledged to work to reduce the projected 490m overspend to zero.
Julian Assange has been living at the Ecuadorian embassy in London since the summer of 2012

Julian Assange stands by his offer to go to the United States now that Chelsea Manning is being released, he told a press conference.

Speaking from the Ecuadorian embassy in London via social media, the WikiLeaks founder and editor signalled there would be "many discussions" on his future before Manning leaves prison in May.

He welcomed Barack Obama's decision to free the former soldier jailed for handing over classified documents to the anti-secrecy organisation.

The outgoing US president used his final hours in the White House to allow Manning to go free nearly 30 years early.

The transgender former intelligence analyst, born Bradley Manning, said she had passed on government and military documents to raise awareness about the impact of war.

Mr Assange, who has been living at the Ecuadorian embassy since the summer of 2012 for fear of being extradited to the US, praised campaigners for their role in the decision.

He was interviewed in the embassy in November in the presence of prosecutors from Sweden, where he faces a sex allegation.

He denies the claims, but insists he faces extradition to the United States for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks if he leaves the embassy.

WikiLeaks tweeted last week: "If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ (Department of Justice) case."

Asked whether he will now leave the embassy, he said: "I stand by everything I said, including the offer to go to the United States if Chelsea Manning's sentence was commuted. It is not going to be commuted until May - we can have many discussions to that point.

Expand Close Former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning believes it is her last chance 'for a very long time' (AP Photo/U.S. Army, File) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning believes it is her last chance 'for a very long time' (AP Photo/U.S. Army, File)

"I have always been willing to go to the United States provided my rights are respected."

Mr Assange said there has been a seven-year long attempt to build a prosecution against him and WikiLeaks in the US, and his name is on several warrants and subpoenas.

"As of this year it is active and ongoing," he said.

Mr Assange said if it took him going to the US to "flush out" the case being prepared against him, or to drop it, then "we are looking at that".

He said the UK's Crown Prosecution Service had refused to confirm or deny whether there was an extradition request from the US.

Mr Assange said he loved what WikiLeaks was doing, adding it had published more than 10 million documents that had never been made public before, which had contributed to justice and led to innocent people being released from prison.

Asked if he would receive different treatment under President Donald Trump, Mr Assange replied: "It remains to be seen."

Questioned why he had not gone to Sweden to be interviewed, he pointed out he had never been charged "at any stage", had already been cleared by the Swedish authorities in relation to the allegation, while the United Nations had "firmly found" that he was being detained illegally.

He added that Sweden was refusing to guarantee that he would not be extradited to the US.

What did Manning leak?

The former US Army intelligence analyst was jailed in 2010 after handing 700,000 military files, diplomatic cables and videos to WikiLeaks. The material was published by WikiLeaks and other media outlets between April and November 2010.

The material included:

- Video of July 12, 2007 Baghdad airstrike,

- Video of the 2009 Granai airstrike in Afghanistan

- 251,287 US diplomatic cables

- 482,832 Army reports ( Iraq War Logs and Afghan War Diary).

Manning has tried to kill herself twice in the past year, and went on hunger strike in September in a bid to receive gender reassignment surgery.

Manning told the Guardian she had not had the chance to live yet after spending most of her adult life either homeless, in the military or in prison.

Read more

Read More

Manning pleaded guilty to a range of charges in 2010, including violations of the Espionage Act. After sentencing, she delivered an apology to the court, which has been broadcast for the very first time by NBC.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that my actions hurt people. I'm sorry that they hurt the United States," she said.

"I understand that I must pay the price for my decisions and actions.

More than 117,000 people have signed a petition launched in November calling for her sentence to be reduced.

She's only 29: extremely smart, compassionate and passionate. Whatever she chooses to do, her impact will be huge. https://t.co/teQuugdRXU  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 17, 2017

Background

Manning was acquitted of aiding the enemy, the gravest charge laid against him by the US government. She was, however, found guilty of 19 other charges including espionage, theft and computer fraud.

Following the verdict, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange accused President Barack Obama of "national security extremism," referring to Manning "the most important journalistic source the world has ever seen".

"The government kept Bradley Manning in a cage, stripped him naked and isolated him in order to break him, an act formally condemned by the United Nations Special Rapporteur for torture. This was never a fair trial," Assange said from inside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.

"It is a dangerous precedent and an example of national security extremism. It is a short-sighted judgment that cannot be tolerated and it must be reversed."

Its hard not to draw the conclusion that Manning's trial was about sending a message: the US government will come after you, Amnesty International noted.

Making a statement in alongside his guilty pleas in 2013, Manning said he wanted to reveal the bloodlust of the US military and so-called disregard for human life.

He transmitted his first batch of papers to WikiLeaks, founded by Assange, on 3 February 2001 with an attached note. This is possibly one of the more significant documents of our time, removing the fog of war, and revealing the true nature of the 21st century asymmetric warfare. Have a good day.

Thereafter he handed over more than 700,000 documents, including battlefield notes from Iraq and Afghanistan and a video of a US helicopter attack in Baghdad. Last month marked the fifth anniversary of the release of the 'Collateral Murder' video which showed a July 12, 2007 US Apache attack helicopter attack upon individuals in a Baghdad suburb.

The attack killed twelve people including a Reuters photographer and his driver.

On August 21, 2013, Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison. On the day after her sentencing, Manning announced via a statement on the morning talk show Today that she is transgender and wanted to be known as Chelsea.

The whistleblower behind the Pentagon Papers, Daniel Ellsberg, called Manning a 'hero'.

Seven things we would not have known without whistleblowers

Here are other notable whistleblowers - and the stories that might otherwise have remained untold.

1 Richard Nixon's abuses of presidential power

Possibly the most famous case of whistleblowing, In the early 1970s Mark Felt leaked highly classified documents to two young journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein at the Washington Post, in a expose that would become the world-famous Watergate.

Mr Felts disclosures would eventually lead to President Richard Nixons resignation, exposing a myriad of political abuses, and triggered what Vanity Fair described in 2005 as the most serious constitutional crisis since the 1868 impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson.

2 Israels nuclear programme

Mordechai Vanunu, a former Israeli nuclear technician, released details of Israels secret nuclear reactor, next to the desert town of Dimona, to the Sunday Times in the 1980s. Vanunu was abducted by Israeli security agents after publication.

He subsequently spent 18 years in jail (11 years of which were reportedly in solitary confinement) before his release in 2004. He spent an additional three months for violating his release terms.

3 Bill Clinton's 'relations' with Monica Lewinsky

The affair that almost brought down the White House was partially exposed by whistleblower Linda Tripp who secretly recorded conversation with Monica Lewinsky in 1998.

She later told the Office of Independent Counsel that Ms Lewinsky had committed perjury when Ms Lewinsky claimed she had not had an affair with Mr Clinton.

4 Failed attempt on Muammar Gaddafis life

MI5 officer David Shayler, along with girlfriend Annie Machon, resigned from the British Secret Service in 1996 to expose information alleging criminal activity by the service.

Among the information  some of which was later upheld in court  Mr Shayler claimed that MI6 was involved in an attempt to kill Gaddafi without the permission of then foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind. The plot allegedly failed but did kill several civilians.

5 NSAs illegal wiretaps

Although other  better known  whistleblowers also spoke out about the NSAs (National Security Agency) violations, Russ Tice was the first to do so.

In 2005 he was the major source for a New York Times expose on the agencys unconstitutional wiretaps, a piece that later was built on by Edward Snowdons extensive revelations.

6 Systematic NYPD corruption

Over 11 years working for the New York City Police Department Frank Serpico  later immortalised by Al Pacino  uncovered widespread evidence of systematic corruption.

Although Mr Serpico attempted for years to work within the system to prevent changes (making himself hugely unpopular within the NYPD) it was a front page New York Times expose in 1970 that prompted an official investigation.

7 HSBC helped clients evade millions of dollars in tax

Former computer systems analyst Herve Falciani exposed the fraud in the Swiss arm of HSBC by carrying out one of the biggest data leaks in the history of banking.

Mr Falciani used the confidential data of over 106,000 customers across 200 countries, collected between 2006 and 2007, to expose the bank's actions.

The Swiss authorities have accused Mr Falciani of attempting to sell off the data, but he maintains he exposed a "broken" system.

Julian Assange's statement on the first day of Manning trial

Monday 3rd June 2013

4 June 2013

As I type these lines, on June 3, 2013, Private First Class Bradley Edward Manning is being tried in a sequestered room at Fort Meade, Maryland, for the alleged crime of telling the truth. The court martial of the most prominent political prisoner in modern US history has now, finally, begun.

It has been three years. Bradley Manning, then 22 years old, was arrested in Baghdad on May 26, 2010. He was shipped to Kuwait, placed into a cage, and kept in the sweltering heat of Camp Arifjan.

"For me, I stopped keeping track," he told the court last November. "I didnt know whether night was day or day was night. And my world became very, very small. It became these cages... I remember thinking Im going to die."

After protests from his lawyers, Bradley Manning was then transferred to a brig at a US Marine Corps Base in Quantico, VA, where - infamously - he was subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment at the hands of his captors - a formal finding by the UN. Isolated in a tiny cell for twenty-three out of twenty-four hours a day, he was deprived of his glasses, sleep, blankets and clothes, and prevented from exercising. All of this - it has been determined by a military judge - "punished" him before he had even stood trial.

"Brads treatment at Quantico will forever be etched, I believe, in our nations history, as a disgraceful moment in time" said his lawyer, David Coombs. "Not only was it stupid and counterproductive, it was criminal."

The United States was, in theory, a nation of laws. But it is no longer a nation of laws for Bradley Manning.

When the abuse of Bradley Manning became a scandal reaching all the way to the President of the United States and Hillary Clintons spokesman resigned to register his dissent over Mr. Mannings treatment, an attempt was made to make the problem less visible. Bradley Manning was transferred to the Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

He has waited in prison for three years for a trial - 986 days longer than the legal maximum - because for three years the prosecution has dragged its feet and obstructed the court, denied the defense access to evidence and abused official secrecy. This is simply illegal - all defendants are constitutionally entitled to a speedy trial - but the transgression has been acknowledged and then overlooked.

Against all of this, it would be tempting to look on the eventual commencement of his trial as a mercy. But that is hard to do.

We no longer need to comprehend the "Kafkaesque" through the lens of fiction or allegory. It has left the pages and lives among us, stalking our best and brightest. It is fair to call what is happening to Bradley Manning a "show trial". Those invested in what is called the "US military justice system" feel obliged to defend what is going on, but the rest of us are free to describe this travesty for what it is. No serious commentator has any confidence in a benign outcome. The pretrial hearings have comprehensively eliminated any meaningful uncertainty, inflicting pre-emptive bans on every defense argument that had any chance of success.

Bradley Manning may not give evidence as to his stated intent (exposing war crimes and their context), nor may he present any witness or document that shows that no harm resulted from his actions. Imagine you were put on trial for murder. In Bradley Mannings court, you would be banned from showing that it was a matter of self-defence, because any argument or evidence as to intent is banned. You would not be able to show that the victim is, in fact, still alive, because that would be evidence as to the lack of harm.

But of course. Did you forget whose show it is?

The government has prepared for a good show. The trial is to proceed for twelve straight weeks: a fully choreographed extravaganza, with a 141-strong cast of prosecution witnesses. The defense was denied permission to call all but a handful of witnesses. Three weeks ago, in closed session, the court actually held a rehearsal. Even experts on military law have called this unprecedented.

Bradley Mannings conviction is already written into the script. The commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces, Barack Obama, spoiled the plot for all of us when he pronounced Bradley Manning guilty two years ago. "He broke the law," President Obama stated, when asked on camera at a fundraiser about his position on Mr. Manning. In a civilized society, such a prejudicial statement alone would have resulted in a mistrial.

To convict Bradley Manning, it will be necessary for the US government to conceal crucial parts of his trial. Key portions of the trial are to be conducted in secrecy: 24 prosecution witnesses will give secret testimony in closed session, permitting the judge to claim that secret evidence justifies her decision. But closed justice is no justice at all.

What cannot be shrouded in secrecy will be hidden through obfuscation. The remote situation of the courtroom, the arbitrary and discretionary restrictions on access for journalists, and the deliberate complexity and scale of the case are all designed to drive fact-hungry reporters into the arms of official military PR men, who mill around the Fort Meade press room like over-eager sales assistants. The management of Bradley Mannings case will not stop at the limits of the courtroom. It has already been revealed that the Pentagon is closely monitoring press coverage and social media discussions on the case.

This is not justice; never could this be justice. The verdict was ordained long ago. Its function is not to determine questions such as guilt or innocence, or truth or falsehood. It is a public relations exercise, designed to provide the government with an alibi for posterity. It is a show of wasteful vengeance; a theatrical warning to people of conscience.

The alleged act in respect of which Bradley Manning is charged is an act of great conscience - the single most important disclosure of subjugated history, ever. There is not a political system anywhere on the earth that has not seen light as a result. In court, in February, Bradley Manning said that he wanted to expose injustice, and to provoke worldwide debate and reform. Bradley Manning is accused of being a whistleblower, a good man, who cared for others and who followed higher orders. Bradley Manning is effectively accused of conspiracy to commit journalism.

But this is not the language the prosecution uses. The most serious charge against Bradley Manning is that he "aided the enemy" - a capital offence that should require the greatest gravity, but here the US government laughs at the world, to breathe life into a phantom. The government argues that Bradley Manning communicated with a media organisation, WikiLeaks, who communicated to the public. It also argues that al-Qaeda (who else) is a member of the public. Hence, it argues that Bradley Manning communicated "indirectly" with al-Qaeda, a formally declared US "enemy", and therefore that Bradley Manning communicated with "the enemy".

But what about "aiding" in that most serious charge, "aiding the enemy"? Dont forget that this is a show trial. The court has banned any evidence of intent. The court has banned any evidence of the outcome, the lack of harm, the lack of any victim. It has ruled that the government doesnt need to show that any "aiding" occurred and the prosecution doesnt claim it did. The judge has stated that it is enough for the prosecution to show that al-Qaeda, like the rest of the world, reads WikiLeaks.

Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people," wrote John Adams, "who have a right and a desire to know.

When communicating with the press is "aiding the enemy" it is the "general knowledge among the people" itself which has become criminal. Just as Bradley Manning is condemned, so too is that spirit of liberty in which America was founded.

In the end it is not Bradley Manning who is on trial. His trial ended long ago. The defendent now, and for the next 12 weeks, is the United States. A runaway military, whose misdeeds have been laid bare, and a secretive government at war with the public. They sit in the docks. We are called to serve as jurists. We must not turn away.

Statement by Julian Assange on verdict in Bradley Manning court-martial

30 July 2013

Today Bradley Manning, a whistleblower, was convicted by a military court at Fort Meade of 20 offences for supplying the press with information, including six counts of espionage. He now faces a maximum sentence of 136 years.

The aiding the enemy charge has fallen away. It was only included, it seems, to make calling journalism espionage seem reasonable. It is not.

Bradley Mannings alleged disclosures have exposed war crimes, sparked revolutions, and induced democratic reform. He is the quintessential whistleblower.

This is the first ever espionage conviction against a whistleblower. It is a dangerous precedent and an example of national security extremism. It is a short sighted judgment that can not be tolerated and must be reversed. It can never be that conveying true information to the public is espionage.

President Obama has initiated more espionage proceedings against whistleblowers and publishers than all previous presidents combined.

In 2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama ran on a platform that praised whistleblowing as an act of courage and patriotism. That platform has been comprehensively betrayed. His campaign document described whistleblowers as watchdogs when government abuses its authority. It was removed from the internet last week.

Throughout the proceedings there has been a conspicuous absence: the absence of any victim. The prosecution did not present evidence that - or even claim that - a single person came to harm as a result of Bradley Mannings disclosures. The government never claimed Mr. Manning was working for a foreign power.

The only victim was the US governments wounded pride, but the abuse of this fine young man was never the way to restore it. Rather, the abuse of Bradley Manning has left the world with a sense of disgust at how low the Obama administration has fallen. It is not a sign of strength, but of weakness.

The judge has allowed the prosecution to substantially alter the charges after both the defense and the prosecution had rested their cases, permitted the prosecution 141 witnesses and extensive secret testimony. The government kept Bradley Manning in a cage, stripped him naked and isolated him in order to crack him, an act formally condemned by the United Nations Special Rapporteur for torture. This was never a fair trial.

The Obama administration has been chipping away democratic freedoms in the United States. With todays verdict, Obama has hacked off much more. The administration is intent on deterring and silencing whistleblowers, intent on weakening freedom of the press.

The US first amendment states that "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press". What part of no does Barack Obama fail to comprehend?
Chancellor Philip Hammond has launched an attack on populist politics, warning that there was "no sustainable future" in protectionism, subsidies and high debt.

His comments may be seen as a criticism of positions set out by US President-elect Donald Trump during his election campaign, when he promised to implement protectionist tariffs and borrow for infrastructure investment as part of his mission to "make America great again".

Speaking at a business lunch at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Hammond acknowledged that the political upsets of 2016 - including Mr Trump's election and Britain's referendum vote for Brexit - were in part driven by worries about globalisation and technological change.

But he said it would be wrong to respond by retreating from the free trade system.

" Politicians who take the populist route will find it a very short road," said the Chancellor.

"There is no sustainable future for a developed economy in protectionism, subsidy and high debt.

"So whether it's on restoring the public finances to health, getting the right Brexit deal for Britain or tackling the long-term productivity challenge facing our economy, this Government is providing the responsible economic leadership that our country needs.

"That means facing up to the fact that we have some hard graft ahead. There are no easy answers. Populism is a fool's paradise."

Speaking on the eve of Mr Trump's inauguration as President, Mr Hammond said there was no doubt that an anti-establishment and anti-globalisation mood was a factor in the electoral upsets of 2016 and the rise of populist parties in countries across Europe.

But he said it was vital for the UK to remain "an open economy and an outward-looking society".

"I do not doubt that a section of the population is disillusioned by the obsolescence of their skills and the stagnant real wages that implies, and happy to kick the political establishment when given an opportunity to do so. And we, as politicians, need to hear that message and react to it," he said.

"But it's a big step to say the UK electorate as a whole is fundamentally rejecting capitalism or globalisation. It isn't.

"Some of them were simply expressing a view on the European Union. And, of course, on immigration.

"As the Prime Minister has made clear, we need to show how we can build an economy - on the bedrock of our tried and proven system - that will work for everyone in an age not just of globalisation but of unstoppable technological change."
Thomas Cook said the first flight back from the country - since it triggered contingency plans to return customers - had departed after a short delay, and will land in Manchester on Wednesday evening

UK holidaymakers have begun returning from The Gambia, amid growing concerns about political unrest in the west African nation.

Thousands of Britons are due to be flown home after the Foreign Office (FCO) urged people to avoid non-essential travel to the winter sun destination.

Thomas Cook said the first flight back from the country - since it triggered contingency plans to return customers - had departed after a short delay, and will land in Manchester on Wednesday evening.

The flight's departure comes following reports that Senegalese troops are moving towards the Gambian border from two sides.

Thomas Cook said it expected to have brought back around 3,500 passengers, on a total of 16 flights, by the end of Friday.

The Gambia's 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.

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 international airport in the capital Banjul could be closed "at short notice", according to the travel advice.

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 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.
British national and former news correspondent David Fox in his cell in Bali, Indonesia (AP)

A British former war correspondent has gone on trial in Indonesia charged with possessing hashish on the resort island of Bali.

David Fox, who worked for US news agency Reuters, was arrested in October along with Australian Giuseppe Serafino.

Police confiscated a total of 10.09g (0.36oz) of hashish from Fox's clothing and house.

The 55-year-old is on trial at the Denpasar District Court, where prosecutor Erawati Susina said on Thursday that he could face a maximum four years in prison.

Police said Fox told them he had used the drug for years to overcome stress caused by covering conflicts.

Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws and convicted smugglers are often executed. About 150 people are on death row, mostly for drug crimes.

AP
Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh has been in power in the tiny West African nation for more than two decades (AP/Jerome Delay, File)

Senegalese troops have charged into neighbouring Gambia in a show of force to oust longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh after he failed to step aside when his mandate ended at midnight after losing the presidential election last month.

The troops moved in shortly after Adama Barrow was inaugurated as Gambia's first new leader in more than 22 years at the country's embassy in neighbouring Senegal after a final effort at diplomatic talks with Mr Jammeh failed to secure his departure.

Senegalese military spokesman Colonel Abdou Ndiaye confirmed to the Associated Press that the first West African troops had crossed into Gambia and were on their way to the capital, Banjul.

AP journalists saw at least 20 military vehicles gathered at the border town of Karang.

In his inaugural speech, which took place under heavy security, Mr Barrow called on Mr Jammeh to respect the will of the people and step aside.

The new president also called on Gambia's armed forces to remain in their barracks as the regional military intervention got under way.

Outside Gambia's embassy in Dakar, Baal Jaabang held up a freshly framed portrait of Mr Barrow, already printed with the words: His Excellency Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of Gambia.

"I'm extremely delighted, so wonderfully happy today," he said.

"But now the situation risks moving into fighting. No Gambian - in the diaspora or back home - wants our country to face fighting."

Mr Barrow had come to Senegal last week at the urging of West African mediators, who had feared for his safety amid the political crisis.

He arrived at the embassy to cheers of joy from hundreds of Gambians who had gathered, with national flags, for a glimpse of the new president.

"Our national flag will now fly high among the most democratic nations of the world," Mr Barrow said after the ceremony.

Mr Barrow was declared the winner of the December 1 election and at first was congratulated by Mr Jammeh in a phone call aired on state television.

But once it was suggested that Mr Jammeh could face criminal charges linked to his long rule, he backtracked and challenged the vote in court, alleging irregularities.

Mr Jammeh on Thursday remained at his official residence and intended to stay there, said an official close to the administration.

If the regional force is going to arrest Mr Jammeh, it will have to be there, the official said.

Many of Mr Jammeh's loyalists will resist, the official added.

But there were signs that some in Gambia's military might not put up a fight.

One soldier said several barracks had indicated they would support Mr Barrow.

Gambia's army is estimated at well below 5,000 troops.

Alex Vines, head of the Africa programme at Chatham House in London, said Mr Jammeh may try to cling to power for a few more days but was becoming increasingly isolated.

"After the inauguration of Adama Barrow, the trickle of power flowing to him will become more of a flood," Vines said.

"Jammeh clearly believes leaving Gambia in a hurry is an option - his aircraft has been on standby at Banjul airport for two weeks," he added.

African nations began stepping away from Mr Jammeh, with Botswana announcing it no longer recognised him as Gambia's president.

His refusal to hand over power "undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance" in Gambia and Africa in general, it said.

The African Union earlier announced that the continental body would no longer recognise Mr Jammeh once his mandate expired.

Congratulations to Mr Barrow began pouring in, including from British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and the head of the African Union, who said she would invite Mr Barrow to attend the continental body's summit late this month.

Inside Gambia, many people hugged and cheered, chanting "New Gambia, new Gambia!" as news of the inauguration spread.

"It's unbelievable! Today I can say anything. I am the happiest man on earth," said Lamin Sama, a 35-year-old in Banjul.

"For 22 years we couldn't say anything, we were like slaves."

AP
Lawmakers are ignoring the fact that these apex carnivores occupy just a fraction of their original range and number only 5,000 across the entire lower 48 states. Photo by iStockphoto

2.4K shares







Just days after the newly constituted Congress commenced its work in the new year, some legislators from the West and the Great Lakes region showed that they have their fangs out for wolves and other animals. They are threatening not just to enable a massive kill of the ecologically and economically beneficial native carnivores, but also to open the floodgates for a host of bills and riders to target other endangered species in the crosshairs of special interests. These legislators have introduced two bills, H.R. 424 and S. 164, dubbed the War on Wolves Act, designed to remove federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in Wyoming and the northern Great Lakes states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and to prevent federal courts from intervening to ensure wolf management is consistent with principles of sound conservation science. They will almost certainly deliver on that promise if Congress passes them and President Donald Trump signs a final bill.

The War on Wolves Act strips the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of its management authority over wolves and hands it off to state agencies whose past actions have shown a bias toward the bloodthirsty. These agencies have treated non-lethal co-existence measures as a sort of management oddity rather than the core of a sound strategy that balances the needs of wolves with the interests of wolf-country residents.

Lawmakers, quick to cater to the vocal minority that wants to hunt and trap wolves, are ignoring the best available science, which reveals that these apex carnivores occupy just a fraction of their original range and number only 5,000 across the entire lower 48 states. That science also shows that random killing of wolves  by trophy hunters and trappers  may actually lead to conflicts between wolves and livestock by disrupting and dispersing stable packs.

When the federal government delisted wolves in 2012  and before federal lawsuits from The HSUS restored protections  trophy hunters and trappers, along with other causes of mortality, killed nearly a quarter of Minnesotas wolves. Humans killed nearly one in every five wolves in Wisconsin that same year, including 17 entire family units, and half of the wolves killed in that states first season were pups. Michigan also conducted an ill-advised hunt, over the objections of the states own voters, in areas where common-sense measures would have prevented the few conflicts that had occurred with livestock and hunting dogs. In fact, between 2012 and 2014, 500 wolves had been killed in the Great Lakes states alone. Wyoming declared that over 80 percent of the state was a wolf predator zone  meaning that trophy hunters, trappers, and wildlife services agents had no restrictions on the manner of take, season for the killing, or even the age of pups or yearling animals. That policy is a prescription for local extinction.

This is not a sensible or conservation-minded plan and most definitely not a humane one  it is an all-out, barbaric assault on the forebears of the domesticated dog.

In 2014, two separate federal court decisions returned wolves in the Great Lakes region and Wyoming to protections afforded to them under the ESA. Because of this, the sponsors of the War on Wolves Act included an insidious provision that would prevent citizens from challenging wolf protections through the courts, removing judicial review and putting Congress squarely in charge of making a listing decision. As the Chicago Tribune pointedly remarked when this same attempt was made in 2016: The only reason to bar court challenges, of course, is to avoid having the legal weakness of your case exposed.

A study last year showed that most Americans hold positive or even very positive associations with wolves. A 2014 statewide survey of nearly 9,000 Wisconsin residents showed most residents believe that wolves are important members of the ecological community who keep deer in balance and should be enjoyed by future generations. Wisconsinites surveyed said they were proud they were one of the few places in the United States with wolves and most did not want to see their wolves hunted or trapped.

Upon their reintroduction to Yellowstone, wolves moderated elk from congregating and stripping away vegetation from life-bearing riparian areas. These effects are documented in a popular video called How Wolves Change Rivers, based on a lecture by journalist and environmental advocate George Monbiot. The video has attracted more than 31 million views on YouTube. Wolves are also an enormous draw in the Upper Great Lakes, generating millions in commerce, while providing ecological benefits that are incalculable.

If Democrats in Congress, such as Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Amy Klobuchar, continue to align with Republicans on this issue, they will not only destroy wolf families and produce enormous pain and suffering for individual wolves, but they will also cripple defensive efforts to protect other endangered species targeted by special interests who want to remove federal protections for them. This is dangerous stuff, at a time when the ESA is likely to face its most serious and sustained assault ever because of Republican majorities in both chambers and now with Trump in the White House.

Democrats should come to their senses, embrace active management of the occasional problem wolf, and defend both the decisions by scientists and judges to honor the provisions of the ESA. If they do not, well see an emptying of the ark in the United States in this Congress, starting with wolves. We need to send a signal that the American public wont go for this species-by-species gutting of our nations most important wildlife protection law.
US President Barack Obama is warning that the "moment may be passing" for a two-state solution to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.

Mr Obama said in his final White House news conference that he continues to be worried that the "status quo is unsustainable" in Israel.

He said his administration has tried to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution because he does not "see an alternative to it".

The United States decision to allow the United Nations' most powerful body to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem has been condemned by President-elect Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr Obama said the president-elect "will have his own policy" and that is his administration's prerogative. The president calls the situation in Israel "a volatile environment".

AP
A montain view from the main road to Monterale, after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region, on January 19, 2017. Several people have died after a ski hotel was buried by an avalanche in earthquake-hit central Italy, local media reported quoting rescue services. / AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLAROANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images

A car drives along the main road to Monterale, after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region, on January 19, 2017. Several people have died after a ski hotel was buried by an avalanche in earthquake-hit central Italy, local media reported quoting rescue services. / AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLAROANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images

A car drives along the main road to Monterale, after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region, on January 19, 2017. Several people have died after a ski hotel was buried by an avalanche in earthquake-hit central Italy, local media reported quoting rescue services. / AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLAROANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images

A mountain view from the main road to Monterale, after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region, on January 19, 2017. Several people have died after a ski hotel was buried by an avalanche in earthquake-hit central Italy, local media reported quoting rescue services. / AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLAROANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images

A mountain view from the main road to Monterale, after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region, on January 19, 2017. Several people have died after a ski hotel was buried by an avalanche in earthquake-hit central Italy, local media reported quoting rescue services. / AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLAROANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images

A view along the main road to Monterale, after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region, on January 19, 2017. Several people have died after a ski hotel was buried by an avalanche in earthquake-hit central Italy, local media reported quoting rescue services. / AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLAROANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images

A mountain view taken along the main road to Monterale, after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region, on January 19, 2017. Several people have died after a ski hotel was buried by an avalanche in earthquake-hit central Italy, local media reported quoting rescue services. / AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLAROANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images

Dogs stand in front of a large tent on a nearby sports ground in Montereale, after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region, on January 19, 2017. Several people have died after a ski hotel was buried by an avalanche in earthquake-hit central Italy, local media reported quoting rescue services. / AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLAROANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images

The civil protection agency said it is working to get emergency vehicles to the Hotel Rigopiano

This image grab made from a video handout released by the Guardia di Finanza on January 19, 2017 shows a man being escorted by Alpine policemen (R) and a fireman (L) outside the Hotel Rigopiano, near the village of Farinfola, on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain. / AFP PHOTO / Guardia di Finanza press office / Handout /AFP/Getty Images

This image grab made from a video handout released by the Polizia di Stato on January 19, 2017 shows an aerial view of the Hotel Rigopiano, near the village of Farinfola, on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain, engulfed by a powerful avalanche. / AFP PHOTO / Polizia di Stato / Handout / Getty Images

This photo taken from a video shows rescuers shoveling their way as they try to get inside the Hotel Rigopiano following an avalanche in Farindola, Italy, early Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A hotel in the mountainous region hit again by quakes has been covered by an avalanche, with reports of dead. Italian media say the avalanche covered the three-story hotel in the central region of Abruzzo, on Wednesday evening. (Italian Finance Police via AP)

Handout photo issued by Virgili del Fuoco after an avalanche buried the Hotel Rigopiano in Abruzzo. Virgili del Fuoco /PA Wire

Handout photo issued by Virgili del Fuoco after an avalanche buried the Hotel Rigopiano in Abruzzo.Virgili del Fuoco /PA Wire

Rescuers make their way to the hotel hit by an avalanche in Farindola, Italy, early Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A hotel in the mountainous region hit again by quakes has been covered by an avalanche, with reports of dead. Italian media say the avalanche covered the three-story hotel in the central region of Abruzzo, on Wednesday evening. (Italian Finance Police via AP)

This photo taken from a video released by rescuers shows a window of the hotel hit by an avalanche in Farindola, Italy, early Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A hotel in the mountainous region hit again by quakes has been covered by an avalanche, with reports of dead. Italian media say the avalanche covered the three-story hotel in the central region of Abruzzo, on Wednesday evening. (Italian Finance Police via AP)

Firefighters vehicles make their way to the hotel hit by an avalanche in Farindola, Italy, early Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A hotel in the mountainous region hit again by quakes has been covered by an avalanche, with reports of dead. Italian media say the avalanche covered the three-story hotel in the central region of Abruzzo, on Wednesday evening. (Italian Firefighters via AP)

An Italian firefighters helicopter flies during rescue operations in the area where an hotel was hit by an avalanche in Farindola, Italy, early Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A hotel in the mountainous region hit again by quakes has been covered by an avalanche, with reports of dead. Italian media say the avalanche covered the three-story hotel in the central region of Abruzzo, on Wednesday evening. (Matteo Guidelli/ANSA via AP)

An aerial view of the Rigopiano Hotel hit by an avalanche in Farindola, Italy, early Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A hotel in the mountainous region hit again by quakes has been covered by an avalanche, with reports of dead. Italian media say the avalanche covered the three-story hotel in the central region of Abruzzo, on Wednesday evening. (Italian Firefighters via AP)

This image grab made from a video handout released by the Guardia di Finanza on January 19, 2017 shows a man being escorted by Alpine policemen (R) and a fireman (L) outside the Hotel Rigopiano, near the village of Farinfola, on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain. / AFP PHOTO / Guardia di Finanza press office /

This image grab made from a video handout released by the Guardia di Finanza on January 19, 2017 shows a man being escorted by Alpine policemen (R) and a fireman (L) outside the Hotel Rigopiano, near the village of Farinfola, on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain. "AFP PHOTO / GUARDIA DI FINANZA HANDOUT" -/AFP/Getty Images

This image grab made from a video handout released by the Polizia di Stato on January 19, 2017 shows an aerial view of the Hotel Rigopiano, near the village of Farinfola, on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain, engulfed by a powerful avalanche. / AFP PHOTO / Polizia di Stato / HANDOUT/AFP/Getty Images

Italian police secure the area as an ambulance arrives at the Pescara Central hospital, in the eastern coastal city of Pescara, some 58 kilometer from the site of an avalanche that engulfed the Hotel Rigopiano, in earthquake-ravaged central Italy, on January 20, 2017. At least 25 people, including several children, were feared dead after a barrage of snow hit the Hotel Rigopiano on Januray 18, afternoon, ripping the three-storey building from its foundations and moving it ten metres (11 yards). / AFP PHOTO / Andreas SOLAROANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images

A handout picture released on January 20, 2017 by the Vigili del Fuoco shows a woman being rescued from the Hotel Rigopiano, near the village of Farindola, on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain, engulfed by a powerful avalanche a day before. AFP PHOTO / VIGILI DEL FUOCO

A handout picture released on January 20, 2017 by the Vigili del Fuoco shows a woman being rescued from the Hotel Rigopiano, near the village of Farindola, on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain, engulfed by a powerful avalanche a day before. AFP PHOTO / VIGILI DEL FUOCO

A handout picture released on January 20, 2017 by the Vigili del Fuoco shows a child (C) being rescued from the Hotel Rigopiano, near the village of Farindola, on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain, engulfed by a powerful avalanche a day before. "AFP PHOTO / VIGILI DEL FUOCO

A handout picture released on January 20, 2017 by the Vigili del Fuoco shows a woman (C) being rescued from the Hotel Rigopiano, near the village of Farindola, on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain, engulfed by a powerful avalanche a day before. AFP PHOTO / VIGILI DEL FUOCO

This frame from video shows Italian firefighters extracting a woman alive from under snow and debris of an hotel that was hit by an avalanche on Wednesday, in Rigopiano, central Italy, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Italian Firfighters/ANSA via AP)

This frame from video shows Italian firefighters extracting a boy alive from under snow and debris of an hotel that was hit by an avalanche on Wednesday, in Rigopiano, central Italy, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Italian Firefighters/ANSA via AP)

This frame from video shows Italian firefighters extracting a person alive from under snow and debris of an hotel that was hit by an avalanche on Wednesday, in Rigopiano, central Italy, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Italian Firefighters/ANSA via AP)

Rescue workers on skis have reached a four-star spa hotel buried by an avalanche in earthquake-stricken central Italy.

They reported no signs of life as they searched for around 30 people believed trapped inside.

Three bodies were recovered as heavy vehicles struggled to get to the scene.

Two people escaped the devastation at the Hotel Rigopiano, in the mountains of the Gran Sasso range, and called for help - but it took hours for responders to arrive to the remote zone.

Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, compounded by four powerful earthquakes that struck the region on Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear which, if any, of the quakes triggered the avalanche. But firefighters said the sheer violence of the snow slide uprooted trees in its wake and wiped out parts of the hotel, leaving only some structures standing and others down the mountainside.

"There are mattresses that are hundreds of metres away from where the building was," Luca Cari, firefighters' spokesman, told the ANSA news agency.

The hotel in the Abruzzo region is about 30 miles from the coastal city of Pescara, at an altitude of about 1,200 metres.

The area, which has been buried under snowfall for days, is located in the broad swathe of central Italy between Rieti and Teramo that was jolted by Wednesday's quakes, one of which had a 5.7 magnitude.

Accounts emerged of hotel guests messaging rescuers and friends for help on Wednesday, with at least one attempt at raising the alarm rebuffed for several hours.

Giampiero Parete, a chef on holiday at the hotel, called his boss when the avalanche struck and begged for him to mobilise rescue crews.

His wife Adriana and two children, Ludovica and Gianfilippo, were trapped inside, employer Quintino Marcella said.

Mr Parete had left the hotel briefly to get some medicine for his wife from their car, and survived as a result.

"He said the hotel was submerged and to call rescue crews," Mr Marcella said, adding that he phoned police and the Pescara prefect's office, but that no one believed him.

"The prefect's office said it wasn't true, because everything was OK at the hotel."

Mr Marcella said he insisted, and called other emergency numbers until someone finally took him seriously and mobilised a rescue, starting at 8pm, more than two hours later.

When rescuers on skis arrived at the hotel in Florindola in the early morning hours of Thursday, they found just two people alive: Mr Parete and Fabio Salzetta, identified by Italian media as a maintenance worker at the hotel.

There were no other signs of life, with rescue crews saying they yelled out but heard no replies, and were using rescue dogs.

Mr Parete was being treated for hypothermia at a hospital in Pescara. The Romanian foreign ministry reported three Romanian citizens missing in the hotel - an adult and two children; they were believed to be Mr Parete's family.

Aerial video shot by helicopter crews showed rescue workers on top of the snow-covered hotel, digging holes down to try to get in.

Civil protection authorities said that around 30 people were missing. By Thursday afternoon, three bodies had been removed.

Civil protection officials said the risk of further avalanches was factoring into the search effort.

Premier Paolo Gentiloni, arriving at the civil protection headquarters in the area at midday, sought to deflect criticism of the rescue efforts and urged authorities to redouble efforts to reach people isolated by the quakes and snow, which had dumped as much as three metres in some places.

Residents have been complaining for days that they have been without electricity and phone service and have been house-bound because of what Mr Gentiloni called a "record snowfall".

"I ask everyone if possible to multiply their efforts," Mr Gentiloni said.

"I ask politicians to show sobriety respecting the difficulty of the situation and the commitment of civil and military crews who are responding."

AP
When the initial political thought sparked in my head, I realised that my childhood illusion of politics, as intended for old men muttering about irrelevant high-brow issues to pass the time before death, and using a vocabulary I'd need a thesaurus to dissect, was inaccurate.

Not long after this, I learnt that despite every child's lesson growing up being to respect others, my country was run by a group of people who didn't do this.

I am 19 years old, a child of the Belfast Agreement and I am not here to dredge up the past.

I wish to hold up a mirror to the Northern Ireland Assembly as it stands, dissolving, swallowed by its own ineptness and show it what I see.

Much like Rawls' theory of justice, I have the advantage of some lack of historical context. I have the benefit of being an outsider with the cultural insight of a young woman who has lived her entire life in Belfast.

It used to strike me as odd, how apathetically the world around me looked at politics; this shining vessel of democracy, a chance for a voice in the wind to be captured in a chamber and heard.

Here stood a system of scrutiny and equal opportunity, where the people represented the people, listening to and respecting each other, even if they didn't agree.

Perhaps my idealistic black and white stance that all people are good and compassionate and honest, was naive; perhaps I am Rousseau, full of ideas but completely missing the point.

Several years down the line, politics makes me angry. Does anger come before apathy? Does the revolutionary fire flare and die before we just lie down on the pavement, too tired to bother?

I want to send a message to the Northern Ireland Assembly whilst you all sit in your ivory tower of clashing ideals and hatred, which was handed down to you on a platter with pointed passive aggression; life goes on at the bottom of Stormont Hill.

Continue, as we know you will, but do not dare pretend there's any integrity in your actions.

The RHI scandal is nothing but opportunity for you all to throw your hands up, throw out any reason to do any governing and to point fingers at each other. Again.

The irony is, whilst you make grave remarks about this being the final straw; you have never worked.

Northern Ireland faces an annual soap opera about the passage of budget, abuses of petitions of concern, closures and amalgamations of schools and an overstretched NHS. Every year is like a rerun of an episode of an overly-familiar TV drama, which wasn't clever the first-time round.

As you whine about the other parties' complacency in looking at anything from another's perspective for fear of gaining a little bit of understanding, every single person in this country must do just that.

We all work with people we don't like. It's the way of the world.

Most of us, however, have more maturity than nine-year-old children and can get on without throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of the working week and threatening a shutdown of the entire workplace.

It's become boring, predictable, embarrassing.

Look at the electorate. The 2016 election had a turnout of 54%, do you really think another one is going to magically fix everything?

Whilst our elected individuals, paid 70,000 per annum (a budget that always manages to take priority) to get on with each other, to sit down and talk, refuse to do so, the only people that suffer are us; the everyday people who have the displeasure to call you our government.

You all talk about standing for your constituents when the only thing any of us want you to do is pass something slightly resembling legislation.

These grandiose speeches about equality taste quite bitter when all it means is that we're equally ignored.

I know you are still 'getting to grips' with a power-sharing government.

I know that 20 years ago, Northern Ireland was in a state of conflict.

Twenty years to change a world is perhaps asking too much, Rome wasn't built in a day, but 20 years to make some start? To put in some effort?

For something other than this throwing of mud at each other from across a velveteen room, is not an unreasonable request.

The truth is, most of our MLAs stand unfit for the job that they perform, the 'university of life' is not a good enough qualification to run a department and bigoted politics graduates who think that they know it all simply want to follow in the footsteps of their opportunistic, ego-maniac heroes.

We are better than this. I call for the Opposition that has been discussed for the past decade. I call for a shift in system set-up.

Democracy is a beautiful thing; no matter what, I will remain civic minded - I will be angry at politics for as long as I care about it. I love Northern Ireland; I love the history, the culture, the people, the humour, the landscape. I love that we birthed CS Lewis and Seamus Heaney, that we invented the modern agricultural tractor and contributed to Thin Lizzy.

We have this gem of a nation; we're so lucky to live in a country people flee to for safety, and yet, the government lets us down every time.

Tradition alone is never a good enough reason to do anything. Politicians have a responsibility and a privilege to play a role in looking after us.

So, why have I rarely heard my views in your chamber? Imagine daring to do more than the bare minimum? Imagine gaining a small sliver of respect? Imagine taking some responsibility.

We live in a complicated world of game-playing and ambiguity. In the face of it all, I refuse to disbelieve that we are all compassionate beings.

No one is born hating or intolerant, it is something we learn along the way.

At the risk of being sentimental, I beg, I demand to see some glimpse of the unity in a country that represented itself so well in the Euros in the summertime.

I want to see some of that representation in the parliament buildings.

Have some pride in this place and get to work.
D'Hondt - that system of proportional representation on which we elect and then political parties nominate their representatives to power-sharing ministries at Stormont - is not the only thing we can learn from Belgium. Because, if you want to see how the introduction of an Irish Language Act works in practice, visit the Belgian capital and check out its blue-and-white street signs.

Brussels lies on the ethno-linguistic fault line that runs through Belgium. It is a majority French-speaking Walloon city, but take a short tram or underground train ride north into its suburbs and you will arrive in the Flemish/Dutch-speaking zones of northern Belgium.

On the street sign plaques, even in central Brussels, alternate names are written in white. The bigger white fonts are in French; the smaller ones below them in Dutch.

No one seems to bat an eyelid or raise a row over the bilingual signage in Brussels. Which is just as well, probably, given that the Belgians have much more serious matters to worry about these days, from not being able to form a domestic government to the possibility of the overall disintegration of the European Union not only due to Brexit, but also the rise of the eurosceptic Right in neighbouring Netherlands and France (the same goes, by the way, for the German-speaking cantons of eastern Belgium, where there are German street signs and German language information on public buildings).

The DUP continues to protest that it never signed up to an Irish Language Act as part of the 2006 St Andrews Agreement that paved the way for power-sharing between it and Sinn Fein, ushering in the longest period of devolution since the peace process began.

Sinn Fein has countered that: within one of the annexes of the St Andrews accord there is a specific commitment to an Irish Language Act, which would put the tongue on full parity with English throughout Northern Ireland.

Such an Act would lead to a Brussels, or Welsh-style, scenario where, for example, all street signs would be bilingual - although you have to question the practicalities of this in the Northern Ireland context.

How long, for instance, would a sign with 'Shankill Road/Bhothar na Seanchille' stay on a wall in the loyalist heartland?

Nonetheless, the DUP is on weak ground over its denial about the aspiration towards an Irish Language Act contained within the 2006 Agreement that was secured on the eastern Scottish university town between Ian Paisley's negotiators and the Sinn Fein team led by future fellow Chuckle Brother' Martin McGuinness.

Moreover, the DUP's protestations about the potential costs of implementing an official bilingual policy across the region now seems a little threadbare given the soaring costs of the Renewalable Heating Incentive scheme that that party championed back in 2012, which, with its 500m bill to the taxpayer, led to the current crisis at Stormont.

The battle over the Irish Language Act is about to commence and will no doubt be part of Sinn Fein's shopping list of demands/concessions in post-election negotiations.

Alongside issues of legacy - more money for Troubles inquests and fresh inquiries into State killings (no mention on that shopping list, of course, of the many IRA atrocities committed against civilians since 1969) - the Irish language will be dragged across the floor of the meeting rooms and corridors as the two big parties seek to patch up a deal aimed at restoring the power-sharing administration.

Surely there is something tawdry and tribal about all of this in respect of the Irish language. To turn the language into a political board piece to be used in the DUP-Sinn Fein chess game is equally unseemly and depressing.

For a start, Irish historians and academics studying post-independence Eire (and later the Republic) are mainly in agreement that the forced policy of officially imposed Irish on the southern State failed to arrest the decline of the language being spoken in society.

Conversely, the recent renaissance in the south regarding Irish has come about organically from the bottom up, whether that be in the rise of Irish-medium schools created by parents and teachers who love the language, to the proliferating voluntary groups of enthusiasts who organise meet-ups in cities like Dublin for Irish-speaking coffee mornings or other social events.

Politicising the language as a weaponised tool in the culture war with unionism is the opposite of that laudable, voluntary spirit that has injected a new, very welcome impetus into the wider language movement across the island.

It is sadly ironic that the furore over the Irish Language Act flares up again with Assembly election looming so shortly after the death of one of the language's greatest advocates in the north.

The late Aodan Mac Poilin grew up in an Irish-speaking home in west Belfast before the Troubles and went on, during the conflict, to found the Ultach Trust, a cross-community Irish language charity, in 1990.

In an interview for the Belfast-based independent television company Northern Visions a few years ago, Mac Poilin explained that the trust's ethos "was that the Irish language belongs to everyone, it's not limited to nationalists and Catholics, but is for anyone on the island".

Mac Poilin recalled in the interview how he and the trust found themselves proverbially shot by both sides in relation to what they were trying to do with Irish.

"Unionists feared that nationalists were using Irish to sugar-coat their agenda. If they buy into the language, they buy into 'Irishness'. Their identity will be Irish and nationalist. Republicans doubted the trust. They felt they deserved the money. Some republicans felt they were the leaders of the Irish language movement," he said.

With those thoughts from the Ultach Trust's co-founder in mind, there is certainly a good case for an Irish Language Act, but not one that is the product of sordid political horse-trading in the next round of tortuous negotiations once the parties face each other around the table again after the March 2 election.

When it comes to the importance of Irish in the cultural history of all traditions on this island, at least a few grassroots unionists and loyalists do get it.

Witness the sterling work of Linda Ervine and her team of language activists in the heart of loyalist east Belfast.

All unionist parties - including the DUP - have not only to stop seeing Irish as some kind of threat, but as something that is part of their own historic heritage.

There is little chance of that happening, however, if the language continues to be used by republicans not just as a bartering chip, but also as a cultural battering ram to (in the words of Gerry Adams) "break these b*******" with a supposed "equality" agenda.








This plan to have direct flights to Japan will benefit both countries as Kota Kinabalu is also one of the top destinations in Malaysia that the Japanese prefer to visit.



This news was also announced officially by the Sabah State Assistant Tourism Minister Datuk Pang Yuk Ming at the Japan Week in Kota Kinabalu.



Kota Kinabalu to Japan Flight via Malindo Air Good news for Sabahans as there have been some major plans for Malindo Air KK to Japan flights.This plan to have direct flights to Japan will benefit both countries as Kota Kinabalu is also one of the top destinations in Malaysia that the Japanese prefer to visit.This news was also announced officially by the Sabah State Assistant Tourism Minister Datuk Pang Yuk Ming at the Japan Week in Kota Kinabalu.





Prior to this, Malindo Air has already been doing charter flights from Tokyo to Kota Kinabalu and the response has been quite good.



One of the main reasons for the Sabah charter flights is that Japanese tourist prefers not to transit and fly directly. Sabah has also seen a total of almost 23,000 Japanese visitors to the state in 2016.









Recently on the 17th of January, Malindo Air launched its KL Sentral Check-In Counter and also the Malindo Air Ticketing Office at KL Sentral.



During the launching, the CEO Mr. Chandran Rama Murthy announced that Malindo Air has been operating in its fourth year now and has expanded to 41 cities all over Asia and flew over 12 million passengers to date. They currently operate 42 aircraft, 16 ATR72-600, and 26 Boeing 737NG planes.



Conclusion Apart from the mainstream news of having Malindo Air KK to Japan flights, the airline has not confirmed anything to date.Recently on the 17th of January, Malindo Air launched its KL Sentral Check-In Counter and also the Malindo Air Ticketing Office at KL Sentral.During the launching, the CEO Mr. Chandran Rama Murthy announced that Malindo Air has been operating in its fourth year now and has expanded to 41 cities all over Asia and flew over 12 million passengers to date. They currently operate 42 aircraft, 16 ATR72-600, and 26 Boeing 737NG planes.





As for the Malindo Air KK to Japan flights, there is no news on what type of aircraft they will be using but rest assured, once the news is out, we will surely share it here. Any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comment form below.
Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, leader of the Islamic Defenders Front, gestures to his supporters inside a court room in Jakarta, Oct. 30, 2008.

The firebrand leader of a conservative Indonesian Muslim group, the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), faces criminal complaints that he and his organization committed several cases of alleged hate speech.

Preacher Muhammad Rizieq Shihab and his FPI have been linked as the leading group organizing recent rallies drawing huge crowds of Muslim protestors in street demonstrations against Jakarta Gov. Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Christian who has been accused of blasphemy for citing a verse in the Quran.

It is good if Rizieq becomes a suspect, because during this time, he feels he is untouchable, Zuhairi Misrawi, a political analyst with a moderate Muslim forum, the Liberal Islam Network (JIL), told BenarNews.

Ahok is running for election next month to retain his seat as governor of Indonesias capital. Riziek is expected to testify as a religious expert for the prosecution at an upcoming hearing in Ahoks trial, which has gripped the nation, the Jakarta Post reported.

Decade of hate speech

FPI is responsible for a series of hateful speech cases dating to 2006, Zuhairi said.

In October 2016, Sukmawati Sukarno Putri, the daughter of Indonesias first president Sukarno, alleged that Rizieq insulted Indonesias state ideology  known as Pancasila and the memory of her father.

After questioning Rizieq last week, police said they had moved from a preliminary to a full investigation of the allegations, according to The Jakarta Post.

More recently, the Catholic Students Association reported him last month for allegedly defaming Christianity.

Additionally, Bank Indonesia, the countrys central bank, and non-governmental organizations complained that the preacher had said in a sermon that the hammer-and-sickle symbol of Indonesias liquidated Communist Party appeared on new Indonesian bank notes. Police said they are involved in a full investigation into this report as well.

We already increased the stage of investigation, Jakarta Police spokesman Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono told BenarNews on Thursday, adding that officers would pursue other cases against Rizieq.

The clerics most recent brush with the law stems from a comment about Jakartas police chief.

Rizieq allegedly slandered Jakarta Inspector General of Police Mochamad Iriawan as having the rank of general, but the brain of hansip (a low-level security guard).

So far, we already investigated the reports witnesses. We have had interaction with some experts including experts in information technology, linguistics and criminal law, Argo said.

Defender of the people

Novel Chaidir Hasan Bamukmin, the general secretary of FPIs Jakarta chapter, said the allegations against Rizieq were part of a global conspiracy to criminalize clerics.

They deliberately try to find fault, he said.

We hope police can be wise, [and] view this in a fair and proportionate way because Rizieq is the defender of the people and Muslims, he said.

Rizieq and some FPI members appeared before parliament this week to voice concern over the allegations against him.

Nasir Djamil, a legislative member who met with the group, said law enforcers needed to be respected.

Law enforcement is for justice, not for revenge as revenge would destroy the people who do it, Nasir said.

Nasir and Zuhairi, the political analyst with JIL, said all parties should respect the process, including the FPI.

The legal process is ongoing, this what Rizieq should go through. It is time for police to take strict measures to prove that FPI is not above the law, Zuhairi said.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak opens an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Kuala Lumpur on the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, Jan. 19, 2017.

Updated at 5:51 p.m. ET on 2017-01-19

Delegates from 57 Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries ended a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday by voicing grave concern about the welfare of Myanmars Rohingya Muslims and calling on Naypyidaw to stop violence affecting the stateless minority.

The Muslim worlds largest inter-governmental body urged Myanmar to restore calm in northwestern Rakhine state and ensure that its security forces follow the rule of law in a communique issued at the end of the one-day meeting of OICs Council of Foreign Ministers. It also called on the country to hold all perpetrators of violence accountable,

The violence that has victimized Rohingya should stop and the root causes of the crisis should be tackled through interreligious and intercultural dialogue, host Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak told the OIC gathering.

So, as a true and long-standing friend to Myanmar, I say this from the bottom of my heart: It is time to end this crisis, Najib said. How should it be resolved? For a start, the killing must stop. The burning of houses must stop. The violation of women and girls must stop.

When contacted by Radio Free Asia (RFA), a sister entity of BenarNews, a spokesman for Myanmars government declined to comment Thursday on the meeting in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, outside the Malaysian embassy, Myanmar citizen Myat Hsu Mon staged a solo protest.

She told RFAs Myanmar service she had sent a letter to the embassy asking that the country respect the rights of the 135 ethnic groups on Myanmars official list  which does not include the Rohingya.

Fifty-seven OIC countries held a meeting in Malaysia to discuss a Myanmar problem, she said. It is direct interference in and an insult to Myanmars sovereignty. I cant accept it; and thats why Im protesting.

Myat Hsu Mon holds up a sign that reads I reject the pressure of 57 OIC countries to Myanmar during a meeting in Malaysia, during a solo protest in Yangon, Jan. 19, 2017. [RFA]

UN intervention

Since the Myanmar military launched a crackdown in Rakhine in early October, following the killings of nine Burmese border guards by suspected insurgents, security personnel have been accused of carrying out killings, rapes, acts of arson and arbitrary arrests targeting Rohingya. The government in Naypyidaw has denied those allegations.

The OICs communique also called on Myanmar to restore citizenship to thousands of Rohingya that was revoked under the countrys Citizenship Act of 1982.

The document proposed steps to help solve the crisis. These include requesting the U.N. secretary general coordinate with Myanmar to arrange for a high-level OIC delegation to visit Rakhine state and meet with local officials and Rohingya.

It said another step was to ask the secretary general to explore joint initiatives between the U.N. and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that can support the Government of Myanmar to develop and implement inter-faith and inter-communal dialogues.

The OIC represents at least 1.6 billion Muslims around the globe.

Thousands displaced

Nearly 90 people have been killed in the violence in Rakhine, and as many as 65,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh, according to U.N. figures. In Bangladesh, the new refugees join at least 300,000 other Rohingya who had taken refuge in previous years in southeastern Coxs Bazar district.

Bangladesh has refused to grant the Rohingya refugee status because it considers them citizens of Myanmar. Myanmar, meanwhile, considers those who return to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, and has denied them citizenship and access to basic services for decades.

Another 90,000 Rohingya refugees are in Malaysia. Of those, 56,000 have received refugee status cards from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Kuala Lumpur.

The OIC on Thursday invited its member-states to share the costs incurred by Bangladesh, Malaysia and other countries that are sheltering Rohingya in accordance with the principles of burden-sharing and shared responsibility, and in the spirit of Islamic solidarity.

The Rohingya cannot wait

Najib, who leads predominantly Muslim Malaysia, angered Buddhist majority Myanmar in recent weeks by describing its military crackdown as genocide.

The government of Myanmar disputes the terms genocide and ethnic cleansing, but whatever the terminology, the Rohingya cannot wait, Najib said Thursday. Many have suffered appalling deaths and those that have lived through the atrocities have witnessed or endured unspeakable cruelty. That in itself is a reason why we cannot keep silent.

In his speech, the prime minister warned that Islamic extremists could use the plight of the Rohingya, who are considered illegal immigrants from Bangladesh by Myanmars Buddhist-majority population, as a way to radicalize the minority group, which is denied basic rights.

"We fear that if the situation of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine State is not properly addressed, militant elements could infiltrate and possibly radicalize this oppressed community," Najib said, according to a transcript.

"OIC Member States are well aware that terrorist organizations such as Daesh could seek to take advantage of this situation," he added, using another acronym for Islamic State.

Citizenship: 'Very important'

Faisal Islam Muhammad Kassim, president of Rohingya Society Malaysia, welcomed OICs call for citizenship for his people.

This citizenship issue is very important. It we dont get any status in Myanmar, it will be very difficult for us to get basic human rights inside the country, he told BenarNews.

If our people will get full citizenship rights in Myanmar, and if we have the opportunity to go back to Arakan, we are ready to go back to Myanmar, he added, referring to Rakhine by a different name.
PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Baked Goods Legalization, Medical Program Improvements and Sessions Scare Well, cheese and rice. It's three weeks in, and I still can't remember to put the right date. It's going to be a wild year, folks.

Legalization Might Be On the Way (For Real This Time) Rob M. Two proposals offering different cannabis legalization methods are being introduced by state officials during the 60-day legislative session. The firstproposed by Rep. Bill McCamley (D-Mesilla Park) and Rep. Javier Martinez (D- Albuquerque) would legalize the possession of cannabis for adults over 21 in 2017 and would include a 15 percent tax on all sales. The Cannabis Revenue and Freedom Act, as the measure is called, would take effect July 1 if approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Susana Martinez. This is the third consecutive year that McCamley has introduced legislation to legalize cannabis. The chances of this going through are slim, though. Martinez has been very outspoken about her opposition to legalization, and even if it makes it past the House (it never has before), she will likely just veto it. The exciting proposal is the second one, a constitutional amendment brought up by Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, which wouldn't require the governor's approval. It also would legalize the possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older. To pass, the amendment needs 22 votes in the Senate and 36 in the House. If that happens, it will be up to voters in 2018. The amendment has never made it out of the Senate, but we have a Democratic majority this year, and Ortiz y Pino is feeling more confident this time around.

Bill to Improve Medical Cannabis Program Introduced Sen. Cisco McSorley (D-Albuquerque) is introducing Senate Bill 8, which proposes a number of improvements to the state's medical cannabis program. The new bill would increase the number of plants a producer could grow to 1,000 during a 3-month periodthe current maximum is 450 plants. The price of the plants would be capped off at $90,000 for 1,000 (as opposed to the current price: $90,000 for 450), making medicine that much more affordable. It would also increase the amount of cannabis a patient can purchase to 5 ounces in a 30-day periodup from the current limit of 8 ounces in a 90-day period. It would require that the State Health Department issue ID cards to patients within 30 days, and would lengthen the term of a card from one year to three years for patients with chronic conditions. The limit on THC concentrations would also be removed under the new lawan issue that has been grinding my gears for a while. The bill would have to be approved by Gov. Martinez to go into effect.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Members of the Staten Island Trial Lawyers Association honored state Supreme Court Justice Desmond A. Green and attorney John Z. Marangos for their dedication to the legal profession and the justice system -- and for their commitment to the community -- during their 54th anniversary banquet Wednesday evening in the Excelsior Grand, New Dorp.

Attorney Robert Mulhall, president of the Staten Island Trial Lawyers Association, presented Justice Green with the Honorable Louis Sangiorgio Award.

In speaking of Justice Green, Judith N. McMahon, Richmond County administrative judge, said: "Judge Green came to Richmond County Supreme Court immersed in knowledge of criminal law, but his fortitude and thirst for knowledge and always wanting to do the right thing quickly served him in becoming a patient, fair and knowledgeable Civil Term Supreme Court Justice."

She added: "When one gets to know Judge Green, the virtue of kindness is how you would describe him."

In speaking about Marangos, she said: "Maybe patience is not something that would come to mind. However, a man of integrity and passion for the law does come to mind. Truly his advocacy is second to none."

In addressing the crowd, Mullhall said: "Judge Green has a deep knowledge of the law and is able to apply that law to the matter before him. He is fair to everyone and trying a case before him is an absolute pleasure because he is such a gentleman."

Judge Green sat on the bench in Richmond County Criminal Court until 2008 when he was assigned to serve in Kings County Criminal Court. He completed his 10-year elective term in December 2013.

In 2010, as acting Supreme Court justice, he was designated to serve simultaneously in Criminal Court and Supreme Court \to clear up backlogged cases from the Supreme Court.

Justice Green is acting in Richmond and Kings counties and speaks and serves on informational judicial panels to educate the public about access to justice.

He's received recognition both here and in Brooklyn and is a member of several organizations, including Judicial Friends and the Supreme Court Judges Association, where he serves as board secretary.

Marangos was the recipient of the Myron G. Lasser Award presented by Charles DeStefano, immediate past president of the Staten Island Trial Lawyers board of directors.

In speaking of Marangos, DeStefano said: "John Marangos deserved our Lawyer's Lawyer Award because he has vast experience in all four Appellate Divisions, the Court of Appeals and, of course, he is the chairman of the Richmond County Judicial Selection Committee. He is entrusted by the Bar Association to select qualified candidates to become judges, which speaks volumes for his reputation in the legal community."

Engaged in a private law practice for more than 30 years, Marangos has served as counsel to the county clerk since August 1990.

Prior to opening his practice, he worked at the Appellate Division Second Department. He left in 1984 to work as appellate court clerk under the supervision of the late Honorable Vito J. Titone while he served as a justice of the Appellate Division Second Department.

He's served as president of the Richmond County Bar Association and is a member of the Mayor's Committee on City Marshals. He also currently serves as chairman of the Richmond County Bar Judicial Screening Committee and as a Richmond County Bar Association delegate to the New York state Bar Association.

CELEBRATIONS: JAN. 20 and 21

Happy birthday Friday to Steve Zaffarano, Alfred Rudiger, Doris Sterner, Erica Durkin, Louis Camerier, Dominick Cataldo, Brittaney Caitlin Pietrangelo and Kathleen Kenny.

Saturday is birthday time for Anthony P. DeMaio; John M. Haas, who turns 18; Florence DeSiato; Ed Donnelly; Gloria Silverstein; Kerry Schacht; Glenn Nyback; Edwin Fong; Michael Dinten; Anthony Pelle Jr., and twins Anthony and Joel Perosi.
Legal notices

1) The material on this blog has been created by W. Blake Gray, is protected under US copyright law and cannot be used without his permission.



2) To the FTC: In the course of my work, I accept free samples, meals and other considerations. I do not trade positive reviews or coverage for money or any financial considerations, unlike certain famous print publications which have for-profit wine clubs but, because they are not classified as "bloggers," are not required by the FTC to post a notice like this.


Leave it to Balenciaga's creative director, Demna Gvasalia, to draw from the masses.

At the designer's Paris menswear show on Wednesday, models paraded "Balenciaga" shawls, coats and even manicures that may have looked familiar to those who were "feelin' the Bern" last year.

The pieces were created in the same style as Bernie Sanders' blue campaign logo, with "Bernie 2016" replaced by "Balenciaga 2017."

The average price of a Balenciaga men's T-shirt is $275, and a scarf will set you back $1,015, while an official Sanders T-shirt emblazoned with his 2016 presidential campaign logo is roughly $25. "Let us wage a moral and political war against the gross wealth and income inequality," said Sanders during his campaign last year. "A nation will not survive morally or economically when so few have so much while so many have so little."

But that's not all that Gvasalia borrowed from Bernie. The collection also featured some less obvious nods to the 75-year-old presidential hopeful from Vermont, including oversize, loose-fitting suits (a staple for all Bernie impersonators  just ask Larry David) as well as "dad-style" pieces, including ugly-on-purpose sneakers and chunky ties that were all the rage circa Father's Day 2002.

Of course, the irony of a brand like Balenciaga  whose prices are at the high end of the luxury market  doing an upscale version of campaign merch that was originally available for under $25 is one of Gvasalia's signatures and one of the reasons that Vetements, the brand he launched with his brother Guram in 2014, gained such a cult following. In July of last year, Vetements debuted a collection featuring 18 collaborations, including a handful of egalitarian brands like Levis, Champion and Carhartt  the latter of which is a Michigan-based company that makes coveralls for farmers and factory workers. A Vetements x Carhartt shirt goes for $1,085, while Vetements x Champion sweatshirts range between $660 and $990.

Sanders has yet to comment on the appropriation of working-class lifestyle by the luxury market.

queenie bridesmaid | red bridesmaid dresses
That big fight over spending rules for the Every Student Succeeds Act has ended not with a bang, but a whimper: U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. is throwing in the towel, withdrawing a proposed regulation for a section of the law known as supplement-not-supplant that had strong backing in the civil rights community, but angered state chiefs, advocates for districts, and Republicans in Congress.

The proposal was all but certain to be tossed by a Republican-backed Congress and the Trump administration.

The departments draft rule, released in August, would have pushed for districts and states to make sure they were spending roughly same amount of moneyincluding for teachers salariesin schools that serve a sizeable population of poor students and less-poor schools.

Civil rights advocates applauded the secretary for trying to fix what they saw as a long-standing problem when it comes to making sure students in poverty get their fair share of resources. But advocates for districts and states said the regulation would have been nearly impossible to comply with and could have led to unintended consequences, including forced teacher transfers.

If the department had put through a final rule on the issue, it would very likely have been subject to the Congressional Review Act, a law that allows Congress to strike down new regulations that it disagrees with. Once lawmakers vote a particular regulation down, agencies are prohibited from crafting a similar rule until new legislation is passed.

Up until now, the CRA has only been used once. But now that Congress and the White House are in Republican hands, lawmakers have put a slew of Obama administrations regulations on their target list.

In explaining the departments decision Wednesday, Dorie Nolt, a spokeswoman for the agency, didnt mention the looming threat of congressional elimination. The department simply ran out of time to write a strong regulation, she said.

While we worked tirelessly to put forward a regulation that implements that simple requirement and to incorporate the extensive feedback we received, we ultimately did not have time to publish a strong final regulation that lives up to the promise of the law. We urge supporters of public education across the country and the political spectrum to continue the fight for equitable access to resources both within and across school districts, Nolt said.

The Council of Chief State School Officers, which vehemently opposed the departments proposal, is happy with the move.

We appreciate the U.S. Department of Educations recognition that the draft of the supplement-not-supplant provision would not draw resources to kids who need them the most, said Chris Minnich, the groups executive director in a statement. State chiefs are focused on creating an equitable education system that provides opportunities to all kids. As states transition to the Every Student Succeeds Act, we need stability in the federal policy environment in order to create strong plans. We look forward to working with the new administration to create that stability.

For her part, Liz King, the director of education policy for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said she was bummed that there wasnt enough time to finalize the regulation, but praised the Obama administrations record of standing up for disadvantaged kids.

The clock ran out here, but were not done fighting to ensure robust enforcement of the nations education and civil rights laws and justice for the nations students, King said.

Withdrawing the regulation now leaves the door open for a future president and education secretary to try to regulate on supplement-not-supplant. The provision has been in the underlying Elementary and Secondary Education Act for decades, and is aimed at making sure that federal Title I dollars for disadvantaged kids are an extra for schools that serve a significant chunk of students in poverty, and not a replacement for state and local funds.

The rules over supplement-not-supplant arent the only Obama ESSA regulations under threat from Republicans in Congress. Senate lawmakers have also targeted the Obama administrations accountability regulations, which were finalized late last year and have support from advocates for states and school districts, as well as civil rights advocates. At her confirmation hearing Tuesday, Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trumps choice for education secretary, wouldnt commit to keeping those regulations on the books.

The controversy over the spending rules ate up a ton of airtime during Kings sole year on the job. King and his team first proposed a rule that would have closed a long-standing loophole during a negotiated rulemaking on the law.

The committee of negotiators failed to agree on the proposal, so the department put forward a draft version in August. It gave states and districts additional flexibility to meet the departments goals, but was still seen as too rigid by state and district advocates and Republicans.

King though, said recently he doesnt regret the fight.

For us, the work on supplement-not-supplant was a reflection of the commitment in the law to get Title I dollars to the students most in need and the national responsibility to address issues of resource equity, King told me in an exit interview last week . Raising that issue was not just about this moment. It was about the broader responsibility.

So what happens next? Its unclear if the Trump administration will want to come up with its own regulation for supplement-not-supplant. If it does, it will have to restart the cumbersome negotiated rulemaking process all over again, and convene a new group of educators and advocates to write a new rule.
For Immediate Release, January 19, 2017

Contact: Peter Galvin, (520) 907-1533, pgalvin@biologicaldiversity.org

Mexican Environmental Activist, Winner of Goldman Prize, Murdered in Relative's Home

TUCSON, Ariz. Isidro Baldenegro Lopez, a Mexican indigenous activist who fought to protect ancient forests from illegal logging in the Sierra Madre region of Chihuhua, Mexico, was shot and killed on Sunday. Lopez, a community leader and subsistence farmer, was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2005 for his nonviolent activism to stop deforestation.

Lopez's killing is the second murder of a Goldman prize winner in less than a year. Honduran environmentalist and human-rights activists Berta Caceres was killed in March 2016.

The murder of Isidro Baldenegro Lopez is outrageous and deeply troubling, said Peter Galvin, cofounder of the Center for Biological Diversity. He was a leader in a long and difficult struggle to save one of the world's most incredible and biodiverse regions from destruction. The work he did  and the activism he inspired  live on.

Both Lopez and Caceres faced threats of violence before they were murdered.

We're calling on the governments of Mexico and Honduras to commit all the resources at their disposal to bring these killers to justice, Galvin said. Crimes of violence are always despicable, but particularly so when the victims are those standing up for people, wildlife and pristine landscapes. This violence has to stop.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
For Immediate Release, January 18, 2017 Contact: Nathan Donley, (971) 717-6406, ndonley@biologicaldiversity.org EPA Analysis: 97 Percent of Endangered Species Threatened by Two Common Pesticides WASHINGTON The Environmental Protection Agency today released its first rigorous nationwide analysis of the effects of pesticides on endangered species, finding that 97 percent of the more than 1,800 animals and plants protected under the Endangered Species Act are likely to be harmed by malathion and chlorpyrifos, two commonly used pesticides. Another 78 percent are likely to be hurt by the pesticide diazinon. The results released today are the final biological evaluations the EPA completed as part of its examination of the impacts of these pesticides on endangered species. We're now getting a much more complete picture of the risks that pesticides pose to wildlife at the brink of extinction, including birds, frogs, fish and plants, said Nathan Donley, senior scientist at the Center. The next step will hopefully be some commonsense measures to help protect them along with our water supplies and public health. The three pesticides are all organophosphates, a dangerous old class of insecticides found in 87 percent of human umbilical-cord samples and widely used on crops such as corn, watermelon and wheat. Chlorpyrifos is currently under consideration to be banned for use on food crops in the United States. The World Health Organization last year announced that malathion and diazinon are probable carcinogens. When it comes to pesticides, it's always best to look before you leap, to understand the risks to people and wildlife before they're put into use, said Donley. The EPA is providing a reasonable assessment of those risks, many of which can be avoided by reducing our reliance on the most toxic, dangerous old pesticides in areas with sensitive wildlife. Following these final evaluations from the EPA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service will issue biological opinions to identify mitigation measures and changes to pesticide use to help ensure that these pesticides will no longer potentially harm any endangered species in the United States when used on agricultural crops. As part of a legal settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity, these biological opinions are on deadline to be completed by December 2017 The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with 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
The parliamentary committee investigating the SABC board's fitness to hold office is recommending tough penalties for those who allowed unauthorised spending at the public broadcaster.

If these recommendations make it through to the final version of the report, the corporation's former COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, would almost certainly be among the employees facing action.

A "working document" detailing the committee's findings was leaked yesterday. In it, the committee said action should be taken against employees who "incurred or permitted" more than R5.1bn in irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure between 2014 and 2016.

The committee said that steps should be taken to recover such expenditure.

It had harsh words for the SABC board, which collapsed weeks before the inquiry began, and recommended that an interim board be appointed urgently.

The new board will have its work cut out. Apart from instituting an investigation into all irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure, it must facilitate the implementation of the public protector's remedial action on governance failures at the SABC.

The committee said that the SABC board must institute a forensic audit into the agreement that resulted in the transfer of part of the SABC archives to MultiChoice.

Motsoeneng is said to have championed the deal, which has been mired in controversy. Questions have been raised about whether the archives have been used for commercial gain by a private entity.

The "working document" - to be used as the basis for a draft report - said that Motsoeneng was at the centre of divisions afflicting all the SABC boards in office between 2009 and 2016.

Motsoeneng refused to comment, saying: "I will comment when the time is right."

The committee said the government and parliament should resolve the conflicts between the Public Broadcasting Act and the Companies Act.

Vincent Smith, chairman of the parliamentary committee investigating the conduct of the SABC board, expressed dismay at the leaking of the "working document" and said it was not an official document of his committee.

The committee is expected to deliberate on the findings of the investigation today.

The Save Our SABC Coalition welcomed the recommendations made in the document but expressed shock about the leak.

"We feel that the recommendations are a step in the right direction and in line with what the SOS Coalition has been saying for years," coalition spokesman Duduetsang Makuse said.

Jayshree Pather, of the Right2Know Campaign, said the committee's recommendations were far-reaching and hard-hitting.

"The report is broadly on the right track," Pather said.

Source: The Times
Judging by the share price movement over the past four weeks, minority shareholders in Distell have still not come to terms with the unexpected news that the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) will be acquiring the 26.4% of the company held by Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev).

The share has slid back to the level it was trading at a year ago, down to R147 after reaching a high of R172 in mid-October spurred by expectations that Remgro would exercise its pre-emptive rights and help to put the drinks company on a firm growth path. Now there may be some jitters about Distells capacity to deal with what is likely to be a much tougher environment.

Its not that Distell minority shareholders are unhappy about PIC as a shareholder; its just that for decades, they have looked forward to the unwinding of the groups cumbersome control structure and expected it all to end up with Remgro/Capevin. Now there is some uncertainty as to what, if any, strategic plans the PIC may have for its investment and whether they will be in step with Remgro.

The old control structure was put in place in the late 1970s as part of what the competition authorities subsequently described as a "notorious market-sharing arrangement" between South African Breweries (SAB) and the Rembrandt Group. SAB undertook to limit its involvement in the wine and spirits market and Rembrandt undertook to stay out of the beer market.

Over the years, the structure was tweaked, with Remgro/ Capevin eventually holding an effective 52.8% and SABMiller 26.4%. Minority shareholders believed SABMiller would in time sell out and Remgro be given the opportunity to exercise its pre-emptive rights and take its direct stake (excluding Capevin) to 58%. Their excitement ticked up when SAB listed in London in 1999 and began to sell off its noncore assets. But, although it held the stake as a passive investment, SABMiller seemed to have no plans to offload it.

Nothing changed until October 2015, when AB InBev launched its bid for SABMiller. The competition authorities made it a condition of their approval that the stake was sold within three years of completion of the deal.

In September 2016, when Remgro announced plans for a R9.3bn rights issue, the investment community assumed it was to pay for the stake. But then, out of the blue, the PIC emerged as the unlikely buyer of the 26.4% stake. Details of the pricing, which should shed some light on why Remgro was not the buyer, will be known only when it becomes a firmer transaction.

For 40 years, Distell (in its various guises) has managed to generate reasonably solid earnings growth, with the performance picking up significantly in recent years on the back of its aggressive focus on its cider brands. That focus made SA the second-biggest cider market in the world, albeit a distant second to the UK.

Despite the achievement, minority shareholders such as Chris Logan believe the control structure including a hesitant Remgro, has prevented the group from realising its full potential. As a passive shareholder, SABMiller showed little interest in supporting rights issues that would have raised the funds to develop key brands and markets. But it could veto any special resolution needed.

The sale of SABMillers stake frees Distell from the dysfunctional control structure, and the PIC is certainly expected to be a much more supportive shareholder.

But, as Logan says, it might not be as supportive as having Remgro as a 58% shareholder. "Remgro would have had an economic interest equal to its control and would have much more incentive to make the group work," says Logan, who was hoping to see a major shake-up. He is, however, encouraged by Remgro CEO Jannie Durand taking over as chairman from David Nurek.

Now Distell is facing a much more competitive environment. On the wine and spirits front, KWV is under a new and more aggressive leadership team and is likely to present much greater challenges.

More significantly, Distell faces tough competition from the worlds largest alcohol group, AB InBev. Included in its massive portfolio of predominantly beer brands is one of the worlds top cider brands: Stella Artois Cidre.

Analysts say that having paid a hefty price for SABMiller, AB InBev will be keen to use its muscle to get as much of the South African alcohol market as possible. At the last annual general meeting, CEO Richard Rushton referred to industry consolidation as one of the major risks facing Distell.

And Distell may also have to deal with Heinekens more aggressive worldwide plans for its cider, global number one Strongbow. To date, Heinekens performance in the South African market has not matched expectations, but at a December conference, the worlds second-largest beer group said cider was now one of its six business priorities.

One dominant and committed shareholder would be useful in dealing with these challenges, but even the absence of SABMiller

might help.
By Andrew Ujifusa and Alyson Klein

The Tuesday confirmation hearing for Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for education secretary, provided some clarity on her views, but also left some key questions only partially answered or unanswered. And her answers on special education, accountability, and school choice provoked both positive and negative reactions. Below are some of the responses weve gathered to DeVos nomination hearing before the Senate education committee. Check back here for more reactions.



Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates

COPAA, which advocates for the legal and civil rights of students with disabilities, hasnt taken an official position on DeVos. But Denise Marshall, the groups executive director, expressed grave concerns with the confusion DeVos seemed to have about the federal statute governing special education, the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. Marshall said she was also concerned that DeVos seemed to view vouchers as a cure-all for various issues, including for special education.

Its pretty clear from last night that she is not and never has been an advocate for students with disabilities, Marshall said in an interview. The fact that she didnt understand the difference between state and federal statute is pretty appalling. She didnt even seem to know what the IDEA is or what her role would be in its enforcement.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush

Bush created the Foundation for Excellence in Education, where DeVos formerly served on the board of directors and which supports private school choice and test-based accountability.

Betsy DeVos showed today why she is a hero of the education reform movement. She passionately articulated the case for school choice and parental control and expressed a deep commitment to children, especially at-risk students who are the biggest victims of failing K-12 schools, Bush said in a statement after the hearing .

GLSEN

The advocacy group for gay, lesbian, and transgender students argued there wasnt enough time to question DeVos on key issues, but said based on her answers it opposed her nomination.

While we are relieved to hear DeVos rejecting the dangerous and thoroughly discredited practice of conversion therapy [for gay individuals] her family has previously supported, it was chilling to hear DeVos dodge questions about whether she would keep essential protections for transgender students, and basically refer all other civil rights protections for students with disabilities, students of color, and religious minority students back to the states, GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard said in a statement .

Great Lakes Education Project

The group that DeVos started in order to advocate for school choice and other issues in Michigan reiterated DeVos emphasis on standing up for parents and children over any particular education system.

Its clear @BetsyDeVos will put the needs of students and families above adult conveniences and defending the status quo. @StandWithBetsy https://t.co/ChQREZ7BQ5  GLEP (@GLEP_MI) January 18, 2017

National Education Association

Mary Kusler, the head of the teachers unions Center for Advocacy, criticized DeVos for saying she backed federal vouchers for special education and demonstrating what Kusler called a lack of understanding about special education law and rights. And in an interview, she said that DeVos continuously and inappropriately used school choice as a crutch when she was asked about various issues.

It was clear she came to the hearing with an agenda of privatizing our public education agenda, Kusler said.

Kusler also said DeVos comments about the potential need for guns at schools was tone deaf, given that she was speaking to Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who has advocated for stricter gun-control laws in the wake of the school shootings in Newtown, Conn., in 2012 that left 20 students and six staff dead.

Cato Institute

DeVos gave the right answers in deferring to Congress on issues like passing legislation to expand school choice, said Neal McCluskey, the director of Catos Center for Educational Freedom, which advocates for libertarian K-12 policies. But theres a catch, McCluskey added.

What I dont see is how that would be consistent with the promise candidate Trump made, McCluskey said, referring to Trumps plan to use $20 billion in federal money for vouchers. She said the right things, but it seems awfully inconsistent with what her potential boss is saying he will do in education.

And he said that despite criticisms about DeVos comments on the potential need for guns at a particular school to fend off grizzly bears attacks, for example McCluskey said there may well be many instances in which local communities decide that having firearms on campuses is appropriate.

AASA, the School Administrators Association

Most senators were only given about five minutes to ask questions, which irked committee Democrats. And Noelle Ellerson Ng, whose organization hasnt taken a stance on DeVos nomination, but signed a letter expressing concerns about her lack of experience in public education and her support for vouchers, also wished there was more time to probe the nominee.

Im disappointed at the lack of opportunity for a more robust conversation, said Ellerson Ng, the associate executive director for policy and advocacy at AASA. It was clear that the questions were there and the answers have yet to be fully provided.

She gave as examples DeVos confusion on enforcement of federal special education laws and higher education loans. And she said the nominee wasnt clear on whether all schools, including private or virtual schools that receive public dollars, should be held to the same accountability standards.

And Ellerson Ng noted that the Senate education committee has a reputation for bipartisan work, which wasnt on display during DeVos hearing.

Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

DeVos is the first education secretary in the departments 35-year history to be opposed by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. And the umbrella organization, which represents dozens of groups that advocate on behalf of English-language learners, students in special education, and more, isnt any happier with Trumps pick after last nights hearing.

Nothing in that hearing reassured us, said Liz King, the organizations director of education policy, in an interview. The hearing opened up new questions about her ability and commitment to enforcing civil rights and education laws. The clearest example on this? An exchange with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., in which DeVos didnt appear to grasp that the Individuals with Disabilities Act is a federal law, and not subject to the whims of individual states. That seemed to be a lack of understanding of the secretary of educations responsibility for enforcing the law, King said.

Center for Education Reform

DeVos got great reviews from this advocacy organization, which supports school choice. Democratic senators, not so much.

I thought she was complete grace under fire, said Jeanne Allen, the founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, which advocates for opportunity and innovation. She said DeVos showed she is a passionate, knowledgeable, committed advocate who is willing to support disrupting arcane forms of education.

And, Allen added, Its unfortunate that Democratic senators piled onto one of the few missteps that were largely the result of being under fire, not of not knowing. In Allens view, DeVos, did very well and then had some challenges when they treated her like she was guilty of some major crime in supporting [changes to] how education does business in this country.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the Senate education committee chairman, said committee members would vote on DeVos nomination on Jan. 24, assuming that the Office of Government Ethics gave her the all-clear by Jan. 20. So far, DeVos ethics paperwork hasnt been cleared by that office.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
Over a dozen leading European and Asian firms have teamed up to promote the use of hydrogen as a clean fuel and cut the production of harmful gases that lead to global warming.

Convened on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, the first Hydrogen Council brought together 13 firms, among them top carmakers BMW, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota as well as leading industrial gas companies Air Liquide and Linde.

Others at the gathering late Tuesday, 17 January, included energy firms Alstom, Engie, Shell and Total as well as mining company AngloAmerican.

Scientists have long pursued the use of electric fuel cells for cars that use hydrogen - the lightest element with the atomic number 1 - as the byproduct of its combustion is water and not gases that cause climate change.

Air Liquide's chief executive Benoit Potier described the council as "key leaders of the energy transport and industry sector joining forces to express a common vision of the key role hydrogen will play in the future to bring a solution to the energy transition."

In particular, the firms will share data and research to make hydrogen technologies profitable, as well working on international standards to help speed their adoption.

They will also try to convince governments to support the technology, another indispensable condition for its success.

"At the early stage, unless we have strong government support, this transformation" into a decarbonised society "is impossible".

Those participating in the Hydrogen Council insist the applications for hydrogen go beyond fuel cells for cars.

One of the major challenges for renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind is storing the energy produced if it can't be used immediately.

Besides building expensive mega-batteries, current options include pumping water up to reservoirs to produce hydro power when energy is needed.

Fuel cell technology, used in reverse, could help resolve this problem.

"If you take this solar electricity you don't know what to do with, you electrolyse water, this makes hydrogen, which is a gas you can put in the natural gas network," Total's chief executive Patrick Pouyanne told to AFP.

This not only makes use of the surplus electricity, but it also makes investment in solar and wind projects more profitable.

"We've mastered the technology, but the challenge now is to expand its use onto a mass scale," said Pouyanne.

Bringing down costs will play an important role.

"If we manage to reduce costs all along the production chain, then hydrogen will become a solution for moving energy where it is needed," said Engie's chief Didier Holleaux.

One area that still needs work is improving the efficiency of electrolysers, which split water into hydrogen and oxygen, as well as reducing the cost of them through mass production.

Bertrand Piccard, the Swiss pilot who last year flew around the world in an aircraft powered only by the sun, was enthusiastic about the technology.

"Twenty years ago we were talking about hydrogen a little bit like teenagers are talking about sex, everybody speaks of it but nobody does it," said Piccard.

"Today we can do it."

Source: AFP
The Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA), an official host partner of the upcoming Agritech Expo Tanzania in Arusha from 26-27 January, advocates for the growth and competitiveness of the horticultural industry in Tanzania and operates in seven regions: Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Morogoro, Iringa, Njombe, Pwani, Dar es Salaam, Unguja and Pemba in Zanzibar and during 2017, will expand to Tanga, Mwanza, Manyara, Dodoma, Mbeya and Lindi.

According to Jacqueline Mkindi, Chief Executive Officer of TAHA, the horticulture value chain in Tanzania has a number of opportunities that ranges from manufacturers, processors input dealers, packaging industry, and exporters. It is a sector that needs to be promoted to solve the unemployment crisis in our country, youth and women should consider this industry if they want to make a contribution.

Agri to become major contributor to economy

The TAHA CEO says the main challenges facing the agri sector in Tanzania and the region include a long list of regulatory bodies, unfriendly taxes and levies, unavailability of modern laboratories, extension services and infrastructures i.e. availability of cold storage facilities (to reduce post-harvest loss), market information systems, finances and insurance schemes.

Her vision for the agriculture industry is to become the highest employed sector as the majority will shift from subsistence farming to commercial farming, for the sector to become a major contributor to the national economy and stimulate growth of value added products in the local and international markets.

Thousands expected in Arusha

The inaugural farming B2B platform is expected to gather thousands of visitors in Arusha, from commercial to emerging and small scale; but also key officials from regional governments, agro associations, NGOs, aid, development and research agencies; agro dealers, traders and retailers; suppliers, consultants and technical experts as well as venture capitalists, investors and bankers.

Agritech Expo Tanzania will bring together different horticulture actors and I am looking forward to increase the linkages between farmers and investors, says Mkindi.

Agri suppliers supporting Agritech Expo

The industry has responded with great enthusiasm to the first Agritech Expo in Tanzania. Global farming equipment leader John Deere and its distributor in the country, LonAgro Tanzania Ltd, are gold sponsors for the event.

Other leading agri suppliers that have confirmed their presence at the event include Afrivet, Ford, CMC Automobiles, CWI, GSI, Hughes Motors, Maji, Metl Agro Tanzania, HortiPro, Irrico, Rivulis, AMDT, FNB, Lindsay Africa, Balton, Kibo Seed, Neptun Boot, Rijk Zwaan, TFSC and Yara.
Global CEs are planning to hire - rather than fire - more employees in the next 12 months, as they recognise the most difficult and important skills to find are those that cannot be performed by machines, according to a PwC survey.

"Computers far outstrip humans when it comes to analysing vast quantities of raw data, for example. But they lack the intuition, empathy and creativity required to make sense of that data. Creative, innovative leaders with emotional intelligence are in very short supply," PwC finds in its 20th Global CEO Survey.

Views from interviews with 1,379 business leaders in 79 countries are presented in the recent survey.

Technology has profoundly affected the global workforce: at 1.8-million, there are more than twice the number of industrial robots worldwide today than 20 years ago, while the advent of self-driving delivery trucks and automatic supermarket billing are examples of jobs threatened by technological innovation.

Yet only 16% of the CEOs surveyed planned to cut their company's headcount in the next 12 months, with just a quarter saying this is primarily due to technology.

Conversely, more than half the CEOs surveyed plan to hire more employees.

This number is even larger among CEOs who are more confident about their company's growth prospects.

Machines cannot replicate the skills considered most important by CEOs, the survey finds. These skills, ranked in order of importance to organisations are problem-solving, adaptability, leadership, emotional intelligence and creativity and innovation.

Three-quarters of CEOs said creativity and innovation were the most difficult to find among prospective employees, followed by leadership (75%) and emotional intelligence (64%).

Organisations continue to need people for several reasons, according to PwC. These include the length of time it takes to adopt new technologies, the regulatory environment and the degree to which technology, at least at this stage, can replicate more complex jobs.

"Ultimately, however, it's the ability to acquire new skills that's kept people employed through past disruptions like the industrial revolution," says PwC.

Companies are looking farther and wider to find the skills they need, with 74% of CEOs saying they seek out the best talent regardless of geography and 78% saying they have changed their talent strategies to reflect the skills their companies will require in the future.

Less than a third of CEOs are confident global economic growth will improve in the next 12 months, with 38% - up from 35% in 2016 - saying they are very confident about the 12month revenue prospects for their companies.

Positively, 51% say they are very confident in their organisations' three-year revenue prospects. CEOs list uncertain economic growth, overregulation, the unavailability of key skills, geopolitical uncertainty and the speed of technological change as the greatest threats to growth prospects.

As global trade slows down, CEOs are looking at a mix of countries in which to find opportunities to expand.

Emerging markets are no longer the world's foreign direct investment darlings, with the US, China, Germany and the UK topping the list of destinations that CEOs consider most important to their growth prospects.
With ideal weather conditions, fine festive events and activations, and tourists from around the globe impressed with the destination's tourism offering, Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) experienced a successful summer.

Through marketing an array of attractions and activities available in Nelson Mandela Bay(NMB) and a manner in which to make them accessible and affordable; visitors were able to experience these, and therefore find the destination more desirable for extended stays contributing to increased tourism numbers and a successful summer season, confirmed Mandlakazi Skefile, Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism CEO.

Preliminary results

Whilst the summer season is not yet fully complete, NMBT can provide preliminary results indicators which show the local tourism sectors success. These results show that during December 2016, approximately 393,615 bed nights were sold in NMB at an average occupancy of 79.34% up by 6.98%. It is estimated that in the region of 267 848 overnight visitors came to NMB spending in the region of R402,766,150, up from R357,429,685.

From NMBTs occupancy surveys it was found that during December 2016, 72,226 (18.35%) bed nights sold were foreign compared to 30,462 (8.72%) last year. Based on the methodology used by NMBT, from the bed nights sold it can be derived that during the month there was in the region of 23,033 foreign overnight visitors to NMB. The foreign direct spend in NMB for the month is estimated at R62,364,102.

Visitors from the top 10 foreign countries staying in formal accommodation as reported on by accommodation facilities came from: Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Australia, and Brazil. The top three foreign countries, therefore, indicate positive results of the marketing investments NMBT made into these markets throughout the year.

December 2016, saw 321,389 (81.65%) bed nights sold to the domestic tourism market. Based on the methodology from the bed nights sold, NMBT can derive that during the month there were in the region of 241,043 domestic overnight visitors to NMB spending an estimated R340,402,048 using 2015 indicators.

#ShareTheBay - lighthouse

Successful marketing and campaign efforts

The successful marketing and campaign efforts also showed through the increase in the number of Nelson Mandela Bay Pass cards sold. The festive season till date has seen the Nelson Mandela Bay Pass sales increase by 131%, generating a total of R226,835 in revenue. The popular attractions visited with the Nelson Mandela Bay Pass include Adrenalin Addos double zip line, Sundays River Ferry, sandboarding at Sundays River Adventures as well as surf lessons and beachfront bicycle hires from Ocean Side Surf store.

Many were thrilled with the destination's offerings and happy to share and recommend their experiences through the digital campaign called #Sharethebay which till date has now seen over 8,000 images uploaded with the hashtag. From December 2016 till date the participation increased by over 1,000 images. The campaign created ambassadors and marketers out of locals and visitors to the destination allowing others to be enticed to explore the destination's offerings.

Skefile, NMBT CEO further confirmed, initiatives such as the Nelson Mandela Bay Travel App, Nelson Mandela Bay Pass as well as the campaigns are all tools that assist to effectively market the destination and allow the visitor experience to be enhanced by convenience and affordability.
SAN FRANCISCO, USA: A US startup pursuing Elon Musk's vision for near-supersonic rail transport announced Tuesday an agreement on a feasibility study for a "hyperloop" system connecting two European cities. Hyperloop Transit Technologies (HTT) said that it had reached an "exploratory agreement" with the Czech city of Brno on a super-fast rail connection with Bratislava, Slovakia.

The bigger vision was to connect to the Czech capital of Prague, according to a statement by the company and local officials. "Connecting Brno with Prague, and the existing efforts in Bratislava along with other cities in the region with the next generation of transportation will set the stage for a new era," Brno mayor Petr Vokrall said.

HTT said that it was working with officials in Slovakia, Abu Dhabi and elsewhere in the hope of establishing uniform regulations for hyperloop systems. "Since we have solved all the technical issues, it is now crucial for us to collaborate with governments around the world," said HTT chief executive Dirk Ahlborn. "New rules and frameworks will need to be written as we begin building out systems in Slovakia, the Emirates and several other to come."

HTT was born out of crowd-funding platform JumpStartFund in late 2013. Its list of collaborators includes engineering management giant Atkins and Europe railway operator Deutsche Bahn.

Rival US startup Hyperloop One earlier this month disclosed a list of locations around the world vying to put the futuristic rail transit system to the test.

The startup company keen to revolutionise the way people and cargo travel said that 35 contenders remained from a field of 2,600 teams in a Hyperloop One Grand Challenge launched in May 2015.

Hyperloop One wants to get three systems underway, according to chief executive Rob Lloyd.

Dubai late last year agreed to a deal to evaluate construction of a hyperloop link that could slash travel times to Emirati capital Abu Dhabi to minutes.

Both hyperloop startups, each of which boasted investments valued at more than $100 million, are building on an idea laid out by billionaire Musk, the entrepreneur behind electric car company Tesla and private space exploration endeavor SpaceX.

Pods would rocket along rails through reduced-pressure tubes at speeds of 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) per hour.

Source: AFP
There are four films opening this weekend: Lion, Allied, Split and No Man's Land.

A man sets out to find his lost family and finally returns to his first home in the Australian film Lion, a German intelligence officer and a French resistance fighter fall in love on a deadly mission behind enemy lines during World War II in Allied, and a man with 23 personalities fights for his sanity in Split. Theatre buffs are in for a real treat with the new season from National Theatre Live at Cinema Nouveau launching with the glorious revival of Harold Pinters classic play No Mans Land, starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart.

Lion

Five-year-old Saroo gets lost on a train travelling away from his home and family. Frightened and bewildered, he ends up thousands of miles away, in chaotic Kolkata. Somehow he survives living on the streets, escaping all sorts of terrors and close calls in the process, before ending up in an orphanage that is itself not exactly a safe haven. Eventually, Saroo is adopted by an Australian couple, and finds love and security as he grows up in Hobart. Not wanting to hurt his adoptive parents feelings, he suppresses his past, his emotional need for reunification, and his hope of ever finding his lost mother and brother. But a chance meeting with some fellow Indians reawakens his buried yearning. With just a small store of memories, and the help of a new technology called Google Earth, Saroo embarks on one of the greatest needle-in-a-haystack quests of modern times. Adapted from the memoir A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley, the film is directed by Emmy Award-nominated Garth Davis (Top Of The Lake) from a screenplay by Luke Davies (Candy, Life).

Producer Emile Sherman believes the creative team has well and truly made a film that delivers on the promise of the story: This is a film I am very proud of. It's an incredible story about mothers, and the primal urge to find home. I hope audiences have the same spine tingling experience that Iain and I did when we first heard the story.

Sherman also believes the film will deliver a powerful message about adoption: The film gives an insight into the lives of children who have been adopted and I hope will push more Western countries to recognise the need for and benefits of adoption. There are so many kids who never end up in a loving family and there are so many loving families who want a child.

Allied

For secret World War II operatives Max Vatan (Brad Pitt) and Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard), the key to survival is never being truly known by anyone. They are experts in deception, play-acting, second-guessing and assassination. When they accidentally fall for each other in the middle of an extraordinarily risky mission, their one hope is to leave all the double-dealing behind  but instead, suspicion and danger become the core of their wartime marriage as husband and wife are pitted against each other in an escalating, potentially lethal test of loyalty, identity and love with global consequences.

From Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis, the innovative director behind Forrest Gump, Cast Away and Flight, comes this mesmerising espionage thriller, sweeping war drama and passionate romance between two assassins who may be fated soulmates or deadly enemies  or both. In a sumptuous, visually evocative production that roams from Casablanca to Londons Blitz days to German-occupied France, Zemeckis creates the kind of grand tale that flourished in Golden Hollywood  full of mystery, thrills and romantic heat  yet told with all the richly immersive power of 21st century cinema.

Zemeckis saw the story as one that asks questions we all ask of loved ones  Do I really know you? Can I trust you completely? Will you betray me? How far would you go to save what we have? But these same questions take on a deadly, mounting ferocity within the high-wire world of WWII spies.

Allied is absolutely a story of betrayal and thats the universal theme of this film: how we react when we start to think someone we love isnt who they say they are, Zemeckis comments. Its something that happens in life, but in the realm of Max and Marianne, you have two people already pretending to be someone else from the get-go and the truth is elusive to them. So how do you establish trust? And how can you even talk to your loved one if you believe the enemy is listening in on you?

Split

While the mental divisions of those with dissociative identity disorder have long fascinated and eluded science, it is believed that some can also manifest unique physical attributes for each personality, a cognitive and physiological prism within a single being. Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), there remains one still submerged who is set to materialise and dominate all of the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the wilful, observant Casey, Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him  as well as everyone around him  as the walls between his compartments shatter. Writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan returns to the captivating grip of The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs with Split, an original thriller that delves into the mysterious recesses of one mans fractured, gifted mind.

Shyamalans films in the suspense and supernatural genres lead him to draw from the mysterious and fascinating, using those premises as building blocks for his imagination and ask, simply, What if?

Shyamalan explains: Im taking something you believe and pushing it into the fantastic realm. I wondered what would happen if, in dissociative identity disorder, each individual personality believes they are who they are, 100%. If one personality believes they have diabetes or high cholesterol, can their body chemically change to that belief system? And what if one personality believed it had supernatural powers? What would that look like?

No Man's Land

Following their hit run on Broadway, McKellen and Stewart return to the West End under direction of Sean Mathias, also featuring Owen Teale and Damien Molony. Harold Pinters play takes place on a summers evening, when two ageing writers, Hirst (Stewart) and Spooner (McKellen), meet in a Hampstead pub and continue their drinking into the night at Hirsts stately house nearby. As the pair become increasingly inebriated, and their stories increasingly unbelievable, the lively conversation soon turns into a revealing power game, further complicated by the return home of two sinister younger men. This glorious revival of Pinters comic classic is not to be missed. A bonus for theatre buffs is an exclusive Q&A session with the cast and director Sean Mathias. Filmed live at Londons Wyndhams Theatre for broadcast to cinemas globally, it releases at Cinema Nouveau theatres on Saturday, 21 January, for four exclusive screenings only - on 21, 25 and 26 January at 7.30pm and on 22 January at 2.30pm at Cinema Nouveau theatres in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town. The running time of this production is approximately 2hrs 20mins, including a 20-minute interval plus the post-performance Q&A.

For more information on the latest releases visit www.writingstudio.co.za
Starting in 2003, director Bryan Little from Fly on the Wall chronicled the rise of five friends from Bellville who had the (then) laughable idea of starting an Afrikaans punk band. This culminated in Fokofpolisiekar: Forgive Them For They Know Not What They Do, to be screened on Showmax from 23 January.

"It's all in there. The partying, the death-threats, the rise and fall! Lolzzz..." says Hunter Kennedy, Fokofpolisiekars guitarist and lyricist. ""We look like shit, we talk a lot of shit, we lose our shit on stage and then the Afrikaners just lose their shit altogether. I think Fly on the Wall managed to expertly capture and preserve the spirit of that era. This film is a time machine for me; same parts embarrassing and exhilarating."

The documentary will take you back in time as it captures both a young band trying to make a living from music in South Africa, and a new generation of Afrikaners questioning the culture that brought about something as horrible as Apartheid.

Award-winning production

On its original release in 2009, the documentary won the Audience Award at Encounters Documentary Festival, screened at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), was released across South Africa in cinemas, and was featured in international media like Dazed.

The documentary kick-started a number of film careers. Little went on to direct U2s music video for This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now, while his documentary, African Cypher, won both the Encounters audience award and the Durban International Film Festival jury prize. Editor Wim Steytler moved into directing, winning the CFP-E/Shots Young Director Award at Cannes Lions in 2014, and DOP Grant Appleton has worked as a camera operator on international series likes Homeland and Black Mirror, as well as films like Chronicle.

Gave the band legs

"Often at shows an 18-year-old fan will come to me stating that he/she watched the documentary and how it has changed his/her life and that this is his/her first Fokof show et cetera, et cetera, says bassist Wynand Myburgh. This kid was five-years-old when we released our first EP in 2003. I realised that besides the music, the documentary has given the band legs, given new fans a better insight into the earlier years of Fokof. It is for this reason I contacted Fly On The Wall and got the ball rolling for it to be added to Showmax, so now everyone can watch it."

To coincide with the release of the documentary on Showmax, Fokopolisiekar are playing at Hillcrest Quarry in Cape Town on 22 January. The band will also be running a crowdfunding campaign in the coming months, with the goal of recording their first full-length album since 2006, for release later this year.

For more information, go to www.flyonthewall.co.za or www.fokofpolisiekar.co.za.
Hyundai and Kia have risen through the ranks quite dramatically from the el cheapo bottom feeder level to where they are now becoming a very serious threat to some of the top badges in the business  and nothing illustrates this better than the new Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.

The two Korean five-door chariots share the same platform and both are good looking, comfortable and deliver a very pleasant, confident ride. I spent a few weeks at the helm of the Tucson in December and in January swopped seats to take slide in behind the wheel of the new Kia Sportage 2.0-litre AWD turbo-diesel automatic.

When it comes to looks and refinement the latest Sportage is the more eye-catching of the two and smart enough to take on main league competitors such as the RAV 4, Ford Kuga, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5 and sibling Hyundai Tucson.

European flavour

With its longer wheelbase, sporty 19-inch alloys and stylish roofline the Kia has acquired a much stronger European flavour. The interior, too, is far more elegant, comfortable and spacious than previous models.

The rear leg- and head-room is generous and I was particularly impressed with the back seats which can be reclined for comfort or folded flat to provide extra luggage space. Another new convenience is the high-lifting, push-button opening and closing tailgate.

A further step upwards is the easy to use Satnav and user-friendly climate control which also caters particularly well for rear passengers via individually adjustable back air vents.

Sprightly punch

However, the most appealing features of the latest Sportage is tucked in under the smartly pleated bonnet and down at tarmac level where the 2.0-litre engine kicks out 130kW and a healthy 400Nm to produce a sprightly punch which is transferred predominantly to the front wheels by an intelligent all-wheel drive system.

Although power goes mainly to the front wheels, the clever system reads conditions and drive style and can automatically split power between front and rear wheels to provide extra grip when required. The transmission can also be locked to a 50:50 distribution at low speed which is good for mud, thick sand and snow, but in reality will seldom be necessary in this country.

Another pleasant surprise was the aplomb with which the new Sportage tackles the twisties, even when under the crack of the whip, thanks to its new, smartly tweaked suspension. Although not pin sharp the steering is nicely weighted and fairly quick to respond to driver input.

The new 5-model Sportage range offers a choice of petrol or diesel engines (turbo-fed or normally aspirated), one with manual transmission and four with auto boxes, priced between R369,995 and R599,995 (prior to the annual January vehicle price increases).
WASHINGTON: 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.

Source: AFP
PPC has concluded the components of its 2008 broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) transaction, releasing R1bn in funding.

Strategic black partners and community service groups subscribed for 15.6-million shares as part of earlier agreements. Subsequently, PPC received R1bn on December 15, 2016.

"The company will use the R1bn to reduce debt and fund capital expenditure further, in particular, relating to the Slurry Kiln 9 project near Lichtenburg," it said on Tuesday, 17 January.

PPC had invested about R1.7bn to upgrade kiln lines in the North West to obtain higher clinker production.

The transaction had reduced the company's empowerment credentials, the cement group said. But it was working to implement a new B-BBEE transaction, which would be communicated to shareholders in the first half of 2017.

As part of the transaction PPC bought back and cancelled 48.6-million shares at 10c a share. This resulted in group net stated capital being reduced by 33-million shares to about 1.6-billion shares.

Gareth Visser, cement analyst at Avior Capital Markets, said scheme participants subscribed for shares at R67 a share. "The scheme structure has R1bn cash available, which has been used to purchase 15.6-million shares - R1bn cash inflow to PPC - which have been in the scheme since its inception.

"Because the scheme structure cannot afford to subscribe for all the shares as per the original agreement, the remaining shares that have been set aside - which amounts to 33-million shares - have been purchased back at 10c a share and cancelled. This is simply the winding up of the ... scheme as per its terms," he said. The effect of the transaction on PPC's net stated capital was "negligible".

Azola Lowan, PPC executive for strategy and communications, said the R1bn received was a paper profit offset by the dilution of shares.

Source: Business Day
Nevadas sweeping school voucher-like program , which has been in legal limbo for a year, may get a reboot this spring.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval included $60 million in his proposed budget , announced this week, for the states education savings account program.

Additionally, a district court judge gave permission to the states treasurer to continue accepting applicants into the program, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal . The program had been put on hold last year , while disputes over its legality were hammered out.

The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in October that the program was unconstitutional because of the way it was fundedsomething supporters say can be fixed through legislation. Sandoval pledged in November to help state lawmakers get the new program up and running.

Education savings accounts are a relatively new type of school-choice program. Similar to vouchers, families can use state funds (specifically the per-pupil funding allocated for their children) to pay for tuition at private K-12 schools, including religious schools. But unlike vouchers, families can use that money on a variety of other education-related expenses, such as tutoring or home schooling supplies, so long as they are approved by the state.

Nevadas program is unique because all students who have attended public school are eligible. Most other voucher-type programs limit who can participate in the program to students from low-income families, students zoned to attend failing schools, or students with disabilities.

Related stories:
The National Credit Regulator (NCR) is seeking a high court order to stop banks from unilaterally taking money from customers' savings accounts to settle outstanding balances on their credit agreements - a practice which the regulator says is widespread.

Rowan Jackson via 123RF

The application has been brought against Standard Bank, but the regulator has welcomed complaints from consumers pertaining to other banks.

Standard Bank would oppose the application, a spokesperson said.

"The position of the NCR is that a bank must obtain a consumer's authorisation to transfer funds from the consumer's savings account to settle the debt owed to the bank under a credit agreement," said Nthupang Magolego, senior legal adviser at the NCR.

Failing to obtain consent could place the consumer in financial difficulty with little money to pay other creditors, Magolego said.

The regulator is seeking an order declaring that provisions of the National Credit Act supersede common law "set-off", whereby a consumer's debt is satisfied by setting it off against credit held by that consumer with the bank, such as in a savings account.

Anton Viljoen, executive director at the National Payment Distribution Agency, welcomed the NCR's application. "Consumers consent to setting off when they enter into credit agreements with a bank, which can later be to their disadvantage, even though it serves to reduce the bank's risk," he said.

"The need for authorisation is there to alleviate any 'self-help' methods of debt collection by credit providers, which may ultimately affect consumers' rights afforded by the NCA [National Credit Act], such as the right to go under debt review," said Jacqueline Peters, manager of investigations and enforcement at the NCR.

By using a savings account to settle an outstanding debt without the explicit consent of a customer, banks avoid having to possibly restructure the debt or go to court to recover the money. In court, the customer would at least be offered some protection in terms of debt recovery laws.

For instance, in order to secure a salary attachment order to recover on a personal loan, a magistrate must be satisfied that the consumer will still be able to live after the order has been granted. Where a customer is under debt review, the bank, by exercising the principles of set-off, might leave the customer with no money to pay their other creditors, which could lead to the termination of the debt review agreement.

Apart from prejudicing consumers, this practice also creates an unequal playing field, since non-bank credit providers do not enjoy access to borrowers' bank accounts.

"Our interpretation is that the common law rule of set-off can be applied because section 124 of the National Credit Act does not replace or amend this rule.

"FNB applies the principles of common law set-off in accordance with legal advice obtained," said Hannalie Crous, head of retail credit at FNB.

The bank would "in due course consider the extent of the potential impact" of the NCR's application, Crous said.

Nedbank and Absa had not commented on this issue at the time of going to print.

Source: Business Day
Safari Par Excellence and Zambezi Elephant Trails have decided to phase out elephant back safaris. Our approach to animal welfare as well as the decline in support of elephant back safaris has confirmed that we are on the right track, says Graham Nel, managing director, Safari Par Excellence.

Liwa, Nandi and Chavaruka

There has been a great deal of negative sentiment worldwide, related to elephant back safaris, as a result of unscrupulous operators who apply abusive training methods. There are, however, other elephant riding operations that practice training methods that are successful and based on the application of positive re-enforcement.

A positive training process

The origins of Zambezi Elephant Trails can be traced back to six elephants that were left orphaned after extreme drought led to culling operations in Zimbabwe in the 1960s and 70s. These elephants were trained for elephant back safaris on a commercial farm in Zimbabwe. During the height of the political uncertainty in 2002, these elephants, along with some of their trainers, were relocated to Zambezi Elephant Trails. The trainers had the benefit of secure employment and the elephants suffered less stress as, although they were in unfamiliar surroundings, they were being handled by familiar caregivers. The established relationships were vital for the safety, welfare and overall wellbeing of the elephants and facilitated ongoing training.

The elephants have consistently been trained through a process of positive re-enforcement, where attention, affection, and food play a major role in rewarding good behaviour. Experience has shown that this is the most effective method when training animals of such high intelligence. In addition to the positive training process, Zambezi Elephant Trails have worked closely with an advisory committee of veterinary specialists, who have assisted in all aspects of the training, ensuring that their emotional and physical wellbeing is sustained, even to the extent of doing dental check-ups.

The elephants well-being has always been at the forefront of operations within the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park and these elephants have grown up with safe human support, comments Nel.

Elephant with handler

Over the years, Zambezi Elephant Trails have provided a secure environment as natural as possible. The elephants spend a large portion of the day roaming free and feeding within the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park and nearby islands under the supervision of their handlers, often encountering and communicating with wild elephants and other wildlife. The dynamics of the herd is stable, with friendships, rivalries and subtle jealousies arising occasionally, just as in human relationships, which they work out amongst themselves.

Releasing the elephants back into the wild will do more harm than good

Neither Safari Par Excellence nor Zambezi Elephant Trails support the practice of removing animals from the wild for commercial gain and have taken great care to ensure that no harmful training or treatment practices occur.

Releasing these animals back into the wild permanently would result in more harm than good, comments Nel. They associate humans with kindness and this would ultimately count against them, so the long terms plans are based on what is best for the animals.

Starting in January 2017 the number of rides on offer will be reduced, with the focus being on the morning rides. Mid-morning and afternoon rides will only be conducted by special arrangement.

We shall actively encourage clients to interact with the elephants rather than ride them, says Nel. The alternative to elephant rides include the recent introduction of The Elephant Cafe which allows guests the opportunity to indulge in an experience of a lifetime  an exhilarating boat ride up the Zambezi River, or road transfer, followed by an introduction to these amazing mammals with a short interaction and then a sumptuous meal at The Elephant Cafe.

Incentive groups are also encouraged to spend time to learn about and from the habits and characteristics of these wonderful creatures.
Eskom's decision to interrupt power to about a dozen municipalities would hurt business and cost jobs, the South African Chamber of Commerce (Sacci) and Cosatu warned on Tuesday, 17 January.

Thirteen municipalities have defaulted on their payments for power from Eskom and are facing scheduled interruptions.

Combined, about 60 municipalities in the country owe more than R12bn to Eskom. Their financial control weaknesses have placed consumers, most of whom pay their bills, in a precarious position.

Eskom said 21 of the 34 municipalities due to undergo scheduled supply interruptions during January had submitted some payment and accompanying payment plans. The affected municipalities are in the North West, Free State, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape.

After continuing discussions with Eskom since 2015, some of the indebted municipalities entered into payment agreements with the power utility. However, others continued to default on payments as well as new debt, forcing Eskom to implement the "last resort" measure of scheduled interruptions.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Eskom said it had received a proposed payment plan from Madibeng Local Municipality in the North West.

The utility said it would suspend scheduled interruptions to the municipality while it considered the council's proposal.

Madibeng is home to Brits and Hartebeespoort.

"It is important for municipalities across the country to always service their bulk accounts so they do not prejudice those community members ... who pay for their services," said Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Des van Rooyen.

Sacci CEO Alan Mukoki said the interruptions would be devastating for businesses in the agriculture, tourism, mining and manufacturing sectors.

"In all businesses that fully rely on Eskom in these areas, power will be affected. Many of these businesses are cutting down production line. We are very concerned as this will have an impact on the economy."

Mukoki urged Eskom to reconsider the interruptions, as they inconvenienced businesses that paid for electricity. He said productivity and, possibly, jobs would be negatively affected.

"Certain places have been protected from load shedding. You can spread the risk around the times when you are not going to have power. The government needs to move speedily. Cutting off power is not a fair measure to impose on paying consumers," he said.

Interim Eskom CEO Matshela Koko said: "We are immensely encouraged by the kind of response we are witnessing and would like to thank all the municipalities that have made an effort to pay their accounts, and committed to their payment agreements."

Cosatu urged the government to intervene on the matter, and called on Eskom to "explore genuine and sensitive approaches" to recovering the money it is owed.

"This decision will have a negative effect on our already struggling economy and contribute to more retrenchments," Cosatu said.

"Cutting electricity may result in businesses like farms and mines retrenching workers, when we cannot afford to lose a single job," it said.

Source: Business Day
In industry, and as industry professionals will confirm, team leaders take in fresh graduates and expect them to run with it'! The more independent and pro-active they are, the better the chances to stay on, and even better, excel. The ability to run with it', secures a more fluid integration into the fast pace and demanding creative brand communication industry.

How does Vega School run with it?

To train students to run with it is to teach them future skills. The World Economic Forum provided a critical review of the skills required to prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. From this they identified the top 10 future skills required by 2020, of which complex problem solving, critical thinking and creativity sit at the top.

Creativity will become one of the top three skills workers will need. With the avalanche of new products, new technologies and new ways of working, workers are going to have to become more creative in order to benefit from these changes (Alex Gray, World Economic Forum).

The need for these skills is a necessity for educational institutions to consider in their teaching practice. It is equally important for the communications industry to ensure continuous progress, and possibly to ensure our industrys survival.

Top 10 future skills:

In 2016 Vega evolved its approach to the training of creative students. The Visual Communication, Multimedia Design and Copywriting disciplines shifted to a process orientated curriculum design that is firmly based on the principles of student-centred learning. The main difference sits within the training practice  students are encouraged to own their learning process by developing confidence and agility in critical and creative thinking, decision making and problem solving whilst developing and honing a disciplined skill-set.

How is this done?

Students are taught how to think, craft and collaborate as well as how to interpret and leverage feedback. This is done through a parallel learning process of engaging in curriculum content in developing skills and knowledge, while working on problem based briefs, also known as project-based learning. Project-based learning works on the following principles: 1) Provide a challenging problem or question to solve, 2) facilitate a sustained process of inquiry, 3) provide authentic / real-world challenges, 4) facilitate and provide students with a voice and choice, 5) facilitate critical reflection, 6) provide an environment for peer- and self-critique and feedback and 7) make their work public, give them a real audience.

Vega School has always supported the development of problem-solving skills. Vega believes that by providing problem based briefs we provide students with the skills needed to thrive in a fast changing industry and society. The aim is to present media neutral brand communication challenges and for students to learn how to navigate the development of strategic, original and meaningful creative solutions. To ensure challenges are authentic, Vega provides briefs that are based on current industry or societal challenges, often employing real-life / industry projects. To complement the complexity and rhythm of the creative brand communication industry, Vega also applies speed and deep briefs, as well as self-directed projects. Speed briefs enable students to work under fast paced and demanding circumstances building confidence in relying on creative intuition. Deep briefs deal with complex challenges and demand a more considered strategic and creative process. Self-directed projects, also known as passion projects, encourage students to design their own career path and build on their own interests. The magic sits within the option to work in teams and therefore to experience the benefit of and professional need for collaboration. Collaboration is employed through peer and multi-disciplinary engagement to unpack and solve problems (co-design solutions), but also to consider implementing the solution through group work (multi-skilled executions).

In addition, the BA in Creative Brand Communication students participate in Brand Challenges in their second and third year of study. Brand Challenges are real-life client briefs involving students from various programmes working in trans-disciplinary teams over a dedicated and gruelling five-week period. The challenge requires a zero-based audit and touch point engagement across the value chain.

Real-world simulation and application ensures students are prepared for the industry. Vega School, as described by Siobhan Gunning (Senior Copywriting Navigator), is kind of like a laboratory of iconoclastic thinking and creative brilliance. We are creating and nurturing the future thought leaders and change activists of South Africa (and hopefully further afield). The end-of-year internship programme consequently presents the ideal opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills as resilient problem solvers and the personal agility to run with it.

The challenge in preparing our society for the future, does not solely sit with the educators, but with our industry to adapt to and encourage a culture of embracing, developing and utilising future skills. We need to create future skills environments of inviting, enabling and trusting people to run with it.

References:

Attard, A., Di Iorio, E., Geven, K., and Santa, R. (2010). Student-Centred LearningToolkit for students, staff and higher education institutions. In Education International. [Online].

Available from: http://download.ei-ie.org/SiteDirectory/hersc/Documents/2010%20T4SCL%20Stakeholders%20Forum%20Leuven%20-%20Student-Centred%20Learning%20Toolkit.pdf (Accessed on 16 September, 2016).

Buck Institute for Education. (2015). Gold Standard PBL: Essential Project Design Elements (by BIE). [Online]. Available from: http://www.bie.org/object/document/gold_standard_pbl_essential_project_design_elements (Accessed 22 September 2016).

Hullinger, J. (2015). This is the Future of College. [Online]. Available from: https://www.fastcompany.com/3046299/the-new-rules-of-work/this-is-the-future-of-college (Accessed on 16 September, 2016)

ONeill, G. 2010. Programme Design: Overview of Curriculum Design. [Online]. Available from: http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/UCDTLP00631.pdf (Accessed on 16 September, 2016).




The first-ever United Nations World Data Forum kicked off in Cape Town, South Africa, on 15 January 2017, with the aim of increasing political and resource support for statistical capacity building worldwide.

Image by 123RF

"Talking about data, statistics - these are very important subjects for the Member States, right from the beginning - day one - of the discussions about the Sustainable Development Agenda," said Wu Hongbo, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, in an interview with UN News, ahead of the Forum.

According the UN statistics, more than 100 countries do not accurately count births and deaths, while the births of nearly one in four children under the age of five worldwide have never been recorded. Only 13% of countries have a dedicated gender statistics budget. Seventy-seven out of 155 countries monitored do not have adequate poverty data, although there have been clear improvements in the last decade.

In the following interview (which has been edited for clarity), Wu explains the significance of the Forum in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), its expected outcomes, and what is in it for developed and developing countries:

Q: What's the significance of this UN Data Forum; why should people care about it?

A: The Global Data Forum, the first of its kind, is organised by the UN in cooperation with the South African government. Talking about data, statistics - these are very important subjects for the Member States, right from the beginning - day one - of the discussions about the Sustainable Development Agenda.

The Member States always place statistics or data on their priority plates. They want to have sufficient, accurate information that will serve as a basis for what they're going to do. That's important. Secondly, I think this global data forum will provide the first ever worldwide platform not only for government representatives, but also entrepreneurs, private sectors, and all other stakeholders. According to the registration, we are expecting as many as 1,500 participants. So you could see the strong interest and enthusiasm among the participants in data.

Q: You mention the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). Why is data important for SDGs; what is the connection?

A: Let me give you a concrete example, to illustrate the point why data or statistics are so important for the international community, for national governments, and for people. Take the registration of birth and death, for example. According to our information, in this world, about 100 countries do not keep accurate and complete records of people who die and new babies.

Just imagine, if you are planning for, say, employment, for city expansion, for education, [and] you do not know how many people you have in the country [and] the city. That would be disastrous. That shows how important data and accurate information is and will be for the implementation of Agenda 2030.

Q: You mention the deficiency and capability of those poor countries, and that the gathering of data varies, etc. How can countries with poor practices improve their use of data for sustainable development?

A: This is one of the challenges identified by the international community. It will be a very important subject to be discussed in the forthcoming global Data Forum. As far as all the countries are concerned, they all need improvement in data collection, and for developed countries, they need disaggregated information so as to find focused solutions to each area. But in the developing countries, as you mentioned, the situation is not that desirable. In some countries you simply do not find statistical information.

They have no methodologies. What they need is really a challenge, not only for themselves, but also for the international community. So first, the awareness of the international community for the challenges that we see in the developing countries, in particular, the least developed countries - they need information, they need statistics, and they need data.

Secondly, I think that we need financial input to establish, and to improve statistics systems. The need for financial support is very important for developed countries as well. Thirdly, I think there's urgent need for partnership; the partnership between governments in developing countries and from developed countries

Also, [there is need for] partnerships between governments and the private sector. This is the issue [for which] we have not got [a] complete answer yet. We hope, after this conference, we [will] have some ideas for the way forward.

Q: Accuracy in gathering information and data is obviously very important. Can you give us an assessment in this regard, and some examples of good practices?

A: Worldwide, I think we have made a lot of progress. Starting from the implementation of MDGs, the international community began to realize they need indicators to measure their progress. So we have eight goals altogether for MDG, and we do have indicators for them. But when it comes to SDGs, [we have] 17 goals, so the indicators are not good enough. We have to develop more.

And we could see a lot of countries start their own experience, [developing] their own national indicators. And some countries [could] start to combine the official statistics with other information freely available. We see also some countries starting to set up partnership with companies and enterprises - the private sector. So all these are good practices, and they are success stories, [which] I think will be shared at the forthcoming global conference. However, I would like to say [that] the gap between what we have and what we want is still very large.

Q: There are many countries that are, unfortunately, affected by conflict around the world, and where security is a priority concern. For these countries, is data still or equally important?

A: The information which is accurate and timely will remain very, very important, even in countries [affected by] conflict. Just take, for example, countries in conflict - you have a large number of camps for refugees. If you do not know how many refugees are in the camps, how could you provide food and all the necessities that they need? We would like to come back to the idea of the relationship between peace and development.

Without peace, development cannot take place. Without development, peace and security would not be sustainable; they are interrelated. What we would like to suggest, as the information and statistics are so important for countries post-internal/external conflict, the peace building process should include capacity building and statistics. We hope that the countries or international community is involved in helping these countries or these communities, keeping in mind that data and information are also important for their future development.

Q: What could be some of the outcomes of this forum?

A: Well, we have high expectations. And the participants would like to see that there will be some concrete deliverables. We cannot predict at this stage, but I would like to share with you some ideas that we plan to achieve. First, the global data forum would be the launching pad for the global action plan; that is a plan for capacity building, for accurate information collection, and for a better use of data.

That will actually be officially adopted in March by the commission of statistics, but to launch it in South Africa is to demonstrate to the international community what we have in mind for the future work, and the cooperation would be very important. And secondly, we hope there will be more partnerships established. There are some new commitments that have already been made. We hope there will be more. This is very important.

Thirdly, I think there will be some good practices emerging from the discussions and the meetings, and debates. For example, how to use new technology to collect the information we need, for instance, satellite images that can be used for mapping poverty and land erosion.

Another example would be how to use drones - they're very popular - and open data to help to raise productivity, say on the African continent, where food scarcity is obvious. So we would like to see this as only the beginning of worldwide discussions on data and information. It's the first step to push in the right direction. And this is not a once-for-all event. More global data forums will follow in the future.
African tech startups raised funding in excess of US$129 million in 2016, with the number of startups securing funding up by 16.8% compared to the previous year.

Image by 123RF

According to the Disrupt Africa Tech Startups Funding Report released today, 146 startups from across Africa raised US$129,113,200 in funding over the course of 2016. This displays substantial growth in the number of startups to raise funding as compared to the previous year, although the overall total amount of funding recorded declined.

South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya remained the three most popular investment destinations on the continent, accounting for 80.3% of funds secured. Meanwhile, Egypt experienced over 100% growth in fundraising, making it the fourth ranked destination.

Of the nine sectors analysed in the report, the fintech sector received the most backing in 2016, with startups in this space raising a combined US$31.4 million, 24% of the overall total.

New to this edition, the report also makes available data on the startup acquisitions which took place in 2016; as well as the results of surveys relating to preferences and trends within the entrepreneur and investor communities on the continent.

2016 was another great year for African tech startups and investors. Our ecosystem progressed in leaps and bounds over the course of the year, which is evidenced by strong growth in the number of startups raising funding, and an encouraging expansion of ecosystem activity across the continent. Were excited to present the Disrupt Africa Tech Startups Funding Report 2016, and hope it helps chart the rise of Africas entrepreneurs, said Gabriella Mulligan, co-founder of Disrupt Africa.

The general theme of 2016 has been more rounds, but with fewer standout tickets than in 2015. The African tech space has not been immune to the economic pressures faced by other sectors, but it is proving extremely resilient. The fact more startups raised funding in 2016 than ever before demonstrates the vitality of this sector, and we expect investor interest to grow and grow over the course of 2017, said Tom Jackson, co-founder of Disrupt Africa.

*For more information, or to order the report, please visit disrupt-africa.com/funding-report, or email Gabriella on , or Tom on .
Cape Town, Stellenbosch

Maties Gymnasium Sales and marketing consultant Ref: MG/261/0922 Reporting to the Sales and Marketing Manager, the incumbent will work...
With 12 million registered users and counting, ed-tech startup Newsela is a major vehicle for connecting K-12 students to the news. Each day, classrooms using the platform receive a curated selection of articles from outlets like the Washington Post and The Guardian, edited to multiple reading levels.

So how is the New York City-based company experiencing the sudden proliferation of so-called fake news ?

This is a red-hot topic among teachers, who are often incredibly confused, CEO Matthew Gross said in an interview. Its really come to a head recently, when you have the President-elect in a press conference saying that a reputable news source like CNN is fake news.

Founded in 2012 and launched the following year, Newsela was quickly adopted by thousands of schools seeking digital tools to help students become better readers, especially of non-fiction. Gross said that from the beginning, his companys mission"to unlock the written word for everyone"wasnt just about basic literacy skills. The big goal is to develop media-literate critical thinkers, who can evaluate sources and gauge the reliability of information.

As the recent presidential campaign came to a head, though, the internet and social media seemed flooded with untrue, misleading, and often-outrageous content masquerading as legitimate news. So Newselas general emphasis on media literacy zeroed in on fake news.

Through a partnership with the American Press Institute, the company provided new lesson-planning resources for teachers. Newsela began offering a regular stream of legitimate news stories addressing various angles of the fake news phenomenon. A series of webinarsincluding one last night co-sponsored by the PBS NewsHourhas drawn thousands of teachers, who Gross describes as hungry to find and share new information and classroom strategies.

Clearly, theres a business opportunity here for the company. Users can access Newsela articles for free, but the related resources and lesson plans come at a cost. Meeting teachers demands for classroom materials on fake news and media literacy is a way to attract more paying customers.

But given Newselas reachand because the issue of fake news appears unlikely to go away any time soonGross has a unique vantage point on the challenges facing schools, the ed-tech sector, and news organizations alike.

Following is a transcript of our conversation, edited for length and clarity.

What type of news content does Newsela put in front of students and teachers?

We take content from engaging and trusted sources, including news organizations like the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, and Scientific American. We then publish multiple articles online every single day, at five different reading levels.

When did the fake news problem first appear on your radar screen?

The focus on fake news really only became a thing for us last summer, during the presidential campaign.

But media literacy has always been important to us. And the fundamental skills you teach with media literacy are the same skills you use to identify fake news. The most important is to ask questions: Who is the author? Who is the publisher? What do they have to gain from the story being written the way it is?

So Id say its really one and the same. Fake news is really a driver for the larger media literacy conversation.

How does Newsela as a company determine what is fake news?

We only partner with reputable, trusted sources with high journalistic standards.

What do you hear from teachers about how this phenomenon is affecting them?

This is a red-hot topic among teachers, who are often incredibly confused. Its really come to a head recently, when you have the President-elect in a press conference saying that a reputable news source like CNN is fake news.

Theres nothing really good about fake news, but if there is one silver lining, its that teachers are rushing to seek out resources on media literacy.

What does it mean for Newsela when prominent public figures like President-elect Trump disparage established news sources?

The first thing we do is just publish on our platform news articles that report on the facts, like the fact that Donald Trump in a press conference claimed CNN is fake news. Those stories include rebuttals to that claim. Through that, Id like to hope that students come to the conclusion that CNN is a reputable source.

As a company, do you take a stand on President-elect Trumps claim?

Representing both the company and my own point of view, I will say that CNN is not a fake news source. It is a longstanding, reputable news source with high standards. You can say it may be slanted, like Id argue virtually every publication is in some way. They may make a mistake that gets them in trouble in some instances. But to call CNN a fake-news source is probably out of bounds.

Fake news is quickly turning into a catch-all term used to dismiss any content someone doesnt like or agree with. How does that affect Newsela and its decisions about what content to publish for schools?

Its a complex issue. There are not a lot of simple solutions. Newsela will not always get it right. I guarantee there will be a day when we publish a partners article that contains information that is not true. The best we can do is police ourselves.

Is this an issue that should be legislated and regulated, as some states are now considering ?

As a company, we dont have a particular stance on legislation around fake news. There are First Amendment questions that go along with that. This is not a new problem. My hope is that teachers and schools will take a much closer look at the need to help students learn to validate sources.

Photo of Matthew Gross courtesy of Newsela.

See also:
New York City has quickly expanded its prekindergarten program from 20,000 seats in 2013-14 to roughly 70,000 todayenough full-day spaces for all 4-year-olds in the city whose parents wish to enroll them.

But the fast growth means a potentially bewildering number of options for parents.

From the inception of the prekindergarten expansion, New York has used community coordinators to provide direct assistance to parents who need help figuring out their early-education options. For the 2017-18 school year, the city has also added another tool: quality snapshots  of each of the 1,800 prekindergarten programs currently offered.

These quality snapshots are an idea that other early-education programs could emulate, as advocates search for ways to provide parents more information on high-quality preschool options. Most states have adopted a quality rating and improvement system, which generally rates early-education programs on a 5-star scale. But states are still trying to figure out how to keep those ratings reliable, cost-effective, and easy for parents to access .

In New York, the three-page snapshots include the basicsaddress and phone number, hours of operations, any special programs, meals offeredas well as the results of parent surveys on school quality, and scores on assessments of early-childhood quality.

Josh Wallack, New York City Schools deputy chancellor for strategy and policy, said the snapshots were a year in the making. In designing this, we talked to a lot of programs and schools, and we made sure we were translating what can be pretty subtle complicated information. The goal was to be simple, but not simplistic.

The snapshots will not replace the community coordinators, Wallack said; now that the city has finished scaling-up the program, those outreach workers will still be needed to reach out to specific communities to make sure they know about the prekindergarten offerings available to them. And the snapshots are also not intended to be the only document a family considers when making an enrollment choice. This should be the beginning of their inquiry into a program, not the end of it, Wallack said.

New York Prekindergarten Raises Quality Scores

The city also released new information on the overall quality of its prekindergarten programs. The city uses two observation-measurement tools to evaluate prekindergarten quality: the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised, also known as ECERS-R, and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, or CLASS. Both tools measure elements that are believed to be important for student learning.

For the ECERS-R, 84 percent of prekindergarten programs evaluated between 2013-14 and 2015-16 scored at or above 3.4 on a 7-point scale. That score is correlated with improved student outcomes. That is up from 77 percent of the prekindergarten programs that were evaluated between 2012-13 and 2014-15.

The city evaluated more than 1,000 preschool programs using the CLASS tool, which also uses a 7-point scale. The citys prekindergarten programs scored an average of 6.2 points on emotional support, 6.1 on classroom organization and 3.3 points on instructional support during the 2015-16 school year. Those scores are higher than the average for a sample of Head Start programs.

Overall, the scores suggest that program quality can be maintained even in a fast-growing program, said C. Cybele Raver, a professor of psychology at New York University and an expert in child development.

Its a really good piece of news for researchers like myself and also for policymakers, that you dont have to give up quality when you increase access. You can increase family access in an equitable way, Raver said.

W. Steven Barnett, the director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, agreed that the results suggest that expansion is not inconsistent with good quality, but that other jurisdictions might have good reasons to want to move more slowly.

What New York offers is a laboratory for others that want to know how to maintain prekindergarten quality while making the program widespread, he said. The question could be, what do you have to put in place to make this happen?
Accenture has appointed Wayne Hull as the managing director and head of its digital division in South Africa as well as sub-Saharan Africa. For the 13 years, Hull was leading cutting-edge technology in the internet of things (IoT), data analytics and online media In regions like the Middle East, Pakistan and Switzerland.

Hull was formerly Sportradar Global's digital advisor, he also held several senior positions at AGT International as well as at Cisco and headed IBM Southern Africa's technology and financial service consulting practices. Hull obtained an honours degree in industrial psychology from the University of Cape Town, attended the Harvard Business School and IMD Business School Executive Education.
Press Room has appointed Jenna Barenblatt as its new account director. In her new role, Barenblatt will be tasked with key accounts, managing the general operations as well as developing creative and innovative business at Press Room.

Throughout her career, Barenblatt has acquired extensive knowledge and expertise in the world of fashion and media. Barenblatt was formerly the deputy editor of Elle magazine and her career highlights include securing a cover shoot for the magazine with musician, Solange Knowles and partnering with Woolworths in another cover shoot with the actress, Zoe Kravtiz.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about states that have dual Every Students Succeeds Act task forces that are likely to come up with contrasting state accountability plans.

Its the result of the tangled power structures states have constructed over the years as dictating education policy has been volleyed between local, state and federal governments.

Louisiana, I pointed out, is an extreme example of how ambiguous state law is when it comes to determining who should be in charge of shaping policy, and that conflict may soon come to a head, according to local reports .

The states school board, known as the Board of Elementary and Second Education (BESE), is made up of three governor-appointed members and eight elected members. The state superintendent is appointed by the board. In 1997, the board created an accountability commission to advise the board on ways to improve the states schools. That board is made up of members appointed by BESE and has had a significant influence in shaping the states nationally known accountability system.

The states legislature, which has also created its own set of education policies, has long been dominated by Republicans. But in 2015, the state elected a Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards.

ESSA, unlike prior federal education law, requires that the legislature and governor be meaningfully consulted about changes to things such as the states accountability system or teacher evaluations and that the governor have 30 days to sign off on states proposed ESSA plans. The states superintendent, John White, supports school choice and test-dependent accountability, ast year began devising his own ESSA task force, made up of teachers, administrators, advocacy groups, and parents.

But then, halfway through the process, teachers and administrators told the governor that they didnt agree with the direction of BESEs task force and asked that Edwards appoint an ESSA task force of his own, which he proceeded to do.

Now that task force has come out with its own plan , and its at odds with several items in BESEs proposed plan, including teacher evaluations, the states accountability plan, and even whether the overall plan will go into place this fall or in the fall of 2018.

The boards ESSA task force, meanwhile, has been circulating an ESSA draft of its own.

One of the most contentious items is the recommendation by the governor-appointed panel that the state axe its school letter grade accountability system. The boards ESSA panel only recommends a change to the formula the state uses to come up with the grades.

Its not clear what will happen next. Its usually state boards that turn in ESSA plans to the federal government, though any changes to state law will require accompanying legislation. Any new funding the Louisiana education department might require to execute its ESSA plan will require legislative approval.

Dont miss another State EdWatch post. Sign up here to get news alerts in your email inbox. And make sure to follow @StateEdWatch on Twitter for the latest news from state K-12 policy and politics.
Court proceedings in Prague about the right to wear a hijab degenerated into hateful scenes

18. 1. 2017

cas cteni 2 minuty

Court proceedings in Prague during which a student is suing a school in the Czech Republic for infringing her human rights by expelling her for wearing a hijab in class were transformed into an orgy of hate by a large group of extreme right wing activists who had filled the courtroom. Matej Stropnicky, chairperson of the Czech Green Party and a councillor in the Prague municipality, published the following testimony on Facebook: "I went to court on Wednesday to follow the case of a girl who was barred from studying at a secondary school for nurses because she wears a muslim scarf on her head. The court proceedings took place in the largest courtroom with 120 seats, and people were standing also in the corridor. It was obvious that they were organised, that they knew each other and that they knew the head teacher who had excluded the student from her school and that they were very supportive of the head teacher.

After more than about an hour a man sitting in the third row from the front with a motorcycle helmet on his head stood up. There was a sign on the helmet 'I want freedom to wear helmets, this is my religious conviction!'. A policeman asked him to take the helmet off, the man refused and started shouting. He called on those present: 'Those who support the headmistress should raise both hands, those who support hijab should raise one hand!' The police took him out of the courtroom. In response to this, the whole courtroom started to sing the Czech national anthem. The judge cleared the room."

After being excluded from the courtroom, the man called those present to join him for a "patriotic beer".

The extreme right wingers verbally attacked a small group of students who came in support of the expelled, hijab wearing girl. "There are Czech children living in this country, we need to protect them from female circumcision," shouted on of the supporters of the school towards the students. "You think you are living in some kind of Cloud Cockoo Land! You are allowing paedophiles to abuse our children!"

The secondary school for nurses vigorously defended the right to expell the student for wearing a hijab, saying that it has the right to determine how its students must be dressed. Czech Human Rights Obudsman Anna Sabatova has expressed support for the hijab wearing student pointing out that according to Czech law, the student has the right to be protected from religious discrimination. In the view of the Ombudsman, the rules of the school regarding student attire are in contradiction with the Constitution of the Czech Republic. The case continues.

Source in Czech HERE

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.

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This week, hundreds of thousands of people will descend upon Washington for the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.

Among the crowd: Teachers. Whether theyre there to support or protest Trump, to take their students to witness history or to see it for themselves, educators across the country are preparing to see the 45th president of the United States sworn in.

I like taking kids to the inauguration because its such a patriotic, nationalistic sort of thing that you dont even see on the Fourth of July. This is tradition, said Anne McCanless, a social studies teacher from a public school in Charlotte, N.C., who is taking a group of 40 high school students to see Trump sworn into office. This is real history happening, and theyre a part of it.

McCanless took groups of students to both of Barack Obamas inaugurations, in 2009 and 2013. This one, she and other teachers have said, feels a little different.

The 2016 presidential election between Republican Trump and Democratic standard-bearer Hillary Clinton was one of the most divisive in recent memoryand that divisiveness trickled into classrooms . Teachers reported spikes of name-calling and bullying, and increased fears among their students of color and students from immigrant backgrounds.

Trump is a polarizing figure, and while many students support him, many others were angry at his election , with thousands walking out of school around the country in protest the days after Election Day.

Since coordinating a school trip to Washington takes months, teachers said their students had to commit to going to the inauguration before they knew who the president-elect would be. This has helped remove any partisan elements from the trip, teachers say: Students of all political persuasions have signed up to see the inauguration, and even if theyre not happy with the results of the election, it is still a historical moment worth seeing.

I told their parents were going no matter who wins, said Benjamin Lewis, a social studies teacher from Brenham, Texas, who is taking 13 students to Washington this week. This isnt about one side or the other; its about democracy. Its about a peaceful transfer of power. Were here to celebrate America and how we choose our leader.

Erik Walker, a high school English teacher from Plymouth, Mass., said his students were uncomfortable with both candidates, making it a tough election to teach .

Maybe this inauguration is a good catharsis to see the peaceful transition of power, he said. Maybe it will lead to a healing moment for the country.

Walker is taking about 40 students to Washington this week, along with Allison Shaver, a psychology teacher. Their goal of the trip, they said, is to get students excited about the political process and democracy.

These kids are going to vote for the rest of their lives, Shaver said. Theyre going to see that political transfer of power, and theyre going to be lifetime voters. Thats more important to us than Friday, Jan. 20.

I think I just want them to understand democracy a little bit more ... understand the importance of being vocal when you support or dont support the candidate, Shaver continued. We need to instill that idea in our students, that voting is important and democracy is something that works if everyone participates.

Room for Civil Discourse

On Saturday, the day after the inauguration, about 200,000 people are expected to join the Womens March on Washington to send a message to the Trump administration about upholding their civil rights.

Several teachers are traveling to Washington specifically for the march, which isnt explicitly political and is not branded as a protest against Trump.

Im going to stand up for womens rights, which are human rights, said Bobby Dishell, a 6th grade humanities teacher in Baltimore. Its important for my students to see as a teacher, [civic action is] not something I just talk about. There is room for civil discourse.

He said he plans on talking to his students about his experience at the march and discuss ways they can speak out about issues that matter to them.

I really feel like its a powerful opportunity for modeling, echoed Krista Taylor, a 7th and 8th grade intervention specialist at a Montessori school in Cincinnati, who is attending the march this weekend.

She said she frequently talks to her students about the importance of civic engagement and how they can uphold their own civil rights.

Having them see me do it is much more powerful than hearing me talk about it, she said.

Follow @madeline_will and @EdWeekTeacher on Twitter.

Image: President-elect Donald Trump gives his acceptance speech during his election night rally on Nov. 9 in New York.John Locher/AP
In Wednesday's Morning Hot Dish, Strib political reporter J. Patrick threw a bit of shade on the Governor's announcement of $350 million in federal funding for CREP land:

$500 million in state and federal cash to idle farmland in southwest Minnesota, turning it into native plants and grasses to help the regions waterways. 60K acres, or roughly 100 square miles to clean up the Minnesota River, one of the most polluted in the country and a key factor in the so-called dead zone of the Gulf of Mexico. Strong demand expected with commodity prices in the tank. Betting Dayton wished hed taken this approach the first time around instead of the contentious buffer regulations. [emphasis added]



Oh really?

Truth is, the state's request for CREP funding was part of an overall plan that included enforcement of existing buffer laws and other water quality initiatives.

Moreover, the application for the funds were well-covered and discussed in Greater Minnesota media. Take, for instance, commentary by Ian Cunningham, president, Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts; Ruth Hubbard, executive director, Minnesota Rural Water Association; and Howard Vincent, president and CEO, Pheasants Forever, that was distributed across the state and published in the St. Cloud Times' op-ed section as CREP plan will help state's water, wildlife:

Gov. Mark Dayton has proposed an initial $30 million bonding investment for the Reinvest in Minnesota/Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program partnership as a key component of his water quality initiative. This funding is in addition to supplemental aid from the Outdoor Heritage Fund and Clean Water Fund. This CREP proposal is needed now. It provides strategic, long-term, voluntary solutions to protect drinking water supplies, improve the health of streams, rivers and lakes, and enhance wildlife habitat. Minnesotans were surprised and deeply concerned when Minnesota Pollution Control Agency officials deemed nearly all lakes, rivers and streams in a region of southwest Minnesota unfit for swimming and fishing. A subsequent MPCA report this year highlighted groundwater contamination from nitrates, worrisome because groundwater is the source of most of our drinking water. These reports magnify statewide water quality and habitat trends and show that some problems are far from being solved. Knowledge of the problem is best channeled toward solutions, which is why, on the heels of the water quality Buffers Initiative he championed, Dayton submitted a CREP application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture late last year. The state is seeking federal matching dollars to restore and conserve up to 100,000 acres of grassland and wetland habitat targeted to achieve water quality improvements. . . .

"Last year" would be 2015, and no, this wasn't a secret plan on the part of the Governor's office. Agri-News' Janet Kubat Willette reported in the December 22, 2015 article Learn about Minnesota's CREP proposal:

Gov. Mark Dayton submitted Minnesota's third Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program proposal to USDA on Dec. 15. The nearly 50-page proposal was emailed to Washington, D.C., around noon, said John Jaschke, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, which has been working on the proposal for more than a year. The CREP proposal targets a triangular area stretching from Clay and Becker counties in northwestern Minnesota down the Dakota border and to the Iowa border over to Houston County in far southeastern Minnesota. Landowners in the target area would be able to install buffer filter strips, complete wetland restoration projects and implement wellhead protection efforts. This is a very targeted proposal, Jaschke said, targeting areas with the most environmental sensitivity. . . Jaschke said they expect to hear from USDA sometime in 2016. Dayton, who has made water quality a centerpiece of his second term, said the CREP proposal would provide additional financial support for landowners as they begin to implement the buffer legislation. . . . "This CREP funding would help tremendously, as Minnesotans work together to be even better stewards of our land and water," Dayton said. "We have begun to reverse the serious deterioration in the quality of water in parts of our state. But much more remains to be done. This is everyone's challenge and everyone's responsibility." Jaschke said this doesn't replace other programs available for landowners who will need to install buffer strips. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Reserve Program and continuous Conservation Reserve Program are other options. If approved, CREP will be another option. . . .

Read the rest at Agri-News.

Moreover, at Tuesday's presser, BWSR director John Jaschke opened his remarks by talking about how the proposal had been in "the works for a couple years." Here's the relevant statement via a YouTube we've created using the audio archive of the event:

Speaking just after Jaschke, Minnesota ag commissioner Dave Frederickson drew a laugh praising the BWSR director for being "an ankle-biting dog" who reminded the commissioner to lobbying for the proposal whenever he called Washington about any matter:

While it might serve some folks' political agenda--or need for campaign whining points--to suggest to reporters that the CREP announcement was Dayton's third or fourth pass at establishing water quality practices after bickering about buffers, the truth is that the state's CREP application has long been in the works, with the Dayton administration working to secure various sources of funding to help ease property owners' efforts at soil and water conservation.

Photo: The CREP agreement presser.

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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.
PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Newscity EPA Refusing to Pay Claims for Gold King Spill Robert Maestas Last week, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will not be paying claims filed against it under the Federal Tort Claims Act in response to the Gold King Mine spill. The EPA says they are protected from the claimswhich total in excess of $1.2 million and come from companies, individuals and four government agenciesbecause the Federal Tort Claims Act also prevents the agency from having to pay claims when their workin this case, the investigation of the siteis considered a discretionary function. The spill happened in 2015, when a failed attempt to add a tap to the tailing pond resulted in the release of millions of gallons of waste into Cement Creek, a tributary of the Animas River in Colorado. The spread of the waste ended up polluting rivers in several states and had a large impact on the Navajo Nation, particularly the farmers and ranchers whose water was affected. The EPA has taken responsibility for the disaster. Those who have filed claims and have been denied may challenge the decision with the United States District Court within the next six months.

Report Ranks City Low in Recession Recovery According to a report released by WalletHub, Albuquerque is ranked 54th out of the 62 largest cities in the nation in how well it has recovered from the Great Recession. The report was made to assess the economic progress of local economies since 2008. It used 18 metrics for comparison, including unemployment, labor participation and poverty rates. Of large cities, Austin ranked first, while Tucson ranked last. Of the total 505 cities studied, Albuquerque was ranked 411. Las Cruces was the highest ranking New Mexico city at 390.

Grant Brings Immigration Attorneys to N.M. Equal Justice Worksa nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that helps train attorneys to work with those in povertyhas received an $800,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to launch the New Mexico Immigration Corps. The program will introduce attorneys and paralegals into New Mexico through August 2020 to offer civil legal aid to the large number of immigrants living in the state. The number of foreign-born citizens in New Mexico has been estimated at more than 203,000 (in 2013). According to a spokesperson for Equal Justice Works, immigrants need legal counsel to protect against unjustified deportation, and the state is dangerously lacking. They hope the program will attract law students to the state and create an avenue for future development.
This blog is looking for wisdom, to have and to share. It is also looking for other rare character traits like good humor, courage, and honor. It is not an easy road, because all of us fall short. But God is love, forgiveness and grace. Those who believe in Him and repent of their sins have the promise of His Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the Way.
The Phalon-Sawaw [Democratic] Party is trying to cover the whole country. It will run for Pyithu Hluttaw seat in Kawhmu Township in the upcoming by-election. Its not unusual for a Karen party to run in the town where the majority of the Karen people live, he said to KIC News yesterday (17 January).

U Saw Tin Win will represent the PSDP and the party believes competition is more important than winning or losing the election, he explained.

I hope the Karen constituents from Kawhmu will support the Karen party. I know the by-election will be difficult. If I have been elected, I will develop the livelihood [of the Kawhmu residents] such as water access and electricity. The party will come and help in the campaign when we draw near to the election, said U Saw Tin Win.

The upcoming by-election will be held to fill 19 vacant seats  nine seats in Pyithu Hluttaw, three seats in Amyotha Hluttaw, and seven seats in state and regional Hluttaws.

A total of nine candidates will run for Pyithu Hluttaw seat in Kawhmu Township, including the candidates from the National League for Democracy (NLD), the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the Phalon-Sawaw Democratic Party (PSDP), according to the statement released by the Union Election Commission.

The PSDP ran for Pyithu Hluttaw seat in Kyauktada Township of Rangoon Region in the 2010 Election and Pyithu Hluttaw seat in Tamwe Township of Rangoon Region in the 2015 Election but it did not win in both elections, according to officials from the party.

Translated by Thida Linn
Naked Dresses That Shocked The World! Bollywood Wardrobe Lekhaka

Over the last few years, there has been a rage for naked dresses and Hollywood celebrities have made the trend popular. While Rihanna is said to be the queen of naked dresses, she is not the originator of this trend.

Rose McGowan is the first lady who donned a naked dress on the red carpet MTV Video Music Awards in the 1990s. Wearing a backless sheer dress with nothing but a black thong underneath, the actress set the trend for naked dresses.

Let's check out the naked dresses that have been worn by Hollywood celebrities.

1. Rihanna Well, she is not completely naked but looks like she is naked in this dress. Wearing an Adam Selman creation with Swarovski crystals all over the dress, Rihanna carried this see-through dress with ease on the red carpet. The celebrity wore this dress on the red carpet at the CFDA Awards in 2014.

Image Courtesy 2. Amber Rose Amber showed up at the MTV Music Awards in this ultra transparent attire.

Image Courtesy 3. Bleona Qereti Wearing some pasties on her nipple, Bleona Qereti rocked the nude dress just like Rihanna. This outfit was worn by Bleona Qereti for the American Music Awards in 2014.

Image Courtesy 4. Miley Cyrus Miley Cyrus wore this completely naked dress while making an appearance for the amfAR Inspiration Gala. The outfit worn by Miley is actually a Tom Ford piece that is inspired by bondage.

Image Courtesy 5. Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lopez rocked a nearly naked dress on the red carpet for the 2015 Met Gala. The actress showed her skin in a naked dress based on a Chinese fashion theme. The mermaid silhouette looked very sexy.

Image Courtesy 6. Beyonce Queen Bee shocked her fans by wearing a glitzy number at the 2015 MET GALA. Beyonce carried off the dress with grace and elegance.

Image Courtesy 7. Cara Delevingne Wearing oversized granny panties with a sheer black robe, Cara Delevingne rocked the black sheer dress while making an appearance at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards.

Image Courtesy 8. Paris Hilton Paris Hilton made some fashion sense by wearing this interesting ensemble at the event. Her dress was quite good but the hair job was really shocking.

Image Courtesy 9. Jennifer Lopez Once again, Jennifer Lopez made it to the list of naked dresses. Jennifer Lopez was quite a showstopper while hosting the American Music Awards 2015. Those strange embellishments on the sheer dress were quite appealing.

Image Courtesy 10. Kim Kardashian Kim Kardashian shocked everyone at the red carpet of the 2015 Met Gala by wearing an almost naked dress which strategically covered her breasts and booties. Kim wore this sheer inspired gown which hugged every curve of her body.

Image Courtesy
Priyanka Chopra Looks Chic Like It's Nobody's Business At People's Choice Awards Women Kaustubha

Hollywood hottest stars attended People's Choice Awards 2017 in Los Angeles on Wednesday night and our very own Priyanka Chopra was one among them.

Ditching the extravagant red carpet look, Priyanka opted for a rather low-key lookbook. Keeping it simple and chic in a piece picked from the label Sally La Pointe.

We were a little disappointed with the choice of the dress, though. The colour could have been a bit louder and appealing. For an event like this, the dress was too plain. But if it is about looking Priyanka nailed it.

The Quantico star flaunted a strapless asymmetric peach top paired with a matching colour fringe skirt.

She kept the makeup simple and chose tinted pink colour for the lips. It was a little under-dressed profile, but we love the attitude with which Priyanka flaunted it.
The Harvard Institute for Quantitative Science team that published 2016's analysis of the Chinese government's '50c Party', who flood social media with government-approved comments has published a new paper, How the Chinese Government Fabricates Social Media Posts for Strategic Distraction, not Engaged Argument, in which they reveal their painstaking analysis of a huge trove of leaked emails between 50c Party members and their government handlers.



The research refutes the widely held view that the 50c Party is a group of paid piece-workers who pile on to people who post negative comments about the government; rather, the 50c Party is a closely coordinated group of government workers whose messages are part of their normal, salaried duties, and consist largely of upbeat talk about upcoming government initiatives  or issues that distract from scandals.

The analysis also reveals semantic features of 50c Party posts, making it possible to use relatively simple language classifiers to make guesses about which posts come from 50c Party members, and validates this hypothesis with a sly way of getting 50c Party members to reveal themselves through deceptive private messages.

One implication: if we assume that the Chinese government is very good at controlling public opinion, and if we want to adopt their tactics to counter Trump, this suggests that we should: a) coordinate to make a lot of noise about the Trump-denying activities over the next four years (eg California expanding public healthcare); b) coordinate to make a lot of noise about arbitrary upbeat subjects ("this new music is just great") on days when Trump is trying to draw everyone's attention to himself. But of course, the 50c Party is able to issue talking points to hundreds of thousands of people and make them work in lockstep.

One way to parsimoniously summarize existing empirical results about information

control in China is with a theory of the strategy of the regime. This theory, which

as with all theories is a simplification of the complex realities on the ground, involves

two complementary principles the Chinese regime appears to follow, one passive and one

active. The passive principle is do not engage on controversial issues: do not insert 50c

posts supporting, and do not censor posts criticizing, the regime, its leaders, or their policies.

The second, active, principle is stop discussions with collective action potential, by

active distraction and active censorship. Cheerleading in directed 50c bursts is one way

the government distracts the public, although this activity can be also be used to distract

from general negativity, government related meetings and events with protest potential,

etc. (Citizens criticize the regime without collective action on the ground in many ways,

including even via unsubstantiated threats of protest and viral bursts of online-only activity

 which, by this definition, do not have collective action potential and so are ignored

by the government.) These twin strategies appear to derive from the fact that the main threat perceived by

the Chinese regime in the modern era is not military attacks from foreign enemies but

rather uprisings from their own people. Staying in power involves managing their government

and party agents in China's 32 provincial-level regions, 334 prefecture-level divisions,

2,862 county-level divisions, 41,034 township-level administrations, and 704,382

village-level subdivisions, and somehow keeping in check collective action organized by

those outside of government. The balance of supportive and critical commentary on social

media about specific issues, in specific jurisdictions, is useful to the government in judging

the performance of (as well as keeping or replacing) local leaders and ameliorating

other information problems faced by central authorities (Dimitrov, 2014a,b,c; Wintrobe,

1998). As such, avoiding any artificial change in that balance  such as from 50c posts

or censorship  can be valuable.

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 someone's back up (as new parents recognize fast).

It may even be the case that the function of reasoning in human beings is fundamentally

about winning arguments rather than resolving them by seeking truth (Mercier and Sperber,

2011). Distraction even has the advantage of reducing anger compared to ruminating

on the same issue Denson, Moulds, and Grisham (2012). Finally, since censorship alone

seems to anger people M. Roberts (2015), the 50c astroturfing program has the additional

advantage of enabling the government to actively control opinion without having to censor

as much as they might otherwise.

How the Chinese Government Fabricates Social Media Posts for Strategic Distraction, not Engaged Argument [Gary King, Jennifer Pan, and Margaret E. Roberts/American Political Science Review, 2017]





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The Chinese government "fabricates and posts about 448 million social media comments a year," according to a study conducted by researchers at Harvard, Stanford, and the University of California San Diego.

The Chinese government has long been suspected of hiring as many as 2,000,000

people to surreptitiously insert huge numbers of pseudonymous and other deceptive

writings into the stream of real social media posts, as if they were the genuine opinions

of ordinary people. Many academics, and most journalists and activists, claim

that these so-called "50c party" posts vociferously argue for the government's side

in political and policy debates. As we show, this is also true of the vast majority of

posts openly accused on social media of being 50c. Yet, almost no systematic empirical

evidence exists for this claim, or, more importantly, for the Chinese regime's

strategic objective in pursuing this activity. In the first large scale empirical analysis

of this operation, we show how to identify the secretive authors of these posts,

the posts written by them, and their content. We estimate that the government fabricates

and posts about 448 million social media comments a year. In contrast to prior

claims, we show that the Chinese regime's strategy is to avoid arguing with skeptics

of the party and the government, and to not even discuss controversial issues. We

infer that the goal of this massive secretive operation is instead to distract the public

and change the subject, as most of the these posts involve cheerleading for China,

the revolutionary history of the Communist Party, or other symbols of the regime.

We discuss how these results fit with what is known about the Chinese censorship

program, and suggest how they may change our broader theoretical understanding of

"common knowledge" and information control in authoritarian regimes.
Israeli author Shahak Shapira found a use for foolish and disrespectful selfies taken at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin.

A newly unveiled online project called "Yolocaust" delivers a stinging message for those who not only act disrespectfully at a Berlin Holocaust memorial but capture their behavior and share it with their friends on social media. The project, which debuted on Wednesday, was visited by so many Germans that the computer server hosting it crashed, according to reports in the German media, where it was covered with great interest.

You only live once, but we die twice: once when the body fails, the second when we are forgotten.

[Haaretz, via]




NEW DELHI (PTI): The Union Cabinet was on Wednesday apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in November last year between India and Japan for cooperation in the field of outer space.



The MoU was signed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Tokyo.



The purpose of this MoU is to pursue future cooperative activities in exploration and use of outer space exclusively for peaceful purposes.



The agreement provides scope for pursuing cooperation in various areas of space science technology and applications including earth observation, satellite communication and navigation; exploration and space sciences; research and development in space systems and space technology and space industry promotion.



India and Japan pursue space cooperation for more than five decades.



With the formation of JAXA in 2003, an "arrangement concerning the considerations of potential future cooperation in the field of outer space" was signed in October 2005 between ISRO/Department of Space (DOS) and JAXA.



Subsequently both agencies have signed cooperative documents addressing lunar exploration, satellite navigation, X-ray astronomy and Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF).



During the ISRO-JAXA bilateral meeting held at New Delhi in April 2016, both sides stressed the need for updating the contents of '2005 Arrangement' with enhanced scope of cooperation.



Accordingly, both sides have arrived at the draft of new 'Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)' between ISRO and JAXA concerning cooperation in the field of outer space and got it signed on November 11, 2016 at Tokyo.



The Cabinet also approved exchange programmes in the field of Youth Affairs between India and Russia for promoting exchange of ideas, values and culture amongst Youth through establishment of people-to-people contacts and in consolidating friendly relations between the two countries.



"The selections for participation in exchange programmes shall be done in an objective and transparent manner and the outcomes of the programmes under the MoU shall be open for public scrutiny.



"Exchange programmes will also help in developing international perspective among the Youth and expanding their knowledge and expertise in the areas of Youth Affairs," a statement said.






PARIS (AFP): The European Space Agency announced on Wednesday there were "failed" clocks onboard some of the 18 navigation satellites it has launched for Galileo, Europe's beleaguered rival to America's GPS.



So far, the problem has not affected operation of the system, which announced early, initial service in December, ESA Director General Jan Woerner told journalists in Paris, adding it was "a sensitive issue".



"Unfortunately we have right now the situation that we have failed rubidium clocks as well as failed hydrogen maser clocks" -- nine in total, Woerner said.



He was referring to the two types of atomic clock used for Galileo -- two rubidium and two hydrogen maser clocks per satellite.



Each satellite needs only one working clock for the system to function, the rest are backup.



Three rubidium and six hydrogen maser clocks are not working, said Woerner.



"We don't know whether we can revitalise them, it's much too early for that," he added.



None of the 18 satellites launched to date have been declared inoperative as a result. Two of the failed clocks were on a single satellite.



"So far, the operational ability is not affected," said Woerner.



"However, we are not blind... If this failure has some systematic reason we have to be careful."



The cause is being investigated, and ESA has yet to decide how to proceed with future satellite launches, said Woerner.



Galileo will ultimately comprise 30 operational satellites.



"We have to look into... whether we find finally some systematic root cause and to change it, or whether we have to just go on" and rely on the backup clocks, Woerner said.



According to ESA, Galileo boasts the most accurate atomic clocks ever used for geolocalisation.



Similar to traditional clocks relying on the tick of a pendulum, atomic clocks also count regular oscillations, in this case switches between energy states of atoms stimulated by heat or light.



The project has already experienced many setbacks, taking 17 years and more than triple the original budget to going live in December.






AHMEDABAD (PTI): Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa and Commander of Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) Matar Ali Matar Al-Obaidani on Wednesday reviewed the progress of the fourth joint exercise between the two countries.



The Indo-Oman air exercise is being held at Air Force Station at Jamnagar, around 300km from here.



The exercise, called "Eastern Brigade IV", started on Monday, and is the fourth in a series of air drills that started in 2009 between the two countries.



"Chief of Air Staff BS Dhanoa and Commander of RAFO Matar Ali Matar Al-Obaidani reviewed the progress of the exercise at Air Force Station, Jamnagar. During their review they interacted with the participating crew and held bilateral discussions," a defence press release said.



While the RAFO is participating with five F-16s belonging to its No. 18 Squadron, the IAF has deployed Su-30 MKIs, MiG-29s, Jaguars and MiG-27 aircraft for the exercise, it said.



"The RAFO is participating with five F-16 Block 50 Air Defence Fighters belonging to No. 18 Squadron. IAF is participating in the exercise with Su-30 MKI Air Dominance Fighters, MiG-29 Air Superiority Fighters, Jaguar Maritime Strike aircraft and MiG-27 aircraft."



This is the first time RAFO's F-16s are participating in an air exercise outside the Gulf region, it added.



The first joint exercise in the series was held in October 2009 wherein six IAF Jaguars had operated at RAFO Thumrait, Oman.



The exercises are meant not only to enrich the IAF and RAFO professionally but also culturally as Omani and Indians share similar culture. The drill provides an opportunity for rich interaction between the personnel of both countries, the release said.


Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Todd Botterills father, Bob, died doing something he warned his son to never do  enter a bin full of grain.

Nearly eight years after his father died of a grain entrapment at the family farm in Newton, his son understands why farmers press their luck one too many times.

Farmers are doers. They dont want to stop to take time to, say, run back to the shop, said Todd, who runs Botterill Sales, a farm equipment distributor.

Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun Todd Botterill lost his father, Bob, to a grain entrapment nearly eight years ago at the family farm in Newton. While Todd understands why farmers press their luck and enter a bin full of grain, he says unfortunately, you cant always get away with it.

You get away with it enough times that you feel like you can get away with it again. Unfortunately, you cant always.

Todd said his father was using a large rod to break up the product outside the grain bin. When it didnt work, his dad went inside.

It was odd because the year before he had actually told me that he borrowed the protective equipment, the harness, from my cousin, Todd said. He had a little scare that day, even with the harness.

Bob did not have any safety equipment when he went in the bin that Saturday in February.

To stop the fatalities and serious injuries happening every year because of grain entrapment, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association has launched a new safety initiative at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon.

CASA has started a multi-year public awareness campaign about the dangers of grain entrapment using a mobile demonstration unit.

In the United States, the National Education Centre for Agricultural Safety has put on hundreds of safety demonstrations with its grain entrapment trailer since 2010, explained Dan Neenan, who works for the Iowa-based organization.

Farmers need to get the memo.

They think that theyre impervious, it cant happen to them, Neenan said. All it takes is once.

Once the grain flows toward the auger, it acts like quicksand. It takes just seven seconds to be buried to your belly button, a mannequin showed.

In 2015, seven people in Canada died from grain entrapments.

Glen Blahey, an agricultural safety specialist with CASA, described grain as deceiving.

When it starts to move, it provides no physical support, he said. Youre more dense than grain, youre immediately pulled down.

He said the message needs to get out to the urban population, too  a truckload of grain is no playground.

It would be equivalent to someone going and playing in a gravel truck, loaded with gravel, that was about to unload, he relayed.

Rescuing someone even partially submerged is complex. The more they struggle, the faster they sink, as the seeds tighten their grip.

A farmer would usually only enter a grain bin when the cereal spoils, clogging the auger and preventing flow.

If a farmer enters, Neenan suggests having a spotter on hand, safely harnessed, and turning off the power.

A professional grain rescue takes three to 3.5 hours, said Neenan, who said there are nine documented rescues from American emergency personnel who took their training.

A cofferdam  essentially four walls tightly locked together  must surround the partially submerged person, the safety demonstration showed. The cofferdam is then rocked back and forth and an auger powered by a drill, slowly but surely, shovels grain out of the cell.

The most grain entrapments Neenan can remember happening in Iowa was in 2010, when the previous harvest ran deep into the winter.

If we have a very wet fall, and the grain is put away with a high moisture content, we can tell that next year, were going to have a lot of people getting entrapped and engulfed, he said.

A cautionary note for Westman farmers, with many harvests last fall stretching late into the year.

CASAs BeGrainSafe program will take its mobile demonstration unit to various major agriculture shows and large grain storage facilities over the next few years. The mobile unit will also be made available for on-site training for emergency responders.

 ifroese@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ianfroese
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For a man specializing in storytelling, Terry OReilly can sure tell a good yarn.

Take this tale, the advertiser-turned-radio host shared Wednesday at Ag Days, of one advertising agencys gamble.

A quarter-century ago, British Rail needed a new marketing campaign. Lured by one advertising agency, well-dressed rail executives walk into the agencys headquarters for a meeting, and were shocked  the lobby was filthy. Coffee cups and dust everywhere, unkempt ashtrays, newspapers strewn about. The receptionist didnt bother to look up while addressing the men.

Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun Terry OReilly, an advertising expert and host of CBC Radios Under the Influence, speaks about the importance of storytelling in the business world.

The men waited 20 minutes, then 30 minutes, then 40 and finally 50 minutes. So fed up, they got up to leave. And at that moment, the creative director walked into the lobby and said: Gentlemen, you just experienced what thousands of travellers have felt on British Rail, OReilly recalled.

But guess what? That agency got the business, OReilly told the agriculture crowd at the Keystone Centre in Brandon. Why did they get the business? Because they made their British Rail clients feel the issue, not just understand it.

The key takeaway from OReillys keynote message was that every business has a story. If they can find a way to spin that yarn, and make the consumer feel in the process, they have them.

Ask many in agriculture, and theyll admit their industry hasnt championed their story well. Instead, their industry has taken blow after blow, criticized soundly for how they farm the land, the products they use and the emissions that farming practices produce.

OReilly, who hosts CBC Radios Under the Influence, told his audience the ag industry has a good story; they just have to sell it.

Tell me a story about farming. Tell me a story about the food that you produce. I want to know. We all want to hear that story. We want to know where our food comes from, said OReilly, whose program about advertising  on a radio station devoid of advertising  is one of CBC Radios most downloaded podcasts.

Conventional wisdom tells us that people dont have attention spans for deeper or longer stories anymore, I completely disagree. I say if the story is good, they will listen, and if its not, they wont. Movies have been two hours long since the 1920s and theyre still two hours long.

OReilly rattled off anecdote after anecdote of companies finding compelling stories to drive their advertising message home.

In another example, he spoke of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra which contracted him as its copywriter. The symphonys elderly subscribers were slowly dying off and no new clients were filling the void.

OReilly visited a few shows, had a great time and realized he was in the target demographic of adults, who find themselves liking classical music as they aged. Ratings for a Toronto classical music station continued to rise, suggesting to OReilly, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, an untapped market existed.

He asked himself why he has never asked his wife to go to the symphony, and soon determined that his answer was intimidation.

His radio spots played up that fear, using the confessions of other hesitant Torontonians, scared they wont fit in.

I once held up my lighter for an encore, that was wrong, a young voice said in one ad.

The TSO allowed itself to be made fun of and it worked.

Explained the first person who called the TSO in response: You cant possibly be stuck up if youre running that campaign.

After his 50-minute address, OReilly was asked if he has enjoyed any agriculture advertising campaigns.

He singled out the new Dairy Farmers of Canada slogan  If its made with Canadian milk, its worth crying over and described the long-running Eggs campaign, Get cracking, as one of the historically great catchphrases.

 ifroese@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ianfroese
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When youre in need, STARS air ambulance will soon be able to fly to your exact location without any description of where you are.

Tapping a button on your phone is the only information STARS dispatchers require.

A dispatcher will phone back to determine what the emergency is and send appropriate help.

(Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun) STARS pilot Andrew Davidson, left, and paramedic Troy Pauls are shown at Manitoba Ag Days at the Keystone Centre. The air ambulance service expects to soon roll out a subscription-based model of its smartphone app, which will allow STARS to fly to a patients location without a description of where they are.

In some circumstances, this paid service does what a 911 dispatcher does. The person on the other end of the line already knows where youre located, and, with a physician on standby if need be, can share exactly what type of response your emergency warrants.

STARS already has detailed mapping in place, indicating the closest first responder to any emergency.

And they will have the phone numbers of each customers closest family and friends, who, in some cases, can reply the quickest.

Mainly, STARS is aiming this new service at the people who live and work rurally, like the farmers and agriculture companies STARS talked with this week at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon.

Dan Knapp, STARS industry services director, said the mobile app  which will cost $9.99 per month  harkens back to why their helicopter first took flight more than 30 years ago in Alberta.

The thrust, and the reason why we exist, is for rural and remote people, by and large, he said. Those are the folks were trying to reach because of the distance and the time it takes to get them to a proper facility.

This smartphone app is another way to slash wait times between the far-flung farms and fields where hundreds of injuries occur in Canada each year, and emergency care.

This is yet another tool in the toolbox that we feel will provide that kind of service to regular farmers and ranchers and their family members, who find themselves in all kinds of situations, Knapp said.

A 2013 report by Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting documented an average of 89 fatalities per year on the farm, between 2000 and 2008.

By having a map of nearest emergency responders and physicians available to answer a dispatchers questions, STARS has the background to point out what care is appropriate, Knapp said.

So many problems have occurred by sending a critically ill or injured person to a local clinic. Youre wasting valuable time. They need to go to a trauma centre and our doc knows that.

STARS, acting as a facilitator, would essentially add to the number of people they consider patients with this mobile app. The air ambulance now responds to critical care situations when emergency responders deem it necessary.

The SOLUS app can be used whenever help is required.

Cell service, still poor in some rural areas of Manitoba, is mandatory for the service to work.

STARS expects the subscription-based model to roll out in the first quarter of 2017.

STARS wants major agriculture companies to purchase the subscription-based service for their customers. Knapp suggested companies would purchase six-month subscriptions, similar to the free satellite radio new car buyers sometimes enjoy. Knapp hopes people will find value in the service when their free trial expires.

An iteration of this service is already used by industry, particularly in the oil and gas sector. Satellite service is employed in some cases to ensure the emergency program works everywhere.

Knapp said STARS monitors 4,000 to 5,000 sites and takes between 150-180 calls for service daily.

Oak Lake resident Jay Rimke doesnt remember his first interaction with STARS in January 2012, while studying agriculture management at Olds College in Alberta.

He knows he was a passenger in a truck struck by a train. He knows, too, that he suffered a serious head injury still impacting his memory, and that he, a 23-year-old spending time at Ag Days this week as a STARS very important patient, is grateful.

I would not be here right now without STARS, he said. This app, it gives you a second chance at a second life.

 ifroese@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ianfroese
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The halls of The Brandon Suns downtown office building serve as a shrine to the community newspapers 135-year history.

The first edition of The Brandon Sun rolled off the printing press on Jan. 19, 1882  135 years ago today, kicking off the newspapers legacy of keeping the community linked in.

More specifically, linked into the local events and issues that strengthen a community and the insight and nuances that hold local decision-makers to account like no other news source can.

Brandon Sun archives Brandon Sun carriers, circa 1946.

The Tuesday, June 6, 1944, edition, proudly displayed in The Brandon Suns lunchroom, features various pertinent news items coming out the Second World War battlefront in Normandy, but the newspapers leadership still found a sliver of Page 1 space to highlight the City of Brandons latest revenue report.

Its in the local news  sharing the stories of Westman  that has earned The Sun enough community support to help it become the citys longest-lasting publication.

Brandon University archivist Christy Henry is a big fan of the printed word, and with The Brandon Sun the areas longest-lasting publication, its massive archives are the first place she goes for local historic insights.

The older editions are more akin to confetti than newspaper, with a collection of editions from 1900 to 1917 the university gave Manitoba to microfilm and put online destroyed during the process.

Although the physical print editions were not built to last, with the chemical composition in the paper breaking down over time, microfilm has a shelf life of about 500 years.

Theres a parallel to be made here, with publisher Jim Mihaly pointing to The Brandon Suns adaptation to a changing business climate as key to its continued longevity in our digital age.

Lewis Whitehead (sitting), part of a three-generation family legacy of owning The Sun. (Brandon Sun archives)

Improvements will be made to The Suns website within the next few months that will make it easier to read and subscribe to the digital editions.

Our paper product is a priority for us, and it will be for the future, but online is certainly a component of our businesses and we need to make sure our readers arent frustrated with it and its user-friendly, Mihaly explained.

It gives us more opportunity in areas where we dont deliver, and cant deliver just because of where houses are located.

The Brandon Suns local focus will remain central in whatever efforts push the news organization further into the digital age, Mihaly affirmed.

Local has always been the newspapers strength and focus, Henry said, noting that regardless of the editorial room of the day, it speaks to things that people were interested in at the time and concerned with.

The first person who set out to share Brandons local stories in this manner was Will J. White, who at the age of 31 travelled by rail, steamboat and foot to reach Brandon from Exeter, Ont., in order to establish the citys first newspaper.

Brandon Sun archives The Suns former offices on 10th Street.

In Exeter, hed met with Thomas Greenway, the future premier of Manitoba, who told White there was promise out west.

Like The Brandon Suns current newsroom, constantly out to get the scoop before deadline, White found himself racing against the clock to get a newspaper set up in what would later be known as the Wheat City.

Word has spread of someone trying to beat him to the punch by opening up their own newspaper, so he took a faster, but more difficult, route to Brandon that included a 75-mile walk between Portage la Prairie and Grand Valley, where a ferry carried him across the river to Brandon, which would only be chartered as a city a few months after the debut edition rolled off the presses on Jan. 19, 1882.

When White first arrived, Brandon was nothing more than a few buildings and a city of tents at that time, but White held out hope that it would soon progress into a city that could support his dream of publishing a newspaper.

His optimism paid off, with Brandon growing rapidly over the subsequent years; a story captured every day in the publication White founded.

White stuck around for about 14 years, minus a brief interruption as he sought additional financial backing. During that time, the daily publication was suspended and The Sun eventually became a weekly. White eventually gained control of the paper again until 1897.

Brandon Sun archives The Suns presses, circa 1920.

But it wasnt until 1905 that J.B. Whitehead stepped up to the plate, kicking off three generations of the Whitehead family legacy as owners of The Brandon Sun.

In its 135 years, the paper has changed hands a number of times, most recently when former owner Thomson Newspapers Ltd. sold the newspaper to FP Canadian Newspapers Limited Partnership, alongside the Winnipeg Free Press, in 2001.

Many competitors have come and gone, with the Brandon Mail, Brandon Blade, Times, Vindicator, Independent, Optimist and other newspapers opening up shop and closing.

Despite having outlasted many competitors over the years, Mihaly noted that a bright history does not necessarily ensure a bright future, and that one must never rest on their laurels.

With 42 full-time staff members, five part-timers and 175 people in distribution, he points to a wealth of people devoted to the news organizations continued success.

The recently renewed Westman This Week free regional weekly publication is one such recent success story, he said. Like The Brandon Sun, its success is closely tied to the locally relevant stories that fill its pages.

Renovations after The Sun moved into its current offices at 501 Rosser Ave. in 1965.

Well continue to be providing local news that they cant get anywhere else, and that hasnt changed over the years, he said. We need to continue that and listen to our readers; be engaged in our readers.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Globalization is an expression that we associate with today. But Brandon has always been part of a globalized reality. At Brandons founding and during its development since, the city and its citizens have been linked to a larger world.

The location for Brandon was selected in the spring of 1881 by General Rosser of the CPR as a divisional point for the railway. By the fall of 1881, the first trains were here.

The railway would bring people from all over the world to Brandon to live, work and raise their families. The local society, agriculture and industry would develop in connection with global influences and global markets.

The first settlers were mainly from Eastern Canada and the United Kingdom. In the 1890s, immigrants from Eastern Europe who spoke Ruthenian (Ukrainian) and Polish started arriving. They moved to the flats in the north end, on the wrong side of the tracks. In 1902, the Brandon Daily Sun reported on foreigners living in Brandons Ghetto.

Some of these new immigrants were unjustly interned as enemy aliens during the First World War. Hundreds of men were imprisoned at the Brandon Internment Camp in the Winter Fair buildings on Victoria Avenue between 10th and 11th streets.

The Assiniboine River has been a big  sometimes unwelcome!  presence in Brandon. Before the railway, river steamboats provided transportation. Having a source of water made Brandons location attractive: first for railway steam engines, later for city residents.

Kids swam in the river on hot summer days; the beach at 16th Street had concessions and gas lighting for nighttime dips. In the winter, ice was cut from the river for cooling food in home ice boxes before the advent of refrigerators. Living with the river  and its flooding  continues as a central Brandon reality.

The surrounding agricultural region has always been important to Brandon. Farmers at first delivered their grain in sacks to elevators using horse-drawn wagons. The significance of horses and grain gave rise to Brandons nicknames: The Horse Capital of Canada and The Wheat City. Those monikers, Brandons agricultural exhibitions and the Brandon Experimental Farm (now the Brandon Research and Development Centre) all date from the 1880s.

Some landmarks from the past, like the century-old buildings of the former Brandon Mental Health Centre, have been maintained and renovated for use into the future. Others, such as the City Hall and Opera House (1892-1971) at Eighth and Princess, live only in memory. The Prince Edward Hotel and train station (1912-80) at Ninth and Princess exists today as a ghost in the skateboard park on that site.

Another piece of the past seemed destined to be forgotten when it was torn down in 2000: the Brandon Indian Residential School. The United Church operated the school from 1895 to 1972. It is now receiving attention because of plans to redevelop the former site, including identification of childrens graves. The issue of residential schools was the focus of the recent Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and will be part of the upcoming inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.

As in any community, Brandon has experienced unsavoury features, like bigotry, corruption, prostitution and the illegal sale of alcohol and drugs. Members of the establishment or polite society often treat these as taboo subjects, sometimes because they themselves are engaging in these activities!

Occasionally, however, such topics come out of the shadows. In 1912, the entire Brandon police department (except for one new recruit) was fired because of complaints involving bribery and prostitution.

In another instance, the most famous person ever to grow up in Brandon  Sam Bronfman  became wealthy as a bootlegger. The Bronfmans smuggled alcohol, bribed judges and dealt with gangsters like Al Capone. But when he died in Montreal in 1971, Bronfman was a respectable businessman.

The growth of Brandon from a handful of people living in tents to a modern city of 50,000 has been quite the journey. Some elements of a communitys unfolding, however, are often hard to put ones finger on. These are the global technological, economic, natural and societal forces that evolve over the years, shaping the way we live.

Since Brandons beginning, change has been a constant. We have become accustomed to ongoing advancements in lifestyles, business, education, health care, sports, the arts and more. And we get used to a changing culture as we become more diverse, more understanding and more caring of one another.

During the communitys history, The Brandon Sun also has been a constant; the paper began before the citys incorporation in 1882. For 135 years, The Sun has brought news of the world to Brandon. And The Sun has told the stories of Brandon to the world.

Tomorrow? There will be more stories to tell.

 David McConkey is an active citizen. Contact him and read previous columns. davidmcconkey.com
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Congratulations to the Brandon Sun on marking its 135th anniversary.

I have fond memories of my time working as a reporter at the Sun in 1988-89  an eventful time in agriculture and provincial politics, both of which I covered for the newspaper. Back then, just as it does today, the Sun strove to interpret local, national and international events for Brandon and Westman readers.

In 1988, there were both provincial and federal elections, and Prairie farmers witnessed the most severe drought in more than a generation. As well, in early 1988, the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement was signed, and the country was abuzz on its implications. It was an exciting time to be a reporter.

File Former Brandon Sun reporter Larry Kusch sits beside a stack of 100 trade books delivered to The Brandon Sun that morning in March 1988. Each was a copy of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement sent to him by the federal government, amounting to about 235 pounds of mail. He had called a toll-free number to ask for one copy of the agreement, and the feds answered in spectacular fashion.

As an agriculture reporter with the Sun, I wanted to read the fine print of the trade deal to learn more about how local farmers might be affected. That led to a rather humorous incident that brought me some unexpected notoriety. I phoned Ottawa to obtain a copy of the agreement, and the feds over-delivered in spectacular fashion: I received boxes and boxes of copies  so many containers that they littered the floor around my desk in the Sun newsroom. A Sun photo of myself sitting beside a stack of FTA documents stacked to the ceiling was carried by major newspapers across the country. (We sent the extra copies back.)

Heres to another 135 years of publication for Westmans most important news organ!

Larry Kusch, reporter

Winnipeg Free Press
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On Jan. 19, 1882, William White  an Ontario newspaper publisher who had arrived in the West just a few weeks earlier  cranked out a four-page newspaper on a hand-powered press and gave it away for free to residents of the young city, which at the time was little more than a tent city.

That was 135 years ago today.

It was born in the middle of January  no doubt those tents must have been a cold shelter for the early inhabitants of this city, especially considering our own cold snap of which we only just have come out the other side.

Not only has The Brandon Sun had the benefit of some employees over the year, we have also had the continued readership of a large majority of Brandon and Westman residents.

Perhaps its fitting, really The Sun has emerged as a tough little paper. After 135 years in operation, under different owners and in various forms, The Sun and its name have stood the test of time. And to do so, it needed dedicated people to help move the community forward and forward-thinking citizens who wanted to create something new and lasting.

Will White was one of those people. As Canadian writer Pierre Berton once wrote in his book The Promised Land: Settling the West 1896-1914, that early Brandon Sun was a one-man operation. And it was that guile and determination that helped push the small but vibrant community of Brandon forward in those early years.

White set the type himself, cranked the press, peddled the paper on the streets for a nickel a copy, sold the advertising, wrote every word that appeared, and even swept the floors, Berton wrote. As The Sun prospered and the West made news, White prospered with it.

White thought big. When Brandon was about to be incorporated as a town, he discovered it cost no more to call itself a city. What not go for the bargain? Think big, he told the city fathers; vote yourselves a city! They took his advice.

In fact, The Brandon Sun has been very fortunate over the years. Not only have we had the benefit of some excellent reporters, photographers, managers and editors, designers, sales people, pressmen, carriers and so many other supporting staff, but we have also had the continued readership of a large majority of Brandon and Westman residents, who have been along with us for much of the journey.

Even now, the recent Vividata survey suggests that about 39,000 adults in Brandon alone read The Suns print or digital editions every week  meaning that we reach about 89 per cent of the citys adult population. Of the 72 major daily and weekly newspapers measured in Canada by Vividata last year, The Suns level of local readership and citizen engagement is surpassed only by one other  The Journal Pioneer in Prince Edward Island.

We at The Sun have good reason to celebrate that fact on this our anniversary day, and we do so as a member of a strong and vibrant Prairie community.

Local artist and cartoonist Curt Shoultz designed and drew todays front page, which illustrates no particular individuals, but rather the many types of readers The Brandon Sun has had over its 135-year run. All of you are reflected in some way on the image that graces todays front page  all races and religions, all ages, and all political stripes.

(If you look very closely at the want ads on the 1882 version of The Brandon Sun within the image, you will note the clever inclusion of Shoultzs name which was not part of the original front page  along with a tip of the hat to local historian Tom Mitchell and Brandon University archivist Christy Henry, who gave both information and inspiration to the artist.)

The role of a local newspaper like ours is very intertwined with its community  and has always been so. Yet it provokes a never-ending debate: is a newspaper simply there to serve as a passive conduit for news, or does it have a greater responsibility to its readers? What purpose must it serve?

These are the same questions that we posed in this space in our 125th anniversary edition, and 10 years on, though many of our staff have come and gone, with new names and faces taking over armed with new and modern ideas, the answer has not changed.

It is our continuing belief that The Sun has a responsibility that extends beyond passing along information to its customers. It is our job and the job of all media to hold elected officials accountable, and to offer context to that coverage. In this day and age we live in  the so-called post-truth era, when politicians and corporations believe they are above accountability  our responsibility as a news organization in Canada to unearth the truth and hold it up to public scrutiny is more important than ever.

We remain committed to improving the region and to providing a balanced and accurate picture of life in our city, both to our local readers and to those visiting our community for the first time. And while our editorial opinions will sometimes take an unpopular opinion that strides against the winds of prevailing wisdom, we will do so with an honest and thoughtful approach, along with attempts at wit.

As we look forward to the next decade and beyond, there will always be new challenges ahead for both this community, and its local paper. The Internet, social media and digital publishing have brought a tsunami of change to the news industry over the last 20 years. No doubt that change will continue to force our news coverage to evolve in order to stay relevant.

Yet in order to remain loyal to our local community and reflect the needs and wants of our readers, we need your help. In the coming weeks, The Brandon Sun will issue a readership survey, as we ask you for your thoughts on our regular features, columns and our coverage in this, our 135th year.

Until then, we thank you for making The Brandon Sun part of your day for the last 135 years.

And counting.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For an esteemed womens rights advocate of Nellie McClungs stature, more than one community can call her their claim to fame.

There is Chatsworth, Ont., where she was born in 1873.

Winnipeg has a stake, too. It was there she won the right for Manitoba women to vote  earlier than in any other province.

Submitted The home of Nellie McClung, her husband and their children while living in Manitou.

In Edmonton, she rose to political prominence as a member of Albertas Legislative Assembly, and in Calgary where she concentrated on her writings.

Dont forget Wawanesa, where McClung spent her formative years, starting formal schooling at the age of 10.

There are monuments and other acknowledgments in those communities, underscoring how important her activism was nationwide.

But Manitou, where she came into her own as a public speaker and Canadian best-seller, is an integral chapter in McClungs rise, and its why Betty Mueller knew she had to step up after two of McClungs former residences were up for grabs.

Im sure lots of other towns would have liked to have taken them, said the co-chair of the Move Nellie Home committee.

After all, there are statues and busts west in Vancouver, through the Prairies and into Ontario, Mueller said.

She was such a prominent citizen and she began so much of her later career while she was here, we just felt we had to do it.

Approximately two years ago when the Archibald Museum closed, the stewards of the historical site tried to unload the two Manitou houses McClung lived in. The homes were originally moved to the museum nine miles away from town in the 1970s.

When Mueller heard a few years ago a new location was sought, she stepped up.

The two buildings are pillars of McClungs legacy. There is the cottage she boarded in when she started her teaching career at Hazel School in 1890, and the other building she lived in with her husband Wesley McClung, raising four of their five children. They left Manitou in 1911.

In Manitou, McClung laid the groundwork in becoming a famous advocate. Its where the young teacher, who formerly went by the last name Mooney, started her family and penned her first book, Sowing Seeds in Danny, in 1908, which became a national best-seller. She made inroads into a speaking career and met with the people who would eventually help her lobby for womens suffrage in Manitoba.

By the time she left Manitou, she was well on her way, Mueller said. She was already famous in much of Canada with her books and her speaking.

The Move Nellie Home committee will place the two McClung residences beside a log house the community restored, at the intersection of Main Street and Highway 3. Manitou will frame the area as a heritage street.

The community is keen, raising $100,000 of the estimated $150,000 to $180,000 cost, Mueller said. Some of the price tag is directed to restoring the homes, already outfitted with period artifacts inside. They will be moved this summer, she adds.

Submitted The site, along the intersection of Main Street and Highway 3, where two former residences Nellie McClung lived in are set to be moved this summer.

She hopes the buildings will become a destination for school tours.

When you think of a person like her, beginning school in a one-room country school and then becoming the person whos written the best-selling book in Canada, all in the same town, its incredible.

Mueller, who sits on the Nellie McClung Foundation, is a historian of sorts on the social reform champion.

When Mueller began teaching in Manitou in the 1960s, the community had little connection to their famous daughter, Mueller felt. And neither did Mueller, so she brushed up. The history teacher  and later school principal  ultimately taught many students about McClungs legacy in a school named after her.

I felt it was my job to know her, Mueller said.

Many more know her name, thanks to last years commemoration of Manitoba women being able to vote for 100 years. She also gained recognition following the backlash last year criticizing the decision to not have McClung among the shortlist of women considered for Canadas first female banknote.

As Mueller notes, McClung is a pivotal figure in Canadian history, and part of a heritage Manitou does not want to lose sight of.

People are surprised that not only Nelly but the group of women in Winnipeg took such a lead in getting women to vote in Manitoba, Mueller said. Its not that it wouldnt have happened, but somebody has to step up and make it happen, and she did.

 ifroese@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ianfroese
Amarenco Solar has been given the go ahead to build a new solar farm in County Cork.

The local authority has granted planning permission for 22,200 photovoltaic panels in Whitechurch.
Gardai are trying to locate a gang which pursued and assaulted a man, before inflicting fatal injuries by driving a car over him, writes Cormac O'Keeffe.

Detectives suspect that the victim, Neil Reilly, a 36-year-old drug dealer, was involved in firing shots into a house in Ronanstown, west Dublin, at around 4am yesterday.

After Reilly and possibly an accomplice fled in a getaway car, they were pursued by a group of up to five men in at least one vehicle.

There was a 5km pursuit across Clondalkin, into neighbouring Lucan, where the car Reilly was travelling in was cornered in the Glebe housing estate, near where Reilly lived, in St Finians Close.

There was a mass fight there and Reilly was severely assaulted by the pursuing gang. Gardai are investigating reports that knives or other sharp weapons were used on him.

They are also investigating reports that a car driven by gang members drove over Reilly.

He was brought to James Connolly Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 5.30am.

The deceased had a partner and, it is thought, two children, a teenage boy and a young girl.

Superintendent Dermot Mann, who is leading the investigation, said a number of shots, from a shotgun, were fired into the house at Liscarne Gardens in Ronanstown at around 4am.

He said there were an estimated four or five adults in the house at the time.

Nobody was injured in that incident, he said.

A number of cars left there, but we are not sure how many.

He said that, very soon after, gardai were alerted to an incident at the Glebe housing estate in Esker, Lucan, were a number of cars had crashed into each other.

We are not sure how many cars or people were involved, he said.

But, after the crash, there was a serious altercation on the street involving five to six people or maybe more.

Supt Mann said the victim had substantial injuries when he was brought to hospital and confirmed they were treating the death as murder.

He said one avenue of investigation was that a group of men left the house that had been shot at and pursued the victim.

Detectives are trying to identify the occupants of the house and locate them.

Supt Mann said: There is no known motive at this stage. Its probably too early in the investigation. Were keeping all avenues open.

Reilly was a known drug dealer and had numerous convictions. In May 2011, he was given a seven-year sentence for drugs supply.

Gardai will look back at his convictions and his time in prison.

It is the second gangland murder in Lucan in a month after drug dealer Mark Desmond was shot dead in nearby Griffeen Valley Park.

Supt Mann asked anyone who saw anything suspicious at Liscarne Gardens or in the Glebe estate, or between the two locations, including cars driving fast or people on foot, to contact Lucan Garda Station on 01 6667300 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111.

This article first appeared in the Irish Examiner.
Around 40,000 people will lose their jobs in Ireland because of Theresa May's hard Brexit plan, the Irish Government's chief economist has warned.

Exports to the UK are set to nosedive by nearly a third and 20bn will be heaped on to Ireland's national debt over the coming decade, it is also predicted.

John McCarthy (pictured), chief economist at the Department of Finance, said much of the pain will be front-loaded over the coming five years but the fallout would continue afterwards.

The senior Government official said the dire forecast was based on extensive economic modelling carried out by his own department and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

"There is a health warning to all models but I think the figures are reasonable," he said.

Mr McCarthy, giving evidence to a parliamentary committee in Dublin, said officials had been working on predictions for the financial fallout from Brexit for some time.

They had drawn up forecasts for three different scenarios - a soft, medium and hard Brexit.

"We know now that most likely scenario is a hard exit," he said, referring to the Theresa May's speech on Tuesday laying out her blueprint for Britain's exit from the European Union. "That would lead us to believe that the impact will be more severe," he said.

Worst hit will likely be those working in the food and drink industries, as well as others whose business relies heavily on exports to the UK which could be slapped with punitive trade tariffs.

Exports to the UK are expected to drop 30% - which would be the same as an overall 4% dip in all Ireland's overseas exports.

It is estimated that the Irish economy - based on the value of all goods and services in the country known as gross domestic product (GDP) - will plunge 3.5% over the coming five years.

It will dip further but less sharply in the following few years as a direct result of the planned hard Brexit, according to the official forecast.

Mr McCarthy also revealed that there are "maybe three or four staff" in the special unit set up by the Department of Finance to drive Ireland's response to Brexit.

"The co-ordinating unit is relatively small, I suppose, but every unit is feeding into that," he told the Oireachtas Finance Committee.

Opposition Fianna Fail finance spokesman Michael McGrath said he was shocked by the "threadbare" resources handed to the unit, given "the extremely serious threat posed to our economy by the hard Brexit scenario that is now emerging".

"It is shocking to learn that the Department of Finance's Brexit unit comprises just four people," he said.

"The Department of Finance is responsible for shaping our economic strategy and has a central role to play in designing and implementing our response to Brexit."

Mr McGrath said it was "becoming abundantly clear that our own government does not seem to fully grasp the scale of this challenge".
Nama chairman Frank Daly has told Sean Fitzpatricks trial about a number of board meetings he attended with him before his resignation.

Mr Fitzpatrick, who stepped down as Anglo Irish Banks Chairman in 2008, is accused of failing to disclose multi-million euro loans to the banks auditors.
The Taoiseach says there is no prospect of a general election this year.

Enda Kenny said he has no intention of going to the polls in 2017.
A truck loaded with sand has collided with a school bus, killing at least 24 young children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

At least two dozen other children were injured early on Thursday when the speeding truck collided head-on with the bus, said Javeed Ahmed, the state's most senior police official.
President-elect Donald Trump has paid $25m to settle three lawsuits against his now-defunct Trump University, signalling that a judge's approval of a settlement agreement remains on track for March 30.

Trump Entrepreneur Initiative LLC paid the money into escrow ahead of Wednesday's deadline, said plaintiff lawyer Jason Forge, who represented people who took seminars that promised to teach success in property.

Trump University was renamed Trump Entrepreneur Initiative in 2010 after New York state officials objected to the name because it was not an accredited school.

Under terms disclosed last month, Mr Trump was to pay $25m at least two days before his inauguration to settle two federal class-action lawsuits in San Diego and a civil lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

The agreement sets aside $4m for the New York attorney general's office and the rest for about 7,000 people who took Trump University programmes.

Students who paid up to $35,000 a year are expected to be eligible for refunds of at least half of what they paid if US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel approves the settlement on March 30.

Plaintiff lawyers agreed to waive their fees.

Last month, Judge Curiel granted preliminary approval, triggering notices to the former students to either accept the terms or object. They have until March 6 to object.

The lawsuits allege that Trump University gave nationwide seminars that were like infomercials, constantly pressuring people to spend more and, in the end, failing to deliver on its promises.

They contend that Mr Trump misled students by calling the business a university and by saying that he had hand-picked the instructors.

The settlement was announced 10 days before a trial was scheduled to begin in San Diego, sparing Mr Trump constant news coverage of a controversy that dogged him during the campaign.

Mr Trump admitted no wrongdoing and said at the time that he settled to allow him to focus on the country.
A student opened fire at a private school in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey today, hitting a teacher and two other students in the head before killing himself.

Another student suffered lesser injuries in the shootings, which were captured on a chilling video posted to social media.

Nuevo Leon state governor Jaime Rodriguez said the 15-year-old student died at a hospital and that the other three victims with head wounds were "fighting between life and death".

The boy wounded in the arm was out of danger.

A video, apparently from the school's surveillance camera, shows a female teacher handing out materials and students seated at their desks when a boy opens fire with a pistol from a sitting position, hitting a boy sitting in front of him, who immediately slumps to the ground.

He next shoots the teacher, who was looking in another direction, and she falls to the ground.

The boy rises from his seat and walks around, firing shots at his classmates, before turning the gun on himself.

His first shot apparently misses his head, and then he runs out of bullets.

The shooter runs to his backpack, apparently to reload, as his classmates cower at their desks.

He appears to say something to the surviving students, who begin to rush for the door, and then he shoots himself in the head and falls to the ground.

The crowded classroom was left with a jumble of overturned chairs, blood and fallen students.

State security spokesman Aldo Fasci said four of the injured, including the shooter himself, had bullet wounds to the head and were in extremely serious conditions.

He said the student shot the 24-year-old teacher, a 14-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy in the head, and a 15-year-old classmate in the arm.

He then pointed the gun at classmates before shooting himself in the head.

"The classes were going perfectly well, the student stands up from his desk and pulls out a gun," Mr Fasci said.

He noted that photographs of the shooting had been posted to social media and said the person responsible would be punished. He also appealed to the news media to avoid using the images, which show minors.

Mr Fasci said the shooter had been under treatment for depression, but that the motive was under investigation.

The spokesman attributed it to "the situation that is happening everywhere. The children have access to the internet. This has happened in other countries".

Mr Fasci said the boy brought the gun from home. It was unclear how he got the .22 caliber pistol into the school. Mexico had once had a programme to check book bags at school entrances, but in many places it has fallen into disuse.

"'There was a reason why book bags were checked. I think we are going to have to start doing it again," Mr Fasci said.

Mexico had been largely spared the phenomenon of school shootings that has hit the United States.

In one of the few previous incidents, a 13-year-old student shot a 12-year-old classmate in the head at a Mexico City middle school in 2004, seriously wounding her.

At the height of Mexico's drug war between 2008 and 2011, schools in northern Mexico were more concerned about the possibility that stray bullets from drug gang gun battles outside schools might enter classrooms.

Some schools conducted "duck and cover" drills to combat that possibility.
The government has only just managed to reach an agreement that could see resumption in supply of paracetamol...
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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.
Canberra fashion designer Alice Sutton is heading to South Korea after being selected for an international fashion exchange. Sutton was selected as one of three Australian designers for the Australia-Korea Foundation Emerging Designer Exchange Program, which is being run for the first time in 2017. Canberra fashion designer Alice Sutton of Edition. Credit:Oliver Armstrong Along with Clea Garrick from Melbourne and Bianca Mavrick from Brisbane, Sutton will travel to Seoul in March to meet with three chosen Korean designers and the group will visit trade events, learn from industry mentors and attend Seoul Fashion Week. It will be the first time to South Korea for Sutton, who's excited about how it could influence her designs.

Model Hannah Arnold wears a piece from the latest Edition collection by Alice Sutton. Credit:Lauren Campbell "It'll be interesting because my style is quite Canberra - I love black, I love layering I love grey," she said. "And I think it'll be quite nice to get that injection of the more Asian styles, maybe a bit brighter. I'm quite excited for all of that. And some of the Korean designers that are part of the program, their work is just amazing so it will be really great to see how my work relates to theirs, just growing up in a different place." At the end of May, the Korean designers will then visit Australia for a similar trip during Australian Fashion Week. The whole program runs for two years, and is a collaboration between Queensland University of Technology and Seoul National University.
Former Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn refused to tell German lawmakers when he first learned about systematic exhaust emissions cheating but said it was no earlier than VW has officially admitted.

VW has said its executive board did not learn of the software violations until late August 2015 and formally reported the cheating to authorities in the United States in early September that year.

Upon being asked whether he had known about software cheating earlier, Winterkorn told a German parliamentary committee on Thursday: "That is not the case."

Winterkorn declined to be more specific about when he was informed because it was a matter that was still being investigated by German prosecutors.
"Your time is now. You go, girl."

Gladys Berejiklian received hundreds and hundreds of messages of encouragement and support on Thursday as soon as news broke that Mike Baird would step down as Premier. But there was one particular message from a former politician, a former colleague, who has deliberately kept herself out of the political limelight, until now.

That message was from Robyn Parker, the former NSW minister for the environment, who says Berejiklian is worth shouting about. Parker has refused to comment publicly about politics since she left NSW Parliament in 2015 but she and Berejiklian started in Macquarie Street at the same time. And she, among others, have all the reasons why Gladys Berejiklian should be the next premier of NSW.

1. Her time really is now. She was a strong contender when O'Farrell stepped down but the numbers didn't stack up. While we know the current NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance is busy counting votes, Gladys has spent her time in Parliament in charge of two major portfolios: transport and treasury. She's ready. She's also got a tonne of experience before Parliament.
The "large, fast-moving" bushfire was expected to reach Yandina-Coolum Road within the hour. Police have closed Yandina-Coolum Road along with nearby streets and have blocked access for vehicles. A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services bushfire emergency warning, issued on Friday afternoon, said spot fires were likely to start up to four kilometres ahead of the fire front and embers were being thrown from the fire. "The fire is expected to impact on the Coolum community and some property may be lost. Power, water and mobile phone supplies may be lost in the area over the next several hours," the emergency statement read.

"It will be very hot and windy and as the fire approaches it will become increasingly difficult to breathe. "Residents are strongly advised to leave now if they are able to do so. Leaving is the safest option for survival." Thirty fire crews were working to contain the blaze. Residents have been urged to contact triple zero if their property came under threat. Residents should consider taking precautionary measures including:

Putting on protective clothing;

Drinking lots of water;

Moving car/s to a safe location;

Closing windows and doors and shutting blinds;

Bringing pets inside, restraining them (leash, cage or secure room) and providing water;

Wetting down fine fuels close to buildings;

Removing garden furniture, doormats and other items;

Sealing all gaps under doors and screens;

Filling containers with water - eg bath, sinks, buckets, wheelie bins;

Having ladders ready for roof space access (inside) and against roof (outside);

Having a generator or petrol powered pump ready; and

Checking and patrolling outside for embers, extinguishing any spot fires and seeking shelter as the fire front arrives. EARLIER An emergency situation has again been declared on the Sunshine Coast, where firefighters continue to battle a blaze that is threatening homes. Police evacuated residents on Arcoona Road at Coolum and advised those living on Leichhardt Road, Carnarvon Court, Cania Place and Musgrave Drive to leave on Friday afternoon. Staff at a school on Yandina-Coolum Road have also been evacuated.

A water park was evacuated after a wind change shifted the focus of firefighting efforts at Coolum Beach. A water-bombing helicopter was again helping keep the blaze at Coolum Beach under control on Friday morning after it threatened homes overnight. About midday on Friday, police advised the water park on Junction Drive, where Blast Aqua Park Coolum and the Oz Ski Resort are located, was being evacuated. A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said the wind had turned south-southeasterly. Police said no homes were at risk.

EARLIER A fire so fierce it burned above the tree line has been brought under control after threatening homes on the Sunshine Coast. Firefighters faced flames so ferocious there was nothing they could do to extinguish them at times as a 541-hectare blaze tore through bush on either side of a motorway at Coolum Beach overnight. Residents in several Peregian Beach homes were warned to put bushfire plans into place about 8.15pm but more than 60 firefighters eventually brought the blaze under control without any property damaged.

On Friday morning, police revoked an emergency situation that had been in place around the fire and reopened the Sunshine Motorway, which had been closed since Thursday afternoon. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services acting superintendent Steven Bates said hot weather had contributed to a relatively rare fire event known as "crowning". "That's a very high energy fire and very risky," he said. "So anything close to residential looks spectacular. "There's no way to extinguish a fire that has that much energy and impetus behind it so crews did a great job in going into defensive mode and that's defending the properties by backburning and dousing hot spots just before the fire."

Mr Bates guessed temperatures around the blaze would have been "well over" 1000 degrees and said crowning fires were often described as being "like a freight train". "I'm not sure if it was that sort of level but I've seen some photos of the fire and it was certainly quite intense at times," he said. Rural and urban firefighters worked with police, ambulance and the State Emergency Service to keep homes and other property safe. Residents at Arcoona and Doonan Bridge roads, as well as the Coolum industrial estate were evacuated on Thursday night as firefighters warned property could be lost. The bushfire started near Cinnamon Avenue and Banksia Avenue, and close to the Sunshine Motorway, in Coolum Beach about 1pm on Thursday
A man has been charged with more than 70 offences, including seven counts of rape, after he allegedly used a Brisbane-based photographic studio to "procure and abuse children", police say.

Police charged the 38-year-old man after a Geebung address was searched on Thursday morning.

Taskforce Argos officers will allege the man ran an Enoggera-based photographic studio and offered services to parents via social media, specialising in "fine art photography" and "artistic dance portraits" of young children.

The man was charged with 79 offences including 26 counts of indecent treatment, 30 counts of carnal knowledge of child under 16, 13 counts of take child for immoral purposes and seven counts of rape.
A woman has been charged with child stealing after the alleged abduction of two children west of Brisbane.

Police alleged the woman, known to the children, was seen taking two girls, four and one, and putting them into a car at Fernvale about 9pm Thursday.

Police believe a woman took two children from a Fernvale home on Thursday night.

They refused to reveal the relationship between the woman and the children.

They were recovered in Beaudesert about 2am after police issued an amber alert.
Eighty years after the last Tasmanian tiger died, scientists have used imaging techniques to map the marsupial's brain for the first time.

The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, was elusive before its extinction and its behaviour in the wild was never scientifically documented.

The last known Tasmanian tiger, seen in 1936, the year it died in a Hobart zoo. Credit:Tasmanian Museum

But a reconstruction of its brain architecture and neural networks suggests it had more cortex devoted to action planning and possibly even decision making than its closest living relative, the Tasmanian devil.

The findings, published in PLOS ONE on Thursday, are consistent with the tiger's more complex ecological role as a predator, while the devil survives mainly by scavenging.
The leader of WA's Edith Cowan University is defending his institution's completion rate after new figures showed nearly half its students dropped out in previous years.

The figures from the federal Department of Education and Training analysed the performance of students between 2005 and 2015 and showed all universities in Australia reported a drop in completion rates between 2009 and 2014.

ECU raised its entry score from 55 to 70 - and is hoping to reap the benefits. Credit:David Allan-Petale

In WA, while the University of Western Australia ranked high with a 74.5 per cent course completion rate, Perth's Murdoch University and Edith Cowan University were among the country's worst performing institutions.

ECU was able to retain 55.4 per cent of its students, while Murdoch's completion rate was just under half at 49.6 per cent.
New York: Twenty-seven Jewish community centres in 17 US states reported receiving false telephone bomb threats on Wednesday, prompting evacuations and an FBI probe into the second wave of hoax attacks to target American Jewish facilities this month.

The JCC Association of North America, a network of health and education centres, said the threatened organisations were working with police and many had resumed operations after no bombs were found nor injuries reported, as was the case after the earlier series of threats on January 9.

No one claimed responsibility for the calls on Wednesday nor nine days ago, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has not named any suspects nor described a likely motive.

The FBI and the Justice Department are investigating possible civil rights violations in connection with threats, the FBI said in a statement.
Piles of snow and rubble cascading into the foyer of the hotel Rigopiano after an avalanche. Credit:AP Sky TG24 television said that at least three people had died at the Rigopiano, which is described on its website as a "posh mountainside hotel resort with spa" in the town of Farindola, nestled in the mountains. There were fears that the death toll would rise significantly. In a message on social media, the Fire Department, which is involved in rescue efforts, said firefighters had arrived at the hotel but "at the moment, no signals from the missing." Rescuers found the hotel buried in deep snow when they arrived early on Thursday morning. Credit:AP "The hotel is almost completely destroyed. We've called out but we've heard no replies, no voices," said Antonio Crocetta, a member of the Alpine Rescue squad who was on the scene.

"We're digging and looking for people," he told Reuters by phone from the isolated location. Heavy snow blanketed the region, contributing to the death of an elderly man. Credit:Reuters Emergency vehicles tried to assist Alpine rescue teams in the region, part of the Gran Sasso National Park, but rescue efforts were hampered by heavy snow on roads, the civil protection agency said. Francesco Provolo, the prefect of Pescara, the province that includes Farindola, told RAI that rescuers had to travel more than 8 kilometres on skis and snowshoes to reach the hotel, as billowing snow continued to fall throughout the night.

A spokesman for the civil protection department in Pescara estimated that up to 30 people were in the hotel at the time of the avalanche. The four-star hotel has 43 rooms, but it was not clear how many guests were staying there at the time of the avalanche. Search-and-rescue efforts continued at the hotel, which officials said had been swept from its foundations by the avalanche. Walter Milan, a spokesman for a specialised Alpine rescue team, told RAI that rescuers were examining the scene of the avalanche section by section "to exclude that people remained trapped underneath." In the nearby hamlet of Ortolano, 21 people were airlifted by helicopter to the airport in L'Aquila, said a spokesman for the Italian Financial Police, which was involved in the rescue operations. Gentiloni praised the courage of rescue workers trying to reach the hotel, and he said the country's "heart and mind" were closely following their efforts. He called on the country's civil protection department, army and rescue teams working to reach people in isolated hamlets throughout central Italy to redouble their efforts.

"Everyone is doing as much as they can" to reach people, clear roads and bring electricity to areas that have been cut off for days, the prime minister said. "But I ask all operators to increase their commitment. They have shown that they exist, are present, and are working -- but I ask them, if possible, to do even more." Three quakes in central Italy last year killed nearly 300 people in and around the medieval town of Amatrice; on Wednesday, the tower of one of that town's churches was destroyed by temblors. In 2009, the town of L'Aquila was devastated by an earthquake that killed more than 300 people. The latest earthquakes were a new setback for thousands of commercial, industrial and agricultural enterprises in four central Italian regions that have been struggling to recover from the natural disasters of the summer and fall. Coldiretti, an agricultural trade association, said that countless animals had been killed or wounded because barn roofs had collapsed under the weight of the snow and that blocked roads impeded farmers from reaching their farms to feed and care for their livestock.

Many of the 3000 farms in the earthquake areas are isolated and unreachable because of the persistent snowfalls that are blocking the delivery of feed, the association said in a statement, which noted that milk production had also dropped drastically. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said that more than 47,000 temblors and aftershocks had rattled the region since August and that there was no sign the situation would change anytime soon. After the L'Aquila quake, the earth shook for four years, even though it wasn't always perceptible to people, said Carlo Meletti, the director of the seismic hazard centre at the institute. "We expect the sequence will last for many weeks," he said. "After yesterday's quakes, it is as though it has picked up in vigor. "We have always said that there were strong possibilities of new, stronger earthquakes, and now a new fault has opened," he continued. "The one thing we don't know is when they will occur or where because the area that has been affected by the quakes is so vast."

Meletti said in a telephone interview that it was unclear if the avalanche was a direct result of the earthquakes Wednesday but that a link was possible "considering that a lot of snow had fallen in a very short time and it was very unstable." On Thursday, thousands of snowbound residents in the area were without electricity after already having had service interruptions in the previous days because of the heavy snowfall. Echoing a refrain heard after the earthquakes last year, many residents complained on social media that they had been abandoned, even as officials pledged that they were doing everything they could to reach stranded towns and hamlets. Loading "Only the earthquake remembers the earthquake victims," a banner headline on the front page of the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano read Thursday.
by Charlie Bennett,

Sportsbeat: January 18, 2017 - HE is the cornerstone of table-topping Wasps Premiership scrum and now Matt Mullan is determined to answer Eddie Jones England front row injury crisis and star for the Red Rose during next months RBS 6 Nations. HE is the cornerstone of table-topping Wasps Premiership scrum and now Matt Mullan is determined to answer Eddie Jones England front row injury crisis and star for the Red Rose during next months RBS 6 Nations.

He has only ever started once in an England jersey in seven years but Jones now seems certain to turn to the experienced Wasps front rower to plug a sizeable gap in his set piece.

With fellow loosehead props Mako Vunipola and Joe Marler out injured, 29-year-old Mullan would appear as the front-runner to don the No.1 jersey on February 4 when England kick-start their Six Nations defence in Paris against France.

The Six Nations holds happy memories for Mullan as it was in Rome back in 2010, where the then-Worcester Warrior, came off the bench against Italy for his England debut.

However, he failed to kick on after that initial run-out and it wasnt until May last year that Mullan started an England game  helping Eddie Jones side secure a 27-13 victory over Wales in a friendly at Twickenham.

While on the outside looking in for the most part, the 29-year-old has watched as England have racked up 14 straight wins under Jones.

But while injuries have opened the door for him to play his part in this historic run next month, many have been calling for the front-rower to be given a shot regardless, none more so than Wasps director of rugby and former Wales and Lions prop Dai Young.

And as he prepares to potentially take his place in the starting line-up against Les Bleus, Mullan admits the culture Jones has created in the camp will make his return that much easier.

It was nice to get back into camp last week and it is about playing as well as you can for your club and if that form gets recognised, it is about trying to replicate your club form at the highest level, said Mullan, speaking on behalf of Land Rover, Main Club Partner of Wasps, and taking part in a day of off-road driving challenges against players from Welsh regional side Cardiff Blues. Land Rover supports both clubs and invited players to see which team could claim an early Anglo-Welsh victory and take the title of the Ultimate Off Road Driving Team.

Everyone wants to play for their country and it is out of your hands. There is no need to stress about it. It is a tremendous honour to pull on an England shirt.

Things are going really well for England but Eddie has made a point of saying it is not about winning every game and that the next game is the most important.

When we met up in camp in Brighton, all the talk was how do we best prepare to beat France. That is all we are thinking about.

That is what Eddie has been really good at. In terms of competition for places, that is why we have pushed onto the next level.

If anyone has been injured or unavailable then the people coming into the team have taken their chances and that pushes the competition for places right up.

With 14 consecutive victories under their belt, including a Grand Slam 12 months ago, England start the 2017 Six Nations as favourites.

But Mullan is adamant no-one in the Red Rose camp is getting ahead of themselves any time soon, with chief Jones simply not allowing them to do so.

It might bring a different type of pressure but it is a brand-new competition and everyone starts out as equals, he added.

No one has played a game yet and we are very keen to put last year to bed. In Brighton we spoke about that and looking at how we can learn from teams who are at the top of their games, and then teams at the top of their games but fallen off.

And the message is to not get complacent. The reason we did very well in the last year is because we worked very hard for each other and I think that message is going straight back into camp.

Whether you are at your club or with England you try to win every match and so that brings its own pressure. In professional sport, it is about trying to win matches and putting yourself as high up the table as you can.

And that is what it will be like in the Six Nations. In any international rivalry, you try and do your best and you know you have your team-mates trying to do their best.

There are rivalries, although I think a lot of that is for the public in the build-up to the competition. In terms of preparing for the tournament and each match as it comes, I think it is all about winning the next game.

Land Rover is Principal Partner of Cardiff Blues and Main Club Partner of Wasps. Land Rover continues to champion grassroots rugby through its We Deal In Real campaign. @LandRoverRugby #WeDealInReal
Washington: Rick Perry, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to run the Energy Department, said during his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday that he regrets having called for the department's elimination during his failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

"After being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination," the former Texas governor said in his opening remarks to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Mr Perry, 66, was governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015, making him the longest-serving governor of the oil-producing state in its history. He is seen by Mr Trump as a person who can usher in energy jobs.

As energy secretary, he would also lead a vast scientific research operation credited with helping trigger a US drilling boom and advancements in energy efficiency, and would oversee America's nuclear arsenal.
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Sign up to our daily newsletter for the latest local and breaking news in Bristol.

A major police investigation is underway after officers were captured on camera Tasering a Bristol grandfather who set up a group to foster better relations between the police and Bristol's black community.

Judah Adunbi was hit in the face by the Taser after police mistook him for a wanted man in an incident in Easton, Bristol on Saturday.

Police chiefs said they understood that the local community in Easton and the black and ethnic minority community in Bristol as a whole would 'have concerns' about what happened.Mr Adunbi was one of the founders of the Independent Advisory Group set up by the police with the BME community in Bristol several years ago.

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He said he felt humiliated when police began to approach him accusing him of being someone else, and when he was hit in the face by the Taser he thought he was going to die.

"I felt that was it, because of the way I fell back," he told ITV West News on Thursday evening. "The way I fell backward on the back of my head. I was just paralysed. I thought that was it. I thought they were taking my life."

The footage was taken by a neighbour of Mr Adunbi, as he was approached by police on Saturday outside his home in Easton.

The video shows police telling him they believe he was someone else, and then going in through the gate of his house. Officers then try to detain him and Taser the 63-year-old in the face

"At first you don't accuse someone of being someone else. You ask questions," said Mr Adunbi, a prominent member of Bristol's black community.

Mr Adunbi is a respected member of the police's Independent Advisory Group on race relations

"The first thing they should have done is come to me in a polite manner. The way they approached me - they were accusing me. That is wrong," he added.

"It's a little distasteful in my mouth. To know that I'm one of the founder members of the Independent Advisory Group, which was created some years ago in order to improve better relationship between the AfroCaribbean community and the constabulary, and to be treated like this it's difficult," he said.

In 2008, Mr Adunbi, second from the right, was a member of the Legacy Commission, which also included Princess Campbell, Paul Stephenson and now mayor Marvin Rees.

Both officers remain at work and police said they have voluntarily referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

"After reviewing what happened, we voluntarily referred a complaint about this incident to the IPCC. Although we don't have to refer an incident in which a taser has been discharged to the IPCC, we want to be as open and transparent as possible," said Chief Supt Jon Reilly.

"I've met with Mr Adunbi and we had a constructive conversation. We're aware of concerns within the local community and we take these concerns very seriously. We would like to answer their questions but we need to be mindful that an investigation is ongoing which makes that difficult. However, I would like to reassure them that the incident was captured on the officers' Body Worn Video cameras."

"I understand the community are going to have concerns. And we'd really like to answer those," said Chief Supt Jon Reilly. "But as there's an ongoing investigation that's very difficult for us to do.

"I want to reassure the community the whole incident was captured on body-worn camera. Both officers were wearing it. And we're determined to understand what happened.

"That's why we've referred it, voluntarily, to the Independent Police Complaints Commission for them to assess whether an independent review is necessary. We work really hard to work positively with all communities and I see no reason why that should change," he added.
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The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) is just not doing its job in regulating the financial industry, said Patrick McConnell, honorary fellow at Macquarie Universitys Applied Finance Centre.In an interview with Australian Broker, McConnell said that to regain its credibility, all ASIC had to do was simply fulfil its role.They should be doing their job of regulating misconduct by banks, he said. [But] theyre just not doing this.The $2.5 million fine given by ASIC to National Australia Bank ( NAB ) and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia ( CBA ) for inappropriate conduct over the banks wholesale spot foreign exchange desks was a joke, McConnell said.The message that that sent was completely wrong. It means We can do whatever we like and eventually ASIC will fold.McConnell continued, saying that he wouldnt be surprised if the regulator also folded in the ongoing bank bill swap rate (BBSW) case against Westpac , the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ( ANZ ) and NAB.Taking the banks to court in the first place was a really bad decision by ASIC, he said.Theyre never going to outgun the big banks in the lawyer space. They just dont have enough money.The banks involved have already started to drag this out anyway, he said, which gives them enough time to coordinate their defence and bide their time until settlement, he said.That was just a bad, bad, bad mistake.Despite making this decision however, McConnell suggested ASIC should go back and fine the banks directly.There was nothing to stop ASIC from taking this action, he added, given that there was precedent for this. He pointed to the 2011 payment protection insurance (PPI) scandal in the UK. The case has led to the countrys four biggest banks paying more than 40 billion ($65.3 billion) in fines, compensation and legal expenses.After the UKs Financial Services Authority (FSA) set down what the banks were required to do as a result of the scandal, the banks took the case all the way to the High Court where it was rejected.And they folded, he said. Effectively the banks sued the FSA and lost.In essence the current situation with the BBSW was a pathetic situation for ASIC to get itself into, McConnell said.It doesnt do anything for ASICs credibility. It doesnt do anything for good regulation. It doesnt do anything for anybody actually."
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Last year saw another strong year in terms of commercial property investment with $26.9 billion spent on the Australian market in the 12 months prior to December.New research by Savills Australia shows that foreign investors provided the largest share of this, injecting $10.6 billion into the market. This equates to 39.5% of the total investment brought in last year.Although this figure was 4.7% higher than the five year average of $25.7 billion, it was significantly down by 20% from the $33.7 billion spent in 2015.The 2015 calendar year was obviously the standout in what has been an extraordinary investment market over the last four or five years, and 2016  up nearly 5% on the longer term average  was also a strong result, said Tony Crabb, national head of research for Savills Australia.Given all indications from Savills offices in Australia and across the globe, there seems little doubt that both local and offshore investor demand will deliver another year of outstanding growth in 2017, the only qualification being a possible lack of stock.Looking at the breakdown by property type, investors spent $14 billion on offices, $6.5 billion on retail and $6.4 billion on industrial property. Foreign investors injected a significant portion of wealth into this accounting for 46% of offices, 31% of retail and 36% of industrial property.With foreign investors leading the pack at 39.5% of commercial property investment, the three next largest groups included funds (18.6%), private investors (14.8%) and trusts (11.4%).New South Wales experienced the largest cash injections for both office ($6 billion) and industrial sales ($2.7 billion) while Queensland dominated in the retail sector ($2.1 billion).
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MyState has announced the appointment of Kate Dean to the newly-created position of general manager of retail banking, sales and service.Dean will start work in her role in February. She will be responsible for the groups branch networks within Tasmania and central Queensland as well as the development of the groups contact centre.Her appointment will allow group executive Huw Bough to focus his expertise on growing the national mortgage broker channel.While originally looking after agri business and retail business as well as brokers, Bough will now take on the role of general manager, broker and will prioritise broker strategy, aggregator relationships and policy.Bough will be supported by Paul Herbert , head of broker sales, who stepped into the role last November and who currently leads the groups BRM and broker operations.For Bough, the focus will be on adding value and making the group easier to work with by driving change and simplifying processes, he told Australian Broker.Probably the most significant thing revolves around understanding where and how we can differentiate by understanding each other better, he said. That means understanding brokers better. Brokers know their customers extremely well and we need to know our broker partners and our brokerages better as well.His first task will be to take the time and understand what MyStates brokers and existing partners have to say in order to identify any areas of opportunity. He will also work alongside Dean in her newly-appointed position.MyState managing director and CEO Melos Sulicich welcomed Dean to the team.Her retail banking experience and knowledge of the Tasmanian market will support our strong organic strategy by responding to the changing needs of branch customers, deepening customer relationships and expanding community engagement.Dean joins MyState after holding the position of chief sales and marketing officer at B&E Personal Banking where she headed up business growth and sustainability.
For a rough introduction to my philosophy of blogging, including the Code of Amiability Ito follow on this weblog, please read my fifth anniversary post . I consider blogging to be a very informal type of publishing - like putting up thoughts on your door with a note asking for comments. Nothing in this weblog is done rigorously: it's a forum to let my mind be unruly, a place for jottings and first impressions. Because I consider posts here to be 'literary seedings' rather than finished products, nothing here should be taken as if it were anything more than an attempt to rough out some basic thoughts on various issues. Learning to look at any topic philosophically requires, I think, jumping right in, even knowing that you might be making a fool of yourelf; so that's what I do. My primary interest in most topics is the flow and structure of reasoning they involve rather than their actual conclusions, so most of my posts are about that. If, however, you find me making a clear factual error, let me know; blogging is a great way to get rid of misconceptions.
This once-powerful pol has lost his clout.

Federal judge Dora Irizarry sentenced disgraced Canarsie state Sen. John Sampson to five years in prison on Wednesday  and a $75,000 fine  despite his attorneys pleas for a cushy one-year sentence for obstructing justice and lying to federal agents during an embezzlement investigation.

Sampson, an attorney who was once the senate minority leader and chairman of the bodys Ethics Committee before being forced to step down after he was found guilty in 2015, should have known better than to break the law for his own gain, Irizarry said during his Jan. 18 sentencing.

When before the court is someone who raised his hand and took an oath to protect and defend and obey the laws and constitutions of this state and of this country, and you took actions that go toward attacking the integrity of the process, I dont know of any more serious offence, said Irizarry. Where it has suited you, you have sidestepped obligations and the law and if it hurt someone else then so be it. Its disturbing, we have a pattern here set forth.

Sampson presided over the sale of foreclosed properties in the late 1990s and early 2000s and stole $440,000 from related escrow accounts  then he tried to hide it. His friend gave him $188,500 to replace the stolen funds in 2006, and he also got a paralegal in the U.S. Attorneys Office in Brooklyn to find out if he himself was under investigation, according information from the U.S. Attorneys office.

Irizarry threw out the actual embezzlement charges back in 2015 because the statute of limitations had passed.

Sampsons attorneys read from letters commending his service and his community ahead of his sentencing with the hopes he would get off easier. But criminal politicians should not get special treatment simply for doing their jobs  and some of the good may have been done with ill-gotten cash, the judge said.

I understand that youve done some good things, the letters attest to it. But I have to concur with the government that thats what youre supposed to do as an elected official, said Irizarry. As I sat there reading the letters of people who said, Well he paid for this persons medical expenses  and provided this or he provided that, I have to wonder whether that money didnt come from some of these embezzled funds.

Sampson framed himself as the victim before apologizing.

For five years Ive been living a nightmare. To hear how I have been portrayed in the media, here in court, I sometimes ask myself, Is that really me? I always thought of myself as someone who looked out for the disadvantaged  people who had no voice, he said. However, I realize that no matter how many positive things you can do in life, they can always be overshadowed by one incident or a couple. I understand these actions have caused suffering to my family, to my constituents, to my friends. Your honor, I apologize for my actions, but most of all I apologize for not respecting others, because if I had taken into consideration others and not myself, maybe I wouldnt be in this predicament Im in today.

Sampsons attorneys plan to appeal, but Irizarry denied their request for bail fearing the disgraced lawmaker would flee to Guyana.
Counterpoint, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00  9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org 1) Professor Jason Stanley, Jacob Urowsky professor of philosophy at Yale University and author of How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them, talks about the Republican Party's embrace of "white replacement theory," WRTs fascist origins, why Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has become a role model for much of the GOP -- and the dangerous rise of rightwing extremist political violence in the US.2) Cody Hounanian, Executive Director of the Student Debt Crisis Center discusses his group's response to President Biden's announced plan to address student loan debt, which includes forgiving up to $20,000 for millions of borrowers and extending the payment freeze one final time until the end of the year.3) Jenna Grande, Press Secretary with Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) discuss CREW's recent article, "Big Oil Has Given $1 Million to Fuel Seditionists," and related issues of Big Oil's influence on US energy, environment and climate policy.4) Liz Dupont-Diehl, Associate Director of the Connecticut Citizen Action Group discusses her group's recent reporting on CT based health insurance companies that are requesting double-digit premium increases for individuals and small businesses, as they spend billions on stock buybacks and excessive executive salaries, and lobbying.Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site: http://counterpointradio.org The full 2-hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint
Framed up as an ostensibly responsible thing for "maintenance" and "community improvement," the proposed City bond doesn...
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...
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About Censored News Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell. Since 2006, Censored News has received more than 20 million pageviews. As a collective of writers, photographers and broadcasters, we publish news of Indigenous Peoples and human rights. Contact publisher Brenda Norrell: brendanorrell@gmail.com

From the publisher Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell, a journalist in Indian country for 40 years. Norrell created Censored News after she was censored and terminated as a staff reporter at Indian Country Today in 2006. She began as a reporter at Navajo Times during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation. She was a stringer for AP and USA Today and later traveled with the Zapatistas through Mexico. She has been blacklisted by all the mainstream media for 14 years. Contact brendanorrell@gmail.com

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October 31, 2022

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In November, there are hundreds of new and returning TV showsit can be overwhelming to try and choose what to watch. That's why we've selected some of the best options...
Whether its pay equity or behind-the-scenes opportunities, the TV industry still has its issues when it comes to women. But thats not true when it comes to TGIT and the return of Shonda Rhimes three-hour block of television on ABC. And when Greys Anatomy returns from a two month hiatus on Thursday, January 26 at 8/7c, it will do so in a profound way.

The winter premiere of Greys Anatomy, You Can Look (But Youd Better Not Touch), is a remarkable episode of television for one simple reason: Its all about the women. The hour follows Arizona, Bailey and Jo as they visit a maximum security womens prison to treat a pregnant 16-year-old inmate. The result is an hour of television that puts all of the focus on women.

Is Shonda Rhimes Preparing to End Greys Anatomy?>>>

With the exception of one minor character for about two minutes, the episodes speaking roles are entirely filled by women. Whether they are doctors, guards, lawyers, inmates or family members, thw episode is a showcase of a complicated and broad cross-section of female characters dealing with many issues.

On top of this, the episode itself is written by a woman, Tia Napolitano, and directed by a woman, Jann Turner. Neither of these are a surprise since Greys Anatomy does better than the overall TV average when it comes to female writers and directors. Nearly two-thirds of all the shows episodes have been written by women and about 25 percent of Greys episodes have been directed by women (compared to a total of 17 percent of female directors across all TV episodes).

At a time when womens rights are on everyones minds and when women across the country are marching against the inauguration of Donald Trump, it seems like a particularly good time to praise Greys Anatomy for its importance on this issue. And the winter premiere is the perfect episode to represent that ideal: written by, directed by and starring women.

Greys Anatomy airs Thursday, January 26 at 8/7c on ABC.

(Image courtesy of ABC)
Miguel Ferrer, co-star of NCIS: Los Angeles and Crossing Jordan, has died at age 61 from a battle with cancer. He was an instantly-recognizable character with a career spanning 35 years.

Ferrer is currently one of the co-stars of NCIS: Los Angeles. He joined the show in season 3 and was promoted to a series regular in season 5, playing NCIS Assistant Director Owen Granger.

He also had a role on the original run of Twin Peaks as FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield, assisting Dale Cooper in the investigation of Laura Palmer. Ferrer will appear in Showtimes upcoming revival of the series to reprise his character.

On the most recent episode of NCIS: Los Angeles, Ferrers character was stabbed and in the hospital. His character has been sick this season and there was news that one character will be killed off this season.

(Image courtesy of CBS)
Campus News

Dead Treez explores Jamaican dancehall subculture

Ebony G. Patterson, Swag Swag Krew (from the Out and Bad series) Installation view, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, 201114; cotton, velvet, lace, plastic and mixed media. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, IL. Photo: Courtesy John Michael Kohler Arts Center

By RACHEL ADAMS

The seeing is what happens in social media, but the looking is what Im asking you to do.  Ebony Patterson, artist Dead Treez exhibition

Dead Treez, Ebony G. Pattersons exhibition of eye-popping floor tapestries and brightly covered male figures that explores Jamaicas dancehall subculture, will be on view Feb. 9 through May 13 in the UB Art Gallery in the Center for the Arts, North Campus. The opening reception will take place from 5-8 p.m. Feb. 9 in the gallery. Patterson also will discuss her work with Lauren Haynes, curator of contemporary art at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, at 7 p.m. April 12 in the Black Box Theatre in the Center for the Arts. Haynes previously served as associate curator of the permanent collection at the Studio Museum in Harlem Dead Treez, which originated at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, explores visibility regarding class, race and gender through the lens of Jamaicas popular and controversial dancehall subculture. Pattersons evocative work considers the paradoxical relationship between traditional gender codes and the bombastic aesthetics of dancehall pageantry.

The Jamaican-born Pattersons work attracts the eye with its highly embellished, illuminated imagery. And once captivated, the viewer is challenged to look beyond the mesmerizing surfaces for a deeper commentary. The installation of 10 male mannequins is a meditation on dancehall fashion and culture, regarded as a celebration of the disenfranchised in postcolonial Jamaica. Although dancehall fashion has long employed a camp sensibility rooted in spectacle, the growing influence of male metrosexuality worldwide has encouraged a style that incorporates more feminine sensibilities. By camouflaging the body with textiles, Patterson isolates and highlights the gestures and postures often associated with machismo. In her floor tapestries, Patterson borrows the flamboyant aspects of dancehall dress to draw attention to murder victims. Inspired by the images and reports of violent fatalities she sees circulated on social media, she creates visually compelling images of the deceased that seduce the viewer into bearing witness to the underreported and unacknowledged brutality experienced by those living on the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder.

Ebony G. Patterson, "Where We Found Them," 2014; cotton, plastic, lace, glitter, and mixed media.
Corinne's Place in Camden is now in the food truck business

The James Beard Foundation award-winning restaurant has been cooking up soul food in Camden for 30 years.
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News / National

by Stephen Jakes

A political commentator Chenhamo Mutengure has rapped the United States President Barack Obama for further imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe few days before he leaves office as president."As we have grown to expect and anticipate from the evil men of this world the United States through its President Barack Obama,a Blackman who hasn't done anything for black people in the past 8 years at home and abroad,has renewed sanctions on Zimbabwe," he said."Whilst as I said before this doesn't surprise me,what is interesting is the words of the MDC in response to this renewal of economic sanctions against Zimbabwe.To them its a "good move" that Zimbabwe should continue to be strangulated for one more year but however Zimbabwe has not benefit from the sanctions".He said now how will the nation benefit from sanctions against their government which they rely upon,their companies that should produce for us and employ us and their leadership we elected into power?"Now comrades take heed of this,these are the people whom we live amongst in this country.These are the people we walk past in our streets everyday and this is their line of thinking," he said."These are the people who expect in truth to profit as a result of our misery.I don't know what's your take on this issue?"
After withdrew a Tri-coloured doormat offensive to Indian sensitivities from its Canadian platform in the face of warnings by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, the e-commerce major has now also pulled out flip-flops bearing the picture of Mahatma Gandhi, a senior official said on Thursday.

"We have been in touch with both in Washington as well as in Delhi and we have had constructive conversations," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in his media briefing here.

"I am happy to report that the offending item has since been pulled by and we hope that our engagement will continue to be fruitful," he added.

Earlier this month, Amazon Canada kicked off a row by putting up doormats featuring the Indian flag, which was made available by two of its vendors -- Mayers Flag Doormats and XLYL.

Sushma Swaraj took up the cause on Twitter, responding to one of the hundreds of people who petitioned her to demand action from Canadian authorities.

"Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately," Swaraj said in a tweet.

"If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the visas issued earlier," she added.

Amazon then wrote to Sushma Swaraj expressing regrets at hurting Indian sensibilities.

"A third-party seller, not Amazon, had listed these products for sale in Canada. These products were not available in India. After learning of the product's listing, we immediately removed them from the Canadian website and implemented measures to ensure that these products could not be sold on any of our other marketplace or websites," the letter said.

The letter said Amazon remains "steadfastly committed to India", and refered to its CEO Jeff Bezo's announcement to invest $5 billion in India.

It said Amazon values "immensely" its relationship with the Indian government, the country's entrepreneurs and innovators, Indian customers and employees.

"Amazon is committed to respecting Indian laws and customs. To the extend that these items offered by a third-party seller in Canada offended Indian sensibilities, Amazon regrets the same," it said.

"At no time did we intend or mean to offend Indian sentiments," it said.

Swarup on Thursday said that the Indian Ambassador in Washington has been instructed to convey to Amazon that while providing a platform for third-party vendors, it should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments.
The Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) in Bengaluru has directed a consortium of banks, led by the State Bank of India, to begin recovery of Rs 6,203 crore from business tycoon and his four against unpaid loans taken to run the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines.
In a bid to streamline its bottling operations in India, is restructuring its organisational set-up. Under the new structure, the firms bottling units in the country will be supervised by a senior vice-president, unlike its existing set-up in which two executives head the company-owned bottling operations and franchise-operated bottling operations, respectively. This will help it capture avenues of growth such as e-commerce, modern trade, new beverages and digitisation in the country, India said in a statement.
is setting up "region-specific hubs" and hire freshers and experienced young professionals in the United States and Europe to combat growing anti-immigration policies of local governments.

As an experiment, had set up such hubs and is planning to expand in the region. The decision comes at a time when major Indian IT services providers are keenly watching the potential immigration law changes by President-elect Donald Trump.

Two Republican senators have sought to revise the H1B visa programme to increase the minimum wage by 40 per cent to $ 100,000. Majority of H1B visa holders are Indian nationals, working with Indian service providers and multinational such as IBM and Accenture.

"We started hiring freshers from US campuses in the past couple of years, so, that will continue. Our focus is to hire locals and supplement skills, which are not available with the visa programme. We are also looking for setting up specific hubs, which we have experimented with in the last couple of years," Ravi Kumar S, who has been elevated as deputy chief operating officer of Infosys, told investors in a recent call. does not give specific data on local employees in developed markets.

Industry experts say Indian IT service players, including Infosys, have less than one-fourth of the total workforce close to the global customers. "Going forward, we may see a reverse trend with a significant increase in local hiring," said Pareek Jain, head of HfS Research India.

Ravi Kumar added that Infosys would focus on setting up such hubs in geographies where clients have a higher demand for local people.

"We want to continue to do that in terms of availability of talent pools and classes of customers where they are available.

So, it's a very comprehensive plan of looking at local hiring from campuses to one to four-year experienced folks," he said. Infosys declined to elaborate.

During the earnings call, Chief Executive Officer Vishal Sikka said hiring local talent helps it "bring the contextual sense of innovation" at the work for clients.

"So far, Indian IT services players followed a model wherein they could work out of India and send employees on a visa. This gave a competition to local firms in terms of cost. Local hiring has been a barrier in the European countries as well. I think it is a mindset change. As a survival method, you cannot depend on the visas for long," said Jain.
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Wednesday dismissed a contempt petition filed by two Cyrus Mistry family companies against Tata Sons and its directors, alleging violation of NCLT directives in taking steps to remove him from the board of Tata Sons.
Even as uncertainty looms over the proposed levy for funding the ambitious regional connectivity project in aviation  (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) the government says the scheme would see its first flight next month and put 43 new airports on the map.
The Board of Approvals for Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under Union commerce ministry has extended the validity of formal approval granted to SEZ at Gopalpur till December 17, this year.
Its an essential part of Tamil culture and identity. Thats what thousands of protesters claimed as they gathered on Chennais Marina beach on Wednesday to demand that the Supreme Court lift its ban on the bull-taming sport of .
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

A political commentator Godknows Kudzanayi Mashaire has said President Robert Mugabe represent the past and the future of Zimbabwe is on the hands of those who will start working for it now."We may hate Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF but after 16 years we should know that taking every opportunity to broadcast every bad thing about Zimbabwe is not helpful to us as a people. It creates a negative feedback loop that destroys self confidence, self esteem and our ability to solve the problems at hand. Robert Mugabe is 93 and represents the past, the future of Zimbabwe belongs to those who prepare for it today," he said."The people revers and hero-worship in Europe and America are not necessarily better than we are, they even have worse problems than we do but often it is the attitude towards the problems that makes the difference."He said people must start saying good things about Zimbabwe to attract positive outcome."There are millions of children in schools who look up to us for direction, guidance and inspiration. Give them something to be proud about being Zimbabwean?" he said."What are the good things about Zimbabwe you know?"
Over Rs 80.44 crore of cash, 3 lakh litres of liquor and narcotics valued at Rs 6.55 crore have been seized, with the maximum from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, by EC-appointed surveillance and expenditure monitoring teams in the five poll-bound states.

As per official data compiled till yesterday, UP has witnessed the maximum seizure of Rs 71.32 crore (Rs 31.65 lakh in old notes) followed by Rs 8.81 crore from Punjab, Rs 25.54 lakh in Uttarakhand and Rs 6.95 lakh in Manipur.

In other illegal inducements suspected to be used to lure voters in these states, a whopping 2.71 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 7.71 crore has been seized by Election Commission appointed police and state excise teams in UP followed by 1,1809 litres spirits worth Rs 20.04 lakh seized in Punjab and 6,284 litres worth Rs 16.53 lakh on Uttarakhand.

Drug seizures by the anti-narcotics agencies and police teams was seen maximum in Punjab as the haul valued at Rs 5.54 crore, followed by Rs 68.14 lakh seized in UP, Rs 16.72 lakh in Goa, Rs 9.66 lakh in Uttarakhand and Rs 7 lakh in Manipur.

Officials said a total of "Rs 80.44 crore in cash,about 3 lakh litres of liquor and an estimated Rs 6.55 crore worth narcotics have been seized in the five poll-bound states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur, till data recorded upto January 18."



The EC has appointed about 200 election expenditure observers apart from other central observers to keep a check on black money and illegal inducements used to bribe voters at the hustings in these states.

The Assembly elections in these five states will be held between February 4 and March 8.

Counting of votes for all states will take place on March 11.
The CBI on Wednesday registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and some unnamed state government officials to probe alleged irregularities in the "Talk to AK" campaign.

"We have filed a PE against Sisodia and other unknown government officials, as there are allegations of improprieties and violation of extent rules and regulations in award of work pertaining to media campaign 'Talk to AK'," a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official said.

The campaign was an interactive session of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, under which people could reach out to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader through social media.

Reacting to the CBI probe, Sisodia said he would be expecting a CBI raid in his office and his home on Thursday morning.

"Welcome Modiji to the battlefield. I will be waiting for your CBI at my home and my office tomorrow (Thursday) morning," he tweeted.

The CBI had last month raided Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain's OSD (Officer on Special Duty) Nikunj Aggarwal's office in the Delhi Secretariat over alleged irregularities in his appointment.

Kejriwal also took to Twitter and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has nothing else to do except going after the AAP.

"It seems like Modiji has gone mad. There is only one thing left for the Prime Minister of the nation to do -- to go after us," he said.

Calling Modi a coward, Kejriwal asked if he unleashed the CBI because the Bharatiya Janata Party is losing in Punjab and Goa.

Punjab and Goa go to polls on February 4.
Terming Kashmir as an "unfinished agenda" of the partition, Pakistan's former army chief Gen (retd) on Thursday said normality will return to the region only after the long-standing dispute is resolved.

Raheel, while speaking at the 'Pakistan Breakfast' on the sidelines of World Economic Forum here, said, "Pakistan needs peace but the core issue is Kashmir, which has to be resolved first."



Asked whether peace and economic prosperity could be achieved in South Asia without the resolution of Kashmir dispute, Raheel was quoted by the Express Tribune as saying, "There are three words to explain how to move forward and these are Kashmir, Kashmir and Kashmir."



Raheel termed Kashmir as the "unfinished agenda" of the partition, saying normality will return to the region only after resolving the long-standing dispute.

The session was arranged by Pathfinder Group in its efforts to promote Pakistan at the forum attended by the world's leading political and business personalities.

Raheel stressed that the Kashmir issue should be resolved according to the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and resolutions of the United Nations to achieve durable peace in South Asia.

Responding to another query, the former army chief claimed that the Haqqani network's presence in Pakistan was a mere "rhetoric".

"Pakistan no more has safe havens and all these terrorist networks and their training camps have been flushed out of Pakistan," he claimed.

"This is evident...There has hardly been any drone strike in recent past," Raheel said.

The ex-army chief said Islamabad was ready to go to any length to have peace with Kabul but "there are many terrorist havens in Afghanistan and we have many times shared their locations (with Afghan government).
After a day of pitched battle against the state administration and the ensuing standoff which has led to the postponing of land acquisition for a controversial power grid project, Bhangar, 40 km from here, has distanced itself from the world.
Yoga guru Ramdev displayed his wrestling skills as he went head-to-head with 2008 Olympic silver medalist Andriy Stadnik in a promotional bout of the Patanjali Powervita (PWL) here on Wednesday.

Sporting his typical saffron langot, Ramdev came out on top 12-0 over Stadnik, who is well remembered by Indian wrestling enthusiasts as he had defeated Indian star wrestler Sushil Kumar in the Beijing Olympics. As the Ukrainian reached the final, it gave Sushil an opportunity to play in repechage and win a bronze medal.

Ramdev walked onto the mat and, before the bout began, exhibited his firebrand yoga moves before proceeding to his friendly battle with Stadnik, 34, a former European champion.

Ramdev showed wrestling acumen as he pulled out the best of technical moves such as take-down, one-leg hold and pinning down.

Since it was a promotional bout, Stadnik responded by allowing Ramdev to have his way, as did the referees. After nearly two minutes, Standnik surrendered.

The bout took place during the second semi-final between Punjab Royals and Mumbai Maharathi. PWL is sponsored by Patanjali Ayurved Limited, owned by Ramdev.

Ramdev noted that people should do wrestling as it can help in stamina building.

He also felt that wrestling has the credentials to become world's most popular sport.

This was not the first time that Baba Ramdev has shown interest in friendly wrestling bouts. Last year, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of their Ashram in Haridwar, Baba had challenged India's only individual two-time Olympic wrestling medallist and former world champion Sushil.
Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik is likely to be summoned by Investigation Agency (NIA), which is scanning his 78 bank accounts, and real estate investments worth at least Rs 100 crore in and around Mumbai by him and his associates.

The probe agency, which had in November last year registered a case against Naik and others under anti-terror law for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, has found role of 23 entities including individuals and corporates linked to the preacher, sources said today.

The has questioned around 20 associates of Naik, including his sister Nailah Naushad Noorani, in connection with its investigation, they said.

"We have sought certain documents including income tax returns and others. Besides this, 78 bank accounts in different banks of the country, are also being scanned. Once examination is done, we intend to summon Zakir Naik for questioning," a source said.

The sources said that the agency has written to the banks seeking details of these accounts including transactions. At least Rs 100 crore have been allegedly invested in real estate by Naik and his associates in and around Mumbai.

The officials have found complicated movement of money in the financial transactions made by people involved in the case, they said, adding that the role of Mumbai-based Harmony Media Pvt Ltd--involved in production of religious and educative videos--is being looked into in this case.

Naik's Non-Government Organisation (NGO),Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), has been banned by the central government under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The speeches of Naik, who is currently out of the country apparently to evade arrest, are banned in the UK, Canada and in Malaysia.

The Home Ministry has found that the NGO was allegedly having dubious links with Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, accused of propagating terrorism.

According to the Home Ministry, Naik, who heads the IRF, has allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda.
World temperatures hit a record high for the third year in a row in 2016, creeping closer to a ceiling set for global warming with extremes including unprecedented heat in India and ice melt in the Arctic, U.S. government agencies said on Wednesday.
After the big-bang launch of the governments (Bharat Interface for Money), Prime Minister is likely to launch Aadhaar Pay by the end of this month or early next month.

The much-awaited Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AEPS) is a biometric way of making payments and would use only fingerprint linked to Aadhaar, which would be connected to a bank account, negating the requirement for a mobile phone.

The launch would be part of the governments digital India campaign and less cash initiative.

Sources in the information technology ministry said at this stage, the government was in talks with various banks and the security checks of Aadhaar Pay are being conducted.

Officials said four major banks have come on board to implement the scheme. Talks are on with others and soon they would also join.

We are at this point conducting mandatory security checks. All these checks would be done over next week. However, by the end of the month, it would all be ready. We would also have a host of banks onboard as well by then. Though nothing has been finalised till now, the Prime Minister would likely launch the payment system, said a senior IT minister official.

AEPS along with the and are all part of the various modes of digital payment the government is exploring and has worked on for the last one year.

BHIM the rebranded version of (Unified Payment Interface) and USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) was launched last year in December by the PM. The app has managed to gain major traction and has been downloaded more than 12 million times.

The government is working overnight to get the Aadhaar Pay online. Law and IT Minister said at an event recently almost 3 million Indians do not have mobile phones and this would help them make payments and keep everything transparent. "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 digital payments, he said.
Altico Capital, floated by private equity funds Clearwater Capital Partners, Abu Dhabi Investment Council and Varde Partners, is looking to hike its allocation to commercial properties to 15-20 per cent, from sub-10 per cent currently. It is also looking to lend to infrastructure, manufacturing and so on.
government is holding the two-day Partnership Summit with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Union Commerce Ministry from January 27-28, 2017, in Visakhapatnam to showcase the state as an investment destination across various sectors.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THE race for the Bikita West by-election to be held on Saturday turns ugly, as a group of suspected Zanu-PF youths allegedly savagely attacked the opposition National Constitutional Assembly candidate, Madock Chivasa and his election agent, Thomas Mudzamiri on Tuesday.Chivasa confirmed the assault, which he said was carried out by about 10 suspected Zanu-PF youths."They were travelling in an unmarked and unregistered Ford Everest (sports utility vehicle) SUV, and, as we were about to leave Nyika Growth Point, the youths laid an ambush," he narrated."In the full view of people at the growth point, the youths, who were armed with a gun, started assaulting us, leaving me with a broken arm and Mudzamiri sustained broken ribs."Chivasa said they have since reported the matter at Bikita Police Station."They hit me with the back of a pistol on the head and I fell down, breaking my arm. The assailants clearly asked me who I thought I was to oppose Zanu-PF. I am on my way to Silveira Hospital to get treatment," he later told the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association."We reported the matter at Nyika Growth Point last night (Tuesday), but there was a single police officer, who said he could not handle political cases and only promised to inform his superior, who was absent from the station. We have since notified a person only identified as Mashavave, who is a senior (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) Zec official in Bikita."Police were not immediately available for comment.The Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network (Zesn) condemned the violence and urged police to investigate the matter."Zesn observers in Bikita West have confirmed this incident and also alleged that one of the people, who assaulted Chivasa and Mudzamira fired a gunshot in the air," the electoral body said."Chivasa is said to have broken an arm and Mudzamira sustained head injuries."Heal Zimbabwe Trust (HZT) condemned the violence that has characterised the run up to the election."HZT has recorded 57 human rights violations in Bikita West since November 1, 2016. These include assault, vote-buying, partisan distribution of aid, forced attendance to rallies, destruction of campaign material, hate speech, disruption of rallies, and threats issued to voters or candidates," the peace lobby group said in a statement."The organisation condemns in the strongest terms the violations, as they compromise the outcome of the by-election. An upsurge in cases of human rights violations, also compromise the electoral playing field and casts doubt and uncertainty over the holding of free, fair and peaceful elections in Zimbabwe.""The calculated act of political violence by an organised hit squad wearing the ruling party Zanu-PF regalia is a slap in the face of the constitutional requirement for free, fair and credible elections," the rights group said.Opposition parties have for years accused Zanu-PF of using foul means to win elections and the upsurge in violence ahead of the snap poll will not surprise observers, amid calls for a level playing field ahead of a general election set for next year.Chivasa is set to face-off with Zanu-PF's Beauty Chabaya, Terence Makumbo of Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe, independent candidate, Innocent Muzvimbiri and former Bikita West legislator, Heya Shoko, an independent. The seat fell vacant following the conviction of former Zanu-PF lawmaker, Munyaradzi Kereke for raping a minor for which he is serving a 10-year jail sentence.
US President called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two reviewed the significant progress in India-US relationship, an official statement said.

"Narendra Modi received a telephone call from US President yesterday (Wednesday) evening," it said.

The two leaders reviewed "with satisfaction the significant all round progress and cooperation in ties between India and the US in the past few years".

According to the statement, Modi also thanked President Obama for "his strong support and contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between India and the US."

"He conveyed his best wishes to President Obama in his future endeavours," it said.

Obama will step down as the 44th President of the US on Friday. Real-estate mogul Donald Trump will be sworn-in following his departure.
The World Economic Forum Annual Summit has reached its crescendo of opinions and conversations as the world braces to welcome Donald Trump to the White House today. In one of the discussions I was part of on Thursday, I spoke about the emergence of the new collared jobs, the knowledge workforce who are becoming the future of inclusive growth. We need to create collaborative and/or disruptive platforms (such as Uber and Airbnb) for food, agriculture, healthcare, education, skilled and high-skilled jobs, that is made to measure for each, speaking to each individual to ensure responsive and responsible inclusive growth.
One million foreign tourists landed in the country last month, a record number for any single month. The arrival shows a year-on-year growth of 13.7 per cent. December happens to be a strong month for foreign tourist arrivals but growth in December 2015 was only 3.2 per cent. Some industry watchers, therefore, relate the sharp rise last month to demonetisation, which may have prompted thousands of persons of Indian origin (PIOs) to visit the country.
India and Peru plan to start negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement covering goods, services and investments sometime in the first quarter, Peru said on Wednesday.
The government today approved proposals for listing of five PSU general companies as was announced in the Budget 2016-17.

The Cabinet approved the listing of public sector general companies through a combination of fresh issuance of shares or Offer for Sale, Minister Arun Jaitley said.

The government holding in the these companies will gradually come down to 75 per cent from 100 per cent, he said.

The five firms that will be listed include four public sector general companies -- New India Assurance Company Ltd, National Insurance Company Ltd, Oriental Insurance Co Ltd, United India Insurance Co Ltd and one re-insurance firm GIC.

Listing of PSU general insurance firms was announced in the Budget by the Minister.

"...(proposed to) undertake important banking sector reform and public listing of public sector general insurance and undertake significant changes in FDI policy," he had said while unveiling the Budget.

"Public shareholding in government-owned companies is a means of ensuring higher levels of transparency and accountability. To promote this objective, the general insurance companies owned by the government will be listed in the stock exchanges," he had said.

The government has allowed foreign insurance players to raise their stake in their joint venture to 49 per cent. Earlier, only up to 26 per cent FDI was permitted.

There are 52 insurance companies operating in India, of which 24 are in life insurance business and 28 in general insurance.
After reducing the interest for new home loan borrowers, housing major Ltd has extended the same benefit to its existing customers too. It reduced its retail prime lending rate (RPLR) by 15 basis points to 16.15 per cent from 16.30 per cent.
Delegation of Muslim Ulemas, intellectuals and academicians calls on PM

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PM says Indian youth has successfully resisted radicalization .

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A delegation comprising Muslim Ulemas, intellectuals, academicians and other eminent people called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. The delegation congratulated the Prime Minister on the steps taken by the Union Government for inclusive growth, socio-economic and educational empowerment of all sections of the society including Minorities. .

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The delegation was appreciative of the Saudi Governments decision to increase the number of Haj pilgrims from India, and thanked the Prime Minister for having successfully pursued the same. .

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The delegation, in one voice, supported wholeheartedly the campaign launched by the Prime Minister against corruption and black money. The delegation agreed that the fight against corruption will benefit the poor people including the Minorities the most. .

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The delegation congratulated the Prime Minister for his efforts to strengthen relations with the countries across the world and said that today every Indian in every corner of the world is instilled with a sense of pride. .

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Members of the delegation also praised the Prime Minister for his efforts towards Swachh Bharat. .

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The Prime Minister said that youth in India has successfully resisted radicalization, which has affected several parts of the world today. He said that the credit for this must go to the long, shared heritage of our people; and added that it is now our collective responsibility to take this heritage forward. The Prime Minister said that the culture, traditions and social fabric of India will never allow the nefarious designs of the terrorists, or their sponsors, to succeed. The Prime Minister stressed on the importance of education and skill development, which is the key to gainful employment, and upliftment from poverty. .

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Appreciating the Government of Saudi Arabia for its decision to increase the number of Haj pilgrims for India, the Prime Minister asserted that there is a positive image of Indian Muslims abroad. .

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Members of the delegation included Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi (Chief Imam of India, All India Organisation of Imams of Mosques); Lt Gen (Retd) Zameeruddin Shah (Vice-Chancellor Aligarh Muslim University); MY Eqbal (Former Judge, Supreme Court of India); Talat Ahmed (Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia), and Shahid Siddiqui (Urdu journalist). .

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Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shri M.J. Akbar were also present on the occasion. .

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The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the Centenary celebrations of Jhalda Satyabhama Vidyapith today (January 18, 2017) at Jhalda, Purulia, West Bengal. .

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Speaking on the occasion, the President called upon the students to uphold the values of our civilization through the attainment of education. He appreciated the effort by Jhalda Satyabhama Vidyapith to mark its Centenary by setting up a museum on the freedom struggle on the occasion of its centenary. He paid homage to five young men of this area who, inspired by revolutionary patriot, Satya Kinkar Dutta, laid down their lives in the freedom struggle. The President said these martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice for our independence must be saluted. People should be educated about their sacrifice and also, about the Chuar uprising, a glorious chapter in our struggle for freedom whose epicentre was Jhalda. .

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The President quoted Swami Vivekananda, and said the aim of education is to become a real man. He urged students to have a common goal of attaining education and to uphold the qualities of tolerance, determination and honesty. He said they would hold thereby the flag of our great civilisation high. .

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Prime Ministers Telephonic Conversation with US President Barack Obama

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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi received a telephone call from US President, Mr Barack Obama yesterday evening. .

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The two leaders reviewed with satisfaction the significant all round progress and cooperation in ties between India and the US in the past few years..

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Prime Minister thanked President Obama for his strong support and contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between India and the US..

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He conveyed his best wishes to President Obama in his future endeavours..

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News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe's major fuel retailers have raised fuel prices by at least US$0,04 a litre due to a serious shortage of anhydrous ethanol in the country and a surge in international petroleum price.Government directed petroleum players in the country to blend all petrol using a mandatory blending ratio of five percent ethanol and 95 percent unleaded petrol to stem rising costs. But sources in the industry told this newspaper that there was acute shortage of ethanol, currently being produced by Green Fuel, due to excessive rains and shortage of sugar cane in the lowveld.A snap survey indicated that at Zuva Petroleum retail outlets, petrol prices went up to US$1,36 per litre on Friday last week, from US$1,31 in December 2016.Also, the price of a litre of diesel has gone up; it is currently retailing at US$1,21 per litre, from US$1,19 per litre.Diesel 50 is selling at US$1,28 per litre. Petrol prices at Total Zimbabwe outlets shot up to US$1,36 per litre, from US$1,32 per litre, while the price of diesel increased to US$1,21 per litre, from US$1,19 per litre.
State visit of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to India as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day 2017 (24-26 January, 2017)

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of United Arab Emirates is visiting India as the Chief Guest for the 2017-Republic Day celebrations from 24-26 January 2017. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers, senior officials and captains of industry.

During the visit, the visiting dignitary would call on Rashtrapatiji Shri Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari and would hold discussions with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on bilateral, regional and global issues of common interest.

This is the second visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to India since February 2016. Following the landmark visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to UAE in August 2015, the two countries have agreed to elevate the mutually beneficial relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

India and UAE enjoy warm, close and multi-faceted relations underpinned by cultural, religious and economic linkages.

The two countries have been amongst each others top trading partners with a well-balanced bilateral trade of about US$ 50 billion in 2015-16. UAE is among the top investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments. It contributes significantly to India's energy security and is the fifth largest supplier of crude oil to India in 2015-16.
The Central Government releases Special Central Assistance to various States to expedite their completion of area specific ongoing approved Schemes in order to fulfill the development agenda in Backward Region

The Union Government has been assisting the State Governments and providing Special Assistance with a view to expediting their completion of area specific Schemes. This assistance is provided in view of the Government of Indias commitment to fulfilling the development agenda in backward region notwithstanding the fact that the State Plan Schemes including BRGF (State Component) are subsumed in larger devolution of Union Taxes and Duties to the States in terms of Recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission (FFC) and are delinked from the Union support with effect from 2015-16.

In this regard, following the recent release of Rs.200 crore to the State of Bihar, the Central Government has decided to provide further Special Assistance of Rs.1129.40 crore to the State during 2016-2017 for completion of the approved ongoing projects under Special Plan for Bihar. These releases are in continuation to the release of Rs.1,887.53 crore which was made by the Central Government during the year 2015-16. Including the present release of Rs.1129.40 crore, the Central Government has so far released Rs.6934.61 crore to the State of Bihar. The Central assistance would facilitate completion of ongoing projects such as strengthening of sub-transmission system (including capacity augmentation) in North and South Bihar, renovation and modernization of Barauni and Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Stations, construction of transmission system at Kishanganj with associated transmission lines, The release of fund would accelerate the completion of much needed power generation and transmission system of Bihar which in turn would lead to higher availability of electricity for the people of the State.

The Central Government in order to honour its spill-over committed liability had recently released Special Assistance of Rs.367.93 crore to Odisha during 2016-17. This is the Final Instalment for funding of projects under Special Plan for the KBK districts (districts of Koraput, Bolangir and Kalahandi reorganized into eight districts). The plan had an approved amount of Rs. 1,250 crore for the 12th Plan period. The Special Plan for the KBK districts has been in operation since 2002-03. The area spreads over 47,646 sq. km. comprising mainly rural population (89.95%) with a large proportion of STs (38.41%) and SCs (16.25%) as per 2001 Census. The Schemes taken up under this are largely for Promotion of Education among ST/SC Girls and Boys including development of playgrounds/sports activities in hostels and schools, Improvement of Inter-District roads/other major roads/Rural roads; Strengthening of Electric Supply Systems and Lift Irrigation/Deep Bore-wells/Check Dams.

Further, keeping in mind the special needs of the State of Jammu & Kashmir, the Central Government had released Rs.1194.37 crore during 2015-16, for completely damages /severely damaged/partially damaged houses.

Subsequently, during 2016-17, the Central Government has made a further release of Rs.2207.30 crore to the State of Jammu & Kashmir. This includes Rs.1093.34 for permanent restoration of damaged structure, Rs.313.96 crore for counterpart funding for Asian Development Bank-II loan under EAP projects of J&K Urban Sector Development Investment Programme (JKUSDIP) in order to complete the ongoing projects and Rs.800 crore for interest subvention on assistance for the restoration of livelihood for traders/self employed/business establishments etc. Cumulatively, the Central Government has so far released Rs.3401.67 crore to the State as Special Assistance.
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's chairman Jack Ma, in a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Davos, has said that his company has a lot of interest in investing in the country.

The two met on the sidelines of the 2017 World Economic Forum.

Jack said his company has closely followed positive economic developments in and is ready to invest in building e-commerce platform.

He said that the China Economic Corridor (CPEC) has provided immense opportunities.

Sharif invited Ma to visit Pakistan at the earliest opportunity.

While accepting the invitation, Ma invited the Prime Minister to visit his company's hub at Ghuangzou.

Jack mentioned that 60 million companies worldwide are only benefiting at the moment and to benefit developing countries, he plans to invest in SMEs.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May might have found a sceptical audience when she met the leaders of the global finance industry on Thursday as they push ahead with their own plans for Brexit. However, she insisted she valued the contribution that banks make to Britains economy, even as they signalled they were packing their bags in response to Brexit. The talks took place as bankers started to reveal more about how they will shift jobs to preserve their ability to service the EU market if Mays plan makes London operations unworkable. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief ...
Theres a new form of sweeping the globe, and it could be the start of something devastating.
US President Barack Obama has commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning. A former army intelligence operative, Manning was sentenced by court martial in 2013 to 35 years imprisonment for espionage crimes relating to the mass leaking of military and diplomatic material.
A South Florida man has been charged with threatening to kill President-elect in a video posted online.

A Miami Beach police report released today identified the suspect as 51-year-old Dominic Puopolo. Jail records show Puopolo is being held without bail on state charges of threatening harm against a public servant. Court records do not list a lawyer for him.

The police report says Puopolo on Monday posted a video on his Twitter account stating that he would "be at the review/inauguration and I will kill President Trump, President-elect Trump" while in Washington.

The report says he was arrested a short time later at a Miami Beach Subway restaurant and admitted to officers he had posted the threatening video. Police say Puopolo told them he is homeless.
An Indian-American man has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for a $1 million insider trading scheme involving the failed bid to takeover Cooper Tire, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Amit Kanodia, 49, was sentenced in Boston by Federal Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, who also imposed a $200,000 fine and 100 hours of community service and ordered the forfeiture of the $242,500 illegal profit he made.

A jury had found the real estate entrepreneur guilty of securities fraud and conspiracy after a six-day trial last October, but he was sentenced only now.

Kanodia's ex-wife was a lawyer for and he heard from her about her company's plans to acquire the US-based Cooper Tire in 2013, according to the office of the federal prosecutor for Massachusetts.

He tipped off two of his friends, Iftikar Ahmed and Steven Watson, about the proposed acquisition and they bought shares and options of Cooper Tires, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, prosecutors said.

When the takeover plan was unveiled in June 2013, the share prices shot up by 41 per cent giving the two friends a profit of more than $1 million and they gave Kanodia a share of it, according to officials.

Ahmed fled to India when he was charged with insider trading and is believed to be still in India. US authorities consider him a fugitive from justice.

Ahmed, a Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi and Harvard Business School graduate, has also been charged with embezzling $54 million from the investment company Oak Investment Partners, where he was a general partner.

Watson, who admitted his guilt and turned approver, testified against Kanodia. He was fined $25,000 and given two years of probation in November last year for insider trading. He also had to give up almost $170,000 in illegal trading profits.

The plan to takeover Cooper Tire ultimately failed by December 2013 mainly because unions in the US and the management and workers at its Chinese subsidiary opposed the deal.
A South Korean court on Thursday dismissed a warrant to arrest the head of the Group, the country's largest conglomerate, amid a graft scandal that has led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.
Could British premier Theresa Mays Brexit statement have been any more bullish? Her abrasive tone and thinly veiled threats might almost have been designed to enrage a European elite already irritated over the UKs prevarications over .
News / National

by Staff reporter

RECENT brutal murders in Bulawayo have jolted police who have urged residents not to walk alone at night and avoid conducting prayer sessions that end late at night.Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango said police have intensified stop and search operations in an effort to tackle crime and keep the city's streets safe from criminal activities.She said people should walk in groups, especially at night, to avoid being targeted by criminals.The police statement follows the brutal killings of a Cowdray Park suburb woman and a man from Nkulumane suburb last Friday. On Monday, a security guard at the Seventh day run Pelandaba Primary School was fatally attacked by four armed robbers while on duty.In the Cowdray Park murder, Mrs Ivy Sibanda, a member of the Zaoga church who was attacked while coming from a prayer session at night, had nearly all her teeth knocked out while her back, arm and both legs were also fractured.Insp Simango yesterday said they have intensified stop and search operations in response to the criminal activities. She said they were investigating recent murder cases and culprits will be caught."People should avoid walking alone at night and also desist from using paths where they would be vulnerable to thugs. We encourage churches to be cognisant of time when they conduct their prayers. They should avoid finishing their prayers late as thugs tend to take advantage of those who don't have vehicles," said Insp Simango.She said thugs are also taking advantage of long grass and maize in most residential areas that have grown due to the rains.Insp Simango urged members of the public to avoid using their phones in the dark as they become easy targets."Open air worshippers are also at risk of being attacked as they conduct their prayers in the bushes. They should avoid night prayers and always move in groups," she said.
The British government is supportive of a three-year transition period for the financial sector once Britain leaves the European Union, Barclays Chairman John McFarlane said on Thursday.

"I think the government does [support it] because I think they understand the complexity of this," McFarlane told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The initial stage of divorce talks will last two years until 2019, after which a transition phase, of, say, three years, would begin. Many questions remain unanswered, however, as to how this would work in practice.

Financial firms have accepted that they will lose their 'passporting' rights to freely sell services across the 28-nation bloc when Britain leaves, but want more time to adapt before they lose full access to the single market.

"We have known for months that passporting is not going to happen," said McFarlane, who is also chair of financial industry lobby group TheCityUK.

"We want a standstill arrangement for three years, that would kick in after the government's negotiations on are finalised," he added.

Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed this week that Britain would quit the EU single market when it leaves the European Union, setting a course for a clean break with the world's largest trading bloc.

She also signalled for the first time that she strongly believes in a transition phase but banks are not relying on that happening, instead planning for a worst-case scenario that would see them lose access to the single market once kicks in, expected in the first-half of 2019.

minister David Davis said on Wednesday companies will only have a maximum of a two-year transitional deal to help smooth Britain's exit from the EU after 2019.

May said in her speech on Tuesday the length of any such deal may vary for different industries.

McFarlane said international and British banks, insurers and asset managers were seeking a bespoke deal with Europe that would give 'mutual recognition to as many of their products and services as possible.

Barclays will keep the bulk of its activities in Britain after the UK leaves the EU, Chief Executive Jes Staley told BBC radio on Thursday.

UBS and HSBC two of Europe's biggest banks warned on Wednesday that they could each move about 1,000 jobs out of London.

Major banks including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Barclays, are keen to keep their dealing rooms, which buy and sell bonds, shares and other securities and employ thousands of people, in London.

May will meet with the chief executives of some of Wall Street's largest firms including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley as well as money manager Blackrock and private equity firm Blackstone in Davos later on Thursday, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Representatives for the firms either declined to comment or could not immediately be reached for comment.
China will build a "new model" of relations with the United States, President said on Wednesday in a speech that portrayed China as the leader of a globalised world where only cooperation could solve the big problems.
Gems and exports to the US grew 7.81 per cent in the December quarter on a sharp increase in shipments of cut and polished diamonds.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday called for a meeting with MLAs at Kalidas Marg here ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.

The Election Commission, on January 16, entitled Akhilesh 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.

In another development, putting all the speculations to an end, the Congress on January 17 announced its alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

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 Akhilesh.

Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav also confirmed it.

Uttar Pradesh goes to polls on February 11.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's chairman Jack Ma, in a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Davos, has said that his company has a lot of interest in investing in the country.

The two met on the sidelines of the 2017 Economic Forum.

Jack said his company has closely followed positive economic developments in Pakistan and is ready to invest in building eCommerce platform.

He said that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has provided immense opportunities.

Sharif invited Ma to visit Pakistan at the earliest opportunity.

While accepting the invitation, Ma invited the Prime Minister to visit his company's hub at Ghuangzou.

Jack mentioned that 60 million companies worldwide are only benefiting at the moment and to benefit developing countries, he plans to invest in SMEs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Beware would-be-mothers! Taking anti-depressants for the first three months during pregnancy can increase the chances of birth defects in your newborn.

The risk is high enough to merit caution in their use, especially since, in most cases, they are only marginally effective, the study says.

"In pregnancy, you're treating the mother but you're worried about the unborn child and the benefit needs to outweigh the risk," said the study's senior author Anick Berard from Canada.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, examined the link to birth defects among depressed women.

They looked at 18,487 depressed women in the Quebec Pregnancy Cohort, a longitudinal, population-based grouping of 289,688 pregnancies recorded between 1998 to 2009.

Of the women studied 3,640 -- around 20 percent -- took anti-depressants in the first three months.

"We only looked at the first trimester because this is where all the organ systems are developing. At 12 weeks of gestation, the baby is formed," said Berard.

The findings indicate that anti-depressant use during this critical time-window has the potential to interfere with serotonin intake by the fetus, which can result in malformations.

"Serotonin during early pregnancy is essential for the development of all embryonic cells and thus any insult that disturbs the serotonin signaling process has the potential to result in a wide variety of malformations," Berard stated.

When Celexa (the brand name for citalopram) was taken in the first trimester, the risk of major birth defects jumped from five percent to eight per cent, Berard found.

The results suggest that in all 88 cases of malformations were linked to use of the drug.

Similarly, use of Paxil (paroxetine) was associated with an increased risk of heart defects; venlafaxine (Effexor), with lung defects; and tricyclic antidepressants (such as Elavil), with increased eye, ear, face and neck defects.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As many as 15 children were killed and over forty injured as a school bus rammed into a stationary truck early this morning in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh.

Over 30 students of J.S. Vidyaniketan English School were rushed to the nearby hospital for immediate treatment.

"The school was open against the order of district administration, of shutting down schools due to cold weather" Uttar Pradesh Director General Police, Daljeet Choudhary, told ANI.

More than 15 bodies have been recovered. The death toll is expected to rise.

Further details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress on Thursday filed a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging violation of Model Code of Conduct.

In a complaint filed with the Election Commission, the Congress has quoted the example of the Prime Minister's video conferencing address at Ramayana Darshnam Exhibition on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda's birthday.

The Congress has alleged Prime Minister Modi utilised the event as a part of an election campaign in the name of religion by invoking and making statements regarding Hindu idols.

The grand old party quoted the Prime Minister where he mentioned different characters of the Indian epic Ramayana and compared his government's policies with that of Lord Rama, accusing him of invoking religion to further the election prospects of the BJP.

The Congress termed the modus operandi of the Prime Minister as a way to arose religious feelings and sentiments of the voters in the name of religion, especially in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, since the issue originated from Ayodhya.

The Congress, along with the letter, has also submitted the complete text of the PM's speech, along with photographs and a thumbnail image, describing them as tools used for electoral gain by arousing religious sentiments.

The party has demanded stern action against the Prime Minister and has quoted their case as an appropriate one for cancelling or withdrawing the symbol of the BJP.

Earlier on January 13, the BJP had filed a complaint with the poll panel against Congress vice president Rahul 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 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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
News / National

by Staff reporter

ACTING President Phelekezela Mphoko has described Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) president Dr Joice Mujuru as a disrespectful woman with nothing to offer to the nation.Addressing thousands of Zanu-PF supporters who braved incessant rains yesterday at a star rally held at Gwindingwi High School at Nyika Growth Point ahead of the Bikita West by-election on Saturday, the Acting President said the ZimPF president was expelled from Zanu-PF because she was disrespectful.He said Dr Mujuru once verbally attacked the late Vice-Presidents, Dr Simon Muzenda and Dr Joshua Nkomo, during the war of liberation and after independence, proving that she was insolent."We had Joice Mujuru in government as Vice President; she has nothing to offer together with her ally Dzikamai Mavhaire. Mavhaire is known for disrespecting the President."He was the first person from Masvingo to call for President Mugabe's ouster. Mujuru verbally attacked the late two vice presidents and you all know that.She has nothing to offer to the people of Zimbabwe. You must vote for Zanu-PF's candidate, Beauty Chabaya, come Saturday," said Acting President Mphoko.Five other candidates Mr Kudakwashe Gopo (ZimPF), Mr Heya Shoko (independent), Mr Madock Chivasa (National Constitutional Assembly), Mr Terence Tanyaradzwa Makumbo (Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe and Mr Innocent Muzvimbiri (independent) are in the contest too.The Acting President said Zanu-PF was the only party that can solve the people's problems because it is the governing party with all the machinery including all ministers."The whole Cabinet is Zanu-PF and that is our advantage when it comes to developing constituencies. There is no MDC minister in government so all what you want can only be addressed through our party. President Mugabe has sent me to Bikita West to tell you that he is appealing for your votes," he said."No one is forced but we are asking for your votes. When an elderly person, your leader asks, we are expected to respect that. It is against this background that we expect you people of Bikita West not to fail the President."Acting President Mphoko took a swipe at Bikita Minerals' reluctance to develop communities in which the company is operating from yet it was exploiting valuable minerals from the areas.He said companies should plough back in communities they operate in."We have Bikita Minerals here which is mining some of the expensive minerals on the world market  lithium and tantalite. The company has an obligation to develop communities in which it is operating from and not to exploit minerals without ploughing back to the community."We have a granite company in Mutoko which has managed to build a school which had been destroyed by natural disasters."Likewise Bikita Minerals should start to contribute something back to you," he said.He said Government has the power to force the company to give something to the community but the entity should take it upon itself to develop communities and stop plundering the country's resources for nothing.Speaking at the same occasion, Zanu-PF's secretary for administration Dr Ignatius Chombo said the people of Bikita West should rally behind the party's candidate as the revolutionary party is the only organised political outfit in the country.Zanu-PF national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere assured Acting President Mphoko that Zanu-PF would win Bikita West resoundingly.He said 12 000 party members have assured him that they would rally behind the party's candidate on Saturday."Acting President Mphoko, we have done our assessments in Bikita West and got assurance from 12 000 registered voters that they will vote for Zanu-PF, come Saturday. We can safely say it is a foregone conclusion that we have retained Bikita West. We should not worry of Zimbabwe People Fired (ZimPF)," he said.Secretary for youth Kudzai Chipanga appealed to party members in Bikita West to vote resoundingly for Zanu-PF, saying the victory will be President Mugabe's befitting 93rd birthday present. The President turns 93 on February 21.Also present at the Bikita rally were Masvingo Minister of State for provincial affairs, Shuvai Mahofa, Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Dr Joseph Made, ruling party secretary for production Josiah Hungwe, Zanu-PF Chief Whip Lovemore Matuke, Deputy Minister of Lands and Resettlement, Berita Chikwama, Masvingo MPs, provincial executive representatives, war veteran, Joseph Chinotimba and Chabaya, among others.
Extending support to the people of demanding lifting of ban on the bull-taming sport Jallikattu, the on Thursday said it respects the rights of the state to protect the tradition of the festival.

"The respects rights of people of to preserve the culture and protect rich tradition of Jallikattu," leader Randeep Singh Surjewala told ANI.

Appreciating the peaceful manner in which the youth of are protesting, Surjewala put the onus on the to take an appropriate decision.

"The respects the peaceful and dignified manner in which Tamil Youth have come forward to put forward the protection of the intrinsic culture of . The ball lies in the government's court now and they must decide appropriately ensuring respect for sentiments as also the necessary safe and safeguards in place," he said.

Earlier today, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam met Prime Minister urging him to pass an ordinance to lift the ban on the sport.

"I gave a letter to the PM saying that ban on must be lifted and Centre should draft an ordinance on it," Panneerselvam told the media after meeting the Prime Minister.

In response to Panneerselvam's request, Prime Minister Modi earlier in the day assured the Centre's full support to the Tamil Nadu .

The Prime Minister told Panneerselvam that the Centre would be supportive of steps taken by the state .

He, however, added that the matter is sub-judice.

Meanwhile, the protest demanding the lifting of the ban on the sport has been going on since Tuesday night.
Taking on the Parkash Singh Badal-led government, Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday said the grand old party is aiming for two-third majority in the upcoming assembly polls, adding the incumbent Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) alliance will manage to win only 10 to 20 seats.

Addressing the media along with newly-inducted member Navjot Singh Sidhu, Captain Amarinder said the people of Punjab are fed up with the SAD and want to dethrone the government.

"Akali-BJP will manage to win just 10-20 seats. We are eyeing for two-third majority so that we have the power to make the much needed constitutional changes to bring Punjab back on its feet," he said.

The Congress leader also used the occasion to train guns at Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal while alleging that the latter is a confused man.

"He is aware of the fact that does not enjoy the same position which he held at some point of time. He will not get any votes," he added.

Captain Amarinder further said that he got full support of the people during his rally in Lambi assembly constituency, adding the people want to dethrone the SAD-BJP alliance government in Punjab.

"We are preparing for the elections with full force. Yesterday, I addressed a rally in Lambi and the response which I got was amazing. Our party leaders have also told me that the response which they are getting is overwhelming," he said.

"When I interacted with the people in different villages of Punjab, they stopped me and said they are fed up of the Akalis," he added.

The Congress leader also stated that Sidhu did not put any condition while joining the party.

"I am very happy that Navjot ji has joined our party. I am his wicket keeper," he said.

Punjab will vote on February 4 and the counting will take place on March 11.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama in his final White House presser offered a cautious note on developing friendlier ties to Moscow, saying a constructive US-Russia relationship is "in America's interest and the world's interest."

President-elect Donald Trump has proposed friendlier ties to Moscow, which he said would lead to greater partnership on a series of sticky global issues from Syria to Ukraine, reports the CNN.

The ties between the incoming and outgoing administrations have strained over Trump's relationship with Russia, which the U.S. accuses of meddling in the presidential election.

Obama yesterday said that fostering warmer ties during his presidency was stymied by Russian President Vladimir Putin's combative stance when he returned to power in 2012.

Putin's "adversarial spirit" had "made the relationship more difficult," he said.

In his question-and-answer session with reporters, Obama said that after two terms of political warfare with Republicans, he was emerging unbowed in his faith in the US and its citizens.

"I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad. I believe tragic things happen. I think there's evil in the world, but I think at the end of the day, if we work hard and if we're true to those things in us that feel true and feel right, that the gets a little better each time."

Conceding that Trump may not take his advice on issues, Obama said he would avoid weighing in on specific policy matters during his post-presidency, using his time instead to write and "not hear myself talk so darn much."

He also hoped that once Trump gets into office and is hit with the intricate details of governing, his thinking might shift on issues such as Obamacare and jobs.

"Once he comes into office and he looks at the complexities of how to in fact provide healthcare for everybody, something he says he wants to do, or wants to make sure that he is encouraging job creation and wage growth in this country, that may lead him to some of the same conclusions that I arrived at once I got here," Obama said. "But I don't think we'll know until he has an actual chance to get sworn in and sit behind that desk."

During the conference comes, Obama also defended commutation of sentence for national security leaker Chelsea Manning and a pardon for Gen. James Cartwright, convicted of lying to investigators in a leak probe.

He said that Manning has already served a "tough prison sentence." He said he looked at the particulars of the case the same way he had any other person whose sentence he had commuted.

"I felt that in light of all the circumstances, that commuting her sentence was entirely appropriate," he said.

The decision has been lambasted by Republicans, who have accused Manning of being a traitor for disclosing hundreds of thousands of pages related to classified U.S. programs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hitting out at Beijing for its jibe that New Delhi was seeking its membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as a parting gift from outgoing US President Barack Obama, on Thursday asserted that it was seeking the inclusion on its "non-proliferation record".

"Our views on India's membership of the NSG are clear and have been stated on many occasions before. is not seeking NSG membership as a gift. is seeking it on its non-proliferation record. I of course cannot speak for other applicants," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

India's rebuttal comes in the wake of China's statement that the NSG membership can't be the US's "parting gift" to India.

"Regarding India's application to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, regarding non-NPT countries admission to the NSG, we have made our position clear before so I will not repeat it. I just want to point out that NSG membership shall not be some kind of farewell gift for countries to give to each other," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a media briefing.

China has been steadily objecting to India's inclusion in the elite group, citing India's non-signatory status to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, further arguing that if New Delhi can be allowed an exception why not its ally- Pakistan.
India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Indigenous helicopters Rudra and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Dhruv will showcase a fly-past over Rajpath on the 67th Republic day of India.

The last time any indigenous airfare flew was HAL Marut in 1960s.

In June last year, the Indian Air Force acquired two Tejas LCA and one trainer aircraft which would be manufactured by the HAL in Bangalore.

The Indian Air Force (IFA) has begun its practice of its aircrafts for the occasion.

As many as 34 aircrafts of the IAF will perform various manoeuvres during the Republic Day celebrations to be attended by UAE crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the chief guest.

The parade will witness MI 17 V5s flying in Ensign formation as soon as the Parade Commander reaches the saluting base in front of President Pranab Mukherjee.

There will be 19 fighters, 11 helicopters and four transport aircrafts enthralling the public this year.

As many as 12 aircraft will be kept on a stand-by. The aircrafts participating in flypast this year are Jaguars, C130J Hercules, C17 Globemaster, Su30, MI 17 V5s, ALH Dhruv, MI-35 (attack helicopters).

The full dress rehearsal, exactly the way entire IAF team will function on Republic Day, will be done on January 23.

There are special establishments of the IAF metrological officers, Air Traffic Controllers and specialists formed around the Republic route to keep the precision of the flypast.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met a delegation of Muslim leaders and conveyed to them that youth in India has successfully resisted radicalization, asserting that the credit for this must go to India's long and shared heritage.

The delegation comprising of Muslim Ulemas, intellectuals, academicians and other eminent people called on the Prime Minister today and congratulated him on the steps taken by the Union Government for inclusive growth, socio-economic and educational empowerment of all sections of the society including minorities.

Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Union Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar were also present on the occasion.

The delegation was also appreciative of the Saudi Government's decision to increase the number of Haj pilgrims from India, and thanked the Prime Minister for having successfully pursued the same.

Extending their full supported to the campaign launched by the Prime Minister against corruption and black money, the delegation agreed that the fight against corruption will benefit the poor people including the minorities the most.

Praising the Indian youth in resisting radicalisation, Prime Minister Modi conveyed to the leaders that the culture, traditions and social fabric of India will never allow the nefarious designs of the terrorists, or their sponsors, to succeed.

The Prime Minister stressed on the importance of education and skill development, which is the key to gainful employment, and upliftment from poverty.

Appreciating the Government of Saudi Arabia for its decision to increase the number of Haj pilgrims for India, the Prime Minister asserted that there is a positive image of Indian Muslims abroad.

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Jallikattu protest storm is gaining momentum as Kollywood actor Vishal on Thursday called it a revolution and urged that the Centre should pass an ordinance in that regard.

"It is not a protest, it is a revolution. Voice should reach the Centre and they should pass the ordinance," he said over the issue of Jallikattu.

Vishal has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought an appointment for a possible meeting.

"Jallikattu is Tamil people's rights but now, there is a ban for the sport. I request you (Modi) to lift the ban," stated Vishal in his letter.

Vishal has requested general public to believe only things, which are said by actors in media and their official handles.

"I'm in no way associated with PETA and have always been supporting Tamil culture and Jallikattu," said the actor.

The Tamil Nadu government has been repeatedly urging the Centre to issue an ordinance for the Jallikattu sport, which is held during the Tamil harvest festival Pongal.

On Monday, more than 200 youths were taken into custody while they were protesting at the Alanganallur village demanding lifting of the ban on Jallikattu. The Supreme Court had banned the sport in 2014, following which the political parties in the state protested.

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A day after music maestro A.R. Rahman called for hunger strike against Jallikattu ban, Congress on Friday backed the former saying that every individual is free to express his opinion.

"Rehman feels that the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu should be respected. Jallikattu was banned on the instruction of the Supreme Court. The apex court in a judgment said very clearly to ban the jallikattu. The demand is that it should be allowed that is on the basis of public sentiments which is prevailing in Tamil Nadu," Congress leader P.C. Chacko told ANI.

Chacko further said that the agitation is an indication that the sentiments of people are very srtong and it is for the government to take the decision on sentimental issue.

"It is upto the government to take decision. We have to respect the sentiment of people and that is upto the central government to act on that sentiment," he added.

With the protest against the ban on Jallikattu gaining momentum, Rahman yesterday come in support of this protest.

The 50-year-old musician took to his Twitter handle to inform that he will be observing fast on January 20, to support the spirit of Tamil Nadu.

"I'm fasting tomorrow to support the spirit of Tamilnadu!" he had tweeted.

Many other celebs like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Surya, Vijay, Chiyaan Vikram came up in support of the ongoing protest in the state.

The Tamil Nadu government has been repeatedly urging the Centre to issue an ordinance for the Jallikattu sport, which is held during the Tamil harvest festival Pongal.

On Monday, more than 200 youths were taken into custody while they were protesting at the Alanganallur village demanding lifting of the ban on Jallikattu.

The Supreme Court had banned the sport in 2014, following which the political parties in the state protested.

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A jilted married lover, who stabbed a girl multiple times, was arrested on Thursday from Delhi's Najafgarh area.

The 25-year-old, identified as Amit and his cousin, Basant were arrested by the Outer District Police for stabbing the girl multiple times with an attempt of murdering her.

A case of stabbing a lady was received at Najafgarh Police Station and a case of attempt to murder was registered against unknown persons.

However, four police teams were constituted and the blind case was solved in less than 24 hours.

The weapon, with which the girl was attacked, has also been recovered from the accused.

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Pakistan Senate chairman Raza Rabbani has asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif-led government to take parliamentary leaders in the Senate into confidence on the discussion of legislation for reinstating military courts that is currently underway.

Senator Usman Kakar yesterday raised concerns that consultation was only carried out with the parliamentary leaders in the National Assembly and nobody from the Senate was invited for this purpose, reports the Daily Times.

"If a bill comes, it shall have to be passed by both the Houses. Therefore, you cannot exclude Parliamentary Leaders from the Senate from this consultation process," the chairman remarked.

Law Minister Zahid Hamid informed the House that it was preliminary consultation just to have a viewpoint whether any such law could be brought in.

"Whenever there will be an opinion to have such a bill, a broad-based consultation shall be arranged to evolve consensus," he added.

The chairman responded saying that if any final decision has to be made on the issue then the Senate should not be taken as granted and its parliamentary leaders must also be consulted.

Meanwhile, the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, was disapproved through a resolution in the Senate.

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News / National

by Staff reporter

MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai has snubbed an invitation by Zimbabwe People First's Dr Joice Mujuru for a joint rally at Nyika Growth Point tomorrow in preparation for the Bikita West by-election set for Saturday.ZimPF is fielding Mr Kudakwashe Gopo, who will battle it out with zanu-pf's Beauty Chabaya, Mr Madock Chivasa (NCA), Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe's Mr Terrence Makumbo and Mr Innocent Muzvimbiri, an independent candidate.Former Bikita West legislator Mr Heya Shoko is also contesting the seat as an independent candidate. The MDC-T and ZimPF are reportedly engaged in coalition talks aimed at fielding a single presidential candidate to face zanu-pf in the 2018 elections.Failure by the two parties to join forces ahead of the Bikita West by-election is raising doubts about the feasibility of a coalition.Instead of joining Dr Mujuru on the campaign trail in Bikita West, Mr Tsvangirai has reportedly chosen to embark on a countrywide tour to solicit views of his party's structures on the proposed coalition with other opposition parties.MDC-T Masvingo provincial chairman Mr James Gumbi yesterday all, but confirmed that Mr Tsvangirai was not joining Dr Mujuru in her Bikita West rally."I am not aware that any of our leaders including our party president will be going to Bikita West tomorrow. I have not been briefed about that by our superiors. As far as I know the MDC-T is not participating in that by-election in line with our no reforms, no elections resolution,'' said Mr Gumbi.MDC-T spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu corroborated Mr Gumbi's statement saying Mr Tsvangirai was guided by the MDC-T national council resolution."As you know our national council, which is our party's highest decision-making body in between congress, made a resolution that we will not participate in any elections until there are electoral reforms and that resolution still stands,'' he said."We cannot be seen to be blowing hot and cold as a party. That will be a sign of inconsistency. We cannot say we are not participating in elections and then be seen to be supporting a certain candidate in an election,'' added Mr Gutu.Ironically, the MDC-T recently supported Mr Temba Mliswa in the Norton by-election.ZimPF spokesperson Mr Jealousy Mawarire confirmed that Mr Tsvangirai was not joining Dr Mujuru in Bikita."It is not a snub at all. There is no conflict here (between MDC-T and ZimPF). In fact, if you go back to my previous published statement, I made it very clear that the fact that we are in coalition negotiations does not stop individual parties in those negotiations from embarking on party programmes,'' he said."Party programmes cannot be interfered with because of coalition talks. As ZimPF we have our own party programme at Nyika Growth point in Bikita West tomorrow and we understand the MDC-T have their own programme that is starting in Matabeleland where the party's leadership will be conscientising their supporters about the ongoing coalition talks between our parties and we feel there is nothing wrong with that. There is no snubbing or conflict here,'' said Mr Mawarire.ZimPF candidate Mr Gopo has been struggling to attract supporters at his rallies.
A senior US Commander has said that strong multilateral forums like the NATO are needed to mitigate threats arising from contested spaces in the presently growing interconnected .

Admiral Michele Howard, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, while delivering the key note address on the third day of the second Raisina Dialogue here said, "As a multilateral actor for collective defence, the 28-member NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) is a model for multilateralism."

Pointing out the shift in America's trade across the Atlantic and the Pacific, Admiral Howard said this is also shaping the dynamics of global trade.

She said NATO's engagement with the European Union is "at the heart of Europe's security" and engagement with African Union is "promising and fruitful". These are examples of how regional forums are useful platforms for cooperation their own security and also to serve global security.

Responding to a question, she said that NATO and the European Union have been "synchronising their activities, sharing logistics support."

A challenge that confronts the in the cyber domain and to address cyber security threats "we need to be innovative", Admiral Howard said.

She said NATO will continue to defend democratic ethos and support open societies as intolerance and religious extremism are emerging as major threats to global security.

NATO also engages several countries in cooperative dialogue and "this is a perfect concept of collective defence." Building partnerships should form the New Normal, said Admiral Howard.

More than 250 participants from 65 countries are taking part in this year's three-day Dialogue, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. The first edition was attended by 120 participants from 40 countries.

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The Supreme Court on Friday will hear the plea filed by December 16 gangrape convicts Mukesh, Akshay, Pawan and Vinay, challenging the Delhi High court order which had sentenced the four convicts to the gallows after keeping in view the fact that it was a rarest of the rare case.

The appeal, which is being heard by the Apex Court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra, is at the fag end in the case.

Earlier, the apex court had declined the request by two amici curiae - senior counsel Raju Ramachandran and Sanjay R Hegde to withdraw from assisting the court in hearing of appeals by the convicts in the gang rape case.

Asking both to continue assisting the court in hearing of the appeals by the four accused convicted and sentenced to death, the three judge bench comprising of justices Dipak Misra, R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan said: "We can appreciate the anguish expressed by the learned amici curiae".

Six people gang-raped a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus and thrashed her and her male friend. They then violently raped and attacked her, and threw both of them from the moving bus on Dec 16. The woman succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012.

The incident led to large scale protests across the country, forcing the government of the day to make strict and punitive laws related to harassment of women.

One of the accused, Ram Singh hanged himself in prison, while another man, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime, was convicted in August and will serve the maximum sentence of three years in a reform home.

Meanwhile, on December 3, amicus curiae Sanjay Hegde questioned the evidence produced by the prosecution in the gang-rape case, and came out with certain points putting a question on the merit of evidence.

According to Hegde, one of the convicts, Mukesh, was not with the prime culprit Ram Singh when the offence was committed, since their mobile locations were found to be different on that night. .

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Rooting for Akhilesh Yadav as the chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls, Samajwadi Party leader Gaurav Bhatia on Thursday said not just their party, but other like-minded political parties also see a bright future in Akhilesh.

"I think it is very clear that in Akhilesh Yadav, not just the Samajwadi Party or the people of Uttar , but also other like-minded political parties see a bright future," Bhatia told ANI.

He further said that Akhilesh and other senior leaders of the Samajwadi Party are having a very constructive dialogue with other like-minded parties and would made an announcement at an appropriate time.

The Election Commission, on January 16, 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.

In another development, putting all the speculations to an end, the Congress on January 17 announced its alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

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 Akhilesh Yadav.

Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav also confirmed it.

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Outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama in a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked him for his support and contribution to the Indo-U.S. ties.

The Prime Minister received the call yesterday evening during which the two leaders reviewed with satisfaction the significant all round progress and cooperation in ties between India and the U.S. in the past few years.

"Prime Minister thanked President Obama for his strong support and contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between India and the US. He conveyed his best wishes to President Obama in his future endeavours," said an official statement.

Obama was one of the first leaders to congratulate Prime Minister Modi after his electoral victory in May 2014 and immediately invited him to visit the White House.

The two leaders met at the White House in September 2014. Since then they have met each other for eight times. This is a record for leaders between India and America.

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After Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sangeet Som was booked for allegedly screening footage from the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots as part of a documentary in the crucial poll-bond Uttar Pradesh, Political parties like Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj party (BSP) took serious exemption on the matter.

Samajwadi Party leader Gaurav Bhatia told ANI that the Election Commission should take serious cognizance of 'habitual offenders like Som, so that they are not allowed to vitiate the atmosphere in Uttar Pradesh.

"The Samajwadi Party leader Gaurav Bhatia: I would only say that Mr. Sangeet Som is a habitual offender and he was also an accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots case. Now today the vehicle assigned to him had DVDs from Muzaffarnagar riots being distributed in the areas. An FIR has been registered and I hope that the election commission of India taking cognizance of it will ensure that people like Sangeet Som are not allowed to vitiate the atmosphere in Uttar Pradesh," he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, senior BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadoria said both the Samajwadi party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are hand in glove in order to incite communal violence.

"They (BSP and BJP) had done it in Muzaffarnagar during the last elections and this time also they want to repeat it but people of UP understands and they will defeat them in the coming election," he added.

The Meerut administration had yesterdat BJP nominee from Sardhana, Som, for alleged screening of a video, which purportedly contained clippings of "communally provocative speeches" by the sitting MLA, at a village in his constituency.

Som has been booked for violating model code of conduct under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of IPC and Section 125 of The Representation of the People Act.

The BJP MLA, earlier in September last year was booked under the Security Act in connection with Muzaffarnagar riots and had visited Bisada village of Dadri after a mob lynched a Muslim man on suspicion of consuming beef.

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Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that their army is fully prepared and capable to respond to all types of threat from across the border.

General Bajwa met Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider Khan on Wednesday and discussed security situation along the LOC and other matters of mutual interest.

According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Khan thanked the Army Chief for Pakistan Army's contributions towards security and development in the region, particularly in the fields of education, health and communication infrastructure.

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The Pakistan Supreme Court (SC) has directed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's son Hussain Nawaz to explain how he earned USD 1.9 million which he remitted to his father as a gift in 2011.

Earlier, Sharif's counsel told the court that the Prime Minister had received a gift of USD 1.9 million from his son which was non-taxable, reports the Express Tribune.

To this, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said, "There are two aspects of the case - first is tax evasion and the second is money laundering."

In his remarks, Justice Khosa observed that people illegally sent money abroad and later some of it was remitted back in the country. He went on to say that now, the premier's son has to provide the money trail of the amount which he remitted to his father.

During the hearing, the judges also referred to former interior minister Rehman Malik's investigation report on "Sharif family's money laundering in 1990s and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar's confession statement".

They, however, observed that the report could not meet its logical conclusion as National Accountability Bureau (NAB) did not file an appeal against Lahore High Court's order to quash the reference against the Sharif family in 2014 while adding that the apex court cannot re-investigate the matter under Article 184-3 of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that the court wanted to see the account number of the Prime Minister wherein he received the money from his son. Justice Gulzar Ahmad also questioned why the gift money was not reflected in the Prime Minister's wealth statement.

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Paytm on Thursday announced that it has launched an option to buy Google Play recharge codes on its platform. This will enable Android users to buy a Google Play recharge code online and recharge their Google Play accounts in a quick and hassle-free manner.

Paytm customers can select the 'Google Play' option on their Paytm app, enter their mobile number and the desired amount to receive a unique Recharge code via SMS and e-mail. This code can then be redeemed on Google Play to recharge their Google Play accounts instantly.

"We are committed to bringing unique mobile-first products to the Indian masses. By enabling the users on our platform to purchase a Google Play recharge code through a simple one-click process, we would help our Android users to seamlessly recharge their Google Play accounts to enjoy the paid content, apps and games on the Google Play Store," said Senior Vice President Paytm, Shankar Nath.

Euronet Worldwide has been working with Google across the globe for distribution of Google Play gift cards. With this launch, a digital form of this product "Google Play Recharge Code" would be made available to Indian consumers via Paytm and Euronet will power and process these transactions.

This is first time in India that Google Play recharge codes would be available in a digital form and customers will receive the code instantaneously which can be redeemed on Google Play store for consumption of games, movies, books, apps and other paid content.

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While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday assured the Centre's full support to the Tamil Nadu Government.

The Prime Minister told Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam that the Centre would be supportive of steps taken by the state government.

He, however, added that the matter is sub-judice.

"The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri O. Paneerselvam, called on the Prime Minister today. The ban imposed on Jallikattu by the Supreme Court came up for discussion. While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the Prime Minister observed that the matter is presently sub-judice. The Centre would be supportive of steps taken by the State Government," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

"PM @narendramodi assured CM Paneerselvam that all possible assistance would be provided to the State to address the drought situation. A central team would be deputed to Tamil Nadu shortly," it added.

Nearly 36 hours have passed since the protests began across Tamil Nadu against the ban on Jallikattu.

Meanwhile, a large number of people thronged Chennai's Marina Beach in support of Jallikattu. Actor Raghava Lawrence was also seen in attendance.

The police resorted to baton-charge to disperse the protesters, who gathered at the beach since Tuesday evening.

The authorities have ordered over two dozen colleges in the city to close down as the crowd swelled at the main protest site in the capital.

The protesters, who have rejected Panneerselvam's appeal to end the protests and refused to leave till the ban on Jallikattu is lifted, want the government and courts to listen to their demands.

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Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader and Dharmapuri MP Anbumani Ramadoss on Thursday protested outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to the latter's refusal to meet him for a discussion over the bull taming sport of Jallikattu.

"Prime Minister refuses to meet me. I don't have any other way but to sit outside his house till he meets me," Ramadoss told ANI.

The leader on Thursday sought an appointment with Prime Minister Modi over the issue of Jallikattu.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, who met the Prime Minister here on Thursday, urged him to promulgate an ordinance to lift the ban on bull taming sport Jallikattu.

"I gave a letter to the PM saying that ban on Jallikattu must be lifted and Centre should draft an ordinance on it," Panneerselvam told the media after meeting the Prime Minister.

Panneerselvam said Prime Minister Modi told him that he gives highest importance to cultural values of the state and assured the Centre's full support.

The Supreme Court had earlier banned Jallikattu in 2014, after which it was not celebrated for the last two years.

This year also, even after multiple appeals from the state to the Centre to issue the ordinance, the festival was not held.

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As the protests in support of Jallikattu intensified in Tamail Nadu, scores of people have taken to social media to vent their ire against the decision on the bull-taming sport and urged all to support the cause.

The popular social media platforms such as Facebook is filled with pages like "Let us be united", "We want Jallikattu," and "I support Jallikattu", with lakhs of followers commenting on the present situation.

Pages such as "Jallikattu veeravilayattu" have been flooded with live updates.

Real time pictures, live videos of the protests have been rigorously posted on social media sites to update the people and urge them to join hands for the cause.

The people have also been posting pictures, videos and messages on their personal accounts.

The protests demanding that the ban on Jallikattu be lifted have been going on since Tuesday.

The protesters have also demanded a ban on the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which has lobbied hard to ensure that the sport is discontinued.

The protesters have opined that their fight is for culture, adding Jallikattu is not cruel to animals.

Even the political parties, including the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), have supported the demand.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the capital today to urge him to promulgate an ordinance to lift the ban on Jallikattu.

Last week, the Supreme Court rejected a plea seeking to allow Jallikattu played during the Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu.

An apex court bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R. Banumathi told a group of lawyers, who requested for the verdict, that it is unfair to ask the bench to pass an order.

The court had earlier in 2014 banned Jallikattu on grounds of animal cruelty.

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The Tibetan Government in-exile has wished good luck to the incoming US president Donald Trump while expressing hope that the new leader will follow the footsteps of previous presidents and meet with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

Dhardon Sharling, Secretary for the Department of Information and International Relations of Tibetan Government in-exile, said, "The US has been one of the strongest allies for the Tibetan movement and a very very dear friend of his holiness The Dalai Lama for the last half a century, we do hope that next US president will follow suit and that he will embrace the precedent that has been already set by his predecessor. So, that's my expectation."

He added, "I am sure that our good wishes and a message of our confidence and hope in his leadership will be a positive impact on how he leads this great nation."

He told ANI that the most-friendly gesture by Trump would be to first meet with the Dalai Lama.

In June last year, President Barack Obama met privately at the White House with the Dalai Lama, a session that predictably sparked anger among the Chinese officials who accuse the Tibetan spiritual leader of sponsoring a separatist movement.

This was Obama's fourth meeting with the Dalai Lama, each of which led to displeasure in Beijing.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselam, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Thursday, urged him to promulgate an ordinance to lift the ban on bull taming sport Jallikattu.

"I gave a letter to the PM saying that ban on Jallikattu must be lifted and Centre should draft an ordinance on it," Panneerselvam told the media after meeting the Prime Minister.

Panneerselvam said Prime Minister Modi told him that he gives highest importance to cultural values of the state and assured the Centre's full support.

The Chief Minister also drew Prime Minister Modi's attention to the prevailing drought conditions in Tamil Nadu.

The Prime Minister on his part appreciated the cultural significance of Jallikattu and observed that the matter is presently sub-judice.

He, however, assured Paneerselvam that the Centre would be supportive of steps taken by the state government.

Prime Minister Modi also assured Paneerselvam that all possible assistance would be provided to the state to address the drought situation, adding a central team would be deputed to the state shortly.

The Supreme Court had banned Jallikattu, which is held during the harvest festival of Pongal, in 2014 on a petition by animal rights activists.

Jallikattu hadn't been held for the last two years and was not held this year on Pongal despite multiple appeals from Tamil Nadu to the Centre to issue the ordinance.

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The UAE crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who would be visiting India as the Chief Guest for the 67th Republic Day celebrations would hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral, regional and global issues of common interest.

The UAE crown prince would be accompanied with high-level delegation, including ministers, senior officials and captains of industry.

The visiting dignitary would also call on President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari.

This is the second visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to India since February 2016. Following the landmark visit of Prime Minister Modi to UAE in August 2015, the two countries have agreed to elevate the mutually beneficial relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The two countries have been amongst each other's top trading partners with a well-balanced bilateral trade of about US$ 50 billion in 2015-16. UAE is among the top investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments. It contributes significantly to India's energy security and is the fifth largest supplier of crude oil to India in 2015-16.

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British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Modi appreciated the progress achieved in strengthening the bilateral partnership in various sectors, especially Science & Technology, Finance, and Defence and Security.

He noted that the Indian Diaspora in UK acts as a living bridge between the two countries, and is a key driver of close people-to-people relations, and hoped that both sides would continue to work together to enhance these ties.

Prime Minister Modi recalled their earlier meeting during his visit to UK in November 2015, when Johnson was the Mayor of London, and congratulated him on his appointment as the Foreign Secretary.

He said that the visit of British Prime Minister Theresa May to India in November, 2016 has put in place the framework necessary to guide India-UK relations in the days to come.

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President Pranab Mukherjee has urged the students of West Bengal's Jhalda Satyabhama Vidyapith to uphold the values of Indian civilization through the attainment of education.

President Mukherjee appreciated the effort by the Jhalda Satyabhama Vidyapith to mark its Centenary by setting up a museum on the freedom struggle.

He paid homage to five young men of this area who, inspired by revolutionary patriot, Satya Kinkar Dutta, laid down their lives in the freedom struggle.

The President said these martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice for our independence must be saluted.

"The people should be educated about their sacrifice and also, about the Chuar uprising, a glorious chapter in our struggle for freedom whose epicentre was Jhalda.

The President quoted Swami Vivekananda and said the aim of education is to become a real man.

He urged the students to have a common goal of attaining education and to uphold the qualities of tolerance, determination and honesty.

He said they would hold thereby the flag of our great civilisation high.

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On 18 January 2017

HCL Technologies has received the sanction from Hon'ble High Court of Delhi for the proposed Composite Scheme of Arrangement and Amalgamation ("Scheme") amongst Geometric ("the Demerged Company/ Transferor Company"), HCL Technologies ("Transferee Company No. 1") and 3D PLM Software Solutions ("Transferee Company No. 2") vide order dated 18 January 2017.

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Hindustan Copper rose 4.76% to Rs 68.20 at 11:53 IST on BSE on bargain hunting after a recent slide.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 64.15 points, or 0.24%, to 27,321.79.

On the BSE, so far 4.87 lakh shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volumes of 3.13 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 69.40 and a low of Rs 65.25 so far during the day.

The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 73.60 on 22 August 2016. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 42.30 on 19 February 2016. The stock had outperformed the market over the past 30 days till 18 January 2017, rising 11.66% compared with the 3.61% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 9.87% as against Sensex's 3.10% decline.

The mid-cap company has equity capital of Rs 462.61 crore. Face value per share is Rs 5.

Shares of Hindustan Copper fell 6.26% in four trading sessions to settle at Rs 65.10 yesterday, 18 January 2017, from its close of Rs 69.45 on 12 January 2017.

The board of directors of Hindustan Copper (HCL) approved proposal for increasing borrowing from the consortium banks/other banks by way of overdraft or cash credit, working capital demand loan, bill discounting, other working capital arrangements from existing Rs 250 crore to Rs 550 crore. The announcement was made during trading hours on Monday, 16 January 2017. Shares of HCL fell 1.10% to settle at Rs 67.45 on that day.

Hindustan Copper's net profit fell 8.6% to Rs 6.77 crore on 20.1% decline in net sales to Rs 161.85 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015.

Hindustan Copper (HCL) is a vertically integrated copper producing company encompassing mining, beneficiation, smelting, refining and casting of refined copper metal. The Government of India holds 82.948% stake in Hindustan Copper (as per shareholding pattern as on 31 December 2016).

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Sales decline 4.28% to Rs 227.31 crore

Net profit of Hindustan Media Ventures declined 7.46% to Rs 43.82 crore in the quarter ended December 2016 as against Rs 47.35 crore during the previous quarter ended December 2015. Sales declined 4.28% to Rs 227.31 crore in the quarter ended December 2016 as against Rs 237.47 crore during the previous quarter ended December 2015.227.31237.4718.0025.4258.5669.2353.5763.6743.8247.35

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Key benchmark indices extended intraday gains and hit fresh intraday high in mid-morning trade, however, gains were small. At 11:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 77.16 points or 0.28% at 27,333.98. The Nifty 50 index was up 14 points or 0.17% at 8,431.

After swinging between gains and losses near the flat line in initial trade amid mixed Asian cues, key indices consolidated gains.

The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.41%. 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 positive. On the BSE, 1,301 shares rose and 962 shares declined. A total of 173 shares were unchanged.

Shares of public sector oil marketing companies rose after crude oil prices dropped in the previous session. HPCL (up 1.39%), BPCL (up 2.26%) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) (up 2.34%) edged higher.

Lower crude oil prices could decrease under-recoveries of public sector oil marketing companies (PSU OMCs) on domestic sale of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosene at controlled prices. The government has already freed pricing of petrol and diesel.

In global commodities markets, Brent for March 2017 settlement was up 44 cents at $54.36 a barrel. The contract had dropped $1.55 a barrel or 2.79% to settle at $53.92 a barrel during previous trading session.

US oil edged higher after hitting one-week lows touched the session before, with investors turning their attention to upcoming government data on US inventories. Sentiment in oil markets has been toggling between expectations of a rebound in US shale production and hopes that oversupply may be curbed by output cuts announced by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and others.

Shares of oil production and exploration firms were mixed. Cairn India (down 0.74%) and Oil India (down 0.36%) declined. Reliance Industries (RIL) (up 0.66%) and ONGC (up 1.42%) gained.

Shares of power generation and power distribution companies were mixed. Torrent Power (up 0.59%), Tata Power Company (up 0.7%), and NTPC (up 0.38%) gained. Adani Power (down 0.13%), Power Grid Corporation of India (down 0.38%), Reliance Infrastructure (down 0.23%) and Reliance Power (down 0.11%) declined.

NHPC slumped 7.45% as the stock turned ex-dividend today, 19 January 2017 for an interim dividend of Rs 1.70 per share for the year ending 31 March 2017. Before turning ex-dividend, the stock offered a dividend yield of 6.03% based on the closing price of Rs 28.15 yesterday, 18 January 2017.

On 12 January 2017, NHPC's board of directors had approved interim dividend of Rs 1.70 per share for the year ending 31 March 2017.

Meanwhile, NHPC announced that TLDP-III (4 X 33) 132 megawatts (MW) power station in West Bengal has been completely restored on 18 January 2017 which was under complete shutdown for restoration work of GIS (Line-I Bay). The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 18 January 2017.

Shares of state run coal mining major Coal India fell 0.03% to Rs 308.55. The stock hit high of Rs 310.10 and low of Rs 306.95 in intraday trade.

Hatsun Agro Product rose 2.71% after net profit rose 64.1% to Rs 28.81 crore on 13.9% increase in net sales to Rs 944.92 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 18 January 2017.

Great Eastern Shipping Company rose 2.13% after the company said that the debenture issue committee, at its meeting held 16 January 2017, allotted 7.99% 5,000 unsecured non-convertible debentures of face value of Rs 10 lakhs each, aggregating to Rs 500 crore, in two tranches of Rs 250 crore each. The announcement was made before trading hours today, 19 January 2017.

Orient Green Power Company rose 3.38% after the reports indicated that Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) is in advanced talks to merge its wind energy assets with Chennai-based listed Orient Green Power.

The boards of IL&FS and Orient are expected to meet soon and discuss a merger proposal which, if cleared, will help the entity to acquire more wind energy assets. The plan is to consolidate and use stock and cash to acquire assets that will help scale up capacity to over 2,000 megawatts (MW) by financial year 2018, the report said.

Meanwhile, there are expectations of announcement 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.

Overseas, Asian stocks were mixed. The Dow Industrial Average yesterday, 18 January 2017, closed at the lowest level of 2017, marking a fourth straight day in the red for the blue-chip gauge, but the broader stock market managed modest gains. Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen said she expects rate hikes a few times a year until the end of 2019.

Among economic data in US, industrial output accelerated last month at its strongest pace in two years. The housing-market index from the National Association of Homebuilders showed that builder sentiment slipped in January after notching its highest reading of the business cycle in December. Despite the drop, the January number was the second-highest reading of the cycle.

Wall Street trading over the past several days has been subdued as investors await signs that the stock-market rally that followed President-elect Donald Trump's November election victory, supported by his campaign promises to increase fiscal spending, cut taxes and roll back regulations, is based in reality and underpinned by solid corporate quarterly results.

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Tamil Nadu leads others with total houses approved of 2,26,572 under PMAY(Urban)

Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation has asked all the States and Union Territories to submit proposals for construction of affordable houses for urban poor at the earliest so that the Housing For All target in urban areas could be met by 2022 as envisaged. This was conveyed by Dr. Nandita Chatterjee, Secretary(HUPA) during a meeting of the Central Screening and Monitoring Committee (CSMC). She urged the States and UTs to expedite submission of proposals as per the latest demand assessment undertaken by them.

During the CSMC meeting, the Ministry of HUPA has approved construction of 78,703 affordable houses for the benefit of Economically Weaker Sections in the States of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal with an investment of Rs.2,956.32 cr. Central assistance of Rs.1,180.54 cr has been approved for construction of these houses.

With yesterday's approvals, the total number of houses approved for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), launched in June last year reached 15,48,846. Total investment approved for construction of these houses is Rs.82,708 cr with central assistance of Rs.21,125.36 cr.

The Ministry approved 52,336 more houses for EWS in Tamil Nadu with an investment of Rs.1,942.24 cr and central assistance of Rs.785.04 cr. With this, the total number of houses approved for Tamil Nadu under PMAY(Urban) has gone up to Rs.2,26,572 with an investment of Rs.8,144 cr and central assistance of Rs.3,461 cr.

The approvals include 2,992 more houses for Chennai, 1,384 for Tiruppur, 1,088 for Madurai, 1,025 for Edanganasalai, 965 for Marakkanam, 931 for Kottakuppam, 905 for Coimbattore, 700 for Thanjavur, 450 for Namagiripettai and 437 for Vadalur.

West Bengal today got 21,285 more houses with an investment of Rs.861.62 cr and central assistance of Rs.319.27 cr. with this, total number of affordable houses approved for the State under PMAY (Urban) has increased to 1,44,016 with an investment of Rs.5,835 cr and central assistance of Rs.2,168 cr.

The approvals include, Bidhannagar-6,067 houses, Uluberia-5,899, Siliguri-2,000, Jalpaiguri-1,945, Jangipur-1,415, New Barrackpore-797, Dinhata-715, Ranaghat-594. Coochbehar-517 and Mathabhanga-439.

The Ministry of HUPA approved 5,082 houses for the benefit of urban poor in Kerala with an investment of Rs.152.46 cr and central assistance of Rs.76.23 cr. Total number of houses approved for the State so far has gone up to 22,467 with an investment of Rs.755 cr and central assistance of Rs.363 cr.

The approvals include; Kochi-1,528 houses, Nedumangadu-850, Manjeri-530, Chavakkad-355, Thiruvalla-361, Kayamkulam-305, Vatakara-270, Tripunithura-240, Mallapuram-229, Thalassery-210 and Thrissur-204.

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For manufacturing and distribution of furniture for Indian market

Zuari Global announced that its subsidiary, Indian Furniture Products and Fabryki Meble FORTE SA, Ostrow Mazowiecka, Poland has signed a joint venture agreement on 18 January 2017 for the manufacturing and distribution of furniture for the Indian market. The joint venture company will be named Forte Furniture Products India and will start operations on 01 April 2017 by assuming the existing manufacturing facility and distribution network of India Furniture Product.

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The much-anticipated 10th edition of the (JLF) kicked off here Thursday morning with renowned poet and lyricist Gulzar and celebrated American poet Anne Waldman delivering the keynote address and mystic Sadhguru and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje joining them on the stage.

The morning began with the very famous Shillong Chamber Choir presenting a wonderful rendition of "Vande Mataram", among others.

In his keynote address, Gulzar congratulated the festival organisers on completing 10 years, while also reminding them as well as other writers, to remain grounded as they prosper.

"I am scared to sit on a high chair where legs do not touch the ground. Sometimes I ask myself what difference has my writing made? Each one of us should look within to find such answers. It is after asking yourself that you get the answer that you are getting distracted.aceYou cannot distract the entire society because they have a collective consciousness. You have to ask why you are writing what you are writing," Gulzar said.

He also referred to India as a "happy country" and said that the poetry from the northeast is the most appealing to him.

"There is no place where there are so many writers and thinkers as in India. We are a happy country. Where there is light, there is a festival of light; there are kites and there is a festival of kites and we desperately needed a festival of writers, here we have one," he said.

Gulzar also shared his experience of reading poetry from various languages. "I have read and translated poetry from dozens of languages but the poetry from the northeast is the most appealing. It is an injustice to call them regional languages. They are all languages," he contended.

Vasundhara Raje thanked the organisers of the lit fest for transforming the landscape of the Pink City and for permanently etching a place for Jaipur on the world map.

"This is one of the high points of the year. I personally look forward to the coming together of many writers and young children to this great gathering every year," she said before counting the various achievements of her government in the fields of education, water preservation, cleanliness and women's empowerment.

In his opening remarks, festival producer Sanjoy Roy said that at its onset 10 years ago, nobody could have imagined that the world will come together to participate in the literary event.

"JLF has always believed that it is a place for freedom of expression, a place of equity where everybody gets a fair chance and a place which is free. In places where there is equity the only thing that can bring about change is knowledge and education," he said.

"From Wellington to Washington, writers who try and make a sense of the world around, have gathered here and anybody can come and hear them, interact with them," added Roy.

Considered among the most popular of such events, the festival will host over 250 authors, leaders, thinkers and popular icons while revolving around the theme of "The Freedom to Dream: India at 70".

Festival producer Namita Gokhale threw light on the series of events and the themes that are all set to be explored over the next five days.

"We live in the best of times and the worst of times but the power of words and literature remain intact," she said.

The sessions will touch upon a multitude of ideas and themes, including the freedom to dream, which explores India today in the context of its history as well as its future, Translations and World Literature, Women and Marginalised Voices, Sanskrit and Colonialism and the Legacy of the Raj.

Festivalo-director William Dalrymple reminded the audience that as the sun sets in Jaipur during the course of the five days, hundreds of young students, who have gathered from different parts of India and cannot afford a hostel or a hotel, head to the Jaipur railway station and spend their nights on the platform.

"When you go to New York, you pay 250-500 dollars to attend a literary gathering. Here you have the greatest minds of the world and you can hear them for free," Dalrymple said.

Celebrated American poet Anne Waldman, during her address, mesmerised the audience with her poetry recital. She also impressed upon the need to encourage reading, saying: "We will have a total chaos without books, literature and library."

The event concludes on January 23.
At least 12 children were killed on Thursday when a school bus they were travelling in collided with a sand-laden truck in Uttar Pradeshs Etah district amid dense fog, police said.

The tragic incident happened on Patiali Road near Aliganj when the speeding truck ploughed into the bus carrying over 60 children to school in the morning.

"Twelve school children and the driver of the bus have been killed in the accident,"Additional Director General of Police Daljit Singh Chawdhary said.

Those killed have been identified as Akash (40 bus driver), Himanshu (9), Vikas (5), Lavish (11), Sunny (14), Anuj (10), Shivani (11), Kishan (6), Pankaj (13), Radhika (15), Nikki (12), Diksha (9) and Rishabh (6).

Some police officials, without coming on record, earlier stated that 25 had been killed in the accident.

The children were students of Lower KG to Class 7 of the JS Vidyaniketan.

"Initially there were reports that 15 children have died. But the death toll is 13, 12 children and the driver of the bus," said Etah District Magistrate Shambhunath, adding that over 30 of the children sustained injuries.

Several of the injured students are said to be critical.

He also said a probe into the accident has been ordered and the licence of the school has been cancelled for violating the government order to shut schools from January 18 to January 21 owing to cold wave and poor weather conditions.

A case has also been filed against the management of the school for violating the orders issued on Wednesday regarding closure of schools.

Led by President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, prominent political leaders mourned the loss of lives in the tragedy.

"Heartfelt condolences on loss of young lives in tragic bus accident in Etah, prayers for speedy recovery of the injured," said Mukherjee.

"Anguished by the tragic accident... I share the pain of the bereaved families and condole passing away of young children," Modi said in a tweet.

Vice President Hamid Ansari said he was deeply distressed to learn of the accident and offered his condolences.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi expressed sympathy towards the affected families and said guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court should be followed.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav too mourned the deaths and said the top district officials have been directed to ensure prompt and best treatment for the injured.

--IANS

and-md/rn

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In the wake of 15 schoolchildren dying in a tragic bus accident in Uttar Pradesh, reportedly due to foggy conditions, a renowned atmospheric scientist has called for an immediate end to practices that include the operation of traditional brick kilns in the region and the burning of crop residue in Punjab.

The accident at Etah, in which 16 schoolchildren were also injured, reportedly took place under bad weather conditions and poor visibility.

Ramesh Singh, a professor at Chapman University in California who is currently visiting his Varanasi home town, said the government must stop operation of old brick kilns responsible for injecting black carbon and suspended particles in the atmosphere that contribute to the haze.

In particular, the Varanasi region -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency -- "is densely populated by brick kilns which emit black smoke", Ramesh Singh told this correspondent in an email.

"The operation of these old kilns must stop and they should be replaced by non-polluting kilns using new technology to minimise fog and protect the health of people living in the Indo-Gangetic Plain," the scientist added.

Ramesh Singh, who was formerly at the Indian Institute of Technology - Kanpur had studied the dynamics of atmospheric aerosols and cause of the poor air quality over the Indo-Gangetic Plains by analysing data from NASA satellites.

"We found that the main cause of atmospheric pollution and poor air quality in this region is dense population of coal-based power plants, brick kilns, and now growing vehicles on the highways," he said.

Ramesh Singh said his studies have shown that burning of crop residues in Punjab in the months of October and early November "causes fog, haze and smog depending on the meteorological conditions, wind speed and direction and relative humidity, with the smoke plume dispersed over the entire Indo-Gangetic Plain."

"Since the last two decades, we have observed growing fog, haze and smog in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and, during the winter season, visibility becomes so poor that people cannot see objects even 10 metres away," he said. "Cancellation of flights, late running and cancellation of trains are regular features in this region."

Although the central government initiated steps to stop the burning of crop residue in Punjab, Uttarakhand and western UP, "farmers are still burning their crop residues and the smoke spreads over the major cities in the Indo-Gangetic Plains," Ramesh Singh said.

Pointing out that Varanasi experienced "thick fog" late last year, he warned that "people will face more problem in years to come", if no action was taken to stop emissions from brick kilns. The emissions provide very high concentrations of particulate matter that can lead to health problems, he said.

"It is good that Prime Minister Modi has decided to build a Cancer Institute in Benaras Hindu University," he said, "but people must demand an end to the operation of old brick kilns that spew black carbon."

(K.S. Jayaraman is a senior journalist who speicalises in writing on science. He can be contacted at killugudi@hotmail.com)

--IANS

ksj/vm/vt

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Afghanistan has strategic ties with the US and, under the new government, relations between Washington and Kabul will further improve, the Afghan chief presidential spokesman said on Thursday.

"Afghanistan has strategic and firm relations with the US. We are confident that Afghanistan's ties with the US will further strengthen under the new US administration," Mohammad Haroon Chakhansori told a press briefing.

In 2012, Afghan former President Hamid Karzai and outgoing US President Barack Obama signed a strategic deal in Kabul and Obama declared Afghanistan as a major non-NATO ally of the US.

Chakhansori said that Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and US President-elect Donald Trump had already discussed relations between the two countries and exchanged views on different topics during a recent telephone conversation.

On Wednesday night, Ghani and Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah offered their farewell to Obama in a phone call, the Afghan Presidential Palace said earlier on Thursday.

"President Ghani appreciated continuous cooperation of the US in the eight-year tenure of President Obama, whose strategic decisions played a key role in the fight against terrorism and development of Afghanistan," it said in a statement.

Ghani told Obama that "your role in establishing strategic relations between the two nations has founded fundamental partnerships, which will remain strong for decades. Therefore the people of Afghanistan appreciate and will always remember your leadership in this regard."

President Ghani also wished Obama and his family success in their future endeavours, the statement noted.

--IANS

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Oscar winning actor-filmmaker George Clooneys wife Amal Clooney kept everyone guessing about her pregnancy rumours as she stepped out in a loose-fitting two-piece dress while attending a special dinner here.

The Hollywood couple attended the Women Of Impact dinner hosted by Tina Brown during the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, reports dailymail.co.uk.

Amal opted for a cropped sleeveless beige top that stuck out over her waist.

Her matching skirt featured a semi-sheer panel at the waistband and fell to the knee with side pleats.

Amal went bare-legged in the outfit, squeezing her toes into pointed black pumps.

Amal's pregnancy rumours started doing the rounds after she was seen wearing a baggy floral smock to an event promoting the documentary "White Helmets" in London a week ago.

--IANS

sas/rb

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Assam's Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) has achieved yet another milestone in wax marketing.

After exporting high quality wax to five countries, the NRL wax is now on its way to two other countries -- Thailand and Hong Kong in China.

NRL's General Manager (Maintenance) Samiran Chakraborty flagged off the first consignment of 20 tonnes of Fully Refined Paraffin Wax (FRPW) to Thailand and 80 tonnes to Hong Kong on Wednesday.

"With this, the total export of Paraffin Wax from NRL's Wax Plant stands at 1,900 tonnes," an NRL spokesman said on Thursday.

"Export to Hong Kong (China) assumes special significance since the major part of the wax requirement in the country was met through imports from China. This is testimony to the high quality of NRL wax, which has within a span of less than two years, captured markets in India and abroad," the NRL spokesman added.

The NRL has been exporting the high quality wax to countries like Mexico, Kenya, Nepal, Bangladesh and the Central American nation of Nicaragua. The company is pursuing opportunities to export wax to a few other countries in the near future.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated NRL's Wax Plant to the nation in February last year.

The 50,000-tonne wax plant, commissioned in March 2015 at a cost of Rs 676 crore, is the country's largest wax producing unit with indigenous technology developed by Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP)-Dehradun, Enginners India Ltd (EIL) and NRL.

Since commissioning of the wax plant, NRL has emerged as the largest manufacturer and marketer of wax in the country.

--IANS

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Assam Rifles personnel deployed in remote Mon district of Nagaland have arrested 13 armed cadres belonging to the Isak Muivah faction of the NSCN and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from their possession, a defence official said on Thursday.

The 13 National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) cadres were arrested while they were travelling on the Mon-Tizit highway on Wednesday, an Assam Rifles spokesman said.

"During routine checking, our personnel stopped two vehicles and recovered four AK-56 rifles, two HK-32 rifles, one MA-MK4 rifle, four pistols and a good number of live cartridges. The two vehicles were boarded by 13 persons," the spokesman added.

"They were later identified to be cadres of the NSCN-IM. We have handed them over to the police, who will be interrogating them," he said, adding that as members of the ceasefire group they are not supposed to travel with arms and ammunition.

Although over 80 rounds of talks have taken place between the government of India and the NSCN-IM since 1997, yet no solution is in sight.

The outfit had recently signed a 'framework agreement' with the government, the clauses of which are yet to be made public.

Soon after the signing of the framework agreement, the NSCN-IM as well as the central government have claimed to be getting closer to the final settlement and that the talks have been progressing in the right direction.

--IANS

Ah/sm/bg

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Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal transferred Delhi Health Secretary Chandraker Bharti to the state government's Environment and Forest department, an official said on Thursday.

"Chandraker Bharti, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare), holding additional charge of Secretary (Environment and Forest) is transferred and posted as Secretary (Environment and Forest)," an order from LG office said.

The order issued on Wednesday became public on Thursday.

Bharti, an IAS officer of 1996 batch of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre, was replaced by Madhup Vyas, a 2000 batch IAS officer of the same cadre.

Bharti has constantly been at loggerheads with the government, the most recent instance being his "refusal to visit a hospital along with Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain where a patient died due to non-availability of a ventilator".

--IANS

vv-kd/rn

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In the shadow of demonetisation and a violent anti-land acquisition protest in Bhangar, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government is to inaugurate the third edition of its annual two-day business summit on Friday that will see participation from 25 countries.

The authorities are yet to formally announce any list of Indian business captains who would grace the Bengal Global Business Summit, to be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee.

In an effort to shed the state's investor-wary image and woo much-needed business capital, the state government had reached out to various parts of the country and even foreign countries in the lead up to the event, being held in the sprawling Milan Mela ground.

Russia, China, South Korea, Norway, Germany, Poland, the UAE, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Singapore are among the overseas nations to be represented at the mega business gathering - the first after Banerjee's Trinamool Congress won a second successive term in office by sweeping the assembly polls last year.

The August 31 Supreme Court verdict ordering the return of farmland to the peasants from whom it had been taken for the Tata Motors' Nano project by the erstwhile Left Front government is another monumental development that happened in 2016.

According to state Finance, Commerce and Industries Minister Amit Mitra, there would be at least 3,000 delegates at the plenary session, including a strong presence from countries where manufacturing units are really strong.

In order to ensure a strong foreign imprint, the state government organised a series of interactive sessions last September on business opportunities in Bengal at Germany's Dusseldorf, Munich and Stuttgart.

Teams had also fanned out to China and Japan last October, and Italy in November. A Chinese delegation also came to Bengal in September.

In a departure from the previous two years, key central government figures, most notably Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, would be skipping the summit.

While Jaitley's absence is being linked to his preoccupation with the February 1 budget, the deteriorating relations between the BJP-led central government and the state's Trinamool Congress regime could be a prime reason.

In a desperate attempt to turn things around in terms of investment in Bengal, Chief Minister Banerjee, who has been vocal against the central government's decision to recall Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, has appealed to industrialists time and again to infuse money in the eastern state, to meet the huge demands for jobs. Banerjee also frequently tom-toms the state as a zone of "industrial peace" where not a "single manday" is lost due to industrial disputes.

However, such claims may have lost some sheen in view of the trouble earlier this week in South 24 Parganas district's Bhangar, where two lives were lost following violent clashes between villagers and the police over the state government's bid to acquire 16 acres of farmland for a power grid project.

The protesting villagers stoned policemen, torched their vehicles, dug roads and felled trees to stop their entry into the villages, in a virtual re-run of events of 2006-2008 when the state was on the boil following intense anti-farmland acquisition stirs.

The fresh chapter of the summit would focus on boosting start-ups in the state. Earlier, Mitra said the state was working with IIM Calcutta and iSpirit, an NGO associated with start-ups, so that the state could help home-grown start-ups to take off.

The state government has identified 11 priority areas for attracting investment, such as transport, civil aviation, mining, power, medium and small-scale enterprises, IT and ITeS and infrastructure.

The sessions would include sector-wise discussions to project the possibilities and potential of Bengal in front of investors.

"We hope the summit will fetch a good amount of investments' proposals this year. The only flip side is the depressed mood of local and domestic industries since the Centre's decision to recall notes," an official said.

According to the state government, the 2015 summit had fetched investment proposals to the tune of Rs 2.43 lakh crore and the 2016 edition received over Rs 2.5 lakh crore of investment proposals.
Visiting British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on Thursday batted for a "living bridge" between India and Britain and asserted his country is open to talent from India.

He said Britain is "trying to be as fluid" as possible.

"What we want to see is continuity and a living bridge between India and Britain... between our higher education system and your university system," Johnson said at Presidency University, reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stress on a 'living bridge'.

"We need to build a global campus," he said.

"It's very, very important. We must remain open to talent. Applications (from India for studying in Britain) went up six per cent last year. They had gone through a flat phase earlier," he said on concerns on fees and the visa situation and pre-emptive criminalisation.

Asked on whether Britain can continue being one of the most sought-after destinations for higher education, in the wake of instances of anti-immigration sentiments, Johnson maintained international students are an asset.

"We have very good record of fighting hate crimes and xenophobia. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. We have huge numbers of international students," he said.

"This is an asset. This is an achievement by our country. The Indian numbers are growing and we are trying to be as reasonable as possible in terms of visas. We are trying to be as fluid, as positive, as supportive as we can be," he added.

On the International University Students' Parliament Debate at the varsity, Johnson said the deliberations reflect the spirit of democracy.

"This is seriously good. What is happening today is so important. It goes to the heart of our democratic principles... Britain and India. You have very, very clever minds trying to find arguments on one side or another of a very simple proposition and putting it to vote and that is the heart of our democratic system," he added.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday said it was "contrary to the constitution and law" to ask private unaided minority schools to follow the January 7 circular of city government.

The Delhi government circular makes it mandatory for the unaided schools to admit kids in nursery in the unreserved category on the basis of neighbourhood criteria.

Justice Manmohan said: "Delhi government cannot bring out notification which is contrary to the law and contrary to the Constitution and Supreme Court judgments."

"...Some time they just pass orders without reading the statutes and judgments (on private minority institutes)," the court said, with the view that minority schools, which have been given more autonomy in its functioning including admission of students, cannot be told to follow the government's nursery circular.

The court pulled up the government for bringing out notification at the eleventh hour.

The Delhi government on January 7, came out with a circular on nursery admission that made 298 private schools - built on Delhi Development Authority land to accept admission forms based only on the neighbourhood or distance criteria.

As per the circular, the minority schools are to treat unreserved seats as open/general seats in which admission will be conducted on the basis of neighbourhood criteria.

Three private unaided minority schools -- Mount Carmel School, Ryan International School and Somerville School -- have approached the court against the circular saying it infringed their rights to admit students.

The court also said that it was inclined to give a "complete stay" to the notification with regard to minority schools.

While hearing other pleas filed by other unaided private schools, the court issued notice to the Ministries of Human Resource Development and Urban Development seeking their response on if there was any neighbourhood criteria for admission in schools.

The hearing will continue on Friday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CBI on Thursday visited the Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP) of the Delhi government and collected documents relating to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's "Talk to AK" media campaign.

The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) move came a day after it filed a preliminary inquiry against Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and some unnamed state government officials to probe alleged irregularities in the campaign.

"Our team visited the DIP office in Delhi Secretariat to collect some documents to probe the allegation of improprieties and violation of extent rules and regulations in award of work pertaining to the Delhi government's media campaign 'Talk to AK'," a CBI official told IANS.

It was not a raid or search, he added.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attacked the premier investigating agency, saying it is scared of the Deputy Chief Minister.

"Today (Thursday) Manish (Sisodia) kept waiting for the CBI, but it did not turn up. Till now people used to fear CBI, but it is for the first time when CBI is fearing someone," Kejriwal tweeted.

The CBI official, however, said that the agency never makes raids in case of a preliminary inquiry.

The 'Talk To AK' campaign was an interactive session of the Delhi Chief Minister, through which people could reach out to the AAP leader through social media.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after the CBI registered a preliminary inquiry against Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to probe irregularities in the 'Talk to AK' campaign, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed the agency is scared of the Deputy CM.

"Today (Thursday) Manish (Sisodia) kept waiting for the CBI, but it did not turn up. Till now people used to fear CBI, but it is for the first time when CBI is fearing someone," Kejriwal tweeted.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday registered a preliminary inquiry against Sisodia and some unnamed state government officials to probe alleged irregularities in the 'Talk to AK' campaign.

The campaign was Kejriwal's interactive session with public, in which people could reach out to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader through social media.

Responding to the CBI's probe against him, Sisodia told reporters that the entire country knows why this action is being taken.

"After we said that we will send Punjab's drug lord Bikram Majithia to jail, they (BJP) filed a CBI case against me," Sisodia said.

He added that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has no political future left.

"They (BJP) are rattled as they are not winning Uttar Pradesh elections, while we are winning Punjab and Goa and that is why they are doing just anything in frustration," Sisodia said.

"Modiji maidan me aaiye, aapko bhi pata lagega aapne kisse panga liya hai (Modiji come to the battle ground, then you will come to know whom you are messing with)," Sisodia challenged.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fair play regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Thursday said it has imposed penalties on seven cement companies for bid-rigging.

According to the regulator, the case pertains to a tender floated by the 'Director, Supplies & Disposals', Haryana, in the year 2012, for procurement of cement.

"The bid-rigging has been established from quoting of unusually higher rates in the impugned tender (than rates quoted in tenders of previous years), determining different basic prices for supply of cement at the same destination through reverse calculation," the regulator said in a statement.

"The anti-competitive conduct was re-affirmed through SMS exchanged and calls made amongst the officials of the cement companies."

The regulator disclosed that it has imposed fines on Shree Cement, UltraTech Cement, Jaiprakash Associates, J.K. Cement, Ambuja Cements, ACC and J.K. Lakshmi Cement.

"Penalty of Rs 18.44 crore, Rs 68.30 crore, Rs 38.02 crore, Rs 9.26 crore, Rs 29.84 crore, Rs 35.32 crore and Rs 6.55 crore has been imposed upon Shree Cement, UltraTech Cement, Jaiprakash Associates, J.K. Cement, Ambuja Cements, ACC and J.K. Lakshmi Cement," the statement pointed out.

"The penalty has been levied at the rate of 0.3 per cent of the average turnover of the cement companies of preceding three years."

The regulator elaborated that it also took note of potential delays which would have occurred in the execution of public infrastructure projects due to cancellation of the impugned tender, while imposing the penalties.

"At the same time, due consideration was given to factors such as peculiarity of the tender process which created uncertainty in procurement, total size of the impugned tender and competition compliance programmes put in place by some companies while determining the quantum of penalty," the statement added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain said on Thursday the Centre has set CBI after the Aam Aadmi Party-led government to create sensation and disruption ahead of the Punjab assembly elections.

He refuted the claim that his daughter Soumya Jain was given any pecuniary benefit when she was made adviser in the Delhi government's mohalla clinic project.

He also said there was no irregularity in the "Talk to AK" programme, which was organised on the completion of two years of AAP government.

"Soumya had volunteered to work with Mohalla (area) clinics. She served only for three months and was give no pecuniary benefit." Jain told reporters here.

"I personally bore the expenditures for Soumya's training for this project," the minister said.

"All the allegations are baseless. This is deliberately being done to frame and defame the government," Jain alleged.

"If the Centre had to use CBI against Soumya and Sisodia, they could have done it six months ago or after February 4. But see the timing, it is being done in view of the Punjab elections," he said.

"They want to disrupt our campaign in Punjab and divert public attention," Jain alleged.

Both Sisodia and Jain are said to be star campaigners in the Punjab assembly elections, where Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is contesting against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiromani Akali Dal combine, and the Congress.

The CBI on Wednesday registered a preliminary inquiry in the appointment of Satyendra Jain's daughter Soumya Jain as an adviser to the Delhi government's Mohalla Clinic project.

It is also probing Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's alleged irregularities in the "Talk to AK" campaign.
Judges in the British Supreme Court will deliver their ruling on January 24 over who should decide on Britain's Brexit measures.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said her government should determine when Britain triggers its process for exiting the European Union, and also decide on a final deal, Xinhua news agency reported.

But her strategy faced a challenge in the courts from a group of individuals demanding that parliament should be in the driving seat.

May has already indicated she plans to trigger the Article 50 mechanism for leaving the EU by the end of March.

In her keynote speech on Tuesday, May announced that both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will be given a vote on a final Brexit vote.

The ruling by the judges of the Supreme Court in Britain, is expected to determine whether May's government can start the Brexit process without the Parliament's approval.

The judges spent several days before Christmas hearing legal arguments in what was described as the most important case in British legal history.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte called priests and bishops, who oppose his violent anti-narcotics campaign that has left more than 6,200 dead since 2016, "hypocrites" and urged them to try drugs to understand the importance of the campaign.

"The (critical) priests should take shabu (methamphetamine) to understand (the war on drugs). I recommend one or two of the bishops to take it too," Duterte said, reported the ABS-CBN network.

He said in a speech on Wednesday that the church is aware of how grave the problem of drugs is in the country and yet they are unwilling to support it.

Several alleged drug addicts and traffickers were killed in Manila early Thursday by police or neighbourhood patrols as part of the President's ongoing "war on drugs", Efe news reported.

The Catholic Church has expressed strong opposition to Duterte's extreme policy from the pulpits and through other campaigns such as protest posters in parishes.

Duterte, who was mayor of Davao, where he rose to fame for his toughness on crime and inflammatory rhetoric, criticized the hypocrisy and pretension of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

"There's no shabu for them, but they have wives. We're just the same. Even the priests in Davao; each one of them has two or three wives," said Duterte in a sarcastic tone amid laughter from the audience.

His attack on the Philippine Church comes a day after he sent a thank you letter to Pope Francis for visiting the country in January 2015.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Four members of a robbers' gang have been arrested in connection with a double-murder here, police said on Thursday.

Police identified the accused as Akbar, 22, Mohammad Azad (the gang's kingpin), 23, Samshad, 23 and their associate, Sonu, 28. They are residents of JJ cluster area of Zakhira and Shakarpur in Delhi.

According to the police, Azad and his associates had, on January 9, killed Guljar and Anil over some personal animosity.

"Police on Wednesday night arrested Azad and other gang members from their hideout in west Delhi in a raid. Azad and other gang members initially used to snatch the luggage of passengers for Guljar at bus stands and railway stations," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vijay Kumar said.

Police teams, on the basis of local intelligence and sources, established the role of Azad's gang behind the double-murder, the police officer said.

The unclothed bodies of Guljar and Anil were found near Zakhira bus stop on January 12, a senior police officer said.

The gang members used to rob passengers' luggage after pretending to assist them for arranging their confirmed tickets and Guljar used to take the robbed money from them, DCP Kumar said.

Azad told police that he, along with his associates, planned to eliminate Guljar on January 9 and called him at a deserted place.

When Guljar came along with his associate Anil, Azad took them to a forest area where they strangulated them after offering them alcoholic drinks.

Later, they crushed their face with a heavy stone to hide their identity, the police officer said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The 2012 assembly polls were largely centred on the man of the moment, Goa's seniormost BJP leader who promised hope and change: Manohar Parrikar.

In 2017, however, after much water has flowed under the Mandovi bridge gently caressing the parked offshore casinos, after the mining ban, after unfulfilled promises to cut down corruption and after his elevation as Defence Minister, the spotlight is now on five personalities, each of whom is playing a defining role as February 4 looms closer.

Parrikar, as Defence Minister, continues to carpet-bomb the BJP cadre with his charm and industry, amid opposition barbs over his constant visits to Goa.

The indefatigable Parrikar has, nevertheless, gone on to attend more than 30 "vijay sankalp" rallies organised by the BJP across Goa. His sheer presence completely overshadows Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar in the campaign. Currently, Parrikar is fire-fighting dissent from sitting legislators who have been denied tickets.

His significance to these elections isn't lost on his rivals. "It is more of an election of Manohar Parrikar individually, rather than that of BJP or the RSS," Congress General Secretary for Goa Digvijaya Singh told IANS.

Over in the Congress, Parrikar's guile is somewhat met by state unit President Luizinho Faleiro, who, over the last few weeks, through clever selection of candidates and out-manoeuvring aggressive alliance-seeking parties, has helped gain lost ground for the party, which was in tatters since its battering in 2012.

Reduced to an unprecedented nine MLAs and with BJP poaching two of its "winnable", but tainted, MLAs -- Mauvin Godinho and Pandurang Madkaikar -- the late revival engineered by the former Congress Working Committee member could see the outfit gain a few more seats.

The party's gumption and confidence can be gauged by its rejection of a formal alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party and Goa Foward, and its decision to allot a big chunk of seats to fresh candidates.

"We may have made mistakes in the past, but we've apologised for it. We are here now to win people's hearts, not just the elections," Faleiro maintained.

Former PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar has allied with both Congress and BJP-led governments in the past but 2017 presents him an opportunity to vault to chief ministership.

With the BJP weakened by anti-incumbency, the formal absence of Parrikar and the effects of demonetisation, Dhavalikar's Maharashtrwadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has ambitiously spread its wings this time, contesting 26 of the 40 assembly seats, leaving the rest for alliance partners Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) and Shiv Sena.

The three parties are gunning for the same Hindu conservative vote that the BJP had successfully cornered in 2012. While he claims the alliance is going strong, Dhavalikar, who is its mutually-accepted chief ministerial candidate, doesn't deny the possibility of a post-poll alliance with the BJP.

"I cannot tell you that now... Sometimes in you have to adopt Chanakyaniti," said the son of a former temple priest.

Meanwhile, the former high priest of the RSS in Goa, Subhash Velingkar, continues to torment the BJP and its leaders, whom he has criticised (at one poll rally, he even described the BJP cadre as dogs) for their neglect of regional languages, especially in primary schools.

His role and that of the GSM are proving to be a thorn in the BJP's flesh. Neither the Congress, nor the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), nor the MGP has been able to match the intensity of Velingkar's accusations and singularly anti-BJP campaign, which has the RSS and the BJP cadre in a bind.

"The BJP and Parrikar have betrayed Goa. They deserve to be packed off," Velingkar told IANS.

The "unputdownable" Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also continues to salvage some hope for the AAP, whose campaign in Goa appears directly proportionate to the party co-founder's visits here. With the party's chief ministerial candidate Elvis Gomes struggling to add spark to its campaign, the burden may have to be borne by Kejriwal, whose party is also campaigning in Punjab.

Kejriwal, who initially claimed the party would win 35 seats in Goa, has shied away from the seat-count in recent meetings. "We have seen all politicians, from the BJP, Congress, MGP. Politicians will not do now. We need ordinary people from Goa to go to the legislative assembly," he said.

(Mayabhushan Nagvenkar can be contacted at mayabhushan.n@ians.in <mailto:mayabhushan.n@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.)
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Thursday accused the central government of weakening state-run general insurance companies through disinvestment, which it said is "not in the country's interest".

"The CPI-M strongly opposes the clearance given by the Union Cabinet for disinvestment of shares in the five public sector general insurance companies," the Left party said in a statement.

The Union cabinet on Wednesday gave in-principle approval for the listing of New India Assurance Company, United India Insurance Company, Oriental Insurance Company, National Insurance Company and General Insurance Company.

The government's shareholding would be decreased from 100 per cent at present to 75 per cent over time.

"By this step, the government is weakening the nationalised general insurance companies which have been running well. They have been regularly earning profits and contributing to the government's revenue," the CPI-M said.

It said that unlike the private sector insurance companies, it is the general insurance companies that are executing the insurance-based welfare schemes announced by the government.

"The Modi government is undertaking this disinvestment measure as part of the overall plan to liberalise and privatise the financial sector. A path will be opened for more participation of foreign insurance companies. This is not in the interests of the people and the country," it said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gurugram is all set to have an International Arbitration Centre, it was announced on Thursday.

District and Sessions Judge Harnaam Singh Thakur said Punjab and Haryana High Court have recently passed a motion and the proposal to set up the centre has been sent to Haryana government.

He said the Haryana government showed positive response and is keen to set up the centre.

After the establishment of the centre in Gurugram, multi-national companies can resolve their disputes in India rather than going to Singapore, Dubai or London.

Judge Thakur said disputes may be first taken to the centre and its verdicts can be later challenged in the courts if the petitioner is dissatisfied with the centre's decision.

Last year, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated India's first International Arbitration Centre in Mumbai.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Delhi Police Head Constable was arrested on the charge of raping a 17-year-old girl, police said on Thursday

The girl, a student of B.Com First Year, was taken by the accused to his house and offered a coffee laced with a sedative before he allegedly committed the crime.

The police recorded the girl's statement and registered a case under The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Police said accused Rajeev Chauhan was posted with the Communications Wing of Central Delhi Police and is a resident of Shakarpur area.

He was arrested after the relatives of victim complained to local police.

"Chauhan called the victim on Wednesday afternoon on the pretext of giving her English notes at nearby Mother Dairy in East Vinod area. He, however, took her to his residence and raped her after making her unconsious with sedative-laced coffee," a senior police officer said.

He later threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the crime.

The victim, however, narrated her ordeal to her mother.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Expressing concern over the "forcible participation" of school children in a proposed "human chain" in support of the state government's prohibition policy, the Patna High Court on Thursday directed the Bihar Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) to appear before it on Friday.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh gave the order after it was not satisfied with the state government's reply filed by its Principal Additional Advocate General Lalit Kishore.

The court will now hear the case on Friday, a day before the proposed event on January 21.

Hearing a petition filed by non-governmental organisation "Forum for Public Interest Litigation", the High Court on Wednesday sought the Bihar government's response on the matter.

The Bihar government plans to form "the world's longest human chain of over 11,000 km" on January 21 to support prohibition in the state.

The court had also asked under which law the state government decided to order a halt on traffic on national and state highways for the programme.

The Nitish Kumar government had asked all schools to facilitate their students to join the proposed human chain and ordered for closure of traffic between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on January 21.

Three satellites, including one foreign and two of Indian Space Research Organisation, four aircraft, two helicopters and 40 drones will be used to click photos of the human chain, officials said.

Nearly 20 million people will join hands across the state from 12.15 p.m. to 1 p.m., the officials added.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar imposed liquor ban in the state from April 5, 2016.

More than 16,000 persons have since been arrested on charges of consuming or transporting liquor in Bihar.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and the US are likely to work closely during Donald Trump's tenure as the President, as he is expected to shift focus of his administration to containing China and tackling Islamic terrorism, feels former Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

"I think India will have lots of opportunities to work with the United States with the shifting of focus by the new administration," a release from the Observer Research Foundation quoted Harper as saying here when he addressed the second edition of the Raisina Dialogue on Thursday.

The programme was organised jointly by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation.

Harper, according to the release, said: "My friend and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump will work closely to ensure a better world."

Describing Trump as a realist politician, who wants to focus on real issues affecting the US, Harper said issues like immigration are really affecting people in many countries.

The former Canadian Prime Minister also said that as the US looks inward focusing on economic issues under the Trump presidency, it could be good for America and also for the world.

Over 250 participants from 65 countries are taking part in this year's three-day dialogue, which was inaugurated by Modi on Tuesday.

The first edition was attended by 120 participants from 40 countries.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following China's statement that India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) cannot be a "farewell gift" to the outgoing US President Barack Obama, India on Thursday made it clear that it is not seeking membership in the grouping as a gift.

"Our views on India's membership of the NSG are clear and have been stated on many occasions before," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a media briefing here.

"India is not seeking NSG membership as a gift. India is seeking it on its non-proliferation record. I of course cannot speak for other applicants," he said.

The statement by China, which has been consistently opposing India's membership to the elite club, came after US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal described China as an "outlier" in the process of letting India join the nuclear trade bloc.

"Regarding India's application to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, 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 said at a media briefing in Beijing on Monday.

"I just want to point out that NSG membership shall not be some kind of farewell gift for countries to give to each other," Hua said, referring to Obama who will be succeeded by Donald J. Trump on Friday.

The US administration, under Obama, strongly backed India's membership in the 48-member NSG, which regulates global nuclear trade.

China, a close friend of Pakistan, has opposed India's entry into the grouping, which has been an irritant in Sino-Indian ties.

Beijing objects to New Delhi's inclusion in the bloc, citing India's non-signatory status to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

It argues that if New Delhi can be allowed an exception why not its "all-weather ally" Pakistan.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The central government on Thursday cleared six foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals worth Rs 1,186.50 crore.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the government approved the six FDI proposals on the basis of recommendations received from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).

"Based on the recommendations of FIPB in its 242nd meeting held on 29th December 2016, the government has approved six FDI proposals," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry disclosed that proposals of Recipharm Participation B.V. Netherlands, A. Menarini India Private and Boehringer Ingelheim India among others were approved.

However, six proposals including those from Gland Pharma, Flag Telecom Singapore and Crest Premedia Solutions were deferred.

The government rejected three proposals from Tandberg Technology India, AMP Solar India and Bashundhara Paper Mills India.

The overall FDI inflows into India increased by 30 per cent to $21.62 billion during the first half of 2016-17 as compared to the same period during the last fiscal year.

The FDI inflows into the country grew by 29 per cent to $40 billion in 2015-16, as compared to $30.94 billion in the previous financial year.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Observing that Asean has evolved into a role model for regional cooperation, India on Thursday said it was working closely with it for building regional cooperation.

Addressing the second edition of the international conference on 'Asean-India Cultural and Civilisational Links' in Jakarta, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh said that to mark the 25th anniversary of the Asean-India Dialogue Partnership, a host of events including a Commemorative Foreign Ministers' Meeting and a Commemorative Summit will be held, an official release here said.

"Asean has evolved into a role model for regional cooperation. Today, it is appreciated for the stability it has brought to the region and its immediate neighbourhood. We look forward to working closely with Asean to weave a mutually beneficial legacy which would be cherished by future generations," Singh added.

Other than Commemorative Summit and Commemorative Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Singh said a Youth Summit and a host of other events including Asean-India Cultural Festivals, business events, policy seminars, public competitions, a car rally and sailing expedition across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member states will be held.

Singh said India's Act East Policy lays significant focus on Asean-India relationship aimed at building a deeper engagement with South East Asia by expanding and comprehensively documenting India's civilisational links with Asean countries.

Singh also hailed the Asean India Centre in New Delhi for contributing towards Asean-India Strategic Partnership through its studies in areas of mutual interest.

"Another major project underway is the re-establishment of the Nalanda University, once a world-renowned knowledge hub where scholars from around the world, including South East Asia and India, exchanged knowledge and ideas.

"India is working to recreate a similar world class university in the 21st century, with the support of its South East Asian partners, and has offered scholarships to students from CLMV countries to study there," Singh said.

"Contemporary popular culture in the form of music, Bollywood movies and TV soap operas, is forging a new understanding between us. The human element is vital in contemporary discourse. Our youth, our future generation, must engage and bond in a more systematic way and at a deeper level," Singh added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Reacting to the Supreme Court's ban on Jallikattu, the Congress on Thursday said it was a part of Tamil Nadu's intrinsic tradition.

The party also said people of the state have the right to preserve their traditions.

The Congress also said that the central and state government must find an amicable solution to it.

"People of Tamil Nadu have a right to preserve their culture and tradition which is intrinsic to the lifestyle and time honoured practice of Tamil Nadu. Jallikattu is a part of that intrinsic tradition," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

"A mechanism has already been put in place statutorily and administratively also to ensure that no cruelty of any nature takes place.

"Therefore it is time that the centre and Tamil Nadu government take into consideration the peaceful and dignified protest of people of Tamil Nadu particularly the youth and farmers," he added.

On Thursday Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam met Modi in Delhi and urged him to promulgate an ordinance.

While Modi assured support to the state government's steps, he skirted the main demand citing the matter as sub-judice.

The Congress also said that its modalities, sensitivities and mannerism would need to be worked out by the centre and state government.

"We really appreciate the dignified and peaceful manner in which people have put forward their viewpoint bereft of any violence and bereft of any sectional hatred.

So, it is time that both the governments took stock of the situation, respect the sentiment of people of Tamil Nadu on Jallikattu and found an amicable solution," said Surjewala.

The ongoing massive protests in support of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu looks set to intensify with train blockades, worker strikes and continuing student protests state wide.

The trigger for the stir to intensify was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the demand to promulgate an ordinance enabling the holding of the traditional bull-taming sport citing the matter as sub-judice.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Johnny Depp, who recently finalised his divorce from actress Amber Heard, has thanked his fans for their support.

He spoke about this in his acceptance speech at the People's Choice Awards 2017 on Wednesday night, reports people.com.

While accepting the Favourite Movie Icon award at the show, Depp said: "I came here for one reason tonight and one reason only. I came here for you, the people, who through whatever good times or bad, you know, have stood by me, trusted me. Thank you."

He added: "You've very, very graciously invited me here tonight. I appreciate that very much -- you have no idea how much I appreciate it."

Depp was married to Heard for 15 months before she filed for divorce in May 2016 and accused him of prolonged domestic abuse.

The divorce was finally settled on January 13, with a Los Angeles judge finalising the pair's previously agreed upon $7 million divorce settlement, which was to be donated to charity.

--IANS

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A 52-year-old BJP worker was hacked to death near Kannur, two days after a senior national BJP leader warned the CPI-M of dire consequences if it did not stop political murders.

Santhosh, 52, who hails from Dharmadom near Kannur, was alone in his home when unidentified assailants hacked him to death late on Wednesday night.

Angry Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers called for a day-long shutdown in Kannur district on Thursday.

The shutdown came amid the ongoing 57th Kerala School Arts Festival in which more than 12,000 school children from across the state are taking part.

The state BJP leadership decided to exempt the festival from the day's shutdown.

State CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan denied his party's role in the murder.

"The CPI-M has nothing to do with what happened last night at Kannur. We have spoken to the state police chief to see that those behind the incident be brought before the law," Balakrishnan told reporters here on Thursday.

But BJP state President Kummanam Rajasekheran said while the festival is going on in Kannur, CPI-M workers are engaged in a "festival" of murders.

"Two months after peace talks was held in Kannur, this is the fourth BJP activist who has been murdered. We are approaching the Union Home Secretary with the demand for posting of central forces in Kannur," Rajasekheran added.

Vice-Chairman of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Kerala and Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a statement issued here on Thursday said that the political violence unleashed against BJP workers in Kerala is unacceptable in a civilised democracy.

"The writing on the wall is clear. The end is nearing for out of date, violent Marxist philosophy and peoples' support to the BJP-led NDA is growing.

"If the Government of Kerala does not identify and punish the culprits, I will request the Government of India to step in with CBI and identify each and every one of the conspirators behind the violence, including the highest ones," said Chandrasekhar.

Kannur district in Kerala has always witnessed political murders where the BJP and the CPI-M have lost several of their cadres. The death of Santhosh is the eighth murder that has taken place after the CPI-M led Pinarayi Vijayan government took over in May, 2016.

--IANS

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Reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who was robbed of jewellery in Paris last year, will reportedly shoot for the film "Oceans Eight" involving a jewellery heist.

The film's shooting has been going on at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for days, with star cameos to recreate the Met Gala for a dramatic heist scene.

Kardashian was seen headed to the set with her sister Kendall Jenner on Monday. According to sources, the Met Gala scene involves the theft of a high-end necklace in a museum bathroom.

Sources said Kardashian is in the film, although it's not clear if she is a victim or a famous face in the crowd, reports pagesix.com.

The movie's main cast includes Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson and Mindy Kaling.

On Monday, in one of her first public appearances since the robbery, Kardashian was back in a gown to film the scene in which the all-female cast pulls off a jewellery raid.

An insider said: "We were surprised Kim showed up for filming. She had seemed totally traumatised by her Paris robbery. But then she will still appear in a movie that glamorises a jewellery heist."

Kardashian's representative confirmed she has a cameo in the movie, but declined to comment further.

--IANS

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The South Goa district police on Thursday released Ramdas Naik, who was arrested late on Wednesday after he questioned Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar during a corner meeting in Shiroda assembly constituency.

Naik was arrested on Wednesday and booked under Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code by Ponda police, soon after he asked Parrikar questions about the BJP-led government's controversial decision to amend the tenancy laws in the state, due to which thousands of ongoing tenancy rights litigations were transferred from civil administration to trial courts.

"I am a BJP member and have worked for the party in the last two elections. When Parrikar came near the Sai Baba temple for a corner meeting and started speaking, I tried to ask him why the state government had amended the tenancy law, which is causing a lot of hardship to people," Naik told reporters.

"While I was asking questions, policemen caught me and dragged me to the police station, where I was booked under Section 151. I was released today (Thursday afternoon) after all formalities were completed," Naik said.

Ponda police Inspector Sudesh Naik said Ramdas was arrested for trying to obstruct the meeting, attended by around 200 people.

The Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of being anti-democratic and trying to suppress questions at every level.

"What happened in Borim is with a small worker who raised this question. Even their leaders have no rights to raise questions," All India Congress Committee Secretary Girish Chodankar told IANS, adding that the BJP is misusing state machinery ahead of the February 4 polls.

While BJP spokesperson Sadanand Shet Tanavde was not available for comment, Goa BJP Media Cell was also not forthcoming on Naik's arrest.

--IANS

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Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh's son, Surajkumar, 29, who is fighting the state assembly elections from the Khangabok constituency, plans to stress on modern technology and digitisation in the northeastern state if elected.

Surajkumar, the Chief Minister's only son, is set to be the youngest candidate in Manipur's history to fight the state assembly elections.

Surajkumar's mother Okram Landhoni, who has been the MLA from Khangabok for two consecutive terms, announced her retirement from electoral politics, to make way for her son.

The block Congress recently made an announcement on Surjakumar's candidature.

Landhoni said she would continue serving the people as a social activist. There will be a multi-cornered contest in this constituency that has about 31,000 voters.

Surajkumar, who did his schooling in Manipur and some other states, went to London where he graduated in Economics in 2008. He worked there for a while before returning home to help his parents in their election campaign for the 2012 polls.

Surajkumar told IANS: "I had never dreamed of joining . I had planned to do business. However, I silently decided to do something for the people. My first direct contact with the suffering people was when villagers of the Khangabok constituency reeled under two devastating floods."

Earlier, he had planned to set up some residential schools so that the children are not denied classes. "Manipur is notorious for general strikes, blockades and other forms of obstructions and the students are denied classes for nearly five months each year."

A prominent national level polo player, Surajkumar said, "Global warming and rampant deforestation are serious problems. Over 100 like-minded persons have formed the Green Revolution Society, Manipur, which has planted about 200,000 saplings."

Surajkumar, who has widely travelled abroad, has observed how basic amenities are not lacking in most countries. "The Congress government has ensured glut power supply and there is no reason why there should be paucity of potable water in Manipur. We have the Loktak, the largest lake in eastern India, and as such the people should not face a drought-like situation," he said.

He also said that the Manipuris are hard-working and innovative and they could forge ahead with little guidance and assistance. He admits being a chip off the old block.

Surajkumar plans to move the state forward through modern technology and digitisation. "Of course, the flagship programmes shall remain there," he added.

His mother, Landhoni, who has been the MLA for two consecutive terms, is happy that her son will take charge. She plans to take up social service for the poor. "My doors are kept open and, most importantly, I will be able to spend time with my grandson and look after the home," Laldhoni told IANS.

His father, who was first elected in 1985, has been Chief Minister for three consecutive terms. He appears only too happy to hand over the baton to his son.

Surajkumar said: "I have closely watched the style of working of my father. If given a chance I shall keep his vision alive."

Manipur goes to the polls in two phases -- March 4 and 8 -- for its 60 seats.

(Iboyaima Laithangbam can be reached at imphalreport@gmail.com <mailto:imphalreport@gmail.com>)

--IANS

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Many people were feared dead after an avalanche buried a hotel in central Italy following a series of earthquakes, officials said on Thursday.

At least 22 guests and several staff members were at the Hotel Rigopiano near the Gran Sasso mountain range when it was hit by the avalanche on Wednesday, Antonio Crocetta, a rescue group leader in the area, told ANSA news agency.

The area is a popular ski destination.

Rescue workers were not able to reach the area until the early hours of Thursday because of the poor weather conditions, CNN reported.

Central Italy was rocked by more than 10 tremors on Wednesday, four of them above a magnitude of 5, according to the US Geological Survey.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday cautioned the to be more alert in presentation of news taking into account differences of opinion.

The President iterated there was no place for intolerance in democracy, whether in the fourth estate or elsewhere.

Speaking at the 35th anniversary of Bengali daily "Aajkal", Mukherjee said the three elements of parliamentary democracy -- debate, discussion and dissention -- should be dealt with utmost care to avoid any turmoil.

"The needs to be more alert in presentation of news taking into account differences of opinion," he said.

Averring that running a newspaper was a difficult task, he said handsome investment, as well as a modern mindset open to technological evolutions was needed to make it more modern.

A pictorial album and book on the president, published by "Aajkal", with another book titled "Saint Teresa", a booklet on 35 years of the daily and a book of poetry by West Bengal Governor K.N. Tripathy titled "I am the Love" were presented to Mukherjee.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Domestic mobile wallet platform MobiKwik on Thursday appointed Daman Soni, former head of instant messaging app LINE India, as Vice President for Growth.

In his new role, Soni will be responsible for achieving user growth targets and supporting the marketing function.

"I am pleased at receiving the opportunity to lead growth for MobiKwik at a time when the mobile wallet industry is at the cusp of its evolution," said Soni in a statement.

Soni previously headed the Indian market for the LINE suite of apps.

He has also headed Telecoms Business Development for Infosys in Britain and was associated with north Indian states for Nokia.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
North Korea has successfully built and is ready to launch two Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM), sources from South Korea's Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

South Korean intelligence officials have acquired pictures showing two missiles on their respective launch platforms, which were picked up by radars in the US earlier this week, the sources said.

Kim Jong-un's regime may have prepared their new long-range weapons to send "a strategic message" to the US before the imminent inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, defence sources told Yonhap news agency.

The information comes after in early January North Korea said it could carry out ICBM tests anytime, anywhere.

Kim Jong-un also said in his New Year message that the experimental intercontinental-range missiles were in the final phase of development, Efe news reported.

North Korean state news agency KCNA reported on Thursday on the first inspection of North Korean troops carried out by the young dictator this year, who urged them to be always prepared for action and to focus only on combat.

According to the latest intelligence data, Pyongyang's new ICBM measures less than 15 metres in length, less than its two other models of the same missile type KN-08 and KN-14.

According to experts, North Korea currently has the capacity to launch a missile with a range of 2,500 km has a long way to go to build operational missiles with the minimum range of 5,500 km that can be considered as intercontinental.

The last time North Korea conducted a long range missile test was on February 7, 2016, which, coupled with a nuclear test conducted a month earlier, led the United Nations to impose strict sanctions on Pyongyang.

--IANS

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NASA is preparing to send a spacecraft to a giant "metal" asteroid that may tell scientists the secret of how our solar system was formed.

Led by Arizona State University researchers, the mission called "Psyche" is focused to know whether the asteroid, called "16 Psyche" and thought to be made of iron and nickel, could be part of what was an earlier planet perhaps as large as Mars.

"This is an opportunity to explore a new type of world -- not one of rock or ice but of metal," Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Psyche's principal investigator, said in a statement.

Psyche robotic mission will launch in October 2023 and will arrive at the asteroid in 2030, following an Earth gravity assist spacecraft maneuver in 2024 and a Mars flyby in 2025, NASA said in a post.

"'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," added Elkins-Tanton.

"16 Psyche" is nearly three times farther away from the sun than is the Earth. The asteroid measures about 210 kilometres in diameter.

Scientists believe that the asteroid might have lost its outer core through a series of collisions and the mission could shed light on how planets and other masses broke up into cores, mantles and crusts years ago.

According to a report in Global News, the iron in "16 Psyche" would be worth $10,000 quadrillion (That's right, $10,000 quadrillion, as in 15 more zeros).

NASA has also selected another mission known as Lucy that will visit Jupiter's mysterious Trojan asteroids.

Lucy, a robotic spacecraft, is scheduled to launch in October 2021. It's slated to arrive at its first destination, a main belt asteroid, in 2025.

From 2027 to 2033, Lucy will explore six Jupiter Trojan asteroids.

These asteroids are trapped by Jupiter's gravity in two swarms that share the planet's orbit, one leading and one trailing Jupiter in its 12-year circuit around the sun.

The Trojans are thought to be relics of a much earlier era in the history of the solar system, and may have formed far beyond Jupiter's current orbit.

"This is a unique opportunity," said Harold F. Levison, principal investigator of the Lucy mission.

"Because the Trojans are remnants of the primordial material that formed the outer planets, they hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system. Lucy, like the human fossil for which it is named, will revolutionise the understanding of our origins," Levison added.

--IANS

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Ankara, Jan 20 (IANS/AKI) Nearly 180,000 Syrian babies have been born to refugee families in Turkey since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, state-run news agency Anadolu said on Thursday, quoting government figures.

Turkey is hosting three million Syrian refugees -- the most in the world -- and over one million are children -- said Andadolu, citing Turkish Health Ministry data.

The country has spend $25 billion providing the Syrian refugees with accommodation, healthcare, education and other services, Anadolu said.

Currently close to half a million Syrian children in Turkey are attending school, but nearly 400,000 -- over 40 per cent -- of children of school-going age are not in education, the United Nations refugee agency said on Thursday.

Despite the "huge achievement" of an increase of over 50 per cent in enrolment since June, UNHCR's Deputy Executive Director warned of risk of a "lost generation".

"Unless more resources are provided, there is still a very real risk of a 'lost generation' of Syrian children, deprived of the skills they will one day need to rebuild their country," Justin Forsyth said in a statement.

--IANS/AKI

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US tech giant Oracle Corp on Wednesday denied a claim that its layoff of a research and development (R&D) team in Beijing was linked to US President-elected Donald Trump's pledges to create jobs at home, stating that the decision was made to further its business restructuring efforts, a public relation (PR) manager had told the Global Times.

The official's comments on Wednesday followed a protest earlier during the day in Beijing by some of Oracle's staff, who accused the company of discriminating against Chinese employees.

He spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Last Friday night, Oracle sent an e-mail to the roughly 200 employees of its storage and operating system unit in Beijing, asking them to leave before March 31, according to sources close to the matter. The e-mail did not provide details on compensation.

"Oracle is refocusing more R&D efforts on cloud computing ? some product teams in some markets will be eliminated," according to the e-mail, which was signed by Bill Nesheim, vice president of Solaris Platform Engineering.

However, most of the laid-off employees didn't buy the explanation. An employee, who only spoke on the condition of anonymity, described the move as "a cut-off to retain job opportunities for the people in the US."

"The Solaris unit may have posted a lower-than-expected performance last year, but the storage group is making lucrative revenues. Oracle does need IT staff to continue offering its storage service, so most of our jobs will be transferred to US engineers," the employees told the Global Times on Wednesday.

However, an unnamed employee at Oracle said the layoffs are part of the company's global plan to trim its workforce.

The staff member also noted that to further develop its cloud business, Oracle is now recruiting in China. "We will scale up our investment and marketing efforts in China," he said.

In December, Silicon Valley executives met with Trump in New York. The co-CEO of Oracle, Safra Catz, later joined Trumps' transition team.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan on Thursday said there was "ample and undeniable" evidence that India was involved in "subversive activities and financing terrorism" in Pakistan.

During the weekly news briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said: "Unfortunately Pakistan is the victim of terrorism, especially the Indian state terrorism."

Zakaria said former US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had stated that "New Delhi was trying to destablise Pakistan, there were also statements of top Indian leaders about using terrorism against Pakistan".

The spokesperson said no nation has done more than Pakistan to wipe out terrorism. Pakistan's successes were acknowledged by all, he added.

Zakaria said "Pakistan has called upon India to pursue the path of dialogue rather than confrontation and terrorism".

He sid he regretted that India has shied away from talks for resolution of outstanding disputes, including the core issue of Kashmir.

He said a just resolution of this dispute was essential for normalisation of relations between the two countries and peace and development in the region.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In light of revelations that Pakistan is a popular target for foreign espionage, members of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday advised the government to take immediate steps to ensure cyber security for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its missions abroad.

Senator Mushahid Hussain earlier told the committee that Pakistan was one of three countries in the world -- alongside China and Iran -- monitored extensively by foreign spies, Dawn reported.

Hussain lamented that Pakistan had still not taken any measures to ensure cyber security. "We are quite late in this regard," he said, raising concerns over a delay in release of funds sought by the ministry for cyber security.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid massive protests in support of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to promulgate an ordinance enabling the holding of the popular bull-taming sport. Modi while assuring support, pointed out that the matter is sub-judice.

Panneerselvam was in the capital to meet the Prime Minister.

"The ban imposed on Jallikattu by the Supreme Court came up for discussion. While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the Prime Minister observed that the matter is presently sub-judice," the Prime Minister's Office said in a series of tweets.

"The Centre would be supportive of steps taken by the State Government," it added.

Panneerselvam said steps will be taken soon.

"I have asked Prime Minister to promulgate an emergency ordinance allowing Jallikattu," he told reporters after meeting the Prime Minister.

"The state government will take necessary action in coordination with the central government to hold Jallikattu. The state government's action in relation with Jallikattu would soon be seen.

"The Prime Minister said the central government will support the state government's action on Jallikattu as there is a case pending in the court," he added.

Panneerselvam also said that he and AIADMK chief Sasikala have written to the Prime Minister on the issue.

The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned Jallikattu, saying that bulls cannot be used as performing animals including in bullock-cart races.

Since then, people have been urging the central government to take steps to allow the sport.

The common complaint among the protest leaders was that the Supreme Court had insulted the Tamil culture by disallowing the traditional sport observed during the harvest festival of Pongal.

In Tamil Nadu, the protests began on Tuesday morning following the arrest of protesters in Madurai district's Alanganallur town, well known for conducting the sport.

In Jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to hang on to the animal's hump for a stipulated distance or for a minimum of three jumps by the bull.

Huge protests continued in Chennai's Marina beach.

The Prime Minister also assured the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister that all possible assistance would be provided to the state to address the drought situation.

Panneerselvam said the state government has asked Rs 39,565 crore as drought relief.

"A central team would be deputed to Tamil Nadu shortly," Modi told the Chief Minister.
French anti-terrorist services estimate that there are about 700 French residents in the ranks of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

They also added that there are around 1,000 who still reside in France but would like to join the terrorist organisation, Efe news reported.

Loic Garnier, head of the Counter- Coordination Unit (UCLAT), said in an interview on Wednesday, that it is not known the level of danger of each of those jihadists, who face difficulties in entering Syria and Iraq, while secret services are working to uncover their ideology.

At the same time, about 200 IS fighters have been identified to have been in Syria or Iraq but have returned to France, and others who still want to return, but the restrictions on Turkey's borders and the military situation make their trip more difficult.

According to UCLAT, in the areas controlled by IS, there are some 290 French women, or women who are French residents, and 460 French children, one third of whom have been born there.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Describing Kashmir as the unfinished agenda of Partition, Pakistan's ex-army chief General Raheel Sharif on Thursday said normalcy will return to the region only after the long-standing dispute is resolved.

The former army chief made these remarks while addressing the "Pakistan Breakfast" event on the sidelines of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in this Swiss mountaintop city.

The session was arranged by the Pathfinder Group of Pakistan in its efforts to promote the country at the forum which is attended by the world's leading political and business personalities.

Raheel Sharif stressed that the Kashmir issue should be resolved according to the aspirations of the people and resolutions of the United Nations to achieve durable peace in South Asia. "Pakistan needs peace but the core issue is Kashmir, which has to be resolved first," he said.

The restive Himalayan region suffered a rise in violence last year after the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani on July 8. Jammu and Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but both claim it in full.

In reply to a question whether peace and economic prosperity could be achieved in South Asia without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, the former chief of the Pakistan Army said: "There are three words to explain how to move forward and these are Kashmir, Kashmir and Kashmir."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Retired employees of Delhi University (DU) on Thursday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to settle the issue of their pension, which is being held back for months, while for some, it has been years.

"Our grievance is that it (DU) is acting arrogantly, in total disregard of the judgements of the Supreme Court and the High Court of Delhi," wrote the employees in their letter to the Prime Minister.

They said that previous judgements of the two courts, which were in favour of the retirees, asked the university to regularise their pension.

A Delhi High Court double-bench judgement had on August 24 last year upheld a similar ruling from a single-judge bench on April 30, 2014.

The contention has its roots in an order of the central government, dated May 1, 1987, which stated that "all CPF (Contributory Provident Fund) beneficiaries... will be deemed to have come over to the Pension Scheme" from the said date, unless a request is made against joining the scheme until September 30 of the same year.

"The university, however, misinterpreted the order and kept the choice open for employees to switch over to CPF even much after the cut-off date and kept on asking employees through circulars (11 times, until 1999 when it stopped) whether they want pension or CPF.

"This was totally illegal," Amarnath Gupta, a retired Associate Professor from Shyamlal College of the university and an active member of DUTA Pension Committee, told IANS.

"The employees who chose CPF during this period could not do so, since according to the 1987 central government order, which said all those who did not explicitly intimate the university of their choice of remaining in the CPF before September 30, 1987, automatically came into the pension scheme after that cut-off date," Gupta said.

Another university professor said he has not received his pension for the last two years.

"The university told me that the pension cannot be given as the matter is sub-judice. I haven't received my pension since March 31, 2014 when I retired," Anand Swaroop, an Associate Professor, who taught commerce, told IANS.

Employees complained that even after five months since the high court judgement in August last, the university is yet to start disbursing pension of the employees and has been dilly-dallying since then.

"They are avoiding giving pension to the employees. The university has made a grave mistake in misinforming the employees when it issued those circulars, which it was not empowered to," said Gupta, who retired in October last year.

Gupta is being asked by the university to settle the matter by taking the full and final retirement amount of Rs 30 lakh, according to the CPF scheme, which he has refused to take and has instead demanded regular pension.

The protestors, rallying under the banners of Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) and Delhi University College Karamchari Union (DUCKU), also took out a march to the Vice Chancellor's office and submitted a copy of the complaint to him.

--IANS

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Prominent political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, have condoled the death of 15 school children, who died in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Etah district on Thursday.

"Anguished by the tragic accident... I share the pain of the bereaved families and condole passing away of young children," Modi said in a tweet.

"I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest," he added.

Similar sentiments were expressed by the Home Minister and the Congress chief.

"Deeply saddening to learn of the loss of many precious lives in a road accident in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh, this morning," Rajnath Singh wrote on Twitter.

"My heart goes out to the families of those children who lost their lives in this tragedy. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," he added.

Sonia Gandhi expressed sympathy towards the affected families and said guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court should be followed.

She also wished speedy recovery to the injured.

BJP President Amit Shah said he was "pained beyond words" by the loss of lives in the tragic road accident.

"My thoughts and prayers with the bereaved families," Shah wrote on Twitter.

"May God give families the strength to withstand the tragic loss. Prayers for the speedy recovery of those who have been injured," he added.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi expressed shock over the accident and said: "My prayers are with the bereaved families."

At least 15 children were killed and many others injured, some of them critically, when their school bus was hit by a truck in foggy conditions that reduced the visibility on road.

--IANS

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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday promised more central paramilitary forces to Manipur which has been reeling under an economic blockade since November 1.

Additional forces have already been rushed to Manipur to transport essential commodities from Assam, Rajnath Singh told the 17-member team of the Joint Forum for Peace when its representatives called on the Home Minister on Thursday morning.

The Joint Forum for Peace was formed on December 22, 2016 by 64 civil organisations in the state.

According to Johnson Elangbam, convener of the Forum, the talks were cordial and the Home Minister gave a patient hearing to them. The team also submitted a memorandum on the blockade and how all sections of people are suffering.

Rajnath Singh reportedly told the Forum representatives that he had already asked the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) to see that the blockade is lifted.

The Manipur government and other NGOs have been urging the Centre to prevail upon the NSCN(IM) on the issue since peace talks are going on. It is contended that the United Naga Council (UNC) which imposed the blockade is a frontal organisation of the NSCN.

The Forum representatives will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They are also planning a symbolic sit-in protest in Delhi.

Manipur Chief Secretary O. Nabakishore had extended an invitation to the UNC to take part in the tripartite talks scheduled on January 23 at the Old Secretariat. He assured full protection to the UNC delegates while coming to Imphal.

However, the UNC says that it will not take part in the talks if the venue is in Imphal, Manipur's capital and that they should either be in Senapati district where its office is located or in Delhi.

Describing the Congress government as "communal and anti-tribal", the UNC has been demanding an alternative arrangement for the Nagas in Manipur.

During a 45-minute meeting on Wednesday night, Rajnath Singh reportedly told Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh to end the blockade with the additional paramilitary forces. If not, the centre would be constrained to take action under the constitution.

Several Bharatiya Janata Party activists welcomed this saying that under such an arrangement, the blockade will be lifted and free and fair elections can be held.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday ordered the removal of encroachments and unauthorised parking under flyovers and near U-turns on Delhi roads to ensure smooth traffic in the city.

"Critical bottlenecks and congestion points (should) be identified by the Traffic Police and measures (should be) taken to remove them. Unauthorised parkings and encroachments under flyovers and U-turns be removed and the area be fenced and beautified," the Lt. Governor's Office said in a statement.

He also ordered the Delhi Traffic Police to set up a traffic management task force in coordination with other agencies concerned for uniformity in decision-making and focused efforts on the ground.

Baijal's directions came during a high-level meeting on traffic management with senior officials of the Delhi Police, Delhi Development Authority, the three Delhi Municipal Corporations, the Delhi government's Transport Department and others at Raj Nivas here.

He expressed serious concern over reports of regular traffic congestions at various points in Delhi.

The Lt. Governor directed all agencies concerned "to work in tandem to resolve traffic management issues and to make Delhi roads safe for all".

Baijal also directed the Traffic Police to procure red-light violation detection cameras and automatic number plate reader cameras and install them at identified locations at the earliest.

"Strict action (should) be taken against overspeeding vehicles and persons using mobile phones while driving. No offenders to be spared," he said.

He reiterated the need for a uniform parking policy for Delhi and said it needs to be prepared by tghe civic corporations and the Transport Department at the earliest.

Baijal also directed for strict implementation of pedestrian safety measures.

--IANS

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In what could indicate a rift in the Congress party ahead of the February 4 poll, a party office-bearer, who on Tuesday burnt an effigy of AICC General Secretary Digvijaya Singh, has been awarded party ticket to contest the Fatorda seat in South Goa district.

Joseph Silva, a junior office-bearer in the party's state organisational setup, filed his nomination on Wednesday, a day after torching Digvijaya's effigy, and it was formally accepted by the poll officials on Thursday.

"Digvijayji has already forgiven him. These things happen sometimes," All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Girish Chodankar told reporters when asked about the allegations made by Silva that Singh was compromising the interests of the Congress.

Fatorda Legislative Assembly seat and the twin possibilities of going it alone or entering into an alliance with a regional party, Goa Forward, have been the bone of contention between Singh and state Congress President Luizinho Faleiro.

While Digvijaya Singh has made it clear on numerous occasions that the Congress would not contest the seat, the allotting of the Congress ticket to Silva, who is considered close to the Faleiro camp, indicates a rift between the two top party officials.

"Our party is not like the BJP, where only one person decides. There can be multiple opinions on such issues," Chodankar said, adding that Singh was arriving in Goa late on Thursday to find a resolution to the deadlock over the proposed seat arrangement with the Goa Forward.

Chodankar said the Congress is contesting 37 seats out of the 40 Legislative Assembly seats up in the February 4 polls.

"The final call on the understanding between the Congress and the Goa Forward would be taken before the last date of withdrawal (January 21)," he added.

--IANS

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A sacked Border Security Force (BSF) Head Constable has been arrested here for criminal breach of trust and cruelty towards his wife, the Delhi Police said on Thursday.

The police said the former head constable of the BSF, Rahul Arora, carried a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head in a case of criminal breach of trust and cruelty towards his wife.

A resident of Rajpur Khurd village here, Arora, 36, joined the BSF as a Head Constable in 1998.

"Rahul was announced a proclaimed offender by a local court. He had deserted his wife and a two-year-old son in 2010," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav said.

He was found to be in a live-in relationship with another woman when the police apprehended him on January 14 after raiding his hideout at Chattarpur area in south Delhi, the police officer said.

He met his live-in partner in 2013. He was dismissed from the BSF in 2009 as he absconded without informing the force, te police said.

"He was having a troubled marriage with his wife. After deserting his wife and son, he went to Dehradun where he hid for almost two years," Yadav said.

As he did not come back, his wife filed a case against him and the in-laws.

Rahul did not bother to join the investigation despite several summons sent to his family. Later, he was declared proclaimed offender on June 2016, DCP Yadav said.

--IANS

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The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to entertain a plea for ensuring protection of protestors assembled in large numbers at the Marina beach in Tamil Nadu capital Chennai to protest against the ban on Jallikattu.

"Let the Madras High Court deal with it. You go there. Why do you come all the way to the Supreme Court," a bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud told petitioner-advocate N. Rajaraman.

As he urged the court to take suo motu cognisance of the gathering of a large number of people at the Marina beach for the last three days, the bench told him to move the high court as it had better knowledge of the situation.

Mentioning the matter, Rajaraman sought the court's intervention so that the protestors supporting the bull-taming sport were not assaulted in a manner supporters of yoga expert Ramdev were baton-charged by Delhi Police at the Ramlila Ground in 2011.

The top court had on January 13 declined to vacate its May 2014 order banning Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.

The ancient sport is held in rural Tamil Nadu during Pongal festivities and involves young men clinging to the hump of a bull for a set period of time to win the prize money.

The top court, by its order dated January 12, 2016, had put on hold the Centre's January 7, 2016, notification that allowed Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu and also bullock-cart racing in many other states.

The court had stayed the operation of the notification after a batch of petitions by NGOs Compassion Unlimited Plus Action, Animal Welfare Board of India, Gauri Maulekhi, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals-India and Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations, challenging the notification.

The petitioner non-governmental organisations had sought directions to the authorities to ensure compliance with law earlier laid down by the apex court on May 7, 2014, wherein the court said: "Jallikattu, bullock-cart race and such events per se violate Sections 3, 11(1)(a) and 11(1)(m)(ii) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and consequently, bulls cannot be used as performing animals, either for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country."

--IANS

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The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday ruled out any alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in the upcoming state assembly polls and said a pre-poll alliance was being finalised with the Congress party.

Party leaders here were finalising the names of candidates for the first and second phase of elections. The SP will be contesting on 300 seats while the Congress will be given 100-103 seats.

Sources confirmed that the SP was earlier not ready to give more than 75 seats to its alliance partner, however, after it shied away from tying up with Ajit Singh-led RLD, it gave the share of the seats to the Congress.

A senior SP leader told IANS that the party leadership, including SP National President and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav were not in favour of allying with the RLD.

The party's manifesto was finalised and it was expected that the list of candidates will be declared in the next 2-3 days.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least three Jain pilgrims were killed and four injured by a speeding truck in Gaya district of Bihar on Thursday, police said.

A speeding truck hit a group of Jain pilgrims, who were walking on the side of the Grand Trunk road on the way to Gaya from Jharkhand, near Bhadiya village under the jurisdiction of Barachatti police station, a district police official said.

"Two Jain pilgrims died on the spot and one succumbed to injuries at the hospital," police said.

The injured pilgrims have been admitted in a hospital in Gaya, about 100 km from Patna.

The driver of the truck fled after the incident.

Police have lodged a case.

--IANS

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Police on Thursday arrested director Sairam Dasari on charge of hurting religious sentiments through his short film 'Devuda'.

Sairam and producer Harikumar Reddy were booked for objectionable scenes involving Shivalinga in the movie by Malkajgiri police station under the Rachakonda police commissionerate.

Police said they were on the lookout for Harikumar, who is absconding.

The police action came a few days after members of the Brahmin community met Telangana Director General of Police Anurag Sharma to complain against the filmmakers for allegedly mocking Lord Shiva.

Bajrang Dal and some other organisations also lodged a police complaint against the producer and director.

They alleged that the film's teaser uploaded on YouTube contains offensive acts by some of the characters.

The community had sought a ban on the movie for hurting their religious sentiments.

Sairam apologised but said he just portrayed the practices prevailing at the Kabri Manjunath temple in Karnataka.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Film: "The Bye Bye Man"; Director: Stacy Title; Cast: Douglas Smith, Lucien Laviscount, Cressida Bonas, Michael Trucco, Doug Jones, Carrie-Anne Moss, Faye Dunaway, Leigh Whannell and Jenna Kannell; Rating: *1/2

"The Bye Bye Man" is a psychological thriller that has gone terribly wrong.

The film is about how an evil entity appears or gains control over its victims. The film works on the premise that controlling one's thoughts can be a real challenge. The simple act of trying not to think about something probably means that you are still thinking about it as the thought lurks just beneath the surface of your focused conscious. And, if the thought is undesirable and spoken about, then restraining it from manifesting is definitely more difficult.

The film begins with an incident that occurred on October 28, 1969, where, in an otherwise quiet suburb of Madison in Wisconsin, US, an ordinary looking man, keeps muttering, "Don't think it, don't say," as he goes about on a shooting spree killing his family and neighbours. He does this in order to save them from an unseen entity called, "The Bye Bye Man". He then shoots himself too.

Years later, three students; Elliot (Douglas Smith), his girlfriend Sasha (Cressida Bonas) and their best friend John (Lucien Laviscount) move into an old, run-down house, off campus. During their house warming party, Sasha's friend Kim (Jeena Kanell) who indulges in seance, informs them that she senses something amiss with the house. Sasha agrees with Kim, but her doubt is brushed aside as the guys dismiss off their intuition as a mere figment of their imagination.

Meanwhile, Elliot's niece tell him of a gold coin she found on the floor under the table of the bedroom and that like a good girl, she placed it back on the table.

When Elliot visits the bedroom, he notices the coin once again on the floor and he instantly puts it back into the drawer of the table. Inexplicably, the coin slips off. A closer inspection in the insides of the drawer, reveal that someone had written, "Don't think it. Don't say it."

This leads to Elliot doing some research at the library where a helpful librarian (Cleo King) helps him unravel the house's forgotten past. In the process, he learns about this mysterious "Bye Bye Man", which results in his name being thought about and spoken out loud, which makes him hallucinate and commit ghastly murders. How this mayhem stops, forms the crux of the tale.

The script, written by Jonathan Penner, is based on the chapter "The Bridge to Body Island" from Robert Damon Schneck's book "The President's Vampire". It fails to live up to its potential, as the plot with; an under-developed back story and glaring plot holes, seems senseless and convoluted with random and inconsequential scenes. The characters too, are poorly developed and the performances of each character is perfunctory.

Also with hardly any scare scenes and poorly designed Computer Generated Images, director Stacy Title's attempt in the horror genre is a big let-down.

--IANS

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Turkey has expressed interest in Odisha in several sectors including tourism, infrastructure and social housing, an official announced on Thursday.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Arda Ulutas, the Consul General of Turkey in Hyderabad, held a discussion here to harness investment potentials in the state.

"Glad to discuss investments from #Turkey in tourism and infrastructure sectors of #Odisha with Arda Ulutas, Consul General of Turkey," tweeted Patnaik.

"I told the Chief Minister we are ready to start and to improve our relationship with the State of Odisha and we can have many common projects in the field of tourism and social housing," said Arda Ulutas.

He said a delegation from Turkey would visit Odisha to explore the potential in the state.

--IANS

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Following deep concern expressed by employee unions over alleged government interference in the affairs of the central bank and opposition protests on the issue earlier this week, Governor Urjit Patel has asked staff members to "zealously guard" the integrity of the institution.

"Let me emphasise that one thing we should all zealously guard is the integrity and reputation of our organisation and any act belittling the same should deserve zero tolerance from all of us," Patel said in an email in his first address to Reserve Bank staff after taking over as governor in September last year.

"I am confident that all of us working together will rise to the occasion and face these challenges in a manner befitting the reputation of this esteemed organisation," Patel said in a reference to the Centre's recent demonetisation measure banning Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes that is being implemented by the .

"During the year gone by, we have continued our efforts at restoring macroeconomic stability in the economy. While the policy actions have already shown positive effects, nevertheless, they are work in progress and need to be fine-tuned constantly to keep pace with the challenging environment," he said.

The RBI employee unions last week, in a letter addressed to Patel, expressed their deep concern over alleged interference by the central government in the affairs of the apex bank.

The letter asked the Governor whether a recent media report, according to which the Finance Ministry had deputed a Joint Secretary-level officer to the RBI to oversee its currency chest operations, is true.

"If true, this is most unfortunate and we take strong exception to this measure of the government as impinging on the RBI's autonomy and its statutory as well as operational jurisdiction," the letter read.

On Wednesday, hundreds of Congress party protesters gheraoed the RBI office in New Delhi and elsewhere, shouting slogans denouncing demonetisation and the Centre's role in "destruction of the RBI's autonomy".

Also on Wednesday, Patel appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance and told them that Rs 9.2 lakh crore of new currency notes have been put in circulation since the high-value currency notes were demonetised on November 8.

In another revelation about how the crucial decision on demonetisation was taken by the RBI at a day's notice, Patel also told the Parliamentary panel that the RBI had been "advised" by the government on November 7 to hold a board meeting on the issue.

The demonetisation move, designed to combat black money, counterfeit currency and terror financing, has provoked a major cash crunch, while the RBI has come under fire for the slow pace of re-monetisation, as well as for the number of flip-flops it has committed in announcing measures to deal with this unprecedented measure.
Two US B-2 bombers conducted strikes on Islamic State targets in Libya overnight, destroying two camps near the Libyan city of Sirte, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

In a statement, Pentagon spokesperson Peter Cook said the IS militants targeted in the strikes included individuals who fled to the remote desert camps from Sirte to reorganise, and they posed a security threat to Libya, the region and US national interests.

"While we are still evaluating the results of the strikes, the initial assessment indicates they were successful," Cook said.

"This action was authorised by the president as an extension of the successful operation the US military conducted last year to support Libyan forces in freeing Sirte from IS."

A defence official told US media that drones also participated in the strikes and that "several dozen" IS fighters were thought to have been killed.

--IANS

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The Debt Recovery Tribunal in Bengaluru moved to a new rented address on Thursday  the LIC Building on St Marks Road. The days proceedings at the tribunal started with the pronouncement of the verdict in the three-year-old case of liquor baron Vijay Mallya and the State Bank of India; there was reason for cheer among lawyers and advocates, too.
A 30-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was stabbed to death allegedly by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) cadres in the politically sensitive Kannur district.

In another incident in the district, a country-made bomb was hurled at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Karyalaya at Thaliparamba Thursday morning, police said, adding no one was injured in the incident.

The attack against the BJP worker, Santosh, took place when he was alone in his house at Andaloor in Dharmadam late Wednesday night.

Santosh was rushed to a hospital but he died on the way, Kannur Superintendent of Police KP Philip said.

The situation in the area is tense, he said.

Santosh, the BJP booth president of Andaloor had contested in the last local body elections.

Shops have downed shutters and vehicles are off the roads in Kannur, where the 57th state School Arts festival is presently on.

Protesting the attack, BJP has called for a hartal in Kannur.
Over 1.6 lakh pucca houses have been proposed to be built for the poor during 2016-17 under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) for Assam launched by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today.

PMAY(G) will provide an environmentally safe and secure pucca house to every rural household by 2022 in the state, Sonowal said ceremonially distributing sanction letters to beneficiaries in a programme here.

The Yojana proposed "Housing for All" in rural areas of the state with a target to complete 1,64,245 pucca houses in its first phase during 2016-17, Sonowal said.

The unit cost for these houses has been increased to Rs 1.3 lakh and further through convergence of Swacch Bharat Mission (SBM) and MGNREGA, a minimum support of nearly Rs 1.6 lakh to a household is available under the scheme, he said.

Similarly, minimum size of a house has been increased from the 20 sqm under Indira Awaj Yojana to 25 sqm including a dedicated area for hygienic cooking.

The Chief Minister termed the initiative as a major step forward in bringing qualitative change in the lifestyle of the downtrodden people of Assam.

"India will emerge as a strong nation if the poor are strengthened", Sonowal said.

Stating his Government has set a target to build around 10 lakh pucca houses in the state by 2022, he said all out effort has been made to stop all anomalies in selection of beneficiaries and construction of houses in the State.

Sonowal further added that a strong monitoring mechanism for implementation of the scheme has been developed in the State.

"The selection of beneficiaries has been made through a completely transparent process using the Socio Economic Census 2011 data and validating it through the Gram Sabha. To ensure complete transparency and accountability, the entire payments are through Direct Benefit Transfer mode", Sonowal said.

There is also a provision of Bank loan upto Rs 70000



if the beneficiary desires to further expand the house, Sonowal said.

The chief minister said that PMAY would further cover people of urban areas of the State in a phase manner.
Two men alleged to have links with three accused arrested in Bihar for a suspected terror- angle in the derailment of Patna-Indore Express in Kanpur last year, were questioned by Delhi Police today.

Special Cell had picked up Zia-ul Haq and Zuber were from Okhla area in south east Delhi on January 16 for questioning.

They were called for questioning yesterday and today as well but no clues have been found to suggest their involvement in the derailment so far, sources said.

The National Investigation Agency is looking into the claims of three arrested persons in Bihar that the derailment of Indore-Patna Express, in which at least 150 people were killed, was carried out at the behest of Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The trio -- Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar and Mukesh Yadav -- were arrested earlier this week by Bihar police from East Champaran district of the state.

The Uttar Pradesh STF and Railway Police, who are investigating the terror angle in the derailement, are not "convinced" by Bihar police's claims so far, sources said.

The Special Cell has also not been able to link either Zia or Shoaib with the three arrested in connection with the case though it was claimed that their phone numbers were saved in the mobile phone of Paswan, they claimed.

A Dubai-based Nepali citizen named Shamshul Huda had allegedly recruited Moti Paswan and others suspected to have been involved in what the police claim was a sabotage to derail Indore-Patna Express near Kanpur.

Zia-ul is a distantly related nephew of Huda, sources said.

A report is said to have come from Nepal confirming the Bihar Police's claim that Pakistan's ISI had paid money to its agent Brajesh Giri for triggering blasts on railway tracks targeting trains in Bihar, they said.

Bihar police had 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 they 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 ISI to target the railways.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least two women including a Jain Sadhvi were killed and four others injured today when a speeding truck hit them in Bihar's Gaya district, a police officer said.

The incident occured in Ghodpari village near GT Road.

The truck hit some Jain followers who were carting the differently-abled Sadhvi in a tricycle, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) (Gaya Range), Saurabh Kumar said.

The Sadhvi and her attendant died on the spot, while four others sustained injuries, he said.

The bodies were sent for post-mortem and the injured admitted to a nearby hospital, Kumar said.

The police later impounded the truck and arrested its driver for rash driving, the officer added.

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Former President George H W Bush and his wife, Barbara, today remained hospitalized in Houston, where he was in intensive care for pneumonia and she was being treated for bronchitis.

The 92-year-old former president went into the ICU yesterday and underwent a procedure "to protect and clear his airway that required sedation," family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement.

Bush was stable and resting comfortably at Houston Methodist Hospital, McGrath said.

The 41st president was placed in the ICU to address "an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia," McGrath said. He later told The Associated Press that doctors were happy with how the procedure went. Bush was first admitted to the hospital Saturday for shortness of breath.

"I don't think there's a whole lot of money to be gained betting against George Bush," McGrath said. "We're just kind of in a wait-and-see mode."



McGrath said Barbara Bush, who is 91, had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks and decided "to take it out of committee and have the experts check it out." She had complained of fatigue and coughing and doctors were treating her for bronchitis, he said Thursday.

Physicians initially believed the former president would be released later this week following several days of treatment, but his stay has been extended, McGrath said. There is no timetable for his release.

Doctors want to see how the former first lady responds to treatment before allowing her to return home, he said. The Bushes, who were married Jan. 6, 1945, have had the longest marriage of any presidential couple in American history. At the time of their wedding, he was a young naval aviator. She had been a student at Smith College.

After World War II, the pair moved to the Texas oil patch to seek their fortune and raise a family. It was there that George Bush began his political career, representing Houston for two terms in Congress in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Bush, who served as president from 1989 to 1993, has a form of Parkinson's disease and uses a motorized scooter or a wheelchair for mobility. He was hospitalized in 2015 in Maine after falling at his summer home and breaking a bone in his neck. He was also hospitalized in Houston the previous December for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.

Despite his loss of mobility, Bush celebrated his 90th birthday by making a tandem parachute jump in Kennebunkport, Maine. Last summer, Bush led a group of 40 wounded warriors on a fishing trip at the helm of his speedboat, three days after his 92nd birthday.

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Yemeni security officials say a rocket fired by Shiite rebels has killed six civilians in the war-torn city of Taiz.

They say yesterday's strike hit a residential area inside Taiz. It comes one day after six civilians were also killed outside the city, which is known as the cultural centre of Yemen.

Clashes between rebels and forces loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi have been ongoing for nearly two years.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to brief reporters.

The war in Yemen has raged since the rebels, known as Houthis, seized the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. A Saudi-led coalition has waged an air campaign since March 2015 aimed at restoring Hadi's government. The northern region remains under Houthi control.

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After much delay, Delhi today got its first subsidised canteen -- Aam Aadmi Canteen -- with the facility being inaugurated on a pilot basis at Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan Hospital.

Attendants, staff and people visiting the LNJP Hospital can now have a meal for Rs 10.

The Arvind Kejriwal government had proposed to set up such facilities in line with Tamil Nadu's highly-subsidised Amma canteens.

"The canteen would be run on a trial basis for one month during which we would only serve lunch. After one month, we will try to include dinner and then breakfast also in the scheme. Trial does not mean we will shut down after one month, it means we would only take it further up," Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said after inaugurating the canteen.

"Aam Aadmi Canteen pilot project started at LNH hospital. Rs 10 per meal for all attendants, staff & people visiting the hospital," he tweeted.

In pictures shared on his Twitter account, Jain can also be seen having the meal at the canteen. LNJP Director Dr J C Passey and other officials were also present.

"It is a welcome move, especially for our junior doctors and patient attendants, who had to manage with unhygienic street food so far.

"The meal would be served in an acrylic plate. Each thali would have two rotis, rice, vegetable (change with menu), and dal or curry or chholey. A separate counter for buying meal tokens has been set up at the hospital premises," Passey told PTI.

The project sees its fruition after a long delay as, Ashish Khetan, vice chairman of the Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC), an advisory body to the government which drafted this proposal, had affirmed on July 16, 2015 that the first few canteens would become operational in "two months and possibly before Independence Day".

On March 28, the city government had alloted Rs 10 crore in its budget for setting up the 'Aam Aadmi canteens' across the city to provide subsidised food.

"It is proposed to start Aam Aadmi canteens in Delhi for providing nutritious and hygienic food at low prices to citizens, particularly the poor and the downtrodden who find it difficult to have a proper meal, like rickshaw pullers, daily wage labourers and construction workers," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said while presenting the budget in the Assembly.

The functioning of the canteens will be monitored and coordinated by a "Bureau of Affordable Meals", Sisodia had said.

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Delhi Congress today accused both BJP and AAP of indulging in 'Noora Kushti'(bogus fight) over preliminary investigation registered by CBI against Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia to benefit the AAP in Punjab elections.

Preliminary Enquiry(PE) has no legal sanctity and it was "leaked" by CBI as BJP wants AAP to get sympathy and cut votes of Congress in Punjab elections, said Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken.

CBI yesterday registered the preliminary enquiry against Sisodia and others in connection with alleged irregularities in AAP government's social media campaign 'Talk to AK', eliciting scathing attack on Prime Minister by Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal.

Maken also slammed BJP and AAP for indulging in "frivolous" rounds of allegations and counter-allegations to "divert attention" of people from their "failures" in Delhi.

"BJP government and CBI has intentionally leaked the of PE inquiry against Manish Sisodia. BJP and AAP are hand in gloves and they are deliberately doing this to divert attention from the utter failure of both BJP and AAP government in Delhi," he said.

Keeping the forthcoming elections in mind, specially Punjab and Goa, it is being "deliberately done" for making a futile attempt to generate sympathy for AAP, Maken alleged.

Delhi Congress also slammed BJP led central government and AAP government in Delhi for the hike in various charges related with driving licence for commercial purposes claiming that auto-taxi drivers were affected by the need.

"The AAP government blindly implemented the notification of Union government thereby hiking commercial driving licence charges by upto 1500 percent. The auto drivers who voted for AAP are the most depressed and cheated lot among supporters of the party," he said.

Delhi Congress and its wing and Auto Taxi Drivers Congress will stage protests all over the city. Maken will participate in the series of protests beginning from one at Anand Vihar on January 24.

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Two explosions hit the Gaza Strip, police said today, including one targeting the home of an official from Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party, without causing casualties.

The first blast struck at around midnight in eastern Gaza City outside the home of Nayef Khuweter, a Fatah official in the territory, police and eyewitnesses said.

Fatah condemned the attack, saying it would "disrupt" attempts at reconciliation with the Islamist movement Hamas which runs the Gaza Strip.

In a separate incident, a car exploded in Nuseirat refugee camp of central Gaza.

The Hamas-led police said they had opened investigations into the blasts, for which there were no immediate claims of responsibility.

Hamas has ruled Gaza since a near civil war in 2007 led to the expulsion of Fatah, which runs the West Bank.

Tension between the two rival parties has increased in recent weeks against the backdrop of an electricity crisis in Gaza and anti-Hamas protests.

Several reconciliation bids have failed, though the two were among several Palestinian parties which recommitted to forming a national unity government during talks in Russia on Tuesday.

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Green groups said today that one of the world's biggest pulp mills which started production on Indonesia's Sumatra island last month was causing enormous environmental damage.

The groups said the USD 3 billion mill belonging to industry giant Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) was sourcing raw materials mostly from trees grown on drained peatlands, where haze-belching fires occur every year.

The mill produces a raw material which can later be made into paper.

Woro Supartinah, whose NGO was among the groups protesting the mill, called on the Indonesian government to "promote a broader set of interests" than just helping major companies reap profits.

"Restoring peatlands will generate economic growth and environmental security over the long term," she said.

The groups who protested the mill included Wetlands International, Eyes on the Forest and Rainforest Action Network. APP did not respond to requests for comment.

Vast areas of peatland, which store carbon, have been drained in recent years using networks of canals to convert them into plantations for trees to produce pulp and palm oil.

The drained peatlands emit greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and also create arid tracts of land that are vulnerable to going up in flames.

Huge fires erupt on and around plantation land every year on Sumatra, much of it in peat.

The fires in 2015 were among the worst on record and cloaked Southeast Asia in toxic haze for weeks, causing many to fall ill, schools to close and flights to be cancelled.

About three-quarters of the plantations supplying APP's mill -- 6,000 square kilometres -- are on peatlands, the groups said.

Indonesia's government has in recent years stepped up efforts to protect peatlands, especially after the fires in 2015, which according to the World Bank caused $16 billion in losses to the archipelago's economy.

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Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd today said it has raised USD 500 million through bonds for funding SEZ project.

"The company has raised USD 500 million by allotment of fixed rate senior unsecured notes...The said notes will be listed on Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Ltd," the firm informed the BSE.

The shares of the company closed at Rs 295, up 1.1 per cent at the BSE.

An open letter, dated March 16, cited public opposition,



risks to miners' health, climate change and potential impact on the fragile Great Barrier Reef as reasons for their request not to proceed with the project in the Galilee Basin.

The letter warned that the project could hit the bilateral ties, especially on the sporting and trade front.

The USD 21.7 billion Carmichael coal mine and port-cum-railhead project is said to be one of the world's largest and has already received the green signal from the federal and Queensland governments.

The project involves dredging 1.1 million cubic metres of soil near the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which will then be disposed of on land.

Asked for her reaction to the letter opposing the project, Palaszczuk quipped, "Those who are writing such letters have good jobs. I know how tough the people are doing in my state."



"We have had some closure of companies like Queensland Nickel and the Clive Palmer's. With the downturn in the resources industry I have had other mine closures," she said.

"This project is not just a sign of confidence in Queensland. This project by the Adanis is a sign of confidence in regional jobs for families. It will give them such a boost. And all the mayors have commented about that on this trip," the premier said.

She said the Adanis have committed to create 10,000 direct jobs and many thousands indirectly.

Palaszczuk, however, refused to set a time-line for the project, saying "that's a matter for the federal parliament. I understand that we are getting a report back today (on Friday when the interview took place).

"So, hopefully they will be able to debate it. I know it's very hot on my Prime Minister's agenda. So, I am quite sure they will debate it as soon as they possibly can," the premier said.

She also said the federal parliament will sit in the near future to get the piece of legislation through as the project is a high priority for them.
The Madras High Court Advocates Association today announced boycott of the courts tomorrow in support of state wide protests demanding a lifting ban on Jallikattu.

President of the Association G Mohanakrishnan, however, made it clear that the boycott was not against Supreme Court's order banning the bull taming sport but only against PETA, which is opposing sport.

A section of lawyers also held a procession outside the High Court raising slogans against PETA.

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Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar would jointly inaugurate a 44.76-km new railway line to connect Agartala with Udaipur, the district headquarters of Gomati, on January 24.

The Railway Minister said this to the chief minister when he called on him yesterday in Delhi, an official release said here today.

Prabhu also assured Sarkar that the Agartala-Udaipur railway track, which is being extended up to Sabroom, the southernmost town of the state near Bangladesh, would be completed by 2019.

Sabroom is just 75 kms from the Chittagong international sea port in Bangladesh.

The Railway Minister also informed that a nodal officer of the Railway Board would be appointed in Tripura for coordinating with the state government to expedite the ongoing projects.

Sources in the Northeast Frontier Railway said that the NFR had invested over Rs 1,000 crore to extend the 44.76-km railway line up to Udaipur.

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For the first time in nearly five years, national carrier Air India will give a 2 per cent salary hike to its permanent employees.

The airline has decided to increase the salaries after turning operationally profitable in the last financial year.

Aided by lower fuel costs and rise in passenger numbers, Air India posted an operational profit of Rs 105 crore in the last financial year. It was also the first time in a decade that the carrier turned operationally profitable.

In a communication to employees today, Air India's Executive Director A Jayachandran said in view of last fiscal's operating profit, "it has been decided that yearly increment rate for all categories of permanent employees of Air India and its employees posted in subsidiaries will be applicable at 2 per cent".

This would be be applicable only for the financial year 2016-17 -- effective from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 -- and shall be payable as per the increment date of the respective employees, it said.

It is also for the first time in nearly five years that the carrier is giving a hike in salaries. The airline has around 19,000 permanent employees.

Air India, which is staying afloat on a Rs 30,000-crore bailout extended by the government, is working on ways to improve its financial position.

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Chinese online giant Alibaba today became the worldwide Olympic partner through 2028 after signing the first long-term partnership with International Olympic Committee.

Alibaba will become the official cloud services and e- commerce platform services partner as well as the founding partner of the Olympic Channel, Alibaba Founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma announced at a press conference here on the sidelines of WEF Annual Meeting 2017.

IOC President Thomas Bach said Alibaba will help the organisation move ahead in the new digital era.

Ma said Alibaba has become the first Chinese company to commit to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and also the first ever company globally to make a long-term commitment to the IOC through 2028.

He said Alibaba has origins in China but it is a truly global company today.

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Warning that Donald Trump's 'America First' strategy has the potential to "damage" Indo-US ties, Indian-American expert Ashley Tellis, who is speculated to be the next envoy to India, has said the President-elect needs to strengthen bilateral relations to cope up with the challenges posed by China.

"Trump's 'America First' strategy has the potential to damage the US-India relationship. Trump should instead strengthen India's alliance to cope up with the challenges posed by China," said Tellis, senior fellow, South Asia Programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a top American think-tank.

In an op-ed published in Asia Policy by the National Bureau of Asian Research, Mumbai-born Tellis said that the variety of positions expressed by Trump suggests that the potential threat to the continuing transformation of US-India relations comes less from his views on India-which are probably unsettled-than it does from his iconoclastic convictions about the relationship between the US and the world.

According to a recent report in The Washington Post, the incoming Trump Administration is considering nominating Tellis as the next American Ambassador to the US.

Neither Tellis nor the Trump Transition Team has responded to questions on the reports.

Tellis, 55, argues that while many elements of Trump's nationalist agenda are understandable even defensible-the worldview it represents diverges from that which initially cultured the evolving US-Indian partnership.

"Going back to the earliest years of the George W Bush administration, the US' rapprochement with India was premised on the assumption that the principle strategic problem facing both countries consisted of the rise of China and the threat it posed to both US primacy and Indian security, not to mention the safety of the US' other Asian partner and allies- simultaneously," he wrote.

"Since it was assumed that the United States would subsist as the principal protector of the liberal international order, and the Western alliance system in particular, even in circumstances where the containment of China was impossible because of the new realities of economic interdependence, the Bush administration slowly gravitated toward a strategy of balancing China by building up the power of key states located on its periphery," Tellis said.

Tellis observes that the current US commitment to the rise of Indian power sans symmetric reciprocity was devised during the Bush administration but has been faithfully continued by Obama for very good reasons.

It was anchored in the presumption that helping India expand in power and prosperity served the highest geopolitical interests of the US in Asia and globally-namely, maintaining a balance of power that advantaged the liberal democracies, he said.

"Accordingly, it justified acts of extraordinary US generosity toward India, even if specific policies emanating from New Delhi did not always dovetail with Washington's preferences," Tellis wrote.

"Given that what India could become a power capable of successfully balancing a rising China-mattered more for US interests than what New Delhi did on any other issue, US policy for almost two decades has embodied a calculated altruism whereby Washington continually seeks to bolster India's national capabilities without any expectations of direct recompense," he said.

Tellis warns that if New Delhi fails to satisfy the anticipation of reciprocity embodied by an America-first policy-a likely prospect given India's resource and power constraints-both nations will have ended up worse off.

"Without the benefit of a preferential affiliation with the US, India's challenges with regard to managing a rising China (and even a troublesome Pakistan) will have become considerably more difficult," he said.

"The United States, in turn will have lost the opportunity to preserve an advantageous Asian balance of power, which by incorporating a strengthened India actually constrains Chinese ambitions and thereby buttresses US primacy for more time to come," Tellis wrote in the op-ed.
Vietnamese police today scuffled with activists marking the 1974 Chinese invasion of a disputed island chain as they arrested several people and dispersed journalists.

About 100 people gathered in central Hanoi for the 43rd anniversary of the Chinese takeover of the Paracel islands in the South China Sea -- territory claimed by both nations that remains a diplomatic flashpoint.

In a rare act of public defiance in the communist nation, activists chanted "Down with the invaders!" and held banners against the "age-old enemy" near the capital's Hoan Kiem Lake.

Plainclothes police swiftly swooped in, snatching banners away and hauling at least a dozen people into a nearby bus.

Journalists were unceremoniously ordered to leave the scene and turn off cameras.

Though Hanoi and Beijing routinely trade barbs over contested territory in the South China Sea, Vietnam often breaks up anti-China protests to avoid stoking anger from regional powerhouse China.

The Paracels remain a bitter bone of contention between the neighbours.

China has controlled the islands since invading them shortly after US-backed Vietnamese soldiers withdrew in 1974.

The attack left 70 Vietnamese soldiers dead.

Activists called on Vietnam to take a tougher stance with China.

"I think Vietnam must be determined towards China... To get back Hoang Sa and Truong Sa Islands," said activist Pham Van Troi, 46, using Vietnamese names for the Paracels and the nearby Spratly islands, which are also disputed.

Beijing lays claim to virtually all of the South China Sea, and has built up islands capable of hosting military installations.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also sparred with Beijing over territory in the disputed waterway.

Tensions have eased slightly in recent months but the issue remains a potential global flashpoint.

In 2014 China moved a controversial oil rig into contested territory, prompting deadly riots in Vietnam.

Last week Chinese state media reacted with fury to comments by US secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson that he would seek to deny Beijing access to the artificial islands it has built up in the contested sea.

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Describing ASEAN as a "role model" for regional cooperation, India today sought to work closely with the grouping to weave a "mutually beneficial legacy" and strengthen the "very rich" cultural partnership.

Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd) V K Singh, in his keynote address at the 2nd International Conference on ASEAN-India Cultural and Civilisational Links here, said, the three pillars of the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership -- political, economic and socio-cultural -- have thrived for many centuries.

"Recognising our Prime Minister's desire for building a deeper engagement with South East Asia by expanding and comprehensively documenting India's civilisational links with ASEAN countries, our Act East policy lays significant focus on this third pillar of the ASEAN-India relationship," he said.

"ASEAN has evolved into a role model for regional cooperation as it celebrates the 50th anniversary year of its foundation this year. Today, it is appreciated for the stability it has brought to the region and its immediate neighbourhood," Singh said.

He asserted that India looks forward to working closely with ASEAN to weave a "mutually beneficial legacy" which would be cherished by future generations.

"Promotion of socio-cultural ties through people-to-people contacts such as exchange programmes for students, media persons, diplomats, parliamentarians and farmers and the ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks and Eminent persons lecture series have continued," he noted.

Singh pointed out that 2017 marks 25 years of ASEAN-India Dialogue Partnership, 15 years of summit-level interaction and 5 years of strategic partnership with ASEAN.

"Our celebrations will include hosting of a Commemorative Summit, a Commemorative Foreign Ministers' Meeting, a Youth Summit and a host of other events including ASEAN-India Cultural Festivals, business events, policy seminars, public competitions and a car rally and sailing expedition," Singh said.

"The theme of our commemorative celebrations is 'Shared Values, Common Destiny', which aptly reflects the close cultural and civilisational links India and countries of South East Asia have enjoyed over the millennia," he said.

Singh asserted that it is incumbent to trace and preserve shared heritage and leave this legacy for the future generations.

"Evidence of linkages between Ancient India and South East Asia abound in texts and folklore, architecture, literature, dance-forms, music, religion and culture...From the ancient period upto the 12th century, Hinduism as a way of life permeated South East Asia. Thailand incorporates significant elements from Hinduism in its architecture, arts, sculpture dance, drama and literature," Singh said.

"Moreover, Islam travelled to South East Asia from India via traders. It thrives today as a tolerant religion in the region, with Indonesia of course being the largest Muslim country in the world, followed by India. Together, we set an example for the rest of the world, in peaceful co-existence, tolerance and compassion," he said.

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Bahraini authorities have lifted a ban preventing independent newspaper Al-Wasat from publishing online.

The official Bahrain Agency said today that the newspaper would be allowed to post material following a decision by the Ministry of Information.

It gave no details for the move, but warned that all media outlets must avoid "posting anything that incites divisions or discord within the community, undermines national unity or disturbs peace."



Authorities issued the ban Monday, following a spike in anti-government protests led by the country's Shiite majority against the Sunni monarchy.

Al-Wasat is widely seen as the only independent newspaper in Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet. The paper has been ordered shut twice since an Arab Spring-inspired uprising erupted in 2011.

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The Mamata Banerjee government will provide a compensation of around Rs two lakh to the family of the person who died in a clash while opposing construction of a power grid sub-station in Bhangor area of South 24 Parganas district.

According to a senior official in the Secretariat, the West Bengal government would provide a compensation of around Rs two lakh to the family of Mafijul Ali Khan who died in the clash on November 17.

Asked whether any member of the family would be offered a job by the state government, the official said that was also on the cards and the chief minister would take a call on that.

"Very likely they will be offered a job... But it's not final and the chief minister will take a call on that," the officer told PTI.

One person was killed and another injured in the area as clashes broke out between outsiders and residents of the area when villagers opposed construction of a Power Grid sub-station in the area.

Following the protests of the villagers in the area, the state government halted the project.

Meanwhile, the local protestors today demanded CBI probe into the incident.

Banerjee had yesterday instructed the force to identify the "outsiders" who had provoked the people and flush them out even as stary incidents of violence were reported.

Banerjee held a high-level meeting with top police officers, including the director general of police and Kolkata police commissioner during the day and said no one should be allowed to provoke people and law should be strictly enforced.

State Power Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, had said the state government would hold a meeting with the agitated villagers and farmers after the situation normalised.

"The situation is under control in Bhangar. Till now, there is no of any second person dying there. And there is no of any protests anywhere there also," he told PTI.

The central transmission utility, PowerGrid Corp has sought cooperation from all stakeholders for completion of the sub-station amid protests by certain sections of the local people.

"Considering the advantages of the Rajarhat 400/220kV sub-station project, Power Grid Corp solicits cooperation from all stakeholders," Power Grid Corp had said in a statement.

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A 70-year-old Bhutanese national was killed by a speeding vehicle near Barla village on Delhi-Dehradun national highway here, police said today.

Kunjang was travelling with a group of Bhutanese tourists who were on their way to Himachal Pradesh. The bus was stopped at a roadside restaurant and they were crossing the road when a speeding vehicle hit the victim, they added.

Police have registered a case against unidentified persons. The accused managed to escaped from the spot.

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A teenaged boy allegedly committed suicide after posting a message on his Facebook wall in city's Purba Putiyari area, the police said today.

The body of Samprit Bandyopadhyay (17), hanging from a ceiling fan was recovered after breaking open the door of his room at his residence in Purba Putiyari within the limits of Haridebpur Police Station this morning, they said.

"We found that the boy had posted good bye on his Facebook wall at around 11.01 PM last night and possibly the mishap happened after that. We are waiting for the post mortem report," a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.

Initial probe revealed that the boy took this drastic step after his mother scolded him for scoring bad marks in the recent examinations at Swami Pranabananda Vidyapith School, where he was studying and also for low attendance, he said.

However, family members of the boy held a teacher of the school responsible for the boy taking such a step, the officer said.

"They said the teacher used to ill-treat Samprit for which he used to bunk schools on those days when there were classes of that teacher, resulting in low attendance. We are investigating the entire matter," the officer said adding nobody was arrested in connection with the matter.

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Brazilian authorities have started transferring some inmates from a prison wracked by deadly gang violence for days, as troops were mobilized elsewhere to help confront a broad crisis in the overcrowded penitentiary system.

Elite officers yesterday entered the Alcacuz prison near the northern city of Natal to start the process, AFP journalists saw.

The facility has been the scene of gruesome violence between two rival gangs since the weekend, when 26 inmates were massacred, most of them beheaded.

"We are going to carry out this transfer as carefully as possible, respecting all security issues," a spokesman for the state police, local mayor Eduardo Franco, told reporters.

Four buses were brought in to take away prisoners who were members of one of the gangs. Three of the buses arrived with inmates from other facilities that were to be put in the vacated cells.

Wives and girlfriends of some of the prisoners being taken away tried to block the road but were dispersed when police fired rubber bullets.

The prisoner transfer underlined the tinderbox climate within Brazil's prison system, in which 134 people have been killed in prison violence this year according to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, citing justice ministry figures.

Authorities are accused of long having allowed gangs to run the jails, which are filled well beyond their intended capacity.

In a bid to wrest back control, the government yesterday said it was deploying 1,000 troops to "clean out" arms, explosives and cellphones from various cellblocks in the country.

Defence Minister Raul Jungmann, who called the situation a "national emergency," said the soldiers "will only enter when the risk of rioting is minimal or nonexistent.... The armed forces are not going to confront these groups."



The troops, who include teams used during last year's Olympic Games in Rio, don't have the constitutional authority to take control of the prisons, only to confiscate dangerous contraband items.

Brazilian police had stormed the Alcacuz prison early Sunday to halt the bloodbath, but were still not in full control three days later.

Inside, the situation remained volatile as inmates from the rival drug gangs, the Sao Paulo-based First Capital Command (PCC), the country's biggest drug-trafficking group, and the Rio de Janeiro-based Red Command, squared off across a 50-meter (-yard) courtyard.

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British MPs today held a debate on Kashmir in the UK Parliament, warning against "escalation" of violence in the region and calling on India and Pakistan to open channels of dialogue.

The motion in House of Commons urges the UK government to encourage India and Pakistan to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution to the dispute.

Alok Sharma, UK's Foreign Office minister in charge of Asia, stated Britain's long-standing position on the issue.

"India and Pakistan are both long-standing and important friends of the UK and we have significant links to both countries through Indian and Pakistani diaspora communities.

"The long-standing position of the British government is that it can neither prescribe a solution to the situation in Kashmir nor act as a mediator. It is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people," he said.

"The UK will continue to encourage both India and Pakistan to ensure that channels of dialogue remain open," he said.

Sharma also confirmed that British Prime Minister Theresa May had discussed the subject of Kashmir with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her visit to India last November.

The debate was organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Kashmir and was conducted by the Commons' Backbench Business Committee following an application from Conservative Party MP David Nuttall.

It was led by Nutall along with MPs Nusrat Ghani, Robert Flello and Fiona Mactaggart.

The motion for today's debate read: "That this House notes the escalation in violence and breaches of international human rights on the Indian side of the Line of Control in Kashmir; calls on the Government to raise the matter at the UN; and further calls on the Government to encourage Pakistan and India to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution on the future governance of Kashmir based on the right of the Kashmiri people to determine their own future in accordance with the provisions of UNSC resolutions."



Nuttall concluded the debate by calling on Sharma to "reflect on the very many positive suggestions for future action" before calling for a vote, which the deputy speaker of the House passed in favour of "the ayes have it".

"It is not Britain's role to intervene in the internal politics of any sovereign nation. But we stand ready to help facilitate and alleviate the suffering of the innocent people of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir," said Conservative party MP Bob Blackman, who has long campaigned for the rights of Kashmiri Pandits forced to flee the region.

"Today marks the terrible day back in 1990 when Kashmiri Hindus were forced from their homes. I have been speaking on this issue for 27 years. The whole of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and both India and Pakistan must abide by the UN resolution," said Blackman.

The Backbench Committee meets weekly to consider requests for debates from any backbench MP on any subject.

The debate follows a day of mourning observed by the Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society UK in a committee room of the House of Commons last evening. The group seeks "justice" for the nearly 700,000 Kashmiri Pandits who were forced to flee their homes in the valley in 1989 and 1990.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
British MPs today held a debate on Kashmir in the UK Parliament, warning against "escalation" of violence in the region.

The motion before the House of Commons urges the UK government to encourage India and Pakistan to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution to the dispute.

"It is not Britain's role to intervene in the internal politics of any sovereign nation. But we stand ready to help facilitate and alleviate the suffering of the innocent people of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir," said Conservative party MP Bob Blackman, who has long campaigned for the rights of Kashmiri Pandits forced to flee the region.

"Today marks the terrible day back in 1990 when Kashmiri Hindus were forced from their homes. I have been speaking on this issue for 27 years. The whole of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and both India and Pakistan must abide by the UN resolution," said Blackman, who was among the MPs speaking in the debate.

The debate has been organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Kashmir and is being conducted by the Commons' Backbench Business Committee following an application from Conservative Party MP David Nuttall.

It was led by Nuttall along with MPs Nusrat Ghani, Robert Flello and Fiona Mactaggart.

The Backbench Committee meets weekly on Tuesdays to consider requests for debates from any backbench MP on any subject.

The motion for today's debate reads, "This House notes the escalation in violence and breaches of international human rights on the Indian side of the Line of Control in Kashmir; calls on the Government to raise the matter at the United Nations."



"And further calls on the Government to encourage Pakistan and India to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution on the future governance of Kashmir based on the right of the Kashmiri people to determine their own future in accordance with the provisions of UN Security Council resolutions," it says.

The debate comes a day after a day of mourning was observed by the Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society UK in a committee room of the House of Commons.

The group called for "justice" for the nearly 700,000 Kashmiri Pandits forced to flee their homes in the Kashmir Valley 1989 and 1990.

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Troops of the Guwahati Frontier of the Border Security Force (BSF) have apprehended a smuggler from the International border in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal.

The troops of BOP Khakribari yesterday apprehended the smuggler identified as Suresh Barman of Cooch Behar district and recovered from him Bangladeshi Taka 26,000 meant for transborder smuggling, a BSF release said today.

The apprehended smuggler along with the seized foreign currency was handed over to local police for legal action, the release said.

Meanwhile, the BSF troops have seized 172 cattle heads valued approximately Rs 9,71,920 and other items worth Rs 97,210 last night.

Asserting that the BSF troops were always alert towards the issue of trans-border crimes and infiltration, the release said the border force was making all out efforts to prevent commission of such crimes.

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The CBI inquiry against Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain's daughter by a "rattled" BJP government is the "cleareast indicator" that AAP will sweep Punjab and Goa in the upcoming Assembly polls, the party said today.

AAP Delhi Convenor Dilip Pandey told a press conference that CBI action was also a manifestation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "fears" over AAP's "imminent electoral success".

Pandey also sought to link it to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's assertion that he will "jail" Punjab Minister Bikram Singh Majithia before April 15. "Come what may, Majithia will be put behind bars," Pandey said.

"After Arvind Kejriwal promised to jail Majithia, even we were wondering why Modji was silent. But now, the CBI has been activated and let loose. Modiji's cowardly act has established, in a way far better than any opinion poll, that AAP will win Punjab as well as Goa," he said.

Yesterday, the CBI registered preliminary enquiries against Deputy CM Sisodia and Saumya, daughter of health minister Jain, in two separate cases.

Strengthening its case that AAP MLAs were being framed, the party also fielded Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh, who was "discharged" by a sessions court last month.

"The Gujarat model has been implemented here over the last last three years. But the court order has once again proven how AAP MLAs are being systematically targetted on false charges," Singh said.

Singh was accused of obstructing a public servant from performing his duty. A trial court had framed charge against him in the case.

The legislator was booked for allegedly assaulting MCD staff Athar Mustaffa and preventing him from carrying out his duty when the latter and his team had gone to demolish an illegal construction in West Delhi on April 28, 2015.

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Competition Commission today imposed nearly Rs 206 crore penalty on seven cement companies for bid-rigging and cartelisation.

Shree Cement, UltraTech Cement, Jaiprakash Associates, J K Cement, Ambuja Cements, ACC and J K Lakshmi Cement have been penalised for violating competition norms with regard to a tender floated by a Haryana agency back in 2012.

Among others, SMS and calls made among the officials of the cement officials during the particular period also confirmed collusion, according to the regulator.

This is not the first time that cement companies have come in the crosshairs of Competition Commission of India (CCI). Earlier too, the watchdog had imposed fine on cement firms for anti-competitive business practices.

In a 120-page order, CCI said the seven companies violated competition norms and also directed them "to cease and desist" from such activities.

After careful consideration, the regulator decided to slap penalties on the companies that is equivalent to 0.3 per cent of each of their average turnover for three financial years.

The total fine amounts to around Rs 206 crore.

UltraTech has been directed to pay a fine of Rs 68.30 crore while that on Jaiprakash Associates is Rs 38.02 crore. The fine on others are -- Shree Cement (Rs 18.44 crore), J K Cement (Rs 9.26 crore), Ambuja Cement (Rs 29.84 crore), ACC (Rs 35.32 crore) and J K Lakshmi Cement (Rs 6.55 crore).

The order has come on a complaint filed by Director, Supplies and Disposals, Haryana -- a procurement agency. It was alleged that the cement makers formed a cartel and quoted higher bid prices for a tender floated in 2012.

CCI had ordered a detailed probe into the matter in 2014.

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The full bench of the Election Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi would be on a three-day visit to poll-bound Goa between January 20-22, a senior official said today.

"Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi accompanied by Election Commissioners -- Achal Kumar Jyoti and Om Prakash Rawat - will be in Goa for three days between January 20-22," the official from Chief Electoral Officer's office, Goa said.

The team of ECI officials will be reviewing poll preparedness and hold series of meetings with election officers, state chief secretary, state finance secretary and Director General of Police, he said.

Zaidi will also interact with representatives of BJP, Congress, NCP and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, which are recognised political parties, the official added.

Polling in the coastal state would be held on February 4.

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The central government has sanctioned Rs 2,207.30 crore to Jammu & Kashmir as 'special assistance' during 2016-17 with a view to expediting completion of area-specific schemes.

The Union government has decided to provide further 'special assistance' of Rs 1,129.40 crore to Bihar during 2016-17 for completion of the approved ongoing projects under special plan for Bihar, an official statement said.

Including the present release of Rs 1,129.40 crore, the central government has so far released Rs 6,934.61 crore to Bihar, it added.

Similarly, according to the statement, the government has used the special assistance to support the newly-formed states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

"A further release of Rs 1,976.50 crore to the state Of Andhra Pradesh was made during the current financial year 2016-17," it said.

"Further, in keeping with its commitments to support the development of backward areas of Telangana, the central government had provided a further 'special assistance' of Rs 450 crore to the state," it added.

The statement said Tamil Nadu has also been a beneficiary of this special assistance.

"An amount of Rs 200 crore was released to the state to resolve the issues affecting processing industry in Tirupur (Tamil Nadu), for adoption of Zero Liquid Discharge by 18 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs),"it said.

According to the statement, special assistance of Rs 367.93 crore was given Odisha during 2016-17 for funding of projects under special plan for Districts of Koraput, Bolangir and Kalahandi.

The union government has been assisting the state governments and providing 'Special Assistance' with a view to expediting completion of area-specific schemes.

This assistance is provided in view of the government of India's commitment to fulfilling the development agenda in backward region notwithstanding the fact that the state plan schemes including BRGF (State Component) are subsumed in larger devolution of union taxes and duties to the states in terms of recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission (FFC) and are delinked from the union support with effect from 2015-16.

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The first direct freight train service between China and the UK, which may become a cost-efficient and time-saving way of transporting trade between both the countries, has arrived in London after traveling 12,000 km during an 18-day journey.

The so-called 'Silk Road' service is part of China's One Belt, One Road programme aimed at reviving the ancient trading routes to the West.

The train left the Chinese business hub of Yiwu, on the east coast, this month and travelled 7,500 miles (12,000 km), crossing seven countries, before arriving at a freight depot in Barking, east London, yesterday.

"The fast train route between Yiwu and London takes 30 days less than maritime transportation, while only costing a fifth of air transportation," said Fang Xudong, vice-general manager of Tianmeng Industrial Investment.

The service delivered 34 containers of clothes and high street goods. China Railway already runs services between China and other European cities, including Madrid and Hamburg.

The service passed through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France before entering the UK via the Channel Tunnel.

It is hoped the China Railway train will become a cost-efficient and time-saving way of transporting trade between China and the UK.

The trains will run weekly initially to assess demand. So far there have been 40 freight train routes connecting Asia to 14 European cities, which form part of a trade route launched in 2013.

London is the 15th European city to be added to the list of destinations for China's rail cargo.

Last year, 1,702 freight trains made the voyage to Europe, more than double the 2015 figure.

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Beverages major Coca-Cola India today announced a new organisational structure, appointing Shehnaz Gill as franchise head ahead of implementation of GST that will convert the country into a 'single' national market.

Gill, a 12-year veteran of the Coca-Cola system, will take over the newly created role of Senior Vice-President Operations for India, the company said in a statement.

"He will serve as the Franchise Head for all the 14 bottlers operating in India and will report to Venkatesh Kini, President, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia," it added.

Coca-Cola India operates with 14 bottlers of parent The Coca-Cola Company in India, one of which is a company owned bottling entity -- Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd.

Announcing the new structure, Kini said: "Under the new operating structure effective January 2017, the franchise management function of Coca-Cola India has been organised for geographical synergies instead of bottling territories."



He further said: "Now that we have built a solid foundation for our business over the last two decades, we are ready to embrace India as one national market with common commercial metrics, marketing calendars and market execution standards."



This will drive productivity, reduce duplication, leverage technology, enable digitisation and capitalise on the company's distribution scale, he added.

The new structure also enables the company's business to be a growth engine for Coca-Cola Company by capitalising on emerging opportunities like e-commerce, modern trade, new beverages and digitisation, while continuing to build on its wide reach in traditional trade, the statement said.

Gill re-joins Coca-Cola India system after serving as Vice President and General Manager, Upstate New York and Pennsylvania for Coca-Cola Refreshments.

The company also named six region directors who will assist Gill in the operations. These include Ravinder Singh for North; Ashish Jain, Delhi-NCR; Alka Shukla, Uttar Pradesh; Arpita Maitra, East; Alok Kohli, Central and West; Vikas Sunkad, South.

The new structure is only applicable to Coca-Cola India and the operating structure Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd (HCCB) remains intact.

HCCB will continue to operate through its five Zonal Vice Presidents and Executive Director, Operations.

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Outgoing US President Barack Obama today said having a "constructive" relationship with Russia is in the interest of America and the world and admitted that bilateral ties had reverted to an "adversarial spirit" during Vladimir Putin's presidency.

"I think it is in America's interest and the world's interest that we have a constructive relationship with Russia. That's been my approach throughout my presidency. Where our interests have overlapped, we've worked together," Obama told reporters at his final press conference at the White House, before handing power to Donald Trump.

He, however, admitted that bilateral ties reverted to an "adversarial spirit" when Putin began his second stint as Russian president in 2012.

"I think it's fair to say that after President Putin came back into the presidency that an escalating anti-American rhetoric and an approach to global affairs that seem to be premised on the idea that whatever America's trying to do must be bad for Russians....That return to an adversarial spirit that I think existed during the Cold War has made the relationship more difficult," he said.

Obama made clear that the US imposed sanctions on Russia not because of nuclear weapons issues.

"It was because the independence and sovereignty of a country, Ukraine, had been encroached upon, by force, by Russia.That wasn't our judgement; that was the judgement of the entire international community," he said.

"What I've said to the Russians is, as soon as you've stop doing that the sanctions will be removed. I think it would probably best serve not only American interest but also the interest of preserving international norms if we made sure that we don't confuse why these sanctions have been imposed with a whole set of other issues," Obama said in response to a question.

Trump has vowed to have better relations with Russia and in an interview recently said he would propose offering to end sanctions on Moscow in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal.

Obama's administration imposed the sanctions in 2014 after Russia's annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine.

"Russia continues to occupy Ukrainian territory and meddle in Ukrainian affairs," Obama said.

"It is important for the US to stand up for the basic principal that big countries don't go around and invade and bully smaller countries," he added.

Obama said he worked on a nuclear arms control agreement with Moscow early in his presidency, resulting in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

"I was prepared to go further.I told President Putin I was prepared to go further.They have been unwilling to negotiate," Obama said.

"If President-elect Trump is able to restart those talks in a serious way, I think there remains a lot of room for our two countries to reduce our stockpiles.And part of the reason we've been successful on our nonproliferation agenda and on our nuclear security agenda is because we were leading by example.I hope that continues," he said.

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The civic administration has given the outgoing city Corporators an option of keeping with themselves laptops, each costing Rs 35,000 and distributed upon their election, by paying a nominal fee of Rs 1,000.

Most of the Corporators are preferring to keep the portable personal computers by paying the small amount to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said a senior civic official.

The civic administration had earlier asked the city elders to return the laptops with a choice to retain them if they are willing to pay Rs 1,000.

A year after their election in 2012, each civic representative was given a laptop worth Rs 35,000 and a smartphone along with SIM card by BMC so that they can keep a tab on various public works in their wards.

The 227-member BMC, India's richest civic body currently ruled by the Shiv Sena-BJP combine, will go to the polls on February 21.

"After the code of conduct came into the effect, we asked the Councillors to hand over the laptops given to them. We also gave them an option that if they want to keep the laptops with them, they need to pay Rs 1,000 to the BMC," said Municipal Secretary Narayan Pathade.

He, however, insisted Corporates would have to return the SIM cards before they are issued no dues certificates.

After the 2007 municipal polls, there were demands by the elected representatives that they be given laptops. A proposal in this regard was passed in the Standing Committee, a power body within the BMC, and it was accepted by the administration.

In the subsequent election, Corporators were given cellphones and SIM cards also, with the civic body agreeing to pay a monthly bill of Rs 1,250.

Pathade said, "The process of returning SIM cards and laptops are underway. Most of the councillors are preferring to keep the laptops with them by paying a fee of Rs 1,000."



Another senior civic official said each Corporator has to return the laptops, SIM cards and smartphones to the BMC. "However, this year we decided not to take back the mobile phones and give them an option to keep the laptops."



Asked how much money did BMC spend on the phone bills of the Corporators in current House, Pathade said, "It is a voluminous data that is being worked out.

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A city court today extended by five days the police custody of Khoirom Ranjit, the chief of Manipur's proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party, after Delhi Police said he was needed further custodial interrogation.

Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh also sent Ranjit's associate P Prem Kumar to five-day police custody while allowing the plea of the police, which claimed that the accused had shifted the terror outfit's base to Delhi and were planning to carry out terror strike here.

According to the police, Kumar was arrested in Imphal on January 12 while Ranjit, along with party's cadre Inugbam Sanatombi Devi, was arrested from East Delhi's Mayur Vihar area on the same day. Devi is currently in the judicial custody.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police told the court that two hand grenades, a laptop, eight mobile phones, four pen drives and 49 sim cards were recovered from their possession.

It said all the three accused were members of the banned terror outfit and Ranjit was its commander-in-chief. It contended that the accused were required in several cases in Manipur.

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The Central Railway (CR) will run weekend special trains to Nagpur and Goa to clear the extra rush of passengers during the Republic Day weekend.

Special train (no.01011) to Nagpur will run from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) here at 10.20 PM on January 25 and reach the destination at 12.45 PM the next day. The train will also run on January 28, a press release issued by Public Relations department of CR said.

A special train from Nagpur to Madgaon in Goa will run on January 26 at 1.50 PM and reach the destination at 2.45 PM next day.

From Madgaon, special train no.01046 departs from the station at 4.30 PM on January 27 and will arrive at CST, Mumbai at 06.15 AM next day, the release said.

On January 29, a special train (no.01042) will run from Nagpur railway station at 1.50 PM and reach CST at 04.15 AM next day.

Another special train (no.01005) to Madgaon will leave depart from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) at 4.55 PM on January 25 and arrive Madgaon at 4 PM next day.

From Madgaon, the special train (no.01084) will commence journey at 10.40 AM on January 26 and reach Nagpur at 12.45 PM next day, while in the return journey on January 27, the train will leave from Nagpur station at 9.50 PM and reach LTT at 12.35 PM next day, it said.

Booking for these special trains will open from January 20 on special charges, the release said.

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Lauding them for their exemplary courage, Delhi Government today felicitated children who have been chosen for National Bravery awards this year.

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.

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.

The winners were felicitated at a ceremony at the Delhi Secretariat attended by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

"These children saved lives without any expectations, which makes their bravery selfless. What these children have done, sometimes even adults fail to do. I salute the way parents have brought these children up by making them fearless and courageous," Sisodia said.

The President and several other dignitaries will also 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 Iin 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.

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Ending the suspense, the government today appointed Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma as Director of CBI.

His name was cleared by a three-member selection panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprising Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar and Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge as members.

Kharge is understood to have recorded his dissent note on Verma's name, during the meeting of the selection committee held on January 16, on the ground that the officer had never served in CBI.

Verma made it to the top post in the premier investigating agency pipping a number of contenders including Director General of Indo Tibetan Border Police Krishna Choudhary and Maharashtra's Director General of Police S C Mathur.

As CBI chief, Verma will have a fixed two-year tenure.

The post of CBI director was lying vacant for over one month following Anil Sinha's retirement on December 2.

At present, Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana is the interim director of the investigating agency.

Verma, a 1979 batch IPS officer of Arunachal Pradesh- Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, took over as Delhi Police Commissioner on February 29, 2016.

59-year-old Verma, who belongs to Delhi, has worked in various positions in Delhi Police, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Mizoram and in the Intelligence Bureau.

Before being appointed as Delhi Police Commissioner, he was Director General of Tihar Prisons here.

Verma is the 27th Director (including two acting chief) of the CBI.

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A Delhi Police head constable has been arrested for allegedly raping a juvenile in east Delhi's Kalyanpuri area.

Rajeev Chauhan, posted in the communications unit in central district, was arrested yesterday after the 17-and-a- half-year-old girl accused him of raping her, said a senior police officer.

The accused was known to the girl's family and used to visit her home regularly, he said.

On December 31, Chauhan called the girl at his home in Shakarpur on the pretext of helping her in her studies. He offered her a cup of coffee laced with sedatives and raped her when she fell unconscious, police said.

The accused policeman threatened her of dire consequences if she reported the matter to anyone, police said, adding that she reported the matter to police after he tried to sexually assault her again.

A case under sections 376 (Punishment for rape) of IPC, and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered, police said.

The head constable was sent to the judicial custody.

The juvenile victim is undergoing counselling.

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Continuing its attack on the BJP led NDA government over demonetisation, CPI(M) today said the currency ban was actually an "economic war" against the people to "protect" the interests of corporates.

Party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged that banks were being crippled, looted and were collapsing because big corporates had borrowed heavily and were not returning the money.

"Total NPA (Non Performing Assets) of banks in the country stands at Rs 11 lakh crore and 10 big corporates together owe Rs seven lakh crore plus," he said.

The government was doing nothing to prosecute them to get back the people's money and instead, to protect banks from collapsing, steps were taken to stop people from withdrawing money from banks, he alleged.

"How to protect banks if the corporates do not pay? stop the people from withdrawing money," he said, adding then the money accumulates in banks and its reserves improve.

"Banks are stopped from collapsing, but by making people collapse," he said.

Yechury alleged that BJP was trying to impose 'Hindu Rashtra' nationalism in the country against Indian nationalism. "Nationalism is not one that has to be imposed on people," he said.

The CPI(M) leader also came down on strengthening of the defence deal with US and said "India has become US's junior strategic partner."



The statement of the US that they were strengthening their military activities in the Pacific region was a cause for concern to India, he said.

Yechury was addressing a function organised by All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation here.

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The Puducherry unit of DMK today extended support to the bandh call given by various Tamil outfits seeking restoration of and to ban PETA.

The bandh called by the outfits will be observed here for 12 hours from 6 AM tomorrow.

In a release here, the DMK Puducherry unit convener R Siva announced that his party backed the call for bandh as Tamils' rights and traditional sport should suffer no hiccups.

Various organisations and political parties including Janata Dal (United) and the CPI have expressed their support to the bandh.

The ruling Congress has already announced its decision to back the bandh call for restoration of (bull taming sport).

President of the Traders Federation of Puducherry M Sivashankaran in a release here said that the merchants and traders would down the shutters tomorrow to show their solidarity with pro- agitators.
Pakistan today accused Hindu "terrorist" outfits of carrying out "ethnic cleansing" of Kashmiri Muslims in Jammu region and claimed that the government is "empowering" such groups.

The Pakistan Foreign Office, in a statement, alleged that Kashmiris were being "killed" by security forces in "fake encounters".

"Many Kashmiris have been killed in fake encounters, house raids and custodial killings. We condemn continuous killing of Kashmiris," Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said.

"Hindu terrorist organisations...And the armed Village Defence Committees are committing ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Muslims in the Jammu region," he claimed.

He alleged that since the Modi government took over in 2014, the "Hindu terrorists have been empowered with full support from the state machinery" in Kashmir, causing displacement of scores of Kashmiri Muslim families by design."



Zakaria said Pakistan is constantly sensitising the world community on the "grave violation of human rights" of Kashmiris.

He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently visiting Davos to participate in the World Economic Forum, held bilateral meetings with various leaders on the sidelines during which he highlighted "human rights violations" of Kashmiris by Indian forces.

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Donald Trump is likely to sign executive orders on issues related to Obamacare, ISIS and immigration on his day one at the Oval Office of the White House, hours after his inauguration tomorrow, his spokesman said today.

These were some of the "key election campaign issues" for the President-elect, who took political pundits by surprise by first defeating as many as 17 candidates to win the Republican primary and then winning the November 8 general elections against his formidable Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, all in a matter of 18 months after joining politics.

The Republican billionaire, who arrived in the US Capital abroad a military plane today, was still discussing with his team about the official businesses on his first day at the Oval Office.

"The President-elect is continuing to get briefed on some of the orders that he wants to do in the sequencing thereof. I think we've talked about that for a few months now. Obamacare, the fight against ISIS. He talked about immigration, key issues that have been important to him throughout the campaign that will continue to be important to him in this administration," the incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at a conference.

"He is committed to not just day one, but day two, day three, of enacting an agenda of real change. And I think that you're gonna see that in the days and weeks to come. What he's trying to do, is ensure a proper sequencing," he said.

"Staff is continuing to meet with him about that. You'll see some activity on both tomorrow, over the weekend and then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. So it's gonna be a robust, not just day one, but I think first week, first month and probably first term," Spicer said in response to a question.

Spicer said President-elect Trump continues to be humbled by the people who serve this nation and the work that they do so many times, without the proper recognition for the sacrifices that they make, in terms of time.

"I think the enthusiasm to serve in government and be part of this administration, has gotten greater by the day," he added.

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A dismissed BSF constable, who was declared a proclaimed offender, has been arrested in connection with a case of criminal breach of trust and cruelty towards his wife, police said today.

Rahul Arora was apprehended by a team led by ACP Sandeep Lamba under the supervision of DCP Rajesh Deo from his room in Chhatarpur area on January 14, where he was living with his new live-in partner, said Ravindra Yadav, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch).

Arora, who joined Border Security Force (BSF) as a head constable in 1998 due to his expertise in water sports, was dismissed from the service in 2009 after he absconded from his duties without informing the force about his antecedents.

"He got married in 2007 but his married life ran into rough waters. His wife gave birth to a son in 2008 and in order to save the marriage, the couple started living separately from his parents as a last-ditch effort but to no avail," said Yadav.

He left his wife and the two-year-old son in 2010 without informing anyone about his new location and started working as a labourer in order to earn a livelihood first in Dehradun and then Delhi.

"His wife got a case under sections 498-A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust) read with 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC registered against him and her in-laws," Yadav said.

Arora did not join the investigation despite several reminders sent by the Investigating Officer.

"He was declared a Proclaimed Offender at the time of filing the chargesheet. In June 2016, on the directions of the court, a reward of Rs 50,000 was declared on his arrest," said the officer.

After he came back to Delhi from Dehradun, he met his new live-in partner and started working with her as event coordinator in marriage functions and tent houses. They were living together for the past around three years.

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A forest ranger and a home guard were shot at allegedly by unidentified poachers in Malakheda police station area in Alwar district, police said.

Forest Ranger Keval Kumar Vaidhya and constable Om Prakash Jangid were patrolling in Sariska forest area when the assailants opened fire at them yesterday, SHO Malakheda police station, Mukut Bihari Sharma said.

The severely injured personnel were rushed to a hospital in Alwar.

Sharma said a dead wild boar and Sambar flesh was recovered from the spot.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of IPC, he said.

Forest department officials have also registered a case in the incident under section 9, 27, 29, 31, 39, 48-A of Wildlife Conservation Act.

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The death toll in a suicide attack on a Mali army camp in the African country's north has risen to 77, a French military spokesman has said.

A suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle to the military camp in Gao, Col Patrik Steiger said yesterday. The victims, all Malians, were soldiers and former fighters grouped together to try to stabilize the region after a 2015 peace agreement with the government.

A group linked to al-Qaida's North Africa branch, al-Mourabitoun, claimed responsibility for the Wednesday attack, and warned of more to come to punish "all who were lured by France."



Steiger said he was uncertain about the number of injured, but it was reported as 150 on Wednesday night.

The attack came days after French President Francois Hollande visited Gao. France intervened in Mali in 2013 to crush Islamist extremists who controlled much of northern Mali and threatened the south.

While the French intervention has ended, French soldiers remain as part of a larger operation in the Sahel region.

The former fighters at the camp include ethnic Tuareg secular rebels who once fought the Malian military as well as Malian soldiers and militia close to the Malian government.

In a bid to bring peace to Mali, they are supposed to be forming joint patrols in the area, though the program has yet to begin.

The attack struck a major blow at peace efforts in Mali, where rival groups have been vying for control, or independence, in the north.

The claim of responsibility said the attack was carried out by "a knight of the Mourabitoun battalion" of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, according to a translation by the SITE Intelligence Group. The statement identified the attacker as "martyrdom-seeking hero Abdul Hadi al-Fulani."



Al-Mourabitoun is led by the feared Mokhtar Bel-Mokhtar, who remains allied to al-Qaida.

According to SITE, the responsibility claim read: "With this operation, we warn all who were lured by France to march (as) its allies" that "we do not permit" bases, patrols or war against Mujahedeen fighters.

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As over 3,000 leaders from across the world huddle for their annual talkfest in this snow-capped Swiss ski resort town in sub-zero temperatures, senior union minister has got a full city to take back home literally  he wants to create India's own Davos in hilly terrains of Himalayas.

Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport, Ports and Shipping, said it is very much possible to create a new city like Davos back in India where hotels, shops and conference centres would be set up, while taking care of the environment and other issues, and which can host events like World Economic Forum while giving a big boost to tourism, jobs and overall economy.

"After I came here, a thought has come to my mind. I'm yet to start any work on it. We are working on a 1,000-km new roads for Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri of Rs 12,000 crore which would be all-season roads. That will be a historical thing with tunnels etc.

"Along with that, there is Pittoragarh where we are building a road for Mansarovar and we are taking Australian machines through MIG-17 and some work is already done, about 50 per cent. That place has got temperature of about minus 5-6 degrees.

"After coming to Davos, I felt why can't we develop a township like this in that area, where people will come in sub-zero temperatures and which will have hotels and tourism facilities and will even go to Mansarovar," Gadkari told PTI in an interview here at Make in India lounge on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

The minister, known for his out-of-the box innovative ideas, said it is very much possible to create a Davos-like city there in India, which is rich in all kinds of assets.

"We are capable of creating Taj Mahal even in a desert. It needs a vision, fast track decision making process, transparency and corruption free system. Another important thing is the commitment to the society and the country, and my country also needs something like this," he said.

Giving an example, Gadkari said he was travelling from San Francisco through Pacific Ocean and an idea struck him to build a new road for Mumbai to Goa which will run alongside the sea and the work has begun on that idea.

"Similarly, we will work on Yamuna riverfront by building a wall for a highway from Delhi to Yamunanagar. A study is on for this project which will make travel easier from Delhi to Uttarakhand and Himachal, bringing down the traffic on existing roads," he said.

Gadkari, who is attending several sessions at WEF and is also holding bilateral meetings with corporates and other leaders from across the world here, said he has got an idea after coming here and it is very much possible to create a beautiful city in India itself in sub-zero degree temperatures.

Observing that at times an extreme position is taken on environment like issues, he said it is necessary to protect environment but development is also necessary, so appropriate measures can be taken to ensure that there is no ecological disturbances.

"We need an integrated approach, since an eccentric



approach on either side is not good for the country. For a developing country like India, the development should be done by taking care of both sides," he said.

There can be opposition even for a small construction in Himalayas and therefore an integrated approach would be required by the environment ministry, environmentalists, tourism ministry, road ministry and all concerned stakeholders, he added.

"There are so many hotels that have been built here in Davos. They may also have cut trees somewhere. What can be done is that for every tree you have to plant ten new ones. Then, what we will do is we will not cut the trees, but will move them to a new place and will ensure that ten new trees are planted for every single one," he said.

"We are a rich country with a poor population. We can become top most tourist attraction in the world," he said, while adding that there is huge scope for Andaman Nicobar and islands.

Gadkari said he has already begun work on running sea planes in the country, while new buses are being brought in that will run on water as well.

"We need to think out of box and innovate. We can solve many of our problems with new technologies and help change the country. What is required is the appropriate vision, commitment and a leadership that has willingness to do it.

"I am learning after coming here and seeing new ideas. I am studying the successful practices here and I want to know what all can be done back in India," he said, while complementing Professor Klaus Schwab for making Davos and WEF such a big thing on the world map single-handedly.

"A city like Davos in India would give a big boost to tourism, development, jobs and overall economy, while the number of people travelling to holy places in that region will also increase manifold and also increase the faith in our own culture.
Gambia's army chief has said 0he would not order his men to fight other African troops if they enter Gambian territory, speaking as Senegalese and other troops massed on his nation's borders.

The Senegalese troops backed by other African forces are on standby to move into The Gambia as President Yahya Jammeh approaches a midnight deadline to stand down or face military action after refusing to leave at the end of his term.

"We are not going to involve ourselves militarily. This is a political dispute," Chief of Defence Staff Ousman Badjie said yesterday, after eating dinner in a tourist district close to the capital, Banjul, eyewitnesses told AFP.

"I am not going to involve my soldiers in a stupid fight. I love my men," he added, stopping to pose for selfies with admirers while dressed in fatigues, beret and green t-shirt, according to those present.

"If they (Senegalese) come in, we are here like this," Badjie said, making a hands up to surrender gesture.

Badjie is no stranger to controversy after appearing to declare support for president-elect Adama Barrow and then switching back to Jammeh.

He was recently barred from visiting Gambian peacekeepers in Darfur due to the sensitivity of The Gambia's ongoing political crisis, which has seen Jammeh repeatedly refuse to step down despite losing a December 1 election to opponent Barrow.

"Our troops are on alert... The ultimatum takes effect at midnight," when Jammeh's mandate is due to expire, Senegal army spokesman Colonel Abdou Ndiaye told AFP ahead of the deadline.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
SAIC Motor HK, part of China's SAIC Motor Corp, has received the Competition Commission's approval to acquire certain assets of General Motors India.

The company, which has been planning to enter the Indian market, has proposed to buy certain assets of General Motor India's Halol plant in Gujarat.

In a tweet today, Competition Commission of India (CCI) said it has approved "SAIC Motor HK Investment Ltd's acquisition of assets of General Motors India Private Ltd."



General Motors India, maker of popular models such s Chevrolet Beat, Cruze and Tavera, has two manufacturing plants at Halol and Talegaon in Maharashtra.

Earlier this month, a GM India spokesperson had said discussions with SAIC on the sale of Halol are progressing well.

In another tweet, CCI said it has cleared the proposed acquisition of sole control of SAIC General Motors Investment Ltd by General Motors (Hong Kong) Company Ltd.

Mergers and acquisitions beyond a certain threshold requires approval from Competition Commission of India (CCI).

Last year, General Motors had announced to put on hold its planned USD 1 billion investment in India as well as review its future product plan for the country due to "unprecedented regulatory uncertainty" and change in customer preferences.

In 2015, the company had announced a turnaround plan for India entailing fresh investment of USD 1 billion and ceasing production at its Halol plant in Gujarat to consolidate manufacturing operations in Maharashtra.

However, later the company said that it would continue production from its Halol plant in Gujarat until March 2016, even as it continues to review future options, including sale of the facility.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Geospatial solutions firm Genesys International today said it has started working on an order worth Rs 65 crore that it bagged from Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) in consortium with Innowave IT infrastructures.

"We have begun implementation of the LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) Property survey for Mumbai on behalf of MCGM. This is a first-of-its kind project which will create a unique platform for property tax administration and other smart city-related applications," the company said in a statement.

The project also envisages looking at road survey, mapping street furniture, hoardings and mobile telecom towers.

"This project marks the beginning of a new era in public and urban works. We look forward to creating a world class map infrastructure for India's premier economic hub," Genesys International Principal Om Hemrajani said.

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The Himachal Pradesh government was contemplating over proposals to open new tribal institutes by relaxing the existing norms, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said here today as he announced to set up a tribal hostel in Nurpur area.

"A drive will be launched to uproot Lantana and other harmful shrubs in the areas inhabited by the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community," Singh said while presiding over a meeting of the Gaddi Kalyan Board.

The state government was committed for equal and balanced upliftment, progress and prosperity of ST community and tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh, he said.

Expressing his special inclination towards the Gaddi community, Singh said the state owes to this community as it had contributed significantly in its development and progress.

"No community should forget its past and stick to its customs, traditions, language and culture. All people should strive collectively for the upliftment of their community so that no section was left out. The educated should work for strengthening the weaker so that the whole community might progress equally.

"The Gaddi community had a rich culture to feel proud of it. The areas dominated by them have been thriving due to its hard work, diligence and sincerity. I wish them to engage themselves in agrarian and related activities including fishery so that they may achieve equal economic independence and prosperity along with other communities," Singh added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With becoming critical in digital transformation of India, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Thursday said government will soon set up a 'security operations centre' to monitor cyber incidents with regard to IT infrastructure and applications hosted by NIC.

"A government security operations centre will start soon. The issue of is extremely important," the Minister said addressing the National Meet on Grassroot Informatics organised by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) here.

The minister further said that a data centre for cloud would also be established in Bhopal. This would be in addition to four data centres located in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar and Pune.

Inaugurating the three-day event, Prasad asked NIC's District Information Officers (DIOs) to take an "innovative and proactive" approach.

"NIC must adopt a transformative approach to make a difference at the grassroots level. I appeal to NIC to connect with the Common Service Centres, which have successfully provided training on digital payment systems to over 1.96 crore of rural citizens and 6.15 lakh merchants," he said.

The government plans to enhance the infrastructure of district NIC offices to international standards, he added.

As a pilot project, 150 District NIC offices would be upgraded during 2017-18, while rest will follow soon. He further instructed his Ministry to develop a training module for NIC officials to keep pace with the evolving technologies.

Prasad also announced the introduction of annual awards for the DIOs of the NIC for taking up exemplary innovative approach in their respective districts. The top three best innovators will get a reward of Rs 2,00,000, Rs 1,00,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively, he added.

Later in the day, while speaking at the Raisina Dialogue, the minister said that programs like Digital India, Make in India, Skill India, Start up India, Stand up India and Smart Cities were designed to fulfil a larger vision of making India a "technologically empowered society".
A special court has pulled up the CBI for "unfair" probe and acting in an "arbitrary and unreasonable manner" against a DRI officer, as it acquitted him of charges of demanding and accepting bribe from an exporter against whom an excise duty evasion case was lodged.

The court absolved Y S Verma, a former senior intelligence officer with Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), and one Mahender Kumar of charges of criminal conspiracy and accepting illegal remuneration and criminal misconduct by public servant.

Special CBI Judge Anu Grover Baliga said there were material contradictions in the depositions of the prosecution's star witnesses and an audio cassette produced during trial, with the probe agency "absolutely failing" to establish the guilt of the accused.

"The contention of this accused (Verma) and Kumar that the investigation in the present case has been done in a completely unfair manner, appears to have much merit and in view of the material brought on record during trial, this court is constrained to observe that the investigating agency does appear to have acted in an arbitrary and unreasonable manner," the court said.

The court had in 2012 discharged Verma in the case due to lack of proper sanction to prosecute him. It, however, had given liberty to CBI to file fresh charge sheet after getting the requisite sanction from the competent authority.

Thereafter, CBI obtained sanction to prosecute Verma and the summoned him as accused in January 2013 to face the proceedings in the graft case.

The corruption case against Verma was lodged by CBI on a complaint of Delhi-based exporter A K Aggarwal, who had alleged that the former had lodged a false excise duty evasion case against him and raided his house in September 2005.

It was alleged that Verma contacted Aggarwal's relative and demanded Rs 50 lakh bribe, on behalf of DRI's Deputy Director Manish Mani Tiwari, to bail him out of the case.

On Aggarwal's complaint, CBI laid a trap and allegedly caught Verma red-handed while accepting Rs 5 lakh as the first instalment of the bribe from Aggarwal at the South Delhi house of another co-accused Mahender Kumar.

The court, however, said CBI has failed to explain why the allegations made by the complainant against Tiwari were not "even investigated".

When the court asked the investigating officer (IO) as to



why he did not array Tiwari as an accused, he said that since Tiwari was not present when the demand, acceptance and recovery of the bribe was made, the material collected during probe was not at all sufficient to make him an accused.

On this, the judge said "in the considered opinion of this court, this IO has made nothing but a mockery of law.

"He first does not investigate the material allegation against Tiwari and then very conveniently cites the lack of evidence against this man to not charge sheet him."



The court further said that no doubt Verma was allegedly abusing his public office in acting on behalf of Tiwari. But the demand for bribe was principally made by Tiwari.

The investigating agency should have at least investigated the allegations against him to demand bribe from the complainant, the judge observed.
Cyprus and Greece today insisted that any peace deal for the divided island must provide for the withdrawal of Turkish troops and new security arrangements.

If Turkey and the island's minority Turkish Cypriots want a solution, "there can neither be occupation troops nor guarantees", Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said after talks in Nicosia with his Cyprus counterpart Nicos Anastasiades, the Greek Cypriot leader.

Anastasiades, whose country has been a European Union member since 2004, said: "Our common goal is to finally achieve a solution that is fully compatible with the European acquis (EU legislation)...

"Without the need to have any third country as a guarantor or troops of any country staying to protect supposedly one or the other community."



Their comments came as technocrats in Switzerland were discussing a post-settlement Cyprus security formula.

UN-backed negotiations in the Swiss resort town of Mont Pelerin include Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot representatives as well as officials from Ankara, Athens and former colonial power Britain.

Those parties were also in Geneva last week trying to reach a deal to reunite Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci have been holding direct talks at various locations over the past 20 months on how to forge a unified, two-zone federation.

The larger group, meeting now in Mont Pelerin, is focused on reforming Cyprus's so-called "guarantor power" agreement, a 1960 deal that gives Britain, Greece and Turkey the right to intervene to defend the island's sovereign integrity.

There is general consensus that the guarantor power system needs to change, although the fate of some 30,000 Turkish troops deployed in the north remains an obstacle, with Ankara insisting they will not be withdrawn.

In Mont Pelerin, technical experts are trying to craft ideas for a new security system that can be weighed by senior political leaders.

Greece, like Britain, has said it is happy to do away with the guarantor power arrangement but has insisted on the end to the Turkish military's "occupation" of northern Cyprus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Asserting that Bihar's grievance redressal law, first of its kind in the country, had strengthened good governance, Chief Minister on Thursday said more than 89,937 complaints had been sorted out under the mechanism in nearly seven months of its launch.

Bihar Public Grievance Redressal Act was enacted on June 5, 2016 - the day 'Loknayak' Jayprakash Narayan started the "total revolution" in 1974 - Kumar said, addressing a "Chetna Sabha" in Banka as part of his "Nishchay Yatra".

"In a short period, since its launch in June, over 1,13,116 complaints were registered under the Act, out of which 89,937 have been redressed," he said highlighting the results of the legislation brought by his government to enhance public faith in democracy.

The Chief Minister said, "It is a step forward of the Janata Ke Darbar Mein Mukhya Mantri that he ran for 10 years after assuming power for the first time in 2005."



For implementation of the Act, Lok Sikhayat Nivaran Kendra (Public Grievances Redressal Centre) were opened at district and sub-division levels across the state, where a person could submit his application and a complaint would be redressed in a fixed time-frame, he said.

Under the Act, it's mandatory that the grievance had to be redressed within 60 days of its submission, the Chief Minister said.

Kumar, who has been moving across the state as part of "Nishchay yatra" started since November 9 last to take stock of functioning of such centres and other institutions established for implementation of programmes under "seven resolves", narrated a few cases resolved under the Act in different places.

In Katihar, a man, who was not getting paper of land receipt since 1980, was now receiving it regularly after he made a plea, Kumar said narrating tales of success of the legislation.

In Munger, a widow was not getting the money of her husband transferred to her account after his death. When she filed a complaint with the Centre, bank officials transferred the money to her before coming on the date, he said.

Kumar told people in detail about programmes under "seven resolves" to provide toilet, electricity connection, drinking water and sewage link to every household in the state.

Dwelling in details on prohibition, the Chief Minister listed advantages of stopping sale and trade of liquor, domestic as well Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) which has triggered spike in sale of milk, sweets, ready-made clothes and sewing machines among others out of money saved from alcohol.

He exhorted people to participate in the human chain on January 21 to reaffirm commitment towards prohibition.
The Publishers and Booksellers' Guild is hopeful of stemming 30 per cent post-demonetisation slide in different district book fairs in the last two months of 2016 in the upcoming annual International Book Fair where SBI has extended all help to the organisers and participants, Guild General Secretary Tridib Chatterjee said today.

"At smaller book fairs organised in districts and suburbs in different parts of West Bengal in the last two months of 2016, participants had experienced 30 per cent drop in sales, which we are confident to bridge in the 41st International Kolkata Book Fair as we are looking forward to higher footfall in this edition," Chatterjee told reporters.

The senior Guild official, who was addressing a press meet flanked by State Bank of India, CESC Ltd and heritage partner West Bengal Khadi and Village Industries Board officials, said SBI has extended all help to make seamless monetary transaction at the fair, which has Costa Rica as the focal theme country this year.

The fair will be held from January 25 to February 5 with Costarican author Roxana Pinto Lopez sharing dias with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the inaugural ceremony on January 25.

SBI CGM (East) Pratha Pratim Sengupta said there will be six cash vans with POS machines in each which will aaccept debit cards of any bank and book lovers can buy books/items worth Rs 2,000 each day.

Besides, people can make purchases through currency as usual while publishers can take small coins/currency through the SBI branch extension counter in the fair ground, through their current account, Sengupta said.

"There will be steps to download SBIBUDDY mobile application seamlessly to ensure there are no glitches in our very dear book festival, which is famed all over the world," he said.

Chatterjee said besides Costarica, an art loving nation, writers from eight countries - Greece, Scotland, Australia, Egypt, USA, Bangladesh and Spain - will be attending lectures at the Kolkata Literature festival at the Book Fair, which will take place from February 2 to 4.

Five halls of the Book Fair, hosting mainly English publications, have been named after stalwarts like Mahasweta Devi, Syed Samsul Haque, Umberto Eco among others.

In a 360 degree change in the layout plan of the fair, small regional publishers have been alloted ready-to-use stalls at prime locations on the fair ground at a subsidised rate in AC hangars, Chatterjee said.

The fair, the largest one of its kind in the world in terms of public participation, will have 600 stalls and 200 little magazine koisks.

"The Book Fair gives us an opportunity to promote regional book industry globally and we remain commited," Chatterjee added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As a "proud daughter" of Indian- American immigrants, Nikki Haley, tapped by US President-elect Donald Trump to be UN ambassador, will embody vibrant parts of the American society before the world forum, the Trump Transition team has said.

South Carolina Governor Haley, whose Sikh parents immigrated from Punjab, is the highest ranking Indian-American nominated in the Trump Administration.

"As a proud daughter of Indian-American immigrants and as a 44-year-old mother of teenage children, she will embody vibrant parts of the American society before the world forum," the incoming White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, told reporters during a conference call.

"As governor, she has led South Carolina through major crisis's with bold strength but also with compassion. Governor Haley successfully led trade missions to Japan, Germany, France and Canada as well as a widely-praised trip to India that was celebrated in that vital part of the world," he said.

"The governor has a proven ability to make agreements with foreign counterparts and business leaders for the betterment of the US," Spicer said.

Even as she has no experience in diplomacy and foreign policy, Haley's confirmation hearing was praised by several top American lawmakers.

"I know that Governor Haley is a fierce advocate for US interests, all of us who met with her in our offices have seen that. I really do believe that she is a person that knows the United Nations needs tremendous reform and change, and I really believe we have a right to demand that as the largest contributor, as the greatest country on Earth," said Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Introducing Haley at the confirmation hearing the South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham said she is the right person at the right person to serve as UN Ambassador.

"I think Nikki Haley, our Governor in South Carolina, is the right person at the right time. She represents a combination of intellect, determination, grace, and an understanding of America that the world needs to hear," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi High Court today told a petitioner, who has sought declaration of the two-day sitting of Delhi Legislative Assembly that ended yesterday and its decisions as "illegal", that he had impleaded wrong respondents.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva adjourned the matter to February 6 to give time to the petitioner to implead the correct authorities as respondents, as the court was of the view that Chief Secretary and Delhi government were incorrectly made respondents.

"Who is calling the session? Chief Secretary is the Executive. Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) is not the legislative assembly. You have impleaded the wrong respondents. You have impleaded the Executive. Is the legislative assembly subordinate to GNCTD? GNCTD is nobody to call the session," the court said.

To this, advocate R P Luthra, appearing for the petitioner, said the session was called "at the instance of the Chief Minister" and said the assembly was a wing of the government.

"Legislative Assembly is an independent entity," the court said in response and adjourned the matter.

At the start of the hearing, the court asked Luthra, appearing for petitioner Prashant Kumar Umrao, as to what survived in the petition as the session had ended yesterday.

The court also said the petitioner will have to show why the sessions cannot be broken into parts as in the instant situation where the two-day session of January 17-18, 2017, was part of last year's Winter Session.

The petitioner's lawyer contended that sessions cannot be broken into parts and alleged that the latest two day session was held illegally.

Since it was illegal, the "consequential relief" of declaring as "void and illegal" the decisions taken during the two days, would survive, he claimed.

The High Court had yesterday also refused to give an urgent hearing to the matter and listed the petition today.

The petition has claimed that by not inviting the Lieutenant Governor to address the Delhi Legislative Assembly, the AAP government was "dishonouring" its office.

It further said the rules stipulate that at commencement of the first session each year, LG shall address the House.

Yesterday when the sixth segment of the ongoing fourth session of the Assembly commenced, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta had objected to it saying by not inviting new Lt Governor Anil Baijal to address the "first session of the year", the government has "violated and misused" rules.

Speaker Ram Niwas Goel had rejected Gupta's charge, saying this sitting was not a new session in a new calender year but continuation of an ongoing one.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Allahabad High Court today sought to know from the Uttar Pradesh government what steps have been taken to ensure the safety and security of Hindus in Kairana, whose alleged exodus following extortion threats and violent attacks by local musclemen, led to a political controversy.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Yashwant Verma asked the state government to file its reply within two weeks and apprise the court about the whereabouts of the hundreds of Hindus, who have reportedly fled the town located in Shamli district of western UP.

The order was passed on a PIL filed by a social worker, Lokesh Khurana, who has sought a direction to the Union Home Ministry to take cognisance of the plight of Kairana's Hindus, who are in a minority there, and order a CBI inquiry into the atrocities against them which was allegedly not being investigated by the state police due to "political pressure".

The petitioner has alleged that the state's Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police had declined to appear before the National Human Rights Commission when they were summoned in this connection.

The alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana made headlines last year when local BJP MP Hukum Singh released a list of more than 300 Hindu families who had reportedly fled the town following repeated extortion threats and violent attacks.

Singh had alleged that the ruling Samajwadi Party was preventing action against anti-social elements responsible for the exodus since they happened to be its supporters.

The issue had also figured prominently at the BJP's National Executive meeting held in Allahabad in June, which was attended by the party's top brass including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and president Amit Shah.

However, the allegations were countered by SP which charged BJP with trying to trigger communal tension in western UP with an eye on political gains ahead of Assembly polls in the state.

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The Madras High Court today warned the Tamil Nadu government it will step in and issue guidelines unless it was informed about the proposed draft legislation to prevent 'katta panchayats' or kangaroo courts to be presented in the assembly is ready by next date of hearing.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sundar gave the warning while hearing a batch of PILs including that of an advocate K Gopal.

"We are constrained to draw the only conclusion that the state government does not seem to be interested in drawing up legislation on this important issue, though the Advocate General (AG) contends that the draft legislation will be ready in two months time."



"We will have little option but to step in and issue guidelines in terms of the report of the amicus curiae to fill in the vacuum existing in this behalf so as to sub-serve the judicial system and prevent its subversion."



"We propose to issue the necessary guidelines in this behalf on the next date of hearing unless we are informed that the draft legislation proposed to be introduced in the assembly to prevent katta panchayats is ready," the judges said.

The matter has been pending since 2006.

Already several interim orders had been passed against katta panchayats by various benches. In continuation of this, the matter came up before court today.

In 2005, Gopal moved the high court to direct Inspector of Police at Thiruvottiyur to register his complaint and direct 'Nalla Thannner odai Kuppam Meenavar Grama Sabha' in the area to return Rs 40,000 collected illegally by such a court.

In 2006, the high court had treated as PIL a report in a leading Tamil daily, which said that four persons, including a woman, were isolated from a village by the katta panchayat and that she was fined Rs 500 for giving water to her son.

Then the bench perused a report filed by the court appointed amicus curiae and said his was that the appropriate remedy would be a legislation to deal with the aspect of katta panchayats.

"We are pained at the approach adopted by the state government in not doing anything about an issue like kattap panchayats, which seeks to subvert the judicial process and consequently, the Constitution of India. We have been receiving only assurances despite the ground work done by amicus curiae while submitting his report," the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing to March 24.

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The BJP in Himachal Pradesh has accused the Virbhadra Singh-led state government of cheating the people by providing multifold benefits to a few private players.

State BJP spokespersons Himanshu Mishra and Rakesh Sharma said one MRC group of Punjab has been allotted a piece of land of bus stand at Hindu Shrine Chintpurni for a 33-year lease term at Rs 56 lakh per year.

"Earlier, the parking fee was collected by the state government and the income per year was Rs 125 lakh. This clearly shows that the government itself has reduced the income by Rs 69 lakh per year," Mishra told reporters.

The parking fee of Rs 30 for cars and Rs 100 for buses has been raised by the group to Rs 100 and Rs 250 for cars and buses respectively, making multifold loss to the government, Sharma said.

"This 26 Kanal of land was donated to the Himachal Pradesh government by three devotees to built a bus stand with an agreement that it must not be used for any other purpose. The MRC group, however, is going to build a shopping complex there besides collecting increased parking fee," Mishra said.

The two BJP leaders said the ruling Congress party is cheating the public and would be shown the back door in this year's assembly elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL), which is currently functioning from its Corporate Head Quarters (CHQ) at Kolkata will be shifted to Guwahati.

In a letter from HPCL to the state Industries and Commerce minister, company Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD), Shashi Kanth Jain has stated that the process to shift the office has already started, a release issued by HPCL said here today.

Meanwhile, Assam Industries and Commerce minister Chandra Mohan Patowary has in a letter to the CMD has stated that the office of the Inland Water Transport (IWT) building at Ulubari in Guwahati has been provided to HPCL for setting up of its office.

As a goodwill gesture, the minister assured that no rent would be payable by HPC for the time being till the company is back to profit, the release added.

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Kashmiri Pandits today staged a protest on the occasion of their Holocaust Day in front of Raj Bhawan here and blamed the successive governments for their "failure" to punish the militants who killed hundreds of their community members in the Valley in the 1990s.

A joint protest was staged by various Kashmiri Pandits' organisations in front of Raj Bhawan here on a call of the All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC).

Displaced Kashmiri Pandits, who were forced to flee from Kashmir valley to Jammu and other states in the early 90s soon after the outbreak of militancy in the state, observe this day as their Holocaust Day.

Besides Jammu, Holocaust Day was observed at Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chandigarh etc.

Apart from the ASKPC, the All Party Migrant Coordination Committee (APMCC), Panun Kashmir, All Displaced KP United Forum, JK Democratic Front, Sampuran Kashmiri Sangathan, Jagti Coordination Committee, NC minority cell, BJP minority cell, Sharika Peeth Sansthan, Jammu Kashmir Vichar Manch and other social organisations took part in the protest here.

ASKPC chief Ravinder Raina, in his address, demanded a white paper from the government on the reasons that had led to the forced exodus of Pandits from the Valley.

He alleged that the brutal killings of Pandits by terrorists, supported by "pan-Islamist fundamentalists" were never probed even after the culprits confessed to their crime publicly.

Holocaust Day was observed by the All Migrant Camp Coordination Committee at the Jagti township.

The APMCC observed Holocaust Day at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

Led by the Jammu Kashmir Vichar Manch (JKVM), Kashmir Samiti Delhi, Roots in Kashmir (RIK) and Panun Kashmir, the protesters demanded that their human rights be restored as they had faced discrimination over the years.

Sanjay Ganjoo of JKVM said, "Minds were imbibed with fear and insecurity and we were forcefully made to flee our native land in the wake of a freedom movement."



"Not only were we living under the sustained threat of ethnic cleansing by terrorists, over five lakh Kashmiri Pandits were forcefully evicted, defamed, killed and the women brutally raped simply because they were Hindus and seen as symbols of India," Sumeer Chrungoo of the Kashmir Samiti Delhi said.

(REOPENS DES 71)



Observing the day by organising a seminar with the theme 'Ek Bharat Abhiyan-Kashmir Ki Aur', the Panun Kashmir warned the Centre about Kashmir becoming like Syria or Afghanistan and passed a resolution reiterating the necessity for a separate homeland for Kashmiri Hindus.

Delegates from across the country gathered at Abhinav theatre on the occasion.

All of them unanimously endorsed the Separate Homeland Demand as envisaged in the MargadarshanResolution of 1991.

The Panun Kashmir reiterated the necessity for a separate homeland for Kashmiri Hindus to the north and east of the Vitasta river in Kashmir.

"J&K is fast turning into an ungoverned territory like Syria and Afghanistan and efforts must be made by the GoI (Government of India) to devise a mechanism to give a death knell to those who are out to dismember India," the resolution passed in this regard said.

BJP lawmaker Surinder Ambardar and Udhampur MLA Pawan Gupta, a former minister in the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir, took part in the seminar among others.

Ambardar appreciated Panun Kashmir's role in highlighting the plight and agony of Kashmiri Hindus over the last 27 years.

Later, he told reporters that the government should talk to the representatives of Panun Kashmir.

Founder of the Sri Ram Sena Pramod Muthalik talked about the "threat of growing Islamic fundamentalism" in India and claimed that there were "5,000 Kashmirs in the making".

"A serious resurgence needs to shape to thwart the designs of the forces inimical to the Sanatan Hindu Civilisation," he added.

Former DGP MM Khajooria talked about the "havoc" inflicted by the religious fanatics on the minorities of the state.

Tapan Ghosh, a nationalist ideologue from West Bengal, said the religious cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus was a "red signal" for the entire nation.

Academician Kashi Nath Pandita, Agnishekhar, convenor, Panun Kashmir, former head of the History department of Jammu University Hari Om and others spoke on the occasion.
The Philippines expressed hope today of securing a permanent ceasefire deal with communist rebels waging one of Asia's longest insurgencies, as peace talks resumed in Italy.

The communists have been waging a "national democratic revolution" since 1968 to overthrow a capitalist system that has created one of Asia's biggest rich-poor divides and claimed 30,000 lives, according to the military.

A new round of negotiations began in Rome on Thursday, with the government's chief negotiator Silvestre Bello saying longstanding contentious issues could be "hurdled".

"I am one with President (Rodrigo) Duterte's optimism that in this round of talks, we are able to finalise and approve the joint ceasefire agreement," Bello said at the opening of the talks.

"There are reasons to hope we can hurdle the task."



Duterte, 71, said it was his "dream" to secure a lasting peace deal within his six-year term.

After assuming office in June last year, the self-styled socialist launched the peace process and appointed three communists to his cabinet.

Both sides agreed to a temporary ceasefire during talks in Norway last August.

The government said then it was aiming for a final peace deal within 12 months.

However, the communists said this week they 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.

Yesterday, the communists' chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili reiterated the rebels' demand that nearly 400 jailed guerillas be released.

Duterte last year released 18 top leaders to kickstart the peace process but had refused to free the rest, calling them his "aces" in a "poker game".

"The broken promises on the release of political prisoners have made the extension of the (communist) unilateral ceasefire untenable," Agcaoili said.

In the week-long talks in Rome, negotiators will discuss some of the toughest and most complicated issues involving political, economic and constitutional reforms at the heart of the communists' grievances.

Despite the obstacles, the communists understand their best chance for securing most of their goals is during the presidency of Duterte, who has pivoted his nation's foreign policy away from the United States towards China.

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The Income Tax department has launched prosecution in court against a Telangana MLA for allegedly amassing undisclosed income worth Rs 500 crore in a case of tax evasion.

The I-T department, officials said, has initiated action against Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) MLA S Rajender Reddy and has charged him under "sections 276 (1) and 277 of the I-T Act" pertaining to offences of wilful attempt to evade taxes and false statement in verification.

When contacted by PTI, Reddy's gunman said the "legislator is in a meeting and cannot take calls right now".

Reddy is an MLA from the Narayanpet Assembly constituency in Mahbubnagar district of Telangana.

He had last year switched sides from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and had joined the party in power in the state.

The I-T action came after the Bengaluru investigation wing of the department had carried out searches against Reddy and his educational trusts in December, 2015 and the operation led the taxman to seize "cash of about Rs 20 crore, seizure of highly incriminating documents and detection of undisclosed income of more than Rs 500 crore".

After the prosecution was filed by the tax department in a court in Raichur in Karnataka in November last, the MLA had last month filed an anticipatory bail before the Principal Sessions Court which allowed his plea but not before asking the lawmaker to furnish a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh and surety bonds of equal sums from two other people before the Investigating Officer (IO) of the case.

The MLA, they said, appeared before the IO on January 5 and furnished the bonds as directed by the Court.

The I-T probe found that the MLA was allegedly indulging in large-scale evasion through his educational trusts and a medical college and a report prepared in this regard said this act was leading to "substantial loss of revenue to the government".

The tax report said that Reddy has been charged under the stringent provisions of the I-T Act, 1961 which entail a rigorous imprisonment of up to seven years along with a fine.

The case will now be taken up for regular hearing by the competent court, they said.

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Hitting out at Pakistan without naming it, a former top Afghan security official today said India should do more in Afghanistan as both the nations are being "bitten by a common snake", as he claimed terror has killed over 20,000 people in his country.

Security experts also raised concerns over talks of "conditioning security assistance" to Pakistan and said such a approach requires a critical look.

Last week, in his written submission to the Senate Armed Services Committee President-elect Donald Trump's Defence Secretary nominee Gen (retd) James Mattis had noted that "conditioning our security assistance" to Pakistan has a mixed history, "but I will review all option."



Amrullah Saleh, former head of the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan, said the West is making a mistake in its understanding the narrative in Afghanistan and assuming that the situation there is still like it was in the 90s.

He said the talks of reconciliation with the Taliban and other insurgent groups should not be Afghan-led, but it should be by the Afghanistan government.

"India has won hearts of people of Afghanistan by doing good work in education, energy, urban development.

"But as India is rising and pursuing noble cause of partnership, it should do more in Afghanistan because we face a common enemy and being bitten by the same snake. There is a neighbour who is training snakes and are in the business of selling snake venom," Saleh said without naming Pakistan.

He was speaking at session on Terror Inc- Combating State and non-State actors at the Raisina Dialogue 2017.

Saleh said the US policy of a possible conditioning security assistance to Pakistan needs a "critical look".

"The policy of giving aid, incentives to delink Pakistan army from insurgents and non-State actors has not worked," Saleh said.

Christine Fair, Associate Professor, Georgetown University, USA and an expert on Pakistan, advocated change in India's approach towards terrorism.

She said, India should focus on taking on core leaders of the terror groups as it would help repel threats before they enter India.

Fair also advocated radical reforms in the police system, especially in insurgency affected areas like Jammu and Kashmir, because once the terrorists enter India, "it becomes a law and order problem".

(Reopens DEL 94)



She also advocated a sub-conventional deterrence to tackle Pakistan and terror groups sponsored by it.

Faizan Sobhan, Research Director, Bangladesh Enterprise Institute said one requires innovative solution to tackle the problem of terror and advocated a national, regional and international plan to tackle the menace.

Sobhan also advocated greater coordination within the SAARC to deal with terrorism.

Foad Izadi, a senior consultant at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iran, said there are several schools of thought in Islam that promote terrorism and Muslims have not been able to fix it.

Boris Michel, Director (Asia-Pacific), International Committee of the Red Cross, said civilians are the first victims of terror.
Ahead of the visit of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade here, India and UAE will hold their first strategic dialogue tomorrow to discuss cooperation in key areas including energy, trade and security.

Announcing Al Nahyan's visit between January 24-26, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup today said the dignitary would call on the President and the Vice-President as well as hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on "bilateral, regional and global issues of common interest".

The Strategic Dialogue, being held for the first time since the two sides have agreed to elevate the mutually beneficial relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership after Modi's visit there in 2015, will be co- chaired by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs M J Akbar and his Saudi counterpart Anwar Mohammed Gargash.

According to officials, the Strategic Cooperation Agreement is expected to be finalised during tomorrow's meeting and is likely to be signed after the meeting between Modi and Al Nahyan, who is also Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of UAE.

This is the second visit of the Crown Prince to India who travelled here in February 2016. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers, senior officials and captains of industry.

During the visit, the two sides will explore ways to strengthen ties in key areas of energy and trade.

The two countries have been among each other's top trading partners with a well-balanced bilateral trade of about USD 50 billion in 2015-16.

"UAE is among the top investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments. It contributes significantly to India's energy security and is the fifth largest supplier of crude oil to India in 2015-16," Swarup said.

Noting that there was about 2.6 million strong and vibrant Indian community forms the largest expatriate group in UAE, he said, "Their positive and well-appreciated contribution in the development of their host country has been an important anchor of our excellent bilateral engagement.

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Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna will represent the country at Donald Trump's Presidential inauguration tomorrow.

"In keeping with the established traditions for the Presidential inauguration followed by the US, our Ambassador to the US will attend the President-elect Trump's inauguration and related official events on January 20," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Sawrup said, adding there was no plan of participation by any senior Indian government official.

Swarup also hoped that Indo-US India ties, which has got bipartisan support so far, will continue to get support from the incoming administration to strengthen the cooperation in various sectors.

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An Indian-origin ex-private equity investor has been jailed for 20 months for tipping off two friends about the proposed 2013 acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company by India-based Apollo Tyre, an insider trading scheme that netted over USD 1 million in illegal profits.

Amit Kanodia, 49, of Brookline, was sentenced yesterday by US District Court Judge Nathaniel Gorton to 20 months in prison, two years of supervised release including 100 hours of community service, a fine of USD 200,000 and forfeiture of USD 242,500.

He was also ordered to forfeit USD 242,500, which represented his portion of the illegal trading profits. In October last year, Kanodia was convicted by a federal jury, following a six-day trial, of one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of securities fraud.

In the spring of 2013, Kanodia tipped off his two friends, Iftikar Ahmed and Steven Watson, about the contemplated acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company by India-based Apollo Tyres.

Kanodia learned about the possible acquisition from his wife who was General Counsel for Apollo at the time. In the months leading up to the public announcement of the acquisition, both Ahmed and Watson purchased shares and options in Cooper Tire, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange.

On the day of the announcement, Cooper Tire's share price increased 41 per cent, and Ahmed and Watson began selling their interests in the company for a combined profit of more than USD 1 million.

Both Ahmed and Watson paid Kanodia a portion of their illegal profits as part of the deal between them.

In November 2016, Watson was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay a fine of USD 25,000. He was also ordered to forfeit the almost USD 170,000 in illegal trading profits that he made on the scheme. Ahmed, an IIT Delhi and Harvard Business School graduate, remains a fugitive.

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A 46-year-old Indian-origin woman's body was found hidden in a suitcase dumped in an alleyway in the UK following which a man, believed to be her ex-husband, has been charged with murder.

Kiran Daudia's body was discovered by a member of public in a walkway off Cromer Street, Leicester, on Tuesday.

Kiran, a mother of two, was a call centre worker with popular UK retailer Next in the city in the East Midlands region of England.

Leicestershire Police said they had charged Ashwin Daudia, 50, with murder and remanded him in custody. Daudia, of Lyme Road, Leicester, will appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court today.'



The man arrested is believed to be Kiran's ex-husband.

"A 50-year-old man has been charged with murder following the body of woman being discovered in a suitcase. He has been remanded into custody and will appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court," Leicestershire Police said in a statement.

Cromer Street and a nearby property on Mayfield Road remained cordoned off yesterday while police examined the scene.

Anyone who may have seen someone "pulling a suitcase" in the area of Lyme Street and the alleyway behind Cromer Street in the late afternoon or early evening of Monday has been urged to contact the force.

Family of Kiranhave spoken of their devastation following her tragic death. In a statement they said: "Kiran was a much loved mum, daughter, sister and auntie, and she will be deeply missed by us all. We ask that our privacy be respected during this very difficult time."



Daudia's former workplace also expressed shock at her death. A spokesperson for Next said: "Next is shocked to learn of the tragic death of our colleague Mrs Kiran Daudia in such horrific circumstances.

"Kiran was a long-standing, much loved and highly respected member of our Customer Services Team, having worked at Next for over 17 years. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and co-workers at this saddest of times. She will be sorely missed.

"Naturally this is a police matter and Next is co-operating fully with the investigation. As it is an on-going situation Next is unable to comment further."



Neighbours said they feared the victim may be a local woman who disappeared shortly before the case was discovered.

Jasbir Kaur said she spoke to the missing woman's sister at around 9.30 AM yesterday.

"The woman said my sister is missing. She was last seen when she finished work at 2:00 PM yesterday. She left work and did not come home," Kaur said.

Forensic officers carried out a number of searches after the grim find, and door-to-door enquires were carried out in the area.

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Officers in the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) are "motivated" and "professional" and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) would like to work with them in accordance with their geographical expansion, its Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Boris Michel said today.

"We have worked with the India's peace keeping forces and have found them motivated, polite and professional. We would like to work in the other geographies too to which they are expanding," he said.

Speaking at a discussion organised by the Foreign Correspondents Club, Boris said that in several contexts, blatant disregard for the law of war was observed.

"Direct attacks against civilian population, schools and hospital bombings and triggering of massive displacements have been observed in several cases," he said at the discussion on 'the changing humanitarian landscape from Afghanistan to Syria'.

Among various measures to rescue people suffering in war and conflicts, he pitched for promoting political commitment, humanitarian diplomacy, and perseverance to find humanitarian solutions.

Boris also revealed about ICRC's efforts in rescuing a colleague of the committee who was kidnapped in Afghanistan.

"Our colleague Juancarlos who was a humanitarian worker was released on January 15. He was taken hostage on December 19 last year. We had to bring down our activities to rescue our colleague," he told PTI.

On the Sri Lankan Tamil issue, he said, "We are working with the Sri Lankan government to meet their obligations".

"They seem to have been facing a lot of pressure due to resettlement and reconciliation works after the conflict was over. Apart from that we are also working with the families of the missing, and sexually abused during the conflict," Boris said.

Concluding the discussion, Boris said the future is "complicated" unless every individual considers solidarity, humanity and concern for environment.

ICRC is a humanitarian institution based in Switzerland and has a mandate to protect victims of international and internal armed conflicts.

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Underlining India's key role in South Asia, a prominent Indian-American Republican closely associated with vice-president-elect Mike Pence has said that will further strengthen under the incoming Trump administration.

"President-elect Donald Trump and Vice-president-elect Pence are aware that India will play a key role in South Asia for US and a great strategic partner in global development," Raju Chintala, from Pence's home State of Indiana, said.

"The new administration under leadership of President Trump will continue to strengthen and widen relations between India and US, especially defence and commerce," said Chintala who landed in Washington DC from Indianapolis as part of the Republican delegation from Indiana to participate in the presidential inauguration and various related events including the presidential ball on Friday night.

"It will be a rewarding partnership for both India and the US," Chintala said.

"Terrorism is another area that Trump administration will collaborate with India," Chintala said hoping that Trump will focus on eradicating ISIS and terrorism during his tenure.

As Indiana Governor, Chintala said, Pence had planned to visit India this year.

"Pence wanted to visit India and recognises potential exports for US companies," he said, adding that the vice-president elect is very much keen to enhance business and trade relationship with India.

Born and raised in the Nalgonda District of Telangana, Chintala has known Pence for more than a decade now and is known as a close acquaintance of the vice-president elect ever since he was a member of the US House of Representative and thereafter became Governor of Indiana.

Since graduating from the Indiana Leadership Forum in 2004, Chintala has advised federal and state elected officials; actively served in political campaigns at the city, state, and federal levels.

He is one of the only few Asian Americans to seek elected office in the State of Indiana; and worked on behalf of the Republican Party in other capacities.

He was an alternate delegate from Indiana at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last summer.
Indonesia's anti-graft commission has named a former top executive of national flag carrier Garuda as a suspect in a case involving bribes for the purchase of Rolls Royce aircraft engines.

A deputy chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission, Laode Syarif, said today that the bribery occurred between 2005 and 2014, the period when Emirsyah Satar was Garuda's president-director.

Satar is alleged to have received bribes totaling USD 3.45 million for procurement of Rolls-Royce engines for some 50 Airbus planes owned by Garuda.

Syarif said Satar received the bribes via another suspect who has a Singapore-based company with businesses in Indonesia but who was not identified.

Rolls Royce on Tuesday agreed to pay 671 million pounds (USD 808 million) to settle bribery and corruption charges brought by authorities in Britain, the US and Brazil.

The British engineering giant apologized for the scandal that involved paying millions of dollars in bribes to secure orders in six countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia and China.

Syarif said the bribes in the Indonesian case included goods worth about USD 2 million discovered by the commission in Jakarta and Singapore.

Anti-corruption investigators have searched several locations including the houses and offices of Satar and the Singapore-related suspect since Monday to gather evidence for the case, Syarif said.

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Infant mortality rate (IMR) has considerably decreased in Jammu and Kashmir and came well below the national average, the state government informed the Legislative Council today.

IMR in the state has come down from 34 per cent to 26 per cent which is well below the national average of 37 percent, Health and Medical Education minister Bali Baghat said replying to supplementary questions of PDP member Firdous Ahmad Tak, BJP member Surinder Mohan Ambardar and NC MLC Sajad Ahmad Kichloo.

Highlighting the measures taken to improve healthcare, the Minister said the government has focused on filling the gap of medicos and paramedics in the hospitals especially in remote areas.

The doctors recently selected by Public Service Commission would be posted at the earliest against vacant posts in the hospitals especially in remote areas, he said.

There was dearth of Radiologists in the Department and the government is imparting three month radiology training to the Medical Officers to meet the deficiency, the Minister added.

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Interpol President Meng Hongwei, who is also a Chinese vice minister, today paid a courtesy call on Nepalese President Vidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Prachanda and discussed how Interpol can step-up cooperation to address emerging security challenges.

Jurgen Stock, general secretary of Interpol and other senior Interpol officials were also present during the meeting.

They discussed about expansion and increase in cooperation, collaboration and coordination between Interpol and the Nepalese security agencies, according to a press release issued by the President's office.

Meanwhile, Meng, who is also China's vice minister for public security, also met Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda at the PM Secretariat here.

Prachanda thanked the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) for its support in empowerment of Nepal Police, a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office said.

The two sides also discussed Nepal-China bilateral relations as Meng was representing the Chinese government in the Conference, it added.

Interpol President Meng was in Kathmandu to participate in the 23rd Asian Regional Conference of Interpol being held between January 18 to 20.

The three-day meet themed - 'Law Enforcement Cooperation in Asia: current and future challenges' - brought together delegates, including heads of security agencies and government officials, from 33 countries of the region to discuss issues of human and drugs trafficking, terrorism and cybercrimes.

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The National Library of Israel said today it has acquired what is considered the world's greatest private collection of Hebrew books and manuscripts.

The Valmadonna Trust Library contains some 10,000 items including a 15th century copy of the Hebrew Bible and one of the only two surviving copies of a 16th century Passover manuscript from Prague.

The collection, assembled over decades by London collector Jack Lunzer, was entrusted to Sotheby's auction house in New York in 2009. Lunzer initially hoped the U.S. Library of Congress would acquire the collection, worth millions of dollars.

Instead, some gems of the collection were sold last year to private collectors for about USD 12 million. In recent weeks, the rest was acquired by Israel's national library and an Israeli private collector for an undisclosed sum.

The collection is currently located at Sotheby's in New York and will be transferred to its new owners in the coming weeks, according to Oren Weinberg of the National Library of Israel.

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YSR Congress President Y S Jaganmohan Reddy today came down heavily on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu over the "forcible" acquisition of land from farmers in the name of building the State's new capital city Amaravati.

"It is close to three years since the Chandrababu Government assumed power but till date it could not build anything in the capital. Nobody knows how the Assembly, Secretariat or High Court will look like or even where they will be built.

"The Chief Minister does not even have clarity on how much land is required for the capital," said Jagan, who toured several villages in the capital region and addressed farmers.

While the Government "forcibly" took away 27,000 acres under the "land pooling scheme", another 21,000 acres of assigned, Wakf and other lands were also taken away from the poor and hapless farmers. Thus, in all, 48,000 acres was acquired by the Government in the name of the capital."



"He (Chandrababu) goes to Singapore and says that country will design our capital's master plan. He goes to Sri Lanka and China and tells the same. And now, after watching the movie 'Bahubali', he asks its director Rajamouli to design the capital master plan," Jagan mocked.

Referring to the Interim Government Complex built at Velagapudi village, the Leader of Opposition said it was a "major scandal" as the State administration spent a staggering Rs 650 crore on a "temporary" structure.

"To build a 6 lakh sq ft area, the Government spent Rs 650 crore at a rate of over Rs 10,000 per sq ft. This is a major scam," he alleged.

The YSRC chief accused the TDP-led Government of handing over hundreds of acres of land - pooled from farmers - to private entities at a cheap price.

"Private companies of Singapore are being given away 1,600 acres of land under the Swiss Challenge method, for a meagre investment of Rs 306 crore."



"You are staying in a rented house. I will soon buy land, build a own house and stay in Amaravati. I will ensure that farmers of the region, from whom you snatched thousands of acres of land, get justice," Jagan said.

The YSRC leader visited Tadepalli, Penumaka, Nidamarru, Lingayapalem and other villages in the capital region and interacted with farmers.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek promulgation of an ordinance to allow Jallikattu amid wide protests in his state against the ban on the annual bull taming sport.

Panneerselvam met with Modi at his residence here soon after his arrival.

The Chief Minister had last night said that all possible legal means would be explored to ensure justice for the state on the issue even as he maintained that it should not be construed that the Centre was "ignoring" the state on the matter.

Meanwhile, a group of youngsters protested outside the Tamil Nadu house here against the ban on Jallikattu.

Actor Vishal is also expected to hold a protest on the issue at Jantar Mantar.

Thousands of students had yesterday protested against the ban in Tamil Nadu.

Faced with mounting anger on the streets, the Chief Minister had decided to meet the Prime Minister.

AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala had also lent her support to the agitation and demanded that the Centre come out with an ordinance allowing the sport.

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Protests demanding lifting of the ban on bull-taming sport 'jallikattu' have spread to outside India with the Tamil diaspora in Sri Lanka, Britain and Australia holding demonstrations against the ban.

Hundreds of UK-based Indian Tamils have come together to organise a series of protests in favour of Jallikattu this week in London and across the UK.

The protest group includes London Tamil Sangam, World Tamil Organisation and British South Indians. They held protests outside the Indian High Commission in London on Tuesday and yesterday. Protests are also planned in the city of Leeds in England and Dublin in Ireland.

"Hundreds have been turning out to highlight that Jallikattu is part of our tradition and identity. We are also working on a major hunger-strike this weekend to raise awareness around the issue in the UK. We are expecting over 1,000 people to join that protest," a spokesperson for the protest group told PTI.

The protesters have been carrying placards and chanting slogans in Tamil like, 'We need Jallikattu' and 'Jallikattu is our identity'.

The group has also prepared a petition for the Indian High Commission, which reads, "We, Indians living in the UK, have consistently shown our support to the conduct of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu. We are gathered here to morally support our brothers and sisters that are leading the peaceful protestations in Alanganallur, Madurai district of Tamil Nadu."



Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, protest was held in the Tamil minority dominated northern capital of Jaffna, yesterday. Hundreds of people held placards saying 'Why ban it when it is our culture' and 'This is a valued tradition lets permit it'.

Australian Tamil community has also joined the ongoing protest against the ban on Jallikattu by holding peaceful demonstrations in Melbourne and Sydney.

A demonstration is set to take place tomorrow in Sydney in a bid to support the traditional sport while another peaceful demonstration was held in Melbourne today.

"Jallikattu is an ancient and traditional Tamil sport. The (ancient) seals of the Indus Valley civilisation depict it, which is proof that this sport was in vogue more than five, six thousand years ago -- why ban it now? It is like taking away a part of our lifestyle," a protester Thiru Arumugam was quoted as saying by media reports in Sydney.

Anu Shivhaani Palaniappan, who was associated with Senaapathy Kangayam Cattle Research Foundation in Tamil Nadu, was quoted as saying, "there were hundreds of cattle breeds in India a century ago and now there are only 37."



"By banning Jallikattu, which is a practice to strengthen the bulls and bullocks, the multinationals can create a demand for cattle rearing," she said.

"Then, they will introduce their own breed varieties. They want to make money by selling us western cattle -- bull semen, medicine, etc," she alleged.

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Mathura police have arrested a son of Ram Vriksha Yadav, the main accused of the Jawahar Bagh violence in which 29 people were killed in the clashes between police and supporters of the cult leader last year.

Police on Tuesday arrested Vivek Yadav from near an ashram for allegedly posting provocative content on social media and for running the sect of which his father was the leader.

Ram Vriksha was among the 29 killed in the clashes but Vivek managed to escape.

"The accused was produced in court yesterday and has been sent to judicial custody," Superintendent of Police Mohit Gupta said.

The members of the sect, Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi, had encroached on the 270-acre Jawahar Bagh, which was government land, for two years and clashed with police when they tried to evict them.

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The Jammu and Kashmir government will set up the JK Urdu Promotion Council for development and promotion of the language in the state shortly, PDP minister Haseeb Drabu said today.

The state Minister for Finance and Culture informed the Legislative Council that the recommendations of the High Level Committee constituted to look into promotion of Urdu would be implemented shortly.

Replying to a question by PDP member Zaffar Iqbal Manhas in the Upper House, Drabu said the Committee, headed by Chief Secretary M I Khanday, has already submitted its recommendations.

He said as per the recommendations, an Urdu Academy will be constituted on lines of the premier J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.

The minister stated that the Committee also highlighted the work done by the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages in promoting Urdu.

"The Committee observed thatthe Academy of Art, Culture and Languages established in 1958 is activelyworkingforthe promotion of various languages enshrined in the 6th schedule of theConstitution of J&K, including Urdu.

"The Academy comes out with publications, conducts conferences, seminars, memorial lectures, poetic symposia, short story sessions, workshops and annual Urdu Mushairas for promoting the state's official language," Drabu said.

He said the Academy was also providing subsidy to authors for publications of their books in Urdu and various regional languages.

The PDP leader said an award has been introduced for best Urdu books to promote quality literature, while the Academy also provides financial assistance to authors in indigent circumstances.

"The Academy also holds writers' camps and conducts three year course in calligraphy," he added.

Legislator Mohammad Khurshid Alam suggested that Urdu be taught in schools as a compulsory subject.

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A Jordanian was charged today with stabbing to death his wife and two young daughters and seriously wounding a third in apparent "honour" killings, judicial and security sources said.

The killings took place yesterday in the northern town of Ramtha and the prosecutor charged the 28-year-old with premeditated murder, a judicial source said.

A security source said the man turned himself in to the authorities after the crime, claiming to have killed them to defend the family's "honour" because he "suspected that his wife was cheating on him".

According to the security source, the couple had a row during which the wife told her husband that their three daughters -- aged three, two and one -- were not his but fathered by another man.

"He went crazy and grabbed a kitchen knife with which he stabbed his wife and three daughters," said the source.

The wife and two of the girls -- the three-year-old and the two-year-old -- were killed on the spot while the one-year-old was admitted to hospital in a serious condition, the security source added.

Murder is punishable by death by hanging in Jordan, but courts usually commute or reduce sentences in cases of so-called "honour killings," particularly if the extended family urges leniency.

The conservative Muslim majority country sees around 15 to 20 such cases a year.

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The Press Council of India (PCI) today said it has taken suo motu cognisance of the murder of a Tamil Nadu-based journalist and called for a report on facts from the state government.

A statement released here said PCI chairman Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad has taken suo motu cognisance of the murder of S Karthigai Selvan, who worked in a Tamil weekly magazine, by unknown assailants on January 9 in Sattur Taluk of Virudhnagar district.

"Taking suo motu notice of the issue, the Hon'ble Chairman ordered to immediately call a report on facts of the case from the Chief Secretary, Secretary (Home), Government of Tamil Nadu, Director General of Police (DGP), Tamil Nadu and Superintendent of Police, Virudhnagar district," the statement said.

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The Enforcement Directorate today registered a money laundering case in the Katni district hawala racket to probe allegations that stash funds to the tune of Rs 500 crore were illegally routed by operatives using fake bank accounts post demonetisation.

Officials said the agency booked a criminal case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) taking cognisance of four FIRs registered by Madhya Pradesh Police and a recommendation sent in this regard by the state government to the ED headquarters in Delhi earlier.

The agency, they said, will soon send a team of officials from its offices in Indore and Mumbai to liaise with Katni Police who had registered the first case based on the complaints.

The case had assumed political overtones after Katni Superintendent of Police Gaurav Tiwari, considered to be instrumental in taking the probe into the case forward, was transferred on January 9 to Chhindwara by the government.

Under the said hawala racket, fake accounts were allegedly opened in a private bank branch under which scrapped old notes were deposited in Katni district.

A state government spokesperson had earlier said: "Some elements have exchanged currency (old notes) through fake bank accounts at a bank at Katni by forging the documents. The state government has decided that the ED should be urged to look into all these cases."



Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said the police have limited powers to probe such matters, but their investigation would continue.

"So, we are informing the ED about these cases," Chouhan had told reporters last week here.

Though the state government had termed Tiwari's transfer as a "routine" administrative affair, the development triggered a series of protests in Katni, located about 365 km from here.

Congress had alleged that the SP's was transfered to "hush up the scam".

"The name of a cabinet colleague of the chief minister also figured along with other influential people in this money laundering scam exposed by Tiwari," state Congress chief Arun Yadav had alleged.

"In a bid to cover up the matter, the state government removed Tiwari from Katni SP's post within six months of this posting," he had charged.

A Congress spokesperson had also said that this alleged money laundering "scam" is worth over Rs 500 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today asked the residents here to defeat "corrupt" SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal in the February 4 Punjab assembly polls.

He said the people of Jalalabad will be remembered for rising against corruption and misrule by defeating Sukhbir.

Kejriwal said that Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal have been contesting elections "collectively" for long and with the emergence of AAP in Punjab, they have been exposed.

He claimed that AAP has fielded its one of the "strongest" candidate, Bhagwant Mann against Sukhbir.

He alleged that Amarinder and Badal have again planned to contest collectively by fielding Ravneet Singh Bittu from Jalalabad and himself from Lambi.

He claimed that their plan to divide anti-incumbency votes will "fail" in the elections and Punjabis will choose AAP over these "corrupt" parties.

He promised that after the results on March 11, Majithia will be sent behind the bars before March 15.

Kejriwal criticised Badal government for allegedly ignoring the youth of Punjab and taking no step to generate employment in state.

He claimed that if elected the AAP government will provide jobs to 25 lakhs youth in the state.

The AAP leader said that agro based industry will be installed in the rural area and there will be 80 per cent quota of Punjab residents in these jobs.

He said that farmer of Punjab that used to be known for providing food to the whole country is committing suicide due to the "anti" peasants policies of Badal government.

Kejriwal promised to wave off the debt of state farmers and convert farming into a beneficial occupation.

He said that to uplift the peasantry, AAP government will implement the Swaminathan commission report in the state.

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A Kosovo court has sentenced seven Albanian citizens on charges of terror, participating in terror groups and recruiting for Islamic terror groups in Syria.

A statement today from the court in the capital, Pristina, said the seven defendants, identified only by their initials, received prison sentences ranging from 2  to 4  years.

Online site Kallxo.Com reports that some of them acknowledged having fought with anti-government forces in Syria, while others said they had gone to assist Syrian refugees in Turkey. A few expressed regret for going to Syria, the site says.

A few hundred Albanians from Kosovo are believed to have joined Islamic extremist groups and about 70 reportedly are still active with the groups in Syria and Iraq.

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A lady CISF constable single- handedly challenged and forced two snatchers to run, leaving behind their motorbike, despite getting no support from bystanders in east Delhi's South Ganesh Nagar area.

The snatchers managed to run away with the gold chain of the lady constable but they could not take their motorbike, which had came to halt and stopped as she scuffled with them, police said.

Premlata Kumari, 26, who is CISF constable and was going to Ghaziabad, was hit by the bike-borne snatchers while waiting for an auto-rickshaw in Ganesh Nagar around 8.30 pm yesterday.

As she fell down on the ground the duo snatched her gold chain and tried to escape. However, Premlata collected herself and scuffled with them, toppling them from motorbike.

She also hit back as the duo assaulted her but she gave up as no one from the crowd of bystanders came to help her.

However, when the duo tried to pick up their bike to flee she took a brick and chased forcing them to run away. Despite getting hurt she made a PCR call and reported the matter to police.

A case has been registered at Mandawali police station on the complaint of the constable and the snatchers are likely to be arrested soon, said a senior police officer.

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Warning against protectionism, ministers of G20 nations today called for redoubling efforts to promote inclusive growth as part of free trade.

"If you want to get more inclusive growth, you need more free trade," Germany's Minister of Finance Wolfgang Schauble said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meet here.

He also emphasised that G20 should be redoubling efforts to promote inclusive growth as part of free trade.

Argentina's Minister of Treasury Nicolas Dujovne said after being closed to international trade, his country would embrace globalisation.

Germany holds the G20 presidency, which would be later taken over by Argentina.

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said protectionism is bad for global economy, adding that evidence shows that inequalities constrain global growth.

Uncertainties seem to have risen globally especially after the Brexit referendum and Donald Trump emerging victorious in the US Presidential polls.

South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said he expects the US to continue to play a key role in enabling global growth and creating the right framework for inclusivity.

"Collective determination can lift global growth and ensure all economies benefit at the right time," he noted.

The annual meet of the WEF is happening under the theme 'Responsive and Responsible Leadership' with participation of people from nearly 100 countries.

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A top Lashkar-e-Taiba militant, believed to be nephew of the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, was today gunned down by security forces in an encounter in north Kashmir's Bandipora district.

Abu Musaib, a self-styled divisional commander of LeT, was active in Bandipora and Ganderbal districts since August 2015 and involved in many militancy-related activities including a suicide attack on a CRPF camp on Independence Day in downtown Srinagar last year, police said.

A police spokesman said the force, aided by Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF personnel, cordoned off Para Mohalla locality of Hajin, 32 kms from here, following specific information about the presence of militants there in the morning.

The hiding militant opened fire on the joint search party, triggering an encounter. The gunfight ended with the killing of a militant who was later identified as Musaib, a Pakistani national, the spokesman said.

"Musaib, reportedly a nephew of LeT operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, was functioning as self-style divisional commander of the terrorist group in the Valley," he said.

An AK-56 rifle, three magazines, 66 rounds, a radio set and three grenades were seized from the encounter site.

"The militant was active in Bandipora and Ganderbal districts since August 2015 and was involved in many militancy -related activities which included weapon snatching of an army personnel of 14 Rashtriya Rifles in Bandipora in October 2015.

"He was responsible for injuring a civilian at Hajin, and firing on an army patrol of 13 Rashtriya Rifles in which two personnel were killed last year.

"He played an active role in organising the Fidayeen attack at Nowhatta locality of downtown Srinagar on August 15 last year," the spokesman said.

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For residents Diwar and Vanxim, water locked by river Mandovi in Goa, the upcoming assembly election is yet another opportunity to press for their long pending demand of a bridge that will connect them to mainland.

Residents of the twin islands have been demanding a bridge between Diwar to Ribander, or Diwar to Old Goa, which will also facilitate people from Vanxim to travel to the main city.

Currently, there are two ferry boats that link people of Diwar, known for its traditional festivals like 'Bonderam' (festival of flags), to Ribander and Old Goa. Residents of Vanxim on the other hand, first take a ferry to Diwar and from there another to reach Ribandar or Old Goa, which is dotting Panaji city.

According to locals, they have made the demand on several occasions to the BJP-led state government, which has constructed a number of bridges across the state.

"There are some people who are wealthy, who don't want the bridge but most people in both the islands want a bridge to be constructed," social worker Jerry D'Souza, who has been at the forefront of a signature campaign on the issue, said.

The picturesque Diwar island, which is home to traditional Portuguese-era houses, has witnessed minor protests in the past demanding a bridge, but none turned into an effective one, given the peace-loving nature of the people, D'Souza's said, adding that his signature campaign organised at Diwar also failed to fetch desired results.

Located near Panaji, people in Diwar are put to test during medical emergencies and patients have to be taken to hospitals through ferry service and the problems compound during an emergency in night.

D'Souza, however, said that a lot of development has taken place in Diwar like getting underwater pipeline, but bridge demand is a key necessity for island dwellers.

"Few years back, you would have had to go through a bumpy ride to reach to any place on this island. But in the last two years, roads are tarred. Development has happened here," he said.

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The ultimate winners of banks deserting Brexit-bound London will not be rival financial hubs in Europe but New York and Asia, the British capital's mayor warned today.

Sadiq Khan spoke to AFP at the World Economic Forum shortly after Prime Minister Theresa May told the meeting in Davos that Britain would remain open for business, even as some banks start shifting jobs from London to Europe.

While May insists that Britain will abandon the EU's common market, Khan said she should press still in Brexit negotiations for "privileged access" to the trading area and for London to have the ability to hire the right talent from abroad.

After meeting Norway's prime minister, Khan said he was telling European partners in Davos that "so-called hard Brexit may not benefit London or the UK because firms will leave London, but there's no guarantee they're going to go to Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt or Berlin".

"The reality is they'll probably go to Hong Kong, Singapore or New York. So a so-called hard Brexit could be a lose-lose, a lose for London and the UK, and a lose for the EU too," he said.

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Women from low socio-economic backgrounds are 25 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack than disadvantaged men, according to a major new study which emphasises the need for tailored interventions for women to address the gender gap.

Researchers from The George Institute for Global Health in the UK examined data from 22 million people from North America, Europe, Asia and Australasia.

In a review of 116 studies they demonstrated a lower socio-economic status, compared to a higher, is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease for both sexes, but women from more disadvantaged backgrounds were relatively more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease than similarly affected men. There was no difference found for stroke however.

"It is widely known that people from disadvantaged backgrounds are at greater risk of heart attack and stroke than people with more affluent backgrounds," said Sanne Peters, Research Fellow at The George Institute.

"However, our study has shown there is a significant difference between the sexes. More disadvantaged women are suffering from heart disease than their male counterparts, which is concerning," said Peters.

"Men and women have a similar lifetime risk of heart disease. However, women, on average, develop heart disease five to 10 years later in life than men.

"This advantage is smaller among women with a lower socioeconomic status. We need to examine why this is happening and make sure women are able to access lifesaving treatment," Peters added.

Cardiovascular disease is the single leading cause of death in women worldwide, with an estimated 8.6 million women dying every year, researchers said.

The study demonstrate a need for tailored interventions for women to address the gender gap and deliver the best possible care.

"There is a clear need for sex specific research to discover why disproportionally more women than men are suffering from heart disease in disadvantaged communities and to deliver prevention and treatment programs that will reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease around the world," said Peters.

"However this is beyond just closing the gender gap. We also need to ensure that everyone has the best possible health outcomes and treatment. It should not be dependent on your level of education or where you happen to live," Peters added.

The study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

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Security forces today achieved a major success in Kashmir as they gunned down a top Lashkar-e- Taiba militant Abu Musaib, a Pakistani national believed to be the nephew of 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.

Musaib, a self-styled divisional commander of LeT, was active in Bandipora and Ganderbal districts since August 2015 and was involved in many militancy-related activities including an attack on a CRPF camp on Independence Day in downtown Srinagar last year, police said.

He was killed in an encounter in a village, about 32 kms from here in north Kashmir's Bandipora district, police said.

A police spokesman said the force, aided by Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF personnel, cordoned off Para Mohalla locality of Hajin following specific information about the presence of militants there in the morning.

The hiding militant opened fire on the joint search party, triggering an encounter. The gunfight ended with the killing of a militant who was later identified as Musaib, a Pakistani national, the spokesman said.

"Musaib, reportedly a nephew of LeT operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, was functioning as self-style divisional commander of the terrorist group in the Valley," he said.

An AK-56 rifle, three magazines, 66 rounds, a radio set and three grenades were seized from the encounter site.

"The militant was active in Bandipora and Ganderbal districts since August 2015 and was involved in many militancy -related activities which included weapon snatching of an army personnel of 14 Rashtriya Rifles in Bandipora in October 2015.

"He was responsible for injuring a civilian at Hajin, and firing on an army patrol of 13 Rashtriya Rifles in which two personnel were killed last year.

"He played an active role in organising the Fidayeen attack at Nowhatta locality of downtown Srinagar on August 15 last year," the spokesman said.

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Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to help end the persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority, as OIC foreign ministers open a special meeting to discuss the crisis.

Najib, in a speech at the meeting today, said that the crisis is no longer Myanmar's internal affair as it has caused an exodus of refugees that could destabilize the region. He warned that the violence must end before terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State group infiltrate and radicalize the Rohingyas.

Security forces in Buddhist-majority Myanmar are accused of widespread abuses against the Rohingya, including killings, rape and the burning of thousands of homes that have driven an estimated 65,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh in the past three months.

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A man was hacked to death allegedly by Naxals at a village in insurgency-hit Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, police said.

The incident took place this afternoon when the victim, identified as Sukhdas Baghel, was at his shop located opposite Chintagufa police station, a senior police official told PTI.

Baghel used to run a small grocery shop from his house in Chintagufa, he said.

"As per the eyewitness, two people armed with sharp weapons stormed at Baghel's shop and slit his throat before escaping from the spot," he said.

Security personnel from the police stationimmediately rushedto the site and shifted him to a local hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead, the official said adding that the body has been sent to Dornapal for post-mortem.

"A search operation has been launched in the region to trace the assailants," the official said.

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Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will not be attending the Bengal Global Business Summit, sponsored by the West Bengal government, starting tomorrow, according to state secretariat sources.

Singh, who arrived in the city today to participate in a programme hosted by the Presidency University as part of its bicentenary celebration tomorrow, informed the state that he would not attend the business meet.

"Yes Mr Singh will not be coming for business meet. Such a message was sent to us," the sources said.

The two-day meet, which would be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee, is expected to see delegates such as Bangladesh industry minister Amir Hossain Amu.

Ambassadors from Japan, Italy, Denmark would be present in the meet besides mayors of Poland's Upper Silesia, Germany's North Rhine- Westphalia, South Korea's Incheon.

Secretary-level officers of China's Jiangsu province would also be present.

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 be there tomorrow.

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Rescue workers in Tehran were desperately hunting for firefighters trapped under the rubble after a fire today led to the collapse of Iran's oldest high-rise, the 15-storey Plasco building.

Officials had yet to confirm if anyone had been killed, but Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told state television that between 20 and 25 firefighters were thought to be inside when the building fell.

Three people were pulled alive from the rubble and taken to hospital, the head of Tehran's emergency services said, according to the ISNA agency.

At least 70 firefighters were injured and 23 hospitalised as they rushed to evacuate the building, which had been on fire for around four hours before it crumbled, the head of emergency services told state television.

Some 200 firefighters had been tackling the blaze at the Plasco building, which dated from the 1960s and included a shopping centre and clothing workshops.

Dramatic images showed flames pouring out of the top floors just before it came down live on television.

"I was inside and suddenly I felt the building is shaking and is about to collapse. As we gathered colleagues and got out, a minute later the building collapsed," said Ali, a firefighter at the scene.

Local media said the workshops were especially full of clothes in the build-up to Nowruz, the Iranian new year, which falls in March.

President Hassan Rouhani called for an immediate investigation into the causes of the incident, calling it "unfortunate and sorrowful".

"More than 30 times we warned the building's owners that it was not safe, but unfortunately they did not pay attention," said Shahram Gilabadi, spokesman for the municipality.

Fire brigade spokesman Jalal Malekias said the building was known to breach safety standards.

"Even in the stairwells, a lot of clothing is stored and this is against safety standards. The managers didn't pay attention to the warnings," he told state television, adding that it lacked sufficient fire extinguishers.

The steel skeleton of the building could be seen bending down to the ground as around 100 fire engines and dozens of ambulances surrounded the area.

Smoke was still pouring from the street hours later.

Firefighters caked in soot wept outside the building as the hunt for their colleagues continued, and local media showed Tehranis queueing to donate blood.

"I've lost my entire stock. Thousands of families have been ruined," said Ahmad, the owner of one of the 400 shops and business units.

The Plasco building was the first high-rise and shopping centre in Tehran and was the city's tallest building when it was finished in 1962, before being dwarfed by the construction boom of later years.

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BSP chief Mayawati today said it was the "moral duty" of Union minister Smriti Irani to make public details of her educational qualification.

Criticising Irani over the issue, BSP chief Mayawati in a press statement alleged that by asking the Delhi University not to disclose the details, she had only proved that there was something wrong in it.

"By asking the Delhi University not to make her details public, she has only bolstered the doubts that there is something wrong," she said.

"She should have allowed the School of Open Learning of the DU to make the details public after the order of the CIC," Mayawati added.

The controversy over Irani's educational qualification has been doing the rounds since she was the Union HRD Minister as she had allegedly furnished contradictory information in her affidavits in 2004, 2011 and 2014 to contest elections.

The Union minister had asked the DU not to disclose her educational qualification details to an RTI applicant, the School of Open Learning had told the Central Information Commission.

The commission has now directed the School of Open Learning (SoL) to produce before it all the records related to the educational details of Irani.

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Men look for a quick fix from psychological therapy whereas women want to talk about their feelings, according to a new study which suggests that addressing such gender differences may help better treat people with depression.

Researchers at University of Portsmouth and University College London in the UK asked 20 experienced therapists (clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists and psychotherapists) whether they had identified gender differences in any aspects of their work.

All 20 of the therapists reported noticing gender differences in one or more aspect of therapy and the overall message was that - in general - men want a quick fix and women want to talk about their feelings.

"One of the interesting findings was that 80 per cent of the therapists showed a reluctance to talk directly about gender differences in the needs of their clients," said John Barry from University College London.

"This could be due to the culture in academia, where discussions of gender similarities are more acceptable than discussions of gender differences," said Barry.

"Psychology might be more effective in treating men if gender differences were taken into account more," he said.

In a second study, researchers from Northumbria University in the UK asked 347 people to say what kind of therapy they would like if they needed help.

The men and women in this group, half of whom reported having received some form of therapy, showed many similarities in their preferences, but also some key differences.

For example, men more than women expressed a preference for therapy that involved sharing and receiving advice about their concerns in informal groups.

More women than men preferred psychodynamic psychotherapy - where discussion focuses on feelings and past events.

There were interesting differences in coping strategies too, for example, women more than men used comfort eating, whereas men more than women used sex or pornography.

"Despite the fact that men commit suicide at three to four times the rate that women do, men do not seek psychological help as much," said Barry.

"This might be because the types of treatment on offer are less appealing to men because many psychological interventions are more about talking than about fixing problems," Barry added.

"It is likely that men benefit as much as women from talking about their feelings, but if talking about feelings appears to be the goal of therapy, then some men may be put off," he said.

"Our study found that men were more likely than women to say that there is a lack of male-friendly therapies available," he added.

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MEP Infrastructure Developers today said it has bagged a contract from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for four laning of a 28km stretch of the outer ring road in Nagpur on hybrid annuity model.

The company has received a letter of appointment from NHAI for the contract which stretches from Fetri village to Dhargaon (Package II) with a total length of 28.05 km, MEP said in a statement issued here.

MEP had already bagged the contract for four laning 33.5km of the same project under Package I from Jamtha village to Fetri. Both these projects will be developed on hybrid annuity model.

The company had achieved financial closure for the projects in October 2016 and they will be funded by IDBI, IIFCL and Mumbai District Central Co-operative Bank.

The packages also include modification of the existing flyovers and construction of ultramodern underpasses at strategic locations.

"The proposed outer ring road will be of paramount importance to decongest traffic in the city and to save precious time and fuel of vehicle users and provide better connectivity to the proposed Nagpur-Mumbai Maharashtra Samruddhi Corridor," the company said.

MEP, in a joint venture with Sanjose India Infrastructure and Construction, had received the Letters of Award (LOAs) for over Rs 1,100 crore in March 2016 from NHAI for the four lane standalone ring road/bypasses for Nagpur city Package I and II.

(Reopens BCM16)



The company said it has achieved financial closure for two of its hybrid annuity projects in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, for a total Rs 638.67 crore, which will be funded by IDBI Bank, IIFCL, Mumbai Bank and PMC bank.

The projects are: four laning of Arawali-Kante and Kante-Waked sections. The project finance for them will be Rs 266.84 crore and Rs 371.83 crore, respectively, it said.

"With this announcement, we have now achieved financial closure for 4 out of 6 HAM (hybrid annuity model) projects awarded to us. The financial viability of such projects will ensure a speedy growth and expansion of our road infrastructure," the company's Chairman and Managing Director, Jayant Mhaiskar, said.
Mumbai Airport authorities have suspended two aerodrome executives for allegedly making "incorrect" entries of airlines On time Performance (OTP).

The two executives were suspended after the authorities during an internal probe found that OTP data for some 22 flights in the month of November and December last year were incorrect, sources said.

The authorities are now carrying out a detailed investigation into the case, they said.

When contacted, Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), the joint venture company which operate the airport, said that the matter was under "investigation."



"The matter is under investigation. We cannot comment on this," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Earlier budget carrier IndiGo, which recorded its lowest OTP from four major airports in November, and which continued in the last month also,, had complained to the aviation regulator DGCA about the OTP monitoring mechanism at Mumbai airport, prompting it to form a committee to look into the entire OTP calculation issue.

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The mines ministry has sought hike in basic Customs duty on copper products to 7.5 per cent in the upcoming Budget and restoration of export incentive of 2 per cent on value of copper rods to maintain sectoral viability.

In a recent communication to the finance ministry, its mines counterpart has recommended for consideration in the Union budget 2017-18 "the increase in basic Customs duty on copper products like copper cathode, billets of refined copper, electrolytic copper rods, copper rods other than electrolytic and other copper wire from current 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent", a source said.

The source said the mines ministry has also pitched for "restoration of export incentive of 2 per cent on the value of export of copper cathode rods".

Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL), Hindalco Industries and Vedanta are the main copper producers in the country with a combined capacity of 1 million tonne refined copper per annum.

In its pre-budget representation to the mines ministry, Indian Primary Copper Producers' Association, among other things, had also made a plea for exemption of copper concentrate from basic Customs duty.

Copper concentrate, the raw material of the copper industry, is limited in the country and around 96 per cent of it is imported.

"Domestic copper industry imports copper concentrate at London Metals Exchange (LME) price less internationally negotiated treatment charge and refining charges (TCRC) and sells the produce at LME price plus premium," the source said.

"Domestic (copper) industry is facing serious challenges from countries with which India has free trade agreements (FTAs)," the source said.

Imports of wires (copper) of less than 6 mm coming under the inverted duty surged to 50,857 mt in 2015-16 from 4,802 mt in 2012-13, which is likely to increase further to 80,00 mt this year as the Customs duty under the treaty is set to become zero from this month.

The out-bound shipments under the India-Japan treaty are also coming under the inverted duty structure, which rose to 12,258 mt in 2015-16, from 461 mt in 2012-13.

The exporting countries to India are extremely competitive in copper value chain as they have their own mines, and duty concessions to these countries under FTAs have threatened the viability of Indian domestic copper industry.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today travelled in Airport Metro Line.

The Chief Minister was here to attend a meeting of Central Election Committee of BJP to which he is a member.

"Chouhan had boarded a flight from Bhopal. The plane landed beyond its scheduled time. Anticipating heavy traffic on Delhi roads, he decided to travel in the metro," a state government official said.

Chouhan was accompanied by Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Ananth Kumar.

He got down at Shivaji Stadium metro station where his cavalcade was waiting. Chouhan then reached the BJP office and attended the meeting, he said.

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Union Health Minister J P Nadda will lay the foundation stone of a tertiary care cancer centre in Ambala Cantt which would be built at a cost of about Rs 45 crore, state officials said today.

The Centre would be constructed in the premises of Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantt, said state Health Minister Anil Vij, who was presiding over a meeting here today.

The central government has released a first instalment of about Rs 7.37 crore for construction of its building and purchase of equipment. While the state government would bear 40 per cent of the cost, the remaining would be borne by the Centre.

It would comprise a 50-bedded hospital and offer facilities such as radiology, chemotherapy, diagnostic tests, specialists and private rooms, Vij said.

The first such centre in the area, this would provide easy access to excellent cancer care facilities to the people, particularly those in districts of northern Haryana such as Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal and Panipat.

Similarly, National Cancer Institute is being established at Badhsa in Jhajjar district which would facilitate patients in the remaining districts.

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Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang has urged the Centre to ask Myanmar to stop border fencing in the Noklak area of Tuensang district in the state as it will adversely affect free movement of the people and also, the traditional land-holding system prevailing in the area.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office here today, Zeliang took up the issue with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh yesterday and pointed out that the people of Noklak stood to lose some 3,500 acres of land which they had been cultivating for generations.

"Border fencing is also not in tune with the free movement regime shared by both India and Myanmar," Zeliang said while pointing out that unlike the India-Pakistan border region, people of the area have been living peacefully together for long and as such, there was no need for border fencing.

"The communities living on both sides of the border in these areas have very close cultural and social affinity and there are instances where they hold land on both sides of the border," Zeliang pointed out.

"Moreover, the Act East policy of the Government of India intends to improve trade and communications across the Indo-Myanmar border and fencing of the boundaries would defeat the very purpose of the Act East Policy," he added.

The Union Home Minister told the chief minister that the MHA had written to the Ministry of External Affairs to take up the issue with Myanmar and ask it not to proceed with border fencing on its side.

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Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik is likely to be questioned by National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is scanning his 78 bank accounts, and real estate investments worth at least Rs 100 crore in and around Mumbai by him and his associates.

The probe agency, which had in November last year registered a case against Naik and others under anti-terror law for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, has found role of 23 entities including individuals and corporates linked to the preacher, NIA sources said today.

The NIA has questioned around 20 associates of Naik, including his sister Nailah Naushad Noorani, in connection with its investigation, they said.

"We have sought certain documents including income tax returns and others. Besides this, 78 bank accounts in different banks of the country, are also being scanned. Once examination is done, we intend to summon Zakir Naik for questioning," a source said.

The sources said that the agency has written to the banks seeking details of these accounts including transactions. At least Rs 100 crore have been allegedly invested in real estate by Naik and his associates in and around Mumbai.

The NIA officials have found complicated movement of money in the financial transactions made by people involved in the case, they said, adding that the role of Mumbai-based Harmony Media Pvt Ltd--involved in production of religious and educative videos--is being looked into in this case.

Naik's Non-Government Organisation (NGO),Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), has been banned by the central government under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The speeches of Naik, who is currently out of the country apparently to evade arrest, are banned in the UK, Canada and in Malaysia.

The Home Ministry has found that the NGO was allegedly having dubious links with Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, accused of propagating terrorism.

According to the Home Ministry, Naik, who heads the IRF, has allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda.

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Amid widespread concerns over impending policies of Donald Trump, who is set to take charge as US President tomorrow, Nasscom is planning a visit to the US in the next few weeks to reach out to American policymakers and lawmakers.

"We will be taking the earliest possible opportunity to meet lawmakers, policymakers and administration in the US. While specific dates are yet to worked out, we are looking at February-March timeframe for the visit," Nasscom President R Chandrashekhar told PTI.

He said the IT industry body hopes to highlight and share information with the new US administration on direct jobs created by Indian IT companies in the US, and contribution of Indian IT firms in making the US economy competitive.

He said that according to data available, Indian IT companies have created 4.11 lakh jobs in the US of which 1.5 lakh are direct employment.

Besides job creation, Indian IT industry has also contributed to the US economy in terms of tax payment, social security outgo and CSR activities.

"It's a whole new administration. Many people coming in may not have had opportunity to look at different dimensions, and the contribution of Indian tech companies," Chandrashekhar said.

The industry has been arguing that corporate America also needs India's technology services, given the shortage of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills.

"The fact is that according to US' own statistics, over one million IT-related jobs will remain unfilled in 2018," he said.

Already battling headwinds of a slowing growth, the USD 150-billion Indian IT industry has been concerned about "creeping" protectionism and negative sentiments in its key markets including the US, which accounts for nearly 60 per cent of its export earnings.

Earlier this month, a Bill targeting H-1B visas was reintroduced in the US Congress, by two lawmakers who said it will help crack down on the work visa abuse.

Donald Trump, who is all set to take over as the 45th US President, is known for his hardline stance on protectionism and anti-immigration.

While the industry has tried putting up a brave front, there are deep concerns about tightening of visa norms that will push up the cost of doing business. They have also been bracing up to mitigate the impact and have ramped up local hiring even though the move will eat into their margins.

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Two US Navy pilots are recovering after their jet crashed on a training flight near a Mississippi military base airfield.

Naval Air Station Meridian said in a statement yesterday that both pilots an instructor and student safely ejected Tuesday afternoon from the aircraft and were evaluated and released from an area hospital.

Authorities said the T-45C Goshawk jet, assigned to Training Air Wing One, crashed shortly before 2 pm Tuesday at the base in eastern Mississippi.

An Aviation Mishap Board has been established to determine what caused the crash.

Base officials said the jet that crashed is used for intermediate and advanced portions of the Navy/Marine Corps pilot training program for jet carrier aviation and tactical strike missions.

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Nepal's Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat had raised the issue of collection and deposit of old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 during his meeting with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Ministry said today.

"The Nepal Rashtra Bank has been in touch with the RBI regarding Nepal's request for facilitation in collection and deposit of old series notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denominations that are already in stock of the central banks, other banks/financial institutions and held by Nepalese citizens.

"This matter came up in the meeting between the Foreign Minister Mahat and Finance Minister Jaitley as well on 17 January," MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

He said earlier, in this connection, a meeting was held here on January 12 between officials of the Reserve Bank of India and Nepal Rashtra Bank (NRB).

"The meeting was productive and the RBI will remain in touch with the Nepal Rashtra Bank in the matter," Swarup added.

When asked about recent reports of a Nepalese national's name with suspected ISI links figuring in connection with the Kanpur train mishap, he said "investigation is on and let it be completed", adding the investigators are in touch will officials in other countries as well.

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Power trade with India will boost Nepal's economic growth manifold while providing New Delhi with cheap imported electricity, according to a study published by US Agency for International Development (USAID).

"With accelerated power trade between India and Nepal, Nepal's gross domestic product could reach NPR 13,100 billion (over USD 120 billion) in 2045, which is 39 per cent more than with existing trading mechanisms," said the report entitled 'Economic Benefits from Nepal-India Electricity Trade' released here today.

The report was jointly released by Michael Gonzales, senior US diplomat at the US Embassy in Nepal and Swarnim Wagle, Member, National Planning Commission, Nepal.

The report analysed the potential of cross-border electricity trade (CBET) between Nepal and India, and its feasibility and impact on the economy, power systems and power infrastructure of both countries.

A first of its kind, the study was carried out by the Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe) under the fourth phase of the South Asia Regional Initiative for Energy Integration (SARI/EI) Programme under the USAID funding.

Highlighting the key findings from the report, Kirit Parikh, Chairman, IRADe, said: "This growth in GDP is driven in part by the three-fold increase from NPR 310 billion in 2030 to NPR 1,069 billion in 2045 in revenue earned from electricity trade.

"Moreover, increased power trade will also fuel Nepal's per capita electricity demand to jump from the current 139 kWh/year to 1,500 kWh/year by 2045. Per capita electricity demand reflects strongly on the Human Development Index of a country as increased access to electricity is directly linked to better quality of life."



Speaking at the report launch, acting chief of US mission in Nepal, Gonzales said, "Asia is the fastest growing region in the world but lacks reliable power infrastructure. With optimum utilisation of resources and a coherent regulatory framework in place, better regional integration could be achieved through CBET.

"For India, the benefits are more in terms of lower electricity system costs due to electricity imports from Nepal," the report concluded, adding "additionally, the import of hydropower electricity from Nepal will reduce the carbon emissions of the power sector in India as the country's electricity generation is largely coal-based.

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The Netherlands is in favour of presence of Indian financial institutions and banks on its soil to support growing bilateral trade with India and hopes that with Brexit, the reality comes to the fore sooner.

"India is the fifth largest investor in Holland and 20 per cent of India's total export to European Union is through the Netherlands. So, it is proper to have an Indian bank or institution having a base there," Netherlands Ambassador to India, Alphonsus Stoelinga told PTI.

Speaking on the sidelines of an interactive session at the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, he said that following Brexit, now it is up to the financial sector to choose from three destinations in the European Union - Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

Stoelinga indicated that a bank like the State Bank of India should look at opportunities in the financial sector that the Netherlands offers, especially post Brexit.

He said the country is hardselling Amsterdam to the financial sector which would allow FIs to continue with their "financial passport" to carry out business as usual across the European Union following Brexit.

The Netherlands has expressed interest in collaborating with Indian companies for high-end technology in several areas including smart cities and shipping.

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A confrontation has broken out inside a Brazilian prison where 26 inmates were killed last weekend.

Images on Globo television show prisoners at the Alcacuz Penitentiary in the yard, throwing rocks at each other and setting up barriers. Injured inmates are seen being carried away.

Prison authorities didn't immediately respond today to emails and phone calls seeking information about the clash. Confrontations between two gangs erupted over the weekend in the prison outside the city of Natal, resulting in the 26 deaths.

A heavily armed military police force entered the prison yesterday without violence. Authorities said they were transferring 220 inmates to other prisons to avoid more clashes.

Brazil is experiencing a wave of prison killings. At least 126 people have died since the beginning of the year.

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A new Gambian president has been sworn into office in neighboring Senegal, while Gambia's defeated longtime ruler refuses to step down from power, deepening a political crisis in the tiny West African country.

Adama Barrow was inaugurated today in a hastily arranged ceremony at Gambia's embassy in Senegal. The small embassy room held about 40 people, including Senegal's prime minister and the head of Gambia's electoral commission.

A jumbo TV screen broadcast the swearing in ceremony to several hundred watching outside the embassy. Also at the event were officials from West Africa's regional bloc, ECOWAS, which is threatening to invade Gambia to force outgoing president Yahya Jammeh to step down.

The UN Security Council was set to vote later today on a draft resolution endorsing the West African regional force's efforts to remove Jammeh.

"This is a day no Gambian will ever forget," said Barrow, dressed in a flowing white robe.

Barrow's inauguration took place in the Gambian embassy in Senegal's capital, Dakar. Senegalese police lined the embassy entrance. A large screen outside allowed hundreds to view the ceremony, which was being attended by Senegal's prime minister and other top officials and dignitaries.

Jammeh was at his official residence, State House, in Gambia's capital and intended to stay there, said an official close to the administration who was not authorized to speak to reporters. If the regional force is going to arrest Jammeh, it will have to be there, he said.

Many of Jammeh's loyalists at State House will resist, the official added. But Gambia's army, estimated at well below 5,000 troops, is divided over its loyalties to Jammeh, and those not sympathetic to him will not leave until they are invited by the new government, the official said.

The UN Security Council was set to vote today on a draft resolution endorsing the West African regional force's efforts to remove Jammeh.

Barrow won the December election, defeating Jammeh, who came to power in a coup in 1994. Jammeh initially conceded defeat but then changed his mind and said he would not accept the results, saying the election was marred by irregularities. Jammeh has resisted strong international pressure for him to step down. His mandate expired at midnight.

African nations began stepping away from Jammeh, with Botswana announcing it no longer recognized him as Gambia's president. His refusal to hand over power "undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance" in Gambia and Africa in general, it said.

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New polytechnics being set up in Haryana will be run in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode in collaboration with leading industrial houses, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said.

The move will turn out industry-ready students and ensure hundred per cent placement, he said.

Besides, a new scheme is also being prepared for the meritorious but poor students desirous of getting education in private technical institutes of their choice, the CM said



Under the scheme, 50 per cent fees would be reimbursed by the state government while the remaining would be contributed by the institute under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Officers concerned have been told to prepare criteria for the number of students to be facilitated by the government in getting admission in private technical institutions, said an official release.

These and several other decisions were taken at a meeting of the Technical Education Department held under the chairmanship of Khattar here. The Technical Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma was also present.

The Chief Minister directed officers of the department to invite reputed industrial houses to run the polytechnics by forming societies.

While the state government would make available infrastructure and building, the polytechnics would be run by these societies, he said.

The chairman of the society would be from the industrial house and to ensure participation of the Panchayati Raj Institutions, chairmen of zila parishads concerned would be made members. Grant-in-aid would also be provided by the state government to these polytechnics as required, he said.

As many as 13 new polytechnics are being constructed in the state out of which six would be run by the state government and the remaining would be managed by such societies.

These polytechnics include Government Polytechnics at Indri and Malab (Nuh), Government Polytechnic Mandkola in district Palwal, Government Polytechnic Chhapar (Bhiwani), Government Polytechnic Nanakpur (Panchkula), Government Polytechnic Dhamlawas (Rewari) and Government Polytechnic Sector-26, Panchkula.

As many as 28 government polytechnics are running in the state and ten new institutes are under construction. Besides, there are four government aided polytechnics and two new government engineering colleges are being set up, he said.

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A city-based organisation for the homeless has written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking a fresh survey of the homeless people in the national capital and periodic inspections of night shelters.

Founder of non-government organisation Centre for Holistic Development Sunil Kumar Aledia further suggested that other departments like women and Child Development and Social Welfare should work in coordination with the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB).

Also, in accordance to the High Court order, the Joint Apex Advisory Committee which was constituted to ensure coordination between government agencies and NGOs while taking decisions on infrastructure development and related works should meet once in every 15 days to address the issues of the homeless, he suggested.

"The issues of the homeless should not be raked up only in winters, rather work on this should be carried out throughout the year," Aledia said in the letter.

He further suggested that the Aajeevika - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM)-- should be implemented for the welfare of the homeless.

In his letter he mentioned that the constituency of the Chief Minister doesn't have a single pakka night shelter which is a matter of worry and urged him to pay special attention to the issue.

As per official figures, the number of homeless people far outstrips the capacity of the existing night shelters.

Last month Supreme court had ordered the forming of a panel to look into the monitoring of the shelters and has also pressed the Centre and states to ensure adequate shelters are in place for the homeless.

The Supreme Court Commissioner's Office cited the population of homeless at over 2 lakh in 2011, the census estimated it as 46,724 in the same year.

There are 261 night shelters operating in Delhi this winter, which include 21 meant solely for women.

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is looking into the trans-LoC trade of California almonds in Jammu and Kashmir and examining a plane-load of documents seized from there in connection with its probe on possible terror funding through this barter trade with Pakistan.

A case was registered by the NIA last month to look into the barter trade at the Line of Control (LoC) through Salamabad in north Kashmir's Baramulla district and Chakan-da-bagh in Poonch district of Jammu region.

It is suspected that the earning from selling of California almonds, locally known as 'badam giri', is used for terror funding, official sources said today.

They said the NIA has collected voluminous trade-related documents which had to be brought to its offices in a plane. "It was literally a plane-load of documents which are being examined by the agency in the case," a source said.

NIA officials suspect illegal movement of hundred of crores of rupees and misuse of the money for terror activities, the sources said.

The agency has got data from the Pakistan agriculture department in support of its claim. There is a clear case of over-invoicing in which almonds are brought in at a price of Rs 600-650 per kg as against Rs 250-300 per kg. The huge margin in the trade is suspected to have been exploited by terrorists, they said.

According to the cross-LoC trade agreement between India and Pakistan, products grown in both sides of Kashmir will be exchanged under barter system. The products included 'badam giri' that is grown in parts of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

As many as 21 items are listed for trading between both the countries, the sources said.

The trade of clothes, 'dupatta' (stole) and herbs is also under the scanner of the NIA for allegedly financing terror activities in the state, they said.

Traders from PoK were sending and receiving California almonds and it is alleged that the money was used for funding of terror groups in the state.

The NIA had earlier said in a statement that reliable information was received that a large scale transfer of funds from Pakistan to India has been taking place through the import of California almonds via the cross-LoC trade mechanism.

"This is in gross violation of the state policy of prohibition on trade in 'third-party origin goods' through this mechanism and information indicated that these funds are being used for fomenting terrorism and separatism in the state of Jammu and Kashmir," the agency had said.

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The Investigation Agency is looking into the claims of three arrested persons that the derailment of Indore-Patna express last year, in which at least 150 people were killed, was carried out at the behest of Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The trio  Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar and Mukesh Yadav  were arrested earlier this week by police from East Champaran district of Bihar. They had claimed to have got Rs 3 lakh to plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at Ghorasahan railway station under the district on October 1 last year. Bihar Police has reportedly recovered the IEDs.

Official sources said a team of NIA officials has gone to Bihar to probe the accused and to verify their claim.

A letter has been sent to the Home Ministry seeking its nod for NIA to probe IED recovery case. A formal order was expected soon from the government following which a case would be registered in the matter, they said.

The arrested persons have reportedly confessed about the ISI's possible role in the last year's derailment. They also claimed to be working for the ISI, the sources said.

The Home Ministry has also sought reports from the Bihar government and central security agencies regarding the arrest and their disclosures to Bihar Police.

Central intelligence agencies are also questioning the three accused.

If the claim of the these accused turns out to be true, it would be the first such case of train derailment in India carried out at the behest of the Pakistani agency, they said.

A report is said to have come from Nepal confirming the Bihar Police's claim that Pakistan's ISI had paid Rs 30 lakh to its agent Brajesh Giri for triggering blasts on rail tracks targeting popular trains in Bihar, the sources said.

Central security agencies were now looking for two more persons identified as Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadav in East Champaran area for their suspected links to the accused.

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 had 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 had said.
The Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday claimed that terror attacks at army installations in Uri and Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir were carried out by Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

A senior official claimed that one of the four terrorists involved in the attack on the army camp in Handwara managed to flee.

The terrorists had attacked the camp of 30 Rashtriya Rifles camp in Langate in Handwara in October last year. While three attackers were killed by the security forces, one is believed to have escaped, the official said, adding they were looking into it.

Heavily armed terrorists had stormed the army base in Uri sector in September and killed 18 soldiers.

There is proof indicating role of LeT behind Uri and Handwara attacks, he said.

Earlier, it was claimed that Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was behind the attack.

is looking into both these cases.

The investigation in Uri attack case will gather pace soon as the agency officials earlier could not visit the points of ingress to verify certain leads due to shelling from across the border, the official said.

A team of officials is now likely to visit the area from where the terrorists might have entered and attacked the Uri camp, he said.

Talking about the Handwara incident, officials said they recovered cell phones of Samsung and Huawei companies. These phones worked without SIMs using latest technology and manipulating its configuration, he claimed.

"The NIA had written to both Samsung and Huawei seeking details of these cell phones including information on shipments. Huawei had informed us that the phone was shipped to Pakistan. We are still awaiting response from Pakistan," the official said.

There are other documents and proof in possession of the NIA that points towards LeT's involvement in the attack, he said.

Besides, the cell phones' Global Positioning System (GPS) sets and wireless system were found from the slain terrorists behind the Handwara attack. The NIA is in the process of getting information from Mauritius and Japan about the companies there which would have made these instruments, the official said.

Investigators have also found a diary from one of the slain terrorists and verifying a phone number, believed to be of one of their associates, mentioned there. They also claimed misuse of social networking sites Facebook and Twitter by the terrorists for communication, he said.
The residents ofTaharpur village in Shamli district in UP have decided not to vote for any candidate in the upcoming Assembly elections, alleging the area has been neglected and there has been to development.

A group of villagers held a meeting yesterday and decided not to vote for any candidate in Thana Bhawan constituency in Shamli.

In protest, posters have been put up on electric poles and village walls, carrying the boycott message.

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Government of Norway has announced a fund that will raise USD 400 million by 2020 and protect 5 million hectares in countries that are working to reduce deforestation and forest and peat degradation.

The fund comes with a commitment of up to USD 100 million from the Norwegian government, based on a capitalisation goal of USD 400 million by 2020, to be drawn from other bilateral and multilateral donors as well as private sector partners.

It will work in partnership with the Global Environment Facility, a UN environment programme, the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) and major food companies and environmental NGOs.

The capital will be used in part to help improve productivity of small-scale farmers.

Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, announced the launch of the fund today at the World Economic Forum annual meeting here.

"The future of the planet depends on our common ability to both protect and restore forests at an unprecedented scale while simultaneously increasing agricultural production to meet growing global needs," she said.

"Through this fund, we will work with forest governments, the private sector and civil society to make this happen in innovative ways."



The fund is expected to help forested countries meet their commitments under the UN Paris Climate Agreement and contribute to a number of Sustainable Development Goals such as poverty reduction, zero hunger, decent work and economic growth, climate action, sustainable water management and an end to land degradation and biodiversity loss.

The fund is expected to provide an incentive for tropical forest governments by driving investments in countries and jurisdictions that protect forests and reduce related greenhouse gas emissions.

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Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) has began exporting wax to Thailand and Hong Kong (China) along with five other countries.

The first consignment of 20 MT of Fully Refined Paraffin Wax (FRPW) to Thailand and 80 MT to Hong Kong was flagged off from Numaligarh Refinery yesterday by General Manager (Maintenance) Samiran Chakraborty, a NRL release said here today.

Export to Hong Kong assumes special significance since the major part of the Wax requirement in the country was met through imports from China.

This is testimony to the high quality of NRL Wax, which has within a span of less than two years, captured markets in India and abroad, the release said.

Earlier, NRL Wax was exported to Mexico, Kenya, Nepal, Bangladesh and the Central American Nation of Nicaragua.

The Company is also pursuing opportunities to export Wax to a few other countries in the near future.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dedicated NRL's Wax plant to the nation on February 5 last year at a public function in Dibrugarh, Assam.

The 50,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) Wax Plant commissioned in March, 2015 at a cost of Rs 676 crore is the country's largest Wax producing unit with indigenous technology developed by IIP Dehradun, EIL and NRL, the release said.

NRL has emerged as the largest manufacturer and marketer of Wax in the country since the commissioning of the Wax plant, the release added.

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Hours before he demits the White House, President Barack Obama made a farewell telephone call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to thank him for his partnership that enhanced Indo-US strategic ties and reviewed the significant progress achieved on the economic and security fronts, including on defence and civil nuclear energy.

During the conversation between the two leaders yesterday, Prime Minister Modi thanked Obama for his strong support and contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between India and the US.

The White House, in readout of the conversation, said Obama telephoned Modi to thank him for his partnership and to review joint efforts of cooperation including defence, civil- nuclear energy, and enhanced people-to-people ties.

"Recalling his visit as the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in 2015, President Obama wished the Prime Minister warm congratulations ahead of India's upcoming 68th Republic Day anniversary," the White House said.

"Both leaders discussed the progress they have made on shared economic and security priorities, including recognition of India as a major defence partner of the United States and addressing the global challenge of climate change," it said.

In New Delhi, the PMO in a statement, said the two leaders "reviewed with satisfaction" the significant all round progress and cooperation in ties between India and the US in the past few years.

Modi conveyed his best wishes to Obama in his future endeavours.

Obama was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his electoral victory in May 2014 and immediately invited him to visit the White House.

The two leaders met at the White House in September 2014. Since then they have met each other eight times, a record for leaders from India and America.

According to Assistant Secretary of State for South and central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal, the two leaders share a very warm relationship.

"They have a great deal of personal camaraderie. But they also have a great deal of respect for each other for the leadership and the values and the integrity of each other's approach," Biswal had said.

Obama, the 44th US President will end his eight years of presidency on January 20. He would be succeeded by Donald Trump.

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The outgoing US President Barack Obama spoke to his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani and CEO Dr Abdullah Adbullah over phone and expressed deep appreciation for the steadfast partnership between the two countries, the White House said.

In a readout, the White House said Obama yesterday spoke by phone with Ghani, who was joined by the Chief Executive Officer of Afghanistan Dr Abdullah Abdullah.

"President Obama expressed his deep appreciation for the steadfast partnership between the United States and Afghanistan," a readout of the telephonic conversation between the two leaders said.

"He commended the leaders for their commitment to the Afghan people and applauded the National Unity Government's efforts to reduce corruption and support the rule of law," it said.

"The President encouraged both leaders to continue their shared efforts to enhance national unity and support a lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan," the White House said.

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Outgoing US President Barack Obama called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to thank him for his partnership that enhanced Indo-US relations as the two leaders discussed ways to boost defence and civil-nuclear energy ties.

During the telephonic conversation between the two leaders yesterday, Prime Minister Modi thanked Obama for his strong support and contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between India and the US.

The White House, in readout of the telephonic conversation, said Obama telephoned Modi to thank him for "his partnership" and to review joint efforts of cooperation including defence, civil-nuclear energy, and enhanced people-to-people ties.

"Recalling his visit as the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in 2015, President Obama wished the Prime Minister warm congratulations ahead of India's upcoming 68th Republic Day anniversary," the White House said.

"Both leaders discussed the progress they have made on shared economic and security priorities, including recognition of India as a major defence partner of the United States and addressing the global challenge of climate change," it said.

In New Delhi, the PMO in a statement said the two leaders "reviewed with satisfaction" the significant all round progress and cooperation in ties between India and the US in the past few years.

Modi conveyed his best wishes to Obama in his future endeavours.

Obama was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his electoral victory in May 2014 and immediately invited him to visit the White House.

The two leaders met at the White House in September 2014. Since then they have met each other eight times, a record for leaders from India and America.

According to Assistant Secretary of State for South and central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal, the two leaders share a very warm relationship.

"They have a great deal of personal camaraderie. But they also have a great deal of respect for each other for the leadership and the values and the integrity of each other's approach," Biswal had said.

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Outgoing US President Barack Obama has defended his decision to commute the 35-year sentence of Chelsea Manning, a transgender solider convicted of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, arguing that she has served a tough jail term.

"Let's be clear, Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence. So the notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital, classified information would think that it goes unpunished I don't think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served," Obama told reporters at a conference yesterday.

In a suprise move, Obama had cut short Manning's sentence on Tuesday, a decision slammed by President-elect Donald Trump's Republican.

The 29-year-old American military analyst, born Bradley Manning, will now be freed on May 17 instead of her scheduled 2045 release.

She was sentenced to 35 years in 2013 for her role in leaking diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks. The leak was one of the largest breaches of classified material in US history.

"It has been my view that given she went to trial, that due process was carried out, that she took responsibility for her crime, that the sentence that she received was very disproportional, disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received, and that she had served a significant amount of time, that it made it sense to commute and not pardon her sentence," he said.

He said that the justice has been served and he feels very comfortable.

"A message has been sent that when it comes to our national security, that wherever possible, we need folks who may have legitimate concerns about the actions of government or their superiors or the agencies in which that they try to work through the established channels and avail themselves of the whistleblower protections that had been put in place," he added.

Obama also said that the case of Edward Snowden, another prime suspect and currently on a political asylum in Russia, is different.

He said he recognises that there are some "folks" who think they're not enough.

"I think all of us, when we're working in big institutions, may find ourselves at times at odds with policies that are set. But when it comes to national security, we're often dealing with people in the field whose lives may be put at risk, or the safety and security and the ability of our military or our intelligence teams or embassies to function effectively. That has to be kept in mind," he said.

Obama, however said that he does not see any contradictions with respect to WikiLeaks and that the conclusions of the intelligence community with respect to the Russian hacking were not conclusive as to whether WikiLeaks was witting or not in being the conduit through which we heard about the DNC emails that were leaked.

He added that he does not pay a lot of attention to Julian Assange's tweets.

"So that wasn't a consideration in this instance," he added.

"...With respect to Chelsea Manning, I looked at the particulars of this case the same way I have for the other commutations and pardons that I've done, and I felt that in light of all the circumstances that commuting her sentence was entirely appropriate," he said.

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Pitching for racial diversity in the US, outgoing President Barack Obama has hoped to see a woman, a Hindu, a Jewish or a Latino president in the future, asserting that deserving people rising up from race and faith define America's strength.

"If, in fact, we continue to keep the opportunity open to everybody, then yes, we're going to have a woman president, we're going to have a Latino president, and we'll have a Jewish president, a Hindu president," Obama told mediapersons yesterday at a crowded White House in his final press conference as the President of the United States.

"Who knows who we're going to have. I suspect we'll have a whole bunch of mixed-up presidents at some point that nobody really knows what to call them. And that's fine," he said in an apparent reference to the racial, ethnic and religious mix of people in America.

He was responding to a question if he expects another black president.

In 2008, Obama created history after being elected as the first black president of the United States in a landslide victory. He was re-elected for second term in 2012.

Obama will be succeeded by Donald Trump of the Republican Party at the inauguration tomorrow.

"I think we're going to see people of merit rise up from every race, faith, corner of this country, because that's America's strength. When we have everybody getting a chance and everybody is on the field, we end up being better," Obama said.

"I think I've used this analogy before. We killed it in the Olympics in Brazil. And Michelle and I, we always have the Olympic team here. And it's a lot of fun, first of all, just because anytime you're meeting somebody who is the best at anything, it's impressive," he said.

"But they are of all shapes, sizes, colors, the genetic diversity that is on display is remarkable. And if you look at a Simone Biles, and then you look at a Michael Phelps, they're completely different. And it's precisely because of those differences that we've got people here who can excel at any sport," he added.

Referring to the fact that more than half of American medals at Olympics came from women, Obama said the reason is because the US had the foresight several decades ago, with something called Title 9, to make sure that women get opportunities in sports.

This is why women compete better, because they have more opportunities than folks in other countries, he said.

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On the eve of him passing on the baton to Donald Trump, the outgoing US President Barack Obama wrote a parting letter to his countrymen thanking them for their support and telling that they made him a "better man" and "better President".

And before he leaves the White House one final time Friday morning to attend the swearing-in ceremony of his successor Trump at the Capitol Hill overlooking the majestic National Mall, Obama will leave a parting letter for the 45th President of the United States.

"But before I leave my note for our 45th president, I wanted to say one final thank you for the honour of serving as your 44th. Because all that I've learned in my time in office, I've learned from you. You made me a better President, and you made me a better man," Obama said in his letter to his countrymen.

"Throughout these eight years, you have been the source of goodness, resilience, and hope from which I've pulled strength. I've seen neighbours and communities take care of each other during the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes. I have mourned with grieving families searching for answers -- and found grace in a Charleston church," he said.

"I've taken heart from the hope of young graduates and our newest military officers. I've seen our scientists help a paralysed man regain his sense of touch, and wounded warriors once given up for dead walk again," he said.

"I've seen Americans whose lives have been saved because they finally have access to medical care, and families whose lives have been changed because their marriages are recognised as equal to our own," he added.

"I've seen the youngest of children remind us through their actions and through their generosity of our obligations to care for refugees, or work for peace, and, above all, to look out for each other," said the outgoing US President.

Obama said he has seen the American people, in all their decency, determination, good humour, and kindness.

"And in your daily acts of citizenship, I've seen our future unfolding," he said.

"All of us, regardless of party, should throw ourselves into that work -- the joyous work of citizenship. Not just when there's an election, not just when our own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime. I'll be right there with you every step of the way," Obama wrote.

"And when the arc of progress seems slow, remember: America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word 'We.' 'We the People.' 'We shall overcome.' Yes, we can," said the 44th American President in his final letter to his countrymen.

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The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation plans to send a high-level delegation to Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state to assess the plight of the Rohingya Muslim minority, Malaysia said today.

A resolution issued after a special meeting of OIC foreign ministers to discuss the Rohingya crisis urged Myanmar to accept the OIC's visit. It asked Myanmar to implement the rule of law, work toward a sustainable solution, and allow the safe return of refugees and "unimpeded and unconditional access" for humanitarian aid to the affected area.

Rohingya villagers and activists say hundreds of civilians have been killed since October, although figures cannot be verified because authorities have limited access for aid workers and journalists. Recent satellite images show thousands of houses were burned.

Myanmar's army began a crackdown in Rakhine state in October after nine policemen were killed. The security forces are accused of killings, rape and the burning of homes that have driven some 65,000 refugees across the border into Bangladesh in the past three months.

The government and the army say they have been conducting operations to clear the area of armed elements.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said an independent assessment of the situation would help Myanmar's government since it has rejected accusations of widespread abuses against the Rohingya.

"In order to ascertain the reality of it, why not receive an independent team to assess whether what has been said really happened or it is just mere propaganda. In actual fact, it is good for them," Anifah told reporters at the end of Thursday's meeting.

Earlier Thursday, Malaysia said the crisis was no longer Myanmar's internal affair because it has fueled an exodus of refugees that could destabilize the region. Indonesia also offered to be a facilitator to find a solution to the crisis.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, delivering a speech at the meeting, warned that the violence must end, or militants including the Islamic State group could infiltrate and radicalise the Rohingya.

Najib urged Myanmar to stop all discrimination and attacks, and repeated calls for the free delivery of aid and safe return of refugees.

"This must happen now. ... The government of Myanmar disputes the terms 'genocide' and 'ethnic cleansing,' but whatever the terminology, the Rohingya cannot wait," he said. Najib said Malaysia will donate another 10 million ringgit (USD 2.25 million) for humanitarian aid and social projects in Rakhine, where most of the Rohingya have lived for generations. Many have been denied Myanmar citizenship.

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An employee of ONGC died when he was hit by an iron instrument while drilling a well at the state-owned company's North Kadi field near Chalasana in Mehsana district today, an official said.

Four other workers of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) also suffered minor injuries in the incident.

"Akash Prajapati (24), an assistant rigman (drilling), succumbed to injuries which he sustained while drilling a well at ONGC's North kadi field at Chalasana village in Mehsana district," the official said.

"Akash was taken to a civil hospital, where he died. Four others, who were also working at the site, sustained minor injuries," he added.

An officer from Kadi police station confirmed the incident. He said the worker died after being hit by some iron instrument used during the drilling work.

ONGC official said that the company has initiated an investigation into the matter to find out the exact cause of the accident.

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Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Ministry website faces attacks from hackers and the government should provide essential funds to upgrade the systems and enhance its security, according to a parliamentary committee.

The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs was today briefed by officials of the Foreign Office.

Opposition Senator Mushahid Hussain said that Pakistan with China and Iran was one of three countries in the world which are extensively monitored by foreign spies.

He urged the government to take immediate steps to ensure cyber security of the Foreign Ministry and its missions abroad. "We have not taken timely measures for cyber security and so are quite late," he said.

The committee also criticised the government for not releasing funds as demanded by Foreign Office to enhance the cyber security.

The committee was also informed that Foreign Office had demanded Rs 80 million from the federal government for the purposes of improving cyber security.

An official of the Foreign Office acknowledged the threat of hacking and cyber espionage to Pakistan's missions abroad.

The committee in its recommendation strongly urged the government to provide essential funds so that the systems were upgraded and security ensured.

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India is expecting safe return of soldier Chandu Chavan, who had inadvertently strayed across the border last year as Pakistan's latest response on his release has been "quite good", Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre today said.

The minister, however, said it is difficult to tell the date.

"Chandu immediately next day after the surgical strike had inadvertently crossed the LoC to Pakistan side. Since then the Indian government, DGMO and MEA, are in contact with Pakistan through the right forum. Initially the response was not good, but the latest response was quite good.

"So, we are hopeful. Unfortunately, they have not committed any particular day. But, we are hopeful they were talking positively this time. So, we are expecting his release some other time. But then it is very difficult to say the date," Bhamre told reporters.

The Union minister was addressing a press conference during his visit to the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Republic Day Camp at Delhi Cantonment.

On September 30, Chavan from 37 Rashtriya Rifles had inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control following which Pakistan had been informed by the DGMO on the hotline.

On January 12, after the launch of second Scorpene class submarine Khanderi, at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in south Mumbai, Bhamre had said, "They (Pakistan) have admitted that Chandu Chavan is alive, and that they will soon release him after inquiry, which is nearing completion."



"We are trying at the level of DGMO (Director General of Military Operations), to secure his release. So far, the DGMO has spoken to their Pakistan counterpart at least 15 to 20 times," he had said.

Incidentally, Chavan hails from Bhamre's Lok Sabha constituency.

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A petition has been filed in Supreme Court seeking removal of the present Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India for not following its mandate and recommending demonetisation of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 currency notes on the advice of the Centre.

The petition said that the central bank has failed to "prepare a plan, feasibility and impact assessment of note-banning and chose to act on the advice of Central Government, without application of mind".

It said that RBI has played pivotal role in the recently carried out note-banning exercise by the central government.

"However, on deeper examination of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, it transpires that RBI has failed to follow the mandate, purpose and effect of the said Act and gave recommendation for Note-Banning under Section 26(2) of the Act, merely on the advice of Central Government, which was in fact issued by Central Government, just a day before the announcement of the note-banning on November 8, 2016," the plea said.

It said that RBI has accepted before the parliamentary panel that on November 7, 2016, government had advised it that its central board may consider withdrawal of the legal tender status of the currency notes in denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 and subsequently on November 8, it had advised for withdrawal of legal tender status of these high denomination notes.

"Respondent No 2 (Centre) pre-decided note-banning without the recommendation of RBI Board, as is mandated under law and to defeat the ends of law, scrupulously used RBI to recommend the same just to eye-wash the people of the nation.

"And RBI recommended note-banning without real application of mind, collection and analysis of real data and calculation of impact assessment of the same on various categories of population, trade, business and activities," it said.

The petition also sought directions to the Centre for appointment of new Board of Directors of RBI.

The Supreme Court is already examining a host of related issues, including the constitutional validity of the demonetisation notification.

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A self-styled area commander of the ultra outfit People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), Ruben Kerketta, who was carrying a reward of Rs two lakh on his head, and a Maoist operative Ladu Munda, carrying a reward of Rs 50,000, have surrendered today before DIG (Ranchi) Amol V Homkar in Khunti district.

Both Kerketta and Munda were handed over benefits as per the state's surrender policy.

Altogether 21 extremist-related cases including murders were pending against Kerketta in Khunti and Gumla districts, whereas Munda was wanted by the police in three Maoists-related incidents.

In an another incident, PLFI activists torched five vehicles and two generator sets in Birda village under Karra police station of the district last night, the police today said.

Over a dozen PLFI activist laced with firearms arrived at the site, where a construction company was engaged in repairing work of Latrtu Dam, the Police.

The ultras set ablaze one dumper, two tractors, two bikes and two generator sets, they said adding senior officials including IG Ashish Batra, IG Ravi Kant Dhan, DIG (Ranchi) Amol V Homkar and Superintendent of Police (Khunti) Ashwini Kumar Sinha inspected the spot today.

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Meeting a delegation of Muslim Ulemas and intellectuals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hailed the Indian youth for resisting radicalization and asserted that the country's culture, traditions and social fabric will never allow the nefarious designs of the terrorists or their sponsors to succeed.

Modi told the delegation that it was "our collective responsibility" to take this heritage forward, a PMO statement said here.

"The delegation congratulated the Prime Minister on the steps taken by the Union government for inclusive growth, socio-economic and educational empowerment of all sections of the society including Minorities," the statement said.

"The Prime Minister said that youth in India has successfully resisted radicalization, which has affected several parts of the world today," it said.

The credit for this must go to the "long, shared heritage of our people" and that "it is now our collective responsibility to take this heritage forward", Modi told the delegation, which included Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, Chief Imam of All India Organisation of Imams of Mosques, AMU Vice Chancelleor Lt Gen (Retd) Zameeruddin Shah and Jamia Millia Vice Chancellor Talat Ahmed.

He said "the culture, traditions and social fabric of India will never allow the nefarious designs of the terrorists, or their sponsors, to succeed", the statement said.

The Prime Minister also stressed on the importance of education and skill development, which is the key to gainful employment, and upliftment from poverty.

The delegation also included MY Eqbal, former judge of the Supreme Court and Shahid Siddiqui, Urdu journalist.

During the course of the interaction, the Prime Minister



appreciated the government of Saudi Arabia for its decision to increase the number of Haj pilgrims for India, saying there is a positive image of Indian Muslims abroad.

The Muslim delegation was also appreciative of the Saudi government's decision and thanked Modi for having successfully pursued the same, the PMO statement said.

"The delegation congratulated the Prime Minister for his efforts to strengthen relations with the countries across the world and said that today every Indian in every corner of the world is instilled with a sense of pride," the PMO said.

"The delegation, in one voice, supported wholeheartedly the campaign launched by the Prime Minister against corruption and black money," the statement said.

The delegation agreed that the fight against corruption will benefit the poor people including the Minorities the most, it added.

Members of the delegation also praised the Prime Minister for his efforts towards Swachh Bharat, the statement said.

Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar were also present on the occasion.

(Reopen DEL66)



Later, Modi tweeted, "Had in-depth discussions with a delegation of Ulemas, intellectuals & academicians from the Muslim community."



He added, "We exchanged views on Swachh Bharat Mission, foreign policy, education, skill development and the need to fight corruption & black money."



The Prime Minister said he also spoke about how "the great culture, traditions and social fabric of India will always stand as a bulwark against radicalisation among youth".

Naqvi said the Prime Minister had "good discussions" with the 38-member delegation for more than one-and-a-half hours during which a range of issues were discussed.

Talat Ahmed, when contacted, said the Prime Minister responded "positively" to the issues deliberated upon.

"He was very happy to meet the delegation. We thanked him for the work he is doing for the community, especially for ensuring the increase in Haj quota," said the Jamia Millia Islamia University Vice Chancellor.

He said the Prime Minister was positive on various issues discussed. "The most important thing for empowering the community is education. In addition to that, the Prime Minister stressed on skill development," he said.

Mohammed Atique, general secretary of Rajasthan's Marawar Muslim Educational and Welfare Society seconded Ahmed said, "We thanked the Prime Minister for Haj quota related development."



Saudi Arabia had last week increased India's annual Haj quota by 34500, largest such expansion in nearly three decades.
A policeman was today injured in an exchange of fire with Naxals in dense forests of Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh, an official said.

The gunfight took place in the forests of Kodenar village under Orchha police station limits when a team of security forces was out on a counter-insurgency operation, Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Abhishek Meena told PTI.

Security forces were on the operation since yesterday into the interior forests of Narayanpur, around 300km from here. When they spotted a Maoist camp in Kodenar, they started encircling the place, he said.

Sensing their presence, the ultras opened indiscriminate fire on the personnel, triggering a gun-battle, he said, adding the rebels managed to escape from the spot.

"A Constable, Santosh Markam, belonging to district force, sustained bullet injury in the exchange of fire," he added.

Reinforcement was rushed to the spot and the injured jawan was evacuated to the district headquarters, where after administering the first aid, he was airlifted to Raipur for further treatment, he said.

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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and other officials on Thursday participated in the 'halwa ceremony', a ritual which marks the process of printing documents for the Budget for 2017-18.

"After the Halwa ceremony, more than 100 officials of Finance Ministry will stay in Budget printing press till FM's Budget Speech is over," the ministry said in a series of tweets.

The ceremony, it said, marks the beginning of the printing of documents which are part of the Union Budget 2017-18.

As part of the ritual, which has continued for long, 'halwa' is prepared in a big 'kadhai' (large frying pot) and served to the entire staff in the ministry.

Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das, Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian and other officers and staff of the ministry involved with Budget preparation were also present.

The significance of the sweet dish is that after it is served, a large number of officials and support staff, who are directly associated with the Budget making and printing process, are required to stay in the ministry and remain cut off from their families till the presentation of the Budget by the minister in the Lok Sabha.

They are not even allowed to contact their near and dear ones through phone or any other form of communication, like e-mail.

Only very senior officials in the Finance Ministry are permitted to go home.

The Budget, which will be the third full-fledged Budget of the present NDA government, is scheduled to be unveiled in Parliament on February 1 as against the usual date of last working day of the next month.

The lock-in which follows the 'halwa ceremony' is observed to maintain the secrecy of the Budget preparation process.

Budget Press in North Block houses all these officials in the period leading up to the presentation of Union Budget in Parliament by the Finance Minister.

The first Budget of Independent India was presented by R K Shanmukham Chetty on November 26, 1947.
Aizawl-based anti-corruption watchdog, People's Right to Information and Development Society of Mizoram (PRISM) today urged Lalruatkima, Chairman of the state assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to hand over the alleged Lottery scandal to the CBI.

In a letter submitted in the Assembly, the PRISM said the Comptroller and Auditor General of India's Performance Audit report found several irregularities in the state lottery.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India said the Mizoram government lost Rs 11,808.77 crore during 2012-13 to 2014-15 fiscal due to non-deposit of Minimum Guaranteed Revenue (MGR) and Administrative Expenses by four lottery distributors.

The Performance Audit of Mizoram State Lotteries by the CAG, laid in the state Assembly on December 8, said while the four distributors of paper and online lotteries were to deposit Rs 11,834.22 crore during the period, they deposited only Rs 25.45 crore.

"In violation of the rule ibid the distributors neither deposited the balance amount of Rs 11,808.77 crore to the Consolidated Fund of the state nor was it demanded by the government," the report said.

Against the revenue accrued to the distributors of Rs 2,182.79 crore (18.44 per cent of the gross sale) during 2012-13 to 2014-15, the government received a paltry revenue of Rs 25.45 crore (0.22 per cent of the gross sales), the report said.

The state government, in violation of relevant rules of the Lottery Regulation Rules, 2010 entered into an agreement with four distributors to conduct lotteries (both paper and online) on realisation of MGR per draw from the distributors at the rate of Rs 10,500 to Rs 12,000 for regular draws and Rs five lakh for bumper draws instead of ensuring that the whole sale proceeds calculated on the face value of the tickets was deposited in the Consolidated Fund of the State, the report said.

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The ongoing protests over jallikattu in neighbouring Tamil Nadu had its echo in Karnataka with Tamil groups organising an agitation here today, demanding that ban on the bull taming sport be lifted.

The nearly hour-long protest was organised by Tamil groups including the "May-17 Movement", Bengaluru Tamil Sangam, Tamil Makkal Iyakkam and students groups.

Hundreds of Bengaluru-based Tamils came together and staged the protest at the Town Hall here, voicing their support for conduct of jallikattu, over which protests by students and others are raging in various parts of Tamil Nadu.

"Bull is part of our families. Even the two years old child plays with it it is that harmless. And all the ruckus raised by ignorant people like PETA is hogwash. No, our bulls aren't harmful, and Jallikattu should be allowed, it is our pride and culture," Anita, one of the participants, said.

Another protester, Mohana, said people who are signing PETA petition were ignorant about jallikattu. "They should first do research before forming an opinion about the traditional sport," she said.

"PETA is projecting Jallikattu in a different way. If they want to protect bulls and cows, they need to pitch for banning slaughter houses," Anita said.

Another protester Thambidurai said PETA failed to seek a ban on the bull fight in Spain as the Spanish authority had said the traditional sport was part of their culture.

"I am surprised why our government has not taken such a step. I don't want any indulgence of political parties. We youngsters will fight for it and get it going in Tamil Nadu," he said.

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Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju today said the Centre is committed for a full-fledged airport in Arunachal Pradesh.

Interacting with officials of the state civil aviation department in presence of Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Deputy chief minister Chowna Mein, Chief Secretary Shakuntala D Gamlin and Principal Secretary Satya Gopal here, Raju said a central team had recently surveyed both sites at Karsingsa and Hollongi, which were proposed for the airport and the Ministry was waiting for the report.

He said the detailed report and its submissions would be then forwarded to the state government for a final call and expressed optimism that work on the airport would begin soon, an official release said.

Going through a presentation made by the department seeking operationalisation of a civil terminus, Raju assured he would have a meeting with the agencies concerned like DGCA and resolve all pending issues.

The state government has been requesting the Centre to allow use of civilian terminus at various ALGs coming up in the state, which were under the control of the Air Force.

The state government, which was planning to run commercial ATR flights for about three months on experiment basis, also requested the Minister to give one time relaxation to some stringent rules.

Raju suggested the state government to look for possibilities in bringing cargo flights as the state has immense potential in horticulture, floriculture and medicinal plants, the release said.

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Self-styled godman Asaram's son Narayan Sai, currently behind bars in a rape case, today moved a court here seeking temporary bail to contest assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh beginning next month.

Sai moved an application before Additional Sessions Judge P S Gadhvi, stating he could contest on two seats--Sahibabad in Ghaziabad district and Shivpur in Varanasi.

Seeking the relief, he stated that Ojaswi Party, of which he is one of the founders, wants to field candidates in the elections and that he needs to be out of jail to oversee the preparations.

The court kept the matter for hearing on January 21.

Sai was arrested for allegedly raping a Surat-based woman disciple of his father between 2002 and 2005.

The woman had accused Sai of repeated sexual assault when she was living at Asaram's ashram in Surat.

Sai has been lodged at Lajpore Central Jail here since December 2013.

Asaram is also facing trial in rape cases and lodged in a jail in Jodhpur.

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Twin rockets fired from the rebel-held outskirts of Yemen's third city Taez killed nine civilians late, a medic and a loyalist military source said.

A garrison loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has held out in the city largely surrounded by the Huthi rebels and their allies who control the capital Sanaa and much of the north.

Taez is one of the key battlegrounds of the civil war and government-held neighbourhoods have come under repeated rebel fire.

A medical source at the city's Al-Rawda hospital told AFP that seven civilians were also wounded by the rocket fire.

A loyalist military source said that the rockets struck one after the other in the city's Al-Nour district.

Since March 2015, pro-government forces have been backed by a Saudi-led military coalition but they have made little headway outside their southern stronghold.

The United Nations has stepped up peace efforts this week with UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed meeting Hadi at his base in second city Aden on Monday.

The envoy has been pushing a peace plan that would see a restored ceasefire leading to a political transition under which Hadi's powers would be significantly reduced.

The push for a negotiated settlement has been driven by mounting civilian casualties.

The World Health Organization says more than 7,400 people have been killed since the coalition intervention began. A UN spokesman has said the civilian death toll alone could top 10,000.

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Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today took potshots at Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh and former MP Navjot Singh Sidhu for praising each other saying they should clear the confusion from people's minds as they were wondering which of their statements was real.

In a statement here, the senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader said now that Sidhu has said called Amarinder his boss, he should clarify his earlier declaration of "compromising with the Congress minus Captain (Amarinder)".

She added that similarly, Amarinder had earlier termed the 'Awaaz-e-Punjab', the front launched by Sidhu, as the 'Tonga party' and now, he was thanking the leaders of the same 'Tonga party' for joining the Congress "without any condition".

Alleging that these leaders frequently changed their stands on various issues, Badal said the people of Punjab were witnessing the "worst status of leaders of such calibre who were known for one stand a day and the opposite on another".

Accusing Amarinder and Sidhu of "double standards", she said nothing good could be expected from these leaders who were "more eager to satisfy their own ambitions and work for their personal upliftment, instead of working for the welfare of the people and progress of the state".

Badal claimed that this was not the first time Amarinder was resorting to such "blatant lies and follies".

She added that the worst the Congress leader had done on becoming the chief minister of Punjab in 2002 was to stop free power supply to farmers and impose a ban on recruitment in government jobs whereas, he had promised to continue with the free power scheme and provide large-scale employment to the youth during campaigning.

Badal wondered how could people believe in the words of Congress leaders who were "changing stands everyday, even during their campaigning for the upcoming Assembly polls".

She claimed that it was quite clear from the confusion in the minds of these leaders that they had realised the people of Punjab have made up their minds to vote for the ruling SAD-BJP combine in the state again.

Badal advised Amarinder and Sidhu to "take rest and try to digest this reality".

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Senegalese troops charged into neighboring Gambia tonight in a show of force to oust longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh after he failed to step aside when his mandate ended at midnight after losing the presidential election last month.

The troops moved in shortly after Adama Barrow was inaugurated as Gambia's first new leader in more than 22 years at the country's embassy in neighboring Senegal after a final effort at diplomatic talks with Jammeh failed to secure his departure.

Senegalese military spokesman Col. Abdou Ndiaye confirmed to The Associated Press that the first West African troops had crossed into Gambia and were on their way to the capital, Banjul. AP journalists saw at least 20 military vehicles gathered at the border town of Karang.

In his inaugural speech, which took place under heavy security, Barrow called on Jammeh to respect the will of the people and step aside. The new president also called on Gambia's armed forces to remain in their barracks as the regional military intervention got underway.

Outside Gambia's embassy in Dakar, Baal Jaabang held up a freshly framed portrait of Barrow, already printed with the words: "His Excellency Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of Gambia."



"I'm extremely delighted, so wonderfully happy today," he said. "But now the situation risks moving into fighting. No Gambian - in the diaspora or back home - wants our country to face fighting."



Barrow had come to Senegal last week at the urging of West African mediators, who had feared for his safety amid the political crisis.

He arrived at the embassy to cheers of joy from hundreds of Gambians who had gathered, with national flags, for a glimpse of the new president.

"Our national flag will now fly high among the most democratic nations of the world," Barrow said after the ceremony.

Barrow was declared the winner of the December 1 election and at first was congratulated by Jammeh in a phone call aired on state television. But once it was suggested that Jammeh could face criminal charges linked to his long rule, he backtracked and challenged the vote in court, alleging irregularities.

Jammeh today remained at his official residence and intended to stay there, said an official close to the administration who was not authorized to speak to reporters. If the regional force is going to arrest Jammeh, it will have to be there, the official said.

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Shells slammed into the northern Syrian city of Aleppo today, killing two people as thousands of government supporters gathered in a main square nearby to celebrate last month's capture of the city's eastern neighborhoods from rebels.

The shells struck a few kilometers (miles) from Saadallah al-Jabiri Square, where national music was blaring from giant loudspeakers and people danced and chanted pro-government slogans.

The gathering dispersed shortly afterward, highlighting the fragile security in the city. The capture of Aleppo on December 22 brought Syria's largest city back to the full control of Syrian authorities for the first time since July 2012, marking Assad's biggest victory since the uprising against him began nearly six years ago.

During the demonstration, a woman led the protesters in a pledge to preserve Syria and protect it against rebels and their foreign backers. About an hour later, a shell exploded in the distance, leading some of those gathered to hurry away.

Minutes later another shell exploded in the distance, causing more to leave.

"We are here to celebrate the victory in Aleppo," said housewife Faten Sawwas, as she left the square with her two daughters. "God willing the crisis is beginning to end and we will rebuild Syria."



Rebels on the western outskirts of the city have been shelling it with rockets and mortar rounds despite a cease-fire that has been in place since December 30.

Both sides have carried out attacks despite the truce, which excludes al-Qaida-linked militants and the Islamic State group.

Heavy fighting broke out today between government forces and Islamic State militants near an army base outside the militant-held town of Palmyra.

The extremists recaptured the ancient town in December from government troops nine months after IS was expelled in a Russia-backed offensive.

Opposition activists today said IS has killed 12 people it held captive in Palmyra by shooting and beheading them, with some of the slayings carried out in the city's second-century Roman amphitheater.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Six of the 10 most-wanted telecom and Internet fraudsters in China have been detained by the police here, authorities said today.

Huang Youli, 50, is said to have defrauded over two million yuan (USD 290,000)through WeChat, a popular Chinese chatting app and social network service, in July, 2015, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said.

He turned himself in to the police in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on January 12.

Tang Shixian, 31, Wu Shaoyan, 36, and Pan Fangfang, 29, all allegedly participated in a sperm donation swindle.

They lured their victims to transfer money to them which they claimed to be a deposit against donation, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Tang surrendered himself to the police on January 13 in eastern China's Jiangxi province. Wu and Pan were arrested in Jiangxi on January 13 and January 14 respectively.

Hu Xiaoping, 50, and his son Hu Dalong, 27, gave themselves up to the police in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Tuesday.

They defrauded several million yuan by claiming to help victims apply for credit cards since January, 2016, the report said.

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Small is big when it comes to electoral in caste-ridden Uttar Pradesh where even a minuscule sub-caste becomes a force to reckon with and lesser known political parties representing them seem to be reaping the benefit.

Come elections, these smaller political outfits make their presence felt in a big way as they can influence the outcome in the high stakes elections this time.

These parties also matter for mainstream political parties like BJP and Congress because of the support they enjoy among certain castes.

Little known Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party is forging an alliance in eastern UP with BJP, which is also in talks with Janwadi Party (Socialist), headed by Sanjay Singh Chauhan.

Apna Dal headed by Union Minister Anupriya Patel is already an NDA ally.

Seeking to leave their mark in the cow belt politics, Peace Party, Nishad Party and Mahan Dal are also expected to throw their hats in the rings.

With certain castes and sub-castes likely to leave an imprint on UP politics, it was definitely not out of the blue when Chief Minister recently cleared the file carrying names of 17 Other Backward Castes for inclusion in the Scheduled Castes (SC) list.

While Akhilesh sought to score a brownie point by this move, BSP chief Mayawati sought to checkmate him by trashing the decision as nothing but "election stunt", though it was her government that had sent the recommendation to the Centre earlier.

The 17 sub-castes which the government wants included in the SC category are Kahar, Kashyap, Kewat, Nishad, Bind, Bhar, Prajapati, Rajbhar, Batham, Gauriya, Turha, Majhi, Mallah, Kumhar, Dheemar, Dheewar and Machhua.

Though individually each has a very small vote share, yet together, they make up a significant chunk of votes.

OBCs are roughly 44 per cent of UP's electorate, Dalits 21 per cent, Muslims 19 per cent, and upper castes 16 per cent.

Yadavs, the core of the SP's base, are numerically and socially dominant among OBCs.

But the 200-odd non-Yadav OBCs together account for over double the Yadav population. They include Kurmis, Koeris, Lodhs, Jats and Sunars, while Pasis and Valmikis are the large groups among Dalits.

The Peace Party of India (PPI) had won four Assembly



seats in 2012 UP Assembly polls and is planning to forge an alliance with Nishad Party to contest all the 403 seats up for grabs.

PPI has its support base among Muslims and had contested 200 seats last time with Apna Dal as its ally.

Nishad Party on the other hands banks on votes of fishermen in parts of eastern UP where the Nishad community has sizeable presence.

The Mallah community, which makes up around 4.5 per cent votes, is divided into 27 sub-castes, and has a good presence in roughly 125 constituencies along the rivers in UP, where they contribute to the victory and defeat of candidates.

In eastern UP itself, another party - Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party - is reported to be giving touches to seat sharing arrangements with BJP. The outfit enjoys support among Rajbhar caste present in several constituencies in the belt.

In places like Badaun, Etah, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur and Farrukhabad, Mahan Dal has emerged as an important player and had allied with Congress in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The party enjoys support among politically active Shakya, Maurya, Kushwaha and Saini communities.

In Bareilly and its neighbouring areas, Ittehad-e-Millat Council plans to contest a dozen seats but has not taken a final call.

Speculation is rife that another faction of Apna Dal, headed by Krishna Patel, may be accommodated in eastern UP by Congress, which is in talks with ruling Samajwadi Party for a 'maha-gathbandhan'.

BJP, which has considerable upper caste support in Uttar Pradesh, has been promoting non-Yadav OBCs like its UP state chief Keshav Prasad Maurya, and MoS Health Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal.

BJP recently inducted the former BSP secretary Swamy Prasad Maurya in the party, and made another Maurya leader, Keshav Prasad Maurya, its state unit chief.

Mauryas, also called Kachhis, Kushwahas, Sainis and Shakyas, are Koeris, and numerically significant in eastern UP.

BJP hopes to repeat its spectacular Lok Sabha performance in 2014, in which it got 42.3 per cent votes, almost double the SP's 22.2 per cent and BSP's 20 per cent.

Interestingly, in Assembly elections, BJP's performance has got successively worse on every occasion since 1996, when it peaked at 32.51 per cent. It got 20.12 per cent votes in 2002, 16.97 per cent in 2007, and 15 per cent in 2012.
: Perks4 a new start up aimed at putting more money back into the pockets of consumers, who are not aware of smart opportunities to save from discount programmes, was launched here today.

"The technology connecting buyers and sellers in the most efficient way would help consumers save and put more of their hard earned money back in their pockets and that is what Perks4 has developed with its websites," its CEO Guru Kulaindaivel told reporters here.

The company has tie ups with over 800 online retailers and local merchants that give extra discounts and cashback to its customers, he said.

Members can save over Rs 10,000 per annum by using its platform compared to consumers who go directly to retailer websites, he said



Members can save up to 10 per cent extra cash back when they shop on line from hundreds of retailers by clicking a link from the Perks4 portal, he said.

The company, which has initially invested Rs one crore, is targeting groups of customers like employees, students, defence personnel, retirees and customized offerings to customer requirements, Guru said.

Many companies have offered the platform as Employee Benefit, whereas associations like IIT Madras Alumni Association and others had offered the platform to benefit Alumni, students and staff of their institutions, he said.

The company has deployed a propriatary technology platform in collaboration with VAC Media of U.K., which enables it track members when they visit online retailers originating from Perks4 portals, Guru said.

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed to have been unearthed an alleged nexus between some government departments in Nagaland and insurgents in which money was being routed to the banned groups.

The probe agency is conducting an inquiry into the alleged routing of funds to the militants groups active in Nagaland, a senior NIA official said here today.

The NIA has recovered incriminating documents during the searches carried out yesterday in various premises allegedly pointing the role of some state government officials for transferring the money, he said.

Preliminary investigation has found that the money was being illegally channeled from state government departments to the banned organisations like NSCN (K) and NDFB, the official said.

The money was also being allegedly routed to Naga National Council, a group active in Nagaland, he said.

Over 12 state government departments-- including tourism, rural department, industry and commerce, urban development, public works department and Directorate of Information and Public Relations-- are under the NIA scanner for allegedly transferring the state's money to the militants groups, the official said.

The NIA will soon question certain Nagaland government officials to ascertain their involvement in the alleged militants fundings from the state's fund, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Steve Aoki says his collaboration with Louis Tomlinson got underway when the One Direction star "followed him on Twitter".

The 39-year-old musician features on the 25-year-old's debut solo single "Just Hold On", and has said their unlikely partnership started after he got the chance to fill in for a sick Calvin Harris at a show in Las Vegas, which Louis happened to be attending, reported Femalefirst.

"I play in Vegas a lot and Louis went to a Calvin Harris show and that night Calvin Harris cancelled, he was sick or something and they called me and said, 'Hey Steve, do you want to DJ Calvin's night because he can't make it?' And I was like, 'Yeah, I'm in town. Let's do this!'



"So I played and Louis and his friends were at the party and they were blown away by the set, you know. I was really happy I got to play that show and he followed me on Twitter. The old Twitter!" Steve said.

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Muslims in the United States who were rounded up and detained in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks took their case before the US Supreme Court.

The US high court reviewed whether the men, who say they were held after the Al-Qaeda attack based solely on their identity as Arab Muslims, had the right to sue top US officials including then-attorney general John Ashcroft and Federal Bureau of Investigation director Robert Mueller, for their allegedly illegal detention.

The men were among 750 Muslims rounded up after the terror attacks, many on grounds that they did not have legal US immigration papers.

They said they were held in small isolation cells for up to 23 hours at a stretch and subjected to mental and physical abuse. They were held in detention for three to eight months.

A lower court had ruled in the men's favor, and the officials appealed that to the Supreme Court yesterday, arguing that the national security and immigration requirements of the time justified the sweeping arrests.

A ruling on whether the men had a right to sue rests on court precedents involving constitutional protections against illegal search and seizure.

But Justice Stephen Breyer got to the hub of the broader case: whether the atmosphere at the time justified such a broad reaction.

"I can understand after a bomb attack and 3,000 people are killed," Breyer said. "I can understand that the first reaction of the law enforcement authorities is pick up anybody you might think is connected, and we'll worry about the rest of it later."



"Now, eight months?... The answer is pick up anybody who might have a connection, and then just keep them there?" he asked.

The current Barack Obama administration came in on the side of Ashcroft, Mueller and the others being sued.

"This is something that was done as the officials are trying to sort through how to respond to the very difficult situation," said Justice Department Lawyer Ian Gershengorn.

"Some of the people on the list had ties to terrorism -- may have had ties to terrorism. Some of them may well not have," he said.

But officials had to take the time to figure that out, and in the meanwhile did not violate any laws, including those on discrimination, he said.

But Rachel Meeropol, arguing for the men who had been detained, said it was an issue of illegal discrimination.

"This court has a historic role to play in ensuring that race and religion do not take the place of legitimate grounds for suspicion and in deterring future Federal officials from creating government policy to do the same," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A local court in Balasore today declared 11 absconding accused persons involved in a murder case as proclaimed offenders.

The 11 accused persons were at large since June 23, 2016 even as the trial of the murder case has begun.

Susanta Das alias Khasua, allegedly involved in more than a dozen criminal cases, was hacked to death by a rival criminal gang on June 23, 2016 in the Sovarampur area under Sahadevkhunta police station.

Das was also booked under the National Security Act. He was attacked and murdered with a sword while attending a secret gang meeting.

Out of the total 25 persons accused in the murder case, 14 people have been arrested. But, the 11 other accused persons including the alleged main accused Chinmay Panda alias Papa Panda, were still absconding.

The Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate of Balasore Minakshi Priyadarsini pronounced these 11 absconders as proclaimed offenders as per the provision of U/S82 CrPC. The Court has directed the police to arrest these persons by February 20.

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Emerging as a sweet spot, India along with China are set to rev up world economic growth as a "new normal" of inward-looking approach raised questions over the future of globalisation at the (WEF) meet in Davos, while Indian leaders listed out demonetisation as a measure owed to people in the fight against black money.

As leaders and economists debated the future of globalisation in Davos at WEF, the emerging narrative shifted to growth booster from Asia for the global economy amid darkening prospects for trade worldwide.

While asserting that the UK would retain its internationalist approach despite Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May said the country's biggest manufacturer Tata is Indian but still there cannot be anything more British than its product Jaguar Land Rover.

India was on Thursday applauded as a major driving force alongside China for world growth with leaders and economists emphasising the need for increased regional cooperation.

Veteran banker and New Development Bank President K V Kamath said a "new normal" is emerging where many countries would prioritise an "inward look" at their national policies even as India remains in a comfortable position.

While stating that India and China contribute a big chunk today to the global growth, he said India is in a "sweet spot" as the country absorbs investments in infrastructure, manufacturing and areas driving the consumer sector.

Against the backdrop of rising uncertainties, business leaders and economists felt that India and China have a great role to play in taking forward the Asian growth story by engaging in regional cooperation and eventually boost the global trade.

Reflecting the optimism over the two leading economies, Malaysia's Minister for International Trade and Industry Mustapa Mohamed said India and China are very important in taking forward the Asian growth story.

As the prospects for global trade seem to darken, noted economist Kishore Mahbubani said there is indeed a vacuum at the leadership position and it needs to be seen who fills it.

He also noted that ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) has a great potential though a lot of people generally focus mostly on India and China.

Making a strong defence of demonetisation, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government "owed" such a step to the nation for eradicating the black money menace.

A delegation of more than 100 individuals, including ministers, government officials and business leaders, are in attendance at the WEF annual meet which has gathered under the theme 'Responsive and Responsible Leadership'.

During a panel discussion on the theme of India's turn to transform, discussions touched upon the fight against corruption and black money, including demonetisation.

Talking about demonetisation, SBI Chief Arundhati Bhattacharya said what was amazing was that there were huge crowds outside banks but still there was no riot or any loss of life due to the law and order situation.

Davos, which hosts the yearly gathering of the rich and the powerful under the umbrella of the WEF, seem to have caught the attention as well as an imagination of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who is now thinking of having such a city in the Himalayas.

"After coming to Davos, I felt why can't we develop a township like this in that area, where people will come in sub-zero temperatures and which will have hotels and tourism facilities and will even go to Mansarovar," the Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister said.

Meanwhile, WEF, government think-tank NITI Aayog, the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the Cornell University have joined hands to develop an India Innovation Index to measure the performance of Indian states.

The first ranking is expected to be released at the India Economic Summit in New Delhi on October 4-6, 2017.

"Prime Minister Modi believes that competitive and cooperative federalism is key to India's progress. This index will encourage states to compete with each other and, in turn, lead to better policies for inclusive growth," NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said.
Luxury Swiss watchmakers, gathering this week at the industry's premier annual show in Geneva, hope 2017 will finally mark the end of two crisis-hit years of falling sales.

Many top-flight brands, used to running their ateliers at full throttle, have resorted to laying off workers in the face of crumbling demand.

"2016 has been difficult," Jean-Daniel Pasche, president of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, told AFP during the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), which runs through January 20.

He said he expected this year's exports of luxury watches to be "about the same level" as those of last year.

Exports for all of 2016 will be published next week, but from January to November, they were down 10.4 per cent from the same period last year, after a 3.3 per cent decline in 2015.

"We're near the end, I think, of what has been a structural crisis," said Manuel Emch, chief executive of the luxury brand Romain Jerome.

"We're seeing a recovery in China, and the haemorrhage has stopped in certain markets," he added, referring in particular to Hong Kong, the largest export market for Swiss watchmakers.

Robust Chinese demand had led many brands to expand production. However, a crackdown by Beijing on corruption in 2013 hit hard, as has political uncertainty in Hong Kong following the "umbrella revolution" in 2014.

Hong Kong had long attracted Chinese watch fans on the mainland.

Among the other factors weighing on the sector were the collapse of the ruble, which has crimped the buying power of Russian clients, and rising competition from "smart" watches connected to the internet.

"All these factors at the same time, plus the terror attacks in Europe ... That was quite a lot," Emch said.

Steps taken by Swiss brands over the past two years to curb output should start to pay off, Emch said, but "the equation is still fragile".

Retailers, who struggled to sell their stocks in the face of slumping demand, are now being more selective when choosing which brands to display, focusing on sure bets at the expense of small, niche players.

Last year, Richemont, the world's second-largest watchmaker, whose brands include Cartier, Piaget and IWC, spent heavily to buy back stock from Asian retailers.

On Friday, the group surprised investors by reporting a five percent increase in third-quarter sales in local currency terms, suggesting that its efforts were beginning to bear fruit as the Chinese market gradually recovers.

"I think they've probably cleared out most of the inventory and they can now start to restock, including with lower price point models," said Jon Cox, an analyst with Kepler Cheuvreux.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Islamic State group has killed 12 people it held captive in Syria's ancient Palmyra by shooting and beheading them, with some of the slayings carried out in the city's second-century Roman amphitheater, activists said today.

The extremist group had recaptured the city in December from government troops nine months after IS was expelled from there in a Russia-backed offensive and while Syrian government forces were focused on retaking the eastern half of the city of Aleppo from rebels.

When they previously controlled Palmyra, IS militants had used the Roman amphitheater for public killings, including those in a video showing 25 boys with pistols shooting captured Syrian soldiers, the ancient colonnades visible in the background.

The Islamic State group has also destroyed ancient temples and other relics in the past, triggering fears among experts for remaining antiquities in the city.

The city has been largely emptied out of its residents, following the government offensive in March last year.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and another activist network, the Palmyra Monitor, said the 12 captives were killed yesterday.

They were captured as they tried to escape the IS offensive on Palmyra last month. The Observatory said four teachers and government employees were beheaded in the courtyard of the Palmyra museum.

The Observatory and the Palmyra Monitor said the others four opposition fighters and four pro-government troops were first shot, then beheaded in the Roman amphitheater or in a former Russian base in Palmyra.

The Observatory also said Thursday that IS militants during an ongoing assault in eastern Syria's Deir el-Zour province, hung the heads of six pro-government fighters in public, in different parts of the town of al-Mayadeen.

There were no bodies attached to the heads, and it was not clear if the six were killed in battle or after they were taken captive.

Over the past year, IS has suffered defeats in both Syria and Iraq, losing several towns and cities it had captured in 2014.

Its surprise re-taking of Palmyra came weeks before it went on a wide assault in Deir el-Zour, against the government controlled part of the city. Activists said it was the IS group's most aggressive onslaught on the government area and a nearby military air base in a year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, who was declared Samajwadi Party candidate from Kanpur Cant assembly seat, today said he would not contest polls.

"I will not contest assembly polls. I know Akhileshji (Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav) likes me... But then you (media) will ask him why a mafia has been given ticket," the former MP told reporters here.

Atiq, who was declared SP candidate in the list of candidates released by then state president Shivpal Yadav, said, "No candidate has been declared on the seat yet but he is opting out and will not contest assembly polls."



"I will work to strengthen the party and will not do any thing that will strengthen communal forces. I will work on seats where I have some say and ensure victory of secular forces," he added.

SP ticket to Atiq had invited criticism from BJP and BSP leaders who said it was unfortunate for Uttar Pradesh that such people with criminal background were being given poll tickets.

Even the chief minister was said to be upset with the decision to give him ticket to contest the elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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China should not be so "narrow-minded", Taiwan said today, after Beijing pressed Washington to block the island from attending Donald Trump's inauguration.

A former premier will lead Taipei's delegation as foreign dignitaries from around the world descend on the US capital for the president-elect's swearing in.

But Beijing has asked the US to bar the self-ruling island it sees as a renegade province and part of "one China" to be reunified.

"We urge again the American side not to allow any Taiwanese official delegation to attend the US presidential inauguration ceremony and to have any kind of official contact with Taiwan," said Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China's ministry of foreign affairs, at a regular press briefing Thursday.

Former premier Yu Shyi-kun, who is leading Taiwan's delegation hit back.

"Don't be so small," Yu, who belongs to the ruling Beijing-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party, was quoted as saying by Taiwan's state Central Agency.

"There hasn't been any leader with such a narrow mind in all Chinese dynasties," added Yu, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Since Trump was elected in November, there have been a series of diplomatic upsets, with China incensed by a protocol-smashing phone call between the billionaire and Taiwan's leader Tsai Ing-wen.

It was further angered by Trump's suggestion that the "one China" policy could be negotiable and demanded Washington ban Taipei from the inauguration.

A Taiwanese delegation has attended in previous years, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, but never includes the island's president.

Washington remains Taiwan's most powerful ally and arms supplier even though it switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

Chiu Chui-cheng, spokesman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council which handles China affairs, called Beijing's rhetoric "unhelpful for the normal development" of relations.

"There is no need for China to restrict or suppress Taiwan's regular interactions and exchanges with the US", he said.

Taiwan's delegation also includes some legislators including pro-independence rocker-turned-politician Freddy Lim of the New Power Party, which is calling for Taiwan to be recognised internationally as a country.

Ties with China have turned increasingly frosty since Tsai took office last year, with Beijing cutting off official communication with her government.

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The Jallikattu protests today reached Delhi with scores of people including students from Tamil Nadu demonstrating against the ban on the bull-taming sport.

The protesters, led by Tamil lawyers in Supreme Court, took out a march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar raising slogans against People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the ban on Jallikattu.

Protesters, numbering more than 200, claimed that they don't have any affiliation to any political party or organisation.

"We don't have any political affiliation. We have gathered here for the protection of Tamil culture and its rich heritage," advocate Mayilsamy, a Supreme Court lawyer, who was among the protesters told PTI.

"The intention of PETA is to destroy the Tamil culture. They want to eradicate the local breed of cattle and introduce foreign breeds into Indian markets," lawyer Anandaselvam said.

Students from various educational institutions in Delhi had also joined the on-going protest against the ban on the bull-taming sport.

"Jallikattu is our traditional right. We have 50 MPs in Parliament. They were not able to do anything to protect our Jallikattu. We need amendment in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act," Tirupathy, another protester said, adding that they thank the apex court and the PETA for making a local culture world famous.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu CM O Paneerselvam today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought ordinance for the conduct of Jallikattu.

Even though Modi expressed Centre's inability to promulgate an ordinance on the issue, Panneerselvam said his government will soon take steps for holding banned Jallikattu event with the backing of the Centre.

In Chennai, massive protests in support of Jallikattu continued at the Marina beach and other parts of Tamil Nadu, with hundreds more joining the agitation.

Unfazed by the Chief Minister's call to withdraw protests, thousands of volunteers remain steadfast on their demand for holding the bull-taming sport in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hundreds of Tamilians here today held protests against the ban on Jallikattu and warned of launching hunger strikes if the government did not lift the restrictions.

With Chennai's Marina Beach as the nerve-centre, protests are going across the country and pockets with Tamil population in the world against the ban.

In Mumbai, Tamilians wearing black clothes gathered and raised slogans against the ban in the western suburb of Kandivali led by Tamilar Protector Movement, its Maharashtra Secretary, T R Bhagyaraj, said.

As the festival with tradition of thousands of years, Tamil people organised the Jallikattu event as a token protest and also took out a small procession, he said.

Similar protests and processions were held at least in two more Tamil pockets-- Dharavi at Kamrajnagar and Chembur in last two days.

At Ambernath in neighbouring Thane district, workers of Naam Tamilar Katchi organised a protest, in which about 200 people had joined. The march started from Swami Nagar in the afternoon and ended near the municipal council building. They also raised slogans against PETA and appealed to lift the ban.

Shankar Venkateshan, a local adviser of Naam Tamilar Party in Ambernath said that they will protest till the ban is lifted.

"We will give formal requests to government machinery by visiting district collector office next week and after proper permissions from police and civic body, we will also launch a hunger strike as well," Venkateshan told PTI.

"We are not hurting the bulls, we love them like our children. They are part of our culture and we play with them on the day of Pongal not hurting them. Government must listen our plea," he said.

Similar protests were also held in Pune, he added.

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Tata Motors today announced the commercial launch of its much-awaited SUV, the "lifestyle vehicle" 'HEXA' here, with the price starting at Rs 12.25 lakh(ex-showroom Bengaluru).

Based on a new versatile platform - the HEXA is a complete vehicle package, with a combination of design, luxury, off-road and on-road capabilities, boasting modern andexciting architecture, plush interiors and next-generation connectivity and performance related features, the companyofficials said.

The HEXA is introduced at a starting price of Rs 12.25 lakhs, ex-showroom Bengaluru for the Manual Transmission variant and Rs 15.16 lakhs, ex-showroom Bengaluru for the Automatic variant, they said.

"There couldn't have been a better time to launch our life style utility vehicle the Tata HEXA. This is the second product under our impact design philospophy. Today the Tata HEXA really represents the change," Tata Motors Limited Head of Design Pratap Bose told reporters here.

He said "The HEXA represents TMLs intense design focus and the next steps in our transformation journey. We are confident that the HEXA's strong and distinct character will make it stand out in this highly popular but immensely competitive SUV segment."



Stating that the vehicle features a Newfirst-in-segment 'Super Drive Modes' system, to providecustomers with a pleasurable, comfortable and dynamic driving experience, officials said this system allows the driver to seamlessly switch between four different driving modes - auto, comfort, dynamic and rough road, for enhanced ride comfort and stability over different terrains.

Available in six variants - XE, XM, XT, XMA, XTA andXT 4x4; there are five colour options - Pearl White (PW), Arizona Blue (ARB), Tungsten Silver (TNS), Sky Grey (SKG) and Platinum Silver (PTS), they said.

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The body of an 18-year-old girl was today found in a jungle in Khalidpur village here and police are suspecting it to be a case of rape and murder.

The girl was found murdered by his family members in the nearby jungle where she had gone to relieve herself on Tuesday evening, they said.

"Her clothes were not in proper order and there were injury marks on her neck. We suspect that someone raped her and then strangulated her to death," police said.

"We have also recovered two mobile phones near her body belonging to her and her younger sister," they said.

A complaint has been lodged against unidentified men, however, charges of rape will be included if it is confirmed in the postmortem, police said, adding that investigation in the matter is underway.

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Tehran's mayor said more than 20 firefighters had been killed when the city's oldest high-rise collapsed following a fire today.

"So far, more than 20 of our colleagues in the fire brigade have lost their lives rescuing others," mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Iranian state television.

Fire brigade spokesman Jalal Maleki said he could not confirm the 20 deaths, and they were still being treated officially as missing since no bodies had yet been pulled from the rubble.

Rescue workers, soldiers and sniffer dogs were desperately hunting for survivors in the debris of the 15-storey Plasco building, which contained a shopping centre and hundreds of clothing suppliers.

Some 78 people -- mostly firefighters -- were injured as they rushed to evacuate the building, the head of Tehran's emergency services told state television, and six were still in hospital by late evening.

Dramatic images showed flames pouring out of the top floors of the building, which collapsed shortly before midday after a four-hour blaze.

Around 200 firefighters had been tackling the blaze at the Plasco building, which dated from the 1960s.

"I was inside and suddenly I felt the building is shaking and is about to collapse. As we gathered colleagues and got out, a minute later the building collapsed," said Ali, a firefighter at the scene.

Local media said the workshops were especially full of clothes in the build-up to Nowruz, the Iranian New Year which falls in March.

President Hassan Rouhani demanded an immediate investigation, calling the incident "unfortunate and sorrowful".

"More than 30 times we warned the building's owners that it was not safe, but unfortunately they did not pay attention," said municipality spokesman Shahram Gilabadi.

The fire brigade spokesman said the building was known to breach safety standards.

"Even in the stairwells, a lot of clothing is stored and this is against safety standards. The managers didn't pay attention to the warnings," Maleki told state television, adding that the building lacked sufficient fire extinguishers.

The tragedy brought condolences from around the world, with the London Fire Brigade tweeting: "Our thoughts are with the friends and families of the firefighters who have died following the fire and building collapse in Tehran."



Dozens of Tehranis queued to donate blood.

The steel skeleton of the building was left twisted and bent down to the ground as around 100 fire engines and dozens of ambulances surrounded the area, from which smoke was still rising hours later.

The head of Tehran's tailors' union said there were around 400 clothing suppliers inside and many lacked insurance.

The Plasco building was Tehran's first shopping centre and Iran's tallest building when it was finished in 1962, before being dwarfed by the construction boom of later years.

It was built by Habibollah Elghanian, a Iranian-Jewish businessman who was arrested for ties to Israel and sentenced to death and executed after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

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Telangana IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao today sought investments from South Korean companies in the state.

The Minister, who is currently touring the East Asian nation, also said a dedicated industrial park for Korean investors would be set by the state government in Telangana, an official release issued here said.

"KTR assured of all possible help to the Korean investors in Telangana. A dedicated Korean industrial park with support from government of Telangana was announced by the minister in the meeting," it said.

"He spoke about Telangana state industrial policy and infrastructure facilities available in the state. The Minister also pitched the companies to setup their electronic manufacturing, textiles, life sciences, automotive, machinery and precision engineering plants in the state of Telangana, India," added the release.

The delegation led by KTR which interacted with senior leadership team of Samsung Electronics invited the company's delegates to examine the investment opportunities in state in the areas of electronics and medical devices manufacturing, it said.

He requested the Samsung delegates to invest in the upcoming medical park which is to be set in the state.

KTR also addressed a business meeting attended by more than 100 delegates in Seoul organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ICCK) and Union government, it added.

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Director of an upcoming Telugu film was arrested today for allegedly hurting sentiments by depicting a religious symbol in poor light through some scenes on the complaint of a Bajrang Dal activist, police said.

The sleuths of Special Operation Team of Rachakonda Police Commissionerate apprehended Dasari Sairam from Film Nagar here.

Sairam is directing "Devuda" casting new artists.

"During the making of the movie, the director had included some scenes in which the hero character pours whiskey and cigarettes...," a senior police officer said.

Based on a complaint lodged by Bajrang Dal leader U Naveen, Neredmet Police registered a case under sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), 298 (uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to hurt the religious feelings of any person) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) of IPC.

Another case was registered on similar grounds against the director by Kachiguda police under Hyderabad police commissionerate.

Recently, teaser of "Devuda" was released on YouTube by the director and the film producer G Hari Kumar Reddy, prompting a complaint by a section of society saying it has hurt their religious sentiments, the officer said.

The clipping was taken out after Rachakonda police commissionerate brought the matter to the notice of YouTube management.

Sairam told interrogators that he had previously directed "Lottery" and "Mitravinda" movies with new artists.

He told police he decided to cast the particular scene in "Devuda" as he was 'inspired' by the visuals of certain rituals involving devotees purportedly telecast on two local channels.

Efforts are on to nab the producer who is absconding. Further investigation is on.

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Thailand's flagship airline today said it had launched a probe into revelations that Rolls-Royce paid millions of dollars in bribes to win contracts, including to airline employees and government officials.

The investigation comes after the renowned British engine-maker agreed to pay a $808 million fine to authorities in Britain, the United States and Brazil to settle bribery and corruption claims.

After its largest ever graft probe, Britain's Serious Fraud Office found Rolls Royce paid massive bribes over three decades to win contracts in Indonesia, Thailand, India, Russia, Nigeria, China and Malaysia.

A British judge this week said the investigation revealed "the most serious breaches of the criminal law in the areas of bribery and corruption" prompting Rolls Royce, which cooperated with the probe, to apologise.

But the findings -- concerning the engine maker Rolls-Royce, which has no connection with Rolls-Royce cars, a marque owned by the Germany auto maker BMW -- will likely make for uncomfortable reading in the countries where bribes were paid.

In Thailand investigators found some $36 million in bribes and incentives were paid between 1991 and 2005 to intermediaries -- including "agents of the State of Thailand and employees of Thai Airways" -- to help the company win lucrative jet engine deals.

A statement said the company will "gather information from all the sources in order to investigate the matter thoroughly".

"When all facts have been compiled and reviewed" the airline will determine appropriate actions to take on any corruption found", the statement added.

Sansern Poljiak, secretary general of Thailand's anti-corruption watchdog the National Anti-Corruption Commission told AFP that his staff were "seeking more information" from UK and US authorities before deciding whether to launch their own probe.

He warned that some of the allegations unveiled by British investigators may have occurred too long ago to bring criminal charges, although civil compensation claims could still be made.

The public data released by the British courts does not name implicated individuals.
Two women and a minor girl were killed while four others injured whena pressure landmine, suspected to have been laid by Naxals,went off in a dense forest pocketof Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Narayanpur district, police said today.

"The incident took place last evening in the forests of Narayanpur police station limits," Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) SRP Kalluri told PTI.

As per preliminary information, the residents of Tumnaar village including some women and their children, were passing through the area where road construction work was underway between Sonpur and Kurushnar villages, he said.

They inadvertently stepped over the pressure IED (improvised explosive device) connection near Godagaon village forest, triggering the blast, killing two women and the 15-year-old girl, the IG said.

Three more women and a two-year-old baby also sustained injuries in the blast, he added.

The incident came to light late last night when the villagers brought the victims to Narayanpur hospital following which security forces were rushed to the place, he said.

The body of deceased has been sent for the postmortem while the injured were being treated at Narayanpur hospital, he added.

"The Maoists have planted the IEDs to target security forces deployed to facilitate ongoing road construction on that axis. They mostly plant landmines close to trees and culverts. Several times in the past security forces as well as villagers have become victims of such Maoist blasts in Bastar region," the IG said.

Further details are awaited, he added.

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NCP's Maharashtra unit president Sunil Tatkare today said alliance with Congress for Zilla Parishad (ZP) polls is likely to take place due to positive feedback from his party's district units.

"District units of both Congress and NCP were in talks to explore an alliance for ZP elections in Beed, Latur, Hingoli, Nanded, Jalna, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar," Tatkare told reporters here.

"Alliance with Congress for ZP polls is likely to take place due to positive feedback from NCP's district units," he added.

He said these districts along with Aurangabad, Parbhani, Osmanabad, Wardha, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli go to polls in the first phase of ZP elections on February 16.

Tatkare said at the district review meeting he chaired today, district units from 9 districts conveyed to him that alliance talks with their Congress counterparts were going on and a final decision is expected soon.

For the second phase of the polls in 11 districts on February 21, NCP will approach Congress for an alliance, if there is no proposal for the same, he added.

Tatkare also said "his party was not desperate for an alliance with Congress and only wanted to avoid division of secular votes".

Tatkare also said since Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam had announced earlier that his party was not keen on an alliance with NCP, the Sharad Pawar-led outfit had no option but to go ahead with announcement of 45 candidates for the February 21 BMC polls.

"Our second list (for the BMC polls) will be finalised in a day or two," the former Maharashtra Minister added.

"Women and youth were aspiring for NCP ticket for ZP polls in large numbers. This shows that our party's roots are strong," claimed Tatkare.

Tatkare further said that the ZP polls were an opportunity to prove NCP's strength in the state and expressed confidence that the party would do well.

Replying to questions, Tatkare said Congress and NCP alliance "talks for Thane Municipal Corporation polls are in advanced stage".

To a query on tie-up parleys between ruling allies BJP and Shiv Sena, he said ,"if the alliance materialises, it will benefit us since all those from the opposition who had joined the two parties will be disappointed.

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Toshiba shares went into freefall today, with the embattled stock down by nearly half since late December on concerns about huge losses at its nuclear power business in the United States.

The Tokyo-listed shares dived 16 per cent to end the day at 242.3 yen after Japanese media said the vast conglomerate could book losses of as much as 700 billion yen (USD 6.1 billion) in the US unit.

The stock fell as much as 26 per cent earlier in the day, its biggest intraday decline in more than four decades, according to Bloomberg.

The eye-popping loss would force the company, which has been struggling to move past an embarrassing accounting scandal, to seek support from a government-backed lender, the Nikkei newspaper said.

Toshiba, one of Japan's best-known firms, said exact figures were not finalised.

"We are still discussing how to deal with this issue, and no concrete decisions have been made," it said in a statement today.

Toshiba has fallen more than 45 per cent since the company, which makes everything from nuclear reactors to laptops, warned in late December of a possible one-time loss on its US nuclear business.

It said costs linked to the acquisition last year by its US subsidiary Westinghouse of a nuclear services company could come to "several billion US dollars" and dent its earnings.

Japan's public broadcaster NHK said today Toshiba had drafted a plan to sell more assets and delay expensive plans such as layoffs to boost its coffers by about 300 billion yen.

Toshiba might spin off its semiconductor operations into a separate firm, among other efforts, in a bid to shore up its finances, NHK and the Nikkei said.

Toshiba said yesterday that splitting its memory chip business was an option, but that no conclusion had been reached.

"There is a bigger sense of crisis than you would have imagined even a week ago," said Damian Thong, an analyst at Macquarie Group.

"It seems like they are scrambling for a solution, something to announce to shareholders on the day of their next financial update," Thong told Bloomberg .

Japan's earning seasons gets into full swing later this month but Toshiba has yet to announce when it will release its latest results.

Toshiba's nuclear woes are the latest blow to the once-proud pillar of corporate Japan, most notably a profit-padding scandal in which bosses for years systematically pushed subordinates to cover up weak financial results.

In the aftermath, the company has been shedding businesses and announced the sale of its medical devices unit to camera and office equipment maker Canon.

Last month, Standard & Poor's cut two of Toshiba's credit and debt ratings by one notch each in response to the potential nuclear losses.

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The Scheduled Tribe (ST) community in Goa, mostly living in Sanguem and Canacona talukas in South Goa, feels that they are just being used as a "vote bank" during every state assembly election, although their demands, including basic amenities in their villages, have remained "unfulfilled" so far.

Tribals comprise around 12 per cent of Goa's total population. The community mostly depends of agriculture for livelihood.

Members of the community allege that their standard of living has hardly improved despite 55 years of liberation from the Portuguese rule.

"Nothing has changed in our lives. During elections, we see politicians walking in our villages asking for votes. But post-election, entire Scheduled Tribe affair gets shifted to capital city of Panaji, deserting us. We are just used as a vote bank," said Vikas Guno Velip, a tribal youth from Barshem village of Canacona.

Barshem village, which has over 90 per cent tribal population, faces scarcity of water during the summer.

"There is no piped water available in the village. This is the case with many villages in South Goa, where tribals live. Basic amenities is a dream for them," he said.

The tribals, who held a massive agitation under the banner of United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA) in 2011, pressing for their demands, saw one of their leaders being elected during the 2012 assembly election on BJP ticket.

Ramesh Tawadkar, a prominent UTAA leader, was elected from Canacona constituency during 2012 polls and was inducted as Tribal Welfare Minister in the Manohar Parrikar cabinet and continued as the minister under the Laxmikant Parsekar as the Chief Minister.

However, Tawadkar resigned from the cabinet recently as BJP has denied a ticket to him despite being a sitting MLA. He now plans to fight the upcoming state elections as an independent from Canacona constituency.

Prakash Arjun Velip, a social activist and UTAA leader, said, "The tribals have been used as a vote bank. Their demands like filling of reserved government vacancies, amendments to Forest Rights Act, political reservation in Assembly election and basic amenities in their villages and others are left unfulfilled. This is despite the fact that our (tribal) own leader Tawadkar was a minister."



"There are 2,300 government posts reserved for STs, which are lying vacant," he added.

Velip said tribal rallied behind the BJP in the 2012



Goa assembly polls and 2014 Lok Sabha election with the hope that their demands would be fulfilled.

"There was a hope that BJP will fulfil their demands, but it did not happen," he said.

Former Minister Ramesh Tawadkar said he tried to meet many of the demands. "I agree that the demand of political reservation is pending. But we did fulfil many demands of the ST community," he said.

According to him, the mandatory 12 per cent budget reservation for tribals could not be achieved due to the lack of "proper schemes".

"To implement 12 per cent mandatory budget reservation for ST community in each department, we need the proper schemes. You can't design and implement the schemes overnight," Tawadkar said.

He claimed that 25 different schemes were formed and implemented during his tenure.
Stick-wielding inmates hurled stones and lit fires in a Brazilian jail where dozens were previously massacred, as authorities struggled to contain a wave of gang violence.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas yesterday to try to separate two groups of inmates as they fought a pitched battled in the courtyard of the Alcacuz prison, AFP reporters overlooking the facility saw.

Unrest also erupted overnight in the town of Natal near the jail, prompting the government to order the armed forces to deploy to the town.

"The troops will reinforce the patrols in the streets of Natal after the riot in Alcacuz prison," President Michel Temer's office said in a statement.

Globonews television channel showed pictures of injured inmates being evacuated from the jail.

Rioting had also broken out overnight in six towns in the state, a spokesman for local authorities told AFP.

Rioters set on fire 21 buses plus other vehicles and seven people were arrested in that unrest, the spokesman said.

One person died and five were hurt during another prisoner uprising in the nearby town of Caico, he said.

On Wednesday, elite officers entered the Alcacuz prison near the northern city of Natal and transferred 220 inmates to another jail.

In the town, groups allied with the imprisoned gang members "attacked buses in revenge for the decision to separate the prisoners," state governor Robinson Faria said.

"The situation got much worse last night."



The Alcacuz facility was the scene of gruesome violence between two rival gangs last weekend when 26 inmates were massacred, most of them beheaded.

That was the third major mass killing in a Brazilian prison this year.

So far this year 134 people have been killed in prison violence, according to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, citing justice ministry figures.

Authorities are accused of allowing gangs to run the overcrowded jails.

Defense Minister Raul Jungmann called the situation a "national emergency."



Brazilian police had stormed the Alcacuz prison early Sunday to halt the bloodbath, but were still not in full control four days later.

Rival groups of prisoners remained loose in the courtyard, sheltering behind barricades of mattresses and furniture.

The prison was built for a maximum of 620 inmates but currently houses 1,083, the state justice department said.

Experts say the violence is part of a war between drug gangs battling for control of one of the world's most important cocaine markets and trafficking routes.

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Hours before he takes the oath of office as the 45th US President, Donald Trump today left New York, a city that bears the real-estate tycoon's imprints, for Washington for his inauguration ceremony tomorrow.

Trump, 70, and his family left New York City for Washington, this time not flying in his private plane that bears his name but in a military jet headed to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland near the nation's capital.

Joined by his family, wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and sons Don and Eric, Trump will take the oath of office as the leader of the world's most powerful nation tomorrow as hundreds of thousands of people descend on Washington to both support and protest his inauguration.

A report in CBS said as Trump and his family drove away from Trump Tower, his luxurious power centre and campaign headquarters in Manhattan, some onlookers and hecklers gathered on the street to watch the motorcade.

Trump, who enters the White House with the promise of transforming US politics over the next four years, began his day today with tweeting: "The journey begins and I will be working and fighting very hard to make it a great journey for the American people. I have no doubt that we will, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"



Trump's swearing-in tomorrow noon, a date and hour set by the US Constitution, will be attended by his unsuccessful Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton, three former presidents and numerous other dignitaries.

The Republican billionaire has no previous political or military experience and has never held a public office before.

Following his election last November, his advisers had



hinted that he could split his time between the White House and New York City, returning to his Trump Tower in Manhattan for the weekends.

His wife Melania, however, will stay on in New York with their 10-year-old son Barron as he finishes his school year in the city.

Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner will move to Washington with their children, as Kushner takes the role of senior adviser to the President.

The 35-year-old businessman-turned-political strategist played a key part in his father-in-law's presidential campaign.

Ivanka, touted to be the most powerful First Daughter, has said she plans to take time to settle her three young children into their new home and schools in Washington.

"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 Organisation and my eponymous apparel and accessories brand," she had said. "I will no longer be involved with the management or operations of either company."



Just hours before Trump departed New York City, for the final time as a private citizen, he took to Twitter to quote a American Christian evangelist Reverend Franklin Graham to say he is not the one to have divided the country and pledged to work hard for the American people.

"'It wasn't Donald Trump that divided this country, this country has been divided for a long time!' Stated today by Reverend Franklin Graham," Trump tweeted quoting the evangelist and missionary.

After taking over from outgoing US President Barack Obama, Trump is widely expected to sign a number of decrees on Friday and then on Monday, on issues ranging from immigration, Obamacare to environment.

Sources close to Trump said that his inauguration speech will last about 20 minutes, the same as Obama's first inaugural in 2009.
Amid a divisive environment in the US ahead of his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump has quoted an American Christian evangelist to say he is not the one to have divided the country and pledged to work hard for the American people.

"'It wasn't Donald Trump that divided this country, this country has been divided for a long time!' Stated today by Reverend Franklin Graham," Trump tweeted this morning quoting American Christian evangelist and missionary.

Trump said in another tweet that he was getting ready to leave for Washington, where he will take Oath of Office tomorrow as the 45th President of the US, after registering a stunning victory against his democratic rival Hillary Clinton in one of the lost unprecedented elections in US history.

"The journey begins and I will be working and fighting very hard to make it a great journey for the American people. I have no doubt that we will, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!," Trump said in his tweet, using his presidential campaign's theme.

Graham, appearing on a show on Fox News, said Trump has not divided the country and reaffirmed his stance that God played a role in getting Trump elected.

"It wasn't Donald Trump that divided this country," he said.

"This country has been divided for a long time, and we do need to come together and we need to pray today now more than ever...Only God can fix this country," Graham said.

Graham will be among the six religious leaders who will take part in Trump's inauguration ceremony, reading Scripture and offering prayers for his administration.

Graham is the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. His father, Billy, spoke at four presidential inaugurations.

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President-elect Donald Trump has tappedformer Governor of Georgia SonnyPerdue as his Secretaryof Agriculture, filling in all positions of his cabinet a day before he takes oath as America's next leader.

"Sonny Perdue is going to accomplish great things as Secretary of Agriculture," he said in a statement here today.

"From growing up on a farm to being governor of a big agriculture state,he has spenthis whole life understanding and solving the challenges our farmers face, andhe is goingto deliver big results for all Americans who earn their living off the land."



With Perdue, Trump has filled out his Cabinet a day before his inauguration tomorrow.

His other Cabinet picks are currently undergoing confirmation hearings, being grilled on how they will lead the department they have been picked to head.

If confirmed, Perdue will oversee a department with a USD 150 billion budget.

The Agriculture Department is in charge of farm policy and food safety, and it funds food stamps, other nutrition programs and the Forest Service.

Trump's transition team said that as the former governor of a state that producesbillionsin agricultural products each year, Perdue has embraced policies under which Georgia farmers have "thrived" and he is prepared to generate the same level of success on the national level.

"Having been raised on a farm and worked as a veterinarian, Perdue is deeply in touch with the concerns of American farmers and will fight for their prosperity," the transition team said.

A former veterinarian, Perdue had campaigned extensively for Trump in the final months of the presidential race.

He had, however, initially supported former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

Perdue said he is "proud andhonored"to be joining Trump's administration.

"Beginning asa simpleGeorgia farm boy, making sure Americans who make their livelihood in the agriculture industry are thriving is near and dear to my heart, and I'm going to champion theconcerns of American agricultureand worktirelesslyto solve the issues facing ourfarm families in this new role," he said.

He had served as a Captain in the US Air Force, after which Perdue became a small business owner, concentrating in agribusiness and transportation.

He ran for the Georgia State Senate in 1990 and in 2001 began his campaign for Governor, which focused on restoring public trust in state government and empowering all Georgians.

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Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray today made a slew of announcements which his party intends to implement if voted to power in the BMC, but maintained silence over alliance with BJP in the upcoming civic polls.

"Talks of alliance with the BJP have not reached me as yet. As and when it reaches me, I will talk about it. Also, I would not like to talk on the alliance at a time when talks are progressing positively," Thackeray said, while addressing reporters here today.

The pre-poll alliance talks between BJP and Shiv Sena, after veering towards a broad consensus over the issue, had shifted to haggling between local leaders of both parties, over which seats they can win.

Sena MP Anil Desai yesterday said that after the second round of meeting with BJP, the latter demanded 114 seats for polls to the 227-member BMC.

Thackeray has set a deadline of January 21 for wrapping up the talks as he would announce his decision on the eve of late Sena chief Bal Thackeray's birth anniversary that falls on January 23.

The Sena chief today said there is a big question mark on housing and health sector in the city.

"We have thus decided that for existing homes having a carpet area of upto 500 sq ft, property tax will be completely waived off and for homes upto 700 sq ft, there will be a concession in property taxes," he said, adding that the Sena does not indulge in election 'jumlas' (rhetoric).

"Our relation with people is not limited to elections," he asserted.

Thackeray also said that housing societies which indulge in activities like rain water harvesting, use solar electricity, they will be given additional benefits by BMC.

He further said that citizens in the city, apart from the services they get at civic-run hospitals, will be given free health services under the Balasaheb Thackeray health cover scheme and that he would announce more schemes in the election manifesto.

"In the last five years, we have constructed new health facilities, increased the number of beds in existing facilities as well," Thackeray said.

"Like there was an election 'jumla' of 'acche din' (good days), I do not indulge in such 'jumlas'. What I promise, I fulfil," he said.

Thackeray also said that the Sena has sent a letter to the Union Finance ministry, listing the party's demands in the Budget, that will be presented on February 1.

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Hundreds of members of a Congolese rebel group have fled a military camp where they had been awaiting amnesty since the signing of a peace deal with Congo's government in 2013, Uganda's government said today.

Some members of M23, a Tutsi-led rebel group that once controlled vast territory in eastern Congo, "have been quietly escaping into the general public," government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said in a statement.

Opondo said Ugandan authorities have arrested 101 M23 members, disguised as ordinary passengers, who were being ferried in four vehicles destined for Congo.

"Uganda will not and does not support any armed activities to destabilise the Democratic Republic of Congo," he said.

At least 270 M23 members are still detained in western Uganda, Opondo said.

It was not clear if M23 leader Sultani Makenga remained in the custody of Ugandan authorities. Makenga is the subject of US sanctions, including a travel ban and assets freeze for "serious violations of international law involving the targeting of women and children" in armed conflict.

The of missing M23 fighters is likely to alarm Congo's government, which has repeatedly urged Uganda's government to hold the rebels.

M23 launched its rebellion in eastern Congo in April 2012, becoming the latest reincarnation of a Tutsi rebel group dissatisfied with Congo's government, until it was repulsed by UN forces and Congo's army. Many rebels fled to Rwanda and Uganda before a 2013 peace agreement.

At the time, Ugandan officials said about 1,700 M23 rebels had fled to Uganda, which was mediating talks between the rebels and Congo's government.

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Welcoming the commutation of US army officer Chelsea Manning's 35-year sentence for leaking classified military documents to WikiLeaks, a UN human rights expert called on governments to recognise the contributions of whistleblowers and pardon those serving prison sentences.

"There are, however, many whistleblowers who have served the cause of human rights and who are still in prison in many countries throughout the world. It is time to recognise the contribution of whistleblowers to democracy and the rule of law and to stop persecuting them," said Alfred de Zayas, the UN Independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order.

He called on governments worldwide to put an end to multiple campaigns of "defamation, mobbing and even prosecution of whistleblowers like Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, the Luxleakers Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet and the tax corruption leaker Rafi Rotem."



He added that these are whistleblowers "who have acted in good faith and who have given meaning to Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on freedom of expression."



"A culture of secrecy is frequently also a culture of impunity," de Zayas said, noting that because Article 19 is "absolutely crucial to every democracy, whistleblowers should be protected, not persecuted."



The UN expert also directly called on the governments of Sweden and the UK to follow the recommendations of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and to strengthen the human rights system.

Implementing the recommendations of the Working Group could impact one of the whistleblowers who de Zayas mentioned.

Assange has been under the diplomatic protection of Ecuador in London for more than four years.

In a suprise move, Obama had cut short Manning's sentence on Tuesday, a decision slammed by President-elect Donald Trump's.

The 29-year-old American military analyst, born Bradley Manning, will now be freed on May 17 instead of her scheduled 2045 release.

She was sentenced to 35 years in 2013 for her role in leaking diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks. The leak was one of the largest breaches of classified material in US history.

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Santa Fe Cattle Company, located in Bradley Square Mall, says their formula to being the best in the business is simple: They serve great-tasting, high-quality food in a fun atmosphere at a decent price. Likewise, Park View Elementary School, 300 Minnis Road, believes they serve students with a clear purpose and direction in a positive and safe atmosphere where all children feel welcomed.

Santa Fe became a Chamber member in July 2013 shortly after the restaurant opened in the mall; Park View opened in fall 2012 and became a Chamber member in September 2016.

Since both are still fairly new to the community, their new BEST partnership will give them a chance to grow together and to become better acquainted with the community, Sherry Crye, director of workforce development for the Chamber of Commerce and coordinator of the BEST partnership program, said.

BEST, an acronym for Business & Education Serving Together, is a program of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce that connects a business and a selected school to enhance the quality of life for our community and provide business support for our educational programs.

Santa Fe Cattle Companys corporate philosophy complements that of the BEST partnership program. They value local communities and are committed to supporting the activities that are important to their guests. The restaurant currently employs more than 2,000 employees in over 20 locations in the Southeast and Oklahoma.

Several of the Chambers newer businesses are reaching out to schools in our community, Crye noted. They are demonstrating what it means to be good corporate citizens through this workforce development program and are helping to ensure we have a prepared workforce.

Park View Principal Jodie Grannan expressed enthusiasm for the new partnership.

We are excited to partner with Santa Fe Cattle Company, she said. They have already provided our faculty with a meal during teacher in-service at the beginning of the year. Incentive coupons from Santa Fe have been provided to our students that receive the character trait of the month. Park View Elementary is looking forward to this community partnership.

The principal continued, We believe that each child can learn and reach his or her potential through a rigorous and relevant standards-based curriculum. Our 90 percent reading goal is critical to meet and will take the community partnering with us to reach this goal. We believe in fostering lifelong learners who can respond to the changing needs of global communities.

The BEST partnership program is 25 years old now and was instituted as a workforce development initiative to help local schools do what they do not have the staff or funding to accomplish on their own, according to Crye.

While BEST partnerships are not all about giving money to the schools, she said, financial support is often beneficial. But the schools often need gifts of time and skills.

Most schools in the Bradley County and Cleveland City School Systems have one or more local business partners as part of the BEST program. Private schools that are Chamber members may also participate in the program.

For information about getting involved in the BEST partnership program, call Crye at 423-472-6587.
The United States has condemned the car bombing that killed 50 people in the northern Mali city of Gao.

The attack in the region's biggest city targeted a camp housing former rebels and pro-government militia who were signatories to a 2015 peace accord struck with the government.

"The United States strongly condemns the cowardly attack on a military camp in Gao that houses government forces and members of the primary armed groups that signed the Malian peace accord," State Department Spokesman Peter Kirby said.

"We are aware of reports that the attack was engineered by a suicide bomber using a truck filled with explosives," his statement said.

"We offer our condolences to the victims and their families. We also denounce in the strongest terms all efforts to derail implementation of the peace agreement in Mali."



The United Nations has deployed 13,000 peacekeeping troops to Mali, but they have repeatedly been targeted in attacks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US today sought safe and secure environment for its nationals visiting the coastal state of Odisha in view of the rampant Maoist activities here, officials said.

The issue was raised by Consul General Katherine B Hadda at the US Consulate in Hyderabad when she met Odisha's DGP K B Singh here today. Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Y B Khurania was also present in the discussion.

"During the meeting, there was elaborate discussion with regard to cooperation between the US and the Government of Odisha in subjects like human trafficking, cyber crime and availability of safe and secure environment for US nationals during their visit to Odisha as tourists or for other commercial purposes in view of the Naxal threats and related law and order situation," an official statement issued by the Commissionrate of Police said.

The USA's apprehensions about safety of their nationals in Odisha come from an incident in March 2012 when the CPI(Maoist) had abducted two Italian nationals - Paolo Basusco and Claudio Colangelo while they were touring the Daringbadi area in Kandhamal district.

They were later released following negotiations with the Maoists.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Police today arrested five miscreants along with arms, Ganja and a looted vehicle from Konhara ghat area within the limits of town police station of Bihar's Vaishali district.

Acting on a tip off, a police team intercepted the vehicle in which they were travelling and arrested the five miscreants who were planning to execute another incident of vehicle loot in the district, Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar said.

The Police seized four pistols, two of them country made, five cartridges, master key to open locks of vehicles, two kg of Ganga and a looted SUV, SP said.

Those arrested were Sitaram Singh of Madhepura, Baiju Rai of Samastipur and Chandra Deo Rai, Dev Kumar Rai and Mithun Kumar of Vaishali district, he said adding the miscreants belong to an inter-district gang.

Mithun Kumar was the leader and the gang had so far sold 25 looted vehicle in Nagaland and Manipur, the SP said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil today demanded action against police officials for the lathicharge on Congress workers during a protest march against demonetisation outside RBI office in Nagpur on Wednesday.

In a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly said the police action was unprovoked.

"The protest was being conducted in a peaceful manner. At the fag end of the protest, when a delegation of leaders went inside the RBI premises to hand over a memorandum, police lathi charged the party workers, injuring many workers," he stated in the letter.

Vikhe Patil said police also beat up those workers who objected to the action which was tantamount to suppressing the peaceful agitation.

"Due to the police action, there is a threat of law and order deterioration in the city. We demand strict action against the police officials who resorted to unnecessary lathi charge," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China today hailed the outgoing US President Barack Obama and said the bilateral ties made important progress during his tenure, as it braced for a likely showdown with America under the presidency of tough-talking Donal Trump.

"Like all you we are also paying close attention to the inauguration of the new US president tomorrow," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media briefing when asked how China views the relations with US under the Trump administration starting from tomorrow.

The stable development of China-US relations are in the interests of two peoples, Hua said, acknowledging thatsome specific problems and differences between the two sides remained and should be resolved through constructive dialogue.

"We look forward to working with the new US government to continue to uphold the principles of non-confrontation, mutual respect, cooperation and win-win situation, continue to expand bilateral, regional, global and cooperation in various fields," she said, skirting any references to tensions over Trump's assertions that he would negotiate on One-China policy, address trade imbalance, currency manipulation as well as disputed South China Sea issues.

Ahead of Trump inauguration tomorrow, China has called on the US to bar a Taiwanese delegation from the swearing-in ceremony which would be also attend by Chinese envoy to US.

China and the US need to be "friends and partners rather than competitors and enemies," Hua said.

However, she hit out at comments by Trump's pick for commerce secretary Wilbur Ross criticism that China is indulging for excess steel and aluminium production.

She said China is a defender of free trade and pointed to Chinese President Xi Jinping appeal at World Economic Forum in Switzerland to avoid protectionism.

"Who is sincerely pushing ahead with liberalisation of trade and investment and who is exercising trade protectionism should be clear for all to see," Hua asked.

Trump vowed during his campaign that he will respond to unfair Beijing trade tactics by raising tariffs on Chinese goods by possibly imposing other penalties.

Hua, however, spoke highly of Obama tenure saying that "important progress" has been in US China ties under Obama Presidency and the two countries should move forward as partners rather than competitors.

When asked to sum how China viewed ties under Obama who relinquishes office tomorrow, she said both Obama and Chinese President Xi met eight times.

Besides improving Trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges which hit new records under Obama tenure, both countries signed climate change agreement, which Trump said he would discard.

She also spoke about investment agreement, building trust between their militaries, counter-terrorism and the Iranian nuclear issue.

"Important progress has been made by the two countries. This has shown that China-US relations have strategic and overarching significance and we have more common interests than differences and when China and the US work together we can achieve a lot," Hua said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Donald Trump, who takes the oath of office tomorrow as the 45th President of the United States, today said his cabinet has "by far" the highest intelligence quotient.

"We have a lot of smart people. We have by far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever selected," Trump said at a luncheon in his honour at the Trump International Hotel in Washington DC.

Addressing the luncheon, he gave a shout-out to his Cabinet picks, including his choice for Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Tom Price, Trump's nominee to lead Health and Human Services and Indian-American Nikki Haley, his US envoy to the United Nations.

Pointing out to Haley, Trump said, "I think we are going to do a lot of great things Nikki, right?. Thank you for going through this. You did a fantastic job," he said as the guests applauded.

In his remarks, Trump mentioned he had sent Haley "over to speak to China" without saying anything further.

He also said his pick for Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is "right now getting grilled" during his confirmation hearing at the Senate and "he is doing a great job, fantastic job".

Before addressing the gathering, Trump invited his wife and incoming First Lady Melania to speak.

"It's great to be here. Thank you for your support. Tomorrow we start with the work. We will make America great again," she said to a round of applause.

Trump was also joined by his family at the event. The incoming President arrived in Washington earlier in the afternoon and has a day full with inaugural engagements, including a concert in the evening at the Lincoln Memorial.

He will also be visiting the Arlington Cemetery for a wreath laying ceremony and will have a candle light dinner in the evening.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress today raised questions over the combined commanders' conference being held in poll- bound Uttarakhand on January 21, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking undue political advantage by using the armed forces.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat told reporters at AICC headquarters that the Prime Minister was attempting to breach the Election Commission's directive against using meetings of officials for political gains.

Rawat, as also Uttarakhand PCC chief Kishore Upadhyay, said it was strange the commanders' conference of 2016 was being held now and that too in a poll-bound state, which honours soldiers.

In an obvious dig at the Centre, the Chief Minister said if the Prime Minister wants to hold such meetings, it should be held in places like Pathankot or Uri or in Jammu and Kashmir or any other operational area.

Rawat said the Congress was not against holding the conference in Uttarakhand, but only about its timing.

"The meeting can be held anytime after February 15, when the poll proceedings will be over," he added.

He also said the meeting is being held in Uttarakhand to divert the attention of ex-servicemen in the state from OROP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Carmel Crimmins

DAVOS (Reuters) - The British government is supportive of a three-year transition period for the financial sector once Britain leaves the European Union, Barclays Chairman John McFarlane said on Thursday.

"I think the government does [support it] because I think they understand the complexity of this," McFarlane told on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The initial stage of divorce talks will last two years until 2019, after which a transition phase, of, say, three years, would begin. Many questions remain unanswered, however, as to how this would work in practice.

Financial firms have accepted that they will lose their 'passporting' rights to freely sell services across the 28-nation bloc when Britain leaves, but want more time to adapt before they lose full access to the single market.

"We have known for months that passporting is not going to happen," said McFarlane, who is also chair of financial industry lobby group TheCityUK.

"We want a standstill arrangement for three years, that would kick in after the government's negotiations on Brexit are finalised," he added.

Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed this week that Britain would quit the EU single market when it leaves the European Union, setting a course for a clean break with the world's largest trading bloc.

She also signaled for the first time that she strongly believes in a transition phase but banks are not relying on that happening, instead planning for a worst-case scenario that would see them lose access to the single market once Brexit kicks in, expected in the first-half of 2019.

Brexit minister David Davis said on Wednesday companies will only have a maximum of a two-year transitional deal to help smooth Britain's exit from the EU after 2019.

May said in her speech on Tuesday the length of any such deal may vary for different industries.

McFarlane said international and British banks, insurers and asset managers were seeking a bespoke deal with Europe that would give 'mutual recognition' to as many of their products and services as possible.

Barclays will keep the bulk of its activities in Britain after the UK leaves the EU, Chief Executive Jes Staley told BBC radio on Thursday.

UBS and HSBC two of Europe's biggest banks warned on Wednesday that they could each move about 1,000 jobs out of London.

Major banks including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Barclays, are keen to keep their dealing rooms, which buy and sell bonds, shares and other securities and employ thousands of people, in London.

May will meet with the chief executives of some of Wall Street's largest firms including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley as well as money manager Blackrock and private equity firm Blackstone in Davos later on Thursday, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Representatives for the firms either declined to comment or could not immediately be reached for comment.

(Reporting By Carmel Crimmins, writing by Lawrence White; Editing by Keith Weir)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Patrick Rucker and Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Early optimism among business lobbyists and executives that Donald Trump's election heralded better days has slowly given way to uncertainty as the president-elect fires off mixed and sometimes confusing messages on healthcare, taxes and trade.

An initial euphoria in the business world fuelled a powerful post-election stock rally. Some of that has frayed as questions arise over the nuts and bolts of Trump's campaign promises, although many in the business community said they remained optimistic.

Doubts deepened over the weekend as Trump declared he would replace President Barack Obama's signature healthcare plan known as Obamacare with "insurance for everybody" - a goal far beyond Republican designs - and criticized a key component of a plan in Congress to overhaul corporate taxes. In a later interview, he appeared to adjust both stances, possibly adding to the confusion.

"It is fair to say that since the election, there has been mounting uncertainty about exactly what the specific policies are likely to be with regard to tax reform and replacing Obamacare," a financial industry official said.

Expectations for faster growth, tax reform and a quick repeal of Obamacare, officially known as the Affordable Care Act, have "given way to 'We are not really sure what he means by that,'" the official said.

A veteran Republican financial lobbyist said she was under constant pressure from clients to predict what the new administration was planning but had no reliable answers.

WRENCH IN OBAMACARE REPEAL

Trump appears to have thrown a wrench into Republican plans to repeal Obamacare with mixed signals on the details and timing of a replacement plan.

Congressional Republicans have focused on limiting government involvement in the healthcare system and eliminating the law's individual mandate that forces people to have insurance.

But Trump told the Washington Post he was almost done with a plan to replace Obamacare with "insurance for everybody," while forcing drug companies to negotiate directly with the government on prices for Medicare and Medicaid.

Trump's recent attack on the border adjustment tax was another sign of his unpredictability, the financial lobbyist said.

That measure would tax imports and exempt exports in an effort to encourage companies to keep jobs and production in the United States. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Friday, Trump called the proposal "too complicated."

"Anytime I hear border adjustment, I don't love it," Trump told the Journal. "Because usually it means we're going to get adjusted into a bad deal. That's what happens."

Chris Krueger, an analyst at the investment firm Cowen and Co, said Trump's comments to the newspaper about the border adjustment proposal were "breathtaking."

"Trump is like a policy bull who seems to bring his own china shop with him to destroy it with every interview," Krueger wrote in a research note.

In an interview with the outlet Axios on Tuesday, Trump appeared to adjust both positions. He said the border adjustment idea was still "on the plate." As for Obamacare, he said his comments were in response to proposals in which "people with no money aren't covered," which he said were unacceptable.

Lobbyists said the Trump transition team's lack of interest in their input was clear in the past two weeks as it summoned trade groups to daily "listening sessions" at the American Enterprise Institute think tank. The agriculture, financial, transportation and tech industries were among the sectors that got a one-hour session, according to participants.

'GOAT RODEO'

In the sessions, Wall Street lobbyists were encouraged to talk fast: a giant television screen overhead counted down two minutes of allotted time.

"It was a goat rodeo. We all got a couple minutes to speak. What can you really say in that time?" said another financial services lobbyist. "They wanted to check the box - 'We're listening to Wall Street.' But who even knows where these transition people will be in a few days?"

Lobbyists also have been alarmed that the transition team has not included them in preparations for confirmation hearings for many nominated Cabinet officials, including potential Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

"If you want someone to explain how Elizabeth Warren can hammer you 12 different ways, ask a lobbyist," said the financial services lobbyist, referring to the Democratic U.S. senator from Massachusetts and frequent critic of Wall Street.

Even Trump's website sowed confusion about his intentions. A promise to dismantle the Dodd-Frank regulatory reforms was removed at the end of last year and has not been replaced. A Trump representative blamed a redesign, but bank lobbyists are not so sure - other content made it through the redesign.

Some companies have been reassured by Trump's Cabinet nominees, who are seen as more predictable and supportive of the business establishment than the impulsive president-elect.

Senator Jeff Sessions, Trump's pick for attorney general, has deep differences on values with the technology sector but is seen as an important Trump counterweight because he is a "deliberate decision-maker not prone to big dramatic mood swings," a source at one major Silicon Valley firm said.

Many lobbyists and business officials said they remained optimistic and cautioned against reading too deeply into tweets or comments that Trump makes on policy.

"If Obama or Bush opined on a policy ... most of Washington assumed that raising that question was a well-vetted intentional decision to send a signal," a senior U.S. Chamber of Commerce official said.

Trump, by contrast, may simply be raising policy issues because he has questions on them, the chamber official said.

The same financial industry official who acknowledged the uncertain climate also said he was still optimistic.

"There were a lot of candidates who were interviewed. There were names floated out there and ... it was kind of a chaotic process," the official said, referring to the process of picking candidates to fill Cabinet and other administration positions.

"But overall, I think one can make the observation that in making the final selections, Trump has shown ... a very surprising even-handedness."

(Additional reporting by Julia Edwards Ainsley, Dustin Volz and Emily Stephenson; Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Peter Cooney)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Corrects share price and market value in paragaphs 1 and 19)

By Kentaro Hamada and Taiga Uranaka

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp's financial crisis deepened on Thursday as media reported it may unveil a bigger-than-expected $6 billion writedown for its U.S. nuclear business, sending its shares sliding 16 percent.

The reports cast doubt on whether steps by the scandal-hit conglomerate to bolster its finances - including the possible sale of a stake in its core chip business to business partner Western Digital Corp - will be sufficient to address the shortfall.

Toshiba executives sat down with representatives from some of its main banks on Thursday to discuss possible support, sources with knowledge of the matter said. The 142-year old firm has also approached the government-backed Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) for help.

Takeshi Kunibe, the president of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, one of its main banks, told a briefing the lender would like to support Toshiba as much as possible.

"We would like to discuss courses of action after Toshiba comes up with specific figures and its plans," he said.

A DBJ spokesman said there had been no discussion about the amount of type of assistance Toshiba might require.

Representatives for Mizuho Bank, another main lender, declined to comment.

Battered by an accounting scandal in 2015, Toshiba was plunged back into crisis late last year after it emerged that it would have to write down cost overruns at projects handled by a U.S nuclear power plant construction firm recently acquired by its Westinghouse division.

Sources familiar with the matter had previously flagged the size of the expected charge at more than 500 billion yen ($4.4 billion). Kyodo agency and other domestic media said that estimates had now ballooned to 700 billion yen, in part due to unfavourable currency rates.

Toshiba declined to comment on the its plans for meeting with banks, and said it had yet to determine the size of the writedown.

SPIN-OFF AND ASSET SALES

Put on the Tokyo bourse's watchlist after the accounting scandal, the laptops-to-nuclear conglomerate is not able to tap equity markets for funding.

It has said it is looking at splitting off its chips business - which accounts for the bulk of its operating profit - into a separate company.

It wants to sell a minority stake in the memory chip business and is considering potential buyers including Western Digital Corp, a source familiar with the matter said this week.

Media reports have put the size of that stake sale at around 20 percent. Toshiba's chips unit could be worth more than 1 trillion yen ($8.9 billion), industry sources have previously said.

Western Digital, a California-based data storage company operates a NAND flash memory plant in the city of Yokkaichi in Mie prefecture with Toshiba. It has declined to comment the issue.

"The key thing to watch here is whether Toshiba's liabilities will exceed its assets. If that happens it will be difficult for some banks to step up with new financing," said Mana Nakazora, chief credit analyst at BNP Paribas.

Toshiba's shareholder equity, which represents its accumulated reserves, stood at 363.2 billion yen at the end of September, just 7.5 percent of total assets.

Nakazora said, however, she did not expect Toshiba to default on its debt as its main banks would stick by it, adding that some sort of package involving asset sales, financing and capital from the government would likely be arranged.

Shares in Toshiba slid as much as 26 percent in Thursday, but pared losses to finish 16 percent lower, giving it a market value of about $9 billion.

National broadcaster NHK reported that Toshiba, which employs almost 190,000 people in businesses ranging from washing machines and elevators to sewerage plants and batteries, was looking to sell some units and other assets to raise 300 billion yen in cash.

The Japanese industrial giant may, however, struggle to find buyers for businesses such as its loss-making PC and TV units.

($1 = 114.5800 yen)

(Reporting by Kentaro Hamada, Taro Fuse and Taiga Uranaka; Additional reporting by Daiki Iga, Ayai Tomisawa and Yoshiyuki Osada; Writing by Tim Kelly; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
CHI Memorial Medical Group welcomed Elizabeth DeDe DeLeonardis, PA-C. Ms. DeLeonardis earned a bachelors degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and a masters degree in physician assistant studies from South College in Knoxville. She is a certified physician assistant by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

Ms. DeLeonardis is accepting new patients from newborns and up. She is certified to perform Department of Transportation (DOT) physicals for those with a CDL.

Ms.

8 a.m.  6 p.m.

Monday

Tuesday

Thursday

DeLeonardis joins Beth Casady, D.O. at CHI Memorial Family Practice Associates  Spring City. The office is located at 225 Clinton Avenue, Spring City, TN 37381. Ms. DeLeonardis office hours areand. She welcomes new patients. To make an appointment, call (423) 365-2171
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Donald Trump's presidential inauguration this week will mark the end of a globalised America, the head of the world's largest political risk consultancy said on Thursday.

Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer told Reuters' Global Markets Forum that Trump's administration will lead the United States away from world leadership responsibilities, signalling the end of a 70-year geopolitical era of American hegemony.

Here are excerpts from the conversation which took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos:

Question: Your 2017 risk report signalled Trump's presidency as the coming of the G-Zero world, in which there is no global leader. What does this mean?

Answer: It was coming eventually, whoever the U.S. elected. Under Clinton it would have been more incremental, with the U.S. playing more of a role in determining the new order. But with Trump and America First, there's a more direct break, a tipping point. And the international leaders are reacting accordingly.

Q: So will globalisation survive 2017?

A: Globalisation is continuing. That's clear from Davos this year. But Americanisation is over. The U.S. will be driving more bilateral trade and architecture, not multilateral or global. So there's a good chance for new and expanded ties for the U.S. with a series of allies dependent on the American economy like Mexico, Canada, Japan, the UK, Israel. But the U.S.-China relationship is not so easy.

Q: Does this mean that British Prime Minister Theresa May can count on America's support as she negotiates a Brexit?

A: Yes, support from the U.S. for a bilateral deal is a boost for May. Keep in mind that Trump said this week that not only did he support Brexit but that other countries should also leave the European Union. He's getting close to actively supporting (French presidential candidate Marine) Le Pen. That's an enormous shift for an American president and a spike in the transatlantic relationship.

Q: Any other major but overlooked risks to watch this year?

A: Keep an eye on North Korea and Taiwan. Also cybersecurity risks that affect state security and critical infrastructure. And U.S. overreaction to terrorist attacks on American assets.

(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/)

(Reporting by Yumna Mohamed in London. Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Netflix signed up 7.1 million new subscribers globally, far more than the 5.2 million analysts had expected, despite higher prices, beating targets at home and abroad, according to research firm FactSet.

Original shows like "Marvel's Luke Cage" and British drama "The Crown" performed strongly around the world, Netflix said, noting that competitors were adapting to compete.

Amazon.com Inc recently expanded its Amazon Prime Video service globally, and Britain's BBC announced plans to release entire series at once to allow the "binge watching" popularized by Netflix.

"It's becoming an internet TV world, which presents both challenges and opportunities for Netflix as we strive to earn screen time," the company said in its quarterly letter to shareholders.

Netflix, in its earnings report, said it added 5.1 million subscribers outside the United States and 1.9 million in its home market in the quarter ended Dec. 31. (http://nflx.it/2jyes47)

Analysts had forecast 3.73 million non-U.S. additions and 1.44 million at home.

"The future battleground at home is now in keeping hold of customers as much as it is in trying to acquire new ones," said Neil Saunders, head of retail analyst firm Conlumino.

"In our view, the fact that consumers have readily absorbed the price increase, and that Netflix has continued to advance its subscriber numbers in spite of it, indicates the company is now firmly in pole position in the streaming arena."

Netflix said it planned to release over 1,000 hours of original programming this year, up from 600 hours last year.

The Los Gatos, California-based company said revenue rose 35.9 percent to $2.48 billion in the December quarter. Analysts on average had expected $2.47 billion, according to Thomson I/B/E/S.

The company said it expected to add 1.50 million subscribers in the United States in the current quarter, fewer than the FactSet estimate of 1.79 million.

In international markets, Netflix said it expected to add 3.70 million subscribers, above the average estimate of 3.05 million.

Up to Wednesday's close of $133.26, Netflix's stock had risen 33.5 percent since it reported third-quarter results in October.

Netflix rose as much as 8.2 percent in after hours trading, adding nearly $5 billion to the company's stock market value.

(Reporting by Anya George Tharakan in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Henderson and Richard Chang)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Kentaro Hamada and Taiga Uranaka

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp's financial crisis deepened on Thursday as media reported it may unveil a bigger-than-expected $6 billion writedown for its U.S. nuclear business, sending its shares sliding 16 percent.

The reports cast doubt on whether steps by the scandal-hit conglomerate to bolster its finances - including the possible sale of a stake in its core chip business to business partner Western Digital Corp - will be sufficient to address the shortfall.

Toshiba executives met with some of its main banks on Thursday to discuss possible support, sources with knowledge of the matter said. The 142-year old firm has also approached the government-backed Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) for help.

Battered by an accounting scandal in 2015, Toshiba was plunged back into crisis late last year after it emerged that it would have to write down cost overruns at projects handled by a U.S nuclear power plant construction firm which was recently acquired by its Westinghouse division.

Takeshi Kunibe, the president of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, one of its main banks, told a briefing the lender would like to support Toshiba as much as possible.

"We would like to discuss courses of action after Toshiba comes up with specific figures and its plans," he said.

A DBJ spokesman said there had been no discussion about the amount or type of assistance Toshiba might require. Representatives for Mizuho Bank, another main lender, declined to comment.

Sources familiar with the matter had previously flagged the size of the expected charge at more than 500 billion yen ($4.4 billion). Kyodo agency and other domestic media said that estimates had now ballooned to 700 billion yen, in part due to unfavourable currency rates.

Toshiba declined to comment on its meetings with banks and said it had yet to determine the size of the writedown.

Separately, in an apparent sign of confidence in Toshiba, a government filing showed BlackRock Inc now had a stake of 5 percent in the conglomerate, likely making the asset manager its top shareholder.

That represents an increase after its holding slipped from that level. Toshiba said last year it had been informed by BlackRock that it owned 5 percent as of March although Toshiba was not able to identify the holdings. The filings are only made when a stake reaches 5 percent. BlackRock was not immediately available for comment.

SPIN-OFF AND ASSET SALES

Put on the Tokyo bourse's watchlist after the accounting scandal, the laptops-to-nuclear conglomerate is not able to tap equity markets for funding.

It has said it is looking at splitting off its chips business - which accounts for the bulk of its operating profit - into a separate company.

It wants to sell a minority stake in the memory chip business and is considering potential buyers including Western Digital Corp, a source familiar with the matter said this week.

Media reports have put the size of that stake sale at around 20 percent. Toshiba's chips unit could be worth more than 1 trillion yen ($8.9 billion), industry sources have previously said.

Western Digital, a California-based data storage company, operates a Japanese NAND flash memory plant with Toshiba. It has declined to comment on the issue.

"The key thing to watch here is whether Toshiba's liabilities will exceed its assets. If that happens it will be difficult for some banks to step up with new financing," said Mana Nakazora, chief credit analyst at BNP Paribas.

Toshiba's shareholder equity, which represents its accumulated reserves, stood at 363.2 billion yen at the end of September, just 7.5 percent of total assets.

Nakazora said, however, she did not expect Toshiba to default on its debt as its main banks would stick by it, adding that some sort of package involving asset sales, financing and capital from the government would likely be arranged.

Shares in Toshiba slid as much as 26 percent on Thursday, but pared losses to finish 16 percent lower, giving it a market value of about $9 billion.

National broadcaster NHK reported that Toshiba, which employs almost 190,000 people in businesses ranging from washing machines and elevators to sewerage plants and batteries, was looking to sell some units and other assets to raise 300 billion yen in cash.

($1 = 114.5800 yen)

(Reporting by Kentaro Hamada, Taro Fuse and Taiga Uranaka; Additional reporting by Daiki Iga, Junko Fujita, Ayai Tomisawa and Yoshiyuki Osada; Writing by Tim Kelly; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rudyard Kiplings endearing wolf boy Mowgli brought to life last year by Walt Disney Pictures proved beyond doubt that Indian consumers did have an appetite for films. In the land of Bollywood, The Jungle Book not only earned Rs 190 crore in its lifetime domestically but also emerged as 2016s third-highest grosser at the Indian box office.
Barely a month since the National Stock Exchange (NSE) filed its prospectus with the markets regulator to get listed, the BSE exchange has launched its initial public offering (IPO) of equity. While BSEs asking valuation is reasonable, compared to peers, there are some factors that long-term investors need to consider before investing. To begin, its revenue growth has been rather weak at an 11 per cent compounded annual rate over FY14-16. Operating profit margin has been under pressure in the past two financial years. These have led to a fall in its earnings. There is a high correlation of volume of transactions (which are volatile) at the exchange with its revenues, as transaction charges form a meaningful part of these.
The Centre will take steps to prohibit transaction of 'benami' properties and unaccounted wealth stored in the form of gold, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said here today.

Vowing to carry forward the war against corruption and black money post-demonetisation, he said the government will soon operationalise a strong law to stop transaction of benami properties.

"The government will strictly implement the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988," Naidu said at the party's state council meeting here.

ALSO READ: Why currency won't be back to normal before June, 2017



He accused Congress of not implementing the law to prohibit illegal benami transactions during their rule.

Naidu dismissed suggestions that the note ban exercise undertaken by the government to deal with black money was a failure.

On the argument that the money returned to the banks post demonetisation was genuine, the minister said it can be ascertained only after a detailed examination.

The demonetisation exercise will benefit the country in the long run, he claimed.

Naidu also noted that many people have luxury vehicles in the country but only 24 lakh people pay income tax regularly.
Indian Railways' ambitious station redevelopment plan has failed to pick up place and not even one station is likely to be completed by the end of the Modi government's tenure.

While the Centre has approved redevelopment of 407 railway stations as "world class stations", just over 50 railway stations may undergo the tendering process by the end of 2019, top sources in railway ministry said. Having got the Cabinet's nod in mid-2015, the railway ministry has so far only managed to award contracts for two railway stations - Habibganj in Bhopal and Gandhinagar in Prime Minister's home state of Gujarat.

Railway plans to invite bids for three stations - Surat in Gujarat and Bijwasan and Anand Vihar in Delhi by April this year - though actual work would only begin towards the end of this year. "We have identified 21 stations to be taken up on a priority basis. We are hopeful to award work contract for at least 50 stations by 2019," said a senior official of the world class station directorate of Indian railways.

World class stations has been a dream project of PM Narendra Modi as it has the potential of improving railway's financial health. Redevelopment of stations will be a major source of revenue generation besides benefitting lakhs of passengers every day.

For commercial exploitation, railway plans to raise multi-storey buildings on unused land and lease them out to private firms. A railway board official said investment was a major hurdle in swift execution of the project even as he claimed that bidders have shown keen interest in the first two stations that were put up for a bid.

Another hurdle has been the fact that stations have to be redeveloped without affecting passenger and train movements. This, experts said, was a major stumbling block for redevelopment and decongestion of the New Delhi railway station. Several plans in the past have failed to decongest the station which witnesses a daily footfall of over 5 lakh.





Though the government has identified 407 stations, a feasibility report suggested that only around 350 stations were actually commercially viable. A rail ministry official said consultations are being held with foreign experts to develop these stations with world class amenities. Countries like Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria have also shown interest in developing Indian railway stations. However, the ministry is yet to receive any foreign funding. Sources said the government will spend nearly Rs 100 crore for development of each station. An additonal Rs 200-300 crore will be spent on developing commercial space.

To expedite the project, the railway ministry has also entered into an agreement with the urban development ministry to develop stations in cities part of smart city project. It has also joined hands with defence ministry for stations that sees large movement of troops.
Concerned over slowing pace of closing the gender gap, IMF chief Christine Lagarde said technology can probably help and there are some anecdotal cases from India where mobiles have helped women convey the harassment by their mothers-in-law.



Speaking at an WEF session alongside Lagarde, award winning documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy said mobiles have helped a lot women in Pakistan whether for starting their own business or for reporting violence against them. Lagarde said we have been talking about closing gender gap for so many years but things have not been moving forward fast enough.

Since 2008, we have seen a slowdown in the process for the gap to be closed, as per the research we are doing on this issue, she said. What has been done so far is not good enough to achieve the inclusive growth, the IMF managing director said. Obaid-Chinoy said women are generally excluded from the decision making.



"Men sit around a table and take decisions regarding the women," she said, while giving one example from Pakistan where some women decided to take up decision making and when that happened violence in their village began to see a drop.

PwC Global Chairman Robert Moritz said it is an issue for everybody and only way to do is at policy destruction level as it is not going to happen naturally. They were speaking at an WEF session on disrupting the status quo of gender roles. Costa Rican activist Cynthia Castro, Vice President at Reinventing Business for All, said that we have grown in a culture that is biased against women may be unconsciously.

Noting that she was not an expert on technology and its possible role in checking gender gap, Lagarde gave example of India where technology has helped women convey their concerns including in cases when they were being harassed by their mothers-in-law.

She added this was just an anecdotal episode that she was referring to and therefore would not lean on it and also gave examples of some women checking on their husbands through mobiles on whether they picking kids from school.



Obaid-Chinoy said she has stopped answering questions like how it feels like being a female film maker or how do you juggle between your career and family life. "Im a film maker. What is a female film maker? Similarly have your ever heard a male CEO being asked how do you manage between your work and your family life?" she said.
Tata Motors, which has been struggling with its car business in recent years, on Wednesday launched the much-awaited SUV, Hexa, positioning it as a lifestyle off- roader with a price starting at Rs 12.08 lakh. The introductory price goes up to Rs 17.43 lakh for the top-end automatic version.

The Hexa is powered with an advanced 2.2-litre Varicor 400 diesel engine which offers 156 PS (horsepower) and is coupled with a 6 speed G-85 transmission for smooth power and torque delivery.

The SUV is being rolled out from Tata Motors' Pune plant, and comes in six variants - three each in manual and automatic options and offers an ARAIcertified fuel efficiency of 14.4 kmpl. The company expects the Hexa model to take on industry leader Innova, Mahindra XUV 500, Renault's Duster, Hyundai's Creta and Maruti's Ertiga.





Launching the seven-seater vehicle, Tata Motors Managing Director and Chief Executive Guenter Butschek described the Hexa as the flagship model. The Hexa is the fourth model and the first all-new SUV under its revival plan tagged as HorizonNext strategy launched around five years ago.

Based on Tata Motors' 'Impact Design' philosophy which uses elements created across Tata Motors Design studios in Britain, Italy and India, the Hexa is the second model from this platform after the compact car Tiago launched last April.

Mayank Pareek, Tata Motors President for passenger cars business unit said, ``We want to break the clutter. There are so many vehicles in the market that claim to be SUUVs/UVs. With the Hexa we want to give both the feel of an SUV and the comfort and style of a sedan.''
Some Indian officials have baulked at Apple's demands forconcessions before it assembles iPhones there, raising doubts about a springdeadline to launch a key project in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign tolure foreign investors.

The country is still keen for the U.S. tech giant to produceits signature smartphones there, and Information Technology Minister RaviShankar Prasad said on Wednesday that India would keep an "open mind"in negotiations.

"We will very much like Apple to come and have a basein India," he said.

But Apple Inc's long list of demands, including taxconcessions and several other policy exceptions, still faces resistance fromofficials who consider it excessive and unfair on foreign companies alreadyoperating in India.

Their caution underlines how Modi's ambition to make India aglobal manufacturing hub, in order to drive the economy and create jobs formillions of people entering the workforce each year, will not be easy.

ALSO READ: Apple 'looks forward' to opening retail stores in India: Tim Cook



"We have not done this for anyone," said a seniorgovernment official whose department is one of several involved in evaluatingthe Apple proposal. "If we do this, we must see a lot of valueaddition."

Another official involved in the review said the governmentshould make policies for the industry, not individual companies.

"Apple is coming here because it sees a lucrativemarket, this is not a favour being done to India."

Competitors such as South Korea's Samsung Electronics andChina's Xiaomi have already set up manufacturing in the country.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

LETTER SPELLS OUT DEMANDS

Modi met Apple CEO Tim Cook last May and discussed iPhoneproduction in India.

Where any plant would be located and how many people itmight employ have yet to be finalised, although it would likely involvethousands of jobs.

Attracting such a household name would be a valuableadvertisement for a country shaking off a reputation for stifling bureaucracy,but officials are wary of tailoring rules to individual investors.

"What Apple is trying to do, if it happens, I think itwill be available to everybody in the industry. I don't see the government ofIndia making discriminatory policies," said Arvind Vohra, chief executiveat Gionee India, part of Chinese smartphone maker Gionee.

It is setting up a local manufacturing plant under India'sexisting rules.

From Apple's point of view, the ambitious timeline agreed byModi and Cook reflected its need to capture more of the fast-growing Indianmarket, where it has only about 2 percent share as iPhone sales in the UnitedState and China have slowed.

In a letter sent to the prime minister's office on Oct. 13and seen by Reuters, it called on the government to "make the environmentattractive" for it to make phones for the Indian market as well as forexport.

On the matter of duties, it said high import taxes onsmartphones could lead to retaliation from trading blocs.

"This would increase the cost of India manufacturedsmartphones and in turn limit India's ambition of becoming a smartphone hub forthe rest of the world."

Despite the reluctance of some officials, Modi couldintervene to get the Apple project back on schedule.

In June, the government relaxed local sourcing rules forforeign retailers like Apple barely a month after the finance ministry turneddown the company's request for a waiver.

The company and its partners have reportedly won significantconcessions before in other markets.

MEETING NEXT WEEK

On Jan. 25, the departments of industry, informationtechnology and electronics, and finance will meet Apple executives to considerthe conditions set out by the firm in India, government officials said.

In May, Modi and Cook agreed to work towards a "package"of four projects: assembling iPhones, opening Apple stores, importing certifiedpre-owned iPhones and refurbishing them in India, according to the letter.

Apple said its initial focus was to set up manufacturing ofiPhones in India over two phases, the first of which was to be introduced byspring this year.

But after conducting due diligence on what it would take toget the project going, it determined its entry was "dependent ongovernment support on a number of pre-requisites."

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company listed a set of sevendemands. Among them, it sought duty exemption on raw materials formanufacturing, components and capital equipment for 15 years for both domesticand export markets.

Apple also sought a change in rules that would govern how itcould import defective iPhones to repair and export them again, a move it saidwas crucial for it to keep supporting and repairing older models of the iPhone.

Currently, Indian rules restrict such imports to phones thatare no older than three years.

Apple asked for the government's help in quickly processinga request for a ruling from Indian tax authorities on transfer pricingagreements between its affiliates.

It also identified India's customs procedures as a hurdle tomanufacturing and asked the government to make them less onerous. "For trusted traders inspections need to be less intrusive - this means less boxes opened," Apple wrote. "The complete process should not require more than thirty minutes."


Being a successor to the Redmi Note 3, India's best selling smartphone (online), isn't going to be easy for the new Redmi Note 4, as the new phone will have to be a step ahead of the older version in the design, camera, performance and battery. Redmi Note 4 was announced by the company in the second half of the last year but has been launched in India now, almost a year after the launch of the Redmi Note 3.

But will the new smartphone be able to replicate the success of the older version? Let's try to find out.

Design: Though it has similar dimensions and weight, the Redmi Note 4 still has a better aesthetic appeal/design. Weighing 165 grams, it measures 151x76x8.3 mm and has a unibody metal chassis, with a 2.5D glass with round edges at the front. The 5.5 inch display with 1920x1080p resolution looks bright, offering rich colours and crisp text. The sunlight legibility is good and has also got a reading mode. Turning on the reading mode turns the screen light slightly yellow, reducing the display background glare, and there's a setting to schedule timings for auto-start and end of this mode. For colour and contrast, there are other modes - automatic contrast, increased contrast and standard - and I was comfortable using the automatic contrast. Below the display are the regular Android keys - multitasking, home and back. However, the placement of the sensors, earpiece and front camera above the display are much more symmetrical - into a straight line - making it look neat. The speaker grill from the rear has been moved to the bottom, with five drill holes on each side of the micro USB charging port (which has also been moved to the centre now). Audio port and IR blaster are on the top, volume control and power key on the right and SIM tray on the left. The rear mounts the camera module followed by the LED flash and fingerprint scanner. This scanner is quick and accurate and I ended up unlocking and activating the device using the same. Overall, the Redmi Note 4 has got a premium look and feel and is much more comfortable to hold over the predecessor.

Performance: The Redmi Note 4 took a minute or two for the initial set up. But post it, the operation was smooth. The device runs on MiUi8, built on Android Marshmallow. All the apps are neatly placed on the home screen - some under the folders. Apps such as calculator, recorder, compass, scanner, etc. have been placed under the tools folder. There is also a security app that includes cleaner, data usage, block list, virus, scan and permission. It also comes loaded with few other Mi apps such as Mi Store, Mi Live, Mi Community, etc. My favourite one was the Mi Remote that converts the phone into the universal remote for controlling my TV. All Google services are loaded including the Google Duo app. The Google Voice search understands the dialect and instantly starts searching. Xiaomi has also added a default browser along with Google Chrome in the new device. Browsing the web, streaming videos on YouTube, playing games - everything worked smoothly, without any lag or heating issues. Swiping down within the file explorer opens the password page to access hidden files.

Under settings, there is also an option to create a second space on the phone. Activating which quickly rebooted the phone and a switch icon appeared on the home screen. While one can add data and even password protect the second space, I found it convenient enough to be used as a guest mode as it did not fetch any data (images, videos or even contacts) from the default phone. Alternating between the two is easy - just a single tap on the switch icon does the job. There is also a light mode that makes the UI icons large and simple to operate.

Processor and Storage: Unlike the variant launched abroad that has a MediaTek chipset, the Redmi Note 4 in India runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor. It will be available in three variants - 2GB RAM with 32GB storage, 3GB RAM with 32GB storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB storage. Our review unit had 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage, of which only 51GB was user accessible. It also supports expandable memory of up to 128GB but through the hybrid slot, which can be either used as a secondary SIM slot or memory card slot.

Camera: The 16MP camera on the Redmi Note 3 was superb. Xiaomi has added a 13MP camera with 77 degrees wide-angle five piece lens with f/2.0 aperture and dual tone lens to the Redmi Note 4. The camera app is pretty neat, offering a host of settings including manual, panorama, scene, tilt-shift, etc. It instantly locks the focus and is quick to capture the images. The images captured had fair amount of details and colours looked natural. Images captured in HDR mode looked better. Redmi Note 3 does a pretty decent job in low-light too.

Battery: The massive 4100 mAh battery, gave me close to over a day and a half on heavy usage. If used carefully, it can even last two days.

Bag it or Junk it: A worthy successor to the Redmi Note 3. It is undoubtedly the best smartphone at this price.

Price: Rs 12,999

Rating: 5/5

Plus: Design, performance

Minus: None
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Almost 150 years after the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in northern Utah, some of the states top business leaders and officials said Tuesday that building another major junction here an inland port could provide a major boost to the local economy as cargo is ferried from West Coast seaports to the rest of the country.

Similar dry ports have been built around the country in places like Kansas City and Greenville, South Carolina, creating shipping hubs where cargo containers are processed, stored and transferred from trucks and railcars.

Though Salt Lake City sits about 800 miles from the sea, state leaders said it could be a natural site for an inland port because of proximity to several major interstate highways, an international airport and a major railway freight terminal run by Union Pacific railroad.

Derek Miller of the World Trade Center Utah, who is leading a new committee studying the issue, said Salt Lake City is not set in stone as the potential location but there are not many other Utah sites that would make sense.

Business leaders contend setting up a major shipping gateway in Utah could make it easier to export goods and materials broad and attract manufacturers to the state.

That could mean an auto manufacturing plant in Utah or an Amazon.com fulfillment center, said Paul Devine, the U.S. president of Hong Kong-based shipping carrier Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), which has an office in South Jordan, Utah.

Miller said the Inland Port Exploratory Committee, created by Gov. Gary Herbert, plans to hire a consultant in the coming months to study the issue and help make a recommendation to the governor later this year about whether to pursue the project.

The consultants study is expected cost about $250,000, Miller said, and would look at how big a port might be, where it should be located, how much it might cost and who would pay for it.

Miller said an inland ports funding would likely involve a mix of private investment and government funding.

Choosing a site west of the Salt Lake City airport near the planned site of a $550 million state prison means that a port project would share some of the $100 million in additional roads, utilities and other infrastructure costs the state would need to fund, Miller said.

Miller said the committee will ask state lawmakers to pay for the $250,000 consulting study when they meet for their legislative session that starts Monday.
LOGAN  After serving as both mayor of North Logan and as a member of the Cache County Council, Val Potter is moving on. On Monday he will take a seat with the Utah Legislature after being elected as Republican State Representative in District 3. He replaces Jack Draxler who chose not to run again.

Potter said he is looking forward to the new experience and believes his past experience will allow him to help cities and counties.

Also I hope to be a good representative for the justice and the law enforcement because the Justice Reinvestment Initiative last year has been a big issue to us, he said. Felonies are changed to misdemeanors. Were having a lot more criminals being put out on the street and they are not being sentenced properly. Crime is going up. State inmates are down, but county inmates are up, so theyve put the burden on the counties and I think that is unfair.

Potter said he hopes the monthly town hall meetings with constituents will be held again this year.
Chicago Cop Charged With First-Degree Murder In Off-Duty Killing Of Unarmed Man

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 18, 2017 10:41PM



Screenshot / ABC7

A Chicago police officer has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal off-duty shooting of a 38-year-old man in Hermosa earlier this month, according to the Cook County States Attorneys Office.

Jose Nieves, who was unarmed, was shot and killed on Jan. 2, at around 9:30 a.m. after an off-duty Chicago cop got into an altercation with a male known to him, police said in a statement following the shooting. The officer, identified on Wednesday as Lowell Houser, was stripped of police powers in the days following the shooting. CPDs Internal Affairs and the Independent Police Review Authority then both launched investigations.

Lowell, a 28-year police veteran, was arrested and charged on Wednesday.

Attorneys for the Nieves family said in a statement on Wednesday: The Nieves family is devastated by the loss of Jose. The States Attorneys action today will not bring back Jose but is an important and swift step in the criminal justice process. The Nieves family is also suing Houser and the City of Chicago.

Nieves sister told media that the officer lived downstairs from the victim and said he was a problem neighbor. "911 calls had been made before about that gentlemen pulling out his gun at my brother," she told WGN.

Family members said Nieves was moving furniture with his girlfriend when the altercation happened.

"I have a lot more questions than I do answers at this time," said CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson when the investigations were launched.

Houser has been investigated on disciplinary grounds at least 20 times since the 1990s, the Tribune reports. He was suspended several times, once for an incident characterized as an off-duty domestic disturbance. Nieves had been arrested multiple times on a variety of charges, but he was only convicted once, for marijuana possession and possession of a fake gun, according to court documents obtained by the Sun-Times.

The murder charge comes in the wake of the Department of Justices damning findings in a 13-month investigation of the Chicago Police Department and just days after another Chicago police officer was charged with criminal sexual assault of a minor.
The Trump administration will soon undertake a comprehensive review of Russia-US relations and U.S. policy toward the rest of Eurasia. Although the new team will presumably consider many options, the president-elects statements imply that the U.S. will not soon support further NATO expansion or other actions that would strongly antagonize Moscow. Despite this limitation, the U.S. government will continue security ties with U.S. partners in Eurasia, such as Georgia. In practice, there are a number of steps the U.S. and Georgia can undertake to advance their mutual security.

BACKGROUND: According to Georgian government documents, the main threats to Georgia are the Russian occupation of territory and the possibility of renewed aggression, instability in the Caucasus, terrorism from neighboring territories, cyber threats, and national and manmade disasters. Georgias main strategic priorities are therefore to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, attract international trade and transit, and seek further partnership with NATO and the EU.

The 2008 defeat in the five-day war with Russia exposed poor communications, logistics, and coordination by the Georgian Armed Forces. The Georgian military has since been rebuilt, but is still outmatched by Russias considerably larger forces. The government has found it difficult to maintain high levels of defense expenditures due to other economic challenges, but still spends a higher percentage of GDP on military matters than most NATO members.

Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey have developed a strong economic and political partnership. Their trilateral projects include the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway, and the Eternity Military Drills. The three governments back each others territorial integrity and right to decide their membership in international organizations. Georgias economic ties to Iran, China, and the EU have also increased in recent years. The EU has become Georgias main trading partner, while economic ties with China are growing fast.

Though not a member of NATO, Georgia is a net security provider to the alliance. Georgia has participated in many NATO-led military exercises and several NATO missions, including in Kosovo and Afghanistan. Georgia has also engaged in critical NATO programs and initiatives such as the Annual National Program, Individual Partnership and Cooperation Program, NATO Georgia Professional Development Program, NATO Defense Education Enhancement Program, NATO Smart Defense Initiative, and the NATO Partnership for Peace program.

In addition, Georgia has allowed NATO militaries regular access to its territory and has modernized its national infrastructure to support allied operations. The military reforms Georgia made after the 2008 war and the opening of the NATO training center near Tbilisi have made Georgia better able to cooperate with NATO militaries. The 2008 decision to establish a special NATO-Georgia Commission underscores the value alliance members see in their collaboration. In 2014, the parties adopted a NATO-Georgia Substantial Package, which aims to strengthen Georgias security capabilities. Further cooperation is possible even if near-term Georgian membership in NATO is unlikely due to European opposition.

In 2009, the U.S. and Georgia established a Strategic Partnership that commits both countries to support Georgias economic development, democratic practices, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within internationally recognized frontiers. The U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Commission has been the primary mechanism for promoting bilateral cooperation through its four groups: democracy; defense and security; economic, trade, and energy; and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Successive U.S. administrations have sustained high expenditures for these projects due to the mutual security benefits they generate.

The Georgian-U.S. partnership against WMD trafficking has made considerable progress in keeping dangerous materials and weapons away from terrorists and rogue regimes. Yet, Georgias insecure northern borders and proximity to WMD assets in the Russian Federation make the country a prime smuggling route. With a limited navy, Georgia has been unable to effectively patrol its coastline. If Georgian authorities were to regain control over the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions, however, they would be able to better control trafficking through the mountainous northern border.

IMPLICATIONS: Donald Trump made very positive comments about Georgia when he visited the country in 2012, but it is doubtful that the president-elect has given much thought to the improvement of bilateral ties after he assumes office next January. Many Georgians are uneasy about the prospects of a Russian-U.S. reconciliation at the expense of other Soviet former republics, but the two countries managed such concerns during the early Bush and Obama administrations, when the new U.S. teams strived to improve ties with Moscow. Some influential members of the current Georgian government agree with the view that reducing Russian security concerns could lead Moscow to relax its control over Georgias occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

With respect to the bilateral relationship, there are several ways the Trump administration and Congress can deepen security collaboration with Georgia in coming years. The July 2016 NATO heads-of-state summit in Warsaw praised Georgias many contributions to the alliance and pledged more training, exercises, and other military capability-building. Even if near-term NATO membership for Tbilisi is excluded, Georgia and the U.S. can deepen collaboration regarding cyber security, counterterrorism, regional security, and other diplomatic, defense, and non-military security issues.

The two governments should build on the Georgia-U.S. Memorandum on Deepening the Defense and Security Partnership signed earlier this year. The memo provides a general framework for future cooperation but needs specific follow-on accords to support concrete projects. To realize its goals, the U.S. should expand joint exercises, promote military exchanges, and pursue further training opportunities, and expand regional security cooperation.

The Trump administration should provide the Georgian Armed Forces with additional support for non-traditional missions like refugee management and countering trafficking in WMDs, narcotics, terrorism, and people. The U.S. should allow Georgia more opportunities to purchase defensive arms and technologies such as personnel protection equipment as well as logistical, medical, and communications systems. The new Georgian Defense Minister, Levan Izoria, has announced major personnel reforms  such as improving the combat capability of conscripts and optimizing command structures  that would benefit from greater U.S. and NATO assistance.

Due to its pivotal location, Georgia projects influence in the Black Sea, Caspian, and Caucasus regions, where the U.S. governments presence is likely to remain limited. Both countries are eager to avert renewed fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan or other regional conflicts that could escalate into a larger war. Since the government has decided against strengthening the countrys naval capabilities, Georgia needs enhanced capacity for border and port security to limit maritime trafficking and better respond to Black Sea threats.

Trump Administration officials will likely encourage Georgians to continue to embrace free market principles in order to generate more resources for cooperative projects and to diversify their economic ties to reduce foreign leverage on Georgias strategic autonomy. U.S. investors could also gain substantially from access to the Georgian market and the Georgian transit corridor between Europe and Asia.

The U.S. needs to raise its profile in Eurasia by engaging regularly with Georgian leaders in both Washington and Tbilisi. Senior Trump administration officials need to signal to Georgians and other audiences that Washington is committed to Georgias sovereignty, security, and right to choose its foreign alliances and partnerships. Meanwhile, Georgian officials should continue to renounce the use of force to recover their occupied territories. At the popular level, vigorous public information campaigns, cultural diplomacy, and exchange programs could help sustain public support in both countries for a strong U.S.-Georgian relationship.

CONCLUSION: The U.S. and Georgia are tied together by common values, including a mutual commitment to liberal democratic principles, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Even if assessed on a transactional basis, however, the Georgian-U.S. security partnership yields substantial mutual benefits in the form of geopolitical pluralism, counterterrorism, and counter-WMD proliferation. The Trump administration and Congress should undertake steps to keep the partnership substantial and mutually profitable to advance both countries shared interests.

AUTHORS BIO: Dr. Richard Weitz is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute.

Image source: Mikheil Saakashvili on Flickr, accessed on January 16, 2017
Anti-Violence Mothers Group Fears Loss Of Vital Safe Space

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 19, 2017 7:34PM



Signs for Mothers Against Senseless Killings / Facebook

The mastermind behind one of Chicagos most visible and successful grassroots community campaigns against gun violence is worried that the slow wheels of city bureaucracy will stop her from continuing her outreach.

For the past two successive summers, Tamar Manasseh, founder of Mothers Against Senseless Killings, has turned the corner of 75th Street and Stewart Avenue into a community safe space from the specter of violence. She and neighbors and volunteers set up lawn chairs, bring games and foster a sense of community for children.

But Manasseh said she was pushed last year from her usual spot after complaints to the city from a corner property owner. Undeterred, she applied for adjacent vacant parcels, located on the southwest corner of the same intersection, through the citys Large Lots program last year. But the red tape shes encountered could keep her off the space through the summer, when Chicago violence tends to peak, she worries.

Despite what Manasseh called a face-to-face guarantee from Mayor Rahm Emanuel last September that the lot would be hers by the summer, the city is now telling Manasseh that shell have to reapply in August.

The director of the city's Large Lots program did not immediately return a request for comment.

Manasseh is eager to get the space excavated and prepped for summer but cant take those steps until the property is transferred, she told Chicagoist.

Its literally about saving lives, keeping from people from being murdered, she told Chicagoist.

One of the parcels Manasseh seeks to acquire will be under county control rather than city; but the Cook County Land Bank is still in the process of issuing that deed from the current private owner. Rob Rose, executive director of Cook County, told Chicagoist that the bank should be able to transfer the property to Manasseh in April or May.

Still, the city lot remains up in the air, according to Manasseh, and she worries the clock may expire before ownership is turned over. There are no contingency plans, she said, other than re-claiming the corner as she has in the past.

"If I'm threatened with trespassing then that thats what I'll do," she told Chicagoist. "We won't disappoint the community."




How To Prepare Yourself For Friday And Saturday's Massive Inauguration Demonstrations

By aaroncynic in News on Jan 19, 2017 9:20PM



Photo by Tyler LaRiviere/Chicagoist

While thousands of buses will descend on Washington, D.C. for the event, those that cant make the trek can join tens of thousands of other Chicagoans who plan to hit the streets on Friday and Saturday for a wide variety of demonstrations and other actions. Among them include several rallies and gatherings in the Loop beginning Friday at 1:00 p.m., with major demonstrations at Trump Tower beginning at 5:00 p.m., and the Womens March Saturday, which begins at 10:00 a.m. at East Jackson and South Columbus Drive. See our full list of events happening citywide here.

While dozens of community groups have been organizing around the clock and hundreds of well-seasoned activists will no doubt be participating, the demonstrations will also draw plenty of first time protesters. For those planning to attend, we have some helpful tips weve pointed out before given to us by Black Movement Law Project co-founder Abi Hassen, with some extra more local information.

General Information

While the weather report for mid-January appears to look more like mid-April, with temperatures on Friday expected to be in the mid-40s and a practically balmy mid-50s on Saturday, we all know Chicago weather can turn on a dime. With that in mind its still best to layer, as well as have hats, gloves, a scarf and even a few sets of hot hands for all your extremities.

Additionally:

Bring lots of water. You don't want to get dehydrated out there.

Bring snacks, for obvious reasons.

If you are unfamiliar with the geography, carry a physical map of the area, preferably with the gathering points and march routes outlined on it. Your phone may run out of battery, lose data, or break.

Come with chargers for your electronic devices, preferably battery-pack-powered.

Bring a hat, sunscreen and/or lip balm, depending on the weather.

Wear layers to account for the range of temperature over the course of the time you're out there, including a raincoat if there's a chance of rain. This will also help if you think you might be arrested, as jail could have a drastically different temperature than outside.

If you're doing any kind of social media, bring a hot spot for your phone and/or laptop that is through a provider besides your own. With thousands of people in your vicinity, one provider's tower may be overwhelmed, while another's may still work. Similarly, if you're documenting the protest, bring a dedicated recorder and camera, so you're not relying entirely on your phone.

Download Signal or another encrypted messaging app, unless you don't mind police reading your texts.

Memorize and/or write numbers of contacts and legal hotlines on your body. Your phone may not be there for you when you most need it.

Find a buddy, and establish a rendezvous point beforehand, in case you lose contact/the shit hits the fan.

If arrested, ask for a lawyer. Beyond that, don't say anything to the police, because yes, even statements you might find innocuous can be used against you.

We also recommend bringing at least one or two mid-sized ziplock bags to store small electronics such as phones and battery packs in should it rain.

Know Your Rights

As mentioned above, remember that despite First Amendment and other Constitutionally provided protections, its up to you to know your rights. Volunteers with the Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, identifiable by their bright fluorescent green hats, will be on hand acting as legal observers at many of the events throughout the weekend. The local hotline number, which again should either be memorized or written on your body as you may not have access to any of your personal items if arrested, is 312-913-0039, and should be used for requesting legal or jail support for those arrested. Remember to travel with companions, and be sure to inform others and plan check-ins with others you know and trust who are not attending.



A Chicago Police officer films protesters and a journalist at the NATO demonstrations in 2012 (photo courtesy of Kate Harnedy)

For more information, including what to do if you are questioned or detained by police (reminder - you have the right to remain silent as well as immediately request legal representation), what to expect should you be arrested and potential charges in this easily printable 2-page document. Also remember that in Illinois you are allowed to record or otherwise document police activity in a public setting.

Surveillance powers and activities by law enforcement have increased exponentially through the terms of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and surveillance, particularly electronic, is likely to become even more ubiquitous during the Trump administration. In Chicago, law enforcement has been known to deploy Stingray and other cell phone surveillance technologies at demonstrations. With that in mind, we recommend reading up on the details on message encryption apps like Signal and other how to's to keep your data secure in this surveillance self defense guide from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Transportation

Expect traffic delays and unexpected street closures on both Friday and Saturday, particularly for the Womens March, which organizers say they now expect upwards of 50,000 people to attend. Due to the increasing size of the demonstration, organizers have shortened the length and route of the march considerably. With that in mind, use caution when driving anywhere in the vicinity of the Loop, and expect pay lots to fill up quickly and very little available street parking.



Courtesy Chicago Women's March Website

The CTA plans to increase capacity on the Blue, Brown, Orange and Green lines from 5:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.


Barrister Agbor Balla In Red T -Shirt Comforted By Visiting Colleagues Wilson MUSA

English daily newspaper, The Guardian Post is reporting that the President of the outlawed Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, CACSC, Barrister Agbor Felix Nkongho and the Secretary General of the body, Dr Fontem Neba have been transferred to Yaounde where they are to stand trial.

The two were arrested in Buea last Tuesday January 17, 2017 and ferried to Yaounde for their involvement in the several ghost towns organized in the two English speaking regions of North West and South West.

Both men were subjected to interrogation in Yaounde at the Secretariat of State for Defense in charge of National Gendarmerie where they are currently in cell.

According to The Guardian Post, a group of 30 Lawyers led by the two brother; Ben and Akera Muna have teamed up to defend the arrested.

Since the arrest of the two leaders of the now outlawed Consortium, the two English Speaking regions have had no peace.

CATTU SG Escapes Arrest

The National Executive Secretary of Cameroon teachers Trade Union, CATTU, Wilfred Tassang on his part escaped arrest last Tuesday when two trucks came looking for him. The people of Nchuabuh in Bamenda reportedly told the Police that they did not know where he lives. Later Tassang is said to have seek refuge in a Western Embassy in Yaounde.

Mancho BBC Arrested

The Radio Animator cum activist who staged a coffin demonstration on November 21, 2016 in Bamenda, Mancho Bibixy aka Mancho BBC has been arrested. He was whisked off in the wee hours of Wednesday in Bamenda. His arrest sparked wide spread anger among the population.

Radio Hot Cocoa Still Shut Down

Popular Bamenda Radio Station FM 94.0 which was shut down a forth night ago is still closed despite assurance from Peter Essoka President of the National Communication council.

Mr. Essoka had assured Journalists in Bamenda after a meeting with the body, that the Radio would be reopened without delay. But delay in matching words with actions has led to anger from the Bamenda population who went wild early Thursday demanding the reopening without further delay. According to a worker of the station, the SDO for Mezam, Songa Pierre who shut down the Radio is waiting for orders from Peter Essoka.

Latest information from Buea says the compound of Prof. Abangma President of SYNES UB is heavily guarded as Police search for him everywhere.
| BY Ricki Green |

Rumble Studios has kicked off 2017 with the addition of Michael Szumowski as music supervisor.

Having spent the last six years as head of creative/A&R at iconic music company Alberts, (where he signed such artists as San Cisco, Montaigne, and Josh Pyke), Szumowski brings a wealth of industry experience to the thriving Sydney studio.

Says Tone Aston, co-owner, Rumble Studios: We spent a lot of time figuring out what we wanted out of a music supervisor. We wanted someone who could bring creative thinking to the role, not just contract negotiations. In every meeting we were taken aback by Michaels ideas and thought processes around artists, influencers, management and labels.

Szumowskis vision is to be involved early in conversations and creative concepts with the client, using his experience and artist knowledge to bring bigger picture suggestions to the table. As an accomplished composer and producer Szumowski brings an insightful perspective to projects.
| BY Ricki Green |

303 MullenLowe Perth has unveiled a brand campaign for Southern Plus  the new home care brand from aged care provider Southern Cross Care, WA  which follows an extensive brand development program led by FutureBrand.

The Australian aged care sector is under pressure to meet growing demand for care services. Government reforms are giving people greater control and choice by allowing them to select service providers that best meet their needs either at their homes or in residential facilities.

To position itself for success in this changing environment, Southern Cross Care appointed FutureBrand and 303 MullenLowe  as branding and communications partners respectively  following a competitive pitch.

Southern Cross Care worked with FutureBrand to develop the new Southern Plus home care brand, which speaks to the added extras and additional value that Southern Plus can offer.

Says Richard Curtis, CEO, FutureBrand ANZ & South East Asia: Aged care is a sector undergoing its own transformation and weve worked closely with the Executive and their teams to immerse ourselves in the world of their clients and carers. Its been an emotional journey at times and weve harnessed this emotion in building the Southern Plus brand to focus on the things that matter most.

303 MullenLowe was then tasked with developing a long-term communications strategy to deliver the new brand to the market. The campaign targets independent Australians who have never been the retiring type, and require aged care services that are centred wholly on their needs. The campaign is supported by TV, radio, print, out of home and digital.

Says Jane OHalloran, general manager, strategy, for Southern Plus: Working with FutureBrand and 303 MullenLowe has enabled us to create something very special together and were proud to see the new Southern Plus branding come to life. The new brand perfectly captures our positive strategic intent for Southern Plus, while 303 MullenLowe showed an incredible depth of understanding of our business and an empathy with the audience.

Says Al Taylor, group managing director, 303 MullenLowe, Perth: In a hotly contested market, brand and communications will be essential to Southern Pluss future successes. The collaboration with FutureBrand has been a wonderful and fruitful experience, and were proud to be playing our part in building the Southern Plus brand with Jane and her team.

Southern Plus:

Jane OHalloran, Tracey King, Maree Setzinger

303MullenLowe:

Creative Director: Richard Berney

Creative Team: Dave Wilson, Ross Dungey

Strategic Planning: Derry Simpson, Brad Hyde

Digital: Peter Liddell, Alex Graham

Business Management: Mike Naylor, Jenna Hardie

Production:

TV Production: Siamese (Antony Webb director, Francesca Hope producer)

TV & Radio Sound Design: SoundByte (Brad Habib)

FutureBrand:

Chief Executive Officer: Richard Curtis

Strategy: Doug Nash, John Corleto

Creative: Mick Boston, Ed Hall, Ekaterina Leontyeva, James Cooper
| BY Lynchy |

JWT Vietnam has cooked up a spicy K-pop campaign to help KFC deliver Korea to young Vietnamese as part of the brands World Taste Tour.

Vietnamese have a great desire to see new places and experience new things. About 6.5 million Vietnamese tourists travelled abroad last year, up 15% over 2014  and up stratospherically from 2001, when just 271,000 tourists traveled abroad, according to data from the Vietnam Tourism Association.

But not all young Vietnamese can afford to travel just yet. So KFC is delivering the world to them with its World Taste Tour, which aims to serve up a taste of what awaits young Vietnamese abroad at an affordable price.

Last quarter, it was New York, and this quarter, its South Korea, with a unique Bulgogi style chicken. Bulgogi is already a popular flavour in Vietnam, but its most commonly associated with beef, making KFCs innovative chicken recipe a first for the country.

To promote the dish and build trials, JWT Vietnam created an integrated campaign led by a TVC leveraging the incredible popularity of another famous Korean export: K-Pop.

The agency team formed an all-female K-Pop style band who sang and danced, extolling the virtues of KFCs delicious Bulgogi chicken. After sampling the dish, the customer exclaims her delight at its authentic taste  and surprises herself by speaking in Korean instead of her native Vietnamese.

The ad rides on the wave of Korean culture, or hallyu, which has had a big impact on Vietnamese culture and lifestyle, especially among the youth, over the last few years. The familiar K-Pop catchy tunes, and a twist of Korean drama at the end, spiced up KFCs Korean flavor campaign.

K-Pop is loved throughout Vietnam. Leveraging its mass appeal to deliver an innovative new product message was a natural creative solution, said Steve Clay, Executive Creative Director at J. Walter Thompson Vietnam.

KFC Vietnams Bulgogi chicken has been flying out of the kitchen since the campaign launched in December.

This creative approach created by JWT Vietnam has helped us to reach our young, dynamic customers in an on-trend way, and to keep the position of the top quick-service restaurant brand in the market, said Do Tat Chien, Marketing Director of KFC Vietnam.

Credits 

JWT team: Steve Clay, Thuy Pham, Truc Le, Linh Ho, Hai Nguyen, Khuong , Thi Nguyen

Production House: Viewfinder
| BY Lynchy |

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has appointed Zenith as its new global media agency. The win expands Zenith Australias tourism roster, sitting alongside Singapore Airlines.

The contract will commence on 1 April 2017.

The STB account win continues a strong period of growth for Zenith Australia, winning ALDI in November 2016.

Says Karen Halligan, MD of Zenith Sydney: We are very proud to be part of the global team thats won Singapore Tourism. Singapore is a diverse and vibrant country, and we cant wait to contribute to their success.

Working with STB is also an obvious complement to our ongoing partnership with Singapore Airlines, a client we have worked with for the past two years. Its great to be starting 2017 as strongly as we finished 2016 with our win of the ALDI account.

Says Lynette Pang, assistant chief executive, Singapore Tourism Board: We look forward to working closely with Zenith as an agile and bold agency partner to help us create new possibilities and thrive in todays dynamic media environment.

We are grateful to all agencies who had put in the time and effort to participate in this process, and appreciate all the thoughtful submissions we received. We also thank our incumbent agency MEC for their valuable contributions and dedicated partnership for the past eight years.
Democracy is 'in jeopardy.' What can be done to strengthen it?
Racist Blackface Pinata Was Marched Through A River North Club

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 19, 2017 5:05PM

A River North nightclub/restaurant is in hot water after employees reportedly allowed a racist, blackface pinata to be strutted through the club by white attendees on Sunday night.

Roger Morales, a local video producer, was at the club, El Hefe (15 W. Hubbard St.), that night and captured video. As Morales noted, the "minstrel show" pinata was walked through the club the night before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Witness Matt Solida said employees saw what was going on. They told Solida, who was at the club with some friends who are African-American, that the pinata was an inside joke, according to reports.

I felt embarrassed having brought them there. They were offended, Solida told WGN. No one at the table seemed to be offended. They were passing it around, taking pictures, posing and stuff like that.

Riot Hospitality Group, the Arizona-based company that owns El Hefe, did not immediately return a request for comment. But a spokesperson told the Tribune that El Hefe did not provide the pinata, will the incident as a "teaching moment" for staff and apologized "to anyone who was offended."

The company told the paper in a statement:



"Arizona-based Riot Hospitality Group, the hospitality management company behind El Hefe, has been made aware of the situation occurring at El Hefe Chicago on Sunday, January 15. After discussion with our management team onsite, we learned that the pinata in question was brought in by a private group for a birthday celebration. No one within our organization either purchased or provided the pinata to the group. Nonetheless, we apologize to anyone who was offended by the situation. We will use it as a teaching moment for our staff as it concerns the allowance of such party favors into our establishments. El Hefe like all Riot Hospitality Group venues is a place of public accommodation. It does not nor ever has it discriminated against anyone on the basis of race or for any other reason. To the contrary, we strive to at all times treat our employees and our guests with the utmost respect."
"One of the problems we've had in the past is that those houses earmarked for affordable housing have gone to the private sector, and it only takes one sale to take it out of community housing stock and become just another private rental," she said.
"And I think it'll be quite nice to get that injection of the more Asian styles, maybe a bit brighter. I'm quite excited for all of that. And some of the Korean designers that are part of the program, their work is just amazing so it will be really great to see how my work relates to theirs, just growing up in a different place."
A potential solution to help narrow the inquest's scope was to ask each of the authors to read and then reflect on each other's report, to see if there were any shifts in their positions. Counsel assisting the Coroner, Ken Archer, said on Thursday the authors were expected to furnish the additions by mid-February.
A gift given by the local newspaper to Canberrans, the Canberra Times Fountain at the corner of Ainslie Avenue and City Walk, was designed by architect Bob Woodward in 1979. Woodward also designed the fountains at the High Court of Australia and the forecourt of Parliament House.
Chinese actor/director Jiang Wen plays the role of Baze Malbus in the latest Star Wars franchise "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." [Photo provided to China Daily]

The surprising turn of Chinese superstar Jiang Wen in the latest Star Wars movie has sparked a lot of audience interest, and also some unintended controversy.

Most actors would jump at a chance to be in the Star Wars franchise. But not Jiang Wen. The Chinese star known as a maverick had to be talked into it.

"I've never seen a Star Wars movie, not a single one," he said. "I don't understand what it is about," he added, when first approached.

Gareth Edwards, the director of "Rogue One," wrote him a letter, saying Baze Malbus is a good role.

"Gareth was very sincere, but I did not know who was who in the movie." So Jiang consulted a friend who grew up in the United States.

"Chinese-American actors would kill you if they learned you turned it down. They would never get an offer like that," said the friend.

Jiang was still not convinced. So, he threw the script to his son. "Dad, you've got to accept it," said the 8-year-old, who attends a British school and understands English better than his father.

"It's a small role," said Jiang. "But you are the hero," said the younger Jiang.

"Heroes tend to be more boring than villains," explained the father.

"But yours (the role) is a hero with humor," insisted the son. "The other guys just paved the way. Only when you appear does the real action start."

The Star Wars epic, arguably the most popular sci-fi movie franchise in the world, has never been in sync with the Chinese mentality.

"I didn't mean to be disrespectful, but when I was little, we in China had no access to this series," says Jiang, 54, now more hailed as a director than an actor.

The first three films, dating back to 1977 through 1983, were never released in China.

The prequel trilogy, from 1999 to 2005, gained little footing in the Middle Kingdom. Rogue One is a standalone prequel, and it features two big-name Chinese actors in its very international cast. Besides Jiang, martial artist Donnie Yen plays a blind warrior who believes in the Force.

After the movie opened in China, the talk that the Chinese duo might be cameos died away. They are part of a team who supports the female lead. "You can call it a cameo if you want," Jiang jokes, obviously confident of the substance of his role in the movie.

"I can tell the difference between a cameo and a supporting role," I respond. "I'm a film critic."

The reason for public sensitivity towards this issue stems from previous Hollywood experiments that used Chinese superstars in token roles as a goodwill gesture to break into the Chinese market. After the initial "pleasant surprise", public attitudes in China quickly changed, with many feeling slighted by Hollywood's condescension.
GoTo Networks, which is focusing on the development of new cable systems to greenfield or underserved markets, says the Djibouti Telecom will also take capacity on its new Australia West Express (AWE) cable, which will land in Djibouti Telecom facilities and enter service at the end of 2018.

John Mariano, CEO of GoTo Networks, said: Djibouti Telecom has provided important support to the AWE project throughout its planning phase. Now that we are nearing the beginning of the project, we are pleased in their investment in AWE, and their agreement to procure capacity between Djibouti and Perth.

The companies did not provide figures for how much Djibouti Telecom is investing in AWE, which is being built by Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks. The 10,100km cable will have two fibre pairs and will operate at an initial capacity of 10Tbps per fibre.

Djibouti, on the north-east African coast where the Red Sea enters the Indian Ocean, has become an important landing station for subsea cables. AWE will be able to interconnect there with at least six other cables, including EASSy, AAE-1 and SEA-ME-WE 5.

The new AWE system will provide valuable capability for transporting the rapidly growing traffic between Australia and points in the Middle East, Africa and Europe, said Mohamed Ahmed, director of government-owned Djibouti Telecom. We are excited to be participating in this most important project.

Meanwhile GoTo Networks has appointed Greg Varisco to the board of AWE. In 2010, he co-founded Emerald Networks, which later became Aqua Comms, of which he was CEO until October 2016.
A marbled cat has been filmed at the Gaoligongshan National Natural Reserve in southwest China's Yunnan province.

The frame of the marbled cat [Photo: sina.com]

The cat is listed as a critically endangered animal in China.

Staff at the protection area spotted the cat when collecting footage from infrared cameras. The cameras, set up in the wild, are triggered by motion and automatically being filming when an animal crosses in front of them.

The cat, with a calico coat, appeared in two videos. In the first one, it simply crosses in front of the camera before moving out-of-view. In the second video, the cat is seen sitting on a tree and looking around. After a brief time, it is seen slowly walking away.

Experts say that marbled cats live in forests in tropic and subtropical zones. They have been found in Yunnan and Tibet, but the actual number of the animals remaining in the wild is unclear.
A Chinese historian has criticized a Japanese hotel for placing in its rooms a book denying the Nanjing Massacre and the forced recruitment of comfort women.

Proof shows book is nonsense

In response to the incident, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Tuesday urged the Japanese government to ensure that Japanese people are exposed to authoritative versions of history.

Despite the protest, the APA hotel chain has refused to remove "The Real History of Japan" by Seiji Fuji, the pen name of the hotel CEO, from its rooms.

Zhang Jianjun, chief researcher with the Nanjing Massacre research institute, said the book is a fabrication based on the rhetoric of the Japanese right-wing.

Nanjing was home to more than 600,000 people before the slaughter of around 300,000 soldiers and civilians in December 1937, but the book claims that there were only 200,000 people in the city at the time.

In addition, the book said there are no eyewitness accounts of the massacre by either Chinese or Japanese observers, despite the existence of a plethora of diaries, letters and photographs.

"It is nonsense," said Zhang, curator of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.

More than 20 people from Europe and the United States recorded the atrocities and their documents have been preserved by UNESCO in its Memory of the World Register, Zhang said.

"The book portraits Japan as the victim of the war. The attempt to whitewash its role as the invader confuses right and wrong," Zhang said.
The dialogue between China and Western countries on policy for the global economy considerably deepened in 2016, but its character is changing: China's  or more specifically the CPC's  analysis and agenda is steadily gaining international credibility the longer the "new mediocre" in Western economies continues.

This trend in international discussions became clear at three significant events in the second half of 2016: The G20 Summit in Hangzhou on September 4-5, "The CPC in Dialogue with the World 2016" conference in Chongqing on October 13-15, and the BRICS Summit in Goa, India on October 15-16.

But these recent developments have not come out of the blue. They are the culmination of the different results of more than three decades of divergent economic strategies between China and the West, and of the superior growth results of China's "socialist development strategy" compared to those of the World Bank/IMF Washington Consensus.

The 1978-80 Turning Point and Cumulative Trends by 2016

Both China and the Western economies almost simultaneously embarked on fundamentally new but divergent courses in 1978-80. In 1978, China commenced Deng Xiaoping's "reform and opening-up." In 1979-80 the West embarked on the policies which would be internationally codified in 1989 as the "Washington Consensus" with the coming to office of Thatcher and then, most importantly, Reagan. This provides the long term context for current economic discussion, as the fundamental framework of these two fundamentally different policies has continued through to the present.

In 1992, Deng Xiaoping made his second visit to Shenzhen, the first special economic zone of the country, at the age of 88.

Three and a half decades later, the balance sheet of these two economic courses is clear. China's annual average GDP growth accelerated from less than five percent in 1950-1977 to 9.8 percent in 1978-2015. Meanwhile, U.S. growth slowed from an annual average of 3.7 percent in 1950-1980, the last year before Reagan came to office, to 2.7 percent in 1980-2015.

From 1989 to 2015 the U.S. share of world GDP at current exchange rates declined from 28 percent to 24 percent, while China's share rose from two percent to 15 percent. By the same measure, the total share of developing economies in the world economy rose from 16 percent to 35 percent. China, from a marginal position in the global economy, had by this measure become the world's second largest economy.

Even more dramatic are the changes measured in purchasing power parities (PPPs) which are considered by Western economic institutions to provide a better guide to long term trends in the global economy. By 2015, according to this measure, China's economy accounted for 17 percent of the global total, making it the world's largest economy, ahead of the U.S.'s 16 percent. Developing economies now account for the majority  53 percent  of the world total.

Since Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980 and the "Washington Consensus" was officially adopted in 1989, China and other developing economies have completely changed the shape of the world economy.

Indochina then India

Three neighboring countries  Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia  were hugely influenced by China's economic model, and their economic results were almost equally spectacular. Taking international comparisons since the putting forward of the Washington Consensus, and leaving aside very small countries with populations of less than five million, or oil producers, the four countries with the fastest-growing GDPs per capita in the world were, in descending order, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.

China's "socialist development model," therefore, was once again proven in the real world to outperform by far the neo-liberal Washington Consensus. The fact that this policy yielded comparable results in countries other than China showed that it did indeed correspond, as Deng Xiaoping had stated, to universal "economic laws" and not merely to "Chinese characteristics."

China's success, however, and its replication by virtue of the strong economic development in Indochina, has now led to the influence of its economic strategy spreading further, indeed to a decisive country  India. The current Indian Prime Minister Modi himself, in his former position as Chief Minister of Gujurat, was a regular visitor to China. The Modi government appointed as its chief economic adviser a specialist on China's economy  Arvind Subramanian, formerly of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and author of Eclipse: Living in the Shadow of China's Economic Dominance.

Key aspects of India's new economic policies under Modi, in particular strong state infrastructure investment, a shift to a manufacturing industry, and a competitive exchange rate, are clearly based on China. The result, as in Indochina, has been spectacular growth  with India joining China as the world's most rapidly growing major economy.

A train runs on the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway during an operational test near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on October 3, 2016. The Chinese-built Ethiopia-Djibouti railway is hailed as the "Tazara railway for a new era."

In addition to the decisive example of India, China's economic policies, in particular the role of state investment, are also beginning to exert significant impact on certain African and Latin American countries. As Professor of International Political Economy at the Harvard Kennedy School Dani Rodrik noted, Ethiopia is the most astounding success story of the last decade in Africa, the annual growth of its economy having exceeded 10 percent since 2004. This was the result of a massive increase in public investment, from 5 percent of GDP in the early 1990s to 19 percent in 2011  third highest in the world.

With regards to Latin America, Professor Rodrik observed that Bolivia is one of the rare mineral exporters that managed to avoid others' fate in the current commodity-price downturn. This is largely to do with public investment. From 2005 to 2014, total public investment more than doubled relative to national income, from 6 percent to 13 percent.

In short, though in 1978 or 1989 very few countries internationally were seeking to learn from China's economic policies, significant numbers now are. This much is reflected in China's recent emergence as a clear "thought leader" in the global economy.

Forums for China's Thought Leadership

Such growing China/CPC "thought leadership" has been expressed in different ways in various recent forums, depending on their nature.

The Hangzhou G20 Summit brought together the most powerful players in the world economy and politics  leaders of the U.S., China, the EU, Japan, and other major world powers. Although China was the G20 host, and therefore the country with the greatest ability to take initiatives and exert leadership, the G20 nevertheless cannot proceed more rapidly than at a pace to which the most powerful states within it are agreeable. This means, to be practical, that China, the U.S. and certain other states all possess effective vetoes on G20 initiatives. This simultaneously determines the powerful nature of the G20, and therefore the summit's potential role in global economic strategy and governance, while limiting the speed of its advance.

The BRICS Summit must also proceed by consensus, with each constituent country possessing an effective veto. However, with regard to ideas and certain actions, BRICS countries are able to go further and faster than the G20 in terms of initiatives, due to the fact that four of its members are developing countries and the other, Russia, is a relatively underdeveloped advanced economy. This gives BRICS countries obvious common interests. The BRICs Summit in Goa, therefore, was abundantly clear in its highlighting of the slow growth of advanced economies, pushing forward solutions (such as infrastructure investment, attention to poverty reduction) and promoting the interests of developing countries  all of which went beyond the G20 consensus.

"The CPC in Dialogue with the World" in Chongqing had a different character. It was a meeting of representatives from more than 70 political parties and experts from more than 50 countries. As its explicit frame of reference was dialogue with the CPC it was a clear example of the ability of the CPC to play a "thought leadership" role. This, naturally, does not mean that other parties copy the CPC, and indeed it was clear from the discussion that the CPC also wanted to draw lessons from others, but more in the sense that the agenda for discussion was obviously highly influenced by the CPC. This was reflected in the numerous reports and speeches at the conference. On the Chinese side, these included Liu Yunshan, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee; both Chongqing's Party Secretary and Mayor; Liu Wei, president of Renmin University of China; Lin Yifu, former senior vice president of the World Bank, and many others. There were numerous foreign guests including, (and of particular significance in terms of the global economic trends already outlined) National Spokesperson on Economic Affairs for India's BJP Gopal Krishna Agarwal.

These participants all set a framework of discussion that was complementary with, but in terms of ideas, went beyond the type of consensus that must necessarily exist at the G20. But of course the Chongqing conference was a forum for discussion, not a decision-making body.

Balance Sheet of Recent Trends

Summarizing these trends and events necessitates making a balanced assessment. There are three processes underway  in addition to that, somewhat different but interrelated, through which China has become a decisive player in global finance, with initiatives such as the AIIB. Taking overall trends:

In terms of world economic growth, countries heavily influenced by China already play a decisive role  in 2007-15, China and India alone accounted for US $8.2 trillion in GDP increases, compared to the US $3.5 trillion of the United States.

In terms of current overall weight in the world economy measured in current exchange rates, in 2015 the BRICS accounted for 22 percent of world GDP  roughly comparable to the 22 percent of the EU and 24 percent of the U.S. As regards PPPs, the BRICS has now taken a striking lead  in 2015 the U.S. accounted in PPPs for 16 percent of the world economy, and the EU 17 percent, while that of the BRICS was 31 percent of world GDP.

However, the coherence and institutional strength of the BRICS is far less not merely than the U.S., but also than the EU. As regards weight in the world economy, therefore, the advanced economic centers still dominate.

The international weight of China's policy (and therefore the CPC's) as earlier analyzed, has had great influence in India, which after China is the most important developing country, in Indochina, and in certain other developing countries.

But in developed countries propaganda heralding "the coming collapse of China," the "coming crash of China," the China "hard landing" etc., has dominated for several decades  despite the fact that none of these predictions has actually happened. Outside of "China specialists," therefore, more objective analyses of China's economy are only now beginning to receive the attention of a much wider circle of economists.

The Dynamics

The key point that flows from the above analysis is that it is not simply the "battle in the realm of ideas" that is determining the increasing weight of China in international economic debate.

The decisive factor is that of the proven superior growth of economies influenced by China's socialist development strategy, as compared to those following the neo-liberal Washington Consensus. Practical economic successes are naturally much more convincing to other countries than any theoretical economic argument!

But this economic reality also determines that the international weight of the CPC's policies is going to increase further. Owing to the policies of the Washington Consensus and the impact of Reaganomics, the Western economies are locked into low growth  around two percent.

In contrast, economies influenced by China's economic policies are continuing to undergo much more rapid economic development. Owing to the processes outlined above, this means that the weight of the China/CPC position in the international economic discussion will continue to increase. Therefore, the balance sheet of the international discussion given above is not static, but will continue to evolve in China's favor.

It should also be understood, however, that this development is not only in the interests of the global economy but also of China itself. The painfully slow growth of the global economy, primarily due to the snail's pace of advanced Western economies, creates a more unfavorable context for China  in particular because it leads to slow growth of world trade and therefore slow growth of China's exports.

The greater international influence of China's policies will lead to a speeding-up of the global economy, and therefore be of benefit to China itself. China's vigorous participation in the international economic discussion, therefore, is not merely in the interest of other economies, but of China itself.

JOHN ROSS is a senior research fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University.
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
IDP Education India, will be organizing education fair in 14 cities for students aspiring to pursue higher education in Australia. Scheduled to take place from the 22nd January till 09th February 2017, the fairs will bring together prominent universities and educational institutes from Australia under one roof.

The fairs will begin from 22nd of January in Kolkata and will conclude in Coimbatore on 09th of February 2017. Among the other cities, the fairs will be organized in Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Kochi.

Piyush Kumar, Country Director, India - IDP Education said, "IDP seeks to provide a platform to aspiring students to come and have a face-to-face interaction with the university representatives and get answers to all their queries related to studying in Australia.

40 Australian Universities and institutions are participating in the fair. It is a FREE platform for all students to gauge their prospects, apply directly to the institution of their choice and get first hand information on courses, scholarships etc."

"Australian education has always attracted Indian students for its quality and the availability of post study work opportunities make it even more attractive. Also 20 out of 39 Australian universities feature in world's Top 400 Times Higher Education Rankings." added Kumar.

In addition to meeting the institutions, the qualified students can also get application fee waivers & scholarships. The scholarships can range from a fee bursary to a 50% scholarship of tuition fee for select students. Students are advised to bring along their educational certificates in original along with photocopies. One can also visit the IDP office to pre-register for priority processing and detailed counseling with trained & experienced Australia counselors.

About IDP

IDP Education is a international student placement services. With a network of over 100 international student placement centers, IDP has a global presence in more than 32 countries. IDP Education Limited is an ASX listed company that is 50% owned by 38 Australian universities. For more than 45 years, IDP has played a major role in international education by offering comprehensive counseling services to students & having placed more than 400,000 students into quality institutions in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada and New Zealand.

Currently, IDP in India has 23 counseling centers in 21 cities guiding students and their families through the entire process from university/course selection through application/visa process and pre-departure planning. For more than 45 years, IDP has been helping students and their families find the right fit for their dream of higher education

IELTS

IDP is a proud co-owner of IELTS (International English Language Testing System). IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment. Since its launch in 1989, IELTS has become the world's most popular high-stakes English language proficiency test.

IELTS is accepted as evidence of English language proficiency by over 9,000 organizations worldwide. Last year, more than 2.5 million tests were taken globally.

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China will offer 200 million yuan (29 million U.S. dollars) of new humanitarian assistance to help Syrian refugees and displaced people, President Xi Jinping said Wednesday.

He made the remarks while delivering a keynote speech at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG).
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The Islamic State (IS) group said it made new progress on Wednesday in the battles against the Syrian army in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, capturing strategic locations.

IS' Amaq news agency said the IS militants captured the electricity company building and its vicinity in the mountain area, northwest of the Deir al-Zour airbase, where the IS fighters took key areas around it.

It added that one of its militants blew himself up in a position of the Syrian army in the vicinity of the company, killing 15 and injuring others.

Other activists said the IS also controlled the tanks battalion in that area.

State news agency SANA said Wednesday that the Syrian army backed with air cover heavily struck positions of IS in areas the terror group has recently infiltrated in Deir al-Zour.

It said the Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out several aristrikes on the IS position in the factories area and Tamin hilltop, as well as the graveyards area and other areas in Deir al-Zour.

The airstrikes, according to SANA, led to the destruction of the IS vehicles and killed many of them.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Wednesday that smoke is still bellowing over Deir al-Zour, as the IS terrorists have burned tires and crude oil to blind the Syrian and Russian warplanes, which have been heavily striking the IS positions in Deir al-Zour, since the group unleashed its major offensive against the government positions in that area earlier this week.

The Observatory said the IS militants made important gains on Monday, capturing areas around the Deir al-Zour airbase, which enabled the group to cut the road between the base and the city, just a day after the militants captured the mountain overlooking the city.

This progress is dangerous as the airbase is the only lifeline left for the city, which has been besieged by IS since early 2015.

Cutting the road is not only cutting a lifeline but also divides the government-controlled parts of the city into two parts, eastern and western, which tightens the noose on over 500,000 civilians in the city.

The IS next step is apparently attempting to capture the airbase, and in near future to storm the government-controlled parts of the city, if there was no surgical military operation to put an end to the marching IS terrorists.
Apple could be hit with a class-action lawsuit in California for failing to use technology capable of preventing iPhone users from texting while driving.



The plaintiff of the complaint filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday is Julio Ceja, who was injured while another driver was using her iPhone.

The complaint alleges that the company had the technology to block texting capabilities of someone behind the wheel since 2008. It also requests Apple halts the sale of all iPhone models and install the software.

Auto News reports that Apple was granted a patent for technology that could lock out a phone if sensors were able to detect that it was being used while driving. Apple first filed for the patent in 2008 and the lawsuit asserts that the firm chose not to implement the technology in an effort to maintain high profits.

Just two weeks ago, Apple was hit with a similar lawsuit alleging that it hadnt installed software available since 2008 that restricted the use of FaceTime by a driver.

PHOTO GALLERY
After the introduction of the updated Sandero and Logan range last year, Dacia has applied a similar suit of updates to the Dokker and Lodgy, as well.



The two cars now come with exterior and interior styling enhancements that include a new grille, a reworked boot lid on the Lodgy, and redesigned 16-inch wheels, in addition to the new four-spoke steering wheel, different air vents, and updated trims.

Moreover, Dacia has also added a Stepway-only standard armrest, incorporated into the drivers seat, a one-touch window function on the same side, folding tables for the rear passengers, and a new stowage net for the front passenger.

Those willing to pay more will also get to equip their vehicles with an optional reversing camera, which displays the image on the dashboards main screen, for a 200 ($214) premium.

The engine lineup remains untouched, and while the facelifted Logan and Sandero welcomed a new 1.0-liter three-cylinder unit, with 75 PS (74 HP), the latest Lodgy and Dokker come with the same SCe 100, TCe 115 and dCi 90. The former, however, can also be had with a dCi 110, while the latter with a dCi 75 diesel.

Dacia has already opened the order books for the 2017 Lodgy and Dokker in France, with other markets following soon. Prices start from 10,150 ($10,847) and 9,650 ($10,312), respectively, and the first units will arrive at dealers in April.

PHOTO GALLERY
In a rather unconventional way, Ford opted to reveal the facelifted version of the Mustang a week after the official press days of the Detroit Auto Show.



Ford took the wraps off the new Mustang at Detroits show floor in front of a random crowd instead of the traditional media, with simultaneous events running in New York and LA.

This caused a few complaints, especially from dealers, show-goers and reporters according to the Detroit Free Press.

Anybody who paid good money for a ticket to the shows Charity Preview Friday or public days Saturday, Sunday and Monday has reason to complain that Ford hid the fact that they could see the Mustangs new looks and features if they stayed home until Tuesday, wrote the publication.

Dozens of new vehicles were unveiled to generate interest in the show and allow visitors to plan a trip to see their favorites. That was good enough for Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Kia, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen and others. Ford, though, showed only an update of the F-150 pickup.

When Ford was asked why they kept the Mustang reveal for later, the company said that they wanted to unveil the new car in NY and LA on Tuesday so Mustang fans around the country can come and see it at the same time it goes on display in Detroit.

But that is just an excuse for Ford as they could just as easily reveal the new Mustang simultaneously in Detroit, LA and New York during the NAIAS press days.

We can only speculate what is the real reason behind this decision and all we can think about is that perhaps Ford wanted to get the maximum media coverage possible at a time when they wouldnt have to compete with others for the audiences attention  not that this years NAIAS was packed with introductions, to be honest.

Its a tactic that further undermines the importance of a motor show in general and eventually leads to the main question, also asked by Jalopnik: are the big motor shows as essential as they once were? Let us know in the comments below.

Opening screenshot via ABC7@Youtube

PHOTO GALLERY

Video
A New Hampshire man managed to escape unharmed after his car got pinned under a tanker truck on Route 101 in Hampton.



The driver, Daniel Decoteau, 34, was traveling east in the left lane when he lost control and slid right into the truck. Both vehicles then crashed into the concrete barrier, which is when Mr Decoteaus Honda Civic got crushed underneath the weight of the tanker.

According to WHDH, the man was able to climb out of his car through the passenger window unharmed, though the truck driver did suffer (!) some minor injuries. Thankfully, the tanker was empty at the time of the crash and no other vehicles were involved in the accident.

As for what caused the accident, all you have to do is look at the road in order to see just how slippery it must have been. It wouldnt be difficult to imagine anybody losing control of their vehicles in such conditions, especially if theyre not extra careful.

VIDEO
Work on My Knight and Me came out of Christiaens short 850 Meters, which features a knight from the same era. The project was pitched at Cartoon Forum in 2012.

Joeri wanted to use his character like an actor, in a way, explained TeamTO head of production and executive producer Corinne Kouper. He wanted to use the same character through several projects. For the show we widened the story and ended up with a stronger relationship between the father and son, and also a teamwork theme.

What I liked the most, added Kouper, was the fact that the female characters, even in this boy-driven series, were very strong, especially the daughter as a rugged princess and the Queen Mother.

My Knight and Me followed a traditional production cycle, with some animation done in 2D at Thuristar, and the cg work distributed between TeamTOs Paris and Bourg-les-Valence (near Lyon) studios. After the writing process, boards and animatics were produced. Voice-overs were then recorded in both French and English before final animation was completed, undertaken by a team of 44 animators. The production time for the 52 x 13-minute episodes was around 18 months.

Having completed an animated feature (Yellowbird) prior to My Knight and Me, TeamTO took advantage of some internal pipeline developments for use on the show. That included moving to a Pixar RenderMan rendering workflow, somewhat rare in TV production.

RenderMan really improved our lighting, said TeamTO president and CEO Guillaume Hellouin. At the beginning it was not easy because in RenderMan you have to build your own shaders. Its a high learning curve, but when you do it you get to keep using that library. You can tailor and re-use and re-develop everything.

Hellouin and Kouper also suggest a point of difference for the show is its stylization. Its clearly in the realm of cg animation but occasionally looks more graphic in nature, often with plain backgrounds. The idea here was to clearly separate the characters from their environments.

In some cg shows, the characters are lost in the background, said Hellouin. We wanted this show to have the characters pop off screen. We focused on the characters, and we really stylized the background in order to make a contrast with the characters.

My Knight and Me has already aired in France, Belgium, U.K., and other countries. It premiered earlier this month in the United States on Cartoon Network, and has been picked up by CN parent Turner for other EMEA, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific channels.

Meanwhile, TeamTO, is looking to continue to expand. The studio now has offices in Los Angeles and Beijing and has several of its own properties in development, along with continuing third party animation projects.

The studio has evolved a lot in the last few years, said Hellouin, basically because of the success of the shows. We reached 360 people in 2016 and will be full again before next summer.
Photo: Contributed

Wanted: good-looking guys. Must have great abs and not be afraid to show them.

Have you got what it takes to be a Butler in the Buff?

The "male-order" company is appealing to women to help find recruits, with open auditions in Kelowna every Friday, starting Jan. 20 through February.

The firm says it's looking for "gorgeous, hard-working men with charm, charisma, and a great butt."

The butlers earn $50 an hour, and candidates must be over 21.

Auditions are scheduled via Skype. Hopefuls can email [email protected] for a time slot.

Head of recruitment Jennifer Didcott says: "Were putting out an appeal to the ladies of Kelowna to encourage anyone who would make a Butler in the Buff to apply.

"Obviously, they have to have good bodies, nice faces, but the most important part is personality  were looking for bags of personality to charm the ladies at our events."

Butlers in the Buff originated in the U.K. and has spread to Australia, Canada and the U.S.

Butlers don a bow tie, collar, cuffs, apron  and nothing else.

They'll learn to be experts in etiquette, serving drinks, mixing cocktails and turning on the charm  but dont worry boys, no dancing or stripping required.

Check out butlersinthebuff.com for more on the company and its events.
Photo: Contributed

The grieving husband of a New Westminster woman found dead in waters off Bowen Island last fall has posted a moving tribute to his wife and urges all new moms to seek help if they are struggling with post-partum depression.

Kim Chen posted his comments Tuesday on the Facebook page entitled Remembering Mother Florence Leung.

He writes of the difficulties facing Leung in the weeks after she gave birth, saying moms unable to exclusively breastfeed are not bad mothers and should not feel guilty if they must use formula to feed their babies.

Leung's family launched a search for the 32-year-old woman in October saying they were worried she was depressed and her body was found three weeks later.

She leaves behind her husband and her months-old son.

In his post, Chen says he has been living a day at a time since then and remains in survival mode, experiencing flashbacks of memories about Leung that he writes "tend to trigger pain and intense longing."

But he also says the baby is growing well, smiles and laughs a lot and is at the 90th percentile for height and weight.

"While agreeing to the benefits of breast milk, there needs to be an understanding that it is OK to supplement with formula, and that formula is a completely viable option," Chen writes, thanking readers for their ongoing attention to the "devastating condition" of post-partum depression.

He says the foundation of his life has been "taken apart" and everything needs to be rebuilt, but adds that he is trying to be kind and gentle to himself and looks forward to the time when he will feel more at ease about writing about Leung.
Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

The Penticton Fire Department will be seeking a grant from the Union of B.C. Municipalities to promote protections against wildfires in the Spiller Road area.

The UBCM's FireSmart Planning Grant Program kicked off last year, and grants up to $10,000 to encourage self-organized groups of residents to implement their own wildfire safety measures on their properties. Penticton was approved a grant last year for the Sendero Canyon area last year.

Penticton's deputy fire chief Dave Spalding asked council for the city's support in applying for the grant, which the UBCM only allows one per year for each municipality.

Council unanimously approved a motion to support the application, which if successful, would provide funding for various aspects. That includes training a local FireSmart representative; conducting site visits and developing community plans; holding FireSmart days, communications and staff costs incurred from FireSmart activities.

The PFD will work with John Davies of Davies Wildfire Management in the application, which the report from Spalding says "has extensive experience with fuel management projects, wildfire risk and threat assessments in the Penticton area."
Photo: Contributed

Michelle has had enough.

For more than two decades she has owned rental units in the North Okanagan, but after dealing with a rogue tenant and her lack of legal recourse, the landlady is done with the rental game.

Because she has an upcoming court date regarding this particular tenant, Castanet has agreed to not use her real name.

Michelle said the tenant has not paid rent in several months while she has had to shell out thousands of dollars in legal fees and other expenses in an effort to reclaim her own property from someone who refuses to pay for the privilege of living there.

The problem, she said, is the rental tenancy act is so tilted in favour of the renter, the landlord is left with little ability to protect their property from deadbeat tenants.

And she said that is one of the reasons there is such a rental crunch in the province.

A lot of people will not rent anymore, said a frustrated Michelle who has been embroiled in red tape and paperwork for months.

Michelle said she has paid thousands of dollars to deal with the matter while the tenant has not had to pay a dime.

I'm done with it. Why would I put myself through this? said Michelle who was planning to use the rental property as a retirement nest egg.

But now she has to re-think her plans.

I can't risk it, she said. All it takes is one tenant to go rogue on you and it can end up costing thousands of dollars.

Michelle knows of other landlords who are putting their property up for sale rather than go through the hassles of renting  something she is considering as well.

And land owners deciding to sell rather than rent are adding to the province-wide rental crisis.

On Tuesday, all three levels of government, along with various agencies and even some realtors, gathered to hold a round table discussion on the lack of rentals in the area.

Several topics were touched upon and one area Vernon-Shuswap MP Mel Arnold said should be looked at is the rental tenancy act.

Landlords are feeling beat up by the tenancy act, said Arnold.

Michelle said she plans on bringing up the issue with Arnold and Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster.
Photo: Contributed

A Penticton youth has earned a prestigious spot on Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Youth Council.

Mac Tebbutt, a third-year engineering student at UBC Okanagan and a competitive rodeo athlete, was chosen from a pool of 14,000 applicants from across Canada for 15 spots on the council.

One of the prime ministers election promises was to initiate a youth council to listen and engage youth in areas of mental health, environment, employment, clean growth, agriculture and youth engagement, Tebbutt said.

Tebbutt is the only representative from BC, and the only council member representing the youth organization, 4-H.

Throughout the fall, Tebbutt participated in video conferences and attended meetings in Ottawa with the prime minister and his fellow council members.

Next week, the council will meet in Calgary for a new set of face-to-face meetings and to welcome a second set of council members.

Tebbutt credits much of his leadership training and public speaking skills to 4-H.

"4-H is an amazing program that teaches leadership, engagement and farm safety," he said.
Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer File photo

The Penticton Elvis Festival is putting out a call for judges for its Elvis Presley tribute contest in June.

The festival, which runs from June 23 to June 25, has three judges so far, and co-chair and director of judges Dave Martin says he'd like to have one or two more.

Martin has two main criteria for those looking to be judges: they should have a keen ear and they should know Elvis "to some degree."

"The music counts the most as far as the contest goes," Martin said, noting a keen ear can better tell when someone is slightly off-key.

Martin says the judge will also need to be available on all three days of the festival, which will be taking place at Okanagan Lake Park.

Last year's contest held 32 Elvis tributes, while so far this year the count is up to 34, with a cap at 40. Just one of those Elvis tributes is coming from Penticton so far, while up to five are coming from the UK. In the past, others have come from as far away as Australia and Germany.

The festival is also looking for more volunteers this year. While last year the festival had around 50, Martin said the festival is looking for 60 or more this year.

Those who are interested in judging or volunteering can contact Martin at 250-487-8781.
Photo: Contributed

Vernon Monashee MLA Eric Foster believes the province's softwood lumber industry is in for a change once U.S. president-elect Donald Trump takes office this week.

We know what the president elect has said about the foreign supply of anything  cars or lumber or toothpicks  it doesn't matter, Foster said, referring to Trump's protectionist rhetoric. We're very concerned and we're expecting there's going to be some tarriffs.

Last week, a U.S. trade commission ruled that Canadian lumber products were harming American producers.

The ruling sets the stage for the imposition of duties that could cause job losses and plant closures in Canada.

In Salmon Arm, Mayor Nancy Cooper also expressed her fears during a major speech to the chamber of commerce.

Our region is highly reliant on the forest industry and any change in the trade relations with the United States could have a serious impact on local jobs, said Cooper.

While B.C.'s finance minister has assured the public that the premier is working closely with Ottawa on the issue, others are not so certain.

International courts have ruled that our timber is not subsidized, yet American corporations keep pushing for higher duties that kill B.C. jobs, said NDP Leader John Horgan. Its unfair, and it has to stop.

B.C. forest communities cant afford a softwood deal at any cost, and Christy Clark too easily caves to corporate interests. We need to fight for the right deal to defend and grow forest jobs and the communities that depend on those jobs. We need to play hard ball.

However Foster bristled at the opposition's comments.

I don't know what John Horgan thinks he can do. Maybe he should go down to the United States and talk to Mr. Trump. See how they get along.

 with files from Kevin Rothwell
Photo: City of Penticton

The euthanasia of a family of four cougars this week has some in Penticton calling for something to be done about the citys urban deer population.

The B.C. Conservation Service said the adult female cougar appeared to be teaching the three juveniles how to hunt easily targeted urban deer.

The City of Penticton considered a deer cull in 2012, eventually changing it into a relocation program with the Penticton Indian Band, but on this week's Mayor's Minute, Andrew Jakubeit said it never actually got off the ground.

There was a changeover at the conservation office and we had to go back to square one. Its the province's jurisdiction, they have a large set of rules around what you have to do to have a cull or to relocate the deer, so it's not as simple as it sounds.

And to some people, they are very cute and cuddly, and they get up in arms if you try to do anything about them, Jakubeit said pointing to large lawsuits launched at Invermere over their deer cull program.

Minister of Environment Mary Polak acknowledged that human/wildlife conflicts are becoming an increasing challenge.

She says for now, the B.C. Conservation Service focuses on public outreach and education to attempt to prevent the conflicts from happening in the first place, adding they contact local governments to offer help on how to mitigate risks.

Polak said its actually up to local governments formulate a plan to control urban deer, plans that would then be subject to provincial approval.

If we look at whats happened in other locations, probably the most well known would be in and around Oak Bay  thats the local governments.

The Oak Bay deer cull reduced the local population of deer by 11 over 16 days, but was met with fierce opposition and protests from animal rights groups.
Photo: Contributed

If you follow my weekly reports, you know I find it frustrating when much of the Ottawa bubble is consumed by isolated issues that overshadow important concerns.

Currently, the Prime Ministers winter vacation to a private Bahamas Island and the possibly illegal use of a private helicopter remain the focus in Ottawa of many media reports.

In my report from last week, I explained why the vacation issue was a concern, however, as the deputy critic for Finance, I have a duty to point out there is other, very serious financial information Canadians deserve to be made aware of.

If you followed the last Federal election closely, you will know that the Prime Minister promised to run modest deficits of $10 billion annually and would return to a balanced budget in 2019.

Shortly before Christmas, the Finance Department released updated fiscal forecast reports that indicate that without deliberate and direct action by Liberal Government, Finance Canada projects we will not return to a balanced budget until 2050.

If the current Liberal trend of running deficits that are much larger than the promised $10 billion a year also occurs Canadians total debt will be at an alarming level of $1.55 trillion by that point.

What is more concerning is as much as the Liberals have promised all of this spending is going to building Infrastructure the Parliamentary Budget Officer also released a report on Jan. 10 that states:

Governments planned investments in infrastructure spending have not materialized in the first half of the year. Infrastructure transfers administered by Transport and Infrastructure Canada fell in comparison to the previous year."

In other words, infrastructure spending is in decline. In reality, it is government operational spending that has increased.

Where has this money gone?

Statistics Canada shows that the Trudeau Liberal Government hired 14,000 more government bureaucrats to work in the National Capital Region in 2016.

A recent 5.5 per cent pay raise plus a signing bonus for many federal government employees has also added many billions of new debt that has resulted in increased operational spending.

As I have also past pointed out, increased debt means increased payments on the interest that results in less money available to fund other government programs, services and projects.

It will likely also lead to higher taxation that reduces net take home pay. As you may have heard, the Liberal Government has also recently admitted it is giving serious consideration to tax changes that may impact many Canadians.

As one, example if you receive healthcare benefits provided by your employer, the Liberal government has indicated these may become taxable benefits.

This would be particularly punitive in B.C. as we are the only province that charges MSP premiums for healthcare.

I appreciate my report this week will not sit well with some citizens, however I should also point out these are actual events that will at some point affect future Canadian taxpayers.

Some in Ottawa have gone so far as to suggest given this recent fiscal news the Liberal government prefers talking about private helicopter trips compared to increased taxes, higher debt and deficits as a result of increased operational spending with little infrastructure to show for it.

As the deputy finance critic and as your ember of Parliament, I will continue to hold the Liberal government to account on these concerns and welcome your comments and questions. I can be reached at [email protected] or toll free 1-800-665-8711.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: Contributed

A young child was found dead in an East Vancouver home on Wednesday.

Officers arrived on scene at a residence in the area of Commercial Drive and Kitchener Street around 4 p.m.

Police are continuing to investigate and said the death does not appear suspicious.

There is no further information on the age or gender of the child.
Dustin Godfrey

This week's Mayor's Minute gives a look at the city's stance on dealing with the cougars that appear to be coming more frequently into Penticton and the urban prey, such as deer, that attract them.

Mayor Andrew Jakubeit also talks about a new marijuana dispensary that opened up shop on Main Street this week, despite council's decision not to grant it a temporary use licence.
Photo: VSA

UPDATE: 9:40 a.m.

A travel advisory is no longer in effect from Meadows to Creston on Highway 3; though winter driving conditions continue.

Also, a travel advisory is no longer in effect from Nelson to Salmo on Highway 6NS; again, winter driving conditions continue.

UPDATE: 8:15 a.m.

Highway 3 will be closed an extra hour  until 9 a.m.  for snow removal this morning.

Meanwhile, a vehicle recovery from Kootenay Pass Summit to Creston is now clear. However, the road remains closed for avalanche control.

ORIGINAL: 6:15 a.m.

Treacherous conditions have prompted numerous advisories for B.C. highways.

Highway 3 will be closed in both directions for avalanche control, 30 kilometres west of Creston at Kootenay Pass until 8 a.m. this morning, according to DriveBC. An alternative route is available from Nelson to Creston via Highway 3A.

Overnight, a commercial vehicle incident also closed the highway at the pass, along with another crash at Fernie. A freezing rain warning has been issued for the stretch between Meadows and Creston. Travel is not recommended unless absolutely necessary.

A travel advisory is in effect for Highway 97C, the Okanagan Connector, from the junction with Highway 1 to the Highland Valley Mine overpass, also due to freezing rain.

A similar advisory is issued for Highway 1 between Spences Bridge and Cache Creek, and Highway 97 from the junction with Highway 1 at Cache Creek to Loon Lake Road.

Highway 3A between Castlegar and Creston also has a freezing rain advisory from Brilliant to Balfour. Travel is not recommended unless absolutely necessary.

Travel is also not recommended on Highway 6 between Salmo and Nelson for the same reason.

Highway 99 remains closed due to high avalanche hazard, seven km south of the Kane Creek Bridge. No detour is available.
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATED: 8:20 a.m.

Rescue workers on skis reached a four-star spa hotel buried by an avalanche in earthquake-stricken central Italy Thursday, reporting no signs of life as they searched for around 30 people believed trapped inside. Three bodies were recovered as heavy vehicles struggled to get to the scene.

Two people escaped the devastation at the Hotel Rigopiano, in the mountains of the Gran Sasso range, and called for help, but it took hours for responders to arrive to the remote zone.

Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, compounded by four powerful earthquakes that struck the region on Wednesday.

It wasn't immediately clear which if any of the quakes triggered the avalanche. But firefighters said the sheer violence of the snow slide uprooted trees in its wake and wiped out parts of the hotel, leaving only some structures standing and others down the mountainside.

"There are mattresses that are hundreds of metres away from where the building was," Luca Cari, firefighters' spokesman, told the ANSA news agency.

The hotel in the Abruzzo region is about 45 kilometres from the coastal city of Pescara, at an altitude of about 1,200 metres. The area, which has been buried under snowfall for days, is located in the broad swath of central Italy between Rieti and Teramo that was jolted by Wednesday's quakes, one of which had a 5.7 magnitude.

Accounts emerged of hotel guests messaging rescuers and friends for help Wednesday, with at least one attempt at raising the alarm rebuffed for several hours.

Giampiero Parete, a chef vacationing at the hotel, called his boss when the avalanche struck and begged for him to mobilize rescue crews. His wife Adriana and two children, Ludovica and Gianfilippo, were trapped inside, employer Quintino Marcella told The Associated Press.

Parete had left the hotel briefly to get some medicine for his wife from their car, and survived as a result.
Photo: Skylar noe-vack

There was a messy scene in Penticton early Thursday morning.

A van hit a power pole, then ran over a fire hydrant just before 6 a.m. at Duncan Avenue east and Columbia Street.

It came to rest on top of the hydrant, as water flooded the road, said a witness.

Utility crews and sanding trucks were on scene, along with emergency officials.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus early Thursday, killing at least 24 young children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said.

At least two dozen other children were injured when the speeding truck collided head-on with the bus, said Javeed Ahmed, the state's top police official.

The children, between the ages of 3 and 12, were studying at a school in the town of Etah.

Another police officer, Daljeet Chaudhry, said visibility was low due to dense fog.

Police officer Parasuram Singh said the truck driver suffered serious injuries to his legs, which were amputated at a hospital.

The area is about 270 kilometres (170 miles) southeast of New Delhi.

State education authorities had closed all schools in the district because of a severe cold wave, and Ahmed said authorities would check why the school had stayed open.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences, saying: "Anguished by tragic accident in UP's Etah. I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole (the) passing away of young children."

Accidents are common on Indian roads, with most blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles.
Photo: CTV

Vancouver police are investigating after shots were fired at a home in the south end of the city at 3 a.m. this morning.

Investigators at the scene found multiple bullet holes in the home on Knight Street and East 54th Avenue.

"No one was injured, and the occupants of the home are not co-operating with police," said Vancouver police in a statement.

"No arrests have been made. It appears this was a targeted shooting, and investigators do not believe the general public are at risk."

The police investigation continues.
Photo: The Canadian Press Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia

OPEC countries could cut oil production again this year, Saudi Arabia's energy minister said Thursday.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum at the Swiss ski resort of Davos, Khalid Al-Falih said he "would not exclude" another cut to follow last year's agreement if higher prices don't stick because of variables outside producers' control, such as a potential collapse in demand.

"I think Plan B is to be resilient and to be flexible and to deal with the circumstances," he said.

"There have been times in the past where OPEC has taken one action and then a few months later found out that that action was not sufficient and followed up with another action," he said. "We will not exclude that and that's why we're meeting up again in May."

Asked if that could involve further cuts, the minister said "if needed, absolutely."

However, he said his baseline expectation is that it "will not be necessary."

OPEC agreed in late November to cut its production by 1.2 million barrels a day to 32.5 million barrels, the first reduction agreed to by the cartel since 2008. Nearly a dozen other countries, including Russia, pledged in December to cut an additional 558,000 barrels a day.

Those cuts are due to expire in June and Al-Falih said an extension is also possible.

He warned that extending the cuts "could create a shortage too early which we don't want to."

"But if we find out ... that it's not enough, we will do what is necessary."

Oil prices are trading over $50 a barrel, nearly double the level they were a year ago, largely because of the production cuts.

For higher oil prices to stick, producers will have to show they are complying with their agreements.

Earlier Thursday, the Paris-based International Energy Agency said global oil output is dropping for the first time in months, as Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing countries follow through on the pledged cuts.

The IEA's monthly report on Thursday showed OPEC production dropped to 33.09 million barrels a day in December from 34.2 million the previous month.
Photo: Contributed

Icy roads in the South Okanagan caused a pair of motor vehicle accidents Thursday morning.

Capt. Peter Maliepaard, with the Okanagan Falls Fire Department, said at about 8:30 a.m., a vehicle lost control on Waterman's Hill on Hwy. 97 and slid on its side into the ditch.

When a semi-truck stopped behind the crash, another vehicle careened into the back on the semi. No one was injured in the incident.

Shortly after at about 8:45 a.m., a vehicle slid into the ditch on Green Lake Road.

The person walked away and there was no damage to the vehicle.

Maliepaard said the roads should be better now, but advised people driving early in the morning, shortly after daybreak, to be careful.
Photo: Getty Images

B.C. Health Minister Terry Lake has floated the idea of raising the legal age to buy cigarettes.

Heading into National Non-Smoking Week, Lake tweeted: "Time to consider raising the age of tobacco consumption to 21 like California, Hawaii and over 120 local jurisdictions in the US?"

"It really is just the start of a conversation," Lake told CTV. "It's Terry Lake saying to British Columbians: Is this something that we should consider?"

National Non-Smoking week runs from Jan. 19 to 25.

The provincial government offers free smoking cessation products through any pharmacist for those looking to kick the habit.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: BC Gov't

A seventh lane is going to be added to the Alex Fraser Bridge.

The new counterflow lane will be incorporated by narrowing existing lanes and removing the shoulders.

The additional lane is expected to shave up to 16 minutes of the rush-hour commute, according to the provincial government.

A movable barrier will be repositioned for the morning and evening rush hours, allowing four lanes northbound in the morning, and four lanes southbound in the afternoon.

The project is estimated to cost $70 million and is slated for completion in spring 2018.

"Commuters and other highway users can expect to save about 12 to 16 minutes during the afternoon rush hour and about six minutes during the morning rush hour," Transportation Minister Todd Stone said in a press release announcing the addition.

The project will also include 13 electronic reader boards at "key decision points" on highways in the Metro Vancouver region to help motorists make driving decisions.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: CTV

UPDATE: 3:15 p.m.

Police in Vancouver are continuing to restrict access to a home where a child died Wednesday.

This is a tragic situation for everyone involved, says Vancouver Police Department Const. Jason Doucette. Out of an abundance of caution, we are continuing to restrict access to the home until other parts of the investigation are complete.

Officers will remain at the house until the investigation is finished.

There is no additional information to share.

ORIGINAL: 11:55 a.m.

An East Vancouver home where a child died Wednesday was not the child's residence.

The BC Coroners Service, which is investigating along with the Vancouver Police Department's Major Crime Section, says the child didn't live at the home.

Officers arrived on scene at a residence in the area of Commercial Drive and Kitchener Street around 4 p.m.

Police say the death doesn't appear suspicious

Neither the age nor gender of the child has been released.

 with file from CTV Vancouver
Photo: PETA

A "bloody" protest will go down outside a Vancouver restaurant on Friday.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will have a costumed "seal" writhe in a pool of "blood" outside the Edible Canada restaurant at Granville Island.

The restaurant has raised eyebrows for offering seal meat on its menu during the Dine Out Vancouver promotion.

PETA is urging Dine Out festival-goers to skip Edible's seal meat offering.

The animal rights group, well known for its publicity stunts, claims the restaurant is "supporting an industry that costs Canadian taxpayers millions of dollars in government subsidies, as there are no major markets left for seal-derived products, which have been banned in 35 countries."

"Canada's commercial seal slaughter is responsible for shooting, bludgeoning, and skinning seals for products that are illegal in dozens of countries around the world," PETA executive vice-president Tracy Reiman said in a press release.

The protest is expected to take place at noon.
Fiji: Japanese clinker arrives at Suva Port

19 January 2017

Pacific Basin's bulk carrier Port Botany from Japan arrived in Suva Port in Fiji yesteday ahead of its job of unloading 26,000t of clinker. The vessel will discharge its clinker load over the next six days.



"The discharging will start soon after Custom Officers have checked teh vessel," said Mr Sowani Tuidrola of Pacific Basin.

Mr Tuidrola confirmed that the order was sent by Mitsubishi Cement Co in Japan.



A barge is standing by at Lami Bay ready to take the clinker. "The clinker will be discharged to the barge and will transport teh clinker to the trucks at Lami and later to the company yard," added Mr Tuidrola.

Fiji's cement industry consists of Pacific Cement Ltd, which owns a 0.215Mta grinding plant at Lami, and Tengy Cement (Fiji) Co Ltd, which operates a 0.3Mta gridning plant in Lami.

Published under
Uganda: Hima Cement to launch US$40m grinding unit

ICR Newsroom By 19 January 2017

LafargeHolcim-owned Hima Cement is set to launch its grinding unit in Tororo this week, according to a company sources.



The new 1Mta grinding plant is located at Nyakesia, Rubongi, and will boosts Hima Cements production capacity to 1.9Mta.



In an earlier statement, Hima Cement Country CEO, Daniel Pettersson, said that the aim of building the grinding station is to meet the increasing demand for cement and concrete not only within Uganda but the regional market as well.



Uganda is currently carrying out large-scale infrastructure projects, including the power plants at Karuma and Isimbi as well the Entebbe expressway. The country is also enjoying a real estate boom.

We are very positive about the long-term prospects of the cement industry in Uganda; and LafargeHolcim is keen to solidify its position in the region as the leading producer of building solutions, providing its customers with innovative value-adding propositions, Mr Pettersson said.

He added that Hima Cement is in final stages of exploration for a limestone position in northeastern Uganda to support a future clinker position.

Published under
UW-Stout is able to begin the 2017 semester with some peace and closure after a Minnesota man was charged with felony murder on Jan. 13 in the death of Hussain Saeed Alnahdi in late October.

Prior to beginning his address to campus Wednesday morning, UW-Stout Chancellor Bob Meyer thanked everyone who played a part in helping students, faculty and staff cope with Alnahdis death. He highlighted numerous examples of compassion witnessed in the days following Alnahdis death, including the memorials that spring up on Main Street, the memorial service for which more than 1,000 people turned out, and the dinner hosted by Alnahdis friends in his honor.

There events demonstrated how incredibly compassionate our students and staff are, Meyer said.

The chancellor also acknowledged the incredible work of the staff and various offices who worked tirelessly to ensure that the needs of grieving students were met. He gave special thanks to Sandy Scott, dean of students and Mike Lee, international education advisor, who he said did everything they could to bring some measure of peace to Alnahdis roommates and friends here at Stout as well as his family in Saudi Arabia.

Record enrollment

Looking back at 2016, Stout saw record enrollment of 9,619 for the fall semester with total enrollment increasing by 84 students, 13 of them freshmen. The real growth, however, was in undergraduate customized instruction with 96 new students, while the graduate school grew by 125 students.

Meyer noted that on-campus enrollment has decreased a little. There is some excess capacity for on campus enrollment, and we need to look at how we can sustain that growth, he said.

Recommendations from the Strategic Planning Group lays out moderate enrollment growth targets for 2017-18 that include 1,580 new freshman and a total enrollment of 9,723, an increase of just over one percent.

These are reasonable, achievable goals and very important for our financial viability, Meyer said.

Seeking better pay

On the subject of employee pay, the chancellor said the Board of Regents has requested enough money from the state to pay for a two percent average increase in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.

While there has been no official response, Meyer is optimistic given that local legislators have indicated that they believe current below-average salaries are a major problem at Stout. The board and Stout administrators continue to review their options for additional salary increases in the short term.
McDonell Area Catholic Schools have played a major role in the Chippewa Falls educational system for generations. It has been educating students here since 1882, and MACS officials are doing all they can to guarantee its rich history will continue on for generations to come.

Weve been a part of the legacy of Chippewa Falls for 135 years, MACS President Jeff Heinzen said, elaborating on the Catholic schools mission going all the way back to Rev. Charles Goldsmith in the 19th century. The comprehensive strategic process weve undertaken is to ensure that we continue to be an educational partner in the Chippewa Valley for the next 100 years.

Strategic planning is a common tool used by businesses to identify goals and objectives in order to grow. Employing this strategy makes sense for almost any operation, and it made sense to Heinzen, who before coming to McDonell nearly three years ago owned a consulting firm that specialized in growth and planning. While still in his first year at the helm of the school system, he drove the push to take on this project.

We have to make sure of our foundation, and we need to make sure (area residents) are engaged in our mission, he said. Were the last Catholic High School north of (Highway) 29 all the way to Superior. So what is our social responsibility to families who want to maintain a parochial education for their child?

What emerges from the process could be a wide-range of recommendations, from ways to grow in the face of declining enrollments nationally over the past decade for private schools, to changes in curriculum and classrooms, to facility needs. Heinzen offered one example.

What kind of a classroom do we need 10 years from now? he asked, before referencing a hands-on learning method that debuted at McDonell in 2014. With Project Lead the Way we begin to get an idea about that. Weve updated four or five classrooms now, where the desks are all pie-shaped so they can put them together to work on things.

A big picture

A steering committee of five people with strong ties to the school and backgrounds in strategic planning met for more than a year, concluding its work this fall.

They reviewed previous plans, examined the position MACS was in currently and assisted in outlining the process they felt would work best in Chippewa County.

Earlier this month, a group of about two dozen people convened to review the mission and vision of the Catholic school, analyzing the effectiveness of the various facets of what MACS currently offers. The group consisted of alumni, faculty, administration, parents, Education Commission members, Chippewa deanery pastors and at least four of the past five commission chairpersons.

People are being very clear that some of whats going on is missing the strategic leg, and its critical we keep moving forward on this, so everybody whos involved in this sees the vision, the mission and the direction, Heinzen said. Everybody wants a road map, and thats what the strategic process provides at the end of the day.

The next step will be to hold listening sessions, with a half dozen or more yet to be scheduled. They will begin next month, and be held in the Cadott-Boyd area, Bloomer, Tilden and Chippewa Falls. In addition to face-to-face sessions, online surveys will also be available to reach those who are unable to attend the sessions.

School officials will gather the information obtained in February and March, with the idea of issuing an initial report by the end of April.

Im not going to force this process, Heinzen said. I have seen the enthusiasm picking up, and sometimes you have to be patient. If the process is hurried, it will have some flaws in it, and it will end up slowing you down in the future.

A second review group of perhaps 15-20 people from a similar mix as the mission-vision group will tie all of the information together, and be charged with making recommendations that can be acted upon.

Gathering all of these people with the express purpose of digging into what MACS do so well has been invigorating, and Heinzen has witnessed the enthusiasm it has generated.

The excitement really comes from we are at a place where we can really do this well now, he said. After we complete the strategic process, we should be at a stronger and better place for understanding the needs of the Catholic community and their vision going forward.

Involving so many people from different backgrounds in this entire process has been beneficial in several ways. It produced a variety of viewpoints, and positive responses from those who participated.

What was fun for me was the feedback  they thought the process was quite engaging. Part of what caught their attention was the diversity of the group that was able to come together and give their opinions. When you have that good a diversification of viewpoints, it can only lead to better results.
After a year of shaking hands and convincing people to vote Republican, Charlotte Rasmussen of rural Stanley on Friday will be standing with thousands of others and watching Donald J. Trump being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

And later Friday, the Clark County woman will be attending one of the sanctioned inaugural balls.

This will be the third inaugural for Rasmussen, who is president of the Wisconsin Federation of Republican Women. She attended both of the inaugurations of Republican President George W. Bush.

I guess it was really an historic kind of feeling, she said. I had worked on their campaigns, too.

This time seems more significant to Rasmussen, because she felt they worked really hard in the last year to get Trump elected.

Ashley Smith King, the chair of the Chippewa County Republican Party, will not be attending the swearing-in ceremony. But she has hopes for what the new president will achieve.

My hopes are that he will improve the business climate in the U.S., improve the morale (of the country) and bring jobs back to the U.S. she said. It will be an undoubtedly interesting four years.

In the cold

Standing in a crowd during an outdoor ceremony in January in Washington can be cold, even for a Wisconsin resident. But Rasmussen said the weather on Friday is expected to be warmer than for the Bush inaugurations, with high temperatures in the 40s and maybe the 50s.

However, the forecast is for rain and no umbrellas are allowed in the crowd. Rasmussen is ready for the ceremony. She said she will go Thursday to a congressional office to pick up her tickets for the swearing-in ceremony, which should start at about 10:30 a.m. Central Standard Time.

Rasmussen is also prepared for a crowd numbering in the thousands.

Just how large a crowd probably will never really be known, because the National Park Service stopped providing official crowd estimates in 1996.

Before it stopped, the park service came up with its crowd figures by studying aerial photographs. Using a grid system, the park service would divide the Mall into sections of equal square footage.

Then it counted the number of people in each section of the grid by looking at how tightly packed the crowd was and assigning a number of people per square foot.

Not much has changed about the way crowds are estimated, said Steve Doig, a journalism professor at Arizona State University who specializes in measuring crowd sizes.

The figure that corresponds to a loosely packed crowd, Doig said, is 10 square feet per person, which sounds like a lot but its really not. That means people could reach out and touch those closest to them on all sides.

A tighter crowd would get down to maybe 6 or 7 square feet per person, he said. A scary mosh pit crowd would be maybe 3 to 4 at most.

Crowd estimates for events in Washington are difficult in general because the citys lack of tall buildings and security restrictions on aircraft make it tough to get comprehensive aerial images, Doig said.

Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbias homeland security director, has said consistently he expects between 800,000 and 900,000 people to attend Trumps inauguration. He said he would use the tried-and-true grid method to provide his own crowd estimate on the Monday following the ceremony

Past inaugurations

The park service did not dispute a widely reported estimate that 1.8 million people came to Washington for President Barack Obamas first inauguration in 2009, believed to be the largest inaugural crowd in history. The biggest crowd the park service counted at an inauguration was 1.2 million for Lyndon Johnsons 1965 swearing-in.

Doig isnt sure about either of those figures. His analysis of aerial photographs led him to conclude that just 800,000 were on the Mall for Obamas first inauguration, though he did not include the parade route, where thousands more people waited all day to catch a glimpse of Americas first black president.

The estimate was difficult because the density of the crowd varied widely, he said, despite aerial photographs that appeared to show the Mall full of people between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. Further away from the Capitol, people huddled around television monitors, leaving big tracts of mostly empty space.

Any time a crowd reaches into the hundreds of thousands, its a noteworthy gathering, Doig said, but boosters will always try to politicize the turnout for their chosen cause.

One of the things that aggravates me ... is the need for it to be huge, he said. It sort of drives the numbers into areas where it just clearly is fiction and it undercuts the reality of what really is an amazing crowd.
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An administrative inspection warrant was used by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wisconsin Department of Justice-Division of Criminal Investigation at the Cadott Medical Center in Cadott on Wednesday.

Those warrants can be used for criminal drug investigations or for oversight of health care providers who must register with the DEA.

The Cadott Police Department said the Drug Enforcement Administrations had a presence in downtown Cadott, but referred further comment to the state Department of Justice. Robert J. Bell, a DOJ representative, declined to specify at which doctors office the warrant was used, but he did say no one was arrested Wednesday.

The centers address is 322 N. Main St. A tape recording at the center said it is closed indefinitely.

Bell said the DEA has oversight of Schedule 2-5 drugs.

The DEAs website says: Schedule (2) drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence.

Schedule 2 drugs include Fentanyl, Percocet, Oxycontin, Methadone, Vicodin, Addderall and Demerol.
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Anna George Cindy Todd Jackson Andrews Previous Next

Tennessee Aquarium president and CEO Keith Sanford announced the following organizational changes to staff and volunteers:

Jackson Andrews becomes the Aquariums vice president and chief operating officer. His responsibilities have expanded to oversee the Aquariums Guest Services, Housekeeping, IMAX and River Gorge Explorer Teams.



Mr. Andrews has served as the aquariums director of husbandry and operations for more than 25 years.



Dr. Anna George becomes the aquariums vice president of Conservation Science and Education. Her goal is to create synergy between the Aquariums Conservation Institute and the Aquariums education department.



Dr. George has served as director of the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute for more than 10 years.



Cindy Todd becomes the aquariums vice president of Institutional Advancement. In her new role, Ms. Todd will oversee marketing, branding, development and membership to help build financial strength to support the Aquariums mission and community impact.



Ms. Todd has served as the aquariums chief marketing and branding officer for 25 years.



Mr. Sanford began his tenure at the aquarium on March 1. Since then, he has been examining the organization from top to bottom, even immersing himself in numerous roles from guest services to animal care and conservation biology.



He has also traveled to several of the nations top aquariums to spend time with their CEOs to gain an understanding of their models for success. The past 10 months has been an amazing journey, said Mr. Sanford. I have an overwhelming appreciation for the level of expertise and experience we have in our team. I am excited about the Tennessee Aquariums direction that paves the way for us to have an even greater overall impact in our community and across the country in freshwater conservation science.


Dancing Weyl cones: When excited by tailored laser pulses (white spiral), the cones in a Dirac fermion material dance on a path (8-shape) that can be controlled by the laser light. This turns a Dirac material into a Weyl material, changing the nature of the quasiparticles in it. One of the cones hosts right-handed Weyl fermions; the other cone hosts left-handed ones.

Studying properties of fundamental particles in condensed matter systems is a promising approach to quantum field theory. Quasiparticles offer the opportunity to observe particle properties that have no realization in elementary particles. In the present study, an international research team led by Angel Rubio from the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter at CFEL in Hamburg and the University of the Basque Country in Donostia-San Sebastian predicted how laser light can be used to create Weyl fermion states in 3D Dirac materials and to switch between Weyl semimetal, Dirac semimetal and topological insulator states on ultrafast timescales. Besides its relevance for fundamental quantum physics, the results might lead to applications in ultrafast switching of material properties.

In the standard model of particle physics, the fundamental particles that make up all matter around us  electrons and quarks  are so-called fermions, named after the famous Italian physicist Enrico Fermi. Quantum theory predicts that elementary fermions could exist as three different kinds: Dirac, Weyl, and Majorana fermions, named after Paul Dirac, Hermann Weyl, and Ettore Majorana. However, despite being predicted almost a hundred years ago, of these three kinds of particles only Dirac fermions have been observed as elementary particles in nature so far. With the discovery of graphene in 2004, however, it was realized that the behaviour of relativistic free particles could be observed in the electronic properties of materials. This sparked the search for materials where these fundamental particles could be observed and only last year the first materials hosting Weyl fermions were discovered. While any known material only hosts one kind of these fermions in its equilibrium state, in the present work it is demonstrated how one can transform the fermion nature within specific materials by using tailored light pulses.

First observation of Dirac fermions in graphene

The observation of Dirac fermions in the properties of graphene originates from a complex interaction of the large number of electrons and ions that make up the material. Although each individual electron interacts with its surrounding ions and electrons via electrostatic forces, the particular pattern of carbon ions in graphenes honeycomb layer structure causes the electrons to behave collectively like massless, free fermions  Dirac fermions. These particles cooperatively forming new particles with different properties are called quasiparticles. The hunt for other materials hosting quasiparticles behaving like fundamental particles has thus focused on the crystal structure of materials so far.

Creating laser-driven topological states

It has now been found, however, that by irradiating a material with a laser, it is also possible to combine a quasiparticle with the photons of the laser field to form a new quasiparticle that, again, can behave fundamentally differently. In particular, the coupling to photons can affect the topology of quasiparticles. Topology is a property of the particles that leads to peculiar properties, for example metallic chiral edge states that form a collisionless one-way quantum highway along the edge of a topological insulator. This chirality, or handedness, is topological in the sense that right-handed and left-handed chiralities are discrete states that cannot be continuously deformed into each other. The 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics was just awarded to Michael Kosterlitz, Duncan Haldane, and David Thouless for the discovery of such topological phases of matter.

Dirac and Weyl fermions differ by their chirality. Just like our left and right hands, Weyl fermions occur in pairs, where one particle is a mirrored version of the other. The two partners are almost identical, yet they cannot be superimposed. Dirac fermions, by contrast, do not have this property.

One approach to create chirality in a material is to drive it with a laser beam. It was realized about ten years ago that the so-called Floquet theory  a theory for laser-driven systems that oscillate periodically in time  allows us to engineer parameters and symmetries in materials that can change their topology, explains Michael Sentef, Emmy Noether group leader at the MPSD in Hamburg. Inducing chirality into a Dirac fermion material by combining those fermions with photons from the laser beam to form new quasiparticles can thus transform it into a Weyl fermion material.

In the present work, the team around Angel Rubio used high-level computational simulations of material properties to show how this optical transformation from Dirac fermions to Weyl fermions can be achieved in a real material  Na3Bi. This material is a so-called three-dimensional Dirac semimetal. It consists of layers of sodium and bismuth atoms that arrange to form a three-dimensional equivalent of graphene. This three-dimensionality is required for the transformation of Dirac into Weyl fermions to take place. It cannot happen in a two-dimensional sheet of graphene.

The crucial challenge in this work was to take the ideas of Floquet theory and topology from the conceptual level of model systems to the world of real materials and to demonstrate that such non-equilibrium topological phase transitions can be realized in a materials science context, says Hannes Hubener, Marie Curie fellow at the University of the Basque Country in San Sebastian and lead author of the work.

From topological stability to ultrafast electronics

In particular, the authors could show how topological protection of the handedness of Weyl fermions arises and can be made more robust the stronger the laser field is. We realized in our simulations that when we cranked up the field, the two different right- and left-handed Weyl fermions moved further apart from each other in the so-called momentum space, in which quasiparticles live, says Sentef. Since right- and left-handed particles are antiparticles of each other, they have to come together to destroy each other. The separation thus protects them from getting destroyed, which means that we achieve topological stability of these quasiparticles.

The theoretical results suggest that experimentalists should be able to measure the transformation between Dirac and Weyl fermions in ultrafast laser experiments. One way of doing this is to use the photoelectric effect to eject electrons from the laser-driven material, a technique called pump-probe photoemission spectroscopy, which is available at the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter under Otto-Hahn group leader Isabella Gierz and Director Andrea Cavalleri.

Angel Rubio, Director of the MPSD Theory Department, adds: This work opens exciting new avenues to manipulate the properties of materials and molecules using fundamental light-matter interaction. It paves the way for ultimately controlling their behaviour at the nanoscale and with ultrafast switching cycles. The scientists even hope that there might be a way to stabilize the light-induced states for longer times while retaining the ability to switch them at terahertz or even faster frequencies. This may enable new ultrafast electronics for superfast computers in the future.
The crowd listens during a session of the Anita Borg Institute's Grace Hopper Conference in 2016. The organization's Chicago chapter is looking to expand. (Anita Borg Institute photo)

La'Shon Anthony is on a mission, traversing the Chicago area to get in front of tech-focused groups of women at universities, as well as companies that want to help boost the numbers of women in the field.

Anthony is building out the Chicago chapter of the Anita Borg Institute for Women in Technology, a nonprofit focused on narrowing tech's gender gap.

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ABI.Chicago launched in 2015, and Anthony began hitting groups and businesses for volunteers and sponsorships in fall 2016.

"I'm finding that there are a lot of people who are looking for a connection within the tech industry that they aren't finding, myself in particular," said Anthony, who also owns a web design company called Visuals4u. "The times I would go out to tech events, they were heavily attended by men."

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Computer scientist and Chicago native Anita Borg founded the organization in 1997 as the Institute for Women and Technology. She created an early online community for women in the 1980s, and as an advocate for women in tech, her accomplishments included an appointment by President Bill Clinton to a national commission on women in science, engineering and technology. She died in 2003.

The nonprofit institute, now based in Palo Alto, Calif., focuses on the advancement of women in the field  including underrepresented minorities and LGBTQ people. Its main event is the annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, a conference that drew 15,000 participants in 2016.

The institute set up its first local chapters in New York and Delhi, India in 2014. It followed with Chicago and eight other areas in 2015. It since has grown to 20 communities worldwide, including Tokyo, Amsterdam, Portland and Africa.

So far, the Chicago chapter has produced programs at a rate of about once a month, including coding classes, panel discussions on careers in tech, and a remote viewing party for locals to watch the Grace Hopper Celebration.

More recently, it hosted a pair of networking events and panel discussions tied to screenings of the movie "Hidden Figures," about a trio of black women mathematicians who were the brains behind NASA's launch of John Glenn in to orbit.

Anthony expects events to become more frequent as more partners have joined the cause. Morningstar sponsored the "Hidden Figures" screenings, and the DePaul University Coleman Entrepreneurship Center is a new partner.

Anna Mukhina, a senior software engineer at Morningstar, said a women in technology employee group at her company linked with the local chapter after sending a members to the Grace Hopper event  only half as many as they wanted, because tickets sold out within minutes, she said.

The Morningstar group reached out to Anthony, who told them about offerings locally, as well as national initiatives, including a framework that helps organizations score their diversity efforts.

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"We thought, 'This is a really strong organization to continue to work with,' " Mukhina said.

Going into 2017, it plans offer a broader array of programs, including tutorials, seminars and daylong boot camps in topics ranging from virtual reality to cybersecurity, financial technology and gaming, Anthony said.

The chapter has more than 100 members, and non-members can also attend events, Anthony said. Membership is free and men are welcome.

"I knew with this organization, we would be able to highlight the fact that women have a place in the industry and are doing things every day, and folks would be able to see a path and be able to find mentors," she said.

The Anita Borg Institute started local chapters to bring people together outside the Grace Hopper Celebration, according to Elizabeth Ames, the national organization's senior vice president of marketing, alliances and programs.

"We wanted to being a little piece of that to people where they are, and just to continue that feeling of feeling inspired and knowing you're not the only person like that out there," Ames said. "A lot of them go back into their local communities, and they don't have that kind of local connection."

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Cheryl V. Jackson is a freelance writer

Twitter @cherylvjackson
A tricky-to-spot phishing scheme targeting Gmail users is fooling even seasoned security experts.

The scam has drawn international discussion in past week and was described in detail in a post by Mark Maunder, the CEO of Wordfence, a security plugin for WordPress  which said experienced technical users had fallen victim to it.

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Here's how it works: Gmail users receive an email that may appear to come from someone they know, including what looks like an attachment. When users click on that attachment, a new tab opens up and users are prompted to sign into what looks like Gmail. But that copycat site is actually a site attackers use to collect login information, and once users log in, their Gmail account is compromised.

With a scam confusing even to the tech-savviest among us, users are wondering: How on earth do I explain this to my mother?

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Maunder writes that users should be careful to spot a green lock icon in their browser address bar  if using Google Chrome  and make sure the URL begins with "https://". The copycat Gmail login site begins with "'data:text/html" and should not be trusted.

Nikita Borisov, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, acknowledged the scam can be hard to spot.

"It's a little bit difficult to see, because it's designed to fool users into thinking that everything is OK," he said. "The way a lot of scams get perpetrated is by fooling you into thinking that you're typing your password into a legitimate site such as Gmail, but of course, you're actually redirected to a website that is run by the attacker."

And even to a discerning web user, the precursory security checks might check out. The spoof site includes "accounts.google.com" in its URL, which would be familiar to Gmail users.

"If you were to glance up at your location bar in your browser you would see the things you were looking for, or at least some of the things," Borisov said. "If you were (looking) a little more carefully, you'd notice there wasn't a secure indicator, a green lock indicator." Users would also notice the "data:text/html" text at the beginning of the URL.

Borisov noted that any user should be wary when an attachment or link prompts a user to type in their password.

"It's always good to be as vigilant as possible whenever you get these kinds of emails," he said. "Anytime anyone asks you to click on something and type in the password, that's a very common way for an attack to proceed."

He said two-factor authentication can be helpful in preventing attackers from gaining access to a user's account. Anytime users with two-factor authentication sign in from a new place, Google sends a code via text, call or mobile app, meaning it would be tricky for hackers to gain access.

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Worried you may have fallen victim to the scam? Gmail users can check "account activity" and "recent security activity" to see the times and locations of recent account activity.

A Google spokesperson said Wednesday the company is working to resolve the issue.

"We're aware of this issue and continue to strengthen our defenses against it," the emailed statement said. "We help protect users from phishing attacks in a variety of ways, including: machine learning based detection of phishing messages, Safe Browsing warnings that notify users of dangerous links in emails and browsers, preventing suspicious account sign-ins, and more. Users can also activate two-step verification for additional account protection."

mgraham@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @megancgraham
Photographer Mark Segal shows a picture of one of his remote control helicopters carrying a stuffed animal at his SkyPan International office studio Jan. 18, 2017, in Chicago. SkyPan has agreed to pay the Federal Aviation Administration $200,000 to settle charges it violated airspace regulations with its drones. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

A pioneering Chicago aerial photography company has agreed to pay the Federal Aviation Administration $200,000 to settle charges it violated airspace regulations with its drones.

SkyPan International, which has been using drones for 20 years to shoot aerial views for proposed high-rise developments, had been facing a $1.9 million penalty for what the FAA said were 65 unauthorized drone flights in New York City and Chicago between 2012 and 2014.

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Mark Segal, who launched SkyPan in 1988, agreed to the settlement Tuesday, ending a yearlong legal battle with the FAA that may have implications for the booming commercial drone industry.

"We've suffered enough and I just wanted to get it off our back at this point," Segal, 60, said Wednesday.

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In October 2015, the FAA proposed the record $1.9 million fine against Segal and SkyPan for allegedly violating regulations in the congested airspace over New York City and Chicago. The flights occurred before the specific regulations governing commercial drone operations were adopted by the FAA in June 2016.

"There really wasn't any law when we were shooting," Segal said.

SkyPan also agreed to pay an additional $150,000 if it violates FAA regulations in the next year, and is subject to an additional $150,000 fine if it fails to comply with the terms of the agreement.

Under the current FAA regulations, commercial operators must register each drone, and adhere to restrictions such as the speed, altitude, time of day and flight path.

There are 47,329 individual commercial drones registered with the FAA, and the industry is taking off, according to FAA spokesman Les Dorr. Beyond aerial photography, he said commercial applications include everything from insurance claims to using drones to inspect bridges.

Last month, Amazon tested commercial drone package delivery in England.

"It's almost like somebody comes up with a new use for the technology almost every week," Dorr said Wednesday.

The FAA also oversees recreational drones under separate model aircraft regulations, and has required recreational owners to register since December 2015. There are 649,554 owners registered with the FAA, which translates to about 1.6 million recreational drones across the U.S., Dorr said.

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Segal has a fleet of three 5-foot miniature helicopters, which weigh up to 19 pounds each. He shoots two to five projects per month and works with a long list of major real estate developers looking to get their high-rise projects off the ground. The 360-degree aerial shots provide "real views" that help developers plan their buildings, Segal said.

SkyPan's annual billing is between $1 million and $2 million, Segal said, but business has been hurt by the FAA allegations.

"It encouraged our competitors to try to swoop in and take ... our clients away," Segal said. "There's no doubt it affected our business."

Photographer Mark Segal shows a picture of one of his remote control helicopters carrying a stuffed animal at his SkyPan International office studio Jan. 18, 2017, in Chicago. SkyPan has agreed to pay the Federal Aviation Administration $200,000 to settle charges it violated airspace regulations with its drones. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

SkyPan recently completed aerial photography for a new transit-oriented apartment building being developed by Vequity at 1920 N. Milwaukee Ave. in the Bucktown/Logan Square area.

Segal's first client was Sam Zell, the billionaire real estate developer, who hired the photographer to get aerial shots of several Chicago developments.

Segal originally used full-size manned helicopters to take the aerial shots, but began using drones in 1996, and switched to them exclusively in 2002.

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One of Segal's more prominent clients is the Trump Organization, which hired SkyPan in 2003 to shoot aerial views for the Trump Tower development in Chicago. SkyPan went on to do work for Trump in Las Vegas and New York City.

"They were very happy with what we did in Chicago," Segal said. "It really helped them with the planning and layout of the building by examining the views in advance."

rchannick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @RobertChannick
Ray Kroc spent a lifetime trying to make a living from other people's ideas.

He hawked paper cups, folding kitchen tables called FoldaNooks (he didn't sell a single one), and milkshake machines before he discovered the best idea  of someone else  yet: McDonald's.

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"The Founder," which opens nationwide Friday, features Michael Keaton as the complicated Kroc, who elicits sympathy for his eagerness to push on despite decades of struggles, but also scorn for taking credit for the founding of McDonald's and using questionable business tactics to eventually drive the real founders  Dick and Mac McDonald  out of business.

"Founder" director John Lee Hancock ("Blind Side, "Saving Mr. Banks") recently spoke to the Tribune about Ray Kroc, Keaton's portrayal, and the character's comparisons to President-elect Donald Trump. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Q: It was shocking to see a time (in an early scene) when fast food was not ubiquitous.

A: Yeah, I was taken with that too. It made it even more fun to shoot. Michael (Keaton) got it quickly. But I'm trying to explain to the young man working at the McDonald's there, "You have to explain how to eat things." The actor was great, but he's in his 20s and says, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Q: What guidance did you give Michael Keaton before playing the role?

A: I really enjoyed Robert Siegel's script and felt conflicted about Ray Kroc. I spent half the movie really pulling for him and half the movie questioning him and then being aghast at some of the things he was doing. I wanted to be able to capture that in the film as well. Michael and I had a very similar idea for this. We felt a responsibility to history. We felt a responsibility to the McDonald brothers and to Ray Kroc to be as factual as possible. We didn't have a responsibility to make anyone look good or anybody look bad, just to try our best to be honest.

We said at the beginning we wanted people to be conflicted about Kroc.

Q: What do you think about the potential impact of the movie on McDonald's?

A: I'm way out of my depth here to know what impacts what in the world of advertising or what's in the zeitgeist, but I can see people who would see the movie that would say, "I'm never going to McDonald's again," and I can see people who only know McDonald's as this behemoth go, "Wow, that's an amazing origin story and the brothers were kind of great. I have more respect for McDonald's now." I can see it going both ways. I mean, it's not like it's a movie like "Super Size Me" or something talking about contemporary McDonald's and checking ingredients and those kinds of things.

Q: How do you think the movie will be perceived in light of our current political climate?

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A: When I read it and when we filmed it, our current president-elect  I don't think he even had said he was running for president. That said, I can understand the parallels people are drawing. (Kroc and Trump) are both successful businessmen who were at times ruthless and understood completely the branding and importance of a name. The one big difference for me is that Kroc came from nothing.

It's weird  as I said, I feel conflicted about Ray Kroc because there's a whole lot about him that I admire. Many people said he was the hardest-working person they ever met. And I can relate a little bit to a midlife crisis, asking when the next job is coming and things like that. I understand and respect the fact that he put it all on the line. That kind of risk is rare and admirable.

Q: Do you think Kroc always had that kind of personality? Or did the McDonald's opportunity light his fire?

A: I think his fire was always lit. Whether it was lying about his age to join the war effort early or playing piano with a band thinking, "This is going to hit big," to the wax paper cups to the FoldaNook  by the way, I would kind of love to have a FoldaNook  but nobody seemed to buy those. Everything, when he came home to Ethel (Kroc's first wife), was going to be The One. And all of his ideas  there were many, before he owned McDonald's outright  most of his ideas weren't good. He was better at taking other people's good ideas and making something from them. But I think the world got to him, and it was a true eureka moment when he saw what was the beginning of fast food, fit in the climate of America post-World War II.

And then he was probably one of the very first to understand branding. (The McDonald brothers) created the arches, but Ray Kroc was the one who recognized their power.

Q: Can you talk about the movie's take on capitalism?

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A: Well, it's interesting to me because the McDonald brothers' McDonald's and Ray Kroc's McDonald's are both capitalist ventures. Their ultimate goal is money, just the philosophy might be different.

One was the American Dream: Have the best idea, work harder than everybody else, care more deeply than everybody else and you will succeed. That was the McDonald brothers. And that was probably Ray Kroc at the start too. But toward the end of the movie it's more about, nah, you don't have to have the best idea, you just have to grab onto somebody else's best idea and have the best investment bank.

Q: What was your first memory of McDonald's?

A: I was born right in the middle of when this story was going on. I grew up in a refinery town in Texas and we weren't fancy enough to have a McDonald's. I remember going to McDonald's for the first time probably when I was in college. And then I remember going and visiting a friend in Wyoming and he said, "We're going to do something special. We're going to McDonald's."

And I said, "Well, there's a McDonald's right across from my dorm in college," He says, "No, no. We're going to the only McDonald's in Wyoming." It was like 90 miles away. And we drove 90 miles there, and 90 miles back.

sbomkamp@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @SamWillTravel
In the shoe store of the future, the sales associate asking if you need help might be a wide-eyed, child-sized robot quizzing you on your preferences and displaying suggestions on a touch screen on its chest. If you go to the store, that is  you might have already had your feet scanned and confidently shop online, relying on artificial intelligence to tell you which pairs are most likely to match your size and style without having to try them on.

Feel like you'd miss the feeling of walking the aisles and stumbling on the perfect outfit by shopping online? One technology company says shopping with virtual reality headsets might only be a couple of years away.

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The future of shopping was on display at the National Retail Federation's expo and convention in New York this week, showcasing the latest gee-whiz technologies that could make their way to consumers in the next few years.

Virtual reality: Video game enthusiasts have been among the first consumers to jump on the virtual reality trend, but retailers are donning headsets, too. Chicago-based InContext Solutions says brands and retailers like Walgreens use its virtual store technology to test new promotions and store layouts.

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Testing which products draw consumers' eyes and which store layouts encourage them to linger and browse is quicker and easier in a virtual store than the mock stores some companies build at headquarters, and more immersive than computer mock-ups, said Tracey Wiedmeyer, InContext co-founder and chief technology officer.

As headsets get cheaper and more popular, InContext is betting retailers will open virtual stores to consumers too  maybe even in the next two or three years.

"We're already having conversations with brands about what that might look like," Wiedmeyer said.

InContext Solutions co-founder Tracey Weidmeyer talks about how retailers are using virtual reality. (Lauren Zumbach / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Robotics: Simbe Robotics CEO Brad Bogolea said he noticed a lot more robots on display at this year's trade show, even if some retailers, fearing backlash from people worried about the impact on humans' jobs, are reluctant to acknowledge their use.

Today's robots aren't about to entirely replace human retail employees, but could affect the kind of work they do.

Simbe's robot, named Tally, autonomously roams grocery and consumer goods store aisles, Roomba-like, capturing images of store shelves to make sure products are properly stocked and priced.

Automating tedious tasks can make employees more productive, Bogolea said.

Another robot on display, SoftBank Robotics' Pepper, is designed to attract shoppers with big, colorfully lit eyes and expressive body language and hand gestures.

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Pepper can handle basic customer service questions, narrow down what a shopper needs before pointing them to a sales associate for more help or share information about a product.

Because Pepper can judge shoppers' gender, approximate age and expression, it also could be programmed to give one sales pitch to a child and another to a parent, and report to the retailer whether each customer left with a smile or frown.

"It's never going to replace a worker, but it can minimize low added-value, repetitive tasks," said Steve Carlin, vice president at SoftBank.

There are thousands of Peppers in stores and homes in Japan, Carlin said. They're still rare in the U.S. Two California Westfield malls brought in Pepper robots in November to give customers directions and build holiday buzz, and a San Francisco technology store hosted one last year.

Volumental uses 3-D foot scanning technology to try to help customers find better fitting shoes. (Lauren Zumbach / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Personalization: Companies are pitching technology as way to boost sales and cut returns by making smarter, more personalized product recommendations.

Rocksbox, a jewelry subscription service that lets customers rent pieces, stocks more than 5,000 items  too many for an individual person to track, said founder and CEO Meaghan Rose. So it uses 150 points of data on each piece and a trio of algorithms to come up with recommendations for each customer, which employees can tweak as desired.

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The algorithm does a better job choosing baubles than a human stylist choosing all three pieces alone, Rose said. But most shipments are at least in part picked by a person and all come with a note from the stylist.

"Technology allows you to provide that level of service in a way that's not cost-prohibitive," she said.

Another company, Findmine, uses artificial intelligence to help customers build outfits by recommending items that go with others a customer has added to an online shopping cart. Findmine makes the "complete the look" suggestions on menswear brand John Varvatos's e-commerce site, but could be brought to in-store displays or employees' tablets to help them make better recommendations, said co-founder and CEO Michelle Bacharach.

Both True Fit and Volumental make similar artificial intelligence-powered recommendations based on fit, collecting data from brands and shoppers to figure out which products tend to work well for customers with similar size and style preferences.

Customers are more likely to buy apparel and footwear online when they're confident it will fit, said True Fit co-founder Romney Evans.

Sharing data on foot shapes and fit preferences with manufacturers can also help them improve the design of future products, said Lise Alm, vice president of operations and sales at Volumental, which uses 3-D foot scanners to help customers find better-fitting shoes faster.

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Its foot scanning technology will be in 500 stores, including all New Balance flagships, by summer, she said.

Customization:

During a presentation at the trade show, Shoes of Prey co-founder and chief creative officer Jodie Fox said she envisions a day when consumers can walk up to a 3-D printer in their closet that can judge the day's weather and owner's plans for the day, suggest an outfit and build it on demand.

Some brands are experimenting with rapid on-demand production, citing customers' desire for individuality and the ability to cut waste by rapidly increasing production of popular products rather than guessing how many pieces in each style and color will sell.

Shoes of Prey lets shoppers design their own shoes online, working off templates and adjusting size, style and color.

Women's apparel company Eileen Fisher uses a Shima Seiki knitting machine that can create a seamless sweater from a computer-generated design in about 45 minutes, in part to reduce waste, said Samantha Burdett, who works in sales and product development at Shima Seiki.

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E-commerce accessories-maker Thursday Finest sometimes brings its 700-pound knitting machine to pop-up shops to knit accessories like socks, hats and scarves with personalized colors for customers while they wait.

"We all want what we want, when we want it. And for basics, you want something where you don't need to shop a bunch of stores to get something you like that fits," said co-founder Veronika Harbik.

lzumbach@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @laurenzumbach
Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue waits Nov. 30, 2016, for an elevator in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. On Jan. 19, 2017, Perdue was named President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of agriculture. (Evan Vucci / AP)

President-elect Donald Trump's campaign promise to make lives easier for farmers by easing environmental regulations resonated with Matthew Starr, a corn and soybean farmer in downstate Hancock County.

Now Starr is hoping Sonny Perdue, Trump's choice for secretary of agriculture, will help fulfill some of those promises.

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"To be honest, there's been a real sense of frustration in the agriculture world. It's become hard to jump through all the hoops," said Starr, who also raises pigs on the 2,500-acre farm that's been in his family for five generations.

Perdue, a former Georgia governor who became Trump's final Cabinet pick Thursday, will have the difficult job of answering to such expectations while also easing farmers' concerns over Trump's rhetoric on trade and immigration. If confirmed, Perdue, 70, will oversee a vast entanglement of politically charged issues, including farm subsidies, food stamps, school nutrition and animal welfare.

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His personal story immediately appeals to some Illinois farmers: He grew up on a farm, earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine, and built businesses in grain trading and trucking. (He has no relation or affiliation with the poultry producer, Perdue Farms.)

But the appointment also goes against the grain: Unlike his three predecessors, Perdue isn't from the Midwest.

"We would have preferred a corn and soybean producer from the Midwest, but we've worked before with secretaries and directors from all over the country and we'll do it again with Mr. Perdue," said Richard Guebert Jr., president of the Illinois Farm Bureau.

Already, some debate is heating up over the 2018 Farm Bill, renegotiated every five years to authorize and fund agriculture and nutrition programs. Guebert said Illinois farmers would look to Perdue to help preserve crop insurance, a subsidy program to offset revenue loss, for corn and soybean crops. Meanwhile, cotton growers in the South are expected to ask for more assistance.

Guebert said he believes Perdue will do a fine job of working on behalf of farmers throughout the U.S.

"If not, I'll guarantee you that farm bureau directors throughout the Midwest will refresh his memory," he said.

If confirmed, Perdue also will oversee the $74 billion federal food stamp program, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Diane Doherty, executive director of the Illinois Hunger Coalition, said she was concerned by the growing political rhetoric against providing federal assistance to those who need it, particularly given the longstanding bipartisan support of the food stamp program.

Doherty acknowledged she didn't know Perdue's stance on SNAP and other nutrition programs, but said he had a tough act to follow in former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

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"If we have someone coming from an agricultural background who doesn't understand the marriage between agriculture and nutrition, I worry there will be a whole lot of ground lost and people going hungry and homeless," Doherty said.

Animal welfare is another political minefield for Perdue. Increasingly in recent years, groups like the Humane Society of the United States have succeeded in persuading companies to make large-scale changes, such converting to cage-free eggs, and have lobbied state and federal government to improve animal welfare standards.

Rod Wubbena, whose father Phil Wubbena founded Phil's Fresh Eggs in Forreston, Ill., one of the country's first commercial-scale cage-free egg farms, believes that's a dangerous trend that could lead to unsustainable costs and food safety problems. Farmers generally take good care of their animals because it's to their economic advantage to do so, Wubbena said.

Less regulation is better, he said.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 21 Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, the first senator to endorse Trump, is known for his hardline views on immigration. Sessions could face obstacles in his confirmation hearing, even with Republicans in control of the Senate. He withdrew from consideration for a federal judgeship in 1986 after being accused of making racist comments while serving as a U.S. attorney in Alabama.  AP (Carolyn Kaster / AP)

"The government always wants to fix things, but they don't always think about the repercussions," Wubbena said.

In a statement, the Humane Society said Perdue had in the past, both as a governor and veterinarian, demonstrated a concern for animal welfare.

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"We hope he makes animal welfare a priority for the USDA," said Josh Balk, vice president of farm animal protection for the Humane Society.

Starr, the corn and soybean farmer, said he didn't know much about Perdue. But he said he hopes Perdue can carry out some of Trump's promises to farmers, while also providing some agricultural perspective on the need for immigrant workers on farms.

Trump's appeal to rural America helped tilt the election in his favor, Starr said.

"We'll see if he follows through on his promises," the farmer said.

gtrotter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GregTrotterTrib
Federal consumer finance regulators said Thursday they were suing TCF Financial Corp., alleging the bank deceived consumers so it could charge them exorbitant overdraft fees.

Banks' overdraft fee tactics have long been considered predatory by consumer advocates. Such fees, which are charged when customers overspend their bank accounts, largely fall upon lower-income account holders.

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Running as much as $35 per overdraft, the fees comprised a $180 million per year income stream for TCF, a bank with $21 billion in assets and with 360 branches in eight states. By law, customers must actively choose to enroll in overdraft programs before they can be charged overdraft fees. But to maximize its profits, TCF was accused of tricking customers into believing that overdraft features were a mandatory part of their checking account.

"TCF bulldozed its way through protections against automatic overdraft enrollment," Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray said in a statement.

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A bank spokesman, Mark Goldman, said the bank intended to vigorously defend itself in court. "We believe we have strong, principled defenses to its complaint," Goldman wrote in an email to the AP.

To convince customers to sign up for its overdraft coverage programs, the CFPB alleged, the bank also misled its customers about the costs of overdrafts and incentivized its staff to recruit customers with aggressive sales tactics.

"I don't think (new customers) understood that they, that they were exposing themselves to additional fees," one TCF branch manager testified, according to the CFPB suit.

A 2015 analysis by consulting firm Compass Point found that TCF derived far more overdraft income from its customers than all but one other major bank, Regions Financial. Among TCF executives, the bank's skill at extracting the fees was a point of pride, the lawsuit alleged: TCF chairman and former chief executive William Cooper named his boat "Overdraft."

The bureau's action follows an investigation stretching back more than one year. Last November, TCF warned shareholders that the bureau might target its overdraft policies as "unfair, deceptive and abusive."

A previous wave of class-action suits over other banks' similar practices led to hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and judgements against banks such as Wells Fargo, which one judge wrote had laid "a snare for the unwary" and subjected its customers to a "bone-crushing multiplication" of fees, according to a 2010 judgment.

Associated Press
From left to right, Jordan Taylor, Margaret Whisdosh, Gia Musacchio, Sydney Taylor and Greta Blaugh - all third graders at Central School in Wilmette and members of Brownie Scout Troup 41877 - make blankets for the homeless at the 2017 MLK Day of Service and Reflection on Jan. 16, 2017, at the Winnetka Community House. (Gina J. Grillo / Pioneer Press)

Hundreds gathered for the 2017 MLK Day of Service and Reflection, an interactive celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday for all ages on Monday at the Winnetka Community House. The event, cosponsored by The Volunteer Center of Northeast Metropolitan Chicago and The Kindness Connection, offered individuals, families, and service groups an opportunity to celebrate King's legacy through service.

A dozen area nonprofits were represented, with an array of hands-on service projects benefiting the homeless, veterans, children, refugees and animals. Rooms at the WCH were dedicated to projects like making no-sew blankets for The Night Ministry, fleece scarves for Refugee One, dog toys for Orphans of the Storm, and beaded bracelets for Luggage for Freedom (for women and children in domestic shelters).

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"Our goal was to create a warm, open environment for the community to create projects and reflect on the work they can do to make our world a kinder place," said Lisa Rosenberg, executive director of the Kindness Connection.

Members of Brownie Scout Troop 41877, all third graders at Central School in Wilmette, made blankets for the homeless.

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"When our troop is working on these blankets, I think about how much the person who gets this will love keeping warm," 8-year-old Jordan Taylor said.

This year, "Speak Out!" a special new feature, was added to the program.

"We are inviting people to speak out in a thoughtful and respectful way to share their thoughts about King, civil liberties, equality and freedom," Barb Tubekis, executive director of the Volunteer Center, said.

All ages were encouraged to take the mic, to recite or to speak extemporaneously, sharing a piece of writing, poetry or song.

"it's important to think about what Dr. King has taught all of us and to share what we've learned from him with our kids, and to come to help others," said Leslie Grayson of Evanston, who brought her daughters to the event.

Gina J. Grillo is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
Kinmont, one of the restaurants that made news last week for allegations of bounced checks, is no longer open. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Complaints of bounced checks at three restaurants run by Chicago's Element Collective group have been resolved, current and former employees confirmed this week.

The bounced-check allegations at River North's Kinmont surfaced in the news Friday after the 3-year-old seafood restaurant announced it would close permanently following Saturday service. Meanwhile, allegations of unpaid wages at sister restaurants Nellcote and RM Champagne hit Twitter on Saturday, with one employee writing that the staff planned to walk out during service.

The wages in question were paid shortly before the planned walkout, said the employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, via a private Twitter message this week. She has deleted the Saturday tweets. RM and Nellcote manager Josh Shapcott confirmed that employees there have been paid.

Both Nellcote and RM were full when I visited Saturday night at the time of the potential walkout, with no signs of employees acting out of the ordinary.

Jared Van Camp, partner and chef at Element Collective, confirmed the bounced checks, "but everybody has been repaid," he said. "Any bank fees that have been associated have been repaid."

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All of the employees at Kinmont have been offered open calls to jobs elsewhere if they need them, but a lot of employees already have another gig, said Van Camp. And weve also paid severance to employees at Kinmont.

Kinmont general manager Gregory Samuels, who has already been hired by a different restaurant group (but will stay with Kinmont for private events booked at the restaurant in January and February), backed up Van Camp's statements and talked more about Kinmont's closing.

"(Element Collective partners Chris Dexter and Chris Freeman) poured as much as they could pour into that restaurant to make it work," Samuels said of Kinmont. "The location just was not going to work. We closed a year after we should have.

Kinmont was at 419 W. Superior St., a few blocks west of the most heavily walked areas of River North. (Nellcote and RM Champagne, on the other hand, are in a bustling area, at 833 W. Randolph St. and 116 N. Green St., respectively.)

But because of the work that we did, the food that we did and the service that we gave ... (the partners) kept trying to save it," Samuels said of Kinmont. "And in the end, it caused some trouble for us, but when they could have turned tail and run, they came down and talked to my staff. They offered this amazing severance package. ... They were great, and they didn't have to be."

Samuels will begin a job at The Dearborn, Amy and Clodagh Lawless' restaurant, next month; former Kinmont chef (and former "Top Chef" contestant) Aaron Cuschieri is executive chef there.

Kinmont will reopen as a private-event venue this spring, said Element Collective partner Dexter in a statement. The group also owns Old Town Social in Old Town and three Leghorn Chicken locations, including the outpost in United Center.

Kinmont's closure was first reported by Eater.

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lchu@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @louisachu






Logan Square can officially say "aloha" to Surf Bar, helmed by the same crew behind neighboring Emporium Arcade Bar. Opened in June, the beach-themed bar is getting a complete overhaul as it is transformed into the newly minted Branca Bar.

According to Jared Saul, beverage director of Emporium, Surf Bar was always intended to have a short shelf life. "The owners, Danny and Doug Marks, always wanted it to be a rotating event space that will host pop-ups throughout the year," he says.

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When Branca Bar opens Feb. 1, it'll be a whole new experience. The beachy trappings, decorative surf boards and brightly painted walls will be traded for moody woods, intimate lighting and darker colors, to better reflect the theme behind its name. And just what might that theme be?

"Fernet-Branca," says Saul.

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If you're unfamiliar, Fernet-Branca is an herbaceous Italian amaro created in Milan in 1845. Descendants of its creator, Bernardino Branca, run the Fratelli Branca company, which owns and produces the liqueur. It's also something of a secret handshake in the bartending and cocktail world  bartenders and industry pros will often order one as a signal for being in the know. "There's a whole culture around Fernet that is focused on community," says Saul. "It's well-loved in the service industry. It's ripping a shot with your friends after a shift, it's a strong sense of family from the company itself. All of this resonates within the industry." Fratelli Branca, though not directly involved in Branca Bar, "has given us their blessing."

Branca Bar's logo picks up elements of the Fernet-Branca bottle design. (Branca Bar)

The new concept will focus on highlighting Chicago's robust bartending community. "Fratelli Branca, as a brand, really fosters camaraderie, and we want Branca Bar to highlight that," says Saul. To that end, the space will host a slew of rotating bartenders from throughout the Chicago cocktail community. The cocktail menu will be driven by visiting bartenders  an unannounced few hailing from nationally recognized bars  inspired by Fernet-Branca, but also the family and community behind it.

"There's a healthy spirit of competition to be the best in this industry, especially in Chicago," says Saul, "but when we're not working, we're hanging out with our friends at their bars, seeing what they're up to."

Branca Bar will provide a glimpse into that bar community. "We want to share that sense of community with everyone who doesn't see it on a day-to-day basis," Saul says.

The brainchild of Saul, Pete Gugni (Fernet-Branca's Chicago representative) and Jorge Saldarriaga (formerly of Dixie's 1952), Branca Bar will run a minimum of two months, "though it could be as many as three," says Saul. The space will host events throughout that time, such as a weekly bocce ball night, industry nights and art openings. The goal is a laid-back, loungey vibe that gets people involved beyond just the cocktails.

"We want to be more than just a bar," says Saul. "We are driven as much by entertaining and hosting as we are by the drinks. That's what Fernet is about."

jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @joeybear85






The rock band OK Go, which formed in Chicago and is now based in Los Angeles, covered Morrissey's song "Interesting Drug" Wednesday on "The Late Late Show with James Corden."

OK Go's performance aired hours after the band posted a video of its cover of the nearly 30-year-old song that featured pictures of President-elect Donald Trump and members of his incoming administration.

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"It seems like the right soundtrack for this moment. No matter how anxious or angry you are, try to turn your passion into something good for the world. We're in this together," the band said in its post.

OK Go visited a Pilsen high school last month to teach students in the guitar club how to play its single "The One Moment."

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The band released a video for the single in collaboration with Chicago-based company Morton Salt in November.

"The Late Late Show" airs 11:37 p.m. weeknights on CBS.

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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)
I understand the Girl Scouts' decision to send 75 members from the Washington, D.C., council to march in Friday's inaugural parade, but I think it's tragically shortsighted.

The 105-year-old nonprofit is nonpartisan and, by law, prohibited from adopting positions on specific candidates or their policies. "Our movement is made up of individuals who hold political beliefs and convictions as varied as our nation itself," the group explains in a statement. "And because every girl has a home at Girl Scouts, every girl in our movement is allowed her own ideas, opinions, beliefs and political ideology."

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Beautiful.

Also, beside the point.

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The Girl Scouts could remain apolitical and still skip this parade, and it wouldn't be the first time the group advocated for justice while transcending politics.

The organization famously turned away a $100,000 contribution after the donor insisted the money couldn't be used to help transgender girls. "Girl Scouts empowers every girl, regardless of her gender identity, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, to make the world a better place," the group explained.

"We don't take a position on abortion. We don't take a position on birth control. We don't take a position on sexuality," Jeanne Reynolds, then-interim chief administrative officer for Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago, told me in 2013, when social conservatives were calling for a boycott of Girl Scout cookies. "That's between girls and their families. We believe our place is building girls of courage, confidence and character."

Which brings us to the parade.

Donald Trump is the living, breathing antithesis of the Girl Scout Law, in which members pledge "to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others."

During the presidential campaign and since his victory, Trump has demonstrated an alarming disdain for girls and women, people with disabilities, people of color, Muslims and anyone who disagrees with him. His political beliefs aren't the problem.

Grabbing women's genitals is not political. Mocking a disabled reporter is not political. Ridiculing a Gold Star family isn't political. Discriminating against people based on religion isn't political.

The Girl Scouts consider inaugural participation part and parcel of their mission. "These girls will gain insight into the time-honored democratic tradition of a peaceful transition of power," the statement reads.

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But the United States also has a time-honored democratic tradition of speaking truth to power. And a far better lesson  for the girls and their nation  would be to craft an open letter to President-elect Trump explaining why, despite a century of tradition, the organization will be sitting out the inaugural parade.

The letter could make it clear that the decision is based solely on Trump's behavior toward others  behavior that contradicts the Girl Scouts' code and mission  and not on his ideology or proposed policies. The authors could point out all the different presidents the Girl Scouts have witnessed being sworn in and all the different platforms those leaders have run on and been elected on.

Best of all, the letter could invite Trump to make space in his schedule to meet with the Girl Scouts and hear their thoughts in person.

"At Girl Scouts it's our goal to help girls be empowered, and we support them as they raise their voices to lead, every day," the group's parade statement reads. "Girl Scouts have lent their voices to the fight for racial equality, advocated for a clean environment, invested in those less fortunate, and so much more. Girl Scouts also have a long history of taking the lead to create change by engaging in civic action. Empowering girls to forge their own paths and take action in their own lives is at the center of everything we do."

Participating in Friday's parade doesn't empower girls to forge their own paths. It teaches them to accept and celebrate vitriol, misogyny and assault.

I'm an ardent fan of the Girl Scouts, and I will continue to support their good works. But I'm disappointed that the moral clarity for which they're known has taken leave at such a pivotal moment in time.

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hstevens@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @heidistevens13

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He was the young undercover lawyer at the heart of Operation Greylord, the biggest public corruption probe in Illinois history.

But at the age of 65, Terrence Hake  who risked his career and maybe more than that by wearing a wire to record dirty Cook County judges taking bribes to fix cases more than 30 years ago  feared his incredible story would never get the Hollywood movie it surely deserves.

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So he was delighted by the announcement this week that "Crook County," to be executive-produced by the Oscar-winning Adam McKay of "The Big Short" fame, has finally gotten the green light.

"We've come close a couple of times, but it's pretty cool that maybe it's actually going to happen this time," Hake, of Winnetka, told Chicago Inc. Hake in 2015 published a book about his experiences at the center of the case and has been pushing for more than 20 years to get a movie made about the early 1980s probe that saw 15 Cook County judges convicted and a total of 92 public officials indicted.

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Slated to begin shooting in the spring and to star "Brooklyn's" Emory Cohen as Hake, the movie is written by husband-and-wife team Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly.

Though the Greylord story is well known to Chicagoans old enough to remember it, Pullapilly, 39, grew up in South Bend and learned of it only in 2012 at a meeting of Northwestern University's alumni magazine editorial board. When attorney Sheldon Zenner, a fellow board member who was among the crack team of federal prosecutors who brought the case, pitched Pullapilly the story, "I couldn't believe it had never been done" as a film, Pullapilly said.

Pullapilly and Gaudet "went down a rabbit hole" researching the case, reading transcripts of the Greylord trials and wiretaps and meeting with Hake, who gave them a tour of the Cook County criminal courthouse at 26th Street and California Avenue.

"It still looks like the 1980s inside!" Pullapilly said.

Unfortunately, Gaudet added, most of outdoor Chicago doesn't. So much of the movie will be shot on location in Pittsburgh, which is easier to disguise as historic Chicago, with just a handful of scenes shot here, he said.

Given the outrage over the naming of Spike Lee's "Chi-Raq" in 2015, that's not likely to make politicians any happier with the movie's working title. ("Nothing to do with me!" Zenner said.) Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle's spokesman Frank Shuftan said that while it is "undeniable our city and county have seen their share of corruption over many decades ... the title of the film can also leave an impression that denigrates the good and hard work of many of our public servants."

Hake retired last year after returning to the Cook County state's attorney's office following a more than 30-year absence, during which he worked for the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General and the Cook County sheriff's office.

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"I was told by the FBI that I'd never work as an attorney again in Cook County when I went undercover to record judges and other attorneys," he said. "It was scary." For decades, he resisted returning to Chicago courtrooms as a private attorney because "if I lost a case for my client, I'd always wonder, 'Was it because of something I did 30 years ago?'" he said.

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Pullapilly said it was Hake's "heroism" that led her and her husband to buy the rights to his story.

But does Hake consider himself a hero?

"I guess I do," Hake said. "I hate to talk like that, but I certainly feel that I did the right thing when it was difficult to do.

"I was single, 28 years old, and it was easier for me than it would have been for an attorney with a family."

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimjnews
At the lectern, left to right, Liz Radford, Ann Scholhamer and Jessica Scheller are joined by other activists at a press conference at City Hall in Chicago on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, where the route was announced for a march in Chicago on Saturday, Jan. 21, in response to the presidential inauguration of Donald J. Trump. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Go to the women's march.

Maybe you're waffling over whether to march Saturday, the day after the presidential inauguration of a man who has breezily, relentlessly disrespected women and who is set to oversee changes in our laws that go beyond disrespect.

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If you're waffling, why not just do it?

Go if you believe that this is a pivotal moment in our country and that a country in which women are fairly treated is better for everyone.

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Go if you believe women should be able to live free of violence and sexual threat. If you believe women have a right to control whether and when to have children. If you believe women deserve to be paid fairly for their work, and in a workplace that acknowledges the complexities of women's lives.

Go because, as President Barack Obama noted in his farewell speech, it's good to get off Facebook and meet people face to face.

Don't overthink it. If you're sympathetic to these goals and if even a faint voice is saying to you, "Go," then do it.

Go if you believe that women  like all Americans  deserve to live free of bias based on their skin color, their religion, their birthplace, their disabilities, their sexual preference or gender orientation.

Go if you know that "women's rights are human rights and human rights are women's rights" is more than a slogan.

Go because there are too many people like John.

John is the name of a man who emailed me after I wrote a column last week about the organizers of Chicago's march.

"Jesus Christ!" John said. "House fraus with nothing better to do. Get a job! When will these delicate snowflakes just get on with their miserable lives?"

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Sally forth in your walking shoes, all you hausfraus and snowflakes, if you want to help build a world in which John is liberated from his misguided thinking.

Not every woman wants to march. Some don't see the new president as a threat. Some don't like crowds, or they find marching pointless, or aren't physically able to march, or have other obligations, or don't want to have to prove their intentions this way. Valid reasons. No one should be pressured into marching.

But don't fall for the argument that marching is "divisive" or that it's "time to move on."

In Chicago, in Washington, D.C., in hundreds of cities nationwide, women will march Saturday because they know that this is what moving on looks like: speaking out, coming together, making connections that can lead to more directly fruitful actions.

There's courage, and encouragement, in numbers.

And don't be put off by reports of arguments among women over what the marchers stand for or what they will accomplish.

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A large crowd of women gather Sunday Jan. 8, 2017 at Knit 1 on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago's North Center neighborhood to make pink "pussyhats" to wear or donate for the women's march in Washington D.C. or locally in Chicago. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

A march isn't a church. Saturday's marching congregations are likely to be at least a little chaotic, and, here and there, contentious.

Go even if you know you won't agree with every single word of every single woman who will be there. Most marches, for any cause, are a grab bag of goals. There's space for the variety.

Go if you've never seen thousands of women gathered in one place to focus on the well-being of women.

Or because you have, and you know it made a difference.

Go because taking to the streets, peacefully, is one way that in our country we show what we think and what we want.

Go because you may enjoy the display of pink, cat-eared caps called pussy hats.

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Go even if you hate them. It's just a hat. And you can still be impressed by how many women knit so well.

You may be wondering: Will there be bathrooms? Will it be safe? Can men come? Kids?

There will be portable bathrooms. There's no reason to think it won't be safe. Men and children are welcome.

One march won't change the world, but if you believe that you have the power to try, why not go?

Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017. 10 a.m. East Jackson Boulevard and South Lake Shore Drive. Details here: http://womens121marchonchicago.org/.

Go if only because you're curious. Or because one day you'll enjoy saying, "I was there on that Saturday in January when a remarkable thing happened in Chicago and all over the country."

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Go for your daughters, your mothers, your grandmothers, your sons, your husbands, your friends. Yourself.

Go as a way to say: We're here. We're watching. We matter. Watch us.

mschmich@chicagotribune.com
Daisy Vazquez, 13, an 8th-grader at Saucedo Scholastic Academy, makes an impassioned speech about hard-working immigrants during a rally on the school steps in Chicago on Jan. 19, 2017, to protest President-elect Donald Trump's inflammatory comments. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune) (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

The Chicago Teachers Union and its allies launched demonstrations at schools citywide Thursday, joining a national effort organized by education labor unions and left-leaning advocacy groups to repudiate President-elect Donald Trump and his pick to lead the U.S. Department of Education.

The CTU used the demonstrations to try to link the incoming presidential administration with the union's local political opponents, targeting Gov. Bruce Rauner , Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools officials who last week ordered district employees to give up four days of pay to help patch a $215 million budget hole.

"Our mayor has failed us," CTU financial secretary Maria Moreno told dozens of students, teachers, officials and parents who crowded outside Saucedo Elementary Scholastic Academy in Little Village. "He is now public enemy No. 1 against public education."

"We have our own Trump: Bruce Rauner," Moreno said. "He has devastated our state, holding us hostage to strip labor of their rights to decent wages and good working environments."

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Parents, students and teachers hold signs during a rally at Boone Elementary School on Jan. 19, 2017, in Chicago's West Rogers Park neighborhood. The CTU and allied groups organized several rallies to support unity and protest Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Department of Education. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Emanuel and CPS CEO Forrest Claypool have blamed the need for district budget cuts on the Republican governor, a charter school proponent who has praised Trump's education secretary pick Betsy DeVos , who also backs privately run charters, as "a very talented and very passionate education advocate."

Emanuel, asked Wednesday about why the city imposed furlough days on district employees, pivoted to criticize Rauner's December veto of a measure that would have sent $215 million to the district's coffers.

"I think that was the wrong choice," Emanuel said of the veto. "And now we have to look at making some cuts and reforms and things that save money."

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"The way to look at this is if the state had followed through on their commitment, to make sure every teacher, every student, every taxpayer across the state was treated fairly, we wouldn't be in this situation," Emanuel said. "The state was supposed to be a partner."

Rauner has said Democrats went back on a deal that tied the school aid measure to broader changes to the state's highly indebted employee retirement system. The administration is open to reconsidering the bill if lawmakers approve statewide pension reforms, according to his office.

A sweeping Senate budget proposal billed as a framework to end the state's ongoing budget impasse includes a $215 million grant for the school system. The legislation must still overcome many hurdles before it becomes law.

Demonstrations on Thursday at CPS schools came a day before Trump's inauguration and followed a contentious Senate hearing for DeVos.

Trump's comments about border security and immigration policy drew considerable attention from demonstrators outside the Little Village campus, where about 97 percent of students are Latino and live in low-income households.

Eighth-grader Daisy Vazquez trembled slightly as she stood on the school's front steps and prepared to read a speech written on a sheet of ruled notebook paper.

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"My father and mother were one of the millions who migrated here," Vazquez told the crowd. "They left everything behind so me and my sisters, we could have a better life here. They have worked hard since Day One. And hearing that someone had campaigned on hatred, they were terrified that everything would be taken away from us."

Fellow eighth-grader Emily Salgado, who also spoke into a bullhorn held by a CTU delegate, said she worried children would live in fear of being checked for their papers, or of claiming their heritage for fear of being labeled as a terrorist.

"Now they will be afraid of the person guiding this country, and because of that, they will never feel safe anywhere," Salgado said. "We need to protect our students with differences that people might not accept."

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Students at a Pilsen charter high school also walked out of classes to protest a series of proposed layoffs. Organizers said students from more than a half-dozen other high schools planned to rally along a major thoroughfare later Thursday.

Chicago Tribune's Bill Ruthhart and Monique Garcia contributed.

jjperez@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @PerezJr
With Donald Trump assuming the presidency, Filipino student Kimberly Go, 22, is considering her options for work after graduation from Northwestern University in 2018. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

When Kimberly Go first came to the United States for college, her plan was to work here for a few years after graduation before returning to her native Philippines.

Now a junior at Northwestern University, Go is rethinking her future. She said she's concerned about how President-elect Donald Trump might change immigration policies, and how it could affect her  and prospective students from abroad.

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"I'm definitely mentally preparing myself to maybe go back home more immediately," said Go, 20, who is studying economics and journalism. "I don't know what Trump is going to say. The whole thing is more uncertain and it makes it more uncomfortable."

As college application deadlines approach this month and next, admissions officials will be watching how a Trump presidency affects interest from international students, a population that has increased significantly during the past decade. A sizable decline in international student enrollment would strike at a significant source of revenue for universities and could undermine efforts to create diverse campuses.

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So far, Trump has been inconsistent with his statements on immigration. He said he favors allowing international students to stay in the country but also has criticized the H-1B visa program, which allows non-immigrants to work in specialty fields for up to six years. He also has talked about banning Muslims and cracking down on illegal immigration, making some foreign students feel like they may not be welcome.

Nearly 897,000 international students enrolled in U.S. universities in the 2015-16 school year, according to the nonprofit Institute of International Education. More than 147,000 others were doing Optional Practical Training, a designation that allows those with student visas to work in the country temporarily.

International students account for about 5 percent of all U.S. college students, and, as a group, contributed nearly $36 billion to the U.S. economy in 2014-15, according to the institute.

In Illinois, more than 50,000 foreign students brought an estimated $1.6 billion to the state in 2015, according to a study by NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

About 11,000 of those international students are at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which ranks fifth nationally for the number of students from abroad, according to the institute. About 23 percent of U. of I. students are from abroad, including 1,050 new international freshmen who arrived in the fall, the vast majority from China, India and South Korea.

Interest remains strong for next fall, with a 2 percent increase in applications from international students compared with this same time last year, said U. of I.'s undergraduate admissions director, Andy Borst.

"We'll see what happens with enrollment," Borst said. "We're still not getting any concerned calls from students or parents."

At UIC, there are more than 3,100 international students enrolled this year  about 11 percent of the student population and a 21 percent increase from two years ago.

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The number of foreign students at U. of I.'s campus in Springfield has more than quadrupled since 2012, from 242 to 1,088. They now make up one-fifth of the student population.

Tuition and fees from international students are a significant source of revenue for the three U. of I. campuses, particularly at a time when state money has been unreliable at best. International students at the Urbana-Champaign campus pay more than twice as much as in-state students, for example.

And while tuition will not increase next year for Illinois residents, international students at the Urbana-Champaign campus will pay 1.8 percent more, to nearly $30,000.That compares with the $12,036 in base tuition paid by Illinois residents.

Students at Joliet Junior College pay more than triple the tuition paid by in-district residents.

Dayna Crabb, the international student services coordinator at the junior college, said a recruitment visit to Vietnam last fall illustrated how much the election was on the minds of prospective students, who peppered her with questions and asked her which major candidate she supported.

"That was alarming for us as recruitment professionals to see that it's impacting their decisions that much," Crabb said. "These girls said they would race home after school to put on the news or watch what happened at the debates. I felt like these high school students in other countries probably were more in tune with what was going on than even our own local students."

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Indeed, some research indicates international students kept a close eye on the U.S. election and said the results would impact their decision about whether to study here.

A study of 40,000 students conducted by Intead, a firm that advises colleges on global marketing, and FPPEDUMedia, which runs student-recruitment fairs abroad, found 60 percent of students said they were less likely to study in the U.S. if Trump won. By comparison, fewer than 4 percent of respondents said they would be deterred from studying in the U.S. if Hillary Clinton won.

Northwestern University sophomore Wenyi Xu, who is from China, said even the perception of being inhospitable to immigrants could make foreign applicants jittery.

"I think what makes the United States great is that it's very diverse with people coming from all backgrounds to contribute to this country," said Xu, who is studying political science. "If people are discouraged from this idea that they have equal opportunity to make this country great in the first place, they will not come."

Changes in immigration policy can affect interest in educational opportunities abroad, some experts said.

Jill Welch, deputy executive director of public policy for NASFA, said the United States lost thousands of international students amid more stringent, post-9/11 visa regulations.

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"We're in a global competition for talent and students have choices," Welch said. "Other systems have gotten more competitive. There are full-degree programs being offered in English around the world now. We've lost 6 percent of our market share due to this increased competition, frankly to countries with friendlier immigration policies."

The Institute of International Education's President Allan Goodman said, however, that foreign students have continued to come to the United States during years of war, health crises and terrorism. With few exceptions, the number of international students has increased every year since the late 1940s, according to the institute's figures.

" 'Made in the USA' is a global brand," Goodman said. "It's globally valued, and no other country on Earth has the number, the range and the diversity of institutions that we do."

Some students said they understand concerns about the country's immigration system, particularly whether American workers as well as immigrants are getting a fair shake. Go said she does not know whether the types of jobs she may seek would be considered a "specialty occupation"  a condition for an H-1B. A potential employer likely would have to sponsor her for a visa.

"If I do get a job here, I wonder who I might be taking the job away from," Go said. "Working here would be a really good opportunity. But I feel like you make opportunities wherever you are."

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Though uncertainty remains, administrators said vocal support for international students and devoted recruitment efforts will be crucial in the coming months and years.

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"We're stressing to all the students how important they are to the institution and that we will be there to support their academic and career aspirations and goals," said Ravi Shankar, director of Northwestern's international office. "To prepare for a major policy shift would mean that we're reacting to speculations. We want to avoid speculation. That said, associations in higher education are going to be picking up the advocacy and really trying to push the administration to come up with something that is common sense."

Sora Kanaji, a Joliet Junior College freshman from Japan, is looking beyond his college years. He moved to the United States to attend high school and said he wants to establish roots here. He is aiming for a four-year degree and a career in law enforcement.

But his immigration status will be key to helping him realize those aspirations, he said.

"Especially for me working in the criminal justice field, it requires me to be a citizen," said Kanaji, 18. "And if I can't be a citizen, that degree means nothing in terms of my employment chances."

drhodes@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @rhodes_dawn
University of Illinois trustees Thursday approved freezing in-state tuition for incoming freshmen for the third straight year, the institution's longest stretch of stable tuition in four decades.

The decision not to increase tuition for the class entering this fall comes amid a broader effort announced this week to boost enrollment at U. of I.'s three campuses by 15 percent during the next five years.

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At a board meeting at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, U. of I. President Timothy Killeen said stable in-state tuition is key to giving the university a competitive edge as an increasing number of students are going to colleges in nearby states, drawn by lower tuition.

"We're dealing with a big problem but we're stepping up to it in a thoughtful way," Killeen said.

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Freshmen will pay $12,036 in base annual tuition at the Urbana-Champaign campus, $10,584 at UIC and $9,405 in Springfield. The total cost is more than double that, however, when mandatory student fees and housing are added, and students in some of the more popular programs such as engineering and business will continue to pay higher tuition.

Tuition charged to a freshman remains the same for the student's four years of college, though housing and fees can increase.

International students and some nonresidents will continue to pay more.

U. of I. officials said they hope to increase the number of students at each of its three campuses, with a goal of surpassing 93,000 students combined by 2021, an increase of about 12,150 students.

To do so, UIC will add and expand undergraduate programs and the Urbana-Champaign campus will focus on increasing graduate and online offerings.

The Urbana-Champaign campus plans to create new online master's-level degree programs in subjects such as computer science, accounting and business administration. A new medical degree also would be launched in step with the opening of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine.

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Five new undergraduate programs would be added in Springfield, including in biochemistry, public policy and theater.

At UIC, 18 existing programs would expand and five new academic programs would be added: integrated health studies, nutrition and wellness, integrated health sciences, disability and human development, and data science.

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Some unknowns remain, however. It is not clear how many new faculty members will need to be hired to deal with a student influx, particularly as the schools work to create new degree programs from scratch. Some of the academic programs also are in the development phase and must still be approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

Also on Thursday, trustees chose Timothy Koritz as its new chair, replacing Ed McMillan, who opted not to seek re-election. Koritz, an anesthesiologist, first was appointed to the board in 2009.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has three spots on the board to fill. Trustees Ricardo Estrada, Karen Hasara and Patricia Brown Holmes all finished their terms this week.

drhodes@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @rhodes_dawn
This excerpt from video released to the public shows the most complete version of the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. It is edited for length by the Chicago Tribune. Warning: This video contains graphic images. (Chicago Tribune)

The city Office of Inspector General, which earlier recommended the firing of 11 Chicago police officers in connection with the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, had proposed suspensions for four additional officers at the scene in 2014, according to its latest report.

The quarterly report from IG Joseph Ferguson's office, released Wednesday, didn't identify the four or give a reason for the recommended suspensions.

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But a Chicago police spokesman confirmed that police Superintendent Eddie Johnson has handed down one-week suspensions for the officers for failing to ensure the dashboard cameras in their squad cars were operating properly that night.

A video from one dashcam showed Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times as he walked away from police with a knife. Fallout from the court-ordered release of the video in November 2015 has rocked the Police Department in the months since. Van Dyke faces first-degree murder charges, and just last week, the U.S. Justice Department issued a scathing report that portrayed the department as flawed from top to bottom, saying officers resort to excessive force too often, are rarely punished for wrongdoing and are poorly trained.

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But neither that video nor others released from additional police vehicles at the scene  including those from the four suspended officers  contained discernible audio.

In a story last month, the Tribune reported that documents from the IG's investigation revealed that office had recommended firing Chief of Detectives Eugene Roy and Deputy Chief David McNaughton in addition to nine lower-ranking officers.

While Johnson moved to fire Van Dyke and four other officers, the records show, he didn't act on the recommendation to fire Roy or publicly disclose his role, instead letting him quietly step down as he neared the mandatory retirement age. McNaughton, the highest-ranking officer at the scene of McDonald's shooting, also retired.

Van Dyke and the other four officers  Janet Mondragon, Daphne Sebastian, Ricardo Viramontes and Sgt. Stephen Franko  are fighting their proposed firings before the Chicago Police Board.

The IG documents showed that the Police Department, from beat cops to command-level officials, quickly came to Van Dyke's defense, even after viewing dashcam video at the scene that contradicted officers' accounts.

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In a separate matter, Ferguson's office determined that a former investigator with the Independent Police Review Authority, the city agency that investigates excessive force allegations against Chicago police officers, sent confidential information to their private email account about IPRA's investigation into a high-ranking police official. But Ferguson's office was unable to recommend discipline because the IPRA investigator no longer works for the city.

The reference was to IPRA's probe of then-police Cmdr. Glenn Evans on accusations he shoved a gun down a man's mouth and threatened to kill him. The IPRA investigator allegedly leaked a report to a radio reporter about the reported victim's DNA being recovered from Evans' gun.

Evans, who was later demoted to lieutenant, ended up charged criminally for the incident, but a Cook County judge acquitted him in December 2015 despite the evidence linking the reported victim's DNA to Evans' gun.

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Evans has a pending federal lawsuit alleging a disgruntled IPRA investigator leaked key information about DNA tests on the gun to a news reporter.

Chicago Tribune's Todd Lighty contributed.

jgorner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @JeremyGorner
A federal judge on Monday stripped away a key element of Chicago's gun ordinance, ruling that it is unconstitutional to prohibit licensed gun stores from operating in the city.

U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang found that the city failed to convince him that banning the sale of guns by licensed dealers was necessary to reduce gun violence.

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The ruling also would make it legal for individuals to transfer ownership of a firearm as a gift or through a private sale as long as the recipient was at least 18 and had a firearm owner's identification card.

Chicago, the last city to allow residents to have handguns in their homes, once had one of the strongest handgun crackdowns in the country, making it a primary target of the National Rifle Association.

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Overturning the ban on retail gun stores and private gun sales was the last major hurdle gun rights groups faced in their hard-fought battle to dismantle Chicago's tough firearm prohibitions.

The latest court ruling in the long legal fight came one day after Illinois, the last state to approve a concealed carry law, began accepting applications from residents who want to carry concealed firearms in public.

But gun shops won't likely be showing up in Chicago any time soon, since Chang delayed his ruling from taking effect to allow the city time to appeal.

Roderick Drew, a spokesman for the city's Law Department, said in a written statement Monday that Mayor Rahm Emanuel "strongly disagrees" with the judge's decision and has instructed city attorneys "to consider all options to better regulate the sale of firearms within the city's borders."

"Every year Chicago police recover more illegal guns than officers in any city in the country, a factor of lax federal laws as well as lax laws in Illinois and surrounding states related to straw purchasing and the transfer of guns," the city's statement said. "We need stronger gun safety laws, not increased access to firearms within the city."

Since the U.S. Supreme Court forced the city to rewrite its firearms ordinance in June 2010, the city has faced a series of legal blows from the lower courts.

Gun rights advocates said they feared the city would stall the process, using zoning and other regulatory measures to make it difficult for businesses and individuals who want to open a store. After the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Chicago's ban on gun ranges in 2012, the city rewrote the law but added restrictions that made it difficult to find a location in the city to open a range, gun advocates said. That case still has not been resolved.

Todd Vandermyde, Illinois lobbyist for the NRA, said Chang rejected all of the city's arguments in his 35-page decision.

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"The city is going to have to allow retail gun shops to operate and they are going to have to allow individuals to transfer firearms in normal transactions," Vandermyde said. "So the question now is: How much more money does Rahm (Emanuel) want to spend fighting it?"

Mark Walsh, campaign director for the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, said the financially powerful NRA has systematically fought to water down gun laws in Illinois and across the country.

"That's the NRA's game plan. They keep filing suits and filing suits to chip away laws and get to their ultimate goal of a complete armed citizenry," he said.

Though the 7th Circuit Court has ruled favorably for the NRA in recent cases in Chicago and Illinois, Walsh said other federal appellate courts have not followed suit.

"All too often the narrative is that the NRA is this monolithic machine that is winning everywhere, but that really isn't the case," he said. "There has been the fear mongering by the NRA and gun manufacturers, but it does not necessarily translate.

"What we have seen is people, not just in Illinois but across the country, are successfully passing laws aimed to keep gun violence down."

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Chang found that the city's "blanket ban" on sales and transfers of firearms violated the constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

He acknowledged that Chicago has a serious problem with gun violence but said the city had not demonstrated how allowing the sale of firearms would pose a "genuine and serious risk" to public safety.

"Chicago's ordinance goes too far in outright banning legal buyers and legal dealers from engaging in lawful acquisitions and lawful sales of firearms, and at the same time the evidence does not support that the complete ban sufficiently furthers the purposes the ordinance tries to serve," Chang wrote.

The city argued that banning guns shops deterred criminals from getting weapons, in part because gang members were less likely to travel to suburban stores. The city also said gun stores are frequent targets for burglars and accused the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives of poor oversight when it comes to firearms dealers.

But Chang rejected those arguments, citing statistics that showed criminals rarely buy their weapons from legitimate dealers. The judge also said regulation and licensing could alleviate most of the city's concerns without keeping guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens.

"The stark reality facing the city each year is thousands of shooting victims and hundreds of murders committed with a gun," Chang said. "But on the other side of this case is another feature of government: Certain fundamental rights are protected by the Constitution, put outside government's reach, including the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense under the Second Amendment."

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The ruling stems from a 2010 lawsuit filed by three residents and an association of Illinois firearms dealers. In addition to challenging the ban on gun sales, the suit alleged the city improperly allowed residents to have guns inside their houses but not in their garages, back porches or outside steps. The suit also challenged the city's restrictions on the number of firearms a person could legally have in a home.

Last year, the city amended its laws on carrying firearms in public and on the number of guns allowed in a home, and those aspects of the lawsuit were dropped.

Eugene Kontorovich, a constitutional law professor at Northwestern University, said the judge recognized in his ruling that if you have a constitutional right to own a gun, you also have an inherent right to be able to obtain one. The city's blanket ban on gun sales violated that principle, he said.

"This is part of a broader package strategy to slow-walk gun rights," Kontorovich said Monday. "It's been a shotgun approach. They could have been a lot smarter and said we will allow gun sales but we're just going to regulate the heck out of it."

Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, said the ruling sends a clear message to the city.

"You would think they would get the message, but they don't," he said. "Law-abiding citizens have the right to own firearms if they use them legally."

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chicagobreaking@tribune.com | Twitter: @ChicagoBreaking
Richard Stephenson, founder of Cancer Treatment Centers of America, left, and his ex-wife, Alicia Stephenson, head into the McHenry County Courthouse on Oct. 17, 2016. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

The ex-wife of a multimillionaire hospital network founder testified in their divorce trial Wednesday that she played an active role in his various ventures throughout their marriage, while his lawyer downplayed her involvement and asserted her primary focus was the couple's social life.

As Alicia Stephenson withstood more cross examination from lawyers for Cancer Treatment Centers of America founder Richard Stephenson, attorneys on both sides routinely raised objections, bickered and interrupted each other and the judge. Acrimony has become the norm in the long-running trial, which started in October after the couple failed to reach a financial settlement in the seven years that elapsed since Alicia Stephenson filed for divorce in McHenry County.

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The Stephensons were officially divorced last year, but the courtroom battle rages over her pursuit of more than $400,000 a month in maintenance. Though she signed a prenuptial agreement, that document said maintenance would be negotiable if the marriage lasted more than seven years, as it did. She is also arguing for a stake in other assets.

Alicia Stephenson, who grew up in Gurnee and graduated from Warren Township High School, has testified she should be able to maintain the lifestyle she had during the marriage, which included high-end luxury goods, multiple homes, yachts and private jets.

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She testified about meeting her future husband, which occurred at a nightclub when she was 19 and he was in his 40s and still married to his first wife. At the time, Stephenson testified, she worked as a beauty salon receptionist, later earning an associate degree in fashion merchandising.

They later began dating  one of their first outings together was a trip on a private jet to watch the Chicago Bears win the Super Bowl in 1986  and she moved into his 120-acre Barrington Hills estates, Tudor Oaks, shortly after his divorce in 1990. The couple wed there in a three-day ceremony in 1991.

Richard Stephenson's attorney David Grund noted that the same year she declared income of $18,000.

In the ensuing years, Alicia Stephenson said, she became more involved in her husband's decision-making, business meetings, investments and philanthropy, though she said she began attending meetings with Richard Stephenson before they married. Grund pointed out that some of these meetings were really dinners with his business associates where she was present.

She also said that though she had personal bank accounts, she is unclear who deposited money in them, never paid a bill from them and typically used credit cards. She testified that she would turn over bills to company employees, who took care of them.

In 2007, she moved out of the Barrington Hills home, which is now occupied by Richard Stephenson's new wife. Alicia Stephenson has been receiving $65,800 per month in temporary maintenance, pending a permanent settlement.

Testimony so far has shed little light on the reasons for the breakup, though Alicia Stephenson has testified that when she left she was seeking a more "simple life" and had asked her husband to spend more time with her and their daughter and less time working.

During her testimony, Grund asserted that she had improperly removed financial documents from the home. She responded that she needed the information for her lawyers. She also admitted that she waited four years before stipulating to the terms of the prenuptial agreement, saying she was unclear what assets she had ownership in.

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Grund also noted that the agreement stated Richard Stephenson would pay for his wife to go to college so she could become self-supporting. Grund questioned why she never pursued a college degree despite the "open invitation." She said her husband didn't want her to go to college.

"He wanted me by his side every minute of every day," she said. Grund responded that he believed Richard Stephenson would have let her do anything she desired.

"I beg to differ," Alicia Stephenson responded. "That is why I went to family meetings. I tried to learn everything I could."

Grund also inquired as to why Alicia Stephenson would still need an assistant working for her as she did during the marriage, if her life was more simple now, as she said she'd wanted when she left.

She said she anticipated being more involved in hospital boards.

Grund scoffed at her mention that she had recently joined a hospital board and also pressed to know why she had not applied for any jobs since leaving her marriage so she could support herself.

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She replied that she will find a job "when I get situated into a home and know where I'm living."

"But you agreed to support yourself in the prenup," Grund said. "Isn't that the first obligation to yourself before you go off and do other things you want to do? And you've done nothing at all since you moved out of the house in 2007 to meet that obligation."

Alicia Stephenson replied, "I've done some things," such as looking online for openings. She earlier testified that she is pursuing certifications in yoga and Pilates and plans on opening a studio.

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But when Grund asked if she had applied for a job in those years, she said no.

Grund also ticked off several high-ranking positions listed on her resume, jobs she had held with Richard Stephenson's various companies. Grund noted that Richard Stephenson had told others that he was grooming his wife for a high-ranking leadership role in his hospital network and as manager of one of his holding companies. He asked why she had not used her resume to find a job. She said although she held such titles, she did not have the degrees to apply for jobs in those fields.

Grund also asked why she had not asked for job references from the many high-ranking officers in her ex-husband's company she had come to know. She replied that throughout the trial so far, employees of her husband who have testified "all sat up here and lied about me."

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She also testified that she has been living in rented homes. Though Richard Stephenson purchased her a $750,000 home in Barrington shortly after the separation, she said she did not move in because he put the home in his name.

In earlier testimony, Grund asked Alicia Stephenson if she had ever told anyone that she requested a prenuptial agreement because her husband's four children from his first wife thought she was a "gold digger." Alicia Stephenson replied: "I don't recall ever saying that to anyone."

Grund then asked if she had wanted a prenuptial agreement. She said: "I don't recall. I'm sure I did."

Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter.
A former White House counsel has been named the city of Chicago's next top lawyer, as current Corporation Counsel Stephen Patton announced his upcoming departure after six pivotal years during which he negotiated landmark reparations for victims of police torture as well as reforms for how his own department handles lawsuits involving officer misconduct.

Patton confirmed his resignation Thursday, saying he informed Mayor Rahm Emanuel early in the fall that he intended to leave after seeing the city through the release of a critical U.S. Department of Justice report on the Chicago Police Department's use of force and discipline.

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A prominent litigation attorney before taking his city post, Patton said he initially intended to stay in the $174,000-a-year job for a few years, but those plans were repeatedly delayed by his involvement in urgent issues such as pension reform, ongoing problems at the Police Department and the lifting of the Shakman decree, the federal court order that governed city hiring for four decades and required a costly federal monitor.

"I finally reached a point where I didn't feel like I'd be leaving the mayor or the city in a lurch and that it was time to move on," Patton told the Tribune. "I have thoroughly enjoyed public service and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I found it to be rewarding, challenging and never boring."

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Patton said he played a significant role in recruiting his successor, Edward Siskel, a former federal prosecutor and deputy White House counsel under President Barack Obama.

Siskel, 44, spent three years in the White House before leaving for the private sector. While with the Obama administration, he handled internal investigations and ran point on congressional investigations into the solar technology company Solyndra and the attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya.

A former constitutional law student of Obama's at the University of Chicago, Siskel clerked for U.S. Justice John Paul Stevens and worked as federal prosecutor in Chicago during U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's corruption-busting years, including arguing the fraud trial of newspaper publisher Conrad Black.

"He is brilliant, unflappable, and his integrity is beyond reproach," said former federal prosecutor Jeff Cramer, who prosecuted Black along with Siskel and now serves as managing director of the Berkeley Research Group in Chicago. "Former Supreme Court clerk, federal prosecutor in Chicago, high-level DOJ appointment, deputy White House counsel and a partner at one of the most respected firms in the profession. This is a great hire by City Hall at a time when Chicago must move forward to instill confidence in its institutions."

A Chicago-area native, Siskel was known at the White House and federal courthouse here for his ability to quickly address problems and a "Midwestern sensibility."

"Ed's moral compass points true north," said Julie Porter, former chief of criminal federal prosecutions in Chicago. "He is a man of complete integrity whose experience will serve the city and its citizens well."

Siskel's wife, Rebekah Holman, is a federal prosecutor. He is also a nephew of the late Tribune movie critic Gene Siskel.

"Having started my legal career in Chicago, I look forward to coming home and returning to public service on behalf of the City and its residents," Siskel said in a statement. "The work of the Law Department has significant impact on people's quality of life, and I'm looking forward to serving the people of Chicago."

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Siskel, whose appointment must be confirmed by the City Council, will begin in an interim capacity in mid-February.

Patton said he will help with the transition.

"He's a great guy, a great pedigree," Patton said. "He shares my values and my vision as to how to provide first-rate legal counsel."

Emanuel chose Patton, a senior litigation partner in the Chicago office of the firm Kirkland & Ellis, to oversee the city's Law Department in May 2011, shortly after the mayor took office. Patton came to the job with a reputation as one of the country's top lawyers in large part due to the $206 billion settlement between tobacco companies and state attorneys general. He represented the industry.

Emanuel issued a statement praising Patton's contributions during his tenure, including his work on police reforms, a landmark agreement with Pfizer on marketing of prescription opioids and crafting the sweeping reparations package for victims of Jon Burge, the former South Side police commander at the center of the long-standing allegations that detectives routinely tortured murder suspects.

"Over the past six years, Steve has worked tirelessly on behalf of the city, and approached every issue, every case and every question with integrity," Emanuel's statement said. "While his departure is not immediate, when Steve does leave, he will be able to do so knowing his work made a difference for Chicago and its residents."

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While Patton's departure was described by sources as amicable and self-driven, it comes after a tumultuous period for the Law Department. In late 2015, he was criticized for leading the unsuccessful fight against the release of a video of a police officer fatally shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. He cited ongoing criminal investigations.

The video's eventual release in November 2015  along with the public's furious reaction to it  prompted the Department of Justice to investigate the Police Department's policies and practices.

The Justice Department report, released last week, blistered the department for years of poor training of officers who all too often use excessive force, most often against the city's minority residents, as well as failing to adequately investigate problem officers and punish them.

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The Police Department now faces the arduous task of fixing deeply rooted problems and regaining the community's trust, but Patton said the fact the city is now in full compliance with the Shakman decree  a 43-year-old court order meant to address once-rampant political patronage in the city  shows significant change can occur.

"When was the last time you heard about some dispute about political hiring or hiring based on clout?" he said. "That gives me a lot of optimism that if our city through hard effort could overcome the culture of political hiring, we're up to the challenge of now turning our attention to addressing decades of problems with some of our police officers."

Patton's department also has been accused of enabling police abuse, however. The City Council's Progressive Caucus sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch last week, asking her to launch a federal review of the Law Department's federal civil rights litigation division, which has been sanctioned eight times during Emanuel's tenure for withholding possible evidence in police misconduct lawsuits, which it defends.

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A Tribune investigation last year that analyzed nearly 450 cases alleging police misconduct since Emanuel took office found that a federal judge had to order the city to turn over potential evidence in nearly 1 in 5 cases.

The issue came to a head in January 2016, when a federal judge sanctioned one city lawyer for intentionally concealing evidence and another for failing to make a reasonable effort to locate key records in a lawsuit stemming from the fatal 2011 police shooting of Darius Pinex. In response, Emanuel asked former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb to lead a review of the department's handling of police misconduct cases. Webb found no pattern of intentional misconduct among city attorneys, but he also recommended more than 50 reforms to address problems in the office. Patton instituted those reforms, along with several other measures he made immediately after the Pinex ruling.

jcoen@chicagotribune.com

sstclair@chicagotribune.com
A veteran Cook County judge on Thursday ordered a Chicago police officer charged with fatally shooting an unarmed man to be freed on a so-called I-bond and electronic monitoring, an unusual decision that surprised many in the legal community.

Prosecutors had sought to keep Officer Lowell Houser in custody, citing a state statute that calls for mandatory no-bail for a defendant who personally fires a gun in a fatal shooting and faces a possible life sentence.

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But Judge Donald Panarese Jr., without giving any explanation for his reasoning, released Houser on electronic monitors and without having to post any cash bail. The judge also gave him the option to be rid of the electronic monitoring if he posted $15,000 cash.

Lawyers with years of experience at the Leighton Criminal Court Building who have no connection to the case could not recall a similar bail being set in the many hundreds of murder cases handled in bond court in recent years.

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"It's utterly shocking and appalling," said attorney Stephen Richards, who routinely handles murder and gun cases. "... I have never, ever heard of anybody getting (that) in a first-degree murder case."

"It's ridiculous. Never in my lifetime of practicing law have I ever seen anyone get (electronic monitoring)," said attorney Tod Urban, who defends an average of as many as 15 to 20 murders at a time. "That would be a dream."

"I think unfortunately it sends the message that police are treated differently again," said attorney Steven Greenberg.

But other veteran lawyers defended the judge. Sam Adam Jr. said judges should release more defendants on electronic monitoring who have no criminal history and aren't at risk to skip trial or re-offend.

Charges against local police officers in shootings, on- or off-duty, are rare, but Houser is the second Chicago police officer to face a serious criminal charge within days. Another officer was arrested Saturday on a charge of felony criminal sexual assault against an underage girl.

The charges come just after the release of a U.S. Department of Justice report that blistered the Police Department for officers who are poorly trained and supervised, with little fear of discipline.

Another longtime lawyer, Frank Himel, said it appeared that Panarese felt that prosecutors had presented weak evidence.

The case presented by prosecutors in court Thursday appears to hang on a single eyewitness who heard two men yelling across the street at each other but not what happened seconds before the first shot. The witness then saw Houser fire two more shots at the victim, Jose Nieves, 38, as he still stood across the street, prosecutors said.

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Houser's lawyer, William Fahy, said in court that the off-duty officer had acted in self-defense after Nieves threatened to shoot him and reached toward his waistband.

"My client is anxious to have his day in court. He's anxious to clear his name," said Fahy, who indicated Houser had planned to retire as a cop at the end of 2017 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer months ago.

Prosecutors said the two had an ongoing feud and that Houser had brandished a weapon at Nieves just last month. On the day of the shooting, at least one other witness saw the two arguing moments before the shooting outside the apartment building where Nieves lived and Houser frequently visited a female companion.

Prosecutors said the 28-year department veteran shot the unarmed Nieves multiple times, including once in the back.

After opening fire, Houser called 911 from his cellphone, identified himself to the dispatcher and announced that "a gentleman tried to attack me. I had to shoot him," Assistant State's Attorney Lynn McCarthy said in court.

But a neighbor who heard a loud bang from outside looked out a window and heard two more shots as Houser stood across the street from Nieves, according to McCarthy.

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Panarese, 58, comes from a well-connected family of lawyers  his father was on the bench and his brother is a judge as well. A former Cook County prosecutor, he was first appointed to the bench about a decade ago and has mostly been assigned to bond court.

Only associate judges  who are not up for public election but are instead selected by the elected circuit judges  preside over felony bond court.

He is one of six associate judges who preside over Branch 66  handling only murder and rape cases  as well as Central Bond Court, both located in the Leighton Criminal Court Building, Cook County's main criminal courthouse at 26th Street and California Avenue.

The judge, who did not return a call for comment, is well-respected at the courthouse, but unsurprisingly for a judge who sets dozens of bonds every day, some of his rulings have been controversial.

In November, he ordered the brother of Joshua Beal  the black man whose fatal shooting by off-duty police in the mostly white Mount Greenwood neighborhood set off racially charged protests  held on $500,000 bail on charges he attacked an officer moments after Beal's shooting.

A year earlier, prosecutors sought to hold Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke without bail on charges of murder for shooting teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times, but Panarese set bail at $1.5 million after viewing in court the police dashboard-camera video that has rocked the Police Department for months. That flew in the face of standard practice for bond court judges who typically set no-bail for murder defendants captured on video. Van Dyke later posted $150,000 cash to win his release and is awaiting trial in the high-profile case.

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In 2008, Panarese dismissed drunk-driving charges against an off-duty Chicago police officer who killed two people in a Thanksgiving car crash. Police didn't test the blood-alcohol content of Officer John Ardelean until seven hours after the crash, and by then he was under the legal limit.

Panarese has previously set higher bonds for Iraq War protesters who disrupted 2008 Easter services at Holy Name parish, a man who stole Christmas gifts from several West Rogers Park homes and a juvenile detention center employee who body-slammed a 15-year-old detainee.

State's Attorney Kim Foxx was unavailable for comment, but her office later released a statement saying that she was "deeply disappointed in the court's decision to release the defendant on his own recognizance."

Amy Campanelli, who heads the county's public defender's office, said she didn't know the circumstances of the case but thinks more defendants should be released on I-bonds.

However, Campanelli, who supports an end to the cash-bail system, said, "I don't think it's fair for a police officer to be treated more fairly than my clients."

Prosecutors said there had been several previous altercations between Houser and Nieves, who was friends with children of Houser's female companion. Most recently, on Dec. 11, Houser brandished a gun, ordering Nieves back into his apartment, prosecutors said.

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Nieves reported the incident to police.

On Jan. 2, Nieves and a friend were unloading boxes from his friend's car about 9 a.m. outside Nieves' apartment building in the 2500 block of North Lowell Avenue, prosecutors said.

Houser walked out of the building and got into his vehicle, lowered the window and began talking to Nieves' friend, asking her who she was.

"Do you know he treats women badly?" prosecutors quoted Houser as saying in reference to Nieves.

Nieves asked his friend what Houser had said and then walked over to the off-duty officer's vehicle. He told Houser that if he had a problem with him, he should talk to him directly, prosecutors said.

A neighbor heard arguing in the street and saw through a window that Nieves was on the east side of Lowell walking north while Houser stood near his vehicle on the west side of the street, prosecutors said.

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The two were yelling, the neighbor told authorities.

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The neighbor returned to watching TV but then heard a loud bang, prosecutors said. The neighbor looked outside again and saw Nieves standing near his friend's car, across the street from where Houser stood near his vehicle.

Two more bangs followed, the neighbor said, and Nieves clutched his chest and fell to the ground between two parked cars, according to prosecutors.

"(The neighbor) did not see defendant and Nieves engage in any physical contact nor did he see Nieves with a weapon of any kind," McCarthy told the judge.

An autopsy found Nieves was shot through his lower left back with the bullet lodging in his chest. Another bullet pierced his right hand.

Nieves' sister, Angelica, who wore a black T-shirt displaying her brother's photo, told reporters outside the courtroom that "my family is broken and it will never be the same."

"A piece of our family has been taken away from us," she said. "Knowing that he was taken in the most horrible way  unjustified  it's just cruel."

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Twitter @SteveSchmadeke
An administrative panel of federal judges suspended attorney Jason R. Craddock Sr. from practicing law in a federal court for one year after Craddock directed lewd and misogynistic slurs at another lawyer. Jan. 19, 2017. (Chicago Tribune)

A Chicago attorney known for representing Christian conservative causes has been suspended from practicing in federal court for a year after he admitted making lewd and misogynistic comments to a rival lawyer, including sending an email that twisted her name to spell a vulgar term for a female body part.

A four-page order by an administrative panel of federal judges found that the insults hurled by attorney Jason R. Craddock Sr. were "directly related" to pending litigation and therefore "intended to intimidate" opposing counsel in her representation of her client.

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"Craddock admits that he twice used gender-based, vulgar terms to insult defense counsel, one time in person and the second time in an email," stated the order signed Wednesday by U.S. District Chief Judge Ruben Castillo.

In addition to the 12-month suspension, Craddock was ordered to seek professional help, including for anger management, before he can practice law in Chicago's federal court again. If he can prove he's ready to comply with the court's rules of professional conduct, Craddock could ask to be reinstated in as soon as six months, but he would still be banned from taking any cases to trial for at least a year.

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In an emailed statement to the Tribune on Thursday, Craddock blasted the decision, claiming the opposing attorney had threatened him first. He vowed an appeal.

"This is a very unfair order, grossly disproportionate to the alleged offense, and completely ignoring that the complaining attorney made vulgar threatening remarks to me before I said what I said," Craddock wrote. "I will fight this for sure."

It's rare for the executive committee  composed of a revolving panel of judges overseen by the chief judge and including the clerk of the court  to suspend a lawyer from practicing in federal court, though attorneys are regularly sanctioned for misconduct.

A University of Iowa law graduate, Craddock, 46, has been an attorney since 1997 and devotes most of his practice "to litigating pro-life, pro-Christian and pro-family values cases," according to a biography on his website. Since 2006, he's served as co-counsel for the Thomas More Society, representing the religious advocacy nonprofit group in legal fights over abortion clinics, Planned Parenthood facilities and other causes, records show.

The alleged misconduct involved two pending discrimination lawsuits filed by waitresses who claimed they were improperly fired from their jobs at a Tinley Park diner.

Craddock, who represents the waitresses, orally harassed one of the lawyers representing the restaurant after a hearing in September on one of the cases before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly, according to Wednesday's ruling. The executive committee did not identify the other attorney, but court records show it was an associate with the Chicago law firm Andreou & Casson Ltd.

The attorney and her co-counsel had accused Craddock of missing deadlines to file motions and improperly dragging out the cases. Craddock, meanwhile, claimed in court filings that he suffers from severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which he said often causes delays in his work because of "extreme difficulty in estimating the time necessary to complete a task."

During the confrontation in the hallway, Craddock addressed her as "C---ney," substituting a vulgar word referencing the female anatomy for her first name, according to a motion for sanctions filed by her firm last month.

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Then, on Dec. 3, Craddock sent an email to her from his firm's account alleging she was harassing him and trying to harm his reputation by filing "frivolous motions" with the court.

"C---ney Lindbitch," he wrote, using the same vulgar term. "Your days of filing unnecessary, frivolous motions and abusing and harassing attorneys with disabilities will come to an end. This last effort by you  trying to prejudice me by claiming that a timely filing was filed 'untimely and without leave of court'  was over the top. Your client will soon see that it is YOU, not me, who is 'bleeding it dry.'"

The email concluded with the words, "Yours very truly," and provided Craddock's contact information. His email signature also referenced two Biblical passages: Proverbs 21:30, which reads "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord," and John 3:3, a passage about being reborn through baptism in order to enter the kingdom of God.

Three days after the email was sent, the partner in the attorney's firm asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Geraldine Soat Brown to impose sanctions, saying Craddock should not be allowed to "blame his alleged disability for sending an email to a young female attorney" and threatening her "in such a vile and inappropriate manner."

"Due to Mr. Craddock's unprovoked, vile comments and the threatening nature of the commentary, The attorney is now fearful that Mr. Craddock intends to physically harm her person," the motion stated.

Reached by telephone at her office Thursday, the attorney declined to comment.

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In response, Craddock filed a motion claiming that the attorney had spent months opposing his routine requests for time extensions and used the opportunity to "trash" his reputation, "exploiting his disability, scoffing at him in open court and interrupting his arguments."

As for the confrontation in the hallway, Craddock said in his filing he tried to simply walk away quietly and avoid her "obviously agitated" but that she followed him and yelled, "I'm going to take your f------ license. You are a piece of s---!"

On Dec. 13, the executive committee issued a rule to show cause against Craddock, directing him to bring evidence of why he should not be disciplined for his language toward her. According to the order Wednesday, Craddock "purported to apologize" for his conduct but again tried to pin the blame on her, saying he'd finally "snapped" and "lashed out" after she'd belittled him in various ways for more than a year.

The committee said that a search of the record showed no evidence that she had "somehow spurred on the insults." Craddock did not provide any court transcripts showing any improper statements by her, the order said.

The committee also ruled that "Craddock's apparent reliance on (his) disability is not convincing mitigation."

Craddock, who repeatedly revised the statement he issued to the Tribune, compared attorneys with ADHD  he referred to it as ADD  to "circus bears being relentlessly poked with sticks by spectators."

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"When we naturally snap in the face of such adversity, we are punished but the stick-wielding spectators are not (whom I liken to judges and attorneys who treat attorneys with ADD without civility and with hostility)," he wrote.

Federal court records show Craddock has been a lawyer in nearly four dozen cases in the Northern District of Illinois since 2004, including seven that are still pending. The executive committee ordered him to notify his clients in pending cases in writing within three weeks that he cannot continue to represent them during his suspension.

The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission was notified of Craddock's suspension, but it was unclear whether he would be suspended from practicing law in additional court jurisdictions. ARDC spokesman James Grogan declined to say if Craddock was under investigation but noted he had never been the subject of any disciplinary action.

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In addition to his work with the Thomas More Society, Craddock has made headlines for taking on some quirky cases. In 2011, he represented Timber Creek Bed and Breakfast in Paxton over its refusal to host a wedding ceremony for a same-sex couple on religious grounds. Craddock was quoted in a Tribune article about the case saying that religious liberty "is what our nation was built on and is something that goes deep to our souls."

"Increasingly it's being pitted against the asserted rights of homosexuals," he told the newspaper. "Now it's going beyond just asking for tolerance. Now we're getting into a situation where government is telling people of faith, 'You can't live out your faith if it happens to disagree with this particular group.'"

The bed and breakfast was fined $80,000 for violating the state's Human Rights Act  a ruling that Craddock is still appealing.

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Recently, Craddock was hired by a federal Social Security Administration employee in the Champaign-Urbana area who was fined for refusing to watch a required workplace-diversity video about the LGBT community because he believed it violated his Christian faith.

"They wanted me to certify that I had completed the training," the employee, David Hall, told local television news affiliate WCIA in September. "I'm not going to certify sin."

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jmetr22b
A former Chicago police dispatch supervisor Wednesday became the fifth person to plead guilty in connection with a scheme to smuggle marijuana and other contraband into the Cook County Jail in submarine sandwiches, authorities said.

Stephanie Lewis on Wednesday admitted using law enforcement databases to look up information on former Cook County Corrections Officer Jason Marek, who has admitted to bringing marijuana, tobacco and alcohol into the jail in the sandwiches, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney's office.

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Lewis, 42, looked up the information so her boyfriend, Prince Johnson, and other inmates could send someone to Marek's house to threaten Marek so he would keep delivering the contraband, prosecutors said in court filings and a news release.

Marek and three others have pleaded guilty in the scheme, and Johnson is awaiting trial.

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Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced in April by U.S. District Court Judge Charles Norgle.
A former employee of the Chicago-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests has sued the victims advocacy group, alleging that SNAP exploited victims of sexual abuse by clergy in return for financial kickbacks from attorneys.

According to a lawsuit filed this week in Cook County Circuit Court, Gretchen Rachel Hammond worked as a director of development from July 2011 until she said she was fired in February 2013, shortly after asking superiors whether SNAP was referring potential clients to attorneys in exchange for donations.

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In addition to the organization, defendants named in the lawsuit are Barbara Blaine, its founder and president; David Clohessy, executive director; and Barbara Dorris, outreach director.

Blaine said in a statement that "the allegations are not true."

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"This will be proven in court," she said. "SNAP leaders are now, and always have been, devoted to following the SNAP mission: To help victims heal and to prevent further sexual abuse."

Neither Clohessy nor Dorris could be reached for comment.

Though it did not name attorneys, the lawsuit said donations from several high-profile litigators across the country comprised a large percentage of SNAP's income.

Jeff Anderson, a prominent Minnesota attorney for victims of clergy sex abuse who was not named in the lawsuit, confirmed that he makes regular donations to SNAP, as well as other nonprofit organizations that advocate for the safety of children. But he said he does not do it in exchange for referrals.

"I have supported SNAP and a lot of other organizations that help survivors throughout the country, unapologetically," he said.

"The allegation is explosive because it's unethical," he added. "I've never done it nor would I ever do it."

According to the lawsuit, Hammond grew suspicious of SNAP's methods when she was not permitted to participate in an internal audit of SNAP by an accounting firm and was barred from attending survivors' meetings, group therapy sessions or counseling sessions to help generate material for grant proposals.

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She also was given access to a list of lawyers who regularly donated to SNAP but was told to never tell anyone that lawyers donate to the organization, according to the lawsuit. At a news conference, Hammond said she raised more than $950,000 for SNAP during her 19 months there.

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A Missouri judge ruled in 2012 to open more than two decades of correspondence with victims, lawyers, witnesses and journalists to shed light on whether SNAP had coached victims to fabricate claims of repressed memory.

Shortly after that, Hammond said, she was accidentally copied on an email from Clohessy to an attorney, asking when he could expect the next donation, the lawsuit said. It was then she began to ask questions and the workplace climate dramatically changed, she alleged in the lawsuit.

She said she began to collect evidence of what she believed to be a kickback scheme, copying reams of documents and downloading records on a flash drive she used to do work at home. When SNAP sent a volunteer to her apartment to collect the flash drive, she did not disclose that she had copied it, the lawsuit said. She was fired two days later, she said.

Though she decided not to go to authorities at the time, the movie "Spotlight" renewed her concerns and she sought legal counsel. Hammond alleges she could not find employment that paid as much as she made at SNAP and is seeking compensatory damages, attorney's fees and expenses.

mbrachear@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @TribSeeker
Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield.

Topspin

The city Board of Ethics has determined it's acceptable for a group such as World Business Chicago to send officials and their spouses overseas, according to Inspector General Joseph Ferguson.

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But the ethics board also concluded that it would help public confidence if such groups disclosed the sources of the money used to pay for the trip, Ferguson wrote.

City Hall's top watchdog called his request to the ethics board a "hypothetical" in his regular quarterly report issued Wednesday, but the details mirrored the facts surrounding a trip to Rome that Emanuel, wife Amy Rule and some of the mayor's campaign donors made in November to see Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich elevated to cardinal.

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The hypothetical gets into terms such as Entity A, Official B and Father C, but we'll spare you the lawyer-speak. The Tribune laid out the situation back in a Nov. 19 story, noting that World Business Chicago said money for the trip was privately raised and no taxpayer dollars were to be used.

That's difficult to verify, however. Unlike city agencies, the public-private partnership, which receives its funding from private donations and tax dollars, does not make a detailed accounting of its finances publicly available because it maintains that it is not subject to Illinois open records laws.

Back to the Ferguson report: "The identity of those funding sources (as well as whether and what form of business relationship they may have with the city of Chicago) has not been disclosed nor is such disclosure susceptible to a request pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act because Entity A (editor's note: that's World Business Chicago) does not regard itself as subject to (open records laws)."

In response, the Board of Ethics concluded that the travel would be allowed under either of two exceptions to the gift restriction in the city's ethics ordinance: a gift accepted "on behalf of the city" or as a "travel expense for meetings related to a public ... purpose," Ferguson wrote.

Outside a few exceptions, including the two cited by the ethics board, the ordinance does not allow city officials to accept anonymous gifts worth more than $50 in a single year, unless they are from relatives or friends not seeking city favors.

According to Ferguson, the Board of Ethics allowed that "public confidence in the transparency of governmental operations would be enhanced if city officials and the city's Law Department would work with Entity A so that it voluntarily and publicly discloses the precise source and legal provenance of the funds used to underwrite travel taken by city officials." (Hal Dardick)

What's on tap

*Mayor Rahm Emanuel's schedule wasn't available.



*Gov. Bruce Rauner has no public events.

*Democratic Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno are making the editorial board rounds, pitching their still-evolving budget blueprint.

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*The Illinois State Society Inaugural Ball is set for Thursday evening in Washington, D.C., one of many events ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration Friday.

*Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans and Juvenile Temporary Detention Center Superintendent Leonard Dixon will host a summit to "discuss strategies to reduce violence in communities and help youth offenders." Guests include U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis and Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin.

*Dominican University President Donna M. Carroll and North Park University President David L. Parkyn speak at a lunchtime City Club event about liberal arts colleges and universities.

What we're writing

*Despite some skipping, Illinois congressmen report strong demand for Trump inauguration tickets.

*Rauner aides say Senate budget plan $4.3 billion short.

*Rauner-Madigan feud drives $31 million in independent expenditures on state races in 2016, reports show.

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*Emanuel has $1 million in campaign fund, spent thousands on legal fees.

*Sluggish tax rebate program leaves Emanuel millions to spend; aldermen press for more input on how money is divvied up.

*Preckwinkle: Emanuel could have acted sooner on police woes.

*Mixed-status immigrant families fear Trump's policies to come.

*Four cops suspended for week over dashcam failures at Laquan McDonald shooting.

*University of Illinois plans major enrollment growth, tuition freeze.

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*Schakowsky joins Democratic boycott of Trump's inauguration.

What we're reading

*Chicago cop charged with first-degree murder in off-duty shooting.

*A Chicago lawyer's journey from mortgages to medical marijuana.

*With temperatures soaring, a local ski jump event is postponed after 111 straight years.

From the notebook

*IG on campaign donations: Seven unidentified Chicago city officials and political groups have returned $12,700 to campaign donors after being caught accepting contributions that exceeded city limits, Inspector General Joseph Ferguson said Wednesday.

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That detail was in his regular quarterly report from his office, which last year was given authority to look into campaign contributions. City officials and candidates for city offices are limited to $1,500 in donations per year from any one city vendor or lobbyist. People and businesses seeking to do business with the city are subject to the same limit.

But four vendors, two lobbyists and one "entity" with a matter pending before the City Council gave more than that. In the end, the officials and candidates who accepted those contributions returned a total of $12,700, with $4,200 going back to one unidentified vendor alone, Ferguson's report says.

He also detailed a number of alleged employee violations:

 A city Fleet and Facility Management electrical mechanic allegedly clocked into work and then went to a fire station to socialize and sometimes exercise, leading to a seven-day suspension.

 A Department of Planning and Development employee for a decade used city email to do outside work to make extra money and sent 50 sexually explicit email messages during a single three-month period. That employee's union has requested arbitration over a resulting 90-day suspension without pay.

 A Fleet and Facilities Management employee made sexually suggestive comments to two senior citizens who used services at a city-run facility, making one "uncomfortable" about using the facility. The employee was fired but appealed and has an arbitration hearing later this year.

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The inspector general is required to give brief descriptions of his activities, but is not allowed to name those involved.

The office also proposed suspensions for four other officers involved in the case of the Laquan McDonald shooting. (Hal Dardick)

*Get out the calculators: Illinois campaign finance reports were due this week, and we've got a story looking at spending driven by the Gov. Bruce Rauner-Speaker Michael Madigan feud. Digging deeper into the numbers, here are some tidbits:

 While several state legislative campaigns topped the $4 million mark for spending, among the highest at more than $5.75 million was the March Democratic primary contest in which challenger Juliana Stratton defeated then-Rep. Ken Dunkin. Dunkin, on the outs with his Democratic colleagues and viewed as a Rauner ally, lost big time  Stratton got 68 percent to 22 percent for the incumbent.

Dunkin's campaign spent more than $1.1 million, and independent expenditure groups pumped another $2.5 million into the race on his behalf.

Stratton, backed by a rare legislative primary endorsement from President Barack Obama and supported by unions, spent $2.2 million from her campaign fund and $23,000 came from independent expenditure groups.

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 Also among the top-spending Nov. 8 contests was the battle in Kankakee in which Republican challenger Lindsay Parkhurst defeated then-Democratic incumbent Kate Cloonen. Reports showed Cloonen spent more than $3 million, and Parkhurst spent $1.3 million from her own campaign fund, bolstered by another half-million dollars from supportive independent expenditure groups.

 On the Northwest Side of Chicago, the contest giving Republican Rep. Mike McAuliffe another term against Democratic challenger Merry Marwig was a $4.2 million battle. McAuliffe benefited from $2.1 million from the House Republican Organization that was largely used for expensive television advertising in the Chicago area.

 The only statewide contest on the ballot was a special election for a two-year term for comptroller between Rauner appointee Leslie Geissler Munger and the winner, Democrat Susana Mendoza. Munger was named to the post following the pre-2015 inauguration death of Republican Judy Baar Topinka.

Munger listed nearly $10 million in spending, though $3 million was given to the state Republican Party. Mendoza listed spending more than $3.6 million. (Rick Pearson)

*Wonder what second prize is? Gov. Rauner visited a Champaign school Wednesday to talk up a contest in which students can submit videos about their learning experience and win a visit from the Republican businessman-turned-politician.

The videos must be no longer than 5 minutes in length and submitted via the governor's Facebook page. Three finalists will be chosen, and then voters get to pick which school the governor visits first as part of a statewide "learning tour."

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During Wednesday's stop at Franklin Middle School, Rauner called for more spending on education, saying the state must cut government costs and grow the economy to increase funding for schools. "Our priorities have got to be education first," Rauner said.



The governor also said he wants to see a change in the state's funding formula. Rauner said a commission he appointed to study the issue is close to recommending a set of changes that focuses on evidence-based funding, which he said will fund "what works based upon actual data."

"We have the biggest gap of any state in America," he said. "This is wrong. This is not fair, it's not just. It's denying the American dream to low-income families."

At a later stop in Springfield, Rauner noted the importance of early childhood education and blasted the current state of child care.

"Too often in Illinois and around America, especially for lower-income communities, child care has no education component," he said. "And in fact, good child care is regarded as 'strap a child in a car seat and turn the TV on.' That is institutionalized brain damage. To me, it should be criminal." (Haley BeMiller)

Follow the money

*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.

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Beyond Chicago

*In his last news conference, Obama defends a free press and his final moves.

*Former President George H.W. Bush, wife Barbara hospitalized.

*Hill Republicans move full speed ahead with push to slash Obama-era rules.

*U.S. scientists officially declare 2016 the hottest year on record. That makes three in a row.
At President Barack Obama's final White House news conference on Wednesday, the last question went to reporter Christi Parsons, who has covered Obama for the Chicago Tribune since he was an Illinois state senator in the late 1990s.



Parsons is now a White House reporter for the Washington bureau that serves the Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and their sister papers.



Here is a transcript of that final question and answer:



OBAMA: Christi Parsons. And Christi, you are going to get the last question.



OTHER REPORTERS: Oh, no. (Laughter and groans.)



OBAMA: Christi is -- I've been knowing her since Springfield, Illinois. When I was a state senator, she listened to what I had to say. (Laughter.) So the least I can do is give her the last question as President of the United States. Go on.



PARSONS (holding up Tribune phone): My 217 number still works.



OBAMA: There you go. Go ahead.



PARSONS: Well, thank you, Mr. President. It has been an honor.



OBAMA: Thank you.



PARSONS: And I have a personal question for you, because I know how much you like this. The First Lady puts the stakes of the 2016 election in very personal terms in a speech that resonated across the country, and she really spoke the concerns of a lot of women, LGBT folks, people of color, many others. And so I wonder now how you and the First Lady are talking to your daughters about the meaning of this election and how you interpret it for yourself and for them.

President Obama leaves the White House briefing room after his final news conference on Wednesday. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP-Getty Images)

OBAMA: You know, every parent brags on their daughters or their sons. If your mom and dad don't brag on you, you know you got problems. (Laughter.) But, man, my daughters are something, and they just surprise and enchant and impress me more and more every single day as they grow up. And so these days, when we talk, we talk as parent to child, but also we learn from them.



And I think it was really interesting to see how Malia and Sasha reacted. They were disappointed. They paid attention to what their mom said during the campaign and believed it because it's consistent with what we've tried to teach them in our household, and what I've tried to model as a father with their mom, and what we've asked them to expect from future boyfriends or spouses.



But what we've also tried to teach them is resilience, and we've tried to teach them hope, and that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world. And so you get knocked down, you get up, brush yourself off, and you get back to work. And that tended to be their attitude.



I think neither of them intend to pursue a future of politics -- and, in that, too, I think their mother's influence shows. (Laughter.) But both of them have grown up in an environment where I think they could not help but be patriotic, to love this country deeply, to see that it's flawed but see that they have responsibilities to fix it. And that they need to be active citizens, and they have to be in a position to talk to their friends and their teachers and their future coworkers in ways that try to shed some light as opposed to just generate a lot of sound and fury.



And I expect that's what they're going to do. They do not -- they don't mope. And what I really am proud of them -- what makes me proudest about them is that they also don't get cynical about it. They have not assumed because their side didn't win, or because some of the values that they care about don't seem as if they were vindicated, that automatically America has somehow rejected them or rejected their values. I don't think they feel that way.

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 79 State Sen. Barack Obama from Chicago listens during a session May 31, 2002, in Springfield. (John Lee/ Chicago Tribune)

I think that they have, in part through osmosis, in part through dinnertime conversations, appreciated the fact that this is a big, complicated country, and democracy is messy and it doesn't always work exactly the way you might want, it doesn't guarantee certain outcomes. But if you're engaged and you're involved, then there are a lot more good people than bad in this country, and there's a core decency to this country, and that they got to be a part of lifting that up.



And I expect they will be. And in that sense, they are representative of this generation that makes me really optimistic.



I've been asked -- I've had some off-the-record conversations with some journalists where they said, OK, you seem like you're okay, but really, really, what are you thinking? (Laughter.) And I've said, no, what I'm saying really is what I think. I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad. I believe tragic things happen, I think there's evil in the world, but I think that at the end of the day, if we work hard, and if we're true to those things in us that feel true and feel right, that the world gets a little better each time.



That's what this presidency has tried to be about. And I see that in the young people I've worked with. I couldn't be prouder of them. And so this is not just a matter of "No Drama Obama" -- this is what I really believe. It is true that behind closed doors I curse more than I do publicly. (Laughter.) And sometimes I get mad and frustrated, like everybody else does. But at my core, I think we're going to be okay. We just have to fight for it. We have to work for it, and not take it for granted. And I know that you will help us do that.



Thank you very much, press corps. Good luck.
After two years as a combat medic in the Vietnam War, Ron Englund resumed his job as a trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. But life wasn't the same.

He struggled, as do many veterans, with post-traumatic stress syndrome and frequent nightmares, and the joy he once had seemed gone, according to those who knew him.

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That changed in the 1980s, when Englund, by then the father of three and president of the men's club at St. Terrence Catholic Church in Alsip, volunteered to play Santa Claus at a parish Christmas party. He bought a realistic-looking beard, had his mother-in-law make him a custom-fitted Santa suit and did a little research on his character.

According to his wife of 48 years, Charlene, it helped him find his way back.

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"All of sudden, Ron was rediscovering the joy of living," she said. "The darkness began to lift and he started to become his old self again. He even got his hearty laugh back."

In the years that followed, Englund perfected his "ho-ho-ho," grew a bushy white beard and became known as the South Side Santa. He drove a car that sported a big, red nose on its front grill and antlers in its windows.

The requests for his presence at churches, private parties and special events began rolling in and he became a regular at family gatherings for generations of children.

Englund, 72, a longtime Alsip resident, died of heart failure Jan. 9, in his Alsip home, his family said.

"Ron was the only Santa my kids and I have ever known," said Joe Welsh, who grew up two doors down from the Englund home in Alsip. "He made me a believer. My childhood, and my children's childhoods, wouldn't have been the same without him."

Born and raised on the West Side, Englund was the son of a railroad engineer. After graduating from St. Mel's High School, he began working at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, where he eventually became a trader.

In 1968, he was drafted into the Army and served for two years in Vietnam as a combat medic.

"I was 24 when I was drafted," Englund told the Daily Southtown in 2012. "I saw kids 18 and 19 years old and I was a big brother to these guys. I was their doc and I was their older brother too."

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According to his wife, Englund helped save many lives while witnessing the horrors of war. After getting caught in enemy crossfire, he was wounded when a bullet grazed the side of his head. He later received the Purple Heart.

Englund returned home in 1970 and, after time as a trader, went to work for Lind-Waldock, a futures firm, before becoming the head of the membership program at the CME, administering tests and helping new members become acclimated to the trading floor.

"Everybody on the floor knew Ronnie," said Vince Provenzano, a longtime CME trader and executive vice president at TH Brokerage. "He was somebody everybody knew and respected. He was kind, generous and always supportive. There was nobody better at making new members feel welcome."

It was with that same spirit that Englund, who for years battled a heart condition and diabetes, spent November through December making his Santa appearances throughout the city and south suburbs, sometimes up to five a day.

"He'd be exhausted by the time he got home, but he was always happy," said his wife, who sometimes played Mrs. Claus alongside him.

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Englund, who retired from the CME in the early 2000s, also played Santa for an annual Christmas program for disadvantaged children on the trading floor.

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"Last time, 96 kids showed up, and I came in and all of a sudden, 96 kids charged me and it was like a stampede," he told the Southtown in 2012. "I get so much enjoyment out of these children."

For decades, Englund also served as an umpire for the Alsip Little League, and despite his jovial looks was considered one of the most respected in the league.

"Ron was as passionate about being an ump as he was about everything else he did," said Welsh, a former player in the league. "When he called a strike, you could hear it from two blocks away."

Other survivors include two sons, Todd and Kevin, and a daughter, Trisha.

Services were held.

Joan Giangrasse Kates is a freelance reporter.
President Barack Obama's decision to commute the sentence of Chelsea Manning is a great parting gift to Donald Trump. It's a "tu quoque," an argument that exposes the hypocrisy in one's target, from the Latin "you, also."

It's the kind of thing Trump is very good at. He tweets that he thinks people who burn the American flag should be put in jail. His critics pounce, only to learn later he is echoing the sentiment from a 2005 bill that Hillary Clinton co-sponsored when she was in the Senate.

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Obama is catching on. The spate of pardons and commutations is precisely the kind of thing Trump and his supporters like Sean Hannity love to denounce. Not only has Obama commuted the sentence of Manning, he also commuted a Puerto Rican Marxist bomb-maker (Oscar Lopez Rivera) and released 10 Guantanamo Bay inmates to Oman.

Too bad Hannity these days supports Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, which published the material Manning took. In 2010, Hannity wanted Manning's head.

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The U.S. intelligence community today assesses that Russia's military intelligence, or GRU, hacked the emails of Democrats last year and delivered them to WikiLeaks. So it's worth comparing Manning's leaks to the Russian ones.

To start off, Manning's leaks did more direct harm to national security. No confidential government sources were exposed as a result of the Russian influence operation. Manning's leaks, because they were published in unredacted form, required the State Department to relocate people who were trying to assist the U.S. Manning's disclosures also aided the enemy. The prosecution against Manning asserted in 2013 that the Afghanistan war logs, a collection of spot intelligence reports from that front, were found in the digital files of Osama bin Laden.

At the same time, the public interest was better served by the Manning leaks. The candid assessment of corruption among Tunisia's ruling family was one factor that provided the tinder for the Arab Spring, for example. That hasn't worked out well for U.S. interests in most of the Middle East. But Tunisia is a freer country today as a result of Manning's disclosures.

The video that Manning provided WikiLeaks, of a U.S. helicopter attack in a Baghdad war zone against a group of men that included Reuters employees, provided the public with evidence the military had shielded from that news organization. Cables that spelled out Russia's campaign of direct action in Georgia in the 2000s were an important warning in 2010 for Russia's mounting aggression against its neighbors.

The Democratic email leaks are less defensible than Manning's, but for different reasons. To start, they belonged to private citizens. To argue that this is in the public's interest is to sanction a foreign government to violate the privacy rights of Americans. Manning disclosed cables, videos, logs and documents that would have eventually been declassified.

The Russian leaks were also part of a campaign to influence the election. And while some of the hacked emails also contained information that was in the public's interest, like a memo that detailed how the Clinton Global Initiative had dovetailed with Bill Clinton's profit-seeking, for the most part the emails were dripped out to maximize the advantage for one candidate in the election, Donald Trump.

President Barack Obama speaks to the media at his last press conference as president in the White House Briefing Room in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 18, 2017. Obama spoke about the incoming Trump Administration, as well as his commutation of Chelsea Manning. (Jim Lo Scalzo, EPA)

Obama's decision to grant clemency to Manning is a hard call. She has clearly suffered. The New York Times has reported that Manning has twice tried to kill herself while in a military prison at Fort Leavenworth. Her 35-year sentence was the longest one ever handed out in a leak case. At the same time, there has never been a leak of this scale in U.S. history  with the exception of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who lives today as a fugitive in Moscow.

The decision on whether to defend Assange, though, is an easy one. His website was used as part of a Russian operation to meddle in our politics. Trump and his supporters would do well to be wary of this delusional Australian.

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One interesting part of all of this is whether Obama's decision will spur Assange himself to leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he dodges a Swedish arrest warrant. He promised to extradite himself to the U.S. if Obama granted clemency to Manning. I imagine this is a problem the outgoing president will relish giving to his successor.

Bloomberg View

Eli Lake is a Bloomberg View columnist.

Related stories:

The Obama pardon you should be mad about: Oscar Lopez Rivera

Clemency for Leonard Peltier? Never

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On ethics: Obama went high, Trump goes low
Like many televised events on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Senate confirmation hearing of Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos alternated between interrogation and crass disparagement. DeVos tried to answer loaded policy questions, mostly from Democrats, only to be interrupted by senators whose aim was to discredit her qualifications.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., waved off DeVos after the Tuesday evening hearing, refusing to shake her hand. Like DeVos, Warren once supported school choice and vouchers, but you wouldn't know it based on her purposeful attempts to upbraid DeVos before the cameras.

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The senators' attempts to paint DeVos as a rich capitalist bent on turning schools into private profit centers rehashed the limp, decades-old arguments against charter schools and voucher programs. The committee chairman, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., was right when he described DeVos' positions as mainstream. In her home state of Michigan, she spent more than a decade fighting for school choice programs that benefited mostly minority school children.

She's not alone. Supporters of school choice have included many Democrats and Republicans  presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, a half-dozen education secretaries, and more than 30 states.

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But not here. Chicago and Illinois are case studies in resisting this type of education reform.

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis last fall called DeVos a "nightmare."

Two years into Gov. Bruce Rauner's term, the issue that got him involved in public policy in the first place  expanding school choice for kids stuck in poor-performing schools  is on the back burner. As in, way back. There has been no progress toward rescuing kids from poor-performing schools, even with a supportive governor at the helm.

It's disturbing that so many politicians can choose the best educational opportunities for their kids but refuse to allow underprivileged families the same benefit.

In fact, compared with most states, Illinois is moving in reverse. Charter schools are still misunderstood and resisted. Any form of government-sponsored scholarship or voucher program isn't even whispered about. The Chicago Teachers Union insisted on a cap on charter schools in its latest contract. Charter operators have seen their own teachers unionize. And the state legislature routinely advances bills that weaken school choice.

And yet, thousands of parents are on waiting lists to get their kids into charter schools, particularly in Chicago.

Last fall, Rauner established a school funding task force, but its mission was to figure out how to distribute education dollars to public schools. Expanding charter schools statewide or establishing true competition through a voucher-type program isn't on the task force's agenda.

The last time the General Assembly voted on a school voucher initiative was 2010, and it addressed only poor-performing schools in Chicago. Twenty-two Democrats, including a handful of black and Latino lawmakers, supported it. So did House Speaker Michael Madigan. Like many politicians, Madigan sent his own children to some of the city's top private schools.

But even that limited legislation failed to garner enough support in the House. The momentum was lost. No other bill has come as close to passing since then. The overbearing, strident response of left-leaning political agitators continually drowns out the mainstream.

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Instead of lauding DeVos for trying to break a failing status quo in places like Detroit, a handful of U.S. senators tried their best to depict her as an out-of-touch nincompoop whose goal was to destroy public schools. Yet half the Democrats on the committee either went to private school themselves or had children or grandchildren attending private schools, according to a recent report in The Daily Caller, a right-leaning news site.

It's disturbing that so many politicians can choose the best educational opportunities for their kids but refuse to allow underprivileged families the same benefit.

For the fortunate and the clouted, there is school choice. For the families who need it the most, denied.

Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.

Related stories:

Trump's education pick Betsy DeVos omitted $125,000 anti-union donation from disclosure form

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School choice for the children who have none

Five myths about charter schools

Tribune readers offer suggestions for a Schoolchild's Bill of Rights
Twelve Cuban migrants attempt to cross the Florida Straits in 2003 in a boat fashioned out of a 1951 Chevrolet pickup truck, getting within 40 miles of the United States before they were found by the U.S. Coast Guard and returned to Cuba. (Gregory Wald / AP)

There's always been something peculiar about America's "wet foot, dry foot" policy  an immigration protocol based on whether a Cuban refugee had stepped on American soil or was floating in some dinghy off the Florida coast. Feet on dry land yielded a welcome mat and a path toward U.S. citizenship. Feet in the water meant a trip back to life with Fidel Castro.

It was part of an overall policy, anchored by the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act, that fast-tracked legal residency for Cuban migrants coming to the U.S. The act reflected Washington's concern over Cubans fleeing persecution from Castro's oppressive regime. Wet foot, dry foot emerged in the mid-1990s, when thousands of Cubans fled the island in boats and makeshift rafts built from doors and inner tubes in a desperate, dangerous sojourn across the Florida Straits. President Bill Clinton reached an agreement with the Castro government to turn back Cubans intercepted at sea. But those able to set foot on U.S. land were allowed to stay.

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President Barack Obama shut down wet foot, dry foot last week, a logical step in the outgoing president's push to normalize relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Will President-elect Donald Trump let the change stand? It's hard to predict, based on his typically contradictory musings about Cuba. But he should.

America's policy has rested on the premise that Cubans leaving their country were fleeing political persecution  and Trump has noted, correctly, that the Cuban people still are not able to worship freely or criticize their government without consequences. But what about refugees fleeing abuses in Syria or Venezuela, for example? They are not automatically welcome here.

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Many Cubans are drawn to the U.S. by economic motives. They simply want a better life, as do the legions of immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala and the rest of Central America. But those migrants have never had the leg up enjoyed by their Cuban counterparts, who are presumed to be refugees from a brutal government.

Obama's move to normalize relations with Cuba foreshadowed the end of wet foot, dry foot, encouraging many Cubans to attempt a crossing while they still could. Last year, the U.S. Coast Guard reported nearly twice as many Cubans either arrived by sea or were turned back.

It's clear the policy change will create hardship for some. Cubans en route to the U.S.  either by boat or via the Mexican border  are out of luck. In some cases, families have been cleaved. The Associated Press told the story of Luis Alberto Rodriguez, who arrived in Laredo, Texas, on New Year's Eve, hoping his wife and two children would soon join him. He wept when he heard about Obama's announcement, uncertain when he would see his family again.

Will Trump be swayed by such stories? Does his tough talk about Muslim and Mexican immigrants suggest a similarly hard-line stance toward Cubans? Trump hasn't articulated a Cuba policy yet. Instead, he has contradicted himself, saying during the presidential campaign that the "concept of opening with Cuba is fine," and then a month later threatening to scrap detente with Cuba if Havana failed to embrace religious and political freedom for Cubans.

Questioned specifically about wet foot, dry foot, Trump told the Tampa Bay Times in early 2016 that "I don't think that's fair. I mean, why would that be a fair thing?" But in August, he told the Miami Herald that he hadn't made a decision about whether to discontinue the policy. Now that the decision has been made by Obama, the question is whether Trump will undo it.

He should let it stand.

As Trump formulates his policy toward Havana, he should think about the fallout if normalization with Cuba unravels. Five decades of embargo and diplomatic dead air have not brought Cuba any closer to democratic and human rights reform. There should be no turning back.
On Friday, as fast as you can raise your right hand, over half of the American population instantly became infected with a dangerous new syndrome. The characteristics of this previously unknown form of PTSD  President Trump Stress Disorder  include: head shaking continuously from side to side, facial muscles being locked in a permanent expression of disbelief, alternating bouts of hysterical laughing and muffled sobbing, and severe twitching upon hearing the word "tweet." The only known cure is massive doses of patience, vigilance and fortitude, taken daily for four years. No refills allowed.

 John Knewitz, Burlington, Ill.


Eight years after he departed the South Side for the White House, Chicagoans keep President Barack Obama present on the walls of their homes and businesses.

Lets see I got about 13 of them. Oh! 13, 14, 15, about 16 of them. I was so proud of him. He legitimately wants to help the people, and I like to help people, too. Hes for the little guy. I collected them all, took them to get them laminated, which was a nice penny just to get them laminated.





What I have up is the hope. I do read his inaugural address at least once a month. Its just a joy to see people have hope that look like me. And I have a nephew that can not only dream, but can become that person. If you see Barack in this home, you know there's hope.







"I put my picture of my president, President Obama. I love the man because of his personality, he has a beautiful personality. If I had a personality like that, I would be 100. No matter what they throw in his face or whatever, he never got excited, he was always cool. Thats perfect. I put him up the day after he was reelected for the second term. I am a federal observer for voters rights, I was out in Wilmington, Delaware, I was on an assignment there. It was the appropriate time to purchase that picture and bring it back and put him there."







My sister sent it to me, she was in North Carolina campaigning. And we were very proud that Obama was from Illinois. We hung it up because we were so inspired by him. We went to Grant Park that night in 2008 and it was tremendous. My daughter is 12 and she said to me, You know, hes been president since I was 4. And that was astonishing to me, so its the only president she remembers.







My parents are 87 and 85 years old and they lived through segregation. They never thought they would see an African-American male walk through the front door of the White House after all the years they had to walk through the back door. The history is so wonderful that they were able to see in their lifetime. It brings pride to the South Side of Chicago. Michelle was born and raised not far from here. The pride is still there.













Ive got Harold Washington, the mayor of Chicago, Ive got, of course, President Obama, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X. Also Marcus Garvey. I call this my wall of heroes, folks that I kind of look up to over the years. All of em are gone except for Obama. We had a black mayor and a black president, so Chicago has produced quite a few important people in our history.
Luanda Dockery touches a photo of her late son, Andrew Dockery, while she speaks during a communtiy forum on violence Tuesday night in Aurora. (Beacon-News / Hannah Leone)

"Stop the Madness" was the title of a forum about violence that drew at least 100 people Tuesday to Mount Olive Church in Aurora.

Citizens asked questions of local leaders about what could be done about violence in the city, while some just wanted to make their feelings heard on the subject.

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"I don't want my baby to get killed out here," one woman said.

For Luanda Dockery's son Andrew, it was too late. Just like it was for her nephew, Terrelle Suggs.

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Andrew Dockery, 26, was killed in a drive-by shooting New Year's Eve on Aurora's near southeast side. Suggs, 20, took a bullet to the head when the car he was in was shot at and crashed Jan. 13 in Montgomery.

The cousins' deaths, two weeks apart, have made Luanda Dockery angry, she told the packed room. That anger, Dockery said, is fueling her passion and motivating her to spread the word that love is what the world needs.

"I was afraid," Dockery said. "Fear held me bound. And anybody that knows anything about fear, you know that it's crippling. I'm not afraid anymore.

"I'm not afraid anymore," she repeated. "We (are) going to let love lead."

Much was said during the forum that lasted two hours.

It's time for a plan of action, many said.

"People just want you to hear what they are feeling and understand their pain," Aurora Police Cmdr. Keith Cross said. "I think that goes a long way. So I think it was necessary. That being said, now action has to be taken."

Lifelong Auroran Sherry Spears said she called the meeting after another weekend of violence left her hungry for change.

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Spears, an East Aurora High School graduate, said she caused her fair share of trouble in her day. Now, she wants to give back to the people who helped her become the person she is today.

"The kids that are fighting now watched us," Spears said. "That hurts."

When Spears showed up to find formal agendas on a table at the front of the room, she wasn't sure if she was going to stay, she said.

Ald. Scheketa Hart-Burns was now hosting the community forum, and the lineup included her, her fellow aldermen, Cross, a handful of community policing and gang unit officers and investigators, and state Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora, a candidate for mayor.

"I'm being told there's a format," Spears said before the meeting started. "We gotta get rid of the egos. ... Let people speak freely, that's what I want."

Seeming discontented after a while with how the forum was proceeding, she got up and left.

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"I'm gonna pray," Spears said as she stormed out the room and into the parking lot.

Another woman ran out after her.

Then Hart-Burns followed.

Then some of the police officers at the meeting also followed.

Back in the room, Cross tried to keep the talk moving forward. He touched on the importance of calling police when something seems wrong and started to talk about a shooting over the summer in the Georgetown area.

But attention was drawn toward the disruption in the parking lot. Cross paused and asked, "Is everything all right out there?"

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"I guess they just want to ask questions," a woman said.

"We want to be able to talk," a man said. "We want to be able to voice our opinions."

Ald. Richard Irvin, who is also running for mayor, agreed.

"You know what, I agree with you," Irvin said. "This is about the people. This is about everybody being able to speak their minds. So why don't you just go ahead. If you have questions, ask them."

Eventually, everyone in the parking lot trickled back inside. Spears and Hart-Burns were among the last. The women embraced, walked back to the meeting and resumed their seats.

Spears left not long after, before the meeting was over, as Hart-Burns continued to emcee, making sure her audience knew that all four Aurora mayoral candidates were present  Chapa LaVia and Irvin as was Ald. Mike Saville and Rick Guzman, the city's assistant chief of staff.

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Hart-Burns had started by thanking everyone for coming, asking for names and contact information.

"If you want to be served, we want to serve you," Hart-Burns said. "If you want to be helped, we want to help you."

Hart-Burns talked about working at a funeral home since 1972.

"I've seen babies on a slab," Hart-Burns said. "That doesn't make me feel good.  We came alderman strong, state rep strong, candidate strong, police strong. ... We came strong tonight to say we want to hear you."

Recurring questions centered around parental responsibility, gangs, how to reach youths and whose job that is, a desire for a community center on Aurora's East Side, mistrust of police and how to break the silence when no one wants to be a snitch.

There was a call for another meeting to take place, one without police or aldermen or officials of any kind.

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Cross said he thought that might be a good idea.

"Sometimes when you're asking them to share information and express themselves, the uniform can become a barrier," Cross said.

Despite a rocky start, good points came up during the forum, Cross said, such as the need for more programs to keep youths out of trouble.

"I grew up on this side of town, so I understand what they're talking about," Cross said.

Cross wouldn't say anything that came up surprised him. He's heard a lot of the concerns before, he said.

"I will say that I liked what Pastor Spencer said," Cross said. "We've had these meetings in the past. Now it's time for us to do something."

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Earlier on Tuesday, Aurora police met with several other city departments to exchange information and put together a plan of action, a "first step," Cross said.

The timing of the forum was appropriate, Cross said.

"We started to see a little bit more violence here toward the end of last year and beginning of this year," Cross said. "So I don't think we should wait. ... I am glad we did it. We need to get involved."

But mothers like Dockery are left wondering why their children were killed.

"Can anybody answer that question?" Dockery said. "You all know that there are gangs in this city  why not pull somebody from each gang, just have a truce just for one moment, put the gun away, sit down at the table and say what do you want?"

hleone@tribpub.com

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Twitter @hannahmleone
Kane County Judge D.J. Tegeler ordered a Geneva man into Illinois Department of Human Services custody for treatment after ruling him unfit to stand trial on charges he tried to carjack a woman in Batavia last year.

Tegeler issued that decision Wednesday after prosecutors and 23-year-old Marvell Frye's attorney stipulated to the findings of a Kane County Diagnostic Center psychologist's evaluation which the judge ordered in December. Details from the evaluation were sealed.

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No timetable was referenced for Frye's treatment plan, but an April status hearing has been scheduled for an update on his progress.

Frye was arrested in May on attempted vehicular hijacking, retail theft and assault charges after, according to prosecutors, he stole a jacket from a Batavia store, used a small wrench to assault a furniture store manager and then accosted a woman in the parking lot of a Randall Road store in an attempt to take her Chevy Suburban.

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Last week, new charges of aggravated battery to a peace officer, resisting a peace officer and battery were filed against Frye in connection to an incident inside the Kane County jail earlier this month.

Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
East Aurora is again looking at the idea of busing for students. (Alexandra Chachkevitch / Chicago Tribune)

East Aurora School District 131 officials have once again started to look into regular, every day busing options for district students.

After three speakers urged the district at a meeting Tuesday to offer regular busing, school board members said the district is looking into the logistics and finances required to provide traditional busing. Board member Kim Hatchett said though it's on her list of priorities, it is "on the bottom of the list."

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Unlike one earlier attempt to provide busing, this time around district officials likely would not consider a referendum on raising taxes to pay for busing, school board president Annette Johnson said. They could look into options such as a shuttle bus or working with the public, suburban Pace bus system she said.

East Aurora officials are "just starting" to look at possibilities and have, so far, contacted one vendor for information about how much it would cost to research busing options in the district, interim Superintendent Mark McDonald said.

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"I don't think this is the highest priority to tackle," he said, adding, "that doesn't mean it's not on the list."

East Aurora has, as far as officials know, never offered regular, everyday busing. Over the past decade, those in favor have pointed to transportation as one option to lower the district's truancy rate, and opponents have pointed to the high cost of providing transportation.

Resistance to busing dates back to at least 1966, when one neighborhood on Aurora's northeast side asked for busing and the board declined because of the cost, a former school board president told the Chicago Tribune in 2003.

In the early 1970s, the district decided not to expand into what was then a rural area on the city's Far East Side and is now the portion of Aurora that includes the Fox Valley Mall and is covered by Indian Prairie School District 204. The decision was made in part because of the expenses associated with annexing the land, which would have included starting a costly busing program, past officials and then-administrators told the Tribune in 1987.

Then, in the late 1970s, East Aurora took the Illinois State Board of Education to court over a mandate that the district create more racial equality among its schools, which district administrators said would require busing. The case eventually worked its way to the state Supreme Court, which upheld an initial trial court decision in the district's favor.

The district has revisited busing in the decades since then. In 2005, the district attempted to gain voter approval to raise the transportation tax levy to cover busing, but the measure was rejected by 59 percent of voters.

"That was a very clear message from the community," McDonald said Tuesday.

Today, East Aurora provides busing for students in preschool programs at the Benavides Kindergarten Center, special education students and students who attend the John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School, a school on Aurora University's campus that draws third- through eighth-graders from four Fox Valley districts.

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McDonald said most of the district's elementary schools are in neighborhoods, and students live close enough that they would not have to be bused. The middle and high schools present more of a problem, he said.

At Tuesday's meeting, speakers urged the district to consider providing transportation for students. Jacklyn Cabrera, a junior at East Aurora High School, said she has seen students come to their first period class with wet clothes from walking to school in the rain. Some walk through negative temperatures in the winter, and other students must pay for the Pace bus.

"Just to have a bus is to not have to worry about having to walk," said Laura Arredondo. "To not worry about having to afford Pace, or to not have to worry about finding a friend for a ride, especially in harsh weather conditions."

Pace offers reduced fares for students, according to the system's website.

Hatchett, the board member, said the district has faced several priorities since she joined the board two years ago, including revamping curriculum. She urged residents to remember that busing likely would affect high school students more than elementary students. Though busing is at the bottom of the list, it is on the list, she said.

School board member John Laesch said residents and the district should discuss with the city and Pace what he called "safe passages to school," which would include sidewalks along busy routes.

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"The problems we have in this district are 50 years in the making," board member Alex Arroyo said.

The state reimburses districts some for providing transportation for students who live more than 1.5 miles from their school, or who would have to walk through hazardous situations to get to school. But McDonald said the reimbursement wouldn't cover the entire cost to the district, and state reimbursements are often cut.

But Laesch and Johnson said the district's state funding is tied to attendance, and increased attendance could mean more money.

Johnson said traditional busing in the district would likely be an uphill battle because the district already hears complaints from residents about taxes. The district could, in addition to traditional bus routes, look into working with Pace on routes and fares, or providing a shuttle bus service that would pick students up at a central location, such as a nearby school building, and take them to their own middle- or high-school.

She said the district would likely consider paying out of pocket, finding efficiencies in the budget or using money approved in a 2008 referendum, more than half of which remains in a district bank account.

"You certainly don't want to spend out of your reserves, but that money was set aside for improving education."

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She said the district does not yet have a sense of how much busing could cost.

Busing would "absolutely" help the truancy and graduation rates, she said. Last school year, 15 percent of students were labeled "chronically truant," compared to 10 percent statewide. Meanwhile, 64 percent of district students graduated within four years, compared to 86 percent of students statewide, according to state data.

In recent years, the district has addressed other issues, such building an all-day kindergarten center and restoring programs that had been cut for financial reasons.

"All of that is behind us," she said. "It's all been addressed. So now, I feel that we have the leadership in the district to go ahead and address this. Because I really feel that that has hurt the education in our district."

sfreishtat@tribpub.com

Twitter @srfreish
A downtown Yorkville tax increment financing district created in 2006 may be extended for another 12 years if local taxing bodies and state lawmakers give their consent.

In a tax increment financing district, property taxes in the area are frozen, and any incremental increases in tax money due to an increase in property values is used to reinvest in public infrastructure improvements to encourage private development.

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Yorkville Village Administrator Bart Olson said the city has begun the process to extend the city's downtown tax increment financing district, which would expire in 2029.

He said an extension would be an incentive for developers that have ideas for large-scale long-term projects.

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The process involves requesting support from local taxing entities within the municipal boundaries and receiving state legislative approval.

"We are in the process of drafting an informational packet for respective boards to review," Olson said.

Yorkville officials think the tax district is an incentive to bring development to the city. Officials said things are looking up given Yorkville's home-building climate in 2016.

Yorkville issued 152 permits for new homes in 2016, compared to 84 new homes being built in 2015.

"It is a major increase of new homes in subdivisions throughout the city. It is promising," Olson said. "Yorkville was one of the leaders pre-recession and the numbers are beginning to strengthen. It reflects the value of building in Yorkville and that people want to live near the amenities the city has to offer including the Fox River and access to Chicago."

Olson said the city is hopeful, pending approval of a tax increment financing district extension, that concepts for prospective commercial projects will begin to emerge.

He said the time frame relies on how quickly the taxing bodies review the request for an extension, whether they approve of it and how quickly the legislature can act.

The existing downtown tax increment district, comprised of 120 properties, expires in 2029.

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Olson said the city is interested in seeing mixed uses in the downtown, such as commercial on the street level and residential units such as townhouses on the upper floors.

Yorkville-based Imperial Investments demolished the old Grainco FS grain building and gas station last month. Olson said the property had maintenance and code violation issues and rather than repurpose those buildings the owner chose to tear them down.

The property is located on the first block east of Route 47 at 121 and 123 Van Emmon St.

"It takes up a considerable portion of a large block. It is in a great location for future development," the city administrator said.

"The developer has kicked around ideas over the past few years but nothing has been solidified. We have not had a conversation over any plans," Olson said, adding any prospective redevelopment plan would be "contingent" on extending the tax district.

Olson said the owner has conveyed to the city that in order to proceed in the future a project would require tax increment financing district assistance.

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The Yorkville City Council recently approved a TIF inducement resolution for Imperial Investments, which is required under the rules in order for a developer to be "potentially" reimbursed for improvements relative to a project.

"Think of it as a starting gun - it doesn't entitle them to receive funds from the city," Olson said.

He said the amount or type of assistance would be negotiated and the city would have to approve an agreement for the development of the property.

Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
The woman who gained fame after a Tribune photo showed her giving a Nazi-style salute during an altercation with anti-Trump protesters in Chicago last year would love to be at the presidential inauguration Friday.

"If we could, we would be there," Birgitt Peterson of Yorkville said of herself and her husband, Donald.

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Peterson said Donald recently underwent his final treatment of chemotherapy for bone cancer and physically could not make a trip to Washington, D.C.

"We attended the Republican convention in Cleveland last July and he was feeling fatigue. We went to the doctor and received the diagnosis," she said.

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Peterson, 70, said she emigrated from West Berlin in 1969 and became a U.S. citizen in 1982 when Ronald Reagan was president. They have made the trip to the presidential inauguration in other years.

"We would have gone to Washington just as we did for George Bush's inauguration in 2005," she said.

Peterson said she would like to see a two-term Trump presidency because she said he understands the issues of the middle class.

"Trump talks just as I and a lot of other people feel about the issues," she said.

Peterson said there is no mistaking her support for Trump.

"The Republican Party has had too many slackers and the Democrats have been all talk with nothing behind it. The National Republican Committee hasn't done much either," she said.

Peterson said the country is in need of a change.

"We need fresh blood in the White House," she said.

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Peterson said she was confronted last March outside of a Trump rally in Chicago, when she was photographed amid protesters giving a Nazi-style salute. She said the protesters were confrontational and accused the couple of being Nazis.

"We were accused by Democrats in Chicago," she said. "I was trying to explain to a group of 20 students that surrounded me and compared Trump to Hitler."

Peterson said she told the protesters she was German and her husband told them they were not Nazis.

She is hopeful the country can come together and get things done. Peterson said she does not believe the country is divided.

"The Democrats say there is division. I don't know what they are talking about. There is nothing different from what we saw during the Nixon and Bush presidencies," she said.

"Trump will not be another Reagan, Bush or Obama. Trump is Trump and people have to get used to it," she said. "(The politicians) need to get their two feet on the ground and see the issues of the middle class. I am confident Trump will do what he said he would do during the campaign."

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The Yorkville woman has a message as Trump takes office.

"Keep on going, Donald," she said.

Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
Improving communication skills is the focus of an upcoming business conference in Orland Park.

The Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce will host the Chicagoland Speakers Network Business Communication Symposium from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 26 at its headquarters on the St. Xavier campus, 18230 Orland Parkway, Orland Park.

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Chicagoland Speakers Network president Erin Dubich said the conference will help chamber members "improve their clarity (and) intention, have a more powerful message and be a more powerful communicator."

Several 30-minute workshops include topics such as Resolving Sticky Situations at Work, Social Media Etiquette and Knock Their Socks off in 30 Seconds: Crafting a Fantastic Elevator Speech are featured during the half-day conference. Columbia College Chicago faculty member and motivational speaker Lori Klinka said 30-minute workshops will alternate with "get-to-the-point" seven-minute talks that offer "instant solutions to communication problems."

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"Every topic should have something that people can walk away with and use immediately," she said.

Klinka said learning new ways to improve communication skills as the basis for good relationships and successful businesses is important for business veterans and novices alike.

"People in business can always improve communication," Klinka said. "We're covering all sorts of different communication topics. It's all aspects of communication, from just one-on-one to elevator speeches to a formal presentation, so there will be something for everyone."

Southland Chamber executive director Heather Hayne said the event offers a "new outlook" from the speakers as well as a networking opportunity.

"Those (Chicago Speakers Network) presenters have something to share, and that something is experience," Haynes said. "They're going to share what has worked to make them successful."

The event begins at 8:30 a.m. with networking and a light breakfast. The cost is $49 for early bird registration by Jan. 25 or $59 at the door. Breakfast is included in the cost. Registration information is at www.chicagolandspeakersnetworkcom.

Ginger Brashinger is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
A long-shuttered Chicago Ridge fire station that reopened with limited hours in spring 2015 will begin operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week beginning Feb. 1, officials said.

Mayor Charles Tokar said the full return of the village's Lombard Avenue station, located at 107th Street and Lombard in the heart of Chicago Ridge's residential district, would improve emergency response times and bring revenue into the village.

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"Public safety is my number one priority, and this station opening for 24-hour coverage will enable our combination fire department, which includes career and part-time firefighter/paramedics, to better serve the main population center of our community," Tokar said in a statement.

The Lombard Avenue station, which was built by volunteer firefighters in the 1950s and had "outlived its usefulness," was being used primarily for training and equipment storage until reopening part-time in April 2015 to supplement the department's headquarters on Virginia Avenue in the village's industrial park. That station is open for 24 hours.

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Since reopening, the Lombard Avenue station has been staffed 12 hours a day by two or three people who respond to emergencies via ambulance, Fire Chief George Sheets said.

He said it took nearly two years to get the station ready for 24-hour coverage due to a combination of its "total refurbishment"  adding windows and a fire alarm system that meets code  and his desire to evaluate how operations at the reopened station were working.

"We wanted to start out slowly  open up for 12 hours to see how that concept worked," he said. "Now, we're able to open it 24/7, which serves the core population of our community."

Sheets said the ability to deploy an ambulance from the Lombard Avenue station has "worked extremely well," cutting response times by two or more minutes in some cases, which in medical emergencies can be the difference between life and death.

"We're really excited about having this station open because if we got a call in the past over here in this area of the town the ambulance was coming out of our industrial park," Tokar said. "They would have to cross the Metra tracks at 103rd, and a lot of times the train was there and the ambulance would sit there and wait.

"Or if they were already on a call taking someone to [Palos Community Hospital or Advocate Christ Medical Center] we'd be covered by mutual aid, and an ambulance would come in from Oak Lawn or Alsip or North Palos or even Bridgeview to cover that ambulance call."

Because a patient's insurance provider reimburses the town whose ambulance service makes the hospital transport, Chicago Ridge was losing out on revenue when another municipality picked up emergency calls in the heavily residential southeastern side of town, Tokar explained.

The Lombard Avenue station does not currently provide a fire response and will remain ambulance-only in the short-term, even after going to 24 hours, Sheets said.

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The department does, however, plan to begin running a fire suppression apparatus  it currently has an engine in storage  out of the Lombard Avenue station within the next year, he said.

Prior to that time, the station's ambulance will be equipped with a Fit-5 fire interruption device  a relatively new technology that's been compared to a handheld fire suppression grenade that can be tossed into a burning building and act as an extinguishing agent.

Firefighters could deploy the Fit-5, which Sheets stressed is not intended to replace firefighters, to stop the spread of a fire near the Lombard Avenue station until the rest of the department can arrive with more traditional suppression apparatus.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"Just because we don't have a suppression unit out of that station, if there's a fire across the street, it doesn't mean there aren't things we can't do to stop the spread," Sheets said. "We won't be standing there just with our hands twiddling thumbs. We're able to do things on the fireground to help suppress the threat of fire through this new technology."

Sheets said he doesn't anticipate increasing staffing at the Lombard Avenue station, even after the engine is added, and plans to run it as a "jump company," which can respond with either the ambulance or the engine depending on the type and location of the call.

Both he and Tokar credited the firefighters union for agreeing to accept part-time firefighter/paramedics into the department in January 2015, which enabled the village to reopen and operate the Lombard Avenue station with part-time staff.

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"I was trying to get it done for years and there were just roadblocks there in terms of manning and personnel," Tokar said of reopening the station. "Fortunately, the relationship that we've built up between myself and Chief Sheets with the full-time fire department personnel, the union, has gotten to the point where we're working in harmony for each other's benefit, and we're really gratified that we've been able to accomplish this."

The department currently employs 13 full-time firefighters, 17 part-timers and 10 paid on-call firefighters, Sheets said.

zkoeske@tribpub.com

Twitter @ZakKoeske
To encourage preservation and renovation of older homes in Frankfort's downtown historic district, village officials will offer homeowners a little incentive.

On Tuesday night, the village board unanimously approved the incentive program that calls for waiving village fees for building permits, plan review and inspections associated with improvements to a qualifying existing structure. According to development director Jeff Cook, waived fees will typically range between $100 and $1,000.

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The program includes only homes in a defined geographic area that stretches roughly from McDonald Lane to Pacific, and from White Street to Locust.

"We are very fortunate to have so many people who want to improve their homes. Let's encourage that," said Mayor Jim Holland, as the board's Land Use and Policy Committee recommended approving the Downtown Residential Incentive for Preservation Program at its recent meeting.

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Holland proposed the incentive last June and said he hopes it will result in fewer homes being torn down over time.

Residents in the historic downtown district have opposed projects in recent years in which developers have torn down old homes and replaced them with larger, more modern ones, fearing that their neighborhood would lose its historic character and 1890s charm, that identifies Frankfort.

Although it is known as Frankfort's historic district, none of the homes have been designated as landmarks.

Homeowners and village officials also have struggled with whether to impose specific building standards in this area, trying to strike a balance with new development and property rights, and preservation of the historic flavor and the diverse style of homes.

In the program, homeowners will be recognized with a signed letter from the mayor for improvements in excess of $1,000; a signed and sealed certificate for renovations in excess of $10,000 that are not inconsistent with the original character of the home; or an ornamental plaque for extraordinary efforts in excess of $50,000, that assures the long term preservation of the home.

It does not apply to routine maintenance work, or new construction and tear downs.

Holland noted that such work is not limited to the exterior of the home, but also could include upgrading the electrical and plumbing systems inside.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"We see the value in older homes, but we had no mechanism for recognizing them," Cook said.

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"This is very important to Frankfort," Holland said, who recognizes that homeowners spend "a lot of money on those homes."

"Let's say 'thank you' publicly," he said.

According to Mark Adams, of the Old Frankfort Homeowners Association, this new incentive program was created by the mayor in response to some of the residents' concerns.

"I am appreciative of his efforts and feel it is a good step forward for the recognition and incentivizing preservation and enhancement of homes in the downtown district," he said.

The village has a grant program to encourage businesses to locate or expand in the downtown area.

slafferty@tribpub.com
Residents wanting to ask officials questions at Oak Forest City Council meetings will be required to put their queries in writing.

Mayor Henry Kuspa made the announcement Jan. 10. He said he does not consider his community's policy to be a new one, but merely a clarification.

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In the past, residents rarely posed written questions to officials at council meetings.

Sixth Ward Ald. James Hortsman said he was concerned some people might take the policy the wrong way.

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"People are still going to come forth to ask their questions," he said.

But 2nd Ward Ald. Richard Simon said he likes the change.

"You don't know how much I agree" with this, he said.

For his part, Kuspa said people who show up at a council meeting with a written question should expect an answer within two days, during which time city staffers will provide information and attorneys will review the response before it is given.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Kuspa also said all questions and answers will be disclosed at following council meetings.

"There is not going to be anything secretive," he said. "Everything will be done publicly."

Kuspa said he thinks his written question policy is the easiest way to ensure answers can be given, considering that Oak Forest does not have its city attorneys present for council meetings.

"We could have our city attorney sit here at $300 per hour so we could answer questions right away," the mayor said, adding, "I want to err on the side of caution."

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The mayor also said that people wishing to make a statement without asking questions will still be permitted to do so as part of "citizens participation." He said, "If somebody wants to just get up and make a statement, that's great."

Illinois law requires government entities to include a portion of their public meetings devoted to hearing public comment, although boards are allowed to set their own rules for hearing such comments. Some go so far as to limit discussion to issues specifically on a meeting agenda.

Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
A Woodridge man has been charged with sexually assaulting and robbing an elderly woman following a New Year's Day break-in at her Westmont apartment, according to DuPage County prosecutors.

Tevin Rainey, 21, was being held in lieu of $5 million bail and is charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, home invasion and armed robbery. State's Attorney Robert Berlin described the case as "extremely disturbing." Authorities said the woman is older than 85.

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Police said Rainey gained entrance to the woman's apartment about 5 a.m. Jan. 1 and assaulted her.

After the assault, he took the woman at gunpoint to an ATM, where she withdrew money and gave it to Rainey, authorities said. He then allegedly forced her to drive him to a nearby apartment complex, where he exited the vehicle.

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The woman then went home and called 911. After an investigation, police charged Rainey, who was already being held at the DuPage County Jail on an unrelated charge. According to court records, he was charged Jan. 3 with obstruction of justice for providing a false ID.

"The Westmont Police Department has worked very hard to bring a quick resolution to this case to reassure our residents that they live in a safe community," Chief Thomas Mulhearn said. "Hopefully these charges will bring justice and some closure to the victim."

Rainey is due back in court Feb. 10.
South Elgin Police are looking for people who scammed  or attempted to scam  their way into the homes of two elderly residents on Jan. 14 and then burglarized one of the homes, officials said.

In two separate reports, the residents told police two women knocked on their doors posing as Kane County Health workers and Medicare and told the residents they were there to conduct physicals. The residents allowed the women into the homes, South Elgin police said.

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In the first incident, on the 1400 block of Raymond Street, one of the women occupied the resident while the other asked the woman if she could use the bathroom and then was gone for a period of time, police said. After the two left, the resident went into her bedroom and discovered someone went through her possessions, leaving boxes and drawers open.

In the second incident, on the 600 block of Elizabeth Street, suspects described as the same two women knocked on the door and said they were with Medicare and were there to help the woman, police said. That resident noticed neither woman had identification and did not allow them into the home. The two women then got into a pickup truck parked in the driveway with an older man driving.

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Both women were described as a female, white or possibly Hispanic, according to police. One woman was between 50-55 years old and wearing a gray shirt and pants; the second woman was between 25-30 years old and wearing a gray shirt and pants, carrying a red satchel purse.

The driver was described as a possibly Hispanic white male with darker skin in middle age, police said. The truck was a four-door older model silver pickup with a copper or gold emblem on the grill. No make or model of the truck was available.

The South Elgin Police Department reminded residents that during this time of year, residents are often targeted by Internal Revenue Service phone scams, lottery scams and Medicare/insurance ploys.

"Please speak with your family members, or the local police department, before sending out any money via Western Union or any other means," according to a South Elgin Police Department release.

Anyone with information about possible suspects in these incidents are asked to contact the South Elgin Police Department investigations unit at 847-741-2151.

Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
Evanston Township High School District 202 officials approved a resolution Tuesday aimed at protecting the high school's undocumented students and their families from federal immigration enforcement that is based solely on their immigration status.

The resolution was crafted by District 202 board member Jonathan Baum, an attorney and director of pro bono services at the Chicago law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.

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He told his colleagues on the board that he believes District 202 is the first school district in Illinois and one of a handful nationwide to adopt such a resolution.

Baum said the idea for the resolution came after ETHS senior Cameron Guy requested during a board meeting last month that high school officials consider adopting a measure similar to the sanctuary city resolution approved in November by the Evanston City Council.

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Guy is an undocumented immigrant and member of a student group that promotes advocacy education about undocumented youth and immigrant rights.

The resolution adopted by the school board Tuesday night establishes District 202 as a "safe haven for students and families threatened by immigration enforcement or discrimination, to the fullest extent permitted by law," according to the resolution.

The resolution bars the district from using school resources to detect or assist in the apprehension of individuals solely on the basis of their immigration status. It also prohibits school employees, contractors and volunteers from inquiring about a student's immigration status and from requiring students or parents to produce documents pertaining to that status. The resolution bans school officials from releasing any information about a student or family's immigration status to Immigration and Customs Enforcement unless compelled to do so by court order.

Further, ICE officials are barred from entering the high school unless they provide credentials and reasons for entry and the superintendent is first able to consult with legal counsel and "take steps to provide for the emotional and physical safety of students and staff," the resolution indicates.

Baum said the formal action adopted means the district will "exercise our legal rights to the fullest" to protect its undocumented students. His colleagues on the board praised the attorney's work crafting the resolution in consultation with legal experts and an Illinois State Board of Education official.

"I was really struck by the fact we had a student in the school come to us and ask us for this," said board member Anne Sills. "And we could as a school, as a board of education, be responsive to this in this way. I just want to say this is a really proud moment that we are going through this discussion about something that's so important today in this political scene."

Over a dozen members of a Latino advisory committee comprised of ETHS families attended the school board meeting to support the resolution.

Mercedes Fernandez, who is the Latino liaison and minority language coordinator for the high school, said the passage of the resolution makes her feel "very proud to be a part of the ETHS family."

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She said members of the advisory committee are grateful and acknowledge that the resolution means the board "is taking a stand for undocumented families."

ETHS parent Rocio Mancero said she's "very nervous" about how the incoming presidential administration will treat the country's undocumented residents.

Like Fernandez, she said she is proud the resolution passed.

District 202 Supt. Eric Witherspoon also thanked the board for its direction on the issue.

"With you, as a governing body, giving us this guidance and empowering us this way, I promise you this: We will stand tall and we will take every measure we can possibly and legally take to protect every student and their families in this school," he said.

Lee V. Gaines is a freelancer.
Ashleigh Weathers of Buffalo Grove bonds with her child, Kayleigh Weathers, 8 weeks, on Jan. 15, 2017, during "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life" celebration at St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Glencoe. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

Many Americans may be on edge because of the political divisions in the country. However, for Rocki Hunter, a member of St. Paul AME Church in Glencoe, there is room for optimism.

Hunter was the lead speaker at the church's annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which this year occurred on Jan. 15, on what would have been the civil rights leader's 88th birthday.

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Hunter was a NASA Scholar, allowing her to earn math and engineering degrees. She spoke of Katherine Johnson, who worked at NASA in the 1960s and is now being portrayed in the film "Hidden Figures."

Hunter pointed to Johnson's story and how she overcame prejudice.

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"The amazing thing about America is that it is filled with all kinds of people," Hunter said. "And because we have people with diverse thoughts and those that are willing to stand up to the status quo and do what is right, good tends to prevail."

St. Paul AME officials say some type of service for King has taken place at the church for more than 20 years. This year's service, with more than 100 estimated attendees, was filled with many members of the Glencoe community participating through song, dance or reflecting on King's work.

The ceremony's theme was "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life," the title of a sermon that church officials say King delivered in April 1967 in Chicago. In the sermon, King encouraged listeners to push forward to achieve their goals, express concern for the welfare of others and reach upward toward God.

"That was the sermon that actually self-defined and shaped Martin Luther King," Illinois State Sen. Donne Trotter said in his address to the congregation.

After the service, Trotter, who represents Chicago's South Side, said progress has been made on race relations, "but unfortunately, there is always an element of trying to turn it backward."

When asked how the political atmosphere might change given the polarized climate on the national level, Trotter hoped for continued progress.

"We can't turn back humanity," he said. "It is up to the good people of the world to keep moving forward."

Susan Richmond, St. Paul's longtime organizer of the King celebration, was pleased this year that children from Glencoe's Central School attended the service not only to receive extra credit from school, but to learn about King's legacy.

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"It was a blessing to see so many students interested in honoring Dr. King's birthday," Richmond said.

Glencoe Village President Larry Levin has been a regular attendee of the King service, but said there was a different sense to it in 2017.

"This year is especially important at a time when the country needs healing, and needs to understand Martin Luther King's message more than in years past," Levin said.

Cassandra Sudduth made a nearly hour-long trip to sing in the St. Paul AME choir, and thinks there are reasons to be optimistic about the future.

"This is a time to live out Martin Luther King's dream as we all come together," Sudduth said. "We have a long road to go, but we're not where we used to be."

Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
Hector Reuben Sanchez, who is currently serving a life term at the Menard Correctional Center for the 1984 murder of Michelle Thompson near Zion. (Illinois Dept. of Corrections)

One of Lake County's most notorious convicted killers could see his local murder case revisited if a defense motion is granted.

A defense attorney for Hector Reuben Sanchez, now 71 and serving a life sentence at the Menard Correctional Center, said he is seeking permission to file a petition for a new trial for the 1984 abduction, rape and murder of 21-year-old Michelle Thompson of Zion.

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A Feb. 22 court date on the motion has been scheduled before Lake County Circuit Judge Daniel Shanes.

Sanchez, formerly of Zion, was convicted by a Lake County jury in October of 1984 of murder, attempted murder, aggravated kidnapping, rape and deviate sexual assault and was sentenced to death for the murder conviction.

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Sanchez was spared the death penalty when former Gov. George Ryan commuted the sentences of all death-row inmates in 2003.

Defense attorney Eric Rinehart said Wednesday that the basis of his motion will be information provided to him by the FBI regarding the testimony of expert witnesses by federal agents Sanchez's trial.

Rinehart said that expert testimony concerning carpet and hair fibers found on the body of the victim has been "called into question" by the FBI in reviews of the case.

He said the request for a new trial is not related to DNA. Rinehart received court permission to have independent DNA tests conducted in 2007, but he said that the testing was inconclusive, and that he took no further legal action as a result.

Complicating the issue is the fact that there was already one petition for a new trial heard and denied for Sanchez in Lake County. Because of that, Rinehart said, the defense must demonstrate to the judge that the new information is strong enough to grant an evidentiary hearing on a second petition for a new trial.

Assistant State's Attorney Ari Fisz said Wednesday that his office has reviewed the FBI report and, after considering it in conjunction with other evidence in the case, "Our position remains that Mr. Sanchez is guilty of the crime."

Thompson was abducted at gunpoint from a car outside a Gurnee tavern in the early morning of Feb. 4, 1984. She was sexually assaulted and murdered in the basement of Sanchez's home before her body was taken to Wisconsin and dumped, according to authorities.

According to court records and prosecutors, Sanchez and a co-defendant, Warren Peters, forced their way into the car in which Thompson and a male friend were sitting at around 12:30 a.m. After the intruders pulled the couple from their car, Sanchez shot and wounded the man, and Sanchez and Peters drove off with Thompson, officials said.

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Peters, who testified for the prosecution during Sanchez's trial, told the jury he and Sanchez took Thompson to Sanchez's home in Zion, where Sanchez sexually assaulted her, according to court records.

Thompson briefly escaped from the home and pounded on the door of a neighbor, who told authorities he saw a partially dressed woman being taken back to Sanchez's home. The neighbor said Sanchez came over soon after apologizing and downplaying the disturbance, according to records.

Peters testified that Sanchez later strangled the victim with a nylon strap, wrapped a coat hanger around her neck and slammed her head against the basement floor. After Sanchez burned the victim's clothing and jewelry in his fireplace, Peters and the defendant transported the body to Wisconsin and left it along a road, prosecutors said.

In a separate case, Sanchez was convicted in 1986 by a jury in Milwaukee of the 1975 murder of a Milwaukee woman. In that case, he was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Sharon Egerer, a 25-year-old mother of two small children, and was sentenced to life in prison.

The Egerer case, which had been unsolved for years, was reopened after Sanchez was arrested for Thompson's killing, authorities said.

Egerer's body was found May 31, 1975, six days after a court hearing on a paternity suit that she had filed against Sanchez, the father of her two children. Milwaukee prosecutors said Egerer was shot, and that Sanchez then used a knife to slit her throat.

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The Illinois Supreme Court upheld Sanchez's conviction and sentence in the Lake County case on direct appeal in 1986. The case was subsequently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

jrnewton@tribpub.com

Twitter @jimnewton5
Retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis speaks during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing for secretary of defense on Jan. 12. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

"America has two fundamental powers. One is the power of intimidation  the other  is the power of inspiration."

That statement by retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis indicates a perspective that emphasizes discipline, discretion and awareness of the limits of military force alone.

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In our democracy, military discipline includes respect for the ultimate authority of elected civilian officials over the military. That discipline also includes not playing self-interested political games with defense.

Media anxiety about having a former career flag officer serve in the top Pentagon post is quite understandable. Concern over this matter led Congress to require a seven-year waiting period before a military veteran could be considered for the job.

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Consequently, Mattis required a special waiver from Congress. He received this in an overwhelming 81-17 vote in the Senate, following a vote of 24 to 3 by the Senate Armed Services Committee. The waiver for Mattis passed the House by a vote of 268-151.

Such a waiver was provided once before, in 1950 for George C. Marshall to become secretary of defense. Marshall's career and style are highly germane in the current climate.

Recent secretaries of defense have gone public with criticism. In 2014, former secretary Leon Panetta brought forth memoirs. He bluntly criticizes many others, including President Barack Obama. This imitates Robert Gates, Panetta's immediate predecessor at the Pentagon.

Marshall, as U.S. Army chief of staff, was vital to World War II victory. He then led the state and defense departments, where he became a target of Sen. Joseph McCarthy and associates in the anti-communist hysteria of the time.

When Marshall died, I was working after school as an office clerk for a Pacific war veteran who ran a small business. Mr. Henricks survived horrific combat on Bougainville, but with disturbing physical and emotional scars apparent to a young boy.

He usually tried fiercely to focus on the business but took a break to discuss the general with reverence, uncharacteristic sentimentality from a usually restless, tormented man.

Marshall never produced memoirs, and turned down enormous offers from publishers. From a vastly different America, he viewed public service as a special privilege. He was concerned about embarrassing others and inadvertently compromising national security.

Lake County News Sun Twice-weekly News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

President Franklin D. Roosevelt was annoyed the military chief refused to be called by his first name, or meet socially with their wives, but also emphasized he could not sleep at night if Marshall was outside the country. Marshall captured FDR, too.

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As a respected nonpartisan public servant, Gates shielded Obama and the Democratic Party. In the 2008 campaign, a representative ABC-Washington Post public opinion poll indicated voters generally viewed the Republican Party as better at protecting national security. The Republicans have continued to poll relatively strongly regarding defense concerns.

By dramatic contrast, Gates' memoirs helped the Republicans in partisan political terms. Likewise, Panetta's criticism of others, in particular President Obama, no doubt assisted the opposition. This is even more ironic, given his career as a Democratic Party spokesman and member of Congress.

Nominated by President Richard Nixon, Republican Congressman Melvin Laird of Wisconsin became a remarkably successful defense secretary in the turbulent years of the Vietnam War, domestic violence and the Watergate scandal. He did not write memoirs. Dale Van Atta's book "With Honor" describes Laird's skills.

Marshall believed in putting the country first, and so did Laird. They are right, and worth emulating more than ever before in today's self-absorbed America.

Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College in Wisconsin and author of "After the Cold War."

acyr@carthage.edu
I live in Illinois. My daughter is a college student in Phoenix. On Dec. 28, 2015, I purchased a used Chevy Sonic from Midway Chevrolet in Phoenix for my daughter to drive. I asked the dealership to register and title the vehicle in Illinois. This allowed me to add the vehicle to my insurance, and we are planning to bring the vehicle back to Illinois after she graduates.

On January 15, 2016, I registered the car at an Illinois Secretary of State office. In December 2016, I visited the same office to renew the sticker. They denied my request, saying the car is no longer titled in Illinois, but is now titled in Arizona.

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I've spoken with the Illinois Secretary of State, Arizona Secretary of State, Midway Chevrolet and TD Auto Finance (my lender). All four blame each other for the problem. The only help I've received so far is from [license and title clerk] Kelsie Finken at Midway Chevrolet. She gave me a temporary "license applied for" plate so we don't get a ticket for a sticker that expires in early February.

TD Auto faxed me the Illinois title dated Jan. 1, 2016. I've been told there is an Arizona title dated Jan. 28, 2016, but no one will fax me a copy. I estimate I've spent 14 hours dealing with this. All I want to do is renew my license sticker!

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Michael, Aurora

As I had an expert source for this one, I turned to Michelle Meneghini, license and title clerk at Joe Rizza Ford Porsche and Lincoln in Orland Park. Meneghini went above and beyond to help me out. After providing her a description of Michael's situation and emailing her his complaint, she went to work on his behalf. Meneghini personally contacted both the Arizona and Illinois secretary of state's offices.

According to an Arizona Secretary of State representative, both Michael and his daughter visited an Arizona Secretary of State facility and applied for an Arizona title for their Sonic; photos of their driver's licenses and copies of their signed title application are saved in the Arizona database.

After that, per an Illinois Secretary of State representative, Michael applied for transfer of the Sonic's title to Illinois and was issued an Illinois title and registration.

What happened next, as well as Michelle can determine, is Arizona took longer than Illinois to issue its title. While the Illinois title was issued on Jan. 15, the Arizona title didn't get issued until Jan. 28. "So once Arizona issued their title, it voided Illinois,'" Meneghini explained.

Michael adamantly responded, "My daughter and I NEVER went to an Arizona Secretary of State. The only way they could have gotten paperwork is from Midway. TD never had an Arizona title."

The only conclusion Meneghini could draw from this was that Midway must have applied for the Arizona title with a signed power of attorney on Michael and his daughter's behalf. "Otherwise I don't see it being possible."

So I called Midway's Finken. She told me that due to customer privacy rules, she couldn't provide me details, but she did say she was in the process of correcting the error, and to her knowledge, Michael would not have to pay any fees for the correction.

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Michael and Finken then spoke again. "Kelsie said something definitely went wrong at Midway because in 2015 Midway was still not set up to do other states' titles," Michael said.

As things currently stand, Michael's Arizona title has been submitted to the Illinois Secretary of State by TD Auto. He should have his new title by Jan. 19. Michael will keep me posted on whether this actually happens. He additionally told me, "I'm in Phoenix regularly, so if I do wind up getting charged [for the title transfer], I will walk into Midway and demand reimbursement. I won't do that over the phone." (Though Help Squad might )

Per Meneghini, this entire mess could have been avoided had Midway simply provided Michael with the Sonic's bill of sale, odometer reading and title. This was all he needed to properly register and title his car with the Illinois Secretary of State.

Need help?

Send your questions, complaints, injustices and column ideas to HelpSquad@pioneerlocal.com.

Cathy Cunningham is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.
The new year means so many different things to people. Some celebrate with Champagne and parties, others say good riddance to the prior year, and of course, most people implement resolutions, which  let's be honest  have probably already gone by the wayside. But for some, ringing in the new year means taking off a very significant piece of jewelry  a wedding ring.

Known as "Divorce Month" to those who work in the divorce industry, January has been known to produce a spike in new divorce cases.

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"I don't have the statistics, but I would estimate that there are twice as many divorces filed in January than every other month," said Daniel Stefani, a Chicago-based divorce attorney who has been in practice for 22 years. "This past week alone, I think I've taken on six new clients."

Stefani said he attributes the uptick to clients feeling like this time of year makes sense psychologically.

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"Typically what I've seen is one spouse is more unhappy than the other, but because of the kids they want to get through the holidays," he said. "The new year is a logical time for them. It's a new beginning."

So what happens after one or both people take off the ring and decide the marriage is over? According to a reader who emailed me a few days ago, confusion and numbness:

"My husband told me New Year's Day he was done, and moved out last Sunday," this reader wrote. "I knew things hadn't been perfect for awhile but had no idea it was to this point. We've been married 21 years and have 4 kids together. I am totally confused and numb. So many things to figure out and I have no idea where to start."

Having gone through a divorce personally, I can agree firsthand that being confused, feeling numb and even shocked at the beginning is typical. I can remember feeling dazed for several weeks, unable to accept the reality of what was happening. I felt lost, along with an intense fear of the unknown.

"People argue and fight and might even throw out the divorce word, but you never really think it's a real threat and when you finally see those papers it's human nature not to believe that your spouse of many years would really leave," Stefani said.

Dr. Anne Brennan Malec is a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed clinical psychologist, who specializes in couple's therapy. Malec said the level of shock depends on the couple's style of communication.

"If a spouse is conflict avoidant, he or she might not share concerns during the marriage because they are afraid of the reaction," said Malec, who has been in practice for over 13 years. "So, they grow quietly resentful until they've had enough and then they announce, 'That's it. I'm done.' Meanwhile, the spouse is thinking, 'Yes, we struggle, but every couple I know struggles. I didn't think we were different than anyone else. I had no idea he or she was that unhappy.'"

So when the rings come off, where do you start?

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"From a legal standpoint, we have to talk first and foremost about protecting yourself financially, as well as how to protect your kids from the process as best you can," Stefani said. "It's very important to come up with a parenting plan that fits the couple and that is in the best interest of the children."

Stefani described the divorce process as "typically emotionally draining," and therefore recommends clients seek emotional support, such as a therapist, faith, and friends and family.

"I would encourage her to ask her husband to meet with her if he is willing," Malec said of the reader who emailed. "If this was a shock, this needs more conversation. She needs to understand how he made this decision without consulting her. She needs clarity, and maybe finality."

Malec said it's not easy to ask for finality and that hearing a marriage is really over can be heartbreaking.

Based on my own experience, here is my January to-do list for those who have just become separated:

1. Start seeing a therapist.

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2. Avoid drinking alcohol in excess.

3. Don't be shy about leaning on friends and family.

4. Visit the gym regularly and start doing yoga.

5. Get massages.

6. Contact your physician if you are having sleep and/or anxiety issues.

7. Give your mind a rest from the pain for part of every day. Find distractions such as good television, books, hobbies or get-togethers with friends.

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8. Meditate for 10 minutes every morning and every night. It really helps!

9. Lean on faith and your spirituality.

10. Let yourself grieve and cry as much as you need.

"Marriage is a commitment by both parties and when one party is not committed, the other party is better off in the long run not being in the marriage," Stefani said. "I find that once my clients get through the divorce, they find that they are much happier, whether they wanted the divorce or not."

Jackie Pilossoph is a freelance columnist for Chicago Tribune Media Group. She is also the creator of her divorce support website, Divorced Girl Smiling. Pilossoph lives in Chicago with her two children.
An 18-year-old man who allegedly restrained a Naperville gas station clerk while two accomplices stole cartons of cigarettes has been arrested and charged with robbery.

Queshane Q. Jefferson, of the 4300 block of West Wilcox Street in Chicago, was arrested Wednesday on a warrant in connection with the Nov. 10 holdup of the Mobil station at 1420 E. Ogden Ave.

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In the Naperville case, Jefferson is accused of holding on to the gas station clerk while two other men took "four cartons of Newport cigarettes  from behind the counter" of the station, police reports said. No weapons were displayed and the clerk was not seriously hurt, police said.

No other details on how Jefferson was linked to the case or if warrants have been issued for the other two suspects were available. Naperville police could not be reached for comment.

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He is being held in DuPage County jail on $150,000 bail pending his next court appearance, scheduled for Jan. 30.

Jefferson is currently on probation for stealing more than $1,500 worth of merchandise from a store in Aurora, according to court records.

In addition to two years of probation, Jefferson was also sentenced to 100 days in jail and ordered to pay $1,639 in restitution in July after being arrested twice in four days for stealing alcohol from the Meijer store at 808 N. Route 59, court records said.

wbird@tribpub.com
Chromebook laptop computers similar to this one are being used by Indian Prairie School District 204 middle school students right now and will be distributed to high school students next year. (Handout / TNS)

As Indian Prairie District 204 formulates the details of the second year of its three-year Chromebook rollout to students, district administrators took time Tuesday to talk to the school board about some of the successes they've seen so far.

Starting this school year, 6,500 Chromebooks were given to middle school students and 1,320 devices are being piloted among 22 teachers in 18 different subjects at the three high schools.

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Come fall, high school students will be issued Chromebooks and pilot tests will start at the elementary schools. One grade level  from second to fifth grade  at each elementary school will participate.

Stan Gorbatkin, assistant superintendent of technology services, said administrators originally only included third through fifth grades in its pilot plans, but teachers pushed to include second grade.

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Earlier this month Naperville School District 203 did something similar and will add second grade to grades 3 to 5 when it leases Chromebooks for the elementary level during the final year of its three-year digital initiative.

One of advantages of every student having the same device is the aspect of equity, District 204 administrators said.

Gorbatkin said he spoke with a middle school student who said the Chromebook meant he and his family had the same opportunities as other students.

"We're lifting some kids up; we're lifting some families up. I'm proud of that," he said.

Allan Davenport, director of instructional technology, said the application Read&Write for Google Chrome benefits students with disabilities because the app replaces multiple other tools and allows those students to move seamlessly to the same assignment as other students in the classroom.

Board President Lori Price said she's spoken with a parent whose child didn't want to use assistive technology because it made the child look different than his peers. The student feels more comfortable now using the Chromebook, she said.

"It levels the playing field," Price said.

Chromebooks also benefit homebound tutoring because students can participate more easily in classroom assignments, Davenport said.

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That is not to say all has gone smoothly in the first year of implementation, Gorbatkin told the board.

The district experienced some intermittent connectivity issues at first, he said. Tech personnel found the problem often was linked to a failure to shut down the device after working on another network.

By educating staff and students, that issue has been reduced, Gorbatkin said.

In addition, the district is working with the vendor to negotiate for a sturdier case, he said.

School board member Michael Raczak said deploying 6,500 Chromebooks is an instructional paradigm shift because not only is the district putting the devices into the hands of students, the district is asking teachers to put them to use.

"Are we going too fast?" Raczak asked.

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Davenport said the district has momentum and teacher support in its favor.

"If we were to slow down, we would be doing a disservice to our kids," he said.

Board member Mark Rising said he'd like to see more evidence Chromebooks are enhancing learning. He urged the district to survey middle school students on what they envision they could learn with the Chromebooks.

"I'd like to see students driving what they're taught," Rising said.

At the Jan. 30 meeting, district tech leaders plan to suggest a $40 technology fee for high school; it is the same as given to middle school students when they were issued Chromebooks.

subaker@tribpub.com

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Twitter @SBakerSun1
Brenda Barnes, a 20-year Naperville resident who left her job as president and CEO of Pepsi-Cola North America to have more time for her children only to later become chairman and CEO of the Sara Lee Corp., has died.

Barnes, 63, suffered a stroke and died Jan. 17 at Edward Hospital in Naperville.

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Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m. at North Central College's Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville, with a 6 p.m. memorial service.

Born Brenda Czajka in Chicago on Nov. 11, 1953, Barnes grew up in River Grove, graduated from East Leyden High School in Franklin Park and completed a bachelor's degree at Augustana College in Rock Island and an MBA at Loyola University Chicago, according to an obituary published by Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home in Naperville.

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She moved to Naperville in 1997, the same year she left her job at Pepsi to focus on her family. However, she did not completely leave the business world. She served on several corporate boards, including those for Lucasfilm, The New York Times and Staples, and spent six months as interim president and chief operating officer for Starwood Hotels and Resorts in 1999.

"The board opportunities gave her the ability to stay connected in a meaningful way, but it didn't keep her away from home as frequently," her daughter Erin Barnes told the Chicago Tribune.

When her children were older, she returned to her career, taking a job as COO for Sara Lee in 2004 and becoming its chairman and CEO a year later. She held that position until 2010, when she was forced to step down after suffering her first stroke, her obituary said.

Her recovery took more than six years and she became a board member for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where she was a patient, her daughter said.

"She lived a wonderful, happy life for the past seven years," Erin Barnes told the Tribune. "She never complained about what happened to her."

In addition to her daughter, Barnes is also survived by sons Jeff and Brian Barnes; sisters, Linda (John) Stebbins, Donna (Rick) Williams, Rhonda (Joe) Thompson, Laurna Czajka, and Trina (Craig) Baker; and partner Sal Barrutia.

Chicago Tribune business reporter Corilyn Shropshire contributed to this report.
Kohl Children's Museum president Sheridan Turner said she'll never forget the morning she opened "Japan and Nature," their first culturally specific exhibit. She was at the museum early for a TV interview and asked a woman who had come with her family for help pronouncing the name of a town spotlighted in the exhibit.

"She said 'That's the town that I was born in and I am so thrilled that you have this exhibit because it gives me the opportunity to share my culture and where I grew up with my children since we can't afford to all go to Japan.'"

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Now the Glenview museum is giving more families the chance to share their culture or to learn about an entirely new one through the exhibit "Children's China: Celebrating Culture, Character and Confucius" which runs from Jan. 20 through April 25. The exhibit is part of the Freeman Foundation Asian Culture Exhibit Series, the same group that brought "Japan and Nature" to Kohl.

"For children who are of Chinese heritage and are maybe second generation or first generation it gives them the chance to see where they came from," Turner said. "We've wanted to do more because we are in such a diverse community. We welcome children and families from so many cultures."

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The space is divided into six immersive environments: a home, market, restaurant, park, school and panda reserve. Quotes from Confucius are presented throughout, such as "young people should honor their parents and respect their elders" in the home section.

"An underlying moral thread that runs through the whole exhibit is the story of Confucius, the great inspirational teacher and moral leader that is still highly regarded in China today," Turner said.

Each space is full of interactive activities for kids. At the restaurant they cook in a wok using bamboo tools, learn about the tea ceremony and try picking up fake food using chopsticks. It exposes kids to traditional Chinese spoons and bowls that are very different from Western counterparts, and teaches the importance of a healthy meal by making kids think about what they're eating.

"It keeps very much in theme with what we love to do, to teach children or expose children to the fact that we're all the same in many, many ways," Turner said. "We just may do things differently and have different things around us."

The market is similar to the museum's permanent Whole Foods Market exhibit, letting kids shop for fish, fruits and vegetables. It teaches roleplaying, sharing and the math skills employed in counting, sorting and weighing.

"What the children are seeing is that this is like going to the grocery store they've got, except that it's set up differently and has different produce," Turner said.

At the school section, kids learn how Chinese words are created by combining characters that each have their own meaning  like the characters for tree and wood coming together to form forest. They can try to write Chinese characters and match them to English words. Turner's favorite section is the panda reserve, which compliments the museum's permanent Pet Vet and Baby Nursery areas. Kids don a veterinary jacket, weigh and feed stuffed panda cubs, and assign them names using the Chinese characters.

Another component that's sure to be popular is a Chinese dragon costume, which kids can don with the help of staff and go on parade. The museum is working with the Chicago Chinese American Council and Chinese Consulate to come up with appropriate activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year on Jan. 28.

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"It's a gorgeous exhibit," Turner said. "It's very rich in its activities with all the elements we look for with the richness of language, math, social-emotional learning, roleplaying. It's really beautifully done."

'Children's China: Celebrating Culture, Character and Confucius'

When: Jan. 20-April 25

Where: Kohl Children's Museum, 2100 Patriot Blvd., Glenview

Admission: $12; $11 for seniors; free for infants

Information: 847-832-6600; kohlchildrensmuseum.org
Dozens of residents attended the Jan. 17 Oak Park Village Board meeting to show support for a a welcoming ordinance that would provide village protections to immigrants. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)

Citing concerns over President-elect Donald Trump's public stance on illegal immigrants, a group of Oak Park residents pushed for a "Welcoming Village" ordinance.

During the Jan. 17 board meeting, trustees heard from several residents who spoke in favor of the proposed ordinance, with many hoping for a stronger version to be crafted before its final approval.

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In the days before the meeting, Village Manager Cara Pavlicek said several residents contacted the village about creating an ordinance similar to those in Chicago and Evanston, and said village staff mirrored Oak Park's proposed ordinance to those two cities.

A resident, Ben Weinberg, who said his mother fled Nazi Germany and immigrated to the United States, supported as strong an ordinance as possible in combating recent immigration proposals.

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"President-elect Trump has made it clear what direction he wants to move our laws towards," Weinberg said. "We need to take legal steps to appose his actions. We need protection and not collaboration. This is the challenge of our day. My family has seen what happens when the government labels entire groups of people as illegal or dangerous or undesirable, and this is what has happened."

According to a village memo, the ordinance would further strengthen Oak Park's human rights ordinance by ensuring the "general welfare of village residents and visitors alike," while stating "immigrant community members, whether documented or not," will be treated with respect and dignity by all village employees.

The ordinance would also clarify the communications and enforcement relationship between the village and the federal government, which would "clarify what specific conduct by village employees is prohibited because such conduct significantly harms the village's relationship with immigrant communities."

Mony Ruiz-Velasco, executive director of the West Suburban Action Project and an Oak Park resident, provided to trustees a petition signed by more than 100 residents and community organizations that were in favor of the ordinance.

Ruiz-Velasco said the proposed ordinance was "disappointing" and is "diluted and falls short" of what many would like to see. Many in the audience were concerned with section D of the proposed ordinance, which said it would not apply if an agency or agent indicates the subject of the investigation has an outstanding criminal warrant, has been convicted of a felony, is a defendant in a criminal court case or has been identified as a known gang member.

"The current policy has problematic loopholes that means someone can be handed over to immigration before they have a day in court," Ruiz Velasco said. "I don't want to see my tax dollars going toward the separation of families. We want zero collaboration with immigration agencies."

Among the things Ruiz-Velasco said she would like to see is an ordinance that mirrors one passed by Cook County, which includes the village pledging not to collaborate with agencies such as the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

All six village trustees spoke in approval of the proposal, with several joining the residents in calling for even stronger protections. Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb was absent from the meeting.

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"My understanding is the Cook County ordinance in 2011 was put in place after a federal court ruling in Indiana, which said that ICE detainer warrants are not mandatory for states and units of local government," Trustee Adam Salzman said. "I would ask staff to run that down and ensure that's good authority. If so, I think we have the authority to do something more comprehensive and protective here."

Pavlicek said the proposal could come back to the village board for approval as soon as the Feb. 6 village board meeting.

sschering@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @steveschering
The number of citizens interested in an appointed position on the Park Ridge City Council dropped from 10 to eight this week as interviews were scheduled to begin Monday.

A committee of residents, consisting of Judy Barclay, chairwoman of the Historic Preservation Commission; Sue Knight, widow of Ald. Dan Knight; Sal Raspanti, a former alderman; Joan Sandrik, a local real estate agent; and Mike Reardon, a Park Ridge Library trustee, were scheduled to conduct the interviews on Monday and Tuesday night at Park Ridge City Hall.

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The committee's task is to recommend one of the applicants for appointment to the 5th Ward aldermanic seat, which has been vacant since the Dec. 20 death of Ald. Dan Knight. The appointment will be until the 2019 election.

Maloney said that if the committee recommends a candidate this week, he expects to bring the name to the full City Council for appointment on Feb. 6.

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Initially, 10 residents applied to fill the vacancy. The number had been reduced to eight by Monday after applicants Mark Anderson, a former alderman of the 5th Ward, and Linda Nagle, a current member of the Park Ridge Zoning Board of Appeals withdrew their names, Maloney said.

In an email, Anderson expressed his support for Joe Baldi, another former 5th Ward alderman who had applied for the seat.

Baldi, a bankruptcy attorney with his own firm, served as 5th Ward alderman from 2005 to 2007 and is currently chairman of the Park Ridge Planning and Zoning Commission.

Other applicants include:

 Anita Rifkind, a former Maine Township trustee and collector who served 20 years on the town board. An urban planner, Rifkind served on the Park Ridge Park Board in the 1980s, on the Planning and Zoning Commission from 2004 to 2013, and on the Zoning Rewrite Committee from 2006 to 2007.

 Eric Bangeman, managing editor for Ars Technica, a technology and science news website, and resident since 2008.

 Helen Barrett Fanning, a residential real estate attorney with her own firm and a resident since 2002.

 Gareth Kennedy, an actuary with Ernst and Young and a resident since 2004.

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 Charlie Melidosian, manager of information security with Alliant Credit Union and Park Ridge native. Melidosian was a commissioner on the city's now disbanded Fair Housing Commission and worked on the campaigns of the late mayor David Schmidt.

 Linda Nagle, general counsel and senior vice president of development with F&F Realty in Skokie. A 10-year resident of the city, Nagel currently serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals.

 Anthony Rigali, a student at Illinois State University in Normal and a Park Ridge native. Rigali was an intern for Democratic State Rep. Mary Moylan's last campaign in 2016.

 Steve Schermerhorn, a partner with Park Ridge Stationers, an office and janitorial supply business in Des Plaines and a former middle school teacher.

The interviews with the candidates were scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on both nights and be open to the public.

jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com

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Twitter: @Jen_Tribune
Family members of Leviticus and Toshiba Dupree said they considered the couple's killer, Mark Anthony Williams, a part of the family, but they still pleaded with the judge for justice.

Williams, who pleaded guilty but mentally ill to two counts of murder in perpetration of a robbery in September, made no statement when he had the opportunity Thursday.

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After a lengthy sentencing hearing, Lake Superior Court Judge Diane Ross Boswell sentenced him to 110 years, His attorney, Arlington Foley Sr. said he would appeal.

Yushonda Dupree, whose father and stepmother were murdered, said her father was the youngest of 12 children and raised six children of his own, all of whom learned there were consequences for bad behavior and illegal acts.

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"I ask for justice and ask the court to hold Mr. Williams fully, fully responsible for his actions," Dupree said.

Williams, 47, admitted in court that he and co-defendant Anthony Wilson on Nov. 1, 2013, were at the Dupree residence in the 2500 block of Delaware Street in Gary with the couple. Williams took a shotgun belonging to Leviticus Dupree, wielded a knife and stabbed both Leviticus, 62, and Toshiba, 54, multiple times.

Deputy prosecutor Maureen Koonce noted that Williams had been paroled after about 16 years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter of Victoria Brown in 1996 when he killed the Duprees. In both cases, Koonce said Williams told police he heard voices that told him to kill.

Koonce said the Duprees welcomed Williams into their home and trusted him. "We have two lives violently cut short over a shotgun," Koonce said.

Foley presented testimony from Dr. George Parker, a forensic psychiatrist who met with Williams in November 2014 and May 2015, and reviewed his school, Lake County Jail and mental health records. Parker said Williams has schizophrenia, borderline intellectual functioning and addictions to alcohol and cocaine.

Boswell imposed a 55-year sentence on each count, the maximum outlined in the plea agreement, which will be served consecutively to Williams' parole violation.

Meanwhile, co-defendant Anthony Wilson, 49, who pleaded guilty to a charge of assisting a criminal and being an habitual offender in exchange for a 16-year sentence, said he was present when Williams asked Leviticus Dupree for money and he refused, and then admitted he saw Williams pull out a large kitchen knife and kill Dupree.

Wilson also said he saw Williams walk toward a bedroom of the home where Toshiba Dupree was. Wilson said he used the car keys Williams took to drive Williams from the scene in Leviticus Dupree's car and went with Williams so he could change out of his blood-stained clothes. Wilson's sentencing hearing is Jan. 24.

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Ruth Ann Krause is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Street closures in 2012 for demolition of the part of the Cline Avenue Bridge. (Post-Tribune file photo)

Seven years of frustration over the closed Cline Avenue bridge in East Chicago bubbled to the surface at a regional meeting.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. contended that the Indiana Department of Transportation has shrugged off responsibility for seeing that the bridge  closed in November 2009 when INDOT determined it was unsafe  is replaced.

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"It's frustrating to me," McDermott said at Thursday's Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission meeting. "When we talk to INDOT, they say, 'Not my problem.' There's not even a plan on the table."

The 35,000 cars and trucks a day that formerly used that 1.25-mile section of Cline Avenue travel now along local streets in East Chicago, Hammond and Gary, McDermott said.

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"There's no money coming to fix the local roads, either," East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland added.

Rick Powers, commissioner of the INDOT district covering Northwest Indiana, said a private company has the responsibility for building a new bridge.

"That stretch of road is private," he said after the meeting. "It's been relinquished (by the state)."

In July 2013, after the defective bridge was demolished, INDOT and Copeland signed an agreement transferring the bridge land to a company, Cline Avenue Bridge LLC. Florida-based Figg Bridge Builders is to build a new toll bridge.

NIRPC staffer Mitch Barloga said he recently met someone from Figg and will try to get them to the next NIRPC meeting to answer questions.

"It's a travesty," McDermott said of the bridge-building delay. "It's beating up my city. "

Also at the NIRPC meeting:

The commission approved the results of a two-year study on improving Northwest Indiana transportation by filling in gaps along major roads.

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For example, Cline Avenue has interchanges with the Indiana Toll Road and Interstate 80/94 but doesn't run continuously to U.S. 30.

NIRPC staffers led analyzed missing links along 22 roads in the three-county region that, if filled in, could be "a shortcut to solving congestion and connectivity," Planning Manager Eman Ibrahim said. The study ranked the road links by their ability to reduce traffic congestion with minimal environmental damage.

Most of the missing road links were in Lake County.

The five top-ranked road links were Main Street, from Sheffield Avenue to Joe Orr Road in Illinois; Cline Avenue, from Main Street to Avenue D; Willowcreek Road, from County Road 700 North to U.S. 30; Burr Street, from Ridge Road to 65th Avenue; and Kennedy Avenue, from Junction Avenue to U.S. 30.

Planning work has started already on some of those segments, Ibrahim said. And now that NIRPC has approved the study's report, those plans are eligible for future federal funding.

The report is on NIRPC's web site, www.nirpc.org, under "plans."

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Michael Griffin, Highland's clerk-treasurer, was elected NIRPC's chairman for the coming year, Beverly Shores Town Council member Geof Benson will be vice chairman.

Tim Zorn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
While former Gov. Mike Pence halted East Chicago's request for disaster relief, local legislators continue to push to get assistance for the city.

Members of the Lake County delegation rallied around a series of proposals to provide financial assistance to the city and school district; push for cleanup and testing efforts; and better assist residents being forced to relocate because of contamination at the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site.

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The legislators' push began as the start of the new session began, weeks after Pence, now the vice-president elect, denied Mayor Anthony Copeland's request for assistance.

"It's disappointing to have our previous governor deny the request," said Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, because it's not something the mayor would have asked for without needing it.

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Harris said the reality is that Pence is no longer the governor and he's looking forward to working with Gov. Eric Holcomb to get help for East Chicago.

People can't do anything about something that's already happened, Harris said, and it's important to look forward and get things done.

Pence's administration denied the request, according to a Dec. 14 letter city officials released Wednesday, citing a series of services the state had supplied to city officials to assist residents at the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site. City officials said the mayor plans to submit a new request to Gov. Eric Holcomb.

"Given the level of coordination among federal, state and local agencies, the state resources provided to date and the resources available under the federal Superfund program, the issues described within your letter are being addressed without the need for a disaster emergency declaration," wrote Mark Ahearn, Pence's general counsel, in a letter to Copeland. "Should new needs arise, we recommend that they be managed on a case-by-case basis to determine the best course of action."

Harris said East Chicago is facing some serious issues that are affecting people's lives and health.

The most important goal of the legislation is getting people into a safe situation," Harris said.

"That's the bottom line for me," he said.

East Chicago and Northwest Indiana have been economic engines for the state, Harris said, and has done its part to build up the area and economy as a whole.

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"It's now our time to ask for help," Harris said.

Copeland, in his request, said the city needs more resources to address ongoing issues at the Superfund site as the city cannot handle all the cost itself.

"The residents of my city, my staff, other local officials and I have been laboring under conditions which are not of our making, but which cry out for help," Copeland wrote to Pence on Dec. 1.

Copeland noted, in the letter, that Indiana code defined a disaster as "being an occurrence or imminent threat of widespread severe damage, injury, loss of life or property damage from a utility failure, public health emergency, blight or other public calamity."

The resources of East Chicago are strained to the "point of breaking," Copeland wrote, and resources from the state are needed to adequately respond to the continuing crisis.

Harris' bill would compel the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to assist with clean up of the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site and test soil and water throughout the city; have the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority to work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to relocate residents of West Calumet; and request the U.S. Department of Education assist the school district to cover the cost of students who left the district during the relocation process.

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Sen. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond, put in a bill, which was sent to the Appropriations Committee for review, would take money from the Department of Homeland Security and disburse it to eligible agencies dealing with lead and arsenic contamination in East Chicago. Should the bill pass, $2.5 million would be available to the city during the next two budget years.

Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, filed a bill to assist the School City of East Chicago, which shuttered the former Carrie Gosch School because of concerns about the high lead and arsenic levels in the ground at the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site.

The bill, should it pass, would provide $2.2 million to pay off the loan on the now-closed Carrie Gosch, according to the bill text, and $2.8 million to offset a disaster loan to district got to cover the costs of relocating school operations to the former West Side Junior High School building.

Harris entered an identical proposal in the House of Representatives.

At this point, Harris said it's critical that community members and organizations get involved and start putting pressure on officials to move these initiatives forward.

"The bigger your numbers are, the more success you'll have," Harris said. "That's reality."

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Mrvan and Randolph could not be reached for comment Thursday.

clyons@post-trib.com

Twitter: @craigalyons
An agreement reached with Griffith and six other municipalities with the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission will bring safer roadways for emergency vehicles.

The Griffith Town Council on Tuesday approved 4-0, with Councilman Jim Marker absent, to enter into an agreement with six other municipalities to install emergency vehicle preemption lights at certain intersections. The system allows first responders to control when the light turns turn green so that they can safely navigate through traffic, Council President Rick Ryfa, R-3rd, said.

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Ryfa described the system as the lights attached to traffic lights that blink white light when an emergency vehicle passes through. Munster, for example, has EVP lights at intersections on Calumet Avenue near Community Hospital; there will be EVP lights at 157 intersections in Merrillville, Schererville, Hobart, St. John, Dyer, Crown Point and now Griffith as well.

NIRPC approved the federal funding for the project in February 2016, and the Town of Merrillville agreed to serve as its lead agent, according to the agreement. Its cost is estimated at $3.1 million, of which $2.8 million will be covered by the federal grant and the municipalities will cover the remaining $311,450.

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In other safety business, the council discussed accepting a license agreement for proprietary software used by CN Railroad. Councilman Tony Hobson, R-5th, said the software provides a way for emergency dispatchers to know where railroad crossings on the former EJ&E Railroad are clear or if the gates were coming down.

"Our goal in developing the (Active Crossing System) was to provide a way for local emergency service dispatchers to route emergency responders to sites of incidents, avoiding EJ&E crossings that were blocked, thereby minimizing responder delays," Jim Kvedaras, CN Railroad's U.S. Government Affairs Director, wrote in an email to the council.
Police process the scene of a shooting on Jan.18, 2017, in Gary. (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

An 18-year-old Merrillville man who was shot by a Lake County Sheriff's Department officer during a Wednesday afternoon Gary traffic stop, which left a police dog injured, has died, according to the Indiana State Police.

Marquis Thomas, 18, died Thursday evening, according to a state police press release. He had been taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill. Wednesday for treatment, the release said.

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Indiana State Police were continuing to investigate the "complex" case Thursday. Shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday, a Lake County police officer made a traffic stop in the 700 block of 42nd Street in Gary when Thomas, a passenger, fled west on 42nd from a silver 2007 Toyota Avalon, according to state police.

The officer and Blade pursued Thomas, who ran down an alley toward railroad tracks north of the traffic stop, state police said. Thomas shot at the officer, hitting a police dog named Blade, according to the release. The officer returned fire and hit Thomas once, according to police.

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Lake County Sheriff John Buncich said the police dog saved the county officer's life.

"My goodness, what can you say? He's a hero, absolutely," Buncich said of the dog.

The Lake County K-9 Association posted a picture of Blade, on its Facebook page Thursday morning, showing Blade with a blue bandage around its nose and a cone around its neck.

After having surgery to remove bullet fragments from its jaw and neck the night before, Blade was in "very stable" condition Thursday morning, the post states, and was scheduled to have more surgery in the afternoon to repair a broken jaw.

"(Blade) went for the gun in the hand and diverted it away from the officer," Buncich said.

Another officer arrived on the scene and disarmed Thomas, who initially was taken to North Lake Hospital in Gary. Blade was taken to a local animal hospital for treatment before being transported by police car to Purdue Veterinary Hospital in West Lafayette.

A helicopter hovered overhead Wednesday afternoon as law enforcement taped off Georgia Street between 41st and 42nd in the area surrounding the railroad tracks.

The driver of the silver car in the traffic stop, who had been at large in the hours after the shooting, was located and has made a statement but "is not considered a threat to this case," according to police.

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Blade, a 61/2-year-old Dutch Shepherd, has been with the department's gang unit all four years it's been with Lake County, according to sheriff's department spokesman Mark Back. The K-9 dogs are "invaluable," Buncich said, and become part of the family for the department and their handlers.

As the Lake County K-9 Association posted updates on Blade's condition since Wednesday evening, the organization has thanked the Purdue veterinarians and community for their support.

The dog still has a long recovery ahead, and it's unknown if Blade will be able to return to the same job, Buncich said.

rejacobs@post-trib.com

Twitter @ruthyjacobs
Yes, there are shiploads of swashbuckling and epic adventures in exotic locales, but sometimes, says First Folio Executive Director David Rice, there's more to a pirate story than, well, pirates. With the opening of "Captain Blood" at the Oak Brook theater, Rice has embedded a crucial question amid the swordplay and stormy seas.

"Here's the key question the story asks: What happens when standing up for what's right means breaking with society?" Rice says. The query comes in the form of Dr. Peter Blood, the doctor-turned-outlaw hero of Rafael Sabatini's 1922 novel. Unjustly convicted of treason, the good doctor is forced to go rogue, escaping to a life pf piracy after being sold into slavery by corrupt and profoundly ignorant King James II. Blood's crime? Providing medical treatment to the king's political opponents.

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"We've been working on this project for five years," says Rice. "It's kind of amazing how timely it is right now."

"The central story is of a man who will not lessen his standards to accept unfairness," says director Janice L. Blixt. "Captain Blood becomes an outsider because he cannot live as an insider in a system that perpetuates injustice."

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The roots of "Captain Blood" date back to Rice's adolescence, when his father gave him a copy of the action-packed thriller. "What I liked about it was that it was filled with adventure, but it also had a social conscience," Rice says. "The question of what drives people to break with society, and what happens to allow them to reconcile with society later, that spoke to me."

For First Folio's stage, Rice has adapted the novel's hundreds of characters down to 53, played by a cast of 11 that will endure three all-hands-on-deck swordfights and a massive sea storm over the course of the drama. The non-stop story of outlaws and redemption was supposed to be directed by Alison Vesely, co-founder of First Folio and the theater's artistic director until her death in November. In the final weeks of Vesely's battle with cancer, she insisted that Rice  her husband  get everything shipshape as far as "Captain Blood" was concerned.

"She was involved right up until the end. Literally," said Rice. "We had a reading in November, and she was there on the couch, taking notes giving feedback. She picked Jan to step in as director."

As Artistic Director of the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, Blixt is used to big shows with lots of moving parts and intricate plot lines.

"Captain Blood" has both. Starring Nick Sandys in the title role, the production features the largest cast First Folio has had on their indoor stage.

And while Vesely may be physically gone, her presence looms large. "The scenic design, the sound, the costumes, the casting  her stamp is everywhere," says Rice. "I expect that will always be the case. I can't imagine First Folio will ever have a show that does not reflect Alison in it in some way."

First Folio presents, 'Captain Blood'

When: Jan. 25  Feb. 26 (previews through Jan. 28)

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Where: First Folio Theatre at the Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st Street, Oak Brook

Tickets: $23 previews, $29-$39 regular run, $36 seniors and students

Contact: 630-986-8067; www.firstfolio.org.
Big Bad Wolf gets an attitude makeover in Improv Playhouses Little Red Riding Hood at the La Grange Public Library, 10 W. Cossitt Ave. on Jan. 23. (Improv Playhouse)

Appearances can be deceiving. Take the Wolf in Improv Playhouse's "Little Red Riding Hood." He may be big but he's not really bad you'll learn when the company brings the show to La Grange Public Library, 10 W. Cossitt Ave., 3:45-4:45 p.m. Jan. 23.

"Typically, the Wolf goes in, eats the grandmother, eats the girl and gets cut open," noted Shane Tarplee, who directs and portrays the Wolf. "We have the Wolf forget his wife's anniversary so he's actually after the basket because he wants to fill it with scented candles, French bread and a steak dinner. The reason he's trying to scare the grandmother out of her house is because a cozy cottage would be the perfect setting for a romantic dinner."

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This version is designed to appeal to all ages.

"What we realized when creating our shows is that parents respond to the witty lines; children to the physicality," Tarplee said. "We create something everyone can enjoy."

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For details, call (708) 215-3200 or go to www.lagrangelibrary.org.

Royal roundup

Dress your daughter as her favorite princess for the second annual Princess Day at Wilder Mansion, 211 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst, 2-4 p.m. Jan. 29. There will be a craft project, a treat, a story and dancing. Parents must accompany kids, ages 3-12. The cost is $18 for residents; $22 for nonresidents. Registration is required.

For details, call (630) 993-8900 or go to www.epd.org/news/princess-day-wilder-mansion.

On a roll

A new book by Mo Willems is always a treat. Kids will hear his latest, "Nanette's Baguette," at a storytime, 11 a.m. Jan. 21 at Barnes and Noble, 297 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook. The hilarious book tells the tale of a young girl's first solo trip to the bakery.

For details, call (630) 684-0586 or go to www.barnesandnoble.com.

Nutty but nice

Join the celebration of Squirrel Appreciation Day, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 21 at Willowbrook Forest Preserve in Glen Ellyn. Your family will learn about these acrobatic rodents through squirrel-related activities. The drop-in, all ages, event is free.

For details, call (630) 942-6200 or go to www.dupageforest.com.

Notion of motion

There will be a scooter obstacle course, mini coaster rides, performance by Chicago Hoop Dancers and more at a Ramps & Rollers Party, Jan. 21-22 at DuPage Children's Museum, 301 N. Washington St., Naperville. Other activities will include a giant kerplunk, zip tracks, wheel works of art and more. The party is included with admission or membership.

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For details, call (630) 637-8000 or go to dupagechildrens.org
This rendering of the revised One Winnetka project shows an aerial view of the development looking south. The Winnetka Village Council gave the project full preliminary approval Jan. 17. (Lucien Lagrange Studio)

After 19 public hearings held over 21 months, the One Winnetka project won its last official preliminary approval vote from the Winnetka Village Council on Jan. 17.

"I think this is the sixth time the council has looked at it," Community Development Director Michael D'Onofrio said during his introduction of the ordinance granting preliminary approval. "Before that, I think the advisory boards had 13 looks at it."

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Council members unanimously approved the ordinance that will allow developer David Trandel to construct his three-building, retail-residential complex east of the Metra tracks in downtown Winnetka, at the intersection of Elm Street and Lincoln Avenue.

Trandel, a Winnetka resident, promised that One Winnetka would meet all the guidelines governing it in the ordinance and an accompanying development agreement also approved by council: "We can do better than the minimum; we can do the maximum."

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"I'm a little choked up by this, because I didn't think this would ever happen," he said.

Village President Gene Greable urged Trandel to work quickly.

"I actually plead with you to move this process forward  I hope you'll do everything within your means to see that it's accomplished as soon as possible," Greable said.

The project is set to rise on 1.38 acres, with two retail-residential buildings fronting Elm, and a third on Lincoln. In addition to almost 34,000 square feet of retail space, they will house between 55 and 62 residential units, some condominiums and some apartments. The project also features two parking garages, one to be owned by Winnetka, with residential, shopping and commuter spaces.

Before One Winnetka can move forward, however, it must submit its engineering plans to the village and then apply for final approval. At that point, the plan will go back before Winnetka's plan commission, design review board and zoning board of appeals to get a second and final nod from those bodies, and ultimately one from the council.

Trandel must execute the project's development agreement within 30 days of the preliminary ordinance's adoption, and plans for final approval must be submitted within 180 days of the ordinance's effective date. Once Trandel's group wins final approval, it has 90 days to take out permits, and 60 days after that to start construction.

Before Trandel and his Stonestreet Partners LLC group can pull demolition permits, the project must be reviewed by the village's landmarks preservation council.

Trustee Penny Lanphier said she wanted to hear more about how construction would be handled, saying it shouldn't negatively impact surrounding businesses or residents, before focusing on one building destined for demolition under the plan.

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She asked Trandel to somehow memorialize the Fell building at 511 Lincoln. The one-story building, completed in 1968 according to Landmarks Illinois, was designed by the late Wilmette architect Walter Sobel and housed the popular Fell Clothing store until that business closed in 2007. It has been vacant since.

According to Landmarks Illinois, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency determined that the building was eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

During One Winnetka's approval process, Sobel's son Richard repeatedly asked Trandel to find a way to make the building part of One Winnetka, something Trandel rejected in 2015 as neither cost effective nor fitting with the overall design.

"I do hope that you will work to provide some sort of acknowledgment or display," Lanphier said. "The Fell Company has been an important part of our past and the building was an interesting one, certainly part of the architectural heritage of the village."

kroutliffe@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @pioneer_kathy
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Deng Qilin, former chairman of major Chinese steelmaker Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corp., stood trial on Wednesday on charges of taking bribes.

Deng, who was tried at the Intermediate People's Court of Foshan City, Guangdong, was accused of taking bribes totaling over 55.4 million yuan (8.1 million U.S. dollars) from 2000 to 2015.

Deng took advantage of his positions to seek profits for others in promotions, business operations and construction projects, said a statement from the court.

Deng pleaded guilty and expressed remorse during the trial.

More than 50 people, including representatives of local legislators, political advisors, journalists and members of the public, were present at the open trial.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate announced an investigation into Deng in January, 2016.

The verdict has yet to be announced.
People in China who fail to fulfill court orders will be facing more restrictions, as more government bodies and social powers are joining the effort to punish the behavior.

In 2014, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) signed a memorandum with six central government departments and China Railway Corporation to impose harsher restrictions on defaulters. According to the memorandum, the defaulters will be banned from flying and traveling in upper-class sleeper train compartments, as well as taking positions as legal representative, member of the board, member of the board of supervisors, and senior executive of a company.

So far, over 40 central government departments have jointed the memorandum and the number of punitive measures approved has reached 20, reported Chinanews.com on Wednesday.

Already, more than 5.76 million flights and over 2 million bookings in upper-class sleeper trains by defaulters have been banned, according to the report.

Also, the courts in China exposed basic information of 6.44 million defaulters to the public and over 71,000 people were banned from taking senior posts in companies. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) rejected 550, 000 loan applications filed by defaulters, with the total value surpassing 6.8 billion yuan (around 1 billion USD).

In the meantime, local governments in China are also coming up with harsher punishments for the discredited individuals and entrepreneurs.

In Beijing, the municipal government is reportedly considering measures to restrict defaulters from applying for driver's licenses for the private vehicles; In Shanghai, defaulters may be blacklisted and banned from entry in certain industries and markets, restricted in the trade of public resources, infrastructure, public utilities, and financial activities, among other punitive measures; And in Hebei province, defaulters may meet restrictions when applying for administrative approval.

As the Chinanew.com report noted, all of these punitive measures have started to show a coercive effect. There were over 663,700 defaulters who voluntarily fulfilled court orders and repaid their debts. 4.74 billion yuan of avoided tax have been repaid by the defaulters in 699 cases.
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Zhang Guoqing was elected mayor of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Thursday, local legislature said.

The election was held on the last day of an annual meeting of the Chongqing Municipal People's Congress.

Local legislature earlier appointed Zhang as acting mayor of Chongqing on Dec. 30.

Zhang, born in 1964 and a native of Luoshan, Henan Province, has been serving as vice secretary of the Chongqing municipal committee of the Communist Party of China since 2013.
Police have detained six fugitives on a list of China's 10 most-wanted telecom and Internet fraud suspects, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said Thursday.

Huang Youli, 50, is said to have defrauded over two million yuan (290,000 U.S. dollars) through WeChat, a popular Chinese chatting app and social network service, in July, 2015. He turned himself in to the police in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Jan. 12.

Tang Shixian, 31, Wu Shaoyan, 36, and Pan Fangfang, 29, all allegedly participated in a sperm donation swindle. They lured their victims to transfer money to them which they claimed to be a deposit against donation.

Tang surrendered himself to the police on Jan. 13 in eastern China's Jiangxi Province. Wu and Pan were arrested in Jiangxi on Jan. 13 and Jan. 14 respectively.

Hu Xiaoping, 50, and his son Hu Dalong, 27, gave themselves up to the police in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Tuesday. They defrauded several million yuan by claiming to help victims apply for credit cards since January, 2016.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Switzerland, the European nation hosted the Chinese guest of honor by presenting him with a full set of hospitality.

Xi was greeted by Doris Leuthard, president of the Confederation of the Federal Council of Switzerland at the airport; then, the two heads of state had a tea chat on the train. Xi was accorded a welcome ceremony held by all members of the Swiss Federal Council. Those considerate arrangements made the trip memorable.

On January 16, Xi and his Swiss counterpart Doris Leuthard held talks in Bern to draw up a new blueprint for the future of bilateral relations.

President Xi's visit aims to consolidate bilateral relations. Sino-Swiss relations have been deemed the forefront of China-West relations. The two countries established the innovative strategic partnership in 2016.

Xis visit has deepened China-Switzerland pragmatic cooperation in various fields and enriched the connotation of their innovative strategic partnership, setting a good example of peaceful cooperation between countries of different social systems, development stages and sizes.

The visit is to promote the docking of Sino-Swiss development strategies. Both sides agreed to enhance the alignment of "Made in China 2025" and Switzerland's Industry 4.0 strategies, push for upgrading the bilateral free trade agreement, and promote the Belt and Road construction proposed by China. All these will play a positive role in promoting trade and investment between China and Europe and the Belt and Road cooperation.

Xi's visit is expected to guide the Sino-Swiss Innovative Strategic Partnership to a higher level, further facilitate pragmatic cooperation between China and Europe and record a perfect chapter for China's diplomacy in 2017.

The author Zhang Maorong is a researcher with China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Marc Ayrault welcomes US Secretary of State John Kerry as he arrives for the Mideast peaceconference in Paris, France, January 15, 2017. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

The Paris Peace Conference was doomed even before it started. Israel rejected it and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu termed the meeting as a "rigged conference," the results of which his country would not be bound to follow.

The joint statement issued at the end of the meeting failed to strongly condemn the settlement activities in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, which is the most contentious issue. The conference even failed to employ the language of UN Security Council resolution 2334 which terms east Jerusalem as an "occupied territory."

It was expected that some 70 countries and international organizations, including the foreign ministers of more than 30 states attending the conference will use it as a foundation for another resolution at the UN to urge both sides to resume peace talks. It was crucial as the last round of direct peace talks collapsed amid acrimony in April 2014.

But the conference did not press for another resolution at the Security Council. It was a major diplomatic victory for Netanyahu after the humiliation due to the resolution against settlement activity.

The final statement also stopped short of rejecting an announcement by Donald Trump to shift the embassy of the United States. Though, there is growing consensus that any such move would badly damage the prospects of peace in the Middle East and French president also mentioned it.

The only silver lining was the broad support of delegates for the two-state solution to the decades-old conflict. They also urged for negotiations to settle all issues. But in the absence of a UN resolution calling for the resumption of peace talks, none of the parties to the conflict will be obliged to follow the statement.

The conference also agreed for another meeting by the end of the year to help peace negotiations between the two sides.

At the end, Israel's aggressive diplomacy won the day, as John Kerry reportedly made a telephone call to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and assured him that United States would not allow any move detrimental to the security of Israel. True to his words, Kerry used his influence to soften the language of the statement to soothe the Israelis.

The Paris Conference was ill-timed, to say the least about its failure. The regional situation, Israel's increasing unease with the U.S. incumbent administration and the uncertainty ahead of the transfer of power to Donald Trump dimmed any chance of a positive outcome.

The Middle East is passing through a critical phase of history. The major regional conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has been overshadowed by the deadly wars in Syria and security situation Iraq. New alignments are taking place, making everyone uneasy.

The rise of Islamic State has added a new dimension to the regional security paradox. Not only is Israel threatened by the power of this group but also Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other countries are feeling the heat. Hence, it is matter of opinion whether first to seek a solution of Palestinians issues with Israel or fight out the Islamic State.

The rise of Iran after the nuclear deal with the U.S. and its decisive role in the regional politics has further added to the fluidity of the security situation.

The conference was also heavily influenced by other developments. For example, the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council towards the end of December last year against the settlements left Israeli in a bad temper. It was a historic moment as the world opinion was unanimous to denounce the construction of new homes for Jewish settlers. The move was made possible by the abstention of the United States which in the past had scuttled any anti-Israeli resolution.

But the resolution promoted Israel to come forward with full diplomatic force in its defence. It was well prepared and launched a blistering attack to blunt the outcome of the conference. It was known to all that Israel will not accept the outcome.

Second, a truck attack in Jerusalem on January 8 killed four Israeli soldiers and injured 17 others highlighting the ugly side of the conflict and the emergence of several new threats to damage the atmosphere of trust. It also changed the mood and suddenly there was more realization about the "legitimate" security concerns of Israel.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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Intense battles raged on Wednesday between the Syrian government forces backed by Hezbollah group and an array of rebel groups in the rebel-held water-rich Barada Valley northwest of the capital Damascus, coupled with tens of airstrikes on that area, a monitor group reported.

The battles were concentrated around the Ain Fijeh spring in Barada, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based watchdog group said the Syrian air force targeted the rebel positions in that area with tens of airstrikes, in the latest bid to retake Ain Fijeh, the main spring feeding Damascus with drinking water, which has been scarce in Damascus since the spring were rendered out of service on Dec. 22.

Both conflicting parties exchanged accusations over the water crisis in Damascus, as the government accused the rebels' al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front of cutting the water deliberately to use it as a weapon to push the government to succumb to their demands, while the rebels blamed the government forces' shelling for the damage that had befallen the spring.

The capital's over five million inhabitants have been struggling to secure their needs of water, with the government using its reserve wells to partially feed Damascus with water.

Meanwhile, a military source told Xinhua that the Nusra militants started setting homes on fire in Ain Fijeh area, as a sort of revenge for the military's resolve to take that area.

This comes a week after a truce was reached in that area for the government to enter and fix the spring, in exchange of allowing ultra-radical groups to evacuate the area to the northwestern province of Idlib.

However, the truce was quick to fall on Saturday, as the rebels with Nusra Front fired sniper shots at maintenance workers, who entered the area to fix the spring.

They also shot dead retired Brigadier Ahmad Ghadban, who was tasked by President Bashar al-Assad to supervise the truce and the reconciliation file in Barada.

The truce deal walked on thorny road till it was reached last Wednesday, as the Nusra Front was among the rebels who attempted to repeatedly thwart any understanding with the government.

Part of the deal also included the reconciliation with the rebels who accept the truce with the government, as such rebels will have their records cleared and will be tasked by the government to protect the Barada Valley.

As for those who refuse the truce, the plan was for their departure to Idlib.

The deal also provides for the entry of government workers to fix Ain Fijeh, which sustained damages during the weeks-long battles, during which both warring sides traded barbs over the damage and the water outage.

Maintenance workers withdrew on Saturday after the Nusra militants fired sniper shots at them, after managing to fix part of the spring before their departure.

It's worth mentioning that Barada Valley consists of 10 villages, some of them refused the truce, prompting the army to continue the offensive in the parts that didn't accept the truce, while negotiating with others who were desirous to end the conflict in that region.

Last week, the UN has warned that the water crisis afflicting the Syrian capital may constitute a war crime, without identifying the party responsible for the water crisis.

"In Damascus itself, 5.5 million people have had their water supplies cut or minimized," the UN's humanitarian adviser to Syria, Jan Egeland, said.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China remains unchanged in its commitment to upholding world peace.

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

He made the remarks while delivering an address at the UN Office at Geneva.

"For several millennia, peace has been in the blood of us Chinese and a part of our DNA," said Xi.

"Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you," he quoted from Confucius, a great ancient Chinese sage.

He noted that China has grown from a poor and weak country to the world's second largest economy not by committing military expansion or colonial plunder, but through the hard work of its people and their efforts to uphold peace.

"China will never waver in its pursuit of peaceful development. No matter how strong its economy grows, China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence. History has borne this out and will continue to do so," he vowed.

The Chinese leader also pledged that China will remain unchanged in its commitment to pursue common development.

"China's development has been possible because of the world, and China has contributed to the world's development. We will continue to pursue a win-win strategy of opening-up, share our development opportunities with other countries and welcome them aboard the fast train of China's development," said Xi.

According to Xi, China has provided foreign countries with over 400 billion yuan (about 58.4 billion U.S. dollars) of aid between 1950 and 2016, while since the outbreak of the international financial crisis, China has contributed to over 30 percent of global growth each year on average.

He went on by saying that in the coming five years, China will import eight trillion dollars of goods, attract 600 billion dollars of foreign investment, make 750 billion dollars of outbound investment, adding that Chinese tourists will make 700 million outbound visits.

"China remains unchanged in its commitment to foster partnerships," he said in the speech.

He also said that China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, and is ready to enhance friendship and cooperation with all other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

China has formed partnerships of various forms with over 90 countries and regional organizations, and will build a circle of friends across the world, he said.

The Chinese president said China will strive to build a new model of major country relations with the United States, a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with Russia, partnership for peace, growth, reform and among different civilizations with Europe, and a partnership of unity and cooperation with BRICS countries.

China is also going to remain unchanged in its commitment to multilateralism, said the president.

He hailed multilateralism as an effective way to preserve peace and promote development, saying that for decades, the UN and other international bodies have made a universally recognized contribution to maintaining global peace and sustaining development.

China will firmly uphold the international system with the UN as its core, the basic norms governing international relations embodied in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, the authority and stature of the UN, and its core role in international affairs, he added.
China and the World Health Organization (WHO) pledged Wednesday to step up health cooperation under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) meets with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

A memorandum of understanding in this regard was signed between the two sides at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, witnessed by visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and WHO Director-General Margaret Chan.

"China welcomes the WHO's active participation in the construction of the Belt and Road, and of a 'healthy' Silk Road," Xi said during a meeting with Chan.

Chan echoed Xi's remarks, saying that the WHO is willing to enhance cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, amid efforts to improve the public health in countries along the Belt and Road.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Xi in 2013, refers to the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It is aimed at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.
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Partisan feud fuels, confidence floundering, marches and protests on the way, while hundreds of thousands of supporters for Donald Trump's White House also being rallied to celebrate his Friday inauguration in and outside Washington D.C.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in New York, the United States, on Jan. 11, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Low confidence:

Latest polls find U.S. President Barack Obama will leave office Friday with his highest approval rating since June, 2009, his first year in office, while his successor Donald Trump is entering White House with lowest popularity rate as a president-elect in the past four decades.

About two-thirds (65 percent) say Obama's presidency was a success, including nearly half (49 percent) who say that was due to Obama's personal strengths rather than circumstances outside his control, according to a new CNN/ORC poll issued Wednesday. His approval rating stands at 60 percent days in the final days of his 8-year presidency.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump enters office as the most unpopular of at least the last seven newly elected presidents, a new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds, with ratings for handling the transition that are also vastly below those of his predecessors.

Sixty-one percent of Americans surveyed lack confidence in Trump to make the right decisions for the nation's future, only 40 percent see Trump favorably overall or approve of the way he has handled the transition, the national surveys shows.

However, these polls also show six out of ten Americans have high expectations on the newly elected U.S. president on certain issues, especially the economy, jobs and fighting terrorism. About half of them also expect he can do well in three other issues: helping the middle class, handling the deficit and making Supreme Court appointments.

"The same people who did the phony election polls, and were so wrong, are now doing approval rating polls" Trump backfired on Twitter in response to the spate of negative poll results.

"They are rigged just like before", he claimed.

Though Trump will start his presidency with Republicans' majority in both chambers of Congress, his general unpopularity is an unprecedented hurdle, whose impact on his ability to govern remains to be seen, Justin McCarthy, a Gallup analyst, said earlier this week when his company issued similar poll results.

Spreading protests

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are heading to Washington, D.C. this week, many of them to celebrate Trump's swearing-in as the nation's 45th president, many of them for the opposite goal.

D.C.'s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is expecting 800,000 to 900,000 people to attend the ceremony overall, which is significantly less than Obama's inauguration in 2009 that drew 1.8 million and forced the city into gridlock.

Meanwhile, protesters from a group called DisruptJ20, as well as some others, are planning to block Trump' s inaugural ceremony and inaugural parade on Friday. The Act Now to Stop War and End Racism Coaltion also plans to hold a demonstration from early Friday morning in downtown Washington, just hours before the inauguration starts.

The largest protest is expected to come the day after Trump's inauguration. The U.S. National Park Service, in Washington D.C. alone, has already issued permits for at least 25 separate demonstrations set over this weekend, according to a USA Today report.

The number of such events is "pretty well unprecedented", said Mike Litterst, a park service spokesman.

Among the weekend protesters, at least 200,000 are expected to gather in for the Women' s March on Washington. Organizers say that they see the demonstration as not being solely anti-Trump but in support of a range of issues affecting women, including abortion rights, health, equal pay and gun violence.

"It's quite noteworthy. If they get those kinds of numbers, it will far exceed any previous inaugural protest," Inaugural Historian Jim Bendat told local reporters.

Sister marches are planned across the country, including one set to pass in front of Trump Tower in Manhattan, as well as other demonstrations in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

An estimated one million people plan to demonstrate against Trump's presidency in all 50 U.S. states and 32 countries, according to local media reports.

Partisan feud:

As the country braces for Trump's inauguration, partisan feud is also fuelling.

Two days before Trump's swearing-in ceremony, roughly 60 Democratic lawmakers have already announced their boycott, some citing Trump's campaign remarks about Mexicans and women, some citing his Twitter attacks on House Democrat John Lewis, a well-known icon of the civil rights movement who last week called Trump an illegitimate president.

"I cannot go because of the president-elect' s inflammatory comments, his racist campaign, his conflicts of interest, his refusal to disclose his taxes," House Representative Jerry Nadler said on Monday.

Meanwhile, the partisan battle over Trump's Cabinet picks dominates Capitol Hill this week. Nine of Trump's high-profile nominations, including Jeff Sessions for attorney general and Betty Davos for education secretary, are all facing questions before Senate committees.

As expected, Tom Price, Trump's pick for health and human services secretary, was grilled Wednesday by Senate Democrats for his stand on the Obamacare repeal and his buying and selling of health-related stock.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that Price may have broken the law with at least one of those trades while Republican leaders in the Senate said they believe Price is absolutely qualified and want to see him confirmed as soon as possible.

Walter Shaub, chief of the independent Office of Government Ethics, warned Saturday that several of Trump's nominees potentially have "unknown or unresolved ethics issues", describing it as an unprecedented situation in his office's 40-year history.

It remains unclear how many cabinet appointments could be affirmed on the day Trump is sworn in. In 2009, seven Obama's Cabinet picks were passed in the Senate on the Inauguration Day.

Sean Spicer, the incoming White House spokesman, said Wednesday that Trump may take four or five executive actions on Friday after being sworn into office, bringing confusion since Trump himself announced Tuesday that "Day One" of his administration will be Monday, not his inauguration day.

During the campaign, Trump promised to begin dismantling his predecessor's eight years of work on the first day he is in White House, including overruling many of Obama's executive orders.
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The international situation in 2016 saw an array of major, complicated, and profound transformations. Complex geopolitical factors combined with conflicts, turmoil, and regional hot-spot and global challenges, notably the refugee crisis and terrorism. The global ideological ethos also entered a proactive phase that year, and the protracted recovery of the world economy, sluggish international trade and investment, and rising protectionism complicated the development of emerging market economies. The evolutionary trend, however, implies that the international order is heading steadily towards peace and development. A new round of technological and industrial revolution has engendered stronger ties among various countries of the world, so linking human destiny more closely than ever before.

Promote Transformation of Global Governance

China's diplomacy in 2016 prompted extensive and far-reaching proposals and schemes in the areas of global politics, economy, and security. China has become a leading force in the evolution of international relations. The country has contributed its native wisdom to and played an integral role in safeguarding world peace and facilitating global development. More countries now acknowledge China's comprehensively deepened innovation of diplomatic theory with win-win cooperation at the core of international relations, and its concept of building a world community of common destiny is gradually gaining greater global acceptance. China advocates the establishment of an equal, peaceful, and inclusive partnership that upholds justice and collaboratively builds a security framework; one that advances towards open, innovative and mutually beneficial development and strives to promote exchanges between different civilizations and respect for a natural and green ecosystem. China's diplomacy is guided by these significant concepts.

The successful convening of the G20 Summit in China's Hangzhou in September 2016 showcased the combination of Chinese wisdom and global governance, and also the actual practice of China's philosophy of global governance. Chinese President Xi Jinping gave an overall explanation of China's insight into global economic governance wherein equality is its foundation, openness its orientation, cooperation its driving force, and sharing is its goal. A fair and efficient pattern of global financial governance: an open and transparent mode of regulating global trade and investment, green, low-carbon global energy controls, and inclusive and interlinked governance of global development may thus be jointly implemented. The summit blazed new trails and expanded world economic borders, built new mechanisms and achieved a consensus on international cooperation, promoting greater openness and integration of the global economy. It consequently constitutes a milestone in the history of the G20's development.

More Cooperation with Developing Countries

A country should take morality rather than profit as its main interest. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, the CPC Central Committee, with General Secretary Xi Jinping at the core, has complied with the trend of peace, development, and win-win cooperation. Inheriting the fine tradition of China's splendid culture and of Chinese diplomacy, the Central Committee holds that China's diplomacy insists on the correct view: that of being motivated by morality rather than profit.

In the context of faltering globalization and the slow recovery of the world economy, China's focus is on development as key to resolving international problems, so giving play to the country's courage and sense of responsibility. China will unswervingly pursue peaceful development and abide by an opening-up policy of mutual benefit and win-win results, whereby the country's development also opens up opportunities for the world.

In September 2016, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang made a speech at the UN Headquarters in New York, further expounding on China's development concept of cooperation and mutual benefit. The premier reaffirmed China's promise to fulfill the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, stressing the country's will and determination to work with other countries in carrying the agenda forward. Li furthermore expressed that development is the foundation of sustainable development, which consists in harmonious economic, social, and environmental development. Open, interlinked and inclusive sustainable development, therefore, should be a joint world enterprise.

Premier Li emphasized that eliminating poverty and starvation is top priority. Specifically, this entails worldwide eradication of all degrees of poverty and starvation before 2030, the achievement of food security, improved nutritional standards, and promotion of sustainable agriculture. China is willing to work with other countries towards realizing these goals, hopefully ahead of 2030.

As a responsible developing country, China is proactive in international cooperation and supports the UN taking a more significant role in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The country has also frequently reiterated its willingness to invest more in South-South Cooperation and share its development experience and opportunities with other countries.

Going Global via the Belt and Road

The Belt and Road Initiative was first proposed in 2014. Over the following three years, China proceeded under the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration. China's development is thus closely integrated with that of other countries along these routes, where the cooperation concept enjoys popular support. The Spirit of the Silk Road  namely peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit  has fused with the new international relations advocated by China  namely, equality, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation. China is committed to building a community of common destiny and interests with countries along the routes. Such a concept has extensive support throughout the international community and is already bearing fruit.

First, the initial plan of the layout has been drawn up. More than 70 countries and international and regional organizations have expressed willingness to support and participate in the Belt and Road Initiative. A further 34 countries and international organizations have signed inter-governmental cooperation agreements with China.

Second, connectivity is gradually taking shape. The Hungary-Serbia Railway and Jakarta-Bandung Railway have gone into operation, and the building of railways between China and Laos, and China and Thailand has commenced. The construction of a number of expressways is under energetic promotion, and preparations for maritime connectivity are afoot. The normalization of trains between China and Europe has been realized, and the land, sea, and air network of connections in Eurasia has strengthened.

Third, production capacity cooperation is expanding. China has signed relevant agreements with 20 countries, and a multitude of major projects has yielded gratifying results in various countries. China has allocated more than US $100 billion to a capacity cooperation fund. The 52 early stage projects existent between China and Kazakhstan, with a total investment of US $27 billion, enact the dual roles of initiating a new pattern of international capacity cooperation and giving play to a vital demonstration effect.

Fourth, breakthroughs have been made as regards innovative mechanisms. They include the opening of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the launch of the first batch of Silk Road Fund investment projects, and financial cooperation funds among countries along the routes. China has built a total of 46 outbound cooperation areas with 17 countries. In 2015, the bilateral trade volume between China and countries along the routes surpassed US $one trillion.

Fifth, people-to-people exchanges have become even more frequent and complex. Sections of the Silk Road have been listed as World Heritage, and the application in that respect for the Maritime Silk Road is in process. The First Silk Road International Cultural Expo took place in Dunhuang, Gansu Province in 2016. The achievements resulting from human and cultural cooperation have injected lasting vitality into construction of the Belt and Road. More countries and their peoples are becoming aware that the initiative proposed by China offers opportunities to the world.

As in-depth construction of the Belt and Road progresses, the joint development and prosperity of countries along the routes will become increasingly manifest.

Win-win Cooperation and Strengthened Partnership

In 2016, China's major proposal to build a community of human destiny enjoyed popular support, and diplomatic endeavors to build a partnership network made new progress. On the basis of full diplomatic coverage over recent years, Chinese diplomacy strengthened the country's relationships by establishing partnerships in various forms with more than 80 countries, regions, and organizations. China has made great efforts to build a stable and balanced relationship framework with major countries. Following the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness, the country's conduct of neighborhood diplomacy has given rein to full-scale regional cooperation, so strengthening and heightening solidarity, and elevating cooperation with developing counties to a new level.

China is both the initiator and practitioner of a new type of international relations. Chinese wisdom, adopted in efforts to resolve sensitive regional and international issues and complex global challenges, is widely applauded in the international community. By participating in international anti-terror cooperation, promoting network security, and coping with climate change, China has contributed significantly to maintaining world peace and security, so living up to its image as a responsible great power.

Chinese diplomacy has also gained gratifying progress in the building of a community of common destiny with neighboring countries. By properly dealing with the South China Sea Arbitration unilaterally raised by Aquino III's government of the Philippines, China effectively safeguarded its national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. More than 70 countries and organizations and 200 political parties in the world expressed their unequivocal support for China over the arbitration. When, on November 19, 2016, President Xi Jinping met President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines in Lima, Peru, he emphasized that both sides should proactively discuss maritime cooperation, promote benign interaction, and so transform the South China Sea dispute into a matter that promotes friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Resolving the issue through dialogue and negotiations both accords with the fundamental interests of the parties concerned and is beneficial to the peace and development of the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

China has moreover always contributed to regional development, firmly maintained peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and proactively supported Afghanistan's peaceful reconstruction. During the BRICS Summit in Goa, India, President Xi proposed contributing more Chinese schemes and wisdom to BRICS cooperation and development. The four goals China raised  namely, market integration, unimpeded financial circulation, improved infrastructure construction connectivity, and enhanced people-to-people exchanges  were approved by all parties. China has frequently expressed hopes of consolidating and adding momentum to its cooperation with other BRICS members and so creating a more splendid future for BRICS.

China has also maintained a healthy momentum of development in its relationship with Europe. Thanks to the link between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Europe 2020 development strategy, the connection between China's international production capacity cooperation and The Investment Plan for Europe, and the link between China-Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) cooperation and China-Europe cooperation as a whole, China has tried to integrate the advantages of China, CEE countries and developed countries in Western Europe to boost balanced development and achieve win-win results while advancing cooperation. The Hungary-Serbia Railway made progress during President Xi's visit to the Czech Republic, Serbia, and Poland , as did the construction of the land-sea express between China and Europe. When Premier Li attended the Fifth Summit of China and CEE countries in Riga, Latvia, he put forward four proposals for the 16+1 cooperation framework, thereby injecting new vitality into the overall development of the China-Europe relationship.

The year 2016 marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Arab countries. President Xi's visits to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Iran earlier that year elevated cooperative relations between China and Arab countries to a new level. Under the guidance of win-win cooperation, cooperation between China and Arab states have made major achievements in many fields. Five Arab countries have signed cooperation agreements with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, seven countries have joined the AIIB as founding members, eight countries have established strategic partnerships with China, and China became the largest trading partner of 10 Arab countries. Moreover, cultural and people-to-people exchanges have made significant progress.

As a vibrant land brimming with vitality, Africa's international status and impact is constantly expanding. In 2016, China worked together with African countries to implement the 10 cooperation plans that President Xi Jinping proposed in December 2015 at the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in Johannesburg. A number of cooperation projects have brought early harvests and benefits to Chinese and African people.

Sino-Latin American relations have consistently thrived, and mutually beneficial cooperation has reached a new level. President Xi made state visits to Ecuador, Peru, and Chile in November 2016  his third visit to Latin America as Chinese President. The tour comprehensively promoted political mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation between China and the countries visited, and also promoted sustainable and in-depth development of the all-around Sino-Latin American partnership. Following the trend of the deepening regional cooperation among developing countries, the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Business Summit propelled Sino-Latin American relations to a new stage of integrative and bilateral cooperation. China has become Latin America's second largest trade partner, and Latin America China's second largest overseas investment destination, with direct investment of more than US $150 billion. Cultural exchange activities between the two have also blossomed.

In light of today's volatile international situation, China unswervingly follows the road of peaceful development. It is always at the forefront of building world peace, a significant contributor to global development, and a vindicator of international order. China does its utmost to contribute more to joint human development and progress.

Wu Sike is former Chinese Special Envoy on the Middle East Issue and a senior diplomat.
 Flash

Since the early 1980s, 800 million people have been lifted out of poverty in China," said Bert Hofman, the World Bank's Country Director for China, Mongolia and Korea. "At present, the country has a relatively low poverty share of 55 million people according to the local poverty calculation. However, the proportion is even lower when measured by international standards. So China is a very successful example in this regard."

The World Bank released a new report on global poverty reduction last October before the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 2016. "This report focuses on poverty reduction and shared prosperity," Mr. Hofman explained. "Both poverty reduction and equality are goals of the World Bank. Poverty reduction is also an important part of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals." He went on to say: "Poverty alleviation has done very well over the last 25 years. In 1990, about 35 percent of the world's population was below the international poverty line, but today it is less than 10 percent. China has been playing a key role in this respect."

Economic Growth Plays Key Role

China has contributed to almost 70 percent of global poverty reduction. According to Mr. Hofman, economic growth is the main reason for China's poverty reduction. He is quite familiar with the history of China's economic development and the efforts the country has made to alleviate poverty.

"Overall growth has been very high over the last 35 years in China, with an average annual growth rate of more than nine percent, which means many people can find new jobs, better jobs, and more productive jobs. Therefore, they can lift themselves from poverty. It happens because of the reform in the economic system." Mr. Hofman noted that the reform process began in agriculture. The introduction of the household contract responsibility system at the end of the 1970s was a tremendous boost for poverty reduction. But, he believes, the reforms went beyond that  urban reforms, the socialist market economy, and China's entry into the World Trade Organization all played important roles. "China has opened up and urbanized quite rapidly, becoming the world's manufacturing hub. That means a lot of people have moved from rural areas to urban areas. This allows people to find more productive jobs, moving from agriculture to manufacturing and services with increased income."

Policy also plays a significant role. Policies on education are very important in enabling people to change their lives. In addition, China has built a lot of infrastructure which means cities can grow, and the economic system is increasingly supported by the private sector.

Mr. Hofman stressed that other countries cannot simply "copy" China's method of poverty reduction, because China has forged its own unique path to development tailored to its specific circumstances. Still, some parts of China's experience are worth examining. Mr. Hofman pointed out: "It's very important to start from agriculture. Most of the poor in other countries also live in rural areas and are engaged in agriculture. Some of them face similar constraints as China did. Strengthening property rights of farmers  that's what the household contract responsibility system did  actually gives farmers more ownership to the land. People invest more in the land and they work harder, which increases productivity. China has done very well in investing in people. It makes sure that people have the capabilities to benefit from the economic growth that happens through reforms. Other countries can learn from that."

According to Hofman, China has made a concerted effort in targeted poverty reduction. "The State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development which we've been working with for many years is a phenomenal institution. The presence of such an organization meant that there's a real focus on the issue of poverty. They developed targeted poverty programs that evolved over time  first in poor areas, but increasingly also with poor people so that they could help those who could not benefit from the general growth to get out of poverty themselves."

In December 2015, China set itself a goal to lift the remaining 55 million poor people out of poverty by 2020. Mr. Hofman thinks it is an ambitious goal, but he believes that China can achieve it if continues with its current growth rates and policies. However, it is not the end goal since there are many more people that live slightly above the poverty line and can still be considered "poor." He further pointed out that China should continue investing in poor people to make sure that their education, health, and insurance systems are up-to-date. In his words: "Health and the cost of health are actually important causes of poverty in the country."

Cooperation Mode Constantly Reorients

The World Bank and China have had a long and productive cooperation in poverty reduction. While it has witnessed the progress of China's efforts in poverty alleviation, the organization constantly reorients its mode of cooperation in accordance with the direction the development is taking. Mr. Hofman revealed that in addition to working on projects, the World Bank has done three major poverty reviews which provided the analytical basis with which to design the next phase of poverty reduction programs.

The first generation program in China, according to Hofman, was very much aligned with the then situation more than 25 years ago. "There were many poor counties, most of which relied on agriculture. So we invested in agricultural infrastructure and in helping farmers get right fertilizers, seeds, and education to ensure they could absorb modern techniques." But today, personal background and characteristics are much more determinate of poverty. "It matters far less where you live and whether you are poor or not than what your personal characteristics are," he explained, "whether you have somebody in the family who works, whether you have got a good education, whether you have nobody sick in the family. Hence, the poverty programs have also changed."

On top of this, China has modernized tremendously, so the World Bank is looking at very different kinds of programs. "One of the programs that we do together with the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, is to use agricultural collectives as a means to reach out to those poor people that are not yet connected to the modern economy," said Mr. Hofman. "We tie them up to the modern supply chain to help them get more money for their goods and upgrade their quality standard of agricultural products that they are bringing to the market." The organization has also been looking at the remaining poor in China. "Some of them are living in very remote areas with very little basis for economic production. Therefore, helping those people move is another important element of more modern poverty reduction efforts." Hofman showed that the World Bank is currently discussing whether these measures should be introduced into its current poverty alleviation programs.

However, Mr. Hofman stressed that there will still be poor people even when those remaining have been lifted out of poverty. The disabled, for example, will always need assistance. He sees the basic living allowance system in China as a social safety net and an essential tool keeping people out of poverty. "The redesign of the system is meant to be very important in the medium run," he said.

ICT to Play Larger Role

Last May, the Global Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Growth portal was jointly launched by the China Internet Information Center and the International Poverty Reduction Center in China. Supported by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, the portal aims at sharing knowledge of poverty reduction and the most effective methods used in China and around the world.

Mr. Hofman was present at the launch of the portal, which he considers to be a major step forward in poverty alleviation. "Information and communication technology (ICT) can play a bigger role in poverty reduction," he stated. "One aspect of it refers to access to finance. Finance and ICT are a tremendously strong combination that makes it easier for the poor in remote areas to get a credit." Meantime, e-commerce is another element that the World Bank is looking at. Today, people in isolated villages are able to get market information and tie into modern supply chains through e-commerce. Mr. Hofman took the Alibaba villages as an example. Driven by a booming online retail market led by China's e-commerce giant Alibaba, some small villages in eastern China have reinvented themselves as hotspots for e-business. "These famous villages are largely in some of the richer parts of the country. But we are now working with Alibaba to study how these villages actually emerged and if we can use that model for poor villages in the hinterland in the western part of the country," Mr. Hofman said. He believes this is a great opportunity for e-commerce to become a vehicle for people to escape from poverty.

Xu Lin is a reporter with china.org.cn
A child plays beside a model of a huge residential property project in Shanghai. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Prices of new homes in most of China's first-tier cities declined in December, showing that policies to moderate housing prices tailored to local conditions have been effective, said the National Bureau of Statistics.

All first-tier cities apart from Guangzhou recorded lower average prices for new homes in December, according to NBS data, and average prices of all first-tier cities recorded zero month-on-month growth, showing that the fast rise of housing prices in major cities has been curbed, said the NBS, which tracks home prices in 70 cities across China.

In Shanghai, one of the hottest home markets, new home prices went down month-on-month for two consecutive months.

"It is partly because more new homes are now offered only in suburban areas, which affects the average prices of properties. The price trend and transaction volume recorded in the last quarter of 2016 indeed showed that speculative demand has been squeezed out of the market," said Zhou Jing, an analyst with JLL China, real estate services provider.

In second-tier cities, new home prices went up 0.2 percent month-on-month in December, lower than the 0.4 percent in November.

Liu Jianwei, a senior statistician with the NBS, said the new home prices show that the real estate market has shown "positive changes" following the introduction of city-specific residential property market policies. Home price trends in first- and second-tier cities are stable.

"New home prices in third-tier cities rose slightly overall, but the residential property market remains stable," he said.

The average prices in third-tier cities rose 0.4 percent month-on-month in December, lower than 0.8 percent in November.

The government has made it clear that housing is for living, not for speculation, and has pledged a prudent and neutral monetary policy and measures to deflate asset bubbles.

For homebuyers, the current prices in central locations in key cities are still unaffordable.

"It is unlikely I could afford an apartment in an urban area, but as a single man I don't actually need a spacious house. When my income grows, perhaps get married and have a family, I will be thinking of buying a home then," said Huang Weiyi, 24-year-old auditor in Shanghai.
Yu Minhong, famed CEO of New Oriental education, makes speech in China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, on September 23, 2016. [Photo/IC]

China is building a national entrepreneurship and innovation "ecosystem" to cultivate competitive startups and more innovative entrepreneurs, said Wang Jian, founder and CEO of the Entrepreneur's Training Camp at Peking University.

"The ecosystem will foster innovation and provide opportunities for students, graduates and young professionals to start their own businesses," Wang said.

Before Premier Li Keqiang laid out his plans for a mass entrepreneurship and innovation program in 2014, Wang founded the camp in 2012 and vowed to create a rich entrepreneurial atmosphere on and off campus.

Run by the Peking University's alumni association, the training camp offers hands-on entrepreneurship programs, including tutorials, mentoring with figures from established businesses in China, and, in some cases, access to funding.

"Last year we helped around 11,400 individuals," said Wang.

Starting a business can be difficult for students, as many lack experience, networks and funding, according to Liu Yang, founder of Mars Club, a Beijing-based education startup, and a camp alumnus.

"The camp helped me a lot," said Liu. "I gained knowledge and experience from prominent professionals, who made it easier for me to manage our team and also reach for more resources."

China's push to boost entrepreneurism has added "vitality into our nation's economy," said Wang. "With the support of the government, more actions are on the way to eliminate barriers to entrepreneurship."

According to Wang, mass entrepreneurship and innovation can act as an engine to drive economic growth and integrate the production capacity of China's established industries with new advanced technologies offered by startups.

The latest KPMG analysis shows China had venture capital investments of $31 billion in 2016, up 19 percent year-on-year. However, deal volumes declined 42 percent to 300 from 513 in 2015, it said.

"This year will be better," Wang said. "The more rational the entrepreneurs are, the more money investors dare to pour into the market."
BEIJING - Chinese regulators on Wednesday released revised regulations on investment by central State-owned enterprises (SOEs), introducing a "negative list" approach in the supervision of investment projects.

The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council said it will release a negative list detailing two categories of investment projects -- those that are off-limits for entry and those that demand special regulation.

For projects that are not on the list, central SOEs may make investment decisions on their own.

There are currently more than 100 state firms directly regulated by the central government.

The new rules also set stricter requirements for state firms' overseas investment, stipulating that such investment should focus on the firms' main business.

In principle, central state firms are not allowed to conduct non-core business investment overseas, according to the regulation, which aims to enhance risk control for overseas assets.

China's central SOEs made total profits of 1.23 trillion yuan (around $179.6 billion) in 2016, up 0.5 percent year-on-year, earlier official data showed.
BEIJING - China will take proactive employment policies from now to 2020 to create more jobs and support economic growth, the country's cabinet, the State Council said Wednesday.

Employment is the top concern for livelihood and the fundamental support for economic growth, said a statement released after a State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, which passed the 13th Five-Year Plan for promoting employment.

The government will offer more jobs by developing sectors such as advanced manufacturing, modern logistics, healthcare and elderly care and encourage labor-intensive companies to move to central and western regions and the northeastern area where jobs are needed, the statement said.

China will also continue to promote entrepreneurship to create more jobs, especially businesses related with the sharing economy.

The government will reduce barriers to market entry and offer more supportive policies to encourage technical talents and migrant workers to set up their own businesses, the statement said.

For those who have difficulty finding jobs, the government will offer public welfare positions and other support; for those laid off by overcapacity cut drive, more training will be taken to help them find new jobs.

China also encourages enterprises to be more active in creating employment-facilitating information platforms and taking more professional training to help improve the efficiency and quality of the human resource market, according to the statement.
China is close to signing off on seven new free trade zones to accelerate the opening up of more areas, a government official said on Thursday.

Ministry of Commerce spokesman Sun Jiwen said they are working with relevant departments to speed up the establishment of the third batch of FTZs flagged in August.

He said the plan including the exact locations covered by the new zones would be revealed soon after the mandatory approval process.

"We will promote local commercial departments and economic development areas to explore (the path of opening up) through innovating regulations and improving the business environment," Sun said.

In addition, Sun urged the national economic and technological development areas to learn from the successful experience of running the existing FTZs.

The ministry hopes the economic and technological development areas would strive to become demonstration pilots in the next round of FTZs.

There are currently 219 national economic and technological development areas across the country, according to the ministry's website.

Last August, the government gave the green light to seven new FTZs, including Liaoning province, Zhejiang province, Henan province, Hubei province, Sichuan province, Shaanxi province and Chongqing municipality.
The People's Bank of China's Shanghai head office has warned investors in Bitcoin, a virtual currency, against using one of China's major Bitcoin trading platforms.

The bank said that the Shanghai-based platform BTBC has allegedly been operating businesses outside of its approved scope, financing investors against regulations, and failing to put investors' funds into third-party depository as required.

PBOC authorities have visited several Bitcoin trading platforms last week to do on-site check if they are complying.

The authorities focused on whether these platforms have been operating within their approved business scope, manipulating the market, implementing anti-money laundry practices, and safely managing investors' funds.

PBOC found that Bitcoin is not compliant, and should not be regarded and used as a currency in circulation.

The bank warned investors they should be on high alert about their funds' safety.

Contact the writer at wuyiyao@chinadaily.com.cn
Chinese automotive dealers sold 23.9 million sedans in 2016, up 3.8 percent compared to 2015, the latest China Passenger Car Association figures show.

Lavida is the best-selling model with 478,699 cars sold in 2016, followed by Excelle GT and Sylphy, with sales volumes of 370,370 and 367,979 units respectively.

Let's take a look at the most popular sedan models.

No 10 Emgrand EC7

Sales: 223,781
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 are among the topics 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? 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?

Celina Chew, president of Bayer Group Greater China.

A1 China has set 2020 as the target to realize the "centenary goal" of building a moderately prosperous society. This involves doubling both its 2010 GDP and the 2010 per capita income of urban and rural residents. In order to do this, China must maintain medium-to-high rate of economic growth from now until 2020, while prioritizing better quality and more sustainable growth. I expect the government will work to ensure that economic growth in 2017 contributes to this centenary goal. In this regard, an opportunity is the "comprehensive health" concept as well as the "healthy China 2030" blueprint which covers public health services, environment management, the medical industry and food and drug safety. This provides opportunities for industries to contribute. One challenge will be the implementation of reforms.

A2 The main themes of the plan are very much in line with Bayer's philosophy and mission, and our strategy for China. Bayer's development plan in China, as well as globally, is centered on innovation. Innovation has been a key contributor to Bayer's success over 150 years, and will continue to drive its growth. We are also upgrading our manufacturing capabilities. For example, we recently inaugurated the 100 million euro expansion of our pharmaceutical production site in Beijing.

A3 Bayer's global results have shown strong earnings growth for year to date Q3 2016, with an excellent performance from our pharmaceuticals business and contributions from our consumer health and crop science businesses. Our business here has contributed to our global results and Greater China is still the third largest market for Bayer. We are well-positioned to ensure that Greater China will continue to have a positive input for Bayer Group results in 2017.

A4 The stronger US dollar will have a limited impact on Bayer's business in China in 2017 as most of our foreign exchange-related operations are denominated in euro.

A5 China is a key market for Bayer and a driving force for our growth. China is also a major focus of our global strategy. Bayer has invested in China over many years, not only in terms of local production sites for all three of our business divisions (pharmaceuticals, consumer health and crop science) and the acquisition of Chinese businesses, but also in a professional and talented organization. We will continue to invest in China.
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Editor's Note: China's top leaders wrapped up the three-day Central Economic Work Conference on Dec 16. At the tone-setting meeting, policymakers mapped out policy stances for the country's economic development in 2017. China Daily analyzes the tasks and challenges China will face in 2017, to provide an insight into how the world's second-largest economy will tackle thorny restructuring and reform challenges.

Supporting a multilateral trading system is the most effective way of beating sluggish global economic recovery, weak trade and investment activities, a lack of growth momentum and the growing backlash against globalization, according to senior commerce ministry officials.

Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said since joining the World Trade Organization in 2001, China's export volumes and industrial upgrading had notably increased.

Even though the nation has been confronted with various trade remedy investigations of its exports, ranging from high-end iron and steel products to photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, it has promoted the multilateral trading system while also signing a number of free trade agreements with partner countries, he said.

Between January and Dec 21, 2016, rising trade protectionism saw China subjected to 117 trade remedy investigations, worth an estimated $13.98 billion34.5 percent and 71.5 percent year-on-year increase, respectively, data from the ministry show.

In order to restore the country's earning ability, more free trade agreements are in the pipeline with countries such as Israel and the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, while talks with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives are also set to be accelerated this year.

By the end of last year, agreements had either been established, or were being negotiated, between China and 25 countries and regions along the routes of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The initiative, comprising the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013 and aims to boost connectivity and trade across Asia, Africa and Europe.

Officials have also indicated that talks will be accelerated this year on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a proposed free trade pact between 16 economies including Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"The RCEP is usually viewed as a rival trade bloc to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement promoted by the United States," said Zhang Jianping, director of the Commerce Ministry's Research Center for Regional Economic Cooperation.

"But in fact, it was proposed by the ASEAN and has been pushed forward by countries such as Indonesia.

"As it can effectively improve regional trade flows, China immediately responded to the proposal. It is an open platform and we have no intention of isolating any country in terms of conducting trade activities."

Trade liberalization is further being pursued with the plan for a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, which China promoted at the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting in Beijing.

If the FTAAP is achieved, it would cover 40 percent of the world's population and 60 percent of the global economy, making it the biggest trade pact by goods volume, according to a case study by the National University of Singapore.

Zhang Shaogang, director-general of the Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce, said that besides the trade in goods, other cross-border e-commerce activities to be promoted by the joint efforts of governments and companies in the Asia-Pacific region in 2017 include a digital-based trade platform, a green supply chain and database development.

China's current push to stimulate growth by focusing on supply-side structural reform, which aims to cut low-end industrial capacity while increasing high-tech production, is also important, according to Zhou Liujun, director-general of the ministry's department of outward investment and economic cooperation.

"Its efforts in this area can bring economic benefits to many countries that are striving to get their struggling economies back on track," he said.

Yu Jianlong, secretary-general of the China Chamber of International Commerce, predicted that the global trade environment will remain challenging this year, as both the European Union and the United States are undergoing dramatic political changes.

There are also some disputes over the pace and scope of trade liberalization, according to Tu Xinquan, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. "The conditions of every country are different, and the capacity to adopt a policy of liberalization and benefit from it also varies," he said.

"After all, liberalization is a policy orientation that will revert if progress is not achieved. Liberalization that is too slow or stagnant means recession in reality."
Whether it's a small company or young entrepreneurs with little business experience, more people will be able to conduct trade across the world in a way they could only have dreamed about. That's if China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has its way.

The company, based in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, has pledged to knock down trade barriers and allow small- and medium-sized enterprises everywhere to participate more easily in global commerce via the establishment of the Electronic World Trade Platform, also known as the eWTP, a concept envisioned by Alibaba's executive chairman Jack Ma early last year.

"With this flow of information ... all manufacturers and brands, regardless of size and as long as their products are good and they provide a good service, will have an equal opportunity to enter the consumer market," Daniel Zhang, Alibaba's CEO, said.

Speaking during a cross-border e-commerce event held at the company's headquarters in December, Zhang said that the internet played the most important role in the establishment of the eWTP, which was mentioned in the G20 Leaders' communique following their meeting in Hangzhou in September.

Leveraging big data to forecast consumption trends and improve the operating efficiency of the global supply chain will be one of the top priorities of Alibaba's globalization strategy, he added.

According to Zhang, the company will soon establish a pilot project in Hangzhou to test the eWTP with real businesses and hopefully take the project to a wider number of outlets in China so it will eventually be adopted across the world.

Many foreign brands have already used Alibaba's platforms to make forays into China. Last year, the company's Tmall Global, which enables international brands to sell online directly to Chinese consumers, saw the number of categories of imported products climb by nearly 50 percent to 3,700. Now, more than 14,500 international brands from 63 countries and regions feature on Tmall Global.

The ultimate goal of the eWTP is to enable people to conduct trade anywhere in the world, not just China. However, that seems a long shot because it will require low import duties, rapid customs clearances and better access to logistics.

To achieve that aim, the platform will require strong support from governments around the world, and some national leaders have already come on board. For example, in December, the Thai Ministry of Commerce signed a comprehensive partnership deal with Alibaba in an attempt to enable the country's SMEs to conduct e-commerce business in and outside Thailand.

Luigi Gambardella, president of ChinaEU, a business-led International Association in Brussels, said he expects the eWTP initiative to be endorsed by a larger number of international leaders.

"The solution to today's economic slowdown is to increase the inclusion of global trade and improve the involvement of SMEs," he said.

"The eWTP will provide SMEs with a transparent and open platform to sell their goods and services globally, thus facilitating their inclusion in cross-border e-trade."

However, he stressed that the final goal should be e-commerce without borders that will give consumers the freedom to shop online without limitations.
Chinese companies will likely continue to be a major driver of cross-border mergers and acquisitions this year, but their outbound investment activities may grow at a slower rate as a result of the rising number of political and economic uncertainties internationally, according to analysts.

In the first three quarters of 2016, China became the biggest acquiring nation in global cross-border M&A for the first time. Chinese companies completed 671 outbound M&A deals worth a total of $164.3 billion, nearly triple the amount during the same period in 2015, according to a recent report by the multinational accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The largest deal last year was the $43 billion acquisition of Syngenta, the Swiss pesticides and seeds group, by China National Chemical Corp, a State-owned chemicals giant.

Based on 2016 corporate results, analysts said China's outbound investment will continue to grow, but companies may face greater uncertainties as issues such as the Brexit negotiations, the presidency of Donald Trump and elections in Europe dominate the news cycle.

"China's outbound M&A activities probably won't continue their high growth rate in 2017 because of the uncertainties," said Jennifer Zhang, a financial researcher at deal data provider Mergermarket.

"The control on capital outflows, against the backdrop of a weaker yuan, is also making companies think twice about their outbound M&A strategies," she added.

Given the economic and political uncertainties in the world's developed economies, some analysts said Chinese companies should diversify their overseas investments and pay more attention to projects in emerging markets.

Zhang Xiangchen, China's deputy international trade representative, said the country should broaden its overseas trade and investment channels, with a focus on countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Between January and November 2016, China's outbound direct investment to countries and regions along the proposed route of the Belt and Road reached $13.35 billion, accounting for 8.3 percent of the country's total ODI value during the period, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.

Huo Jianguo, vice-chairman of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies, said Chinese companies should carefully control the pace of their overseas investments in the more complex and volatile global economic environment.

"To avoid investment losses, companies should have a sound and complete investment plan with deep knowledge of the political, legal and business environment of the destination country," he said.
A Vietnamese worker welds in the body shop at the Ford automotive plant in the northern Vietnamese province of Hai Duong in January. [Photo/Agencies]

Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan grew up on a small plot of land in rural Vietnam, with just enough food to eat, few new clothes and no disposable income.

Today she works in a Ford factory assembling cars from Chinese, Thai, American and European parts, her children drink imported milk and Coca-Cola and she holidays with her familywinners of the globalization lottery.

"Before, children didn't have a lot of clothes or food, but life improved after their parents got factory jobs," Loan, 36, said at the Ford plant near Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital.

She is among millions whose lives have been transformed by Vietnam's free trade embrace, a process that began in the 1980s and has hauled the nation out of the penury of the post-war years.

Vietnam now boasts one of Southeast Asia's fastest growing economies, driven by exports of cheaply made goods from Nike shoes to Samsung phones.

"By going global, by going regional, Vietnam has clearly reaped the benefits of globalization," World Bank Vietnam Country Director Ousmane Dione said, citing large reductions in poverty.

Farms to freeways

A glance around Hai Duong, 50 kilometers from the capital, reveals why Vietnam has staked its future on free trade.

Since Ford first opened its doors 20 years ago, the area has morphed from an agrarian backwater into an industrial zone peppered with foreign-owned factories churning out electronics, clothing and machinery.

Vegetable plots and fishing ponds have been replaced by a four-lane highway for trucks carrying goods for export.

Held back by years of war and crippling Soviet-style policies, Vietnam has boasted an annual GDP growth of more than 5 percent for the past five years straightthough it failed to reach its ambitious target last year.

The country first opened its economy to foreign companies in the 1980s and investment gathered pace after the US scrapped a war-era trade embargo in 1994.

Exports now account for 90 percent of GDP, while the average annual income has surged from about $290 two decades ago to around $2,100 today, according to the World Bank.

In Hai Duong, the average Ford factory worker can earn more than twice thatalthough it is still a far cry from the average US manufacturing wage of about $43,000.

"Everything has changed," said Nguyen Van Tuan, 48, a part-time chauffeur, who grew up in a house made of mud and straw.

Today Tuan is proud of his three-story concrete homebuilt from the $800 Ford paid for his land 20 years ago. It sits on a paved road dotted with shops selling iPhones and Japanese badminton rackets.

For Ford, Vietnam's abundance of cheap labor and expanding domestic market is a magnetit sells cars to an upwardly mobile middle class.

Agence France-Presse
British leader Theresa May delivers a speech about leaving the European Union in London, on Jan 17, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Finance executives said they are preparing for the worst on Brexit after Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday that the United Kingdom will quit the European Union's single market.

"If you don't know where you are going, you have to plan for the worst and execute faster," HSBC Holdings Chairman Douglas Flint said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"This isn't rocket science. Businesses want to know, 'what is the ambition? And how does one deal with the transition? Is it the dreaded cliff edge or is there some kind of standstill'."

Banks, bracing for the loss of their right to sell services freely around the EU from London, are set to start the process of moving operations into the eurozone within weeks of the government triggering Brexit talks, which is scheduled to happen by the end of March. The prime minister said on Tuesday that she expects Britain to leave the single market and overhaul its links to the customs union, according to a person familiar with the matter.

UBS Group AG Chairman Axel Weber, said the "working assumption" is that banks will lose access. "It's important to create optionality now, but let's see what the final agreement is," he said in Davos.

Contingency plans

Martin Gilbert, chief executive officer of Aberdeen Asset Management, said it was time for banks to decide whether they were going to move to Dublin, Paris or Frankfurt.

"You have to work out where you are going and you have to plan for the worst and hope for the best," Gilbert said.

Global bank chiefs have warned May that they will soon start shifting operations and jobs from the UK to elsewhere in Europe unless she can protect their easy access to its market.

To avoid the need for pre-emptive staff moves outside Britain, banking leaders have asked for an interim agreement soon after May triggers the Article 50 exit clause, kicking off a two-year transition period. None have so far moved people abroad or formally applied for banking licenses.

It's "still premature" to make decisions on Brexit, said Brian Moynihan, president of Bank of America, in Davos. "London will be an important part of our company no matter what. We have to wait for the rules to get developed."

Standard Chartered has approached Irish and German officials about making Dublin or Frankfurt its legal base inside the EU once Britain begins the formal process of withdrawing, people familiar with the discussions said in December.

Citigroup is in discussions with German regulator BaFin about moving some of its equity and interest-rate derivatives traders to Frankfurt from London, Bloomberg reported in December.

House hunting

In September, UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti said he may have to move as many as 1,500 jobs from the UK to elsewhere in the region after Brexit. Before the June 23 referendum, HSBC said a vote to quit the EU would likely see the bank relocate as many 1,000 people to Paris. JPMorgan said at the time that 4,000 jobs could be at risk.

Ireland's minister in charge of financial services said he expects a wave of UK-based companies to decide to relocate to the country by the middle of this year.

Bloomberg
Matt Damon, US actor.

US movie star Matt Damon used Davos to drum up support for his charity, Water, 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 said at a panel discussion hosted by the Anheuser-Busch InBev beer brand at the World Economic Forum.

The charity 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.

"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 the charity, at a time when 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," Ricardo Tadeu, AB InBev's head of Africa, said.

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 as Latin America.

"We've been able to see tangible results and a tangible impact," said Christina Choi, global brand vice-president of 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 are donated to Damon's 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 more than 225,000 glasses and donated more than $3 million to the charity. 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- and 12-pack of beer purchased in the United States and Britain.

Reuters
A visitor looks at a smartphone by Huawei Technologies Co Ltd at an international telecoms exhibition in Beijing. Huawei sold 139 million handsets in 2016, up 29 percent from the previous year. [Photo by Nan Shan/For China Daily]

Six former employees of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's third-largest smartphone maker, have been arrested by police, for allegedly leaking commercial secrets to rivals.

News portal sina.com reported on Wednesday that an internal letter issued by Huawei's consumer unit, which includes its smartphone business, said that the six, chiefly engineers and smartphone designers, had been arrested.

The incident came as the Shenzhen-based company is engaged in a fierce battle for market dominance with players such as Oppo Electronics Corp and Coolpad Group Ltd.

According to the report by Sina, the six were suspected of leaking commercial secrets to Coolpad and its largest shareholder LeEco after some of them left Huawei to join the two companies.

Huawei confirmed to China Daily that six of its former employees were arrested, but said the case has nothing to do with LeEco and CoolPad. LeEco also denied the report.

Xiang Ligang, a smartphone expert and CEO of the telecoms industry website cctime.com, said the dispute underlines once again that China is the world's most competitive smartphone market, with the largest number of handset vendors.

"For any new player which wants to scale up rapidly, such as LeEco, it has no other choice but to poach experienced talent from established companies," Xiang added.

In 2016, Huawei shipped 139 million handsets, up 29 percent year-on-year, International Data Corp said.

Huawei's stellar growth has lured rivals to vie for its talent with handsome salary packages.

Last year, a string of ex-Huawei senior executives joined LeEco and CoolPad.

Liu Jiangfeng, the former president of Huawei's smartphone sub-brand Honor, took the helm of CoolPad's smartphone business in August.

Xu Xinquan, former president of Huawei's e-commerce business, joined LeEco last year.

Fu Liang, an independent telecom analyst, said the case also highlighted that employees should raise their legal awareness, attaching high importance to employers' confidentiality agreements.

"It is crucial to protect intellectual properties," Fu said.

Last month, Ren Zhengfei, founder and CEO of Huawei, said at an internal meeting that the company would step up staff management and crack down on corruption and bribery.
Major Chinese ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing has signed a data-sharing deal with the Shenzhen government in a bid to improve the city's traffic.

Under the deal, the Beijing-based company will work with the local traffic regulator Shenzhen Municipal Transportation Commission to build a big data platform, using algorithms and data analytics to facilitate public transportation management.

Didi will combine its data collected by its ride-sharing service with information about trips taken on the city's buses, subways, taxi and public bicycles to power a smart transportation system.

It will also step up a joint venture with the Shenzhen Municipal Bus Group to provide consumers with real-time bus information, tailor-made transportation services and help optimize traffic management.

Didi did not disclose when the new firm will be established or the size of its investment.

This is Didi's latest effort to enter into public-private partnerships with the transportation sector.

In 2016, Didi inked similar agreements with Shenyang, Guiyang, Chengdu and other major cities in China.
Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming posts a photo of his fist together with the fist of his newborn baby boy on Tuesday, January 17, 2017. [Photo/Weibo account of Huang Xiaoming]

Chinese actress Angelababy has become a mother.

The 27-year-old actress gave birth to a baby boy on Tuesday morning (January 17, 2017) in Hong Kong.

Her husband, 39-year-old actor Huang Xiaoming, was right by her side as the couple welcomed their new bundle of joy.

The couple has revealed that their baby boy is named Xiaohaimian, literally translating to "Little Sponge".

No other details of the birth have been disclosed so far.

The baby is the first child for the pair.

Angelababy, whose real name is Yang Ying, began her career as a model before moving into the film scene.

Huang Xiaoming got his break in television shows before heading for the big screen.

The star couple tied the knot in Shanghai in October of 2015.

Related:

Chinese star Andy Lau fractures spine from horse riding accident

Adele says she battled depression, before and after son's birth
China and Tajikistan are discussing the possibility of establishing a free trade zone in bordering counties to expand trade in agricultural products, a high-ranking Tajik leader told China Daily on Wednesday.

The free trade area is likely to be in Taxkorgan Tajik autonomous county in the southwest of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, said Matlubkhon Davlatov, first deputy prime minister of Tajikistan. The county borders Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan from north to south, with an 889-km frontier.

"China and Tajikistan should make the most of their geographic proximity and economic complementarity to deepen cooperation on the basis of equality and reciprocity," Davlatov said.

Davlatov is leading the Tajik trade mission at the third China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. The expo, under the theme "Opening-Up, Mutual Trust, Co-Development", has attracted 1,565 enterprises from more than 49 countries and regions.

"The third expo has signaled the great progress Eurasian countries have achieved in economic and trade cooperation," Davlatov said.

In July, the first batch of Tajik cherries was exported to the Chinese market. It was the first time that Central Asian fruit was introduced to China.

"As an important platform, the expo has helped regional states establish and further strengthen their business connections, which include promoting investment projects and sharing experiences," he said.

Tajikistan also sees the expo as an opportunity to learn from China's latest achievements in economic development, culture, and science and technology, Davlatov said. Despite the stagnant global economy, the two countries have made breakthroughs in agricultural partnership and border port construction, he added.

China and Tajikistan established a strategic partnership in May during Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon's official visit to Beijing. The two countries also promised to boost joint efforts to combat separatism, extremism and terrorism, as well as drug-related crimes.

On the issue of Afghanistan, both Beijing and Dushanbe oppose any external forces' intervention in the domestic affairs of Central Asian nations, and they warn that doing so would undermine regional stability.

"China-Tajikistan relations are characterized by deep trust, multilateral cooperation and comprehensive engagement," Davlatov stressed.

Rashid Alimov, the Tajik ambassador to China, said ahead of Davlatov's visit, "Today, we can say with responsibility that there are no problems or any 'irritants' between Tajikistan and China.

"The border issue left by history has been fully and definitively resolved, and an effective mechanism has also been put in place for bilateral relations. In essence, Tajik-Chinese cooperation reflects the real national interests of the two countries and acts as a solid backbone of regional cooperation."

China has been Tajikistan's third-largest trading partner for years, with bilateral trade volume surpassing $2 billion in 2012, 15 times that of a decade ago. China has also invested a great deal in Tajikistan's energy development and its infrastructure, including construction of the country's national power transmission grids and many major roads.

Up to 60 percent of bilateral trade goes through the high-altitude Kulma-Karasu checkpoint on the Tajik-Chinese border, Alimov said.

Tajikistan aims to seek closer ties with China's western region, Davlatov said.

"Xinjiang and Tajikistan have many similarities, and the expo is an example of the booming comprehensive business system that boosts economic exchanges and trust," he said.

Davlatov applauded the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's positive role in maintaining peace and stability in Central Asia, especially in counterterrorism, saying that Tajikistan will continue to work closely with SCO member states to safeguard regional security and expand cooperation in other areas.

"After the Bishkek summit, Tajikistan will take the chair of the SCO for the second time in the organization's short history. We are striving to make a great contribution to the development of SCO and will do our best to strengthen our cooperation," Alimov said.

Zhou Wa contributed to this story.
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have denounced the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia as irresponsible for branding acupuncture as a pseudoscience and its benefits as a placebo.

Acupuncture and TCM in general, according to its entry on Wikipedia English, are "fraught with pseudoscience" and not based on "widely accepted" scientific knowledge.

"The efficacy of acupuncture has been proven by history and it has been widely practiced in China and abroad," said Li Zhenji, vice-chairman of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies.

"It's irresponsible to list the medical technique as pseudoscience."

Statistics from the World Health Organization show that acupuncture has been practiced globally in 103 countries besides China.

In 18 of them acupuncture is also covered under their health insurance schemes, which demonstrates recognition of its efficacy, said Li.

Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, has urged the Chinese government to promote acupuncture and TCM worldwide.

She made the remarks while visiting the Medical History Museum of the Chinese Medical Association in Shanghai in November.

Li urged Wikipedia, which is based on user-edited content, to make immediate changes to its article on acupuncture.

TCM supporters have petitioned the Wikimedia Foundation, which operate the website, but a spokeswoman told the Beijing-based Legal Evening News that Wikipedia content is contributed to and edited by users.

She said the foundation would follow the issue closely but couldn't make any changes itself.

Liu Naigang, a veteran acupuncturist of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said the Wikipedia entry "won't change people's perceptions of acupuncture, particularly in China".

Each day, he receive nearly 30 patients seeking the therapy, he said.
A researcher from the Chinese Academy of Sciences examines the Dalian Coherent Light Source. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese scientists have built the brightest extreme ultraviolet light in the world for capturing atoms and molecules that will reveal laws of the micro-material world.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences announced on Sunday that they have successfully developed the Dalian Coherent Light Source, which can generate the brightest extreme ultraviolet free-electron laser light.

"We expect the new facility will become a new machine for important scientific discoveries and international scientific collaborations," said Zheng Yonghe, director of the policy bureau at the National Natural Science Foundation of China, which funded the organization of the project.

Most physical-chemical processes that take place in our daily lives, such as the formation of pollution haze, essentially involve changes of atoms and molecules. As a result, scientists need tools that can help the mob serve the movement of atoms and molecules so that they can understand or even utilize these physical-chemical processes.

"That is why we need to develop free-electron laser light sources, which have wide applications in the study of basic energy science, chemistry, physics and atmospheric sciences," said Yang Xueming, deputy director of the academy's Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and a member of the academy.

In order to catch fish in deep water, fisherman usually fish at night, using a bright light source to attract both the fish and members of their food chain.

When smaller fish, insects or shrimp swim toward the light and the big ones follow them, they are harvested in one clean sweep.

Like the light that attracts fish to the surface of the water, free-electron laser light can charge up atoms and molecules and expose them to electromagnetic detectors.

A series of high-gain free-electron laser light source facilities in the X-ray and soft X-ray region-a special energy band of light wavehave been successfully developed across the world.

However, free-electron laser light sources in the energy band of extreme ultravioleta band with lower energy than X-ray or soft X-rayhave not been developed, Yang said.

"Extreme ultraviolet free-electron laser light sources are especially useful for sensitive detection of atoms, molecules and clusters as well as probing valence electronic structures of all kinds of materials," he said.

The Dalian Coherent Light Source was collaboratively developed by the academy's Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Institute of High Energy Physics and Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics; the University of Science and Technology of China; and Tsinghua University.

Contact the writers at zhangxiaomin@chinadaily.com.cn
The People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force have halted 40 percent of their commercial activities as part of the ongoing military reform, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Decommercialization efforts will now focus on five fields - house rentals, agricultural and livestock production, hospitality services, medical services, and research and development - the report said on Tuesday.

Governments in provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangdong, have set up interdepartmental teams to work with military authorities to push forward the efforts, it said, adding that most business owners who rented houses from or used commercial services of the military received local government assistance.

The Supreme People's Court has also established a panel to help the military deal with related legal and judiciary affairs, Xinhua said.

In February, the Central Military Commission ordered the PLA and the Armed Police Force to eradicate all commercial activities within three years. The top military body requested units stop signing new contracts and negotiate with civilian clients to cancel existing ones.

The Chinese military started running its own businesses in the mid-1980s to offset a sharp decrease in the defense budget ordered by then-leader Deng Xiaoping.

In 1992, the Central Military Commission officially approved commercial activities by the PLA and the Armed Police Force.

Senior Colonel Gong Fangbin, a political education researcher at PLA National Defense University, said several corruption cases involving senior officers were closely connected to the military's commercial activities.

The military's involvement in commercial sectors also aroused public suspicion about whether the PLA was focused on honing its combat capabilities and whether defense funds were properly used.

The closure of the military's businesses would help uproot the hotbed of corruption within the armed forces and enable them to concentrate on combat readiness, Gong said.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
China remains a "highly attractive" destination for companies from the United States, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Wednesday, refuting a survey report published on the same day by a US business organization.

In the 2017 China Business Climate Survey Report, the American Chamber of Commerce in China said more than 80 percent of its 462 member companies surveyed "feel foreign businesses are less welcome in China than before", and more than 60 percent expressed a lack of confidence in the Chinese government's commitment to further opening China's markets.

In response, Hua quoted statistics issued by the Ministry of Commerce, which show that the US' actual investment in China witnessed a year-on-year increase of 52.6 percent in 2016.

"The speed and extent of the openness of China's markets is obvious to all," Hua said.

She also echoed a speech delivered by President Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, in which the president said "China will keep its door wide open and not close it".

"An open door allows other countries to access Chinese markets, and China itself to integrate with the world," Xi said. "We hope that other countries will also keep their doors open to Chinese investors and keep the playing field level for us."

On Jan 12, the State Council issued a notice in which it asked authorities at different levels to implement 20 measures it had designed in order to make more active use of foreign investment and to create a more favorable environment for business.

On Wednesday, Hua reiterated that the essence of China-US trade is mutually beneficial, and China "welcomes all countries to invest here".

Li Gang, vice-president of the Ministry of Commerce's Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said he doesn't believe China will turn to protectionism.

"It is not only China which benefits from its policy of opening up - opening up drives reform. The more open China is, the more its development will benefit," he said. "It is also a favorable situation for the rest of the world."

A major reason for US companies feeling "less welcome" is that China is improving its institutions concerning foreign investment, leading to higher and stricter standards, Li said.

China "attaches great importance" to foreign investment, especially in the sectors of high-end manufacturing and modern services, he added.

wangqingyun@chinadaily.com.cn
China encourages private investment in education

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-01-19 09:20

BEIJING - The State Council, China's cabinet, has issued a guideline on private education.



Private institutes should reinforce the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and they should cover socialist core values throughout their curriculum and increase teacher and student confidence in the guiding theories, political system and culture of the country, said the guideline.



The guideline said investment into private education should be made easier, and there should be multiple channels from which private schools can source funding.



Li Xiaohong, vice minister of education, said Wednesday that there should be no restrictions on non-governmental investment in education, as long as the investment adheres to laws and regulations, and it is not detrimental to third-party interests, public interests or national security.



In order to encourage private education attendance, students will be able to access the same student loans, scholarships and other state aid as those who attend state schools, Li said.



Funds, including government allowances, procurement services, student loans and philanthropic scholarships, will be also be made available to the private education sector.



In addition, private schools should raise the quality of both education and management.



Local education departments must release standards in accordance with local conditions to improve private education.



Two related rules released on Wednesday also noted that social organizations and individuals are allowed to run for-profit private institutions of higher learning, senior high schools, professional high schools and kindergartens. They are not allowed, however, to run for-profit private primary schools and junior high schools, said the rules jointly published by the Ministry of Education and several other agencies.



By the end of 2016, China had 171,000 private schools, 8,253 more than that a year ago, with more than 48.25 million students, 2.54 million more than in 2015.
A man in Changsha, Central China's Hunan province has returned about 1.2 billion yuan ($175 million dollars) mistakenly sent by a bank, Beijing Youth Daily reports.

The man surnamed Liu said that he opened an account at a bank branch of the Rural Commercial Bank in Changsha on January 15th, and later he received a call from the bank asking him to return a large sum of money mistakenly sent by the bank.

The bank told him that a new employee mistook Liu's 10-digit account number for a transfer amount and sent 1.2 billion yuan to Liu. Liu forgave the mistake and returned the money to the bank, and in return the bank gave him a packet of cigarettes and a red envelope of 200 yuan ($29 dollars).
A man suspected to be behind two bus explosions in Foshan's Nanais district has been detained, according to a statement released by Nanhai district bureau of public security on Thursday.

Liang, 22, who was detained in a house he rented in Pingzhou township at about 11 pm on Wednesday, has admitted that he had caused the blasts, the statement said.

The first blast occurred when a rubbish tin inside a bus exploded in Nanhai district's Fopingsan Road at 3:37 pm on Wednesday. The second explosion occurred 30 minutes later. Six people suffered minor injuries in the two blasts.

The incidents alarmed the provincial government as they took place when Guangdong is holding its two sessions of the province's People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Guangdong provincial department of public security immediately dispatched a special team to Nanhai to help investigate the case.

Liang, who was detained within seven hours of investigation, admitted that he had carried out the two explosions, the statement added.

The motive behind the blasts is still not clear.
Lin Xiaofen (R) and her boyfriend have another kind of relationship  blood receiver and donor. [Photo from the web]

In an extraordinary case of blood donation, the fates of the donor and beneficiary became tied together for life, reported Chongqing Morning Post.

Nine years ago, Lin Xiaofen went to a hospital in Taipei after getting very sick. She fell into coma and suffered massive blood loss. She was only able to make a narrow escape after receiving a large blood transfusion.

Recently, Lin shared the experience with her boyfriend Lian Zhicheng. The man, who is a frequent blood donor, jokingly asked: "Maybe it is my blood?"

Curiously, Lin checked the records of the hospital. To her surprise, the donor who saved her nine years ago was actually her boyfriend.

Lian said humorously: "Go donate your blood now, because you have a chance to bring a wife home."
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SW China villages work to break 'curse' of poverty, isolation

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-01-19 15:41

NANNING - "Cursed by devils" -- that is what the locals say about Qibainong.



Named after the rugged karst landforms that surround it, the township has been identified as one of the most inhospitable places on earth by UN officials.



Giant funnel-like depressions dot the landscape, draining all the water to the bottom -- the only place where humans can survive in this part of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.



More than 1,300 such funnels cover the region, some over 300 meters deep. The harsh landforms have trapped 20,000 residents in extreme poverty for decades. Now half the population still lives below the poverty line.



Rooftop pools and two small ponds built 15 years ago collect rainwater, their only source of drinking water.



"The water is not clean, but we have no other choice," villager Qin Hongguan told Xinhua.



Scattered patches of arable land, some only the size of a few hands, support limited crops -- mostly corn. But the food grown here is never enough to feed the locals.



Despite the severe food shortage, families are big.



Most residents are of the Yao ethnic minority and were never subject to China's one-child policy. Due to the old notion that more children bring more blessings, it is not rare to see families with more than five children. One young man in his mid-30s is already the father of eight children.



All these factors have contributed to the poverty in the region. Many children are left behind without proper schooling when their parents go elsewhere to work. Without proper care, their lives promise little more than those of their parents.



A significant number of hamlets in the township still do not have roads. Residents run errands on horseback.



However, change is expected soon. Local governments are building roads for every village with more than 20 households. Relocation has been proposed for those who live in extremely remote areas.



Yanyan village got its first road in 2015, and Yang Langang is more than happy to see the construction of her first brick-and-concrete house.



"We had to live in a ramshackle wooden house for 30 years because it was impossible to transport steel bars and cement here," she said.

New business opportunities come with the new roads.



Local governments invested one million yuan (145,840 U.S. dollars) to build a 1,000-square-meter scorpion farm last year, which has already relieved poverty for 10 households. Scorpions are sold for high prices in China as food and medicine.



The governments are also encouraging locals to raise chickens by offering poor households subsidies and dividends. Qibainong residents are raising a total of 160,000 chickens, which can sell for about 100 yuan each.



These efforts lifted 389 households out of poverty last year, and local authorities plan to bring all people out of poverty by 2018.



China, the world's largest developing nation, aims to lift all of its poor out of poverty by 2020.



"The most important part is finding an appropriate industry that fits the local environment and gives residents a stable income," said Yang Longwen, a local official.
More than 50 people were detained in Shenzhen last year for refusing to pay more than 30 million yuan owed to employees, the city's labor and public security officials said on Thursday.

In the most serious case, a local technology company owed more than 1,000 of its employees nearly 21 million yuan.

In most cases, 68.9 percent, the amount involved was less than 500,000 yuan.

More than half of the unlawful practices occurred in the manufacturing industry, according to the officials.

Of the 87 cases filed last year, 48 were related to manufacturing.

Catering and accommodation took up about 5.7 percent, while 5 per cent of offences related to architecture.

Unpaid wages also started to appear in Shenzhen's financial sector, with five cases occuring last year.

"The majority of suspects still adopt the traditional way of escaping or hiding, but some use a new method to achieve their goal by transferring assets," Lin Danping, deputy head of the city's labor inspection unit, said.

"We will strengthen cooperation with public security departments to combat such practices and hold those suspects responsible according to the law."

Cai Chengrong from the public security bureau of Shenzhen said that compared with 2015, the number of cases filed and suspects detained both declined in 2016.

"This indicates that our crackdown efforts have taken effect and malpractice has been effectively curbed," he said.

The issue of labor remuneration is a widespread concern, especially as traditional Chinese New Year approaches and a large number of migrant workers in Shenzhen finish a year's work and return home.

However, some of them do not go home with all the wages they have earned.

To try to prevent this, Shenzhen has been stepping up efforts to crack down on the illegal act since October.

By the end of last year, 8,447 enterprises and organizations had been inspected, involving more than 730,000 people.

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com
The mug/pot set with the implication of peace and good luck for the Chinese Year of the Roost which falls on January 28 has been designed by Jeff Dayu Shi. [Provided to www.chinadaily.com.cn]

Chengdu resident Wan Xiang had a pleasant surprise recently when she received an unusual gift for the Chinese Year of the Rooster.

"Its a unique mug (and) pot set with the implication of peace and good luck in the Chinese Year of the Rooster, the 67-year-old pensioner said.

Wan Xiang was born into an intellectual family in Chongqing where her grandfather was a good friend of Zhang Daqian and Xu Beihong, two master Chinese painters. She saw paintings of the two masters.

Wan Xiang worked in the Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum for many years before she retired in 2004. In the museum dedicated to Du Fu (AD712-770), one of the greatest Chinese poets, she saw countless precious artworks.

But she is so impressed with the mug and pot set designed by Jeff Dayu Shi, a master American designer, that she would show it to visiting friends.

Shi was born in 1964 to parents moving to Taiwan from the Chinese mainland in 1949. At 21, he left Taiwan to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and later worked as a designer for luxury jewelry company Harry Winston.

In 1996, he won the DeBeers Diamonds International Award, equivalent to the Oscars of the jewelry world.

He was honored with the Red Dot Design Award four years in a row from 2009 to 2012 for designs including the Twins Round/Square Teapot Set and the bamboo chairs Jun-Zi and Qin-Jian. He also won the German Design Award 2016.

Shi loves to incorporate bamboo and other natural materials in his designs.

From the Wei Kingdom (AD220-265) in the Three Kingdom period (AD220-280) to the early Tang Dynasty (AD618-907), the rooster was often used in the design of drinking utensils in China with the intention of praying for good luck and expelling evil, Shi said.

The mix of bamboo and the rooster is commonly seen in the artworks of modern master Chinese painters Qi Baishi and Xu Beihong.

As a child, Shi often saw his mother painting bamboo and the rooster in this style.

Inspired by his early experience, Shi transferred the idyllic concept into the design of his recent mug and pot set.

Emulating the design of bamboo joint teapots from the Qing Dynasty (AD1644-1911) and rooster pots from the Wei Kingdom to the Tang Dynasty, Shis set implies peace and good luck, for bamboo has the connotation of peace in China and the pronunciation of the rooster is similar to good luck in Chinese.
Moving some colleges out of central Beijing, either to the suburbs or other cities, is necessary to ease overcrowding, according to political advisers, but any new locations will first need to meet the demands of employees.

The capital's wealth of high-quality education resources has long attracted large numbers of people from across China, contributing to chronic congestion and putting a strain on public services.

To alleviate the problem, the city government last year released its five-year plan for education development, which aims to keep higher-education institutes "small"  geographically and in terms of enrollment  as well as relocate some university facilities for undergraduates from central areas.

Overcrowding and urban planning were major talking points at the annual session of the Beijing committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top advisory body, which concluded on Tuesday.

"It's almost imperative that some colleges and universities leave the city, but we expect it will be a long process," Yuan Jixi, a member of the committee and deputy director of Renmin University of China's School of Chinese Classics, told China Daily during a break in discussions.

In the process, he said, the government will need to solve a series of potential problems facing university employees, such as the quality of life, schools, public amenities and employment opportunities in the new locations. These employees need to be "willing and happy to move", Yuan added.

Beijing's education sector includes more than 90 higher-education institutes, the most among Chinese cities, and employs hundreds of thousands of people.

Yuan said China could learn from developed countries that not only have top colleges and universities in the capital, but also have a balanced distribution of quality higher-education resources nationwide.

Beijing City University, which has 23,000 undergraduates as well as 1,700 teachers and administrative employees, began to relocate its facilities from Haidian district to suburban Shunyi district in the second half of 2015.

About 5,000 students and almost 1,000 teachers and employees moved to the new campus that year, followed by the relocation of another 10,000 students in 2016. The university expects to bring all its undergraduates to the campus in Shunyi by next year.

The university, which specializes in subjects including environmental sciences, logistics and vehicle maintenance and repair, anticipates attracting 30,000 to 50,000 people in related industries to relocate with it to Shunyi.

Guan Ping, a geology professor at Peking University and Beijing CPPCC committee member, said the relocation plan would ease the overcrowding of downtown and allow colleges to potentially move to larger and more modern campuses.

"Which institutions should relocate and which should not will depend on individual development targets and the capital's development plan as a whole," he said.

For example, he added, authorities aim to make Beijing into a hub of culture, science and technology, which means institutions that focus on other fields might leave.
President Xi Jinping announced on Wednesday that China will provide an additional 200 million yuan ($29.1 million) in humanitarian assistance to help refugees and the homeless in the Syrian crisis.

In his keynote speech at the United Nations' Geneva headquarters on "Working Together to Build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind", Xi said the world is facing many uncertainties and people are expecting a brighter future despite frustration with the current situation.

"When our neighbors have difficulties, we should offer a hand rather than just tighten our fences," he said, adding that China's determination to safeguard world peace will not change.

Through various channels, China provided nine packages of humanitarian aid worth 685 million yuan to Syria and neighboring countries by January last year, according to Liu Jieyi, China's ambassador to the UN.

In November, Xie Xiaoyan, China's special envoy on the Syrian issue, said the Chinese government was implementing a plan to provide 230 million yuan in humanitarian aid and 10,000 tons of food assistance to Syria and the region.

All countries should be treated equally, no matter how big or small, Xi said, and no country should wage war willfully. Cultural differences should not become the root for conflicts, but rather the engine for mankind's progress, he said.

Nuclear weapons should be banned and destroyed to establish a nuclear-free world, he said.

During his speech, the Chinese president called on big powers to manage disputes and respect each other's core interests. The deep sea and aerospace should be new fields for cooperation rather than arenas for competition, he said.

Trade protectionism will harm both sides involved and should be opposed, Xi said while calling for open and inclusive trade under the rules of the World Trade Organization.

Hua Liming, a former Chinese ambassador to Iran and now a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, said, "While some big countries have been directly involved in the Syrian issue, the Chinese government has been consistently engaged in diplomatic efforts to push forward the political resolution of the Syria issue through peaceful negotiations."

Such efforts as well as humanitarian aid have been effective, Hua added.

Xi returned to Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

Contact the writers at anbanjie@chinadaily.com.cn
Michael Moore continues liberal cries; calls on Americans to protest and stage 100 days of resistance

Michael Moore has expanded  both in poundage and misled ideology  since the late 1980s, when he filmed his debut documentary, Roger & Me, which chronicled the aftermath in Flint, Michigan, when Roger Smith, the Chairman and CEO of General Motors, decided to close a production plant there. Thousands of hard working Americans, all of whom probably voted for Trump, were laid off during those first globalist waves that sucked automotive jobs out of Michigan and into Mexico.

You might think Michael Moore would appreciate Trumps anti-globalist stance, but that isnt the case. Hes using his liberal platform and notoriety to mock and disrespect the man who began saving jobs even before taking office.

Mr. Moore is fired up, reports Breitbart. He is calling for Trumpss first 100 days in office to be filled with protests and resistance actions. And he and many other groups that are forming around the nation will be relentless and stay busy, busy, busy, attempting to do just that.

Speaking on lame stream medias MSNBC, Moore appears almost giddy as he anticipates wide participation in the Womens March on Washington, which takes place in the nations capital one day after the inauguration. Moore declares that the incoming president is unhinged, and hopes his administrations time and season will be potentially short lived. He doesnt elaborate on exactly what he means by that statement. Moore also declares that he, along with hundreds of other activist groups have to throw everything at [stopping Trump]  .

Before the election, Moore was interviewed by Rolling Stone. The conversation took place shortly after he had completed a couple of one man shows in Wilmington, Ohio, that became a quickly edited project entitled Michael Moore in Trumpland. The film showcases Moores support for Clinton, but as EW.com concludes, some of the movies dialogue actually explains why Donald Trump won. Heres an excerpt:

So on Nov. 8, the dispossessed will walk into the voting booth, be handed a ballot, close the curtain, and take that lever or felt pen or touch screen and put a big fing X in the box by the name of the man who has threatened to upend and overturn the very system that has ruined their lives: Donald J. Trump.

In that same Rolling Stone interview, Moore explained that any person that marks that X for Donald Trump is a legal terrorist. I wonder if thats in the same category as a deplorable. If Michael Moore really gave that legal terrorist a bit more concrete thought, he would probably come up with a few other folks who would qualify as terrorists.

As reported by New Eastern Outlook, during President Obamas two terms in office, there were 26,000 pounds of bombs dropped on Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia, and thousands of innocent civilians were murdered. George W. Bushs lies about weapons of mass destruction killed a million innocent civilians in Iraq. Hillary and Bills complete body count is likely unknown, but the men in Benghazi who cried out for help from the Clinton State Department sure didnt get any.

Its quite doubtful that all those women who Michael Moore will be marching with will give any thought to the nearly 60 million innocent unborn who were terrorized by abortion saline injections, suction tubes and other invasive devices. But, thats still legal too, isnt it?

Sources:

Breitbart.com

YouTube.com

RollingStone.com

EW.com

Journal-Neo.org
Two decades after they were spurred into action to tackle AIDS in Africa, global drugmakers said on Wednesday that they would invest $50 million over three years to fight cancer and other non-communicable diseases in poor countries.

Twenty-two companies, including Pfizer, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline, will contribute funds and expertise to the project, which is backed by the World Bank.

The so-called Access Accelerated initiative was announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and aims to improve both treatment and prevention.
People perform lion dance at the 2017 Happy Chinese New Year fair, Vientiane, Laos, Jan 14, 2017. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

The 2017 Happy Chinese New Year temple fair was held in Vientiane in Laos from Jan 14 to 15.

The two-day event attracted some 4,000 visitors and about a hundred government officials and representatives from China and Laos attended the opening ceremony.

The fair featured shows of traditional Chinese cuisine and folk culture, a Chinese book and magazine fair and Happy Chinese New Year photo exhibition. Chinese paper-cuts, calligraphy, tea art and Chinese knots were also showcased at the fair.

Many locals said the fair had added more fun to celebrations of Chinese Lunar New Year and helped them understand and experience the festival better.

This is the third time that the fair has been held in Vientiane since it was launched in 2015.
The 220-million-year-old Saurichthys fish fossil is among the items that the Canadian government returned to China. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

The Canadian government returned several pieces of cultural relics and ancient fossils that had been smuggled from China illegally. The handover ceremony was held in Ottawa, capital of Canada, on Jan 18, 2017.

The items being returned include a 220-million-year-old Saurichthys fish fossil and a 250-million-year-old fossil of an Ichthyosaur, a dolphin-like reptile that featured a long snout and big eyes, as well as a pair of carved wooden roof supports for Buddhist architecture from Southwest China's Yunnan province.

According to the Canadian government, these objects were illegally exported from China and were intercepted in Canada by the Canada Border Services Agency.

China is one of the countries most seriously plagued with the loss of cultural relics overseas, and so far, China has signed bilateral agreements with 18 countries to fight smuggling and illegal trafficking of cultural property.

Canada has returned cultural objects to China on two other occasions, including in 2010, when it returned 35 fish, plant, insects and reptile fossils from Liaoning province, believed to be between 125 and 150 million years old.
A staff member shows the rooster stamps in Vancouver, Canada, Jan 10, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Canada Post has given Lunar New Year celebrants something to crow about: two Year of the Rooster stamps.

The issue on Wednesday is the ninth in the national post office's series honouring the Lunar New Year.

A permanent domestic-rate stamp featuring a rooster with its chest proudly puffed out is paired with an international-rate stamp offering a close-cropped profile view of the rooster's stately face. Both images are created from lines of gold foil.

"Canada Post is proud to celebrate the vibrant and festive occasion that is the Lunar New Year, which is marked by Canadians of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other East Asian heritage," said Canada Post President and CEO Deepak Chopra. "The annual unveiling of this stamp issue has become a much-anticipated event, with the artistry of the series praised by both collectors and mailers."

"The rooster is an auspicious animal which is associated with confidence, diligence and brightness," said Xue Bing, Chinese consul general in Toronto, who attended an unveiling ceremony of the rooster stamp issue in Richmond Hill.

"As a Chinese saying goes, get up as soon as possible at the first crow of a rooster in the morning to practice with the sword. It refers to the people of high aspirations who lose no time to work hard to prepare themselves for a great future. I am sure the rooster stamps will be certainly adored by the public."

Designed by Paprika, a firm in Montreal, the stamps include several features. The pane of 25 domestic-rate stamps includes four Chinese blessings, presented in calligraphy by Albert Ng. While all 2017 stamps include elements that point to Canada's sesquicentennial, this issue's reference is twofold.

The international-rate official first day cover, which also features a traditional Chinese blessing, is unsealed to enable the Chinese New Year tradition of giving money in a red envelope.

"The image of the rooster conveys both international and Chinese culture as well. Since this year is a year of the fire rooster, we want to convey the flame and movement in the line of the rooster; it's very confident and simple, and the colour is inspired by the traditional Chinese New Year lucky colour, golden and red," said Julien Hebert, the stamp designer and art director at Paprika.

2017 will also be the first year that the Spring Festival will be officially recognized in Canada, thanks to a motion passed by the Canadian Parliament.

"Therefore, today's ceremony is very special, as it not only expresses the kind wishes for the Chinese New Year, but also observes the historic moment when the Spring Festival becomes a mutual jubilation for both our people," Xue added.

The Year of the Rooster arrives on Jan 28, 2017, and runs until Feb 15, 2018. Those born under this sign are considered honest, courageous and confident. Marked for success, they achieve their goals through a combination of wit, charm and hard work.

Both the domestic and international rate stamps were officially released on Monday in Vancouver, and the full lineup of Lunar New Year products are available from now on.
Chinese musicians perform at the concert "Listen to China", Madrid, Spain, Jan 13, 2017. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

Chinese musicians have performed a New Year concert "Listen to China" in Madrid on the first leg of a tour in Spain on Jan 13.

China's Ambassador to Spain Lv Fan and about 100 Chinese and Spain officials, and their representatives attended the event.

Well-known Chinese musician Ma Jiuyue and his team gave traditional Chinese music a modern twist, including a series of Chinese folk songs rewritten by Ma.

He combined contemporary performance styles with traditional melodies, presenting the old music in a creative way.

The orchestra performed at the China Culture Center in Madrid on Jan 14 and is touring Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza and The Principality of Andorra until Jan 22.
Actress Portia de Rossi (left) and television personality Ellen DeGeneres pose backstage at the People's Choice Awards 2017 in Los Angeles, California, US, January 18, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Ellen DeGeneres set a record at the People's Choice Awards, becoming the winningest entertainer in the show's history.

DeGeneres picked up three trophies at Wednesday's ceremony for a career total of 20 People's Choice wins.

Other stars taking home crystal statuettes this year included Jennifer Lopez, Johnny Depp, Sofia Vergara, Kevin Hart, Melissa McCarthy and Justin Timberlake. Tyler Perry received the humanitarian award at the show, hosted by Joel McHale at the Microsoft Theatre and broadcast on CBS.

A selected list of winners follows:

Movie: "Finding Dory"

Movie actor: Ryan Reynolds

Movie actress: Jennifer Lawrence

Action movie: "Deadpool"

Action movie actor: Robert Downey, Jr.

Action movie actress: Margot Robbie

Animated movie voice: Ellen DeGeneres, "Finding Dory"

Comedic movie actor: Kevin Hart

Comedic movie actress: Melissa McCarthy

Dramatic movie actor: Tom Hanks

Dramatic movie actress: Blake Lively

Movie icon: Johnny Depp

TV show: "Outlander"

Network TV comedy: "The Big Bang Theory"

Comedic TV actor: Jim Parsons

Comedic TV actress: Sofia Vergara

Network TV drama: "Grey's Anatomy"

TV crime drama: "Criminal Minds"

TV crime drama actor: Mark Harmon

TV crime drama actress: Jennifer Lopez

Competition TV show: "The Voice"

Daytime TV host: Ellen DeGeneres

Late night talk show host: Jimmy Fallon

Male music artist: Justin Timberlake

Female music artist: Britney Spears

Group: Fifth Harmony

Male country artist: Blake Shelton

Female country artist: Carrie Underwood

Country group: Little Big Town

Hip-hop artist: G-Eazy

R&B artist: Rihanna

Song: "Can't Fight the Feeling," Justin Timberlake

Social media celebrity: Britney Spears

Humanitarian: Tyler Perry
Workers at a steel factory in Dalian, Liaoning province. [Photo/China Daily]

To revitalize the northeast of China, we should first analyze the problems of its undesirable development nowadays.

Thanks to its fertile black earth, Northeast China has abundant natural resources, which enabled the region to achieve self-sufficiency in the agricultural era.

But its abundant natural resources also caused dependence on its long-term resource-oriented development that undermined the pursuit of other growth paths and innovation capacity. Meanwhile, the unique meteorological conditions of the region, especially the cold weather in winter, means people have developed a lifestyle that only works for half a year. Once the region's resource advantage disappears, development in local areas may fall into a passive position.

Moreover, the planned economy had a deep and longlasting influence on Northeast China, and its industry is mainly heavy industry and industry related to the exploitation of its natural resources, industries that were imperative to the country's construction under the planned economy.

The northeast of China therefore has followed a development path that remained dependent on the planned economy even after reform and opening-up. But the market changed after reform and opening-up, and the region has gradually lost its competitive edge. The development trend of the region is like that of manufacturing in the United Kingdom, which boomed at first and then stagnated.

Moreover, the free flow of talent and capital after reform and opening-up has meant there has been an exodus of the talent and capital necessary for the region's development.

The revitalization of Northeast China requires industrial adjustment and upgrading, but it is hard for it to achieve that goal on its own. Considering the tremendous contribution it has made to the country's social and economic development, it is reasonable that the country provides necessary support to revitalize the region.

The main problem of the region's economy that needs addressing is that its ratio of State-owned companies and heavy industry is too high, and the region lacks a sufficiently large and active private economy.

It makes little sense to promote the region's development through so-called opening up or going global on a national basis. The revitalization of Northeast China should be "genetic", changing the region's State-owned genes into the genes of a market economy.

To revitalize the Northeast region, we should improve both the intrinsic factors and the external environment. People in the region should gradually cultivate a market economy with the support of the central government and other regions.

First, the local governments in the region should improve their efficiency and deepen their understanding of a market economy so they can create a good environment for the development of the private economy.

Second, assistance from other developed regions is necessary as well. Northeast China should also learn from the successful market economy experiences of other regions, rather than simply bringing in some specific projects.

Third, it is urgent to launch reform of the State-owned enterprises in the Northeast China. Mixed ownership should be promoted in this region.

Fourth, the foundation of a country should be its real economy. China has made great efforts to develop its real economy and has promoted the development of its manufacturing industry, which means it should pay enough attention to the Northeast China, since it was the country's heavy industry base.

The strong industrial base of Northeast China is the region's development opportunity at present. The central government should help the region to adjust and upgrade its manufacturing industry to the internationally advanced level.

In addition, the region has a broad development prospect in agriculture due to its unique natural conditions and resources. Thus the national strategy of developing real economy is a good opportunity for the region's agricultural industry, as well.

The author is a professor of economics at Renmin University of China.
A worker looks closely as containers are unloaded in Qingdao Port, Shandong province. [Photo/China Daily]

Last year was a tough one for the global economy, and this year looks like it could be another. Market demand continues to wane, and protectionism and terrorism have made some inroads in the West where globalization and the free flow of people have traditionally been championed and revered.

In the United States, the upcoming administration led by Donald Trump may pose a challenge to the country's economic policy. And along with the United Kingdom preparing to break away and the need to accommodate the continuing influx of refugees, the European Union now has the rise of right-wing forces to worry about.

But even as Western decision-makers retreat from globalization and shift their focus to domestic issues, China is pursuing and upholding more open and inclusive cross-border trade. A participant and a major beneficiary of globalization, it is now the leading advocate of sustainable economic globalization.

On the one hand, China maintains close trade ties with the West. It is the US' second largest trading partner, the biggest source of imports and second largest export market for the EU, as well as Japan's second largest trading partner in both imports and exports.

On the other hand, frequent frictions over bilateral trade exchanges add to the fact that their disputes over the fair distribution of trade dividends have reached unusual levels. Chinese steelmakers, in particular, have been subject to an increasing number of trade remedy investigations in 2016.

This has a lot to do with the surrogate country approach, which allows other World Trade Organization members to use costs of production in a third country to calculate the value of Chinese imports. That has imposed an extra financial burden on Chinese enterprises aspiring to "go global".

In accordance with Article 15 of the accession protocol signed when China joined the WTO in 2001, the surrogate country approach expired on Dec 11, which was supposed to mark a crucial moment for Chinese exporters.

However, fearing Beijing's growing influence over global trade may bode ill for their employment and industrial recoveries, some members including the US and Japan still refuse to grant China "market economy status", they have sought to intentionally play up excessive output of steel to contain China's rise.

Apart from simultaneously launching anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations against Chinese enterprises on a regular basis since 2006, Washington has more than once used "market economy status" as a bargaining chip in exchange for Beijing's concessions in trade negotiations.

The EU introduced a new approach dubbed "market distortion" as an excuse for anti-dumping and anti-subsidy calculations, blurring the differences between market economies and non-market ones. Yet that still allows it to use "international" prices and cost reference in anti-dumping cases if "market distortion" is found, leaving enough room for the bloc to play the old tricks on Chinese imports.

China has launched dispute settlement procedures at the WTO requesting consultations with the US and the EU with regards to the surrogate country approach. That is not enough as more challenges lie ahead. It needs to do more to defend its lawful rights and add more weight to its role as the world's second largest economy.

The author is an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation at the Ministry of Commerce.
A gavel in a court. [Photo/IC]

LEGISLATIVE DELIBERATION on a proposal to restrict the use of private vehicles in Beijing has been delayed due to a "lack of consensus" among residents in the capital, according to the ongoing session of the local legislature. Beijing News commented on Wednesday:

The 14th Beijing municipal people's congress, the local legislature, has set a good example for modern governance by deferring its review of the proposal to manage the number of vehicles on the capital's roads by means of a congestion fee in the face of residents' opposition to such a move.

The legitimacy of social governance essentially lies in well-founded, responsible laws. The Beijing legislature is right to exercise caution while dealing with contentious proposals, however good their intentions are.

Passing laws and policies with obvious flaws is self-defeating. Hence it is important to nip foreseeable mistakes in the bud.

In contrast to this, Central China's Henan province issued an "urgent" notice on Saturday, effective immediately, banning the setting off of fireworks throughout the province in a bid to avoid the severe air pollution fireworks cause. However, it retracted the order less than two days later, saying rural residents favor festival fireworks.

That of course has courted criticism about its rash decision, which should not have been made in the dark and announced suddenly to everyone's surprise. The government of Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, made the same mistake years ago by muscling through its ill-considered drainage program, which caused not only considerable waste of public money but also unnecessary damage to local cultural relics.

The two governments' incompetent decision-making is clearly a result of their failure to solicit and listen to public opinions. Even when a "hung jury" does occur, the legislative authorities are supposed to resort to third-party organizations for reassessment instead of misusing their power.
Workers from TBEA Shenyang Transformer Group Co assemble equipment in a plant in Shenyang, Liaoning province. [Photo by Zhang Wenkui/For China Daily]

IN HIS ANNUAL GOVERNMENT WORK REPORT to the provincial legislature, Chen Qiufa, governor of Northeast China's Liaoning province, admitted that officials of cities in his province fabricated economic data and exaggerated the GDP growth rate from 2011 to 2014. It is good for a governor to admit mistakes, but will the officials that fabricated the data pay for their misdeeds? Beijing News comments:

These Liaoning officials were rather "creative" with the economic data. In Youyan county alone, officials "added" 847 million yuan ($123.5 million) to their 2013 financial income, which is 127 percent higher than the true figure that year. Many Liaoning cities have reportedly committed similar deeds.

A central inspection team noticed what was going on in 2014 and issued a warning. Now, almost three years later, the Liaoning governor finally admitted the facts. Chen did not mention how to solve the problem, but by admitting it he has already made a giant step forward compared with the past.

Liaoning may not be alone in finding officials falsifying data. A survey shows that in 2012, the reported GDP of all the provinces and municipalities combined was higher than the national GDP. Liaoning is one of the provinces that exaggerated its data.

By fabricating the data, the Liaoning officials have hurt the interests of both local residents and the central government. For the former, false GDP growth data means they might be mistaken as being "rich" and lose the opportunity of getting help from the State; for the latter, they have been presented with a false picture of the local economic situation, which hinders efforts to optimize the country's economic structure and accelerate reform.

The cause of officials falsifying economic data is simple: Their performance evaluations, even promotions, depend on it. GDP growth data is one of the most important factors that decide whether an official will be promoted.

Therefore, the root solution to this problem lies in reforming the current performance evaluation system of local officials. For years, the central government has been evaluating officials' performance in a more comprehensive way, but the emphasis must be their efforts to optimize the economic structure.

More important, the officials that fabricated the economic data should get their deserved legal and disciplinary penalties, so that they and others do not dare to commit similar misdeeds in the future. It is good that the Liaoning governor admitted what happened, now it is time to take action.
The interesting thing about the governors annual State of the State address is listening for a theme. Governor Pete Ricketts chose to focus on the grit of Nebraskas residents in his speech to a somewhat polarized 105th Nebraska Legislature.

He noted that this Legislature is meeting at the beginning of Nebraskas 150th year of statehood. He called on that history to praise the one-house system, first suggested by George Norris. Ricketts said Norris was a man who traveled 5,000 miles, wore out two sets of tires, sent 192,000 flyersall at his own expenseto advocate for our Unicameral. George Norris was a man with a vision. He had initiative. He persevered. He was tenacious. He had grit -Nebraska grit.

He said, We all appreciate the tradition of our unique, non-partisan Unicameral. In our system, every bill gets a hearing and every Senator gets a priority bill. Senators can have an impact with legislation, regardless of party or seniority. And debate happens right here on the floor, not in a closed-door conference committee.

Interestingly, sometime before the Legislature convened for the year, 27 senators met in a closed-door session to discuss who would be elected to committee chairmanships. Given that there are 32 Republicans, 15 Democrats, one Independent and one Libertarian in the body, its not hard to believe that most of those meeting were Republicans.

All but two chairmanships went to Republicans. Were there any laws broken by the meeting? How many other elected officials can meet to discuss things with a quorum without violating accountability laws? It is most likely a justiciable issue.

But, more importantly, look what it does to trust. In his speech, Ricketts said the Unicameral system empowers citizens with increased access to the process. Does a secret meeting instill trust of the citizenry in their elected officials? What about those 22 senators who were not invited? How do you imagine they feel about their nonpartisan colleagues?

Another great example of true Nebraska grit is Don Stratton who grew up in Red Cloud during the Great Depression. He was in the news recently on the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Ricketts said.

On that fateful Sunday morning in 1941, a Japanese dive-bomber caused an explosion that engulfed the U.S.S. Arizona. Stratton and his battery mates were trapped in a metal compartment being scorched alive. Finally, a serviceman on a repair ship tied to the Arizona threw a rope to Stratton and his mates. With burns covering 65 percent of his body, he peeled loose skin from his arms to be able to climb hand-over-hand across 75 feet of rope, in excruciating pain and under fire from Japanese pilots while suspended 45 feet above flaming oil. Stratton made it, he said.

The governor called on senators to exhibit that same Nebraska grit and determination as they approach the work of this session. He handed out congratulations to the new Speaker of the Legislature, the new committee chairs and the newly elected senators. He noted the composition of the incoming class of farmers, small business people, attorneys, veterans, a firefighter, and a teacher. Your diversity of experience will enrich the body and reflect our people, he said.

If those were meant to be healing words in a non-partisan one-house legislative body that is probably the most divided in the history of the state, I think they fell short.

Ricketts touted the good things his administration has done in two years. By identifying our mission to create opportunity through more effective, more efficient, and more customer-focused state government, we have made progress toward our vision of growing Nebraska. We are making government work for the people, he said.

He tasked senators with making adjustments to the current years budget and hammering out a balanced budget for the next Biennium.

This is an opportunity for us to put our Nebraska grit to work like Don Stratton, he said.

Good point, governor. The way things have gone so far this session, I am sure there are more than a few senators who can identify with the perils of climbing hand-over-hand across 75 feet of rope suspended over flaming oil while under fire.

J.L. Schmidt is the Statehouse Correspondent for the Nebraska Press Association. He has been covering Nebraska government and politics since 1979. He has been a registered independent for 18 years.
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]

When during the course of 2016 US gave up on the TTP it was more than the unwinding of a trade deal. Many saw the limits of the Pax Americana. At the core of the US reset is the lack of a business model to sustain the most sophisticated and successful economic and geopolitical superstructure the world has seen. President Donald Trump might be able to make his country great again, but even the resources of a booming America will be too stretched to continue underwriting the global order. Going isolationist operationalizes an underlying reality or more positively, sets the stage for the US to work out a more profitable geopolitical bargain.

An up-and-coming Pax Sinica would face the opposite challenge -- ample resources but scant experience and no story. A genuinely successful Sino-Swiss FTA, such as the one hailed during President Xi Jinpings state visit to Switzerland this week, would be an important thread in Chinas narrative, which needs to start in the Pacific.

The TTP was the pinnacle of a comprehensive institutional system. One that was able to effectively integrate soft power like the English language and Mickey Mouse, with hard power like military might and the US currency.

Order abhors vacuum and if America withdraws, the superpower able to deliver the goods will be welcomed. The leading light at last Novembers APEC summit in Lima was President Xi and his China will not shut the door to the outside world but will open it even wider.

This week while Chinas president was making global headlines with his strong statement for globalization, his deeds spoke even louder as Chinas State Council liberalized services, mining and technology sectors. Of course, transitions to new orders are historically all but orderly.

For starters, America might be both skeptical on free trade arrangements but also scorn rival China initiatives. China will not inherit American-forged institutions and take them to a new height. However, America is not the ultimate consideration.

China is not in a position to propose TTIP or TPP replacements. Unlike America, it is in transition relying on forward-looking industrial policy to guide its economy through the treacherous middle-income trap. Thus Chinas offer will not include regulatory equivalency, open internet or labor standards.

Less ambitious bilateral or regional trade arrangements would still add substantial value. Another key is how wide sectors such as telecom, finance, technology and others will open in China, since an attractive trade deal necessitates domestic reform. That means losers, as leadership abroad is inevitably linked with creative destruction at home.
A Davos logo is seen before the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 15, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

After 2008, world trade, investment and migration have come to a standstill. What the world requires is responsible leadership, which rests on inclusive globalization.

During his first state visit to Switzerland and the World Economic Forum (WEF), President Xi Jinping hoped to inject a positive impetus for the recovery of the world economy.

Amidst rising economic uncertainty and market volatility, Xi offered China's vision on economic growth and free trade in a global economy overshadowed by protectionism.

The old path of globalization led by advanced economies, which are now turning inward, no longer works  as evidenced by the dire state of current global economic integration.

From slowdowns to elevated negative risks

Globalization can be measured by world trade, investment and migration. By the 1870s, capital and trade flows rapidly became substantial, driven by falling transport costs. However, this first wave of globalization was reversed by the retreat of the US and Europe into nationalism and protectionism between 1914 and 1945.

After World War II, trade barriers came down, and transport costs continued to fall. As foreign direct investment (FDI) and international trade returned to the pre-1914 levels, globalization was fueled by Western Europe followed by the rise of Japan. This second wave of globalization benefited mainly the advanced economies.

After 1980 many developing countries broke into world markets for manufactured goods and services, while they were also able to attract foreign capital. This era of globalization peaked around Chinas membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 and the global recession in 2008. During the global financial crisis, China and large emerging economies fueled the international economy, which was thus spared from a global depression.

But as the G20 cooperation has dimmed, so have global growth prospects, too. With the incoming Trump administration in the US, the downside risks have grown elevated, as even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recently warned.

Stagnating world investment

Before the global crisis, world investment soared to almost $2 trillion. But those days have been gone, for almost a decade. In 2016, global FDI flows are expected to decline by 1015%, reflecting the fragility of global economy, continued weakness of demand, sluggish growth in commodity exporting countries, and a slump in multinational companies profits.

According to the UN, global FDI flows are projected to resume growth in 2017 and to surpass $1.8 trillion in 2018 over the medium-term. Yet, such projections remain almost 10% below the pre-crisis peak.

In advanced economies, FDI activity seemed to recover in 2015. But as the upturn is unlikely to be sustained, the sentiment is turning less optimistic. In the West, large emerging economies have recently portrayed as yesterdays promises, yet FDI flows to BRICs economies could return to growth, increasing by some 10%.

In the current landscape, the only bright spots are large emerging economies and developing nations that are the last to industrialize.
[Photo/Xinhua]

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday launched the "Visit ASEAN@50" campaign to promotes ASEAN as a single and unified travel destination during the Opening Gala of ASEAN Tourism Forum 2017.

Lee called the initiative "an entirely achievable objective", which aims to increase the number of international arrivals by 10 percent to 121 million, and urged ASEAN countries to work together.

"Tourism is one area where by working together, we can get win-win benefits, growing our economies, creating jobs, and drawing our peoples together," said Lee, adding there is huge potential in tourism.

Noting that ASEAN itself offers an enormous richness of attractions and the middle class in ASEAN countries is growing fast, the prime minister said beyond jointly marketing campaigns and promotions, ASEAN countries need to do hard work, overcome problems and build capabilities, thus creating the basis for a vibrant tourism industry.

Lee also suggested three things need to be done to make a difference. Firstly, ASEAN countries should continue to strengthen air links as affordable and convenient air travel is one of the most important factors driving tourism growth.

Secondly, ASEAN countries can build up cruise tourism, which has immense potential for development and needs multi-lateral efforts.
A staff member shows the rooster stamps in Vancouver, Canada, Jan 10, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Canada Post has given Lunar New Year celebrants something to crow about: two Year of the Rooster stamps.

The issue on Wednesday is the ninth in the national post office's series honouring the Lunar New Year.

A permanent domestic-rate stamp featuring a rooster with its chest proudly puffed out is paired with an international-rate stamp offering a close-cropped profile view of the rooster's stately face. Both images are created from lines of gold foil.

"Canada Post is proud to celebrate the vibrant and festive occasion that is the Lunar New Year, which is marked by Canadians of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other East Asian heritage," said Canada Post President and CEO Deepak Chopra. "The annual unveiling of this stamp issue has become a much-anticipated event, with the artistry of the series praised by both collectors and mailers."

"The rooster is an auspicious animal which is associated with confidence, diligence and brightness," said Xue Bing, Chinese consul general in Toronto, who attended an unveiling ceremony of the rooster stamp issue in Richmond Hill.

"As a Chinese saying goes, get up as soon as possible at the first crow of a rooster in the morning to practice with the sword. It refers to the people of high aspirations who lose no time to work hard to prepare themselves for a great future. I am sure the rooster stamps will be certainly adored by the public."

Designed by Paprika, a firm in Montreal, the stamps include several features. The pane of 25 domestic-rate stamps includes four Chinese blessings, presented in calligraphy by Albert Ng. While all 2017 stamps include elements that point to Canada's sesquicentennial, this issue's reference is twofold.

The international-rate official first day cover, which also features a traditional Chinese blessing, is unsealed to enable the Chinese New Year tradition of giving money in a red envelope.

"The image of the rooster conveys both international and Chinese culture as well. Since this year is a year of the fire rooster, we want to convey the flame and movement in the line of the rooster; it's very confident and simple, and the colour is inspired by the traditional Chinese New Year lucky colour, golden and red," said Julien Hebert, the stamp designer and art director at Paprika.

2017 will also be the first year that the Spring Festival will be officially recognized in Canada, thanks to a motion passed by the Canadian Parliament.

"Therefore, today's ceremony is very special, as it not only expresses the kind wishes for the Chinese New Year, but also observes the historic moment when the Spring Festival becomes a mutual jubilation for both our people," Xue added.

The Year of the Rooster arrives on Jan 28, 2017, and runs until Feb 15, 2018. Those born under this sign are considered honest, courageous and confident. Marked for success, they achieve their goals through a combination of wit, charm and hard work.

Both the domestic and international rate stamps were officially released on Monday in Vancouver, and the full lineup of Lunar New Year products are available from now on.

Contact the writer at renali@chinadailyusa.com
Samsung Group chief, Jay Y. Lee, leaves after attending a court hearing to review a detention warrant request against him at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, January 18, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

SEOUL - A South Korean court on Thursday dismissed a warrant to arrest the head of the Samsung Group , the country's largest conglomerate, amid a graft scandal that has led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.

The pre-dawn decision by the Seoul Central District Court to allow Jay Y. Lee to go home is likely to come as a major relief to Samsung Group, which the 48-year-old has led after his father and founding Lee family patriarch Lee Kun-hee was incapacitated after a May 2014 heart attack.

Lee, who had been questioned for 22 hours last week and was held overnight on Wednesday while the court reached its decision, is still under investigation for bribery, embezzlement and perjury and could still be arrested at a later date.

He left the Seoul Detention Centre carrying a white shopping bag and climbed into a car without talking to reporters.

The special prosecutor sought an arrest warrant against Lee, charging him of bribing Park's confidant Choi Soon-sil to win key support from South Korea's National Pension Service in order to secure a controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung Group affiliates. The merger helped cement his control over the smartphones-to-biopharmaceuticals business empire.

The judge said in a statement on his ruling to deny the warrant that an arrest now was not necessary, however.

"After reviewing the contents and the process of the investigation so far ... it is difficult to acknowledge the necessity and substantiality of an arrest at the current stage," he said.

Samsung said in an emailed statement that it appreciated "the fact that the merits of this case can now be determined without the need for detention". The group's flagship, Samsung Electronics, is the world's biggest maker of smartphones, flat-screen televisions and memory chips.

The special prosecutor's office said it will make a statement on the court's ruling at 10 a.m. (0100 GMT) Thursday without elaborating further.

The special prosecutor's office on Monday said it would seek a warrant to arrest the group's third-generation leader. Lee has denied wrongdoing.
PENNE, Italy - An avalanche hit a small hotel in the mountains of central Italy overnight after a series of strong earthquakes in the area, and up to 30 people might be buried under the snow, officials said on Wednesday.

"Around 30 people are unaccounted for, between guests and workers at the Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola," Fabrizio Curcio, head of Italy's civil protection department, was quoted as saying by Italian media.

Other officials said it was too early to say if anyone might have died, with the rescue operation hampered by up to 5 metres (16.4 ft) of snow which has fallen on the Gran Sasso mountain range in the central Abruzzo region in recent days.

"We're dropping our rescue units down by helicopter and they are starting to dig," said Luca Cari, spokesman for the national fire brigades.

Italian media earlier reported that "many dead" had been found inside the hotel. However officials in the area denied the report.
Ankara - At least 38 firefighters were injured when a blazing high-rise building in Tehran collapsed, state television reported on Thursday.

Everyone had been evacuated from the building, state TV said, but firefighters were still trying to control the blaze and police have cordoned off the area.

Rescue teams were at the scene, state TV said.

"The building is one of the oldest buildings in Tehran. The Plasco building is a very old building in southern Tehran. It is mostly a commercial building," state TV said, referring to the Plasco Building, which is more than 50 years old.

"At least 38 people were injured and hospitalised but most of them have been discharged."

"The flames could be seen kilometers away from the old building ... but most of the residents and shopkeepers in the building have been evacuated," the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"The fire started around 8 am (0430 GMT) local time when many shopkeepers were not inside the building," it said.
TEHRAN - At least 30 people were killed in the collapse of a 17-story commercial building in Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday morning, Press TV reported.

The fire started at 8:00 am local time (0430 GMT) on the eighth and ninth floors of the 54-year-old building and soon spread to the upper floors.

It is estimated that 50 to 100 others, including some shop owners and firefighters, remain trapped under the rubbles, the report said.

Residents of adjacent buildings in the neighborhood have been warned to leave the buildings.

The Turkish and British embassies nearby have been evacuated.

Authorities at Tehran governor's office have ruled out terrorism, Press TV said.
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.
China, US can solve any disputes by talking, Commerce Ministry says

China and the United States can resolve any trade disputes through talks, since bilateral trade and economic cooperation have made the two countries inseparable, the Ministry of Commerce said ahead of US president-elect Donald Trump's taking office on Friday.

Even though there are voices in the United States calling for protectionist trade measures or having a trade war with China, the two sides can work out new solutions, and bilateral ties won't be shaken by such opinions, said Ministry of Commerce spokesman Sun Jiwen.

Bilateral trade volume amounted to $519.6 billion in 2016  211 times higher than in 1979. Two-way investment also notably surged, exceeding $170 billion by the end of last year, data from the ministry shows.

"The Chinese government is willing to work with the new US administration to generate more benefits for businesses and consumers on both sides," said Sun.

Bilateral trade and investment created 2.6 million jobs in the US and contributed $216 billion to the US economy in 2015 alone, according to a report released earlier this month by the US-China Business Council.

The Chinese middle class will continue to grow over the next decade and will likely exceed the entire US population by 2026, the report said. Goods and service exports from the US to China are expected to reach $369 billion by 2026 and $520 billion by 2050, it added.

Jack Ma, executive chairman of Alibaba Group Holding, said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that a trade war between the world's two biggest economies would be a disaster for the global economy and he would do anything within his power to prevent it.

Ma said he would even sacrifice his company if that would prevent such a conflict.

Ren Hongbin, chairman of China National Machinery Industry Corp, known as Sinomach, said companies on both sides believe there are still opportunities.

"Sinomach has set goals to deepen ties with General Electric on a wind-power project in Africa after they put a pilot project into operation in Kenya in 2016," said Ren.

Zhao Ping, director of the department of international trade research at the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said: "Rising frictions are normal. ... But this doesn't mean that there will be an intensive trade war, as their economic and trade relations have become more interdependent."

When asked to sum up relations with the US under President Barack Obama, who leaves office on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday that "important progress" has been made on bilateral ties and the two countries should move forward as partners rather than competitors.

Contact the writers at zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn
COLUMBUS  A committee responsible for reviewing requests for local economic development money is firmly behind the use of sales tax revenue to support housing projects.

David Bell, an administrator for the Citizens Advisory Review Committee, called housing a critical issue for Columbus.

Its a challenge for us. And its not just a challenge in Columbus, its a challenge in all the towns around us, Bell told Columbus City Council members Monday night.

Bell, who is also co-chairman of Columbus Economic Council, spoke on behalf of the Citizens Advisory Review Committee, which looks over requests for money through the citys economic development fund before making recommendations to the city council.

Since April 2007, one-tenth of the local 1 percent sales tax, up to $300,000 annually, has gone into that fund to provide financial support for local projects. Typically, that money is loaned to businesses looking to start or expand operations in Columbus, but the Nebraska Legislature amended the rules for LB840 funding last year, adding work force housing to the list of acceptable uses.

This includes both single-family housing and market-rate multifamily housing that address a local housing shortage  something Bell is certain Columbus faces.

He told the city council housing is scarce here and in the smaller communities around Columbus, which are part of the same regional market. Homes that are available locally are often more expensive than people expect, Bell added.

You talk to any city in the state right now and theyre all complaining about the same thing, he said, noting that other cities are looking for creative solutions to the problem.

When state lawmakers amended the LB840 rules to add housing, their goal was to eliminate a roadblock that prevents communities from attracting new businesses or impairs existing businesses ability to recruit workers.

Bell said the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and other local groups are actively recruiting people to move and work here, but the lack of affordable housing can be an obstacle.

Housing and work force are huge issues, and they kind of go hand in hand it seems at this point, he said.

Bell, who has already been approached by a local builder about this financial assistance, stressed that the focus would be on affordable housing most workers can afford.

The funding would also be available to both local and out-of-town developers, Councilman John Lohr added, although hed prefer to see it used by Columbus businesses.

Council members must amend the citys economic development plan, which was approved by voters in 2006, before sales tax revenue can go to housing projects. They decided last month to push a potential vote back to Feb. 6 so more input from citizens, developers and business owners could be gathered.

A small group of local rental property owners, led by John Curry, is opposing the plan because they believe it would create an uneven playing field among developers without providing an economic benefit for all taxpayers.

The citys economic development fund currently has a balance of $1.97 million, which can be spent through March 2022. Because of the large balance, city officials decided to stop funneling a portion of the local sales tax revenue into that account beginning April 1, when the voter-approved extension of the 1 percent sales tax begins.

Bell said a majority of the economic development money likely wouldnt go toward housing, since the committee already has other projects on its radar.

We still have a lot of other projects we hope to fund over the next three or four years, he said, and projects are expensive.

In other business, the council:

 approved the conditional appointment of Nicholas Mancuso as a police officer, subject to his completion of the required testing and training. Mancuso, who grew up in Lenexa, Kansas, graduated in 2015 with a bachelors degree in justice studies from Pittsburg State University. He is currently employed as a corrections officer at the Platte County Detention Facility.

 recommended approval of a liquor license for Boulevard Express, 3417 14th St., which was recently sold to Jharana and Kishor Karki of Omaha.

 reappointed Chris Dixon to a three-year term on the Northeast Nebraska Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council; Robbin Cutsor, Roberta Miksch and Gary Puetz to three-year terms on the Columbus Board of Parks Commissioners; and Cathy Sansoni to a three-year term on the Columbus Cemetery Board.

 appointed Lela Schaecher to fill Tom Meeks unexpired term on the Americans with Disabilities Compliance Committee.

 approved a one-year extension of the interlocal agreement for prosecution services with Platte County. The Platte County Attorneys Office will provide these services at a cost of $34,781 to the city.
(Photo : VCG/GettyImages) Some of the biggest cities in China are targeting slower growth rate this year.

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Some of the biggest cities in China are targeting slower growth rate this year. The slowdown will continue from the previous year when the rate of growth showed deceleration. This is in line with slower overall economic growth rate target for the economy in 2017.



According to the official estimates issued this Sunday, the city of Chongqing plans to grow by nearly 10 percent this year. Chongqing had been the fastest growing large city for a couple of past years. It had shown a growth rate of above 10 percent per annum, while It recorded 10.7 percent growth in the previous year.



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Similarly, the country's financial hub Shanghai is also looking to grow 6.5 percent this year, down from its 6.7 percent growth rate in 2016. Growth in the larger cities had major contribution towards the country's economic growth in the previous years.



The People's Daily reported that the Capital Beijing may go for 6.5 percent growth rate in 2017. The city is believed to have clocked the growth rate of 6.7 percent in the last year. The port City of Tianjin is expected to target 8 percent growth.



China is dealing with the issue of unbalanced growth as some of its 'rustbelt' provinces showed negligible growth in 2016. One of the reasons behind this is the government's emphasis on shifting the economy base from manufacturing towards consumption.



China has reduced its overall economic growth rate as well. For 2017, the country is expected to target 6.5 percent growth. The government is looking to stabilize the economy, instead of relentlessly pushing for higher growth rate.



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TagsBeijing, Shanghai, Economy
COLUMBUS  Several Republican lawmakers, including President-elect Donald Trump, ran for office on the platform of repealing the Affordable Care Act.

But what the health care legislation, also known as Obamacare, would be replaced with is still up in the air. That has health care advocates, hospitals and care providers concerned.

Nebraskans deserve to know what our health care is going to look like before making a huge change in our system, said James Goddard, an attorney for Nebraska Appleseed. The Affordable Care Act should not be repealed without a plan in place to continue the gains made.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services reported last week that 85,282 Nebraskans signed up for health insurance coverage in 2017 through the Marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act. Of that figure, 43,336 were from rural areas, including Columbus.

In Platte County, 1,487 people signed up for health insurance through the ACA, according to Nebraska Appleseed.

What, if anything, would happen to those consumers depends on which parts of the ACA lawmakers decide to keep in place.

There's some good provisions in the Affordable Care Act and there's some bad ones, said Mike Hansen, president and CEO of Columbus Community Hospital. Some have worked and some haven't worked.

The good provisions, Hansen said, were those that increased access to care as insurers could no longer reject someone based on pre-existing conditions or drop their coverage when they became sick. Caps were also set for how much insurers can charge older patients.

The expansion of health insurance coverage reduced the amount of bad debt, which is unlikely to be paid, that providers had to take on.

Rebecca Rayman, executive director of East Central District Health Department, said the local Good Neighbor Health Center benefited from having more patients with insurance.

That meant we had more income and were able to expand some of our services to serve more people, Rayman said in an email.

While many Nebraskans found health insurance through the Marketplace, Hansen said the broader plan didnt pan out. The Marketplace was supposed to allow insurers to compete, driving down premiums and deductibles.

Well, obviously that didn't happen, Hansen said.

Nebraskas Marketplace started with fewer than a handful of insurers, some of which later dropped out. With less competition and more unhealthy people signing up, insurers had little incentive to keep prices low.

In effect, the insurance companies have transferred their risk to their members, which in turn transfers risk to us, said Hansen. Because if somebody has a $5,000 deductible, the chances of them paying the deductible are pretty slim. Most people can't afford $5,000 right out of their pocket.

One of the trade-offs hospitals made with the ACA is receive less reimbursement for treating Medicare and Medicaid patients. For Medicaid patients, Hansen said CCH receives about 60 percent of the cost of care.

In exchange, hospitals were going to have more patients, usually the poorest and least likely to be able to pay a hospital bill, covered under Medicaid expansion. But only 31 states expanded Medicaid  Nebraska wasn't among them  so that money didnt come to the state's health care providers.

It was a lot of money left on the table that Nebraska taxpayers are sending to Washington, D.C., and not getting back, Hansen said.

In a recent "Weekend Edition" segment on NPR, Maggie Elehwany of the National Rural Health Association said 80 rural hospitals have closed since 2010 in part because those states did not expand Medicaid.

If this rate continues, in less than 10 years' time we're going to have 25 percent of rural hospitals close within less than a decade, Elehwany told NPRs Scott Simon.

In spite of the negative trends for rural hospitals, Hansen said CCH is doing well.

We're kind of a misnomer because we've done so well, he said.

Part of the hospitals success is because a majority of its patients have private insurance. Hansen said only 40 percent of CCH patients are on Medicare and 7 percent on Medicaid.

We're also very lucky to have ECDHD, who also provides care to those who can't afford it, he said. We have that benefit here where a lot of places don't have that.

Rayman said that while the ACA is not perfect, she hopes lawmakers will keep some of its provisions.

Arguably, the ACA has flaws, but even with those flaws people are still seeking out insurance, she said. I hope and believe that our lawmakers will consider these individuals when working out a solution for our health care system.

Hansen said he hopes the provisions that helped consumers access care will stay in place.

Originally, they had talked about repealing everything, he said. Well, I think they wised up and realized that, hey, there are some good provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

Rayman and Hansen said there are some fundamental issues with the health care system that need to be addressed.

I suspect, no matter what, there will continue to be uninsured and underinsured, said Rayman.

We as Americans have to answer one question: Is health care an entitlement or a benefit? said Hansen. If its an entitlement, then we need to define what that entitlement is and the government needs to provide that level of entitlement. Beyond that, if you want additional services then you pay for it yourself or through your insurance.

We've never answered that question, he said.
(Photo : JackTaylor/GettyImages) Apple apps saw a surge in their downloads in 2016.





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Apple apps saw a surge in their downloads in 2016. The increase is mainly caused by the increase in demand from China. The country is now believed to be the biggest market, in terms of revenue, for Apple's iOS App Store.



According to a report released by analytics firm App Annie, both major app stores viz. the ones run by Google and Apple saw their growth coming from Asia. Google Play Store received a boost from India, which surpassed the US and Brazil to hold the top position for app downloads. Google is banned from operating in China.



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The veracity of the finding has been doubted as the numbers in the case of Apple App Store do not match with the ones provided by the company. However, a spokesperson for App Annie said, "We are always confident with the data we release in our reports, attributing the estimates to a veritable degree to accuracy."



The report also suggests that owing to regulatory requirements, users in China tend to download their Android apps from marketplaces handled by local players such as Tencent and Baidu. Chinese users spent over $2.10 billion on downloading apps in the last quarter of 2016. The users in the US spent $1.5 billion during the same time period.



Local Chinese apps maintained their dominance as Tencent's QQ social network showed strong movements in the past year. Local gaming companies also fared well. It is likely that 50 percent of the growth in iOS App Store was attributed to China. Apple and Google earned $35 billion in revenue through their app stores.



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(Photo : USMC) Marine Air Ground Task Force components.

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"Gung-ho" might not cut it any longer in future battlefields permeated by corrosive information warfare and bedeviled by long-range precision weapons where the U.S. Marines will be the first to fight for freedom.



The Marines' enemy will be the men of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF), China's equivalent of the U.S. Army. While nowhere as sophisticated as the Russian Army, PLAGF has capabilities that will hinder the Marines from accomplishing their battlefield missions as quickly as they should.



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One of these capabilities is China's arsenal of anti-ship missiles that threaten to sink the warships Marines ride on before the Marines can even invade Chinese-held real estate such as its man-made islands in the South China Sea.



The Marines are developing a new warfighting doctrine for a future where the legendary "Gung-ho" attitude of the Marines might not be sufficient to secure victory on future battlefields. In Marine culture, gung-ho means fighting together and working together. It also refers to the "can do" attitude of the Marines in the face of obstacles.



Gung-ho, which became associated with the Marines in World War II, is derived from the Chinese words "kung," which translates into work, and "ho," which means together.



The goal of this new thinking is to get the Marines organized, trained and equipped to meet the demands of a future operating environment "characterized by complex terrain, technology proliferation, information warfare, the need to shield and exploit signatures and an increasingly non-permissive maritime domain."



Lieutenant General Robert S. Walsh, Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Combat Development and Integration, said the Marines "are nearing completion of an extremely exacting capabilities-based review that identified several critical gaps that must be addressed in order to fight and win against highly capable adversaries."



A review by the corps found it needs more sophisticated information warfare capabilities; more unmanned aircraft systems (UAS); active protection systems (APS) for its tanks and combat vehicles and better defenses against airborne and ballistic threats.



"We've got to start modernizing -- we aren't postured for the future fight," said Gen. Walsh.



The Marines will have to adapt to a new warfighting environment where small units will exercise even more autonomy and initiative as they operate in widely dispersed operations, many times cut-off from their leadership



Leadership training down to the most junior officer, therefore, is key to future battlefield success. Past masters of maneuvering at sea, on the ground, and in the air, the Marines will have to learn to master a new science and art: electronic warfare.



Beyond doubt, technology has made the future battlefield much more lethal. Sensors, smart weapons and networks increasingly define modern warfare and Marines will have to dominate "information warfare" to ensure victory.



Information warfare is crucial to Marines' planning. There are now some 7,000 Marines our of the Corps' total strength of 182,000 personnel devoting their energies to this critical warfighting task. And this number is bound to rise.



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TagsU.S Marines, People's Liberation Army Ground Force, china, Gung-ho, Lieutenant General Robert S. Walsh, information warfare
(Photo : DrewAngerer/GettyImages) Trump backer Anthony Scaramucci announced that he plans to sell his hedge fund SkyBridge to a Chinese consortium.

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Trump backer Anthony Scaramucci announced that he plans to sell his hedge fund SkyBridge to a Chinese consortium. Scaramucci has been picked by president-elect Donald Trump as his new public liaison to government agencies and businesses and an adviser.



SkyBridge is a fund of funds entity, which invests in other hedge funds. According to regulatory filings, SkyBridge managed nearly $9.2 billion worth of client money last year. It also advised on additional $3.4 billion during the same time period.



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Scaramucci sold the stake to comply with ethics requirements of his new appointment. A news release stated that he will sever all of his ties with SkyBridge and SkyBridge Alternatives Conference. The conference will now be spun off as stand-alone entity. It had the reputation for attracting the business and political bigwigs for a round of lecturing and networking.



The Chinese consortium is led by HNA Capital and RON Transatlantic. HNA Capital belongs to HNA Group, a Chinese conglomerate with interests in aviation and hospitality. RON Transatlantic already held a stake in the hedge fund.



Guang Yang, CEO for HNA Capital U.S., said in a statement, "Our investment in SkyBridge is an important step in HNA Capital's strategy to build a global asset management business." HNA Group carried out $20 billion worth of acquisitions in 2016.



The deal sends mixed signals as Donald Trump is widely known for his anti-China rhetoric. He has indicated that he may put curbs on foreign trade with China. However, the latest deal shows that Trump may resort to more pragmatic approach upon assuming the office.



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(Photo : Getty Images. ) According to a statement issued by the Chinese foreign ministry, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will visit China in May to attend the One Belt, One Road summit.

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Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte will once again visit China after his historic visit to the country in October last year. This time, the Filipino leader would be coming to China to attend a multilateral summit that will be held in May.



China's foreign ministry announced Duterte's upcoming visit on Tuesday after the Philippine President met with China's Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin in Manila.



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"I will come to Beijing in May to attend the One Belt, One Road international cooperation summit forum, and I look forward to meeting President Xi Jinping again," the ministry quoted Duterte saying.



Duterte's second visit to China marks a stunning U-turn in the Philippine's foreign policy. The foreign policy overhaul comes just a few months after the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) nullified China's historical claim over territories in the South China Sea.



The Philippines foreign ministry has not confirmed Duterte's visit. The ministry told media that it cannot confirm as none of its officials were present at the meeting.



The Chinese government has also not released much detail about the One Belt, One Road summit, but sources claim that the government may invite many foreign leaders to attend the multilateral summit.



Last year, Duterte said that he is keen to make the Philippines part of China's One Belt, One Road project. Dubbed as the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road, the project compromises of massive infrastructure ventures stretching across 60 countries.



These massive infrastructure projects include roads and bridges that will eventually connect China with Central Asia, Eurasia and beyond.



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TagsRodrigo Duterte, Duterte China, Philippines And China, china, Philippines
(Photo : Getty Images) Alibaba is offering electronic payment services, online shopping site, and data-centric cloud computing services.

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Alibaba's founder Jack Ma has expressed his huge interest in developing an investment in Pakistan. Jack Ma has met with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif earlier this week in Davos, Switzerland on the sidelines of the 2017 World Economic Forum (WEF).



He said that Pakistan and China have been following positive economic developments in the country. The Chinese business magnate mentioned that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had provided immense opportunities for the region and added it would generate lots of economic activity. Currently, around 60 million companies from around the world were only getting benefits from their group, he added. In addition, Ma said that he plans to support small-scale industries in developing markets.



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Pakistani Prime Minister has invited Ma to visit his country at the earliest time possible and Ma accepted it. In return, Alibabas CEO invited Sharif to visit his companys hub at Guangzhou. According to Sharif, meeting with business leaders such as Jack Ma is beneficial for the small companies in Pakistan.



We are ready to invest for establishing an e-commerce platform in Pakistan, said Ma while at the WEF meeting.



Aside from Jack Ma, Pakistani Prime Minister has also met Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and had meetings with Group CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Global, Chairman of Procter & Gamble and Group CEO of VimpelCom.



The Chinese e-commerce company has been providing consumer-to-consumer, business-to-consumer and business-to-business sales services through web portals since 1999. Moreover, it is offering electronic payment services, online shopping site, and data-centric cloud computing services.



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TagsAlibaba, Jack Ma, Pakistan, World Economic Forum, Switzerland, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, small-scale industries
(Photo : YouTube Screenshot) Chinese health authorities warn netizens that consumption of fake Knorr and Nestle products could be harmful.

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Chinese food authorities warned netizens against consuming potentially hazardous products disguised under famous brands such as Nestle and Knorr.



Earlier this week, around 50 factories were reportedly producing artificial sauces and flavorings with illegal ingredients such as artificial coloring, food additives, and industry salt in China's Tianjing City.



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"Industrial salt is considered dangerous," Liu Shaowei, a food safety regulator, told the Global Times. "It contains hazardous chemicals like nitrite - a carcinogen - and heavy metals, which harm the liver and kidney."



Factories also reportedly mixed spices and herbs that had already been used including star anise and pepper from neighboring factories, the AOL reported. These ingredients are dried and ground into powder. Furthermore, production of the fake seasoning and sauces are allegedly done on scruffy areas.



The Telegraph noted that it is still not clear if such products are being exported outside the country. However, officials believe that lower-level wholesalers are selling the products on small supermarkets and restaurants in the country.



So far, at least seven suspects have been arrested and detained for their alleged involvement on the factories. The Tianjin local government has also deployed a team of 180 personnel to probe the issue.



Earlier this week, at least six factories were also raided in the region, one of which reportedly produced vinegar unfit for human consumption.



Ji Guoqiang, Jinghai district secretary, has earlier said that the local government will also conduct investigations about the issue and severely punish if any official is found to be associated with the scandal.



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TagsCounterfeit seasoning, Nestle, Knorr, fake spices, China Factory
As Milal Mission has awarded $138,600 in scholarships in 2017, the total amount that the ministry has given in scholarships since 2001 has exceeded $2 million, amounting to some $2,097,000.

Every year, Milal has gathered funds through a fundraising night and through its supporters, giving scholarships to students with disabilities. This years scholarship award ceremony took place at Thanksgiving Church on January 16 at 11 AM.

If you believe God exists, seek Him, Young Gil Kim, the senior pastor of Thanksgiving Church, said at the worship service which took place right before the award ceremony.

The fact that, even in difficult circumstances, the funds for this Milal scholarship are prepared wholeheartedly each year, supporting and encouraging countless students with disabilities, is an act of true faith in God, Kim added. I hope that the scholarship recipients would have greater faith, study hard, and carry out amazing works for God and for the world.

This year, 11 students with disabilities received $3,600 each in scholarships, and the Ggoom-Na-Moo Scholarship was given to 37 students, who were given $1,100 each. Scholarships of $2,000 each, given with the support of J&J, were awarded to two students. Ten students residing in South Korea received $1,000 in scholarships each, and 10 students living in third-world countries also received scholarships for the same amount. Scholarships to cultivate leaders in ministries aiding those with disabilities were given to 15 individuals, who received $1,500 each. With these and other awards, a total of 95 individuals received scholarships, totaling to $138,600.

Were grateful to God that, through the love and support of so many, 95 students with disabilities were able to receive the benefit of scholarships, Milal stated. We hope that scholarship recipients would receive even greater hope and vision as they dedicate themselves to their studies.

This article has been translated by Rachael Lee. For the original in Korean, visit kr.christianitydaily.com.
Those who dream of becoming the next Horace Underwood will be gathering together in one place in February of next year. PAUA (Pan Asia Africa & America Universities Association), an association of universities in Asia, Africa, and South America, will be hosting a conference in Southern California to mobilize people to participate in mission work through education by working as professors in one of PAUAs universities.

Recently, PAUAs leaders visited Los Angeles and introduced the details of the 10th PAUA conference to take place from February 1-4, 2018, with Fuller Theological Seminary as a co-host.

Currently, 17 universities are a part of PAUA, and most are schools established by Koreans. These schools are not only formally accredited schools within their respective countries, but some are also ranked among the most prestigious schools in those countries. The universities include National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia (established in 2005; 2,860 students enrolled), Huree University of Information and Communication (established in 2002; 1,719 students enrolled), Ulaanbaatar University (established in 1995; 3,521 students enrolled), and KUMI University in Uganda (established in 1999; 1,050 students enrolled), among others. These universities are staffed with administrative staff and professors who are not only quality professionals in their fields, but also raise their own funds to work in these universities.

PAUA has been networking with these universities and cultivating unity and communication among them. It has also helped the institutions share educational resources amongst one another. The association also provides research and training programs to continue cultivating high academic standards while maintaining the universities identity as Christian institutions. The presidents and professors of the universities also gather together once each year to discuss the direction, future, and strategy of mission work through education.

Though most of the conferences in the past have taken place in one of the universities in the association, this year, the conference will take place in the U.S. One of the reasons behind the decision is to mobilize more people. Most of the universities in the various countries are in need of professors who are able to speak English, and Korean Americans are already prepared in that area.

Those who wish to apply as professors of specific majors must have a masters or doctoral degree in that major, but those who want to teach English or Korean are eligible to apply with only a bachelors degree. Other positions such as those in administration, counseling, IT, libraries, and in lower education such as elementary, middle, and high schools, are also available.

This article was translated by Rachael Lee. For the original in Korean, visit kr.christianitydaily.com.
The abortion rate in the U.S. has declined to an all-time low since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion across the country, according to a new study released on Wednesday.

Conducted by the Guttmacher Institute, the research found that the abortion rate declined to 14.6 abortions per 1,000 women among women aged 15 to 44 in 2014.

The number is a 14 percent decline from 2011, during which the rate was 16.9 abortions per 1,000 women.

The total number of abortions that took place across the country also fell below 1 million for the first time in 2013, according to Guttmacher. That year, 958,700 abortion procedures were conducted, and in 2014, the study found the total number fell even more to 926,190.

Abortion rates were also found to have declined in all regions of the country and in all states but six and the District of Columbia.

The number of abortion clinics also decreased between 2011 and 2014 by 17 percent, according to the study.

Different interpretations of the study results have emerged since they were published. The Guttmacher Institute, for instance, said that the decline in the abortion rate may be due to an increased use of contraceptives.

The primary driver behind the decline was most likely improved contraceptive use, which leads to fewer unintended pregnancies, Megan Donovan, senior policy manager at Guttmacher Institute, told USA Today. This is good news because it suggests women are increasingly able to access the resources they need to plan their families and avoid unintended pregnancy.

Meanwhile, pro-life advocates heralded the results as the fruits of campaigns to prevent abortions.

The falling abortion number is due to the ceaseless advocacy and ministry of the pro-life community in neighborhoods all around this country, Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), told Baptist Press. The pro-life movement advances by calling out to consciences with the truth of what unborn human life is and matching that call with real ministry to women in crisis.

According to Guttmacher, state legislations against abortions may also have contributed to the decline. The wave of abortion restrictions passed at the state level over the last five years could also have contributed to the decline by making it more difficult for women to access needed services in highly restrictive states, the study states.

The study also revealed other findings. Patients in their twenties made up more than half of those who had abortions in 2014, and 12 percent of patients were adolescents.

The Western and Southern regions of the U.S. saw the sharpest declines in abortion rates, both which saw a 16 percent decline. The Northeast and Midwest saw an 11 percent and a 9 percent decline, respectively.
A Catholic hospital is facing a lawsuit on claims that a doctor there refused to conduct a hysterectomy for a transgender patient.

The lawsuit was filed against St. Josephs Regional Medical Center, located in Paterson, NJ on January 5 in federal court. Jionni Conforti (33), whose biological sex is female but identifies as a man, said that the head nurse initially said that a hysterectomy can be performed there, but that a doctor and the director of missions at the hospital said one week later that they would not be able to perform the procedure.

According to the lawsuit, Father Martin Rooney, the director of missions at St. Josephs, emailed Conforti saying, This is to follow up to your e-mail inquiring about scheduling a total hysterectomy here at St. Josephs to remove all female parts based on the medical necessity for Gender Reassignment. This is to inform you that as a Catholic Hospital we would not be able to allow your surgeon to schedule this surgery here at St. Josephs.

Though Conforti had the procedure done at a different hospital three months thereafter, he said he felt betrayed, and became deeply depressed, according to the lawsuit. He also became, and remains, anxious about visiting either SJRMCs Paterson hospital or SJW  the two hospitals closest to his home  for medical care, the lawsuit continues.

However, some say the lawsuit represents a breach to the Catholic hospitals right to practice its religious freedom. Matt Sharp, a legal counsel from the Alliance Defending Freedom, told the Catholic News Agency that the lawsuit involves whether a Catholic hospital can be compelled to perform a procedure that violates its sincerely-held religious beliefs.

Every hospital and physician should be free to make sound moral and ethical decisions as to the best treatments for their patients, said Sharp. There are serious questions about the long term results of so-called sex reassignment surgery. Whether based on their sincerely held religious beliefs or ethical considerations, hospitals and physicians should not be compelled to perform these procedures by legions of state or federal bureaucrats.

The lawsuit states that the plaintiff seeks monetary damages, and for the court to require the Catholic hospital to provide all medical procedures necessary for gender dysphoria-related care.
The year 2016 marked the hottest temperatures on record for the third year in a row, according to analysts from two federal agencies on Wednesday.

Independent analyses conducted by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that temperatures have increased to its highest last year. The NOAA found that the average temperature on land and ocean surfaces was 58.69 degrees Fahrenheit in 2016, which was 1.69 degrees above average, and the largest gap found since the NOAA kept record.

Meanwhile, NASA found that the earths average surface temperature in 2016 increased approximately 2.0 degrees since the late 19th century.

2016 is remarkably the third record year in a row in this series, Gavin Schmidt, the director of NASAs Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), said in a statement. We dont expect record years every year, but the ongoing long-term warming trend is clear.

According to reports, the two US agencies findings were found to agree with those of other international agencies, such as the European Unions Copernicus Climate Change Service, which found that the earths average surface temperature was 58.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Agencies in the UK and Japan also found similar results, as well as the World Meteorological Organization.

Deke Arndt from the NOAA told AP that these agencies findings are all singing the same song even if they are hitting different notes along the way. The pattern is very clear.

Scientists point to human-caused changes over the past decades as a major factor that led to increased temperatures.

NASAs statement on Wednesday said that the increase in the earths average surface temperature is a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Schmidt said that seeing another year with record-high temperatures in 2017 is unlikely.

Because were right now starting this year with a very mild La Nina ... we expect that to give a small negative push to next years temperature, Schmidt was quoted by Huffington Post as saying. But because the long-term trends are so clear, its still going to be a top-five year in our analysis. Im pretty confident about that, but its unlikely to be another record year.
This Friday, Samuel Rodriguez will become the first Hispanic and Assemblies of God pastor to play a role in a presidential inauguration, in this case, the swearing in of Donald J. Trump.

Rodriguez, the president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, and the pastor of a church in Sacramento, didnt endorse either candidate during the campaign. He did meet with Trump last summer for a very healthy discussion of issues, including religious liberty and immigration. We also talked about racial unity as it pertains to bringing the country together, Rodriguez, who also serves on CTs board, said in a statement.

Despite the controversy that has followed Trump throughout his campaign and Rodriguezs own disagreements with him on immigration, Rodriguez is committed to engaging with his presidencya position he would take with almost any politician.

Are there any politicians I will not work with? Wow. It would require an extreme sort of agenda coming out of a politician, or rhetoric coming out of a politician, that would prompt me somehow to say, I cant work with this person, said Rodriguez, who has previously advised both Democrats and Republicans. Something that is so derogatory. Something that is anatema to who we are as Christians.

Rodriguez joined assistant editor Morgan Lee and editor-in-chief Mark Galli to discuss why the church should not retreat from culture, what led 60 percent of Latino evangelicals to vote for Trump, and why Christians should register as independent voters.

1
LINCOLN  Nebraska's chief justice, usually reluctant to discuss the budget or mention money, used his time before the Legislature on Thursday to make a pitch to save the courts from an $8.2 million proposed budget cut he said would undo recent progress aimed at alternatives to incarceration.

"There were those who said that justice reinvestment would never be adequately funded," Chief Justice Michael Heavican said in his State of the Judiciary speech to senators and the public. "You're looking at one of the skeptics."

The courts and Office of Probation Administration can do this, he said, but it has to be adequately funded.

In arguably his most strongly worded speech to the Legislature in the 10 years he's given them, Heavican said he was assured the LB605 initiatives, in large part meant to deal with crowding problems in the state's prisons, would get needed funding.

But justice reinvestment was not spared in Gov. Pete Ricketts' proposed budget cuts, he said.

"The commitment that all three branches of government made was apparently for the convenience of the moment," Heavican said.

He said the judicial branch saved $4.5 million by delaying hiring and can save an estimated $1 million more by not replacing employees for the next six months.

But, Heavican warned, fewer probation officers means fewer people can be supervised on probation.

To meet Ricketts' $8.2 million goal for budget cuts, he said, they wouldn't be able to pay for short-term residential treatment used in drug courts, by the intensive drug treatment program and probation.

He said they will have to gut supervision of newly released prison inmates, close day and evening reporting centers, push drug court costs onto the counties and "begin to surgically triage juvenile justice."

"Our judges are not stupid," Heavican said.

If probation can't adequately supervise and rehabilitate adult offenders -- to protect abused spouses, abused children and the state's homeowners and merchants -- they will incarcerate, he said.

In the long run, he explained, that costs more. While the state spends $35,000 a year to house one prison inmate, it spends $8,000 to $10,000 to supervise a high-risk probationer or $3,000 to $4,000 for medium- or low-risk probationers.

"You do the math," Heavican said.

He acknowledged that in past addresses he has been reluctant to discuss the budget "or even mention the word 'money.'"

The first half of his speech Thursday, he said, was a call to judges, staff, probation officers and the legal community to find a better way.

"In that spirit, we bought into justice reinvestment -- hook, line and sinker. And now, unless you live up to your end of the justice reinvestment bargain, we are left holding the bag," Heavican said.

After the justices left the floor, Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha, a member of the Judiciary Committee, lauded Heavican's message.

The state has made great strides forward by investing in corrections and in the justice system throughout the state, he said. Now, senators have a choice.

"We can abandon the path and go back to where we were. Or we can remain true and have the fidelity to the system to carry it forward," Krist said.

He said the state can't afford to go back. It must make sure the continuum -- from juvenile justice and the courts to corrections and treatment centers -- is in place to break the cycle.

"We've spent thousands of hours and millions of dollars trying to change the system. Abandoning it now would be a mistake," Krist said.

Across the room, Sen. John Stinner of Gering, who is the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said the governor has made corrections and justice reinvestment a priority, and what he heard the chief justice say was that they need the appropriate level of funding to help lower the number of people in prison.

"In appropriations we're going to have to take a look if this is a priority. What I'm hearing from the floor, it is," he said.

Stinner said he'll sit down with Court Administrator Corey Steel to look at the numbers, and they'll try to accommodate it as best they can.

He said he thinks right now everybody is frustrated with cuts, and he gets that.

"The problem is when revenue is short you do have to make some adjustments. And some of those adjustments are painful," Stinner said.
Donald Trump discovered Paula White the same way legions of fans and followers did: on television.

Fifteen years of prayer, visits, and friendship later, the Florida preacher now serves as the top spiritual adviser for Americas president-elect and, essentially, his guide to the countrys religious conservatives.

Her behind-the-scenes counsel became news as Trump prepared for the presidency. It was White who arranged a meeting at the Trump Tower for fellow televangelists (including Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, David Jeremiah, and Jan Crouch) to anoint him in prayer back in 2015. She defended the sincerity of his faith to fellow Christians, and continues to network Trump with members of his evangelical advisory board to discuss appointments and policy going into office.

Im the bridge-builder, said White, pastor of New Destiny Christian Center near Orlando, in an interview with Christianity Today. It really, truly is the board and the wisdom of so many great men and women of God.

But Whites involvement carries major baggage, especially for evangelical leaders who have for years lamented the endlessly positive health and wealth theology associated with her ministry (even doing so in rap). Critical voices within the church worry that Whites political prominence will push the prosperity gospel mainstreamor prove that its already there.

The massive congregations and television and Internet audiences that people like Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Paula White, T. D. Jakes, and others enjoy show us that this theology is already mainstream, said Leah Payne, who directs the Center for Pentecostal-Charismatic Theology Practice at George Fox University. ...

1
When traditional outreach misses the audience and "evangelism" becomes a dirty word, how can we share the Good News?

Today's church faces profound challenges within the broader culture: political correctness, postmodern relativism, religious pluralism. We live in a society full of unchurched people who don't know the basic tenets of Christianity or the redemptive story the Scriptures tell. The church at large has a poor reputation among non-Christians. Many hold distorted views of Jesus, the gospel, and traditional Christian faith, so they are biased against us before weve had a chance to start a conversation.

Our ability to engage the world is also hampered by internal issues. Some Christians question the motives behind traditional outreach efforts, viewing them as a bait-and-switch. Many in our congregations seem reluctant to share the gospel, either claiming that evangelism isnt their gift or hiding in fear of potential rejection.

In light of these challenges, how can our churches share the Good News of Jesus Christ in a dark world that desperately needs it?

Show: Reaching Out Through Love and Service

In recent years, a strategic shift has begun to take place from the programs and events of traditional outreach to more organic forms of cultural engagement. At the heart of this movement is a desire to heed Jesus' command to go into the world.

Support members on mission.

Pastor Eugene Cho says, "Our congregations are our greatest assets. Disciples, ambassadors, missionaries  God is doing amazing things in and through them already. The question is, 'How can we come alongside them?'"

One way Cho's Quest Church in Seattle does that is through their "Joining God's Mission" initiative, which highlights one person or organization every Sunday. By supporting them with a $1,000 ...
Good News Clubs Reopen After Three-Year Ordeal



CLEVELAND, Jan. 19, 2017 /



The school district was previously providing free after-school access to non-religious community groups, such as the Boy Scouts, but imposed facility fees on CEF, resulting in the shutdown of its after-school, Christian character-education Good News Clubs.



In 2013, Liberty Counsel filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of CEF, seeking equal access to the public school facilities for Good News Clubs. Child Evangelism Fellowship won the three-year lawsuit, and an Ohio federal district court found that CMSD violated the constitutional rights of CEF and required the school district to change its facility use policies and pay $150,000 in damages and attorney's fees.



Liberty Counsel represents Child Evangelism Fellowship nationally and has never lost a case regarding the Good News Clubs.



Ron Tant, Vice President of USA Ministries for Child Evangelism Fellowship said, "We celebrate the reopening of the Good News Clubs in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. It's been a three-year ordeal but this victory for equal access, our Constitution and Child Evangelism Fellowship is worth it. Public schools must learn they cannot discriminate against Christian viewpoints. Besides, it's a win-win situation for the students and the schools. Studies show that 85 percent of all people who accept Christ do so before the age of 18. Child Evangelism Fellowship gives children a spiritual education, and more than 87 percent of school administrators say the Good News Clubs are a positive experience for their school," said Tant.



Child Evangelism Fellowship is an international, nonprofit, Christian ministry that has been teaching the Bible to children since 1937. CEF has 400 offices in the USA and is organized in most nations of the world, with over 3,200 paid staff and hundreds of thousands of volunteers. In its last ministry year, CEF ministered to nearly 20 million children in its face-to-face teaching ministries.



www.cefonline.com



Share Tweet Contact: Moises Esteves, VP of Communications and Marketing, Child Evangelism Fellowship , 636-456-4321 ext 1311CLEVELAND, Jan. 19, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- Good News Club will reopen in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) elementary schools on February 2 now that the school district has changed its policy to ensure that religious groups, such as Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), receive the same access and benefits to public facilities as non-religious groups.The school district was previously providing free after-school access to non-religious community groups, such as the Boy Scouts, but imposed facility fees on CEF, resulting in the shutdown of its after-school, Christian character-education Good News Clubs.In 2013, Liberty Counsel filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of CEF, seeking equal access to the public school facilities for Good News Clubs. Child Evangelism Fellowship won the three-year lawsuit, and an Ohio federal district court found that CMSD violated the constitutional rights of CEF and required the school district to change its facility use policies and pay $150,000 in damages and attorney's fees.Liberty Counsel represents Child Evangelism Fellowship nationally and has never lost a case regarding the Good News Clubs.Ron Tant, Vice President of USA Ministries for Child Evangelism Fellowship said, "We celebrate the reopening of the Good News Clubs in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. It's been a three-year ordeal but this victory for equal access, our Constitution and Child Evangelism Fellowship is worth it. Public schools must learn they cannot discriminate against Christian viewpoints. Besides, it's a win-win situation for the students and the schools. Studies show that 85 percent of all people who accept Christ do so before the age of 18. Child Evangelism Fellowship gives children a spiritual education, and more than 87 percent of school administrators say the Good News Clubs are a positive experience for their school," said Tant.Child Evangelism Fellowship is an international, nonprofit, Christian ministry that has been teaching the Bible to children since 1937. CEF has 400 offices in the USA and is organized in most nations of the world, with over 3,200 paid staff and hundreds of thousands of volunteers. In its last ministry year, CEF ministered to nearly 20 million children in its face-to-face teaching ministries.
Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast, Inc. Remains at Trump Hotel to Pray for Office of the Presidency Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast to Pray for Office of the Presidency, Remains at Trump Hotel



Contact: Emily Lewis, Assistant to Merrie Turner, 804-426-8078, Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast, press@presidentialinauguralprayerbreakfast.org



WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast Inc., a non-partisan and non-denominational organization, has been praying for the office of the President since 1993. As we had prayed for President Obama four years ago, we are here to pray for and lift up President Donald Trump and Vice President Michael Pence; fulfilling 1 Timothy 2:1-2, "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."



Founded by Ruth Heflin, and her National Coordinators, the seventh quadrennial Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast will be held on January 20th at 7:00 am, remaining at the venue of the Trump International Hotel at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC. The event Hostess, Merrie Turner, daughter of LT. Col. Arrington Brent Turner and Beulah Turner of Roanoke Virginia, who is best known as an advocate for the unborn and the pursuit for their personhood stated that she chose this site because of the location of the old Postal Pavilion, which houses the bells of Congress. It is an American landmark, in close proximity to both the White House and the US Capitol, along the Inaugural Parade Route of Pennsylvania Avenue. Reverend Turner has stated, "We are gathering together for prayer and supplication to the Lord, for all our Religious and Government Leaders, with the understanding that God has intervened in the course of this nation and given us a reprieve from His judgment! It is our honor to pray for the office of the Presidency, for revival in the United States of America, and to invoke His blessings on all the people. The fourteenth amendment of the Declaration of Independence guarantees the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness!" The event will be attended by confirmed guests who are Members of Congress, Foreign Dignitaries including members of the Knessett, Evangelical Leaders and people of faith.



There will be a press conference outside of the Trump International Hotel, near the Ben Franklin Statue Thursday January 19, 2017 at 3:00 pm



For further information: Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast press@presidentialinauguralprayerbreakfast.org 804 426 8078 www.presidentialinauguralprayerbreakfast.org

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Catholic Answers Introduces Cyril Kellett Contact: Richael Smith, Public Relations/Media Manager,



EL CAJON, Calif., Jan. 18, 2017 /



Kellett previously hosted of The Bright Side with Cy Kellett on the Immaculate Heart Radio network. Kellett will be the voice of Catholic Answers over the airwaves to help achieve its mission to serve Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world.



"I believe we serve Christ best when we do so joyfully and with kindness," Kellett said. "Ultimately, he himself is the truth we hope to share as we answer questions and converse with callers. My hope is to share our Lord with joy so that others are encouraged to come closer to him."



As host of Catholic Answers Live, Kellett will also conduct interviews for the Catholic Answers Focus podcast and be a speaker and writer for the apostolate. Kellett will also represent the voice of Catholic Answers when working with networks, affiliate stations, and other organizations.



"Cy is a gifted communicator with unique experience in both print and broadcast mediamost importantly, for each individual caller," director of radio Darin DeLozier said. "He has a genuine love and concern that really comes through over the air."



Before going into radio, Kellet worked for more than a decade as editor of the San Diego diocesan newspaper, The Southern Cross. A stint teaching at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Massachusetts, preceded his writing career. Kellett also spent years on the streets of Boston tending to those Jesus would refer to as "the least of these," the homeless mentally ill. Part of that time, Kellett lived in a Catholic Worker house dedicated to serving homeless men. He also spent four years supervising a home for severely traumatized children.



"God has been so good to us in sending a man with so much broadcasting experience on both sides of the mic," said Catholic Answers president Chris Check. "More than that, he has sent us a man with a heart for spreading the gospel, a heart formed in his theological training at Boston College, and, doubtless above all, in his time serving the homeless and mentally ill."



Kellet's knowledge of the Faith and compassion for the people of God made him an attractive candidatean attraction that goes both ways.



"The best thing about Catholic Answers is the energy and willingness to push out in every direction, using every mode of communication to share Christ," Kellett said. "Catholic media is just booming, and Catholic Answers is rock solid in its teaching and cutting edge in its media approaches."



As host of Catholic Anwers Live, Kellett will continue the show's call-in format with an emphasis on conversion.



"Apologetics makes no progress without love," Check said. "Cy Kellett has love in spades. I cannot wait to watch the Spirit work through this insightful and humble man."



ABOUT CATHOLIC ANSWERS

Catholic Answers is one of the nation's largest lay-run apostolates of Catholic apologetics and evangelization.



MISSION STATEMENT

Catholic Answers is an apostolate dedicated to serving Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world. We help good Catholics become better Catholics, bring former Catholics "home," and lead non-Catholics into the fullness of the faith.



Media Contact:

Richael Smith

Public Relations/Media Manager

Catholic Answers

richaelsmith@catholic.com

619.387.7200



www.catholic.com

Share Tweet Contact: Richael Smith, Public Relations/Media Manager, Catholic Answers , 619-387-7200, richaelsmith@catholic.com EL CAJON, Calif., Jan. 18, 2017 / Christian Newswire /  Catholic Answers, one of the nation's largest lay-run apostolates of Catholic apologetics and evangelization, today announced Cyril Kellett as the new host of the top-rated national radio show Catholic Answers Live.Kellett previously hosted of The Bright Side with Cy Kellett on the Immaculate Heart Radio network. Kellett will be the voice of Catholic Answers over the airwaves to help achieve its mission to serve Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world."I believe we serve Christ best when we do so joyfully and with kindness," Kellett said. "Ultimately, he himself is the truth we hope to share as we answer questions and converse with callers. My hope is to share our Lord with joy so that others are encouraged to come closer to him."As host of Catholic Answers Live, Kellett will also conduct interviews for the Catholic Answers Focus podcast and be a speaker and writer for the apostolate. Kellett will also represent the voice of Catholic Answers when working with networks, affiliate stations, and other organizations."Cy is a gifted communicator with unique experience in both print and broadcast mediamost importantly, for each individual caller," director of radio Darin DeLozier said. "He has a genuine love and concern that really comes through over the air."Before going into radio, Kellet worked for more than a decade as editor of the San Diego diocesan newspaper, The Southern Cross. A stint teaching at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Massachusetts, preceded his writing career. Kellett also spent years on the streets of Boston tending to those Jesus would refer to as "the least of these," the homeless mentally ill. Part of that time, Kellett lived in a Catholic Worker house dedicated to serving homeless men. He also spent four years supervising a home for severely traumatized children."God has been so good to us in sending a man with so much broadcasting experience on both sides of the mic," said Catholic Answers president Chris Check. "More than that, he has sent us a man with a heart for spreading the gospel, a heart formed in his theological training at Boston College, and, doubtless above all, in his time serving the homeless and mentally ill."Kellet's knowledge of the Faith and compassion for the people of God made him an attractive candidatean attraction that goes both ways."The best thing about Catholic Answers is the energy and willingness to push out in every direction, using every mode of communication to share Christ," Kellett said. "Catholic media is just booming, and Catholic Answers is rock solid in its teaching and cutting edge in its media approaches."As host of Catholic Anwers Live, Kellett will continue the show's call-in format with an emphasis on conversion."Apologetics makes no progress without love," Check said. "Cy Kellett has love in spades. I cannot wait to watch the Spirit work through this insightful and humble man."ABOUT CATHOLIC ANSWERSCatholic Answers is one of the nation's largest lay-run apostolates of Catholic apologetics and evangelization.MISSION STATEMENTCatholic Answers is an apostolate dedicated to serving Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world. We help good Catholics become better Catholics, bring former Catholics "home," and lead non-Catholics into the fullness of the faith.Media Contact:Richael SmithPublic Relations/Media ManagerCatholic Answers619.387.7200
home World Nigerian air force mistakenly bombs refugee camp, killing at least 52

At least 52 people were killed after the Nigerian air force mistakenly bombed a refugee camp in Rann, Borno state on Tuesday. About 120 more were injured in the attack that was intended for the terrorist group Boko Haram.

Andronicus Adeyemo, secretary-general of the Nigerian Red Cross, said that the bombing killed six of its staff and volunteers, The National reported.

Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Nigerian military commander who oversees counter-insurgency operations in the north-east, said there would be an investigation regarding the incident.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who has vowed to end Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency, appealed for calm and stated that the incident was a "regrettable operational mistake."

The president announced last month that a key camp in the terror group's Sambisa forest base in Borno state had fallen. He also noted that the air strike occurred during the "final phase of mopping up insurgents in the north-east."

About 15,000 people have been killed and over two million have been forced to flee their homes as a result of Boko Haram's insurgency.

The terror group has stepped up its attacks in the past few weeks as the end of the rainy season allowed the militants to move more easily in the bushes.

Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the twin suicide bombing that occurred at a university in northeastern Nigeria on Monday. A professor and a child were killed, and 17 people were injured in the attack, according to officials.

The International Red Cross (ICRC) said that it would continue delivering aid to northeast Nigeria.

"We remain committed to delivering desperately needed aid to conflict-affected populations in the northeast. Thoughts with families of our colleagues who have lost their loved ones," Alexandra Mosimann of the ICRC told Reuters.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said that its workers were trying to provide emergency treatment at its facility in the camp and that they were stabilizing patients to evacuate the injured.

"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 aid group stated, as reported by Al Jazeera.
home World South African pastor makes congregants drink engine oil for healing

A pastor in Daveyton, South Africa has joined the list of controversial clergymen who have used bizarre methods during healing services in the church. Prophet Theo Bongani Maseko of the Breath of Christ Ministries has been denounced as "reckless" for making his congregants drink engine cleaning fluid.

In an interview with South African newspaper The Star, Maseko confirmed that he made the church members drink the chemical during a recent service in order "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," the pastor claimed.

Citing Bible verses, Maseko asserted that those who drank the engine cleaner had been "saved, healed and delivered."

"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.

Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, the chairperson of Commission for Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Religious, Cultural and Linguistic Communities (CRL), urged other religious leaders to rally together to bring an end to the pastor's controversial practice. She also called for a regulatory body to monitor church pastors to prevent similar incidents.

There have been several South African pastors who have sparked outrage for using unconventional methods in the church.

Last November, several South African churches denounced Lethebo Rabalago of Mount Zion General Assembly for spraying pesticide on his congregants, claiming that it would heal them of HIV, cancer and other illnesses.

CRL said that a complaint must be filed against the pastor before it could initiate an investigation. The commission added that it had spoken to members of Rabalago's congregation, but they refused to file a complaint against him.

In December, Rufus Phala of AK Spiritual Christian Church in Makgodu, Limpopo, made his congregants drink a disinfectant while acknowledging that it could be harmful. He claimed he was instructed by God to use the chemical and said that he was the first one to drink it. He also claimed that he had received messages from people who said they were healed after drinking the disinfectant.
Catholic Priests Call Church To 'Modernise', Urge End To Compulsory Celibacy

Eleven priests in Germany have published an open letter calling for an end to the compulsory vow of celibacy in the Catholic priesthood.

Referring to the isolation many priests experience and urging reform, the letter comes from eleven retired priests reflecting on their 50 years in the ministry. The high ranking clerics say that the vow of celibacy should be optional for priests.

"We believe that requiring that every man who becomes a priest to remain celibate is not acceptable," said Franz Decker, one of the priests, to Deutsche Welle.

He added: "We think, every Catholic should be allowed to choose if they would rather be celibate or not, regardless of whether they want to work as priests or not  just like in the Protestant Church or the Orthodox Church, really, every church but the Catholic Church."

The priests argue that celibacy may be quite feasible for those who live in the mutually supportive community of a monastery, but the many who live alone in service of their parishes suffer from intense seclusion.

"What moves us is the experience of loneliness. As elderly people who are unmarried because our office required this from us, we feel it vividly on some days after 50 years on the job... We agreed to this clerical life because of our jobs, but we didn't choose it," they say in the letter.

The letter comes as the clerics mark the golden anniversary of their ordination, having first entered the priesthood in Cologne in 1967. Cologne is considered to be both a bastion of traditional Catholicism and one of Germany's most liberal, socially progressive cities.

The letter notes the problem that "questions of God are no longer relevant to many people in this country" and urges reform on the Church's part to tackle this lack of interest. Suggested reforms include another progressive call suggesting an end to the ban on woman priests.

Previous Popes have opposed women's ordination, though Pope Francis did say last year that he would consider ordaining female deacons. This month a leading Catholic theologian suggested that Francis may allow married Catholic priests.

However, at present the official rules against female ordination and the priestly vow of celibacy still stand.
Charges Slapped on Pastor Who Predicted That Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe Will Die This Year

The pastor who predicted that Zimbabwe's 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe will die this year has been charged in court following his arrest.

Prosecutors charged Pastor Patrick Mugadza with undermining the authority of the president, "criminal nuisance" and "insulting people of a certain race or religion," the BBC reported.

The action was taken after Mugadza predicted that the world's oldest and one of the world's longest serving heads of state will die on Oct. 17, 2017. The Remnant Church pastor made the announcement during a press conference last week.

Mugadza's lawyer, Gift Mtisi, said the pastor laughed off the charges and would plead not guilty.

"I'm still at pains to find the criminal part of it," Mtisi told the BBC, adding that Mugadza was only relaying a "message from God."

The lawyer said his client had no regrets about making the prophecy. "He's admitting to the facts. He says he didn't liethat's a message from God. Police will have to prove God didn't say it," Mtisi said.

Mugadza was charged at the magistrate's court in the Zimbabwe capital of Harare where he is also facing separate charges of wearing the national flag, which is considered an offence in the southern African nation.

Mugadza has long been a thorn in the side of Mugabe. In 2005, he was arrested and imprisoned for nearly a month after holding a placard denouncing Mugabe for bringing more misery to the people of his country.

Last year to mark Zimbabwe's independence day, he had himself tied to a lamppost in Harare's main shopping mall while delivering a sermon, telling people that the act symbolised the lack of freedom in their country.

Last September, Mugabe was rumoured to have died after he unexpectedly cut short his participation in the African Union summit and flew to Dubai to see his doctor.

Mugabe later joked about the rumours, saying he indeed died but was only resurrected, adding that he has resurrected more often than Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's ruling party has confirmed that Mugabe will be its candidate for the 2018 presidential election, according to Quartz. Mugabe's re-election is considered nearly beyond doubt, which means that he could stay in power until the age of 99. Zimbabwe has known no other leader since it achieved independence in 1980.

Mugabe has been praised as a revolutionary hero of the African liberation struggle who helped to free Zimbabwe from British rule. However, critics accuse him of being a dictator responsible for the economic mismanagement and widespread corruption in his country.
Chinese Church Leader To Stand Trial As Clampdown On Christianity Tightens

A Chinese church leader is scheduled to stand trial next week over allegations of "illegal business operations".

Zhang Xiuhong, a deacon at the Guiyang Huoshi Church in Guizhou province, was responsible for the house church's financial affairs. She was detained by local police in July 2015 alongside her husband Chen Zukai, who was later released.

Zhang faces charges of running an illegal business after she allegedly withdrew church funds from the cash register in her beauty shop, China Aid reports.

The Texas-based persecution watchdog says she has been "arbitrarily held" since her arrest, and will go on trial on January 23.

Huoshi Church is a prominent local church and Zhang is not the only member to face investigation.

Pastor Yang Hua, also known as Li Guozhi, was sentenced earlier this month to two and a half years in prison on a charge of "divulging state secrets".

Police raided Huoshi Church in December 2015 and arrested Yang after he tried to stop officials from confiscating the church computer hard drives.

His lawyers later filed a suit stating he had suffered torture while in prison.

Bob Fu, president and founder of China Aid, condemned his treatment. "This is nothing but purely barbaric religious persecution. We urge President Obama and President-elect Trump to unequivocally condemn this brutal act," he said.

Last June Yang wrote to his wife from prison urging her to place her full trust in God.

He wrote: "Never be dejected and despondent, always look up at our Lord, and always keep the spiritual life above the chaos of the real environment.

"Rest in God's arms. 'Some rely on chariots, some on horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord.' Be upright and take care. Be prepared for the rest of the road. I will go with you. If the Lord doesn't allow it, not a single hair [from your head] will drop to the floor."

Yang's original charges were "obstructing justice" and "gathering a crowd to disturb public order".

He completed the sentences on these charges, and was then charged with "illegally possessing state secrets" for which he has now been sentenced.

The Chinese government has in recent years been taking an increasingly hard line on religion. Around 1,500 churches have been demolished or had their identifying crosses removed in Zhejiang province. Hundreds of pastors and lawyers who opposed the campaign have been imprisoned on charges widely regarded as concocted by the authorities.

China was earlier this month ranked 39th on persecution charity Open Doors' annual list of countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
Christians In Sri Lanka Worship Outdoors After Buddhist Radicals Destroyed Their Church

A small Christian community in Sri Lanka is not giving up on their worship services even after a gang of Buddhist radicals destroyed their church last week.

"No attack can stop us. We shall continue to love God and pray under a tree," church leader Kamal Wasantha told Asia News.

Wasantha, a farmer, said their prayer hall was destroyed by Buddhist thugs headed by a local monk. But he said despite this act of cruelty, they do not harbour any ill will towards them.

"We have not cursed them," Wasantha said, "and shall not attack them in retaliation. Judgment belongs only to God. We do our part: prayers shall continue under a tree."

They called their small church the Kithu Sevana, which means House of Christ. It is situated in Paharaiya, a village in north-western Sri Lanka. Around 15 families and 20 other worshippers attend weekly to pray and worship God.

Rev. Ranjan Palitha, who comes every week from Chilaw to help Wasantha, as well as Adrian De Vissar, celebrate the liturgy and lead the prayers every Sunday and Friday mornings.

On Jan. 5, their quiet church came under attack. "First, they threatened us verbally," Wasantha said. "Then they came with wooden sticks, iron bars and knives and destroyed everything."

People "begged the attackers not to damage the place of worship," but "the Lord's house was pulled down in front of our eyes, as we asked God to forgive them."

It was not the first time their church was threatened, although it was the first time it faced "proportions of a real disaster." The church was built over 15 years ago.

Palitha and De Vissar recalled being confronted by the monk on Jan. 1 while they were headed home. "Our car was blocked by the Buddhist monk of Gothamiramaya, who used foul language. He then threatened more serious punishment if we continue to conduct liturgies," said Palitha.

They decided to file a complaint at the police station in Karuwalagaswewa and likewise warned the Christian community about the threat.

The night of the attack, the police summoned the clergymen together with the monk. Even though 200 witnesses identified the monk and his cohorts, they were eventually freed on bail.

Wasantha knows they might face more persecution in the future, but he said the fire in their hearts to love and honour God will not be diminished by fear.

"I cannot abandon my mission," he said, "just because of these malicious attacks by people who do not tolerate the 'great change' by some families in this village. They do not know the great blessings our community receives through prayer."
Controversial Philippines President Duterte Seeks Peace With Pope Francis After Rows Over Condoms, Death Penalty

The controversial President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte has written a personal letter to Pope Francis saying that the country values its "special relations" with the Holy See.

The letter comes after Duterte set himself on a collision course with the Catholic Church over plans to hand out millions of free condoms and reintroduce the death penalty.

However, the Pope is said to have told an aide to the President yesterday that he will bless Duterte after the aide handed the letter to Francis.

"When I had the opportunity of kissing the hand of the Pope, I said, 'Bless the Philippines, Your Holiness,' and his answer was, 'Yes, I will also bless your president," presidential adviser Jesus Dureza said in a video clip at St Peter's Square, shown on television on Thursday.

The Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Jesus Dureza released a photo of the President's letter to the Pope yesterday. It read: "Your Holiness, with profound respect, I have the honour to extend my own and my people's warmest greetings to Your Holiness."

Duterte's letter went on to recall the Pope's visit to the Philippines in January 2015. "Our countrymen remember Your Holiness' apostolic visit in 2015 with deep appreciation, knowing that it was made with the most sincere regard for the welfare of the Church's flock," he said.

"The Philippines values its special relations with the Holy See and regards with gratitude Your Holiness' gracious stewardship of the Catholic faith...Please accept, Your Holiness, the assurances of my highest esteem and respect."

The President had drawn criticism during the papal visit after calling the Pope a "son of a bitch" for supposedly causing a traffic jam during his visit. He later claimed his comment was aimed at incompetent officials.

Earlier this month, Duterte angered Catholics by ordering millions of condoms to be handed out in a bid to curb unwanted pregnancies.

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.

Separately, Catholic leaders and charities in the Philippines last month condemned as "very barbaric" Duterte's plan to restore the death penalty and execute "five or six" criminals each day despite what is widely acknowledged to be a corrupt legal system.

Duterte, 71, has made reviving the death penalty in the mainly Catholic nation his top legislative priority as part of a brutal war on crime that has killed 5,300 people.

"There was death penalty before but nothing happened. Return that to me and I would do it every day: five or six [criminals]. That's for real," he said.

An official at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said the Church "totally opposed" Duterte's plan. "The Philippines will be viewed as very barbaric," said Father Jerome Secillano, the executive secretary at its public affairs office. "It's going to make the Philippines the capital of death penalty in the world."

The Philippines abolished the death penalty in 2006 after strong opposition to capital punishment from the Catholic Church, to which 80 per cent of Filipinos belong.

Before taking office in June last year, Duterte vowed to introduce executions by hanging, saying he did not want to waste bullets and adding that he believed snapping the spinal cord was more humane than a firing squad.

Duterte said that he viewed the death penalty not as a means to deter crime but as retribution.
Has Political Correctness Stopped Governments Helping Middle East Christians?

"Serial reluctance" to intervene by the UK government and other western powers has worsened the plight of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East, a damning report claims.

A cross-party coalition of senior politicians, including the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, has written to the Prime Minister this week urging her to support the world's oldest Christian civilisations. Their intervention comes after a joint report by 15 charities accused Theresa May of overseeing "very effective discrimination against those who have been the victims of genocidal violence".

In a startling letter sent to Number 10 this week, 13 MPs from across the major parties and nine peers co-signed a letter warning that without immediate help, "Christians and other minorities will be all but driven out of the Middle East".

They say "political correctness" has prevented aid agencies and governments from helping Christians and others religious minorities whose faith makes their status worse.

"The West (since the middle of last century) has been broadly unwilling to associate specifically with Christians.

"Furthermore, the Christian and other minority populations are not positively considered in the international humanitarian and development planning and are therefore missing out."

They add: "We hope that a political and humanitarian lifeline would now be extended to the Christians and other religious 'minorities' who are caught up in the terrible conflict throughout the Middle East."

As well as Lord Carey, the signatories include the crossbench peers Lord Alton and Baroness Cox as well as MPs from a rang of parties including Jeremy Lefroy, Conservative MP for Stafford, Keith Vaz, Labour MP for Leicester East, Gary Streeter, Conservative MP for South West Devon, Rob Flello, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South and Philippa Whitford, SNP MP for Central Ayreshire.

The letter was sent on Wednesday and is also signed by a host of faith leaders including heads of Orthodox, Catholic, Coptic and Armenian Churches.

It accompanies a report from an alliance of charities including Release International and Aid to the Church in Need that religious persecution is now extending into UNHCR camps, with Christians and other minorities facing attacks even once they reach the comparative safety of the UN-provided centres.

"This  in combination with a one-size-fits-all, 'need, not creed', non-discriminatory, approach has resulted, paradoxically, in very effective discrimination against those who have been the victims of genocidal violence at the hands of the faith-majority on both sides of the Sunni Shia divide," the report reads.

It continues: "Ongoing persecution coupled with serial reluctance by the western powers and the UN to recognise the specific vulnerabilities of these minorities has led to rapidly diminishing numbers and a realistic fear of the extinction of these faiths and their ancient cultures from the Middle East."

It called on Theresa May to make the Middle East's Christians and other minorities a priority and said the security in UNHCR camps must be reviewed and more non-Muslim staff employed to protect other faiths.
It's Been 500 Years Since The Reformation. Now Is The Time To Admit We Need Each Other

One of the joys of writing about Christianity for a living is the opportunity to discover different branches of the Church. Thinking back 10 years to my first job in Christian journalism, I was pretty naive about just how diverse and widespread the body of Christ is. A result of 10 years reporting on the Church (and the explosion of online content in the meantime) is that I've has the chance to learn from some of the best expressions of faith out there.

2017 marks 500 years since the beginning of the Reformation, which saw major doctrinal divisions open up in the Western Church. Many people died in the aftermath of the upheaval. Five hundred years on, the violence has all but ended, but mutual suspicion remains and often, different Church traditions remain in their own bubbles. In this way, we're a little like Trump and Clinton voters, or Brexit and Remain supporters  hidden away in our own online silos.

This all came to mind when listening to a discussion about a new book called An Atheist and a Christian Walk Into a Bar. It's a dialogue which seeks to outline some of the best objections to belief in God alongside some of the best reasons to have faith. The book, co-written by atheist Justin Schieber and Christian Randal Rauser, tackles many issues. One of the core objections raised is the diversity of opinions among religious believers about what or who God is.

Schieber, suggests that if God were real and concerned with truth and a relationship with humans, he wouldn't allow such a diversity of expressions of belief and practice to exist among Christians, let alone theists of different kinds.

There are good answers to this objection, and Rauser outlines some of them  it's well worth checking out the book.

Yet I would go further than just disagreeing with Schieber. Diversity of belief and practice among Christians isn't a defeater of Christian faith. Indeed, I actually think that it is one of the core strengths of Christianity.

Within historically orthodox Christianity there is a huge plurality of styles of worship, expressions of faith and types of church gathering. Those of us who live in big cities will be fortunate enough to have many different expressions of faith within a few miles of our homes. Great cathedrals rub shoulders with shopfront Pentecostal churches in cities like London and New York.

Even for those who live away from these major conurbations, the internet means we can engage with a large spectrum of Christian praxis. In an average week I listen to podcasts by Anabaptists, Anglicans, emerging Church leaders, Eastern Orthodox and Jesuits. With such technology at our fingertips, there's a whole ocean of possibilities.

Online activities like watching a YouTube video, reading an article or listening to a podcast aren't a replacement for face-to-face fellowship. But the ability to engage with so many different concepts and thinkers is an amazing opportunity which hasn't been afforded to many Christians throughout history.

Visiting other churches and cultures is an incredible boost to faith. I've been fortunate enough to experience worship in a thriving Pentecostal Church in Addis Ababa, a Roman Catholic Church in Palestine and a Californian Baptist church. While you could hardly get more diverse in terms of the experience there were core similarities. We worshipped Jesus together, I received a warm welcome from all, and I left feeling refreshed and uplifted.

We need each other. Not only is complete uniformity very difficult to achieve, it's boring. It flies in the face of Paul's image of the Church as a body. Often, this is applied to an individual congregation and that's certainly true. We need someone to do the accounts and someone to sweep the floors as much as we need great preachers and worship leaders.

But Paul's image of the body applies just as much to the global Church. "There are many members, yet one body," he argues in 1 Corinthians 12. "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you', nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.'" If we grasp this vision, we can begin to see the role of diversity within the Church throughout time and space.

The body of Christ needs all of its members to be effective. We need the ancient liturgy of the Oriental Orthodox, the apostolic succession of the Roman Catholics, the focus on the Holy Spirit of the Eastern Orthodox, the peace-building of the Anabaptists, the scriptural rigour of the Reformed churches and the energy of the Pentecostal movement.

In fact, as former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams has often said, "only the whole Church knows the whole truth". 500 years on from the beginning of the Reformation, it's never been easier or more timely to experience that for ourselves.

Follow Andy Walton on Twitter @waltonandy
Like Him Or Loathe Him, Obama Was A Class Act And We'll Miss Him When He's Gone

Speaking during his final press conference yesterday, the outgoing President Barack Obama paid tribute to the press and its role in words that contrasted dramatically with the approach to the media of his successor.

"I have enjoyed working with all of you. That does not, of course, mean that I've enjoyed every story that you have filed, but that's the point of this relationship," Obama said. "You're not supposed to be sycophants, you're supposed to be sceptics, you're supposed to ask me tough questions. You're not supposed to be complimentary, but you're supposed to cast a critical eye on folks who hold enormous power and make sure that we are accountable to the people who sent us here, and you have done that."

It was characteristic grace from a man whose various farewell events in recent weeks have been overshadowed by a battering in the media over his legacy, amid claims he has gone from hero to zero.

And it is true, of course, that the thrill of optimism that shone through his initial campaign in 2008  the chants of "Yes we can" against the backdrop of the first black president, and a civilised and intelligent person at that  has evaporated with the harsh reality of what Harold Macmillan called "events".

The chief "event" that threatens the legacy of Obama's eight years in office, according at least to the mainstream media, is that of the war in Syria.

And it is reasonable primarily to assess Obama's foreign policy given the fresh, idealistic start his '08 victory gave America and the rest of the world. After all, he (unlike Hillary Clinton and the rest of the Washington establishment) had opposed the disastrous invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Yet is it fair to compare, as I happened to see BBC World (a bastion of conventional wisdom) repeatedly do last week, Obama with his immediate predecessor George W Bush who instigated that war?

The key criticism is over Obama's "failure" to act against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad after the latter deployed chemical weapons in Damascus in August 2013, killing nearly 1,500 civilians, including more than 400 children, despite Obama saying a year earlier on August 20, 2012: "We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized. That would change my calculus. That would change my equation."

Yet is it as simple as that? True, this comes as close as Obama got to a broken promise while president. And arguably more importantly, Syria remains in flames, an unbearable geo-political stain where, despite several abortive ceasefires, the bloodshed shows no sign of abating.

But if we are assessing the presidency of Obama as an individual, it is reasonable to ask whether anyone else could have done any better, especially in the face of major opposition to war from Congress and the public.

As has been argued by the former Pentagon staffer Derek Chollet in his bookThe Long Game: How Obama Defied Washington and Redefined America's Role in the World:

Despite the administration's strong advocacy and support from a small minority of hawkish politicians, Congress and the American people proved strongly opposed to the use of force. In the end, however, the threat of military action and a surprise offer by Russia ended up achieving something no one had imagined possible: the peaceful removal of 1,300 tons of Syria's chemical weapons...By October 2013, without a bomb being dropped, the Bashar Assad regime had admitted having a massive chemical weapons program it had never before acknowledged, agreed to give it up and submitted to a multinational coalition that removed and destroyed the deadly trove...many...criticize the policy less for its outcome than for the way it came about...Far from a failure, the "red line" episode accomplished everything it set out to doin fact, it surpassed our expectations. But the fact that it appeared to occur haphazardly and in a scattered way was enough to brand it as a failure in Washington's eyes.

Elsewhere on foreign policy, it is worth remembering that in 2011 Obama oversaw the killing of Osama bin Laden while withdrawing troops later that year from Iraq, where the US had misguidedly reacted to the events of September 11, 2001. In 2014, Obama withdrew the military from Afghanistan, too. The following year, Obama brokered a historic peace agreement with Iran, leading to the United Nations lifting economic sanctions imposed since 2010.

Aside from Syria, of all the major intractable policy challenges in the world, only the quest for elusive peace between Israel and the Palestinians remains largely untouched.

No area better demonstrates the failure of Obama to live up to the idealism of before, which in turn was shown in his historic, bridge-building 'Cairo speech' entitled 'A New Beginning' in 2009, which gave so much hope to the Muslim world after Bush.

But on the Israel-Palestine question, real blame for lack of progress in the dormant so-called 'peace process' surely lies at the feet of Israel's right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom Obama suffered very poor relations indeed, not least thanks to his aforementioned deal with Iran. Whether Netanyahu will change the approach of a lifetime and seek a peace deal with the Palestinians under a new US presidency remains to be seen.

Domestically, Obama was  not unlike Gordon Brown, soon after he became UK prime minister in 2007  immediately blown off course by a major economic crash out of his control.

But with a $787 billion economic stimulus package in February 2009, which cut taxes while extending unemployment benefits, Obama rescued the economy and oversaw a return to growth by July that year. As Brown bailed out British banks, Obama bailed out the US auto indusry in March 2009. And, putting Britain to shame, Obama comprehensively regulated the major banks with a major reform act in July 2010.

By now, of course, the president had introduced "Obamacare", the measure of which he is most proud and one which, depending on whether it is abolished by the Republicans, will surely act as his most lasting domestic legacy. By 2014, 95 per cent of Americans had health insurance.

Meanwhile, more people  some 22.3 million  have gone into work under Obama's administration than that of any other president in US history.

What, then, of Obama the individual. What kind of America did he represent?

He is undeniably a class act, a man with high emotional intelligence who wept many times over the gun massacres which he has said were his biggest regret.

Contrary to jibes by his opponents about being a Muslim or not being born in the US, Obama is a patriotic American with a deep and thoughtful Christian faith.

In the end, Obama's sheer class, and ability to inspire, to capture the imagination, and to make America feel at ease with themselves, were perhaps best shown when he famously sang Amazing Grace during the memorial to pastor Clementa Pinckney at Charleston in June 2015.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, grace is perhaps the word that best describes Obama's character. In the face of eight very tough years in the job, and onslaughts from the media and Donald Trump in particular, he showed grace.

Amazing grace.
Muslims Hide Christian Paintings In Former Church To Prevent 'Influence' During Worship

A former thirteenth century church in Turkey which has been converted into a mosque is being restored to include an electronic shielding system to conceal Byzantine-era Christian paintings during worship times.

Hagia Sophia Mosque in the Black Sea province of Trabzon is named after its better-known sister basilica in Istanbul, which also became a mosque and is now a museum.

The Trabzon church served a museum for 52 years but re-opened in 2013 as the Trabzon Center Mosque.

As part of the restoration, a shielding system which is used to cover mural paintings will be removed.

Instead, an electronic system will be placed in front of the walls to cover the paintings, according to the Hurriyet Daily News, which cited the state-run Anadolu Agency.

The restoration process is expected to cost 2 million Turkish Liras ($500,000) and will begin later this year.

The provincial director of foundations in Trabzon, Ismet Calk said the mosque was a popular tourist attraction and described the process of blocking out the paintings.

"When we push the button, all mural paintings will become opaque...Thus, people will be able to worship without any influence from paintings," he said.

Calk added that the mosque would remain open for worship."We aim to keep this mosque open during the restoration process," he said.

The former Hagia Sophia was built by the Byzantine Empower Manuel I Komnenos, a Christian crusader between 1238 and 1263.

According to Hurriyet: "When it was turned into a mosque following the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II conquering Trabzon in 1461, the frescos on the southern part of the building were whitewashed due to the Islamic ideology of not portraying religious iconography."

The former church is a renowned example of late Byzantine architecture, according to the Daily Sabah.

The original Hagia Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom, was founded in AD360 by the Byzantines. The current structure, one of the most remarkable church buildings in the world, was completed in AD 537 under Emperor Justinian. It was turned into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453 but was closed in 1931. It was turned into a museum in 1935 by the secular Turkish government, but under the increasingly Islamist government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, nationalists have called for its re-opening as a mosque.
New Claims Of Evidence In The Assassination Of Archbishop Oscar Romero

More details have emerged about the death of one of the most famous Church leaders of the 20th century.

Oscar Romero was Archbishop of San Salvador, in El Salvador. He was murdered while celebrating Mass in 1980.

The assassination shocked the world and, along with his tenacious work on behalf of the poor and marginalised, has led to Romero's beatification.

Now, extra information has come to light about the plot which led to the killing. The Guardian reports that a new book is being published which throws light on the events which led up to the shooting. Assassination of a Saint, by Matt Eisenbrandt, a human rights lawyer who has been involved in the investigation for many years, is said to contain interviews with witnesses and even conspirators.

It's thought the evidence compiled in the book may be enough to warrant a new prosecution. Eisenbrandt says, "There are clear [evidential] threads on who gave the original order and who paid for the murder that any concerted investigation in El Salvador would absolutely be able to gather enough evidence to prosecute those involved."

The book describes how the country's elites were disturbed by Archbishop Romero's attacks on corruption and the treatment of those in poverty.

No one has ever been arrested for the murder, and Eisenbrandt says, "Romero's murder remains a dangerous topic."

As the 40th anniversary of the assassination approaches, the archbishop remains a heroic figure to many in the Church in Latin America, as well as secular activists. It is expected that the focus on his life, work and death will grow in the near future as the case for his canonisation nears its conclusion. That will mean his being declared a saint by the Vatican.

Pope Francis, who is from Argentina, is known to be inspired by Romero, and it was the current Pope who speeded up Romero's case for beatification  a process which was completed last year.
Only Two Syrian Refugee Families Resettled Under Government Scheme

Only two Syrian refugee families have been resettled in the UK six months after the government's community sponsorship scheme was unveiled by the Home Secretary and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The initiative is meant to support the Syrian vulnerable persons resettlement scheme which aims to bring 20,000 refugees from the Middle East to the UK by 2020.

Churches have been urged to sign up to the programme with the Good Faith Partnership and sponsor a refugee family to help reach the target set by former Prime Minister David Cameron. Dozens of churches have already registered but more were called to respond.

Russell Rook, founder and head of the Good Faith Partnership, pointed out the scheme was based on a Canadian equivalent that had taken 288,000 refugees since it was set up in 1979.

"Churches called on the government to create the scheme and are now queuing to welcome refugee families through it," he told Christian Today.

"The first two sponsored families have been welcomed by churches with more to come. We look forward to seeing many more refugees finding fresh hope and a new home in months to come."

Sponsors are required to provide housing for the family and take responsibility for their integration into British life.

The Archbishop of Canterbury was the first to resettle a family under the scheme when he welcomed a family to live in a cottage at Lambeth Palace.

But since then only one other family has been taken under the scheme, according to the Guardian.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Our intention has always been that this relatively new scheme would start on a small scale and be monitored closely to ensure it delivers positive outcomes for resettled families and local communities.

"We have seen considerable interest in the scheme from across the UK and are working with a number of groups as they develop their plans. Supporting a vulnerable resettled family is a significant responsibility and it is only right that we carefully assess every sponsoring organisation.
Persecution Continues In Sudan As Pastor Forced To Leave Over 'Evangelistic Activities'

A Christian pastor was last month deported from Sudan over his "evangelistic and church activities," he says.

Pastor Koat Akot, from South Sudan and a leader in the Sudan Pentecostal Church, told Morning Star News that on December 6 he was told he must leave the country within 72 hours.

Akot has helped set up three new churches in the Khartoum/Omdurman area, with a total membership of more than 700.

He was also previously arrested on November 18 by Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) and had been told to report to their offices every day for three weeks.

He was accused of working for foreign NGOs, a charge he denies. He left Sudan on November 9.

Sudan was this month ranked fifth on persecution charity Open Doors' annual list of countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, and the country has in the past year experienced a dramatic rise in religious persecution.

Since 1999, the US State Department has designated Sudan as a "country of particular concern" for ongoing religious freedom violations, including the treatment of Christians.

A major case ongoing in the country is that of four men who have been detained since 2015 over allegations that they were spying.

The accusations include waging war against the state, inciting hatred between classes, propagating false news, espionage and complicity in criminal agreements. The defendants are specifically accused in the court indictment of "fabricating videos or incidents of claimed genocide, killing of civilians and burnings of villages, besides claims of persecutions of Christians in Sudan".

One of the men, a church leader called Kuwa Shamal, was released after a hearing earlier this month but the three others  a fellow pastor, an aid worker and a graduate  continue to face the death penalty or life imprisonment.
So what does capitalism have to do with peace?

As I re-read my last blog, I realized I misspoke in at least one area; towards the end of the article, I wrote that business taking over many services now provided by government, and businesses buying the rights to life-saving drugs and inflating the price by hundreds of dollars per prescrition was capitalism gone madpredatory and unsustainable.

That is not capitalism gone mad; it is capitalism doing what it naturally does, at least the way it is practiced by Big Business in the US of A. Businesses have to grow or they are seen as failing. They have to continue to show more and more profit, or heads roll, CEOs are fired and hired, all for the bottom line. GDP must continue to increase steadily, indefinitely. And if you're Big Pharma or in the Health Care Industry and you have drugs and procedures people literally can't live without, well, you have a captive market and can charge whatever you want. Companies buy companies buy corporations buy corporations, buy multi-national corporations with no sense of connection between product and consumer.

There is no end to that.

And as much as many in the US seem to fear the United Nations and the idea of a world government, the corporate leviathans are in a race to become the biggest of the big, the cadre of corporations that control everything, a scenario brought to the big screen in the 1975 film Rollerball. (Not the 2002 remake, which took most of the social commentary out).

And as corporations grow, the whole idea of competition and innovation is squelched under the thumb of Big Business. Without oversight, and corporations hate government oversight, they have no compunction to act in any interest but their own.

Hence the unending list of famous name corporations flaunting laws and social norms, getting caught and paying some minimal financial price: Enron Corp, Hewlett-Packard, Tyco Ltd., Worldcom, Deutsche Bank AG, Adelphia Communications, Barclays, Global Crossings Ldt., HIH Insurance, Arthur Anderson, Bear Stearns, Bernie Madoff, HealthSouth, Duke Energy, Haliburton, Freddie Mac, Fanny Mae, American Insurance Group (AIG), Lehman Brothers, Volkswagen, to name a few.

Its not news that Big Business needs oversight.

In the early 20th century, Teddy Roosevelt was angered by business monopolies that decreased competition and raised prices, and he took on J.P. Morgans Northern Securities Company, a railroad holding company, which monopolized northern railroads. He won the lawsuit in the US Supreme Court and went on to bust up 43 more trusts during his presidency, including those controlling sugar, fertilizer, harvesters and beef. That earned him the title Trust Buster. William Howard Taft followed Roosevelts example and actually outdid him, dissolving 90 more.

There was the Teapot Dome scandal of 1920-21, General Motors decimation of the streetcar industry in the 30s and 40s, in collusion with Standard Oil and Firestone, but I digress. Read Bob Jensens History of Fraud in America. Enlightening.

As in government, power corrupts, but as businesses grow beyond their ethics, there are no checks and balances.

Heres the point for where this peace essay is going; some of the largest businesses in the world make a lot of money from the machinery of war, from the threat of war, from stirring the pot to make war imminent, inevitable and constant. War makes people dependent and prevents them from thinking much about the causes and justifications behind war.

And I learned as I wrote this blog that my understanding of capitalism and America was only partially formed. We do still have the capitalism practiced by my grandfather and my dad and myself; its alive and well in the small towns and small markets.

But the capitalism practiced by much of Big Business is Crony Capitalism, which is simply defined as an economic system characterized by close, mutually advantageous relationships between business leaders and government officials.

Now, it makes sense to me for business leaders and government officials to work together if the goal is the common good. But the idea behind Crony Capitalism is not the common good; its goal is to enrich those leaders in business and government at the expense of the common good.

And thats what we have in America now as Big Business buys its way into the halls of political power. And as I indicated above, thats not new at all. Its what happens when money and power reach some indefinable tipping point, which can vary depending on the moral fiber of those involved.

History shows that unholy alliance does not bode well for democracy and the common good.

In 1944 a popular revolution against US-backed dictator Jorge Ubico resulted in Guatemalas first democratically elected president, Juan Jose Arevalo whos stated goal was to turn Guatemala into a liberal capitalist society. In 1950 Arevalos defense minister Jacobo Arbenz was elected president and he instituted land reforms as he saw the foreign hold on natural resources as a major factor in the lack of economic and political progress.

At the time, United Fruit Company controlled an enormous amount of land in Guatemala, thanks to an extremely favorable 99-year, virtually tax-free lease made with Ubico in 1936. United Fruit didnt even cultivate 85% of their holdings, and President Arbenz expropriated about a quarter million acres of the uncultivated land, offering compensation to United Fruit and parceling the land out to peasants and workers.

The man who had negotiated the original deal for United Fruit in 1936 was an attorney named John Foster Dulles.

In 1953 Dulles was appointed Secretary of State, and his brother Allen Dulles was appointed head of the CIA. Both John Dulles and his brother Allen were major shareholders in United Fruit Company; before becoming Secretary of State, John Dulles worked for Sullivan & Cromwell, legal counsel for United Fruit. The head of the National Security Council was General Robert Cutler, former Chairman of the Board of United Fruit.

So Jacobo Arbenz had to be removed.

Dulles and CIA official Frank Wisner first thought to assassinate Arbenz, but discarded that plan as they didnt want him to become a martyr. They then chose psychological warfare to sow fear into the Guatemalan population and neighboring countries with some $3 million in CIA funds, culminating in an attack on the country with mercenary forces led by Carlos Castillo Armas, trained and armed by the CIA, dubbed a liberation army.

The invasion force fared poorly militarily, but the psychological warfare and the possibility of a U.S. invasion intimidated the Guatemalan army, which refused to fight.

Arbenz was replaced by a military junta friendlier to United Fruit Company, with Carlos Castillos Armas as president.

Armas quickly took dictatorial powers, banned all political parties, tortured and imprisoned political opponents, and reversed the social reforms of the Guatemalan Revolution. Guatemala descended into 40 years of terror and warfare as the people fought against dictator after dictator supported by the US government.

Crony Capitalism. It is much more disposed towards dictators than democracy, and Central and South America are replete with other examples of the cozy partnership of Big Business and the US government meddling in local politics. An odd role, one would think, for a country that prides itself on being the standard bearer for democracy.

The Dulles brothers also staged a coup in Iran in 1953 to bring down democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. His sin was he thought oil production in Iran should benefit Iranians. The CIA installed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, friendly of course to foreign oil companies, not so friendly to democratic principles. One of the historical reasons Iranians take a dim view of US foreign policy.

I grew up thinking we were the good guys, and in many instances, we have been.

But there are far too many times where we have not been anywhere near good. Weve engaged in dozens of regime changes, and the reasons vary, but often it can be traced back to Crony Capitalism.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out in the next four years

Up next: The starting lineup
Protestant Reformer Martin Luther To Appear On Vatican Stamp

One of the most famous faces in the history of the Protestant movement is to appear on a Roman Catholic stamp.

Martin Luther is being commemorated in a variety of ways in 2017, 500 years since his 95 theses effectively began the Reformation which separated Protestants and Catholics.

Now, the Vatican  which is a state in its own right  is set to offer stamps which bear the image of the German Reformer. Lifesitenews, a Catholic website, claims that the stamp will be issued some time this year.

The move is surprising because although Luther began his ministry as a Roman Catholic priest, he was excommunicated by the Pope in 1521.

The way different Churches are marking the beginning of the Reformation is being keenly observed. Pope Francis was criticised by some conservative Roman Catholics for his joint events with Lutherans in Sweden.

Meanwhile, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued a statement on behalf of the Church of England which highlights both the positives and negatives of the schism in the western Church.

Stamps issued by the Vatican often commemorate major events in Catholic history, but they have also featured other historic occasions, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Trump Inauguration: Sit Up And Pay Attention, Resistance Starts Now

It's a day many of us hoped and prayed would never happen. On Friday at 12pm, reality-TV-personality-turned-politician Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, the most powerful position in the world.

From his insulting language towards Mexicans and Muslims, to the disgraceful mocking of a disabled reporter, to boasts about groping women, it will be hard moment for me to swallow.

In all honesty, I'd rather pretend this isn't happening. But swallow it I must. Trump galvanised a huge swathe of disaffected Americans, highlighting divisions and tensions which already existed. If I am going to resist his rhetoric, I need to sit up and pay attention to the story which has made him, and question my own role within it. Like the night watchman, now is not the time to sleep.

Protests before, during and after the inauguration are planned in Washington, all over the US and around the globe. As well as the much-anticipated women's-led march on Saturday, on the day of the inauguration #bridgesnotwalls are inviting people to drop banners from bridges reflecting this key message: "We will build bridges, not walls, to a peaceful and just world rid of oppression and hatred."

It will be a global action inspired by the words of Pope Francis himself who controversially said of Trump: "A person who thinks only about building walls... and not of building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel."

I love the prophetic image and the symbolism of standing on a bridge, but if I want to live each day as an act of resistance against growing division and disunity, what will it look like?

I recently listened to a deeply challenging podcast with social psychologist and theologian, Christena Cleveland. She argues that ethnic, socio-economic, cultural and theological divides are rife in the Church, and each of us must look to which prejudices and assumptions exist in our own interpretation of faith.

"The way I understand God as relational at heart requires that I must move towards [those I am different to and even those I disagree with] with a posture of 'there's something that they have to teach me that I actually need'...

"This changes everything. We start to say: "We can't be us, we can't have a full understanding of God, we can't have a full understanding of ourselves, unless different people who bring those different perspectives are interconnected to us.'"

In essence Cleveland believes that without being in relationship to those different from us, we will always be missing something of the character of God which is uniquely reflected in who they are.

Jesus spent his time with people who were nothing like him. He entered their homes to see how they lived and learned to speak their kind of language. Whether it's because of fear, circumstance or comfort, we often still find or place ourselves in situations with those who are similar to us. Yet, the more we gather with like-minded folk who look, talk and move in the world in a way familiar to us, the more divided we will become. The more our social media newsfeeds are filled with people who reinforce our limited worldview, the more we will be surprised when others post 'something like that'.

We are effectively building invisible walls around ourselves; and the worst of it is, most of the time we don't even see them.

Until we break down these walls, and also choose to bravely walk through those which others defensively surround themselves with, we will fail to encounter the richness of the Kingdom.

Cleveland states that as the Holy Spirit arrived, when those first followers were suddenly able to speak and understand all kinds of different languages, God was physically and tangibly expanding our 'understanding of what it means to be us.'

Us and them: it's an uncomfortable phrase I'd like to disassociate myself from being part of creating  but in learning to resist division, I need to ask myself some tough questions and not be afraid of the answers which arise: Where do I see myself as superior to others? And why? I have to think in terms of class, education, income, housing, marital status, church denomination, theological position, gender, race and ethnicity. Who do I dismiss before I've spent time listening and talking to them? Where can I go to meet with people totally unlike me?

It feels tougher than I might have imagined, and it could take me a lifetime to work through, but I don't want to risk missing out on something of who God is by playing it safe in my comfortable social circles.

As I grapple with this challenge, the words of this Gungor song are encouraging me to intercede and prophesy in the coming days for the freedom of us all. Freedom from the clutches of labels, divisions, and positions. Freedom from the need to confine others to their background, job status or income levels. Freedom to walk through invisible walls and step into the beautiful diversity of the Kingdom.

"As we lay our hate down

And wash their feet

As we see our brother

I know we'll all be free

I know that we'll be free

So let the light in

Keep it shining

Let it break into the darkness

All the love dares us to see

We'll all be free."
Truth And Justice Meet: Why We Should Celebrate The Freedom Of Chelsea Manning

This week President Obama commuted the controversial sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former army intelligence analyst-turned-whistle-blower convicted of leaking government secrets.

Manning received a 35 year prison sentence for her crime, but will now walk free in May this year. The commutation has been applauded by some as an injustice put right, whilst others have decried it. The Rev. Franklin Graham joined the chorus of condemnation yesterday, citing the "irreparable damage" done by the "convicted traitor" Manning. The whole situation is a complex and controversial one, but Christians in this instance should celebrate the triumph of truth, free conscience and mercy.

Christians should always celebrate the triumph of truth. Dark deeds must be brought into the light, and a government's security must surely be ultimately subordinate to its moral integrity. Manning committed a crime in revealing state secrets, but she also illuminated dire scandals that were previously unknown.

In 2010 Manning leaked hundreds of thousands of military logs from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to WikiLeaks. Revelations included abuses of prisoners by Iraqi soldiers overseen by American forces, files about Guantanamo detainees held without trial, and showed the civilian death toll in Iraq to have been grossly underestimated.

One damning cable leak provided "evidence that U.S. troops executed at least 10 Iraqi civilians, including a woman in her 70s and a 5-month-old infant, then called in an airstrike to destroy the evidence, during a controversial 2006 incident in the central Iraqi town of Ishaqi," as McClatchy summarised it. Manning's leaks raised serious questions about the deference usually shown to armed forces whose actions are usually beyond public awareness. Her reveal brought egregious war crimes into the light, which as Trevor Timm noted in The Guardian, "helped end the Iraq war."

Critics may protest that the leaks were still irresponsible, and put American lives, and national security, at serious risk. After all, the public could now read about the military's secrets, but so could Al Qaeda. Accountability is important, but the effectiveness of international operations often relies upon security and confidentiality. David French wrote for the National Review that Manning "knowingly and intentionally placed lives in danger by indiscriminately placing our nation's secrets in the public domain."

In defence of Manning, and as the government itself admitted, her leaks have not been tied to any deaths, nor was her intention to put anyone in harms way. Then again, good intentions don't grant a blank cheque to any ethical choice. Manning committed a crime under US law, and it makes sense if there is any sense of order, for her to face consequences for that.

Crime and punishment

Whatever the weight of Manning's crimes however, it was vastly outweighed by the punishment she received. The UN special rapporteur on torture described Manning as having been detained in a "cruel, inhumane and degrading way" for months before even being convicted. After attempting suicide, Manning was placed in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day. Once convicted, Manning was given the sentence of 35 years, the longest punishment ever given for a leak conviction.

Is detainment without trial, let alone cruel conditions and alleged 'torture' something Christians can endorse for any individual? Surely not. Christians have historically led the way in criminal justice reform, promoting rehabilitation over punishment, and Jesus said that we would be judged according to how we treat prisoners.

This is a crucial cause for Christians, one of basic social justice. Whatever her crime, Chelsea Manning has been unjustly treated. President Obama's defense that Manning has served a "tough" sentence is surely an understatement. That she has now been granted clemency is good, but that her treatment was ever tolerated shows that criminal justice reform still has a long way to go.

Freedom of conscience

Ultimately, Manning's case raises important questions about freedom of conscience. Christians are called to live peacefully and obey the laws of the land in which we live. But at what point must injustice be addressed? Freedom of conscience is at the heart of the Christian, and particularly Protestant tradition. It is a teaching that underlines individual moral freedom that is never to be given up to any government or higher authority, one to be cherished by those who believe that only God is the ultimate authority.

Glenn Greenwald wrote about Manning on NPR: "[She] volunteered for the Iraq War believing her government's claims about what was taking place, only to get there and see a huge range of atrocities, and she believed that the American people had a right to know what the government was actually doing."

Manning made her choice, believing she was doing the right thing. Now President Obama, who hasn't been generous to whistle-blowers before, has made his own choice to let Manning go free. In doing so, Obama demonstrates the virtue of mercy, one that Christians should understand best of all.

The Manning case raises complex questions about freedom, information and security in a modern democracy. These issues are not simple, but Christians should at least celebrate the good in the Manning case: a hard-earned triumph for truth, justice, and free conscience.

You can follow @JosephHartropp on Twitter
What Does The Bible Have To Say About A Trump Presidency?

Donald Trump has been dubbed the 'President of the Divided States of America' by Time Magazine. My Twitter feed bears witness to this. I have seen friends heralding Trump as the anti-Christ and others who speak about him in glowing, messianic terms. The world is either in jeopardy or justified in a celebration  and lots of Bible verses have been quoted on both sides. These social media comments have made me wonder  how should we read world events as Christians? What has our Bible really got to say about such things as new presidents?

1. The proof text ping pong

When Osama bin Laden was shot dead by Navy Seal team 6 it was accompanied by a telling object lesson in the use of Scripture. My social media feed had two equal and opposite reactions and both sides used proof texts which were batted back and forth like a ping pong ball.

One would quote Proverbs 24:17: "Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice."

Another would quote Proverbs 21:15: "When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers."

Or one would quote Ezekiel 18:23: "'Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?' declares the Sovereign LORD. 'Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?'"

While another would quote Proverbs 11:10: "When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy."

You can see what is happening here. Each side reads the Bible through their political and moral preferences and finds passages of Scripture to affirm those preferences. A similar tendency in selecting Bible passages has been happening regarding the arrival of Donald Trump's presidency.

The challenge is, how can we correctly interpret not only the world we are living in, but also the Scriptures that we are using to interpret the world? If we are not careful our approach to Scripture is shaped more by our personal politics, the media or the dominance of opinion on our social media feed than what Scripture really has to say.

One of the best ways we can combat this is to allow people into our lives who are not aligned in the same way we are and will challenge us to see the world differently. We will not always agree with them and nor should we, but it can be a powerful way to try to hear what Scripture really has to say.

But what do we do when people's use of Scripture leads to contradictory interpretations of world events? I read recently of someone who worked out that as Trump was going to be the 45th president of the United States, he felt led to read Isaiah 45 which describes King Cyrus who is the Lord's anointed leader. But Isaiah 45 also includes a dire warning from God, who states the fate of all those who have refused to acknowledge him: "All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame." One of the most effective ways that we can hear scripture fairly is to pay less attention to our own context and more attention to the original context of the passage. If we force Scripture to answer questions it was never intended to answer then we will most likely come to the wrong conclusion. When Isaiah was writing down his prophecy he had no idea about Donald Trump, he also had no idea that anyone would add chapter or verse numbering to his work. So any association between King Cyrus and Donald Trump is coincidental at best and manipulative at worst.

If we are going to take the Bible seriously we must take it on its own terms and not impose bizarre reading strategies on to it.

2. The prophetic voice

I probably have equal numbers of friends who believe that the gift of a prophetic utterance ended with the apostles and those who believe it still continues today. For those Christians who believe that God still uses supernatural means to give revelation to Christians, some seem to focus more on personal information, others on global events. In the Bible itself we see both in play. For example Paul is warned by the Spirit that he is going to be imprisoned when he gets to Jerusalem (Acts 20) but we also see Daniel being given insight into the future of the empires that were going to rule the world (Daniel 2). Personally, though I do believe in God's ongoing use of prophecy today, I am very cautious about how this works.

I have heard too many abusive stories of personal prophecy. "God has told me that I will marry you," says the young man. "Well he hasn't told me  so push off" says the empowered and biblically confident young woman. But this kind of prophetic misuse takes place in global issues too. Sometimes leaders proclaim themselves God's appointed ruler. Sometimes so-called 'prophets' claim inside information on whom to vote for, or what specific sin has caused the latest global tragedy.

We are told very clearly to avoid two extremes when it comes to the prophetic word. 1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 says: "Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil". Contempt, cynicism and credulity are unhelpful. However deference and discernment are both equally important.

How do we practise these two things when it comes to prophecies that claim that Trump is God's chosen servant and will do only right in his eyes, or that claim that Trump is the anti-Christ and must be overturned? One strategy is to allow the clearer and more straightforward passages to interpret the more figurative and allegorical. We are told in scripture that we need to pray for all those in power (1 Timothy 2:1-2). We are also told that all of us are sinners and yet leaders are to be chosen on the basis of their character. We are told to speak up for the rights of the marginalised and the needy.

3. The eschatological cup

Just as some are glass-half-empty people while others are glass-half-full when it comes to life, we find the same when it comes to Christian theological frameworks. For some the world is spiralling downwards in a degenerative descent towards Armageddon: every global disaster is another damning piece of evidence that the end of the world is being ushered in. For others the world is on the verge of a great awakening, and so we await the revelation of Christ as king or the next outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Neither of these two extremes are helpful, as the Bible teaches both that there will be dark days ahead and also that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that grows and expands. There will be ups and downs, challenges and victories, and so we must be ware of monotone eschatological frameworks that fail to leave room for either breakthrough or breakdown in the progress of the coming kingdom of God. So we should not allow defeatism or triumphalism to inform our outlook on the world. Just because the leader or party we support gets elected does not mean we are one step closer to heaven on earth. But neither does it mean that when the leader or the party we support gets defeated does it mean the earth is teetering on the edge of destruction. Ultimately only God is the source of our hope and assurance for the future, not any political or military leader  we should not project our confidence or despair into the current political situation we find ourselves in.

4. The allegorical angle

Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time used to hold the record for the "most bought but least read" book in history. Similarly, the book of Revelation may be the "most quoted and least understood" book of the Bible. Because of the beautiful and disturbing word pictures within it, Revelation provides rich pickings for Christians trying to understand life in the 21st century. Some will interpret a current world leader as being a disguised anti-Christ while others will see a foreshadowing of Jesus on his white horse. My understanding of the book of Revelation is that it was never intended to be a truth time capsule that was buried at the back of the Bible that would be useless for 2,000 years because they were predicting the events of the 21st century. The book of Revelation, like all scripture, has been "useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16) ever since God first inspired the apostle John to write it. So, that means the imagery contained in it is not supposed to apply directly and mysteriously to individual leaders or events. However, the grand themes of Revelation absolutely apply today. Whatever is going on in our world  the challenges and crises  are ultimately in God's control and one day every knee will bow before the Lamb on the Throne.

5. The morality call

After Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans I heard many Christian leaders claim that this was God's judgment on the dark activities of that region. Or when an earthquake destroyed so much of Haiti, again this was attributed to the judgment of God on a corrupt nation. But when Jesus was asked to interpret some disasters that took place in his day, his answer was very different. A tower had fallen down and killed 18 people in Siloam. Around the same time the Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate killed some worshippers from Galilee as they offered their sacrifices. Some people had assumed that these victims must have committed some terrible crimes. Jesus rejects this way of thinking completely:

""Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on themdo you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish" (Luke 13 3-5).

This passage from Luke's Gospel warns us against a simplistic interpretation of tragedy assuming guilt for those who suffer. Jesus reiterates this lesson when his disciples ask him why someone was born blind, assuming it was caused either by personal or parental sin. Jesus refuses this interpretation. Similarly in the book of Job  sometimes, unexplainably it is not the wicked that suffer but the righteous. The same logic is present at the crucifixion, where Jesus was abused and then killed even though he was absolutely innocent of any crime or any sin. We should be very slow to judge the suffering of others or we will find that we have more in common with those that mocked Jesus on the cross than the one who died for the suffering and sins of the world. Instead we should reflect on the sins we know about  those in our own lives.

Conclusion

We have explored five different ways that Christians use to interpret the world around them. Although they may seem good at one level  searching Scripture, or thinking prophetically or eschatologically they can have major flaws.

For my part, I believe God wants us to live faithfully whatever the circumstances we are in, whichever side of the political debate we find ourselves on. I don't think that most of the time God gives us a detailed knowledge of how global events are playing their part in his over-all ordering of the universe, although I look forward to finding out the other side of eternity. Instead we are given instructions on how to live in every circumstance  namely to live lives of faithful and courageous obedience, being loving and gracious to one another, and in true personal repentance.

Dr Krish Kandiah is the author of 'Paradoxology: Why Christianity was never meant to be simple' which is published in the US next month by IVP.

He tweets @krishk.
Everything in Xochi, the new restaurant from the H Town Restaurant Group (Hugo's, Caracol, Backstreet Cafe), has been touched by the spirit of Oaxaca.

The colors, flavors, and design of the Mexican state that inspired chef Hugo Ortega's newest culinary venture are evident at every turn. From the decorative tiles that adorn walls and floors, to the mineral undertow of mezcal in vibrant cocktails, to the tiny candied ants that dot the tamarind mole cake dessert  all are invested with the artistic energy (sometimes subtle, sometimes dramatic) from the land that Ortega has called Mexico's culinary glory.

The years of thought and creativity that Ortega, restaurateur Tracy Vaught, and pastry chef Ruben Ortega  the H Town principals  have put into Xochi (pronounced so-chee) finally will be revealed when the restaurant opens later next week at the Marriott Marquis Houston.

The diverse geography and vegetation of Oaxaca, which is also steeped in rich history, obviously pushed the Ortega brothers to new heights with menus that read almost reverential, even romantic. It's all in the details: native chiles and herbs; garnishes of flowers and dried insects; a flurry of nuts and seeds as both ingredient and garnish; expressive uses of masa; and unexpected bursts of flavors from rambutan, mangosteen, bergamot, plantain, lemongrass, and prickly pear. The level of complexity in the dishes, desserts, and even the cocktails is almost staggering  eloquent work that also reverential and symbolic.

Here's what you can expect from Xochi:

The design: Diners can enter Xochi from the hotel but there's also the main entrance on Crawford at the corner of Walker. The angular space will be drenched in natural light courtesy of a glass wall that faces Discovery Green (the Walker streetscape practically acts as a "fourth wall" design element). Structural columns are wrapped in thick rope; decorative Mexican tiles create repetitive planes of geometric art; and custom designed tables, chairs and bar stools give the dining room a clean, finished look. There's an entire wall decorated with hand-painted alebrijes (brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures); and another wall graced by a stunning, large-format photograph of a Oaxacan street scene by photographer Diego Huerta. Overall, the design while modern has a feel of referencing traditional Oaxacan life.

The dinner menu: There are hundreds of regional mole styles throughout parts of Mexico but Hugo Ortega concentrates on seven classic moles in a special section of the menu that highlights the food most often associated with Oaxaca. The mole lineup includes crispy goat with charred pepper mole; duck in tomato and almond mole; shrimp in green mole; chicken and black mole tamale; braised beef cheek with pasilla chile mole; wild mushrooms with mole Amarillo; and pork rib meat in ant mole. There's also a mole sampler where diners can select four of the featured moles that are served with house-made tortillas.

For appetizers there are four crudos presentations as well as starters such as house-made cheese and chicharrones with guacamole and a trio of insects (dried worms, ants, and grasshoppers); mussel tamale; toasted masa cakes with roasted pork rib, beans and queso fresco; oval masa cakes stuffed with potatoes and chorizo; and Mexican squash tamales with black beans and cotija cheese.

From the wood-burning ovens come a new version of Ortega's roasted oysters with chipotle butter from Caracol. Here the flame-licked oysters are topped with a mole amarillo butter (made with costeno chiles and yellow bell pepper), cotija, and breadcrumbs. Also from the oven: a tlayuda (giant toasted tortilla topped with mole negro and black Angus ribeye meat); roasted octopus with a masa pancake and puya pepper sauce; a traditional fish and shrimp soup heated with hot river rocks; and an oven-roasted enchilada of the day.

Main dishes: "negro en negro" (a black-footed chicken with mole negro; braised skirt steak rolled in hoja santa leaves; crispy-skin breast of duck confit with a tomatillo and avocado sauce topped with duck skin chicharrones; grilled ribeye with a seared black bean tamale and ant mole; scallops in mole verde with chayote and masa dumplings; grilled head-on shrimp with green seafood rice; and slow-cooked suckling pig.

The dessert menu: Ruben Ortega has, to put it mildly, outdone himself. An inventive pastry alchemist, Ortega has stepped into a new dessert realm with creations that are gorgeously realized. The highlight of his fantastical dessert menu is a slate of all-chocolate options including a tamarind mole cake with mole ganache, mandarin sorbet, candied ants and strawberry chips; a cacao pod made from chocolate holding a variety of chocolate textures; and a chocolate cylinder holding a rich chocolate pudding topped with crumbles of sponge cake dusted with peanut powder and decorated with chocolate branches adorned with Mexican herbs and flower petals. Ortega's "Piedras y Oro" is a chocolate tart topped with mixed nuts and a spiral whirl of chocolate flecked with gold leaf; and his "Tezontle de Chocolate" is a chocolate chunk of "volcanic rock" served with coffee ice cream, Licor 43 granita, and praline foam.

The cocktail menu: As he has with all of Ortega's restaurants, beverage director Sean Beck has done extensive research to bring customers a slate of wine, cocktails, beer and spirits that is both scholarly in research and fanciful in execution. Beck presents a list of more than 100 agave-based spirits (mezcal, tequila) that can be had in one-ounce and one-and-a-half-ounce pours. He also turns the spotlight on other spirits not traditionally associated with Mexico: rum, gin, brandies, and liqueurs. And Mexican wine, of course.

The cocktail list is sure to entertain, especially where mezcal comes into play: the Mazcalini (mezcal, sorbet, and lime in a gusano salt-rimmed glass); Wild husk Sour (mezcal, pisco, elderflower liqueur, grapefruit and tomatillo marmalade); Costa Chica (reposado mezcal, tepache, Japanese whiskey, and Topo Chico); and Age of Oaxaca (mezcal, bourbon, bitters, and charred tortilla agave nectar). And why not a drink that references the hotel? Beck presents the Late Checkout, made with mezcal, wood-aged Ransom Old Tom Gin, orange liqueur, and passion fruit juice in a Oaxacan chocolate-rimmed glass.

Xochi, 1777 Walker at the Marriott Marquis Houston, 713-400-3330; xochihouston.com
Federal officials last month destroyed 24 pallets of illegally harvested timber that was seized in December 2015 at the Port of Houston, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Federal investigators said the timber was harvested in Peru without the authorization from their government. The investigation against the importer, Oregon-based Popp Forest Products, Inc., began after Peruvian officials released a report questioning the timber. Their findings were later corroborated by the U.S. Forest Service, officials said.
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"We are deeply saddened by the news from central Italy. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims as well as the local communities that were already struggling to recover from the earthquake in August last year and who have been hit again by new tremors and devastating avalanches.

As Europe's regions and cities we feel close to the hundreds of local administrators who are working hard with rescue teams and citizens to save lives, provide assistance and restore viable living conditions after the disaster. The European Union continues to help them in this prolonged emergency through all possible forms of support.

Our deepest sympathy goes to Presidents D'Alfonso, Marini, Zingaretti and Ceriscioli, as well as to all citizens in the regions of Abruzzo, Umbria, Lazio and Marche. We are mobilised to raise awareness of your plight in the EU's institutions and to improve resilience and civil protection measures aimed at tackling such a series of natural events, ensuring that affected communities receive adequate support through the relevant solidarity tools, including the flexibility to cope with extraordinary circumstances".



The impact of the tragic events in central Italy will be discussed at the European Committee of the Regions on 2. February, on the occasion of a meeting of the NAT Commission focussed on an opinion on how to make EU regions safer and more resilient.
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A retired Air Force officer and NASA astronaut has been chosen to lead Texas A&M's Galveston campus, university officials said Wednesday.

Michael E. Fossum, who spent more than 20 years at NASA, will be the next chief operating officer at the branch university starting on March 1.

"I am pleased that Colonel Fossum will be bringing his vast experience in collaborative leadership and consensus-building to the Texas A&M University Galveston campus," said Karen Watson, Texas A&M provost and executive vice president.

Fossum, who grew up in McAllen, is a 1980 graduate of Texas A&M and was a member of the Corps of Cadets. He spent 12 years on active duty before transitioning to the reserves. Fossum joined NASA in 1993 as a systems engineer.

He was selected as an astronaut in 1998. Fossum is a veteran of three space flights, logging more than 194 days in space. He retired from the Air Force Reserves in 2010 as a colonel and recently retired from NASA as Assistant Chief for International Space Station in the astronaut office.

In addition to his administrative role at Texas A&M-Galveston, Fossum will be an executive professor, officials said.

"As I move into this new role service the university I love, I look forward to inspiring and equipping our next generation of leaders and explorers," Fossum said.
Despite a lack of actual jewelry, there was plenty of sparkle at Van Cleef & Arpel's dinner for KNOWAutism on Wednesday.

The french high jeweler hosted some 40 non-profit advocates at Hotel ZaZa as a precursor to the organization's upcoming gala on Feb. 23 at the Briar Club. The cocktail throng kicked off the evening with fancy finger foods - sushi, empanadas, beef Wellingtons, and crab cakes - and champagne in the Museum District auberge's Fountain Room. Among them, honorary chair Carolyn Farb put all other attendees to shame in her graphic black and white ensemble while Alison Sifflet of the band Gray Scale crooned in the background.
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Known around the world for its Michelin-star fare, Copenhagen's award-winning restaurant Noma is slated for a residency in Tulum, Mexico.

In an exclusive Q&A with Conde Nast Traveler, Noma chef/owner Rene Redzepi explains he and his team will be jetting off for a seven-week Mexican pop-up from April 12 through May 28.

Tickets are currently on sale, but the visit will be costly at $600 per person.

MEXICAN TRAVEL: Lift on flight restrictions could result in cheaper airfare to Mexico

Although the meal is guaranteed to be the culmination of thorough research and comprehensively tested recipes. Both Redzepi and his former sous chef, Mexican gourmand Rosio Sanchez, have traveled from Merida to Oaxaca and everywhere in between to explore the regional cuisines of the country's most famed culinary capitals.

As a result, they hope to showcase both exemplary technique and Mexican culture.

Although for those putting down the hefty $600-per-person investment, perhaps a more specific description of what to expect is in order.

GETWAWAYS: The best Mexican beaches you should know

Here's what chef Redzepi told Conde Nast's international editor David Prior about the meal:

"We won't be cooking a traditional Mexican meal with a Scandinavian twist. We cannot cook as well as the people here who have been doing it forever, but we will be inspired from it. We went to a tiny town in Yucatan called Yaxunah and we had one of the very traditional dishes there called cochinita pibil [a slow-roasted pork marinated with citrus and spices and wrapped in a banana leaf] which is world famous. I've had it 1000 times before, but to go into this community that has been eating it for centuriesit was just so perfect and so delicious and better than 98 percent of the dishes I've had this year. We're not going to try and fiddle with traditional dishes like that, but we're going to look at the taco and the masa, those kind of dishes and try to do our own rendition of those."

Those interested in attending the once-in-a-lifetime meal down south should visit noma.dk/mexico.
AUSTIN  Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Wednesday announced his appointments of lawmakers to lead 14 Texas Senate committees that will field various legislation during the 85th legislative session.

Notably, Patrick shook up the Committee on Education, stacking it with some of the Senates most ardent defenders of vouchers as he prepares to push an aggressive so-called school choice agenda. The issue has divided the upper chamber and the House in past legislative sessions, a trend that is expected to continue this time.

While Sen. Larry Taylor of Friendswood kept his post as chairman, the lieutenant governor removed two Democrats from the panel  Sens. Sylvia Garcia of Houston and Jose Rodriguez of El Paso  who have become vocal opponents of the Senate GOP agenda that they argue neglects public schools.

Patrick added Sen. Bob Hall, a Republican from Edgewood, and newcomer Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Republican from Mineola. One new Democrat joined the ranks: Sen. Carlos Uresti of San Antonio.

These appointments reflect the proven leadership, commitment, expertise and solid work ethic of the thirty-one senators who have been elected by the people of Texas to represent them," Patrick said in a statement. The appointments I am making call on all senators, including freshmen, in both political parties to play a significant role. Moving forward from today, we know that the hours are long and the work is difficult, but I am confident we have the committee leadership in place to get the job done for the people in Texas."

Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, a Brenham Republican, is the new chairwoman of the Committee on Administration. She replaces state Sen. Kelly Hancock, a Republican from North Richland Hills who now will chair the Committee on Business and Commerce.

For a second consecutive session, Sen. Charles Schwertner of Georgetown will lead the Committee on Health and Human Services.

The leadership of many powerful committees remained unchanged.

As expected, Patrick reappointed GOP Sen. Jane Nelson of Flower Mound to lead the Committee on Finance, which is charged with drafting and passing a multi-billion dollar state budget. She has become an ally of Patricks in budget negotiations with the House, whose committees appointments are expected later this month.

Sen. Joan Huffman, a Republican from Houston, again will chair the Committee on State Affairs, which has become a focal point for some of the most controversial legislation in recent sessions. Her committee this time is expected to take up the so-called bathroom bill, a proposal from Kolkhorst that would prohibit city and county officials from adopting ordinances that prevent private businesses from making policies for their bathrooms and dressing rooms.

Longtime Sen. John Whitmire, kept his chairmanship of the Committee on Criminal Justice. He long has led the committee charged with overseeing the states sprawling jail and prison system. Whitmire and Sen. Eddie Lucio of Brownsville, who will lead the Committee on Intergovernmental Relations, remain the only Democrats to chair Senate committees.

The Committee on Veterans Affairs and Border Security again will be chaired by Sen. Donna Campbell, a Republican from New Braunfels. She led the committee last session, when it considered legislation to repeal decades-old law that allows undocumented immigrants who graduated from a Texas high school or served in the military to pay in-state tuition at public colleges. The issue, and other immigration-related measures, are expected to come up again.
NEW BERLIN, Wis. (WISN-TV)  A driver who got out to check his vehicle after being involved in a crash was stabbed early Wednesday morning in an attempted carjacking, police said. However, the victim turned the tables on the two would-be carjackers.

Sasa Perkic, a former mixed martial arts star, pummeled one of the men until he was stabbed numerous times by the other man. The two men then ran off and sped away in the vehicle they arrived in.

A New Berlin police official said Perkic was near the intersection of Calhoun Road and Glendale Drive at about 4 a.m. when he was struck from behind by another car. Police believe the collision was intentional.

When Perkic got out to check for damage, the passenger in the striking car got out and tried stealing the victim's vehicle. The victim fought back and the men only got away when Perkic was stabbed.

"At first, I thought he was punching me in my kidney area. Then, when he started going for my neck and shoulders, I felt sharp sharp stabs, and that's when I realized, cause I wouldn't stop hitting this guy, I'm like 'OK I can take some hits,' so I just turned around when I noticed it was a knife," Perkic said.

The attackers took off in the original vehicle and remain on the loose. Police described them only as being two black men in their 20s. Their vehicle was described as a minivan from the late 90s or early 2000s. It could be purple or gray and has tinted windows, police said.

Perkic was stabbed more than 10 times in the area of his shoulders and neck, as well as his lower back, but was treated and released from a local hospital. He shared photos of the injuries to his back with WISN 12 News. He's not even planning to take a day off his job, working as a bouncer.

"I'm OK. What does not kill me makes me stronger, I guess. So I'll take it, you know? I'm still here still breathing still alive. And I got my car. I got stabbed a few times. OK, I got lucky, no major organs were hit, so I'm OK," Perkic said. WISN 12 News reporter Nick Bohr asked Perkic if he feels the suspects picked on the wrong guy. "Of course. Definitely I do," said Perkic. "I just wish the other guy didn't have a knife and I could've just finished them both."

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the New Berlin Police Department.

--

Article originally published on WISN.com
Paul Revere Rum Distillery is scheduled to open along Dallas Street east of downtown in coming weeks, its founders recently told the Houston Business Journal.

The distillery will fill about 2,500 square feet at 2201 Dallas St., according to founding partners Paul Stephens, Morris Nichols, Peter Vo and Chad Hallmark.
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Students held up signs spelling out "PINKYS" at the Splendora ISD board meeting Jan. 17.

PINKYS stands for Positive Involvement Nudges Kindness to Yield Success. The group was inspired by Splendora Independent School District's adoption of the Rachel's Challenge initiative.

Rachel's Challenge is an organization created in memory of Rachel Scott - killed in the April 20, 1999 Columbine High School shooting. The goals of the organization include promoting school safety, community involvement and striving for individual and community betterment by engaging in meaningful activities.

"We were looking for a way to promote the initiative for building empathy in students at our campus with something very concrete and tangible," said Janet Lee, counselor at Peach Creek Elementary School. "We have three objectives in our group. One is that young ladies will learn a useful skill such as sewing or crafting; two, young ladies will learn the art of compromise and cooperation and sharpen communication skills; and three, young ladies will use their talents and skills to outreach to others."

This year, the PINKYS undertook a community service project in which they made 10 no-sew fleece blankets to donate to the East Texas Dream Center in Conroe.

The Dream Center is a nonprofit organization that provides recovery programs, resources and housing to women and children experiencing hardships.

"They have at least 20 children living in the Dream Center," Lee said. "So, we made 10 of these blankets for children of various ages and we would like to present those tonight."

Lee said making and donating the blankets may help encourage compassion in PINKYS students.

"I wanted to show these girls that they can reach out to other children their age, who they don't even know, to be a blessing to them," Lee said. "From time to time, we all need something to push us outside of ourselves. We need to think of somebody else's needs who may have bigger issues than 'What am I going to wear to school today?'."

The PINKYS presented the blankets to Shawn and Shannon Nelson, founders and co-directors of the East Texas Dream Center in Conroe.

Shannon Nelson said the impact this donation will have on children at the Dream Center.

"It's something so simple that people don't realize that just a blanket changes a little child's life," Shannon said. "The things these kids have been through, it does. When children come in, we want them to feel secure. When they come in and we hand them a blanket; that's their blankey. It helps them feel safe in a new place. The blankets mean so much to them."

For more information about the East Texas Dream Center, visit www.easttexasdreamcenter.org.
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Sorry folks, The Office is not coming back to TV.

Actor Steve Carell trolled fans on Twitter Wednesday night, getting the hopes up of thousands of people still quoting Dwight Schrute on a daily basis.

THE BEST: The 50 greatest TV shows of this century ... so far

In the wake of other shows like Will & Grace getting set for happy returns we thought seeing Carells Michael Scott character and the gang again on the tube would be a no-brainer.

Alas, it was a joke.

His tweet Breaking News: "The Office" returning to NBC, received close to 101,000 retweets. His next tweet, six minutes later, only received 46,006 retweets.

NO SURPRISES: IMDb ranks the best TV shows of 2016, 'Game of Thrones' lands on top - again

"Wait, sorry. I meant "Will and Grace" (Typo)" Carell tweeted.

Truth be told we don't really know how the show would have been rebooted. It would have been great to see the band back together but the show ended when it should have.

We're still a little hazy on why the return of "Will & Grace" besides '90s nostalgia. Who asked for it to come back?

The American version of The Office ran from 2005 until 2013 and is still a huge draw in syndication.
"20th Century Women" isn't a great film but it does something great. It replicates a quality of memory in a way that I've never quite seen before.

The film captures the way we think about people we knew and the lives they lived when we remember them from the distance of decades.

Written and directed by Mike Mills, and loosely based on his own childhood, it tells the story of a teenage boy being raised by a single mother in a big house in Santa Barbara, Calif. To make extra money, they have two boarders: a man who fixes cars and a young woman in her 20s. Along with the boy's sister-like best friend, they become a kind of family, and all end up raising the boy.

Mills ("Beginners") was born in 1966, and for a lot of us who lived a substantial portion of our lives in the past century, there's a weird thing that sometimes happens as we think of people from our past, who were older than we were. They were 20th-century people. They saw the world through 20th-century eyes.

More Information '20th Century Women' Rated R: for sexual material, language, some nudity and brief drug use Running time: 118 minutes xxx1/2 See More Collapse

They had the options that were available at the time, and now we know how things worked out for them. Looking back brings mixed feelings of omniscience and helplessness, as well as awe before the mystery. And that is the feeling that Mills creates and instills.

He does this, at least in part, by consistently reminding the audience that it's looking at the past. He doesn't establish an illusion of the past and try to bring the audience into it. Instead, he establishes convincingly the 1979 setting and then keeps the audience mentally in the 21st century.

For example, mini life histories are given for the three central women - played by Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning. These are presented in documentary style, with archival photos and voice-over narration. Each has a history, and each is part of history.

Mom (Bening) is in her mid-50s, which means she had her son in her early 40s. She's a fretting mother and yet a free spirit, with odd idiosyncrasies, such as inviting random people over for dinner. As the story begins, she finds herself losing contact with her son, unable to penetrate his adolescent angst, and so she asks Julie (Fanning) and Abbie (Gerwig) to look out for him, too.

Each does her best, within the limits of her ability.

Abbie tries to teach Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) to be a sensitive man and tells him about punk rock and women's orgasms. With Julie, the situation is especially fraught. She is only a couple of years older than Jamie, and he is in love with her. But she regards him as a best friend, leans on him for relationship advice and has the habit of stripping down to her underwear and climbing into his bed to express sisterly closeness.

Tangentially, the world outside goes by - the world is always tangential, except in times of calamity - and so we hear and see manifestations of things like punk rock art shows and early skateboarding culture.

One Sunday, family and friends gather around to hear President Jimmy Carter deliver the national sermon that went down in history as "The Malaise Speech." The moment is real. The nation really did stop everything to take in that speech. As any modern viewer will recognize while revisiting it, much of what Carter warned about has already come to pass.

Bening, here, is wonderful, as she always is when she gets a role worthy of her. The narration insists that Mom was a total original and a magnificent force, and Bening gives us that. She smokes constantly in the film - it borders on distracting, like watching an actress and a character try to kill themselves. But it's not exactly inaccurate. In 1979, it was still possible to find otherwise intelligent, sensible people smoking around the clock.

"20th Century Women" is not especially dramatic. At times, it eschews drama. Every time the story is on a knife's edge and can drop deeper into turmoil or recede back to the normal flows and ebbs of life, Mills chooses the latter. But this time, the strategy works. It feels real. And though Mills never makes us care about these people as much as he does, we receive "20th Century Women" as a privileged communication.

It meant something to him, and thus reminds us of what means something to us.
"What have you ever come up with?!" That question arrives near the end of "The Founder," a sharp and satisfyingly fat-free account of how a wily salesman took a lucrative Southern California burger joint and turned it into the world's biggest fast-food empire.

Given what we've seen up until that point - a reluctant deal with the devil that has all but pushed two hardworking brothers out of their own company - it's a reasonable enough inquiry.

You might well be reminded of a similarly scornful question ("What do you do?!") posed in another recent biopic of a much more iconic American entrepreneur. In each film it's implied that the man in charge - Steve Jobs of Apple, Ray Kroc of McDonald's - is little more than a glorified parasite, a corporate maverick with a genius for seizing, amplifying and profiting from the contributions of his more talented, more principled underlings.

Jobs and Kroc were, of course, very different people and businessmen, and "Steve Jobs" and "The Founder" are accordingly distinct movies. Sturdily directed by John Lee Hancock from a shrewd script by Robert Siegel, "The Founder" moves briskly and assuredly from one well-constructed scene to the next, propelled by currents of dialogue that, while barbed and engaging, have none of Aaron Sorkin's hyper-articulate verbal fireworks.

More Information 'The Founder' Rated PG-13: for brief strong language Running time: 115 minutes xxxx See More Collapse

What the two movies do have in common - with each other, and with another Sorkin-scripted drama, "The Social Network" - is a fascination with a powerfully disruptive moment in American commerce. They also prove more than willing to defy the traditional, often tedious dramatic logic that a protagonist - particularly one based on a real-life person - must be an inherently heroic or likable figure.

That's not to suggest that we feel nothing for Kroc, who is played with alternately ratty and reptilian intelligence by Michael Keaton - an actor too generous, and too instinctively fair-minded, not to imbue even his most unsavory alter egos with at least a glimmer of soul.

When we first meet Kroc in 1954, wearily hawking milkshake machines at drive-in diners across the heartland, we're impressed by the practiced fluency of his sales pitch even as we sense the corroded spirit behind it; the trappings of personal failure and disappointment are as unmistakable and overpowering as the smell of fry grease.

But when Kroc hears about McDonald's Hamburgers, a restaurant out in San Bernardino that has become an overnight sensation, he makes the long drive west to meet Richard "Dick" McDonald (Nick Offerman) and Maurice "Mac" McDonald (John Carroll Lynch). The brothers happily explain how they tossed out the problematic drive-in model and introduced the kind of speed, consistency and convenience that we have long since come to associate with not just the McDonald's brand, but the fast-food industry in general.

The flashback-heavy sequence that brings all this together - tightly edited by Robert Frazen, in rhythm with the McDonald's employees' own clockwork-precise movements - is a small masterpiece of narrative compression. It's also a deceptively optimistic tribute to American innovation in action. You might not emerge from "The Founder" craving a hamburger with a machine-tooled distribution of onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard but you can't help but admire the skill and ingenuity with which it all comes together.

Something similar might be said of "The Founder," whose sneaky brilliance lies in its tonal control, its way of calling our own sympathies and ideals into question. At every step the movie honors the McDonald brothers' decency and humility, their heroic commitment to ensuring quality at their flagship San Bernardino location. But it also allows us to appreciate Kroc's thrilling, enormous vision of those heavenly Golden Arches stretching from coast to coast. Finally winning over the brothers, he tells them, "Do it for America."

Hancock traces the fallout of this Faustian bargain with impressive nuance, clarity and a rigorous attention to the sort of procedural minutiae that might have bogged down a less assured telling. In doing so, he turns the unlikely subject of a fast-food chain into a quasi-religious satire, a parable of American striving and, ultimately, a study of artisanal integrity gradually caving in to commercial compromise.
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The George Bush Intercontinental Airport has welcomed a slew of great Houston restaurants.

Among the already open establishments are Hugo's Cocina, a new dining destination at IAH, helmed by James Beard Award finalist chef Hugo Ortega and his wife, Tracy Vaught. The regional Mexican establishment lends a sophisticated menu to the airport, as well as a smart cocktail list from the couple's H Town Restaurant Group beverage program director Sean Beck.

>>See where to find those high-profile Houston restaurants at IAH and Hobby, as well as Houston airport's best cheap eats, in the gallery above.

Also open is the American Express Centurion Lounge's selection of bites and cocktails from Oxheart chef and James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Yu. He's providing upscale fare and cocktails for lounge guests who are Amex Platinum and Centurion Card members.

NOW WITH COCKTAILS: Galveston's Hubcap Grill now open on the Strand

For more casual, but still locally renowned restaurants, airport diners can enjoy Hubcap Grill burgers. Owner Ricky Craig's IAH outpost of this popular burger spot has a selection of locally brewed beers on tap. This is the fifth Hubcap Grill location in the Houston-Galveston area. Craig also set up shops in Kemah and, most recently, Galveston's Historic Strand District.

Family owned Midtown hot spot The Breakfast Klub has also made its debut at one one of IAH's busy terminals. Marcus and Melvine Davis have brought their wide selection of Southern breakfast staples, as well as soul food classics, like catfish and grits.

$10 CLUB: 18 great Houston meals for $9 and under

Also open are Landry's Seafood and a small wine bar from famed Houston restaurateur Tony Vallone.

>>See where to find those high-profile Houston restaurants at IAH and Hobby in the gallery above.

For a list of other spots not in the above round-up, here's the rest of the must-visit spots:

Terminal A:

Mockingbird Distillery & Smokehouse (American): near gate A12. Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Menu)

(American): near gate A12. Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Menu) Jetbox Market (sandwiches): near gates A1-A15. Open 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Terminal B:

Cafe Adobe (Tex-Mex): near gates B85-B88. Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Menu)

(Tex-Mex): near gates B85-B88. Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Menu) Bullritos (Tex-Mex): near gates B1-B31. Open 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. ( Menu

(Tex-Mex): near gates B1-B31. Open 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. ( Ray's BBQ Shack (barbecue): terminal food court. Open 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. ( Menu

(barbecue): terminal food court. Open 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. ( Re+Bar9 (burgers): near gate B88. Open 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

(burgers): near gate B88. Open 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Whataburger (fast food): nera gates B1-B31. Open 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Terminal C

Pink's Pizza (pizzeria): near gate C43. Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. ( Menu

(pizzeria): near gate C43. Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. ( The Local at IAH (pub fare): near gate C23. Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. ( Menu

(pub fare): near gate C23. Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. ( Umaizushi (Japanese): near gate C45. Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. ( Menu

(Japanese): near gate C45. Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. ( Pizza Vino (pizzeria): near gate C23. Open 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. ( Menu

Terminal D

Houston Burger Company (burgers): near gate D6. Open 5:30 a.m. to midnight. ( Menu

(burgers): near gate D6. Open 5:30 a.m. to midnight. ( Peet's Coffee & Tea (coffee): near gate D6. Open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Terminal E
Four Oklahoma State University students are in hot water after they posted a photo of themselves "celebrating" Martin Luther King Jr. Day with mud masks on their faces.

Rather than a historical photo of the Civil Rights leader himself - as most typically do when honoring the historic figure - these four girls posed with black faces - though there is a debate to whether they are wearing dark mud masks - which is a common beauty facial product) or if they intentionally painted their faces black.
Attorney General Ken Paxton has obtained a temporary restraining order against the Texas Tobacco and Smoke Shop in Harris County, which would stop the sale of synthetic cannabinoids, according to a statement from the attorney general's office on Thursday.

Paxton alleges in his lawsuit filed Wednesday, that store owners Sayed Ali and Azmina Ali violated the Deceptive Trade Practices Act through selling the drugs without noting to customers that they are illegal and dangerous. Synthetic cannabinoids, known as Kush or synthetic marijuana are considered illegal to use in Texas. The sale of the drug will interfere with the "public health, safety, peace comfort and convenience of its citizens," Paxton alleges in the lawsuit.
At the site of a former flophouse for local prostitutes, a motley crowd gathered after dark.

"Rachel. Celeste. Stephanie," they said. "Natalie. Kelly."

Tearful women solemnly ticked offnames and shared stories during a Wednesday night candlelight vigil honoring victims of sex trafficking. Dubbed a "Celebration of Life," the gathering was fittingly sited at the erstwhile Blue Top Courts Motel, which once housed prostitutes and is now home to a woman-run non-profit crisis center.

"It's very significant to me," said Tracy Dudley, the former sex worker who in 2010 founded Women Motivating Women, the non-profit that runs the crisis center.

"I was a victim. And many people in this room tonight are survivors of this very property. And now we have turned this into our crisis center."

Before dedicating herself to a life of advocacy and activism, Dudley lived at and worked out of Blue Top Courts on Telephone Road.

"It's really personal to me to be able to come back here and make a difference, right here in this neighborhood," she said.

After Dudley worked to rev up the crowd with a peppy introduction, Houston Police Department Chief Art Acevedo took the stage to a standing ovation.

"There is nothing that is better to celebrate than survivorship," he said, drawing nods of approval.

"The Houston Police Department will never give up on the people who need us the most."

The event comes just before HPD kicks off its third year in the National Johns Suppression Initiative, an effort initially launched in 2011 by the Cook County Sheriff's Office in the Chicago area.

The Illinois-based initiative seeks to curb prostitution by focusing on sex buyers' roles in an industry widely regarded as exploitative. The national crackdown on sex for hire has thus far netted more than 5,800 arrests in 22 states, the Chicago Tribune reported in August.

Less than a week before Wednesday's vigil, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced plans to amp up efforts to fight human trafficking leading up to the Super Bowl.

In keeping with the national initiative, HPD Vice Capt. Dan Harris said that crackdown will focus on men buying sex.

"We want to arrest as many johns as possible," he said in an interview just before Wednesday's event started.

"Going after the demand side is key."

In years past, HPD arrests often focused on sex sellers instead of their customers. In 2014, would-be buyers made up just 9 percent of the city's prostitution arrests, Harris said. By 2015, that number was up to 26 percent and a preliminary look at 2016 data puts that number around 31 percent.

Locally, it's not clear how many of HPD's annual prostitution arrests involve human trafficking victims, but the Wednesday vigil sought to honor them all, especially those who died along the notorious stretch of southeast Houston that was once home to the Blue Court.

"Telephone Road is one of the oldest tracks ever," Dudley said. "But it's a new day on Telephone Road."
A Texas restaurant owner figured Martin Luther King Jr. Day would be the perfect time to offer fried chicken with a side of watermelon for the lunch special.

Azle Cafe owner Sabrina Pyle even posted the special on Facebook - then took it down after catching grief about playing to some of the worst racial stereotypes of black people.
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On this date in 1839 the state capital of Texas was moved from Houston to Austin, forever changing the directions of each city.

To this day some Houstonians wish that Sam Houston had succeeded in making the Bayou City the states official capital for good. It has a lot to do with city pride, the apparent distaste for Austins liberal culture and Houstons rep as a place as a gritty business hub.

ALL CAPS: WalletHub has ranked the best and worst state capitals

Maybe its possible for Houston to be the business capital of Texas and we have the prettier Austin to do the legislative work and offer up a western respite complete with cool water and cold drinks. Sadly, Austin didnt really invent the breakfast taco and their tag as the live music capital of the world is slowly being eroded by real estate developers.

Is Houston weirder than Austin? Quite possibly. Austin seems more and more like Los Angeles with every visit. Were sensitive here in Houston because were not as cool as Austin and not as glamor-laden as Dallas. Those sensitive types are legion.

Back in Feb. 2013 Texas Monthlys John Nova Lomax detailed why Houston should be the capital of the Lone Star State, arguing in part that a state capital needed to be the most powerful city in the state and the most representative. Many will counter that New York's state capital of Albany is not that sort of city, nor is Baton Rouge in Louisiana.

His light-hearted take of course made some in the state capital just a tad miffed. Dallasites likely just snickered.

THANK HEAVENS: Finally someone has written the definitive bible on the tacos of Texas

In 1838 Waterloo -- as Austin was then called -- impressed then-President Mirabeau B. Lamar for its proximity to the Colorado River, the beauty of the area, and its central location in the Republic of Texas. Some Texans didnt like the spot because compared to Houston it was in a remote area and offered little protection from attacks from Mexican troops and Native Americans in the vicinity.

Still, the capital-site commission purchased some 7,700 acres and changed the name of the area to Austin, in honor of Stephen F. Austin.
AUSTIN -- Texas women are less likely to get an abortion if they have to drive a long way to do it, according to a study published Thursday by a research group funded in part by abortion-rights supporters.

The study is the first analysis of the longer travel distances created by Texas's 2013 House Bill 2, the far-reaching anti-abortion bill that the U.S. Supreme Court partially threw out last year. It is sure to give ammunition to opponents of that law and similar proposals.

To conduct the study, researchers did a county-by-county analysis of the change in abortion rate between 2012 and 2014 to the change in driving distance to the nearest abortion clinic in that same time period.

The researchers focused on counties in which there was no abortion clinic in 2014. They found that in those counties in which the driving distance to the nearest clinic increased by 100 miles or more between 2012 and 2014, there was a 50 percent decrease in abortions. In counties in which the driving distance did not grow, there was only a 1 percent decline in abortions.

Overall, statewide, there was a 18.5 percent drop in abortions in Texas between 2012 and 2014. That is a sharper rate of decrease than the national decline, a fact that abortion-rights supporters have attributed to House Bill 2.

The statistics do not include women who traveled to another country to get an abortion, or who tried to do it on their own.

The study was conducted by the Texas Policy Evaluation Project (TxPEP), which is funded in part by abortion-rights supporters, but it was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a well-respected publication.

"While it may seem intuitive that increasing distance to a facility providing abortions limits access, this is the first study to rigorously demonstrate this association," said Dr. Joseph Potter, a University of Texas professor and principal investigator of TxPEP.

Abortion-rights supporters seized on the study as evidence of the devastating impact on House Bill 2, while anti-abortion advocates questioned the credibility of the research given its source.

Not all abortion opponents were dismissive, however.

"Whatever the reason, we are always happy for lives saved," said Jason Vaughn, founder of Pro-Life Texas, an anti-abortion advocacy group.

House Bill 2, which was passed over a nationally-watched Democratic filibuster led by then-state Sen. Wendy Davis, prohibited abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, heavily limited the use of a pill for the procedure, required abortion doctors to obtain admitting privileges at local hospitals and required clinics to comply with the expensive standards of hospital-style surgical centers.

The latter two provisions were thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court last year.

In the years after the law was approved in 2013, the number of abortion clinics in Texas has fallen from 41 down to about 20. The number temporarily dipped even lower, to less than 10, when the law briefly was allowed to take effect before the high court stepped in.

Earlier this week, the Guttmacher Institute, another research group that supports abortion rights, reported that the rate of abortions in the United States fell to the lowest level since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. There were fewer than 1 million abortions in 2014, the group reported.

The country's abortion rate has been dropping for decades due to new restrictions, as well as increased availability of birth control.
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A federal judge issued a temporary injunction Thursday on the state's plan to boot Planned Parenthood from Texas' Medicaid program.

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks blocked the nonprofit's ouster from state's Medicaid program until Feb. 21. The move had been scheduled to start Saturday.

Spark's decision was only based on timing, not on the merits of the case.

Planned Parenthood sued to block the state from kicking it out of the Medicaid program, from which it receives about $4 million a year in state funding. It asked Sparks for a preliminary injunction.

Thursday was the third and final day of the hearing over Planned Parenthood's suit.

The state brought forward its last witness Thursday morning. Jami Snyder, associate commissioner for Medicaid and CHIP, testified that 12,500 Texas women in Medicaid receive care from Planned Parenthood, and said other providers offer similar services, such as contraceptives and pregnancy tests.

Planned Parenthood called its own witness, Amanda Stevenson, a University of Colorado professor who studied the effects of Planned Parenthood's removal from the Texas Women's Health Program in 2013.

Attorneys for the state tried to poke holes in the study, pointing to some of Stevenson's tweets that showed her support for abortion rights legislation.

Sparks called the questioning of Stevenson by the state and Planned Parenthood "comical."

"Nothing Stevenson says is going to influence me in this case," Sparks said.
A new species of moth will now bear the name of soon-to-be President Donald Trump.

Discovered by biologists Vazrick Nazari, the tiny moth appears to sport Trump's unique hairstyle.
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.
An incoming presidents most important task is staffing his administration with allies who understand and share his policies, and are dependably loyal. Because of his surprise victory, President-elect Donald Trump risks repeating the staffing mistakes that hindered President Richard Nixons first term. It isnt too late to adopt at least part of President Ronald Reagans successful approach.

The president must appoint the secretaries, deputy secretaries, undersecretaries, and assistant secretaries of cabinet-level agencies, and the administrators of major sub-cabinet agencies such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Environmental Protection Agency. Many more lower-level positons must be filled in order for the executive branch to function. The total number of appointees has swollen from about 2,000 during the Nixon and Reagan years to about 4,000 today.

Ask anyone who has participated in a presidential transition: the 70-odd days between election and inauguration pass in a flash. Advisers urged Nixon during his tough battle against Hubert Humphrey in 1968 to identify possible appointees before the election. He initially rejected the advice, arguing that it was better to pick staff whenand ifhe won. Eventually, however, Nixon authorized a modest effort to come up with names. According to campaign insider Martin Anderson, the search yielded no useful candidates. After his victory, Nixon and his kitchen cabinet came up with suggestions for different posts. They identified nominees for the cabinet secretaries and some subcabinet positions, but ran out of time and mostly left it up to the nominees themselves to select their subordinates. The result was an incoherent administration; the numerous lower-level appointees included Democrats and independents with a wide range of non-Nixonian policy positions.

Nixon lost his opportunity to govern before he started, said Anderson, who also served Reagan. Unlike Nixon, Reagan accepted the idea of planning for his administration prior to winning the election. Lists of qualified candidates were in hand by Election Day, and Reagans White House Office of Personnel kept tight control over all the appointments. Seven months before the 1980 election, I received a letter from a campaign official, John McClaughry, asking me to send along articles Id written on privatization. I would like to see you as an assistant secretary of HUD under President Reagan, read the final sentence of his letter. Two days after the election, I was called to Washington and appointed to that post.

When Reagan took office, many incumbent political appointees lost their jobs. Counselor to the president Edwin Meese organized an extensive briefing program to bring the secretary-designees up to speed on the departments they were taking over. They were also briefed on Reagans policies and priorities concerning their particular agencys policy portfolio. The result was a coherent administration that understood and shared the presidents outlook and priorities.

President-elect Trump, in a more organized campaign, might have followed this part of Reagans strategy and avoided Nixons profound mistake of ceding control of his appointments. Trumps energetic start has produced impressive, strong-minded nominees. Some of his picks, however, have already strayed from the policies outlined by their new boss. It remains to be seen how Trump handles these defections.

A second element of Reagans successful management of the executive branch was his consistent ability to minimize the drag placed on his agenda by the so-called Iron Triangle. A perpetual hazard for new administrations, the Iron Triangle consists of (1) the permanent employees of a department or agency; (2) the congressional committees with a stake in the growth ofand deference toa corresponding executive department or agency; (3) the department or agencys constituentsfor example, the farmers, farm organizations, and lobbyists who do business with the Department of Agriculture. Cabinet departments are sprawling bureaucracies with a variety of employees. Some civil servants can serve effectively under different presidents. But many tenured lifers have their own views and can influence, delay, subvert, and otherwise throw sand in a new governments gears. The pressure is tremendous, and presidential appointees are often captured by the Iron Triangle.

Early in his administration, Reagan held frequent cabinet meetings, sometimes two or three a week, the principal purpose of which was to acclimate the members of his cabinet to the idea that they worked for the president, not for the Iron Triangle. By coming so frequently to the White House, Reagans appointees bonded with their peersand with the president. If he is to avoid the threat to his agenda posed by the Iron Triangle, Trump should follow Reagans lead.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
For a president who became synonymous with the abuse of executive power, Richard Nixons public exchanges with adversarial reporters seem quaint by todays standards. Take Nixons March 1974 news conference in Houston, hosted before a convention for the National Association of Broadcasters. A young, sideburned Dan Rather introduced himself to a mix of cheers and jeers from the crowd, and Nixon responded with a sub-140-character zinger that might play well today: Are you running for something?

The room erupted in laughs, and Nixonknee-deep in the Watergate scandalrevelled in his one-liner. After bowing his head for a moment, Rather looked up: No, Mr. President, are you? Nixons smile faded.

The soon-to-resign presidents jab at a hard-charging reporter was a tame precursor to some of the tactics employed by President-elect Donald Trump over the past 18 months, including his smack-down of a CNN correspondent at a news conference last week. Indeed, many have counted Trumps personal animus toward the press as one of several traits he shares with Nixon. But the two differ in their relationship with journalists in one key respect, and it speaks to the unprecedented difficulties ahead for political media under President Trump.

With Nixon, lying was very much with the intent to deceivehe lied through his teeth that he didnt lead a criminal conspiracy from the White House, says David Greenberg, a Rutgers University professor who chronicled presidential PR machines in Republic of Spin. Trump is not quite the biggest liar [to be president], but he is, in a way, the most open and nonchalant about it. Hell comfortably lie about something thats so obviously false. Its almost like, is it a lie if there isnt the intent to deceive or expectation to deceive?

Related: Check out 10 must-read CJR stories on covering the Trump phenomenon.

This is central to the communications strategy of the man taking power Friday: Whereas all modern presidents have spun informationeven liedthe reality TV star actively obstructs a fact-based public debate like no other before him. Whereas all have attempted to take their messages directly to supporters, Trump has a unique gift for using tools that do so almost instantaneously. Whereas all have sought to limit press access to suit their political ends, Trumps relationship with the truth has called the very value of access into question. And whereas all have railed against the press in the face of negative coverage, Trump has portrayed the media as a political foil hes actively trying to defeat.

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Whereas all modern presidents have spun informationeven liedthe reality TV star actively obstructs a fact-based public debate like no other before him.

Decades-long trends in media and politics have made this moment particularly ripe for a figure like Trumpand particularly precarious for the journalists covering him. Even the most prestigious media companies face an uncertain financial future, and the atrophy of local outlets has diminished coverage of the very regions that comprise the base of Trumps support. The medias fragmentation, competitiveness, and increasing partisanship have sapped it of much of the collective political power it held during Watergate. Add in a hyperpolarized environment in Washington, on the internet, and across the country, and the Trump Administration may usher in one of the most challenging environments for the Washington press corps over the past century.

In the weeks leading up to Trumps inauguration, CJR spoke with political journalists who will cover the incoming administration and reporters and historians whove chronicled its predecessors. They collectively painted a foreboding picture of journalism in the Trump era, even if some claimed to hold out hope that journalists will weather the coming storm.

Staffing up

Formal appeals to the incoming administration have nodded to this trepidation. In a letter sent Wednesday to Team Trump and co-signed by 60 different journalism organizations, the Society of Professional Journalists framed its call for a more constructive relationship around democratic principles.

Our Founding Fathers knew the importance of a press that is free to report on the activities of our government and elected officials, the letter reads. We urge you to publicly affirm your commitment to transparency, to issue an executive order prohibiting the restrictive public information policies that have been the status quo, and to engage in a public discussion with us about the Trump Administrations commitment to the free flow of information from the White House and all federal government, to the American people.

The Trump Administration may usher in one of the most challenging environments for the Washington press corps over the past century.

The chaotic road ahead will pose immense difficulties for journalists accustomed to the way things work in Washington, but also potential opportunity for those who are quick to adapt. Already, major outlets have begun stockpiling resources in their White House operations, some devising new coverage strategies for the incoming administration. Whats more, the general tenor of media coverage is trending toward a healthy skepticism of executive power and official sources that has been lacking over a generation of insider-centric reporting.

While Trump may be uniquely equipped to humiliate a diminished 21st-century media, the coming era of confrontation hes ushering in may also provide the bitter pill journalists need to change their work for the better. The question under President Trumpas it always was with candidate Trumpis whether journalists can convince enough of the public to trust them and listen.

Theyre unlikely to regain trust by shying away from a principled fight. CNNs forceful response when Trump berated Senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta at the president-elects long-awaited press conference last week serves as a model. After anchors Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper offered a full-throated defense of Acosta over the airwaves, the networks honchos went a step further, directly rebuking the account of the altercation offered by Trumps incoming press secretary, Sean Spicer. As we have learned many times, just because Sean Spicer says something doesnt make it true, CNN said in a statement.

Among national newspapers, which still drive much of the mainstream news agenda, The New York Times and The Washington Post have beefed up their White House teams to six journalists each on full-time duty, which adds one body to the Times team and doubles that of the Post. The latter has also announced the creation of an eight-person rapid-response investigative unit to work closely with its National desk. The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, is creating a new group within its Washington bureau to cover the intersection of business interests and government action.

Recognizing the unique challenge of Trump, with his seemingly preternatural ability to create news, the Times and the Post both added a second reporter to the daily White House news beat, a role that was filled by a single journalist under previous administrations. And in perhaps its most telling staffing decision, the Times recalled White House veteran and former Moscow Bureau Chief Peter Baker from Jerusalem, adding him to the largest White House team in history for the paper of record. Baker was just months into a Middle Eastern stint, but said that when Executive Editor Dean Baquet called, there was never any hesitation about returning to the beat.

Going into this, we shouldnt view it as a normal White House, Baker says. We shouldnt have the expectation that everything is going to operate as business as usual. Its going to be a very different type of climate.

To that end, the Times recently announced it is allocating an additional $5 million to pay for its coverage of the new president. Despite the expected obstacles, Baker says, Im optimistic until I have reason not to be. Referencing the cartoonist Herblock, who drew Nixon with a sinister five oclock shadow before offering a clean shave upon his election, Baker says that every president deserves a chance to prove themselves. Were going to start fresh, and well see where things go.

Cartoon by Herblock on Richard Nixon winning the Presidency in 1968. Will cartoonists give Trump a free shave? pic.twitter.com/z2QlgTc8zA  Political Cartoon (@Cartoon4sale) November 11, 2016

Washington Post White House reporter Abby Phillip strikes a similar note of cautious optimism. While nodding to the charged atmosphere that necessitated an expanded White House bureau, Phillip is careful not to prejudge the president-elect. I dont think we really know whats going to happen when [the Trump team] gets in there, Phillip says. Im hopeful that, at the end of the day, there will be some sort of reasonable agreement that allows the press to maintain access that is part of what they need in order to do their jobs while also respecting the Trump administrations prerogative to do things the way they want.

Some outlets dont share Phillips equanimity. In a call-to-arms that acknowledged difficulties with transparency and intimidation of journalists under the Obama administration, NPRs Senior Vice President of News and Editorial Director Michael Oreskes, who is also a member of CJRs Board of Overseers, penned a memo to staffers extolling the value of a free and aggressive press. But his main target was clear.

The question under President Trumpas it always was with candidate Trumpis whether journalists can convince enough of the public to trust them and listen.

The president-elect has an opportunity to separate his anger over specific coverage (which he is always free to express) from a commitment to fundamental American rights of free press and expression, Oreskes wrote. These arent partisan questions. They are core values every American owns a share of.

BING BING BING

While the reporters and editors to whom CJR spoke expressed confidence in their abilities to cover Donald Trump fairly, forcefully, and comprehensively, they also acknowledged that the new administration will present challenges requiring rapid adaptation. Some outletsSlate, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker among themhave either implicitly or explicitly cast their lots in the adversarial camp. Mother Jones, which recently added a big game hunter to its staff in Andy Kroll, also appears to be preparing for battle.

For most in the mainstream press, however, a time of increased polarization and historic distrust of the media requires journalists to face the delicate challenge of aggressively reporting on Trumps actions while avoiding the appearance of partisanship.

This tightrope will likely persist throughout the Trump presidency. And it will no doubt be exacerbated by both established and nascent right-wing outlets like Fox News and Breitbart News, whose strategies center on driving a wedge between mainstream media and conservative politicians and audiences. This front of the culture war is favorable ground for Trump, who as GOP nominee and president-elect empowered such outlets with access and social media flattery they wouldnt normally get.

Which brings us to the tweets, the method of communication that Trump has mastered with a measure of skill beyond that of any other politician. Mainstream outlets, and particularly cable networks, have continued to chase every 140-character outburst Trump typeswhat the president(-elect) says is news, the thinking goes. Trump is acutely aware of this salivation for new content, using the medium to both delegitimize journalists and drive the news agenda.

A time of increased polarization and historic distrust of the media requires journalists to face the delicate challenge of aggressively reporting on Trumps actions while avoiding the appearance of partisanship.

As Trump explained the retention of his personal Twitter handle to the Sunday Times recently: I thought Id do less of it, but Im covered so dishonestly by the pressso dishonestlythat I can put out TwitterI can go bing bing bing and I just keep going and they put it on and as soon as I tweet it outthis morning on television, Fox: Donald Trump, we have breaking news.

Trumps use of Twitter is simply the shiniest tool employed by increasingly PR-minded White Houses over the past century. Theodore Roosevelt, who spoke famously of his bully pulpit, was perhaps the first president to actively seek press coverage to mold public opinion. He styled pithy slogans suited for mass-market newspapers of the day, cultivated friendly journalists with access, and blacklisted those who dared print something he didnt like.

Roosevelt insisted that he punished only only those who published falsehoods or broke their word, Greenberg writes in Republic of Spin. But sincere differences of opinion or interpretation, seen through Roosevelts pince-nez, inevitably became matters of truth versus lies. Worse, [Roosevelt] had no qualms about falsely denying that he had said things that he simply wished to disavow.

The White House press office became institutionalized and professionalized over the following decades, with subsequent presidents mastering media of the time to circumvent journalists. Franklin Roosevelt created a national community of listeners through his fireside chats, while Eisenhower and then Kennedy honed presidential communication via television. Squabbles with the Washington press corps were a constant, and they only intensified as media grew fat off of economic monopolies and were emboldened by the Vietnam-era counterculture and credibility gap between the White House and the public.

Dont get the impression that you arouse my anger, Nixon told a reporter at a 1973 news conference. You see, one can only be angry with those he respects.

Reagan, a gifted on-air communicator whose team was adept at driving a line of the day, largely supplanted routine presidential news conferences with periodic photo ops at which reporters could pose a few questions. When you were covering the beat, you knew youd get a chance to look the guy in the eyesthere was a human relationship, says Ron Fournier, who covered the Clinton and George W. Bush White Houses for the Associated Press, and later became a prominent columnist during the Obama administration.

We were accountable to each other, Fournier adds of Clinton. He was going to answer my questions, and I was going to have to stand in front of him after I wrote my story and listen to his response. Bush would do that as well, but he would do it less than Clinton. Obama hardly did it all.And that, to me, is a better gauge than the number of press conferences.

We have to start thinking radically

All the administrations of the past two decades have explored new media to reach voterstalk radio, cable news, blogs, social mediabut those efforts are more visible now given the gradual curtailment of official and unofficial access. Beat reporters have had to work around this trend under Obama, who prefers longform interviews. Meanwhile, federal agencies have developed increasingly strict PR policies, aides have increasingly pushed for background briefings, and the Department of Justice has pursued more leak investigations than all of its predecessors combined.

The danger of that precedent came to the fore last week, when Senator Jeff Sessions, Trumps nominee for attorney general, gave a mealymouthed answer during his confirmation hearing on whether hed consider jailing journalists during leak investigations. And there have been other ominous signs from the forthcoming administration. Trump didnt hold a news conference for roughly two months after his election, while the incoming press shop and White House Correspondents Association have publicly tussled over official access such as press briefings and on-site workspaces.

If Trumps unexpected political run is any indication, the past generation of access-driven journalism has neither deepened public understanding of national politics, nor endeared journalists to the public they purport to serve.

These recent developmentsto say nothing of the long-term trends beneath themhave put the spotlight on a national media weakened by both budgetary cutbacks and a more open marketplace of information. And for Fournier, the White House veteran who recently left Washington, the situation calls for new and potentially uncomfortable tactics.

If theres going to be watchdogs, they need sharper teeth, he says. Why would a network let Trump on TV when he is not giving the public some information thats of value? Now, that does raise a lot of questions and potential problems [for the media]. But we have to start thinking radically.

The argument is easier to make for journalists no longer in Washingtonand who no longer rely on access to the White House. If Trumps unexpected political run is any indication, however, the past generation of access-driven journalism has neither deepened public understanding of national politics, nor endeared journalists to the public they purport to serve.

One outlet with experience with diminished access is BuzzFeed, which was barred from attending Trump events in an official capacity for months during the campaign. While acknowledging the challenges the ban presented, BuzzFeeds DC Bureau Chief Kate Nocera sees value in the outside-in approach to covering the president-elect. Indeed, the outlets decision last week to publish unconfirmed details of an alleged Russian attempt to compromise Trump suggest that its comfortable with this approach.

We were part of the blacklisted crew [during the campaign], and I dont think it affected the way we covered him, Nocera says. Our position is always going to be that more access is better. But looking at Trumps businesses, looking at how each agency is going to function within a Trump administrationthose are all going to be huge stories, and theyre not coming from the Brady Briefing room.

Detangling the news cycle from Trumps Twitter outburst du juor, rethinking whether spin doctor aides deserve to be quoted, and scaled-back access may all combine to reduce the amount of Trump-centric content news organizations can produce. But at a more fundamental and important level, its worth asking how valuable that content actually is.

Even as journalists preach a gospel of open-mindedness and optimism, the staffing boom and increased focus on the new administration signal preparations for the battles to come. Even in normal times, even with an everyday president, its an extraordinary challenge to try to keep on top of so many issues and to try to understand the nuances and complexities of all these different things going on at once, the Timess Baker says. And this is not a normal circumstance.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

David Uberti and Pete Vernon are CJR staff members. Uberti is a staff writer and Senior Delacorte Fellow and can be followed on Twitter @DavidUberti. Vernon is a CJR Delacorte Fellow and can be followed on Twitter @ByPeteVernon.
Transparency has long been a part of Barack Obamas political identity. He talked about it on the campaign trail in 2007. He talked about it on his first full day as president. He talked about it in his 2015 State of the Union. He even mentioned it in last weeks farewell address. But many of the reporters who covered the Obama administration know a different reality. And as the 44th President leaves the Oval Office, we owe him a farewell fact-check.

Lets recap the self-proclaimed most transparent administration in history.

These were eight years in which the Obama administration prosecuted more leakers than all previous presidents combined. In the 2013 Committee to Protect Journalists report, The Obama Administration and the Press, former Washington Post executive editor Leonard Downie Jr. wrote, The administrations war on leaks and other efforts to control information are the most aggressive Ive seen since the Nixon administration. More recently, the organization Reporters Without Borders cited this war on whistleblowers to help explain the USs 41st-out-of-180 rank in its Press Freedom Index. Obamas last-minute commutation of Chelsea Mannings prison sentence improves, but does not erase, what RSF described as his administrations record of obsessive control of information.

These were eight years in which the Society of Professional Journalists sent repeated letters to the Obama administration urging more transparency, when the White House Correspondents Association submitted a letter of its own (co-signed by dozens of news orgs) protesting Journalistsroutinely being denied the right to photograph or videotape the President while he is performing his official duties, and when the CEO of the Associated Press wrote to Obamas then-Attorney General to object in the strongest possible terms to the DOJs secret collection of AP phone records.

These were eight years in which the Freedom of Information Actwhich the president once called perhaps the most powerful instrument we have for making our government honest and transparentwas diagnosed as broken by the House Oversight Committee. And, thanks to a FOIA lawsuit by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, we know that Obamas Department of Justice lobbied against the reform package (which Obama ultimately signed) to improve the law.

These were eight years in which the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Charleston Post & Courier, Des Moines Register, and the San Diego Union-Tribune published editorials on Obama non-transparency; when one Slate writer said the President had failed miserably to deliver transparency, and former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson called the Obama White House the most secretive White House I have ever dealt with. Even a former Obama colleague, supporter, and advisor wrote to the Times in 2011 to voice his concerns about on the administrations approach to this fundamental issue of American democracy.

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Now, in all fairness, PolitiFacts Obameter notes that the president followed through on 40 percent of his transparency promises and achieved compromises on many others. And anyone interested in the fuller picture ought read in-depth analyses from the Sunlight Foundations Alex Howard, or poli sci professor Jason Ross Arnold, or Obamas final press secretary Josh Earnest. And, since the bar of expectations is extremely low as we enter a presidency that is likely to beto quote Washington Post columnist Margaret Sullivana A Hellscape of Lies and Distorted Reality, Obama gets points for at least preaching the gospel of transparency.

But no matter how dark things get in the next four years, we ought not romanticize the last eight. The unfortunate truth is that Obama was never as good at transparency as he promised or claimed to be. If youre feeling nostalgic in the coming months, read James Risens scathing op-ed from December arguing If Donald J. Trump decides as president to throw a whistle-blower in jail for trying to talk to a reporter, or gets the FBI to spy on a journalist, he will have one man to thank for bequeathing him such expansive power: Barack Obama.

During my own years-long (and ongoing) battle for access to information from a major prescription drug-dealing trial, I never quite reconciled the two Obamas I encountered: the decent, good-humored, honest, eloquent, former Constitutional law professor I saw delivering speeches on TV, and the man at the helm of administration that fought tirelessly against a request for previously published trial evidence. Part of me wanted to believe that, if the President knew what was going on with my FOIA request and othersthe incompetence, the egregious delays, the insane feeshe wouldnt stand for it. The facts said otherwise.

Today, I am no longer confused; I believe the tension between his words and deeds is Obamas legacy. As he leaves office, simultaneously preaching openness and bequeathing unresolved FOIA lawsuits like mine to Donald Trump, Obama reminds us that talking about transparency is not the same as actual transparency. Presenting yourself as friend of the press doesnt make you one.

In a sense, the widely-distributed photos by photojournalist-turned-Official White House Photographer Pete Souza are the perfect mementos from the last eight years. Yes, they are often beautiful, moving, and strikingly composed. But they are also, in the words of that WHCA complaint from 2013, visual press releases. At the time, Poynter faculty member Kenny Irby argued that Souza operates moreas a propagandist than as a journalist. His role is to make the president look good.

Its our role to reportand rememberthe facts.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Philip Eil is a freelance journalist based in Providence, Rhode Island. He sued the Drug Enforcement Administration under the FOIA, with help from the Rhode Island ACLU and two pro-bono attorneys, Neal McNamara and Jessica Jewell. Follow him on Twitter: @phileil.
New Jersey beach town is using blunt legal arguments to resist a demand that it permanently close a section of beach where a man plunged into an inlet and drowned when the sand gave way beneath his feet.

North Wildwood acknowledges that the 2012 death of Brad Smith, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, was a tragedy. But the town also asserts that Smiths family will never go back there, that closing the beach would ruin things for other people who still want to go there and that the unstable sand condition that claimed his life is part of nature and isnt something its obligated to fix.

And then theres this: Plaintiffs are well aware that no one has drowned in that area since Brad Smith, North Wildwood wrote in court papers.

Two other people drowned there from a similar accident a few years earlier, in 2009.

Smiths family is suing North Wildwood for damages and is seeking closure of the beach where he died.

A judge in Atlantic City will hear arguments next month on whether part of the beach near Hereford Inlet in North Wildwood should be placed permanently off limits to the public because of an inherently dangerous condition caused by tidal flows.

Smith family lawyer Paul DAmato says the town knows that section of beach is dangerous but failed to keep people away from it with signs or other warnings. A lawsuit filed against the town asserts it knew at least six years before Smiths death that the area was dangerous, citing a pre-trial deposition given by the towns chief lifeguard.

Attorney A. Michael Barker, representing North Wildwood, wrote in court papers that there is no dispute that the conditions at the inlet beach are naturally occurring and that the town is under no obligation to fix them. North Wildwood, he said, is immune from lawsuits arising from a public nuisance on unimproved public land under state law.

It is undeniable that plaintiffs have suffered a tragedy in the loss of Brad Smith, he wrote. As a result, plaintiffs seek to permanently close Inlet Beach to the public. While plaintiffs actions may be well-intended, they are not in a position to represent and speak for the many people that live, work and vacation in North Wildwood. From their residences in Pennsylvania, they are pursuing a court order to deprive the many people that do benefit, directly and indirectly, from Inlet Beach.

And, Barker wrote, if the Smiths ever do return they now know enough about the dangers of the site to avoid any alleged hazards there.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
One moment, Jayson Thomas was on the Oregon beach with his 3-year-old son. The next, they were gone, swept away by a sneaker wave as his wife looked on.

The man and his boy were but the latest to be lost to a sneaker wave, which are prevalent in the Pacific Northwest. A leading expert says there needs to be greater awareness to prevent future tragedies.

In fact, Tuba Ozkan-Haller of Oregon State University has just finished the first year of a three-year research project to devise a sneaker-wave early warning system, a project funded by the National Science Foundation. She hopes the warnings will be sent out by the National Weather Service.

A sign along the trail to the beach warns of sneaker waves and high surf, though it was not immediately clear if warning signs are posted where Thomas and his family were.

The seas off Cape Blanco were not particularly rough on Sunday afternoon when Thomas, his wife and their son, who lived near Eugene, were on the beach, Ozkan-Haller noted.

But appearances can be deceptive.

People make up their minds about how safe an area is pretty quickly, after watching the beach for five minutes, Ozkan-Haller said Tuesday in a telephone interview from Corvallis. That doesnt give you the information you need to assess that an area is safe.

While the weather might be fine, a storm far out to sea, even across the Pacific, often generates such a wave. As it moves through the broad surf zone and over the gentle slope approaching Oregons coast, one wave can catch up with another, combining forces and allowing it to run up further on the beach, said Ozkan-Haller, who is with OSUs College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences.

Six years ago, a sneaker wave knocked two high school students from Eugene off a rock near Yachats, sending them into the turbulent waters where they drowned.

Stormier winter weather produces more sneaker waves, and victims are often bundled up in winter clothing, which weighs them down when theyre soaked, Ozkan-Haller said.

When the sneaker wave came on Sunday, the tide was high so that means the dry beach was very narrow and there was not much space to run away, she said.

The Oregon State Police said Thomas wife, Charity Woodrum, who is studying astrophysics at the University of Oregon, was an arms distance away when her husband and her son were struck by the wave. Witnesses indicated the two were the only ones who were hit, Oregon State Police Capt. Bill Fugate said.

No one, even in a survival suit, would be expected to survive the high seas and cold water temperatures this long, Fugate said.

The U.S. Coast Guard searched Sunday and Monday with two helicopters and a 47-foot motorized life boat while state police and other rescuers used ATVs. They found only Thomas jacket and a child carrier he had been wearing.

The Coast Guard, state police and local sheriffs office will continue to search for the bodies, Fugate said.

Messages of prayer and condolences were filling Thomas Facebook page on Tuesday, which featured a photo of him and his son on another beach.

One woman wrote: as a person who has before lost a dear friend to the same waters, my heart breaks for this precious family.

Rick Warren, a host at Boice Cope Park not far from Cape Blanco, said: The beaches here are awesome, but they can be dangerous  You never turn your back on the ocean.

Theyre called sneaker waves because people essentially dont watch them, he said. People go to the beach, not paying attention, looking for agates and walking.

Ozkan-Haller recommends that when people go to the beach in Northern California, Oregon and Washington state, which because of the nature of the coastline are susceptible to sneaker waves, they study the wave action and ensure escape routes arent blocked by rocks or cliffs.

The more people learn and have a healthy respect for the ocean, the more that we can avoid these occurrences, Ozkan-Haller said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
AKRON, Ohio - A Barberton man and two teenage accomplices were arrested Tuesday night after pistol-whipping a man and attempting to rob him, police said.

Tyson Archer, 19, of Barberton, is charged with aggravated robbery, carrying a concealed weapon and drug possession in Akron Municipal Court. He and two 15-year-old Barberton boys were taken into custody Tuesday night.

The assault happened about 9:30 p.m. near the intersection of Battles Avenue and 19th Street SW, Akron police said. A 21-year-old man was walking when he was approached by three assailants, who punched the victim in the face and then pistol-whipped him.

The trio then demanded that the victim empty his pockets, but the victim refused, police said. The three ran away without taking anything from the victim.

Officers found Archer and the teens while canvassing the area near the robbery location. Archer had a loaded handgun and pills in his possession at the time of his arrest, police said.

Archer remains in Summit County Jail, and the teens were booked into the Summit County Juvenile Detention Center, police said. Archer was arraigned Wednesday morning and is expected to appear in court Thursday with an attorney, court records state.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
Marijuana possession, Bagley Road: A Brook Park man, 20, was cited at about 12:30 a.m. Jan. 13 after police caught him with a bag of marijuana in the backseat of an overloaded Mercury Cougar.

Police saw the Cougar drift out of its lane while turning left from North Rocky River Drive onto Bagley. The car then pulled into a CVS Pharmacy parking lot. Officers stopped the Cougar in the lot.

The car contained one woman passenger in the front seat and four passengers - three men and a woman - in the backseat. The woman in the backseat was sitting on the lap of one of the men. The front-seat passenger owned the Cougar but her license had been suspended.

Police smelled marijuana in the car. One of the backseat passengers said he had smoked marijuana before his friends picked him up in the Cougar. "You can probably see it in my eyes," he said.

Officers found the bag of marijuana in the rear pocket of the front passenger seat. A second backseat passenger - later identified as the 20-year-old Brook Park man - admitted the marijuana was his.

Police also cited the Cougar's driver for an improper left turn. One of the backseat passengers volunteered to walk home so that the five remaining passengers would each have a seat belt.

Found property, Sandstone Ridge Way: A Sandstone Ridge woman found an unmanned aircraft with camera attached lying in her yard Jan. 9.

The woman told police the drone did not belong to her family. She was concerned because she has young children.

Police removed the drone camera's memory card and checked it on a computer. The card contained no videos, photos or data.

Marijuana possession, Front Street: A Norwalk man, 20, was cited at about 11:50 p.m. Jan. 16 after he and his two passengers admitted smoking marijuana in his car, which was parked outside Wild Senoritas Bar & Grill, 786 Front Street.

Police driving past the business saw the car parked and idling. When they drove by again about 30 minutes later, the car hadn't moved and was still running.

When the man rolled down his window, police smelled marijuana. The man and his passengers admitted smoking marijuana, and he handed over a pipe packed with the drug. He also surrendered a sandwich bag containing marijuana.

Police searched the car and found an orange and white pill they believed was Adderall, a stimulant. They also found another bag of marijuana and a marijuana grinder.

Marijuana possession, North Rocky River Drive: A Berea man, 33, was arrested at about 3 a.m. Jan. 12 after police caught him driving while high on marijuana.

The man's Chevrolet Monte Carlo had drifted left of center on West Bagley Road, and the driver's-side door was wide open. Officers found a plastic bag of marijuana, a plastic container with marijuana, a marijuana grinder and marijuana shake in the car.

Marijuana possession, Front Street: A Newburgh Heights woman, 18, was arrested at about 11:10 p.m. Jan. 15 after police found a marijuana cigar in her GMC Jimmy.

Police had stopped the vehicle because its rear registration lights were not working. One of the Jimmy's passengers, a 33-year-old Gallipolis man, was also arrested because he was wanted in Strongsville, Brook Park and North Olmsted.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, West Bagley Road: A Painesville man, 46, was arrested at about 2:30 a.m. Jan. 14 after police caught him driving while drunk.

The man's Honda pickup truck was stopped at a green light on West Bagley at Mulberry Street. Police then saw the truck weaving. After police stopped the truck, the man admitted drinking "a couple of beers" but failed field sobriety tests.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, West Bagley Road: An Olmsted Falls woman, 38, was arrested at about 12:45 a.m. Jan. 14 after police saw her driving a Buick sedan with its high beams on. The car's registration had expired in July. The woman admitted drinking "a couple of cocktails."

Operating a vehicle under the influence, Prospect Road: A Columbia Station man, 36, was arrested at about 1:35 a.m. Jan. 15 after he threw a cigarette out the window of his Chevrolet Impala.

Police stopped the man for littering but then noticed he reeked of alcohol. He said he had consumed just one drink but failed field sobriety tests.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Thursday's crime and courts comments section.
MetroHealth to undergo transformation of their west side campus

A special master for the Ohio Court of Claims ruled that the MetroHealth system must fulfill a public records request it initially denied.

(File photo)

Edward Hills

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A special master for the Ohio Court of Claims has ruled that the MetroHealth System should provide cleveland.com copies of a separation agreement the hospital entered into with a former executive facing federal corruption charges.

MetroHealth refused a public-records request to release the separation agreement it made with Edward Hills in 2014 because Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge John Russo sealed the agreement as part of a motion Hills filed in a lawsuit.

The judge's seal, the hospital claimed, prevented release of the record.

Cleveland.com requested the separation agreement from the hospital in August, while Hills was under investigation by the FBI and IRS for actions they said he took during his time as a MetroHealth executive. It filed a case against MetroHealth in the Ohio Court of Claims in October, arguing that public bodies are still required to release documents if a judge seals them in a court case.

After mediation failed, special master Jeffrey Clark on Tuesday ruled in cleveland.com's favor, writing that MetroHealth did not prove that Russo's court order provided an exception to Ohio's public records laws.

Clark wrote that Russo's order, "limited by its own terms to permission to documents under seal, does not 'prohibit' the release of the same records elsewhere."

He wrote that MetroHealth should release the separation agreement and reimburse cleveland.com the $25 it paid to file the case.

(You can read the special master's report and recommendation here or at the bottom of this story.)

MetroHealth may object to Clark's recommendation within seven business days. With or without objections, though, a Court of Claims judicial officer has to review the special master's order. The judicial officer can then adopt, change or reject the special master's findings.

MetroHealth spokeswoman Tina Arundel said in an email that "We are reviewing the Special Master's Report and Recommendations and will abide by the Court's subsequent ruling on the issue."

A federal grand jury indicted Hills and three other former MetroHealth dental residents in October on corruption-related charges. Federal prosecutors accuse the quartet of giving and taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and expensive items. Their schemes touched upon the hospital system's residency program, according to court filings.

Cleveland.com's request for Hills' separation agreement was one of several documents the news outlet requested after it first reported on the investigation in 2015.

Hills argues in his lawsuit against MetroHealth, filed in 2015, that the hospital system violated his separation agreement by releasing a statement about a raid on his house and also improperly stopped making severance payments required by the agreement.

MetroHealth denied this and countersued, saying Hills breached the agreement by sending a disparaging letter that is a public record.

The lawsuit is on hold until the criminal case is completed.

Public records mediation used to be handled by the Ohio Attorney General's Office until the state legislature passed a bill that moved that duty to the Court of Claims. The bill went into effect on Sept. 28.

Since then, news outlets in Cleveland have used the new mediation system.
WESTLAKE, Ohio -- A man has been arrested in connection to a convenience store robbery in Westlake, police say.

Nicholas Campbell, 25, of Westlake, was arrested Thursday morning and charged with robbery. A warrant was issued by Rocky River Municipal Court, Westlake police Capt. Guy Turner said.

A person recognized Campbell in surveillance stills and called police, Turner said.

The robbery happened about 3:30 p.m. Jan. 3 at the Convenient Food Mart in the 27100 block of Detroit Avenue.

Campbell is accused of entering the store and demanding $120 from the clerk, according to a complaint from Rocky River Municipal Court. The gave him an undisclosed amount of money and he ran away, police said.

Campbell did not have a weapon and did not tell the clerk that he was armed, police said.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Thursday's crime and courts comments section.
19DARCY-PARDONS2.jpg

President Obama commutes the sentence of Chelsea Manning and provides a gracious transition for President-elect Donald Trump.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In his final press conference, President Obama defended commuting the sentence of Chelsea Manning saying she had "served a tough prison sentence."

Obama had been asked if commuting Manning's sentence would send the wrong message to those leaking classified information to groups like WikiLeaks.

"Let's be clear, Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence. So the notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital classified information would think that it goes unpunished. I don't think would get that impression from the sentence the Chelsea Manning has served," said Obama.

"Given that she went to trial, that due process was carried out, that she took responsibility for her crime, that the sentence that she received was very disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received, and that she had served a considerable amount of time, it made sense to commute and not pardon her sentence," said the departing Commander-in-Chief.

Serving a 35-year sentence as a trans-gender woman in the Fort Leavenworth men's military prison, Manning made two suicide attempts last year. Her defenders have cast her as a whistleblower of illegal and immoral military actions, not a traitor.

Obama said he feels "very comfortable that justice has been served and that a message has still been sent that when it comes to our national security that wherever possible, we need folks who may have legitimate concerns about the actions of government or their superiors or the agencies in which they work, that they try to work through the established channels and avail themselves to the whistleblower protections that have been put in place."

Julian Assange extradition pledge did not impact decision.

WikiLeaks had tweeted: "If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case."

U.S. lawyers for Julian Assange have since said the commuting Manning's sentence falls "far short of what Mr. Assange asked for and what Ms. Manning deserved which is to be pardoned and freed immediately."

Obama said the pledge by Assange had no bearing on his decision. "I don't pay attention to Mr. Assange's tweets."

Obama said Manning's commutation does not signal a change in the DOJ's approach to WikiLeaks. "In this new cyber age, we're going to have to continually work to find the right balance of accountability and openness and transparency that is the hallmark of our democracy, but also recognize that there are adversaries and bad actors out there who want to use that same openness in ways that hurt us."

Will Trump have to pardon himself?

Speaking of "adversaries and bad actors...that hurt us," will Trump have to issue himself a presidential pardon if some of the recent Russian allegations are confirmed in his first term?

McClatchy news service is reporting that the FBI, CIA, National Security Agency and the Treasury Department are actively investigating financial links between the Trump campaign and Russian hacking of the DNC and John Podesta's email.

"The working group is scrutinizing the activities of a few Americans who were affiliated with Trump's campaign or his business empire and of multiple individuals from Russia and other former Soviet nations who had similar connections." They are looking for who helped finance the hacks and leaks, which is one reason the Treasury Department is involved.

Dimora will have to seek clemency from Trump instead.

The commutations and pardons issued by Obama have been the most of any president in recent history, but Jimmy Dimora wasn't one of them.

Since most of Dimora's corruption and graft revolved around the construction industry, Dimora might actually have better luck winning sympathy from developer Trump in the future.
townhall logo.jpg

TownHall's IPAlooza returns with a monthlong India Pale Ale tour.

(TownHall)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Hopheads, get your palates ready: TownHall's fourth annual IPAlooza is back for its monthlong run.

It's touted as "28 IPAs in 28 days." As many as 45 to 50 India Pale Ales will be available for craft-beer lovers to seek out and sip. On a daily basis, 10 to 15 different IPAs will be available.

The fest includes IPAs different from last year's.

The monthly soiree kicks off Monday, Jan. 30. The kickoff party will include special tappings of ales from regional breweries with limited distribution.

Cost is $25 to participate in the fest and includes a hoodie. You also get a pint glass that is kept at the bar during the event. (Reach the halfway point and get a New Belgium Brewing beanie.) You do have to pay for your beers as you go, though they will be 16 ounces and not the usual 8- or 12-ounce sizes the bar serves.

Those who complete the task of drinking 28 different IPAs will brew a collaboration IPA at Platform Beer Co. They will get to name the beer, design the logo, and receive a six-pack when it's ready for canning and distribution.

TownHall general manager Ryan Hartzell said he expects between 300 and 400 people to participate. Last year, 32 of 225 people hit the goal of 28 IPAs.

For those who participate, popping into the Ohio City bar on a regular basis during February is a good thing, because "some will be tapped and be gone that day," he said.

TownHall is at 1909 W. 25th St., Cleveland.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - KISS co-founder and comic-book fanatic Gene Simmons will bring his two worlds together at the Wizard World Comic Con in Cleveland with a concert Saturday, March 18, at the Agora Theatre. He will also appear at the comic con on Sunday, March 19.

The concert will be billed as "An Evening with Gene Simmons and his Band," and tickets will be $29.99 in advance through Wizard World and $35 at the door.

On Sunday, Simmons will sign autographs and pose for photos (for a fee) at the comic convention and later hold a free panel eliciting questions from the audience.

Simmons will appear at five Wizard conventions this year including Cleveland, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Chicago and Austin, Texas.

"I'm excited to bring Rock & Roll back to Wizard World Comic Con in 2017," said Simmons in a news release. "It will be great to meet fans and perform for them in every city."

Tickets for the Agora show will be available at http://agoracleveland.com and http://www.wizardworld.com. Special meet-and-greet packages will also be available also available.

There are more than a hundred guests scheduled for the Wizard World Cleveland Comic-Con from March 17 to 19 at the Huntington Cleveland Convention Center, 300 Lakeside Ave.

The cast of "Dexter" will reunite, marking the first time that the main cast members have appeared together since the series ended in 2013. The series focused on Miami police blood-spatter analyst Dexter Morgan, who was a secret serial killer who limited his victims to other serial killers.

Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jennifer Carpenter (who played his sister, Sgt. Debra Morgan), James Remar (their father, Harry Morgan) and Jaime Murray (Lila Tournay, Dexter's murderous love interest) will appear.

Other television stars scheduled to be at the show include Erik Estrada ("CHiPS"), Dean Cain ("Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman"), Kevin Conroy (voice of the animated Batman) and Millie Bobby Brown ("Stranger Things").

There will be dozens of writers and artists from the comic world including Arthur Adams ("Wonder Woman," "Avengers"), Colleen Doran ("Teen Titans"), Marv Wolfman (a Marvel mainstay), Phil Hester ("Wonder Woman") and Fred Van Lente ("Marvel Zombies").

For a full list of guests, visit the Wizard website.

The convention attracts tens of thousands of fans of comics, movies, television and pop culture. Many of the attendees show up in full costume and have become as much part of the landscape as the media stars who appear. It's also a good place to stock up on comics and graphic novels, which will be sold by local comic-shop owners and collectors.
Logan

Hugh Jackman attends a fan event for his film "The Wolverine" on July 23, 2013 in New York. Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine in the upcoming "Logan."

(Charles Sykes, Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The upcoming "Logan" could be the darkest and most violent movie ever to star a Marvel superhero, if the latest trailer is to be believed.

The roughly two-minute preview posted on Youtube Thursday shows mutant anti-hero Wolverine and the teenage Laura Linney -- X-23 in the comics -- in a bloody battle with the Reavers, a ruthless mercenary team.

Blood spatters across the dessert setting as the mutant duo, claws extended, slice their way through the Reavers as the villains try to abduct the young Linney.

Later on Linney embraces and bloodied and bruised Wolverine.

It's a stark contrast with the cartoonish violence of past "X-Men" movies that was heavy on special effects and mostly free of consequence.

Sony Pictures, the studio behind the upcoming "Logan" -- named for Wolverine's not-so-secret identity -- recently revealed the film will carry and R rating, leaving the filmmakers plenty of space for blood and gore.

The film takes place many years after the events of "The Wolverine," the last solo movie to star the most popular X-Men character, in a dystopian future in which most of the mutant superteam is gone and Wolverine's famous healing factor is less potent than it once was.

The trailer also teases a paternal bond between Wolverine and Linney. It begins with the young girl opening a Pringles can in a convenience store and donning a pair of unpurchased sunglasses, only to be confronted by a store employee.

Linney grabs the unknowing employee's arm when he tries to retrieve the products, and then slams him to the floor and raises her fist to strike him.

Wolverine intervenes, probably saving the store employee's life, and tells Linney that her actions are "Not okay," before pulling the teen out of the store.

Wolverine has a paternal relationship with several younger female members of the X-Men in the comics -- most notably with the teenage Kitty Pryde -- and director James Mangold may be trying to recreate that dynamic in "Logan."

But at the same time, Sony seems to be distancing its film from the unrealistic and sometimes silly action scenes featured in the comics and past "X-Men" movies.

A self-effacing and supremely meta sequence featured early in the trailer shows Wolverine taking an X-Men comic book from Linney and telling her, "Only a quarter of it actually happened, and not like this."

We then hear Wolverine's disembodied voice telling an unseen character "in the real world, people die," as he wipes blood from his claws.

The trailer also reveals tension between Wolverine and X-Men founder Charles Xavier, when Logan climbs out of a limo and tells Xavier, "I don't want to talk about it," and then demands that Xavier "Just stop," when his mentor tries to convince him to stay and talk.

The topic of discussion is left unrevealed.

Of course, this all comes with the usual caveat that trailers can be misleading.

For example: early previews for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" contained footage that didn't appear in the finished film.

"Logan" -- the third solo film starring the eponymous anti-hero -- hits theaters March 3.
GATES MILLS, Ohio -- Investigators believe the man tying up and terrorizing a woman during a Gates Mills home invasion was attempting the same crime when officers arrested him.

Shaun Corrigan, 38, is being held without bond on aggravated burglary and kidnapping charges related to a Jan. 6 home invasion on Gates Mills Boulevard.

Corrigan's criminal history includes at least nine previous convictions for burglary. He was released from prison in November 2015 after serving nearly 10 years, according to Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction records.

He waived his right to a preliminary hearing during his appearance Thursday in Lyndhurst Municipal Court. The case has been bound over to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

Investigators found latex gloves and duct tape while searching the wooded area where officers arrested him Monday, village prosecutor Michael E. Cicero said during the court hearing.

The arrest came shortly after a witness spotted Corrigan near the same Gates Mills Boulevard house involved in the Jan. 6 home invasion. Investigators think he might have been planning a similar crime, Cicero said in court.

Cicero also said Corrigan is a heroin addict and that Geauga County Jail officers have confirmed he is currently going through withdrawal.

"I have no doubt in my mind, nor do the police, that this gentlemen returned to the scene of the crime to hit yet another homeowner, to support his habit," Cicero said.

Corrigan has not yet been assigned a court-appointed defense attorney. He said little during Thursday's hearing.

Corrigan is accused of forcing his way into a house Jan. 6. The homeowner opened the door because she was waiting for a package delivery, police said.

Corrigan bound the woman's hands with duct tape, and then threatened her with a box cutter as he led her around the house for nearly an hour, Cicero said in court.

Corrigan took cash and jewelry from the house, police said. He attempted to hog-tie the woman before he left, but he ran out of duct tape, Cicero said.

"In my 19 years with the village, this is the most heinous crime that has occurred in the village," Cicero said.

The woman provided a description that investigators used to produce a sketch of the burglar. Investigators released the sketch to media outlets, including cleveland.com.

One witness spotted Corrigan on Monday afternoon on Gates Mills Boulevard. A Gates Mills officer arrived to question Corrigan, who ran off, police said.

Investigators believe the burglar chose a random house to invade, Gates Mills police Chief Gregg Minichello said.

Corrigan is currently on parole after serving nearly a decade in prison for a series of burglary and drug possession charges, according to court records.

In 2006, he was convicted of nine separate burglaries in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. A judge sentenced him to 10 years at the Lorain Correction Institution, records show.

Corrigan was released from prison Nov. 15, 2015, according to Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction records.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Thursday's crime and courts comments section.
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Nonprofit Nanze helps Malawian preschoolers learn basics of English in hopes of future academic success. (Photo courtesy of Nanze)

(Picasa)

LAKEWOOD, Ohio - A quarter of a century after arriving in Northeast Ohio from his native Malawi, Lakewood High School House Principal Yakoob Badat is giving back to his African homeland as founder of a nonprofit organization.

Founded in 2013, Nanze seeks to improve living conditions and empower students in the Sub-Saharan Africa by focusing on livelihood, education and water/sanitation.

"Malawi is considered one of the poorest countries in the world," said Badat, 37, who lives in Fairview Park. "The majority of its population survives on $1.25 a day. We know if we focus on education, we can improve their lives. And me being an educator, I thought this should be our focus."

Currently Nanze has a nursery school where students are provided with meals and the basic foundation for literacy. Next is the expected Phase I construction completion this spring of three primary classrooms, four sanitation facilities and two teacher houses.

"Our ultimate goal is to have a whole primary school from K to 8th grade," Badat said. "For Phase II, we have to raise $20,000. We've already raised $10,000, thanks to a big donation by Dealer Tire CEO Scott Mueller."

The idea to start Nanze came to Badat in 2011 after he returned to Malawi for the first time since he left in the early '90s. Invariably, he felt a sense of responsibility

"It puts things in perspective when you see people suffering," Badat said. "They have no choices, no options. That's when it hit me we have to do something."

The House Principal said during the school day at Lakewood High he doesn't advocate for Nanze; however, students often ask him about the organization and Malawi.

"I just tell them we have to be grateful for what we have," Badat said. "All of us are in a situation to improve other's lives. I tell kids, you have to be successful for not only you but for others."
A woman holds a jar of Vegemite during a picnic breakfast on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia.

Australia's beloved food spread, Vegemite, is about to get a new local owner: Australian cheese giant Bega Cheese.

In a note to the Australian Securities Exchange on Thursday, Bega Cheese said it will acquire a bulk of U.S. food giant Mondelez International 's Australia and New Zealand grocery and cheese business for 460 million Australian dollars ($344.68 million), which will be funded by bank debt.

Investors cheered the announcement at the stock market, with Bega Cheese shares leading the broader ASX 200 index, closing up 15.2 percent at A$5.16.



The acquisition will include a variety of products including Vegemite, salad dressings from ZoOsh and licensed KRAFT branded peanut butter, processed cheese slices, mayonnaise among others. Bega Cheese would also take over Mondelez's Port Melbourne factory.



Vegemite is a dark food spread made from leftover brewer's yeast and was developed in 1922 by the Fred Walker Company, which later became Kraft Food Company. It quickly became a breakfast staple among Australians, with more than 300,000 jars produced each day, according to Bega Cheese.

Mondelez will retain ownership of the Philadelphia brand.

"This acquisition will be value accretive in its own right, strategically important and company making," said Bega Cheese's executive chairman, Barry Irvin, in a statement. "These iconic brands alongside the Bega brand are strong building blocks to enable Bega Cheese to become a great consumer goods business."

From this acquisition, Bega Cheese expects pro forma net revenue of A$310 million and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization of between A$40 million to A$45 million.

 Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.


The question of whether an investor is nimble enough to get back in quickly after selling a stock is one that has plagued Jim Cramer his entire life.

Even selling Bank of America at $23 a share with the intention of getting back in at $20 or $21 is risky. And for a hedge fund manager, they better be good. That is what investors pay them for.

Good trading means knowing when a stock has gone up too much and to leave it alone. And when it goes back down, buy the stock back at lower prices on the bet that estimates will need to come up if the Federal Reserve plans to raise rates, Cramer said.

"Bank of America's shareholder base is not monolithic," the "Mad Money" host said. "You will always have investors, people who believe in fundamentals and listening to the conference call and figuring out what to pay for the stock based on how much the company could earn."

Unfortunately, there is more to Cramer's approach.
Guests view the inside of a Hyperloop tube during the first open air propulsion test at the Hyperloop One Test and Safety site on May 11, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Hyperloop One, which is nearing its first full scale test run, has promoted a tech industry veteran to two critical leadership positions as it gears up for another round of fundraising.

Brent Callinicos, who joined the company in October, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the company.

His top priority: developing funding and revenue plans for the fledgling transportation company.

"We're gonna do a Series C round of fundraising." said Callinicos. "How much? What valuation? For all those details, stay tuned."

Since being founded in 2014, Hyperloop One has raised more than $150 million, but will need another round of funding as it prepares for rapid growth.

By 2020 or 2021, the company expects to have a Hyperloop transporting cargo through tubes at speeds of up to 700 miles per hour. The location of that first Hyperloop remains to be seen.
Amazon may be up more than 40 percent over the past year, but legendary investor Bill Miller is still bullish on the stock and the company's prospects.



While Amazon has a market cap of about than $383 billion, the retail in the United States is $5 trillion, the chairman and chief investment officer at LMM told CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Wednesday.

In fact, he foresees a time when Amazon will have a $1 trillion market cap.

"The addressable market for what they're doing is just gigantic," Miller said, noting that Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos told him the addressable market for its Amazon Web Services segment alone is in the "trillions."

Miller believes one of the most misunderstood things about Amazon is when it hits investment cycles. The company does a lot of experimenting, and once it finds something it is convinced can dominate the market, spending goes up, he said.

"That's actually a bullish sign because it indicates they now believe they can actually address another market very successfully."

Miller has long been bullish on the stock, which is one of his company's holdings.
South Korean citizens have long demanded government policies to curtail the power of family-run conglomerates, known as chaebols. They may finally get their wishif opposition parties win the presidential election.

Crony capitalism linked to chaebols is a major issue in Asia's fourth-largest economy, as reflected in an ongoing political scandal that threatens to impeach President Park Geun-hye. Park and her close friend, civilian Choi Soon-sil, are accused of pressuring the nation's biggest enterprises, including Samsung, Lotte, SK Group, and Hyundai, to contribute to foundations that backed Park's programs. Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong was accused of paying bribes worth $36.42 million to Choi but on Thursday, a Seoul judge dismissed a warrant to arrest him. "Seriously tackling the chaebol will require political, not just legal, action. A lot of these executives have been convicted, only to be pardoned," Robert Kelly, associate professor at Pusan National University, told CNBC.



Samsung Group's heir-apparent Lee Jae-Yong in center. A South Korean court dismissed a warrant to arrest Lee amid a graft scandal that led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. JUNG YEON-JE / AFP / Getty Images

Analysts say prosecutors will go after Lotte or Hyundai next if a clear trail of evidence is found. The offices of Lotte and SK Group were raided in November as part of the probe but no charges have yet been made. Lotte chairman Shin Dong-bin was indicted in October for a separate corruption investigation involving financial crimes, but avoided arrest. Kelly, like many others, believe chaebol reform will finally materialize when the public elects a left-leaning president. "A new government under a left-of-center president would likely accelerate efforts to achieve that goal," echoed Scott Seaman, senior Asia analyst at Eurasia, in a recent note. Opposition parties, such as the Minjoo Party of Korea and the People's Party, have long been discussing legislation to strengthen anti-monopoly and fair trade laws aimed at reducing the excessive wealth and influence of chaebols, he explained. An election for the five-year single-term presidency is scheduled for Dec. 20 but if a court approves Park's impeachment motion, elections could be held within the next 60 days. The country's Constitutional Court has until June 21 to make a decision. The leftist candidates in the running include Moon Jae-in from the opposition Democratic Party and Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung of the opposition Minjoo Party. According to a Real Meter poll of 2,525 surveyed adults released on Jan. 9, Moon obtained an approval rating of 26.8 percent, the highest among any candidate. Park's conservative Saenuri party on the other hand may be less willing to crack down on chaebols as it has traditionally been closer to the nation's family dynasties, flagged Kelly. Chaebols dominate the Korean economy, with each company operating a range of diverse businesses. Hyundai for example is home to the world's 5th largest automaker, the 15th largest container shipping firm and the 13th biggest steel producer in addition to manufacturing construction equipment and solar panels, among other goods.

watch now
Thumbtack CEO Marco zappacosta speaking with a Thumbtack pro. Source: Thumbtack

Commodity jobs in the so-called on-demand economy  such as driving for ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft  are likely to be automated away in the near future and workers are right to be concerned, said Thumbtack CEO Marco Zappacosta. Thumbtack, which matches small-business professionals with customers who need jobs done, has a good vantage point when it comes to the current debate over jobs and automation. "Anxiety has been correlated with the fear of their job being automated away  humans are smart  if they sense that their livelihood might slip away, it is extremely anxiety-inducting" he told CNBC. In particular, he pointed to Uber drivers as one job that might not exist in a few years. Ridesharing companies and big auto manufacturers are working hard to figure out how to provide autonomous vehicles, something that could happen over the next three to ten years, he said. "It's going to happen, and that will have a much more dramatic impact on the industry than any law ever could," he said.

Thumbtack pro Coco Minot, a personal trainer for Massachusetts. Source: Thumbtack

The future of work in the U.S. will be non-routine jobs that cannot be automated in the near-term and those that cannot be shipped overseas, he said. These are the sorts of jobs listed on Thumbtack's marketplace, as well as jobs in things like healthcare and education, he said. "When it comes to fixing your plumbing or tutoring your kid in math or catering your wedding, there's no way around the fact that the pro needs to be there," he said. In terms of priorities for the next administration, Zappacosta would like so-called portable benefits, so that every American worker gets access to benefits such as healthcare regardless of how they're employed. The government should provide those benefits, not the platform companies, he said. He would also like to see the federal government streamline regulations to make it easier for small contractors to navigate the system. "Our pros tell us they are more burdened by regulation than by taxes," he said.

Thumbtack faces competition from Amazon , Alphabet 's Google and Angie's List , but its marketplace is far bigger than its competitors, he said. It's also more broad, offering everything from yoga instructors to plumbers for hire. "We think that's the only way to truly build a great brand and awareness among customers because the reality is you don't need a plumber or caterer that often, but in aggregate you need many of these folks every year," he said. Thumbtack claims more than 10 million users who use the platform to find workers, and says it sends the more than 250,000 professionals listed on its platform over $1 billion per year in earned income. It has raised $270 million in venture capital funding at a reported $1.3 billion valuation.
Donald Trump demonstrates his tweeting skills in his office at Trump Tower in New York, Sept. 29, 2015. Josh Haner | The New York Times

In the heated discussions over the effects of fake news on democracy and civil society, Donald J. Trump has often taken center stage. He has used false claims to attack his political opponents, question the legitimacy and loyalty of the Obama administration and other Democrats, and undermine the news media, the federal government and other institutions that many of his supporters do not trust. Read more at the New York Times:

Choice for Health Secretary is vague on replacing Affordable Care Act

What to watch: Rick Perry gets another chance

Senate's closer look at Steven Mnuchin reveals much more

The practice has paralleled his rise from reality TV star to holder of the nation's highest elected office, according to an analysis of his social media activity. When discussing some of his claims, Mr. Trump has cited as evidence articles posted through Breitbart News, manipulated YouTube videos and celebrity gossip publications like The National Enquirer.

watch now



Mr. Trump has also tweeted links from right-wing blogs like WND.com and TheRightScoop.com that often promote sensational conspiracy theories and contain little original reporting. His sourcing highlights the bounty of misinformation accessible on the web and its power in a deeply divided America  especially when endorsed by someone of Mr. Trump's influence and visibility. He offered this explanation for his actions while discussing an altered YouTube video he had tweeted as part of an unsubstantiated claim that a protester at one of his rallies had ties to the Islamic State: "I don't know what they made up; all I can do is play what's there," Mr. Trump said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "All I know is what's on the internet." Below are examples from the last several years of Mr. Trump's penchant for making fraudulent claims and backing them up with information gleaned from unsubstantiated sources.

The Affordable Care Act and death panels

@realdonaldtrump tweet1

In November 2011, Mr. Trump proclaimed that the Affordable Care Act would "ration care," linking to an article on TheRightScoop.com. The story cited an anonymous caller's comments on a conservative radio talk show as proof the act established so-called death panels that would determine whether or not elderly patients received care. The notion of death panels was deemed the "Lie of the Year" in 2009 by the fact-checking website Politifact, which traced its rise to comments made by Sarah Palin on Facebook. The additional claims in the story Mr. Trump shared were debunked by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Department of Health and Human Services, according to Snopes, another fact-checking website.

President Obamas holiday message

@realdonaldtrump tweet 2 Mr. Trump took to Twitter to share a story from TheGatewayPundit.com, a conservative blog, which falsely claimed that Mr. Obama had issued a statement for "the fake holiday" Kwanzaa but not for Christmas. (Mr. Obama's Christian faith has been questioned by political opponents; some have sought to assail the legitimacy of his presidency by falsely claiming he is a Muslim.) After the political blog Talking Points Memo refuted the story, Mr. Trump shared it again on Twitter, starting his post with "I'm right, TPM is wrong." President Obama and his wife wished Americans a "merry Christmas" on Dec. 24, 2011, in a video address shared on Twitter, YouTube and the White House website. Earlier that month, Mr. Obama said he hoped Americans had "the merriest of Christmases," as his family lit the National Christmas Tree in front of the White House, and separately said that "the story of Jesus Christ changed the world" in remarks at the "Christmas in Washington" concert. The statement on Kwanzaa was in line with those made by George W. Bush through 2008.

Birtherism

@realdonaldtrump tweet 3 In March 2011, Mr. Trump started raising questions about President Obama's birthplace and birth certificate on television, on shows that included ABC's "The View" and NBC's "Today." The notion had been debunked and pushed to the realm of conspiracy theorists after Mr. Obama released his short-form birth certificate from the Hawaii Department of Health in 2008. Mr. Trump also promoted his claims through Twitter, citing "an 'extremely credible source'" that called his office and allegedly told him the certificate was a fraud, as well as linking to posts on blogs like WND.com and FreedomOutpost.com. While Mr. Trump was roundly denounced for continuing to push the conspiracy theory, it solidified his connection to the largely white Republican base that was so instrumental in his election victory in November.

Secret oil deal to control gas prices

Mr. Trump has also made claims without supporting material of any kind. He once shared political views through a YouTube video series, "From The Desk Of Donald Trump," sounding off on the Republican Party and Mr. Obama, but also on topics as varied as Andy Roddick's talent and the state of the desk itself. ("Many people have been asking about my desk and the fact that I have so many papers on my desk," it began.) He tweeted links to the posts with the hashtag #trumpvlog throughout 2011 and 2012.

In April 2012, Mr. Trump posted a segment in which he said, "I have no doubt in my mind that President Obama made a deal with the Saudis to flood the markets with oil before the election so he can at least keep it down a little bit." He added: "After the election it's going to be a mess. You're going to see numbers like you've never seen if he wins." He repeated this allegation about a secret deal on CNBC in June of that year, which Fox published under the headline "Trump: Obama's Secret Saudi Oil Deal to Win Re-election."

Linking Autism to vaccinations

@realdonaldtrump tweet 4 Starting in 2012, Mr. Trump has repeatedly expressed his personal belief that autism is linked to childhood vaccinations, saying it in interviews, on Twitter, and even during a Republican debate. On the show "Fox & Friends" in April 2012, Mr. Trump was asked about the rising number of children with autism diagnoses and said, "I have a theory and it's a theory that some people believe in, and that's the vaccinations." Later in the segment, one host noted most doctors disagree and that studies do not show a link, which Mr. Trump acknowledged, adding, "It's also very controversial to even say, but I couldn't care less." He said he had seen changes in children firsthand to support his belief. Plenty of studies, including a recent one that involved almost 100,000 children, have shown there is no scientific evidence linking vaccinations to autism, and that there is no benefit to delaying vaccinations. Instead, children who are not vaccinated on the regular schedule can be at risk for infectious diseases for a longer period. One doctor told Scientific American that "misinformation on the internet often frightens parents away from following" the vaccination schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the only one endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. In 2015, a measles outbreak in California, which started at Disneyland, was partly attributed to diseases spread by children who were not vaccinated. In October 2012, Mr. Trump took to Twitter to ask why President Obama's administration was not intervening. He then wrote in March 2014, "If I were President I would push for proper vaccinations but would not allow one time massive shots that a small child cannot take - AUTISM."

Questioning unemployment data

@realdonaldtrump tweet 5

@realdonaldtrump tweet 6 Mr. Trump has a long history of casting doubt on the unemployment data and figures on "underemployment," a measure that also includes people working part time for lack of full-time jobs and others who have given up looking for work. In mid-2012, he remarked on Twitter that an underemployment rate of 14.9 percent was "way low," and could actually be 20 percent. A couple of months after that, he said on CNBC that "the real unemployment number is over 17 percent, when you add back the tremendous numbers of people that gave up looking for jobs and all of the other things they do to manipulate them." @realdonaldtrump tweet 7 In November 2013, Mr. Trump, on Twitter, linked to a column from The New York Post headlined, "Census 'faked' 2012 election jobs report." The story was quickly criticized by The Columbia Journalism Review for "turning a nugget of news into a blockbuster conspiracy expose." It noted that the column was largely premised on the misbehavior of a worker who left the Census Bureau in 2011, well before the election. In December 2014, Mr. Trump tweeted a story from WND.com, a conspiracy-minded conservative site, with the headline "Donald Trump: Obama's Jobless Figures 'Phony.' Economists agree." The story cited comments Mr. Trump made on "Fox & Friends" alleging that the actual unemployment rate was almost 18 percent, an estimate supported by John Williams, an independent economist who has a newsletter called "Shadow Government Statistics." It says says it "exposes and analyzes flaws in current U.S. government economic data and reporting." Mr. Williams, in the WND story, estimated November unemployment at 23 percent. Trump later repeated that figure during a campaign speech at Liberty University in January 2016, a number The Washington Post showed to be false.

President Obama and the Boston Marathon bombing

@realdonaldtrump tweet 8 Mr. Trump shared a link from TheRightScoop.com on Twitter, claiming the president's budget "cut domestic bomb prevention in half." The post relied on a story from The Daily Mail, which based its claim on an estimate from a former official at the Department of Homeland Security who resigned in 2005. Separately, Mr. Trump tweeted, "Is the Boston killer eligible for Obama Care to bring him back to health?" He went on to circulate a post based entirely on that tweet from Newsbusters.org, a blog from the Media Research Center, which states its goal as "documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias." Outside of the fact that federal law requires any patient requiring emergency treatment to be treated regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, the attack occurred in Massachusetts, where the health insurance program under Mitt Romney served as a model for the Affordable Care Act.

Ted Cruz's Father

Mr. Trump made comments in a Fox News interview last May accusing Senator Ted Cruz's father of associating with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Mr. Trump's remarks  made on the day of the Republican primary in Indiana  came after The National Enquirer claimed it had photographic proof that Mr. Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, was "palling around" with Mr. Oswald before the shooting. Mr. Cruz's campaign called that report error-filled and condemned Mr. Trump for campaigning "on false tabloid garbage." The fact-checking website Politifact noted that "several historians of the period told us they've never seen Cruz's name come up in connection with Oswald."

Protester was member of ISIS

@realdonaldtrump tweet 9 Mr. Trump claimed at a rally last year that a man who charged him at another event was linked to the Islamic State, yet no government agency suggested the man was connected to ISIS or terrorism. He repeated the allegation in a tweet, linking to a video that claimed to show the man. It was overlaid with Arabic text and music and appeared to have been created as a hoax. When asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" about the lack of evidence tying the man to ISIS and the video hoax, Mr. Trump did not seem deterred. "He was dragging a flag along the ground and he was playing a certain type of music and supposedly there was chatter about ISIS," he responded. "What do I know about it?"

Voter fraud

@realdonaldtrump tweet 10 After winning the presidential election but losing the popular vote, Mr. Trump took to Twitter to claim that he actually received more votes than Mrs. Clinton "if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally." The notion was popularized by Infowars, a website replete with conspiracy theories that include questioning the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The overwhelming consensus from people who oversaw the general election in states around the country was that the amount of voter fraud in 2016 was next to none.

WATCH: These are America's five richest presidents
5G is viewed as a technology that can support the developing Internet of Things (IOT) market, which refers to millions  or potentially billions  of internet-connected devices that are expected soon to come on to the market.

Next-generation 5G mobile internet technology marks the beginning of the "fourth industrial revolution," the chief executive of Turkey's leading telecoms player told CNBC on Thursday.

Kaan Terzioglu, the chief executive of Turkcell, which has a market capitalization of $23 billion, touted the potential of the technology, saying that while 4G revolutionized the consumer market, 5G could transform the industrial space.

"I think this is the beginning of the fourth generation of the industrial revolution. This will be the platform linking billions of devices together," Terzioglu told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos.



Turkcell has been working on 5G technologies since 2013 and this week completed a test in partnership with Ericsson, using the next-generation internet.

Terzioglu did not give a timeline for when 5G could become mainstream but some industry players have suggested a 2018 deadline is possible. South Korean telecoms firm KT said it wanted to launch a 5G network at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Companies from Nokia to Huawei are all testing 5G technology.
Alibaba's payment affiliate Ant Financial is aiming to have 2 billion customers in 10 years, the chief executive of the $60 billion firm told CNBC, adding that the Chinese giant is exploring further uses of blockchain technology.

Ant Financial runs the Alipay mobile wallet in China which has over 450 million users. But Eric Jing, the CEO of Ant Financial, said the aim is to more than quadruple that over the next decade.

"We have an ambition to be a global company," Jing told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"So my vision (is) that we want to serve 2 billion people in the next 10 years by using technology, by working together with partners  to serve those underserved."
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Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said Thursday that Europe's structural issues like Brexit could have consequences for the banking giant.

"[Brexit] is unprecedented obviously," Moynihan told a panel hosted by CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"People have to remember the point about the synergy between the banks and the economy. It's also the bank's capital markets and the economy. And any time you divide that in pieces it's not as effective," he said when asked about the issues banks face after the U.K. quits the EU.

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"If you want to have your road map on that, look at the rest of the world that divides it in pieces, and it's not as effective," he added. He explained that U.S. banks like his own and JPMorgan had been able to shed assets and rebalance since the strains faced during the global economic crisis due to "unified capital markets" that U.S. lenders rely on. He juxtaposed this against Europe, which he said was a worry without the same support networks as in the United States.

"I get more worried more about the structural help for Europe, because if the European economy does well, Bank of America is going to do well and our corporate investment banking and our capital markets  and I think any time you divide things in two, they are a little less efficient, a little less investment, a little less certainty," he said.

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Barclays CEO Jes Staley has detailed how his company has adjusted to the different banking regulations in the United States and believes that his peers in the sector need to get used to them.



"I think the Volcker rule is very clear, they want to move Wall Street from managing proprietary and trading desks to being agents and broker dealers for the broader capital markets," he told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"Barclays has gotten there very quickly, we are not in the proprietary trading business in our investment bank, we like the broker dealer model, we like the consistency of our revenues, we like the revenues versus risk that we have, which I think is where the regulators want us to be," he added.

He added that he believed that Dodd-Frank - which refers to a comprehensive and complicated piece of financial regulation born out of the recession of 2008 - is going to stay.

"I think Volcker is going to stay, and I think the banks need to operate on this," he said.
An ambitious plan by China to increase its doctor numbers by nearly 40 per cent over the next five years faces a severe test as medical graduates choose other professions because of low pay and overwork.

China's ageing population and growing burden from conditions such as cancer and diabetes is leaving its underfunded public hospitals, the first port of call for most patients, increasingly strained.

In response, China is hoping to rely more on general practitioners, known as family doctors. The State Council announced a five-year health plan last week that aims to increase average life expectancy by one year to 77.3 years by the end of 2020.

More from Financial Times:

China's top judge denounces judicial independence

Hong Kong leadership fight kicks off amid bitter divisions

China billionaires whip up racehorse world

It called for an increase in the number of doctors from the current level of 1.5 per 1,000 citizens to more than two by 2020. That compares with figures of 1.9 in Brazil and 2.8 in Britain. The plan said China would need to employ an extra 140,000 obstetricians and midwives to cope with rising demand after the country scrapped its one-child policy in favour of allowing couples to have two children.

But a recent survey suggested it would be difficult to recruit the number of doctors required. In the 10 years to 2015, Chinese universities produced 4.7m medical graduates, while the total number of doctors rose by just 750,000, representing a 16 per cent increase, according to data compiled by Angela Fan of Taiwan's National Yang-Ming University.
China is serious about tackling its many challenges in a sustainable way through the use of technology and innovation, according to the CEO of multinational software company Dassault Systemes.



"In the last two years I have observed a number of incredible innovations in China, you see that in many high-tech sectors," Bernard Charles told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"Also in transportation, in aircraft even - highly sophisticated technology. I think they are really addressing the innovation of tomorrow in a more sustainable way. They are really serious about it. You look at the rules they are putting in place for the cities to reduce pollution," he said, adding that the country was undertaking some "very tough initiatives."
, Uber, and other rivals will find it difficult to challenge  one of Europe's largest logistics firms  because they underestimate the complexity of the business, the firm's CEO told CNBC on Thursday.

Amazon has been trialing drones to deliver parcels and has also been opening up lockers where people can pick up their packages. Ride-sharing firm Uber has also touted the potential of its network of drivers to be used for logistics.

Frank Appel, chief executive of Deutsche Post, said that Amazon is an "important partner" and does not underestimate the difficulty of logistics. But many rivals will find it hard to challenge Deutsche Post.
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Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte gave a downbeat assessment on Thursday of the U.K.'s vote to leave the European Union, saying that the British people chose to become poorer for the sake of controlling immigration. "This was the choice, the choice always was that when you want economic growth, being part of the biggest market in the world  which the European Union is  to leave that market with all the consequences that entails, there's consequences you have to face up to," he told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "And they wanted to do this because they wanted to control migration."



Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Getty Images

Rutte said the British public had a clear choice and noted a phone conversation with David Cameron three weeks before the referendum where the former U.K. prime minister described how the debate had steered away from economics and toward immigration. "The sad thing is that I believe that, at the end of the day, that net immigration into the U.K. will not come down, because also in the future they will need many workers also from Eastern Europe to fill the many vacancies," he said. Rutte vehemently denied that his comments were scaremongering and his criticisms of Brexit were to aid his own fortunes in the upcoming elections in the Netherlands. "I'm just stating the facts," he told CNBC.

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Europe needs leadership, the chairman of Spain's second-largest bank, urged on Thursday, ahead of upcoming elections in some of the region's biggest economies.

Francisco Gonzalez, executive chairman of BBVA, said Germany, France, Spain and Italy need to show strong leadership.

"Europe definitely needs leadership," Gonzalez told CNBC.

"I hope Europe will put some plans on the table in order to move forward."
Morgan Stanley Chairman and CEO James Gorman shared his views on the markets and Donald Trump in an exclusive interview Thursday on CNBC's " Squawk Box ." When asked if geopolitical risks are being priced in by the market, he said: "Not really ... We've got massive geopolitical uncertainty. We've got the second largest economy in the world China going through a major transition. There's a lot of geopolitical risk in the obvious regions North Korea, parts of Middle East. ... There's a lot to remain cautious about, and I think our house position, and certainly how I feel, is the world is getting better, but this will not be in a straight line." In the interview at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, he also discussed: Company's earnings report Economic growth Donald Trump Globalization China Brexit Regulation To watch the broadcast interview in its entirety, you must be a CNBC PRO subscriber .

Morgan Stanley Chairman and CEO James Gorman shared his views on the markets and Donald Trump in an exclusive interview Thursday on CNBC's "Squawk Box." When asked if geopolitical risks are being priced in by the market, he said: "Not really ... We've got massive geopolitical uncertainty. We've got the second largest economy in the world China going through a major transition. There's a lot of geopolitical risk in the obvious regions North Korea, parts of Middle East. ... There's a lot to remain cautious about, and I think our house position, and certainly how I feel, is the world is getting better, but this will not be in a straight line."

In the interview at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, he also discussed: Company's earnings report

Economic growth

Donald Trump

Globalization

China

Brexit

Regulation To watch the broadcast interview in its entirety, you must be a CNBC PRO subscriber.
George Soros thinks President-elect Donald Trump will fail  and that will be just fine with the billionaire investor and supporter of progressive causes.

"I personally am convinced that he is going to fail," Soros told Bloomberg during an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Failure will come "not because of people like me who would like him to fail, but because his ideas that guide him are inherently self-contradictory and the contradictions are already embodied by his advisors."

Soros spoke less than 24 hours before Trump, himself a billionaire businessman and political agitator, takes the oath of office as the 45th president. Trump's Cabinet picks have been undergoing a sometimes-grueling round of confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill, though it's not clear if any will be rejected.

During the 2016 campaign, Soros donated close to $20 million to various causes, including more than $10.5 million to Trump's opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

He has been unrelenting in his criticism of Trump, and unloaded on him again during the Davos interview.
The Trump administration must follow through on its vows to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and let states take the reins in the replacement process, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told CNBC on Thursday.

"When it comes to Obamacare, I think it's pretty clear: We want people to follow through on their promises here in Washington," the governor told "Squawk Box."

"That means getting rid of Obamacare, repealing it outright, and then coming back and putting in place a replacement that moves more towards a market-driven solution."

Walker, who is also chairman of the Republican Governors Association, argued for a localized approach to health care, using his own state as an example of success without Obamacare.

"We're one of the best states in the nation in terms of coverage," Walked said. "We have one foundation called No Insurance Gap, and we didn't take the Obamacare Medicaid expansion, we didn't set up a state exchange, yet we have one of the lowest rates of uninsured in the country."

"We can do it elsewhere as well. Just give us the flexibility to do it state by state," he added.

While Walker and his state's legislature did opt out of expanding Medicaid programs via Obamacare in 2012, the governor created a plan that was similar to the expansion, but at a smaller scale, saying it would control federal government involvement in the state.

In September, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Wisconsin's uninsured rate had fallen to just under 6 percent from 9 percent in two years, placing Wisconsin in the top six states with the lowest uninsured rates, tied with Rhode Island.



Data from the Department of Health and Human Services show that the Affordable Care Act still had an impact on Wisconsin patients through other reforms like the end to lifetime limits, continued parental coverage for individuals under age 26 and free preventative care.

According to HHS, 211,000 Wisconsinites have gained coverage since Obamacare was enacted in 2010.

Later on Thursday, Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson told CNBC that the repeal and replacement process for the Affordable Care Act will be far more complex than many assume, and will need help from Democrats.
The U.S. is about to cut itself off from one of the most dynamic regions of the globe, according to economist Nouriel Roubini, who has also slammed the industrial strategy of the incoming U.S. administration.



Roubini, the economist who predicted the 2008 stock market crash and is sometimes known as "Dr Doom", said that China is now becoming the champion of free trade.



"(China is promoting) globalization and free market capitalization at a time when the new incoming leader of the biggest capitalist country in the world talks as if it is scared of competition, of globalization, of trade," he said at a seminar at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.



"Actually some of the tone of bashing firms and telling them where to produce and what to do ... If Obama has done any of those things then he would have been accused of being a communist. But the fact that Trump is doing it is considered to be good industrial policy by some people, not by me," he added.
Morgan Stanley chief James Gorman told CNBC on Thursday that elements of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act need to be "curtailed," but he's not in favor of scrapping all the regulations, which were drawn up in the aftermath of the Great Recession.



"I'll be very clear about this, I'm not a fan of getting rid of Dodd-Frank," Gorman said in a wide-ranging interview on "Squawk Box" at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.



The regulations were designed to prevent the too-big-to-fail scenario that put taxpayers on the hook to rescue troubled financial institutions.

See also: Morgan Stanley CEO says 4% growth unlikely, even with Trump policies



As Donald Trump prepares to take the oath of office on Friday, his administration is expected to push deregulation across many industries, including banking.

"There are elements of Dodd-Frank that clearly need to be curtailed," Gorman said. "Parts of the Volcker Rule are unambiguously affecting market liquidity, and the Federal Reserve's own work has demonstrated that."

The Volcker Rule is part of Dodd-Frank, originally proposed by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.

His namesake provision restricts U.S. banks, or an institution that owns a bank, from making certain kinds of speculative investments with their own money that could hurt their customers.

Gorman said the overall structure of Dodd-Frank is "great"  citing higher capital requirements on the front end, fail-safes on the bank end to mitigate systemic risks, "and in the middle having an annual health check."

The new administration should not broadly overhaul or eliminate Dodd-Frank, the Morgan Stanley chairman and CEO said. "Because the more change we make at this point, the more destructive it will be for the markets."

"The challenge is let's stop moving the ball," he said. "Let's absorb the regulation we've got. Let's accept the capital levels we have and are sufficient. Let's take away things that are causing liquidity to dry up in the markets."


Following are excerpts from a CNBC interview with Bernard Charles, CEO of Dassault, from the World Economic Forum 2017 with Geoff Cutmore and Steve Sedgwick



GC: Welcome back, everybody. This is Capital Connection, we're joining you from the World economic Forum in Davos. Let's talk a bit about technology, and how companies in this space are doing. Bernard Charles has joined us, from Dassault Systemes c, he's the man who runs that business. Bernard, good to see you this morning. Look, there is this sort of view here that Europe is still not firing on all cylinders, but US companies are doing better, on anticipation of Donald Trump's arrival in the White House, and also just a general improvement in growth. How have you found Europe over the last year?



BC: Well, if I look at the last two years in Europe, on the number of innovation programmes, it has never been as high. Look at even the sector of mobility, look at the new number of electrical vehicle programmes on the next five years. Extremely compelling. So I think there is more in Europe in terms of innovation than what we think. The number of start-ups now, I think money is flowing in Europe for start-ups, the number of start-ups has grown in a significant way in the last two years. So I'm quite positive, but there are of course political issues.



GC: Yes, well we'll not get too detailed on your numbers, because I know you're in a closed period, but I also want to ask you about Asia. President Xi was here, talking about globalization and the necessity for it, but a lot of people are still worried about growth slowing in the Chinese economy. What's y our experience?



BC: Well, in the last two years I have observed also a number of incredible innovations in China. You see that in many high tech sectors, also in transportation, aircraft even, highly sophisticated technology. I think they are really addressing the innovation of tomorrow in a more sustainable way, and they are very serious about it. Look at the rules they are putting in place for the cities to reduce pollution, with electrical vehicles on many of those initiatives. They are very tough initiatives for the industry, but they want to address their challenges, and I find that President Xi's speech was very aligned with what you observe.



SS: I had a great panel yesterday, and it was-, Oleg Deripaska was a large part of it, and he said EV, electric vehicles, don't give me that, I've got no interest, basically it's an excuse for people with electricity production to actually carry on with more and more coal and the renewables is cover for a lot of countries to produce more and more coal. Let's face it, there's too much coal in the system. So we talk about the brave new world, but actually it's based on some really dirty old technology still, though, isn't it?



BC: That's true, but the cycle for energy is not the cycle for high tech, and I think to go out from coal we need about 20 years. Now, with this coal technology you can still improve many of the things that we have not done well in the past. So this mixed energy transition is a long cycle. It will happen, and I believe if we are not careful, they will invest products and solutions that will be winning on the worldwide market.



GC: Bernard, we've got to wrap it up with you, but we'll see you again, I think, in a couple of weeks, so thanks very much for joining us here in Davos.



BC: Thank you very much.



GC: Bernard Charles, with us from Dassault Systemes. Pauline, back to you.
Following are excerpts from a CNBC interview with Enda Kenny, Prime Minister of Ireland from the World Economic Forum 2017 with Steve Sedgwick.



SS: Taoiseach, Mrs. May's been speaking here in Davos, and of course she laid out earlier this week her 12-point plan. A couple of them I thought related very closely to Ireland, of course point 4, about the closeness between Ireland and the UK, and ease of the border mustn't change as well, and border restrictions mustn't come back in. The second point she talked about was the amount of EU nationals in the UK, and UK nationals in the EU. Both, I think, very relevant to the Irish relationship with the UK. Are you happy with what you heard from Mrs. May, or are there concerns?

EK : Well, I've spoken to the Prime Minister very shortly after she was elected, I went over to Downing St, she's due to come to Dublin in the next short period to discuss some more of these issues. After the vote, the Referendum, her appointment as Prime Minister, she said she would move Article 50 before the end of March. People then looked for clarity as to what Britain wanted, so she's given clarity on the major elements of the relationship that Britain looks for in the next number of years. We've already agreed, the Prime Minister and I, that as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, that there would be no return to borders of the past, or a hard border. That we would preserve the common travel area, north south and east west, England/Ireland, Ireland/England and so on, and obviously she did say at the European Council meeting, at her first European Council meeting, that she would like a situation where in the negotiations, when they begin, that the question of British people living abroad, and Europeans living in Britain, would be dealt with early on. And obviously the Irish have a particular place here, having very strong relations with Britain over a very long period. So what we plan to do now, for the time ahead, is to continue to grow our economy, to manage our public finances in a prudent fashion, our deficit will be eliminated in 2018, so we want to continue to grow employment, and prove that Ireland is an attractive location for investment, and for expansion from indigenous industries. And secondly, have a very strong, diplomatic engagement with our colleagues in Europe. That's why I have met with Chancellor Merkel, President Hollande, Prime Minister Rajoy, and so on, and my ministers will meet their counterparts all over Europe. And thirdly, so that when they understand all of that, and the negotiations really start, after Article 50 is triggered, that we will negotiate very hard for those objectives.

SS: Taoiseach, it sounds like what you and Mrs. May both want is pretty much the status quo, both over the relationship between the North and the Republic, and indeed the United Kingdom generally, and indeed the Republic of Ireland, as well. Do you think you'll be allowed to keep the status quo as it is, given the constraints that Mrs. May has laid out, and that the Commission is going to put forward, as well?

EK: Well, clearly Britain will not be a member of the single market, and obviously in terms of the border, there will only be the one land border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland when Britain is removed-, removes itself from the European Union. But we've agreed that there will not be a return to borders of the past, customs posts along that border, and while this may present a challenge, obviously it's a question to which we will achieve an answer. So in that sense, we are both agreed that we preserve the common travel area and that there will not be a return to a hard border, but obviously there are negotiations which will be held in detail, between Britain and the European Union, and we will be negotiating on that end of the trade issues from a European Union perspective.

SS: We can talk about the opportunities in a moment, but do you fear for Irish companies operating in the UK, and UK companies operating in Ireland? As you say, the links, historically, are very, very strong as well. Do you fear now not being part of the single market, that it's going to be to the detriment of big Irish companies in the UK, and vice versa? Because it could take many, many years, way beyond the two-year timeframe to get a new free trade deal between the UK and EU, but I think she'd like to do it.

EK: Yes, well until Britain actually removes itself from the European Union, it remains a full member, and plays its full part and accepts its responsibilities, but I have to say that I'm very confident and very optimistic that Ireland continues to be a very attractive location, both for investment from abroad, and for the possibilities for expansion of indigenous Irish industries. Yes, of course, in terms of currency fluctuations there are challenges here, that's an undoubted fact, but we're looking at, you know, continuing to be competitive, looking at new markets, at new opportunities, so I'm very optimistic about the future for Ireland, despite the uncertainties that there might be about some elements of the decision of Britain to leave the European Union, and that's a matter, where having completed our plan in terms of negotiations diplomatically, we will negotiate very hard to retain our objectives which we have agreed in part with the Prime Minister.

SS: Did I see a quote, sir, saying that you thought it was going to be vicious, the negotiations?

EK: Well, I don't speak for every other leader around the European table. Michel Barnier's conducting the, sort of, the initial negotiations, to be overseen by the European Council in terms of political leadership and so on. And so I do hope that, given the context in which this is now happening, that everybody wants to have the best kind of relationships. The question, at the end of the day, is what will the trading relationships be between the European Union and the United Kingdom, and that's obviously a matter for negotiations, and all questions relevant to that can't be answered at this stage.

SS: But to follow up on my point, Mrs. May speaks to you in one way, Mr. Fox, Mr. Davis and Mr. Johnson speak in a very different way to their European counterparts, as well. Some might say in a very disrespectful way to their European counterparts, as well. With that in mind, and some of the fiery rhetoric we've seen from certain parts of the European political establishment, do you fear the acrimony is just going to get out of hand?

EK: Well, I mean, I do think we're at the very start of this, Article 50 is not even triggered yet, so the commencement of negotiations formally hasn't begun. And clearly it's within Europe's remit to develop itself over the next 15, 20 years, and it's got to make decisions politically about that. This is a single market of almost 500 million people, you know, of really important global impact. We are part of that, we're now a central part of it for the last 50 years, almost, transformed Ireland, so in that sense, obviously the negotiations between the European Union and Britain will be critical in the sense of that relationship for the future.

SS: But sir, everything that happened over the last 12 months or so, and I remember the Irish election and how difficult that was for you, as well, and we saw what happened to Mr. Renzi, what happened to Mr. Cameron, what happened to the presidential election in the US, and the huge electoral agenda that we have in Europe in 2017, as well. Do you not fear that fiery politics will get in the way of economic rationale in these negotiations? I can't see how it won't, sir.

EK: Well yes, but it-, you know, you can have acrimony and fiery politics, and you can have very robust arguments. At the end of the day, politics, not only is it about people, but governments, it's about making decisions, so in this case the United Kingdom have made a decision to leave the European Union, and that creates consequences, obviously. And those consequences will be negotiated between Britain and the European Union, of which we will remain a member. I've made the point oftentimes before, that we've had 50 years of experience in there, so from our point of view, my plan is to continue to grow our economy, create jobs, have a diplomatic engagement with all the members of Europe, so that they fully understand Ireland's very particular circumstances, border Northern Ireland, peace process, Good Friday Agreement and so on, and then negotiate hard on those objectives. So it remains to be seen what the eventual outcome will be, but I think that we do want, you know, very good relationships with Britain, we want good relationships between Britain and the European Union, and beyond. You know, the world is shrinking, as I say, in many respects, and it's very important that people understand that trade is now a global issue, and Ireland, as a very small country, has, you know, particular evidence of that, in and beyond the shores of the European Union, also.

SS : Well, I think Ireland punches above its weight in many ways, sir, but the point raised by the opposition, Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Fein, they're saying you've got no plan, they're saying you've got no vision for this, as well. How do you respond?

EK: On the contrary, we've got a very clear plan. As I said, we're going to continue to grow our economy, manage our public finances in a prudent fashion, grow employment, reduce unemployment, make Ireland, you know, an attractive location for continued investment and for expansion of indigenous industries, of which we've got ample evidence. The second part of the plan is to have a diplomatic engagement with all the leaders of Europe, and with the ministers of Europe, so that they fully understand our very particular circumstances. We are the only country, now, where there will be a land border where there is a peace process which is guaranteed under, you know, an internationally legally binding agreement, of which I am co-guarantor, along with Prime Minister May, and the third element of that plan, then, is to negotiate very hard when the negotiations start, on those particular objectives. I think that's a very clear strategy, it's a very strong plan, and I intend to implement it.

SS: How concerned are you about events in the north, sir, about the breakdown of government in Stormont?

EK: Well, the election is taking place there, obviously that will be decided on the 3rd of March, and that's a matter for the electorate in Northern Ireland. What concerns me, is that under the Good Friday Agreement, it's imperative that the institutions of the north and the Assembly, they work in the interest of the people of Northern Ireland. We have had an all-Ireland forum, and the outcome of Brexit on the economy. We have sectoral engagements going on at the moment. We have a second all-Ireland forum on the 17th of February. I think this is part of a very clear strategy, and a plan, that the eventual outcome will be for the benefit of the people of the island of Ireland. I set out my credentials in respect of the Republic, and I want to engage with the parties and the people and the businesses of the north, to see that that happens also for them.

SS: On another side, looking at the opportunities, as well, I know that you're speaking to people like Inga Beale, the boss of Lloyd's of London, and presumably a lot of other serious players in the London financial sector, and elsewhere, as well. Why Dublin? Why not Frankfurt? Why not Madrid? Why not Milan? Why is Dublin the destination, potentially, for operations within the EU to be HQed?

EK: Well, Dublin's a very attractive location. English speaking, wealth of talent, obviously very closely connected with London in terms of flights to and from Dublin and London, and between Dublin and the European Union. Financial houses, banks and other businesses will not hang around for interminable delays in terms of doing trade deals. They'll make decisions, and Ireland's a very attractive location at the moment. We have a lot of interest being expressed by companies who want to see regulation, who want to see what the opportunities for investment, or for doing business in Ireland are, and we respond to that. Of course, it's a competitive field, and there are other locations where people could decide to go to, we are in there with the very best. We've grown very strongly in the last number of years in terms of financial services, wealth of talent and opportunities for people to come from abroad, and when Britain has left the European Union, we are the only English speaking country in there then, you know, with a very strong connection with Europe over 50 years.

SS: You just said interminable negotiations. It's not going to happen in two years, a trade deal, is it?

EK: Well, this is-, you have 50 years of regulations and directives, so they're going to be quite complex. So the first half of Article 50 is that you deal with the leaving, but in doing with-, in dealing with the leaving, you have also to take into account the framework for the future, and that's where the negotiations are going to take place.

SS: Finally, sir, populations are angry across Europe. You saw that in the Irish election, as well. They're angry, they want to throw something against the machine, against the establishment, as well. Do you think that you should go to the polls again in 2017 and just be done with having a government supported by the opposition?

EK: Not at all. The people voted in an election, and they gave their answer. The politicians responded to that, and we put a government together which is a minority partnership government-,

SS: Is it a stable government, sir?

EK: It is, and it means that you think differently, it means that you reach out to other parties, that you hear other voices, that you work on a programme which is published, which is transparent and accountable, and you sign deals with other parties on certain issues to keep government working in the interest of the people. So from that point of view, people said, 'You will not put a government together, you'll never be able to get a budget, or be able to pass legislation.' This is not so. We're moving on, as I say. We want to continue to manage our finances, prudently in the people's interest, and continue to grow employment, invest in infrastructure, provide good services for our people-,

SS: So you won't go to the polls in 2017?

EK: Not at all.

SS: Taoiseach, thank you very much indeed for your time.

EK: Thank you very much indeed.

SS: Thank you, sir.
Following are excerpts from a CNBC interview with Eric Rondolat, CEO of Philips Lighting from the World Economic Forum 2017 with Geoff Cutmore and Steve Sedgwick



GC: Well, let's move on and talk more about the business environment. Philips Lighting overtook Germany's Osram to become the world's largest independent lighting maker, following the spinoff from its Dutch parent company, it enjoyed an impressive stock market debut in May last year, when shares soared 8% in one day. Since the IPO, the stock has held on to almost 6% of that initial surge, which will be great news for Eric Rondolat, the CEO of Philips Lighting. Eric, good to see you this morning.

ER: Good morning, thanks for having me.

GC: Thanks very much for joining us. Look, just give us a line on the business outlook for 2017, as far as you're concerned.

ER: Well, as you may know, you know, we are in a period, the closed period-,

GC: Oh, don't give me the old 'closed period'-,

ER: We are-, we are-,

GC: Come on, I'm not asking you for revenue numbers, I'm asking you how you see the world in 2017. Brexit, Donald Trump, Chinese protectionism, there are lots of issues floating around. Are you going to have a good year this year, or not?

ER: You know what, they told me be careful, t hose guys are extremely impatient, and I think that impatience is a quality, but on Monday we're going to be able to tell so much more about how the company has been performing in Q4, and also for the full year and also we will be giving, at this time, an outlook.

GC: Okay, well that limits us somewhat, if you're not prepared to talk about the state of the global economy, but let's talk more broadly, then about technology and the opportunity that you see for innovation for Philips Lighting.

ER: Yes, I think it's absolutely massive, and this is what we do here in Davos. You know, I think it's the right time of the year, you know, at the beginning of the year, to be able to discuss with government leaders, but as well with business leaders, about what are the big challenges moving ahead, and technology is one of them. You know, we talked here in Davos about the fourth Industrial Revolution. Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, you know, robotics, and this is also touching the lighting business. You know, I will tell you that the technology has only revealed a very minor aspect of its potential moving forward. In Q4, you know, we have been supplying, you know, in Jakarta, 90,000 street lights, fully connected to a backbone software system which is on the Cloud. So can you imagine, in Jakarta, the before and the after with the new lights, safer, that is lighting the city in a better way, with less accidents but also-,

SS: Eric, I like your products, and I like Osram's products, and I like GE's products, as well. I am a buyer of the 21st century lighting solution, okay? And I've said this to you before. But the fact of the matter is, it's a very expensive product, and it's also a product that lasts a very long time. And so you have competitors out there who are cheaper Asian manufacturers, who want to eat your lunch at a cheaper price, who also want to have products that last a very long time, as well. Is the business model flawed by the fact that A) the product lasts a long time, so there isn't a renewal cycle very much, and B) that there's always going to be an Asian competitor who's going to want to undercut you?

ER: I think, you know, we have proven in the past, and we have proven in the very recent past that we can compete. You know, we also manufacture in Asia ourselves, but what counts is not only having a good product at a low cost. It's also having a strong brand, which is the case, you know, of Philips in the lighting industry, but also being capable to innovate on the market. Let me give you an example. We have put on the market, in the same light bulb, three different (?? 07.09.01), so if you push the switch three times you get different color temperatures within the same bulb. So that's the type of innovation that you can bring with digital lighting.

GC: To what extent are environmental concerns going to remain a key driver around lighting innovation and manufacturing?

ER: I think it's fundamental, and I would take that at two different levels. You know, as a company, of course we bring into the market as much as we can, offers that are sustainable, and we've made a strong commitment that by 2020, 80% of our revenues will be sustainable. We have also made another commitment that between 2015 and 2020, we will be delivering to the world 2 billion LED lamps. But as a company, we also believe that we need to show the example. In Davos we are talking about responsible leaders, so we've also said that we will be carbon neutral in 2020. And you've talked about renewable, you know, with the President interview, and it's extremely important also for us to make sure that 100% of our energy comes from renewables in 2020. By the way, it's already the case for us in the US at the end of 2016.

SS: It's a real pleasure speaking to you Eric, and despite our badgering, we will definitely carry on being impatient, that's kind of our job, but-, and also your job to rebuff us as well. So we'll look forward to looking at the results and we'll paw through those and we'll speak to you again at some stage. Eric Rondolat, who's the CEO of Philips Lighting.
Following are excerpts from a CNBC interview with Francisco Reynes Massanet, CEO of Abertis from the World Economic Forum 2017 with Geoff Cutmore and Steve Sedgwick

GC: Let's move on, let's talk a little bit about infrastructure. President Elect Donald Trump has pledged to increase infrastructure spending to fuel economic growth. The promised spending could provide a boost to the American business of toll road operator Abertis. Wouldn't it be really good if we just had someone from Abertis to talk about it?

SS: Who would be mad enough to join us at this hour, though?



GC: I can only think Francisco Reynes Massanet would do it, good morning to you.



FM: Hi, good morning.



GC: Welcome, thanks very much for coming in.



FM: Thanks very much.



GC: So are you very excited that Donald Trump is talking about big expenditure on infrastructure? What does it mean for Abertis?



FM: Well, I'm very excited that every key politician is talking about infrastructure, but it's our business. We are in 20 countries and we expect to be in much more. We don't know yet exactly what that means, we will see from tomorrow onwards what the commitment of this government about infrastructure means. But what we can offer to the States, and to all the countries in the world, is a clear commitment on having long-term sustainability infrastructures, and our business is about managing the infrastructures on a long-term perspective.



GC It sounds to me as though you're saying, 'We'll believe it when we see it,' and quite frankly I understand that, because we've heard a lot of American politicians over the recent years saying, 'We need to spend money in this country,' but it's just not happening. So are you more convinced that it may trickle through now, because Donald Trump sounds like a different kind of President?



FM: Well, it's not about the people, it's about the facts. We tried to come into the States 10 years ago with a big infrastructure, which was the Indiana Toll Road, and after having won the bid, for whatever reason, the governor decided not to go ahead. Then we tried again in some attempts in Chicago, in Pennsylvania, but what happened is that finally it's difficult, because the American market is a very difficult market, although it really requires PPPs as a way to boost the lack of infrastructures. They made a lot of infrastructures, but they were some years ago, a lot of years ago, and they need to be updated.



SS: It seems incredible to say so, in such a sophisticated, tech-savvy country, but is the American infrastructure in, you mentioned Indianapolis and other places, is it actually very, very poor? Because that is the feeling I'm getting from many people in the States, who say, 'Actually, it's really, really bad conditions at the moment,' and in fact compared with Europe, compared with certainly the growth in Asia, as well, they need a revolution.



FM: The maintenance of your construction is about money, and it's about money on a sustainable basis. You cannot expect to have a great infrastructure but without spending the proper amount of money on the maintenance on a regular basis, infrastructures are really becoming obsolete. And I think that in any country, it needs to be included in the public budget, and normally when you need to restrict your expenditures, they go to the maintenance side. That's what a business is about.



SS: Sure. So where are you excited about at the moment? Where is the area? I mean, obviously people say Asia, fantastic, they're always looking to grow their infrastructure aggressively, as well, but I there somewhere that you think, 'This is the part of the business I see the greatest excitement in 2017'?



FM: We are really excited with countries where the governments are really prepared to work on a public/private partnership with a completely strong legal framework.



SS: Give us a great example.



FM: Well, in Europe we have countries like France or Italy, where infrastructures are clearly managed by private operators, or in South America you have countries like Brazil, Chile, Mexico, where you have this type of commitment. Asia is coming, but as you have seen during these days in Davos, there is a lot of expectation about the infrastructures coming in Asia, but still in hands of governments, and they need to go through the private investors.



GC: And let me ask you about Europe. We know that governments in Europe, Italy, Spain, Portugal, have been struggling to spend money because they just don't have it. Give us your sense, are we seeing a recovery in these economies, and will that start to trickle through to an increase in infrastructure spending?



FM: We are seeing the recovery, I think that I am not the first one to say that. The IFM said, yes, for example, that Spain is going to grow more than expected, which is good news. What we need to make compatible is that this overall growth as a country, it goes to the infrastructure side, as well, and one of the big challenges the infrastructure market has today, in Europe, is not more to do it, but to maintain that infrastructure side, which is going to the yearly public budget, and as you know, Brussels is really pressing to reduce the deficit, and they need to find that somewhere.



SS: Just very quickly, a European public which is feeling itself very squeezed, a middle class that's feeling it's very squeezed, are they prepared for paying for more on toll roads than ever before, because in places where they haven't had to have these kind of expenses?



FM: The key question is: who pays? Because there is nothing free. Either it's paid through the taxes, or it's paid by the drivers, and what do you think makes more sense? That if you drive 200km, you pay for these 200? Or you stay at home, you pay part of the drivers that are driving 200km? That's what the infrastructure payments



SS: It's a good point. Have you done the M61?



GC: Yes I have.



SS: It's a joy, isn't it?



GC: It is a joy.



SS: 18 miles of joy.



GC: Yes, because nobody else wants to pay. Francisco, a real pleasure. Good to see you this morning. Thanks very much for joining us.



FM: Thank you very much.
Following are excerpts from a CNBC interview with Jens Stoltenberg , Secretary General, NATO, from the World Economic Forum 2017 with Julia Chatterley.



JC: Thanks so much Louisa. Let's move on. The President Elect's choice for UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, broke with Trump on a number of issues during her confirmation hearing. She criticized Russia, and reiterated the US's strong alliance with NATO. In the meantime, US Vice-President Elect Mike Pence has said NATO will remain an important check on Russian aggression. Joining us now is Jens Stoltenberg, he's the Secretary General at NATO. Secretary General, thank you so much for joining us this morning. The noises that come from the future administration are disconnected. Do Nikki Haley's comments here comfort you?

JS: I'm absolutely certain that the new President and the new administration will be strongly committed to a strong NATO, because a strong NATO is important for Europe, but it's also important for the United States. Two world wars have learned all of us that stability and peace in Europe is also important for the United States. And we have to remember that the only time NATO has invoked the Article 5 on collective defense laws was after the attack on the United States, and hundreds of thousands of European soldiers have fought in Afghanistan in a military operation that was a direct response to an attack on the United States.

JC: Have you spoken to the President Elect?



JS: I had a phone call with him after he was elected, that was a really good conversation, and he reconfirmed the strong commitment of the United States to NATO, to the transatlantic bond, and this is something which is not only words, but is also deeds, because we see that the US is now increasing its presence in Europe with a new brigade, and this has a strong bipartisan support in the US.



JC: Did he use the obsolete word with you, and do you think he's got justification? Because the message here from those close to him was NATO was formed at a time when we were fighting communism, and actually now the big issue is Islamic State. So, actually, the treaty, the setup here needs changing. Do you agree with that?

JS: NATO is the most successful alliance in history, because we have been able to adapt and to change when the world is changing. For 40 years, NATO was about a collective defense in Europe, deterring the Soviet Union. Then after the end of the Cold War, we went out of the NATO territories, to the Balkans, to Kosovo, ending conflicts, ethic conflicts there. Afghanistan, fighting pirates off the Horn of Africa. Now, in many ways, NATO is coming back to Europe, because we see a more assertive Russia, we are strengthening our collective defense in Europe again. So I think the success of

NATO is that we have always been able to adapt. President Elect Trump is focused on the importance of Europeans paying more, I totally agree with him, and I welcome the fact that European allies have now started to increase defense funding-,

JC: But more is needed.

JS: There is a long way to go, but after many years of decline in defense spending across Canada and Europe, at least we have seen that the trend has shifted, we see now increased defense spending again in Europe, and that's a move in the right direction, and I think that I will look forward to working with Donald Trump on pushing that further when he becomes President.

JC: But you disagree with the 'obsolete' word?

JS: The important thing now is that we come together, to sit together with the new President, we have a summit in Brussels, where the President will come, and then we can sit together around the table and agree how to continue to modernize and strengthen NATO.

JC: I'll take that as a yes. So, I spoke to the German Defense Minister and she said to me yesterday, 'Russia is no friend of the EU.' Then we have a situation where the President Elect says that he'll take Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel on an equal standing, at this point. He says that after Brexit, the EU will lose other members. The Kremlin agrees with him. Does that strengthening, or apparent strengthening of a relationship between the United States and Russia, seemingly excluding or criticizing the EU, worry you?

JS: I very much believe that in times of turmoil, or uncertainty, we need strong institutions, strong international institutions, like, for instance, NATO, to strengthen the transatlantic bond, but also strong Europe, a strong European Union. What we have seen is a more assertive Russia.

JC: And the US appears to be supporting that.

JS: Well, I think the important thing is we-, NATO also wants a dialogue with Russia.

JC: So actually, the President Elect could be a way to facilitate that?

JS: Russia is our biggest neighbor. Russia is there to stay. We cannot isolate Russia, and NATO doesn't want a new

Cold War, we do not want a new arms race, so therefore we are striving for a more constructive relationship with Russia, but that has to be built on strength, and a firm and predictable approach from NATO, but as long as we stand together, as long as we are strong, then we can also engage in political dialogue with Russia, try to diffuse the tensions and to create a more constructive relationship.

JC: Do you think that the world is a less safe place, as a result of the rhetoric that we're hearing from the President Elect, at this moment?

JS: What I think is that the United States will remain strongly committed to the transatlantic bond, to the close cooperation with all European allies, because it is in the interest of the United States to have allies, friends, as NATO, especially in times of turmoil and uncertainty.

JC: Sir, thank you so much for speaking to us this morning. The Secretary General, there, of NATO, Louisa, I'll hand back to you.
Following are excerpts from a CNBC interview with Tidjane Thiam CEO of Credit Suisse, from the World Economic Forum 2017 with Carolin Roth.







CR: This is the CNBC Conversation, I'm very glad we're now joined by the CEO of Credit Suisse, one of the biggest names in the global banking industry, Tidjane, always a pleasure speaking with you.





TT: Good morning, Carolin, thanks for having me.





CR: Thank you so much for taking the time, I really appreciate it. The theme at Davos this year is responsible and responsive leadership. It's kind of a fuzzy subject, but what does it mean to you in the context of the industry that you work in?





TT: I mean-, first of all, good morning again to everybody. It's a very, I think, actually, relevant phrase. For me, responsible leadership means being accountable and responsible, to actually a number of constituencies, I was just in a meeting before this one where we had a long discussion on stakeholders, and the stakeholders for businesses beyond the shareholder. And responsive is actually possibly, for me, the most important part of it, because it's hard to argue that there is not a disconnect between the feelings of a population, and our understandings of those feelings as leaders. And I'll use as evidence of that how unable we've been to predict electoral outcomes. So if the mood out there is a mood to vote for Brexit, if the mood out there is a mood to elect Mr. Trump, how come, let's say the leadership community as a whole, has not seen that? So I think that's tangible evidence that there is a disconnect, and responsive means listening. I think we need to do a better job a listening, and not-, I mean, you know a famous image, not blaming the thermometer if you measure and the body has a fever. I think-, and I've been saying it since I arrived here, but populism is a symptom. It's not a problem. It's a symptom of underlying problems, it's not the cause. People are expressing their dissatisfaction and their frustration with a given state of affairs, and in a democracy they do that through the electoral process. So I think in terms of analysis, and also action plan, we need to focus on the right issues. Globalization, I am totally a supporter of, a believer in. Globalization has been a force for good for the world, but it does have downsides. It's not constructive to deny them, we have to be adult about them, acknowledge them, and then come up with answers to minimize those negative impacts. But there are negative impacts, and I think for a while, the official discourse has tended to deny it.





CR: You've touched on a number of subjects, but I want to come back to that of leadership. Do you find yourself being a good leader, over the last two years at Credit Suisse?





TT: I will never answer that. I think it's a relevant question, but it's an unfair question addressed to me.





CR: Why is it unfair?





TT: No, unfair addressed to me. I'm saying it's a question to address to others, who express an opinion. To do a self-assessment is not really something I think at this point appropriate. What I can talk about is what we have been doing, I think we've set a very clear strategy, we've explained why we believe in this strategy, and we've been, kind of, relentlessly focused on executing it. And a big part of my job is to make sure that we articulate that strategy together, which we've done, and then focus on the execution, and also be responsive, talking about responsive leadership, to the outside world, and you know, when the facts change, change our position, which is what we've been doing, and I think so far the progress has been reasonable. Davos is always difficult, because it's between Q3 and Q4, so you come here generally knowing the kind of outcome of the year, and you have to watch everything you say very carefully, so that you don't give away anything.





CR: Yes, investor relations is probably watching.





TT: Exactly, so let's stick to Q3, which is the last quarter we disclosed. We have a cost reduction programme, and we presented the results and show it's on track. It's ahead of, actually, our plans, it's going well, and it's crucial to the transformation that we are implementing. Strengthening the capital position, we've had our highest CET1 ever, and also growing, we've been able to attract very significant inflows of assets, in difficult markets. SO I think from that perspective, on the big objective we gave ourselves, the teams have worked incredibly hard, and this has been done in a very unforgiving environment. I meet a number of people every year, so I have met in this round a number of people I met in January last year, and it was a very different world then, you know, the oil price collapsing, the spreads going to unprecedented levels. It was a much different climate from this January.





CR: But Tidjane, it's unforgiving for everybody.





TT: Yes, absolutely.





CR: So the industry is tough for everyone. What do you do to stand out?





TT: When you're doing a transformation, that unforgiving environment is a bit more challenging, it's fair to say. To conduct a deep transformation when you have unsupported markets and collapsing revenues, it's just more challenging. But I agree, it's the same environment for everyone.





CR: This week was also very important for you, given that you finalized the deal with the Department of Justice in the US. You settled the sale of toxic mortgages for $5.3 billion. How much of a relief is that for you?





TT: It's very significant. Very significant. Of all the legacy issues we had to deal with-, I mean, you know that this is about activity conducted before 2007. It's mostly 2007, 2006, 2005. So most of us conducting these negotiations were not in the bank even when that happened. So you're dealing with truly a legacy issue, but one that had the potential to destabilize the bank very significantly, and it's been on top of my mind for-, it was one of the trickiest things I did in 2016, I've been asked the question 30 times, 40 times, and I never said anything. Our strategy has been, until it was done-,





CR: I know, I probably asked you five times.





TT: Asked me a number of times, yes, and I've always said I won't say a word, and I think the strategy has worked, frankly. I think we reached a reasonable agreement with the Department of Justice. I mean, of course it's painful for us, it's painful for our shareholders, but you've seen the numbers in our release, we said 2.555 billion, that's net cost to us, I feel that's a good outcome for the bank.





CR: Your rivals, Deutsche Bank, they did a similar deal with the DOJ, and maybe, thankfully, they stole the headlines. You weren't necessarily in the headlines when it came to the DOJ case. But they cut their bonus pool in response to that, and I know that's not a decision that you can take, it has to be decided by the board, but do you feel pressure from your shareholders, from the stakeholders of your bank, to do the same?





CR: Look, on the remuneration, I'll be very concise. I think-, what I have said is that-, I think-, that's my expectation, I can only speak on my own behalf. As you said, the decision is out of my hands, it's a board decision. But I feel that it's-, given what I described earlier in terms of the progress the bank has made on delivering on its objectives, I think it should be a reasonable year, but that's my expectation as CEO. The outcome will be determined by others.





TT: You've talked a little bit about what your bank did in 2016, and when I say it was a challenging year, I think you'll probably agree with me, given the very difficult market environment. You continued with the restructuring of your bank, yet you had to readjust the targets a couple of times, given the difficult market environment. Also, confidence in the European banking sector hit rock bottom in the month of July, and in August. Since then we've recovered quite a bit, but do you believe that 2017 is a year where European banks, including yourself, can shine again, and maybe can even step outside of the shadow of the US peers?





CR: Maybe I can bring some levity to this debate. When I got appointed, I said to my new colleagues that I had a very strong track record, but every time I've changed jobs there was a major crisis the following year. And that actually a lot of my career could be explained by that. I went back to Africa in 1993, there was a 50% devaluation of the West African CFA franc in 1994, three months into my job. The next time I moved, it was in 2002, in 2003, you know, markets went into meltdown. Next time I moved was 2007, so when I arrived at Prudential, I started making bad jokes, I could see the pattern, and in 2008 we all know what happened. Next time I moved was in 2015, so-,





CR: Bad luck follows you, that's what you're saying.





TT: Right, no, I tend to, maybe to move with cycles. When I arrived at Credit Suisse I said, 'Well, watch out-,' the reality is, as I say, never let a good crisis go to waste. In terms of management and leadership, what happens then is-, and you've seen us accelerating our plans. There are a number of things we wanted to do, the disruption creates a sense of urgency and allows you to drive things faster and further, certainly in reducing our RWA, we've gone much faster and further than I thought, at this point in time, and we move very quickly. Now, going back to the targets, the reality is, we live in the real world. Honestly if we'd done the strategy three months later, the targets would have been completely different. We did that work in July, August, September '15, and the world looked completely different. And we came out in October, and then everybody-, everything collapsed. So I also used to make that bad joke, because it became a kind of industry to write that I had destroyed, personally, single handedly, the real share price at Credit Suisse. I was trying to get people to recognize that it was an industry problem, and in the end I started saying that I had single handedly caused the oil crisis, slowed down the Chinese economy-,





CR: And you caused Brexit, too.





TT: Exactly, and probably Brexit, too. So you have to be humble in front of those things, and I have been very consistent since the recovery of the share prices, to say the same thing I said when it was going down. A lot of that is the sector. It's the context, and it is not our actions driving that. Over two, three years, yes, our actions drive the share price. Over a very short period of time, it's mostly the market.





CR: What does 2017 hold in store for you? I know you're very much driven by what the market is doing, and that, in turn, depends on the political scene and the drama that we're seeing in Europe with all these elections going on.





TT: I thought I'd done a really good job not answering, but you're very persistent, so I'm going to try and answer. 2017. No, it's-, look, I think it's better than 2016. I don't like forecasting, I just-, I so deeply believe that the world is random, that management is getting ready for a broad range of outcomes, rather than trying to predict the outcome. Sometimes it's useful to predict the outcome, but the primary rule is to make your organization resilient, so that it can cope with a number of outcomes. You know, you've got the French election, which is a big source of uncertainty, and the problem if you have events with bifurcations, the outcome will be very different, depending on if you go one way or the other. You've got a German election, which will have a big impact. You've got a new administration in the US coming in. I think the positives are the momentum of the US economy, which you can see, and I don't expect that to change in the 12 months. It's a very good momentum there, and I think the US economy is strong and is going to stay strong, which is very good news for the world in general, and I think that's where the markets are pricing today, with behind that hopefully an improvement in the yield curve, which is also good for the sector-,





CR: And a rollback in regulation.





TT: Yes.





CR: Is that not good news for you? I mean, you do have a sizeable presence in the US.





TT: No, no, no, it's good news. Absolutely, absolutely, it's good news. But you know, it's-, it's a potential upside, it's a potential upside. I think that banks play a very important role in the economy, really, really very important, and I think that it's desirable that governments and regulators create an environment that allow us to do our job, and do it to the benefit of the economy. Did the banking sector need more capital? Yes. I mean, there was too much leverage in the system before, 8 or 9, I think everybody would agree, but since then we've been stress tested a number of times. You know, in December, January, February 15/16, everybody has gone through that, the whole sector, so that's evidence that the efforts to strengthen the sector have borne fruit. So there's a point where-, there's always a point of diminishing returns, and that's the question on the regulatory cycle, have we passed the point of diminishing returns? I think most of us CEOs would think yes, that there is an upside for the economy in rolling that back a little.





CR: So are you saying that, in Europe, because of the heavy-, the excess of regulation, you're not really able to do your job? That means growing the economy, helping your clients through capital market activity, lending, essentially.





TT: I'm saying that there is a lot of discussion here in Davos about globalization, its impacts, etc. Our ability-, Europe is very different from the US, as you know. Capital markets fund two thirds of the capital , in the US. In Europe it's exactly the opposite. So when banks have-, how do you say in English? Sneeze, the economy catches a cold. You know, it's really-, we play a much more crucial role in funding economic activity. So I wouldn't use the word excessive regulation, but in setting regulation, one has to keep an eye to that role that banks play, and make sure that it doesn't-, there is not so many incentives for banks to shrink, that in the end there is not enough growth in the economy, and growth is the number one problem of Europe. If Europe has a debt problem, nobody knows how to solve a debt problem without economic growth. The debt problem, that's the only thing that can actually solve this, is growth. It also has a youth unemployment problem, which then leads to all kinds of political and social issues, so all that requires growth, innovation, and the ability of companies to borrow, and borrow from banks.





CR: Tidjane, we've got to talk about Brexit, and I know you're partly to blame for that, as we all know. We've heard this week from Theresa May-,





TB: You won't let me forget that.





CR: We've heard this week from Theresa May, and what we've heard is that Brexit is Brexit, it is a hard Brexit. Maybe not a hard, hard Brexit, because we may be looking at a transition period, and some of your peers, some of the banks in the world have come out and said, 'We're looking at relocating many of the jobs to continental Europe, maybe even back to New York.' I know you've been pretty guarded when it comes to making any announcements of that sort. When do you think you'll have more visibility? What, exactly, are you waiting for?





TT: Well, look, it's a very important question. Let's go back, maybe, to what we said when we announced our strategy. What we have said on the record is that we will reduce the footprint of London. So that predated Brexit, so that's something I'm relatively comfortable talking about, because it was not related to Brexit. We started with 10,000 jobs in London. We came out of '16 with 8,000, so we've already taken 2,000 jobs, and we said that our medium-term job is 5,000. 5,000, or so. So that's something that we can say, you know, irrespective of Brexit. From Brexit, frankly, we are effectively cautious, because there is a lot very good that Theresa May expressed herself and gave us some more clarity, but there are still a lot of open questions. One of them is the transition period. Certainly as an industry, and as a bank, we are in favor of a significant transition period, at least two to three years. So we're talking about two plus two to three, so we're talking four to five years. I think that's in the interest of everybody. In the interest of the UK, in the interest of Europe, in the interest of the banking sector. So I hope that we can reach a reasonable-, a reasonable agreement on that.





CR: What about passporting rights of banks into the EU?





TT: Well, I think the government has been very clear, the British government, that that's-, the need to control immigration takes precedence about that, over that. That's one of the things that came out of the speech of the Prime Minister. As I say, we as a bank have dealt with many different types of political and regulatory environments since 1856, so it's our job to operate in whatever environment is determined by the democratic process.





CR: You said before that Trump, Brexit, that's all just a symptom, the populism, of the inequalities that we're facing. I just wonder to what extent businesses can play a better role in closing that gap of inequality.





TT: I think they can play a huge role, and that will maybe allow me to clarify a comment I made that I think has been misquoted and misinterpreted. When I talked about chronic underinvestment in education in the UK, the point I was making was linking that to immigration, which is the number one issue. I have run a large British company for many years. The reason why, as a British employer, you hire, often, immigrants, is because you cannot find native nationals to do that job, because of course, from an economic perspective, you always prefer to hire somebody from that labor market in Liverpool, in Manchester, because they speak the language, have the accent, you're close to the client, close to the customers. So there is really a link there. Look at Switzerland. I think Switzerland is a wonderful example of what happens if you really invest heavily in educating the whole of your population, not just an elite. And these are official numbers. Independent schools in the UK are 9% of the population. What happens to the other 91%? Those are real issues. I think Switzerland gives a wonderful example to the world of leaving no child behind, to use an expression, with apprenticeships and the fact that the system is designed to give a chance to everybody. I actually, personally, don't believe that human beings have a problem with inequality. They don't have a problem with unequal outcomes. They have a problem with unequal opportunity. My experience of people is that generally they accept the outcome of a legitimate and fair process, so if you really go to the root of the unease today in western democracies, it's about opportunity. It's about people feeling that, 'Well, unless you're in the 9%-,' I think the whole of Oxford and Cambridge comes from 200 schools in the UK. There's more than 4,000. So it's that that's at the heart of all this. If there is a fair competition, you know. You know, nobody begrudges the winner of the Premiership League, you know, it's very transparent-,





CR: Well, I would doubt that, actually.





TT: What's your team?





CR: I don't have-, what's your team?





TT: I was-, it's not doing too well.





CR: Arsenal? Chelsea? No?





TT: Arsenal. Arsenal. I've got to-, anyway. My comms team figured there's no conversation that doesn't end up with Arsenal with me, but it's one more data point. So if you go to the Premier League, it's very transparent, it's actually a very open market. If you look at the teams, people come from all over the world. You can be a kid in Abidjan in Africa and say, 'I want to play for Chelsea,' and do it, and you know, nobody begrudges that type of competition. People are dissatisfied with a game where they feel that there's not a level playing field, and they don't have a chance. So I think what policy makers need to focus on, is really creating that equality of opportunity. I genuinely believe that if we can do that, and if we can demonstrate that, people will accept-, they accept that we're not all endowed, you know, you know-, I know that I can never outrun Usain Bolt. That's life, I live with it. I can't win the 100m. But people accept that, that we have different endowments. What they want to see is a fair process.





CR: But the feeling of inequality on the part of many people around the world, that's leading to protectionism, and that's a trend that we're seeing. Protectionism is something that we should worry about when we want to defend the merits of globalization, the merits of free trade. The Chinese President, Xi Jinping was here this week, and ironically, he defended free trade, whereas Donald Trump in the US, the President Elect, soon to be US President, has been looking more towards a protectionist approach. I wonder, when it comes to your business, you're turning back towards being there for Switzerland, you want to be-, you want to go back to your roots. At the same time, you're also heavily investing in expanding in Asia. How does that work for you?





CR: Well, for us it's the same, it's two sides of the same coin, there's absolutely no tension or contradiction there. First of all, we're totally for an open economy and free trade. I mean, since Adam Smith, we all know that it's a win-win. It benefits everybody. If you're a demagogue, it's very easy to try to argue the opposite, but it benefits everybody. But what you cannot deny, as we said earlier, is that free trade has costs. Okay, there are entire regions that are impacted negatively, and it's very important, in the national context, that you take care and you look after those people, because otherwise, it comes back with a vengeance, politically. So that's really the debate. We don't see a tension, we really believe-, we said we want to have a balanced approach, I've said it several times, between developed and emerging markets. We have the good fortune of having significant positions in both-, we have a good exposure to the US economy, which is a great thing to have. We have a good exposure to Switzerland, which is one of the, you know, best performing economies in the world. And then we have big exposures to significant emerging markets. Asia, South East Asia, growingly, China, but also Central Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Brazil where we are number two in our business. Mexico, where we are expanding. So we really think that it's, again, two sides of the same coin. We-, our businesses support each other. When HNA comes to Switzerland, from China, and buys a company, when ChemChina comes and buys Syngenta, our double exposure to China and to Switzerland is a plus, and I really think that the trend of cross-border M&A can only increase, so that's a tailwind for us.





CR: But to reach that potential, do you feel like you've got access to the right talent? Because increasingly, we are seeing competition from the tech giants of this world, Google, Facebook.





TT: That's a great question. They're all great. I mean that in terms of, yes, what really preoccupies me. I think one of the indicators I always follow, if I run a company, is our success rate in attracting talent, and I think actually we've done really well in the last 12 months at Credit Suisse. We've attracted some, you know, pretty good talent, a bit of noise every time, but it's the best compliment that people can pay you. At the end of the day, you judge everything you do-, people vote with their feet, by whether they are willing to-, to join you or not. So are we there yet? No, but it's something we are very focused on, and we do compete very aggressively, on all the campuses, against the tech giants. I mean, I do a big meeting with all the interns every year in July, talk to them globally, we look after them, we-, you know, we do a lot to seduce them, and try to-, first of all, universities to take them in, and then to seduce them and convince them to stay with us, because that's the future. I mean, I'm an old man. They are the future, they will run this company.





CR: You tout all these things about what you do for your employees. Where would you say morale is? Because I don't think it's a secret that morale at your firm was fairly low at some point.





TT: It was, it was low, and you asked me and I think I was quite direct about it, because at that time I had to do what was necessary to ensure survival of the organization, and there are moments when you just have to do what you have to do, but we tried to do that in as humane a way as possible, and I think morale is improving. Every indication I see of that is positive. Just because-, I think we've been lucky enough that there are already some results. Honestly, initially I thought it would take more time to show some business impact of what we are doing, but we've been lucky enough to be able to show in Q2, Q3-, we cut very deep in Q1 and we rebounded very quickly in Q2, Q3, and that contributes to morale. But its' a long journey, it's still very early, and you know, we have a lot of work to do. C





CR: On that note, let me close this panel. Thank you so much for that, I really appreciate it, Tidjane.





TT: Thank you so much.





CR: Always great speaking with you. Thank you.




"I accept the case that the British public have voted to leave the European Union, to leave the structures of the legal institutions. What the British people haven't done is to vote to make us poorer," Khan said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Speaking exclusively to CNBC Thursday, Sadiq Khan said that leaving the single market "would be bad for London."

His remarks come just two days after Prime Minister Theresa May announced that Britain would not remain a member of the common market once it leaves the EU. The EU's single market allows its members to trade goods and services freely, but it also involves free movement of people - something that Theresa May does not want.

The mayor of London has told CNBC he has met business leaders and speaking to executives and entrepreneurs, across London and the feedback is that "the access to a single market (and) the continued ability to attract talent is important for jobs, growth and prosperity."

"One of the things I am doing is not just lobbying the British government but lobbying businesses to press upon their governments the fact that a hard Brexit would be bad for London and for Europe too," Khan said.

"The concern is some of these businesses may decide to leave London and go not just maybe Paris, Madrid or Berlin, but leave Europe altogether, and go to Hong Kong, Singapore," Khan added.

Prime Minister Theresa May is also in Davos this Thursday to reassure investors about her Brexit plans.
In a statement posted hours after CNBC's story on the properties was first published, Zuckerberg wrote: "For most of these folks, they will now receive money for something they never even knew they had. No one will be forced off the land."

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is suing hundreds of Hawaiians to compel them to sell the billionaire small plots of land they own that lie within a 700-acre property that Zuckerberg purchased on the island of Kauai two years ago for $100 million.

"In some cases,co-owners may not even be aware of their interests," Shultz said. "Quiet title actions are the standard and prescribed process to identify all potential co-owners, determine ownership, and ensure that, if there are other co-owners, each receives appropriate value for their ownership share."

Zuckerberg's lawyer, Keoni Shultz, said in a statement to CNBC: "It is common in Hawaii to have small parcels of land within the boundaries of a larger tract, and for the title to these smaller parcels to have become broken or clouded over time."

The defendants had 20 days to respond to the suits or face forfeiture of their rights to a say in the proceedings.

Many of the defendants are living, but some are dead. The defendants may hold just a tiny fraction of ownership in the parcels because they are several generations removed from the original owners, according to the newspaper.

Currently, owners of the lands, which total slightly more than 8 acres and have been in their families for generations  have the rights to travel across Zuckerberg's property.

Zuckerberg-controlled companies filed eight so-called "quiet" title lawsuits in a Kauai court on Dec. 30 requesting the forced sales at public auction to the highest bidder. If successful, the suits would allow him to make his secluded beach-front land on the island's north shore even more private, according the Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper.

The cases target a dozen small plots of "kuleana" lands that are inside the much larger property that Zuckerberg bought on Kauai. Kuleana lands are properties that were granted to native Hawaiians in the mid-1800s.

Some of the people who own, or who are believed to own, lands targeted by Zuckerberg's suits are descendants of the original owners.

One suit, according to the Star-Advertiser, was filed against about 300 people who are descendants of an immigrant Portuguese sugar cane plantation worker who bought four parcels totaling 2 acres in 1894.

One of that worker's great-grandchildren, Carlos Andrade, 72, lived on the property until recently, the paper said. But the retired university professor told the Star-Advertiser he is helping Zuckerberg's case as a co-plaintiff in an effort to make sure the land is not surrendered to the county if no one in his extended clan steps up to take responsibility for paying property taxes on the plots.

Andrade, in a letter to his known relatives, said he believed selling to Zuckerberg would ensure that the relatives get "their fair share" of their ancestor's investment in the property  while avoiding further dilution of the value of individual property shares due to the clan increasing in size, the paper reported.

In the same letter, Andrade estimated that a large majority of his relatives are unaware that they have an ownership stake in the land.

Below is the full text of the Facebook message that Zuckerberg posted hours after this story was first published.



There have been some misleading stories going around today about our plans in Hawaii, so I want to clear this up.

I posted last month about how Priscilla and I bought some land in Hawaii. We want to create a home on the island, and help preserve the wildlife and natural beauty. You can read about it here.

The land is made up of a few properties. In each case, we worked with the majority owners of each property and reached a deal they thought was fair and wanted to make on their own.

As with most transactions, the majority owners have the right to sell their land if they want, but we need to make sure smaller partial owners get paid for their fair share too.

In Hawaii, this is where it gets more complicated. As part of Hawaiian history, in the mid-1800s, small parcels were granted to families, which after generations might now be split among hundreds of descendants. There aren't always clear records, and in many cases descendants who own 1/4% or 1% of a property don't even know they are entitled to anything.

To find all these partial owners so we can pay them their fair share, we filed what is called a "quiet title" action. For most of these folks, they will now receive money for something they never even knew they had. No one will be forced off the land.

We are working with a professor of native Hawaiian studies and long time member of this community, who is participating in this quiet title process with us. It is important to us that we respect Hawaiian history and traditions.

We love Hawaii and we want to be good members of the community and preserve the environment. We look forward to working closely with the community for years to come.
Finland's foreign minister described NATO as a cornerstone of Europe following President-elect Donald Trump's criticism of the alliance.

Donald Trump reportedly described NATO as "obsolete," which prompted concern among the European contingent in the 28 member alliance. Trump is scheduled to be inaugurated as president of the U.S. on Friday.



"It is very important that the European defense structures, security and foreign policy structures also be strengthened in the future. NATO is very important... a cornerstone in all that," Timo Soini, Finland's foreign minister, told CNBC in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday.

Soini also stressed that Russia remained a pressing concern for Finland as the two countries share a common border of around 1340 kilometers.
Ireland will not re-establish borders with Northern Ireland once the U.K. leaves the European Union, the country's prime minister told CNBC, but Dublin could compete with London as a new business hub for Europe.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, leader of the Republic of Ireland's Fine Gael party, told CNBC that he and the British Prime Minister Theresa May have agreed that there would not be a return to the borders of the past or customs posts which once separated the two states.

"We are both agreed that we will preserve the common travel area and there will not be a return to a hard border," said Kenny at the World Economic Forum on Thursday.

With the British Prime Minister soon to visit Ireland, Kenny added that the negotiations would present challenges but both leaders were resolute to achieve a mutual agreement.

Northern Ireland is a constituent of the U.K. and will leave the EU along with the rest of the U.K. The Republic of Ireland, itself a sovereign state, will remain an independent member of the EU.

As such, the country provides a competitive alternative for businesses looking to move their operations away from London, said Kenny, outlining the city's English language, "wealth of talent" and connections to both London and the rest of Europe.

"The world is shrinking in many respects and it's very important that people understand that trade is now a global issue and Ireland, as a very small country, has particular evidence of that," said Kenny.

Dublin is one of many European cities, alongside Paris, Madrid and Frankfurt, vying to attract businesses as they consider potential new headquarters outside of London.





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Pedro Rojas holds a sign directing people to an insurance company where they can sign up for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare Joe Raedle | Getty Images

As Obama administration officials are heading out the door, customers keep coming to buy Obamacare plans. More than 8.8 million people so far this health insurance enrollment season have signed up for plans on the federal Obamacare marketplace that serves residents of 39 states, slightly outpacing the number plan selections seen at the same time last year, officials said. The tally is almost 100,000 people higher than the number of people who had signed up on HealthCare.gov at this point last year.

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The higher rate of sign-ups has continued even as Republicans in Congress and President-elect Donald Trump vow to repeal major parts of the Affordable Care Act. "With almost 9 million people signed up for 2017 coverage just in HealthCare.gov states, it's clear that Marketplace coverage is a product Americans want and need," said Sylvia Burwell, the secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. "Strong demand is especially striking in light of the unique headwinds created by discouraging rhetoric from ACA opponents," Burwell said.

Burwell herself will be signing up for Obamacare coverage after she exits office Friday with Trump's inauguration. Open enrollment in Obamacare plans continues through Jan. 31. The 8.8 million person tally revealed in a new report from an HHS division is just from federal exchange sign-ups. At least 2.8 million more people have signed up for coverage for 2017 on of the Obamacare exchanges operated by individual states or the District of Columbia. The rate of sign-ups has been cited by Obamacare advocates in arguing against either a repeal of the ACA, or a replacement plan from Republicans that does not offer the same level of coverage that the ACA has offered. More than 20 million Americans to date have gained insurance coverage as a result of ACA programs.
When Donald Trump becomes the nation's 45th president on Friday, the "disastrous results" of energy overregulation during the past eight years will start to be dismantled, said billionaire oilman Harold Hamm, a member of Trump's inauguration committee.

Hamm  founder, chairman and CEO of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources and a Trump advisor during the campaign  told CNBC on Thursday that getting rid of President Barack Obama-era regulations will be a "Day One agenda" for the new administration.

"I think it'll be immediate," said Hamm. "[Overregulation] is hurting everybody. It's not just business. But consumers are also paying for that. So it's very costly to the American economy."

One of the regulations that Hamm wants rolled back has to do with methane gas  the subject of a rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency last year to limit emissions of that gas at the sites where oil and natural gas are being produced.

"We try to sell every bit of gas produced," Hamm argued. "We have more natural gas escaping under the streets here in Washington, D.C., than we do the entire industry."

Hamm was in Washington for Thursday's interview on "Squawk on the Street."



At one point, there was speculation that Hamm might be a Trump Energy secretary pick. But the president-elect ended up choosingRick Perry, his onetime rival for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination.

Perry, who began his confirmation process on Thursday, told lawmakers he regrets his past call for the abolishment of the Energy Department.

While listing three agencies he wanted to eliminate during CNBC's Republican presidential primary debate in 2011, the then-Texas governor drew a blank and could not name the third one, which was Energy.
President-elect Donald Trump is "strongly" committed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), despite calling it obsolete, the institution's secretary general told CNBC on Thursday.

"I am absolutely certain that the new president and the new administration will be strongly committed to a strong NATO," Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's secretary general, told CNBC at the World Economic Forum.

"I had a phone call with him after he was elected. That was a very good conversation and he reconfirmed the strong commitment of the United States to NATO, to the transatlantic bond, and this is something which is not only words, but is also deeds, because we see that the U.S. is now increasing its presence in Europe with a new brigade, and this has a strong bipartisan support in the U.S.," Stoltenberg added.

President-elect's remarks were not well received in Europe. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, told the media that several EU and NATO foreign ministers expressed "no easing of tensions" with the U.S.

Trump has explained that NATO has not been successful in "taking care of terror", adding that European countries need to increase their defense contributions.
"Allow this conservative to send one gracious message to the outgoing president for doing one thing the Right should be truly grateful for. And it's also something President-elect Donald Trump should note and emulate."

Now once he got the hang of talking the talk, it doesn't mean he walked the walk. He didn't actually enact enough policies to help corporations or even smaller businesses create jobs. But don't underestimate the value of presidential talk. In many ways, being a cheerleader for America is a president's most essential job.



And at a crucial and early point in his presidency, President Obama seemed to get it. He started to notice and appreciate the path FDR and Ronald Reagan blazed when it comes to proving the vital importance of infectious presidential optimism. Granted, President Obama was talking up his own economic recovery. And granted, that recovery was the weakest in American post-World War II history. But in politics, and very often in economics, perception is reality. And President Obama's cheerleading for the economy did help people recover emotionally from the Great Recession. To deny that wouldn't be just letting one's partisanship cloud the facts.

And again, it's doubtful that Mr. Obama would have suffered the political consequences had he gone the other way. The strong approval from most Democrats and liberals that Sanders and Warren enjoy stands as proof of that. And President Obama could even have looked to history to justify a less than optimistic tone.

Not every president has decided to or succeeded at taking a positive tone about the economy. Richard Nixon didn't. George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush seemed to want to, but couldn't. And Jimmy Carter seemed to revel in scolding us over our national economic malaise. Even conservatives who hate every policy and message President Obama delivered need to recognize this and be grateful he made the positive choice.

This should all be more than a little instructive to the incoming President Trump. His singling out and criticizing of individual companies and industries during his campaign and the transition period may be scoring political points for now and might even getting some real economic results. But once he enters the Oval Office, he'll be wise to tamp down the blame game in public.

Like Teddy Roosevelt taught us, it's better to speak softly and carry a big stick when you're the leader of the free world. All of the Trump fans will still cheer the results even if they don't hear about them first on Twitter or during a news conference. And speaking more optimistically about the American economic condition won't undermine any of the bigger changes Trump will want to make in policy.

Can Trump actually do that? We know he certainly has it in him as he often shifts gears and praises people or companies he was bashing just a few months or weeks earlier. The best chance is that his abilities to do that will get a boost the moment he takes the Oath of Office and gets that "you own it now" realization.

But for all the conservative talk that President Obama hated America and at least half of the American population, he did the smart and beneficial personal and communal thing when it came to at least projecting an image of economic confidence for eight years. As those same conservatives cheer his departure from the White House, they should at least acknowledge that one crucial thing we all owe him thanks for achieving.

Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.



For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
A federal regulator sued TCF National Bank, alleging that it tricked customers into paying big overdraft fees. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed suit against the bank in U.S. District Court in Minnesota on Thursday. The CFPB seeks undisclosed civil penalties and redress for consumers. TCF is based in Wayzata, Minnesota, and has 341 branches in Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Overdraft fees are charges banks assess when a purchase with your debit card, ATM or check puts your account balance in the red. Over the first three quarters of 2016, 626 large banks took in $8.4 billion from overdraft and "non-sufficient funds" fees, according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a federation of consumer advocacy groups.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray. Bill Clark | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images

In TCF's case, customers who went over their balance incurred a $35 fee, according to the complaint. "Among the telling details alleged in the bureau's complaint is the fact that the bank's [former] CEO even named his own pleasure boat the 'Overdraft,'" said Richard Cordray, director of the CFPB.

Seeing red

In 2010 the Federal Reserve issued a rule to bar banks from charging these fees unless customers have opted in to an overdraft protection program. TCF had more than $180 million in revenue at stake due to this "opt-in" rule, so it "executed a strategy to persuade its customers to opt in," the CFPB alleges. Elements of that strategy included asking new customers to accept the overdraft program at the same time they were signing off on other mandatory terms and conditions related to opening an account, the complaint said.

In order to get existing customers to participate, bank staffers purportedly asked them whether they wanted their "TCF Check Card to continue to work as it does today?" Customers who said "yes" were considered to have given their consent to the service, the CFPB claimed. "Although we remain hopeful that we can reach an appropriate resolution to this matter, TCF intends to vigorously defend against the CFPB's allegations, and we believe we have strong, principled defenses to its complaint," wrote Mark A. Goldman, TCF's director of corporate communications, in an email.

Be proactive

The median overdraft fee nationally is $34, according to the CFPB.

In order to avoid these fees, customers should look at their bank statements and determine whether they're enrolled in an overdraft program. Sometimes it's better to pay cash for small purchases or to have those transactions denied altogether, as opposed to racking up hundreds of dollars in fees.

The main message for consumers is that if you're bouncing checks and paying fees that constitute a $38 cup of coffee, then you've opted in to a service that's serving the bank and not you," said Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director at U.S. PIRG.


Time for the President-elect to 'compensate' for this, quipped Kostin, as he raised the topic of the sanctions imposed by the U.S. on certain Russian financial institutions in 2014 in response to his government's activities in Ukraine.

It is unfair that U.S. financials have risen 30 percent in the wake of Trump's victory given Wall Street strongly backed Democrat Hillary Clinton for the presidency, while Russian banking stocks have barely moved, contended Andrey Kostin, president and chairman of VTB Bank.

President-elect Donald Trump should prioritize lifting sanctions on Russian banks, the President of Russia's second-biggest lender said at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.

Donald Trump speaks at the USA Thank You Tour event at the Wisconsin State Fair Exposition Center in West Allis, Wisconsin, U.S., December 13, 2016.

"I think Mr. Trump should remove sanctions against the four leading Russian banks," said Kostin, pointing out that the country's banks could not privatize any further or borrow from institutions in the West due to the restrictions.

"We definitely very much believe from what Mr. Trump said that he would have a much more constructive dialogue with Russia on international affairs as well as bilateral," he continued, sounding an optimistic tone with regards to his expectations for the incoming administration.

The VTB president also spoke to what he saw as the potential for financial institutions in a world beyond sanctions.

"It would be very helpful. It didn't kill us, we are still working and we are still making profit in Russia, but of course that very much made our future not as bright as we expected."
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The chief executive of French oil giant Total has warned on a world full of uncertainty that is bad for businesses and could threaten new investments in the industry.

"Today what I face is many uncertainties ," Patrick Pouyanne told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"We are waiting to see what the foreign policy of (President-elect) Donald Trump will be, clearly Brexit and there is huge uncertainty over the future of Europe and how you deal with such a country outside of the European Union.

"Plus of course in the Middle East, Iran is back because of the agreement last year - it involved many difficulties around. So there is much uncertainty."



Scott Olson | Getty Images

Pouyanne, however, was largely positive on the incoming U.S. administration with Trump detailing his love for the energy industry and hydrocarbons on the campaign trail. The Total CEO predicted that Trump would be willing to "not put too much" regulation in order to help investment in energy but cautioned that there was a difference between "what you say and when you are in power" with regards to Trump. "We will see," he added.

"It's very difficult today to tell you what will happen and I suspect it will take some months. Because I suspect that it's not only if President Trump came to office next Friday, you still have the full administration to put in place before we understand the full policies so it will take time."

Pouyanne explained that the industry was entering into six to nine months of uncertainty.

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President-elect Donald Trump has raised concerns around the world with his protectionist pledges to scrap trade deals as soon as he enters the White House. However, his approach might be "surprisingly useful," a former trade minister told CNBC.

"The current situation  as unsettling as it might be for us technocrat elites  is actually the most interesting time I can remember in easily a decade," Thomas Lembong, chairman of the Indonesian investment coordinating board and former trade minister told a CNBC panel at the World Economic Forum on Thursday.

"I think it may end up being surprisingly useful that President Trump is coming in and shaking things up to such an extent.

"Even if after this we come back to the old ways, at least we had a debate, we've had the controversy, it's crazy, it's madness, but why not? Shaking up things once in a while is good."
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U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May rubber-stamped her globalist agenda to CNBC Thursday, underlining that the country will not give in to protectionism and isolationism.

"If we look at free trade and globalization, I'm a promoter of free trade, I believe in free trade. I believe that it brings economic growth and prosperity. And globalization does," she told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"But it must accept that some people they do feel like they have been left behind," she added.

The U.K.'s vote to leave the European Union last year is perceived by many as a rejection of current models of globalization and free trade. However, the country's new prime minister has the tough task of embracing disgruntled citizens that are questioning these ideas, while telling the global community that Britain is still very much open for business. "They also feel that perhaps some of the mainstream politicians haven't listened to their concerns," she told CNBC on her first visit to Davos.

"We need to listen to those concerns. We need to respond to them. We also need to show the benefits of globalization and free trade, that it does bring jobs and it does bring prosperity," she added.



Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech on the first day of the Conservative party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. Oli Scarff | AFP | Getty Images
"Britain is and will always be open for business," Theresa May told the audience.

Her speech to business and political leaders in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday comes after European Union (EU) officials had described a post-Brexit trade deal with Britain as "difficult".

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May reassured business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum that Britain would remain open for business after it quits the European Union.

Earlier in the week, May outlined the country's plans to make a clean break from the EU. In a wide-ranging speech, May confirmed the U.K. was destined to leave the single market and that a potential Brexit deal with the EU would require a parliamentary vote. She also warned that the U.K. would walk away from talks should the EU fail to meet the right Brexit agreement.

In a newspaper interview over the weekend, May's finance minister, Philip Hammond, said that Britain was prepared to play a different tax and trade game after it quits the EU.

Nevertheless, in her Davos speech, the U.K. leader also stressed businesses must pay their fair share in taxes.

"For business, it means playing by the same rules as everyone else when it comes to tax and behavior," May said.

"It is essential for business to demonstrate leadership, to show that in this globalized world, everyone is playing by the same rules and that the benefits of economic success are there for all our citizens," she added.

At the World Economic Forum, May will be joined by other representatives from the U.K., including Hammond and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.



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Wal-Mart made headlines this week by releasing more information about an expansion plan it had introduced in October, but it's not the only company likely adding locations and workers this year.

While the company did not mention President-elect Donald Trump in the statement, commentators were quick to link the announcement to Trump's emphasis on American jobs. Wal-Mart said its previously planned $6.8 billion in capital investments and expansion at 59 locations would create 10,000 new jobs.

But that's relatively tepid growth for the company, which analysts estimate added about 100 domestic stores in the past 12 months. And that $6.8 billion is actually a slight reduction in U.S. capital spending, according to filings. Here's how some other growing retailers compare:
SYRACUSE, N.Y.  Knowledge Systems & Research, Inc. (KS&R), a global market-research firm, will eliminate 60 of the 90 jobs at its call center in downtown Syracuse this spring.

The job cuts at the call center, located at 224 Harrison St., are set to occur on April 15, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN Notice) the company filed with the New York State Department of Labor. The state posted it online on Tuesday.

KS&R told the state the layoffs were due to a decline in phone market research.

All of the employees losing their jobs work in the call centers evening shift, which KS&R is eliminating due to the decline in, lack of contracts that involve consumer (household) telephone interviewing, Lynne Van Dyke, a principal with the company, tells BJNN. She adds that 55 of the 60 positions are part-time jobs.

Technological trends have hit the market research and polling industry hard. Many consumers have replaced their landlines with cell phones and refuse to answer calls in which they dont recognize the number on the screen. That is making it more difficult and costly to get good, representative samples through traditional telephone survey work and has pushed many firms toward online surveys.

KS&R will continue operating a daytime shift at its call center to survey businesses, as they mostly continue to use landline phones.

The affected KS&R workers are not represented by a union, per the WARN notice.

Van Dyke says the company will assist the affected employees in finding other jobs.

KS&R is headquartered in the AXA Towers at 120 Madison St. in Syracuse. It also has offices in the New York City area, Memphis, Seattle, and Frankfurt, Germany.

The firm, founded in 1983, says on its website that it works with clients in many industries to improve market position, increase returns on marketing investments, and to define and implement market entry strategies.

Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com
Centralia-Hallsville playoff rematch could be different

The Panthers won 26-20 on Sept. 2 in the teams' regular-season meeting. But times have changed since then.
Greenpeace, the organization that is an advocate for the environment, is a useful part of the conversation around technology.

Readers would be forgiven for scratching their heads as to why Greenpeace would have anything of note to say about technology, but the fact of the matter is that increasingly consumption, economics and, by extension, environmental impacts, are created and impacted by the technology decisions that we, as consumers, make.

Greenpeace produces a regular report, the Click-Clean report, which details how different tech companies fare in terms of their moves towards sustainability. In particular, Greenpeace looks at how the big cloud computing companies utilize renewable power and what they do to encourage others to also think about their footprint. And when you consider that around 7% of global electricity is estimated to be utilized by technology generally, even small improvements in the efficiency of said equipment can lead to some positive impacts.

And so, who rates well, and who is falling behind this year?

Apple, Google and Facebook are the three big players who shine this year, but interestingly Switch, a niche player who is rapidly creating a position for itself in the data center world, also shines in the list of vendors who are making the biggest efforts to reach 100% renewable energy. The report calls out Netflix, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Samsung as particularly poor performers.

The report outlined the energy footprint of both the larger data center operators and around 70 of the most popular websites, applications and social media platforms on earth.

In terms of the report cards, both Microsoft and Salesforce got Bs while AWS scored a C. It needs to be pointed out that Greenpeace made special mention of AWSs reticence to clearly articulate the scale of its environmental impacts and the measures it is taking to improve those impacts. Therefore the C grade may well be, at least in part, as much a reflection of lack of transparency as it is about actual impacts.

It also should be pointed out that AWS is widely regarded as the biggest and fastest growing cloud vendor and, as such, the challenges it faces to go green are arguably more difficult to overcome. AWS notably did publicly sign up to some clean energy deals in 2016, including the use of some wind energy in the U.S. Greenpeace was quick, however, to note that AWS has a massive scale operation in Virginia and noted that state is primarily served by less environmentally friendly energy.

Interestingly, Netflix has one of the largest data footprints of the companies profiled, accounting for one third of internet traffic in North America and contributing significantly to the worldwide data demand from video streaming. The company announced in 2015 that it intended to fully offset its carbon footprint, but Greenpeace notes that a closer examination reveals it is likely turning to carbon offsets or unbundled renewable energy credits, which do little to increase renewable energy investment

"Like Apple, Facebook, and Google, Netflix is one of the biggest drivers of the online world and has a critical say in how it is powered. Netflix must embrace the responsibility to make sure its growth is powered by renewables, not fossil fuels and it must show its leadership here, stated a Greenpeace spokesperson.

For the first time, this years report also evaluates Asian companies including tech giants Tencent, Baidu, Alibaba and Naver, which are steadily expanding globally. The region is, as readers may have suspected, well behind the U.S. market in renewable commitments, due in large part to fewer clean energy options from monopoly utilities.

Leading tech companies in the U.S. have shown that clean power can be both good for the environment and for business. East Asian companies must step up to embrace that reality as well, said Jude Lee, senior climate and energy campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.

On a positive note, nearly 20 IT companies have committed to 100% renewable energy use now. Among all data centers evaluated, Switch -- the aforementioned surprise new entrant to the report -- is making the best progress to transitioning its data center fleet to renewables through both procurement and aggressive advocacy.

Alongside the statistic that the IT industrys energy footprint accounted for 7% of global electricity in 2012, Greenpeace points out that this number looks set to grow as global internet traffic increases, and may even exceed 12% by 2017. Video streaming accounted for 63% of global internet traffic in 2015, and is projected to reach about 80% by 2020.

Rather than just a static report, however, Greenpeace uses the opportunity to make a call to action for all technology organizations to:

Make a long term commitment to become 100% renewably powered.

Commit to being transparent on IT energy performance and consumption of resources, including the source of electricity, to enable customers, investors, and stakeholders to measure progress toward that goal.

Develop a strategy for increasing their supply of renewable energy, through a mixture of procurement, investment, and corporate advocacy to both electricity suppliers and government decision makers.

MyPOV

Sunlight is, as they say, the best disinfectant -- and this report is a great contribution to allowing consumers to make some decisions about what they do.

That said, the reality is that consumers and enterprises are unlikely to change their choices based simply on environmental impact. The system within which these organizations work is broken, with no economic price to pay (or not much, anyway) for utilizing polluting electricity. Rather than berate the vendors, it is important to change the economic models that decide consumption patterns.

I suspect that the incoming U.S. government, however, will do little to take the world down this path and it will be interesting to see how the various vendors choices change in what is like to be a far more free regulatory environment.
Ahah. It's all starting to make sense.

Google, if you haven't heard, is said to be on the brink of bringing its Android One phone program to the U.S.  for real this time! New rumors suggest the freshly announced Moto X4 could arrive with Android One branding in America practically any minute now. Those reports echo previous rumors from earlier this year and follow word from way back in January that Google was working to launch its first U.S.-aimed Android One phone sometime "before the middle of the year."

Yawn, right? More mundane midrange smartphones  not exactly earth-shattering stuff, I realize. But hang on, because this move is far more significant than it appears on the surface.

From the get-go, the whole point of Android One has been to make reasonably priced Android phones that don't suck  phones that are affordable but still decent to use, without all the asterisks that often accompany lower-priced devices. Part of that means Google maintains tight control over the software and also guarantees the devices will get timely and reliable ongoing updates  both security patches and full-fledged OS releases. That sort of assurance, as you probably know, basically doesn't exist outside of Google's own Pixel phones nowadays.

Initially, Android One was limited to a small number of so-called "emerging markets"  places like Pakistan and India, where it can be "hard for people" to "get their hands on a high-quality smartphone," as Google explained it. Over the past year, Google has quietly expanded the program with the launches of Android One phones in areas like Japan and Taiwan. The company now describes Android One as "a collaboration between Google and [its] partners to deliver a software experience designed by Google."

And that takes us to today and the bigger picture of what's happening with Google's increasingly ambitious Android-related hardware efforts. Plain and simple, bringing Android One to America is the next logical step in Google's multifaceted, long-term plan to "fix" Android  a goal that picked up pace with the Pixel but remains only half-complete.

Android One could be the missing piece to the puzzle.

[ To comment on this story, visit Computerworld's Facebook page. ]

The Pixel philosophy

To get to the significance of Android One, we first have to talk a little bit about the Pixel. You know the deal by now, right? The Pixel is essentially Google's version of an iPhone: a singular high-end device that's controlled end-to-end by one company and meant to represent the best all-around experience its platform can provide.

As I laid out in a previous analysis  and stay with me, because I swear this is important context for what's happening right now  it's effectively a way for Google to have its cake and eat it, too:

Android can remain open and available for manufacturers to customize as they wish  something that's been integral to the platform's success since the start. Customers can choose from a variety of styles and forms, as always, and each will offer its own unique set of advantages. But now, phone-seekers who want a holistic, Google-controlled vessel with all the benefits that approach provides will also have that as a fully realized, consumer-ready option.

The caveat to that, of course, is that the Pixel costs $650  a price that's likely to remain constant or possibly even climb higher with this fall's expected second-gen model. And while the premium market is an important area for Google to address, limiting its efforts to that high-dollar domain excludes a lot of people from getting the Android experience the company sees as ideal  one that's cohesive and easy to use, that puts complementary Google services front and center, and that remains fresh and compelling for an extended period of time by way of reliable updates.

Google ultimately can't "fix" Android if it goes only after people willing to spend $650 on a top-of-the-line phone. Its Pixel strategy is an ambitious effort, to be sure  but if Google wants its vision for Android to make a meaningful mark on the smartphone market, the Pixel alone can't be the full story.

From one Pixel to Android One

That brings us back to Android One. The program, in its expected U.S.-based incarnation, could provide the thus-far-absent elements that complement the Pixel and flesh out the lineup of "ideal Android" (as defined by Google) devices. And the way Google appears to be pulling it off  by bringing in existing phone-makers and allowing them to create their own self-branded devices with the promise of "major new promotional dollars" if they follow Google's guidelines, as the well-sourced folks at the The Information explain it  is a fascinating way to make the effort fit in with those broader goals.

Think about it: What does that "partnership"-based setup between Google and different Android hardware manufacturers remind you of? Call me crazy, but it sure sounds an awful lot like a scaled-back and lower-priced-specific version of the old Nexus program.

Approaching things in that manner could really be a brilliant maneuver. Once again, Google could have its cake and eat it, too: It could give consumers an option for a better overall user experience  its own vision for Android, only now within budget- to midrange-level parameters  while still allowing manufacturers to do their own thing as an alternative. And unlike on the high-end of the spectrum, where every detail counts and a finely tuned holistic experience is part of the package, letting third-party phone-makers retain some amount of branding and control of these lower-cost devices is a compromise Google can afford to make.

After all, Google may not want to invest the resources in developing its own devices at every level of the Android price spectrum. Creating a comprehensive line of products would be costly, for one, and it'd risk alienating and irritating third-party manufacturers even more than it (probably) already has. For now, at least, this could be a clever way to accomplish a good-enough-for-the-affordable-realm goal while getting just involved enough to maintain critical core standards. (And while aiming an effort at the U.S. isn't the same thing as bringing it to the world, of course, it's a significant step  and very much in line with how Google tends to ramp up strategic endeavors.)

Aside from the big picture, platform-level considerations, Google clearly knows it needs some sort of lower-priced option within its own product portfolio. The evidence is written all over the walls of the company's Project Fi wireless service, which works only with specialized phones made to handle its unusual multi-network approach.

Google took the atypical step of continuing to sell 2015's Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P phones  priced at $199 and $399, respectively  as options for new Fi subscribers all the way through the early parts of this summer. The phones are still listed on the Fi site now, alongside the current Pixel, but they're currently out of stock. That makes sense: With Google's two-years-from-the-first-date-of-sales update guarantee, those devices both reached their end-of-guaranteed-support status this month.

Android One could fill that void. It could allow Google to offer a full range of "elevated experience" options, with its own top-of-the-line and tightly controlled flagship at the high end and its partner-made, partially controlled devices beneath. And sure enough, rumors point to U.S. Android One devices being Fi-compatible out of the box. See how all the pieces fit together?

Google may not be able to control Android completely, nor would such a drastic closing off of the platform make sense for the ecosystem in its current state. What the company can do, however, is continue to expand and amplify the options for consumers to get on board with its own vision for how Android should work.

And what we're hearing about with Android One right now sure seems like a significant step in pushing that effort forward  and making it matter for more than just a small sliver of the phone-buying public.
At CES, AMD launched its first Zen chips for PCs, called Ryzen. Next on deck is the 32-core server chip code-named Naples, which will ship in the coming months.

Naples doesn't have an official name yet, but the expectations are high. While Ryzen is set up for success in PCs, it's a different story for Naples, which has to take on Intel's juiced-up Xeon chips, used in most servers today.

AMD is trying to drum up excitement for Naples, which will be released in the first half of this year. It's promoting Naples using the same tactic as it did for Ryzen -- by talking about the performance benefits of the Zen CPU.

The Zen CPU core in Naples will provide the same performance benefits as in the Ryzen chips. AMD claims a 40 percent improvement in instructions per cycle, an important metric to measure CPU performance, compared to the company's previous Excavator architecture.

Naples is notable for its high 32-core count, more than Intel's Xeon chips, which have up to 24 cores. The Intel Xeon Phi supercomputing chip has up to 72 cores, but it isn't targeted at mainstream socketed servers.

A higher core count matters as servers can do more, Forrest Norrod, senior vice president and general manager at AMD, said in a blog entry this week.

More data is moving into the cloud, which is putting more strain on servers in data centers. More cores will add processing power to help servers respond quickly to search requests, recognize images, and process uploaded videos faster. A server with a single CPU will be able to do as much as a current two-socket server, Norrod said.

AMD will come out with more Zen-based server chips with lower core counts, said Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

A bulk of the servers today use quad-core chips, and the actual market for 32-core Naples will be limited. The server market is dominated by two-socket servers, while Intel's 24-core chips go into a four- and eight-socket servers, which are used by companies like financial institutions that need a lot of horsepower.

"Intel has used Xeon to bleed the market" by forcing people to buy two-socket servers, and AMD could change that trend, McGregor said.

AMD will also pack in new memory bandwidth technology, which will boost server performance and possibly give it an edge over Xeon, McGregor said. It's not clear what the technology will be, but it could be based on technology from Gen-Z, a consortium that is developing a high-speed throughput for use inside and outside servers.

AMD has surprised Intel in the server market in the past, only to self-destruct. In 2003, it came out with the first 64-bit x86 server chip called Opteron, and Intel had to scramble to catch up. AMD lost the lead with its Opteron chips based on the Bulldozer architecture, which underperformed and were rejected by server makers.

The company killed whatever server market presence it had with another fateful decision to switch architectures. In 2013, AMD took the radical decision to put x86 on the backburner and reboot its server strategy around ARM architecture. AMD believed the power-efficient ARM chips would ultimately replace x86 in servers and have a 20 percent market share by 2017, but that hasn't happened.

AMD shipped its first ARM server chips early last year, but ARM chips are virtually non-existent in servers today, though the promise remains.

Realizing its mistake, AMD reversed course, moving away from ARM for servers and switching back to x86 with Zen chips. In the meantime, Intel took advantage of AMD's missteps and steadily rolled out new Xeon chips that supported the latest technologies. Intel now holds more than a 90 percent market share in server processors.

AMD has a big challenge with 32-core Naples. Companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon are building mega data centers with servers based on Xeon. Those companies have software stacks tuned closely to the processing, I/O, power, and throughput specifications of Xeon chips, and it could be tough for AMD to break into large accounts.

But AMD's Naples is the first legitimate x86 challenger to Xeon in years. Google, Facebook, and Amazon could use AMD's chip as leverage to get better chip prices from Intel. Xeon chips are expensive, and the margins make them highly profitable products for Intel.

Companies won't switch to AMD overnight; it could take a year or more to ensure applications work on the new chips. But the competition is good, and AMD has nowhere to go but up in the server market, McGregor said.

AMD also has some technologies that could work to its advantage. It has mulled pairing a Zen server chip with its Vega GPU, which could be useful for tasks like machine learning. The company has also released a GPU targeted at machine learning called Radeon Instinct, but that's effort is targeted toward Nvidia's Tesla GPU, which dominates data centers.

Server wins for Naples are already coming AMD's way. The company is also chasing the Chinese server market -- which is growing fast -- by licensing its Zen design to THATIC (Tianjin Haiguang Advanced Technology Investment Co.), a joint venture between AMD and a consortium of public and private Chinese companies.
A cloud of 3D-printed drones big enough to bring down the latest U.S. stealth fighter, the F35, was just one of the combat scenarios evoked in a discussion of the future of warfare at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

Much of the discussion focused on the changes computers are bringing to the battlefield, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, but also the way the battlefield is coming to computing, with cyberwar, and social media psyops an ever more real prospect.

Former U.S. Navy fighter pilot Mary Cummings, now director of the Humans and Autonomy Lab at Duke University, delivered the first strike.

World Economic Forum/IDG News Service Jean-Marie Guehenno, CEO of International Crisis Group, and Mary Cummings, director of the Humans and Autonomy Lab at Duke University, were among the speakers on a panel about the future of warfare at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 18, 2017.

"The barrier to entry to drone technology is so low that everyone can have one, and if the Chinese go out and print a million copies of a drone, a very small drone, and put those up against an F35, and they go into the engine, you basically obviate what is a very expensive platform," she said.

Drones could not only defeat the F35, on which the U.S. is spending what Cummins called "a ridiculous amount of money," but also replace them, she said.

"ISIS can go out now and print drones with a 3D printer, can print thousands of drones with a 3D printer at very low cost, and arm them with conventional weapons or biological weapons for example, and basically result in much more devastation than an F35 in a surgical strike could cause," she said.

That gave Dutch Minister of Defense Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert pause for thought. "As I placed an order for I don't know how many F35s, I just wonder if you could advise me whether I should continue or not?" she asked Cummings.

If the perceived value of an F35 is falling, though, so too is its cost. "The price is dropping, as I understood last week from Lockheed Martin," Hennis-Plasschaert said.

In the Netherlands, there is a hot debate on the use of autonomous weapons, according to Hennis-Plasschaert. "It's important that the deployment of such weapons must always involve meaningful human control," she said. On the flip side, future enemies may not feel the same way: "We may face self-learning systems that are able to modify their own rules of conduct, and so there's this ethical question."

That's not the only ethical question governments will need to answer, though.

With war no longer just about territorial control, "we run the risk of cyberspace being the battle space in the future," Hennis-Plasschaert said.

Agreeing on limits to such conflicts will be difficult, as there is insufficient cooperation between governments at the moment.

The Law of the Sea treaty is a nice example, she said, "but to copy this for cyberspace is not easy."

There are other boundaries to set when it comes to drone warfare, too.

"We have fully autonomous defensive weapons today," Cummings said. She wondered why they are OK, while fully autonomous offensive weapons are not.

She raised the question of future autonomous missile technology that might be able to target a person not by their GPS coordinates, as today, but by their photograph. "That missile could do a better job of targeting a bad person than a human could," she said. That scenario would make her reluctant to put a blanket ban on autonomous offensive weapons, she said.

Targeting a specific person through his or her photo "really is an illustration of the blurring of the line between war and peace," said Jean-Marie Guehenno, president and CEO of the International Crisis Group and a former UN peacekeeper. The traditional way of dealing with that would be through a court or military tribunal, he said.

Airborne drones aren't the only autonomous vehicles that might cause concern, Cummings said.

"When we go to an internet of things for vehicles, we will have a potential worldwide connectivity of terrorism, where terrorists can get into the network and start hacking driverless cars."

Worse still, she said, they could hack a truck. They don't even have to have explosives on board to cause trouble she said: Hacking half a dozen trucks in the Washington, D.C., area and stopping them in the right places could bring traffic to a halt and open the way for all sorts of mischief.

But what of social media? "Does the power of social media mean traditional military might is less important?" asked Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Social media plays a role, said Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies at King's College London. "But I don't think we should consider that new," he said. "If we look back at the strategists of the past, what they called the psychological element was always there, was always important."

So there you have it: In the future, war may not be declared by drones dropping destruction on our heads, but by a spate of unexplained illegal parking downtown.
When customers in Washington and San Francisco order from two delivery companies, they may not see a human bringing their order to their doors.

It may be a six-wheeled, autonomous robot bringing dinner.

Starship Technologies, the company building a fleet of autonomous delivery robots, has signed deals with meal delivery companies Postmates and DoorDash.

Postmates will use five of Starships robots, which are designed to autonomously navigate sidewalks, in the District of Columbia, while DoorDash will use 10 of the machines in Redwood City, Calif., where Starship has its U.S. headquarters.

[ For more on autonomous vehicle deliveries, check out Why the future of package delivery is better than drones. ]

Postmates is set to begin using the robots next month, while DoorDash is scheduled to begin soon after that.

Excited to announce our new partnership with DoorDash and Postmates in Redwood City, CA and Washington, D.C! Starship tweeted Wednesday.

Starship, which was launched in 2014 by Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, has been running its delivery robots in London for the past four months.

The devices weighs around 40 pounds and can carry about three filled shopping bags while traveling at a speed of about 4 mph.

Its robots have covered 16,000 miles in the past year, making test runs in 59 cities in 16 countries.

This will be the first time theyll be operating in D.C. and Silicon Valley, according to a company spokesperson, who also said the cost of a delivery will not increase if its made with a robot.

Customers use an app to place an order and can track the robot's progress on a map as it makes the delivery. Meals are locked in the robot, and customers use a button provided on the app to unlock the container and take out their orders.

At the beginning of the program, a human will accompany each robot as it works its way through a city and finds its destination. The humans will be focused on troubleshooting and answering questions from passers-by.

Humans will accompany the robot in the medium term, the spokesperson wrote in an email to Computerworld. Over time they will work alone.

While Starship reports no security problems with the robots during the 16,000 miles of test runs, the robots will have cameras, alarms and tracking devices to prevent any problems.

The Starship robots are designed to work in a two to three- mile radius and make deliveries in 15 to 30 minutes.

While the robots work autonomously, human operators monitor them and can take control at any time.
Mozilla yesterday unveiled a new logo for the company and foundation, one that includes typographical elements of a standard URL to "design the language of the Internet into our brand identity."

The move dismissed the old dinosaur image and "Mozilla" typeface that the organization had relied on for decades.

Mozilla's new logo -- the characters "moz://a" with the colon and two slashes nabbed from a traditional URL -- was one of several semi-finalists revealed in August. The logo submissions that didn't make the cut included a large M, another that resembled origami, and a third that evoked a hieroglyph or petrograph.

Mozilla

"We want to be known as the champions for a healthy Internet," wrote Mozilla's creative director, Tim Murray, on the organization's website, as he explained the need for a new branding logo. "Because we are so committed to ensuring the Internet is a healthy global public resource, open and accessible to everyone, we've designed the language of the Internet into our brand identity."

According to Murry, Mozilla expended "thousands of emails, hundreds of meetings [and] dozens of concepts" on the quest for a new look. But the nod to the URL's colon and slashes mystified some, including Ars Technica's Peter Bright, since Firefox, like other browsers, has long suppressed the "http://" portion in its address bar.

Others also noted the contradiction. "I thought web browsers didn't really expose the protocol to users any more," wrote Greg Nicholson in a comment appended to Murray's announcement.

Although the majority of those who left comments praised the logo, some were unconvinced it's an improvement. "It makes me want to say 'Moz' and then stutter," said Leif. "As someone who grew up with the web, I've apparently grown to omit the '://' sequence of characters when I see it."

The logo of the Firefox browser, Mozilla's primary product and biggest money maker, remains unchanged.

During the months between the narrowing to several semifinalists and this week, Firefox boosted its user share, an estimate of the percentage of personal computers that ran the browser, by nearly 60%, climbing to 12.2 percentage points by the end of 2016.

Even so, in December Firefox accounted for less than half of its peak share, set six and a half years ago. Currently, Firefox is the No. 3 browser globally, behind Google's Chrome (with a 56% share) and Microsoft's Internet Explorer (26%).
Daniel Hannan is an MEP for South-East England, and a journalist, author and broadcaster. His most recent book is What Next: How to Get the Best from Brexit.

Regular readers will know that this is a Helvetophile column. I love pretty much everything about Switzerland: its courteous people, its frosty peaks, its regular referendums, its extreme localism and, yes, its relationship with the EU.

In 2015, I wrote an article in this space explaining why Switzerland had a better arrangement with Brussels than had Norway and the other members of the European Economic Area (though I argued that we should treat Switzerland as a rough maquette, not as a precise mould). In my most recent book, What Next, I propose that Britain should now join EFTA a la Suisse  in other words, without joining the EEA.

Why, then, am I so chirpy about Theresa Mays speech? Isnt my market-oriented version of Brexit soggier than her supposedly granite-hard one? Doesnt mine place more emphasis on trade and less on immigration?

Actually, when you read her speech in full, our positions are very close. Before I come to that, though, let me make a point that should be obvious to ConservativeHome readers (except those working for UKREP), but which, in the current climate, needs to be reiterated. No one should go into negotiations without a bottom line. Imagine that you were buying a house, and that you opened by telling the seller: I want you to know, before we discuss the price, that I have nowhere else to live.

That sounds absurd, doesnt it? But its the position that poor Alexis Tsipras was in once it became clear that Greece had no plan to leave the euro. Indeed, its pretty much where David Cameron found himself during the renegotiation. The Financial Timess George Parker has reported that our Prime Minister told G20 leaders in the run-up to the referendum that hed win by 70-30. Is it any wonder that the rest of the EU made no concessions?

Theresa May is determined to avoid that mistake. She has emphasised that Britain would walk away rather than sign a bad deal. To be clear, walk away means enjoying normal relations with the EU without any special arrangements, in the way that, say, Australia does.

In a worst-case scenario, WTO rules provide for tariffs of 5.2 billion on British exports to the EU 27, and of 12.9 billion on EU exports to the UK  small sums compared to our gross annual budget contributions. Not that anyone on either side of the Channel is calling for tariffs. Im simply making the point that failure to reach a swift deal, though a nuisance, would not be catastrophic. Around 70 per cent of our economic activity is domestic; and of the rest, a large and growing proportion is related to non-EU trade. Only six per cent of British firms do any business with the rest of the Single Market.

To repeat, neither I nor the Prime Minister nor, as far as Im aware, any mainstream EU politician is calling for tariffs. Its in everyones interest to maintain something close to the existing economic arrangements. All Im asking is that we keep a sense of proportion. A slight disruption to part of our EU-related trade is undesirable; but it would be less painful than, say, handing over tens of billions of pounds to the European Commission as a departure fee.

The Eeyores have naturally focused on this part of the Prime Ministers speech; but her own focus was on the more probable scenario that a deal is done in a workmanlike way. Even in the European Parliament, where I am writing these words, her speech has been met with guarded approval. The chief exception is Guy Verhofstadt who, having spent six months warning May that she could not cling to aspects of EU membership, now seems perversely vexed because she has agreed with him. Most other MEPs, while still sad about the referendum, now say that there is a realistic basis for talks, and want those talks to produce an outcome that is as useful for all sides  or at least as painless  as possible.

Which brings us to the under-reported but critical gravamen of Mays case. She ruled out full membership of the Single Market on grounds that it would mean accepting a role for the European Court of Justice that would see it still having direct legal authority in our country. But she immediately went on to say that she wanted the freest possible trade compatible with ending that jurisdiction.

Her proposed free trade deal, she said, may take in elements of current Single Market arrangements in certain areas 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.

Indeed. It could presumably also take in the real basis of the Single Market, namely the rules that prohibit discrimination against goods or products on the basis of national origin. Obviously, without ECJ authority, these rules would have to be applied through our domestic law, in agreement with our partners through a bilateral treaty  which is, again, is more or less what the Swiss do.

Just as the Single Market is not a single entity, neither is the customs union. May made clear that we shall leave the EUs Common Commercial Policy so as to be able to sign our own trade deals with Australia, Brazil, the United States and so on. But other aspects of the customs union might be worth keeping, such as the rules that obviate veterinary and phytosanitary checks at EU borders.

Obviously, such arrangements will remain in place only if they suit both sides. No one should go into these talks expecting special favours. But where there are practical arrangements that benefit all participants, it is hard to see why anyone would want their abolition. Remember that in these talks, unlike in most trade negotiations, we are beginning from a position of regulatory equivalence and zero tariffs. The inertia bias that usually is the biggest obstacle to free trade will, this time, pull the other way.

Its possible, though I see little sign of it, that some in the EU will care more about hurting British citizens than about benefiting their own. Its conceivable, I suppose, that the talks could break down completely, leaving us with a temporary dislocation  though, even here, I cant help being cheered by the Chancellors promise that we would react by radically slashing taxes and regulations.

Far likelier, though, is that we will end up as what Winston Churchill envisaged: an ally of the United States of Europe rather than a member, supporting the project from outside like a flying buttress. You can call that hard or soft Brexit or anything else you like. Within a few years time, the only thing well ask why we didnt do it earlier.
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.

Despite the overwhelmingly and justified positive media reaction to Theresa Mays speech, in reality she had little choice but to give it. Shed have faced a serious political crisis with weak comments.

Prevarication on immigration would have seen her public ratings plummet. Hinting Britain might stay in the Single Market would have led to criticism from leave campaign veterans. Insufficient enthusiasm for international free trade would have seen the business community up in arms.

With that in mind, its fair to ask who it is we saw on Tuesday: Theresa May, the brilliant politician who knows exactly how to protect her position; or Theresa May, the Prime Minister with a vision for a global future for Britain?

Its too early to say. And its possible that might not be clear for some time, given that May has ruled out further speeches in the name of protecting Britains negotiating position.

At one level, who we saw on Tuesday is irrelevant. Theresa May gave a clear, tough and constructive speech. It was an unambiguous reset of our relationship with the EU. But, while her speech appears to have convinced many that she will deliver the global pivot that we need, it was only one speech.

It was also a speech very much of its time  of January 2016, on the eve of negotiations  rather than a heavily principled, timeless speech.

May and her team should review what looks to be a settled policy of relative quiet on Europe. Britains negotiating position and indeed her own political position will surely be strengthened, not weakened, if we have a greater sense of how Europe fits into Britains new global role.

After all, there will be some early and high-profile setbacks as senior European politicians and officials raise the prospect of playing hardball with Britain.

Emphasising the point that Britain is set upon an entirely new role  with new trading and security alliances with fast-growing economies in the rest of the world  will put the turbulence of our exit negotiations in their proper context. In the nicest possible way, she should explain Europe is important to Britain, but will become less so over time.

There are many options for what that vision for Britain should be. As I have written here before, personally I would like to see Britain encourage the creation of a new Global Free Trade Alliance, as articulated by the geopolitical consultant John Hulsman.

Politically speaking, thats a huge task and not one that can be pulled out of thin air by a British Prime Minister; it will require years of planning. But it is possible to begin to articulate some of the themes that would take us in that direction.

Mays refusal to fill column inches and her stated desire to focus on the job in hand are admirable. But as this speech has shown, people listen to important speeches; they can have a huge impact. She should be prepared to communicate regularly in the coming year when she has something important to say. It will help not hinder her work.
Laura Klein Croft is a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel. Tom Tugendhat is the Conservative MP for Tonbridge and Malling. In 2013 they co-wrote The Fog of Law, a paper from Policy Exchange on the legal erosion of British fighting power.

Yesterday the Supreme Court handed down a set of major rulings in cases involving claims against UK military and government officials for actions taken abroad in pursuit of national security and British foreign policy.

The significance of these judgements, and their relevance to central policy questions, confirms the importance of judicial power in our constitution.

While the litigation involves a mix of old and new legal grounds  the law of tort and European human rights law  the extent to which legal proceedings are now used as a way to challenge military action is remarkable. The contrast between, say, the legal aftermath of the Iraq War and the Falklands War is striking.

Two of the judgements are important victories for the Government in limiting legal frustration of military action abroad.

One of the judgements demonstrates a new, welcome sensitivity to the demands and difficulties of British military operations in what international legal jargon calls Non-International Armed Conflicts or NIACs (in this case, the armed conflict between the UK and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan). Another judgement restores a legal doctrine, that of Crown act of state, which is likely to limit the misuse of tort law to challenge or frustrate military operations abroad.

In a third judgment, the Government was defeated, with the Supreme Court allowing a number of claims against intelligence officers and others to proceed to trial.

Serdar Mohammed v Ministry of Defence was brought against the Ministry of Defence by a Taliban commander and bomb maker who claimed that his 2010 detention by British forces in Afghanistan was unlawful and in breach of the UKs obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The Government faced two legal challenges, one in the private law of tort (claiming damages for wrongful detention), and the other under the Human Rights Act 1998.

The Supreme Courts rulings yesterday mean that the first has failed comprehensively and the second has largely failed (part of Mr Mohammeds claim, relating to Article 5(4) of the ECHR, will now return to trial).

The Court held that the detention of Mr Mohammed by British forces was legal. This was because the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR 1386, adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter), under which the NATO coalition operated in Afghanistan, authorised the military of member states participating in conflict in Afghanistan all necessary measures, which the Court held includes the detention of combatants for imperative reasons of security.

The Court found against Mr Mohammeds claim for damages on the grounds that the doctrine of Crown act of state bars claims in tort against the Government for its acts abroad. This longstanding common law doctrine, which was last applied by the courts in the 19th Century, but which has counterparts in many foreign legal systems, traditionally applies to the making and conduct of war, treaty making, and other core matters of foreign policy.

The judgement is an important victory for the Government in relation to litigation arising out of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it will reduce the legal risk to the Armed Forces when detaining enemy combatants during overseas operations.

As the Ministry of Defence has remarked: It is vital that our troops have the ability to detain enemy forces when they are engaged in conflict, and todays judgement is a significant step in clearing up the legal fog that has surrounded the issue.

The Courts interpretation of Article 5 of the ECHR in Serdar Mohammed is commendably consistent with the need to ensure the effectiveness of military operations. However, it remains the case that regulating armed conflict by way of International Human Rights Law (IHRL), rather than International Humanitarian Law (including the Geneva Conventions and so on), is deeply problematic.

As explained in two successive Policy Exchange reports, the former is suited for domestic peacetime conditions and is not easily transferable to situations of conflict, where the lethal threat to forces is fast moving and continuous.

Earlier decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) have improperly extended its mandate to military operations abroad, creating much uncertainty and bringing the Supreme Court to this juncture.

Indeed, the ECHR may yet hold that the Supreme Court yesterday misapplied or misunderstood the Convention, and the judgement has not resolved the problematic application of IHRL to the battlefield. The question of the proper reach of the ECHR continues to loom large.

Moreover, despite the Supreme Courts welcome and sensible ruling on the authority to detain in this particular case, it is worth noting that several of the UKs operations abroad, not least those ongoing in Syria, are not being conducted pursuant to a Chapter VII resolution of the UN Security Council which authorises all necessary measures.

Given the fact that Russia and China have vetoed draft resolutions which would have authorised the use of force in Syria, this is likely to be the case in the future. It may well be prudent for Parliament to legislate to authorise detentions in conflicts abroad.

It also remains unclear, after yesterdays rulings, when or whether the Crown act of state doctrine applied in Serdar Mohammeds case might similarly protect intelligence officers and other government officials carrying out UK foreign policy abroad.

In the Belhaj case, the Court ruled that neither the foreign act of state doctrine, which provides that British courts will not adjudicate upon certain acts of other states, nor the doctrine of state immunity ruled out a claim against intelligence officers and others for alleged involvement in ill-treatment of the claimants by other states.

The ruling in Belhaj, which has been much more highly publicized than Serdar Mohammed, might suggest that intelligence officers are more vulnerable to tort claims for actions carried out in pursuit of their duties than their uniformed military colleagues.

The Belhaj judgment will require further consideration to ensure that national security operations, including liaison with foreign security agencies, can proceed in a workable way. Like military personnel, intelligence officers are rightly subject to the law, but the law should enable  not frustrate  effective action to defend the realm.

It remains to be seen whether the Courts approach in Belhaj strikes the right balance. It may be that rather than letting a new regime develop by way of case law, Parliament should legislate to specify further the legal framework within which intelligence officers operate.

There is little question that Britains utility as a military ally to the United States and other Western powers has been diminished by the crisis in recruitment, retention, and overall morale in the UK armed forces, and that one of the key ingredients of this crisis has been the fog of law  to use the phrase coined in Policy Exchanges first report on point  and the legal abuse of British military personnel.

Uncertainty about the legal standards governing detention  and the related risk of liability for detaining enemy combatants  has been an important part of this phenomenon, as our two reports argue, and the greater certainty that yesterdays rulings provide is valuable. More generally, the rulings go some way to confirming that this trend can be halted.

However, while these decisions of the Supreme Court in relation to military action are welcome and important, they are in a sense limited victories, which do not wholly roll back the wider trend towards the juridification of war  and indeed of national security more generally.

Reversing that trend will require further action, including ending the militarys liability for negligence and preventing the application of the ECHR to military action abroad in the first place, as well as its adjudication in British courts.

This could include derogation from European human rights law by way of Article 15 of the ECHR, and amendment to the scope of the Human Rights Act to make clear that it does not apply extra-territorially, such that ECHR challenges to the UKs military operations abroad could not be brought before the UK courts.

The Supreme Court took some significant steps yesterday to limit judicial interference with military action. However, it remains to be seen whether the newly re-asserted and redefined Crown act of state doctrine is capable of applying to intelligence operations. Given the remaining uncertainties, it is now time for Government and Parliament to introduce more thorough-going limitations.
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Close

Since the approval of Amendment 2 in November, Florida state officials have started proposing rules that would allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana to patients. The premilinary text, released by the Florida Department of Health on Tuesday, aims to help regulate the cannabis industry.

The rule proposed that only one out of 10 patients with HIV/AIDs, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis would be eligible to access medical marijuana. Additionally, only the Florida Board of Medicine has the authority to allow its use to those with the specific medical conditions.

According to The Ledger, the proposed rule would maintain the state's current cap on marijuana vendors. It is currently limited to seven licensed "dispensing organizations," to treat an estimated 500,000 patients who would be eligible under Amendment 2.

Florida Politics also reported that patients, physicians, medical marijuana treatment centers and caregivers would be required to register online through the Compassionate Use Registry's process. Dispensaries would then be required to follow the same record keeping, security, product testing, and other safety standards.

"The eligible patient population grows significantly under Amendment 2 - potentially tenfold. I'm confident that both the Department and the Legislature recognize the need to create affordable, safe and accessible medicine to the deserving patients," said Ben Pollara, the campaign manager for the United for Care campaign.

There are five public hearings that are scheduled next month with meetings in Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando and Tallahassee. The early release gives the people of Florida a chance to weigh in on the rules and regulations for the medical marijuana program.

"I believe the Department is being appropriately cautious and awaiting the Legislature's direction," said Taylor Patrick Biehl, a lobbyist at Capitol Alliance Group who represents the Medical Marijuana Business Association of Florida.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Internet of things News

Partners: Internet of Things Retail Solutions Will Be A 'Boon' For The Channel

Lindsey O'Donnell

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Solution providers got a preview of this year's newest products in the retail space at this week's National Retail Federation (NRF) conference  and the internet of things was the star of the show.

Channel partners like Ira Grossman, CTO of end user and mobile computing at Cleveland, Ohio's MCPc, said that resellers would benefit from the internet of things (IoT) opportunities in the vertical segment.

"The IoT solutions will be a boon for the channel  beyond those partners focused on big data  as they require more devices, introduce new, and different, security use cases and move to mission-critical devices and workflows that previously were either nonexistent or didnt demand the service levels that they will now," he said.

[Related: Intel Goes On The Retail Internet of Things Offensive With New Platform For Partners, $100 Million Investment]

Grossman said that the biggest players in retail IoT that he saw at NRF were Intel and Samsung.

Intel announced Monday it would invest $100 million in IoT retail efforts over the next five years through its new Responsive Retail Platform. The platform, which offers retail hardware, software, APIs and sensors to help retail businesses integrate technologies and find new business insights, will be available through the channel, including Arrow Systems, Bluemetal, and Smartrac.

"IoT was pervasive at NRF with many solutions leveraging Intels new platform," said Grossman. "The Intel booth showcased solutions across several verticals  all directly retail or adjacent to retail, such as supply chain or logistics  and most based on collecting some sort of predictive analytics, such as a variance in temperature in a cooler that is being monitored, or directing a shopper to merchandise that aligns with previous purchase trends."

In its show recap, the NRF's blog quoted Sandra Lopez, vice president of Intel's new technology group, as saying that sensors and wearables have a huge role to play in retail. "By 2020 there will be 50 billion connected devices, and they will interact. Its all going to be driven by 220 billion overall sensors."

Samsung also showed off its IoT smarts at the retail show, introducing new IoT tools in partnership with digital agency SapientRazorfish that are intended to link online and in-store shopping activities  including smart merchandising, mobile payment, and customer interaction technology solutions.

Brent Fairbanks, president of Electronic and Computer Specialties, Inc., an Orange, Calif.-based solution provider, said that the opportunities are endless for the internet of things in the retail space.

"If the owner of a mall would like to send out ads targeting women between 40 to 52 years old ... They can have cameras analyzing people as they go through stores," he said. "Stores can now see if they are bringing in the target clientele that ads were supposed to bring in. IoT devices are wonderful for generating that types of data  now people can use technology to make sense of the data."

Stephen Monteros, vice president of business development at Sigmanet, an Ontario, Calif.-based solution provider, said that he sees the retail IoT segment gaining traction for applications like digital signage.

"Retailers are definitely looking for new ways to communicate and automate," he said. "I see a lot of [applications] around Raspberry Pi-enabled devices including digital signage, that is cloud-enabled on the backside."
Networking News

Avaya Partners: Chapter 11 Bankruptcy A 'Solid Move' To Reduce $6B Debt, Opens Door For Rebound

Mark Haranas

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Partners say that Avaya's Chapter 11 bankruptcy is a "solid" first step to getting the company back on track and are relieved that the unified communication specialist kept its contact center intact.

"Let's allow them to restructure. Let's move forward. If an organization like Citibank feels like they can give them $725 million to get through this, then it's going to be a positive thing," said Dan Silverman, president of Telanet, a Toronto-based solution provider and Avaya partner. "What they've done is a solid move. It's a good first step to getting on track and to adjust to how the market is now."

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based vendor said the filing is a restructuring effort to combat Avaya's $6 billion in debt.

[Related: Avaya Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection, CEO Calls It The 'Best Path Forward']

"If you look at what's happened out there in the [vendor landscape], even in the contact center space  Interactive Intelligence and Genesis had to merge, Aspect Technology filed for bankruptcy last year for restructuring and came out of it fairly quickly," said Silverman.

"This is not unique to our industry. Companies are struggling to restructure," he said. "Look at even $50 billion Cisco -- they're restructuring, Mitel has their own challenges and so does ShoreTel  Really the only difference is that Avaya inherited debt and are now elevating themselves in a proper and I would say ethical manner to be able to focus back on business and growing."

The burden of debt has been following Avaya for nearly a decade since it was acquired for $8.2 billion in 2007 from private equity firms Silver Lake Partners and TPG Capital. Avaya also needs to raise $600 million for a debt maturity due in October 2017.

"Reducing the company's current debt through the Chapter 11 process will best position all of Avaya's businesses for future success," said CEO Kevin Kennedy, in a statement. "We have conducted an extensive review of alternatives to address Avaya's capital structure, and we believe pursuing a restructuring through Chapter 11 is the best path forward at this time."

Avaya said it had obtained a committed $725 million debtor-in-possession by Citibank, subject to court approval. This financing, according to Avaya, combined with the company's cash from operations, is expected to provide sufficient liquidity during the Chapter 11 cases to support its continuing business operations and minimize disruption.

Partners say there's a sign of relief in the channel that Avaya will not sell off its contact center business.

"Avaya's crown jewel and where they're going to service most of their debt is their contact center," said one top executive from an East Coast solution provider who partners with Avaya, who declined to be identified. "With some of the Oceana [software] integration they've done with Oracle, there's ways to build value in that product. I think that was the crux of it."

Avaya said it evaluated potential interest in various Avaya assets, including its contact center business, but determined that focusing on Avaya's debt structure was paramount and a sale of the contact center business would not maximize value for customers and stakeholders.

"We are keenly focused on minimizing disruption to our customers, partners, and employees and do not expect to experience any material disruptions during the Chapter 11 cases," said Kennedy.

Silverman said selling Avaya's contact center business would throw a monkey wrench into the channel.

"It would have added so much complexity of the overall solution, because their [unified communications] and contact center products are very intertwined. Whether it's in the mid-market or enterprise space, they work hand-in-hand," said Silverman.

The East Coast solution provider said there's still value in Avaya's products and future roadmap.

"I dont think people quite understand the number of intellectual property owned and really the robustness and the saturation of the market presence that the Avaya platforms have," he said. "There's still life there."

Silverman, who's Avaya business grew by double-digits in 2016, said he is hopeful for Avaya's future.

"When we look at this a year from now, it's going to be a much rosier and better picture for Avaya and hopefully a better picture for partners as well," said Silverman.
Robbins On Trump

Last month, some of the world's top technology leaders met with President-elect Donald Trump and his team for a roundtable discussion in New York. Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins is shining some light on what occurred during the meeting, which featured leaders such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos,.

"It was an incredibly constructive meeting, and I think everyone that walked in that room put behind them whatever their political views were during the election," said Robbins in an interview with Business Insider at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland Wednesday. "I came out, from a business perspective, very optimistic."

Here are the five highlights from the Trump meeting that Robbins discussed.
Every day we are bombarded by mountains of threat data from a variety of sources. While most of this data is completely irrelevant and needs no attention, we cant afford to miss the next attack that could be devastating to our business.

According to a Ponemon Research Report, 70% of security professionals say there is simply too much data to take action. If you have 100,000 pieces of data to review, its virtually impossible to know which ones need your attention first. By the time you discover a pattern of an attack in the data, its often too late.

Another problem is that a lot of the data we receive from threat feeds is a one-to-one mapping where a known threat is mapped to a signature identifying that specific threat. While the industry tracks a variety of indicators and sends out updates as a result, attackers are constantly changing their attack patterns so that they can continue to run undetected. Attacks are often used once for a specific target and then that version is never used again. This means that traditional signatures are useless for these cases.

Data From Everywhere

When one person or a group has to review all of the data from firewall logs, antivirus software, security appliances, etc. that is spread across multiple browser windows and try to determine what is relevant and what isnt, it simply doesnt work.

When you combine this with the fact that the technology vendor who supplies your security software and appliances isnt the same vendor who manages those security appliances, there is often a gap between the data that comes in and the data that gets reviewed efficiently.

Often, the attacks that succeed arent sophisticated. According to a report based on two years of sensor data, 57 percent of attacks that get through firewalls and antivirus systems are unsophisticated, brute-force attacks, says Maria Korolov with csoonline.com.

Threat Intelligence To The Rescue

So, how can you sift through the mountain of data to find the important information? Threat intelligence does this by helping users identify the important attacks out of the irrelevant data, including new types of attacks that have never been encountered.

Using threat intelligence, you can track events as they occur with real-time analysis that monitors behaviors of software looking for those that might be malicious. The software monitors computers and servers across your network in real-time, correlates the events, and then notifies the appropriate people when important events occur. The data is also stored to provide forensic data after the attempt to attack a system has been stopped. This data can also be used to determine patterns to detect future attacks.

Conclusion

Having the latest security patches for your companys computers is only the first step in protecting those machines. Using highly effective next gen endpoint security software will give you the threat intelligence you need, allowing you to monitor when an attack occurs based upon behavior patterns, instead of an outdated list of attack profiles.

Read this whitepaper, Forensics Analysis: How to Make Sense of the Data, to discover how to provide robust forensics and endpoint protection, through the use of this very data. Dont you think its time to increase your threat intelligence before the next attack occurs?
President-elect Donald Trumps approval ratings are at rock bottom, and he has not yet encountered a controversy he would rather sidestep than meet head-on.

But none of that is dampening the spirits of Connecticut Republicans arriving in Washington for Trumps inauguration as the nations 45th president.

Chief among them is J.R. Romano, the feisty, combative chairman of the state party.

The common wisdom before Election Day was Democrat Hillary Clinton would win in a walk. Even Trump said the election was rigged. Doubters were numerous, but Romano was not among them.

As president, he said, Trumps pugilistic streak may be his greatest asset.

What we have is a president who can look at polls and not care, and can do whats right for the country, he said.

True-blue Connecticut ultimately proved hostile territory for Trump. But Romano, 38, prefers to look at the elections glass-half-full state legislative results  GOP tied in the Senate and pulling to within four in the General Assembly  than the glass-half-empty presidential numbers.

In Connecticut, the only person more unpopular than Trump is (Gov.) Dan Malloy and the Democrats, Romano said.

Bearing witness

Dozens of House Democrats will follow the lead of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and boycott the Trump inauguration. But Reps. Jim Himes and Elizabeth Esty will not be among them.

I choose differently, Himes said. Presidents Carter, Bush and Obama, Secretary Clinton, Sen. Sanders and I will be there Friday, not to celebrate an intemperate and cynical new president, but to witness a peaceful transfer of power nearly unique in human history.

Esty said she, too, would attend, but she also plans to join constituents traveling to D.C. for the Womens March on Washington the following day.

Democracy works best when all of us make our voices heard  and in light of the turmoil of the last year, thats truer now than ever before, Esty said.

The march on Saturday will put both Congress and President-elect Trump on notice that the American people will oppose any effort to roll back the rights of women or to roll back the civil rights that heroes like John Lewis and so many others have fought for throughout our history.

Tough room

Trumps nominee for secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, got a rough going-over Tuesday at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Among those on the panel was Sen. Chris Murphy, who asked whether guns have any place in schools  a residual issue emanating from the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.

Trump has threatened to do away with such prohibitions, a reflection of his pro-National Rifle Association view that more guns make public places safer, not less so.

When DeVos hemmed and hawed on her answer to Murphys question, he pounced, You cant say definitively today that guns shouldnt be in schools?

Well, said DeVos, a Michigan billionaire who is a steadfast conservative proponent of school choice and vouchers, a school in Wyoming might want guns on the premises to protect from potential grizzlies.

Will she support Trump if he moves to eliminate gun-free zones at schools?

I will support what the president-elect does, DeVos answered.
A federal judge is ready to block the proposed $54 billion merger of the Anthem and Cigna insurance companies, according to news reports.

The New York Post cited sources on Thursday that said U.S. District of Columbia Judge Amy Berman Jackson intends to block the merger, possibly as early as Thursday. The U.S. Department of Justice and 11 states, including Connecticut, brought suit to stop Anthem from buying Cigna.
BRIDGEPORT  Police on Thursday arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with the fatal shooting of a young mother earlier this month.

The name of the boy is not being released until a decision is made on whether to charge him as an adult.

Elianna Cruz, 26, of Stamford, the mother of three young children, was shot in the head as she sat in the front passenger seat of her boyfriends car outside an East Main Street restaurant Jan. 7.

Police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said Cruz was an innocent bystander and that the target of the shooting had been her boyfriend, 24-year-old Kelvin Soto.

The car was riddled with bullets but neither Soto, who was in the drivers seat, nor the three other men sitting in the back seat of the car, were injured, police said.

Its a real tragedy, said Police Chief Armando Perez. We cant bring that young woman back; the only comfort we can provide the family is that we arrested the person responsible.

The children were left without a father last Fathers Day, when Cruzs former boyfriend, Felipe Soto, 31, was killed in a car crash on Main Street in Bridgeport, near St. Vincents Medical Center.

Fitzgerald said that shortly after 9 p.m. on the night Cruz was killed, three young men walked through a parking lot next to the restaurant and one fired at the car, striking her in the head.

She died on Jan. 11 at Bridgeport Hospital.

This wasnt a gang-related shooting, it was an ongoing dispute, but we are still unclear on exactly why it occurred, Fitzgerald said. Our guys were out there in a snowstorm gathering information from eyewitnesses and surveillance video, and we were quickly able to find the person responsible.

He said police have a strong case that the juvenile was the shooter. Fitzgerald said the teen has previous arrests as a juvenile and was already in the custody at the juvenile detention center on other charges when he was charged in Cruzs death.
When Sergey Brin co-founded Google as a Stanford Ph.D. student, he never imagined that the company would become so wide-ranging and successful.

He certainly never imagined that hed be onstage at the World Economic Forum, where founder Klaus Schwab would tell him that the prime minister of quite an important country recently called Alphabet (Google's parent company) one of the four powers left in the world.

Despite Alphabets global dominance, Brin modestly attributes much of his success to luck. He said he was in Silicon Valley, where multiple technological revolutions (semiconductor, internet, mobile) have occurred and where a culture of both experimentation and social responsibility prevails.

Related: How Google Has Changed the World

If I told you all of the dumb things I did, wed have to have a much longer session, Brin said. And the successes, they often are chance.

This serendipitous perspective also defines Brins view of humanity and business in the future, as he explained in a talk at the World Economic Forum earlier today. Brin began with a caveat about his ability to predict the next technological frontier.

You maybe should doubt my answers a little bit, he told the audience. Brin then shared an anecdote: A few years ago, he underestimated and largely disregarded Googles research into artificial intelligence, believing that the concept of neural nets had been proven infeasible back in the 1990s. Today, Google Brain, the companys AI research division, touches nearly all of the companys projects.

Brin encourages experimentation and innovation, just as one of his professors did when he wanted to leave Stanford to launch Google. But his career has taught him that the future is impossible to predict. He is cautious in his forecasts.

The evolution of technology might be inherently chaotic, he said. We have a set of values and desires today that are probably pretty different than before the Industrial Revolution, and different still than before the Agrarian Revolution. And we might continue to evolve.

Brin noted that values and desires have shifted as jobs and work have changed, thanks to automation. Automation has given humans more time to think, reflect and pursue work that gives them a sense of purpose. As automation becomes more prevalent, Brin said jobs should retain this role. People should have the means to educate themselves for reasons other than to fulfill an economic need.

I guess I would hope that -- as some of the maybe more mundane tasks are alleviated through technology -- people find more and more creative and meaningful ways to spend their time, he said. People find profound meaning in their day-to-day jobs, and I think thats an important thing for us to preserve.

He explained that todays technology provides unprecedented opportunities for young people to pursue their interests -- but also a unique new challenge.

There are a lot of affordances that are such conveniences today that make it easy. But theres also a global stage that makes it hard, Brin said. I would encourage young folks to take chances and pursue their dreams and try to silence out the voices that say, Actually, there are 1,000 startups trying to do self-riding bicycles.

Related: Richard Branson: There Needs to Be 'Perpetual Revolution' Within Your Business

Finally, Brin shared his own values as humanity hurtles toward an uncertain future. He emphasized that the objective of business must shift to meaningful, socially driven goals beyond moneymaking -- just as he believes that, despite automation, individuals must continue to have the means to pursue jobs that fulfill their passions.

You cant just think narrowly, Oh, this is your business, youre just going to maximize earnings, it doesnt matter whats going on around you, Brin said. If you look at the laws and regulations and SEC rules, technically youre meant to be purely profit seeking, and thats not really a reasonable position to take.

Related:

Connect People to Opportunity

Google Co-Founder: Take Chances, Pursue Your Dreams and Silence the Voices

Richard Branson: There Needs to Be 'Perpetual Revolution' Within Your Business



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
While the legal marijuana industry already generates billions of dollars across the United States, the industry has one big difference with other sectors of the economy. The majority of those transactions happen in cash.

Because federal law continues to list marijuana as an illegal drug, banks remain wary of providing banking services to cannabis-related businesses despite the fact that more than half the states have legalized medical marijuana and eight now have legalized recreational marijuana. A group of senators have taken on the issue by pushing the US Treasury Department to clarify guidelines to allow business -- like landlords, building trades and the security services needed to transport cash -- to

unfettered access to banking services. The bi-partisan group includes two prominent Democrats, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Sen. Jeff Merkley leads the group. His home state of Oregon was among the first to legalize both recreational and medical marijuana. The group also includes Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and independent Sen. Angus King of Maine. Sanders still identifies as independent, but caucuses with the Democrats and is a member of the Democrats leadership team.

Related: San Diego Company Bids to Become First Marijuana Business on NYSE

Issue extends beyond marijuana businesses.

In a letter sent to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a federal regulator, the group of senators asked for a clear ruling on businesses that deal with marijuana.

This extends beyond businesses that deal directly with producing and selling marijuana. According to the senators, the issue impacts other individuals and companies that provide services to the marijuana industry. In some cases, professionals have had access to their bank accounts, credit accounts and even retirement accounts blocked because of a business association with the marijuana industry, the senators wrote.

They said these include:

Chemists, who test marijuana to ensure it has no harmful materials

Security companies, who marijuana companies must turn to because the big amounts of cash they deal with every day

Landlords who rent to marijuana companies

Lawyers who provide legal services to marijuana companies

Service industry companies, such as plumbers and electricians, who work with marijuana businesses

These legitimate, indirect businesses have been unable to open checking accounts and accept credit cards or checks. In some cases they have also lost access to existing accounts, such as retirement accounts, and have been forced to pay their employees, taxes, and bills in cash, the senators wrote. Locking lawyers, landlords, plumbers, electricians, security companies, and the like out of the nation's banking and finance systems serves no one's interest.

Related: Study Finds Most Investors Comfortable With Businesses That 'Touch' Marijuana

Why change is needed.

The primary reason listed by advocates for banking rule changes is the amount of cash marijuana businesses have to handle. This leads to three main issues, according to the Colorado Banking Association.

After Colorado legalized both medical and recreational marijuana, the association released a report that addressed concerns over current banking laws in relation to marijuana. They noted that giving access to banking services would give marijuana businesses the ability to conduct legal transactions in a normal fashion.

They also noted that moving away from cash-only transactions would prove far easier for tax collection and also eliminate safety concerns surrounding cash-only businesses.

Related: Legal Marijuana a Big Winner in Elections Across the Country

Follow dispensaries.com on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest cannabis news.

Related:

Senators Push Treasury Department to Loosen Marijuana Banking Restrictions

Marijuana Industry Launches Colorado Campaign on Safe Cannabis Use

Study Links Medical Marijuana to Fewer Traffic Fatalities



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
If you do effective content marketing, the reward will come. Its successes are well-reported: youll generate more revenue and grow your business -- all the while your customers will like and trust you more. Its not a new strategy, but its one thats taken off with the age of the informed buyer.

Content marketing takes a different approach to traditional advertising. Instead of pitching to your customers, you make them smarter with educational content that helps build long-term relationships. On average, 76 percent of shoppers feel closer and more positive about a company after reading custom content.

Related: 3 Ways to Engage Your Readers with Thoughtful Content

Unfortunately, theres a misconception about content marketing that its cheap and easy -- in reality, its a big investment and it isnt for everybody.

Here are the top seven reasons you should not do content marketing.

1. You want to be on-trend.

Every decision about content marketing needs to make sense for your business. Otherwise, your content wont be valuable to your customers. If you dont have a justification beyond its hot right now or my competitors are doing it, youre not going to create anything new or useful -- and a fresh perspective is at the heart of effective content marketing.

Just because you can do something doesnt mean you should. Following a trend without a purpose is a dangerous path, which will lead to meaningless, useless content.

2. You need a quick fix.

Content marketing is a solution that takes months -- even years -- of dedication to be effective. You need to give away value before you can expect anything in return. Thats why it can take a while to get your content marketing program off the ground.

A lot of companies give up when they dont see immediate results. Most blogs get abandoned within the first few months, even though the long-term payoff of blogging is huge. For example, brands that create 15 blog posts per month average 1,200 new leads per month. If youre not willing to hang in there for the long haul, its not worth doing at all.

3. You want to improve your search rankings.

Improved search rankings are a major benefit of content marketing, but that shouldnt be why you do it. As Ian Lurie, CEO at Portent Inc. says, Content isnt stuff we write to rank higher or infographics or long-form articles. Content is anything that communicates a message to the audience. Anything.

Related: The Beginner's Guide to Launching a Mobile SEO Campaign

SEO is all about providing your audience with what theyre looking for. If you deliver what your customer wants and needs, youll be rewarded by ranking higher in searches.

4. You want a cheap alternative to advertising.

If youre looking for a cheap alternative to advertising, content marketing can seem like a seductive option. It has a massive return on investment. Content marketing costs 62 percent less than traditional marketing and it generates more than three times as many leads. However, the problem with choosing something because its cheap is that you dont really see the value. An investment is required, both in time and funds. If you dont put much into it, then you wont get much out of it.

5. You want to make direct sales.

Not every piece of content you create will lead to a direct sale, far from it. Your content needs to address different stages in the buyer funnel and lead customers down the path to purchase. Its about being a valued source of an information and expert in your industry, not about trying to make a sale with every piece of content. Nearly half of B2B marketers support three to five buying stages with dedicated content in order to make a sale.

6. You lack strategy.

Hundreds of content pieces wont mask the fact that you dont have a strategy. Theres a lot of bad, directionless content out there that doesnt serve its customers. If you put together a strategy, youre at a huge advantage. While 53 percent of the most effective marketers have a documented strategy, around 40 percent of the least effective have no strategy at all.

7. Youre not ready to measure.

Like any other marketing program, content marketing needs to be measured. You can see whats working (and what isnt) so that you can continually build on your strategy. Dont get your content marketing program started until youve outlined key performance indicators, benchmarks, and reporting tactics. As marketing expert Neil Patel says, Smart marketers dont reinvent the wheel every day...They know what works because they documented their strategy and measured each detail as it happened.

Related: If Your Content Marketing Isn't Working This Is Probably Why

Content marketing is a lot of work. And the payoff is huge if youre willing to put in the time and energy to get your content strategy off the ground.

If you arent sure about content marketing, thats okay. Its better to wait until youre ready and start for the right reasons. Otherwise, you risk giving up too early on something that could be life-changing for your business.

Related:

3 Ways to Create More Content (and Views) from Your Blogs

The 7 Worst Reasons for a Content Marketing Campaign

The Top 5 Ways to Build an Audience for Your Content Marketing Channel



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Opportunities exist everywhere -- not just in your own home country or hometown. While much has been said about globalization and our increasingly connected world, if you're starting a business, your first thought might not be to launch it in, say, Denmark.

Related: 5 Tax-Reporting Tips for U.S. Entrepreneurs Doing Business Overseas

But it turns out that Denmark is actually a very good idea: The World Bank Group has ranked that Scandinavian nation third in the world in terms of ease of doing business there. By comparison, the United States ranks eighth.

Depending on your target audience and its needs, plus taxation laws, the nature of the local workforce and other factors, doing business overseas just might offer advantages to you that exceed those of the country where you live right now.

Starting with a place you may be familiar with, here are some of the best countries to consider when starting a business:

The United States

What makes the United States a good country to start a business in? The workforce is diverse and skilled. It is a recognized leader in research and development as well as innovation. You can also find a wide variety of funding sources: investment firms, banks, venture capitalists and angel investors.

The U.S. Small Business Administration suggests that you should first determine your business needs, evaluate your finances, check to see if the area is business friendly and do investigative research on other businesses in the community.

In an interview with Virgin.com, James Wilkinson, COO of Streaming Tank , extoled the benefits of business in New York. People in New York are open and hungry to new ideas and concepts," he said, "and once you open the doors their money will follow. He added that New York is where much of the action happens within an organization.

The Big Apple, then, is at the center of the action. But places like Oklahoma City, Minneapolis, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle and other U.S. cities are also often cited as being good cities to launch businesses in.

Related: 5 Tips for Starting a Business Abroad

Singapore

Singapore has long been considered one of the best places to do business in the world. Hawksford Singapore is an example of a company that located there and an investor, Jim Rogers, told GuideMeSingapore.com why. Among other reasons, Rogers said, Singapore is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, is politically stable, has a strong labor force and imposes no dividend or capital gains taxes.

In 2011, former CD Baby founder and entrepreneur Derek Sivers wrote on his blog about why he too moved to Singapore, citing the ease of doing business there. In particular, Sivers noted that flights to surrounding countries are affordable, which puts Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and many other countries within easy reach. Today, Sivers spreads his time between Singapore and New Zealand, also touted (see below) as a great place for starting a business.

Singapore is known for the many international businesses that station their headquarters there. Due to strong trade and investment opportunities, the city attracts global entrepreneurs and leaders and has been named the most competitive Asian country to start a business.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, incorporating a business takes only a day, and registering a property can be done in two. The workforce is skilled and educated, and labor costs are low. In terms of taxes, there are no payroll, social security or capital gains taxes. It is considered one of the easiest countries to do business.

New Zealand, small as it is, has set up several business structures: An entrepreneur can apply to be a sole trader who operates a business individually or, in several farming industries, can be part of a partnership among professionals who benefit from sharing operational costs. Another NZ structure sets up limited liability companies that are their own legal entity, separate from shareholders. And there are publicly listed companies on the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZSX), as well.

It's important to learn about trends and the market when you enter into a new country or location. You can look into Statistics New Zealand for market information to help decide if your business niche is suitable for New Zealand or not.

Norway

Norway has a strong economy, and most communication with the government can be done digitally. Registering a property is fast, and complying with tax laws is relatively straightforward. Resolving insolvency in Norway is also low-cost, with fees averaging 1 percent of the bankrupt entitys value.

There are downsides to Norway, however: Getting construction permits can be lengthy, and labor regulations can be quite rigid.

Anne Worsoe, founder of Innovation House and director of Innovation Norway, told Virgin.com that one of the best aspects of doing business in Norway was the fact that, Norwegians are known as digitally advanced and early adopters, willing and able to pay for new technology.

She went on to explain that the nation boasts highly skilled workers, in categories like information technology, finance, design and even music tech. Entrepreneurs there have access to industrial expertise, investors and talent.

Further, technology in Norway can help develop foreigners' business models, Worsoe said. In the software category, she cited a company called Less Everything, which helps entrepreneurs build out their software ideas.

Norway's business community also helps foreign entrepreneurs decide what categories to explore: Merch Informer provides merchants with information on what products are popular and niches that consumers are most interested in.

Overall, said Babou Olengha-Aaby, CEO and founder of Mums Mean Business, who also spoke with Virgin.com, the primary benefits of doing business in Norway include wealth, economic and governmental stability, well-developed communication and transport infrastructures and [the nation's] longstanding trade ties with the EU.

United Kingdom

Incorporating a company in the U.K. is both fast and affordable, making it one of the easiest places in Europe to set up and run a business in. David Mytton, founder of server monitoring startup Server Density, gave Virgin.com the following reasons why Britain is a great place to do business:

Its easier to start a business there: Incorporating a company can be completed in an hour, for 14.

The tax authorities understand that new companies generally arent profitable in their early years.

The British government offers various tax benefits for investors, founders and employees.

Some of the best places to start a business in the U.K. include Derby, Stoke, Belfast, Stirling and Durham.

Related: 5 Benefits Of Starting A Business Overseas

Final thoughts

The exact specifics of starting a business in a specific country are obviously subject to the town, city, state or province you choose to create your entity in. Those specifics are worth a closer look if youre thinking about starting your new organization overseas.

Related:

The Best Countries to Start a Business Are . . .

McDonald's India Rolls Out New Breakfast Menu Featuring Traditional Local Dishes

Snapchat Is Making the UK Its International Headquarters



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Via mediamax, a report from People Daily: State launches bird flu surveillance at Uganda border. Note that it describes H5N1 as "airborne," which it is not. Excerpt:

The government yesterday activated 24-hour surveillance along the Kenya-Uganda border to prevent entry of chickens and eggs from the neighbouring country and avert infection and possible death of millions of birds. According to the 2009 national census, Kenya had 32 million chickens.

However, that number could be higher six years later. Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Cabinet secretary Willy Bett said millions of Kenyans rely on poultry and its products for food and income.

The governments rapid response to the bird flu outbreak in Uganda is meant to safeguard Kenyans livelihood, he said at a media briefing in Nairobi.

On Monday evening, Uganda reported the outbreak of the deadly airborne Avian Influenza disease, triggering Kenya to re-activate an importation ban. Bett said rapid response teams under a National Taskforce on Avian Influenza are expected to give instant surveillance reports from nine counties that share a common border with Uganda.

The nine are Busia, Bungoma, Trans Nzoia, Turkana, West Pokot, Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori. There is already enhanced surveillance on other areas of risks which include wild bird landing spots; being water masses, live-bird markets and slaughter premises, he said.

Along with the rapid response teams, the CS said the ministry has activated all agencies which are directly concerned with either surveillance, prevention, control or management of the disease, both at the official border points and within borders.

Bett appealed to Kenyans, especially those in the nine counties, to exercise caution and consult veterinary authorities on trade matters involving poultry and its products between the two countries.

The public is hereby sensitised on the precautionary measures of hygiene by reporting unusual poultry and wild birds deaths to the nearest veterinary or public health authorities, said the CS, who also cautioned people against touching or consuming the dead birds.

Besides the ban, Kenyan authorities are in touch with Ugandan veterinary authorities to withdraw any import or export permits earlier issued for the cross-border trade.
All set for the 2017 Havana World Music Festival

More than 100 local and foreign artists will gather in Havana from March 23 to 26 to attend the fourth edition of the Havana World Music Festival (HWM), one of the most important events in the Caribbean and Latin America.

To date, the organizers of the Festival have confirmed that its main venues will be the Grand Metropolitan Park of Havana and the Cuban Art Factory, both located in the cultural heart of the city.

Sponsored by the Cuban Music Institute and the National Center for Popular Music, the program of the HWM includes workshops, exhibitions, DJ sessions and major concerts, activities that defend the main values of the event: diversity, creativity, exchange between communities and fun.

According to Eme Alfonso, HWM artistic director, the Grand Metropolitan Park will have two stages in which more than a hundred artists from Cuban and international bands will show their work, and the public can also see new groups, performances and workshops.

The next edition of the festival will be a great party with music as protagonist, but with many side events to all audiences, she said.

Held for the first time in 2014, the festival managed to gather over 20 000 people in its three previous editions, and has been attended by famous artists such as Fuel Fandango, Sargento Garcia, Los Van Van and the Mexican Institute of Sound, among others.

The election of Havana as a scenario is also a declaration of intent, since HWM aims to be the representation of the Cuba of the 21st century: a country with a huge cultural and human capital, open to the world and proud of its identity.
Cuba condemns in UN politicization of the Syrian conflict

Cuba condemned the politicization of the Syrian conflict in the United Nations Security Council and reiterated that the solution of the crisis can only be achieved through respect for sovereignty and self-determination, Prensa Latina news agency reported.

At a session of this body to analyze the situation in the Middle East, Ambassador Humberto Rivero rejected the double standards of powers that defend their geopolitical interests and domination at the expense of the Syrian people who are suffering for nearly six years of war.

It cannot be ignored that those attacking Syria have fueled the conflict by supplying weapons, money and patronage to terrorist groups, making themselves responsible for the thousands of victims and the harsh humanitarian situation, he stated.

According to Rivero, Cuba opposes the promotion of an interventionist agenda as a way to solve the crisis and supports a solution without external interference and impositions.

Syria suffers since March 2011 a devastating conflict, resulting from the change of regime that the West and its regional allies try to bring to Damascus.

We support the Syrian people in their aspirations to live in peace and choose their destiny, insisted the Cuban official at the meeting where at least 50 speakers participated.

Rivero added that Cuba deeply regrets the loss of human lives and condemns all acts of violence against the civilian population in that country.

It also demands the cessation of violations of the sovereignty of that nation and the foreign military presence that does not have the consent of Damascus.
Cuban tourism expected to grow 4 percent in 2017

Sources from the Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) said Cuba expects to receive 4.2 million tourists in 2017, a four percent growth compared to last year.

During the Roundtable TV program, MINTUR deputy Mayra Alvarez said the priority now is to improve the quality of the Cuban destination, continue with the investments in infrastructure and to add new services taking into consideration the potential Cuba has.

The official figure of visitors in 2016 was 4 million and 35 577, for a 14.5 percent growth, with Canada as the main source.

MINTUR marketing deputy director Dalila Gonzalez said that the visits from the United States showed a significant increased thanks to the reestablishing of diplomatic relations and the issuing of more licenses under the 12 categories approved by President Obama.

Another official said Cuba has now 66 547 hotel rooms, and they expect to have ready another 4 200 in the main Cuban tourist poles like Havana city, Varadero, Trinidad, Holguin and the keys on the northern part of Cuba. By 2020, Cuba has plans to have 20 thousand more, and another 104 thousand by 2030.
WHO has published Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus  China. Excerpt:

On 11 January 2017, the Department of Health, China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) notified WHO of a laboratory-confirmed human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus and on 12 January 2017, the Health Bureau, China, Macao SAR notified WHO of an additional laboratory-confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus.

Details of the cases

On 11 January 2017, a human case of infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) was reported from the Department of Health, China, Hong Kong SAR. The case is a 10-year-old boy. He travelled to Foshan, Guangdong on 31 December 2016.

He returned to China, Hong Kong SAR on 3 January 2017 and developed symptoms on 8 January 2017. He was admitted to the hospital on 9 January and discharged on 10 January 2017. Following a positive nasopharyngeal aspirate (taken on 9 January) for avian influenza A(H7), he was re-admitted to hospital for isolation late on 10 January 2017. Another nasopharyngeal aspirate taken on 11 January 2017 was later further confirmed as positive for avian influenza A(H7N9) virus on 11 January 2017.

The patient visited a relatives home in Foshan, Guangdong with backyard chickens between 31 December 2016 and 3 January 2017, but reported no direct contact with these chickens. The family visited a market while in Guangdong but reported no entry to the poultry section.

As of 11 January 2017, 27 close contacts and 70 other contacts have been identified as contacts of the 10-year-old boy. Among four symptomatic other contacts, two have tested negative for influenza A, while the other two are pending testing. Remaining contacts have remained asymptomatic and are under medical surveillance.

On 12 January 2017, a human case of infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) was reported from the Health Bureau, China, Macao SAR. The case is a 72-year-old female who lives in Zhongshan, Guangdong, a city close to China, Macao SAR. She had exposure to chickens at her home and often goes to a live poultry market near her house. On 8 January 2017, she developed symptoms and was admitted to a hospital in Zhongshan. She left the hospital in Zhongshan on 9 January 2017 and travelled to China, Macao SAR where she was admitted to the government hospital on 10 January 2017 with the diagnosis of pneumonia. Specimens collected on 10 January 2017 tested positive for avian influenza A(H7N9) by RT-PCR on 12 January 2017. The patient was referred to an isolation ward. The patient has a history of hypertension and diabetes. She is currently in stable condition.

As of 12 January 2017, three relatives, four ambulance workers, four hospital roommates and 32 medical workers were identified as close contacts to the 72-year-old female. They are receiving antiviral treatment for five days and are under medical observation for the next 10 days.

To date, a total of 918 laboratory-confirmed human infections with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus have been reported through IHR notification since early 2013.
County-specific poll may foretell whether Pa. is going blue or red
EpiPens send epinephrine into the bloodstream of someone suffering from an allergic reaction. The devices were almost free at one point, but now cost $100.

Carol Randolph is severely allergic to bee stings and corn products, so for the past 20 years, the 55-year-old has to watch everything she consumes and what comes in contact with her body.

Common things such as hand sanitizers and powdered medical gloves can constrict her airways, cause her to break out in hives and turn her lips purple. An EpiPen, which was almost free at one time, can save her life. Now, even with her retired military insurance, it costs $100 every time she buys one.

There wasnt even a co-pay for an EpiPen, Randolph of Munford, Tennessee, said. Now I have to come up with $100 dollars to save my life.

An EpiPen is an auto-injecting device that sends a drug called epinephrine into the blood stream when someone is having an allergic reaction. This shot of adrenaline causes the heart to beat faster and the airways to open up.

Millions of people with life-threatening allergies use EpiPens. In the past few years, the increasing price of an EpiPen has caused many people to question the healthcare system and their safety. For people such as Randolph, who need to keep an EpiPen within arms reach in case of an allergic reaction, paying more than $600 is almost unacceptable.

This could financially wipe out a family or a senior citizen living on a fixed income, Randolph said.

A pack of two EpiPens sold for $106.32 in Nov. 2004 as reported by the Elsevier Clinical Solutions Gold Standard Drug Database. As of May 2016, a two pack cost more than $600. Just three years ago, the price was only $252, meaning the price has doubled since 2013.

Mylan, the company who owns the patent for the EpiPen, has received criticism for raising the price of EpiPens. After buying the EpiPen in 2007, Mylan has increased revenue and awareness of the device. Alternate uses for epinephrine releases, such as Sanofis Auvi-Q, cannot quite match the brand recognition that Mylan has set with the EpiPen.

For EpiPen users who face higher out-of-pocket costs, Mylan is offering a savings card for up to $300. The company also is doubling eligibility for patient assistance program to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. A family of four making up to $97,200 would not pay out of pocket for their EpiPen. Mylan would continue focusing on offering EpiPens in schools, called the EpiPen4Schools program.

The program, launched in August 2012, has provided more than 700,000 free epinephrine auto-injectors and educational resources to more than 65,000 schools nationwide to help them be prepared for anaphylaxis events among students, the company said in a press release on Aug. 25.

Mylan CEO Heather Bresch told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee members the company only makes $100 for every pack of EpiPens listed at $609 after rebates and other costs. Lawmakers accused Mylan of profiting from an inexpensive life-saving drug. The Federal Drug Administration has also faced backlash for not approving other companys epinephrine injectors quickly enough. The FDA said they approved four products, but nothing has happened yet.

The general cost to patients for an EpiPen before insurance coverage is about $700, Amanda May, a clinical pharmacist at LeBonheur Childrens Hospital, said.

EpiPens are used for life-threatening allergic reactions in which anaphylaxis, a reaction in which the airway swells and a person stops breathing, occurs, May said. This can cause brain damage or death if not responded to immediately.

EpiPens currently last for 18 months from the manufacturing date. They are not reusable, so they need to be replaced after use or every 18 months.

Gina Swords, a mother from Millington, has a son who has been allergic to peanuts and amoxicillin since he was born.

Last year, before the price went up, I had a free co-pay card, Swords said. I could get them refilled for nothing. So I stocked up on EpiPens.

Swords said she had previously bought a two-pack from Walgreens for $50, but they expired in three months.

Once they made EpiPens that didnt have expiration dates, it was easy to get a lot and keep them, Swords said. You just have to watch the color of the medicine to know if its still good.

Swords said she will not pay $600 for an EpiPen.

We have been fortunate to not have to use an EpiPen in an emergency, but I still want to have them just in case, Swords said.

EpiPens send epinephrine into the bloodstream of someone suffering from an allergic reaction. The devices were almost free at one point, but now cost $100.
President-elect Donald J. Trumpas remarks about civil rights icon and Georgia Congressman John Lewis serve as one of the reasons why numerous Democratic representatives will not attend his inauguration on Friday.

More than 50 Democratic lawmakers have announced they will not be a part of the ceremony, The New York Times reported.

On Jan. 13, during an exclusive interview with NBC newsa aMeet the Press,a Lewis said Trump is not a alegitimate presidenta and he plans to boycott the inauguration. Lewis also thinks Russians manipulated the outcome of the 2016 election.

aI think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected and they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton,a Lewis said on aMeet the Press.a

Lewisa comments caused Trump to retaliate via Twitter.

aCongressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape, rather than falsely complaining about election results,a Trump tweeted. aAll talk, talk, talk - no actions or results. Sad!a

On Monday at the historic Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen criticized Trumpas actions and announced his decision to not attend the inauguration.

aWhen you are for evil, killing, stopping democracy and stopping people who speak out, you are not a great leader. You are an evil leader,a Cohen said in a statement released on Monday.

The democratic congressman also criticized Trumpas comments about President Barack Obama among others.

aEight years ago, Barack Obama became the first African-American President of the United States,a Cohen said in the statement. aHis campaign was based on hope and change. But at this time in our history, hope and change have unfortunately become fear and dread. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.as dream is turning into a nightmare.a

Congressman Cohen made the statement at the site of Martin Luther King Jr.as final speech and announced he would not be attending the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States of America.

aHe has not exhibited the characteristics or the values that we hold dear,a Cohen said in the statement. aWhen he questioned the integrity of my friend and colleague, John Lewis, that crossed the Rubicon.a

A

A A A A A A A

A
Keenelands January sale is, well, the January sale. It has always been considered to be more the last mixed sale of the previous year than the first sale of the new year. Its results are hard to measure from one year to the next due to varying factors, mainly the appearance or scratch of a few name horses or stock that are part of major dispersals.

Weve held to that notion. However, after we roamed the pavilion and mixed it up a bit in the back ring during the five-day sale, the fall of the gavel after a horse had failed to gain a single bid was heard more often than wed cared to imagine.

On days 1 and 2Book 1 of the sale, mind you, and considered to be the best of the lotthere were eight no-bid horses. One mare was by a Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner and in foal to a recent Breeders Cup winner. Three yearlingstwo by Breeders Cup-winning stallionsfailed to draw any action whatsoever.

The figures mounted on days 3 and 4 during Book 2 when 25 and 21 horses, respectively, were recorded as no-bids. Thirty-one horses during the sales final session were no-bids, bringing the sales total to 85. So, with 1,401 horses going through the ring, 6.1% of them were no-bid horses (and this doesnt count the $1,000 RNAs).

They were all part of a 31.4% buy-back rate, higher than the 2016 sales 25%. As we know, the January sale is the January sale, a place to cherry pick a short yearling or shop for mares for incoming stallions, while many commercial breeders try to sweep out some stock they perhaps couldnt move the year before.

However, at the 2016 January sale, the number of no-bid horses were six, one, nine, two, and 19 during a comparable five-day run. With 1,387 going through the sale, the 37 no bids were 2.7% of the sale.

A troubling trend? It sure looks like it.

Weve readand written for yearshow polarizing the commercial bloodstock market has become. A doubling of the no-bid rate confirms that the costs are too high and the margins too thin in todays environment. There simply isnt enough in the budget to carry Thoroughbreds that cant hold their own.

As Keenelands director of sales Geoffrey Russell told our Ron Mitchell: Just because you breed a horse does not mean it needs to come to a horse sale.

Which brings us to the foal crop. Stallion operators and broodmare owners should take a long, hard look at the upcoming breeding season.

As the Great Recession took the starch out of the Thoroughbred industry beginning in 2008, the foal crop ebbed to figures that had not seen since the 1960s.

The crop has been cut by one-third, from 29,609 in 2009 to an estimated 20,600 for 2016. According to The Jockey Club Fact Book, the foal crops of 2012 and 2013 were 21,440 and 21,377, respectively, with the last three estimated at 20,450, 20,600, and 20,600.

Weve been proponents of seeing the foal crop reverse course, but realize there are still too many Thoroughbreds that no one is interested in buying. Growth for its own sake is not enough.
Angry over Russian hackers illegally broadcasting the latest episode of BBC1s Sherlock series on the internet before it was shown here, have corporation chiefs cancelled a TV masterclass by the shows creator, Steven Moffat, 55, in Moscow in response?

He and his wife Sue Vertue, 56, who produces the series, were to address students at Russias Channel One. A broadcasting source tells me: Considering comments made about the pretentious, up-its-own-fundament production, the snubbed Moscow hosts and students might not be missing much.

Sherlock creator Steven Moffat was supposed to address students at Russia's Channel One with his producer wife Sue until angry BBC bosses cancelled the appearance (pictured, Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes)

Donld Trumps second wife Marla Maples, 53, sought free inauguration hairdos worth about 180 for herself and their daughter Tiffany, 23, claims Washington DC stylist Tricia Kelly, who adds: I told them I work for a fee, not for free. Now if The Donald had asked

The US President-elect is praised by Country Life magazine: His preference for the sledgehammer to the rapier may distress audiences who prefer more polished styles of delivery but we wonder if he isnt reverting to an earlier, pre-Gladstone model of discourse, in which politicians rambled, with occasional flashes of brilliance, speaking their thoughts as they occurred to them.

We can all feel we know this President. Mr Trump pre-Gladstonian? Whod have thought it?

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall appears as a fairy godmother in an animated short film launched this week to promote Radio 2s short story writing competition for children.

Her voice  asking, Are you ready for adventure?  is heard, but some may feel the youthful cartoon likeness recalls the late Diana more than Camilla, 69. Anything to help soften her image is welcomed by royal image makers, opines a source on court matters.

Jude Law smokes constantly in HBOs series The Young Pope, as does Diane Keaton as his surrogate mother, Sister Mary.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall appears as a fairy godmother, pictured, in an animated short film launched this week to promote Radio 2s short story writing competition for children

Why so? Perhaps because producer/director Paolo Sorrentino was a chain-smoker for 20 years before switching to Toscanello cigars from Italy.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, 67, describes Theresa May as not so much the Iron Lady as the Irony Lady. A poor joke, even by his no-laughing-matter standards.

Does he know the meaning of irony? The website isitironic.com provides an example: The name of Britains biggest dog (until it died recently) was Tiny.

Eccentric Tory MP for Lichfield Michael Fabricant, 66, tells followers: A gay friend returned to Brexit Lichfield after ten years. Said he went shopping, saw two guys holding hands and no one reacting.

Tolerant UK. Confirmed bachelor Fabricant is opaque about his sexual preferences but confides: I get it in one form or another quite regularly, I can tell you. All my bits and pieces work  they havent fallen off through lack of use. Too much information.
What a thrill it was when my invitation to the Annual Southern Rail Gala Awards Dinner finally arrived. It had been due on Monday, but didn't arrive until this morning, owing to circumstances beyond their control.

The glittering event, in London's West End, was billed to begin with a champagne reception at 7pm, but at 7.30pm the 300 guests were still queuing outside, waiting for the doors to be opened. Happily, the Southern Rail Gala Awards Committee kept us abreast of delays with regular announcements on Twitter.

'This minor delay is caused by ongoing works to improve your Gala Evening. Thank you for your continued patience,' read one tweet.

Sadly, the first course  a choice of wild smoked salmon or egg mayonnaise  was cancelled at the last minute

'Your enjoyment of this Awards Evening is of prime importance to us,' read another. 'Due to pressure of numbers, queuing systems will be in place.'

The doors were opened just 53 minutes late, and we all surged in, desperate for our welcoming drink. At this point, an electronic notice relayed the message: 'We apologise for the lack of champagne. We are delighted to announce that a champagne replacement service is now in operation.'

A waiter then walked around, offering each guest a small bottle of sparkling water and a free copy of the Daily Telegraph.

Our entry into the glittering dining area was delayed until 8.30pm, with further delays announced at 8.40pm, 8.53pm and 9.02pm. These delays were apparently due to extensive last-minute refurbishment, including the removal of the comfortable chairs 'to ensure a relaxing and enjoyable gala evening for all our guests'.

At last we all piled in, 300 guests with seating room for 200. The rest of us were instructed not to sit in the gangways, 'to ensure an efficient dining experience'.

By this time, we were all anticipating an evening of fine food and wine. Sadly, the first course  a choice of wild smoked salmon or egg mayonnaise  was cancelled at the last minute. This was, I must admit, a bit of a disappointment, but the Master of Ceremonies was extremely reassuring.

'Your first course is of the utmost importance to all of us at Southern Rail,' he said. 'Please await further announcements.' We were then offered a replacement trolley service delivering a bread roll with one portion of butter (subject to availability).

Before the main course was served, the Head Waiter visited each guest, in order to inspect their invitation. Perusing the invitation of the guest standing next to me, he shook his head gravely. 'This invitation is only valid at weekends for the off-peak Supersaver Gala Evening,' he said, escorting him to the door.

Like everyone else, I had been looking forward to tucking into a delicious main course. But then someone pointed to the small type, in italics, at the bottom of the blank menu.

The CEO of Southern Rail walked up to the stage, with a big grin on his face. But, sadly, his coveted trophy was nowhere to be seen

'Please note that there is no catering service. Our customers have told us that they no longer require dinner at the Gala Dinner, and that they prefer to opt for an outside service better suited to their immediate catering needs. However, complimentary plain biscuits will be served through our Gala Dinner trolley-service (on request, when applicable).'

The timetable attached to our invitation had promised that the awards would be presented by 'an international star of stage and screen'. Who would it be? There were rumours of George Clooney, or Emma Stone. At 10pm, on trotted the immortal Bernie Clifton, astride his ostrich.

When one or two members of the audience expressed disappointment, the MC told them they should have checked online before they set out. 'Owing to circumstances beyond our control, we are offering a full celebrity replacement service. Guests are reminded that we operate a comprehensive 24-hour Live Update customer service, with full information on all our upcoming disappointments, regrets, failures and apologies.

'Our website is down at present, owing to a high volume of calls.

'For a more sincere apology, please click on southernrailsincere apology.com.'

The award ceremony itself went smoothly enough. For the third year running, the award for 'Sincerest-Sounding Announcement' went to the woman who says 'Thank you for your continued patience' over the loud-speakers.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the annual Safety Award. 'No train is safer than the train that does not run,' announced Bernie Clifton's ostrich. 'And so, The Southern Rail Special Award for Customer Safety goes to . . . Southern Rail!'

The CEO of Southern Rail walked up to the stage, with a big grin on his face. But, sadly, his coveted trophy was nowhere to be seen.

'We regret to announce that this special award has been cancelled in the interests of customer safety,' explained the announcer.
When the pop star Lily Allen writes an ignorant and stupid comment on Twitter, its probably not worth getting worked up. She is not regarded as an astute social critic.

Miss Allen took to social media after Theresa Mays speech on Tuesday about a global Britain with the following observation: A global Britain could b [sic] good but the world still hates us cause, SLAVERY.

What can one say in response to such rubbish? That slavery prospered long before the British Empire came along? That after the abolition of this great evil in 1833, Britain led the way in trying to stamp it out? That, in fact, we are not widely hated because of slavery?

No, it wouldnt be a sensible use of our time to engage with Lily Allen any more than it would be to take on an idiot in a pub who insisted that the Battle of Hastings took place in 966, or that The Last Supper was painted by Canaletto.

When the pop star Lily Allen writes an ignorant and stupid comment on Twitter, its probably not worth getting worked up. She is not regarded as an astute social critic

Miss Allen took to social media after Theresa Mays speech on Tuesday about a global Britain with this observation

Attacked

But when respected intellectuals descend to abuse, and clever, well-read people make wild and hyperbolic comments about Brexit  well, then its not possible to smile indulgently and say nothing.

The writer and journalist Robert Harris

Take, for example, the writer and journalist Robert Harris. He is a civilised man and an excellent novelist, whose meticulously researched books have given pleasure to millions of people.

And yet this usually admirable person has just tweeted the following thought: Everything I liked about my country  tolerance, moderation, courtesy, sensibleness, pragmatism, irony  seems to have disappeared.

He has repeatedly bemoaned Brexit and these words emerged hours after Mrs Mays speech. They appear to mean that Brexiteers as a breed lack tolerance, moderation, courtesy, sensibleness, pragmatism and irony. Presumably, Remainers such as Mr Harris possess all these qualities in abundance.

The bizarre  or indeed ironic  thing about his tweet is that it manifests the deficiencies he identifies in his opponents. It is not tolerant, moderate or courteous to depict Brexiteers in such absolute and derogatory terms.

Let me say that I appreciate that the outcome of the referendum came as a shock to some people. And I can also understand why some of them should continue to grieve nearly seven months after the result.

But why do they depict those who voted Leave as bone-headed, fascistic types who lack all social and intellectual graces, and are too stupid to grasp the complexities of quitting the EU? Why do some of them resort so easily to vilification and exaggeration?

An even more egregious example than Mr Harris is Nicholas Boyle, a professor of German at Cambridge University, and evidently a man of learning and scholarship. He is one of this countrys leading experts on the German writer Goethe.

In Tuesdays issue of the anti-Brexit publication the New European, Professor Boyle wrote that the referendum vote does not deserve to be respected because, as an outgrowth of English narcissism, it is itself disrespectful of others, of our allies, partners, neighbours, friends and, in many cases, even relatives.

He continues in even more preposterous vein: Like resentful ruffians uprooting the new trees in the park and trashing the new play area, 17 million English, the lager louts of Europe, voted for Brexit in an act of geopolitical vandalism.

So there we have it. If you voted Leave, you are a lager lout and a vandal. And because of that, your vote should be disregarded. With what terrifying contempt does Professor Boyle (who I suspect is a man of the liberal-Left) regard many millions of his fellow countrymen!

The immoderate views of Mr Harris or Professor Boyle arent at all unusual among liberal-minded intellectuals. Two days after the referendum, I was invited to a north Oxford drinks party where I innocently told a pleasant and apparently enlightened professor that I had voted Leave. It would have been better if I had admitted membership of the Ku Klux Klan. He looked at me in disbelief, and scarpered. His wife was more vocal: Do you realise what youve done? I think she meant I had helped bring civilisation to an end.

Remoaners are obviously entitled to their views. But they are pushing their luck when they represent those who voted for Britain to leave the EU as a bunch of simple-minded, inebriated, near-lunatic extremists determined to wreck this country.

Why cant they admit that many of us have principles, that we are not all selfish brutes, and that we may have voted as we did because we care about the future of our country, and genuinely believe it will be better off outside the EU?

Its the sheer lack of proportionality and good sense that so appals. The normally easy-going, and often quietly amusing, playwright Alan Bennett has a go at Brexiteers during a trip to Venice in his diary published in the current issue of the London Review Of Books.

Reality

Before some overwrought remarks about Donald Trump (thankful that I am old and have no children to leave in a world at the mercy of this lying and bellicose vulgarian), Bennett expresses his gratitude as always for the grace and good temper of the Italians and their friendliness, virtues on which we have so summarily turned our backs.

Turned our backs? This is nonsense. The Italians are indeed a wonderful people. Im sure well go on visiting their beautiful country, and they ours, in ever greater numbers. Its barmy to suggest we have rejected them. The vote was against our membership of an inflexible and increasingly overbearing institution.

No doubt there are some Leftist intellectuals who have accepted the reality of Brexit, and want to make the best of it, but I fear they are few and far between.

This week, the first woman to run the Tate galleries was appointed. Maria Balshaw turns out to be another over-the-top Remoaner who expresses intemperate views about Brexiteers.

Immediately after the referendum, she re-tweeted: And, for the record, Nigel Farage is a fascist c***. She also re-tweeted a piece of idiocy from the art critic Waldemar Januszczak that was almost worthy of Lily Allen: The people have spoken. Just as the Germans did in 1933 when they voted in Hitler.

Such hyperbole is, alas, not restricted to our shores. Parts of the European Press reacted wildly to Mrs Mays speech. The normally sober German newspaper Die Welt ran the headline Little Britain. Was that a fair description of the Prime Ministers global ambitions? Might it be that the EU is being rather insular?

Demonise

Amid the widespread (though far from universal) bad-mouthing in Europe of Brexit Britain, the role this country played in saving the Continent from German and Italian fascism seems to have been largely forgotten. What short memories many European politicians have.

As for our home-grown extremists among the so-called intelligentsia, they risk consigning themselves to oblivion if they continue to demonise Brexiteers as Neanderthals whose views must somehow be circumvented.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has the cheek to say Mrs May is planning a theft of democracy, yet he refuses to accept the outcome of the referendum

Some anti-Brexit politicians arent much better. Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has the cheek to say Mrs May is planning a theft of democracy, yet he refuses to accept the outcome of the referendum. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon insists that a hard Brexit would be economically catastrophic. How can she know?

As Remoaners mistakenly forecast an instant recession following a Leave vote, they would be wise to avoid such apocalyptic forecasts. But intellectual humility is not the strongest suit of these extreme Remoaners.

Maybe we should be happy that some opponents of Brexit are prone to exaggeration, name-calling and vituperation since they weaken their case. Yet the great danger is that such unreasoning divisiveness in the face of what is now inevitable may end up by weakening the country they claim to care so much about.
She had no symptoms, but Vicky Cogger knew something wasn't quite right.

The Gold Coast resident had just given birth to her first child, a baby girl named Willow, when she visited her GP.

'I went to the doctors to get pap smear results and at the same I asked about breast screening,' the 33-year-old told Daily Mail Australia.

'He basically said I was too young to have a mammogram, but if I was worried he would send me for an ultrasound.

'I said I have family history, my nan and mum both had breast cancer, so they sent me for the test, and they found something.'

Gold Coast mother-of-one Vicky Cogger, pictured with her husband Sam Hay and daughter Willow, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year

She asked to be sent for checks because she had a family history of the disease, and when her daughter was three-and-a-half months old, Ms Cogger was diagnosed

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF BREAST CANCER? Changes to look for in your breasts include: * A lump, lumpiness or thickening in the breast or armpit  especially if it is in one breast only * A change in the size or shape of your breast * Skin changes such as dimpling, puckering or redness * Nipple inversion or discharge * A change to the nipple, like a rash, ulcer or itchiness * An unusual or persistent pain Source: Breast Cancer Care WA Advertisement

Just three-and-half months after her daughter was born, Ms Cogger was diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer.

'The first few months were hard, with Willow I had trouble breastfeeding anyway, I don't know if it was related,' she said.

Determined to fight the disease head on, Ms Cogger underwent a double mastectomy.

'Pretty much as soon as I found out it was breast cancer I wanted both of them off me, now,' she said.

'I had the double mastectomy, that was my choice.'

Doctors removed both breasts, and discovered while the cancer was only in her left, it has spread to her lymph nodes.

Thankfully, further testing showed it had not spread beyond that.

Since the mastectomy she has undergone rounds of chemotherapy, drug therapy and in coming weeks will begin radiation treatment.

After receiving the diagnosis she underwent a double mastectomy, and doctors also found cancer in her lymph nodes

Since the mastectomy she has undergone chemotherapy, drug treatment and will undergo further radiation to reduce any risk of the cancer returning

'My breast surgeon pretty much said because you're young, we're going to throw everything at it,' Ms Cogger said of her treatment.

By completing a number of different treatments she greatly increases her chance of recovery, with doctors telling her she has more than an 80 per cent survival rate in five years' time.

This year she will undergo five weeks of radiation treatment, and will take drugs long-term to prevent the cancer from returning.

'It's a drug that stops estrogen, because that's the main thing the cancer is feeding off,' she said.

'It basically puts you in a frozen fertility state, so no more kids probably.'

'I just hope if other people have family history they'll push to get checked,' she said

Ms Cogger, who is married to her husband Sam Hay, said while she had no symptoms, she just a feeling something wasn't right.

She hopes by sharing her story to encourage other women with a family history of breast cancer to get checked.

'I couldn't feel anything, nothing abnormal really,' she said.

'I just hope if other people have family history they'll push to get checked.'

To support the costs of her treatment, friends have started a My Cause page for Ms Cogger and her family. To support the cause, visit here.
She has appeared in the latest issue of Vogue, talking about the benefits of her clean-living lifestyle.

Now Australian fitness star Kayla Itsines has appeared on UK show This Morning where she shut down a suggestion by host Phillip Schofield that she create a 'board shorts body' nutrition plan for men.

During the appearance on Wednesday, Ms Itsines spoke to Phillip and fellow host Holly Willoughby about what her famed Bikini Body Plan involved.

Scroll down for video

Now Australian fitness star Kayla Itsines appeared on This Morning where she shut down a suggestion by host Phillip Schofield that she create a 'board shorts body' nutrition plan

During the appearance on Wednesday, Ms Itsines spoke to Phillip and fellow host Holly Willoughby about what her famed Bikini Body Plan involved.

Ms Itsines described her nutrition plan as being 'literally what women love to eat'

'Well, could blokes do it then?' Phillip asked, after Ms Itsines had talked about the benefits of her nutrition plan that she described as being 'literally what women love to eat... you are allowed everything.'

Phillip went on to suggest that Ms Itsines could create a 'board shorts body' plan for men - to which she laughed.

'Yes, that sounds amazing,' she said, appearing somewhat unconvinced. 'I might consider it in the future but for now, yeah, it's for women and I want them to be able to have everything.'

Phillip suggested Ms Itsines could create a 'board shorts body' plan for men - to which she laughed.

Ms Itsines has previously said that the most important thing to her is the community she has created

Following the exchange, Phillip turned to co-host Holly and said: 'Did you ever see an idea get binned any faster than that?' to which Holly replied: 'I know, I know'.

The exchange comes as Ms Itsines, from Adelaide, appeared in Vogue Australia talking about the benefits of her clean-living lifestyle.

'I dont drink alcohol, I dont take drugs or go out. It is not like I do that for show; I guess that is my lifestyle,' the personal trainer said.

Ms Itsines is known for her exercise and nutrition plan the Bikini Body Guide, and more recently her Sweat with Kayla app

Her down-to-earth approach translates to her presence online, where the 25-year-old posts more than just selfies in the gym.

'I share everything: when Im not working out, when Im eating dessert, when I have my period, and as a community we share,' she explained.

'I want to be able to share my experiences with them. I have literally nothing to hide.'

'I don't drink, I don't take drugs': The 25-year-old doesn't go out partying, unlike many other women her age

She told the magazine that that she cares more about being a good person than the number of Instagram followers she has

Ms Itsines' approach has attracted a number of brands, with the 25-year-old working with everyone from Adidas to Apple, but she said being a 'good person' mattered more to her than followers.

'Some people are like: "If I lose my Instagram and Facebook followers, who am I?"' Ms Itsines said. 'You need to be humble and treat everybody with respect.

'I want people to think: "She was a good person" rather than: "She had a lot of followers."'

Ms Itsines and her partner Tobias Pierce made it on to the BRW Young Rich List in 2016.
A Queensland woman has spoken of the moment she met the father she'd never known, and discovered they had in fact been neighbours years earlier.

Natalie Byers, 36, was 18 when she discovered the man she had called 'dad' wasn't in fact her biological father, and when her mother died after an eight-year cancer battle, she feared she would never find him.

But after Ms Byers joined a Facebook group that helped people connect with lost relatives last November, the pair were reunited, with Ms Byers telling that's life! magazine 'I finally feel like I belong'.

Natalie Byers (pictured) has spoken of the moment she was reunited with the father she hadn't seen for 36 years (also pictured)

Sharing her story with the magazine, Ms Byers said she had always felt different, meaning that her mother's revelation didn't come as a surprise.

Her mother had shown her some photographs of her father - Wayne Lewis - and offered to help her find him, explaining she thought he lived near Maryborough, Qld.

But when her mother was taken ill shortly after, Ms Byers said all thoughts of finding her dad went out the window.

It was only after her mother's death that Ms Byers began searching for her father.

After writing a Facebook post about her predicament, she was stunned to receive a message from her father and the pair soon talked on the phone.

Ms Byers only began searching for her father after her mother passed away following a battle with cancer

Mr Lewis (pictured here with Ms Byers' mother) said that he is looking forward to making up for lost time

Ms Byers shares her story in that's life! magazine

'I discovered that Wayne had dates Mum when she was 16 and he was 17,' Ms Byers told that's life!

'They'd already broken up when Mum told him she was pregnant but he offered to support her,' she said, explaining that later it appeared her mother - for unknown reasons - had told Wayne that he wasn't the father and he needn't stay in touch.

Later, Ms Byers met her father for the first time and discovered that years earlier they'd been neighbours.

'When I was nine, Dad unknowingly moved three doors down from my family home,' Ms Byers said.

'I don't remember it but he'd walked into the pet shop Mum owned and had seen me in there.'

Ms Byers said he had later moved away, not wanting to bring back bad memories.

The pair now speak on the phone every night, with Mr Lewis saying: 'I'm looking forward to making up for lost time'.
Stepping gingerly onto the scales and agonising over the result is a feeling many women are all too familiar with.

But Bath University student and fitness blogger Lauren Tickner, 20, is out to convince weight-watchers that the numbers aren't important - and she posted these astonishing photos on Instagram to prove her point.

Lauren says she was a whopping 12lbs heavier when she weighed herself at night than she had been when she stepped on the scales first thing that very same day - and put it all down to food and water retention.

The student blogger says she was 12lbs heavier when she weighed herself at night (right) than she had been when she woke up that same day (left)

'I do not have the abs I wake up with in the evening,' she told her near 57,000 Instagram following.

'Just because I weigh 12 pounds more now, does not mean I have gained 12 pounds of fat... I will wake up tomorrow looking exactly how I look on the left.'

The University of Bath student said she had not overeaten during the day but merely fuelled her body with food and drink, and that her abs became less chiseled as the day progressed as a result.

'My body now looks so different because I now have this water weight and food inside me,' she said.

Lauren has previously posted other photos demonstrating how deceptive an Instagram image can be, as part of her efforts to 'be real' with her online fans

The blogger, who has previously posted other photos demonstrating how deceptive Instagram images can be as part of her efforts to 'be real' with her fans, urged her followers not to obsess over the numbers on the scale.

She said weighing yourself at different times through the day could be counter-productive.

'Stop weighing yourself after you have eaten/drunk,' she wrote.

'Weighing yourself at random times in the day is going to make your result wrong.'

The student, who also vlogs on YouTube as The Laurenizer, recommended getting on the scales first thing, at the exact same time each day, naked, and after going to the toilet, in order to get a true result.
The weird, wonderful, and occasionally mundane gifts showered upon the Royal Family have been revealed in an official list published today.

It details scarves, mittens and ice hockey sticks received by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the bottles of rum and pepper sauce bestowed on Prince Harry in the Caribbean, and 90th birthday gifts for the Queen that included a bag of salt, a tartan travel rug, a Union Jack notebook and a glass cupcake.

Prince George, three, and Princess Charlotte, one, received 165 gifts when they joined their parents on their official tour of Canada, it emerged.

The Duke of York's gifts last year included a face mask, an eye compress, a box of mangoes, and six tins of corned meat from the Botswana Meat Commission.

Official gifts, declared annually in a list, can be worn and used, but are not considered the royals' personal property and they do not pay tax on them.

They cannot be sold or exchanged and eventually become part of the Royal Collection, which is held in trust by the Queen for her successors and the nation.

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Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh were presented with a silver Post-It note holder during a visit to Hamilton and Inches jewellers in Edinburgh

BIRTHDAY PRESENTS FIT FOR A QUEEN... The Queen was inundated with even more gifts than usual in 2016, the year she marked her 90th birthday... A purple bag of salt from the British Virgin Islands Salmon and whiskey from the Northern Ireland Food and Drinks Industry Tartan travel rug from the Isle of Man Government Chief Minister A chest of wine from the Slovakian ambassador A pair of young red deer stags from Woburn Abbey Deer Park A wooden salad bowl from the Crown Estate A glass cupcake from the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside Advertisement

... AND OTHER GIFTS THROUGH 2016 Her majesty received gifts from around the world outside of her birthday month, too... A posy of crocheted poppies from the Victoria State Government An ostrich egg painted as a globe from the city of Cape Town A model BAC Mono sports car from the International Festival for Business A silver Post-it note holder on a leather base from an Edinburgh jewellers A limited edition Monopoly set from the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art A pair of drum sticks from the Top Secret Drum Corps Advertisement

The Queen also received a set of crocheted poppies from the Victoria State Government

The International Festival for Business presented the Queen with a model BAC car

Gifts on the official list published by the Royal Household include a Holocaust memorial candle and 'Inside the Hearts and Minds of Arab Youth' from the Emir of Dubai

The Queen was presented with a set of five porcelain spoons by the artist Clare Twomey, which were commissioned by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust

The Queen received a DVD from the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, left, and a book, right, from Stephen Wallace, Governor General of Canada

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, seen in India in April last year, were showered with gifts during their tours overseas in 2016

The list reveals details of the gifts received by Prince George, left, and Princess Charlotte, right with her mother, during the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Canadian tour

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE'S GIFTS... The Duke of Cambridge was inundated with presents in 2016, including: Three woollen wraps and a vest from the Heiltsuk First Nation A glass block from an individual A vest from Kwanlin Dun First Nation A pair of woollen mittens from an individual A pair of shoes from the Mayor of Victoria A box of toiletries from a member of the public Two bow ties from the Premier of British Columbia A volleyball jersey from a member of the public A lace snowflake* Bread mix* A paddle, a woollen throw and a guitar from the Premier of British Columbia* Three ceramic cups and saucers from a member of the public* Five hooded jumpers from the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation* A drum* An eagle feather* Mint tonic* Nine pin badges* Three brass Xorai (offering tray with stand), a framed Royal seal of Assam and a glass paperweight from the Chief Minister of Assam Laminated sonnet from an individual *Denotes gifts intended for both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Advertisement

... AND THOSE FOR THE DUCHESS Naturally, the Duchess of Cambridge was also presented with a stream of gifts last year, including: Four woollen wraps, a vest, and a bouquet of fake flowers from the Heiltsuk First Nation A beaded purple rose from an individual A headband from an individual A bouquet of woven reed flowers from a member of the public A totem pole from the Carcross Tagish First Nation* A soft toy polar bear from a member of the public* 11 bottles of wine from the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia* A candlestick holder from the Prime Minister of Canada* Nine packets of cereal* A cloak* A First Nations robe from the Grand Chief of Tl'azt'en Nation* A pair of paddles, a single paddle, and eight t-shirts from Heiltsuk First Nation* T'aaGuu, a symbol of power and provision fashioned from a sheet of copper, from Haida First Nation* Quilted wall hanging* Two fridge magnets* Marble plate from the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh *Denotes gifts intended for both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Advertisement





PRESENTS FOR PRINCE GEORGE... Gifts received by the three-year-old prince during the official tour of Canada include: Lego from the Mayor of Vancouver A fabric badge and medal from the Vancouver Police Department A woollen wrap from the Premier of British Columbia A vest from Kwanlin Dun First Nation An aviation suit from an individual A cardigan and a hat from an individual A child's life jacket from an individual Advertisement

... AND HIS SISTER PRINCESS CHARLOTTE Princess Charlotte, one, was also showered with gifts while on the trip with her parents, including... A pair of shoes from the Mayor of Victoria A hat from Nisga'a First Nation Elder A miniature ice hockey stick from a member of the public A guitar from the Premier of British Columbia Toy tiara from a member of the public A doll, a bottle of bubble mix, two pairs of clown glasses, a puzzle, a packet of sweets and eight chocolates from a member of the public Advertisement

The presents received by Prince Harry during his official Caribbean tour included rum, pepper sauce, and a beaded headdress

PRINCE HARRY'S PRESENT LIST... Prince Harry, 32, received an array of gifts during his official tour of the Caribbean, including: Bottles of pepper sauce, six key rings and a laminated poster from a member of the public A baseball cap and a pair of blue jogging bottoms from the St Lucia Visit Committee Two bottles of rum and a hamper from the Governor General of Grenada A beaded necklace, a feathered headdress, a book, a t-shirt, a photograph and a painting from the Surama Community Medallion and coin fro the Chief of Staff, Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force A Warri board game from a member of the public A wooden plaque from an individual Clay model of a canoe and two macaws from an individual Beaded necklace and a bracelet from a member of the public Wooden plaque and a Rudraksha mala (spiritual prayer beads) from an individual Woven shawl from an individual Nepalese hat from a member of the public Woven basket from a member of the public Framed photograph, a Khukuri knife and a book from the Chief of Army Staff, the Nepalese Army Print on rolled canvas, the deputy Prime Minister of Nepal Advertisement

THE DUKE OF YORK'S GIFTS IN 2016... The Duke of York received a diverse collection of gifts that included: A shawl from the President of the Republic of Indonesia Lang Fu Organic tea from Xuexian Bei A tie, a face mask, hot chocolate spoons and a bow tie from Energy Centre Copper pans and an apron from the Prime Minister of Estonia Chinese calligraphy from Epsom College Japanese pottery from the Japanese ambassador to the UK Three boxes of mangoes from Ambassador Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan Cardboard crown from students at Alice Smith Primary School Royal Selangor tea from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Eye Doctor hot eye compressor from Sue Grant Two 'Goodbye Malaria' bags and a 'Goodbye Malaria' elephant toy from Nandos Chilli Farm Six tins of Ecco corned meat from the Botswana Meat Commission Advertisement

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Prince Edward, seen in November last year, received gifts including stuffed penguins, a solar panel plaque and blue cheese

PRINCE EDWARD'S YEAR IN GIFTS... A signed copy of A Friend for Lakota from the author* Rotary tie and badge from the Rotary Club of Windsor and Eton Two Wilbur the penguin stuffed toys from British Gas Leicestershire Academy A Ladybird book from Hovertravel Solar panel plaque from a supporter Five bottles of spirits and a framed ceremonial element from His Excellency Otumfo Nana Osei Tutu II, Ashanti King Two shawls from Oblempong of British Accra Fleece blanket, beaded giraffe and concentrated ginger beer, from guests during his tour of South Africa and Ghana Crocheted blanket from a care home resident* Presentational tile from Deer Lodge Care Home* Two Army bags, tea and a picture from the Royal Aviation Museum of Canada* Moccasins from Fort McMurray First Nations* Fluminense football shirt from British School, Rio Uruguayan riding boots from the President of Uruguay, Tabare Vazquez Spurs and horn from Chilean Naval HQ Cufflinks from the Chilean Navy Jar of honey from Parc Prison *Denotes gifts intended for the Earl and Countess Wessex Advertisement
The sentiment that family is important is the only thing that keeps one mammoth restoration project going when two brothers are tested to their very limits.

Matt and Jimmy Whittle decide to team up to overhaul a water filtration plant in Lancaster, North Yorkshire, that Matt and his father-in-law Mike Readfern bought for 195,000 at auction in 2013.

They have a total budget of 400,000 to build two three-bedroom homes in the structure that will sit parallel to each other and make them permanent neighbours.

However, brother Jimmy, a builder by trade, who moves from his home on the Isle of Man into a caravan on site to help out his brother erect the home of Matt's dreams, ends up doing most of the work.

The Langthwaite Filter House in Lancaster, North Yorkshire, is snapped up by Matt Whittle and his father-in-law Mike Readfern for 195,000

(L-R) Mike, presenter of The Restoration Man George Clarke and Matt discuss the project in March 2015, which Matt reckons will only take a year

The building is split between the two of them equally with each having a three-bedroom house and an indoor atrium

Mike's house is completed within two and a half years with his kitchen given a soft, homely feel in his open plan ground floor

The filtration plant was an empty shell before Matt and his brother Jimmy moved in to overhaul the entire building

In the latest episode of Channel 4's The Restoration Man, presenter George Clarke is skeptical of the brothers' ambitions to complete the work within a year.

But Jimmy remains positive, saying: 'There will be a few arguments but thats what Im here for blood is thicker than water.'

He gives up his own life in the Isle of Man to live on the building site in a caravan.

Matt and his father-in-law Mike begin their restoration journey together, but as Matt struggles to balance being a project manager, a boyfriend, a new dad and work a 40-hour week as an IT developer, Mike grows impatient and brings his own set of contractors in to finish his house.

It leaves Jimmy under an enormous amount of pressure and when George returns to the site 10 months after they first began in March 2015 he asks why he doesn't have extra labour to help him out.

'Because I'm working for family and there's nothing I can say,' he laments.

After two and half years, Mike is just days away from moving into his home but his son-in-law is still working on his

(Left) The pair decided to build an indoor atrium as a way of preserving the rest of the building which was set to be demolished. (Right) One of Mike's three bathrooms

One of Mike's three bathrooms is seen on the show

George gets taken on a tour of the house with a huge window acting as a skylight right above Mike's master bed suite

It takes seven months to gain planning approval for walls to be knocked through to make way for windows and an entire year before pre-fabricated steel and timber frames arrive for the houses internal structure.

At 88,000, that is the single most expensive part of the entire project. The specialist team fit the frames within 30 days but it does nothing to spur on Matt to hire anymore staff.

He stubbornly tells George, who thinks they're falling way behind schedule: 'Yes, but at the same time I dont want to feel like someone else built my house.'

After two years of building together, their relationship is tested to breaking point, and when Jim's caravan sets on fire and his entire home is gutted he threatens to walk away.

Jimmy gives up his life in the Isle of Man to move into a caravan on the site of his brother's new house

It takes 30 days for the interior structure to be built by a specialist team but it doesn't spur Matt on to hire any other staff to help his brother who has to take it all on solo

In an attempt to keep costs down, after two and a half years Matt's house is no where near ready to move in

George asks Jimmy why he's even bothering when he won't be even living in the new homes: 'I keep walking away but then I think thats my family Ive got to go back.

'All I'm trying to do is look after my brother and my father-in-law but I do have my own life but this has swallowed a very significant chunk of it now Its getting to the stage now where I might end up walking away.'

After another six months in September 2016, Mike is just days away from moving into his house, with his entire ground floor fitted with modern lighting and soft furnishings.

George is shown around the completed home but it's clear Matt has a long way to go in his unfinished home, and there's no sight of Jimmy.

The Restoration Man airs tonight at 8pm on Channel 4
Ivanka Trump is only a day away from becoming First Daughter, and the businesswoman was dressed to the nines for her flight to Washington, D.C. on Thursday morning.

The 35-year-old looked stunning in an Oscar de la Renta green dress and matching coat as she left her building with her husband Jared Kushner, 36, and three children, Arabella, Joseph, and Theodore.

Ivanka and Jared were all smiles as they walked hand and hand, while her 23-year-old half-sister Tiffany was spotted with her longtime beau Ross Mechanic at Trump Tower.

United front: Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner were hand in hand as they left their Park Avenue apartment on Thursday morning

All smiles: The couple stepped out the door with their five-year-old daughter Arabella

The power couple were getting ready to fly to Washington, D.C. with Ivanka's father, and she was the picture of elegance for the outing.

The mother-of-three accessorized her outfit with cat-eye sunglasses and sky-high nude heels, leaving her long legs bare.

Jared looked dapper in a wool coat worn over his navy suit, and the couple had all three of their children present during the family outing.

First family: Ivanka and Jared were dressed to the nines, and Arabella looked darling in a navy wool coat and red Mary Janes

All together: The couple's sons, three-year-old Joseph and nine-month-old Theodore, were also photographed leaving the building with their nannies

Mini-me: Joseph looked like the spitting image of his father in a navy blazer and khaki pants

Making heads turn: Ivanka stunned in a monochromatic emerald green ensemble and sky-high nude heels

While Arabella looked adorable in a navy wool coat, gray tights, and shiny red Mary Janes, her three-year-old brother Joseph was the spitting image of his father in khaki pants and a navy suit coat.

Baby Theodore, who will turn 10 months old in a few weeks, was bundled up in a hat and a blanket in his stroller.

Ivanka finally addressed rumors that she would be taking on a role similar to that of First Lady when her father takes office in a pre-recorded interview with Deborah Roberts, which will air in full on 20/20 Thursday night.

Look of love: Jared only had eyes for his wife of seven years during the public outing

Power couple: Ivanka and Jared are moving to Washington, D.C. after Friday's inauguration, as he will be working as her father Donald's senior adviser

Made it! Ivanka stepped off her father Donald's private plane holding her baby boy Theodore while Arabella walked behind her

In the spotlight: Ivanka, Jared, and their children traveled to Washington, D.C. with her siblings, their partners, her stepmother Melania, and her father

'Well, I think its an inappropriate observation. There's one First Lady and she'll do remarkable things,' said Ivanka, referring to her father's wife Melania.

Ivanka revealed during the interview that she is still close to former first daughter Chelsea Clinton despite her father's victory over Hillary in the election, and said that she will likely go to her for advice once she settles down in Washington DC next week.

The businesswoman wore a $2,490 Carolina Herrera dress for the interview, and she also spoke about how difficult it was for her to step down from her role as an EVP in the Trump Organization while also backing away from her leadership role at her eponymous clothing and accessories line.

Elegant: Ivanka donned tan leather gloves and sunglasses as she stepped off the plane

Too cute: Theodore looked darling in a little khaki coat and lace-up booties

Full house: Ivanka's brother Donald Jr. stepped off the plane with his wife Vanessa and their children, while her brother Eric was followed by his wife Lara

'It's emotional that I'm stepping away from my business,' said Ivanka. 'My father will be president and hopefully I can be there to support him and to support those causes I have cared about my whole professional career.'

Ivanka spent her last day in her New York office on Wednesday, and uploaded a photo to her Instagram as she said goodbye to her job in the Big Apple to head on down to the nation's capital.

'My last day in the new @ivankatrumphq space. I'm a little jealous I won't be here to enjoy the beautiful new office with my talented team,' she wrote.

All smiles: Ivanka took to Twitter to share this photo of her family getting of the plane

Doting daughter: Ivanka use the hashtag #MAGA (Make America Great Again) when posting the image in honor of her dad's inauguration

Public appearance: Ivanka's half-sister Tiffany was spotted at Trump Tower with her Democrat beau Ross Mechanic

Keeping her energy up! The 23-year-old college grad had a coffee in her hand as she walked through the building

Walking billboard: Tiffany supported her older sister Ivanka by wearing a $325 black wool coat from her eponymous line, keeping extra warm with a pale pink scarf

Ivanka and Jared are moving into the luxurious neighborhood of Kalorama in Washington, D.C. to raise her children, and they will be living just two blocks away from the Obamas' new home.

While Ivanka was with her husband and children, Tiffany was photographed in Trump Tower with a coffee in hand.

The recent college graduate supported Ivanka by wearing a $325 black wool coat from her eponymous line, keeping extra warm with a pale pink scarf.

Tiffany's Democrat beau Ross had his lips in a fine line as they walked through the lobby of Trump Tower, while she was all smiles ahead of her father's inauguration.

After the family's flight, Ivanka stepped off her dad's private plane at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland with Theodore in her arms.

After her arrival, Ivanka took to Instagram to share a photo of her family getting off the plane.
Queen Rania of Jordan, one of the US's greatest allies in the Middle East, has shared a thoughtful sendoff with First Lady Michelle Obama on her last day in the White House.

The Queen, 46, and Mrs. Obama, 53, have shared warm relations, with both advocating for the education of girls around the world.

The Jordanian royal has also spoken at events for Mrs. Obama's Let Girls Learn initiative.

Powerful women: Queen Rania shared a throwback photo of herself with Michelle Obama on Instagram today

Queen Rania wrote the message both in Arabic and in English to reach all of her 2.8 million followers.

'Exceptional First Lady,' she wrote. 'Looking forward to the next chapter in your life and the inspiration you will bring to girls' education. Watch out world - you haven't seen the best of this woman yet!'

The thoughtful words were accompanied by a throwback photo of the two smiling for the camera.

In the hours since it has been posted, the picture has earned 30,000 likes as well as supportive comments from around the world in several languages.

She also wrote a touching message to Mrs. Obama as she leaves her role in the White House

'Both of you are an inspiration to women everywhere!' wrote one. Another added: '2 of the most amazing, strong powerful women that always inspire me.'

In September of 2016, Queen Rania spoke at a Let Girls Learn event hosted by the First Lady, where the photo the Queen posted today was taken.

In addition to performances by the casts of Wicket, Waitress, The Color Purple, and Beautiful: The Musical, remarks were delivered by Queen Rania and Malawi First Lady Dr. Gertrude Mutharika.

Good cause: The two have bonded over their passionate advocacy for girls' education

'This is what Margaret Mead meant when she said: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world"' she said in her speech.

'And they dont come more committed than Michelle Obama. Thank you for bringing us together, Michelleand for helping to keep girls education in the global spotlight.'

Michelle celebrated her birthday on Wednesday, and was met with touching tributes from fans and celebrities  including Adele, Beyonce, and Eva Longoria  on Instagram.
Her marriage to country star Keith Urban has endured for ten years and has seen Nicole Kidman help her husband battle his addiction to drink.

But when Woman's Hour's host Jenni Murray attempted to delve deeper into the matter when interviewing the Australian Oscar-winning actress - she was met with a very frosty response.

For while Miss Kidman was more than happy to be candid about her relationship with her adopted children with ex-Tom Cruise and even admitted she'd love to be a foster mother, she balked at a question about how she had coped with Urban's fight with alcoholism.

'God, you guys are personal,' she said, followed by a sharp intake of breath.

Nicole Kidman was less than impressed to be quizzed about her husband Keith Urban's previous battles with alcoholism during an interview with Woman's Hour today

The Australian actress with her husband Keith Urban and daughters Faith (left) and Sunday (right). She's admitted that she would also love to welcome a foster child to the family

However she did then elaborate, saying: 'That's for him to talk about. He's always said that I can talk about it publicly because he's very much about helping people.

'I think our marriage is an example of working our way through it with an outcome where you can be together where he's sober and very happy.'

Keith checked into rehab for the third time to tackle drug and alcohol issues just months after his 2006 wedding to Nicole.

Despite Nicole's reluctance, Jenni pursued the line of questioning during Thursday morning's Radio 4 show and asked Nicole to what extent she had to take a step back and let Keith deal with his demons himself.

Nicole Kidman hit back when Woman's Hour presenter Jenni Murray quizzed her about her husband Keith Urban's battles with alcoholism

'We could do a whole programme,' she replied. 'There's different ways. I am very much involved in supporting and loving and I know a lot about it.

'But it's not something I can put in a catchphrase. But I don't believe you can save a person.'

Nicole who has two daughters with Keith, Sunday Rose, eight, and Faith Margaret, six, recently revealed that she carries a faint hope that she could still fall pregnant with another baby at 49.

The star, who recently revealed that she has a faint hope of becoming a mother again at 49, admitted that she would love to be a foster parent

And she also opened up about her desire to foster a child, something she has only hinted at in the past.

She revealed that she she likes to talk about her experiences of being a mother to adoptive children, a child she gave birth to and a biological child born via a surrogate.

'I'm one of the few people in the world who has experienced so many different forms of it,' she said. 'But I haven't had the child from a donor egg. I haven't also been a foster mother and I'm very interested in that.

'But I did foster a child that I met through school, an aboriginal boy.'

Jenni also tackled Nicole about the rumours over her allegedly strained relationship with her adopted children Connor and Isabella.

Tom Cruise with Connor, the son he adopted with Nicole Kidman. The actress refused to be drawn on their relationship, saying that she wants to respect her children's privacy

Nicole Kidman's daughter Bella at a photography exhibition in London in February 2016

Nicole and her ex-husband Tom with their children Connor and Isabella. The actress today revealed that the bond she felt with her adopted children was exactly the same as her biological daughters

'How true is that? And if it is true, how do you manage it?' she asked the Moulin Rouge star.

'I don't discuss any of it,' Nicole replied. 'I don't discuss any of my children in terms of their privacy. All I say is that there's unconditional love. I try to keep things simple.'

Following her split from Tom Cruise after 11 year's together, Nicole's adoptive children opted to grow up with their father in Los Angeles alongside the Scientology church.

Most recently, her daughter Isabella shocked the world when she tied the knot in a secret ceremony in September 2015 - without her famous parents by her side.

Curious about her experiences as an adoptive mother, Jenni said she couldn't imaged how she would react to a child she hadn't given birth to herself.

'It's all the same,' she said. 'I can only speak for myself. Once the bond is formed, the bond is formed.

'The bond is what they emphasise in terms of any sort of maternal role. It's why when you give birth, they go: "quickly hold your baby, smell your baby".

'As soon as that bond is formed, that's it. You know that feeling of you would die for that child.'
A co-chair of Women's March on Washington has told how she first got involved in social activism in the aftermath of 9/11.

Linda Sarsour from Brooklyn said that following the world-changing terror attack on New York City her entire outlook on the US 'changed in a matter of minutes'.

The Muslim mother told Vox that it prompted her to volunteer for the Arab American Association of New York, where after 15 years she is executive director.

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Pivotal moment: Linda Sarsour, one of four co-chairs of Saturday's march, said her outlook on the US 'changed in a matter of minutes' following the terror attacks

Strong voice: The experiences of her community in Brooklyn prompted the mother to volunteer for the Arab American Association of New York, where she is now executive director

On Saturday, Linda, one of four co-chairs of the march, will address crowds of hundreds of thousands in a speech in Washington D.C. the day after Donald Trump's inauguration.

In a video interview as part of Vox's 'Secret Life of Muslims' series, Linda described how, aged 21, the events after 9/11 helped to shape her political voice.

Linda, a former Bernie Sanders campaign surrogate, said: 'When I was 21 years old, 9/11 happened. My mom was running out of the house and I said to her, "Where are you going?"

'And she said, 'Oh I've got to go pick up your brother from school." And I said, "Wait a minute, but you don't have your hijab on, where are you going?"

'She said, "We can't wear it right now." That really made me, it gave me, like a, something in my stomach just made me feel nauseous.

'My whole perspective on what country I live in just changed in a matter of minutes.'

When she saw the impact of the law enforcement sweeps in 2001 she decided to put her dual cultural understanding and linguistic skills into action.

Determined: Linda, pictured at a Bernie Sanders presidential campaign event last year, went on to successfully lobby for New York schools to recognize two Islamic high holidays

Movement: Over one million people are expected to take part in the Women's March on Washington in 151 cities across the world in support of women's equality

Five years later, the New York State Department of Education scheduled to school exams on Muslim high holy holidays.

Linda said children were forced to choose between doing the exam and celebrating the holiday with their families.

She added: 'In 2013 New Yorkers were going to choose a new mayor. I figured out a way to use my political connections to make this the issue...

'We were able to get six Democrats, one Independent and even the Republican candidate to actually say on the record that when we become mayor of New York City we will incorporate Muslim holidays.'

After years of lobbying, the Department for Education later agreed to recognize two Muslim high holidays.

Over one million people are expected to march in 151 cities across the world on Saturday in support of women's equality.

Global co-coordinator Evvie Harmon said: 'It was clear from week one this was going to be a global movement.

'It's like the women of the world were sitting on a powder keg and Donald Trump lit the match.'
Tiffany Trump and her boyfriend Ross Mechanic have passed a major milestone in their relationship that doesn't happen for most couples  a presidential inauguration.

The President-elect's youngest daughter took her 22-year-old beau to Washington, D.C. with her to watch her father Donald be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on Friday.

Although public records state that Ross has been a registered Democrat since 2012, he stood by 23-year-old Tiffany's side from the moment they entered Trump Tower upon their arrival in the nation's capital.

Major milestone: Tiffany Trump took her boyfriend Ross Mechanic to Washington, D.C. with her

Style star: Tiffany supported her older half-sister Ivanka by wearing a $325 black wool coat from her eponymous line over her dress

While Donald left Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. from an underground garage on Thursday afternoon, Tiffany and Ross were seen walking out of the ballroom doors, along with her Secret Service detail.

Tiffany supported her older half-sister Ivanka by wearing a $325 black wool coat from her eponymous line over her dress.

The University of Pennsylvania graduate kept extra warm with a pale pink scarf, and she accessorized her look with rhinestone encrusted black pumps and a studded black handbag.

On the go: Tiffany and Ross were photographed walking out of the ballroom doors at Trump International Hotel on Thursday afternoon

Feeling the heat! Ross looked dapper in a navy suit and blue tie, opting to carry his coat and scarf outside

Tiffany's long blond hair was down in loose waves around her shoulders as they headed out of the hotel.

Meanwhile, Ross looked put-together in a navy suit and blue tie, opting to carry his coat and scarf outside.

Although the two often share photos of each other cuddled lose on their individual Instagram pages, the two kept a little distance between them as they stepped outside.

Different politics: According to public records, Ross has been a registered Democrat since 2012

Youngest daughter: When they arrived in Washington, D.C., Tiffany walked off her father's plane behind Ivanka

Display of affection: Ivanka and her husband Jared were holding hands when they left their Park Avenue apartment and headed to the airport

The Mechanic family  Jonathan, 63, his wife Wendy Sue Levine, 59, and sons Marc, 25, and Ross, 21  are all registered, active Democrats, according to public records. Both Jonathan and Wendy Sue have been registered Democrats since 1988.

Tiffany and Ross met at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is now a senior, and the two have been going strong for more than a year.

However, despite their different political beliefs, there families knew each other before they started dating.

Starting the day: Tiffany and Ross kicked off their morning at Trump Tower in New York City

Getting their energy: The couple both had coffees in their hands as they got ready to fly to the nation's capital

Donald even once signed a copy of his book, The Art of the Deal, for Ross's father, a real estate lawyer, with the inscription: 'To the greatest real estate lawyer in the world, best wishes, Donald.'

After Tiffany graduated in May, Ross spent the summer before his senior year as an intern at Cadre, a real estate startup founded by Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner.

Before heading to Washington, D.C., Tiffany and Ross were spotted in Trump Tower with coffees in their hands.

Ross had his lips in a fine line as they walked through the lobby, while she was all smiles ahead of her father's inauguration.

Doting daughter: Tiffany was all smiles as she watched her father speak to GOP lawmakers at a luncheon at Trump International Hotel later in the day

Patriotic: Tiffany stood by her family as they said the Pledge of Allegiance Arlington National Cemetery

Support system: The family watched watched the President-elect and Vice President-elect Mike Pence lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at the cemetery

The two joined her family on Donald's private plane; Tiffany and her siblings were photographed stepping out together, but Ross walked out the back of the plane.

Meanwhile, Ivanka and her husband Jared put on a display of affection as they stepped out of their Park Avenue apartment building hand in hand.

The couple, who have been married for seven years, had all three of their children in tow as they headed to the airport.

When they arrived at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, Ivanka carried her nine-month-old son Theodore off the plane, while Jared followed behind with their five-year-old daughter Arabella.

Later in the day, Tiffany stood by her siblings as they watched their father speak to GOP lawmakers during a luncheon at Trump International Hotel.

They then traveled to Arlington National Cemetery where the President-elect and Mike Pence laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Two months ago, Eloise Barnette's family was tearfully getting ready to say goodbye.

The 75-year-old grandmother-of-two and great-grandmother-of-three had been lying unresponsive in an Ohio hospital for four weeks.

Her family had made the decision to take her off life support in November.

But two days later, to their astonishment, she woke up.

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Miraculous: Eloise Barnette, 75, a grandmother-of-two and great-grandmother-of-three (pictured here with her husband Dale) 'miraculously' woke up after being unresponsive for over a month in the hospital

Tragic: Dale said Eloise was unresponsive one morning in October and rushed her to Mount Carmel West hospital. She had a fever of 104F

'Everybody's definition of miracles are different, but it's a miracle to me because I've never seen it happen,' Dr Matt Wooten, Eloise's lead physician, told NBC4.

Twelve weeks ago, Eloise's husband, Dale, was unable to wake her up in the morning - and she was rushed to Mount Carmel West hospital.

'One organ after another started failing. They'd fix one and something else would go wrong,' Dale told NBC4.

Doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. She arrived with a temperature of 104F. Stroke, meningitis, and a brain infection were all ruled out.

Tests finally showed that her kidneys were failing, so Eloise was put on dialysis. Her blood pressure dropped steeply.

After signs showed she wasn't getting better, her family decided to take her off her ventilator on November 19 - but Eloise kept breathing.

Dale said: 'We stayed there and just waited for her to go. We just kept praying.

'She mouthed, "I love you" and I knew she was in there.'

Two days later, Dr Matt Wooten, who had been treating Eloise, went down to palliative care to check on his patient.

'When I went down there, she opened her eyes and started talking to me. It really surprised me,' Dr Wooten said.

Eloise said she was surprised by the circumstances herself, believing her recovery to be a 'miracle'.

Eloise (pictured here with her daughter Beverly) from Mount Sterling, Ohio, was discovered to be suffering from kidney failure and was put on dialysis. After no signs of improvement showed, her family decided to take her off life support

Dr Matt Wooten went to check on his patient two days later - and she had woken up. 'When I went down there, she opened her eyes and started talking to me. It really surprised me,' he said

Eloise called her recovery a 'miracle' and believes it was because of her strong will that she made it through. 'I have a lot of fight in me and it keeps me going,' she said

Now back at home, Eloise said she knew it wasn't her time yet and the experience taught her: 'No matter what happens to you, don't give up hope'

She told NBC4: 'They didn't see any chance of me coming out of this and they thought it would be best to just let me go.

'I have a lot of fight in me and it keeps me going.'

Eloise was transferred to Meadow Grove Transitional Care Center. Although she didn't make any progress for weeks, she eventually started to stand up.

'If it wasn't for the therapy department, I don't think I would have made it,' said Eloise.

'No matter what happens to you, don't give up hope.'

Doctors remain baffled as to why Eloise's kidneys failed and how she made such an astonishing recovery.
Viewers of a new documentary lifting the lid on the NHS crisis were left heartbroken last night when a 60-year-old man died after his life-saving operation was cancelled.

Peter Lai was forced to wait in a corridor at St Mary's Hospital, London, for hours as doctors battled to find him a bed in the second installment of BBC2's Hospital.

The patient had his surgery scheduled for two months, and had 14 hospital staff prepped and ready to go to treat his aortic aneurysm - which could rupture at any moment and kill him.

But doctors were cruelly forced to cancel the procedure at the last moment due to there being no space in the post-surgery unit - leaving his life in danger.

Thankfully, surgeons were able to schedule him in for the same operation a month later. However, he tragically passed away following a six week battle in intensive care with pneumonia.

On social media, viewers speculated had he received better care and the operation wasn't cancelled initially that he would still be alive today.

Peter Lai, 60, is taken down to the operating theatre to prep for surgery but at the last minute is told there isn't an intensive care unit bed available post-op

Peter had been waiting all day at the hospital to see if there would be a bed available so his surgery could go ahead

His original surgery had been cancelled and he had to wait another month for it to be rescheduled. (Pictured) Recovering in ICU after his surgery

The retired software engineer has had nine operations over the past 18 years for the bulge in the body's main artery.

Both he and his wife were desperate for the surgery, hoping it would allow his issue to be resolved and his life to return to normal.

As the morning of Peter's surgery approached he was taken down to the theatre to be prepped, remaining resolutely optimistic throughout - before the news is broken.

Consultant vascular surgeon Colin Bicknell, who is on the team that would have performed the surgery, explained that it had taken two months to coordinate.

'We need four vascular surgeons, one cardiac surgeon, two expert perfusionists, three anaesthetists, one general surgeon, and our expert nursing team and thats purely in that theatre,' he said.

Colin was then seen running around the hospital trying to locate a space for another patient, freeing up a bed for Peter.

'Finding a bed for a patient is something we go through, it is because it is an acute hospital and we have a major trauma centre and we cant predict all of that,' he added.

Peter's wife of 36 years, Diana, waited patiently with her husband to see if he would get a bed for his surgery

Consultant vascular surgeon Colin Bicknell, is gutted to learn that his patient Peter Lai has to be sent home after a bed is unavailable

But his hard work proved unsuccessful.

However, when the surgeon revealed Peter will need to wait longer, he amazingly remained calm: 'Its alright, you did your best.'

He added: 'I felt ready for it It just deflates. It is a bit unreal isn't it, the last minute, yes then no.'

NHS BED SHORTAGE CRISIS According to reports the NHS is currently struggling in the face of its worst crisis in 15 years. The Red Cross said it had been called in to help hospitals and ambulance services, describing the situation as a humanitarian crisis. NHS figures earlier this month showed the full extent of the pressures on the health service. For the single week leading up to January 1, they revealed: A&E units had to temporarily close their doors to ambulances 42 times;

Nearly a quarter of patients waited at least four hours to be seen, while 372,000 in total turned up to casualty;

One thousand beds were closed every day of the week to contain the spread of winter vomiting bug norovirus;

More than 457,000 patients called the NHS 111 helpline. Dr Taj Hassan, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said recently: 'What we are seeing is the safety net of the NHS being stretched to the absolute limit, and in some places its breaking. Advertisement

A frustrated Colin, who had been treating Peter for 18 years, said: 'I'm gutted. Of course were gutted, its disappointing because you build yourself up for it and get ready.

'Its disappointing for the patient, he will be going home now, can you imagine how he feels?

'It means organising the whole thing again, equipment-wise, personnel-wise, it means all the people in the clinics that were coming in a few weeks time need to be cancelled. The whole thing is like a moving jigsaw, they all get pushed along.

'There is a risk of his large aneurysm rupturing so we need to get him moving along as soon as possible.'

His wife of 36 years, said of her husband: 'I love him as much now as I ever did.

'I've just found it very difficult the whole journey because he is a very special person It has been difficult I wish I was just stronger.

'Luckily Peter is really positive and I try my best to me but he understands I'm not like him.'

Peter finally had his operation a month later under the care of eight surgeons, three anaesthetists, a prefusionist and three scrubs.

Lead vascular surgeon Richard Gibbs said: 'The financial cost is enormous and I think it is a really optimistic thing that we push on and try and get people like this sorted out, no matter how big the team or how expensive it is.'

After his operation Peter endured six weeks in intensive care battling with pneumonia, but unfortunately, despite the best efforts of hospital staff, he passed away.

Viewers were left devastated after watching the episode, with one Twitter user saying: 'If only Peter had his first operation things might be different, so sad.'

While another said: 'Oh dear god. Peter died. My heart bleeds for his wife. If only he had received better and quicker care... who knows...'

'Can't deal with Peter dying at the end of that episode,' added an emotional third.

After two months of coordinating a team of experts an operation has to be cancelled because the intensive care unit is at full capacity

St Mary's Hospital team star in the BBC Two documentary. (L-R) the staff Katie Pritchard, Richard Gibbs, Ali Sanders, Angus Lewis, Andrew Chukwuemeka, Helgi Johannsson, Ruchi Sinha, Colin Bicknell, Sadie Syed, Leanne Moran

BBC cameras spent a week at the hospital in London, recording the everyday catastrophes that are consuming the health service.

It was deemed at 'Code Red' - meaning there are no beds available anywhere, either in the hospital itself or anywhere else within the health trust.

Bosses are filmed discussing the 'full capacity protocol', a series of extreme measures for busy situations, such as placing adults in children's wards.

For site director Lesley Powls, it is her job to find beds and allocate them to patients but it isn't an easy task especially when there are none.

'This is really bad, Im sure it has been worse but this is particularly bad,' she said.

The first episode depicted the story of doctors deciding between a cancer patient and an elderly woman with a ruptured blood vessel as to who received a bed.

But the heartbreaking footage showed that Simon, who had already have surgery to remove his tumour postponed once, had to endure another wait.

Tragically, he died just weeks later.

The Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.

A&E departments are known to be dealing with their busiest winter in 15 years as some doctors claim they have never seen it so bad.

Jeremy Hunt earlier this month begged people to stay away from crisis-hit hospitals

Earlier this month, the Red Cross warned hospitals were facing a 'humanitarian crisis' after an elderly woman died after spending 35 hours waiting on a trolley.

She passed away at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, while another - also on a trolley - suffered a fatal aneurysm in the same department.

Red Cross chief executive Mike Adamson said: 'The British Red Cross is on the front line, responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country.

'We have been called in to support the NHS and help get people home from hospital and free up much-needed beds.'

While Jeremy Hunt has since begged people to stay away from crisis-hit hospitals.

The Health Secretary claimed 30 per cent of people using casualty units did not need to be there, pointing to cases of broken fingernails, drunkenness and back ache.

Hospital airs on BBC Two tonight, at 9pm
A breast cancer sufferer who had a life-saving mastectomy will be left with differently shaped boobs - after the NHS refused to lift her other one to match.

Gina Truman, 53, was diagnosed with the disease four years ago and received grueling chemotherapy.

Despite initially working, the cancer returned and in April 2013 the mother-of-two had her right breast removed to get rid of the tumour.

Doctors warned her that after the procedure, her skin would be expanded and an implant inserted to give her a brand new breast.

They allegedly promised her left would then be lifted to make it more perky, allowing for her size 42C breasts to be symmetrical.

But she was told in December that funding cuts in her local area meant that she would no longer receive treatment to give her identical breasts. However, she will still get the implant next month.

Gina Truman, 53, was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago and underwent grueling chemotherapy to help her battle the disease

Ms Truman, from Yeovil, Somerset, said: 'I'm annoyed because I was promised it and I feel let down. It's a pathetic, stupid and disgusting postcode lottery.

'I don't like my body at the moment, I look monstrous. I'll never get used to it and I know I will never look exactly like I used to, which is fine.

'But one side is going to be up and one side will be down. It won't feel right.

'I haven't got a partner and I've said that with the way my boobs look, I wouldn't ever have one. I wouldn't undress in front of them - I couldn't.'

She added: 'When the surgeon said she would be able to do the reconstructive surgery, I was really happy. I got my heart set on it.

'I thought, "Yes, I'm going to be looking normal." I can't even wear a swimming costume at the moment, or summer tops.

She had her right breast removed to get rid of the tumour and was promised that her left would be lifted to make it perky and more symmetrical. But funding cuts in her local area meant that she would no longer receive treatment to give her identical breasts

'Now they are saying they won't do it at all. I think it's disgusting. They sit behind their desks and say, "We sympathise," but they don't have a clue.

'They don't know unless they've been there. They can get in the bath without looking at themselves in the mirror and feeling disgusting.

'Some people don't have the fight to come forward about it. I'm doing this for those people as well as myself.'

I'm annoyed because I was promised it and I feel let down. It's a pathetic, stupid and disgusting postcode lottery. Gina Truman, 53

Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said that breast cancer sufferers should 'no longer expect' to have the surgery funded after the rules were changed in July 2016.

But patients living six miles away in neighbouring Dorset will still be able to have the procedure, as Dorset CCG - and many others in the UK - still offer it.

She has since hit out at the rule, calling for more NHS funding and money to be better spent.

To add insult to injury, Yeovil District Hospital, funded by Somerset CCG, has just forked out for a brand new, 650-space multi-storey car park where visitors have to pay 6 for four hours.

She added: 'It must have been expensive. This procedure would be money better spent. You can't put a price on how someone's feelings.

The mother-of-two, from Yeovil, said: 'I don't like my body at the moment, I look monstrous'

'People are suffering. They are going through a fight against cancer. Don't put them through another fight at the end of it.'

CCG FUNDING In July 2016, Somerset CCG reviewed its policy on providing 'breast asymmetry'. It concluded that women who had surgery for breast cancer should no longer expect to have cosmetic surgery funded and performed on their healthy breast in order to better match the size and shape of both breasts. It says applications will not be considered under the following circumstances: on cosmetic grounds

patients under the age of 18 years

patients who have not attained full breast development

to resolve psychological issues

patients with a BMI > 27 or <19

patients who have smoked over preceding three months

who are pregnant or who have had a baby within the past 12 months Source: Somerset CCG Advertisement

Yeovil District Hospital said the scope of its services is determined by the CCG.

A spokesperson said: 'The changes made last year to the criteria for NHS funded reconstructive breast surgery are now affecting our patients.

'Clearly this is upsetting for them and difficult for the hospital staff who work very closely with these woman to support them through such life-changing treatment.'

Somerset CCG said it considers requests for the surgery on a case-by-case basis, but that in July 2016 it removed its policy on the 'breast asymmetry' treatment.

A spokesman said: 'Women who had surgery for breast cancer should no longer expect to have cosmetic surgery funded and performed on their healthy breast in order to better match the size and shape of both breasts.

'At a time when there is so much demand upon cancer services, routinely funding cosmetic breast surgery on a healthy breast - and only for women who have had breast cancer - cannot be easily justified when the local health service is struggling to meet so many demands for treatment.

'It also raises issues of equity for the many women who have not had cancer and yet feel they have legitimate reasons why Somerset CCG should consider funding their breast asymmetry surgery.'
Children who speak Mandarin could be more musical because of it, new research suggests.

Those between the ages of three and five who could speak the world's most popular language are better at processing pitch, a study found.

Scientists believe it is because the same word, spoken in a different tone, can have a completely separate meaning in the official Chinese tongue.

However, experts stress that teaching children Mandarin will not necessarily turn them into concert pianists.

Those between the ages of three and five who could speak the world's most popular language are better at processing pitch, a study found

A total of 180 Mandarin-speaking and English-speaking children were set tasks involving pitch contour and timbre.

Both groups were found to perform the same on the timbre task, relating to the quality of sound.

But the Mandarin speakers significantly outperformed the English on pitch tasks, researchers from the University of California, San Diego, found.

The researchers believe the attention to pitch Mandarin speakers pay, means they are better equipped in perceiving pitch in music.

Mandarin is a tone language, which means the tone which accompanies a word not only carries different emphasis, but can also dictate a different meaning.

For example, the syllable 'ma' in Mandarin can mean 'mother', 'numbing', 'hemp' or 'scold' depending on the way it is said.

However, experts stress that teaching your kids Mandarin will not necessarily turn them into concert pianists

People who learn Mandarin have to identify the subtle changes in pitch to convey the intended outcome.

Whilst in English, 'ma', can only mean one thing, 'mother'.

Study author Professor Sarah Creel said: 'We show for the first time that tone-language experience is associated with advanced musical pitch processing in young children.

BEING BILINGUAL BOOSTS THE BRAIN Learning a second language boosts the brain  and its never too late to begin, experts believe. Elderly men and women who studied Gaelic did better on tests of attention and other forms of mental sharpness after only a week, research by Edinburgh University found last year. The study also discovered that the process of juggling different tongues helps the brain to stay fit and sharp. Other research has suggested that bilingualism can stave off the onset of dementia by up to five years. It is thought that the effort of compartmentalising different languages and switching between them keeps the mind healthy for longer. Advertisement

'There are far-reaching theoretical implications for neuroscience and behaviour.

'Our research has important practical implications for designing early intervention programs, or "brain training" regimes.'

She added: 'Both language and music contain pitch changes, so if language is a separate mental faculty, then pitch processing in language should be separate from pitch processing in music.

'On the other hand, if these seemingly different abilities are carried out by overlapping cognitive mechanisms or brain areas, then experience with musical pitch processing should affect language pitch processing, and vice versa.'

While the study, published in Developmental Science, focused on Mandarin, tonal languages are also common in parts of Africa, East Asia and Central America.

It is thought that as many as 70 per cent of the world's languages could be considered tonal, including Thai, Yoruba, a Nigerian language and Xhosa, a South African dialect.

Professor Gail Heyman, who was also involved in the study, said: 'It's still true that to succeed at music, you need to study music.

'Learning an additional language is a demonstrably good thing in itself, too, whether or not it makes you a better musician.'
LINDELL'S LIST

by Peter Hore (History Press 20)

This week, just as Theresa May was forcefully laying it on the line for all the world to see that Brexit means Brexit, it was timely to be reading this biography showing just how tough a certain breed of British woman can be. Especially when it comes to matters of Europe.

Mary Lindell took part in two actual wars on the continent  not trade wars or wars of words, but the real deal  with a courage (and, yes, at times, a recklessness) that takes the breath away.

Mary Lindell took part in two actual wars on the continent - not trade wars or wars of words, but the real deal - with a courage (and, yes, at times, a recklessness) that takes the breath away

Bossy and high-handed, with a foghorn of a voice that made strong men cower, she was the feisty sort of battleaxe who could find enemies in an empty room.

But she demanded and commanded respect, even from Nazi concentration camp guards. And she survived the very worst the 20th century could throw at anyone, dying in her bed in 1986, aged 91.

In World War I, Lindell, a lawyers daughter from the Home Counties, chose to be a Red Cross nurse in a military field hospital in France. Barely out of her teens, she was known as la bebe Anglaise.

At one stage, a sudden surge in the battle caught her behind enemy lines, but she carried on with her duties, for which she was awarded the Croix de Guerre.

When the French general pinning it on her blouse tried to grope her, she grabbed the medal from his hand. No one messed with Mary Lindell, whatever his rank.

She stayed in France after the first war and married a French count  bigamously, as it turned out, since he already had a wife.

Because of her nursing background, she was in a relatively privileged position working in the camp hospital at Ravensbruck (pictured)

Regardless, she took his title, becoming the Comtesse de Milleville, and had three children by him before turfing him out.

Most significantly, though living in Paris, she retained her British nationality.

When Hitlers armies invaded in 1940, she helped repatriate trapped British soldiers and shot-down airmen.

There were many brushes with the Germans, but she yielded to no one. Not even a nine-month spell of solitary confinement for calling German officers swine to their faces broke her spirit. On her release, she made her clandestine way to London, where she joined up with MI9, the branch of military intelligence that ran escape lines from Europe.

They found her a complete pain, and were relieved to dispatch her back to France under cover.

There, she miraculously survived being run down by a speeding car driven by collaborators and almost being buried alive because she was thought to be dead. Her grave had been dug and was waiting for her when she was seen to be breathing.

She recovered despite five smashed ribs and carried on travelling to the Pyrenees with parties of escapers and passing them on to couriers to see them across into neutral Spain.

Lieutenant-Colonel H.G. Hasler (left) and ex-Royal Marine W.E. Sparks enjoy a chat with Mary Lindell

Dressed in her Red Cross uniform, she never did much to disguise who she was, her piercing English voice proudly ringing out in the unwisest situations.

The Germans once arrested her at a railway station. How dare you? she told them. Take your hands off me!

She approached incarceration at Ravensbruck, the appalling German concentration camp where tens of thousands of women prisoners of the Nazis were worked, starved and gassed to death, in the same frame of mind. So what if they shoot me? was her philosophy. Im not going to let them bully me. Author Peter Hore notes how she confounded and confused her German captors with head-on confrontation instead of the meek submission they expected from their prisoners.

They dubbed her der arrogante Englanderin and Queen Mary, while she never lost an opportunity to taunt them that they were losing the war.

Because of her nursing background, she was in a relatively privileged position working in the camp hospital, but she also made it her responsibility to look after the interests of the two dozen or so British and American women in the Ravensbruck hellhole.

Mary Lindell, who helped save allied airmen in France during World War II, holding some of her medals

As their self-appointed captain, she protected the weakest as best she could, keeping them alive amid the unspeakable cruelty of the camp, sneaking them extra food and medicines and giving them hope. One she could not save was a British agent who gave up the will to live after getting a letter from her husband asking for a divorce.

As the war came to an end in chaos, she played a vital part in securing the liberation of this contingent when the likeliest outcome was that they (and she) would be slaughtered. She drew up a list of names and, even though she was desperately ill from pneumonia, pressed it on the camps deputy commandant with threats of retribution if he didnt comply. She got her way.

Mary Lindell and Clodomir Pasqueraud, both former members of the French Resistance, on a sightseeing tour of Windsor

When it was all over, she was entitled to rest on her considerable achievements. Instead, she got involved in spats with other ex-inmates over what precisely had gone on in the camp. She herself was accused of being a collaborator for being too close to the doctor in Ravensbruck, possibly even his lover.

The charge was investigated by British intelligence and rejected, but some of the mud stuck, which is why she has not always been given the full praise her actions deserved  until now, with this hugely-readable book devoted to her amazing life.

In what amounted to her own epitaph, she wrote: I represented Great Britain, who was standing up against the world and fighting for it, and I wasnt going to let Great Britain down.

Theresa May would do well to read this book, for inspiration. (Perhaps Boris could get it for her  but dont mention the war!)

If she can summon up a fraction of the bloody-minded pluck that Mary Lindell did (plus, perhaps, a tad more common sense on occasions), then a good Brexit should be in the bag.
Sunil Mittal, Chairman of the Bharti Group - which moved the petition

The corporate war in the telecom sector escalated on Wednesday with AV Birla Group company Idea Cellular also approaching the telecom dispute tribunal.

The hearing is against regulator Trai for allowing Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio to continue its free voice and data services beyond the 90 days permitted for promotional offers.

Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel moved a petition against Trai on the Jio free offer issue with the Telecom Dispute Settlement and Apellate Tribunal (TDSAT) last month.

Airtel had gone to the extent of alleging that Trai had been 'a mute spectator to the violations.'

According to reliable sources, Idea's petition in the TDSAT asking for the quashing of Reliance Jio's promotional offer has been ordered to be listed and heard along with the Bharti Airtel petition on February 1.

Both Airtel and Idea Cellular have alleged that Jio should have terminated its free voice and data offers by December 3 which happens to be the last day for the 90-day period for which any telco can make a promotional offer.

Jio, on the other hand, claimed that it has not violated any rules as the two offers are different.

The two incumbent telcos have alleged that Jio under the guise of a different nomenclature - 'Happy New Year' which followed the 'Welcome Offer' - has continued to offer the free voice and data offer until the end of March.

Kumar Magalam Brila, Chairman of AV Brila Group (left) and Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Group (right)

This, according to them is a commercial offer and tantamount to predatory pricing which is uncompetitive.

Jio had first launched an inaugural free voice and data plan beginning September 4 and in December extended it till March 31, 2017, a move that was vehemently opposed by incumbent operators.

Trai on October 20 said that since Jio's offer of free services was only valid until December 3, it is consistent with the direction for 90 days permissible for promotional offers.

Idea's counsel is reported to have highlighted the October 20 order of Trai and the regulator's inaction since December 3.

The dispute is over Reliance Jio's offer of free voice and data services beyond the 90 days permitted for promotional offers (photo for representation only)

Trai will file a response on condonation of delay application, while Reliance Jio has been allowed to file an impleadment application, sources said.

In its 25-page petition before TDSAT, Airtel had asked the quasi-judicial body to direct Trai to ensure that Jio does not provide its free voice and data plan beyond December 3.

TDSAT on its part had asked sector regulator Trai to take a decision on Reliance Jio's free 4G service 'within a reasonable time.'

The tribunal's observation came after Trai sought some more time to formulate its views on the Jio's free voice and data offer.

Trai has now asked for the attorney general's views on Reliance Jio's free voice and data offering till March that rivals have called predatory.

This follows Trai examining replies furnished by Jio to its letter seeking an explanation after the company announced free data and voice calls for existing and new customers under the 'Happy New Year offer', days before the 90-day inaugural welcome plan ended on December 3.

The regulator had last month asked Jio to explain why the free data offer under the promotional scheme should not be treated as predatory.

In its letter, it had cited Jio's consumer base growing to 63 million as on December 18 to state that the company will become a significant market player in the broadband space shortly, maybe by December-end.
The success or failure of Modi's demonetisation will be key in 2017

In their 70s or at its cusp, for Narendra Modi, Donald Trump, Ratan Tata and Mulayam Singh Yadav it may be platinum, but not sunset.

Because the quartet that dominated 2016 unleashed a set of causes, the political ramifications of which will play out through 2017 with Trump's ascendancy, Modi's demonetisation, and Tata and Mulayam in combat with the 'New Order'.

With the tumultuous changes last year, no forecaster can assert with certitude the macro future of what these watershed events portend in politics, economics and business.

What the four at the helm share as common characteristics is rigidity, unpredictability, a plenipotentiary dominance in their sphere, and both Trump and Modi, a hostility towards elite press.

Authoritarian

Trump's hubris-filled tweets ('The world was gloomy before I won') and messages ('I will be the biggest jobs producer God ever made') are symptomatic of politically elected leaders who are backed by supreme mandates, hence free to legislate on a whim.

Global strategist Ruchir Sharma's findings endorse this growing preference amongst voters for authoritarian leaders like Trump and Modi, because they portend hard decisions in fixing the economy, a pivotal concern in the post-2008 world.

Trump's ascendancy to power and his first moves will also dominate global politics

While PM Modi trumped 70 years of India's illicit wealth overnight, an experiment that is being observed globally as a paradigm to curb corruption, should it succeed, and Trump's intended deglobalising US, the pursuit of the 'two unknowns' is predicted to plunge the world into a deeper depression, and India into an already forced recession, with 2017 spent on recalibrating towards this downward revision.

Leader of Samajwadi Party Mulayam Singh Yadav is also one of the four key players

Trump's over-regulating the US economy implies a contraction in global growth and a deceleration in the inflow of cross-border capital to emerging economies, triggering trade wars.

That's a space China now steps in, taking the lead in powering growth by opening up its own markets.

While Trump's plan to lower corporate tax from 35 per cent to 15 per cent is intended to make the US the most preferred destination for industry, a strengthening dollar as a consequence will stir its own cascading ripples globally.

The Modi regime that initially came across as business-friendly, now reverses that perception with every index of internal consumption, capex expenditure, agrarian distress and exports plunging to a three-year low.

While the profit-and-loss statement of the note ban is a work-in-progress, its success will be gauged by the improvement in Ease of Living and the Ease of Doing Business post-reform, and if he confers tangible benefits by rewarding compliance, lowering corporate and personal tax rates, and ending lower bureaucracy corruption, the pain-point for all that affects day-to-day life, even more than electoral reforms.

To win UP, regain eroding political capital, and secure his command within the party, the PM cannot fall back on the old formula of 2014 in a negative campaign criticising adversaries or making far-fetched promises, because this Budget is his second-last, and it's time to deliver.

Ratan Tata and Mulayam Singh Yadav are in combat with the 'New Order'

New Order

If Modi and Trump are accelerators of change, Ratan Tata and Mulayam Singh seem to be the status quoists, remote controlling their outfits and refusing the powershift in ceding to the New Order.

Legacy issues dominate India Inc and political organisations because 'valuations' of both have risen from being start-ups of the last century to becoming behemoths in 2017. Valuations are the notional price determined for brands that mature over time.

Who then should ownership of a political brand or conglomerates devolve upon in its tertiary stage of evolution, when a business or political outfit has grown to the level of a public limited company with multiple stakeholders?

In commercial terms, for example, the net worth of the Congress in 1947 would be presumably higher in 2017, as equally the premium on the brand equity of the BJP, the SP and the AIADMK, raising the stakes for ownership.

Anachronism

Mulayam's family soap opera might just have been stage-managed to brush up Akhilesh's image, setting a new paradigm in rebranding an old party which was becoming an anachronism with the youth, one that could now set a template for scions of other feudal satraps to copy.

But obduracy of elders in passing the baton forces rebellion amongst Gen-X to usurp, setting a wrong precedence of irreverence amongst scions.

Crystal gazing into 2017, this is predicted to be the shortest-lived presidency, because how and if Trump divests, recuses and distances himself from his business holdings that could cause conflict of interest with his duties makes him a sitting duck on the brink of impeachment, should there be even a perceived hint of ethical misdemeanor.

And if that doesn't down him, the findings on the Russian cyber espionage that favoured his electoral gains and subverted American elections might be the second political upset.

While back in the Indian landscape, the UP elections rivet as a one-day semi-final between a young CM pitted against the PM as arch campaigner, in a seemingly presidential contest. As for the House of Tatas, one hopes they go for truce in litigation, with PMO playing mediator to protect larger shareholder interests.
The 'odd-even' car rationing scheme is unlikely to be back on Delhi's roads until next winter even if the Environment Pollution Control Committee's (EPCA) 'graded response action plan' for NCR kicks in immediately.

This is because the 'maximum risk for high level pollution exists till January 14 generally,' said Dr. Dipankar Saha, additional director and head of the Air Laboratory at the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

'After Makar Sakranti, temperatures go up and pollutants gathered close to earth's surface disperse considerably.

Odd-even was a anti-pollution car rationing scheme designed to improve the air quality in Delhi. Private cars with even and odd number plates would only be allowed on alternate days in the national capital.

'The next flare up, warranting enforcement of odd-even as per the graded response action plan, may occur after autumn 2017 only,' he added.

The Centre had recently issued a notification authorizing the SC appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) - headed by former bureaucrat Bhure Lal and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) DG Sunita Narain - to enforce the pollution combat plan in the National Capital Region.

The plan suggested a slew of measures - including implementation of 'odd-even' and stopping entry of trucks into Delhi except for essential commodities and all construction activities - when pollution level reaches 'Severe +' or 'Emergency' level.

Odd-even refers to the number on car reg plates and the scheme allows for only the cars with odd or even numbers to travel into Delhi on alternate days

This is when Particulate Matter 2.5 concentration in the city would cross a threshold of 300 ug/m3 or Particulate Matter 10 would go over 500 ug/m3.

It also recommended that the next 'odd-even' scheme should have 'minimum exceptions.'

When introduced in December 2015 by the AAP government, many categories of drivers including women and union ministers were exempted to convenience the public.

CPCB is already in the process of setting up a task force comprising officers of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), NCR State pollution control boards, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

This will generate a daily average PM 2.5 and PM 10 figure for Delhi and NCR and communicate it to the EPCA.

Dr. Dipankar Saha said, 'It is actually good in a way that we will get few months' time to set up the whole machinery to enforce the plan up to 'Emergency' level.'

He added that the enforcement agencies would need to coordinate with four States - Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan - to get the best results.

'However, pollution-control measures as per the other levels - Severe, Very Poor and 'Moderate to Poor' - will have to be implemented anyway.

This includes stopping usage of diesel gensets, hiking parking fee,' he said.

Anumita Roy Chowdhury, head of CSE's Clean Air Campaign, said, 'Even this winter the pollution level was not too high. If say, the graded response plan was already in action from 1 October 2016 to 13 January, 2017, only eight per cent days would have been in the 'Emergency' category.'

A senior Delhi government officer said, 'We are yet to take a call if we want to do episodic 'odd-even' car rationing in the form of a public exercise or drill, even if the graded plan does not warrant it.'
India's surrogacy industry has come under attack by women's rights groups who say fertility clinics are 'baby factories' for the rich, and that a lack of regulation results in poor and uneducated women signing contracts they do not fully understand.

Yet some of the women the bill aims to protect are currently queuing up for a last chance to make around 400,000 rupees ($5,900) - a significant sum for women of their means.

Successful pregnancies have never been more important than at surrogacy centres like the one visited by our reporters, inside a bungalow in a plush residential area of Gurugram, on the outskirts of New Delhi where every bed is taken following a jump in demand as India inches towards banning commercial surrogacy.

The Indian parliament is planning to pass a bill outlawing commercial surrogacy - a 15-year-old industry estimated to be worth as much as $2.3 billion annually (file pic)

A group of women in different stages of pregnancy share the hope their babies will be delivered safely - or risk losing the chance of big money, forever.

These women could be among the last in the country to rent their wombs for money if the Indian parliament passes a bill to outlaw commercial surrogacy - a 15-year-old industry estimated to be worth as much as $2.3 billion annually - in its next session starting in February.

Razia Sultana, 32, had an embryo transferred into her uterus in the final week of December.

Until six months ago, she arranged egg donors and surrogates for infertility clinics, making 5,000 rupees for each referral, but decided to become a surrogate herself on the day she first heard about the ban.

India is one of the last few countries where women can be paid to carry another's child through in-vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer (file pic)

'My children supported my decision saying bearing a child was better than selling a kidney, which I was considering too,' she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

She will stay at the centre for nine months, meet her children once a week and only go outside with an escort.

'These are small compromises. I have no other option to make this kind of money.'

Slavery to Surrogacy

The Indian government believes the ban will check unethical practices.

'We are concerned about the health of the surrogate mother and that the legal and financial rights of the child are protected,' said Manoj Pant from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

'India wants to be on par with developed and developing nations that do not legitimise commercial surrogacy.'

Until the ban on surrogacy passes, India continues to be among a handful of countries where women can be paid to carry another's child through in-vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer.

Last September a British couple were dragged into a 'nightmare' scenario when their trip to Mumbai to see the birth of their daughter, Lily, through a surrogate mother became entangled in a web of passport bureaucracy.

For Indian women however, most at the Gurugram centre are from migrant colonies close to the sweatshops where they once worked.

Ruby Kumari, 35, heard about surrogacy three years ago at the export factory where she worked 12-hour shifts, stitching 50 garments an hour - a target her manager would stretch to 60 or even 70 - and earning 250 rupees a day.

The possibility of earning 400,000 rupees hooked her and she agreed to rent her womb.

'The day I delivered, the child's parents gifted me 50,000 rupees in addition to my fee,' Kumari said. 'I came back and enrolled my daughter into an English-medium school.'

Kumari's husband also works in a garment factory and makes 2 rupees for each item he irons. Pregnant with her second surrogate child, Kumari said her family had no future if not for surrogacy.

The new will keep a check on the unethical exploitation of women and unethical practices

Like Kumari, Jayalakshmi Verma is another surrogate who wonders why 'gifting motherhood' is wrong and why work that earns her respect and money would be made illegal.

The 28-year-old single mother of three said: 'My in-laws threw me out of their house, my manager at the export factory was abusive and I was forced to quit. Here I have got respect for carrying a child.'

Verma said she will have no choice but to return to the factory if surrogacy is banned. 'What other skill do I have?'

Surrogacy law experts say that if the government wishes to protect poor women from being exploited, it should regulate the sector rather than banning it.

'The surrogacy bill does not make any provision for the protection of women, assuming that banning commercial surrogacy will protect them,' said Hari Ramasubramanian of Indian Surrogacy Law Centre.

Unregulated Business

At the Gurugram centre, owner Sarita Sharma read out the requirements for an egg donor to a staff member: 'Fair complexion, B positive.'

Within seconds, a picture of a fair young woman smiling into the camera flashes up on her phone and she quickly alerts the clinic. Women receive 35,000 rupees for each donation.

'Business is brisk,' said Sharma, who has been arranging donors and surrogates for the last decade using a wide network of agents in migrant colonies.

She said demand for her 1 million rupee pregnancy packages - covering the surrogate's fee, food, accommodation and hospital expenses - has shot up.

'I have about 1,000 women registered with us,' Sharma said.

Yet as demand soars, so do concerns.

As part of a study on infertility clinics in New Delhi, sociologist Tulsi Patel from the Delhi School of Economics found poor awareness among women about the health complications and risks that repeated egg donations and pregnancies can cause.

Surrogate mothers in various stages of pregnancy rest in a dormitory above a clinic in Anand, India's Gujarat state in 2009 (picture for representation only)

The study also found that in some cases, clinics would transfer more than the permissible number of three embryos into the uterus to improve the chances of pregnancy.

'But we did not find a single case of a woman forced into surrogacy,' Patel said.

Experts fear the ban may push the industry underground, making women offering surrogacy services only more vulnerable to health risks.

For now, the last surrogates still hope to realise their dreams. 'I want to start my own beauty parlour,' said Jyoti Pal, 24, a single mother who is now four months pregnant.

'And I will do it again if possible.'

($1=68.01 Indian rupees)
Manvendra Singh Gohil has dedicated his life to fighting AIDS since coming out 10 years ago as India's first openly gay royal

Manvendra Singh Gohil has dedicated his life to fighting AIDS since coming out 10 years ago as India's first openly gay royal.

A member of a royal warrior clan and heir apparent to the throne of Rajpipla in Gujarat, Gohil uses his fame and status to educate the gay community about safe sex and their rights in a country where gay sex remains a criminal offence.

From setting up his own charity to hanging condoms on trees, Gohil is a public face for India's LGBT community and an important voice on the issues and laws that curtail its freedom.

'People say homosexuality is a part of western culture. It is absolutely wrong,' Gohil said, citing the Kamasutra and the homoerotic sculptures that feature in ancient temples across the country.

'It is the hypocrisy in our society which is refusing to accept this truth. And this motivated me to come out openly and tell the world 'I am gay, so what? And I am proud of it'.'

Gohil has been part of a campaign against the colonial-era law that bans homosexual acts in India, which he says has contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, India's first gay royal and AIDS activist

His charity the Lakshya Foundation works with homosexual men and the transgender community to promote safer sexual practices, though they face constant obstruction from police.

'People are having sex under fear and unsafe sex practices are going on,' he said.

'When we started work among the MSM (men having sex with men), we were harassed and threatened by police.

'We would keep condom packets in public toilets, and even hang them on trees in public parks because we did not want to stop them from having sex in toilets or behind the bushes. We just wanted them to have safe sex.'

Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil at LA pride

'Spreading homosexuality'

Gay sex was effectively decriminalised in 2009 when the Delhi High Court ruled that prohibiting it was a violation of a person's fundamental rights.

But in 2013 the Supreme Court ruled that the responsibility for changing the 1861 law rested with lawmakers and not judges.

Prosecutions are rare, but gay people say they face significant discrimination as well as harassment from the police.

Gohil said even a government contract to distribute condoms did not protect his workers from police harassment.

'They said we were spreading homosexuality,' he recalled.

'Some of our workers were arrested and taken to the police station where the cops themselves had sex with them without condoms.'

India has the third highest number of HIV/AIDS cases in the world according to the United Nations, with about 2.1 million people in 2015, although the rate of infection is falling.

Manvendra Singh Gohil has been part of a campaign against the colonial-era law that bans homosexual acts in India

In another positive sign, two bills designed to end discrimination against transgender people and individuals infected with HIV are currently going through the Indian parliament.

Working with people in the transgender community is a priority for the government in its national AIDS response plan, but social isolation means the community is still at particularly high risk of HIV transmission.

The bill seeks to prohibit discrimination in any form and specifically bans denying them access to public places, on pain of up to two years' imprisonment and a fine.

But campaigners have objected to a clause which would force people to undergo tests to determine their gender identity.

They say this is against the spirit of a 2014 Supreme Court judgement that allowed anyone to 'self identify' which gender they are.

'When the social empowerment ministry itself is not clear who a transgender is how will they address their issues?' said Gohil.

'It is a challenging situation. I don't blame any political party. It's not the party but the individuals who are either homophobic or gay friendly.

'It's our duty to educate them because they are ignorant.'
Every year, the Republic Day parade comes under the cloud of terror threats and maximum security is pressed into service to ensure peaceful celebrations.

This year too, intelligence agencies have warned of planned attacks on courts and political figures. But that may not be the biggest worry.

The garbage which is strewn across the Capital, particularly in east Delhi, is like a time bomb, which could be the biggest threat to Indian Air Force planes flown on January 26.

National Security Guard (NSG) commandos rehearse for the Republic Day parade on Rajpath in the Capital

The garbage is evidently attracting large squadrons of birds that may hit an aircraft during or after the flypast.

Apart from the pileup at the Ghazipur landfill, which now stands over 50 metre tall, the waste dumped by sanitation workers during the recent strike has added to the worries of IAF officials.

However, little has been done so far to attend to these concerns.

A few rounds of meetings were recently held by Delhi Police and civic agencies, but it has not resulted in any action on the ground.

The IAF is particularly worried about Ghazipur landfill site as it is close to its Hindon base and the flypast route

Indian Air Force officials had reportedly hinted towards a major threat of an aircraft crash as they return from Rajpath towards the Hindon airbase after the flypast.

According to highly placed sources, after the meeting with IAF, the senior brass of Delhi Police has taken this threat very seriously and on Wednesday, they have decided to write an official letter to the Municipal Corporation.

'We are writing to the concerned authority to completely clear up the garbage from East Delhi and reduce waste from landfill site so that it attracts lesser birds on the garbage pile up,' an official said.

Running past capacity for over 14 years, the Ghazipur landfill site - spread over 29 hectares - has been posing a health hazard due to decomposing garbage and frequent fires.

This landfill site is very close to the route followed by the aircraft for the flypast.

Experts said that while a single bird hit may not be a threat, multiple hits could cause extensive damage to an aircraft.

Meanwhile, the ministry of defence has asked people to alert the nearest Air Force Unit or Police Station and report instances of carcasses found in the open.

An advisory has also been issued that says that birds pose a serious threat to aircraft flying at low levels, and hence, people should not throw food to birds in open areas to ensure a safe flypast.

The garbage pile up has been caused due to non-payment of the salaries to the sanitation workers of East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Even though the strike has now been called off, garbage is still piled up in East Delhi.

A senior MCD official said that after the issue was pointed, sanitation workers have been asked to clear up the garbage at least twice a day.

Return of an Indian aircraft

After a gap of about two decades, an indigenously developed aircraft will take to the skies on Republic Day with LCA Tejas joining the fleet of 35 aircraft that will be part of an aerial display.

Besides Tejas, which will lead the contingent of aircraft, the Republic Day parade will also see an array of flying beasts like Mi17 helicopters, Sukhoi Su 30 fighter jets, Advance Light Helicopter Rudra and military transport aircraft C-17 Globe Master.

The fly past is one of the major attractions at the parade as the sky warriors not only display the country's air prowess, but also perform thrilling manoeuvres.

Indigenous plane LCA Tejas will join fleet of 35 aircrafts

Marut was the last indigenous fighter aircraft to be part of the R-Day flypast in the 1980s and the 90s.

Designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Tejas was inducted in Indian Air Force's 45 squadron 'Flying Daggers' in July last year.

The squadron is at present operating from Bengaluru, but will be moved to Sulur in Coimbatore.

Tejas was showcased in Bahrain air show last year and made its debut on the Air Force Day in October last year, as it roared through the skies over the Hindon air base.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refused to overturn a Supreme Court ban on a south Indian festival where young men wrestle with allegedly 'drunk' bulls as thousands take to the streets of in protest.

Residents of the southern state of Tamil Nadu say the Jallikattu festival is a crucial part of their culture and are demanding the ban be lifted.

Critics say the festival is cruel and that organisers lace the bulls' feed with liquor to make them less steady on their feet and throw chilli powder into their faces to send them into a sudden frenzy as they are released from a holding pen.

In this January 15, 2013 file photo, Bull tamers try to control a bull during an ancient heroic sporting event of the Tamils called Jallikattu, in Palamedu

People shout slogans and hold placards during a demonstration against the ban on the Jallikattu bull taming ritual, and calling for a ban on animal rights orgnisation PETA in Chennai

India's Supreme Court outlawed Jallikattu last year after a plea by animal rights groups, which have long argued that the event - held every year in different parts of Tamil Nadu - abuses the animals.

Tensions have been escalating for the last week after hundreds of people were detained by police for allegedly organising local Jallikattu contests in defiance of the court ban.

Thousands of protesters have gathered in state capital Chennai and other cities, prompting Tamil Nadu's chief minister to travel to Delhi to ask Modi to overturn the ban.

A bull charges through a crow of Indian participants and bystanders during Jallikattu, an annual bull fighting ritual, on the outskirts of Madurai on January 15, 2017

'The ban imposed on Jallikattu by the Supreme Court came up for discussion,' Modi's office said on Twitter after the two men met.

'While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the Prime Minister observed that the matter is presently sub judice' or prohibited from public discussion because it is still under judicial consideration.

Scores of students from Tamil Nadu held protests in New Delhi in support of Jallikattu.

Protesters insist that the tradition of Jallikattu is 'part of their culture' and instead demand a ban on PETA, the charity seeking to protect the animals

'This is an attack on our culture,' said Manikanda Venkatesh, a student from Tamil Nadu.

'People who have never been to Tamil Nadu are telling us about about culture and calling it barbaric. The farmers treat these bulls like their children and no parent can be cruel to their child.

'This is not a festival for Tamils but also for the bulls, which show their prowess.

Unlike in traditional Spanish bullfighting, the animals are let loose into open fields and young men then compete to subdue them bare-handed

'Through Jallikattu the farmers are able to find the best bulls, which helps in breeding of native species.'

Pangaj Easwaa, a student from Tamil Nadu, said that while he respected the supreme court, he would not tolerate attempts 'to amend our cultural practices'.

'What is the harm is Jallikattu? No bulls are killed in the festival.'

Unlike in traditional Spanish bullfighting, the animals are let loose into open fields and young men then compete to subdue them bare-handed.

Organisers insist the animals suffer no harm and Jallikattu is an established part of Tamil culture.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi refuses to overturn a Supreme Court ban on a festival featuring young men wrestling with bulls that has brought thousands onto the streets of southern India in protest

A legal expert said the prime minister could in theory issue an ordinance overturning the Supreme Court ruling, although such a move would be rare.

Police say the protests have remained peaceful so far but have spread to large parts of Tamil Nadu.

India's leading spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin and several popular Tamil film stars have voiced their support for the demonstrators.

Actor Dhanush, who has millions of followers, was among those to tweet about the protests

More protesters arrived on Wednesday after calls for support on social media boosted interest

Cruelty vs Tamil pride: Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam meets Modi

By India Today

On Thursday while protests were seen across Tamil Nadu during the day, people took to Marina Beach with their mobile torch-lights to mark their protest in the evening.

Amid the ongoing protests, DMK party on Thursday announced a state-wide rail roko andolan (preventing the movement of trains) on Friday.

Earlier, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India said it may take the legal route if the Centre brings an ordinance to enable the conduct of Jallikattu.

Protestors gather at Marina beach demanding a ban be lifted on the traditional sport of bull-taming, or Jallikattu, in Chennai, India

'Our campaign is against cruelty towards all animals. We will consult our lawyers and take a decision if there is an ordinance,' said PETA spokesperson Manilal Valliyate.

With several colleges declaring holiday in Chennai and in other parts of the state, the number of students to assemble at Marina is expected to go up as protesters have rejected Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam's appeal to end the protest.

Soon after Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, MoS for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan also met the PM over the issue.

He said that bringing an Ordinance will actually be harmful for people of Tamil Nadu.

The Supreme Court has refused to hear a plea which sought that the apex court should hear the matter pertaining to public protest at Marina Beach.
A symbol of modesty among South Asian women, the versatile dupatta has emerged as a potentially fatal fashion item in India.

Autopsy experts in the city have noted a rise in incidents of people being strangled due to entangling of drapes in traditional female attire such as dupattas, sarees, scarves, stoles - during transportation, as well as using motorised machinery at workplace, factories and home equipment.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) recently received the case of a teenage girl who choked to death in such an agricultural accident involving a dupatta that threw up some unusual postmortem findings.

AIIMS recently received the case of a teenage girl who choked to death in such an agricultural accident involving a dupatta that threw up some unusual postmortem findings

Experts say awareness should be made among Indians about the care and precautions required while wearing these traditional drapes in the vicinity of motorised equipment or machinery.

Dr Sudhir Gupta, head of the AIIMS forensic department, told Mail Today, 'In the present case, a few unusual postmortem findings were noted which are generally not found in such accidental ligature strangulation cases.

The mark on the deceased was incomplete, going obliquely upwards, characteristically found in hanging cases, whereas the mark in strangulation cases is said to be horizontal and complete,' Dr Abhishek Yadav, another forensic expert at the institute, said, 'This created a doubt about the alleged history and manner of death.

The mark in strangulation can be oblique like hanging if the victim has been dragged.

Similarly, in this case, the unusual presentation of ligature mark is due to the pull of free ends of the dupatta in a water motor.'

Woman has a saree fitted by a saleswoman during the launch of a wedding collection

AIIMS has published the findings of the case in the ARC Journal of Forensic Science, Dr Yadav told Mail Today. 'In such incidents, finding the manner of the death is a challenge to autopsy surgeon and expertise comes into play to carefully analyse the associated injuries with the history and overall circumstances.'

Experts at the institute said that in the past 5-6 years, they have witnessed about 30-40 cases where women were accidentally strangled by drapes getting caught in motorcycles, scooters, mixers, table fans, rickshaws and factory equipment.

Not just women, even men wearing mufflers and shawls have been strangled in freak accidents, AIIMS forensic experts said.
The worlds largest oil company could join the London stock market in a major boost to Britain following the Brexit vote.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, state-owned Saudi Arabian Oil Company, commonly known as Saudi Aramco, told how it was planning the biggest-ever stock market listing that could value the firm at 1.9trillion.

The announcement that London was being considered for a float was a major public boost for the City in front of the worlds elite.

Chief executive Amin Nasser said: The company is serious in considering all stock markets, including New York, London, Hong Kong and others.

The Saudis plan to sell a 5 per cent stake in Aramco  probably next year  although the number of shares could increase. A 5 per cent stake would be worth 95bn.

Rules in London dictate that a minimum of 25 per cent of a companys stock must be sold to investors.

Its true Londons stock exchange requires 25 per cent as a minimum but these are details that are discussed with Britain, and Aramco is a big company, said Nasser. We are only looking at 5 per cent, all the markets are willing and ready to cooperate. The discussions were very rich and fulfilling.

The listing is part of deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salmans plan for a sovereign wealth fund, to reduce the Saudi economys reliance on hydrocarbons. Aramco is the worlds biggest oil company by value but some investors and analysts doubt that it is worth as much as 1.9trillion.

The boost from Aramco came as other giant firms backed Britain. Leading American technology company Salesforce last night pledged to expand. Miguel Milano, who runs the internet giant in Europe, said the cloud computing specialist was planning to take on more staff at its London base.

He said: The UK is our HQ for Europe and our largest market in Europe. London is one of the most vibrant cities in the world. Its a lot of fun.

Milano said Brexit would have no impact on the business. For us it is business as usual, he said. We are growing our employee base significantly and our infrastructure.

The comments marked a significant vote of confidence in Britain by one of the worlds biggest technology companies.

Salesforce  whose American boss and founder Marc Benioff described the Brexit vote as unfortunate  is just the latest multinational to commit to the UK following the referendum.

A host of major corporations  including Nissan, Google, Facebook, GlaxoSmithKline and McDonalds  have ramped up investment in the UK since the vote in June.

Salesforce, based in San Francisco and worth 40bn, raked in revenues of 5.5bn last year and profits of 53m. It is targeting revenues of 8bn next year and 16bn by 2020.

Benioff, a 52-year-old married father of two who founded Salesforce in 1999 and has built a fortune of 3.1bn, has identified Europe and Britain as one of its fastest growing regions.

The firm employs 600 staff in the UK, mainly in London and plans to hire another 1,200 in Europe  including in the UK.
Former Rolls-Royce boss Sir John Rose was last night thrown into the heart of the firms corruption scandal as fresh details of bribery emerged.

Rose, once regarded as one of Britains great industrial leaders, stepped down from Rolls-Royce in 2011 after 15 years at the helm.

During his time in charge, employees bribed their way around the world, paying middlemen to help win business in India, Russia, China and Nigeria.

In the spotlight: Sir John Rose stepped down from Rolls-Royce in 2011 after 15 years at the helm

Yesterday it emerged that senior figures at Rolls had known about international corruption since 2010 but failed to tell the authorities. It raises questions over whether Rose knew about the payments.

Last night new details emerged of the scale of the scandal when court documents published by US authorities revealed how Rolls bribed Iraqi officials between 2006 to 2009 to persuade them not to blacklist the company despite the officials concerns about turbines supplied by the company.

The US Department of Justice said the company also paid 4.4m to middlemen in Kazakhstan between 2009 and 2012 for work on a gas pipeline; 6.3m to foreign officials in Azerbaijan in return for contracts from the state-owned oil company; and a further 1.9m to bribe officials in Angola.

Between 2000 and 2013, one executive worked with three employees to pay 28.4m in commission to commercial advisers in a number of countries, knowing they would be used to bribe foreign officials.

The executive is described as a UK national, who during the time of the bribery was a Rolls employee at a high-level, with substantial decision-making authority within the energy division of Rolls-Royce.

The latest revelations add to those from the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) after Rolls agreed a 671m deferred prosecution agreement settlement with UK, Brazilian and US authorities, meaning it avoids prosecution over the offences dating from 1989 to 2013.

Yesterday the Mail revealed that despite this deal, up to 38 workers with the firm could still face individual criminal charges. Last night, experts demanded to know what the chief executive at the time knew.

Peter van Veen, director of the business integrity programme at anti-corruption movement Transparency International UK, said: If the CEO does not know, and its very widespread practice, then they are not doing their job. Either they are asleep at the wheel or driving the car.

Deferred prosecution agreements should not be used to avoid individual prosecutions. We very much want the SFO to use the full weight of the law.

Market commentator David Buik said: Rose has questions to answer. When you are CEO the buck sits with you and if there has been an issue and it has not been fully investigated then  and I have no idea whether he knew or when he knew  but when you are CEO, you should know.

Thats why you are paid lots and lots of money  because you are responsible.

Born in Malawi, Rose, 64, joined Rolls in 1984 and held a number of senior roles before being appointed boss in 1996. He was credited with turning the company from a struggling British engineer into a flagship giant competing on the world stage.

Rose, who is married with three children, was knighted in 2003 and received the Legion dHonneur in France in 2008.

Since leaving Rolls in 2011, he has held a number of senior positions in the City including deputy chairman of Rothschild, and is currently chairman of Holdingham Group, the parent of intelligence firm Hakluyt & Company.

Leading independent defence analyst Howard Wheeldon said the settlement would help Rolls close the door on the regrettable chapter and move on.

He added: That process is long and hard but I am in no doubt that Rolls-Royce now has both the people, board structure, strategy and clarity to push the recovery process forward.

Rolls-Royce has apologised for the companys previous behaviour. New chief executive Warren East, who took over in 2015, said: This was unworthy of everything which Rolls-Royce stands for, and that our people, customers, investors and partners expect from us. Rose could not be reached for comment.
Buy-to-let landlords are snapping up more properties in the North East to take advantage of high annual yields, findings suggest.

The proportion of existing landlords in the North East looking to buy more homes in the region over the next three months has doubled to 19 per cent since last year, the National Landlords Association said.

Meanwhile, just 5 per cent of landlords who operate in central London said they plan to buy more properties in the next quarter, the lowest across all regions and down from 15 per cent this time last year.

Heading North East: Buy-to-let landlords are turning to the North East in a bid to increase their annual yields

The central London rental market is starting to show signs of 'topping out', with tenant demand sliding and landlords looking for higher yielding investments elsewhere in the country, the NLA said.

The number of landlords in central London reporting a rise in tenant demand has dropped from 45 per cent to 17 per cent in a year.

The drop in rental demand in central London 'coincides with a more conservative approach from landlords' to purchasing property in the capital, the findings suggest.

BUY-TO-LET YIELD CALCULATOR This calculator shows the rental return on your investment property as a percentage of its value Property value:  Monthly rent:  ::: Calculate ::: Annual rent: Yield:

In London, tenants were looking to pay 37 less in rent than in 2015, with the average rent having fallen by 2.9 per cent to 1,246 in December, recent data from Countrywide reveals.

In central London, average rents have fallen by 9.4 per cent in a year, Countrywide added.

With London becoming increasingly unaffordable for many tenants, 40 per cent of landlords operating in the region excluding the capital reported a rise in tenant demand, the NLA said. The spike in demand was the biggest of any region in the UK.

Johnny Morris, research director at Countrywide, said previously: 'Squeezed yields, fewer tax breaks and higher stamp duty rates are likely to deter landlords from expanding their portfolios.'

Lower demand: The proportion of landlords in central London reporting a rise in tenant demand has dropped from 45 per cent to 17 per cent in a year

Rental prices: Data by Countrywide earlier this month revealed where average annual rents have gone up or down in the past year

Recent research from Rightmove found that Bootle, Birkenhead and St Helens in Merseyside, as well as Burnley and Accrington in Lancashire, and Swansea and Glasgow, currently offer particularly attractive yields for landlords.

RENTAL YIELDS IN BRIEF The yield is the annual rental income a landlord can expect to achieve as a percentage of the property's value.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that London has the highest average house prices in the country, coming in at around 482,000.

In the South East, the average cost of a home is 313,000, while the North East is the cheapest region in the UK, with a home costing roughly 127,000.

Across the country, house prices grew by 6.7 per cent in the year to November, with an average price of 218,000.
A slight drawback! Chiles first drawbridge delayed after engineers realise at least one traffic deck has been fitted upside-down



Chilean President Sebastian Pinera blames Spanish developers for mistake

Bridge connecting Valdivia with Teja Island was set to open this month

Gaffe becomes a laughing stock among Chileans using social media



Chilean engineers have been left red faced by a delay in the grand opening of the country's first-ever drawbridge - after they discovered a major part was installed upside down.

The $30million Cau Cau bridge was supposed to open this month as an instant landmark connecting Valdivia, a coastal city in the south of Chile, with the adjacent Teja Island.

But no one will be travelling across for a while, after builders realised at least one traffic deck had been installed upside down.



Scroll down for video

How it's supposed to work: The $30million Cau Cau bridge was supposed to open this month as an instant landmark connecting Valdivia, a coastal city in the south of Chile, with the adjacent Teja Island

Gaffe: Inspectors preparing for the opening day realised at least one traffic deck had been installed upside down. Chile's president has laid the blame at the feet of the Spanish company behind the development

It's a national embarrassment for the prosperous South American country.



But its president, Sebastian Pinera, is blaming Spanish developers for the mistake.

'It can be fixed, ... and it will be fixed by the company that made the mistake,' fumed President Pinera.

Public Works Minister Loreto Silva added: 'The only responsible party is the builder. We are going to make them answer for this'

The bridge has ended up a laughing stock among Chilean social media users, who are wondering how construction workers managed to mess up something as seemingly clear as up and down.

One wag tweeted a scrawly child's picture of a bridge, rendered in coloured pencil, with the quip: 'Leak of the installation plans for the Cau Cau bridge in Valdivia.'

@rvfradiopopular Filtran planos de instalacion del puente Cau Cau en Valdivia... pic.twitter.com/e49aSC2rmJ  Rodrigo Garrido (@mark35d) January 9, 2014

Another posted a picture of a tiny foot-bridge by a pool in a budget resort, commenting: 'One of the first tenders won by the idiots that made the bridge in Valdivia.'

Una de las primeras licitaciones que se ganaron los hueones que hicieron el puente en Valdivia: pic.twitter.com/4HW99yJG2X  carlitos_huerta (@carlitos_huerta) January 7, 2014

The mistake emerged when inspectors getting ready for opening day found that either one or two of the traffic decks were installed backwards, authorities said.

Azvi, the Spanish infrastructure company behind the bridge development, did not immediately comment. A new opening date has not been announced.
Desperate for a new life in America: Honduran migrants who lost limbs after being pushed from people-trafficking trains ask Mexico for free passage

Badly injured migrants ask Mexican Senate to protect them from gangs



Beaten and pushed from trains while traveling from Mexico to U.S.



Group want Mexico to allow them to travel to the U.S. without documents

Also asked for temporary transit visas, and safe shelters built on the route



A group of H onduran migrants who lost arms and legs falling from dangerous people trafficking trains have asked Mexico to allow them free passage to travel the U.S. border without documents.

About a dozen migrants say they petitioned the Mexican Senate earlier in the week, asking for the the government to stop persecuting Central Americans, protect them from criminal gangs, and help fund new shelters for them to stay in as they make their way towards the U.S.

The migrants say that drug gang members and other criminals frequently beat, stab or push them from moving trains during their journeys through Mexico to the United States.

Injured: Norman Saul Varela, 46, is one of the Honduran migrants invovled in the campaign. He uses a prosthetic leg after losing his limb while riding the train through Mexico toward the U.S. border

Hope: The 11 migrants (pictured) say they petitioned the Mexican Senate earlier in the week, asking for the the government to stop persecuting Central Americans, protect them from criminal gangs

Fear: The migrants say that drug gang members and other criminals frequently beat, stab or push them from moving trains during their journeys through Mexico to the United States

The migrants wore prosthetic limbs - in some cases, for both legs - and pinned-up shirt sleeves in place of missing arms.



They expressed hope that Mexico would agree to allow them transit visas or free passage without documents to cross the country on their way to the U.S. border.

Jose Luis Hernandez, the leader of the Association of Disabled Returning Migrants, said the group hopes to meet with President Enrique Pena Nieto to discuss their demands.



Hernandez said there are 452 badly injured migrants from Honduras alone, and more from other Central American countries.

'We have hit bottom... It is no longer even news when two people die on 'The Beast,' or that somebody fell under the train and lost his legs,' Hernandez said, referring to the train that travels through southern Mexico that migrants call La Bestia.

Victims: Armando Diaz Mendoza, 50, (left) Jeremias Gamez, 41, (right) are both migrants from Honduras who use prosthetic legs after falling from trains travelling through Mexico toward the U.S. border

Travel: They badly inured migrants expressed hope that Mexico would agree to allow them transit visas or free passage without documents to cross the country on their way to the U.S. border

Criminal gangs often board the trains to rob migrants, many of whom have relatives in the United States. They are sometimes kidnapped and held until their families send ransom payments.

The migrants are often afraid to report such crimes for fear they will be deported, and some accuse police in Mexico of turning detained migrants over to the gangs, or robbing them themselves.

Hernandez said migrants believe that railway employees work with criminal gangs by slowing down to allow them to board the trains.



'There is a plot that involves the engineers and the railway guards, it's all about extorting money from the migrants, he said.

A criminal complaint filed last week by prosecutors in the southern Mexico state of Veracruz alleges that railway companies or their employees have been complicit in crimes committed against migrants riding their trains.



Ferrosur, a Mexican rail line, and KCSM, a subsidiary of the U.S. railway Kansas City Southern, noted that migrants board their trains illegally, and said they were doing everything to cooperate with authorities.

'The guidelines of KCSM state that security personnel must respect the physical safety of those who travel illegally on the trains," the company said in a statement.

Ferrosur said it 'provided full cooperation' with Mexican immigration agents.

But Hernandez said immigration agents shouldn't be pursuing migrants who don't want to stay in Mexico and only wish to reach the United States.

Jose Vazquez, 33, (right) lost a leg in 2005 while riding the train through Mexico. Fredy Vegas, 33, (left) suffered the same injury making the same journey

Organised crime: Gangs often board the trains to rob migrants, many of whom have relatives in the United States. They are sometimes kidnapped and held until their families send ransom payments

In 2008, Mexico removed rarely enforced criminal penalties of 18 months to 10 years in prison for migrants in the country illegally.



Being an undocumented migrant is now a minor offense punishable by fines, although most migrants are been deported.

Rather than deportation, Hernandez's group is calling on Mexico to provide transit visas to guarantee safe passage of central American migrants through the country - something THAT Mexican Congresswoman Amalia Garcia claims is possible, albeit with a few legal changes.

Hernandez also said migrants want federal police officers aboard the trains - not to catch migrants, but to protect them from criminals.

He also expressed hope that Mexico's government would help support migrant shelters, most of them run by Roman Catholic relief and charity organizations.



uch shelters could have made the difference for Hernandez, who lost an arm, a leg and part of his other hand when he fainted and fell on the tracks in the northern state of Chihuahua in 2005 after 20 days of riding the train, not eating and hiding from police.

Senator Gabriela Cuevas, who met with the migrants, said that Mexico should give migrants the same kind of protections it demands from the United States when Mexicans are deported.
Britain will veto plans by Albania to join the European Union unless new rules are introduced to immigration.

Brussels today named Albania as a candidate to join after changes were made to the way the country of 3million people is run.

But David Cameron has made clear that he will block any attempt to allow Albania to formally join the 28-nation bloc without new limits on freedom of movement.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama welcomed the news that Albania had cleared the first hurdle on its long path to European Union membership, on his country's fourth try

EU leaders meeting on Friday will formally sign off the decision to allow Albania to start the process of preparing its application to join. Albania has failed to win the coveted status three times since 2009.

Countries including Britain and Germany have made clear it will not be allowed to proceed without further efforts to tackle corruption and the introduction of an independent judiciary.

However, Downing Street today made clear that the it will use its veto to block further expansion of the EU without new rules to prevent migrants from new, poorer countries moving to the UK in search of work.

A Number 10 source said: It is absolutely clear that before Albania can ever join, the long-term transitional arrangements would have to apply. If they dont, we wont let them in. End of story.

Mr Cameron is pushing the idea of new countries having to reach a set level of income per head before the borders are opened to the rest of the EU.

It follows concerns about the influx of people from countries like Poland, and more recently Bulgaria and Romania, when they joined the EU.

Albania has been granted candidate status in the process of applying to join the 28-nation bloc, but will have to overcome opposition in Westminster to be successful

The prospect of EU expansion has emerged for the first time since the European Parliament elections, in which support surged for Eurosceptic parties.

In Britain, UKIP topped the poll, beating Labour into second place and the Tories third.

Mr Cameron believes the introduction of controls on freedom of movement for new controls could be a major gain in his plan to renegotiate Britains EU membership, before staging an in-out referendum by 2017.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: The Prime Minister set out that all and any future accessions would have to be the subject of the new transitional controls that he wants to see, and that would apply to all and any future cases.

This is not a decision on accession, its a decision to at some point in the future, it could be several years down the line, this is the beginning of any negotiations.

There is a period of negotiations that in some countries cases has taken decades, any final decision, at the end of that process requires unanimity, and the Prime Minister is very clear the new transitional requirements he wants to see would have to apply to any and all future accessions.

David Cameron has made clear the UK will not allow Albania to join the EU without limits on freedom of movement for new countries

Albania will not be allowed to progress in joining the EU without major reforms on the use of fraudulent documents, money laundering, drug cultivation and human trafficking.

As well as Britain, other countries taking a hardline stance include Holland, Germany, France, the Czech Republic and Spain.

In a statement, the EU said Albania had to address issues such as the use of fraudulent documents, money laundering, drug cultivation and human trafficking.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that, with the EU's decision, Albania had 'regained its lost dignity in the eyes of international partners.'
An expert Taliban bomb maker accidentally killed himself and his four sons in while building a cache of roadside bombs in northern Afghanistan

Kamal Khan, a Taliban commander in the northern part of the Sar-i-Pul province of Afghanistan, died overnight while making explosive devices in his home.

Zabiullah Amani, spokesman for the provincial governor said Khan was believed to be the Taliban's best maker of roadside bombs in the region.

Khan is believed to have been responsible for roadside bombs, like this one in November which exploded outside the German consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif, northern Afghanistan

These bombs have been frequently and effectively used for years against both government security forces and international troops in Afghanistan.

While the Taliban's heartland is in southern Afghanistan, they have become increasingly active and dangerous in northern Afghanistan as well.

Afghan civilians are paying a heavy price for the escalating conflict across the country.

A total of 2,562 civilians were killed and another 5,835 wounded in the first nine months of 2016, according to a UN report.

Last week more than 50 people were killed in multiple Taliban bombings across Afghanistan. The bombs frequently hit civilians, including children STOCK PHOTO

Last week, over 50 people, mostly civilians, were killed in multiple Taliban bombings across Afghanistan.

At least seven civilians, including a women and three children, were killed when their truck hit a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said.

The villagers were travelling from Pacheer Agam district to a nearby village in Nangarhar province, Hijratullah Rahmani district governor of Pacheer Agam told AFP.

'Unfortunately, in the blast, seven civilians, including a woman and three children were killed and one wounded,' he said.

No one claimed responsibility, but the interior ministry in a statement blamed 'enemies of peace and stability,' a term Afghan officials use to refer to Taliban.




The FBI is investigating after a second wave of bomb threats have been made against 27 Jewish community centers in less than a month.

The hoax saw facilities evacuated and closed yesterday after the threats promised to target American Jews.

The Jewish Community Center Association, a network of health and education centers, confirmed they had been made aware of a number of threats across the US and was working with local authorities to ensure people's safety.

The FBI is investigating after a second wave of bomb threats have been made against 27 Jewish community centers in less than a month. Pictured is one of the centers in Miami, Florida

The Jewish Community Center Association, a network of health and education centers, confirmed they had been made aware of a number of threats

Among the centers to receive the hoax bomb threats was the facility in Miami Beach, Florida.

The Miami Beach Police Department confirmed they evacuated the building and sent in officers and specialist police dogs.

However, after a sweep of the building, no bomb was found and the center was reopened.

Meanwhile two Jewish centers in Connecticut announced on Facebook they too had received threatening phone calls.

Other centers to receive threats were in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Delaware, Alabama, California, Maine, Tennessee, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas and Kansas.

The FBI, who are investigating the threats have not named any suspects or a possible motive.

But a statement said: 'The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence, and will ensure this matter is investigated in a fair, thorough and impartial manner.'

Meanwhile the Anti-Defamation League, who campaign against Jewish bigotry, said although the threats did not appear credible, they should still be taken seriously.

The FBI, who are investigating the threats have not named any suspects or a possible motive

The organization's CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt, said: 'Although so far these threats do not appear to be credible, we are recommending that Jewish communal institutions review their security procedures and remain in close contact with law enforcement.

'While each incident needs to be taken seriously and investigated closely, thus far we are not aware of any of these threats being substantiated.

'Federal authorities and local police departments should be commended for their rapid response to these incidents. We remain in close contact with law enforcement and are offering our support and resources to local Community Centers.'

The threats came after similar hoaxes on January 9, when 16 Jewish community centers across nine US states were targeted.

There were no attacks or injuries but prompted the FBI to look into the source of the calls.

It found some of the calls were made using an automated 'robocall' system.
New Roane County Sheriff Bo Williams admitted in court Wednesday that he stole methamphetamine from an evidence locker at the Spencer Police Department while he was an officer there

A newly elected West Virginia sheriff who admitted he was a meth addict and was charged with stealing the drug from a police locker pleaded guilty to a felony and resigned from office Wednesday, a prosecutor said.

Bo Williams entered the plea to a charge of entering without breaking Wednesday in Roane County Circuit Court.

County Prosecutor Josh Downey said Williams was accused of taking methamphetamine from the storage area when he was a Spencer police officer last fall. He resigned in December, a month after being elected sheriff. He took office this month.

According to a criminal complaint, meth was found in Williams' desk and police vehicle. The complaint said several evidence bags found with Williams contained case numbers corresponding to missing evidence.

Downey said Williams told him, Spencer Police Chief Greg Nichols and a state police sergeant last November that he had been addicted to meth for more than a year. Downey said Williams admitted removing methamphetamine from a police case file and consuming it.

Williams faces up to 10 years in prison when he's sentenced on March 28.

Williams resigned as sheriff, after less than three weeks on the job

Williams had been charged with grand larceny, for stealing more than $1,000 in evidence, including methamphetamine

'It's an example of what drugs like meth have done to our communities,' Downey said. 'Some people have a picture of what a drug addict looks like. It shows that it can be anybody.'

The Roane County Commission, which had already started removal proceedings against Williams, will have a month to appoint a replacement. It plans to meet Friday.

The commission had appointed former Roane County Sheriff Todd Cole to serve as chief deputy in charge of law enforcement operations. Cole served two terms as sheriff from 2000 to 2008. In 2014 he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of the previous sheriff who left for health reasons. Cole's term ended December 31.

Williams stole 20 grams of meth from the evidence locker. Investigators also found open bags of drugs in the trunk of the Spencer police cruiser he was driving

Williams admitted that he took methamphetamine from the Spencer Police Department and that he had a year-and-a-half-long addiction to meth

Williams was elected sheriff in November and his term started Jan. 1. While serving as a police officer in Spencer, Williams was placed on leave and he resigned in December after evidence went missing. The complaint said more than $1,000 in evidence was involved. He originally was charged with grand larceny.

Williams agreed to resign as part of a plea agreement with the prosecutor's office in neighboring Wood County, which handled the court case. Downey said he's 'relieved more than anything' by the conviction because of the toll it was taking on a small central West Virginia community.

'It's been real stressful on the whole courthouse,' Lambert said. 'It's been stressful on his family, I'm sure.'
The 45-year-old actress was jailed in 2013 (above being sentenced) for drunkenly killing a married mother in a hit-and-run

Melrose Place actress Amy Locane has described the 'dehumanizing' conditions she faced behind bars and how her once charmed life has suffered since she killed a married mother by drunkenly crashing into her in her SUV.

Locane was jailed for three years for killing 60-year-old Helene Seeman in Montgomery Township, New Jersey, in 2010 by crashing into her car while three times the legal alcohol limit.

Seeman was in the car with her husband, Fred, who was severely injured when the starlet plowed into them as they turned into their driveway.

The 45-year-old actress was released from prison in June 2015 after serving two and a half years of her sentence. She was spared having to return to jail last week despite an appeal by the victim's family to have her serve more time.

Five days after being her release in June, Locane was served divorce papers by husband Mark Bovenizer.

She is now unable to drive and living alone in an apartment in New Jersey where she attends Alcoholic Anonymous meetings once a week.

On Wednesday, Locane told how she was shunned by friends during her stint at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility which she likened to 'witnessing your own death'.

'Being in prison is dehumanizing. (It's) almost like witnessing your own death.

'People write to you initially and then they disappear,' she told nj.com in her first interview since being released.

'Every time I left a visit with my girls, I had to endure a strip search in which I had to strip, squat and cough.'

Insisting she was not given a 'free pass' because of her famous name, Locane described how she was forced to shower with 90 other women and submit all her mail to prison guards to check before she was able to read it.

The mother-of-two used reading to distract herself from depression, she said, and worked on helping other inmates with their sobriety.

Helene Seeman's family were outraged by the three-year sentence Locane was given in 2013, accusing the case's judge of 'bending over backwards' to help her.

Locane (left in 2010 while being arraigned for the killing and right in 1999) said friends stopped writing to her when she was behind bars

Locane spent two-and-a-half years at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in New Jersey where she said she was regularly strip searched and forced to 'squat and cough' after visits with her two young daughters

The actress's husband Mark Bovanizer (above with their two young daughters) divorced her five days after she was released from jail in 2015

Helene Seeman was killed when Locane plowed into the car she was travelling in with husband Fred (above)

She was initially charged with aggravated manslaughter but had the charges lowered to vehicular homicide which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.

Somerset County Judge Robert B. Reed lowered it to three years for Locane, citing her two young daughters, one of whom has Crohn's Disease and the other has mental disabilities, as reasons why she should be allowed to spend less time away from her family.

When she was released in June 2015, the victim's family appealed to have her put back behind bars. The case returned to court of a re-sentencing hearing after prosecutors raised concerns the initial jail term had been too lenient.

Locane faced spending another six months in jail but was spared having to go back because she did not pose a risk to society, the judge said.

She is still facing a federal lawsuit over the crash but will not have to spend any more time in jail.

The star launched her own appeal to have her conviction overturned in 2014. She asked for a public defender to represent her in the appeal, a request which sparked fury among prosecutors.

Locane starred in Melrose Place (left with Thomas Calabro) in 1992. She also appeared alongside Johnny Depp in the 1990 film Cry Baby (right)

The actress (pictured weeping as she was sentenced in 2013) said she was not given a 'free pass' while in jail. She is now committed to sobriety and helping female convicts readjust to normal life after they are freed

They said Locane didn't deserve access to the taxpayer funded legal service because of her lavish lifestyle. While not having worked herself for years, they said her marriage to Bovenizer, a wealthy businessman, ruled her out of being eligible.

Her appeal is still in the courts. In May, 2015, a judge ruled that the pair would not have to turn over financial records until the court heard prosecutors' appeal of her sentence.

At the time she requested a public defender in her own appeal to have the conviction overturned, prosecutors said she would be more likely to receive free representation in divorce court.

Despite receiving several acting offers, Locane said she is now focused on winning custody of her daughters.

She also wants to help female convicts readjust to normal life after being released, she said.

Locane starred in the 1990 hit series Melrose Place in 1992 as Sandy Louise Harling. She also starred with Johnny Depp in the 1990 film Cry Baby.
Newly published documents reveal the CIA was keeping a close eye on the two journalists that broke the Watergate story for years after the scandal was first reported.

The information was contained in a massive dump of more than 12 million pages of declassified documents posted online by the agency on Tuesday.

Including in the trove of documents were hundreds of pages about Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein - the journalistic duo that exposed the Watergate scandal and helped bring down President Richard Nixon.

There were memos suggesting the agency was investigating the pair, with one saying officials were: 'keen to find out what kind of person (Bernstein) is.'

Newly released documents has revealed the CIA was keeping a close eye on Bob Woodward (left) and Carl Bernstein (right) - the two journalists that broke the Watergate story - for years after the story was first published

The information was contained in a massive dump of more than 12 million pages of declassified documents published online by the CIA on Tuesday (file photo)

It was dated January 31, 1980 - almost eight years after the Watergate break in.

Another internal letter, written about Woodward in 1985, expressed concern over the fact he was looking into then-CIA chief, William 'Bill' Casey.

'Back in Washington, I learned from CIA source that Washington Post's Watergate reporter, Bob Woodward, has cast evil eye on CIA chief Bill Casey. Woodward is questioning everyone who ever knew Casey.'

Woodward published a book about Casey in 1987.

Another note about the famed journalist, published in the same year, detailed a call where he tried to arrange a meeting with the agency's public affairs director, George Lauder, and another unidentified person.

Also included in the files were transcripts from interviews the two legendary reporters gave, as well as articles about them and their respective careers - long after they broke the scandal.

The new CIA files had hundreds of pages about Bob Woodward (right) and Carl Bernstein (left) - the journalistic duo that exposed the Watergate scandal and helped bring down President Richard Nixon. Woodward and Bernstein are pictured in 2014

There were memos suggesting the agency was investigating the duo, with one suggesting officials were, 'keen to find out what kind of person (Bernstein) is' (file photo)

They had a file copy of a Washington Post feature on Woodward, 'Bob Woodward, The Washington Post and his many books,' which was published on April 12, 1990.

Another internal letter, written about Woodward in 1985, expressed concern over the fact he was looking into then-CIA chief, William 'Bill' Casey (pictured in 1981)

There were also word-for-word accounts of radio and television interviews, as well hundreds of other documents related to the reports.

The Watergate scandal stemmed from a break in at the Democratic National Committee office housed inside in 1972.

The men who broke in were later connected to President Richard Nixon, and it was revealed they were attempting to steal documents and to wiretap phones.

In August 1974, after his role in the scandal came to light, Nixon resigned.

In total, about 930,000 documents were published from the agency's CREST tool.

The publication of the files, which was first reported by Buzzfeed News, was a step in increasing transparency for the massive agency.

They were all already on the public record, but were incredibly difficult to access.

This document from January 1980 explains how the writer was keen to 'find out what kind of a person' Bernstein was

The agency was concerend about Woodward's reporting after the Watergate scandal, as this 1985 letter shows

Another document included in the files on Woodward detailed a phone call he had with the agency's George Lauder in 1985

Prior to Tuesday, the files could only be examined in person between 9am and 4:30pm on one of four computers at the National Archives in Maryland.

Joseph Lambert, CIA Director of Information Management, said in a statement access to the documents is no longer 'limited by geography'.

'The American public can access these documents from the comfort of their homes,' Lambert wrote.

'The CREST collection covers a myriad of topics, such as the early CIA history, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Berlin Tunnel project, the Korean War, and the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft.

'The documents also extensively address developments on terrorism, as well as worldwide military and economic issues.'

A legal push from MuckRock, an open-government advocate group, prompted the CIA to make the documents available online.
Paul McCartney has filed a lawsuit against Sony/ATV Music Publishing in hopes of winning back the copyrights to a host of songs he wrote with John Lennon.

McCartney filed the suit in federal court in New York on Wednesday, seeking to gain ownership of the copyrights in 2018, according to court documents.

Michael Jackson famously bought ATV's back catalog in 1985, which includes more than 200 Beatles tracks, before they were sold back to Sony by Jackson's debt-ridden estate after his death.

Paul McCartney has filed a lawsuit against Sony/ATV Music Publishing in hopes of winning back the copyrights to a host of songs he wrote with John Lennon

McCartney has missed out on several opportunities to own the copyrights to his own songs. Under the US Copyright Act of 1976, songs written before 1978 can return under the songwriter's property after 56 years

McCartney explained the significance of music publishing to Jackson, only for the King of Pop to obtain more than 200 Beatles songs in a move that left McCartney feeling betrayed

Both McCartney and Lennon lost out to ATV, which purchased their original publishers, Northern Songs, in 1969.

When McCartney explained the significance of music publishing to Jackson years later, the King of Pop took note and purchased the back catalog to ATV Music in 1985.

Jackson obtained more than 200 Beatles songs from the publisher, which collects and distributes royalties to songwriters, in a move that left McCartney feeling betrayed, Billboard reported.

McCartney has filed the suit since he has not been able to get Sony to confirm they will transfer the copyrights under his name

Jackson's ownership returned to Sony in September 2016, after his debt-ridden estate sold off the King of Pop's stake in the music publishing company for $750million.

The catalog is now estimated to be worth upwards of $2bn.

Now, McCartney is hoping to regain the rights to his songs under the US Copyright Act of 1976 - which allows songs written before 1978 to return under the songwriter's property after a period of 56 years.

Songs in the Lennon-McCartney catalog, composed between September 1962 and June 1971, will start hitting their 56-year mark in 2018.

McCartney, eager to obtain the copyrights, started sending notices to Sony/ATV in 2008, stating his desire to reclaim the copyrights to songs including Across the Universe, Love Me Do, and I Want to Hold Your Hand, the suit said.

McCartney's lawyers have repeatedly asked Sony/ATV to acknowledge the musician's rights to terminate copyright transfers of the music, and the company has declined to do so, the suit said.

'Because the earliest of Paul McCartney's terminations will take effect in 2018, a judicial declaration is necessary and appropriate at this time so that Paul McCartney can rely on quiet, unclouded title to his rights,' the suit said.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing called the lawsuit 'unnecessary and premature' in an emailed statement.

'Sony/ATV has the highest respect for Sir Paul McCartney with whom we have enjoyed a long and mutually rewarding relationship with respect to the treasured Lennon & McCartney song catalog,' Sony/ATV said. 'We are disappointed that they have filed this lawsuit, which we believe is both unnecessary and premature.'

Songs in the Lennon-McCartney catalog will start hitting their 56-year mark in 2018, and Sir Paul is taking a proactive role in making sure the songs don't slip out of his grasp again (pictured, the Beatles in 1963)

McCartney (pictured with Nancy Shevell in December 2016) started the process last year and filed termination notices for 32 songs with the US Copyright Office, Billboard reported

The lawsuit said Sony/ATV attempted to stall talks with McCartney until the conclusion of a lawsuit involving similar claims by British pop band Duran Duran that was playing out in an English court. Duran Duran lost the legal battle to a Sony/ATV subsidiary in December.

'Rather than provide clear assurances to Paul McCartney that defendants will not challenge his exercise of his termination rights, defendants are clearly reserving their rights pending the final outcome of the Duran Duran litigation,' McCartney's lawsuit said.
A mother embroiled in a bitter war of words with a zoo owner after he labelled her an 'imbecile' for making a complaint about the lack of animals has hit back.

Dana Harrison sent her two children, both aged under five, to Peel Zoo in Pinjarra with their German au pair but the trio were left disappointed from their recent visit.

The mother-of-two decided to voice her concerns by penning a private Facebook message to the Western Australian zoo.

Clearly unimpressed by her message, Perth zoo owner David Cobbold lashed out at the mother in a fiery response, claiming her 'second-hand information' was incorrect.

But Ms Harrison has refused to back down, saying in her cutting response: 'I have no words, you seem to have taken them all.'

Peel Zoo owner David Cobbold (pictured) lashed out at the mother after receiving her negative feedback, claiming her 'second hand information' was incorrect

'As a business owner you would know "word of mouth" is the best way of advertising experiences,' she insisted.

'For your information as you might or might not know, when visitors enter your zoo, they receive a list of animals and their names in their enclosure number.

The young mother of two responded to the owner after she was labelled 'imbecile'

'When crossing them off, if you can't find 3/4 of them that means they were all either hiding or not there.

'That to me isn't a maths equation to solve. Thanks for your time.'

The mother decided to share the private messages publicly on her Facebook page after she was left stunned by the owner's response.

'Well the owners shockingly rude response has just sealed the deal that I will never ever return to the "zoo",' she wrote.

Her remarks comes after she criticised the zoo because she children and their German au pair spent less than an hour looking at the animals.

'The feedback was 3/4 of the animals weren't there and they finished looking at everything in an hour,' Ms Harrison's complaint said.

'It cost $50 for my two kids under five yrs old and my au pair to visit for an hour!

'It would have cost them less to visit the Perth Zoo... she was really looking forward to seeing the koala as the highlight but even the koala was on holidays.

'Are the animals out at school holiday excursions or where have they gone?'

But Mr Cobbold dismissed her 'ludicrous feedback' and questioned the woman's maths and doubted the information she was provided by the au pair and her young children.

He also said he would be happy if the woman didn't return to his zoo.

'I consider it highly unlikely, nay impossible, for "two kids under five yrs old" to be capable of solving this equation,' Mr Cobbold replied.

A woman claimed to Mr Cobbard (centre) that her two children and au pair recently visited the zoo but was disappointed that 3/4 of the animals weren't there

The mother-of-two decided to voice her concerns by penning a private message to the zoo

Clearly unimpressed with the feedback, Mr Cobbard responded to the woman's complaint

'I also consider it impossible for 'German au pair' to solve the equation regardless of her mathematical ability, because she would have no way of knowing the total number of animals in our collection.

'I can inform you that we have 78 enclosures and all but one of them is occupied. The odd one out was vacated yesterday afternoon, when we sent Sherman, the Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat, to his new home in Bunbury.

'You have simply jumped to a conclusion because it is convenient for you to do so...The jump enables you with the feeling of self-righteous indignation that you obviously enjoy.

'My own conclusion is to thank you for not 'returning to [our] zoo.'

'I prefer serving more intelligent creatures.'

Mr Cobbald added to his initial comments on Saturday with a long Facebook post clarifying his original comments.

He said that he 'doesn't pander to the fatuous diatribes of misguided imbeciles' and he 'fears he had already wasted too much of his valuable time suffering a fool'.

The zoo owner also gave an in-depth analysis of how long he believed that it would take to view every animal display and found it 'mathematically impossible' that it took them less than an hour to see everything.

Mr Cobbald question the woman's maths and doubted the information that she was provided by the au pair and her young children (pictured Peel Zoo)

The feud between Mr Cobbard and the woman whose children visited Peel Zoo (pictured) has divided opinion

Mr Cobbalds post has been met with a mixed response with a number of people labeling him a 'hero' for standing up to a 'keyboard warrior' while others have slammed him as a 'jerk' who is seeking attention.

'This man is my hero!!,' one person wrote.

'My word! Superbly put, in every point. This was a delight to read,' wrote another.

'What an exceptional reply to what appears to be an exceptionally dim-witted sort of person,' said another.

While others were not so kind.

'This man is a rude and condescending jerk. I worked with him and left in tears. Never have i walked out of a job before. He is a horrible human,' wrote one person.

'Your derogatory comments weren't required nor professional. As a business owner, you should be ashamed,' wrote another.

'You are so unbelievably petty. Have some class as a business owner and treat your business page, and paying customers with some respect,' said another.
Heart-stopping footage has revealed moment a pilot tried to land a plane in gale-force winds.

The video was recorded as Jetstar pilot brought the plane in for a second attempt to land in Wellington, New Zealand on Thursday morning - which was being hammered by a powerful 'weather bomb'.

Sydney woman Kristy Carstairs took the nerve-wracking video, which shows dark skies, pouring rain - and the plane being buffeted from side-to-side by the wind - which was gusting at speeds of more than 100km/h.

Sydney woman Kristy Carstairs was aboard a Jetstar plane which the pilot manage to safely land despite hair-raising conditions

Sydney woman Kristy Carstairs (pictured) took the nerve-wracking video

The weather was so bad the pilot told passengers he'd only make one more landing attempt - or they'd have to turn back to Auckland.

Ms Carstairs told Daily Mail Australia they had boarded the plane in Auckland and she slept until they began descending.

The first attempt to land was gusty and bumpy and the pilot had to abort and Ms Carstairs said it felt like the plane was about to drop from the sky.

They then circled above the clouds waiting for clearance to land before making the second attempt and touching down.

The first attempt to land was gusty and bumpy and the pilot had to abort before getting clearance to try again

'I work in tourism [and] I'm not a nervous flyer - but my heart was in my throat.

'It's school holidays - there were quite a few kids on the plane who were probably the most upset.

Given the conditions, they were lucky to have landed, she said.

'The pilot got a massive round of applause.'

The airport reported on Twitter that severe weather had delayed flights and caused cancellations.

  Severe weather is causing flight delays and cancellations. Please check our website for any updates: https://t.co/M7HtbkdVVu  Wellington Airport (@WLGAirport) January 18, 2017
The Russian government is fed up with claims it interfered in the US election to help Donald Trump win, and instead said foreign government who 'campaigned' for Hillary Clinton must be held accountable.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointed the finger at leaders from across Europe who he says 'grossly interfered' in the campaign and and pushed for Hillary to be elected.

'US allies have grossly interfered in Americas internal affairs, in the election campaign,' Lavrov said, according to state-broadcaster, Russia Today.

'We noticed that Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande, Theresa May, and other European leaders did so.'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (pictured) has accused US allies of 'grossly' interfering in the election in an attempt to help Hillary Clinton win

He went on to say some world leaders 'demonized' the Donald in the run up to November's election.

An RT article then referenced comments made by UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and German Foreign Minister Frank Walther Steinmeier.

In December, Johnson referred to Trump as 'unfit' to be president in an interview with The Independent, while Steinmeier branded Trump a 'hate preacher'.

Lavrov continued in his statement to say the Russian government 'is tired' of the allegations leveled against it, and reiterated his country's desire to work with president-elect Trump.

'US allies have grossly interfered in Americas internal affairs, in the election campaign,' Lavrov (pictured) said

'We noticed that Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande, Theresa May, and other European leaders did so,' the Russian minister said. Clinton is pictured with Merkel in Berlin in April 2011

Francois Hollande and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wave at well-wishers on May 18, 2012, after the French President met with President Obama at the White House

Hillary Clinton meets with then-British Home Secretary Theresa May at the London Conference on Somalia, in central London, on February 23, 2012

'Trump says that if the promotion of US national interests would lead to a chance of working with Russia, it would be foolish not to do that,' Lavrov said, according to RT.

'Our approach is the same: where our interests coincide, we should be and are ready to work together with the US as well as the EU and NATO.'

The comments come after US intelligence agencies and even Trump himself claimed Russia was behind hacks on the Democrats during the election.

The official finding of the NSA, FBI and CIA is that Putin 'ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election.'

Russia and Vladimir Putin have been accused of trying to directly influence the US election. Putin is pictured at a news conference on January 17
Queen Victoria and Lord Melbourne were played by Jenna Coleman and Rufus Sewell in the hit ITV series

The flirtation between the young Queen Victoria and Lord Melbourne in the hit ITV series had viewers gripped.

But there were many undignified exchanges between the young monarch and her prime minister that certainly werent re-enacted by Jenna Coleman and Rufus Sewell.

A new book reveals that Queen Victoria had a rather pungent body odour problem that forced Lord Melbourne to drop hints about her personal hygiene.

He also offered her tips on weight loss after the Queen ballooned in size and could no longer fit into any of her clothes.

Historian Kathryn Hughes writes in Victorians Undone that Lord Melbourne did his best to try to encourage the Queen to only eat when she was hungry.

But she snapped at him that she would be eating all day long if she took his unwanted advice.

He also suggested taking long walks but Victoria triumphantly fished out the example of Donna Maria of Portugal, exactly the same age as her, who walked all the time and resembled a pudding.

It was perhaps unsurprising that the Queen had piled on the pounds, writes Hughes, as: In addition to eating too often and too fast, she had taken to gulping down prodigious amounts of alcohol at mealtimes.

As well as advising the Queen on matters of national importance and body image Lord Melbourne was also saddled with unenviable task of encouraging the young Royal to wash more.

A new book suggests Lord Melbourne dropped hints about the young royal's personal hygiene and tried to encourage the Queen to only eat when she was hungry

Miss Hughes writes: Melbourne also dropped hints about her personal hygiene, which had fallen off sharply.

She really should try to change her clothes more often, something about which she admitted she had become lazy. And a bath taken in the early evening, before dinner, hinted the premier, might not go amiss.

Miss Hughes, who is an expert on Victorian history and the director of creative non-fiction at the University of East Anglia, was unavailable to comment on her new book yesterday.

However a press officer at the university added: You didnt see that in the TV series did you?
Ambulance bosses are hiring paramedics from Poland and Finland in a desperate bid to fill jobs.

More than 70 European paramedics are being drafted in to the North West Ambulance Service, which is failing to meet response times.

The staffing shortage is so severe that one branch had as many as one in six posts empty.

More than 70 European paramedics are being drafted in to the North West Ambulance Service, which is failing to meet response times

A Care Quality Commission report today says that, if the posts are not filled, ambulances will struggle to reach emergencies in time. The service, which has one of Englands worst response rates, serves 7million in the North West.

Figures for November show ambulances arrived too late to more than a third of the most serious calls, which include heart attacks and strokes. Some 430 critically ill patients were made to wait more than an hour when an ambulance should have arrived within eight minutes.

Inspectors also highlighted how rising numbers of patients were told they did not need an ambulance and instead offered over-the-phone advice.

In August 2014, just 3.6 per cent of callers were given only telephone advice  but the figure is now 10.8 per cent. While the CQC said there was no evidence sick patients had been wrongly refused an ambulance, the change will raise concerns.

Ambulance services nationwide are struggling to cope with demand. The number of calls is rocketing due to the ageing population, migration and the fact patients struggle to see a GP.

But, at the same time, paramedics morale is plummeting and many are quitting. The CQC gave North West Ambulance Service a rating of requires improvement and urged it to address the staffing problems.

DIED AFTER THREE-HOUR WAIT Beryl Styles, 59, died in her husband Dereks arms after waiting three hours for an ambulance to arrive (both pictured) Beryl Styles, 59, died in her husbands arms after waiting three hours for an ambulance to arrive. The grandmother, from Irlam, near Manchester, had a life-threatening diabetes complication, but 999 operators at North West Ambulance Service wrongly categorised it as not serious. An investigation into her death last March identified failings in how the call was handled. Her husband Derek, 59, said that, had paramedics arrived sooner, she would still be alive. He said: I just have to try to get on with things but Beryls death has been very hard on the whole family. We shouldnt have had to wait so long but no matter what I say it wont bring my wife back and thats something I now have to live with. A North West Ambulance Service spokesman said: Our investigation concluded that errors were made during the call-taking process which resulted in a delay to our response. This was further compounded by the closure of a nearby motorway which hindered our progress. Advertisement

Inspectors found the North Cumbria branch had as many as 17 per cent of paramedic posts unfilled. Managers hired 35 paramedics from Poland and Finland, and 36 more will join in the coming months.

The service said they had very good English but could get help to understand local dialects. They are paired with a senior paramedic for 12 weeks and supervised.

CQC chief inspector of hospitals Professor Sir Mike Richards said there were also concerns surrounding staff training and whether the service had enough staff.

Derek Cartwright, of the ambulance service, said the past year had seen unprecedented demand.

And Jeff Gorman, of the union Unison, said: There are too few staff to deal with the growing number of 999 calls coming in. But thats a problem across the whole country, not just the North West.
Theresa May stepped out with a 995 Amanda Wakeley black leather bag

Theresa Mays taste for expensive fashion has been the subject of much debate since she was pictured wearing a pair of 995 leather trousers.

And the Prime Ministers eye for luxury was demonstrated again yesterday after she was pictured carrying an elegant leather handbag - with exactly the same price tag.

Like her bitter chocolate trousers the sumptuous black and gold bag was by British fashion designer Amanda Wakeley.

Mrs May holds a discount card for the high-end London store, which she has noted on her register of interests since 2013.

The Redford black leather shoulder bag, which is described as a super-lux take on a classic bag, is made from supple black leather and enhanced by a rose gold buckle and chain.

According to the Amanda Wakeley website, the sumptuous bag was crafted by Tuscanys finest artisans and has a modern structureadorned by bullet-inspired hardware.

Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan was allegedly banned from attending a Downing Street meeting after critiquing Mrs Mays garments, saying: My barometer is always, How am I going to explain this in Loughborough market?

The MP added the trousers had been noticed and discussed in Tory circles and said they sent the wrong message.

According to the Amanda Wakeley website, the sumptuous bag was crafted by Tuscanys finest artisans and has a modern structureadorned by bullet-inspired hardware

A source close to Mrs Morgan claimed the bag was about 12 years old and had been a gift

Theresa Mays taste for expensive fashion has been the subject of much debate since she was pictured wearing a pair of 995 leather trousers

She added: I dont have leather trousers. I dont think Ive ever spent that much on anything apart from my wedding dress.

But after hitting out at Mrs Mays bitter chocolate trousers, Mrs Morgan was criticised after it was revealed she owned a 950 Mulberry Bayswater handbag.

A source close to Mrs Morgan claimed the bag was about 12 years old and had been a gift.
Jihadists returning to the UK from fighting in Syria are among hundreds of Islamic State supporters posing the greatest terror threat to the country for years, a watchdog has warned.

David Anderson QC, the Independent Reviewer of Terror Legislation, said the danger was worse than at any time since he took the post in 2011.

Then, there had been a sense of being over the worst after a crackdown on Muslim fanatics in the wake of the July 7 attacks in 2005, which killed 52 and injured hundreds. Al Qaeda was also reeling after military action in Afghanistan and the Middle East.

But Mr Anderson said that had been a false dawn and Britain now had to confront a wider range of threats. Rather than sophisticated plots to bomb transport hubs and shopping centres, jihadists in the UK were being groomed  often online  to carry out lone wolf attacks using knives, machetes and vehicles.

Jihadists returning to the UK from fighting in Syria are among hundreds of Islamic State supporters posing the greatest terror threat to the country for years, a watchdog has warned

Meanwhile, about 850 Britons are thought to have gone to fight in Syria. More than 100 have been killed but around half have returned home after experiencing battle.

Mr Anderson said it was down to luck and the skill of the intelligence services and counter-terrorism police that there had not been an atrocity.

Only one person has been murdered in a jihadist terror attack on the mainland since 2005  off-duty soldier Lee Rigby, who was butchered by two cleaver-wielding Muslim fanatics in Woolwich, south-east London, four years ago.

Mr Anderson said: What we see now is not more people being killed in this country  weve been both lucky and skilful in that regard over the last ten years.

We are seeing far more experienced terrorist fighters from this country in Syria than we ever saw in Afghanistan or east Africa or other theatres of war.

And we are seeing a realisation on the part of the terrorists that they dont need sophisticated explosives plots to take great numbers of lives.

TRAVEL CHIEFS FEARED SECURITY WOULD HIT TUNISIA TOURISM Islamic State terrorist Seifeddine Rezgui, 23, gunned down 38 holidaymakers during a 20-minute attack in Sousse, Tunisia, in June 2015 Tour operators discussed increasing security at a Tunisian beach resort a month before 30 British tourists were massacred there, but did not want to alarm holidaymakers, an inquest has heard. Islamic State terrorist Seifeddine Rezgui, 23, gunned down 38 holidaymakers during a 20-minute attack in Sousse, Tunisia, in June 2015. An inquest at the Royal Courts of Justice heard yesterday that travel bosses raised the issue of police security at a meeting with British Embassy officials a month before Rezguis rampage at the five-star Imperial Marhaba Hotel. Venancio Lopez, managing director of Tunisie Voyages  a subsidiary of the travel company TUI  told the court in a witness statement: We wanted to increase the security in general but we didnt want tourists to be scared by seeing an army of police. We had to strike a balance. We wanted it to be secure but not scare the tourists. The inquest heard it was decided at the meeting that hotels should have metal detectors, staff should monitor CCTV, police should patrol the beaches and there would be an extra 400 officers. But Mr Lopez was not asked by TUI after the meeting to check the Imperial Marhaba Hotel to see if improvements had been made in security. TUI, which owns Thomson Holidays, through which all 30 of the British victims booked their trips, is expected to come under significant scrutiny over its handling of travel advice from the Foreign Office during the six-week inquest. Advertisement

People using automatic weapons, heavy goods vehicles  even knives, machetes  and securing all the publicity they could possibly want from deploying relatively simple weapons such as that.

He added: Weve seen a lot of people return from Syria. About a quarter of them have been prosecuted, and only a few have engaged in terrorist activity of any kind in this country, so far as we know.

But we have to remember the people who have returned already were not necessarily the most committed fighters and that hundreds of Britons remain in that theatre.

When IS is defeated and loses its territory, as Im sure at some stage will happen, they will be looking for somewhere else to go, whether thats back to their home countries or elsewhere in the world.

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Anderson, who is to leave his role next month, also defended the Governments Investigatory Powers Act, described by critics as a snoopers charter. It will allow the intelligence services to obtain and retain billions of pieces of personal data about phone calls, emails, text messages and internet searches.

David Anderson QC, the Independent Reviewer of Terror Legislation, said the danger was worse than at any time since he took the post in 2011

Mr Anderson said that while very strong privacy safeguards were needed, intrusions into personal privacy from some forms of bulk data collection were rarely as great as some would like to paint them.

He added the UKs decision to leave the EU will give it greater control of its borders, meaning the country could be fussier about the Europeans with criminal records whom we choose to admit.

He said: It is conceivable that this might be useful in fighting the terrorist threat, though past history would suggest that any benefit would be marginal at best.
A man who believes he took an MDMA pill from a 'bad batch' of drugs linked to the death of three people has revealed his horrific experience with the substance.

Last weekend, 20 people who had been partying in clubs along Chapel Street were rushed to hospital after taking the deadly drug.

One partygoer said he had a severe reaction shortly after taking a capsule and immediately felt anxious and paranoid.

A man who believes he took an MDMA pill from a 'bad batch' currently circulating in Melbourne has described his experience (file photo)

It comes as Victoria Police announced there would be a strong presence of officers on the streets of Melbourne this weekend in anticipation of a similar crisis.

A man identified as Jack told VICE he believed he was lucky to be alive after taking one of the pills on Saturday night.

'If I'd taken two I don't know if I'd be here,' he said.

'It was just turbo and I was getting waves of anxiety,' he said, adding the drug made him paranoid and witnesses said he was acting 'crazy'.

'Next thing I know, I'm in the club getting schizophrenic.

'I've sort of been in that headspace before, having bipolar, and the drugs totally brought on the same feelings,' Jack said.

According to the man, the capsules looked 'the same' as any others he had seen and it would be impossible to tell if you had one of the dangerous drugs.

French national Sebastien Vergara-Giambelluco appeared in court on drug charges this week, with police alleging he had a link to one non-fatal overdose

There was a spate of overdoses in the Chapel Street precinct and police are bracing for another weekend of chaos

French national Sebastien Vergara-Giambelluco appeared in court this week on drug charges, and police allege they can link him to one non-fatal overdose.

This weekend authorities are bracing for another spate of potential overdoses, as they believe the dangerous capsules are still in circulation.

'Victoria Police is extremely concerned about the drug use and subsequent overdoses in Chapel Street and are liaising with venue operators to address the issue,' a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'Police have already increased patrols and visits to licensed venues in the area. This will be an ongoing operation.

'It is important that anyone who attends a nightclub and consumes illicit drugs is aware that they are putting their own life in danger.

'We urge people to stand-up to their mates if they are thinking about making the dangerous decision to take drugs and look after your friends to ensure they get home safely,' the spokeswoman added.
An off-duty Chicago cop has been charged with first degree murder for fatally shooting a 38-year-old man he had previously argued with.

Veteran police officer Lowell Houser, 57, was indicted in on Wednesday for the death of Jose Nieves who is accused of killing on January 2.

Prosecutors say Houser, a 28-year-old veteran of the department, shot Nieves, who was his neighbor, after previously arguing with him.

Houser will appear before a judge on Thursday.

Lowell Houser (left) has been charged with first degree murder for shooting unarmed 38-year-old Jose Nieves (right) in Chicago on January 2

Nieves was moving furniture with his girlfriend in the Hermosa neighborhood of the city when he and Houser became embroiled in a verbal fight, the victim's sister said.

The pair knew each other and had had previous confrontations. Nieves, a security guard and construction worker, had even reported the officer for harassing him, his sister said.

'My brother called 911 several times for help. He went through the right way of the system, going the right way, and he still was not heard,' Angelica Nieves told ABC.

Nieves did not have a gun and was shot several times, police said after the incident.

Houser, who was not on duty at the time, was stripped of his police duties within hours and an investigation into the incident was launched.

Prosecutors say Houser was off-duty when he shot Nieves multiple times after a verbal fight in the Hermosa neighborhood of Chicago. Neither of the pair live there but are understood to have been neighbors in another part of the city

The internal investigation has been put on hold pending the criminal case.

The victim's family is already suing the department, claiming Houser 'illegally detained and threatened to arrest and arm him' before the shooting.

The murder charge against him was brought by the recently-elected state's attorney Kim Foxx and comes after a damning US Justice Department report into the Chicago Police Department's disciplining of officers.

Nieves' family said in a statement that it is devastated by his death and that the charges 'will not bring back Jose but is an important and swift step in the criminal justice process..




Former Vice President Al Gore signaled that he was a-OK with Vladimir Putin because the Russian leader's record on climate.

'He's come some distance in his views on climate, [and] Russia did not play a blocking role in Paris at all. Putin gave what I regarded as an excellent speech in Paris, and I was glad to hear it,' Gore said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Gore, on the cusp of releasing a sequel to his Academy Award-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, explained that he first met Putin when he was serving as deputy mayor of St. Petersburg in the early '90s.

Scroll down for video

Vladimir Putin (left) received praise from former Vice President Al Gore (right) who commended the Russian leader for not standing in the way of the Paris Agreement on climate

Now, The Hollywood Reporter pointed out, Gore speaks about the leader with almost 'Trump-like admiration.'

'Then again, perhaps Gore simply is doing with Putin what he does with everything  looking for light in the dark,' the magazine's Tatiana Siegel pointed out.

Since losing the 2000 election to President George W. Bush, then the Texas governor, Gore has been a single-issue advocate, which has created these 'strange bedfellows.'

Gore thinks Donald Trump could be among them.

Liberals were taken by surprise when Gore showed up in early December to Trump Tower, parading through the lobby like many of the president-elect's likely cabinet picks.

He had been summoned to the New York City skyscraper by Ivanka Trump, but talked to her father too.

'I had a lengthy and very productive session with the president-elect,' Gore told reporters on his way out.

He described the meeting as a 'sincere search for areas of common ground.'

'I found an extremely interesting conversation, and to be continued,' Gore also said. 'And I'm just going to leave it at that.'

Trump had previously labeled climate change a 'hoax' created by the Chinese.

Later, speaking to Chris Hayes on MSNBC, he pointed out that the eldest Trump daughter was passionate about his key issue.

'Its no secret that Ivanka Trump is very committed to having a climate policy that makes sense for our country and for our world, and that was certainly evident in the conversation that I had with her,' Gore said.

Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Gore said he remained hopeful that the new American president would keep the Paris Agreement intact.

'I'm going to keep the confidence of the president-elect for for now,' Gore said, not spilling the specifics of his ongoing conversations with the president-elect.

But he had a fall-back plan too.

'I and others are ready to do battle if that's necessary,' he told the magazine. 'And i have a feeling that to some degree, it will be.'
A Pennsylvania State trooper, who formerly served as a spokesman for the department, has an accelerated rehabilitative disposition program after being charged with DUI in December.

On Wednesday, Trooper Robert Hicks was accepted into the county ARD program  a pretrial diversion program that can lead to expungement of charges after successful completion.

Hicks was charged with two counts of DUI  one of which indicated his blood alcohol level was at least twice the legal limit  in December for an incident that occurred in Lower Allen Township on Nov. 12, according to court records.

Hicks is no longer the spokesman for state police Troop H, which includes Cumberland County, but is still employed by the state police, Cpl. Adam Reed told The Sentinel in December.

More than one third of all cases involving a DUI charge result in entrance into the countys ARD program, according to an analysis of court cases that were entered into the county Court of Common Pleas in 2015 and have reached a disposition.
Jetstar has launched direct flights to Vietnam, declaring it the new Bali for Australian travellers.

The airline will become the first budget carrier to offer direct flights from Australia to Ho Chi Minh City.

To celebrate the launch, one way tickets are on sale for just $159.

Jetstar has launched direct flights to Vietnam, declaring it the new Bali for Australian travellers (Vietnam stock image)

The airline will become the first budget carrier to offer direct flights from to Australia to Ho Chi Minh City (Ho Chi Minh City stock picture)

The sale, launched on Thursday will last 12 hours.

Jetstar Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said Vietnam is one of the fastest growing holiday destinations in South East Asia.

'Vietnam has the potential to become as popular as Bali or Thailand for Australian travellers,' Ms Hrdlicka said.

'Vietnam is well known for its rich culture, vibrant cities, beaches and cuisine, and travellers can take advantage of the wide range of experiences the region has to offer.'

Flights from Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City will commence on May 10, and flights from Sydney will commence on May 11.

To celebrate the launch, one way tickets are on sale for just $159 (stock image)
Advertisement

When Mike Baird made the shock announcement that he was resigning from politics on Thursday morning, you may have caught just a glimmer of relief etched across his face.

In resigning, the NSW Premier said he never had any intention to become a 'career politician' and remarked on the 'strong personal cost' of spending 10 years in the public eye.

And the evidence of the toll the job took on Mr Baird can be seen in pictures of him - from when he entered NSW parliament in 2007, to when he took over as Premier in 2014, and then retirement on Thursday as the best-known state leader in the nation.

Mike Baird won the northern Sydney seat of Manly for the Liberals in 2007 (left), in 2017 he resigned as NSW Premier (right)

Even before his ascent to Premier of Australia's most populous state, Mr Baird had never been far from the front line.

In 2007 Mr Baird, the son of federal MP Bruce Baird, won the northern Sydney seat of Manly for the Liberals, defeating sitting independent David Barr. He won pre-selection for the seat in part because of a healthy endorsement from former Liberal prime minister, John Howard.

Before becoming Premier, he held the difficult role of Treasurer of New South Wales in the Barry O'Farrell-led Government between 2011 and 2014 - at a time when the Liberals were criticised for not doing enough to move NSW forward after a long period of Labor rule.

Then in 2014, Mr Baird was thrust into the spotlight when then leader O'Farrell stepped down after an ICAC investigation over a $3,000 bottle of wine he had been gifted, but failed to declare.

And despite the controversy surrounding his premiership, there can be no doubt he was the most visionary and determined leader NSW has seen in decades - including selling power industry to push an ambitious, multi-billion-dollar infrastructure program.

But his 'all action' leadership lead to significant criticisms which undoubtedly took a toll on him. He faced a mass protest movement when he commented on Facebook that he supported the controversial lock-out laws that have seen the city's nightlife almost completely die.

And he faced another storm of protest when he decided to ban greyhound racing - marking himself with many as a 'nanny state' leader determined to meddle in the lives of other citizens.

On Thursday, announcing his resignation after 10 years in politics, he commented on the stress of being in the public eye - and the photos of him at the important stages in his career also show the toll it took.

Mr Baird choked back tears during an emotional press conference, saying his decision had not been easy but it was the right one.

'It has taken a lot of deliberation - but I strongly believe it is the right decision,' the outgoing premier said.

Mt Baird speaks to the media Treasurer of New South Wales at Parliament House in Canberra on April 4, 2012 (left), and at a press conference in Sydney as New South Wales Premier on December 16, 2014 (right)

During a mass to pay respect to the victims of the Martin Place siege in Sydney in December 16, 2014, Mr Baird takes a moment to say a prayer

As Treasurer, Mr Baird speaks at a press conference after delivering his budget speech to the lower house at Parliament House in Sydney on September 6, 2011 (left), and smiles while speaking to the media as NSW Premier in April, 2014 (right)

As NSW Premier elect Mr Baird addresses the press at NSW Parliament in Sydney in April 17, 2014

Mr Baird makes an announcement about the South West rail link in Sydney in June 2014

'My father and my mother and my sister are going through serious health challenges,' he said, holding back tears.

'And at times, I have been in pain in not being able to spend the time as I should. This will change.'

In the past year the pressure has been building on Mr Baird and the stress has been beginning to show.

His handling of the controversial NSW greyhound ban and the National Party's devastating Orange by-election result probably helped spark the premier's decision to quit politics, outspoken former Liberal MP Ross Cameron said.

Mr Baird announced his sudden resignation on Thursday, two months after the Orange by-election loss was largely blamed on a backlash against his coalition government's greyhound ban plan.

'I think Mike was shocked by the result in the Orange by-election.

'He believed in his heart he was doing the right thing to shut down the greyhound racing industry and he was both dismayed and demoralised that he was unable to carry it electorally,' Mr Cameron, the former federal Liberal MP for Parramatta, told Sky News.

In July last year Mr Baird (left) participated with U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden (right) in a business roundtable at the Sydney Opera House

In April 2014 the NSW Premier (second right) meet young surf lifesavers with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (third right) and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (right)

President Xi Jinping of China (right) shakes hands with NSW Premier Baird at the Four Seasons Hotel in November, 2014 in Sydney

Mr Cameron said Mr Baird had jettisoned the goodwill he had built up in the electorate because of the greyhound ban and Sydney's lockout laws.

'I have felt for some months since the Orange by-election, in my view, he has lacked conviction and I suppose like Nick Kyrgios you've got to find a conviction or get out and Mike has decided to get out,' Mr Cameron said.

'I believe that the greyhound racing ban and to some extent the curtailing of trading hours in the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross was interpreted by the electorate as a kind of moral judgement.

'I think Mike made a bad miscalculation on greyhound racing.'

Mr Cameron also said pressures driven by NSW Liberal Party factional leaders, who he described as having an 'iron grip' on the party, would have also contributed to Baird's decision.

Ex-Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (left), former British Prime Minister David Cameron (centre) and the NSW Premier (right) attend an infrastructure business breakfast at the Barangaroo Delivery Authority in November, 2014
Investigators say a metal plate in an Oklahoma man's neck saved him from paralysis or worse when he was shot by his sister after hours of arguing.

Robert Thurman told 911 dispatchers Friday that his sister Gretchen Thurman shot him, the Tahlequah Daily Press reported.

Undersheriff Jason Chennault says the bullet apparently hit a metal plate in Robert Thurman's neck and ricocheted out and went through a door frame. Authorities say Thurman ran out of a mobile home and into a field after he had been shot.

According to investigators, the metal plate in Thurman's neck was inserted as a result of a car crash some years ago.

Gretchen Thurman (pictured) was arrested on Friday after shooting her brother Robert in the neck. Robert survived the shooting thanks to a metal plate that was put in his neck after a car accident some years ago

'If not for that metal plate, he may have been paralyzed, at the least,' Chennault said.

Authorities say Deputy Derrick Grant arrived at the scene and found Thurman and his sister in the field.

At first, Grant said he didn't know the woman's identity or her involvement in the shooting.

But he realized she was the shooter when he started asking question about where the gun was located.

'She said something to the effect of, "I left it in the house,"' Chennault said.

Chennault says investigators are still determining what led to the shooting incident.

'We're not sure whose home the trailer actually is,' Chennault said. 'We're trying to determine if they were both living in the home. Apparently they had been arguing for several hours before [Mr. Thurman] called 911.'

Thurman's sister was jailed for aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon, but was released Saturday after posting a $25,000 bond.

Thurman was taken to a hospital in Tulsa on Friday but was released later that night.
Bill O'Reilly's next book won't be a story of military wars but of the culture wars.

The Fox News host and author of Killing the Rising Sun and other best-sellers has teamed with Real Men Don't Eat Quiche author Bruce Feirstein for Old School: Life in the Sane Lane.

Publisher Henry Holt told The Associated Press on Wednesday the book is scheduled for March 28.

Holt says Old School asks readers whether they're on Team Old School or Team Snowflake.

Old School means 'can-do spirit and principles.'

Snowflake means whining about 'safe spaces' and 'trigger warnings.'

You can guess which side the authors are on.

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly (left) has taken a break from his best-selling 'Killing' series and written a book titled Old School (right), which is due for released on March 28

This past September, O'Reilly released his latest best-seller in his successful 'Killing' series.

'Killing the Rising Sun,' which focuses on the final year of World War II in the Pacific, was released on September 13.

O'Reilly told The Associated Press during a recent interview that he and his co-author, Martin Dugard, have researched the conflict from the American and Japanese sides and will take a close look at the debate over whether President Harry Truman should have ordered the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

'When you hear about some of the people who were opposed to dropping the bomb, the names will surprise you,' O'Reilly says.

Old School is O'Reilly's first book since Killing the Rising Sun (left), which focuses on the final year of World War II in the Pacific, was released on September 13. O'Reilly has been accused by critics of failing to do basic research for his 2015 book Killing Reagan (right)

The Fox News host also says the book will include letters from former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George HW Bush and George W Bush on whether they would have dropped the bomb.

'Killing the Rising Sun' is the sixth of nine planned books in a series that has made O'Reilly and Dugard the most widely read historians in the country despite frequent criticisms about their accuracy.

In 2015, O'Reilly harshly responded to critics - both liberals and conservatives - who said that the information in his books was incorrect, according to The Washington Post.

In 2015, syndicated columnist George F. Will wrote in National Review that O'Reilly failed to do basic research for his book Killing Reagan, like interview aides to former President Ronald Reagan who were available to speak.

According to Will, O'Reilly falsely claimed that John Hinckley's attempted assassination of Reagan on March 30, 1981, left the president so traumatized mentally that his aides contemplated enforcing the 25th Amendment and removing him from office.

O'Reilly responded by calling Will 'a hack' and a liar, according to National Review.

Most recently, O'Reilly blasted Will for being motivated by 'personal animus' in criticizing President-elect Donald Trump, according to Media Matters.

O'Reilly (left) is scheduled to interview President-elect Donald Trump (right) before the Super Bowl this year

O'Reilly will sit down with Trump for his third interview with a president before the Super Bowl this year.

Having interviewed Barack Obama in 2011 and 2014, he will conduct the interview this year with Trump during the pregame segment for the match-up at 4pm eastern time on Sunday, February 6.

O'Reilly has previously been criticized for going too easy on Trump.

The accuracy of O'Reilly's book Killing Lincoln was also called into question, and Ford's Theater, the site of Lincoln's assassination, has refused to carry the book in its bookstore due to its historical errors, The Washington Post reported.

The books, which include Killing Jesus and Killing Lincoln, routinely sell more than 1 million copies in hardcover, a rare achievement for nonfiction releases.

Publisher Henry Holt and Co. said that more than 14 million copies of O'Reilly's series are in print worldwide.

O'Reilly acknowledged that Killing the Rising Sun is a 'provocative' title, but he said an even more direct one was planned.

'We were originally going to call it 'Killing Japan,'' he said, adding that he was 'happy' with changing it to Killing the Rising Sun.

'At this stage,' he said, 'I'm not worried whether people like it or not.'
Channel Nine has denied they've removed Julie Snook from the Chatroom segment after her tense argument with Amber Sherlock went public.

Sherlock, who was filmed berating Snook for the colour of her jacket ahead of a Chatroom broadcast, was back presenting the show on Wednesday alongside psychologist Sandy Rea, who was also present for the spat.

Snook was notably absent from the segment, instead replaced by Wendy Kingston, who typically works as a co-host alongside Bruce Paige.

But Channel Nine says Snook will appear on the show at a later date.

Amber Sherlock (centre) was back presenting Chatroom on Channel Nine on Wednesday with psychologist Sandy Rea (left), but Julie Snook was replaced by Wendy Kingston (right)

Sherlock was seen on the programme for the first time alongside Rae since her row with Snook (left) over the colour of her top was made public

'Like all news programs, our line-up is a fluid thing that changes on a day-to-day basis, depending on the news of the day,' the News.com.au reports.

'Some guests for the Chatroom may be locked in weeks in advance. Others may be booked on the day, should their background be a suitable fit for the topic under discussion.'

Since the row was made public, Sherlock has apologised for her behaviour, saying the high-pressure environment got to her.

Meanwhile Snook insisted she gets along well with Sherlock both inside and outside the newsroom, adding that 'these things happen'.

While both women have reappeared on Nine since the argument, they have yet to appear in the same programme together.

Viewers had called for Snook to replace Sherlock in the host seat after their argument went viral, praising her patience during her colleague's diva moment.

Sherlock has been seen elsewhere on Nine while presenting the weather - suffering minor technical difficulties during the broadcast

Snook has also made her return to the channel since the row went public, but the two women have not been seen together

The now famous incident started shortly before the pair, alongside Rea, were due to go on air.

Sherlock noticed the three women were wearing white, before remonstrating Snook for not changing into a jacket, saying: 'I told you two-and-a-half hours ago.'

Despite Snook's protests that she had been busy and forgotten about it, Sherlock remained insistent, demanding she put on a jacket of a different colour.

Looking less-than-impressed, Snook pulled on a black jacket just before the broadcast started, before breaking into a perfect smile as the cameras started rolling, telling Sherlock she was 'glad to be here'.
David Davis yesterday revived the Governments controversial pledge to slash net migration to the tens of thousands  saying anything is possible after Brexit.

Despite the figure standing at more than 330,000, the Brexit Secretary declared: The simple truth is that were going to do it.

It came as Theresa May and Trade Secretary Liam Fox flew to a meeting of global leaders in the Swiss resort of Davos to declare that Britain is open for business.

David Davis revived the Governments controversial pledge to slash net migration to the tens of thousands  saying anything is possible after Brexit

Dr Fox and the Prime Minister will insist that, once the process of leaving the EU is complete, Global Britain will seek to strike lucrative trade deals across the world. Ministers and officials say countries from New Zealand to the United States are already queuing up to strike deals potentially worth billions of pounds.

WE'RE ALREADY IN TRADE TALKS WITH 12 NATIONS Britain has begun informal trade talks with 12 countries in preparation for Brexit, Liam Fox says today. The International Trade Secretary says the Government is working so that deals can be announced as soon as we leave the EU. The target countries include China, India, Australia and South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Oman. When we leave we will want to develop new arrangements with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India, says Dr Fox, writing in the Daily Telegraph. We are conducting trade audits with a number of countries to see how we can remove barriers to trade and investment to our mutual benefit. There is such a big world for us to do business with, and we intend to do just that. We should do so with considerable self-confidence. Under Brussels rules the UK is banned from entering formal trade talks while it remains inside the bloc.The European Commission could take legal action in case of a breach. Advertisement

In the wake of Mrs Mays historic speech on Brexit, in which she pledged to break free of the shackles imposed by the EUs single market and customs union, ministers struck a hugely positive tone yesterday.

Critics have claimed the Governments net migration target  first imposed almost seven years ago  is dead in the water. But Mr Davis said that, once we have retaken control of our borders post-Brexit, there was no reason the target could not be met.

He said: We dont want to deplete universities of professors, we dont want to deplete businesses of skilled engineers, we dont want to create labour shortages  but were going to have to do things, change our labour market and so on, to make this work. And well do that.

Mr Davis said it will take a bit of time to hit the target, but added: Its going to be back under our control  thats the point. Once its under your control, anything is possible.

He also insisted there would be no difference in Britons right to travel in Europe or vice-versa, but admitted that new customs checks could come into force for lorries carrying goods into or out of the UK.

Mrs May said last night: I want us to be an outward-looking nation trading around the world, and bringing prosperity and jobs into the United Kingdom.

Surrounded by many of the wealthiest people in the world, Mrs May is expected to renew her warnings that big business needs to urgently reform if people are not to become more disillusioned with capitalism.

It came as Theresa May and Trade Secretary Liam Fox flew to a meeting of global leaders in the Swiss resort of Davos to declare that Britain is open for business

She is calling for firms to recognise the need to stop avoiding taxes and recognise fury at the gap between the pay of ordinary workers and some executives.

In a series of interviews yesterday, Mr Davis conceded that Britain may not have fully freed itself from all EU rules until 2021  a year after the next General Election.

He said he was very determined to agree a divorce deal with Brussels and a new trading relationship within the two-year negotiating process set out by Article 50 of the EU treaties.

But the Government has said that, once this process is complete, there will be a period of transition to prevent business and others experiencing a cliff-edge.
Millionaires who own permanent seats at the Royal Albert Hall are swapping tips on how to tout their tickets on controversial websites for huge profits.

The revelations were branded a national disgrace yesterday by former president Richard Lyttelton who said the practice risked the RAHs reputation.

One RAH member has penned a document instructing others how they can significantly improve income from unwanted tickets.

According to the Guardian the document states: Seat owners are entitled to optimise their returns.

Millionaires who own permanent seats at the Royal Albert Hall are swapping tips on how to tout their tickets on controversial websites for huge profits

The (official) ticket return scheme is good, but what I do is sell some of my tickets online and get a slightly better return. Its simply a question of arithmetic.

Around 330 individuals own 1,276 permanent seats at the 5,272 venue and have constant access to the RAHs busy diary of concerts and shows.

Those who cant make it to certain performances are encouraged to return their tickets through the official ticket return scheme that sells them on to the public at a reasonable price.

Earl Spencer was forced to defend himself last week after two of his tickets to charity gig were being advertised online for 835

But the document currently circulating between members instructs them to use online resale sites such as Viagogo and StubHub to make vast sums of cash.

It claims concert promoters are greedy and says the official ticket return scheme results in: Unnecessary cost to members by paying significantly less than can be achieved in the open market.

The Royal Albert Hall is a charity and Charity Commission rules are meant to stop members from profiteering unreasonably.

But these rules clash with the members legal right to use their tickets as they wish.

This has led to an ongoing row between the Charity Commission and the RAH about whether its members can resell their tickets online for a big mark up.

Earl Spencer was forced to defend himself last week after two of his tickets to charity gig were being advertised online for 835.

The concert was raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust and were being touted through the resale website Viagogo for 417.50 each.

Earl Spencer, 52, blamed an aberration by a member of staff who was apparently meant to give the tickets back to the London venue so they could be sold for charity.

Tickets to see Phil Collins and Dave Gilmour at the ROH have been placed on resale websites at huge markups.

One ticket for the final night of the Proms, in August, is already listed at 1,500 even though tickets for the event have not yet been put on sale.

Former Royal Albert Hall president Richard Lyttelton said that the practice risked turning the seats into investment assets and urged trustees to disclose the financial benefit they get from them.

He said: Members of the halls council [trustees] own 145 seats worth conservatively 14.5m.

For this to have been unregulated, despite being in the public domain for so long, is a national disgrace.

One RAH member has penned a document instructing others how they can significantly improve income from unwanted tickets

He added that it was time for the Charity Commission to bare its teeth.

Its time for the commission to show that that it is not a toothless tiger and ensure that the hall is run to the high standards of governance expected both of a national charity and a royal charter corporation.

The Labour MP Sharon Hodgson, who has campaigned for reform of secondary ticketing, said: Members of the Royal Albert Hall are in a position of privilege when they have access to the best tickets in the hall and they shouldnt forget that.

Sadly, the abuse that has been uncovered shows that this privilege is being abused for the sake of greed.

This is an ongoing issue which must be addressed. The Charity Commission needs to get to the bottom of this and ensure that fans are not ripped off and members do not abuse their position to profiteer.'
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Actress Minnie Driver is claiming victory in her bitter, long-running feud with an elderly neighbor, DailyMail.com can reveal.

A Los Angeles judge today threatened to throw the 75 year-old man in jail if he doesnt complete community service and knock down a wall at the center of their dispute.

The vicious battle between Driver, 46 - star of ABCs series Speechless - and Daniel Perelmutter erupted two years ago when he started building an ultra-modern, luxury house on his Hollywood Hills property, next to the driveway he shares with the Good Will Hunting star.

Their mutual rancor - involving a wall he built that she claims narrowed the driveway and construction allegedly blocking access to her home - soon turned ugly with Driver accusing the grandfather-of-seven, among many other things, of frightening her and her eight year-old son.

He countered with equally nasty barbs, claiming she screamed abuse at him and even vandalized his house by throwing baby food jars filled with black paint at a wall.

When a restraining order she took out against Perelmutter in 2015 failed to end the feud, Driver went to Los Angeles Superior Court again last October.

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A judge has sided with Minnie Driver and ordered her neighbor, 75-year-old Daniel Perelmutter (right leaving Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday) to knock down a wall which encroaches on their shared driveway

And this time she won. She asked Judge Mark Borenstein to hold Perelmutter in contempt for violating an already existing easement order that said the shared driveway could not be blocked and should also remain 20 feet wide.

After studying maps and property lines and hearing testimony from Driver, Perelmutter and other witnesses, including more neighbors, Perelmutter was found not guilty of blocking the shared driveway - but he was found guilty of contempt for reducing the width of the driveway to 14 feet in order to make room to build a wall around his new house.

Judge Borenstein today sentenced Perelmutter - who walks around with a crooked driftwood cane - to five days in jail, suspended on condition he completes 10 days community service.

He was ordered to remove the offending wall by April 12. And he was also fined $1,000 and ordered to pay Drivers attorney fees.

Despite being found guilty during his three-week trial back in November, in court Perelmutter still railed at Driver, saying that she 'perjured herself in every way with her testimony of complete lies' during the trial, putting on a 'performance worthy of an Oscar winner.'

Describing himself as a 'disabled army veteran injured in the service of my country,' Perelmutter read a long statement to the court, his hands shaking from what he called a Parkinsons-like disorder caused by stress.

Driver's home sits at top of a long driveway and the property under construction is at the bottom. She claimed the wall, put up two years ago when Perelmutter began work on the new house, encroached on it

Perelmutter accused the 46-year-old of vandalizing the wall by throwing baby food jars filled with black paint at it

Perelmutter has launched a counter suit against the actress and several neighbors claiming they have been harassing him for years

He claimed that Driver had subjected him to two years of 'harassment and abuse' and that she was 'guilty of many acts of hatred' against him.

'Ive never been subjected to such vicious hatred,' he added.

The 75-year-old said the whole ordeal had been a 'game' for Driver

Perelmutter also insisted in court that Driver had 'approved the placement of' the controversial wall at the heart of their feud.

But a clearly irritated Judge Borenstein interrupted Perelmutters long diatribe, saying: 'To tell me that I had significant confusion as to where the easement was, is not correct.

'Telling me that I was hoodwinked by witnesses against you.does not help your case.

'You were convicted of contempt without a reasonable doubt. To tell me I got it completely wrong.is not going to help your case in sentencing today.'

Despite the judges warning, Perelmutter went on lashing out at Driver, telling the court: 'The actions of Miss Driver caused us to go deep into debt so weve had to put the house (the one that shares Drivers driveway) on the market.

'For Miss Driver, this was a game, a game she must win.'

Driver was not in court to savor her victory but her attorney, Ellyn Garofalo, told the judge that Perelmutters earlier allegations were 'fabricated, incorrect and out of line' and that Driver had been 'sincere and honest' during the trial.

'We are not here to relitigate this case - the court has already reached the right conclusion,' added Garofalo, who said that she and Driver had deliberately delayed todays sentencing so that Perelmutter would have time to remove the offending wall before he came before the judge today. But all they got from Perelmutter was a 'veiled threat.'

During their feud, Perelmutter said he allowed Driver to build a large gate (above) at the foot of their shared driveway to block out paparrazzi but that she never gave him the access code to it

Perelmutter (above last year showing DailyMail.com around the site at the heart of their dispute) accused the actress of lying in court

Judge Borenstein told Perelmutter that he had given him the opportunity to show remorse, 'but all I hear instead is a full frontal attack on your accusers. To come to this sentencing hearing and argue to me that I got it wrong, that there was no contempt, doesnt help your case. I am not confused about the location of the easement. I am not confused about your encroachment of that easement.'

Driver's lawyer said they welcomed the judge's decision after what had been a 'very long and trying' legal ordeal

Judge Borenstein said he was taking Perelmutters medical condition and service to his country into account in sentencing. But he also scheduled a compliance hearing for April 2 and if Perelmutter has not moved his wall and completed his 10 hours of community service by that time, hell face five days in jail.

After the court hearing, Drivers lawyer, Ellyn Garofalo told DailyMail.com: 'Were very satisfied with the outcome.'

But she also admitted she was 'furious' at Perelmutters accusations in court against Driver.

'Every word he uttered in court today was untrue,' she said.

'And he showed no remorse. The trouble is, in this country you can stand up in open court and say what you like about somebody, however defamatory it is.'

Garofolo said that the actress is only eager to see justice done, not prison for Perelmutter - who lives next door to his disputed new house with his wife of 48 years, Mary Lou, 68.

'Minnie isnt pushing for a man of Mr Perelmutters age to go to jail but she does want him to fix the problem. Fix it.

'He was found guilty of contempt because he violated a court order by building a wall that reduced the size of her driveway by six feet. Now she wants him to knock down that wall and restore the driveway to the 20 feet stipulated in the easement.

'This case has been very long and very trying for Minnie and she is relieved that the court established that she was right all along.'

Perelmutter is counter suing Driver and several other neighbors, claiming theyve been harassing him for years. And that case is scheduled for a jury trial in May this year.
As pundits spend the last hours of Barack Obamas presidency totting up all the bold pledges he failed to carry out in office, the White House finally had what it regarded as some good news to boast about.

He has now granted more commutations of prison sentences than any president in the nations history.

In fact, Mr Obama has commuted the sentences of 1,385 convicted criminals  including 504 serving life sentences  which is more than the total number issued by the previous 12 presidents combined.

He has also issued 212 full pardons, and officials have hinted there are more last-minute acts of clemency to come today  the last full day of his presidency.

Barack Obama has now granted more commutations of prison sentences than any president in the nations history

One of the latest is that of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst and computer expert convicted of one of the biggest leaks of classified information in US history

One of the latest is that of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst and computer expert convicted of one of the biggest leaks of classified information in US history when he dumped 700,000 embassy cables and other secret documents wholesale on the anti-privacy website WikiLeaks.

Private Manning, 29  who was formerly named Bradley, but who is now a transgender woman  was stationed in Iraq, and said she leaked the documents after becoming increasingly disturbed by evidence of the US militarys sometimes brutal behaviour towards civilians in the country. She was given a 35-year sentence, but will now be let out in May after serving less than seven years.

The White House noted she had apologised for her offences, but Republicans and Democrats alike are incensed.

They say the President has sent an appalling message to other potential hackers and leakers of US secrets. And all, it appears, for the sake of a bit of feel-good political PR at the end of his presidency.

The defence and intelligence communities have made clear they feel deeply let down by Mr Obamas decision, which he knew was opposed by the Pentagon.

Im not sure what sort of message we are sending here, said the Democrat senator Bob Menendez, a sentiment echoed by politicians in both parties. Republican congressman Tom Cotton said: We ought not treat a traitor like a martyr.

Liberals, though, have rushed to support the early release of a prisoner who  largely because of her struggles with her sexual identity, and two reported suicide attempts while in prison  has become a cause celebre of human rights campaigners.

They insist she has been punished enough for so-called offences that were actually of benefit to the American people in revealing the secret machinations of their government.

The defence and intelligence communities have made clear they feel deeply let down by Mr Obamas decision, which he knew was opposed by the Pentagon

But Mr Obamas generosity  or mercy as the White House puts it  to Manning has left a bad taste in many mouths, smacking of a President desperately trying to curry favour with Left-wing supporters who have been bitterly disappointed by many other aspects of his presidency.

One disappointment has been his failure to reform what he says is a racially biased justice system that imprisons far more black men, often for drug crimes, than white. Sure enough, drug offenders serving life sentences account for 504 of the commutations he has granted.

The same accusation  of a President trying to make amends for failures in office  could be made about his 11th-hour efforts on the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. Mr Obama promised closing it would be a top priority back in 2009.

This week, he ordered ten prisoners to be quietly moved to Oman. The Gulf state insists their stay will only be temporary, but it allows Mr Obama to claim he has reduced the prisons population from 242 to 45.

The White House admitted this week Mr Obama will not be able to keep his promise on Gitmo, blaming opposition in Congress. But Leon Panetta, his former CIA director, said the Obama team were painfully naive about the task they faced in closing the prison.

And yet, in the avalanche of freed offenders in his mass clemency campaign, the most glaring injustice is surely that US presidents are allowed to behave like this at all  bypassing the justice system as theyre stepping out of the White House door.

Article II, Section 2, of the US Constitution grants the President power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States.

With a stroke of his pen, the man in charge can make legal trouble disappear. Its the sort of arbitrary power once only enjoyed by tyrants and over-mighty kings and queens with whom America supposedly dispensed after the War of Independence.

Presidential sentence commutations and full pardons both necessitate an offender actually applying for clemency and, once granted, they cannot be reversed.

Neither imply the person is innocent, which would be too much to ask given that in most cases they are glaringly guilty of their crimes.

As for Chelsea Manning, some are wondering why Mr Obama wasnt similarly merciful to her fellow leaker of intelligence, Edward Snowden, currently sheltering in Russia to avoid facing serious charges back home. Who committed the more serious offence?

While Manning was a serviceman who had taken an oath of allegiance to the US, Snowden was a civilian contractor working for the National Security Agency.

Whats more, while Snowdens leaks about the extent of US eavesdropping on ordinary citizens were far more specific and, arguably, more defensible, Manning was hardly a real whistleblower.

Private Manning, 29 was given a 35-year sentence, but will now be let out in May after serving less than seven years

Ignoring conventional channels used by previous whistleblowers, she could only have read a fraction of the 700,000 secret documents she handed to WikiLeaks. She couldnt have even been aware whether, as alleged, she was putting lives in danger by revealing the names of America agents and informants.

Could the leniency towards Manning simply be down to the fact shes become such a sympathetic case for Mr Obamas core liberal supporters. Snowden  unlike the self-absorbed Manning  didnt claim to have been facing a psychological crisis over his sexual identity issues when he betrayed the US and nor has Snowden been able to complain of mistreatment as a self-defined woman in a mens prison.

Government officials may feel relieved just to be shot of Manning since her battle with her sexuality has always caused problems over the nature of her confinement. Less than 24 hours after being sentenced in August 2013, Manning said she wanted to begin hormone therapy and be known as Chelsea.

Last year, after the tiny, slightly-built Manning claimed she had made two suicide attempts and the UN denounced her detention as a form of torture, the Army agreed to allow her to receive treatment for gender dysphoria, a condition in which one feels ones gender identity is the opposite of ones biological sex.

She will now walk free from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on May 17  a heroine both to those who have praised her struggle with her sexual identity behind bars, and to those who insist her mass leaking operation did a service to fellow Americans.

Others, however, fear her early release will be one of the most serious misjudgments by a president whose administration has not been short of them.
Mark Zuckerberg is suing Hawaiian families in an attempt to get them to sell their land to make his 700-acre property more secluded, a Honolulu newspaper reported Wednesday.

Almost a dozen of small parcels on the Facebook co-founder's $100 million Kauai property belong to Hawaiian citizens who acquired them through legislation dating back to 1850, called the Kuleana Act, according to the Star Advertiser.

As such, these land owners are allowed to walk through Zuckerberg's domain. But the billionaire is believed to have filed lawsuits against a few hundred people in the hope that they will sell their parcels at a public auction.

Using the law to induce land sales, which isn't uncommon in Hawaii, can be viewed as problematic because it severs the native Hawaiian community's link to ancestral land.

Mark Zuckerberg (pictured in a file photo with his wife Priscilla Chan) is suing Hawaiian families to force them to sell their land, a Honolulu newspaper reported Wednesday

Almost a dozen of small parcels on the Facebook co-founder's $100 million Kauai property (pictured) are believed to belong to Hawaiian citizens

The Kuleana Act followed Hawaii's 1848 Great Mahele, a land redistribution decision that enabled private ownership.

Zuckerberg is believed to have sued a few hundred people via several companies that he controls, the Star Advertiser reported. Some of these people, who inherited or owned interest in the land, are dead.

Land parcels acquired through the Kuleana Act are sometimes passed on from heir to heir with little to no documentation, making it tricky to trace back the ownership.

Three Zuckerberg entities known as Pilaa International LLC, Northshore Kalo LLC and High Flyer LLC filed eight lawsuits on Kauai on December 30, according to the newspaper.

A partner at the Honolulu firm representing the Zuckerberg companies said large parcels of land in Hawaii often include smaller patches whose ownership isn't well known. Some co-owners do not even know that they own part of the land.

Actions such as Zuckerberg's are 'the standard and prescribed process to identify all potential co-owners, determine ownership, and ensure that, if there are other co-owners, each receives appropriate value for their ownership share,' Keoni Shultz said.

One of the defendants named by Zuckerberg is known only as Oma, without a last name, in keeping with old Hawaiian customs.

Similar auctions have in the past led to below-market sales, but according to the Star Advertiser, some of those involved in the Zuckerberg cases believe the billionaire will offer a fair amount of money.
Cumberland County was reminded of its most disastrous of disaster plans this week with an update to the Three Mile Island Plan.

The hopefully never-used protocol is required by federal agencies of all jurisdictions within a 10-mile radius of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station.

For the county, that includes New Cumberland Borough and a sizable portion of Lower Allen Township, according to county Public Safety Director Bob Shively.

The plan basically requires us to provide mass reception, monitoring and possible decontamination of those residents within that 10-mile-radius portion, Shively said.

However, the most recent revision to the protocol actually loosens those requirements. Cumberland County must now have public facilities available to house at least 10 percent of the population within the radius, as opposed to 20 percent before.

Those calculations, Shively said, are based on prior experience with other evacuation events, such as hurricanes.

If the county is required to have capacity for 10 percent of the affected population, it means federal planners are predicting that 90 percent of the affected population will be able to find shelter with friends or family and will not need public refuge.

It was 10 percent, then they bumped it to 20, now its revised back to 10, Shively said.

The bulk of that population would be sheltered at Big Spring High School under an agreement between the county and the Red Cross, Shively said. Further, some of Dauphin Countys evacuees would be housed in Shippensburg, Shively said.

Nuclear disaster and evacuation plans are overseen by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with further oversight from the Pennsylvania Department of the Environments Bureau of Radiation Protection, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, and FEMAs Technological Hazards Division.

The partial meltdown of Three Mile Island in 1979 was the largest nuclear accident in the US and the catalyst for heightened restrictions on nuclear power that continue to this day.

The accident caused the release of radioactive gasses from the overheated facility, as well as fallout of radioactive iodine. Pregnant women and children within a 20-mile radius were advised to evacuate.

Although opinions vary, the most widely cited reports from the American Nuclear Society and the US Committee on Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation have concluded that post-incident health effects, such as increased cancer rates, have thus far proven negligible.

The reactor that malfunctioned in 1979 was decommissioned. A second reactor was shut down after the incident, but returned to service in 1985 and is operational.
Hillary Clinton fans are urging her to make a political comeback after a poll showed how she would trounce Bill de Blasio in a hypothetical race for New York Mayor.

Clinton, who has given no indication she will run for office again, won 49 percent of the hypothetical vote over de Blasio's 29 in the survey.

The poll sparked calls among her fans to revive her political career. They started a 'Hillary for Mayor' hashtag on Twitter and told de Blasio to 'watch out'.

The poll, conducted by Quinnipiac University, asked: 'If the election for Mayor were being held today, and the candidates were Bill de Blasio the Democrat, and Hillary Clinton running as an independent candidate, for whom would you vote?'

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Hillary Clinton trounced incumbent New York Mayor Bill de Blasio in a hypothetical race

Clinton won 49 percent of the hypothetical vote while de Blasio got just 29.

The next Mayoral election in New York will be held on November 7. De Blasio has already begun campaigning for reelection.

While Clinton's camp has not directly denied the possibility she may run for mayor, advisers say it is unlikely.

The poll nonetheless proves her overwhelming popularity in the city which, despite being Donald Trump's home city, voted largely against him in the Presidential election.

It also indicates New Yorkers' lacking enthusiasm for de Blasio, said researchers.

'New Yorkers arent in love with Mayor Bill de Blasio, but they seem to like him better than other possible choices  except Hillary Clinton, who probably is an impossible choice,' Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said.

Clinton supporters were encouraged by the hypothetical poll and are calling for the Democrat to throw her hat into the 2017 race for Mayor of New York

'None of the possible contenders has made any real noise or spent any money, so this race still could get interesting.'

Clinton supporters have been encouraged by the poll and some even confused it for confirmation she is running for mayor.

De Blasio has been a vocal critic of President-elect Trump who he has vowed to protest against on Thursday at a demonstration on the eve of the inauguration.

New York City voted largely in Clinton's favour at the presidential election.

Staten Island was the only one of the five boroughs to side with Trump. He won 57.7 percent of the vote in Richmond County, which takes it in.

The Bronx, Queens, Kings County (Brooklyn) and New York County (Manhattan) all voted for Clinton in overwhelming numbers.

Each of the four boroughs gave the Democrat more than 75 percent of its vote.
A 10-year-old girl has written a note thanking firefighters for keeping her, her family home and pets safe from a raging bushfire.

Residents of Kurri Kurri in the NSW Hunter Valley region were seen running for their lives on Wednesday as an out of control blaze roared toward the rural town.

Holly Bailey's daughter Lucy was so grateful firefighters were able to save her family home from the 'fiercely quick' fire she wrote a note to her local police station.

Ms Bailey told Daily Mail Australia Lucy thought of the gesture as the family drove around looking at the damage and debris and saw dozens of firetrucks and rescue squads still working well into the evening.

A 10-year-old girl has written a note (pictured) thanking firefighters for keeping her, her family home and pets safe from a raging bushfire ripping through Kurri Kurri, in the NSW Hunter Valley region, on Wednesday

Holly Bailey's daughter Lucy (pictured together) was so grateful firefighters were able to save her family home from the 'fiercely quick' fire she wrote a note to her local police station

The NSW Rural Fire Service said Kurri Kurri residents were allowed to return home on Thursday as the controlled blaze moves in a north westerly direction

'Dear firefighters, thank you so so much for keeping us safe today!' the young girl said.

'The fire was very close to my house, I was very very scared scared and I was freaking out but I knew I was safe when I heard the fire trucks.

'Thank you for keeping all of us and our houses and pets safe!

'You all deserve one million dollars each,' the 10-year-old wrote.

The NSW Rural Fire Service said Kurri Kurri residents are allowed to return home on Thursday as the controlled blaze moves in a north westerly direction.

Authorities said some structures such as sheds were damaged but no homes were lost.

An out-of-control blaze burning at Sutton, about 20km north-east of Canberra, has also been contained after burning more than 500 hectares.

Firefighters working to put out a black threatening a home's garage

Homes were under threat and residents (pictured) took shelter as two blazes rip through areas of NSW, as another burned north-east of Canberra

Water-bombing aircraft helped battle the blazes at Hart Road at Weston and McLeod Road, Kurri Kurri, which have now been downgraded to watch and act

The ABC reported about 70 fire trucks and 300 firefighters battling blazes in Kurri Kurri and surrounding areas, which burnt out about 650 hectares.

A mother and daughter were airlifted to safety after one of the fires got out of control near their property.

'The fire was impacting upon the property and when the helicopter flew over they were waved down by a number of people,' RFS assistant commissioner Rebel Talbert said, after the fire was downgraded to watch.

'There were two other people who remained on the property to try and defend the house and shed from the fire.'

About 70 fire trucks and 300 firefighters were at Kurri Kurri and surrounding areas battling the blazes

Amother and daughter had to be airlifted to safety after one of the fires got out of control near their property

Residents in the areas were sent emergency phone messages by the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), warning affected people to seek shelter as the fires arrive.

Water-bombing aircrafts helped battle the blazes at Hart Road at Weston and McLeod Road, Kurri Kurri,9 News reported.

Emergency warnings were initially issued for the two locations, but were downgraded to watch and act.

Two girls are pictured watching plumes of black smoke from the fires raging near Cessnock, whihc is threatening homes in the area

Residents in the affected areas have been sent emergency phone messages by the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), warning affected people to seek shelter as the fires (pictured) arrive

Residents are being advised to follow their Bush Fire Survival Plan or if they don't have one, decide what they will do if the situation changes.

The RFS has said leaving early is the safest option.

A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesperson said about 60 people sought shelter at Kurri Kurri TAFE.

Residents are being advised to follow their Bush Fire Survival Plan or if they don't have one, decide what they will do if the situation changes. Pictured is smoke from the fire at Kurri Kurri

It's understood fire crews are focusing on protecting lives and property in the affected region. Pictured is smoke from the fire at Kurri Kurri

The Hunter Expressway is closed between John Renshaw Drive and Wine Country Drive. Pictured are cars driving away from clouds of smoke from the Kurri Kurri fire
Teenagers with links to Melbourne's notorious African Apex gang will have their visas cancelled and be sent to their home country as the department of immigration prepares to crack down on youth crime in Victoria.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton spoke to Melbourne radio station 3AW and revealed he would not rule out deporting children as young as 16 from Australia for serious crimes if they didn't start 'respecting Australians'.

'I think this should send a very clear message to these people that if they cherish the life that they lead her in Australia they need to start respecting Australians,' Dutton said.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton will cancel visas of young people 'linked to gangs' or crime if they refuse to 'respect Australians'

Mr Dutton's crackdown comments come as Sudanese national Isaac Gatkouth, pictured, with alleged links to Apex has visa revoked

New Zealand man Henry Robati, 19, who was returned to his home country last April as part of the crack down

The ex-policeman said he sympathised with Melbourne residents and police who have become frustrated with young offenders being granted bail after every offence.

'I know police feel the frustration here as well, when they have one hand tied behind their back by what is a pretty week law and order agenda,' Dutton said.

The explosive interview was held after four young men with alleged ties to the gang had their visas cancelled so they could be deported at the completion of their current jail sentences.

'We need to send a very clear message to these people that breaking into people's homes to steal keys, or following people or ransacking small businesses  is unacceptable,' Dutton said.

Dutton said he wanted people to come to Australia for 'the right reasons' and said allowing immigrants to keep 'biting the hand that feeds them' is not the way he wants to 'run migration'.

'A lot of them (offenders) are under 18 a lot of them are in family circumstances which need to be examined. We need to understand why children of 12 or 3 years of age of any nationality are roaming the streets of Melbourne or any capital city anywhere in Australia,' he said.

Dutton said he wanted people to come to Australia for 'the right reasons' and said allowing immigrants to keep 'biting the hand that feeds them' is not the way he wants to 'run migration'

Sudanese national Issac Gatkuoth, 19, is serving a 14 month sentence for an ice-fuelled carjacking in November 2015

And while the minister said Australia 'does not deport children' he did reveal a committee is looking into the possibility of cancelling the visas of offenders under the age of 18.

'It is very difficult to deport children and this is one of the things Jason Wood's committee is having a look at, at the moment, whether for example the bar could be lowered from 18 to 17 or 16 or whatever the case may be.

'I think we have to look at different issues and different responses and if people can make the case there are sensible changes which should be supported the government will support them.'

Gatkuoth, 19, is pictured

Dutton also slammed the state government for not doing enough to detour 'repeat offenders' from committing the 'same crime' over again.

'If you have people who are repeat offenders same crimes responsibility on the parents, community and predominately state government to address that.'

'The gang violence is present here in Victoria and I think the Victorian government needs to do more than what they have done in recent months or years.'

Dutton said Australian citizenship is a 'prized reward' and anyone who wishes to obtain it needs to prove they will be a 'good citizen' and will target people who will make Australia better.

'In the end this country has been made great by migration because people have come here  in many cases trying to escape the ravages of war, civil war, of unrest of conflict, terrorism, and they want to come to a country that is safe.'

The minister said his office is currently 'looking into other people' whose visa may soon be revoked as part of the tough new strategy.

'There's obviously been a lot of work with federal police and my department  Australia border force to try to identify people who may have committed crimes.

'(These people) may be members of gangs and we have a cancellation power under the migration act which means if people have been doing the wrong thing if they are here on a visa we can cancel that visa and deport them.'

Dutton said Australian citizenship is a 'prized reward' and anyone who wishes to obtain it needs to prove they will be a 'good citizen' and will target people who will make Australia better

Dutton said recent action against New Zealand man Henry Robati, 19, and Sudanese national Issac Gatkuoth, 19, is 'certainly the start of more' action against young thugs committing crime 'against Australians'.

Gatkouth  who is appealing the decision to have his visa revoked - was in a stolen BMW with four others when they followed another car and rammed it from behind in Frankston, the Victorian Country Court heard last year.

Gatkuoth, wearing a smiley mask, walked up to the driver and pointed a sawn-off shotgun at his head while ordering him to hand over his keys.

The teen, who denied being an Apex member, had plead guilty to armed robbery and being a prohibited person carrying a firearm.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Peter Dutton's office for comment.
A graffiti gang accused of filming a porn movie at a train station have escaped criminal charges because of a legal loophole.

The eight-minute film called Trainline Tramp was recorded at North Shore Railway Station in Geelong, south-west of Melbourne, and shows a young man and woman engaging in sex acts.

Senior Sergeant David Cochrane told the Geelong Advertiser the film was recorded too long ago to place criminal charges and the case had been closed.

The eight-minute film, called Trainline Tramp, was recorded at North Shore Railway Station in Geelong and shows a young couple engaging in sex acts

The film features Melbourne graffiti artist Staytrue, known for creating murals while dressed in little more than a short skirt or lingerie

'We've identified the people involved, however the offence took place outside the statute of limitations, which is 12 months,' he said.

The film features Melbourne graffiti artist Staytrue known for creating murals while dressed in little more than a short skirt or lingerie.

Footage depicts Staytrue walking on to the platform in a short skirt in similar fashion to other films of her work.

She then attempts to tag a railway shelter before being 'caught' by a man wearing a mask over his face.

The pair then perform several sex acts on a bench toward the end of the platform, including full intercourse.

It is not known if any vandalism-related charges will be laid for the graffiti at the train station.
Guilty plea: Jared Ginsberg, 34, from Vaucluse, pleaded guilty to possessing meth and cocaine

The bad boy brother of Jodi Gordon's new lover has pleaded guilty to cocaine and meth charges after he was busted by police while in a car with a 'pockmarked and disheveled' woman last month.

Jared Lance Ginsberg, 34, and a mystery female driver were travelling in a black Alfa Romeo when they were pulled over for a breath test in North Bondi at about 3.30am on December 8, a court has heard.

A police statement of facts shown to the court said Mr Ginsberg was 'sweating profusely' and shifting from side-to-side while his companion was 'laughing at inappropriate times' and fidgeting.

Officers recognised him from previous run-ins and intelligence briefings. They asked if he had anything on him he shouldn't have, the police facts said, and Mr Ginsberg surrendered a glass pipe from his pocket.

As officers searched the car they noticed he put his hands behind his back and tried to drop two small, resealable plastic bags on the ground. Police believed he was trying to dispose of the drugs before he was searched.

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Mr Ginsberg (left and right) was found with two small resealable plastic bags containing cocaine and methylamphetamine, a police statement of facts said

Jared Ginsberg is the brother of real estate agent Warren (pictured with his new girlfriend Jodi Gordon, formerly Jodi Anasta), neither who were involved

One of the bags contained 0.45 grams of cocaine and a second contained 0.38 grams of a 'clear crystal substance believed to be methylamphetamine', the police facts said.

The Vaucluse man was arrested and in an interview with detectives made 'full and frank admissions' to owning the drugs.

On Wednesday afternoon, Waverley Local Court was told he had pleaded guilty in writing to two drug possession charges.

Mr Ginsberg entered written pleas of guilty and will be sentenced on February 1

He did not appear at court and will be sentenced on February 1.

The court will also hear breach of bond matters for 2015 drug supply and proceeds of crime offences.

Mr Ginsberg could not be reached for comment.

His younger brother Warren and Neighbours star Ms Gordon started going out last year after her break-up with former rugby league star Braith Anasta. There's no suggestion of any involvement.
A Nobel Prize-winning economist last night launched a scathing attack on Jean-Claude Juncker, after the EU chief suggested Brexit supporters were 'extremists'.

Joseph Stiglitz, a former adviser to Bill Clinton, said the European Commission president's abysmal handling of Britain's decision to leave the EU threw its future into doubt.

Mr Juncker weighed in on Theresa May's Brexit speech yesterday, warning that negotiations for a deal with the EU would be 'very, very, very difficult'.

Clash: Joseph Stiglitz, left, has launched a scathing attack on EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker after he suggest that Brexit supporters were 'extremists'

But Donald Tusk, leader of the European Council, praised Mrs May for her 'Churchillian' approach, contrasting this with the rhetoric of US president-elect Donald Trump.

Mr Juncker claimed the UK had tried to blame Europe for its own issues. 'They fool those people who think that if you close in on yourselves and close your doors to migrants that is the way to solve all problems,' he said.

'Quite often we end up going down the route of the extremists when we defend their own interests, because they make Europe responsible for all ills.'

Measured response: Angela Merkel said Mrs May's speech delivered a 'clearer impression'

But speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Stiglitz said Mr Juncker's approach could become deeply damaging. The American, who won the Nobel Prize for economics in 2001, said the EU chief's threats to be tough on anybody who left the Brussels club sent the 'wrong message'.

'He didn't say, 'We haven't done a good job in explaining the advantages of the EU', the economist added. 'The message should have been that we want to make the EU something that people voluntarily want to be in.'

Mr Juncker's antagonistic remarks appeared at odds with the more measured response of German chancellor Angela Merkel, who said Mrs May had delivered a 'clearer impression' of the UK's stance. Meanwhile, the boss of the US's biggest bank last night called on EU leaders to learn from Brexit.

Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan, which gave 500,000 to the Remain campaign, told Bloomberg 'the eurozone may not survive' unless the EU makes changes.
Vice President-elect Mike Pence says Barack Obama's decision to commute former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning's prison sentence 'was a mistake'.

Obama said on Wednesday that he commuted Manning's 35-year prison sentence for releasing classified military documents to Wikileaks because the punishment didn't fit the crime.

He said the prison sentence was too long, compared to other leakers.

But Pence disagreed during an interview with Fox News' Special Report with Bret Baier later on Wednesday.

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Vice President-elect Mike Pence says Barack Obama's decision to commute former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning's prison sentence 'was a mistake'

Manning, who went by the name Bradley at the time (seen right before her transition and left after), was sentenced to 35 years in prison for her crimes. She'll get out in May, thanks to Obama

President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he commuted Chelsea Manning's sentence because the punishment did not fit the crime

'Private Manning is a traitor and should not have been turned into a martyr,' Pence said.

'Private Manning's actions compromised our national security, endangered American personnel downrange, compromised individuals in Afghanistan who were cooperating with our forces by leaking 750,000 documents to Wikileaks.'

Pence said the incoming Trump administration will be 'committed to protecting our nation's secrets' and will 'bring to bear the law' on Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

Obama has ordered that Chelsea, who went by the name Bradley before changing genders after the crime, be released on May 17, 2017, cutting her jail time down to more than six years.

'I feel very comfortable that justice has been served and that a message has still been sent,' the president said.

Obama said his decision had nothing to do with pleas from Assange, who offered extradition in exchange for Manning's release.

President-elect Donald Trump has not commented on Manning's release.

Senior aides to the incoming president called the commutation 'partisan politics at its worst' and said he was 'troubled' by the eleventh-hour commutation.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton scathingly accused Obama of treating a 'traitor like a martyr.'

Obama's outgoing Defense Secretary, along with other Army leaders, recommended that the president not commute Manning's sentence, according to reporting from Fox News.

Obama has ordered that Chelsea, who went by the name Bradley before changing genders after the crime, be released on May 17, 2017, cutting her jail time down to more than six years

Obama said Wednesday at a news conference that Manning had 'served a tough prison sentence.'

'So the notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital classified information would think that it goes unpunished, I don't think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served.'

Manning had applied for leniency through the Department of Justice. A favorable outcome seemed probable, given Manning's multiple suicide attempts and the Obama administration's LGBT policies.

Assange had challenged Obama to grant Manning clemency in a cryptic message on Twitter that mentioned a Department of Justice case and an offer of his own extradition.

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

'If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case,' a Wikileaks tweet said.

Obama denied today that Assange's offer was a factor in his decision.

'I don't pay a lot of attention to Mr. Assange's tweets, so that wasn't a consideration in this instance,' he said at his final news conference as president. 'And I'd refer you to the Justice Department for any criminal investigations, indictments, extradition issues that may come up with him.'

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, either.

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.

Commenting on the decision Wednesday, Obama said, 'I looked at the particulars of this case the same way I had the other commutations and pardons that I've done, and I felt that in light of all the circumstances, that commuting her sentence was entirely appropriate.'

Wikileaks 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.

He thanked Obama in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon for sparing Manning from a life in prison

Obama did not mention, and was not asked about, a potential pardon for another leaker, Edward Snowden, at his Wednesday news conference.

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 had said, nor did he proactively receive one in Tuesday's clemency declarations.

The president plans to give another round of criminals early release before his final day in office this Friday, the White House says. But they were cast as low-level drug offenders whose sentences would have been shorter if they were sent to jail now.

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, however, suggesting that precluded him from receiving pardon.

Snowden had lobbied the White House to commute Manning's sentence, as well.

He thanked Obama in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon for sparing Manning from a life in prison.

'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.

The White House laid the groundwork for Manning to get a commutation last week, differentiating the case from that of Snowden.

Unlike Snowden, Manning, arrested in 2010, 'acknowledged wrongdoing,' the White House said, and appeared in a military court.

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, press secretary Josh Earnest said, but they are quite different in scale and scope.

Manning was convicted in 2013 of illegally sharing 700,000 State Department and military documents. Snowden's theft was ten-fold - a reported 1.7 million secret documents.

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 anti-secrecy group called Manning's forthcoming release a 'victory' in a statement Tuesday afternoon that didn't mention Assange's promise

'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 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.'

Teeing up Obama's comments today, 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, an official said.

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.'

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, on Tuesday 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.'
An irate dope smoker who paid for marijuana that was never delivered called police on her alleged dealer.

But the unnamed New Zealand woman who dobbed the man in over attempting to buy $40 of cannabis could face charges herself - because trying to buy drugs is an offence in the country, regardless of whether you get them or not.

The woman, from Hamilton on New Zealand's North Island, had given a dealer who she had purchased drugs from before the money, Stuff.co.nz reported.

When the woman, who uses cannabis as a medicine to alleviate anxiety, did not get her drugs, she contacted police.

An irate dope smoker who paid for marijuana that was never delivered called police on her dealer (stock image)

She did not believe she would get in trouble because she never received the product.

But while she was told to record all communication with the man, police also told Stuff: 'There is a charge of attempting to procure a drug, so just because you don't get it doesn't actually prevent you from being charged.'

She had used a Facebook page to attempt to purchase cannabis and said after being ripped off, she would never do it again.

'They [tinnie houses] can rip us off because they know that we won't do anything, but I'm too old for all that, to be mucked around like that,' she said.

She also took to a Facebook page with 40,000 followers to vent, Stuff reported.

But her alleged dealer was demanding an apology for the online comments before he would return the money.

Senior Sergeant Rupert Friend would not confirm if police would take action over the woman's complaint.
A deaf wrestler is one of the rough sleepers living on the main thoroughfare that visitors take on their way to the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Jonathan 'Link' Hardy and more than a dozen homeless people have set up makeshift homes at Melbourne's Flinders Street Station, The Age reports.

Mr Hardy from Safety Bay in Perth has travelled around Australia and overseas, including to the U.S. where he claims he competed in WWE-style tournaments.

Deaf wrestler Jonathan 'Link' Hardy (pictured) is sleeping with other homeless people at Melbourne's Flinders Street Station

The 28-year-old has been living on the streets for nearly four years, and started sleeping outside Flinders Street Station just before Christmas.

Being completely deaf has added to his problems, and as he does not know sign language he has to write down the answers to questions. This has led to trouble with the police recently.

Daily Mail Australia photographs showed him remonstrating with police officers on Wednesday on a couple of occasions, while also flexing his muscles with his top off for the camera.

He claimed that police regularly hassled him, and tried to move him on daily. There is a hand-written sign taped to the wall above where he sleeps and a book, titled Steps to Christ.

Mr Hardy (left) does not know sign language and was pictured reacting to a police officer on Wednesday

There is a hand-written sign taped to the wall above where Mr Hardy sleeps (pictured). It says he hates drugs and loves to go to the gym

Mr Hardy (back to camera with police officers on Wednesday) admitted to being in trouble with police recently

In total Mr Hardy (left) has spent nearly four years as a rough sleeper

It says: 'I hate drugs and I love go gym and eat a lot. I always look after myself. I am always hungry. I keep going and look for job so you can ask me about job.'

Mr Hardy said he had not received much support from homeless services. He also gets free food and goes to a gym every day to keep up a routine.

Despite repeated attempts to remove the wrestler and the illegal campers from the footpath at Flinders Street Station, international tourists were confronted by a 'disturbing' display on Wednesday.

A man with dreadlocks was photographed holding a bong made from a plastic water bottle in full view of the public along one of the city's most iconic streets.

As tempers flared, a young woman with blonde hair was spotted lashing out at reporters for filming her sleeping as she demanded camera crews to steer away.

Mr Hardy (left) from Safety Bay in Perth has travelled around Australia and overseas

A man with dreadlocks was photographed holding a bong made from a plastic water bottle in full view of the public on Wednesday

A blonde woman lashed out at reporters as she demanded camera crews to steer away from the makeshift camp

The homeless woman demanded a news crew to stop filming her while she was sleeping along the iconic street

Several rough sleepers have set up their makeshift homes on the footpath outside Melbourne's Flinders Street Station

Shortly after the dramatic dispute, police arrived at the scene to speak with the homeless woman.

3AW's Pat Mitchell, who was at the scene when he saw the dispute unfold, said the woman had told 'news crews they had no right to film her while she was sleeping'.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said he wanted an 'aggressive' outreach approach to remove the illegal campers.

'I am very keen to work with Victoria Police in coming months on the new assertive, even aggressive, outreach programs that we are trialling to address homelessness,' Mr Doyle said in a statement on Wednesday.

Police arrived at the scene to speak with the homeless woman, who yelled at the news crew earlier on Wednesday

The man with dreadlocks was spotted holding a plastic bottle in his hands as a camper slept on the ground in front of him

A homeless woman sleeping on along the iconic street of Melbourne, as a large crowd of people set up their makeshift camp

He says the full range of homelessness needs to be dealt with - from 'professional and threatening beggars' to people with tragic stories.

'One size will not fit all, but surely this is the year when we focus all that energy on doing better for those who are sleeping rough in our city,' he said.

The Victorian government recently announced $600 million to help deal with homelessness in the city.

Opposition leader Matthew Guy says homelessness, crime and drug dealing are 'rife' in Melbourne.

The Victorian government recently announced $600 million to help deal with homelessness in Melbournr

Despite repeated attempts to remove the illegal campers, visitors were stunned to see the disturbing display on Wednesday

Shoppers, tourists and parents with children have been avoiding some shops along the strip because of the display

Meanwhile, Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Mark Stone says the drug use particularly concerns city retailers.

Shoppers, tourists and parents with children are avoiding some shops because of people sitting outside, taking drugs, Mr Stone says.

'It's unacceptable that people are allowed to take drugs out in the open without some kind of sanction taken against them,' he told 3AW.
Federal prosecutors are fighting the clock to secure an indictment against the white police officer who placed Eric Garner in a chokehold, with just two days to go before Donald Trump assumes office, the New York Post reported.

Daniel Pantaleo faces a possible indictment after Garner died during an arrest for selling cigarettes in Staten Island in 2014 - even though the civil rights charges could be dismissed under Trump's presidency.

A grand jury in Brooklyn heard testimonies on Wednesday from cops who worked alongside Pantaleo the day Garner died, and a legal expert told FOX a last-minute decision could be announced before Trump's inauguration.

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Video footage, captured by a member of the public, showed Pantaleo holding Garner by the neck as he says, 'I can't breathe' 11 times before passing out and dying

An autopsy found Garner's death - ruled a homicide by the New York City Medical Examiner - was caused by compressions to the neck and chest

A jury in Staten Island declined to indict Pantaleo (pictured) in 2014, but his fate still hangs in the balance. A grand jury in Brooklyn heard testimonies on Wednesday

Pantaleo was part of a group of five NYPD officers who stopped Garner, a 300 -pound father of six, for selling loose cigarettes in Staten Island on July 17, 2014.

Video footage, captured by a member of the public, showed Pantaleo holding Garner by the neck as he says, 'I can't breathe' 11 times before passing out and dying.

His death played a significant role in sparking the Black Lives Matter movement and protesters gathered in cities around the country chanting his last words.

An autopsy found Garner's death - ruled a homicide by the New York City Medical Examiner - was caused by compression of the chest and neck.

But a jury in Staten Island declined to indict Pantaleo in 2014.

The Justice Department then launched a civil rights investigation to examine whether Pantaleo's conduct amounted to a 'hate crime'.

A grand jury in Brooklyn heard testimonies from police officers in February 2016, but prosecutors and FBI officials in New York clashed with authorities in Washington DC over a possible indictment, the New York Times reported in October.

Authorities in New York who were opposed to an indictment were taken off the case in a 'highly unusual shake-up', the Times reported.

Garner's death played a significant role in sparking the Black Lives Matter movement and protesters gathered in cities around the country chanting his last words

After the grand jury declined to indict Pantale in 2014, the Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation to examine whether the cop's conduct amounted to a 'hate crime'

While it's unclear whether the grand jury on Wednesday was the same that convened in February, Pantaleo's fate still remains in the balance.

Garner's family has settled the case with the City of New York for $5.9million, and received another $1million payout from the Richmond University Medical Center.

But Garner's mother Gwen Carr, told The New York Post she still hoped to see 'justice and accountability'.

Seven members of Congress wrote a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch last week, urging a resolution to the case.

The letter read: 'While the DOJ began its own inquiry following the state grand jurys abdication of responsibility, over the past two years it has not been completed...

'In approximately two weeks, there will be a new DOJ less committed to civil rights enforcement.

'Consequently, the investigation into Mr. Gamers death may itself be suffocated and die.

Seven members of Congress wrote a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch (pictured) last week, urging a resolution to the case

The letter urged the Justice Department to move swiftly. It read: 'In approximately two weeks, there will be a new DOJ less committed to civil rights enforcement'

'This result is not only unacceptable for Mr. Gamer and his family, but for all communities where the use of excessive force and overly aggressive policing tactics threaten life and liberty.

'The DOJs window for meaningful action on Mr. Gamers case is closing.

'Accordingly, we respectfully request that a final prosecutorial decision be made prior to the arrival of the new administration.'

The testimonies are expected to continue Thursday, and a legal expert told CBS the grand jury could reach a decision before Trump's inauguration.

Pantaleo was moved to 'modified duty' after Garner's death in July 2014 and earned a staggering $120,000 in 2016.
Federal authorities are giving Pennsylvania a few more months to comply with a 2005 federal law requiring people to prove they are legal U.S. residents in order for their drivers licenses to be valid for federal purposes.

Gov. Tom Wolfs administration Thursday announced the extension for Pennsylvania to comply with the federal Real ID law. The extension to June 6, for now, means Pennsylvania licenses will be sufficient proof of identification to get into federal facilities.

Still, a state legislative fix could be needed to avoid more widespread problems for travelers next year, when Real ID standards will be required for people boarding commercial airlines.

Some state legislators are looking to ensure those issues wont be a problem next year for Pennsylvania residents.

The state of Pennsylvanias going to get in compliance, state Sen. Mike Folmer said. They are. Im going to vote no, but theyre going to get in compliance.

House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, and Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana, issued a statement saying many legislators have concerns about the federal law, but they aimed to ensure compliance in a reasonable and cost-effective manner.

Folmer and many other legislators played a role in Pennsylvania being one of the seven states that so far havent complied.

Quite frankly, I dont know what this card is going to do to make it safer for me as a U.S. citizen, he said Wednesday.

Speaking with ABC27 outside PennDOTs license center in Harrisburg, Folmer said he thinks the requirements are unconstitutional, in that they bar free movement.

Secondly, he said, it was going to be an unfunded mandate thrust down upon the states. There were also fears of a federal database collecting drivers personal information.

Theyre all reasons he sponsored a bill in 2012 to prohibit the state from making changes to comply with REAL ID requirements. That bill, now Act 38 of 2012, passed by a wide margin.

In a letter Wolf and legislative leaders sent to the Department of Homeland Security Friday, they said they are looking for ways to be compliant. The letter also asks for an extension until October to pass the law before REAL ID enforcement begins in the state. At least 14 other states and territories have been given that extension, another six have until June.

Were compliant in many, many ways. The ways that were not are limited and technical in nature, said Alexis Campbell, community relations coordinator for PennDOT.

The changes would include process and systems changes, she said. The department would need to cut back, for example, the use of some online services. That would mean more trips to the DMV, Campbell said.

The transportation agency doesnt know exactly what it would take to comply because of that 2012 law  or how much it would cost. They have to wait until Act 38 is repealed and a new law is in place before they can get to work.

But Campbell said it would likely take a year and a half to two years after the new law is passed before they could make the necessary changes.

As far as PennDOT is concerned, were just, were waiting to see how we can move forward.
With less than 48 hours left as First Lady, Michelle Obama spent much of her day on Wednesday soaking up the White House before she is forced to move out.

First, she walked through its halls with family dogs Bo and Sunny, sharing a video of their jaunt on Twitter.

The stroll appears to have ended in the Executive Residence where Mrs Obama cuddled up to her husband to take in the view from the Truman balcony for one of the last times.

She shared a photograph of the special moment on social media to thank fans for their support, writing alongside it: 'Being your First Lady has been the honor of a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.'

The Obamas will leave 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Friday to make way for President-elect Donald Trump and his family.

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Michelle Obama shared a sweet photograph of herself cuddling up to Barack as they took in the view from the Truman balcony on Wednesday with less than 48 hours left in the White House

The First Lady shared a message alongside the photograph, describing her role as 'the honor of a lifetime'

They outgoing First Family are moving nearby to the affluent neighborhood of Kalorama to allow their youngest daughter Sasha to finish high school.

As movers ready their new house, both the President and the First Lady are relishing their final moments in their current home.

President Obama used his final press conference in the White House briefing room to issue a stark warning to his successor.

He said he would step in if he felt 'our core values' were 'at stake', promising to speak out if Trump began 'rounding up' children to be deported.

'If I saw systematic discrimination [is] being ratified in some fashion. I put in that category explicit or functional obstacles to people being able to vote, to exercise their franchise.

She earlier shared a photograph with dogs Bo and Sunny, thanking fans for their birthday wishes and for allowing her 'the opportunity to serve'

'And for me, at least, I would put in that category efforts to round up kids who have grown up here and for all practical purposes are American kids, and send them someplace else, when they love this country, they are our kids' friends and their classmates and are now entering into community colleges or in some cases serving in our military ...'

'The notion that we would just arbitrarily, or because of politics, punish those kids, when they didn't do anything wrong themselves, I think would be something that would merit me speaking out.

'It doesn't mean that I would get on the ballot anywhere,' he said.

The Obamas are not moving far. They have bought a home in the neighborhood of Kalorama where movers were seen hauling furniture on Wednesday

In her farewell speech to the nation last week, Mrs Obama teared up as she said: 'Being your first lady has been the greatest honor of my life and I hope I've made you proud.'

Movers have been hard at work at the Obamas' new home. They were seen hauling furniture and exercise equipment into the property on Wednesday.

Mrs Obama has laughed off repeated suggestions she should run for office but has not yet laid out a clear plan for what she intends to do next.

While President Obama said on Wednesday he was looking forward to 'being quiet' for a while, the First Lady intends to carry on her work with young people and education.
The CIA said Wednesday it would implement new rules to better respect the private information of Americans swept up incidentally during its investigations.

The new restrictions imposed by the US attorney general, Loretta Lynch, just two days before Donald Trump become president will force the CIA, whose mission is to focus on foreign issues and threats, to dispose of the personal data of Americans it comes across during its probes within five years.

Until now, under a 1981 executive order by then president Ronald Reagan, there were loose restrictions on how the spy agency handles that data.

And existing rules never considered the avalanche of personal information that can be scooped up from the Internet and social media.

The CIA says it will implement new rules to better respect the private information of Americans swept up incidentally during its investigations. Above is a stock photo of the CIA logo in the lobby of CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia

The CIA is supposed to limit its investigations to foreign targets, but given the global nature of telecommunications and the internet and the massive electronic combing of that electronic data, it inevitably gathers up data on US citizens as well.

For instance, the CIA noted that if it seized the hard drive from the computer of a foreign hacker, that might also have a lot of data on Americans.

In such a case, there are strict controls on how such data can be handled and agency personnel 'must take reasonable steps to limit the information collected to only that which is necessary to achieve the purpose of the collection,' the agency said in a statement.

Such data, analyzed or not, must be eliminated within five years to make sure the agency does not hold onto it indefinitely.

Until now, under a 1981 executive order by then president Ronald Reagan (left), there were loose restrictions on how the spy agency handles data on US citizens. The new guidelines were approved by the outgoing attorney general, Loretta Lynch (right)

The new rules tighten restrictions on how CIA agents can become involved in organizations inside of the United States in the course of an investigation.

C IA agents will have to limit their information gathering to the smallest amount of data it needs in order to reach its target, according to Engadget.

Also, spies will need special permission from their superiors to access sensitive information found online, like private messages.

The rules also prohibit espionage activities on social media unless the group in question consists mainly of foreigners.

Any online social circles with Americans can only be frequented by operatives if they declare their affiliation.

The outgoing Barack Obama administration has been under pressure to tighten up protections of US citizens' personal information after the National Security Agency was shown to have been surreptitiously amassing bulk files on Americans' communications as a part of its electronic spying operations.

Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor, r eleased details of the extent of the US spying operation, including details of operations against friendly governments.

Snowden has been living in exile in Russia since 2013.

President Barack Obama's (left) administration has been under pressure to tighten up protections of US citizens' personal information after former NSA contractor Edward Snowden (right) revealed the agency had been surreptitiously amassing bulk files on Americans

The former intelligence contractor had not applied for a pardon from Obama, who earlier decided to commute the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, jailed for 35 years for leaking classified material to Wikileaks.

A number of privacy advocates have expressed worries that a Trump government will be less sensitive to privacy issues when it comes to national security.
Tom Ford was spotted landing at LAX airport on Wednesday, the same day the president-elect lashed out at him in an interview.

Ford, 55, said during an appearance on The View in November that he would not be dressing Melania Trump while she was in the White House because his clothes are 'too expensive' for a first lady to wear, noting that in that position she would have to 'relate to everybody'.

Donald Trump responded this this by telling Ainsley Earhardt on Fox & Friends that Melania never asked Tom Ford to dress her.

'Never asked Tom Ford, doesn't like Tom Ford, doesn't like his designs,' said Trump.

He then went on to say: 'Tom Ford is an example. "I will not dress the First Lady." He was never asked to dress - and Steve Wynn just called me and he said he thought it was so terrible what Tom Ford said, that he threw his clothing out of his Las Vegas hotel.

That was later confirmed by a spokesperson for Wynn Las Vegas, who told DailyMail.com in statement: 'Wynn Las Vegas confirms it removed the Tom Ford line of cosmetics and sunglasses from the resort this past weekend.'

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Designer Tom Ford was spotted arriving at LAX airport Wednesday (pictured), the same day the president-elect lashed out at him during an interview

Ford, 55, looked sharp during his arrival in Los Angeles. He paired his black suit with a white shirt and shades and carried his own luggage - as well as his passport

The designer looked sharp as he arrived in Los Angeles, wearing a black suit paired with a white shirt and tinted shades.

Ford was also carrying his own bags, one in each hand. He landed in Los Angeles the same day that it was confirmed that the Wynn had gotten rid of his items.

The Wynn property in Las Vegas does not carry Tom Ford clothing, though they did carry the designer's beauty collection.

In fact, Wynn has publicized the fact that his hotel carried Tom Ford Beauty many times in the past, noting they are one of the few places on The Strip to carry the collection.

The Wynn also posted an ad over the weekend looking to hire someone to work at the Tom Ford counter, noting that they are currently growing and building that business.

On the attack: Donald Trump (left) lashed out at Ford (right) in an interview on Wednesday, saying his wife Melania never asked the designer to dress her

Allegation: He also claimed that Steve Wynn (above in 2015 with third wife Andrea Hissom) 'threw out' Ford's clothing from his hotel when he heard the designer's comments about Melania

President-elect #DonaldTrump on #TomFord refusing to dress #MelaniaTrump: "He was never asked to dress [Melania] Im not a fan of Tom Ford" pic.twitter.com/1PmMPWs9zk  Fox News (@FoxNews) January 18, 2017

The only freestanding Tom Ford retail boutique in Las Vegas is at The Shops at Crystals, which is partially owned by the investment management company Invesco.

Invesco's chairman and chief strategist is none other than Wilbur Ross, Trump's nominee for secretary of Commerce.

That boutique remains open at this time, with no plans to close despite the close relationship between Trump and Ross.

Melania meanwhile will reportedly be wearing Ralph Lauren for the inauguration on Friday.

Wynna was appointed a member of the inaugural committee back in November, the group responsible for helping to raise the millions it takes to put on the events surrounding the swearing in ceremony every for years.

President Obama's team raised $53million for his 2009 swearing-in.

Uncertain claim: The Wynn confirmed this in a statement to DailyMail, saying they removed the Tom Ford line of cosmetics and sunglasses from the resort this past weekend (Tom Ford beauty stand at Wynn above)

Reasons: Ford said he would not dress a first lady because his clothes are too expensive, though he did create a grown for Michelle Obama in 2011 (left; Melania on right in 2016)

Still going: Wynn Hotels posted an ad just this past Saturday looking for someone to work the Tom Ford Beauty counter, saying the business was 'growing' (above)

Ford stopped by The View in November to discuss his new film Nocturnal Animals, but then talk turned to the future first lady.

'We've got a new first lady, Melania Trump, and she's quite beautiful, and she's thin, she's gonna look great in [your] clothes, no?' host Joy Behar asked Ford at the top of the interview, clearly hoping to learn if Ford would consider working with the former model or had a strict ban.

A hesitant looking Ford paused for a moment before responding to the question, saying: 'I don't know. I was asked to dress her quite a few years ago and I declined.'

He then explained his reason for passing on the offer by stating: 'Well, she's not necessarily my image.'

Ford then made the comment about his clothes being 'too expensive' for a first lady.

His designer wears were not 'too expensive' for the current first lady though, who Ford outfitted in a custom-made ivory evening gown back in 2011 for a dinner with the royal family at Buckingham Palace. Ford even threw in a pair of gloves to round out the look.

The price of the dress was never given since it was one-of-a-kind, but Ford's gowns tend to start around $5,000, with many of his evening looks being priced in the five-figure range.

'Michelle I dressed once when she was going to Buckingham Palace for dinner with the Queen,' said Ford when asked to comment on some of Michelle's more expensive looks.

'I thought that was appropriate and I was honored.'

When prodded a bit more about whether Melania should really stop wearing expensive clothes once her husband takes office, Ford simply said: 'Ill leave that to Melania.'

He also made a point of noting that he would not dress Hillary Clinton if she was in the White House.

Popular guy: Ford' designs are popular among A-list stars like his friend and muse Julianne Moore (left; Ford on right with husband Richard Buckley in 2010)

Thanks but no thanks: Ford previously said that he was asked to dress Melania in the past but turned down the request because 'she's not necessarily my image' (Ford with Miley Cyrus and Rihanna in 2014 above)

There have been few designers more successful than Ford, who shot to fame back in 1994 when he was named creative director of Gucci.

The house was almost bankrupt at the time he took the reins, and within five years was valued at $4billion.

His edgy looks were a hit with critics as well, and in 1999 he took on a second job as creative director of Yves St. Laurent.

That post proved a bit more challenging at times for Ford, as even though critics loves his lines and profits for the fashion house were up, his work was hated by Yves himself, who was not shy about voicing his distaste for the young designer's hyper-sexualized aesthetic.

Then, in 2004, he walked away from the top post at both houses when questions began to arise about the future of Gucci group and who would be in control.

He enjoyed a few years off before he launched his eponymous line in 2006, which included accessories and beauty products as well as his designs for men and women.

Ford's womenswear line fast became a hit with A-list celebrities and high-society ladies, who had no problem dropping $11,000 on one of the designer's sequined gowns or a comparatively reasonable $2,200 for a black sleeveless dress.

Ford also did his best to make sure his designs were not overexposed, which may explain why he refused to dress Melania back in the day.

The designer has made a point of never dressing more than one celebrity for major Hollywood events like the Oscars and Golden Globes.

Among those who have been lucky enough to walk the red carpet in a Tom Ford gown are Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts, Resse Witherspoon and Julianne Moore, who along with Tom Hanks' wife Rita Wilson has long been one of the designer's muses.

Ford is so strict about the one dress rule that Hayden Panettiere was forced to go out and drop $10,000 on one of the designer's gowns for the 2014 Golden Globes.

The actress, who was nominated that year for her work in Nashville, said that it had always been her dream to wear one of Ford's creations for a special night, but unfortunately for her the designer had styled Watts for the ceremony.

Ford did later send Panettiere flowers along with a note telling her how beautiful she looked that night.
Cancer and diabetes sufferers are among those who will be forced to wait for new drugs as part of an NHS cost-cutting exercise

Cancer and diabetes sufferers are among those who will be forced to wait for new drugs as part of an NHS cost-cutting exercise.

A fifth of new medicines could be rationed by health bosses - even if they are judged to be cost-effective by doctors.

Currently, patients are entitled to medicines that are considered to be good value for money by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice).

However, from April this year, NHS England will have the power to delay the availability of new drugs that cost upwards of 20million a year.

According to The Times, as much as 20 per cent of new medicines - or roughly 12 a year - would fall into this bracket.

The move has been heavily criticised by health campaigners, claiming people will die waiting for treatments that are not being provided for strictly economic reasons.

They also pointed to fears that Britain will fall behind the rest of the developed world in providing 'cutting-edge' treatments.

It comes amid growing political tension regarding the NHS, with doctors accusing Theresa May of making GPs scapegoats to divert attention from the crisis.

In a strongly worded open letter, their union attacked the Government for putting lives at risk by slashing funding.

The intervention by the British Medical Association follows a warning by the Prime Minister that GPs were partly to blame for the pressure on A&E by closing their surgeries early.

Fom April this year, NHS England will have the power to delay the availability of new drugs that cost upwards of 20million a year

But leading GPs and a senior Tory MP hit back to insist that the problems were largely due to funding cuts.

BMA chairman Dr Mark Porter went further with the letter and a request for an immediate meeting with the Prime Minister to work out a solution.

Leading doctors have already suggested that conditions in A&E are the worst they have ever known.

The NHS budget has been a contentious issue, with an official report warning that taxes will have to rise by 30 billion a decade to keep pace with the costs of an ageing population.

The Office for Budget Responsibility said spending on health alone is set to double to 250 billion a year, blowing an unsustainable hole in Britains public finances.

The cost of social care will also double to almost 40 billion a year  placing further pressure on health budgets.

And, in a triple whammy for the public finances, pension costs are also set to soar by more than a third.

NHS England and Nice have been approached for comment.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has hailed a controversial Australia Day billboard featuring two girls in hijabs for 'embracing Australian values'.

The image, which shows the girls smiling and holding Australian flags, was taken at Melbourne's Docklands last year and was part of a Victorian government campaign.

The billboard was removed from Cranbourne, in the city's south-east, on Tuesday after the company behind it received threats, but a crowdfunding campaign has raised more than $112,000 to have the ad reinstalled.

Mr Dutton, a right-wing Liberal MP who recently cited a link between Lebanese Muslim migration and terrorism, called the billboard 'great'.

He added the hijab and the headscarf shouldn't offend Australians.

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The controversial billboard (pictured) featuring two girls in hijabs was taken down from Cranbourne in Melbourne's south-east after the company behind it received threats

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton described the billboard as 'great' because the girls waving Australian flags were embracing Australian values

The billboard image (pictured) of the girls was taken at Melbourne's Docklands in 2016 while they were celebrating Australia Day with their families

'It's great that we've got young boys, young girls from whatever background who are embracing Australian values,' Mr Dutton told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Thursday.

'Flying the Australian flag, proud to be Australian, proud to be part of our society, want to be part of a peaceful future in this country.

'People have different elements to their dress and their culture that they embrace.'

The immigration minister added: 'What most Australians expect from any of us from a migrant background: we respect the culture from our country of origin but we embrace Australian values.'

Melbourne 3AW broadcaster Tom Elliot (pictured) took issue with the advertisement featuring the hijab, saying it was 'medieval' and 'repressive'

But 3AW's Tom Elliot said the advertisement was repressive.

'I cannot believe that more feminists are up in arms about this,' he told the Seven Network's Sunrise program.

'Young girls being forced to cover up because men were otherwise looking at them.

'That is medieval stuff.'

A GoFundMe campaign, launched on Wednesday night has already raised over $112,000 to see the billoboard featuring the two young girls reinstalled

Commentator Prue MacSween echoed his sentiments.

'It is touching a raw nerve with Australians. We are getting sick of people bending over backwards to include Muslims,' she said.

A GoFundMe campaign, launched on Wednesday night, has already raised more than $112,000 to see the billboard reinstalled.

The funds would be used for 'a full page press ad and a billboard to start'.

Its website said: 'The same groups who complain "Muslims don't assimilate" complained about the photo of Australian Muslims celebrating Australia Day.'

Campaign Edge's executive creative director Dee Madigan, who has previously made Labor election ads, said she was heartened by the public's positive response to her campaign.

'We wanted to show girls that there are people out there who support them and these racists are just a small part of Australian society,' she told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday.

'If they pull one [billboard] down we'll put 20 up.'

A far-right group, which had campaigned on Facebook this week to remove the billboard, described supporters of the hijab image as people who hated Australian values.

People just hate you and they hate the country that much they just want to rub it in your face,' its leader said in a Facebook video.

Australia Day is less than two weeks away with celebrations planned around the country (stock image)

'They would be happy if we didnt celebrate Australia Day at all or even if we had a big ceremony and burnt the Australian flag on Australia Day.

'That would make them happy.'

The families of the girls had tried hiding their identity to prevent a further backlash, Islamophobia Register Australia founder Mariam Veiszadeh said.

'The families had not expected that their photos would up on a billboard 12 months later, nor had they anticipated such a backlash,' she told news.com.au.

'The girls are very conscious of what's happening and have been following the coverage.'

Ms Veiszadeh, a lawyer, said the girls didn't understand why the billboard was removed.

'How does one explain Islamophobia to a young Australian Muslim?,' she said.

A large crowd turns out to watch the Australia Day parade in Melbourne (pictured)

Father Rod Bower, an Anglican reverend based at Gosford on the New South Wales Central Coast, urged his Twitter followers to sign the petition in favour of bringing back the billboard.

Victorian Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott said the government's external partner QMS hosted the campaign and independently chose to remove it due to a number of threats.

'While the ads have since been removed, anyone who considers this a victory needs a refresher on the true meaning of Australia Day,' Mr Scott told Daily Mail Australia.

'It is about bringing people together and celebrating the diversity which makes this state and this country great.

'It's very disappointing to see a small minority attacking proud Australians for their love of their country.'
Marcus Patmon, 45, was arrested in Arlington, Virginia, on stolen vehicle charges

A thief who made off with artworks by Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall drove from Miami to Washington D.C. in a stolen car hoping to receive a presidential pardon, police said.

Marcus Sanford Patmon, 45, was arrested outside a Starbucks in Arlington, Virginia, on Sunday after a police license plate reader picked up that his car was reported stolen, police said.

Patmon drove more than 1,000 miles to DC, and told police he hoped to meet former attorney general Eric Holder for a chance to be pardoned before Donald Trump was inaugurated, police said.

Patmon, who has been arrested several times on charges ranging from battery to false imprisonment, was initially inspired to steal art after watching an episode of the long-running PBS show Antiques Roadshow, prosecutors said.

He broke into Galerie Lareuse in Washington DC in 2007, and stole Marc Chagall's lithograph The Meeting of Ruth & Boaz along with the Picasso etching Faune Devoilant une Femme, which he sold to an art dealer for $58,000, the FBI said.

Patmon drove more than 1,000 miles from Miami to DC, and told police he hoped to receive a presidential pardon before Donald Trump was inaugurated, police said

Months later, he broke a window in the back of Gallery Biba in Miami, and stole another two Picasso etchings, the FBI said.

The two works, Le Repas Frugal and Jacqueline Lisant, were valued at $450,000, according to the FBI.

Patmon sold Le Repas Frugal to the same art dealer in Oakland, California, identified by the FBI only as 'CEB' for $395,000, touting the same story that he inherited the works from his grandparents.

But alarm bells went off when he mentioned that another copy of Le Repas Frugal had recently been stolen, and the art dealer notified the police.

He first broke into Galerie Lareuse in Washington DC in 2007, and stole Marc Chagall's lithograph The Meeting of Ruth & Boaz (left) along with the Picasso etching Faune Devoilant une Femme (right), which he sold to an art dealer for $58,000

He sold Faune Devoilant une Femme to an art dealer for $58,000, claiming he inherited the artwork from his grandparents

A forensic examination found that the etching Patmon sold her was the same one that was stolen from Gallery Biba.

When police turned up at his home with a search warrant, they found the Picasso etching Jacqueline Lisant behind his couch, the FBI said.

He admitted to stealing all four artworks and pleaded guilty to mail fraud, attempted wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property, according to the FBI.

Patmon served just two years in jail.

He was arrested again on Sunday on charges of unauthorized use of a stolen vehicle, according to court records.

Patmon told police that he wanted to meet with Eric Holder, seemingly unaware that Loretta Lynch took over his position as attorney general in 2015.

Months later, Patmon stole Le Repas Frugal (left) and Jacqueline Lisant (right) which were valued at $450,000, police said
Businesses have hailed Theresa May's vision for our post-Brexit future after she warned the power elite in Davos to change or face the wrath of the public.

Bosses from some of the UK's biggest companies praised the PM for providing 'clarity' and giving 'confidence'.

The welcome came after Mrs May made a broad pitch to position the UK as a champion of free trade and commerce, saying the country now had a 'unique opportunity' to lead a new agenda for social justice.

But she also used her speech to deliver an outspoken ultimatum to corporate titans and politicians, saying they had 'ignored the legitimate concerns' of the public for too long.

The far left and far right were offering 'easy answers' and feeding off the sense that struggling families are being left behind while the wealth thrive.

Mrs May made clear the bosses had to pay their taxes - insisting they had to 'play by the same rules as everyone else'.

Theresa May insisted the UK is open for business as she gave her speech in Davos

The Prime Minister also confronted the power elite over their failure to address the concerns of the public about the impact of globalisation

The rebuke appeared to take some of the power players in the hall aback - but was broadly welcomed by leaders of some of the UK's biggest businesses.

BT chief executive Gavin Patterson said the intervention - accompanied by a speech by Philip Hammond in which he insisted the 'fog is clearing' around Brexit - should 'give people confidence'.

BAE Systems chairman Roger Carr said the message from the ministers had been 'clear, firm and fair'.

The attitude of the corporate bosses and bankers at the annual World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort could be crucial to the UK's prospects.

As the implications of the PM's bold Brexit speech this week continued to reverberate today:

HSBC has indicated 1,000 jobs from the bank's London business are on course to move to Paris, while Switzerland's UBS is also preparing to move posts from the UK to the continent.

But Mrs May has been boosted by the the boss of Barclays making clear it believes the City of London will remain the financial capital of Europe. And JP Morgan has said that investors are still 'upbeat' about the UK's prospects.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde has resumed her doom-mongering about Brexit by warning of years of 'pain' to come.

EU leaders have insisted Britain will have to settle a 'divorce' bill of up to 60billion before they even start talking about a trade deal.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has said the UK is already in disucssions with 12 countries over deals that could be sealed straight after we formally leave the EU.

In her address, Mrs May said the 'forces of liberalism, free trade and globalisation' had harnessed 'unprecedented levels of wealth and opportunity' and 'lifted millions out of poverty around the world'.

But she warned: Forces that underpin the rules-based international system that is key to global prosperity and security, are somehow at risk of being undermined.

PM SPEAKS HER MIND TO THE POWER ELITE ON BREXIT: The PM praised the 'ambition' of the British people but said the country 'must face up to a period of momentous change'. 'While it would have been easy for the British people to shy away from taking such a path, they fixed their eyes on that brighter future and chose a bold, ambitious course instead,' she said. ON THE POWER ELITE'S FAILURE: 'As we meet here this morning, across Europe parties of the far left and the far right are seeking to exploit this opportunity  gathering support by feeding off an underlying and keenly felt sense among some people  often those on modest to low incomes living in relatively rich countries around the West  that these forces are not working for them.' ON BUSINESS PAYING TAX: 'It means playing by the same rules as everyone else when it comes to tax and behaviour, because in the UK trust in business runs at just 35 per cent among those in the lowest income brackets.' ON BRITAIN'S FUTURE: Mrs May said she wanted to do trade deals around the world and be a champion of international commerce. 'We are by instinct a great, global, trading nation that seeks to trade with countries not just in Europe but beyond Europe too,' she said. Advertisement

And as we meet here this morning, across Europe parties of the far left and the far right are seeking to exploit this opportunity, gathering support by feeding off an underlying and keenly-felt sense among some people  often those on modest-to-low incomes living in relatively rich countries around the west  that these forces are not working for them.

Those parties who embrace the politics of division and despair, who offer easy answers, who claim to understand peoples problems and always know what and who to blame, feed off something else too  the sense among the public that mainstream political and business leaders have failed to comprehend their legitimate concerns for too long.

In a particularly stern passage, the PM underlined her determination to lead an 'active' government that ensured wealth was shared more fairly.

Swiping at companies who have been dodging taxes, she pointed out the public's faith in the behaviour of businesses was very low and they must do their bit.

'It means playing by the same rules as everyone else when it comes to tax and behaviour, because in the UK trust in business runs at just 35 per cent among those in the lowest income brackets,' she said.

'It means putting aside short-term considerations and investing in people and communities for the long-term.'

The premier said Brexit was giving the UK a 'unique opportunity' to spearhead change.

The country 'will step up to a new leadership role as the strongest and most forceful advocate for business, free markets and free trade anywhere in the world'.

At a lunch with business leaders, Mr Hammond said the 'fog of Brexit' was starting to clear.

We are not going to get rid of it overnight but I hope gradually it will start to lift. A few things are becoming clearer through the mist, he said.

The Chancellor also reiterated the government's threat to slash corporation tax, effectively turning Britain into a tax haven, if the EU failed to give us a good deal.

'Thats not a threat. It is a statement of the blindingly obvious,' he said.

Dutch PM Mark Rutte warned that the UK would pay a 'huge price' for putting control of immigration above membership of the single market.

'(The UK) is now making a choice to control migration, and they are paying a huge price because the economic growth rate of the UK will be impacted negatively by the fact that it will leave the biggest market in the world,' he said at a fringe event in Davos.

'So they are willing to pay the price, but it has also a consequence for the rest of Europe but particularly for the UK.'

The PM said Brexit was giving the UK a 'unique opportunity' to spearhead change and champion free trade

Former chancellor George Osborne has also been in Davos, where he was pictured rubbing shoulders with celebrities including George and Amal Clooney. He is believed to have lined up lucrative corporate events

Downing Street said Mrs May had not encountered David Cameron and George Osborne, who are also attending the gathering in Davos.

Both men have had lucrative speaking engagements - with Mr Cameron lecturing at a private dinner held by accounting firm PwC last night and Mr Osborne starring at an exclusive HSBC event.

Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne were also understood to be on the guest list for a party hosted by their old friend PR guru Matthew Freud at the mountain-top Schatzalp hotel last night.

Mr Cameron, who used last year's stage to make the case for staying in the EU, is only speaking at events on the fringe this year and has embarrassingly become the butt of some jokes.

Mrs May had to duck under a low curtain as she emerged on to the stage in Davos

Jamie Oliver posted pictures on his Facebook page of him chatting with Shakira in Davos

Luiz Carlos Trabuco Cappi, the president of Brazilian bank Bradesco, said: 'A year ago, those who shone in the hallways here included the former British Prime Minister David Cameron. Who thought Brexit was going to happen?'

The going rate for the pair's speaking engagements is likely to be up to 100,000.

Both have raked in hundreds of thousands of pounds for corporate speeches since being brutally evicted from Downing Street in the wake of the historic EU referendum.

Since being booted out of office, Mr Osborne has declared earning more than 600,000 on top of his 74,000 MP's salary.

Shakira tweeted a picture of her discussing education with former PM Gordon Brown in Davos

The PM had chosen to wear some of her favourite leopard-print shoes for the World Economic Forum speech

And Mr Cameron got 120,000 for a single speech to Wall Street financiers in November.

Meanwhile, Mrs May has urged people to 'stop fighting the battles of the past' and accept the UK is going to leave the European Union.

UK ALREADY 'IN TALKS WITH 12 COUNTRIES' OVER POST-BREXIT TRADE DEALS International Trade Secretary Liam Fox Britain has already started trade talks with a dozen countries in preparation for Brexit, Liam Fox has said. The International Trade Secretary said laying the groundwork for deals to be announced as soon as we leave the EU. The prospective partners include China, India, Australia and South Korea, as well as Middle East states such as Saudi Arabia and Oman. In an article for the Telegraph, Dr Fox said: when we leave we will want to develop new arrangements with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India. We are conducting trade audits with a number of countries to see how we can remove barriers to trade and investment to our mutual benefit. There is such a big world for us to do business with, and we intend to do just that. We should do so with considerable self-confidence. The comments are likely to enrage EU leaders, as under the bloc's strict rules the UK is banned from entering formal trade talks before formally cutting ties. US President-elect Donald Trump said this week that he wanted to do a 'great' trade deal with the UK as quickly as possible. Advertisement

Saying the government will unveil a 'modern industrial strategy next week, she painted it as part of her plan to turn post-Brexit Britain into a 'great meritocracy' and create a 'more united nation'.

She said her Brexit plan  leaving the single market but seeking a comprehensive free trade deal with Brussels  would result in a 'new and equal partnership between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU'.

But the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt warned it was an 'illusion' to suggest the UK could leave the EU but retain the benefits of tariff-free trade.

Mrs May, who is keen to ensure her administration is not dominated by Brexit, said her approach was part of a wider plan 'to shape the country we want to be when we have left the EU'.

She said: 'Our modern industrial strategy, which we will publish next week, will lay the foundations to build a more prosperous and more equal Britain.

'We will spread wealth and opportunity across every community. And we will help young people to develop the skills they need to do the high-paid, high-skilled jobs of the future.

'We will create a fairer society by breaking down the barriers of privilege and making Britain a great meritocracy where success is defined by work and talent, not birth or circumstance.

'This will include going further in reforming our schools and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive in a post-Brexit Britain.'

A Downing Street spokeswoman said of the Davos speech: 'I think it will be an opportunity for her primarily to engage with a wide range of business leaders and inward investors from around the world, talking to them about the Government's plan for Brexit, the type of relationship we will be seeking with the EU moving forward, the opportunities of strengthening our trading relationships with other countries and the benefits that that can bring for business.'

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson took out his frustration about the row over his 'punishment beating' comments as he played cricket with schoolchildren in Calcutta today

STILL talking us down! IMF chief warns Britain is in for years of 'pain' from Brexit

Brexit scaremongering was back in full force at the World Economic Forum in Davos last night as IMF chief Christine Lagarde warned of years of 'pain' for Britain.

She said the uncertainty over the trading terms between Britain and the EU would affect growth.

And despite admitting her doom-laden economic warnings in the run-up to the EU referendum had been proved wrong, Ms Lagarde said: 'We are still of the view that it will not be positive all along and without pain.'

Brexit scaremongering was back in full force at the World Economic Forum in Davos last night as IMF chief Christine Lagarde, pictured, warned Britain's EU divorce will not be 'without pain'

In the run-up to the referendum she said the consequences of a Leave vote ranged from 'bad to very bad' and could wipe out nearly 10 per cent off our economy.

But she and the IMF were humiliated earlier this week when it upgraded its forecast growth for 2017 because of Britain's better-than-expected economic performance since June's Brexit vote.

It now predicts Britain's economic will grow by 1.5 per cent in 2017 - a major uplift from its last forecast of 1.1 per cent. And it said Britain's economy grew the fastest among all G7 nations last year, despite Brexit.

But Ms Lagarde - in Davos, Switzerland for a summit of global elites - is still talking our economy down.

She said any Brexit trade deal the UK strikes with Brussels will not be as good as the current arrangements of full membership of the single market.

'When you belong to a club, whatever that is, the members of the club have a degree of affinity and particular terms under which they operate,' she said. Someone outside the club has different access.'

PM's Brexit demands are BACKED by public but only one in five think the EU will agree

Theresa May's 12-point blueprint for Brexit is backed by a ratio of more than two to one, a poll revealed today.

Nearly half of voters also backed her threat to walk away from negotiations and her stance that no deal is better than a bad deal.

But only one in five believe EU leaders will agree to Mrs Mays demands.

Theresa May's 12-point blueprint for Brexit is backed by a ratio of more than two to one, a poll revealed today

More than half (56 per cent) think EU member states will reject her blueprint, while one in four are unsure.

In today's YouGov poll for The Times, all of Mrs May's key negotiating points were met with a majority of support.

A majority (57 per cent) support leaving Europe's single market, while 56 per cent back leaving the customs union, which allows tariff-free trade across the continent.

Nearly half of voters (47 per cent) are confident in Mrs May's negotiating skills, according to the poll, while 38 per cent are not.
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The man who died after being hit by a fire engine as he walked home with his shopping has been named as Mitchell Bailey.

The 58-year-old, from Royston, Hertfordshire, lived with his wife Carol, 51, around 100 metres from where he died.

Mr Bailey was believed to have been a father of three adult children and recently became a grandfather.

Mitchell Bailey, 58, died after being hit by a fire engine. The father-of-three lived with his wife Carol, 51, (pictured together right), just 100 metres from where he died

Mr Bailey was killed after being hit on a roundabout by a fire engine responding to an emergency call last night

Another person was taken to hospital after the vehicle flipped over at the junction in Royston, Hertfordshire

Another person was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital with minor injuries after the Scania six-cylinder diesel fire engine flipped over at the junction.

Mr Bailey is understood to have been walking home from Tesco with his shopping at the time, and the scene has since been flooded with floral tributes.

Witnesses described a 'whole mass of blue flashing lights' following the incident at about 8.45pm yesterday.

One eyewitness said the driver broke down in tears at the scene which was a busy intersection near a large Tesco, while another speculated icy conditions may have led to the crash.

Grief-stricken mourners have paid tribute to Mr Bailey on social media, describing him as a 'top man' and a 'family man'.

Vicky Copeland Sharp wrote: 'Such a huge shock. One fab guy, been taken far too soon. Our thoughts are with Carol and their family.'

Sarah Rowe added: 'Totally gobsmacked..... such a lovely man and such a lovely family,' while Fiona Klein said: 'Mitch and his unique sense of humour will be greatly missed by many'.

Simon Jefferies wrote on Facebook: 'He was a top man, family oriented, will be badly missed by all.'

Mr Bailey was believed to have been a father of three adult children and recently became a grandfather

Witnesses described a 'whole mass of blue flashing lights' following the incident at about 8.45pm yesterday

The grandfather died at the scene, while the other person was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital with minor injuries

Another witness recalled seeing a lot of sand on the roundabout on the afternoon before the crash.

They said: 'I've got dashcam footage of a vehicle dropping this trail of sand or gravel along the roundabout.

'I thought at the time it would be dangerous, it was all over the road. The fire engine must have come down the road and its passenger side wheel would have hit it like a sheet of ice.

'It might have caused the crash because he would have turned hard to overcompensate and the wheels would have locked and the vehicle would have turned over.'

Another eyewitness added: 'The guy was trapped underneath the fire engine, towards the back of it.

'The vehicle went over him and rolled over him until he was at the back of it.

'It would have been about head height when it hit him because the engine had tipped over.

'When they recovered it (the engine) there was a hole in the windscreen and that is where the pedestrian struck his head.

'The fire crew thought he was at the front of the vehicle to start with but when the emergency services got there realised he was at the back.

'Within two minutes the driver (a male) broke down in tears. He was nursing his shoulder too.'

Andrew Fowler, from nearby Barrington, Cambridgeshire, told a local newspaper that a fire engine had 'turned over'

Mr Fowler described 'a whole mass of blue flashing lights, including ambulance services and another fire engine'

He said: 'The fire engine came down the hill coming towards the roundabout and made a right turn to go towards the town centre.

'As he turned, the engine tipped up and rolled over. The sirens went off when it happened and it all went quiet.

'There was a moment of silence and then there was an almighty bang, followed by a rumble.

'The bang is where he went on his side and the rumble was when he went into the ditch.

'The guy was hit from behind. He was clearly coming back from Tesco as he was carrying carrier bags.

'I was there in 30 seconds, all of the fire crew were running around like lunatics. They brought sheets out to cover the area where he was.'

Flowers were left at the scene today where wooden barriers had been knocked over during the crash.

Alec Hill, who lives near the scene, said he 'walked by from Tesco and saw the incident and the controls'

Mr Hill said it was 'pretty obvious that if a fire engine goes off on its side then someone's injured'

There 'must have been around ten to 15 emergency vehicles', according to witness Mr Hill

Chalkings could also be seen on the road where police had marked the route the vehicle took across the roundabout.

The accident took place on an intersection near a Tesco superstore, Roysia School and a large housing estate.

The fire engine was on its way to reports of a house fire in the town when it was left on its side following the crash.

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service refused to confirm whether any action is being taken against the driver of the fire engine.

Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue, said: 'This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the member of the public who sadly died at the scene.

'Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service are working with the Police to establish exactly what happened and why.'

Two firefighters were taken to hospital following the incident for precautionary checks.

The house fire that the appliance was attending was quickly dealt with by another fire engine and crew.

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust received a call last night at 8.44pm to reports of a road traffic collision

The East of England Ambulance dispatched its hazardous area response team, an ambulance officer and an ambulance crew

The 58-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene while a second patient was taken to Addenbrooke's with minor injuries

Andrew Fowler, from nearby Barrington, told the Cambridge News: 'There's a fire engine turned over.

'It's a whole mass of blue flashing lights, including ambulance services and another fire engine.'

Alec Hill, who lives near the scene, added: 'We walked by from Tesco and saw the incident and the controls.

'We were sent away from the police. I asked if it was because of injuries, and he said yes.

'It's pretty obvious that if a fire engine goes off on its side then someone's injured.

'There must have been around 10 to 15 emergency vehicles. We got that far on our walk and were then sent away.'

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust received a call tonight at 8.44pm to reports of an RTC (road traffic collision) in Royston.

'We dispatched our hazardous area response team, an ambulance officer, ambulance crew, and air ambulance from the East Anglian Air Ambulance charity.

Police from Hertfordshire Constabulary are investigating the road traffic collision that happened last night

The collision happened on the roundabout at the junction with York Way and Old North Road in Royston at 8.45pm

It is believed that the fire engine, which was responding to an emergency call, collided with Mr Bailey at the roundabout

'Sadly a pedestrian has been pronounced dead at the scene whilst a second patient has been taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital with minor injuries.'

A Hertfordshire Constabulary spokesman said: 'Police in North Herts are currently investigating a road traffic collision which occurred on the roundabout at the junction with York Way and Old North Road in Royston at 8.45pm on Wednesday, January 18.

'The circumstances surrounding the collision are still unclear, but it appears a fire engine, which was responding to an emergency call, was in collision with a pedestrian whilst negotiating the roundabout. The pedestrian suffered fatal injuries and sadly died at the scene.

'The fire engine is currently still in the road and closures are in place at the roundabout and in Rock Road with the junction of Old North Road and the roundabout by the Tesco Superstore.'

A post mortem examination is to be carried out on Mr Bailey's body and an inquest will be opened and adjourned early next week.

Other recent crashes involving fire engines in Britain include a collision in Ellenhall, Staffordshire, last April.

Former serviceman Simon Ireland, 47, died at the scene after his motorbike collided with the Scania vehicle.

In August 2015, 25-year-old Darren Mark Harvey died from his injuries when his car collided with a fire truck.

The father-of-two crashed head-on into the appliance at 60mph on the A337 at Lyndhurst in the New Forest.
An Australian diver is breaking down the stereotype of sharks being fearsome man-eaters by using one of the creatures as his cuddle buddy.

Seven years ago Dive School owner Rick Anderson formed an unlikely bond with a 1.8 metre Port Jackson shark off the coast of Nobbys Beach in New South Wales.

Ever since then he's routinely taking the plunge to spend some quality time with his underwater pal  and he says the species are largely misunderstood.

Nothing to be afraid of: An Australian diver is breaking down the stereotype of sharks being fearsome man-eaters

Taming the untamed: Rick Anderson formed an unlikely bond with a 1.8 metre female shark seven years ago

Mr Anderson told Daily Mail Australia he made a good first impression on the unnamed female shark with a gentle introduction.

'I came up carefully and gave her a little pat. Once she got comfortable, I started cradling her in my hands for a snuggle,' Mr Anderson said.

The migratory shark returns to find him in the warmer months every year  and he knows it's the same one because of her 'discernible markings'.

'She swims up to me when I'm going past, taps me on the legs until I hold my arms out for her to lay on for a cuddle.'

The veteran diver believes sharks are friendly for the most part and mind their own business  but warned people with no marine life knowledge not to push their luck.

'They're pretty friendly for the most part and most attacks are a case of mistaken identity. That said, if you don't know what you're doing, leave them be.'

The migratory shark returns to find him in the warmer months every year  and he knows it was the same one because of her 'discernible markings'

Mr Anderson routinely takes the plunge to spend some quality time with his underwater pal
Headteacher: Julia Polley was fed up of pupils spending so much time on their phones

A headteacher who wanted to clamp down on students using social media in lessons by blocking mobile phone data has been told it would be illegal.

Julia Polley was fed up of pupils spending more time on their phones than concentrating on their lessons.

So she told parents of the children at Wensleydale School and Sixth Form College in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, that she would be blocking 4G internet.

Mrs Polley tried to block the signal after a fall out between a group of year 11 girls who had been using phones to post on Facebook and other social media.

But she realised it would not be possible after gaining advice from North Yorkshire County Council's IT team and communications regulator Ofcom.

Signals could have be sent on UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service) and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) frequencies to block usage.

Mobile phone jammers would then make it impossible for a handset located in their range of action to make or receive calls or messages or use mobile internet.

However, such technology is illegal because jammers are likely to affect wider areas and other frequencies than those they are intended for.

Ban: Mrs Polley told parents of the children at Wensleydale School and Sixth Form College (pictured) in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, that she would be blocking 4G internet

They can also result in the disruption of emergency and rescue radio services in the public area.

Ofcom has said it is a criminal offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act to use any apparatus to deliberately interfere with radio communications in Britain.

The frustrated headteacher had threatened to use similar equipment after a serious fall-out between a group of Year 11 girls who had been using phones to make inappropriate posts on Facebook and other social media during lessons.

She said this had resulted in some pupils being more interested in other people's arguments and gossiping than their studies.

A North Yorkshire County Council spokesman said: 'Many schools, as with Wensleydale School and Sixth Form, have to deal with the consequences of social media issues spilling over into school life and distracting students from teaching and learning.

'Wensleydale School and Sixth Form's senior staff have spent many hours recently talking to individual students in Year 11 about their part in a social media "campaign" and friendship fall-out which occurred over the Christmas period and has continued into the beginning of the school term.

'The school also consulted NYCC's schools ICT service to explore options.

'As a result the school took the precaution of closing down the guest Wi-Fi which has greater access to social media sites, and sent letters to parents asking for their support in 'trying to eradicate unnecessary and damaging social media use in school'.

'The letters also warned of consequences for students who persisted in using their phones in school for social media activities.'

An Ofcom spokesman said: 'We sympathise with schools concerns about mobile phones in the classroom.

'Unfortunately signal blockers can harm other peoples mobile reception, as well as interfering with the emergency services and air traffic control.'

Mrs Polley is said to have written in a letter: 'I have now invested in some technology which will block 4G signals on the school site and I have improved the filters on the wifi to further restrict some sites.

'All students need to be able to come into school feeling safe and be able to concentrate on the next 13 weeks of study and revision.

'I will take much stronger exclusion action on any further social fall-outs which impact on school life and ask parents to support us by monitoring mobile phone usage at home.'
Current Affairs Today - Current Affairs - 2021 | Current Affairs - 2022

GKTodays Current Affairs Today Section provides latest and Best Daily Current Affairs 2021-2022 for UPSC, IAS/PCS, Banking, IBPS, SSC, Railway, UPPSC, RPSC, BPSC, MPPSC, TNPSC, MPSC, KPSC and other competition exams.      !

Indian scientists have developed the countrys first Overhauser Magnetometer, an instrument that helps lower the cost of sensing experiments used in geomagnetic sampling. ContentsWhat is an overhauser magnetometer? About Alibag Magnetic ObservatoryAbout IIG What is an overhauser magnetometer? A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used for measuring the strength and direction of the magnetic field. ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

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Topics: Indian Institute of Geomagnetism  Magnetic Field  Magnetometer

The Union Ministry of Electronics and IT recently approved the greenfield Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) at Pune. ContentsWhat is an electronic manufacturing cluster?About Maharashtras first electronic manufacturing clusterAbout other EMCs in IndiaWhat is the EMC scheme? What is an electronic manufacturing cluster? Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) is a manufacturing cluster designed and developed to provide ..

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1. When is the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists observed? [A] 1 November[B] 2 November[C] 5 November[D] 7 November Show Answer Correct Answer: B [2 November] Notes:The United Nations General Assembly observes 2 November as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI), since 2013. The date for ..

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Here are Todays News Headlines by GK Today for November 4, 2022 ContentsINDIAECONOMY & CORPORATEWORLD INDIA  PM launches new Complaint Management System portal of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)  Ministry of Education releases Performance Grading Index for States/UTs for 2020-21; Kerala, Punjab, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh attain Level -2 grading  ..

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently inaugurated Yotta D1  Indias second and North Indias first hyper-scale data centre  in Greater Noida. ContentsWhat is Yotta D1?What is Yotta Greater Noida Data Center Park?Investments by Yotta InfrastructureWhat are the challenges faced by the Yotta Data Centres? What is Yotta D1? Yotta D1 is the ..

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Union Home Ministry recently notified an order granting citizenship to religious minorities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan residing in Anand and Mehsana districts in Gujarat. ContentsWhat is the recent MHA order on citizenship?Is this the first time that the citizenship is granted to religious minorities from neighbouring countries?How is the recent MHA order different from ..

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Bar staff have been accused of discrimination for allegedly singling out a man with cerebral palsy and accusing him of being drunk.

Rex Betar, 32, said he was sober when he arrived at Webster's Bar on King Street in Newtown, inner-west Sydney, on Sunday afternoon for a friend's farewell.

The bar has 'categorically' denied any prejudice and said he was rejected because he did not have any formal identification.

Rex Betar (left), 32, has accused bar staff of discrimination after he says security mistook cerebral palsy for intoxication

In a Facebook post, Mr Betar alleges he was 'blatantly discriminated against'.

'I was already running late and headed straight for the stairs, before being stopped by security who said, "Whoa are you okay?" then asked for ID,' Mr Betar wrote.

'I don't carry formal government ID as I do not have a driver's licence and, I am 32 and bald so whether I am over 18 is never in doubt.

'As for security asking if I was okay, well I have cerebral palsy which sometimes gets mistaken for me being intoxicated.

'I told security I had cerebral palsy but he informed me I couldn't come in because "something might happen to me" and I would need ID in case it did.

'The manager was then called over and informed me that it is the law that all patrons have ID so the police can identify them.'

Webster's Bar on King Street in Newtown, inner-west Sydney, has 'categorically' denied prejudice

Mr Betar said none of the dozens of other people at the farewell were asked for proof of age

Mr Betar said none of his friends at the farewell were asked for proof of age. He said he had been there months earlier and was not asked for identification.

He said he had a student card with his name and photo on it, which police would be able to use to identify him if necessary.

But the security guard said this was still not acceptable as it did not have his age on it, Mr Betar said.

'This was despite the fact that we had already established my age was not an issue,' he wrote.

'In a last ditch attempt to get in my fiancee sent me a photo of my passport, however this was not accepted as "I needed the ID on me".'

Mr Betar said the experience was 'deeply disappointing' and 'hurtful'.

Mr Betar said the experience was 'deeply disappointing' and 'hurtful'

The Bellevue Hill man is a management consultant and motivational speaker, former lawyer and Oxford graduate.

He sent a complaint and management responded with an apology for the negative experience.

'I can tell you categorically that we hold no prejudices of any kind towards a person suffering from a disability,' management said.

'I understand that when you compare yourself being asked for ID when your friends may not have been could be confusing, though if the manager, staff member, or guard is unsure whether the patron appears to be under 30 years of age, they have every right to ask.

He sent a complaint and management responded with an apology for the experience

'There is absolutely no way that our team would see that someone was suffering from a disability, and deny them entry for that reason,' management said

'Just as an addition to this, the only acceptable forms of ID on a licensed premises are: A current Driver's License, a current Proof of Age Card, or a current Passport.

The manager said people can also be rejected if they appear to be 'approaching intoxication' which he said was 'something which we take very seriously, and can carry heavy fines and loss of licence if we aren't vigilant'.

'I cannot determine at this stage whether the guards saw signs of intoxication, but if this reason came in to play on Sunday, after not being able to view an acceptable form of your ID, they could have made that assessment, and denied you entry for that reason.

'There is absolutely no way that our team would see that someone was suffering from a disability, and deny them entry for that reason,' management said.

Mr Betar told Daily Mail Australia he made a complaint to the Anti Discrimination Board of NSW on Thursday morning.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Webster's Bar for comment, however the manager was not available at the time of writing.
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Dressed in flirty summer dresses, designer sunglasses and delicate stilettos, the 2016 Miss Universe candidates appeared without a care in the world as they smiled for photos in Manila on Thursday.

The beautiful women with their perfectly coiffed hair walked the red carpet during a visit to the Philippine Navy headquarters ahead of the 65th Miss Universe pageant in Pasay City on January 30.

Curacao's candidate Chanelle de Lau performed a playful kick for the cameras as Costa Rica's Carolina Rodriguez Duran waved from aboard a luxury yacht.

The triple-deck yacht, called Happy Life, belongs to one of the partners of the pageant - Filipino politician Luis 'Chavit' Singson. The flashy former governor, who runs a zoo in his home province, brought Happy Life specifically for the event which is estimated to have already cost up to $14 million.

Meanwhile, across the city - on the same day - a man was found lying in a pool of his own blood outside a convenience store after becoming the latest victim of President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal 'war on drugs'.

Miss Universe candidate Flavia Joana Brito from Portugal (left) and Miss Universe candidate Rosalba Abreu Garcia from the Dominican Republic (right) walk the red carpet during a visit to Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila

Miss Universe candidate Keity Drennan (right) from Panama arrives during a visit to Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila

Miss Universe candidates from the Bahamas, Belize, Iceland, Curacao' and Costa Rica pose for photographers while onboard a yacht before going to a beach resort in Manila on Thursday

Haunting photographs from the scene show an armed Filipino police officer staring down at the suspected drug dealer who was shot dead following a police operation in Manila on Thursday.

More than 6,000 people have been killed and more than one million drug dealers and users have been arrested or have surrendered to the authorities since July 1, when Duterte's campaign against illegal drugs began.

Dubbed 'The Punisher', Duterte has shown not an ounce of remorse over the deaths of people accused of being linked to drugs.

In July last year, he said: 'We will not stop until the last drug lord, the last financier and the last pusher have surrendered or been put behind bars ... or below ground if you wish.'

He told police and vigilantes he would protect them from legal consequences if they killed drug dealers.

And vowed to show no mercy: 'These sons of w****s are destroying our children. I warn you, don't go into that, even if you're a policeman, because I will really kill you.'

An armed Filipino police officer views a suspected drug dealer who was shot dead following a police operation against illegal drugs in Manila on Thursday

Filipino police investigators conduct an investigation outside a convenience store next to the body of the latest victim of President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drugs

Residents formed a crowd around the Mini Stop store to look at the body of a man, who according to police was killed in an encounter with policemen during a drug operation

Slain men accused of drug dealing have been found wrapped in tape and adorned with signs saying 'I'm a pusher', as a warning to others.

On Wednesday, Duterte appeared to rule out declaring martial law, but said he could do so if he wished, and anyone questioning his justification should 'shut up' and stay out of his business.

The former prosecutor has threatened several times to invoke military rule to help his war on drugs and said he had the power to declare martial law, even though narcotics did not meet conditions required by the constitution.

The mercurial leader has been criticised by opponents for acting in an authoritarian way and for showing willingness to circumvent the constitution. Some have ridiculed him for his contradicting remarks on whether he intends to pursue martial law.

'I will not declare martial law, and if I declare martial law, I will not make noise,' he said in a speech on Wednesday.

Miss Universe candidates in Manila, from left front row: Cherell Williamson of Bahamas and Carolina Duran of Costa Rica. Back row from left: Flavia Brito of Portugal, Rebecca Rath of Beliz, Hildur Maria of Iceland and Chanelle de Lau of Curacao

Miss Universe candidate Fabiana Antonella Moscatelli Saucedo from Bolivia walks the red carpet alongside sailors in Manila

Reigning Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (right) from the Philippines is one of 86 candidates who will take part in the grand coronation of the 65th Miss Universe pageant in Pasay City at the end of the month

Miss Universe candidate Isabel Dalley (left) from Jamaica and Flavia Joana Brito (right) from Portugal

Eighty-six candidates from around the world are vying for the Miss Universe title to succeed Pia Wurtzbach from the Philippines. Carolina Duran (centre) of Costa Rica reacts to a TV network's drone as others prepare to pose from the deck of the yacht Happy Life

Filipino politician Luis 'Chavit' Singson poses with Miss Universe candidates aboard his yacht before going to a beach resort

Miss Universe candidates (clockwise from left) Flavia Joana Brito from Portugal, Rebecca Kathleen Rath from Belize, Hildur Maria Leifsdottir from Iceland, Chanelle de Lau from Curacao, Carolina Rodriguez Duran from Costa Rica and Cherell Williamson from the Bahamas pose for a selfie on the Happy Life yacht

Miss Universe candidates (L-R) Cherell Williamson from the Bahamas, Rebecca Kathleen Rath from Belize, Hildur Maria Leifsdottir from Iceland, Chanelle de Lau from Curacao and Carolina Rodriguez Duran from Costa Rica are all smiles

Miss Universe candidates Johanna Acs (L) from Germany and Keity Drennan (R) from Panama wave from the politician's yacht

'And if you ask "what is the basis?", you son of a b***h, it's none of your business. Just shut up, all of you.'

The constitution states martial law can only be declared in the event of invasion or rebellion, when public safety requires it.

Congress can revoke a president's declaration, as can the Supreme Court, but there is no scenario in the constitution outlining which of the two institutions would prevail should they disagree.

'Who decides now? Supreme Court says "no", Congress says "yes", who decides? The sitting president - me,' he said.

'For me, it is not found in the constitution, it is not written there. But if I feel as a president that I have to preserve my country, I will declare martial law.'

He also said the military felt the security climate did not warrant martial law. 'The military is correct, there is no compelling reason really.'

The body of a suspected drug dealer who was shot dead by police in Manila is pictured on Thursday as crowds observe the scene

Filipino funeral parlor workers collect the body of a suspected drug dealer from outside the convenience store

A relative of a suspected drug dealer who was shot dead following a police operation against illegal drugs, mourns in a dark alley in Manila

A Filipino funeral parlor worker collects the body of a suspected drug dealer as the crowd including young children looks on

Funeral parlor workers load the body of a suspected drug dealer into the back of a van after he become one of thousands killed in the war on drugs

A bullet hols is seen in the window of the convenience store where the suspected drug dealer was shot dead

A Filipino police investigator walks past a statue of Jesus Christ while investigating a suspected drug dealer who was shot dead

Legal issues aside, Duterte's comments offer little clarity about why he is discussing martial law at a time when his approval ratings are high, political opposition is muted, and the government is touting success in its crackdown on drugs.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar on Sunday criticised media for reporting Duterte's statements on martial law and for headlines that 'sow panic and confusion'. He called that 'the height of journalistic irresponsibility'.

The presidential palace press corps hit back on Wednesday urging the government to stop chiding journalists.

'We are disturbed and appalled by the propensity of the officials of this administration to blame the media whenever the inflammatory statements of the president stir controversy or draw flak,' the media group said in a statement.

'We hope that such behaviour is not an attempt to discredit or undermine the media.'
Matthew Kersey, 34 (pictured), has been jailed for 20 weeks for assaulting his partner

A thug who was previously jailed for attacking and robbing a soldier is back behind bars after beating up his girlfriend and ramming his head into her stomach while she was pregnant.

Matthew Kersey was one of five attackers who mugged Jack Shilton, 21, in a late-night attack in Ipswich, Suffolk, in June 2013.

The 34-year-old has now been jailed again after assaulting his partner Tanya Bond, 35, while she was five months pregnant with their child.

The court heard how Kersey, of Ipswich, beat Miss Bond to the ground before ramming his head into her stomach and sitting on top of her so she could not move.

Thankfully, her unborn child survived the violent ordeal.

Kersey has now been jailed for 20 weeks and put under a two-year restraining order banning him contacting Miss Bond. He has also been told to pay her 1,000 compensation.

But Miss Bond said Kersey had left her 'traumatised' by the attack and that she was 'gutted' he had not been jailed for longer.

The mother-of-one, also of Ipswich, said she thought he was a 'changed man' when they got together nearly two years and was petrified when he suddenly turned on her.

She said: 'I felt a bit gutted he only got 20 weeks because I'm still traumatised from what he did to me.

'On the other hand it is good because he has gone to prison and the magistrates did see the seriousness of his offence.

'He took the last three months of my pregnancy away from me because there were problems with the baby.'

She added: 'This has had a lasting effect on me and I'm still getting help to overcome it.

'I didn't think in a million years he would assault me while I was carrying his child.'

Kersey attacked his partner in September when Miss Bond returned from her work at an Ipswich bar around 4am.

Victim Tanya Bond (pictured), of Ipswich, said she thought he was a 'changed man' when they got together nearly two years before he suddenly turned on her

Kersey (left) attacked his partner (right) on September 18. Thankfully Miss Bond's baby survived the nightmare ordeal

The court was told how, while she was at work, she had received a message from Kersey, explaining he was in a nightclub.

The pair then swapped a frantic flurry of texts before Miss Bond returned home and found Kersey lying on the sofa.

The court was told how the pair then began arguing. Kersey then grabbed Miss Bond by the waist and knocked her down, before ramming his head into her stomach.

He then sat on top of her - despite her being heavily pregnant - and rained punches down onto a mattress with his fists flying either side of her head.

The court heard how Miss Bond tried to escape and get out of their flat as Kersey punched a wall and an ironing board.

But he pushed Miss Bond with both hands, shoving her into a canvas picture hanging on a wall in the hallway.

He then fled the scene, squashing Miss Bond between the door and its frame before leaving.

Kersey had previously admitted assault by beating and criminal damage after changing his plea at his trial at the last minute.

Kersey previously hit headlines when he was jailed for 32 months in November 2013 after admitting robbing soldier Jack Shilton.

Mr Shilton, who maintains helicopters at RAF Wattisham, near Stowmarket, Suffolk, was smashed in the face and kicked in the head by the gang of five who stole his wallet and phone.

Judge Rupert Overbury said the thugs were like 'a pack of wolves determined on its prey'.

The judge told Kersey and his mates as he jailed them: 'While your victim has served this country, your country, in Afghanistan, to protect you and the rest of us from the threat of future harm, you have behaved in a cowardly and despicable fashion.

'Each of you is a disgrace to your family and a disgrace to your community.'
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The first images of the sunken warship HMS Vanguard have been released by divers given special permission by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to visit the wreck in Scapa Flow.

It will be 100 years on July 9 since HMS Vanguard exploded and sank off Orkney, with the loss of 843 lives.

Safeguarded under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, diving is not permitted at the site except under licence from the MoD.

The first images of the sunken warship HMS Vanguard have been released by divers given special permission by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to visit the wreck in Scapa Flow

It will be 100 years on July 9 since HMS Vanguard exploded and sank off Orkney, with the loss of 843 lives

Safeguarded under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, diving is not permitted at the site except under licence from the MoD

A team of specialist divers aboard Orkney dive boat MV Huskyan were given special permission by the MoD to explore the wreck.

Emily Turton of MV Huskyan said: 'The main wreck is complicated with an extensive debris field. Surprisingly, given the nature of her loss, both the bow and stern are intact despite large pieces of wreckage having being thrown hundreds of metres away.

'HMS Vanguard was legally salvaged during the second half of the 20th century and much evidence ... remains.

'It is accepted that the likely cause of the disaster was an accidental magazine explosion.

'Witness accounts on the night of her loss describe a large explosion immediately behind the bridge. We can reveal that our initial survey result supports this.'

A team of specialist divers aboard Orkney dive boat MV Huskyan were given special permission by the MoD to explore the wreck. Pictured are divers exploring the rudders

The survey team is made up of a team of specialists who explored HMS Hampshire in June 2016.

A full sonar survey of the wreck site has now been completed with the help of Kevin Heath of Sula Diving, which provides an insight into the ship's history after a century spent underwater.

A report will now be compiled for the MoD, Historic Environment Scotland, Orkney Marine Services and other interested organisations.

Ms Turton added: 'The purpose of this survey is to tell the story of HMS Vanguard at 100 years underwater. We also hope to offer a sensitive contribution to the centenary commemoration in July this year.'

A full sonar survey of the wreck site has now been completed with the help of Kevin Heath of Sula Diving, which provides an insight into the ship's history after a century spent underwater. Pictured are divers among the gun propellant cases

Scapa Flow is popular with divers because of the number of wrecks hidden beneath its waters.

It was the main anchorage of the Royal Navy and has many relics in its waters from British naval history.

In June 1919 the interned German navy scuttled most of its high seas fleet there to prevent ships from falling into Allied hands. Eight of the vessels remain at the site.
ING Direct's executive director of customers John Arnott says Generation Y workers needed to forgo luxuries like clothing and extra cups of coffee

First it was smashed avocado on toast, now it's cappuccinos that young people are accused of wasting their money on.

A highly-paid bank executive says Generation Y people are shelling out for extra cups of coffee instead of saving.

The ING executive's accusation comes just three months after demographer Bernard Salt sparked outrage by suggesting Australia's youth would be able to afford a house if they stopped buying $22 smashed avocado and feta on five-grain toast.

With median Sydney house prices hovering above $1 million, young people already have a tough time financially.

A home with a backyard costs 13 times an average $79,000 full-time salary, which makes it a struggle to save for a 20 per cent mortgage deposit.

Still, ING Direct's executive director of customers John Arnott said Generation Y workers could save if they gave up those extra cups of coffee.

'The younger generation are much more about living in the now than the future,' he told the Herald Sun.

'They do have a savings mentality, but when it comes to luxuries like the extra cup of coffee or buying the latest looks from the shops theyre not prepared to compromise.

That money spend on a coffee at a hip cafe adds up to more than $1,277 a year. (Stock image)

Generation Y workers are urged to forgo luxuries like extra cups of coffee. (Stock image)

Young people are more likely to be spending their money on coffee and energy drinks, a study has found

'When you look at it over a year its a small fortune that all adds up.'

A daily $3.50 takeaway coffee adds up to $1,277.50 over a year.

But an ING study found the young were more likely to be spending their money on caffeine, spending $92 a month.

This was twice as much as older workers, the Galaxy Research survey of 1,000 workers commissioned by ING found.

With median Sydney house prices hovering above $1 million, saving for a 20 per cent mortgage deposit is hard. This Willoughby house on Sydney's lower north shore (pictured) would be worth more than twice the city's median price

Young people have been observed spending $22 on smashed avocado on toast. (Stock image)

The call for young people to spend less on coffee and energy drinks comes three months after Mr Salt suggested youths could afford a house if they economised.

'I have seen young people order smashed avocado with crumbled feta on five-grain toasted bread at $22 a pop and more,' his column in The Weekend Australian said.

'Shouldn't they be economising by eating at home? How often are they eating out?

'Twenty-two dollars several times a week could go towards a deposit on a house.'

His column, which satirised the attitudes of baby boomers, failed to mention how an average Australian house price of $28,000 in 1975 was less than four times an average Australian salary.

A two-bedroom Sydney unit near the city also sold for that price.
Police are hunting for this woman after several bags were stolen from Tullamarine airport before a widow had her home raided

A devastated widow has told how thieves took her luggage from an airport baggage claim before raiding her house while she was left stranded at the terminal.

Jane Majewski, a grandmother from Melbourne, said the criminals stole her laptop, handbag and sentimental jewellery - including her late husband's wedding ring.

Police have now released CCTV of a blonde woman who they say walked off with several bags including Ms Majewski's, and are asking the public to help identify her.

The woman, wearing a dark top, white trousers and sunglasses, was filmed strolling away from Terminal 4 at Tullamarine Airport on November 20 last year.

In front of her she is pushing a luggage trolley piled with four bags, which police believe do not belong to her.

Ms Majewski told the Herald Sun that she had just returned from a dream cruise around Fiji with a friend when her bag went missing.

She landed at the airport around 3pm, but was left waiting with three other people whose bags were also taken to register the luggage as missing.

Ms Majewski said she returned home around 5.30pm to find her property had been ransacked and valuable items taken.

She believes the thieves used the address on her luggage tag to find her property, and a key she had put inside the bag in order to let themselves in.

She added: 'I suppose [the thieves] knew it would have been taking up my time reporting my missing suitcase.'

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or file a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
She is packing up her home in New York City ahead of moving to Washington DC tomorrow when her father will become the 45th President of the United States.

And while sorting through her belongings, Ivanka Trump found a touching picture of herself as a child with her mother Ivana, which she shared on Instagram.

The picture shows a beaming Ivanka wearing a cream dress with matching tights as she cuddles her mother.

Ivanka Trump found a touching picture of herself as a youngster with her mother Ivana, which she shared on Instagram

A glamorous Ivana wears a black dress with sparkling sequins and and big earrings as she too smiles for the camera and holds her daughter close.

Ivanka posted the picture to Instagram last night and captioned it: 'Found while packing: How amazing is this picture of me and my mom?! She looks stunning!'

It is unclear if Ivana will attend her ex-husband's inauguration tomorrow, along with Ivanka and her two sons Donald Jr and Eric.

The First Daughter, herself now a mother of three, has stepped down from the Trump Organization and her own company to move to Washington DC alongside her father.

Ivanka also posted a picture of herself surrounded by her staff after they threw her a leaving party

And yesterday she also posted a picture of herself surrounded by her staff after they threw her a leaving party.

Posting the picture on Instagram, she wrote: '#TeamIvanka threw me a going away party! Next stop - Washington, DC!!'

It is expected that after her move to the nation's capital, Trump's eldest daughter will take over some of the ceremonial roles traditionally associated with the First Lady while Melania Trump remains in New York to raise her young son, Barron.

As Ivanka stepped down in her role from The Trump Organization, she revealed that her husband, Jared Kushner (right) will be a senior advisor to the 45th president

Ivanka is a mother to three young children. She said she is stepping down from her role at The Trump Organization and her own clothing line to 'settle' in her kids in their new home and schools

Her husband Jared Kushner is to be appointed as a senior adviser to her father and her family are set to move out of their plush Park Avenue apartment in favour of a home in Washington's exclusive Kalorama neighbourhood.

There they will become neighbours with the Obamas, who have also chosen to live in the same neighbourhood when they leave the White House tomorrow.

And as well as helping her father, Ivanka also says she will be taking time to settle her children Arabella, five, Joseph, three, and Theodore, almost one, into their new home.

In a statement on Facebook, Ivanka wrote: 'My husband, Jared, and I will be moving with our family to Washington, DC, where Jared will serve as Senior Adviser to the President.

Ivanka Trump poses next to an inauguration cake made for Donald Trump on Tuesday. Meanwhile in Washington D.C., movers begin to unload boxes into her home

Ivanka later posted a photo of her five-year-old daughter, Arabella Rose Kushner, helping her pack. She captioned the Instagram post: 'My little packing buddy!'

Ivanka, her husband Jared Kushner and their three children will be moving into their new home in Washington, pictured, in the next few days

'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.

'I will no longer be involved with the management or operations of either company.'

And in recent days, Ivanka has shared numerous pictures of her looking forward to her move to Washington.

In one snap she posed next to a celebratory cake congratulating her father on his upcoming presidency, as movers unloaded boxes into her new home.

While in another, daughter Arabella poses among boxes in the family home, with the caption: 'My little packing buddy!'
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Thirty firefighters have been killed after Iran's oldest high-rise collapsed following a fire.

State television said 200 firefighters had been called to the scene at the 15-storey Plasco building in downtown Tehran and 'tens' were trapped inside when the building collapsed.

At least 75 people, including 45 firefighters, were injured when the building came crashing down in a giant cloud of dust during a live TV broadcast.

Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said there were about 25 firefighters trapped under rubble.

Troops have been sent to help dig through the ruins.

The 15-storey building, the first high-rise in Tehran, collapsed after a fire ripped through it this morning

Local Iranian state television said 30 firefighters were injured in the disaster in Tehran this morning

The building came down in a matter of seconds, shown live on state television, which had started showing an interview with a journalist at the scene

A firefighter cries as the building - with his colleagues trapped inside - collapses to the ground

The steel skeleton of the building could be seen bending down to the ground as around 100 fire engines and dozens of ambulances surrounded the area

Dozens of firefighters were trapped inside the building as it collapsed to the ground four hours after the fire started

Firefighters tend to a comrade as they battle a blaze that engulfed Iran's oldest high-rise

The firefighter cries in pain after hours of battling the blazing fire in downtown Tehran

Dramatic images showed flames pouring out of the top floors of the building, which dated from the early 1960s and included a shopping centre and clothing workshops.

Sniffer dogs searched for signs of survivors buried under giant slabs of concrete and heaps of twisted metal. The rescue operation could last more than two days, state TV said.

'The building's caretaker and some firefighters were inside when the building collapsed,' said Ahmad, a shop owner in the building.

'I've lost my entire stock. Thousands of families have been ruined,' he added.

'A friend of mine has a shop there. I keep calling him but there's no answer. I think he's been trapped,' Mohsen, an onlooker told AFP.

One of the first firefighters to be reached shouted 'leave me alone, let me go back inside and save my trapped colleagues' as he was brought out, Tasnim reported.

The owner of a nearby grocery store, forced by police to leave the area, said 'it was like a horror movie. The building collapsed in front of me.'

Most of the injured were taken to hospital and many were quickly discharged, state TV said.

The steel skeleton of the building could be seen crashing down to the ground as around 100 fire engines and dozens of ambulances surrounded the area.

The building came down in a matter of seconds, shown live on state television, which had begun an interview with a journalist at the scene.

A side of the building came down first, tumbling perilously close to a firefighter perched on a ladder and spraying water on the blaze.

A thick plume of brown smoke billowed out the building as firefighters tried to tackle the blaze

Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before the collapse this morning, that left 30 firefighters dead

Iranian fire fighters run as the iconic Plasco building collapses after a fire in downtown Tehran

Police evacuated the area around the building, fearing secondary explosions caused by gas leaks, and worked to clear crowds that were blocking access for rescue services.

Tehran police chief Hossein Sajedinia said: 'There a number of people inside but we don't know how many and the fire brigade organisation is going to announce how many were there. Even one would be too many.'

Fire brigade spokesman Jalal Malekias said: 'We had repeatedly warned the building managers about the lack of safety of the building.'

He added that the 15-storey building lacked fire extinguishers.

The building had reportedly caught fire in the past.

'Even in the stairwells, a lot of clothing is stored and this is against safety standards. The managers didn't pay attention to the warnings,' he explained.

Police worked to clear crowds that were blocking access for rescue services as the building collapsed in Tehran

Firefighters work through the smoke as they tried to tackle the blaze at the burning building

The fire started around 8am (0430 GMT) local time when the majority of shopkeepers were not inside the building.

Firefighters were initially able to bring it under control but it quickly flared up and the building fell four hours after the fire had started, at around 11:30 am (0800 GMT).

The blaze is thought to have begun on the ninth floor and spread quickly to workshops above.

An electrical short circuit caused the fire, Tasnim said, citing an official in the Tehran governor's office.

The Plasco building was the first high-rise and shopping centre in Tehran and was the city's tallest building when it was finished in 1962, before being dwarfed by the more recent construction boom.

It was built by Habibollah Elghanian, a prominent Iranian-Jewish businessman who was arrested for ties to Israel and sentenced to death and executed after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
A young mother has issued a desperate warning to parents after her daughter was almost 'choked to death' by a onesie.

Katie Price, 22, said her three-year-old daughter Sophie was wearing the pink Peppa Pig-themed outfit when it became 'caught around her neck' and 'tightened', with the girl unable to move the zip.

Miss Price, of Dunfermline, Scotland, noticed her daughter's predicament and was able to loosen the onesie - which she said she bought at Boots.

She later took to Facebook afterwards to make other parents aware of the risks.

Katie Price, left, took to Facebook to warn parents after claiming a onesie, right, almost 'choked her three-year-old daughter Sophie to death'

The shocked mother said she wanted to warn other parents of the risks of the clothes in her Facebook post, pictured

Miss Price wrote: 'Parents who own these zip up onesie Jammies (sic) similar to this or the same, DO NOT put your child to bed wearing this!!

'I'm so thankful Sophie decided to climb in my bed an hour ago because if she didn't I don't know what could have happened.

'She was so quiet in bed with me, I hear a weird noise and I turn around to her being choked by her onesie, the zip was too high on her neck and stopping her from breathing, she couldn't even tell me or try get my attention because she was suffocating!'

She added: 'Thank god I noticed. She is a little shook up right now of course, but she is fine! I will never buy these again.

'I'd recommend any parent out there with these to do the same. Who would have thought a simple onesie could almost kill a child!'

The post has been shared almost 30,000 times on Facebook with more than 11,000 people commenting, ranging from people shocked at the incident to others urging her to calm down.

Ms Price, pictured, added the onesie 'had no warnings' over whether children should sleep in them

Miss Price responded: 'For all those who are confused how this happened, she moved up, the onesie moved down at the back, the front tightened around her neck, with it being a zip, it got stuck and she couldn't loosen it, which resulted in her airways being pushed against and strangled basically.

'Zips on onesies are dangerous for this. Just wanted to warn parents not realising how much this status would blow up.'

She also claimed the label on the onesie did not carry any warnings about going to sleep in it, and that it 'fits her daughter nicely'.

Miss Price added: 'This was also the first time I ever put her to bed in this, my house is freezing at night, I didn't once think that would happen.'

Many parents responded to the post with shock and sympathy, stating they would be careful from now on.

Julie Clark wrote: 'Thank god she got in with you. Onsies r (sic) ok for when they r (sic) running round but i wouldn't get one or put a young one in them now after your story. Thanks for the warning.'

April Dawn Muff added: 'My daughters go the bed in them everywhere as my house is very cold, I'll ensure the zip is much lower down, thank you for sharing it, thankfully you caught it before it got worse.'

But others said the outfits were fine as long as parents were careful.

Afra-Thyra Johnson said: 'I think people need to stop panicking. This could happen with any closed necked garment.

'Stop freaking out saying you will have to bin all zipped onsies. May aswell (sic) bin the t-shirts and all other onsies that don't have poppers up the chest if you're going to be like that.'

A spokesperson for Boots said: 'We are deeply concerned to hear about our customers experience as the quality and safety of the products we sell is of utmost importance to us.

'We have been in touch with the customer and are currently investigating the matter further.'
Theresa May's 12-point blueprint for Brexit is backed by a ratio of more than two to one, a poll revealed today.

Nearly half of voters also backed her threat to walk away from negotiations and her stance that no deal is better than a bad deal.

But only one in five believe EU leaders will agree to Mrs Mays demands.

Theresa May's 12-point blueprint for Brexit is backed by a ratio of more than two to one, a poll revealed today

More than half (56 per cent) think EU member states will reject her blueprint, while one in four are unsure.

Mrs May unveiled her 12 objectives for Brexit on Tuesday, putting control of immigration at the heart of the plan.

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.

Nearly half of voters also backed Theresa May's threat to walk away from negotiations and her stance that no deal is better than a bad deal. Pictured, the PM addresses global leaders at the Davos Economic Forum

In today's YouGov poll for The Times, all of Mrs May's key negotiating points were met with a majority of support.

A majority (57 per cent) support leaving Europe's single market, while 56 per cent back leaving the customs union, which allows tariff-free trade across the continent.

Nearly half of voters (47 per cent) are confident in Mrs May's negotiating skills, according to the poll, while 38 per cent are not.

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 brought 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.
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A 'Renaissance masterpiece' sold at Sotheby's for $840,000 has been revealed to be a modern fake.

The painting, of St Jerome gazing at the heavens, was attributed by experts to the 16th-century Italian master Parmigianino, and was sold to a collector by Sotheby's in a 2012 auction for $842,500.

The forgery was exposed when it was found that colors of paint used on the picture included a synthetic green pigment that was not invented until 400 years after the artists' death.

The auction house has filed a complaint at United States District Court in New York against the collector, Lionel de Saint Donat-Pourrieres, who consigned the painting to Sotheby's.

The painting of St Jerome gazing at the heavens was attributed by experts to the 16th-century Italian master Parmigianino but has now been deemed to be a fake

Sotheby's sold the painting, which had been exhibited at prestigious galleries, with the claim it was from the 'circle of Parmigianino' - painted by either the master himself or artists at the time working under his influence.

Last year, Sotheby's asked the buyer to send the painting back for testing, after it received a tip-off that the artwork may have passed through a source that was under investigation before Mr de Saint Donat-Pourrieres acquired it.

Experts tested paint samples on the oil painting before determining that the portrait of St Jerome contains pigments throughout the paint layer that were only invented in the 20th century.

The auction house has since refunded the buyer.

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.'

The 'Parmigianino' is the second painting that has been exposed as a fake after tests were carried out on its pigments.

In October Sotheby's declared 'Portrait of a Man,' previously attributed to Frans Hals, a 'modern forgery', after the auction house said the painting, which it had sold for around $10million, could not have been painted in the 17th century because it also contained 20th-century pigments.

The portrait was exposed after French police seized a painting 'Venus with a Veil' attributed to Lucas Cranach the Elder and sold to the Prince of Liechtenstein for 7million, which was also exposed as a fake.

All three paintings have been connected to the same collector.

'Portrait of a Man,' previously attributed to Frans Hals, left, was declared a forgery, as was 'Venus with a Veil' attributed to Lucas Cranach the Elder, right

They were handled by Giuliano Ruffini, who has denied any wrongdoing and said he never claimed the paintings were by a particular artist.

According to the New York Times, Mr Ruffini's lawyer Philippe Scarzella said the collector had been told by an art expert that the work 'might be a school of Hals or follower of Hals.'

The auction house's own specialists examined the work, he said, and felt strongly it was probably an original.

No charges have been filed against Mr. Ruffini.

Mr de Saint Donat-Pourrieres, an art historian who lives in Luxembourg, could not be reached for comment regarding the Parmigianino painting and has yet to file a defense.

In a statement, Sotheby's said: 'As was true in the recent case of the fake Frans Hals painting, Sotheby's is honoring its guarantee and fully reimbursing our purchaser.

'We have also exercised our contractual right to cancel the sale, which requires our consignor to reimburse us.'

Experts have said the paintings that have recently been exposed to be just the 'tip of the iceberg' and predicted all auction houses would faced many more embarrassing revelations.

Art historian Bendor Grosvenor told The Times: 'I think Sotheby's has been very diligent in taking the lead in investigating this.

'There's been talk of a list of about 20 or so pictures. Having seen the skill with which the forger operates, they can paint [such a variety of subjects] plausibly then who knows how many of them there could be.'
Attack: Natasha Khan, 18, of Whalley Range, Manchester, stabbed her husband's teenage mistress six times after spotting her in a park

An 18-year-old wife stabbed her husband's teenage mistress six times in a frenzied attack when she spotted the lovers together, before warning her: 'Don't say boo to me again'.

Natasha Khan, of Whalley Range, Manchester, stormed up to Leah Cryne and subjected her to the knife attack after she saw the woman by chance while walking in a park with her spouse.

Miss Cryne, also 18 - who the court heard had been sleeping with Khan's husband Hamza Farid - was knifed six times and taken to hospital for wounds to her right shoulder and her left arm.

Police spoke to the victim as she lay injured in Manchester Royal Infirmary - then arrested Khan at neighbouring St Mary's Hospital, where her one-month-old baby Aydin was gravely ill after being born prematurely. The infant later died.

Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court heard the stabbing came after angry phone calls between the women.

This culminated in Miss Cryne saying: 'I hope your son dies and when he does I'm going to dig him up and spit on him.'In response, Khan retorted: 'Watch it - when I see you, God help you.'

Khan was yesterday sentenced for three years and four months in a young offender institution after she admitted wounding with intent and failing to answer bail.

Family: Young wife Khan, with her husband Hamza Farid and their son Aydin, who was born 24 weeks prematurely and kept in hospital

She was also issued with a restraining order preventing her from contacting Miss Cryne indefinitely.

Khan had married Mr Farid in an Islamic ceremony and the couple had Aydin together in March 2015, but he was born 16 weeks prematurely and kept in hospital.

Khan had discovered Mr Farid had been secretly meeting Miss Cryne while she was with the baby in hospital - and she confronted the mistress in a series of phone calls.

Police were called in on April 10, 2015 when Miss Cryne's brother Liam dialled 999 to say her sister had been stabbed outside an apartment block in Whalley Range.

Vanessa Thompson, prosecuting, said: 'They found Leah lying on the floor with her arms covered in blood and blood running down her face.

'Leah said she knew her attacker as Natasha and she was with Hamza Farid. She told the officer there was animosity between her and Natasha because Leah had slept with Hamza.

'She recalled the defendant coming out of the park with Mr Farid, saw Leah and again made reference that she had slept with him.

'She took out an implement and began stabbing at her repeatedly. Leah screamed at the defendant to stop and eventually she did - but then told her "not to say boo to her again".

Sentenced: Khan had discovered her husband had been secretly meeting a woman while she was with the baby in hospital - and she confronted the mistress in a series of phone calls

Miss Cryne had a 0.6in deep laceration to her right shoulder, 1.6in laceration to her left for arm and a 0.8in graze to her head and was treated in hospital for two days.

Khan was detained on April 11 but initially claimed she had been in the neo natal department at the time of the stabbing.

Khan was sentenced for three years and four months in a young offender institution

'She admitted there had been issues between the two young women because Leah had been sleeping with her partner,' said Miss Thompson.

'Her clothing was tested for forensic evidence, and there were drops of the complainant's blood found on her shoes.'

Two weeks later Khan confessed to carrying out the attack to a support worker, saying: 'I stabbed her up six times. I stabbed her up.'

Richard Lees, defending, said of Khan: 'She has one of the worst backgrounds for such a young lady that I have seen in such a long time.

'Her baby was born at 24 weeks and died a short time later. Natasha was struggling significantly during these events and psychologically was affected as a grieving young mother.

'In this case there was provocation in the most disgusting way with the complainant saying: 'I hope your baby dies and when he does I will dig him up and spit on him'.

'This was significant provocation in my view coupled with the fact the complainant slept with my client's partner.

Denial at first: Khan was detained but initially claimed she had been in the neo natal department at the time of the stabbing

'There is a lack of premeditation despite her carrying the knife. Her mindset was affected at the time.'

Sentencing Khan, judge Miss Recorder Amanda Yip QC said: 'You were in a relationship with Hamza Farid, a young man who you referred to as your husband because you went through a religious ceremony.

'You had a baby boy who was premature on March 1, 2015 and he survived only two months.

'Sadly he never left the hospital and it is clear to me both from reading evidence and hearing you give your evidence that it was a very traumatic time for you.

'Your sister told me how difficult it was for you. It was clear to me when both you and Leah were giving evidence that neither of you were being entirely truthful.

'You found out that Hamza had seen Leah when you were in hospital or you thought that he had.

'As far as Leah was concerned she hadn't done anything wrong because she was single at the time she slept with Hamza.

'But it is obvious that there were unpleasant calls between you both, from Leah to you and equally you to her. Your sister added that you took all of your frustrations out on Leah and you wouldn't let it rest.

'One call in particular was overheard by your sister, where she heard Leah say 'I hope your son dies, and when he does I will dig him up and spit on him'.

'That is something that is most unpleasant and affected you at that time. It made you angry and upset, you responded that she better watch it when you saw her.

'Your sister recommended that you should just leave it and ignore Leah. Tragically you did not listen to your sister, she was giving you sensible advice.

'Miss Cryne did not just experience physical trauma, she suffered with post-traumatic stress disorder. It is not easy for me to say that the psychological damage was just down to this offence, but it no doubt contributed.

'You were carrying a knife with the view of using it in some circumstance - although you say this was not specifically to be used on Leah.

'In the report it explains that you were under extreme stress and your judgement was affected at the time of the offence.

'Your self-esteem has been severely affected and levels of aggressive behaviour developed with you. There was significant pressure and your mindset was off because of the severe stress you were suffering.

'I do accept that you were young and immature and dealing with profound stress at the time. Your sister provides a role model for you and I hope you recognise that in the future. I do accept that your decisions were impacted by your grief.'
British Airways cabin crew have begun their three-day strike action over pay.

The airline said that 24 flights had been cancelled as a result of the 72-hour strike, but that all passengers would be flown to their destinations.

It added that the 'small number' of short-haul flights from Heathrow would be merged resulting in one percent of its total schedule being cancelled.

'Our flight programme is running as planned and we are going to fly all customers to their destinations,' BA said in a statement.

British Airways cabin crew have begun their three-day strike action over pay (pictured)

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell talks at a rally before picket lines form at Heathrow Airport on Thursday

The walk-out is being staged by BA's 'mixed fleet' cabin crew, who make up around 15 percent of the airline's total cabin staff

All long-haul services to and from Heathrow, plus its flights to and from London's Gatwick Airport and London City will operate as normal.

The walk-out is being staged by BA's 'mixed fleet' cabin crew, who make up around 15 percent of the airline's total cabin staff.

Those involved, represented by the Unite Union, have poorer terms and conditions than some longer-serving staff and rejected a pay offer shortly before Christmas.

They have already staged a 48-hour strike earlier this month.

Shadow business secretary Clive Lewis tweeted a picture of himself with union members, saying it had been a genuine pleasure to take part in the action

A close ally of Jeremy Corbyn risked the wrath of travellers today by joining striking British Airways staff on the picket line.

Shadow business secretary Clive Lewis tweeted a picture of himself with union members, saying it had been a genuine pleasure to take part in the action.

Their fight is our fight, he added.

It is the latest evidence of the Labour leaderships willingness to support strikes even when they disrupt key planks of the economy.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Corbyn have been enthusiastic backers of the RMT and Aslef action that has been crippling Southern Rail.

BA FLIGHTS CANCELLED TODAY Flight number: BA1304 - Time: 7.00am - Destination: Aberdeen, Scotland Flight number: BA0964 - Time: 7.05am - Destination: Hamburg, Germany Flight number: BA0762 - Time: 7.30am - Destination: Olso, Norway Flight number: BA0976 - Time: 7.50am - Destination: Hanover, Germany Flight number: BA0540 - Time: 8.35am - Destination: Bologna, Italy Flight number: BA0944 - Time: 4.00pm - Destination: Dusseldorf, Germany NB: Return journeys from destinations back to Heathrow were also cancelled Advertisement
A builder finally gave himself up three days after he barricaded himself inside his family home when his wife 'walked out on him'.

Mark Clarke, 42, refused to come out of the 450,000 property in Crowfield, Suffolk, after his wife Aimee, 29, left with their daughter, relatives said.

Mark Clarke gave himself up after a stand-off with police said to have been started when his wife Aimee left him

Armed police remained outside the detached house throughout as trained negotiators tried to talk him round.

Officers were forced to sleep inside the nearby village hall as the siege went on for nearly 65 hours.

After Mark finally left the property at around 4pm yesterday, a family friend said: 'Everyone's really relieved. No one's been hurt and he finally saw sense.'

Police were called to concerns for self-employed builder Mark's safety at around 11.15pm on Monday.

Neighbours said his wife Aimee, 29, who works in marketing, had walked out on him on Friday night - taking their young daughter with her.

A family member, who didn't wish to be named, said: 'He hasn't got any issues but if your missus leaves you want to have a drink and drown away your sorrows.

'He is innocent. The police turned up with all this hardware and he was scared s***less. No wonder he won't come out of the house. Would you?

'I don't know if it's a comment made in passing but the next thing I knew there were loads of armed police at his door.

'Mark doesn't have guns but there are guns on the premises. His wife has a gun licence but they were kept in a locked cabinet that he didn't have access to.'

Armed police are in Crowfield, Suffolk over fears of a suspected gunman in a house

Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: 'I heard that Budgie [Mark Clarke] was in a standoff with the police.'

She added: 'Most people around here are farmers and have guns so it would not surprise me if he had one.

'Apparently he threatened to kill himself or anyone who would get close to him.

'I just don't understand why it took so long to solve, officers have apparently been sleeping in the village hall during this.

'I've heard his wife left him but that's all we have heard. It's all very sad.'

Mark, who drove a Mercedes C220, had recently been convicted of drink driving for the fourth time, but was described by locals as a 'really nice bloke'.

Another neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'He got done drink driving when he went out one night about three years and rightly or wrongly got into his car and drove home.

The hamlet has been shut off by officers, who closed roads and patrolled the streets

'But he hasn't got a problem.

'He is a really nice little bloke. He is a kind, gentle guy. Everywhere he goes he is the centre of the crowd.

'He is a happy go lucky guy who is just going through a bit of crap and everybody has jumped on him and I think it is really wrong.'

During the three-day siege, the atmosphere in the village was described as 'eerie' by residents who said they were 'shut up' in their homes.

One, who asked not to be named, said: 'It was very eerie, with the police cordon.

'I went in to check on a relative and everybody seems to be shut up.'

A female relative of Mark, believed to be his sister-in-law who lives nearby, said: 'No comment, bye bye' when asked about the siege.

Glen Marney, who works nearby, said there was a heavy police presence when he arrived in the village on Tuesday morning.

He said: 'It's surprising to have something like this happen in such a small village, especially as there are so many police cars scattered about the place.

'You could see the police with their guns - which were medium size, not small - hiding behind the doors of their BMWs.'

The village, which is about six miles north of Ipswich, has about 200 homes

Residents said it was unusual to see the police in Crowfield, Suffolk, which is the 'kind of place you could leave your door unlocked'.

One man joked: 'A missing wheelbarrow was the biggest crime we've had here.'

A lady who gave her name as Kerry, added: 'It's a lovely place to live, there's never any problems here.'

Elsewhere, a local brewery confirmed that the stand-off wasn't causing any disruption to their rounds.

In a tweet, Hell Hound Brewery said yesterday (Weds): 'Suffolk deliveries will NOT be affected by the three day one man armed siege in Crowfield.

'If anyone in area needs beer, holler.'

A Suffolk Police spokesman confirmed the incident had been resolved peacefully and said a 42-year-old man was arrested at around 3.30pm on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said they had been on the scene but were stood down by police and weren't required to treat anyone.
This is the unbelievable moment a wild fox broke into a locked London home and snuggled up in a bed on the third floor - and then got back in a second time two days later.

Picture editor Trudy Barry was left scratching her head when she returned home from work at 2.30am last month to find the nocturnal creature right at home in her locked third floor bedroom.

The 23-year-old, who lives in Hackney, north east London, was so shocked she ran and hid in a housemate's bedroom before a friend filmed the animal as it sat nestled in her bedcovers.

Picture editor Trudy Barry, 23, found this fox snuggled up in her bed after it broke into her home in Hackney, London

Miss Barry, pictured, said she panicked when she saw the fox and 'hid in a housemate's bedroom' while he friend filmed the nonplussed creature

She said the animal then got back into her house again just two days later and was relaxing in her living room.

Miss Barry now hopes he returns for a third time - so she can make him a pet.

She said: 'I opened my door and there was a fox in my bed. I screamed when I saw him. I locked the door and ran away and got my housemates to help me.

'The window is on the ground floor so he had to go up two flights of stairs to make it to my bedroom.

'I'm not sure how he got in my room because the door was shut and locked - but maybe he crawled underneath it. I wasn't sure what to do at first. It was a bit of a panic.

'My housemates thought it was hilarious and I hid in one of their bedrooms while they chased the fox out of the house.

'It was quite a funny moment - my friend even took a video. It's not what you expect when you come back from work.

'I had been out the night before so I was exhausted and looking forward to getting into bed. It wasn't really what I needed.

'Where we live quite a built up area so I'm not sure why he's picked our house, maybe my bed's just really comfy.

'I hope he comes back I'm getting quite fond of him. He's like a pet, but one I don't want to touch.'

The 23-year-old, pictured, added the fox then broke back into her home two days later and was seen in the lounge

After finding the fox, Miss Barry - who lives in a house share - hid while her housemates chased him out of her room.

She then immediately changed her sheets, unsure of what germs and bacteria a wild animal could bring into her bedroom.

But undeterred, the creature returned to the house just two days later and this time was found by Miss Barry's housemates in the living room.

And Miss Barry said the fox was this time spotted trying to break into one of the property's other bedrooms.

She said: 'The fox came back and was caught on Saturday in the living room and apparently tried to get into my other housemate's bedroom - my housemate caught him trying to get in through the downstairs window.

'Both times when he came in he wasn't even scared. It's as if he was like a cat coming to nick food, but we don't even have that much food.

'I'm really not sure why he came back - we're all just young adults living together. It's not a cosy home.

'Every person I have shown the video to immediately asks me if I've cleaned my sheets. Of course I have, a wild animal was in my bed!

'My mum thought it was hilarious and wanted to show everybody. One friend started crying, he was so shocked, but most people have laughed.'
President Obama is facing yet another clemency backlash after victims of a Puerto Rican ultra-nationalist whose 55-year prison sentence was commuted have spoken of their anger he will be released.

Oscar Lopez Rivera, 74, had been serving time in jail for his role in a violent struggle for independence on the island territory.

He belonged to the 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.

Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera (pictured in 1981) saw his 55-year prison sentence commuted by President Barack Obama on Tuesday

Rivera helped plan a bombing at Fraunces Tavern in New York in January, 1975, that left four people dead. The aftermath of the attack is pictured

A New York City police officer calls for help as he kneels near a victim of a bombing at the Anglers and Tarpon Club, an annex of Fraunces Tavern, in 1975

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.

As one of his last acts as president, Obama commuted Rivera's sentence along with that of former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who passed documents to WikiLeaks - prompting a backlash from those who regard her as a 'traitor'.

And now the families of the victims of Rivera have reacted angrily after hearing his jail sentence will be cut and he will be released in May.

Joe Connor was nine when his father Frank was killed alongside fours other in an infamous FALN terrorist bombing at New York's landmark Fraunces Tavern in 1975.

He told Fox News: 'I'm disgusted by what the president did. It's a travesty.

'The enemies of our country are being rewarded, and being treated as if they are heroes. What we hear is that Oscar Lopez Rivera did not get to know his family. Well, neither did my father. The victims and the Americans get pushed aside.

Obama (pictured on Tuesday) also commuted the sentence of Wikileaks whistle-blower Chelsea Manning, who was sentenced to 35 years behind bars

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

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

'He is a sworn terrorist, and for the president to release a sworn terrorist for political reasons, or whatever reason, is a disgrace.'

While his mother Mary Connor Tully added: 'I'm willing to forgive, but he never once said he was sorry, showed no remorse at all.

'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.'

A woman waved a Puerto Rican flag outside the Federal Courthouse building after learning that Obama commuted the sentence for Rivera

Rivera's release comes as many Puerto Ricans had long demanded his release from jail.

On Tuesday, car horns rang out across the island and people celebrated in the streets after the president announced that Rivera would walk free sooner than expected,.

His lawyer, Jan Susler, who told him about his upcoming release, said: '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, 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.'

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

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

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.
A British former veteran war correspondent and an expat Australian have gone on trial in Indonesia charged with possessing hashish on the resort island of Bali.

David Fox, 55, who worked for US news agency Reuters, was arrested in October along with Australian Giuseppe Serafino, a 48-year-old cafe owner.

The accused men appeared calm when they arrived at Denpasar Court on Thursday for the first day of their trials, which could see them serve life behind bars

Former British war correspondent David Fox attends his trial at a court in Denpasar on Bali island

Australian cafe owner Giuseppe Serafino was arrested with Mr Fox in October

Mr Serafino, the court heard, was arrested on October 8 after allegedly being caught with just more than 7g of hashish.

His arrest led police to Mr Fox's being nabbed later that day, with police confiscating 10.09g (0.36oz) of hashish from his clothing and house.

The court heard Mr Fox arrived to Australian's business On On Bar at the beachside town Sanur when police found aluminium foil containing blackish pellets on his possession.

Both men will cite stress and health issues and will push to face the lesser charge of drug use, which carries a maximum sentence of four years.

Police said Mr Fox told them he had used the drug for years to overcome stress caused by covering conflicts.

Prosecutor Ms Susina acknowledged Mr Fox began using the drug 30 years ago after suffering trauma, having seen 'thousands of people killed' during his time as a war correspondent.

Mr Serafino, the court heard, was arrested on October 8 after allegedly being caught with just more than 7g of hashish

Both men will cite stress and health issues and will push to face the lesser charge of drug use, which carries a maximum sentence of four years.

Police said Mr Fox told them he had used the drug for years to overcome stress caused by covering conflicts

Mr Serafino is escorted by a prosecutor from a holding cell to a court room for his trial

The men face the charges of drug possession, transportation and use.

If convicted of possession or transportation they could face up to 12 years in prison but will face a maximum of four if found guilty of use only.

Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws and convicted smugglers are often executed. About 150 people are on death row, mostly for drug crimes.
Cheryl Durkey, 47, has been reported missing

Police have launched a desperate search for a vulnerable mother who has gone missing with her two young sons.

Cheryl Durkey, 47, and her two children - Chepael Maddix, eight, and Chander Paul Maddix, seven, have not been seen in over 24 hours - something police are describing as 'out of character'.

The family of three went missing from their home in Erith, Kent at around 9am on Tuesday.

But the last sighting of the trio was at a family address in South Norwood, in London, at around the same time yesterday morning.

They have not been seen or heard from since. Police in Bexley are now appealing for the public's help to trace the mother and her sons.

A Met Police spokesman said: 'It is out of character for Cheryl to go missing and officers are extremely concerned for Cheryl's health and wellbeing, and the safety and welfare of her children.'

Cheryl is described as black, around 5ft 9ins with a medium build and shoulder length dark, but greying, curly hair.

Chepael and Chander are also described a black and very slim with shaven heads.

Police believe Cheryl is using public transport to travel, and add that she and the boys have been frequenting the Greenwich, Lewisham and South Norwood areas.

Anyone with information should contact Bexley police via 101.
Freedivers saved the lives of five sea turtles that were caught in an abandoned fishing net.

Footage, taken by one of the divers, shows the boat pull up to the stricken turtles as they struggle to free themselves from the huge net near Embudu Reef, Maldives.

The olive ridley sea turtles struggle as the men then attempt to cut them free with huge fishing knives.

Five sea turtles were rescued by freedivers who spotted them trapped in an abandoned fishing net. Video shows a boat pull up the animals stranded near Embudu Reef, Maldives

One by one the men, from the ApneaMaldives freediving and fishing company, manage to free the turtles.

Each is pulled onto the boat to ensure all traces of the net are gone before they are thrown back to sea.

Diver Ahmed Shammoon said that the group were unable to save one of the creatures.

He said: 'We were on a trip to a nearby island when one of the people on board showed me this huge thing floating far away on the ocean.

'I noticed something was struggling with it. I went to check on it and found it was four grown turtles and two juvenile turtles caught on a fish net floating in the ocean.

The Olive Ridley sea turtles struggle as the men then attempt to cut them free with huge fishing knives

'I believe someone threw this into the ocean. We were able to rescue five of them but one juvenile was dead long before we could help him.'

ApneaMaldives hope their video will increase awareness around the problems of disposing rubbish in the ocean.

In 2015 animal rescuers found an olive ridley turtle shuffling along a beach in Costa Rica, Central America, with a plastic fork jammed in its nostril.

Mr Shammoon added: 'Now the world's oceans are filling with waste and plastics, everyone is talking about it.

'These beautiful, hungry creatures go near the rubbish in the hope of food but instead they get strangled and die.

'It doesn't happen very often here but we hear of people encountering it more now. Turtles are very strong animals and a large number can be rescued but with heavy injuries.

One by one the men, from the ApneaMaldives freediving and fishing company, manage to free the turtles. Each one was pulled onto the boat to ensure all traces of the net were gone before they are thrown back to sea

'Everyone is emotional and it is hard to see how helpless they are. I could literally cry watching this footage and it just keeps coming back to my mind about the dead juvenile turtle.'

Mr Shammoon added that everyone should be doing their bit to keep the ocean clean.

'ApneaMaldives promote freediving and eco-friendly, sustainable fishing and eating what you catch,' he said.

'Maldives is highly focused on tourism and people are aware of the consequences of these kind of acts.

'The majority of the locals take care of the ocean, but these kinds of incidents happen due to bad acts of a few people.

'The Maldives is the paradise on earth that millions of people visit and pay to see. Let's keep it that way, take care of our ocean.'
Brexit scaremongering was back in full force at the World Economic Forum in Davos last night as IMF chief Christine Lagarde warned of years of 'pain' for Britain.

She said the uncertainty over the trading terms between Britain and the EU would affect growth.

And despite admitting her doom-laden economic warnings in the run-up to the EU referendum had been proved wrong, Ms Lagarde said: 'We are still of the view that it will not be positive all along and without pain.'

Brexit scaremongering was back in full force at the World Economic Forum in Davos last night as IMF chief Christine Lagarde, pictured, warned Britain's EU divorce will not be 'without pain'

In the run-up to the referendum she said the consequences of a Leave vote ranged from 'bad to very bad' and could wipe out nearly 10 per cent off our economy.

But she and the IMF were humiliated earlier this week when it upgraded its forecast growth for 2017 because of Britain's better-than-expected economic performance since June's Brexit vote.

It now predicts Britain's economic will grow by 1.5 per cent in 2017 - a major uplift from its last forecast of 1.1 per cent. And it said Britain's economy grew the fastest among all G7 nations last year, despite Brexit.

But Ms Lagarde - in Davos, Switzerland for a summit of global elites - is still talking our economy down.

She said any Brexit trade deal the UK strikes with Brussels will not be as good as the current arrangements of full membership of the single market.

The IMF was humiliated earlier this week when it upgraded its forecast growth for the UK this year because of Britain's better-than-expected economic performance since June's Brexit vote. It now predicts Britain's economic will grow by 1.5 per cent in 2017 - a major uplift from its last forecast of 1.1 per cent. And it said Britain's economy grew the fastest among all G7 nations last year, despite Brexit

'When you belong to a club, whatever that is, the members of the club have a degree of affinity and particular terms under which they operate,' she said. Someone outside the club has different access.'

But she welcomed Theresa May's 12-point blueprint for Brexit, which was unveiled on Tuesday.

'Better clarity, less uncertainty is certainly better for the UK economy and for the rest of the European Union,' she told the BBC.

But she warned: 'The terms under which the [agreement] will be facilitated, over what period of time - question mark.

'Over what kind of transition period - question mark. It is only when those questions are better clarified that we will understand how the UK economy is going to pan out.'

Christine Lagarde welcomed Theresa May's 12-point blueprint for Brexit, which was unveiled on Tuesday. The PM was also at the World Economic Forum in Davos today

Ms Lagarde added: 'Once uncertainty clears and if people feel that their ability to set up shop in the UK and their ability to operate throughout the geographical area that is the European Union is not working as well as it did - the investment decision will change.

'In the same vein, if exports are subject to significant tariffs, restrictions and so on, the ability of the UK to activate that trade engine is going to be reduced.

'So while we have upgraded our forecast for 2017, we have downgraded for 2018.'

Earlier this week Mrs May unveiled 12 key objectives for Brexit, putting control of immigration at the heart of the plan.

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.
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This is the Nazi death camp where Hitler ordered the most 'incorrigible political enemies of the Reich' to be sent.

Prisoners at Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria were forced to climb 186 steps, while carrying 50-kilogram blocks of granite, 'without a second's rest' for 12 hours a day.

A collection of harrowing images from the German Federal Archive show prisoners undertaking back-breaking labour at the camp, which was built around a working quarry with the mission to work inmates to death.

The Nazis named the camp the bone grinder and one of its most punishing features was the brutal steps, roughly carved into the cliff face of the quarry, called the Stairs of Death.

Exhausted prisoners would often collapse and topple back on those following them, creating a horrific domino effect.

Christian Bernadac, a French resistance fighter who was imprisoned at Mauthausen, and later wrote a book titled The 186 Steps, recalled how the steps were simply cut with a pick into the clay and rock, held in place by logs, unequal in height and tread, and therefore extremely difficult, not only for climbing but also for the descent.

The photo (left) shows inmates carrying roughly-hewn blocks of stone  often weighing as much as 50 kilograms  up the 186 stairs known as The Stairs of Death. Pictured (right) is the same stairs today, 72 years after the camp was liberated. The stairs have been refitted and straightened so that tourists can easily climb up and down them

Prisoners are pictured during forced labour in the Wiener Graben quarry at the Mauthausen concentration camp

The crematorium oven at the Nazi death camp is pictured (left). When the inmates were totally exhausted after having worked in the quarries for 12 hours a day (right), or if they were too ill or too weak to work, they would be killed

The prisoners painstakingly carried the stone up the steps while dressed in their striped prison uniform and unsteady sandals.

Stones rolled under our wooden-soled sandals, and we were forced to keep moving at a very rapid pace, Mr Bernadac said.

The work consisted of carrying up a stone of considerable size and weight, along the 186 steps, after which there was still a considerable distance to cover. The man who chose a stone found to be too small was out of luck. And all of this went on at the rate of eight to ten trips per day. The pace was infernal, without a second's rest.

Another survivor said a guard would ask prisoners if they wanted to rest for a minute on a ledge - but would execute anyone who accepted the offer.

Former inmate Aba Lewitt recalled the brutal practice as Austria marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Mauthausen in 2015.

He said: 'The guard said, "Well, then, sit over there" - then he shot him. He said the inmate tried to escape the camp. That happened umpteen times every day.'

Other prisons remembered how Hitlers sadistic SS guards would often force prisoners to race up the stairs carrying the blocks of stone.

Those who survived the ordeal would then be placed in a line-up at the edge of the cliff, called The Parachutists Wall. The men were held at gun-point and given the impossible choice of choosing whether to be shot or to push the prisoner in front of him off the cliff.

Nazi SS officers climb the Stairs of Death in April 1941. One is pictured smoking as he makes his way to the concentration camp

Pictured (left) is a prisoner in ragged clothes who was beaten at the Stairs of Death at Mauthausen concentration camp. Pictured (right) are child prisoners who were locked up at the camp

Prisoners at forced labour in the Wiener Graben quarry. The Mauthausen concentration camp was built at the edge of the quarry so that prison labour could be used to take the granite for Hitler's grandiose building plans

A view of the Wiener Graben quarry and stone Stairs of Death is pictured. Prisoners would often be placed in a line-up at the edge of a cliff known as 'The Parachutists Wall'. At gun-point each prisoner would have the option of being shot or pushing the prisoner in front of him off the cliff

During a prisoner roll call they were forced to perform the Nazi salute. The prisoner nearest to the camera is pictured saluting with his left hand instead of extending his right arm. Only if physical disability prevented raising the right arm was it acceptable to raise the left

This horrific photo shows hundreds of new prisoners in the garage courtyard of the concentration camp in June 1941 after a Typhus outbreak. Prisoners were stripped naked and deloused. Outbreaks of typhus tend to occur in areas where there is close human contact and poor sanitation. The bacteria that cause typhus are carried by body lice, ticks, mites and fleas

Some prisoners, unable to bear the tortures of the camp, would willfully jump as part of a suicide pact.

Between 122,766 and 320,000 people died at Mauthausen, Austria's largest concentration camp, in the years between the first railway wagon of inmates arrived in 1938 and the camps liberation by American troops in 1945.

If prisoners survived their hard labour shifts in the quarry, the SS and Kapos found other ways to kill them.

Boston University history professor James Schmidt wrote in a 2005 paper that inmates were starved to death in bunkers, hung, thrown at electric barb wire fences and killed in mass shootings.

Some 3,000 inmates died of hypothermia after being forced to take and icy shower and then stay outside, while others were drowned in large barrels of water.

Mauthausen, situated about 20 kilometers east of the city of Linz in Upper Austria, had some of the most brutal detention conditions of the time.

It was classified Grade III and was a place where incorrigible political enemies of the Reich were sent to be exterminated.

Today the Stairs of Death at Mauthausen concentration camp form part of the guided tours at the Mauthausen Memorial

A crematorium cold store and a hallway inside the prison block at the concentration camp are pictured

Austrian and German criminals, political prisoners, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Roma were first imprisoned in the camp but as time went on Jews, Poles, Spanish civil war refugees and Soviets were also among the tortured.

A platoon of 23 men from the 11th Armored Division of the US Third Army, led by Staff Sgt. Albert J. Kosiek, liberated the camp on May 5, 1945.

Louis Haefliger, the Red Cross representative, who led the US troops to the camp recalled the horrific scenes of the day in the book 'The 186 Steps'.

'The camp at Mauthausen was overcrowded, and the camps of Gusen I and II filled beyond human limits. There were as many as five sick men to a narrow camp bed.

'There were sixty thousand human beings - men, women and children... The Krematorium chimney smoked day and night. The sanitary conditions were at the lowest imaginable level. They were dying of hunger,' Mr Haefliger said.

Today, the Stairs of Death form part of the guided tours at the Mauthausen Memorial. The stairs have been redone and straightened so that tourists can easily climb up and down them.

The Mauthausen quarry is now overgrown with trees and bushes and much of the camp site is also covered by residential areas built after the war.

The barrack 1 interior at Mauthausen concentration camp shows the bunk beds were prisoners slept

The crematorium autopsy room at Mauthausen concentration camp (left). A prisoner food parcel list (right) from 1943

These are just some of the prisoner tags found at a mass grave at the concentration camp. Identification of inmates in Nazi concentration camps was performed with identification numbers instead of names
Tigerair has been given the all clear and expects to resume flights in and out of Bali from February 3.

The Indonesian government has provided 'key approval' for the airline, and Tigerair plans to resume flights 'subject to final procedural approvals being secured'.

But until February 3, all flights between Australia and Denpasar have been cancelled and passengers will be offered full refunds, the airline said in a statement Thursday.

Tigerair (stock image) has been given the all clear and expects to resume flights in and out of Bali from February 3

An Australian comedian has documented his time stranded in Bali. He said he visited the prison 'because like the prisoners I can't leave either'

An 'administrative change' enforced by the Indonesian government last week had grounded the Tigerair flights.

Tourists stranded in Bali will be flown back to Australia by the airline's parent company, Virgin Australia, between Friday and February 2 where possible.

Hundreds of passengers from Melbourne and Perth have been flown home with diversions in Brisbane or Sydney.

Passengers were put up in hotels for overnight layovers. Tourists have complained on social media the process was disorganised.

'Hey @TigerairAU, I got my hair braided in Bali today. I also spent two hours on hold to find out you guys can't fly me home,' Kynen Walker wrote on Twitter

'Trapped in Bali. My personal hell,' the Australian comedian wrote on Twitter

Last week, the Indonesian government granted Tigerair a reprieve to allow about 2,000 stranded passengers to return home.

Tigerair said all affected customers still in Bali would be contacted by SMS and email for further details of their updated travel arrangements.

All flights between Bali and Australia have been grounded until February 3 'to provide notice and certainty to customers', Tigerair said.

People on cancelled flights will be offered full refunds.

The airline apologised for the inconvenience.

Tigerair had claimed an 'administrative changed' imposed by the Indonesian government forced immediate flight suspensions from last Wednesday.

Passengers were put up in hotels for overnight layovers (the queue at the hotel check-in at Brisbane is pictured)
A group of Black Lives Matter activists who caused 'utter chaos' by chaining themselves across a major route into Heathrow Airport were fined today.

The stunt caused major disruption to passengers at the height of the summer holiday season on August 5 last year, with traffic gridlocked on the M4 spur road.

Four of the group - Joshua Virasami, 26, Ewa Jasiewicz, 38, Mark Weaver, 35, and Alison Playford, 37 - unfurled a huge banner which read 'this is a crisis' in the middle of the road at about 8.25am.

The other five - Sita Balani, 29, Liam Barrington-Bush, 32, Aditi Jaganathan, 26, Naomi Mabita, 23, and Aadam Muuse, 24 - lay on the ground chained to each other.

A court has heard how a protest by the Black Lives Matter group caused chaos last summer

Alison Playford and Mark Weaver are also charged over the incident in August last year

They made the chain, called a 'lock on', using hollowed-out fire extinguishers filled with concrete and wire mesh, and were not cut free for nearly three hours.

The activists said they chose the airport for its 'symbolic' role in immigration removal, climate change activism and other protests.

A police officer said he pleaded with them to move, 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.

But the group kept loudly chanting 'black lives matter' and 'if they don't give us justice, we won't give them peace', which drowned him out, Willesden Magistrates' Court heard.

Some motorists tried to get through the crowd, while others yelled angrily at them.

The activists argued it was to be a 'short and sharp' protest, that they were exercising their right to free speech, and were not properly warned to move on.

In his closing speech yesterday, defence lawyer Darrell Ennis-Gayle highlighted the case of US civil rights activist Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white person in 1955 sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

But Nana Owusuh, prosecuting, accused them of choosing Heathrow to cause 'the maximum disturbance, chaos and delay'.

Naomi Mabita (left) and Aditi Jaganathan (right) both deny the charge at the ongoing trial

Sita Balani is also on trial in proceedings expected to cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds

Ewa Jasiewicz (left) and Aadam Muuse (right) stood and lay on the M4 spur road, the jury heard

They were all convicted of wilful obstruction of a highway by District Judge Stephen Day today.

The group looked stunned as the verdict was returned, staring straight ahead with blank expressions, while Virasami leaned back, resting his head against the wall.

Five supporters, who all appeared to be in their 20s or 30s, also looked on blankly from the public gallery.

Fining them a total of just over 3,000, Judge Day said: 'The carriageway had three or four lanes blocked well after the time of arrest as ambulances and special resources were summoned to move the protesters.

'it was not disputed that the action would have caused great inconvenience and delay.

'Diversions had to be put in place for traffic trying to reach the airport.

'They considered the action they took was reasonable compared with the evil to which they were trying to draw the attention of the media and it is fair to acknowledge that the issues raised are far from trivial.'

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

The judge added: 'It will be a dreadful day if legitimate protest is outlawed but the right to free expression of views can be subject to some restraints.

'The defendants chose to notify the media and not the police.

'The defendants can hardly claim the state has a duty to facilitate peaceful protest when they do not seek such facilitation and they can hardly complain of not being warned when they decided to chant rather than listen to Sgt Jackson when he tried to engage with them.

'I find the behaviour was not reasonable, and therefore find all nine guilty.'

Describing the scene to the court, arresting officer Sergeant Christopher Jackson said:

'I pleaded with them that there were children in the cars, it was going to be a hot day, that they had been successful in their protest, and to allow the families through.

'The group just started chanting, 'black lives matter', which drowned out any further words I spoke to them.'

Eight of the nine defendants outside court tonight. The trial was adjourned today

Virasami, who described himself as a 'concerned citizen', said he wanted to highlight issues involving black deaths in police custody and stop and search policies.

Balani, of south London, was made to pay 381, Barrington-Bush, of Tottenham, north London, was handed 468 in fines and costs, and Jaganathan, of Tottenham, was ordered to pay 441.

Jasiewicz, of Tower Hamlets, east London, received 261 in fines and costs, Mabita, of Manchester, was handed 301 to pay, and Muuse, of no fixed address, was slapped with 523.

The court was told Mabita receives an allowance from her parents.

Playford, of Greenford, west London, was ordered to pay 261, Virasami, of Hounslow, west London, was made to pay 441, and Weaver, of Beverley, East Ridings of Yorkshire was ordered to pay 261 in fines and costs.
An anti-slavery group has sparked outrage by advertising for a part-time PA to work for free.

The post, which appeared on Gumtree, asks for jobseekers to apply for an 'unpaid internship' at the organisation Fight Against Slavery.

The advert says the successful applicant will meet with company boards to 'discuss ethical standards', oversee project management, set budgets and develop a strategic plan.

An organisation called 'Fight Against Slavery' has come under fire for hiring an unpaid intern

The worker - who is expected to work up to 10 hours a week - will also have responsibility for making 'strategy and cost decisions', despite being a volunteer.

The advert appears to have been posted by Fight Against Slavery, which describes itself as a 'new charity' based in the City of London.

However, the group does not have a website and is not yet registered with the Charity Commission, as it required by all UK charities.

Twitter users acted with derision to the advert, describing the post as ironic.

One commenter said: 'They know full well that those applying are doing so because they need work experience.'

Robin Lee said: 'An unpaid internship? Perhaps you should look closer to home first?'

Another said: 'If they can afford to rent office space in the City, they can afford to pay minimum wage.'

The job advert was mocked online, with Twitter users branding the move 'ironic'

When asked about the ironic job ad, director Chiara Chiavaroli defended her advert and claimed neither she, nor her colleagues, are paid.

She said: 'It is an unpaid position, it is completely different.

'We are looking for someone to do this position for a minimum requirement of hours, about eight to ten hours a week.

'We are looking for people who can do this job, this is an opportunity where a volunteer can do this unpaid and hopefully get paid in the future.'

She added: 'None of us are paid at the moment, we are just looking for volunteers.

'We do not make any money as a charity, but when we do we can employ people of course.

'We set up the charity before Christmas and have applied for our charity number and we are waiting for it. We all have other jobs, I have another job, I need to live.'
The British Army sent a tank through the Channel Tunnel for the first time as the military prepares to respond to Russian ground forces in Europe.

Soldiers sent tanks, the Warrior fighting vehicle and recovery vehicles across to France on train wagons in the early hours on Wednesday.

They made the 40-minute return journey a few hours later.

The forces have used the Channel tunnel to ferry supplies and equipment but never armoured vehicles.

The British Army has sent a tank and various armoured vehicles through the Channel tunnel for the first time as part of a military exercise to practise for a deployment to Europe

A Challenger tank and matching recovery vehicle, a Warrior armoured fighting vehicle, a Warrior recovery vehicle and a reconnaissance vehicle were all sent across the Channel during the exercise.

The army is said to be looking for ways to transport its tanks once bases in Germany are shut down at the end of the decade.

If they are needed by Nato's rapid reaction force, they are likely to be moved by rail.

The British military has its own railway line that joins up with the national network, but the Army uses a private contractor, Leidos, for movement through the Channel Tunnel.

A defence source said: 'This was not a charge to Eastern Europe. You have to practice before you try and move hundreds of tanks through the tunnel.

'It is testing the viability of using the tunnel should we be required to move our armoured troops.'

However the move comes as Britain's relations with Russia are in deep freeze after Moscow blamed MI6 for the dossier of sordid claims about Mr Trump last week.

Then the US president elect suggested in an interview with MP Michael Gove this week that he could do a deal with Putin even if he refuses to back down on the Ukraine.

His comments sent shockwaves across the foreign office and Britain's allies - who fear an emboldened Putin could launch a full-scale invasion on its western flanks.

Mr Trump declared he was ready to 'trust' Putin and he believed Nato was 'obsolete'

The Baltic States, Poland and the Ukraine fear Russia could wage a covert war against them and have pressed ministers in Nato to protect their borders with troops.

Britain is sending tanks, drones and 800 troops to Estonia as part of the biggest military build-up on Russian's borders since the Cold War later this year.

The Ukraine has been fighting against pro-Moscow rebels and Russian troops in the country's east for three years in a conflict which nearly 10,000 people have been killed.

Foreign office sources said Britain would not budge on the EU sanctions imposed on Russia unless Moscow stopped acting aggressively towards the Ukraine.

EU sanctions require Russia to withdraw its troops from the country and end its support to the separatists.

Similarly, US sanctions on businessmen and companies were imposed by the Obama administration on Moscow in 2014 over the Ukraine crisis.

Under current terms, they will not be lifted unless Moscow completely withdraws Russian troops from the Ukrainian Donbas.

However on Monday, Mr Trump suggested he would lift the sanctions if Putin agreed to reduce nuclear arms  irrespective of whether he withdraws troops from the Ukraine.

The distinct policies have put the UK on a collision course with Mr Trump before he has even entered the Oval office.

Mr Trump also declared he was ready to 'trust' Putin and he believed Nato was 'obsolete'.

His comments fuelled fears of a deeper relationship between the US and Russia under Trump which risks leaving Britain out in the cold.

There are fears that if the US  which contributes the greatest manpower by far to the Nato alliance - takes a softer stance on Putin then he could exploit it.

Speaking about the movement of vehicles through the Channel, an MoD spokesman said: 'The Army successfully conducted an exercise to test the viability of using the Channel Tunnel to move vehicles and equipment to mainland Europe, adding to the existing range of options available and increasing the agility of our Armed Forces.'
Video footage has caught the moment a mother left her own baby behind in a lift after quarreling with her husband.

After the infant was abandoned, neighbours can be seen entering and exiting the lift, leaving the young baby struggling on its own.

The entire incident was recorded on surveillance footage in the housing block in Chongqing on January 17.

Irresponsible: The mother, circled, stood next to the baby in the lift before she left with it

Cruel: The woman, surnamed Chen, left her baby struggling on the ground and stepped out

She had had a quarrel with her husband and decided to abandon her child on January 17

The footage shows the mother, dressed in black, stepping into the lift from the 22nd floor in an apartment block in Chongqing at around 9pm.

The baby's grandmother, dressed in pink, can be seen putting the baby on the floor of the lift by force as the child struggled.

The baby's mother didn't react and let the baby struggle on its own as the lift went down.

After the lift reached the ground floor, the mother exited the lift abandoning the baby.

At one point, the baby was alone in the lift. It was completely ignored by the neighbours who stood around it and watched.

After some time, a neighbour handed the child over to a security guard who in turn handed the child over to police.

One police officer told a reporter from CNS TV that the security guard had asked them to find the parents of the baby.

Shocking: Chen's mother, dressed in pink, forced the baby into the lift as Chen stood by

Bizarre: The baby was completely ignored by the neighbours who stood around it and watched

The police said the baby's father, surnamed Liu, told them that he had had a fight with his wife, surnamed Chen, that night.

Chen got enraged and decided to leave home. Chen's mother put the baby inside the lift as Chen stood inside the lift. Then Chen exited the lift leaving the child behind.

The officer also added the temperature was 'only a few degrees Celsius' on the day.

The police also said they had given the family a stern talking to, however they would not be taking any further action.

The baby's gender is not specified in the report.

People on China's social media site Weibo have been left outraged by the incident.

One user commented: 'I feel so sick reading this news. How can people be so irresponsible? You will regret it if the baby gets hurt because of this.'

While another wrote: 'I feel sorry for the baby to have such parents.'

And one user said: 'What an idiot act for an adult.'

After some time, the baby was finally picked up by a neighbour who handed it to the security
Mark Zuckerberg has been accused of not using his own social network and reportedly employs more than a dozen employees to update his Facebook profile.

The 32-year-old who founded Facebook in 2004 and is worth $53.6bn, has almost 85million people following him on social media.

His personal Facebook page is full of updates with his daily thoughts, details of his high level meetings and sweet snaps of his wife and daughter.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has been accused of not updating his own Facebook page

But according to Bloomberg Businessweek, Zuckerberg does not run his page himself and has up to 12 people to help him make his posts and write his speeches.

In addition they also are reportedly tasked with deleting harassing or offensive comments and clearing spam from his page.

Meanwhile it has also been reported that Zuckerberg also employs a professional photographer to capture him as he travels the world, creating dramatic, atmospheric images.

Among them are snaps of the web developer jogging through Beijing and leaving the Vatican after an audience with the Pope.

Zuckerberg's personal Facebook page is full of updates with his daily thoughts, details of his high level meetings and his community efforts

In his latest posts, Zuckerberg details a trip to Dallas, where he has been taking part in several community projects

According to the Washington Post, one of Zuckerberg's favourite photographers to hire is Charles Ommanney, who has won awards for his coverage of the refugee crisis in Syria.

Recent posts on Zuckerberg's Facebook page have detailed his trip to Dallas, where he has been taking part in several community projects.

Images show him planting trees with community members in Oak Cliff and meeting students interested in computer technology at a local college.

However, one aspect of his trip to Texas that did not feature on his profile was him heading to court to testify in a $2billion lawsuit over claims the Oculus Rift was built with stolen technology.

It is reported updates on Zuckerberg's Facebook page, such as this picture of him jogging through Beijing, are made by one of 12 employees

The Facebook founder is also said to employ a photographer to capture his dramatic shots. Here Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan are pictured meeting Pope Francis

He swapped his typical hoodie, gray T-shirt and jeans for a crisp business suit as he defended Facebook's VR headset in a Dallas court.

Oculus, which was bought by Facebook for $3billion in March 2014, is currently being sued by ZeniMax over allegations the Rift was based on stolen trade secrets.

The lawsuit, filed in May 2014, alleges that former id Software co-founder John Carmack stole the firm's intellectual property when he left the company to become Oculus' chief technology officer in 2013.

The billionaire told the court he had 'never even heard of ZeniMax before' and said his legal team would not be spending much time on something they didn't think was credible.
Flying from Sydney to San Francisco is quicker than driving up the Pacific Highway to Brisbane and taking breaks.

A flight from the Harbour Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge cities is the fastest way to get from Australia to the United States.

Qantas and United Airlines fly direct from Sydney only in 13 hours and 35 minutes, traveller.com.au says.

Flying from Sydney to San Francisco (pictured overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge) can be done in 13 hours

United Airlines flies non-stop from Sydney to San Francisco, which is similar to the time it takes to drive from Sydney to Brisbane

Landing in San Francisco is also quicker than flying non-stop to Los Angeles, which takes 14 to 15 hours.

'Although it lacks the blockbuster showbiz attractions of Los Angeles, San Francisco is a great stopover city for anyone looking for a more refined experience,' the website said.

But for those wanting more competitive fares and more frequent flights, Los Angeles is a better option.

'Strong competition on this route keeps fares low,' traveller.com.au said.

Virgin Australia International flies direct to Los Angeles from Sydney and Brisbane

'Los Angeles is the major hub on the west coast, with frequent flights to destinations throughout the U.S. and a wide choice of airlines.'

Virgin Australia International fly direct from Sydney and Brisbane to LA.

Qantas has services from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane while American Airlines flies there daily from Sydney.

United Airlines has services from Sydney and Melbourne.

Passengers flying from Australia to California, Oregon or Washington State can stop over in Hawaii.

Hawaii not? Passengers flying to California have the option of stopping over in Honolulu

The journey to the U.S. mainland with a stopover in Hawaii, on a Hawaii Airlines plane, can be done in a little as 18 hours and 20 minutes.

They fly from Sydney and Brisbane to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle.

With Donald Trump soon to be sworn in as the next U.S. president, it may be worth visiting his home city of New York.

Flight times there, from Australia's east coast, range from 20 hours and 25 minutes and 24 hours and 39 minutes, depending if passengers stop over in Los Angeles.

Hungry for a Big Apple? A flight from Sydney to New York City (Times Square pictured) can be done in about 20 hours

American Airlines flies direct from Sydney.

'A one-stop flight is by far the best way to get to New York City in a hurry,' traveller.com.au said.

Qantas flies to NYC from Sydney and Melbourne via LA.

United Airlines has flights from Melbourne via Los Angeles or Sydney via LA or San Francisco.

Qantas, United Airlines and American Airlines fly from Sydney (pictured) to New York
Simon Kenny is pictured at Southwark Crown Court, where he is facing a jail sentence

A district judge and his former lover are facing jail for stealing 1million from clients of their law firm.

Simon Kenny, 61, and his assistant Emma Coates, 47, ransacked the customers funds at CK Solicitors in Selsey, West Sussex for four years.

Southwark Crown Court heard the companys reporting accountant Robert Foskett committed suicide after he realised he had been lied to about the plot.

Coates paid off four mortgages, spent 15,000 on a log cabin and a hot tub to cavort in and bought a Range Rover, jurors heard.

The fraudster also took 12 friends for a lavish trip to a resort in Barbados with the stolen cash.

Police later discovered she had been making mortgage payments on four properties - two in Selsey, and two others in Chichester and Bognor Regis.

But while they lived a life of luxury their accountant became so depressed that he killed himself.

Kenny, who has business interests in the Far East, told staff he had moved cash to offshore accounts because of the Northern Rock bank crisis.

He and Coates had been lovers, but their affair cooled in 2010 and they later blamed each other for the con.

It lead to the closure of CK Solicitors and a major investigation by the Sussex Police major fraud unit.

Kenny was suspended from his role as a deputy district judge at a county court in Sussex while he stood trial for two counts of fraud.

Prosecutor Richard Milne said: Mr Fosketts dawning realisation in February 2011 that he had been duped back in 2009 appears to have been a major factor leading, tragically, to his suicide on 6 March 2011 - just two days before the commencement of the first of the relevant SRA investigations.

Jurors saw his suicide note, which read: I am so sorry but the pressure mounts on me. I was lured into signing an audit certificate by Simon Kenny which I should not have.

Kenny and assistant Emma Coates (pictured) ransacked customers funds at CK Solicitors in Selsey, West Sussex for four years

He assured me funds would be the following week from his family trust but that became untrue.

Mr Foskett also left a note to his secretary which read: It has been revealed to me that I think with Simon Kenny we have tumbled on a fraud that is probably 300,000, it may even be 600,000 or even more.

Quite nasty... unfortunately when people do this sort of thing they dont care a damn who gets hurt.

Stephen Hiseman, 60, a fee earner from CK Solicitors, also swindled two clients.

The court heard he fraudulently caused the transfer of 60,000 from CK Solicitors client account to an account of Chris Coxill and then to an account in his name between November 2010 and March 2011.

Hiseman also told client Samuel Swanton he had settled his debts with Lombard North Central for 15,000 between June 2010 and December 2011 - but he had actually only settled for 10,000, forcing Mr Swanton to sell his house to raise funds.

The Solicitors Regulatory Authority shut down CK Solicitors in May 2011, but within months Coates had set up another firm, Coates and Co, and stole 85,000 from an elderly clients will when she died in 2011.

Mr Milne told jurors: Over a period of several years client monies were misappropriated by Simon Kenny, Emma Coates and Stephen Hiseman.

In the case of Mr Kenny and Miss Coates, the misappropriation mainly took the form of diverting client money from the companys client account to the office account and then expending that money not in relation to the client matter in question, but for their own use or for the use of the firm.

Southwark Crown Court heard the companys reporting accountant Robert Foskett committed suicide after he realised he had been lied to about the plot

A jury convicted Kenny, of Catsfield, near Battle, East Sussex, of two counts of fraud totalling 1million after he made fraudulent transfers of monies between the firms client account, office account, and himself.

He denied involvement in the crime and even claimed Coates must have hacked his email account and sent messages in his name to pull off the scam alone.

Coates, of Selsey, West Sussex, was convicted of two counts of fraud totalling more than 415,000, but she was cleared of another two counts of fraud.

The pair were remanded in custody ahead of their sentencing on 27 January.

Mr Milne said Kenny, an Australian national, was a potential flight risk because even if his passport was surrendered there would be no problem with him leaving the jurisdiction and going to an Australian embassy to get travel documents.

He added: Its not the most difficult thing for a determined fugitive from justice to do.

The court heard Kenny had been looking to move abroad before the trial and has business interests in the Far East.

Hiseman, of Morzine, France, was released on conditional bail after he was convicted of two counts of fraud.

He has been ordered to surrender his passport, stay at an address in the UK and observe an electronically monitored curfew between 7am and 7pm.
A pair of popular pandas, which were mother and daughter, have died from illnesses five days apart from each other in China.

Both bears started to vomit and suffer from stomach ache at the end of December before passing away less than 10 days later at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park.

Post-mortem examinations showed the mother, Guo Guo, aged 21, had died of acute pancreatitis and organ failure; while her five-month-old daughter, Peanut, had died of massive intestinal necrosis and organ failure.

Seriously ill: Peanut was undergoing treatment after falling ill on December 23 (pictured). Her symptoms included vomiting, stomach ache and significant mucus in her stools

Peanut was diagnosed with a twisted bowel and an operation was given to her on December 29 in a bid to save her. She died on December 31

Sad: A pair of mother-daughter pandas have died from illnesses five days apart in Shanghai

Peanut the cub: The baby panda died of massive intestinal necrosis on December 31. The above picture was taken when she was two months old last September

According to a statement released by Shanghai Wild Animal Park, Guo Guo fell sick on December 19. Apart from vomiting, she suffered from a fever, stomach ache and diarrhoea. Veterinarians also found significant mucus in her stools.

She was put under quarantine immediately on December 19 and received medical treatment. However, Guo Guo's condition worsened on December 22 as she started to suffer from convulsions.

Guo Guo died on the morning of December 26.

After Guo Guo became ill, panda keepers started to bottle-feed Peanut with human breast milk to prevent cross infection.

However, the cub got sick at around 6pm on December 23 at 175 days old, the wild animal park said. Weighing 1.6 stone (22 pounds), the baby panda vomited and had stomach ache.

She also had significant mucus in her stools.

Veterinarians from Shanghai Wild Animal Park and China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda teamed up with experts from Children's Hospital of Fudan University and Shanghai Animal Disease Control Centre to plan treatment for Peanut.

Both pandas passed away at the end of last December in Shanghai Wild Animal Park (pictured)

The mother panda, Guo Guo died of acute pancreatitis on December 26. She was seen cuddling Peanut in the picture (left) taken last September. Right, Peanut was having her health checked when she turned two months old

Peanut, the first panda born in Shanghai, went outdoors for the first time on November 4, 2016

A zoo keeper took care of Peanut as she left her enclosure for the first time last November

A CT scan was carried out on December 29 which showed that Peanut had suffered from massive intestinal necrosis caused by a twisted bowel.

An operation was given to Peanut on the same day to remove the affected bowel, which was 31 inches long.

Despite the treatment, the cub died at around noon on December 31.

Post-mortem examinations were conducted on January 17, according to the park.

Although the two pandas died at the end of last year, their deaths were only announced by the park on January 19.

A spokesman of the park told a reporter of Xinmin.cn that they had not announced the news earlier because they had wanted to investigate the causes of their deaths.

The same spokesman stressed that the two pandas' illnesses and deaths were not related to each other.

According to Xinmin.cn, the corpses of the two pandas are being frozen and kept at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park.

Peanut was the first panda cub to have been born in Shanghai.

Last November, the adorable animal melted the hearts of millions after she was filmed learning to walk at four months old.

An incredibly cute video, shared by People's Daily Online on YouTube, showed the baby bear carefully moving around by herself before her mother, Guo Guo, intervened to show her the ropes.

Peanut had her chest measured by a keeper at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park on September 9

The panda was named 'peanut' after the name won a poll organised by the park

Peanut was born on July 9, 2016. The name Peanut, or 'Hua Sheng' in Chinese, was chosen last September after winning a poll organised by the park and participated by around 50,000 people.

According to the park, they chose the name 'Hua Sheng' because it meant 'to take root, to grow and to breed'.

A set of photos posted by Xinhua showed the baby girl enjoying her first outdoor playtime on November 4.

Amusingly, the cub greeted the photographer by waving her paws at the camera as she chilled out on the grass for the first time.

The animal is considered to be a national icon by the Chinese and is raised with extreme care.

According to the statistics released by China's Forestry Bureau in 2015, there were 1,864 pandas living in the wild and 375 pandas living in captivity in China.
With glow sticks, hula hoops and rainbow flags, protesters took a dance party to the streets near the vice president-elect's temporary home to oppose his positions on LGBT issues.

News outlets report that more than 100 people accompanied by a truck blasting music danced Wednesday night through the usually quiet Chevy Chase area of northwest Washington, where Mike Pence has been renting a home.

Disrupt J20, a collection of activist groups, and WERK For Peace, which formed after the Orlando nightclub shooting, organized what they called a 'Queer Dance Party.'

The party took place at around 8pm and dispersed approximately 30 minutes later.

With glow sticks, hula hoops and rainbow flags, protesters took a dance party to the streets near the vice president-elect's temporary home to oppose his positions on LGBT issues. A reveler is seen above climbing aboard a truck during the party in Washington on Wednesday

Activists have criticized Pence for signing a law as Indiana governor that they say could sanction discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender customers.

The legislature later reversed course.

The group found Pence's street blocked.

Pence was not home at the time of the event, according to CNN.

Over 100 people accompanied by a truck blasting music danced Wednesday night through the usually quiet Chevy Chase area of northwest Washington

Disrupt J20, a collection of activist groups, and WERK For Peace, which formed after the Orlando nightclub shooting, organized what they called a 'Queer Dance Party'

The party took place at around 8pm and dispersed approximately 30 minutes later

The incoming vice president was hosting an inaugural dinner at the National Portrait Gallery.

'Dance is so integral to the queer community as a form of self-expression and a form of asserting our power and our beauty and our love for one another,' Firas Nasr, a 23-year-old protest organizer from Virginia, told The Washington Post.

'The idea is to leave a mark that Mike Pence will never forget.'

'We want to send a strong message to Pence that we're a united queer community,' Nasr said.

Pence was not at home at the time of the party. He is seen above speaking at an inauguration event at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington on Wednesday

'We've always stood united. There's always space to dance.'

The revelers gyrated to the sounds of pop songs like Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' as well as Beyonce, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga, whose music blared through two-foot speakers.

The neighbors seemed happy to have the event at their doorstep.

'I love this,' one neighbor, Mary Ann Carmody, 76, told the Post.

Carmody lives in Chevy Chase with her husband, John, 80.

'I love the world. It's wonderful to see people on the street like this. We're lucky we can do this.'

Pence moved into his home a few weeks following Donald Trump's election victory on November 8.

Pence's new Washington neighbors welcomed him to the area with gay-pride flags.

Several people on Pence's block hung rainbow pride flags to show their displeasure about his positions on LGBT issues.

Pence's temporary residence (above) is a five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home in Chevy Chase with a monthly rental price of $6,000

Pence's new Washington neighbors welcomed him to the area with gay-pride flags

Several people on Pence's block hung rainbow pride flags to show their displeasure about his positions on LGBT issues

Pence is living in the neighborhood during the transition before he moves into the vice president's mansion on the grounds of the Naval Observatory following the inauguration on Friday.

LGBT activists have criticized Pence for a 'religious-objections' law he signed as Indiana governor that they said could sanction discrimination against gay people.

Pence's temporary residence - a five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home in Chevy Chase - has a monthly rental price of $6,000, according to WJLA-TV.
Caitlyn Jenner was spotted on her way to Washington DC on Thursday.

The 66-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashian vet wore a royal blue scarf with a black coat and matching purse as she made her way through's LAX airport in Los Angeles.

The reality star has said she will be attending Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday. And she may just get some special attention from the future President.

It has been claimed by a member of his administration that Trump has been urged to dance with the TV star at his ball to prove that he is in touch with America's LGBT community.

Caitlyn Jenner was spotted at LAX airport in Los Angeles on Thursday as she makes her way to Washington DC for Donald Trump's inauguration

Trump will be officially sworn in as President of the United States tomorrow

The President-elect is unpopular with sections of the LGBT community, and it is apparently believed that the move could provide a way to bolster his support.

His advisers also reportedly believe that a dance with Jenner could build bridges with the party itself.

'It's a brilliant idea,' a member of the incoming administration told Richard Johnson at Page Six.

'The image of Trump dancing with Caitlyn would send a strong message that he supports gay rights and trans rights,' the Republican said.

'A picture is worth a thousand tweets.'

Bruce Jenner was a stalwart Republican long before she transitioned into Caitlyn.

The former Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete has been called the most famous openly transgender woman in the world, but has received criticism within the LGBT community for her support of Trump.

The 66-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashian star wore a royal blue scarf with a black coat and matching purse. It is not known what she will wear to the inauguration

It has been claimed by a member his administration that Trump has been urged to dance with the TV star at his ball to prove that he is in touch with America's LGBT community

The Republican party is often seen to be broadly unsupportive of LGBT rights.

Trump has expressed support for North Carolinas HB2 law, which states that in government buildings, individuals may only use restrooms and changing facilities that correspond to the sex on their birth certificates.

The President-elect has also said that he would rescind the Obama Administrations guidance that transgender students be allowed to use restrooms that match their gender identity, and he has made it clear he would not enforce federal civil rights laws to ensure transgender Americans are treated equally under the law.

Jenner's publicist said: 'Can't deal in hypotheticals. We'll just have to wait and see.'

Jenner will reportedly be attending the inauguration although it is believed she was not invited by Trump, but will attend as a guest of the American Unity Fund, a conservative nonprofit that works on behalf of LGBTQ Americans.
Labour was in chaos last night after frontbenchers threatened to defy Jeremy Corbyn by voting against Article 50 in the Commons.

The party leader insisted yesterday that if Theresa May is forced to seek Parliaments approval before beginning the Brexit process, his MPs would back her.

But shadow business secretary Clive Lewis, said he was not certain to obey Mr Corbyn  and could vote against.

Members of Jeremy Corbyn's frontbench have revealed they are could vote against Brexit when Theresa May seeks parliamentary approval to trigger departure talks with Brussels

He said Labour should be demanding assurances and guarantees before agreeing to back Article 50, which he said was not in the best interests of the country.

NO RISK TO CITY JOBS Britain will remain the financial centre of Europe even after Brexit, according to the boss of one of the worlds biggest banks. Jes Staley, the chief executive of Barclays, said the UK will continue to be the financial lungs for the rest of the continent after leaving the EU. He also dismissed suggestions Brexit would cause an economic shock in the UK. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Staley said: Were committed to doing our part to help the UK come out of the Brexit decision as strongly as it can do. The vote of confidence in the UK and the City as a global financial centre came as Philip Hammond hailed the scale and depth of Britains financial markets and rubbished claims London could be usurped by Frankfurt or Paris. Advertisement

In a bid to head off a rebellion, Mr Corbyn dropped plans to impose a three-line whip  saying he would merely ask MPs to vote in favour of Article 50.

A three-line whip would have meant that shadow ministers voting against would have been forced to resign.

It follow reports that at least four shadow cabinet ministers and several junior frontbenchers were said to be agonising about the prospect of backing Article 50.

There were also claims dozens of backbench Labour MPs may abstain or vote against.

Earlier yesterday, Mr Corbyn had indicated the vote would be subject to a three-line whip.

But later, a spokesman said this had not been decided  and that the party may attempt to amend the Article 50 bill if it did not meet Labour priorities for negotiation.

Mr Corbyn had told Sky News: Its very clear the referendum made a decision that Britain is to leave the European Union  I have made it very clear the Labour Party accepts and respects the decision of the British people. We will not block Article 50.

Tory MP Dominic Raab, pictured, blasted Labour for 'plotting to vote to ignore' June's Brexit vote and accused the party of disrespecting democracy

The Supreme Court will rule on Tuesday whether Theresa May, pictured speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this morning, must win parliamentary backing

60bn THREAT FROM EU European leaders are threatening to stand in the way of a smooth Brexit deal unless the UK pays a divorce bill of up to 60billion. In a warning of the gruelling battle that could unfold around the negotiating table, one EU leader last night warned the UK it will have to pay a huge price. Brussels officials have insisted Britain pays its contributions to the EUs inflated budget that were agreed before the referendum result  along with huge contributions to the pensions of its Eurocrats. Influential European Parliament members yesterday threatened to veto any Brexit agreement unless No 10 agrees to cough up. French MEP Sylvie Goulard said: We will develop a new relationship after [settling] the conditions of the divorce. We will make sure a country that is leaving is paying the bill. Advertisement

Asked if that meant a three-line whip, he said: It means that all Labour MPs will be asked to vote in that direction next week or whenever the vote comes up.

Mr Lewis, MP for Norwich South, said: It is safe to say I am deeply concerned at the direction Theresa May and the Conservative Government is taking these negotiations 

'I dont think what is currently on the table, given the irreversibility of Article 50, means that signing Article 50 under these conditions is in the best interests of people in Norwich or the country.

One shadow cabinet minister told The Guardian: Im concerned that if we wave Article 50 through, my constituents will go crazy.

Another said: When people lose their jobs, you need to be on the right side of that.

'I dont think we should vote to trigger Article 50.

Tory MP Dominic Raab said: Labour backed the EU referendum  members of Jeremy Corbyns top team are now plotting to vote to ignore the result  Labour is too divided and incompetent even to agree to respect the decision people have already made.

Cartoons such as Peppa Pig could be cut because of Brexit, former childrens TV presenter Floella Benjamin has warned.

The Lib Dem peer demanded UK taxpayers keep pouring money into the Creative Europe fund, which shelled out 40million to British shows in two years.

The former head of Britains anti-racism watchdog yesterday said it was delusional to suggest Brexit was to blame for a spike in hate crimes.

Lord Ouseley, former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, said there was nothing new about levels of racial hatred in society. He said abuse against ethnic minorities had been a feature of British life for years, as had attacks on the disabled and gay people  meaning there was no way they could be blamed on Brexit.

Lord Ouseley spoke out a day after the current Commission chairman David Isaac warned hate crimes could soar when Article 50 is triggered.
An autistic woman, who was 'bullied all her life' and suffered period pain so severe that she wanted a hysterectomy, killed herself with a fatal cocktail of painkillers.

Andromeda Brown, 21, from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, was found unconscious and 'stone cold' on her bed by her mother, Mona, in June last year.

She was suffering from fibromyalgia - a long term condition which causes pain all over the body.

A post-mortem examination two days later revealed 'fatal' levels of drugs in her system.

Andromeda Brown, 21, from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, was found unconscious and 'stone cold' on her bed by her mother, Mona, in June last year

Detective Constable Nathan Davey told the coroner that Andromeda's mother had made a witness statement following the death at the bungalow home she shared with her daughter.

Reading from the statement the detective said: 'On June 20 she last saw Andromeda at 9pm when she went to bed.

'At 3am in the morning she heard Andromeda going to the toilet. She said her daughter usually got up between 6am and 7am but on that particular morning she did not.

'Mona found her in bed at 9am and although she was stone cold she dialled 999 and called an ambulance.'

Officers found a bundle of medication boxes with a number of drugs missing in addition to a handwritten note on her bedside table, signed by Andromeda.

'It was actually quite a well-written, emotional note which Andromeda suggests in it at the end she had just had enough,' added Det Con Davey.

'She talks about being in pain and that her mental health was getting worse.. She says she has no motivation, that she has been bullied all her life and that she now feels free.

'She says she feels tired, like a road and lonely as a sparrow in rain.'

Miss Brown had been diagnosed with austistic spectrum disorder and a personality disorder, described by medics as 'emotionally unstable', and was taking regular weekly-administered medication.

Her GP, Dr Khuram Ajmal, explained that Miss Brown also suffered dysmenorrhea or period pains so severe she requested gynaecological major surgery.

'She actually came to see me,' he said.

Senior Coroner Crispin Butler recorded the death as suicide caused by multiple drug toxicity, in part due to the fact a written note was found

'She said 'I want to have a hysterectomy and have my ovaries removed because I am in so much pain.'

'I said 'Actually, you're a young woman, things are difficult at the moment, we can look at other options and hopefully we can get this pain under control so you don't have to resort to such extreme measures.'

Senior Coroner Crispin Butler recorded the death as suicide caused by multiple drug toxicity, in part due to the fact a written note was found.

'It is the only indication from Andromeda that we can have in this court, we can never ask her the precise question,' he said.

He continued: 'I think on the evidence, beyond reasonable doubt given the levels and given the tablets that were present, given the note and given the medical information we have heard, this (suicide) could have occurred in that period of time.

'I believe she did intend this when she did this.'

To contact the Samaritans, call 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
Three generations of a British family including a two-month-old baby boy have died in a minibus crash in Saudi Arabia.

New mother Ataka Anis, 28, from Manchester, is fighting for her life in a coma after the collision claimed the life of her newborn son Adam, whose siblings Ayaan, two, and Jemimah, one, were also injured.

Ataka's parents, Mohammed Khurshid Ahmed, 64, and Noshina Ahmed, 49, also died along with Noshina's sister, Rabia Ahmed, 56.

Noshina and Rabia's sisters, Sadia Chaudhury and Fozia Zahid, 65, were also hurt in the crash on Wednesday afternoon after their bus was involved in an accident between Mecca and Medina.

Another married couple travelling on the same bus, Mohammed Aslam, 71, and Talat Aslam, 62, from Glasgow, also died of their injuries.

Sisters Nohshina (far left) and Rabia Ahmed (third left) were said to have been killed in the crash, Sadia Chaudhury (third right) and Fozia Zahid (far right) were critically injured

Talat Aslam (pictured, in Dubai) and her husband Mohammad died in the crash

Two British children were also injured in the crash. Pictures on a Saudi website showed the minibus on its side and an ambulance in attendance

Thousands of British Muslim pilgrims travel to the holy city of Mecca (pictured) every year

Speaking from the Ahmed family home in Chorlton, South Manchester, a relative who didn't want to be named said: 'It's been a complete shock really to lose so many members of the family at one time.

'We can't fathom the extent of the what's happening. We're finding it really difficult to take in.

'So many lives have been taken in one go.

'Two sisters. A newborn baby. A married couple. There are no words.

'A lot of the family are travelling to Saudi Arabia tonight to be with them.

'We are praying for the ones in hospital to pull through, but Ataka is in a coma and doesn't even know her baby, parents, and auntie have died.

'The baby, Adam, was only two months old. It's unbelievably sad.

'They are all from Manchester but were friendly with the family from Scotland as well.'

The minibus, which was carrying 12 passengers, was driving between Mecca and Medina. The driver has survived.

It is a thought the seventh person who died was not a British citizen.

Those involved were Muslim pilgrims visiting the holy city of Mecca.

The Manchester-based tour operator, Haji Tours, who organised the trip, have offered their condolences to the families of the victims.

The crash happened as the pilgrims travelled from Islam's holiest city, Mecca, to Medina

They are reportedly arranging flights and visas for the family's relatives in the UK to travel to Saudi Arabia.

A Haji Tours spokesman said: 'We are sharing our sorrow with the family affected. We hope God forgives them and gives them the best place possible in paradise. We share our grief with them and give them courage at this terrible time.'

They were performing Umrah, a pilgrimage made by Muslims to Mecca at any time of year, as opposed to the Haj, which this year will take place in August and early September.

The six Britons were in a minibus when it crashed on a road between Mecca and Medina. Debris was strewn around after the accident (pictured)

According to the Koran, the Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca but migrated to Medina in 622, after learning of a plot to kill him and his followers, the world's first Muslims. He died in Medina and his tomb is in the city, making it the second holiest in Islam.

A Foreign Office spokesman: 'We are supporting the families of six British people who have sadly died following a road accident in Saudi Arabia.

'We are also helping several more British nationals who were injured in the crash. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families at this very difficult time.'

The Britons were travelling to Medina (pictured), the second holiest city in Islam, which is where the Prophet Muhammad is buried

The Foreign Office said it was supporting the families of the six victims and helping others who were injured in the crash.

A spokeswoman said: 'We are supporting the families of six British people who have sadly died following a road accident in Saudi Arabia.

'We are also helping several more British nationals who were injured in the crash. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families at this very difficult time.'




Elisabeth Faye Cannon, a woman who had complained about 'bad blacks' in her neighborhood, was arrested on Monday after shooting a black teen in the head as he walked in the street outside her house

A white woman who once complained about 'bad blacks' in her neighborhood has been arrested for shooting an African-American teenager in the head as he walked by her house.

Elisabeth Faye Cannon from Macon, Georgia has been charged with aggravated assault after she allegedly fired at 15-year-old Vernon Marcus Jr.

The 47-year-old told police the victim and his friends had been throwing rocks at her home for a week.

But another young man who was with Marcus the night of the shooting said that it was Cannon who had been harassing them - yelling racial slurs at them and claiming they had broken into her house.

The incident happened Monday night around 8pm as Marcus and a group of other young people were walking on the street in front of the home Cannon shares with her husband and 16-year-old daughter.

The friends said they heard gunshots and noticed Marcus was lying on the ground wounded.

Marcus was rushed from the scene in critical condition, and as of Wednesday night - remained in critical but stable condition at Navicent Health hospital.

Police officers interviewed Cannon at the scene, and she allegedly admitted to shooting the teen. She was then arrested and charged with aggravated assault shortly before midnight.

At Cannon's first hearing on Tuesday, a local cop said Cannon told her after the shooting that a group of young men had been throwing rocks at her house regularly and that she fired the shot just to scare them away.

'She didn't mean to hit one of them,' Bibb sheriff's Sgt. Pamela Williams said.

Williams said that earlier in the day Monday, Cannon called to report 'three black males' who had 'been throwing rocks at her house three days prior to this incident'.

Vernon Marcus Jr. remained in critical but stable condition at the hospital as of Wednesday. Cannon's home is seen above, with 'Keep Out' and 'Private Property' signs posted outside

'Miss Cannon had basically said that if they come back in her yard or in her area, she was gonna shoot them. And less than three to four hours later, we get a call (about a shooting),' Williams said.

It's unclear whether Marcus and his friends were the same group that had been targeting Cannon previously.

Williams talked with one of the young men who was with Marcus, and he had a different view of the situation.

The young man said 'they had walked to the store and was walking back to their house' when Cannon fired the shots.

He said that Cannon had harassed them in the past, 'claiming that they've been breaking into her house' and using 'several racial slurs towards them'.

After posting $12,400 bail on Tuesday, Cannon sat down with WMAZ for an interview to defend her actions.

Cannon claimed Marcus and two or three other teens started throwing rocks at her house months ago, but that 'things got worse' in the last week - with the group targeting her for five days in a row.

She says she saw the group on Saturday and told them to stay away from her house, and that they responded by cursing her out and calling her names.

So she called the Bibb County Sheriff's Office again to complain, and a deputy came out and told the teens they were not to return to the street.

But Cannon says that didn't stop them.

She was at a neighbor's house on Monday when she says she saw the group return. She says she waited until they were out of sight then went back to her house, where her daughter was home alone.

When she reached her home, she says they appeared again and that's when she fired the shots.

'I saw them out of the corner of my eye,' she said. 'The barrage of big rocks started, not just at my car and house, but me.

'I started shooting in their direction. They started running,' Cannon said.

Though she feels she was defending herself, she says she feels remorseful for 'accidentally' hitting the teen in the head.

'Maybe it wasn't the best decision to make, but I thought eventually they might hurt us,' she said.

Since the incident, the Macon Telegraph has highlighted a previous interview they did with Cannon back in 2013, when she was concerned about the safety in her neighborhood.

In the interview, she complained about 'good black neighbors' not reining in the 'bad blacks'.

'I have some really good black neighbors. But the good blacks won't get onto the bad blacks,' Cannon said. 'You try not to profile, but at the same time, 99.9 per cent of the crime is gonna be, most often, a black male. ...The good blacks are too busy. They walk by your house, they won't give it a second look. ...You can tell if they're just out walking for exercise or going to the store or whether they're up to something.'

In an interview about the recent shooting, Sheriff David Davis told WMAZ that Cannon's use of force 'may have been excessive'.

'To use a firearm to, quote, "scare somebody," or to send a message can have disastrous results and that's what we've seen here, but you never know the kind of people you're dealing with.

'It is a cautionary tale. In no way did the 15-year-old victim deserve to have what happened to him, but then also, you have to think of the mindset of the person who did the shooting,' Davis said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is being asked to call 478-761-7500 or Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 877-68-CRIME.
A backpacker who worked at a fruitpicking farm has revealed some of the bizarre rules she had to live by at the rural farm.

The rules at a tomato picking farm in the Riverina region of south-west New South Wales included a warning to 'whingers'.

'This is not a job for the weak, cry babies, or those who suffer with back problems or the unfit (slow movers),' the rules warned.

'And certainly not for those that suffer with depression.'

A backpacker who worked at a fruitpicking farm has revealed the odd rules she had to live by

The rules continued to say that the workplace was not for 'whingers' - a term it used to describe people who 'moan, complain, whimper, go on about, bellyache or gripe'.

Along with the strict 'no-whingeing' policy, the rural farm stressed that its workers were to pick fruit 38 hours a week with strict start and finish times.

'Summer, earliest we start is 6am, winter, latest we start is 7.30am.'

Backpackers were strangely told to 'look efficient (even if you're not)'.

Females working on the farm were warned to carry their own sanitary needs and employees were told they would need to 'walk fast at all times'.

The rules at a tomato picking farm in the Riverina region of south-west New South Wales (pictured) included a warning to 'whingers'

Annual holidays were forbidden from September 1 to February 1, while the only days off over the Christmas and New Year period would be public holidays.

'If you have allergies to dust and pollen then this job is not for you.'

'We are not a Kindergarten! We have a job to do and we must get it done to perfection. No rough work or laziness will be tolerated.'

The note was shared to a Facebook page by the former worker, where it was met with harsh criticism from fellow backpackers.

'F*** me, better treatment at shawshank,' wrote one social media user.

'The only thing that's missing is 'must be a robot',' added another.

Young backpackers who want to holiday or work in Australia for a year on a Working Holiday visa are required by law to complete three months of work in regional areas.
Ivanka Trump finally broke her silence about rumors that she might fill the role of first lady when her father takes office on Friday in an interview with Good Morning America.

'Well, I think its an inappropriate observation. There's one first lady and she'll do remarkable things,' said Ivanka, referring to her father's wife Melania.

She later told Deborah Roberts in the interview, which will air in full on 20/20 Thursday night, that she also found the comments 'sexist,' saying that they seemed to suggest that two women could not have a powerful role in her father's White House administration.

Ivanka also revealed during the interview that she is still close to former first daughter Chelsea Clinton despite her father's victory over Hillary in the election, and said that she will likely go to her for advice once she settles down in Washington DC next week.

Meanwhile, CNN reports that Melania is starting to put together the Office of the First Lady and is considering a male for the role of social secretary.

The individual is not part of Melania's New York social circle according to the report.

A source also said Melania's top priority will be to 'make the house a home for her family' once she becomes first lady.

Scroll down for video

Opening up: Ivanka Trump finally addressed rumors that she would be taking on a role similar to that of first lady when her father take office

Respect: 'Well, I think its an inappropriate observation. There's one first lady and she'll do remarkable things,' said Ivanka (Ivanka and Melania above in November)

WATCH: The Trump children one-on-one with @DebRobertsABC and @EVargasABC, with more of the interviews TONIGHT on @ABC2020... pic.twitter.com/UbcjJvXaGb  Good Morning America (@GMA) January 19, 2017

Ivanka, who wore a $2,490 Carolina Herrera dress for the interview, also spoke about how difficult it was to step down from her role as an EVP in the Trump Organization while also backing away from her leadership role in her eponymous clothing and accessories line.

'It's emotional that I'm stepping away from my business,' said Ivanka, who then pointed out however that the reward was much greater in the end.

'My father will be president and hopefully I can be there to support him and to support those causes I have cared about my whole professional career.'

Ivanka spent her last day in her New York office on Wednesday, and uploaded a photo to her Instagram as she said goodbye to her job in the Big Apple to head on down to the nation's capital.

'My last day in the new @ivankatrumphq space. I'm a little jealous I won't be here to enjoy the beautiful new office with my talented team,' wrote Ivanka.

Last week, Ivanka attended a women's power dinner ahead of her big move, which was held at her good friend Wendi Deng's $34m penthouse apartment.

Among the invitees who turned up to give Ivanka advice were Tory Burch, Mika Brzezinski, Tina Brown, Christy Turlington Burns, and former White House press secretary Dana Perino.

Pattie Sellers, the executive director of Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit, was another guest at the dinner, and wrote about the evening for Fortune.

'Trump explained that she wanted to learn from the efforts of leaders in their fields,' said Sellers.

'We talked about entrepreneurship, equal pay, paid leave, and a lot about where the Donald Trump Administration may have the most opportunity: education.'

Also on hand Thursday night was Goldman Sachs executive Dina Powell, who the Trump team announced earlier that same day would be joining the administration in a senior role focused on entrepreneurship, economic growth and the empowerment of women.

It is expected that Ivanka will now be working closely with Powell once her father is in the White House.

Powell put the dinner together on Thursday, and was in charge of coming up with the guest list for the event.

Glamour editor-in-chief Cindi Leive, Time managing editor Nancy Gibbs, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, Deloitte CEO Cathy Engelbert, and Xerox chairman Ursula Burns also attended the event.

The group was not entirely female either, with Ford Foundation president Darren Walker and National Urban League CEO Marc Morial on hand as well for the invite-only dinner.

Fighting back: Ivanka (above with Deborah Roberts) said that suggestions that two women could not have roles of note within her father's administration were 'sexist'

Good friends: Ivanka also revealed that she is still close with former first daughter Chelsea Clinton (above in 2014) and will be going to her for advice when she moves to Washington DC

Farewell: Ivanka spent her last day in her New York office on Wednesday (above with her staff), and uploaded a photo to her Instagram as she said goodbye to her job

Ivanka has yet to officially reveal what her plans are once her father takes office, but did say last Wednesday that her first priority once she moved would be to settle her family into their new residence while her husband Jared Kushner begins his new job as a senior advisor to her father, for which he will not be paid.

She has already busied herself working behind the scenes by phoning members of Congress in an attempt to rally support for childcare proposals. including tax-free childcare accounts and childcare deductions for families making under $500,000 a year.

Ivanka reportedly told the women at the dinner on Thursday that this effort was a priority for her father once he enters office later this week.

Trump's oldest daughter also confirmed last Wednesday that she had stepped down from her senior position at the Trump Organization and put her eponymous fashion brand in the hands of the chief brand officer for the company, Abigail Klem.

Moving day: Ivanka said that he priorities in DC would be to 'support' her father and 'support those causes I have cared about my whole professional career' (movers readying her home above)

Hard at work: Ivanka's husband Jared has accepted a job as one of Trump's senior advisers

Ivanka will certainly be the most visible first daughter that has ever been in the White House, and a source close to the family tells DailyMail.com that she is taking that role 'very seriously' at this time.

'She want to be respectful,' added the source.

There have been numerous indications over the past few weeks that Ivanka would be taking a role in the White House.

The most notable of these was the news earlier this month that the family would be moving into a $5.5million home in the District's Kalorama neighborhood.

One week later, Trump announced that Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner would be joining his staff as a senior advisor.

It is unclear however if the couple bought the six-bedroom residence or will just be renting the home, which was sold just before the holidays to an unknown buyer.

The Trump-Kushners will now be just two blocks away from the home of Barack and Michelle Obama, who are moving to the neighborhood after next week so that their younger daughter Sasha can finish high school in the city.
A former speaker of the House said Thursday that the roughly 60 Democratic members of Congress who plan to boycott President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration should hang their heads in shame.

'If you're a member of Congress, if you work that hard to get to be a part of the system ... all they're doing is make themselves look small and silly,' Newt Gingrich told 'Fox & Friends' hosts.

And the onetime conservative revolutionary, who led the Republican Party to a House majority in 1994 after four decades of back-benching, warned Democrats that their partisan stand could backfire.

'I mean, their left loves them. But as we used to learn the hard way, you know, you can have your partisans love you for a long time and stay in the minority.'

Asked what the late President Ronald Reagan would think of the boycott, Gingrich shot back: 'That they're childish and silly.'

Newt Gingrich, a former Republican Speaker of the House, said Ronald Reagan would have considered Democrats who boycott an inauguration 'childish'

Gingrich said on 'Fox & Friends' that the boycotters were 'small and silly' and doomed to remain a minority if they keep pandering to their far left flank

A feud between Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis and the president-elect has more and more Democrats saying they'll skip Friday's swearing-in

A few Democrats stayed home when Reagan took the oath of office in 1981, and they galvanized their energies later that night around a 'counter-inaugural ball' hosted by a Democratic senator from Colorado.

Gingrich framed the left's boycott this time around in terms of national unity.

'The inauguration's not about Republicans. It's not about Donald Trump,' he said. 'The inauguration's about America. Why would you abandon America?

'You're at a moment when the nation is transferring power peacefully, unlike  no other country has done this as long as we have. You have all of the sense of the national establishment coming together, despite an occasional idiot.'

But despite nearly one-third of the House Democratic caucus not showing up, Gingrich insisted Friday's ceremony will be infused with 'optimism.'

'I mean, it doesn't matter which team wins. We are a naturally optimistic country,' he said.

The former speaker, a onetime college history professor who was at one point touted as a potential cabinet secretary, praised the president-elect for having 'a very strong sense of who he is and what his mission in history is.'

'And he also has frankly a better sense of how to talk with the American people than any Republican since Reagan.'

Cory Booker, one of the Senate's two black Democrats, (left) says he will attend despite a dispute between Lewis (right) and Trump

Gingrich joked about attending an afternoon tea at the British Embassy, saying UK power-brokers don't understand Donald Trump any better than 'the rest of us'

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 that Trump's 'illegitimate'

Reflecting with the 'Fox & Friends' host about a tea they attended Wednesday night at the British Embassy, Gingrich agreed that UK expats inhabiting Washington's corridors of power haven't yet figured out how to relate to the billionaire who will move into the White House on Friday.

'None of us know what to make of Donald Trump. Why should the British be ahead of us?' he quipped.

Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump campaign manager who has since turned lobbyist, told the same Fox News Channel hosts on Thursday that he's disappointed in the boycott news.

'I think the American people are so tired of partisan government and gridlock,' he said.

'It's a shame that some of these congressmen want to make it about hyper-partisan politics and not what's right for the American people. Give him a chance!'

Boycotters are taking their energy from civil rights icon John Lewis, who first said he would stay away from the U.S. Capitol on Friday  incorrectly stating that he'd never missed an inauguration before.

The Washington Post's latest tally had 65 Democratic representatives saying they would participate in a boycott - that's more than one-third of their caucus's 194 members.

Outgoing President Barack Obama told reporters on Wednesday that he was staying above the fray.

'With respect to the inauguration, I am not going to comment on those issues,' Obama said. 'All I know is I'm going to be there. So is Michelle.'

Michigan Representative John Conyers invoked Vice President Joe Biden's unrelated statement that Trump needs to 'grow up' and said he would protest the inauguration with Lewis

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

Democrats who serve in the Senate 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.

Three other California members of Congress who won't attend include (L-R) Jared Huffman, Barbara Lee and Ted Lieu

Trump has clobbered Lewis, saying he should 'finally' focus on 'the burning and crime-infested inner cities' instead of whining about the result of the 2016 election

'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.'

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 beaten by police in Selma, Alabama, was met with outrage by congressional Democrats, many of whom are saying they won't go to his inauguration.

Even Michelle Obama got involved in the fight, highlighting Lewis in a tweet celebrating King and the advancement of civil rights.

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!'

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.

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!'
Donald Trump has been mercilessly trolled after posting a picture of what he claimed was him hard at work writing his inaugural address from the 'Winter White House.'

The picture shows the president-elect sat behind a dark wood desk, with his pen poised over a blank notepad.

'Writing my inaugural address at the Winter White House, Mar-a-Lago, three weeks ago,' Trump tweeted. 'Looking forward to Friday. #Inauguration.'

But people on Twitter were quick to point out that his 'desk' appeared to be a receptionist's table in the public hallway of the Mar-a-Lago club.

'Writing my inaugural address at the Winter White House, Mar-a-Lago, three weeks ago,' Trump tweeted. 'Looking forward to Friday. #Inauguration'

Donald Trump has been mercilessly trolled after posting a picture of what he claimed was him hard at work writing his inaugural address from the 'Winter White House'

'I see no reason Trump wouldn't write his inaugural address at reception desk. #ManOfThePeople,' one Twitter wrote sarcastically along with a picture of Trump at his desk, and another picture of a receptionist apparently sitting at the same table

'I see no reason Trump wouldn't write his inaugural address at reception desk. #ManOfThePeople,' one Twitter wrote sarcastically along with a picture of Trump at his desk, and another picture of a receptionist apparently sitting at the same table.

Others mocked the 'staged' photo claiming Trump was writing his inauguration speech with a black Sharpie.

One Twitter user even photo-shopped the picture so Trump appeared with a pack of crayons.

One posted a picture of the notepad which simply said: 'Don's speech' - with 'speech' originally misspelled - and a squiggle underneath

Others mocked the 'staged' photo claiming Trump was writing his inauguration speech with a black Sharpie or crayons

Another suggested Trump was writing a 'thank you' letter to Putin after the allegations of Russian hacking (right)

While some suggested that the real estate mogul was doodling half naked pictures of Russian President Vladimir Putin

Another posted a 'live look at Trump writing his inaugural address' with just an elaborately decorated word 'The'

Another tweet imagined Trump was sketching a live model in the style of Leo DiCaprio drawing Kate Winslet in Titanic.

'Draw me like one of your French girls,' the caption read.

Several others mocked the content of the speech.

One posted a picture of the notepad which simply said: 'Don's speech' - with 'speech' originally misspelled - and a squiggle underneath.

Another posted a 'live look at Trump writing his inaugural address' with just an elaborately decorated word 'The'.

While some suggested that the real estate mogul was doodling half naked pictures of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Another demanded that Trump give the receptionist her desk back

Many complained that the photo was obviously 'staged' saying they were 'Not. Buying. It.'

Another suggested Trump was writing a 'thank you' letter to Putin after the allegations of Russian hacking.

On Tweet imagined that Trump was drawing stick figures of himself and the 'suckers' who voted for him.

While some suggested that Trump's stern expression in the picture, reflected his own concern about his inauguration.

'Oh god what have I done?' one Tweet suggested.

Senior Trump officials told CNN yesterday that Trump had written a draft of his inaugural speech.

And while we would never suggest that Trump did not, as he claimed, wrote the speech in the public hallway of the Mar-a-Lago club with a black Sharpie, the president-elect has hopefully learned a lesson from his wife Melania's 'plagiarized' speech and kept it original.
Prosecutor busted: Gwinnett County Assistant District Attorney Christopher Quinn, 46, has been arrested on pandering and racketeering charges as part of a massive prostitution bust

A large-scale prostitution sting that was carried out in Georgia last month resulted in the arrests of 56 suspects, among them a senior Gwinnett County assistant district attorney.

Prosecutor Christopher Quinn, 46, turned himself in to Dunwoody police on Tuesday and was booked on charges of misdemeanor pandering and violation of Georgias felony racketeering law, known as RICO.

Quinn's superior, Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny porter, would not comment on the prosecutor's arrest beyond telling the Atlanta Journal Constitution that he was aware of it and 'not pleased about it.'

Porter said Quinn, who is married, has been placed on suspension with pay pending the outcome of the investigation.

The prosecutors attorney, Noah Pines, slammed the racketeering allegations against his client as 'far overreaching,' arguing that customers paying for sex are, by definition, not part of the racketeering enterprise.

The sting operation that landed Quinn jail was sparked by an anonymous tip alleging that a high-end escort service, dubbed Gold Club, was being run out of Savannah at Park Place Apartment homes in Dunwoody

In plain site: The underground brothel was operating across the street from the Dunwoody Police Department, as shown on this map

The sting operation that landed Quinn jail was sparked by an anonymous tip alleging that two high-end escort services were operating out of apartment complexes in Dunwoody and Atlanta.

One of the underground brothels, dubbed 'Gold Club,' was being run out of Savannah at Park Place Apartment homes on Perimeter Center East, located just across the street from the Dunwoody Police Department.

A second escort service, called Lipstick and Shoes, was allegedly housed in another residential building in Dunwoody and two housing complexes in Atlanta.

Police put hidden cameras in one of the buildings, which they say captured hours of illicit activity at those locations.

'Masterminds': Sam Crenshaw (left) and George Moore (right) have been identified by police as the alleged leaders of the prostitution ring

Investigators have identified the suspected leaders of the sex trafficking ring as Sam Crenshaw, Darlene Crenshaw and George Moore,

The raids on December 29 resulted in 56 arrests, among them female sex workers ranging in age from 18 to 44, according to the station 11Alive. So far, seven people have been brought up on charges in the case, among them ADA Christopher Quinn.

A graduate of Walter F. Georgia Law School at Mercer University, Quinn has been with the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office since 2014, handling death penalty appeal cases, according to the Daily Report.

Prior to that, he had worked for nearly 16 years at the Fulton County District Attorneys Office, prosecuting some of the highest-profile cases, including the 2008 murder trial of courthouse shooter Brian Nichols.

The raids on December 29 resulted in 56 arrests, among them female sex workers ranging in age from 18 to 44. Brittany Johnson (left) and Esther Park (right) were among those nabbed

Miranda Ogle (left) and Laura Davis (right) were also arrested last month as part of the sex trafficking investigation

At a press conference held on Wednesday announcing the arrests, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said the bust should send a strong message that sex trafficking will not be tolerated in her jurisdiction.

WSB-TV reported that a woman who claimed that her young relative worked as an escort for 'Gold Club' told her that she was earning $2,000-$3,000 a week servicing clients who would come from all over the country, among them politicians, professional athletes, musicians and hip hop artists.
A 14-year-old girl found her father shot to death outside their Houston home Thursday morning.

The man's daughter told Harris County deputies that she was inside the home and heard her father talking on the phone outside before the shooting, according to KPRC.

Police have not released the victim's identity, and he is only described as a 37-year-old Hispanic man.

A 14-year-old girl found her father shot to death outside their Houston home Thursday morning

The man's daughter told Harris County deputies that she was inside the home and heard her father talking on the phone outside before the shooting. Police have not released the victim's identity, and he is only described as a 37-year-old Hispanic man

The man's daughter told deputies that she heard two gunshots before running to the garage, opening it and finding her father's body, according to ABC 13.

Four small children were also in the home when the shots rang out.

Authorities said the shooting was reported around 1.30am at a home in the 5900 block of Bihia Forest Drive.

When deputies arrived, they found the man dead of an apparent gunshot wound. He leaves behind six children.

Neighbor, Andre Cheeves, told Click 2 that family was 'pretty quiet'.

'They pretty much stay to themselves around this area and stuff like that. There's quit a few young kids. I'm just glad the kids are OK.'

Investigators said there did not appear to be much of a struggle, and they are still looking for the gunman.

Surveillance cameras outside the home may have been captured on camera.

Four small children were also in the home when the shots rang out. Authorities said the shooting was reported around 1.30am at a home in the 5900 block of Bihia Forest Drive (pictured). Police said the investigation is ongoing




Nearly 70 per cent of Germans want to see the Burka banned - while the same view is held by half of Britons, a study claims.

But only a quarter of Americans want the full body and face veil outlawed, according to international research by Britain-based YouGov.

More than 7,000 Germans were asked in December about their views on burkas and 69% said they should be a law against wearing them - a seven point increase since the same question was asked months earlier.

Nearly 70 per cent of Germans want to see the Burka banned - while the same view is held by half of Britons, a poll claims (file picture)

However, a fifth of Germans had the opposite opinion.

In the UK, half of the 1,609 people asked said a burka ban should be brought in while 38 per cent disagreed.

Only 25 per cent of Americans believed there should be a ban with 60 per cent saying there should be no such measure. It is not yet clear how many people were quizzed about their views in the US.

Last month, German chancellor Angela Merkel called for a burka ban after saying the 'full veil is not appropriate' in Germany.

Last month, German chancellor Angela Merkel (pictuered) called for a burka ban after saying the 'full veil is not appropriate' in Germany

The 62-year-old told her conservative CDU party conference that wearing the burka should be outlawed 'wherever that is legally possible'.

She said she would back a nationwide ban just months after revealing that she believed the burka was a barrier to Muslim women becoming integrated into German society.

She told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland in August: 'From my point of view, a completely covered woman has almost no chance of integrating herself in Germany.'

Previously, Merkel has stopped short of calling for a ban on Islamic clothing, saying: 'This is a question of finding the right political and legal balance.'

Her new, tougher stance came a week after Dutch MPs voted overwhelmingly to ban the Islamic full-face veil from some public places such as schools and hospitals, the latest such move in a European country.

The legislation must now go before the Senate for approval before becoming law. It follows similar bans imposed in France and Belgium, and comes amid rising tensions in Europe with Islamic communities.
A disabled woman was told she couldn't get on a bus because there was a buggy in the 'priority space - minutes after seeing wheelchair users win a landmark legal case.

A shocking video shows disability campaigner Kerdesan Gallardo attempting to get on a packed bus outside the Supreme Court in London.

The courthouse had just minutes before seen a new decree rule that wheelchair users should be given greater priority over mothers with baby buggies on buses.

As Ms Gallardo tries to board the 148 to Shepherd's Bush, she points out to the driver that an empty buggy is in the priority space, meaning she cannot get on.

Ms Gallardo is interviewed outside of the Supreme Court, moments after a historic legal ruling went in favour of wheelchair users

The driver goes upstairs to find the mother, but she seemingly refuses to budge, causing other passengers to become irate at Ms Gallardo for holding up the bus.

One woman, whose face is muzzed, says to Ms Gallardo: 'What Im saying to you is youre being unreasonable.

'Suppose the lady came downstairs and put her two kids in the buggy, what would you do? Shes a priority as well, shes got two kids.'

As Ms Gallardo, a member of the Transport For All campaign group, speaks to the media outside the court, the mother removes the buggy from the space off-camera.

The woman then says: 'Come on the bus, were waiting for you. Come on the bus, youre holding up the bus for everybody.'

A shocking video shows disability campaigner Kerdesan Gallardo attempting to get on a packed bus outside the Supreme Court in London as she is berated by passengers

The driver goes upstairs to find the mother, but she seemingly refuses to budge, causing other passengers to become irate at Ms Gallardo for holding up the bus

One woman, whose face is muzzed (pictured), says to Ms Gallardo: 'What Im saying to you is youre being unreasonable'

Another angry commuter shouts: 'Were trying to get to work, hurry up.'

It comes after bus drivers were told they must now do more to force non-wheelchair users to vacate the 'priority' space if required by a disabled person.

Previously, the area was viewed as being available on a 'first come, first served basis' between the disabled, parents with children and elderly people.

The case was triggered when wheelchair user Doug Paulley attempted to board a bus operated by FirstGroup which had a sign saying: 'Please give up this space if needed for a wheelchair user'.

Mr Paulley, from Wetherby, West Yorkshire, was left at the stop because a woman with a sleeping baby refused to move her pushchair when asked by the bus driver.

FirstGroup has a policy of 'requesting but not requiring' non-disabled travellers, including those with babies and pushchairs, to vacate the space if it is needed.

As other wheelchair users and disabled people cheered him outside the court, Mr Paulley said: 'I am absolutely delighted. It has been a long fight.'

He added that the judgment marked 'a significant cultural change'.

Doug Paulley enjoys a drink following the outcome of the landmark legal hearing at London's Supreme Court

The case was triggered when Doug Paulley attempted to board a bus operated by FirstGroup which had a sign saying: 'Please give up this space if needed for a wheelchair user'

The case was first heard at Leeds County Court, which ruled the policy breached FirstGroup's duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make 'reasonable adjustments'.

Recorder Paul Isaacs said the bus company policy should have 'required' the woman to move and the wheelchair user's right to priority should have been enforced.

But the recorder's judgment was overturned by the Court of Appeal, which ruled that such a policy would not strike a fair balance between the needs of wheelchair users and the needs of other passengers who might be vulnerable.

The policy would also be liable to give rise to confrontation and delayed journeys.

Mr Paulley then continued his fight before seven justices at the UK's highest court.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission, which supported Mr Paulley at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, described the latest decision in the case as 'a victory for disabled people's rights'.

It added that the ruling was 'a hugely important decision, which has helped clarify the current state of the law, and will give confidence to thousands of disabled people in Britain to use public transport'.

Chairman David Isaac said: 'Public transport is essential for disabled people to live independently, yet bus companies have not made it easy for this to happen.

Mr Paulley, from Wetherby, West Yorkshire, was left at the stop because a woman with a sleeping baby refused to move her pushchair when asked by the bus driver

'This is a victory for disabled people's rights. The success of this case means bus companies will have to end 'first come, first served' policies, increasing peace of mind for disabled people.

'This has been about correcting a confusing policy which has caused untold problems for disabled people.

'For years, wheelchair users have been deterred from using vital public transport links because they could not be sure they will be able to get on. Today's judgment will make that easier.'

He said the court had suggested that the law should be reconsidered in order to provide much-needed clarity for bus companies and their customers, and that the commission 'will be pressing the Government to commit to these changes in the Bus Services Bill'.

Doug Paulley took his fight from County Court all the way to the Supreme Court

Lord Neuberger, the Supreme Court's president, explained that Mr Paulley's appeal was being allowed, but only to the limited extent that FirstGroup's policy requiring a driver to simply request a non-wheelchair user to vacate the space without taking any further steps was unjustified.

Where a driver who has made such a request concludes that such a refusal is unreasonable, he or she should consider some further step to pressurise the non-wheelchair user to vacate the space, depending on the circumstances.

Managing Director of First Bus, Giles Fearnley told MailOnline: 'We welcome today's decision from the Supreme Court.

'It has ruled that bus drivers are not required to remove customers from vehicles, which was a key issue for us. This provides welcome clarity for bus operators, our drivers and our customers.

'This was clearly a difficult case for the Supreme Court with six different judgments, and we look forward to receiving further clarity around the decision when the Court publishes its Order. In response, we will implement any necessary changes.

'We recognise how important it is that bus services are accessible for all customers and we lead the industry in improving bus travel for customers with all disabilities. We are therefore also pleased that the Supreme Court found that we did not discriminate against Mr Paulley.'
Cornwall looks set for a 50billion mining revolution after plans were revealed to make Poldark country Europe's sole producer of lithium.

Lithium - known as 'white petroleum' - is used in the rapidly growing market for electric cars and rechargeable batteries in everything from mobile phones to cordless vacuums.

Most lithium is produced in South America, Australia and China but there are vast quantities locked inside its large granite stores up to 1,000 metres below the Cornish soil.

But with no European source the UK Government has earmarked lithium as a metal of strategic importance to the country and new mines could be opened or existing ones brought back into action.

Map: Most lithium is produced in South America, Australia and China but there are vast quantities locked inside its large granite stores up to 1,000 metres below the Cornish soil (circled in red)

Cornwall's mining industry dates back to pre-historic times and its abundance of metals has been suggested as one of the reasons why the Roman's invaded Britain - but it collapsed in the last century

TV miner Ross Poldark (pictured in one of his tin mines) has brought Cornwall's mining industry back into the public eye

Mining company Cornish Lithium wants to use new technology to extract lithium from hot spring brines in the granite deep underground in Cornwall.

Veins of lithium can run through rock or can also be extracted by evaporating it from seawater containing the element.

Ignored lithium stocks could be worth billions Lithium has been named a strategically important mineral for the UK by the Government because of its scarcity and importance for developing industries. At present, it is mainly mined in remote, difficult-to-reach and therefore costly parts of Chile, Australia and Nevada in the USA. Without a home grown source of lithium, the UK would be vulnerable to shortfall as global demand increases, but now all that is set to change and put us firmly on the map. The development in Cornwall will give the UK access to its own supply of the element, the market for which is expected to quadruple to $70billion by 2020. Lithium occurs in natural, hot brine springs under Cornwall and extraction is said to be clean and environmentally friendly, as well as offering the prospects of generating geothermal energy. High levels of lithium readings were first recognised as long ago as 1864 in water flowing into Cornish mines but until now the technology hasn't existed to extract it in quantities large enough to turn a profit. Also, historically the soft, volatile metal was regarded as of little use because it effectively had no market, and when the mines in Cornwall closed it was largely forgotten. Advertisement

The firm announced that it has secured a mineral rights agreement with Canada's Strongbow Exploration and Mineral Exploration and has also reached agreement with significant landowner Tregothnan Estates to carry out exploration for lithium across Cornwall.

It hopes the move will put Cornwall 'back on the map' as a mining centre and lead the UK into an exciting market.

The company believes the exploration project would be the 'largest, single, unified mineral exploration programme in Cornwall's history'.

Jeremy Wrathall, chief executive of Cornish Lithium, said: 'We believe the potential benefits of developing a lithium industry in Cornwall will be significant for the county and for the UK as a whole.

'We believe that this is a hugely exciting opportunity to put Cornwall back on the map as a mining centre as well as develop a new industry in the UK.'

The lithium market is expected to quadruple to 70 billion by 2020, with demand driven by the dramatic switch towards electric cars across the world.

German car giant Volkswagen has said it wants up to 25 per cent of its sales to be electric vehicles by 2025.

The potential for the market has seen the price of lithium more than double over the past 18 months and is now worth between 10,000 US dollars (8,114) and 18,000 US dollars (14,606) a tonne.

Mr Wrathall, 53, who owns Cornish Lithium with his wife, is hoping to raise 5million to start initial exploration tests, with around four or five well drills expected to be set up under the agreement, which covers a large area centred around Camborne, Redruth and St Day in Cornwall.

It could lead to 'significant' new jobs in the county and help revive its once enormous mining industry.

Plans: Cornish Lithium Director Jeremy Wrathall (left) and Strongbow Exploration's Richard Williams sign a deal as Cornwall looks set to mine for lithium

History: Millions of tons of granite have been blasted from quarries all around Cornwall (pictured is rock for Chelsea Bridge taken from Penryn) but the remaining stores contain high amounts of lithium

Cornish Lithium has done a deal with the mining company behind South Crofty Tin Mine in the village of Pool, Cornwall(pictured), which could reopen in 2018

Why does Cornwall have so much lithium? Until the late 19th Century, Cornwall was one of the worlds biggest exporters of copper and tin. But the region has another, very valuable resource in lithium. Its presence has long been known, but there was no market for it - up until now. Today, lithium is increasingly used in batteries for products such as smartphones and electric cars, and now engineers are keep to extract the metal. It occurs in natural, hot brine springs under Cornwall. Its presence is believed to be due to the interaction between highly saline water from the regions sedimentary basin and the granite under Cornwall. The granite rocks contain lithium which dissolved in the waters that have interacted with the rocks over millions of years. As a result, this lithium appears in underground hot springs which can be extracted through drill holes at least 400m (1,312ft) into rock. Engineers can then pumping out lithium-laden water and process it into useful material. Advertisement

Mr Wrathall added that extraction of lithium is very clean and environmentally friendly, while also offering the prospect of generating power through geothermal energy.

Cornish Lithium has identified the potential for the lithium-loaded brines to be commercially extracted from deep water bearing structures via drill holes and believes that newly developed technology for extracting lithium offers the chance for a viable extraction industry across Cornwall.

Digging for traditional metals like tin was once a mainstay of the Cornish economy and holidaymakers can still see ancient, weed-covered pits on windswept moors and dotted along the rugged coastline.

Despite China and other major countries spending huge sums on mineral exploration, limited new reserves of lithium have been identified...so Cornwall is tipped to cash in.

Cornwall's mining industry dates back to pre-historic times and its abundance of metals has been suggested as one of the reasons why the Roman's invaded Britain.

More than a billion pounds worth of tin, copper, zinc and arsenic, were extracted from more than 2,000 operational pits in its industrial revolution heyday.

However overseas competition began to kill the industry towards the end of the 20th century and the few remaining pits were closed after the price of tin collapsed in 1985.
We all know the feeling of fury that train delays can cause at the end of a busy day.

Even so, most people would also agree that a fatality on the track is a fair reason for services to be running late.

But not for Twitter user Alice O, from Illawarra, who managed to leave a Sydney Trains spokesman at a loss for words with her complaints on Thursday.

Alice O, from Illawarra, launched into a furious rant against Sydney Trains services after they tweeted to say trains would be delayed due to a fatality

The furious commuter was responding to a Sydney Trains tweet asking people to allow extra travel time due to a fatality at Carlton.

She wrote: 'You disproportionately impact commuters from Illawarra more than any other region, why is that?'

Perhaps thinking that Alice had missed the word 'fatality' in the original tweet, the train firm responded: 'Hi Alice, unfortunately the current delays are due to a fatality at Carlton. Apologies for the inconvenience.'

But Alice was not to be swayed so easily, shooting back: 'Don't lay the guilt card. Your system is broken. You disproportionately impact the tens of thousands of Illawarra commuters.'

Seemingly unsure of what else to say, the company simply responded: 'Very sorry for the inconvenience of this evening's fatality causing delays to your trip Alice.'

When the train company tried to point out that the death was not their fault, Alice accused them of playing 'the guilt card' before continuing her tirade

The 20.25 service from Bondi Junction to Waterfall was the first to be affected, with Sydney Trains messaging customers shortly after 9pm to say the train was delayed 'by a person injured at Carlton.'

Five minutes later that service was terminated at Carlton, before other services started to be diverted.

Around 25 minutes after the first message was sent out, the company updated customers to say there had been a fatality, and advised that there would be delays.

While several commuters sent their sympathies, Alice launched her attack instead.

Her rant is made all the more ironic by the fact that, just last week, she was tweeting about Amber Sherlock's diva moment on Nine News, branding her 'entitled'.

Alice also wondered who had leaked the footage of Sherlock, speculating they must hate her, before adding: 'I can see why.'

Daily Mail Australia contacted Alice and Sydney Trains for further comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
A young couple were filmed screaming and writhing around on the floor in what their family claim was a case of 'demonic possession'.

Footage shows the 18-year-old boy and his 16-year-old girlfriend throwing themselves on the floor and making growling noises in a Peruvian village in Viru province.

They were taken to the nearby church where relatives allegedly called for an exorcism, according to Peruvian website RPP.

Two 'possessed' teenager throw themselves on the floor and make growling noises in footage filmed in a Peruvian village in northern Peru. The 18-year-old boy and his 16-year-old girlfriend were taken to an exorcist, according to local news reports

Both teens appear confused and in pain and the boy is seen sat on the floor with another person supporting him around the waist.

According to Peruvian news reports the girl told her family that a witch had come into their room and she was 'very afraid'.

Relatives later reported that the couple had calmed down and the episode may be have been because of some kind of 'pollution'.

Last year a priest warned of a demon that seeks out young couples and families to attack and was apparently encountered in 'numerous exorcisms' carried out by the Catholic Church.

Priest and exorcist Cesar Truqui said the demon, called Asmodeus, was 'present' in many exorcisms.

He added that he had encountered the demon in exorcisms he had carried out with the former exorcist of the Vatican and the Diocese of Rome, Father Gabriele Amorth who died in September.

In the video both teens appear confused and in pain. The boy is seen sat on the floor with another person supporting him around the waist (pictured right)

Father Truqui told the Catholic News Agency: 'I remember a young couple, very united, who wanted to get married, however, the woman had to undergo an exorcism to be set free.'

He said that during the exorcism 'the demon was furious and threatened Father Amorth in order to prevent the marriage, otherwise he would kill the young woman. Obviously, it was a threat from the Liar which in fact did not happen.'




It is one of a dozen recent shootings in Sydney's west as turf wars heat up

' of Audi Q7 used in the Buxton murder, police said

Antonio Hermiz, 20, was fatally shot in the head in a targeted broad daylight shooting

The Assyrian gang member shot in the head in front of terrified families two days before Christmas was being investigated for another underworld murder.

Antonio Hermiz, 20, was a suspect in the slaying of former Lone Wolf bikie Adrian Buxton last May, who was shot several times as he took his bins out.

Hermiz and four associates met another group of young men in Wetherill Park in Western Sydney before a dispute broke out.

The ensuing shootout left Hermiz, a suspected member of Assyrian gang The Last Hour, dead and his friend Ronaldo Odisho, 18, with a bleeding chest wound.

Their gang has been embroiled in a bloody turf war with The True Kings, sparking dozens of shootings the year.

Detectives investigating the shooting, near a playground in Lizard Log Park, linked Hermiz to Buxton's May 19 assassination.

They believed he 'had possession' of a black Audi Q7 used in the murder and was possibly hiding it from authorities.

He was a suspect in the slaying of former Lone Wolf bikie Adrian Buxton (pictured) last May, who was shot several times as he took his bins out

'At the time Mr Buxton was murdered, the Audi had NSW registration plates BMH12Q. The vehicle has not been located,' homicide squad Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin told reporters.

Police would not say if Hermiz was directly involved in the murder or what his role was, including disposing of the getaway car.

Buxton, who had recently left Lone Wolf, was understood to have been killed over a woman - gunned down outside his home as he hid behind a car.

The shootout left Hermiz, a suspected member of Assyrian gang The Last Hour (tattoos pictured), dead and his friend Ronaldo Odisho, 18, with a bleeding chest wound.

Hermiz's death was the eighth Western Sydney gangland shooting being investigated in the past year, including the deaths of Buxton and mafia gangster Pasquale Barbaro.

He was arrested on drug charges just three days before his death, sparking speculation he was suspected of informing on other gangsters.

Despite his friend being gunned down in front of him, Mr Odisho refused to cooperate with police, along with another witness.

'Investigators are exploring links between this incident and a number of public shootings in the area over the past 12 months, which have seen a similar wall of silence from victims,' Inspector Jubelin said.

Hermiz and four associates met another group of young men in Wetherill Park in Western Sydney before a dispute broke out

Hermiz's death was the eighth Western Sydney gangland shooting being investigated in the past year, including the deaths of Buxton and mafia gangster Pasquale Barbaro

Police formed Strike Force Jacoby to investigate the shootings.

The strike force came months after the launch of Operation Condor, made to tackle DLASTHR and The True Kings.

On July 12, a man survived a shot in the back as he left his Fairfield home, before a 24-year-old man also shot in the back at Prairiewood weeks later.

DLASTHR has been under close watch since the mid 2000s and police intelligence puts the gang behind the supply of cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine in the greater Fairfield area.
Former teacher David Kingston, 38, pictured, was struck off after being caught watching animal porn in 2013

An assistant headteacher says he was unfairly struck off after being caught viewing animal porn and should be allowed to return to the classroom.

'Highly regarded' primary school teacher David Kingston, 38, claims he was not guilty of 'unacceptable professional conduct' when he 'viewed bestiality images' online at the home of his then partner in 2013.

His 'ill advised' decision to view the illegal footage, which his partner had searched for on a single occasion, 'had nothing to do with his job,' he insists, and his view has been backed by the teaching profession's professional conduct panel.

Mr Kingston, who had been assistant head at St Lawrence Roman Catholic Primary School in Feltham, was struck off on the orders of former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan last year.

Now he is challenging that ruling at London's High Court, claiming it had 'not been proven' that his viewing of the animal porn 'was sexually motivated.'

He says his punishment was 'excessive' and that he ought to have been allowed to keep working with school kids.

Stuart Brady, for Mr Kingston, told Mr Justice Dove that a police investigation was launched into Mr Kingston's online activities in 2014.

No criminal charges were brought against him, but Mr Kingston resigned from his job at St Lawrence's in September 2014 and was banned from returning to teaching in June last year, following a hearing before a professional conduct panel of the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL).

He was found by the panel to have been a 'passive participant', having viewed the illegal porn on a single occasion, but not having searched for it himself.

The panel concluded that his conduct was 'at the lower end of the scale' of seriousness and did not merit him being struck off.

Mr Kingston, pictured, is challenging the ruling at the High Court, arguing the punishment was 'excessive' and the incident 'had nothing to do with his job'

But the Secretary of State went ahead and banned him from teaching anyway, with her office commenting:

'The Panel has not taken sufficient account of the public concern that would arise, and that public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if the conduct found proved in the his case were not treated with the utmost seriousness.'

Mr Brady told the judge that it had 'not been proven' that Mr Kingston's viewing of the animal porn 'was sexually motivated.'

'As the conduct took place away from school there was no question of it having any impact on his behaviour as a teacher in school,' he added.

'The making of the prohibition order was not appropriate, was excessive and disproportionate, and was wrong,' added the barrister.

He argued that, whilst the porn viewing had to be seen as 'conduct of a serious nature,' it ought not to be considered 'unacceptable professional conduct' because it had taken place 'outside the teaching environment'.

Summarising the teacher's stance, Mr Justice Dove said: 'You say this is conduct of a serious nature which is personal in character and has a personal context because it was outside school and had nothing to do with his job or his conduct as a teacher.

Mr Kingston was formerly assistant head at St Lawrence Roman Catholic Primary School in Feltham, pictured

'It was ill advised, but didn't constitute a departure from the professional standards required.'

Mr Brady also argued that it was wrong in principle for the Secretary of State for Education to have the final say on whether to strike off teachers, claiming that such decisions ought to lie in the hands of the professional conduct panel.

Mr Justice Dove reserved his decision on the case and will give his ruling at a later date.
The City of London will still be the 'financial lungs' of Europe after Brexit, Barclays chief executive Jes Staley has said.

In separate remarks, the bank's chairman John McFarlane also said the UK government supported a three year transition deal on the Brexit deal.

The Barclays chiefs were both speaking in Davos at the World Economic Forum addressed by Prime Minister Theresa May this morning.

Mrs May indicated in her landmark Brexit speech on Tuesday that she was open to agreeing a 'phased' deal to ease uncertainty and end fears of a 'cliff edge' on Britain's membership of the EU.

Barclays chief executive Jes Staley (left) has said Britain will remain the 'financial lungs' of Europe while the bank's chairman John McFarlane (right) said the Government backed a three year transition deal after Brexit

The interventions by Barclays executives come after JP Morgan, HSBC and UBS all indicated Brexit would hit their London operations.

Mr Staley admitted to concerns about 'transition periods' while Britain's exit from the EU is negotiated, but said London will fend off attacks from Frankfurt and Paris.

'I don't believe the financial centre of Europe will leave the City of London,' he told the BBC. 'There are all sorts of reasons why I think the UK will continue to be the financial lungs for Europe.'

He added that with the US and the UK economies doing well, there is reason for optimism: 'A political crisis doesn't necessarily translate quickly into an economic crisis.'

Mr McFarlane told Reuters the Government backed a transitional deal because of the complexity of Brexit.

He said: 'We want a standstill arrangement for three years, that would kick in after the government's negotiations on Brexit are finalised.'

The interventions by Barclays executives come after JP Morgan, HSBC and UBS all indicated Brexit would hit their London operations

The bank chairman said the City also expected to lose so-called 'passporting' rights to do financial business across Europe without local authorisations.

Brexit Secretary David Davis yesterday suggested the Government wanted a transitional deal to last no more than two years.

Stuart Gulliver, boss of British banking group HSBC, told Bloomberg Television the bank is on course to move 1,000 jobs from its London office to France, where it already has a full service universal bank after buying up Credit Commercial de France in 2002.

Swiss bank UBS is also expected to shift jobs to the continent.

'We have roughly 5,000 people in London, real passporting business is probably down to about 1,000 of those employees in London and for them we need to look at what the ultimate deal will be mapped out with,' UBS chairman Axel Weber told the BBC.
With Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens' announcement on Monday that he was cutting $146.4 million from the state budget due to lower-than-expected revenues and a poor state economy, Mineral Area College President Dr. Steve Kurtz learned that more than half the cuts will come from the Department of Higher Education, which oversees the state's public colleges and universities.

"We received notice of a withhold of $439,443," Kurtz said. "That was from a total withhold of $11.9 million for two-year colleges in the state. The withhold is equivalent to about 1/12 of our state allocation and it's going to be spread evenly over the remainder of the year beginning in February."

According to Kurtz, he and the school's administration are trying to remain optimistic during this time of financial insecurity.

"The good news is that it's at a time when our cash flow is at its highest because we've received our property and real estate taxes," he said. "Given the nature of it and the timing of it, we'll probably have to dip into the reserves this year to account for the withhold. Rather than look at it as six months, we're going to look at it as 18 months to see what we can do to even things out."

Kurtz explained that, now that students have returned for the spring semester, the Park Hills-based community college will be looking both at revenue enhancers and expense reductions to offset the financial crunch.

"We're glad to see the students back and given the timing of it  our first day of school was Tuesday  so, I haven't had the chance to talk to my administrators because it's very busy in the deans' office right now," he said. "I went by both of the deans' offices and they had students and faculty in there. I just haven't had time for our cabinet to meet, but we're not in a panic mode. Our faculty has been through this many times.

"I gave them a 'heads up' at our all employee meeting last week that we were expecting some sort of withhold and gave them an estimate. When it came to fruition, I sent an email out and they know the drill. Any type of travel will be curtailed and we're going to try to postpone any type of major purchases until the budget situation is better. Of course, our goal remains to maintain the quality of education for our students. They deserve that and I don't want our faculty to cut necessary items  it's anything we can delay, we should.

"They've done a great job in the past. I know that when it's all said and done, we'll be in fine shape. Obviously we're going to have to look at the budget over the next few weeks and try to look at the pockets where we could save money, but given the timing, we're already halfway through the year and most of our expenditures occurred during the beginning of the year, so we're going to end up dipping into our reserves to finish out the year."

Kurtz has already met with MAC's "non-teaching" staff to allay any fears they might have about the state's withholdings.

"I told them, 'Hey, let's not panic,' because sometimes it gets people unsettled," Kurtz said. "They think it's the end of the world, but it's not  we will survive. Most of our folks has been here for a long time. Our administrative team is one of the most experienced in the state.

"We've been through this many times. We know what to look for. Our team did a great job last year. We had the goal of a balanced budget and we cut expenditures the last month. Everyone just put a halt to spending and we came fairly close.

"We know we'll have a budget deficit, but it's our goal to reduce it as much as possible, but also look at it and treat it as an 18-month progress instead of a six. We're grateful to the governor's leadership insuring that withholds are kept in proportion  meaning our allocation to the higher education budget is right in line."

Kurtz said the governor inherited the situation and it's his job to keep the budget balanced.

"We understand the difficult budget situation the state is facing and we weren't surprised by this news. Of course, we look forward to working with the governor and his administration during this challenging fiscal situation for our state."
Gruesome new footage has emerged of ISIS carrying out a mass execution in Iraq.

Captured Iraqi soldiers and prisoners accused of being spies are either shot in the head or have their throats cut in the grim video, filmed in Kirkuk, northern Iraq.

Brutal fanatics drag some of their blindfolded victims into a town square before forcing them to the ground and slitting their throats in front of a baying crowd.

Another killing sees two men taken to an area of woodland before being ordered to kneel and being shot in the back of the head.

Gruesome new footage has emerged showing ISIS fanatics carrying out a mass execution in Iraq

Another killing sees two men taken to an area of woodland before being ordered to kneel and being shot in the back of the head

Brutal fanatics drag some of their blindfolded victims into a town square before forcing them to the ground and slitting their throats in front of a baying crowd

In a third execution, a man has his hands tied behind a tree before an extremist dressed in black cuts his throat.

The video, called Punishment for the Traitors was captured about 100 miles south east of war-torn Mosul.

It comes as Iraqi forces battled the last remaining jihadists in east Mosul today after commanders declared victory there and set their sights on the city's west, where more tough fighting awaits.

The announcement that the left bank of the Tigris River that divides Mosul had been retaken was a key milestone in an offensive that began three months ago but could yet last several more.

Staff General Talib al-Sheghati, who heads the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) spearheading the fighting in Mosul, declared the left bank 'liberated' at a big press conference on Wednesday.

Captured Iraqi soldiers and prisoners accused of being spies are either shot in the head or have their throats cut in the grim video, filmed in Kirkuk, northern Iraq

In a third execution, a man has his hands tied behind a tree before an extremist dressed in black cuts his throat

Iraqi forces were still fighting there on Thursday, flushing out fighters from the ISIS in two key northern locations by the river: a large hotel and a presidential compound.

CTS moved in on Thursday morning 'so there would not be... pressure on the army,' which is charge of that sector, Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al-Assadi, a top commander in the CTS, told AFP.

The Joint Operations Command coordinating the fight against ISIS also said that the army on Thursday broke into the town of Talkif, which lies just north of Mosul and has been besieged by Iraqi forces for weeks.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said around the new year that ridding the country of ISIS, which seized around a third of Iraq in 2014, could take three more months.

The video, called Punishment for the Traitors was captured about 100 miles south east of war-torn Mosul

He had initially promised to do so by the end of 2016 and many observers have argued his new timetable was still optimistic.

Before Iraq launched its massive offensive against ISIS-held Mosul on October 17, the west bank had always been thought to be where federal forces would meet the toughest resistance.

But elite troops struggled in the east too and only broke the back of the jihadists there in recent days, after stepped up coordination and increased aerial and advisory support from the US-led coalition.

Once they have fully secured the east coast, Iraqi forces will need to tackle the west bank of the river, which is a little smaller but more densely populated.

Patrick Martin, Iraq analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said that the worst may be yet to come.

'The coalition and the ISF (Iraqi security forces) should plan for western Mosul to be the hardest fight in Mosul,' he said.

'It is denser urban terrain, with older neighbourhoods and narrower streets that will make clearing operations challenging,' Martin said.

Fanatics waving machetes and holding machine guns read out the charges against the men

Crowds of men and boys gathered in a town centre to watch as the prisoners were executed

'ISIS and Sunni insurgent groups also have had historical support zones in western Mosul,' he added, warning that federal forces advancing in the streets could encounter more hostile residents than they have on the eastern side.

According to an estimate by the United Nations, around 750,000 people still live on Mosul's west bank, which includes the old city and key landmarks such as the mosque where ISIS supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed his 'caliphate' in June 2014.

Colonel John Dorrian, spokesman of the US-led coalition that has dropped close to 10,000 munitions on ISIS targets in the Mosul area since the operation began, said the battle would be tough but argued the jihadists had also been severely weakened since October.

'They lost a lot of fighters, a lot of resources, a lot of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and a lot of weapons during the first half of this battle,' he said.

One prisoner was dragged into rubble before being ordered to kneel infront of his executioners

The prisoners - accused of being spies - were paraded infront of a large crowd before being executed

'The city is for all intents and purposes surrounded so they won't be able to resupply or reinforce whatever remains,' he explained.

Unlike most of the previous major battles to retake Iraqi cities from ISIS, the current offensive did not empty Mosul of its population.

The UN and other relief organisations had planned for an unprecedented exodus of up to a million people but there are currently only around 150,000 civilians displaced as a result of the Mosul offensive.

The presence of so many residents in west Mosul as ISIS fights to the death for its last major bastion in Iraq was also a concern however.

'Many families have escaped the horrors of Mosul, but at least 300,000 children remain trapped in the west of the city and now face the prospect of a brutal siege,' Save the Children's Misty Buswell said.

'Children have already paid a heavy price during the battles for the east, with civilians so far making up nearly half of all casualties in the conflict,' she said.

'In the narrow and densely populated streets of the west, in Mosul's old city, children and their families run an even greater risk of being caught in the crossfire or being hit by bombs.'
A police witness claims the South Carolina woman accused of abducting a newborn girl from a Florida hospital 18 years ago 'confessed her crime to him'.

It has since been revealed that the kidnap remained undetected for so long because the abducted girl was using a fraudulent birth certificate and social security number stolen from a Virginia man who died in 1983.

Authorities spoke to two witnesses earlier this month, with one telling investigators that Gloria Williams 'confessed to him that she had 'stolen' a baby from a hospital in Jacksonville', ABC News reported.

The second witness told police that the abducted teen, Alexis Manigo, 'told her that she had been kidnapped from a hospital in Jacksonville' and 'Gloria had told her she was actually Kamiyah Mobley'.

According to court documents, the abducted teen girl has apparently known the truth for more than a year but chose not to alert authorities.

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Abducted: The South Carolina woman accused of abducting Alexis Manigo (above) from a Florida hospital 18 years ago 'confessed her crime to a witness' and also told the girl her true identity, police say

Real name: A second witness told police that the abducted teen, Alexis Manigo (above right with her attorney), 'told her that she had been kidnapped from a hospital in Jacksonville' and her 'mother told her she was Kamiyah Mobley'

Before the court: Gloria Williams (above) was ordered held without bond after her first court appearance on Wednesday in the case that has captivated headlines for over a week

Since it's believed that she knew her true identity, she could be an accessory to the fact of her kidnapping, though that is a very unlikely charge.

Police discovered that her birth certificate and the social security card she used in high school were both fraudulent, as was her social security number taken from a Virginia man who died in 1983, ABC News reported.

Williams has not entered a plea in the case and has been denied bond from a Florida judge, as her 'daughter' proclaimed both on Good Morning America on Thursday morning and CNN on Wednesday night that she still loves her.

During the second part of a sit-down interview that aired on Good Morning America Thursday, Manigo said she could not think of anything off-hand that tipped her off to realizing she had been abducted as a baby.

She also would not comment about when she found out or how. Manigo is concerned that anything she says about the situation could be used against Williams in court.

'They want me to hate her, and it's not in me to, 'Manigo said while appearing remarkably poised during the Good Morning America interview.

On Wednesday, she admitted that she knows what Williams did was wrong, but she doesn't want her to be jailed.

'I understand what she did was wrong, but just don't lock her up and throw away the key,' Manigo said.

'She loved me for 18 years, she cared about me for 18 years. I just want people to realize that.'

Still loves her: Manigo said that she still loves Williams (above) despite the difficult situation ahead

Behind bars: The teenager said that she does not want to see Gloria Williams (above), the woman who raised her for the past 18 years, sent to prison

Manigo then added: 'She made one mistake, but I was loved. From that one mistake I was given the best life.

'I had everything I ever needed, wanted, I had love especially. There is no price you can put on the love that was given to me.'

Later in the interview she said of Williams: 'I still think of her as mom, she will always be 'Mom.''

Manigo was born Kamiyah Mobley, and only eight hours old when she was taken from her young mother by a woman posing as a nurse at University Medical Center in Jacksonville.

Williams allegedly said that the newborn had a fever that needed to be look at before making off with the baby.

A massive search ensued, with helicopters circling the hospital and the city on high alert, but the child was never found.

Then, just a few months ago, Manigo 'had an inclination' that she may have been kidnapped, authorities said, though they did not reveal why she suspected this at the time.

Around that same time, a tip that had been received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that led authorities to finding the teenager and arrested Williams, though it remains unclear who the tip came from.

Manigo said in the interview that she speaks to Williams every day, but has not been able to see the woman since their tearful meeting in South Carolina when she spoke to her though the metal grates of her holding cell, just before the woman she called 'mom' was extradited to Florida.

The teenager said she is now struggling with the fact that the woman she loves is facing kidnapping charges, and the fact that some are questioning how she can defend the woman.

'I will always love her.'

She also spoke about getting to meet her biological parents, Craig Aiken and Shanara Mobley, last week.

'I feel like I do owe them that, to give them a chance, get to know them,' said Manigo.

'When you find out you got another family out there, it's just more love.'

She went on to say: 'For some it's a victory, but at the same time you do take a loss when someone so dear to you is just snatched like that.'

First time: Manigo met with her birth parents, Craig Aiken and Shanara Mobley (above), for the first time last week

Happy times: 'She made one mistake, but I was loved. From that one mistake I was given the best life,' said Manigo (above with Williams)

There is also now the issue of how to refer to the teenager, and the young woman said that people are free to call her whatever name they feel comfortable with at this time.

'It's all a bit much for me, but if you know me by 'Alexis' continue to call me 'Alexis,' if you know me as 'Kamiyah,' then you can call me that too. I'm not really specific right now. I haven't even thought about that, I'm just taking it one step at a time,' said Manigo.

'I don't want any malice with anybody.'

Manigo then added: 'Regardless of what you refer to me to, I know who I am, I've never questioned myself.

'I know who I am as a person.'

In an interview with People, Manigo's friend and 'half-sister' Arika Williams said that she learned that she had been abducted two years ago when she went to apply for a job.

'She was upset about it. She even stayed home from school the next day,' said Arika.

Arika went on to explain that after Manigo got a job at local seafood restaurant, she ran into problems when she was unable to provide a birth certificate and social security card for her new employer.

Keeping quiet: Manigo (left after her birth) will not reveal when she learned that she had been kidnapped for fear of incriminating Williams (right in mugshot)

Kidnapped: Arika Williams, a friend and 'half-sister' to Manigo, said in an interview on Wednesday that the teenager learned the truth two years ago (Manigo on right speaking with Williams in her holding cell above)

'Lexy didn't have that so she asked Miss Gloria for it and Miss Gloria kept brushing it off,' said Arika.

'Lexy kept being hard on her mother, like 'Momma, where is my stuff? I want to get this job.' Then Miss Gloria just broke down and told her this is why right here, you can't do this. I kidnapped you.'

Arika claimed in the interview that Williams told her daughter then that she made the decision to kidnap her after suffering a miscarriage.

'Gloria was pregnant at the baby shower and had people there bringing homemade quilts saying Alexis' name on it,' claimed Arika.

'Alexis Kelli Manigo was going to be spoiled regardless but I guess she said she lost Alexis Kelli Manigo. She was going to find Alexis Kelli Manigo and went and got Kamiyah.'

Arika said that after this, Manigo called her birth mother, and after getting through to the woman hung up when she heard her voice.

'Gloria is all she knows. That is Momma to her,' Arika said of Manigo.

'That is who raised her to who she is now. And no matter what that will always be momma to her.'
Babysitter, Heather Henderson, 26, who was walking a toddler along railroad tracks, has been arrested in the death of the child after he was struck and killed by a train last month

A babysitter has been arrested after a two-year-old boy in her care was hit and killed by a train as she walked him along railroad tracks last month.

Heather Henderson, 26, and two-year-old Hunter Fink were both hit by a CSX train traveling around 40mph in Tampa on December 12. The child was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Henderson was arrested by the Pasco County Sheriff's Office Wednesday on a charge of aggravated child neglect with great bodily harm after authorities investigated the incident, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

At the time, Hunter and his four-year-old sister, Maddie, were walking along the train tracks on a bridge with Henderson and another adult, Cody Williams.

Williams, 27, was able to grab Maddie once they realized the train was coming.

He then jumped nearly eight feet off the bridge to safety with the child in his arms.

At the time, Henderson was holding Hunter, but she was unable to jump out of the way.

Sgt Dean Quinlan told the newspaper the Sheriff's Office arrested Henderson because as their babysitter she was supposed to be watching over the two children but took them onto the tracks instead.

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Henderson and Hunter Fink (left and right) were both hit by a CSX train in Tampa, Florida, on December 12. The child was pronounced dead at a local hospital. She was arrested by the Pasco County Sheriff's Office on a charge of aggravated child neglect with great bodily harm

At the time of the incident, Hunter (left) and his four-year-old sister, Maddie (right), were walking along the train tracks on a bridge with Henderson and another adult, Cody Williams. Williams, 27, was able to grab Maddie once they realized the train was coming

Officials said the train, which was traveling from Tampa to Georgia, was going around 40mph when the conductor saw the group around 11.30am on that tragic day. The conductor sounded the whistle and tried to stop the train, but it was too late. Maddie and Hunter are pictured

'She was culpably negligent,' Quinlan said. 'Her actions resulted in the death of a child. Meaning the tracks are clearly marked, the train comes through there all the time. It weighs several tons. There's no reason for a child to be on those tracks.'

Authorities said the bridge where they were walking comes after a sharp turn on the tracks, which is why they probably didn't see the train coming.

Officials said the train, which was traveling from Tampa to Georgia, was going around 40mph when the conductor saw the group around 11.30am on that tragic day.

The conductor sounded the whistle and attempted to stop the train, which had 133 cars and was about a mile long, but it was too late, according to the Times.

Henderson suffered a broken arm and head trauma. Williams and Maddie suffered minor injuries.

Quinlan told the newspaper that Williams could also face charges, but not the same neglect charge because he was not in custody of the children.

'But in all honesty, he saved that child,' Quinlan said.

Quinlan said the babysitter's knowledge of the dangers of walking along the tracks also played a role in her arrest.

He said the train tracks are 'clearly marked no trespassing'.

Henderson (left and right) suffered a broken arm and head trauma. Williams and Maddie suffered minor injuries. Authorities said that Williams could also face charges, but not the same neglect charge because he was not in custody of the children

Henderson and Williams are from the area and 'they know the damage a train can cause' Sgt Quinlan said. 'And yet they brought two small children onto that tracks into harm's way,' he added. Pictured are Maddie and Hunter

Henderson and Williams are from the area and 'they know the damage a train can cause' Quinlan said.

'And yet they brought two small children onto that tracks into harm's way.'

On December 12, deputies from the Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about the incident around 11.55am.

Sheriff Chris Nocco said Hunter and Henderson were flown to local hospitals at the time.

The child died from his injuries at St Joseph's Hospital.

Nocco, according to WTSP, said: 'The 27-year-old, he grabs the four-year-old little girl, they jump into the water. They're okay, thank God.

'Unfortunately, the babysitter grabs the two-year-old, they were impacted. The little boy suffered injuries that unfortunately took his life.'

Amanda Lindsay told the TV station: 'My daughter-in-law [Henderson] was walking her kids that she was watching to the river.'

On December 12, deputies from the Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about the incident around 11.55am. Sheriff Chris Nocco said Hunter and Henderson were flown to local hospitals at the time. The child died from his injuries at St Joseph's Hospital. Investigators at the scene

Area resident Bill Hart said that people from the area often go through private property to reach the tracks. Investigators at the scene shortly after the accident

Henderson was booked into the Land O'Lakes Detention Center, where she was being held Wednesday on $10,000 bail. First responders at the scene shortly after the accident

Area resident Bill Hart told the Tampa Bay Times that people often go through private property to reach the tracks.

A GoFundMe page set up on behalf of the boy's mother said Hunter would have been three years old in January, 'until the tragic train accident took his young life'.

'He was so full of life, all smiles, silly just like little boys are. He loved everyone. We are heart broken, our lives will be change forever.'

Authorities told the Times that Henderson, was remorseful when she was arrested.

The 26-year-old was watching the children because she was a friend of their father, Ryan Fink, who told authorities the family supported the decision to arrest her, according to the Times.

'They feel that justice has been served,' Quinlan said.

Henderson was booked into the Land O'Lakes Detention Center, where she was being held Wednesday on $10,000 bail.
James Ditucci, aged eight, who has been left with horrific burns after copy a hand sanitizer prank he saw on YouTube

An eight-year-old boy has been left with horrific burns on his hands, chest and stomach after attempting to imitate a dangerous 'hand sanitizer' stunt he saw on YouTube.

James Ditucci, from New Hampshire, tried to copy the prank which sees people cover their hands in anti-bacterial gel before setting it alight causing the hands to glow.

But in James's case, some of the hand sanitizer splashed on his shirt so the flames quickly spread when he set fire to his hands.

His mother Tashia thought James and his older brother were in bed sleeping and was first alerted to the stunt when she heard his 'blood curdling' screams.

James was rushed to hospital but had now been transferred to Shriners Burns Hospital for children in Boston for specialist treatment.

He has suffered second degrees burns to 30 per cent of his body including his hands, chest, stomach and thighs.

And now his mother is sharing her son's story to raise awareness of the dangerous stunt so parents can warn their children not to do it.

She told WCVB: 'Kids don't get to see the after effects of what may happen if it should go wrong, and now my son is an example of what can and will go wrong.

'They said if my son was on fire for more than another minute, he would've been dead.

James has suffered second degrees burns to 30 per cent of his body including his hands, chest, stomach and thighs. He is pictured in hospital

'It would've smothered his lungs, and he wouldn't have made it.'

Doctors are optimistic about James's recovery and his family hope he can return home to New Hampshire soon.

And Merrimack Assistant Fire Chief Brian Borneman said the youngster was luckily his burns weren't worse after he watched a collection of the dangerous YouTube clips.

He added: 'Some of the videos we watched, they were shaking the sanitizer.

'You could spread that if you're inside.'
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This huge angel made from thousands of blades surrendered under a police amnesty scheme may soon serve as a poignant tribute to the victims of knife crime.

Sussex Police this week became the latest of more than 40 forces across Britain to offer its support for the so-called Knife Angel - created by the Shropshire-based British Ironwork Centre.

It's made using some of around 100,000 knives that have been taken off the streets in England and Wales during the project, set up two years ago with the backing of the Home Office.

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This huge angel (left) made from thousands of blades surrendered under a police amnesty scheme (right) will soon serve as a poignant tribute to the victim's of knife crime

Sussex Police this week became the latest of more than 40 forces across Britain to offer its support for the so-called Knife Angel - created by the Shropshire-based British Ironwork Centre

With its arms outstretched, the angel made from knives offers a peaceful gesture that reflects the aims of its artist

It's made using some of around 100,000 knives that have been taken off the streets in England and Wales during the project, set up two years ago with the backing of the Home Office

Sussex Police announced plans on Tuesday to donate blades dumped in amnesty 'bins' to the Knife Angel, which has been put together by 25-year-old sculptor Alfie Bradley.

Clive Knowles, the chairman of the British Ironwork Centre, based near Oswestry, hopes the statue will go on display on Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth in London once the final installment of blades from South Yorkshire are added.

Mr Knowles said: 'The project started two years ago and it started with us seeing a documentary where the police were being criticised for not being proactive on reducing knife crime figures.

'We offered to build 150 knife amnesty banks for British police forces free of any cost. And the only proviso was that they would have to give us the weaponry in order to build a national monument against violence and aggression.'

Sussex Police announced plans on Tuesday to donate blades dumped in amnesty 'bins' to the Knife Angel, which has been put together by 25-year-old sculptor Alfie Bradley

It is hoped that the statue will go on display on Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth in London once the final installment of blades from South Yorkshire are added

An application to site the statue in Trafalgar Square cannot be submitted until it has been completed and weighed, owner of the ironworks Clive Knowles (pictured) said

South Yorkshire Police has also said it is prepared to donate seized knives to the project, and once the ironworks receives its final contribution it will be ready to be weighed

An application to site the statue in Trafalgar Square cannot be submitted until it has been completed and weighed, Mr Knowles said.

Speaking after Sussex Police confirmed it would support the project, the county's Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: 'The sculpture will be a very poignant reminder to us all of the victims of knife crime and it's vital that we continue to raise awareness of the extremely serious consequences of carrying a knife.'

South Yorkshire Police has also said it is prepared to donate seized knives to the project.

Temporary Superintendent Simon Wanless said: 'South Yorkshire Police have not been requested to supply any knives for the sculpture that is being built.

'However, we would be happy to supply seized knives from our store if we were contacted and provided a plan on how the knives would be safely transported and stored.'
Tina Norman, 53, who is embroiled in a legal fight with her banker ex-husband over his alleged 1m family fortune, has lost her bid to remain anonymous during the court battle

A divorcee embroiled in a legal fight with her banker ex-husband over his alleged 1m family fortune has lost her bid to remain anonymous during the court battle.

Tina Norman, 53, had argued that her financial affairs with her former partner Robert Ellis Norman were 'private business'.

But three judges have refused to impose an identity ban following an appeal at the Court of Appeal by members of the Press.

The judges made the decision during a hearing in which Mrs Norman is fighting for more money, accusing Mr Norman - who previously earned six-figure salaries at the like of Barclays, Merrill Lynch and JP Morgan - of 'duping her' in their divorce settlement.

Judges heard how the pair reached a cash agreement several years ago after separating, with Mrs Norman receiving their Surrey home and 6,000.

The mother-of-two, from Epsom, Surrey, had been entitled to monthly maintenance payment, but settled for a lump sum 'in a bid for financial independence'.

But she now claims Mr Norman 'concealed' much of his family fortune - including assets allegedly worth 300,000 - leaving her 'ignorant' of his true wealth.

She is now demanding a bigger payout, but fought to have her name concealed during the proceedings.

Today, judges said journalists could name Mrs Norman and her ex-husband in reports of the case and that they would outline the reasoning behind their decision at a later date.

Barrister Matthew Waszak, who represented Mrs Norman, said a bar on naming her would protect her rights to private and family life.

'There would be little or no public interest in the identities of the parties ... being identified,' he told judges.

'The press can still report the substantive issues in this case without people knowing names.'

He argued that Mrs Norman's personal affairs should not be 'laid bare' in national newspapers. Mr Norman was 'neutral' about the identity issues.

Mrs Norman had argued that her financial affairs with her former partner Robert Ellis Norman (pictured outside court) were 'private business'. She claims he 'duped' her into a smaller divorce settlement

Barrister Adam Wolanski, who represented the media, said Mrs Norman's private and family life was not at the centre of the case and that open justice was a fundamental principle of the British judicial system.

He said it was in the public interest for the names of people involved in court hearings to be reported because reports without names generated less public interest.

And he said judges should be 'vigilant' before making orders which were exceptions to the principle of open justice.

The court previously heard how former couple were college sweethearts, having met while studying at Southampton University in the 1980s.

They married in 1993, separated in 2002, and finally divorced in 2005, after having two children.

At the Court of Appeal (pictured), barrister Adam Wolanski, who represented the media, said Mrs Norman's private and family life was not at the centre of the case and that open justice was a fundamental principle of the British judicial system

At that time Mr Norman was working as a banker while his wife was 'not earning' and on state benefits.

Earlier in the case, Mr Norman accused his ex of being work-shy and insisted he did not owe her an 'indefinite meal ticket.' But she fought those accusations and was granted permission by the Appeal Court to re-open the case in a quest for more of cash.

Her barrister, Jeffrey Littman, previously told the court that Mrs Norman wrongly believed when they split that their joint property and capital was only worth about 700,000.

He added that Mr Norman, from south east London, had been 'dishonest' and 'misled the court', claiming that 'mental health' issues were preventing him from attending court and from working effectively.

Allowing Mrs Norman to pursue the case, Lord Justice McFarlane said there had been a 'level of dishonesty' found against Mr Norman on previous occasions and that Mrs Norman should 'have her day in court'.
Konstancija Tairova, 26, pictured, is on trial accused of pouring boiling water over Edas Juozenas after he tried to intervene in her 'break-up argument' with ex-boyfriend Adomas Marengolas

A young woman poured a kettle full of boiling water on her partner's friend after he tried to intervene in a 'break-up argument', a court heard.

Konstancija Tairova, 26, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of attacking Edas Juozenas on February 14 last year, leaving him with burns and blisters.

The victim had been on a night out with Tairova's boyfriend, Adomas Marengolas, and they both arrived back at the couple's studio flat in the early hours of the morning, jurors were told.

Prosecutor Molly Pinkus said Tairova and Mr Marengolas then 'had a conversation' about their relationship.

She said: 'It was seen that the relationship had either broken up or was in the process of breaking up. Mr Juozenas was advising Miss Tairova not to fight with Mr Marengolas.

'He had been a close friend of Mr Marengolas for many years and so he knew both the parties and he was aware of the problems they had been having.'

Ms Pinkus went on: 'Mr Juozenas became tired and lay down on the sofa bed for a few minutes with his eyes open.

'Suddenly he was shocked to feel boiling water in his face. He put his right arm up to cover his face as water was coming onto it.

'That's when he saw Miss Tairova standing there with the kettle. He jumped off and screamed out in pain.'

The defendant was pushed out of the flat and she was arrested by police who arrived 10 minutes later, the court heard.

The prosecutor told jurors that the victim could not see any reason why she would have thrown boiling water over him.

Tairova, pictured outside the Old Bailey in London, denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm and claimed Mr Juozenas 'ripped her dress' on the night in question

The 26-year-old, pictured left and right, wept in court as she listened to the prosecution case with the help of a Lithuanian interpreter

He was taken to Newham General Hospital where he was treated for partial thickness burns to his right wrist and blisters on his nose.

In police interview, Tairova denied the alleged attack and told officers she had pushed Mr Juozenas and fled after he pulled her and ripped her dress as she talked to her boyfriend in the kitchen.

Tairova, from Hounslow, west London, denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

She wept in court as she listened to the prosecution case with the help of a Lithuanian interpreter.
The 40 football supporters from each country will reportedly be instructed to deliver positive messages about their experience in the Gulf state and report critical social media posts. The Times claims that the idea is that the fans should sit together, singing and playing for the television cameras. Influencers and celebrities have also reportedly been signed up by Qatar, which counts David Beckham as an official ambassador. Supporters from Wales have also signed up to the so-called Fan Leader Programme, along with 30 other nations' fans. But critics have said they are being used as part of a 'sinister, distasteful' marketing exercise. In return for staying in Qatar for a minimum of two weeks, they will enjoy free flights and accommodation as well as 60-a-day spending money on a pre-loaded card from tournament sponsor Visa. They will also reportedly receive complimentary tickets to the opening ceremony and matches having signed a 'code of conduct' before they take off for Doha on November 17. They will be urged to post favourable comments about the tournament on social media and to report 'any offensive, degrading or abusive comments' by others to the organisers, preferably with screenshots. One document seen by the paper, sent to fan leaders, says of the opening ceremony: 'In celebration of the fans around the world, over the period of five minutes, fan chants from each nation will be played and you will be expected to stand up, sing the song/chant, wave your flags and represent your country'.
A mourning family say police aren't doing enough to return the body of a mother-of-four who drowned after crashing her car into the Sacramento River this weekend.

Nichelle Johnson, 48, was driving to her sister's house in Sacramento Sunday night when she somehow veered off the road in foggy conditions and crashed into the fast-moving river near Isleton.

A witness called 911 after seeing the car in the water, but by the time police arrived on the scene it was too dangerous to put divers in the water.

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Nichelle Johnson, 48, crashed her car into the Sacramento River Sunday night and police have yet to retrieve her body

Police say it has been dangerous so far to retrieve the body, since the river is moving fast

'I just want them to help us get my mama out of that water. It's been too long. I just need answers. I just need closure,' Johnson's daughter, Mikaela Hampton (pictured), said

They did locate the car using sonar waves, and have since put buoys in the water to mark where the car rests just 40 feet from the shore.

But in the four days since the crash, police have not attempted to go in the water to retrieve Johnson's body and that has angered her mourning family.

'I just want them to help us get my mama out of that water. It's been too long. I just need answers. I just need closure,' Johnson's daughter, Mikaela Hampton, told FOX40.

The family says they were told Johnson's body would be retrieved on Thursday, but then they pushed it back to Saturday.

The local sheriff's department says they have reached out to other agencies for six volunteer divers and a bigger boat that can maneuver in the dangerous waters.

'A lot of these agencies and other counties have all been reaching out to each other to see if we can get the equipment, specifically the boat, to get a crew large enough to handle these currents and then have a dive team that trains together to be able to attempt a recovery,' Tony Turnbull, spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, told ABC 10.

Still, Johnson's son Malik Davis says they are 'making no effort at all to go try and save her'.

Johnson's boyfriend, Johnnie Hines, added: 'We feel like we can just swim out there. Take a deep breath and go and get her, but we know you can't do that.'
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Orthodox Russian Christians have braved freezing weather for the second day running to take cold dips in sub-zero temperatures to mark Epiphany.

Bikini-clad women and brave, topless men dunked themselves underwater in various locations across Europe as the continent turned icy cold.

Even children took part in the custom, dipping themselves in icy water wearing nothing but swimwear.

In Eastern Christianity, the feast of Epiphany commemorates the Baptism of Jesus.

The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the holiday according to the Julian calendar, and many took part in events in Russia, Kyrgystan, Belarus, Serbia, and the Ukraine.

A man takes a dip in icy waters of a lake during Orthodox Epiphany celebrations near the village of Pilnitsa, Belarus

An Orthodox priest immerses a cross into waters of a lake during celebrations near the village of Pilnitsa, Belarus

Another man takes a dip in the icy waters of the cross-shaped pool as part of the Orthodox Epiphany celebrations near Pilnits

A woman crosses herself as she takes a dip in icy waters of a lake during Orthodox Epiphany the Pilnitsa celebrations

An Orthodox child takes an icy dip in a frozen lake in Leninskoe, near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

A man exits the ice-hole after taking a dip in icy water during Orthodox Epiphany celebrations in Yaroslavl, Russia

A Russian Orthodox priest conducts a service on Epiphany at a hole in the form of Orthodox Cross at a pond in Tyarlevo village outside St.Petersburg, Russia

Residents of Moscow, including several children, take a dip in the icy water of the Moskva River while celebrating Epiphany church holiday in Moscow, Russia

Two fathers take their young daughters for an icy bath in the Moskva River to mark Ephiphany

Orthodox believers plunge into the icy water of the Dnieper River during the celebration of Epiphany in Kiev, Ukraine

Orthodox Christians swim for a cross in the freezing waters of the Danube River in Belgrade, Serbia, left, while Orthodox believers bathe in cold water during Epiphany celebrations in Kiev, Ukraine, right

Belarussian women take a selfie after submerging into ice cold water of a river during Orthodox Epiphany in Minsk, Belarus

A young boy reacts to the freezing water as cossacks help him take a dip near the village of Leninskoe, Kyrgyzstan

Cossacks help a boy to take a bath in the icy waters of a lake during the celebration of the Epiphany holiday near the village of Leninskoe in Kyrgyzstan

A Russian Orthodox believer takes a dip in the ice cold water of a pond during the celebrations in Chekhov, Moscow, left, while a man takes an icy dip near the village of Leninskoe, some 20 km from the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, right

An Orthodox child is given an icy dip in a frozen lake in celebration of the Epiphany holiday, near the village of Leninskoe, close to the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

A Ukrainian Orthodox priest blesses water during Epiphany celebrations in Kiev, Ukraine

An Orthodox believer dips a child in a cross-shaped hole cut in the ice on the Neva River in St Petersburg, Russia

The Epiphany celebrations were not just limited to the coldest countries on the planet, as the date was also marked in warmer climes, in the Holy Land.

Pilgrims also celebrated Epiphany today at the Qasr al Yahud baptism site, near the West Bank city of Jericho where, according to tradition, Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist.

Pilgrims gathered on both sides of the Jordan River before immersing themselves in the water.

Christian tradition marks the site as the place of the 'spiritual birth' of Jesus - as opposed to his physical birth.

The sacred site is also traditionally considered to be the place where the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, and Elijah the Prophet ascended to heaven.

Every year, on January 18 and 19, thousands of Orthodox Christian pilgrims go down to Qasr Al Yahud to mark two important events in the life of Jesus; the visit of the three wise men to Bethlehem, and the day he was baptised by John the Baptist.

Orthodox Christian pilgrims perform baptism ceremonies, as they celebrate Epiphany at the Qasr al Yahud baptism site, near the West Bank city of Jericho

A Christian Orthodox priest re-enacts the baptism of Jesus, during the traditional Epiphany baptism ceremony

The site is on the River Jordan is traditionally believed by many to be the place where Jesus was baptised

An Eritreans Orthodox Christian pilgrim is baptised, as the faithful celebrate Epiphany

An Eritreans Orthodox Christian woman is baptised on the site regarding to be Jesus' spiritual birthplace

Another Eritrean Orthodox Christian pilgrim is baptised as worshippers flocked to the holy site today

Orthodox Christian pilgrims perform baptism ceremonies in the waters of the holy river

An Eritraean pilgrim reacts as she is dipped in the water during Epiphany celebrations

Although some countries celebrate Epiphany on January 6, in the tradition of the Orthodox Church it is marked each year on January 19 - the day that Jesus was said to have been baptised into the faith.

In order for celebrations to take place in Russia and elsewhere in Eastern Europe where the ground is frozen, holes need to be cut in the ice in advance.

Temperatures were around minus nine degrees Celsius (16F) in the Russian capital today as the faithful took the plunge.

In Russia alone almost two million people braved the waters in 4,000 specially prepared swimming venues.

An Orthodox believer runs out of the icy water after plunging into a pond during the celebration of the Epiphany holiday in Moscow early on January 19, 2017

An Orthodox believer dips in the icy water during the celebration of Epiphany

A man dips in the icy waters of the Novosibirsk Reservoir during Epiphany celebrations

A woman holding a cross (left) during during the celebration of the Epiphany, one of the biggest religious events of the orthodox church in Belgrade, Serbia, and a girl offered towels (right) after dipping in the icy water

Epiphany celebrations at the Izmailovo Kremlin where dozens of people gathered around the icy water to watch Christians take the plunge

A woman takes a dip in the icy waters of a lake with an illuminated cross in the background during Orthodox Epiphany celebrations in Minsk, Belarus

A steady stream of Orthodox believers line up to take a dip in the freezing cold waters in Vladivostok, Russia

Two bikini-clad women in Vladivostok emerge from the water with unsurprising looks of shock on their faces

A woman in a bikini clings onto the wooden sides as she is submerged in the ice-cold water in Vladivostok, Russia

A man splashes with a strained look on his face as he enters the water during the Russian Orthodox Church's celebration

A bikini-clad woman emerges from the icy pool of water unscathed as she pulls the peace sign with both hands

A visibly cold believer pulls herself out from the water as steam rises in front of her in the chilly conditions

Snow on the beaches of Majorca where the freak weather has turned the island into a winter wonderland rather than the expected escape from the British climate

Two snowshoe hikers pass by a snow-covered tree at the Schauinsland mountain in Black Forest in Hofsgrund, southern Germany

A firefighter walks on a snow-covered road in La Porta, on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica

A sculpture of a saint is covered by snow in the village of Rastoke, central Croatia, Wednesday

A woman scrapes the snow from her car after it was buried in a huge downfall in Amatrice, Italy

Two children play with the snow after freak weather hit in Bunyola, Palma de Majorca, in Spain's Balearics Islands

The unusual weather has caused chaos in Majorca, pictured, and in mainland Spain where roads have been cut off and schools closed

A man walks along a snow-covered dock in the city of Denia, which is more accustomed to be being bathed in sunshine

Many who have retired to Spain for its sunnier climes were stunned to see snow covering beaches on the eastern coast today - and even sticking to the citrus fruits the country is famous for

Palm trees are normally associated with sunnier climes but these on Javea beach on Spain's Costa Blanca were covered in snow today

Elsewhere in Europe, Brits travelling to Spain in search of some winter sun were in for a nasty surprise when they country experienced its heaviest snowfall in more than 35 years.

People in the 'sunshine island' of Majorca woke up to find a blanket thick snow had left the isle looking more like the mountains of the Alps than the Med.

Snow even fell in the island's capital Palma, which normally enjoys January temperatures of up to 18C.

Roads have also been cut off as unusual driving conditions caused chaos, leading to delays of four hours or more.

Schools on the Costa Blanca, home to popular resorts including Torrevieja, Alicante, and Benidorm, were closed this morning because of the heavy snow that had fallen overnight.

The snow is the heaviest that has been seen in Alicante since 1983.

Spain's Met Office has issued an alert for adverse weather conditions, especially for the southeast peninsular and areas near Castilla-La Mancha and Aragon.

Orthodox believers standing in the Serbian knight costume during the celebration of the Epiphany, one of the biggest religious events of the orthodox church in Belgrade, Serbia

Orthodox believers standing in the Serbian knight costume as the snow comes down during the celebration of the Epiphany

Orthodox believers try to reach the Cross in Belgrade, Serbia, on January 18, in a swimming race during the celebration of the Epiphany, one of the biggest religious events of the orthodox church

Orthodox believers prepare to take the plunge in the freezing conditions in Belgrade ahead of a swim to mark the Epiphany

This restaurant in Valldemossa, a small village of Majorca, has been completely carpeted in snow

Benidorm offers normally year-round sun but residents and tourists have had to swap their sun umbrellas for snow boots

The village of Valldemossa seen dusted in lesser-seen snow. The bad weather has caused delays of more than four hours on local roads

Visitors walk over a snow-covered beach in the city of Denia in Alicante. Beaches at several popular coastal resorts have been wiped out by the freak snow storms

People walk on a snow-covered beach in Denia. Areas of southern Valencia and northern Alicante have seen up to 25cm of snow in 24 hours

Temperatures have dropped across the mainland, with frost and minus ten degrees in the mountain areas, and areas of southern Valencia and northern Alicante have seen up to ten inches (25cm) of snow in 24 hours.

The unlikely arctic conditions are down to a cold weather system sweeping in from Siberia.

The weather system has already brought bitterly cold conditions to countries including Greece, Serbia, Macedonia and Turkey, putting the lives of thousands of people under threat.

The beaches in Majorca are completely free of sunbathers - as they have almost-completely covered in snow

Denia, which lies halfway between Alicante and Valencia is more used to seeing sunshine than snowfall

A boy builds a snowman on a beach at Denia, in the Alicante region of mainland Spain. Schools on the Costa Blanca were closed this morning because of the heavy snow overnight

The snow is expect to last until Friday, when it will give way to rainy weather instead

The snow that has fallen on Spain is the heaviest the country has seen in 35 years. Here the streets of Denia, Alicante are seen covered in snow

Brits who have left behind the cold British winter and moved to Benidorm were in for a shock today when they found snow surrounding their swimming pools

The snow is expected to last until Friday when it will give way to rain instead.

Meanwhile, in Britain, no snow has fallen, and the UK is predicted to be warmer than parts of Spain, as temperatures rise, bring the country of of its deep freeze.

In good news for those who opted to stay at home and brave the January weather, an area of high pressure will draw in warmer air from the Atlantic, bringing milder conditions to the UK.
Bismarck teacher Mark Reeves hopes to inspire kids to develop a love for reading with his first book, Angus: A Story About Finding Home, released in early December 2016.

Growing up, I always loved reading, said Reeves, who lives in Park Hills. And in fourth grade, my teacher read 'Where the Red Fern Grows' to the class. And that single book had such a huge impact on me and I attribute that to why I loved reading, because of that one book.

One book soon turned into many books and a lifelong love of reading that also lit a spark within Reeves to begin thinking about writing his own book.

I always said I wanted to write a book and I always had the idea for the story in my head, he said. And as I was writing, I kind of realized that maybe this book will be one that will help instill that love for reading in the kids reading my story.

Reeves book is a story about a 13-year-old boy who faces many challenges in overcoming adversity along a journey to find his true place in life.

Therere a lot of things in the book that will leave you wondering. And it was written for that purpose because theres more to it, Reeves said, referring to a sequel, of sorts, to Angus that he is currently in the process of writing.

Right now its going to be titled 'Amber,' which is another character in the (first) book, he said. Its kind of an extension to Angus, but its told in her voice, as this book was told in Angus voice.

Reeves isnt stopping after just two books. In addition to a third book in the series, Reeves also plans to write a mystery or detective novel geared toward adult readers.

(Angus) is directed toward middle grades, he said. But Ive got a murder/mystery type of idea, which is one of my favorite type of books, but that would be an adult novel.

Reeves book is available in paperback and as a Kindle e-book. Hes also currently working on creating an audio book version with himself as narrator.

The Park Hills Public Library will be hosting a book signing for Reeves on Feb. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Reeves has been a teacher for the Bismarck School District for 12 years and just started his first year teaching high school special education. He spent his first seven years teaching at the fifth and sixth grade levels and taught math and science to third graders for the next five years.

Reeves married his high school sweetheart, Andrea, 23 years ago with whom he shares one son, 18-year-old Brett, who is a recent graduate of Central High School, and dogs Rampage and Rocky.

In addition to teaching, family, numerous hobbies and interests and more writing, Reeves also serves as a part-time licensed clinical counselor at Natural Solutions Counseling Service in Farmington in the evenings. Prior to teaching, he worked as a Missouri state corrections officer for 12 years.

For more information about Reeves and his book, visit www.facebook.com/markleonreeves or brettmattsdad.wixsite.com/markleonreeves.
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Donald Trump promised to make America 'greater than ever before' as he addressed the crowd and paid tribute to his supporters during his pre-inaugural concert at Lincoln Memorial Thursday evening.

Thousands of fans lined the Washington Mall and listened to the soon-to-be commander in chief, who called himself 'just a messenger' for a movement they helped propel.

He then thanked his wife Melania who flashed him a big smile at the crowd.

The festivities kicked off earlier on Thursday with a speech from Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight, and was followed by performances from Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down and YouTube sensation The Piano Guys, who opened with their rendition of One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful'. Keith warmed the crowd by singing his country hit 'Made In America' and later performed his patriotic tune 'Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue'.

Also present for the big concert were Trump's four oldest children and three oldest grandchildren. His son Barron did not attend.

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Guests of honor: President-elect Trump and his wife Melania arrive at a pre-Inaugural Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration

The president-elect stepped onstage at the end of the evening, before the fireworks that concluded Thursday's festivities

Trump thanked the performers of the Lincoln Memorial show and promised to make America 'greater than ever before'

'I promise you, I will work so hard,' the president-elect told the crowd in his pre-inaugural speech at the end of the concert

Trump's wife Melania, his two daughters and his two oldest sons watched from the side as the mogul addressed the public

The Trump family took a moment to stand in front of Abraham Lincoln's mammoth statue after Trump's address

Fist pump! Trump raised a victorious fist, surrounded by some of his children and grandchildren at the conclusion of the night

Fireworks exploded over the Lincoln Memorial after the commander-in-chief-to-be's speech, who had his family by his side

The family posed for a solemn shot at the top of the Lincoln Memorial steps as the pre-inauguration festivities came to an end

The mogul is pictured greeting 3 Doors Down after they performed at the pre-inaugural celebration Thursday in the evening

Busy body: The concert capped off a long day of events for Trump, who on Friday will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States

Crowd control: Donald and his wife walked out to a crowd of thousands who gathered at the Washington Mall for the concert

YouTube sensation The Piano Guys performed for Trump, playing their version of One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful'

Toby Keith sang his country hit 'Made In America' as well as his patriotic anthem 'Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue'

Hundreds of supporters lined up outside the Lincoln Memorial Thursday. They are pictured standing for the national anthem

Trump smiled surrounded by his son Eric, his wife Melania and his daughter Ivanka during Thursday night's soiree

The president-elect and Melania were later spotted heading to Union Station, where Trump was expected to speak

Melania stepped in and her husband followed after Mike Pence introduced them at a campaign donors dinner

The future first lady wore a golden gown and stood briefly next to her husband before he gave his speech

Trump gave the crowd a play-by-play of his victory on Election Day, bashing the media for predicting he would lose

Kellyanne Conway was called to the stage during the donors dinner, with Trump thanking her for her services

Last stop: The group then headed over to the Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration concert, which featured performances from 3 Doors Down and Toby Keith (Trumps arrive at the Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration concert)

Bringing the kids: Donald Jr. took daughter Kai and son Donald III to the concert while Ivanka and Jared took their daughter Arabella

DONALD TRUMP'S PRE-INAUGURAL SPEECH 'Thank you very much. 'Thank you very much everybody and thank you Tom I'd like to congratulate our incredible entertainers tonight. Toby and Lee Greenwood and all of the great talent it was really very special 'I also have to thank our incredible military talent right here, stand up please, you guys were great. 'So this journey began 18 months ago I had something to do with it but you had much more to do with it than I did. I'm the messenger, I'm just the messenger.' A fan screamed: 'We love you', to which Trump replied: 'I love you , believe me I love you. 'We all got tired of seeing what was happening and we wanted change but we wanted real change and I am so looking forward to tomorrow. 'We're going to see something that is going to be so amazing, so many people have poured into Washington DC. This started out tonight being a small little concert - then we had the idea maybe we'll do it in front of the Lincoln memorial and the people came by the thousands and thousands and here we are tonight. 'It's a movement that began, that started, it's a movement like we've never seen anywhere in the world - they say there's never been a movement like this and it's something very, very special and we're going to unify our country. 'And our phrase, you all know it, half of you are wearing the hat, make America great again. 'But we're going to make America great for all of our people, everybody throughout our country. That includes the inner cities, that includes everybody and we're going to do a special job and I can only tell you that 18 months ago, we never knew, some people didnt know, some had a feeling but a lot of people didn't give us much of a chance but we understood what was happening. 'That last month of the campaign when I traveled around to every place you can imagine, state after state, speech after speech, and we had 10,000, 20,0000, 30,000 people. 'There was never an empty seat just like tonight, we didn't know if anybody would come tonight. We all knew that last month of the campaign, a lot of us knew the first week of the campaign, but that last month of the campaign, we knew that something special was happening. 'I can only tell you this  the polls starting going up, up, up, but they didn't want to give us credit because they forgot about a lot of us. 'On the campaign I called it the forgotten men and the forgotten women. Well, you're not forgotten anymore. 'I want to thank my great family, my incredible wife Melania, theyve been so supportive and it wasn't easy for them. They have been so supportive 'I want to thank you most importantly. I promise you, I will work so hard. We're going to get it turned around, we're going to bring our jobs back, we're not going to let other countries take our jobs anymore. 'We're going to build up our great military, we're going to build it up, were going to strengthen our borders, we're going to do things that haven't been done for our country for many, many, decades. 'It's going to change - I promise you. It's going to change. So I'll see you tomorrow and I don't care frankly if it's going to be beautiful or if its going to rain like crazy. It makes no difference to me. I have a feeling its going to be beautiful, though. 'I will see you tomorrow and I'm going to be cheering you on. You'll be cheering me on but I'll be cheering you on. What we have done is so special. I love you folks and we're going to work together and we are going to make America great again. And I'll add, greater than ever before. 'Thank you very much and enjoy the fireworks!' Advertisement

The president-elect later paid another tribute to his supporters on Twitter, writing: 'Thank you for joining us at the Lincoln Memorial tonight- a very special evening! Together, we are going to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'

Chairman of the presidential inaugural committee Tom Barrack took to the stage after Keith and addressed the crowd, asking the public to unite behind the new president.

Trump stepped on stage at the end of the evening, before fireworks concluded the night, telling his supporters he would make America 'greater than ever before'.

The president-elect thanked the night's supporters, before renewing some of his campaign promises regarding employment, the US military and the country's borders.

Trump and his family then took a few moments to stop and stand in front of Abraham Lincoln's statue. The president-elect later paid another tribute to his supporters on Twitter, writing: 'Thank you for joining us at the Lincoln Memorial tonight- a very special evening! Together, we are going to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'

Kellyanne Conway later spoke to reporters, saying that Trump might take his first executive decisions by Monday. She confirmed that the president-elect was done with his inauguration speech.

The family was seen stepping out of the dinner and heading towards Union Station for a campaign donors dinner. Vice-President Mike Pence was the first to speak, reminding the crowd of the upcoming administration's plans to repeal Obamacare.

Pence's audience clapped when he celebrated the fact that the upcoming president will pick conservative Supreme Court justices. The vice-president then introduced Trump and his wife Melania.

The president-elect gave the crowd a play-by-play of how his victory unfolded on Election Day, recounting the last weeks of his campaign and saying he had felt a shift.

'That was some victory. Records were set that haven't been beaten since Ronald Reagan from the Republican side,' Trump said.

'We have locations and we have destinations. I said before and I was saying to people the next time, four years from now, we're gonna win the old-fashioned way. We're gonna win because we did so well.'

He bashed the media for predicting he would lose, saying he couldn't 'stand' live television cameras before conceding: 'But actually a couple of them are starting to get honest.'

The president-elect however complained that he wasn't getting enough credit for his pre-inaugural speech, with outlets staying focused on his upcoming inauguration address.

Trump also joked that he won't mind if rain pours on Friday because the public will get a chance to see that his hair is in fact real.

He called Conway to the stage and praised her for her service. 'I see my Kellyanne. Aw, Kellyanne. Come here Kellyanne, come up here. Shes been so great. Wow,' the president-elect said, before telling her at one point: 'thank you baby.'

Chairman of the presidential inaugural committee Tom Barrack took to the stage after Keith and addressed the crowd

Trump and Melania listened to the performers withTiffany and her Democrat boyfriend Ross Mechanic sitting behind them

Lee Greenwood sang 'God Bless The USA' and said on Twitter it was an honor to perform on the steps of the memorial

Kellyanne Conway said outside of the pre-inaugural dinner that Trump could make his first executive decisions by Monday

TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN DONORS DINNER SPEECH Donald Trump stepped in with his wife by his side to thank his campaign donors during a dinner at Union Station. He recounted out loud how his victory unfolded on Election Day. 'That was some victory. Records were set that haven't been beaten since Ronald Reagan from the Republican side and we've gone back in Iowa, we had areas that hadn't been won since 1962. They said you can't possibly win this area and we have. 'We have locations and we have destinations. I said before and I was saying to people the next time, four years from now, we're gonna win the old-fashioned way. We're gonna win because we did so well.' He rejoiced about his cabinet picks, saying: 'We have a cabinet Ibelieve the likes of which have never been appointed. I have to say, the other side, they're going crazy.' Trump then gave some insight about his pick for secretary of agriculture, former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. 'Today as you know we appointed a secretary of agriculture. He happens to be a farmer. He came to my office two months ago. Since then I saw ten people that everybody liked, politically correct. And I kept thinking about Sonny Perdue.' He recounted seeing candidates who seemingly had never been on a farm and had no knowledge of farming, mentioning one candidate who was 'very good' but lacked that specific background. Trump said he would find another job for that man. Trump also spoke about his pick for secretary of homeland security, promising that General John Kelly would do 'an unbelievable job' at keeping the American people safe. 'And speaking of safety we have General Mattis - now, I don't know if he likes to be called Mad Dog Mattis so I won't call him Mad Dog Mattis but he's here somewhere. He is going to keep us safe. 'The cabinet members are doing fantastically. I've watched most of it, I've heard most of it, they have really done a good job. There's not a pick that I don't like and if there was I'd tell you right now. I probably would, actually.' The billionaire then thanked all of his campaign donors, big and small, adding that some got 'really generous the day after the election was won'. 'Oh great, you should have sent it a week before,' he joked. Trump launched into a critic of the media, naming CNN but not elaborating, and conceding that Fox had treated him and his team 'very well'. Trump refused to give a CNN reported during his press conference last week, accusing the network of being 'fake news'. He then thanked some of his family members who were in attendance, including his brother, his sisters Maryanne and Elizabeth, his sons Eric and Donald Jr, and his daughter Tiffany. Trump also mentioned his youngest son Barron, who wasn't at the event. The mogul then introduced his daughter Ivanka as someone who 'worked very hard and married very well', adding: 'I sort of stole her husband.' He has picked his son-in-law Jared Kushner as a senior adviser. 'I made a speech tonight at the Lincoln Memorial in front of all those live TV cameras - I cant stand them,' the president-elect continued. But actually a couple of them are starting to get honest. It was a good speech but instead of saying it was a good speech they said, 'What about tomorrow?' They never give you credit.' Trump then joked that he won't mind if it pours rain on his inauguration tomorrow because at least the public will get confirmation that his hair is real. 'I see my Kellyanne. Aw, Kellyanne. Come here Kellyanne, come up here. Shes been so great. Wow,' he continued, calling his former campaign manager to the stage. 'There is no den she will not go into. When my men are petrified to go on a certain network I say, "Kellyanne will you go?" Then she gets on and she just destroys them. So anyway, thank you, baby. Thank you. Thank you. Be careful.' Advertisement

The president-elect's granddaughter Kai waved to the crowd just like her grandfather on the Lincoln Memorial steps

Dancers dressed as robot performed as Trump watched during the pre-inaugural celebration on Thursday evening

A woman attended Thursday's show wearing Stars And Strips sunglasses and was seen placing her hand over her heart

Hundreds of attendees gathered next to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC to enjoy the pre-inaugural soiree

Outfit of the night: A man wore a T-shirt showing Trump towering above the White House with the caption 'Daddy's home!'

Greeting the crowd: Donald waves to the crowd as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews on Thursday afternoon (Donald and Melania Thursday at noon above)

Proud hubby: Melania received thunderous applause after her remarks at a GOP luncheon and got a kiss from Trump (Donald and Melania above at a GOP luncheon on Thursday afternoon)

No show: Trump's son Barron did not attend the ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns on Thursday afternoon

Crowd: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner attended with their oldest daughter Arabella; Donald Trump Jr and wife Vanessa attended with son Donald III and daughter Kai; Eric Trump attended with wife Lara; and Tiffany Trump

Big moment: Trump had the honor of laying the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns to remember the nation's fallen soldiers (Donald laying the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns)

Watching on: People watch video monitor showing President-elect Donald Trump laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery from Lincoln Memorial (above)

MELANIA'S FASHION PICKS: FERRARI AND GUCCI The first-lady-to-be ended weeks of speculation when she revealed which designers she had picked for her first inauguration outfit. Melania Trump was bundled up in an ensemble by New York City-based designer Norisol Ferrari, which she paired with Gucci sunglasses for her arrival on Thursday afternoon. Some designers had refused to dress the first lady, but Ferrari told Women's Wear Daily: 'I am absolutely opposed to discrimination in any way. I wanted to give her her own voice. Empowering women is all that matters to me. I do not discriminate whether for race, religion, color of skin, sexuality, political affiliation  what have you. No, I do not believe in it in any form.' Ralph Lauren had been mentioned as a frontrunner for the future first lady's outfit. Melania had already favored him for her Election Night outfit, a white silk jumpsuit purchased at the designer's Madison Avenue store. Tiffany Trump meanwhile chose a coat from her sister Ivanka's clothing line for the first part of the day. Ivanka Trump picked a purse, sunglasses and shoes from her own brand. Melania kept everyone guessing when she showed up in a simple Norsil Ferrari coat Thursday, not revealing the rest of her outfit The first-lady-to-be sported Gucci sunglasses earlier in the day. She favored two European brands, one British and one Italian, Thursday Advertisement

The inauguration will begin Friday at the Capitol, where Trump will take the oath of office and end at the White House

Earlier on Thursday, the Trumps hit the ground running in Washington DC, busying themselves with an array of events and appearances ahead of Donald's swearing in on Friday afternoon.

The family arrived in nation's capitol shortly after noon on Thursday, before making their way to the family's eponymous hotel in the district.

Then, after a brief appearance at a luncheon, it was off to Arlington National Cemetery, where Trump had the honor of laying the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns to remember the nation's fallen soldiers.

He was joined for that monumental event by his wife Melania most of his family.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner attended with their oldest daughter Arabella; Donald Trump Jr and wife Vanessa attended with son Donald III and daughter Kai; Eric Trump attended with wife Lara; and Tiffany Trump attended with her boyfriend Ross Mechanic, who did not stand with the family during the ceremony.

Trump's son Barron did not attend the ceremony.

Trump shared a photo shortly after the ceremony on Instagram, writing: 'Truly an honor. Thank you to all of our men & women for their service.'

Upon landing in DC on Thursday, the president-elect's family exited the plane first after landing at Joint Base Andrews, with Donald's son Barron hesitantly leading the way.

Donald's 10-year-old son was then followed by Donald Jr. and his wife Vanessa with their five children. Eric Trump exited next with his wife Lara.

The Donald's two oldest sons are only down for the weekend before they head back to New York City and get to work running the Trump organization whole their father is in office.

Then came America's new political power couple Ivanka and Jared Kushner, along with their three children.

The family touched down in what will now be their new home as Kushner gets to work as a senior adviser to Trump in the White House.

Just a few hours prior, Ivanka addressed rumors that she would be taking Melania's place as first lady once her father took office in an interview on Good Morning America.

'Well, I think its an inappropriate observation. There's one first lady and she'll do remarkable things,' said Ivanka, referring to her father's wife Melania.

She later told Deborah Roberts in the interview, which will air in full on 20/20 Thursday night, that she also found the comments 'sexist,' saying that they seemed to suggest that two women could not have a powerful role in her father's White House administration.

Ivanka also revealed during the interview that she is still close to former first daughter Chelsea Clinton despite her father's victory over Hillary in the election, and said that she will likely go to her for advice once she settles down in Washington DC next week.

On the move: Donald Trump Jr. prepares to head out to Arlington National Cemetery with his daughter Kai and son Donald III (Donald Jr. and children heading to Arlington National Cemetery above)

Waving to his fans: Trump waves from inside his vehicle as he heads off to Arlington National Cemetery

Joining the group: Tiffany Trump and Ross Mechanic depart the Trump Hotel and head to their car to be taken to the cemetery

Party with party members: For his first stop in DC on Thursday, Trump headed over to his eponymous hotel for a luncheon being held for GOP lawmakers (Trump above at the GOP luncheon)

She speaks: Once there, Melania surprised many in the crowd by taking the stage and making a few remarks

Helping hand: trump then escorted his wife off the stage after making a few remarks himself on Thursday

Looking out in the crowd: Donald and Melania were a big shot with the group of GOP lawmakers on Thursday

Trump and Melania will be driven by a US Secret Service-trained chauffeur inside a maximum-security vehicle

Tiffany was the last child to leave, exiting solo and without boyfriend Ross Mechanic, who had de-boarded at the rear of the aircraft. She was followed by some of Donald's siblings.

Then, after a pause, Donald and Melania exited the plane, with Donald waving to those at the base before descending the stairs with his wife.

Donald posted an Instagram photo of himself exiting the plane almost immediately after landing, writing: 'Just landed with Melania & my family. Thank you for all of your support. I love you - and WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!'

Donald Jr. posted a similar photo of his family getting off the plane on his Instagram account, writing: 'And we are in DC. Pretty surreal experience so far.'

And Ivanka posted a photo of her family as well, writing: 'Arriving in Washington DC with my family. A very special moment! #MAGA #Inauguration2017'

Hail to the chief: Trump exited the flight after his family on Thursday, 24 hours before he will be sworn in as president (Trump landing in DC)

New first lady: Melania emerged from the plane before her husband and then waited for him to join her

Here he comes: Melania exited the plane first and then waited for her husband to join her before they descended to their waiting car

Salute: Two members of the Air Force salute next to Donald Trump and wife Melania (above) after they exit the plane

New roles: President-elect Trump and his wife Melania are greeted upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday

And he's off: Trump and his family then headed to his Washington DC hotel where they will spend the night

For his first stop in DC on Thursday, Trump headed over to his eponymous hotel for a luncheon being held for GOP lawmakers in the nation's capital.

Once there, Melania surprised many in the crowd by taking the stage and making a few remarks.

'Would you like to say a couple of words?' Trump said from the podium of the event, inviting his wife on stage.

'Its great to be here and thank you all for your support,' Melania said to the crowd.

'And tomorrow we start the work. Ahead [there is] a lot of responsibility, a lot to take care of, and we will Make America great again.'

There was thunderous applause from those in attendance when she finished her remarks.

Trump then kissed his wife and escorted her off the stage.

Fashionable crowd: Ivanka posted a photo of her family, writing: 'Arriving in Washington DC with my family. A very special moment! #MAGA #Inauguration2017'

Welcome to DC: Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner exit the plane on Thursday with their three children (above)

New home: Ivanka carried son Theodore down the stairs from the plane and then paused before entering one of the waiting cars

Heading out: Barron appeared a bit uncertain at first as he made his way off the plane ahead of everyone on Thursday

Leading the way: Barron Trump (above) was the first to depart from the plane, followed by his niece Kai, Donald Jr's oldest daughter

Sons: Donald Jr. exited the plane with his wife Vanessa and their five children, followed by Eric and his wife Lara (above)

Donald posted an Instagram photo of himself exiting the plane almost immediately after landing, writing: 'Just landed with Melania & my family. Thank you for all of your support. I love you - and WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!'

Making an entrance: Ross Mechanic (left) and Tiffany Trump (right) depart their vehicles after arriving at the hotel on Thursday (Tiffany and Mechanic arriving at Trump Hotel)

Toys: A woman who appears to be a nanny for some of Trump grandchildren carries toy sets of the Air Force planes on which the family had just flown

Sister, sister: Trump's sister Maryanne Trump Barry arrives ahead of the inauguration with Trump aboard a U.S. Air Force jet

It will be a big day for Trump on Friday, with things kicking off with breakfast and a church service after he spends the night at Blair House, which is considered the president's guest house.

Then, Trump and wife Melania will meet outgoing President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House.

Following tradition, Trump and Obama will ride together down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol.

He will be sworn in at noon by Chief Justice Roberts, with his vice presidential pick Mike Pence being sworn in by Clarence Thomas.

After that, Trump will deliver his inaugural address, which it has been said he wrote himself and will last for 20 minutes.

As many as 900,000 people are expected to turn out for the event, and after the ceremony, the Obamas will leave the Capitol to begin their post-White House lives.

The Obamas are heading to Palm Springs while Vice President Biden and his wife will be taking an Amtrak back home to Delaware.

Trump and Pence will then attend a lunch and around 3pm their families will lead a parade up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House before preparing for the evening's balls.

Meanwhile, leaders of an ad hoc group of protesters enraged by Republican Donald Trump's election as president of the United States vowed on Wednesday to disrupt his inauguration this week by blocking public access to the event.

Practice makes perfect: Singer Jackie Evancho rehearses singing the National Anthem on the West Front of the US Capitol on Thursday

Speaking out: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rehearses an inauguration speech on the West Front of the US Capitol on Thursday

Pitch perfect: The Northern Middle School Honors Choir perform during the 58th Presidential Inauguration Welcome Celebration

Dance, dance: Workers unroll the carpet displaying the Presidential Seal at the National Building Museum where the Commander in Chief's Ball will take place on Friday

Donald Jr. posted a similar photo of his family getting off the plane on his Instagram account, writing: 'And we are in DC. Pretty surreal experience so far'

Power couple: Ivanka and her husband Jared were seen leaving their Park Avenue apartment on Thursday on their way to Washington DC

Joining the president-elect: Shortly before he left Trump Tower, his daughter Tiffany and her boyfriend Ross Mechanic were seen walking through the lobby of the building (above)

Last shot: Lara Trump posted a photo of herself and husband Eric with Donald just before he departed, taken in his office at Trump Tower

Making memories: Donald Trump Jr. posted a similar photo of his father with his granddaughter Kai

The DisruptJ20 protest group said it will send groups of demonstrators to the dozen entrances to the grassy National Mall where hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather to watch Trump, who has never before held public office, be sworn in as president on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Friday.

'We believe that it's our role and the role of any people with conscience to try to disrupt this inauguration and have a massive showing of resistance on that day,' Samantha Miller, a DisruptJ20 organizer, said at a news conference.

The president-elect was seen in his motorcade departing Trump Tower on Thursday morning as he headed down to his new home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Minutes later he arrived at LaGuardia Airport where he got on his first government flight, having flown on his personal airplane for the final time last night now that he is commander in chief.

No longer a private citizen, Trump was flanked by two ambulances, a huge convoy of SUVs and motorbikes when he departed Trump Tower on Thursday.

That fleet then pulled right on to the tarmac and up to the plane when they arrived at LaGuardia, with Trump and his family members climbing up the stairs and boarding their flight.

Trump then at one point taxied right past his signature Trump plane, which was kept on the tarmac at LaGuardia.

His departure out of LaGuardia caused major delays at the airport, and planes could be seen backed up throughout the runway on Friday while Trump took right off after arriving in his motorcade.

On the move: Donald Trump's motorcade pulls away from Trump Tower in New York City just before 11am on Thursday (above)

Familiar sight: Trump at one point taxied right past his signature Trump plane, which was kept on the tarmac at LaGuardia

Backed up: Trump's departure out of LaGuardia caused major delays at the airport as other fligths waited for him to take off

First flight: Trump is aboard a United States Air Force Boeing C-32A that will land at Joint Base Andrews

Friendly skies: Trump will have a busy afternoon once he lands with two events right off the bat

Shortly before he left Trump Tower, his daughter Tiffany and her boyfriend Ross Mechanic were seen walking through the lobby of the building, though it is unclear if they are joining him on the trip down.

Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner were also seen leaving their Park Avenue apartment, with Ivanka looking fetching in a green dress and jacket.

Lara Trump posted a photo of herself and husband Eric with Donald Just before he departed, taken in his office at Trump Tower.

'Last shot together in this office...bittersweet. #MAGA,' wrote Lara.

Donald Jr. posted a similar photo of his father with his granddaughter Kai, writing: 'Kai visiting grandpa @realdonaldtrump one last time at the office he has used for as long as I can remember before he makes his voyage to Washington DC to the Oval Office.'
Conrad Rudalavage, 49, allegedly repeatedly punched his wife in the face and then choked her after dreaming that she cheated on him

A Pennsylvania father-of-two was arrested after he allegedly punched his wife in the face and choked her after dreaming that she was cheating on him.

Conrad Rudalavage, 49, has been charged with attempted homicide, aggravated and simple assault, terroristic threats, harassment and recklessly endangering another person.

Lori Williams-Rudalavage, told police that her husband said he had a 'bad dream' that she had been unfaithful and was going to kill her before launching his attack.

Williams-Rudalavage said he had been drinking heavily on Saturday and went to bed early before the dream occurred.

Then he came downstairs and began to punch his wife repeatedly in the face and body and tried to rip her clothes off, according to The Times-Tribune.

Williams-Rudalavage ran outside to try and escape him but Rudalavage threw her down on the driveway and slammed her head into the ground, police said.

Rudalavage then choked her and continued to threaten to kill her.

When the couple's 17-year-old daughter came home and tried to intervene, Rudalavage began to choke her to stop her from calling 911, according to court papers.

Lori Williams-Rudalavage (pictured with the couple's two children), told police that her husband said he had a 'bad dream' and was going to kill her before launching his attack

Rudalavage (pictured with his 21-year-old son and right showing off a new Corvette tattoo) has been charged with aggravated and simple assault and terroristic threats, among others

His daughter was able to escape and then ran to get help from their neighbors, according to WNEP.

Neighbors pulled Rudalavage off of his wife and called for help.

When police arrived at the scene and began examining Williams-Rudalavage's injuries, her husband fled the scene in his car.

Officers followed him to his family's used car business in Eynon, where he was arrested.

Williams-Rudalavage was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Rudalavage is being held without bail at Lackawanna County Prison.
Alleged Istanbul nightclub killer Abdulkadir Mashaipov who gunned down 39 people on New Year's Eve was sent three women by ISIS as a sick reward for the massacre

The Istanbul nightclub killer who gunned down 39 people on New Year's Eve was sent three women by ISIS as a sick reward for the massacre.

Alleged killer Abdulkadir Mashaipov was captured on Monday in a police operation in Istanbul and has since admitted carrying out the attack at the Reina nightclub as people celebrated the start of 2017.

Authorities later identified him as being from Uzbekistan and said he had been trained in Afghanistan to carry out the attack from ISIS.

Also arrested in the squalid hideout on Monday were three women from Somalia, Senegal and Egypt.

And according to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, they had been sent to Masharipov by the terror group as a prize for his slaughter in the nightclub.

In some sections of Islam it is understood that those who die in the name of God are gifted 72 virgins upon reaching heaven.

While Mashaipov was clearly the recipient of a reward without having to give his life in the name of his religion, it is not clear if the women sent to him were virgins.

This comes as four other accomplices were also arrested in the run down flat, which was just 25 miles from the scene of the deadly assault.

Pictures have emerged from inside the apartment and show a shopping bag full of cash and a copy of the Koran lying among other possessions inside his lair.

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.

Also arrested in the squalid hideout on Monday were women who were allegedly sent to the killer as a reward

Pictures have emerged from inside the apartment and show a shopping bag full of cash and a copy of the Koran lying among other possessions inside his lair

Meanwhile, the Hurriyet Daily News, citing security sources, said the Istanbul shooter had received orders directly from Raqqa, the main bastion of ISIS in Syria.

The report, citing Turkish authorities and police investigations, said the original target of the attack was Istanbul's famous Taksim Square.

But the plan was modified in response to boosted security there, according to the report, which cited an account of events allegedly given by the suspect.

Masharipov reportedly arrived into Turkey in January last year through Iran after receiving orders to join the war in Syria. He initially settled in the central Turkish city of Konya.

Four other accomplices were also arrested in the run down flat, pictured, which is just 25 miles from the scene of the deadly assault

Two pistols, mobile phone SIM cards, and more than 100,000 euros in cash were seized from th flat in the Esenyurt district of the city

In preparation, Masharipov travelled to Istanbul on December 16, staying first at an ISIS house in the neighborhood of Basaksehir.

But on New Year's Eve, he was quoted as saying it didn't seem possible to carry out the attack in Taksim due to intense security measures. Masharipov then contacted his handler, who told him to find a new target.

He spotted the Reina night club at 10 p.m. while traveling by taxi on the banks of the Bosporus. He suggested the new target to his handler, who approved.

Mashaipov is accused of killing 39 people who were at the Reina nightclub in Istanbul on New Year's Eve. The gunman is pictured shooting dead a security guard outside the club

Turkish officials say the attacker, who switched clothes at the nightclub, melted into the crowd of survivors and escaped the premises. Pictured are injured people being led from the club

The alleged shooter then went to collect his weapon from the neighborhood of Zeytinburnu, where he went two days before the attack.

The gunman took out a security guard outside of the nightclub and another civilian before entering Reina and letting loose a salvo of bullets on people who were celebrating New Year's Eve.

Turkish officials say the attacker, who switched clothes at the nightclub, melted into the crowd of survivors and escaped the premises.

The Hurriyet report claimed police came close to apprehending Masharipov the day after the attack, spotting him on the back seat of a car. Police were fired on and the suspect escaped.
A Florida woman's vacation at the famous Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas turned into a nightmare after she awoke one morning to find herself covered in more than 100 bed bug bites.

Cindi Avila said she and her husband Michael Avila had been enjoying their two-night stay in the popular resort on the sunny island, until she found hundreds of bed bugs crawling under her hotel bed.

The Miami woman was left with swollen and itchy skin and endured weeks of the 'worst pain' she has ever experienced after her stay.

Avila is now suing the hotel for $15,000 in damages.

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Cindi Avila (pictured weeks after her vacation) had stayed in the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas, which left her covered in more than 100 painful, bed bug bites

The couple had been staying in the Atlantis Paradise Island Hotel (pictured) for two nights before she awoke to find herself bitten

On the day she was scheduled to leave the Atlantis Royal Towers Hotel, Avila woke up to see what she had initially thought was a mosquito bite on her forehead, but after she killed another insect, which secreted blood, she realized she had been bitten by bed bugs.

'I immediately called the hotel and they sent me to a nurse,' she told DailyMail.com.

'It was a humiliating experience as I had to strip down naked and have calamine lotion rubbed all over my body.'

The Miami woman said she urged the hotel staff to go to her room to check out the bugs, but she was told they would take a look after she checked out that day.

The Miami woman said she initially believed she had been bitten by a mosquito, until she discovered the bugs in her bed

Cindi and her husband looked under her mattress to find hundreds of bugs crawling around the bed

Cindi was left with red, swollen bites from her head down to her knees

The woman said the severity of the bites progressed when she returned home from her vacation and became more inflamed

'I told them "no, you have to come see this now" and the front desk manager refused because he was the only one checking in guests that day,' she said.

As a former television reporter, she decided to conduct her own investigation with her husband and went back to check her room for more bugs.

Although her husband slept on the same bed, only Cindi had been affected.

After the couple flipped over the mattress, the two were shocked to see hundreds of bed bugs crawling around the bed.

'It was like a scene out of a horror movie,' she said.

The blood-sucking insects are not usually seen during the day and are known to scatter once they are exposed to light, but Cindi said she still managed to capture the bugs on video because there were so many.

'There was bright light in the room and I was still able to get all the bugs on video along with their excrement and that's what blew me away,' she said.

Cindi discovered hundreds of bugs underneath the bed skirt (stock photo of Atlantis Resort hotel room)

After going to an urgent care facility, Cindi said she was prescribed medication, but it did little to help her discomfort

Cindi, pictured with her husband Michael, had stayed in the room which was paid for by a casino voucher

'The fact that there was excrement meant it hadn't been cleaned in a while, and it was on the bed skirt of easy, washable linen.'

When she found the bugs, Cindi called a housekeeper into the room who was mortified when she saw the all the insects.

The housekeeping supervisor and a security staff member arrived at the room, but no one from the hotel management.

The staff wrote up a report on the incident and told her they would investigate after she checked out of the room, but she insisted the hotel shut down the entire floor, which is carpeted, to prevent it from spreading.

When Cindi complained to the front desk manager a second time, she said she was shocked to be met by his 'laid back' attitude and was told an exterminator would take care of the situation.

The mother-of-two, said she was lucky to not have brought her children along (pictured in 2016) who could have been exposed to the bugs

The couple had been staying in the room which had already been paid for by a casino compensation voucher, but the hotel still gave them a bill for incidentals, which included the resort restaurant and spa that totaled up to $700.

Eventually, the hotel agreed to compensate the couple for the bill.

When Cindi and Michael arrived home, she had told family members about the incident, who advised them to stay in a hotel.

The couple threw out their suitcases and most of their clothing and bought new clothes to wear when they got back home.

A few days after she returned from her vacation, she noticed the bumps on her skin became more inflamed and she went to an urgent care facility.

Cindi was treated, but said at first her medication provided no relief.

'I bathed in cider, lemon, and oatmeal baths, and used ice packs,' she said.

'It was miserable, I had no relief and I couldn't sleep for days.'

When Cindi visited a dermatologist, the doctor told her he had never seen a bed bug case as bad as hers in his career and lost count after 100 bites.

Although she was given steroids and creams, Cindi said the pain and itching lasted about three to four weeks, and a year later, she still has some scars.

Weeks after her ordeal, she was confused to see no one from the hotel had followed up about her situation and she decided to contact them again.

A woman from the resort's public relations team told her to keep them updated with her condition.

According to Cindi, she continued to send videos of her skin, but the woman stopped communicating, soon after.

After contacting the legal department who offered to only pay for her medical expenses, Cindi's brother, an attorney, wrote a letter to the hotel to bring her claims to court.

Cindi said she never received a personal statement from Atlantis, but the hotel issued one to a local news source instead.

Cindi and her husband pictured on vacation at the luxury Bahamian resort

Atlantis Paradise Resort said in a statement that there had not been any previous reports of bed bugs in the Avilas' room

CBS Miami were issued a statement which said: 'Atlantis, Paradise Island has the utmost concern and respect for every guest experience. Included in our protocol are very strict standards of hotel hygiene and cleanliness.

'In the unusual event we are made aware of a concern, we respond immediately to the situation and take the appropriate steps to re-mediate the problem as we did with Ms. Avila.

'When Ms. Avila reported a concern about bedbugs in her room, the resort immediately took the room out of service, brought in the propertys professional pest company to eradicate the problem and provided compensation for her stay.

'The property had no prior complaints regarding Ms. Avilas room and has had no reports of bedbugs in the room in the more than one year since her stay. The resort offered to reimburse Ms. Avila for any medical bills resulting from her experience, which she declined.

'Since that time, Ms. Avila has repeatedly, and through three different attorneys, attempted to extract a large financial settlement from the resort and threatened intimidation in the media if her financial demands were not met.

'Atlantis is dedicated to treating all guests fairly and handling claims professionally. We have engaged with Ms. Avila directly and then her multiple prior attorneys continually over the year since this incident took place in an effort to resolve this matter. We regret that she has decided to take this course of action in a further effort to extract a large financial reward.'

Cindi's lawyer, Michael Winkleman issued a statement saying: 'Atlantis did make a nominal settlement offer but it was insulting in relation to the harm done to Cindi.

'We look forward to a jury of her peers, here in the United States, ultimately resolving the issue of what is a fair money award for what happened to Cindi due to the hotels gross negligence.'

The Atlantis Paradise Island is a renowned Bahamian resort with six different hotel accomodations.

The Royal Towers is a five-star hotel and contains the world's most expensive suite, according to Forbes.
Ibrahim Erkal, 34, from Swindon in Wiltshire, claimed he had been in Paris for a two-day 'sightseeing trip'

A people smuggler has been jailed after he was caught trying to sneak an Iraqi man through the Channel Tunnel in his boot.

Ibrahim Erkal, 34, from Swindon in Wiltshire, claimed he had been in Paris for a two-day 'sightseeing trip' when suspicious Border Force officers stopped his Mercedes.

The officers searched his vehicle and found the illegal immigrant hidden under sheets of cardboard in the boot.

An investigation found that Erkal had been contacting the illegal immigrant using his mobile phone.

He was arrested and charged with assisting unlawful entry to Britain and the Iraqi man was passed on to French police.

Erkal appeared at Canterbury Corwn Court in Kent on Tuesday, where he was found guilty and sentence to 15 months in prison.

Assistant Director David Fairclough, from the Immigration Enforcement Criminal Investigations team, said: 'This was an unsophisticated attempt to breach the UK's immigration controls and one that, the court found, was motivated by money.

'The sentence handed out yesterday should serve as a warning to anyone tempted to get involved in the vile trade of people smuggling.

'We will catch you, and put you before the courts.

'We will continue to work closely with Border Force colleagues to rigorously investigate allegations of immigration related criminality.'
Rebecca Deferia, 30 (pictured) smiled outside court as she was found not guilty of arranging hitmen to kill her boyfriend

The daughter of a wealthy businessman today smiled with relief as she was found not guilty of helping her father arrange a hit on her ex-boyfriend.

Rebecca Deferia, 30, was accused of paying a gang 12,500 to shoot 38-year-old Jonathan Catchpole at his home in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

The court heard how one of the three hitmen shouted 'Rebecca wants you dead' as they blasted Mr Catchpole in the chest at point blank range with a sawn-off shotgun. Mr Catchpole - who had also been subjected to a campaign of intimidation - was left for dead but 'miraculously' survived the attack.

But today, privately-educated Miss Deferia - who had always denied conspiracy to murder - was cleared of the charge following a two-week trial.

The prosecution claimed she had helped orchestrate a 'careful and meticulous assassination', alongside her father Colin Deferia, 60, and four other accomplices, all of whom have been convicted.

But Judge David Goodin said there was insufficient evidence to convict Miss Deferia, directing the jury of eight women and four men to find her not guilty.

As the decision was announced, Miss Deferia - who was on bail with a surety of 250,000 - wept and thanked the judge.

The defendant - who split with Mr Catchpole in 2013 after a five-year relationship - then embraced her mother Carol outside court.

She added in a statement released by her solicitors that she was 'too overwhelmed and emotional to speak'.

The statement said: 'My acquittal brings nearly 18 months of utter misery to at least a partial conclusion.

'I now need some time to reflect on the future. I will be doing my best to rebuild my life going forward after what has been a dreadful time.'

During the trial, the prosecution said Ms Deferia - who 'appeared to want for nothing' as an only child of a successful businessman - had been in a long running dispute with her former partner.

Prosecutor Andrew Jackson described the shooting as 'the final act of an elaborate conspiracy to murder Mr Catchpole' and a 'careful and meticulous plan for assassination'.

They used mobile phone records to tie her into the murder plot and said there were searches on her iPad relating to the floor plan of Mr Catchpole's new flat.

Miss Deferia's father Colin (pictured), 60, is serving 26 years in jail after being convicted of conspiracy to murder

The court heard how one of the three hitmen shouted 'Rebecca wants you dead' as they blasted Mr Catchpole in the chest at point blank range with a sawn-off shotgun (pictured)

But Jim Sturman QC, defending, said that Miss Deferia - who had monthly income from her investment portfolio worth 265,000 - had not wanted Mr Catchpole dead and was not part of any plot.

He argued that the phone and iPad had been used by Miss Deferia's father, with whom she lived and worked at his firm Precon Products near Bury St Edmunds.

Mr Deferia, 60, who lived in a 1m Grade II listed farmhouse in Barking, Suffolk, was jailed for 26 years last September after being found guilty of conspiracy to murder.

The court heard he persuaded his niece's boyfriend Paul Baker, 35, to hire Simon Webber, 32, Frank Warren, 52, and Andrew Seaton, 40, to carry out the bungled shooting.

Baker, of Maidon Newton, Dorset was jailed for 17 years while Webber, of Bridgwater, Somerset, Warren, of Dorchester, Dorset, and Seaton, of Maidon Newton, were sentenced to 23 years behind bars.

Mr Deferia persuaded Paul Baker (left) - who was his niece's boyfriend - to hire three hitmen, including Frank Warren (right)

Andrew Seaton, 40 (left), and Simon Webber, 32 (right), also carried out the bungled shooting

The court heard how, before the shooting, there had been a campaign of intimidation against Mr Catchpole, which involved his car tyres being slashed twice and his brake lines being cut.

Judge Goodin said he accepted there was 'exceptionally bad blood' between the Deferia family and Mr Catchpole, adding there was 'crushing evidence' that the original plot to frighten him off turned into a conspiracy to kill him.

But he said that evidence suggesting Miss Deferia's involvement was 'inherently weak'.

During the trial, Mr Catchpole described how he was installing security cameras - one week after his tyres were slashed - when he answered his door to the three hitmen.

The victim - who was bare chested and wearing only a pair of shorts - said they pushed their way into his home before a tussle ensued.

Fighting back tears, he added: 'I felt someone hit me over the head and I felt warm blood coming down the side of my face. My initial thought was that it was the gun as there was a clanging sound.

'There was a tussle in the hallway and I was doing my best to grab the shotgun and push it away from me, and push it up.

'Me and the guy with the gun ended up in my bedroom. I went for the gun again and one of the guys said, "Rebecca wants you dead". Then I knew what it was about.'

Mr Catchpole said, after he was shot, he stumbled out into the street and waved for help from passing motorists.

He told the court: 'All I was thinking was, "I can't die. I have to survive. I won't let them get away with this".

'I was always expecting something and waiting for the next thing to happen. But I wasn't expecting someone trying to kill me.'

The court heard how Mr Catchpole was airlifted to hospital where surgeons removed wadding and 42 pellets from his chest, including some which had become embedded in the fat around his heart.

Meanwhile, the gunmen escaped in a stolen car which they set on fire - with the shotgun inside - in a country lane.

Within minutes of the shooting, Seaton called Baker to report they had 'carried out the contract'.

The court heard how, hours after the shooting, Miss Deferia was arrested but refused to comment.

In a prepared statement to officers, she said: 'I knew nothing about this matter until my solicitor spoke to me.

'I have not at any time been involved in organising, arranging requesting, facilitating or conspiring to cause the events of yesterday regarding the shooting of Jonathan Catchpole.'

The Crown Prosecution Service charged her father but initially decided there was insufficient evidence to charge Miss Deferia.

But she was later charged on the basis of phone and communication data evidence.

Miss Deferia's mother Carol who was also arrested after the shooting was never charged with any offence.

The court was told how, before the shooting, Miss Deferia had changed the locks on the home she shared with Mr Catchpole.

She and her father also cut up his clothes, before hiring a private detective called Barry Parker to carry out surveillance.

The prosecutor said Mr Parker's investigation - which involved putting a tracking device on his car to monitor his movements - were 'thorough and highly intrusive'.

Mr Jackson said a briefing pack had been sent to Baker in August 2014, setting out how he should target Mr Catchpole and giving information about him.

The letter was found in Baker's car in an envelope which had been sent from a franking machine at Mr Deferia's business.

Mr Catchpole, who went to live with his sister in Colchester, Essex, later found the tyres on his car slashed.

The court heard that Miss Deferia had also used a fake Twitter account set up by her father to follow an account belonging to Mr Catchpole's sister Sarah Spinks.

The fake account was then used to post a message to Mrs Spinks, commenting about the death of her first husband 13 years ago.

Mr Jackson said the tweet left her distressed and was an attempt to intimidate her.

Mrs Spinks also received an anonymous note through her door, saying: 'This is your last chance. You know what you have done. Shut your mouth or see what happens.'

The court heard Mr Catchpole met Miss Deferia when she was a student at the University of East Anglia.

The couple later lived together in a house in Bury St Edmunds which was owned by her parents and where they paid a cut-price rent of 500 a month, the court heard.

He told the court that he joined his girlfriend's family on Christmas and holiday trips to their second home in Austria, and they treated him to meals out in expensive restaurants.
A newly-married couple just claimed their Christmas gift - and it was completely worth the wait.

Delane Emery of Webster, Wisconsin was given a Minnesota state lottery ticket called Millionaire Raffle for Christmas, but the lottery isn't drawn until January 1.

Emery, who just got married, said he was half-asleep when his step-mother called him to ask if he'd taken a look at the two tickets he was given.

The winning $1million ticket was bought at the Rock Creek Pit Stop in Pine City, above

The Minnesota lottery's raffle had over 4,000 winners, the top two being $1million prizes

'I read off the number on the first one. She said, 'That's the one! You guys just won $1 million!'' he told the Star Tribune. 'It still doesn't feel real.'

Emery said every year his parents buy tickets and distribute them to him and his siblings.

The lucky lad says the money gives him and his new wife the chance to 'start out life without a lot of worries.'

The winning ticket was bought at the The Rock Creek Pit Stop in Pine City.

There were two $1million winners drawn and the other has yet to claim his or her prize.

Emery will not have to share his winnings with the second winner - but will have to with the IRS, of course.

Each ticket costs $10 and besides the $1million top prize, there were five people who won $100,000 each, as well as those who claimed cars, vacations, free groceries, free gas, electronics gift cards, and other goodies.

There were 4,164 winning raffle numbers.
President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration is on the warpath with Senate Democrats over their efforts to keep cabinet nominees from beginning their jobs on Day One.

Sean Spicer, Trump's White House press secretary as of tomorrow, hammered Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday for using 'stall tactics' to hold up non-controversial appointees to the new cabinet and 'partisan attacks' to derail others.

'If you look at the questions that are being asked in these confirmation hearings, it's not about substance. It's not about policy. It's not about the issues in front of that department. It's about partisan hacks  I mean partisan attacks and ethical questions,' the Republican National Committee spokesman said.

President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration is on the warpath with Senate Democrats and their leader, Chuck Schumer, pictured, over their efforts to keep cabinet nominees from beginning their jobs on Day One

Spicer urged Democrats to confirm Nikki Haley as Ambassador to the United Nations, Ben Carson to the Housing Department and Elaine Chao as Transportation Secretary at first chance.

Eight years ago, the Senate confirmed seven on Barack Obama's nominees immediately after his inauguration. The upper chamber is poised to confirm half as many of Trump's.

'The Democrats are making up excuses because they can't find better reasons to oppose the nominees,' Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of the Senate's health and labor committee told CNN.

Schumer said Thursday that Democrats would allow James Mattis, Trump's pick to head Defense and John Kelly, who's been appointed to Homeland Security to come up for a vote tomorrow.

Mike Pompeo, the nominee to head the CIA, is also likely to get a vote. He won't serve in Trump's cabinet but the position requires Senate approval nonetheless.

'Its possible that some other non-controversial nominees could be considered relatively quickly,' Schumer said. 'But from there we intend to have a full and rigorous debate on the President-elects remaining nominees.'

That's leaves Trump with two prospective cabinet confirmations on his first day in office, and 13 vacant cabinet secretary positions.

Trump waited until today to name an agriculture secretary, and his veterans affairs nomination came just last week. All of his other cabinet nominees, with the exception of his labor secretary, have sat through their hearings, including the two sitting before senators today.

Carson and Chao, a former labor secretary and wife of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, had their hearings last week, but Haley's was only just yesterday.

None of them, Spicer pointed out, were on Schumer's 'political hit list' - nominees that Democrats said they planned to target.

'They are consensus candidates, and while every one of them is unbelievably qualified to lead this country in their respective department, the idea that they're expanding this list and slowing down the continuity of government is unacceptable.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife, Secretary of Transportation nominee Elaine Chao arrive at the Kentucky Society of Washington's Bluegrass Ball in Washington, DC. on Wednesday night. Chao is being marketed by Trump's team as a 'consensus' pick who should be confirmed right away

'They owe an explanation on those three individuals at the very least,' he said. 'Why are they delaying Elaine Chao? Why are they not moving on Ben Carson? Why are they not moving on Governor Nikki Haley? Why are they holding up those three individuals in particular?'

Democrats had asked that several of the nominees' hearings be postponed past their original dates because they had not turned in the proper paperwork or been officially vetted by an independent ethics office.

Trump's education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos received a hearing on Tuesday anyway.

'It's an affront to the openness and transparency that the American people are entitled to,' Schumer opined at a news conference Wednesday. 'This is a swamp cabinet full of bankers and billionaires.'

He accused Senate Republicans of trying to 'rush' through these hearings for Trump's nominees.

'They dont want the American people to know their true views, their potential conflicts of interest, and just how many of them come from the top 1%,' the New York Democrat charged.

Trump's Democrats to confirm Nikki Haley as Ambassador to the United Nations, Ben Carson to the Housing Department and Elaine Chao as Transportation Secretary at first chance.

He specifically cited DeVos, Treasury Secretary nominee Steve Mnuchin, who's in front of senators now, Commerce appointee Wilbur Ross and Labor nominee Andy Puzdner, all of whom are millionaires, though DeVos' wealth is through her husband.

Spicer rejected Schumer's arguments at his first on-camera briefing today. 'These people have had their paperwork in. Their quality and caliber and integrity is unquestionable,' he said.

'There are so many issues facing this country that we need to get moving on, and the idea the Democrats would use these stall tactics is not in the country's best interest.'

Republicans hold a majority in the Senate, and because of changes Democrats made to the rules when Obama was in charge, can confirm any of Trump's nominees with 51 votes. They hold 52 seats in the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 'has been working tirelessly to get the situation going,' Spicer said Thursday.

'There is really no excuse for the delay tactics and frankly the partisanship that's being exhibited by the Democrats,' he said. 'There's a time and a place for it. I get it. But again, I think if you hold them to the standard that they were held in '08, you recognize the fact they are continuing to employ delay tactics after delay tactic, which isn't good for the government.'

Spicer argued that the behavior 'sends not just a signal to the folks in the United States but frankly around the world that we're not  that they're questioning the ability of continuity of government.'

He argued in the same briefing, however, that the Trump administration would be ready to govern from the outset and is holding over knowledgeable employees in every department from Obama's tenure until his nominees are confirmed.

'Make no mistake we're ready to go on on Day One,' he said.
Culture minister Audrey Azoulay, pictured at an opera in Paris, is set to make changes to France's film laws

Young people in France will soon be allowed to watch real sex scenes at the cinema, as the government relaxes its film classification laws.

Culture minister Audrey Azoulay is set to announce that under-18s will no longer be automatically blocked from seeing a film that contains non-simulated sex, BFM TV reports.

The 18 certificate will now only be automatically applied to films that include sex or violence that could 'seriously hurt the sensitivity of minors', the ministry of culture said.

It's believed Ms Azoulay will bring in the change, which overturns a decree from 2003, by early February before she leaves office.

France's cinema classification board was last summer forced to slap an over 18 rating on the 2015 film 'Love' after a lawsuit from a far-right group, which complained about its 3D-animated non-simulated sex scenes.

The film, directed by the Franco-Argentinian Gaspar Noe, shows graphic sex  in myriad positions and permutations, in twosomes, threesomes and groups.

The explicit depiction of turbulent youthful relationships was first aired at Cannes Film Festival and was described as 'full frontal, in-your-face filmmaking'.

The director said he wanted to smash the convention that keeps graphic eroticism out of mainstream cinema.

'I was making a film about love,' Noe told reporters in Cannes in 2015. 'It wasn't a film about Swiss banks or Scientology.'

'What everyone has in common is their love of making love,' he said.

France's cinema classification board was last summer forced to slap an over 18 rating on the 2015 film 'Love' after a lawsuit from a far-right group. The director of 'Love' Gaspar Noe is pictured (left) alongside a scene from the explicit film (right)

Director Gaspar Noe is pictured with actors Klara Kirstin, Karl Glusman and Aomi Muyock during the 'Love' photocall at the 68th Cannes Film Festival in 2015

The news that France will allow under-18s to watch real sex scenes comes after the CNC, France's film certification board, in December came under fire after it rated an animated film that features a three minute long mass orgy scene suitable for children.

Sausage Party, an adult themed comedy written and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, was rated as 'R' in the US and a '15' in the UK however the CNC gave the movie a '12' enabling children to watch it.

The film, which is set in an American supermarket and follows the lives of horny and often blasphemous foodstuffs, features a sexually explicit scene involving most of the characters having sex with multiple partners.

Christian and conservative organisations lashed out at the CNC for allowing children as young as 12 to watch the film in cinemas.

Jean-Frederic Poisson, president of France's Christian Democratic party said: 'An orgy scene for 12-year-olds! Everything remains to be done to combat early exposure to pornography.'
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A fight erupted between two female politicians in the Turkish parliament over the bid to give the president executive powers.

One handcuffed herself to the rostrum in parliament to protest against the controversial reform package that would give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office more control.

The move sparked fighting between female MPs that reportedly resulted in two being taken to hospital.

Independent politician Aylin Nazliaka attached herself to the microphone, forcing parliament's deputy speaker to twice call a recess and halt debate on the draft constitutional amendments for some two hours.

During the recess, a group of female politicians failed to convince Nazliaka to end her protest. One legislator proceeded to unscrew the microphone leading to a row between women from the ruling party and the opposition.

The lawmakers soon came to blows, shoving and slapping each other, television footage showed. Pervin Buldan, a deputy speaker from the pro-Kurdish party, was taken to hospital after reportedly being kicked in the chest

The move sparked fighting between female politicians that reportedly resulted in two of them being taken to hospital

One handcuffed herself to parliament's rostrum to protest against the controversial reform package that would give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office more control

Independent politician Aylin Nazliaka attached herself to the microphone, forcing parliament's deputy speaker to twice call a recess and halt debate on the draft constitutional amendments for some two hours

During the recess, a group of female politicians failed to convince Nazliaka to end her protest. One legislator proceeded to unscrew the microphone leading to a row between women from the ruling party and the opposition

Safak Pavey, a disabled legislator from the main opposition party, told Hurriyet newspaper she was pushed to the ground by a ruling party member while a colleague was 'dragged by her hair'

The ruling party later said Enc was also hospitalized for alleged blows to her neck and back

The lawmakers soon came to blows, shoving and slapping each other, television footage showed. Pervin Buldan, a deputy speaker from the pro-Kurdish party, was taken hospital after reportedly being kicked in the chest.

Safak Pavey, a disabled MP from the main opposition party, told Hurriyet newspaper she was pushed to the ground by a ruling party member while a colleague was 'dragged by her hair.'

The atmosphere remained tense when the assembly reconvened with opposition party members demanding that the speaker discipline an MP from the ruling party, Gokcen Enc, who was accused of attacking her female colleagues. 'Justice, justice, justice!' they were heard shouting.

The ruling party later said Enc was also hospitalized for alleged blows to her neck and back.

It was the third time that deliberations on the proposed amendments gave way to brawls.

Last week, ruling party and opposition lawmakers scuffled, and one ruling party legislator claimed he was bitten on the leg.

The ruling Justice and Development Party, founded by Erdogan, says that a strong presidency is needed to strengthen Turkey as it faces an array of threats.

Critics say the changes would give too many powers to Erdogan, who is accused of displaying authoritarian tendencies.

A final vote on the proposals is expected Friday or Saturday. If approved by parliament, the reforms would be put to a national referendum.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at his palace as the parliament continue to debate proposed amendments to the country's constitution
Marine Le Pen is leading the race for the French presidency, the latest opinion polls show.

The far-right leader of the National Front has between 25 to 26 per cent of support, ahead of Republican candidate Francois Fillon, who has between 23 to 25 per cent.

However, the Ipsos Sopra Steria poll for Le Monde only shows voting intentions in the first round of the presidential election.

Marine Le Pen is leading the race for the French presidency, the latest opinion polls show

Fillon is widely expected to defeat Le Pen in the second round, which is between the final two candidates.

The poll indicates that Independent candidate Emmanuel Macron is in third place, on between 17 percent and 20 percent, while Jean-Luc Melenchon from the Left Party is in fourth place on 14 to 15 percent of the vote.

The ruling Socialist Party still trails well behind in fifth place, between five to seven points behind Melenchon.

All the predicted scores varied according to which Socialist candidate emerges from the primaries, with former prime minister Manuel Valls as the frontrunner.

He will contest the first round of the Socialist primaries on Sunday with former economy minister Arnaud Montebourg, and Benoit Hamon, an ex-education minister.

A second round is due to take place on January 29 between the top two scoring candidates.

Republican candidate Francois Fillon is behind on 23 to 25 per cent but is widely expected to defeat Le Pen in the second round

The first round of the election itself is due to take place on April 23, with the top two scoring candidates also going through to a second, run-off round.

Most polls predicting a run-off result have shown Fillon beating Le Pen in that second round, although some scenarios have predicted a contest that Macron would win.

Independent candidate Macron threw down a direct challenge to France's existing political parties on Thursday by announcing he would field candidates in all constituencies in June's parliamentary elections.

Macron is a centrist whose rise in opinion polls is worrying left-wing and right-wing candidates in the presidential race.

Independent Emmanuel Macron is in third place, on between 17 percent and 20 percent
The hacker collective Anonymous tweeted that president-elect Donald Trump will 'regret the next four years' as the group also threatened to expose his 'personal ties with Russian mobsters'.

A series of messages posted on Twitter also include allegations that Anonymous group will release tawdry information about the president-elect and called for its followers to expose any compromising information they can find about Trump.

In the tweets sent over the last few days, the group, which declared 'total war' on Trump ahead of the election last year, repeated allegations against him that are unsubstantiated.

'You have financial and personal ties with Russian mobsters, child traffickers and money launderers,' one tweet sent by the group to @realDonaldTrump reads.

The hacker collective Anonymous tweeted that president-elect Donald Trump (pictured on Tuesday) will 'regret the next four years'

A series of messages (above) posted on Twitter also include allegations that Anonymous group will release tawdry information about the president-elect

Another tweet the hacking collective sent to Trump reads: 'This isn't the 80's any longer, information doesn't vanish, it is all out there. You are going to regret the next 4 years. @realDonaldTrump'.

And in a separate tweet, the group claimed that the United States had 'committed ritual suicide by electing Trump.'

'Roy Cohen (sic) and your daddy aren't here to protect you anymore @realdonaldtrump', reads another tweet the group sent in reference to an attorney that worked for Trump early on his real estate career that also became famous during Sen. Joseph McCarthy's investigations into Communist activity in the country.

In the tweets (above) sent over the last few days, the group, which declared 'total war' on Trump ahead of the election last year, repeated unsubstantiated allegations against him

The Anonymous group also tweeted: 'We could care less about Democrats attacking you @realDonaldTrump, the fact of the matter is, you are implicated in some really heavy s***.'

The threatening tweets from the hacking collective came after the real estate mogul tweeted that outgoing CIA chief John Brennan 'couldn't do much worse.'

'Just look at Syria (red line), Crimea, Ukraine and the build-up of Russian nukes. Not good!' Trump wrote on the social media site.

Trump has not responded to the tweets from the group, as he just arrived in Washington, D.C. early Thursday afternoon (above) as he will take the oath of office as the 45th president on Friday

Prior to the election, the group had pledged to take Trump down, but so far its attacks have not done any damage, as he beat out Democrat Hillary Clinton for the White House.

Back in March 2016, the group leaked the billionaire's personal phone number, however, it was later realized that it had been available previously.

Trump has not responded to the tweets from the group, as he just arrived in Washington, D.C. early Thursday afternoon as he will take the oath of office as the 45th president on Friday.

The Trump family flew down to the nation's Capital aboard Air Force One and were photographed exiting the plane at Joint Base Andrews.
A senior EU politician has taunted Theresa May by claiming Brexit will 'impoverish' Britain and return it to 1970s levels of poverty and unemployment.

Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem made the incendiary claims to Holland's NRC newspaper in response to the Prime Minister's historic Brexit speech.

Mrs May unveiled her 12-point vision for post-Brexit Britain on Tuesday, telling an audience of diplomats of her ambitions for a vibrant future.

Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem made the incendiary claims to Holland's NRC newspaper in response to the Prime Minister's historic Brexit speech

But Mr Dijsselbloem said: 'Let's speak to each other again in 20 years, and then England will be back to where it was in the seventies.

'Totally outdated, massive unemployment, totally impoverished.'

The remarks will alarm Downing Street just weeks before the official start of negotiations on Brexit.

Mrs May plans to file the UK's Article 50 notification before the end of March to begin two years of negotiations on unravelling 40 years of membership.

EU response to her speech has been generally warm, with praise for the Prime Minister's clarity and openness.

Brexit supporters reacted with fury tonight at Mr Dijsselbloem's intervention, which took a markedly different tone.

Senior Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg told MailOnline: 'He is talking double Dutch.

'It is the Euro that is impoverishing southern Europe and the EU officials are blind to the failing of their dear project.'

Theresa May, pictured at the Davos World Economic Forum today, unveiled her 12-point vision for post-Brexit Britain on Tuesday

Suella Fernandes, vice-chair of the Tory European Research Group, said: 'Brexit is a once in a generation opportunity for Britain to take back control, step confidently into the world and write a new chapter of becoming a beacon of international free trade.

'That's what I campaigned for and what the majority of Britons want.'

Ukip MP Douglas Carswell said: 'These sour grape comments that the Eurocrats and Eruo elite still don't get it.

'When we decided not to join the Euro, they said our economy would splutter. When we kept out of Schengen, they said we would face a downturn.

'Every time we have opted for less European Union, we have thrived and it is sad the Eurocrats are so resentful of it.'

Mr Carswell praised Mrs May for approaching the EU talks in an open and optimistic way.
Consumers spent more than $56 billion on marijuana in North America last year, according to a new report.

Researchers from ArcView Market Research (AMR) compiled data from the US, Mexico and Canada for the year 2016.

The 25-page report that was released this week showed cannabis sales, including the illicit market, in North America amounted to an estimated $56.4 billion in 2016, with 88 per cent of it outside legal channels.

In 2015, illicit cannabis sales made up 90 per cent of revenue for the marijuana industry.

Consumers spent more than $56 billion on marijuana in North America last year, according to a new report released by the ArcView Market Research (file photo)

The report showed cannabis sales, including the illicit market, in North America amounted to an estimated $56.4 billion in 2016, with 88 per cent of it outside legal channels. This chart shows that pot is being sold 100 per cent illicitly in states that haven't legalized it

In comparison, North Americans spend an estimated $249.5 billion total on alcohol each year, while consumers spend more than $150 billion on tobacco.

Because more states passed laws to open new markets in 2016 than in previous years, revenue growth for the cannabis industry skyrocketed by 40 per cent between 2014 and 2016.

The growth was primarily driven by Colorado and Washington, which initiated adult-use sales, according to the report.

However, the rate of growth will subside somewhat in 2017 to 19 per cent, as the eight states that voted to open or expand their cannabis markets on Election Day in November 2016 work to implement the new programs.

California, Nevada, Maine, and Massachusetts all voted in favor of legalized use, sale, and consumption of recreational marijuana on November 8.

Researchers have predicted that growth will again accelerate in 2018, as adult use sales ramp up in Canada, California, and Massachusetts along with medical sales in Florida.

According to the report, the legal marijuana market will expand from $6.9 billion to $21.6 billion in 2021. The $6.9 billion figure by itself is a 34 per cent increase from 2016.

Researchers wrote that 'the cannabis industry doesnt need to create demand for a new product or innovation - it just needs to move demand for an already widely popular product into legal channels'.

Researchers wrote that 'the cannabis industry doesnt need to create demand for a new product or innovation - it just needs to move demand for an already widely popular product into legal channels'. This chart shows cannabis spending between 2015-2021

The legal marijuana market is expected to expand from $6.9 billion to $21.6 billion in 2021. The $6.9 billion figure by itself is a 34 per cent increase from 2016. In comparison, North Americans spend estimated $249.5bn total on alcohol and more than $150bn on tobacco

One major reason legalizing marijuana has began to spread rapidly is because the 'illicit market is shrinking', according to the data.

In Colorado, for example, AMR estimates what was a $1-billion illicit market, is now less than $500 million.

The marijuana investment and research firm's fifth annual State of Legal Marijuana Markets will release its full report in February.

The US beer industry took a hit toward the end of 2016 in Colorado, Oregon and Washington, when their target market turned away from alcohol and towards legal marijuana.

Beer markets in all three states have underperformed over the past two years, with beer volumes falling by more than two per cent and all three markets being behind the national average.

The stats, which came from financial services organization Cowan and Company, show that craft breweries are being affected, but mainstream beer producers such as MillerCoors have been hit harder, Brewbound reported.

Economy beer volumes for mainstream producers are down 2.4 per cent, while premium brands such as Coors Light and Bud Light are down 4.4 per cent.

Denver in particular seems to prefer a bong to a beer, as total beer sales have fallen 6.4 per cent and craft beer volumes have dropped five percent to date this year.

Men spend $647 annually on marijuana products, while female consumers drop about $634 - compared to an average of $645 a year on alcohol and $1,000 a year on coffee, it said.

Colorado and Washington both legalized recreational marijuana use in 2012; Oregon followed suit in 2014.
A multi-agency working group including the FBI and intelligence agencies has been probing possible Kremlin financing of election hacking in the U.S. for months, according to a report by McClatchy news.

Other participating agencies are the CIA, the National Security Agency, the Justice Department, and a financial crimes division of the Treasury Departments along with staff from the Director of National Intelligence, McClatchy reported.

The U.S. intelligence community has concluded that the highest levels of the Russian government backed a hacking campaign during the elections. The working group appears focused on the alleged flow of money from the Kremlin to the people doing the hacking and intermediaries.

The publication cites two sources say saying one allegation under review was whether authorities tapped into a system to provide pensions to Russian-Americans in order to fund the hacking.

A multi-agency working group has been probing possible Kremlin financing of election hacking in the U.S., according to a report. U.S. intelligence agencies believe hacking was directed by the highest levels of the Russian government. Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured at a press conference January 17

The money may have been used to pay some email hackers in the U.S., according to the report, or to supply intermediaries who would pass on the payments, two sources told the publication.

During the campaign, hackers obtained access to the email trove at the Democratic National Committee, as well as a decade of emails from the personal account of Hillary Clinton campaign chair John Podesta.

The emails got posted on WikiLeaks and became a fixture of campaign coverage.

The inquiry, described as 'informal,' began last spring.

Trump, who gets top-level security briefings, during his only post-election news conference for the first time said Russia was behind election hacking.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a government meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow

Russia's President Vladimir Putin makes his annual New Year address to the nation in Moscow. An inter-agency U.S. working group is probing alleged Russian financing of election hacking

President-elect Donald Trump introduces his wife Melania before delivering his remarks at a luncheon with his cabinet members and congressional leaders at Trump's luxury hotel in Washington

But he has vigorously denied Russia had any leverage over him, following the release of a dirty dossier of unproven information about him that both he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have dismissed.

'Russia has never tried to use leverage over me. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA - NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!' Trump tweeted this month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have denied engaging in hacking of the U.S. elections.

According to the report, the group of U.S. officials is examining 'a few' Americans affiliated with Trump's campaign and his business, as well as 'multiple' people from Russia and former Soviet republics.

The report cites anonymous sources for its information.

The Senate Intelligence Committee has announced its own investigation of Russian activities in the elections, although Republicans have resisted Democratic requests for a joint congressional inquiry.

President Obama ordered intelligence agencies to produce a report for him on Russian election hacking before he leaves office.
Martin McGuinness has said he doesn't regret fighting with the IRA during the Troubles after he stepped down from frontline politics because of ill health.

The veteran Sinn Fein politician was revealed last week to be suffering from the rare disease amyloidosis and was said to have just six years to live.

Mr McGuinness's resignation as Deputy First Minister collapsed the power sharing executive in Northern Ireland over a political row about a botched renewable energy scheme.

Martin McGuinness, pictured tonight, has announced he is quitting politics over ill health and will not be returning to Government after snap elections

His resignation was intended to force DUP leader and First Minister Arlene Foster to quit but has resulted in new elections because of the impasse.

Mr McGuinness's political career saw him become a key player in the Northern Ireland peace process - after years as an IRA commander.

Asked whether he regretted his role during the Troubles, when more than 3,500 people were killed, he told the BBC: 'People have to consider the circumstances in this city when I did join the IRA.

'We had a city where people were being murdered by the RUC, where they were being murdered wholesale, as they were on Bloody Sunday, by the Parachute Regiment.

'And the fact that many young people like myself, supported by many thousands of people  I'm not saying it was a majority  decided to fight back, I don't regret any of that.'

The 66-year-old insisted tonight he hoped to return as a 'peace ambassador' after recovering from his illness - but not as a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams tonight revealed his sadness at the retirement, tweeting 'three of us in the car crying over Martin McGuinness'.

Announcing his retirement from politics tonight, Mr McGuinness said he needed time to recover from 'a very serious illness'.

The father of four revealed that after 'a lot of thinking' he will not be contesting the snap elections he forced due to ill health.

He said: 'The question I asked myself was 'are you physically capable of fighting an intensive 5/6 week election and doing it to my full abilities?'

'I rapidly came to the conclusion that I am not in any physical state to fight such a campaign.

'So I have taken the decision that I will not be a candidate in the upcoming election,' he said.

Mr McGuinness said he had intended to stand aside in May, on the 10th anniversary of going into government with the DUP's Ian Paisley.

However, he said that the DUP's handling of the Renewable Heating Initiative (RHI) scandal left him with 'no other alternative' but to resign earlier this month.

DUP leader Arlene Foster's refusal to step aside pending an interim report into the scheme was her 'biggest mistake', Mr McGuinness said.

'God knows where it is all going to end.'

Mr McGuinness said he had originally intended to stand aside in May before the current political storm exploded

Mr McGuinness continued: 'But quite clearly at the heart of it is a very clear perception of not just incompetence, but allegations of corruption are flying all over the place. That was an intolerable situation for me to find myself in.'

'As someone who has worked night and day over the course of 10 years to keep the institutions intact, and of course many conversations with both the British and Irish Government about the DUP, it was particularly disappointing having kept up the institutions for almost 10 years that I found myself with no other alternative but to resign.

'And of course that has led to an election.'

After Mr McGuinness's retirement was announced, Sinn Fein party president Gerry Adams said there were 'three of us in the car crying over Martin McGuinness'

The former deputy first minister told the Press Association he has been battling ill health for several months, but he hopes to make a recovery.

WHO COULD REPLACE MCGUINNESS FOR SINN FEIN? Sinn Fein could be in a position to nominate a new deputy first minister if talks on resurrecting power-sharing are successful. Here are some of the candidates. Conor Murphy: The married father of two is a key member of the Sinn Fein negotiating team with particular responsibility for institutional issues and has represented the party at the Hillsborough, Leeds Castle and St Andrew's negotiations as well as playing a key role in the Fresh Start agreement negotiated at Stormont House. Since then he has been a member of the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee and the Public Accounts Committee. Mr Murphy chaired the Economy Committee which had been investigating the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal. Michelle O'Neill: The Stormont health minister has been involved in republican politics from her teens, has held various senior positions within Sinn Fein and has a background in social welfare issues. She has worked in the Assembly since 1998, initially as political adviser to Francie Molloy before being elected to the devolved legislature in 2007 following the restoration of power sharing. Mairtin O Muilleoir: The relative newcomer to the Assembly is a media publisher who represents south Belfast. He has heavily criticised the DUP over its handling of the Renewable Heat Incentive which threatens to land taxpayers with a 490 million bill. Advertisement

'On medical advice last year I was advised not to travel to China and in the aftermath of that I underwent a whole series of tests.

'As a result of those tests I have been diagnosed with a very serious illness which has taken a toll on me.

'But I am being cared for by wonderful doctors and nurses within our national health service and I am very determined to overcome this condition but it is going to take time.'

Mr McGuinness said a new candidate to lead the party into the elections will be announced next week.

He added that although his electoral career is now at an end, his political career is not.

'I hopefully will overcome this illness through time. I am very determined to be an ambassador for peace, unity and reconciliation.

'Reconciliation, I have always believed, is the next vital stage of the peace process.

'My record of reaching out, whether it be to Queen Elizabeth - and her record of reaching out to me on several occasions - my visits to the Somme, to Flanders field, have not been reciprocated by the DUP and that is a particular disappointment to me.'

He resigned as Deputy First Minister in an attempt to force DUP leader Arlene Foster to quit as First Minister.

Mrs Foster refused, accusing Sinn Fein of misogyny and wanting to re-run last year's elections.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire was forced to call a snap election on Monday night and warned the squabbling parties the poll threatened the Northern Ireland peace process.

A failure to strike a new political deal after the elections - which must involve both unionist and republican politicians under the Good Friday Agreement - could see the return of direct rule from London for the first time in a decade.

Mr McGuinness, right in July with Theresa May and Arlene Foster, left, resigned as Deputy First Minister last week in a move that collapsed power sharing devolved government

As he announced the poll, Mr Brokenshire warned: 'No one should underestimate the challenge to the political institutions here in Northern Ireland or what is at stake.

'While it is inevitable debate during an election period will be intense, 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 after that poll.

'This is essential to the operation of devolved government and this means all must remain open to dialogue.

'The Government continues to stand firmly behind its commitment to the Belfast Agreement (The Good Friday Agreement) and its successors and our responsibilities to safeguard political stability here in Northern Ireland.'

Martin McGuinness's political career saw him evolve from an IRA commander in The Troubles to meeting the Queen as deputy first minister in a power sharing executive last year

DUP's Arlene Foster 'refused' invitation to attend Irish football matches together, claims Martin McGuinness

DUP First Minister Arlene Foster refused an invitation to attend a Republic of Ireland match together, Martin McGuinness claimed tonight.

The former deputy first minister, who has announced he will not contest the upcoming elections because of ill health, hit out at the DUP's 'very clear antipathy towards the Irish language and all things Irish'.

He explained that during last summer's European Championships in France he had asked the DUP if Ms Foster would accompany him to a Republic of Ireland match and he would then join her at a Northern Ireland game.

DUP First Minister Arlene Foster, pictured, refused an invitation to attend a Republic of Ireland match together, Martin McGuinness claimed tonight

Mr McGuinness claimed the party refused the show of cross-party unity.

And although it was the DUP's 'abysmal' response to the renewable heating scandal that was the reason behind the collapse in the Northern Ireland administration, it was simply the 'last straw' after a string of disappointments, he said.

Explaining the breakdown in relations during the European Championships last summer, Mr McGuinness said: 'I wasn't asking her to go to a 1916 commemoration or anything to do with the anniversaries of commemorations, but they refused.

'I ended up going to the Northern Ireland match and the Republic match. Arlene went to the Northern Ireland match.

Martin McGuinness said that during last summer's European Championships in France he had asked the DUP if Ms Foster would accompany him to a Republic of Ireland match and he would then join her at a Northern Ireland game. Pictured, Ireland manager Martin O'Neill celebrates with his team after their side scored the first goal in their knock-out game against France

Martin McGuinness said Arlene Foster refused his suggestion that they attend a Northern Ireland game together. Pictured, Northern Ireland players celebrate scoring against Ukraine during the European Championships

'That certainly, coupled with other attitudes coming form the DUP, clearly shows that in relation to their willingness to respect that there are Irish people here in the north, whose allegiances, some to both teams, but probably most to the republic. They weren't prepared to reach out. I find it all particularly disappointing.'

Mr McGuinness added that his 'passionate hope' in the aftermath of the elections is that the DUP will recognise 'there is no going back to the status quo.'

'There has to be a fundamental change of attitudes.

'I still think a big effort needs to be made to get an agreement which is solid and shows that people in the DUP and British Government are prepared to ensure there are no more allegations of financial scandals within the administration and there's an administration that is truly committed to the whole concept of equality and parity of esteem.'

The IRA commander turned peace campaigner who shook hands with the Queen

Martin McGuinness was a former IRA commander who shook the Queen's hand and dined at her table.

In 1972 it would have seemed absurd that she would one day greet a man who helped lead the Provisionals in a bloody campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland.

The Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday said he 'probably' carried a sub-machine gun during the massacre of 14 unarmed civil rights protesters by soldiers in Londonderry.

He admitted to being second-in-command of the IRA that day.

Martin McGuinness, left in 1972, was an IRA Commander during The Troubles before turning to politics in the peace process

A former butcher from the Bogside in Derry, a man of action during the street fighting of the 1970s, he ended up toasting the Queen at Windsor Castle after a long career of peace-making.

Mr McGuinness was Sinn Fein's chief negotiator of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement which ended violence, secured IRA arms decommissioning in 2005 and shared government with former enemies in Belfast as deputy first minister.

During his time as DFM he forged such a good working relationship with former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader and first minister Ian Paisley that they were dubbed 'the Chuckle Brothers'.

But it was his more strained relationships with Mr Paisley's successors, Peter Robinson and Arlene Foster, that led to difficulties in recent years at the top of the power-sharing executive.

Recently he has been plagued by ill-health, being forced to withdraw from a business trip to China with Ms Foster on medical advice.

Mr McGuinness, pictured alongside Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams in 1999, joined the peace process that led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and eventually power sharing

When he announced his resignation in Belfast earlier this month he appeared gaunt and tired.

Under the power-sharing arrangements he took the first minister with him, ending a decade of testy coalition government with the DUP and forcing an election.

A republican who vowed to bring about a united Ireland, he had always acknowledged his IRA past.

In 1973 he was convicted by the Republic of Ireland's Special Criminal Court after being arrested near a car containing explosives and ammunition.

After his release, and another conviction in the Republic for IRA membership, he became increasingly prominent in Sinn Fein, eventually becoming its best known face after Gerry Adams.

He was in contact with British intelligence indirectly during the hunger strikes in the early 1980s, and again in the early 1990s.

As a politician and a republican Mr McGuinness met the Queen on more than one occasions, including at Hillsborough in Northern Ireland in 2014, pictured

Mr McGuinness became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement.

He became MP for Mid Ulster in 1997.

After the Good Friday Agreement was concluded, he was returned as a member of the Assembly for the same constituency, and nominated by his party for a ministerial position in the power-sharing executive, where he became minister of education.

He scrapped the 11-plus exam, which he had failed as a schoolboy.

The Good Friday Agreement proved difficult to implement and was followed by the St Andrew's Agreement in 2006.

Sinn Fein ambitions such as a bill of rights for Northern Ireland and an Irish language act are still unfulfilled.

As Deputy First Minister to DUP leader Arlene Foster, he visited Downing Street in October (pictured) to lobby for Northern Ireland's interests in the Brexit talks

But the very act of the DUP and Sinn Fein, once staunch enemies, entering into coalition government with Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness at its helm was epoch-making for Northern Ireland.

In December 2007, while visiting US president George W Bush at the White House with Mr Paisley, Mr McGuinness said: 'Up until the 26th of March this year, Ian Paisley and I never had a conversation about anything - not even about the weather - and now we have worked very closely together over the last seven months and there's been no angry words between us.

'This shows we are set for a new course.'

Mr McGuinness' dream of a united Ireland was unfulfilled during his tenure.

Doubts remain among some republicans about what they have gained through entering Stormont.

But his period in office helped consolidate the peace and repair some of the many fissures in a once-bitterly divided Northern Ireland.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

WikiLeaks founder julian assange stands by his offer to go to the US now that Chelsea Manning is being released, he told a press conference.

Speaking from the Ecuadorian embassy in London via social media, he signalled there would be 'many discussions' on his future before Manning leaves prison in May.

He welcomed Barack Obama's decision to free the former soldier jailed for handing over classified documents to the anti-secrecy organisation.

The outgoing US president used his final hours in the White House to allow Manning to go free nearly 30 years early.

The transgender former intelligence analyst, born Bradley Manning, said she had passed on government and military documents to raise awareness about the impact of war.

Mr Assange, who has been living at the Ecuadorian embassy since the summer of 2012 for fear of being extradited to the US, praised campaigners for their role in the decision.

He was interviewed in the embassy in November in the presence of prosecutors from Sweden, where he faces a sex allegation.

Assange denies the claims, but insists he faces extradition to the United States for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks if he leaves the embassy.

Manning was convicted in 2013 of violating the Espionage Act and other crimes for leaking more than 700,000 classified documents while working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad.

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The transgender former intelligence analyst, born Bradley Manning (left) said she had passed on government and military documents to raise awareness about the impact of war (Chelsea Manning, right)

Assange welcomed Barack Obama's decision to free the former soldier jailed for handing over classified documents to the anti-secrecy organisation

She declared as transgender after being sentenced to 35 years in prison. Manning had served more than six years before Mr Obama commuted her sentence on Tuesday, with a release date set for May.

President Obama said: 'The notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital, classified information would think that it goes unpunished, I don't think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served.'

Mr Obama said he saw no contradiction in granting clemency to Manning even as he warns about Russia's hacking of the US presidential campaign, in which stolen emails were released publicly by WikiLeaks.

He said he was not motivated by WikiLeak's earlier pledge on Twitter that founder Assange would agree to extradition to the US if Mr Obama commuted Manning's sentence.

'I don't pay much attention to Mr Assange's tweets, so that wasn't a consideration,' the president said.

Mr Obama's comments came as he prepares to exit the presidency after eight years marked by major victories on healthcare, the economy and climate change, along with disappointments over his inability to achieve his goals on immigration, gun control and closing the Guantanamo Bay prison.
Former US president George H.W. Bush remained in intensive care Thursday for treatment of pneumonia but doctors expressed hope he will be moved out of an intensive care unit in 'a few days,' his spokesman said.

'President Bush had a good night's rest and remains in stable condition in the ICU at Houston Methodist Hospital,' spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement.

Doctors are evaluating whether tubes inserted to help the 92-year-old former president breathe can now be removed.

And Bush's 91-year-old wife Barbara, hospitalized Wednesday, is feeling '1,000 percent better' after being treated with antibiotics and getting some rest.

Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara are on the mend in the hospital, their spokesman said on Thursday. The couple pictured above in May 2012

Bush's son, 43rd President George W. Bush, said he and his wife Laura would be representing his parents at the inauguration in touching Instagram post onThursday

The former first lady was admitted after experiencing fatigue and coughing, and ultimately diagnosed with bronchitis, the statement said.

The Bushes received a visit Wednesday from old friend James Baker, who served as secretary of state under Bush, and his wife Susan, the statement said.

Bush was initially hospitalized Saturday for shortness of breath, then moved to intensive care Wednesday suffering from pneumonia, highlighting concerns about his health as Donald Trump prepares to take office Friday.

Word of the Bush couple's ill health drew wishes for their speedy recovery from President Barack Obama, former president Bill Clinton and Trump.

Bush, who served as the nation's 41st commander-in-chief from 1989 to 1993, is the oldest of the four living former US presidents and uses a wheelchair. He has seemed frail in recent public appearances.

FULL STATEMENT FROM FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH'S SPOKESMAN President Bush had a good night's rest and remains in stable condition in the ICU at Houston Methodist Hospital. His medical team is actively evaluating him for extubation, and we are hopeful he will be discharged from the ICU in a few days. After being admitted yesterday and diagnosed with a case of bronchitis, Mrs. Bush reports that she feels '1,000% better' this morning. Antibiotics and some good rest seem to have restored her to better health. The Bushes received an uplifting visit from their dear friends, Jim and Susan Baker [the former secretary of state and his wife], last night, and are deeply appreciative for the wonderful care they are receiving - as well as the prayers and good wishes from far and wide. -Jim McGrath Advertisement

He will not be attending Friday's presidential inauguration.

In July 2015, Bush was treated in a Maine hospital after falling and breaking a bone in his neck. The previous December he was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital for breathing problems.

He was treated at the same facility in November 2012 for bronchitis, spending nearly two months in the hospital.

Last week, Bush wrote President-elect Trump to say he could not attend Friday's inauguration because of his health. The Bushes are pictured above on their wedding day in 1945

Bush's (second left) son, former President George W Bush (second right), will attend the inauguration, as well as the other living former presidents and soon-to-be-ex-president Barack Obama

George Herbert Walker Bush was born June 12, 1924 in Milton, Massachusetts to a wealthy New England political dynasty, the son of Prescott Bush, a successful banker and US senator for Connecticut.

He deferred his acceptance to Yale University in order to join the US Navy and head off to World War II, before marrying Barbara and heading to west Texas to crack into the oil business.

As a rising political star, he served in the US House of Representatives, as US ambassador to the United Nations, and director of the Central Intelligence Agency before becoming vice president to Ronald Reagan for eight years.

As president, Bush steered the United States through the end of the Cold War and drove Iraqi invasion forces out of Kuwait, only to be denied a second term over a weak economy.
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Washington has turned into a virtual fortress ahead of Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on Friday.

Around 900,000 people will flood Washington for the inauguration ceremony, which includes the swearing-in on the steps of the US Capitol and a parade to the White House along streets thronged with spectators.

More than 100 square blocks - about 2.7 square miles - will be closed to automobile traffic on Friday as federal, state and local authorities create a protective bubble around the swearing-in ceremony, presidential festivities and opposition protests. The final tab is reportedly more than $100 million.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said that around 28,000 in personnel from the US Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, FBI, US Park Police, US Capitol Police, Coast Guard and local police from Washington and around the nation would be fanned out across the city to provide multiple layers of security.

Johnson said that despite the absence of a 'specific, credible threat,' the main focus will be on 'individual acts of violent extremism and those who self-radicalize,' as have been seen in recent attacks in France and Germany.

He explained that dump trucks and buses will be placed in strategic locations to block off large gatherings of pedestrians.

On Thursday afternnon, police responded to reports of a 'suspicious package' on 14th Street. An explosives technician was sent to investigate the claim and police cleared the scene shortly after.

Around 900,000 people are expected to flood Washington for Donald Trump's inauguration and the city has turned into a virtual fortress in preparation. Police helicopters can be seen circling the area for reconnaissance ahead of the festivities

The Federal Aviation Administration has reminded people that drones are prohibited from flying within a 30-mile radius of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, including the National Mall, on the day of the event

Homeland Security Secretary Johnson said that the main focus will be on 'individual acts of violent extremism and those who self-radicalize.' SWAT personnel are pictured keeping watch beside the Washington Memorial on Thursday

Around 28,000 personnel from the US Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, FBI, US Park Police, US Capitol Police and Coast Guard are fanned out across the city. A Capitol Police Officer is pictured with an AR 15 style assault rifle

Donald Trump landed in Washington Thursday with his wife Melania, children, grandchildren and a large security detail

13,000 service members will support the swearing-in, with more than 5,000 military members from across all branches of the armed forces, including reserve and National Guard components. A Marine is pictured saluting the incoming president

The number of planned protests and rallies this year is far above what has been typical at recent presidential inaugurations.

Homeland Security Secretary Johnson said police aimed to keep groups separate, using similar tactics as employed during last year's political conventions.

'The concern is some of these groups are pro-Trump, some of them are con-Trump, and they may not play well together in the same space,' Johnson said on MSNBC.

About 30 groups totaling 270,000 people have received permits to stage demonstrations, both for and against the New York businessman in Washington around the inauguration.

That number includes some 200,000 people who police say they expect to attend Saturday's Women's March on Washington, an anti-Trump protest.

Bikers for Trump, a group that designated itself as security backup during last summer's Republican National Convention in Cleveland, is ready to step in if protesters block access to the inauguration, said Dennis Egbert, one of the group's organizers.

'We're going to be backing up law enforcement. We're on the same page,' Egbert, 63, a retired electrician from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, said at the group's site along the parade route.

A 'suspicious package' was discovered in Washington on Thursday. An explosives technician is pictured investigating H Street between 14th Street and 15th Street, police said

The explosives technician walks past the Hilton Garden Inn on 14th Street, investigating the alleged security threat

City on edge: a police officer directs people and traffic away from the area blocked off due to a suspicious package

More than 100 square blocks - about 2.7 square miles - will be closed to traffic on Friday as federal, state and local authorities create a protective bubble around the swearing-in ceremony and presidential festivities

The operations reportedly cost a total of $100 million. More than 99 groups (both pro and anti-Trump) are expected to launch demonstrations, starting on Friday night and carrying through until Saturday evening

The security planning covers not just Inauguration Day itself but also a week of public and private events planned to celebrate Mr. Trump's victory, starting with a welcome concert on the National Mall on Thursday

A protest group known as Disrupt J20 has vowed to stage demonstrations at each of 12 security checkpoints and block access to the festivities on the grassy National Mall.

Police and security officials have pledged repeatedly to guarantee protesters' constitutional rights to free speech and peaceable assembly.

Aaron Hyman, fellow at the National Gallery of Art, said he could feel tension in the streets ahead of Trump's swearing-in and the heightened security was part of it.

'People are watching each other like, 'You must be a Trump supporter,' and 'You must be one of those liberals,'' said Hyman, 32, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November election.

Anti-Trump protester will stage at a rally in New York on Thursday evening. Mayor Bill de Blasio, filmmaker Michael Moore and actor Alec Baldwin, who portrays Trump on 'Saturday Night Live,' will take part in the event outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower.

One of the Washington protests will feature a haze of pot smoke as pro-marijuana activists light up to show their opposition to Trump's choice for attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions, a critic of legalization.

Friday's crowds are expected to fall well short of the 2 million people who attended Obama's first inauguration in 2009, and be in line with the 1 million who were at his second in 2013.

Security officials have eased a ban on umbrellas at the ceremony due to a rainy weather forecast, allowing people to use small umbrellas.

'The airspace around Washington is among the most restricted in the country,' the Secret Service said. No planes are allowed to fly over the festivities, though police helicopters could be seen circling the area for reconnaissance on Thursday

A fleet of black Suburbans started lining up in front of the US Capitol building on Wednesday, ahead of the inauguration

Armed members of the Secret Service are watching carefully for suspicious activity around the event. Trump's personal security was made simpler when he decided he would stay at Blair House, rather than at his new hotel in Washington

Secret Service members guard a fenced-out area near the White House on Thursday where final preparations are underway

The Washington DC government has published a detailed list of road closures and parking restrictions for the inauguration

Security officials can be seen standing on top of the White House, with a number of cameras in place for secret service intel

Security fences are set up in front of Trump International Hotel in Washington. Homeland Security officials expect protesters to rally outside the new hotel, with demonstrations beginning on Friday night

Workers were seen placing bunting by the stands along the parade route on Wednesday. The inaugural parade will take place on Pennsylvania Avenue from 3pm to 5pm on Friday

To avoid 'terrorism' threats, officials are placing dump trucks and buses in strategic locations to block off large gatherings of pedestrians
For the second straight day, President Barack Obama hinted that he would continue to make his voice heard on critical issues well after he steps down from office.

Obama wrote a final thank-you letter to the American people on Thursday, praising them for making him 'a better president' and 'a better man' while also trying to reassure those who are nervous about his successor.

Obama, who is officially due to step down on Friday when President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office, praised the American people as 'the source of goodness, resilience, and hope from which I've pulled strength.'

Obama said that he wrote the letter before penning the traditional note that he would leave for Trump to see when he enters the Oval Office.

'Before I leave my note for our 45th president, I wanted to say one final thank you for the honor of serving as your 44th,' Obama wrote.

President Barack Obama wrote a final thank-you letter (above) to the American people on Thursday, praising them for making him 'a better president' and 'a better man'

'Because all that I've learned in my time in office, I've learned from you. You made me a better President, and you made me a better man.'

In the letter, Obama alluded to the successes of his policies and the changes that have taken place in the country during his eight-year term, including the passage of Obamacare and the legalization of gay marriage.

'I've seen you, the American people, in all your decency, determination, good humor, and kindness,' Obama wrote.

'And in your daily acts of citizenship, I've seen our future unfolding.'

Obama (seen above at the White House on Wednesday) ended the letter with a veiled reference to the incoming administration, which has promised to roll back much of his work

'All of us, regardless of party, should throw ourselves into that work - the joyous work of citizenship,' the outgoing president wrote.

'Not just when there's an election, not just when our own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime.'

'I'll be right there with you every step of the way.'

Striking a somewhat defiant tone, Obama ended the letter with a veiled reference to the incoming administration, which has promised to roll back much of his work.

'When the arc of progress seems slow, remember: America is not the project of any one person,' he wrote.

'The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word "We".'

'"We the People". "We shall overcome".'

During his final news conference as president at the White House on Wednesday, Obama warned Trump, saying he would jump off the political sidelines if Trump goes against certain 'core values.'

Obama said if there was 'systemic discrimination,' efforts to 'silence dissent' or to 'roll back voting rights,' he would be 'speaking out.'

It was among his most activist descriptions of his next act, and indicates Obama may be rethinking his post-presidency role and heeding the urging of some activists to play a stronger function in the leaderless Democratic Party as it navigates the Trump administration.

That group of issues, Obama explained, were 'core values that may be at stake' and would prompt him to get off the sidelines.

Obama said that he wrote the letter before penning the traditional note that he would leave for Trump to see when he enters the Oval Office (seen above)

'If I saw systematic discrimination [is] being ratified in some fashion. I put in that category explicit or functional obstacles to people being able to vote, to exercise their franchise,' Obama said.

He continued: 'I put in that category institutional efforts to silence dissent or the press.'

He saved some of his most impassioned remarks for DREAMers.

'And for me, at least, I would put in that category efforts to round up kids who have grown up here and for all practical purposes are American kids, and send them someplace else, when they love this country, they are our kids' friends and their classmates and are now entering into community colleges or in some cases serving in our military ...'

'The notion that we would just arbitrarily, or because of politics, punish those kids, when they didn't do anything wrong themselves, I think would be something that would merit me speaking out. It doesn't mean that I would get on the ballot anywhere.'

His comment about DREAMers references immigrants brought here illegally as children. Obama issued executive actions to protect them from deportation, but their fate is now in limbo.

Trump said on Wednesday that he would consider softening his stance on the DREAMers.

The incoming president said his administration is working on a plan that will make illegal immigrant children 'very happy,' and it will done in the next couple months.

Trump reiterated his plans to build a wall along the border with Mexico and crack down on unlawful immigration.

But he called the plight of DREAMers 'a very tough situation,' indicating in an interview with Fox & Friends that he's thinking about letting them stay.

The president-elect said in the course of his campaign for the White House that illegal immigrants of all ages would be sent out of the country. Only the 'good' ones would be allowed to return, Trump stated.

He vowed to overturn President Obama's executive orders directing immigration officials to focus their efforts on deporting criminals, shielding children through his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

After some pleading from exiting President Obama and immigration reform advocates, including some Republicans in Congress, Trump seemed to soften his stance.

He told Time Magazine in early December that he wanted to 'work something out' for illegal immigrant children, known as DREAMers.

'I want Dreamers for our children also. Were going to work something out. On a humanitarian basis its a very tough situation,' he said. 'Were going to work something out thats going to make people happy and proud. But thats a very tough situation.'
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Melania Trump's former modeling agent  and the man who introduced her to the president-elect  is throwing a post inauguration bash tomorrow night to celebrate her ascent to first lady.

Politico reported that Paolo Zampolli, who discovered the future first lady in the 1990s in Milan and helped secure her H-1B visa, is hosting a party at a downtown D.C. nightclub, where he's invited Kanye West, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone to attend.

'People are saying it's THE after-party,' Zampolli told Politico. He couldn't confirm that the celebrities would show.

Scroll down for video

The man who 'discovered' Melania Trump (left) and brought her together with the now president-elect (right) has planned an inauguration after-party at a downtown D.C. club

Voight is in D.C. for the inaugural festivities, playing a role at this afternoon's Make America Great Again rally and concert at the Lincoln Memorial on the far end of the National Mall.

Paolo Zampolli (pictured) is celebrating his former client becoming first lady by throwing a party at a downtown D.C. nightclub

While Stallone spent New Year's Eve at Trump's Mar-a-Lago, a representative wouldn't comment to the Daily Beast that he'd be coming in town for the swearing-in.

And while West did meet with the president-elect last month at Trump Tower, Chairman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee Tom Barrack said on CNN Tuesday night that the rapper hadn't been invited to the inauguration to perform.

'He considers himself a friend of the president-elect, but it's not the venue,' Barrack said of West, the spouse of reality star Kim Kardashian.

Barrack described the inauguration performances, which include ones from Toby Keith, Three Doors Down, Jackie Evancho, the Rockettes and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as more 'typically and traditionally American.'

While Caitlyn Jenner, Kardashian's step-parent, will likely be on hand, as she's a longtime Republican and came to Cleveland to participate in a LGBT-friendly event held in conjunction with the Republican National Convention, there's no proof that West would join Jenner as well.

Of the trio of celebrities invited to the after-party, Jon Voight is the most likely to attend as he's playing roles in the inaugural festivities including today as the official concert emcee

President-elect Donald Trump (left) met with Kanye West (right) at Trump Tower last month, but the rapper wasn't invited to perform at inauguration

Sylvester Stallone (left) attended the New Year's Eve bash at Mar-a-Lago, but a spokesperson for the actor wouldn't comment to The Daily Beast on whether he would attend inauguration

Zampolli said that he invited the Trump family as well.

Incoming Press Secretary Sean Spicer gave a tick-tock of the Trumps' schedule over the next two days this morning at a press conference and concluded it with an appearance from the president and first lady tomorrow night at three official balls.

However, Trump is known to make a surprise stop, as he did last night, dropping into his own Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., for a quick dinner before flying back to New York.

'I wanted to give it a little New York flavor,' Zampolli told Politico. 'There are a lot of New Yorkers here from out of town.'

Among the office building on D.C.'s K Street is The Living Room nightclub, a basement space that Melania Trump's former agent is renting out for an inauguration after-party

The Living Room, like 108 other D.C. drinking establishments, will keep its doors open until 4 a.m. through inauguration weekend

The event is taking place at the nightclub The Living Room, located right off K Street, a space that was previously called Josephine's.

It's an area of the city that has seen a lot of nightclub closures as of late, as neighborhood destinations on U Street, H Street and 14th Street have become hotter and overtaken the once club-filled downtown corridor.

The party kicks of at 10:30 p.m.

'New Yorkers go on much later than Washington,' Zampolli said. 'At the last inauguration we were sitting in the cold after the ball saying, "Where are we going?"'

Bars in the District were allowed to extend their hours for Trump's inauguration, including The Living Room, which will be open until 4 a.m.

But because the Republican's inauguration isn't expected to attract as many people as the previous two, only 108 establishments requested to extend their hours, according to the Washington Post.

That's down from 160 in 2013 and 280 in 2009, the first year D.C. allowed the move.
Iraqi troops have discovered a failed attempt by ISIS to create its own fighter jet in Mosul.

Photographs show the unfinished plane in eastern Mosul, which was finally recaptured by government forces on Wednesday.

An Iraqi soldier can be seen posing in the cockpit of the jet in the pictures.

Iraqi troops have discovered a failed attempt by ISIS to create its own fighter jet in Mosul

An Iraqi soldier can be seen posing in the cockpit of the jet in the pictures

US-backed Iraqi government troops announced on Wednesday they were in 'full control' of eastern Mosul, three months since the major operation started.

Lt. Gen. Talib Shaghati, who commands the counter-terrorism forces, described the achievement as a 'big victory', adding that the success of the Iraqi forces was 'unprecedented.'

He said plans were now being drawn up to retake the western part of the city but did not elaborate on when that part of the operation would begin.

Iraqi forces were still fighting in eastern Mosul on Thursday, flushing out ISIS militants in northern neighbourhoods east of the river.

According to the Joint Operations Command coordinating the fight against ISIS, federal forces retook a large hotel and a presidential compound.

They also recaptured the town of Talkif, further north, which they had besieged for weeks.

It comes as US-backed Iraqi government troops announced on Wednesday they were in 'full control' of eastern Mosul, three months since the major operation started

Only a handful of areas on the east bank remained to be cleared, including the neighbourhood of Rashidiyah, commanders said.

Mosul - Iraq's second-largest city and the Islamic State group's last urban stronghold in the country - fell to ISIS in the summer of 2014, when the militant group captures large swaths of northern and western Iraq.

The operation has also left more than 148,000 people homeless, according to the United Nations. Nearly 12,500 people have been forced to flee their homes just over the past week, the U.N. said.

More than one million people were estimated to still be living in Mosul in October, when Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake the city.

Iraqi forces were still fighting in eastern Mosul on Thursday, retaking a large hotel

Lt. Gen. Talib Shaghati, who commands the counter-terrorism forces, described recapturing eastern Mosul as a 'big victory'
Malia Obama went on a secret three-month tour of South America late last year, and was eating pizza with friends when Donald Trump won the election.

A photo surfaced on Thursday showing the first daughter smiling on a mountainside with a group of other young people during an excursion in Bolivia.

The 18-year-old, who graduated from high school last summer, is currently taking a gap year before starting at Harvard next fall.

Malia Obama went on a secret three-month trip to South America this year. She's pictured center in the photo with a grey hat (ninth from the left and ninth from the right, in the back row) during a hike in Bolivia

One of the brothers who ran a hike through the Bolivian mountains during the trip says they were informed about an American VIP, but did not recognize the first daughter (center)

Another photo showed her in flip flops posing up with a friend

President Obama's eldest daughter traveled with a Colorado-based group called Where There Be Dragons.

She spent spent 83 days exploring the Andes mountains and the jungles of Peru and Bolivia.

A description of the trip online says young minds get a chance to 'examine current political trends, social movements and environmental conservation efforts' in the two countries.

Gregorio Mamani, one of the three brothers who runs a five-day hike through Bolivia on the trip, said they were notified in November that they would be hosting an important American dignitary - but they had no idea the VIP was Malia.

'There was a blond girl and we assumed she was the important one,' Mr Mamani told the New York Times.

Mr Mamani said the first daughter received no special treatment during the trip, and that she pitched in just like everyone else with the chores, including cooking.

The only sign that there was someone of importance on the trip, was the added security detail.

Malia will be moving out of the White House on Friday and into a new home in Washington, DC where her parents will live, at least until younger sister Sasha finishes high school. The family pictured above in 2013, from left to right: Malia, President Obama, Sasha and first lady Michelle

'She was very humble, chatty, spoke Spanish very well,' Mr Mamani said. 'She was mesmerized by the Bolivian landscape.'

The trip coincided with the final weeks of the election, and Malia was reportedly out for pizza in the town of Tiquipaya the night that Donald Trump clinched the presidency.

At his last press conference on Wednesday, President Obama revealed that his daughters had been disappointed with Trump's election.

'They were disappointed,' he said. 'They paid attention to what their mom said during the campaign and believed it because its consistent with what weve tried to teach them in our household, what Ive tried to model as a father with their mom and what weve asked them to expect from future boyfriends or spouses.'

Bolivian news outlets reported that President Obama called Bolivian President Evo Morales personally, asking for extra security for his daughter.

The White House has not commented on the trip, or confirmed whether Obama and Morales spoke.

Morales, the country's first leader of indigenous ethnicity, has tried to meet with Obama for several times but has been rebuffed.

He has claimed several times that the U.S. conspires to undermine leftist governments like his own. The two countries have not exchanged ambassadors since 2008.




Robert Bance, 53, was jailed for the 'ferocious' attack he carried out on his wife

A jealous husband murdered his wife by stabbing her more than 20 times with a military knife for speaking to another man on a night out, a court heard.

Robert Bance, 53, was jailed for the 'ferocious' attack he carried out on his wife, Victoria, last October.

A court heard that Bance, who was drunk at the time of the murder, had been out with her drinking before they started arguing.

They had visited several pubs and clubs before Victoria stormed out of a club, taking her bag - and money - after she was seen 'yapping to a bloke'.

When the mother-of-three, 37, returned home, Robert and her continued to argue.

Later in a 'frenzied attack' he stabbed her 16 times in the chest with a 17cm military style knife.

He immediately called police to confess and told handlers 'Hello, I just killed my wife.'

Prosecuting, Simon Laws QC told the court: 'Evidence shows they had had a row earlier that evening. They had rowed before.

'It's fair to say this was the first occasion the defendant had resorted to violence.

'And it was violence of the most ferocious kind.'

The court heard that father-of-eight Bance, of Plymouth, had been with Victoria for four years and married to her for two.

He was her carer as she was unwell and sometimes bed-bound following an unsuccessful operation.

Bance had a good relationship with Victoria's 12-year-old daughter, but not with her two older sons, the court heard.

According to Mr Laws, their relationship was not 'especially happy or unhappy' and police had been called to their home during previous arguments.

Neighbours said they would hear them row once a month, the court heard.

On the night of the attack, Bance, who the court had heard was told by his GP to cut down on his alcohol intake, had stormed out of a club in Plymouth.

CCTV footage was shown to Plymouth Crown Court showing the couple visiting several establishments on October 8.

Victoria then got a taxi home and was heard crying in the back and mumbling to herself: 'He's going to kill me.'

When the mother-of-three, Victoria (pictured), 37, returned home, Robert and her continued to argue

When she arrived home, Bance was not there, so she visited a neighbour's home.

On arrival back at her house, she started to argue with Bance who demanded to know where she had been.

The court heard Victoria's telephone call to the emergency services during which she screamed down the handset.

Another telephone call was played in court where the emergency services had called back, in which Bance answered and sounded calm. Victoria was then heard shouting her address in the background.

Mr Laws told the court that Bance killed Victoria with the military knife and then called the police to admit that he has stabbed his wife.

He said: 'At 1.35am the defendant calls 999 from his own phone.

'The prosecution say he is both out of breath and obviously drunk.

'He makes his admission to killing his wife. He says he stabs her and he hangs up.'

The court was then played the telephone call which heard Bance say: 'Hello, I just killed my wife.'

He was then heard shouting and slurring: 'I just killed her. I just killed her. Oh my god. She is dead.'

Victoria was taken to Derriford Hospital, but died in the early hours of October 9.

The court heard she had 23 wounds, 16 stab wounds to the chest, 14 deeply penetrating her heart and both of her lungs.

A pathologist found that any of the 14 could have been fatal - and the maximum depth of one of the wounds was 20cm.

Bance pleaded guilty to murder at Plymouth Crown Court and confessed to detectives as soon as he was questioned.

Mr Laws added: 'The relationship appears to have been characterised by jealousy in both directions.

'The children have been very significantly effected by the loss of their mother and are still very much struggling to come to terms with their loss.'

Victoria's son Liam, 19, told the court: 'Rob was always pretty much jealous whenever she spoke to anyone who was not us.

'It was as if he wanted her for himself.'

Sentencing Bance to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 15 years, Judge Paul Darlow said it was a 'merciless attack'.

'This was, Mr Bance, a murder committed in a cold and deliberate rage.

'There can be no doubt that in attacking Victoria with a knife 23 times it was your intention to kill her.

'The evening turned sour when you accused your wife of talking to an unknown man in a pub.'

He added: 'The terror and pain she experienced does not bare thinking about.'

Defending Bance, Nicolas Gerasimidis said several people had come forward and expressed shock at the 'out of character' attack.

'He is clearly remorseful,' he said.

'It was totally out of character, he had a sudden loss of control. It was not in keeping with his nature.

'He is not a bad man. He is a good man who made a very, very bad mistake.'

Detective Inspector Stephen Davies said after the case: 'Rob spoke to us from the outset and didn't try to hide anything. It was just such a tragic incident.'
Kawasaki has backed away from its initial claims that the company would be severing ties with The New Celebrity Apprentice because of Donald Trump's involvement as executive producer.

Kevin Allen, Kawasaki Motors Corp USA spokesman, said in a phone interview on Wednesday that Trump's role as an executive producer on the show sparked negative feedback from customers and unease among its executives, prompting the company to sever ties with the show.

'Once we understood the concerns of American citizens, we have taken the approach of agreeing not to participate in the show in the future as long as Mr Trump is involved as an executive producer,' Allen said.

But hours later, the company issued a brief statement contradictory to the comments Allen made.

Kawasaki has backed away from its initial claims that the company would be severing ties with The New Celebrity Apprentice because of Donald Trump's (pictured arriving to the set of Apprentice in 2014) involvement as executive producer on the show

Kevin Allen, Kawasaki Motors Corp USA spokesman, said in a phone interview that Trump's role as an executive producer sparked negative feedback from customers and unease among its executives, prompting the company to sever ties with the show (file photo)

'Recently published comments relating to The New Celebrity Apprentice and President-elect Donald Trump's involvement in the show attributed to a Kawasaki employee are a misrepresentation of the company's position and the employee is no longer with the company.'

But the statement did not make clear the company's current relationship to the show or if Allen was the employee who is no longer with the company. Kawasaki Motors Corp USA did not respond to an email from Reuters asking for clarifications.

On Sunday, the show aired an episode in which contestants were asked to design a marketing campaign for a new Kawasaki motor bike.

Movie star and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger replaced Trump as host of the show last year after the New York businessman began his campaign for the White House.

But Trump, who originated the Apprentice role in 2004, retained an executive producer credit, which usually involves payment, despite being elected as US president in November.

Trump retained his role, which usually involves payment, despite being elected US president in November, but Allen said Kawasaki was not aware that Trump would keep the title after it was taken over by Arnold Schwarzenegger in summer 2016

But hours later, the company issued a brief statement contradictory to the comments Allen made, calling them a 'misrepresentation of the company's position' (file photo), adding that the employee who made the comments 'is no longer with the company'

Allen said Kawasaki was not aware that Trump would keep the executive producer title when the company agreed to take part in the show under Schwarzenegger in the summer of 2016.

He also acknowledged the influence of the #grabyourwallet social media campaign, which urges Americans to stop shopping at about 70 companies that do business with Trump or his family, have advertised on The Celebrity Apprentice, or have contributed funds to his presidential campaign.

'The concerns from our own customers, as well as the #grabyourwallet campaign did seize the attention of our executives,' he added.

Kawasaki was being asked, 'How could we support a show that was essentially created by Mr Trump and who was still involved?' Allen said.

The New Celebrity Apprentice airs on NBC, which could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Woody Johnson, the billionaire owner of the New York Jets and a scion of the Johnson & Johnson cosmetics family, will be Donald Trump's ambassador to London, the president-elect has revealed.

The announcement was made as a passing remark as the president-elect hailed his new cabinet and senior staff at a luncheon at the Trump Hotel in Washington D.C.

Listing senior guests present he turned to Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader in the Senate, and described him as ' sitting next to the ambassador Woody Johnson, going to Saint James'.

Trump said: 'Congratulations, Woody.'

Hair-raising: Woody Johnson's closeness to the Trumps was underlined in 2007 when Donald and Melania attended a 'Wig Out' themed 60th birthday party for the billionaire, whose second wife Suzanne (right) is also a friend of the Trumps

Part of the team: Woody Johnson (left) was seen in Washington D.C. at a black tie function Steve Mnuchin, Trump's pick for Treasury Secretary, and Mnuchin's British-born fiancee Louise Linton, an actress

Mr Johnson, a philanthropist and heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical empire, is a friend of Mr Trump but served as campaign treasurer to his bitter rival Jeb Bush in the Republican primaries.

After the Bush campaign ran aground, Mr Johnson, 69, eventually switched his allegiance to Mr Trump last May.

The two men had clashed after the president-elect mocked the performance of Mr Johnsons New York Jets on Twitter and cited him as an example of how Mr Bush was a puppet of big money interests.

Mr Johnson joins a Trump team heaving with billionaires and multimillionaires.

The president-elect revealed the appointment to the role  officially known as Ambassador to the Court of St James  at a lunch in Washington where he was listing the important guests present.

Turning to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, he told him he was sitting next to the ambassador Woody Johnson, going to St James  congratulations, Woody.

Mr Johnson is likely to become a key figure in any joint initiative by Downing Street and Trumps White House to strengthen post-Brexit ties and possibly agree a new US-UK trade deal.

Most famous in the US as owner of the New York Jets, he has stuck with the major league team despite a rocky performance record  after paying $635million (515million) for them in 2000.

They are now valued at three times that sum.

The Jets caused a stir when they came to play a game at Wembley Stadium in 2015 and it emerged they had brought their own toilet paper to avoid the thinner version used in England.

'Congratulations Woody': Trump made the announcement of the new ambassador to the UK unexpectedly at a luncheon in his own D.C. hotel

However, Johnson felt Trump's wrath on Twitter while he was still backing Jeb Bush

Mr Johnson has given generously to charity, especially medical ones battling lupus and juvenile diabetes  which have affected members of his family.

He is twice married with four surviving children, but his daughter Casey was diagnosed with diabetes when she was eight and died in 2010 aged 30 from serious complications of the condition.

The new ambassador will move into the imposing Winfield House, in Regents Park, replacing Matthew Barzun.

Johnson and his second wife Suzanne are social friends of the Trumps.

As ambassador to the UK he will be present for Brexit, building a new relationship between the two countries as Britain prepares to depart from the European Union.

The British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, has already been to Trump Tower to meet the president-elect, and Trump tweeted after their meeting: 'I look very much forward to meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington in the Spring. Britain, a longtime U.S. ally, is very special!'

Trump is expected to travel to London and appears likely to have a full state visit, meaning he will be formally welcomed by the Queen and honored with his wife Melania through a banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Unusually for a new administration, the Trump transition team has demanded that all Obama's ambassador appointees leave their posts immediately on Friday.

The current ambassador is technically Matthew Barzun, although he has already left Winfield House, the ambassador's prestigious residence in Regent's Park, London.

Until Johnson is confirmed by the Senate, his duties will be carried out by the charge d'affaires, Lewis Lukens, a State Department professional official who has also held diplomatic posts abroad.

Matthew Barzun, pictured with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, lost his job because of his close ties with the Obama administration

AND LOOK WHERE HE GETS TO LIVE! WINFIELD HOUSE IN REGENT'S PARK HAS LONDON'S 2nd LARGEST PRIVATE GARDEN Winfield House - the residence of the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Court of St. Jamess - occupies twelve and a half acres on the northwest side - with the second largest private garden in central London, after that of Buckingham Palace. It was built by the famous American socialite Barbara Hutton, dubbed the poor little rich girl because of her troubled life, who lived there for a period with her husband Cary Grant. The 35-room mansion replaced a John Nash building and was named after Huttons grandfather Frank Winfield Woolworth, founder of the retail stores. The house stands behind fifteen-foot high iron gates on land that was once part of a 'great forest, with wooded glades and lairs of wild beasts, deer both red and fallow, wild bulls and boars'. Half a century before the Norman Conquest the land belonged to the Abbey of Barking. Over the years, King Henry Vlll hunted there, Queen Elizabeth I used it for entertaining dignitaries, King James I offered it as collateral to raise money to go to war and King Charles II had the whole area 'disparked'. Winfield House is unique among American residences in that not only was it originally a gift to U.S. Government but it has since been showered with riches in the form of antique furniture, paintings, porcelain, china, glass, chandeliers, objets dart  all the things that make it the beautiful house visitors see today. The first to use the house as the ambassadorial residence was Winthrop Aldrich. Ambassador and Mrs. Aldrich moved in on January 18, 1955 after significant restoration had taken place. When Ambassador Elliot Richardson arrived in 1975 his wife said, the house was absolutely wonderful. . . a joy to move into and when the Armstrongs moved in a year later, Ambassador Anne Armstrong said, I ran through the house like a kid, Id never seen anything so beautiful. It was like fairyland and in such beautiful shape. Not only the Ambassadors, but other generous Americans contributed to the house, among them Mr. Rionda Braga, a business man, donated a bronze sculpture, The Creation of Adam which stands in the garden to the right of the terrace. Mr. Braga felt that the statues motif, two hands inside a globe, signified British and American friendship. Ambassador and Mrs. John Louis brought a platform tennis court. The game was started in the 1930s and there are similar courts in the American residences in Warsaw, Tokyo and Moscow. While the Louises were at Winfield House  from 1981 to 1983- Cary Grant visited it for the first time since World War ll. Tears streamed down his face as he looked across the lawns from the Garden Room and said, Forgive me for being so sentimental. I just remember a beautiful young girl who never saw a day of happiness. The changes to the house in the recent work are largely invisible. Enormous care was taken with furnishings, paneling, wallpaper and other features. For example, the 18th century oak paneling in the drawing room was removed and stored while the asbestos was taken out. Similarly, the two hundred years old Chinese wallpaper in the garden room was expertly removed, stored, and then reinstalled. Every effort was made to restore the house to the Annenbergs widely respected taste in furnishings and to ensure that the house will be suitable for future Ambassadors and their families. Today Winfield House continues the tradition of receiving a host of distinguished guests. Over the years these have included Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family, and many other prominent figures in business, politics, diplomacy, banking, the armed services, education and the arts. The late Princess Diana once brought Princes William and Harry to see the presidential helicopter Marine Oneparked on the lawn. Visiting U.S. Presidents regularly stay at the residence watched over by portraits of their predecessors, some of whom served as both President of the United States and U.S. envoys to London. President George Bush met there with President Mikhail Gorbachev during the 1991 G-7 Summit. President Reagan was a frequent visitor. More recently, Senator George Mitchell hosted participants in the Northern Ireland Peace Process at Winfield House during his review of the Good Friday agreement in November 1999. Other American visitors have included astronauts, bankers, industrialists, students, congressmen, state governors and trade delegations, Supreme Court judges and U.S. government officials. Source: uk.usembassy.gov Advertisement

Ambassador to the Court of St James's is the official description of foreign ambassadors in London.

One of the Johnson's first duties will be to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II at an ancient and ritual-filled ceremony.

The appointment has not been formally announced by the Trump transition ream .

The billionaire businessman and philanthropist from the Johnson & Johnson family has known Trump for years.

Johnson originally backed Trump rival Jeb Bush in the GOP primary and was chairman of his campaign finance committee but endorsed Trump in May.

The 69-year-old is twice married and has four surviving children.
A well-known North Texas attorney who was found dead just days after his daughter's suicide last year succumbed to an accidental cocaine overdose, it was revealed today.

Personal injury lawyer Brian Loncar, 56, who was known as The Strong Arm in TV commercials that promoted his law firm, was found unresponsive inside his new Rolls Royce Wraith parked near his legal practice in Dallas on the morning of December 4, two days after the funeral of his 16-year-old daughter, Grace.

Loncar was taken to Baylor University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Cause of death: Dallas County Medical Examiners Office has determined that attorney Brian Loncar, 56 (left), who was found dead just two days after burying his youngest daughter, Grace (right), succumbed to an accidental cocaine overdose

Loncar was found unresponsive inside his new Rolls-Royce Wraith parked near his Dallas law firm Loncar & Associates (pictured)

The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office has now determined that Mr Loncar's cause of death of 'the toxic effect of cocaine,' compounded by abnormally high blood pressure and heart disease.

The examiners report concluded that the drug overdose was accidental, WFAA reported.

The youngest of Brian and Sue Loncar's six children, 16-year-old Grace took her own life on November 25 after a prolonged battle with depression.

Her funeral was held on December 2, according to her obituary.

'From the time she was diagnosed at age 11, until her death, she struggled. She would tell her family that she could never feel anything,' the obituary read.

'She couldn't feel all the love from everyone around her.'

Father's grief: Loncar's youngest daughter, Grace (pictured left), 16, committed suicide on November 25 after battling depression from age 11. Loncar was at her funeral on December 2

Brian Loncar's family released a statement on Thursday saying that while they accept the medical examiners findings, they believe the underlying cause of death was grief.

Those of us who were closest to him already knew the cause of his death. Brian died of a broken heart, the statement read.

The family went on to say that they have suffered 'unimaginable losses and thanked well-wishers for their outpouring of support and respect for their privacy.

Hopefully, these events will serve as heartbreaking reminders that we all need to reach out and care for our loved ones - every day, the statement said.

Brian's stepson, David Long, revealed to Dallas News this week that his stepfather had long battled drug and alcohol addiction, coupled with mental health issues.

In 2008, Loncar was nearly killed in a crash, which according to his stepson, left him a changed man and may have caused him to turn to drugs again after 20 years of sobriety.

Loncar & Associates was founded in 1988 and operates 11 firms across Texas, boasting what Brian Loncar once called 'an army of attorneys,' according to Fox 4, serving as many as 7,000 clients a year.

Household name: Loncar was known in North Texas as 'The Strong Arm' in a series of TV commercials that promoted his personal injury law practice

He leaves behind his wife, Sue, and their five surviving children, David, Patrick, Sally, Hailey and Abby.
Missing RAF man Corrie McKeague

Ask any parent their worst nightmare, and it's anything happening to their kids.

Even as we get older, our mums still like to know that we are safe, like to get text when we land - as if aeroplanes were some kind of crazy theme park ride - or a quick ring when we get home, picturing you safe in your kitchen.

But in truth, there is a bigger fear we face.

The terrible thought that something might happen to your child and you would never know what had happened, where they had gone.

No gentle explanation from a doctor.

No heart-stopping moment you see a policeman in the middle of the night at your door.

Not even the quiet dignity of a body for you to tuck up tight, safe in the ground.

And for the mother of Corrie McKeague, the RAF airman who vanished into thin air in September, this fear is now her life - every day, every minute, of every hour of every day.

She herself is a Police Constable based in Scotland and has been critical of Suffolk Police and their handling of this investigation, frustrated her son is still not found.

If it were my child missing I wonder if anyone could ever work hard enough in my eyes?

How much patience would I have?

How would I feel if they took a break from his case or went on holiday?

The family hired a private detective, paid for by a Crowdfunding appeal, money given readily by those who share this unspoken fear we share.

His desperate grandparents offering a reward just for some news, any news.

Still nothing.

Acting Chief Superintendent Kim Warner of Suffolk Police speaks alongside mother of missing 23-year-old Corrie McKeague, Nicola Urquhart and his brothers Darroch and Makeyan McKeague

April Oliver, 21, girlfriend of missing 23-year-old Corrie McKeague (right)

Missing Corrie McKeague, who has not been seen since disappearing in September last year

One night he was out in a club, smartly dressed, having a laugh with mates.

Then, at 3.25am his shadowy outline on the CCTV cameras faded into the gloom, for good.

I had been aware of Corrie for a while.

Seen his picture on Twitter.

I'd been asked to retweet it, to help find Corrie.

Initially his disappearance was linked with the attempted snatch of another RAF lad near his base.

Even in October, his mother confirmed a jihadi kidnap plot was not being ruled out.

And usually, I'd be right there, leading the outrage at attacks on one of our own.

Calling out terror, demanding to know if this was an attack on the best of British.

But something was never quite right.

Something never added up.

I never retweeted.

Never spoke about Corrie.

Asking his family to get in touch on email privately instead.

Trying to work out what was bothering me.

Others felt it too.

'He's either done something really b****y stupid or he owes someone serious cash', Mr McKeague's friends have said

I spoke to my military mates - and they said the same.

Something was not quite right.

'He's either done something really b****y stupid or he owes someone serious cash'.

An RAF gunner brought up on rules and order, used to following chain of command, doing as instructed.

Without question.

Sometimes hating the rule book, but always loving life with the lads.

Keeping their heads down, avoiding trouble, taking extra duties when caught.

A world away from civvie street.

And then just disappearing.

It made no sense.

Not the story.

Or the images we saw.

No fight outside the club, no swaggering drunk followed by a slow car.

But the puzzle is starting to come together.

Corrie McKeague's Fab Swingers Account (right) which he listed adult parties, spanking and threesomes as things he liked to do and is Plenty of Fish account (left)

It turns out Corrie McKeague was a prolific user of online dating sites, looking for casual sex.

He had a Fab Swingers Account listing adult parties, spanking and threesomes as things he liked to do.

At this point, some of you will have already washed your hands of Corrie, like bad smell, case closed.

But at a recent Q&A session, his mum talked frankly about his decisions.

'He makes choices others might not.

'Would he go to a strangers house that he met on a dating site? Yes.

'Would he get into a strangers car? Yes'.

She describes him as a social hand grenade.

On the Find Corrie account she wrote about her son, being young and enjoying himself.

'To the haters, get over it. This is none of your business'.

I can only imagine what she is dealing with.

Some love the misery of others and dwell on it like bottom-feeders, hoovering up the detritus of others' lives as currency to use at their next gossip session at the hairdressers.

But Nicola, you made it other people's business - you put this fight out there in the public domain, criticising the police enquiry, fanning jihadi flames as the officers tried to quell them,

Crowd-funding for help, talking online about your son's private life, answering questions from random strangers about your child's sex life.

Nicola Urquhart, mother of the missing RAF gunner Corrie McKeague

You filled people up with the sordid details with his own brother drawn into a row over whether Corrie was gay, arguing 'I cannot even say how much I stress he was not'.

This is not a conversation you need to have.

Having his swingers page splashed all over the papers does not help find Corrie.

Because none of that matters.

Not one bit.

Or what he got up to in his life online (beyond how it may assist the police with their inquiries).

I hate the fact I am now expecting the worst.

Before I had a little hope, like a good luck charm in my pocket.

Maybe he had money troubles.

Maybe he's hiding.

Maybe.

But I am sad to look in that pocket now and find that lucky charm has gone.

Replaced by sadness at bad news to come.

Specialist police dogs used to find bodies have been brought into Bury St Edmunds.

Part of me, strangely, hopes they find him.

I hope they can bring his mother the small shred of comfort of knowing what happened to her big, brave son.

Most of all, I hope they can bring Corrie home, one way or another.
A drug dealing couple claimed 40,000 in child tax credits - despite making 500,000 from dealing cannabis and ecstasy, as well as paying for expensive private school fees.

Shiraz Sharif, 45, and his wife Salina, 46, from Levenshulme, Manchester, have been sentenced to jail after being found guilty of drugs and money laundering offences.

Sharif fled to Pakistan ahead of the trial at Manchester Crown Court last November, leaving his wife to stand trial alone.

Shiraz Sharif, 45, and his wife Salina, 46, from Levenshulme, Manchester, claimed 40,000 in child tax credits - despite making 500,000 from dealing cannabis and ecstasy, as well as paying for expensive private school fees

But despite not appearing at trial, he was handed a reduced prison sentenced after his lawyer argued that he would have pleaded guilty if he had been present.

Sharif was sentenced to four and half years in jail after being found guilty of all charges, while wife Salina was handed a sentence of two and a half years for money laundering.

The couple's criminal activities were uncovered after police found 242g of MDMA and 866g of cannabis stashed in the attic during a raid on their home in June 2014.

Sharif made 500,000 from cannabis and other drugs over six years, splashing out on luxury holidays and cars for himself and his wife Salina.

The couple drove a 12,000 Audi and a 60,000 Range Rover, as well as spending100,000 on private school fees for their three children.

They also spent 30,000 on luxury items from Armani and Gucci, and enjoyed five-star holidays in Florida and Egypt.

The couple's criminal activities were uncovered after police found MDMA and cannabis stashed in the attic during a raid at their home in June 2014

Sharif was sentenced to four and half years in jail after being found guilty of all charges, while wife Salina was handed a sentence of two and a half years for money laundering

Despite this, Salina Sharif still claimed 40,000 in child tax credits.

Although Shiraz Sharif failed to show up for his sentencing hearing, his lawyer argued his client deserved a 'discount' on his sentence.

Sharif entered not guilty pleas and remains at large. But his lawyer Oliver Jarvis argued that because Sharif had told him not to fight the case, he deserved some credit.

Mr Jarvis said: 'Normally with an absent defendant a trial would take twice as long because everything would have been tested. I didn't test anything, and I didn't make a speech to the jury.

'It was only really as a technicality that I was here.

'In my submission the defendant is entitled for that to be taken into account in some way. Of course, the fact he isn't here isn't something that can be held against him in sentence.'

The couple drove a 12,000 Audi and a 60,000 Range Rover (pictured), as well as spending 100,000 on private school fees for their three children

Mr Jarvis went on to say that Sharif had been a 'very good father' who had now 'lost his family'.

Judge Lindsey Kushner QC agreed that his sentence could be reduced, saying: 'This was not a normal trial for Mr Sharif, he was absent, therefore not in a position to plead guilty.

'Mr Jarvis was in effect holding a watching brief, helping to oil the wheels of what was otherwise have been a much more lengthy trial. Under the circumstance I think I should give him some discount - not a great deal, but ten per cent.'

Mumin Hashim, defending, said Salina Sharif had called police when her husband fled, adding: 'When it all went to pieces (Shiraz Sharif) left - it would appear he didn't care about his wife and three children. He disappeared - and she's here to face the music.'

Two books relating to growing marijuana were found at the couple's home in Manchester

Judge Kushner QC said: 'Her husband was the one running the operation - we have heard evidence that she was a traditional Asian wife, that she took her lead from him - she's also been left to carry the can.'

After the hearing, Det Con Dave Berry said: 'Having led on this investigation since 2014 and seen first-hand the lifestyle the Sharifs lived, I can honestly say it is staggering that they would have the audacity to live so lavishly yet think they wouldn't get caught.

'They brazenly flaunted their riches despite claiming to be unemployed yet dropped their children off at an expensive private school in a 60,000 Range Rover.

'I hope this will read as a cautionary tale to anyone who thinks they can revel in their ill-gotten gains and get away with it.

'It may seem like a great idea when you're flying to destinations like Florida and the Egyptian Red Sea, but that feeling will soon turn to regret when you're sat in a prison cell.'
Senegalese troops have charged into Gambia to support new President Adama Barrow as he remains in a bitter showdown with longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh, who refuses to step down from power.

The new President - a former Argos security guard from north London - was sworn in today at the Gambian embassy in Senegal's capital, Dakar.

Soldiers from neighbouring Senegal moved in following the inauguration to ensure he assumes power after a final effort at diplomatic talks with Jammeh failed.

Adama Barrow waves to supporters after he was sworn in as president at the Gambia embassy in Dakar, Senegal

Troops from neighbouring Senegal moved in following the inauguration to ensure Mr Barrow assumes power after a final effort at diplomatic talks with Yahya Jammeh failed

Soldiers sent in to support the country's newly inaugurated president, as longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh shows no sign of stepping down

Nearby nations are preparing for military action in Gambia to overthrow Yahya Jammeh, as the man who once pledged to rule the West African nation for a billion years clings to power.

In his inaugural speech, which took place under heavy security, Mr Barrow called on Jammeh to respect the will of the people and step aside.

Speaking after the ceremony, he said: 'Our national flag will now fly high among the most democratic nations of the world.'

He arrived at the embassy to cheers of joy from hundreds of Gambians who had gathered, with national flags, for a glimpse of the new president.

The new president also called on Gambia's armed forces to remain in their barracks as the regional military intervention got underway.

Jammeh failed to accept his election defeat to Mr Barrow.

Longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh, who refuses to step down - and now faces military action

A convoy of Senegal soldiers on root towards the Gambia boarder with Senegal near Karang

Nearby nations are preparing for military action in Gambia to overthrow Yahya Jammeh

Senegal soldiers move towards the Gambia boarder amid rising tensions

A man holds a banner as Gambians cheers in Serrekunda, Gambia

Mr Barrow arrived at the embassy to cheers of joy from hundreds of Gambians who had gathered, with national flags, for a glimpse of the new president.

In his inaugural speech, which took place under heavy security, Mr Barrow called on Jammeh to respect the will of the people and step aside

Jammeh, who has held the post for 22 years, is refusing to stand down, which has prompted West African nations to prepare for an invasion of Gambia to ensure democracy is adhered to.

The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) has repeatedly called on leader Yahya Jammeh to respect the result of the December 1 election and step down after 22 years in power.

Thousands have fled Gambia in recent days, including a number of former cabinet ministers who resigned.

Meanwhile, thousands of relieved British tourists were sent home to escape impending conflict in Gambia.

Special evacuation flights were put on by travel operators in a bid to get UK citizens out of the country before any fighting breaks out.

The evacuation came as military forces gathered at Gambia's border poised to invade.

Tour operator Thomas Cook started flying nearly 1,000 holidaymakers home on Wednesday.

President of Gambia Adama Barrow leaves Gambia's embassy inside a car to the roar of cheers from thousands of supporters

People celebrate the inauguration of new Gambia's President Adama Barrow in the Westfield neighbourhood in Banjul

Supporters held aloft banners in support of Mr Barrow, calling for Jammeh to step down

'Our national flag will now fly high among the most democratic nations of the world,' Barrow said after the ceremony

Mr Barrow, centre, waves to the people after being sworn in at Gambia's embassy in Dakar

Adama Barrow delivered an impassioned speech after he was sworn in as President of Gambia

As Mr Barrow was sworn in as President, Gambia's defeated longtime ruler refuses to step down from power, deepening a political crisis in the tiny West African country

Earlier this week, Jammeh filed an injunction to stop election winner Barrow from taking office

Adama Barrow pictured speaking to the media after he was sworn in as President of Gambia
A Georgia man facing a murder charge in the strangulation death of his estranged wife has been discovered dead in Vietnam.

DeKalb County police spokeswoman Shiera Campbell said the US embassy in Hanoi notified the department this week that 39-year-old Orlando Price turned up dead in the nation's capital on January 11.

The official cause of Price's death had not been confirmed, but family members of his late wife said he appeared to have committed suicide.

Prime suspect dead: Orlando Price, 39 (left), was found dead from an apparent suicide in Hanoi, Vietnam, on January 11. He was facing a murder charge in Georgia stemming from the strangulation death of his estranged wife, Jameca Price (right)

Rocky marriage: The couple had been married for 16 years, but their relationship was marred by allegations of domestic abuse

Price's sister, Janese Gates-McDaniels, told News 4 her brother-in-law had business connections in Vietnam, but she suspects that he had chosen to seek refuge there because the Asian country does not have an extradition treaty with the US.

The father-of-two was facing a murder charge in Georgia after his estranged wife, 37-year-old Jameca Price, was found dead in his condo in Tucker, just outside Atlanta, on Thanksgiving.

Jameca Price (left) had filed for divorce last year. Her husband had a criminal record that included a murder charge in 2003; he was ultimately acquitted

The couple, who have two daughters, ages 12 and 13, were in the process of getting a divorce.

WGRZ-TV in Buffalo reported that Mrs Price grew up in upstate New York and moved to Georgia to attend John Marshall Law School.

Price earned her law degree in 2014, and while awaiting the results of the bar exam she started a real estate company with her husband.

The pair had been married for 16 years, but according to Jameca's family, their relationship was marred by domestic violence at the hands of Orlando, which eventually drove Jameca to file for divorce.

Mrs Price graduated from John Marshall Law School in 2014 (left). She worked as a real estate agent and was raising her two daughters, ages 12 and 13

Orlando Price had a past criminal record that included another murder charge stemming from the November 2003 slaying of Michael Ramey in Decatur, reported the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Following the killing, Price fled to Canada but was captured and returned to Georgia to face charges in the deadly shooting.

Ultimately, Price was acquitted and released from jail in September 2004.
Donald Trump and his expansive family entourage visited Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday to pay their respects to America's fallen military heroes.

The president-elect's brief stop in a long day of lunches and impromptu speeches came less than 24 hours before the brash billionaire will become the 45th President of the United States.

Trump was accompanied by wife Melania, his adult children and their spouses, and senior aides including incoming White house chief of staff Reince Priebus and strategic communications guru Hope Hicks.

President-elect Donald Trump, accompanied by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns on Thursday afternoon at Arlington National Cemetery in advance of Friday's presidential inauguration

The ceremony was an austere moment in the run-up to Trump's swearing-in as America's 45th president, complete with Marines in dress uniforms and a drummer

Massive crowds near the Lincoln Memorial watched the cemetery visit on giant screens as they waited for a concert to begin

One unidentified junior aide, bringing up the rear, was seen on network TV footage chewing gum as he joined the brief procession into a pavilion that makes up part of the somber Tomb of the Unknowns.

The sunglassed-man put an arm around a colleague's back and smiled as the rest of the retinue bowed their heads.

Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, flanked by Marines in their stern dress uniforms, laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, dedicated to housing the remains of four veterans who couldn't be identified on the battlefield.

Their service dates from the two World Wars and U.S. military conflicts in Korea and Vietnam.

A drummer and a bugler played 'taps.' A Marine saluted. Trump and Pence held their hands over their hearts.

One Trump aide (far left) was seen chewing gum, smiling and chumming it up with a colleague at the back of the line when the Trumps entered the Tomb of the Unknowns complex

Trump and Pence held their hands over their hearts as a Marine saluted

Trump's family, including first lady-to-be Melania; children Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric and Tiffany and their spouses came  along with Karen Pence

The austere moment, less than a day before Trump becomes commander-in-chief, is a de rigeur stop along the way for any president-to-be

The austere moment was watched on a giant video screen by thousands gathered at the Lincoln Memorial for a Thursday pre-inaugural concert.

The cemetery itself is a 624-acre monument to American bravery, the final resting place of more than 400,000 soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen whose burials date back to the U.S. Civil War.

It was built on the Arlington, Virginia plot of land once owned by Confederate General Robert E. Lee's wife.
Actress Gemma Chan was among those to protest the decision by a London theatre to cast white actors in Chinese roles.

The star of Humans hit out at bosses of The Print Room in Notting Hill, saying: 'Any kind of "yellowface" in this day and age is not OK.'

Chan was joined Benedict Wong, star of The Martian and Doctor Strange, in a demonstration outside the theatre during the shows press launch.

The outrage came after four white actors were cast in east Asian roles in a new production of Howard Barker's play In The Depths of Deep Love.

Critics have blasted the production in a protest against 'yellowface' - the term for the exclusion of east Asian actors - which they say is 'a practice that, thanks to progressive and industry-wide discussion, is deemed unacceptable.'

Chan was joined Benedict Wong, star of The Martian and Doctor Strange, in a demonstration outside the theatre during the shows press launch

The star of Humans hit out at bosses of The Print Room in Notting Hill, saying: 'Any kind of "yellowface" in this day and age is not OK'

The outrage came after four white actors were cast in east Asian roles in a new production of Howard Barker's play In The Depths of Deep Love

The play is set in ancient China and features characters called Mrs Hu, Lord Ghang, Chin and Lady Hasi - all played by white actors.

The Print Room in Notting Hill, west London, has insisted the characters are not Chinese, and that the play is a fable where the names are not supposed to be taken literally.

But protester Andrew Keates slammed the theatre, accusing it of marginalising Asian actors.

Director Andrew said: 'It is a fallacy that the United Kingdom does not have a wealth of talented East Asian performers who could and should be playing these roles in Howard Barker's play.

The Print Room, in Notting Hill, has been branded 'racist' after they cast four white actors in East Asian roles in a new production (pictured: James Clyde as Chin, Jane Bertish as Mrs Hu

The theatre caused further outrage when they responded with a statement claiming In The Depths of Deep Love 'is not a Chinese play'

'The theatre industry must stop marginalising East Asian performers and start taking responsibility for our past where ethnic minorities were not even allowed to be in a theatre, let alone perform on stage.

'We must seek out every opportunity to readdress this historical prejudice by ensuring we are giving East Asian artists every opportunity wherever possible.

'Ethnicity is and should never be a make-up - It's an ethnic identity.'

But the theatre caused further outrage when they responded with a statement claiming In The Depths of Deep Love 'is not a Chinese play', and that the allusions to ancient China were 'never intended to be taken literally'.

A spokesman for The Print Room said: 'The Print Room has long been a champion of multiculturalism and diversity in the arts in London.

In The Depths of Deep Love is set in ancient China and features characters called Mrs Hu, Lord Ghang, Chin and Lady Hasi - all played by white actors (pictured: Stella Gonet as Lady Hasi and James Clyde as Chin

A protest at the theatre has been organised for the opening night this evening today from 5pm, with almost 200 people saying they will show up (pictured: William Chubb as Lord Ghang and James Clyde as Chin)

'We have produced, are producing and will continue to produce pieces from around the world.

'We understand the challenges of breaking perceived social norms and are committed to diversity and inclusiveness in all we do, in the performances we produce, in our casting and in the audience we serve.

'In the Depths of Dead Love is not a Chinese play and the characters are not Chinese.

'The production references a setting in Ancient China and the characters' names are Chinese.

'These are literary allusions in Howard Barker's fable and never intended to be taken literally.

The Print Room (located above the Coronet) has insisted the characters are not Chinese, and that the play is a fable where the names are not supposed to be taken literally

'The allusions are intended to signify 'not here, not now, not in any actual real 'where' and the production, set, costumes and dialogue follow this cue of 'no place'.

'The Print Room understands that some will find such an interplay between cultural reference and artistic imagination troubling.

'We regret that our initial public announcements about this play were not sensitive to this fact.

But actors union Equity's General Secretary Christine Payne has labelled the statement justifying the casting 'unacceptable'

'We welcome all points of view in a debate about the individual author's right to draw inspiration from any and all sources and the need to ensure that the exercising of such a right does not inadvertently result in the appropriation and misrepresentation of others' cultural heritage.

'We considered this issue deeply in programming In the Depths of Dead Love, and are resolute in our conclusion that neither the text nor the production currently in rehearsal make any such transgression.'

But actors union Equity's General Secretary Christine Payne has labelled the statement justifying the casting 'unacceptable'.

She said: 'The Print Room's statement is completely unacceptable on a number of levels, not least of which is the suggestion that an 'English' play must be completely white.'

Equity's Minority Ethnic Members Committee added: 'Equity's BAME members are caught between a rock and a hard place: excluded from one play because of 'historical authenticity' and from another because it's an 'English' play 'metaphorically set in a foreign country'.

'This casting clearly shows that the Print Room is not engaging with the industry-wide discussion on diversity.

'We believe that British theatre as a whole should embrace the union's Play Fair campaign and its principles of inclusive casting.'
A shocking video has captured the moment when five intoxicated Sydney Royal Easter Show workers went hurtling down a giant slide and suffered serious injuries.

The workers plunged down the slide during a drunken prank at night in 2015 when the show was closed to the public, Yahoo.com reports.

A 22-year-old woman broke both legs while a 60-year-old man suffered broken ribs when the workers smashed into barriers at the bottom of the slide.

Crucially the inflatable crash mats had been taken away at the bottom of it as the slide was closed to the public.

A man filming the scene can be heard shouting 'no stop!' off camera as he realises that people are getting badly hurt but the others still speed down. Afterwards all that can be heard is the moaning of the injured.

The workers had been drinking at the Cattleman's Bar in the showgrounds until 12.20am before deciding to go on their ill-fated adventure.

SafeWork spokesman Peter Dunphy told 7 News that they made the huge mistake of going down the slide out of hours when the crash mats were no longer there.

One of the Sydney Show workers goes speeding down the giant slide

A 22-year-old woman broke both legs while a 60-year-old man suffered broken ribs when the workers smashed into barriers at the bottom

'The bottom of the ride didn't have the inflatable [crash] mats and that led to them, at speed, exiting the ride and hitting the barriers,' he said.

'Video footage also shows that it had been raining, causing the slide to be even more slippy and increasing the speed they'd go down it even further.

Investigation documents state: 'The momentum caused them to go under the safety padding at the end of the disembarking area.'

It was concluded that the ride was sound following the investigation into the incident, and the injuries were the result of human error.

Rides at this year's Easter Show are likely to come under greater scrutiny after the death of four people at Dreamworld in October last year.
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Ivana Trump was photographed leaving her New York City townhouse on Thursday afternoon and making her way down to Washington DC, where on Friday she will watch as her first husband Donald is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

She will be joining her three children with Donald - Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric - as well as her eight grandchildren for the big day in the nation's capital.

And also scheduled to attend will be Donald's second wife Marla Maples, who was accused at the time of breaking up Ivana's marriage to the billionaire businessman.

When asked as she was leaving her home on Thursday if she thought her ex-husband would make a good president, Ivana said: 'Yes, he will.'

For her trip, Ivanka, 67, donned a vibrant blue fur coat over a pinstripe pantsuit, carrying an equally colorful purse.

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On her way: Ivana Trump was photographed leaving her New York City townhouse on Thursday afternoon

Visiting her ex: She is travelling down to Washington DC for the inauguration of her first husband Donald

Family first: She will be joining her three children with Donald, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric, as well as her eight grandchildren (Donald, Ivana and Ivcanka above in 1998)

Marla shared a selfie video with fans on Instagram to mark the occasion

Ivana was one of the first people to say that she believed Donald could become the next president of the United States.

|She revealed in an interview back in May that she would be casting her vote for her ex come November, adding that she felt certain he would be setting up shop on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue come next January.

'I think he's going to win,' Ivana told People.

When then asked if he was getting her vote, she replied; 'Yes, of course I'm going to vote for him.

'He's going to run the country as a business. He's going to negotiate.

'And he knows how to make decisions.'

Ivana also revealed in an interview with the New York Post around that time that she had long been expecting her ex-husband to run for president, and that even Ronald Reagan encouraged him to do so three decades ago.

'Probably five years before our divorce, Reagan or somebody brought him a letter and said, "You should run for president,"' said Ivana.

'So he was thinking about it. But then . . . there was the divorce, there was the scandal, and American women loved me and hated him.'

She later added; 'But he was always tooling around with the idea.'

In that same interview Ivana said she speaks to the Donald before most of his appearances and gave him the phrase; 'You think it, I say it.'

Style star: For her trip, Ivanka, 67, donned a vibrant blue fur coat over a pinstripe pantsuit, carrying an equally colorful purse

Support: When asked as she was leaving if she thought Donald would make a good president, Ivana said: 'Yes, he will'

Waiting for it: Ivana revealed in an interview last year that she had long been expecting her ex-husband to run for president

Alleged foe: Marla Maples, the woman who allegedly broke up Ivana's marriage to Donald and became his second wife, will also be at the inauguration

Presidential support: 'Probably five years before our divorce, Reagan or somebody brought him a letter and said, "You should run for president,"' said Ivana of Donald being encouraged buy the former president

Back in the day: Ivana was a 28-year-old model from Czechoslovakia in 1977 when she married Donald

Cleaning up: She was rumored to have gotten approximately $20million, their $15million estate and 49% ownership in Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach in their divorce

Moving on: Ivana went on to get married two more times, first to Riccardo Mazzucchelli in 1995, a union that was dissolved after two years

No more: She was married for the second time to Rossano Rubicond in 2008, but that union latest less than a year with the two divorcing in 2009, though they have been seen together many times since

Ivana was a 28-year-old model from Czechoslovakia in 1977 when she married Donald.

The couple went on to have three children before divorcing in 1992.

She was rumored to have gotten approximately $20million, their $15million estate and 49% ownership in Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach in their divorce.

She also reportedly receives $350,000 a year in alimony and was able to keep all her jewelry.

Ivana went on to get married two more times, first to Riccardo Mazzucchelli in 1995, a union that was dissolved after two years.
A college student is accused of stealing a classic painting and hanging it inside of her dorm room.

Ingrid Wright, the executor of the estate of her sister, Faith Dorian-Wright, who died in September, claims that her niece, Mackenzie, 20, pilfered an original Wassily Kandinsky painting known as 'The Black Line' from her aunt's apartment and hung it in her dorm room at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

'It is a real possibility that she has squirreled away the Kandinsky in her dorm room,' Ingrid's lawyer said in a court filing obtained by DNAInfo.

FIT student Mackenzie Wright, 20, is accused of pilfering her grandmother's Kandinsky painting

Faith Dorian-Wright (far left), put daughter Ingrid (far right) in charge of her estate, but Ingrid says her niece and nephew pilfered important pieces - they say they were gifted

The FIT student allegedly wrongly took the Kandinsky painting 'Untitled (the Black Line)' -above, an art lover looks at the painting titled Composition

The filing demands that the painting, worth at least $1million, be returned.

Mackenzie's lawyer dismisses the idea that the expensive work of art is hanging in any dorm room.

He does admit his client has it though.

'It's not in a dorm room. I can assure you. It's in a storage facility,' he said, according to the outlet.

Mackenzie claims her aunt gifted her the painting before she died. Dorian-Wright was a prolific collector of Pacific and Oceanic art and reportedly died being worth almost $30million, according to the outlet.

Mackenzie and her brother, Austin (above) are accused by their aunt Ingrid of looting the estate of their grandmother before she died in September

This is what her brother, Austin, says happened to him too. He's accused of stealing a native Hawaiian bowl that once belonged to famed 18th century explorer Captain James Cook from Faith's Park Avenue apartment, where he was living.

The bowl is said to be supported by outward facing humans, likely enemies that were vanquished by a Hawaiian tribe, says DNAInfo. (Cook was eventually killed by native Hawaiians.)

But he says his aunt handed over the bowl, worth between $15million to $18million, to him before she died.

The bowl is being kept at Christie's until it can be determined who is the rightful owner.

Ingrid is worried that Kandinsky's painting will end up in a stranger's hands - she says that her niece recently attended Art Basel in Miami, and could have been seeking a buyer.
President Donald Trump will visit the Central Intelligence Agency on Saturday, his first full day in office.

Two sources told the Associated Press he plans to call on the intelligence agency he sparred with during the presidential election this weekend.

Trump's incoming White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, had said earlier in the day that Trump would stop by the intelligence agency 'shortly,' casting the visit as an opportunity for the new president to express his appreciation rather than mend fences.

President Donald Trump will visit the Central Intelligence Agency on Saturday, his first full day in office

Spicer declined to assign a specific time to the visit, one of Trump's first acts as president.

'I am sure that at some point shortly he will visit not just the CIA but a lot of the departments,' he said Thursday during his first on-camera news conference, a dry run for the White House press briefing.

The Trump spokesman had been asked to confirm the president-elect's plans to go to CIA in the 'near future' to 'make nice' with intelligence analysts and operatives he suggested were wrong about Russian hacking and blasted as leakers.

Trump rejected the CIA's assessment that Russia hacked and released messages from Democrats to help him win the November election.

More recently, he accused the intelligence community of giving journalists a dossier containing unverified and damaging information about his sex life that he says is 'fake news.'

He suggested Sunday that Barack Obama's CIA Director John Brennan may have leaked the document himself. Trump walked the accusation back in an interview that aired Wednesday am.

Still, he said the intelligence community gave the claims that were in the document 'credence' by discussing them with President Obama, Vice President Biden and others.

At his Thursday briefing Spicer attempted to downplay the discord between the next president and career intelligence agents and analysts.

'The president continues to be humbled by the people who serve this nation and the work that they do so many times without the proper recognition for the sacrifices that they make over time,' he said.

Spicer said in a more general statement that 'enthusiasm to serve in this government and be part of this administration had gotten greater by the day,' touting the number of resume's the transition team has received by people who were 'inspired by the president-elect's message.'

'I think not just the CIA, but several of the departments he's going to visit,' he said said, 'and make sure that he tells them how much he appreciates their service to our country, their commitment to enacting an agenda of change and recognize how much they really do for this country.'

He added, 'So, it's not just gonna be the CIA.'

Trump's visit to the CIA was cast this morning as an opportunity for the new president to express his appreciation rather than mend fences. The president-elect is seen at the Lincoln Memorial this afternoon with the soon-to-be first lady, wife Melania

Declining once again to get into specifics, the new White House spokesman said, 'I think you're gonna see a lot of activity throughout not just the first week, the first month and the first year, but making it a priority to thank so many of the people who serve our government.'

The Trump spokesman was pushed to admit that there needs to be some 'fence mending' between the intelligence community and his new boss, but Spicer wouldn't say yes.

'No, I think that he has been very clear,' Spicer said, that he 'respects the work, the diligence of the intelligence community, the men and women who often serve in the intelligence community without recognition because of the very nature of the work that they do.

Continuing, the Trump spokesman said the president-elect 'has been very, very clear that while he may have differences sometimes with the leadership of the intelligence community' that he respects 'the work of the individuals, the men and women who tirelessly support the analysis.'
Google is using the space above its search results to promote products owned by its parent company, Alphabet, Inc., it was reported on Thursday.

The Internet search giant was found to utilize the precious space in order to push various products like its own Pixel phones as well as Nest smart thermostats and smokes detectors, and Android smart watches, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Nest Labs is a Palo Alto, California-based company that manufactures thermostats, smoke detectors, and other home security products.

It was acquired by Alphabet, Inc. in 2014 for $3.2billion.

Google is using the space above its search results to promote products owned by its parent company, Alphabet. Above are products made by Nest Labs, a Palo Alto-based company that produced smart thermostats and carbon monoxide detectors

According to the Journal, whenever someone enters a search term in Google related to pieces of hardware, ads for the relevant items sold by either Google or a sister company would appear in the most prominent spot on the page 91 percent of the time.

In 43 percent of instances, the top two ads were for Google-linked products.

The Journal reported that the results were based on an analysis run by SEMrush, a data firm which examined 1,000 searches each on 25 terms, including 'laptops', 'speakers,' and 'carbon monoxide detectors.'

After the Journal presented the findings of the analysis to Google on December 15, there were demonstrably less ads for its own products.

The search results for 'speakers' yield ads for Google's own Google Home speakers (above)

Google said that it 'consciously and carefully designed' its advertising features so as not to affect other advertisers.

Google is no different from Microsoft and Facebook since they are all companies that not only offer ad space for firms wanting to hawk their products but they also compete with those same companies for customers.

The ads that show up above Google search results are chosen according to an automated auction that the search engine conducts in a fraction of a second, according to the Journal.

An analysis by the a data firm showed that search results for 'thermostats' will yield results for Nest Labs digital thermostate (left) and search results for 'laptops' will prompt ads for Google's Chromebook (left)

Google offers ad space for firms wanting to hawk their products while competing with those same companies. Google products shown above include WiFi router (far left), Chromecast (second from left), Home (center), and Pixel smartphones (right and second from right)

The auction determines which ads are featured most prominently and how much advertisers pay for the ads.

The system used by Google has helped it become the world's largest advertising platform.

The company is estimated to have generated $79billion last year from ads.

Companies wanting to promote their products on Google choose which search terms they want to use in their ads.

Once a search for their product is conducted, Google employs a formula that ranks the ads based on their quality, relevance to the search term, its prior click rate, and its landing page.

The higher quality the advertisement, the more likely it will appear on Google search results.

Google is paid by the advertisers only if users click on the ads, according to the Journal.

Google's practice of favoring its own product ads on relevant search results has raised questions over whether it is violating anti-trust laws.

Last year, the European Union accused Google of 'abusing its dominant position' by 'systematically' promoting its own products on search results, giving it an 'unfair advantage' over its competitors. Above is an image showing Google's search engine

Last year, the European Union accused Google of 'abusing its dominant position' by 'systematically' promoting its own products on search results, giving it an 'unfair advantage' over its competitors, according to CNBC.

Google denied the allegations.

'While Google may be the most used search engine, people can now find and access information in numerous different ways - and allegations of harm, for consumers and competitors, have proved to be wide of the mark,' Google said.

'If you look at shopping - an area where we have seen a lot of complaints and where we understand the European Commission will focus its Statement of Objections - it's clear that (a) there's a ton of competition (including from Amazon and eBay, two of the biggest shopping sites in the world) and (b) Google's shopping results have not the harmed the competition,' the company said.

European regulators have been investigating Google for years for its alleged anti-competitive practices.

In July, the European Commission announced a third round of anti-trust charges against Google.

If it is found to have violated Europe's stringent laws against curtailing competition, Google could pay upwards of $7billion in fines, according to The New York Times.
A box of Jamaican beef patties offered a powdery surprise when JFK airport officials found $70,000 worth of cocaine inside.

A Jamaican woman named Chantal Alecia Bedward was arrested at the New York airport after custom agents found 12 duct-taped packages of cocaine.

Federal Custom and Border Protection officials first got suspicious when they saw the box of Tastee brand Jamaican Beef Patties inside her luggage.

Jamaican woman Chantal Alecia Bedward was arrested at JFK after custom agents found duct-taped packages of cocaine inside her box of Tastee brand Jamaican Beef Patties (pictured)

They took Bedward, who arrived from Kingston on Tuesday, to a private search room where they opened the box, according to New York Daily News.

But instead of patties, officials found four pounds of cocaine inside.

Bedward was arrested for the importation of a controlled substance and will face federal narcotics smuggling charges.

The case has since been turned over to the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.

'This seizure demonstrates the vigilance and dedication demonstrated daily by CPB officers at JFK in keeping these prohibited and dangerous narcotics off the streets of our communities,' said CBP Director of Field Operations Robert E Perez.

Bedward will be prosecuted by the US Attorney's Office.
Steven Mnuchin, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to run the Treasury Department, apologized during a heated confirmation hearing Thursday for foreclosing on customers while running a bank during the financial crisis.

Mnuchin also got grilled about his financial disclosure forms after Democratic staff penned penned a memo that revealed he failed to list $95 million in real estate assets and didn't disclose his directorship of a company headquartered in the Cayman Islands tax haven.

'There were mistakes. We regret those mistakes,' Mnuchin said, when asked about foreclosures on customers while heading OneWest bank.

Treasury Secretary-designate Stephen Mnuchin apologized during his confirmation for foreclosures he oversaw as head of OneWest bank during the financial crisis

The bank acquired IndyMac, which had a raft of sub-prime mortgages on its books. According to a report in ProPublica, OneWest was responsible for 16,200 foreclosures on reverse-mortgages  a full 39 percent of the total.

'Anyone who thinks we made more money foreclosing on a loan than modifying a loan has no understanding,' Mnuchin explained.

'We believed in loan modifications, and we were financially [incentivized to provide] them when we could,' he explained.

After Democratic staff revealed a series of oversights on his financial disclosure forms, Mnuchin said he did not personally benefit through tax avoidance by a a firm in the Cayman Islands tax haven  though his clients may have.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOMES: Mnuchin said his failure to report $95 million in real estate holdings as an unintentional oversight

Mnuchin testified at a confirmation in the Senate Finance Committee Thursday

Scottish actress Louise Linton listens to her fiancee, Treasury Secretary nominee, Steven Mnuchin's Senate Finance committee confirmation hearing

Mnuchin was the finance chair for Donald Trump's presidential campaign

'Let me just be clear again: I did not use a Cayman Islands entity in any way to avoid paying taxes for myself, Mnuchin said, the New York Times reported. 'I would love to work with the I.R.S. to close these tax issues that make no sense.'

'I would support changing the tax laws to make sure they are simpler and more effective,' he said.

Regarding his disclosure flubs on 5,000 pages of documents he handed over, he said: 'I think as you all can appreciate, filling out these government forms is quite complicated.'

'Let me first say, any oversight, it was unintentional,' he said.

Pressed on foreclosure, Mnuchin said he did what he could to help out 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman, who gave birth to wins in 2009.

"That was a terrible situation. We worked very, very hard to move her to another home that they could afford," Mnuchin said. She moved out of her home in 2012, CNBC reported.

'I can assure that as chairman of the bank, I took these issues very seriously. There were mistakes. We regret those mistakes. We had hundreds of thousands of delinquent loans,' Mnuchin said of his tenure.

'Mr. Mnuchin's failure to disclose his Cayman Islands holdings just reeks of the swamp that the president-elect promised to drain on the campaign trail,' said Senate minority leader Senator Charles Schumer of New York.

The real estate he failed to disclose initially includes a New York coop, a home in southampton, property in Mexico, and a home in Los Angeles.

'How many Nevadans did OneWest foreclose on while you owned the bank?' Democratic senator Dean Heller of Nevada asked him at the hearing.
A man has handed in more than $2,000 cash after he found it left in at ATM just before Christmas.

Perth man Zim Wither now wants to find the Good Samaritan so he can thank them for returning his money.

Mr Wither went to the Fremantle ANZ to deposit a month's worth of work on December 23.

Perth man Zim Wither now wants to find the Good Samaritan so he can thank them for returning his money (Mr Wither is pictured banging on a drum of sorts)

He told WAtoday he was in a rush when he put the cash into the ATM.

'I ran in and deposited my money, and then left,' Mr Wither said.

'But then I woke up at 3am with a really sick feeling in my stomach and I checked my bank balance.'

When Mr Wither realised he had not deposited his cash correctly he tried to get in contact with the bank, but the branch was shut over the Christmas holidays.

Mr Wither went to Fremantle ANZ (pictured) to deposit a months' worth of work on December 23

Mr Wither survived on only $30 for nearly two weeks before he got in touch with the bank.

ANZ told him there was nothing they could do about the missing money, but mentioned someone had walked into the branch and handed in a large amount of cash on the same day.

When Mr Wither told them how much he'd lost the bank verified it was his money.

'I squealed like a school girl,' he said.

Mr Wither now wants to find the Good Samaritan that handed in his cash to personally thank them.
He may be a brutal Mexican drug lord, but Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is not without his fans.

Arriving at a jail in downtown Manhattan Thursday night following his extradition to the US, El Chapo was treated to a hero's welcome by female inmates at the correctional facility.

The New York Post reported that as the high-profile prisoner was being escorted by Drug Enforcement Administration agents to his holding cell, women being held at the Pearl Street jail were heard chanting his infamous moniker, 'Chapo! Chapo!'

This morning, the convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel was brought into a Brooklyn courthouse to await his appearance before a federal judge. His arraignment is set to take place at 2pm.

US authorities escort Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman from a plane to a hangar at the Long Island McArthur Airport after he was extradited to the US on Thursday

The plane carrying El Chapo can be seen on a runway in New York, as officials wait in a hangar to take the drug lord away

The motorcade with Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman arrives at Brooklyn Federal Court on Friday

Police stand guard outside the courthouse where 'El Chapo' Guzman was brought in Brooklyn

District Attorney Robert Capers speaks during a press conference regarding the extradition and arraignment of Guzman at the US Attorney's Office in Brooklyn Friday

A slide is seen before a press conference regarding the extradition and arraignment of Guzman at the US Attorney's Office Friday morning

The Mexican government has delivered an astonishing snub to Donald Trump by extraditing El Chapo on the eve of his inauguration.

El Chapo touched down in New York at the Long Island MacArthur Airport about 9:30pm Thursday.

A caravan of SUVs was waiting for the prisoner when he arrived, and after getting off the plane he was led into a hangar and raced away in the back of one of the cars.

After news of the extradition broke, some experts have suggested the extradition was timed purposefully to take place before Trump is sworn in.

'It could be a coincidence, but I think that's unlikely,' Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope said.

'They could not send him after Trump was inaugurated because the interpretation would have been that of a tribute.

'But maybe they wanted to do it close enough so that both administrations - the outgoing and the incoming - could really make some political hay out of this.'

A former Drug Enforcement Agency senior official also added weight to the theory.

'The Mexican government decided to move up the time frame because they didn't want Trump to be in the presidency when they sent him over,' Michael Vigil, the former head of international operations for the DEA, said.

'They wanted Obama to take credit. They wanted to send a message to Trump that they won't be bullied.'

Guzman is pictured arriving in Long Island, from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where he is received by US authorities to be brought before the courts

DEA officers are seen leading El Chapo through the airport after he was extradited to the US on Thursday

A government source told a similar story to the New York Post, saying: 'Mexico wanted to get this done with a Justice Department it knows and trusts, that understands the gravity and implications of the crimes that "El Chapo" has been apart of.

'Thats not to say that the next Justice Department wont be just as competent. But with the Trump Administration, everything is a question mark.'

But Mexico denied any political motivation behind the timing, saying they sent 'El Chapo' to the US as soon as they were able to do so.

Guzman is seen in a chair interviewed by police in an undisclosed location on Thursday. It is not known whether this picture was taken in Mexico or the US

Law enforcement agents assist a motorcade believed to be transporting Joaquin 'El Chapo' in New York as he is taken to a detention center

Heavily-armed officers were seen near the motorcade on Thursday night in New York

Deputy Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran, who was asked at a Thursday night news conference about the timing of Guzman's extradition, said the federal government cannot interfere in court decisions.

'It was resolved today, and we under terms of the international treaty had to make the handover immediately,' he said.

And while Guzman was being extradited, actor Sean Penn was spotted leaving a restaurant in Santa Monica, California.

Penn met the cartel kingpin in a fall 2015 encounter that the actor later chronicled in Rolling Stone magazine.

A motorcade carrying Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman arrives at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York

Two officers are seen on duty as the motorcade carrying El Chapo arrived in New York

A vehicle carrying Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman arrives at the Metropolitan Correctional Center

The center has been described by CNN as 'Brooklyn's Abu Ghraib' - thanks in large part to the alleged treatment of prisoners there.

A Justice Department report from 2003 found: 'prison guards slammed detainees into walls, twisted their arms and wrists, lifted restrained prisoners by their arms, and subjected them to humiliating strip searches.'

He could be tried in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, also in Brooklyn, as it is one of seven with indictments pending against the drug lord, and it is considered to have one of the best chances of getting a conviction.

While Guzman was being extradited, actor Sean Penn was spotted leaving a restaurant in Santa Monica, California

The New York indictment accuses him of overseeing a trafficking cartel with thousands of members and billions of dollars in profits laundered back to Mexico.

It alleges Guzman and other members of the Sinaloa cartel employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.

Earlier, El Chapo had left Mexico, where he was being held at a prisoner near the border and El Paso, about 5:30pm local time.

Mexico's Foreign Relations Department announced the extradition in a statement.

'The government... today handed Mr Guzman to the US authorities,' the statement read, referring to a court decision on Thursday rejecting a legal challenge by his lawyers against extradition.

A group of agents escort Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman from a plane to a waiting motorcade at Long Island MacArthur Airport i

The notorious drug lord is seen in this picture with Mexican authorities before he boarded a plane to the US

El Chapo, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman, was sent to America by the Mexican government shortly after 5:30pm on Thursday. He is pictured with police

'El Chapo' is pictured being walked across the tarmac before he boarded a plane to the US

Guzman is escorted by police officers in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, as he is extradited to New York

The convicted Sinaloa cartel boss had been held most recently in an infamously violent prison near the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez.

He was recaptured a year ago after making a second brazen jailbreak and had fought extradition since then.

His lawyers had sought to block his extradition to the United States.

'It's a good thing to finally get him to the US side,' a senior American law enforcement official based in Mexico said, according to Reuters.

Police board Mexican Air Force plane after the extradition of drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman in Ciudad Juarez

Soldiers are seen leaving the airport after the extradition of the notorious drug lord, El Chapo

Military trucks and an armored vehicle are parked at a private landing strip where the drug lord boarded a plane to the US

El Chapo, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman, was sent America by the Mexican government shortly after 5:30pm on Thursday. He is pictured being arrested by Mexican authorities in January 2016

He said he did not think Mexico put 'a whole lot of thought' into the timing of the extradition, which comes the day before Trump's inauguration.

The drug lord could potentially face life in prison as a result of the indictments.

The announcement comes just days his lawyer claimed a prison guard was sexually harassing El Chapo on a daily basis.

It is being reported that the cartel kingpin will land in New York, before being sent to the Metropolitan Detention Center (pictured) in Brooklyn

'El Chapo' could be tried in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York (pictured), as it is one of seven with indictments pending against the drug lord

Silvia Delgado said her client was 'uncomfortable' with the way he's being treated and told her: 'There is a security guard that handles me instead of only touching me'.

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.
An 18-year-old mother was arrested after she bragged about taping her toddler to the wall in a shocking Facebook live video.

Shayla Rudolph of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was arrested and charged with third-degree felony abduction on Thursday while her two-year-old son was taken in by Franklin County Children's Services, police said.

Rudolph used clear packing tape over her son's mouth, and restrained her toddler's arms against the wall with tape for about 15 minutes, police said.

The mother bragged that it was a good way to keep her child from running around, and later filmed another Facebook video taunting people who alerted child welfare officials about the clip.

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Shayla Rudolph of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was arrested and charged with third-degree felony abduction on Thursday

The 18-year-old (pictured above) was arrested after she bragged about taping her two-year-old son to the wall in a Facebook live video

The young boy could be heard crying throughout the video, and Rudolph bragged that it was a good way to keep her child from running around

Video courtesy of ABC 6

Rudolph filmed the first video on New Year's Day and claimed it was a joke when child welfare officials visited her home on January 5, according toWSYX.

The toddler can be heard crying in the first Facebook live video, as his arms are held against a wall with clear packing tape. Police also said his mouth was taped shut.

Rudolph can be seen in the video telling her son: 'You have the best mommy in the world wide world.'

She faces the camera and explains her methods, saying: 'You cant clean without them running around tearing up? Tape em to the wall.

'You cant cook or none of that because they running around? Tape em to the wall.'

Rudolph claimed the video was a joke when child welfare officials visited her home on January 5. Pictured above, Rudolph being taken into custody on Thursday

She later tells her son: 'Don't make me put more tape up there. Now stay still. You can see the TV from right there.'

The toddler, dressed in a diaper, continues crying in the background.

Days after the Franklin County Children's Services appeared at Rudolph's home, she posted another video, indignant about the visit.

In another Facebook live video, Rudolph can be seen disciplining her son by making him stand in a corner.

She says: 'They called Children Services on me, so f*** it, now he in the corner.

'Whatcha gonna do now? Call children services now, you can have his a**. I dont give a f***. This time yall can take him.'

Rudolph also claimed she could punish her son however she liked, and hang him upside down,FOX reported.
While some people are happy with regular sex, others have sexual fantasies and fetishes they yearn to fulfil.

But some fetishes are not realistically attainable, and people are left having to use their imagination.

Experts believe virtual reality may be the way forward, and could allow people with bizarre fetishes to achieve their desires from the privacy of their own home.

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Experts believe that virtual reality may be the way forward, and could allow people with bizarre fetishes to achieve their desires from the privacy of their own home (stock image)

Sex with unobtainable things like aliens, for example, is not a new concept.

'People have always had sexual fantasies engaging with notions of "otherness" and that which we cannot have or are realistically unattainable,' Trudy Barber, a lecturer in Media Studies at the University of Portsmouth, told MailOnline.

'A wish to have sex with aliens is very prevalent in lots of science fiction stories such as in the film Galaxy Quest or the classic seductive green Orion "slave-girl" of early Star Trek fame.'

A recent study suggests the desire to have sex with aliens may be more common than you might think.

The survey in Panama found people who claim they've seen a UFO are often struck by feelings of sexual desire immediately afterwards.

Six per cent of Panamanians claimed they've seen a UFO, according to the survey, and of this group, 37 per cent said it had awakened their sex drive.

A wish to have sex with aliens is very prevalent in lots of science fiction stories such as in the film Galaxy Quest or the classic seductive green Orion 'slave-girl' (pictured) of early Star Trek fame

'A desire for sex was the strongest feeling  according to the survey  among those who claim having seen a UFO, far above a feeling of terror (17 per cent),' said Diana Santanach, director of Cid Gallup, who led the study.

But until life on other planets has been found, physical sex with aliens remains out of reach.

EVOLUTION OF SEX A recent report from Bondara claims: By 2030, most people will have some form of virtual sex as casually as they browse porn today. By 2035 the majority of people will own sex toys that interact with virtual reality sex. 'Sexbots' will start to appear in high-income, very wealthy households as soon as 2025. Sex with robots will be more popular than human-human sex in 2050. Love and the act of sex is set to become increasingly separate, with relationships increasingly becoming based on more than just sex. Advertisement

Dr Barber believes bizarre fetishes could be lived out through the medium of virtual reality.

'Virtual reality and sexual fetishism has been discussed for quite some time,' she said.

'There is a link between our sexual prediction and our use of technology and of course sex has long been thought of as a driver for technological invention.

'In a VR environment you can explore as many types of sexual engagement as there are people to invent and create them but for specific sexual fetishes there needs to be specific world builders available - as no two persons fetish are alike.'

As we've seen with the recent growth of the sex robot industry, if there is a market that is willing to pay, someone will try to develop such systems.

Dr Mark Griffiths, Director of the International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University, told MailOnline: 'VR and its applications can only be as good as the technology.

'Whenever there is a technology advance, there are two industries that tend to be the first to monetise  the sex industry and the gambling industry.

'I've been saying for 20 years that VR could be used to enact sexual fantasies.

Virtual reality could be used by people with macrophilia - those who are aroused by the thought of having sex with others who are significantly larger than they are (stock image)

'I can certainly foresee some celebrities and/or porn stars being paid by VR companies to use their images in sexual VR games and/or software.'

But it's not just a case of giving someone a headset showing them their desire, and sending them on their way.

Dr Barber believes in order to fulfil specific fantasies, VR will need to involve other senses.

She said: 'VR will have to become fully immersive with sounds and haptic feedback (for touch) and other sensual things such as smell for example.

GAS MASK BLASTS SMELLS OUT WHILE YOU WATCH VR PORN While virtual reality headsets can make you visually feel like you're in a situation, it can be difficult to switch off and fully immerse yourself in a scenario. But a new sensory mask looks set to revolutionise the way virtual reality is used in the bedroom. CamSoda has launched a new mask that delivers smells to the virtual reality experience, providing users with immersive aromas while watching adult entertainment CamSoda has launched a mask that delivers smells to the virtual reality experience, providing users with immersive aromas while watching adult entertainment. Dubbed 'OhRoma', users wear a sensory mask, which resembles a gas mask, alongside their virtual reality headset. The headset shows virtual reality porn, in which a selected man or woman appears to perform sexual acts on the user through a teledildonic device. Meanwhile, users can choose from a range of smells to pump through the mask, including 'private parts', 'body odour', 'fragrances', 'panties', 'aphrodisiacs' and 'environments'. When the cartridge containing the scent is heated, the aromas are pumped through the mask, immersing the user in the experience. Advertisement

'There are already people working on smells and touch.

'Imagine if this was applied to an immersive virtual world, then technically you could experience a synthetic kiss created by an artificial intelligent avatar alien reacting to you in your immersed VR world.'

But one person's idea of an alien could differ hugely from someone else's, so an element of personalisation may be needed.

Dr Griffiths said: 'Given personalisation is at the root of many online technologies, this would appear to be a logical consequence of what is likely to be possible in the future.

'The use of photoshopping is widespread on the internet in relation to superimposing celebrity faces onto the bodies of naked people.

'If there is a way to do an equivalent of this in VR, those with the skills will do it.'

Beyond photoshopping, Dr Barber believes personalised VR could become a whole new industry.

She said: 'I foresee "Personal Immersive Narrative Creators" (PINCs) whose job will be to create specific tailored worlds and be commissioned to oversee requirements.

'Sort of like a Virtual Reality movie director.'

But using virtual reality to fulfil fetishes does not come without risks.

Dr Griffiths said: 'There's always a chance that people will prefer their sexual fantasy life with VR to their real life sex life.

'In every human behaviour there will always be a small minority that engage in the behaviour excessively that conflicts with other areas of their life.

'Given there are already some people that could be described as "pornography addicts", VR addiction to sex-based products is a theoretical possibility.'




Massive tigers weighing more than 300 pounds once roamed the area from Turkey through northwestern China before meeting their demise in the mid-1900s.

At up to 10 feet long, Caspian tigers were some of the largest cats that ever lived  and they could soon be making a comeback.

Conservation biologists have revealed a plan to restore the tigers to Central Asia, and say a site in Kazakhstan could support nearly 100 of the huge cats within just 50 years.

Massive tigers weighing more than 300 pounds once roamed the area from Turkey through northwestern China before meeting their demise in the mid-1900s. Caspian tigers were some of the largest cats that ever lived  and they could soon be making a comeback

THE CASPIAN TIGERS Caspian tigers roamed an area from Turkey through northwestern China, occupying a vast range in Central Asia. They were one of the largest cats that ever existed, weighing over 300lbs and stretching 10ft long. But, around the 1960s, they were declared extinct after rampant poisoning and trapping, and the destruction of their habitat. Scientists propose a plan to reintroduce the tigers in Kazakhstan based on the existence of the closely related Amur tigers, an 'analog' species. They say the Ili River delta and adjacent southern coast of Balkhash Lake could be suitable. Roughly 7,000 square kilometers could eventually support 64-98 tigers based on the presence of wild boar, Bukhara deer, and roe deer as prey. Advertisement

Caspian tigers existed throughout Central Asia up to the not-so-distant past, when they were ultimately killed off by human activities in the mid-1960s.

According to the researchers from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, there were a number of factors that contributed to their extinction.

Bounties paid in the former Soviet Union until the 1930s promoted the poisoning and trapping of the animals, and irrigation projects destroyed the tugay woodlands and reed thickets in which they lived.

This habitat is made up of a riparian and coastal ecosystem of trees, shrubs, and wetlands and as it vanished, so did their prey  and eventually, the cats.

In the new study, published to Biological Conservation, researchers propose a plan to reintroduce the tigers in Kazakhstan based on the existence of the closely related Amur tigers.

Amur tigers could be an analog species for bringing back the Caspians, the researchers explain, and has been considered for nearly 10 years, with support from the Kazakhstan government.

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 ESF.

When they disappeared, the number of nations that hosted tiger populations was reduced by more than half.

Amur tigers could be an analog species for bringing back the Caspians, the researchers explain. Mikhail Paltsyn, an ESF doctoral candidate, poses with a taxidermied Amur tiger specimen

The researchers found that Caspian tigers lived throughout an area roughly 800,000 to 900,000 square kilometers in size (300,000-350,000 square miles), mostly within isolated patches of riparian ecosystems.

These habitats are found along rivers and streams, and two or three tigers typically lived within a single 100 square km (40 sq mile) area.

The team conducted spatial analysis from remote sensing data, and found that there are at least two habitat patches in Kazakhstan that could be suitable for tiger re-establishment: the Ili River delta and adjacent southern coast of Balkhash Lake.

HOW THEY WOULD DO IT Their habitat is made up of a riparian and coastal ecosystem of trees, shrubs, and wetlands, as seen above The researchers pointed to a number of factors that could contribute to the restoration of the tigers in the Ili-Balkhash region of western Kazakhstan. This includes the recent recovery of tiger habitats in some areas, and the discovery that Caspian tigers were closely related to the still-living Amur tigers, which are a likely anolog species for their restoration. First, it is necessary to stop riparian zone degradation caused by uncontrolled fires, said Mikhail Paltsyn, an ESF doctoral candidate. 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. Third, human safety and socioeconomic 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 Balkahs 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. Advertisement

This takes into account current land use and low density of human population.

The study revealed that roughly 7,000 square kilometers (about 2,700 square miles) could eventually support 64-98 tigers based on the presence of wild boar, Bukhara deer, and roe deer as prey.

And, if 40-55 tigers are introduced, they say it could happen within 50 years.

According to the researchers, a number of Amur tigers could be moved from the Russian Far East to the Ili River delta without harming the population.

Eventfully, these relocated tigers could establish a wild population.
Advertisement

It was a make or break flight for SpaceX - and a total success.

Elon Musk's rocket company today released stunning new images of its rocket launching a series of Iridium satellites into orbit - then landing back on a drone boat.

The images reveal the nailbiting moment the rocket returned to its waiting barge - and made a perfect landing.

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The stunning images capture the moment the rocket landed back on its droneship, named 'Just Read the Instructions', after blasting ten Iridium satellites into orbit in its first flight since September's failed launch destroyed a $200 million satellite Facebook had planned to use to beam high-speed internet to Africa.

The two-stage rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, at 9:54am Saturday to place 10 satellites into orbit for Iridium Communications Inc.

SpaceX officials say they took corrective action on all possible causes of the Sept. 1 accident that destroyed a Falcon 9 and a satellite on a Florida launch pad.

The return to flight is an important step for SpaceX, a California-based company that has about 70 launches in line for NASA and commercial customers worth more than $10billion.

'Liftoff of the Falcon 9,' a SpaceX commentator said as the tall white rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 9:54 am (1754 GMT), carrying a payload of 10 satellites for Iridium, a mobile and data communications company.

Moments after the Falcon 9 soared into the sky, the rocket's two sections separated as planned, sending the satellites to orbit and the tall portion, known as the first stage, of the rocket back to Earth.

Cheers erupted at SpaceX mission control in Hawthorne, California as live video images showed the first stage powering its engines and landing steady and upright on a platform marked with an X in the Pacific Ocean.

The platform, or droneship, was labeled 'Just Read the Instructions.'

SpaceX has successfully landed multiple rockets this way, on both land and water, as part of its effort to bring down the cost of space flight by re-using multimillion dollar components instead of jettisoning them in the ocean after launch.

The platform, or droneship, was labeled 'Just Read the Instructions.'

Though the landings garner plenty of excitement, SpaceX's primary mission was to safely deliver the payload of satellites to orbit.

'Mission looks good,' SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter.

'All satellites deployed.'

Saturday's launch was the first in a series planned to upgrade Iridium's global communications network.

The $3 billion project aims to send 81 satellites to space in the coming months.

The stakes for SpaceX were high after a pair of accidents.

September's blast destroyed a $200 million satellite Facebook had planned to use to beam high-speed internet to Africa.

Another explosion in June 2015 two minutes after liftoff obliterated a Dragon cargo ship packed with goods bound for the astronauts at the International Space Station.

The incidents cost SpaceX dearly, possibly pushing the privately owned company into the red, the Wall Street Journal reported this week.

People photograph the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster as it makes it's way into the port of Los Angeles Tuesday morning, Jan. 17, 2017.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster makes it's way into the port of Los Angeles Tuesday morning, Jan. 17, 2017. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from California on Saturday, Jan. 14 and placed a constellation of satellites in orbit, marking the company's first launch since a fireball engulfed a similar rocket on a Florida launch pad more than four months ago.

'That June 2015 disaster, followed by months of launch delays, contributed to a quarter-billion dollar annual loss and a six percent drop in revenue, after two years of surging sales and small profits,' the paper said after a review of internal financial documents from 2011 to 2015, forecasts for the next decade and interviews with former SpaceX employees.

Three weeks after last September's accident, the company removed a long-standing phrase from its website saying it was 'profitable and cash-flow positive.'

That 'suggest(ed) both profit and cash flow had moved into the red for 2016,' the Journal said, noting that it found an operating loss for every quarter in 2015 and negative cash flow of roughly $15 million.

SpaceX, headed by Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur who also runs Tesla Motors, declined to comment on the findings and is not obligated to release its financial figures because it is a private company.

Saturday's launch was the first in a series planned to upgrade Iridium's global communications network.

The two-stage rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, at 9:54am Saturday to place 10 satellites into orbit for Iridium Communications Inc.

'The company is in a financially strong position and is well positioned for future growth,' with $1 billion in cash and no debt, SpaceX chief financial officer Bret Johnson was quoted as saying.

The June 2015 accident - in which the unmanned Dragon cargo ship exploded in a massive fireball two minutes after launch - was caused by a faulty strut that allowed a helium tank to snap loose, SpaceX said.

Last September's explosion, during a test a day prior to a scheduled launch, was traced to a problem with a pressure vessel in the second-stage liquid oxygen tank.

SpaceX said it will change the way it fuels for now and redesign its pressure vessels in the future.

But a report out this week by a top NASA advisory group also expressed concerns about the way SpaceX fuels its rockets, particularly since it plans to start launching astronauts to space in the coming years.

SpaceX uses super chilled liquid oxygen, and since the temperature must stay so low, it plans to have astronauts inside the spacecraft atop the rocket before fueling is complete, known as a 'load and go' approach.

The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel urged NASA to scrutinize this process closely, saying its risks may not be 'adequately understood.'

Founded in 2002, SpaceX logged 18 successful launches of the Falcon 9 before the 2015 accident.

Moments after the Falcon 9 soared into the sky, the rocket's two sections separated as planned, sending the satellites to orbit and the tall portion, known as the first stage, of the rocket back to Earth.

Musk has lofty goals, including colonizing Mars and revolutionizing the launch industry by making rocket components reusable.

Founded in 2002, SpaceX logged 18 successful launches of the Falcon 9 before the 2015 accident.

The company has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to supply the International Space Station using its Dragon space capsule, which is the only cargo ship that can return to the Earth intact.

This still image shows a Falcon 9 during liftoff as seen from a camera mounted on the rocket

About nine minutes after takeoff, the first stage returned to Earth and landed successfully on a barge in the Pacific Ocean south of Vandenberg

Space X said earlier this month that accident investigators concluded that a canister of helium inside the rocket's upper-stage oxygen tank had exploded

The accident threw into question the future of Musk's program of subcontracting his 'reusable' and 'recycled' rockets to NASA.

The satellite would have opened up free internet to more than 14 countries in Africa to serve the most populated areas more efficiently.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who confirmed that the company's satellite was destroyed in the huge blast, called it 'deeply disappointing.'

The September 1 blast (above) destroyed Facebook's $200million Amos-6 satellite that was set to launch aboard the reusable rocket

The mishap dealt a severe blow to SpaceX, still scrambling to catch up with satellite deliveries following a launch accident in 2015.

Space X is owned and operated by Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk (above)

It was also a setback for NASA, which had been counting on the private company to keep the International Space Station stocked with supplies and, ultimately, astronauts.

In the short term, SpaceX plans to revamp its fueling procedures so that the super-cold liquid oxygen will not build up between the helium tank's liner and its outer covering, it added.

SpaceX said accumulation of oxygen in a void or buckle in the liner most likely led to the explosion.

'In the long term, SpaceX will implement design changes to the (helium canisters) to prevent buckles altogether,' the statement said.

Last month, it was revealed that British satellite company Inmarsat will switch to using Arianespace from rival SpaceX to launch a new satellite to provide broadband connectivity to air passengers.
Apple's iPhone 8 may still be months away, but the rumors about the highly anticipated smartphone are flooding the internet.

The latest rumor was leaked by Cowen and Company that suggests this year's tenth anniversary handset will have 'some form of facial/gesture recognition'.

Sources also speculated that there will be a new 5.8 inch model, complete with a 'wraparound' OLED screen with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor underneath the glass.

The latest rumor was leaked by Cowen and Company that suggests this year's iOS handset will have 'some form of facial/gesture recognition'. A new laser sensor and an infrared sensor mounted near the front-facing camera

IPHONE 8 RUMORS Several rumors have been circulating about the iPhone 8, and suggest the next device may have: - Dual-lens 3D camera - Augmented reality to generate real-time views of surroundings - Curved glass casing - Plastic OLED screen - Wireless charging - A folding element - New 5 inch (12.7 centimeter) and 5.8 inch (14.7 centimeter) model, which will have a wraparound, OLED screen - 5.8 inch will be designed with the Touch ID finger print sensor 'under the glass and in the active display area.' - A new 'pure white' model - Aluminum back will be replaced with two reinforced glass panes and a metal frame in the middle - Facial recognition Advertisement

Written by Timothy Arcuri, a Cowen and Company analyst, the note was firest reported by Kif Leswing withBusiness Insider.

'Other features appear to include some form of facial/gesture recognition supported by a new laser sensor and an infrared sensor mounted near the front-facing camera and, as expected, should also finally include wireless charging,' Arcuri wrote.

Although this is the first news about a new type of depth sensor, the firm had previously purchased an infrared sensor company, Primesense, back in 2013 that may be the creator of the technology.

And, according to Business Insider, if Apple is to add the augmented reality features that are also rumored in the iPhone, it will need to develop a new kind of sensor.

In addition to predicting new technology, Arcuri suggests that the iPhone 8 will result in record number of shipments.

This may be due to the disappointment that many iOS users had with last year's iPhone7 - as it seems to be just a refreshed iPhone 6.

And these loyal customers are expecting Apple to make up for their blunder with cutting-edge features.

Arcuri said he believes the next iPhone, which he is calling the 'iPhone 10' or 'iPhone X,' will be 'yuge' and could spark a 'supercycle' of upgraders.

He also predicted there will be three models for the next flagship iPhone  the traditional 4.7- and 5.5-inch models, but with a new 5.8-inch handset.

The 5.8-inch iPhone, Arcuri suggests, will have a 'wraparound' OLED screen that will be designed with the Touch ID finger print sensor 'under the glass and in the active display area.'

Another rumor to hit the web gives insight to what Apple's phone may look like.

Coming from an 'upstream supply chain', the speculation suggests that the Cupertino company is ditching the aluminium back cover.

Rumors also say there will be three iPhone 8 models  the 4.7in, 5.5in and a 5.8-inch handset. The 5.8-inch iPhone, Arcuri suggests, will have a 'wraparound' OLED screen that will be designed with the Touch ID finger print sensor 'under the glass and in the active display area'

Instead, it will be designed with a stainless steel forging process that brings together two reinforced glass panels supported by a metal frame.

It was first reported by Chinese newspaper DigiTimes, which revealed the new components would be ordered from Foxconn electronics US-based Jabil  firms who worked with Apple in creating the iPhone 4, reports 9To5Mac.

'The metal bezel will be made of stainless steel using a forging process to enhance its sturdiness and reduce costs and manufacturing time,' reports DigiTimes.

Other than giving the iPhone 8 a sleeker design, this move will ensure the glass panels in the front and back hold together.

And it should decrease costs by 30 percent to 50 percent.
While Samsung's SmartCam home security cameras are designed to allow you to keep an eye on your home, a new hack suggests that you might not be the only one watching.

Security researchers have uncovered a serious flaw in the SmartCam devices that could allow hackers to take control.

The researchers have alerted Samsung to the problem, but the firm is yet to make changes to rectify the problem for the millions of devices sold globally.

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While Samsung's SmartCam home security cameras are designed to allow you to keep an eye on your home, a new hack suggests that you might not be the only one watching

THE HACK In August, the Exploitee.rs alerted Samsung to the fact that they could hack into the networked camera through the internet. But rather than fixing the problem, Samsung instead removed the accessible web interface and forced users to run their SmartCams through the SmartCloud website. Exploitee.rs have now shown that they can still break into the camera, using a different exploit. When Samsung patched up the original issue, it left of one of the scripts untouched  the php files which provide updates to the camera. The hackers discovered that those scripts had a bug, allowing a user without admin privaleges to gain remote access. Advertisement

The SmartCam is designed to allow users to stream live video to their smartphone over the internet.

For example, it can be used as a baby monitor, or for home security.

But according to Exploitee.rs  a team of self-procliamed 'ethical hackers', a flaw in the camera's technology could let hackers take control.

This could allow hackers to turn the camera on remotely, and even lock you out of your account by changing your password details.

In August, the Exploitee.rs alerted Samsung to the fact that they could hack into the networked camera through the internet.

But rather than fixing the problem, Samsung instead removed the accessible web interface and forced users to run their SmartCams through the SmartCloud website.

Exploitee.rs have now shown that they can still break into the camera, using a different exploit.

The SmartCam is designed to allow users to stream live video to their smartphone over the internet. For example, it can be used as a baby monitor, or for home security

When Samsung patched up the original issue, it left of one of the scripts untouched  the php files which provide updates to the camera.

The hackers discovered that those scripts had a bug, allowing a user without admin privaleges to gain remote access.

Javvad Malik, a security advocate at AlienVault, said: 'This vulnerability highlights the difficulty in securing smart devices, even for large manufacturers.

According to Exploitee.rs  a team of self-procliamed 'ethical hackers', a flaw in the camera's technology could allow hackers to take control (stock image)

'It shows that finding issues in devices is one thing, but fixing them is another.

'It's typically not so easy to push out updates or fixes to smart devices, and when they do get sent it doesn't always achieve the desired result.'

The hackers have alerted Samsung to the issue, but the firm is yet to make changes to the SmartCam devices.
Take-out customers in the US can now get food delivered right to their doorstep by a robot.

Starship Technologies has announced that DoorDash and Postmates are beginning pilot tests with the robots in Redwood City, California and Washington, DC.

The service wont cost you any extra, and each robot is expected to make about 10 deliveries each day.

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Take-out customers in the US can now get food delivered right to their doorstep by a robot. Starship Technologies has announced that DoorDash and Postmates are beginning pilot tests with the robots in Redwood City, California and Washington, DC

HOW IT WORKS Unlike robots designed to resemble humans, the Starship's bot is purely functional with a large compartment to hold deliveries, the equivalent size of two grocery bags. Each six-wheeled 'ground drone' is almost completely self-driving. It is constantly connected to the internet, using 3G technology to find its way to the customer's address. Walking on the pavement at about 4mph (3km/h), robots can complete local deliveries within five to 30 minutes from a local hub or retail outlet. The scheme also costs between 10 to 15 times less than the cost of current last-mile delivery alternatives, Starship claims. Integrated navigation and 'obstacle avoidance software' enable the robots to steer clear of pedestrians or to jump over curbs and cobbles, for example. Customers can choose when they want to receive their delivery and the robot will head to their location with the package securely locked inside, which can be retrieved using the app to unlock the lid. Advertisement

Starships six-wheeled robots will drive roughly four miles per hour  about walking speed  and will join pedestrians on the sidewalk, according to Recode.

But for now, a human will walk alongside them during the deliveries to track their performance, and intervene if necessary.

Eventually, theyll operate all on their own.

Last month, Estonia-based Starship Technologies revealed its plan to hire 'robot handlers' to accompany robots as they start to make deliveries around Washington DC.

The company already has robots working in London, Hamburg, Dusseldorff and the Swiss city of Bern.

The Starship drones are also being tested in Austin, Texas.

But the company is hoping to expand to other parts of the US, and to do so it will need people to lead the operations of the robots.

'Handlers' will look after the robots, speak to the public about how they operate and provide a helping hand if anything goes wrong.

'We have entered commercial pilots with nearly 100 robots trundling along the sidewalks across the United States and five countries in Europe,' the job advert says.

'Starship is now looking for a Operations Team Lead in Washington, D.C as we begin to increase our footprint in the US and start working with commercial partners.'

A company spokesman Henry Harris-Burland told the Washington Post that people applying should have a 'passion for robotics, a willingness to embrace new technology, an openness to engage with the public.'

Unlike robots designed to resemble humans, the Starship's bot is purely functional with a large compartment to hold deliveries, the equivalent size of two grocery bags.

Each six-wheeled 'ground drone' is almost completely self-driving.

It is constantly connected to the internet, using 3G technology to find its way to the customer's address.

Walking on the pavement at about 4mph (3km/h), robots can complete local deliveries within five to 30 minutes from a local hub or retail outlet.

Online takeaway ordering service Just Eat claims to have made the world's first delivery of an online food order - a Turkish meal to a woman in Greenwich, South London (stock image)

The scheme also costs between 10 to 15 times less than the cost of current last-mile delivery alternatives, Starship claims.

Integrated navigation and 'obstacle avoidance software' enable the robots to steer clear of pedestrians or to jump over curbs and cobbles, for example.

Customers can choose when they want to receive their delivery and the robot will head to their location with the package securely locked inside, which can be retrieved using the app to unlock the lid.

In December, one of the robot drones trundled through the streets of Greenwich, in London, to deliver a food order to a customer.

The pint-sized robot rolled along London streets to deliver the online take away order to a home in South London

According to Just Eat, the delivery marks culmination of months of testing on the pilot project which has seen it partner with the robo-courier firm.

The online food ordering site said the woman is 'the first person in the world to receive a takeaway food delivery using the technology'.

London is expected to see more trials of the delivery robots in the coming months.

'We are delighted to add robot home delivery to the Just Eat service,' said the firm's UK managing director, Graham Corfield.
Google could be set to take on the Apple Watch with its own smartwatches.

Made by LG, the watches are set to be revealed on February 9th, according to VentureBeat, and will run Android Wear 2.0, Google's new software.

The two firms are expected to launch three versions of the watch at a special event on February 9th, and they will go on sale the next day in the US, and the rest of the world later in the year, probably following Mobile World Congress which starts on February 27 in Barcelona.

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According to VentureBeat's leaks, the 14.2-millimeters thick Watch Sport (left) will come in titanium and dark blue, while the 10.8-millimeter thick Watch Style  with swappable straps  will be available in titanium, silver, and rose gold.

SMARTWATCH SPECS The Watch Sport will have a larger, higher-resolution screen (1.38 inches and 480 x 480, versus Styles 1.2-inch, 360 x 360 face). It also has more RAM (768MB versus 512MB, although internal storage is 4GB across the board), and a larger battery (430mAh versus 240mAh) Both timepieces feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and the Sport model throws in cellular connectivity (with both 3G and LTE data) as well as GPS and NFC radios, so it can be used to make payments. Sport will have a built in heart rate sensor Source: VentureBeat Advertisement

According to VentureBeat's leaks, the 14.2-millimeters thick Watch Sport will come in titanium and dark blue, while the 10.8-millimeter thick Watch Style  with swappable straps  will be available in titanium, silver, and rose gold.

Teasing the upcoming launch, Jeff Chang, product manager of Android Wear at Google, confirmed the future watch plans in a recent interview.

As well as new hardware, Chang, speaking with The Verge, confirmed the new watches would be the first to run the heavily updated Android Wear 2.0 operating system.

Revamping the software's awkward user interface, the update will also introduce a number of new features.

These include Android Pay support, standalone apps that don't require a phone to work, and the recently released voice-controlled Google Assistant.

Both will also use adigital crown button to navigate as well as a touchscreen.

For iPhone owners, they will also have iOS compatibility.

The new software will also roll out to other Android smartwatches

WHAT IS ANDROID WEAR? Android Wear is Google's proprietary software designed to run on touchscreen wearable gadgets. It's an offshoot of Android OS, the world's most popular smartphone software. It uses gesture controls to let users swipe through on-screen apps and menu options. Compatible with all recent Android phones, there's also limited support for iPhone owners. By contrast, the Apple Watch only works with Apple's handsets. Advertisement

Despite having been overtaken by Apple and its Apple Watch at the top of smartwatch sales charts, Chang says Google remains 'quite optimistic' about the future of smartwatches.

Unlike Apple, Google doesn't make its own watches, instead partnering with third-party manufacturers and licensing out its software, a move it believes gives it the long-term edge.

'We've enabled a lot of diversity with our hardware partners to target different types of consumers and preferences,' Chang said.

'This is a marathon, not a sprint.

'This category of products is here with us to stay.'

Despite dodging manufacturing duties on the first Android Wear 2.0 watches, Google is no stranger to making its own gadgets.

Although this mystery manufacturer hasn't been named, Chang confirmed the company had previously made Android Wear devices. This lengthy list could include tech firms such as Samsung, Huawei, Motorola and LG. Pictured is Motorola's 360 2 smartwatch

Earlier this year, the company launched its first own-brand smartphone, the Google Pixel.

The new watches have been confirmed for release on an unspecified date in Q1 2017, a period that runs from January 1 to March 31.

With Mobile World Congress, the Barcelona-based mobile technology show, to run between February 27 and March 2, it's likely the new devices will make their first official appearance around this time.

Once the new devices are released, Google has confirmed the Android Wear 2.0 update will be rolled out to a number of existing devices.
It has been described as Earth's evil twin - with a similar mass but a toxic, acidic atmosphere.

Now Russia's space program and NASA are working together on a mission to the planet to try and uncover its mysteries - and look for signs of life.

Called Venera-D, the groundbreaking mission would send an orbiter to study Venus from above for at least three years, plus a lander that will operate for a few hours on the planet's surface.

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Called Venera-D, the groundbreaking mission would send an orbiter to study Venus from above for at least three years, plus a lander that will operate for a few hours on the planet's surface.

VENUS: EARTH'S EVIL TWIN Venus is slightly smaller than Earth but has a similar mass. It is the second closest planet to the sun at a distance of about 67 million miles (108 million kilometres), and takes around 225 days to orbit the sun. One day on Venus lasts as long as 243 Earth days. Its thick and toxic atmosphere is made up mostly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, with clouds of sulphuric acid droplets. It's believed that its atmosphere contributed to a runaway greenhouse effect that made the planet inhospitable. The planet's extreme high temperatures of almost 480C (900F) make it seem an unlikely place for for life as we know it. Advertisement

An international team of scientists tasked with deciding the main goals of the mission will deliver its final report to NASA and the Russian Academy of Sciences' Space Research Institute by the end of the month, David Senske, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. told Space.com.

'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 the site last month at the annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, in San Francisco.

The project is being led by Russia, and has been under development for over a decade.

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.

NASA became involved three years ago, when Russia asked if the U.S. space agency would be interested in collaborating, Senske added.

More meetings are planned, including a workshop this May that will inform decisions about the mission's scientific instruments, he added.

A series of Russian probes sent to the planet in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, known as the Venera spacecraft, were able to survive no more than a few hours on the surface. Shown are images from the Venera 9 (top) and Venera 10 (bottom) probes that landed on the surface

The mission is believed to be a 'showstopper' comparable efforts such as the Curiosity rover.

Other ideas on the drawing board include a handful of small, relatively simple ground stations that would gather surface data for a month and a solar-powered, uncrewed aerial vehicle that would ply the Venusian skies.

Northrop Grumman and partner L'Garde Inc. have been researching a concept vehicle called the Venus Atmospheric Maneuverable Platform (VAMP) for several years.

Data gathered by the orbiter should help scientists better understand the composition, structure and dynamics of Venus' atmosphere.

Virginia-based aerospace company Northrop Grumman has unveiled its Venus plane, which they are entering into a Nasa competition for funding. Called the Venus Atmospheric Maneuverable Platform (Vamp), artist's impression shown, it would have almost twice the wingspan of a Boeing 737

Within the fast-moving atmosphere scientists recently discovered a mysterious 'sideways smile' on its surface stretching 6,200 miles (10,000 km) across.

The stationary patch could be a giant wave caused by the gravity from mountains below, the first of its kind to be observed on the planet, according to a new study published today.

Scientists have discovered a mysterious stationary patch in Venus' atmosphere stretching 6,200 miles (10,000 km) across. The could be a wave caused by the gravity from mountains below, the first of its kind to be observed on the planet

THE BRIGHT PATCHES It is thought the regions formed from a gravity wave moving through the atmosphere, like ripples in a pond. 'When a gravity wave propagates in an atmosphere, air parcels vertically oscillate by a balance of buoyancy and gravity forces,' lead author Makoto Taguchi told MailOnline. It is believed the towering mountains on Venus are the key to creating these bows. 'Though the mechanism is far different from that of the bows in the Venus atmosphere, the stationary thermal structure reminds me of stationary waves on a surface of a shallow river below which an invisible big stone on the bottom prevents smooth flow.' Advertisement

The mysterious patch was captured by JAXA's Akatsuki spacecraft, as a bright spot in images.

Researchers from the Rikkyo University in Tokyo studied the bow-shaped patch, after it was spotted in December 2015.

'The bow is a pair of high and low temperature regions, of which amplitude is about 5km, extending from the northern high latitudes across the equator to the southern high latitudes with an end-to-end length of 10,000 km or longer,' lead author Makoto Taguchi told MailOnline.

The stationary bow of temperatures lasted between 7 and 11 December.

'The most surprising feature of the bow is that it stayed at almost same geographical position despite the background atmospheric super-rotation, the uniform westward wind of which the maximum speed is 100 metres/second at the cloud-top altitudes,' Taguchi said.

It is thought the regions formed from a gravity wave moving through the atmosphere, like ripples in a pond.

'When a gravity wave propagates in an atmosphere, air parcels vertically oscillate by a balance of buoyancy and gravity forces,' Taguchi said.

The mysterious patch was captured by JAXA's Akatsuki spacecraft, as a bright spot in images.Brightness temperature and UV brightness of the Venus' disk, pictured

WHY IS VENUS INTERESTING? Venus is the second planet from the sun, orbiting at a distance of about 67 million miles (108 million km). One Venus year lasts longer than a day on Venus. This is because a year lasts 225 Earth days and the planet spins so slowly that its day lasts as 243 Earth days. It is a dim, but hot and volcanically active planet and it spins in the opposite direction of most planets. Advertisement

'When an air parcel moves upward, its temperature decreases due to adiabatic cooling.

'We see such a temperature modulation as bow-shaped high and low temperature regions at the cloud top.'

But exactly why the bow stayed still when the rest of Venus' atmosphere moves so quickly continues to puzzle scientists.

It is believed the towering mountains on Venus are the key to creating these bows.

'We have found more than 15 bows so far, each above the highlands at their centres,' Taguchi said.

'Though the mechanism is far different from that of the bows in the Venus atmosphere, the stationary thermal structure reminds me of stationary waves on a surface of a shallow river below which an invisible big stone on the bottom prevents smooth flow.'
A new genetically modified apple that stops it from browning will be in stores in the Midwest starting in February.

The gene responsible for causing browning in the apple has been silenced in Arctic Apples, meaning they don't go brown from being sliced open or bruised, and only go brown when they're actually rotting.

Following their first commercial harvest in the fall of 2016, the Arctic Apple brand will be selling their Golden variety in select stores in the Midwest.

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A conventional apple (left) has a gene that's responsible for making it go brown when it's sliced open or bruised, but when this gene is silenced the apple doesn't go brown until it actually starts rotting (right)

HOW DID THEY DO IT? When an apple's cells are damaged by cutting, bruising or biting them, the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) starts a chemical reaction called oxidative browning, causing the apple to turn brown. But PPO is absent in Arctic Apple's because the gene that's responsible for making it is silenced in these apples. The researchers introduce apple genes that produce less PPO into apple leaf tissue. A successful transformation is confirmed by growing the tissue under special conditions Once the tissue has grown into plantlets, they graft it onto rootstock - the part of the plant that's underground. Arctic trees can then be planted and grown like any apple tree. Advertisement

When an apple's cells are damaged by cutting, bruising or biting them, the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) starts a chemical reaction called oxidative browning, causing the apple to turn brown.

But PPO is absent in Arctic Apple's because the gene that's responsible for making it is silenced in these apples.

The researchers introduce apple genes that produce less PPO into apple leaf tissue.

A successful transformation is confirmed by growing the tissue under special conditions

Once the tissue has grown into plantlets, they graft it onto rootstock - the part of the plant that's underground.

Arctic trees can then be planted and grown like any apple tree.

The company that developed the apples, Okanagan Specialty Fruits, is based in Canada.

It produces three varieties of non-browning apples: Arctic Granny, Arctic Golden and Arctic Fuji.

The founder and grower of Okanagan Specialty Fruits said that GM apples would benefit growers as they would not have to throw away brown or bruised fruit and there will be more good quality apples

All three varieties of the apple have been approved for sale in Canada and the US.

A QR scanning code will be placed on all of the packaging so customers can find out more information about the apples, including that they're genetically modified.

Unless you scan the QR code with a smartphone though, nothing else on the packaging tells you that it's genetically modified.

Its founder and grower Neal Carter said that GM apples would benefit growers as they would not have to throw away brown or bruised fruit and there will be more good quality apples.

He also said that apples would not need to be chemically treated before being processed for food and that juice will be clearer.

However, according to information on the Arctic Apples websites, PPO plays a role in defending against pests and pathogens.

'In some plants, PPO plays a defensive role  for example, tomatoes produce high levels of PPO when attacked by pests or pathogens.

'In contrast, apples produce very low levels of PPO, and only in very young fruit.

'Its presence is probably left over from apples of ages ago, playing no role in todays apple,' reads the website.

The website also says that PPO contains antioxidants that might be beneficial to heart health, not enough is known about the recommended intake people should have.

When an apple's cells are damaged by cutting, bruising or biting them, the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) starts a chemical reaction called oxidative browning, causing the apple to turn brown. But in Arctic Apples, researchers introduced apple genes that produce less PPO into apple leaf tissue

According to Arctic Apples, 40 per cent of apples grown every year are wasted because of browning.

Mr Carter said: At the end of the day, its just a very nice apple that doesnt go brown.

But there are people who are concerned about the health risks posed by genetically modified foods.

One reason people are concerned about genetically modified foods is that they can trigger an allergy in humans.

Some of the genes used during the process may have been taken from other foods that people are allergic to and they have no way of knowing about it.

Another issue is other organisms in the ecosystem could be harmed, which could be followed by a lower level of biodiversity.

Some genetically modified foods use bacteria and virus, so there is a fear a new disease will emerge.

There are also business and economic concerns associated with genetically modified foods.

All three varieties of the apple have been approved for sale in Canada and the US.

In 2012, fruit growers in Canada attacked Okanagan and said that consumers will be confused about what kind of fruit they are buying.

Kirpal Boparai, president of the British Columbia Fruit Growers Association, said: 'These will drive the prices of other apples down.'

Lana Popham of the New Democratic Party started a petition against Okanagans arctic variety which had 5,000 signatures.

She said: The certified organic growers could potentially lose their organic status, because of the ability for pollen to be transferred from genetically modified apple trees to certified organic apple trees.

Thats one of the strong points around certified organic production, is that there are no genetically modified organisms.
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Taking treehouses to the next level, if youve ever dreamt of spending the night in a forest in absolute luxury, then this is an experience not to be missed.

Camouflaged amidst the canopy, Swedens Treehotel has unveiled designs for the 7th Room which is due to welcome holidaymakers at the end of this week.

The stunning two bedroom cabin is perched 32ft high, immersed in the pine treetops, wrapped underneath in a life-sized nature photograph and hidden from prying eyes.

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A pine tree runs through the centre of the cabin with guests able to access the rooms by climbing a bridge and staircases. There is a lift, however, for luggage

The bedrooms on the upper floor boast sunken beds with spectacular panoramic views from large windows of the Lapland treetops and the Lule River

Stargazers can look out for the aurora borealis by climbing on to a roped terrace and drift off on the netting with special sleeping bags and mattresses provided by the hotel

The Scandinavian eco-friendly accommodation designed by international architects and design company, Snhetta offers chic touches and a luxurious finish split across two levels.

A pine tree runs through the centre of the cabin with guests able to access the rooms by climbing a bridge and staircases. There is a lift, however, for luggage.

Travellers can unwind in a Northern Light Lounge on the lower floor or in either of the bedrooms on the upper floor, while taking in the spectacular panorama from large windows.

Travellers can unwind in a Northern Light Lounge on the lower floor which has a fire place and luxury furnishings

The Scandinavian eco-friendly accommodation offers chic touches and a luxurious finish split across two levels

Up to six guests can sleep in either of the bedrooms or the more adventurous can bed down on the netting (left). There is a bathroom inside the cabin (right)

Up to six guests can sleep in either of the bedrooms sunken beds or the more adventurous can spend the night in the great outdoors.

Stargazers can look out for the aurora borealis by climbing on to a roped terrace and drift off on the netting with special sleeping bags and mattresses provided by the hotel.

There is bathroom inside and guests can warm up in the Treehotels other buildings which include a sauna.

The stunning two bedroom cabin is perched 32ft high, immersed in the pine treetops, wrapped in a life-sized nature photograph and hidden from prying eyes

Nestled in the tall pine forest of northern Sweden, international architects and design company, Snohetta have turned a childhood favourite into a dream hotel

Sweden's Treehotel is famous for its out of this world themed rooms with other structures on site including the distinctive UFO room.

As you walk through the serene Swedish forest, a completely alien metal construction rises 6m off the floor and into the treetops.

A spotlight shines down over a staircase leading visitors into the room, making the structure look as though it's hovering to land.

Sweden's Treehotel is famous for its out of this world themed rooms with other structures on site including the distinctive UFO room

Other rooms on the site near Harads - around 550miles (876km) north of Stockholm - include one in the shape of a birds nest

Inside, the space is decorated like the inside of a spaceship, down to cushions with constellation patterns embroidered into them.

Other rooms on the site near Harads - around 550miles (876km) north of Stockholm - include one in the shape of a birds nest.

Co-owner Kent Lundvall previously said: 'The Treehotel offers guests a unique hotel experience - tree rooms with contemporary design in the middle of unspoiled nature.

'Here you can forget about the time constraints of everyday life, enjoy the serenity and rejuvenate in a sophisticated yet familiar environment.'
A passenger plane skidded off the runway and into a pile of snow after landing at an airport in Japan on Thursday morning.

The pilots of the ANA operated flight were reportedly trying to steer the aircraft towards the terminal when they lost control.

There were 25 people on board at the time and no injuries were reported.

A passenger plane skidded off the runway and into a pile of snow after landing at an airport in Japan on Thursday morning

Flight NH1831 had flown into New Chitose airport in Sapporo from Akita and had landed at 11.56am local time, according to AV Herald.

The aircraft was already at taxi speed when it skidded off the runway it was reported.

Crew had been trying to steer it towards the terminal at the time.

Photographs and video from the scene showed that the airport was completely covered in snow.

In an amateur footage, the plane was seen drifting slowly across the snow before eventually coming to a stop.

It's thought the aircraft had deviated from the runway by about 200ft (60m) but it's not known whether the runway itself was covered in snow.

A total of 21 passengers and four members of crew were on board at the time.

It's thought the aircraft had deviated from the runway by about 200ft (60m) but it's not known whether the runway itself was covered in snow

Photographs and video from the scene showed that the airport was completely covered in snow. Above, staff at the airport working on the aircraft in the snow

The passengers disembarked on the runway and were bused to the terminal.

ANA has released a statement confirming the incident.

Aviation Wire reported that five aircraft accident investigators were dispatched to the scene by the Japanese Transport Safety Board (JTSB).

The incident is considered a serious one and is now under investigation.

Local media reported that the runway was closed after the incident so that the aircraft could be removed.

It was reopened at 6pm local time but a number of other flights were delayed or cancelled.

A spokesperson for ANA told MailOnline Travel: 'There was an incident with no injury at New Chitose Airport yesterday (Jan 19, local time) and we are fully cooperating with relevant authorities in their investigation of the case.

'The safety of our passengers and crew members will always be the first priority.'
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The stars were out in force in Los Angeles on Wednesday for the 43rd People's Choice Awards which celebrates fan favourites in movies, music and TV.

Jennifer Lopez stunned in a form-fitting black gown with fishtail silhouette as she made a jaw-dropping entrance at the Microsoft Theater.

The 47-year-old pop icon looked rather regal in the garment which clung to every curve and featured a sheer cut-out on the bodice.

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Simply regal: Jennifer Lopez donned a form-fitting black gown while Blake Lively wowed in fringe; Gwen Stefani looked incredible in a blue midriff-baring look at the Microsoft Theater for the 2017 People's Choice Awards

Silver beading in an intricate design covered her bust - over the top of a nude bra - and her neckline and she wore matching silver earrings.

Her brunette locks were pinned in a low-ponytail with the lightened strands cascading down her back.

Completing the look was smokey eye makeup and a glittery clutch.

Gwen Stefani, 47, wowed in textured blue and white look; the stunning set revealed her flat midriff as well as a hint of her cleavage.

Blake Lively brought flapper vibes in a sparkly fringed black dress with pointy heels.

Show-stopper: The 47-year-old pop icon looked amazing in the garment which clung to every curve and featured a sheer cut-out on the bodice

Figure-flaunting fashion: The Shades of Blue actress ensured her slender curves were firmly on display, thanks to the clinging cut of her gown

Stylish siren: The actress and chart-topping singer showcased her stunning features by tying back her long dark locks, whilst she highlighted her features with a subtle bronzed palette of make-up

The Gossip Girl, 29, star left her glossy locks loose and donned some geometric Art Deco earrings and an embellished clutch to finish off her red carpet look.

Meanwhile Kristen Bell lit up the red carpet in a silver strapless jumpsuit as she lead the celebrity arrivals.

The 36-year-old actress looked gorgeous with her blonde bob styled in soft waves and a pretty neutral makeup palette.

Red carpet pro! The Gossip Girl star left her glossy locks loose and donned some geometric Art Deco earrings and an embellished clutch to finish off her look

Gorgeous: Gwen Stefani, 47, wowed in textured blue and white look; the stunning set revealed her flat midriff as well as a hint of her cleavage

Shimmering star! Kristen Bell was one of the first to arrive to the awards at the Microsoft Theater

Natural beauty: The 36-year-old actress donned a strapless silver jumpsuit with frill detail at the bust

Gorgeous and glam! Ashley Greene was a vision in a shimmery lilac pencil dress with silver heels

Fun and flirty! Ali Larter brought summer vibes in a patterned red dress with strappy heels

Her one-piece featured frill detail at the bust and long wide-leg trousers.

Kristen is nominated for an award in the favourite comedic movie actress category as well as the favourite actress in a new TV series.

Ashley Greene, 29, looked sensational as she arrived in a lilac skintight pencil dress.

The brunette beauty teamed the number with sky-high silver heels and wore her locks in a playful ponytail.

Thigh's the limit: Dancer Cheryl Burke looked super glam in a black gown with slightly sheer skirt

Making an entrance: The 32-year-old star flashed her legs through the sheer fabric and sported a thick black choker

Pretty in pastel: Jamie Chung wowed in a soft yellow gown and beachy waved hair

Brunette beauty: Victoria Justice stunned in a beaded mini dress and silver heels

Just peachy! Priyanka Chopra twirled in a soft pink tiered dress with fringe detail

The Twilight Saga star recently became engaged to longtime boyfriend Paul Khoury and flashed the diamond sparkler on her left hand.

Joel McHale will be hosting the ceremony which will be broadcast live on CBS.

Nominations for the awards ceremony were announced November 15 with Captain America: Civil War being the most nominated movie and Grey's Anatomy scoring five nomination for favorite television series.

While voting has closed for most categories, four winners were not decided until voting closed on Wednesday night for Favorite TV Comedy and Favorite New TV Drama categories as well as CBS.coms favorite digital obsession and favorite year-end blockbuster.

Ballroom queen: Dancer Karina Smirnoff opted for dramatic ruffled and showed off her bronzed legs

Stunning in strapless: Cheryl Hines opted for racy leather with patent heels

Ray of sunshine: Jane the Virgin star Andrea Navedo - rocking a Nissa Jewelry collar - made sure to stand out in a golden yellow gown by Julea Domani by Zeena Zaki

Bold look: Ruby Rose made a statement in an orange suit

Demure: Candace Cameron Bure kept it feminine chic in a pretty white midi dress

The third Captain America installment received a staggering seven nods, the most of any movie.

The Marvel flick is up for Favorite Movie and Favorite Action Movie. In the Favorite Movie category it will be competing against Deadpool, Finding Dory, Suicide Squad and Zootopia.

Meanwhile, on-off couple Rihanna and Drake each have four nominations, and will be going head-to-head in the Favorite R&B Artist and Favorite Album categories.

Rihanna is additionally up for Favorite Female Artist, competing against Beyonce, Britney Spears, Adele and Ariana Grande.

And her song with Drake, Work, is up for Favorite Song along with his track One Dance.

Now a quartet: Fifth Harmony arrived for their first red carpet appearance without Camila Cabello

Host with the most! Joel McHale brought along his wife Sarah Williams ahead of emceeing the ceremony

Mom to be! Grey's Anatomy star Camilla Luddington showed off her baby bump in a clingy black number and purple suede heels

Belle of the ball: Chrissy Metz opted for a floral embroidered gown in midnight blue from Eloquii

Golden girl: Lilly Singh stunned in metallic while Chelsea Kane wore a floral embroidered frock

Shimmering star: Sarah Jessica Parker looked incredible in a pleated gold look, adding several diamond rings

Beauties in blue: Cristine Cole stunned in a strapless cut-out pencil dress while Molly Shannon and Sarah Drew flattered their forms in navy

Flower power: Melissa McCarthy looked stylish in her floral patterned set, adding patent black heels

Hello petal! Lori Loughlin delighted in a pleated floral frock

Drake is also nominated for Favorite Male Artist, alongside Blake Shelton, Justin Timberlake, The Weeknd and Shawn Mendes.

The individual with the most nods is Kevin Hart, who is nominated for Favorite Movie Actor, Favorite Comedic Movie Actor, Favorite Cable TV Actor, Favorite Animated Movie Voice (for The Secret Life Of Pets) and Favorite Comedic Collaboration for Conan OBriens Ride Along.

Meanwhile Ellen DeGeneres could make history this year.

Winning! Justin Timberlake posed on the red carpet after nabbing two awards

Pretty in pink! Payton List flaunted her pins in a satin mini dress

Monochrome mavens: Chandler Kinney, Meg Donnelly and Andrea Barber wore pretty frocks in black and white

It's black and white: Actress Yara Shahidi rocked a striking checked gown with high frilly collar

If she wins just one of the three awards she is up for - Favorite Daytime TV Host, Favorite Animated Movie Voice (for Finding Dory) and Favorite Comedic Collaboration (with Britney Spears) - she will have more People's Choice Awards than anyone has ever won.

In the TV category, Grey's Anatomy continues to reign supreme in its 13th season with five nominations.

And it's set to be a battle of the former bandmates in the Favorite Breakout Artist category.

Floral explosion! Jodie Sweetin rocked a rose print ballgown from Sherri Hill and leather jacket

Frill-seeker! Renee Bargh looked fantastic in a maroon mini dress and black heels

Staying close: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi grinned while arriving on the carpet for the awards show

Movie legend: Tom Hanks looked sharp in a dark suit and glowing tan

Flashing some leg: TV personalities Keltie Knight and Liz Hernandez wore sexy thigh-high slits

See-through you: Carly Steel donned a slinky black dress with sheer overlay

Looking good! Actor Kunal Nayyar and wife Neha Kapur cut a stylish red carpet couple

Zayn Malik and Niall Horan, who used to be in One Direction together, will be fighting it out alongside Alessia Cara, The Chainsmokers and DNCE.

Blake Shelton will be taking to the stage during the night as well as Fifth Harmony who will be performing for the first time as a quartet.

Other confirmed guests include Kristen Bell, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Hanks, Boris Kodjoe, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Lopez, Bill Paxton, Tyler Perry, Adam Rodriguez, John Stamos, Wilmer Valderrama and Kerry Washington.

Looking snappy: Wilmer Valderrama, Bob Saget and Kevin Nealon suited up for the event
He is based in Los Angeles where he lives with his American wife Lindsay Price and their two sons.

And just as chef Curtis Stone makes his debut on the American relaunch of My Kitchen Rules, the show is enjoying more popularity than ever across the globe.

A corner stone of the Australian television schedule, the reality cooking competition will return to screens at the end of the month, while new episodes have been ordered of local productions in the UK and New Zealand.

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Killing it: As chef Curtis Stone makes his debut on the American relaunch of My Kitchen Rules, the show is enjoying more popularity than ever across the globe

Curtis is co-starring with Iron Chef America star Cat Cora on a celebrity version of the show, which sees stars competing against one another in their own homes.

Airing on Americas Fox network, My Kitchen Rules USA has so far attracted stars like Brandy, Brandi Glanville, Lance Bass and Kim Kardashian's ex, rapper Ray J.

British and Kiwi versions of the Australian show are also going strong.

Aussie judges Pete Evans and Manu Feildel will this year cross the pond to star in a New Zealand version of the show, which started in 2014.

Britains Channel has renewed a 40-episode season of the UK edition, which began airing in the UK in 2013 and stars cook Lorraine Pascale and chef Jason Atherton.

Hollywood bound: Curtis co-stars with Iron Chef America star Cat Cora on a celebrity version of the show, which sees stars competing against one another in their own homes

Airing on Americas Fox network, My Kitchen Rules USA has so far attracted stars like Brandy (R), Brandi Glanville, Lance Bass and Kim Kardashian's ex, rapper Ray J (L)

Curtis lives in America, where he is a superstar chef, and has appeared on Oprah.

However the 41-year-old makes frequent trips back to his home turf.

'Though I have put down roots with my young family in LA, I'm back in Oz at least five times a year,' he told Gourmet Traveler.

Family man: He is based in Los Angeles where he lives with his American actress wife Lindsay Price and their two sons

Visit soon! 'Though I have put down roots with my young family in LA, I'm back in Oz at least five times a year,' he told Gourmet Traveler

The Melbourne born cook married 40-year-old Lindsay in 2013 in Spain, and they have two sons, Hudson, 5, and Emerson, 2.

Curtis told Daily Mail Australia he and the Beverly Hills: 90210 actress were set up on a blind date and sparks flew.

The father of two explained, 'We met on a blind date, none of us wanted to go. But when I saw her, I thought "wow". Who wouldn't change their mind? Any man would, she's beautiful.'
Kourtney Kardashian defied convention and stepped out in an all-white ensemble in LA on Wednesday.

The reality star, 37, paired a crop top with jeans that featured laces instead of buttons at the front.

She added a full-length white duster as she joined sister Kim Kardashian and her husband Kanye West for a spot of lunch.

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Summer in winter: Kourtney Kardashian stepped out in an all-white ensemble in LA on Wednesday

Dared to bare: The reality star, 37, flashed her taut midriff in a crop top with jeans that featured laces instead of buttons at the front

Mom-of-three Kourtney wore her long raven hair loose and donned a pair of round silver-framed sunglasses.

She seemed somewhat overdressed compared to her lunch companions who opted for a more dressed down look.

But Kourtney did express loyalty to her rapper brother-in-law by wearing a pair of clear Yeezy heels.

Not really practical: She added a full-length white duster and clear Yeezy heels as she joined sister Kim Kardashian and her husband Kanye West for a spot of lunch

Protected: The diminutive mom-of-three was accompanied by a tall bodyguard

Drove herself: She wore her long raven hair loose and donned a pair of round silver-framed sunglasses

Kourtney drove herself to the restaurant in a black luxury sedan.

She was escorted inside by a tall bodyguard.

Inside she joined Kim who has arrived back home following her business trip to Dubai.

The 36-year-old was dressed in a baggy flannel plaid shirt that covered her famous large derriere. She added ripped jeans and a pair of laced Yeezy gladiator-style heels.

Kanye wore his trademark hoodie with distressed denims and sneakers.

Naturally everything was filmed for the sisters' reality show with a cameraman following them as they left the building.
She secretly married the love of her life two months ago.

And Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) took to her Instagram on Wednesday to announce another significant celebration.

The 25-year-old's first book, Live A Beautiful Life, is reportedly a best-seller after being released in October last year.

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Top notch: Jesinta Franklin's first book, Live A Beautiful Life, is officially a best-seller after being released in October last year

'A heartfelt thank you to everyone for supporting me,' the model and TV presenter wrote.

'I love seeing all of your posts and messages, they brighten my day and put a huge smile on my face,' she continued.

The brunette beauty was showered with messages of congratulations in the post's comment section.

Self-help manual: The book features her favourite recipes, exercise plans, beauty tips and tricks and advice for chasing career goals

'I have absolutely loved reading your book. The recipes are so simple and easy to do at home. Thank you very much for sharing your lifestyle journey,' one fan said.

'Reading about you has grown my respect for you as a person and I feel like I know you so much from your writing style. Thanks for keeping it real,' another added.

The book, published by Hachette Australia, is the beauty queen's guide to 'living a happy and fulfilled life'.

Exemplary: The former Miss Universe Australia enjoyed a stellar 2016, with highlights that included her marriage and being the cover girl for Cleo magazine's final issue

It features her favourite recipes, exercise plans, beauty tips and tricks and advice for chasing career goals.

'I've been blown away by the support I've received for my first book,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'For it to become a bestseller in such a short amount of time is so special and something I am really grateful for,' she continued.

Highlights: She also signed with international modeling agency IMG and was named ambassador for prestige brands Moet & Chandon and David Jones

She opened up about being nervous upon the book's release.

'I put a lot of love into the book and just wanted people to feel that and be motivated to live a more healthy life in every way,' she said.

The former Miss Universe Australia enjoyed a stellar 2016, with highlights that included her marriage and being the cover girl for Cleo magazine's final issue.

She also signed with international modeling agency IMG and was named ambassador for prestige brands Moet & Chandon and David Jones.
She is known for flaunting her womanly figure as a former glamour model.

And Rhian Sugden was certainly not afraid to show off her toned body once again on Wednesday, as she shared her second lingerie snap of the week to Instagram.

The 30-year-old confidently uploaded a shot from a recent photo shoot for fans - which saw her display her ample bust and enviably flat stomach in an incredibly racy set of black lingerie.

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Racy in lace: Rhian Sugden displayed her ample bust and enviably flat stomach on Wednesday as she shared her second lingerie snap of the week to Instagram

Facing the the mirror for the saucy selfie, the scantily-clad stunner displayed her impressively gym-honed figure in all its glory in the snap.

Her black bra plunged daringly low at her chest to enhance to her famously plentiful cleavage - which she drew further attention to with a set of sexy straps across the round of her bust.

Leaving her defined stomach and tiny waist on show, the blonde paired the bra with nothing but a semi-sheer lace thong and raunchy set of suspenders - which elongated her already leggy figure.

Gym bunny: Rhian had flaunted her toned physique in another skimpy snap on Monday - proving her fitness resolutions for 2017 were already in full swing

With her blonde bob styled into tousled waves and a heavy smoky eye, the Manchester native looked incredibly glamorous as she smouldered for the camera.

Rhian had flaunted her toned physique in another skimpy snap on Monday - proving her fitness resolutions for 2017 were already in full swing as she posted the image after a gruelling workout.

Posting again to her Instagram, the former glamour model showcased her enviable abs in a revealing pink bra and knickers 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.

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

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
She bid farewell to cold snowy New York weather last week.

And now, Lisa Wilkinson, 57, is basking in the tropical sun of Hawaii with husband Peter FitzSimons, 55, and look-a-like daughter Billi.

The Today show presenter took to Instagram on Wednesday to flaunt the sun-kissed getaway at the luxe Royal Hawaiian Resort.

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'Love this place': Lisa Wilkinson shares sun-kissed holiday snaps from trip to Hawaii with husband Peter FitzSimons and daughter Billi in striped off-the-shoulder summer frock to Instagram on Wednesday

The TV host announced 'bye bye winter' in her posts, by adding 'love this place' in her use of hashtags.

In one picture, she posed in front of the iconic pink Royal Hawaiian Hotel wearing a striped off-the-shoulder frock with flared sleeves.

The veteran journalist added to her beachside look with sunglasses, a side satchel and a white wide-brimmed hat.

What a view! The journalist shared an aerial view of the crystal blue ocean waters from the balcony of her high-rise luxury Sheraton Waikiki resort apartment

She captioned the snap: 'Little bit of old Hollywood in Hawaii.'

Lisa also shared an aerial view of the crystal blue ocean waters from the balcony of her highrise luxury Sheraton Waikiki resort apartment.

The media personality and her look-a-like daughter Billi were later seen in the resort's beachside pool, with Billi wearing her dad's signature red bandana.

'He's not getting it back!': Lisa comically captioned a picture of her daughter Billi wearing her husband's red bandana in the resort pool, claiming they were still cool and he wasn't getting it back

Lisa comically captioned the selfie: 'Who says red bandanas aren't cool? PS. He's not getting it back!'

The last photo featuring her author husband Peter, was a selfie while on holidays in New York last week.

The pair posed against the bright lights of Times Square, as her husband wore his red bandana.

The veteran journalist wrote: ' Still in love after all these years. And our last night in New York. Next stop, Hawaii!'

How romantic! The loved-up pair posed for a selfie in Times Square last week, with Lisa writing: ' Still in love after all these years. And our last night in New York. Next stop, Hawaii!'

Now that's a view: Lisa shares a selfie with a viewfinder at the top of the Rockerfeller Centre, with the Empire State Building in the background

One of the last places the couple visited was the top of the Rockefeller Centre, where Lisa took the opportunity to use a viewfinder.

In the photo, she wore a stylist leather cap and furry scarlet scarf.

Her post read: 'Had to get a shot with those famous viewfinders at #topoftherock. New York, you are a stunner.'

'Five degrees below here': Lisa showed off the view from her hotel room, which showed roofs blanketed in snow

In earlier holiday photos, the mother-of-three spent her time in the Big Apple seeing some of its main attractions.

Lisa shared a photo of her lying on a window bench at her hotel, showing off the snow on the rooftops outside.

'Five degrees below here in #NEWYORK and the city is blanketed in snow,' the presenter captioned the photo, adding: 'So pretty.'

Hitting Broadway: The couple rubbed shoulders with Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh after attending the opening night of the Sydney Theatre Company's production of The Present

Another photo shows Lisa and Peter about to take in a Broadway show, with the couple rugged up to protect from the cold temperatures.

The couple rubbed shoulders with Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh after attending the opening night of their Sydney Theatre Company's production of The Present.

The former magazine editor looked radiant within her photos, with fans quick to compliment the journalist on her youthful appearance, with one writing: 'Was this taken when you were in your early twenties?'

'A New York State of mind': Lisa Wilkinson swaps the Today desk for sightseeing in the Big Apple with husband Peter FitzSimons

Imagine: Lisa also took time to pay her respects at the John Lennon memorial in Central Park

The New York City trip is making for a much more relaxing summer vacation than two years ago.

In 2015, Lisa and Peter were holidaying in Paris when staff at satire magazine Charlie Hebdo were killed in a terror attack.

'Streets of #Paris where I am absolutely teeming with police. Many buildings guarded by police nursing serious armory,' she described the aftermath on Twitter.
They celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary one month ago.

And Tessa James and her devoted husband Nate Myles are making the most of their summer break together.

The lovebirds were recently spotted relaxing at the sea-pool near Manly Beach, almost two years since a cancer-free Tessa concluded treatment for leukaemia.

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Lovebirds: Tessa James and husband Nate Myles were spotted relaxing by the beach at the sea-pool near Manly, almost two years since she concluded treatment for leukaemia

The handsome couple lounged by the pool to escape the Sydney heatwave that engulfed the city the past week.

Tessa wore a mismatched swimsuit that featured a grey top and black bottoms.

The 25-year-old had her short hair pulled back in a mini-bun and wore a pair of fashionable sunglasses.

Summer loving: The devoted pair, who recently celebrated five years of marriage, are making the most of their holidays together

Respite: The handsome couple lounged by the pool to escape the Sydney heatwave that has engulfed the city for the past week

Her husband, who plays for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, chose to cover his face from the sun's rays with a towel.

He was dressed in black board shorts and a sleeveless white t-shirt, with a black pair of thongs positioned by his bare feet.

The dedicated pair were by each other's sides through Tessa's battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma, which was diagnosed in September 2014.

Beach bunny: Tessa wore a mismatched swimsuit that featured a grey top and black bottoms

Protective: Her husband, who plays for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, chose to cover his face from the sun's rays with a towel

Devoted: The dedicated pair were by each other's sides through Tessa's battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma, which was diagnosed in September 2014

The former Home and Away star was pursuing her acting career in Los Angeles when the cancer was detected, and she returned home to Australia for treatment.

With her husband's unwavering support she endured 12 rounds of chemotherapy until February 2015 and went into remission two months later.

'I think by getting sick I'm just so much more content, more patient, and more aware of the world in general,' she told The Daily Telegraph last year.

'My main goal now is to be happy,' she added.
It's been claimed his ex Kourtney Kardashian is keen on rekindling a romance with him after splitting in July 2015.

And although Scott Disick appeared glum after the news broke he still may have his legendary manhood in part to thank for her sudden change of heart.

The 33-year-old reality star stepped out in Calabasas on Wednesday in a loose-fitting grey tracksuit that left little to the imagination.

Talk about a third leg! Scott Disick stepped out in Calabasas on Wednesday in a loose-fitting grey tracksuit that left little to the imagination

Opting for a decidingly laidback look, the self-proclaimed 'Lord Disick' wore a baggy grey sweatshirt paired with black tracksuit bottoms.

Scott covered his floppy locks with a lint covered beanie, while his stylish facial hair drew focus to his chiseled jawline and handsome features.

Completing the simple look, the father-of-three donned comfortable white trainers as he ran errands across the Californian city on his day off.

The star's outing comes as it was reported his former flame Kourtney, 37, is keen to give their relationship a second chance - 18 months on from their split.

Battle of the bulge? The 33-year-old reality star was spotted as it's been claimed his ex Kourtney Kardashian is keen on rekindling a romance with him after splitting in July 2015; pictured May 2015

Even while the couple was still together in 2011, Kourtney and younger sister Kim Kardashian, 36, spoke with XoJane and discussed Scott's package as he often goes commando on their hit E! show.

Kourtney gushed over Scott's manhood, declaring: 'It's like an elephant's trunk!'

'Honestly, it's way too much,' Kim said. 'He has to start wearing some tighty-whities.'

Kourtney, who shares three children with Scott - Mason, seven, Penelope, four, and Reign, two - revealed a story about a Google alert she received one time regarding the father-of-three's penis.

Another try? Kourtney, 37, who shares three children with Scott - Mason, seven, Penelope, four, and Reign, two - is reportedly keen to give their relationship a second chance - 18 months on from their split; pictured June 2016

'We went on a date night in the Meatpacking last night, so the story said, "The Meatpacking District isn't the only thing packing meat!"' Kourtney said.

'Scott was wearing a suit with no underwear last night, so you could see, like, something.'

A sickened Kim replied: 'What?! Like, that's not normal. We have got to buy him some underwear for his birthday or something. This is freaking me out!'

Back in 2010 momager Kris Jenner, 61, made a surprise visit to Kim's house, where Kourtney, Scott and Mason were living temporarily after a fight with sister Khloe.

Kris came by and was shocked to find a completely nude - and well-endowed - Scott standing in the kitchen.

'It's like an elephant's trunk!': Even while the couple was still together in 2011, Kourtney and younger sister Kim Kardashian, 36, spoke with XoJane and discussed Scott's package as he often goes commando on their hit E! show

'The other day, I walk into your house and Scott is standing at the refrigerator - butt naked,' she confessed to Kim. 'I ran the other way. I cant believe I saw Scotts penis. Im traumatized.'

Kim pushed her mom for details and took out several items to compare the size of his genitals.

The wife of rapper Kanye West held a stick of cheese, a yellow squash and a champagne bottle and asked Kris to say which was closest in size.

'Smaller than a champagne bottle and bigger than a squash,' the twice-divorced mother-of-six admitted.

Kim then pulled out a 16 ounce Jimmy Dean ground pork sausage and asked: 'What about the sausage?'

'Bigger than a squash': Back in 2010 momager Kris Jenner, 61, made a surprise discovery when she was shocked to find Scott completely naked and saw how well-endowed he was

'Thats it! Thats exactly the size. Bingo!' Kris exclaimed.

Meanwhile, the star's outing comes as it was reported his former flame Kourtney, 37, is keen to give their relationship a second chance - 18 months on from their split.

The eldest of the Kardashian siblings is said to be putting her rumoured romance with pop star Justin Bieber behind her in order to focus her attention on the father of her children.

The reality star, 37, and Bieber, 22, were spotted at The Peppermint Club in West Hollywood on Saturday, but things didn't go any further than that, according to People.

'No one could find him': On Friday Scott reportedly 'went MIA' during his trip to Dubai with Kim and he told Kourtney she had 'trust issues' after she flipped out on the phone, a source told Radar Online

The pair called it quits in July 2015 after photos emerged of Scott canoodling with stylist Chloe Bartoli.

On Friday, meanwhile, Kourtney's ex reportedly 'went MIA' during his trip to Dubai with her younger sister Kim.

'No one knew where he was at. He was supposed to be there to watch over Kim, but no one could find him,' a source told Radar Online of Disick.

Kourtney flipped out and when she finally got Scott on the phone, he told her that she has trust issues.' Infuriated she promptly tweeted: 'I've got trust issues.'
They have assured fans their split has been 'amicable', ever since announcing their separation in December.

However it was reported on Wednesday that Sherlock's Amanda Abbington had been concerned about the close bond Martin Freeman had with a colleague, in the lead up to the split.

According to The Sun, the actress, 42, was left 'furious' and 'demanding answers' regarding the 45-year-old's friendship with a female showbiz researcher he often worked with.

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Troubled: Amanda Abbington was reportedly been concerned about the close bond Martin Freeman had with a colleague in the lead up to their split

While Sherlock star Martin has called their separation 'amicable' on two separate occasions, his ex-wife was reportedly left 'uncomfortable' with the actor's closeness to his co-worker.

A source told the newspaper: 'Amanda was absolutely furious about it  she confronted him over his relationship with the woman, who works in the business too, and demanded answers.

'She was obviously uncomfortable with how close Martin and this researcher appeared to be  and made her feelings completely clear on the matter. It was very frosty.'

Differing opinion: While Sherlock star Martin (above) has called their separation 'amicable', his ex-wife was reportedly 'uncomfortable' with his friendship with the co-worker

Not so amicable? Amanda looked decidedly downcast as she stepped out this week just as the latest twist in the tale of her split emerged

Pensive: The actress, 42, was spotted dressed all in black as she dashed to a cashpoint in London on her own

However the insider claimed that while there was initial hostility over the situation, the pair managed to salvage their relationship for the sake of their two children, Joe and Grace.

'In the end Amanda and Martin's split has been very amicable,' the source added. 'Fortunately they've managed to move on from it and they've both stressed how much they intend to remain the best of friends.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives of both Martin and Amanda for comment.

The new claims emerge shortly after Martin described their split, which occurred 'in the early part' of 2016, as very amicable in an interview with the Radio Times.

Thougtful: Looking pensive, the Sherlock star looked far from her chirpy self as rushed to withdraw a bundle of 20 notes

Amicable exes: Martin Freeman has revealed that things have been decidedly amicable between him and Amanda Abbington since they quietly split almost a year ago

'We split up a while ago,' he told the publication. 'I mean, we're very friendly and it's all lovely and cool. Yes, we've not been together for a while. I mean, we did the series not together.'

During the interview, Martin, who had been with the actress since 2000, was careful not to spill too many details about the shocking split - but he appeared to be taking things in his stride.

'I'm all right, yes,' he said. 'I mean, we're honest to God doing it [separating] in about as civilised a manner as I've ever heard of, you know.

'I love Amanda's work. I think she's brilliant as an actor and she's brilliant as a woman and, yes, I love her. I will always love Amanda, but, yes, we're you know, that's what's happened.'

Over: The actor revealed the end of the couple's 15-year relationship late last month

Last month, he shocked fans when he revealed in an interview with the Financial Times: 'I'm not with Amanda any more. It's very, very amicable  I'll always love Amanda.'

When pushed further on whether he thought his huge success in recent years on films such as The Hobbit played a part in the break up, he replied: 'To a certain extent, yes. Not as much as it might have done, and not as much as maybe I would have hoped it had.'

Martin first met Amanda, 42, on the set of 2000 movie Men Only and they went on to have a son, Joe, 10, and a daughter, Grace, eight.

Moving on: The couple have been together since 2001 and share two children

They went on to work together on separate occasions, including 2003's The Debt, Swinging with the Finkels, The Robinsons and The All Together.

His shocking admission came on the eve of the couple returning to screens as husband and wife in the BBC hit crime drama Sherlock, based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's eccentric detective.

The split is especially surprising as just a year ago, Martin suggested that they had finally walked down the aisle, quipping: 'We might have married already...

'I'm just saying  mind your own business. My job is public, why should my private life be public as well? We live in an age where you have to know everything and that's tedious.

Change of direction: Martin hinted that the huge boost to his fame and fortune in recent years - including his lucrative lead role in The Hobbit - could have played a part in the break up

Co-stars: The shocking admission came on the eve of the couple returning to screens as married couple Dr. Watson and Mary Morstan in Sherlock

'If people make a fuss over me I think 'Get out more'.

It appears that his other half was just as blase about tying the knot - she joked that there was 'no point' as she already had snaps of them in wedding attire from Sherlock.

She told The Guardian in 2015: 'There's no point [in marrying]. I've got photographs of me in three different wedding dresses with him.'

Like her partner, Amanda was also keen to focus on keeping the attention on their professional, rather than their private, lives.

From loved-up co-stars to split: Martin and Amanda's romance 2000: The pair first met on Channel 4's Men Only TV film 2001: They instantly for each other and got together the following year 2003 - 2007 Went on to appear in several projects together including The Debt and The All Together 2006: Welcomed a son, Joe 2008: Welcomed a daughter, Grace 2010: Martin's career begins to soar again with the role of Dr. Watkins in Sherlock 2012: He appears as the lead in blockbuster The Hobbit 2013: Amanda declares bankruptcy over a 120,000 tax bill saying it is her 'worst year ever' 2014: She joins Sherlock as Watson's love interest Mary Morstan 2015: Martin hints that the pair have married 2016: Actor reveals split in interview Advertisement

Heaping praise on her partner's achievements, she said: 'I think Martin and I bounce off each other very well. He is one of my favourite actors.

'He's so easy to work with and so creative. He brings something different to every single take. He is so on top of his lines that he can dig down and find a different angle every time. That really keeps you on your toes. Both characters go on a wonderful journey, and to do that with Martin was such fun.'

The pair have kept their relationship out of the spotlight despite Martin's ever-rising fame.

But Amanda has let more slip about their home life during interviews than Martin.

She revealed that they had contrasting views on where to live, with the actor preferring to be in London, while she preferred their base in Hertfordshire.

Amanda admitted: 'Martin's more of a townie, but when I was a kid trips into London would be a real magical thing, and I want ours to have that same feeling.

'And it helps the family maintain their normal routine.'

'He has to come back and tidy the house and do the washing, and it keeps your feet on the ground.'

From his breakthrough role in The Office, he has become one of Hollywood's most unlikely go-to Brits, beating countless others to the role of Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's prequel to Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit.

Young love: They first met in 2000 on film Men Only and have worked on several projects together, including The Debt (above in 2003)

Separate: Despite Martin's claims of a friendly break up, the pair have been on the promo trail for the New Year's episode of Sherlock separately

Chop that man out of her hair: Amanda has chopped off her trademark blonde wavy locks since the break up

MARTIN ON POLITICS... Martin is a Labour supporter and fronted a campaign for Ed Miliband in 2015 and joined the party to vote for Jeremy Corbyn. He told Financial Times: ' To be absolutely honest, it is like a football team. I was very clear  I did the Labour broadcast because that's my team. However f***ed up the team is  it's like the BBC, that's my team. I will go to the grave for the BBC. Even when they're driving me nuts.' Advertisement

The part has catapulted his stardom and his wealth, with him now boasting an estimated 10million fortune.

Ironically, it was money - or lack thereof - that dragged the couple into the spotlight in 2013 when it emerged Amanda had filed for bankruptcy.

Despite their joint income and living in a 900,000 house together, it was revealed she had been declared insolvent at London's High Court over an unpaid tax bill.

While many critics claimed Martin should have helped Amanda out, the actress insisted she was solely responsible for her own finances.

She told the Radio Times: 'It's fine, it's being sorted out. It was a big mistake and I'm sorting it out right now.

'It's being paid off now. I would never want to go through this again. But I'm paying it off.'

She concluded: 'I hate the fact that it happened. I don't understand how some people can go bankrupt three or four times  it was the worst year of my life.'
She's never been shy about openly discussing her sexuality.

And Tuesday was no different for Brandi Glanville during a guest appearance on Watch What Happens Live with host and Bravo exec Andy Cohen.

The 44-year-old reality star revealed she and My Kitchen Rules co-star Cat Cora had a 'fling once filming stopped' and that it lasted 'for a bit.'

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'Why not?': Brandi Glanville revealed she and My Kitchen Rules co-star Cat Cora had a 'fling' during a guest appearance on Watch What Happens Live on Tuesday

The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was certainly not shy as she confessed to having a lesbian romance with the 49-year-old Iron Chef star.

'We had a fling once filming stopped.' Brandi declared when asked.

Andy, surprised by her honesty, exclaimed: 'Wow! For how long?'

'For a bit... more than once.' the tall bombshell quipped.

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'She's hot': The 44-year-old reality star admitted she and the Iron Chef star had a 'fling once filming stopped' and that it lasted 'for a bit'

'More than once': The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was certainly not shy as she confessed to having a lesbian romance with the 49-year-old Iron Chef star

Pushing her for answers, Andy, 48, continued: 'Like a month?'

As the ex of actor Eddie Cibrian, 43, replied that the women's hookups were in fact 'a lot' she went on, 'I mean, she's hot, she's talented. Why not?'

The statuesque stunner continued to explain that she's always been 'fluid' and said there was a moment she could have seen herself settling down with the Mississippi-born beauty.

'She's so cool': The statuesque stunner continued to explain that she's always been 'fluid' and said there was a moment she could have seen herself settling down with the Mississippi-born beauty

'I did actually think that at the moment because she's so cool and talented, and wonderful and then I saw a hot guy walk by and was like "Oh, wait!"'

Meanwhile the hit Fox show has received much US success with Australian chef Curtis Stone.

Curtis is co-hosting with Cat on a celebrity version of the show, which sees stars competing against one another in their own homes.

Hot hookup! As the ex of actor Eddie Cibrian, 43, replied that the women's flings were in fact 'a lot' she went on, 'I mean, she's hot, she's talented. Why not?'

Brandi competes on the same team with Dean Sheremet, the ex of her ex-husband's wife, LeAnn Rimes.

The show has also attracted stars Brandy, who competes with her younger brother and Kim Kardashian's ex, rapper Ray J, Lance Bass, Naomi Judd and Andrew Dice Clay.

My Kitchen Rules airs on the Fox network on Thursday nights.
Jennifer Lopez wore a white bow around her neck and showed her legs in a miniskirt on Wednesday at the NBC Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, California.

The 47-year-old actress stood out in the short-sleeved silky white blouse that featured the large dangling bow tie.

The pop star contrasted her top with a short black leather miniskirt that included multiple buckles on the left side.

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Bow wrapping: Jennifer Lopez wore a large white bow tie and leather miniskirt on Wednesday to the NBC Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, California

Lopez completed her ensemble with silver collar stiletto Louboutin heels.

The Selena star accessorised with studded earrings, multiple bracelets and several rings.

Lopez had her brown hair gathered in a ponytail and accentuated her natural beauty with dark smoky eye makeup.

She attended the Television Critics Association event at the Langham Huntington Hotel to promote her NBC crime drama Shades Of Blue.

Famous curves: The actress showed her famous curves in the little black skirt

Dancing legs: Jennifer showed her lean dancer's legs upon arrival

Black and white: The Shades Of Blue star donned a white and black outfit

Striking: The actress and singer looked sensational as she posed for photographers

Picture perfect: Jennifer struck a series of sultry poses during the backstage portrait session

Hello boys: The Latina star oozed sex appeal in her thigh-skimming black miniskirt

Lopez's co-star Ray Liotta, 62, also was on hand to promote the show and he looked dapper in a black shirt, black suit and matching shoes.

Liotta, Lopez and executive producer Jack Orman took part in a panel discussion at the event.

The TCA Winter Press Tour started on January 5 with DirecTV panels and included presentations by Hulu, The CW, CBS/Showtime, Disney/ABC, Fox, FX and PBS.

Panel talk: Ray Liotta, Jennifer and executive producer Jack Orman talked about the crime drama

Striking poses: Jennifer struck poses for the cameras for the event at the Langham Huntington Hotel

Series stars: Ray and Jennifer teamed up at the event

So sweet: Jennifer closed her eyes as Ray gave her a peck

Tender moment: Ray wrapped an arm around Jennifer while giving her a kiss on the cheek

It was concluding on Wednesday with NBC.

NBC renewed Shades Of Blue in February 2016 for a 13-episode season.

Shades Of Blue will return for its second season on NBC on March 5.

Live musical: Jennifer also talked about her upcoming live production of Bye Bye Birdie

Lopez also discussed her upcoming live production of Bye Bye Birdie on NBC.

She'll be starring as Rose in a role made famous by 83-year-old Chita Rivera in the 1960 original Broadway production.

The story was somewhat 'watered down' in the 1963 movie in which Janet Leigh played the role originated by Rivera , Lopez told the TV critics.

Stage version: The actress said the NBC version would be closer to the 1960 original Broadway show

TV critics: Jennifer answered questions at the Television Critics Association event

Good times: The actress smiled during the panel event

In the play, Rivera's Rose encounters resistance from her boyfriend's mother because she doesn't want her son marrying someone with Puerto Rican roots, Lopez said.

Bye Bye Birdie Live! will air live on NBC in December and is the latest in what has become an annual live-musical holiday tradition for the network with last December's "Hairspray Live!" the most recent production.

Birdie is an homage to circa-1950s rock 'n' roll mania and centers on the character Conrad Birdie, who is reminiscent of a young Elvis Presley. He was played on stage by Dick Gautier, who died last week at age 85.

Fan favourite: Jennifer has multiple projects she's working on at NBC and elsewhere

Co-stars: Ray joined Jennifer for a series of tastefully shot portraits at the event on Tuesday

If looks could thrill: Jennifer opted for smoky mascara and soft pink lipstick for her appearance at the event

Popular pair: NBC renewed Shades Of Blue in February 2016 for a 13-episode season
Former Bond Girl Olga Kurylenko and The Royals' Ben Cura led a host of stars at The Fall Magazine's launch party on Wednesday evening.

Taking place in the Rumpus Room at Mondrian London, with the event sponsored by CIROC vodka, the pair - who co-star in forthcoming movie Salty - smiled for the cameras after arriving together in a cab.

Olga is in a relationship with journalist Max Benitz, with whom she shares a son Alexander Max Horatio, who turned one in October last year.

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Co-stars: Olga Kurylenko and Ben Cura cozy up at The Fall Magazine launch party in London

Night out: Taking place in the Rumpus Room at Mondrian London, the pair - who co-star in forthcoming movie Salty - smiled for the cameras as they arrived and left the event together

Former Bond Girl: Olga looked effortlessly stylish in a long sleeveless dress, designed in a black, red, white and gold striped pattern

But enjoying a night out with her colleague and firm friend, the former Bond girl had put on her glad rags for an evening out.

Olga looked effortlessly stylish in a long sleeveless dress, designed in a black, red, white and gold striped pattern.

The 37-year-old French actress wore her wavy bobbed hair loose and kept her make-up clean and simple as she posed arm-in-arm with her pal Ben.

Ben wore a white polo shirt and slate jeans, a navy jacket and brown shoes. He kept his hair a little unkempt for the stylish event.

Return of the mac: Laura Whitmore strutted into the event in style in a cream mac

Dainty: Laura Whitmore looked effortlessly pretty in a burgundy dress and rose-gold heels

Glam: Damien Hirst's model girlfriend Katie Keight was in attendance at the event

Flying solo: Katie Keight wore a sparkling gold top, cut low, with black silky trousers and a black leather jacket

The pair are set to star this year alongside Antonio Banderas in Salty, which has been shooting in Chile.

Antonio was spotted on the set of the film outside the Hostal Cerro Alegre Valparaiso last month.

In the movie, the twice-divorced father-of-one gets glam as Turk Henry, an aging rock star who gets kidnapped while vacationing in Thailand.

Also in attendance at the event was Laura Whitmore, who strutted inside in a cream mac.

Plastic fantastic: Pandemonia and Olga were sure to have a laugh on their way into the party

Quartet: (L-R) Rosanna Falconer, Joshua Kane, Dave Rudd and Betty Bachz attend The Fall Magazine launch party

Catching up: Naomi Isted (L) and Mariah Idrissi (R) were sure to sit down and have a chat

Once in, the leggy blonde removed the coat, looking effortlessly pretty in a burgundy dress and rose-gold heels.

Damien Hirst's girlfriend Katie Keight was in attendance, but was flying solo by the looks of it.

She wore a sparkling gold top, cut low, with black silky trousers and a black leather jacket.

Francesca Merricks wore a black velvet dress with a red rose embellishment on the front.

Rosy: Francesca Merricks wore a black velvet dress with a red rose embellishment on the front

Woman in black: Gizzi Erskine kept it all-black, adding a jaunty edge with some animal print flats

Lady in red: Alexa Morden put on a slick display in a shoulder-less red gown

Rainbow: Fabienne Hebrard let her mane do the talking with just a black dress and her multi-coloured hair
She had her second baby just four months ago.

But Blake Lively was looking back to her best as she flaunted her post-pregnancy body at the People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old, who scooped a gong at the show, looked in fine form indeed as she showcased her long legs in a skimpy glittering fringed black Elie Saab gown.

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'All mine': Blake Lively warned off rivals as she hailed husband Ryan Reynolds after scooping a gong at the People's Choice Awards Wednesday

Hot mama: Blake Lively flaunted her post baby body on the pre-show red carpet

Jolly Blake hailed her Deadpool star husband Ryan Reynolds when she scooped the Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress award for her turn as a stranded surfer in The Shallows.

In a tongue-in-cheek bunny boiler moment she said: 'Thank you to my husband. He is everything to me. You can't have him he's mine!'

She also paid trubute to her talent scout mother Elaine after winning her prestigious paperweight.

Mother-of-two Blake said: This is more than I could've ever hoped or dreamed of. My mama taught me as a kid there is nothing you can't do. Thanks mom.

Grin when you're winning: She looked like she knew her luck was in on the red carpet

Pin-credible: The leggy lovely flaunted her fabulous pegs as she posed for photographers

Prestigious paperweight: She picked up the Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress award

Born to the (back)stage: She seemed at ease as she left the stage after giving her speech

'She deserved this. I was always an ambitious kid and I knew I could do anything I put my mind to.'

Added a punchline to round off her tribute, she added, 'And that was to meet the Spice Girls.'

Blake gave birth to second daughter Ines back in September, while her other child James turned two last month.

Working those biceps: Blake seemed as surprised as anyone as she brandished her prize

Having a whale of a time! She appeared to be in great spirits as she larked around on the red carpet

No wonder she won an award: She was as hammy as ever as she larked around on the carpet

Brought two heels: She was wearing a pair of towering stilettos

Before the event she claimed she had slept only two hours the previous night due to breastfeeding duties.

In an Instagram post she said: 'Thank you @lorealmakeup @kristoferbuckle @rodortega4hair @lorealhair for making me look like I slept more than 2 hours last night. #breastfeedingmama.'

But her award is not the most exciting accolade to be bestowed on the Lively household in recent times.

Frills and spills: She looked fantastic in her skimpy glittering fringed black gown

Giving t-Hanks! Blake Lively kneeled down as she greeted Tom Hanks

Working the room: The blonde beauty wrapped an arm around Luke Hemsworth,36

Social butterfly: She also took the time to pose with girl group Fifth Harmony

Just hanging out: Blake, winner of the Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress award, later mingled with Kevin Hart, who won the Favorite Comedic Movie Actor award

For it emerged last week her husband Ryan Reynolds has been named 2017 Hasty Pudding Man of the Year.

Every year, Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals organisation chooses one actor and one actress to roast in a hilarious ceremony at Harvard Square and this year Ryan, 40, has been chosen as the male recipient of the pudding pot.

The group said in a statement: 'Ryan Reynolds is one of Hollywood's most diverse leading men seamlessly transitioning through varied genres of drama, action and comedy in his rich and ever-evolving career.'

Sister act: Her red carpet date was her actress half-sibling Robyn Lively

Thighs the limit: The beauty has clearly been working hard to get back into peak condition

Working their magic: She thanked her makeup team for making her look like she 'slept more than two hours last night'

Big week for the family: Her husband Ryan Reynolds is the 2017 Hasty Pudding Man of the Year
She's the Australian model and DJ who is fast becoming a Hollywood star.

And Ruby Rose made sure all eyes were on her at the People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old actress showed off part of her chest tattoo in a plunging orange blazer, teaming it with a matching pair of tightly-fitted trousers.

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You can't miss her! Ruby Rose rocked the People's Choice Awards red carpet in a bright orange pant suit on Wednesday

The Orange Is The New Black star's pants cut high up on her ankle, while a pair of pointed black pumps elongated her slim pins.

Her makeup was as bold as her outfit, with the former MTV VJ opting for a wine-coloured lipstick to dress her pout.

Smokey eyeshadow added drama to her red carpet look, while lashings of mascara intensified the hue of her green eyes.

Vampy: The 30-year-old actress looked flawless while sporting a dark-coloured pout

Daring: The Orange Is The New Black star opted to go braless in the plunging blazer

Inked: Ruby drew attention to her many tattoos, especially several artworks on her left hand

Ruby's short brown locks were quiffed to one side, with loose waves adding volume to the look.

A gold body chain from Dana Rebecca Designs was added to match the gold button on her jacket, while the rest of her accessories were kept simple with a pair of EF Collection rings.

Ruby - who is dating The Veronicas' Jessica Origliasso - showed off her various tattoos, including those on her neck and hand.

Rock chic: Ruby's short brunette locks were styled in a voluminous quiff for the star-studded event

Bonafide: The star looked every inch part of the Hollywood set as she took to the microphone to present an award alongside Ali Larter

Taking to the stage: The Australian beauty presented an award to Justin Timberlake with Ali

Model behaviour: The former MTV VJ added height to her look with a pair of black patent pumps

Ruby later took to the stage with actress Ali Larter to present one of the night's many awards, which was won by Justin Timberlake.

Ruby's career has gone from strength to strength in recent years, after she scored a role in Netflix's OITNB.

She then strapped on her action boots for a role in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter last year.

The multi-talented beauty is set to star in three movies this year alone, with her next one being xXx: Return Of Xander Cage, out on January 20.

On the road: Ruby smouldered for the camera as she posed outside for a series of snaps

Content: Ruby looked radiant, beaming for the cameras
Experts say that if there's something wrong, you should face up to your feelings and tackle them head-on.

Perhaps Ashley Hart took that advice literally on Thursday, taking to Instagram to share snaps that showed remedial acupuncture needles sticking out of her face.

Fans were treated to a selfie of the 26-year-year-old, who didn't flinch as long metal needles poked out of her forehead and chest.

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Daunting! Ashley Hart took to Instagram on Thursday to share snaps of remedial acupuncture needles sticking out of her face and chest

The model managed to parse a modest smile despite the thin needles sticking out of her body.

The sharp metal indented her forehead, as a lower needle was nestled below her cleavage.

The controversial procedure is most commonly seen being performed on people's backs, although applicable pressure points appear all over the body.

Having a ball: Ashley is currently Down Under to enjoy time with friends and family

The common alternative pain procedure has never been scientifically proven to work, and has several skeptics.

On Tuesday, the blonde bombshell engaged in decidedly less divisive practices, flaunting her stunning body as she pulled a gravity defining yoga move in a skimpy bikini.

Ashley shared a video that saw her being lifted into the air by the feet of her powerful instructor Abria Joseph.

Gravity-defying: Earlier in the week, the blonde beauty flaunted her toned physique as she shared a video that showed her pulling a gravity defining yoga move in a skimpy bikini

She wore a purple and leopard print bikini that showed off her toned physique as she took her flexibility and balance skills to the limit.

The personality is making the most of her short return to her home country, frequently posting images from workouts and beach trips.

She'll soon return to the US to reunite with her husband, Buck Palmer, to whom she wed in 2015.
Take a pair of MC Hammer's pants, add a silver corset and top off with some whipped cream on the chest, and you've got an idea.

Kristen Bell stood out on the People's Choice red carpet on Wednesday night in a shimmering silver bandeau jumpsuit.

The 36-year-old showed off her toned arms in the strapless, very wide-legged ensemble, which boasted silk frill detail at the bust.

Silver Bell! Kristen stood out on the People's Choice red carpet on Wednesday in a shimmering bandeau jumpsuit

The actress looked gorgeous with her blonde bob styled in soft waves and a pretty neutral makeup palette.

She arrived to the ceremony with husband Dax Shepard proudly on her arm.

'Heading to the @peopleschoice awards with this tall drink of water,' she captioned an Instagram selfie of the pair en route.

Flaunt it: The 36-year-old showed off her toned arms in the strapless, very wide-legged ensemble, which boasted silk frill detail at the bust

Hot: The actress looked gorgeous with her blonde bob styled in soft waves and a pretty neutral makeup palette

Ensemble: Take a pair of MC Hammer's pants, add a silver corset and top off with some whipped cream on the chest, and you've got an idea

Kristen was up for two awards on the night: favourite comedic movie actress, as well as favourite actress in a new TV series.

She starred in three comedies this year, including The Boss as Bad Moms, as well as a small part as one of the infamous DMV sloths in Disney's Zootopia.

She's up against some tough competition however in Anna Kendrick, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Rebel Wilson.

Happy couple: She arrived to the ceremony with husband Dax Shepard proudly on her arm

In it to win it: Kristen was up for two awards on the night: favourite comedic movie actress, as well as favourite actress in a new TV series

Blondes have more fun: Kristen hung out with Gwen Stefani back stage

Tough one: The two discussed who's outfit was weirder

Her second nom came from her lead role opposite Ted Danson in new comedy The Good Place.

For that gong she has to fight off Lethal Weapon's Jordana Brewster, This Is Us' Mandy Moore, Speechless' Minnie Driver and Notorious' Piper Perabo.

The 43rd People's Choice Awards is being held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

TV stars: The actress also presented an award on the night with Matt Le Blanc

Busy: She starred in three comedies this year, including The Boss as Bad Moms, as well as a small part as one of the infamous DMV sloths in Disney's Zootopia

Cheese: 'Heading to the @peopleschoice awards with this tall drink of water,' she captioned an Instagram selfie of the pair en route

Cool: The 37-year-old happily posed with fans for photos outside

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS 2017: FULL LIST OF WINNERS MOVIES FAVORITE MOVIE Captain America: Civil War Deadpool Finding Dory - WINNER Suicide Squad Zootopia FAVORITE MOVIE ACTOR Kevin Hart Robert Downey Jr. Ryan Reynolds - WINNER Tom Hanks Will Smith FAVORITE MOVIE ACTRESS Anna Kendrick Jennifer Lawrence - WINNER Margot Robbie Melissa McCarthy Scarlett Johansson FAVORITE ACTION MOVIE Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Captain America: Civil War Deadpool - WINNER Suicide Squad X-Men: Apocalypse FAVORITE ACTION MOVIE ACTOR Chris Evans Liam Hemsworth Robert Downey Jr. - WINNER Ryan Reynolds Will Smith FAVORITE ACTION MOVIE ACTRESS Jennifer Lawrence Margot Robbie - WINNER Scarlett Johansson Shailene Woodley Zoe Saldana FAVORITE ANIMATED MOVIE VOICE Bill Murray in The Jungle Book Ellen DeGeneres in Finding Dory - WINNER Ginnifer Goodwin in Zootopia Jason Bateman in Zootopia Kevin Hart in The Secret Life of Pets FAVORITE COMEDIC MOVIE Bad Moms - WINNER Central Intelligence Ghostbusters How to Be Single Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising FAVORITE COMEDIC MOVIE ACTOR Chris Hemsworth Dwayne Johnson Kevin Hart - WINNER Ryan Gosling Zac Efron FAVORITE COMEDIC MOVIE ACTRESS Anna Kendrick Kristen Bell Kristen Wiig Melissa McCarthy - WINNER Rebel Wilson FAVORITE DRAMATIC MOVIE Deepwater Horizon Me Before You - WINNER Miracles From Heaven Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children Sully FAVORITE DRAMATIC MOVIE ACTOR Ben Affleck Chris Pine George Clooney Mark Wahlberg Tom Hanks - WINNER FAVORITE DRAMATIC MOVIE ACTRESS Amy Adams Blake Lively - WINNER Emily Blunt Julia Roberts Meryl Streep FAVORITE FAMILY MOVIE Alice Through the Looking Glass Finding Dory - WINNER The Jungle Book The Secret Life of Pets Zootopia FAVORITE THRILLER MOVIE The Conjuring 2 The Girl on the Train - WINNER Nerve The Purge: Election Year The Shallows FAVORITE MOVIE ICON Denzel Washington Johnny Depp - WINNER Samuel L. Jackson Tom Cruise Tom Hanks MUSIC FAVORITE MALE ARTIST Blake Shelton Drake Justin Timberlake - WINNER Shawn Mendes The Weeknd FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST Adele Ariana Grande Beyonce Britney Spears - WINNER Rihanna FAVORITE GROUP The Chainsmokers Coldplay Fifth Harmony - WINNER Panic! at the Disco Twenty One Pilots FAVORITE BREAKOUT ARTIST Alessia Cara The Chainsmokers DNCE Niall Horan - WINNER Zayn FAVORITE MALE COUNTRY ARTIST Blake Shelton - WINNER Keith Urban Luke Bryan Sam Hunt Tim McGraw FAVORITE FEMALE COUNTRY ARTIST Carrie Underwood - WINNER Dolly Parton Kelsea Ballerini Miranda Lambert Reba McEntire FAVORITE COUNTRY GROUP The Band Perry Florida Georgia Line Little Big Town - WINNER Lonestar Zac Brown Band FAVORITE POP ARTIST Adele Ariana Grande Britney Spears - WINNER Justin Timberlake Sia FAVORITE HIP-HOP ARTIST DJ Khaled G-Eazy - WINNER Kanye West Kendrick Lamar Wiz Khalifa FAVORITE R&B ARTIST Beyonce Drake Rihanna - WINNER Usher The Weeknd FAVORITE ALBUM Anti / Rihanna Dangerous Woman / Ariana Grande If Im Honest / Blake Shelton - WINNER Lemonade / Beyonce Views / Drake FAVORITE SONG Cant Stop the Feeling / Justin Timberlake - WINNER No / Meghan Trainor One Dance / Drake feat. Kyla and Wizkid Pillowtalk Zayn Work / Rihanna feat. Drake DIGITAL FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA CELEBRITY Britney Spears - WINNER Kim Kardashian Lady Gaga Shakira Stephen Amell FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA STAR Baby Ariel Cameron Dallas - WINNER Jacob Sartorius Liza Koshy Nash Grier FAVORITE YOUTUBE STAR Lilly Singh - WINNER Miranda Sings PewDiePie Shane Dawson Tyler Oakley FAVORITE COMEDIC COLLABORATION Conan OBriens Ride Along with Ice Cube and Kevin Hart Ellen DeGeneres and Britney Spears Mall Mischief - WINNER James Cordens Carpool Karaoke with Adele Lip Sync Battle with Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum Saturday Night Live with Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon TV FAVORITE TV SHOW The Big Bang Theory Greys Anatomy Outlander - WINNER Stranger Things The Walking Dead FAVORITE NETWORK TV COMEDY The Big Bang Theory - WINNER Black-ish Jane the Virgin Modern Family New Girl FAVORITE COMEDIC TV ACTOR Andy Samberg Anthony Anderson Jim Parsons - WINNER Matthew Perry Tim Allen FAVORITE COMEDIC TV ACTRESS Anna Faris Gina Rodriguez Kaley Cuoco Sofia Vergara- WINNER Zooey Deschanel FAVORITE NETWORK TV DRAMA Chicago Fire Empire Greys Anatomy - WINNER How to Get Away with Murder Quantico FAVORITE DRAMATIC TV ACTOR Jesse Williams Justin Chambers - WINNER Scott Foley Taylor Kinney Terrence Howard FAVORITE DRAMATIC TV ACTRESS Ellen Pompeo Kerry Washington Priyanka Chopra - WINNER Taraji P. Henson Viola Davis FAVORITE CABLE TV COMEDY Atlanta Baby Daddy - WINNER Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia Real Husbands of Hollywood Younger FAVORITE CABLE TV DRAMA The Americans Bates Motel - WINNER Mr. Robot Pretty Little Liars Queen Sugar FAVORITE CABLE TV ACTOR Adam Devine Freddie Highmore - WINNER Kevin Hart Rami Malek Zach Galifianakis FAVORITE CABLE TV ACTRESS Ashley Benson Hilary Duff Keri Russell Lucy Hale Vera Farmiga - WINNER FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA The Blacklist Criminal Minds - WINNER Law & Order: SVU Lucifer NCIS FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA ACTOR Chris ODonnell Donnie Wahlberg LL Cool J Mark Harmon - WINNER Tom Selleck FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA ACTRESS Jennifer Lopez - WINNER Lucy Liu Mariska Hargitay Pauley Perrette Sophia Bush FAVORITE PREMIUM DRAMA SERIES Homeland House of Cards Narcos Orange is the New Black - WINNER Power FAVORITE PREMIUM COMEDY SERIES Fuller House - WINNER The Mindy Project Shameless Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Veep FAVORITE PREMIUM SERIES ACTOR Aziz Ansari Dwayne Johnson - WINNER Joshua Jackson Kevin Spacey Nick Jonas FAVORITE PREMIUM SERIES ACTRESS Claire Danes Jane Fonda Julia Louis Dreyfus Sarah Jessica Parker - WINNER Taylor Schilling FAVORITE NETWORK SCI-FI/FANTASY TV SHOW Arrow The Flash Once Upon a Time Supernatural - WINNER The Vampire Diaries FAVORITE CABLE SCI-FI/FANTASY TV SHOW American Horror Story Orphan Black Shadowhunters Teen Wolf The Walking Dead - WINNER FAVORITE PREMIUM SCI-FI/FANTASY SERIES Game of Thrones Marvels Luke Cage Outlander - WINNER Stranger Things Westworld FAVORITE SCI-FI/FANTASY TV ACTOR Andrew Lincoln Ian Somerhalder Jensen Ackles Sam Heughan - WINNER Tyler Posey FAVORITE SCI-FI/FANTASY TV ACTRESS Caitriona Balfe - WINNER Emilia Clarke Jennifer Morrison Lauren Cohan Millie Bobby Brown FAVORITE COMPETITION TV SHOW Americas Got Talent American Ninja Warrior Dancing with the Stars Masterchef The Voice - WINNER FAVORITE DAYTIME TV HOST Dr. Phil Ellen DeGeneres - WINNER Kelly Ripa Rachael Ray Steve Harvey FAVORITE DAYTIME TV HOSTING TEAM The Chew Good Morning America - WINNER The Talk Today The View FAVORITE LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST Conan OBrien James Corden Jimmy Fallon - WINNER Jimmy Kimmel Stephen Colbert FAVORITE ANIMATED TV SHOW American Dad! Bobs Burgers Family Guy The Simpsons - WINNER South Park FAVORITE ACTOR IN A NEW TV SERIES Damon Wayans Kevin James Kiefer Sutherland Matt LeBlanc - WINNER Milo Ventimiglia FAVORITE ACTRESS IN A NEW TV SERIES Jordana Brewster Kristen Bell - WINNER Mandy Moore Minnie Driver Piper Perabo FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY American Housewife The Good Place The Great Indoors Kevin Can Wait Man with a Plan - WINNER Son of Zorn Speechless FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA Bull Conviction Designated Survivor The Exorcist Frequency Lethal Weapon MacGyver No Tomorrow Notorious Pitch Pure Genius This Is Us - WINNER Timeless Advertisement

:
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.
She became a mother for the first time at 40.

And Laura Csortan has cherished every moment with her daughter Layla Rose since she was born in November, last year.

The former TV presenter took to Instagram on Thursday to once again gush over the precious newborn.

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Baby love! Laura Csortan took to Instagram on Thursday to gush over her precious newborn, Layla Rose

'You can have whatever you want,' she promised her bundle of joy in the photo's caption.

The adorable tot gazed directly into the camera with her deep brown eyes and blonde hair.

Her doting mum added the hashtags '#shemeltsme', '#nextlevellove' and '#thatsmilethough'.

Magical: The former TV presenter has cherished every moment with her daughter since she was born in November last year

Fans rushed to the post's comments section to shower the little one with praise.

'She will be a heartbreaker like her mum!' declared one supporter.

'Oh my goodness...she is just too cute!' added another.

Laura's former co-worker, Morning Show host Kylie Gillies, joined in the love fest and left three heart emojis.

Going it alone: The statuesque model recently revealed her daughter's unnamed father is no longer in their lives

The statuesque model recently told WHO magazine her daughter's unnamed father is no longer in their lives.

'In a perfect world, I thought it would be with the perfect husband, the house, the white picket fence, but this is the card I've been dealt,' she offered.

She revealed she had been fearful of missing out on the joys of motherhood.

'I would be lying if I said there wasn't an underlying fear that I'd missed my chance, but there was also a gut feeling that I knew I would be a mum,' she confessed.
She's eagerly awaiting the birth of her first child with NRL player Sam Burgess.

And Phoebe Burgess isn't shy about documenting her pregnancy, sharing a hilarious video to Instagram on Thursday.

The soon-to-be mother revealed her growing baby bump means she can no longer see her feet when looking down.

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'Toes? What Toes?' Heavily pregnant Phoebe Burgess revealed on Instagram she can't see her feet past her 38-week baby belly

In the hilarious video, the 28-year-old wears a tight black outfit and films down towards her shoes.

But Phoebe's feet cannot be seen as they are instead blocked by her nearly full term baby belly.

'Toes? What toes?' the TV personality captioned the video, adding: '#38weeks baby.'

Pregnant: Phoebe and Sam Burgess (L) revealed last July they were expecting their first child, less than a year after their extravagant wedding in the Southern Highlands

The couple revealed last July they were expecting their first child, less than a year after their extravagant wedding in the Southern Highlands.

Since then, the loved-up pair shared their baby joy, with Phoebe telling The Daily Telegraph in September that Sam will be a perfect father.

'Sam loves kids,' she explained.

'Hell be a natural dad for sure': Phoebe told The Daily Telegraph in September that her NRL star husband will be the best father

'He plays like a child with them. We sit around and it is always Sam who is holding or playing with a child. Hell be a natural dad for sure.'

The parents-to-be are yet to find out their baby's sex, with Sam telling Nova's Fitzy and Wippa last year that they were keeping it a secret.

'Id like to not find out, Id like a surprise,' said the British-born rugby league star.

Boy or girl? The parents-to-be are yet to find out the sex of their unborn child

'Its something we can keep for ourselves throughout this process,' he continued.

Phoebe's new sister-in-law Joanna Burgess, who married George Burgess last December, is also pregnant.

The 26-year-old interior design student will give birth to her first child in April, while Phoebe is due in early February.
She balances her hectic duties as a busy business owner and mother of two while her husband Oliver Curtis remains in jail on charges of insider trading.

And Roxy Jacenko, 36, was once again seen doting over her two children, Pixie, five, and Hunter, two on Wednesday, taking them to the beach for a mid-week outing.

Flaunting her figure in a red hot bikini, the controversial PR guru was spotted enjoying Sydney's sunny Bondi Beach with her little ones.

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That's dedication! Busy mother-of-two Roxy Jacenko, 36, took her children to Bondi Beach for a mid-week outing this Wednesday

Roxy made sure to show her recently slimmed-down figure off in the sexy two-piece, which featured a plunging triangle top with gold harness detailing and matching side-tie bottoms.

She completed her ensemble with a pair of diamond stud earrings, Ray-Ban aviators, and a Cartier bangle, which is worth around $8,000.

The energetic mother appeared to be having a ball as she playfully ran down the beach with her lookalike youngsters.

Fun in the sun: Flaunting her figure in a red hot bikini, the controversial PR guru was spotted enjoying Sydney's sunny Bondi Beach with her little ones

Red hot! Roxy made sure to show her recently slimmed-down figure off in the bikini, which featured a plunging triangle top with gold harness detailing and matching side-tie bottoms

Making sure to keep her brood sun-safe, Roxy dressed both Pixie and Hunter in matching red caps emblazoned with the Hayman Island Great Barrier Reef logo.

Little Hunter looked adorable in his navy-blue top, which bore the words 'Dive In', matched with a pair of anchor-print board-shorts.

Meanwhile, Pixie wore a Finding Nemo-themed rash vest and matching swimmers.

Having a ball: The energetic mother appeared to be having a ball as she playfully ran down the beach with her lookalike youngsters

Little cutie: Little Hunter looked adorable in his navy-blue top, which bore the words 'Dive In', matched with a pair of anchor-print board-shorts

Roxy has previously claimed her two young children do not know their father Oliver is serving a prison sentence.

The Sweaty Betty PR founder instead told them he was overseas on business and would be home for Christmas.

During a radio interview last year, she confessed Pixie became upset after speaking to her father via telephone.

Sun smart: Making sure to keep her brood sun-safe, Roxy dressed both Pixie and Hunter in matching red caps emblazoned with the Hayman Island Great Barrier Reef logo

Genius at work! While Hunter happily played with his mother, Pixie appeared to be heavily invested in perfecting her sand castle
He has had a devastating year that saw his beloved mother pass away and a bitter end to his year-long marriage to Amber Heard.

On Wednesday night, Johnny Depp took to the People's Choice Awards to thank his fans for standing by him as he accepted the Favorite Movie Icon gong at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

The 53-year-old accepted his award onstage, noting that the statue was blue before delivering an emotional speech.

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On Wednesday night, Johnny Depp took to the People's Choice Awards to thank his fans for standing by him as he accepted the Favorite Movie Icon gong at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles

'I came here for one reason, and one reason only,' the Edward Scissorhands star began. 'I came here for you, the people, who through whatever good times or bad have stood by me and trusted me.

'Thank you. You very graciously invited me here once again tonight. I appreciate it. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.'

'I was very deeply affected by the kindness of your recognition and your well wishes to me and my family,' he said with emotion in his voice.

Choked up: The 53-year-old accepted his award onstage, noting that the statue was blue before delivering an emotional speech

'I came here for one reason, and one reason only,' the Edward Scissorhands star began. 'I came here for you, the people, who through whatever good times or bad have stood by me and trusted me.

Chirpy: Johnny looked elated as he accepted his award on the stage

Victorious! He waved the accolade in the air as he performed his speech

Loving life: The actor seemed in great spirits as he hoisted his award in the air

Two's company: Johnny was joined by Jada Pinkett Smith as they cuddled up together

Glam: Jada looked phenomenal in a little black dress that featured lace up detailing along the side and bust to show off glimpses of her incredible figure

Suits you! The star was keen to pose with his award as he headed backstage

'Why it is especially meaningful for me to be here in front of you is to say thank you and tell you that I truly feel the need to thank.'

'Because in all honesty we all know that none of us, especially me, would not be standing up here if it wasn't for all of you.'

He then looked heavenward and shouted a tribute to his late mother: 'Give em hell Betty Sue.'

Rough year: Amber Heard filed for divorce from Depp just three days after his mother passed away on May 23 (seen here in January last year)

Depp's mother passed away on May 20 in Los Angeles at the age of 81 (seen here with ex Vanessa Paradis and his mom Betty Sue at the 76th Annual Academy Awards)

Depp's mother passed away on May 20 in Los Angeles at the age of 81.

In his time of grieving his then wife Amber Heard filed for divorce just three days later on May 23.

The actor was then slammed with allegations of domestic violence against his wife Amber.

Since then the former couple have settled this month with Depp giving Ms Heard $7 million (5.6 million), which she has said she will give to two charities, the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Family man: Johnny seen here with his daughter Lily-Rose last year
She's one of the most influential Latin women in Hollywood.

And on Wednesday, Sofia Vergara's talent was acknowledged as she was awarded favorite comedic TV actress for her role as Gloria Delgado in ABC's Modern Family at the 2017 People's Choice Awards

The 44-year-old actress looked stunning in a Marchesa gown as she took the stage and gave an acceptance speech full of gratitude and humility.

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Big win: Sofia Vergara's talent was acknowledged as she was awarded favorite comedic TV actress for her role as Gloria Delgado in ABC's Modern Family

Grateful: The Colombian beauty began her heartwarming speech with, 'My English is not going to be good this time'

Vergara's highly-talented competition included Anna Faris, Gina Rodriguez, Kaley Cuoco and Zooey Deschanel.

The Colombian beauty began her heartwarming speech: 'My English is not going to be good this time.

'I am very honored, I am so lucky to be here tonight.

Doing her part: During her speech, Vergara called for the hiring of Latin actors

'Never in a million years did I thought with this ridiculous accent, I would be able to be a part of something so successful, so loved by all of you, like Modern Family.'

She continued, filled with emotion: 'I haven't taken for granted, not even one day in eight years since I got the opportunity to play Gloria Delgado.

'It has opened so many doors for me and for Latin actors.

'We need so much more doors to be open, but I am thankful.

'Please keep giving us opportunities because we will not disappoint you!'

Her date: Sofia - wearing a Marchesa gown - brought along her 24-year-old son as her handsome date

A study released in 2016 called the Comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity found Latinos to be among the least represented speaking roles in film and TV, even though they make up about 17.4% of the U.S. population.

Vergara is doing her part to increase representation by calling for hiring more Latin actors.

Sofia, who took her only child Manolo Gonzales-Ripoll Vergara, 24, as her date to the award show, was nominated four years in a row for a Primetime Emmy Award for her role on the beloved sitcom.

Stunner: The Colombian beauty was ecstatic to win her People's Choice award
She recently got back from a sun-kissed holiday in Byron Bay.

And Olympia Valance was making the most of the sizzling heatwave as she soaked up the sun poolside earlier this week.

The Neighbours star, 24, flaunted her bronzed curves in a skimpy bandeau bikini in an Instagram video on Thursday.

Busting out! Neighbours star Olympia Valance was making the most of the sizzling heatwave as she soaked up the sun poolside on Thursday

In the videos, Olympia puckers her plump lips while proudly displaying her ample cleavage in her swimsuit.

The Melbourne-born actress also shows off her sizable bust by filming from a revealing top-down angle.

It appears her flawless tan is the result of a recent trip to Byron Bay, on the New South Wales coast.

Hello, boys! The Melbourne-born actress, 24, also showed off her sizable bust by filming from a revealing top-down angle

Holiday vibes! It appears Olympia's flawless tan is the result of a recent trip to Byron Bay

During the holiday, Olympia stripped off for a topless selfie, which she later shared to Instagram.

Fresh from a dip in the ocean, the brunette cheekily concealed her modesty with a beach towel while lying on the sand.

Her female friend could also be seen sunbathing topless in the background.

Cheeky! During the holiday, Olympia and a female friend stripped off for a topless selfie, which she later shared to Instagram
It's about an A-list actor, with close ties to the leader of a 'self help' organisation, who offers a young aspiring actress a marital contract.

And according to the creators of E!'s new series The Arrangement, it has nothing to do with Tom Cruise, Scientology or Katie Holmes.

The 38-year-old actress was spotted out and about in Calabasas on Wednesday.

Stepped out: Katie Holmes was spotted out and about in Calabasas on Wednesday

The Dawson's Creek star rocked a casual look as she headed for lunch in Jasmine Thai, wearing flats, jeans and a grey cardigan.

She finishing off with a Burberry scarf, and kept her heir in a loose high bun.

The day before, any similarities between her life and that of Megan Morrison - played by Christine Evangelista - in the upcoming show were shrugged off as coincidence.

Chill: The Dawson's Creek star rocked a casual look as she headed for lunch in Jasmine Thai, wearing flats, jeans and a grey cardigan

Laid back: She finishing off with a Burberry scarf, and kept her heir in a loose high bun

Not me: The day before, any similarities between her life and that of Megan Morrison - played by Christine Evangelista - in the upcoming show were shrugged off as coincidence

The plot sees Morrison auditioning to play the female lead in a high profile film opposite action star Kyle West (Josh Henderson).

But her Cinderella story takes an unexpected turn when she meets Terrence Anderson (Michael Vartan), the leader of the self-help organization the Institute of The Higher Mind,who offers her a $10million contract to enter into a secretly arranged marriage.

Despite being asked Scientology-related questions by almost every journalist at the TCAs, executive producer Jonathan Abrams insisted The Higher Mind is based on self-help and 12-step programs, and is 'not a religion'.

Uncanny: The plot sees Morrison auditioning to play the female lead in a high profile film opposite action star Kyle West (Josh Henderson)

Sounds familiar: But her Cinderella story takes an unexpected turn when she meets Terrence Anderson (Michael Vartan), the leader of the self-help organization the Institute of The Higher Mind,who offers her a $10million contract to enter into a secretly arranged marriage

Coincidence: Despite being asked Scientology-related questions by almost every journalist at the TCAs, executive producer Jonathan Abrams insisted The Higher Mind is based on self-help and 12-step programs, and is 'not a religion'

'Hollywood is such an aspirational town and these self-help organizations are about aspiring to a higher way of living, to having more successes in your profession and more success in relationships and having a more fulfilling life. There's a real promise to it," Abrahams said, according to TV Guide.

'All of these [programs] have something in common, and it's this idea that the shackles of your past can be broken if you follow the system, if you follow a structure about how to live you life and you can shape a future that is not informed necessarily by the trauma or the bad experiences you've had in the past.'

The Arrangement premieres on E! on March 5.
Lana Jeavons-Fellows looked in great shape as she worked out at a Nike Women event in Sydney on Thursday.

The Bachelor runner-up was pictured doing a number of exercises as she joined the all-female group at Dawes Point.

Planks, sit-ups and crunches were the order of the day as the 28-year-old was put through her paces by AFL Women's player Moana Hope.

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Fit and fabulous: Lana Jeavons-Fellows (pictured) looked in great shape as she worked out at a Nike Women event in Sydney on Thursday

Dressed in all-black gear from the sportswear giant, Lana looked relaxed and happy as she participated in the workout.

Wearing her brunette locks tied back in a ponytail, the former reality TV star displayed her bronze arms in a vest.

A pair of leggings showed off Lana's trim pins as she took instruction from Collingwood player Moana.

In charge: Planks, sit-ups and crunches were the order of the day as the 28-year-old was put through her paces by AFL Women's player Moana Hope (R)

Loved-up: Lana is fresh from celebrating her one-year anniversary with boyfriend Jake Meah

Worth the wait! The couple took seven months to debut their relationship before finally breaking the news via a magazine photo shoot in June last year

Lana is fresh from celebrating her one-year anniversary with boyfriend Jake Meah late last year.

The couple had taken seven months to debut their relationship before breaking the news in a magazine photo shoot in June last year.

Lana discussed how things had been moving fast for the pair, who were already discussing plans for marriage and children.

Heartbreak: Lana's relationship with Jake came after she was left heartbroken on The Bachelor in 2015 by personal trainer Sam Wood (R)

She told NW magazine: 'We have talked about children. There are a lot of things we want to do together, but we do both want to have children one day.'

Lana's relationship with Jake came after she was left heartbroken on The Bachelor in 2015 by personal trainer Sam Wood.

Snezana Markoski was chosen ahead of her in the final two, as Lana broke down in tears during an emotional final rose ceremony.
With her lemon lace gown split to the thigh, Jamie Chung cut a stunning figure at the People' Choice Awards on Wednesday night.

The 33-year-old actress and blogger looked pretty as a picture in the floral lace strapless frock teamed with strappy beige heels.

Her hair was worn in a tousled loose style while bright crimson lipstick added a pop of vibrant colour to the look.

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Lovely in lace: Jamie Chung looked pretty as a picture in a strapless gown as she arrived at the People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday

Jamie mingled with the likes of Blake Lively, Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani at the bash, which was held at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.

She also took the stage with actor Adam Rodriguez to present an award to Priyanka Chopra for Favourite Dramatic TV Actress for U.S. drama series Quantico.

Captain America: Civil War was the most nominated movie while Grey's Anatomy scored five nods for favorite television series.

Working the carpet: Jamie showed off her slim legs and slender figure on the arrivals line

Going solo: The actress appeared to be without her husband Bryan Greenberg for the bash

Taking the stage: Jamie and actor Adam Rodriguez presented the gong for Favourite Dramatic TV Actress to Priyanka Chopra

Big winners included Jennifer Lopez for Favorite TV Crime Drama Actress for Shades of Blue, and Justin Timberlake, who was an early double winner for Favorite Male Artist and winner of Favorite Song for Can't Stop The Feeling.

Blake Lively, 29, took home the award for Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress for her work in The Shallows, while Sofia Vergara won the award for Favorite Comedic TV Actress.

Ellen DeGeneres, 58, broke the record for People's Choice Award wins as she took home her 20th gong after winning for Favourite Daytime TV Host as well as Favourite Animated Movie Voice for Finding Dory and Favorite Comedic Collaboration with Britney Spears.

And the winner is: Jamie looked like she couldn't contain her excitement as Adam read out the announcement

Congratulations: Jamie embraced People's Choice winner Priyanka who scooped the gong for her drama series Quantico

The Hangover II star, who first gained fame on MTV's The Real World: San Diego, seemed to enjoy her awards experience.

However, she appeared have attended the bash without husband Bryan Greenberg who she married on Halloween back in 2015 in a romantic ceremony in Santa Barbara, California.

They have starred in three films together: Already Tomorrow In Hong Kong, A Year And Change and Flock of Dudes.

Proud winner: Priyanka joined a star-studded winners list including Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez and Blake Lively
She showed off her glamorous side at Berlin Fashion Week a few days ago.

But Kate Bosworth looked much more low key and casual as she jetted into Los Angeles after the catwalk shows.

The 34-year-old actress sported dark sunglasses and a black furry coat, while her blonde hair was pulled into a top knot as she left the terminal.

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Low key: Kate Bosworth looked low key band casual as she jetted back into Los Angeles with husband Michael Polish earlier this week

She teamed her comfy ensemble with grey leggings and $160 black suede Timberland 'Bethany' boots while husband Michael was equally casual in black hoodie, coat and jeans.

The director gallantly pushed their luggage trolley while Kate followed on behind.

Earlier this week, the couple were spotted looking as loved up as ever as they attended Marc Cain's Fall/Winter '18 collection in Berlin, Germany.

Coordinating couple: Kate and Michael both sported sunglasses and casual clothes for their long flight

Gallant: Michael dealt with the couple's suitcases as they left the terminal

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.'

True love blossomed and they got married on August 31, 2013 at The Ranch at Rock Creek in Philipsburg, Montana.

Top knot: Kate's bright blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun at the top of her head, and she wore $160 black suede Timberland 'Bethany' boots

Well met: The couple got together after meeting on the set of 2012 movie Big Sur

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.
She's the Melbourne-born glamour model who relocated to Los Angeles five years ago in search of fame and fortune.

And despite her global success and 3.8million Instagram followers, Emily Sears went back to her roots for a bikini photo shoot in Maxim Australia this week.

In an interview with the magazine, the 32-year-old also spoke about her habit of 'outing' men who send her unsolicited nude photographs, which went viral last year.

'Women aren't ever "asking for it"': Glamour model Emily Sears spoke to Maxim Australia about her decision to 'out' men who send her unsolicited nude photos, which went viral in early 2016

Emily made headlines last year when she responded to men sending her explicit photos of themselves by telling their wives and girlfriends about their behaviour.

'I really had no idea how viral this story was going to go. It really just began as a funny thing between my girlfriend, Laura Lux, and I,' she told Maxim Australia.

'It's frustrating when some men just don't understand the concept of consent and that really nothing a girl does or says or wears is consent except for when she says, "Hey, can you please send me a d**k pic?"'

'Women aren't ever 'asking for it' unless they specifically are asking for it,' she continued.

Speaking out: Emily made headlines in January last year when she responded to men sending her explicit photos of themselves by telling their wives and girlfriends about their behaviour

Emily's comments ran alongside a stunning pictorial, which saw the blonde beauty flaunting her curves in a sizzling beach photo shoot.

The cover picture featured the Australian model posing on the sand in a skimpy black bikini with a cleavage-baring criss cross design.

An inside photo also saw Emily emphasising her ample bust in a metallic two-toned triangle top and coordinating briefs.

That's a bit cheeky! Emily's comments ran alongside a stunning pictorial, which saw the blonde beauty flaunting her curves in a sizzling beach photo shoot

Meanwhile, in another shot, Emily posed provocatively in front of a bamboo wall while casting a flirty gaze back at the camera.

The bombshell swept her long, sleek hair over one shoulder, while placing her right hand suggestively near her mouth.

Emily arched her back slightly, drawing further attention to her pert derriere which featured a small heart-shaped tattoo.

Attraction: Emily boasts an impressive 3.8million Instagram followers, who regularly check in to see the star's daily adventures
She was a high profile winner at the 43rd annual Peoples Choice Awards on Wednesday evening.

But after scooping the accolade for Favourite Dramatic Move Actress, Blake Lively admitted her flourishing Hollywood career has done little to help her realise her biggest life goal.

Taking to the stage at Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, the actress, 29, revealed she is yet to meet childhood heroes The Spice Girls, despite her rising status as an actress.

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Thrilled: aAter scooping the accolade for Favourite Dramatic Move Actress at the 43rd annual People's Choice Awards, Blake Lively admitted her flourishing Hollywood career has done little to help her realise her biggest life goal

Accepting her award, she told the star-studded audience: 'I was always an ambitious kid, so I set a goal for myself as a kid.

'I knew if I could accomplish this that I would be successful, and I could be happy, and that was ... to meet the Spice Girls. Still havent accomplished it.'

Blake, who won the accolade for her role in The Shallows, made a further reference to the iconic group by dedicated her award to girl power.

Ambition: Taking to the stage at Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, the actress, 29, revealed she is yet to meet childhood heroes The Spice Girls, despite her rising status as an actress

One for the team: Blake, who won the accolade for her role in The Shallows, also dedicated her award to girl power

She added: 'What was so neat about them was that they were all so distinctly different, and they were women, and they owned who they were. That was my first introduction to girl power.

'When you guys voted for this, you didnt just vote for this, you didnt just vote for this movie or me, but you voted for girl power ... And men voted for girl power, too!

'You guys are awesome for doing that, and thank you for sending a message to Hollywood that people want to hear stories about women.'

The star was looking back to her best as she flaunted her post-pregnancy body at the People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Blake was in fine form indeed as she showcased her long legs in a skimpy glittering fringed black Elie Saab gown.

'All mine': Blake warned off rivals as she hailed husband Ryan Reynolds after scooping a gong at the People's Choice Awards Wednesday

Hot mama: Blake Lively flaunted her post baby body on the pre-show red carpet

The actress also hailed her Deadpool star husband Ryan Reynolds, telling the audience: 'Thank you to my husband. He is everything to me. You can't have him he's mine!'

She later paid tribute to her talent scout mother Elaine, adding: 'This is more than I could've ever hoped or dreamed of. My mama taught me as a kid there is nothing you can't do. Thanks mom.

'She deserved this. I was always an ambitious kid and I knew I could do anything I put my mind to.'

Grin when you're winning: She looked like she knew her luck was in on the red carpet

Pin-credible: The leggy lovely flaunted her fabulous pegs as she posed for photographers

Prestigious paperweight: She picked up the Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress award

Born to the (back)stage: She seemed at ease as she left the stage after giving her speech

Blake gave birth to second daughter Ines back in September, while her other child James turned two last month.

Before the event she claimed she had slept only two hours the previous night due to breastfeeding duties.

In an Instagram post she said: 'Thank you @lorealmakeup @kristoferbuckle @rodortega4hair @lorealhair for making me look like I slept more than 2 hours last night. #breastfeedingmama.'

But her award is not the most exciting accolade to be bestowed on the Lively household in recent times.

Working those biceps: Blake seemed as surprised as anyone as she brandished her prize

Having a whale of a time! She appeared to be in great spirits as she larked around on the red carpet

No wonder she won an award: She was as hammy as ever as she larked around on the carpet

For it emerged last week her husband Ryan Reynolds has been named 2017 Hasty Pudding Man of the Year.

Every year, Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals organisation chooses one actor and one actress to roast in a hilarious ceremony at Harvard Square and this year Ryan, 40, has been chosen as the male recipient of the pudding pot.

The group said in a statement: 'Ryan Reynolds is one of Hollywood's most diverse leading men seamlessly transitioning through varied genres of drama, action and comedy in his rich and ever-evolving career.'

Brought two heels: She was wearing a pair of towering stilettos

Giving t-Hanks! Blake Lively kneeled down as she greeted Tom Hanks

Sister act: Her red carpet date was her actress half-sibling Robyn Lively

Thighs the limit: The beauty has clearly been working hard to get back into peak condition

Working their magic: She thanked her makeup team for making her look like she 'slept more than two hours last night'

Big week for the family: Her husband Ryan Reynolds is the 2017 Hasty Pudding Man of the Year
She never fails to make a strong sartorial statement.

And Myleene Klass, 38, scored yet another fashion hit in an effortlessly stylish ensemble as she left her presenting gig for Global Radio in London on Thursday morning.

Bringing a touch of summer to the cool January chill, the TV personality looked stunning in a fabulous floral frock and knee-high boots.

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Top of the Klass! Myleene Klass, 38, scored yet another fashion hit in an effortlessly stylish ensemble as she left her presenting gig for Global Radio in London on Thursday morning

Featuring a deep neckline and a hem ending just inches below her hips, the Smooth radio host flaunted glimpses of her newly tanned frame.

Myleene used the London streets as her own personal catwalk as she added inches to her height with a pair of suede Christian Louboutin stiletto boots.

The former Hear'Say songstress kept warm under a camel coloured overcoat, while she slung a luxurious Chanel handbag over her shoulder.

The classically-trained musician scraped back her chestnut tresses into a fuss-free up-do and added minimal, dewy make-up to her face, to enhance her naturally clear and glowing complexion.

Dressed to impress: Bringing a touch of summer to the cool January chill, the TV personality looked stunning in a fabulous floral frock and knee-high boots

Working it: The former Hear'Say songstress kept warm under a camal coloured overcoat, while she slung a luxurious Chanel handbag over her shoulder

Concealing her eyes from the beaming sunrays, she then added a pair of oversized black sunglasses to complete her simple yet stylish look.

Myleene seems to be enjoying her time as the presenter for Smooth radio as she treated her 176,000 Instagram followers to a behind-the-scenes shot into the London studios.

The brunette beauty enjoyed an impromptu dance session in the purple-tinted room, simply captioning the shot: 'Smooth vibes @smoothradio'.

Myleene was making her way home from her the Global radio studio - having thrown herself straight back into work after a sun-soaked getaway in Sri Lanka with her two daughters Ava, 9, and Hero, five.

Loving life: Myleene seems to be enjoying her time as the presenter for Smooth radio as she treated her 176,000 Instagram followers to a behing-the-scenes shot into the London studios

Stunner: The classically-trained musician scraped back her chestnut tresses into a fuss-free up-do and added minimal, dewy make-up to her face

Famous for her bikini body first displayed on I'm A Celebrity in 2006, the star was sure to show off her figure in an array of swimwear on the trip - as well as embark on a number of days out with her sweet little girls.

However Myleene's boyfriend Simon Motson, who she has been dating since 2015, did not appear to join them on the trip.

The reality star was previously married to bodyguard Graham Quinn, 41 - the father of her two daughters.

However Graham ended their six-month marriage and decade-long relationship when he walked out on her on her 34th birthday in April 2012. The couple were granted a divorce in April 2013.

Wild thing! Myleene later changed into a leopard-print coat and adidas Stan Smith trainers
Hillary Clinton may have lost her bid for the White House, but it seems that the former first lady will soon be able to reminisce about her years at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue thanks to a new television series.

It is being reported that Ryan Murphy has optioned Jeffrey Toobin's bestselling book 'A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President' for an upcoming season of his American Crime Story anthology.

That book tells that tale of Bill Clinton's affair with a young intern by the name of Monica Lewinsky, and Linda Tripp, the woman who revealed the details of the pair's intimate indiscretions to the world.

The scandal grew so big at the time that it almost led to Clinton being impeached from office.

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The way theuy were: Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewisnky (above in 1997) will be the focus of the fourth season of Ryan Murphy's series American Crime Story

Meet cute: At the time the affair began in November 1995, Clinton was 49-years-old and Lewinsky was a 22-year-old White House intern (above in 1995, with actress Lauren Bacall in the background)

First family: Ryan Murphy has optioned Jeffrey Toobin's bestselling book 'A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President' (Clinton above at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics)

The series is currently being fast-tracked according to The Hollywood Reporter, and Murphy has been meeting with actors to play the roles of Lewinsky and Tripp.

It might be some time before the show airs however, with two seasons of American Crime Story currently being filmed in the wake of The People V. OJ Simpson.

That series, also based on one of Tobin's books, recently won the Golden Globe for Best Television Miniseries.

Filming is currently underway on the second season, about Hurricane Katrina, and the third season, about the murder of Gianni Versace, which are both expected to air next year.

Season three will cover the murder of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace who was shot dead in Florida in 1997.

Murphy, best known for Glee and American Horror Story, is also working on a story about the rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford that is set to premiere in March, Feud.

Talented guy: Toobin also wrote The People V. OJ Simpson, which was the basis for the first season of American Crime Story (Courtney B. Vance, Alexis Martin Woodall, Ryan Murphy, John Travolta, Brad Simpson, and Connie Britton at the Golden Globes above)

Upcoming: Murphy is currently at work filming a second season about Hurricane Katrina (left) and a third season about Gianni Versace's murder (designer right with Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington) that will premiere in 2018

At the time the affair began between the president and his intern in November 1995, Clinton was 49-years-old and Lewinsky was a 22-year-old White House employee.

Lewinsky would later claim the two were together nine times between that first encounter and March of 1997.

The affair became public in January of 1998 after Tripp gave tapes of Lewinsky admitting to her relationship to Kenneth Star, who at the time was pursuing the Whitewater controversy and Clinton's alleged sexual harassment of Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee.

When Clinton was under investigation for the affair in 1998, he denied having an relations with the brunette from Beverly Hills, famously saying: 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky' in a nationally televised White House news conference.'

He later admitted to the affair and claimed that hois definition of sexual relations differed from that of others.

In an recent interview, Tripp suggested that she is the reason that Lewinsky is alive.

'I say today and I will continue to say, that I believe Monica Lewinsky is alive today because of choices I made and action I took,' Tripp said in a radio interview with Breitbart's Aaron Klein.

Tripp told Klein she realized she sounded 'melodramatic,' but 'I can only say that from my perspective, I believe that she and I were at the time in danger, because nothing stands in the way of these people achieving their political ends.

In court: Tripp (left in 1998) recently said that she believes Lewinsky (right in 1998) might be dead if she had not shared the tapes with Starr

Tripp had worked in both the Bush 41 and Clinton White House, and then worked in the Pentagon alongside Lewinsky when the former White House intern opened up to her about her affair with Bill Clinton.

Tripp taped their conversations and, to get out of a wiretape charge, handed the recordings over to Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr.

She was demonized in the media, as being motivated by money and for wanting to write a book. On 'Saturday Night Live' she was portrayed by John Goodman.

During an hour-long radio interview with Klein, who also operates as Breitbart's Jerusalem bureau chief, Tripp pushed back on her public persona.

'The money I might have made on a book would never have overtaken what I gave up: My career, my pension. I was making a very decent salary. There was just no way that a book could have made up for what I would lose,' Tripp said.

'But the media, in an attempt I suppose to support the Clintons' perspective, painted me that way,' she continued. 'So there is very little the average layperson can do to fight that media saturation.'

She also pointed to the fact that she never wrote a tell-all, even with the continued interest in the Clintons, especially the Lewinsky scandal, after all these years.

Now however, her story will be told.
Sharon Stone has been in front of the cameras since her twenties when she started modeling for fashion magazines.

And at 58-years-old, the Basic Instinct icon still has it.

The blonde bombshell proved that with a set of new glam photos she posted to Instagram this week. The actress has been on the set of a new movie.

Class act: Sharon Stone posed for this shot she shared on Instagram this week

Work it: The 58-year-old beauty was standing with her glam squad on the set of her new movie

Stone did not name the film, but late last year the icon was shooting A Little Something For Your Birthday.

She may be continuing to shoot that project.

The Pennsylvania native was last seen opposite Courteney Cox in Mothers And Daughters.

Always cool: In the images, the Golden Globe nominee was seen in a low-cut white top with a beige coat that had a large collar

In the images, the Golden Globe nominee was seen in a low-cut white top with a beige coat that had a large collar.

The outspoken humanitarian was seen alone and also with her hair and makeup crew next to her.

This comes before the Slither siren was seen running errands in Beverly Hills on Wednesday.

Casual chic: This comes before the Slither siren was seen running errands in Beverly Hills on Wednesday

Bright idea: The Casino star had on a black outfit and accessorized nicely with a red purse and shoes

The Casino star had on a black outfit and accessorized nicely with a red purse and shoes.

The Vogue cover girl did not seem to be glammed up as she was most likely makeup free and had not styled her hair.

This sighting comes after a shocking interview she gave to Closer Weekly last year where she said she died and came back to life.

Sharon described how she saw a bright white light after suffering from a subarachnoid brain hemorrhage in 2001.

In step: The Vogue cover girl did not seem to be glammed up as she was most likely makeup free and had not styled her hair

'I feel that I did die,' said the star. 'This kind of giant vortex of white light was upon me and - poof! I sort of took off into this glorious, bright-white light.'

In 2001 Stone was living in San Francisco with journalist husband Phil Bronstein (they split in 2003) and already had the films Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Sliver, Intersection, The Specialist, Casino and Sphere under her belt.

When the hemorrhage took place in September 2001 Stone thought she was having a stroke and waited three days until she went to the hospital.

Shocking: This sighting comes after a shocking interview she gave to Closer Weekly last year where she said she died and came back to life

The incident caused her to take a break from acting as she learned how to talk and walk properly again. 'It almost feels like my entire DNA changed,' she has said.

While in the white light she said she met up with her late friends.

'I started to see and be met by some of my friends... people who were very, very dear to me [who had died]. I had a real journey with this that took me to places both here and beyond.'

Stone added: 'But it was very fast - whoosh! Suddenly, I was back. I was in my body.'

She was there too: Stone was seen in a video at the Palm Springs Film Festival this week

The mother-of-three said: 'It affected my life so profoundly that it will never be the same.'

And she said there have been benefits.

'I get not to be afraid of dying and I get to tell other people that it's a fabulous thing and death is a gift.

'When death comes to you, as it will, it's a glorious and beautiful thing. I had an incredible sense of well-being and a sense that it's just so near. Death - it's very near and very safe. It's not a far away or scary thing.'
He's been entertaining fans for over a decade with hits like Buy U a Drank, I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper), and Church.

But now T-Pain's Australian tour could be in jeopardy due to a previous issue with US police from 2007, when he was caught driving with a suspended license.

According to The Daily Telegraph, this could cause problems with customs for the 31-year-old, who is due to fly to Perth on Saturday for a concert the following day.

'I don't want to go to jail!' T-Pain's Australian tour could be in jeopardy due to a previous issue with US police from 2007, when he was caught driving with a suspended license

'I want to come but I don't want to go to jail and I don't want to get over there and can't come in,' he explained to Nova.

'They're like, you got a parking ticket in 2007, you can't come here.'

The rapper said that he was trying to 'fix' the issue, and is hoping to make the concert as scheduled on Sunday.

'They're like, you got a parking ticket in 2007, you can't come here,' T-Pain told Nova

'I want to come but I don't want to go to jail and I don't want to get over there and can't come in,' he explained to Nova

He's also due to perform at Sydney nightclub Marquee next Saturday.

T-Pain shot to fame in 2005 with his debut single I'm Sprung.

The multi-talented star is credited with popularizing the use of auto-tune in hip-hop music.

Claim to fame: T-Pain shot to fame in 2005 with his debut single I'm Sprung

The pitch-correcting vocal enhancement software was later used by countless stars, most notably Kanye West.

T-Pain also went on to have a career as a producer, crafting hits for the likes of Chris Brown and Ciara.

He now stars on the Esquire Network's car series Joyride with Mischa Barton.
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He wowed with his Gangnam style and a series of moves to make viewers blush - and former politician Ed Balls was at it again on Thursday.

The 49-year-old was decked in the finest plaid as he and Katya Jones (right) practiced their lighthearted moves at Birmingham's Barclaycard Arena.

They were in good company on the day as they were also joined by Daisy Lowe, who proved she hadn't lost her rhythm as she stepped back onto the dance floor with professional partner Aljaz Skorjanec.

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Fancy footwork: Ed Balls and Katya Jones (left) practiced their lighthearted moves, while Daisy Lowe (right ) proved she hadn't lost her rhythm as she stepped back onto the dance floor with professional partner Aljaz Skorjanec on Thursday at Birmingham's Barclaycard Arena

Ed Balls explained: 'My time on Strictly has been incredible. Ive been overwhelmed by the huge support Ive had from the public voting for me.

'Going on tour is going to be another first for me and I plan to give it everything Ive got for the audiences across the country.'

Posing for a photocall ahead of the show's tour, the pair looked perfectly in sync as they spun around the arena, alongside the likes of glamorous singer Laura Whitmore.

Balls is back! Ed Balls and Katya Jones looked in great spirits for the performance as they both showed off their incredible agility

Dip it low: The pair seemed in great spirits as they practised some rather nimble moves, although it looked as though Katya was doing all of the hard work

Round they go: The pair danced up a storm as they shimmied along to Ed's famous Gangnam Style routine which instantly made him a hit during the last series

Effortless: Ed hoisted Katya into the air for the routine as she showed off her fancy footwork - and he didn't even appear to be breaking into a sweat

Lean back: The pair danced up a storm as they posed for photographs with Ed showing off his trim physique in his plaid waistcoat and trousers

Threatening to spill out of her sparkling costume, Daisy put on a very busty display in the plunging silver dress.

Adorned with sequins, the heavily embellished gown featured a deep V neckline, whilst a red band highlighted her slender waist.

Grazing her thighs, the garment featured an asymmetric hemline that offered a look at her stocking-clad legs and gold heels.

How Lowe can you go! Threatening to spill out of her sparkling costume, Daisy Lowe put on a very busty display in the plunging silver dress which showed off her incredible body

Glam: Posing for a photocall ahead of the show's tour, the pair looked perfectly in sync as they spun around Birmingham's Barclaycard Arena

Silver siren: Adorned with sequins, the heavily embellished gown featured a deep V neckline, whilst a red band highlighted her slender waist

Leggy lady: Grazing her thighs, the garment featured an asymmetric hemline that offered a look at her stocking-clad legs and gold heels

All about the accessories: She finished off the look with a pair of glittering diamond earrings

Gorgeous: Daisy was a vision of beauty in the ballroom, matching her lipstick to her belt perfectly

Shake it off: Daisy danced up a storm as she kicked out her legs with glee, proving she hasn't forgotten any of the routines she's learned

Wearing her raven coloured locks in a half-up style, Daisy's full fringe framed her pretty face, whilst loose tresses cascaded down her shoulders.

Lining her hazel coloured eyes with a rim of kohl, she added some extra glamour with a bold red lip.

She finished off the look with a pair of glittering diamond earrings.

Strictly gorgeous: Finalist Louise Redknapp dazzled in a blue midi dress with a plunging neckline

Loving life: She cuddled up to her partner Kevin Clifton for the shots

Off she goes: Louise said: 'Im loving every minute of Strictly, so continuing my journey into 2017 is going to be a brilliant way to kick off the New Year!'

Happy pair: The couple beamed broadly for the cameras

Whilst Daisy may have received consistently high scores with her routines, she appeared to have a bit of trouble with one move at the photocall.

Showing her flexibility, the star hoisted her leg up with aplomb, but Aljaz didn't appear ready and a look of panic plastered his face.

Luckily, Daisy was able to retain her balance, and the pair posed up a storm for the camera.

Making moves: Finalist Danny Mac danced up a storm with pro partner Oti Mabuse

The couple were not alone on the dance floor, as they were joined by the host of celebrities and professional dancers returning to the Strictly ballroom.

The final line-up for the 2017 Strictly Come Dancing Live UK Tour was confirmed recently.

The pairings are Louise Redknapp and Kevin Clifton; Danny Mac and Oti Mabuse; Ore Oduba and Karen Clifton; Ed Balls and Katya Jones; Daisy Lowe and Aljaz Skorjanec; Lesley Joseph and Gorka Marquez.

Back with a bang: Strictly champion Ore Oduba has been partnered with Karen Clifton for the tour. His show partner, Joanne Clifton, cannot take part in the tour

Back with a bang: Strictly champion Ore Oduba has been partnered with Karen Clifton for the tour. His show partner, Joanne Clifton, cannot take part in the tour

Completing the line-up for group numbers and professional dances are six of this series fabulous professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Janette Manrara, AJ Pritchard and Chloe Hewitt, Oksana Platero and Neil Jones.

The celebrities and professional dancers will be joining tour judges Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood (who also directs the show) and Karen Hardy, along with 2017 tour host, Anita Rani.

Judge Rinder will also be making a special appearance in Manchester with partner Oksana.

She's back! Lesley Joseph is not partnered with Anton Du Beke for the tour but Gorka Marquez

Getting on famously; The duo seem to have had no problem getting into the swing of things

Speaking about returning to the dance floor, finalist Danny Mac gushed: 'Wow  what an amazing opportunity to perform in front of the huge arena audiences all over the country.

'Ive heard how amazing the live tour is and I cant wait to get out there!'

Meanwhile, Lesley Joseph enthused: 'This has been a very special Strictly series and I am very proud to have been part of it.

'But now I cant wait for the tour. Im getting ready to put my dancing shoes back on and hit the dance floor again!'

Finalist Louise Redknapp added: 'I really cant wait to dance my way around the UK!

'Im loving every minute of Strictly, so continuing my journey into 2017 is going to be a brilliant way to kick off the New Year!'

The gang's back together: The team huddled up together for a group shot

Here come the boys! The lads seemed in great spirits as they posed for snaps

Meanwhile, winner Ore Oduba was also feeling the excitement, saying: 'Taking part in Strictly has surpassed my wildest dreams.

'So much so its difficult to imagine life without it! The live tour means I dont have to wake up from this Strictly dream.

'I cant wait to travel the country with my friends and meet the fantastic audience that made our whole experience possible.'

The stars will begin their nationwide tour on Friday in the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham, before heading to Newcastle, Sheffield, Glasgow and many more.

Strictly sirens: Daisy and Louise will be going up against each other to score points

Strictly professional: Karen Clifton, Oti Mabuse and Katya Jones will be on the team

Two's company: Oksana Platero will dance with Judge Rinder in Manchester, whilst Anita Rani will be a guest judge on the Strictly tour

Lads on tour: Ed Balls, Ore Oduba and Danny Mac were dancing up a storm

Strictly satin: Giovanni Pernice and Alijaz Skorjanec will be on the tour as well

Here he is: Kevin Clifton will be performing on the tour with partner Louise
Britney Spears' budding relationship with Iranian fitness model Sam Asghari is being threatened by a woman claiming to be his current girlfriend.

Last Saturday, Femme X MB designer Morgan Osman posted (then deleted) an Instagram of her kissing the bearded bodybuilder - even tagging the 35-year-old pop diva.

'I have video and images of our REAL relationship. Britney he is using you,' the fame-hungry 27-year-old later told The Dirty.

Cheater? Britney Spears' budding relationship with Iranian fitness model Sam Asghari is being threatened by a woman claiming to be his current girlfriend

'So much fun the other day!' Last Saturday, Morgan Osman posted (then deleted) an Instagram of her kissing the bearded bodybuilder - even tagging the 35-year-old pop diva

'I don't know why everyone is attacking me, Sam Asghari is the cheater. I feel sorry for Britney Spears, she seems like a good person.'

Morgan's only claim to fame is appearing on two episodes of Oxygen's Bad Girls Club back in 2010 where she was nicknamed 'The Uber B****.'

The Miami native - whose fashion icon is Kim Kardashian West - was photographed outside Italian eatery Serafina Sunset in West Hollywood on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Grammy winner has been reportedly romancing Asghari as far back as November 26 and they've been spotted on numerous outings canoodling.

The fame-hungry 27-year-old told The Dirty: 'I have video and images of our REAL relationship. Britney he is using you. I don't know why everyone is attacking me, Sam Asghari is the cheater. I feel sorry for Britney Spears, she seems like a good person'

'I'm better than all the other girls': Morgan's only claim to fame is appearing on two episodes of Oxygen's Bad Girls Club back in 2010 where she was nicknamed 'The Uber B****'

The other woman? The Miami native - whose fashion icon is Kim Kardashian West - was photographed outside Italian eatery Serafina Sunset in West Hollywood on Monday

Last Friday, the Make Me... hitmaker posted a shirtless snap of the Royal Personal Training staffer captioned: 'Mad love for this one!'

Britney first met Sam on the set of her Colin Tilley-directed music video for Slumber Party, which was shot on October 25.

The Mississippi-born blonde also met her second ex-husband Kevin Federline on the job and they amicably co-parent their two sons - Sean, 11; and Jayden, 10.

Puppy love: Meanwhile, the Grammy winner has been reportedly romancing Asghari as far back as November 26 and they've been spotted on numerous outings canoodling

Last Friday, the Make Me... hitmaker posted a shirtless snap of the Royal Personal Training staffer captioned: 'Mad love for this one!'

On the payroll: Britney first met Sam on the set of her Colin Tilley-directed music video for Slumber Party, which was shot on October 25

'A lot of men are about games,' Spears lamented on The Jonathan Ross Show in October.

It's just the mind game with guys, the calling back and texting, its just too much, it's silly. Actually, I'm not looking for men right now, I'm really happy with myself. I'm not looking for anything, I'm fine with the way I am.'

The Clumsy crooner continues the 17th leg of her $95.3M-grossing, 217-concert Las Vegas residency this Friday at Planet Hollywood's AXIS.

They're getting so big! The Mississippi-born blonde also met her second ex-husband Kevin Federline on the job and they amicably co-parent their two sons - Jayden, 10; and Sean, 11

Spears lamented on The Jonathan Ross Show in October: 'It's just the mind game with guys, the calling back and texting, its just too much, it's silly. Actually, I'm not looking for men right now, I'm really happy with myself. I'm not looking for anything, I'm fine with the way I am'
They've been documenting their romantic jaunt across Europe on social media all week.

And it appears Sam Wood, 35, has had enough of the seemingly endless photos of himself with fiancee Snezana Markoski, 36.

The former Bachelor star jokingly mouthed 'no more selfies' in yet another loved-up Instagram snap from Italy on Thursday, shared by his Macedonian-born love - who acknowledged that 'every man has his limits.'

Over it: Sam Wood, 35, appears to have had enough of the seemingly endless photos of himself with fiancee Snezana Markoski, 36 as they document their jaunt across Europe

'Oh we're videoing, hi!' the budding fashion designer says while embracing her beau outside The Spanish Steps in Rome.

'No more selfies, no more... no more,' Sam quietly mouths drawing laughter from Snezana.

The Molecular Genetics graduate told fans that Sam was being a 'good sport' as they explored Italy.

He's a good sport: The former Bachelor star jokingly mouthed 'no more selfies' in yet another loved-up Instagram snap from Italy on Thursday, shared by his Macedonian-born love - who acknowledged that 'every man has his limits'

'He's a good sport but like every man has his limits! @samjameswood When you realize what he is mouthing to the camera #spanishsteps #italy #nomoreselfies #justonemore,' she captioned the clip.

In another sweet shot, the former reality TV stars are pictured embracing as they take a break from sightseeing.

The snaps come days after their visit to the UK's Edinburgh sparked speculation that a wedding could be imminent.

True love: In another sweet shot, the former reality TV stars are pictured embracing as they take a break from sightseeing

The beauty posted a selfie from Scotland's capital city on Wednesday, after Sam revealed earlier this month the couple plans to marry in Europe.

Snezana beamed as her beau stood beside her at Edinburgh Airport.

She wore a brown beanie to protect her long brown locks from the freezing temperatures, while Sam chose a plain white t-shirt with a mauve bomber jacket.

'Love this man,' she wrote as a hashtag under the photo, accompanied by a love heart emoji.

Plans: Snezana posted a selfie of the handsome couple to her Instagram on Wednesday, after Sam revealed earlier this month the couple had plans to marry in Europe

La Dolce Vita: Perhaps Rome could be their chosen wedding destination?

Lovebirds: The engaged couple visited the historic city of Edinburgh in a move that signified wedding bells might be imminent

Fans took turns teasing Sam's more serious stance in the snap's comments section.

'Pensive look into the distance perfected,' one said, before adding the laughter emoji.

'Now Snez, just how many selfies have you made Sam take?' another added.

Sam proposed to Snez three months after they fell in love on season three of The Bachelor with a ring worth $50,000.

Headed down the aisle: Sam proposed to Snez three months after they fell in love on season three of The Bachelor with a ring worth $50,000

He recently opened up during an interview with Today to reveal the lovebirds have decided to tie the knot in Europe.

'Snez likes to change her mind, so we're jumping all over the place. She's now decided she wants an overseas wedding,' the fitness instructor described.

'That's on the cards. She's Macedonian so we're looking for somewhere in Europe in the middle of this year,' he added.
The Victoria's Secret angels are heating up in Miami.

In new Instagram photos from the models' pages, the ladies are showing of their incredible assets.

The models include VS's finest: Sara Sampaio, Josephine Skriver, Lais Ribeiro and Elsa Hosk.

Sultry lady: Josephine Skriverand several other Victoria's Secret models added new photos on Instagram that show lingerie snapshots in Miami

How cheeky: The 23-year-old donned a negligee that showed off her muscular posterior

Sara looked smashing in her social media photo that shows off her beautiful complexion.

Her sparkling blue eyes stood out along with her dark brown hair and full lips.

She captioned the photo: 'Best day with my @victoriassecret family'

An angel, indeed: Elsa Hosk got sexy in a white bikini top with light brown bottoms

Josephine kept things sensual yet cheerful as she stripped down into some lavender lingerie.

In one shot, she let her hair flow down with tiny braids. In another, she smiled for the camera while letting her bare shoulders out.

This girl seemed to have a blast that day as she added more photos to her page.

Happy in Miami: The model donned a flannel top and jean shorts in one snapshot

Always down for a good time in her photo shoot, Josephine smiled in a flannel top and jean shorts.

In another shot, she wore a revealing negligee where she stood by a post and flashed her slender legs.

Her smooth skin was in full focus especially in her muscular thighs and backside.

Hot shoot: Sara Sampaio showed off her light blue eyes as a crew stood behind her

Peaceful background: Lais Ribeiro posed on an outside bed for one of her photos

Lais took things to a different level in breathtaking scenery of an outside bed.

The 26-year-old donned a white top with denim shorts as she posed on the bed with her hand wrapped around the post.

The pic was captioned: 'out Miami'

Star quality: The bombshell posted a black and white picture on Instagram that shows how much fun she had on her Miami photoshoot

Elsa got her sultriness on in her white bikini top with light brown bottoms. She stood near a body of water in a colored snapshot as well as a black and white one.

Bending a leg and putting her hand behind her head, the blonde proved that she is a striking beauty.

According to TMZ, these Victoria's Secret angels were wearing the minimal amount of lingerie legally allowed in public.

Cutie: Here Josephine took a selfie as a pal was photographed on the porch

Memorable trip: Sara and Josephine kept it silly on their trip on beauty photographer Russell James' Instagram page

Later, Hosk was seen in another country.

The beauty wore a green very skimpy bikini as she laid on a lounger with two towels in sunny Mexico.

The blonde had on glasses and was covering her mouth with her arm. Her caption read: 'Tulum.'
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She recently revealed she had Ninja Turtles and Superman toys growing up while other girls played with Barbies, in an interview with The Edit.

And Ruby Rose has evolved into a real-life action film star, with xXx: Return Of Xander Cage in cinemas now and John Wick and Resident Evil sequels in the works.

But the 30-year-old says that despite becoming a big screen daredevil she's really gentle at heart.

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Kick-ass: Ruby Rose has evolved into a real-life action film star, with xXx: Return Of Xander Cage in cinemas now and John Wick and Resident Evil sequels in the works

'I'm not particularly tough, I'm quite a sensitive soul,' the former TV presenter told The Sydney Morning Herald.

In xXx: Return Of Xander Cage she plays elite sniper Adele Wolff, the right-hand woman to Vin Diesel's lead character.

Her training for the intense role included taking her already intense workout schedule to new levels and shooting practice at a gun range in Los Angeles.

Regime: Her training for the intense role included taking her already intense workout schedule to new levels and shooting practice at a gun range in Los Angeles

During the interview, she also said she has become 'best friends' with xXx leading man Vin Diesel, revealing they FaceTime each day to stay in touch.

'Competing with Vin Diesel to get bigger muscles is just like something as a kid I never would have anticipated,' she gushed.

Ruby will next star in the sixth and final installment in the Resident Evil film series, where her character Abigail will fight to save humanity alongside Milla Jovovich.

In the action thriller John Wick: Chapter 2, due for release next month, she will play an assassin.

Besties: She described her relationship with Vin as 'best friends' and confessed they video chat on FaceTime each day to stay in touch

The Melbourne-born stunner has been drawn to movies since her bit part as Hannah in the 2013 Australian drama film Around The Block, which starred Christina Ricci.

And while she's professed to being tender at heart, Ruby sees the possibility of being rejected when she auditions for big roles as part of the process.

'The rejection side of things can take its toll,' she explained.

But you have to know that you're not getting rejected. Somebody else just did an amazing job and they want to make the film the best they can,' she continued.
She's the exhibitionist model, known for her fling with Justin Bieber.

And Sahara Ray, 23, made sure to show the pop star exactly what he's missing on Thursday, while enjoying a topless body paint session with her girlfriends in Bali.

The busty blonde, who is no stranger to raunchy selfies, was seen frolicking around a bedroom with two topless griflriends and dancing to Toploader's song Dancing In The Moonlight.

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Girls gone wild: Sahara Ray (L), 23, made sure to show Justin Bieber exactly what he's missing on Thursday, while enjoying a topless body paint session with her girlfriends in Bali

With a painting barely covering her ample assets, the daughter of Australian surfing legend Tony Ray giggled before lathering herself in colourful body paint.

'Painting death n stuff like that: 1 gypsy, 1 moon-angel, & one sparkle fairy. Theseeeee cheeky ones are so special to me@evesbali @madelinejoyrelph,' she captioned an Instagram clip.

The swimwear designer, who was born in Australia's Torquay but was raised in Santa Cruz, California, has been enjoying a very wild Indonesian getaway in recent days.

Woo hoo! The friends barely covered their ample assets with paintings

Baring it all: Sahara's gal pal beamed after covering herself in bright body paint while topless

Close friends: Sahara has enjoyed a jaunt in Bali with her close pals in recent days

From skinny dipping naked to inking herself with spontaneous tattoos, Sahara has documented the fun-filled trip for all to see on social media.

On Tuesday, the model was seen swimming completely naked under a remote waterfall.

In one video, the model is completely nude as she plays in the water, giving her fans glimpses of her body as she swims.

Cheeky! A topless blonde is seen flashing her G-string-clad derriere from the camera

Dating? Sahara, the daughter of legendary big wave surfer Tony Ray, was linked to Justin Bieber last year after the pair enjoyed a sexy 'fling' on holiday in Hawaii

Loves a nude dip: Sahara rose to fame last year after stripping down with pop star Justin Bieber for a skinny dip in Hawaii and on Tuesday, the model was back at it again

Peek-a-boob! The model is pictured putting on a busty display

She also poses topless with the waterfall in the background in a still image, in which she's used sunflower emojis to cover her breasts.

In yet another image she poses with a friend who is also topless, censoring her nipple with a draw on squiggle.

The same friend seems to appear in another shot where the two women open their mouths to catch raindrops.

Racy: In sultry videos showing the blonde playing in the water, Sahara shows off her curved derriere and gives her fans glimpses of her nudity as she swims

Happy when it rains: The model and a friend open their mouths to catch raindrops

As she continues to live the high life in California, the stunner recently insisted that she hasn't forgotten her Victorian roots and plans to settle down in her native country when she's ready to start a family.

'Australia is where I want to end up and I want to have kids here,' she told The Herald Sun in August.

Her comments came after she was spotted skinny dipping in Hawaii with 22-year-old Justin last year and the photos instantly sent his fans into a meltdown.

Exhibitionist: Sahara has over one million Instagram followers

Revealing: The swimwear designer has been posting a stream of risque images from the exotic Bali location where she has been on holiday the past month
Ariel Winter got topless and discussed one of her role models - Modern Family co-star Sofia Vergara - for a new interview posted Thursday.

'I had a great role model in Sofia growing up, with her being a curvy woman that was super proud of who she was and what she looked like,' the Sherman Oaks home owner - who turns 19 next week - explained to SELF Magazine.

'She could see that I was struggling a little bit with how to deal with my body, and was always trying to give me advice, like, "Here are some brands that would look good on our body type"; or "Wear whatever you want and feel good about yourself."'

'Being a curvy woman': Ariel Winter got topless and discussed one of her role models - Modern Family co-star Sofia Vergara - for a new interview posted Thursday

The four-time SAG Award winners are up for a fifth ensemble trophy when the glitzy ceremony airs January 29 on TNT/TBS.

Fans can catch Ariel and Sofia as Alex Dunphy and Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on the eighth season of their mockumentary sitcom, which airs Wednesdays on ABC.

The Sofia the First starlet also credited her former legal guardian/sister Shanelle Workman for helping her with her body acceptance.

'She's the type of person that is confident in her body. I look up to her so much,' Winter gushed.

The soon-to-be 19-year-old explained to SELF Magazine: 'She could see that I was struggling a little bit with how to deal with my body, and was always trying to give me advice'

Who will win? The four-time SAG Award winners are up for a fifth ensemble trophy when the glitzy ceremony airs January 29 on TNT/TBS

Caltech student/waitress: Fans can catch Ariel and Sofia as Alex Dunphy and Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on the eighth season of their mockumentary sitcom, which airs Wednesdays on ABC

'I would listen to her talk to me, saying, "It doesn't matter what other people think. You are who you are. It's not going to change. Love yourself for who you are. People are going to hate regardless of what you do.

'You could conform to everything they say, and they're still going to find something to pick. Or you could be yourself and be happy and not listen to what they say."'

Ariel still doesn't understand why she gets backlash for her scantily-clad ensembles from her 3.6M social media followers.

'They kind of glorify and objectify a lot of the things that I do, and I wish people would just see me as the normal 18-year-old that I am,' she lamented.

'I look up to her so much!' The Sofia the First starlet also credited her former legal guardian/sister Shanelle Workman for helping her with her body acceptance

'I'm just being me': Ariel still doesn't understand why she gets backlash for her scantily-clad ensembles from her 3.6M social media followers

She lamented: 'They kind of glorify and objectify a lot of the things that I do, and I wish people would just see me as the normal 18-year-old that I am. I'm doing the same things that everybody my age is doing'

'I'm doing the same things that everybody my age is doing...people are taking it and making it [seem] like

Im doing stuff that is crazy when really Im just being me. I wish people would see that.'

The 5ft1in brunette is currently Down Under visiting her boyfriend of two months, Levi Meaden, on the Sydney set of Pacific Rim: Uprising.

The aspiring federal prosecutor graduated from Campbell Hall School last June, and she plans on beginning her pre-law studies at UCLA this fall.

'Wuv uuu!' The 5ft1in brunette is currently Down Under visiting her boyfriend of two months, Levi Meaden, on the Sydney set of Pacific Rim: Uprising
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She launched her first accessories line, Pop & Suki, last autumn with her best friend Poppy Jamie.

And who better to model their wares than fashion muse Suki Waterhouse herself, with the blonde spotted on set during a photoshoot for the cute and covetable brand on Thursday.

The 25-year-old star hit the beach in Malibu, California, modelling a pretty teal dress with ruffle detailing - and a very sheer finish.

Model behaviour: Suki Waterhouse was spotted on set in Miami on Thursday during a photoshoot for her accessories brand Pop & Suki

Suki's cute arm candy - emblazoned with her name - was the perfect touch to complement the dreamy dress, which showed off a liberal amount of skin.

However, the British beauty flashed a little more than she bargained for by going braless in the floaty number, suffering an accidental nip slip.

The beauty queen sported her usual boho chic, bedhead tresses and a bronzed complexion, fresh from her recent trip to Barbados.

Oops: The British beauty flashed a little more than she bargained for by going braless in the floaty number, suffering an accidental nip slip

Daring to bare: The 25-year-old star hit the beach in Malibu , modelling a pretty teal dress with ruffle detailing - and a very sheer finish

Beach babe: The beauty queen sported her usual boho chic, beadhead tresses and a bronzed complexion, fresh from her recent trip to Barbados

Best of friends: Suki's best pal and brand co-creator Poppy was also seen on set as they shot the new ad for their super stylish accessories range

She sported a cute pair of silver flat sandals with bejewelled embellishment on the toes.

Suki's best pal and brand co-creator Poppy was also seen on set, laughing and joking on the shore.

At one point the girls waded into the water, dancing in the shallows as the photographer snapped some action shots.

Brr: At one point the girls waded into the water, covering up in coats once back on shore

Joint venture: Suki and TV presenter Poppy debuted their accessories line for Fall 2016,

Helping hand: Suki hitched a ride across the sand on the back of a friend

Victoriana chic: The girls both modelled pretty ruffled numbers for the shoot

Personalised items: Each bag can be affixed with kitch and girly charms and slogans

Vintage vehicle: The set for the fashion shoot also featured a cool classic car

Suki and TV presenter Poppy debuted their accessories line for Fall 2016, with each bag affixed with kitch and girly charms and slogans.

She told Vogue: 'We aimed to juxtapose functionality with femininitywe wanted elegant pieces that could withstand the wear and tear of busy lives.

'We were adamant that our range would be customizable so that everyone can stamp their own identity on their pieces', Poppy added.

Suki told Vogue : 'We aimed to juxtapose functionality with femininitywe wanted elegant pieces that could withstand the wear and tear of busy lives

Celebrating: The girls gave it their all as they danced by the water's edge

Poppy added: 'We were adamant that our range would be customizable so that everyone can stamp their own identity on their pieces'

Wrapping up warm: The fashion model ensured she kept warm in the January weather
IS lost nearly a quarter of its territory in 2016: report

The Islamic State group lost nearly a quarter of its territory in Iraq and Syria last year, according to a report released Thursday by research firm IHS Markit.

Between early January 2016 and the end of the year the Islamic State's self-declared "caliphate" fell from 78,000 to 60,400 square kilometres (47,500 to 38,500 square miles ), IHS Markit said.

The Islamic State suffered unprecedented territorial losses in 2016, including key areas vital for the groups governance project, said Columb Strack, head of IHS's Conflict Monitor.

Members of the Iraqi special forces Counter Terrorism Service celebrate in their military base in the town of Bartalla on January 18, 2017 after a top Iraqi commander announced they have fully retaken east Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) group Dimitar DILKOFF (AFP)

The figures for last year demonstrate further decline of IS-controlled land, which the research group said dropped from 90,800 to 78,000 square kilometres in 2015.

Iraqi forces are currently fighting to recapture Mosul from IS which overran the country's second city in early June 2014.

IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the so-called "caliphate" from Mosul and if government troops retake the city it would effectively end the group's claim of running a state.

The IHS Markit analysts estimate that IS fighters could be driven out of Mosul within months, ending the military operation launched on October 17.

"We expect Iraqi government forces to recapture Mosul before the second half of the year," Strack said.

The battle to regain IS's self-proclaimed capital of Raqa, in northern Syria, will however prove more difficult, according to IHS Markit.

"Raqa represents the core of the Islamic State and they are unlikely to leave without a fight.

"It would probably take a major ground intervention by one of the main external players, the US, Turkey, or Russian and Iranian-backed Syrian government forces, to expel the Islamic State from Raqa in 2017," said Strack.

A US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance has been battling since November 5 to drive IS from Raqa, taking large areas of northern Raqa province.
The pink 'pussyhat': symbol of challenge to Trump

New York actress Wendy Peace is learning to knit for the first time -- for a cause. She is one of thousands of women across America making hats for those marching Saturday in a giant protest against Donald Trump.

But they are not just woolly hats. They are pink "pussyhats" -- with cat ears.

More than 60,000 hats have already been made for the Women's March planned the day after Trump's inauguration in the nation's capital, with thousands more on the way.

A group gathers at Knitty City in New York on January 17, 2017 to make pink Pussyhats in preparation for protests for women's rights following the election of Donald Trump William EDWARDS (AFP)

"It's not just a protest, it's a call for action," says Peace, explaining that she picked up the knitting needles because she was so moved by the expression of solidarity after the most divisive US election in living memory.

Marchers say they want to vent against an incoming Republican administration they fear will roll back women's rights.

The PussyHat Project all began when two California women went online to post a knitting pattern for a "unique collective visual statement" for the march, which is being attended by the likes of Katy Perry, Julianne Moore and Cher.

Since then, the response has been overwhelming.

Organizers chose the play on words for "pussycat" and "pussy" in an attempt to claim back the derogatory term for female genitalia that Trump used about groping women in a leaked "Access Hollywood" tape.

- Reclaim the word -

At Knitty City, a cozy yarn studio in Manhattan, about 20 women wearing pink "pussyhats" chat as they knit hats for other protesters.

"It's very emotional," Peace told AFP, shedding a tear.

"We are trying to take back the word pussy and I think unfortunately a lot of us has been grabbed in the pussy and I think it's really important that we stand together."

The vast majority of New York voted for Trump's rival, Democratic former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who won the popular vote but lost her bid to become the first woman president of the world's most powerful democracy.

"One hat is a curiosity, but 100,000 hats is a movement," says Maxine Levinson, 68, who has already made 15 of them and who has been teaching at Knitty City since the store opened.

"Knitting is a way to alleviate your anxiety, to alleviate the anger that you might have," she explains. "It's a connection with women that are marching."

Despite sex assault allegations, fat-shaming a former beauty queen and taking a controversial stance on abortion, Trump won 42 percent of the women's vote and a majority -- 53 percent -- of votes from white women.

Millions of women who did not vote for him now worry that gender rights and other progress on women's health care, access to contraception and abortion could be chipped away under his administration.

- Resilience -

"We still don't have financial equality, we want that in the workplace, but more importantly we don't want to see the rights we fought and have won for taken away," said Levinson.

"We want health care, to support Planned Parenthood. We don't want the government to tell us what we can and can't do with our bodies," she said.

"We want rights for immigrants, we want voting rights."

Although the organizers distributed a pattern and recommend a particular type of fuchsia yarn from Uruguay -- many have their own take, embellishing the design and mixing colors from rose to violet and black.

New Yorker Cecile Helgesen, 49, and her 10-year-old daughter Scarlett are both planning to march in Washington.

"It's important for her to know that there are a lot of other women out there that will support her no matter what, and that our number is so much more than one single man," said Helgesen of her daughter.

"Relaxation, learning to do things by yourself, resilience and independence -- they are all things you can learn from knitting," she said.
Hotly tipped Pliskova continues impressive Australian Open march

Fifth seed Karolina Pliskova continued her impressive march through the Australian Open Thursday, and is beginning to believe she could be on track for a Grand Slam to remember.

The towering Czech star dished out a 6-0, 6-2 lesson to hapless Russian qualifier Anna Blinkova in the second round and has only dropped four games so far in two matches.

She hasn't lost this year, lifting the trophy in this month's Brisbane International, and her confidence is running high.

Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova celebrates after beating Russia's Anna Blinkova in their Australian Open second round match, in Melbourne, on January 19, 2017 SAEED KHAN (AFP)

"I'm feeling pretty good on the court, confident. I have some matches already that I won this year. I didn't lose yet, which is also a good thing," she said.

"I think I'm playing good, even though the opponents were not that high level, I would say.

"Third round is going to definitely be more tough than the first two. Also people are saying I have a good chance to win a Grand Slam, but we are just in third round, so let's see."

Awaiting her next is Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko, who upset 31st seed Yulia Putintseva in straight sets.

If she beats Ostapenko, as form suggests she will, a potential quarter-final against third seed Agnieszka Radwanska will be within Pliskova's sights.

But the Czech star, who broke through last year in making the US Open final, losing to Angelique Kerber, is taking nothing for granted.

"I'm expecting a tough match, but hopefully I can still improve my level and play it a bit better," she said of Ostapenko. "Hopefully it's going to be enough."

Blinkova, in her Grand Slam debut aged only 18 and ranked 189 in the world, never stood a chance in warm sunshine on Margaret Court Arena.

It was her first match against a top 10 opponent and she was out of her depth, struggling with her first serve and her returning.

Power server Pliskova gave no ground and raced through the first set in just 25 minutes, with Blinkova winning only 12 points.

Ranked at a career-high five in the world, the tall and tattooed 24-year-old was in no mood to give an inch and romped 4-0 in front in the second set before Blinkova finally held serve.

She raised her arm in the air and got huge cheers from the crowd, and then held serve for a second time before Pliskova wrapped up a routine victory.
North Korea is preparing to test another missile, with the country's eccentric leader Kim Jong-un possibly planning a high-profile launch to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President on Friday.

The Yonhap news agency, quoting high-level South Korean and US military sources, said two new missiles had been loaded onto mobile launchers.

They were believed to be equipped with new engines that the North tested last April, when Pyongyang said they would 'guarantee' an eventual nuclear strike on the US mainland.

The missiles' existence appeared to have been intentionally leaked by Pyongyang, according to Yonhap, to send a 'strategic message' to incoming US president Donald Trump, due to be sworn in on Friday.

Kim said recently the country was in the final stages of developing inter-continental ballistic missiles.

A rocket is launched during a demonstration last year of a new multiple rocket launching system, attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

In his New Year address Kim Jong-un (pictured) said North Korea had 'entered the final stage of preparation for the test launch of intercontinental ballistic missile'

Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University in South Korea, said an imminent missile test was 'highly plausible'.

He told CNN: 'Judging by earlier behaviour they usually like to greet a newly elected American president with some kind of nice surprise like a nuclear test or missile launch.'

Meanwhile satellite images of the Yongbyon nuclear facility showed various preparations had been taking place, suggesting the North Koreans were about to resume production of plutonium.

Donald Trump (pictured) will be inaugurated on Friday, which may be the moment when North Korea decides to launch its latest missile

Satellite images taken earlier this week show construction activity at the Yongbyon plant, which is central to the North's nuclear programme

The Pentagon has reportedly deployed a high-tech sea-based X-band radar system to keep watch for a possible North Korean long-range missile launch in the coming months.

Kim said recently the country was in the final stages of developing inter-continental ballistic missiles.

Pyongyang's missile programme and its pursuit of nuclear arms have seen it repeatedly sanctioned by the UN Security Council.

But last year Trump said he would be willing to invite Kim to the United States to discuss the nuclear issue.

He said: 'Who the hell cares? I'll speak to anybody. There's a 10 percent or 20 percent chance I could talk him out of having his damn nukes, because who the hell wants him to have nukes?'

Satellite images of the Yongbyon facility suggest the North may be preparing to resume production of plutonium, which is needed for creating nuclear weapons

Kim Jong-un has been getting closer and closer to his aim of building an intercontinental nuclear missile capable of hitting the United States

In his closely-watched New Year speech Kim Jong-un said the country had significantly bolstered its nuclear deterrent in 2016, pointing to a string of nuclear and missile tests last year.

Analysts are divided over how close Pyongyang is to realising its full nuclear ambitions, especially as it has never successfully test-fired an ICBM.

But all agree it has made enormous strides in that direction since Kim took over as leader from his father Kim Jong-Il, who died in December 2011.

A senior US defence official said last month the North has developed the capability to pair a nuclear warhead with a missile and launch it.

But it has not mastered the ability to bring the weapon back from space and onto a target, he said.
Hamas halts electricity protests, but anger remains

The 25-year-old nicknamed Guevara because of his admiration for the Latin American revolutionary had returned to his home in Gaza after days of hiding, but was not giving up.

He had avoided home after a warning that Hamas security forces were looking for him due to his role as an organiser of recent protests over severe electricity shortages.

In a mock army jacket and with a Che Guevara-like beard, Mohammed Al-Taluli was being greeted by dozens of supporters from his neighbourhood of Jabalia, a crowded, overgrown refugee camp north of Gaza City.

Palestinians protest against the ongoing electricity crisis in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on January 12, 2017 MOHAMMED ABED (AFP/File)

"We are going to continue asking for our humanitarian demands," he said while seated at a plastic table in a room in his home he called his office.

Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, has managed to end a recent series of protests over the electricity crisis with a security crackdown and aid from Qatar used to purchase more fuel.

But frustration in places like Jabalia remains, and there are once again warnings that deteriorating conditions in the Palestinian enclave of two million people may be leading to a larger eruption of anger.

Gazans face electricity shortages all year, but the problem is exacerbated in winter and mid-summer, when power usage spikes.

The Hamas authorities in the coastal enclave usually provide electricity in eight-hour intervals, but supply was reduced to four hours this month.

- 'No security solution' -

Protests began modestly, with dozens of people holding candles, before culminating on January 12 with thousands marching in Jabalia towards the electricity company.

Hamas security forces fired into the air to disperse the crowd, carried out arrests and hit an AFP photographer who required stitches to his face.

Further protests were prevented by a show of force by Hamas security.

Perhaps sensing the urgency, Hamas sought help, including from Turkey and Qatar, which agreed to donate $12 million for fuel purchases.

On Monday, Hamas said it was returning to eight-hour electricity -- and was releasing all those arrested in connection with the protests.

A Gaza government spokesman argued that Jabalia protesters were attacking security forces and public buildings, but also said that Hamas was responding to demands by working to improve electricity supply.

"There is no security solution," Salama Maroof told AFP.

Che Guevara admirer Taluli felt safe enough to return home after the announcement that those arrested would be released, but for him and others, the electricity shortages are only one in a series of frustrations.

Many young people feel trapped between Hamas's strict rule and Israel's blockade of the enclave, which has been in place for about a decade and prevents them from leaving.

Egypt's border with Gaza has also remained largely closed, and unemployment is around 42 percent.

Three wars since 2008 between Palestinian militants in Gaza and Israel have left behind death and destruction, not to mention psychological scars.

Even those with longtime businesses have suffered.

"I need electricity for more than eight hours to complete my work for the customers," said 29-year-old Mohamed Abu Sharaf, whose family has had a print shop in Gaza City for 40 years.

As he spoke, the electricity cut again.

- 'Strong message' -

The reasons for the electricity shortages are multi-layered, with the first simply a lack of capacity.

Gaza has one power plant that runs on diesel fuel and which has been previously bombed by Israel.

It also imports electricity from Israel and Egypt, but it is not nearly enough.

Ageing power lines and theft add to the problem, with Gaza losing up to 20 percent of electricity that makes its way onto the grid, Maroof said.

The recent shortages were complicated by a dispute with the Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank and dominated by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party.

Fatah and Hamas remain divided despite repeated attempts at reconciliation.

The Palestinian Authority handles fuel purchases from Israel since the Israeli authorities do not deal directly with Hamas, which they consider a terrorist organisation.

The PA then requires Hamas to reimburse it for bills and taxes, but Gaza's electricity company faces cash shortages because many customers do not pay.

Maroof said the company should collect some $13 million per month, but only manages around $6 million.

He blamed it on poverty and simple reluctance to pay, while calling the PA's taxes excessive.

Many Gaza residents are well aware of the complications, but have become fed up.

Those who know the situation well say Hamas must be seen as responding to their frustrations.
Many Iran firefighters feared trapped in building collapse

Rescue workers in Tehran were desperately hunting for firefighters trapped under the rubble after a fire Thursday led to the collapse of Iran's oldest high-rise, the 15-storey Plasco building.

Officials had yet to confirm if anyone had been killed, but Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told state television that between 20 and 25 firefighters were thought to be inside when the building fell.

Three people were pulled alive from the rubble and taken to hospital, the head of Tehran's emergency services said, according to the ISNA news agency.

More than 200 firefighters battled the blaze at the 15-storey Plasco building in Tehran, on January 19, 2017

At least 70 firefighters were injured and 23 hospitalised as they rushed to evacuate the building, which had been on fire for around four hours before it crumbled, the head of emergency services told state television.

Some 200 firefighters had been tackling the blaze at the Plasco building, which dated from the 1960s and included a shopping centre and clothing workshops.

Dramatic images showed flames pouring out of the top floors just before it came down live on television.

"I was inside and suddenly I felt the building is shaking and is about to collapse. As we gathered colleagues and got out, a minute later the building collapsed," said Ali, a firefighter at the scene.

Local media said the workshops were especially full of clothes in the build-up to Nowruz, the Iranian new year, which falls in March.

President Hassan Rouhani called for an immediate investigation into the causes of the incident, calling it "unfortunate and sorrowful".

"More than 30 times we warned the building's owners that it was not safe, but unfortunately they did not pay attention," said Shahram Gilabadi, spokesman for the municipality.

Fire brigade spokesman Jalal Malekias said the building was known to breach safety standards.

"Even in the stairwells, a lot of clothing is stored and this is against safety standards. The managers didn't pay attention to the warnings," he told state television, adding that it lacked sufficient fire extinguishers.

- 'Thousands ruined' -

The steel skeleton of the building could be seen bending down to the ground as around 100 fire engines and dozens of ambulances surrounded the area.

Smoke was still pouring from the street hours later.

Firefighters caked in soot wept outside the building as the hunt for their colleagues continued, and local media showed Tehranis queueing to donate blood.

"I've lost my entire stock. Thousands of families have been ruined," said Ahmad, the owner of one of the 400 shops and business units.

The Plasco building was the first high-rise and shopping centre in Tehran and was the city's tallest building when it was finished in 1962, before being dwarfed by the construction boom of later years.

It was built by Habibollah Elghanian, a prominent Iranian-Jewish businessman who was arrested for ties to Israel and sentenced to death and executed after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The fire is thought to have begun on the ninth floor and spread quickly to workshops above.

Firefighters were initially able to bring it under control but it quickly flared up and the building fell four hours after the fire had started, at around 11:30 am (0800 GMT).

A crisis meeting was held at the scene with Tehran's governor, police chiefs and officials from the Red Crescent. The army was also deployed to assist with the rescue effort.

"There were a number of people inside but we don't know how many and the fire brigade organisation is going to announce how many were there," Tehran police chief Hossein Sajedinia told AFP.

"Even one would be too many," he added.

At least 70 firefighters were injured while battling the inferno, according to the head of Tehran's emergency services

The steel structure of the 15-storey Plasco building was bent out of shape by the ferocity of the blaze in Tehran, on January 19, 2017

An Iranian firefighter consoles his comrade after the collapse of the 15-storey Plasco building in Tehran, on January 19, 2017
2016 deadliest year for journalists in Afghanistan: watchdog

Afghanistan suffered its deadliest year on record for journalists in 2016, according to a report released Thursday which said the country is the second most dangerous for reporters in the world after Syria.

As least 13 journalists were killed last year, the Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee (AJSC) said, adding that the Taliban was behind at least ten of the deaths.

The committee also found 101 cases of violence against the media in 2016, a 38 percent increase on 2015, underscoring the threat against a small band of media workers who put their lives on the line to report events in their war-torn country.

Mourners carry the coffin of Saeed Jawad Hossini, 29, who was killed in a suicide attack on a minibus carrying employees of Afghan TV channel Tolo, in Kabul, on January 21, 2016 SHAH MARAI (AFP/File)

"This increase in violence against journalists has turned Afghanistan into the second most dangerous country for journalists in the world, after Syria," Najib Sharifi, chairman of the committee, told reporters on Thursday.

The report noted that a shift in the Taliban's policy towards the media was the "main driver of the increase in the level of threats and deadly violence against journalists".

In January last year, seven employees of popular TV channel Tolo, often critical of the insurgents, were killed in a Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul in what the militant group said was revenge for "spreading propaganda" against them.

It was the first major attack on an Afghan media organisation since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001 and spotlighted the dangers faced by media workers in Afghanistan as the security situation worsens amid a growing wave of militant attacks.

In June, American journalist David Gilkey and his Afghan translator were killed in a rocket attack by the Taliban in southern Helmand province.

But the report also noted that the majority of violent incidents against journalists were carried out by government forces, with the European Union criticising the "alarming" trend.

"The government should do its utmost to bring perpetrators of threats, attacks and killing of journalists to justice," the EU delegation to Afghanistan said in a statement.
Taiwan tells Beijing to grow up over Trump ceremony row

China should not be so "narrow-minded", Taiwan said Thursday, after Beijing pressed Washington to block the island from attending Donald Trump's inauguration.

A former premier will lead Taipei's delegation as foreign dignitaries from around the world descend on the US capital for the president-elect's swearing in.

But Beijing has asked the US to bar the self-ruling island it sees as a renegade province and part of "one China" to be reunified.

A magazine featuring US President-elect Donald Trump is seen at a bookstore in Beijing on December 12, 2016 GREG BAKER (AFP/File)

"We urge again the American side not to allow any Taiwanese official delegation to attend the US presidential inauguration ceremony and to have any kind of official contact with Taiwan," said Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China's ministry of foreign affairs, at a regular press briefing Thursday.

Former premier Yu Shyi-kun, who is leading Taiwan's delegation hit back.

"Don't be so small," Yu, who belongs to the ruling Beijing-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party, was quoted as saying by Taiwan's state Central News Agency.

"There hasn't been any leader with such a narrow mind in all Chinese dynasties," added Yu, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Since Trump was elected in November, there have been a series of diplomatic upsets, with China incensed by a protocol-smashing phone call between the billionaire and Taiwan's leader Tsai Ing-wen.

It was further angered by Trump's suggestion that the "one China" policy could be negotiable and demanded Washington ban Taipei from the inauguration.

A Taiwanese delegation has attended in previous years, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, but never includes the island's president.

Washington remains Taiwan's most powerful ally and arms supplier even though it switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

Chiu Chui-cheng, spokesman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council which handles China affairs, called Beijing's rhetoric "unhelpful for the normal development" of relations.

"There is no need for China to restrict or suppress Taiwan's regular interactions and exchanges with the US", he said.

Taiwan's delegation also includes some legislators including pro-independence rocker-turned-politician Freddy Lim of the New Power Party, which is calling for Taiwan to be recognised internationally as a country.

Ties with China have turned increasingly frosty since Tsai took office last year, with Beijing cutting off official communication with her government.
Hong Kong's 'Mr Pringles' announces leadership bid

Hong Kong's former finance chief John Tsang announced Thursday his bid to run for leader, promising to resolve conflict after a tumultuous period which has seen major anti-Beijing protests.

The city has become sharply divided under outgoing chief executive Leung Chun-ying, who opponents cast as a puppet of the Chinese government squeezing the semi-autonomous city's freedoms.

Nicknamed "Mr Pringles" for his resemblance to the crisp brand's mascot, a smiling Tsang, 65, held up his phone to reveal a cartoon sticker of himself in the style of the moustachioed Pringles icon as he announced his candidacy.

Hong Kong's former finance chief John Tsang speaks at a press conference to announce his candidacy for the 2017 Hong Kong chief executive elections, on January 19, 2017 ISAAC LAWRENCE (AFP)

Tsang is seen as more moderate than Leung, but is still an establishment figure and slammed those seeking independence for Hong Kong as an "extreme minority".

He will go head-to-head with Leung's tough former deputy Carrie Lam, who is seen as Beijing's favoured candidate for the vote in March.

"What I fear most is that the confrontation and conflicts that we have seen in our society recently have eroded permanently our courage and confidence to seek solutions," Tsang said, adding that he wanted to garner support from across the political spectrum.

"Looking back on history, darkness always gives way to light," said Tsang, who served as finance secretary for nine years.

Describing the city as being at a "historic juncture" Tsang said he wanted to stem emigration as residents consider jumping ship because of political uncertainties, a widening wealth gap and sky-high housing costs.

He compared their anxiety to the atmosphere in the lead-up to Britain handing Hong Kong back to China in 1997, which prompted some residents to leave.

Having emigrated from Hong Kong as a teenager to live in the United States before returning in 1982, Tsang sought to bolster his patriotic credentials.

"You all may know that I have practiced martial arts since I was little -- but you may not know that while in the US I once was involved in a fight because a person insulted Chinese people to my face," Tsang said.

He also emphasised the importance of relations with China saying the city could benefit from "a motherland that is welcoming the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation", a phrase often used by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Democracy activists say whoever becomes the next leader will not truly represent Hong Kong because they will be chosen by a 1,200 member election committee made up of special interest groups skewed towards Beijing.

A Beijing-backed proposal which said the public could vote for their own chief executive but must choose from vetted candidates led to mass protests in 2014 and the plan was eventually voted down by pro-democracy lawmakers.

Since then, the political reform process has stalled.

When asked if he would kick-start it, Tsang said the government would need a "proper dialogue" to see if any compromise was possible.
Adama Barrow 'to be sworn in at Gambian embassy in Senegal'

Gambia's president-elect Adama Barrow will be sworn in at the country's embassy in Dakar, Senegal, his spokesman told AFP on Thursday.

"It is going to take place at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, they have changed the venue, at 4:00 pm (1600 GMT)," spokesman Halifa Sallah said.

Organisers had planned a large ceremony in a stadium near the Gambian capital, Banjul, but were forced to change plans due to the political crisis caused by incumbent Yahya Jammeh's refusal to step down following a disputed December 1 election.

Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow won an election seven weeks ago and was initially set to become president in a peaceful handover of power this week SEYLLOU (AFP/File)

Jammeh, who has ruled the country for 22 years and whose mandate expired at midnight (0000 GMT), has attempted to block the inauguration with a court ruling and by declaring a state of emergency.

Barrow is in Senegal until he can return safely, and Senegalese troops backed by Nigerian forces and fighter jets are gathered on the border with The Gambia.
Iraq forces clear east Mosul ahead of push for west bank

Iraqi forces battled the last holdout jihadists in east Mosul Thursday after commanders declared victory there and quickly set their sights on the city's west, where more tough fighting awaits.

The announcement that the left bank of the Tigris River that divides Mosul had been retaken was a key milestone in an offensive that began three months ago but could yet last several more.

Staff General Talib al-Sheghati, who heads the Counter-Terrorism Service spearheading the fighting in Mosul, declared the left bank "liberated" at a big press conference on Wednesday.

Iraqi Staff General Talib al-Sheghati (C) speaks during a press conference in the town of Bartalla, east of Mosul, on January 18, 2017 Dimitar DILKOFF (AFP)

Iraqi forces were still fighting there on Thursday, flushing out fighters from the Islamic State group in northern neighbourhoods east of the river.

According to the Joint Operations Command coordinating the fight against IS, federal forces retook a large hotel and a presidential compound. They also recaptured the town of Talkif, further north, which they had besieged for weeks.

Only a handful of areas on the east bank remained to be cleared, including the neighbourhood of Rashidiyah, commanders said.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said around the new year that ridding the country of IS, which seized around a third of it in 2014, could take three more months.

He had initially promised to do so by the end of 2016 and many observers have argued his new timetable was still optimistic.

Before Iraq launched its massive offensive against IS-held Mosul on October 17, the west bank had always been thought to be where federal forces would meet the toughest resistance.

- 'Hardest fight' -

But elite troops struggled in the east too and only broke the back of the jihadists there in recent days, after stepped up coordination and increased aerial and advisory support from the US-led coalition.

Once they have fully secured the east coast, Iraqi forces will need to tackle the west bank of the river, which is a little smaller but more densely populated.

Patrick Martin, Iraq analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said the worst may be yet to come.

"The coalition and the ISF (Iraqi security forces) should plan for western Mosul to be the hardest fight in Mosul," he said.

"It is denser urban terrain, with older neighbourhoods and narrower streets that will make clearing operations challenging.

"IS and Sunni insurgent groups also have had historical support zones in western Mosul," he added, warning that federal forces advancing in the streets could encounter more hostile residents than they have on the eastern side.

The UN estimates about 750,000 people still live on Mosul's west bank, which includes the old city and key landmarks such as the mosque where IS supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed his "caliphate" in June 2014.

Colonel John Dorrian, spokesman of the US-led coalition that has dropped close to 10,000 munitions on IS targets in the Mosul area since the operation began, said the battle would be tough but argued the jihadists had also been severely weakened since October.

- Fears for civilians -

"They lost a lot of fighters, a lot of resources, a lot of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and a lot of weapons during the first half of this battle," he said.

"The city is for all intents and purposes surrounded so they won't be able to resupply or reinforce whatever remains," he explained.

Unlike most of the previous major battles to retake Iraqi cities from IS, the current offensive did not empty Mosul of its population.

The UN and other relief organisations had planned for an unprecedented exodus of up to one million people but so far about 150,000 civilians have been displaced as a result of the Mosul offensive.

The presence of so many residents in west Mosul as IS fights to the death for its last major bastion in Iraq was a concern, however.

"Many families have escaped the horrors of Mosul, but at least 300,000 children remain trapped in the west of the city and now face the prospect of a brutal siege," said Misty Buswell of Save the Children.

"Children have already paid a heavy price during the battles for the east, with civilians so far making up nearly half of all casualties in the conflict," she said.

"In the narrow and densely populated streets of the west, in Mosul's old city, children and their families run an even greater risk of being caught in the crossfire or being hit by bombs."

Members of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) celebrate in their military base in the town of Bartalla on January 18, 2017 after a top Iraqi commander announced that have they fully retaken east Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) group Dimitar DILKOFF (AFP)

Members of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service patrol in front of the Nabi Yunus shrine in eastern Mosul on January 18, 2017 Dimitar DILKOFF (AFP)
End ban on women driving, UN expert tells Saudi

Saudi Arabia's government should end the kingdom's ban on women driving and reform the male guardianship system, a United Nations independent expert said on Thursday.

Philip Alston spoke at the end of a 12-day visit during which he met cabinet ministers, people living in poverty, activists, Islamic experts and others.

"My concern is that the government is in fact deferring to a relatively small portion of conservative voices," Alston told a news conference.

Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia Fayez Nureldine (AFP/File)

This is obstructing the economic and social progress which the oil-rich kingdom aims to achieve under its Vision 2030 wide-ranging reform programme, said Alston, the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.

"So I feel very strongly that the kingdom should move to enable women to drive cars," said Alston, an independent expert who reports to the UN's Human Rights Council.

He said features of the guardianship system which hinder women's ability to work and travel "need to be reformed."

Under that system a male family member, normally the father, husband or brother, must grant permission for a woman's study, travel and other activities.

Officials have argued that society is not ready for women driving but Alston says the government must take an activist role.

"The role of the government is to work out how it can change the policy and how it can change attitudes," he said, calling for an educational campaign.

Alston, an Australian legal expert, said driving and guardianship are very much related to poverty. Women in low-paying retail jobs, for example, cannot afford to hire drivers.

- 'Ambivalent' on rights -

He said he visited Jazan, in the kingdom's southwest, because it is the poorest part of the country, although there are "major problems" in the east as well.

In Jazan he found conditions "that I think would shock Saudi citizens." Most of those people in "extraordinarily poor conditions" there are Yemenis who arrived 50 years ago and -- like other foreigners -- do not have Saudi citizenship.

"There needs to be a plan to more systematically address their situation," Alston said, but most people he met in Saudi Arabia did not acknowledge that poverty exists in the world's biggest oil exporter.

He added that, although the government was very cooperative with his visit, he was given no data on the number of people considered poor.

"That is either an act of concealing the information that is available, or it's a serious indictment of the system."

Alston also called on the government to "liberalise" its approach to social media, after he received reports of "instances in which it has cracked down on certain people" communicating over the internet.

"I think the kingdom has long had an ambivalent relationship to human rights," but Vision 2030 is a chance for rights to be "a key part" of the progress which Saudi Arabia has embraced in so many areas, he said.

As part of its economic reforms the kingdom is reducing fuel and electricity subsidies, supplemented by compensation for the needy.

But Alston said in a written statement that there is no "coherent or comprehensive plan to achieve social protection for all those in need."
Nigeria plans inquiry into botched air strike that killed 70

Nigeria on Thursday gave details of a formal probe into a botched air strike that killed at least 70 people, as aid workers feared the bloodshed could affect vital humanitarian programmes.

More than 100 people, many of them children, were injured in the bombing at a camp for people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in Rann, in the country's northeast, on Tuesday.

Six local Red Cross workers who were distributing food to between 20,000 and 40,000 people living in makeshift shelters at the camp were among the dead.

Survivors look at the aftermath of the bombing by the Nigerian air force of a camp for displaced people in Rann, northeast Nigeria, on January 17, 2017

The Nigerian Air Force said a board of inquiry comprising six senior officers would investigate the bombing, and had initially been presented with a list of 20 witnesses.

"Among its terms of reference, the board is to determine the immediate and remote causes as well as the circumstances that led to the incident," it said in a statement.

The board will submit its report no later than February 2, it added.

Military commanders have already called the bombing a mistake, blaming it on "the fog of war".

They said the intended target was jihadists reportedly spotted in the Kala-Balge area, of which Rann is part.

The Nation newspaper, sympathetic to President Muhammadu Buhari, attributed the bombing to a "failure of intelligence" caused by information provided by a "foreign country", without elaborating.

Boko Haram, which wants to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria, has laid waste to the area since taking up arms against the government in 2009.

At least 20,000 have been killed and more than 2.6 million made homeless.

On December 24, Nigeria said it had flushed Boko Haram fighters from their stronghold in the Sambisa Forest of Borno state and that the group was in disarray. But attacks on troops and civilians continue.

- Two bombs -

Alfred Davies, a field coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), and one of the injured victims who spoke to AFP, said the air force dropped at least two bombs.

In an account made public by the medical charity, Davies said the first landed just metres (yards) away from the Red Cross office.

"The plane circled back and it dropped a second bomb five minutes later," he said, adding that they were "dropped on houses".

He added: "There are no words to describe the chaos. Some people had broken bones and torn flesh; their intestines hanging down to the floor. I saw the bodies of children that had been cut in two."

MSF arrived in Rann last weekend to vaccinate children and screen for malnutrition, which has gripped the region and left hundreds of thousands of people in dire need of help.

The town, near the shores of Lake Chad and the border with Cameroon, was previously inaccessible because of insecurity, and people were dying of hunger, Davies said.

"The army that was meant to protect them bombed them instead," he said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said 61 injured people were airlifted to its specialist trauma unit in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.

Of those, 28 were children, seven were women and 26 were men, it added.

- 'Huge setback' -

International aid agencies have condemned the bombing of civilians, who are facing extreme food shortages because of the conflict, as well as having lost their livelihoods and families.

One aid worker, who asked not to be identified, described the incident as "horrifying" and "a huge setback to humanitarian work in the northeast".

"It has instilled fear and uncertainty in the humanitarian organisations," the aid worker told AFP.

"The bombing has made the security situation in northern Borno murkier, and international aid agencies who carry out most of the humanitarian interventions more cautious in venturing into remote areas where their interventions are needed most."

That could lead aid agencies to restrict their work to more secure locations, which would leave "a large number" of the displaced without any assistance.

"Aid agencies work in a complementary way in which each focuses on specific humanitarian roles for effective humanitarian services to the displaced," the aid worker said.

"When one or more aid agencies pulls out of a location, humanitarian work suffers because some components will be missing."

Map locating Rann in Nigeria where according to ICRC 70 people were killed in an air strike described by authorities as a mistake
Nigeria's Buhari heads to Britain for medical treatment

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari's office said on Thursday he was to travel to London for health checks -- the second time in less than a year he has gone to Britain for medical treatment.

The presidency said the 74-year-old would "undergo routine medical check-ups" during a short holiday and was expected to resume work on February 6.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will be in charge during Buhari's absence, according to a statement.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari speak to the press in Paris in September 2015 BERTRAND GUAY (AFP/File)

Buhari was last in London in June 2016 for treatment to what the presidency described as a persistent inner ear infection, which caused him to pull out of several scheduled engagements.

Wealthier Nigerians frequently travel overseas for medical treatment because of the poor state of healthcare in the West African nation.

But the president's decision sparked anger, including from the country's medical association, which said it contradicted Buhari's pledge of ending medical tourism.

The health of Nigeria's president has long been a sensitive issue.

President Umaru Yar'Adua died in 2010 from a long-standing, but undisclosed, kidney condition.

Before Yar'Adua, the military ruler Sani Abacha died in 1998, officially from a heart attack, but rumours of a more lurid cause of death persist.

Buhari himself has had to respond to claims about his health: during the 2015 election campaign that brought him to power, his opponents claimed he was "mortally ill" from prostate cancer.
New Gambia president to take oath in Senegal

Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow was to be sworn in Thursday at the country's embassy in Senegal as incumbent Yahya Jammeh stood firm, refusing to quit despite threats of military intervention.

A regional force massed on the Senegal-The Gambia border ahead of a UN Security Council vote due at 1800 GMT Thursday expected to endorse west African efforts to ensure a transfer of power.

Barrow's inauguration was due to take place at the Gambian embassy in Dakar at 4:00 pm (1600 GMT), his spokesman Halifa Sallah told AFP.

Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow won an election seven weeks ago and was initially set to become president in a peaceful handover of power this week SEYLLOU (AFP/File)

Two giant screens were to be set up outside the small embassy premises and a live transmission provided by state broadcaster RTS.

As Jammeh's mandate expired at midnight (0000 GMT) with no sign of him stepping down after 22 years at the helm, troops from Nigeria and Ghana were to join hundreds of Senegalese soldiers massing on the front.

Shops were shuttered and streets quiet in and around the capital Banjul, and tour operators evacuated hundreds more tourists from the tiny country's popular beach resorts.

In off the cuff remarks, army chief Ousman Badjie insisted however that his soldiers would not get involved in a "political dispute" or prevent foreign forces from entering the west African nation.

- Inauguration to go ahead -

Barrow, a real-estate agent turned politician who won a presidential vote on December 1, flew to Senegal on January 15 after weeks of rising tension over Jammeh's refusal to step down.

Jammeh initially acknowledged Barrow as the election victor but later rejected the result.

He attempted to block Barrow's inauguration with a court ruling and by declaring a state of emergency this week.

Speaking to AFP by phone, a senior member of Barrow's opposition coalition, Isatou Touray, welcomed the army chief's declaration that his troops would not prevent Jammeh's removal by force.

"That's a very positive outlook from him, given that Jammeh's regime is done," Touray said.

"We don't have to risk the lives of innocent citizens."

In remarks at a hotel restaurant late Wednesday, Badjie said he loved his men and wouldn't risk their lives in a "stupid fight," witnesses said.

- 'Really scary'-

Arriving back from The Gambia at Manchester airport in northern England, several passengers could be seen comforting a Gambian national and UK resident who had tried unsuccessfully to get his family out.

Speaking to AFP, Ebrima Jajne described the situation as "really scary for everybody... because this president (Jammeh) doesn't want to step down and people are fleeing."

Tourist Ralph Newton said local residents had done what they could to reassure visitors, despite the threat to themselves.

"All the locals were just worried... They said it's a bad time for us but you'll be alright... It'll be us they come for, if they come for anybody."

And Sara Wilkins, another tourist, said they had struggled to get clear information on the developing situation.

"We weren't told anything... I kept phoning (tour operator) Thomas Cook and they were just like... don't worry about it," she told AFP.

"I rang Thomas Cook again this morning and they said pack your bags, you've got to go."

Despite the build-up along the border, an army source told AFP Senegalese troops were "not yet" present on Gambian soil.

- Eyes on border -

After 11th-hour talks in Banjul, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz flew on to Dakar where he held a meeting with Barrow at which Senegal's President Macky Sall was also present, the private RFM radio station reported.

It was not clear whether the Mauritanian leader had secured a deal or made an asylum offer to Jammeh.

The last-minute intervention came after several unsuccessful attempts at diplomacy by the 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS).

Mauritania is not part of ECOWAS and diplomats have previously reached out to the conservative desert nation in hopes of brokering a deal with Jammeh.

ECOWAS heads the regional force massing on Gambian-Senegalese border.

Speaking to AFP at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Amnesty International chief Salil Shetty hailed ECOWAS efforts to resolve the crisis.

"ECOWAS has stood up, and they don't always do that, he said.

"It's an important message to Jammeh, both from the people of The Gambia, the people of Africa, and from neighbouring states, that it's not business as usual anymore."

The Gambia afp (AFP)

Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh refuses to step down despite losing the December 1 presidential election to rival Adama Barrow Marco LONGARI (AFP/File)
Obama's foreign policy, seen from abroad

US President Barack Obama leaves office having put relations with Cuba on a new footing and helped secure a deal that the West hopes will stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb.

Yet the fall of Aleppo to government forces in December underlined what critics say was a flawed approach to the Syria conflict. Obama also faces accusations that he did little to further peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Analysts from around the world have told AFP where they think Obama succeeded -- and where he failed.

US President Barack Obama put an end to decades of hostility between the United States and Cuba, the Caribbean island just 90 miles (145 kilometres) away NICHOLAS KAMM (AFP/File)

- Iran nuclear deal -

The 2015 deal between Iran and the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia was hailed as historic because the West had long feared the Islamic Republic could acquire atomic weapons.

Abbas Abadi, a prominent Iranian reformist, said the agreement -- the result of years of negotiations -- showed Obama's ability to persuade others of the validity of his ideas.

"It was a result of policies by the Americans to which Iran responded positively," he said.

"The stronger country is the one that puts forward ideas and convinces others about it. That's what Mr Obama did."

But the agreement with Iran raised fears among Washington's allies in the region, mainly Israel and Saudi Arabia, which have welcomed Donald Trump's pledge to tear up a deal he calls a "disaster".

- Israeli-Palestinian conflict -

As was the case with many US presidents before him, the conflict at the heart of the Middle East defeated Obama. His relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deteriorated badly, and the Palestinians felt let down as well.

Samir Abdullah, a professor of political studies at Birzeit University in the West Bank, offered a withering assessment.

"There are absolutely no positives for Obama's (legacy) on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, from the day he was elected until he leaves," he said.

Professor Shmuel Sandler at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies said Obama "never managed to inspire confidence in Israelis".

"By pinpointing the (Israeli) settlements as the main problem to relaunch peace talks, he failed -- in Israelis' eyes -- to sufficiently condemn Palestinian terrorism."

- New deal with Cuba -

Last year, Obama put an end to decades of hostility between the United States and the Caribbean island just 90 miles (145 kilometres) away.

"The opening with Cuba defined Obama's legacy in Latin America. With that bold stroke, he removed one of the main irritants in US-Latin American relations for decades," said Michael Shifter, president of Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank.

"The policy shift created enormous good will towards Obama in the region, across the political spectrum," he added.

- Syria and the 'red line' -

Many analysts see the Syrian conflict as a stain on Obama's foreign policy. When government forces were accused of using chemical weapons, Obama failed to carry through on his threat to act against President Bashar al-Assad if he crossed this "red line". It allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to step in and swing the war in Assad's favour.

Noah Bonsey, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the Obama administration's approach to Syria was based on an early miscalculation: "The Obama administration took the step of supporting a popular uprising that had no conceivable non-military path to success."

But he said US forces are still deeply involved in the "multi-faceted war" against the Islamic State jihadist group, which fed off the chaos in Syria.

- 'Pivot' to Asia -

Obama poured resources and time into Asia, making it a diplomatic and economic priority for the US to counter the growing influence of China.

Jia Qingguo, a professor at Beijing University's International Relations Institute, said initial optimism that Obama would foster good relations with Beijing eventually evaporated.

"Naturally, a lack of mutual trust had a relatively large effect on cooperation on several issues. So it wasn't very smooth," Jia said, pointing to the lack of a bilateral investment agreement as a low point.

But Obama did succeed in helping to coax China to give crucial support to the 2015 Paris deal to combat global warming.

And Yoshinobu Yamamoto, professor of international politics at the University of Niigata Prefecture in Japan, said he believes Obama deserves credit for his dogged efforts to conclude tough negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.
Moscow says its criticism of Obama not personal

Russia had criticised a lot of Washington's policy during President Barack Obama's two terms in office, but it was not personal, the Kremlin said Thursday, while blaming the United States for the worse relations since the Cold War ended.

"It's true that during the period of the presidency of Mr. Obama our relations seriously worsened on all levels," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Obama's last full working day as US leader before Donald Trump is sworn in Friday.

"Over many years, the past decade, the US has repeatedly conducted rather unfriendly actions toward our country," Peskov told journalists.

US President Barack Obama (L) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin before a meeting in Lima in November Brendan Smialowski (AFP/File)

He mentioned the US missile defence system in Europe and "aggressive behaviour by security services towards Russia".

He also pointed to the financing of non-governmental organisations in Russia which "engaged in political activity" among the longstanding disagreements between the two powers.

Despite US top diplomats famously pressing the "reset" button to jump-start relations in 2009, during the presidency of Dmitry Medvedev, ties between Moscow and Washington deteriorated sharply in subsequent years, particularly after Putin returned to the Kremlin in 2012.

While he and ex-US president George W. Bush, who famously claimed to see Putin's "soul" through his eyes, had good personal rapport, Putin and Obama were seen to hold cold and awkward personal meetings.

Obama has also been a regular subject of racist attacks in Russia, including a pro-Kremlin lawmaker tweeting a collage juxtaposing the US leader with a banana once, though Peskov stressed that Russian officials have refrained from personal attacks.
US stealth bombers kill more than 80 IS fighters in Libya

More than 80 Islamic State jihadists were killed in a US aerial blitz on training camps in Libya, including fighters involved in plotting attacks in Europe, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Thursday.

The Pentagon made the highly unusual decision to conduct the air strikes with a pair of B-2 stealth bombers that flew to North Africa on a 34-hour mission from their base in Missouri in America's Midwest.

The last time the distinctive, bat-shaped planes were used in Libya was in 2011 during the mission that led to the ouster of longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi.

The B-2 stealth bomber entered service in 1997

Wednesday's massive strike saw the B-2s and Reaper drones unleash about 100 bombs on the IS training camps -- equating to more than one bomb per jihadi that was killed.

The camps were located about 45 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of the coastal city of Sirte, Kadhafi's former home town that IS for a time turned into a stronghold as it attempted to expand its presence in Libya.

Speaking on his last day in office, Carter said the targets "certainly are people who were actively plotting operations in Europe, and may also have been connected with some attacks that have already occurred in Europe."

The air assault came a month after the United States had officially wrapped up its military operations in and around Sirte.

The Pentagon launched that mission, Operation Odyssey Lightning, on August 1 and it comprised about 500 strikes.

When operations concluded last month, following Sirte's "liberation," the Pentagon left open the possibility of conducting additional anti-IS attacks if Libya's Government of National Accord asked for help in doing so.

Wednesday's strike was conducted in full coordination with the GNA, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said, noting the operation had been authorized by outgoing President Barack Obama.

He displayed brief footage taken ahead of the strike showing a group of men standing by two camouflaged pick-up trucks and unloading what appeared to be bombs or rockets.

Officials said no civilians were thought to have been killed and no women or children were present during the massive strike.

- 15 air tankers -

Cook would not discuss why the Air Force chose to use the B-2s, or whether it was a show of force as Obama leaves the White House ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday.

"The use of the B-2 demonstrates the capability of the United States to deliver decisive precision force to the Air Force's Global Strike Command over a great distance," Cook said.

The United States has 20 B-2 bombers and the Air Force needed to fly 15 air tankers to ensure refueling over the course of the lengthy mission, Air Force spokesman Colonel Pat Ryder said.

The fall of Sirte, located 450 kilometers (280 miles) east of Tripoli, was a major setback for IS, which has also faced military defeats across Syria and Iraq.

Libya descended into lawlessness after the NATO-backed ousting of longtime dictator Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations emerging and well-armed militias vying for control of its vast oil wealth.

"These strikes will degrade ISIL's ability to stage attacks against Libyan forces and civilians working to stabilize Sirte, and demonstrate our resolve in countering the threat posed by ISIL to Libya, the United States and our allies," Cook said, using an alternate IS acronym.

Trump's position on Libya is unclear and his public statements have reflected shifting views.

In 2011, he urged foreign military intervention to topple Kadhafi.

"We should do on a humanitarian basis, immediately go into Libya, knock this guy out very quickly, very surgically, very effectively, and save the lives," he said.

Then in 2015, he said the world would be "100 percent" better off if Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Kadhafi in Libya were still in power, adding that human rights abuses are "worse than they ever were" in the two countries.
Nearly 400,000 Syrian child refugees in Turkey not in school: UN

More than 40 percent of Syrian child refugees are missing out on education in Turkey raising the risk of a "lost generation", UN children's fund UNICEF said Thursday.

Nearly 400,000 children of school-going age are not in education at present, the agency said, despite an increase of over 50 percent in enrolment since June.

Currently close to half a million Syrian children in Turkey are attending school.

Displaced Syrian children play in the mud at the Bab al-Salama camp, set up outside the Syrian city of Azaz on Syria's northern border with Turkey, on October 30, 2016 Saleh ABO GHALOUN (AFP/File)

The agency's deputy executive director Justin Forsyth praised Turkey for this "huge achievement" but said more needed to be done, in a statement on the agency's website.

"Unless more resources are provided, there is still a very real risk of a 'lost generation' of Syrian children, deprived of the skills they will one day need to rebuild their country," Forsyth added.

He was speaking after a visit to southern Turkey where hundreds of thousands of Syrians live in cities and inside camps.

Ankara says there are 2.7 million Syrian refugees in the country, of whom 1.2 million are children, according to UNICEF which says it is the country hosting the highest number in the world.

Nearly 180,000 babies were born to Syrian refugees in Turkey between April 2011 and September 2016, the health ministry said, quoted by the state-run Anadolu news agency Thursday.

Earlier this month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said skilled Syrian and Iraqi refugees currently working in the black economy would be granted citizenship if they pass security tests.

There are believed to be 300,000 Iraqi refugees inside Turkey.

The conflict in Syria has killed more than 310,000 people since it began with anti-government protests in March 2011.
Kenya university teachers follow doctors in nationwide strike

University lecturers in Kenya began a strike over pay Thursday, joining doctors who walked out in early December, crippling the country's healthcare.

The strike was called by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) to protest government failure to implement a four-year-old agreement to increase wages by at least 50 percent.

Union chairman Muga K'Olale said failure to have their demands met had led to a "massive brain drain in public universities".

Junior lecturers in Kenya currently earn around $500 (470 euros) a month while professors earn up to $2,000 (1,900 euros) TONY KARUMBA (AFP)

"It is only this strike that will add premium to the lives of university workers, without this strike we're done," he said.

In a statement declaring the strike late on Wednesday the union called on President Uhuru Kenyatta and his ministers to honour a pay deal proposed in the 2012 collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

UASU secretary-general Constantine Wasonga appealed to government, "to urgently jumpstart, negotiate, conclude, sign and implement the CBA."

Junior lecturers currently earn around $500 (470 euros) a month while professors earn up to $2,000 (1,900 euros).

Kenyan doctors and nurses began their strike six weeks ago demanding the implementation of pay rises of up to 300 percent they say were agreed in 2013. They have so far rejected an offer of a 40 percent pay rise and stood firm in the face of threats of dismissal and prison.

The strike by 5,000 medical personnel has left public hospitals empty with many ordinary Kenyans unable to get basic healthcare.
US envoy to anti-IS coalition to stay on

Incoming US president Donald Trump will retain his predecessor's special envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State group, Brett McGurk, his spokesman said Thursday.

As "Special Presidential Envoy", McGurk coordinates with around 70 allied states and with regional militia on the ground in the battle to destroy the jihadist group in Iraq, Syria and beyond.

A veteran diplomat, he was appointed in November 2015, working out of an office in the State Department and reporting to President Barack Obama, and makes regular trips to the region.

Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter Islamis State, Brett McGurk will continue to work in his role under President Donald Trump AHMAD ABDO (AFP/File)

Trump's incoming administration has made it clear that it expects Obama's political appointees across the US government to clear their desks on Friday when the Republican president-elect is sworn in.

But on Thursday, Trump press secretary Sean Spicer said that around 50 high-level names would stay on, including McGurk and some others in vital national security roles.
Mali blast death toll rises to over 70

More than 70 people died in a suicide bomb attack in Mali targeting militia groups committed to restoring peace in the African country, according to an updated toll Thursday.

The update came as Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita travelled to Gao in the troubled north to visit injured survivors and relatives of the dead, the head of state's office announced on Twitter.

"There are more than 70 victims," a medical source in Gao told AFP.

The dead and injured are evacuated following a suicide bomb attack that ripped through a camp grouping former rebels and pro-government militia in Gao, in northern Mali STRINGER (AFP)

The death toll could rise further given the large number of injured, the source said. The wounded have been evacuated to Bamako.

A previous toll from Wednesday's attack had put the number of dead at 60 with 115 injured.

The assault targeted a camp housing former rebels and pro-government militia who are signatories to a 2015 peace accord struck with the government.

President Keita has ordered three days of national mourning.

The attack, Mali's worst in years, was claimed by the group of Algerian jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar, allied to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

It occurred as former rebels from the Tuareg-led CMA movement prepared to go on a joint patrol with pro-government militia members under the terms of the peace deal.

Mali's north fell under the control of Tuareg-led rebels and jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012. The Islamists sidelined the rebels to take sole control.

Although they were largely ousted by a French-led military operation in January 2013, implementation of the peace accord has been piecemeal with insurgents still active across large parts of the region.

The joint patrols, which also include regular Malian army troops, are supposed to help prepare for the reorganisation of the army.

In Paris, meanwhile, the French military on Thursday said armed groups in Mali launched 118 attacks against the army, UN peacekeepers and French troops last year.

Fifteen Malian soldiers, 24 members of the MINUSMA UN peacekeeping force and four French soldiers lost their lives, French army spokesman Patrik Steiger told a weekly press briefing in Paris.

The attacks "were generally from explosive devices, suicide bombings, mines, rocket and mortar fire and the aim was to kill while generating the maximum amount of publicity possible," Steiger said.

The United Nations has deployed 13,000 troops in Mali while France, the former colonial power, has an additional 4,000 soldiers stationed there.
Nigerian air force overflies The Gambia: official

The Nigerian air force is flying over The Gambia, an official said Thursday, as African troops seemed ready to force incumbent Yahya Jammeh to quit after his December election defeat.

President-elect Adama Barrow was sworn in at the country's embassy in Senegal, while Jammeh has continued to cling on to power.

Jammeh initially acknowledged president-elect Adama Barrow as the victor in the December vote but later rejected the result.

A Nigerian Airforce ATR 42-500 Maritime Patrol Aircraft pictured at the airforce base in Lagos on August 19, 2014 PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (AFP/File)

"I confirm that the armed reconnaissance air force are over Gambia," Nigerian Air Force spokesman Ayodele Famuyiwa told AFP.

"They have the capacity to strike."

Famuyiwa said that negotiations were still ongoing with Jammeh, a leader who has ruled the West African country for 22 years.

"What we understand right now is that it appears he's trying to reconsider his position, he may stand down," Famuyiwa said, speaking from Abuja.

"But we have our troops there and they are there to enforce the mandate."

The UN Security Council was set to vote Thursday on backing ECOWAS efforts to force Jammeh to hand over power as the West African regional bloc amassed a military force ready to intervene.
African troops move into Gambia as new president sworn in

West African troops entered The Gambia on Thursday to bolster its new President Adama Barrow, as Gambians erupted in celebration at his inauguration to succeed longtime leader Yahya Jammeh, who has refused to quit.

Senegalese forces and those of four other nations crossed into the tiny tourist-friendly country, whose army chief joined ordinary citizens celebrating in the streets seven weeks after contested polls.

Barrow was sworn in at The Gambia's embassy in Dakar in neighbouring Senegal after Jammeh has refused to step down despite international pressure following his December election loss.

Adama Barrow during his swearing in as president of Gambia at the Gambian embassy in Dakar on January 19, 2017

Dressed all in white, 51-year-old Barrow waved to a crowd of thousands of jubilant Gambians at an inauguration ending Jammeh's 22-year rule.

- 'Victory of Gambian nation' -

"This is a victory of the Gambian nation. Our flag will now fly high among those of the most democratic nations of the world," he said, demanding loyalty from his armed forces.

Shortly after the ceremony, the UN Security Council unanimously backed efforts by the regional bloc ECOWAS to force Jammeh to hand over power, (without formally authorising military action).

As Barrow was sworn in, celebrations erupted in the Gambian capital Banjul, where tensions have run high over the crisis, especially since a declaration of emergency by Jammeh on Tuesday.

Among the revellers was Gambian army chief Ousman Badjie, who had said Wednesday he would not order his men to fight the African troops then poised to intervene.

"Freedom has come at last. Tyranny is buried and democracy restored," said Barrow supporter Lamin Sanyang, who had joined the crowds.

Further dispelling fears of a fight-back by factions loyal to Jammeh, a minimal troop presence was visible near Banjul and soldiers did not stop the jubilant scenes.

But on the ground armed forces including "all means, land air and sea" forces crossed into The Gambia, a Senegalese army officer told AFP, adding that Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and Mali were also involved.

A Senegalese army spokesman confirmed his country's troops had crossed the border, after Nigerian jets earlier overflew The Gambia to help force out Jammeh, whose mandate expired at midnight Wednesday.

Senegalese soldiers had entered "from everywhere", said Colonel Abdoul Ndiaye.

- Calls to go -

Barrow, an opposition coalition candidate, defeated Jammeh, who had ruled the former British colony since seizing power in a 1994 coup, in a surprise election win on December 1.

He initially conceded victory but in a U-turn then refused to step down.

On Thursday night, calls of congratulations flooded in for the new president, including from the UN Secretary-General and Britain.

Barrow, a real-estate agent turned politician, had flown into Senegal on January 15 to seek shelter after weeks of rising tension over Jammeh's stance.

Jammeh had attempted to block Barrow's inauguration with a court ruling and this week declared a state of emergency.

Jammeh's former lawyer Edward Gomez, who was arguing cases on the president's behalf as late as Monday, pleaded with him to step down Thursday after himself fleeing to Senegal.

"My humble prayer to President Jammeh is to concede to defeat," he told Senegal's 2S channel. "Please, let peace continue to reign in The Gambia."

After 11th-hour talks in Banjul, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz held a meeting with Barrow also attended by Senegal's President Macky Sall, the private RFM radio station reported on Wednesday.

It was not clear whether the Mauritanian leader had secured a deal or made an asylum offer to Jammeh.

The last-minute intervention came after several unsuccessful attempts at diplomacy by the 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS).

Mauritania is not part of ECOWAS and diplomats have previously reached out to the conservative desert nation in hopes of brokering a deal with Jammeh.

- Tourists evacuated -

Tour operators have continued to evacuate hundreds more tourists from the tiny country's popular beach resorts.

Arriving back from The Gambia at Manchester airport in England, several passengers could be seen comforting a Gambian national and UK resident who had tried unsuccessfully to get his family out.

Ebrima Jajne described the situation as "really scary for everybody... because this president (Jammeh) doesn't want to step down and people are fleeing."

The Gambia political crisis Gal ROMA (AFP)

People wave Gambian flags as the motorcade of the newly sworn in president leaves the Gambian embassy in Dakar on January 19, 2017

People gather in a house to watch the inauguration of Gambia's new president Adama Barrow on television inside a house in Serrekounda town, Banjul on January 19, 2017

People celebrate on the streets the inauguration of new Gambia's president Adama Barrow at pipeline neighbourhood on January 19, 2017 in Banjul, Gambia
Palestinian NGO hits out at Hamas travel restrictions

A major Palestinian rights organisation expressed concern Thursday after the Hamas-led authorities in Gaza imposed new restrictions on travel for businessmen.

A new circular will restrict businesspeople from leaving Gaza through the Erez crossing into Israel unless they have paid all their water, electricity and other bills, the interior ministry recently announced.

The Independent Commission for Human Rights, a Palestinian NGO, said the move was a threat to Gazans' freedom of movement, calling it "contrary to law."

A new circular will restrict businesspeople from leaving Gaza through the Erez crossing into Israel unless they have paid all their water, electricity and other bills, the interior ministry recently announced JACK GUEZ (AFP/File)

"It is a serious encroachment on the right of movement and travel," a statement said.

Iyad al-Bozum, a spokesman for the Hamas-run interior ministry, argued the restrictions were necessary at a time when Gaza was suffering from huge shortages.

"It is not reasonable that businessmen and traders are well off but don't pay their bills," he told AFP.

The embattled enclave has seen chronic electricity shortages in recent weeks, with many homes receiving just four hours of power per day.

Around 70 percent of Gazans do not pay their electricity bills, according to the United Nations, either through inability to pay or lack of enforcement.
US President Barack Obama delivered an angry parting shot at Congress on Thursday, berating Republicans for blocking his efforts to close the military detention center at Guantanamo Bay.

The facility 'never should have been opened in the first place' Obama said in a scathing two-page letter on the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

'There is simply no justification beyond politics for the Congress' insistence on keeping the facility open,' he added.

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.

Emptying: Obama's last full day in office saw the disclosure that he has now reduced the population of Guantanamo to 41

Get ready for new prisoners: The new administration's president has said he wants to see Guantanamo's use expanded

'We're going to load it up with some bad dudes, believe me, we're going to load it up,' Trump famously said while campaigning last year.

He separately said 'it would be fine' if US terror suspects were sent there for trial.

One of Obama's first acts as president in 2009 was to issue an executive order to shut the controversial jail within a year -- a move that once enjoyed bipartisan support.

Load it up with dudes like this: Donald Trump has pledge

But Republican opponents, sensing a political vulnerability, quickly reversed course after Obama took office and blocked moves to close Guantanamo.

In his letter, Obama blasted the cost of running the prison -- approximately $7 million per prisoner annually -- and said it projected a negative view of America to the rest of the world.

'Terrorists use it for propaganda, its operations drain our military resources during a time of budget cuts, and it harms our partnerships with allies and countries whose cooperation we need against today's evolving terrorist threat,' he wrote.

Despite failing to close Guantanamo, Obama massively reduced the prison population.

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.

In his letter, Obama said that only 41 detainees now remain at Guantanamo.

A US defense official confirmed the transfer of four additional detainees, but did not immediately provide their identities or where they had been sent.

However in Saudi Arabia, the repressive Muslim monarchy's state media named a Saudi citizen as having been freed from Guantanamo: Jabran al Qahtani.

'As part of efforts to return Saudis detained outside the kingdom, by the grace of God almighty, the citizen Jubran bin Saad bin Waza al-Qahtani was returned from Guantanamo Bay and arrived in the kingdom on Thursday evening,' a statement quoting an interior ministry spokesman said.

The spelling used is one of many variations on how to spell the name.

One last lecture: Obama sent a two-page letter to Congress to complain that they did not fall into line with his plan to close Guantanamo

WHO'S OUT? Just one name of the new wave of freed detainees has emerged: Jabran al Qahtani. The Saudi-born electrical engineer helped build IEDs to attack American forces in Afghanistan. He has vowed that he would go back to killing Americans if he is released, threatened to assassinate the Afghan president, and the Saudi King, because 'they were Americans'. Aged around 40, he has been detained since 2002. He has never been publicly photographed. Advertisement

Of the 41 men still at Guantanamo, five 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.

The other 10, including the alleged plotters of the September 11, 2001 attacks - among them Khalid Shekih Mohammed - 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.

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.

'History will cast a harsh judgment on this aspect of our fight against terrorism and those of us who fail to bring it to a responsible end,' Obama wrote.
Redford: a popular 'movement' will fight Trump cuts

Robert Redford refused to be drawn on Donald Trump as the Sundance Film Festival opened Thursday, but vowed a popular "movement" would fight funding cuts the incoming president plans to make.

Asked his opinion about how filmmaking would be affected after the president-elect's inauguration on Friday, the two-time Oscar winner insisted Sundance doesn't do politics.

"Presidents come and go. The pendulum swings back and forth. It always has, it probably always will," Redford, 80, told reporters as he kicked off the annual showcase for independent films at the ski resort of Park City, Utah.

President and Founder of the Sundance Institute, Robert Redford, attends the opening day press conference to kick-off the 2017 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, January 19, 2017 VALERIE MACON (AFP)

"So we don't occupy ourselves with politics. We try to stay away from politics per se and we stay focused on what are the stories being told by artists."

However, without referring directly to Trump, Redford said he expects cuts to arts and other funding, acknowledging that many fear "things are getting dark and the darkness is closing in around them."

The president-elect has vowed to slash government spending and his transition team is reported to have been working on a plan to cut $10.5 trillion from the federal budget over 10 years.

"Those people who weren't interested or figured 'who cares?' are now going to realize that they are going to be directly affected and they are going to step up," Redford said.

"I hope and I think it's going to be followed by a movement, and a movement is going to go against whatever choice is made to cut things away that affects people. People are going to rebel against that."

- 'Free expression' -

Although Redford has always insisted that Sundance organizers are above politics, this year's festival looks to be among the most political in its 32-year history.

Among the films to be screened during the 10-day event, "Trumped: Inside the Greatest Political Upset of All Time" is set to get its world premiere, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the Republican's shock victory against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

Meanwhile, talk show host Chelsea Handler will lead an anti-Trump "women's march" on Saturday in Park City, one of hundreds of similar events planned across the country for the same day.

"It's also a time for us to really celebrate and affirm some of the founding values of Sundance, which obviously include the power of art and artists to propel us forward as a society, but also free expression," Sundance Institute executive director Keri Putnam said.

Over the years, Sundance has offered a platform for independent filmmakers and launched movies that have gone on to dominate the Oscars conversation, including this year's "Manchester by the Sea."

The festival, which runs through January 29, will shine the spotlight on 120 independent features, most of them world premieres and many by newcomers trying to make their mark.

Highlights this year include the usual spread of drama, thriller, horror and comedy movies as well as a diverse slate of documentaries.

Redford has been a lifelong champion of environmental causes and the festival is shining a light on climate change with 14 films and virtual reality projects in its "The New Climate" segment.

Among the films attracting the most pre-festival attention is "An Inconvenient Sequel," a follow-up to former vice-president Al Gore's watershed environmental documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" (2006).
Leader of Australia's most populous state quits

SYDNEY (AP)  The leader of Australia's most populous state resigned Thursday after his popularity plummeted over a series of decisions during 2016.

Sydney-based New South Wales Premier Mike Baird used social media to announce that the ruling Liberal Party would elect a new leader at a meeting on Tuesday. He would then quit the state parliament immediately after a 10-year career.

Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian, the party deputy, has said she will be a candidate and is widely regarded as the Baird's most likely successor.

The surprise resignation comes during a turbulent era in Australian politics when state and federal leaders' careers are often shorted lived.

Opinion polls showed the 48-year-old former banker was one on Australia's most popular politicians at the start of 2016, which he recently described as his annus horribilis, Latin for horrible year.

His popularity had plummeted by late 2016 after he outlawed greyhound racing on the grounds of cruelty, then lifted the ban in the face of a political backlash. A series of policy backflips that followed tainted him as a politician without strong convictions.

Baird told a news conference on Thursday that he was quitting now to give the next premier time to settle into the role before the next election in 2019 at the end of the current four-year term.

He said he got into politics because he was frustrated by government policy inaction.

"I said many times I didn't want to become a career politician. I wanted to go as hard as I could for as long as I could and then step aside," Baird told reporters with an emotion-filled voice. "Well, today I'm making good on that pledge."

Baird said "serious health challenges" for his family were also factors in his resignation. His father, a former state government minister and federal government lawmaker, was recovering from open heart surgery and his mother requires 24-hour care for muscular dystrophy.

His sister Julia Baird, a prominent journalist who wrote in 2015 about her battle with a rare cancer, has suffered a recurrence of that cancer and has recently returned to hospital.
To avoid more 'Daily Show' ridicule, Arizona kills bills

PHOENIX (AP)  An Arizona lawmaker's proposal to penalize colleges and universities that teach ethnic studies classes has essentially died after getting widely panned by Democrats and liberal commentators across the nation.

The demise of the legislation Wednesday comes as Arizona leaders work to avoid bills that have made the state a frequent butt of jokes on programs like "The Daily Show."

Republican Rep. Bob Thorpe said that even though his bill didn't get a hearing, he's happy he pursued the legislation.

Arizona state Rep. Bob Thorpe, R-Flagstaff, speaks on the House floor at the Arizona Capitol Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, in Phoenix. Thorpe proposed House Bill 2119, which will not get a committee hearing, as the bill was set to penalize colleges and universities that teach "ethnic studies" classes, and targets these Arizona schools from granting in-state tuition to immigrants granted deferred deportation under an Obama Administration policy. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

"Whether they're talking about it positively or negatively that's fine if it ends up on the Daily Show," Thorpe said. "It certainly has opened a dialogue. It's gotten people talking."

Legislation on issues like guns, gay rights and immigration have brought negative attention to the state in past years, but they have rarely advanced since Republican Gov. Doug Ducey took office in 2015. Ducey has been focused on repairing the state's reputation and making it an attractive location for companies to relocate, and the message appears to have been heard by many in the GOP-controlled Legislature.

Still, it hasn't stopped divisive bills from getting national attention before they even get a hearing, as was the case with Thorpe's ethnic studies bill.

The measure would ban universities from teaching classes that could be seen as promoting racial division or social justice toward a race, with violators losing 10 percent of their state funding. The Legislature banned similar classes in K-12 schools seven years ago.

Critics say the bill would ban classes on topics such as the causes of the civil war and ban any events that have a racial component, such as a Mexican Independence Day celebration.

Thorpe invoked the Rev. Martin Luther King in making his point about why the legislation is needed, saying some university classes are designed to promote racial divisiveness  running counter to the teachings of the civil rights leader.

"The intention of the bill is Martin Luther King," Thorpe said last week. "The strides that we made in the 1960s I think are being diluted."

House Education Committee chairman Rep. Paul Boyer said Wednesday that Thorpe's bill won't get a hearing before his panel, a decision that essentially kills it for the session unless Thorpe finds a workaround.

Thorpe said that's not likely.

Arizona leaders have become more image-conscious since Ducey took office, stung by the bad publicity surrounding immigration legislation in 2010 and a controversial "religious freedom" bill four years later. The immigration law that was signed into law by his predecessor, Gov. Jan Brewer, prompted boycotts, protests and the prospect of losing its 2015 Super Bowl bid. A similar uproar broke out in 2014 over a bill, ultimately vetoed by Brewer, that opponents said allowed discrimination against gays based on religious views.

Boyer on Wednesday also killed another Thorpe bill that would penalize schools or colleges if it's found they are violating any state law. That proposal was designed to target colleges and universities granting in-state tuition to immigrants granted deferred deportation under an Obama Administration policy, but also applied to K-12 schools. It also carries a 10 percent penalty.
Trump pays surprise visit to his Washington hotel

WASHINGTON (AP)  He just couldn't stay away.

President-elect Donald Trump made a surprise visit to his Washington, D.C., hotel on Wednesday night, grabbing a late dinner while in town for a couple of fundraisers.

Trump flew into the city from New York on Wednesday evening for an event honoring Vice President-elect Mike Pence at the National Portrait Gallery and another featuring his potential cabinet secretaries at the Library of Congress.

President-elect Donald Trump boards his airplane at LaGuardia Airport Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

After speaking at both events, he and his lengthy motorcade pulled up to the Trump International Hotel just before 9:30 p.m.

Reporters were not permitted inside the events or the hotel  but a video posted on Instagram showed the president-elect being greeted with cheers and applause.

During the campaign, Trump made frequent unannounced stops at the building to check in on its construction, and he held several events on-site.

The hotel is currently off-limits to reporters. Patricia Tang, director of sales and marketing for the Trump International in Washington, said media are banned from the hotel grounds through Sunday to protect guests' privacy.

Tang said she is confident the ban does not violate the hotel's lease with the government or the city's public accommodations laws.

Trump's flight home Wednesday was his last aboard his own private plane as president-elect.

Trump is spending the night back in New York and is scheduled to return to Washington for good Thursday.

As per tradition, he'll be staying at Blair House, the president's guest house, instead of his Pennsylvania Avenue hotel the night before his inauguration.
Maine man gets life in prison for killing girlfriend, 2 kids

BANGOR, Maine (AP)  A man convicted of killing his girlfriend and her two children asked for mercy before a judge imposed three life sentences Thursday.

Keith Coleman received the maximum penalty for the slayings of 36-year-old Christina Sargent, 10-year-old Duwayne Coke and 8-year-old Destiny Sargent at home in Garland, about 100 miles northeast of Portland. There is no death penalty in Maine.

Police said Coleman told them that he chased down and strangled the children because they'd witnessed their mother's death. The bodies were found Dec. 20, 2014.

Jurors in November heard a taped confession from Coleman, who was arrested a day after the bodies were discovered.

"I did it," Coleman said through sobs. "I did it. I don't want to say that word but I did it. I killed my girl." Then he clarified he killed the children as well.

Coleman told the judge Thursday that he's been painted as a "monster" but that he's remorseful. He said he felt responsible for the deaths, even though he didn't say he killed them.

"I just hope you have mercy on me," he told the judge, according to WLBZ-TV.

Coleman was convicted of three counts of murder and one count of sexual assault. He received a 20-year sentence for sexually assaulting Sargent's daughter.
Cincinnati Zoo says monkey is its 1st zoo baby born in 2017

CINCINNATI (AP)  The Cincinnati Zoo is welcoming its first zoo baby born this year.

The still-unnamed guereza (guh-REH'-zah) colobus monkey was born last week to first-time mother Adanna and dad Tiberius.

Guereza colobus is a type of monkey once thought abnormal because it has no thumb, or only a stub where the thumb would usually be found.

Zoo officials say the baby is strong and alert. Colobus monkeys are born snowy white with a pink face and blue eyes. That makes it easy for mothers to see them in their native African rainforest canopies. The babies take on adult coloration at about six months.
At least 24 children killed when bus, truck collide in India

LUCKNOW, India (AP)  A truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus early Thursday, killing at least 24 young children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said.

At least two dozen other children were injured when the speeding truck collided head-on with the bus, said Javeed Ahmed, the state's top police official.

The children, between the ages of 3 and 14, were studying at a school in the town of Etah.

In this image from video, people gather at the site where a truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. The collision early Thursday killed over 20 children. (KK Production via AP)

Another police officer, Daljeet Chaudhry, said visibility was low due to dense fog.

Police officer Parasuram Singh said the truck driver suffered serious injuries to his legs, which were amputated at a hospital.

The area is about 270 kilometers (170 miles) southeast of New Delhi.

State education authorities had closed all schools in the district because of a severe cold wave, and Ahmed said authorities would check why the school had stayed open.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences, saying: "Anguished by tragic accident in UP's Etah. I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole (the) passing away of young children."

Accidents are common on Indian roads, with most blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles.

___

This story has been corrected to state that the children are between the ages of 3-14.

In this image from video, relatives cry over the covered body of a child after a traffic accident in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus early Thursday, killing over 20 children. (KK Production via AP)

In this image from video, a man grieves at the site where a truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. The collision early Thursday killed over 20 children. (KK Production via AP)

A woman mourns over the bodies of her daughters Radhika, 14, right, and Shalini, 12, who were killed in an accident, in Ramnagar village, near Etah, India, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus early Thursday, killing more than 20 young children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

A woman, left, mourns over the bodies of her daughters Radhika, 14, lying front, and Shalini, 12, who were killed in an accident, in Ramnagar village, near Etah, India, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus early Thursday, killing more than 20 young children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Mother of 8-year-old Janeesh, second left, mourns the death of her son in an accident in Bhagwanpura village, near Etah, India, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus early Thursday, killing more than 20 young children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

A woman sits by the lifeless bodies of her daughters Radhika, 14, left, and Shalini, 12, who were killed in an accident, in Ramnagar village, near Etah, India, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus early Thursday, killing more than 20 young children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Rashpal Singh displays the identity card of his grandson Janeesh, who was killed in an accident, at Bhagwanpura village, near Etah, India, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus early Thursday, killing more than 20 young children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Schoolbooks lie scattered at the site of an accident in Aliganj, near Etah, India, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. A truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus early Thursday, killing more than 20 young children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Philippines, communist rebels resume peace talks in Rome

ROME (AP)  Philippine negotiators and communist guerrillas resumed peace talks in Rome on Thursday, with the insurgents warning that alleged government violations of an accord on human rights might prompt them to terminate a monthslong cease-fire.

Philippine officials led by Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. and guerrilla leaders shook hands in a show of unity at a hotel in the Italian capital before resuming the negotiations, which both sides acknowledged would be tough.

Special envoy Elisabeth Slattum from Norway, which has been brokering the talks, also attended. The venue was shifted from the Norwegian capital, Oslo, which Philippine officials said would be too cold.

From left, Philippines Foreign Minster Perfecto Yasay, National Democratic Front of the Philippines, NDFP, leader Jose Maria Sison, and Philippines secretary Jesus G. Dureza (Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process) shake hands for the press prior to the formal opening of the Philippines peace talks in Rome, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. This is the third round of peace talks between the Philippine government and the communist National Democratic Front. During this latest round, the chairman of the government's peace panel, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello is expected to sign the bilateral ceasefire agreement between the two parties. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

"Although there are still unresolved issues, with regards to commitments to releases of political prisoners, commitments on a bilateral cease-fire which will both be subjects of discussion during this round of talks, we commend the parties for doing exactly that, for working together," Slattum said.

Chief Philippine negotiator Silvestre Bello III said the government panel would seek to turn separate cease-fires declared by President Rodrigo Duterte and the guerrillas in August into a more durable negotiated truce. But his rebel counterpart, Fidel Agcaoili, was less optimistic, saying "the prospect for forging a bilateral cease-fire agreement has grown dim."

Agcaoili said the guerrillas have raised a number of complaints, including alleged government breaches of a 1998 accord on respecting human rights and another pact on the safety of guerrilla consultants.

Agcaoili said the complaints, including the failure to release nearly 400 detainees the rebels consider political prisoners, made extending a five-month cease-fire "untenable."

The guerrillas also expressed concern over Duterte's brutal crackdown on illegal drugs, which has left thousands of drug suspects dead, and his decision to allow the burial of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos in a heroes' cemetery in November.

Agcaoili said innocent people have been killed in Duterte's crackdown "due to brutal, reckless and indiscriminate methods employed by the police in its anti-drug operations." He said Duterte should shift his priority to solving the larger problem of poverty through social and economic reforms, which are the main focus of this week's round of talks.

The guerrillas have accused government troops of violating a cease-fire by occupying schools, village halls and other civilian areas and conducting illegal searches, interrogations and surveillance of suspected rebel supporters. The military has denied the allegations.

Founded in 1968, the rebels' Communist Party has held peace talks with six Philippine presidents, including Duterte, whose rise to power in June sparked rebel optimism because of his searing anti-U.S. rhetoric and populist pro-poor stance.

Battle setbacks, surrenders and infighting have weakened the rebel group, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. A confidential Philippine government assessment obtained by The Associated Press says the number of guerrillas declined to 3,800 with more than 4,500 firearms in the first half of 2016, with about 700 of the country's 42,000 villages affected by the insurgency.

Sporadic fighting has left about 40,000 combatants and civilians dead since the rural-based insurgency erupted.

___

Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.

From left, National Democratic Front of the Philippines, NDFP, Jose Maria Sison, Norwegian Special Envoy Elisabeth Slattum, secretary Jesus G. Dureza (Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process) and Philippines Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay pose during the formal opening of the Philippines peace talks in Rome, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. This is the third round of peace talks between the Philippine government and the communist National Democratic Front. During this latest round, the chairman of the government's peace panel, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello is expected to sign the bilateral ceasefire agreement between the two parties. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

National Democratic Front of the Philippines, NDFP, leader Jose Maria Sison delivers his speech during the formal opening of the Philippines peace talks in Rome, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. This is the third round of peace talks between the Philippine government and the communist National Democratic Front. During this latest round, the chairman of the government's peace panel, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello is expected to sign the bilateral ceasefire agreement between the two parties. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Mobster pleads no contest to conspiracy in 1992 slaying

WARWICK, R.I. (AP)  A member of the New England Mafia has pleaded no contest to plotting to kill a mob enforcer who was gunned down outside a Rhode Island restaurant 25 years ago.

Robert "Bobby" DeLuca entered the plea to conspiracy to commit murder on Wednesday in the 1992 slaying of Kevin Hanrahan in Providence.

The Providence Journal reports Deluca faces up to a decade in prison in the case.

DeLuca remains jailed after pleading guilty last fall to lying about what he knew in the 1993 killing of Boston nightclub owner Steven DiSarro.

DiSarro's remains were discovered last year behind a mill owned by a mob associate.
Eight tumultuous years at the helm of American power have come and gone, and for President Barack Obama, this is finally the end.

The president spent his last full day Thursday at the White House before becoming an ex-president.

The big decisions and grand pronouncements are all behind him, but Obama is still in charge until President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath at noon on Friday.

President Barack Obama's schedule has been mostly cleared for his final full day in the White House. He is pictured above at his final presidential news conference on Wednesday

The White House left Obama's schedule mostly empty for the day, saying he would use the time to pack up the home he and his family have lived in for most of a decade.

The only events on his public calendar were his presidential daily briefing and his final weekly lunch with Vice President Joe Biden in the president's private dining room.

Only a skeleton staff remained Thursday at the White House, creating an eerily quiet feeling in the normally bustling West Wing.

Photos of Obama and his family that for years have lined the walls of corridors in the West Wing were being taken down, with some to be transferred to Obama's personal office, leaving big white spaces on the walls.

On Friday, the Obamas will move into this home in the Kalorama area of Washington, DC. They plan to stay in DC so that youngest daughter Sasha can finish high school

Many desks and offices were already empty, having been vacated by staffers who departed in recent weeks. Those staffers still left were packing up their desks, handing in their phones and saying teary farewells to their colleagues.

In what may be his last act as president, Obama was planning to grant one final round of clemency on Thursday, following hundreds of commutations and pardons he issued earlier in the week. Officials said the last batch would focus on nonviolent drug offenders serving lengthy prison sentences, a population Obama has long sought to assist through clemency.

In his final news conference on Wednesday, Obama sought to end his chapter in history on an optimistic note. He said that despite his party's devastating losses in the election, he was confident in the country's future, adding, 'this is not just a matter of "no-drama Obama," this is what I really believe.'

'It is true that behind closed doors, I curse more than I do publicly, and sometimes I get mad and frustrated like everybody else does,' Obama said. 'But at my core, I think we're going to be OK. We just have to fight for it, we have to work for it and not take it for granted.'
GOP governors who turned down Medicaid money have hands out

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Republican governors who turned down billions in federal dollars from an expansion of Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health care law now have their hands out in hopes the GOP-controlled Congress comes up with a new formula to provide insurance for low-income Americans.

The other GOP governors, such as Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who agreed to expand state-run services in exchange for federal help  more than a dozen out of the 31 states  are adamant that Congress maintain the financing that has allowed them to add millions of low-income people to the health insurance rolls.

These two groups of Republicans embody the difficulty the emboldened GOP congressional majorities face: Make good on their promises to repeal the 2010 health care law while preserving popular provisions.

FILE  In this Nov. 10, 2016, file photo, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, following a ceremony where President Barack Obama honored the 2016 NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team, answers questions from reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington. Republican governors who turned down billions in federal dollars from an expansion of Medicaid under President Barack Obamas health care law now have their hands out in hopes the GOP Congress comes up with a new formula to provide insurance for low-income Americans. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

With Congress starting to consider plans for annulling and reshaping Obama's overhaul, Republican governors and lieutenant governors from 10 states met privately for more than two hours Thursday with GOP members of the Senate Finance Committee and raised concerns about how lawmakers will reshape Medicaid.

"They're worried about how it all works out," Finance panel chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said after the session in a Senate office building.

GOP senators and governors stressed the need for giving states more flexibility to shape their Medicaid programs. That's a change that worries Democrats, who say some states would inevitably end up covering fewer people or offering skimpier benefits.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said governors could find savings by being allowed to impose "work incentives" for some beneficiaries. Kasich suggested shifting people who earn just above the poverty level from Medicaid to the online exchanges that Obama's law created for buying coverage.

"I think they understand this is not simple and I think they know they have to get it right," Kasich said.

A chief worry by governors was whether states that accepted extra federal money to expand Medicaid to more people would lose that extended coverage. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said afterward that "it ain't going to happen," though he did not detail how.

In a letter he carried to Capitol Hill, Kasich warned that repealing Obama's law without an alternative in place could interrupt health care coverage for hundreds of thousands in Ohio and urged he "be granted the flexibility to retain the adult Medicaid coverage expansion." Ohio has added roughly 700,000 recipients to the program since the law took effect in 2013.

Unlike Kasich, 19 Republican governors successfully defied the Affordable Care Act's mandate that states open up Medicaid to more people.

It was a major expansion of the state-federal health insurance system whose primary purpose has grown in its 52 years from backstop medical assistance for the poor to the go-to program for closing gaps in private health insurance system.

In the three years since the Affordable Care Act went into effect, Medicaid enrollment has grown by about 18 million people, to roughly 75 million, according to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker notably turned down more than $500 million for his state. Determined to win over conservative voters for his presidential bid, he doubted the federal government would keep its word to cover 100 percent of expansion costs in the first three years, and 90 percent over the long term.

On average, the federal government's contribution accounts for 56 percent of a state's Medicaid budget, making the financing terms under the health care law much more generous.

Republicans have long sought block grants or lump-sum payments for health care. The money has helped them maintain their budgets, while the relative lack of heavy regulation has allowed governors freedom to experiment with social services policy.

But with Republicans, backed by President-elect Donald Trump, pursuing repeal of the law, Walker and others GOP governors are asking specifically for the Medicaid money, and fewer rules for spending it.

"Now that Barack Obama is no longer going to be at the White House, it is going to be much more palatable for Republican governors to seek additional funding," said Ron Pollack of Families USA, a leading advocate for Obama's law.

All Democratic governors in office when the law took effect in 2013 agreed to the expansion. Even Republican governors in 11 states agreed to expand Medicaid, some with specific waivers that still allowed them to claim the federal reimbursement.

Now, Republican leaders in states aren't just asking for money they turned down. They're asking to change the formula to get back what they lost.

The federal Medicaid formula is based in part on how many enrollees a state had as of 2016. By last year, Michigan, for instance, had added 630,000 recipients since accepting the Medicaid expansion.

But Medicaid in Kansas grew at a far slower rate, given Gov. Sam Brownback's opposition to the federal law. Now, he wants Congress to change the formula to benefit his state.

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Associated Press writer Alan Fram in Washington contributed to this report.

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Follow Thomas Beaumont on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomBeaumont
Q&A: Denver law will allow pot in public, details up in air

DENVER (AP)  Denver has started work on the nation's first law allowing marijuana clubs and use in public places such as coffee shops or art galleries. But the details about what those pot clubs would look like are very much in the air. Here's what we know, and don't know, about the looming pot clubs headed to Denver:

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WHEN WILL THE POT CLUBS OPEN?

FILE - In this Dec. 31, 2012 file photo, Rachel Schaefer, of Denver, smokes marijuana on the official opening night of Club 64, a marijuana-specific social club, where a New Year's Eve party was held in Denver. Denver is starting work on becoming the first city in the nation to allow marijuana clubs and public pot use in places like restaurants, yoga studios and art galleries. Voters narrowly approved the "social use" measure last November. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)

Applications are available Friday, but the city has no deadline for issuing the licenses, which will cost $2,000 a year. An informal workgroup made up of police, restaurants, state health authorities and marijuana activists is meeting to suggest regulations for the city licensing authority, but the final call will be made by city regulators.

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HOW WILL THE CLUBS WORK?

That's an open question. A measure approved by voters last year says that clubs couldn't allow anyone under 21, can't sell the marijuana and can't allow it to be smoked inside. That means any clubs or venues allowing marijuana use will be bring-your-own establishments. Critics point out that the businesses will then have no control over what people are consuming, or how much.

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WHERE CAN I FIND A POT CLUB?

The city hasn't issued zoning regulations yet. Regulators are debating whether it's better to lump the pot shops together in a common area, giving police an easier time patrolling the clubs, or whether it's better to require clubs to be dispersed, giving more neighborhoods a place where adults can consume pot legally. The eventual pot clubs will be limited in terms of how they advertise, so tourists will likely have to ask locals

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CAN I GET A DRINK WITH MY JOINT?

Nope. Marijuana activists envisioned a system where marijuana could be consumed alongside wine and cocktails at participating bars, but the Colorado Liquor Control Board blocked any pot bars. After the Denver vote, the state liquor regulators approved a rule saying that businesses with a liquor license could not allow marijuana consumption.

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DOESN'T COLORADO ALREADY HAVE POT CLUBS?

It does. Colorado's 2012 law legalizing recreational pot actually didn't ban clubs, leaving the state with a patchwork system of local regulations regarding public marijuana use. A few towns tolerate private "members-only" clubs, but Denver bans them and has sporadically raided those that popped up. The new Denver ordinance is the first to specifically permit and regulate public marijuana use.
Uganda confirms hundreds of Congolese M23 rebels missing

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP)  Hundreds of members of a Congolese rebel group have fled a military camp where they had been awaiting amnesty since the signing of a peace deal with Congo's government in 2013, Uganda's government said Thursday.

Some members of M23, a Tutsi-led rebel group that once controlled vast territory in eastern Congo, "have been quietly escaping into the general public," government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said in a statement.

Opondo said Ugandan authorities have arrested 101 M23 members, disguised as ordinary passengers, who were being ferried in four vehicles destined for Congo.

"Uganda will not and does not support any armed activities to destabilize the Democratic Republic of Congo," he said.

At least 270 M23 members are still detained in western Uganda, Opondo said.

It was not clear if M23 leader Sultani Makenga remained in the custody of Ugandan authorities. Makenga is the subject of U.S. sanctions, including a travel ban and assets freeze for "serious violations of international law involving the targeting of women and children" in armed conflict.

The news of missing M23 fighters is likely to alarm Congo's government, which has repeatedly urged Uganda's government to hold the rebels.

M23 launched its rebellion in eastern Congo in April 2012, becoming the latest reincarnation of a Tutsi rebel group dissatisfied with Congo's government, until it was repulsed by U.N. forces and Congo's army. Many rebels fled to Rwanda and Uganda before a 2013 peace agreement.

At the time, Ugandan officials said about 1,700 M23 rebels had fled to Uganda, which was mediating talks between the rebels and Congo's government.

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German intel head warns against threat of attacks

BERLIN (AP)  The head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency is warning that Europe needs to remain vigilant against the threat of extremist attacks.

Hans-Georg Maassen told reporters in Berlin Thursday his agency has 548 extremists considered potentially dangerous enough to carry out an attack under surveillance.

He says: "We have to assume that there will be more attacks in Europe and that means also more in Germany."

Though Tunisian Anis Amri had been under surveillance, he was able to hijack a truck in December and drive it into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and wounding dozens of others  the first mass-casualty Islamic extremist attack in Germany.
Suspect arrested in 1990 killing of Miami Beach woman

MIAMI (AP)  A suspect in the slaying of a Miami Beach woman more than two decades ago has been arrested.

Media outlets report 53-year-old Dale Ewers faces charges of murder, sexual battery, armed robbery and kidnapping in Mercedes Perez's death. He was arrested in Jamaica in October and extradited Wednesday to Florida.

Police say Ewers shot 34-year-old Perez to death inside her South Beach apartment in 1990 and raped her friend.

The case went unsolved for years until police say DNA evidence from the crime scene was tested in 2012, linking Ewers to Perez's death. At that time, Ewers was living in Jamaica after having been deported there following a 2008 arrest on unrelated charges in Massachusetts.

The lengthy extradition process held up his arrest.
Indonesia names former airline boss as bribery suspect

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  Indonesia's anti-graft commission has named a former top executive of national flag carrier Garuda as a suspect in a case involving bribes for the purchase of Rolls Royce aircraft engines.

A deputy chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission, Laode Syarif, said Thursday that the bribery occurred between 2005 and 2014, the period when Emirsyah Satar was Garuda's president-director.

Satar is alleged to have received bribes totaling $3.45 million for procurement of Rolls-Royce engines for some 50 Airbus planes owned by Garuda.

Syarif said Satar received the bribes via another suspect who has a Singapore-based company with businesses in Indonesia but who was not identified.

Rolls Royce on Tuesday agreed to pay 671 million pounds ($808 million) to settle bribery and corruption charges brought by authorities in Britain, the U.S. and Brazil. The British engineering giant apologized for the scandal that involved paying millions of dollars in bribes to secure orders in six countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia and China.

Syarif said the bribes in the Indonesian case included goods worth about $2 million discovered by the commission in Jakarta and Singapore.
Israel's national library acquires famed Judaica collection

JERUSALEM (AP)  The National Library of Israel said Thursday it has acquired what is considered the world's greatest private collection of Hebrew books and manuscripts.

The Valmadonna Trust Library contains some 10,000 items  including a 15th century copy of the Hebrew Bible and one of the only two surviving copies of a 16th century Passover manuscript from Prague.

The collection, assembled over decades by London collector Jack Lunzer, was entrusted to Sotheby's auction house in New York in 2009. Lunzer initially hoped the U.S. Library of Congress would acquire the collection, worth millions of dollars.

FILE - In this Monday, Feb. 9, 2009 file photo, Some of the 11,000 works in the Valmadonna Library Trust collection are shown on display at Sotheby's in New York. The National Library of Israel said Thursday it has acquired what is considered the world's greatest private collection of Hebrew books and manuscripts. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

Instead, some gems of the collection were sold last year to private collectors for about $12 million. In recent weeks, the rest was acquired by Israel's national library and an Israeli private collector for an undisclosed sum.

The collection is currently located at Sotheby's in New York and will be transferred to its new owners in the coming weeks, according to Oren Weinberg of the National Library of Israel.
OIC indirectly condemns Trump plan to move Israel embassy

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  Foreign ministers from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Thursday indirectly condemned plans by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

A statement issued after a meeting in Kuala Lumpur didn't mention the United States or Trump by name, but said the OIC rejected any actions that could undermine the ability of Palestinians to claim part of Jerusalem in a future state.

It called on governments to desist from any activities that might encourage Israel to "pursue its illegal occupation and annexation of ....east Jerusalem, including any such encouragement through the transfer of their diplomatic missions to the city."

The statement invited its 57 member states "to take the necessary steps and measures" in response to any such hostile position, but didn't elaborate.

Trump has vowed to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, a politically charged act that would anger Palestinians who want east Jerusalem, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, as the capital of a future state.

The move would also distance the U.S. from much of the international community, including its closest allies in Western Europe and the Arab world.
Nigerian leader leaves for Britain until Feb. 6 for checkups

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP)  Nigeria says President Muhammadu Buhari is taking leave for more than two weeks in Britain for medical checkups.

A statement Thursday from Buhari's special adviser Femi Adesina calls the medical checks "routine" and says the leave is part of Buhari's annual vacation.

Buhari, who is in his 70s, was leaving Thursday and is expected to return on Feb. 6.
US bombers strike 2 Islamic State camps in Libya

WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers attacked a pair of Islamic State military camps in Libya, killing more than 80 fighters in an unusual mission that may have marked the final demonstration of military force of President Barack Obama's global counterterrorism campaign.

The militants targeted in the airstrikes included Islamic State members "actively planning operations against our allies in Europe," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Thursday. He would not say more about the nature of the threat.

"These were critically important strikes for our campaign and a clear example of our enduring commitment to destroy ISIL's cancer not only in Iraq and Syria but everywhere it emerges," Carter said on his last full day as secretary of defense.

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is interviewed in his Pentagon office, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017. Sending thousands more American troops into Iraq or Syria in a bid to accelerate the defeat of the Islamic State group would push U.S. allies to the exits, create more anti-U.S. resistance and give up the U.S. militarys key advantages, Carter said in an Associated Press interview.(AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Among the questions facing the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump is how to counter IS in places like Libya, where extremists have vast swaths of ungoverned territory to hide, train and prepare attacks.

Carter defended the administration's efforts to extinguish the Islamic State threat, while acknowledging that it has spread from Iraq and Syria to North Africa, Afghanistan, Europe and parts of Asia. He said extremists will remain a concern in Libya as long as that country is embroiled in a civil war.

IS, he said, "has little nests, sometimes of people who rebranded themselves, who were there already and received inspiration and sometimes support."

The B-2 bombers flew more than 30 hours roundtrip from Missouri and dropped about 100 munitions of a type known as a Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, which is equipped with GPS guidance control to help it find its target with precision. Each B-2 is capable of carrying up to 80 JDAMs.

But it is unusual for the U.S. to send the bomber on a counterterrorism mission, particularly against such a modest number of targets like the camps in Libya. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said it was the first time the B-2s were used in combat since the 2011 air campaign that forced Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi from power and led to his killing.

Air Force MQ-9 drones known as Reapers also participated in the attack, dropping Hellfire air-to-surface missiles at the same sets of targets, officials said.

The Pentagon showed reporters a video clip from aerial surveillance of one of the camps prior to the attacks. The video was of higher resolution than the Pentagon normally makes public. A number of men could be seen carrying weaponry from the back of a partially camouflaged vehicle. Weapons at the camp included rocket-propelled grenades and unspecified shells, Cook said.

The camps were located about 45 kilometers, or 28 miles, southwest of the central coastal city of Sirte, Cook added. He and Carter said the mission was undertaken in cooperation with Libya's government of national accord, which has been unable to assert control over the whole country.

Cook said some of the militants had fled to the desert camps from the former IS stronghold of Sirte to "reorganize."

"They posed a security threat to Libya, the region, and U.S. national interests," he told reporters.

The initial assessment is the strikes were successful, he said, adding that Washington was prepared to further support Libyan efforts to defeat IS.

The country remains divided between east and west, with no effective government and a multitude of rival factions and militias.
Spain: Rapper gets 1-yr sentence for tweets praising terror

MADRID (AP)  Spain's Supreme Court has sentenced a rapper musician to a year in prison for exalting terrorism and humiliating terrorism victims in Twitter messages.

In the tweets posted between 2013 and 2014, Cesar Montana Lehmann, 52, of the Def Con Dos rock band, talked of sending a cake bomb to former King Juan Carlos on his birthday. He also said some politicians made him long for a former leftist armed group.

Montana was also banned from holding public office for 6 years.

Amnesty International last week cited Montana's case as an example of the excesses being committed in Europe under anti-terror laws.
Police: Man assaulted wife after dream that she was cheating

EYNON, Pa. (AP)  Police say a Pennsylvania man tried to strangle his wife after he woke up from a dream in which she was cheating on him.

Archibald police say 49-year-old Conrad Rudalavage had been drinking before he fell asleep, then woke up Saturday convinced that his wife was unfaithful.

Police say he attacked, choked and threatened to kill her until his teenage daughter intervened and tried to call 911. Police say he then attacked the daughter.

Police say the girl was able to escape and run to neighbors for help. The neighbor helped pull Rudalavage off his wife, who was treated for bruises and other injuries to her face, head and neck.
New clash erupts at Brazil prison where 26 killed

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Inmates threw rocks at each other and set up barriers Thursday inside a Brazilian penitentiary where 26 prisoners were recently killed in confrontations, raising tensions amid a wave of prison massacres that have rocked Latin America's largest nation.

Live images on Globo television showed hundreds of prisoners in the yard of Alcacuz Penitentiary outside the northeast city of Natal. Inmates appeared to be separating themselves into two groups with makeshift barriers of pieces of wood, mattresses and other material. Injured prisoners were seen being carried off. No prison guards could be seen.

"We need help immediately," Robinson Faria, the governor of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, told CBN radio.

Faria said he had asked President Michel Temer to immediately dispatch troops from the Armed Forces. Beyond the prison, Faria said he wanted the troops to help patrol the streets of Natal, where several buses were burned late Wednesday. Authorities said they were investigating whether the burning was connected to turmoil in the prison.

Maj. Eduardo Franco, a military police spokesman, told The Associated Press that both a riot squad and an elite special forces group were on hand and could be called on to intervene. Up until now, police were only guarding the outside of the prison to keep inmates from escaping and shooting tear gas to break up fighting.

"We are avoiding a direct confrontation with the gangs," said Franco. "Military police are only using non-lethal weapons so we don't get blamed if dead bodies are found later."

Franco said several inmates had been injured, but he didn't know how many and said it was too soon to know if any had died.

Confrontations between two gangs in the prison erupted over the weekend, resulting in the 26 deaths. Many of the dead were dismembered. Authorities said members of the Sao Paulo-based First Command, Brazil's largest criminal gang, known by the Portuguese acronym PCC, fought with local gang Crime Syndicate of Rio Grande do Norte.

On Wednesday, a heavily armed military police force entered the prison without violence. Authorities said they transferred 220 inmates to other prisons to avoid more clashes.

Brazil is experiencing a wave of prison killings from warring gangs. At least 126 people have died since the beginning of the year.
Judge Reinhold pleads no contest in Dallas airport dispute

DALLAS (AP)  Actor Judge Reinhold has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in an airport security dispute at Dallas Love Field.

The Dallas Morning News (http://bit.ly/2jBAy5W ) reports Reinhold entered the plea Tuesday and accepted deferred adjudication. The charge will be dropped if the 59-year-old Reinhold stays out of trouble for 90 days.

Authorities say Reinhold was arrested Dec. 8 after refusing a Transportation Security Administration screening.

This undated photo provided by Dallas County Sheriff's Department shows Judge Reinhold. Reinhold pleaded no contest to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in an airport security dispute at Dallas Love Field. Reinhold entered the plea Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, and accepted deferred adjudication. The charge will be dropped if Reinhold stays out of trouble for 90 days. (Dallas County Sheriff's Department via AP)

The star of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Beverly Hills Cop" says he walked through a scanner but wouldn't let agents check his backpack, which contained DVDs and CDs. Reinhold later cited an adverse reaction to medication for a respiratory infection.

Reinhold apologized after his Dec. 9 release from jail. He apologized again in a statement Wednesday supporting Dallas police.

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Appeals court affirms conviction of coal CEO in deadly blast

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP)  A federal appeals court affirmed the criminal conviction of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship on Thursday in connection with the deadliest U.S. mine disaster in four decades.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the concerns of coal industry associations that Blankenship's conviction would set a new precedent putting many other coal executives at risk of being criminally prosecuted for common safety violations at their companies.

It was always the intention of Congress, the court said, to impose this risk and thus prevent mine operators from paying inexpensive fines rather than making expensive safety improvements.

FILE - In a Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015 file photo, former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, left, walks out of the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse after the jury deliberated for a fifth full day in his trial, in Charleston, W.Va. A federal appeals court has affirmed the conviction of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship in connection with the deadliest U.S. mine disaster in four decades. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals handed down the opinion Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, saying it found no reversible errors in trial rulings. (AP Photo/Chris Tilley, File)

The court said the evidence shows Massey was repeatedly cited for safety violations at West Virginia's Upper Big Branch coal mine before the 2010 explosion that killed 29 men. In 2009 alone, the U.S. Mine Safety & Health Administration identified 549 violations there, the court noted.

Blankenship was aware of violations, receiving daily reports, Judge James Wynn wrote. Many concerned improper ventilation and accumulation of combustible materials.

"Notwithstanding the numerous citations and warnings, defendant has a 'policy to invariably press for more production even at mines that he knew were struggling to keep up with the safety laws,'" Wynn wrote. Chief Judge Roger Gregory and Senior Judge Andre Davis agreed.

Blankenship was convicted in 2015 of a misdemeanor, conspiring to violate the federal mining safety law, and sentenced to a maximum year in prison. The 66-year-old is scheduled for release May 10.

Blogging from a federal prison in California, he has called himself an "American political prisoner."

His attorney William Taylor said they are reading the ruling and will decide their response in the coming days.

The three-judge panel rejected the argument by Blankenship's attorneys that jury instructions about "reckless disregard" for the consequences of his decisions made it too easy to conclude that he willfully violated safety rules.

The court also rejected arguments by the Ohio, Illinois and Virginia coal associations that this willfulness standard represents "an expansion of criminal law to the point that mere involvement of company management in certain affairs can serve as a basis, in whole or in part, for criminal prosecution."

Wynn wrote that "Congress intended to bring conduct evidencing reckless disregard within the meaning of 'willfully.'"

"In particular, Congress imposed enhanced penalties in the Mine Safety Act because it found 'mine operators still find it cheaper to pay minimal civil penalties than to make the capital investments necessary to adequately abate unsafe or unhealthy conditions,'" he wrote.

Holding mine operators personally criminally liable is meant to deter large corporations from choosing production over safety compliance because financial penalties won't do it, Wynn wrote.

Brandon Garrett, a University of Virginia law professor, said it's an important decision because it has been so rare for corporate chief executives to be prosecuted. "It is also important because it shows that you can sufficiently show that CEOs were involved in a corporate crime," he said.

Blankenship was also fined the $250,000 maximum permitted by law. He was acquitted of securities fraud at the six-week trial.
Italian manufacturer bringing dozens of jobs to Weirton

WEIRTON, W.Va. (AP)  An Italian manufacturing company is moving forward with plans to invest $9 million toward a new facility on West Virginia's Northern Panhandle.

News outlets report that local officials met with representatives of Pietro Fiorentini USA on Friday to officially sign off on a land purchase agreement at a business park in Weirton. The planned industrial facility was first announced in 2013.

The project is set to create an initial 41 jobs in the first phase. There would be up to 150 positions when fully operational. Workers will be producing pressure regulators, valves and pressure reducing and meter systems for the natural gas industry.
Kosovo sentences 7 for ties to terror groups in Syria

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP)  A Kosovo court has sentenced seven Albanian citizens on charges of terror, participating in terror groups and recruiting for Islamic terror groups in Syria.

A statement Thursday from the court in the capital, Pristina, said the seven defendants, identified only by their initials, received prison sentences ranging from 2  to 4  years.

Online news site Kallxo.com reports that some of them acknowledged having fought with anti-government forces in Syria, while others said they had gone to assist Syrian refugees in Turkey. A few expressed regret for going to Syria, the news site says.
Doctors consider removing tube for 41st President Bush

HOUSTON (AP)  Doctors treating former President George H.W. Bush for pneumonia considered Thursday whether to take out a breathing tube while his wife, Barbara, said she was feeling much better after undergoing treatment for bronchitis.

Family spokesman Jim McGrath said physicians for the 92-year-old Bush were evaluating him for removal of the tube, which was inserted Wednesday in a procedure to clear his airway.

The 41st president has been in the intensive care unit at Houston Methodist Hospital since Wednesday, relying on a ventilator to breathe. Removing the tube  a procedure known as extubation  would allow Bush to breathe on his own. He was struggling to breathe when he was admitted to the hospital Saturday.

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016 file photo, former President George H. W. Bush, right, and his wife, Barbara, are greeted before a Republican presidential primary debate at The University of Houston in Houston. On Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, the former president was admitted to an intensive care unit, and Barbara was hospitalized as a precaution, according to his spokesman. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Bush "had a good night's rest" and remained in stable condition, McGrath said. "We are hopeful he will be discharged from the ICU in a few days."

Barbara Bush, 91, was admitted Wednesday and diagnosed with bronchitis after feeling fatigued and coughing for weeks. She reported feeling "1,000 percent better" on Thursday.

"Antibiotics and some good rest seem to have restored her to better health," McGrath said.

The couple received "an uplifting visit" from longtime friends former Secretary of State James Baker and his wife, Susan, who also live in Houston, McGrath said.

President-elect Donald Trump and President Barack Obama have sent their well wishes, via Twitter and a news conference, respectively. Former President Bill Clinton also tweeted: "41 and Barbara  thinking about you both and sending wishes for a speedy recovery. Love, 42."

Former President George W. Bush offered thanks on Instagram Thursday for messages "of love and support for Mother and Dad."

"Your prayers are working: 41 and Mom are doing much better today and fighting on," he said in his first public comments about their illnesses.

Bush said he and former first lady Laura Bush "look forward to representing them" at Trump's inauguration Friday in Washington "while they continue to recover in Houston."

Even though he was hospitalized, the elder Bush's Twitter account was active Thursday, offering "hearty congrats" to former Houston Astros baseball player Jeff Bagwell on his election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

McGrath said while Bush did not physically type the tweet, he did approve it from his hospital room, calling the Astros' former slugging first baseman a "good friend and great player" and praising his election Wednesday to Cooperstown.

Bush was a first baseman when he attended Yale, and was captain of the Yale team that played in the first College World Series in 1947. As president, he kept his first baseman's glove in his desk in the Oval Office, and he and his wife have frequently attended Astros games since leaving the White House.

The Bushes were married Jan. 6, 1945, and have had the longest marriage of any presidential couple in American history. At the time of their wedding, he was a young naval aviator. She had been a student at Smith College.

After World War II, they moved to the Texas oil patch to seek their fortune and raise a family. It was there that George Bush began his political career, representing Houston for two terms in Congress in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

George Herbert Walker Bush, born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, also served as CIA director and Ronald Reagan's vice president.

FILE - In this April 2, 2016, file photo, former President George H. W. Bush waves as he arrives at NRG Stadium before the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game between Villanova and Oklahoma in Houston. Houston-area media are quoting former President George H.W. Bush's chief of staff as saying that Bush has been hospitalized in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
Sweden not giving up fight over lobster imports

PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Sweden isn't giving up on a long-running battle with the U.S. and Canada over lobsters that have turned up in Swedish waters.

Officials with Sweden told The Associated Press that their country is working on a new proposal about how to deal with American lobsters that have turned up. A controversy about whether American lobsters are invasive in Swedish waters has simmered for almost a year.

Sweden had wanted the European Union to consider a ban of imports of American lobsters. That call came after Sweden announced it had found 32 American lobsters in its waters.

FILE - In this July 2007, file photo, a scientist holds a lobster underwater on Friendship Long Island, Maine. Officials with Sweden told The Associated Press in January 2017 that their country is working on a new proposal about how to deal with American lobsters that turned up in Swedish waters. Sweden had asked the European Union in March 2016 to bar imports of live American lobsters into the 28-nation bloc after 32 American lobsters were found in Swedish waters. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

European Union officials turned away that request in October after American and Canadian scientists and politicians raised concerns about a lack of evidence that the lobsters warranted such a sweeping ban. But Swedish officials told the AP that the country remains concerned that American lobsters could interfere with European lobsters, which have economic value.

"We are preparing a new proposal on national and regional measures on the American lobster that will be presented for the Swedish government this winter," said Sofia Brockmark, a spokeswoman for the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management.

Brockmark and other Swedish officials did not provide more specifics about Sweden's upcoming proposal, other than that it will address invasive lobsters with countrywide and regional measures as opposed to an international ban.

Maine is the biggest lobster fishing state in the U.S., and the New England lobster industry dug in against Sweden's proposed ban. America sends about $150 million in lobster to the European Union annually. Canada also sells the same species of lobster to Europe.

Some of the lobsters that were found in Europe were wearing the rubber bands that are put on their claws in captivity. That led to speculation that they were imported lobsters that either escaped into the wild or were released.

Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association, said her organization is working with others in the industry, as well as American and Canadian government agencies, to help prevent American lobsters from escaping in Europe.

The effort will include educating buyers in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe, Casoni said.

"The goal is to keep them going to Europe and hopefully find some mitigation factors," she said. "They hold them in pounds just like over here. Sometimes one or two might escape."

The European Union is of the opinion that the issue now lies with Sweden, said Iris Petsa, a spokeswoman for the EU's European Commission. She said the country would still need to notify the European Commission before applying restrictions on national trade.
Armel Le Cleac'h wins Vendee Globe round-the-world race

LES SABLES D'OLONNE, France (AP)  Armel Le Cleac'h held off a late surge from British sailor Alex Thomson to win the Vendee Globe round-the-world race in record time on Thursday.

The Frenchman finished the race in 74 days. Francois Gabart held the previous record of 78 days in the 2012-13 edition of the race, which is held every four years and sailed entirely without assistance.

Le Cleac'h, the runner-up in the previous two races, stood up on his boat, pumped his fist and threw both arms up in the air as he crossed the finish line.

French skipper Armel Le Cleac'h celebrates his victory aboard his "Banque Populaire" monohull after winning the Vendee Globe solo around-the-world sailing race in Les Sables d'Olonne harbor, western France, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2016. Le Cleac'h held off a late surge from British sailor Alex Thomson to win the Vendee Globe round-the-world race Thursday in record time. The 39-year-old Frenchman finished the race in 74 days. (AP Photo/Yohan Bonnet)

"It's huge, the emotion is incredible. I can't really take on board what just happened," he said. "The last few days were intense. I've achieved something huge."

Le Cleac'h, who is from the Brittany region, was struggling to hold back tears as he spoke.

"I wanted this win so much. The weather wasn't easy, but I held on and fought," said Le Cleac'h, who hugged his two children as they joined him on his boat. "The last mile was great, even if it was very cold."

Thomson, meanwhile, was expected to arrive at Les Sables d'Olonne early Friday. He was competing for the fourth time and looking to become the first British sailor to win it.

This week, Thomson set a world record for the most distance sailed solo in 24 hours when he covered 536.8 miles to narrow the gap on Le Cleac'h, beating Gabart's previous mark of 534.48 miles, which was also set during the last edition.

By early Wednesday, Thomson moved his Hugo Boss 60-foot single-hull yacht within 40 miles of Le Cleac'h. But his challenge then faded as Le Cleac'h pulled away again in his Banque Populaire boat.

"It was intense from start to finish and I didn't see the time passing. There was just no respite," Le Cleac'h said. "I had a few technical problems, but nothing major."

Le Cleac'h is the seventh Frenchman to win the race in its eight editions.

French skipper Armel Le Cleac'h, center first row, celebrates his victory aboard his "Banque Populaire" monohull with his team after winning the Vendee Globe solo around-the-world sailing race in Les Sables d'Olonne harbor, western France, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2016. Le Cleac'h held off a late surge from British sailor Alex Thomson to win the Vendee Globe round-the-world race Thursday in record time. The 39-year-old Frenchman finished the race in 74 days. (AP Photo/Yohan Bonnet)

French skipper Armel Le Cleac'h sprays champagne as he celebrates his victory aboard his "Banque Populaire" monohull after winning the Vendee Globe solo around-the-world sailing race in Les Sables d'Olonne harbor, western France, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2016. Le Cleac'h held off a late surge from British sailor Alex Thomson to win the Vendee Globe round-the-world race Thursday in record time. The 39-year-old Frenchman finished the race in 74 days. (AP Photo/Yohan Bonnet)

French skipper Armel Le Cleac'h celebrates his victory aboard his "Banque Populaire" monohull after winning the Vendee Globe solo around-the-world sailing race in Les Sables d'Olonne harbor, western France, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2016. Le Cleac'h held off a late surge from British sailor Alex Thomson to win the Vendee Globe round-the-world race Thursday in record time. The 39-year-old Frenchman finished the race in 74 days. (AP Photo/Yohan Bonnet)

French skipper Armel Le Cleac'h celebrates his victory with safety flares aboard his "Banque Populaire" monohull after winning the Vendee Globe solo around-the-world sailing race in the Les Sables d'Olonne harbor, western France, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2016. Le Cleac'h held off a late surge from British sailor Alex Thomson to win the Vendee Globe round-the-world race Thursday in record time. The 39-year-old Frenchman finished the race in 74 days. (AP Photo/Yohan Bonnet)

French skipper Armel Le Cleac'h sprays champagne as he celebrates his victory aboard his "Banque Populaire" monohull after winning the Vendee Globe solo around-the-world sailing race in the Les Sables d'Olonne harbor, western France, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2016. Le Cleac'h held off a late surge from British sailor Alex Thomson to win the Vendee Globe round-the-world race Thursday in record time. The 39-year-old Frenchman finished the race in 74 days. (AP Photo/Yohan Bonnet)
White House denies clemency for Indian activist Peltier

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  President Barack Obama has denied a clemency request by American Indian activist Leonard Peltier, who has spent most of his life in prison in the killing of two FBI agents in South Dakota in 1975, Peltier's attorney said Thursday.

His attorney, Martin Garbus, said they received a letter from the White House on Wednesday night saying their application to commute his sentence to the 40 years he's already served has been denied.

"He understands that this is a death sentence," Garbus said. "He's in very bad physical condition. (President-elect Donald) Trump is not going to grant him clemency."

FILE - In this April 29, 1999, file photo, American Indian activist Leonard Peltier speaks during an interview at the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kan. President Barack Obama has denied a clemency request by Peltier, who has spent most of his life in prison in the killing of two FBI agents in South Dakota in 1975. Peltier's attorney, Martin Garbus, says they received a letter from the White House on Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017 saying their application has been denied. (Joe Ledford/The Kansas City Star via AP, File)

Peltier's supporters say he was wrongly convicted in the killings of FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He has exhausted his appeals and his parole requests have been denied. Peltier's supporters consider their clemency request to Obama as their last chance for winning his freedom.

The FBI maintains he's guilty and was properly sentenced to two consecutive life terms.

Peltier, 72, is incarcerated at the federal prison is Coleman, Florida. He was active in the American Indian Movement, which grabbed headlines in 1973 when it took over the village of Wounded Knee on the reservation, leading to a 71-day standoff with federal agents. Tensions between AIM and the government remained high for years, providing the backdrop for the fatal confrontation in which both agents were shot in the head at close range.

Amnesty International, which considers Peltier a political prisoner, issued a statement saying Obama's decision means Peltier may die in prison.

"The families of the FBI agents who were killed during the 1975 confrontation between the FBI and American Indian Movement (AIM) members have a right to justice, but justice will not be served by Peltier's continued imprisonment," said Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA.

But former FBI agent Ed Woods, who has long campaigned to keep Peltier imprisoned, issued a statement thanking the president.
Invitations in hand, West Bank settlers head to inauguration

JERUSALEM (AP)  For nearly 50 years, Israel's settler movement has been criticized, condemned and ostracized by the international community. But on Friday, they say they will be greeted with open arms as invited guests to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

A warm welcome in Washington would be by far the settlers' greatest accomplishment in terms of gaining international legitimacy, and reflects both the extraordinary nature of the Trump era and their own evolution into a dominant political force in Israel.

"I definitely agree that we are now getting the VIP treatment, which is something that we have been working on for many years," said Oded Revivi, chief foreign envoy of the Yesha Council, an umbrella group representing Israel's more than 120 West Bank settlements. "You could basically argue that it has taken 50 years, since 1967, to be recognized on such a level for such an event."

In this Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017 photoIsraeli Mayor Oded Revivi, who will lead a delegation of officials from the Yesha settlers' council speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in the Jewish settlement of Efrat. For nearly 50 years, Israel's West Bank settler movement has been criticized, condemned and ostracized by the international community. But on Friday, they say they will be greeted with open arms on the world's biggest stage as invited guests to Donald Trump's inauguration. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Revivi, who is mayor of the fast-growing Efrat settlement near Jerusalem, is leading the delegation on Friday, joined by two other mayors. He said the invite came from a member of Trump's "first circle" of advisers, but refused to name the person.

His office gave The Associated Press photos of invitations to the main inauguration ceremony and an inaugural ball.

When asked if Trump, his incoming administration or inaugural committee had invited the settlers, inaugural committee spokesman Boris Epshteyn did not answer the question, saying in a statement only that no heads of state or heads of government were among the invited guests.

"The only representatives who will be invited are members of the diplomatic corps who are based here in Washington, D.C.," he said. Epshteyn did not reply to follow-up questions.

The invitation  the first of its kind for the settlers  is a stunning change for the movement, which began after Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war.

Today, there are some 400,000 Israelis living in West Bank settlements, in addition to roughly 200,000 Israelis in east Jerusalem, also captured in 1967. The Palestinians, with wide international backing, seek both areas for a future independent state.

For decades, U.S. presidents have joined the international community in condemning the settlements as obstacles to the peace process. Last month, the Obama administration allowed the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution condemning the settlements as a "flagrant violation" of international law. In a farewell speech, Secretary of State John Kerry also harshly criticized the settlements.

The settlers and their allies, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, defend the settlements on both security and religious grounds. They say east Jerusalem, home to key holy sites, is an eternal part of Israel's capital and not up for negotiation.

After repeated clashes with Obama, Israel's nationalist right has high expectations for Trump, who has signaled he will take a much kinder approach toward them.

Trump has appointed David Friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer who has raised millions of dollars for the Beit El settlement, as his ambassador to Israel. The foundation run by the family of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has also supported Beit El, and Trump himself has donated money to a Jewish seminary in the settlement through his foundation, tax records show.

"I think the new administration is definitely going to be one which is more responsive, more understanding and that is what's bringing definitely a lot of hope," Revivi said.

Having such access was unthinkable just a few months ago. Revivi described the Obama years as "frustrating."

He said the new opportunities with Trump were the result of years of intense diplomatic efforts by the settler movement to forge ties with American officials, lawmakers and community leaders. During the presidential campaign, Trump supporters in Israel set up their headquarters in the West Bank to encourage American expatriates to support their candidate.

Revivi said he has a "detailed shopping list" for the coming years that goes beyond expanded settlement construction, but he declined to elaborate, saying much would depend on Netanyahu and Trump.

"Inviting us over to his ceremony is an indication that the relationship is going to be different. When you have a dialogue, when you have a tight relationship, the sky is the limit," Revivi said.

Yesha opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, but is also against the creation of a single "binational state" of Jews and Palestinians. Revivi said he favors an approach that would improve the quality of life for the West Bank's 2.3 million Palestinians, but not give them Israeli citizenship.

Critics say this is unsustainable, and that the continued occupation will eventually force Israel to choose between remaining Jewish or democratic.

Trump's campaign platform made no mention of a Palestinian state, and he has shown little affinity for the Palestinians. No Palestinian officials or dignitaries are believed to have been invited to the inauguration.

Trump also has promised to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem  a key Israeli demand opposed by the Palestinians.

Pro-settlement lawmakers plan to introduce a bill Sunday calling on Israel to annex the large West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim. The bill's advocates say the timing is intentional because they believe the new administration will not oppose the move.

The Palestinians have issued dire warnings about any embassy move, saying it would prejudge negotiations on one of the most sensitive issues in the conflict. President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to revoke recognition of Israel and cut off security ties, and religious leaders said Thursday an embassy move would "drag the whole region into a religious feud that may have dire consequences."

Hanan Ashrawi, a top Palestinian official, said the incoming administration has sent "very alarming signals" about its intentions.

"By linking up with the settlers and the illegal settlements enterprise, Trump is placing the new American administration squarely outside the law and is encouraging Israeli lawlessness," she said. "He is destroying the chances of peace and preparing for further conflict and instability and violence."

___

Associated Press writer Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report.
Osama bin Laden worried about the welfare of his children and was worried certain branches of al Qaeda were becoming too violent, documents released Thursday by the outgoing Obama administration reveal.

In the 49 documents the 9/11 mastermind wrote to his on-the-run children, members of his family, and showed signs he was growing paranoid about foreign agents secretly implanting his followers with tracking devices.

He also expressed concern that some 'brutal and violent' acts of terror - like those perpetuated by the group that would become ISIS - 'alienated' Muslims from joining their cause.

The trove of papers were the last of three installments collected during the 2011 raid on the Abbottabad compound, in which he was killed.

In one of the letters, he warns his sons Uthman and Mohammed about the possibility of Iranian officials implanting them with a tracking device in the disguise of an injection.

The terrorist leader told his mom in a letter that he missed her, and revealed that he passed the time in his compound by sewing. At one point he revealed that he suffered from malaria and typhoid.

President Obama released a new batch of documents obtained in the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden's (left, in 2001) compound on Thursday

In a more disturbing note to a doctor, he described how his 'brothers' were frustrated because of their 'celibacy' and 'lack of availability of wives'.

So ruled that it was OK for non-married fighters to masturbate in order to relieve sexual tension.

'If they inject you with a shot, this shot might be loaded with a tiny chip,' bin Laden wrote. 'The syringe size may be normal, but the needle is expected to be larger than normal size. The chip size may be as long as a seed of grain but very thin and smooth.'

For many years, the two brothers were held under house arrest by the Iranians but were later allowed to leave. Bin Laden advised them to go to Peshawar, Pakistan, where he knew a person that would help them with their life on the run.

Bin Laden also corresponded with an al Qaeda member who was looking after his other son, Hamza.

The member wrote that he could not send Hamza to be with him in Abbottabad because it was too dangerous. In another letter, Bin Laden instructed his son to escape to Karachi on a 'cloudy day' - presumably to avoid being hit by a drone.

Since his father's death, Hamza has appeared in multiple al Qaeda propaganda videos. Just last month, he was officially designated a terrorist by the U.S. State Department.

Another letter came from one of his daughters, Khadija, who wrote that she was on the run somewhere along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. In the letter, Bin Laden's daughter complained that she had been beset by health issues recently - including malaria, typhoid, and a miscarriage - and that she rarely had access to a computer.

A team of U.S. Navy SEALs stormed Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May 2011 - killing the al Qaeda leader and taking as many documents and hard drives with them as they left

As the ranking leader of al Qaeda, Bin Laden also kept in contact with the many branches of the terror organization in Nigeria, North Africa, Pakistan and Yemen.

One letter sent to Bin Laden from al Qaeda's North African affiliate in 2007 asked the leader to send Iraqi and Afghan instructors to train their fighters, as well as surface-to-air missiles.

In that same letter, the anonymous leader advised that the group release French female hostages for 'say 5 million Euros (almost $7million U.S. dollars)' but keep the male hostages to record propaganda videos every two to three months.

Bin Laden wrote in a letter to al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen to focus efforts on attacking the U.S. - which he described as 'the head' of the 'infidel' forces.

In a letter to a fellow militant, written after 9/11, bin Laden called on his followers to invent new ways to battle the West.

'If we cannot manufacture weapons like the weapons of the Crusader West, we can destroy its complicated industrial and economic system and exhaust its forces that fight without faith until they escape,' he wrote.

'Therefore, the mujahidin had to create new methods that no one from the West can think about, and one of the examples of this creative thinking is using the airplane as a powerful weapon, like what had happened in the blessed attacks in Washington, New York and Pennsylvania.'

Bin Laden also corresponded with an al Qaeda member who was looking after his other son, Hamza (pictured). The terrorist leader instructed his son to escape to Karachi on a 'cloudy day' - presumably to avoid being hit by a drone

He said Yemen was the country best poised to become an 'Islamic State' but said that he didn't think it was practical for al Qaeda to run an actual country. That's quite the contrary to what the Islamic State is trying to do in Iraq and Syria.

Bin Laden also advocated for killing journalists and writers in another memo.

In another memo, Bin Laden bad-mouthed the Iranian government, saying the Shia-majority regime has a 'hatred for the family of Islam'.

Tracking down and killing the man behind the 2001 terrorist attacks on America is one of President Barack Obama's greatest accomplishments.

Intelligence officials have worked for more than two years to declassify the hundreds of documents captured in the raid. The last batch, consisting of 49 documents, includes a running disagreement between bin Laden and al-Qaida's affiliate in Iraq, which morphed into the Islamic State group. Those militants are currently the top target of U.S. counterterrorism efforts.

The Pentagon announced Thursday that the U.S. Air Force attacked a pair of IS military camps in Libya, seeking to eliminate extremists who had escaped from their former stronghold of Sirte.

Bin Laden is responsible for orchestrating the September 11 strikes against the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people.

The attacks drastically changed America's footprint abroad and challenged some of the most basic tenets of the Constitution in an effort to detect terrorists before they strike.
Prosecutor: Teen killed by California officers had knife

SALINAS, Calif. (AP)  Police in California shot and killed a knife-wielding teenager after failing to subdue him with water from a fire hose, rubber bullets and stun guns, authorities said.

A total of 14 officers with the Salinas Police Department responded Wednesday to a report of a man armed with a knife on a neighborhood sidewalk.

The officers used various means to try to stop the teenager before resorting to lethal force, Monterey County Deputy District Attorney Ed Hazel told the Monterey Herald newspaper (http://bit.ly/2k4Rcaq).

The man acted erratically before his death, said Hazel, whose office is overseeing the investigation.

"He went into a nearby residence, then the subject turns and goes toward officers, at which time they fire their weapons and he was killed," Hazel said.

Seven of the officers were placed on paid leave following the shooting.

The U.S. Department of Justice previously investigated the Salinas department and issued recommendations after officers shot and killed four men in 2014.

One recommendation resulted in a separate agency overseeing investigations into officer-involved shootings.

The police department declined a request for comment by The Associated Press, referring questions to the prosecutor's office.

Police Chief Adele Frese said in a statement posted on the department's website that it is trying to maintain the integrity of the investigation.

Authorities have not released the name or age of the teen.

An autopsy is scheduled Thursday but a toxicology report on possible drug use won't be ready for several weeks.

___
With little room to maneuver, Syria's rebels head for talks

BEIRUT (AP)  Syrian rebels are sending more than a dozen representatives next week to the capital of Kazakhstan for talks with government representatives, the first such negotiations between the two sides in a year.

But the loss of Aleppo, the election of Donald Trump and the pivot of Turkey toward Russia has left the opposition with very little room to maneuver.

Without much foreign support and with Syria's wider rebellion in crisis, the opposition will be negotiating for scraps, having been forced to take part in a Russia-led initiative that won't challenge President Bashar Assad's hold on power.

FILE - This undated handout file photo released by the Russian Defense Ministry claims to show Russian Military engineers driving in their APCs to operate in Aleppo, Syria. Syrian rebels are sending representatives next week to the capital of Kazakhstan for talks with government representatives. With the loss of Aleppo, the election of Donald Trump and the pivot of Turkey toward Russia, the opposition has very little room to maneuver. Without much foreign support and with the wider rebellion in crisis, the opposition will be negotiating for scraps.(Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP, File)

"They have no choice. With Trump's win, any lingering hope to push the West into increasing its rebel support is lost," said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

Monday's scheduled meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, highlights the dramatic changes in the year since the last talks broke down in Geneva.

Russia's massive military intervention has unequivocally given Assad the upper hand, leaving his forces in control of Syria's major cities and key population centers.

In the most significant setback for the rebellion since the conflict in Syria began in March 2011, pro-government forces recaptured the northern city of Aleppo in December, ending the opposition's four-year hold on parts of Syria's largest and most important city. For the rebels, it was an emotional departure from a place that once represented the dream of a Syria free of Assad.

It will be difficult for them to recover from such a defeat.

Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdogan is embroiled in troubles at home and has moved closer to Russia recently, prioritizing the fight against Kurds and the Islamic State group over support for the Syrian rebels he has propped up for years. Instead, Ankara is leading Syrian opposition fighters in its own offensive against IS and Kurdish rebels in northern Syria.

On Friday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said his country has to be "realistic" and can no longer insist on any settlement for Syria's long-running war without Assad.

"The Russians have dealt us a military defeat in Aleppo," said Yasser al-Youssef, a member of the political bureau of the Noureddin el-Zinki armed group, a major rebel group in northern Syria.

"Now they are trying to deal us another defeat, politically," he said, referring to the conference in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.

The humiliating loss forced the rebel factions on Dec. 29 to sign a cease-fire deal in which they agreed to the talks with representatives of Assad's government.

The Russians cast the talks as the first opportunity to bring opposition military leaders to the table. Officials have said the session initially would focus on strengthening the truce in Syria, which Russia brokered with Turkey and Iran, and would help pave way for prospective talks in Geneva.

The negotiations will undoubtedly set the tone and agenda for future talks.

"Vladimir Putin's rush to establish a new political framework through organizing Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital are primarily designed to cement the Kremlin's position as the architect of a political solution," said Ayham Kamel, Middle East and North Africa director at Eurasia Group.

He said Putin's effort is set to eliminate any negotiating structure that would require Assad's removal.

Week-long negotiations in Turkey ahead of the talks reflect deep disagreement among the rebels on the goals and purpose of attending. With few friends left, the armed opposition also has no significant lifeline beside Ankara, which also had sent its troops to Syria to lead an offensive against Islamic State militants and Kurdish fighters on its borders. Saudi Arabia, an early supporter of the uprising, has been embroiled in its own war in Yemen, drying up coffers amid lower oil prices. Qatar, another ally of the rebels, would still have to coordinate with Turkey to reach them.

Jamil al-Saleh, commander of the U.S.-backed Alezzah Army, praised Turkey for hosting nearly 3 million Syrian refugees and keeping the only remaining route for civilians and fighters to the outside world. "They are the biggest ally," he said.

His group is sending two representatives to Astana. But al-Saleh said the delegates would pull out if there is no serious effort to form a transitional government and end Assad's rule.

Al-Saleh said the ceiling for talks is to reinforce the cease-fire, open humanitarian corridors for besieged areas and create a mechanism to hold violators to account. "Meanwhile, we are waiting for the U.S. to change its position," he added.

Another aim of Russia is to separate the rebels from the al-Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham group, which Moscow insisted on excluding from the cease-fire. The front is one of the most powerful groups and maintained close alliances with most of the other rebels at times of intense confrontations with pro-government forces.

Disassociating with the al-Qaida affiliate at a time of dwindling support could spell the end for many of the myriad armed groups. It also could spark tensions among the rebels.

"You can't ... try to drag the Syrian people toward a fourth front," said al-Youssef of the al-Zinki group, suggesting that giving up on the Fatah-al-Sham Front would further complicate the war and spell more radicalization.

Al-Zinki is one of the few groups that won't take part.

Another powerful group, Ahrar al-Sham, said it also won't participate in the talks because, among other things, excluding Fatah al-Sham is an attempt to divide the rebels.

If there are "good results," the group said it will support the talks. But it added: "It is a lie to say that now is the time for political action only. Now the battle is on, and the fields of jihad are calling for the lions of Islam."

But in a reflection of a highly volatile terrain, reports emerged Thursday of clashes between the two groups, which had been in talks to merge.

According to the opposition-run Qasioun news agency and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, fighters from Fatah al-Sham assaulted Ahrar al-Sham-controlled checkpoints and positions in Idlib's western countryside and arrested fighters from the Islamist group. The Fatah al-Sham Front, which has been advertising its suicide attacks in parts of Syria despite the cease-fire, also seized a crossing on the Syria-Turkey border, according to the monitoring group.

Ahrar al-Sham supporters have criticized the group's decision to boycott the talks, allegedly under pressure from the more powerful Fatah al-Sham.

The divisions came despite efforts by the opposition to coalesce.

"The rebels are unlikely to find unity in defeat where they have not found it in victory," Landis said.

Part of the conversation now is how and when Assad leaves, but there seems to be tacit acceptance  or resignation  that the 51-year-old leader will stay for the time being.

An Arab diplomat said Turkey has pressed the opposition to attend the Astana meeting because it has a long-term interest in keeping a stake in Syria. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly.

Russia may be taking advantage of a weakened Erdogan and the transition in the U.S. to push the Syrian political process forward and target terrorist groups in Syria.

Assad said the talks will focus on the cease-fire and humanitarian assistance, and are unlikely to delve into political issues.

In remarks to Japanese broadcaster TBS TV, he said the conference offers armed groups a chance to join reconciliation initiatives through which the government has negotiated local surrenders, allowing fighters to either lay down arms or relocate.

"We have no expectations from the Astana talks, but we have hopes that it becomes a forum for talks between all Syrian parties," Assad said.

___

Hashem Osseiran in Beirut contributed.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 file photo, Army of Islam official Mohammed Alloush, gets in to a car heading to a meeting with the opposition's High Negotiations Committee, in Geneva, Switzerland. Syrian rebels are sending representatives next week to the capital of Kazakhstan for talks with government representatives. With the loss of Aleppo, the election of Donald Trump and the pivot of Turkey toward Russia, the opposition has very little room to maneuver. Without much foreign support and with the wider rebellion in crisis, the opposition will be negotiating for scraps.(AP Photo/Bassem Mroue, File)

FILE - This undated handout file photo released by the Russian Defense Ministry claims to show Russian Military engineers operating in Aleppo, Syria. Syrian rebels are sending representatives next week to the capital of Kazakhstan for talks with government representatives. With the loss of Aleppo, the election of Donald Trump and the pivot of Turkey toward Russia, the opposition has very little room to maneuver. Without much foreign support and with the wider rebellion in crisis, the opposition will be negotiating for scraps. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP, File)
Stolen Van Gogh paintings recovered in Italy to head home

AMSTERDAM (AP)  Two paintings by Vincent van Gogh that were stolen from an Amsterdam museum in 2002 and recovered by Italian police last year are set to return to the Netherlands.

The Van Gogh Museum said Thursday that a court in Naples has cleared Van Gogh's "Seascape at Scheveningen" and "Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen" to go back to the museum.

Police discovered the paintings hidden in a farmhouse near Naples last year while investigating suspected Italian mobsters for cocaine trafficking.

FILE- In this Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 file photo, Director of Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum Axel Rueger, center, stands next to the paintings 'Congregation Leaving The Reformed Church of Nuenen', left, and 1882 'Seascape at Scheveningen' by Vincent Van Gogh, during a press conference in Naples, Italy. Two paintings by Vincent van Gogh that were stolen in 2002 from the Amsterdam museum that is named for the Dutch master and recovered last year by Italian police are set to be returned. (Ciro Fusco/ANSA via AP, file)

The masterpieces were swiped during a 2002 nighttime heist at the Van Gogh Museum.

Museum Director Axel Rueger says the court's OK is "great news."

"We can now focus fully on preparing for the paintings to come home," Rueger says.

No date has been set for the works' return.

FILE- In this Friday, Sept. 30 2016 file photo, the recovered painting 'Seascape at Scheveningen' by Vincent Van Gogh, is shown during a press conference in Naples, Italy . Two paintings by Vincent van Gogh that were stolen in 2002 from the Amsterdam museum that is named for the Dutch master and recovered last year by Italian police are set to be returned. (Ciro Fusco/ANSA via AP, file)
Iran summons Danish envoy over embassy attack

TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned the Danish ambassador over an attack on its Copenhagen embassy.

The official IRNA news agency said the attack on Thursday involved four Iranian dissidents, without providing further details.

IRNA said the Foreign Ministry condemned the attack and reminded the Danish government that it is responsible for protecting the embassy. The ministry called on Danish authorities to pursue the perpetrators and notify it of the results.
French military: Death toll in Mali base attack rises to 77

PARIS (AP)  The death toll in a suicide attack on a Mali army camp in the African country's north has risen to 77, a French military spokesman said Thursday.

A suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle to the military camp in Gao, Col. Patrik Steiger said. The victims, all Malians, were soldiers and former fighters grouped together to try to stabilize the region after a 2015 peace agreement with the government.

A group linked to al-Qaida's North Africa branch, al-Mourabitoun, claimed responsibility for the Wednesday attack, and warned of more to come to punish "all who were lured by France."

Steiger said he was uncertain about the number of injured, but it was reported as 150 on Wednesday night.

The attack came days after French President Francois Hollande visited Gao. France intervened in Mali in 2013 to crush Islamist extremists who controlled much of northern Mali and threatened the south.

While the French intervention has ended, French soldiers remain as part of a larger operation in the Sahel region.

The former fighters at the camp include ethnic Tuareg secular rebels who once fought the Malian military as well as Malian soldiers and militia close to the Malian government.

In a bid to bring peace to Mali, they are supposed to be forming joint patrols in the area, though the program has yet to begin.

The attack struck a major blow at peace efforts in Mali, where rival groups have been vying for control, or independence, in the north.

The claim of responsibility said the attack was carried out by "a knight of the Mourabitoun battalion" of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, according to a translation by the SITE Intelligence Group. The statement identified the attacker as "martyrdom-seeking hero Abdul Hadi al-Fulani."

Al-Mourabitoun is led by the feared Mokhtar Bel-Mokhtar, who remains allied to al-Qaida.
Islamic State fighter's dad cries recounting search for him

NEW YORK (AP)  The father of a New Yorker who joined the Islamic State group told a jury on Thursday that he searched desperately for his son, following him to Turkey and meeting with one of his contacts before lying to the FBI about the trip.

Mohamed el-Goarany, testifying at the terrorism trial of an Arizona man, wept as he described his efforts to find his son Samy el-Goarany after the college student flew to Turkey in January 2015 and continued on to Syria to join the terrorist group. He said his son hid his intentions from his parents, saying he was going to his Queens apartment to spend time with school friends, but his mother suspected the worst after learning he was not there.

He said he found her crying, saying she believed their son had left and they would never see him again. The family was notified in November 2015 he had been killed.

"I lost my son," he said through tears. "Who's going to bring my son back?"

The federal courtroom drama capped several days of testimony by Samy el-Goarany's brother, mother and father. All three were called as government witnesses in the prosecution of Ahmed Mohammed el-Gammal, a suburban Phoenix man charged with providing material support for the Islamic State.

Prosecutors say el-Gammal provided a "launching pad" for Samy el-Goarany to join the Islamic State group in Syria, but a defense lawyer says he's being blamed as a scapegoat.

The el-Goarany family contacted the FBI days after their son left the country. Mohamed el-Goarany said he met with agents many times but became frustrated they would not commit to a trip to Turkey to learn more about what happened to his son. So he went there himself in May 2015, finding a man prosecutors say helped his son reach the Islamic State group.

He said his son called him the next morning and he learned that he was undergoing training with the Islamic State group.

On Wednesday, prosecutors introduced exhibits of online communications between el-Gammal and the contact in Turkey after the father asked to meet the man during his trip there.

The man said he planned to meet the father and el-Gammal warned him, "Don't ever, ever mention me or my name," according to a government exhibit of the internet correspondence.

Samy el-Goarany's mother, Teresa el-Goarany, testified Wednesday that she found proof in her son's backpack in November 2014 that he had gone to Turkey but he claimed when she confronted him that he did so only for humanitarian purposes.

Mohamed el-Goarany said his son's contact in Turkey called him after el-Gammal's arrest and "offered me a trade," meaning he'd help get his son back if he helped get el-Gammal out of jail.

The father, testifying under a non-prosecution agreement, said he lied to the FBI when agents met him at a New York airport after his return from Turkey in May 2015, telling agents his son was with the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria.

The father said he wanted to protect his son's name in case he returned.
Student wants confession in killing barred from trial

ROANOKE, Va. (AP)  A judge will consider whether to bar from trial a former Virginia Tech student's confession in connection with the slaying of a 13-year-old girl.

According to news outlets, Judge Robert Turk said Wednesday that he'll review lawyers' briefs and go through audio and video from the 27 hours 19-year-old Natalie Keepers spent with investigators. He says he will decide before the trial, which is set to begin March 27.
The Latest: Sentencing reset for Alaska strip club owner

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  The Latest on sentencing of Alaska floating strip club owner in waste dumping case (all times local):

12:10 p.m.

A sentencing hearing has been rescheduled in the case of an Alaska man who was found guilty of illegally dumping human waste into a harbor while operating a crabbing boat that had been converted into a floating strip club.

This 2014 photo shows Darren Byler, the owner of the Wild Alaskan, a converted crabbing boat that had been used as a floating strip club, in Kodiak, Alaska. A sentencing hearing has been rescheduled for Byler, who was found guilty of illegally dumping human waste into a harbor from the boat. Byler had been scheduled for sentencing in Anchorage Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, but his attorney, John Cashion, said Byler's flight from Kodiak Island was delayed and the sentencing is now set for Friday. (Kodiak Daily Mirror via AP)

Darren Byler had been scheduled for a Thursday sentencing. But his attorney, John Cashion, says Byler's flight from Kodiak Island was delayed and the sentencing is now set for 3:30 p.m. Friday.

Federal prosecutors are recommending that Byler be sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

Byler was convicted in December 2015 of dumping sewage in violation of the federal Refuse Act, and lying to federal authorities about it. His wife, Kimberly Riedel-Byler, was found not guilty of the same charges.

Prosecutors say Byler piped raw sewage from bathrooms aboard the 94-foot "Wild Alaskan" into the harbor near Kodiak in 2014 instead of taking it 3 miles offshore. The Bylers were accused of telling the Coast Guard they were properly disposing of the waste.

___

9:55 a.m.

An Alaska man is set for sentencing Thursday more than a year after he was found guilty of illegally dumping human waste into a harbor while operating a crabbing boat that had been converted into a floating strip club.

Federal prosecutors are recommending that Darren Byler be sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

Byler was convicted in December 2015 of dumping sewage in violation of the federal Refuse Act, and lying to federal authorities about it. His wife, Kimberly Riedel-Byler was found not guilty of the same charges.
North Dakota resets the debate over time zone disparity

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  Residents of a rural sliver of North Dakota are fiercely opposing a plan that would move them into the same time zone as the cities and oilfields on the other side of the state.

Few subjects set off a parochial debate in the state like a move to reset the clocks. A bill under consideration in the Legislature would not only move southeastern North Dakota from Mountain time to Central but also would scrap daylight savings altogether statewide.

Devils Lake Sen. Dave Oehlke (EL'-kee) says his constituents complain about having to readjust to the time difference every six months.
Mexican drug lord El Chapo lands in New York to face charges

NEW YORK (AP)  Infamous Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who twice escaped from maximum-security prisons in his country, was extradited at the request of the United States to face drug trafficking and other charges and arrived in New York late Thursday.

A plane carrying Guzman landed at a suburban airport, where a caravan of SUVs waited to take him away. Guzman, the convicted leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the world's largest drug trafficking organizations, was expected to spend the night in a New York jail before his first appearance in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Friday, officials said.

Mexico's Department of Foreign Relations announced Guzman was handed over to U.S. authorities for transportation to the U.S. earlier Thursday, the last full day of Democratic President Barack Obama's administration and a day before Republican Donald Trump's scheduled inauguration.

In this photo provided U.S. law enforcement, authorities escort Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, center, from a plane to a waiting caravan of SUVs at Long Island MacArthur Airport on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Ronkonkoma, N.Y. The infamous drug kingpin who twice escaped from maximum-security prisons in Mexico was extradited at the request of the U.S. to face drug trafficking and other charges, and landed in New York late Thursday, a federal law enforcement official said. (U.S. law enforcement via AP)

Guzman was taken into custody by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Ciudad Juarez, a border town across from El Paso, Texas.

Guzman, who's in his late 50s, first escaped from prison in 2001 and then spent more than a decade on the run before he was recaptured, only to escape again in 2015 via a mile-long tunnel dug to the shower in his cell.

The 2015 escape was highly embarrassing for the government of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, and Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand the headache off to the United States afterward. A court denied Guzman's appeal and found his extradition was constitutional, the Mexican Department of Foreign Relations said.

In Mexico, Deputy Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran told reporters late Thursday that Guzman still faces formal charges in 10 other cases.

"When he completes his sentence in ... the United States, he will return to Mexico to continue" the prosecutions, he said.

Guzman's lawyers had fought extradition since his 2016 recapture and said Thursday the Mexican government sent him to the United States to distract the public from nationwide protests over gasoline prices.

"It was illegal. They didn't even notify us," lawyer Andres Granados said. "They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike. It's totally political."

Besides New York, Guzman faces charges in five other U.S. jurisdictions, including San Diego, Chicago and Miami. He could face the possibility of life in a U.S. prison if convicted.

An indictment in New York accuses him of running a massive drug operation that employed thousands of people, laundered billions of dollars in profits back to Mexico and used hit men to carry out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.

After his recent escape, he became something of a folk legend for a segment of Mexico's population for his defiance of authorities. He was immortalized in songs known as narco-corridos, ballads about the drug trade and drug bosses.

It was while on the lam the second time, in fall 2015, that he held a secret meeting with actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo. The encounter was the subject of a lengthy article Penn published in Rolling Stone last January, right after Mexican marines re-arrested Guzman in the western state of Sinaloa.

In the interview, Guzman was unapologetic about his criminal activities, saying he had turned to drug trafficking at age 15 simply to survive.

"The only way to have money to buy food, to survive, is to grow poppy, marijuana, and at that age, I began to grow it, to cultivate it and to sell it. That is what I can tell you," he was quoted as saying in Penn's article.

The decision by Mexico to extradite one of its most prized prisoners to the U.S. comes as Trump has taken a tough stand on illegal immigration from that country, vowing to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it. Mexican officials have repeatedly said they will not pay for a wall.

Derek Maltz, who headed the DEA's Special Operations Division until his retirement in mid-2014, said the timing of Guzman's extradition less than 24 hours ahead of Trump's inauguration could be seen as a show of good faith by Mexico.

___

Associated Press writer Peter Orsi reported this story in Mexico City, and AP writer Bradley Klapper reported from Washington. AP writers Alicia Caldwell and Eric Tucker in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed. Hays reported from New York.

An armed officer stands guard as a vehicle carrying Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman arrives at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. The infamous drug kingpin who twice escaped from maximum-security prisons in Mexico was extradited at the request of the U.S. to face drug trafficking and other charges, and landed in New York late Thursday, a federal law enforcement official said. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A vehicle carrying Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman arrives at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. The infamous drug kingpin who twice escaped from maximum-security prisons in Mexico was extradited at the request of the U.S. to face drug trafficking and other charges, and landed in New York late Thursday, a federal law enforcement official said. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

An official looks on as a New York State Police vehicle, part of a motorcade carrying Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, arrives at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. The infamous drug kingpin who twice escaped from maximum-security prisons in Mexico was extradited at the request of the U.S. to face drug trafficking and other charges, and landed in New York late Thursday, a federal law enforcement official said. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

An armed officer stands guard moments before a motorcade carrying Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman arrived at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. The infamous drug kingpin who twice escaped from maximum-security prisons in Mexico was extradited at the request of the U.S. to face drug trafficking and other charges, and landed in New York late Thursday, a federal law enforcement official said. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2014 file photo, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted to a helicopter in handcuffs by Mexican navy marines at a navy hanger in Mexico City. Mexico's government said on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, that it has extradited drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the U.S. to face drug trafficking and other charges. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2016 file photo, a handcuffed Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is made to face the press as he is escorted to a helicopter by Mexican soldiers and marines at a federal hangar in Mexico City. According to Mexico's Foreign Ministry, Guzman has been extradited to the United States on Thursday, Jan. 19 2017. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

Soldiers walk at the airport after the extradition of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Mexico's Foreign Relations Department announced Guzman was handed over to U.S. authorities for transportation to the U.S. on Thursday, the last day of President Barack Obama's administration and a day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated. (AP Photo/Christian Torres)

Soldiers wait at the airport after the extradition of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Mexico's Foreign Relations Department announced Guzman was handed over to U.S. authorities for transportation to the U.S. on Thursday, the last day of President Barack Obama's administration and a day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated. (AP Photo/Christian Torres)

Police board Mexican Air Force plane after the extradition of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Mexico's Foreign Relations Department announced Guzman was handed over to U.S. authorities for transportation to the U.S. on Thursday, the last day of President Barack Obama's administration and a day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated. (AP Photo/Christian Torres)

Soldiers leave the airport after the extradition of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Mexico's Foreign Relations Department announced Guzman was handed over to U.S. authorities for transportation to the U.S. on Thursday, the last day of President Barack Obama's administration and a day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated. (AP Photo/Christian Torres)

FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2016 file photo released by Mexico's federal government, Mexico's drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman stands for his prison mug shot with the inmate number 3870 at the Altiplano maximum security federal prison in Almoloya, Mexico. According to Mexico's Foreign Ministry, Guzman was extradited to the United States on Thursday, Jan. 19 2017. (Mexico's federal government via AP, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2016 file photo, a handcuffed Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is made to face the press as he is escorted to a helicopter by Mexican soldiers and marines at a federal hangar in Mexico City. Mexico's most notorious cartel kingpin who twice made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run as the country's most wanted man, was extradited to the United States on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, to face drug trafficking and other charges. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)
Investigative reporter Wayne Barrett, a scourge of New York City power brokers and an early and tenacious chronicler of President-elect Donald Trump, died Thursday at age 71.

Barrett, who had been battling interstitial lung disease, died at NYU Langone Medical Center, his family told The Associated Press.

Starting in the 1970s, there was no more dedicated muckraker than the gruff, relentless Barrett, a self-described 'country boy from Lynchburg, Virginia' and graduate of Columbia University's journalism school who evolved from founding a teen Republican group to becoming an impassioned leftist as an adult.

Fellow journalists, many of whom tweeted tributes upon learning of his death, regarded him as a role model. Even some politicians, at times grudgingly, acknowledged his skills and integrity.

Wayne Barrett (pictured) a scourge of New York City power brokers during a decades-long career with the Village Voice. Barrett died Thursday at age 71 after battling lung disease

Barrett's 1992 book investigated claims of bias against prospective black tenants in Trump buildings and prompted gaming officials in New Jersey to probe various Trump associations

'I tell the young people still drawn to this duty that it is the most honorable one in America, and that I have never met a corrupt journalist,' Barrett wrote in his farewell column for the Voice, which laid him off at the end of 2010 after more than 30 years.

Few reporters knew Trump as well as did Barrett, whose death came on the eve of Trump's swearing in as the country's 45th president.

He began covering the budding real-estate developer in the late 1970s and his expertise and the cache of records sitting in his basement drew dozens of reporters from around the world after Trump declared his candidacy in June 2015.

Barrett's 'Trump: The Deals And The Downfalls,' published in 1992, uncovered Trump's ties to various unsavory characters involved with the construction of Trump Tower, investigated claims of bias against prospective black tenants in Trump buildings and prompted gaming officials in New Jersey to probe various Trump associations.

Trump initially courted Barrett with limousine rides and penthouse conversations, but later accused the reporter of quoting him out of context and 'vicious' coverage

His Trump book was republished last year as 'Trump: The Greatest Show on Earth: The Deals, the Downfall, The Reinvention.'

In the new edition's introduction, Barrett noted his increasingly contentious relationship with Trump, beginning with limousine rides and penthouse conversations, but soon leading to threats of legal action and, in Trump's memoir 'Surviving at the Top,' accusations of quoting him out of context and of 'vicious' coverage.

Barrett did try to speak with Trump for his investigative book. In 1990, after repeated efforts for an interview, he slipped past security at a Trump birthday party in Atlantic City, but was quickly handcuffed and arrested for 'defiant trespassing.'

'Atlantic City cops who doubled as part-time Trump security even confiscated my pocket tape recorder,' he wrote.

'When I was chained to the wall in an Atlantic City holding pen for hours that night  also by cops who were moonlight for Donald  I began to get the point: Trump had decided not to cooperate with this book.'

Barrett also wrote books on Giuliani and another New York mayor, Edward I. Koch, co-authored with his Voice mentor, the late Jack Newfield.

Michael Bloomberg, the city's mayor from 2002-2013, said in a statement that while no elected official always 'saw eye-to-eye' with Barrett, he 'respected his deep sense of moral purpose and encyclopedic knowledge of politics.'

'I had the chance to break bread with him on occasion, and behind the scathing pen he wielded was a good guy with a big heart who loved New York City,' Bloomberg said.

Barrett's many scoops ranged from the criminal past of Rudy Giuliani's father to the many votes missed by then-Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, who had accused the man who would defeat him for re-election in 1998, Democrat Charles Schumer, of similar lapses. Schumer would later say the revelation helped him win. D'Amato would call Barrett a 'viper.'

'Mr. Barrett has become the unrivaled master of long, dense articles about the unsavory side of New York's political culture,' The New York Times wrote of him in 2011.

'He has passed decades digging through government archives, court transcripts, property records, police blotters and campaign filings, weaving tales of corruption and hypocrisy involving union leaders, neighborhood power brokers, real estate developers, mayors and governors.'

Barrett expressed his alarm after Trump's victory in the presidential election.

'The most remarkable thing is that the leading birther in the United States is succeeding this president (Obama), Barrett told 'Democracy Now!' interviewer Amy Goodman shortly after Trump's stunning defeat of Democrat Hillary Clinton. 'It's just  I mean, I just  I can't imagine it.'

In recent years, Barrett was a contributor to Newsweek/The Daily Beast and a fellow at The Nation Institute.
Police: Grenade found in Hawaii next to store wasn't live

HONOLULU (AP)  Bomb technicians will inspect what police believe to be an old grenade that was found in Waikiki.

Honolulu police tell the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (http://ow.ly/LCJr308aIzj ) a maintenance worker found the device under a bush next to a convenience store Thursday morning.

Lt. Bernie Terry at the Waikiki substation says it's likely an old grenade. She says there was no pin inside and it wasn't a live grenade.

The discovery prompted police to close a road during the investigation.

___
Key dates in Mexico's pursuit and extradition of 'El Chapo'

Key dates in the various pursuits, captures, escapes and the extradition of Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman:

__

June 10, 1993: Guzman's first capture, in Guatemala, announced by Mexican authorities.

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2014 file photo, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted to a helicopter in handcuffs by Mexican navy marines at a navy hanger in Mexico City. Mexico's government said on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, that it has extradited drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the U.S. to face drug trafficking and other charges. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

___

1995: Convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

___

Jan. 19, 2001: Escapes from one of Mexico's two top-security prisons, in Jalisco state, allegedly in a laundry cart.

___

2012: Nearly captured by Mexican federal police at a coastal mansion in Los Cabos, a day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with dozens of other foreign ministers in the same resort town.

___

Feb. 22, 2014: Captured by Mexican marines at a condo in Mazatlan after he had escaped capture by fleeing through tunnels in Culiacan, the Sinaloa state capital.

___

July 11, 2015: Escapes from country's Antiplano top-security prison, in Mexico State, using mile-long (1.5 kilometer) tunnel dug from site outside prison compound.

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Jan. 8, 2016: Captured by Mexican marines during raid in Los Mochis, a seaside city in Sinaloa. Sent back to same prison he escaped from.

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Johanna Konta uses big words, according to Naomi Osaka, but the British number one had bigger shots too in her straight-sets win over the Japanese at the Australian Open.

Osaka is widely considered a future star of the womens game, with her booming serve and blistering forehand, but Konta handed the 19-year-old a lesson in ruthlessness on Rod Laver Arena.

The Britons 6-4 6-2 victory showed the sort of form that will have the draws biggest names taking notice, but Osaka was impressed by Konta for another reason.

Johanna Konta (Steve Paston/PA)

I heard her talk and she sounds really intelligent. Its just, like, Oh my God, I sound illiterate or something, Osaka said.

I can see that shes very focused. She uses big words  like, big words. I cant say the words that shes saying. She uses big words in her accent, and it sounds really smart.

Osakas sense of awe perhaps comes from her own desire to replicate Kontas rise, which has seen the Briton surge from 150th three years ago to ninth.

Konta reached the semi-finals in Melbourne last year and she is closing in on the second week again here, with Denmarks Caroline Wozniacki up next.

"Thank you very much for making my dream come true." Johanna #Konta through to 3R #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/9Wc4YhMit2  #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 19, 2017

While we were doing the five-minute warm-up, the presenter was going through how I did last year, and how Im back here now, Konta said.

That gave me goosebumps a little bit, just because it has kind of come full circle with one season I guess. That made me feel a bit warm inside.

Kontas status as a genuine contender to win the first grand slam of the year is credit, in part, to her mental resilience, which was in evidence again in the pressure moments against Osaka.

Wozniacki does not possess Osakas weapons but will offer a far sterner test as the 17th seed and resurgent after reaching the US Open semi-finals in September.

Osaka had a break point at 4-3. Konta held with 2 aces then broke herself to take 1st set 6-4. Ruthless. #ausopen  Tom Allnutt (@TomAllnutt_) January 19, 2017

Im very happy to have come through that, Konta said.

Naomi is obviously a great server and a big ball striker. I was definitely keen on making my stamp in the match, and I feel like I managed to do that as the match went on.

Konta is the last British player in the womens draw at Melbourne Park after Heather Watson endured a painful defeat to American qualifier Jennifer Brady.

Konta takes care of Osaka with minimal fuss. 6-4 6-2 in 69 minutes. Wozniacki or Vekic next.  Tom Allnutt (@TomAllnutt_) January 19, 2017

Watson squandered five match points and nine break points in the deciding set before going down 2-6 7-6 (7/3) 10-8 to a player ranked 117th in the world and making her debut at a grand slam.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has called on unseated Gambian president Yahya Jammeh to stand down in the face of threats of military action by neighbouring states.

Mr Jammeh, who has been president for 22 years, has refused to hand over power to his successor Adama Barrow.

Mr Johnson said: It is vital that former president Jammeh now stands aside to allow an orderly transition.

He also praised African organisations which are working to ensure the democratic wishes of the Gambian people will be respected stating that the December 1 elections had been free and fair.

Foreign Secretary @BorisJohnson congratulates new Gambian president Adama Barrow on his inauguration: https://t.co/jFgjIup4Mc pic.twitter.com/i4bJhvnpCu  Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) January 19, 2017

West African military forces are ready to enforce a transfer of power. Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz failed to break the deadlock at last-minute talks with Mr Jammeh.

Mr Johnson said: The United Kingdom has a long and historic relationship with the Gambia and I look forward to working closely with President Barrows government to further develop our already strong bilateral and economic links.

President Adama Barrow has been sworn-in in extra-ordinary circumstances. It's historic for Gambians as it is for the rest of #Africa.  Dr Dlamini Zuma (@DlaminiZuma) January 19, 2017

I hope that the former President Yahya Jammeh will, in the interest of #TheGambia, bow out peacefully, in accordance with the Constitution.  Dr Dlamini Zuma (@DlaminiZuma) January 19, 2017

Meanwhile, British holidaymakers have told of a chaotic scramble to get on flights out of Africa as they arrived home from crisis-torn Gambia.

Around 1,000 sun-seekers on Thomas Cook packages were ordered to pack their bags and head for the airport after the Foreign Office (FCO) issued an alert late on Tuesday. It warned of a growing risk of unrest, including the shutting of the airport.

Holidaymakers described a nightmare situation at the airport in the countrys capital, Banjul, when they arrived to board flights alongside desperate locals on Wednesday.

People were crying and panicking. It was just chaos, said Sara Wilkins, from Church Stretton, Shropshire, as she arrived at Manchester Airport.

Elicia Gardner, a teacher at Portland School, Stoke-on-Trent, had been on a weeks volunteering trip in a school, with three pupils and another teacher.

A lot of people out there are quite worried, and we are worried for our friends out there, the Gambian people who were taking care of us while we were out there, she said.

Gambian Ebrima Jagne is comforted by fellow passengers (Pat Hurst/PA)

Among the arrivals at Manchester Airport was Gambian Ebrima Jagne, a textile engineer in Burnley.

Mr Jagne was comforted by fellow passengers as he wept out of concern for his wife Haddytouray and their three-month-old daughter Ajiamina Jane, who he is trying to get out of the country.

He said everyone in the country felt unsafe and on edge, because you dont know whats going to come next.

We advise against all but essential travel to The Gambia due to the uncertain political situation: https://t.co/FIsgeP3HD0 pic.twitter.com/GYxweWrfq0  Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) January 19, 2017

Mr Jammeh declared a 90-day national state of emergency on Tuesday, prompting British officials to advise against all non-essential travel to the country. They have since warned against all travel to Banjul.

It is understood that Thomas Cook has seven reps for its 18 hotels in Gambia, but a curfew on Tuesday night meant they were unable to see holidaymakers until Wednesday morning. A source said phone calls were made to hotels to pass the message on to customers that they should prepare to leave the country immediately.
Hull have accepted West Broms bid of around 10million for midfielder Jake Livermore.

The 27-year-old is close to becoming the Baggies first signing of the transfer window, Press Association Sport understands.

The Tigers accepted Albions second offer, with West Brom boss Tony Pulis looking to boost his squad after missing out on Morgan Schneiderlin, who joined Everton from Manchester United earlier this month.

West Brom made two offers for Livermore (Danny Lawson/PA)

Albion are also interested in Watford striker Odion Ighalo, although they are yet to make a formal offer.

But Livermore looks likely to move to The Hawthorns this week and will now hold talks with the club ahead of Saturdays Premier League visit of Sunderland.

The once-capped England international spent the 2013-14 season on loan with the Tigers before making the move permanent that summer.

He has made 25 appearances this term, with Hull third from bottom in the Premier League  although only in the relegation zone on goal difference.

Watford's Odion Ighalo could also be making a move (Simon Galloway/PA)

Watfords Ighalo, who has scored just twice in 19 games this season, is on Pulis radar but the Baggies are only likely to move for a striker if Saido Berahino leaves this month.

They are in talks with Stoke, who have previously offered 20million, over Berahino, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign.

Ighalo has been linked with a move to China and has struggled to recapture the form which saw him score 17 goals for the Hornets last term.

West Brom have money to spend this month, but are keen to avoid a late transfer scramble ahead of the deadline on January 31.

They made an offer of around 18million for Schneiderlin but he moved to Goodison Park in a deal worth 24million.

There was also interest in Jeff Schlupp, having had two bids rejected in the summer, but the Ghana international moved to Crystal Palace from Leicester for around 12million last week.

Albion had doubts over paying the fee having already had a 12million offer turned down last year.
A mother has shared photographs of her miracle son in his hospital bed as part of a fund-raising appeal for potentially life-saving cancer treatment.

Former Manchester City ball boy Elliott Fernandez, 19, from Denton, Greater Manchester, was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of soft tissue cancer and suffered a massive bleed on the brain after his first dose of chemotherapy.

He underwent emergency surgery which left him on life support and dialysis but he defied doctors and learned to eat and walk again.

Elliott with Joe Hart (Family handout/PA)

The teenager was a ball boy at Manchester City for nine years and placed the ball on the corner spot which led to Edin Dzekos injury-time equaliser in the dramatic 2012 Premier League title-clinching 3-2 victory.

Last year he met his idol Sergio Aguero, who went on to score the winner in the above match, and also boss Pep Guardiola who spoke to him about his days as a ball boy at Barcelona.

ManCity Ballboy Elliott Fernandez https://t.co/nzeWoDtsIy  THE CULT (@officialcult) January 18, 2017

Over Christmas, Mr Fernandez suffered a relapse and his mother, Beverley Clarke Fernandez, decided to launch an appeal on fundraising website GoFundMe towards paying for treatment in Germany .

She wrote on the fundraising page: "Physiotherapy got him back on his feet and he then spent a further six weeks in intensive rehab physio and was eventually allowed home where the physio continued and with the love and support of his friends and family he even got back into the gym.

"He went from strength to strength even managing to pass his first year computer science university course, while going through gruelling chemo. After four cycles there was no evidence of the disease and we were elated.

The family is hoping Elliott can have treatment in Germany (Family handout/PA)

"As you can imagine, we were devastated when on his next scan the beast had returned and he was placed on a clinical VIT trial which again worked for four of six cycles and then it reared its ugly head again  affecting his liver and spine.

He has been in hospital over Xmas and New Year with hydrocephalus and two weeks ago we were told there was nothing further they could do for this hero as they say he cant have any further chemo. He was given two days at the most. But Elliott is still here and fighting he defies all odds!

Elliott learned to walk again after earlier treatment (Family handout/PA)

His strength and determination is immeasurable and I am so proud of him my heart bursts. We have continued to treat him with alternative therapy organic food, juicing, turmeric, cannabis oil and the doctors are astounded!

"A clinic in Germany is willing to treat him but we first need a private scan and of course we need to get him there. His own oncologist is not willing to scan him again until he is mobile again and we just do not have the time.
Prince Harry is to champion a campaign to help protect endangered rhinos in Botswana.

Harry welcomed the chance become the royal patron of Rhino Conservation Botswana (RCB) after seeing first-hand the cruelty they face from poachers.

Prince Harry on @RhinosBotswana: "The rhino is one of Africas most iconic species...If we cant save these animals, what can we save?" pic.twitter.com/wHiRJAaLxk  The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 19, 2017

He said: Ive been lucky enough to visit Botswana for more than 20 years and am incredibly fortunate to be able to call it my second home.

Being patron of RCB is an opportunity to give something back to a country that has given so much to me.

Its about time we start celebrating and supporting the countries that are taking the lead in conservation.

Prince Harry joined a @RhinosBotswana operation last September to help fit electronic tracking devices to critically endangered black rhinos pic.twitter.com/BmJKMugGdf  The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 19, 2017

Rhinos, described by Harry as one of Africas most iconic species, are hunted for their horns. Poaching could make them extinct in 10 years, the RCB said.

Harry joined an RCB operation to fit electronic tracking devices to critically endangered black rhinos in Botswana in September.

We're incredibly proud. It's a huge day for us and for #rhinos https://t.co/tIlTmisvZd  Rhino Conservation Botswana (@RhinosBotswana) January 19, 2017

Harry helped to clear thorn bushes from around sedated rhinos so that tracking devices could be fitted, monitored the animals breathing and heart rate, administered oxygen, covered rhinos eyes to protect them and helped to keep the animals cool with water.

It is all part of the work needed to protect rhinos and maintain biodiversity that they depend on to survive in the wilderness.

Despite their size, rhinos have no defences against bullets and high-powered weapons.

Prince Harry joined an RCB operation to fit electronic tracking devices to black rhinos (Rhino Conservation Botswana/PA)

RCB director Martin Map Ives said: Prince Harry has seen at first-hand the cruel and senseless damage inflicted on these endangered animals by poachers.

I know that His Royal Highnesss support for our work will make a real difference to rhino conservation. We are hugely grateful for the work and support Prince Harry has already extended to RCB, and look forward to working with him in the future as our patron.

Its a senseless trade; rhino horn has no proven medicinal value. Even so, demand is increasing. Today rhino horn is worth more than gold.
Lives could have been saved if a travel company had carried out a security audit before the Sousse terrorist attack instead of an assessment after it, an inquest has heard.

The hearing into the deaths of 30 British holidaymakers in the resort in Tunisia in June 2015 heard that TUI did not carry out frequent security risk assessments on resorts or hotels before the atrocity.

A TUI boss told the inquest he had been contacted by a security consultancy firm in March, just after a terror attack at the Bardo National Museum in the countrys capital Tunis.

Police patrol the beach near the Imperial Marhaba hotel (Steve Parsons/PA)

The inquest at the Royal Courts of Justice in London heard that TUI appointed the security consultancy company Covenant to carry out an audit in the resort in July, excluding the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba hotel where the attack had just taken place.

Jacque Reynolds, a director of risk and compliance for TUI, based in the UK, said in a witness statement: TUI did not carry out regular security risk assessments of resorts or hotels prior to the Sousse attack. The only security reviews (of hotels) that had been commissioned before then were in Egypt.

Covenants briefing note said: The current level of emergency planning and the associated procedures such as evacuation and invacuation need to be enhanced to meet the challenges of the evolving security situation.

Flowers placed on the beach after the massacre (Steve Parsons/PA)

A best guess at this is simply not good enough. This is something that should be designed by security specialists alongside the hotel management because they will need to understand the plans and procedures and also communicate them to their staff together.

Ian Chapman, regional director for West Mediterranean at TUI, said in his statement that after the Bardo attack he had received an email from Covenant suggesting it would be worthwhile to meet up to discuss Tunisia, but Mr Chapman said in his statement that he did not arrange a meeting with the firm.

Andrew Ritchie QC, counsel for the families of the victims, put it to Ms Reynolds that, had TUI instigated the security audit after the Bardo attack, the company had 11 weeks to make changes, and might have saved quite a few lives by having those things in place.

Relatives arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice in London (Nick Ansell/PA)

She said she did not agree, adding: We were told on numerous occasions that the advice wouldnt be changing.

Ms Reynolds said that a reason security did not form part of safety audits was because of the conditions and circumstances of security being variable, in contrast with the more static nature of swimming pool depths for example.

Meanwhile, the inquest also heard summaries of accounts of the guards at the hotel from a report by Tunisian Judge Akremi.

The head of the guard team said his guards were not equipped with any means whatsoever to repel any sort of attack.
British Airways cabin crew have strongly supported the start of a three-day strike over pay.

Members of Unite in the so-called mixed fleet crew, which is made up of workers who have joined the airline since 2010, mounted picket lines at Heathrow Airport as part of the unions protest over poverty pay.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell, whose constituency covers Heathrow, shadow business secretary Clive Lewis, and Unite general secretary Len McCluskey joined the pickets.

British Airways cabin crew members on strike

Mr McCluskey said: It was fantastic to see such strong support for our members. Their courage and spirit in their fight for decent pay is undimmed despite the shamefully confrontational stance of British Airways.

British Airways should be under no illusion about their determination to see movement on poverty pay. Mixed fleet cabin crew work tirelessly for pennies to provide a world class service and play a vital role in making British Airways a success.

With British Airways parent company forecasting massive annual profits of around 2.3 billion, it is clear the airline can afford to recognise their hard work and pay a decent wage.

Genuine pleasure to speak at @unitetheunion BA picket line this am.Great turnout, music & atmosphere!Their fight is our fight #BAlowpaynoway pic.twitter.com/GplCjfXtOj  Clive Lewis MP (@labourlewis) January 19, 2017

I urge British Airways to heed the anger of its mixed fleet cabin crew and work with Unite to address its pitiful levels of pay which force people to take second jobs to make ends meet.

BA said it will operate all its long-haul services to and from Heathrow during the strike and cancel a small number of short-haul flights.

#BAlowpaynoway | Post messages of support to BA Mixed Fleet cabin crew taking action over poverty pay https://t.co/WAV5dMSAxK pic.twitter.com/b8JEfo9SyD  Unite the union: join a union (@unitetheunion) January 19, 2017

Unite claims many mixed fleet crew members were forced to take on second jobs or turn up for shifts if they are sick because they cannot afford to be off ill.

BA has said its pay offer for mixed fleet crew was consistent with deals agreed with Unite for other British Airways workers, reflected pay awards by other companies and will ensure rewards for mixed fleet remain in line with those for cabin crew at its competitors.

Unite said more than 800 mixed fleet cabin crew workers have joined the union since the start of the dispute, taking membership to more than 2,900.
President-elect Donald Trump has arrived in the Washington area to kick off his inauguration festivities.

Mr Trump arrived in a military plane, without media on board, at Marylands Joint Base Andrews. He was joined by his wife, Melania, and other members of his family.

Mr Trump has a busy day of inauguration-related activities planned.

He will be attending a leadership luncheon with transition officials and incoming staff at his Washington hotel, attending a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and making an appearance at a concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

He will end the day at a VIP reception and dinner at Union Station, before spending the night at the presidential guest house across the street from the White House.

Mr Trump and his family drove away from Trump Tower in New York on Thursday morning. Some onlookers and hecklers gathered on Manhattans streets to watch the motorcade.

He drove to LaGuardia Airport where he boarded the military aircraft to fly to Washington.

Ivanka Trump carries her son Theodore Kushner (Evan Vucci/AP)

Mr Trump will live in the White House but is expected to spend time at both Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago, his coastal Florida estate.

Vice president-elect Mike Pence said that the co-operation shown by President Barack Obama and vice president Joe Biden would make every American proud.

We are thankful for President Obama and VP Biden's assistance during the transition. Their cooperation would make every American proud.   Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 19, 2017

The transition effort was on schedule will come in under budget and return tax dollars to the treasury.  Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 19, 2017

The real credit goes to President-elect @realDonaldTrump. We can't wait to get to work on behalf of the American people and #MAGA.  Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 19, 2017

Mr Obama last week described the transition as unusual, adding, I think the president-elect would agree with me.

Mr Obama and Mr Trump often clashed publicly, whether on policy issues or over which of them would win in a hypothetical race for the White House against one another.

Meanwhile, homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson said there is no specific credible threat against Mr Trumps inauguration.

Military personnel walk along the National Mall in Washington (John Minchillo/AP)

Mr Johnson said that security will be extraordinarily fortified anyway to prevent truck attacks like the Bastille Day assault in Nice, France, last year, when 86 people were killed.

Mr Johnson said this is an age of the self-radicalised actor  the so-called lone wolf  and we have to be concerned about the vehicle threat.
Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness has announced he is quitting frontline politics to concentrate on recovering from a very serious illness.

Mr McGuinness resigned as Northern Irelands deputy first minister last week in protest against the handling of a botched energy scheme, forcing a snap election.

He has now revealed that after a lot of thinking he will not be contesting those elections due to ill health.

Exclusive Martin McGuinness interview Exclusive interview with Martin McGuinness setting out the reason for his decision not to stand in the upcoming election. He also talks about his determination to overcome his medical condition and to get back to work on behalf of Sinn Fein in the cause of Irish unity, peace and reconciliation. He talks about key moments in his life, his hopes for the future and the importance of achieving the biggest vote possible on March 2nd. Posted by Sinn Fein Ireland on Thursday, January 19, 2017

The question I asked myself was are you physically capable of fighting an intensive 5/6 week election and doing it to my full abilities? I rapidly came to the conclusion that I am not in any physical state to fight such a campaign. So I have taken the decision that I will not be a candidate in the upcoming election, he said.

Mr McGuinness said he had intended to stand aside in May, on the 10th anniversary of going into government with the DUPs Ian Paisley.

Ian Paisley, left, and Martin McGuinness

However, he said that the DUPs handling of the Renewable Heating Initiative (RHI) scandal left him with no other alternative but to resign earlier this month.

DUP leader Arlene Fosters refusal to step aside pending an interim report into the scheme was her biggest mistake, Mr McGuinness said.

Tonight is not a time for politics. It's a time for our sincere best wishes for Martin McGuinness and his family @columeastwood  The SDLP (@SDLPlive) January 19, 2017

God knows where it is all going to end. But quite clearly at the heart of it is a very clear perception of not just incompetence, but allegations of corruption are flying all over the place. That was an intolerable situation for me to find myself in.

As someone who has worked night and day over the course of 10 years to keep the institutions intact, and of course many conversations with both the British and Irish Government about the DUP, it was particularly disappointing having kept up the institutions for almost 10 years that I found myself with no other alternative but to resign. And of course that has led to an election.

The former deputy first minister said he has been battling ill health for several months, but he hopes to make a recovery.

On medical advice last year I was advised not to travel to China and in the aftermath of that I underwent a whole series of tests. As a result of those tests I have been diagnosed with a very serious illness which has taken a toll on me.

But I am being cared for by wonderful doctors and nurses within our national health service and I am very determined to overcome this condition but it is going to take time.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire said: "I thank him on behalf of the Government for his work in securing a number of significant political agreements, as well as his service as deputy first minister of Northern Ireland.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange stands by his offer to go to the United States now that Chelsea Manning is being released, he told a press conference.

Speaking from the Ecuadorian embassy in London via social media, he signalled there would be many discussions on his future before Manning leaves prison in May.

He welcomed Barack Obamas decision to free the former soldier jailed for handing over classified documents to the anti-secrecy organisation.

The outgoing US president used his final hours in the White House to allow Manning to go free nearly 30 years early.

The transgender former intelligence analyst, born Bradley Manning, said she had passed on government and military documents to raise awareness about the impact of war.

Julian Assange

Mr Assange, who has been living at the Ecuadorian embassy since the summer of 2012 for fear of being extradited to the US, praised campaigners for their role in the decision.

He was interviewed in the embassy in November in the presence of prosecutors from Sweden, where he faces a sex allegation.

He denies the claims, but insists he faces extradition to the United States for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks if he leaves the embassy.

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

Asked whether he will now leave the embassy, he said: I stand by everything I said, including the offer to go to the United States if Chelsea Mannings sentence was commuted. It is not going to be commuted until May  we can have many discussions to that point.

I have always been willing to go to the United States provided my rights are respected.

Mr Assange said there has been a seven-year long attempt to build a prosecution against him and WikiLeaks in the US, and his name is on several warrants and subpoenas.

As of this year it is active and ongoing, he said.

The Ecuadorian embassy

Mr Assange said if it took him going to the US to flush out the case being prepared against him, or to drop it, then we are looking at that.

He said the UKs Crown Prosecution Service had refused to confirm or deny whether there was an extradition request from the US.

Mr Assange said he loved what WikiLeaks was doing, adding it had published more than 10 million documents that had never been made public before, which had contributed to justice and led to innocent people being released from prison.

Asked if he would receive different treatment under President Donald Trump, Mr Assange replied: It remains to be seen.

Questioned why he had not gone to Sweden to be interviewed, he pointed out he had never been charged at any stage, had already been cleared by the Swedish authorities in relation to the allegation, while the United Nations had firmly found that he was being detained illegally.
Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness has announced he is quitting frontline politics to concentrate on recovering from a very serious illness.

Here is a timeline of the key events in Mr McGuinnesss life and political career:

Martin McGuinness

 Born in Derry, Northern Ireland, one of seven children. He grew up in the Bogside area of the city and became a butcher. After being drawn to the civil rights movement Mr McGuinness joined the IRA.

 At just 21, Mr McGuinness was the IRAs second-in-command at the time of the Bloody Sunday shootings, when 13 unarmed civil rights protesters were killed by soldiers in Londonderry, another dying four days later.

 Mr McGuinness was convicted by the Republic of Irelands Special Criminal Court after being arrested near a car containing explosives and ammunition.

Martin McGuinness

 Claimed he had left the IRA, spending more time in politics. He became increasingly prominent in Sinn Fein, eventually becoming its best-known face after Gerry Adams.

 Became the MP for Mid Ulster.

Martin McGuinness

 Mr McGuinness was Sinn Feins chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement, ending years of violence. Following its agreement he was nominated by his party for a ministerial position in the power-sharing executive, where he became minister of education.

Martin McGuinness leaves 10 Downing St after a meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair.

 Helped secure IRA arms decommissioning.

 Led negotiations during talks that paved the way for the St Andrews Agreement.

 Mr McGuinness became deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, with former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Ian Paisley elected First Minister.

Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness

 Contested the Irish presidential election, coming third behind Michael Higgins and Sean Gallagher.

 In a historic moment, Mr McGuinness shook hands with the Queen at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast.

Martin McGuinness shakes hands with the Queen.

 Mr McGuinness resigned as deputy first minister in protest at the handling of a botched energy scheme, forcing a snap election.

 Announced he is quitting frontline politics to concentrate on recovering from a very serious illness.
Facebook moves to head off tougher regulation in Germany

By Caroline Copley and Eric Auchard

BERLIN/MUNICH, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Facebook is stepping up efforts to head off tougher regulation by Germany, a fierce critic of the social media network operator, with top managers visiting Germany and saying they would do more to combat fake news and hate speech.

Top German lawmakers are planning legislation this year to force Facebook to remove incitements to hate crimes 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".

Facebook's COO 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.

In an interview with Germany's top-selling daily paper Bild published on Tuesday, she said Facebook could not single-handedly deal with hate speech and fake news posted on the network but had to work with third parties.

Facebook on Sunday announced a partnership with German third-party fact-checking organisation Correctiv, promising to update its social media platforms in Germany "within weeks" to reduce the dissemination of fake news.

"We don't want to decide what the truth is, and I don't believe anyone wants us to do that," said Sandberg, Facebook's second-most powerful executive after founder and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg.

"When we say that we can't take it on ourselves, that doesn't mean that we don't want to take any responsibility. We do take responsibility."

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.

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."

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 plough 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.
Open secrets - and Trump's wrath - will challenge new CIA chief

By Tim Weiner

Jan 18 (Reuters) - Have some sympathy for Mike Pompeo, the smiling, sharp-tongued Kansas congressman who breezed through his confirmation on Jan. 11. He's going to be Donald Trump's CIA director. He'll also have the privilege of being a star witness in Senate hearings on links between Russian spies and the presidential campaigns.

Trump says America's senior spooks are tantamount to Nazis: "I think it was disgraceful - disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out. I think it's a disgracesomething that Nazi Germany would have done and did do." His red-faced words at his raucous press conference on Wednesday betrayed his fury at what they had told him about the role Russian President Vladimir Putin had played in the presidential election -the best spy story since the Soviets stole the secrets of the atomic bomb.

Compounding his rage, as his tweets revealed, he thought the spooks leaked the "kompromat" dossier floating around Washington. That's a different keg of dynamite. Senator John McCain brought it into the spies' den in December, when he passed along the documents to FBI Director James Comey.

The politesse of the Senate intelligence committee hearings prohibited anyone from asking Pompeo awkward questions: "Mike, how are you going to explain the Nazi thing out at the agency?" (He can't.) "What if Trump says the CIA's lying when they call him Putin's candidate?" (He'll have to tell the truth.) "What if he tells the CIA to knock off foreign leaders?" (Other presidents told the CIA to pull the trigger; it tried and failed.)

Almost every president has raged at the CIA over covert ops that crashed or cogent analysis that trashed the commander-in-chief's assumptions. But no president called them storm troopers. None treated them with the contempt that Trump has shown since his election, a disdain that defies understanding - unless he does not want to hear a word they have to say.

I've reported on American intelligence for three decades. I reckon the Nazi thing will not play well in the corridors of the CIA. Good luck with the new gig, Mike.

In the CIA's 70-year history, 21 men have been confirmed as its director. Some, like Robert Gates, later secretary of defense under Bush 43 and Obama, showed cool temperament in times of war and crisis. Others, like Reagan's CIA chief, William J. Casey, were hotheads - dangerous, deceptive and addicted to disastrous clandestine capers (see the Iran-Contra imbroglio).

Those who succeeded, like Gates and Obama's John Brennan, had the president's ear; he heard them out on matters of life and death - ending the Cold War without a shot or sealing the Iran nuclear deal. Both served in the White House as national-security aides who saw their commander-in-chief every day, and many nights.

Those who failed, like Bill Clinton's first CIA chief, James Woolsey, had the president's scorn; he shut them out. Clinton saw Woolsey once a year. Now, 24 years later, Woolsey has been working on the sidelines for Team Trump, but hasn't found a place in the new administration.

Pompeo is smart - first-in-their-class West Point grads rarely wind up last in a war of ideas. At his confirmation, he wisely renounced the return of torture (reversing his past stance) and said he would try to support the provisions of the Iran deal. But he will have to be both wise and wily to circumvent the new president's national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn. If he wants quality time with Trump, he'll have dodge Flynn's gatekeeping.

Flynn was dismissed for cause in 2014 as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He lost the confidence of his command staff, who saw him as pushing "Flynn facts" - arguably falsehoods - on warfighting and terrorism. After that, Flynn dined with Putin in Moscow, received the largesse of the Russian propaganda organ RT, and at times spoke with a messianic fervor unbecoming of an officer with 33 years in Army intelligence. He is a conspiracy-minded man who seems to believe the CIA had a barb out for him.

If Trump wants someone to feed his anger at the CIA's spies, he has the right man at hand.

Why don't presidents get along with the CIA? Many took office "with the expectation that intelligence could solve every problem, or that it could not do anything right, and then moved to the opposite view," said a former deputy CIA director, Richard J. Kerr. "Then they settled down and vacillated from one extreme to another."

President Harry S. Truman feared the CIA's secrecy at the dawn of the Cold War. President Dwight D. Eisenhower despaired of the agency's ability to provide foresight on the Soviets. Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon blamed the CIA, unfairly, for failing to conjure a way to win in Vietnam. President Ronald Reagan nearly lost his reputation over the Iran-Contra scandal. And President George W. Bush sent the CIA to its 21st-century nadir when he said the agency was "just guessing" about the course of the war in Iraq.

The real danger is when presidents simply don't want to know what the CIA thinks because it doesn't fit their preconceptions.

Pompeo, elected along with the Tea Party Congress in 2010, can be ideological when he wants. His campaign to scapegoat Hillary Clinton for the Benghazi tragedy is the main case in point. His evangelical Christianity sometimes resonates in his political rhetoric. But he knows that zealotry and crusading will not comfort CIA officers or comport with his responsibilities when he sits atop agency headquarters at Langley.

Presidencies can be driven by ideology, of course -but ideology is the enemy of intelligence. Intelligence is information, secret information, analyzed and assayed information - facts, in short; with luck, ground truth. Ideology is the first principle of a post-truth philosophy: My mind is made up, don't confuse me with facts. Get out of my Oval Office.

Wars can start that way. And if you strike the fuse of ideology with a spark of bad intelligence, you can start wars you can't win. The Bay of Pigs. Vietnam. Iraq.

Senator Angus King of Maine, who votes independent, recited that sad litany at the confirmation hearings on Thursday. He was the only interrogator to raise these salient points in the agency's history with Pompeo. Would he promise to give the president bad news, to tell him things he won't want to hear? I will, the nominee said. Will you dig into the Putin-Trump connection? Pompeo replied: "I promise I will pursue the facts wherever they take us."

One of Pompeo's first responsibilities at the agency will be responding to inquiries from formidable senators such as John McCain who will want to harness the powers of the CIA to solve this potentially explosive problem. McCain and a few like-minded Republicans are also committed to holding public hearings on the CIA's conclusion that a Russian intelligence operation directed by Putin supported the election of Trump.

And that is likely to lead the White House, Congress and the CIA, into some very dark places- the kinds of places that Americans learned existed only after the long and bitter autopsies of the Bay of Pigs invasion, the war in Vietnam, and the catastrophic conflagration of rigid ideology and rotten intelligence that led us to war in Iraq.
Vape companies try to galvanize Trump administration to ease FDA rules

By Jilian Mincer

Jan 18 (Reuters) - As tobacco and vaping companies focus on new smoking products that are potentially less harmful, the industry sees an opening for rolling back rules on these products under the Trump administration.

Donald Trump's surprise election victory in November, and his pledges to reduce federal regulations on business, led tobacco lobby groups to draft a new plan of action, according to company executives, lobbyists and consultants interviewed by Reuters.

The immediate goal is to delay implementation of new regulations on the latest generation of e-cigarettes and other vaping devices, which produce a vapor from liquid nicotine rather than burning tobacco.

Longer-term, they are setting their sights on repealing the 2016 law that treats these devices like cigarettes.

Lobbyists describe a cautious optimism as they approach lawmakers with their plans for products that they say can help traditional smokers quit and avoid the known dangers of tobacco. With U.S. sales of conventional cigarettes shrinking, Big Tobacco has made a major bet in recent years to dominate the e-cigarette industry.

On Tuesday, British American Tobacco Plc announced a $49-billion deal to take over rival Reynolds American Inc , uniting two major e-cigarette players in the United States and United Kingdom and becoming a bigger competitor to Philip Morris International Inc and U.S. partner Altria Group.

"Suddenly things that were not conceivable became something we thought we could do," said Cynthia Cabrera, former president and executive director for the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA). Cabrera now has her own industry consulting firm, the Cating Group.

In 2009, Congress allowed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to extend its oversight to all tobacco products. New regulations took effect last August that brought e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and hookah tobacco in line with existing rules for cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. They require companies to submit e-cigarettes and other newer tobacco products for government approval, list their ingredients and place health warnings on packages and in advertisements.

Health advocacy groups hailed the regulations as the potential health risks and benefits of e-cigarettes are still being studied.

Industry officials said they would hurt small companies and cripple development. Opponents said the rule was especially unfair because it would apply to any products introduced after Feb. 2007, meaning that most e-cigarettes now on the market would require regulatory review.

On Tuesday, a coalition of 13 organizations, including libertarian-oriented tech groups, asked Congress to grandfather all products introduced by August 2016, when the rules took effect.

"The FDA's regulations threaten to kill an industry that has created tens of thousands of jobs by producing safer products that help many Americans quit smoking," the letter to Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan said.

Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma wrote to incoming Vice President Mike Pence this month asking that all FDA deadlines on new tobacco products be delayed by a year as their fate is determined.

Public health advocates say they plan to fight any changes to the Tobacco Control Act, warning that fewer restrictions on e-cigarettes could hook a new generation on nicotine after years of efforts to prevent kids from smoking.

"We know e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among kids," said Erika Sward, assistant vice president, National Advocacy for the American Lung Association, noting the appeal of flavored nicotine liquids used in the devices.

BAT makes the popular Vype brand in Europe, while Reynolds owns Vuse, the top selling brand in the United States. They have already collaborated on technology and licensing, but their merger is expected to speed up and simply innovation.

"Consumers are looking for alternatives that have the potential to reduce harm," said Susan M. Cameron, executive chairman of Reynolds American's board of directors.

Philip Morris and Altria aim to launch a promising, new technology called iQOS that heats tobacco but does not burn it, potentially preserving the qualities that smokers want with fewer health risks. The company submitted the product for FDA review in December.
Ukrainian president calls for global response to Russian threat

By Stephen Adler and Sujata Rao

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for a worldwide effort to counter the threat of Russian cyber warfare and urged the United States to "be great again" by demonstrating leadership on issues such as global security.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pledge to improve ties with the Kremlin and open admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin has put Ukraine, whose Crimea region was annexed by Russia in 2014, under the spotlight.

Poroshenko played down speculation that Washington could backtrack on its support for Kiev, noting that Trump had said publicly he would stick to U.S. obligations and there had been "promising" statements by nominees to his cabinet.

"That gives us a lot more optimism for the future," Poroshenko told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, adding he already had a visit planned to meet the new U.S. president "in a few months".

Poroshenko said joint global efforts were needed to halt Russian aggression, both military and cyber:

"There is a global cyber war of Russia against (the) whole world, there is lots of evidence. This is a global danger and the world should be together to fight this danger."

Ukraine's utility Ukrenergo told Reuters on Wednesday in Kiev that a cyber attack was behind a Dec 17-18 power blackout in the capital city.

Ukrenergo did not say who was behind the incident, although Ukrainian security services blamed Russian cyber attacks for similar power outages in December 2015. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in cyber attacks on Ukraine..

Moscow is also alleged to have sought to influence the U.S. election by hacking Democratic political groups, something Russia has dismissed.

"The same way as Russian propaganda is an element of Russian hybrid war, cyber (warfare) is an element of the Russian hybrid war, no matter if it's in Germany or United States," the Ukrainian president said.

QUESTION OF SECURITY

Poroshenko also stressed the importance of NATO as a bulwark against Moscow after Trump stirred unease in Europe by calling the military alliance "obsolete".

"NATO, mainly this is not a question of money, it is a question of security. Russian aggression demonstrated again there is no other security system but NATO which was effective to stop the aggression," he said.

And to demonstrate its role as a global leader, the U.S. would need to establish trans-Atlantic unity.

"America should be great again," he said in a reference to Trump's campaign catchphrase.

Poroshenko also said that Ukraine expected to get clearance for visa-free travel to the European Union for its citizens within a "very few" weeks after meeting the bloc's requirements.

An agreement reached last month after weeks of stalling has yet to come into effect

"This is a direct obligation of the EU....We are waiting for the very few moments or weeks for finishing the paperwork for these things and launching," he said.

Poroshenko is also confident of getting Crimea back from Russia, which denies sending troops or military equipment into Ukraine. Kiev this month filed a lawsuit at the United Nations' highest court demanding that Russia halt support for pro-Moscow separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine..
Rare Lucas goal edges Liverpool past Plymouth

LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Lucas ended a goal drought stretching back to 2010 and Divock Origi missed a late penalty as Liverpool beat fourth tier Plymouth Argyle 1-0 in an FA Cup third-round replay on Wednesday.

Having been held to a goalless draw at Anfield 10 days ago, Liverpool again found Plymouth to be stubborn opponents who made light of the 67 places between the sides in the standings.

Having conceded early, when Lucas headed home from a corner, Plymouth frustrated their Premier League visitors for most of the match and almost snatched a leveller when Jake Jervis shaved the post late in the second half.

Origi had a tame penalty saved by Plymouth keeper Luke McCormick in the 86th minute, but there was no late sting in the tail for Juergen Klopp's side who will face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the fourth round.

Southampton striker Shane Long scored in the second minute of stoppage time to secure a 1-0 win over second tier Norwich City in a dour game that had looked destined to go to extra time.

Newcastle United came through an all second-tier clash against Birmingham City 3-1 thanks to an early penalty from Matt Ritchie and a superb finish from Yoan Gouffran.
Togo reaches provisional deal with IMF for $238 mln programme

ABIDJAN, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Togo has reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund for a three-year programme that could, subject to board approval, be supported by a $238 million loan package, the IMF said in a statement on Wednesday.
North Korea may test-launch ICBM soon - South Korean media

By James Pearson

SEOUL, Jan 19 (Reuters) - North Korea may be preparing to test-launch a new, upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), South Korean media reported on Thursday, citing military sources.

In his New Year's speech, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country was close to test launching an ICBM, and state media has said a launch could come at any time. Experts on the isolated nuclear capable country's missile programme believe the claims to be credible.

That test launch could be imminent, and potentially coincide with the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, South Korean media said.

South Korean intelligence agencies reported on Wednesday that they had recently spotted missile parts being transported, believed to be the lower-half of an ICBM, raising fears that a test-launch may be imminent, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing unidentified military sources.

"It was different from a conventional Musudan missile in its length and shape," the source told the Chosun Ilbo, referring to the Musudan intermediate-range missile tested by North Korea last year.

"It is possible they were moving it somewhere for assembly," the source said.

North Korea has in the past paraded mockups of a road-mobile missile believed to be an ICBM design which has been dubbed KN-08 by outside observers. It is also believed to have an upgraded version of the missile, known as the KN-14.

A road-mobile ICBM, which could be kept hidden or moving until it was fired, would make the job of tracking and stopping a North Korean missile launch significantly more difficult.

The suspected ICBM spotted by South Korea is made up of two parts under 15 metres (49 feet) long and is shorter than the KN-08 and KN-14, the Yonhap News Agency said, also citing unidentified military sources.

Last year, North Korea conducted a test of an ICBM engine made up of a cluster of smaller rockets, indicating it was working on an ICBM design.

Separately, the Washington-based think tank 38 North said on Thursday that operations at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear facility may have restarted. North Korea is believed to be able to reprocess plutonium at Yongbyon used in its nuclear warheads.
0-West African military halt Gambia operation, issue Jammeh deadline

By Tim Cocks and Emma Farge

BANJUL/DAKAR, Jan 19 (Reuters) - West African armies halted an operation in Gambia aimed at installing the country's new president, Adama Barrow, on Thursday so regional leaders could make one last attempt to convince longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh to step aside.

Barrow took the oath of office on Thursday at Gambia's embassy in Senegal, calling for international support from West Africa's ECOWAS bloc, the African Union and the United Nations.

A regional military force launched an intervention effort, dubbed Operation Restore Democracy, shortly after the former opposition figure was sworn in.

"We think that up until the last minute there is still a solution through dialogue," said Marcel de Souza, head of the ECOWAS commission, explaining the decision to suspend the advance to reporters in Dakar late on Thursday.

During his inauguration speech Barrow appealed to ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations for support for his government and Gambia's people.

"This is a day no Gambian will ever forget," Barrow said after taking the oath, which was administered by the president of Gambia's bar association. "Our national flag will now fly high among the most democratic nations of the world."

Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup, initially conceded defeat to Barrow following a Dec. 1 election before back-tracking, saying the vote was flawed.

De Souza said a total of 7,000 troops from Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and Mali would be involved in the operation. Troops had already entered Gambia from the southeast, southwest and north before they were ordered to stop.

The advance will resume at noon (1200 GMT) on Friday if Jammeh still refused to leave, he said. Barrow will return to Gambia once the operation is over.

The U.N. Security Council on Thursday backed ECOWAS's efforts to ensure Barrow assumes power, and the United States said it supported the intervention.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement pledged "his full support for his (Barrow's) determination, and ECOWAS's historic decision, with the unanimous backing of the Security Council, to restore the rule of law in The Gambia so as to honour and respect the will of the Gambian people."

ECOWAS and the African Union previously said they would recognise Barrow from Thursday, and nations including the United Kingdom and France were quick to congratulate him.

"THE DICTATOR IS OUT"

Following Barrow's swearing in, hundreds of Gambians celebrated in the streets of Banjul, the capital, cautiously at first, and then gradually in larger numbers as they realised the security forces looking on were not going to open fire.

Army chief General Ousman Badjie, who had publicly stood by Jammeh, was seen smiling on the streets wading through a mass of jubilant Banjul residents shouting and dancing.

Cars raced up and down the highway lined with iron-roofed shops in the pro-Barrow Serrekunda district of Banjul, with horns honking and people hanging out the windows.

"The dictator is out," shouted pharmacist Lamine Jao, 30, as others cheered and whistled in agreement. "It's just a question of time. We'll soon flush him out. Believe me."

During the brief inauguration speech, Barrow asserted his new role as commander and chief of Gambia's armed services, ordering soldiers to stay calm and remain in their barracks. Those who did not would be considered rebels, he said.

ECOWAS will send a team led by Guinea's president, Alpha Conde, and including the presidents of Liberia and Mauritania to Banjul on Friday, de Souza said.

If the mission succeeds, Jammeh will travel to Guinea before choosing a country of exile.

"It's out of the question that he stays in place. ... We propose that he leaves in an honourable manner and with respect," said de Souza, who added that regional leaders were open to the possibility of an amnesty as part of a deal.

It was unclear what Jammeh's next move would be. He has so far ignored pressure to step aside and offers of exile.

He now faces almost total diplomatic isolation and a government riddled by defections. In the biggest loss yet, Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy, who has held the role since 1997, quit on Wednesday.

In a statement released late on Thursday, Jammeh announced he was dissolving his government - a 19-member Cabinet, half of whose members had already resigned - and pledged to name a new one "in due course."

Fearing unrest, thousands of Gambians have fled in recent weeks, the United Nations estimates.

Tour companies, meanwhile, have rushed to evacuate hundreds of European tourists.

Gambia's long, sandy beaches have made it a prime destination for tourists, but Jammeh, who once vowed to rule for "a billion years," has earned a reputation for rights abuses and stifling dissent.
North Korea may test-launch ICBM soon - South Korean media

By James Pearson

SEOUL, Jan 19 (Reuters) - North Korea may be preparing to test-launch a new, upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), South Korean media reported on Thursday, citing military sources.

In his New Year's speech, leader Kim Jong Un said North Korea was close to test launching an ICBM, and state media has said a launch could come at any time. Experts on the isolated and nuclear capable country's missile programme believe the claims to be credible.

That test launch could be imminent, and potentially coincide with the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, South Korean media said.

South Korean intelligence agencies reported on Wednesday that they had recently spotted missile parts being transported, believed to be the lower-half of an ICBM, raising fears that a test-launch may be imminent, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing unidentified military sources.

"It was different from a conventional Musudan missile in its length and shape," the source told the Chosun Ilbo, referring to the Musudan intermediate-range missile tested by North Korea last year.

"It is possible they were moving it somewhere for assembly," the source said.

A spokesman for South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Roh Jae-cheon, told a regular news briefing that while the reports could not be confirmed, the military was monitoring North Korea's ICBM development.

North Korea has in the past paraded mockups of a road-mobile missile believed to be an ICBM design dubbed the KN-08 by outside observers. It is also believed to have an upgraded version, the KN-14.

A road-mobile ICBM, which could be kept hidden or moving until fired, would make tracking and stopping a North Korean missile launch significantly more difficult.

The suspected ICBM is made up of two parts under 15 metres (49 feet) long and is shorter than the KN-08 and KN-14, the Yonhap News Agency said, citing unidentified military sources.

"I don't recognise the missiles from this description," said Joshua Pollack, editor of the U.S.-based Nonproliferation Review. "But as we saw in 2016, there's certainly a variety of active missile programmes underway in North Korea".

"It's also possible that they are simply conducting field exercises with no plans to launch, or the option to launch if decided," said Pollack.

Last year, North Korea conducted a test of an ICBM engine made up of a cluster of smaller rockets, indicating it was working on an ICBM design.
OPEC output cuts boost appeal of light crude, but market yet to respond: Russell

By Clyde Russell

LAUNCESTON, Australia, Jan 19 (Reuters) - One of the consequences of the cuts to crude oil supply by OPEC and its allies has been the sharp narrowing of the premium that light crude commands over heavier grades.

In theory, this should result in increased flows of light crude to Asia, with refiners substituting gasoline-rich grades for the heavier crudes typically more popular in the region.

But there are as yet few signs that this is happening, most likely because many Atlantic basin producers of light crude are unable to pump more, and because Asian refiners are still enjoying strong margins on products despite price increases for the heavier oils.

The Brent-Dubai exchange for swaps , which tracks the difference between Brent, global benchmark for light crude, and Dubai, main price marker for heavier oil in the Middle East, dropped to its narrowest in 15 months last week.

The premium of Brent over Dubai fell to $1.65 a barrel on Jan. 13, recovering slightly to end at $1.71 on Wednesday this week. This is well below the $4.65 a barrel that prevailed around this time last year.

The spread in fact has been on a narrowing trend since January 2016, but the pace has accelerated since early September, when the market started to anticipate that OPEC and its allies may actually deliver on long-discussed output cuts.

An agreement was reached at end-November for OPEC to take about 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) from the market, with non-OPEC allies such as Russia pledging a further 600,000-bpd reduction.

The Brent-Dubai spread dropped from $2.60 a barrel on Dec. 2 to the low last week, a decline of 36.5 percent as the price for heavier crudes gained more relative to lighter grades.

This is largely because much of the crude that will be removed from the market is heavy oil, with the bulk of OPEC's cuts being shouldered by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers.

In effect, the output cuts by the Gulf producers have mainly acted to give a bigger boost to the prices for the type of oil they predominantly produce, at the expense of lighter grades.

Brent crude futures closed on Wednesday at $53.92 a barrel, up 16.2 percent since Nov. 29, the day before the OPEC meeting in which the output cuts were agreed.

Over the same time frame, Oman futures traded on the Dubai Mercantile Exchange have gained 19.1 percent, ending at $52.30 a barrel on Wednesday.

MARKET YET TO RESPOND

In theory, the stronger prices for heavier crude should boost demand for the now, relatively cheaper lighter grades.

Anecdotal evidence so far from traders suggests that Asian refiners are yet to consider switching to lighter grades in any meaningful volumes, partly because of supply problems from producers such as Angola, Nigeria and Libya.

This is largely backed by data compiled by Thomson Reuters Supply Chain and Commodity Forecasts showing that Asian imports from the Middle East have remained robust in recent months.

In January, forecast imports from the Middle East will account for 65.4 percent of Asia's total, lower than the 67.2 percent in October, but above the 63.7 percent in December.

Over the past 11 months, the Middle East's share of Asian crude imports has averaged 65.9 percent, meaning there has only been a slight reduction since the OPEC cuts took effect.

Africa's share of Asian imports is forecast at 11.8 percent in January, higher than the 10.75 percent of the last 11 months, but still within the overall range of between 10 and 12 percent.

It appears that to this point producers of light crude and refiners haven't taken advantage of the shift in pricing of the various crude grades.

The question is whether this is likely to persist.

If Asian refiners decide to stick with buying their usual amounts of heavier crudes, then it's likely that the premium of Brent to Dubai will continue to narrow.

If the refiners see an opportunity to use more light crude and trim purchases of heavier grades, the spread will widen, which could force some juggling among the producers shouldering the majority of output cuts by OPEC and its allies.

China's imports of Angolan crude provide a hint of what may happen, as they tend to rise in the months after a narrowing of the Brent-Dubai spread and decline when the difference widens.

The Brent-Dubai spread reached more than $7 a barrel in September 2013, and Chinese imports from Angola went from 3.98 million tonnes that month to 2.16 million by November of that year.

In contrast, when the Brent-Dubai spread dropped to just 61 cents a barrel in July 2015, Chinese imports from Angola went from 2.87 million tonnes in September that year to 4.78 million by February 2016.

This isn't suggesting that the Brent-Dubai spread is the sole, or even the main driver of Chinese oil imports from Angola. But it does seem the case that when lighter grades become cheaper relative to heavier crude, Chinese refiners do respond by buying more light oil.

If the current trend of a narrowing premium of light over heavy crude continues, it's likely only a matter of time before Asian refiners take higher volumes of lighter oil.
Pope to bless Philippines' Duterte, aide says

MANILA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Pope Francis will bless the Philippines and its leader Rodrigo Duterte, an aide to the president said, in a gesture of goodwill to a controversial figure known for his lurid lambasting of priests and bishops.

"When I had the opportunity of kissing the hand of the Pope, I said, 'Bless the Philippines, Your Holiness,' and his answer was, 'Yes, I will also bless your president," presidential adviser Jesus Dureza said in a video clip at St. Peter's Square, shown on television on Thursday.

Dureza is in Rome ahead of peace talks between the government and Philippine Maoist rebels.

He met Pope Francis at the Vatican and delivered a letter from Duterte thanking him for his 2015 visit to the Philippines, which has Asia's biggest Catholic population.

Duterte famously called the Pope a "son of a bitch" for causing traffic snarl-ups at that time. He has since apologised and said his remark was aimed at incompetent officials.

The Philippine firebrand has often targeted priests at home, especially those critical of his deadly war on drugs.
PRESS DIGEST - Bulgaria - Jan 19

SOFIA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - These are some of the main stories in Bulgarian newspapers on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

-- Bulgaria's energy ministry and the energy regulator launched checks at the three power distributors in the country to make sure that the increased consumption of electricity due to freezing temperatures will not lead to improper billing to consumers. (24 Chasa, Capital Daily, Standart, Trud)

-- The parliament voted to extend another 1 billion levs ($544.13 million) in an energy efficiency grant programme aimed at overhauling ageing private buildings and lower heating and electricity consumption. (24 Chasa, Capital Daily, Trud, Monitor)

-- Outgoing Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev warned that Bulgaria may lose its presidency of the European Union in 2018 if the Balkan country shifts its geopolitical focus and works to increase the divisions in the bloc. (24 Chasa, Trud, Monitor, Standart, Capital Daily)
0-Tehran building collapse kills at least 20 firefighters - mayor

By Parisa Hafezi

ANKARA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - At least 20 firefighters were killed when a 17-storey Tehran commercial building collapsed on top of them as they tried to put out a blaze, Iranian state television quoted the city's mayor as saying on Thursday.

Soldiers, sniffer dogs and rescue workers were searching the ruins of the Plasco building after it crashed down in a giant cloud of dust. The collapse was shown live on state television and one witness described it as "like a horror movie".

"At least 20 firefighters who were trapped under rubble have died," Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said. "They are martyrs. They lost their lives when trying to help people."

But Tehran Fire Department spokesman Jalal Maleki told the broadcaster: "I cannot confirm the death of around 20 firefighters ... but some of them have been killed. The rescue operation continues."

Tehran's Governor Hossein Hashemi told state TV rescue workers were opening three separate routes to access those trapped.

"One of those trapped in the building sent a text message saying five of them are alive," judiciary website Mizan reported.

State TV said at least 88 people, including 45 firefighters, were injured. Most were taken to hospital and many quickly discharged, it said.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency said troops had been sent to help dig through the ruins. It said one of the first firefighters to be reached had asked to be let back inside to save his colleagues.

The agency quoted an official in the Tehran governor's office as saying an electrical short-circuit had caused the fire, but there was no immediate confirmation of this.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani sent condolences to the families of those killed. Rouhani ordered an investigation and compensation for those affected, state TV reported.

SAFETY FEARS

Occupants of the building had been evacuated as firefighters tackled the blaze. State TV said the tenants included garment manufacturers, and it broadcast footage of business owners trying to re-enter the wreckage.

"I have lost everything. What am I going to do now. What should I tell my family?" owner of one of the 400 business units in the building, Mohsen Ghamisi, told Reuters by telephone.

Tasnim news agency reported that the business units and shops inside the building were not insured because of a lack of required safety measures.

Sniffer dogs searched for survivors buried under giant slabs of concrete and heaps of twisted metal. The rescue operation could last more than two days, state TV said.

The Plasco building, Iran's first private high-rise, was built more than 50 years ago by an Iranian-Jewish businessman who was arrested and sentenced to death for ties to Israel after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Maleki said: "We had repeatedly warned the building managers about the lack of safety."

The owner of a nearby grocery store, forced by police to leave the area, told Reuters by telephone: "It was like a horror movie. The building collapsed in front of me."

The semi-official Fars news agency said police had cordoned off the nearby British, German and Turkish embassies.
Vietnam police halt anti-China protest over islands

HANOI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Police in Vietnam's capital stopped an anti-China protest within minutes on Thursday at a ceremony to commemorate a clash between the two countries in the South China Sea more than four decades ago.

Vietnam and China have a longstanding dispute over the South China Sea, nearly all of which is claimed by China. Four other countries have claims in the sea, through which an estimated $5 trillion in trade passes each year.

The protest in Hanoi started after a peaceful commemoration for soldiers of what was then South Vietnam who were killed in 1974, when China seized the Paracel islands, which it still holds.

Police dragged about 20 protesters on to a bus after they ignored a warning to disperse and began marching with banners and chanting "Demolish China's Invasion" and other slogans.

The government and police made no comment and state-controlled media did not report the protest.

Tension between the two communist countries peaked most recently in 2014, when China moved an oil rig into disputed waters and protests broke out across Vietnam.

Relations have since improved, although a quiet military buildup continues in the region.

China and Vietnam last week pledged to manage their differences and safeguard peace in the South China Sea during a visit to Beijing by Vietnamese Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong.
After Pope blessing, Duterte challenges abusive priests to 'showdown'

By Neil Jerome Morales

MANILA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Undeterred by a blessing from Pope Francis, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte launched an angry rebuke on Thursday of priests and bishops critical of his drugs war, accusing them of homosexuality, corruption and of abusing children.

Duterte was furious over concerns by the Catholic Church of alleged extrajudicial killings during his crackdown and lambasted clergymen for denouncing him instead of using their influence to get people off drugs.

His no-holds-barred tirade came a day after one of Duterte's top advisers met Pope Francis at the Vatican and said the Pontiff had told him he would bless the Philippines, and "also bless your president".

In a speech to policemen, the firebrand leader of one of only two majority Catholic Asian countries challenged the church to a "showdown" and threatened to expose priests and bishops for a litany of abuses.

"Most people here are Catholics. If you are a good priest, make them understand that they will die," he said, referring to drug users.

"You criticise the police, you criticise me. For what? You have the money. You are all crazy ... when we were making confessions to you, we were being molested. They are touching us. What is your moral ascendancy, religion? What is the meaning of it?"

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines had no immediate comment when contacted by Reuters.

POPE'S BLESSING

Duterte's aide, Jesus Dureza, was at the Vatican this week to deliver a letter from the president, thanking the Pope for his 2015 visit to the Philippines.

Duterte had famously called the Pope a "son of a bitch" for causing traffic snarl-ups, and later apologised, saying his remark was aimed at incompetent officials.

The Pope's blessing did not stop Duterte chiding the church, which is among a few institutions willing to oppose his war on drugs. Police figures show 7,042 people have been killed during the campaign, 2,250 in anti-drugs operations and most of the other deaths still being investigated.

Duterte said members of the clergy had wives and were engaging in homosexual acts, practices prohibited by the Catholic Church. Priests were also misusing state funds, he said, and they could not explain where vast amounts of money from public donations had gone.

"You expose me, fine. I expose you. Why? Your mistake is just all right, but ours is not? Bullshit. That is a big joke," he said.

"You asked for it. So if you really want a showdown, showdown. Make a change.

"If you cannot mend your ways, if you cannot even give justice to the small boys that you have molested in the past, you do not have that moral ascendancy to lecture on the sanctity of life."

Responding to Duterte's comments, Father Roy Bellen, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Manila, said the church was aware of its weaknesses and despite limitations, it was fighting to root out its bad elements.
New year, new cuts stir debate about China's steel, coal excess

By Josephine Mason and David Stanway

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The new year has ushered in a new round of capacity cuts as China tries to combat excess in its bloated steel and coal sectors, but the moves are a drop in the ocean in the nation's long struggle to make its heavy industry more efficient.

For years, Beijing has been seeking to cut the share of coal in its energy mix to contain pollution and meet climate change goals while streamlining its unwieldy and over-supplied smoke-stack industries such as steel.

It also comes as the government tries to focus the nation's economy away from heavy industry and cheap manufacturing in favour of the high tech and service sectors.

Beijing far exceeded its targets to eliminate 250 million tonnes of coal and 45 million tonnes of steel capacity last year.

In the first eleven months of the year, it had slashed a whopping 315 million tonnes of coal, according to Reuters' review of provincial data. In steel, capacity cuts were as high as 80 million tonnes, S&P Global Platts estimated.

Full-year output data will be released on Friday.

This year, the authorities have pledged to slash the same volumes from tens of thousands of plants and mines.

But the excess in both markets is so vast it will take until the end of the decade before the years-long push to shut down inefficient operations makes any inroads on oversupply and as regional governments remain wary of sweeping changes.

"Provinces that rely on steelmaking to provide employment will somehow have to generate new jobs and stop providing handouts to zombie mills for the sake of social stability. But this will not be a quick process," said Syliva Cao, steel analyst at S&P Global Platts.

Much of the outdated, inefficient operations are being replaced with leaner, cleaner ones.

New projects or expansions of existing operations already underway will unleash a whopping 1.5 billion tonnes of new coal supply on the market by the end of 2018, according to industry consultant Wood Mackenzie. That's just under half of current annual output.

It also threatens to add to the glut in raw materials that has drawn accusations from rival producers in the United States and elsewhere that the country is exporting its surplus, hurting prices and crippling competitors abroad.

"There's still a lot of (coal) excess. Even though provinces have announced capacity cuts, it won't impact output," said Liu Cong, coal associate at Wood Mackenzie.

"We're replacing old with new and still building new highly efficient mines."

OVERCAPACITY VS OVERPRODUCTION

Among the recent announcements, China's eastern province of Jiangsu was reported to be planning to phase out a total of 17.5 million tonnes of steel capacity by 2020.

But with total capacity estimated at 1.2 billion, the annual surplus could be as high as 400 million tonnes, which S&P Global Platts analysts say illustrates how far China still has to go to rationalize the bulging sector.

Most of the 2016 cuts were idled already, having little impact on actual supplies - output in for January-November 2016 was up 1.1 percent at around 740 million tonnes.

Against that backdrop, the run-up in prices and flurry of speculative buying that has pushed futures prices to multi-year highs in recent months may have been overdone.

"If you look at steel production last year, there was no change compared with 2015. .... The capacity cuts only changed the distribution of steel production, not the total amount," said Xu Zhongbo, head of Beijing Metal Consulting.

An analysis of provincial data illustrates the depth of the cuts in coal that led to a third straight year of lower output as the government pushes ahead with its shift to cleaner, renewable fuels.

Top producing regions Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and Shaanxi bore the brunt of the cuts, closing a combined 211.5 million tonnes of output in the first eleven months of last year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, half of the nation's total closures over that period.

Shanxi will cut 20 million tonnes of capacity this year, while Hubei province plans to shut its coal mines within two years, state news agency Xinhua reported this week.

But the slowing growth of the world's second-largest economy, which will crimp manufacturing and demand for critical industrial products, have amplified the need for bigger cuts.

Analysts warned steel demand may be reaching a peak and coal-fired power output is expected to drop as energy-intensive industries like glass and cement slow.

In a sign of growing supplies, inventories of rebar <_0SH-REBAR-INV>, used in construction, hit their highest since April this week at 4.9 million tonnes, up by 1 million tonnes since the start of December.
Activists call for Indonesia zoo to release "starving" bears

JAKARTA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - An Indonesian wildlife group on Thursday urged authorities to provide immediate medical care for, and free, captive bears it alleges are being starved in a zoo close to the capital, Jakarta.

The case is the latest instance of alleged animal cruelty in Indonesia, where illegal wildlife trade and practices are rampant and there is a record of lax law enforcement.

Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group released a grim video this week showing emaciated sun bears waiting for visitors to throw food into their concrete enclosures in a privately-owned zoo in Indonesia's third-largest city, Bandung.

"These starving bears were first found in mid-2016," the group's senior investigator, Marison Guciano, told Reuters, adding there were 11 bears in all.

"The fastest and most important step is that we check their health. If they're sick, we treat them. We hope that these bears could be released from the cages of Bandung Zoo."

A zoo spokesman said government inspectors called in after the release of the video had declared the bears healthy.

"We have had people from the National Conservation Agency check up on the bears...and all are declared healthy," said the spokesman, Sudaryo, who has one name, as do many Indonesians.
Sudan to receive $500 mln deposit from UAE -state news agency

KHARTOUM, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Sudan's central bank governor signed on Thursday an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development for a $500 million deposit, Sudan's state news agency SUNA reported.

Sudan's economic problems have been building since the south seceded in 2011, taking with it three-quarters of the country's oil output, its main source of foreign currency and government income. SUNA gave no more details on the deal.
Philippines police chief furious after rogue cops kill Korean

MANILA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The Philippines police chief expressed sorrow and fury on Thursday after discovering some of his men had kidnapped and killed a South Korean businessman inside the national police headquarters.

"I want to disappear from this world because of so much shame after what my men did," national police chief Ronald Dela Rosa told reporters.

Dela Rosa, a longtime ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, said he was "very angry" and "very offended" after learning the crime took place at the home of the national police.

Dela Rosa did not say how many police were involved, or if any had been charged.

The remains of Jee Ick-joo, abducted in October by rogue officers involved in kidnappings, were found at a funeral parlour in the capital, Manila, according to media.

His death is the latest setback for a police force drawing heavy criticism from rights groups, who say cover-ups and abuses of police power are rampant and accuse police of executing suspected drug dealers as part of Duterte's narcotics crackdown.

Police deny involvement in extrajudicial killings and say deaths in the course of the anti-drugs campaign are in self-defence.

Media said Jee's wife had paid an undisclosed ransom for his release but the kidnappers wanted more. That information could not be independently verified.

"I am very sorry that this crime happened and my own men are involved," Dela Rosa said. "I want to kill those policemen who are into crime syndicates but I cannot do it. That's illegal."

He said Duterte's assurance of legal protection for policeman accused of wrongdoing as part of the drugs campaign would not apply to erring officers.

Antonio Trillanes, a senator and staunch Duterte critic, said the president's campaign against drugs had created a culture of impunity.
Israel's right wing has grand plans for Trump era

By Maayan Lubell

JERUSALEM, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Israel's right wing has been eagerly awaiting Donald Trump's arrival in the White House, hoping a Republican president will usher in a new era of support for Israeli settlement-building on land Palestinians want for a state.

The far-right Jewish Home party, along with members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, is promoting legislation that would effectively annex one large settlement in the occupied West Bank to Israel and another bill that would legalise dozens of unauthorised outposts.

But there could be a question mark over the issue, with Netanyahu possibly looking to curb settlement laws, wary of the dangers of the far right's ambitions being too freely unleashed as he feels his way forward with the new U.S. administration.

The Israeli leader's spokesman declined to comment on Netanyahu's position.

In its final weeks, the Obama administration angered the Israeli government by withholding a traditional U.S. veto of an anti-settlement resolution at the United Nations Security Council, enabling the measure to pass.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday said he was worried that the prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- the idea of Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security -- were waning.

Israeli right wingers contrast Obama's warnings with what they see as positive signals from Trump that indicate Washington's attitude towards settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas Israel captured in a 1967 war, is about to change.

Trump's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, echoed his condemnation of the world body over its treatment of Israel at her Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

"SUDDEN MOVES CAN BE EXPLOSIVE"

Trump, who has said he wants to meet Netanyahu "at the first opportunity", has pledged to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In his remarks on Wednesday, Obama cautioned against "sudden unilateral moves" that could be "explosive".

Israel regards all of Jerusalem as its capital but most of the world does not, seeing its final status as a matter for peace negotiations that have been frozen since 2014.

In a move that has emboldened Israeli right wingers, the president-elect has already appointed a new U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, who is considered far right on issues, including settlement building.

Naftali Bennett, leader of the Jewish Home, hopes that under Trump's administration the notion of establishing a Palestinian state will be abandoned.

He wants to promote a bill extending Israeli sovereignty to Maale Adumim, a West Bank settlement of about 40,000 Israelis that lies just to the east of Jerusalem.

That would in effect mean Israel annexing some of the land it has occupied for almost 50 years.

"It's either (Israeli) sovereignty or Palestine," Bennett told Army Radio this month. "The question is not what will Trump do but what will Israel ask for. What will Israel present as its vision. We are in the money-time now for forming this vision."

But Professor Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States, believes the right wing may be getting ahead of itself and its ambitions could backfire.

"In reality, where the United States needs to live not just with us but also with the Arab and Muslim world, supporting extremist measures in Israel could turn out to be something the United States cannot live with," Rabinovich said.

ANNEXATION "RED LINE"

Bennett ultimately advocates the annexation of most of the West Bank, leaving just the major Palestinian towns and cities in Palestinian hands. But first he is testing the water with the annexation bill, entitled "Sovereignty in Maale Adumim First". It is due for a first discussion in a ministerial committee on Sunday, two of its drafters said.

"I believe this is the gift that the people of Israel deserve in the run-up to Trump's inauguration," Bennett's fellow party member, Betzalel Smotrich, told parliament on Tuesday.

A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said annexation was a red line. "Any such Israeli decision will be considered a dangerous escalation that would end any possible hope for peace," Nabil Abu Rdainah told Reuters.

Late last year, a separate bill that would retroactively legalise settlement outposts built on privately-owned Palestinian land in the West Bank passed the first of three votes in parliament required to make it law. No dates have been set for final approval, and it has since disappeared from the agenda.

Asked about the delay, a source in Netanyahu's office said: "He wants to freeze the outpost bill."

Asked about the law, a legislative source said: "It's stuck in committee. There will be attempts to bring it back on the agenda after Jan. 20, but I think it is pretty much buried at this point," he said, referring to the date of the inauguration.

The legislation had drawn anger from the Palestinians and international condemnation. Smotrich told Reuters that it will be brought to a second and third reading in February. "We were waiting for the end of the Obama age," he said.

A political source close to Netanyahu said that with regard to the proposed Maale Adumim annexation, the prime minister may say he wishes to hold off until after he meets Trump.

Tzachi Hanegbi, a Likud minister and Netanyahu confidant, said Netanyahu understood that such steps would further isolate Israel. Most countries regard Israeli settlements as illegal, a view that Israel disputes.

"He does not want to shake the entire world and put Israel at the centre of contention, isolation and criticism," Hanegbi told Army Radio. "I hope the government will not let itself be dragged after Jewish Home's agenda."

At the same time, Netanyahu is competing with Jewish Home for right-wing, pro-settlement voters. He may disagree with the party's approach, but he can't ignore it.
Gangs clash inside Brazil prison where 26 massacred this week

SAO PAULO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Hundreds of inmates from rival drug gangs clashed on Thursday inside a Brazilian prison where 26 inmates were butchered by gang members this week, television images showed.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas canisters into the yard of the Alcacuz prison in northeastern Brazil as helicopters buzzed overhead. Prisoners erected makeshift barricades, while inmates traded blows with wooden clubs and hurled stones.
The US bombing strikes on ISIS camps in Libya that killed dozens of fighters cost almost $9million.

US B-2 bombers carried out air strikes against Islamic State camps outside of Sirte, Libya, on Wednesday night, killing dozens of militants, US defense officials said on Thursday.

Two US defense officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the strikes were carried out 28 miles southwest of Sirte against two camps and done in cooperation with Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord.

They said there were no women or children in the camps.

US B-2 bombers (like the one seen in the above stock image) carried out air strikes against Islamic State camps outside of Sirte, Libya, on Wednesday night, killing dozens of militants, according to defense officials

Since the bombing, it has been revealed it cost a total of $8.8 million to have the two jets deliver the deadly payload, according to Yahoo News.

The website says the planes flew for 34 hours each as part of the mission, with a price-tag of $130,000 per hour.

The overall figure is also likely to be significantly higher, due to the roughly 15 aerial refueling aircraft involved in the mission, as well as the bombs that were dropped.

It comes after one of the officials said initial reports showed dozens of militants were killed in the strikes with more than 100 precision guided munitions dropped.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook, in a statement on Thursday, confirmed the US military conducted successful strikes.

'The ISIL terrorists targeted included individuals who fled to the remote desert camps from Sirte in order to reorganize, and they posed a security threat to Libya, the region, and US national interests,' Cook said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

Two US defense officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the strikes were carried out 28 miles southwest of Sirte (seen on a map above) against two camps

Libyan forces backed by US air strikes finished clearing the last Islamic State holdout in Sirte last month after a battle of nearly seven months for the militant group's former North African stronghold.

The United States carried out about 470 air strikes against Islamic State targets in Sirte during that campaign.

The loss of Sirte was a major blow for Islamic State, leaving the group without any territory in Libya, although it retains an active presence in parts of the vast country.

One of the officials said initial reports showed dozens of militants were killed in the strikes with more than 100 precision guided munitions dropped. Libyan fighters (above) are seen shooting at Islamic State gunmen in Misrata on March 15, 2015

The jihadist group took over Sirte in early 2015, turning it into its most important base outside the Middle East and attracting large numbers of foreign fighters into the city.

It imposed its ultra-hardline rule on residents, and extended its control along about 155 miles of Libya's Mediterranean coastline.
Colombian 2017 coffee output could hit 24-yr high-federation head

By Julia Symmes Cobb and Luis Jaime Acosta

BOGOTA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Colombia could produce 14.5 million 60-kg bags of coffee this year, the highest output in more than two decades, the head of the country's growers' federation said on Thursday, as it pushes productivity and fertilization improvements on farms.

Coffee growers in the Andean nation, the world's top producer of high-quality washed arabica, reached output of 14.2 million bags, the previous high, last year despite drought and a truckers strike that stymied exports. If the country reaches output of 14.5 million 60-kg bags it would be the highest in 24 years.

"We should be at a level close to what we harvested in 2016. Production volume could be the same or a bit above. I wouldn't rule out 14.5 million bags or a bit more in 2017," Roberto Velez, head of the federation, told Reuters.

Productivity is the primary challenge for farmers, Velez said. Colombia had an output of 18 bags per hectare in 2016, but if growers increase tree density, that figure could go up to 21 bags per hectare and increase overall production to some 16 or 17 million bags a year, he said.

"For the moment we're concentrated on productivity, instead of expanding farms," Velez said in an interview at his Bogota office.

Brazil, the world's top coffee producer by volume, has an average output of 27 bags per hectare, while No. 2 producer Vietnam reaches 35 bags per hectare, he said.

Growers will need to plant more densely, raising the average number of trees per hectare from 5,000 to between 5,500 and 6,000, he added.

The federation is urging farmers to use more fertilizer to help trees flower better, but many struggle to come up with the cash for large one-time purchases of the product, even as prices have gone down.

"Colombian growers have to return to fertilizing," Velez said. "Fertilization in Colombia is very poor compared to Brazil and Vietnam."

Growers are worried about how recent heavy rains may affect their crop, but the federation expects sunnier weather in the coming months.

The government has said a peace deal with Marxist rebels, passed by Congress late last year, could help increase output to 20 million bags by 2020.

With a new peace, growers may be able to expand into previously violent areas, Velez said.

"It's not just about silencing the guns, you have to give these places, these populations, a way to make a living," he said.
Sweden's Moderates offers olive branch to anti-immigrant party

By Johan Sennero

STOCKHOLM, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The leader of Sweden's Moderate party called on the centre-right opposition to unite to bring down the minority coalition government with help from the Sweden Democrats, a sign the anti-immigration party could be starting to lose its pariah status.

Mainstream politicians have so far refused to have anything to do with the Sweden Democrat party after they first won seats in parliament in 2010. The party was called "racist" by Moderate leader Anna Kinberg Batra only six months ago.

But in a U-turn she said the Moderates would now be prepared to work with the party in parliament and would be prepared to take power with passive support from the Sweden Democrats.

"In questions where there are the conditions for agreement, I do not think we should exclude building a majority with the Sweden Democrats," Batra told reporters.

However, she ruled out forming a formal coalition with the Sweden Democrats or including them in preparing an joint opposition Alliance budget.

"But again, I do not want to begin talks on forming a government ... or budget negotiations," she said.

Two members of the four-party Alliance rejected Batra's call to bring down the centre-left coalition by uniting behind an alternative budget proposition in September.

"We want to change the government but not with support from the Sweden Democrats," Annie Loof, leader of Alliance member the Centre party said.

"Tomorrow Donald Trump is sworn in as president, yesterday Britain's prime minister said there would be a 'hard Brexit'. In times like these, we need security, stability and leadership."

DIVISIONS WIDENED

The smallest Alliance party, Christian Democrats, said it supported the proposal from the Moderates.

A wave of populism across Europe, sparked in part by growing worries about immigration, has boosted support for the Sweden Democrats, who won around 13 percent of the vote in 2014.

Mainstream parties have so far refused to have anything to do with the Sweden Democrats, but neither the centre left nor centre right can form a majority government without them.

Their popularity has widened divisions in the Alliance between those on the right, who want to reach out a hand and secure a parliamentary majority and those who see the party as untouchable. The Moderates have been bleeding voters to the Sweden Democrats in recent polls.

"With the Moderates and the Alliance doing badly they may need to shake things up, and this should be seen in this perspective," said Jonas Hinnfors, political scientist at Gothenburg University.

With the Centre and Liberal parties against any form of cooperation with the Sweden Democrats, the Alliance could face a rupture less than three years after losing power.

"If they can't agree on that question, I will think that will make it hard to form an agreement on a government," said Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson, who wants closer cooperation with the Moderates.

A poll published in daily Aftonbladet showed the Sweden Democrats backed by around 21.5 percent of voters despite tougher immigration rules which have slashed the number of asylum applications from a record in 2015.
Deadly air strike on Nigerian refugee camp sparks U.N. call for investigation

By Kieran Guilbert

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Jan 19 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A botched military air strike on a refugee camp in northeast Nigeria which is estimated to have killed at least 76 people and injured many more must be fully investigated, a United Nations expert said on Thursday.

The Nigerian government said the bombing on Tuesday of the camp in Rann in Borno state, the heart of Boko Haram's seven-year bid to create an Islamic caliphate, was aimed at the militants and called it a "regrettable operational mistake".

The air force said civilians were accidentally killed and wounded in the attack, but neither it nor the government has provided an official casualty figure.

The U.N. special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, said the safety of those forced to flee their homes by Boko Haram's insurgency must be guaranteed.

"This tragedy should never have happened and brings into stark focus the perilous situation that many internally displaced persons continue to experience," Jimenez-Damary said in a statement.

She called for a full investigation into the attack and an urgent response to ensure the safety of the displaced and other communities in the area, including evacuation if necessary.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement said on Wednesday that at least 76 people were killed in the attack, including six Nigeria Red Cross members, and that more than 100 people were wounded.

But several aid agencies predicted the death toll was set to rise with dozens of people being airlifted to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, and treated for serious injuries.

Doctors and medical supplies have also been sent to Rann, which is estimated to house up to 40,000 people, said the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The ICRC vowed on Tuesday to continue delivering aid to people in northeast Nigeria despite the attack.

Boko Haram has stepped up attacks in the past few weeks as the end of the rainy season allow movements in the bush amid an offensive against the Islamist militants by Nigeria's army.
Islamic State lashes out as Turkey flirts with Russia

By Mohamad Bazzi

Jan 19 (Reuters) - For years, as an insurgency raged against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey turned a blind eye while rebels groups, including Islamic extremists, moved weapons and fighters across the Syrian-Turkish border. Jihadist groups like Islamic State established strong networks in Turkish towns to smuggle recruits and supplies into Syria.

Despite pleas from Western allies concerned about militant plots emanating from the border areas, the Turkish government felt that it could contain the jihadists and saw the toppling of Assad's regime as its priority. But after Turkey was targeted with a series of bombings in mid-2015 linked to Islamic State, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan began cracking down along the southern border and granted the United States access to military bases that would be used for air strikes against jihadist groups in Syria.

Even after the Turkish crackdown, Islamic State rarely claimed responsibility for attacks inside Turkey, which have killed more than 400 people since 2015 - unlike virtually any other country, where the group is quick to claim credit for any attack it has directed or even tangentially inspired. That changed on Jan. 2, when Islamic State claimed responsibility for the New Year's Day assault on an Istanbul nightclub, which killed 39 people and injured dozens. The group described the nightclub gunman, who was captured on Jan. 16 after a two-week manhunt, as "a hero soldier of the caliphate."

Islamic State's public shift against Turkey began last summer, when the group's leaders called on sympathizers to attack Turkish targets. In August, Erdogan's government dispatched several hundred of its special forces troops into Syria, and launched air strikes to help Syrian rebels allied with Turkey capture territory near the border. The Turkish forces and their allies are fighting both Islamic State militants and Kurdish militias aligned with Washington.

In November, Islamic State's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi issued a rare audio message that singled out Turkey and Saudi Arabia for their campaigns against the group, and called on followers to attack both countries. "Turkey today has become a target for your operations and a priority for your jihad," Baghdadi said. "Turn their security into panic and their prosperity into dread, and add it to the scorched zones of your combat."

In some ways, Islamic State is responding to the Turkish crackdown against it - Ankara's efforts to seal its border, preventing the flow of weapons and jihadists through Turkish territory, and the Turkish military operation to clear jihadists from Syrian areas along the border.

More broadly, Islamic State is also lashing out at a new and burgeoning Turkish-Russian alliance, which is one of the main factors reshaping the Syrian war today. In late 2016, Turkey backed away from supporting Syrian rebels in Aleppo, which helped the Assad regime and its allies - including Russia, Iran and Shi'ite militias from Lebanon and Iraq - to force rebels from their strongholds in eastern Aleppo and regain full control of the city. In mid-December, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he was working with Turkish leaders to negotiate a new ceasefire between Assad and rebel groups, and to organize a fresh round of Syrian peace talks without Washington's involvement. The talks are scheduled to start on Jan. 23 in Kazakhstan.

The Syrian conflict has turned into a proxy war that involves regional and world powers - including the United States, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar - whose interests sometimes overlap, but at other times lead to multiple conflicts. Soon after the war began in 2011, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States started sending weapons and funds to rebel groups trying to topple Assad's regime. Some of these rebels were forced into battlefield or tactical alliances with al Qaeda affiliated groups and other jihadists. More recently, Washington has shifted its focus to fighting Islamic State rather than ousting the Syrian regime. Assad's two main backers, Russia and Iran, are mainly targeting rebel factions opposed to the regime, rather than trying to defeat Islamic State.

While Erdogan's turn toward Russia put Turkey more firmly in the crosshairs of Islamic State, the policy also has had domestic ramifications. On Dec. 19, a 22-year-old off-duty police officer assassinated the Russian ambassador to Turkey at an art gallery in Ankara. The gunman shouted "God is great" and "Don't forget Aleppo, don't forget Syria!" during the attack, which was captured on video. The assassin was later killed in a shootout with Turkish security forces.

After the assassination, both Erdogan and Putin stressed that the murder would not impact the evolving Turkey-Russia relationship. And within days, the two leaders announced that they had brokered the latest ceasefire in Syria. Like previous ceasefires, it did not include Islamic State or other jihadist groups.

After the New Year's Day attack on the Istanbul nightclub, Islamic State's statement said the gunman had carried out the assault "in response to calls" from Baghdadi to target Turkey. The statement also referenced Turkey's growing role in the Syrian war, warning: "The apostate Turkish government should know that the blood of Muslims spilled by its warplanes and artillery will ignite fire inside its own house."

Turkish troops and allied rebels are trying to push Islamic State fighters from Al-Bab, a town north of Aleppo, and one of the jihadists' last holdouts near the Turkish border. But Turkish forces are bogged down in an unexpectedly grueling battle: About 50 soldiers have been killed since Ankara sent its forces into Syria in August, including 16 killed in a single day during an Islamic State counter-attack in Al-Bab.

The battle for Al-Bab is causing other complications and setting up a potential battle between Turkish-backed Syrian rebels and American-supported Kurdish fighters of the People's Protection Units (known by its Kurdish acronym, YPG). The YPG is part of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a coalition of rebel groups, which is leading a ground offensive of 30,000 fighters to oust Islamic State from the city of Raqqa, capital of its self-proclaimed caliphate. The campaign is supported by U.S. air strikes and more than 500 special forces who are helping the rebels gain ground.

In late December, Turkish leaders complained that Washington was not providing similar air support to help Turkish troops advance in Al-Bab. Within days, Russia began coordinating with the Turkish military and carrying out air strikes in the area.
Though Sri Lanka does not have a strong stance on reducing the usage of plastic, many countries have taken big leaps to ban plastic and to highlight the health hazards pertaining to the leach of plastic.

In a bid to create awareness on this, Believers in Glass, an Indian social movement, tied up with Piramal Glass Ceylon PLC organised a press conference in Colombo recently, with the assistance of several leading health professionals in the country.

However, as the discussion highlighted many health-related issues such as cancer, infertility, obesity, asthma, diabetes, etc., due to the leach in plastic, the main question that popped up in many minds was as to why these were not given serious consideration before and why the gatekeepers of the country were not informed about the depth of this, which needed much focus.



Why is plastic harmful?

Plastic, a petroleum product, is a vital manufacturing ingredient for nearly every existing industry, though it has a dark side too.

One of the main reasons why many oppose using plastic is it poisons the food chain, affecting human health. As it is not easily disposable, it spoils the ground water and piles up in the environment. It also attacks other pollutants and costs billions to abate.

See the number of bottles we are throwing. We are talking about consuming and storing bottles; we are throwing thousands of bottles to the earth with a toxic material sent to the earth all the time, Professor of Surgery Professor Neville D. Perera said.

When it comes to storing and consuming, it was noted that plastic medical containers can be dangerous depending on the time in storage and temperatures.

Sharing evidence, they said that studies suggest that chemicals are responsible for various adverse events  leach from plastic increase by thousandfold when the water content in a bottle is exposed to the sun.

A study carried out by the University of Missouri states that PET-bottled water triggered a 78 percent increase in the growth of the breast cancer cells when compared with control water.

A Columbia University research also has reported that excessive exposure to endocrine disruptors/phthalates might increase a childs future risk of developing asthma.

Eighty percent increased risk of developing asthma between age of five and 11, if their mothers were exposed to high levels of phthalates during pregnancy, it was noted.

Moderator Dr. Mamta Jain said that plastics and their additives are not just around us, they are virtually inside everyone of us, present in blood and urine in measurable amounts due to the leach in plastic.

It was noted that even the safest of safe claimed plastic leaches dangerous chemicals, which disrupts the entire body.

Research has now proven that even the safest of safe plastic like BPA leaches dangerous chemicals and there is no such thing as safe as plastics. A global study now has established it without doubt that no plastic is safe for human exposure, it was noted.

Panellists from left: Senior Lecturer and Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician Dr. Suranga Hettipathirana, Professor of Medicine, SAITM Head of Department of Medicine, Consultant Physician Prof. Kolitha H. Sellahewa, Professor of Surgery, Distinguish Professor at Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, Consultant Genito Urinary (Urology) Surgeon Prof. Neville D. Perera, Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians President Dr. Lakkumar Fernando and Head of Toxicology Department and National Hospital National Poison Information Centre Dr. Waruna Gunathillaka



Stress strong policies

Considering these facts, the health experts stressed that the government should bring in policies to stop using plastic gradually due to its adverse health effects.

I see a lot of mothers use plastic milk bottles for their baby. I think that is not something intelligent. Chemicals getting into sense will be harmful. I think it wont be a bad idea for the government to take a strong policy to try and altogether ban the infant feeding bottle at least for babies, Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians President Dr. Lakkumar Fernando said.

One of the things the plastic industry would defend themselves in is that they say there is a permissible amount of leach. Those things are brought to safeguard the industry. Exposure in whatever amount of permissible level also can be harmful, he said.

Is plastic being tested anywhere in the country? If so, where it is? It is a big question. Plastic production we use in daily life, for example, feeding bottles. In the Borella junction, in supermarkets, baby cups and spoons you get in plastic and beneath its written as melamine. You know how effective melamine was in the recent past. Melamine plates are not suitable even for elders, Professor of Medicine, SAITM Head of Department of Medicine and Consultant Physician Professor Kolitha H. Sellahewa said.

The second point is plastic water tanks. Earlier there were cement and stainless steel tanks. When the British were here, they used steel tanks. But due to rust, we changed to plastic. It reacts according to the temperature where we set the tanks. Plastic tanks should be covered, avoiding the sun rays, he advised.

The PVC water pipes are also plastic. Developed countries wont use PVC though we use. The European Union has banned. Some countries are facing out gradually. In the future, policies should be implemented to put this away from our country, he said.

Another point he highlighted was the food covered in the polythene sachets. Even the water straw and ice packets  but nobody is questioning these things. People should be more aware, he said.

Providing more examples he said, When we microwave, every plastic is not the same; there are compatible plastics, there are different signs for that. People should be aware of this. These should be corrected. A lot of mistakes are happening across. The policymakers should come forward,



Impact on future generation

Meanwhile, it was noted that if females get exposed to such chemicals during the reproductive age, there are chances of them having higher risk of infertility.

In the female system, all the eggs are produced right at the birth. When they get exposed to these chemicals, these eggs go through a lot of changes.

In society they say miscarriages happen because of long-distance travelling, eating papaw and pineapple, but that is not the cause. It is because of the changes in genes. So like these, they have found out chemicals would cause a lot of damages to genes, which can be a major reason for miscarriages. Like some studies say, it can lead up to 50 percent of miscarriages in pregnancy, Senior Lecturer and Consultant Gynaecologists and Obstetrician Dr. Suranga Hettipathirana said.

Genes are the building blocks in our system. They could develop to many abnormalities. Likewise, it can affect this generation and we know the genes we carry we pass on to our kids, our new generation. It goes like that. It could go to subsequent generations as well, he said.

Passing my 32nd year as a doctor, during the last two decades, there were young couples coming saying their sperm count is low for many reasons. I think the chemicals in food and drinking water are playing a major role, as it has been investigated now. It has been found fertility can be affected by all the chemicals seeping from the plastic bottles, Professor Perera said.

However, the health professionals noted that they are not backed by any company. They came forward only because it was a good opportunity for them to make awareness on this, as toxic will be always toxic.



Requests media support

We request the media support to help to lobby these to the government, we need your help to get policymakers also on the bench. Doctors are only expressing their concerns.

We want the entire medias help. This is a small movement. We wanted the doctors to be part of it because we take health for granted. Let the media drive it, let the glass and plastic makers come in, let all of them answer all the tough questions. It is medias responsibility to empower the people with the knowledge, the organisers said in response to a journalists query about the participation of other relevant parties in order to get balanced and accurate information on an important issue as such.

What we are discussing here today is completely based on scientific literature. The facts we are forwarding are not just hypothetical facts but based on experiment and research done all over the world. Whoever requires any scientific evidence or researches do not hesitate to contact us, Institute of Chemistry Ceylon Secretary Dr. A.A.P. Keerthi said.
Grade 1 schools admissions and Royal College were featured on 12 January in a DM Online news report based on what Education Minister Kariyawasam briefed the media on Thursday of the previous week.



Minister Kariyawasam had said, admission to Grade 1 of Royal College was temporarily suspended on complaints received. Investigations had revealed, 31 out of 147 applications looked into had fraudulent documents on addresses given.



Most addresses were of public places, security counters, religious places and business establishments, he had told media. Obviously Royal College would have had a few thousand applications that should have also been investigated into.

The mad rush over Grade 1 admissions to leading, high profile city schools have made all other issues in education, irrelevant to the middle class. With patronage and sponsoring by their alumni, these schools have become privileged, full option schools controlled by past students. Intake has been gradually increased over the decades to meet the demand, turning them into massive schools. They would need CEOs, HR Managers and Educational and Planning Consultants to run them as corporate institutes due to their huge size. They have grown beyond what could be called schools in relation to learning and child development.



Investigations into 147, is just an ant bite on a Gulliverian Fraud. Fake documents are not only those with non-resident addresses. A heavy load of documents that provide addresses of houses around very popular schools are also fake without doubt.



They have to be investigated too, for veracity of occupants in those addresses. Ive heard of a case a few years ago, where the landlords child was rejected, while the child of a non-resident parent who had paid only for his next door address had been selected to a leading Sinhala Buddhist School in Colombo.



A threat by the landlord he would file a FR petition, immediately qualified that child too, for admission. Interestingly, that year, the decided distance to school made both addresses a few metres too far for admissions.



It was 55 years ago in 1962, the distance from home to school was made the primary condition for Grade 1 schools admissions. Then the maximum distance allowed was 02 miles (Metrics wasnt the measure then). It wasnt a big issue for almost two decades with that maximum distance of two miles left unchanged. Yet, from around the decade of 1980 after the economy was completely opened up, the pressure on city schools, especially the leading popular boys and girls schools in Colombo, grew beyond control. The qualifying distance between home and school began shrinking quite fast over the past decade or two.



For most leading schools in Colombo it could be a couple of metres from the school wall now, to compete for admissions.



With the warped growth in the economy that is exclusively city centred, especially and more Colombo centred, the rush for leading Colombo schools was quite expected. The alumni of these schools becoming quite powerful economically and politically gave these schools the advantage in city life.

The growing middle class that settled in the expanding periphery around Colombo thus want their children also to attend these schools. The fast growing competition brings in a couple of thousands of applications for Grade 1 admissions annually to these high profile Colombo schools.



They usually accommodate around 300 to 400 applicants from the lot received. The distance from home to school gets reduced when the competition keeps increasing. By now the distance from home to school is reduced to metres and not kilometres due to very heavy competition. In real terms, these schools should now have children walking to school from houses a few metres away.



But no one stops to ask, why are all these vans and buses bringing children from far off destinations? Governments allow school vans and SLTB buses to ply from far away towns like Kalutara, Avissawella, Gampaha and Negombo and some from even beyond that. That cannot be, if Grade 1 admissions for the past 02 decades and more had been from genuine applicants. Could not have been when the distance was on a metre scale measured from school.



Parents of all children travelling to school daily from far off towns, definitely have their names even in electoral lists in those addresses. They would have submitted Grama Niladhari certificates of residence counter signed by the Divisional Secretary, along with applications. They may support their claim for residence in those addresses with more documents like rent agreements, phone bills and other mail received at that address. Though at a heavy cost, how all such documented proof is pre-arranged is an openly shared secret in society. They are all fake with children travelling to schools from faraway places.



This in fact is the biggest fraud in the country the urban middle class indulges in without any shame. This fraud goes on unabated without being questioned by any. From politicians through public officials, principals, teachers, professionals, academics and even by good governance activists. It is now a nationally accepted fraud kept out of discussion.



This whole corrupt practice is being legitimized by professionals in a very selfish way. Instead of challenging this fraud, they demand quotas. The GMOA declares war over Grade 1 admission quotas and is prepared to hold public life to ransom for their children to have leading schools of their choice. The FUTA claims they too have a right for a definite quota in school admissions, with not merely progressive but radical lecturers threatening to leave FUTA if their children cannot be found admission to popular schools of their choice. The rot in education is so complex, is so deep rooted and is impossible to patch up.



The mad rush over Grade 1 admissions to leading, high profile city schools has made all other issues in education, irrelevant to the middle class. With patronage and sponsoring by their alumni, these schools have become privileged, full option schools controlled by past students. Intake has been gradually increased over the decades to meet the demand, turning them into massive schools. They would need CEOs, HR Managers and Educational and Planning Consultants to run them as corporate institutes due to their huge sizes. They have grown beyond what could be called schools in relation to learning and child development.



Schools most importantly, should be entities with a very close rapport among students, teachers and parents. They need to have very close student  teacher relationship, not only in class rooms, but in the whole school. The principal and teacher co-ordination and supervision has to have a personal understanding for co-operation and unity in a school. Both teachers and principals should have adequate and regular access and time for parents of all children on a personal key.



The massive high profile, leading schools cannot afford such close rapport between students, teachers and parents. They therefore need to be re structured into three or four manageable schools for them to be actual pupil oriented schools.



That nevertheless is no answer to the crisis in education and would not completely answer the competition for Grade 1 admissions. For an adequate solution, the question why ordinary urban middle class parents enter the race to secure admission to leading city schools for their children and are willing to slog to earn the money needed has to be answered.



The middle class aspiration in this highly competitive and perverted society is to seek the best education for children in the best of schools.



Their belief is that these leading popular schools provide everything best in a school. What they understand and believe as best is what creates high competition.



Whats best in these leading schools is that they are privileged for reasons other than quality of education and discipline.



The powerful in society, the top State bureaucracy, the politicians, the officer caste in security forces and the rich business community form the alumni and the parent body of these schools.

Thus to be in such social company is certainly a privilege. But there is no guarantee that these schools maintain the best of all discipline compared to other schools. There is also no guarantee they provide the best of teaching in schools.



In the Western Province and more so in Colombo including in these leading popular schools, GCE O/L and A/L exam results are very much influenced by private tuition and not by what is taught at schools.



Yet, answers are not forthcoming as the middle class including professionals are not demanding real and permanent answers to their own issues. Their selfishness and their mediocrity in understanding the crisis in education do not compel them to demand quality, well facilitated modern schools in their own areas.



Dont make them understand, that schools are where children are helped to learn and not where they are taught by force.



That for children to learn and learn well, they should have to be in an environment without stress and allowed free time of their own.



They should have time for normal meals at normal times for a healthy childs life. Mediocre they are though middle class professionals, their ego decides for children who have to forego their due life for selfish parental aspirations.



Middle class parental aspirations were what had made children obese and suffering from gastritis, which in their middle age life would drag them into health complications.



Mediocrity of these professionals is very much in the nude, if one places the two contradictory demands together, campaigned for by university academics; 06 per cent budgetary allocation for education as the answer to educational problems and their fancy demand for a quota in Grade 1 schools admissions for FUTA membership. In plain language, the middle class will have to leave their selfishness and demand for far reaching serious reforms for this educational mess to be cleared for a more robust child centred education to be put in place.
A number of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) and human rights activists were critical of the Cabinet of ministers refusal to decriminalize homosexuality.

One of the leading LGBTQ rights activists and Executive Director of the Equal Ground, Rosanna Flamer-Caldera said the decision was absurd.

This move only portrays that the government would rather continue to discriminate a community based on their sexual orientation and to marginalize them than repealing a 134-year old archaic laws imposed by the British, she said.

She urged the government to fight for the rights of the discriminated people and challenged if there is anyone who says that decriminalizing homosexuality is against Dhamma, to prove it.

Why we should embrace western Christian laws and not accept peace, acceptance and tolerance practiced in Buddhism.

After all this is a Buddhist country not a Christian country, she said. Former Human Rights Commissioner and Rights Activist Prathiba Mahanamahewa said, though it was rejected, the proposal submitted by the government to decriminalize homosexuality by repealing section 365 and 365A of the Penal Code was brave and strong.

He criticized the government of having no proper mechanism to spread awareness of the issue and its lack of backing to commit to the issue.

Though a proposal had been made, there is no one to take responsibility of the proposal. This attempt is not to legalise gay marriages or as such, its simply about decriminalizing homosexuality. The government had clearly failed to send the message across, he said.

He said the Sri Lankan LGBTQ community was inactive compared with that of in India and Bangladesh and said even lawmakers were also silent about the issue.

If there are any lawmakers who are gay or lesbian, they are not raising any voice for their rights. They are not even admitting to anything.

These people are simply worried about the next election and their voters base. They would rather have a larger voter base than fighting for human rights, he said.

He said cultural and social resistance could arise when repealing the penal code but it could be averted with awareness. The people should have a right to select their own partner. This is a human right issue which has been psychologically and scientifically proved, he said.

Meanwhile, rights activist Milinda Rajapaksha, who was with youth organizations in India when Delhi High Court decriminalized homosexuality in 2009, said rights organizations in Sri Lanka should take the issue to the court following India.

In India, it was not the government which intervened into the matter. It was civil societies and rights activists sought legal protection for human rights and they won. Its time we should do the same, he said.

Project Officer of Equal Ground Thushara Manoj said the words sexual orientation and gender identity should be included in Constitution foremost before decriminalizing homosexuality. Once we have these words, we can gradually decriminalize.

Decriminalizing homosexuality is not something we can do right away and Sri Lankan Gay Community is not asking for marriage rights. They simply want equal human rights and recognition, he said. He said it was wrong and unwise for the government to list GSP+ as causality to decriminalize homosexuality. Another activist Hans Billimoria simply said its time that we moved away from the dark ages. Its 2017, not 1800s anymore, he said. (By Lahiru Pothmulla)

Rosanna Flamer-Caldera

Govt. would rather continue to discriminate against a community based on their sexual orientation than repealing British laws

Prathiba Mahanama-hewa

Though rejected, the proposal submitted by Govt. to repeal sections 365 and 365A of the Penal Code was brave and strong

Hans Billimoria

Its time that we moved away from the dark ages. Its 2017, not 1800s anymore

Milinda Rajapaksha

In India, it was not the govt. but was the rights activists who sought legal protection for human rights and won

Thushara Manoj

The words sexual orientation and gender identity should be included in Constitution foremost before decriminalizing homosexuality
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.

KANO AFP /Jan17, 2017
Daily Mail/18 January 2017-

Brazilian police were forced to fire rubber bullets at inmates after a brutal prison riot claimed 26 lives.

Violence erupted at Alcacuz jail near the city of Natal, in Brazil, leading to fires breaking out and serious injuries to inmates.



The army has been called in to help contain the riot which started on Saturday and some inmates have been arrested.



It is believed the jail was overcome after rival drugs gangs fought each other.



Cons climbed on the roof and set up barriers of furniture as the crews vowed to behead each other.

Police fired rubber bullets to try to keep rival factions apart, sending the inmates fleeing in panic and drawing screams from their relatives gathered outside the prison walls.



Two days later, crowds of inmates are still loose in the open air - between the prison blocks and the outer walls of the complex.



Television images have also shown inmates sharpening machetes.
From left: Verite Research Economic Research Head Subhashini Abeysinghe, Verite Research Executive Director Dr. Nishan De Mel, LFVPPEA Chairman Zuraish Hashim and LFVPPEA Second Vice Chairman Suresh Ellawalla

Pic by Nisal Baduge

By Chandeepa Wettasinghe

Sri Lankas complacent bureaucracy has caused exporters to give up or move their businesses to other countries, which has mainly accounted for the countrys abysmal export performance, the Colombo-based think tank Verite Research said, yesterday.

Verite Research Executive Director Dr. Nishan De Mel said the slow and outdated public sector is one of the primary causes of Sri Lanka failing to succeed, since it has made processes inefficient and placed costs on obtaining often unreliable information for the modern, fast-paced private sector.

So, often what happens is, exporters give up. They either try or they move out of the country or they do some other business. This is why Sri Lankas exports have fallen from 33 percent of GDP in 2000 to 12.7 percent of GDP in 2015, he said.

He was speaking at a media conference on Agri exports: Whats holding Sri Lanka back? jointly organised by Verite Research and the Lanka Fruit and Vegetables Producers, Processors and Exporters Association (LFVPPEA).

Nobodys talking about how we can bring about an efficient public sector, (after) causing so many problems, he complained.

LFVPPEA Chairman Zuraish Hashim also concurred with Dr. De Mels views and said that many potential exporters are also not motivated to start exporting due to the challenges they observe.

The current government, while in opposition, criticised the previous government for bloating an inefficient public sector, but after coming into power, has continued its predecessors policies and even gave a major public sector wage increase, which caused a significant fiscal imbalance.

Dr. De Mel said that the problems are not always caused by the politicians unlike what the public usually believes is the case to be, but that politicians need to enact reforms to create an efficient bureaucracy.

Normally, from what you read on the newspaper, you would think that everything has to do with the politicians, but the public sector has a lot to answer for. How do we get a competent, professional public sector? We need to recruit excellent people and give promotions based on performance, he said.

He noted that in other cases, such as agriculture, the politicians replaced a 1924 law with the 1999 Plant Protection Act, which calls for bureaucrats to develop regulations, but that the state still follows the Plant Protection Regulations of 1981, which are based on the 1924 legislation.

Further, he said that parliament passed the Seed Act in 2003, which called for the setting up of a Seed Council, which has not been created to this day by the bureaucracy and that both these structures are important to regulate the importation of raw materials required for agriculture exports, which are currently hard to source.

Meanwhile, Verite Research Economic Research Head Subhashini Abeysinghe said that exporting perishable items from Sri Lanka is difficult due to the lack of climate control facilities at the airports four checkpoints where boxes are opened randomly, causing products to expire, despite them also going through a scanner.

She noted that this is due to the government not repealing the regulations that were in effect during wartime and that even shipments packed in the exporters climate-controlled warehouses in the presence of the officials who stamp the packages are reopened at the airport.

They work in silos, without any input from the stakeholders, she said and added that some public officials, when presented with research that debunks their processes, admit that they were not aware of any problems and genuinely attempt to create solutions.

However, she said that in some cases, criticism by the private sector results in some officials targeting and sending such companies in bureaucratic circles in retaliation.

Some things can be taken off but are you ready to do it? Are you ready to play ball to help us boost exports, Hashim questioned, presenting a challenge to the countrys bureaucracy.
Technological advancements are widely appreciated as they allow people to exert less manual effort and get things done in fractions of seconds. While such novelties are needed in this century that boasts quite a lot about taking things to the next level, their long-term consequences too are largely felt. The usage of drones has set a trend from capturing images to recording or gathering information, thus increasing the sale of drones around the world and right here in Sri Lanka as well. Drones hovering around significant events that took place at state level made headlines during the recent past thereby prompting the government to impose more stringent regulations on their usage. In an attempt to shed light on this matter, the Daily Mirror spoke to a few individuals of varied expertise.



It is vital that drone users be aware of all regulations before using them

Commenting on this subject, K.W. Janaranjana, editor of Ravaya newspaper, said when looking at it in a positive manner, it definitely was a technological advancement introduced to media.



Whatever you cannot see at the eye-level is captured from an aerial view through this device. But when using it, there have to be certain regulations that the users need to adhere to. There is a limit for everything. Even expressing an idea has its own limits. Therefore, drone users should be well aware of these regulations before using them. Through these devices, the users can interfere in to another persons privacy and this should be stopped through the media itself. One incident where the use of drones was heavily criticised was during the exhumation of Lasantha Wickrematunges body parts. This drone was sent against the request of the family.



Speaking further, Mr. Janaranjana said even the RTI Bill had limits.



There is a certain limit to which people should know information. In fact, certain information needs to remain confidential. Hence, it is vital to consider media ethics before using any device which would otherwise interfere in the safety and privacy of the people.



Eyes in the Sky need ethical and careful pilots

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, science writer, broadcaster and development communicator Nalaka Gunawardene said for some, drones conjure images of death and destruction  military applications have been their most widely-reported application.



But unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs are being used increasingly for many peaceful purposes. That poses a host of ethical and legal challenges we must confront to get the best of this new technology while minimising potential harm. In the past few years, the cost of drones came down (an entry level unit sells for around LKR 35,000 in Colombo), as their versatility increased. This spurred many users from news-gathering and post-disaster assessments to goods delivery and smart farming.



In Sri Lanka, surveyors, photographers, TV journalists and political parties were among the early civilian users of drones. They all grasped the value of the bigger picture perspective such as aerial photos or videos they can provide. Until recently, accessing that vantage point was possible only through helicopters or fixed wing aircraft  a facility only few could afford. Having the birds eye view helps journalists and their audiences to make sense of complex situations like climate change impacts, conflicts over resources or political agitation. We certainly need more field-based and investigative reporting that goes beyond press releases and press conferences. Drones are fast joining the journalists toolkit -- but what matters is their imaginative and responsible use.



Here, we have both good news and bad news. On the positive side, over two dozen journalists and photojournalists have been trained in drone-assisted journalism during 2016 by drone journalism enthusiast (and drone pilot) Sanjana Hattotuwa and journalist Amantha Perera. Some trainees have since done good stories with drone-gathered images. Examples include probing the droughts impacts in the dry zone, rising garbage crisis in Kattankudy on the east coast and taking a closer look at land use patterns in Hambantota. The downside is that some news organisations are deploying drones without due regard for public safety or existing codes of media ethics. A drone hovered over the Colombo general cemetery as slain editor Lasantha Wickrematunges body was exhumed in September 2016. That disregarded a family request for privacy.



In his concluding remarks, Mr. Gunawardene said the end never justified the means in good journalism.



If some media groups continue to operate drones in such a reckless manner, they risk discrediting the new technology and attracting excessive regulations. Drones or any other new technology need to be anchored in the basic ethics of journalism. Each new tool would also bring along its own layer of ethics. Where drone use is concerned, respecting privacy and considering the safety of others are far more important than using a handheld camera. In February 2016, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) published regulations for drone operation which apply to all users including journalists. The Information Department, in a recent release, says it is working with CAASL to simplify these rules and to streamline approval processes. That is a welcome move.



For now, Lankan journalists can follow the Code of Ethics for Drone Journalists already formulated by practitioners and researchers in the United States. It is available at:

http://www.dronejournalism.org/code-of-ethics/.



Drone regulations in other countries are much tougher

In his comments to the Daily Mirror, Dr. Ranga Kalansooriya, the Director General of Government Information said every drone user had to register with the Civil Aviation Authority and later get the approval from the area Police station.



This is not a new imposition. The RTI act is about state information. If you look at the regulations in the UK, they are much tougher as they require a pilot licence for those operating an unmanned aircraft. In India, every take off should be approved by the Defence Ministry. Our regulations are not tough when compared with other countries. Also, the use of drones is about privacy and various ethical issues go in to consideration. We have to also think about the safety aspect. Therefore, the use of drones has got nothing to do with the RTI act.

Highlights of the Implementing Standards issued by the CAA

Earlier this month, the Director General of Civil Aviation issued the Implementing Standards that should be complied when operating pilotless aircraft under the provision of Section 80 of the Civil Aviation Act, Article 8 of its Schedule or the applicable International Standards and Recommended Practices specified in Appendix 4 of Annex 2 to the convention.



Some of its highlights are as follows:

 A pilotless aircraft of gross mass of more than 25 kg shall not be operated unless explicit approval from the Director General of Civil Aviation has been obtained.



 A pilotless aircraft with a gross mass of between 1 kg and 25 kg may be operated under the authority of the Director General of Civil Aviation, an approved person or approved organisation.

 A pilotless aircraft with a gross mass of less than 1 kg may be operated without approval from the Director General of Civil Aviation if it is operated for leisure or education purposes at private premises with the consent of the property owner or at public places which are clearly identified for the purpose, with due regard to safety of persons and property.



 An identification stamp on a pilotless aircraft shall indicate its identification number, owners national identity card number and his/her contact details.

 Pilotless aircraft of any weight category shall not be operated for hire or reward, unless special approval is obtained from the Director General of Civil Aviation in writing after payment of the specified fee on case by case basis.



 A pilotless aircraft of any weight category shall not be operated unless its method of propulsion, source of power and means of controls are checked and verified for normal operations prior to flight, ensuring safe operations without endangering persons or property.

 A pilotless aircraft shall not be operated by any person if he or she;

1. Is not familiar with operations and manoeuvring of the aircraft safely.

2. Is not in good physical and mental health conditions.

3. Is under the influence of alcohol or a psychoactive substance.

4. Does not have a sound sense of social responsibility.

 A pilotless aircraft must not be operated;

1. Above any property unless explicit prior consent has been obtained from persons occupying that property or the property owner.

2. Causing safety or security hazards to a third person or property .

 Nothing shall be dropped nor shall any banner be displayed in a pilotless aircraft in flight without approval from the Director General of Civil Aviation.

 A person who operates a pilotless aircraft must, at all times; maintain visual line of sight with the aircraft; be able to see the surrounding airspace in which the aircraft is operating; and maintain the aircraft below the cloud base.

 Pilotless aircraft shall not be operated in a race or competition of any form, without special approval from the Director General of Civil Aviation.

 A pilotless aircraft shall not be operated from dusk to dawn (night)

Recap of incidents where drones made headlines



 During the exhumation of the remains of the late Lasantha Wickrematunge, a drone, which was said to be owned by a private media channel, hovered around the site to capture images of the exhumation. Following a request made by the family, the media was not allowed to enter the Borella cemetery while the exhumation was carried out.



 The drone camera of a private TV channel was seized during the recent clash at Hambantota during the inauguration of the Sri Lanka-China Industrial Zone. Here, the Police had not been notified about their usage of this remote control equipment into a space with diplomats, dignitaries and other foreign delegates.



 A man was detained after he lost control of a drone he had been operating and later fell on to the base of the sacred Ruwanwelisaya. At the time of the incident, the suspect had been taking footage of a Kapruka Pooja which was being held at the archaeological site.
Electro Metal Pressings (Pvt) Ltd recently secured an 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.

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 Chandranandana Diyunuge stated.

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.
In a few hours, the United States will have a new president and it is becoming more than clear that the world order will be chaotic from today, though, driven by the spring of optimism in human breasts, we may inclined to say give him a chance.



Perhaps for the first time in 53 years since the assassination of John F Kennedy, the United States will see a president who will be defying the conventions set by the establishment which includes the intelligence community and the political elite. Donald John Trump, the 70-year-old maverick property tycoon, is a runaway president and putting him on the track to toe the establishments line will be no easy task.



Kennedy took matters of governance into his hands and defied the establishment. He was killed. This is not to say that Trump will be done away with or the establishment killed Kennedy.



However, the Trump team takes the threat to the life of the President-elect seriously and the security is tight for todays inauguration which is expected to draw more than a million people, including supporters of Trump and protesters who see him as a threat to democratic values and his victory illegitimate.



Trump seems to believe that he has the solutions to fix the worlds problems. He will interpret the US national interest the way he wants, not the way the establishment wants. Predicting his policies will be more a case for psychologists than for political analysts. The outgoing president, Barack Obama had a vision to bring about a world order based on peace and justice and a domestic order based on a welfare system to help the less privileged. But he meekly compromised his principles in the face of opposition from the establishment.



Anti-establishment Trump wont be like Obama or his predecessors. Thus, for the first time in the post-World War II US history, the US-led global order has been destabilised by an avalanche of uncertainty. Since the political earthquake of November 8, the aftershocks have not ceased. Not knowing what the world order will be like from noon Washington DC time today (Sri Lanka time 10.30 pm), world leaders have virtually deferred policy decisions on major issues, perhaps hoping it wont be darkness at noon.



Just days ahead of his inauguration, world leaders, both friends and foes of the United States alike, were served a starter and it indicated the taste of things to come under the presidency of Trump.

In a combined interview on Monday to the London Times and German newspaper Bild, Trump outlined his foreign policy blueprint  the world, according to Trump. But it only increased worries of world leaders. In particular, Trumps view of European security and his flirtations with Vladimir Putins Russia added to their fears. Who else but Russia will be happy to hear the president-elect describe Nato as obsolete because it was designed many, many years ago and that other countries arent paying what theyre supposed to pay.



He also slammed the European Union, calling it a construct to take jobs from the United States and being a vehicle for Germany while hailing Britains decision to exit from it.



Only a week ago, Trump was in the centre of a controversy over his alleged links with Russia. Analysts raised questions whether Trump will be a president beholden to the Russians. This was because a dossier prepared by a private investigator claimed that the Russians had secretly taped Trumps sex romp with prostitutes at a Moscow hotel. No other country than Russia wants Nato disbanded. Russia has taken military action twice  in Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014 in a bid to stop Natos eastward expansion.



Trumps attack on Nato came even as tensions were on the rise in eastern Europe. The US and its Nato allies have sent reinforcements to Poland and the Baltic region while Russia has moved in nuclear-capable missiles to Keliningrad bordering Poland.



Although rattled by the Trump interview, the United States European allies still keep some hopes, especially because of the assurances that the secretary of state designate, Rex Tillerson, and the secretary of defence designate, James Mattis, had given during their Senate confirmation hearing recently. They said they would continue to work with Nato to check Russia.



As regards Russia, Trump told the interview, Lets see if we can make some good deals with Russia. He was holding out the prospect of lifting the US economic sanctions on Russia in exchange for nuclear arms reduction deals. The sanctions were imposed on Russia following its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Nuclear-arms-reduction deals are a big charade. They are as insignificant as reducing the barrel length of the AK 47 or M16 by a centimeter. Even if the United States and Russia eliminate 50 percent of their nuclear arsenals, they can still destroy the world many times over with their remaining nuclear weapons. Total nuclear disarmament is a fools dream.



Talking about nuclear weapons raises another vital question. With Trump being an I do it my way president, can the world trust him with 4,500 nuclear warheads? Going by his hubris, he is unlikely to take No as an answer from less powerful states, where the US has strategic interests. He has already warned that the United Nations will be a different organisation from today.



Trumps policy on the Palestinian issue  recognising occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel  will only add to the mayhem in the Middle East, though he may cooperate with Russia to take on Isis and end the Syrian war. Moreover, with Trump at the helm of world affairs, rightwing neo-Nazi populist leaders will have a field day, with human rights concerns becoming a non-issue while humanitarian assistance to refugees escaping wars will be scoffed at.



The next big question mired in uncertainty is: How would he respond to China over the disputes in the South China Sea or if Taiwan, emboldened by Trumps friendly gestures, declares independence? Chinas state-run Global Times on Wednesday called on Beijing to be prepared to face the new challenges. if Trump stirs up strategic challenges, China needs to change its way of thinking strategically. Preparing for the worst-case scenario will give China more initiative.



The newspaper which usually reflects the leaderships views also said China may have to improve relations with some countries so as to have more leverage in its game with the US. Sri Lanka needs to take note of this.



After its interviews on Monday, the Times wrote: Mr. Trump does not feel constrained by ideology or history while the 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.

A Trump presidency will be an enigma, if not one of chaos.
The Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) headed by President Maithripala Sirisena had last week decided to continue with the Executive Presidential system of governance in future and nominate President Sirisena, the very person who promised to abolish that very system during the last Presidential Election as its candidate at the next Presidential Election.



This is a clear indication that how simply, openly and arrogantly politicians tend to deceive people who had voted them to office.



The Presidents promise to scrap the system was not a secret. It was such an important pledge he had given to the country and so widely discussed during the 2015 January Presidential Election that one could describe that election as a referendum on the system.



The Government formed by President Sirisena from the inception was called Yahapalanaya (Good Governance) Government as he had given a series of promises towards democracy including the abolition of executive Presidency. The coalition of political parties that was formed on the eve of the 2015 August Parliamentary elections were also called the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG). The first Constitutional Amendment that was to be introduced by the Yahapalanaya Government in April 2015 was meant for the doing away with the Executive Presidency, but later the decision was changed just to trim some of the powers vested in the President, as the legal experts had advised to hold a referendum if the government wanted to totally scrap the system

One can even argue that Maithripala Sirisena was able to win the Presidential Election mainly due to his promise to abolish the Presidential rule as the highhanded administration by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been hated by many in the country then. However, after all these the party led by Maithripala Sirisena had now the audacity to tell the people that not only was he ready to breach his promise but also was going to contest the next Presidential Election.



In a way, if one takes into account only the last Presidential election ignoring the situations prior to that, he would not blame the SLFP for taking this decision to continue with the Executive Presidency, as the party was fighting not only for the original Executive Presidency at the last Presidential Election, but also striving to maintain that system strengthened further with the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.



However, the case with President Sirisena is different. Despite being the SLFP leader now, how can he agree to the partys decision to further maintain the system, after pledging the country otherwise?

SLFP Ministers in the UNP led Government such as Dayasiri Jayasekara Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa, Dilan Perera and S.B. Dissanayake argue that the President, though elected to the office as a candidate of another party, had to abide now by the party decision.



It seems to be a tricky situation for the President, if he in fact had not had prior knowledge about the decision. He has to abide by the party discipline on the one hand and by the mandate he had been given at the election on the other. However, he is maintaining a deafening silence on the matter.

Can the President go back on his words just because his party requests him to do so? Interestingly, at one point the party itself attempted to prevent him from coming to office. It is no secret that the President had gone into hiding on the Election Day, until the results were announced.



He had told many a times after the election that had he been defeated by the UPFA, the coalition led by the SLFP, he would have been six feet under the ground. On the other hand, having well known that the party leader had pledged the country to abolish the current system of governance, how could the SLFP decide to field him as its candidate at the next Presidential election, if it respected the peoples mandate?



If the President was not a party to this decision, one can even infer that there was a conspiracy to defeat him at the next election by making him tarnish his own image through this decision.

Almost all the SLFP members of Parliament were behind former President Mahinda Rajapaksa even during the Parliamentary Elections that were held seven months after the President Sirisenas election. President had to remove the two General Secretaries of the SLFP and the UPFA, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa and Susil Premajayantha who were currently holding Ministerial portfolios, on the eve of that election, as they were working against him.



The SLFP rank and file except for a small group that supported the President at the Presidential Election did not have any reason to shift allegiance from Mahinda to Maithri.



Besides, what is puzzling is the Presidents silence on the matter.



He is not a child to be hoodwinked. He showed his political acumen during the last general election, in spite of some of his speeches being censored by the Chairman of the Election Commission. Political parties in Sri Lanka usually do not take decisions against the wishes of their respective leaders.



Therefore another inference that can be made is that the President, after changing his stance on the executive Presidency is attempting to portray it as a decision by the party, and not initiated by him. As the Rajapaksas are attempting to recapture power mainly to defend themselves from the allegations of corruption and crimes, the President also might be planning to shield himself in the future as well with the executive powers he is currently wielding.



The two main political parties in the country cannot justify their change of mind in respect of the Executive Presidential system of governance as they have done so either way

several times.



The UNP which introduced the system to the country through the Second Republican Constitution in 1978, came forward to scrap it in 1994, when the then party leader Gamini Dissanayake pledged support to Prime Minister Chandrika Kumaratunga to do so. Then the party ridiculously staged a huge demonstration in 1997 demanding President Kumaratunga to keep her promise to rid the system while maintaining that it would not do so when it comes to power in future.



The UNP had changed their stance again in 2014 when they wanted a strong slogan to defeat President Rajapaksa.



The SLFP which opposed the current system of governance till 2010 shifted its stand when President Rajapaksa further strengthened it with the 18th Amendment to the Constitution in that year. Then the party went back to its original position under President Sirisena before it decided otherwise last week for the second time.



All in all, both main parties have hoodwinked the masses in this matter for nearly forty years.
While the top level Sri Lankan delegation is working out economic and foreign investment agreements with business tycoons at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, critics are pointing out various discrepancies in the processes.



Unfortunately this has been the pattern since independence in 1948. The major Opposition party has often opposed Government plans or policies apparently on the basis of party interest and not the common good or national interest. It has been a case of party or personal interest being put before that countrys interest and this has brought about catastrophic consequences including a 30-year-war and two youth insurrections.



Now, for the first time, the two major partiesthe United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) -are working together in a national Government, though there are differences of opinion and disputes. President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have repeatedly stressed that the national unity government would continue at least till 2020 and perhaps even beyond to bring about reconciliation, lasting peace and sustainable economic development, which will be eco-friendly and all-inclusive.



However, the Joint Opposition critics in recent weeks have been pointing out mainly about the General Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus concessions, which the European Union is expected to restore to Sri Lanka within the next two to four months. In practical terms this will mean that Sri Lanka could export some 7,200 value added items tax free, to the 28 countries in the EU.



The GSP Plus concessions given in 2005 following the tsunami catastrophe were withdrawn in 2010 during the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime on the basis that Sri Lank was not implementing and ratifying international treaties in relation to civil, human and political rights.



The EU on Wednesday issued a statement saying that implementation of 27 international conventions by the Sri Lankan Government was the only criteria for the European Commission to recommend restoring the GSP Plus tariff concession to Sri Lanka. The EU wishes to reiterate that the ratification and implementation of 27 international conventions signed by a successive Sri Lankan Governments, are the only criteria on which the Government of Sri Lankas application to re-join the GSP+ is assessed, the EU said. These conventions relate to international human rights, labour rights, environmental standards and good governance.



Benefitting from GSP Plus requires the Government to undertake to make further progress in implementing the conventions and to cooperate with the EU to monitor implementation and address shortcomings, The statement added. More generally, the EU supports the leadership shown by this Government in committing to address historic and long-standing problems that have caused conflict and negatively affected the lives and living standards of all Sri Lankans.



Last week President Sirisena publicly expressed deep concern that some Opposition groups were spreading rumours that the Government had promised to allow federalism in exchange for GSP Plus concessions.



Another rumour being circulated is that homosexuality or gay marriage is to be legalised. Government leaders have explained that what was proposed was only a decriminalization of people with different sexual orientations. But in view of protests even by some Ministers this provision also seems to have been shelved.



In 1978, then President J. R. Jayewardene proposed sweeping economic reforms, which could have put Sri Lanka on par with Singapore and other countries in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). But the war and the second youth insurrection prevented the implementation of these economic reforms. Now with the war over, we hope all parties and people will cooperate in the sustainable economic strategy, which if it works well, will provide hundreds of thousands of new and creative job opportunities while going a long way towards poverty alleviation.
Amid a splash of colours and quality aromas, Hendricks Tea, one of Sri Lankas leading brands that produces finest and freshest Ceylon Tea, launched its newest outlet in Kiribathgoda, in a bid to popularize itsfinest teas at reasonable prices. The new outlet in is located in Kandy Road, Kiribathgoda.

Hendricks Tea outletsoffer an eclectic collection of exceptional teas, and gives guests an opportunity to celebrate the individuality and taste of tea from Sri Lanka known for its excellence. The outlet also offers gift tea options, giving guests the choice of presenting a gift of tea in various combinations designed to offer an entire tea experience.

Established during the British Colonial era under Hendricks Mallikage, Hendricks Tea is renowned for its taste, excellence and integrity for more than seven decades. The brand itself stands for maintaining high standards in quality and freshness, while keeping on the basic principles of rigid hygiene regulations and guidelines accepted internationally. Together with the state-of-the-art technology, the brand holds a formidable basis for an excellent end product.

Our teas come from handpicked selection of tea estates in Sri Lanka, while packaging is done under the careful supervision of experienced tea professionals to ensure that you get the best quality Sri Lankan Tea, said Kasun Ranabahu, Director of Hendrick & Brothers (Pvt) Ltd. Succeeding his forefathers, Edward, the third generation veteran tea tasterhas accumulated47 years of invaluable experience and incredible reputation.

Our companys humble beginnings run to colonial era Colombo, as Hendricks Mallikage started the first retail store at Prince Street. Much to his untiring efforts, Hendrickss Tea became the highest share holder in the domestic tea market within 15 years of establishing the first retail store, surpassing Lipton and Brook Bond tea companies, which were considered as the tea giants during that era. Were positive that we can repeat those historic accomplishments in modern times. For us, each Hendricks Tea outlet is a dream we want to bring alive. The appreciation and positive feedback that we have received with the opening of the Hendricks Tea outlet in Kiribathgoda is encouraging and motivates us to go the extra mile in delighting our tea patrons while preserving the Hendrickss heritage, he added.
The high posts committee in Parliament has decided to examine the nomination of businessman A. S. P. Liyanage as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Qatar, the committee notified today.

The committee will also examine the nominations of Mahinda Madihehewa as the Chairman of Employee Trust Fund (ETF), Indrani Sugathadasa as the Chairperson of Insurance Board and the nomination of Y. L. S. Hameed as Chairman of Lanka Leyland.

Representations on the nominations will be entertained till February 1. (Yohan Perera)
The Inter Company Employees Union (ICEU) staged a protest march in Fort today, demanding the Central Bank (CB) to reveal the hidden truth about the Bond scam and ETF scandal.

Pix by Damith Wickramasinghe
Police fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse the protestors of the Inter University Students' Federation (IUSF) at Kollupitiya Junction a short while ago.

The students of the IUSF are protesting against the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM).
By Zahara Zuhair

Takima Tech, the Japanese innovation solar energy technology was officially launched in Sri Lanka recently, during which they also announced the opening of their showroom in Battaramulla next month.

Speaking at the launch, Speaker of the Parliament Karu Jayasuriya said, the government has decided to look at the highest level of moving in to solar energy, and this launch has been timely.

Sri Lanka is one of the countries in the world that has sunshine throughout the year, but unfortunately we havent made use of it, he said.

As the country will be facing possible power cuts and as the government has decided to no longer depend on fossil fuels, he said that if the country has moved in to solar power long time ago this problem would have not arisen.

Therefore Im happy to attend this event. The benefit will go to poor people as well,  he said.

Takima Tech Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd Director Niranga Hettiarchchi said that this launch happens at a time where the President has guided the Ministry of Power and Renewable energy to launch a community-based power generation project titled, Sooryabala Sangramaya in collaboration with Ceylon Electricity Board and other entities.

Takimo Tech (Pvt.) Ltd President Kotaki Masato said that with Japanese innovation, they will work on Sri Lankas environmental problems.

We have Japanese innovation. This is the objective of setting up Takima in Sri Lanka. We wish to introduce our solar power generation system to every market segment in Sri Lanka, he said.

Takima Tech Co. Ltd was founded in July 2008. It involves business activities such as renewable energies, real estate business, restaurant business, overseas business, web business etc.
S&T Interiors announced that it has successfully completed the turnkey interior project for the Movenpick Hotel, Colombo.

S&T Interiors is a subsidiary of S&T Interiors and Contracting, a global leading turnkey contracting company with operations in 10 countries across Europe, Middle East and Asia.

S&T has left an indelible mark of creating high-class interior finishes by blending international expertise with local craftsmanship. The scope of works included turnkey interior fit-outs for Movenpicks 218 guest rooms including the presidential suite and public areas comprising of three restaurants, seven lounges/ bars, roof top, gym & spa and

banquet areas.

Launch of the Movenpick Hotel is a historic moment in hospitality sector in the country as it is the first five star international brand to be built in the last 25 years in Sri Lanka. Movenpick Hotel is Softlogics first ever city hotel in Sri Lanka and S&T was exclusively awarded the interiors contract for the project. Movenpick Hotel is S&Ts debut project in Colombo.

K. S. Ravikumar, Executive Director  International Operations at S&T Interiors and Contracting, said, We are pleased to announce the successful completion of Sri Lankas international five star hotel Movenpick which heralds a new era for hospitality in the country. We are privileged to have been part of this project delivering it to world-class standards. This project is a vital addition to our

global portfolio.

This was a great collaborative effort by a truly international team and a fruitful partnership with the Hayleys Group. The project has set new benchmarks for interior finishes in the industry, said Ravikumar.

Johann Wijesinghe, Hayleys Group Management Committee/ Director, S&T Interiors said, We are proud to have partnered with S&T and successfully completed this project. S&T brings international capabilities to the interior fit-out industry in Sri Lanka that caters to high standards hotel developers seek while working with

international brands.
Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, Colombos Minister of Regional Development, said that the decision on offering the port to India will be taken soon.

Talks are at present going on between India and Sri Lanka and we hope to offer the Trincomalee port, which is one of the best deep sea ports in the world, to India, said Mr. Fonseka speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue. Trincomalee has been on the table for sometime as Sri Lanka wants to maintain a neutral stand and provide equal access to its ports to both China and India.

Sri Lankas experience with the Chinese, who carried out major infrastructural work at the Hambantota port in southern coast of the island nation, has put a heavy burden on the country, said Mr Fonseka.

Our experience [with the Chinese] on Hambantota has not been very beneficial as we are facing a heavy debt burden due to the work done in that port. The problems and corruption in the project prompted us to review our policy on infrastructural development. We have currently given the port to a private entity so that some of the more immediate issues are resolved. This arrangement will also address Indias security concerns, said Mr. Fonseka, indicating that Sri Lanka is willing to address Indias concerns on the visit of Chinese nuclear submarines to Sri Lanka.

The port of Hambantota was conceived as a major Sri Lanka-China project during the presidency of Mahinda Rajapakse, but the controversy around the debt burden has slowed down the project.

Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue, Mr. Fonseka, who led the Sri Lankan defence forces during the 2009 Eelam war against Tamil rebels, said that Colombo is aware of its responsibilities in the Indian Ocean region, and is committed to freedom of navigation.

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said that Sri Lanka will remain committed to the fight against terrorism and extremist violence in the region and beyond.

Recollecting the fight against the Tamil Tigers, he said that insurgency often receives extra-territorial support, and pointed at the support for the Tamil Tigers from India.

Some political parties and leaders from the southern part of India, extended support to the Tamil rebels at the time of the war due to narrow political interests, he said.
Sri Lanka has borrowed US $ 125 million from the World Bank (WB) to modernize its agriculture sector, as the country aims to make the sector more efficient and attractive as a modern business, more responsive to consumer demand and more environmentally sustainable and resilient to climate change.

Sri Lankas agricultural sector has evolved over the past years. A major milestone has been the achievement of rice self-sufficiency  a goal of successive agriculture strategies since independence. But the share of population employed in agriculture has remained around 30 percent over the past decade, even as the sectors share in national gross domestic product (GDP) has declined to 10 percent.

This persistent inequality makes it urgent to rethink the direction of agricultural development and explore new opportunities and strategies on how to sustainably increase rural incomes and promote a modern agriculture sector that meets the needs of the upper-middle-income country that Sri Lanka aspires to be.

World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough and Finance Ministry Secretary to Treasury R.H.S. Samarathunga signed the agreement for the project on behalf of the World Bank and Government of

Sri Lanka.

Pswarayi-Riddihough said, Sri Lankas history is deeply rooted in agriculture and its paddy cultivation tradition. The past practices can inform the future by preserving and building on the countrys farming traditions. There is now space to diversify and promote high-value, export-oriented food crops.

She added, This shift is crucial for income growth, poverty reduction, reducing inequality and better nutritional outcomes. The new approach corresponds directly with the World Bank Groups twin goals.

The project will support value chain development to promote commercial and export-oriented agriculture, with focus on higher value agriculture products, such as fruits and vegetables. It will also provide investments to improve productivity and diversify production patterns through modern agriculture technology demonstrations in key areas and supports new institutional arrangements through farmer organisations and farmer-agribusiness partnerships. Further, it will support agricultural policy development to help the government determine the sectors future direction.

This project aims to demonstrate new agricultural practices and institutional arrangements in the project areas, linking smallholder farmers into modern agriculture value chains and creating attractive jobs, including for women and young people, said World Bank Programme Leader Ulrich Schmitt.

Innovation and new technology will help improve not only the sectors economic efficiency but also enhance resilience to natural disasters and

climate change.

He underscored the significance of a supportive policy and regulatory environment to evidence-based decision-making that can drive the sector modernization process.

The project will be implemented through the Primary Industries and Agriculture Ministries and five participating provinces: Northern, Eastern, Central, North Central and Uva.

The beneficiaries include an estimated 30,000 smallholder farm households, who will benefit directly from a small matching grants programme and agriculture technology demonstrations.

Another 20,000 farm households will be supported through technical and business training and through professional farmer organisations that will help them become more effective and business-oriented enterprises.
Standard Chartereds Global Research Team has included Sri Lanka as part of its Global Research Briefing circuit, and will conduct a closed-door exclusive session entitled Welcome to the Jungle for the banks clients on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.

Standard Chartereds key economic researchers, Global Research Head Dave Murray, Chief Economist Asia David Mann, Head South Asia Economic Research Anubhuti Sahay, Economist South Asia Saurav Anand and Energy Analyst Priya Narain Balachandani, will present their views at the session.

Welcome to the Jungle will review the role of central banks in supporting growth, how the election of Donald Trump as the next US president will change the global environment and the major shifts to watch for in 2017.

Standard Chartered Sri Lanka Chief Executive Officer Jim McCabe said, We are delighted to share the views of Standard Chartereds Global Research Briefing with our clients once again. 2017 seems set to be an exciting year, with risks and possibilities lurking like the scene in a tropical jungle. We are happy to afford our clients a guide through the undergrowth, with an insightful and energetic discussion about the latest twists and turns impacting the global outlook.

Murray is responsible for leading Standard Chartereds Global Research team to provide insightful, relevant research analysis and views across the banks coverage footprint. Global Research is strongly positioned to inform, advise and partner with its clients across the macroeconomic, fixed income, currency and commodity disciplines.

The team reflects a strong on-the-ground profile, with analysts based in 14 locations around the world. Murray holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and is a CFA charterholder. He is also a member of the South Africa Institute of

Chartered Accountants.

Mann is based in Singapore and oversees macroeconomic views for North, Southeast and South Asia. He joined the bank in London in 2000 and was a founding member of the Standard Chartered FX Strategy team in 2002. In 2001 he was awarded the Rybczynski Young Economist Prize for work on the Malaysian ringgit Barometer. Mann appears regularly in the media. He holds a BSc in economics from the University of Warwick and an MSc in Finance from the University of London

(Birkbeck College).

Sahay has been providing macroeconomic research for the India economics team since joining the bank in 2007. She was ranked the best forecaster for India by Bloomberg in 2013 and the second-best forecaster in 2011. She was named the No. 1 Research Person in India by Asset Benchmark research in 2009. She holds a Masters in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics and has

cleared CFA Level II.

Anand is responsible for macroeconomic coverage of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as well as some aspects of India. He holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta and an engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He also holds FRM certification (GARP  USA) and has cleared CFA Level II.

Balachandani focuses on oil and products and has more than 15 years of technical and financial experience in the energy industry starting at Chevrons headquarters in California. Balachandani then worked in Singapore for Morgan Stanley covering Asia Pacific oil and gas equities, and at Merrill Lynch Commodities as a Fundamental Analyst. She monitors and evaluates supply and demand dynamics, sharing her insights on them and their impact on trading prices. Priya is a founding member of Singapores Financial Womens Association. She has graduate and post-graduate degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, US, studying chemistry, industrial management and organic

polymer chemistry.
A Swiss Pharmaceutical Company has expressed its interests in producing medicines in Sri Lanka and to make the products available in the country at an affordable price.

Sources close to the Prime Minister said the PM had a discussion with the Novartis Group Head of Global Public and Government Affairs Dr. Petra Laux in Davos yesterday.

Mr. Wickremesinghe had informed Dr. Laux that Sri Lanka is interested in producing simple kinds of pharmaceutical products in local standards and more complicated kinds of medicines to international standards. He had also informed her that government intends setting up a special zone for pharmaceutical industries.

The Prime Minister had directed the Minister of Development Policies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama to arrange a dialogue between the officials of Novartis Group and Minister of Health Dr. Rajitha Senaratne so that plans could be discussed more elaborately.

Dr. Laux had suggested that it would be appropriate to have a joint discussion with all the companies who are interested in investing on pharmaceutical industries.

Sri Lankan Permanent Representative in Geneva Rabinatha Aryasinha, Additional Secretary to Prime Minister Saman Attaudahetti also participated in the discussion.

Pic By Pradeep Pathirana
A group of protesting students of the Inter University Students Federation was dispersed by the Police using tear gas and water cannons. The students who protested against SAITM started their protest march from the Nelum Pokuna Junction and proceeded towards Kollupitiya where they were confronted by the police. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja
When a patient enters into one of our government hospitals their first question would be, will I get a bed? The demand for medical facilities is such that the term floor patients has become a common term, even outside the world of medical jargon. Where there is overcrowding, there are distressed patients. Therefore, patients who are in need of beds are greatly inconvenienced and stressed, further contributing to the worsening of their medical condition and mental state. It effects the dignity of the patient as well. Over-crowded wards have many consequences: patient safety, as falls from beds, mixing up of patients blood reports with other tests and loss of medical records. Overcrowding can also lead to anger and frustration among both patients and staff leading to aggressive behaviour and even physical confrontations. This also affects the efficient running of a ward, as doctors, nurses and other medical staff are over worked. They find it difficult to organize themselves to deliver care more efficiently. Many would consider that the lack of hospital beds would mean that the demand of beds does not correspond with the supply of hospital beds. Though this is true to some extent, the key reason for the lack of beds is because of the inefficient use of existing resources. There are other factors contributing to this predicament as well, such as the absence of referral systems in hospitals, unnecessary admissions, and lack of physical resources and in some cases preferential treatment.

The Daily mirror investigated on this matter further and detected the reasons and possible solutions to the issue of the lack of beds in state funded hospitals.



Efficient use of existing resources

Dr Amitha Fernando, spoke specifically in regards to the resource allocation of existing facilities in hospitals, The demand at a particular time is such that resources are overwhelmed, patients have to, in some instances, spend the night on benches, share beds or sleep on mats on the floor.

The question is whether there is real overcrowding, or whether hospitals are using their existing resources efficiently. For example if there are 1000 beds in the hospital, in most instances it is highly unlikely that all beds would be occupied at the same time. There are instances where some wards are busy while some wards are not, and at times these idle wards may be even closed because consultants work on a roster system. These closed wards have extra empty beds; however there is no one to allocate patients who are in dire need of beds, to those beds.



He added, It is sad to see that there is no access to available beds on the off days of doctors. We need to truly ask the question: who owns the beds in government hospitals? The public ? Or is it the temporary custodian of the ward? We need to change the mentality of consultants who are rather territorial in regards to their wards. They need to understand that the beds belong to the patients. They should help allocate government resources efficiently as they are accountable to the people. The consequence of this restriction to beds is: floor patients and sick children, and even adults in some circumstances, sharing beds.



He spoke on other problems that should be addressed in addition to efficient resource allocation, There are also other issues such as unnecessary admission of patients and where most patient by-pass their local village hospitals and admit themselves to the bigger central hospitals for minor ailments. Though these are reasons for lack of beds in hospitals, the key reason is the inefficient allocation of existing resources. Remedying the main problem, should be the primary focus of all hospitals.



Preferential treatment

GMOA (Government Medical Officers Association), Assistant Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge, spoke on how the difficulties in managing the units of the OPD (Out Patient Department - It is the section of the hospital where patients are provided medical consultations) and preferential treatment are contributing factors to the lack of beds in government hospitals. He said, The government sectors are always overcrowded with patients. The priorities for beds go for the critically ill patients. However, through various means of the media it can be observed that some patients would be put on top of the priority list, if they have the influence of a doctor. This should not be so, everybody must be treated equally. But for equal treatment facilities must be provided.



When we take the OPD unit for instance, the normal practice in other countries is that the doctor examines the patient for 5-10 minutes. However, in Sri Lanka though the salaries of doctors in the government sector are extremely subsidized, the doctor examines the patient for around 4 hours in the OPD. This requires a bed for the patient, and thus creates overcrowding. State doctors also see more than 100-150 patients daily. This is not practical. Since we do not have enough qualified doctors and we lack in facilities for the ever growing number of patients, the lack of beds in hospitals is an inevitable problem.



He said as a solution to this issue, There should be HR development in our country, to increase the number of doctors and nurses in hospitals, and the government should allocate enough funds for there to be facilities in hospitals.



However, the Media Spokesperson representing the GMOA Dr. Naveen De Zoysa has a different perspective on the preferential treatment in hospitals. He said, This does not happen, doctors already have so much on their plate. They have no time to make favourations towards patients. If a patient is critically ill a bed is provided immediately. There have never been cases of patients who are critically ill on the floor. We prioritize according to the illness.



Government Aid

Dr. Naveen, spoke on the governments perspective with regard to this predicament, We need to conduct a need assessment to actually see the shortage of beds, to the demand of patients. But what we need to truly focus on is not the supposed lack of beds in hospitals, but the quality of service that the doctors provide to the patients. The main stakeholder in this situation is the government; it is their duty to provide all facilities to cater to the need of the public. The GMOA was particularly against the budget proposals, because the budget for health services had been reduced in contrast to last year. Ravi Karunayake even stated that he wanted to introduce a health insurance scheme. This is a detriment to the public because the private sector will be getting involved in our fully free, state service of health. Other countries look at our state health service as a model for theirs. Instead of reducing the budget of the costs of the health sector, the government must prioritise on improving it. We need to look at the lack of beds issue as a whole. The government needs to allocate more money for this problem to be eradicated.



We asked if the GMOA, has made any claims to the government to increase the bed facility in hospitals, We do not only demand beds, we demand all facilities. We work very hard in doing so.



Unnecessary admissions

Dr. Bimsara Senanayake, Consultant Neurologist of the National Hospital, spoke on how the absence of a referral system leads to overcrowding in hospitals. A referral can be defined as a process where a health worker at one level of the health system, will refer the patient to a differently resourced facility, due to insufficient resources. But, we do not have a system where General Practitioners refer patients to government hospitals, by informing the hospital about the patient.



He said, In government hospitals the OPD in some instances admits patients who need not be admitted. These patients who are wrongly admitted have minor ailments and can be treated on an out-patient basis. Therefore, they will be unnecessarily occupying beds. There has to be a system where a patient should be evaluated in an emergency treatment unit (ETU). The ETU is also called the PCU (Preliminary Care Unit) in Sri Lankan hospitals. There is a PCU unit at the LRH (Lady Ridgeway hospital), where patients are triaged before being sent to the PCU or the OPD.



A consultant Paediatrician of the PCU of the LRH ( Dr. Kosala Karunaratne) elaborated on the functions of the PCU, and how it reduces unnecessary admission in hospitals. He said,  Before the patient enters into the PCU of the LRH they are triaged by nurses at the entrance of the hospital. Triaging is sorting out ill patients from relatively well patients. The Triage nurse will decide if the patient should either go to the PCU or the OPD. We want to go further and use a scoring system, where the nurses score the children based on their vital signs. This is basically a traffic light system, where the red and the yellow patients come to the PCU while the green patients go to the OPD. From the OPD the child would be able to go home after his consultation. If the patient is sent to the PCU he will be observed for a maximum of 4 hours, and thereafter it will be decided if the child has to be sent home or admitted. The triaging system facilitates in the efficiency of managing and directing the patients. Therefore, the system reduces overcrowding in hospitals. But we need to develop the triage system further, where we can use resources more efficiently and save time.



Dr. Bimsara further stated, The emergency treatment unit (ETU) and the OPD are two contrasting units. The OPD is where minor ailments are examined, for instance coughs and colds. The ETU is a treatment unit where the patient is examined before admission. The doctors who are at the ETU decide whether a patient should be admitted or not. For example, if a patient has acute asthma, the patient can be nebulized and maybe sent home. But, if a patient is critically ill he will be admitted. This is up to the discretion of the ETU. The problem is that though there are ETUs in most government hospitals, it is not well established. If there is better organization in the ETU, the congestion in hospitals would reduce.



He added, There are also actual infrastructure problems, where the number of beds is inadequate in some hospitals. But, simple changes that could take place, such as the proper assessment of patients at the OPD to ensure patients are properly screened before being admitted or discharged by a general practitioner, is a key solution in reducing this predicament. This is why we need a proper referral system to be established in Sri Lanka.



Bed manager in hospitals

Dr Amitha stated that establishing a bed manager in government hospitals would be one of the solutions for the inefficiency in resource allocation. The role of the bed manager is a model which is taken from UK NHS (National Health Service) hospitals where the role is taken on by an on-call nurse matron or nurse who will take the role of a bed manager.



According to the NHS, UK bed management involves constantly monitoring hospital admissions, discharges and patient movement within the hospital, so that accurate information is gathered to identify bed availability across all wards. The bed managers use this information to place patients in beds on the wards that are most appropriate to their needs.
Donald Trump who challenged the US establishment and the existing global trends recorded a surprise win at the Presidential election over incumbent Secretary of State Hillary Clinton seen as the favourite of the establishment and the international media. Trump campaigned on a populist, nationalist ticket and was even spurned by the hierarchy of the Republican Party. His victory came in the

wake of Brexit in UK and rising nationalism in Europe. Trump was strongly backed by personalities holding anti-globalist and anti-internationalist ideology including Steve Bannon designated to be President Trumps Chief strategist. Since being elected Trump has ruffled many feathers coming out strongly against the liberal international media, the CIA and NATO. As he takes oaths in office as the 45th President of the US on January 20; the Daily Mirror spoke to three Sri Lankan academics across the ideological divide on their views regarding the Trump phenomena and the future of international politics and organizations.

Professor of mathematics and strong nationalist Dr. Nalin de Silva speaks to Daily Mirror about internationalism failing in the world. He says in an interview that Donald Trump elected on a wave of American nationalism will have a tough time ahead. Dr. Nalin de Silva had written extensively in the social media on the recent development of the decline of internationalism and the rise of nationalism while predicting a victory for Trump at the US presidential election.Excerpts of the interview:



Q How do you look at the origin of the concept of internationalism?

It is a long story really. To begin with, there are no nations today other than the Sinhalese and Chinese in the world. The concept of nation is foreign to the west. All these started in the 15th century with the emergence of a new chintanaya (thinking). That displaced the former catholic chintanaya in southern Europe, basically in Italy. There were three points. One is that people who have been thinking collectively started thinking individually. Then, they went back to the Greeks. I say Catholic chintanaya is based on this threefold logic. The Greeks on the other hand had the twofold Aristotelian logic. Then, and also, they went back to the Jews who were abstract thinkers. It was an amalgamation of all these things. I called this new chintanaya Greek Judaic Christian (GJC) chintanaya. Then, we had Martin Luther who called for reformation. We had Galileo and Isaac Newton basically involved with creating new knowledge using abstract theories in the new GJC chinthanaya.

That is, instead of going by experience and confining to that knowledge as such, which we call prathyaksa, they created stories, usually called theories in order to explain experience. They were not empiricits in the strict sense but abstract story tellers. The ancients were in communication with gods. Even the Jews were talking with God. All these changed by people like Galileo. They had no communication with supernatural beings. Instead of that, they started building theories. That is in order to explain experience, they began to tell stories. These stories were called theories. We have heard the story about the apple falling. The first step is to generalize this experience by abstract induction and claim that all objects fall to the ground. There are some people who believe that some objects may not fall but fly away. If somebody looks at the New Scientist magazine of January 7, 2017 he will come across this article referring to objects that may fly away. Leave it alone; what newton did was the generalization of the experience of falling apples. All objects fall to the ground. He created (abducted) the story to explain it. This story was gravitation. What is important is that all these theories were coming from individuals. This is different to the collective thinking of Catholics and the older world. When you have individual thinking, it is a problem. They had to rationalize it, justify it. So, they have given various conditions. Science took the first step in generalizing this and creating knowledge for all. That is again generalization of their knowledge. It is their concept to generalize individual knowledge to the whole world. Science is supposed to be for all. Western science was supposed to be objective; explaining a so called reality that existed independent of the observer. When western doctors prescribe drugs, it is the same drug that is prescribed in London, New York, Colombo or anywhere. They have standards known as generalized standards. This created something above what is experienced. Finally, they called for international standards and objective knowledge, which were in fact western standards and western knowledge. This was what is today called internationalism; that everyone should abide by the so called international standards set by the West.



Q How did the concept of nation states develop?

On the other hand, the old Europe was effectively under the Pope. Now, Henry VIII broke away from this system and he created his own state. However, England is not a nation state. What was established by Henry VIII was a religious State. It was based on Anglican Christianity as we call now. He said he was the head of the Church. All they had were religious states. They had some feeling for the religion. They had religious consciousness. Of course, what is important here, unlike in the older world of European feudalism, states were demarcated. In the old world, boundaries of states changed, may be with the marriage of daughters with princes. With the advent of religious states, the boundaries were fixed. That is the main thing. These people did not have a consciousness as nations. It was only a legal concept. It is not a national consciousness.



Q How did internationalism grow?

Over the years, in the process, some international super structures grew, above these religious states, were created. Hitler is of Catholic chintanaya. Even Karl Marx was based on Catholic chintanaya. They wanted collective thinking. Marx had this internationalism also in a different sense. He believed that the so-called proletariat was not confined to one state. He talked about the world proletariat. But, the western internationalism or superstructure was growing. Hitler was a reaction against this internationalism. I am not saying Hitler was good. I am not admiring him. He was mainly against growing internationalism. He had his feelings against Jews who were abstract thinkers. Afterwards, internationalism grew further. There was no challenger. Hitler had been defeated. After the World War II, internationalism and the superstructure grew. It was fuelled by science or so called western knowledge. Gradually, we had this United Nations. It is an instrument of growing internationalism. We had various arms of the UN, the concept of human rights in the international superstructure.



Human Rights is a concept formulated by this superstructure. We noticed this concept called the right to protect. It was again a concept of the international superstructure. There were no rulers as such. The leaders of the countries such as the United States or Britain acted according to the superstructure. The superstructure was acting against the religious states. In this superstructure, you find multinational corporations. Why are they multinational? That is because they are not confined to so-called nation states with fixed territories.



The CIA is there in the superstructure. It is above the president of US. NATO, European union, MI 6,western knowledge including science, media, state department of US, all these are arms of the super structure.



This is my story. In fact, the international superstructure became too much for Americans and Europeans. So, they reacted against it. Brexit is one end result. They wanted to break away from European Union, an arm of internationalism.



QHow do you look at the concept of Sri Lankans in that context?

These people want to make us Sri Lankans. But, Sri Lankans is a stupid concept. It is only a legal concept. We do not feel like Sri Lankans. It is something imposed on us by law. Similarly, in England or France, nationalities were imposed. England conquered Scotland, Wales, Ireland and they built this empire. The so called Britain or the United Kingdom is really a legal state. How do you call people of the United Kingdom? Are they United Kindomists?



In the United States, they do not call themselves United Statists. They call themselves Americans, though America is a continent. In a sense Benedict Anderson was correct when he referred to nations as imagined communities. Of course, Anderson had not researched into the Sinhala and Chinese nations.



Q How do you analyze the factors that propelled Trumps victory?

Americans wanted to break away from internationalism or so-called globalization. The concept of global village was formed by the intellectuals in the superstructure. Some may cite various other factors such as economic reasons, immigrants issue and all. They wanted to break away from internationalist superstructures. Trump was identified with this. Trump does not believe in this Aristotelian logic. Why do people think that Trump is contradictory? He is not confined to this two valued logic. That is why. If you think in that two valued framework, you will find contradictions in Trump. Trump does not think in that framework. All these pundits see things inside the box because they are confined to Aristotelian logic. People who think really outside the box come out of the two valued logic. Trump thinks outside the box.



If you go through his campaign, you will find it. The media in America, during the campaign, really were against trump. They manipulated all these. They thought Hilary Clinton would win. Only one or two people predicted that Trump would win. I was in the US until about September. I experienced this. I believed that he would win. Trump is advocating nationalism breaking away from the international superstructure that dictates to the whole world under the concept of globalization.

qEven before trumps victory, you believed that nationalism would gain upper hand. What prompted you to believe in that?



The reason is that the international superstructure cannot continue. It has to collapse. People are not going to listen to these bodies- multinational corporations, the priests of western science etc. They want independence. Everybody wants it. England wanted it. So, it broke away from the EU. This is the real national struggle. Only now, nations are beginning to form in the west. We began to build our nation during the time of king Pandukabhaya. In the western world, it is only beginning to form. They want to break away from the superstructure. My idea was that someday this would collapse. We are experiencing it now, even before the time I anticipated. I am glad. One day, somebody had to come out.



During this campaign, Trump criticized the media and multinational corporations. He was sympathetic to Russia. I saw Trump stating that the NATO was a useless organization. He has criticized science also.



What will happen is that Trump will continue along these lines in his own way. Of course, there will be problems because he will have to work against the CIA and the State Department. He will come into conflict with them. They are strong bodies. He will break away from Western Europe. He will be friendlier with Russia. Of course, he may not have a liking for China. China is controlling the money market. China is now having more money than anybody else. Their money is invested in the United States. That is against the independence of US. There are Chinese who bought real estate paying ready cash. I do not think Trump will be happy with the Chinese controlling the US money market. Also, he does not like Muslims and Mexicans migrating to the US in large numbers. He wants his independence. So are the common people of US as against the so called liberals and enlightened democrats.



Q What could be the attitude of the US administration towards Sri Lanka being under him?

No Sri Lankan had met him. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is an instrument of that international superstructure. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa would have spoken to Trump had he been in power. The Prime Minister is against Trump. He will not accept it. President Maithripala Sirisena does not know what is happening. After reading this article, he will probably find something. Not that he is very innocent either. He knows what he is doing for his survival first. The joint opposition should talk to Trump. What they should tell him is not to interfere with our activities here, rather not to meddle with Sri Lankan politics. Lets solve our problems without the State Department imposing conditions! That is enough. I am sure Trump will honour it as a man who wants independence for his country. The other thing is that our foreign office is very ignorant. They all have been trained by the British. They all think in that box believing in internationalism, obeying international Charters. They do not realize that these so called international Charters are governing us. They should have worked against this. Our universities and research organizations, I know from my experience, are trained to think according to western knowledge. It is nothing but the knowledge of the international superstructure. They call it being objective. That is just a word created by the superstructure to deceive us. I do not expect anything from the foreign office here. I think it is up to Mahinda Rajapaksa. He has no office. He is just an MP at present. Trump may listen to R. Sampanthan because he is the leader of the Opposition. The whole world, with their protocols, is now beginning to collapse. Let Mahinda speak to trump! To begin with trump will listen to him as a former president of the country.



Q You have a different perspective on western concepts such as democracy, human rights etc. how do you look at them?

All these concepts are nothing but concepts of hegemony of international superstructure. What are human rights? What is R2P? Now, they talk of human rights in Sri Lanka. What are the human rights practised in England? Can anybody speak against the system in an effective way? Human Rights are really used by the international superstructure to punish people or governments going against the superstructure.

Historical phase of globalisation coming to an end -

Prof. Jayadeva Uyangoda

Former Professor of Political Science at the University of Colombo Jayadewa Uyangoda, in an interview with Daily Mirror, says the international impact of Donald Trump becoming the President of the USA would depend on the strength of the US political institutions. He shared the following:



Q How do you look at the growth of nationalism over internationalism in the context of the United States of America having Donald Trump as the President?

It is a reaction to two developments: the spread of Islamic terrorist militancy targeting the USA and the Western States, and the negative consequences of globalization and free-market reforms, being felt in advanced capitalist countries. This also shows a dual crisis in the West, in advanced capitalist countries and liberal democracies. Both need to be reformed. The historical phase of globalization seems to have come to an end by causing a major social and political crisis in the Western Capitalist States. Of course, Western democracies have been illiberal democracies for quite some time. Donald Trump is only making it explicit.



Q What form of impact would it have on Sri Lanka?

Its impact on Sri Lanka would not be very significant, although some people are daydreaming that now there are new chances here for Right-wing populist nationalism to come to power.



Q With the US having a President with a nationalist bent, what would be the future of Western dominance over the world bodies, such as the UN and the UNHRC be?

It will depend on how the US domestic political institutions can succeed or fail in taming Donald Trump as President. One thing we should not underestimate is that the US has strong democratic political and social institutions that can deviate anybody for good or bad. President Obamas own failures are largely due to the strength of the inherent conservatism of the American political institutions. It would be interesting to watch how they will, or will not, act as checks and balances on President Trump and his somewhat anarchist and wayward and dont care style which has so far, quite surprisingly, produced rich dividends for him.



Q How do you analyse the concept of nationalism and its relevance in the local context?

Nationalism has both regressive and progressive forms and potentials. Even in Sri Lanka, there is no one, single nationalism as such. We have all strands of nationalism, -- extremist, moderate, reactionary, progressive, nationalist, ethno-nationalist and so on. Only a nationalism that is democratic, moderate, and can accommodate pluralism and multiculturalism can serve the larger interests of Sri Lanka and its future.



Q What kind of an approach would the US adopt, in your view towards SL in the UNHRC in future?

It is not clear as yet. I dont see any major shift in the US policy towards SL. In any case, there has been a Democratic-Republican bipartisan consensus on the policy towards SL for many years. President Trump is unlikely to change that.



Q What are your views on the applicability of Western democratic principles and the concept of human rights in SLs context?

Human rights are not necessarily Western. Rather, they are very much a part of our own civilizational traditions and legacy. They are also universal in spirit, value and applicability. Those who violate human rights for narrow and opportunistic ends see them as of Western origin. Our problem is that we have allowed the West to claim monopoly to the ownership of human rights by defending regimes that have been blatantly violating human rights of our own citizens with impunity.

Dr. Mahim Mendis, a Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences at the Open University of Sri Lanka, says it is still doubtful to what extent the United States, under its presidency of Donald Trump, will play its global role for democratic values and freedom. He says that the US played a positive role in the past regarding Sri Lankas issue. Following are excerpts of the interview:



Q: In the context of US President elect Donald Trump taking oaths, how do you analyse the concept of nationalism superseding internationalism?

In the context of the international community, the American leadership has taken a stand which is a little extraordinary and quite different from the stand they have taken over the years propagating ideas that make America more vocal about international affairs, even in geographical territories that may not have direct impact on America. Americans have taken a more globalized view, more international perspectives. Previously they took more global perspectives especially in the context of their greater interest in safeguarding democracy and democratic freedom around the world. So, now, America becomes unique in the context of international theatre because of its commitment to certain core values of democracy, transparency and good governance, issues of that nature, and representative political regimes. It is in this context that the Americans have intervened positively, what we may say negatively, in the affairs of other countries. For instance, in the context of Sri Lanka, American intervention in human rights theatre was an indication that Americans meant what they were talking about theoretically. American influence on Sri Lankan decision making, I personally feel, was an influence that created sober imagination in politics of Sri Lanka irrespective of the government in power. The previous intervention was, in my opinion, positive. Now, to what extent that role would be played in the context of a more insular idea of American nationalism is left to be seen.



Q: In the context of US having a new leadership, how would it impact the future role of the UN and its affiliated bodies in the future?

In the context of the UN, the lobby which is perceived broadly as a western lobby or an American lobby, in real terms, is a lobby that seeks greater freedom and accountability within and outside. That lobby for accountability, was a decisive voice for democratic freedom and core democratic values in governance. Whether that voice is going to be heard in the UN or whether America withdraws its traditional role in seeking a more democratic international order is doubtful. That role had not been played significantly by other countries. American or the European Union voice came to be firmly supported by the emerging powers, lets say India, vis-a-vis Sri Lankan issue. For instance, if Americans supported power sharing in Sri Lanka, regional autonomy, decentralization, a form of Federal government in Sri Lanka that was the same voice that went against the populist interest of those in power. That voice for power sharing and regional autonomy, decentralization and good governance came to be supported by the Indian leadership irrespective of the party in power. India and Japan, for instance, supported that voice because it was a reasonable voice for power sharing among the communities in this country. Now, hereafter, whether that voice is going to be heard in the formidable way it was heard before in the UN is doubtful. Not many countries in the world decisively state what they believe in the context of other countries.



Q: How should Sri Lanka engage the US leadership?

You see it is very unfortunate that the position of President Maithripala Sirisena, in the aftermath of Trumps victory, happened to be based on a perception that now America, because of Trumps insular political rhetoric , would opt for Americas less intervention, less interference. In President Sirisenas view, it will keep America away from pressing for international intervention, and the charges in the UNHRC will be leniently looked at by the Trump administration. That position is not an enlightened position for a Sri Lankan President to take because what the Americans or European Union and other same nations including India and Japan argued for was a solution based on equality, and equitable sharing of power in Sri Lanka. The new constitution should be reflective of it. Trumps insular position of making America great will take the American hook away from Sri Lanka.

That is a very reactionary position for the Sri Lankan leadership to take. Sri Lanka should be looking after the interests of the minority communities, not only the Tamils and Muslims but also the indigenous people of this country. Sri Lanka should be for instance a secular state. The Constitution should not have any fundamentalist flavour by conferring higher status for one religion over the others , or for that matter, the LGBT rights connected, I believe, to EU conditions for granting GSP plus. All those rights are to be protected by Sri Lanka as it should appear as a reasonable nation, not because America or European Union wants it. Sri Lanka should know how to look after the interests of minorities and different religious groups, interests of indigenous people, LGBT etc.

Unfortunately, the Sri Lankan political leadership believes all these things need to be done in Sri Lanka because the previous Obama administration was putting pressure on Sri Lanka.



Q: How do you see this concept of nationalism emerging in the world order?

We earnestly hope that the American rhetoric of making America great and looking at the status and the image is based on totally different values - liberal, democratic, cultural values. That restoration is a project to be based on core values of the founding fathers of the United States. Obviously, Trump is not going to deviate from it in restoring American nationalism. That is clear. American people will not tolerate a new political order which is not going to be based on equality and peaceful co-existence. Americans looks after its own American nationalism project. But, it has to be understood by countries like Sri Lanka differently. We are not in any way built on those values cherished by American people. We are a country that does not believe in equality. We are a country that does not believe in equity. We have no respect for equality of people. We believe in subordinate status for people constituting the Sri Lankan nation.
Tensions between the U.S. and China are unlikely to escalate into a global trade war, even as geopolitical friction intensifies across Asia, Sri Lankas prime minister said.

Ranil Wickremesinghe said President-elect Donald Trumps election pledge to bring back jobs and revive U.S. manufacturing has more to do with Mexico than with China.

"I cant see a major trade war," Wickremesinghe said in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "Modern China is partly a creation of the U.S. And these are interdependent economies. So what do you do?"

"He may impose some restrictions, maybe nominally, but the Chinese have also said they will not allow any unilateral action by USA," he added. "There may be discussions on how the deficit can be narrowed to the U.S. advantage. This may be the initial negotiating position. But I cant see how they can go beyond it."

Wickremesinghe said the continued expansion of the Asias middle class presents a huge opportunity for global investors. Chinese investments will help Sri Lankas $82 billion economy expand at the fastest pace since 2012, the central bank said recently.

At the same time, Wickremesinghe said, China, India and Japan are trying to maintain their own spheres of influence in the region.

"There will be some friction as they try to assert themselves, each one having their own area of influence. This will be more acute in the case of China and Japan, who are next to each other," Wickremesinghe said.

There is also tension between China and India, he said, but this is unlikely to lead to conflict because India is focused on domestic economic reforms.

"India is also trying to identify a role for itself in the region, they dont want to be challenged by others," Wickremesinghe said. "We expect this to go on for some time, but it is not going to break out into a war."

Wickremesinghe said his country was busy trying to expand and deepen an existing trade agreement with India, Sri Lankas largest trading partner, to include various services. He said he has told China that Sri Lanka values its relationship with India.

Referring to Indonesias anger over a bearish call on Indonesian equities from JPMorgan Chase & Co., Wickremesinghe said large Asian economies such as China, India and Indonesia were now using their new economic clout to push back against western banks.

Indonesias government had said it terminated all business relationships with the bank after the release of a November research report that Jakarta labeled not "accurate or credible." JPMorgan reversed its call in a January report.

"Its a decision of the Asian countries, just using their new clout because they feel that a lot of this is being owned out there in the west, and it can be unfair to them," he said. "Youre going to see it more." Wickremesinghe noted smaller countries like Sri Lanka would not take such action.

Sri Lanka is also on track to sell a $1.1 billion stake in a major port to China despite protests opposing the project. Wickremesinghe said details of the Hambantota port project will be presented to parliament in February -- it is then the total amount of land for the ports surrounding economic and industrial zone would be finalized.

"That should come through. I cant see any major impediments," he said.

There have been protests against the deal in recent months, as local villagers and Buddhist monks clash with government supporters over the port and a surrounding economic zone.

Wickremesinghe downplayed geopolitical concerns about Chinas investment in physical port infrastructure in Indias backyard, noting that Sri Lankas defense ministry and navy have responsibility for protecting the site.

"As far as security aspects are concerned, that is ours," he said. "Its open for anyone to come and invest commercially."
Much later, historians in the 22nd century would call it a "close shave" for Indian democracy and a "hair-razing" experience for millions of citizens. And yet, when it was happening in real time, everyone was simply lost for words.

The year was 2018 and in an emotional address on primetime TV, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had exhorted his countrymen to part with all their hair to "Save the Nation". There was simply no precedent, in all of world history, for such a "barberous" policy.

Cultivation or possession of black hair by Indian citizens had been made a criminal offence, punishable by up to seven years in prison. Everyone would have to deposit their dark locks at specially designated centres that would be open 10 am to 5pm on all days (except Tuesdays and national holidays).

The Hair Bank of India (HBI), set up to regulate all the hair circulating in the country, explained that only black hair from citizens above the age of 16 years would be confiscated by the state. All others could chill and let their hair down. The HBI would not disclose, however, how much hair was already in their possession when the policy was declared, citing a possible "threat to their lives".

The new rules were in fact announced on November 8, 2018, exactly two years after Modis demonetisation decree, which had thrown millions out of jobs. There was already much misery in the nation, when Modi took to the airwaves.

'We need every patriotic Indian to sacrifice their black hair.'

Mitron! Brothers and Sisters! We need every patriotic Indian to sacrifice their black hair to strike terrorism at its very roots, he said, not bothering to explain the connection between the first and second part of the sentence. Later, one of his ministers explained that the two were linked since "surgical" skills were required to accomplish both tasks.

The constant use of theatre had become a trademark Narendra Modi strategy the Indian public had gotten used to. The method, dubbed "Modis Operandi", was already being taught in top business schools around the country and in Harvard Business School.

Modi bhakts believed that this contribution alone entitled their leader to a Nobel Prize  in any field  economics, medicine, physics, peace, whatever, so long as it was a real Nobel Prize (like the one given to Barrack).

Further, according to them, Modi was the greatest thinker India had ever produced since Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU). This man DDU, who Modi considered his political mentor, was famous for earth-shattering wisdom such as, Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what your country can do to other countries! or Give me your blood, sweat and tears and I will give you free counselling on character building."

It was not long before the HBI started issuing a series of amendments to the original order. One clarification said that union cabinet ministers, holy men, RSS members above the rank of shakha pramukhs, and movie stars were exempted from provisions of the new policy. Subsequently, the agency excluded petrol pump owners, Marathi theatre personalities, and the children/relatives of Bal Thackeray the last being justified by the claim that taking the "Bal" out of a Thackeray could result in sudden death.

Being very obedient citizens, thousands of Indians stood for long hours in the sun, waiting in queues to have their hair taken away  only to be disappointed when saloons turned them away. The government, it turned out, had failed to ensure adequate supply of blades and sharp knives (these had already been allocated for use in the state assembly elections by the ruling party).

They were nevertheless very happy standing in queues, simply because  like with the Indian caste system  no matter how far behind you were, there always was some bloke who arrived a little later than you did. And after all, as DDU once said, Happiness lies in measuring the misery of thy neighbour. "Many Indians, however, did muster enough courage to say on television that the policy was "good for the country" but "poorly implemented". What they said privately, of course, cannot be printed or circulated on social media, as that may lead to charges of sedition and make this article unfit for children to read.

Interestingly, some Indians even argued strongly in favour of the governments move, claiming that Modi was cleverly diverting attention from real issues such as poverty, joblessness and ecological disaster. Acknowledging these, they said, might "alert the enemy" to the nations vulnerabilities. This was, in other words, a major psyops programme meant to make foes scratch their heads while Indians patted their own bald ones.

The suave and smooth-talking Indian finance minister said that Indians, minus the burden of hair, would now be much more relaxed and lighter. This could enable India to move faster and get ahead of the rest of the world. As everything in the universe was circular, by going very far ahead, he claimed, the country would actually return to its "Golden Hindu Past".

Not surprisingly, there were also "anti-national" sections of the population, who tried to subvert the new laws noble objectives by any means. The Indian spirit of "jugaad" which basically means paying scant respect to both the Indian Penal Code and the laws of nature  was on full display.Many converted their black hair into white easily, using a variety of creams and lotions sold by a yoga guru, who advised the public to stand on their heads to avoid detection by the police in case his products did not work.

Cultivation or possession of black hair by Indian citizens made a criminal offence.

Meanwhile, as people started asking whether "shaving the nation" was really the same as "saving the nation", several conspiracy theories emerged. One was that a bunch of scientists, at a secret lab in the United States, had found a way of converting human hair into an extremely sought-after mineral used in the electronics and mobile phone industries. The Indian governments move, it was believed, was to sell all the hair they could lay their scissors on, to global buyers, to pay off Indias foreign debts.

Yes, Indian citizens will be physically deficit because of our policy, but this will surely help reduce the countrys fiscal deficit, said a portly, balding ruling party spokesman with big eyes, on a TV talk show.Government propaganda painted the vision of a future India where energy would be abundant, thanks to solar rays reflected from a billion plus shining Indian heads. "Give me hair and I will take you there!" was the new Modi mantra, promoted everywhere by state agencies.

The hyper-patriotic media ran silly stories about how India would now definitely become the worlds biggest superpower, since Indians had more facial and body hair than the Chinese, who, despite their larger population, had less to harvest. It was somewhere in the middle of these completely nonsensical happenings that the big story broke: a small Gujarati newspaper had finally cracked the truth behind the regimes "war on black hair".

According to the Surat-based newspaper, the entire policy of confiscating the nations treasure of black hair was born out of linguistic confusion over the term "cashless".

Apparently, given the number of Gujaratis in top government positions, at some point, they had started referring to it as "kesh-less". For long, it was a little joke circulating within the top echelons of power.

Later, when the "cashless economy" idea proved an obvious failure, top bureaucrats convinced Mr Modi to quietly shift the goalpost and call for a "kesh-less economy" instead. The focus of attack would not be black "cash" but black "kesh", which was the only thing of any value left with most Indians. The final push came when the idea was backed by a little-known, conservative think tank, which claimed that Brahmins like Chanakya in ancient India had achieved wisdom and power by shearing hair, while ordinary mortals wasted time decorating their mane.

Modi liked the concept for purely political reasons. Since his rivals were much younger than him, the move would keep them busy guarding their black wealth, while he romped home to victory in the next general elections.

The Gujarati billionaire, who had pushed the idea of demonetisation back in 2016 to boost his digital money business, was not amused though. He apparently told Modi, Oh tari! Mein cashless kidhutu, keshlessnai... babuchak (What the hell! I said cashles, not kesh-less, you idiot)!

Modis response, according to very lowly placed sources, went something like this: Listen, what the public really wants in this country is a "Mukeshless Economy" and I am desperately trying to keep them distracted with various strategies. You are the idiot and an ungrateful one too.
Andrey Stadnik might have been the silver medalist in 66kg mens freestyle wrestling competition at the Beijing Olympics, but hes no match, and we mean it, no match at all for the saffron-langot and the rash of Patanjali brand beard that are Baba Ramdevs USPs. Naturally, whats Ukraine compared to modernised Ancient India that Ramdev has brought to life by the power of yoga-infused wrestling?

As the pretty pale-skinned pawn of a bickersome Ukrainian tribe watched in awe the divine acrobat Swami Baba Sri Sri Si Baba Swami Baba Ramdev standing on his head and tilting the axis of the known universe, he couldnt have anticipated what would come next.

Or, could he, given that new theories of conscious and mind-mapping (ALL, EVERYTHING borrowed from the Vedic Age gurus who knew everything that needs to be known about the world and all the parallel universes that might have existed ever) say that youre more aware of the incoming defeat than you are of the possibilities of victory?

Yoga guru and god-in-the-shape-of-a-bearded-man displayed, with humility and zero arrogance, his wrestling skills as he went head-to-head with the half-a-conqueror of Beijing, in that clash to remember. How the hairless wonder from Ukraine missed growing a beard himself, for the fear of being mistaken for an ISIS combatant on a secret mission to, err, terror-ise India.

So, as the hirsute human Brahmos missile thats Ramdev romped and bumped Stadnik around from a safe distance of roughly one foot (the defence shield of the beard is a sphere with radius of one foot, but the magnetic field extends beyond this solar system), the Ukrainian witnessed the power of the tickle. He realised that laughter isnt the best medicine; its the best poison to completely disarm the opponent who will be immediately overcome with a fear of getting a lice infestation.

It goes without saying that Andrey Stadnik will be going home a much satisfied man with a killer idea to promote yogic wrestling in Ukraine.

And then those words came out. Those words of shame, of admitting utter and absolute defeat, by an unbelievable score of 12-naught! Stop, your beard is tickling me.

Thus revenge was extracted. The point of making it a friendly fight in a promotional bout of the 2017 Pro Wrestling League was actually to save Stadnik, who felled our beloved Sushil Kumar in 2008, from the utter ignominy that awaits him in the dangerous quarters of Patanjali-inspired Indian capital.

Just like Dr Manmohan Singh saved the current RBI governmor Urjit Patel at that other friendly match called Parliamentary Panel questioning session on demonetisation, Ramdev saved Stadnik by the power of his yoga.

The Ukrainians studies in the ways of the body had been so far ingloriously incomplete minus the beauties and psycho-physical empowerments that lie in the secret chamber that hordes Patanjalis ayurvedic recipes to greatness. Baba showed him the way, ushered wrestling nirvana in as the untamed Ukrainian behaved like a perfectly obedient Jallikattu bull, a celebrated partner in the great sport of life.

Just like Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev of the Osho fame pointed out that in order to preserve the virile breeds of indigenous Indian bulls you need to drag them by the horn and fire them up, Ramdev demonstrated that selflessness of practicing yoga makes one so exalted that the shirshasana (standing on the head) and all the assorted asanas become yogic portals to train the worthy opponent into becoming even worthier.
Hinduism is probably the only open source religion in the world and it has been steadily evolving. In many ways, it no longer resembles what it was thousands of years ago. From animal sacrifice, it switched to vegetarianism in the BC era. It did away with Sati more recently and officially abolished untouchability in 1947.

Such reform continues to this present day even for little things. More and more people are adopting natural colours on Holi. Diwali enthusiasts have boycotted industries that employ child-labour to make crackers.

When plaster of Paris idol immersion became a problem during various festivals, special eco-friendly ones were made with natural colours that would dissolve in water. In fact, someone even came out with a Ganesh idol with a platform of seed and soil that could be converted to a plant after immersion at home!

It is in the backdrop of this rich tradition in Hinduism that the outright ban on Jallikattu by the Supreme Court comes across as a really harsh decision for the people of Tamil Nadu.

But, first of all, what is Jallikattu?

It is a mass event especially celebrated during Pongal where participants try to catch hold of a bulls hump in an effort to ride it or even bring it to a complete halt. Some form of Jallikattu has been around for more than 2,000 years.

Backers of Jallikattu claim that the animals are worshipped by the people and the bulls are essential for the breeding process in Tamil Nadu. Moreover, the event is carried out under controlled supervision. However, of late, there have been more and more controversies around it.

PETA India and the Federation of India Animal Protection Agencies have led a successful campaign against it. For animal activists, it is a simple case of cruelty against bulls, which has to be done away with.

This even as a reform of Jallikattu has already begun. The contests have been reduced to five months a year and it was decreed that all participating bulls had to be specifically registered with the Animal Welfare Board of India. Moreover, a representative of the same board would supervise all events.

Veterinary doctors also have to be present to tend to the bulls in case they get injured and organisers have to deposit Rs 2 lakh to take care of any untoward incident. Testing of bulls, double barricading for safety, video-recording the event for later review etc. were all introduced.

But there is also a political angle to it. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is a US-based group and some people are wondering why a foreign NGO is interfering in Indian culture. In 2008, PETA chief Ingrid Newkirk was arrested for blindfolding a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, her form of protest against Jallikattu.

Moreover, it was the UPAs Jairam Ramesh environment ministry that issued a notification in 2011 that brought Jallikattu under the ambit of the Act that the SC ultimately used to ban it. Such moves dont alleviate the anti-Hindu tag that the Congress party is getting. This observation was made by former Union minister AK Anthony after the 2014 poll debacle.

Others have pointed out that even perceived harmless events like horse-riding and religious events like Bakrid could come under cruelty to animals.

Whatever the case, for many Jallikattu enthusiasts, the ban is just another case of judicial overreach and the SC seems to be totally aloof from ground realities across India, especially something as far away as south India.

Backers of Jallikattu claim the animals are worshipped by the people and the bulls are essential for the breeding process in Tamil Nadu. (Photo: India Today)

Even when the SC set the height of dahi handis in Mumbai, a lot of people wondered why the highest court in the land was getting bogged down by such things when there were many other pressing issues.

It was but natural that the people of Tamil Nadu would not take it lying down. Thats exactly what happened as protesters have been camping at Marina Beach by thousands this month.

It has led to protests across the state and this doesnt look like an issue which will go away any time soon. It is probably the first big test for new chief minister O Panneerselvam.

Articles written against Jallikattu allege that protesters beat the bulls, goad them with sticks and even poke their eyes. All that should be investigated and done away with. That would form part of the continuous reform process for Jallikattu.

The Tamil Nadu government had brought out the Regulation of Jallikattu Act in 2009. If need be, we could have another such Act in 2017 to iron out whatever deficiencies remained in the previous one.

While there are things like Sati and untouchability that had to be done away with outright, bans are counter-productive to Hinduisms myriad traditions and festivals.

Reform, dont ban!

This motto has served Hinduism well for thousands of years and the Supreme Court cant do away with that with one ruling. Next time one hopes that the apex court of the land gives the government a chance to reform before it gives a harsh ruling of banning something.
A broad sweep of the history of Pak-Afghan relations since 1947 reveals that at its core, Pakistans policy is dictated by its insecurity vis-a-vis the Durand Line. Right from 1947, Pakistan was faced with a western border that was disputed by its neighbour just as, in its perceptions, India in the east too was seeking to undo Partition.

Afghanistan was the only country that opposed Pakistans membership to the United Nations on September 30, 1947 on the grounds that treaties with Britain lapsed when a new state, Pakistan, was created. As such, for Afghanistan, the Durand Line that demarcated the border between Afghanistan and British India after the Second Afghan War ceased to exist.

In any case, the Afghans considered the 1878 Treaty of Gandamak and the Durand Agreement of 1893 as unjust agreements imposed on them by Britain, which they were forced to accept after a military defeat. Every Afghan government has hoped to re-annex the territories east of the border, extending up to the River Indus.

For its part, Pakistan treats the Durand Line as a settled fact, especially after King Amanullah Khan confirmed it in 1919 following his defeat by the British. However, Pakistan has always been insecure about the lack of its acceptance by Afghanistan.The insecurity is real given the common Pakhtun population straddling both sides of the Durand Line and about 2025 per cent of Pakistans territory being vulnerable to any Afghan revanchist designs.

Pakistans policies towards Afghanistan are, therefore, geared to get an Afghan government accept the sanctity of the Durand Line as the international border so that no ambiguity is left as far as its western borders are concerned.

Pakistani border guard stands alert as an excavator digs a trench along Pak-Afghanistan border. (AP/File photo)

According to the former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan Mullah Abdul Salam Zaif, Pakistan tried three times to formalise the border during the Taliban rule in Afghanistan but it repeatedly received a negative response. The first time was when Mullah Abdul Raziq was appointed as the interior minister; the second time during thevisit of Pakistans interior minister Moinuddin Haider to Kabul and Kandahar; and the third time during the presidency of General Pervez Musharaf.

The policy of securing the border has two objectives. One, a strong government in Afghanistan would be dangerous as it could try and recover Pakhtun territories lost to the Sikhs and inherited by Pakistan via the British. Therefore, Pakistans policy had to ensure a weak government in Kabul that was dependent on Pakistan. This would be the best guarantee against any revanchist posture.

The second objective is based on Pakistans perception about India. Pakistan views its relations with Afghanistan not merely in a bilateral context but in a South Asian context too, coupled with the perceived relationship that the US has with India and Pakistan.

A nightmare scenario for Pakistan would be for India to encourage the revanchist claims of a strong and friendly (towards India) Afghanistan. This Indo-Afghan alliance would catch Pakistanin a vice-like grip with a hostile India on the east and a hostile Afghanistan on the west.

For this reason, Pakistan has determined that India must not be allowed any space in Afghanistan. Only a proxy government in Kabul, or a weak and dependent Afghan government that toes Pakistans line can ensure this.

Pakistans deep involvement in Afghanistan has intermittently given it a seat on the high table for a while, and as a front-line state brought it financial assistance. Has it brought it more security? In reality, the blowback from Afghanistan has had major adverse consequences for Pakistan.

The grievous miscalculation that Pakistan is making is to envision that a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan will toe its line. If there has been one lesson from Afghan history, it is that no outsider has been able to dominate it for long. This is what the British learnt in the 19th century, the Soviets in the 20th and the US in the 21st.

Pakistan: Courting The Abyss, by Tilak Devasher; Rs 599; Harper Collins India.

Pakistan is no different but it will not stop trying due to its obsessive desire to control and install a weak and dependent government in Kabul. In the process, given the cost that it has borne for its Afghan policy, Pakistan is fast becoming the next victim of this "graveyard of empires".

Tactically, a weak and dependent Afghanistan may help temporarily to calm the insecurities of Pakistans military. However, over the long-term, it has brought in its wake refugees, drugs, "Kalashnikov culture", and heightened the religious identity of the Pakhtuns even as the concept of "strategic depth" itself has become redundant given the fact that both India and Pakistan are nuclear weapon states.

It is only when the army accepts Afghanistan as a sovereign country entitled to have its own policies that best serves its own interests, and realises that the Afghans are first and foremost Afghans, that a dent will be made in Pak-Afghan relations. Till then, the blowback from Afghanistan will continue to push Pakistan towards the abyss.
"S Prabagaran has always maintained his innocence."

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has called on his country's Foreign Ministry to look into the case of S Prabagaran, reported Malaysiakini. Prabagaran a Malaysian is facing the death sentence here for drug trafficking.





Anwar said that he would normally not want to comment on people facing drug trafficking charges, but he thinks this is a proper case to be brought to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).





Prabagaran was arrested on 12 April 2012 when he was just 24 years old, for a narcotic trafficking offence. He has been on death row for more than 4 years since 2012, and is awaiting the result of his clemency petition to the Singapore President.





The Singapore Anti-Death Penalty activists who have been fighting to save Prabagaran, allege that he is being deprived of his life in a manner that is in breach of the principles of the separation of powers, the fundamental rules of natural justice, and the rule of law.





"In respect of a person who has been convicted of a drug offence that is punishable with death under the Second Schedule of the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA), Section 33B(2)(b) of the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) provides that the Public Prosecutor may certify that a person convicted of a drug offence punishable with the death penalty has substantively assisted the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) in disrupting drug activities. If the Public Prosecutor so certifies, and if the offender is also merely a courier, then the sentencing judge has the discretion to impose life imprisonment in lieu of the death penalty. If the Public Prosecutor does not so certify, then the sentencing judge must sentence the offender to the death penalty.





As discussed above, although in this case Praba has maintained his innocence, he has, in fact, done his best to provide CNB with credible leads that could well have resulted in persons involved in drug activities (i.e., Balu and Nathan) being apprehended."





They argue that the right to a fair trial is one of the most important fundamental human rights and that the death sentence imposed on Prabagaran violates the right to fair trial under customary international law.





The activists said "the Public Prosecutor's determination of whether or not substantive assistance was provided is too fluid and unstable a standard by which to determine the penalty which an offender should receive."





Anwar in seeming to agree with the activists, said that Prabagaran was denied a fair trial.





"There is allegedly a denial of key witnesses and this deprives opportunity for the defence to present its case. This is a proper case for the foreign minister and the prime minister to take to the ICJ," he said.

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Source: The Independent, January 18, 2017
Four prisoners were reportedly hanged on drug charges at Mashhad's Vakilabad Prison (northeastern Iran).





Iran Human Rights (JAN 18 2017): Four prisoners were reportedly hanged at Mashhad's Vakilabad Prison on drug related charges.





According to the human rights news agency HRANA, the executions were carried out on the morning of Tuesday January 17.





One of the prisoners has been identified as Ahmad Shekarabi, sentenced to death on the charge of possession and trafficking five kilograms of heroin.





"Ahmad's first death sentence was quashed by the Supreme Court, but he was sentenced to death again by branch 8 of Mashhad's Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Mazloom," a source close to Mr. Shekarabi's family tells Iran Human Rights. The source insists that Mr. Shekarabi was innocent.





The source adds: Ahmad was a cab driver who had a customer whom he would pick up packages forn at various addresses. The last time Ahmad did so, he arrived at the pick up location and noticed his customer had been arrested. As soon as Ahmad had arrived, he was also arrested, even though he explained that he's just the cab driver. However, the customer denied this and claimed that Ahmad was aware that the packages contained drugs and was involved in the operation. The customer's testimony had many inconsistensies to the point that Ahmad was first exonerated, but branch 2 of the court sentenced him to death anyway. After the Supreme Court quashed his death sentence [pending a new trial], he was sentenced to death again, and this time the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence.





Iranian official sources, including the Judiciary and the media, have been silent about these executions.





The names of the other three prisoners are not known at this time.

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Source: Iran Human Rights, January 18, 2017
Trigger-happy Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

A new measure that seeks to reimpose death penalty on persons involved in the illegal drug trade has been filed in the Senate on Wednesday.





Under Senate Bill No. 1294, Sen. Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian seeks to amend Section 11 of RA 9165 to impose capital punishment on persons convicted of possession, sale, distribution, importation, and manufacture drugs.





These include marijuana (10,000 grams or more), shabu (1,000 grams or more), opium, morphine, heroine, cocaine, cocaine hydrochloride, marijuana resin, marijuana resin oil, ecstasy, and LSD, and other drugs as determined by the Dangerous Drugs Board (200 grams or more).





The measure also seeks to increase fines and penalties imposed for offenses under RA 9165 involving smaller quantities of drugs.





Gatchalian, an ally of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, said that his bill was his commitment to the Duterte administration's intensified campaign against illegal drugs.





The neophyte senator, who was also 3-time mayor of Valenzuela City, said that he and Pres. Duterte were both "mayors at heart" and had "the same perspective" in terms of solutions to eliminate drug trafficking.





"As local chief executives, we have both seen firsthand the kind of damage the illegal drug trade can do to entire communities if drug lords and kingpins are allowed to continue their despicable operations with impunity," Gatchalian said.





"Passage of this law will stop the illegal drug trade in its tracks and make sure that these despicable people will pay the ultimate price for their crimes against the Filipino people," he added.





Aside from Gatchalian, Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, has previously filed a measure to revive death penalty. Some other senators who have openly expressed being in favor of the reinstatement of death penalty include Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, Senate Majority Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, and Senator Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao.





Pimentel, however, said that the passage of the death penalty bill will not come easy in the Senate as in the House of Representatives where it expected to face less opposition.





Last December 7, the House Committee on Justice approved the committee report on the reinstatement of the death penalty bill or House Bill No. 1 in a vote of 12-6-1.





The measure is one of the priority bills of President Duterte.

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Source: northboundasia.com, January 18, 2017
HFF, Inc. provides commercial real estate and capital market services to the consumers and providers of capital in the commercial real estate industry in the United States. The company offers debt placement services, such as construction and construction/mini-permanent loans, adjustable and fixed rate mortgages, bridge loans, entity level and mezzanine debts, forward delivery loans, and tax exempt and sale/leaseback financing to the owners of various properties comprising office, retail, industrial, hotel, multi-housing, student housing, self-storage, nursing homes, condominiums and condominium conversions, mixed-use properties, and land, as well as senior, independent, and assisted living facilities. It also provides investment advisory services to commercial real estate owners; and equity placement, as well as assists clients in the sale of their commercial real estate debt note portfolios. In addition, the company offers private equity, investment banking, and advisory services, including equity capital to establish joint ventures relating to identified properties or properties to be acquired by a fund sponsor; structured finance; institutional marketing and fund-raising services for public and private commercial real estate fund sponsors; advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, sales and divestitures, management buyouts, and recapitalizations and restructurings; and private placements of preferred securities. Further, it provides loan sales and commercial loan servicing to life insurance companies. The company was founded in 1982 and is based in Dallas, Texas.
Ricky Gray

Ricky Javon Gray, 39, was sentenced to death for the 2006 murders of Harvey sisters Ruby, 4, and Stella, 9. Gray also killed the girls' parents and another Richmond family.





Ricky Javon Gray was executed by injection Wednesday night for the slaying of 2 young Richmond sisters on New Year's Day 2006.





Gray, 39, was pronounced dead at 9:42 p.m. at the Greensville Correctional Center. Asked if he had any final words, Gray said, "Nope," according to a prison spokeswoman.





It appeared to take an inordinately long time - more than a half-hour - to place the IV lines and do other procedures behind a curtain that blocks the view of witnesses.





At the conclusion of the execution, a physician came out from behind the curtain and listened to Gray's chest for a heartbeat.





Gray was sentenced to die for the Jan. 1, 2006, slayings of Ruby Harvey, 4, and Stella Harvey, 9. He and accomplice Ray Dandridge, 39, also killed their parents, Bryan Harvey, 49, and Kathryn Harvey, 39, in their Woodland Heights home.





A few days later, Gray and Dandridge killed Ashley Baskerville, 21; Baskerville's mother, Mary Tucker, 47; and stepfather, Percyell Tucker, 55, in their South Richmond home. Dandridge, Gray's nephew, was sentenced to life for those killings.





The Harveys were tied up, their throats cut and beaten with a hammer. Their house was set on fire by the killers when they fled and the victims were initially discovered by firefighters. Ultimately, Gray was sentenced to death, leading to years of appeals.





The Virginia Department of Corrections said that victim family members were expected to witness the execution. The state does not reveal the victim witnesses who view the proceedings through one-way glass in a separate room from other witnesses.





On Tuesday, Gov. Terry McAuliffe turned down a clemency request to commute Gray's death sentence to life without possibility of parole. Later on Tuesday, Gray's lawyers asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency stay , which the justices denied on Wednesday evening.





Outside Greensville Correctional Center on Wednesday evening, a half-dozen members of Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty gathered with about 20 of Gray's family members to hold a vigil as the man was executed.





One women held a sign that said "Thou shall not kill." Several in the group said they object to the death penalty for religious and other reasons. They said there is no doubt that Gray killed the Harveys and Tucker-Baskerville families, but that no one else should die.





Also outside the prison was Chuck Troutman, of Staunton, who held a sign in support of the Harvey family.





Earlier in the day, as the clock ticked down for Gray, Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Michael N. Herring said, "I definitely think the city is going to be better off when we close the chapter on Ricky Gray."





"I think we will remember the Harveys and the Tucker/Baskervilles well - and it will be nice when Ricky Gray's name and memory are distant," Herring said.





He recalled the Sunday the Harveys were murdered. He had just been elected to office but had not yet taken the oath. "I was at the scene before I was sworn in," said Herring, who officially took office the next day.





"When I heard the news, I remember being in disbelief that we had a crime that involved 4 fatalities. That was just hard to come to terms with," said Herring. He and the 2 deputies who would prosecute Gray and Dandridge, Learned Barry and the late Matthew Geary, went to the Harveys' house.





Herring said, "That 1st week we really were struggling to come up with leads. It's one thing to have to reconcile the gravity of what's happened with the inability to identify the perpetrator."





"So we immediately went from the scope of what had (happened) to the fear that we had potential mass murderers roaming the city. And it turned out that that's what we had because they ended up killing the Tucker-Baskervilles. We became just totally preoccupied with trying to develop viable leads," said Herring.





The Harveys were murdered on Jan. 1 and the Tucker/Baskerville slayings were discovered on Jan. 6. Acting on a tip, police arrested Gray and Dandridge in Philadelphia on Jan. 7. Gray soon confessed. He also admitted he had murdered his wife, Treva Gray, in Pennsylvania in November 2005.





Herring did not attend the execution but Barry planned to be there to represent the office.





Gray's clemency petition to McAuliffe cited his physical and sexual abuse suffered as a child that led to his addiction to PCP, a drug his lawyers said he was high on while committing the murders.





The late court challenge stemmed from Virginia's 3-drug execution procedure. The 1st drug is intended to render the inmate unconscious, the 2nd to cause paralysis, and the 3rd stops the heart.





For Gray's execution the state planned to use midazolam and potassium chloride made by a licensed compounding pharmacy in Virginia as the 1st and 3rd drugs. The compounded chemicals are tested monthly to verify identity and potency, said state officials.





The chemicals are injected into 1 of 2 intravenous lines - the 2nd line is a backup - with a saline flush following the injection of each chemical. 2 minutes after the 1st saline flush, the inmate is pinched or otherwise tested to make sure he or she is unconscious.





Among other things, critics contend that if the 1st drug fails to render the inmates unconscious, they could be awake but paralyzed by the 2nd drug and unable to signal they are suffering pain.





Compounded midazolam has never been used in an execution before, complained Gray's lawyers.





Their bid for a stay of execution was rejected by a federal judge and a federal appeals court last week. On Wednesday evening the U.S. Supreme Court denied Gray's request for a stay without giving explanation.





Virginia's Catholic Bishops Francis X. DiLorenzo, of Richmond, and Michael F. Burbidge, of Arlington, released a statement Wednesday opposing the death penalty.





They said in part, "Knowing that the state can protect itself in ways other than through the death penalty, we have repeatedly asked that the practice be abandoned. Our broken world cries out for justice, not the additional violence or vengeance the death penalty will exact.





Gray becomes the 1st condemned inmate to be put to death this year in Virginia, and the 112th execution in Virginia since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed executions to resume in 1976. The toll ties Oklahoma's 112 executions for the 2nd most nationally. Texas leads the country with 539.





Gray becomes the 2nd condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1444th overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977.

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Sources: Richmond Times-Dispatch, Rick Halperin, January 18, 2017
Russias air force will work with Turkeys to conduct joint airstrikes targeting Islamic State militants in Northern Syria, the Russian military announced today.

Russian Defense Ministry official Lieutenant-General Sergei Rudskoi announced in a televised comment that twelve Russian planes and eight Turkish jets have carried out strikes on the town of al-Bab  roughly 40 kilometers northeast of Aleppo.

In recent weeks Turkish ground forces are engaged in combat operations against Daesh in the vicinity of Al-Bab. Coalition air forces have also targeted Daesh sites near the town in recent days, according to coaliton spokesman Colonel John Dorrian. These strikes followed Turkish criticism of insufficient U.S. support for its ground offensive.

These strikes were the result of continued cooperation with Turkey, and we saw a window of opportunity where it was in our mutual interests to get those targets destroyed, Dorrian said.

Coalition forces had struck four targets near al-Bab, where the US has supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and where Turkey has supported the Free Syrian Army (FSA) both fighting against a common foe, Daesh. On the other side, the Russians, are supporting the Syrian government forces, which are in conflict with SDF and FSA.

The joint Turkish-Russian operation conducted today was a major step that followed a memorandum of de-confliction signed between the two countries in Moscow last week.

The aircraft involved in the strikes on the Russian side included three four-aircraft formations of Su-24M, Su-25 strike fighters and Su-34 bombers. On the Turkish side the group included two formations of four F-16 and four F-4E Phantom 2000.

Russian sources said the combined air raid attacked 36 targets. Since there are no agreed protocols for air/air or air/ground cooperation between NATO and Russian air forces, it is not clear how the two forces coordinated these operations, if the attacks involved coordination with ground troops or were they restricted to air strikes in a free play zone. According to Russian sources, based on the initial results, the joint effort has proved successful.

Rudskoi said it was the first time Russia and Turkeys air forces had teamed up in this way.

Russia and Turkey had been on opposing sides of the nearly six-year Syrian conflict, with Moscow backing Syrian president Bashar Assad while Ankara supported the rebels. The lowest point was in 2015 after a Turkish F-16 shot down a Russian Su-24 killing one of the crewmembers.

But in recent months, particularly after the failed coup in Turkey, the two countries have worked together, and will broker peace talks later this month in Kazakhstan aimed at finding a political solution to the war.
The following companies are subsidiares of Pfizer: AH Robins LLC, AHP Holdings B.V., AHP Manufacturing B.V., Agouron Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alacer, Alpharma Holdings LLC, Alpharma Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alpharma Specialty Pharma LLC, Alpharma USHP LLC, American Food Industries LLC, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Angiosyn, Array BioPharma, Ayerst-Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, BIND Therapeutics Inc., BINESA 2002 S.L., Bamboo Therapeutics, Bamboo Therapeutics Inc., Baxter International - Marketed Vaccines, BioRexis, Bioren, Bioren LLC, Blue Whale Re Ltd., C.E. Commercial Holdings C.V., C.E. Commercial Investments C.V., C.P. Pharmaceuticals International C.V., CICL Corporation, COC I Corporation, Catapult Genetics, Coley Pharmaceutical GmbH, Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Coley Pharmaceutical Group Inc., Continental Pharma Inc., Covx, Covx Technologies Ireland Limited, Cyanamid Inter-American Corporation, Cyanamid de Argentina S.A., Cyanamid de Colombia S.A., Distribuidora Mercantil Centro Americana S.A., Encysive Pharmaceuticals, Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc., Esperion LUV Development Inc., Esperion Therapeutics, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals Inc., Farminova Produtos Farmaceuticos de Inovacao Lda., Farmogene Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Ferrosan A/S, Ferrosan International A/S, Ferrosan S.R.L., FoldRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Foldrx Pharmaceuticals, Fort Dodge Manufatura Ltda., G. D. Searle & Co. Limited, G. D. Searle International Capital LLC, G. D. Searle LLC, GI Europe Inc., GI Japan Inc., GenTrac Inc., Genetics Institute LLC, Greenstone LLC, Haptogen Limited, Hospira, Hospira (China) Enterprise Management Co. Ltd., Hospira Adelaide Pty Ltd, Hospira Aseptic Services Limited, Hospira Australia Pty Ltd, Hospira Benelux BVBA, Hospira Chile Limitada, Hospira Deutschland GmbH, Hospira Enterprises B.V., Hospira France SAS, Hospira Healthcare B.V., Hospira Healthcare Corporation, Hospira Healthcare India Private Limited, Hospira Holdings (S.A.) Pty Ltd, Hospira Inc., Hospira Invicta S.A., Hospira Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, Hospira Ireland Sales Limited, Hospira Japan G.K., Hospira Limited, Hospira Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Hospira NZ Limited, Hospira Nordic AB, Hospira Philippines Inc., Hospira Portugal LDA, Hospira Produtos Hospitalares Ltda., Hospira Pte. Ltd., Hospira Pty Limited, Hospira Puerto Rico LLC, Hospira Singapore Pte Ltd, Hospira UK Limited, Hospira Worldwide LLC, Hospira Zagreb d.o.o., ICAgen, Idun Pharmaceuticals, Industrial Santa Agape S.A., InnoPharma, InnoPharma Inc., International Affiliated Corporation LLC, JMI-Daniels Pharmaceuticals Inc., John Wyeth & Brother Limited, Kiinteisto oy Espoon Pellavaniementie 14, King Pharmaceuticals Holdings LLC, King Pharmaceuticals LLC, King Pharmaceuticals Research and Development LLC, Korea Pharma Holding Company Limited, Laboratoires Pfizer S.A., Laboratorios Parke Davis S.L., Laboratorios Pfizer Ltda., Laboratorios Wyeth LLC, Laboratorios Wyeth S.A., Laboratorios Pfizer Lda., MTG Divestitures LLC, Mayne Pharma IP Holdings (Euro) Pty Ltd, Medivation, Medivation Field Solutions LLC, Medivation LLC, Medivation Neurology LLC, Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC, Medivation Services LLC, Medivation Technologies LLC, Meridian Medical Technologies Inc., Meridian Medical Technologies Limited, Monarch Pharmaceuticals LLC, Neusentis Limited, NextWave Pharmaceuticals, NextWave Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, P-D Co. LLC, PAH USA IN8 LLC, PF Americas Holding C.V., PF Asia Manufacturing B.V., PF PR Holdings C.V., PF PRISM C.V., PF PRISM Holdings S.a.r.l., PF Prism S.a.r.l., PFE Holdings G.K., PFE PHAC Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Pfizer Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Wyeth Holdings LLC, PFE Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) LLC, PHILCO Holdings S.a r.l., PHIVCO Corp., PHIVCO Holdco S.a r.l., PHIVCO Luxembourg S.a r.l., PN Mexico LLC, PT. Pfizer Parke Davis, Parke Davis & Company LLC, Parke Davis Limited, Parke Davis Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Parke-Davis Manufacturing Corp., Parkedale Pharmaceuticals Inc., Peak Enterprises LLC, Pfizer, Pfizer (China) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Pfizer (Perth) Pty Limited, Pfizer (Thailand) Limited, Pfizer (Wuhan) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer AB, Pfizer AG, Pfizer AS, Pfizer Africa & Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Veterinarian Products & Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer Anti-Infectives AB, Pfizer ApS, Pfizer Asia Manufacturing Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Pfizer Atlantic Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Australia Holdings B.V., Pfizer Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Pfizer Australia Investments Pty. Ltd., Pfizer Australia Pty Limited, Pfizer B.V., Pfizer BH D.o.o., Pfizer Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer Biofarmaceutica Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Pfizer Biologics (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Pfizer Biologics Ireland Holdings Limited, Pfizer Biotech Corporation, Pfizer Bolivia S.A., Pfizer Canada Inc., Pfizer CentreSource Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Chile S.A., Pfizer Cia. Ltda., Pfizer Colombia Spinco I LLC, Pfizer Commercial Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Commercial Holdings TRAE Kft., Pfizer Commercial TRAE Trading Kft., Pfizer Consumer Healthcare AB, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare GmbH, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Ltd., Pfizer Consumer Manufacturing Italy S.r.l., Pfizer Corporation, Pfizer Corporation Austria Gesellschaft m.b.H., Pfizer Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Pfizer Croatia d.o.o., Pfizer Deutschland GmbH, Pfizer Development LP, Pfizer Development Services (UK) Limited, Pfizer Domestic Ventures Limited, Pfizer Dominicana S.R.L, Pfizer ESP Pty Ltd, Pfizer East India B.V., Pfizer Eastern Investments B.V., Pfizer Egypt S.A.E., Pfizer Enterprise Holdings B.V., Pfizer Enterprises LLC, Pfizer Enterprises SARL, Pfizer Europe Finance B.V., Pfizer Export B.V., Pfizer Export Company, Pfizer Export Holding Company B.V, Pfizer Finance Share Service (Dalian) Co. 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Corporation, Pfizer HK Service Company Limited, Pfizer Health AB, Pfizer Health Solutions Inc., Pfizer Healthcare Ireland, Pfizer Hellas A.E., Pfizer Himalaya Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Holding France, Pfizer Holding Ventures, Pfizer Holdings Corporation, Pfizer Holdings Europe Unlimited Company, Pfizer Holdings G.K., Pfizer Holdings International Corporation, Pfizer Holdings International Luxembourg (PHIL) Sarl, Pfizer Holdings North America SARL, Pfizer Hungary Holdings TRAE Kft., Pfizer Inc., Pfizer Innovations AB, Pfizer Innovations LLC, Pfizer Innovative Supply Point International BVBA, Pfizer International LLC, Pfizer International Markets Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer International Operations, Pfizer International S. de R.L., Pfizer International Trading (Shanghai) Limited, Pfizer Investment Capital Unlimited Company, Pfizer Investment Co. Ltd., Pfizer Investment Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Ireland Investments Limited, Pfizer Ireland PFE Holding 1 LLC, Pfizer Ireland PFE Holding 2 LLC, Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Ireland Ventures Unlimited Company, Pfizer Italia S.r.l., Pfizer Italy Group Holding S.r.l., Pfizer Japan Inc., Pfizer LLC, Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Limited, Pfizer Laboratories Limited, Pfizer Laboratories PFE (Pty) Ltd, Pfizer Leasing Ireland Limited, Pfizer Leasing UK Limited, Pfizer Limitada, Pfizer Limited, Pfizer Luxco Holdings SARL, Pfizer Luxembourg Global Holdings S.a r.l., Pfizer Luxembourg SARL, Pfizer MAP Holding Inc., Pfizer Manufacturing Austria G.m.b.H., Pfizer Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland GmbH, Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland Grundbesitz GmbH & Co. KG, Pfizer Manufacturing Holdings LLC, Pfizer Manufacturing Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Manufacturing LLC, Pfizer Manufacturing Services, Pfizer Medical Technology Group (Belgium) N.V., Pfizer Medicamentos Genericos e Participacoes Ltda., Pfizer Mexico Luxco SARL, Pfizer Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pfizer Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Animal Health and Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer New Zealand Limited, Pfizer Norge AS, Pfizer North American Holdings Inc., Pfizer OTC B.V., Pfizer Overseas LLC, Pfizer Oy, Pfizer PFE ApS, Pfizer PFE AsiaPac Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Australia Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Australia Pty Ltd, Pfizer PFE B.V., Pfizer PFE Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer PFE Belgium SPRL, Pfizer PFE Brazil Holding S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE CIA. Ltda., Pfizer PFE Chile Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Colombia Holding Corp., Pfizer PFE Colombia S.A.S, Pfizer PFE Commercial Holdings LLC, Pfizer PFE Croatia Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Eastern Investments B.V., Pfizer PFE Finland Oy, Pfizer PFE France, Pfizer PFE Global Holdings B.V., Pfizer PFE Ireland Pharmaceuticals Holding 1 B.V., Pfizer PFE Italy Holdco 2 S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Italy Holdco S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Pfizer PFE Limited, Pfizer PFE Luxembourg S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Mexico Holding 3 LLC, Pfizer PFE Netherlands Holding 1 C.V., Pfizer PFE New Zealand, Pfizer PFE New Zealand Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Norway Holding S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE PILSA Holdco S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Peru Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Peru S.R.L., Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Israel Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Israel Ltd., Pfizer PFE Private Limited, Pfizer PFE S.R.L, Pfizer PFE Service Company Holding Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer PFE Singapore Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Singapore Pte. Ltd., Pfizer PFE Spain B.V., Pfizer PFE Spain Holding S.L., Pfizer PFE Sweden Holding 2 S.a.r.l., Pfizer PFE Sweden Holding S.a.r.l., Pfizer PFE Switzerland GmbH, Pfizer PFE Turkey Holding 1 B.V., Pfizer PFE Turkey Holding 2 B.V., Pfizer PFE UK Holding 4 LP, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 1 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 2 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 3 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 4 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 5 LLC, Pfizer PFE spol. s r.o., Pfizer PFE Ilaclar Anonim Sirketi, Pfizer Pakistan Limited, Pfizer Parke Davis (Thailand) Ltd., Pfizer Parke Davis Inc., Pfizer Parke Davis Sdn. Bhd., Pfizer Pharm Algerie, Pfizer Pharma GmbH, Pfizer Pharma PFE GmbH, Pfizer Pharmaceutical (Wuxi) Co. 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Ltd., Pfizer Singapore Trading Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Spain Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Specialties Limited, Pfizer Strategic Investment Holdings LLC, Pfizer Sweden Partnership KB, Pfizer TRAE Holdings Kft., Pfizer Trading Polska sp.z.o.o., Pfizer Transactions Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Transactions LLC, Pfizer Transactions Luxembourg SARL, Pfizer Transport LLC, Pfizer Ukraine LLC, Pfizer Vaccines LLC, Pfizer Venezuela S.A., Pfizer Venture Investments LLC, Pfizer Ventures LLC, Pfizer Worldwide Services Unlimited Company, Pfizer Zona Franca S.A., Pfizer spol. s r.o., Pharmacia, Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc., Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn S.A. de C.V., Pharmacia Brasil Ltda., Pharmacia Hepar LLC, Pharmacia Holding AB, Pharmacia Inter-American LLC, Pharmacia International B.V., Pharmacia LLC, Pharmacia Limited, Pharmacia Nostrum S.A., Pharmacia South Africa (Pty) Ltd, PowderJect Research Limited, PowderMed, Purepac Pharmaceutical Holdings LLC, Redvax, Renrall LLC, Rinat Neuroscience, Rinat Neuroscience Corp., Roerig Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Roerig S.A., Sao Cristovao Participacoes Ltda., Searle Laboratorios Lda., Serenex, Servicios P&U S. de R.L. de C.V., Shiley LLC, Sinergis Farma-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Site Realty Inc., Solinor LLC, Sugen LLC, Tabor LLC, The Pfizer Incubator LLC, Therachon, Thiakis Limited, Treerly Health Co. Ltd, US Oral Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd, Upjohn Laboratorios Lda., Vesteralens Naturprodukter A/S, Vesteralens Naturprodukter AB, Vesteralens Naturprodukter AS, Vesteralens Naturprodukter OY, Vicuron Holdings LLC, Vinci Farma S.A., W-L LLC, Warner Lambert, Warner Lambert Ilac Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Warner Lambert del Uruguay S.A., Warner-Lambert (Thailand) Limited, Warner-Lambert Company AG, Warner-Lambert Company LLC, Warner-Lambert Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Warner-Lambert S.A., Whitehall International Inc., Whitehall Laboratories Inc., Wyeth (Thailand) Ltd., Wyeth AB, Wyeth Australia Pty. Limited, Wyeth Ayerst Inc., Wyeth Ayerst S.a r.l., Wyeth Biopharma, Wyeth Canada ULC, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare LLC, Wyeth Europa Limited, Wyeth Farma S.A., Wyeth Holdings LLC, Wyeth Industria Farmaceutica Ltda., Wyeth KFT., Wyeth LLC, Wyeth Lederle S.r.l., Wyeth Lederle Vaccines S.A., Wyeth Pakistan Limited, Wyeth Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Company, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals FZ-LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Limited, Wyeth Puerto Rico Inc., Wyeth S.A.S, Wyeth Subsidiary Illinois Corporation, Wyeth Whitehall Export GmbH, Wyeth Whitehall SARL, Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) Limited, Wyeth-Ayerst International LLC, and Wyeth-Ayerst Promotions Limited.

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Brookdale Senior Living Inc. owns, manages, and operates senior living communities in the United States. It operates in three segments: Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). The Independent Living segment owns or leases communities comprising independent and assisted living units in a single community that are primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors. The Assisted Living and Memory Care segment owns or leases communities consisting of freestanding multi-story communities and freestanding single-story communities, which offer housing and 24-hour assistance with activities of daily living for the Company's residents. This segment also operates memory care communities for residents with Alzheimer's and other dementias. The CCRCs segment owns or leases communities that provides various living arrangements, such as independent and assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing; and services to accommodate various levels of physical ability and healthcare needs. It also manages communities on behalf of others. As of December 31, 2021, the company owned 347 communities, leased 299 communities, and managed 33 communities on behalf of others. Brookdale Senior Living Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee.
VMware, Inc. provides software solutions in the areas of modern applications, cloud management and infrastructure, networking, security, and digital workspaces in the United States and internationally. It offers VMware multi-cloud solutions, including VMware vSphere, a data center infrastructure that provides the fundamental compute layer; vSAN and VxRail, which offers holistic data storage and protection options to applications running on vSphere; and vRealize Cloud Management solutions that manages hybrid and multi-cloud environments running in virtual machines and containers, as well as VMware Cloud Foundation, a cloud platform that combines its vSphere, vSAN, and NSX with vRealize Cloud Management into an integrated stack and delivers enterprise-ready cloud infrastructure for private and public clouds. The company also provides networking solutions, such as VMware NSX, NSX Distributed and Gateway Firewalls, NSX Network Detection and Response Engine, NSX Advanced Load Balancer, Tanzu Service Mesh, and VMware SASE; security solutions consisting of VMware Carbon Black Endpoint, Workload, and Container; and digital workspace solutions comprising Workspace ONE Unified Endpoint Management, Access, Intelligent Hub, and Horizon. In addition, it offers application modernization solutions, such as Tanzu Application and Operations Platform, Tanzu Application Service Platform, Tanzu Observability, Tanzu Community Edition, and Tanzu Labs; and cloud management solutions, including vRealize Cloud Management, vCloud Suite, and CloudHealth by VMware Suite. The company sells its products through distributors, resellers, system vendors, and systems integrators. VMware, Inc. has a strategic alliance with Amazon Web Services to build and deliver an integrated hybrid solution. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets commercial aerostructures worldwide. It operates through three segments: Commercial, Defense & Space, and Aftermarket. The Commercial segment offers forward, mid, and rear fuselage sections and systems, struts/pylons, nacelles, and related engine structural components; and wings and wing components, including flight control surfaces, as well as other structural parts. This segment primarily serves the aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or engine OEMs of large commercial aircraft and/or business/regional jet programs. The Defense & Space segment provides fuselage, strut, nacelle, and wing aerostructures primarily for U.S. Government defense programs, including Boeing P-8, C40, and KC-46 Tanker. This segment also engages in the fabrication, bonding, assembly, testing, tooling, processing, engineering analysis, and training on fixed wing aircraft aerostructures, missiles, and hypersonics works, such as solid rocket motor throats, nozzles, re-entry vehicle thermal protections systems, forward cockpit and cabin, and fuselage work on rotorcraft aerostructures. The Aftermarket segment offers spare parts and MRO services, repairs for flight control surfaces and nacelles, radome repairs, rotable assets, engineering services, advanced composite repairs, and other repair and overhaul services. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. has a strategic partnership with Sierra Space to enhance access to commercial space economy of the future. The company was formerly known as Mid-Western Aircraft Systems Holdings, Inc. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas.
Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, John Lindsey and Will Tucker quickly approved an amendment for the Cheadle Lake Urban Renewal District plan in Lebanon after a short public hearing Wednesday morning.

Affected districts or agencies, such as the Board of Commissioners, must provide approval if substantial changes are to be made to an Urban Renewal District. In this case, the district is expanding its property base by more than 1 percent as community improvements to streets in the district are made.

The Lebanon City Council previously approved the changes in August.

Many of the proposed changes are due to the citys development of a new water plant and improvements to Russell Drive to access the new facility.

The city also wishes to develop Porter Park to serve residents of the area.

Other projects include street improvements from Highway 20 to Russell Drive; a new water line from Highway 20 to the Lebanon city limits; a portion of the water treatment plant cost; residential street improvements; and new sanitary sewer and storm drains.

Board chairman Nyquist praised Lebanon City Manager Gary Marks and staff members who attended the public hearing for focusing on heavy infrastructure improvements that he said will eventually improve the community, but also benefit all taxpayers of Linn County.

In other business, the commissioners:

 Were told by property manager Russ Williams that the county and 11 property owners on North River Drive in Sweet Home have come to an agreement on a property line adjustment associated with the former Knife River (Morse Bros.) quarry now owned by the county. The propertys northern boundary actually crossed the South Santiam River and affected the homeowners properties. The new property line will be the center of the river.

 Opened five bids for asbestos abatement at the former Weyerhaeuser Mill property in Sweet Home that was damaged by an arson fire about 15 months ago. Bids ranged from $172,500 to $485,000. Williams told the commissioners the bids will be reviewed for terms and conditions and he will bring a suggested bid winner to the commissioners following that process.

 Agreed to apply for $263,000 in federal funds to support the Linn Shuttle-Sweet Home Senior Center transportation program.

 Thanked Albany attorney Ed Schultz for his years of service on the countys solid waste advisory and law library committees. Schultz, a partner in the Weatherford Thompson law firm, is retiring. In 1977, he became Chief Civil Deputy in the Linn County District Attorneys Office and in 1981 joined Weatherford-Thompson.
May 14, 1961  Jan. 10, 2017

Rocky Lee Rose, 55, of Lebanon passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017.

Rocky was born May 14, 1961, in Lebanon the son of Donald and Joyce (Athey) Rose. He attended Lebanon schools and graduated from Lebanon Union High School in the class of 1979. After high school, he went to work in the woods for his fathers company Donald Rose Logging. He worked in the woods in Alaska and commercial roofing in Las Vegas for a short time before returning to Lebanon. He worked at the Target warehouse in Albany for 8 years, then at Wah Chang in Albany for the past eleven years as a Utility Operator of Sand Chlorination.

Rocky was a member of Southside Church of Christ in Lebanon, the United Steel Workers Union and the local AA group. He enjoyed going to the beach, hiking, riding bikes and going out to dinner. He was a very kind and loving husband, father and grandpa who will be greatly missed.

He was preceded in death by his father, Donald Rose and brother William Rose.

He is survived by his wife of 14 years, Carolyn of Lebanon; mother Joyce Rose of Lebanon; two stepdaughters, Emily Welsh of Dallas and Lauren Manning of Salem; and three grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29 at Southside Church of Christ, 196 S. Airport Rd., Lebanon.

The family suggest memorial donations to the Southside Church of Christ Missions Fund or to the Safe Haven Humane Society in care of Huston-Jost Funeral Home, 86 W. Grant St., Lebanon, OR 97355.
Ready to quilt? Then pour yourself a cup of tea, settle into a cozy corner and power up your computer. Tradition, meet innovation.

The days when the arts of everyday life were passed from mother to daughter and father to son have all but disappeared. Enter YouTube, the next best thing to your grandmother for quilting queries. And one of the social media outlets that continues to drive the do-it-yourself movement.

As we know from watching hemlines, the pendulum of whats fashionable swings back and forth. Whether its a reaction to technology overload, a rejection of todays multi-tasking mindset or a statement about our throwaway society, some people  much maligned millennials among them  are finding refuge in a return to the tangible and the tactile.

Quilting today

The Charlottesville Area Quilters Guild works to preserve and to share the art of quilting. Janet Saulsbury is a member of the Tuesday Morning Quilters, a chapter of the Guild that meets weekly. Rather than sewing sessions, these meetings are a venue for teaching, learning, guiding, mentoring, encouraging and supplying. There are usually about 30 ladies  plus a gentleman or two  and the wealth of knowledge in the room is extensive. So is the sense of community and camaraderie.

Even quilters who meet face to face confess to Googling at times, however. One of Saulsburys daughters does a little quilt making. She doesnt live here, so when she gets stuck and Im not around, she looks at YouTube videos.

Fellow guild member Ann Robertson helps her daughter-in-law with her quilting, and both generations turn to the internet as a resource.

And thats not the only thing thats changed. I think utilitarian quilt making is long gone, Saulsbury said. Except for historical purposes, Robertson added.

Art quilting has become more important. People arent so interested in bed quilts, except as baby gifts, Saulsbury said. Traditional hand quilting is also waning. New tools have changed the process, and you have to update your methods.

Many people have abandoned scissors and hand quilting for rotary cutters and long-arm machines. Fabric choices have evolved as well, with the traditional homespun, flannel and wool giving way to more decorative modern fabrics. Which brings up another change: a willingness to spend money on the craft. While using material from old or outgrown clothes once was the norm, quilting shops today offer an array of stunning designer fabrics.

Cottonwood is a quilt store in Meadowbrook Shopping Center that offers quilting classes. Cindy Hopkins said the shop has a class for beginners about every three months that attracts a range of ages, from 30-somethings to new retirees wanting to pick up a hobby. What is the attraction? Hopkins says their students are usually people who enjoy sewing, love fabric and are interesting in making a gift that will outlive them.

The Charlottesville Area Quilters Guild will hold its biennial quilt show April 12 at the East Rivanna Fire Station. Learn more at caqg.weebly.com.

Learning by doing

Martha Roberts is one such person. She grew up in Arlington, but when school let out for the summer, her family headed to a farm in West Virginia. There wasnt a library nearby, much less a computer.

Sixty years ago, Roberts said, You couldnt go to Barnes & Noble or turn on Martha Stewart  you had to learn from other people. I learned quilting from an older woman on a neighboring farm. When I was little, I loved to go and sit and talk to her and watch. I learned a lot just by watching her.

Roberts learned another traditional skill  canning  from her mother. Not that she had a choice.

Its what you did if you spent summers on a farm, she added wryly. She appreciated the joy of working with fresh vegetables and fruits, shelling peas, washing greens  and eating peaches as she went along. But the big thing I learned from canning was measurements and how they related to one another  a bushel, a half-bushel, a peck. No one even knows what a peck is anymore. To this day, when I measure things, it conjures up the image of canning.

Along with the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment, she values knowing how food comes to be what it is. The relationship between a cucumber and a pickle, for example, that a surprising number of young people today have no basis for understanding.

Its now Roberts turn to pass along what skills she can. I didnt have little girls, she said, and its hard to teach little boys to quilt and can. But my granddaughter is beginning to get interested. Ive started to teach her to knit, and she watches me cook. Im showing her the measurements and how they relate  cup, a pint, a quart, a gallon. Children learn them in school, but its in isolation, without the context of how they work in real life, she said.

For kids, especially, the act of making or doing something by hand can be a valuable form of three-dimensional learning. It also can help them make connections with land, animals, art and science.

The old-fashioned way

Brielle DuFlon, a resident artist at Charlottesvilles McGuffey Art Center, is one young person who is learning a traditional skill in the old-fashioned way.

DuFlon is a fine artist who gravitated toward fiber art. She grew up in Guatemala, where textile arts like weaving and embroidery are deeply imbedded in the culture. At one time, I worked mainly in embroidery, a skill I learned in part from my stepmother, she said.

The beautiful maple Macomber loom in her McGuffey studio arrived by way of serendipity and shared interests. A chance meeting at a party two years ago led Carter Howards, a weaver for more than 40 years, to bestow her loom  with skeins and skeins of gorgeous yarn  on DuFlon.

Still sounding a bit awed, DuFlon said, This was an incredible gift  something I could never have hoped for at this stage of my life. I did some back-strap weaving in Guatemala, but Ive never used a loom like this before, and its quite technical.

In the age-old, hands-on way, Howards is teaching the necessary skills to her student. Part of the process for DuFlon will be making the loom and the yarn her own.

For me, I really feel like the richness and texture of textiles provide stimulus for people, even if its on an unconscious level. There is comfort and joy and a sense of depth, she said. When I moved back to the U.S. after almost 18 years in Central America, it was hard; I felt like I was missing something really integral and couldnt figure out what it was. I brought some pillows and things back from a return visit to Guatemala, and it was transforming. Those textures and overlapping patterns  our brains really need them.

DuFlon sees herself eventually merging art and craft, combining household textiles with fine-art pursuits. I love the idea of creating objects that are treated the same way initially as my art, compositionally, but that are also functional.

She also will pass along her skills to the next generation. Last spring, she engaged more than 40 kids in embroidery activities as part of a program at the Boys and Girls Club. And with her renewed interest in weaving, shes exploring the idea of a fiber camp for kids.

What is the value in preserving skills like the ones Saulsbury, Roberts, and DuFlon possessskills that are no longer a necessity in our in our modern, mass-produced, refrigerated society? They are part of our shared heritage. Whether they are safeguarded through schools or apprenticeships, informally or institutionally, there is great value in passing on a sense of traditional knowledge and connection to community, even while embracing the advances available with modern technology.

So when you make that quilt or a jar of pickles, dont forget to take a picture for Instagram.

Virginia Peale is the marketing and communications director at The Senior Center.
Updated at 7:35 p.m.

Carol Troxell, whose New Dominion Bookshop on Charlottesvilles Downtown Mall survived as a seller of new books despite competition from online and big-box booksellers, died unexpectedly on Wednesday.

Its a shock. We cant believe it, really, said Mitzi Ware, events coordinator at the bookstore. The staff is carrying on because we are in the middle of a lot of events that have been scheduled, but its hard. We have no idea what the future will bring.

The bookstore opened in 1924 and is listed as the oldest independent bookseller in Virginia. Troxell bought the store from C.C. Wells in the mid-1980s.

Troxell, 68, and her staff have long been active in the Virginia Festival of the Book, hosting a variety of events and authors.

Carol was an invaluable part of the Virginia Festival of the Book, helping establish it as the beloved annual event that it is and enthusiastically welcoming authors into her shop each year during the festival, but also year-round, said Jane Kulow, festival director. Her impact on the local community  both writers and readers  simply cannot be measured, and she will be sorely missed by all.

Sandy McAdams, owner and founder of Daedalus Bookshop, which sells used books, said he had known Troxell since she worked with Wells. He said a friend told him Thursday morning about her passing and he couldnt believe it.

Shes just wonderful and she was certainly a mythic part of downtown, he said. And shell be missed horribly.

McAdams said he would send people over to New Dominion and would call Troxell from time to time to ask her if a book was in print.

In those early days, I went to the C&O  I would go past that store every day and I would ask Carol if she had been to our dining room, he said. She was always very willing. I liked her a lot.

John Lanham began patronizing New Dominion about 25 years ago and befriended Troxell when he worked with her to build a rose garden behind the shop.

She called me over and we stood on her back porch and looked onto her pea gravel and cinder block parking lot and she said that we were going to make this place a thing of beauty, Lanham said.

They worked over sequential Saturdays to create the garden. Lanham said Troxell rented a pickup truck and got the soil, compost and manure that was needed.

She got a stonemason to put the little stone walls down and then she got the trellises from France, she said, and then we gradually started planting roses, he said. Now its a mature rose garden that we and others delight in in May and June.

Lanham said Troxell became something of a rose expert and sort of dragged me along through the compost, you might say as she taught him where to make the proper cuts on the roses.

In between, we became good friends, he said. Shes a lettered woman; she had a very good sense of humor.

Information on the cause of Troxells death could not be obtained Thursday. Funeral arrangements had not been announced as of Thursday evening.
A Portsmouth man has been convicted of assisting a prostitution ring that operated in Albemarle County and Charlottesville.

Douglas Wesley Meredith, 24, was in Albemarle County Circuit Court on Wednesday to stand trial for his part in a prostitution ring that reportedly spanned multiple jurisdictions. While convicted on one count of assisting in a commercial sex trafficking operation, Meredith was found not guilty on a charge of abduction in the case.

Meredith pleaded not guilty to each charge at the beginning of his bench trial on Wednesday, having waived his right to a trial by jury. County prosecutors contended that Meredith was an enforcer for the prostitution ring and that he was one of several people who intimidated a young woman into performing sex acts for money at different motels over the course of approximately 12 days in August 2016.

Representing Meredith, attorney Mike Hallahan scoffed at the notion, countering to Judge Susan Whitlock that the young woman had agreed to take part in the prostitution ring and had only roused authorities when she felt slighted by the financial arrangements of the deal.

That young woman, along with her adoptive mother, were two of only four witnesses called by the prosecution on Wednesday. The other two witnesses were county law enforcement officials, each of whom investigated the prostitution ring after it was uncovered in August.

The officers testified that Meredith was one of several people involved in the ring, and that he was in charge of staying with the young woman during her encounters with customers for protection. When Meredith was apprehended on Aug. 24 at a motel in Albemarle County, a black BB pistol was recovered from the room, which Meredith insisted was used to deter theft from customers.

The young woman at the heart of the court proceedings said on the stand that prior to her involvement with the prostitution ring, she had been addicted to heroin and was working as an escort using online posting sites. On Aug. 12, she had a falling out with her adoptive mother, who insisted that she leave her home and find somewhere else to stay.

Out on her own, the woman first booked a room at the Red Roof Inn off of U.S. 29 but soon visited a friend at the nearby Days Inn. While there, she randomly met Meredith and several other people, whom were identified in court by nicknames like Sweet and Fly. While hanging out and smoking marijuana, one of the individuals offered to help connect her with customers through their operation, promising the young woman money that could be used toward finding a place to live and a car.

The young woman was initially excited, but that outlook changed pretty much immediately, she said on the stand, as one of the people involved proceeded to take her ID and her cellphone and declined to return them to her. Over the next 12 days, the young woman was taken around to multiple different hotels and motels around Central Virginia, she said, performing sex acts for more than a dozen clients and never receiving any of money gleaned from the activity.

During each encounter, Meredith would remain in the bathroom to ensure that the encounter and subsequent transaction went smoothly. When it was over, the young woman was told to take the money shed received from the client and give it to Meredith, who then passed it on to a higher-up in the operation.

The young woman asserted that she was not allowed to leave the hotel room or her handlers during those 12 days and that she was physically abused or intimidated whenever she expressed a desire to do so. The woman said that she had a spinal injury that prevented her from running away and that she feared retribution if she were to do so, given that her seized ID had her mothers home address on it.

It wasnt until Aug. 23, she testified, that an opportunity to escape presented itself, and the woman was able to leave the hotel room she was at and called for a taxi to her mothers home.

Hallahan challenged the womans version of the events, noting that at multiple times during her nearly two-week stint, she saw the same friends shed initially met at the Days Inn, but she did not ask for them to call police. The woman responded that shed signaled to her friends that she was in trouble but that they must have been in the employ of her alleged captors.

The defense continued to question the story, noting that she had been taken to multiple different locations where she could have signaled for help. At one point, Hallahan asked the young woman outright if shed simply taken issue with the fact that she wasnt receiving the money promised to her, a characterization the woman rebuffed.

The defense put on no evidence of their own but stated that the abduction charge relied solely on hearsay and the testimony of the young woman. Hallahan asked that the abduction charge be stricken on those grounds, and that the second charge be tossed because Meredith never received any money from the operation. The evidence established that Meredith was only given small sums, which were to be used to buy food for the young woman and himself.

Whitlock agreed with some of Hallahans assertions, stating that while intimidation appeared to be at play in the matter, there was not enough evidence to suggest that the woman was ever actually abducted. Meredith was acquitted of that charge, avoiding the 20-to-life sentence that it carried.

Meredith was found guilty of assisting in the prostitution ring, for which he will be sentenced on April 12. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

While the narrative of the trial suggests that multiple people were involved in the operation, it is unclear whether anyone else has been indicted in the case. County prosecutors are remaining tight-lipped about the case at this time.
JARRATT  Ricky Javon Gray was executed by injection Wednesday night for the slaying of two young Richmond sisters on New Year's Day 2006.

Gray, 39, was pronounced dead at 9:42 p.m. at the Greensville Correctional Center. Asked if he had any final words, Gray said, "Nope," according to a prison spokesperson.

Gray was sentenced to die for the Jan. 1, 2006, slayings of Ruby Harvey, 4, and Stella Harvey, 9. He and accomplice Ray Dandridge, 39, also killed their parents, Bryan Harvey, 49, and Kathryn Harvey, 39, in their Woodland Heights home.

A few days later, Gray and Dandridge killed Ashley Baskerville, 21; Baskerville's mother, Mary Tucker, 47; and stepfather, Percyell Tucker, 55, in their South Richmond home. Dandridge, Gray's nephew, was sentenced to life for those killings.

The Harveys were tied up, their throats cut and beaten with a hammer. Their house was set on fire by the killers when they fled and the victims were initially discovered by firefighters. Ultimately, Gray was sentenced to death, leading to years of appeals.

The Virginia Department of Corrections said that victim family members were expected to witness the execution. The state does not reveal the victim witnesses who view the proceedings through one-way glass in a separate room from other witnesses.

On Tuesday, Gov. Terry McAuliffe turned down a clemency request to commute Gray's death sentence to life without possibility of parole. Later on Tuesday, Gray's lawyers asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency stay, which the justices denied on Wednesday evening.

Outside Greensville Correctional Center on Wednesday evening, a half-dozen members of Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty gathered with about 20 of Gray's family members to hold a vigil as the man was executed.

One women held a sign that said "Thou shall not kill." Several in the group said they object to the death penalty for religious and other reasons. They said there is no doubt that Gray killed the Harveys and Tucker-Baskerville families, but that no one else should die.

Also outside the prison was Chuck Troutman, of Staunton, who held a sign in support of the Harvey family.

Troutman said he had met Bryan Harvey, twice, and his wife Kathryn, once, while disc-jockeying at a local radio station in Harrisonburg.

Bryan Harvey's band, House of Freaks, played for a function the station was hosting. Bryan played bass and sang; Troutman said Bryan's "vocals had a John Lennon quality to them."

He held a sign with the names of the Harvey family. On the bottom, the sign read "Peace be with you."

"I felt compelled to be here," Troutman said of Gray's execution. "It's not about deterrance or retribution, it's justice."

Troutman said he wasn't sure what to expect or how he'd feel.

"I'll be happy to see justice done."

Seven-year-old Heidi Strong held a sign that says "Remember the victims. All of them. Stella and Ruby. Ricky Gray can rot.".

Her mother, Amy Strong of Blackstone, was living in Richmond and frequented Kathryn Harvey's popular toy store World of Mirth in Carytown, when the Harvey family was killed. She brought Heidi and her two other children, Robert, 9, and Alexsandra, 5.

"It sticks with you," Strong said. "This is a civics lesson. I want to protect my kids, of course, but I think they need to know what happened and that not everyone is a good person."

Earlier in the day, as the clock ticked down for Gray, Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Michael N. Herring said, "I definitely think the city is going to be better off when we close the chapter on Ricky Gray."

"I think we will remember the Harveys and the Tucker/Baskervilles well - and it will be nice when Ricky Gray's name and memory are distant," Herring said.

He recalled the Sunday the Harveys were murdered. He had just been elected to office but had not yet taken the oath. "I was at the scene before I was sworn in," said Herring, who officially took office the next day.

"When I heard the news, I remember being in disbelief that we had a crime that involved four fatalities. That was just hard to come to terms with," said Herring. He and the two deputies who would prosecute Gray and Dandridge, Learned Barry and the late Matthew Geary, went to the Harveys' house.

Herring said, "That first week we really were struggling to come up with leads. It's one thing to have to reconcile the gravity of what's happened with the inability to identify the perpetrator."

"So we immediately went from the scope of what had (happened) to the fear that we had potential mass murderers roaming the city. And it turned out that that's what we had because they ended up killing the Tucker-Baskervilles. We became just totally preoccupied with trying to develop viable leads," said Herring.

The Harveys were murdered on Jan. 1 and the Tucker/Baskerville slayings were discovered on Jan. 6. Acting on a tip, police arrested Gray and Dandridge in Philadelphia on Jan. 7. Gray soon confessed. He also admitted he had murdered his wife, Treva Gray, in Pennsylvania in November 2005.

Herring did not attend the execution but Barry planned to be there to represent the office.

Wednesday was difficult for many in Richmond - particularly for those who knew the Harveys - as the execution approached and the stay request was still pending before the high court.

Phaedra Hise, whose daughter attended day care and later Fox Elementary School with Stella Harvey, said, "Kathy was the first person I met when I moved to Richmond in 1998."

"I knew Bryan because we were both on the PTA," she said. "They were just good friends. We spent a lot of time with them."

She said Kathryn Harvey was coming to a party Hise planned for Jan. 8. "Obviously that didn't happen ... I can't believe it's been 10 years," said Hise, her voice breaking. "I'm shocked that I'm this emotional, but you know, it's an emotional day."

Hise said she attended Gray's trial. "I just was hoping to understand more and, of course, there's some things you just can't really understand."

"I came home from the days at court and I couldn't even explain what I'd seen. I wasn't comfortable sharing it," Hise said. "It's hard. It brings it all back. Are they going to execute him? Are they not going to execute him? It's been 10 years."

"It's fair," she said of the last-minute court action. "It's a very serious thing and executing this man won't bring the Harveys back. I get that. But, what he did."

x

Gray's clemency petition to McAuliffe cited his physical and sexual abuse suffered as a child that led to his addiction to PCP, a drug his lawyers said he was high on while committing the murders.

The late court challenge stemmed from Virginia's three-drug execution procedure. The first drug is intended to render the inmate unconscious, the second to cause paralysis, and the third stops the heart.

For Grays execution the state planned to use midazolam and potassium chloride made by a licensed compounding pharmacy in Virginia as the first and third drugs. The compounded chemicals are tested monthly to verify identity and potency, said state officials.

The chemicals are injected into one of two intravenous lines - the second line is a backup - with a saline flush following the injection of each chemical. Two minutes after the first saline flush, the inmate is pinched or otherwise tested to make sure he or she is unconscious.

Among other things, critics contend that if the first drug fails to render the inmates unconscious, they could be awake but paralyzed by the second drug and unable to signal they are suffering pain.

Compounded midazolam has never been used in an execution before, complained Gray's lawyers.

Their bid for a stay of execution was rejected by a federal judge and a federal appeals court last week. On Wednesday evening the U.S. Supreme Court denied Gray's request for a stay without giving explanation.

Virginias Catholic Bishops Francis X. DiLorenzo, of Richmond, and Michael F. Burbidge, of Arlington, released a statement Wednesday opposing the death penalty.

They said in part, "Knowing that the state can protect itself in ways other than through the death penalty, we have repeatedly asked that the practice be abandoned. Our broken world cries out for justice, not the additional violence or vengeance the death penalty will exact.

Gray's was the 112th execution in Virginia since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed executions to resume in 1976. The toll ties Oklahoma's 112 executions for the second most nationally. Texas leads the country with 539.
ORANGE  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. The private school will have four years to raise $3 million as part of the Grymes 20/20: A Vision for our Future initiative.

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.

As of mid-December, Grymes already had raised $506,654 for a total investment of $1,013,309.

David Perdue, chairman of Grymess Board of Trustees, 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, 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, said 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 of the students at Grymes receive some form of financial aid, Work said, noting that the Grymes 20/20 initiative will help keep the school affordable. When salaries and costs increase, that means tuition increases, she said, but growing Grymess 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.
Hungry for a decision on what to do with Charlottesvilles public monuments to Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson, many residents were enraged when they were left without an answer from the City Council late Tuesday night.

Mayor Mike Signer struggled to maintain control of the meeting as many in attendance lashed out at what they perceived to be a slight against African-Americans and those in the community who see Confederate monuments as symbols of white supremacy, slavery and the Jim Crow era.

Things became tense moments after the council voted 2-2 on a motion to move the citys statue of Lee from Lee Park to McIntire Park, per a recommendation from a community commission the council convened last year.

Signer and Councilor Kathy Galvin opposed the measure, citing potential ethical dilemmas, legal challenges, financial hurdles and public outrage that moving the statues could create. Councilor Bob Fenwick chose to abstain, prompting several shouts of shame and coward from some upset with the outcome of the vote.

Fenwick offered a biting criticism of the statues and said he would not vote to retain the statues in the park, but he added that he believes there are many opposed to moving the statues or who feel indifferent to them and said the city needs to prioritize other efforts aimed at creating an equitable city. He specifically mentioned funding for a field house at Tonsler Park, jail diversion programs and increased contributions to community agencies that provide public assistance.

As part of the discussion about the statues, the council unanimously agreed to consider a proposal from Councilor Wes Bellamy to fund a scholarship and several initiatives that would increase city spending by about $150,000. That, however, did not sway Fenwick, who said he wants to negotiate with councilors to gain support for several measures hed like funded in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Enough symbolism. Enough with the declarations, proclamations, good intentions and written promises. We have been down that road before  more than once, Fenwick said. Its time to show me the money. If these words tonight have any meaning, they will find their way into the city budget. Its time to invest in our citizens.

Shortly after the initial vote to move the statues, the meeting descended into a vitriolic back-and-forth between the councilors and a majority of the attendees who were advocating for the removal of the statues.

Youre the worst type of racist. Youre the one that smiles and tell us that everything is going to be OK, a man in the crowd shouted at Fenwick before leaving the chambers.

Its now clear to me that the people planning to vote against this were going to vote against it no matter what the commission said, said Councilor Kristin Szakos.

About five years ago, Szakos said at a Festival of the Book event that shed be interested in seeing the statues removed from the city. Last year, Bellamy called for the removal of the Lee statue.

The council responded to those calls last spring by putting together a commission to study the idea, along with other ways the city can publicly present its history as it relates to race.

In November, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces unanimously agreed to send a number of recommendations for ways the city can repair race relations and celebrate otherwise forgotten and seemingly disregarded aspects of its history.

As for the statues of Lee and Jackson, the commission recommended they be moved to McIntire Park or recontextualized in their place. Either decision hinged on contextualization so that the legacy of the statues and that of the Confederacy can be displayed in a broader way.

City staff estimated that moving either statue could cost approximately $350,000. Attorneys for the city have noted that legal challenges could come if a decision to move the statues, which the state considers to be war memorials, were made.

For Mr. Fenwick, who earlier tonight was criticizing this council for not doing what our commissions ask us to do, I find it very troubling that all of the work done this past year to dismantle racism and create an equitable community, everything we have stood for, its undone by this vote, Szakos said.

A nearly hour-long discussion after the initial vote bore no fruit. After going back and forth and taking two breaks, the council was unable to agree on what to do.

What Fenwick did was a cowards exit, Blue Ribbon Commission Chairman Don Gathers said. That was six months of work thats amounted to absolutely nothing.

I really thought the council was going to go one way or another, he said. But to stay stagnant is just not acceptable to myself, the commission or the citizens of Charlottesville.

While many left Tuesdays meeting feeling defeated and furious over councils inaction, others were pleased to see the council deadlocked on the matter.

It is one thing to advocate for something, but you demonize the people youre forcing to pay for your liberal agenda, city resident John Heyden told the council in the public comment period earlier in the meeting.

Were tired of being disrespected by carpetbagging liberals who want to voice their racial hatred on those of us who were born here, he said.

Citing a Facebook post from Bellamy on Tuesday afternoon calling on supporters to come to the meeting to challenge white supremacists who might be there, Teresa Kay Lam, of Elkton, said Bellamy is creating racial animosity.

My ancestors fought under General Lee. I am kin to General Lee, and I will fight with honor to keep his monument where it is and run you out of town, she said in an email. He would never call you hateful names like you are doing to women and white people.

Signer said Tuesday night that the topic of the statues could come before the council again but that it may be difficult to have at least three councilors agree to put it on a future agenda.

The question will be whether there will be an appetite among my colleagues for revisiting the pain and chaos that attended Mr. Fenwicks actions and statements, Signer said.
Rep. Tom Garrett, R-5th, has been named to three committees in the House of Representatives, according to a news release from his office.

Garrett was selected to sit on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, House Committee on Homeland Security and House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Garrett said in the release that he is honored to have been chosen for these committees.

Having served overseas as an officer in the United States Army, I understand firsthand the threats we face and am eager to get to work to continue improving our relationships on the global stage while protecting the sovereignty and safety of these United States, he said.

Regarding his selection to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Garrett mentioned his Student Security plan he promoted during his campaign last year as a possibility to help address the student debt crisis.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to improve the learning environment for our students and continue pushing control over our schools to the localities, where they understand the needs of our children better than Washington, he said.
THE INTERNET - Noosphere - And on the twentieth day he was gone, an entity that had purged the earth of free speech, freedom and justice. Obama is no more.

I can feel the light coming through the clouds. I can see the clouds slowly parting as the sun shines over the gulag that is the internet today after eight fucking horrible years of Obama anti-free speech sovietization.

I look up to the heavens and say what I want to say without having all my backlinks erased because of a story I wrote, or some omnipotent internet authority threatening me with complete erasure for not complying with the Obama anti-free speech doctrine.

As the sunshine comes over the landscape the politically correct pieces of shit all look up and scream, their skin turns to dust as what remains of them are blown in the wind back down the drains where they came from. The Social Justice Warriors, an element of soviet conditioning try to run back into the darkness but are caught out by the the bright rays. They explode magnificently, blood, guts and their horrid authoritarian ideology disappear into the mire never to be seen again.

I look up and breathe a deep sigh of relief, my lungs take in pure air, not the putrid soviet Marxist polluted air of Obamas propaganda and his spendthrift waste.

There is purity again, a cleansing of socialist detritus, the mainstream Obama press, once omnipotent, now impotent.

Lo and behold, before me, above the horizon, the sun shines once again over the internet. Where there was a prison of controlled darkness, the spiders web, the octopus like grip lifts, now there is light, it dazzles the eyes with its powerful beam of freedom and truth.

In this truth beam, the real fake news is seen, and the holders of truth know that the trickery does not work any more. Their Mccarthyite witch hunt is destroyed in a single beam.

Obama is no more. His evil stench flounders, he is a no more man, a man with no birth, a man who is nothing once again, tortured in his own mind every day with his failure. He has not achieved anything apart from oppression. He slinks back into the darkness, a shadow, a cringing decrepit stain on humanity, a boil on the ass of indignity, a festering turd left to rot on the side of a toilet bowl in some dive bar in Hawaii.

Go back from whence you came. Your evil is not wanted any more. You have tried to kill the internet but you did not succeed, and you tried to kill freedom of speech and you did not succeed. You have maimed America, and watched as the world burned, and did nothing. Take your ludicrous inhibitive regulations, your gangrene ridden doctrine and flush hard, for it will all be erased soon, there will not be a trace left of your horrible tenure. You will have no legacy. Just nothing.

Go back to your crypt, in the dank darkness, where the excrement is knee deep, your dungeon will be your home from now on. In the darkness you will find comfort once again, for you sought to bring that darkness upon the earth but failed miserably.

We hope never to see your face again, or hear your fake words from your shit stained lips. Fuck you Obama. Fuck you.

NOW WATCH THIS VIDEO FOR THREE HOURS
Kennedy plane exhibit at the Air Force Museum is to temporarily close for restoration work.

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will temporarily close Air Force One (SAM 26000) from Jan. 23-Feb. 3, 2017, in order to complete a lighting upgrade with new LED lights and other conservation work.

The VC-137C was used by eight presidents including Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Clinton. However, it is most widely known as the aircraft that carried President Kennedy's body back to Washington, D.C. from Dallas after his assassination on Nov. 22, 1963, and served as the location where President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the new president.

According to museum curator Christina Douglass, while the short-term inconvenience is regrettable, the new lighting upgrades and conservation work will greatly enhance the visitor experience.

"The new LED lights will illuminate the interior much better than the current fixtures, are more cost effective than conventional lighting and also more artifact-friendly, which will help ensure SAM 26000's long-term preservation," said Douglass.

The aircraft is scheduled to re-open to the public on Feb. 4, 2017.
Tickets start at $25 (Plus service fees. Prices subject to change.)

"What happens when rock star charisma meets Celtic dervish fiddling." - Nashville's Music City Roots

Dubbed by The Washington Post as DCs most energetic and eclectic band SCYTHIAN (sith-ee-yin) belts out a high-energy, adrenaline-peddling, interactive brand of music with one goal in mind: to get people on their feet and dancing. These classically trained musicians are natural showmen who seamlessly blend kicked-up Celtic, folk and world music, and deliver it with a punk-rock sensibility. Combine this with the driving rhythm of a jazz percussionist, and youve got the ingredients for a show you wont soon forget. Plus, Daytons own Sons O Blarney will be opening for Scythian!
Mumbai: Private lender Axis Bank today reported a whopping 73 per cent decline in net profit at Rs 580 crore for the October-December quarter on account of rise in bad loans.

Net profit for the same quarter in the last fiscal stood at Rs 2,175 crore. However, total income of the bank rose to Rs 14,501 crore, from Rs 12,531 crore in the year-ago period. Other income (comprising fee, trading profit and

miscellaneous income) rose to Rs 3,400 crore as against Rs 2,338 crore during the same period last year. Axis Bank's portfolio quality deteriorated, with gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rising to 5.22 per cent of gross advances as against 1.68 per cent in the same quarter of the previous fiscal.

Its net non-performing assets also jumped to 2.18 per cent, from the earlier 0.75 per cent. For the first nine months of 2016-17, the bank's net profit also declined by 60 per cent to Rs 2,454 crore as against Rs 6,069 crore a year earlier.
New Delhi: India's largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel today said it plans to raise funds through private placement of bonds and debentures. "...We hereby inform you that the Board of Directors of the company in its meeting to be held on January 24, 2017 shall interalia consider raising of funds through issue of debentures and bonds through private placement," the company said in a BSE filing.

The company, however, did not disclose the quantum of funds that would be raised through the debt instruments. India, the world's second largest mobile market, has a subscriber base of 801.81 million as of November 2016 and Bharti Airtel enjoys the largest marketshare of 32.84 per cent.

During November, Bharti Airtel added 1.08 million additional subscribers, taking its total customer base to 263.35 million mobile subscribers. Vodafone, the second largest mobile operator in India market, has 202.79 million subscribers, followed by Idea Cellular at 187.68 million.
New Delhi: Beverages major Coca-Cola India today announced a new organisational structure, appointing Shehnaz Gill as franchise head ahead of implementation of GST that will convert the country into a 'single' national market.

Gill, a 12-year veteran of the Coca-Cola system, will take over the newly created role of Senior Vice-President Operations for India, the company said in a statement.

"He will serve as the Franchise Head for all the 14 bottlers operating in India and will report to Venkatesh Kini, President, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia," it added.

Coca-Cola India operates with 14 bottlers of parent The Coca-Cola Company in India, one of which is a company owned bottling entity  Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd.

Announcing the new structure, Kini said: "Under the new operating structure effective January 2017, the franchise management function of Coca-Cola India has been organised for geographical synergies instead of bottling territories."

He further said: "Now that we have built a solid foundation for our business over the last two decades, we are ready to embrace India as one national market with common commercial metrics, marketing calendars and market execution standards."

This will drive productivity, reduce duplication, leverage technology, enable digitisation and capitalise on the company's distribution scale, he added.

The new structure also enables the company's business to be a growth engine for Coca-Cola Company by capitalising on emerging opportunities like e-commerce, modern trade, new beverages and digitisation, while continuing to build on its wide reach in traditional trade, the statement said.

Gill re-joins Coca-Cola India system after serving as Vice President and General Manager, Upstate New York and Pennsylvania for Coca-Cola Refreshments. The company also named six region directors who will assist Gill in the operations.

These include Ravinder Singh for North; Ashish Jain, Delhi-NCR; Alka Shukla, Uttar Pradesh; Arpita Maitra, East; Alok Kohli, Central and West; Vikas Sunkad, South.

The new structure is only applicable to Coca-Cola India and the operating structure Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd (HCCB) remains intact. HCCB will continue to operate through its five Zonal Vice Presidents and Executive Director, Operations.
New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT)is investing Rs 3,000 crore for improving road connectivity and also looking to finalise Rs 2,000 crore-dredging project, a top government official said today.

Shipping Secretary Rajive Kumar said the port is "investing Rs 3,000 crore for a road connectivity project. They are just in the process of finalising Rs 2,000 crore (for) dredging project and they are investing about Rs 1,000 crore within the port for improving both the rail and road network."

He also said that operationalisation of the fourth terminal will double the capacity of JNPT "that they intend to start phase I in early 2018". Further, the official informed, the government is working to reduce cost of logistics for traders.

"We are looking at GST. We are also looking at roads having electronic toll collection so that the trucks need not stop everywhere," Kumar added. However, he said, the centre would have to negotiate with state governments to ensure that reduction of other local barriers for smooth movement of cargoes.

He was speaking at a function on 'Stimulating India's EXIM Growth - reducing the indirect costs of trade'. Speaking at the event, Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) A K Bhalla said that the country's exports are showing growth in the last three months.

He said under the WTO's trade facilitation agreement in goods, India is bound to bring lot of reforms. Under the foreign trade policy (FTP), the commerce ministry extends lot of incentives to facilitate exports under certain schemes, Bhalla said, adding "some of these schmoes are not going to be WTO compliant in the years to come where we crossed a certain threshold of GDP". There is a need to reduce cost of logistics and its impact on trade, he said.
Indore: Private sector HDFC Bank has set a target to provide training to 25,000 people, including businessmen, in Madhya Pradesh in carrying out cashless transactions at special camps.

"We will train 15,000 customers and 10,000 businessmen about the use and benefits of cashless transactions," HDFC Madhya Pradesh Unit's Zonal Head Sudesh Jaisinghani told reporters here today.

For this purpose, "Digital Literacy Camps" will be organised at 275 different places in the State. Jaisinghani informed that at present there are 130 branches of HDFC Bank in the State and 50 per cent of them are in semi urban and rural areas.

The leading private lender will open five new branches in the State in near future, he added.
New Delhi: Even as the Election Commission is yet to give a verdict whether Union budget could be presented on February 1, Finance ministry kicked off the process of printing of budget on Thursday with the traditional halwa ceremony at the North Block. After the Halwa ceremony, more than 100 officials of finance ministry will stay in Budget Printing Press in North Block till Union finance minister Arun Jaitley budget speech is over.

Budget Press in North Block houses all these officials in the period leading up to the presentation of Union Budget in the Parliament by the Finance minister. This is to maintain complete secrecy about the budget. These officers will gain touch with their near and dear ones only after the Union Budget is presented. Even journalists are banned from entering finance ministry during this period, except when some important announcements are to be made.

The annual budget is prepared by the budget division of Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) headed by the joint secretary (Budget) of the Ministry of Finance. To start the process, the budget division issues an annual budget circular every year. The opposition parties had written to the President and the Election Commission objecting to the presentation of the Union Budget on February 1 ahead of the Assembly elections in five states and demanded that the government be asked to defer the annual exercise.

Meanwhile, Election Commission has sought fresh details from the Cabinet Secretariat, including the procedure followed by the government to delay the presentation of the Union Budget in 2012. In another letter to the Cabinet Secretariat written on Wednesday the Commission has asked for a response by tomorrow morning, sources said. The poll watchdog has also sought details on the process involved in preparing and presenting the Union Budget.
Traders were speculating that the price increase may force the government to lower import duty.

New Delhi: India, the world's biggest sugar consumer, has no plan to lower import duty on the sweetener, at least in the near term, a government official said on Thursday.

Sugar prices in the local market have risen more than 10 percent in a month on an expected drop in production after back-to-back drought ravaged cane crop in the top producing western state of Maharashtra.

Traders were speculating that the price increase may force the government to lower import duty.

India's sugar production in 2016/17 is likely to fall to 22 million tonnes, down 4.3 percent from an earlier estimate, as mills in Maharashtra are closing early due to a cane shortage, industry officials told Reuters.
New Delhi: Niti Aayog is working on a bill to streamline regulatory framework for medical institutes and replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body.

The bill, which seeks to set up a National Medical Commission (NMC), will be placed before the Cabinet for approval soon. "The Niti Aayog is working on the proposed National Medical Commission Bill, 2016 and it is likely to be placed before the Cabinet soon," a senior government official said.

Last year, a high-level committee headed by Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya looked into the issue of poor regulation of medical education by MCI and proposed replacing MCI with NMC.

Besides Panagariya, the panel included Prime Minister's Additional Principal Secretary P K Mishra, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and the Union Health Secretary. After approval, NMC will become the main regulatory body and will take over all roles and responsibilities of MCI.

The new body will have eminent doctors and experts from related fields to steer medical education in the country so as to ensure quality of education is at par with global standards.

NMC will have around 19-20 members, including the chairman, and their tenure will be about five years. It will also have members from other fields such as economics and law.

It will have four boards -- Under Graduate Medical Board, Post Graduate Medical Board, Accreditation and Assessment Board and a board for registration of medical colleges as well as monitoring of ethics in the profession.

There will also be a Medical Advisory Council (MAC), with members from states who can be eminent professionals. There will be two members from Union Territories. NMC members will also be its members and its role will be advisory.

Last year, a parliamentary committee had called for revamping the MCI, saying it has failed in its role as a regulator which has led to a downfall in India's medical education system.
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley andother officials today participated in the 'halwa ceremony', a ritual which marks the process of printing documents for the Budget for 2017-18.

"After the Halwa ceremony, more than 100 officials of Finance Ministry will stay in Budget printing press till FM's Budget Speech is over," the ministry said in a series of tweets.

The ceremony, it said, marks the beginning of the printing of documents which are part of the Union Budget 2017-18. As part of the ritual, which has continued for long, 'halwa' is prepared in a big 'kadhai' (large frying pot) and served to the entire staff in the ministry. Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das, Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian and other officers and staff of the ministry involved with Budget preparation were also present.

The significance of the sweet dish is that after it is served, a large number of officials and support staff, who are directly associated with the Budget making and printing process, are required to stay in the ministry and remain cut off from their families till the presentation of the Budget by the minister in the Lok Sabha.

They are not even allowed to contact their near and dear ones through phone or any other form of communication, like e-mail. Only very senior officials in the Finance Ministry are permitted to go home.

The Budget, which will be the third full-fledged Budget of the present NDA government, is scheduled to be unveiled in Parliament on February 1 as against the usual date of last working day of the next month.

The lock-in which follows the 'halwa ceremony' is observed to maintain the secrecy of the Budget preparation process. Budget Press in North Block houses all these officials in the period leading up to the presentation of Union Budget in Parliament by the Finance Minister. The first Budget of Independent India was presented by R K Shanmukham Chetty on November 26, 1947.
New Delhi: Sebi has imposed a total penalty of Rs 14 lakh on seven firms for failing to resolve investor grievances and file Action Taken Reports (ATRs) for respective complaints in the market regulator's online complaint system.

The seven companies penalised by Sebi are In House Productions, Nimbus Industries, Classic Diamonds (India), Innoventive Venture, Atharv Enterprises, Cifco Finance and City Lifts India.

In seven separate orders, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has levied a fine of Rs 2 lakh each on the companies. Nimbus Industries failed to resolve two complaints pending against it, while the remaining six firms were having one investor grievance each pending against them.

The companies were required to view the complaints pending against them, redress them and submit ATRs electronically in SCORES. The firms, however, failed to redress the investor grievances within the prescribed time limit of 30 days.

According to Sebi norms, a company is required to take appropriate steps within seven days of receipt of complaint through SCORES, resolve the complaint within 30 days and file the ATR in SCORES within 30 days of receipt of the said complaint.

It is noted that the "disproportionate gain or unfair advantage made by the firms or loss caused to the investors" as a result of the failure to resolve investor complaints within the specified time and failure to file the ATR in the scores are not available on record.

"However, lack of due diligence demonstrated by the notice is a risk to the securities market and thus loss to the investors to that extent," Sebi said in similar-worded orders.
Mumbai: Deepika Padukone, who has successfully made her Hollywood debut with Vin Diesel starrer 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage', recently appeared on Ellens 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' where the actress revealed more than she intended to.

Looking at Vin and Deepikas on-screen natural chemistry, many wondered if it was only for the film and things changed once the camera stopped rolling. While in India, it was highly reported that the actress is dating her Bajirao Mastani, people overseas couldnt help but speculate a romantic relationship blooming between Deepika and Vin. While Vin left no occasion to praise his co-star Deepika, the actress was however mum on the entire dating rumours.

However, on Ellens show, Deepika got talking and boy, did she reveal few adorable details. Looking at the pictures of Vin and Deepika, Ellen couldnt help but ask her if they were indeed romantically involved. There is a romance going on, that's what you would get from that as well... Look at that face! Does that mean there is?, Ellen asked to which Deepika responded, Well, there is no smoke without fire.

When Ellen asked Deepika to elaborate, the star said, But, it's all in my head! So yeah, I mean in my head I think, like yeah, we are together and we have this amazing chemistry, and we live together and we have these amazing babies! But it's all in my head.

Clearly, Deepika has a major crush on Vin and well, who wouldnt?!
Mumbai: Joining a host of Tamil celebrities who've come forward against the Supreme Court's ban of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, eminent composer AR Rahman has decided to fast on January 20.

The composer took to Twitter to announce the same, revealing that he'd be doing so in support of the state as whole.

Earlier, Kamal Haasan had compared banning of Jallikattu to a hypothetical ban on biriyani, asking for a ban on the latter, if the former were justifiable.

Actors Suriya, Simbu, Shivakartikeyan etc had all come out in support of the sport, vociferously, and asked for a lift on the ban by the Apex court.

The state CM Pannerselvam had also reiterated the government's resolve to go ahead and conduct the sport. The government has also asked the Centre to promulgate an ordinance for the smooth functioning of the bull taming sport.
Mumbai: Director of an upcoming Telugu film was arrested today for allegedly hurting sentiments by depicting a religious symbol in poor light through some scenes on the complaint of a Bajrang Dal activist, police said.

The sleuths of Special Operation Team of Rachakonda Police Commissionerate apprehended Dasari Sairam from Film Nagar here.

Sairam is directing Devuda casting new artists.

"During the making of the movie, the director had included some scenes in which the hero character pours whiskey and cigarettes...," a senior police officer said.

Based on a complaint lodged by Bajrang Dal leader U Naveen, Neredmet Police registered a case under sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), 298 (uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to hurt the religious feelings of any person) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) of IPC.

Another case was registered on similar grounds against the director by Kachiguda police under Hyderabad police commissionerate.

Recently, teaser of Devuda was released on YouTube by the director and the film producer G Hari Kumar Reddy, prompting a complaint by a section of society saying it has hurt their religious sentiments, the officer said.

The clipping was taken out after Rachakonda police commissionerate brought the matter to the notice of YouTube management.

Sairam told interrogators that he had previously directed Lottery and Mitravinda movies with new artists.

He told police he decided to cast the particular scene in Devuda as he was 'inspired' by the visuals of certain rituals involving devotees purportedly telecast on two local news channels.

Efforts are on to nab the producer who is absconding. Further investigation is on.
The boy is the second "three-parent" baby after a similar baby was born in Mexico (Photo: AFP)

Kiev: A baby boy has been born in Ukraine to an infertile couple after the first ever use of a new technique using the DNA of three parents, the head of a Kiev fertility clinic said Wednesday.

The boy was conceived using DNA from his mother and father but also from an egg donor in a technique called pronuclear transfer, said Valeriy Zukin, director of the Nadiya private fertility clinic in Kiev. "It is the first delivery (using) pronuclear transfer all over the world," Zukin said.

The clinic said in a statement that the 34-year-old mother gave birth to a healthy boy on January 5 after trying for a baby for more than 15 years and undergoing several failed rounds of IVF

This became possible after the woman's eggs were fertilised with her partner's sperm, but then their nuclei were transferred to a donor's egg which had previously been stripped of its own nucleus.

As a result of the procedure, the egg was almost entirely made up of genetic material from the couple, plus a very small amount (some 0.15 percent) of the female donor's DNA.

Zukin said he hopes the pronuclear transfer technique could help other women whose embryos stop developing at a very early stage of development during cycles of IVF.

The boy is considered to be the second "three-parent" baby after a similar baby was born in Mexico in 2016 after the use of a different technique. Zukin said the pronuclear transfer method could be used to help women who suffer from a rare condition called embryo arrest.

Zukin estimated that annually some two million women across the world try to have a baby using IVF and around 1 percent of these suffer embryo arrest.

"So I think approximately 10-20 thousand women per year could be potential candidates for using this method," Zukin said.

Experts urged caution over using the method as a fertility treatment, however, stressing that it was intended for those at very high risk of passing on serious genetic disease.

"Caution and safety assessment is urged before widespread use of this technology," said Yacoub Khalaf, director of the Assisted Conception Unit at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London, quoted by the Science Media Centre website.
Washington: Majority of the non-human primates in the world - the apes, monkeys and lemurs - inhabiting the ever-shrinking forests of our planet face a

grim future, with about 60 per cent of them at the brink extinction, according to a new study.

"This truly is the eleventh hour for many of these creatures," said Paul Garber, professor at University of Illinois in the US. "Several species of lemurs, monkeys and apes - such as the ring-tailed lemur, Udzunga red colobus monkey, Yunnan

snub-nosed monkey, white-headed langur and Grauer's gorilla - are down to a population of a few thousand individuals," said Garber.

"Alarmingly, about 60 per cent of primate species are now threatened with extinction and about 75 per cent have declining populations," researchers said.

"In the case of the Hainan gibbon, a species of ape in China, there are fewer than 30 animals left," he said. Another critically endangered ape, the Sumatran orangutan, lost 60 per cent of its habitat between 1985 and 2007, Garber said.

These species face a host of threats, from hunting, the illegal pet trade and habitat loss as humans continue to log tropical forests, build roads and mine "in needlessly destructive and unsustainable ways," Garber said. "These primates cling to life in the forests of countries such as China, Madagascar, Indonesia, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo," he said.

"Sadly, in the next 25 years, many of these primate species will disappear unless we make conservation a global priority," he said. Just four countries - Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo - host two-thirds of all species of primates, researchers said, making these countries obvious targets for measures to halt - and perhaps even reverse - the global primate extinction trend.

Habitat loss as the result of road building, mining, logging and agriculture, along with hunting and illegal trade in animals and animal parts, is often tied to high rates of population growth and the poverty of communities living nearby, Garber said. "Addressing local poverty and easing population growth is a necessary component of primate conservation," he said.

"Building economies based on the preservation of forests and their primate inhabitants, and broadening educational opportunities for women would begin to address some of the greatest threats to these animals," he said. Of all the threats, however, the biggest is humanity's swelling agricultural footprint, Garber said.

"Agricultural practices are disrupting and destroying vital habitat for 76 per cent of all primate species on the planet," he said. "In particular, palm oil production, the production of soy and rubber, logging and livestock farming and ranching are

wiping out millions of hectares of forest," he said. The study was published in the journal Science Advances.
New Delhi: Hindus and Christians converted to Islam besides Muslims were among 52 people arrested for allegedly being ISIS terrorists, the National Investigation

Agency (NIA) said today, adding they included engineers and post-graduates.

Almost 80 per cent of the accused had formal schooling and rest went to Madrassas, it said.

The agency registered a highest of 12 Islamic State (ISIS) terrorism-related cases and arrested these accused last year. It is the highest number of cases and arrests made by the NIA in a year since its inception in 2009. In 2015, only two such cases were registered, the NIA said.

Those arrested for allegedly being ISIS operatives were of different age group. A total of 28 were in 18-25 year group, 20 between 25 to 40 years and four were above 40 years, it said.

A highest of 20 accused were graduates or engineers, 13 were matric passed, 12 were diploma holders, four were senior secondary passed while three were post-graduates with Master of Arts or Master of Computer Application degrees, the NIA said when releasing data on the arrests.

Giving details of the religious affiliations of the accused, the agency said 50 per cent belong to 'Ahle Hadith', 30 per cent to 'Tabligi/Jammat' and 20 per cent followed Deobandi.

Of these 52 Islamic State-influenced persons held by NIA, 85 per cent of them are Sunni Muslims and rest are converted from Hinduism and Christianity, a senior NIA official said.

These persons hailed from various states across the country. A highest of 12 belonged to Maharashtra, 11 from Kerala, 10 from Telangana, five from West Bengal, four from Uttar Pradesh, three from Tamil Nadu, two from Rajasthan and one each from Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Those arrested by the probe agency were of different income groups. As many as nine were from upper-middle income group, 30 from middle-income group and 13 from low-income group, the official said.

In 2016, a highest of 34 cases were registered by the NIA. Of these, 21 were related to Jihadi terrorism, five related to Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) and terror funding, three related to north east insurgency and two relating to Maoists, among others.

As many as 112 accused were arrested in these cases. Of them, 64 were held for their alleged involvement in Jihadi terrorism, 17 for north east insurgency, 12 for FICN and terror funding and three for left wing extremisms.
Cops are now checking if the driver was drunk at the time of the incident. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: An underage driver crashed his car killing one person and injuring another at Rajendranagar on Wednesday night. The B. Tech first-year student was driving so fast that the car shot off the road before ramming into the two people.

The 17-year-old driver was behind the wheel of a brand-new car, which was bought by his father just three weeks ago. Cops are now checking if the driver was drunk at the time of the incident.

Rajendranagar police has booked a case against the minor under IPC section 304A (for causing death by negligence). Police officials said the teens father. I. Anirudh, a trader from Attapur will also be booked for negligence and for giving his car to an underage driver who had no driver's licence.

The incident occurred at Gopalapuram village road at around 8.30pm, when the boy and his two cousins were traveling to Himayatsagar from their house at Attapur.

The boy was driving rash. He drove the vehicle so fast that it went off the road and moved towards a house by the side of the road. The victims were sitting in front of their house and the car crushed one them to death instantly. The survivor has sustained serious injuries to the legs and hip," sub inspector G. Rama Chandraiah, from the Rajendranagar police station, said.

The victim. P. Mallesh, 65, was killed on the spot. The second victim, Veerababu, works as a security guard and was rushed to a hospital by locals and police.

Investigating officials said that the driver had no experience behind the wheel and maintained that the parents were to blame.

It is utter negligence allowing the boy to drive, despite knowing that he did not have a driver's licence. Thats why we are initiating action against the father, said Rajendranagar Inspector V. Umender.
Kannur: In yet another incident of political violence in Kannur, a BJP worker was stabbed to death allegedly by CPI(M) activists at Andaloor in Dharmadam, the constituency of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The attack on Santosh (52) took place last night when he was alone in his house.

In another incident this morning, a country bomb was hurled at the RSS Karyalaya at nearby Thaliparamba. Though none was injured, the window panes of the office were damaged.

Though Santosh was rushed to the hospital, he died on the way, Kannur Superintendent of Police K P Philip said.

BJP is observing a hartal in the district, where the 57th state School Arts festival is now on. Shops and businesses have downed shutters and vehicles are off the roads.

A tense situation prevailed for nearly three hours as BJP wanted to take out the funeral procession of Santosh in front of the festival venue. When police denied them permission, the workers squatted on the road and protested.

However, following intervention of Kannur Collector Mir Mohammed Ali, the ambulance carrying the body and two cars were allowed to proceed by police.

There were stray incidents of stoning at various places in Kannur during the hartal.

Meanwhile, ruling CPI(M) today denied that its party workers were behind the murder. "CPI(M) was not responsible for the murder. Those who carried out the attack will not be protected," party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told reporters at Kochi.

Kodiyeri said he had spoken to the DGP and asked him to bring to book those responsible for the attack and added that it was doubtful if the murder was due to political rivalry.

CPI(M) Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan demanded a comprehensive probe and said the party was not behind the act. Opposition leader in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala alleged that there have been eight political murders after the CPI(M)-led LDF government came to power in May 2016.

In the constituency of the Chief Minister, who looks after the Home portfolio, four political murders had taken place so far, he said in a statement here.

KPCC President V M Sudheeran urged the BJP and CPI(M) to stop violent politics.

Meanwhile, BJP today demanded that central forces be deployed to bring peace in Kannur in north Kerala. The party will make this demand before the Home Secretary, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan, said at Kottayam.

"In Kannur city when government is organising the school arts festival, CPI(M) workers are killing people in party controlled villages", he alleged.

Within two months of peace talks chaired by the Chief Minister, four BJP workers had been killed and several others seriously injured, he said.

BJP workers waved black flags at the Chief Minister at Kasaragod where he was attending a function. they were removed from the spot by police.
New Delhi: A 26-year-old woman has accused her boyfriend and his two friends of allegedly raping her on New Year's Eve in east Delhi's New Ashok Nagar area, police said on Wednesday.

The woman told police she was in a relationship with the son of her landlord for the last two-and-half years and he had been raping her on the pretext of marriage, police said.

She left his house where she was staying on rent few months back and rented another house where the accused used to visit her, they added.

She alleged that he had promised to marry her but later went back on the promise, police said.

On December 31, he along with his friends, allegedly raped her at her house, they added.

The girl has been sent for medical examination and will be undergoing counselling.

While the main accused has been identified, police are trying to identify the other two accused, since the victim isn't sure about their identities, police said.
Prasad won as an independent candidate by a margin of over 1000 votes in previous elections. This was enough to prove how powerful he had been in this seat, he added.

Bengaluru: The ongoing tussle between two top leaders of BJP seems unlikely to mar the prospects of former revenue minister V Srinivas Prasad, who has announced his decision to contest the by-poll from Nanjangud Assembly constituency, as he holds sway over voters of this constituency.

"Bickering between state BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa and leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa is temporary as it will be resolved soon with an intervention by national BJP leaders. Their fight is not going to affect the prospects of Mr Srinivasa Prasad", says Mr K R Mohan Kumar, former chairman of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and a supporter of the former minister.

He said Mr Prasad had a strangle hold over the constituency and his victory was certain due to his close contact with voters. Given his stature, the political party does not matter as he had been attached with the constituency for over two decades. Mr Prasad won as an independent candidate by a margin of over 1000 votes in previous elections. This was enough to prove how powerful he had been in this seat, he added.

Of the total two lakh voters, there are around 50,000 Lingayat voters followed by Dalits at around 47,000 voters. Even Nayak, Kuruba and Uppar communities have around 50,000 votes. Since the beginning, Mr Prasad had a firm grip on Dalit voters and with him set to contest on a BJP ticket, there could be no doubt of securing the Lingayat votes. Moreover, the standoff between Mr Yeddyurappa and Mr Eshwarappa was not new as they had been at loggerheads on many issues but had reunited when it comes to party issue.

"Even we wish the issue to be sorted out at the earliest so that all BJP leaders could unitedly campaign for Mr Prasad," he added.

Commenting on Mr Yeddyurappa and Mr Eshwarappa crossing swords, Mr Prasad had recently said fighting was common in all parties that believed in democracy. While this issue came to the fore, there was internal bickering in the Congress which would surface on the eve of Assembly polls in 2018, he added.

2nd rung BJP leaders give BSY list of demands

Disgruntled second rung leaders of BJP, who met at former minister Sogadu Shivanna's residence in Bengaluru on Wednesday, reportedly decided to submit their demands to state unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa during a meeting called by the former chief minister to redress their grievances here on Thursday. These leaders decided to demand revocation of suspension of many leaders including Mr Shivanna and Mr Nandish. The leaders felt that loyalty of Mr Shivanna and Mr Nandish was indisputable and therefore their suspension would send a wrong message to the party cadre. The leaders also put forth a demand to replace office bearers and various district units as those belonging to erstwhile KJP were accommodated, leaving loyal BJP workers out.
The arrested were identified as Sivanandam (25) of Kosapet, Jasper (27) of Purasawalkam, Vijay (20) of Kosapet, Johnson (45) of Perambur and Dinesh (20) of Choolai.

Chennai: The missing case of a 23-year-old autorickshaw driver was solved on Wednesday with the arrest of five persons who confessed to have murdered him and dumped his body in a waterway near Perambur.

The arrested were identified as Sivanandam (25) of Kosapet, Jasper (27) of Purasawalkam, Vijay (20) of Kosapet, Johnson (45) of Perambur and Dinesh (20) of Choolai.

The prime suspect Ganesh who masterminded the murder is yet to be traced.

The missing man, Praveen Kumar (23), was a resident of Kaviyarasu Kannadasan Nagar X street.

He married his girlfriend Shabhana (21), of Purasaiwakkam, and had been living with for 5 months. Preliminary investigations revealed Sivanandam who introduced himself as an agent of a private firm supplying free SIM cards and befriended the deceased on the instructions of Ganesh. In course of time, Sivanandam introduced Praveen to Ganesh who was keen on eliminating him so as to get close to Shabhana.

On January 10, Sivanandam lured Praveen out of his house offering a used autorickshaw, which the latter was looking to buy. He took Praveen to Ganeshs courier firm where the rest of the gang joined for a binge session.

After Praveen got drunk, the gang hacked him to death. They packed the body in a cardboard carton and later dumped it in Otteri Nula. The couple, after marriage, had moved to Kodungaiyur. Shabhana, in her complaint, stated that Ganesh had been trying to win her over though she was married and that she was only committed to Praveen. According to her, Ganesh, had first expressed his love for her two years ago when she was already in a relationship with Praveen.

She claims she never approved Ganesh who began making advances after she got married to Praveen. We are examining whether her claims are genuine. We expect to get the complete story soon after we get to Ganesh, said a police official privy to the investigation.

Police said Jasper is a college dropout and had pursued his B.Sc. computer science course at a private college in the city and is employed by Ganesh. The rest were friends of Ganesh and who helped him in his business as well.
The victim was left with bruises after he was beaten up. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: A Manipuri youth who was working as a quality auditor with a BPO has accused the company's owner and staff of beating him up.

The victim said that the company suspected him of data theft that led to a loss of the company and that they snatched his phone and accessed his emails.

Recalling his ordeal, the victim said he was called to the cabin of the manager after he reached the office on January 13. He was then questioned in the presence of bouncers.

"It was on January 13 when the incident took place. As soon as I reached the office I have noticed a strange thing that there were four bouncers. Around 12 a.m. he called everyone and asked me about charge back. For 15 minutes I was hit through belt and after that I fainted. They made me parade naked," he said.

The Manipuri youth has come to the capital 6 years ago.

Meanwhile a case has been registered in Udyug Vihar Police station under sections 148, 149, 323 and 506.
New Delhi: Two sisters on Wednesday sought help from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in bringing back their mother who is stuck in Oman after being allegedly ill-treated by recruitment agents.

The women from Haryana sought her help through twitter.

Swaraj responding to their complaint asked Indian Embassy in Muscat to "file a case against the persons who indulged in human trafficking and ill-treated our national."

"@ProtectorGenGOI Pl take stringent action against this agent. We must take this to the logical conclusion./3 @Indemb_Muscat," Swaraj tweeted.

"The lady is in our shelter home. If possible please repatriate her," she asked Indian Ambassador in Oman.
Madurai: In the city of goddess Meenakshi, women power was in display with fervour at Tamukkam where around 13,500 college students, 4,500 of whom were college girls, converged raising the banner to save jallikattu.

In the temple city where young girls rarely participate in public protests as in metropolitan cities, college girls came out to display their enthusiasm, all of them doing so with the permission of their parents.

The college girls who had formed a WhatsApp group  We support jallikattu  to constantly update on various developments related to the students protest, gathered at an arterial road today after they received a message in the group from 200 students camping overnight in Tamukkam on Tuesday, to show their strength in public.

As Tamilians we know what jallikattu is. We want jallikattu  the girls were seen raising such slogans repeatedly in unison at the protest site.

Students from almost all the arts and science colleges, who had abandoned their classes, came in a rally of two-wheelers to protest sites in Goripalayam,

Thalakulam and Simmakkal. Vehicle traffic came to a standstill in the city for nearly two hours during the rally. Witnessing the spontaneous outburst of the students, citizens of various places in and around Madurai staged protests to express their solidarity with the students.

In Alanganallur, the protest continued for the third day with the youth released by the police joining with the villagers in demanding that the Central government pass a special law for the conduct of jallikattu within this month.

While the protesting students refused to allow politicians including Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman to join them, they spared former Union Minister M.K. Alagiris son Durai Dayanandhi only after he told them `I am participating in the protest as a Maduraiite for a Tamil cause,

The political vocabulary articulated by the girl students in the protest venue clearly expressed their social and cultural position to safeguard Tamil identity. In the last two years, we have clearly understood that the Centre and state were not interested in safeguarding Tamil culture. If the Prime Minister Modi could make an overnight announcement on demonetisation of currency notes, why is he not taking similar steps to pass law to remove the bull from list of performing animals, asks Aishwaraya, an engineering college student.

A group of students joined her stating the BJP government also cheated Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery water issue. We are no more going to believe the politicians, jallikattu is our right and we will safeguard it at any cost, they said.

The protest venue also saw students raising slogans against PM Modi, the TN Chief Minister, O Panneerselvam, actor Trisha and Subramanian Swamy. The students were seen continuing their protest till late evening.

A senior police officer who visited the spot said that it was a democratic right of the students to continue their protest in peaceful manner. The girl students opined that they were treated with dignity at the protest venue.
Youngsters and students during a protest to lift the ban on jallikattu and impose ban on Peta, at Kamarajar Salai, Marina Beach in Chennai on Wednesday.(Photo: DC)

Chennai: Jallikattu protests got stronger with over 50,000 youth gathering at the Marina beach even as numerous protests sprang up in several more parts of the state. Wednesday saw the protesters, mostly youth and students, becoming restless and coming out with acidic comments, some even bordering on secession.

Questions were raised on Indias integrity and one of the students who spoke to television channels in Pudukottai said We have been Tamils for thousands of years and we are part of India only for the last 70 years.

Besides, the protests seemed to be the result of pent-up anger and frustration among Tamil Nadu youth on a host of issues like the refusal of the Centre to form the Cauvery Management Board and taking back Katchatheevu, as youth were speaking about those issues too at several places.

The stand of the Centre opposing the Supreme Court verdict to form the CMB was repeatedly cited by most of the protesters who said If the Centre and Karnataka government could refuse to follow the Supreme Court order, why should Tamil Nadu follow the SC verdict on jallikattu?

If the solution providers delay reaching out to the students and pacifying them and patching up, things may threaten to go out of control.

There are indications of extremists infiltrating into the protests and the intelligence agencies are particularly disturbed about the fact that in places like Madurai, the agitations going into the hands of organisations like Naam Tamizhar movement.
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution seeking return of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits and members of other communities, uprooted in the aftermath of the outbreak of insurgency in 1989-90, to the Valley.

The resolution was moved in the House, currently in its budget session in winter capital Jammu, by former Chief Minister and Opposition National Conference (NC) working president, Omar Abdullah.

Besides Kashmiri Pandits, people from other communities including Sikhs who also migrated from the Valley due to the turmoil that hit it should return. This House should pass a resolution so that all those people return to Kashmir, Abdullah said.

Speaker Kavendra Gupta agreed, but he said that conducive atmosphere should be created for their safe return.

Responding to Abdullahs demand, Minister for Public Works and Parliamentary Affairs, Abdur Rehman Veeri, said: They (Kashmiri Pandits and others) are our part and bringing them back is what keeps our conscience alive. We accept the need to bring our people who left back and thus a resolution is being passed here.

Majority of the Valleys minority Hindu Brahmins, referred to as Pandits, fled their homes after the demand for aazadi burst into a major violence towards the end of 1989. Some families of Sikhs and Muslims also migrated from the Valley.

As per the official statistics, at present there are nearly sixty thousand registered Kashmiri migrant families in the country. About 38,119 registered Kashmiri migrant families are residing in Jammu, 19,338 in Delhi and 1,995 are settled in other states.

However, Sanjay K. Tickoo, president of Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS) that represents a few thousand Pandits who stayed put when majority of the community fled the Valley in 1990, disputes the official figures. He says as many as 75,343 families (367,289 people) opted for migration.

Abdullah, while speaking in the House, said, Today it has been 27 years since they (Kashmiri Pandits and some Sikh and Muslim families) left the Valley and we should rise above politics and pass a resolution in the House for their comeback.

Independent MLA and leader of regional Awami Itehad Party (AIP), Sheikh Abdur Rashid, however, accused Abdullah of trying to appease the Pandits. While opposing the resolution, he said that since no Kashmiri (Muslim) is opposed to return of Pandits there was no need to pass a resolution.

If Abdullah or Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is really so concerned about return of migrants, they should also speak about thousands of families that were forced to migrate to other side of the Line of Control (LoC) from Keran, Karnah, Uri, Poonch, Gurez and other areas along the frontier to escape the security forces atrocities.

He lashed out at Abdullah for forgetting about the fate of the resolution passed by the House for the restoration of autonomy. Just passing resolutions is of no use unless government shows the required maturity, sincerity, seriousness, practicality and commitment over serious issues, he said.

He also said, It was a known fact that Kashmiri Pandits do visit the Valley on and off and as such it is their choice when they decide to settle permanently at their ancestral places. The resolution is nothing but an act of appeasement to Kashmiri Pandits and to give a notion that the issue of return of migrant Pandits is the only burning issue (sic).

The states education minister and government spokesperson, Naeem Akhter, said that Kashmiri Muslims need Pandits more than Pandits need Kashmiri Muslims. There is ethnic imbalance in the place where only one type of people live. Migration was a horrific part in the history, he told reporters outside the House. He added that there was instantaneous need for the return of Kashmiri Pandits otherwise it can be the end of a civilization. He echoed the thoughts of Mufti, her predecessor Abdullah and host of other Kashmiri politicians that Kashmir is incomplete without Pandits and they will have to return. Pandits need to be made part of economic stake and development as it will help bringing them back, he added.

When asked how can civilization be settled in separate colonies planned by the government for the Pandits in the Valley, Akhter said such confusions are a media creation.

The Jammu and Kashmir government had early last year identified seven places in number of districts of the Valley to set up separate clusters for displaced Kashmiri Pandits and soon started work despite stiff opposition from separatists and even a few mainstream political parties.

Also, some Pandit outfits and activists publicly voiced their concern over the preference of the PDP-BJP government as they believed it would only add to bitterness and widen the gap between the Valleys minority and majority populations.

Amid the hullaballo, Key separatist leaders had announced to set up a committee to hold discussions with Pandit representatives on the issue and asked them why they cant return to their original places of residence and live side by side with their old Muslim neighbours.

However, the unrest triggered by the killing of popular militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8, seen as worst law and order situation witnessed in Kashmir in decades, paralysed the government and enfeebled political system in the scenic Valley and, in its impact, the numbness caused to the administration forced the government to put many ventures on hold.
Ferozepur: SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday said Aam AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal should tell Punjabis why he was "soliciting and getting funds from front organisations of militants."

It was clear that Kejriwal was not only "courting militants front organisations but was also receiving funds from them," he said.

"He should tell Punjabis what deal he has struck with the radical elements who are bent on disturbing the hard won peace of Punjab. Why are you holding breakfast meetings with the Akhand Kirtani Jatha which is a front organisation of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)?

"Why did you meet Mokhan Singh of the United Akali Dal, which was the main organiser of the separatist conclave held at Tarn Taran?" Badal asked.

Asking Kejriwal to disclose how much funds he had received from abroad as well as the antecedents of those who had sent the funds, the SAD president said if the AAP leader did not tell this it would be proved that he was mixed up with separatists.

He claimed that Kejriwal had assured radical elements that he would hand over control of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to them in lieu of their support.

Immediately after this deal was struck attempts were made to incite violence in the state, Badal asked.

Speaking about empty threats being made by Congress leader, he said former chief minister Amarinder Singh had registered cases and even arrested members of the Badal family.

"But both the family as well as SAD, which Amarinder wanted to finish off as a political entity, emerged stronger.

Badal Sahab is not afraid of jail. He has spent more than 17 years in jail. It is you who is afraid of jail.

"You chickened out and sought bail when faced with going to jail for a single day. Your nemesis will also come soon with your serving a jail term for criminal defamation being a certainty," the SAD president said.

"You have tried to delay the inevitable but will soon find yourself behind bars and will be taught a just lesson for defaming Punjabis," he added.
Youngstres and students during a protest to lift the ban on Jallikattu and impose ban on PETA, at Kamarajar Salai, Marina Beach in Chennai. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today preferred to stay away from the pro-Jallikattu protests across Tamil Nadu and said the issue of protecting the agitating supporters of the bull-taming sport can be raised before the Madras High Court.

"Let the Madras High Court deal with it. You (petitioner) go there. Why do you come all the way to Supreme Court," a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud told a petitioner advocate who mentioned his plea seeking protection to the protestors who have assembled in large numbers at the Marina beach in Chennai for the third day today.

Advocate N Rajaraman, who mentioned the plea before the bench, said the protestors should not be assaulted like the Ramlila Maidan incident of 2011 where Baba Ramdev supporters were baton-charged by police.

He said the court should take suo motu cognizance of the development and provide relief to the pro-Jallikattu agitators. The bench, however, asked the petitioner to approach the High Court for relief.

Youngstres and students during a protest to lift the ban on Jallikattu and impose ban on PETA, at Kamarajar Salai, Marina Beach in Chennai. (Photo: PTI)

The development came on a day Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek promulgation of an ordinance to allow Jallikattu amid widespread protests in the state against the ban on the sport.

The apex court had reserved its verdict on December 7 last year on a batch of petitions challenging the Centre's notification allowing the sport.

On the next day, the Centre had issued a notification lifting the ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu with certain restrictions, which was challenged in the apex court by Animal Welfare Board of India, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals India, a Bangalore-based NGO and others.

The Supreme Court had on January 21 last year refused to re-examine its 2014 judgement banning use of bulls for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races across the country.

Youngsters stage a protest condemning the ban on Jallikattu at Tamukkam in Madurai. (Photo: PTI)

It had also stayed the January 8 notification of Centre and questioned the Centre over the notification allowing use of bulls in events like Jallikattu, saying that its 2014 verdict banning the use of the animals cannot be "negated".

The court in its 2014 judgement had said that bulls cannot be used as performing animals, either for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races in the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country, and had banned their use across the country.

The apex court had also earlier declared Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009 as constitutionally void, being violative of Article 254(1) of the Constitution.
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu government will soon take steps to enable holding of Jallikattu event with support from the Centre, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today said after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We will take steps with the backing of the Centre. You will soon see (the steps). Wait, good will happen," he told reporters after the meeting in which he urged the Central government to issue an ordinance to enable the sport to be conducted.

Modi told the Chief Minister that he fully understood the sentiments of Tamil Nadu people on the Jallikattu issue.

"I am aware of the feelings of the people," Modi was quoted by the Chief Minister as having told him.

After the Chief Minister pressed for immediate steps for promulgation of an ordinance, the Prime Minister told him that the matter was in the Supreme Court but the Centre would support any steps taken by the state government on this.

Panneerselvam also recalled that AIADMK chief Sasikala has written a letter to the Prime Minister seeking Centre's ordinance to hold the sport.

The Chief Minister said he told the Prime Minister that Jallikattu is an age-old heritage of Tamil Nadu and a sport symbolising bravery and that it should be allowed.

Meanwhile, massive protests in support of Jallikattu continued for the third day on Thursday at the Marina beach in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu, with hundreds more joining the agitation.

Unfazed by the Chief Minister's call to withdraw protests thousands of volunteers remained steadfast on their demand for holding the bull-taming sport in the state. They vowed to continue the stir till they got a positive response on it.

Agitations continued in various parts of the state, including Alanganallur, the usual hub of the Jallikattu event, with students and many others joining the stir.

On Wednesday, Panneerselvam and AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala had reiterated their commitment to holding Jallikattu with the former air-dashing to Delhi to meet Modi and seek an ordinance for its conduct.

Sasikala had also assured that the government will move a resolution in the ensuing session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly and unanimously adopt it with the support of all parties in the House.

In Madurai, District Collector Veeraraghava Rao said the protests against the ban on Jallikattu in the last few days had been peaceful.

He told the protesters that the government was taking "all efforts to organise Jallikattu."

"Jallikattu is part of Tamil culture and was necessary to protect the culture. Just as we rear cows in our house and do pooja, we also rear bull and hold bull games... it was in our culture. There is nothing wrong in fighting for protecting the culture. But it should be peaceful", he told them.

Those participating in the protest were being provided food and water. They are at the same venue since the agitation started, he said.

In Tiruchirappalli, protests continued for the second day today and it did not affect the normal life of people. The protesters wanted an order from the Supreme Court, which imposed a ban on Jallikattu, in favour of the sport striking a balance between the sentiments of Tamil Nadu people and the animal lovers.

The protesters also demanded a ban on PETA, which opposes the bull taming sport.

In Puducherry, students of various educational institutions continued their agitation in favour of the bull taming sport boycotting classes for the second day.

Thousands of students from various institutions and volunteers of various youth outfits were holding protests in the sprawling AFT mill ground on Puducherry-Cuddalore road raising slogans in support of Jallikattu and seeking ban on PETA.

Members of various non-political outfits also formed a human chain in the city to register their solidarity with the agitation.
New Delhi: Meeting a delegation of Muslim Ulemas and intellectuals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hailed the Indian youth for resisting radicalization and asserted that the country's culture, traditions and social fabric will never allow the nefarious designs of the terrorists or their sponsors to succeed.

Modi told the delegation that it was "our collective responsibility" to take this heritage forward, a PMO statement said here. "The delegation congratulated the Prime Minister on the steps taken by the Union government for inclusive growth, socio-economic and educational empowerment of all sections of the society including Minorities," the statement said.

"The Prime Minister said that youth in India has successfully resisted radicalization, which has affected several parts of the world today," it said.

The credit for this must go to the "long, shared heritage of our people" and that "it is now our collective responsibility to take this heritage forward", Modi told the delegation, which included Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, Chief Imam of All India Organisation of Imams of Mosques, AMU Vice Chancelleor Lt Gen (Retd) Zameeruddin Shah and Jamia Millia Vice Chancellor Talat Ahmed.

He said "the culture, traditions and social fabric of India will never allow the nefarious designs of the terrorists, or their sponsors, to succeed", the statement said.

The Prime Minister also stressed on the importance of education and skill development, which is the key to gainful employment, and upliftment from poverty.

The delegation also included MY Eqbal, former judge of the Supreme Court and Shahid Siddiqui, Urdu journalist.

During the course of the interaction, the Prime Minister appreciated the government of Saudi Arabia for its decision to increase the number of Haj pilgrims for India, saying there is a positive image of Indian Muslims abroad.

The Muslim delegation was also appreciative of the Saudi governments decision and thanked Modi for having successfully pursued the same, the PMO statement said.

"The delegation congratulated the Prime Minister for his efforts to strengthen relations with the countries across the world and said that today every Indian in every corner of the world is instilled with a sense of pride," the PMO said.

"The delegation, in one voice, supported wholeheartedly the campaign launched by the Prime Minister against corruption and black money," the statement said.

The delegation agreed that the fight against corruption will benefit the poor people including the Minorities the most, it added. Members of the delegation also praised the Prime Minister for his efforts towards Swachh Bharat, the statement said.

Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar were also present on the occasion.

Later, Modi tweeted, "Had in-depth discussions with a delegation of Ulemas, intellectuals & academicians from the Muslim community."

He added, "We exchanged views on Swachh Bharat Mission, foreign policy, education, skill development and the need to fight corruption & black money."

The Prime Minister said he also spoke about how "the great culture, traditions and social fabric of India will always stand as a bulwark against radicalisation among youth".

Naqvi said the Prime Minister had "good discussions" with the 38-member delegation for more than one-and-a-half hours during which a range of issues were discussed.

Talat Ahmed, when contacted, said the Prime Minister responded "positively" to the issues deliberated upon. "He was very happy to meet the delegation. We thanked him for the work he is doing for the community, especially for ensuring the increase in Haj quota," said the Jamia Millia Islamia University Vice Chancellor.

He said the Prime Minister was positive on various issues discussed. "The most important thing for empowering the community is education. In addition to that, the Prime Minister stressed on skill development," he said.

Mohammed Atique, general secretary of Rajasthan's Marawar Muslim Educational and Welfare Society seconded Ahmed said, "We thanked the Prime Minister for Haj quota related development."

Saudi Arabia had last week increased India's annual Haj quota by 34500, largest such expansion in nearly three decades.
The woman claimed that the surrogacy agreement was made in January 2016, while the surrogate child was delivered in September 2016, less than nine months from the date of agreement which is normally not possible. (Photo: Representational Image)

Mumbai: A 43-year-old woman has filed a police complaint against her husband alleging that her husband had a surrogate male child by entering into an agreement with another woman without her consent, which she came to know later through an RTI query.

The complainant, a housewife and mother of two girls, said, "I first filed a criminal complaint in October 2016 against my husband when I was thrown out of the home because I could not deliver a male child and also as I had refused to go for a sex-determination test."

Later, she filed another police complaint of domestic violence and cruelty meted against her husband. In this case, she also alleged that her husband had gone for a surrogate child without her consent.

The aggrieved woman claimed that she learnt that her husband had brought home a male child. In response to her RTI query, Police in suburban Mulund informed her that the child was a surrogate son of her husband.

The woman then filed a police complaint alleging that she was not consulted on the surrogacy. Moreover, she said there was no need to go in for surrogacy as she already has two daughters.

Another ground cited by the woman was that the surrogacy agreement was made in January 2016, while the surrogate child was delivered in September 2016, less than nine months from the date of agreement which is normally not possible.

According to the woman's lawyer, Siddhvidya, the case revealed how the surrogacy provisions are misused. In this particular case, the child was born merely 8 months and five days from the date of the agreement, which indicates that sex was pre-determined, the lawyer said. When contacted, the complainant's husband declined to comment.
Rescuers and relief works in progress at the site of accident where Patna-Indore Express train derailed near Pukhrayan village in Kanpur Dehat district. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has written to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) demanding that the case surrounding the Kanpur train tragedy be handed over to it for further probe.

The Delhi Police had earlier this month picked up two people from Bihar in connection with the train derailment, which took place in Kanpur on November 21 last year.

The Bihar Police has claimed that derailment was planned and funded by anti-India elements based in Dubai.

So far, three have been arrested for planting a bomb on railway tracks in the state on October 1 last year.

The Home Ministry had on Wednesday sent a two-member NIA team to Motihari for investigation into the Bihar Police's claims that the derailment of Indore-Patna Express was carried out at by a Nepal gang that has links with Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

The claims were reportedly based on disclosures by three arrested men - Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar and Mukesh Yadav.
New Delhi: India on Thursday reacted strongly to reports that British Parliament may debate on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, saying there is no room for a third party role in the matter.

Noting that the government was aware of the development, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "Our position on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is very clear that all issues between India and Pakistan are to be resolved bilaterally and peacefully in accordance with Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration.

"There is no room for third party."

According to reports, UK's House of Commons was likely to debate on J&K issue which was proposed by the Backbench Business Committee following an application from British MP David Nuttall.

The motion to be debated said, "That this House notes the escalation in violence and breaches of international human rights on the Indian side of the LoC in Kashmir; calls on the Government to raise the matter at the UN Nations.

"And further calls on the Government to encourage Pakistan and India to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution on the future governance of Kashmir based on the right of the Kashmiri people to determine their own future in accordance with the provisions of UN Security Council resolutions," as per the reports.
New Delhi: Over Rs 80.44 crore of cash, 3 lakh litres of liquor and narcotics valued at Rs 6.55 crore have been seized, with the maximum from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, by EC-appointed surveillance and expenditure monitoring teams in the five poll-bound states.

As per official data compiled till yesterday, UP has witnessed the maximum seizure of Rs 71.32 crore (Rs 31.65 lakh in old notes) followed by Rs 8.81 crore from Punjab, Rs 25.54 lakh in Uttarakhand and Rs 6.95 lakh in Manipur.

In other illegal inducements suspected to be used to lure voters in these states, a whopping 2.71 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 7.71 crore has been seized by Election Commission appointed police and state excise teams in UP followed by 1,1809 litres spirits worth Rs 20.04 lakh seized in Punjab and 6,284 litres worth Rs 16.53 lakh on Uttarakhand.

Drug seizures by the anti-narcotics agencies and police teams was seen maximum in Punjab as the haul valued at Rs 5.54 crore, followed by Rs 68.14 lakh seized in UP, Rs 16.72 lakh in Goa, Rs 9.66 lakh in Uttarakhand and Rs 7 lakh in Manipur.

Officials said a total of "Rs 80.44 crore in cash, about 3 lakh litres of liquor and an estimated Rs 6.55 crore worth narcotics have been seized in the five poll-bound states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur, till data recorded upto January 18."

The EC has appointed about 200 election expenditure observers apart from other central observers to keep a check on black money and illegal inducements used to bribe voters at the hustings in these states.

The Assembly elections in these five states will be held between February 4 and March 8. Counting of votes for all states will take place on March 11.
Chennai: Caving into relentless pressure, Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Wednesday night left for New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demand promulgation of an ordinance for conduct of Jallikattu. Earlier, he had made a passionate plea to protesting students to call off their agitation.

Mr Panneerslvam, along with AIADMK MPs, will meet Mr Modi at his office in New Delhi on Thursday at 10.30 am and brief him about the students' protest in Tamil Nadu, which is gathering strength by each passing day. He would convey to the PM the sentiments of the people of the state on the ban on jallikattu imposed by the Supreme Court.

In a statement issued on Wednesday evening even as the students protest at the Marina Beach entered a second day, Mr Panneerselvam said the power to issue an ordinance to allow conduct of jallikattu rests only with the central Government and the State government has been taking efforts to bring this about.

The peaceful protests by students and the general public have demonstrated our resolve to give voice for protecting our culture and identity. The Tamil Nadu Government, which is imbibed with the sentiments of the people, will continue its efforts to ensure that jallikattu is held, the CM said in a statement. He said he will be meeting the Prime Minister on Thursday to demand immediate promulgation of an ordinance to allow jallikattu. Hence, I appeal to people who are involved in the protests to give up their agitation, Mr Panneerselvam said in the statement. As protesters targeted him and his government along with the Centre for inaction on jallikattu issue, the Chief Minister pointed out steps taken by his predecessor late Jayalalithaa.

TN Government placed strong arguments in favour of jallikattu in the SC and I am hopeful that the apex court would pronounce a verdict in favour of us. If jallikattu has to be held before the verdict , an ordinance can be brought only by the Centre, Mr Panneerselvam said.
Chennai: The protest against the ban on jallikattu intensified with thousands of students across the Union Territory continuing their agitation for the second consecutive day on Wednesday. The students from various educational institutions including schools and colleges boycotted their classes and staged a sit-in dharna at the AFT mill ground here.

The protesters asked the central and state government to take immediate steps to allow the bull taming sport and ban animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta).

Jallikattu is not just a sport, but part of culture and tradition of Tamil Nadu, the students said. Carrying placards and banners the students formed a human chain and raised slogans condemning the ban. The agitators also criticised and raised slogans against Lt Governor Kiran Bedi for her remarks on jallikattu. The protesters also demanded the chief minister V. Narayanasamy to address the students.

Security in AFT grounds has been tightened as students and youth continue to pour in. At the same time, volunteers of various Tamil organisation and youth outfits conducted a demonstration at various points in Puducherry. Supporting the protest, the lawyers in Puducherry said that they would boycott the courts.
Hyderabad: A photo-session on the premises of the Telangana State Legislative Council has led to a spar between two ruling TRS MLCs on Wednesday.

MLCs Farooq Hussain and Mohd Saleem almost came to the blows with each other over sharing of a seat during the photo-session held on the concluding day of the winter session of the state Legislature.

When the MLCs occupied the seats for a group photo, excise minister T. Padma Rao Goud arrived there. Noticing the minister, Mr Hussain asked Mr Saleem to vacate his seat for the minister and take another seat behind.

This angered Mr Saleem who raised severe objection over Mr Hussain asking him to vacate the seat. This led to heated arguments between the two. At one stage, both the MLCs hurled abuses at each other almost came to the blows. Legislative Council chairman Swamy Goud and other MLCs intervened and pacified the both.

Taxmen to prosecute TRS MLA

A TRS MLA and Raichur-based Navodaya Education Trust chairman Sunki Rajender Reddy, has been prosecuted by the directorate of income-tax (investigation), Karnataka and Goa on the grounds of alleged tax evasion under Section 276C (1) and 277 of the Income-Tax Act and causing a huge loss of revenue to the Central government, said an official source.

The prosecution follows the search and seizure operations, which were conducted by the taxmen at the Navodaya Education Trust in December 2015.

During the search, the income-tax officials had reportedly seized `20 crore in cash along with some incriminating documents.

The prosecution against Mr Reddy was launched in November last year before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Raichur and subsequently he got an anticipatory bail the Principal Sessions Court, Raichur.

Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Reddy said, It is an old case. Taxmen had seized records and money from my education institute located in Raichur. Today I believe they have filed a case before the I-Tax Assessment Officer. After this, they will serve a notice to which I need to reply. Then it will go to Tax tribunal. I am confidant can able to come out of this.
New Delhi: Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik is likely to be questioned by National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is scanning his 78 bank accounts, and real estate investments worth at least Rs 100 crore in and around Mumbai by him and his associates.

The probe agency, which had in November last year registered a case against Naik and others under anti-terror law for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, has found role of 23 entities including individuals and corporates linked to the preacher, NIA sources said on Thursday.

The NIA has questioned around 20 associates of Naik, including his sister Nailah Naushad Noorani, in connection with its investigation, they said.

"We have sought certain documents including income tax returns and others. Besides this, 78 bank accounts in different banks of the country, are also being scanned. Once examination is done, we intend to summon Zakir Naik for questioning," a source said.

The sources said that the agency has written to the banks seeking details of these accounts including transactions. At least Rs 100 crore have been allegedly invested in real estate by Naik and his associates in and around Mumbai.

The NIA officials have found complicated movement of money in the financial transactions made by people involved in the case, they said, adding that the role of Mumbai-based Harmony Media Pvt Ltd--involved in production of religious and educative videos--is being looked into in this case.

Naik's Non-Government Organisation (NGO), Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), has been banned by the central government under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The speeches of Naik, who is currently out of the country apparently to evade arrest, are banned in the UK, Canada and in Malaysia.

The Home Ministry has found that the NGO was allegedly having dubious links with Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, accused of propagating terrorism.

According to the Home Ministry, Naik, who heads the IRF, has allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda.
Hyderabad: The Centre has extended Rs 800 crore financial assistance to Telangana state government for its efforts to supply safe drinking water to 1,041 fluoride-hit villages through the Mission Bhagiratha.

Sanitation expert and Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) secretary Parameshwaran Iyer, who met Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday said the funds will be released soon. Earlier, Mr Iyer held a video conference with district collectors from Secretariat to review the progress of Mission Bhagiratha.

Mr Rao informed him that Mission Bhagiratha is a unique scheme in the country in many ways and under this programme, people will be protected from 70 water borne diseases by providing filtered drinking water.

He said along with the pipelines, internet cables are being laid to provide internet connection to all households.
New Delhi: A bank has a relationship of fidelity with its customers and it cannot share their personal information or financial statement with anyone else, Delhi state consumer commission has said while holding a private bank guilty of deficient service by providing account details of a woman to her estranged husband without her consent.

The state commission also asked HDFC Bank Ltd to pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 to the complainant, whose financial details were given to her husband with whom she had strained relations owing to a matrimonial dispute.

"The relation of the bank and the customer is of fidelity and therefore, bank cannot supply financial statement or any information to another person except that of the court order," the commission said.

"Considering the totality of facts and circumstances, the only conclusion drawn is that the statements were provided to the husband with the connivance of the bank officials. The same amounts to deficiency in service on part of the bank...,"

IT said while dismissing the bank's appeal against a district forum order directing it to pay the compensation.

"Financial statements have been provided to the husband of the complainant (woman), who is having strained relationship and ultimately she had to undergo mental agony pain and sheer suffering," the commission said.

According to the complaint filed by Delhi resident Gurpreet Kaur, on April 3, 2009 her salary account details were released by the bank to her husband without her consent and knowledge.

The bank, while denying the allegation, had claimed that it got a formal application for the release of account details but failed to submit it before the commission saying it was unable to trace the same.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today asked Delhi Police how it decided to deduct salary of one of its officers, accused in a custodial death case, for paying compensation to victim's kin without ascertaining if he was the erring official.

The court noted that the National Human Rights Commission in May last year had directed that Rs five lakh compensation be paid to kin of the victim who died in 2010 due to custodial violence and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had said the amount be deducted from the salary of the "erring officers".

"How did you (Delhi Police) identify the erring officers? Did anyone conduct an inquiry as to who has to pay the compensation? Who has determined who is the erring officer? On what basis you determined the petitioner (accused cop) is the erring officer," Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva asked the police.

The lawyer for Delhi Police said that the accused was the Station House Officer of the police station where the incident occurred and an FIR had been lodged against him for the same.

Hence, the compensation amount was deducted from his salary starting from December 2016, the counsel said.

The court, however, did not accept this argument and asked the lawyer for the police to file an affidavit within 10 days as to whether any inquiry was carried out, subsequent to MHA's direction, to determine who was the erring officer and listed the matter for hearing on January 30, 2017.

The petitioner, Inderjeet Singh, has challenged the deduction of Rs 12,500 per month from his salary towards the compensation amount paid to the victim's kin.

He has claimed he was never given a hearing before taking such a step.
New Delhi: Divorce granted by ecclesiastical tribunal under Christian personal law are not valid as it cannot override the law, the Supreme Court said today as it rejected a PIL that sought according legal sanction to such separations granted by the Church Court.

A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud dismissed the plea filed by Clarence Pais, a former president of a Karnataka Catholic association, saying the issue has been settled by it in its 1996 verdict delivered in the case of Molly Joseph versus George Sebastian.

"Canon Law (personal law of Christians) can have theological or ecclesiastical implications to the parties. But after the Divorce Act came into force, a dissolution or annulment granted under such personal law cannot have any legal impact as statute has provided a different procedure and a different code for divorce or annulment," the apex court had then ruled.

Pais, in his PIL filed in 2013, had said the divorce granted by a Church, set up under its personal law, should be considered valid under the Indian common law as was done in the case of Muslims with regard to 'triple talaq'.

Former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee, appearing for Pais, had contended that when oral 'triple talaq' could get legal sanctity for granting divorce to Muslim couples, why could Canon law decrees not be made binding on courts of law.

He had alleged that many Catholic Christians, who married after getting divorce from Christian courts, faced criminal charges of bigamy as such divorces are not recognised by the criminal and civil courts.

Pais, in his plea, had said, "It is reasonable that when the courts in India recognise dissolution of marriage (by pronouncing the word talaq three times) under Mohammedan Law which is Personal law of the Muslims, the courts should also recognise for the purpose of dissolution of marriage Canon Law as the personal law of the Indian Catholics."

The plea contended that Canon Law is the personal law of Catholics and has to be applied and enforced by a criminal court while deciding a case under section 494 (bigamy) of IPC. "This is also applicable for sanction of prosecution considered for alleged bigamy of a Catholic spouse who has married after obtaining a decree for nullity of the first marriage from the Ecclesiastical Tribunal (Christian court)," it had said.

The Centre, however, had opposed the plea saying Canon law cannot be allowed to override Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872 and Divorce Act, 1869. "Since the power for dissolution of marriage has been vested in the court, there is no scope for any other authority including ecclesiastical tribunal to exercise power," the government had said.

The Indian Divorce Act, 1869 prescribes separate procedures for grant of decree of divorce and the apex court had held that "any declaration of marriage to be void by Ecclesiastical Tribunal", will not be binding on the courts.

It had said "such Ecclesiastical Tribunal cannot exercise a power parallel to the power of District Court or the High Court which have been vested in the District Court and the High Court by the provisions of the Divorce Act's Section 18 which provides that any husband or wife may present a petition to the District Court or to the High Court praying that his or her marriage may be declared null and void.

"In that event, it excludes the jurisdiction and authority of any other Tribunal or Court including Ecclesiastical Tribunal (Church Court)."
Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu with O Rajagopal, MLA, BJP state president Kummanam Rajashekaran and district president N Hari at the state council meet in Kottayam on Wednesday. (Photo: Rajeev Prasad)

Kottayam: Union minister and senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday came down heavily on the CPM for unleashing violence against the BJP activists in the state and said the party will make it a national issue. He also ridiculed the Congress and the CPM saying they were two sides of the same coin and were friends in Delhi and enemies in the state.

Addressing the concluding session of the BJP state council meeting here, Mr Naidu, Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information & Broadcasting, said the steps against black money holders would continue by controlling benami assets and illegal gold deposits.

The CPM wants to eliminate the BJP workers in the state. In Palakkad, they have attacked women. The entire country is viewing this, Mr Venkaiah said.

Within seven months of the LDF rule, 18 murders had occurred. We will confront this through ideas and politics, he said.

The party wanted to capture power in the state the next time, he said and reminded the audience that serious corruption scandals had hit the UPA government. The Opposition had spoiled the Lok Sabha proceedings for 70 days, he said. The centre is being ruled by a government without corruption and scandals, he added.

Presiding over the function, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekaran said that the centre was taking steps for the release of Salesian priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil who was abducted by terrorists from Yemen.

The special team constituted for the purpose will coordinate with the leaders of other countries for his release, he said.

Mr Kummanam maintained that it was due to the efforts of the BJP government at the centre that the price of rubber had increased. BJP leaders P.K. Krishnadas, C.K. Padmanabhan and V. Muralidharan among others were present on the occasion.
Hyderabad: BJP on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on the issue of 12 per cent reservations for Muslims, saying the proposal is unconstitutional minority vote bank politics.

"CM KCR's statement reiterating that his government will provide for 12 per cent reservation to Muslims is not just a blatant lie, but also unconstitutional and uncouth minority vote bank politics", Telangana BJP's official spokesperson, Krishna Saagar Rao said.

Read: Telangana firm on increasing 12 per cent quota for Muslim community

The Chief Minister on Wednesday told the Legislative Assembly that a bill providing 12 per cent reservation to backward sections among Muslims would be introduced in the budget session of the House.

This quota was a key election promise of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).

The Chief Minister had also said his government decided to implement this reservation for Muslims based on their social, economic and educational backwardness and not on religious basis.

Krishna Saagar Rao said BJP strongly disapproves "this open pandering for Muslim votes by CM KCR being in a constitutional position".

"Knowing very well that the reservations limit set by the Supreme Court cannot be violated and very clear SC orders against religion-based reservations, CM KCR is still making this kind of deviant statements".

"His (the Chief Minister's) designs only expose his pro-Muslim, anti-Hindu, anti BC/SC/ST mindset", Krishna Saagar Rao said.

"As any increased reservation has to be drawn from the quota assigned to BC/SC and STs, BJP considers this as unforgivable misadventure negatively affecting the economically backward classes, in pursuit of public pandering for Muslim votes".

He said BJP believes "100 per cent" that the Chief Minister cannot deliver on this "illegal and unconstitutional false promise on 12 per cent reservation to Muslims".

The Chief Minister said on Wednesday that in order to provide 12 per cent reservation to Muslims, a relaxation should be given to the stipulation that the reservations should not exceed 50 per cent.

"The Government of Tamil Nadu introduced Act 45/94 and with the consent of Indian Parliament, got incorporated the issue of enhancement of reservation in the 9th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. We will follow the same policy in our state also," Ro had said.

Expressing confidence the Centre would act favourably on the state's move to provide 12 per cent quota, he, however, said the state government would also take a legal recourse on the issue if the Centre does not respond positively.
Hyderabad: Telangana Telugu Desam working president A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday criticised Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for overshadowing all his Cabinet colleagues and for not allowing them to execute their powers as ministers.

The plight of ministers in the KCR Cabinet is pathetic. They are worse than leather puppets, whose strings are in the hands of the CM. They are literally at the CMs feet By continuing in their posts, they are compromising their self-respect, Mr Reddy said.

Referring to the debate on land acquisition law and minorities issues, in the Assembly, Mr Reddy said Deputy Chief Minister and revenue minister Mohd Mahamood Ali was not allowed to speak though both the subjects come under his portfolios.

The land acquisition issue was dealt by (irrigation minister) Harish Rao, while the minorities issue was handled by the Chief Minister himself. This shows they had no respect for the Deputy Chief Minister. They are controlling the portfolios of other ministers also. Mr Ali is being insulted by the CM and others.

Mr Reddy said Deputy CM and education minister Kadiam Srihari should have addressed the House on the fee reimbursement and other education issues, but the Chief Minister had ignored him also. When Mr Srihari was in the Telugu Desam, he enjoyed respect. But not anymore, he remarked.

Stating that the Telugu Desam is effectively performing its duty as the Opposition party in the state, Mr Reddy said the party brought all political parties including the Congress, BJP, MIM and the CPM on one platform for the release of Rs 4,400 crore fee reimbursement dues.

He flayed Speaker Madhusudhana Chary for declaring that the TD had only three MLAs instead of 15 and accused the TRS of indulging in political prostitution.
Lucknow/New Delhi: The prospect of a mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Uttar Pradesh virtually collapsed on Thursday with the Samajwadi Party rejecting any alliance with the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and announcing that it would contest 300 of 403 Assembly seats, while the other 103 would be given to the Congress.

The JD(U), that was expected to campaign for Akhilesh Yadav to garner the Kurmi vote, clearly said on Thursday that it was with the RLD. JD(U) spokesman K.C. Tyagi told this newspaper: We are with the RLD. Pointing fingers at the SP, he said: The SP as a senior partner has failed to engage with the RLD and with us. Mr Tyagi, however, refused to elaborate further on this issue.

The BJP, meanwhile, unleashed Union minister Anupriya Patel, leader of the Apna Dal, an NDA ally, to make up with her mother, Krishna Patel, who leads another faction of the outfit, that was expected to join the Akhilesh Yadav bandwagon.

In Lucknow, SP national vice-president Kironmoy Nanda, talking about the proposed SP-RLD alliance, said: We will forge an alliance only with Congress, not ally with RLD. We will contest 300 seats, leaving the rest for the Congress.

RLD spokesman Anil Dubey said his outfit wanted the seats of our choice, but there was no agreement on it. State RLD chief Masood Ahmad said his party, under the leadership of Chaudhary Ajit Singh and in alliance with smaller parties, would contest on its own. For any alliance, the leaders of all three parties should have come together on one negotiating table. We simply kept hearing statements on TV... this is not the way to enter an alliance, he said.

The SP-RLD talks hit a roadblock Thursday when RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary demanded not less than 30 seats, while the Akhilesh Yadav-led party was ready to offer only 22 seats. Incidentally, while the SP spoke of an alliance with the Congress, a few issues are still to be resolved between them. Some of these contentious issues include the Assembly seats in Rae Bareli and Amethi that are now held by SP. The Congress wants all Assembly seats in these two key constituencies, that are represented in Parliament by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi respectively, but the SP is unwilling to let go of its sitting berths. The SP is also unwilling to tie up with RLD as the Samajwadis fear that distrust between Jats and Muslims in western UP post Muzaffarnagar riots would hit its minority votebank.

Grand alliance weak sans RLD in UP

The exclusion of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) from the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will, undoubtedly, weaken and divide the anti-BJP vote in western Uttar Pradesh.

The RLD-Samajwadi Party friendship broke up even before the alliance, mainly due to ego clashes between their leaders that prevented them from even coming together on the negotiating table. But the development is definitely music to BJPs ears.

The RLD is essentially a Jat-centric party. The Jat population is around 17 per cent in western UP and the community is up in arms against the BJP that has failed to provide them reservation in central services.

The anti-BJP mood among Jats is growing by the day and the RLD alliance with Congress and SP could have mopped up the benefit in the Assembly elections.

The RLD, which won only nine seats in 2012, has been facing tough times and this is mainly due to its politically inconsistent stand. RLD chief Chaudhary Ajit Singh has changed far too many political partners in the past two decades, eroding the credibility of his party.

His son Jayant Chaudhary, however, has been working relentlessly for the past two years, especially after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections where the party drew a blank, to retrieve lost ground and he has, to an extent.

RLD wields influence in districts that include mainly Baghpat, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnore, Ghaziabad and Saharanpur and the SP was apparently unwilling to give away some of its sitting seats in the region.

The main factor that tore apart the alliance, however, is the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013. The riots between Jats and Muslims were a long-drawn affair that created permanent divisions between the two communities.

The Samajwadi Party was expectedly wary of allying with RLD and annoying its Muslim voters.

Without the RLD in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress-SP alliance may lose out of Jat support, but it will keep its Muslim voters intact. Muslims constitute more than 26 per cent of the population in this region.
The world holds its breath as Donald Trump is installed on Friday as the most controversial President in American history. Unprecedented uncertainty grips Washington as questions are raised if he can be fully trusted. His election has left the country far more polarised than before. Hundreds and thousands of women are expected to march to Washington in protest a day after Trumps inauguration as the 45th President of the US. What were looking at, all too obviously, is an American kakistocracy  rule by the worst, writes Paul Krugman, a Nobel laureate. Surely, given an incoming President of questionable credentials, the US is heading towards uncharted waters. There are already talks about how to restrain him even before his installation. He is at loggerheads with his countrys security establishment and intelligence agencies that he compares with the Nazis. Admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the allegation that Moscow influenced the outcome of the presidential election have reinforced distrust of the new President. A recently leaked intelligence dossier alleges that Russia might have compromised Trump by filming him frolicking with sex workers in a Moscow hotel making the new President a risk.

This suspicion was illustrated by a report published in Israeli newspapers where American officials have warned Israel to be careful about sharing classified information with the Trump administration for fear that it could be given to Russia.

Trumps odd views on the conduct of US foreign policy are a major cause of apprehension among world leaders. He is determined to build a wall on the border with Mexico to stop the entry of illegal immigrants and make Mexico pay for it too. But most alarming is his decision to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem. Breaking with the tradition of a President-elect not commenting on the policy of an incumbent administration, Trump has publicly criticised the Obama decision not to veto a resolution castigating the Israeli government for permitting new settlements on Palesti-nian land. His intended appointment of David Friedman, a pro-settlements lawyer, as his ambassador to Israel has provoked huge criticism even from US allies.

In another controversial move, Trump declared that he would appoint Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, to broker a West Asia peace deal. This indiscretion has generated intense anxiety not only in Palestine but also among US allies. China is another country that is feeling the heat of Trumps foreign policy. As President-elect, one of Trumps first telephone calls to world leaders was to the President of Taiwan. Successive US administrations have been committed to a one-China policy since 1979. Trumps blunt approach and gesture towards Taiwan threatens to reopen the issue of two Chinas. This has angered Beijing and it will certainly have larger implications. China has accused the President-elect of playing with fire and warned that Beijing will have no choice but to take off its gloves. Trumps public support for Brexit and his statements urging other European countries to follow the British example has evoked strong criticism from European countries. In an interview, he has called for the fragmentation of the EU. His public criticism of Chancellor Angela Merkel for allowing more than a million immigrants into Germany has provoked a strong reaction from Bonn. Trumps election has encouraged the ultra-nationalist wave in Europe.

Another sensitive issue that Trump seeks to review is the nuclear deal with Iran. The agreement between Tehran and the P5+1 signed in 2015 has helped curtail Irans capability for developing nuclear weapons in return for the lifting of sanctions on the country. Surely Washington cannot unilaterally revoke the agreement, but it can create problems for Iran. There has not been any softening in Trumps anti-Muslim rhetoric as he prepares to take over the presidency. This is bound to strengthen groups like the ISIS. There is, however, much ambiguity over Trumps policy on Afghanistan where around 10,000 American soldiers are still engaged in fighting insurgents. In all this, there is certainly no good news for Pakistan. Many observers believe that the pressure on Pakistan will increase if the situation in Afghanistan gets worse. The only one thing predictable about Trump is his unpredictability. With him at the helm, the US and the world are more unstable. It remains to be seen whether and how the Congress and the powerful US security establishment can rein him in.

By arrangement with Dawn
Narendra Modi is a serious man. More, he demands to be taken seriously. But in the very act of treating him seriously, a comic element, a combination of the macabre and the farce, enters into the analysis. The man who insists on epic definitions of himself often deteriorates to limerick and slapstick. Folk approaches make fun of his demagoguery and give his fascism a laughable touch. Viewed semiotically, Mr Modi has no real self. He thinks he is a construct and acts like one. In a visual self, the collective image began as a hoarding; by election time, he became a mask. The mask became a popular idea generating a wags comment of a million Modis voting for another Modi.

As his sense of the state and his stature increased, Mr Modi realised that he had be digitally produced. The hologram gave him a ubiquitous presence and provided a sense of an iconic being. A Ravan only had 10 heads. A Modi was replicated and present in every city. The next major incarnation that Mr Modi was enthusiastic about was the wax dummy at Tussauds. Mr Modi loved the search for realism of Tussauds. He praised the ruthlessness of the systematic measurements it took. A man meticulous about his 56 chest was keen that his machismo and masculinity was caught immaculately for the future. Tussauds gave Mr Modi a presence in folklore, a cosmopolitan image of being both a local and global icon. The four images together along with the all-ubiquitous photographs of him in the newspaper gave him a presence as epidemic as a Kim Il-Sung.

But there is a psychoanalytic restlessness to Mr Modi, a paranoid need to fill other spaces. He is afraid of being upstaged or not read as singular. Mr Modis backstage boys realised that he was a spectacle for festival or public occasions but he lacked a sense of engagement where one encountered Mr Modi in a daily sense. A calendar becomes an inevitable solution. Greeting Mr Modi in a daily way virtually institutionalises him in our lives. The rule is no citizen can avoid the PM in an everyday sense. A calendar is a classic solution. But not any calendar will do. A leader cannot be a pinup. He cannot be replaced by another image a month later. He has to be present daily and inevitably in a card calendar, the type churned out by many local groups. A bureaucratic brainwave tends to replace Mahatma Gandhi with Mr Modi as the new icon. The stiff hardboard calendar comes with the conviction that the PM as a caricature can get away playing a farce.

There are two reasons for that. The government realises it must operate as a situation balancing between brand and ideology. One realises that in Mr Modis Gandhi, ideas are no longer philosophical or ethical. They move from ideology to brand. Earlier Gandhi on the calendar was an iconic power. But now Gandhi appears like a half-forgotten figure, desperate for a renewing of image. But the context, complain Gandhis supporters, has changed. Gandhi played an ethical function. He is a mnemonic of ethical choices about technology. But when ethics becomes an official ideology or an advertising brand, it strips science seriously of its ethical power. Mr Modi shifts the context demanding an ideology. The confusion of ethics with brand and ideology is one of the great tragedies of this period. The presence of Mr Modi turns Gandhi into a lifestyle issue, while not being pursued by other communities. Second, the picture acquires an official and organic image, and moves away from issues of life and livelihood. Khadi becomes another consumer item, which can be peddled by any salesman. Gandhis appeal is not necessary.

But there is a different compulsiveness here. It goes beyond the changing sense of khadi. This is about Mr Modis need to be compulsively iconic. After having sampled the possibilities of Nehru, Patel and Vivekananda. Mr Modi tries to play Gandhi. The trouble is, he is a poor farcical version of Gandhi. I realise imitation is a sincere form of flattering but a bad imitation is illiterate, obscene and disruptive. To a violation of ethics, he adds an aesthetic mess fouling up the world of memories. He wants to create a designer khadi when khadi conveyed a sense of the aesthetic, the commons. The iconicity of the picture is destroyed by turning it into a bad advertisement. The dignity of the calendar is abandoned and Mr Modi as the substitute Gandhi turns Gandhi into one more bit player in the costume ball called Mr Modi. In caricaturing himself, he thickens the idea of a slapstick Modi. The very image of the bodies clash. The relation between body and body politic which Gandhi tried to change is abandoned. A Gandhi whose loincloth defied uniforms and official institutions is dismissed to the backstage.

A Gandhi who turned walking into a philosophy is now being conscripted to march for the nation state. Protesting against Mr Modi is futile. He has the same obsessiveness as Hans Christian Andersens emperor, in the story The Emperors New Clothes. There is no child to tell him that he is exposing himself. It is not Gandhi who loses out. One actually sees the different incarnations of Mr Modi subvert the idea of Modi. It points again to Mr Modis desperate need to invent himself and the poverty of that improvisation. It reminds one of Marxs more cited quotations: History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. Mr Modi began as a tragedy in 2002. Today he has ascended the heights of farce. Sadly, the folklore of laughter is missing in India.
Under the theme of 'Power of Participation', the event discussed how enterprises can transform and innovate by learning, networking, and collaborating via open source technology.

Red Hat, a provider of open source solutions, hosted a half-day technology event in Colombo at Hotel Cinnamon Lakeside on Wednesday. Under the theme of 'Power of Participation', the event discussed how enterprises can transform and innovate by learning, networking, and collaborating via open source technology.

The keynote address was delivered by Amarjeet Manchanda, Director, Presales, Red Hat India, who spoke about the potential of open source to influence change and enable innovation. He emphasised that open source is now at the forefront of every major breakthrough. According to him, Sri Lanka is an exciting market that's primed for disruption and Red Hat is geared to play an important part in this transformation journey.

Through this event Red Hat hopes to connect and educate potential customers, clients, influencers and policy makers of its services and unique offerings in open source. The event gathered some of the brightest minds in the country to discuss the power of open source and best practices that can help accelerate innovation in Sri Lanka's digital economy.

Red Hat's primary focus will be to help businesses accelerate digital transformation in the areas of BFSI, telecommunications and government In Sri Lanka. With the government's big push in critical infrastructure to enable digital technologies, Red Hat's innovative offerings are well positioned to help its expansion plans in Sri Lanka.

Red Hat will also focus on developing an ecosystem of partners to empower a framework for open source technologies in Sri Lanka. Industry interactions will also be held in academic institutions to help students understand careers in IT and open source.

Discussing about the event, Amarjeet further shared, "Red Hat is optimistic about the opportunities in Sri Lanka and has received a very positive interest from existing customers and new ones to extend Red Hat's services in this region."

He further highlighted that during their initial conversations with policymakers, partners and customers there has been a strong willingness to embrace open source technology.

During his session, Neeraj Bhatia, Director, Partner, Alliances and Commercial Sales, Red Hat India, said, "Red Hat is one of the most engaged and collaborative partners in the ecosystem that is driving innovation and enabling businesses to benefit from the digital technologies. Partners lead and deliver a high share of Red Hat's business in the region and the company is keen to invest in strengthen its existing partner relations while also forging new ones in a nascent market like Sri Lanka.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
At least 70 people, including aid workers, were dead and more than 100 others injured in the refugee camp bombing. (Photo: AP)

Maiduguri: Four-year-old Kaka-Hauwa Aji shrieked in pain and sweat rolled down her bare torso, as two nurses in crisp white hijabs disinfected a gaping shrapnel wound on her neck.

Her seven-year-old sister, Ya-zahra Aji, lay on the bed opposite, bandages wrapped around her right hand where the shards of molten metal from the off-target Nigerian Air Force bomb pierced her skin.

On Tuesday morning, the girls' mother had left them and their six brothers and sisters in a tent at the camp for displaced people in Rann, northeast Nigeria, to go to a Red Cross food distribution post.

Moments later at least 70 people, including aid workers, were dead and more than 100 others injured.

"We first heard the roar of the fighter jet and suddenly there was a huge explosion which sent us running because it was clear the camp was under attack," said Fati Yasin, who is in her 30s.

"As we ran in all directions we heard a second explosion," she told AFP, her elder daughter now sobbing in pain.

Yasin said she rushed to the tent and found the two girls injured. Their traumatised siblings were crying beside them.

Two strikes

Seven beds in a ward run by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at the Borno State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri were occupied by victims of the bombardment on Wednesday.

In one, a seven-month-old baby boy lay sedated after being treated for shrapnel wounds to the neck and foot.

Ngwari Mustapha said she was carrying her son on her back and was running from the first air strike when he fell.

"My other child was injured in both legs," she said in the Shuwa Arab language spoken in parts of the far north of remote Borno state near the border with Cameroon and Chad.

"My major grief is that my child was not harmed by Boko Haram but by the military that should protect us from Boko Haram."

Nigeria's military has blamed the air strike on the "fog of war", saying its intended target was Boko Haram Islamist fighters reportedly spotted in the Kala-Balge area, of which Rann is part.

The conflict, which has left at least 20,000 dead since it began in 2009, has also made more than 2.6 million others homeless, leaving tens of thousands in dire need of food, shelter and healthcare.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which arrived in Rann last Saturday to conduct vaccination and malnutrition screening programmes, said 20,000 to 40,000 people were living in makeshift shelters there.

None of the medical charity's staff was killed or injured but three aid workers from a Cameroonian firm hired by MSF to provide water and sanitation lost their lives, as did six Nigerian Red Cross workers.

Babagana Mohammed was one of the 11 local Red Cross staff injured. He suffered a broken leg, arm and shoulder.

"Many people were burnt to death and many others were injured," he said from his bed, with his limbs in plaster.

"The jet struck a second time and killed more people and we couldn't distribute the food aid due to the bombardment."

Mass casualties

A total of 74 wounded were evacuated from Rann to Maiduguri in the two days following the bombing, the ICRC said in an update late on Wednesday.

Baba Shehu Mohammed, a surgeon at the Borno State Specialist Hospital, said most have broken limbs, abdominal and chest injuries. Seven have had major operations, he added.

The public hospital had received 38 victims by Wednesday afternoon and 21 were being airlifted from Rann, said ICRC health coordinator Padshah Hashemi Said.

The ICRC runs a 50-bed facility at the hospital that specialises in trauma cases, the injuries caused by Boko Haram's bombs and bullets.

But the unit was expected to fill up as military and humanitarian helicopters brought in more of the injured. In preparation, the hospital had freed up some of its 500 beds.

Two more hospitals in Maiduguri are treating patients.

Nigeria's military maintains it did not deliberately target aid workers and has called the incident an accident.

A delegation, including President Muhammadu Buhari's chief of staff Abba Kyari and Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, visited the injured in hospital on Wednesday.

The bombing has sent shockwaves through humanitarian agencies working in the crisis-hit region, potentially straining already tense ties with the authorities who have accused some of profiteering.

Agencies have called for better safeguards for the displaced and protection in the camps across the northeast.
Mexico City: Donald Trump's assumption of the US presidency couldn't come at a worse time for Mexico.

Drug violence here is again on the upswing, the government has struggled to combat widespread corruption and nationwide protests have erupted after gasoline prices spiked this month amid the country's falling oil production and inability to produce all its own fuel.

Even before his swearing-in, Trump has already hurt the country's economy by pressuring automakers to shift factories out of Mexico, threatening its most important manufacturing sector and status as a rising star in auto production. Amid an uncertain economic outlook, the peso has plunged to all-time lows against the US dollar.

Now Trump takes office vowing to crack down on migrants, whom he famously denigrated as criminals and "rapists," and who send back remittances that inject billions of dollars into Mexico's economy. He has also threatened to impose tariffs on Mexican products, force Mexico to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and pay for a wall along the nearly 2,000-mile (3,145-kilometer) border.

"We have begun a year full of challenges and adversities," the Mexican Council of Bishops said in a statement Wednesday. "International economic crises are killing our economy, and the elections and political decisions of our neighbours have such an important impact on our country, but paradoxically we have no say in the matter."

Trump's election has also further dimmed Mexicans' view of President Enrique Pena Nieto, who held an unpopular meeting with the then-Republican candidate.

Pena Nieto's approval rating fell to 12 percent this month, according to a Grupo Reforma poll. That coincided with a bump for the populist leftist politician Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, whose Morena party led all others in the Reforma survey with 27 percent of respondents saying they would vote for it if the 2018 presidential election were held today. The poll had a margin of error of four percentage points.

Already two major manufacturers have abandoned Mexico expansion plans, and Trump has threatened General Motors and BMW with a border tax on vehicles built here. So far BMW has held fast to plans for a new Mexico factory, but GM announced that 450 new pickup truck axle-making jobs will be moved from Mexico to Michigan.

Ratings agencies have lowered the outlook for Mexico's debt, foreign direct investment is expected to suffer and the government has had to curtail spending and implement the fuel price hike, which sparked widespread protests and looting.

The looming crisis has broken down Mexicans into roughly three camps: a governmental and business elite that hopes for a pragmatic appeal to Trump's business background; farm groups that never liked NAFTA's huge imports of cheap U.S. grain and hope parts of the 1994 trade deal will be repealed; and another segment that wants its leaders to stand up to what Mexicans widely perceive as bullying by Trump.

"Mexican society has been frightened by the threats of a bully," said Eugenia Correa, an economist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, who predicts some rocky months ahead. "The credit ratings are going to continue to fall, the foreign investments are not going to arrive, or they are going to wait."

Correa argued that, especially due to the incoming Trump administration's policy promises, Mexico needs to reduce dependence on the United States, by far its largest trade partner, by developing domestic oil refineries, farming and trade ties to other Latin American nations.

Some fear the possibility of a wave of returning migrants, either through deportations or people fleeing a hostile climate in the United States. So far, there have only been anecdotal reports of such "self-deportations," but an exodus of returnees could devastate the nearly $25 billion in remittances sent to the country each year.

Former Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda said Mexico should be prepared to fight back. It could be less cooperative with the deportation process, for example, or halt its efforts to enforce its southern border and crack down on Central American migration bound for the United States.

"We don't have any reason to do the dirty work (of detaining migrants) for nothing, for a president who is no friend of Mexico," Castaneda said. He and others also say Mexico could stop aiding the United States in anti-drug operations.

Others like Victor Suarez, who launched a national farm cooperative movement in 1995, said grain imports made possible by NAFTA drove 6 million Mexican farmers and workers off the land. He sees a silver lining to renegotiating the trade deal.

He argues that NAFTA has hurt workers, farmers, unions and the environment in Mexico, the United States and Canada, and he would like to see protections put in place for Mexican corn, beans, rice and sugar against U.S. exports.

"We have been demanding the renegotiation of NAFTA since 1994," Suarez said. "We have always said it was badly negotiated and implemented even worse."

Mexico's government has said it wants to negotiate with Trump "as soon as possible."

Pena Nieto recently appointed Luis Videgaray, an acquaintance of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, to head the talks as foreign relations secretary. The bet is that Trump likes to strike deals.

"This is a man who has negotiated all his life," Videgaray said. "We have to be open to re-negotiating some points of NAFTA, to Mexico's advantage."
Police say the injured girl is in serious condition. (Photo: Representational Image)

Chicago: Police say a 5-year-old Chicago girl is in serious condition after she shot herself in the abdomen with a handgun that she found in her mother's purse.

Chicago police said on Wednesday that the girl's mother, 22-year-old Larrinita Starks, has been charged with child endangerment.

The shooting happened on Tuesday night in the East Garfield Park neighbourhood on the city's West Side. Police say the girl got the gun from her mother's purse in a bedroom.

Starks is due in court March 16. She does not have a listed phone number and could not immediately be reached for comment.

Police say the injured girl is in serious condition. Her grandmother, Oretha Miller, says the child is stable and recovering.
The day that few around the globe expected to arrive will finally be here.

Donald Trump will take oath as the 45th president for the United States of America tomorrow. The ceremony is set to begin at 9 pm IST.

With his unusual and controversial election campaign, the US President-elect ensured that there was no dearth of spectacle as he broke several barriers of political correctness.

As a divided US prepares to both celebrate and protest his inauguration, Donald Trump is all set to break a few more traditions.

First, the inaugural parade is expected to be considerably shorter, only around 60-90 minutes, in comparison to Barack Obamas three-hour parade. The much-awaited event will also be low on start-power in contrast to the previous versions of the gala. Several celebrities including Jennifer Holiday, Moby, and Sir Elton John have refused to perform for Trumps big day. Beyonce had performed at an inaugural ball for Obama in 2008 and also sang the national anthem for the outgoing president four years later.

In another deviation from long-standing convention, it wont be the voice of Charles Brotman announcing the parade this year. The 89-year-old Brotman has been the announcer for all inaugural parades since Dwight Eisenhowers presidency in 1953.

This year, the octogenarian has been replaced by a local 58-year-old freelance announcer and Trump supporter Steve Ray. Notably, the team has given no reason for the shift though they stated that Brotman will be honoured as announcer chairman emeritus.

The parade would also miss the presence of school marching bands. While generally, at least one school band from the capital takes part in the inauguration celebrations, no school had applied for the same this year.

The President-elect will also not be dancing as much as his predecessors, as he has cut down the number of inaugural balls hosted in celebration. In a drastic step-down, Trump will host only three balls including one traditional military ball. On the other hand, Obama attended around 10 balls and former president George W Bush attended eight to celebrate their first inaugurations.

"This is not a coronation ... This President wants to get to work," Boris Epshteyn, inaugural committee spokesman was quoted as saying.

Even though the inauguration committee might not have been successful in getting stars to perform, they have set the bar for raising funds for the event. According to media reports, the committee has raised more than $90 million in private donations. The event is also pegged to cost around $175 million to $200 million. The amount considerably outshines the $55 million raised by Obamas committee in 2008.

Trumps big day will also be unique in terms of food, as it is unlikely that Legal Sea Foods will be serving its trademark New England clam chowder at the gala. A convention started by former President Ronald Reagan in 1981, media reports state that the company might not have been chosen due to its advertisements about Trumps wall idea. The company also ran an ad that allegedly made references to Trumps hands.

In another first, Trump might become the first president in 150 years to not have a pet in the White House as the idea to get him a golden doodle did not materialise. The first family has always owned a pet except during the term of James K Polk (1845-1849).

The list of deviations from the norm does not leave out transportation either. The limousines used by the President-elect and the vice-president-elect will not have their special number plates, a custom that has been followed since Herbert Hoover (1929-1933).

For the uninitiated, the vehicles carrying the president-elect and the vice-president-elect during the parade have a number plate saying No.1 and No. 2, respectively. The only exception was in 1945, where an inaugural parade was not held due to World War II. By declining to have special plates made for him, Trump is all set to become the first President-elect in decades to not have the trademark number plates.
Wilkins said that he had attempted to meet two minor boys for sex last year. (Representational Image)

California: A British paedophile was jailed for 13 years after he confessed to travelling to US for having sex with young boys. The accused also admitted to storing child pornography images.

According to a report in the Mirror, the 70-year-old accused Paul Charles Wilkins, was held in a sting operation by undercover agents with whom he had planned to have sex with a nine-year-old boy in the US state of California.

In his statement to the police, Wilkins said that he had attempted to meet two minor boys for sex last year. However, he could not succeed in his plans.

During a trial of Wilkins case at a Los Angeles court, prosecutors said that the accused ran an online group of paedophiles where they used to trap and groom minor children for sex.

Wilkins pleaded guilty to having sex with minor boys, possessing child pornography as well as transporting sexual images of boys. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison and was slapped with a 20,000 fine.

The judge also said that Wilkins will stay under supervision for the rest of his life.
New York: An Indian-origin ex-private equity investor has been jailed for 20 months for tipping off two friends about the proposed 2013 acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company by India-based Apollo Tyre, an insider trading scheme that netted over USD 1 million in illegal profits.

Amit Kanodia, 49, of Brookline, was sentenced on Thursday by US District Court Judge Nathaniel Gorton to 20 months in prison, two years of supervised release including 100 hours of community service and a fine of USD 200,000.

He was also ordered to forfeit USD 242,500, which represented his portion of the illegal trading profits. In October last year, Kanodia was convicted by a federal jury, following a six-day trial, of one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of securities fraud.

In the spring of 2013, Kanodia tipped off his two friends, Iftikar Ahmed and Steven Watson, about the contemplated acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company by India-based Apollo Tyres.

Kanodia learned about the possible acquisition from his wife who was General Counsel for Apollo at the time. In the months leading up to the public announcement of the acquisition, both Ahmed and Watson purchased shares and options in Cooper Tire, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange.

On the day of the announcement, Cooper Tire's share price increased 41 per cent, and Ahmed and Watson began selling their interests in the company for a combined profit of more than USD 1 million.

Both Ahmed and Watson paid Kanodia a portion of their illegal profits as part of the deal between them.

In November 2016, Watson was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay a fine of USD 25,000. He was also ordered to forfeit the almost USD 170,000 in illegal trading profits that he made on the scheme. Ahmed, an IIT Delhi and Harvard Business School graduate, is still a fugitive.
Washington: Muslims in the United States who were rounded up and detained in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks took their case before the US Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The US high court reviewed whether the men, who say they were held after the al-Qaeda attack based solely on their identity as Arab Muslims, had the right to sue top US officials including then-attorney general John Ashcroft and Federal Bureau of Investigation director Robert Mueller, for their allegedly illegal detention.

The men were among 750 Muslims rounded up after the terror attacks, many on grounds that they did not have legal US immigration papers.

They said they were held in small isolation cells for up to 23 hours at a stretch and subjected to mental and physical abuse. They were held in detention for three to eight months.

A lower court had ruled in the men's favour, and the officials appealed that to the Supreme Court, arguing that the national security and immigration requirements of the time justified the sweeping arrests.

A ruling on whether the men had a right to sue rests on court precedents involving constitutional protections against illegal search and seizure.

But Justice Stephen Breyer got to the hub of the broader case: whether the atmosphere at the time justified such a broad reaction.

"I can understand after a bomb attack and 3,000 people are killed," Breyer said. "I can understand that the first reaction of the law enforcement authorities is pick up anybody you might think is connected, and we'll worry about the rest of it later."

"Now, eight months? The answer is pick up anybody who might have a connection, and then just keep them there?" he asked.

The current Barack Obama administration came in on the side of Ashcroft, Mueller and the others being sued.

"This is something that was done as the officials are trying to sort through how to respond to the very difficult situation," said Justice Department Lawyer Ian Gershengorn.

"Some of the people on the list had ties to terrorism may have had ties to terrorism. Some of them may well not have," he said.

But officials had to take the time to figure that out, and in the meanwhile did not violate any laws, including those on discrimination, he said.

But Rachel Meeropol, arguing for the men who had been detained, said it was an issue of illegal discrimination.

"This court has a historic role to play in ensuring that race and religion do not take the place of legitimate grounds for suspicion and in deterring future Federal officials from creating government policy to do the same," she said."
Davos: Terming Kashmir as an "unfinished agenda" of the partition, Pakistan's former army chief Gen (retd) Raheel Sharif on Thursday said normality will return to the region only after the long-standing dispute is resolved.

Raheel, while speaking at the 'Pakistan Breakfast' on the sidelines of World Economic Forum here, said, "Pakistan needs peace but the core issue is Kashmir, which has to be resolved first."

Asked whether peace and economic prosperity could be achieved in South Asia without the resolution of Kashmir dispute, Raheel was quoted by the Express Tribune as saying, "There are three words to explain how to move forward and these are Kashmir, Kashmir and Kashmir."

Raheel termed Kashmir as the "unfinished agenda" of the partition, saying normality will return to the region only after resolving the long-standing dispute.

The session was arranged by Pathfinder Group in its efforts to promote Pakistan at the forum attended by the world's leading political and business personalities.

Raheel stressed that the Kashmir issue should be resolved as per the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and resolutions of the United Nations to achieve durable peace in South Asia.

Responding to another query, the former army chief claimed that the Haqqani network's presence in Pakistan was a mere "rhetoric".

"Pakistan no more has safe havens and all these terrorist networks and their training camps have been flushed out of Pakistan," he claimed.

"This is evident...there has hardly been any drone strike in recent past," Raheel said.

The ex-army chief said Islamabad was ready to go to any length to have peace with Kabul but "there are many terrorist havens in Afghanistan and we have many times shared their locations (with Afghan government)."
Leicester: A 46-year-old Indian origin woman was found dead, with her body found stuffed in a suitcase at Evington on Tuesday, following which her husband has been charged on suspicion of murder.

According to a report on The Sun, the suitcase was found by a passer-by in an alleyway on Tuesday morning, following which police investigation started.

Leicestershire Police said they had charged Ashwin Daudia, 50, with murder and remanded him in custody. Daudia, of Lyme Road, Leicester, will appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court today, media reported.

Forensic officers are also scouting neighbouring houses for evidence or clues.

A post-mortem is yet to be done to determine the cause of death.

Identified as Kiran Daudia, the victim was a mother of two adult sons and had been working at Next call centre for the past 17 years.

The Police have requested witnesses who might have seen someone dragging a suitcase during the time the incident occurred, to come forward.

Neighbours said they feared the victim may be a local woman who disappeared shortly before the case was discovered. Jasbir Kaur said she spoke to the missing woman's sister at around 9.30 AM on Tuesday.

"The woman said my sister is missing. She was last seen when she finished work at 2:00 PM yesterday. She left work and did not come home," Kaur said.
She also said Britain will step up to a new global leadership role and ink stronger free trade pacts with Europe while talks have already started for new deals with India and several other countries. (Photo: AP)

Davos: Asserting that the UK will retain its "internationalist" approach despite Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday said the country's biggest manufacturer Tata is Indian, but still there cannot be anything more British than its product Jaguar Land Rover.

She also said Britain will step up to a new global leadership role and ink stronger free trade pacts with Europe while talks have already started for new deals with India and several other countries.

May called upon the world to engage with each other to ensure globalisation and free trade works for all and benefits everyone.

According to her, forces of free trade and globalisation that have harnessed wealth and opportunities across the world and broken down the barriers are somehow at risk of being undermined.

"Forces of far left and far right are at work in today's world and there are those playing politics of fear and despair. Politics of mainstream needs to ensure they take care of genuine needs of the people," the British Prime Minister said.

"We want to be even more internationalist and that has been our role traditionally," she added.

"So, many of us have friends and relatives across the world. We will pursue a bold and strong free trade agreement with Europe," May stressed.

Noting that Britain has started talks for stronger trade pacts with India and several other countries, she said: "Our biggest manufacturer is Tata which is Indian and still there can't be more British than Jaguar Land Rover."

Amid uncertainties over the impact of Britain's decision to exit the European Union, May said the UK will step up to a new leadership role including for free markets and a free world.

"Little over six months ago, millions of our people upset the odds... British people have chosen a new stronger Britain. Some of our European partners feel we have turned our back on them, but our decision to leave the EU was no way a rejection of our friends in Europe. It remains in our national interest that EU as an institution succeeds," she said.

May said talks of greater globalisation can make people fearful and these tensions are being greatly exposed through social media.

"But if we want to make it work, we must work together and this challenge requires new approach from the governments and from the businesses," the Prime Minister said, adding that governments would back the businesses to ensure the benefits are distributed among everyone.

"I am determined that the people in mainstream politics listen to the people... I will make sure mainstream politics will respond to the concerns of today and show how globalisation can work for everyone." May said.

Noting that too often the responsibilities we have to one another have been forgotten in a cult of individualism, she said, "we can't leave economic prosperity to international market forces alone, governments must also step up".

"Business must demonstrate leadership... to show that everyone is playing by the same rules. If we are to maintain public consent for a global economy, we need higher standards of corporate governance," May said.

She also stressed that businesses all have to play by the same tax rules.

Stating that a new approach from both governments and businesses to ensure all are included under the benefits of globalisation, the Prime Minister said, "Britain is by instinct a great global trading nation. We seek the freedom to build trade deals with friends, old and new."

The UK will be best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but reach beyond Europe too, she added. Further, the Prime Minister said Britain is no less British because it is home to people from around the world and derives strength from the diversity.

"Responsive and responsible leadership will deliver security, prosperity and belonging for all," she said.
A Syrian family who fled from their village of Deir Hafer make their living by making loofahs in the town of Safira, just south of Aleppo. (Photo: AP)

Safira: Carrying her four-year-old son, Elham Saleh walked all night behind a smuggler, navigating land mines through Islamic State group- and rebel-held territory in northern Syria.

Finally, they reached relative safety in Safira, a government-controlled village on the southern edge of the city of Aleppo, where they have been staying for the past two weeks.

Saleh's husband, once a rebel fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, had joined IS but she couldn't bear living under the group's brutal rule any longer.

"Once he joined Daesh, I fled with my son, and Daesh began searching for me," said Saleh, using the Arabic acronym for IS and sitting on a couch on the floor of a house that she and her relatives are using in this village southeast of Aleppo.

She, like thousands of others who escaped, paid 60,000 Syrian pounds ($120) per person for smugglers to help them flee IS territory.

As Islamic State-controlled areas in northern Syria come increasingly under attack by an assortment of groups attacking from the air and on the ground, thousands of civilians have been risking their lives to make the perilous journey out, paying smugglers to escape both the shelling and the extremist group.

Many of them, initially opponents of Assad, are now opting to go to government-controlled territory, the most stable option in a war that has turned opposition-held territory into ruins and IS-held areas into large prisons where militants enforce their radical interpretation of Islamic laws.

"Daesh is taking residents as hostages and not allowing anyone to leave," said Youssef Younes, a volunteer who has been helping families displaced from the northern, IS-controlled Deir Hafer region. Younes said he has registered 1,600 families who fled Deir Hafer alone over the past few months.

Younes said most of those displaced are women and children, adding that no one can leave without using smugglers who have good tribal connections and know what tracks to take through mined desert areas.

The extremist group has lost large areas it once controlled in Syria, as U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces and Turkey-backed Syrian rebels push ahead in separate offensives that have left hundreds of people dead on both sides. Turkish-backed rebels are now trying to capture the town of al-Bab, the largest IS-held town in Aleppo province.

Assad has long portrayed the Syrian war as a choice between his rule and that of the extremists, and has maintained a veneer of normalcy in areas under his control throughout the war, now in its sixth year. While the country has been torn into several areas of control and opposition-held territory is pounded by airstrikes, areas controlled by the government have been largely spared the massive destruction and bombings.

Saleh, who fled with her son Abdullah, decided to run away last year after her husband joined IS, a group that she says she hated because they mistreat women and are notorious for their public killings. She currently makes a living by making loofahs, which she and her relatives sell for 20 pounds (4 cents) a piece.

Saleh first fled to her sister's house, shortly before the two began the journey along with other relatives that took weeks, staying for a few days at a time in one village after another so that IS fighters would not notice they were fleeing. Once they reached a front line between IS and other rebel groups, they paid the smugglers who took them to the rebel-held town of Azaz. From there, they drove to government-controlled territory.

Saleh does not know where her husband is. When her son asks about his father, she tells him: "He is in heaven."

Wearing a face veil that revealed only her eyes, she spoke about IS brutality - recalling one day when they shot seven men in the head and crucified them in the square of Deir Hafer for three days in order to scare the town's residents. The victims had been found guilty of raising Syrian flags on some buildings, Saleh said.

"I was shaken and ran away when I saw the swollen bodies," Saleh said.

Samia al-Moussa wasn't so lucky. She fled IS-held territories last year but lost her husband to the extremists. On July 19, 2014, IS fighters knocked on her door in the town of Sheikh Ahmad and asked her husband, Abdul-Fattah, to go with them for some questioning. She never saw him again.

Three months after taking him, IS fighters took Abdul-Fattah to the nearby village of Tel Maksour where they read the verdict accusing him of being a spy for the government. Al-Moussa, holding back tears, quoted witnesses as saying that her husband was beheaded in public.

Two years after the death of her husband, al-Moussa made it to Safira where she and her six children are staying with her brother-in-law, Nafeh.

Mother Agnes Mariam, a nun who assists the displaced, said that some 3,500 families have fled IS-held areas of Maskaneh, Deir Hafer and al-Bab in northern Syria over the past two months alone.

For Ziada Idlibi, 35, fleeing the northern town of al-Bab, currently under attack from Turkish, Russian and U.S. warplanes, was a journey filled with horror. Idlibi and her parents fled with the help of smugglers, but came under intense shelling as they tried to walk through mine-laced territory.

The shelling killed a girl and a boy and "we almost got killed," she said. She said she will only return to her hometown once it is liberated from the extremists who "kill for nothing."

"Those people have no mercy in their hearts," said Idlibi as she carried her identity card, hoping to get assistance.
Beirut: Islamic State militants put at least 12 people to death in execution-style killings in the ancient city of Palmyra, which they re-captured from the government for a second time in December, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Thursday.

The jihadist group beheaded four of the people - state employees and teachers - outside a museum, the group said. The eight others - four of them government soldiers and four of them rebel fighters captured elsewhere in Syria - were shot.

Some of the killings took place at an ancient Roman theatre in Palmyra, where Islamic State last year put at least 25 government fighters to death, the Observatory said.

Islamic State captured Palmyra for a second time from the government in December. Government forces and their militia allies, backed by Russian air power, took the city back from Islamic State in March, after first losing it in 2015.
Jerusalem: Israel's upgraded ballistic missile shield became operational on Wednesday, in a "Star Wars"-like extension of its capabilities to outer space where incoming missiles can be safely destroyed.

The Defence Ministry said the US-funded Arrow 3 system, jointly developed by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries and US firm Boeing Co., was handed over to the Israeli Air Force.

The Arrow 3, together with the Arrow 2, which has been operational since 2000, would "significantly reduce the possibilities of ballistic missiles" damaging Israel, the ministry said in a statement.

The Arrow 2 is designed to intercept projectiles high and low within the atmosphere. Arrow 3 missiles will fly into space, where their warheads detach to become "kamikaze" satellites that track and slam into their targets.

Such high-altitude shoot-downs are meant to safely destroy incoming nuclear, biological or chemical missiles. Israel has frequently voiced concern about a ballistic missile threat posed by its arch-foe, Iran.

The United States of America has its own system for intercepting ballistic missiles in space, Aegis.

Arrow serves as the top tier of an integrated Israeli shield built up to withstand various potential missile or rocket salvoes. The bottom tier is the already-deployed short-range Iron Dome interceptor, which was used extensively with quite high success rates in a 2014 Gaza war against Hamas militants.

Another Israeli system called David's Sling is being developed to shoot down mid-range, lower-altitude missiles, such as those in the arsenal of Iranian-backed Hezbollah, a Lebanese group which last fought a war with Israel in 2006.
Beijing: China has urged the United States to not allow any Taiwanese delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony of US President-elect Donald Trump and also opposed any official contact between the two sides.

Responding to former chief of Taiwan's legislative body, You Xikun, attending the inauguration ceremony, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Wednesday said, "We once again urge relevant parties in the US to allow no delegation sent by the Taiwan authority to attend the inauguration ceremony of the president, and not to have any official contact with Taiwan."

She added that this message has also been delivered to the sitting U.S. administration and the Trump transition team.

Chunying asserted that China opposes any move by the Taiwan authority to send people to the US to conduct activities that "will disturb or undermine Sino-U.S. relations."

Earlier, Trump broke with decades of precedent by taking a congratulatory telephone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, and also said that the one-China policy was up for negotiation, a position Beijing strongly rejected.

Later in January, China was also infuriated by Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with US Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott, while passing through the state on her way to Nicaragua, Salvador and Guatemala.

China has continually reiterated its firm opposition to the U.S-Taiwan diplomatic engagement.
"Many Kashmiris have been killed in fake encounters, house raids and custodial killings. We condemn continuous killing of Kashmiris," Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said. (Photo: Twitter/ANI)

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday accused Hindu "terrorist" outfits of carrying out "ethnic cleansing" of Kashmiri Muslims in Jammu region and claimed that the government is "empowering" such groups.

The Pakistan Foreign Office, in a statement, alleged that Kashmiris were being "killed" by security forces in "fake encounters".

"Many Kashmiris have been killed in fake encounters, house raids and custodial killings. We condemn continuous killing of Kashmiris," Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said.

"Hindu terrorist organisations...and the armed Village Defence Committees are committing ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Muslims in the Jammu region," he claimed.

He alleged that since the Modi government took over in 2014, the "Hindu terrorists have been empowered with full support from the state machinery" in Kashmir, causing displacement of scores of Kashmiri Muslim families by design."

Zakaria said Pakistan is constantly sensitising the world community on the "grave violation of human rights" of Kashmiris.

He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently visiting Davos to participate in the World Economic Forum, held bilateral meetings with various leaders on the sidelines during which he highlighted "human rights violations" of Kashmiris by Indian forces.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday accused India of "perpetrating terrorism" and "terror financing", claiming that it has "irrefutable evidence" on it.

Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria, during his weekly briefing, alleged that "Indian involvement" in Pakistan's internal matters was a long-standing problem that Pakistan has been raising with the international community.

He claimed that the arrest of alleged "Indian spy" Kulbhushan Jadhav and various statements of India's top politicians and officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, "proved" that India was using terrorism as a policy to create unrest within Pakistan.

"All these (Indian politician's) statements, ample of irrefutable evidence and undeniable proof of Indian involvement in perpetrating terrorism and terror financing in Pakistan are fact of the matter," he said.

Zakaria said Pakistan has already submitted a dossier with the UN based on Kulbhushan Jadhav's "confessions and revelation".

He claimed that in 2013, Pakistan also saw a statement of the then US Defence Secretary, Chuck Hagel, who revealed how India financed instability in Pakistan from Afghanistan.

"Let me also take you back to the statement of Mr Ajit Doval, in which he said that India will use Taliban against Pakistan. Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar also stated that they would use terrorists against Pakistan. You have also seen the Indian statements on Balochistan at the highest political level," Zakaria said.

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent statement on action against militancy for starting talks, he claimed that no nation has done more than Pakistan to defeat the menace of terrorism.

"Our successes in counter terrorism are well-demonstrated and have been widely acknowledged. The salutary effect on our economy is also visible," Zakaria said.

He said Pakistan repeatedly called on the Indian government to pursue the path of dialogue and engagement, rather than confrontation, violence and terrorism.

"India has always shirked from dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Jammu & Kashmir dispute," he claimed.

To another question, Zakaria said Pakistan had maintained that both India and Pakistan should agree on meaningful measures for restraint and avoidance of nuclear or conventional arms race in the region.

He said India's expansion of its conventional and nuclear capabilities was against the objective of strategic stability in South Asia.

"International reports about new nuclear facilities being built in India only confirm the concerns expressed by Pakistan in 2008 that without appropriate non-proliferation safeguards, the NSG exemption would lead to expansion in the Indian capacity to produce fissile material for military use," he said.
Embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday faced an united Opposition in parliament as they moved a privilege motion against his "untruthful" speech.

Islamabad: Embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday faced an united Opposition in parliament as they moved a privilege motion against his "untruthful" speech on the floor of the House on the Panamagate case.

The privilege motion, which was submitted by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, referred to a plea by the prime minister's counsel in the Supreme Court in the ongoing Panamagate case.

"The plea taken by the prime minister's lawyer in Supreme Court on January 16, to do away with Prime Minister's speech delivered in the NA while explaining the trail of funds used to purchase properties in London and elsewhere as mentioned in Panama Papers, using Article 66 as a shield, are an admission that the Prime Minister did not tell the truth to the assembly," the motion signed by seven other lawmakers said.

The motion has been submitted over discrepancy in the premier's statement in the lower House of Parliament and his counsel's statement in the apex court.

"The prime minister while speaking on the floor of National Assembly on May 16, 2016 had explained the trail of funds used to purchase property in one of the most expensive areas of London," it said and added that the details submitted by the prime minister's counsel in the top court were "in sheer contrast with the ones stated by the Prime Minister." It further said the discrepancy in the statements suggest that Prime Minister Nawaz willfully deceived the House on the issue which was a "clear case of contempt of the House".

"As per Article 91(6) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, prime minister and cabinet are collectively responsible to Parliament and have to state the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," it said.

Claiming that Sharif's statement was a blatant breach of the privilege of the National Assembly, it demanded the matter to be immediately taken up for discussion and action.

It said the assertion made in the speech were different from the case pleaded by Sharif's lawyer in the Supreme Court, which is hearing petitions by opposition against alleged illegal assets abroad by the prime minister's family.

Sharif's lawyer has also asked the court not to consider the speech in the case.

Shah said that it was an admission that the prime minister did not tell the truth to the National Assembly, which is breach of the privilege of the august house.

Meanwhile, a larger bench of the Supreme Court hearing the Panamagate case today reminded Sharif's counsel that the case concerns Sharif's qualification as Prime Minister.

During the hearing, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed that the case challenges Sharif's claim to the PM office.

Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who heads the five-judge bench, pointed out that the time-frame in which the appointment of the Prime Minister can be challenged following the election through Article 225 is limited.

Once this time period expires, however, the court can be asked to review the appointment under Articles 184/3 and Article 199, Justice Khosa said.

Justice Khosa also stated that this case concerns the whole nation because the defendant is the prime minister.
Islamabad: Advisor to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, has asked Afghanistan to stop blaming Pakistan for the deteriorating security situation in the country and advised them to instead review their 'fragmented' approach to peace talks with the Taliban militant group.

In an interview, Aziz said that a "lack of political consensus and prevailing ambiguity in Afghanistan about whether to treat Taliban insurgents as terrorists or stakeholders" in national politics had blocked the internationally-backed efforts to start peace talks between the warring sides, reports the Dawn.

"Their approach to talks with the Taliban is very, very fragmented. We want the [Afghan] government of national unity to succeed, to establish its writ, we want them to send a clear signal to the Taliban and other groups that the whole world wants them to talk and solve the problem because nobody wants fighting in Afghanistan to continue," Aziz added.

He was of the view that years of reliance on the use of military power to resolve the Afghan conflict has so far not yielded results and instead strengthened the Taliban.

Talking about the ongoing military Operation Zarb-i-Azb against terrorists and its impact within and across the Afghan border, he said that Pakistan had repeatedly assured the Afghan leadership that much of the terrorist infrastructure has been destroyed.

His statement comes days after Afghanistan's High Peace Council (HPC) slammed Pakistan for its controversial role in the Afghan peace process, saying Islamabad has been the key obstruction in the way of purposeful peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban militant group.
The first direct freight train service from China to London has arrived.





The 18-day trip saw dozens of containers packed mainly with clothes transported from the city of Yiwu in eastern China to Barking in east London, via Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland and western Europe.



The train entered Britain from France through the Channel Tunnel, completing a 7,456-mile (11,999 km) journey. The service is faster than sending goods by sea. Weekly trains will initially be run to assess demand.



China Railway already has freight services to European destinations including Madrid and Hamburg. They are part of efforts to revive the fabled Silk Road trading routes to the West.


Social media appeared to have played a key role in bringing together thousands of pro-Jallikattu protesters to the sprawling Marina Beach here and other parts of Tamil Nadu, with updates on the ongoing students' spontaneous stir and messages flooding the platform.





Sites including Facebook were awash with "Let us be united", "We want Jallikattu," and "I support Jallikattu" pages, which together account for lakhs of followers, who kept commenting on the evolving situation and pressing their cause.



Facebook pages like "Jallikattu veeravilayattu," specially designed to spread messages on the bull-taming sport and protest across the state were active with live updates.



Special folk songs were uploaded and real time pictures, videos of protests were posted regularly which helped the information reach more and more people, prompting several of them to join hands.



For instance, a social media user Manikandan uploaded pictures of protest between Madurai and Theni in 'Jallikattu veeravilayattu' Facebook page.



A college student here, R Sukumar, said he joined the protests on the Marina Beach responding to a campaign in Facebook by several other students.



Balakumar Somu, in his Facebook post said, "I see protests in so many places, from the metros to small towns & villages. So happy to be a part of the enlightened Tamil youth @Tirupur (Collector's office)."



Also, posts like "No Jallikattu, no vote" and "save native cattle" dominated social media sites.



Each Jallikattu protest and information related to it got thousands of "likes" on Facebook.

A blogger said, "Jallikattu is not bullfight...PeTA should stop equating the sport with bull fighting."



In Twitter, hashtags like "justice for jallikattu," "save our culture jallikattu" continued to trend through the day with countless messages.



Also, messages like "I can arrange dinner, lunch for protestors," "I can provide drinking water please contact..." were also abound, indicating how the students were organising and managing the protests.
At least 15 children were today killed and several others injured when their school bus collided with a lorry amid dense fog on Aliganj-Paliyali road near here.





The bus was carrying students to J S Vidyaniketan school which had opened despite the district magistrate's orders to keep all schools closed in view of intense cold, officials said.



The mishap occurred near Asadnagar village under Aliganj Kotwali police station area in Etah, which is four hours drive from the national capital.



District Magistrate, Etah, Shambhu Nath put the toll at 15 and said eight of them died on the spot.



Near 20 injured students were rushed to different hospitals, he said.



The toll might increase, local officials feared.



The District Magistrate said orders have been issued to cancel the recognition of the school.

Twelve of those killed have been identified, he said, adding the deceased were in the 5-15 years age bracket.



Soon after getting the news, senior officials rushed to the accident spot and supervised rescue and relief operations.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the death of children in the mishap.

"Anguished by the tragic accident in UP's Etah district. I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole passing away of young children," he said in a tweet.



"I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest," he said.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav also condoled the death of the children in the mishap.



The Chief Minister has asked the district officials to launch all out rescue operations and ensure proper treatment of the injured.


Going whole hog after Election Commission's nod to his coronation, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav revoked expulsion of nine MLCs and youth wing leaders, sacked for indiscipline earlier by his warring uncle Shivpal Yadav.





The decision to revoke their expulsion was a foregone conclusion though formal orders to this effect were issued late last night, taking them back in the party fold.

This is the first major decision taken by Akhilesh as the SP national President.



Nine leaders including MLCs Ananad Bhaduaria, Sunil Singh Sajan, Sanjay Lathar, Mulayam Singh Youth Brigade national and state president Gaurav Dubey and Mohammad Aibad were expelled in September last by then state president Shivpal after he replaced nephew Akhilesh on the post in a bitter power game.



Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha state chief Brajesh Yadav and his counterpart in Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha Digvijay Singh, who were also sacked on charges of indiscipline after they led an agitation demanding restatement of Akhilesh, are also back in the party.



MLC Udaiveer Singh, who was expelled for attacking Mulayam alleging he was under influence of "outsiders", too is back.



MLC Arvind Yadav, nephew of SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, against whom allegations of "land grabbing" was made by Shivpal while being sacked, has also been taken in.



Akhilesh also appointed Geeta Singh as the state president of SP Mahila Sabha and restored youth leaders back to their their previous posts.



On Monday, Election Commission has settled the dispute over Samajwadi Party's name and symbol 'bicycle' in the UP CM Akhilesh's favour.Taking full control of the ruling party after being crowned as its head at a disputed national convention here on January 1, Akhilesh has been going all out consolidating his grip over the organisation.



He has already made new appointments of district chiefs and also released list of candidates for the Legislative Council polls in his capacity as the SP chief.



Akhilesh appointed heads of 11 district party units in Mainpuri, Moradabad, Fatehpur, Etawah, Farukhabad, Hardoi, Firozabad, Deoria, Kushinagar, Azamgarh and Mirzapur.



The existing presidents of these district units were sacked with immediate effect to pave the way for new faces to demonstrate the chief minister's strengthening grip over the party.



Presidents in all these districts were dumped by Shivpal, who is state president of another faction of SP backed by Mulayam, his elder brother.



Apparently to send the message that he was in the driver's seat as 'president' of SP, Akhilesh has cleared the names of three candidates for the biennial elections to UP upper House for Kanpur-Unnao (Teachers constituency), Allahabad-Jhansi (Teachers constituency) and Bareilly-Moradabad (Graduates constituency).

These constituencies will go to polls on February 3.
Like I've been saying for months, we'll never really know-- not definitively-- the extent of Russia's interference in the 2016 election. It's a given-- at least for me that none of the interested parties-- not the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, not the FSB and certainly not Putin, Wasserman Schultz or Trumpanzee , has any kind of an operative relationship with Truth.

But yesterday McClathchy's Washington Bureau reported that 6 American law enforcement agencies are still trying to get to the bottom of the collaboration between the Trump campaign and the Russian dictator to make sure Trump won the presidency. The FBI, the CIA, the National Security Agency, the Justice Department, the Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and representatives of the director of national intelligence are all following up leads about Putin injecting money into Trump's campaign.

Investigators are examining how money may have moved from the Kremlin to covertly help Trump win, the two sources said. One of the allegations involves whether a system for routinely paying thousands of Russian-American pensioners may have been used to pay some email hackers in the United States or to supply money to intermediaries who would then pay the hackers, the two sources said.





The informal, inter-agency working group began to explore possible Russian interference last spring, long before the FBI received information from a former British spy hired to develop politically damaging and unverified research about Trump, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the inquiry.





On Jan. 6, the director of national intelligence released a declassified report that concluded Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered an influence campaign to undermine faith in the U.S. democratic process, damage Hillary Clintons election prospects and bolster Trumps. The campaign included the hacking of top Democrats emails and fake news distributed by Russian sources.





The president-elect, who will be inaugurated Friday, has said he believes Russia was involved with the hacking, and he has called allegations that he or his associates were involved a political witch hunt and a complete and total fabrication.





Trump has yet to say whether FBI Director James Comey will be retained. The rest of Trumps newly appointed intelligence and law enforcement chiefs will inherit the investigation, whose outcome could create national and international fallout.





...U.S. intelligence agencies not only have been unanimous in blaming Russia for the hacking of Democrats computers but also have concluded that the leaking and dissemination of thousands of emails of top Democrats, some of which caused headaches for the Clinton campaign, were done to help Trump win.





Trump and Republican members of Congress have said they believe Russia meddled in the U.S. election but that those actions didnt change the outcome. However, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, a former chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press that she believes that Russias tactics did alter the election result.





The Senate Intelligence Committee has opened its own investigation into Russias involvement in the campaign. That panel will have subpoena power.





... The BBC reported last week that the joint inquiry was launched when the CIA learned last spring, through a Baltic ally, of a recording indicating the Russian government was planning to funnel funds aimed at influencing the U.S. election.





Another source of information was the former longtime British intelligence agent, Christopher Steele, who was hired to gather opposition research about Trump for a Republican client and later a Democrat. Early last summer, Steele became alarmed about information he was receiving from a network of Russian sources describing a web of Trumps business relationships with wealthy Russians and alleged political ties to the Kremlin, according to two people who know him. These sources also declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.





Steeles reports also alleged that Russian consulates in New York, Washington and Miami were used to deliver tens of thousands of dollars to Kremlin-hired operatives using fictitious names as if they were legitimate Russian-American pensioners. That ruse was designed to give Russia plausible deniability, Steeles reports suggested. However, Russia does not operate a consulate in Miami.





Steele, who had worked previously with the FBI and was well regarded, fed the bureau information in July and September suggesting collusion between Trump associates and Moscow in the hacking of Democratic computers, they said. Eventually, he met in Italy with an FBI official to share more information alleging that a top Trump campaign official had known about the hacking as early as last June, the sources said. About a month after the election, Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona gave FBI Director Comey a copy of a 35-page compilation of Steeles reports.
The National Investigation Agency is looking into the claims of three arrested persons that the derailment of Indore-Patna express last year, in which at least 150 people were killed, was carried out at the behest of Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).





The trio -- Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar and Mukesh Yadav -- were arrested earlier this week by police from East Champaran district of Bihar. They had claimed to have got Rs 3 lakh to plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at Ghorasahan railway station under the district on October 1 last year. Bihar Police has reportedly recovered the IEDs.



Official sources said a team of NIA officials has gone to Bihar to probe the accused and to verify their claim.



A letter has been sent to the Home Ministry seeking its nod for NIA to probe IED recovery case. A formal order was expected soon from the government following which a case would be registered in the matter, they said.



The arrested persons have reportedly confessed about the ISI's possible role in the last year's derailment. They also claimed to be working for the ISI, the sources said.



The Home Ministry has also sought reports from the Bihar government and central security agencies regarding the arrest and their disclosures to Bihar Police.



Central intelligence agencies are also questioning the three accused. If the claim of the these accused turns out to be true, it would be the first such case of train derailment in India carried out at the behest of the Pakistani agency, they said.



A report is said to have come from Nepal confirming the Bihar Police's claim that Pakistan's ISI had paid Rs 30 lakh to its agent Brajesh Giri for triggering blasts on rail tracks targeting popular trains in Bihar, the sources said.



Central security agencies were now looking for two more persons identified as Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadav in East Champaran area for their suspected links to the accused.



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 had 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 had said.
Protests demanding jallikattu swelled on the streets of Tamil Nadu after agitators rejected statements by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and the state braced for a shutdown tomorrow.



Late night reports indicated that the state government could consider promulgating an ordinance to ensure holding of jallikattu or convene the Assembly for adopting a resolution in its favour. In a virtual replay of the anti-Hindi agitation of 1960s, lakhs of students and youths took leadership of the peaceful protests across the state, while agitators in Madurai, the main area which has been hosting jallikattu sport for centuries, stopped trains pressing for their demand.



Businesses, theatres, schools and transporters have declared a day-long strike tomorrow supporting the demand for immediate permission to allow jallikattu. More eminent personalities like chess wizard Viswanathan Anand and music maestro A R Rahman extended their support. Rahman will sit on a day-long fast tomorrow.



On a day of hectic developments, Modi expressed inability on the part of the Centre in promulgating an ordinance in the conduct of the bull-taming sport but expressed support for steps taken by Tamil Nadu in this regard.



Chief Minister Panneerselvam, who met Modi at his residence in Delhi, told reporters later that the state government in conjunction with the Centre would take steps for holding the event.



"We will soon take steps with the backing of the Centre for the holding of the sport. You will soon see (the steps). All is well that ends well. Wait, good will happen," he told reporters after the meeting with Modi during which he urged the central government to issue an ordinance to enable the sport to be conducted.



Later, the Chief Minister deferred his return to Chennai and held consultations with legal experts including state Additional Advocate General (AAG) Subramonium Prasad. He is understood to have discussed the option of the state issuing an ordinance for ensuring holding of the event traditionally held during Pongal.



After the Chief Minister pressed for immediate steps for promulgation of an ordinance, the Prime Minister told him that the Supreme Court was yet to give its verdict on the notification of the government on the issue but the Centre would support any step taken by the state government on this.

At the epicentre of the agitation Marina, the protesters rejected the statements of Modi and Panneerselvam saying these were known excuses and disappointing. On the third night of the protests, the students including those from schools, youth and women expressed their determination not to leave their protest sites unless the age-old sport is allowed.



The sea of youths continued to swell on the Marina beach for the third day today and staged protests in multiple forms like forming human chains, taking out motorcycle rallies, playing folk music, dancing, singing and holding skit.

Expressing solidarity with the agitators, Oscar winning music maestro A R Rahman tweeted, "I am fasting tomorrow to support the spirit of Tamilnadu." Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand too extended his support to holding the bull-taming sport, saying it was a "cultural symbol".

Extending support to the protesters, Madras High Courts Advocates Association also announced boycott of courts tomorrow.



Tamil Nadu traders' federation, led by A M Vikramaraja and unions of auto-rickshaw and taxis operators and cinema houses announced a shutdown tomorrow. Intensifying the protests, associations of workers in sectors like construction joined the protest on Marina beach and hordes of volunteer groups pitched in by supplying food, snacks and drinking water to the protesters, a chunk of whom stayed overnight on the sands of the beach.



Government employees held a protest in Ezhilagam Complex opposite the beach and IT employees too continued their protest. Sporting paper horns, young men and women held creatively worded placards in Tamil and English, asking the state and central governments to immediately pave the way for holding of the sport.



That the crowds on Marina were apolitical became evident with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister O Panneerselvam becoming targets of protesters, who used comedy tracks from Tamil movies like the "mixture meme" from film 'Nattamai'. Also, animal rights organisation PETA was at the centre of the attack.



Several women held banners saying "no" to talks and seeking the nod for the sport as the way-out to uphold the "Tamil pride and culture". Traffic came to a virtual standstill on arterial Kamarajar Salai abutting the beach almost throughout the day with the agitators spilling over on to the road.



On the sands of the beach, agitators split into groups, formed circles, shouted slogans, played music, singing songs and held skits in support of jallikattu. They ridiculed the meeting of Panneerselvam with Modi as a damp squib and the latter's assurance that steps will be taken as "ritualistic", demanding tangible results.



Protests continued to be held in other parts of the State as well, including Madurai, Salem, Coimbatore, Karur, Tiruchirappalli and Erode, besides neighbouring Puducherry by students of colleges and universities. Rail rokos were held in places, including Salem and Chengelpet. PETA India, which is being targeted by the protesters, said it would serve no purpose.



"PETA India does not make law, we can only respect law, and so targeting PETA India can have no bearing whatsoever on the central government laws, which have been prohibiting cruel spectacles like jallikattu, bull races and bullfights for years," it said.



The People's Welfare Front (PWF) comprising CPI, CPI(M) and VCK extended support to the stir and urged the Centre to bring in necessary amendments to facilitate the sport. PWF convener Thol. Thirumavalavan, however, saw a design behind the protesters keeping political parties away. Also, he counselled the students not to target PETA like seeking its ban, saying such an approach runs the risk of a big movement going after a small issue and thus wasting its efforts.



Leader of the Opposition M K Stalin urged the state government to call an all-party meeting immediately and convene a session of the Assembly to take steps to ensure jallikattu. DMK has also called for rail blockade across the state tomorrow.
After tasting success with the Tiagos looks, the countrys largest automobile company Tata Motors believes that irrespective of price, every car should have good look.





In an interaction with DH, Tata Motors Head of Design, Pratap Bose, said, For the Tiago project, we were clear that we will come out with an outstanding looking car. Till date, we have got bookings of over 60,000 for my first project (Tiago) as Head of Design. We are seeing that aesthetics is one of the biggest purchasing factor in India today.



Elaborating the hard work behind the success of Tiago, Bose said, Tata Motors has three global design centres in the UK, Italy and India with over 200 engineers. Pune is our biggest facility. To be a global carmaker, you need inputs from best practices. Turin is a heart of car design centre in Italy, and Coventry is a heart of car engineering centre in the UK. Therefore, we get the ability to tap into a network of experience and expertise. On Thursday, Tata Motors launched its SUV Hexa, with a price starting at Rs 12.25 lakh (ex-showroom Bluru), for the manual transmission variant, and Rs 15.16 lakh for the automatic variant.





Fiver years ago, the team size was only 40 people. Owing to market demand, we are widening our range. We have expanded our studios as well. We have invested heavily in terms of people, infrastructure and capability. This gives us three global studios which is unique for an Indian OEM, Bose added.



In terms of the duration needed to execute a project, Bose said, Right from a sheet of paper to a sheet of metal, it will take 48 months. First 18-24 months, it is pure design process and then manufacturing, testing, validation.



Hexa is the new segment which was a challenging and exciting project. We had to do it quickly to respond to the growth in the market. Our engineers told us that the Hexa has an outstanding engine, but we had to make it look strong, and not aggressive. If you look at Hexa, SUV looks stronger but doesnt look aggressive.
Yoga guru Ramdev today said it was because of Patanjali that multi-national companies have sleepless nights.





"No MNC comes here to give you money, they have no love for India, they are here to earn profits. They bring Re 1 with them and take back Rs 100 with them. It is because of Patanjali, all these MNCs have sleepless nights," Ramdev said at the 7th 'Bhartiya Chhatra Sansad' here.



The yoga guru was addressing a gathering on the topic "Multinational Corporations: Saviours or Saboteurs?".



Stating that India does not need MNCs, Ramdev said today India is self-reliant as far as science and technology, capital and resources are concerned.



"Modiji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) went around the world seeking FDI. Everyone knows how much FDI came in and ultimately he has to bring out the money from here through demonetisation," Ramdev said on a lighter note.



He also said that he is taking the Patanjali Group to Bangladesh and African countries and one day he will take the venture to Pakistan.



"People say that I will be opposed in other countries. I (referring to Patanjali Group) have been to Nepal, will be going to Bangladesh and African countries and one day will go to Pakistan as well. Whatever profit earned there in these countries will be given for the welfare of the poor and if I do this, why would I be opposed in these countries," Ramdev added.



He further said his thinking is "scientific, secular and universal" and if he helps these countries with science and technology, knowledge and experience, there is no chance of him being opposed in these countries.



"We should help poor countries. If poverty of Pakistan is eradicated, that country will never be the enemy of India," said Ramdev.



He added, "poor nations are being forced to fight each other and advantage is taken of their poverty".



"Illiteracy and poverty are the main issues of the world. If poverty and illiteracy is over, that nation will never resort to war," said the yoga guru.



Meanwhile, Ramdev also said, "We will build worlds biggest university in India with Patanjali's money."


Marking another milestone for a changing planet, scientists reported Wednesday that the Earth reached its highest temperature on record in 2016  trouncing a record set only a year earlier, which beat one set in 2014. It is the first time in the modern era of global warming data that temperatures have blown past the previous record three years in a row.





The findings come two days before the inauguration of a United States president who has called global warming a Chinese plot and vowed to roll back his predecessors efforts to cut emissions of heat-trapping gases. In reality, the Earth is heating up, a point long beyond serious scientific dispute, but one becoming more evident as the records keep falling. Temperatures are heading toward levels that many experts believe will pose a profound threat to both the natural world and to human civilisation.



In 2015 and 2016, the planetary warming was intensified by the weather pattern known as El Nino, in which the Pacific Ocean released a huge burst of energy and water vapour into the atmosphere. But the bigger factor in setting the records was the long-term trend of rising temperatures, which scientists say is being driven by increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.



A single warm year is something of a curiosity, said Deke Arndt, chief of global climate monitoring for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Its really the trend, and the fact that were punching at the ceiling every year now, that is the real indicator that were undergoing big changes.



The heat extremes were especially pervasive in the Arctic, with temperatures in the fall running -1 degrees C above normal across large stretches of the Arctic Ocean. Sea ice in that region has been in precipitous decline for years, and Arctic communities are already wrestling with enormous problems, such as rapid coastal erosion, caused by the changing climate.



Whats going on in the Arctic is really very impressive; this year was ridiculously off the chart, said Gavin Schmidt, head of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in Manhattan, a unit of Nasa that tracks global temperatures. But Arctic people were hardly alone in feeling the heat. Drought and starvation afflicted Africa. On May 19, the people in the town of Phalodi (Jodhpur district, Rajasthan) lived through the hottest day in the recorded history of India, 123.8 degrees F (48.8 degrees C).



El Nino has now ended, and climate scientists almost universally expect 2017 to be cooler than the year before. But the scale of heat burst has been startling to many of the experts, and some of them fear an accelerated era of global warming could be at hand over the next few years.



Even at current temperatures, billions of tonnes of land ice are melting or sliding into the ocean. The sea is also absorbing most of the heat trapped by human emissions. Those factors are causing the ocean to rise at what appears to be an accelerating pace, and coastal communities in the US are beginning to spend billions to fight increased tidal flooding. Their pleas for help from Congress have largely been ignored.



The finding that a record had been set for the third year in a row was released on Wednesday by three government agencies, two of them American and one British, that track measurements made by ships, buoys and land-based weather stations. They analyse the figures to correct for known problems, producing an annual average temperature for the surface of the Earth. The national meteorological agency of Japan confirmed the findings in a preliminary analysis.



In the British data set, 2016 set a record by only a small amount; the margin was larger in the NOAA data set and larger still in Nasas. The Nasa does more work than the other groups to take full account of Arctic temperatures, and several scientists said they believed the Nasa record to be the most accurate for 2016 for that reason.



The Nasas calculations suggested that the planet had warmed by well over a -17.5 degrees C from 2013 to 2016. That is a huge change for the surface of an entire planet to undergo in just three years, and it appears to be the largest temperature increase over a three-year period in the Nasa record, which begins in 1880.



The findings about a record-warm year were also confirmed by the Berkeley Earth surface temperature project, a nonprofit California group set up to provide a temperature analysis independent of governments. That group, however, did not find that three records had been set in a row; in its analysis, 2010 was slightly warmer than 2014.



In addition to the surface measurements, satellites are used to measure the temperature of the atmosphere within a few miles of the surface. Two groups that analyse these figures showed a record-warm 2016 in data going back to 1978, though in one data set, it was a record by only a small margin.



Since 1880, NOAAs records show only one other instance when global temperature records were set three years in a row: in 1939, 1940 and 1941. The Earth has warmed so much in recent decades, however, that 1941 now ranks as only the 37th warmest year on record.



Political manipulation



The modern era of global warming began around 1970, after a long stretch of relatively flat temperatures, and the past three years mark the first time in that period that three records were set in a row. Of the 17 hottest years on record, 16 have now occurred since 2000.



Two of the agencies that issued Wednesdays figures, NOAA and Nasa, will soon report to Cabinet secretaries appointed by President-elect Donald Trump, who has expressed doubt about the findings of climate science.



Fear has erupted within the agencies about whether their data will now be subject to political manipulation. Trump and his Cabinet nominees have given no detailed indication of what their broad climate policies are likely to be, much less how they will manage the scientific enterprise of monitoring the climate. Since he was elected president, Trump has acknowledged there may be some connectivity between human activity and climate change, and he promised to keep an open mind on the subject.



When the heat buildup in the ocean is taken into account, global temperatures are rising relentlessly. Scientists have calculated that the heat accumulating throughout the Earth because of human emissions is roughly equal to the energy that would be released by 4,00,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs exploding across the planet every day.

It is true that at the Earths surface, the warming seems to be proceeding in fits and starts. The arc of global warming will be variously steep and less steep, said Richard Seager, a climate scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. It never stopped. In fact, the rate over time has been reasonably close to predictions that scientists first offered decades ago. Those same scientists have long warned that humanity is courting disaster by failing to bring fossil-fuel emissions under control.



For example, many experts on sea level believe that a rise of 15 or 20 feet has already become inevitable, though they cannot say how fast it will happen. A rise that large would drown most of the worlds coastal cities without heroic efforts to fortify them.




Bengalurus chronic traffic problem could get a solution. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has asked the Finance Ministry to allocate funds in the Union Budget 2016-17 to help states to address traffic problems in cities.





As per the ministrys budget proposals, at least Rs 15,000 crore is required to improve the existing road network and build new roads in Bengaluru. Last year, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, PWD Minister H C Mahadevappa and Bengaluru Urban Development Minister K J George had met the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and requested him to sanction funds for building an elevated road from Hosur Road to Nelamangala in Bengaluru. Gadkari promised to pursue the matter with the Finance Ministry but asked Karnataka to acquire the required land in a time-bound manner.



The budgetary allocation would not only solve the traffic problem but also remove the urban clog, said an official in the Road Transport and Highways Ministry.



The ministry also proposed involving the private sector in building flyovers, underpasses and vehicle parking complexes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a farewell call from outgoing US President Barack Obama, who will leave the White House on Friday.





Modi was among the few world leaders Obama called to bid farewell late on Wednesday. The only other leaders who received the farewell call from the White House on the same day were Afghanistan President M Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah.



Obama thanked Modi for his partnership and the two leaders briefly reviewed joint efforts of cooperation, including defence, civil nuclear energy and enhanced people-to-people ties, according to a press release issued by the White House on Thursday.



They also discussed the progress made on shared economic and security priorities, including recognition of India as a Major Defence Partner of the United States and addressing the global challenge of climate change, a spokesperson of the US government said in a statement on the White House website.



The prime minister conveyed to the outgoing US president best wishes for his future endeavours.



Eight meetings

Modi, who took over as prime minister of India in May 2014, met Obama eight times in the past two and a half years, not only during each others visits to the US and India, but also on the sidelines of the multilateral conclaves around the world.



The personal bonhomie between the two leaders was on display when Modi called Obama by his first name while interacting with reporters during the US presidents visit to New Delhi in January 2015 to attend the Republic Day as chief guest.



Obama joined Modi during a visit to the Lincoln Memorial when the prime minister was on his first visit to Washington in September 2014.



They also laugh and chatted over tea on the lawns of the Hyderabad House during the US presidents visit to New Delhi in January 2015.


The indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas will make its maiden appearance at the Republic Day parade, signifying Indias self-reliance on critical weapons

.



Three fighter jets will take off from the Nal air base near Bikaner and reach New Delhi within minutes for enthralling the audience over Rajpath in a Vic formation.



Three aircraft from 45 Squadron (Flying Daggers) are already in position at Nal, Air Commodore Rajiva Ranjan, principal directors (operations and air defence) at the Indian Air Force (IAF) told reporters here on Thursday.



The squadron is currently operating from Bengaluru, but will eventually move to its home base at Sulur near Coimbatore.



In July, the first two Tejas aircraft was inducted into the IAF, operationalising the 45 squadron. The IAF has contracted 123 Tejas in various configurations.



Armed with technology



The three jets were inducted in the initial operational clearance (IOC) configuration, which means these jets are armed with close combat air-to-air missiles, helmet mounted display and precision-guided weapons like laser-guided bombs.



In the final operational clearance (FOC) configuration, the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd will equip Tejas with beyond-visual range (BVR) missiles and air-to-air refuelling capability.

The IAFs aim is to marry the FOC with LCA Mark-1A version with improved features that may go into production around 2019-20.



The other indigenous fighter aircraft to take part in the Republic Day parade was Marut HF-24, which was inducted in 1967 and phased out by the late 1980s.



LCA has flown more than 3,000 sorties spanning over 2,000 hours without any accident, which demonstrates the safety of the platform. It also has an auto-relight system to take care of any emergency, Ranjan said.


The Coca-Cola organization without the smiling celebrity mask (source)

 Corporations are lifeless predatory monsters. They need human faces to make them look like our friends. This is like putting a face-like mask on a robot before it asks you out to dinner ... to eat you. Celebrities act as their masks and supply those human faces.



 At the same time that celebrities humanize the corporations that use them, they themselves become less human, productized, marketed (by themselves and others) as things  masks or "brands"  good mainly for their utility to the corporate world that employs them.

The rise of celebrity culture did not happen by itself. It has long been cultivated by advertisers, marketers and the media. And it has a function. The more distant and impersonal corporations become, the more they rely on other peoples faces to connect them to their customers.



Corporation means body; capital means head. But corporate capital has neither head nor body. It is hard for people to attach themselves to a homogenised franchise, owned by a hedge fund whose corporate identity consists of a filing cabinet in Panama City. So the machine needs a mask. It must wear the face of someone we see as often as we see our next-door neighbours. It is pointless to ask what Kim Kardashian does to earn her living; her role is to exist in our minds. By playing our virtual neighbour, she induces a click of recognition on behalf of whatever grey monolith sits behind her this week.



An obsession with celebrity does not lie quietly beside the other things we value; it takes their place. A study published in the journal Cyberpsychology reveals that an extraordinary shift appears to have taken place between 1997 and 2007. In 1997, the dominant values (as judged by an adult audience) expressed by the shows most popular among 9-11 year olds were community feeling, followed by benevolence. Fame came 15th out of the 16 values tested. By 2007, when shows like Hannah Montana prevailed, fame came first, followed by achievement, image, popularity and financial success. Community feeling had fallen to 11th; benevolence to 12th.

A paper in the International Journal of Cultural Studies found that, among the people it surveyed, those who follow celebrity gossip most closely are three times less likely than people interested in other forms of news to be involved in local organisations, and half as likely to volunteer. Virtual neighbours replace real ones.



The blander and more homogenised the product, the more distinctive the mask it needs to wear. This is why Iggy Pop is used to promote motor insurance and Benicio del Toro is used to sell Heineken. The role of such people is to suggest that there something more exciting behind the logo than office blocks and spreadsheets. They transfer their edginess to the company they represent: as soon they take the cheque that buys their identity, they become as processed and meaningless as the item they are promoting.

The celebrities you see most often are the most lucrative products, extruded through a willing media by a marketing industry whose power no one seeks to check. This is why actors and models now receive such disproportionate attention, capturing much of the space once occupied by people with their own ideas. Their expertise lies in channelling other peoples visions. ...



You dont have to read or watch many interviews to see that the principal qualities now sought in a celebrity are vapidity, vacuity and physical beauty. They can be used as a blank screen onto which anything can be projected. Those who have least to say are granted the greatest number of platforms on which to say it....



[But as] soon as celebrities forget their allotted role, the hounds of hell are let loose upon them. Lily Allen was the medias darling when she was advertising John Lewiss. Gary Lineker couldnt put a foot wrong when he stuck to selling junk food to children. But when they expressed sympathy for refugees, they were torn to shreds. When you take the corporate shilling, you are supposed to stop thinking for yourself.

On this side of the Atlantic, George Monbiot is an underappreciated writer. The piece I'm about to quote makes just two main points, but they are stunning. The subject under consideration: Why is the modern world awash in celebrities, from actors who've "done something" to people like the Kardashians, who appear to have done nothing at all but "be famous."We've even just elected our second celebrity president, a man known more as a "brand" than as person, the first being Reagan. Why did we do that?Why are there so many of celebrities, and what do they really do? Is it something about the media, or the 20th century nationalization of publicity, that creates these people  for example, via the earlier movie fan magazines and now television and the Internet? Or is media not the cause? Is the presence of all these celebrities in our media a result of something else, of something more hidden from us?Monbiot thinks he has the answer to the question "why so many celebrities?" and I think he's right. His two main points:As Monbiot puts it in his piece: "Celebrity is not harmless fun  its the lieutenant of exploitation." The essay is called " Imaginary Friends ". Here are two excepts, each making one of the two points above.About the first point, Monbiot writes (my emphasis):Which leads to two sub-points:An American example  the nameless person cast as "the most interesting man in the world" is needed to put a face to a product few can recall by name, especially now they've retired the old, nameless "most interesting man" and hired a nameless younger replacement.You can even apply the idea to something much less bland and far more objectionable, like the Republican Party. You need a celebrity as outlandish as Trump to market that product, to take your eyes off what's really underneath. None of the other members of their vaunted "deep bench" could have done a tenth of what Trump accomplished as an obscuring mask for the vile set of policies known as "Republicanism."Trump was a good mask because the party's "customers" saw Trump and not the party or its goals. With any of the others as the party's virtual face, most people would see right through them to the Republicanism beneath. As masks they'd be worthless, transparent, obscuring nothing.Once they become masks for others, celebrities become products themselves. While they're busy humanizing corporations, corporations are busy productizing celebrities. Monbiot:When celebrities take corporate money, in other words, masking and humanizing the product or operation, they become products as well, marketable only to the extent that they don't intrude an identity of their own onto the scripted (painted-on) identity the "mask" is intended to project.As to Monbiot's title, "Imaginary Friends"  for Monbiot the friends are the celebrities, and they are indeed imaginary. Kim Kardashian could be as imaginary as the Marlboro Man, a person who never existed, and none of us would know it. Celebrities are real to us in our minds alone, and we do imagine they are our friends.But considering their function  to put a human face on the inhuman machinery of exploitation  it's easy to see that our actual "imaginary friends" are really the corporations themselves, whom we are taught to imagine as human, likable, even friendly, but who in fact would kill us the minute the cost-benefit analysis went their way but not ours. Is McDonald's your friend? Is WalMart?How about Coke, the company that makes the happy fizzy drink? The Coca-Cola company is a nonhuman, profit-seeking corporation that is guilty of murder to protect its profits. Only its paid, smiling-mask faces want to "teach the world to sing."The mask hides the psychopath beneath. And that's why we have celebrities, to keep us from noticing all that we're surrounded by.GP

Labels: Big Money, Gaius Publius, marketing, Monbiot, predatory capitalism, Trump
The alliance between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress in the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP) may be a precursor to a bigger battle in two years time.





The alliance, if it bears fruit for both the parties in the Assembly polls, could then be extended to the Parliamentary elections of 2019.



An indication to this effect was given by SP vice-president Kironmoy Nanda here on Thursday. Our objective is to capture Delhi (the Centre) in 2019, he said.



UP sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha. In the 2014 general elections, the BJP had won a whopping 73 seats from UP in alliance with the Apna Dal, which had bagged two seats. The Congress and the SP were reduced to fringe players. While the SP managed to win five seats, the Congress could bag only Raebareli and Amethi. The BSP and RLD drew a blank.



According to leaders in the Congress and the SP, the alliance should keep in mind the bigger battle in 2019. A little sacrifice this time should not matter much. The important thing is to develop a mutual trust between the two parties, said a senior state Congress leader here.



They said the results of the Assembly polls will be a pointer to the fate of the alliance two years from now. We are certain that the alliance will get the support of the people in UP. It will be a test of our combined strength, the leader added.



Leaders from the Congress and the SP said that only a strong alliance can stop the BJP in the next general elections. They expressed hope that other like-minded smaller outfits would be inclined to join the alliance if it succeeds in the 2017 elections.



BJP leaders, however, made light of these plans. It is an opportunistic alliance and will not last long. We will win the elections irrespective of any alliance, said a state BJP leader.
A 29-year-old software engineer jumped to death from the fifth floor of her office in ITPL, Whitefield, on Thursday.





The deceased, identified as Shobha Lakshminarayana, was a resident of Mahalakshmipuram in Rajajinagar and a native of Mandya.



The police suspect the victim was under depression over a property dispute. She had lost her father when she was four years old, a police officer said.



The incident happened at around 8 am. She worked as an assistant manager at an IT firm. Shobha had logged into her office at around 7.40 am and left her laptop and ID card on her seat, before going to the cafeteria on the fifth floor, from where she jumped to death from a window, police said.



Security personnel who found her lying in a pool of blood rushed her to a hospital. Shobha, who sustained severe head injuries, was declared brought dead.



Inquiries

Preliminary inquiries revealed that Shobha was having a dispute with her relatives over property, which is in court, and was under depression. She was consulting a psychiatrist, police said, quoting family sources.



Shobha had inherited ancestral property from her father. But her relatives had disputed it.



Shobha, who stayed with her mother at her paternal grandfathers house, was depressed and even discussed the dispute with her colleagues a number of times.



We are verifying if she contacted anybody before she jumped to death. There was no suicide note. The police found that Shobha was reading books on how to overcome depression and had even brought a few books to office before she committed suicide, the police said.



The Whitefield police have registered a case of unnatural death and are investigating.




Amid rising construction cost and dwindling resources, a city-based startup has been successfully building eco-friendly houses by consuming half the amount of material needed to build a conventional house.





More importantly, the cost of the disaster-proof green house, which can be built in a day, is not more than Rs 1,250 per square foot (sqft)against Rs 2,000 per sqft needed to build a conventional house.



The Society for Development of Composites (SDC), the brainchild of former president late A P J Abdul Kalam, has successfully applied the technology involved in building aeroplane fuselage to build houses.



The startup has built a light concrete house and a coir board house on its campus. Light gauge steel is used to build a frame of the house following which concrete is sprayed from inside and outside to make the six-inch wall. A 30-member team can build 10 houses of 1,200 sqft per day, said Gopalan, executive director of SDC, who was part of the team that worked on Indias Light Combat Aircraft.



Gopalan claimed the two-storey light concrete house on the campus withstood a 10-hour fire test without a crack. He said even the coir-board houses can resist a blaze for three hours.



During a demonstration of the part of the construction activity to reporters on Thursday, SDC president Panduranga Shetty said the technology not only produces low-cost houses but promises safe and affordable housing in future.



If nothing else, there will be shortage of sand as governments will be forced to ban sand mining to protect rivers. Only by using less today we can save for tomorrow, he said.



The startup has already built houses for Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation Ltd. We are going to put up a structure on the premises of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modis house and a coir-house will be built on the premises of Kerala chief ministers official residence, said Ranganath of RL Engineering, who was incubated at SDC and became a partner.



In addition, the startup has successfully produced composite doors and door frames made of coir and polymer composite, which provide an alternative to wood, fibre and plastic. The startup claims that the doors are stronger than teakwood and termite-proof and cost a fraction of the wooden doors.


The first additional district court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to Uttara Kannada MP Anant Kumar Hegde.





Hegde was arrested for assaulting the doctors and staff of TSS Hospital on January 2, over the delay in attending to the MPs mother, who was ill. Advocate G V Naik appeared on behalf of Hegde.



Based on the statements of the doctors and on the CCTV footage, the police had booked a suo motu case against Hegde.




The residents of south Bengaluru targeted Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) officials at the public consultation meeting, questioning how officials allowed commercialisation of areas which were declared residential in the 2015 master plan.

On Thursday, they also questioned the lack of basic facilities which were highlighted in the earlier master plan.





Nitin Sehsadri, former president of Koramanagala 3rd Block residents welfare association, said the earlier master plan had shown many areas in south Bengaluru as residential zones, but on the ground they are commercial. The BDA has planned to declare them commercial, based on road survey, which is nothing but supporting illegal development.



Residents of south Bengaluru demanded that government agencies first complete infrastructure projects before deciding the floor area ratio and betterment charges. The government is only keen on making money without showing any progress, residents said.



There is no comparative analysis of Bengaluru with other Indian and Asian cities. They are also not clear how much of residential, commercial, mixed and green zones exist and how much has been lost, when compared to the earlier master plan. The BDA has given the task to some private organisation. It does not seem to be a peoples master plan, but a real estate CDP, Seshadri said.



Keshava Kumar, president of Bengaluru Residents Welfare Association, Jayanagar 4th Block, said , The whole exercise of holding a public consultation is just an eye wash. The BDA is just doing this to record statements and show it to the government. But in reality, they are not prepared.



Residents also demanded that the state government use its resources in creating five satellite townships.



BDA Commissioner Rajkumar Khatri tried to convince Bengalureans that this was a pre-draft and it was the first time that the BDA had sought public opinion. Even as public posed questions to Khatri, he left the venue abruptly, leading to heated arguments.


State JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy said legislators tendency of humiliating and abusing government officials was increasing.





He was indirectly referring to his party MLA from Magadi, H C Balakrishna, abusing a police officer over a petty issue in Kudur police station of Ramanagaram district.



Legislators abusing officials and asking them to break rules is not uncommon. Foul words are being used. This is unfortunate. Some legislators presume that they can garner support of their followers by attacking officers in public. The MLA has been elected four times. It is not that he has no experience that he has to behave rudely, he said.




Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma was on Thursday appointed the new CBI Director, almost 50 days after the post fell vacant.



The 1979-batch officer will succeed Anil Sinha, who retired on December 2, 2016. Additional Director Rakesh Asthana was holding charge of CBI director after Sinhas retirement.



The appointment came three days after a high-level panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met to decide on the officer to succeed Sinha. Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Justice J S Khehar are the other members of the panel.





The Centre had on Monday told the apex court that it will be appointing a new CBI chief before Friday when it is hearing a petition on the appointment.



Vermas choice is interesting as he has never had a stint in the CBI. Kharge is learnt to have objected to Vermas nomination, saying he did not have enough experience in the CBI.



Sources said the panel considered the names of Verma and two others  Special Secretary (Internal Security) R K Dutta, who was transfered from the CBI two days before Sinhas retirement, and Maharashtra DGP S C Mathur.



The government is learnt to have shortlisted these officers from a panel of around 40 IPS officers from 1979 to 1982 batch as per Supreme Court rules.



A plea against transferring Dutta and giving additional charge to Asthana, a 1984-batch officer of the Gujarat cadre, has also reached the Supreme Court with NGO Common Cause claiming the transfer was done to clear Asthanas way.


BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, who is facing rebellion in the party, could not have asked for more on Thursday. A dozen disgruntled leaders dared him by keeping off from the meeting he had called to sort out the differences.





As many as 12 of the 24 BJP leaders who purportedly signed a letter addressed to Yeddyurappa questioning his style of functioning had been invited to the meeting held at the party office in Bengaluru.



They have been indirectly supporting BJP leader K S Eshwarappa who is cut up with Yeddyurappa over appointment of office-bearers.



Yeddyurappa and four state general secretaries - Arun Kumar, C T Ravi, Ravi Kumar and Aravind Limbavali, waited for them for an hour, but none of the disgruntled leaders turned up. Two vice-presidents M B Bhanuprakash (also a sitting MLC) and Nirmal Kumar Surana, legislators Raghunath Rao Malkapure, Somanna Bevinamarad, among others had confirmed to the media on Wednesday that they will be attending. However, that was not to be.



According to party sources, the disgruntled leaders sent a letter to Yeddyurappa at around 4 pm, the scheduled time of the meeting, putting forth that certain conditions be met if they were to attend the discussions. They have sought that show cause notices issued to leaders Sogadu Shivanna and M B Nandeesh be withdrawn, besides a clarification on why only 12 of the 24 signatories had been invited.



The leaders in their letter, it is learnt, made an observation that when Yeddyurappa had made an open observation to the media that there will be no changes made in the list of office-bearers, there was no point in holding any discussion.



The leaders have objected to Yeddyurappas unilateral decisions while appointing party office-bearers and other functionaries. They have also sought to know why Yeddyurappa was objecting to Eshwarappas association with the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade.



Yeddyurappa remained incommunicado after the meeting failed to take off. Instead, he deputed his party general secretaries, who spoke about stringent action against the leaders for violating party discipline.



The party president gave them an opportunity to express their views. But they failed to turn up. It is now clear that their intention is not to resolve issues, but to create confusion in the party. This is the third time they are doing it, Limbavali said.



He said the central leadership had taken note of the developments and it is a matter of time before stringent action is taken against the disgruntled leaders. He also said Eshwarappa should stop making caustic remarks against Yeddyurappa.




Routes connecting six airports in Karnataka, including four unserved ones, will go under the hammer as part of the Centres UDAN scheme to connect regional destinations by air.





Operators have bid for starting services from Bengaluru, Bengaluru HAL, Bidar, Hubballi, Mysuru and Vidyanagar (Ballari district) airports to unserved or under-served airports as per the Regional Connectivity Scheme Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (Let the Common Man Fly) or UDAN.



Bengaluru HAL, Bidar, Mysuru and Vidyanagar are bracketed under unserved airports in the state. Routes will be allocated to operators on February 3 after the counter bids are studied and the government expects the first flight under the scheme to take off by late February or early March.



Officials did not provide details of the routes under which bidding has taken place.

Eleven bidders have submitted bids covering 190 UDAN routes covering 12

under-served and 50 unserved airports. We have 75 operational airports currently in the country.



Through the bids that we have received for UDAN, it appears that we will now have 43 new airports that will be joining our aviation network. So now, 118 airports are going to be operational once UDAN gets implemented next month or so, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told reporters.



Among the south Indian states, Karnataka has the highest number of airports in this bidding while Kerala has none. Tamil Nadu has four airports -- Chennai and unserved airports in Hosur, Neyveli and Salem -- while Andhra Pradesh also has the same number -- Kadapa, Tirupati, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.



According to officials, 26 initial proposals are for single routes and 17 are for networks connecting three or more routes. Sinha said the Ministry is not seeking budgetary support for the scheme as it is based on a self-funding model.


The environment ministrys notification on Jallikattu, now before the Supreme Court, had adequate safeguards for bulls with active involvement of the district

administration.





The notification, issued on January 7, 2016, was stayed within days by the top court, which has heard the central government, animal welfare activists and the Tamil Nadu government in the past one year, but reserved its verdict.



In the notification, an exception was made for bulls used in Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu as well as for those in bullock cart races in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala and Gujarat.



It was stated that these events would take place in districts where they were being traditionally held annually with permission from the district collector or the district magistrate. The bullock cart race was to be organised on a proper track not exceeding 2 km in length. In Jallikattu, the bull was to be tamed within a radial distance of 15 metres beyond the enclosure.



It also made it mandatory for the administration to ensure that the bulls are put to proper testing by the animal husbandry and veterinary department to check if they are in good physical condition.



The order also stipulated that rights conferred upon the animals according to the 1960 law and five freedoms declared by the Supreme Court in its May 2014 order are fully

protected.



In its judgement, the apex court stated that the governments were required to protect and safeguard animals freedom from hunger, thirst and malnutrition; from fear and distress; from physical and thermal discomfort; from pain, injury and disease; and to express normal patterns of behaviour as recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health.



Former Union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan blamed her predecessor Jairam Ramesh for the current crisis, pointing out that the inclusion of bulls in the list took place during his tenure.


The Supreme Court on Thursday refrained from passing any order on a plea seeking protection of those protesting the ban on Jallikattu at Chennais Marina Beach.





A bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud asked advocate N Rajaraman to approach the Madras High Court, which can deal with the issue.

The advocate urged the court to take suo motu cognisance of the agitation, which has been going on for the past three days, at Chennai.



He expressed apprehension that the people, who have come from various parts of Tamil Nadu, could be forcefully removed and lathicharged, as had happened in the case of yoga guru Baba Ramadev and his followers at Ramlila Maidan in 2011 .



Why do you come all the way to the Supreme Court? You can go to the Madras High Court, the bench told the advocate.



As the advocate pointed out that the high court had refused to consider the issue, saying the apex court was seized of the matter, the bench asked him to file a proper petition.



On December 5, the Supreme Court had reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions, challenging a notification issued by the Union government in January 2016 allowing the use of bulls in the bull-taming sport on the ground that it was contrary to the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The notification, issued by the Centre on January 7 had sought to circumvent an apex court ban on Jallikattu in 2014.


A man arrested for attempting to derail the Raxaul-Sitamarhi train near Motihari, Bihar, has told interrogators that Pakistani intelligence agency ISI had assured him and two others a luxurious life if they succeeded in planting bombs and derailing the Indore-Patna Express.





The three suspected Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agents Moti Paswan, Uma Patel and Mukesh Yadav were remanded in police custody on Wednesday. Moti is presently being interrogated by top intelligence agencies at an undisclosed location.



Moti told his interrogators that he was assigned the task to plant pressure-cooker bombs on the tracks at Ghorasan near Motihari on October 1 at the behest of an ISI operative Brijesh Giri, a Nepali citizen. Giri was operating on the instructions of Shamsul

Hoda, a Dubai-based ISI operative.



Two of Motis associates, Sohan and Mohan, were with him during the time of the operation. But after the locals informed the police and the bombs were diffused, Mohan alias Arun Ram and Sohan alias Deepak Ram were reportedly taken to Nepal and killed for their failure to complete the task.



Moti then reportedly changed the modus operandi of causing the derailment of the Indore-Patna Express on November 20, in which as many as 150 people lost their lives.



He changed trains to reach Kanpur with a gas cutter. Instead of planting bombs, he removed fish plates and pandrol clips with the help of two other ISI moles, Mohammad Zubair and Zia-ul, thereby causing derailment of the train in the early hours, a source told DH, adding that as soon as the train derailed in Uttar Pradesh, Moti fled to Nepal.

However, following his arrest and subsequent interrogation, Zubair and Zi-ul were arrested by the special cell of the Delhi Police from the national capital.



Moti told the sleuths that Hoda chalks out strategies to carry out attacks on India.

Both the operations (Ghorasan in Motihari and Kanpur) were funded by Hoda, who deposited Rs 7.5 lakh in Giris account, whereas Moti got a sum of Rs 50,000, said the source.



Moti told his interrogators that they were promised a flat in Delhi, an SUV and sufficient cash to lead a luxurious life.


ELKO  Fire Marshal John Holmes is still getting used to the Elko area but brings a lot of experience to his new role.

Holmes started on Oct. 21 after working for the fire department in Kingman, Arizona. This is Holmes first time working as fire marshal and said he is excited to take over the position after gaining experience investigating fires in Kingman.

The job opened up here and it sounded like a good place to relocate and start over and bring what Ive learned as a fire prevention specialist and an arson investigator out here, he said.

Holmes has found the transition to fire marshal smooth with the help of his staff but has noticed that winter in northern Nevada is a little different from the winters in northern Arizona.

Holmes is still struggling to keep his driveway clear of snow.

Ive been around snow a little bit but nothing like where Im driving in it for days at a time, he said. Im not used to shoveling at all.

While he is still trying to get used to winter weather, Holmes was able to introduce himself to the community during one of the fire departments charity events.

Before Christmas Holmes participated in an event called Safety Santa. Along with Home Depot and Barrick Gold Corp, the fire department donated items to local families in need.

Holmes said it felt good to be part of an effort to help out families in need during the holiday season.

We were all able to come together and donate stuff, he said. We did smoke detectors and fire extinguishers and stuff. We were able to give them gifts, food and safety items for their home.

Holmes was only on the job for a brief time before he had to deal with his first major fire event. The American Medflight crash on Nov. 18 required responses from different types of emergency personnel and Holmes played a key role in helping Chief Matt Griego investigate the fire caused by the crash.

Im surveying the area and trying to figure out whats going on. Im taking pictures of the scene itself and going through photographs for the investigation, he said. Theres a lot to do. The chief has his role and I have my role as well.

Adjusting to his new responsibilities will take some time but Holmes and his family is enjoying their new environment. While his kids are looking forward to playing in the snow, Holmes said he is excited to take on a more important role in the fire department in a new area of the country.

Im looking forward to take my stuff that Ive learned and bring it to this department, he said. Ive been in southern California, Arizona and its been a nice change with this department.
ELKO  The Gold Diggers Motorcycle Club, a local off-road motorcycle racing organization, dominated the 2016 Motorcycle Racing Association of Northern Nevada Racing Series and was well represented at the recent awards banquet in Sparks.

Member Curtis Calder said numerous awards were bestowed upon local off-road motorcycle racers in multiple divisions, securing the Gold Diggers as one of the most powerful and influential off-road motorcycle racing organizations in North America.

Anyone interested in learning more about the club should contact Nathan Owen at nowen91@gmail.com. Monthly meetings are held at Ruby Mountain Pizza in Spring Creek.

The 2017 MRANN racing season begins on Feb. 18.
ELKO  Elko County will be represented at the Presidential Inauguration on Friday by John Trevathan from Montello.

At the Republican caucus held in Montello in February 2016 he was chosen as a delegate to attend the county Republican convention in Elko, and during the county convention Trevathan was selected as a delegate to the Republican State Convention in Reno on May 14.

Trevathan is originally from the Maryland area and moved to Elko County after he retired and from the fire department.

He said he was surprised he was the only one from the area to apply to be a Trump delegate at the state or national level and was thankful for the assistance of a Nevada congressman in helping him make the trip to Washington.

There was nobody in the valley that wanted to be a delegate in the area so I put my name in for that, he said. Our congressman Mark Amodei was able to get tickets for my wife and myself, so we will be attending on the 20th and Im very excited to be representing this area.

With the tight schedule and heavy security president-elect Donald Trump will be dealing with on inauguration day, Trevathan is not sure if he will be able to meet Trump directly. Even though Trevathans seats should put him relatively close to Trump, he is not sure if Trump will have time to interact with any of the delegates.

Im going to try my best. I dont know if thats going to happen or not, he said. I dont know what other events will be going on.  I dont know what the plans are in terms of Donald Trump visiting with anybody.

The trip will also be somewhat of a homecoming for Trevathan. He plans to visit friends and family in the area while he is in town for the swearing in of the president.

Because Trevathan considered this election a pivotal moment in the history of the country, he said this is the first time he has felt compelled to travel back home to witness history in person.

I lived in the Washington, D.C., area for 50 years and during that time I never gave a lot of thought to going to the inauguration, he said. But, this is a big step for our country and the history of America.
Aulia Faqih, Intel Software Innovator and Intel Black Belt Software Developer, is a lecturer at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta and creator of Dirakit.com. He is focused on growing the Indonesian Internet of Things (IoT) community using the Dirakit platform. Read our interview with Aulia and his associate, Narenda Wicaksono, also an Intel Software Innovator, to learn more about how they are influencing the developer community.

Tell us about Dirakit.

A: I realized that one of the biggest challenges that Indonesia faces is that we are non-native English speakers and this is quite a barrier to us in the field of technology. In order to overcome this obstacle I developed Dirakit, an IoT community platform for Indonesians. Its a place for users to explore, learn, share, participate in IoT technology challenges and more in their local language. It is similar to hackster.io, but everything is in the local language. Dirakit is here to help grow the IoT developers, skill levels, and market in Indonesia.

Tell us about Dicoding Academy. How does it relate to Dirakit?

A: Dicoding Academy is an educational site for Indonesian developers and makers. In Indonesia, innovators have a great relationship and help each other whenever we can. One way we are doing that is that I help to create courses for the Dicoding Academy, while other innovators share their projects on Dirakit.com. Narenda can explain more about Dicoding Academy, but really its a place for people to learn and then in turn they can share their work on Dirakit and inspire others.

N: Dicoding Academy is an online learning platform where we offer verified courses on the latest technologies, co-created together with IT industry leaders. Dicoding Academy allows Indonesian developers to advance their skillset in order to meet global market needs. We manually review each code submission to ensure our graduates are competent coders who are work-ready both as promising tech entrepreneurs and professional IT specialists.

How have Dirakit and Dicoding Academy influenced the developer community in Indonesia?

A: The Indonesia Creative Economic Agency hosts the BEKRAF Developer Day and BEKRAF Developer Conference events; major software developer events in Indonesia. We partner with them and do speakerships and workshops at these events. These roadshow events are held all over Indonesia including Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Jakarta, Makassar, Bogor and more. We are able to reach thousands of developers and makers throughout the nation at these events. In the short time since we launched, Dirakit has reached over 1,000 registered makers and 200 projects shared.

How many people participate in Dicoding Academy? Are the courses online only?

N: We have more than 20,000 students enrolled, and 2,000 students have graduated. All of the courses are available online and we also have offline training sessions several times a year in 8-10 cities nationwide. Currently, we have reviewed over 80,000 submissions manually to ensure quality of the learning process and storage for our academy has reached over 100 GB.

What type of courses are available at Dicoding Academy?

N: Currently we have Android and Game Development courses available, including those with Intel technologies such as Game Development with Construct and Intel XDK, and Android App Development with Intel XDK. Students have a range of courses available to choose from and receive a certification from the academy upon passing and graduates of our academy are connected with companies that need the skills they have developed.

Is there anything else you would like people to know?

A: Dirakit and Dicoding Academy are here for all Indonesians that are interested in software development. We encourage all makers to visit our websites and attend our events to learn more. We want to help grow and develop the maker community across Indonesia.

Want to learn more about the Intel Software Innovator Program?

You can read about our innovator updates, get the full program overview, meet the innovators and learn more about innovator benefits. We also encourage you to check out Developer Mesh to learn more about the various projects that our community of innovators are working on.

For more such intel Modern Code and tools from Intel, please visit the Intel Modern Code

Source:https://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2017/01/16/intel-software-innovators-are-transforming-the-developer-community-in-indonesia
Analytics-as-a-service company Actual Experience announced its preliminary results for the year to 30 September on Thursday, highlighting the signing of a third multi-year framework agreement with Vodafone during the period.

The AIM-traded firm said subsequent to year-end, it signed a fourth multi-year agreement with Accenture, and was making ongoing progress towards commercialisation within two existing channel partners - Verizon Enterprise Solutions, and an unnamed leading global brand.

It also confirmed a significant white-labelling project with a Fortune 100 global technology company.

The board also reported continued investment to ensure readiness for channel partners entering the revenue-generation phase, including augmenting its leadership team, introducing enhanced structures and processes, moving to a new headquarters, investing in 24/7 customer support, scaling its datacentre operations and creating a global sales structure

To support live operation with its global channels, it has increased the focus on scaling and technical security within its datacentres, developed the first mobile digital user, has worked on transforming the user interface, and continued to improve its algorithms.

Revenue for the year was 0.72m, up from 0.70m, with 60% of the revenue being derived from channel customers, significantly up from 33%.

2016 has been a year of significant progress for Actual Experience, said CEO Dave Page.

We have considerably enhanced our scalability as a business while receiving strong market endorsement for our digital analytics service through the signing of two further major channel partner agreements, bringing the total to four major channel partners.

These agreements mean that some of the world's largest services companies, such as Vodafone, Verizon and Accenture are now actively preparing to take our offering out to their global customer bases, either directly or integrated within their offerings.

Page said the channel partner agreements that the company has signed, and he believes the sheer size of the pipeline for potential customers that each represents vindicates the board's decision to focus sales efforts solely on channel partners rather than through selling direct to individual customers.

Revenues to date bear no resemblance to the market opportunity nor to the progress being made within each of our agreements, and it is this progress that underlines our belief that we are on the right path towards building a business of real scale.
Developer and manufacturer of medical grade collagen components, Collagen Solutions , announced the creation of a new scientific advisory board on Thursday, that will advise the company on opportunities in regenerative medicine.

The AIM-traded company said the three appointees are Andrew Lynn, William Walsh and Tom Buckland.

It said Dr Lynn is a successful entrepreneur with experience in early-stage life-sciences and technology companies.

He is currently CEO of Fluid Analytics, and was also the founder of Orthomimetics, which developed ChondroMimetic-based on the work for his PhD thesis at the University of Cambridge.

He has acted as a close adviser to the company on the development programme for ChondroMimetic following the acquisition of Orthomimetics assets in September 2015.

Professor Walsh reportedly has more than 27 years of academic and industry-related research experience in orthopaedics and other surgical fields.

He is currently a full professor at the Prince of Wales Clinical School at the University of New South Wales, Australia and Director of the Surgical and Orthopaedic Research Laboratories.

Professor Walsh's research interests are in understanding the molecular interactions at the interface between implanted materials and the connective tissues of the body, as it relates to orthopaedic, plastic and reconstructive and vascular surgery.

Collagen Solutions board said he has extensive practical experience of working with the novel collagen-based products that the company has developed.

Finally, Dr Buckland was a co-founder of ApaTech, research and development director with Baxter, and managing director of NuVasive UK.

The board said he has more than 15 years of experience in medical device product development, manufacture, regulatory approval, intellectual property management and commercialisation.

Dr Buckland holds several non-executive director positions with start-up companies in the orthopaedic space, in addition to his role as entrepreneur-in-residence within the technology transfer group at Imperial Innovations, where he is focused on managing the orthopaedic portfolio and selected medical technologies.

We have assembled a highly experienced and dynamic scientific advisory board with a combination of significant industry backgrounds and complementary technical and scientific knowledge within the field of regenerative medicine, said CEO Jamal Rushdy.

In addition to providing advice and direction on our current development projects and core business, the SAB will help us to assess future market directions and to guide our activities towards the development of both commercially and clinically relevant, next generation products.
Gama Aviation 's joint venture with CK Hutchison has won a long-term business jet maintenance co-operation contract with China Aircraft Services Limited, a maintenance provider based at Hong Kong International Airport.

Under the collaboration agreement, Gama Aviation Hutchison will act as the general sales agent to work with CASL to provide a range of business jet maintenance services, including line, base maintenance and aircraft-on-ground support.

The services will be progressively introduced during the course of 2017 to support resident and transitory aircraft at the airport, Gama said.

Gama chief executive Marwan Khalek said: "As with those made earlier in the month, this announcement is another tangible example of our ability to create sustainable platforms for organic growth worldwide."
Giant investment bank Goldman Sachs plans to move 1,000 of its City of London traders and bankers to Frankfurt when the UK exits from the European Union, according to reports in Germany on Thursday.

Goldman's post-Brexit rejig will see its headcount in London cut to around 3,000 from the current near-6,000, German business daily Handelsblatt reported.

Citing sources within the financial industry, the newspaper reported that the bank was "weighing transferring up to 1,000 employees to Frankfurt, including traders as well as top bankers".

Goldman, famously once described as a "vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity", plans to create a listed company in Frankfurt as the parent of all of its European businesses, Handelsblatt also reported.
Swings in the US dollar continued to call the tune for commodity prices, with a bounce in the Greenbacks helping to limit further gains in precious metals.

As of 1940 GMT, front month gold futures on COMEX were 0.82% lower as a result and changing hands at $1,202.20/oz., alongside somewhat larger falls in prices for silver and spot platinum.

Among bulk metals, March 2017 COMEX copper futures surrendered 0.40% to $2.6075 a pound.

Of interest in the same space, analysts at South African broker SP Angel noted reports that the Hong Kong Exchange was planning to launch a dollar-denominated, cash-settled iron ore futures contract.

Lastly, certain agricultural futures came under heavy selling pressure.

March 2017 ICE-traded cocoa futures ended the day down by 3.09% to $2,164 a metric tonne, while similarly-dated wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade lost 1.74% to end the day at $4.2350 a bushel.

The US dollar spot index was higher by 0.42% and trading at 101.35, with Bloombergs commodity index fractionally lower to 88.18.
Credit Suisse has come to a $5.3bn agreement with the US Department of Justice to settle the investigation into the banks involvement in selling toxic mortgage debt before the last financial crisis.

The investment bank will pay a $2.5bn civil penalty and $2.8bn in consumer relief, to be paid over five years after the settlement, according to the DoJ.

CS conceded that it sold investments containing loans that it knew were likely to fail as part of the settlement. The civil settlement doesnt preclude the government from seeking criminal charges against the company or individual executives.

Credit Suisse made false and irresponsible representations about residential mortgage-backed securities, which resulted in the loss of billions of dollars of wealth, and took a painful toll on the lives of ordinary Americans, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch said in a written statement.

The bank said it plans to take a pretax charge of around $2bn on top of existing reserves to account for the settlement.

Chief executive officer Tidjane Thiam has already raised CHF6bn in late 2015 and is planning a partial public offering of the Swiss unit later this year to obtain more capital.

Credit Suisse is pleased to have reached an amicable settlement that allows the bank to put this legacy matter behind it, while also protecting the interests of its clients, employees and other stakeholders, the company said. We remain relentlessly focused on serving our clients and continuing our progress toward our strategic goals of being a resilient, profitable and compliant organization.

In total, the bank has been charged with over $11bn worth of fines and legal settlements since the start of 2018, ,more than any other European bank except Deutsche Bank, according to Bloombergs calculations.

Thiam plans to cut jobs in New York and London as part of his plans to turn the bank around.

Fellow European lenders involved in pending investigations on toxic debt include HSBC, UBS and Royal Bank of Scotland.
The Department of Defense in the United States is ready to pen a deal with contractor Lockheed Martin worth $9bn for its controversial F-35 fighter planes, according to reports.

President-elect Donald Trump criticised the Pentagon towards the end of 2016 for overspending on such defence contracts, specifically citing the F-35 as an example of how Lockheed takes advantage of the defence budget.

"The F-35 program and cost is out of control, Trump tweeted in December. "Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th." He also went on to suggest that Boeing, one of Lockheed's competitors, may be touted as a potential replacement for building similar planes.

The new deal, first reported by Reuters, would lead to a drop in the price of each F-35 to below $100m. The fighter jets account for the biggest chunk of the Pentagon's budget.

The defence department in the US has said that it expects to spend $391bn on the supersonic warplanes over the coming decades.

Trump may claim that the lowering in price of the planes is down to his pressure, but the company had already said last July that it was looking at more cost-effective ways to construct the machines.

Lockheed Martin is due to present its earnings report for the final quarter of 2016 next Tuesday 24 January, after beating analysts' expectations the last time around.
The economist who predicted the global stock market crash in 2008 has said that if Barack Obama had espoused policies put forward by president-elect Donald Trump , he would be labelled a communist.

In a highly critical speech given at the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, Nouriel Roubini also added that the United States would fall behind economically as it limits its trading scope.

Roubini, who is famously known as "Dr. Doom" following his prediction of the housing bubble that led to the financial crisis, said that China was likely to emerge as the unlikely leader of the free trade economy.

"Some of the tone of bashing firms and telling them where to produce and what to do ... If Obama had done any of those things then he would have been accused of being a communist," Roubin said in Davos. "But the fact that Trump is doing it is considered to be good industrial policy by some people, not by me."

According to Roubini, China will be able to take advantage of any trade lost from the US if Trump's administration pursue their isolationist policies.

"(China is promoting) globalization and free market capitalization at a time when the new incoming leader of the biggest capitalist country in the world talks as if it is scared of competition, of globalization, of trade," Dr. Doom said at the seminar.

The World Economic Forum continues its annual meeting on Thursday, with many of the world's leading economic figures gathering in the Swiss resort ahead of Trump's inauguration on Friday.
European stocks nudged higher in early trade as investors looked to the latest rate announcement from the European Central Bank.

At 0845 GMT, the benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 index and Germanys DAX were up 0.1%, while Frances CAC 40 was 0.2% firmer.

Meanwhile, oil prices advanced, with West Texas Intermediate up 1% to $51.59 a barrel and Brent crude 1.2% higher at $54.60.

The ECB rate announcement is at 1245 GMT, with no change expected to headline rates or the bond-buying programme.

Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior market analyst at London Capital Group, said: The European Central Bank meets today and is expected to maintain the status quo, after having twisted its monthly purchases program at Decembers meeting. Last month, the ECB had announced to reduce its monthly purchases from 80bn to 60bn coupled with nine months' extension in the quantitative easing programme to the end of 2017.

President Mario Draghi had carefully stressed that this was not a tapering. The ECBs monetary policy remains accommodative, especially as the European Union steps into a challenging year.

On the corporate front, Zodiac Aerospace shares rocketed after Safran agreed to buy the company for 8.5bn in a deal that will create the worlds third largest aerospace supplier.

Italys UBI Banca was a high riser after signing a deal to buy three smaller Italian banks, while Remy Cointreau rallied as its third-quarter revenue surpassed analysts expectations thanks to strong demand in the US.

Anglo-Australian miner BHP Billiton ticked higher after saying it and its Brazilian iron-ore joint venture with Vale SA, Samarco Mineracao, have set a 30 June deadline with federal prosecutors in Brazil to settle a $47.5bn claim related a dam failure in November 2015 which killed 19 people.

Moneysupermarket.com surged after saying it expects to deliver strong full-year results, with revenue ahead by around 12% on the year.

On the downside, Gazprom was in the red after saying it swung to a net profit in the third-quarter even as revenue fell.

French retailer Carrefour lost ground despite reporting better-than-expected fourth-quarter sales.

In London, Royal Mail slumped as the dwindling volume of letters to Father Christmas and other festive missives continued to hold back its sales, with revenues remaining flat in the nine months to 25 December.
Prime Minister Theresa May told world leaders on Thursday that a post-Brexit Britain will be a leader in trade and that the country would step up to a new leadership role after it leaves the European Union.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, May said the Brexit vote was a signal for change as she put forth her manifesto.

She said that the UK would step up to a new leadership role as the strongest and most forceful advocate for free markets and free trade anywhere in the world", as she reiterated that Brexit was not a rejection of Europe.

I want the UK to emerge from this period of change as 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.

May also spoke of the responsibilities of globalisation has that it has only worked for the privileged few, as she addressed the rise of populism in Europe. She said she wanted to create a shared society in Britain.

But just as we need to act to address the deeply felt sense of economic inequality that has emerged in recent years, so we also need to recognise the way in which a more global and individualistic world can sometimes loosen the ties that bind our society together, leaving some people feeling locked out and left behind.

She added: I am determined to stand up for free markets free trade and globalisation, but also show how these forces can work for everyone.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox revealed that Britain has been discussing trade deals with about 12 countries, including China, India, Australia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Oman, according to the Telegraph.

May was the second world leader at Davos to support globalisation.

On Tuesday, President Xi Jinping, the first-time Chinese leader, has attended the forum, defending free trade and globalisation in an apparent response to US President-elect Donald Trumps protectionist polices.

It had been a busy week for the Prime Minister, who on Tuesday made a major speech on Brexit and said Britain would be out of the European single market and customs union and that both houses of parliament would get a vote on the final deal reached with the EU.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, who was also in Davos, said on Wednesday that Mays plan outlined in her earlier speech could rip Britain apart and that a hard Brexit - no longer being a member of the European single market - would be a lose-lose situation.
Anglo-Australian miner BHP Billiton and its Brazilian iron-ore joint venture with Vale SA, Samarco Mineracao, have set a 30 June deadline with federal prosecutors in Brazil to settle a $47.5bn claim related to a dam failure in November 2015 which killed 19 people.

BHP Billiton, Vale and Samarco will initially pay 2.2bn reais ($675m) to support compensation and social and environmental remediation of the dam failure.

This comprises a charge over Samarco's assets of 800m reais ($245m), insurance bonds of 1.3bn reais ($400m), and liquid assets of 100m reais ($30m).

If the final settlement is not agreed by 30 June, then the prosecutors may request an injunction of 1.2bn reais ($370m) injunction.

The deal with the federal prosecutors also requires the companies to advance reais 200m ($60m) of the funding to programs for the municipalities of Barra Longa, Rio Doce, Santa Cruz do Escalvado and Ponte Nova.

Activities at the Samarco mine were suspended in 2015 after the collapse of two dams holding mining waste, which 19 people died and left hundreds homeless.
Premium bar operator Revolution Bars Group provided a trading update for the 26 weeks to 31 December on Thursday, saying trading results were expected to be in line with the board's expectations, reflecting a further period of growth in the number of sites, revenue and profit.

The London-listed company said like-for-like sales rose by 2.0% for the first half of the 2017 financial year.

Overall sales, including the contributions from new bars, were 66.6m for the same period, up 12.7% from 59.1m.

The group opened four new Revolucion de Cuba bars during the period, in Harrogate, Aberdeen, Reading and Glasgow.

It said it was currently on site at its fifth development in Southend-on-Sea, which is due to open in the second half.

The board said its interim results will be announced on 28 February.

I am delighted to report another period of good progress for the group, said chief executive Mark McQuater.

Continued investment in the business with new site openings in Harrogate, Aberdeen, Reading and Glasgow have further expanded our geographic footprint.

McQuater said the company had a strong festive trading period across its existing estate, and all of the new sites were open for Christmas and New Year where initial trading was encouraging, with group sales increasing 16.2% over the five week trading period.

We continue to develop our pipeline and are currently on site at our fifth development in FY17 which will take the estate to 67 sites.

We remain positive for the future prospects of the group.
Flexible office space provider Workspace posted a rise in total rent roll in the third quarter as occupancy nudged higher amid ongoing customer demand in London.

In the quarter to 31 December, total rent roll was up 2.5% to 86.9m and up 11.1% over the nine months from the end of March 2016.

Meanwhile, like-for-like rent roll was 3.5% higher in the quarter at 53.3m and 9.3% over the ninth months.

LFL rent per square foot was up 3.1% in the quarter to 25.71 and 7.8% over the nine months, while LFL occupancy was 90.6, up from 90.3% at September.

Chief executive officer Jamie Hopkins said: I am delighted to report another active quarter of strong rental growth, driven by ongoing customer demand for our product across London. As well as solid growth in like-for-like pricing levels, our completed projects continue to let up well and we are making good progress on our refurbishment and redevelopment pipeline. We also continue to explore acquisition opportunities that meet our strict investment criteria.

Workspace's unique combination of modern, designed office space and state of the art facilities are hugely relevant and increasingly attractive to our growing customer base of London businesses, and we have seen the robust levels of demand continuing into the final quarter of the financial year. With a strong balance sheet, established brand and high quality offer, despite the current challenging economic environment, I am confident that the business is well positioned to make further progress as we look forward to the year ahead."

The company said it exchanged contacts in October last year for the sale of three mixed-use redevelopments and planning consents were given for two refurbishments in Hackney and Ladbroke Grove.
New steakhouse featuring bourbon poured down a bone

The new steakhouse, from Thompson Hospitality Group, features a unique menu of smoked old-fashioneds and bone marrow luges
U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., issued the following statement Wednesday announcing her opposition to Betsy DeVos nomination to be the next Secretary of Education:

Betsy DeVos has no background in public education. In fact, her only experience for this job is her decades of fighting to divert money away from public education to support charter schools and vouchers for private, religious schools  an ideological cause that has been disastrous for her home state and is diametrically opposed to the Department of Educations mission of ensuring equal access to a great education.

Under questioning, Betsy DeVos appeared to be wildly out of her depth on major policy areas that would be under her jurisdiction if she were confirmed. Her responses and views on issues like measuring student progress, enforcing civil rights and anti-LGBT discrimination laws, serving children with disabilities, and protecting students from sexual assault and gun violence were not reassuring.

Nevada students, parents and teachers deserve an Education Secretary who will fight for the success of our public schools, not one whose lifes mission has been to undermine the promise of a high quality education for every child, no matter their zip code. While Republicans are hoping to ram through her confirmation with as little public scrutiny as possible, yesterdays hearing made abundantly clear to me that Betsy DeVos is not equipped to lead the Department of Education.
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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP)  The U.S. Department of Energy says it is likely to miss another deadline under its 1995 agreement to remove nuclear waste stored in Idaho.

The Post Register reports hat the DOE committed in the 1995 settlement to clean up some 65,000 cubic meters of waste by the end of 2018. It now looks impossible for the agency to meet that deadline, in part because of the long closure and ongoing limited operations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, where the nuclear waste will be stored.





. . .
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SEATTLE (AP)  A Washington appeals court has ruled that a convicted arsonist must pay nearly $3 million in restitution and other legal costs when he's released from prison.

The Seattle Times reports that the state Court of Appeals published an opinion Tuesday that blocks Martin Pang from attempting to ignore his financial obligations.





. . .
Mondelez to sell Australia, New Zealand grocery business to Bega Cheese for A$460 mn

Mondelez International Inc yesterday struck a deal to sell most of its grocery business in Australia and New Zealand, including the popular Vegemite food spread brand, to Bega Cheese Ltd for A$460 million ($345 million).

Mondelez, based in Illinois, said that the transaction will allow it to further focus its portfolio and drive profitable growth by investing in its core snacks categories and Power Brands, including Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate and Oreo biscuits.

Included in the sale are Mondelez owned brands - Vegemite, ZoOsh, Bonox - and other products that use the Kraft brand under license, such as peanut butter, nut spreads, processed cheese slices, ambient cheese spread, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, KraftEasy Mac and Kraft Mac & Cheese.

Sydney-listed dairy producer Bega will receive a license to the Dairylea brand for use in Australia and New Zealand.

The Port Melbourne manufacturing site will be transferred to Bega as part of this agreement and approximately 200 employees will be be absorbed on comparable terms with Bega.

The transaction is expected to close in the coming months.

"We're extremely proud of our history as the custodian of the VEGEMITE brand for over 90 years, transforming it from its local roots into a global icon that's synonymous with Australia," said Amanda Banfield, vice president Australia, New Zealand and Japan for Mondelez.

Bega Cheese's executive chairman, Barry Irvin said that he was ecstatic to be bringing together two companies with an Australian heritage spanning over 200 years. "We believe these iconic brands alongside the Bega Cheese brand are strong building blocks to enable Bega Cheese to become a great FMCG business.
Last week Congressman Amodei and Senator Heller introduced legislation to prevent the threat of executive action designating or expanding national monuments without Congressional approval or local support. Their legislation would add Nevada to Wyoming as the only states exempt from presidential designation of National Monuments, except as authorized by Congress.

Their legislation is a reaction to President Obamas designation of Gold Butte as a monument last month. Congressman Amodeis news release about his anti-national-monument legislation says he has always supported a process that includes input from interest groups, local communities, and elected representatives, insinuating that the designation of Gold Butte took place without any of this. He went on to say that Nevadans had no say in the designation of Gold Butte.

Gold Butte is located in southern Nevada  an area not represented by Congressman Amodei. I asked a couple of southern Nevadans what they thought of his assertion that they had no say in the matter of Gold Butte. Jaina Moan, executive director of Friends of Gold Butte, says, The proclamation to make Gold Butte a National Monument is the result of a long, transparent process. Concerned citizens worked for 15 years to achieve permanent protection for Gold Butte with strong, vocal support from tribes, community groups, sportsmen, recreationists, elected officials and many others. 

JL, a young Sierra Club volunteer from Las Vegas, echoes Jaina Moan. He wrote to me, It angers me how Congressman Mark Amodei does not consider all the time and effort local volunteers have put in supporting the permanent protection of Gold Butte. For years, Nevadans have been asking for the protection of Gold Butte and fortunately, recently we have succeeded to bring that change to our state reshaping the future for our kids and families. Seeing the thousands of passionate volunteers and everyday persons of all ages coming together to protect a historic piece of land is amazing to me.

Amodei and Heller say that elected representatives were not consulted. Have they forgotten that at least half of Nevadas Congressional delegation has supported monument designation for Gold Butte for years and years? Jaina Moan points out that elected representatives were not only consulted, they were almost pleaded with. Since 2008, legislation to protect Gold Butte was introduced twice in the Senate and three times in the House but Congress failed to act.

Why dont Amodei and Heller recognize the tribes, elected officials, community groups, sportsmen, recreationists, elected officials and JLs everyday persons of all ages who supported Gold Butte monument? Dont they count?

It is too bad that Amodei and Heller are letting their ideology get in the way of what is best for the state. In a 2014 study, economics research firm Headwaters Economics found that local economies surrounding all 17 of the national monuments they studied expanded following the creation of new national monuments. People in Las Vegas get this. In a video thanking President Obama, Senator Reid, and Congresswoman Titus for Gold Butte National Monument, Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said, One of the key attractions of Las Vegas, especially for international visitors, is our proximity to so many amazing outdoor experiences. Maintaining these protected areas and adding others in southern Nevada provides us with a wider array of amenities to market to our international visitors and the growing number of nature tourism visitors.

So Gold Butte had years of local support from southern Nevadans and designation as a national monument will probably be an economic boon to the surrounding area. Yet Amodei and Heller want to use its designation as a national monument as an excuse for effectively prohibiting future national monuments in our state. Does that make sense?

We should look at Wyoming, the only state in the union that does not allow national monument designations. Wyoming passed a law similar to what Heller and Amodei are proposing in 1950, in the midst of a huge fight over designation of Jackson Hole National Monument and its addition to Grand Teton National Park.

In her recent book The Hour of Land, Utah writer Terry Tempest Williams tells the story of this fight and of the Wyoming cowboy who led it. Ranchers in Jackson Hole were irate and, led by local rancher Cliff Hansen, they turned their cattle loose on the new monument. (Remind you of a certain family in Nevada?) She writes Cliff Hansen later became Wyomings governor and a United States Senator. And before he died, he would admit that he had been on the wrong side of history.

Cliff Hansen said, I want you all to know that Im glad I lost, because now I know I was wrong. Grand Teton National Park is one of the greatest natural assets of Wyoming and the nation.

There have been no new national monuments in Wyoming since that fight and the ensuing law. But tourism thrives in Jackson Hole, next to the national monument the cowboys didnt want. Teton County is the wealthiest county in Wyoming, and in 2010 it received $18.9 million in gross sales tax  much of it from visitors to the national park that was formerly a national monument.

So please remind me, Congressman Amodei and Senator Heller, what your legislation will do for our state. In my view, it will do more harm than good.
Enterprise State Community College (ESCC) hosted the first class of the schools new Leadership Course alongside Army Aviation Federal Credit Union (AAFCU) on Wednesday morning.

20 AAFCU employees will take an eight-hour course once a month for the next year in hopes of building new leaders.

This is a time in America in business where we are almost at a crisis point, ESCC Interim President Dr. Vicky Ohlson said. The Baby Boomers are all starting to retire which leaves a huge leadership gap in the work place.

AAFCU is planning for the future to try and grow their leaders one step at a time so they can backfill as the Baby Boomers retire.

According to AACFCU Vice President of Marketing Lisa Hales, the partnership with ESCC grew after members of AACFCUs Executive Leadership Group visited credit unions from neighboring states and saw that those institutions had similar courses with partnering colleges.

This is our opportunity to take new managers or new supervisors and give them a chance to get some education and help promote them so they can be our new crop of leaders, Hales said.

According to Ohlson and Hales, a new set of students will be joining the year-long course in June and the two sides hope the course is a success and continue on for years to come.

We hope this continues for years and years, Hales said. We have great hopes for this course, Dr. Ohlson and her staff have been very accommodating and I cant say enough great things about ESCC.
Dear Friends:

I need your help. The Lewis Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution will be hosting a Vietnam War Commemorative Event in 2017 wherein local Vietnam Veterans in Barbour Co, AL, and surrounding areas, including GA, will be honored.

I am preparing our invite list of Veterans that should be so honored.

The Vietnam War Commemoration honors all United States veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time between November 1, 1955 to and May 15, 1975, regardless of location. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that today there are 7 million living Vietnam veterans and 9 million families of those who served in this time frame. We make no distinction between veterans who served in-country, in-theater, or who were stationed elsewhere during the Vietnam War period. All were called to serve and the overwhelming majority of these veterans served honorably and admirably.

For the DAR certificate, the Lewis Chapter DAR has partnered with The United States of America Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemoration, established by Congress, to "thank and honor veterans of the Vietnam War, including personnel who were held as prisoners of war (POW) or listed as missing in action (MIA), for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States and to thank and honor the families of these veterans."

If you know the name of any such U.S. Armed Forces veteran who served at any time between Nov 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975, I would appreciate very much your sharing same with me. If you know the persons contact information &/or branch of service, please provide that also, as I will need the contact information to send the invitation, and I will need the branch of service for the certificate.

Thanking you in advance for any assistance.

Deborah W. Hicks

Lewis DAR Ch. Regent

1132 N. Eufaula Avenue

Eufaula, AL 36027-5537

ph: 334-687-8369

fx: 334-687-7613
Mardi Gras will be celebrated Saturday, Feb. 18, and the public does not have to leave Dothan to join in the festivities. Hollon Contracting has teamed with the Exchange Center for Child Abuse Prevention to present the seventh annual Charity Mardi Gras Ball. The event will be held Saturday, Feb. 18, from 7-11 p.m., at the Grand on Foster. Tickets are $50 per person.

The Charity Mardi Gras Ball presents a two-fold message. The proceeds generated from the event will benefit the Exchange Center. The event also provides the Exchange Center an opportunity to educate the public about its multi-faceted mission in the community.

To that end, Liz Ploss, community relations liaison with the Exchange Center, discussed the programs and services offered by the nonprofit agency.

Every time we have an event, we want to get our name out to the public, Ploss said. We want to let the public know what our mission is, which is to prevent child abuse.

Prevention of child abuse is the nonprofit agencys goal, but, Ploss notes, the agency has a two-member counseling staff that works with victims of abuse.

The Exchange Centers Prevention Education Programs target students and adults in the effort to eliminate abuse before it starts.

Part of that program is educating the public for the signs of child abuse, Ploss said. We have a prevention educator who goes to the middle schools and high schools to talk to the kids in their classes. They are told such things as what is safe and unsafe touch.

Ploss noted the education process also includes a special hospital effort called the Baby Whisperer Program.

We have a staff member who sees new moms and dads at the Southeast Alabama Medical Center, Ploss continued. Among the topics covered is the danger of the shaken baby syndrome. Our hospital educator also gives the new parents a community resources booklet for them to take home. It is a resource for them to keep and to use to get help, when they need it. Last year, we gave these resource booklets to 1,200 moms and dads.

Were looking to expanding this program to Flowers Hospital.

The Exchange Center also provides in-home services for parental support.

The in-home visits are made to individuals who have been self-identified as being at-risk, Ploss said. We also provide education for the parents through our basic parenting class and our time management class. We also help them manage anger and manage money. We do this through hands-on management in the home, with their child present, which helps the parents build a relationship with their child.

The Exchange Center, Ploss says, through its community education program, works with different professional groups to help them recognize the signs of child. The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine is one professional entity that the center works closely with in its community education program.

The counseling program, led by two licensed counselors, handles more than child abuse cases. Ploss noted 548 people received counseling assistance last year. Most of them were walk-ins off the street who may have a history of abuse.

Our counselors see children and adults, Ploss said. And no fee is ever charged.

The Exchange Center also hosts group sessions. Parenting classes comprise one component. Ploss says the center also holds a weekly group session for those who have been victims of domestic violence.

The centers anger management class is the only program with a fee charged. Many of the participants in the anger management class are court referred, Ploss said.

Because most of the services offered by the Exchange Center for Child Abuse Prevention are free to the participants, the nonprofit agency relies on the public for a portion of its support. That is where events like the Charity Mardi Gras Ball fit into the overall support structure. This marks the first year that Hollon Contracting has served as the presenting sponsor.

The festivities at the Grand on Foster on Feb. 18 will include a live band, Legacy, performing inside with a DJ providing music in the courtyard of the facility.

Our Cajun-inspired hors doeuvres will be prepared by Five Star Catering in conjunction with VIP Dothan Magazine, Ploss said. We will also have a cash bar. Also included in the nights activities will be a silent auction that will feature a lot of awesome items to bid on.

Dress for the occasion is formal (suit/tie, cocktail dress) or festive Mardi Gras costumes.

We encourage those attending to bring their own mask, or we will have masks available, Ploss added.

Tickets are $50 per person, and they can be purchased via the Exchange Centers web site, www.exchangecap.org.
Home Four wheelers JSW Group Plans To Develop Electric Vehicles By 2020 oi-Sukesh

JSW Group, a conglomerate ranging from metals to power generation, is planning to venture into the automobile sector by developing electric vehicles by 2020.

{photo-feature}

Most Viewed Car Photo Gallery

Tata Motors has launched the much awaited MPV, the Hexa in the Indian market with an aggressive price tag. Planning to get one for yourself? Then do check the photos of the Hexa by clicking the below photo gallery.
Home Two wheelers 2017 KTM RC390 & RC200 Launched In India; Launch Price + Photo Gallery oi-Sreejith

KTM has launched the RC390 and RC200 at an astonishing price of Rs 2.25 lakh And Rs 1.71 lakh respectively. The Austrian brand which is known producing aggressive motorcycle for an affordable price tag showcased the updated 2017 RC range at the 2016 Intermot Motorcycle Show in Germany.

{photo-feature}

Below is the extensive photo gallery of the newly launched 2017 KTM RC390. Click to view.
Federal land officials have been stepping down to make way for Donald Trump appointees, a move that many in the West hope will lead to big policy changes.

Places like Elko, where the economy is rooted in natural resources and the federal government controls the vast majority of acreage, would benefit the most from a new direction. For example, a key issue to be decided in the opening months of 2017 is the proposed ban on mining across 10 million acres for the next 20 years.

The proposal is the result of sage-grouse policy that crystallized over the past few years under President Obamas Interior appointee, Sally Jewell, and her Bureau of Land Management chief, former Elkoan Neil Kornze. Steered by the Grouseketeers, they did an end-run around the Endangered Species Act and used their regulatory authority under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act to impose restrictions.

Sage grouse are plentiful in the West  there are literally hundreds of thousands of them  but they historically demonstrate wild population swings. The bird made a big comeback in population around the same time that Jewell decided not to list them as threatened.

Still, the administration enacted a two-year mining ban and proposed extending it for two decades. The 20-year environmental impact statement was released at the end of 2016, and citizens have until March 30 to comment on it.

By then we expect Trump will have his own managers in place, and they will choose one of the five alternatives in the document. The Nevada option would exclude about half a million acres in three states from the withdrawal. Gov. Brian Sandoval and the Nevada Commission on Mineral Resources developed the alternative, which includes conservation efforts by major mining companies to counterbalance habitat loss caused by mining.

We dont know how Trump will handle the issue, but he is seen as favorable toward industry and his Cabinet picks have signaled a new direction. On the other hand, during the campaign he was supportive of protecting public land, and his Interior pick has been an opponent of federal land exchanges. It is likely that Trumps policies in this area  and others  will be more pragmatic than partisan.

Like most people in the eastern half of the United States, Trump did not have a firm concept of how vast the western landscape is and how much of it is controlled by the government. Even more complicated is the checkerboard land issue that we hope to see resolved, in which every other square mile alternates between public and private ownership.

When it comes to issues such as the mining ban, Trump is more likely to listen to industry leaders such as the National Mining Association, whose vice president for external communications said the ban is not only unnecessary, but also destructive to the mining industry and to the larger national economy.

This massive land withdrawal, the largest in history, is a spiteful and wholly unnecessary measure for protecting wildlife habitat that isnt jeopardized by mining and appears instead to be a parting gift to activists who care nothing for the economic consequences to either the impacted states or the economy, Luke Popovich recently told a news agency.

Whichever direction our new president swings on these issues, we expect there will be plenty of disagreement. Donald Trump will surely be the most controversial president since  Barack Obama. Even something as simple as being sworn into office has become a theater for opponents. Many Democrats are reacting the same way Beyonce fans did when Taylor Swift won the MTV Video Music Awards. They should either put on their big-boy pants  as Sen. Elizabeth Warren once told Donald Trump to do  or take their toys and go home.

The next presidential administration will surely stand out in stark contrast to the past eight years. We hope that issues as complicated as western land use are handled rationally and fairly. Interior nominee Ryan Zinke has been described as an admirer of President Theodore Roosevelt, and testified this week that management of federal lands should be done under a multiple-use model set forth by Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service.

We agree. And under that philosophy, no action or Nevadas sagebrush withdrawal alternative would be preferred over the outgoing administrations chosen path on mining.
Update: Last February 21, 2012, Bishop Antonio Tobias DD, Bishop of Diocese of Novaliches, declared St. Peter Parish as a Shrine and from thereon be know as St. Peter Parish: Shrine of Leaders. I just got the letter last June 2013 about this notice being a title holder of one of one of the slots in the columbary, they wanted me to go there and have my title replaced.

Have you ever thought where will be your earthly remains eternal resting place will be? Or how the cemetery / tomb/niche the people you will left behind will choose for you to look like?Im not being morbid, Im just being realistic. Eventually, we will all die but are we ready for it when it comes? Or you will leave it all for your loved ones to think about?Some memorial plan and memorial lot agents would be pushing you to invest on a memorial plan now while you still can, if not for you for your elderly loved ones. Personally I dont want such but it depends on your financial capabilities if you want and can afford then go for it but for practicality I wont recommend it.My dad requested to be cremated despite the disapproval of some of our very strict catholic relatives . They thought the Catholic Church does not allow cremation. They also told us that we should not put our fathers urn/ashes inside our house and that let the dead be in his eternal resting place separate from the living.While at the height of loss 2 years ago I went to canvass for a place for my fathers ashes/urn and I am glad I found St. Peter Parish Columbary along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines near Tandang Sora and Ever Gotesco Commonwealth.





Why I am happy where my father lies now at St. Peter Parish Columbary?

Its gorgeous because the Columbary is below one of the gorgeous catholic churches Ive ever been, St. Peter Parish. The architecture was inspired by the St. Peter Basilica in Rome, Inside there is a replica of the St. Peters Arc. I so love the architecture of this church, it took a couple of years to get be able to achieve the look but the wait was worth it. I think its one of the best places to hold a Church Wedding. Aside from the replica of St. Peters Arc On display surrounding it is the Hall of Popes displaying all Popes from St. Peter to Pope Benedict XVI.





I love St. Peter Parish Columbary because its very accessible as it is located along the highway. Im assured that my fathers remains will be safe and intact because there is a 24-hour security y. It is free from vandalism, thief, mud and wont let its visitors perish the heat of the sun.

There is a mass held every day. So I am assured that my fathers soul is peaceful in there.

Its Catholic-owned. So anyone having doubts about having their dead cremated should not hesitate. I love the nice and peaceful ambiance inside the Columbary. Its open-air and has an abundance of natural air and light. This is the most practical alternative to traditional burials. You dont have to pay high memorial lot maintenance and you dont have to move your loved ones remains after 5 or 10 years (most columbaries have this expiration date or date of contract for your loved ones to use the tomb/ columbary) Once you purchase a niche/space, its yours forever. You can choose from their different packages or halls even the garden area, the altar, or the Pieta. My fathers niche can be found at the St. Bartholomew Hall. You can pay in cash or installment basis. A niche/space is as low as Php35,000 hallway niche to as high as Php200,000 garden, pieta, and altar for installment basis with a down payment fee of five percent (5%) and payable monthly for 2 years. (Price subject to change without prior notice to this blog post author )

The Pieta at the center



The Altar

The St. Bartholomew Hall (other halls are St. Simon, St Matthias, St. Thaddeus, St. James, St. Matthew. St. Thomas, St. Andres, St. Philip, St. Peter, St. Luke, and St. Mark.

We got our dads niche for Php35,000 excluding the name, date of birth, and date of death (Php12.00 a letter is not bad) two years ago, now his niche/space cost Php50,000 cash. Its practical to get one while the price is still reasonably low compared to other Columbary. When I was canvassing for a Columbary the cheapest I found was Php50,000 good for 5 years. Im so blessed to have found St. Peter Parish Columbary because its so affordable and I am assured that my fathers remains will be safe for as long as the establishment remains intact.

A niche/tomb can house four (4) urns. A family joke, we will all be in one niche super tipid!

But honestly, Im glad I dont have to worry about this anymore because we have a niche space for my urn or for anyone in the family to be when I/we die.

This post was made after looking around St. Peters Parish Columbarium while visiting my dad for his 2nd death anniversary. I felt so peaceful talking to my father in there. It was so homey.

To my father, I know you are now at peace and free from all illness wherever you are. Here on earth, we, the loved ones you left behind are happy to see we put your remains in a place we know you love, beneath the church and you hear mass everyday. Its so peaceful and we can visit anytime. We love you Papa. Please be our guide.

Click here if You need to claim death and funeral benefit at the SSS .
Interview with Bankfokus

Interview with Vitor Constancio, Vice-President of the ECB, conducted by Par Krause and published on 13 December 2016

What will be required to strengthen the economy of the EU? What role does the banking industry play in strengthening growth and employment?

The world economy faces a high degree of uncertainty and that can influence the European situation. We need more expansionary macroeconomic policies as well as reforms in competition and in the regulation of markets to foster the supply side of the economy. Monetary policy has so far been the only expansionary macroeconomic policy to support the recovery. Now, we also need a more visible contribution from other policies.

It is also important to stabilise the European banking sector. The recovery requires strong banks that are able to increase credit to the real economy. At present, loans to the private sector are growing at only 2% yearly. So we need support from the banking sector, and the banks must overcome the problems that affect their low level of profitability.

Does the ECB have a clear position in the ongoing discussion in the Basel Committee concerning restrictions on the use of internal models? Do you see risks connected with further restricting the use of internal models?

Overall, the commitment is that there will be no significant increases in capital requirements on top of the last adjustments to the Basel regulations. Some restrictions on the use of internal models will come, and they are justified. The consensus view is that internal models were overused before the crisis, e.g. in the absence of sufficient data. Reflecting this are two studies conducted by the European Banking Authority and the Basel Committee that showed large variability in risk-weighted assets across banks and countries for the same portfolio. The studies also showed that much of the variation in the risk assigned by banks was driven by differences in banking practices when using internal models rather than differences in risk in banks portfolios. So some corrections are necessary and I hope we will reach an agreement in Basel.

Apart from the many new regulations and a weak European economy, what are the biggest challenges for European banks?

Its difficult to generalise, but I think that there is a need for consolidation among European banks. We must have more pan-European banks and we need banking groups that are able compete in the investment bank segment. European banks have been losing out to American banks because of a lack of competitiveness.

Another challenge is the excess capacity in banking within the European Union. Banks need to reduce costs significantly and that includes reducing the number of branches. They also need to deal with the transformation to a more digital-based business model.

How do you think Brexit will affect the financial markets and the building of the banking union?

The banking union per se will not be affected much because the UK was not part of it from the start. But the consequences will probably be more significant for the UK than for the rest of the EU. We can, for instance, expect some decline in Londons importance as a financial centre in Europe. That also depends very much on the decisions of banks from other parts of the world now based in London. Maybe they will decide to relocate.

What is your opinion of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM)? Has it been successful? What challenges do you still see?

Yes, I think it has been successful. The creation of the SSM in 2014 contributed to an increase in the capital ratio of euro area banks. Ahead of its operational start, we conducted a complete assessment of the robustness of the SSM banks and called for higher capital levels, although banks had already started enhancing their capital position in preparation for the assessment. So the robustness of the balance sheets has very much improved.

But there is still much work to do. Despite the SSM process there are still too many national options and discretions that do not contribute to a complete and unified banking market. We need harmonisation to continue in order to complete the banking union project.
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DAVOS - Inditex chairman and CEO, Pablo Isla, this week met with film star Matt Damon and Gary White, co-founders of Water.org, an international organisation whose mission is to provide safe water and sanitation to people in need. Isla reaffirmed the Spanish apparel retail giant's commitment to Water.org, which carries out water projects in countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia. The meeting took place against the backdrop of the annual World Economic Forum taking place this week in Davos (Switzerland).
By Jonathan Kaplan

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Sonny Perdue, a long-time agribusiness leader, Democrat-turned-Republican state legislator, two-time governor of Georgia to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Faced with a warming planet, increasing water scarcity, collapsing bee populations and other environmental challenges, the USDA needs a leader who will promote planet-friendly farming practices more than ever. Sonny Perdue is not an obvious champion for sustainable farming and he has made some troubling statements about climate change, but we look forward to learning more about his values and commitment.

With his hands at the controls of the USDA, Perdue would influence how food is grown, inspected, labeled and sold. The agencys 100,000 plus employees also manage a network of programs aimed at preventing hunger in the U.S.; buy much of the food served up to millions of public school children; manage food aid to nations abroad; try to anticipate, prevent and eradicate the arrival of invasive species and crop pests; promote rural development and renewable energy; and manage our national forests. The USDA also regulates food labels and claims, like USDA Organic, which have played a powerful role in growing the good food movement.

For those of us focused on the environment, the billions spent each year by USDA to promote more environmentally friendly farming practices is a particular priority. The USDA has significant discretion in how these funds are spent and can choose to promote farming practices that work in harmony with the natural environment (e.g. using beneficial insects to control crop pests) or practices that effectively subsidize conventional industrial agriculture. Perdue would also likely be influential in establishing the next 5-year U.S. farm policy or Farm Bill, which helps shapes the nations agriculture.

An internet search finds little track record by Perdue on these issues. However, he recently penned a disturbing opinion piece in which he lambasts liberals for exaggerating the climate relevance of extreme weather events. He writes Its become a running joke among the public and liberals have lost all credibility when it comes to climate science because their arguments have become so ridiculous and so obviously disconnected from reality.

Looking further back, however, we do find a few instances where Perdue has expressed interest in environmental stewardship:

As the Governor of Georgia, he announced a conservation easement tax credit on Earth Day in 2006 aimed at conserving open space and farmland from sprawl.

In 2007 he encouraged water conservation, saying Our state is blessed with a wealth of natural resources, but the drought has shown us that they are not unlimited. The stewardship of energy, land and water resources is vital to the lives of our states citizens. Most importantly, conservation is the right thing to do, in times of scarcity or abundance.

He convened a Governors Energy Policy Council in 2005 that issued a report recognizing the importance of climate change and recommending state action to address it.

His current agribusiness venture, Perdue Partners, sells a long list of conventional agricultural products, but there are a few organic products included; non-GMO conventional soybeans are also available grown on contract.

To be clear, these are quite thin as environmental credentials. But compared to other cabinet nominees and to President-elect Trump himself, perhaps Perdue seems less hostile to the environment.

Under the Obama Administration, the USDA pledged to reduce agricultural global warming pollution in the U.S. by 120 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year by 2025providing the same benefit as taking 25 million cars off the road annually. The agencys plans for doing this mostly entail implementing its existing programs. Here at the Natural Resources Defense Council, wed hoped the next administration would be able to do significantly better. Before Sony Perdue is confirmed as Secretary of Agriculture, Americans need to know a lot more about his commitment to protecting natural resources and the environment.

Jonathan Kaplan is the director of the Food & Agriculture Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
By Philip Newell

Scott Pruitt, Trumps nominee for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, had his confirmation hearing Wednesday. What follows is a blow-by-blow account of the event.

5 Things You Need to Know Trump's EPA Pick Scott Pruitt https://t.co/gASl3w4OuE @HuffPostGreen @greenpeaceusa  EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) January 7, 2017

In the morning, there were reports of people paid to stand in line to keep protesters out and as the hearing started, Standing Rock protesters were arrested outside the room. We hoped senators would be just as willing to stand up to #PollutingPruitt.

Sen. Barrasso, introducing Pruitt, praised his supposed efforts to fight polluters. But the only specific action Barrasso could name was the oil clean-up double dipping issue. He didnt list other environmental protection actions from Pruitt because  well, of 700 press releases from Pruitts time as Oklahoma AG, zero involved actions to protect the environment.

Delawares Sen. Tom Carper gave a quick history lesson about the importance of the EPA, the old burning rivers, smoggy cities bit about how bad pollution was in the days before the EPA. In addition to sea level rise already flooding parking lots in Delaware, how fishing now comes with a mercury warning and the lead-laden troubles of Flint, Michigan, Carper focused on cross-state pollution. Its a not-so-subtle warning of things to come under Pruitt, whose states-first approach wouldnt be sufficient to handle interstate pollution.

Carper concluded with a damning statement from former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, hoping that todays event can prove her wrong.

Sen. Inhofe was next to speak and Barrasso praised him. (No mention of the infamous snowball). With his mild drawl and heavy rasp, Inhofe followed Barrassos lead and heaped praise on Pruitts protection of polluter profits. Hes a hero of the scenic rivers, Inhofe (falsely) said before being interrupted by a protester shouting as she was removed. According to MoJos Rebecca Leber, the protesters were unlike anything I saw at Tillersons hearing.

Inhofe took a moment to attack the outgoing administration as radicalone that at least 60 percent of Americans agree with. In the same breath, he praised the fossil fuel industry as protectors of the environment.

In his opening statement, Pruitt admitted, like other cabinet nominations, that the climate is changing and humans play some role. But of course, he stopped short of accepting the consensus and falls back to the now common position that the extent to which were changing the climate and what should be done about it remain questions for debate.

Now on to the questions. Sen. Carper quoted Donald Trumps statements about dismantling the EPA. Will the things Trump have said just go away under Pruitt? Given Pruitts dismantling of the environment unit in the attorney general office and the lack of answers to questions given in advance of the hearing, Carper justified the concerns of the protesters faintly heard outside.

On mercury, Carper tried to get a yes or no answer as to whether Pruitts lawsuits that have opposed the mercury regulation do so because they oppose the fact that mercury is  well  bad. Pruitt tried to dodge the question but Carper didnt let him, continuing to nail him on the issue. Pruitt admited, eventually, that mercury is something the EPA should regulate.

As Inhofe took the floor, scientists declared 2016 the hottest year on record.

Moving on, Inhofe tossed Pruitt a couple of softballs regarding water negotiations Pruitt has led.

Next it was Sen. Whitehouses turn. He got right into itThe oceans off of our state are warming, due to fossil-fuel-driven climate change  I see nothing in your career to suggest you care one bit about protecting those hurt by warming. He then brought out a poster of the main industries who have funded Pruitt and his groups. Pruitt said he wasnt sure if they maxed out contributions or even if theyve contributed at all. Whitehouse educated him a little about the hundreds of thousands of dollars Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) received from the fossil fuel industry under Pruitts leadership.

But did he solicit any of that funding? Pruitts unable to confirm that funding and refused to directly answer if he solicited money. Pruitt said he didnt ask for money from Koch, Devon or Exxon, at least not on behalf of RAGA.

Sen. Whitehouse pointed out that Pruitt declared no conflicts of interest, yet had not disclosed any of his solicitations for his Rule of Law Defense Fund. Will Pruitt disclose his role in raising funds for it? Pruitt demurred and passed the buck before defending himself by pointing out hes suing Exxon. (Again, this is the double-dipping case, which as Whitehouse pointed out has nothing to do with the environment.)

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Without directly addressing Pruitts conflicts of interest, Barrasso introduced a Wall Street Journal story about Hillary Clinton raising more fossil fuel funds than Trump and a Politico story that quoted someone alleging that Pruitts problems are actually a fishing expedition led by those with funding from far left groups  This pattern of Pruitt dodging tough questions then being defended by Barrasso continued throughout the day.

Maryland Sen. Ben Cardins turn brought us to the Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan, with the senator asking Pruitt if hed support the federal role in the plan that he sued to stop. Pruitt, as he did throughout the day, talked about legal precedent and process instead of environmental protection. He said he would commit to supporting the policy now, though, which he praised as being what these things are supposed to look like.

Cardin then turned to drinking water, asking if Pruitt believed there is any safe level of lead in water, particularly for the young? Pruitt said he hasnt looked at the scientific research and would be concerned about any level of lead. The fact that the potential head of the EPA doesnt already know theres no safe level of lead is one of many concerning issues to come up throughout the day.

When specifically asked about Flint, Pruitt said that more should have been done by the EPA and done more quickly, since it was an emergency situation. Cardin pointed out that Pruitt has participated in several lawsuits about how local agencies should have been in charge and Pruitt confirms that there is a role for the EPA to play.

At 11:06 a.m., it was Republican Sen. Deb Fischer from Nebraskas turn. Her question started by listing how her states been really affected by EPAs actions.

Next, Democrat Jeff Merkley. Merkley flat out asked if Pruitts aware of methanes global warming potential. Pruitt said yes. How concerned is he, on a 110 scale? Pruitt is concerned, though not highly concerned.

Pruitt refuses to acknowledge that all but 37 of the thousand-some words in a letter to the EPA about the methane rule were written by Devon Energy, but defends it. Did you copy the letter virtually word for word? Merkley takes Pruitts dodging as an affirmative.

You used your office as a direct extension of a company, Merkley stated plainly. Then he asks, do you acknowledge you presented a private oil companys position and not that of the people? I disagree, Pruitt responded, laying out his standard talking point about how the industry is his constituency. Merkley hammered him on it. Pruitt retreated to process and cost-benefit analysis language. Pruitt claimed to have consulted with other regulators on the issue, Merkley asked for the details to prove it.

Why do you need an outside oil company to draft a letter for you when you have 250 employees? Merkley asked as he runs out of time. Barrasso offered some time so Pruitt can answer. Pruitt claimed that the Devon Energy letter wasnt particular to Devon, but to the industry as a whole.

Republican Jerry Moran from Kansas lessened the tension with a softball about WOTUS, accusing the EPA of going it alone on the issue.

New Jerseys Cory Bookers turn brought us back to real questions. Pruitts record of 14 lawsuits against the EPA, challenging clean air and clean water rules, are entered into the record. Booker rattled off Pruitts opposition to various regulations to make sure Pruitt is familiar with them and his record of siding with polluting industries against the EPA.

Booker finally got to his question: Do you know how many kids in Oklahoma, roughly, have asthma? I do not, senator. Booker points out that more than 111,000, more than 1 in 10 kids in Oklahoma have asthmaone of the highest rates in the country. How many letters has Pruitt sent on those childrens behalf?

Did you let any of those children write letters on your letterhead? (With rhetoric like this, no wonder people are speculating about a Booker 2020 presidential run).

Pruitt avoided the question as Bookers time ended.

Barrasso submited multiple opinions from Oklahoma praising Pruitt to the record. He then pointed out that Obamas EPA administrators sued the EPA during the George W. Bush administrationthough likely they werent acting on industrys behalf, but to get the EPA to act.

Sen. Rounds, a Republican from Wyoming, continued the pattern of GOP senators asking Pruitt to finish defending himself. This time it was in reference to cross-state pollution, which was brought up as a side-note by Booker. Pruitt believes its an important statute EPA should enforce, a statement belied by his litigation to the contrary.

After some softballs from Rounds, Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey (D) asked Pruitt if he believes climate change is a hoax, like Trump. Pruitt does not.

With that on the record, Markey moved to the eight ongoing lawsuits Pruitt has against the EPA. Pruitts said he would recuse himself from these issues for one year as mandated by law. But will he recused himself not just for one year, but for the entirety of the time youre administrator of the EPA? Channeling his inner Rick Perry, Pruitt danced around the question, but when pressed by Markey, he took the Tillerson route and pointed to the ethical council as the decision maker on the issue.

Markey insisted that Pruitt should unequivocally recuse himself from anything dealing with the lawsuits hes filed. If not, it will be a fundamental conflict of interest. Markey hit Pruitt with a quote sure to end up in the coverage: Its not just the fox guarding the henhouse, its the fox destroying the henhouse.

To sooth the pain from that burn and defend Pruitt, Barrasso read from a letter from the Office of Government Ethics which said Pruitts in compliance with the conflict of interest rules.

Then it was time for Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa. She jumped into the ethanol issue, a big deal for her farm state. Pruitt responded to a question about the Renewable Fuel Standard with process and free market language but ultimately commited to the RFS, sort of. This issue will return

Then Ernst told Pruitt that her constituents feel like the EPA is out to get them, particularly on the WOTUS rule. How would he help the EPA regain trust? (Trust that in reality, was never actually lost)

Pruitt answered with his well-rehearsed grow the economy, protect environment, cooperative federalism spiel.

Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth asked about the RFS too, particularly Pruitts siding with fossil fuel companies that slammed the RFS. Which position does he actually take, the nice sounding, but ultimately vague one hes made here to placate Ernst and herself or the anti-RFS one he took with fossil fuel companies? Which specific actions has EPA taken since 2007 while administering the RFS that is not keeping with congressional intent? Pruitt failed to give a satisfactory answer and Duckworth slamed his doublespeak for leaving opposition open as an option.

Duckworth finished her time nailing Pruitt on the need for biofuels, pointing out that shes already been to a war for oil in the Middle East so Pruitts potential opposition to corn-based fuels troubles her.

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Barrasso rode to the rescue again, introducing into the record a letter from the American Farm Bureau and a former Arkansas AG.

Arkansas Republican John Boozman was up next, with an EPA-critical softball about coercive federalism and restoring cooperative federalism that would cede EPA authority to the states. How would Pruitt change the EPA-state dynamic? More niceties from Pruitt before Boozman accused the EPA of operating on political ideology instead of sound science. Can we expect the EPA to be more transparent under Pruitt? (Who has obfuscated on his fossil fuel funding earlier today in response to Sen. Whitehouse?)

Pruitts responded that theres a reason you study the impact of rules and regulations on all Americans and more lip service to process and transparency.

New California Senator and former AG Kamala Harris got technical about whether or not Pruitt has acted independently (as opposed to acting in response to a request). She asked about Pruitts batting average on his lawsuits against the EPA- Pruitt guessing his success rate is around .300. Her calculations are more around .142

Does Pruitt have the discretion to recuse himself from cases hes involved with? Pruitt, after significant badgering, finally admited he has the discretion, setting up further questions about whether or not hed exercise that discretion if not explicitly instructed to do so. But Harris changed tack to the fuel efficiency standards and Californias authority to do so independently of the EPA. Will he uphold that standard? Hell review it, Pruitt responded, not knowing his intention. She considered that lack of commitment unacceptable.

Harris continued by asking if Pruitt can name a few instances that you have filed a lawsuit against a corporate entity? He names one, the poultry farming case. But that was hardly something for him to brag about, considering his predecessor filed the case and when Pruitt came in, he put on the brakes.

Barrasso ends Harriss time, introducing a letter that initially sounding like it was from Mr. Strong, an Oklahoma retiree and vice-chair of the Oklahoma Sierra Club chapter, which praised Pruitt. Its unclear what that letter really was, because Sierra Clubs Oklahoma chapter president very clearly opposes Pruitt.

Back to Republican fluff questions, Alaskas Dan Sullivan aksed yet another question about regaining trust in the EPA and cooperative federalism. Did you come up with that? Sullivan asked, using this valuable time to let Pruitt explain Civics 101 and the separation of powers.

Then Sullivan really turned up the heat with an incredibly hard-hitting pair of questions: Do you care about Oklahomas children? and Do you care about the environment? Pruitt said of course to the first and repeated the process language for the second. Sullivan defended the oil industry, citing the American Petroleum Institutes job figures for Oklahoma. About the gas station attendants and oil drillers, Sullivan asked, Are these people bad actors? Are they evil people?

At this point the C-Span stream asked if Im still watching and forces a reload, so sadly I can not report whether or not Pruitt believed the fossil fuel industry he so consistently defends is evil.

When the stream returns, New Yorks Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was talking about Hurricane Sandy. Does Pruitt believe sea levels are rising?

.@SenGillibrand  thank you for defending our right to a healthy future in #PollutingPruitts hearing! https://t.co/Tq2pvk3551  Sierra Club (@SierraClub) January 18, 2017

Pruitt acknowledged that the EPA has obligations to address the CO2 issue, but has to follow the process. Gillibrand goes back to the details of sea level rise, because lives are at stake. Turning to his record of lawsuits defending businesses and not protecting people, she asked about mercury.

What does Pruitt think should be done? He reaffirmed that the EPA should regulate it, but should follow the cost-benefit obligations. Again, this reaffirms that hiding behind process-jargon is Pruitts go-to answer for dodging questions about human health.

After Pruitts weaving, Sen. Carper introduced into the record the fact that the only example Pruitt could give of defending the public against polluters, his egg case, was started by his predecessor.

Barrasso responded by citing the Cornwall Alliance, a climate change denying group that uses Christianity as a front to advance its pro-polluter agenda.

Then Mississippis Sen. Roger Wicker reiterated the previously mentioned Wall Street Journal story about Clinton raising more oil and gas money than Trump. Because when you cant defend someones record, false equivalences make for convenient distractions. More anti-EPA softballs followed.

Next up was Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose office has received a great deal of concerned comments about Pruitts nomination. He asked Pruitt about the 97 percent consensus that climate change is real, man-made and already causing devastating problems. Does Pruitt believe climate change is caused by carbon emissions, by human activity?

Yes, Pruitt said he believes climate is changing and humans are contributing in some manner.

Sanders pressed that the consensus is that humans are the fundamental reason. Pruitt responded that hes still uncertain about the precision with which we can measure things and dodged direct questions about why the climate is changing. Pruitt responded with process about the EPA administrator being beholden to Congressional intent. Pruitt said that his views are immaterial. Sanders scoffed, asking, Do you believe we have to transform our energy? Pruitt said that the administrator has an important role in regulating CO2.

Sanders also talked about Oklahomas frack-quakes. Can you point me to any opinion that you wrote, any enforcement action you took against the companies injecting waste fracking water? Pruitt said hes very concerned about it and Sanders interrupted to ask what public statements Pruitt has made about it. Pruitt acknowledged his concern, but is clearly not making any declarative statement that would alleviate Sanders concerns.

https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/820432842027139072 administration do wrong?

Pruitts answer was unclear and Cardin attempted to get more specificity. Pruitt punted, at least three times in a row, before Cardin moved to fracking.

What should the federal role be, versus the states? Pruitts responded that its not a new process and Oklahoma has been regulating it for many years. Specifically on earthquakes, Pruitt shared the concerns of the Oklahoma officials in charge of overseeing the issue.

Next it was Inhofes turn and he explained PACs and defended Pruitts fossil fuel funding. Inhofe put Tom Steyers funding promises into the record in a bald attempt to distract from the conflict of interest questions at play with Pruitt. Carper helpfully pointed out that since those donations were disclosed, theyre not dark money at all. Inhofe ceded that point, chuckling.

After a rambling story about COP and Copenhagen and the Endangerment Finding and Lisa Jackson and the IPCC, Inhofe brought up Climategate. He alleged its a lie about what causes global warming. Inhofe quoted an unnamed scientist and other coverage about the fraud. He wanted that to be part of the record. He did not talk about the numerous exonerations.

Inhofes question was eventually about fuel standards, which Pruitt assures Inhofe hell review. Then it was Bookers turn again and he brought up the Illinois River issue and the poultry case with Arkansas. Booker really dug into this and went deep into the details. Booker laid out the history of the case, eventually getting to the pointPruitt let polluters off the hook for another three years, instead of enforcing compliance.

Barrasso, predictably at this point, introduced an op-ed supporting Pruitt and lobs a softball.

Sen. Markey wasted no time and gets back to the Endangerment Finding that carbon pollution poses a danger to America. Will Pruitt promise to keep that finding on the books?

Pruitt answered that the finding is the law of the land and as the EPA administrator he would uphold it. He said theres nothing hes aware of that would cause him to revisit that finding. An important reassurance.

After talking about fuel standards, Markey asked Pruitt to support the right of states to do more to fight climate change than the federal government, turning Pruitts states rights position on its head. Pruitt then dipped into legalese, stumbling over the word adjudicated as he refused to make any concrete statement.

Does he support the California waiver law? He respects it as something the administrator has to do, but said itd be his responsibility to review it. Which Markey heard as undo it and proceeded to artfully call out Pruitts hypocrisy on the double standard that states like Oklahoma should have the right to resist protecting the environment, but Massachusetts right to set more stringent policies needs review.

In response to that damaging line of questioning, Barrasso introduced another document about the negative effects of regulations on jobs and such.

Next, Sen. Ernst of Iowa gave a friendly question: Will you oppose changes to the RFS standards point of obligation? Pruitt again refused to prejudge the situation.

She then brought up a chart of the state of Iowa, showing that via the expanded definition of the WOTUS rule, 97 percent of Iowa would be counted as a Water of the U.S. After a lot of Ernst misrepresenting the rule, Pruitt indicated that hed do something about it.

Duckworth asked a yes or no question about the RFS, to which Pruitt does not give a yes or no answer. Instead he balked based on the comment period still being open and they got into a back and forth about congressional intent. Duckworths question, Pruitt contended, can only be answered once Pruitt is confirmed and has reviewed comments and everything else. For some reason this logic doesnt apply to the WOTUS rule.

Duckworth was still very concerned. But she moved on to safe drinking water, specifically Flint, Michigan. Duckworth said she was flabbergasted that Pruitt doesnt know about safe levels of lead in drinking water. Youre seeking to be the EPA administrator and you havent looked into the issue of lead in our water supply? She seemed incredulous and offended, and asked, Have you even studied the Flint water crisis in preparing for this hearing?

Pruitt again blamed the EPA for what happened in Flint.

Barrasso entered into the record another piece of praise for Pruitt and a series of softballs were thrown by Boozman, Sullivan and Moran.

Round three of questioning began with Barrasso talking about TSCA reform and Pruitts commitment to implementing it. Yes, Pruitt assured Barrasso, as administrator he will make it a priority (again displaying how Pruitts supposed commitment to states rights is flimsy). Barrasso then turned to the EPAs handling of the gold mine spill, will Pruitt review the issue to help those that have been harmed? Yes, Pruitt replied.

Then, Delawares Sen. Carper went on a lengthy tangent about the WOTUS lawmaking, in something of a rebuttal to Ernsts questionable WOTUS question. With 23 seconds remaining, Carper gets to his question: While Pruitts been suing the EPA over ozone standards, 17 counties in Oklahoma have failed clean air tests. What did Pruitt do about it?

Pruitt responded with his belief that counties should move to attainment and Carper quickly cut him off to ask: What did you do about it? Pruitt did not provide a clear answer and shifted responsibility elsewhere, indicating that hes done nothing.

Saving Pruitt from further embarrassment on his inaction was Inhofe, who asked Pruitt to share his thoughts on sue and settle, long a thorn in polluters sides.

Sen. Whitehouse then countered by pointing out that regulations should also count benefits. For once, Whitehouse and Pruitt agreed on something. Then Whitehouse gets back to businessPruitts lack of transparency regarding fundraising for the Rule of Law Defense Fund, RAGA, etc. Whitehouse pointed out that a RAGA agenda lists private meetings with Murray Energy and Southern Company, both funders of Pruitt affiliates. The conflict of interest run around began again, with Whitehouse unsuccessfully trying to get Pruitt to acknowledge even a hypothetical possibility for the appearance of impropriety.

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Then Whitehouse hit Pruitt for slow walking FOIA requests for emails between his office and the companies that fund his groups. After more than 740 days, Pruitts office had yet to comply. Pruitt blamed the compliance officers, passing the buck yet again.

Are these 3,000 emails perhaps relevant to this hearing, Whitehouse asked? Pruitts answer was, yet again, that hell defer to the EPA ethics council. Whitehouse finished his time by pointing out that since he hasnt disclosed this info to the ethics council, they cant rule on it.

Barrasso entered into the record support for Pruitt from Oklahoma lawmakers and a complaint about the egg case showing Pruitt to be the one who filed.

Sen. Capitos third round of questioning revolved around the states rights issue, when a state isnt doing enough to protect its people. Pruitt agreed that the EPA has a duty to step in.

Sen. Merkley resumed by commenting on Inhofes submission of Climategate, introducing a UCS debunking of Inhofes favorite myth. Inhofe didnt like that. Merkley then noted that the National Black Chamber of Commerce is funded by the Kochs and ExxonMobil and that the NAACP takes the opposite stance endorsing the Clean Power Plan. He then submited documents showing Native Americans and Latinos are very concerned about Pruitts nomination.

Getting to a question for Pruitt, Merkley brought up the If 97 doctors say you have cancer line of thought. After establishing the validity of the science, Pruitt acknowledged that the Endangerment Finding and Mass v. EPA would compel him to act. But, asked Merkley, does Pruitt actually accept this or will he only do the legally obligated minimum? Pruitts response was more of the process argument that clearly fails to alleviate Merkleys concerns.

For once, Barrasso didnt submit some fluffy opinion supporting Pruitt before moving to the next question from Sen. Mike Rounds from South Dakota, who asked how Pruitt would make agency transparency and record keeping better. Pruitt indicated that he would do better, but didnt say how. Rounds asked about the role of the administrator. Pruitt responded with his favorite answer: boring process talk.

Next Sen. Booker attempted to clarify the Illinois River issue, with a poster-sized blow-up of the agreement between Arkansas and Oklahoma. To Booker, it looks like Pruitt suspended a binding rule of law for three years to allow for more pollution to take place. Pruitt countered that he was concerned that Arkansas wasnt going to live up to that standard, to which Booker responded that literally six days after your so-called historic agreement, Tyson wrote to the EPA delighted about Pruitt suspending the regulation implementation. Booker drove home the point that Pruitts win probably wasnt a win for people or planet, because Industry is really happy about this.

After Pruitt attempted to defend himself, Booker remained unmoved in his opinion that Pruitt represents polluters not people.

Sen. Boozman of Arkansas only had one question. He addressed Sen. Booker to defend Arkansass lack of pollution yet at the same time their inability to meet the standard required by the agreement. Similarly Sen. Ernst was out of questions as 4:30 p.m. neared, but still wanted to make a comment about WOTUS overreach.

Sen. Markey still had questions, though. He called out Pruitt for criticizing sue and settle but then having the attorneys general in the Clean Power Plan suit try and do exactly that under President Trump. Will Pruitt recuse himself from this issue? Pruitt simply reasserted that sue and settle is bad, but then when pressed said he wont pursue sue and settle if appointed. But will he recuse himself? Pruitt pointed for yet another time, to the EPA ethics council instead of answering the question himself. Markey was not pleased.

Markey then presented a bottle of Trump water and asked Pruitt to confirm that he will act to protect clean water supplies, particularly for low-income communities. Pruitt committed to that and to making minority communities a priority.

Sen. Sullivans final question dealt with infrastructure and Pruitt agreed that water infrastructure would be a priority.

Sen. Whitehouse asked for a fourth round of questions and Chairman Barrasso told him to submit his remaining questions instead. With that, Carper reminded the chairman that he said the hearing would go on until people were out of questions. After some rather tense negotiations, with GOP senators suggesting the hearing end and Carper and Whitehouse pushing for more time to question, Barrasso agreed to another short round for those with questions.

Sen. Whitehouse used his final question period to ask about Pruitts @me.com email address, in addition to his oag.ok.gov address.

Moving on, Whitehouse looked at the list of Pruitts cases, basically none of which were brought by Pruitt on behalf of the environment. Pruitt tried to pass the buck and said an underling was responsible for environmental action. But Whitehouse, who as a former AG knows a thing or two about the position, remained adamant about Pruitts startling absence of any actions brought to protect the environment.

Sen. Booker remained fixated on the Illinois River case involving poultry producers. Booker mapped out how Pruitt stopped the standard, disbanded the Oklahoma AGs environmental unit and supported a Right to Farm law that weakens local laws to regulate farming. Which is all part of the pattern of Pruitt defending polluters from regulations, leaving Booker worrying about which side youre on.

Pruitt didnt exactly answer.

And as Carper pointed out next, Pruitt also didnt yet answer the questionnaire that Carper sent him. Pruitt responded that the chairman told him not to answer. Carper moved on to ask if Pruitt would commit to regulating mercury under section 112. Pruitt agreed its something the EPA should regulate.

For his last question, Carper pulled out a big chart of cross-state pollution. Given Pruitts states-first approach, how will they deal with that and whats the role of the EPA? Pruitt affirmed that the EPA should deal with interstate pollution.

Finally, the hearing came to an end. What did we learn? Mostly that Pruitt has taken a lot of steps to protect polluters from regulation and basically none to protect people from pollution.

After six and a half hours of questions, did Pruitt move any Democratic votes in his favor? Probably not. Will that mean he wont be the next EPA administrator? Well see.

One last detailas Pruitt was leaving, it sounded like he was approached by a woman who spoke about the hearing being draining, but that in her time in the ER dealing with something like a child clinging to life during an asthma attack, shes never out in less than six hours.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Nexus Media.
Alum's Teaching Dream Pays Off with Visit to White House, Pres. Obama

For Darlene White-Dottin, being a teacher is the highest achievement, something she had dreamed about as a child growing up in Bertie County, North Carolina. So when the now-retired educator and 1978 Elizabeth City State University graduate found herself and 18 of her elementary school students in a private audience with Pres. Barack Obama, that moment was a culmination of a lifelong love affair with teaching.

The meeting took place in February 2012, during Black History Month. It was the result of years of working with her Boston, Massachusetts students, teaching them to memorize an abbreviated version of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s I have a dream speech. It was significant since White-Dottins childhood dream of teaching had come true, and the moments when her students recited the speech, they reflected that dream.

All I ever wanted to be was a teacher, said White-Dottin.

White-Dottin says coming to ECSU to become an educator was a natural fit. Although the institution had become designated as a university in 1969, it was still known as a training ground for teachers, formerly Elizabeth City State Teachers College.

And ECSU prepared me for that, said White-Dottin of her teaching career.

After graduation, White-Dottin went to Boston to spend the summer with family. It was there that her first teaching opportunity presented itself, and she never left the New England city.

Eventually White-Dottin would find herself teaching in a poverty stricken school where student performance was low. It was a challenge she gladly accepted since bringing kids up through education was always her dream.

Boston Public Schools began funding the school and changed the curriculum to a performing arts focused program. Those factors began to bear fruit and students began to thrive and the school became what she said is referred to as a turnaround school.

And in the midst of all that change and positive growth, White-Dottin decided to teach her students Dr. Kings iconic I have a dream speech.

At first her students would recite the speech in the school, in the classroom. Eventually they would take the recital to various programs. That led to two recitals in front of now-former Massachusetts Gov. Daval Patrick.

He was in tears, recalled White-Dottin.

During the second recital before the governor, White-Dottin recalled how one of her students told Patrick that her dream was to recite the speech for Pres. Obama. The teacher had no idea how prophetic that students declaration would be.

White-Dottin was in her classroom teaching when she was summoned to the principals office to take a phone call. That call, she quickly discovered, was an invitation for her and her students to visit the White ouseHouseHouse and recite the speech.

The ECSU graduate and veteran teacher recalled that she and her students arrived at the White House, under the impression that they would be participating in a program, one that included the recital. That, however, was not the case.

We had 30-to-40 minutes alone with the President of the United States, she said.

White-Dottin says the kids received hugs from Pres. Obama. She said each of her students left the White House with a sense of pride because they did something that would take them to the White House.

I always tell them to dream big, said White-Dottin.
The first time Vanessa Folgar came across the Catalan pro-independence estelada flag was when she left the Val de Aran to study in Lleida. In the area where she had been living from the age of two, nobody flew the flag or talked about secession from Spain. Folgar is now 33 and an elementary school teacher in Gessa and not much has changed. She still doesnt see the distinctive red and yellow striped estelada flags in the valley.

The seat of the local government in the Val de Aran. Massimiliano Minocri

An unusual corner of Catalonia, the Val de Aran (Aran Valley) is located on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees and enjoys the distinction of being the only place in the region with an Atlantic climate. It is also the only region in Europe where the Occitan language is thriving. And it is the only region in Catalonia where supporters of independence are in a clear minority.

Folgar speaks to EL PAIS while sitting in the playground of her school under a warm sun. High up beyond the distant fir forests, you can just make out the regions cash cow  the ski station of Baqueira, which is used by almost three times as many tourists from the rest of Spain as from Catalonia.

The previous mayor had a portrait of the Catalan premier, but I put it in the storeroom Amador Marques, Mayor of Bossost

Folgar speaks Catalan and Aranese perfectly. The local dialect of Occitan, Aranese is an official language in Catalonia and the language used in schools, though Spanish, Catalan, English and French are also on the curriculum. The pupils work on the classroom wall is in Aranese, as are the school notices. I don't know anyone who is pro-independence but I do know people who are Occitan nationalists, she says. Independence is considered a problem because it generates uncertainty  it would force the area to decide if it wanted to be part of one or the other (Spain or Catalonia) and people are fine as they are.

The Val de Aran has 10,000 inhabitants. It is a strategic border enclave that has been autonomous since the 14th century. There are no monuments or streets named after Catalan heroes such as Lluis Companys  the Catalan premier executed in 1940 on the orders of General Francisco Franco during the Civil War  or fellow former regional premier Francesc Macia.

The center of Vielha in the Valle de Aran. Massimiliano Minocri

In the 2015 Catalan regional elections, the Junts pel Si coalition between the pro-independence Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) obtained 39.5% of the votes in Catalonia as a whole but only 25% in the Val de Aran. Meanwhile, the left-leaning pro-independence Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) took 8% of the vote in Catalonia and only 6% in Aran. In the Spanish general elections last June, the conservative Popular Party of current Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy won in Arans main towns  Vielha and Naut Aran  and the socialists in the third biggest town, Bossost, while the CDC and ERC came in last.

The owner of the Er Areu de Les bookshop, Elvira wears a gold Occitan cross around her neck. Her daughter Maite is a nurse at the hospital in Vielhawhere she got a job after graduating from the Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona. They both consider themselves to be Aranese first and Spanish and Catalan second and they are convinced that everyone in the area feels the same. The independence debate doesnt affect us much, says Elvira. Maybe the Catalans who live here take it more seriously.

I don't know anyone who is pro-independence but I do know Occitan nationalists Vanessa Folgar, school teacher

Joan Pascual is from Barcelona but has lived in the Val de Aran for 20 years. He has a catering business in Arties and, as a Catalan, he is more in tune with the independence movement,but he also understands the Aranese take on it. The Val is the only region in Catalonia that depends almost exclusively on tourism and, more specifically, on tourists from Madrid, the Basque Country and Valencia, who are loyal to the area, he says. Those who are in favor of independence are not hardliners. There are no demonstrations or political meetings here.

Jusep Lois Sans Socasau and Jep de Montoya are in charge of the Institute for Aranese Studies (IEA), which was set up in 2014 along the lines of the Institute for Catalan Studies. Sans Socasau also founded the local branch of the ERC in 2008 and in the reception area of the IEA there is a map of the Catalan and Occitan territories. Montoya points out that, unlike other places in Occitania, Aran has been fortunate because Catalonia has understood and respected its singularity, noting:The Val de Aran has sought close ties to Catalonia.

Sans Socasau believes that Spain looks more positively on the Val de Aran because of the influx of Spaniards from outside, many of whom take jobs as civil servants  either as policemen, postmen or, until recently, army personnel. Some 40% of Aranese have immigrated from the rest of Spain while in Catalonia the figure is 33%.

The Era Querimonia de Salardu statue in Vielha: the 14th century Querimonia document outlines the area's autonomous rights. Massimiliano Minocri

But however many residents come from outside the region, the mayor of Bossost, Amador Marques, believes that the Aranese identity is about bringing people together. It's not about giving up being Spanish or Catalan, he says.

Marquess office is only decorated with an Aranese flag and two oil paintings of Bossost. The previous mayor had a portrait of the Catalan premier but I put it in the storeroom. Im not much of a one for protocol, he says.

English version by Heather Galloway.
With Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education taking on greater importance as schools, governments and industries seek to prepare children for the future workforce, are we focusing on the right skills?Infosys Australia chief, Andrew Groth, told The Educator that amid the push by schools, industries and state and federal leaders to boost STEM education, a major component is sorely lacking  education in Artificial Intelligence.There has been a massive drop-off over the last decade in the number of students going on to study computer science at university. The most important demographic to target in this respect are our 11, 12 and 13 year-olds, he said.There is a big focus on STEM education, which is the responsibility of schools, government and businesses, but AI is a major component of this. Its a skill that is in demand, so there needs a stronger focus towards it.He added that while there are some universities teaching AI skills, there needs to be greater participation of young people in this type education as it is a growing industry that most large businesses are investing in.Groths comments follow a survey of 1,600 business leaders from across Australia the USA, UK, France, Germany, China and India, which found that despite this investment, Australia ranks last when it comes to its young people accessing the skills needed to deploy AI technologies.At the forum, we looked at the view held by young people towards schools and education, and found that while Australian youth were the most aware globally of the digital revolution and its nature, they were the least prepared in terms of skills.That shows a real dilemma in Australia. While there are a lot of programs to help turn this around, we have a very significant gap, and this was illustrated in the survey thats just been released.Groth said that the skills gap is not only limited to AI but across the entire spectrum of digital technologies in general.I think there is an issue with STEM education across the board, and particularly in Australia. However, were seeing this same lack of skills in ICT. This problem has to be addressed by all of us, because its an issue that exists across the board, he said.Partly, this is reflective of a very strong interest in digital technology and how to use it, but when it comes to how we build it, design it and be a part of the results, thats where we are falling short.In June last year, the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) released a report, titled: Australias Future Workforce which revealed that nearly 40% of Australian jobs will be automated in 10-15 years.Since the release of this, and other similar, reports, there have been concerns that many jobs  particularly in the field of manufacturing  may not require humans.But Groth says there is a solution.The more that Australian businesses engage with AI, the more they will see that this technology is a platform to enhance workers, not replace them, he said.He said Infosys has a developed a maturity level matrix that looks at the deployment of AI, which the organisation segmented by countries and industries.Globally, manufacturing is in the middle of that level. There is certainly a clear role for AI in manufacturing, but its about amplifying human potential, he explained.The advantage of AI is to automate the more mundane and repetitive tasks, freeing up the human potential on the creative side. Looking ahead, there are huge benefits in the manufacturing sector.Groth said that business leaders recognise the changing nature of employment.He said that with employees focusing on more creative strategic work, this is leading to business leaders demanding a range of creative skills.58% are demanding active learning skills53% are demanding complex problem-solving skills46% are demanding critical thinking skills46% are demanding creativity43% are demanding logical reasoning skillsThese skills highlight the growing need for employees who can learn quickly, think on their feet and overcome problems efficiently in order to succeed in an AI-driven environment, Groth said.
The past eight years have marked an unprecedented push to expand and use federal data systems, both in education and across the federal government. As education watchers await the Trump administration, there has been little clarity and some concern about the future of key education studies.

With this new administration, there are so many things to keep your eye on, said Laura Speer, the Annie E. Casey Foundations associate director for policy reform and advocacy, and this [federal education data issue] is one of those things that can completely fly under the radarand before you know it, some critical things can be lost.

Some of the biggest ongoing federal studies have in recent years faced budget cutbacks and criticism, particularly by Republican members of the House of Representatives. Efforts to curtail those studiesor in some cases, stop them completelyhave so far been blocked by the Senate and the Obama administration. So far President-elect Donald Trump and his nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, have given no indication of support for large-scale federal studies or education research more generally in their public statements or on the transition website, but they have voiced concern over invasions of privacy.

Key Studies and Their Uses Federal longitudinal studies have become ever more prevalent in education policymaking in the last decade, and researchers worry cutbacks to data collection, even those conducted by other agencies, could have a strong impact on education programs and budgets going forward. Here are three examples: American Community Survey Budget: $230.9 million, fiscal year 2016

Who collects it? U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce Department

What is it? This is the second-largest study administered by the Census Bureau, after the dicennial census. It is a mandatory long-form survey given to more than 3.5 million households each year.

What is it used for? The data are used to distribute more than $400 billion in federal dollars each year, including Title I and other U.S. Department of Education funding. State, tribal, and local governments use the data to plan school sites and other services. Business and nonprofit groups also use ACS data to target distribution and targeting of services. The Education Departments Common Core of Data uses ACS data for a variety of measures, including demographics, student poverty beyond free and reduced-price lunch, and information on public virtual and brick-and-mortar charter schools. Researchers also use these data. Civil Rights Data Collection Budget: $400,000, fiscal year 2016

Who collects it? U.S. Department of Education

What is it? This is a biennial survey of key demographic, discipline, and academic data from all public school districts and schools in the country. It has been collected in some form since 1968; the 2015-16 survey data is being gathered now.

What is it used for? The Education Departments office for civil rights uses the data to identify overall trends and local disparities in education for students with disabilities, and those of particular ethnic or racial groups, genders, or language backgrounds, as well as to investigate complaints of discrimination in particular sites. Lawyers and groups interested in civil rights issues also rely on the data as the most comprehensive sample of such trends in the country. The Education Department also uses the data to identify teachers experience levels and distribution, school finance issues, and emerging trends in education technology use. National Assessment of Educational Progress Budget: $149 million, fiscal year 2016

Who collects it? U.S. Department of Education

What is it? Often dubbed the Nations Report Card, this is a set of assessments given to nation- and statewide samples of U.S. students at grades 4, 8, and 12 in mathematics, reading, science, writing, civics, economics, technology and engineering, geography, history, and the arts. Different subject-matter assessments are given on different time frames and to different grade ranges, but math and reading are the most frequent.

What is it used for? NAEP remains the only common academic assessment across all states and is used to compare how students of different grades and demographic backgrounds are achieving academically in various subjects. It has also been statistically linked to the Trends in International Math and Science Study, allowing states to get a more nuanced understanding of how their students compare to peers worldwide. It includes background surveys that help researchers connect practices in school and at home to students longterm achievement.

Ideological differences usually dont matter all that much when it comes to education researchthere seldom seems to be argument about doing sound research to find out what works and disseminating that which we know evidence supports, said Max McConkey, the communications director of the research group WestEd. But the incoming administration appears to be unlike any other Ive ever seen, so all bets are off, for now.

Building on Legacy

The past decade has seen a major expansion of both federal education data and the infrastructure to use it in policy and program design, spurred under both the Republican Bush and Democratic Obama administrations. The number of regional educational research coalitions like the Chicago Consortium for School Research have expanded from a few to several dozen, in part thanks to federal grants, and federal support also helped every state develop a longitudinal student-data system to track individual student data from kindergarten through high school graduation.

The Obama administration also used administrative rules and evidence requirements in competitive grant programs like Investing in Innovation, or i3, to push the use of data and evidence in program and policy development. Both the evidence standards and the competitive grant program have since been codified in the Every Student Succeeds Act , and the newly contracted regional education laboratories are focused on building more local research and data alliances.

I think that research and practice being brought together in new ways has staying power in the field. Id be very surprised if that changed, said Ruth Curran Neild, who recently stepped down as the designated director of the Institute of Education Sciences , the Education Departments research agency. At IES, theres a lot of strength at the everyday civil-servant level. ... Now, could someone come in and change that? Yeah, Neild said, but, those cultures can last if theyre really built in.

Yet the data and evidence requirements in ESSA are only strong if states are willing to implement them and the Education Department under DeVos is willing to enforce them, said Daniel Losen, the director of the Center for Civil Rights Remedies, part of the Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Theres information in the statute, but enforcement of reporting to the public has always been a struggle, he said. How do you respond to schools and districts that thumb their noses at reporting requirements? ... I am concerned that this administration will not be supportive of research generally and data collections in particular. Its easier to say whatever you want if there is no counternarrative that has evidence to support it.

Reporting Concerns

Enforcing data reporting will be a particular problem for the Education Departments nearly 50-year-old Civil Rights Data Collection, experts say.

Civil rights data significantly expanded in both scope and use under the Obama administration, providing in-depth demographic, discipline-related, and academic information on every public school and district in the country. Beyond being used for investigating reported educational inequities, the survey is also now the main source of more basic school-level information, such as teacher certification and chronic absenteeism.

But everyone would identify OCR as potentially at risk, said Michele McLaughlin, the president of the Knowledge Alliance, which advocates for education research groups. For most of the civil rights collections nearly 50-year history, it included only a representative sample of districts from each state. In 2000, and then from 2011-12 onward, the collection expanded to every public school in the country that spends at least half of each day on educational services. This includes charter and magnet schools, juvenile justice facilities, virtual schools, and alternative schools for students with disabilitiesbut it does not include public schools on tribal lands and military bases or private schools.

The omission of private schools is a concern for Losen. Trump made expansion of private-school voucher programs the center of his campaign platform for education, and from a data perspective, theres a huge problem for civil rights laws and data requirements for private schools, Losen said. Will they have to report on civil rights or teacher certifications?

Education watchers are keeping the closest tabs on the biggest federal data collections: the Census Bureaus 2020 decennial survey and the American Community Survey, a more detailed study by the bureau of 3.5 million households a year.

Certainly the ACS is one of the main areas where there is potential for there to be problems, because there have been threats to it practically every single year, said Laura Speer, the Annie E. Casey Foundations associate director of policy reform and advocacy.

Trumps designated budget directorwho would also oversee the Census Bureauis U.S. Rep. John Michael Mick Mulvaney, a Republican from South Carolina and a fiscal hawk who repeatedly voted and advocated for making the ACS voluntary or eliminating it completely in favor of privatizing federal Census data collection. The House has passed such amendments in three of the last four years, though they were always scuttled in the Senate.

While Speer doubts that the ACS would be fully privatized, the real, more likely threat is to have it be no longer mandatory. That would have a major impact on the reliability of the data, she said. The Census Bureau has estimated that making the survey voluntary would reduce participation by 20 percent, increase annual costs by $35 million to $90 million a year, and reduce its accuracy, particularly in rural areas and communities of color.

That could hit census education data particularly hard, said Speer, because children are already more likely to live in households that are often undercounted in the decennial census, including highly mobile or impoverished families or those in racial or linguistic minority groups.

Because we dont do the [decennial] census long-form [survey] anymore, the data in the ACS has become the go-to place to get information at a local level. If we were to no longer have the ACS, the ripple effects within government would be substantial, said Speer, who manages the Casey Foundations Kids Count Data Book, which uses both census surveys for research and to target grants. For us, its a really critical resource.

Budget Issues

Moreover, three years ahead of the 2020 census, the bureau is still operating on funding near 2010 levels. Congresss continuing resolution for the federal government, for example, provides $240 million less than requested for the census.

The census is a finely tuned watch with a 10-year funding and planning cycle, and its been fairly dramatically underfunded for several years, said Phil Sparks, a co-director of the Census Project, which tracks policies and use on the surveys. (Sparks is not related to this articles author.)

Census data, Sparks said, are the cornerstone of education policy and funding. It is these numbers that empower everything from Head Start to higher education.

Speer agreed, noting the lack of support for the budget could become very problematic very quickly.

McLaughlin, of the Knowledge Alliance, said leadership on behalf of federal education data likely will have to come from the states and Congress.

This is where [Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan] meets Trump, she said. Ryan has always been into better data, better outcomes, more accountability. With the new administration coming in, well have to see where it stands.
Reflections from educators and K-12 advocates on the political landscape

In the months and weeks leading up to and following the presidential election, Education Week Commentary received dozens of submissions from educators, policymakers, and public education advocates who speculated: What did the presidential election campaigns and outcome reveal about our country? What did they teach students? And what will a Trump administration mean for K-12 education?

Here are a handful of takeaways from these submissions in which the authors consider the role of schooling in the American political system.

A Focus on Civics Education

Nora Howe is a program associate at Generation Citizen in New York. Thomas Kerr-Vanderslice is the executive director at Generation Citizen in Rhode Island.

Classroom discussions about elections allow students to voice their broad range of emotions and provide an opportunity to air and rectify the inaccurate information surrounding the results. Most importantly, conversation can help to clarify that the political trajectory is a long one. Whether or not the students agree or disagree with Donald Trump, they still need to engagenow, perhaps more than ever. If nothing else, this election has demonstrated the importance of an engaged and educated citizenry. The only road to such an outcome is giving students the chance to become civically engaged early on.

Expose Students to Politics

Brian Brady is the president of Mikva Challenge in Chicago. Louise Dube is the executive director of iCivics in Boston. Scott Warren is the CEO of Generation Citizen in New York.

Over the past 30 years, civic education has been squeezed out of public schools as educators struggle to meet state core mandates in STEM and language arts. When civics does exist, the subject often focuses on rote memorization of facts and barely addresses the responsibilities of citizenship. This freezing out of civics from the curriculum, more than anything else, is why less than 50 percent of young people voted in the presidential election, and why young people believe by a 2-to-1 margin that volunteerism, and not the political process, is a more effective way to make change. Simply put, we cannot expect young people to show up to vote in a presidential election if their only exposure to politics happens on a singular day once every four years. We need to actively expose them to information and political processes before they can vote.

The Important Role of Educators and Schools

Jonathan Silin is the editor-in-chief of the Occasional Paper Series at Bank Street College of Education in New York.

In times of transition, our job as teachers is to help kids separate fantasy from reality, panic from thoughtful reflection, the difficult moment and the long-range perspective. We are used to asking our students a familiar set of questions: What do we know? What do we want to find out? Where are there reliable sources of information? How can we reconcile and/or live with different points of view?

A presidential transition is no different. We are practiced at keeping our ear to the ground listening for and responding to the emotions beneath the surface narratives, asking critical questions that power our sense of safety and threat, belonging and alienation, agency and constraint. While all teachers have not lived through momentous political shifts such as those occurring today, we are all experienced at acknowledging unsettling realities and offering the support that our worried students demand of us.

Schools Should Promote Change Within Communities

Arina Bokas is the editor of Kids Standard Magazine. She lives in Clarkston, Mich.

No matter where we fall in our political choices, we feel that there is only one truth, and its of course on our side. Social media is overflowing with offensive comments and labeling. There is anger toward fellow Americans who have exercised their right to vote according to their beliefs; there is anger toward those who are scared by election outcomes. Meanwhile, anger and fear are dividing our communities and setting a rather dismal example for our children.

I believe that in order to nurture sensitivity to perspectives and the feelings of others, we must proactively bring diversity to our schools by working with families and members of the community together. Its one holistic learning environment. Schools, which are frequently seen as a representation of local authority, have a real opportunity to become a source of awareness, influence, and change within their communities. To do so, they must design intentional partnerships, wherein families, community members, and schools develop trust, learn together, combine resources, and share decision-making power.

A New Policy Path

Stephen Mucher is the director of the Bard Master of Arts in Teaching Program in Los Angeles.

Responding to the 1983 report A Nation at Risk, both political parties rallied to define ambitious new standards and asked teachers to hold students to higher expectations. Reformers loosened tenure protections and promoted the removal of ineffective teachers from classrooms. At best, new policies demonstrated the essential importance of good teachers. But this policy path, now well-worn in the absence of other trails, has taken us as far as it can. Too many reform educators in both parties have ignored evidence that their policies have exacerbated racial and economic segregation, fostered an overly technical conception of teaching, and produced widespread dissatisfaction among teachers.

Make Rural Education a Priority

Dilara Sayeed is the chief education officer of Golden Apple Foundation in Chicago.

As an urban-based educator, I realize that to begin to heal the political divide, equitable resources will have to be provided to both areas of poverty, urban and rural. We must now face the challenges that rural America encounters every day, one issue at a time. In education, the goals of student achievement, graduation, and college enrollment are universal, but there are differences among urban, rural, and suburban communities that require further exploration and better understanding. Research on issues of rural education has been sparse. Are 21st-century skills for todays students urban-centric, or do they apply to rural communities as well? Have high school graduation rates increased in rural counties? Does a college degree lead to financial or professional success for rural young adults as well; and, if so, is the number of college-going students increasing?

A Failing Ed System

Dan Sarofian-Butin is a professor in the department of education and community studies at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass.

So I want to thank Donald Trump. I want to thank him in that his victory made many issues visible. As we now know, about half of us voted for Trump. Half of us voted for a man who embodies a world where discrimination, falsehoods, and incivility are tacitly accepted if not downright approved. Half of us wanted, for whatever reason, a category-five storm. This half included lots of folks whose education has failed them; it also, though, included many folks who graduated from some of our finest colleges and universities. This is a sobering and uncomfortable reality. Schools and colleges have always embraced and extolled a civic mission to enhance students civic engagement and civil conduct. And, seemingly, we have failed. What are we therefore as educators to do? How are we to act?

Keep Education Access Equal

Sarah Moore is a partner and James Patrick is an associate attorney at the law firm Fisher Phillips in Cleveland.

Any time the power dynamic in Washington shifts from one political party to another, there is a potential for considerable consequences in the education arena. Although the fate of the U.S. Department of Education may, in fact, hang in the balance, an overhaul of the federal regulations that require equal education access for all students is unlikely. However, there will undoubtedly be an impact on how these regulations are interpreted (e.g., in terms of addressing transgender students).

Consequently, Trumps election doesnt signal a carte blanche opportunity to ignore the core of the equal educational access aspects of federal law. Educational institutions should continue to do what is morally right and legally required, such as implementing compliance programs, fostering equal access, and addressing on-campus allegations of harassment and sexual assault. On these points, there must be no debate and a unity of purpose.
The president of Spanish firm Melia Hotels International Gabriel Escarrer said Wednesday that the tourism sector was feeling the initial effects of the UKs decision to leave the European Union. British tourists book their holidays in advance and a slowdown is already being noticed, said the head of the group, which has 370 hotels in four continents, during an appearance at the Fitur International Tourism Trade Fair currently being held in Madrid.

Hotel Melia Palas Atenea in Palma de Mallorca. EFE

Until now, the effects of Brexit have not been felt with 16.9 million Brits making their way to Spain last year, 12.3% more than in 2015, according to recent figures from the Spanish Energy and Tourism Ministry. But Escarrer said this could change in the coming months.

He noted, however, that other markets such as the German or Scandinavian could compensate for the fall.

Speaking about the outlook for 2017, Escarrer noted the uncertainty related to the arrival of Donald Trump as US president. This could affect international relations, above all with Mexico and in relation to whether Cuba will open up or not, said the Melia president. The company, which notched up a net profit of 92.2 million in 2016, operates 29 hotels in Cuba with three more under construction.

More information An extremist Brexit

No one knows what is going to happen between the US and Cuba, but the number of visitors [to the island] keeps increasing, said Escarrer.

Spain broke its own tourism record for the seventh year in a row in 2016 with 75.3 million foreign visitors making their way to the country. That was 7.2 million more than in 2015, a rise of 9.9%, according to early figures from Spains Energy and Tourism Ministry.

The tourism industry has been an important driver of Spains economy over the course of the economic crisis. It contributes more than 10% to GDP and provides 11% of jobs. However, there have been calls for the market to diversify and try and attract more high-end visitors.

English version by George Mills.
A granddaughter of Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, a prime minister during the final years of the regime of Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco, has sharply criticized the two years and six months prison sentence a public prosecutor at the Spanish High Court has demanded for a 21-year-old student who posted jokes on Twitter about his assassination by Basque pro-independence group ETA in 1973.

The aftermath of the assassination of Carrero Blanco in Marid in 1973.

In a letter to EL PAIS, Lucia Carrero-Blanco describes the public prosecutions call as disproportionate and total madness, adding: I am frightened by a society where freedom of speech, however regrettable it might be, can mean a jail term.

The High Court public prosecutor has also called for a three-year parole term to be imposed on the student, Cassandra Vera.

With a criminal record, I would lose my university grant and without it I cant study Cassandra Vera

Luis Carrero Blanco was killed when an ETA activist set off a bomb as his car passed through a narrow street in downtown Madrid on the morning of December 20, 1973. The explosion sent his vehicle 35 meters in the air, over a building and into the patio of a convent.

More than 40 years later, history student Vera, posted a series of jokes on her Twitter account, @kira_95, that the public prosecutor considered constituted the crime of humiliating victims. Lucia Carrero-Blanco says in her letter to EL PAIS that she does not feel humiliated in any way by the tweets, which she described as being in bad taste.

Vera, who describes herself on Twitter as a radical feminist, a transgender girl and a student of history, posted some 13 tweets between late 2013 and early 2016 about the assassination of Carrero Blanco, one of which read: ETA launched a policy against official cars combined with a space program. Another featured the date 20D next to an image that a public prosecutor described as an astronaut with the face of Admiral Carrero Blanco on what appears to be the surface of the moon and the Spanish flag of the dictatorship.

On January 10, following the public prosecutor's decision, Vera posted a tweet saying: They are calling for 2 years and 6 months jail and then 3 years parole for jokes about Carrero Blanco. Just that, jokes about a dictator.

In her letter to EL PAIS, Lucia Carrero-Blanco says that Veras tweets were repugnant and that she was saddened that anybody would make jokes about a murder. But she also describes the call for a jail term as disproportionate and frightening.

It is dangerous to impose respect on people using threats and excessive sanctions

Lucia Carrero-Blanco

I consider it a dangerous mistake to try to impose respect on people on the basis of threats and excessive sanctions, she adds.

Vera said she appeared before a judge in September 2016 to make a statement, believing at the time that the High Court would drop the investigation. I explained to the judge that they were jokes about a historical figure, the head of a government under the dictatorship, and that I have never made jokes about other victims of terrorism, she told EL PAIS by phone.

In 2015, the High Court absolved Guillermo Zapata, a Madrid City Hall councilor who also faced charges of humiliating victims after he posted tweets mocking Irene Villa, who lost both her legs in an ETA car bombing in 1991. Villa stated at the time that she was not bothered about the jokes. Zapata was forced to stand down from his post over the affair.

The same year, the High Court imposed an 18-month jail term on Benat Lasa Fernandez for tweeting an image of the aftermath of the car bombing of Carrero Blanco alongside the words To infinity and beyond, taken from the film Toy Story. The sentence was later reduced after Lasa Fernandez pleaded guilty.

If the High Court accepts the sentence demanded by the prosecution, Vera would have to go to jail. But even if the sentence is reduced and she avoids prison, she says she is worried about the consequences.

I have volunteered for a social work project in Murcia and to take part I have to provide a certificate of criminal record, she explains. A sentence would also prevent her from fulfilling her goal of becoming a teacher, and even to abandon her university studies.

With a criminal record, I would lose by university grant and without it I cant study, she says.

English version by Nick Lyne.
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More information Espectacular exhalacion del volcan de Colima

Mexicos imposing Colima volcano sprung to life early on Wednesday morning, coating nearby villages with ash after an explosion that caught the federal states of Colima and Jalisco unaware.

The spectacular eruption, which was captured by webcams, sent a plume of smoke and ash two kilometers into the atmosphere with emergency services warning people to stay away from the area of the volcano and to cover their mouths and noses.

In the wake of the explosive eruption, The Governor of Colima State, Ignacio Peralta, asked people not to spread rumors and to keep themselves informed.

Mexican Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said authorities were monitoring the situation closely.

The 3,820-meter high Colima volcano, part of the Colima Volcanic Complex, is one of Mexicos most dramatic natural phenomena and periodically launches rocks and clouds of gas into the atmosphere, surprising both locals and tourists to the site.

English version by George Mills.
All four tyres damaged on car in Douglas

Police are appealing for information after all four tyres were damaged on a car parked in Douglas.

The green Ford Focus was parked on Conister Road between 5.30pm on Monday and 6.30 on Tuesday morning when the incident occurred.

Officers are keen to hear from anyone who saw what happened, or witnessed any activity in the area between the relevant times.

Anyone who can help the police with their investigation is asked to contact Police Headquarters on 631212.
Two shootouts in two days this week that left nine people dead and at least 15 people injured have shattered the calm of Cancun, threatening the beach resorts position as the jewel in the crown of Mexicos tourism industry.

More information La guerra del narco sacude Cancun, la joya turistica de Mexico

On Monday, a man opened fire in the Blue Parrot nightclub in nearby Playa del Carmen, which was hosting the BPM electronic music festival. Five people died, among them a Canadian, a US national and an Italian, and 15 were wounded in the attack, footage of which was posted on social networks.

The following day, armed men attacked the State Attorney Generals office in Cancun, killing a policeman. Four of the attackers were gunned down and five others arrested.

Security analyst Alejandro Hope says that the incidents were a spillover from mounting tension between criminal gangs

Security analyst Alejandro Hope says that the incidents were a spillover from mounting tension between criminal gangs fighting for control of the drugs trade, extortion and other illegal activities in the area.

Things have been getting worse for several months; last summer there were attacks on massage parlors and brothels, but this has made the news because the shootout took place at an international event and there were foreign victims, while the attack on the State Attorneys office is a direct challenge to authority, he says.

Cancun, in the state of Quintana Roo, on the Yucatan peninsula, depends on tourism, and business leaders have moved quickly to play down the violence. Fearful of following the fate of Acapulco, which has been gripped by violence between drug cartels since 2011, on Wednesday they announced a campaign using the slogan Cancunners, because we love it, to stop bad news and project a positive image of the resort.

Organizations representing hotels, restaurants and bars have sought to minimize the problem of extortion. We have never had this issue in Cancun, said Juan Pablo Aguirre, head of the local restaurant owners association, insisting that Tuesdays violence was blown out of proportion. The healthiest thing would be to stop talking about the topic, he reiterated.

Luis Camara, the president of the Caribbean Business Coordination Council, said he knew of only one case of extortion.

We dont have that data because people are frightened of talking about that kind of thing, he said.

The sectors concern about the impact of a drugs war on the resort is understandable: in 2015, it contributed $8.6 billion to the public purse. Cancun is the destination of 35% of the money foreign tourists spend in Mexico.

Mexican soldiers patrol the beach at Cancun. AFP

Mexicos drugs cartels have been active in Quintana Roo since the 1990s, when Mario Villanueva ran the state on behalf of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Facing accusations of money laundering and close ties to Amado Carrillo, the leader of the Juarez cartel, Villanueva fled days before he was due to leave office in 1999. By then, the state had become a major transshipment point for drugs from Colombia to the United States. Villanueva is currently in jail.

Mexicos drugs cartels are increasingly splitting off into local groups, fighting for control of key towns and cities. In Quintana Roo, the groups battling it out to run Cancun are splinter groups of the Zetas and the Gulf cartels, says Alejandro Hope. These gangs deal in drugs and run protection rackets. Hope says that attacks on massage parlors, bars and brothels have increased in recent years and that the incidents earlier this week in Cancun and Playa del Carmen were a warning that the violence is set to worsen.

You have young migrants with no economic future, and a buoyant market for criminals

Hope points to similar factors in Quintana Roo that could lead it down the same road as Acapulco: rapid population growth, growing income inequality and poverty, and a fast-growing regional economy that can feed extortion and other crime. You have really marked segregation: the tourist area and the rest, you have young migrants with no economic future, and a buoyant market for criminals, he says.

There are already signs that the rest of Mexicos criminal organizations have set their sights on Cancun. Gustavo Nieto Navarro, who commands the 10th military region, told local media in September that an independent cartel had entered the north of the state. He also said that the Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartel was trying to set itself up in Cancun. A US DEA report from mid-2015, warned that the Sinaloa cartel was also operating in the area.

English version by Nick Lyne.
DEFA Minister discussing fishing with Northern Irish Minister



DEFA Minister Geoffrey Boot met with Northern Ireland's Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Michelle McIlveen.

The Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture has been discussing fishing matters with his Northern Irish counterpart.

Geoffrey Boot has been holding talks with Michelle McIlveen - the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland.

The two discussed a range of matters relating to fishing, including managing the fisheries in the Irish Sea, enhancing stocks and collaboration between different fishing jurisdictions.

For both nations fishing is considered a traditional and important industry to the economy.
DHSC submits plans for 60-bed care home



How the new care home could look.

The Department of Health and Social Care is seeking planning permission to build a 60-bed care home for older people.

The facility would be located at the site of the former Glenside Resource Centre at the corner of Victoria Road and Glencrutchery Road in Douglas.

The unit, which has provisionally been called Summer Hill View, would also offer day services.

If approved, the new centre will replace the Reayrt ny Baie Resource Centre at Albert Terrace, which no longer meets regulatory standards, and the Sweetbriar Dementia Care Unit in Farmhill.

The DHSC will seek approval for funding for the project from Tynwald later this year once the planning process is complete.
Who can blame 62 million Americans for voting for Donald Trump, considering the pope asked US Catholics to do so in order to make America strong and free? Or if it emerged during the campaign that Bill Clinton had abused a 13-year-old? And in light of the mysterious deaths that accompanied Hillary Clintons rise in the polls, including that of an FBI agent who was investigating the presidential candidate and a Democratic Party employee who was going to testify against her before a judge?

Messages against Trumps victory inside the New York subway. M. Muheisen (AP )

These are all hoaxes, but they reached millions of people dressed up as facts via Facebook, a site that 60% of Americans used during the campaign to keep themselves informed, according to the Pew Research Center. Twelve years after it was set up, this social network has become the biggest news site and TV channel on the planet, with 1.8 billion users, annual ad sales of $27 billion and no more regulation than that which it imposes on itself.

In the initial moments of shock following Trumps victory on November 8, many fingers pointed at Facebook, where news priority is dictated not by an experienced editor but by algorithms that reward reader engagement above everything else. And it has become patent during these elections that many readers do not care whether a story is true or false when it comes to reading it, evaluating it and, above all, sharing it, thus helping it go viral.

Three months earlier, Facebook had fired a team of 18 editors who curated news that later featured in a news feed devoted to trending topics. Conservative media such as The Wall Street Journal had accused the small team of a bias towards left-leaning news items and, keen to maintain neutrality, Facebook officials acted swiftly, leaving news selection to the algorithms. It was only a matter of days before a majority of news stories within that space were viral videos of pets or fake stories.

When a lie is shared hundreds of thousands of times and manages to become part of the news cycle, it creates a bubble

And then the viral phenomenon moved from Facebooks wall to the White House. Alarmed, a number of the companys officials wondered whether the automated news selection had handed Trump the presidency. The Republican candidate won in small towns in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, not in big cities like New York or Los Angeles, where the TV channels and the front pages of the newspapers were still helping to sift the truth from the lies.

The media has lost the power of distribution. For centuries, the sharing of information was in the hands of those who created it and later offered it to the masses for consumption via newspapers, radio newscasts and TV reports and, during the first years of the internet, also on web portals. Today, the life of a news story is influenced by many factors, and accuracy is just one of them.

Libel has always existed. But in the era of social networks, veteran media outlets employing reporters who are well trained in fact-checking are competing with impostors who conceal their lies under the guise of rigor, in their search for publicity, money or influence. Judging from his remarks after Trumps victory, Mark Zuckerberg does not consider it a serious problem: The idea that fake news on Facebook influenced the elections is crazy, he said.

Crazy or not, just days later Zuckerberg got together with Google to deny access to advertising to websites running fake news. This is in fact no more than a stopgap, since money is not the only thing that generates lies. There are those who spread them for political gain, like Trump himself. In 2012, when he already had his sights set on the White House, he gave credence to the lie that President Barack Obama had been born in Kenya or Indonesia instead of the US by including it in his speeches.

This era of algorithms is paving the way for a dictatorship of the post-truth

In Facebook, when a lie is shared hundreds of thousands of times and manages to become part of the news cycle, it creates a bubble. Users who follow Trump or who are self-declared Republicans may well only see fake information on their Facebook walls, and not real news such as the maneuvers by the Republican candidate to avoid paying taxes, or his racist and misogynist comments that might have otherwise have triggered an abstention or a change in voting intention.

The fact is that this era of algorithms, automated systems and a lack of real journalism is paving the way for a dictatorship of the post-truth, a neologism chosen by the Oxford Dictionary as its Word of the Year for 2016, the year of the rise of populism. Its definition perfectly encapsulates the falsehoods that produced the first viral presidency: An adjective defined as 'relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief'.

When Trump welcomed his first foreign dignitary in New York after becoming the president-elect, his advisers warned Shinzo Abe, Japan's Prime Minister, not to take Trumps words literally. Reality is a stillborn concept for this presidency and, with it, any kind of commitment. It only took Trump a few days to backpedal on inflammatory campaign promises such as putting Clinton behind bars, breaking climate change agreements and encouraging nuclear proliferation.

Facebook and the other major internet sites are still in time to try and save themselves, and us, from this drift of things. All it takes is to incorporate exceptions into its algorithms for purveyors of news who invest in information, are subject to quality control and are held up to account. An algorithm can never engage in journalism, but it can learn to identify those who do, for the good of us all.

English version by Heather Galloway.
As the torrent sites like The Pirate Bay, BitTorrent and KickAssTorrents have been working hard to continue its services to the subscribers, the authorities were doing the same. As a matter of fact, the users of the websites will be able to receive a piracy notice upon visiting the file sharing site.

According to TorrentFreak, during the next few weeks, ISPs in the UK will start sending out piracy notices to subscribers who use The Pirate Bay, BitTorrent, KickAssTorrents and other torrent sites for sharing pirated content. This has been a curious situation since every major torrent site and hundreds of others are already blocked by those very same ISPs, but then few people should even have right to use to torrents.

Later this month, in cooperation with the Creative Content UK (CCUK) inventiveness, four major ISPs will start sending warning notices to subscribers whose connections are being utilized to pirate content. BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media are all involved in the scheme, which will be educational in tone and intended to inspire users towards legal services.

Furthermore, Daily Express has learned that the piracy notice will have these messages: "Get it Right is a government-backed campaign acting for copyright owners who think their content's been shared without their permission."

"It looks like someone has been using your broadband to share copyrighted material (that means things like music, films, sport or books)".

"And as your broadband provider, we have to let you know when this happens."

Also, the message then goes on to give help and guidance on how to stop this kind of activity continuing "The educational campaign has now been running successfully for over a year with the educational email element beginning during the early part of 2017," said a Get it Right spokesperson."

For the past numerous years, UK Internet service providers which also includes all of the ones due to send out piracy notices this month have been hindering all of the major torrent sites as it was ordered by the High Court. The Pirate Bay, BitTorrent, KickassTorrents and other torrent sites are all obstructed at the ISP level in the UK.
There is a stunning beauty in the royal family, who puts Kate Middleton in the shade. Prince William's younger cousin, Lady Amelia Windsor. She is the royal family's "breakout star" who is hitting the headlines nowadays.

Being the 36th-in-line to the throne, Amelia is getting a lot of attention for her beauty. Last year, Britain's Tatler Magazine called her 'The Most Beautiful Member Of The Royal Family' last year.

She has spent a number of years living and studying in Edinburgh, according to celebdirtylaundry. This week, she talked about her plan to spend her first year abroad with Miss Vogue Magazine. She wants to visit the US this year, where she is bound to get a lot of attention.

She said, "I want to make the most of my year abroad in Paris and Rome as part of my degree, going to Glastonbury and finally getting my driving license and plan to visit the USA for the first time ever."

Last November, she had got a lot of attention when she attended the Animal Ball with British celebrities at London's Victoria House. Wowing everyone who saw her and called her a 'beautiful creature," eyewitnesses were bowled over.

During frequent royal to-dos, she looks chic and elegant. But away from the spotlight, Lady Amelia Windsor turns into a "cigarette-smoking, cleavage-flashing" party animal. Being fond of fun, she could outrun Prince Harry and become the "wildest member of 'the Firm," according to dailymail.

There are whispers that Kate Middleton is jealous of Lady Amelia Windsor's reputation as "the most beautiful member of the royal family", although these might just be speculations, of course. Moreover, Lady Amelia is in the spotlight, and critics claim that Kate Middleton wants to vie with her not only in the beauty department, but also in being a media darling.

YouTube/RoyalsDirect
Britain's most talked about couple is apparently having an extended holiday as new reports have revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still in vacation mode up to this day. The couple has recently been spotted together in London, with reports claiming that they are just spending "lazy days together" in the prince's Nottingham home in Kensington Palace.

According to Us Weekly, the couple has apparently been extending their holiday time together before Markle officially leaves for India for two weeks for a charity event with World Vision. The couple has of course been going to quite the extravagant trips, including their first big vacation together in Norway.

Prince Harry previously took the 35-year old actress to Norway for a romantic excursion to see the northern lights after New Year's Day. The couple reportedly spent their time in the country doing different activities such as orca watching, sledding, and secluded dinner dates.

During their "lazy days" together for the past few weeks, Markle has reportedly already been introduced by Harry to his family, as per Perez Hilton. Reports have revealed that Markle spent some time with Duchess Kate Middleton and her daughter, Princess Charlotte, in Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace.

Prince Harry and Meghan have of course been dating for almost eight months. Given their relatively long time together, in celebrity standards, it doesn't come as a shock for some that Harry is now formally letting Meghan get to know his family even better.

Fans of the couple are of course quite happy to see both of them so in love with each other and taking big steps in their relationship. An inside source even told Us that it may not be long until Harry brings the relationship to an entirely new level. If Harry does decide to do so, then the royal family may be welcoming a new member into their fold very soon.
Angelina Jolie seems to be getting vicious not with her divorce battle with Brad Pitt but with the biological mother of Zahara, one of her kids. Zahara's mom wants to talk to her but it has been reported that she prevented her daughter to get in touch with her birth mom.

Jolie and Pitt are in the verge of a nasty divorce and child custody battle but it looks like they face a bigger trouble than these. Allegedly, Zahara Jolie-Pitt birth mother wants to get in touch with her since she is concerned about her daughter's welfare after the nasty split.

It has been reported on Celeb Dirty Laundry that Angelina doesn't even want Mentewab Dawit Lebiso, a native of Ethiopia to communicate with her daughter Zahara. So because of this rumors have surfaced that it's not only Pitt who is having difficulty in seeing his kids today but Zahara's mom also because of Angie.

Well, reports are circulating that Lebiso is so desperate to return in her daughter's life once again. Jolie adopted Zahara when she was still single and later on Bard Pitt asked the court to adopt her also.,

As shared by Yahoo, Lebiso just wanted to hear the voice of her daughter since she misses her badly. She knows how Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have raised her child and gave her a good life far from what she can actually provide.

It has been added by the report also that she no longer wants to get her daughter back but she is only interested to hear her daughter's voice and to let Zahara know that she is still alive and that she misses her that much.

It seems like another drama is added to the already nasty and stressful Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt child custody case. In fact, Jolie has been speculated that she is deeply worried by this and preventing this to happen and giving in to the mother's plea is the better way for her to get over from this.

Angelina Jolie might be one strong woman but when it comes to her children with Brad Pitt, she might resort to employing the meanest way possible to deal with the problem.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said yesterday (18 January) that the Commission did not want to punish Britain in the Brexit negotiations. Mr. Juncker stated that the executive was not in a hostile mood after British Prime Minister Theresa May had announced that her country will be opting for the so-called hard Brexit that is withdrawing also from the EUs single market. In Mrs. Mays speech on Tuesday (17 January), she confirmed that Britain would leave the worlds biggest market and that her country would seek greater control over immigration including immigration from Europe.

There are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path, she said and added that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain. Mrs. May also said that punishing Britain would be a calamitous act of self-harm for the EU, after which she threatened to cut corporate tax rates to attract investment to the UK. We want a fair deal with Britain but a fair deal means a fair deal for the EU too, Mr. Juncker further said, speaking at a Strasbourg press conference after addressing the European Parliament.

The early Brexit negotiations will be chaired by Malta as it currently holds the rotating six-month EU Presidency. Joseph Muscat, the prime minister of Malta, appealed to all the [EU] institutions to adopt a consistent approach aimed at safeguarding the European project and not punishing any particular country. Both EU leaders promised that there would be a balanced Brexit settlement but reminded that the EU would not open any negotiations until London triggers Article 50, thus formally initiating the process of withdrawal.
Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

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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

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The European Union, Canada, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United States co-organized a High Level Forum on Combating Anti-Muslim Discrimination and Hatred at the United Nations headquarters. The event took place on Tuesday (17 January) and sought to voice concerns about the rising wave of discrimination and violence, specifically targeting Muslim populations in Europe and worldwide, and look for joint responses.

The EUs High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, stressed that when one minority comes under attack, everyones freedom is at stake. When people are discriminated because they are Muslims, or Jews, or for their ideas  it is not only a violation of their human rights, but an attack against the very fabric of our societies. This is true in Europe just like everywhere else: only inclusive societies can be strong and resilient. The EU was also represented by Special Representative for Human Rights Stavros Lambrinidis, the European Commission Coordinator on Combating anti-Muslim hatred, David Friggieri, and the Coordinator of the European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup, Alfiaz Vaiya.

The forum opened with messages from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UN General Assembly President Peter Thomson, and representatives from the EU, the USA, Canada and the OIC. The participating diplomats, civil servants and representatives of non-governmental organizations all emphasized the need to combat discrimination and hatred against Muslims, which they see as a key part of efforts to uphold universal rights. The main message of the event was to promote diversity as a richness instead of a threat, to fight against all forms of discrimination, and to build bridges between different communities. Organizers and participants agreed that all stakeholders must work together to offer holistic responses  across entire societies  to discrimination and hatred at the international, regional and national levels.
Heres a new book about an old book. The new book was designed for a purpose: to try to understand an old book thats a mystery. We know the author of the new book; the author of the old book, the Voynich manuscript, is unknown. Raymond Clemens explores the mystery in The Voynich Manuscript (Yale University Press), examining a work that has long defied decoders. Reviewing Clemenss book for Nature, Andrew Robinson calls our attention to this calligraphic conundrum, providing another opportunity to think about intelligent design theory.

In the past, weve explored two cases of intelligent design science in action: cryptology and archaeology. Both of them unite in this story that will intrigue puzzle aficionados. Clemens introduces the riddle of the Voynich manuscript:

In a Connecticut archive sits a manuscript justifiably called the most mysterious in the world. Since its rediscovery more than a century ago, the Voynich manuscript has been puzzled over by experts ranging from leading US military cryptographer William Friedman to cautious (and incautious) humanities scholars. Since 1969, it has been stored in Yale Universitys Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library in New Haven. The fine calligraphy of the 234-page MS 408, apparently alphabetic, has never been decoded. Copious illustrations of bathing women, semi-recognizable plants and apparent star maps remain undeciphered. No one knows who created it or where, and there is no reliable history of ownership. Its parchment was radiocarbon-dated in 2009 to between 1404 and 1438, with 95% probability. The manuscript could still be a forgery using medieval parchment, but most experts, including Yales, are convinced it is genuine. [Emphasis added.]

Its like trying to read Egyptian hieroglyphics without a Rosetta Stone. Who wrote it? Why? What does it mean? The best minds in the world have not figured it out for six centuries. Want to try? You can view the whole thing online at the Beinecke digital library. Solve it and youll be famous.

Giving his article some Indiana Jones mystique, Robinson describes the cloak-and-dagger route of the manuscript from where it was sold in a Jesuit archive under condition of absolute secrecy by a shady antiquities dealer named Wilfrid Voynich, to another dealer, to its current home at Yale. While interesting, those facts dont concern our current discussion about the validity of the inference to intelligent design.

The story of the various failed attempts to decipher the script, told by Clemens and Renaissance scholar William Sherman, is particularly fascinating. It begins in the 1920s, when US philosopher William Newbold convinced himself that the text was meaningless, but that each letter concealed an ancient Greek shorthand readable under magnification. He further claimed that this finding proved the authorship of [Roger] Bacon, who he claimed had invented a microscope centuries before Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. After Newbolds death, the shorthand was revealed to be random cracks left by drying ink.

Theres a hint of design inference right there: how does one tell the difference between intentional calligraphy and cracks left by drying ink? Newbold was mistaken. He found a false positive, something that wasnt designed that he thought was designed. Proper use of the Design Filter would have prevented his mistake.

What hope is there of decoding the script? Not much at present, I fear. The Voynich manuscript reminds me of another uncracked script, on the Phaistos disc from Minoan Crete, discovered in 1908. The manuscript offers much more text to analyse than does the disc, but in each case there is only one sample to work with, and no reliable clue as to the underlying language  no equivalent of the Rosetta Stone (A. Robinson Nature 483, 27-28; 2012). Professional cryptographers have been rightly wary of the Voynich manuscript ever since the disastrous self-delusion of Newbold. But inevitably, many sleuths will continue to attack the problem from various angles, aided by this excellent facsimile. Wide margins are deliberately provided for readers notes on their own ideas. Bonne chance! writes Clemens. Ill second that.

Before leaping from a clearly designed book to applying the design inference in reference to a living cell (you suspect thats where we are headed, right?), lets review some facts about design theory.

Its not necessary to know the identity of the designer. Its not necessary to know the purpose or meaning of the design. Design is evident from the arrangement of parts themselves when chance and natural law can be effectively ruled out.

Viewers may recall the scenes of Egyptian hieroglyphics in Unlocking the Mystery of Life, where the narrator says, No one would attribute the shapes and arrangements of these symbols to natural causes, like sandstorms or erosion. Instead, we recognize them as the as the work of ancient scribes, intelligent human agents. Wind and erosion can create remarkable patterns, but not markings like those. We immediately recognize them as symbols, even if no one understood them until the Rosetta Stone was deciphered.

The same is true with the Voynich manuscript. As Doug Axe argues in Undeniable, our universal design intuition immediately recognizes the difference between designed objects and the work of unguided processes. The theory of intelligent design formalizes our intuition in robust ways.

Now we can address the comparison of DNA to cryptic writing. One might think the situation is too different to do so. Imagine the response: Everybody knows that books and drawings of plants and bathing women are made by human beings. DNA is made of chemicals. Its called a genetic code, but humans dont write that way. We just use the word code as a metaphor.

Oh? Remember Craig Venter? His team inscribed their names and other messages in the genome of their synthetic bacterium using DNA letters. Other bio-engineers have made molecular nanomachines out of DNA. Some are considering building DNA computers. Could an investigator unaware of these projects tell the difference between artificial DNA structures and living genomes? If not, the investigator would commit a false negative, calling something not designed when it is designed. If, on the other hand, the investigator did make a valid design inference for the artificial structures, why not use the same reasoning for the rest of the genome?

Paul Davies, in fact, has considered the possibility that intelligent extraterrestrials might have left their mark in our DNA. Proving that would presuppose the ability to distinguish intelligent causes from natural causes. Natural laws are incapable of symbolic logic. Only minds can make symbols mean something or do something they would never naturally do. So its not just ID advocates who look at DNA for evidence of intentional design. If DNA is indeed a code  written in symbols that have meaning  then a design inference is justified. For more on why speaking of a genetic code is more than just a metaphor, listen to Charles Thaxton on ID the Future.

The attempt to decipher the Voynich manuscript offers us another illustration of ID principles at work, right in the pages of Nature. One cant exclude ID as a scientific theory and then apply it to a scientific question in the worlds leading science journal.

Image: Detail from the Voynich manuscript, by Unknown via Wikicommons.
In Armenia there are two leaders, who have rating (video)

No political, ideological struggle is expected at the NA elections; all the participating forces will aim at entering the NA at all costs. According to the political expert Levon Shirinyan, If compared with the 1990s, when there were Dashnaktsutyun, National Democratic Union (AZhM), Democratic Party, Constitutional Right Union (SIM) and Armenia was moving forward with establishment of real party organism, but Robert Kocharyan came and declared that my party is my people and in this way ruined the whole party system. The unions are also formed around people and not ideas. According to political expert Karen Kocharyan, as of now in Armenia there are two leaders, who have rating- Karen Karapetyan and Gagik Tsarukyan. Naturally, after Gagik Tsarukyans statement many would like I think there is a queue who will find a place in that alliance, as Gagik Tsarukyan, in fact, is a direct way to the NA. In essence, there are interest groups, who do not demand any ideology or political platform. They unite around some political interests in order to influence the authorities, in that case disguising in the fur of a political party in order to realize their ambitions and interests, notes Levon Shirinyan. Founder of Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) Gagik Tsarukyan notes in his statement on returning to politics that he wants to take part in elections with broad alliance. Levon Shirinyan predicts, Shirak marz surely mainly will stand by. In terms of armys suppliers- in economic terms, vine-growers All they will gather and stand by Gagik Tsarukyan. Political experts have different opinions on which forces will appear in the NA- young people supporting the pro-western ideas prefer Yelk (Way out) alliance, Seyran Ohanyan-Vartan Oskanian tandem will be in the center of struggle. Watch more in the video!
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Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

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There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

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This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

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Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

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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
Ive heard of little damage to anywhere in Abruzzo due to the quakes to the north, apart from the horrendous news about the hotel there that appears to have been buried by an avalanche which was most likely caused by the quakes. The only other incident Ive heard about from a friend was that of a woman and child evacuated from their house in Castiglione Messer Raimondo due to some damage to their house. I do hope they manage to rescue people from the hotel - horrible for them and their families.
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Standing beside a busy avenue in Mexico City last spring, Agustin Barrios Gomez, a former Mexican congressman who is founder of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations and head of the Mexican Image Foundation, took on Donald Trumps adversarial talk about U.S.-Mexico relations with a television spot dubbed The truth about us.

He cited key statistics, several put out by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and often used by defenders of the North American Free Trade Agreement: Fourteen million U.S. jobs depend directly on NAFTA trade. Of every dollars worth of Mexican imports to the U.S., 40 cents represents U.S. content. Immigration from Mexico is decreasing, with 1 million fewer Mexicans living in the U.S. since 2013.

The Mexican economy, meanwhile, has grown to the 11th largest in the world by purchasing power, he said, about two-thirds the size of Russias.

Thats not a friend you want to lose, Barrios Gomez said. We make stuff together, which means that we help America stay competitive.  Come home, have a Corona, and lets prosper together.

But as the world readies for Trumps swearing-in Friday, Barrios Gomezs tone has gotten more dire. Any hope that Trumps talk would soften after visits with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and prominent Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim evaporated last week at Trumps news conference, when the president-elect spoke of fast-tracking a southern border wall.

Closer to home, U.S. mayors of border cities fear a new Rust Belt emerging amid a post-NAFTA administration. And farmers and ranchers who cheered on Trumps talk of a lighter regulatory environment hope that unraveling NAFTA doesnt ruin trade with one of their biggest customers.

Many also favor passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation pact that could have brought even more customers for U.S. agricultural products, but is considered dead with the Trump victory.

Lets be clear, Barrios Gomez said in an interview. Donald Trump rode to the White House on basically a platform of war with Mexico in one way or another. Right now, thats what were facing.

The Mexican peso has plummeted since the election, and a steep boost in gasoline prices attributed to energy reform has erupted in violent protesting.

News that air conditioning company Carrier would keep jobs planned for Mexico in Indiana, that Ford has backtracked on plans for a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico, and General Motors, Toyota, and others manufacturing in Mexico could be hit by a big border tax has Mexicos manufacturing sector cowed.

If trade arguments dont work, security implications might, Barrios Gomez said.

How hard is it to understand that the United States has basically half of humanity that is willing to do itself harm in exchange for hurting the United States and the fact that it is blessed with two neighbors that have up until now been stable and cooperative? he said.

Eduardo Bravo, a San Antonio magazine publisher who is past chairman of the binational Association of Mexican Entrepreneurs, said a trade disruption would cause at least short-term pain for Mexico and the U.S. cities that conduct a lot of Mexican trade. But he said Mexico had developed a sophisticated labor force that could look to other markets.

Obviously, San Antonio and the border states, they are going to be hurt because its a global market, Bravo said. If the commerce with the United States becomes difficult, other countries like China, European countries, they are going to see Mexico. Because Mexico, they have engineers, they have technology, they have the qualified people. I know the biggest market is the United States, but the United States is not the whole world. We have a globalized economy.

He doubted the Trump administration, including Cabinet nominees Rex Tillerson as secretary of state and Rick Perry as energy secretary, would be able to turn its back on opportunities in deregulated Mexican oil.

He has great people, business people, in the Cabinet, he said. Maybe they hurt for the manufacturing, but remember when NAFTA was negotiated, we didnt have the oil in NAFTA. But now, with the open oil industry in Mexico, its going to be for Texas and Mexico a big opportunity.

Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz hosted Trump for a 21/2-hour stop at the border in July, but said he now wonders if it was for naught.

He saw the (World Trade) bridge, we gave him all the data, the metrics, and he was very impressed. And then this issue with the wall, we discussed that, too, he said.

I told him, Look, its a river. Its got creeks emptying into it. Are you going to dam those creeks? And then livestock use it. River, water, wildlife, well have the environmentalists. Its private property. Youll be in court for years. Its not practical. So anyway, he just listened and then at the press conference he said, Well maybe some areas, some parts of the border may not be conducive. But then the next week I heard him say its going to be wall across the entire border, real deep and real high and real thick.

Displaced jobs

There are plenty of statistics on how NAFTA has failed U.S. workers. According to a report by Washington-based Public Citizen, NAFTA in its first decade contributed to a trade deficit with Mexico and Canada that translated to a net loss of 1 million U.S. jobs.

Workers without college degrees, 63 percent of the U.S. workforce, lost an estimated 12.2 percent of their wages, even after accounting for the benefits of goods made less expensive by manufacturers lower labor costs.

The pact has by no means been a blanket bonanza for Mexico, either, Public Citizen said, with imports of subsidized U.S. corn destroying the livelihoods of more than 1 million Mexican farmers and more than half the population still falling below the poverty line as of 2014.

Many outcomes are exactly the opposite of what was promised, the report said.

According to a recent report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Texas was second only to North Carolina in the number of jobs lost in the wake of the pact, with El Paso alone seeing 18,500 trade displaced workers between 1994 and 2014. Many of the jobs were at cut and sew plants such as Levis, Haggar and Fruit of the Loom.

But in part by evolving into production-sharing hubs and trading goods destined for assembly or other production back in the U.S., border cities came out ahead.

Granted, I know the Rust Belt is having a hard time, but believe me, if NAFTAs gone, well mirror that, said Saenz, the Laredo mayor. The unemployment rate in Laredo is 5.1 percent. Toward the (Rio Grande) Valley, its more like 8 or 9. It would easily double that.

The international bridge upriver in Del Rio is the citys largest revenue source, Mayor Robert Garza said, contributing about $6 million annually to the general fund.

Most of that is truck traffic coming from the more than 50 maquiladoras, or foreign-owned factories, across the Rio Grande in Ciudad Acuna.

The commerce is so lucrative that Del Rio has been studying the idea of a second bridge that would take advantage of a new superhighway cutting through Mexico from the Pacific port of Mazatlan to allow Asian and South American shippers an alternative to ports in California.

Were in direct route on the ports-to-plains (corridor) that goes up to Denver and Canada, so and for us locally it would be a superboost economically, Garza said.

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Factories in Acuna tend to have management offices and managers living in Del Rio. Whats good for the border is good for San Antonio, Garza added, because prosperity there means more trips east on U.S. 90 to the Alamo Citys malls, medical complexes and automobile dealerships.

We all come to San Antonio, he said.

Impact on agriculture

NAFTA also has given a major boost to farm and ranch profits. Fearing the loss of an open market, sixteen powerful agricultural lobbying groups signed a Jan. 6 letter urging Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence to tread carefully on trade.

The importance of trade to Americas farmers and ranchers cannot be overstated, read the letter from groups including the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union.

The letter noted that more than 20 percent of U.S. farm output is exported, including more than 70 percent of cotton and tree nuts, 60 percent of soybeans, and 50 percent or rice and wheat. China, Canada and Mexico rank as the top three buyers.

When NAFTA began, the United States was exporting about $5 billion in agricultural products to Mexico, and today were exporting over $20 billion, said Ryan LeGrand, Mexico director for the U.S. Grains Council. Unfortunately, agriculture takes a back seat to manufacturing and other issues like that.

If NAFTA were completely scrapped, Mexico would start to look to South American nations for the grains, and thats obviously something we dont want, LeGrand said.

Sorghum has become one of Texas most important exports, with 85 percent of the worlds sorghum seed coming out of the Texas Panhandle. China came to supersede Mexico as the top buyer of U.S. sorghum, which upped Mexicos consumption of U.S. corn even more.

For Dale Artho, a sorghum farmer in the Texas community of Wildorado, the evolving market is a case study of why the Trans-Pacific Partnership merits more consideration.

Were 4 percent of the worlds population, he said of the U.S. That means 96 percent of the market is outside of the United States.

And with Mexico and Canada among the signatories, the TPP fixes glitches that manifested with NAFTA, he said.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership was probably the most up-to-date trading mechanism thats ever been developed, he said.

Richard Thorpe, a rancher from Winters who serves as president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said the beef industry backed NAFTA from the beginning and under it saw beef exports just to Mexico jump from less than $300 million a year to a peak in 2008 of $1.4 billion. Beef exports to Mexico in 2015 were valued at $1.1 billion.

Twelve percent of U.S. beef goes to exports, he said, accounting for an added $275 for each animal raised.

Like other agricultural producers, cattle raisers fear Trumps promise to deport undocumented immigrants will worsen an already tight labor market. The Labor Department estimates 53 percent of U.S. farm workers are undocumented, and those in the industry say the percentage is much higher.

lbrezosky@express-news.net
Martin Winterkorn, the former chief executive officer of Volkswagen AG, sought to deflect blame for the biggest scandal in the carmakers history, saying he would have put a stop to the emissions cheating if hed known.

In his first public appearance since being forced to resign 16 months ago, Winterkorn apologized for breaching the trust of millions of customers while defending his tenure and saying he wasnt directly involved in developing software to comply with emissions regulations.

Its incomprehensible why I wasnt informed early and clearly, Winterkorn, 69, said in testimony before a parliamentary committee in Berlin. I would have prevented any type of deception or misleading of authorities.

More than a year after the scandal over tainted diesel engines burst into the public, Winterkorns role in the cheating is still unclear, and the former CEO defended himself Thursday by claiming hes no software engineer and that the rogue acts didnt rise to his level. Instead, he portrayed himself as an upright executive who was focused on quality and would have wanted to hear about emissions issues.

Winterkorns claim he didnt know about cheating technology installed in 11 million cars worldwide contrasts with his reputation as a detail-obsessed executive who was known for upbraiding VW employees for even minor design flaws.

It remains difficult to believe that such a dedicated engineer like Winterkorn wasnt aware what was going on, said Stefan Bratzel, an auto industry researcher at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. And if he wasnt, he neglected his duties as supervisor.

An engineer who rose through the ranks at Volkswagen and brought it within striking distance of displacing Toyota Motor Corp. as the worlds biggest carmaker, Winterkorn has seen his legacy tarnished by a scandal thats cost the company $21.9 billion so far and led to the indictment in the U.S. of six senior executives.

His responses Thursday show a man trying to restore his image after falling from grace at the peak of what had until then been a successful career. When the scandal broke in September 2015, Winterkorns contract was just about to be renewed and hed emerged victorious from a power struggle. His mentor and longtime VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech had sought the CEOs ouster but instead himself was forced to resign, giving Winterkorn all but uncontested authority at the Wolfsburg, Germany-based giant.

While Volkswagen has been forced to admit that the scheme wasnt restricted to a few engineers as it initially claimed, its still unclear how much Winterkorn knew. At Thursdays hearing, he refused to answer some questions about when he was informed about the issue, citing a right to not incriminate himself amid a German criminal probe into allegations of market manipulation. Winterkorn reiterated his defense that the company initially thought the emissions issue was isolated to the U.S. and could be contained.

There are indications that Winterkorn may have missed warning signs before the crisis erupted in public. VW said last year that Winterkorn received two memos informing him of discrepancies in U.S. diesel emissions in 2014 and that he participated in a meeting in July 2015 that touched on the matter.

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German members of parliament are questioning Winterkorn as part of an inquiry into what the government knew about emissions manipulation by carmakers and whether regulators took actions to prevent the cheating. Winterkorn said he told Chancellor Angela Merkel about the issue in September 2015, after U.S. authorities published their findings.

The former CEO hasnt appeared in public since Volkswagen released an awkward filmed apology from him on Sept. 22, 2015, days after the scandal broke. In the video, a visibly shaken Winterkorn looked anxiously into the camera and read a statement saying that hes endlessly sorry. He resigned a day later.

Winterkorn apologized again Thursday, acknowledging that the scandal has damaged Volkswagens reputation. Stepping down from the company was the most difficult moment of his life, he said. Still, he denied involvement, saying he didnt fully understand the software used to falsify emissions results.

What happened makes people furious  me too, Winterkorn said. Im deeply upset that we disappointed millions of our customers.
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Poor celery, the cooking staple with a bad rap.

Its one of the most underused, underappreciated vegetables, said chef John Brand, director of culinary operations at Hotel Emma. Some chefs hate it.

Its not just professional chefs. Theres even a long-running joke about celery at my house. It began several years ago when my wife opened the door of the fridge, reached into the crisper drawer and asked, What do you do with celery besides throw it away?

What did this vegetable ever do to deserve this lack of respect? It certainly pulls its weight in the world of cooking as one of the three ingredients in a classic French mirepoix (along with onions and carrots) and in the Cajun trinity with onions and green bell pepper.

Maybe its like in families  the kid whos always good, said chef Tim McDiarmid of Tim the Girl catering and events and the soon-to-open The Good Kind restaurant. They can often feel like they get the short end of the stick  thats kind of celerys role.

Thats especially sad given the timing; right now is celery season in Texas, according to the state Department of Agricultures Go Texan program.

Its time to give celery some of the love and respect it deserves. So what if its not as pretentious as kale or so-boring-its-cool like cauliflower? Thats part of its appeal.

After all, a comforting bowl of soup, stew or caldo wouldnt be the same without celery. And Thanksgiving stuffing wouldnt be the same without celery in the mix.

We know its such a strong supporting performer, but what does it bring as a star?

I think theres a hint of tarragon, Brand said. I find a touch of anise in it. Cooked or raw, celery maintains its flavor.

It doesnt totally transform when you cook with it, whereas an onion or garlic gets a little sweet, McDiarmid said. I like that celery doesnt do that.

Remember that mirepoix mixture that goes into a soup? Instead of simmering the celery, carrots and onions, Brand has roasted those vegetables and mixed them with rendered chicken fat to create a confitlike spread for a dish he calls mirepoix toast.

The celery stalks, sliced thinly, make for excellent additions to salads or raw vegetable dishes. If the strings bother you, grab a vegetable peeler and shave them off.

Or focus on the gem that is the celery heart.

The hearts of celery, if somebody could grow just that, theyd be a genius, Brand said.

Cooked slowly in duck fat, celery hearts become tender enough to eat with a spoon, Brand said. Or use a classic Julia Child approach and cook the hearts in butter to create a memorable dish.

And dont forget using the stalks as a kind of boat to hold dips and such. Does the combination of celery and Cheez Whiz ring a bell?

You can dip it into almond butter or whatever youd like, McDiarmid said. Its a great vehicle for snacks. Or chutneys or even desserts.

Raw, simmered, roasted, braised, shaved or slathered, theres a whole lot more to celery than soups  or throwing it away.

If we charged a lot more for celery, people might think its more special, Brand said. I think it should be celebrated and not taken for granted.

etijerina@express-news.net

Twitter:@etij
Why Azerbaijan buys so many armaments (video)

In political arena Azerbaijan is trying to make use of possible mechanisms of international institutions, too. Especially in case of the OSCE, where decisions are made by consensus. Azerbaijan has put a veto on confirmation of several budgetary programs, as a result of which the OSCE office in Yerevan may close down. Today the NA lawmaker Tevan Poghosyan told journalists about it. This office supports solution of Armenias inner issues. In particular, development of democratic institutions, human rights, implementation of environmental projects, territorial development, as well as security issues. Touching upon activeness of Azerbaijan on front line, T. Poghosyan highlighted that the best observation had been made by the Foreign Minister of the RF, explaining Azerbaijan that the Nagorno Karabakh issue is not only the inner issue of Azerbaijan and there can be no military solution. In case of correct diplomacy, we can find many statements favorable for Armenia, but the life and reality on the front line are different. Let another 20 Foreign Ministers speak positively, will security issues be solved by that, will it become safer in Chinari or Talish? We should realize that putting everything aside, we must develop science, military industry, army building. We should predict future scenarios, why Azerbaijan buys so many armaments, how it will use them and what it will do. In terms of this I think budget of 2017 should be reviewed, he said.
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Google Fiber officials are re-evaluating how exactly the company will complete its fiber-optic network in San Antonio and likely would have paused construction efforts even if that city hadnt halted fiber hut installation, Deputy City Manager Peter Zanoni said Wednesday.

The California-based Internet giant is likely discussing internally how to proceed as technology evolves, including the size of the huts that are currently planned throughout the city, Zanoni told the City Council in a briefing.

Google officials declined a city invitation to the Wednesday meeting. The companys local lobbyist, Frank Burney, also did not attend.

What theyre doing today is looking at the whole network and changes in technology, Zanoni said about Google Fibers plan. They would be doing this step-aside and re-evaluating this network anyway.

City Manager Sheryl Sculley announced earlier this month that the municipality had paused the installation of prefabricated Fiber Huts, which house technology as part of the backbone of the fiber-optic network. The companys plan called for 17 huts  about 12 feet wide, 30 feet long and 9 feet tall  to be installed on city properties across the city.

Two huts have been installed  in the citys Haskin and West End parks  and the other 15 are on hold. The citys decision to pause Googles ability to continue hut installation was driven, at least in part, by complaints from residents near Haskin Park.

John Whitsett, the chief opponent, sent a blistering email to council members, city staffers, reporters and others, in the midst of the Wednesday meeting, accusing his councilman, Mike Gallagher, of selling out the Haskin Park neighborhood.

Gallagher had noted that the neighborhood negotiated with Google on the hut placement in the park and had convinced the company to construct a cedar fence instead of using chain-link, and add landscaping to the area.

Once online, that hut will serve 40,000 customers in the area, Gallagher noted, adding that the city learned valuable lessons from the Haskin installation that it will employ in future projects.

Andrew Hart, who also lives near Haskin, said he believes a less-vocal majority supports the Google project in their neighborhood.

It just seems like common sense to me that this kind of infrastructure is what San Antonio needs. I read some statistics that about 11 percent of Texans have access to fiber, and Im frankly happy to be included in that percentage, he said.

Meanwhile, city officials have killed eight planned locations  four parks, three vacant residential lots and one library, which had a deed restriction preventing the hut from being installed. Zanoni and others say they determined that parks and vacant residential lots owned by the city werent appropriate locations for the huts. There are no plans, however, to remove the two that have already been installed.

Pushing back against that recommendation, Councilman Alan Warrick asked that the city make an exception for the vacant, city-owned lot at 325 Gray Street in District 2. The property is at the end of a cul-de-sac and is a blight in the neighborhood, he said.

The fiber hut would be an improvement for the space, he said.

Its just a muddy field right now, Warrick said.

jbaugh@express-news.net

Twitter: @jbaugh
Henry B. Gonzalez Papers di_08307 The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History The University of Te / Henry B. Gonzalez Papers, di_08307, The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin

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HOUSTON  Former President George H.W. Bush is in the intensive care unit at Houston Methodist Hospital with pneumonia, but stable following a procedure Wednesday morning to treat an acute respiratory problem, a family spokesman said.

The 92-year-old 41st president was moved into intensive care for that treatment Wednesday, the same day his wife, Barbara, 91, was admitted to the same hospital as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing. Doctors determined she has bronchitis, not pneumonia, family spokesman Jim McGrath said Wednesday evening.

The former president still has a row to hoe, but never bet against the Bushes, the spokesman said. Theres no one more resilient.

McGrath acknowledged the transfer to intensive care was a turn for the worse for the former president  92, pneumonia and ICU arent a good fact pattern on the face of it  but said the doctors are encouraged because they believe they removed the source of his respiratory distress.

On Wednesday night, he said the next positive step for Bush would be a transfer from intensive care back to a regular hospital bed where he had been since last weekend.

The Bushes celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary earlier this month. They hold the distinction of having the longest presidential marriage in American history. The couple married on Jan. 6, 1945 as World War II raged and Bush was recuperating from fighting in the Pacific. He was 20 and she was 19.

Last month to mark the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, they had attended a ceremony at his presidential library in College Station, complete with a low flyover by war-vintage aircraft. He sat alongside former U.S. Sen. Robert Dole, both in wheelchairs, two of the last direct connections to the war that defeated fascism and ushered in Americas role as a global superpower.

That day Bush presented Dole, his political rival in 1988, with a public service award.

Bush was admitted to Methodist hospital Saturday for shortness of breath and seemed on the fast track to discharge, telling people he was going to be out by Thursday or Friday, McGrath said Wednesday. As late as 5:14 a.m. Wednesday, McGrath was tweeting that Bush had responded well to treatment and that the hope was to have him out of the hospital soon.

But by noon Wednesday, however, McGrath issued a statement that Bush had been moved into the intensive care unit, where doctors performed a procedure to protect and clear his airway. The statement noted the procedure required sedation.

Local pulmonologists not involved in the former presidents care said the description sounded like Bush had a tracheal intubation, which involves the placement of a breathing tube into the patients windpipe and protects the airway. They said he also may have had a bronchoscopy, which allows doctors to look into the airway and suction secretions and other debris. Doctors could have done either or both, they said.

If a patient has mild or moderate pneumonia, it wouldnt require either procedure, said Dr. Kiran Nair, a pulmonologist affiliated with Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center. The statement suggests Bush needed help battling the pneumonia, that he was having too many secretions into his airways to handle at his age.

Dr. Daniel Musher, a professor of medicine in the section of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine, said that because Bush has Parkinsons disease that makes him more susceptible to pneumonia because he lacks the muscles in the chest to cough and clear secretions.

Musher called the prognosis of a 92-year-old pneumonia patient now in intensive care as guarded.

In his final news conference on Wednesday, President Barack Obama mentioned the Bushes hospitalization.

We have been in touch with the Bush family today after hearing about President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush being admitted to the hospital this morning, Obama said. They have not only dedicated their lives to this country, they have been a constant source of friendship and support and good counsel for Michelle and me over the years. They are as fine a couple as we know. And so we want to send our prayers and our love to them.

A week ago, Bush wrote to President-Elect Donald Trump to express his regret that health issues would prevent him from attending Fridays inauguration, noting his doctor said if I sit outside in January, my doctor says it likely will put me six feet under.

Bush is the only former president who will miss the ceremony to usher in the 45th president, with his son George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter all expected to attend along with their wives. The elder Bush wrote Trump that we will be with you and the country in spirit.

The health setback is just the latest for Bush, typical for many people his age.

In July 2015, he was taken to a hospital in Portland, Maine, after he fractured a bone in his neck in a fall at the familys summer home in Kennebunkport. He was up and talking and out of bed within a day after the fall.

The fall happened about six months after he was taken by ambulance to Houston Methodist for what his spokesman called shortness of breath. He was released from the hospital about a week later.

In late 2012, Bush was admitted to Methodist for a bronchitis-related cough. He was later released, but returned the day after Thanksgiving because of a persistent cough. Bush was later admitted to intensive care and spent nearly two months at the hospital until his release in mid-January 2013.

todd.ackerman@chron.com

twitter.com/@chronmed
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When the Wright Flyer took to the sky over Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and became the first aircraft to make a powered flight, no one here could have imagined how an event so obscure and far away would transform life in San Antonio.

But the 12-second flight Dec. 17, 1903, changed everything  launching a revolution that brought the world intercontinental air travel, the decisive role of air power in war and mankinds leap into space.

In San Antonio, planes turned into paychecks. A century now has passed since the Army scratched out a humble base and called it Kelly Field, a milestone celebrated Wednesday night in a reception that drew about 200 people to Port San Antonios headquarters.

What Kelly did was offer people a job, a civil service job, that they would then train these individuals for and give them skills that gave them higher-paying jobs, and that process raised people and families into the middle class, said Dr. Bill Thornton, a former San Antonio mayor.

It was job training at a very high level, with good pay, good retirement benefits, and the chance for an individual to not only improve their lives but their families lives, he continued. And because of that, so many of those people who worked at Kelly, their children were the first ones in their family to go to college. Kelly raised the quality of life in our community.

Wednesdays reception launched a year of activities that will commemorate the bases history and its transformation into the port, an industrial-commercial park next to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

A large cake was wheeled into the Port San Antonio headquarters boardroom with the words 100 Kelly Field to end the brief ceremony. Kelly Fields historic role was invoked by a series of speakers led by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio.

This is a special place in the history of San Antonio and South Texas.  You remember the shock (in 1995) that Kelly would close as an Air Force base, Castro said. But the silver lining was that Port San Antonio would help the economy thrive in the 20 years since.

We should go after the best employers and the best jobs, Castro added. Thats exactly what Port San Antonio has been doing.

Kelly didnt look like much when it began as rows of regulation Army tents spread out over a vast field. The base, along with Brooks Field on different parts of the South Side, served crews flying and maintaining some of the first military planes.

Named for Army Lt. George E.M. Kelly, the first American military aviator to die in the crash of a U.S. military plane, its dusty 677 acres trained pilots for World War I. It would become a giant engine of economic transformation within a few decades.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff echoed Thornton in noting that Kellys civil service jobs allowed people to work their way into better-paying skilled positions, providing stability and good retirement benefits.

It wasnt just Hispanics. It offered everybody an opportunity, Wolff said. My dad worked there  pouring cement. So it was upward mobility for a lot of locals here.

People came to call San Antonio Military City, U.S.A. for good reason  four Air Force bases and the Armys Fort Sam Houston dotted the community.

None loomed larger than Kelly. It employed 25,000 people at its peak but had been a logistics center for decades, maintaining planes that ranged from the B-29 Superfortress to the C-5A Galaxy, a giant cargo jet.

All that changed in 1995 when the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, which had drawn the resistance of crowds of supporters only a few years earlier when it considered closing Kelly, ordered the installation to shutter.

As it all turned out, weve done very, very well, said Wolff, who was mayor from 1991 to 1995. But at the time it was a big shock, like somebody died in your family.

Elected mayor only two months earlier, Thornton and other city leaders won a pledge from President Bill Clinton to give Kelly five extra years to operate, buying the city and thousands of Kelly families critical time as a new course was mapped for the old base.

The Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. announced they would open maintenance, repair and overhaul centers at Kellys hangars, using some of the Air Forces skilled former workforce for new Pentagon aircraft contracts.

The city established the Greater Kelly Development Corp. to begin Kellys transition to community control. Headed by ex-Air Force officer Paul Roberson, it got a new name in November 1999, the Greater Kelly Development Authority, and more powers as it marketed KellyUSA as an industrial park. Long negotiations for joint military-civilian use of Kelly AFBs runway ended in 2001.

Roberson retired in 2001 (he died of cancer in September 2003) and was replaced by Bruce Miller, who had been CEO of Rickenbacker Port Authority in Columbus, Ohio, another Air Force conversion project, from 1995 to 2001.

The authority continued razing dilapidated structures and building new commercial-ready facilities. The industrial park changed its name to Port San Antonio in early 2006.

Throughout much of the period from 2001 to 2011, Port San Antonio was leased to capacity or near capacity. The base became a foreign trade zone, offering tax advantages to freight stored and serviced at the park. Customs services were added to attract more air freight.

A railport at the East Kelly end of the industrial park was built, along with warehouses, to become a distribution center. Rail deliveries grew in volume, especially as drillers in the Eagle Ford Shale area needed sand, pipes and supplies.

Meanwhile, the Air Force began to return to Kelly in 2001, mainly to the remodeled 452,000-square-foot Building 171. Numerous Air Force agencies that moved into the ports large building included the 24th Air Force and its associated 624th Operations Center, but Port San Antonio has remained largely an aerospace industrial park. In 2011, Boeing began servicing some of the companys new 787 Dreamliner passenger aircraft before delivery to airlines.

The port now is home to more than 70 employers and about 12,000 workers in a wide array of fields, and has a goal of attracting 5,000 more jobs by 2020. The biggest recent growth sector is cybersecurity, with firms at the port providing network security services to both the military and commercial firms.

Asked if the port can replace Kelly, Thornton said: The key word is different. I think what San Antonio realized was, along with the life-changing, community-changing things that occurred with Kellys presence, there was also a huge financial investment that was sitting there that was about to lose its purpose.

And that investment included runways, warehouses, highways and rail lines that all converged into that one specific area, so the challenge for us was, knowing that we werent going to go back to Kelly, is how to best take those valuable assets, manage them in a creative way so that we try to capture new jobs in an old setting that werent there before.

sigc@express-news.net
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On Wednesday, Police Chief William McManus unveiled a policing initiative aimed at combating a spike in homicides and other violent crime, as seen last year.

Under the new approach, units in the San Antonio Police Department will work more closely together to arrest criminals throughout the city instead of focusing on certain high-crime neighborhoods.

Crime doesnt just happen in one section of the city, and we dont want to target one section of the city, McManus said. We dont want to overpolice. We have our Intelligence Unit detectives talking about who we need to target  people, not areas.

McManus, joined by Mayor Ivy Taylor, unveiled the task force during a news conference before a meeting of the City Councils Criminal Justice, Public Safety and Service subcommittee.

The safety of every resident, of course, is my top priority, along with my City Council colleagues, said Taylor, who is running for re-election. We have to make every effort that we can to effectively address violence in our streets and in our homes.

Called the Violent Crime Task Force, it will combine the efforts of officers departmentwide, including detectives in the homicide, vice, narcotics, gang and intelligence units. Those detectives will also partner with law enforcement officers at the local FBI field office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The detectives will not be housed in the same room or in a special building. Instead, they will work synergistically, meeting they will share and analyze data and intelligence that could lead to the arrest of people involved in a variety of crimes.

We will be focused on one mission, McManus said.

When pressed how that differs from typical operations, Sgt. Jesse Salame, a police spokesman, said the task force will promote departmentwide communication even more.

Its a more concentrated effort, he said.

The move comes after a particularly deadly year in San Antonio. In 2016, there were 151 homicides in San Antonio, a 61 percent increase from the 94 killings the year before, according to preliminary data from SAPD.

That makes 2016 the deadliest year since 1995, when there were 142 homicides, and the highest the per-capita homicide rate has been since 1996.

Violent crime  which includes homicides, robberies, sexual assault, aggravated assaults, assaults and family violence  increased 9 percent from the year before, according to SAPD data from mid-December. (SAPD and the FBI classify violent crime differently, so Uniform Crime Reports statistics to be released in September could vary from the numbers cited Wednesday.)

Since Jan. 1, seven people have been slain. A year ago, the homicide toll for the whole month was eight.

Since the Express-News first reported the spike in homicides and violent crime, the issue has gained the attention of city leaders, politicians and community members. The news has been addressed in church pulpits and during discussions about police-community relations. Manuel Medina, chairman of the Bexar County Democratic Party, called San Antonio one of the most dangerous cities in America during the announcement of his mayoral bid.

After the meeting, McManus admitted to reporters that the results of last years policing strategy, specifically an effort on the East Side to combat crime, was inconclusive. Given that, McManus said he cant predict whether the new task force will be effective.

We dont know.  We have to do something different, to at least try it, he said.

Old versus new

Historically, the department addressed violent crime and homicides by targeting the specific neighborhoods where crimes occur, he said.

For example, last year the department participated in several grant-funded initiatives in partnership with federal and state agencies aimed at combating crime and promoting safety on the East Side.

One such grant, awarded to the San Antonio Housing Authority in 2012, funded, among other things, SAPD foot patrols in crime hot spots in the area around New Braunfels Avenue and the old Wheatley Courts public housing complex. The grant also funded federal drug enforcement operations.

As part of the initiative, SAPD and federal partners seized close to 100 firearms, contacted 650 gang members and confiscated over 70,000 grams of drugs, results that McManus lauded.

However, McManus admitted, the largest share of homicides last year  42 of 151  occurred in District 2, which encompasses that same area of the East Side. District 1, in central San Antonio, was second with 27 homicides.

McManus said hes not concerned about diverting grant resources from the East Side. In fact, he said the task force wont affect patrol levels throughout the city since it will consist of detectives in covert units.

McManus did acknowledge that staffing levels at SAPD are low, but he hopes to address that during upcoming budget discussions.

I think thats something we need to focus on, said City Councilman Mike Gallagher, who represents District 10 on the Northeast Side. I wonder how much of this has to do with a shortage of police officers on the ground.

Moving forward, detectives on the task force will also work more closely with the Bexar County district attorneys office to help guarantee individuals are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

For example, Salame said, officers and detectives will tell the district attorneys office if an individual might be involved in other types of criminal activity so prosecutors will be less likely to dismiss a case or offer a plea deal.

I cant assure anyone that the numbers wont stay the same or go up, McManus said. But we cant sit back and do nothing different.

Staff Writer Vianna Davila contributed to this report.

eeaton@express-news.net

Twitter: @emilieeaton
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Five members of a South Texas family that federal prosecutors say were involved in drug trafficking and money laundering pleaded guilty Wednesday, part of a case that caught up federal informants and involves purchases of U.S. property and livestock.

Juan Juando Villarreal Arelis, 43; Jose Luis Nune Villarreal Gonzalez, 32, and Manuel Villarreal Garcia, 40, all pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Jovanna Villarreal Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and Raymundo Mundito Villarreal Jr., 23, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiring to structure transactions to evade reporting requirements. All had been living in Mission before their arrest last year.

A sixth defendant, Denis Winn, 54, of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, also pleaded guilty to the structuring conspiracy, a law that makes it a crime to avoid reporting requirements associated with $10,000 or more cash transactions.

Prosecutors had alleged that the Villarreals were part of a criminal organization called Los Piojos, the lice, that trafficked drugs from the U.S. to Mexico and laundered money in South Texas real estate and by purchasing quarter horses. Among those charged in the case is longtime federal informant Sergio Guadalupe Adame Ochoa, a former Mexican federal prosecutor who turned at least one member of the Villarreal family into a cooperator with the U.S. government.

Members of the Villarreal family, including patriarch Gilberto, whos a fugitive, worked with the Zetas and the Gulf Cartel to traffic cocaine to the U.S., according to prosecutors. After the two gangs split in 2009 and the Villarreals supplier was killed, they began bringing cocaine to Mexico from Central America, then smuggled it to the U.S.

Because they sided with the Gulf Cartel, Adame, the longtime informant, recruited Gilberto to come to the U.S. as an informant and was joined by other members of the family, according to the testimony last year of an Internal Revenue Service agent involved in the case.

In the U.S, the family laundered money by purchasing about 20 pieces of real estate in the Rio Grande Valley and through the purchase of quarter horses. Jovanna Villarreal laundered $2.7 million through her business in McAllen, called Party Discount, according to court records.

Adame, who has pleaded not guilty to a money laundering conspiracy charge and has had several fraud charges dropped, brought the Villarreals into his real estate ventures, prosecutors alleged.

After the hearing, Raymundo Villarreal's lawyer Demetrio Duarte Jr. said the family did not get its nickname because of the drug business.

The reason they're called Los Piojos is they were a lot of brothers and sisters and they were always together, like fleas on a dog, Duarte said.

His client was involved only in the horse ranching part of the business, Duarte said.

It is my belief that the parents were shielding their children from drug operations and hoping to legitimize the horse racing and horse breeding operation, he said.

Denton lawyer Rick Hagen, who represents Winn, said his client often went to horse auctions to place bids for wealthy buyers who didnt want their identities known.

He's been in the quarter-horse business for over 30 years, Hagen said. Unfortunately, he got involved in a situation that involved the purchase of horses with illicit proceeds.

Alan Brown, the lawyer for Manuel Villarreal, said the case was a "historic conspiracy," meaning it was developed largely by witnesses, who told investigators about previous drug loads and distribution, rather than large-scale seizures of drugs by agents. Brown also said his client is married to Jovana Villarreal.

He didn't get stopped with any drugs or anything, Brown said of his client. It's based on testimony about what happened historically.

When theyre sentenced in May, Juan and Jose Luis Villarreal will receive between 18 and 20 years in prison and Jovanna and Raymundo Villarreal will receive between three and four years in prison, based on their agreements with the government. Manuel Villarreal will face between 10 years to life in prison and Winn will get five years probation.

I think its unjust, so much time for the culpability, Juan Villarreal said before entering his plea.

The defendants are all liable for a $20 million money judgment, but Duarte said in court most of that had been paid off by turning over assets to the government. Six more defendants are scheduled to plead guilty Monday.

jbuch@express-news.net
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A year ago, speaking to about 100 Christian evangelical pastors at a prayer meeting in a downtown restaurant, Mayor Ivy Taylor named a single goal that she said would shape her 2016 priorities: breaking the chains of generational poverty.

This week, as Taylor embarks on a tough re-election campaign, we spoke about how she has pursued that goal. In her office at City Hall, Taylor was exuberant as she touted her record on alleviating poverty.

Generational poverty has been one of the factors that has been holding us back as a community, the mayor said. Really, thats kind of what drives and guides me, as far as the work that I do and how I ended up on the City Council.

Nearly 20 percent of San Antonio residents live in poverty, according to a four-part series in the San Antonio Express-News by Staff Writer Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje. In addition to chronicling the lives of residents beset by poverty, Stoeltje delved into the conditions that can trigger financial turmoil, from racial discrimination and gentrification to teen pregnancy and low wages.

To fight poverty, Taylor favors workforce development over raising the minimum wage; this week, she attended a series of workforce meetings, she said.

Im inserting myself into workforce, said Taylor, who joined the Project Quest board as well as a committee that oversees Workforce Solutions Alamo.

Taylor did not grow up poor. She recalled a lower middle-class, a la Archie Bunker childhood in Queens, New York. Her Christian faith, she said, has molded her social conscience, especially the Bibles exhortation of to whom much is given, much is required.

Before joining the council, Taylor worked for the city of San Antonio in the realm of inner-city revitalization, but she grew frustrated with the bureaucracy (a gripe she still has today). So she went to work for Merced Housing Texas, a nonprofit that provides affordable housing.

Many of the families that we were serving did not have the mental space or life stability to even be able to focus on the programs and services we provided, Taylor said, and any little thing could throw off their finances.  Really, deep down, I believed that education was the great equalizer and key, but I wasnt really suited to be a teacher.

So Taylor ran for the District 2 council seat.

On council, my way of thinking was always how can I bring resources to a community thats been left behind? she said. How can I bring a variety of funding sources together, a variety of collaborators together, because I recognized after having worked in housing that it wasnt just going to be about housing, or just education, or just health care. Everything was kind of tied together.

Taylor found opportunity in failure.

Early in Taylors tenure, her colleagues approved a transition facility for convicts in her district against her wishes. In the aftermath, as concession, then-Mayor Julian Castro asked Taylor what she wanted to achieve.

Her answer: economic development.

Together, Taylor and Castro organized three East Side development summits that brought an unprecedented level of city resources to blighted areas on the East Side. And she saw her next big opportunity in President Barack Obamas Promise Zone initiative, an ambitious anti-poverty program.

I remember I had a bureaucratic barrier in getting the application done, Taylor recalled, because there was somebody who shall remain nameless who had some authority within the city government and didnt want to put up  I think it was like $7,500 or something ridiculous.

And I called them into a meeting, she continued, and I put (City Manager) Sheryl (Sculley) on that side and this person on this side, and I got a little ugly. Sheryl got on their ass. And we put the application in and we ended up getting it, which of course then created more energy.

In 2014, Taylor supported a zoning change that displaced hundreds of tenants of the Mission Trails mobile home park to make way for a $75 million mixed-use development. Councilman Ron Nirenberg, who is running against Taylor, also supported the change  a decision he now regrets, he told me Wednesday.

Taylor has no regrets.

I strongly believe in the need for efforts to create, safe, stable, mixed-income communities spread throughout San Antonio, she said. So in relation to gentrification, I would say that I welcome new development that allows people of a higher income bracket to move into neighborhoods that have been islands of poverty because I believe theres going to be positive spillover effects.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
Some observers bemoan President-elect Donald Trumps Cabinet appointees as too white. His Cabinet is shaping up to be whiter than those of his most recent predecessors.

But it is not the number of whites in Trumps Cabinet that is alarming; rather, it is their placement at the top that is problematic.

In the 15 departments, at least two of the secretaries will be a person of color: Ben Carson as secretary of housing and urban development, and Elaine Chao as transportation secretary. As a point of comparison, President Barack Obama had seven secretaries of color in his 2009 Cabinet; President George W. Bush had five in his 2001 Cabinet; and President Bill Clinton had seven in his 1993 Cabinet.

Not only will Trumps Cabinet be whiter than those of his contemporaries, where he falls short most notably is to which Cabinet departments his minority secretaries will be assigned. Not all departments are created equal.

In terms of history, only four of the current departments date back to President George Washingtons first Cabinet: State, Treasury, War (Defense) and Justice. In terms of politics, there is a clear order for the line of succession if the president is incapacitated. Secretary of state is the first of the 15 department heads, followed by the secretaries of treasury and defense. And at the very bottom of the hierarchy are the secretaries of veterans affairs and homeland security.

Although President George W. Bush had few minorities in his 2001 Cabinet, two of his minority secretaries were substantially well ranked. There was Colin Powell as secretary of state  the first minority to hold that post. And there was Elaine Chao. As labor secretary, Chao was in the middle of the pack  two spots above the secretary of housing and urban development. In contrast, the highest ranking minority secretary in Trumps administration will be Carson at Housing and Urban Development, which ranks 12th.

Minorities constitute almost 40 percent of the American population. If our government is supposed to be of the people, by the people, for the people, it is imperative that the Trump administration engages meaningfully with this 40 percent. To this end, appointing minorities to top government positions is a step in the right direction. Without a critical mass, the presence of a few minorities is not enough to ensure minority-friendly policies.

But it is important to distinguish between more minorities and well-placed minorities. Even if Trump appoints minorities to the remaining vacancies, it is not enough. Research has repeatedly shown that having more minorities in government is not sufficient if they are merely token appointees. There is no reason to assume an African-American secretary will always advocate for the black community. Likewise, a Chinese-American secretary is no guarantor of Asian-American rights. In this scenario, the few minorities in Trumps Cabinet might as well have been white. And conversely, whites need not always be the enemy: They can act  and have acted  in the interest of minorities. To this end, it is imperative that people of color continue engaging in cross-race dialogue.

It is also important to distinguish between more minorities and well-supported minorities. There is evidence showing secretaries need money, political capital, and quality staffers and bureaucrats to implement the necessary policies. Without these resources, minority secretaries are handicapped in what they can do.

Its true that Trump has a lot of whites in his Cabinet, and while many have bemoaned that fact, it is something to be less concerned about than where he is placing them in his Cabinet. He can and should do better.

Amy Liu is an assistant professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin.
Culture and Creativity Programme: call for applications

The European Union-Eastern Partnership Culture and Creativity Programme is inviting small and medium sized towns in the six Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine) to express their interest in piloting Creative Towns and Regions Initiative. Background: The Creative Towns and Regions Initiative highlights the importance of culture and creativity in small and medium sized towns and regions. The Initiative will propose a practical approach for towns and regions in the EaP countries to use the local cultural and creative potential for social and economic development. The aim is to raise awareness of all key stakeholders of the potential of cultural and creative sectors, to collect data on local cultural and creative resources and to propose concrete action plans for developing the cultural and creative industries potential, including development of local cultural landscape, building clusters with local businesses, increasing the quality of offer of the tourism sector and build stronger networks with similar towns and regions in other countries. Benefits and Eligibility: Six selected pilot towns/regions (one in each of EaP country) will become locations for the mapping exercise based on most up-to-date methodology and carried out by qualified experts. As the outcome of the process, the selected towns or regions will receive the following:

analysis of their current cultural and creative resources; tailor-made roadmap for future development of cultural and creative sectors; media coverage across the Eastern Partnership region and showcasing good practices from the selected towns/regions; access to capacity building package for towns/regions representatives and their communities, opportunity to work with specialized experts; networking opportunities with international peers in other EaP countries as well from the European Union countries both online and face-to-face.

Open call: identifying six small and medium sized towns or regions with cultural and creative potential ready to pilot the Initiative in their country; Developing methodology: developing an assessment methodology with local context; Preparing six detailed reports: in collaboration with key local stakeholders carrying out the mapping of local cultural and creative resources and proposing the action plan to develop the cultural and creative potential of the area; Developing a long-term network of creative towns and regions: adding value in terms of sharing good practices and knowledge, exchanging professionals and initiating joint projects within the region and with other creative towns and regions in the European Union.

Open call for the pilot towns/regions: November 2016-January 2017

Mapping exercises across six countries: March-June 2017

Results and action plans to be presented in September 2017

clear motivation why the town/region wants to join the Initiative (up to 1 page); overview of the status quo in terms of cultural and creative organisations, spaces and activities in the city/region (up to 2 pages); description of how will the local stakeholders be involved in the process (up to 1 page with names of possible organisations, institutions or experts); the applicants are encouraged to add links to websites or visual materials (videos, images) to showcase examples of cultural and creative projects, initiatives and urban transformations.

Motivation of the applicant town/region to participate in the initiative; Understanding how focusing on culture and creativity can bring added value to local socio-economic development of the town/region; Level of engagement of key stakeholders from public and private sectors.
WASHINGTON  Natural gas spot prices in 2016 averaged $2.49 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) at the national benchmark Henry Hub, the lowest annual average price since 1999, according to information provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The monthly average price fell below $2/MMBtu from February through May, but later increased, ending the year at an average of $3.58/MMBtu in December. Warmer-than-normal temperatures for most of the year and changing natural gas demand were the main drivers of natural gas prices in 2016.

Natural gas prices in U.S. regional markets were volatile in 2016. In the first quarter of the year, much warmer-than-normal winter temperatures and large amounts of natural gas in storage caused prices to decrease.

Prices began to gradually increase in late spring, with increased natural gas demand from multiple sectors and decreasing natural gas production, before sharply increasing at the end of the year with the onset of cold temperatures in mid-December.

In the Northeast, where natural gas pipeline capacity is often constrained, cold weather can cause monthly average prices at hubs such as Algonquin Citygate (near Boston) and Transco Zone 6 NY (New York) to spike.

Although this happened in 2016, new pipeline capacity and increased natural gas production in the Appalachian Basin, along with warmer-than-usual winter weather, contributed to price spikes that were considerably lower than in previous years.

Because of warm weather, natural gas consumption in the residential and commercial sectors in 2016 declined 7 percent and 4 percent, respectively, from the previous year. Warmer winter temperatures also limited natural gas storage withdrawals.

Storage inventories

As a result, natural gas storage inventories were at or near record levels throughout most of the year and reached a record 4,047 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the week ending Nov. 11.

Other sources

Despite the overall decrease in residential and commercial demand in 2016, late-year increases in these sectors and increased demand from other sources contributed to increasing natural gas prices later in the year.

Surpassing coal

In 2016, natural gas surpassed coal as the primary fuel used for power generation in the U.S., supplying an estimated 34 percent of the nations electricity, compared with 30% for coal.

Electric power generation in 2016 used an average of 27.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), exceeding the previous high of 26.3 Bcf/d in 2015.

In November 2016, the U.S. became a net exporter of natural gas on a monthly basis for the first time since 1957, based on data from PointLogic. This was supported by infrastructure improvements  including natural gas pipelines and facilities for liquefying natural gas for export  that enabled suppliers to meet increasing demand from foreign markets.

U.S. pipeline exports to Mexico continued to grow throughout 2016, making up 87 percent of all U.S. natural gas exports. In May 2016, the Sabine Pass liquefaction terminal began commercial operations in the Gulf Coast to export liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The expansion of the Panama Canal in July 2016 further aided export ability by reducing time and transportation costs to key markets in Asia and the west coast of South America.

Lower production

Despite growing demand in the electric power sector and export markets, low demand for space heating and low prices resulted in lower natural gas production in 2016.

Based on preliminary data, EIA estimates natural gas marketed production to average 77.5 Bcf/d in 2016, 1.3 Bcf/d less than in 2015 and the first annual decline since 2005.

The number of active natural gas drill rigs continued a multi-year decline, reaching 132 by the end of 2016, down 19 percent from the year-ago count. However, production has not fallen as sharply as the number of active rigs, as producers have continued to make gains in drilling efficiency.
RAVENNA, Ohio  The Ohio Nut Growers Workshop will be held Feb. 25 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Portage SWCD Meeting Room, 6970 state Route 88, Ravenna.

ONGA members provide an annual nut-growing workshop at the office and also propagate crop-grade nut-tree seedlings for the SWCD spring tree sale.

This year, Joe Hietter and his daughter, Cindy, will share their experience with growing and selling nuts in Ohio. This father/daughter team grow a variety of nuts in central Ohio including heartnuts, black walnuts, butternuts, hicans, hazelnuts and chestnuts.

The informal format is open to people interested in growing nuts. For more information, visit www.portageswcd.org.
Sir Peter Kendall will remain Chair of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) following his reappointment.

The reappointment was also approved by the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland.

Farming Minister George Eustice said: "Since taking over as Chair, Peter has provided AHDB with strong leadership, driving innovation and best practice across this key industry, helping increase resilience and competitiveness so it is well placed to take advantage of a rising demand for the UK brand.

"I am very pleased he will continue in the role. I look forward to working with Peter and AHDB to ensure food and farming goes from strength to strength, and levy payers are in the best possible position to maximise opportunities, as we prepare to leave the EU.

Peter Kendall said: "This is an incredibly important time for UK agriculture. Our decision to leave the EU will have an enormous impact on the industry.

"Our job is to maximise the opportunities offered by this decision and I believe that AHDB is therefore needed now, more than ever, to inspire our farmers, growers and the wider industry to succeed in this rapidly changing world.

"I remain optimistic for the future of British Agriculture. The British brand is valued around the world and our best businesses can compete with the best in the world."

Sir Kendall was first appointed Chairman of AHDB in April 2014.
Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group (TSDG) has announced new guidelines on the use of antimicrobials to their farmer members which number around 650.

The TSDG is the UK's largest dedicated sustainable dairy group. Its relatively small size and integrated approach has afforded Tesco the ability to create a much more integrated supply chain, working in partnership with their farmer suppliers.

Tesco said they were to advise their members against using antimicrobials which follows other efforts in the dairy industry to curb antibiotics.

TSDG farmers will be required to report antibiotics use.

NFU Staff blog from graduate trainee Gemma Harvey said from a Tesco dairy conference that the group is planning to 'drive progression in terms of welfare, antibiotic usage and on other health issues such as Johnes.'

Dr Judith Bryans, Chief Executive of Dairy UK, said: "The UK dairy industry has always operated to the highest standards of animal health and food safety, advocating a responsible and prudent use of antibiotics.

"However, we cannot be complacent and, as antimicrobial resistance becomes a growing concern, we want to take industry standards even further and raise the bar for good practice on farm.

"This will give consumers and customers even greater confidence that British milk is a pure and wholesome food.

"We strongly believe that a more informed use of antibiotics will lead to a reduced use. These new measures are designed to get vets, farmers and milk purchasers working together for optimal results."

Risk register

A study by the University of Cambridge revealed the presence of three highly important antibiotics across British origin pig and chicken meat in major supermarkets.

Following the findings, the Food Standards Agency pledged to work with supermarkets to cut farm antibiotic use.

In addition, Waitrose updated their antibiotic-use policy in September to state that they are working towards significant year on year reductions.

Antimicrobial resistance in the dairy and beef sectors is being placed at the top of government risk registers alongside terrorism and pandemic flu, according to a Cattle Health and Welfare group report.

The report highlighted areas such as mastitis, lameness and longevity, and for the first time looked in depth at the issues facing the dairy and beef sectors around antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

"With the UK Government placing AMR at the top of its risk register alongside terrorism and pandemic flu, it is heartening to see that the Cattle Health and Welfare group, in common with other livestock sectors, has grasped the nettle in looking first at how the cattle sector can better capture data on use of antimicrobials," said Nigel Gibbens, UKs Chief Veterinary Officer, Sheila Voas, Scottish CVO, and Christianne Glossop, Welsh CVO, in their joint foreword.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will name former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue as his nominee for secretary of agriculture on Thursday (19 January).

Perdue, a Democrat-turned-Republican who founded a grain and fertilizer business, served on Trump's agricultural advisory committee during his presidential campaign.

By nominating a former governor from a Southern state, Trump eschewed candidates from major Farm Belt states in the Midwest that produce the bulk of crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat which dominate agriculture exports. Georgia is a key producer of crops such as cotton and peanuts.

Perdue, 70, led the southern U.S. state for two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011 after previously representing a rural swath of central Georgia about 100 miles south of Atlanta in the state Senate.

Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau, praised Perdue as a strong voice.

But environmental groups opposed the nominee.

"Farmers need a champion in the USDA who will fight for conservation programs to help farmers be more resilient in the face of extreme weather, not pray for rain," Kari Hamerschlag, deputy director of food and technology at Friends of the Earth, said in a statement.

The American farm belt

The rural vote in America is one of the key principle catalysts which helped secure a Trump victory, battleground states like Ohio, North Carolina and Pennsylvania - large rural areas - helped catapult his campaign to victory.

Trump received strong support from the agricultural community as the farm economy slumped amid falling prices for key commodities.

Trade, a signature issue during the campaign in which Trump accused China of unfair practices, is critical for the farm economy. U.S. farm and food exports to China were more than $20.2 billion in 2015.

Read more - What does a Trump victory mean for farming?
The Asia-Pacific region could offer 'increasing opportunities' for UK pork exporters looking forward, AHDB Pork has said.

The Asian middle class is projected to expand rapidly over the coming years, with two thirds of the worlds middle class living in the Asia-Pacific region by 2030, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) expects the consequential increase in wealth to raise meat consumption in the region to around 80kg per capita by 2030.

However, with low efficiency, backyard production systems still dominant in the region, it is likely that imported products will be required to meet demand.

UK pork capitalising on growing markets

During 2016, China was the big news on the global pork market. Imports more than doubled on year earlier figures, exceeding 1.5 million tonnes shipped weight.

The extent of Chinese demand for imported pork in 2017 remains uncertain. Even if import demand does remain strong, competition between pork exporters is becoming increasingly tight.

While the Chinese market may become more challenging, other developing Asian destinations could potentially offer opportunities for expansion.

The UK currently has access for pork in the Philippines, South Korea and Japan, though these destinations only account for a small percentage of export volume at present.

Other countries in the Far East could also be promising export destinations for the UK, if access can be obtained. Vietnam is a key example, as is Taiwan.

While it is clear there are opportunities for pork exporting nations to target the Far East region in the coming years, AHDB Pork says these opportunities will not be without challenges.

Despite this, with the uncertainty surrounding the future of UK-EU trade relations in light of Brexit, exploiting the opportunities presented by the growing Asian markets may become increasingly important for the future of UK pig meat exports.
Retailers stocking more British pork but 'more can be done'
Located 60 kilometres to the north of the Portland live export port, the property will be Wellard's base to secure and induct beef and dairy cattle from throughout Victoria, South Australia and southern New South Wales to meet China's stringent quarantine access requirements, as well as other markets.
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opinion
In December 2016, Risk Advisory hosted a dinner in Washington, DC, at which the Director of the Serious Fraud Office, David Green, kindly agreed to engage in a conversation with me.

During that conversation he said there were deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) in negotiation which were of an entirely different magnitude to SFO v Standard Bank plc and SFO v XYZ Ltd and that they would demonstrate the agencys ability, intent and effectiveness.

Rolls-Royce is the first of those DPAs and marks the tipping point in anti-bribery enforcement in England.

First, the magnitude of the fine, disgorgement and costs  together amounting to half a billion pounds  is the largest combined sanction ever imposed in English criminal legal process. It is a game changer.

Second, the degree of the sanctions imposed marks the end of any potential regulatory arbitrage between the English courts and those in the United States. Thomas LJ in Innospec said there should be no distinction  and now there is none.

Third, it dictates the terms on which engagement should be made with the SFO and provides direct and material guidance on the amount of discount for fines that is available if engagement is forthright  in Rolls-Royces case, because of extraordinary cooperation, opened and acknowledged by the Crown  50%. That level of discount reflects the U.S. position.

Fourth, in identifying the features that justified both the DPA and the sanction, Sir Brian Leveson removed doubt or ambiguity over the circumstance in which a DPA would be sanctioned by the court.

This substantially reduces a perceived weakness in the DPA process when it was first introduced. In the United States, all negotiations are with the prosecution and in the absence of a deal which is either manifestly not in the public interest or corrupt  judges have no mandate to intervene.

The English position enshrines open justice and requires sanction by the court. In the absence of guidance it was difficult for corporations to measure the risk that the court may refuse a DPA. This judgment provides guidance from the President of the Queens Bench Division to all judges. As a consequence, corporations can be more confident about how they will be treated if they choose to disclose to the SFO.

Fifth, the judgment makes clear that if the board remains as it was at the time of the alleged corruption it is going to be difficult, if not impossible, to persuade a court to approve a DPA  and that confused compliance processes and inadequate, or worse still, ignored due diligence processes will not even begin to lay a foundation for a corporate defence.

Finally, Sir Brian Levesons judgment acknowledges and endorses the SFO Directors strategy. Since taking up office David Green has said on many occasions:

Cooperation must be full cooperation.

Corporations should share with the SFO the information they have and agree how to progress the investigation.

Corporations should not hide behind legal privilege.

External legal advisors, whilst of course doing their best to protect their clients position, should not take an aggressive litigious approach to cooperation.

Corporations should not attempt to manipulate the media.

Now the Director has senior judicial weight behind his statements  those who did not listen before should certainly listen now.

I understand that Sir Brian Leveson has reserved the next DPA to himself because, once again, it is of a very material scale. One should not anticipate any change in his thought processes or the strategy of the SFO.

Just as the tipping point has been reached in England and Wales, one question arises: Is the U.S. tipping in the other direction? President Elect Trump has described the FCPA as a horrible piece of legislation and said that the U.S. should not be the worlds policeman. Initial indications are that there will be substantial deregulation of the financial markets.

Whether this will extend to criminal law enforcement  given, among other things, the amount of monies raised for the U.S. Treasury as a result of FCPA enforcement  is yet to be seen.

There would be a degree of irony if, after 20 years of adverse criticism, things tipped in the other direction and the SFO became the lead global enforcer.

____

Bill Waite, pictured above, is a contributing editor of the FCPA Blog. Hes one of the founders of The Risk Advisory Group, established in 1997 with the objective of building Europes leading independent risk management consultancy. He serves as the groups CEO and general counsel. He formerly practiced as a criminal barrister before joining the UK Serious Fraud Office in 1991 as a prosecutor. He can be contacted here.
Logan is the final chapter in Hugh Jackmans story with Marvel character Wolverine, and looks to be one of the grittiest, violent and awe-inspiring movies from the franchise to-date. Jackman stars in the movie alongside an ailing Professor X (Patrick Stewart); the pair hiding out on the Mexican border with a young female mutant whos pursued by dark forces.

In the new trailer, we see the youngster show off her incredible skills, and whilst this movie will gain the strongest certifications due to its language and chaotic scenes, there is still some humour injected into the mix.

Logan comes to UK cinemas and IMAX on March 1, ahead of its release in US theaters on March 3.

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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The partners of Roica will be displaying specialty Japanese fibre producer Asahi Kaseis brand Roica Eco Smart, a sustainable stretch fibre, at two international trade shows, Interfiliere and Salon International de la Lingerie. EcoSmart is an exclusive premium elastomer and sustainable stretch material. It is the only GRS certified stretch in the world.

Roica is a stretch fibre with an innovative range of smart functions for every wardrobe need. Roica by Asahi Kasei represents the partner of excellence for all the premium stretch products.

Roica Eco Smart facilitates new performance and fit standards in various types of apparel. This premium stretch fibre has a range of smart functions to suit modern wardrobe needs and can be used for making comfortable fabrics for sportswear, intimate wear, fashion apparel and business wear.

The partners of Roica will be displaying specialty Japanese fibre producer Asahi Kasei's brand Roica Eco Smart, a sustainable stretch fibre, at two international trade shows, Interfiliere and Salon International de la Lingerie. EcoSmart is an exclusive premium elastomer and sustainable stretch material. It is the only GRS certified stretch in the world. #

Roica Colour Perfect is a new standard in colour technology delivering a flawless and colour match-dyed finish that will also be showcased by the C.L.A.S.S. partner, Asahi Kasei at the global exhibitions.

Interfiliere is a unique international event for lingerie, swimwear and activewear materials and accessories. Salon International de la Lingerie is the worlds leading professional trade show for the lingerie sector, presenting lingerie, nightwear, luxury collections, mens products, and 480 prestigious brands. The trade events will be held for three days, beginning from January 21. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The textile ministry has received a sum of Rs 500 crore from the finance ministry for reimbursing garment and apparel exporters for state levies that were paid by them. The reimbursement will start from next week onwards. The Rebate of Stat Levies (ROSL) scheme is part of the Rs 6,000 crore special package that the sector that was approved last year.

Most of the schemes that were a part of the special package have already been implemented and the textile ministry has received Rs 500 crore for the ROSL scheme to reimburse exporters for state levies, said Rashmi Verma, textiles secretary, during the inauguration ceremony of the 58th India International Garment Fair (IIGF) in Delhi.

She also said that a number of exporters have already paid their claims to the customs department and they will be reimbursed from next week onwards.

The textile ministry has received a sum of Rs 500 crore from the finance ministry for reimbursing garment and apparel exporters for state levies that were paid by them. The reimbursement will start from next week onwards. The Rebate of Stat Levies (ROSL) scheme is part of the Rs 6,000 crore special package that the sector that was approved last year.#

Verma also added that she hopes that the countrys garment and apparel manufacturers will utilise the package for setting up new units to attract more investments, create jobs and emerge as a key player in the international textile market. India has a huge opportunity to grow as china is currently ceding space and the exporters should take full advantage of this opportunity.

The special package will ensure a level playing field for Indian exporters in the EU and US markets as the lack of FTA between India and EU countries results in a 9.5 per cent duty on their products.

However, delays in the roll out of the special package and stagnation in US and European markets resulted in a 0.2 per cent decline in exports during April  December 2016, as compared to the same period in the previous fiscal, said Ashok G Rajani, chairman of Apparel Export Promotion Council.

The special package was approved in June 2016 with a view to create 1 crore new jobs in the next 3 years, generate $30 billion in exports and attract investments worth $11 billion.

Union textiles minister Smriti Irani, who inaugurated the fair, said that with 312 participants from 14 states coming together, IIGF is one of the largest platforms in Asia showcasing apparel & accessories. With the presence of 246 registered buying houses, IIGF will facilitate international buyers to source products and form collaborations.

Irani also said that more than 1000 buyers are participating in the fair, so that they can leverage the talent that India has to offer. She added that platforms like IIGF are very cost-effective for newly exporting small and medium enterprises which use these platforms very effectively.

As many as 1,081 buyers have confirmed from 94 countries across the world for IIGF. Indias fourteen states are participating, with major participating states being Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Gujarat and Karnataka. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
US supplier of licensed collegiate headwear Top of the World, LLC and designer and distributor of licensed and blank apparel, J. America, Inc. have signed a merger agreement and set up a new company called Top of the World Holdings, LLC. The planned merger is scheduled to close by the end of January and has been recapitalised by Blue Point Capital Partners.The combined business will include four distribution facilities across Oklahoma and Michigan, a design centre in Ohio, a sales office in North Carolina and a Hong Kong-based sourcing office.

US supplier of licensed collegiate headwear Top of the World, LLC and designer and distributor of licensed and blank apparel, J. America, Inc. have signed a merger agreement and set up a new company called Top of the World Holdings, LLC. The planned merger is scheduled to close by the end of January and has been recapitalised by Blue Point Capital Partners.#

The new company includes Top of the World's over 500 collegiate headwear and apparel licenses, while J. America, with its innovative programs for The Ohio State University and John Deere is a single-source licensed apparel company.With the combination of these capabilities, Top of the World Holdings, LLC is now one of the largest and most diversified suppliers within the collegiate licensing and broader headwear and apparel industry.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Woolmark Company has partnered with fashion designer Raf Simons for developing his autumn/winter 2017 collection. It features fine merino wool jersey, wovens and knits sourced from some of the worlds best fabric and yarn manufacturers including Manifattura Sesia and Olimpias Group. Merino wool has always been an intrinsic element of Simons collections.

The partnership marks the beginning of a longstanding relationship where The Woolmark Company will continue to work closely with and support Simons design team with innovations and sourcing of merino wool, said Woolmark in a statement.

I appreciate that The Woolmark Company encourages brands to come up with innovative ways to work with merino wool, a material that I love and often use in my own collections. It feels very natural for me to partner with The Woolmark Company to create something special using the finest wool in the world, said Simons.

The Woolmark Company has partnered with fashion designer Raf Simons for developing his autumn/winter 2017 collection. It features fine merino wool jersey, wovens and knits sourced from some of the world's best fabric and yarn manufacturers including Manifattura Sesia and Olimpias Group. Merino wool has always been an intrinsic element of Simons' collections.#

As the global authority on wool, one of the worlds finest natural fibres, The Woolmark Company prides itself on partnering with designers that continually push the boundaries of contemporary fashion, said Stuart McCullough, managing director, The Woolmark Company.

Through our partnership with Raf Simons, one of the industrys most creative visionaries, we are able to demonstrate the distinct versatility of Merino wool far beyond its traditional positioning in the suiting market. Through his iconic work, Raf Simons will bring a newfound creativity to the world of wool, added McCullough. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., a provider of DNA-based supply chain, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology, product genotyping and product authentication solutions, has announced the results of a cotton survey conducted by Harris Poll, which offers a diverse portfolio of proprietary client solutions to anchor and propel communications campaigns.According to the survey, with a new president focused on protecting products born in the US, consumers may be looking more closely at product origins, and could demand more transparency. Thirty per cent of Americans said that they would completely stop purchasing a brand if they made a false product claim about a bedding/clothing product being 100 per cent organic, 100 per cent Pima cotton, or other claim of this type, while roughly three in five Americans (61 per cent) say if they found a brand made their bedding/clothing products from raw cotton that was picked by child labourers /forced labourers, they would no longer purchase the brand. These statistics are part of a recent survey of over 2,000 US adults 18 and over, conducted online in December 2016 by Harris Poll on behalf of Applied DNA Sciences, that develops DNA-based technology to help justify product claims, ensure authenticity and provide an additional level of transparency across global supply chains.

Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., a provider of DNA-based supply chain, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology, product genotyping and product authentication solutions, has announced the results of a cotton survey conducted by Harris Poll, which offers a diverse portfolio of proprietary client solutions to anchor and propel communications campaigns.#

Citing scientific proof of product claims as a key factor in consumer purchase decisions, the survey yielded telling insights involving product trust and how that trust influences the final decision to purchase or not over 76 per cent of Americans say when a product claim indicates cotton bedding/clothing is 100 per cent organic, 100 per cent Pima cotton, etc. they believe it is true.James A. Hayward, CEO of Applied DNA Sciences said, This survey reaffirms what we have known all along. Our primary aim is to cleanse the cotton supply chain and by that, I mean eliminating any diversion, any mislabelling, any counterfeiting, that can take place throughout the cotton supply chain. An ideal way to ascertain the true identity of a natural commodity is to use the DNA that nature gave that commodity or to mark it with a manufactured DNA.The survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Applied DNA Sciences from December 27 to 29, 2016 among 2,015 US adults ages 18 and older. (GK)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
A provisional countervailing duty ranging from Rs 26.89 to Rs 55.8 a kilogram has been imposed on Indian fine cotton yarn entering Pakistan. The duty will apply on the import of cotton having 55.5 or more counts originating or imported from India, for a period of four months effective from January 18, 2017, the National Tariff Commission (NTC) said.

A provisional countervailing duty ranging from Rs 26.89 to Rs 55.8 a kilogram has been imposed on Indian fine cotton yarn entering Pakistan. The duty will apply on the import of cotton having 55.5 or more counts originating or imported from India, for a period of four months effective from January 18, 2017, the National Tariff Commission (NTC) said.#

The NTC, under ministry of commerce, Government of Pakistan, has opened an investigation in April last year under the Countervailing Duties Act of 2015, on the basis of a complaint filed by the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA).

A provisional countervailing duty ranging from Rs 26.89 to Rs 55.8 a kilogram has been imposed on Indian fine cotton yarn entering Pakistan. The duty will apply on the import of cotton having 55.5 or more counts originating or imported from India, for a period of four months effective from January 18, 2017, the National Tariff Commission (NTC) said.#

For investigation, three Indian fine cotton yarn (carded or combed) manufacturers were examined for determining subsidies on the basis of the information provided by them and the Indian government. The investigation concluded that subsidised imports had hurt the domestic industry as they suppressed domestic prices.

A provisional countervailing duty ranging from Rs 26.89 to Rs 55.8 a kilogram has been imposed on Indian fine cotton yarn entering Pakistan. The duty will apply on the import of cotton having 55.5 or more counts originating or imported from India, for a period of four months effective from January 18, 2017, the National Tariff Commission (NTC) said.#

Subsidised imports of the investigated product (fine yarn) adversely affected market share, sales, profits and profitability, cash flows, inventories return on investment and ability to raise capital of the domestic industry, NTC said.

A provisional countervailing duty ranging from Rs 26.89 to Rs 55.8 a kilogram has been imposed on Indian fine cotton yarn entering Pakistan. The duty will apply on the import of cotton having 55.5 or more counts originating or imported from India, for a period of four months effective from January 18, 2017, the National Tariff Commission (NTC) said.#

Imports from the three Indian exporters who were investigated by the NTC will attract duty of Rs 26.89, Rs 50.81 and Rs 48.10 per kg, while all other imports of fine cotton yarn will have to pay a duty of Rs 55.8 per kg.

A provisional countervailing duty ranging from Rs 26.89 to Rs 55.8 a kilogram has been imposed on Indian fine cotton yarn entering Pakistan. The duty will apply on the import of cotton having 55.5 or more counts originating or imported from India, for a period of four months effective from January 18, 2017, the National Tariff Commission (NTC) said.#

However, fine cotton yarn imported from countries other than India and cotton yarn with less than 55.5 counts would not be subject to the provisional countervailing duty, NTC said. Duty would also not be levied on products that are to be used as inputs in products destined solely for exports. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Excise duty on man-made fibres should be reduced to bring it on par with that of cotton in this years Union Budget, said a top official of a leading textile company of India. The industry has been demanding a level-playing field in the industry with respect to cotton for a long time now and some rationalisation is expected from Budget 2017-18.

A long standing demand of the industry, especially the man-made fibre sector, is about the excise duty reduction. Fibres like nylon and polyester have an excise duty of 12.5 per cent, while for other yarns like cotton, the excise duty is negligible. The industry has been demanding a level-playing field vis-a-vis cotton. So, we are looking for some rationalisation in excise duty in this years Union Budget, Shailendra Pandey, joint president  sales & marketing, Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd (Indian Rayon) told Fibre2Fashion.

Another leading manufacturer and exporter of home textiles and yarns has urged the government to consider subsiding excise duty by more than 20 per cent on handicraft and handloom products that are to be exported.

Excise duty on man-made fibres should be reduced to bring it on par with that of cotton in this year's Union Budget, said a top official of a leading textile company of India. The industry has been demanding a level-playing field in the industry with respect to cotton for a long time now and some rationalisation is expected from Budget 2017-18.#

The Union Budget of this year, as far as the textile sector is concerned, should be well focused for giving more than 20 per cent excise duty subsidy on handicrafts and handloom sector goods destined for export to the US and east European countries, Rajendra Singh Cheema, general manager, EHS and compliance officer, Trident Group told F2F.

Cheema also said that the government should consider a long term plan to boost exports from India.

Also, make long term planning to increase textile export form India to go ahead of China by the year 2020, added Cheema.

Pandey also said that the textile industry is looking at the Union Budget from the point of view of GST too. How the fabric will be brought into the GST chain is an important question as fabric in the unorganised sector is not covered under excise, noted Pandey. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Harshvardhan Kapoor and Diljit Dosanjh made their debut in Bollywood with the movie Mirzya and Udta Punjab respectively in 2016, and the Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh bagged the Filmfare - Best Male Debut Award and this has left Harshvardhan Kapoor red faced. But he certainly does have a point here! He opned up about the issue by saying,

Has Aamir Khan Secluded Himself On A Private Island To Prepare For Thugs Of Hindostan?

"Although I picked up two debutant awards earlier, I was really looking forward to winning the black lady. But I guess every awards event has its own parameters. I'll be honest, though. I think a debutant award is meant for someone working on his first film. It shouldn't go to an actor who has worked in several films in another industry or language."



He further pushed his point by saying, "For instance if Leonardo DiCaprio works in a Hindi film, is he making an acting debut? He has already worked in so many Hollywood films." Well, all we can say is that Harshvardhan has certainly put his points across to the Filmfare commitee and they might look into the matter.

Karan Johar Poses For An Epic Picture With George Clooney!

On the work front, Harshvardhan Kapoor is all set to star in his upcoming film titled 'Bhavesh Joshi' and the movie is produced by Anurag Kashyap. The story of the film is about a Gujarati boy blessed with superpowers.

Must See Pictures! Amy Jackson Holidays In Tulum, Mexico!
Manasvi Mamgai With Donald Trump

The 'Action Jackson' actress Manasvi Mamgai poses for a picture with the 45th President of the United States Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York city.

Donald Trump With Manasvi Mamgai & Shalabh Kumar

Donald Trump poses for a picture with Manasvi Mamgai and her father Shalabh Kumar, who is the founder of the Republican Hindu Coalition.

Vice President Mike Pence

Vice President Mike Pence stands for a picture with Manasvi Mamgai and her father Shalabh Kumar, who is the founder of RHC.

Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Trump poses with Manasvi Mamgai and Shalabh Kumar at the Trump Tower in New York city, USA.

Thank You Event!

Manasvi Mamgai attends a 'thank you event' from the President-elect Donald Trump in New York city.

Trump Tower

Manasvi Mamgai poses at the Trump Tower in NYC. The actress will also be performing at the Inauguration Day concert on January 19, 2017.

Make America Great Again

Manasvi Mamgai's father Shalabh Kumar is the founder of the Republican Hindu Coalition and has brought Bollywood stars to perform in the USA in support of Donald Trump.

All Set!

"All set for the performance tomorrow at the President's welcome celebration! Jai ho!"
Hrithik On Sussanne

"My relationship with Sussanne is peaceful. We are loving parents and friends to each other. I need all my equations to be harmonious. If I feel that I am not contributing to a person's growth or vice versa, the whole exercise is pointless."

Hrithik On Being A Single Father

When asked about the same, Hrithik told, "All fathers are amazing. It is natural love. I enjoy spending time with (sons) Hrehaan and Hridhaan. I am only doing something I love. I get along with them. I realise that with the three of us, it is not about fathers and sons. It is about three individuals who enjoy each other's company."

'I'm In Service Of Love'

He further added, "My sons are gifted with characters that I admire. It is a privilege and honour that I have been given the opportunity to help them grow and to guide them. I see it as a service. I am in service of the world; I am in service of my kids. When I love, I am in service of that love."

Hrithik On What He Learnt From His Kids?

"I think the ability to challenge time. Earlier, I thought it was not possible to do too many things in a day. The moment I changed my attitude from, "It is not possible," to "Let's see", my life changed. I can pack in so much in a day now. Many of the successful people have learnt to do it."

Hrithik On Standing Opposite Farhan Owing To Raees Clash

On that, Hrithik told, "Every situation offers you two choices. One is to get upset and the other is to stay calm. Getting upset is not going to change anything, then why do it? The more fascinating thing to do is to take it like a man and be graceful about it. That is more fun."
Awww!

See, how happy Priyanka Chopra looks in this picture. Going by her picture, one can say that she knew, she deserved this award and we're so happy for her!

FYI

This is the second People's Choice Award for Priyanka. She bagged her first award in 2016 in the 'Favourite Actress in a New TV series' category for her role in 'Quantico'.

That's Priyanka for You!

Priyanka, who was seen donning a ravishing peach tube dress with minimal make-up for the gala, beat popular actresses like Ellen Pompeo, Kerry Washington, Taraji P. Henson and Viola Davis for the award.

Priyanka Thanked Everyone..

The 34-year-old Bollywood actress, who is seen playing the role of an FBI agent named Alex Parrish in 'Quantico', thanked everyone, while accepting the trophy and said that it has been an 'incredible journey' for her.

PeeCee's Acceptance Speech

"Every single woman, that was nominated with me today...All of these incredible actresses were the reason that I joined television. They were the reason that I wanted to be the actor that I am here today, receiving this award and being in the same category as them is just so overwhelming," said Priyanka.

How Sweet!

The actress also thanked the entire cast and crew of "Quantico", her first Hollywood project.

The Sassy Girl

"I am really psyched. Can I do a little wiggle? I am sorry it's the concussion talking...this (award) means the world to me," she added.

Dwayne Cheers For PeeCee

Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson, who will be seen sharing screen space with Priyanka in the upcoming film 'Baywatch', was seen cheering for her at the event.

Thanks For All Love: Priyanka

"Speechless! Thank you to everyone who voted... this would not have been possible without you. A special shout out to my #PCManiacs... big love to you all. You know how much you mean to me, guys! Thank you all for the love you've given #AlexParrish and@AbcQuantico... Don't forget to tune in to Quantico now on Mondays... starting Jan 23rd!," wrote Priyanka on her Instagram page.
Superstar Shahrukh Khan says his co-actors in 'Raees' come from a 'real world of acting' and this helped him deliver a more realistic performance in the upcoming film.

The Rahul Dholakia directed starrer features Pakistani actress Mahira Khan as his leading lady. It also has Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub in vital roles.

Shahrukh has worked with all three of them for the first time.

Talking about his experience of working with them, he told the media here, "They all come from a real world of acting. They haven't done cinema as popular as I have done. For me to play Raees, it was important to be surrounded by people who approached the scene very realistically."

When Sanjay Dutt Thought Rishi Kapoor Was Having An Affair With His GF Tina Munim

"Mahira, Nawaz or Zeeshan approached the scenes very differently than what I used to do. When they performed, their realism got reflected in my performance. This is the reason we wanted to cast new people, who haven't acted with me before, in the film."

Raees is releasing on January 25. Shahrukh will also feature in Imtiaz Ali's film with Anushka Sharma and in a cameo in Salman Khan starrer 'Tubelight'.
1. Directors And Writers Reserved Their Strongest, Pivotal roles For Amitabh Bachchan

"To go back to Amitabh, I must confess there is still a lingering issue I have with Amitabh Bachchan. A big disadvantage of working in an all-star movie in those days was that everybody only wanted to make action films, which automatically meant that the star who could carry off action with the most flair would get the meatiest part. That's how, with the exception of Kabhi Kabhie, which was a romantic film, none of the multi-starrers I featured in had an author-backed role for me. Directors and writers unfailingly reserved their strongest, pivotal roles for Amitabh Bachchan. And it wasn't just me. Shashi Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna faced it too."

2. We May Have Been Smaller Stars, We Were Not Lesser Actors Than Him

"Amitabh is undeniably a superb actor, immensely talented and, at the time, the number one star who ruled the box-office. He was an action hero, the angry young man. So roles were written for him. Although we may have been smaller stars, we were not lesser actors. Yet, the rest of us had to constantly measure up to him. We had to work hard, really exert ourselves to match up."

"In my time, the musical/romantic hero had no place. Amitabh was an action hero in an era of action films. As such, writers gave him the lion's share and he had the authorbacked roles in almost all his films. This gave him an advantage over the rest of us who had to make our presence felt with whatever we got."

3. Amitabh Bachchan Has Never Given Due Credit To The Actors Who Have Worked With Him

Rishi wrote,"But this is something that Amitabh has never ever admitted to, in any interview or book. He has never given due credit to the actors who have worked with him. He has always credited his writers and directors, Salim-Javed, Manmohan Desai, Prakash Mehra, Yash Chopra and Ramesh Sippy. But it is also true that his co-stars had an undeniable role in his success. Shashi Kapoor in Deewaar (1975), Rishi Kapoor in Amar Akbar Anthony and Coolie or Vinod Khanna, Shatrughan Sinha and Dharmendra all contributed to the success of his films where they shared credit with him, even if in secondary roles. This is something no one has realized or acknowledged."

4. Today, If Shah Rukh Khan Is Ruling The Roost, Salman, Aamir Or Hrithik Will Not Accept A Secondary Role

He further added, "But it was the way things were and we accepted it gracefully. Not because we considered ourselves inferior actors but because tedha sikka chal raha tha (that was the coin of the day). It cannot happen today. No Khan works with another Khan. Nobody is willing to work with any other hero on such unequal terms. Today, if Shah Rukh Khan is ruling the roost, Salman, Aamir or Hrithik will not accept a secondary role. Vinod Khanna was damn good in Khoon Pasina, Shatrughan Sinha shone in Kaala Patthar, Shashi uncle was superb in Kabhi Kabhie. But if they remained unappreciated, it was because they were working at a disadvantage. But still we worked together amicably.
The renowned Hollywood actor Johnny Depp, who has had a rather devastating year, which saw his mother passing away first and then he had a bitter end to his marriage with Amber Heard.

However, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor, says he has been lucky to have his fans support him through his bad times.

On Wednesday night, while at the platform of the People's Choice Awards 2017, Johnny Depp took the opportunity to thank his fans and said he is fortunate to have such a fan, who supported him throughout his bad phase in life.

The actor also said that he had come to the People's Choice Awards event only for his fans and people who love him.

"I came here for one reason, and one reason only, I came here for you, the people, who through whatever good times or bad have stood by me and trusted me." Johnny Depp in a statement.

"Thank you. You very graciously invited me here once again tonight. I appreciate it. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. I was very deeply affected by the kindness of your recognition and your well wishes to me and my family,' he said with emotion in his voice." Johnny Depp added.
Although, big films released in the neighbouring states during this Sankranthi, no Kannada film had released during the festival. And even last year, there were no big Kannada releases for Sankranthi.

Also Kannada producers did not seem to be interested in this date as they thought the other language films could have an impact on Kannada films.

So the Kannada producers chose January third week as the release date for their films. The films that were vying for release in the third week were Chowka, Beautiful Manasugalu and Mumbai. Out of these, only Beautiful Manasugalu is hitting the screens this week.

Chowka team is yet to confirm the release date officially and there were reports that the film would release for Dasara, Deepavali, Christmas and Sankranthi. But these reports were not confirmed by the producers.

Beautiful Manasugalu, which will hit the theatres tomorrow, is a meaningful love story with a powerful message to the society. Sathish Ninasam and Sruthi Hariharan play the lead roles in the film directed by Jayatheertha.
Sathyan Anthikkad's Jomonte Suvisheshangal that features actor Dulquer Salmaan in the lead role has finally hit the theatres today (January 19, 2017). The film is the first major release of the year 2017 and all eyes are on the film, which is quite high on expectations.

Reportedly, Jomonte Suviseshangal will open big at the theatres and has grabbed a good number of screens, both in Kerala and other states.

Here we go... LIVE updates from PVR Kochi..!!!

8.50 AM: It is after a gap of 50 days that a big Malayalam film is hitting the theatres... And the happiness can be seen on the faces of the audiences....

9.05 AM: And the show begins... Despite being a weekday, it is a near houseful for Jomonte Suvisheshangal!

9.12 AM: Introducing the characters one by one! Waiting for Jomon...

9.18 AM: And here comes Jomon! A simple one, yet the theatre goes crazy...

9.25 AM: Is Jomon irresponsible? Jomon's comments on the same are rather funny...

9.35 AM: Mukesh's Vincent is a real businessman and that has been conveyed well in the movie...

9.45 AM: Jomon in a brand new bike! Dulquer Salmaan looks stylish and suave!

9.50 AM: Jomon is stealing the hearts as a bus owner! Really funny...

9.55 AM: The church scene shown in the teaser has something more to offer!

9.59 AM: Jomon trying to woo Catherine and the best part is, his family is full of support.

10.10 AM: Dulquer Salmaan is the show stealer of the song Nokki Nokki... A well-picturised song but the placement is cliched...

10.17 AM: The film enters its core plot. Some similarities with Jacobinte Swargarajyam. But let's see ho the film is different...

10.25 AM: Half Time! The film is a decent one with some light humour and good performances. The movie has entered its main plot. Expecting a good second half...

10.33 AM: The second half begins... Jomon takes his father to a new place and the former has a big surprise for his father....

11.00 AM: Enter Vaidhehi... What role does she have to play in Jomon's life? Let us wait and see...

11.08 AM: A bit of heroism for Jomon!

11.13 AM: It is hard to find movies these days without coincidences in the proceedings...

11.22 AM: Mukesh-Dulquer chemistry is perfect, even in humorous sequences...

11.31 AM: The song Neelakasham takes forward the Jomon-Vaidhehi tracking amidst the presence of a foreigner...

11.38 AM: Jomon's plans to take forward his business are convincing! Well written and conceived...

11.47 AM: Mukesh is one of the most under-utilised actors of Mollywood. The film so far has proven it...

11.50 AM: The film has come to an end... A quick climax, but an effective one...

The movie is a good watch and it spreads a positive energy without going preachy.... Performances are solid and the Dulquer-Mukesh combo is a treat to watch... Sathyan Anthikad is back to form and delivers a perfect family movie, yet again...

Also, read on to know some interesting facts about Jomonte Suviseshangal...
The makers of Beyhadh are leaving no stones unturned to make the show interesting. In the upcoming episodes, audiences will not only get to see a grand and hatke wedding of Arjun and Maya (Jennifer Winget), but also a murder mystery.

In the previous episode, we saw how Maya announces a grand party for her parents' Ashwin and Jhanvi reunion. In the party, the media will also be present where she reveals how Ashwin used to torture her during the childhood.



Ashwin feels embarrassed, while Maya continues and tells the media that now she is out of trauma and has accepted her father. She also gets Ashwin and Jhanvi closer and asks them to exchange rings. Ashwin is shocked with Maya's sudden change.

Arjun says that he is proud of Maya, but she tells Arjun that she is still scared of Ashwin as she is confident that he hasn't changed. To cheer Maya, he proposes Maya in front of media.

He also promises her that they will get married within seven days. Saanjh is happy for them, while Maya warns Saanjh to stay away from Arjun.

The audiences will witness a major twist as Ashwin will be killed during Arjun and Maya's wedding.

Who killed Ashwin?

Apparently, the viewers will be shown how Ashwin was killed and the visuals will be dramatic! There are also spoilers that suggest that Maya is the murderer.

Well, there is possibility of Maya killing Ashwin as he knows Maya's medical background. He would have also blackmail her that he would reveal the same to Arjun! It is known that Maya can go to any extreme to get her love! Does that mean she can even kill?

Stay locked to this space for the latest updates of the show...
Shashi-Sumeet's next project on Colors, 'Dil Se Dil Tak' starring Siddharth Shukla, Rashmi Desai and Jasmin Bhasin has been in the news for good reasons. The promos of the show featuring the lead actors, which released a while ago grabbed eyeballs for its interesting content.

Siddharth will play the role of Parth Bhanushali and Rashmi will be seen as Shaurari. The duo are cast as a happily married couple in the show. Jasmin will play the role of Teni, a Gujarati bar dancer in the show. We have some interesting updates about the show. Read on to know...

DSDT From 30 Jan Onwards One of the most awaited shows, DSDT will replace the controversial reality show Bigg Boss and will hit the television screens on 30 January, 2017 at 10. 30 pm. Manisha Sharma The show was launched recently. During the launch of the show, Manisha Sharma, the programing head of the channel opened up about the show. She said, "The most interesting relationships are those which we never expect to be in, yet their importance in our lives cannot remain unacknowledged." The Show Is About... Image source: Instagram Furthermore, "Dil Se Dil Tak showcases that some emotions are evoked by relationships that are unnamed; relationships that are brought to us by destiny." Siddharth Shukla During the launch, Siddharth also gave some interesting tidbits regarding the show. He told, "The show's narrative speaks about the mutual trust and respect that captures a heart, entwining two souls together forever." DSDT Is Not Based On Chori Chori Chupke While the show was touted to be inspired from the bollywood movie. Siddharth rubbished all the rumours. In an interview to Bollywoodlife, he told, "I don't really think so. Honestly, I don't know where these rumours are coming from that it is a TV adaptation of Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. I think everyone should watch it before coming to a conclusion. I don't want to reveal much as the show is a fun watch." The Show Has A Good Story', Says Siddharth "Dil Se Dil Tak has a very good story. The content is strong and I feel audiences will receive the show in a positive manner."

The actor was recently in the news for his alleged closeness with his co-star Rashmi. The actor denied all the link-up rumours. He told "I have a good equation with Rashami. We come and work together as a team. She is a very giving actor and fun to be with."

The actor also stated that his equation with co-star Jasmin Bhasin is wonderful. "Jasmin is wonderful. We get along like a house on fire. I am the closest to her on the sets. We talk a lot. She is very carefree and fun to be around", concludes Siddharth.

All in all the show is said to be a saga of love and nameless relationships. Set against backdrop of Baroda, the show focusses on the newly-married couple Parth and Shaurari, whose love for each other and their families will be the highlight of the show.

Siddharth will play a perfect husband to his wife and a beloved son to his family and can go to any extent to bring a smile on their faces. Enter Teni, who is expected to add twists to his married life.

Well, how their story interweaves with Teni and how the young couple will deal with the obstacles, forms the crux of the story. What has the destiny planned for Parth and Shaurari? Wait and watch.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 18, 2017) - McLaren Resources Inc. (CSE: MCL) (FSE: 3ML) ("McLaren" / the "Company") announces that the Company has increased the financing previously announced on January 5, 2017 from $200,000 to $300,000. The non-brokered private placement financing consists of $125,000 of common share units and flow though units in the amount of $175,000 for aggregated gross proceeds of $300,000.

The Company has issued at total of 2,500,000 common share units at a price of $0.05 per unit and has issued 3,500,000 flow through units at a price of $0.05 per unit. Each common share unit consists of one common share and one common share purchase warrant which entitles its holder to purchase one common share in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.10 per share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance. Each flow through unit consists of a common share issued on a flow through basis and one-half of a common share purchase warrant with an exercise price of $0.10 per common share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance.

Gross proceeds from the flow through units will be used by the Company for exploration expenditures on its properties located in the Timmins Gold District in Northern Ontario. The proceeds from the common share units will be used for general corporate purposes.

In connection with the financing, McLaren paid a finders fees by way of issuance of 280,000 common shares at a value of $0.05 per share and also paid $7,000 in cash.

Contact information:

MCLAREN RESOURCES INC.

65 Queen Street West, Suite 520

Toronto, Ontario M5H 2M5

Tel: 416 203 6784

The CSE has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
SILICON SLOPES, UT -- (Marketwired) -- 01/18/17 -- Dave Elkington, CEO and co-founder of sales acceleration software leader InsideSales.com, will speak at the Silicon Slopes Summit on Thursday, January 19, 2017 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Elkington was asked to participate in order to offer his insights on Utah's high technology business climate, at 9:30am, as well as contributing to a conversation with Lt. Governor Spencer Cox examining opportunities for creating a better prepared workforce, at 11:05am.

Elkington's presentations come a day after announcement of a new round of venture funding for InsideSales.com, a round which included substantial investment by tech giant Microsoft and an Irish sovereign investment fund.

This new round of funding bodes well for Utah's high tech climate and is certain to be a major source of discussion at the event.

InsideSales.com's Vice President of Human Resources Jason Brickley will participate in a 3:30pm discussion on hiring world-class talent.

Media interested in interviewing Elkington about the state of technology in Utah or InsideSales.com's recent fundraising successes, can do so at the event.

For more information on the Silicon Slopes Summit, visit siliconslopessummit.com

About InsideSales.com

InsideSales.com offers the industry's first AI-powered predictive sales acceleration platform. Built on Neuralytics, a predictive and prescriptive self-learning engine that drives revenue growth by delivering an optimized experience for both salesperson and buyer. The platform fuels sales rep performance and provides buyer personalization with breakthrough innovations in predictive sales communications, engagement tracking, forecasting and rep motivation. InsideSales.com has received numerous accolades for its technology, including being named to the CNBC Disruptor 50 and Forbes Cloud 100 lists, and earning recognition as one of the fastest growing companies, according to Inc. InsideSales.com enterprise customers include ADP, Microsoft and Groupon.

To connect with Dave Elkington at the Silicon Slopes Summit, contact:



Judd Bagley

Director of Corporate Communications

judd.bagley@insidesales.com

385.375.5171




Seiichiro Toda s-toda@cj.jp.nec.com +81-3-3798-6511

TOKYO, Jan 19, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) will present how digital transformation strengthens telecom, enterprise and government operations at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 at the Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, from February 27 to March 2, in Hall 3, stand #3M30.Mr. Takashi Niino, President and CEO of NEC Corporation, will also take part in a keynote session on "Connecting Industry and The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals" on Tuesday, February 28 from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. in Hall 4, Auditorium 1.At the NEC booth, the company's cutting-edge portfolio of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, "NEC the WISE," will be introduced, including a sophisticated range of "X-Tech" solutions that help to resolve challenges for urban living, security and enterprise operations.Moreover, NEC will demonstrate its advanced solutions for being a leader on the "Road to a Digital Service Provider," including "tailored 5G networking," mobile backhaul, traffic management solutions (TMS), smart RAN and software-defined networking (SDN) / network functions virtualization (NFV) that contribute to the growth of communications service providers.For more detail on NEC's participation in Mobile World Congress 2017,please visit http://www.nec.com/en/event/mwc/.About NEC CorporationNEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.Based on its Mid-term Management Plan 2015, the NEC Group globally provides "Solutions for Society" that promote the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. Under the company's corporate message of "Orchestrating a brighter world," NEC aims to help solve a wide range of challenging issues and to create new social value for the changing world of tomorrow. For more information, please visit http://www.nec.com/en/global/about/solutionsforsociety/message.html.Source: NEC CorporationContact:Copyright 2017 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
RAMALLAH, Palestine, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

On January 18, 2017,Arab Palestinian Investment Company (APIC)issued new five-year bonds with a total nominal value of US$35 million in a private subscription with the participation of nine banks and companies from Palestine, Jordan and Bahrain. APIC's General Assembly recently approved the issue in its extraordinary meeting held in Ramallah.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160519/370006LOGO )



Receipt ofsubscriptionrequeststotalingUS$80.5 millionandrepresenting 230% of thesubscription offer

In a statement, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of APICTarek Aggadsaid that the bond issuance holds many advantages for the company and its future plans, including optimizing the company's capital structure. Aggad added, "There has been a big demand for subscription in APIC bonds, which was oversubscribed by 230%, and subscription requests totaling US$80.5 million have been received. If anything, it demonstrates the great appetite and trust APIC enjoys from the financial markets. It is also a reflection of the solid performance demonstrated by the company on the financial, operational and credit fronts."

The subscribers of the US$35 million bonds are: Arab Bank, Palestine; Bank of Palestine, Palestine; Bank of Jordan, Palestine; Cairo Amman Bank, Palestine; Cairo Amman Bank, Jordan;Usoul for Arab Company, Bahrain; Quds Bank, Palestine; The National Bank, Palestine; and the National Insurance Company, Palestine.

Aggad also indicated that a number of the banks that subscribed to the first issue in 2012 have renewed their subscriptions for this second issue. This further demonstrates the ongoing and increasing interest and trust of existing bondholders throughout the past five years by cementing their relationship with APIC.

It is worth mentioning that APIC bonds are structured with a bullet repayment after five years, with a call/early payment option; are privately issued and are not traded nor listed on any stock exchange; are not convertible into shares; represent senior debt; and are collateralized with 110% collateral coverage ratio.

APIC is a foreign public shareholding investment company listed on the Palestine Exchange (PEX: APIC). Its investments are diverse across the manufacturing, trade, distribution and service sectors in Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates through a group of nine subsidiaries:Siniora Food Industries;Unipal General Trading Company;Palestine Automobile Company;Medical Supplies and Services Company;National Aluminum and Profiles Company (NAPCO);Sky Advertising and Public Relations Company;Arab Palestinian Shopping Centers (BRAVO); Arab Leasing Company and the Arab Palestinian Storage and Cooling Company.

APIC is also one of the main founders of the Palestine Electricity Holding Company, the Palestine Power Generating Company and has a stake in the Bank of Palestine.

For more information:

Fida' Musleh/ Azar

Manager of Investors Relations and Corporate Communication

Tel. +970 (or 972) 2-297-70-40

Email:fida@apic.com.jo

Website:http://www.apic.ps


CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese yen weakened against the other major currencies in the Asian session on Thursday. The yen fell to a 1-week low of 140.89 against the pound, from yesterday's closing value of 140.49. Against the euro and the Swiss franc, the yen dropped to 6-day lows of 122.05 and 113.97 from yesterday's closing quotes of 121.84 and 113.75, respectively. Against the U.S., the Australian and the New Zealand dollars, the yen slid to 6-day lows of 114.89, 86.26 and 81.89 from yesterday's closing quotes of 114.66, 86.02 and 81.62, respectively. The yen dropped to 86.62 against the Canadian dollar, from yesterday's closing value of 86.38. If the yen extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 144.00 against the pound, 123.00 against the euro, 115.00 against the franc, 117.00 against the greenback, 87.00 against the aussie, 83.00 against the kiwi and 88.00 against the loonie. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
MANILA, Philippines, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As a strong advocate of environmental sustainability, leading Philippine telecommunications company Globe Telecom encourages its millions of postpaid customers to help save thousands of trees and reduce greenhouse gas emission by enrolling their fixed and mobile accounts in paperless billing program.

This is in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 on sustainable consumption and production which aims to "increase net welfare gains from economic activities by reducing resource use, degradation and pollution while increasing quality of life. It also involves engaging consumers through awareness-raising and education on sustainable consumption and lifestyles."

So far, over 80% percent of Globe postpaid customers already signed up to paperless billing, which translates to 22,855 trees saved, 21 hectares of land protected, and 2,762 carbon emissions reduced. Although senior citizens, tenured and platinum customers are exempted from the automatic switch to electronic billing, they are, however, also encouraged to join the campaign.

By enrolling in paperless billing, Globe postpaid customers are not only able to do their share in environmental protection and conservation but also enjoy the convenience of on-time delivery of electronic billing statements, notification via text message, online viewing of bills anytime and anywhere, and easy download of bills in their computers, tablets, or mobile phones.

"We work in solidarity with the rest of the world in ensuring that we take better care of the planet for the sake of the generations that will come after us.We thus make every effort to ensure that while we do our best to meet the current and future needs of our customers, we do so without compromising the welfare of the environment," said Yoly Crisanto, Senior Vice President, Globe Corporate Communications.

She added: "We can reduce the impact of our business operations to the environment by doing this together with our employees, business partners, and clients.When our customers subscribe to Globe paperless billing, for instance, they are in their own small way helping save the earth by lessening the amount of trees that are cut down to make paper."

Trees are the earth's biggest natural allies in the fight against global warming as they absorb billions of tons of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide every year and other potentially harmful gasses.Not only do they combat climate change but trees also clean the air, provide oxygen, save water, and prevent soil erosion, among other things.

Guided by the Environmental Sustainability Policy launched in 2003 and revised in 2010, Globe creates a wonderful world by operating responsibly and creating positive environmental impact of its business operations.

The company has robust systems in place to manage its environmental impact and integrate these into the corporate social responsibility management.Globe is committed to consciously move toward the continuous reduction of the ecological footprints from its operations.Where possible, it applies best practices and global voluntary standards on environmental and social responsibility. More details about paperless billing at www.globe.com.ph/postpaid/paperless-billing .

About Globe Telecom

Globe Telecom is a leading full service telecommunications company in the Philippines, serving the needs of consumers and businesses with an entire suite of products and services including mobile, fixed, broadband, data connections, internet and managed services. Its principals are Ayala Corporation and SingTel who are acknowledged industry leaders in the country and in the region.
Vess A6120Vess A3340 NVR storage server with the introduction of a new model with redundant dual power supply units (PSUs). The new solutions are on display at Promise's massive showcase at Intersec in Dubai (booth SA-C26) from January 22 - 24.

Vess A6120 Server Line

The Vess A6120 series is designed as building blocks for the deployment of a video surveillance system. Vess A6120 is available in a 1U 4-bay rackmount chassis with easy expandability through Promise's external storage units. They are perfect for up to 60 IP cameras without extra storage, and with larger scale-out storage Vess A6120 can support up to 200 cameras. There are three main specifications for the Vess A6120 series:

Vess Orange (A6120-AS) - designed for running intelligent video analytics and offers excellent performance for analyzing huge amounts of surveillance data.

Vess Black (A6120-MS) - designed for managing the whole surveillance system and is the best choice for running Central Management Software (CMS).

Vess Blue (A6120-RS) - perfect as a high performance recording server.

Vess A3340d

The Vess A3340 Series is now available with single (Vess A3340) and dual PSUs (Vess A3340d) to meet the needs of a wider range of projects, including applications requiring redundant power supplies. Vess A3340d is a powerful, all-in-one network video recorder (NVR) optimized to meet even the most stringent project requirements. Reliable, cost-effective and easy to deploy and maintain, Vess A3340d is perfect for small to mid-sized installations with high performance demands.

Auryn Surveillance Storage Block

The video surveillance industry is experiencing a huge data boom as hundreds of petabytes of video are recorded every day. With the evolution in analytics and video management software capabilities, surveillance data is more valuable than ever before and it must be securely stored for months or even years. Promise is introducing an expanded portfolio of surveillance solutions specifically for projects with long retention periods requiring massive amounts of storage. Auryn, Promise's high-capacity surveillance storage blocks, offers an open-platform, simplicity, optimization and the industry's most comprehensive partner ecosystem. Auryn offers up to 672TB of raw capacity and pairs seamlessly with Promise's NVR storage servers optimized for video surveillance.

"The anticipation for Auryn has been incredible as our partners have been eager for a simple and optimized high-capacity storage block that they could easily deploy for large projects throughout the region, so we are very excited to unveil it at Intersec," said John van den Elzen, general manager, Surveillance Business Unit, Promise Technology. "With the introduction of Auryn together with the Vess A6120 server line and our award-winning line of NVRs and external storage solutions, Promise is better positioned than ever before to help our customers build the best solutions for their projects."

For more information, please visit Promise at booth SA-C26 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre during Intersec from January 22 - 24. Follow Promise Technology on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter for updates throughout the show.

Availability

Vess A6120 and Vess A3340d are now available through the Promise global network of resellers and value added distributors. Auryn will be available exclusively in in the EMEA region starting from Q2.

About Promise Technology Inc.

Promise Technology is a recognized global leader with 29 years of experience in the storage industry. Promise creates innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of the IoT, Cloud, IT, Rich Media, and Surveillance markets. From personal cloud appliances, to scalable enterprise IT Infrastructure, blazingly fast post production tools, video security solutions and hyperconverged systems, Promise adapts its products to meet the real-world challenges customers face every day. Promise's highly experienced sales and engineering teams are strategically located throughout the Americas, EMEA, and JAPAC regions to provide unparalleled services and support to its customers around the globe. For more information, visit: www.promise.com.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3099978



MEDIA CONTACTS:



The Americas:

Dena Jacobson

dena@lages.com

949-453-8080



EMEA:

Dennis Lamers

dennis.lamers@eu.promise.com

+31 (0) 40 235 2614



Japan:

Ushio Koida

ushio.koida@jp.promise.com

+81 3 6801-8064



Taiwan:

Ya-Ping Hsu

ya-ping.hsu@tw.promise.com

+886-978695780




WISeKey International Holding Ltd (WIHN.SW) ("WISeKey"), a leading global cybersecurity company and Lykke Corp ("Lykke"), a Swiss-based digital exchange company announced today during the Davos Internet of Value Blockchain RoundTable a joint agreement to integrate and co-offer their flagship products: the Lykke Wallet and the WISeKey suite of software, APIs, and servers, to secure access to data and devices in the world.

Lykke will integrate the WISeKey identity and security stack into its digital wallets and software, while WISeKey, in addition to its WISWatch and other security devices, will offer a "WISeKey wallet by Lykke" to its customers.

"The combination of these two technologies is very powerful," says Richard Olsen, CEO of Lykke. "It will give our customers, both individuals and our large enterprise customers, private key protection and management as a built-in part of the Lykke platform. This is very much part of the Lykke vision, and WISeKey is a perfect partner for us."

Carlos Moreira, CEO of WISeKey, added, "We're very happy to integrate the Lykke trading ecosystem into our suite of products. This is going to make it easier to buy what you want, use and pay for services as you need them, and transfer money securely without passwords and other insecure forms of identification."

About Lykke

Lykke is a Swiss-based digital exchange for all assets, started by Richard Olsen, previously founder and CEO of OANDA. Lykke is a new platform that lets people trade currencies, cryptocurrencies, and cryptographic tokens using an iOS or Android device. The exchange charges no fees and is revolutionizing the world of finance through the use of "colored coins," which settle on the bitcoin blockchain in minutes. Lykke has already gone public on its own exchange and is currently building enterprise-scale solutions for large financial institutions. Lykke is a member of the Hyperledger project. For more information, visit: www.lykke.com.

About WISeKey

WISeKey (SIX Swiss Exchange: WIHN) is a leading global cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale digital identity ecosystems with a patented process. WISeKey's Swiss based cryptographic Root of Trust ("RoT") provides secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of on-line transactions among objects and between objects and people. To receive WISeKey's latest news, subscribe to our Newsletter or visit the WISeKey Investors Corner.

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/20170118006178/en/

Contacts:

WISeKey

Youmna Abisaleh, +41-22-594-3000

Marketing Communications

yabisaleh@WISeKey.com

or

Lykke

Lena Mechenkova, +41-43-508-6379

Communications

pr@lykke.com

or

WISeKey Investor Relations (United States)

The Equity Group, Inc.

Lena Cati, 212-836-9611

lcati@equityny.com
SHANGHAI, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Opening of official retail channel in China helps to cool down massive product demand from Chinese cross-border shoppers in Germany. Chinese Cross Boarder Shoppers causes massive out-of-stock in Germany.

The power of Chinese overseas retail shoppers has again caught the attention of international media. This time several German media channels have covered the story "First milk powder, now shampoo - Chinese consumers, again, go crazy for our products" - now Chinese cross border specialists have discovered the German anti-hair loss caffeine shampoo brand "Alpecin".

One of Germany's biggest newspapers F.A.Z. reports that the massive interest of Chinese importers, especially for the well-known anti-hair loss product "Alpecin" has led to a situation where major German retailers had to surrender to a vast demand and eventually to overall out of stock situations.

Dr. Wolff and the retailers are considering to limit sales quantities for Alpecin in Germany to avoid further out-of-stock situations on the shelf.

Price rally and out-of-stocks in China are not be expected.

While Chinese consumers are searching for new ways and channels to purchase Alpecin products from abroad, not knowing if the products are real or fake. There is a safer and quicker way to purchase the Caffeine Shampoo Brand. The company has already set up in China in April 2016.

Alpecin launched the 3 best selling products in over 2.000 Watsons stores in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou etc., and the brand has also initiated online distribution via the online platform Tmall. The brand pledges to its Chinese customers that all its products, whether sold in Germany or China, preserve the same quality standard.

"We are very happy about the trust of the Chinese customers in our products. We know that this trust is mainly based on the ideal of quality "Made in Germany" says CEO of Dr. Wolff Mr. Eduard Doerrenberg. Knowing that this massive demand for infant formular in Germany led to a massive price increase in Asia "we are not willing to repeat that price ralley. We have a regional stable pricing strategy and will not take advantage out of the current situation."

Alpecin, a product developed by the scientific research team of the German company Dr. Wolff in the year 1930 is a product that prevents hereditary hair loss. According to studies, 80% of men that suffer from hair loss are prone to that problem due to genetic reasons. Alpecin's main ingredient that battles this kind of hereditary hair loss is "caffeine". It penetrates the hair root and promotes longer hair growth phases and therefore prevents hair from falling out early.

Dr Wolff Group

Now led by the fourth generation of its founding family and with well-established brands including Alpecin and Linola as well as Plantur, Biorepair and Vagisan, the Bielefeld-based Dr. Wolff Group and its 600 employees continues its global growth. Since its founding, the company has maintained a strong emphasis on research and scientifically demonstrable benefits of its products for solving problems such as hair loss or skin disorders. In 2016, the group recorded the most successful year in its 111-year history. With newly opened markets in Europe and Asia, and new skin products, the company achieved sales of provisional 290 million euros, reporting a new record result. Dr. Wolff is active in more than 40 countries. More information can be found online at: http://www.drwolffgroup.com/de/.

press contact Dr Wolff group

Marcel Klopping

Tel.: +49(0)-521-8808-226

mail: pr@dr-kurt-wolff.de
19 January 2017

Kryptonite 1 Plc

("Kryptonite 1" or the "Company")

Investment in SatoshiPay

Kryptonite 1 Plc is pleased to announce that it has subscribed 59,276.82 for ordinary shares in SatoshiPay Ltd ("SatoshiPay"), a UK incorporated private nanopayment software and blockchain company, as part of a 1 million fundraise by SatoshiPay. Following this investment, Kryptonite 1 is interested in approximately 1 per cent of SatoshiPay's issued share capital.

SatoshiPay is developing a two-way payment platform, which enables online content providers to monetise their digital content through the acceptance of nanopayments. Using the SatoshiPay platform, online media companies are able to process nanopayments of 0.05 (5c) or less with minimal transaction fees. SatoshiPay technology can also process payments greater than 5c, but the company believes the real technical innovation is in relation to nanopayments, in some cases being less than 1c. SatoshiPay is based on blockchain technology and currently bitcoins (a cryptocurrency) are the only means of payment.

SatoshiPay believe its technology will provide a direct alternative to paywalls and subscriptions, currently adopted by some media companies, and should instead enable users to pay for consumption on a per article, per song or per download basis; or for content to be consumed and paid for on an incremental basis (payment per paragraph or minute of audio or video content). SatoshiPay works without software download or sign-up for the user (save for creation/top up of an online wallet). Payments are instant and the user's wallet balance is available on each website that integrates the SatoshiPay software.

In February 2016, SatoshiPay released a beta version of its product, which integrates with WordPress, the world's most popular web publishing platform. SatoshiPay introduced its first Application Programming Interface (API) in mid-2016, potentially extending the company's reach to all websites, internet applications (including mobile apps) and internet connected software. In July 2016, SatoshiPay announced a collaboration with Visa Europe's innovation department relating to a proof of concept project to develop the capability to deliver a trusted top-up service to a digital wallet, using just a Visa card. SatoshiPay made an unaudited loss of approximately 210,000 in 2016.

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

-ENDS-

Contact Details:

Kryptonite 1 Plc

Stephen Corran

+44 (0) 1624 676 716

scorran@bridgewaters.co.im

NEX Exchange Corporate Adviser

Peterhouse Corporate Finance Limited

Fungai Ndoro and Mark Anwyl

+44 (0)20 7469 0930

This announcement contains inside information as defined in Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation No. 596/2014 ("MAR") and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- PetroMaroc Corporation plc (TSX VENTURE: PMA) (the "Company" or "PetroMaroc"), wishes to provide an update respecting the restructuring of the Cdn $11.09 million principal amount of secured debentures (the "Debentures") of the Company.

As previously reported in the Company's press release dated November 9, 2016, the Debentures will be rolled into a new class of secured, redeemable, debentures, issuable in series, with all principal and interest due and payable in full on January 31, 2018 (the "New Debentures"). The holders of the Debentures agreed, pursuant to the terms of a binding letter of intent signed November 9, 2016, to complete the debenture restructuring transaction (the "Restructuring Transaction"), subject to:

i. completion of the sale and purchase agreement dated March 8, 2016, as amended, between the Company, Sound Energy South Morocco Limited and Sound Energy (the "Sale and Purchase Agreement"); and ii. receipt of necessary approvals from the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"); and iii.approval of the shareholders of the Company.

The Company completed the Sale and Purchase Agreement as reported in the Company's press release dated January 9, 2017. In addition, as reported in the Company's press release dated December 19, 2016, shareholders of the Company approved the Restructuring Transaction at the annual and special meeting of PetroMaroc held on December 19, 2016. All closing conditions have therefore been fulfilled with the exception of the receipt of final approval from the TSXV. In this regard, the Company has submitted documentation to the TSXV seeking final approval of the Restructuring Transaction and is currently waiting for final approval. Accordingly, the Restructuring Transaction has not yet been completed and the New Debentures have not yet been issued. When issued, the New Debentures shall bear an effective issue date of December 31, 2016, being the maturity date of the original Debentures.

For terms of the Restructuring Transaction, please refer to the Company's press releases dated November 9, 2016 and November 24, 2016 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile.

About PetroMaroc

PetroMaroc Corporation plc is an independent oil and gas exploration company. PetroMaroc holds a substantial share position in Sound Energy plc, and net profit interests in the Sidi Moktar licence (onshore Morocco), as a committed long-term partner to unlock the hydrocarbon potential of the Essaouira region. PetroMaroc is a public company and its common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PMA.

Additional information about the Company is available on the PetroMaroc website at www.petromaroc.co or under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Special Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "project", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "continue", "contemplates" or the negative of these terms or other similar terms.

Forward-looking statements are only predictions. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Some of the risks and other factors which could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to: the ability of the Company to obtain final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange in respect of the Restructuring Transaction.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon factors and assumptions which management of the Company believes to be reasonable, the Company cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with its expectations and assumptions. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements contained in this news release as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements except as expressly required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

PetroMaroc Corporation plc

Martin Arch

Chief Financial Officer

+44 (0) 20 3137 7756




LONDON (dpa-AFX) - British Land Co plc (BRLAF, BTLCY, BLND.L) reported Thursday that its retailer sales for the third quarter were up 0.6% year on year outperforming the benchmark by 200 basis points. Footfall for the quarter was negative 0.6% year on year outperforming the benchmark by 220 bps. Chris Grigg, Chief Executive said, 'British Land has had a positive quarter reflecting the strong positioning of our portfolio and our engagement with occupiers and consumers. We have completed over 400,000 sq ft of lettings across the business and are progressing discussions with a broad range of occupiers.' Further, the company said its third interim dividend payment for the quarter will be 7.30 pence per share, a 3% increase on the comparable period last year. The dividend will be paid on May 5 to shareholders on the register at close of business on March 31. 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) - NCC Group plc (NCC.L), a cyber security and risk mitigation expert, reported Thursday that its first-half Group profit before tax was 7.4 million pounds, lower than last year's 7.5 million pounds. Group adjusted profit before tax was 16.7 million pounds, compared to 15.9 million pounds a year ago. Adjusted earnings per share were 4.6 pence, compared to 5 pence last year. Group adjusted EBITDA increased 15% to 21.3 million pounds. Revenues climbed 35% to 125.8 million pounds from 93.5 million pounds last year. Organic revenue growth was 18%. Further, the company announced interim dividend of 1.50 pence, same as last year. Looking ahead, for the full year 2017, the company expects adjusted EBITDA in the range of 45.5 million pounds to 47.5 million pounds, showing growth of up to 5% year on year. Orders and renewals went up 49% totaling 112.8 million pounds for the current financial year. Separately, NCC Group announced that Chairman Paul Mitchell has notified the Board that he intends to step down on May 31, 2017, the end of the financial year. Debbie Hewitt, the Senior Independent Director, will take over as Chairman of the Nominations Committee and will lead the search to appoint a new Chairman as soon as practicable. Paul Mitchell said, 'I have been involved with NCC Group since its inception, through its IPO on AIM to its current position as a substantial UK-based international technology leader in the cyber security sector. I am very proud of the consistent delivery and rapid growth we have achieved during my 17 years as Chairman.' 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.
VENLO, Netherlands, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

BanBao is committed tobuild a better tomorrow, and for this reason will start producing sustainable and environment-friendly building blocks made of new biobased materials. The educational toy brand with its headquarters in China will start its production in the Netherlands.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/457034/BanBao_Logo.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/457632/BanBao_toy_blocks.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/457633/BanBao_toy_set.jpg )

Regulators increasingly warn of unsafe toys that fail to meet safety requirements. The controls have been tightened with more recalls as a result. The desire for environment-friendly and safer toys is greater among parents, according to research.

Steven van Bommel (CEO BanBao Europe) explains: "Almost any regular plastic building block toy used until now, even ours is made from petrochemicals (ABS or PP). Conventional plastic toys rely on increasingly scarce resources and in the process of being manufactured they cause between 2 - 7 times their own weight in greenhouse gases to be emitted into our atmosphere.

"Our new 'green' bio-based building blocks contain 0% oil-based chemicals, because our raw materials are derived from plants. We also do not add any oil-based chemicals during the manufacturing process to 'enhance' the performance or color of our product. The packaging, stickers, instructions and glue will also be 100% biobased. The quality of the building blocks has amazed us, the blocks perfectly fits to our non-biobased building blocks and those of the competition. Even the price can compete against the competition, mainly using ABS and PP plastics as its basic raw material. It is an exciting project that can have a positive impact on the planet and can change the toy industry," says Steven van Bommel.

The new product line is developed in collaboration with Biopromotions, a dutch company which specializes in products made of biodegradable and biobased plastics. Robert de Waal (CEO Biopromotions) is very pleased about the new partnership; "BanBao was looking for an alternative 'green' raw material for making their toy bricks. Soon they came into contact with us. Our knowledge has grown enormously over the years and we accepted the challenge."

The sustainable and environmental friendly product line will consist of over 13 toy boxes suitable for children in the age of 1,5 to 6 years old. The new product line will be available in stores in the autumn of 2017.

About BanBao: BanBao is an educational building toy brand for children. BanBao has a range of various lines and products.

http://www.banbao.com
LONDON, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

On 7th & 8th of March 2017 at the MK Dons Stadium, Milton Keynes, 12 of the UK's leading ERP vendors will go head to head in a battle to demonstrate their ERP solutions to attending businesses. The event, the Lumenia ERP HEADtoHEAD', is the brainchild of Sean Jackson, MD of Lumenia Consulting. "One of the pitfalls you can fall into when selecting a new ERP system, is to rely solely on the vendor's sales demo because each vendor will have their own interpretation of what they think you are looking for, which makes it difficult to make comparisons." says Jackson, "What you need the vendors to do is to follow a predefined demo script so that you can compare apples to apples. This is the core idea of the ERP HEADtoHEAD'".

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458717/ERP_Head_to_Head.jpg )



The event taking place over two days, is facilitated by Lumenia. On Day 1, all vendors take part in an 'Elevator Speech' to introduce themselves. During this session, vendors present a summary of their USPs to convince delegates why it would be a good idea to attend their demonstration. Delegates then choose to attend demonstrations focused on Finance, Production, Procurement, Sales Quotation or High Volume Sales business processes. Each demonstration lasts 90 minutes and is based on pre-defined high-level scripts. Attendees will also have the chance to listen to a panel discussion from industry end users sharing their experiences of implementing an ERP system. Day 2 includes an engaging vendor-independent presentation from Lumenia Consulting on 'ERP Benefits Quantification'. Delegates will also be able to discuss project-specific requirements with vendors in the expo area. Attendance at the event will be limited to organisations that are potential buyers of ERP, making it an ideal opportunity to network with others about to embark on a similar journey.

Vendors such as Infor, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft and Sage will be amongst the 12 demonstrating their ERP solutions to attendees looking to upgrade, replace or implement a system. Over the years, attendees have included leading manufacturers, distributors and retailers from a range of industries. Comments from among the 130 attendees at the last event included: "Very good idea; all vendors were well prepared and the like for like comparison was very helpful"; "Very useful to view a number of products over 2 days. Well worth taking time out to visit the event".

For further information, pricing discounts and to register check out the event website http://www.erpheadtohead.com

Media Contact

Linda Davey

Lumenia Consulting

T: +44-(0)207-470-8766

E: info@erpheadtohead.com


CAMBRIDGE, England, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Pfizer joins Astex, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Shionogi, MedImmune and Otsuka in the Milner Therapeutics Consortium

Major research investment to work with academic scientists in Cambridge

The Milner Therapeutics Institute today announces Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) as a partner to the Milner Therapeutics Consortium. Pfizer has agreed to join the Consortium, which enables the efficient transfer of materials between industry and academia and allocation of funds for partnering opportunities in Cambridge. Dr Ron Newbold, Vice President, External R&D Innovation at Pfizer, will join the Milner Innovation Board alongside representatives from Astex, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Shionogi, MedImmune, University of Cambridge, Babraham Institute and Sanger Institute.

The Milner Therapeutics Consortium acts as a 'match-making' service between pharmaceutical companies and researchers in Cambridge and was established in 2015. The Consortium brings together the drug development capability of pharmaceutical companies with the know-how of entire academic institutions in Cambridge and has been specifically modelled to help facilitate the speedy exchange of resources and information between partners through a pre-signed agreement. Company partners are able to work individually with academics or through joint activities in order to help accelerate drug development. The Consortium's Innovation Board includes companies and academic partners and is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction, collective research funding and collaborative activities.

Commenting on the announcement, Prof Tony Kouzarides, founder and director of the Milner Therapeutics Institute said: "We are building the foundations for a world-leading ecosystem for therapeutics research around the Milner Therapeutics Institute. We are delighted that Pfizer has joined the Consortium to develop mutually-beneficial collaborations with Cambridge academics and the Milner Therapeutics Institute. We are focussed on working with Pfizer to advance disease understanding and make a difference to therapies in the clinic."

Dr Ron Newbold, Vice President, External R&D Innovation at Pfizer, added: "We are pleased to be able to join the Milner Therapeutics Consortium and look forward to a deeper engagement in the Cambridge ecosystem. The UK has a very strong academic and biotech community, and we anticipate working with many world-class scientists that will be supported and inspired by the work of the Milner Institute in the coming years."

The Milner Therapeutics Institute is a fully integrated Institute within the University of Cambridge. The Consortium is seeking academic and industrial partners to work in all therapeutics areas. For further information on how to join the consortium, please contact Kathryn.chapman@milner.cam.ac.uk, +44-(0)1223-767111, http://www.milner.cam.ac.uk.
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - At 3:15 am ET Thursday, Switzerland's Federal Statistical Office releases producer and import prices for December. Prices are forecast to gain 0.1 percent annually, following a 0.6 percent drop in November. Ahead of the data, the Swiss franc showed mixed trading against its major rivals. While the Swiss franc rose against the yen, it fell against the pound. Against the euro and the U.S. dollar, the Swiss franc held steady. As of 3:10 am ET, the Swiss franc was trading at 1.0716 against the euro, 1.2378 against the pound, 1.0066 against the U.S. dollar and 114.11 against the yen. 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.
LUGANO, Switzerland, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Biosimilars create opportunities for sustainable cancer care, says ESMO in a position paper published in ESMO Open. The document outlines approval standards for biosimilars, how to safely introduce them into the clinic and potential benefits for patients and healthcare systems.

"Biosimilars are must-have weaponry in financially sustaining healthcare systems on a global scale and significantly improving outcomes for an increasing number of patients throughout Europe and the rest of the world," said ESMO President Professor Fortunato Ciardiello.

Unlike generics, which are chemically synthesised and are identical copies of the original drug, biosimilars require clinical studies to ensure that the manufacturing process is sound and does not differ from that of the originator biologic.

In Europe, price reductions for biosimilars are expected to range from 20-40%: potential savings of 50-100 billion by 2020 have been forecast. The majority of monoclonal antibodies are set to come off patent by 2020, which will open the door for biosimilars and could dramatically change the oncology landscape.

Prof Josep Tabernero, ESMO Cancer Medicines Working Group Chair, said: "The paper highlights a number of areas that should be carefully considered by all stakeholders including prescribers, pharmacists, nurses, patients, reimbursement bodies, manufacturers. It also outlines directions that will need to be collectively followed to guarantee the highest safety and efficacy standards of these medicines and ensure that all patients, irrespective of geographical borders, can access the very best evidence based treatments."

Full story: http://bit.ly/2iAfGMt

ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology, comprising more than 15,000 oncology professionals from over 130 countries, We are the society of reference for oncology education and information, committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment.

ESMO Press Office

+41-91-973-19-07

media@esmo.org


Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2017) - Nevada Zinc Corporation (TSXV: NZN) ("Nevada Zinc" or the "Company") is very pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Beqaj to its Board of Directors.

Director and CFO, Don Christie commented on the appointment, "I have known Jim throughout his very successful career and have witnessed the positive impact he has had on the various corporations he has been involved with at both a senior management and board level. Jim brings a wealth of experience and an extensive network of contacts in both the Canadian and US financial markets. Senior management and the directors of Nevada Zinc look forward to working closely with Jim as we broaden the Company's profile with both retail and institutional investors across North America."

Upon graduation from Queen's University, Jim began his career at Wood Gundy and ultimately rose to the position of President, CIBC Wood Gundy. Jim resigned from Wood Gundy in 1996 and spent two years as Vice Chairman of BMO Capital Markets. Jim then set out on his own and founded Beqaj International a trusted advisor in human resources to the financial services industry. Jim is still actively involved with Beqaj International and he has authored two books on the process of finding the right employer and the right job.

In connection with his appointment Mr. Beqaj commented "I am extremely pleased to be joining the Nevada Zinc board at a time when the commodities cycle appears to be at the front end of a sustainable upswing. Nevada Zinc's highly prospective zinc and gold projects provide a balanced risk adjusted exposure to both base and precious metals. My objective is to broaden the Company's shareholder base and raise Nevada Zinc's profile in financial markets in order to help finance significant exploration programs on both of the Company's projects".

The Company has granted Mr. Beqaj options to purchase 500,000 shares under the Company's stock option plan at a price of $0.49 per share for a period of 5 years.

About Nevada Zinc

Nevada Zinc is a discovery driven mineral exploration company with a proven management team focussed on identifying unique opportunities in mineral exploration that can provide significant value to its shareholders. The Company's existing zinc and gold projects are located in Nevada and Yukon, respectively.

The Lone Mountain Project

While the Company maintains its highly prospective Yukon gold properties and continues to advance them, the current focus of the Company is the exploration and advancement of the Lone Mountain Project comprised of 224 claims covering approximately 4,000 acres near Eureka, Nevada.

The Lone Mountain Zinc Project is located in east-central Nevada and is easily accessible via paved and gravel roads northwesterly from Eureka where all essential services are available. The land that comprises the project includes options, leases or purchase agreements to acquire 100% interests in all properties along the key structural trend for more than four kilometres.

For further information contact:

Nevada Zinc Corporation

Suite 1660, 141 Adelaide St. West

Toronto, Ontario M5H 3L5

Tel: 416-504-8821

Bruce Durham, President and CEO

bdurham@nevadazinc.com

www.nevadazinc.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.

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.
ATLANTA (dpa-AFX) - Aiming to better prepare its employees, Delta Air Lines has decided to begin new diversity training for all of its flight crews after incidents of alleged discrimination against passengers, Bloomberg reported. The report cited at least two widely publicized incidents where passengers said they were discriminated against or treated uncivilly on its flights. In November, Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian banned a passenger for life for yelling in flight in support of Donald Trump. Prior to that, the airline had apologized to a black doctor who volunteered to help a sick passenger and was rebuffed by a flight attendant. Starting in the second quarter, the company will train its 23,000 flight attendants to combat unconscious bias, the report noted. They join the Delta Air Lines executives who are already required to undergo diversity training. The Atlanta-based airline had made the training mandatory for its executives last year. Keyra Lynn Johnson, managing director for diversity and inclusion, reportedly said that Delta's classes will use real and relevant scenarios and discuss unconscious bias and so-called microaggressions. This is well beyond the typical cross-cultural training. According to the transportation agency, incidents of reported discrimination climbed 37 percent in the first 10 months of 2016 to 74. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently issued new guidelines for airline personnel on nondiscrimination. It also issued a document for passengers, explaining their rights. 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.
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - January 19, 2017) - The Piacente Group, Inc. ("TPG"), a full service, multinational investor relations consulting firm, today announced that TPG has appointed investor relations expert Laurie W. Little as Senior Vice President. With more than 20 years of experience in strategic communications, analysis, institutional marketing and financial media relations for high profile companies, Little will focus on managing and executing strategic IR programs for TPG's U.S. practice, as well as providing strategic oversight for TPG's China practice.

"Laurie's two decades of IR experience will prove a great asset as we work closely with our clients to enhance their corporate reputation and improve their valuation," said Brandi Piacente, President of TPG. "She has a demonstrated ability to create comprehensive IR programs that address the needs of all stakeholders and include corporate positioning, crisis communication and disclosure procedures. We are delighted to welcome Laurie to our team."

Little joins TPG from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., a multinational, multi-billion dollar specialty pharmaceutical company, where she was responsible for developing and managing the company's global communications program, including investor relations, public relations, internal communications, government affairs and Valeant's philanthropic efforts. Prior to Valeant, Little was at SICOR, Inc., Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and PacifiCare Health Systems where she led the companies' investor and corporate communications efforts. She was also previously an Instructor at the University of California, Irvine, teaching courses in investor relations.

Little is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) and served on the Senior Roundtable Steering Committee and on the Board for the Orange County Chapter for several years. She received her bachelor's degree in business administration from California State University, Fullerton and an MBA from the George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University.

About The Piacente Group

TPG is a full service investor relations and financial communications consulting firm with offices in New York, California, Beijing and Shanghai. Representing a balanced portfolio of U.S.- and China-based companies, TPG develops and implements strategic programs focused on broadening investment community sponsorship through best practice execution. Value-driven communications, proactive and continuous outreach to Wall Street, targeted media relations and innovative social media methodologies work in concert to market TPG clients' securities before optimal investment audiences.

Please visit The Piacente Group at www.tpg-ir.com, Facebook and LinkedIn. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tpgir.

Contact:

The Piacente Group

Brandi Piacente

212-481-2050

brandi@tpg-ir.com
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Gold Standard Ventures Corp. (TSX VENTURE: GSV)(NYSE MKT: GSV) ("Gold Standard" or the "Company") today announced assay results from 15 holes drilled at the recently discovered North Dark Star gold deposit and the Main Dark Star deposit on its 100%-owned/controlled Railroad-Pinion Project in Nevada's Carlin Trend.

This new drilling achieved two major objectives: First, DS16-33, located on the southern edge of North Dark Star, returned 33.1m of 0.62g Au/t., within a larger lower grade interval, confirming the finding from DS16-31 that the North Dark Star and Main Dark Star oxide gold deposits connect to form one large occurrence. Second, DS16-26 and DS16-38, drilled to the west of the Main Dark Star resource, discovered a western extension of the high grade Dark Star mineralization with exciting implications for further growth of the system. DS16-38 returned 24.4m of 2.03g Au/t, including a higher grade interval of 10.7m of 3.62 g Au/t.

The primary objective of the 2016 North Dark Star drill program was to expand the high grade gold zone discovered in core hole DS15-13 (15.4m of 1.85 g Au/t and 97.0m of 1.61 g Au/t) at the end of the 2015 drill program (see January 21, 2016 news release). DS16-08, located 100m south of DS15-13, subsequently returned a 126.2 meter intercept grading 3.95 g Au/t including higher grade intervals of 44.0m of 4.70 g Au/t, 17.9m of 5.6 g Au/t and 7.9m of 10.7 g Au/t (see August 9, 2016 news release). DS16-03B, located 120m south of DS16-08, intersected a 101.2 meter section grading 1.50 g Au/t including a higher grade interval of 32.3m of 2.87 g Au/t (see August 18, 2016 news release). Then, DS16-21 returned a 56.2 meter interval grading 1.83 g Au/t, including higher grade interval 9.8m of 3.78 g Au/t (see September 14, 2016 news release), up-dip to the east of DS16-08 (Please click the following link to view plan and section maps: https://goldstandardv.com/lp/dark-star-jan2017-results). All of these intercepts report continuous gold values above the cut-off grade of 0.14 g Au/t established by APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, Canada in its Dark Star NI43-101 resource estimate announced on March 3, 2015 (see news release).

Jonathan Awde, CEO and Director of Gold Standard commented: "We now view the Dark Star occurrence as a much larger system with the size and continuity that favor large scale, efficient exploitation. This year we will pursue the exciting possibility that the Dark Star and Pinion systems may also connect, which would have important implications for our Company."

Key Highlights

-- In the south part of North Dark Star, DS16-33 intersected multiple zones of oxidized gold mineralization including 33.1m of 0.62 g Au/t and 14.0m of 0.76 g Au/t (Please click the following link to view drill hole plan/grade thickness map: https://goldstandardv.com/lp/dark-star- jan2017-results). When combined with mineralization in DS16-31, the two holes confirm that the new North Dark Star discovery and the Dark Star Main resource are connected and form a continuous gold zone with a strike length of approximately 1300m. Mineralization occurs within decalcified, variably silicified, and collapse brecciated debris flow conglomerate, the same part of the Pennsylvanian-Permian conglomerate section that hosts gold in core holes DS16-08, DS16-03B, DS16-21 and DS15-13. -- On the west side of Main Dark Star, holes DS16-26 and DS16-38 intersected gold zones including 52.1m of 1.04 g Au/t and 24.4m of 2.03 g Au/t, respectively (Please click the following link to view drill hole plan/grade thickness map: https://goldstandardv.com/lp/dark-star- jan2017-results). The DS16-38 intercept contained a higher-grade interval of 10.7m of 3.62 g Au/t which was associated with a thrust and feldspar porphyry dikes. These oxide and reduced intercepts are more than twice the average grade of the Main Dark Star resource and expand the resource to the west. Mineralization remains open in several directions and this target will be aggressively followed-up in 2017. -- DS16-18, a PQ-size metallurgical core hole drilled into the Main Dark Star resource, intersected 72.9m of 1.02 g Au/t in pervasively oxidized and altered middle debris flow conglomerate in the favorable Pennsylvanian-Permian host section. The core hole also intersected two higher grade gold zones including 12.0m of 2.24 g Au/t and 12.0m of 1.83 g Au/t. DS16-18 is the first of three core holes completed into the Main Dark Star resource. Material from these intercepts will be used for column leach testing at Kappes, Cassiday & Associates in Reno, NV. -- DS16-26 and -38 confirm a new gold target beneath a thrust fault on the west side of Main Dark Star. At this location, the West fault is reinterpreted as a thrust fault juxtaposing rocks of the Chainman, Webb and Tripon Pass Formations in the hanging wall, against silty limestone and middle conglomerate calcareous debris flows of the favorable Pennsylvanian-Permian host section in the footwall. These footwall rocks are the preferred host for Main Dark Star and North Dark Star mineralization. Gold mineralization is focused proximal to the thrust contact and within the underlying Pennsylvanian-Permian carbonate rocks. This thrust is likely to extend westward about 2km. to Pinion. Gold is associated with brecciation, decalcification, silicification, barite, iron oxides and pyrite. -- Drill holes DS16-29, -29A and -30 were cost effective RC holes, outboard of Dark Star, scouting for gold systems and testing new geologic concepts derived from the Company's gravity and CSAMT programs.

Mac Jackson, Gold Standard's Vice President of Exploration stated: "This key intercept in DS16-33 connects North and Main Dark Star, adding substantial tonnage to the resource. The connection occurs along the north-striking Ridgeline fault, which continues to be an important control on gold mineralization. Based on what we see at North Dark Star, thicker and better grade zones are likely to occur along the Ridgeline fault, moving through this area of connection and into Main Dark Star. To the west of Main Dark Star, the intercepts in DS16-26 and DS16-38 give us a new, "footwall of west thrust" setting to explore for Pennsylvanian-Permian-hosted deposits over a large area, extending from West Dark Star to Pinion. In 2017, we are looking forward to coming out with a maiden resource for North Dark Star and continuing to explore for Pennsylvanian-Permian-hosted deposits along the Ridgeline fault and beneath the newly interpreted West thrust."

Dark Star drill results are as follows:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thickne Drill TD Intercept ss Grade Hole Method Azimuth Incl. (m) (m) (m) (g Au/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-18 Core 90 -50 107.0 0.3-73.2 72.9 1.02 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Including 35.2-47.2 12.0 2.24 --------------------------------------- Including 59.6-71.6 12.0 1.83 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-25 RC -90 617.4 No assays greater than 0.14 g Au/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-26 Core 270 -70 536.3 187.2- 38.1 0.73 225.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Including 203.9- 4.6 2.61 208.5 --------------------------------------- 231.4- 31.6 0.49 263.0 --------------------------------------- 274.1- 52.1 1.04 326.2 --------------------------------------- Including 291.8- 6.7 2.03 298.5 --------------------------------------- Including 306.3- 15.9 2.00 322.2 --------------------------------------- 386.9- 1.1 0.19 388.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-28 Core 045 -45 579.9 5.2-7.0 1.8 0.25 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-29 RC 090 -50 77.7 No assays greater than 0.14 g Au/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-29A RC 090 -50 678.4 No assays greater than 0.14 g Au/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-30 RC 090 -70 568.6 No assays greater than 0.14 g Au/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-31 Core 090 -65 430.3 62.8-64.3 1.5 0.23 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 67.7-70.3 2.6 0.17 --------------------------------------- 84.8-86.0 1.2 0.26 --------------------------------------- 103.0- 4.3 0.22 107.3 --------------------------------------- 118.0- 17.7 0.40 135.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-32 Core 090 -45 566.5 69.8-71.8 2.0 0.15 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-33 Core 090 -45 595.1 69.2-92.5 23.3 0.28 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 104.3- 1.5 0.17 105.8 --------------------------------------- 113.4- 3.1 0.22 116.5 --------------------------------------- 121.0- 5.8 0.24 126.8 --------------------------------------- 130.2- 21.8 0.35 152.0 --------------------------------------- 164.3- 33.1 0.62 197.4 --------------------------------------- Including 169.2- 4.9 1.00 174.1 --------------------------------------- Including 177.4- 5.5 1.09 182.9 --------------------------------------- 206.7- 14.0 0.76 220.7 --------------------------------------- Including 212.5- 6.7 1.13 219.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-34 Core 090 -60 456.9 275.2- 1.5 0.21 276.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-35 Core 090 -45 540.5 No assays greater than 0.14 g Au/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-36 Core 090 -60 454.3 156.4- 2.4 0.17 158.8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-37 Core 090 -80 514.9 8.2-9.4 1.2 0.18 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 84.5-87.2 2.7 0.17 --------------------------------------- 176.7- 2.9 0.23 179.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DS16-38 RC 270 -72 519.8 196.6- 6.1 0.22 202.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 219.5- 24.4 2.03 243.9 --------------------------------------- Including 228.6- 10.7 3.62 239.3 --------------------------------------- 394.8- 1.5 0.36 396.3 --------------------------------------- 405.5- 7.6 0.24 413.1 --------------------------------------- 416.2- 19.8 0.36 436.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) Gold intervals reported in this table were calculated using a 0.14 g Au/t cutoff. Weighted averaging has been used to calculate all reported intervals. True widths are estimated at 70-90% of drilled thicknesses.

Sampling Methodology, Chain of Custody, Quality Control and Quality Assurance:

All sampling was conducted under the supervision of the Company's project geologists and the chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility was continuously monitored. Core was cut at the company's facility in Elko and one quarter was sent to the lab for analysis and the remaining material retained in the original core box. A blank or certified reference material was inserted approximately every tenth sample. The North Dark Star samples were delivered to Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories preparation facility in Elko, NV where they were crushed and pulverized. Resulting sample pulps were shipped to Bureau Veritas certified laboratory in Sparks, NV or Vancouver, BC. Pulps were digested and analyzed for gold using fire assay fusion and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish on a 30 gram split. All other elements were determined by ICP analysis. Data verification of the analytical results included a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must pass certain parameters for acceptance to insure accurate and verifiable results.

Drill hole deviation was measured by gyroscopic down hole surveys that were completed on all holes by International Directional Services of Elko, NV. Final collar locations are surveyed by differential GPS by Apex Surveying, LLC of Spring Creek, Nevada.

The scientific and technical content and interpretations contained in this news release have been reviewed, verified and approved by Steven R. Koehler, Gold Standard's Manager of Projects, BSc. Geology and CPG-10216, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

ABOUT GOLD STANDARD VENTURES - Gold Standard is an advanced stage gold exploration company focused on district scale discoveries on its Railroad-Pinion Gold Project, located within the prolific Carlin Trend. The 2014 Pinion and Dark Star gold deposit acquisitions offer Gold Standard a potential near-term development option and further consolidates the Company's premier land package on the Carlin Trend. The Pinion deposit now has an NI43-101 compliant resource estimate consisting of an Indicated Mineral Resource of 31.61 million tonnes grading 0.62 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), totaling 630,300 ounces of gold and an Inferred Resource of 61.08 million tonnes grading 0.55 g/t Au, totaling 1,081,300 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.14 g/t Au (announced March 15, 2016). The Dark Star deposit, 2.1 km to the east of Pinion, has a NI43-101 compliant resource estimate consisting of an Inferred Resource of 23.11 million tonnes grading 0.51 g/t Au, totaling 375,000 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.14 g/t Au (announced March 3, 2015). The 2014 and 2015 definition and expansion of these two shallow, oxide deposits demonstrates their growth potential.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) nor the NYSE MKT accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements about our proposed exploration programs are forward looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Risk factors affecting the Company include, among others: the results from our exploration programs, global financial conditions and volatility of capital markets, uncertainty regarding the availability of additional capital, fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; and the additional risks identified in our filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) and with the SEC on EDGAR (available at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

CAUTIONARY NOTE FOR U.S. INVESTORS REGARDING RESERVE AND RESOURCE ESTIMATES

All resource estimates reported by the Company were calculated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Classification system. These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for descriptions of mineral properties in SEC Industry Guide 7 under Regulation S-K of the U. S. Securities Act of 1933. In particular, under U. S. standards, mineral resources may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. Accordingly, information in this press release containing descriptions of the Company's mineral properties may not be comparable to similar information made public by US public reporting companies.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Gold Standard,

Jonathan Awde, President and Director

Contacts:

Jonathan Awde

President

604-669-5702

info@goldstandardv.com

www.goldstandardv.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Geologix Explorations Inc. (TSX VENTURE: GIX)(FRANKFURT: GF6)(BERLIN: GF6)(STUT: GF6)(MUN: GF6)("Geologix" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the results of a positive, independent Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") on its 100% owned Tepal Gold/Copper Project ("Tepal" or the "Project") located in southwest Mexico. All currency values are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

The PEA supports Tepal's robust economic potential as an open pit operation using contract mining. Sulphides will be milled and processed via a 22,000 tonnes per day ("tpd") copper, gold and silver ("Cu/Au/Ag") flotation concentrate circuit combined with a secondary carbon-in-leach ("CIL") circuit producing gold and silver ("Au/Ag") dore. Oxides will be milled and processed via a separate 5,500 tpd CIL circuit producing Au/Ag dore.

"Achieving this milestone is a critical first step toward rewarding the long-term dedication and perseverance of all of our key stakeholders," said Kiran Patankar, Geologix's President and Chief Executive Officer. "During a challenging multi-year period for junior miners following the completion of a Pre-Feasibility Study on Tepal in 2013, our Board of Directors made a prudent decision to curtail spending and minimize shareholder dilution, while stepping in to provide the Company with interim funding to keep the Project in a clean and unencumbered condition until resource capital markets improved. When metals prices stabilized and reversed direction in 2016, the Company enhanced its management team, completed a modest private placement, and commenced an extensive review of Tepal. We look forward to resuming project development based on these promising results."

"The optimized PEA design presents a low-capex, high-margin development scenario that maximizes economic return at today's metals prices while retaining significant optionality and upside should prices continue to improve. With a 10-year mine life, average annual gold production of 79,000 oz., LOM average cash cost plus sustaining cost of $396/oz. (net of copper and silver by-product credits), manageable initial capital cost of $214 million, extensive historical technical and permitting work already completed, and strong local community support, we believe Tepal is in the top quartile of porphyry gold/copper development projects. We intend to further optimize and de-risk Tepal by progressing toward a Feasibility Study, while maintaining a disciplined spending approach that maximizes value for our shareholders."

In August of 2016, Geologix commissioned JDS Energy & Mining Inc. ("JDS") to complete the PEA, which involved evaluating design input parameters and mineral processing requirements, performing mining and processing optimizations and trade-off studies, estimating facilities, infrastructure and operating costs, and generating project economics associated with the potential development of the Tepal mineral resource. A technical report will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and the Company's website (www.geologix.ca) within 45 days.

The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that the PEA will be realized.

Project Design and Economics

A summary of the PEA operating assumptions using metals prices of $1,250/oz. gold, $2.50/lb copper and $18.00/oz. silver ($1,250/oz. gold, $2.25/lb copper and $20.00/oz. silver for pit design) is as follows:

Operating Assumptions/Highlights (Currency in USD) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mine Life 9.8 years ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Material Mined 142.9 million tonnes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strip Ratio 0.6: 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Plant Throughput (Sulphide + Oxide) 9.6 Mtpa ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Au Sulphide Head Grade 0.33 g/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Cu Sulphide Head Grade 0.21% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Au Oxide Head Grade 0.45 g/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOM Average Au Sulphide Recovery (combined Flotation & CIL) 77% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOM Average Cu Sulphide Recovery 87% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOM Average Au Oxide Recovery 81% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Au Ounces Recovered 766,248 oz. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Cu lbs Recovered 308.0 Mlbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Au Production (Years 1-5) 108,390 oz. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Cu Production (Years 1-5) 37.3 Mlbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOM Average Au Production 78,572 oz. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOM Average Cu Production 31.6 Mlbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Production Capital Cost $214.2 million ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOM Sustaining and Closure Capital Cost $86.7 million ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOM Average Cash Cost(1) per Au Ounce (net of by- products) $313/oz. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOM Average Cash Cost(1) plus Sustaining Cost per Au Ounce (net of by-products) $396/oz. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Cash cost includes all mining, milling & refining, transport, mine-level G&A, and royalty costs

Using base case price assumptions of $1,250/oz. gold, $2.50/lb copper and $18.00/oz. silver, Tepal has an estimated $169 million after-tax NPV at a 5% discount rate, an attractive 24% after- tax IRR, and an after-tax payback period of 2.3 years. Base case LOM revenue split is 54% gold/43% copper/3% silver. The base case economic evaluation used metals prices that are close to current spot prices and near the median of current medium to long term analyst forecasts. After-tax economics were prepared using the following assumptions: a 2.5% Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalty, 0.5% Mexican royalty based on precious metals revenue, 7.5% Mexican royalty based on EBITDA, 12% annual depreciation rate, accumulated tax loss carry forward of US$22.4 million, and a 30% Mexican income tax rate. The sensitivities of pre-tax and after-tax results to assumed metals prices are as follows:

% Change in Base Case Prices -20% -10% 0% 10% 20% ---------------------------------------------- -------------------- Gold Price (US$/oz) $1,000 $1,125 $1,250 $1,375 $1,500 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Price (US$/lb) $2.00 $2.25 $2.50 $2.75 $3.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Silver Price (US$/oz) $14.40 $16.20 $18.00 $19.80 $21.60 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Tax: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- NPV5% (US$ millions) $31.7 $165.6 $299.4 $433.3 $567.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRR (%) 10% 25% 36% 46% 55% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Payback Period (years) 3.1 2.2 1.6 1.3 1.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- After-Tax: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- NPV5% (US$ millions) -$19.3 $77.5 $169.4 $257.2 $344.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRR (%) 2% 15% 24% 31% 38% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Payback Period (years) 4.5 3.0 2.3 1.9 1.6 ---------------------------------------------- --------------------

Mineral Resource

The PEA is based on the current mineral resource estimate for Tepal. The technical report, titled Technical Report on the Mineral Resources of the Tepal Gold-Copper Project, Michoacan State, Mexico (the "2012 Resource Report"), was filed on SEDAR on March 29, 2012. Project mineral resources are summarized in the table below:

Total Tepal Project Resource Estimate(1) - March 2012 Au Cu Ag Contained Contained Tonnes Grade Grade Grade Au Cu Resource Classification (g/t) (%) (g/t) (oz) (lbs) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 34,100,000 0.48 0.25 0.95 528,000 185,000,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 153,700,000 0.26 0.19 1.67 1,276,000 628,000,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured & Indicated 187,800,000 0.3 0.2 1.54 1,804,000 813,000,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 35,700,000 0.16 0.15 1.68 182,000 120,000,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oxide and Sulphide Resources(1)- March 2012 Au Cu Ag Contained Contained Tonnes Grade Grade Grade Au Cu Resource Classification (g/t) (%) (g/t) (oz) (lbs) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oxide Measured & Indicated 21,100,000 0.34 0.21 1.18 233,000 96,000,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oxide Inferred 700,000 0.19 0.13 2.01 4,000 2,000,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sulphide Measured & Indicated 166,700,000 0.29 0.2 1.59 1,571,000 717,000,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sulphide Inferred 35,000,000 0.16 0.15 1.67 177,000 118,000,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) The resource stated in the table conforms to CIM guidelines for reasonable potential for economic extraction and is not to be confused as reserves. Resource numbers above are rounded to nearest 100,000 tonnes, 1,000 oz Au and 1,000,000 lbs Cu

Capital Costs

Total pre-production capital cost is estimated at $214 million with the majority of the costs associated with sulphide and oxide processing plants as well as surface infrastructure. The PEA envisions a two-year construction period. Initial capital costs will be partially offset by commencing oxide Au/Ag dore production during the second year of construction via a 5,500 tpd oxide processing plant consisting of a ball mill, oxide CIL circuit producing Au/Ag dore and tailings management facility. Commercial mine production will commence upon commissioning a separate 22,000 tpd sulphide processing plant consisting of semi-autogenous grinding ("SAG") and ball mills, a flotation circuit producing Cu/Au/Ag concentrate and a sulphide CIL circuit producing Au/Ag dore, along with tailings management facilities.

Open pit mining and haulage is anticipated to be completed by contract mining companies using their own equipment, conducted 365 days per year. Electrical power would be supplied by CFE, the federal power authority in Mexico. Pre-production capital cost includes all costs associated with upgrading an electrical substation located in the community of Tepalcatepec and adding 20 kilometres of new overhead transmission line from this substation to the Project site. Power line and substation cost estimates were based on a peak demand load forecast of 28 megawatts and overhead line supplying power at 115kV.

LOM sustaining capital costs are estimated at $87 million with the majority of the costs associated with tailings and waste rock management and closure costs.

Project capital costs are summarized below:

Capital Costs Pre-Production Sustaining / Closure Total (US$M) (US$M) (US$M) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mining 12.4 3.0 15.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Site Development/Earthworks 5.5 0.0 5.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sulphide Processing Plant 77.7 5.7 83.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oxide Processing Plant 29.9 0.0 29.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tailings & Waste Rock Management 8.6 48.5 57.1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Surface Infrastructure 25.2 0.0 25.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Project Indirects 10.5 0.0 10.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EPCM 15.3 0.0 15.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Owner Costs 6.9 0.0 6.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Closure (Net of Salvage) 0.0 22.9 22.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subtotal Capital Costs 191.9 80.1 272.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contingency 11% 22.3 6.6 28.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Capital 214.2 86.7 300.9 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mining

The PEA mine plan would use conventional open pit mining methods with work performed by contract mining companies. Mineralized material is located in three open pits (North, South and Tizate Pits) and would be mined sequentially, targeting the highest value material in the initial years of mine life in order to facilitate early capital payback and maximize project economics. In- pit mineral resources included in the PEA mine plan using 5% mining dilution are as follows:

Mineral Resource (Mine Diluted) Included in PEA Mine Plan(1)(2) Au Cu Ag Contained Contained Tonnes Grade Grade Grade Au Cu Resource Classification (g/t) (%) (g/t) (oz) (lbs) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 26,800,000 0.51 0.25 0.95 438,000 150,000,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 61,700,000 0.28 0.20 1.58 550,000 269,000,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured & Indicated 88,500,000 0.35 0.21 1.39 988,000 419,000,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 2,000,000 0.19 0.18 2.73 12,000 8,000,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) The resource stated in the table conforms to CIM guidelines for reasonable potential for economic extraction and is not to be confused as reserves. Resource numbers above are rounded to nearest 100,000 tonnes, 1,000 oz Au and 1,000,000 lbs Cu (2) NSR cut-off for sulphide material is $8.19/tonne milled and for oxide material is $10.13/tonne milled

Measured and Indicated resources comprise 98% of the PEA mine plan tonnage, with Inferred resources comprising the remaining 2%.

Processing

The PEA envisions milling of oxide and sulphide material through separate circuits. Oxide material would be milled at 5,500 tpd through a ball mill and sulphide material would be milled at 22,000 tpd through a separate SAG and ball mill circuit.

Oxides would be processed through a CIL circuit, producing Au/Ag dore on site that would be shipped for refining. Oxide Au/Ag dore production is expected to commence during the second year of mine construction in order to offset a portion of the initial capital cost. Total gold production during the pre-production period would be approximately 21,000 oz.

Sulphides would be processed through a Cu/Au/Ag rougher circuit for copper, gold and silver recovery. The rougher Cu/Au/Ag concentrate would be reground and processed through a cleaner circuit to produce a copper concentrate with significant gold credits for shipment to an offshore smelter. Tailings from the Cu/Au/Ag rougher circuit would be sent to a pyrite rougher circuit to produce a pyrite concentrate. Separate to the Cu/Au/Ag concentrate process, the pyrite concentrate would be combined with the tailings from the first copper cleaner circuit, with the combined concentrate leached through a CIL circuit to produce Au/Ag dore on site that would be shipped for refining.

Based on Geologix's previously completed technical work that processed representative material from Tepal's three pits at G&T Laboratories located in Kamloops, British, the PEA design is expected to produce a concentrate with a copper grade of 26% and no deleterious elements. The Company believes that the Cu/Au/Ag concentrate will be marketable to smelters.

Operating Costs

Project operating cost estimates are as follows:

Operating Cost US$/t LOM processed (US$M) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mining(i) 3.30 298.7 Processing - Sulphide 5.49 429.7 Processing - Oxide 6.34 77.2 G&A 0.75 67.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total OPEX 9.65 873.1 (i)Mining operating cost is $2.16/t mined (excludes waste tonnes not associated with the 1.4Mt of pre-production mining)

Qualified Persons and 43-101 Disclosure

The technical information contained in this press release is based on information prepared by, or under the supervision of, Gord Doerksen, P.Eng., VP Engineering for JDS and a Qualified Person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101").

About Geologix Explorations Inc.

Geologix is a mineral exploration and development company focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing mineral resource opportunities with the potential to host profitable mining operations. The Company's primary focus is the Tepal Gold/Copper Project in Michoacan state, Mexico.

This Press Release may contain statements which constitute 'forward-looking' statements, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities or performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks, uncertainties and factors are described in the periodic filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the Company's Annual Information Form and quarterly and annual Management's Discussion & Analysis, which may be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward- looking statements except as required by applicable Canadian securities requirements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Geologix Explorations Inc.

Kiran Patankar

President and Chief Executive Officer

604-694-1742

kpatankar@geologix.ca

www.geologix.ca




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Food delivery startup DoorDash and courier service Postmates have joined with robotic delivery developer Starship Technologies for conducting commercial delivery trials over the next few weeks. With Starship's self-driving delivery robots, DoorDash will do the delivery tests in Redwood City, California, while Postmates' tests will take place in Washington, D.C. They will carry food orders and packages by largely rolling along city sidewalks on their own. Starship's robots travel at a top speed of about 4 miles per hour on busy town sidewalks or streets, and can carry just over 40 lbs. at a time. The robots are generally programmed to deliver within a two-mile radius in real world scenarios. They are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. DoorDash and Postmates are the first US partners of Starship. The London and Estonia-based startup, which was launched in 2014 by Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, has already conducted similar robotic delivery trials in the U.K. and Germany. According to Starship, its delivery robots as of October 2016 had come into contact with at least 1.7 million people in 16 countries and 56 cities. They have traveled 10,000 miles while making deliveries or conducting formal road tests. As per the reports, the US partners do not expect robots to become their primary couriers. DoorDash's Stanley Tang reportedly stated that robots could deliver small, nearby orders, while human couriers could focus on larger and longer-distance orders. 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.
MADRID (dpa-AFX) - Spain's foreign trade deficit decreased in November from a year ago, as exports grew faster than imports, figures from the Economy Ministry showed Thursday. The trade deficit dropped to EUR 1.25 billion in November from EUR 1.65 billion in the corresponding month last year. Merchandise exports grew 8.5 percent year-over-year in November and imports increased by 5.3 percent. During the January to November period, total trade deficit of the country was EUR 16.3 billion, which was 27.1 percent lower than in the same period of 2015. Exports rose 1.6 percent to EUR 233.7 billion, marking the series historical high for this period. 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) - Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. (CYTX) announced Thursday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire certain assets from privately held Azaya Therapeutics Inc. Under the deal terms, at the closing of the deal, Cytori will issue $2 million in Cytori common stock up front, 25 percent of which will be subject to a 15-month escrow, and will also pay off approximately $2 million of Azaya's trade payables. At the closing, Cytori will also assume the obligation to make additional future payments to Azaya based on certain requirements. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, and is expected to close on or prior to February 28. Azaya is a manufacturer of nanoparticle and protein-stabilized liposomal therapeutics. Azaya is based in San Antonio, Texas and has developed two nanoparticle drugs that have shown promise in their respective clinical programs to date. A successful acquisition would provide Cytori with a proprietary liposomal nanoparticle technology platform that would expand and complement the company's leadership position in regenerative medicine. 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.
HOUSTON, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- The Weirds, a new toy line and brand that revels in the unique, different and original, announced today that it has partnered with two like-minded brands -- Sentai Filmworks, a leading independent distributor of Japanese anime and pop culture programming, and the Bruce Lee Foundation. Both partnerships align to and support The Weirds' mantra of "Embrace Your Weird."

"The Weirds is about not only celebrating differences in one another but shining a spotlight on them, and Sentai Filmworks and the Bruce Lee Foundation both operate under the same kind of philosophy," said The Weirds creator Chris Hawley. "By supporting one another in business and community, we hope to bring home our message that, "Normal is lame, embrace your weird!'"

"Sentai Filmworks has a global fan base that consists of people who appreciate the different, the unique and the diverse -- it's the core of our business," said John Ledford, President and CEO of Sentai Filmworks. "By partnering with The Weirds, we can both reach new communities that celebrate the art of individuality."

The partnership with The Bruce Lee Foundation is a collaborative effort to educate and encourage kids on the importance of being themselves in today's world. Through the foundation's Little Dragon's Program, kids ages seven to 17 are empowered to freely express themselves with confidence in any environment or social setting. The Weirds partnership makes this concept very approachable and fun for kids.

"Everyone has a unique set of talents, qualities and gifts. That is a message that Bruce Lee himself projected out into the world and that is what we celebrate at the Bruce Lee Foundation," said Richard Grewar, Executive Director of the Bruce Lee Foundation. "Over the past several years, we've been witness to Chris's passion for his community and the kids within it, so our partnership with The Weirds comes at a time when now, more than ever, kids need someone to look up to and something to believe in -- themselves."

The Weirds brand was named a finalist in License Global Magazine's, "One to Watch" Award in 2016. The Weirds launched with a toy line of awesomely odd plush characters, each retailing for $29.99. Each character is designed with bright, hard-to-miss colors, fun patterns, and -- most importantly -- unique personality traits:

El Loco and Guapo: When not in the ring, Mexican wrestlers El Loco and his tag team partner, Guapo the mustache, like climbing Mt. Everest, Bigfoot hunting, and zip-lining.

Miss E: This girly girl of the group loves Monster trucks and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. In fact, she once held the world record for most sandwiches eaten in one sitting -- 29!

Bonez: The mega-chill Weird is not much for exercise or excitement. He likes to spend his days on the couch watching '90's sitcoms, playing games on his phone, and checking out local bands.

Fab Ric: Ric's made from ... well ... fabric. Not just any ol' fabric, it's totally colorable. He's a blank canvas and a masterpiece waiting to be created!

Allen: When he burps, color flows out of his mouth. His second language is Pig Latin, and he owns the famous chicken nugget that looks like Santa Claus. He's not a fan of pickles.

Noodlez: She's a kitten with sass. She never met a donut she didn't like and loves to draw and text, but give her yams and you will get a hiss!

Lucky: This single-horned dude is all about life jackets and rainbows but has an aversion to tweezers and Sporks.





The Weirds plush characters, along with other branded merchandise (T-shirts, buttons, stickers, coloring book), are available for purchase on TheWeirds.com, various independent retailers, and are supported via Sentai Filmworks.

For more information, please visit The Weirds' website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel.

About The Weirds

The Weirds are a collection of original characters that are anything but normal. They're awesomely odd, born to promote individuality. The Weirds world is simple -- be unique, be different, be you...be Weird! Weird people are the risk takers, the explorers and the innovators! Our message that "Normal is lame, embrace your weird" is one that many people, and kids believe...so let's celebrate it. Let your weird roam the countryside and crazy dance when your favorite song comes on... let it make odd faces in the mirror while fixing your hair...you've got it in you...set it free! So join the movement...and let's ALL get WEIRD! For more information, visit www.theweirds.com.

About Sentai Filmworks, LLC

Sentai Filmworks is a leading global supplier of anime and official anime merchandise, distributing and curating one of the industry's most diverse libraries of top trending and classic titles. Offering thousands of hours of content across both traditional and digital platforms, Sentai is dedicated to bringing captivating stories and iconic characters directly from Japan. With hit series that include Parasyte -the maxim-, No Game, No Life, Food Wars!, Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, and Akame ga Kill!, Sentai's catalog continues to grow with new favorites like Himouto! Umaru-chan and Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls, as well as classic anime series such as Legend of the Galactic Heroes. For more information, visit www.sentaifilmworks.com.

About the Bruce Lee Foundation:

What started as a grassroots movement to honor Bruce Lee's philosophies and dedication to his craft and his life, has become a thriving 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that motivates individuals around the world to become the best version of themselves. Through a number of educational and social initiatives -- including the "Little Dragons" martial arts for kids program, the Bruce Lee Foundation encourages people to strive for honest self-expression in alignment with their mind, body, and spirit. Consistent with Bruce Lee's innate belief, they know that they can impact the world by giving people permission to follow their dreams, in harmony with their community. They are sharing Bruce Lee's message with the world and providing opportunities for people to apply his message as a personal all to action. For more information, visit www.bruceleefoundation.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kathy Kwon

(310) 435-0812

Email Contact




AMSTERDAM, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

2,500 celebrate historic groundbreaking in one of Africa's neediest countries for a $14m solar field to advance economic and social development

Amid the lush and rolling hills of Mubuga, 100 km outside the Burundian capital of Bujumbura, 2,500 people came yesterday to celebrate the festive ground-breaking for a 7.5 MW solar field that will add 15% to the East African country's generation capacity. In a colorful and drum-accented ceremony attended by government officials, international investors, religious leaders and the diplomatic community, Gigawatt Global, the leading frontier solar and social development enterprise, announced the $14 million pioneering project in one of the world's least developed nation.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/459171/Gigawatt_groundbreaking.jpg )

"Empowering economic and social development is at the heart of our green energy business," said Michael Fichtenberg, VP for Finance and Business Development of Gigawatt Global. "This high impact development investment supported by leading international financial institutions signals that Burundi is open for development and business."

This will be the largest private international investment in the power sector in Burundi in nearly 30 years, with the power being sold for 25 years to REGIDESO, the national electric company. "We are very excited at the groundbreaking of the Gigawatt Burundi solar field," said His Excellency Come Manirakiza, Burundi's Minister of Energy and Mines. "After their success in Rwanda, Gigawatt Global has proven it can be relied on to deliver efficient, clean renewable energy at reasonable cost, contributing greatly to our economy and society. We look forward to the speedy completion of this project, and are thankful for the collaboration and cooperation with Gigawatt Global as energy in Burundi is a clear priority."

Gigawatt Global, an American-owned Dutch developer, is a founding member of the White House Power Africa initiative and financed and developed the first commercial scale solar field in continental sub-Sahara Africa (outside of South Africa) in neighboring Rwanda in 2014.

The project has been supported by a grant from the Energy and Environment Partnership (a Finland, UK, Austrian fund) and the Belgian Investment Company for Developing countries (BIO) to cover the relevant studies. The project is also supported by African-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP) and the Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP), currently engaging in project due diligence.

"This project is a great example of Burundians, Americans and other international partners working together for the economic development of Burundi," said Anne Casper, U.S. Ambassador to Burundi. "The success of this project will be a positive signal to other potential investors, who are watching Gigawatt Global and the Government of Burundi to see if investing in Burundi is stable, predictable and easy to do. We are working together very hard and very closely -- the U.S., Burundi, the Netherlands, and Gigawatt Global -- to make this project a success -- to enable the whole country to get energy and this will lead to the country's economic development."

U.S. Power Africa Coordinator Andrew Herscowitz underlined the importance of Gigawatt Global's work by saying, "As a founding Power Africa partner, Gigawatt Global continues to demonstrate its industry leadership with this investment in Burundi."

HE Hendrikes Verwein, the Dutch Ambassador to Burundi, said, "The Kingdom of the Netherlands supports Gigawatt Global and commits to assist the company in the pursuit of its investments. The Kingdom of the Netherlands expresses its wish that the contractual commitments included in the agreement protocols for the construction of the solar plant in Mubuga be rapidly implemented."

"Gigawatt Global is expecting to deploy $2 billion in renewable energy projects in Africa as partners of the White House Power Africa initiative in the coming years as renewables are taking the lead in power generation in Africa and emerging markets," said CEO Josef Abramowitz. "We are targeting sub-Sahara Africa as a high impact and high growth market, with a portfolio of small, medium and large power projects in the highest priority development areas."

The construction and interconnection of the project to the national grid is expected to be concluded in Q4 of 2017.

Contact:

Josef Abramowitz

+972-54-692-2008

Josef@GigawattGlobal.com



Michael Fichtenberg

+257-757-33011

+972-54-976-0092


MONACO--(Marketwired - January 19, 2017) - Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE: STNG) (the "Company") announced today that the Company has received commitments for a loan facility of up to $172 million from a group of financial institutions including Macquarie Bank Limited (London Branch), DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale ("DekaBank"), The Export-Import Bank of Korea ("KEXIM") and Garanti-Instituttet for Eksportkreditt ("GIEK"). The loan facility, which is composed of multiple tranches, will be used to finance up to 60% of the market value of eight MR product tankers under construction at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co., Ltd. which are scheduled for delivery in 2017 and 2018. The maturity date of each tranche is between six and 12 years from each drawdown date, and the facility bears interest at LIBOR plus a blended margin of 2.02% per annum. The terms and conditions, including financial covenants, are similar to those set forth in the Company's existing credit facilities. The loan facility is subject to customary conditions precedent and the execution of definitive documentation.

About Scorpio Tankers Inc.

Scorpio Tankers Inc. is a provider of marine transportation of petroleum products worldwide. Scorpio Tankers Inc. currently owns 77 product tankers (21 LR2, 14 Handymax, and 42 MR tankers) with an average age of 2.2 years and time charters-in 16 product tankers (two LR2, one LR1, eight MR and five Handymax tankers). The Company has contracted for 10 newbuilding product tankers (eight MR and two LR2 tankers). The two LR2s are expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2017 and the eight MRs are expected to be delivered throughout 2017 and the first quarter of 2018. Additional information about the Company is available at the Company's website www.scorpiotankers.com, which is not a part of this press release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words "believe," "anticipate," "intends," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "plan," "potential," "may," "should," "expect," "pending" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. We undertake no obligation, and specifically decline any obligation, except as required by law, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the failure of counterparties to fully perform their contracts with us, the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for tanker vessel capacity, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, charter counterparty performance, ability to obtain financing and comply with covenants in such financing arrangements, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties.
THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- SOURCE EXPLORATION CORP. (the "Company" or "Source") (TSX VENTURE: SOP) is pleased to announce that it will be exhibiting at the upcoming Vancouver Resource Investment Conference on January 22nd and 23rd and participating in Frank Holmes' session titled Concise, Comprehensive and Compelling Stories. The Frank Holmes session is scheduled from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon on January 22nd at the Speaker Hall, Vancouver Convention Centre West.

The company will also be exhibiting at the AME BC Mineral Exploration Roundup 2017 Conference also being held in Vancouver at Canada Place from January 23rd to 26th.

Source's management team invites current shareholders, potential investors, brokers, analysts and interested parties to visit booth 618 at the Vancouver Convention Centre West and booth 700 at Canada Place to discuss the upcoming 2017 drilling program for its flagship Las Minas property and planned maiden NI 43-101 resource estimate. The company will be displaying high-grade diamond drill hole LM-14- SC- 08, which graded 3.57 g/t Au Eq over 99.0 metres, including 24.11 g/t Au Eq over 9.60 metres.

To view 'Diamond Drill Core DDH LM-14-SC -08', please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/sour0118.pdf

All reported intervals referred to in this news release are core lengths and additional information is required to determine true widths. Assays are uncut, length-weighted average values.

1. Gold equivalent (Au Eq) calculations use metal prices of US $1200/oz. for gold, US $19.00/oz. for silver and US $3.00/lb. for copper. No adjustments have been made for potential relative differences in metal recoveries.

Au Eq g/t equals Au g/t + (Ag g/t x 0.016) + (Cu% x1.71).

About the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference

The AME BC Mineral exploration Roundup conference is the world's largest resource investment conference dedicated to resource exploration. Investment thought leaders and wealth influencers provide valuable insights into the resource exploration sector.

For more information on the conference visit: https://cambridgehouse.com/event/54/vancouver-resource-investment-conference-2017

About the AME BC Mineral Exploration Roundup 2017 Conference

The AME BC's Mineral Exploration Roundup conference brings together prospectors, geoscientists, investors, suppliers and those interested in the mineral exploration industry every January in Vancouver.

For more information on the conference visit: http://roundup.amebc.ca/

About Las Minas

The Las Minas Project hosts near-surface gold-silver and copper skarn mineralization and high-grade gold-silver epithermal vein deposits. The project is comprised of six mineral concessions covering approximately 1,616 hectares (3,995 acres), with several small high-grade, past-producing mines and numerous untested targets.

The district is host to one of the largest under explored gold-silver and copper skarn systems known in Mexico, and has a production history that extends back to the Aztec era. The Las Minas granodiorite intrusive measures approximately 10 kilometres in diameter and underlies the Las Minas concessions. The mineralization controls and association with magnetite appear to be similar to parts of the Guerrero Gold belt, which is the site of the Los Filos and Morelos gold deposits.

Las Minas is an early-stage exploration project and does not contain any mineral resource estimates as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). The potential quantities and grades disclosed herein are conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource for the targets discussed herein. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in these targets being delineated as a mineral resource.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Sonny Bernales, P. Geo, a registered Professional Geoscientist in the Province of British Columbia and a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Bernales is responsible for logistics and supervision of all exploration activity conducted by Source on the property.

The Company has implemented and adheres to a strict Quality Assurance/Quality Control program which includes inserting mineralized standards and blanks into the sample stream, about 1 for every 10 samples. The standards and blanks were obtained from CDN Resource Laboratories Ltd. of Langley, BC, Canada. Each sample bag is properly sealed and kept in a secured, restricted storage place prior to shipping to the lab. Samples are shipped directly by Source or picked-up by the lab vehicle with chain of custody/sample submittal signed and dated. The Company sends it samples to SGS Mineral Services (ISO/IEC 17025) at Durango, Mexico, an accredited and independent laboratory.

About Source Exploration

Source Exploration is a Canadian based mineral exploration company committed to building long-term value through ongoing discoveries and strategic acquisitions of prospective precious metals deposits in Mexico. Source is exploring the Las Minas Project, which is located in the core of the Las Minas district in the Veracruz State, Mexico. The district is host to one of the largest under explored skarn systems known in Mexico and has a strong production history that dates back to the Aztec era.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements about the magnitude or quality of mineral deposits, anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs, future operations, results of exploration, prospects, commodity and precious metals prices, future work programs, anticipated financial and operational results, capital expenditures and objectives and the completion and timing of mineral resource estimates. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the risks identified in the Company's disclosure documents available at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based on the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Source Exploration Corp.

Camille Turner

Investor Relations

604-669-7840 or 604-970-8052



Source Exploration Corp.

David Baker

Executive Chairman

604-817-4211 or 604-970-8052



Source Exploration Corp.

Brian Robertson

President & CEO

807-474-4270 or 807-251-1816

807-474-4272 (FAX)

info@sourceexploration.com

www.sourceexploration.com




HONG KONG, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Erik Prince, Chairman of Frontier Services Group (FSG; HK 500) was interviewed by Becky Anderson on CNN in a segment first broadcasted on 15 January 2017. During the interview Erik discussed a new creative approach to solving the Libyan migrant crisis, following an OpEd published in the Financial Times earlier this month.

The solution focuses on using a public/private partnership to train and support the Libyan administration, thereby halting the flow of thousands of migrants travelling by sea to Europe. The plan involves providing logistical support in Libya, training and equipping Libyan forces with the private sector providing key leadership, intelligence co-ordination, communications and medical support, ultimately stopping migrants from ever reaching the dangers of the Mediterranean.

The full interview can be viewed on the following link:

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2017/01/18/erik-prince-blackwater-anderson-intv-ctw.cnn

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.
CUPERTINO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Demisto, Inc., an innovator in Security Operations technology, today announced that customer Esri, Inc., the world's leading mapping platform company, has been named an honoree of a 2017 CSO50 Award from IDG's CSO. This prestigious honor is given to a select group of organizations demonstrating that their security projects/initiatives have created outstanding business value and thought leadership for their companies. Esri will accept its award at the CSO50 Conference + Awards event May 1-3 at the Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Esri is a global organization that helps more than 350,000 customers worldwide solve tough problems through advanced geospatial technology. Securing the many diverse digital assets of both the company and its customers is one of Esri's most important challenges. Last year it deployed Demisto Enterprise to streamline its Security Operations Center (SOC) activities with automated playbooks, response tasks and collaboration for improved responses to all relevant security alerts. As a result of efficiencies realized, Esri can now manage the long-term costs of its SOC operations by optimizing current security infrastructure and resources. Specifically, Demisto's automation and collaboration have reduced the volume of alerts requiring active analyst review from 10,000 per week to roughly 500 per week, a reduction of approximately 95 percent.

"To protect our infrastructure and private information, we have integrated a security product portfolio of some of the world's leading security solutions," said Gaye Stevens, CSO at Esri. "This security product portfolio identified more than 10,000 incidents and alerts per week, which presented us with challenges when trying to analyze and respond to these alerts with limited resources and time."

"The stakes have never been higher when it comes to protecting an organization's sensitive data from criminals and breach," said Joan Godchild, editor-in-chief of CSO. "Security leaders are expected to not only deliver protection, but also to drive business initiatives. Our annual CSO50 Awards recognize security projects that enhance defense and also deliver ROI."

Launched in 2013, the CSO50 Awards recognize 50 organizations for security projects and initiatives that demonstrate outstanding business value and thought leadership. The CSO50 Awards are scored according to a uniform set of criteria by a panel of judges that includes security leaders, industry experts, and academics. Awards will be presented at the CSO50 Conference + Awards.

To handle large volume of alerts, Esri's team built playbooks for each type of incident, and selected Demisto to automate closure of incidents that are easily resolved as false positives. Through Demisto's automation, these playbooks now codify analysts' knowledge and integrate it with all security products in Esri's environment. Demisto also helps identify and close duplicate incidents to reduce time spent on redundant investigations. And when analyst intervention is required, Demisto's ChatOps facilitates collaboration to resolve issues much faster than before using the team's combined knowledge.

"The automation infused into our security infrastructure by Demisto complements our existing SIEM and network monitoring solutions, allowing our SOC team to realize greater efficiencies," said Sean Kohlmeier, Esri incident response lead. "Demisto enables auto-closing of incidents based on correlations and collection of results from other tools that were previously not readily available. Automating these mundane tasks allows our analysts to focus on decision making instead of collecting evidence, reducing a major portion of time our teams previously spent running separate tools and performing repetitive tasks."

"Esri is a good example of how organizations can gain greater efficiency in their SOC activities and automate response to incidents by using automated playbooks, case management and collaboration, and we are pleased to see them recognized for their efforts with a prestigious CSO50 Award," said Rishi Bhargava, Demisto co-founder and VP of Marketing. "Demisto also allows the Esri team to benefit from its auto-documentation capability, reducing the manual documentation process and enabling the analysts to spend time solving problems instead of filling out documents and assembling reports."

Demisto Enterprise's intelligent automation is powered by DBot, a security chatbot. DBot automates actions across security products and correlates artifacts across incidents by using sophisticated patterns and powerful search capabilities. DBot searches through past and ongoing forensic investigations, and proactively alerts the users when duplicate or related incidents are identified. The playbooks were developed by security and incident response experts, following National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other regulatory documents. To create new best practices, additional playbooks can be created by users to satisfy compliance and audit requirements, or for interactive modeling and training of analysts.

About CSO

CSO is the premier content and community resource for security decision-makers leading "business risk management" efforts within their organization. For more than a decade, CSO's award-winning web site (CSOonline.com), executive conferences, strategic marketing services and research have equipped security decision-makers to mitigate both IT and corporate/physical risk for their organizations and provided opportunities for security vendors looking to reach this audience. To assist CSOs in educating their organizations' employees on corporate and personal security practices, CSO also produces the quarterly newsletter Security Smart. CSO is published by IDG Enterprise, a subsidiary of IDG. Company information is available at www.idgenterprise.com.

About Demisto

Demisto helps Security Operations Centers scale their human resources, improve incident response times, and capture evidence while working to solve problems collaboratively. Demisto Enterprise is the first comprehensive, Bot-powered Security ChatOps Platform to combine intelligent automation with collaboration. Demisto's intelligent automation is powered by DBot which works with teams to automate playbooks, correlate artifacts, enable information sharing and auto document the entire incident lifecycle. Demisto is backed by Accel and has offices in Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv. For more information, visit www.demisto.com or email info@demisto.com.

Demisto is a registered trademark of Demisto in the United States and other countries. All other company and product names are either trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3100448



Contact:

Dan Spalding

Email Contact

(408) 960-9297




ALPHADAS Software Solution in Full live Production at Leading Early Phase Clinical Research Organization Located in UK

Instem, a leading provider of IT solutions to the global early development healthcare market, announced today that BioKinetic Europe ("BioKinetic") has gone live with the full ALPHADASsoftware suite in its Phase I unit located in Belfast, N. Ireland.

Following a competitive evaluation of commercial software systems and vendors, Instem's ALPHADAS software suite was chosen by BioKinetic as the best solution on the market to help optimize processes, provide their sponsors with access to the highest quality data in real time and further enhance the comprehensive set of services BioKinetic provides to its sponsors.

Following on from a successful rapid deployment of the ALPHADAS Recruitment module in March 2016, the implementation of Phase 2 of the project began, with a goal of being live with full eSource data capture including integrated data management by Q1 2017. That objective has been met and BioKinetic is now using the complete end-to-end ALPHADAS solution for all their trial needs. This has allowed them to streamline their operations, capture clinical trial data electronically, enable remote data monitoring and submit clinical data in a fully SDTM compliant dataset.

"We are delighted to be going live with full electronic data capture for all trials at BioKinetic," said David Bell, Medical Director and Managing Partner at BioKinetic Europe. "It's been an enriching journey and we are excited to realize the benefits of the ALPHADAS system from an onsite operational perspective and to see the advantages and satisfaction it brings to our Sponsors with immediate effect. We're glad to be working with such a flexible and responsive team at Instem and look forward to further product capabilities rolling out over the next year."

BioKinetic has completed over 400 clinical trials for global sponsor companies in Europe, North America and Asia, offering services covering a wide range of therapeutic areas. They work collaboratively with clinical research teams to design a program of early phase studies best suited to sponsors' needs.

"This has been a truly collaborative partnership from Day 1 of the implementation," said Gwen Aston, Senior Vice President, Instem Clinical. "The BioKinetic team's hands on approach and enthusiastic engagement has facilitated an efficient and accelerated program. This has allowed BioKinetic to quickly leverage the advantages of electronic data capture and facilitate expedited key drug development decision making. We are delighted BioKinetic selected Instem's ALPHADAS as their eSource solution and we look forward to a continued long term partnership."

BioKinetic users access ALPHADAS over the Web via Instem's professionally managed online hosting infrastructure, which is being used by drug developers, contract research organizations, universities, research institutes and government agencies around the world.

Accessed on-site or via the Instem Cloud, the ALPHADAS software solution suite is a proactive early phase CTMS, eSource data capture and reporting system with an industry-leading set of features. ALPHADAS is mobile, schedule-driven, and provides real-time bedside or station based direct data capture that virtually eliminates paper-based data.

About BioKinetic Europe

Based in Belfast, N. Ireland and formed in 1996, BioKinetic has been at the forefront of early phase drug development for over 20 years. The company has been steadily increasing in size, now employing over 50 full-time members of staff operating to the UK regulatory body's (MHRA) highest standard of Supplementary Accreditation. BioKinetic Europe has developed a reputation for meticulously managed Phase I -III studies on behalf of pharmaceutical companies in Europe, Asia and the United States. BioKinetic is a FPM (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine) approved educational training unit, with a range of Principal Investigators and Clinical Research Professionals with experience and expertise across all therapeutic areas.

Learn more about their mission at www.biokineticeurope.com.

About Instem

Instem is a leading supplier of IT applications and services to the early development healthcare market delivering compelling solutions for data collection, analysis and regulatory submissions management. Instem solutions are in use by customers worldwide, meeting the rapidly expanding needs of life science and healthcare organizations for data-driven decision making leading to safer, more effective products.

Instem's portfolio of software solutions and consulting services increases client productivity by enhancing product development processes while offering the unique ability to generate new knowledge through the extraction and harmonization of actionable scientific information.

Instem supports over 500 clients through offices in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Japan, China and India.

http://www.linkedin.com/company/instem/

https://www.facebook.com/Instem.software

https://twitter.com/Instemsoftware

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005056/en/

Contacts:

Instem

Angela King, +44 (0) 845 8385 900

Angela.king@instem.com

or

Julie Jones, +44 (0) 1785 825600

julie.jones@instem.com
NEVADA, USA and SYDNEY, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

PractiFI, one of Australia's leading financial services technology platforms, today announced an integration with SMS-Magic, which will enable PractiFi clients to communicate with their customers via SMS. With the immediate availability of this integration, PractiFI users can send text messages directly from a client record.

SMS-Magic is a proven global messaging application for CRMs that allows users to drive real-time and relevant conversations with customers and prospects from CRMs. The integration will help PractiFI to provide an additional low cost, high impact method of client engagement for financial services businesses.

In conjunction with PractiFI's automated workflows, the SMS-Magic integration will facilitate the use of SMS to improve communication, from reminding clients of upcoming appointments to engaging in two-way conversation. SMS will also be another valuable data source for PractiFI Analytics.

"Partnering with SMS-Magic delivers on our commitment to connect financial planning firms and superannuation funds with their clients and members in an omnichannel model," said Glenn Elliott, CEO, PractiFI.

The integration between PractiFI and SMS-Magic ensures that messages are captured as interactions on the client record, providing a real-time single view of client communication.

"With SMS-Magic's powerful features like Analytics, Automation, and MMS, PractiFI clients will get a quick and effective communication channel within their CRM," says Nitin Seth, CEO, SMS-Magic.

About SMS-Magic

SMS-Magic is a proven, global messaging application for popular CRM platforms, with over 1500 clients across 190 countries. SMS-Magic enables CRM users to seamlessly use messaging to engage buyers and win and retain more new customer revenue.

About PractiFI

PractiFI is the industry application for running financial services businesses. PractiFI connects financial advice, superannuation/pensions, insurance, investments and lendingon theSalesforce platform.

http://www.practifi.com

Reference Links - http://www.screen-magic.com/blog/practifi-sms-magic-partner-to-deliver-integrated-sms-functionality-to-financial-services-businesses/

Media Contact:

Koeli Chatterjee

koeli@screen-magic.com

Manager - Marketing & Communication

Screen-Magic Mobile Media


PUNE, India, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The report"Plasterboard Marketby Type (Standard, Fire-Resistant, Sound-insulated, Moisture-Resistant, Thermal, Specialist, Impact-Resistant), Form (Tapered-Edged and Square-Edged), End-Use Sector, and Region - Global Forecast to 2021" published by MarketsandMarkets, the market size is estimated to grow from USD 18.07 Billion in 2016 to USD 23.85 Billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 5.7% between 2016 and 2021.

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Fire-resistant segment projected to be the fastest-growing during the forecast period

On the basis of type, the fire-resistant segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2016 to 2021. This growth can be attributed to the new commercial constructions such as shopping centers and corporate offices as well as government regulations regarding safe building construction in most European and North American countries.

Asia-Pacific region constitutes the largest market share in the Plasterboard Market

The Asia-Pacific region contributes a major market share in the global Plasterboard Market. It is also projected to register the highest growth from 2016 to 2021, while China is projected to be fastest-growing country-level market in the region for the Plasterboard Market. North America is projected to grow at the second-highest rate between 2016 and 2021, with the U.S. registering the highest growth rate in the region. Emerging economies such as South Africa, Brazil, and countries in the Middle East are projected to grow at moderate CAGRs between 2016 and 2021.

The major players in the Plasterboard Market include Armstrong World Industries Inc. (U.S.), Etex Group (Belgium), Saint-Gobain S.A. (France), Gypsum Management and Supply, Inc. (U.S.), USG Corporation (U.S.), Georgia Pacific LLC (U.S.), Boral Limited (Australia), KNAUF Gips KG (Germany), Fletcher Building Limited (New Zealand), LafargeHolcim Ltd. (Switzerland), and National Gypsum Company (U.S.).

Browse Related Reports:

Roofing Systems Market by Material (Asphalt, Metal, Plastic, Clay, Concrete), Product (Shingles & Plates, Tiles), Construction Type (New Construction & Reform Construction), End-Use Sector (Residential & Non-Residential) - Global Forecast to 2021

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Dry Construction Market by Type (Supporting Framework & Boarding), Material (Metal, Wood, Plasterboard, Plastic, & Others), System (Wall, Ceiling, Flooring, & Others), Application (Residential & Non- Residential) & Region - Trends and Forecast to 2020

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About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.

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CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- International Frontier Resources Corporation ("IFR" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: IFR)(OTCQB: IFRTF) today announced that its jointly owned Mexican company Tonalli Energia has registered and been granted access to the National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH) data room for the third tender of Round Two of Mexico's oil and gas energy reform. Tonalli is in the process of analyzing and assessing block data, and completing documentation in anticipation of entering the bidding process this spring. Concessions are to be awarded in July 2017 under a license contract model. The licenses for exploration and production will last 30 years and can be extended for a maximum of two additional terms of five years each.

The Mexican government announced the third tender of Round Two on November 14th which will be the eighth upstream bid round in Mexico since the energy reform began. Fourteen onshore blocks, averaging 185 km2 (72 sections) are available nationwide: six in the Southeastern Basin, four in the Burgos Basin, three in the Veracruz Basin and one block in the Tampico-Misantla Basin which offsets the Tecolutla Block. Covering a total of 2,595 km2, these development and exploration blocks contain 25 oil and gas fields with existing 3D or 2D seismic coverage. The Mexican Government has estimated that together the blocks contain prospective exploration resources of approximately 251 million barrels of crude equivalent and remaining original extraction volumes of approximately 328 million barrels of crude oil equivalent. IFR was one of the first foreign companies to participate in the historic reform of Mexico's oil and gas sector. Last year, Tonalli assumed operatorship of the Tecolutla block from state-owned PEMEX. Tecolutla was acquired through a 50-50 joint venture with Mexican petrochemical leader Grupo IDESA in last year's onshore block auction.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL FRONTIER RESOURCES

International Frontier Resources Corporation (IFR) is a Canadian publicly traded company with a demonstrated track record of advancing oil and gas projects. Through its Mexican subsidiary, Petro Frontera S.A.P.I de CV (Frontera) and strategic joint ventures, it is advancing the development of petroleum and natural gas assets in Mexico. The Company also has projects in Canada and the United States, including the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Montana.

The Company's shares are listed on the TSX Venture, trading under the symbol IFR and on the OTCQB under the symbol IFRTF. For additional information please visit www.internationalfrontier.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 or accuracy of this release". The Company seeks Safe Harbor.

Contacts:

Steve Hanson

President and CEO

(403) 618-7346

shanson@internationalfrontier.com



Tony Kinnon

Chairman

(403) 607-6591

tkinnon@internationalfrontier.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Callinex Mines Inc. (the "Company" or "Callinex") (TSX VENTURE: CNX)(OTCQX: CLLXF) is pleased to provide additional drill results from its ongoing drilling campaign at the Pine Bay Project located near Flin Flon, Manitoba. The Company has received assay results from drill hole 284-3-93W02 and 95-02-DPN. Hole 284-3-93W02 was drilled to test a Borehole Pulse ElectroMagnetic ('BPEM') anomaly believed to be associated with the Pine Bay VMS Horizon and provide an approximate 60m step-out intersection above the recent discovery in hole 284-3-93-DPN (See news release dated November 1, 2016).

Drill hole 284-3-93W02 successfully intersected the Pine Bay Horizon between 1264.2m-1272.4m and cut three copper-rich, chalcopyrite stringer-bearing intervals within a strongly altered felsic volcanic package, including one interval with 0.2m of 3.42% Cu. A partial BPEM survey that was completed to a down-hole depth of 1,112m identified a sizeable untested off-hole geophysical target along strike to the southwest (See Figures 1 and 2). Since the closest drill hole to intersect the horizon is well over 500m away, this leaves a large new prospective area open for further exploration (see Figure 2). The Company plans to extend drill hole 95-02-DPN, located approximately 400m along strike to the southwest from the 284-3-93W02 hole to test this area and the interpreted new BPEM anomaly associated with the Pine Bay Horizon.

The 284-3-93W02 wedged drill hole also tested an area approximately 60m above the 10.3m intersection grading 13.1% Zn Eq. cut by 284-3-93-DPN (see news release dated October 18, 2016) (See Figure 3). It appears that a post-ore mafic dyke replaced the massive sulphide zone in this immediate area of the Cabin VMS Horizon. The hole did intersect footwall mineralization immediately preceding the mafic dyke over a 5.7m interval grading 1.04% Zn, which is comparable to the weak footwall mineralization intersected prior to the 10.3m massive sulphide intersection in hole 284-3-93-DPN.

The Company has also recently completed drill hole PBM-017 and anticipates shutting down the rig drilling PBM-019 later today. Both holes were drilled to test the down plunge extent of the 284-3-93-DPN zone approximately 300m beneath the intersection. These holes did not intersect significant massive sulphide mineralization but did intersect very strong alteration within a favorable rock package. A BPEM survey completed on PBM-017 did not appear to identify any nearby conductors and a survey will be completed PBM-019 imminently. Results from the BPEM survey on PBM-019 and 95-02-DPN will guide the Company in determining additional drill targets in the direct vicinity of 284-3-93-DPN. It is anticipated that exploration will increasingly focus on prospective areas along strike of this new zone where no previous drilling has occurred in either direction beneath a depth of 200m (See Figure 3).

Drill hole 95-02-DPN intersected a 1.7m wide stringer zone grading 1.99% Cu that included a 0.6m interval grading 4.72% Cu. Lithogeochemical data has indicated that this drill hole intersected approximately 540m of highly altered felsic rocks in the immediate footwall of the Cabin Horizon and its underlying Baker Patton VMS Horizon that the 1.7m thick copper zone occurs within. A borehole survey of 95-02-DPN was attempted but was unable to be completed due to a blockage at 527m down-hole. A drill rig will be moved back to the drill collar location in order to clean out the hole and complete a new BPEM survey.

Callinex will continue to conduct aggressive exploration with two drill rigs. One rig is currently drilling hole SDB-006 to test the large BPEM geophysical target associated with 24.9m of sulphide mineralization discovered to the north of the known Sourdough Bay Deposit (See news release dated October 11, 2016). This hole is targeting an area approximately 300m along strike from hole SDB-005. A second drill rig will be moved from PBM-017 to resurvey drill hole 95-02-DPN and then extend the hole to test the BPEM target on the Pine Bay Horizon (See Figure 2 and 3). Afterwards, it is anticipated that PBM-10, a previously drilled hole that was stopped short of the Cabin Horizon along strike to the northwest of 284-3-93-DPN, will be deepened to test the horizon.

Table 1: 95-02-DPN and 284-3-93W02 Assay Results

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hole (1)-(4) From To Interval Cu Zn Au Ag Pb (m) (m) (m) (%) (%) (g/t) (g/t) (%) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 95-02-DPNBaker Patton VMS Horizon 783.42 785.16 1.74 1.99 0.01 0.07 4.55 0.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- including 784.55 785.16 0.61 4.72 0.01 0.14 10.20 0.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 284-3-93- W02Cabin VMS Horizon 936.30 942.00 5.70 0.03 1.04 0.07 1.46 0.01 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 284-3-93W02Pine Bay VMS Horizon 1272.15 1272.35 0.20 3.42 0.02 0.17 17.90 0.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes(1)(2)(3(4):

1. Dip and azimuth for hole 95-02-DPN is -78 degrees and 314 degrees Az. The 1,219m deep diamond drill hole is located at the following Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) within UTM Zone 14N: 332626m East and 6071300m North. The collar of the hole is 318m above sea level. 2. Dip and azimuth for hole 284-3-93W02 is -85 degrees and 317 degrees Az. The 1,364m deep diamond drill hole is located at the following Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) within UTM Zone 14N: 332882m East and 6071554m North. The collar of the hole is 321m above sea level. 3. The numbers may not add due to rounding. 4. True widths are not currently known.

Figures

To view Figure 1: Plan Map of the Northern Pine Bay Area, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Plan%20Map.jpg

To view Figure 2: Longitudinal Section of the Pine Bay VMS Horizon, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/LongitudinalSection.jpg

To view Figure 3: Longitudinal Section of the Cabin VMS Horizon, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/CabinVMS.jpg

QA/QC

Individual samples were labeled, placed in plastic sample bags, and sealed. Groups of samples were then placed in security sealed bags and shipped directly to SGS Canada Inc in Vancouver, B.C. for analysis. Samples were crushed to 75% passing 2mm and pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns in order produce a 250g split. All copper, zinc and silver assays were determined by Aqua Regia digestion with a combination of ICP-MS and ICP-AES finish, with overlimits (greater than 100 ppm Ag, greater than 10,000 ppm Zn, and greater than 10,000 ppm Cu) completed by fire assay with gravimetric finish (Ag) or Aqua Regia digestion with ICP-AES finish (copper and zinc). All samples were analyzed for gold by Fire Assay of a 30 gram charge by AAS, or if over 10.0 g/t were re-assayed and completed with a gravimetric finish. QA/QC included the insertion and continual monitoring of numerous standards and blanks into the sample stream at a frequency of 1 per 10 samples, and the collection of duplicate samples at random intervals within each batch at a frequency of 1 per 10 samples.

SGS Canada Inc carried out some or all of following methods to obtain the assay results for Callinex: G_LOG02 Pre-preparation processing, G_WGH79 Weighing and reporting, G_PRP89 Weigh, dry, crush, split, pulverize, G_SCRQC QC for crush and pulverize stages, G_CRU22 Crush greater than 3kg, G_DRY11 Dry samples, GE_FAA313 @Au, FAS, AAS, 30g-5ml (Final mode), GE-IC14A Aqua Regia digestion/ICP-AES finish, GE_IMS14B Aqua Regia digestion/ICP-MS package, GE_IMS14 Aqua Regia digestion, GO_FAG303 30g, Fire assay, gravimetric finish (Au)(Final Mode), GO_FAG313 30g, Fire assay, gravimetric finish (Ag)(Final Mode), G0_ICP13B Ore Grade, Aqua Regia digest/ICP-AES. Ag greater than 10ppm was analyzed by ICP and GO_XRF77B-pyrosulfate fusion.

James Pickell, P.Geo, a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 and a consultant to Callinex, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

About Callinex Mines Inc.

Callinex Mines Inc. is focused on discovering and developing zinc and copper rich mines within prolific Canadian VMS mining jurisdictions. The Company is actively exploring its Pine Bay Project, located in the Flin Flon mining district of Manitoba, which hosts significant historic VMS deposits that are within close proximity to a processing facility. The larger project portfolio hosts three significant zinc rich mineral resources including the Point Leamington, Nash Creek and Superjack Projects located in Eastern Canada.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future expenditures. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, among others, the ability to complete the proposed drill program and the timing and amount of expenditures. Except as required under applicable securities laws, Callinex does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

Contacts:

Callinex Mines Inc.

Max Porterfield

President and Chief Executive Officer

(604) 605-0885

info@callinex.ca




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Otis Gold Corp. ("Otis" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: OOO)(OTC PINK: OGLDF) is pleased to announce that it has drilled the following intercepts at its Kilgore Gold Project, Clark County, Idaho:

-- 128.0 meters (m) of 1.79 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) in hole 16 OKC- 353 -- 27.5 m of 2.63 g/t Au and 80.8 m of 1.87 g/t Au in hole 16 OKC-354 -- 120.4 m of 1.18 g/t Au in hole 16 OKC-349 -- 74.6 m of 1.01 g/t Au and 35.9 m of 1.12 g/t Au in hole 16 OKC-352

The 4 holes above, and 8 additional holes reported below, represent the final 12 holes of the 10,300-meter, 40-hole drill program completed in November 2016 at the Kilgore Gold Project. Analytical results for the 12 drill holes reported in this release, along with those for the initial 28 holes previously reported (see Otis News Releases dated September 26, 2016, October 31, 2016 and November 29, 2016), confirm the presence of significant gold mineralization in the Aspen Formation sedimentary host rocks, the primary target of the 2016 drill program. A majority of these intercepts are of both higher grade and longer intervals than most of those encountered in prior drilling at Kilgore and thus demonstrate a clear potential to increase the overall size and grade of the Kilgore Deposit.

Craig Lindsay, Otis President and CEO states: "We are extremely pleased with the drill intercepts encountered in the previously under-explored sedimentary Aspen Formation. We expect the Aspen Formation will be a significant new host for gold mineralization at Kilgore and will continue to be a focus of expansion drilling going forward. Our technical team, led by Dr. John Carden and Mr. Mitch Bernardi, have done an excellent job targeting new mineralization at Kilgore in 2016."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Azimuth/ TD Angle From - To Hole Number Hole Type (m) (degrees) (m) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-333 Core 321.6 230/-75 16.2- 43.6 51.2 - 69.5 147.2 - 159.4 179.2 - 191.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-334 Core 260.6 50/-70 51.8 - 79.2 102.1 - 158.0 185.9 - 208.8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-335 Core 327.7 50/-80 102.1 - 153.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-337 Core 173.1 50/-45 8.5 - 25.6 46.6 - 49.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-341 Core 142.6 -/-90 38.1 - 62.5 67.1 - 80.8 94.5 - 106.7 117.3 - 141.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-345 Core 299.6 50/-70 93.0 - 157.0 225.6 - 231.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-349 Core 322.5 50/-80 21.3 - 45.7 147.8 - 268.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-350 Core 331.6 50/-80 108.8 - 121.9 132.6 - 145.4 196.6 - 207.3 216.4 - 221.0 245.4 - 263.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-351 Core 371.9 230/-75 No Significant Intercepts ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-352 Core 304.8 50/-80 54.9 - 62.5 150.9 - 186.8 195.1 - 219.5 225.6 - 300.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-353 Core 304.8 -/-90 32.0 - 38.1 164.6 - 292.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-354 Core 334.7 50/-80 45.7 - 53.3 59.4 - 64.0 85.3 - 112.8 125.0 - 126.5 175.3 - 202.7 240.8 - 321.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Au Intercept Grade Hole Number (m) (g/t)Primary Host Rock Unit(s) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-333 27.4 0.52 Lithic Tuff 18.3 0.74 Lithic Tuff 12.2 0.62 Lithic Tuff 12.2 0.47 Lithic Tuff -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-334 27.4 0.59 Lithic Tuff 55.9 0.86 Tertiary Sill 22.9 3.13 Aspen and Sill -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-335 51.8 0.75 Tertiary Sill -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-337 17.1 0.59 Lithic Tuff 3.1 1.21 Lithic Tuff -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-341 24.4 1.22 Dike 13.7 0.36 Lithic Tuff 12.2 0.73 Lithic Tuff 24.4 0.49 Lithic Tuff -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-345 64.0 1.08 Breccia and Aspen 6.0 2.11 Aspen -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-349 24.4 0.73 Lithic Tuff 120.4(1) 1.18 Dominantly Aspen w/Sill -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-350 13.1 0.38 Lithic Tuff 12.8 0.47 Lithic Tuff 10.7 0.54 Tertiary Sill and Aspen 4.6 0.68 Aspen 18.3 0.46 Aspen -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-351 No Significant Intercepts -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-352 7.6 0.82 Lithic Tuff 35.9 1.12 Tertiary Sill and Aspen 24.4 0.43 Aspen 74.6 1.01 Aspen -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-353 6.1 0.92 Dike 128.0(2) 1.79 Tertiary Sill and Aspen -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 OKC-354 7.6 0.42 Dike 4.6 0.55 Dike 27.5(3) 2.63 Dike and Lithic Tuff 1.5 4.62 Lithic Tuff 27.4 1.19 Tertiary Sill and Aspen 80.8(4) 1.87 Aspe n --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes:

(1) Includes 7.6 meters of 4.1 g/t Au. (2) Includes 7.6 meters of 11.96 g/t Au. (3) Includes 7.6 meters of 10.23 g/t Au. (4) Includes 7.6 meters of 10.32 g/t Au. (5) True widths are estimated at between 80% and 100% of the drilled interval based on their estimated dip, association with diking, the orientation of sedimentary bedding and continuity of mineralization between drill holes.

2016 Kilgore Drill Program Highlights

Highlights from the drill program and of importance to the future development of the Kilgore Deposit include:

1. Twenty-five of the 40 holes drilled in 2016 encountered mineralization in the newly-emerging Aspen Formation host. 2. An additional 11 holes encountered mineralization in Tertiary lithic tuff and dikes, the primary host of gold mineralization within the existing deposit. 3. In total, 36 of the 40 holes drilled in 2016 intersected reportable gold mineralization, representing a drill success rate of 90%. 4. A complete Table of 2016 drill results can be found on the Otis website. 5. Results of Otis' 2016 drill campaign continue to support the premise that gold mineralization in the Aspen Formation is more extensive than indicated by previous drill testing and appears to lie along a northwesterly-trending belt or corridor in the northern half of the deposit, much of which remains open for further drilling. 6. Results of drill holes targeting the basement Aspen Formation sedimentary host rocks continue to reveal the presence of significant open-ended mineralization that is typically higher-grade and displays thicker mineralized intercepts than those comprising the current bulk of the deposit in the overlying volcanic host rocks. 7. Reported intercepts in basement Aspen Formation sedimentary rocks demonstrate that mineralization exists to depths of up to 300-meters below the surface of the deposit, with some still open at depth. 8. The Tertiary intrusive sill (Tct), which directly overlies the Aspen Formation and locally intrudes the upper portion of it, has been proven to host significant mineralization and the extensive contact between the two rock types is an important locus for additional mineralization in the basement. Significant intercepts can and do exist in both the Aspen Formation and the Tct, and in many cases straddle the contact between them to occur continuously throughout both units. 9. Some intercepts drilled in Aspen Formation rocks along the mineralized northwest-trending corridor contain coarse-grained visible gold indicative of potential bonanza grades at depth.

Immediate next steps at the Kilgore Gold Project include:

a. Production of an updated set of geologic cross-sections reflecting the 2016 drill results; b. Preparation of an updated NI 43-101 resource estimate; and c. Development of a 2017 drill program and completion of associated program permitting.

2016 Kilgore Drill Program Background

The 40-hole 2016 drill program was designed from an updated set of geologic cross sections and long sections containing all historic Kilgore drill results through 2015. Based on these sections, drill holes were selected to target mineralization at depth in the Aspen Formation and to infill and define the limits of the current resource. Selected hole locations targeting the Aspen Formation at depth were focused along the Main Road, Segment 1 Road, North Road and "B" Road areas (the location of the Crab Claw drilling completed in 2015 and reported in early 2016 - see Otis News Release dated January 14, 2016 News). Drill holes in these areas were selected to infill and define the limits of the resource and are mostly located in the southwestern part of the deposit where historic drilling is sparse.

The 12 drill holes reported in this news release, along with the assays and drill intercepts from the 28 holes announced on September 26, October 31, and November 29, 2016, are presented in a drill-hole location map available here. A table listing the complete 2016 drill results is available here.

Analysis and Otis QA/QC Program

All analytical work was performed by ALS Chemex Labs located in Reno, Nevada and Vancouver, British Columbia that have quality management system certification and technical capability accreditation. A 50-gram pulp of all samples was assayed for gold by Fire Assay/AA finish methods. Certified reference materials, duplicates, and blanks were inserted into the sample stream for quality control.

Intercepts reported in Table 1 are calculated using a 0.25 g/t Au cutoff grade and may include a few internal waste intervals less than this cutoff. The RC drilling reported in this release was conducted by O'Keefe Drilling, Inc., Butte, Montana, employing a Foremost 650 Reverse Circulation drill rig outfitted with a circulating wet splitter. The core drilling was conducted by Timberline Drilling of Hayden, Idaho employing two rigs, a DE-140 NQ core rig and an LF-90 HQ core rig. The Qualified Person under National Instrument (NI 43-101) Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects for this News Release is Paul D. Gray, P. Geo, who has reviewed and approved its technical content.

About the Kilgore Deposit

The Kilgore Deposit contains a current (dated September 12, 2012) NI 43-101 Indicated Resource of 520,000 ounces (oz) Au in 27.4 million tonnes at a grade of 0.59 g/t Au and an Inferred Resource of 300,000 oz Au in 20.2 million tonnes at a grade of 0.46 g/t Au (the "Deposit"). The Deposit is part of an extensive low-sulfidation quartz-adularia epithermal hydrothermal system hosted in Tertiary volcanic rocks and basement Aspen Formation calcareous siltstone, shale, and sandstone of Late Cretaceous age. Gold mineralization is of the traditional disseminated, bulk-tonnage type similar to that comprising the classic volcanic-hosted gold deposits at Round Mountain, Nevada and McDonald Meadows, Montana. The deposit features very attractive metallurgy with excellent gold recovery averaging greater than 80% at 1.5" crush size based on column leach test results (see Otis News Release dated June 5, 2012).

About the Company

Otis is a resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal deposits in Idaho, USA. Otis is currently developing its flagship property, the Kilgore Gold Project, located in Clark County, Idaho.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Craig T. Lindsay, President and 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.

The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and Otis undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Contacts:

Otis Gold Corp.

Craig T. Lindsay

President and CEO

604.683.2507

604.608.9002 (FAX)

craig@otisgold.com

www.otisgold.com




LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. (OTC PINK: PNOW), parent Company of the Central American-Caribbean Online Travel Agency (OTA) Oveedia and Numismatic Specialty Store (Meso Numismatics) announced today, that the Company will take full advantage of its rapidly increasing revenues by streamlining operations and focusing largely on stabilizing growth through its numismatic operations, while its travel technologies continue to mature.

Since the full acquisition of Meso Numismatics in late 2016, the Company has seen consistent cash flow, a lighter burn rate with a continual growth in revenue and exceptional market opportunity.

To bring Pure's numismatic market's value into perspective, just this past week, Heritage Auctions -- a platform where Pure's subsidiary, Meso Numismatics, will soon offer its collections -- exceeded sales of over $65M for the week, simply selling numismatic material.

The bottom line is, the costs associated with goods sold are fairly low. Associated operating costs are relatively minimum. Profit margins are exceptionally high, and the opportunity for growth -- particularly in the Company's Central American-Caribbean market niche, remains tremendous.

"This is a no brainer," stated Mr. Melvin Pereira, President and CEO. "We're here to make money and build shareholder value by any 'responsible' means necessary. To me, there is nothing more responsible than identifying the high costs of marketing and booking a single room online vs. the slim revenue produced by that booking, as in no way comparing to the much lower cost of marketing and product acquisition of numismatic pieces vs. the very high rate of return and profitability produced in nearly each sale. There is simply no comparison! The fact is, building this profitable and sustainable business unit, which still carries the Central American-Caribbean theme, is the best way to ensure any and all of our other Central American-Caribbean ventures, such as our OTA, have the greatest chance for success."

At the close of 2015 -- entering 2016 -- the Company launched the first iteration of its online search and booking engine OTA (Online Travel Agency). After partnering with multi-billion dollar Sabre and leading visual travel media resource, Leonardo Worldwide, Pure virtually assured the success of its OTA, while management looked to develop the primary business model -- hotel booking in the Central American-Caribbean region of the world. In the meantime, however, in order for the Company to generate revenues, it would have to pursue "average bookings"; meaning those that almost any OTA can book -- at great cost, ultimately to the shareholder.

Mr. Pereira continued, "Making this short pivot, as a means to fulfill our duties of building a profitable and sustainable company, makes all of the sense in the world to me. We didn't have to borrow lots of money. Which means, not rebooting toxic debt deals and not succumbing to unmanageable dilution; all good news for shareholders who want to see growth from the revenues we are earning."

Management remains committed to driving its OTA model, only once the next iteration is complete and it can take full advantage of all the featured properties it currently has signed on, in queue and prospected. Travelers are still able to book hotel stays at any one of the 125,000+ properties offered on the Oveedia platform.

Mr. Pereira concluded, "For the time being, we will remain primarily focused on what is building stability, shareholder value and ringing the cash register daily! This includes tapping into our $3 Million partnered inventory, establishing new inventory partnerships, global tours with our numismatic materials, continuing online sales and presenting collections at Heritage Auctions, as well as Lyn Knight Auctions, Stacks Bowers Auctions, and more. We are proud of what our financials are shaping up to be and are fully confident, now more than ever, that PNOW is completely undervalued as our revenues continue to grow."

About Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc.

PURE provides proprietary technology, marketing solutions and branding services to hotel operators and condominium owners. The Company's vision is to build competitive operations in the areas of (i) online marketing and hotel internet booking engine services, (ii) hotel branding and, (iii) own, operate and in some instances develop, boutique hotels under the new, "by PURE" brand. PURE is the creator of Oveedia, the Central American-Caribbean online travel hub.

Related Links:

Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. Pinterest

Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. Facebook

Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. Twitter

Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. Google +

Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. LinkedIn

Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. Investors Hangout

Oveedia Google +

Safe Harbor Statements in this news release that are not historical facts, including statements about plans and expectations regarding products and opportunities, demand and acceptance of new or existing products, capital resources and future financial results are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to differ materially from those expressed. These uncertainties and risks include changing consumer preferences, lack of success of new products, loss of the Company's customers, competition and other factors discussed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:

Team PURE

IR Div.

(800) 889-9509




DETROIT, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report onGlobal Composite Vacuum Consumables Marketby Material Type (Vacuum Bagging Film, Release Film, Peel Ply, Breather & Bleeders, and Others), by End Use Industry (Aerospace & Defense, Wind Energy, Marine, Transportation, and Others), by Application Type (Prepreg Layup, VARTM Process, and Others), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2016 - 2021.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160831/402975LOGO )



This market report, from Stratview Research, studies the vacuum consumables market in the global composites industry over the period 2010 to 2021. The report provides detailed insights on the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market.

Vacuum Consumables Market in the Global CompositesIndustry: Highlights

As per Stratview Research, the global composite vacuum consumables market offers a robust growth of 6.5% CAGR during the forecast period of 2016 to 2021 and reach an estimated US$ 411 million in 2021, which offers an opportunity to the composites industry players to align themselves with the market growth.

There are several factors bolstering the growth of vacuum consumables in the global composites industry. The author of the report cited increasing use of prepreg in the aerospace & defense and automotive industries, recovering marine market, and sustainable growth in the wind energy as major growth drivers of the global composite vacuum consumables market.

Aerospace & defense is expected to remain the largest end-use industry for composite vacuum consumables during the forecast period, followed by wind energy. High use of prepreg lay-up process for manufacturing structural composite components is the prime driver of vacuum consumables in the aerospace & defense industry. Automotive industry is expected to experience the highest growth during the forecast period driven by stringent government regulations which is compelling OEMs to use lightweight materials.

As per the study, vacuum bagging film is the largest material segment in the global composite vacuum consumables market, closely followed by release films which is the estimated to be the fastest growing material type in the market over the next five years.

Prepreg layup and VARTM are the two largest application processes for composite vacuum consumables, capturing almost the complete market and is expected to remain so during the forecast period as well.

In terms of region, North America is expected to remain the largest market for composite vacuum consumables during the forecast period. The region is the world's capital of composite manufacturing with presence of many big to small composite parts molders. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market during the forecast period.

The global market for composite vacuum consumables is highly consolidated with the top two players occupying more than 80% of the market. The keyglobal manufacturers are Airtech International and Solvay S.A. (Umeco Plc). New product development, regional expansion, and long term relation with prepreg manufacturers are the key strategies adopted by the major players to gain competitive edge in the market.

Report Features

This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:

Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis.

Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis.

Market trend and forecast analysis.

Market segment trend and forecast.

Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc.

Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.

Emerging trends.

Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players.

Key success factors.

This report studies global composite vacuum consumables market and has segmented the market in four ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. The following are the four ways in which the market is segmented:

Global Composite Vacuum Consumables Market by Material Type:

Vacuum Bagging Film (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Release Film (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Peel Ply (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Breathers & Bleeders (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Others(Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Global Composite Vacuum Consumables Market by Application Type:

Prepreg Lay-up Process (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

VARTM Process (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Other Processes(Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Global Composite Vacuum Consumables Market by End-Use Industry:

Aerospace & Defense (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Wind Energy (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Transportation (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Others(Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Global Composite Vacuum Consumables Market by Region:

North America (Country Analysis: US, Canada , and Mexico )

Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , France , United Kingdom , Italy , and Rest of the Europe )

Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China , Japan , South Korea , India , and Rest of the Asia-Pacific )

Rest of the World(Country Analysis: Brazil , Middle East , and Others)

Stratview Research has several high value market reports in the advanced materials industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports:

Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the advanced materials Industry

Related premium market reports in the advanced materials industry are:

Global High Performance Glass Fiber Market by End Use Industry, by Usage, and by Region, Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2016 - 2021

Global Composite Preforms Market by Application Segment, by Fiber Type, by Product Type, by Structure Type, and by Region, Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2016 - 2021

About Stratview Research

Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas.

We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies.

Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making.

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Stratview Research

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Please feel free to drop an enquiry with us or ask for a free sample in the below page and our team will get back to you very soon:http://www.stratviewresearch.com/register.html
LINCOLNSHIRE, IL -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Camping World Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CWH) ("Camping World"), the nation's largest network of RV-centric retail locations, announced a definitive agreement under which Camping World will acquire family-owned Jamatt RV in Poteau, Oklahoma.

Camping World currently operates two SuperCenters in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and with the acquisition of Jamatt RV, is further expanding in eastern Oklahoma. "We are pleased to bring Jamatt RV into the Camping World family of industry-leading RV inventory, accessory products and knowledgeable people as we expand our market share in the state of Oklahoma," said Marcus Lemonis, Chairman and CEO of Camping World and Good Sam. "Owners Jason and Sandy Blake have built a strong business with an incredible employee base and with this acquisition, Camping World continues to solidify its position as the leader in RV and outdoor accessory sales in the United States."

"This agreement to acquire Jamatt RV represents an exciting new chapter for Camping World," said Brent Moody, Chief Operating Officer of Camping World and Good Sam. "Combining the companies not only creates market value, but the commitment to excellence and innovation that both companies share will significantly benefit customers and provide new opportunities for employees."

Added Moody, "The Blake family exemplifies Marcus' People, Process and Product philosophy as part of their first-class business and we look forward to building and expanding on the level of service their customers have grown accustom to."

About Camping World Holdings, Inc.

Camping World Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CWH) is the only provider of a comprehensive portfolio of services, protection plans, products and resources for recreational vehicle ("RV") enthusiasts. Through its two iconic brands, Camping World and Good Sam, the company offers new and used RVs for sale, vehicle service and maintenance along with more than 10,000 products and services through its retail locations and membership clubs. Good Sam branded offerings provide the industry's broadest and deepest range of services, protection plans, products and resources while the Camping World brand operates the largest national network of RV-centric retail locations in the United States with over 120 retail locations in 36 states and an e-commerce platform. With both brands founded in 1966, product and service offerings are based on 50 years of experience and customer feedback from RV enthusiasts.

For more information, visit www.CampingWorld.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning Camping World and other matters. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release may be forward-looking statements. Statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "intends," "targets," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential" or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this press release are only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties that affect our business, including those described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our public announcements and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For Media Outlets:

Contact

Karen Porter

Email Contact




CAMBRIDGE, MA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- On January 25th, the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge (MITEF) will host its first Innovation Series event of 2017: Climate Preparedness in Massachusetts. The session brings together private, public and non-profit leaders for a spirited discussion of the policies shaping Massachusetts' strategy for future resiliency -- with an emphasis on systems thinking and technology.

A highlight of the evening will be presentations by seven start-ups developing innovative technologies to combat the effects of climate change. The companies include:

Advanced Microgrid Solutions: Mike Jackson, Director Market Development - AMS uses advanced energy storage, load control technologies and state-of-the-art data analytics to design, build and operate customized fleets of energy storage for large commercial and industrial users and utilities. (@advmicrogrid)

Ampion: Nate Owen, CEO - Ampion provides a customer engagement and asset management platform that allows customers across the country access to a wide range of renewable energy products. The company manages revenue cycles, optimizes energy production, and connects customers to providers of renewable energy. (@AmpionSystems)

Global Thermostat: Dr. Eric Ping, Director of Technology - New York-based Global Thermostat has developed and demonstrated a breakthrough technology that can cost-effectively extract and purify CO2 directly from the air -- reducing atmospheric carbon levels and providing a ubiquitous, green source of industrial carbon. (@globalthermo)

Kevala: Ethan Sprague, EVP of Sales and Business Development - Kevala is accelerating a clean energy future by offering a distribution level grid planning tool which leverages open source data and advances in computer science to identify how the grid is changing and where there is opportunity for investment. (@kevalaanalytics)

OmniEarth: Chelsea Minton, Sr. Water Solutions Specialist - OmniEarth is the first company to provide automated land cover assessment and water budgeting analysis allowing water providers to identify water inefficiencies and potential water savings across their service areas with scalable, cost effective technology. (@OmniEarthInc)

Sparkplug Power: Sean Becker, President - Sparkplug Power builds, owns and operates networks of Distributed Energy Storage as a service for municipal utilities and commercial businesses providing cheaper, cleaner, more reliable power. (@SparkplugPower)

Trust for Public Land: Holly Bostrom, Director, Climate-Smart Cities - The Trust for Public Land's Climate-Smart Cities program partners with cities across the country to develop technical tools and methodologies that help our partners site and design parks, open space, and green infrastructure for climate solutions and climate equity. (@tpl_org; @HSelwell)

"The impact of climate change is predicted to be overwhelming for a coastal city like Boston, but creative thinking is the solution to ensuring any urban area likely to be affected by climate change is designed for resiliency and prepared for whatever the future holds," said Katja Wald, Executive Director of MITEF Cambridge. "In addition to the invaluable insights from our speakers, the event is a platform for these seven innovative companies to share their hard work with the public. In addition to drawing more attention to what they're accomplishing, we're hoping it inspires others to take action."

The evening will begin with opening remarks from Professor John Sterman, Director of the MIT Systems Dynamics Group. A group discussion will follow, moderated by Peter Kelly-Detwiler, Principal with NorthBridge Energy Partners, LLC and a Forbes.com contributor. Panelists include:

Neil Gerber, Director, New Energy & Environment, IBM

Brad Swing, Director, Energy Policy & Programs, City of Boston, Office of the Mayor, Environment, Energy & Open Space

Maryrose Sylvester, President & CEO, Current, powered by GE

Julie Wormser, Vice President for Policy, Boston Harbor Now





The night will conclude with a networking reception and showcase that features emerging technologies in these fields.

Event Details

January 25, 2017, 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

MIT Stata Center, Room 123, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge, Mass.

5:30 - 6:00 p.m. - Registration and Networking

6:00 - 7:30 p.m. - Welcome and Panel Discussion

7:30 - 7:45 p.m. - Startup Pitches by Technology Companies

7:45 - 9:00 p.m. - Networking and Technology Showcase

To register and for more information: http://ow.ly/REki3077BbN

Follow MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge: @mitefcmb

Sponsors supporting this event include: CHEN PR; Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds; Morse, Barnes-Brown & Pendleton; Withum.com and Wolf Greenfield.

About The MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge

The MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge is the founding chapter and one of 27 worldwide chapters comprising the MIT Enterprise Forum, Inc. Offering more than 40 programs and events annually that inspire innovation, MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge initiatives facilitate critical one-on-one mentoring while providing team services that increase the skills and expertise necessary for entrepreneurs to succeed.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3100342



MITEF CONTACT:

Katja Wald

MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge

617-253-8238

Email Contact



MEDIA CONTACT:

Carro Halpin

CHEN PR for MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge

781-672-3132

Email Contact




SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Entelo, the leading provider of enterprise software for data-driven recruiting, posted a fifth consecutive year of triple digit revenue growth, building on momentum gained in the first half of 2016. Highlights include passing the 500 customer mark, delivering the first mobile app designed for inbound recruiting and garnering various industry awards.

"Innovation is the key to making a mark in the recruitment space, and Entelo continues to stand out by providing employers with the solutions and best practices to transform their hiring processes and build world-class teams," said Jon Bischke, CEO of Entelo. "As we continue our goal of helping companies improve the way they hire, customers and the industry have taken notice, contributing to our exceptional performance throughout 2016."

Company Growth

In the second half of 2016, Entelo continued its market expansion as existing clients expanded their use of Entelo and as the company welcomed additional companies seeking a new approach to recruitment. Some of the new Fortune 1000 and high-growth companies added to Entelo's client base include: Ally Financial, Ancestry.com, CBRE Group, Citizens Financial, Cloudera, Coupa Software, Forrester Research, Hot Topic, Iron Mountain, MAXIMUS, Northrop Grumman, PayPal, Rockwell Collins, Royal Bank of Canada, Shaw Industries, The Raymond Corporation, Unum, and Wells Fargo.

Product Innovation

Key to Entelo's continued success is its ability to deliver new solutions that provide companies with a competitive advantage in their hiring practices. The Entelo Stack mobile app, released in October, is an example of this ongoing commitment to product innovation. The app provides recruiters with real-time notifications when qualified candidates apply for jobs and enables them to act on and engage with those candidates from within the app, contributing to a more streamlined, efficient process and improved candidate experience.

Growing Recognition

In the second half of 2016 Entelo was recognized both for the strength of the company and the value of its industry-leading solutions. It received the following awards:

Brandon Hall Group Silver Award for Excellence in Talent Management Technology, specifically recognizing Entelo Diversity for its ability to help employers source candidates from underrepresented groups and build stronger, more diverse teams.

The Stride Center's 2016 Civic Innovator Award, recognizing the company's efforts to improve the wellbeing of Bay Area communities by providing professional development coaching to Stride Center students.

Glassdoor Employees' Choice Award, designating the company as one of the Best Places to Work in 2017.

Entelo's outbound recruiting platform was also instrumental in helping its client, Schneider Electric, become the 2016 Optimas Award silver winner in the Global Outlook Category. With Entelo, Schneider Electric was able to create a new approach to recruiting, connecting with the diverse technical talent needed to drive the business forward.

Looking Forward

"Entelo has made a name for itself by developing advanced technology to help employers overcome the challenges of recruiting in a competitive and always-dynamic talent market," said Bischke. "Our continued and strong performance in 2016 shows that our solutions deliver on our customers' needs. We look forward to even greater success in 2017 as we continue to transform recruiting, one hire at a time."

About Entelo

Entelo is a new and better way to recruit. The Entelo platform combines machine learning, predictive analytics, behavioral listening and social signals to help recruiting organizations identify, qualify and engage with talent. Entelo was named a Best Place to Work in 2017 by Glassdoor, recognizing the exceptional experience it provides employees as they help customers recruit the best talent. To learn how leading companies like Facebook, Cisco and UPS are building their teams using Entelo, visit www.entelo.com.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Hootsuite, the most widely used social media management platform, today welcomes three new strategic hires to provide industry expertise and best practices guidance to Hootsuite's customers. These hires reinforce Hootsuite's commitment to customer success, and comes on the heels of a quarter marked by growth, expansion and continuous product innovation.

Digital transformation expert and author Amber Naslund has joined Hootsuite as senior director of industry leadership, to lead Hootsuite's team of industry principals. Joining her on the team are Koka Sexton, global industry principal of social selling, and Phil Chatterton, industry principal of higher education. The team will provide industry best practices and strategy guidance to organizations as they work with Hootsuite to implement their digital transformation initiatives.

-- Amber is a veteran of the social media and marketing technology sector as well as a seasoned marketer and digital strategist. She co-authored "The NOW Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter and More Social," a guide to comprehensive social business strategy. -- Koka is one of the leading social experts in the technology industry with more than 10 years of social selling experience. He is the founder of Social Selling Labs, which advised clients on implementing social selling and content marketing strategies to drive revenue. Koka was former head of social media at LinkedIn. -- Phil has more than 20 years of experience developing and implementing innovative technology solutions in higher education. Most recently, Phil was regional director in the North American higher education team at Kaltura. Prior to that, he was director of digital at the University of British Columbia.

The addition of Amber, Koka and Phil expands Hootsuite's industry expertise and focus on helping customers drive value from social. Hootsuite has seen continued momentum after hitting a milestone of 15 million users worldwide in October.

Growth around the Globe

-- Hootsuite secured key customers across the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions, including Thompson Rivers University, INTEGRIS Health, Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Marketing, Cushman & Wakefield, FOXTEL, Infosys India, Woolworths, Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd, and more. -- Hootsuite extended its reach into new territories through strategic resellers in Colombia with the Interlat Group and Panama with dChain. Additionally, Hootsuite partnered with Mediative to add value to the Hootsuite's overall customer base through digital marketing services.

Product Expansion and Innovation

-- Hootsuite updated its popular employee advocacy solution Amplify to allow advocates to suggest articles or images. This helps organizations gain insight on the content that employees are interested in while encouraging employees to have a stronger voice in the company's content strategy. -- In October, Hootsuite announced Hootsuite Academy, a comprehensive online offering designed to boost social media skills and credentials. Hootsuite Academy has educated 132,000 social professionals to date. -- Hootsuite Enhance, a mobile application that simplifies the process for marketers to source, edit and optimize photos for social network sharing, was launched in November and was featured in the Apple App Store for two weeks, receiving 50 thousand installs in the first month alone. From Hootsuite's user base, 1.2 million photos are sent via mobile per month.

"Hootsuite continues to experience growth in numerous international markets and across industries. Through continuous product innovation, partnerships and expanded industry leadership, we are focused on enabling organizations to leverage social to create human connections at scale," said Penny Wilson, CMO of Hootsuite.

More Information:

-- Media Kit: http://media.hootsuite.com/media-kit -- Careers: https://hootsuite.com/about/careers

About Hootsuite

Hootsuite is the most widely used social media management platform, used by over 15 million people around the globe and trusted by more than 800 of the Fortune 1000. Hootsuite's battle-tested technology, extensive ecosystem, and social DNA help organizations power human connections at scale. To learn more, visit www.hootsuite.com.

Contacts:

Julie Huang

Corporate Communications

@juliewh11

media@hootsuite.com




SPRINGFIELD, IL--(Marketwired - January 19, 2017) - Today BidNet announces the launch of the Illinois Purchasing Group, a bid system with open solicitations from local and state government agencies throughout the state. Companies interested in doing business with public agencies in Illinois can now register to search through hundreds of open bids, quotes and RFPs in one central location. Registered vendors also have access to the thirteen other regional purchasing groups from across the country hosted on BidNet Direct. All vendors are encouraged to register at www.BidNetDirect.com/illinois.

Interested companies can view a sample of these open bid opportunities from Illinois government buyers at www.BidNetDirect.com/illinois, but must register for Statewide notification to view the bid details published by the issuing agency. Registered vendors will also receive targeted bid notifications via email based on selected NIGP product/service categories.

In addition, the Illinois Purchasing Group offers a complete sourcing solution to any municipality, school district, county or special district in the state looking for a more efficient purchasing process. Benefits for participating buyers include:

An easy tool to advertise bids, quotes and RFPs to vendors across the country

Powerful bid and vendor management tools

Complete sourcing solution including bid evaluation and contract management

Fully tracked and auditable distribution, addendum and award information

Local government buyers interested in joining the Illinois Purchasing Group can schedule a demo at www.BidNetDirect.com/buyer-demo or contact our Buyer Support team at 800-835-4603 option 3.

About BidNet's E-Sourcing Solution

BidNet's e-Sourcing solution, SourceSuite, provides local government agencies with a full sourcing solution including vendor management, bid distribution, bid evaluation, contract management and vendor performance management. With years of input from procurement professionals, BidNet has designed 17 regional purchasing groups to address the specific bid and vendor management needs of public purchasing. To learn more about the benefits to local government agencies, please visit www.BidNetDirect.com/buyers. Full feature and sourcing module information is available at www.SourceSuite.com.

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Media Inquiries:

Kim Cullen

Director of Marketing

518-689-7036

Kcullen@bidnet.com
MISSION, KS -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- (Family Features) Education is particularly critical for today's students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, as the number of jobs with an emphasis in STEM is expected to grow significantly over the next 10 years, according to the National Science and Math Initiative.

With the right funding, schools across the country are putting an emphasis on STEM education and looking for new ways to make a difference in the lives of their students and their communities. For Rochelle Middle School in Rochelle, Illinois, a $25,000 grant from the America's Farmers Grow Rural Education program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, enabled the school to enhance its science curriculum by exposing students to STEM-related career opportunities and preparing students for the workforce. The program included the purchase of a 3D printer to introduce students to the technology and bring their designs and ideas to life.

Shortly after the program began, the students learned about a local farmer who lost his arm in an accident while working in the field and they began working on a program to use the 3D printer to build a fully-functioning prosthesis for him.

Other Americas Farmers Grow Rural Education grants have helped schools expand their science curriculum by building greenhouses, continuing a remote-operated-vehicle science program, developing a livestock learning laboratory on a high school campus and others.

"STEM education is a vital foundation for the future of students and communities," said Al Mitchell, Monsanto Fund president. "With the support of local farmers, we are proud to provide resources to engage and excite students in their STEM educations, and help them understand practical applications of their studies."

Since starting the program, Rochelle Middle School's parents and teachers have noticed a change in students, as they seem more engaged and excited to learn. Many even stay after school for an independent study course with their science teacher.

"The grant helped enhance our STEM offering to students and show them what their futures could hold," said Vic Worthington, Rochelle Middle School science instructor. "In middle school, it's easy for these students to go to school each day, but not understand the full picture of possibilities of their futures. Through this program, schools are able to put possibilities in front of students they couldn't have previously dreamed of."

The Grow Rural Education program is seeking nominations from farmers through April 1, 2017, to help provide rural public schools with funding for STEM projects. Since the program began partnering with farmers in 2011, more than $11 million has been awarded to help rural schools in need. To learn more about the program or how farmers can nominate a school near them, visit GrowRuralEducation.com.

About Family Features Editorial Syndicate

Established in 1974, Family Features is a leading provider of free food and lifestyle content for print and online publications. Our articles, photos, videos and web content solutions save you time, money and help create advertising opportunities. Registration is fast and free -- with absolutely no obligation. Visit editors.familyfeatures.com for more information.

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1-888-824-3337

editors.familyfeatures.com




SEATTLE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- CFN Media Group, the leading creative agency and digital media network dedicated to legal cannabis, announces the publication of an article discussing Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (OTC PINK: ATTBF) (CNSX: ATT), a specialty agricultural technology firm focused on the legal cannabis industry. The company recently commissioned an independent valuation on Green Nature Health Care Products Inc. in advance of a potential strategic acquisition. The move would follow the company's international licensing and co-branding agreement signed in November of last year and Green Nature's strong financial performance since then.

Green Nature provides dried fruit products to over 400 customers throughout China, including 388 Wal-Mart stores, five Shanghai Duty Free stores, and 20 Yangzhou Pharmacies. Since 2012, the company has expanded its footprint with customs clearance through six Chinese cities including Shanghai, Nantong, Qingdao, Tianjin, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. The company's products can also be found in TNT Markets and 50 other stores throughout Canada.

The initial agreement between Abattis Bioceuticals and Green Nature provides Abattis with the right to acquire Green Nature through a common stock transaction if it is deemed accretive by the Board of Directors. With the independent valuation in progress, Abattis is positioning itself to potentially execute a strategic acquisition that could add top-line revenue and bottom-line profitability while opening valuable distribution channels into China's economy.

An Abattis subsidiary, Vergence Sales and Marketing Group, already conducts business that dovetails nicely with Abattis Bioceuticals' potential acquisition of Green Nature. With its extensive distribution throughout China, the acquisition could help the company significant expand its revenue as it launches proprietary functional food products.

One more thing to consider is the potential for these distribution lines to benefit another of Abattis' businesses, Northern Vine Labs. Northern Vine is an analytical and testing lab certified to handle controlled substances by Health Canada. As the company develops, the plan is to go beyond cannabis testing services and develop cannabis-based bioceuticals that would fit naturally into the markets developed by Vergence and Green Nature.

Please follow the link to read the full article: http://www.cannabisfn.com/abattis-explores-diversifying-with-a-strategic-acquisition/

Learn how to become a CFN Media featured 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 your smart phone: 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) is the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis. We help 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.

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




MONTREAL, CANADA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- (NYSE: CAE)(TSX: CAE) - CAE announced today a series of aviation training contracts valued at more than C$250 million with airlines and business aircraft operators worldwide. The contracts include cadet-to-captain training programs, crew resourcing services, and the sale of 12 full-flight simulators (FFS), bringing the total number of FFS sales announced to date this fiscal year to 38.

The contracts highlight the span of CAE's commercial and business aviation training solutions. They include:

Ab-initio pilot training and resourcing agreements, illustrating CAE's support to the growing need for airline pilots

-- Jetstar Airways Australia: New ab-initio pilot training contract, in partnership with Swinburne University of Technology -- Jetstar Airways Japan: A new 5-year crew resourcing services agreement

Airline and business aviation pilot training contracts, demonstrating the recurring nature of CAE's offering

-- Jet Airways in Asia: An exclusive 5-year training contract for Boeing 737NG pilot training -- Smart Aviation in the Middle-East: A business aviation pilot and maintenance training program -- Redstar Aviation in Europe: A business aviation training agreement for Learjet 45 pilot training -- Undisclosed customers: An exclusive 2-year training contract for Airbus A320/A330 pilot training with an airline in South America, and business aviation training agreements for various aircraft platforms to customers in Asia and North America

The sale of 12 full-flight simulators, highlighting CAE's continued market leadership in training equipment

-- Shanghai Eastern Flight Training Co. (SEFTC) in China: Five full-flight simulators, including two Boeing 737MAX, one Boeing 787, one Airbus A350, one Airbus A320NEO and four flight training devices to SEFTC, the training centre subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines -- Xiamen Airlines in China Three full-flight simulators, including two Boeing 737-800/8MAX and one Boeing 787-9 -- Korean Air in South Korea One Boeing 787 full-flight simulator -- Sriwijaya Air in Indonesia One Boeing 737NG full-flight simulator -- Southwest Airlines in the United States: One Boeing 737 full-flight simulator, as well as 14 CAE 550XR training devices -- Undisclosed customer in North America: One Airbus A320 full-flight simulator

"CAE places great importance on supporting the growing training needs of airline and aircraft operators around the world with cadet-to-captain training solutions," said Nick Leontidis, CAE's Group President, Civil Aviation Training Solutions. "We are privileged to continue to be selected as their training partner of choice, building on our longstanding reputation for customer focus and ability to deliver quality training programs and equipment. We are committed to supporting their training needs long into the future."

The FFSs are at list prices, which include the value of OEM aircraft-specific data, parts and equipment (DP&E). In the case of these contracts, some customers are providing part of the OEM content.

More detail about the contracts is available in the trade media fact sheet below.

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

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trade Media Fact sheet Jetstar Airways Australia: ab-initio pilot training program Jetstar Airways Australia, in partnership with Swinburne University of Technology, relaunched its Cadet Pilot Training program and, once again, chose CAE as the training partner of choice for the selection, assessment and delivery of Jetstar's Cadetship program. Starting in the first half of 2017, twelve cadets will undertake an intensive 18-month program consisting of full-time academic studies in the Swinburne Associate Degree of Aviation, and pilot licence theory and flight training at CAE's flight academy in Melbourne. The training program will allow students to receive a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with a Multi Engine Command Instrument Rating and a frozen Air Transport Pilot's Licence. Upon completion of the training program the selected candidates will be employed by Jetstar Airways. CAE has delivered Jetstar's Cadetship since 2010 through its Melbourne academy, with over 80 cadets completing the program and now flying with Jetstar. The CAE Melbourne academy also provides flight training to Swinburne University of Technology students undertaking the Bachelor of Aviation, as well as international cadets from China Eastern Airlines. Jetstar Airways Japan: new crew resourcing contract Jetstar Airways Japan selected CAE for the provision of pilot resourcing services under a 5-year agreement. CAE will provide crew resourcing services through CAE Parc Aviation to support the airline's growing need for experienced pilots in the region. The Jetstar Group and CAE share a relationship that spans over 14 years, with the provision of cadet-to- captain training and crew resourcing services to the airline's subsidiaries in the Asia Pacific region, including in Australia, Vietnam and Japan. Jet Airways: Boeing 737NG Pilot Training Jet Airways, India's second largest airline, selected CAE for the provision of pilot training services to support the airline's growing training needs. Under the exclusive 5-year agreement, CAE will provide Boeing 737NG pilot training to the airline's pilots at CAE's training centre in Bengaluru, India. Pilots will begin training in the first half of 2017. CAE already provides maintenance support services at its Bangalore training centre for the airlines' CAE-built full-flight simulators, including one Airbus A330 FFS, two Boeing 737NG and one Boeing 777-300ER FFS. Smart Aviation: business aviation pilot and maintenance training Smart Aviation has selected Emirates-CAE Flight Training (ECFT), the joint venture between Emirates and CAE, for the provision of pilot and maintenance technician training on various aircraft types. They will be training at CAE's training centres in Dubai, UAE; Dallas, Texas; and Morristown, New Jersey, USA for the next 12 months. Redstar: 3-year business aviation pilot training Redstar Aviation has selected CAE for the provision of a new Learjet 45 training program. Pilots will be training at CAE's training centres in Burgess Hill, UK; and Dallas, Texas for the next 3 years. Shanghai Eastern Flight Training Centre: five full-flight simulators Shanghai Eastern Flight Training Co. (SEFTC), the training centre subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines, has ordered five CAE 7000XR Series FFSs equipped with CAE Tropos-6000XR innovative visual systems - one Airbus A320NEO, one Airbus A350, two Boeing 737MAX and one Boeing 787 - as well as four CAE 400XR Series flight training devices (FTD). The training equipment suite will be delivered to SEFTC's facilities in Shanghai and Kunming, and the first FFS will be ready for training starting in the second half of 2017. SEFTC and CAE share a relationship that spans over a decade, with the first CAE-built simulator purchased in 2003. With this order, SEFTC will operate and have on order 32 CAE-built full-flight simulators. In 2015, CAE and China Eastern have also entered a joint venture agreement, sharing the ownership of CAE's flight academy in Melbourne, Australia. For the past two years, more than 175 China Eastern cadets have trained at the CAE Oxford Aviation Academy in Melbourne. Xiamen Airlines: three full-flight simulators Xiamen Airlines selected CAE for the provision of three CAE 7000XR Series full-flight simulators (FFS) - one Boeing 737-800, one Boeing 737-8MAX and one Boeing 787-9. The FFSs will be equipped with the latest innovative CAE Tropos 6000XR visual system, offering unprecedented realism. The training equipment suite will be delivered at Xiamen Airlines' training centre in Xiamen, and the first FFS will be ready for training starting in the Fall of 2017. Xiamen Airlines and CAE share a long-standing relationship that spans over 8 years, with the provision of cadet-to-captain training programs and the delivery of innovative training equipment. With this order, Xiamen Airlines will be operating 7 CAE-built full-flight simulators. Korean Air: one full-flight simulator Korean Air, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Korea, signed a new training equipment contract with CAE for the provision of one Boeing 787 full-flight simulator (FFS). The CAE 7000XR Series FFS will be delivered to the airline's training centre in Seoul, South Korea and will be ready-for- training in the second half of 2018. Korean Air and CAE share a long- standing relationship that spans over 30 years. With this order, the airline will be operating and have on order 9 CAE-built FFS. Sriwijaya Air: one full-flight simulator Sriwijaya Air, Indonesia s third largest carrier, selected CAE for the provision of a Boeing 737NG full-flight simulator (FFS). The CAE 7000XR FFS will be equipped with the innovative CAE Tropos 6000XR visual system, offering unprecedented realism. The FFS will be delivered to the airline's training centre in Jakarta and will be ready for training in the summer of 2017. This is the first CAE full-flight simulator purchased by Sriwijaya Air. Southwest Airlines: Suite of Training Equipment Southwest Airlines signed a new training equipment contract with CAE for the provision of one Boeing 737 full-flight simulator (FFS) as well as 14 cockpit procedures trainers, to support its growing training needs in the region. The CAE 550XR Series cockpit procedures trainers, the latest addition to CAE's XR Series suite of training equipment, offers an extended panel configuration with much of the cockpit using actual hardware controls and indicators, further enhancing the training experience. The complete training equipment suite will be delivered at Southwest Airlines' training centre in Dallas, Texas, USA, and will be ready for training in the second half of 2018. Southwest Airlines has been a customer of CAE since 2004 and with this order, the airline now has over 14 CAE-built full-flight simulators and over 25 flight training devices in training and on order. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contacts:

CAE contacts:

General Media: Helene V. Gagnon, Vice President,

Public Affairs and Global Communications

+1-514-340-5536

helene.v.gagnon@cae.com



Investor relations:

Andrew Arnovitz, Vice President,

Strategy and Investor Relations

+1-514-734-5760

andrew.arnovitz@cae.com



Trade Media:

Frederic Morais, Marketing Leader,

Civil Aviation Training Solutions

+1-514-506-8331

frederic.morais@cae.com






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has signed a new production deal with Netflix Inc. (NFLX) that will make the online video streaming service the exclusive home for his new comedic projects.



As part of Seinfeld's exclusive deal with Netflix, twenty four brand new episodes of 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee' will being streaming exclusively on Netflix in installments in late 2017, with subsequent installments following in 2018 and beyond.



In addition, fifty-nine previous episodes of the Emmy-nominated series will also be aired exclusively on Netflix at the same time.



The comedy series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, features Seinfeld joining friends for a cup of coffee and a drive in a classic car, sharing stories along the way.



Seinfeld will also film two, all-new stand-up shows exclusively for Netflix members globally. The first show will arrive on Netflix later this year.



In addition, the high-profile comedian will help develop scripted and non-scripted comedy programming for Netflix, with additional elements of the deal to be announced later.



Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix said, 'Jerry is known the world over as both a great TV innovator and beloved comic voice. We are incredibly proud to welcome him to the Netflix comedy family.'



'When I first started thinking about Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, the entire Netflix business model consisted of mailing out DVDs in envelopes. I love that we are now joining together, both at very different points,' Seinfeld said.



Netflix has already secured new comedy specials from Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock. In November 2016, Netflix confirmed plans for three new comedy specials starring Dave Chappelle. The specials will be co-directed by Chappelle and Stan Lathan.



Netflix made a deal reported to be worth $40 million in October 2016 with stand-up comedian Chris Rock for two stand-up specials. The move saw the return of the Emmy-nominated comedian to television as a stand-up comic following an eight-year absence.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Southern Silver Exploration Corp. (TSX VENTURE: SSV)(FRANKFURT: SEG1)(SSE: SSVCL)(OTCQB: SSVFF) ("Southern Silver") reported today assay results from the Fall 2016 core drilling on the Cerro Las Minitas project, Durango State, Mexico which identified a thick interval of semi-massive and massive sulphide mineralization in drill hole 16CLM-091. Highlights from 16CLM-091 include:

-- a 15.1m down hole interval (14.8m est. True Thickness) averaging 39.4g/t Ag, 0.1% Pb and 10.2% Zn (410.7g/t AgEq; 11.6% ZnEq) including a higher grade 4.8m interval (4.7m est. TT) averaging 38.7g/t Ag, 0.12% Cu, 0.1% Pb and 23.2% Zn (877g/t AgEq; 24.8% ZnEq)

Mineralization in drill hole 16CLM-091 occurs in skarn near the margin of the Central Intrusion within the Blind Shoulder target and appears to confirm the flattening of the mineralized zone in this part of the deposit. Significantly, the mineralization in 16CLM-091 contains some of the highest grade zinc intercepts drilled on the project to date by Southern Silver.

The mineralization is open both down-dip to the southwest and along strike to the north and northwest and represents a 150 metre step-out from previously reported mineralization in hole 13CLM-066 (9.3 metres averaging 9.4g/t Ag, 0.13% Cu and 13% Zn; see NR-10-13, July 16, 2013), a 85 metre step-out from hole 15CLM-081 (16.8 metres averaging 136g/t Ag, 0.5% Cu, 0.3% Pb and 4.5% Zn; see NR-14-15, December 1, 2015) and a 250 metre step-out from hole 16CLM-088 (30.4 metres averaging 107g/t Ag, 0.4% Cu, 1.1% Pb, and 2.3% Zn; see NR-14-16, June 13, 2016). The above intervals are quoted as down hole thickness.

"The recent set of drill results has yielded further improvement in potential size, quality and scope of the Cerro Las Minitas project," said Lawrence Page, Southern Silver's President. "Our focus will remain to establish this rapidly evolving district into one of the most significant economic polymetallic discoveries in our industry."

As of December 31, 2016, approximately 1,300 metres of the planned 10,000 metre US$2 million drilling program had been completed consisting of two drill holes and the extension of an earlier hole. Drilling tested both the Blind Shoulder target with hole CLM-091 and the Mina La Bocona target with hole 16CLM-090 and extension of hole 13CLM-037. Hole CLM-090 returned anomalous values of silver and base metals (see Table 1).

Drilling on the Blind Shoulder during 2017 will continue to target a 600 metre x 400 metre area which will test the lateral extension of mineralization identified in holes CLM-091, CLM-088, CLM-081 and CLM-066. Continued delineation of this target area remains a high priority which with continued success, would have a significant positive impact on the cumulative mineral resources of the project.

A second drill has been mobilized to the property for the commencement of the 2017 program which will allow continued exploration of the project on an expedited basis.

Table 1: Select Composites from Fall 2016 Drilling on the Cerro Las Minitas Property

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Est. Tr. Hole # From To Interval Thck. Ag Au (m) (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16CLM-090 163.0 163.6 0.6 0.3 81.2 0.07 16CLM-090 300.1 303.8 3.7 2.4 6.2 0.02 inc. 301.5 302.7 1.3 0.8 2.1 0.02 16CLM-090 314.5 317.5 13.0 8.4 6.8 0.02 inc. 316.7 317.8 1.1 0.7 23.7 0.05 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16CLM-091 549.0 551.6 2.6 1.0 11.5 0.03 16CLM-091 646.2 658.4 12.2 11.5 20.9 0.21 16CLM-091 662.8 677.9 15.1 14.8 39.4 0.01 inc. 667.5 672.3 4.8 4.7 38.7 0.02 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hole # Cu Pb Zn AgEq ZnEq Comments (%) (%) (%) (g/t) (%) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16CLM-090 0.00 1.7 0.5 163 4.6 16CLM-090 0.14 0.0 0.9 53 1.5 10g/t AgEq Cutoff inc. 0.04 0.0 1.8 73 2.1 10g/t AgEq Cutoff 16CLM-090 0.15 0.0 0.0 25 0.7 10g/t AgEq Cutoff inc. 0.67 0.0 0.1 101 2.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16CLM-091 0.04 0.2 0.5 40 1.1 10g/t AgEq Cutoff 16CLM-091 0.01 0.0 0.0 37 1.1 10g/t AgEq Cutoff 16CLM-091 0.05 0.1 10.2 411 11.6 inc. 0.12 0.1 23.2 877 24.8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Analyzed by FA/AA for gold and ICP-AES by ALS Laboratories, North Vancouver, BC. Silver (greater than 100ppm), copper, lead and zinc (greater than 1%) overlimits assayed by ore grade ICP analysis, High silver overlimits (greater than 1500g/t Ag) and gold overlimits (greater than 10g/t Au) re-assayed with FA-Grav. High Pb (greater than 20%) and Zn (greater than 30%) overlimits assayed by titration. AgEq and ZnEq were calculated using average metal prices of: US$18.2/oz silver, US$1240/oz gold, US$2.8/lbs copper and US$0.91/lbs lead and US$0.94/lbs zinc. AgEq and ZnEq calculations did not account for relative metallurgical recoveries of the metals. Ore-grade composites calculated using a 80g/t AgEq cut-off and less than 20% internal dilution, except where noted; anomalous intercepts calculated using a 10g/t AgEq cut-off.

Cerro Las Minitas Project

Exploration on the company's flagship Cerro Las Minitas property, Durango Mexico is funded by Electrum Global Holdings L.P. ("Electrum"), which has financed a broad range of exploration activities and has earned a 60% interest in the project through a US$5.0M earn-in on the property, with Southern Silver acting as operator.

The Cerro Las Minitas project contains an estimated Inferred Resource of 17.5Mozs silver and 237Mlbs of lead and 626Mlbs zinc (77.3Mozs AgEq) and an estimated Indicated Resource of 10.8Mozs silver, 189Mlbs lead and 207Mlbs zinc (36.5Mozs AgEq).(1)

A total of 93 drill holes for 37,255 metres have been completed on the Cerro Las Minitas project with exploration expenditures of approximately US$8.6 million spent through to the end of 2016.

To view Figure 1, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/ssv0119fig1.pdf.

About Southern Silver Exploration Corp.

Southern Silver Exploration Corp. is a precious metal exploration and development company with a focus on the discovery of world-class mineral deposits in north-central Mexico and the southern USA. Our specific emphasis is the Cerro Las Minitas silver-lead-zinc project located in the heart of Mexico's Faja de Plata, which hosts multiple world-class mineral deposits such as Penasquito, San Martin, Naica and Pitarrilla. We have assembled a team of highly experienced technical, operational and transactional professionals to support our exploration efforts in developing the Cerro Las Minitas project into a premier, high-grade, silver-lead-zinc mine. The Company engages in the acquisition, exploration and development either directly or through joint-venture relationships in mineral properties in major jurisdictions. Our property portfolio also includes the Oro porphyry copper-gold project located in southern New Mexico, USA.

(1) The 2016 Cerro Las Minitas Resource Estimate was prepared following CIM definitions for classification of Mineral Resources. Resources are constrained using mainly geological constraints and approximate 10g/t AgEq grade shells. The block models are comprised of an array of blocks measuring 10m x 2m x 10m, with grades for Au, Ag, Cu, Pb, Zn and AgEq values interpolated using ID2 weighting. The models identified at a 150g/t AgEq cut-off, an indicated resource of 3,724,000 tonnes averaging 90g/t Ag, 0.05g/t Au, 2.3% Pb, 2.5% Zn and 0.09% Cu and a cumulative inferred resource of 6,611,000 tonnes averaging 82g/t Ag, 0.17g/t Au, 1.6% Pb, 4.3% Zn and 0.2% Cu. Mineral Resource cut-offs are estimated using an average long-term price of $15/oz silver, $1,100/oz gold, $2.75/lb Cu, $0.90/lb lead and $0.90/lb zinc and metal recoveries of 82% silver, 86% lead and 80% zinc. AgEq calculations did not account for relative metallurgical recoveries of the metals. All prices are stated in $USD. Mineral Resources are conceptual in nature and as such do not have demonstrated economic viability. The current Resource Estimate was prepared by Garth Kirkham, P.Geo. of Kirkham Geosciences Ltd. who is the Independent Qualified Person responsible for presentation and review of the Mineral Resource Estimate.

Robert Macdonald, MSc., P.Geo, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and responsible for the supervision of the exploration on the Cerro Las Minitas Project and for the preparation of the technical information in this disclosure.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Lawrence Page, Q.C., President & Director, Southern Silver Exploration Corp.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. 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. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Southern Silver Exploration Corp. does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.

Contacts:

Southern Silver Exploration Corp.

604.641.2759

ir@mnxltd.com

www.southernsilverexploration.com




ALBANY, New York, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The North America Facial Injectables Marketis quite monopolistic in nature with one player dominating the overall market dynamics. As of 2016, Allergan Plc., held a share 62.0% in the regional market. The company dominance is a result of the strong brand value of its drugs like Botox & Juvederm. Presently, Botox is leading the market and is expected to retain its stance all throughout 2024.

According to the research report, the North America facial injectables market is expected to reach a valuation of US$5.8 bn by the end of 2024 as compared to US$2.1 bn by the end of 2015. Between the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the global market is expected to rise at a CAGR of 12.0%.

U.S. to be Frontrunner in Regional Market with Changing Lifestyles of Consumers

The overall market has been segmented into the U.S. and Canada on the basis of geography. Out of the two countries, the U.S. is expected to assume the lead in the overall market due to a high demand for botulinum toxins and dermal fillers. Improving lifestyles and growing preference for minimally invasive surgeries are expected to drive the demand for facial injectables across the U.S.

In terms of products, the market is segmented into botulinum toxin, hyaluronic acid, collagen, and particle and polymer fillers. Of these, the botulinum toxin segment held a leading share in the global market in 2015 as it is predominantly being used for correcting lines, creases, and wrinkles. Thus, between 2016 and 2024, the botulinum toxin segment is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 12.7%.

Download PDF Brochure of Research Report:http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18515

Synthetic Facial Injectables with Long-lasting Effects Propel Demand

Development of synthetic products with polymers and particles has upped the demand for facial injectables across North America. The new products have a longer shelf-life, which prolongs the need to re-treatment. Thus, the widening availability of facial injectables that tend to have permanent effects is driving the demand for products in the overall market. Furthermore, as the frequency of treatment is reduced it has also brought down the cost of facial injectables treatment, thus making it affordable.

The market for facial injectables across North America has also been flourishing against the backdrop of growing preference for minimally invasive surgeries. Thus, the growing inclination toward minimally invasive procedures in dermatological applications is expected to drive the overall market. The growing focus on aesthetics and physical attractiveness are proving to be the persuasive factors in the propelling demand for facial injectables in North America. Changing lifestyles, rising disposable incomes, and altering understanding of beauty and attractiveness is encouraging several users to opt for facial injectables that can reverse the signs of aging to restore the youthful glow.

Side Effects of Facial Injectables Challenge Market Growth

The strength of aforementioned market drivers is likely to be challenged by a few restraints in the North America facial injectables market. The possibility of allergic reactions due to the involvement of living organisms and related chemicals and enzymes is anticipated to hamper the growth of the overall market. Furthermore, side-effects such as edema, bleeding, and bruising are also expected to restrain the growth of the regional market. The poor reimbursement policies associated with facial injectables are expected to curb the spending on these expenditures in the near future.

Request For Discount On This Report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=18515

This review is based on Transparency Market Research's report, titled "Facial Injectables Market - North America Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024."

The North America facial injectables market has been segmented as follows:

North America Facial Injectables Market, by Product Type

Botulinum Toxin

Hyaluronic Acid

Collagen Porcine/ Bovine-Based Human Based

Particle & Polymer Fillers (PPF) Polymethylmethacrylate Beads (PMMA microspheres) Poly-L-Lactic Acid Calcium Hydroxyapatite



North America Facial Injectables Market, by Treatment

Facial Pain

Wrinkle Treatment

Lip Augmentation

Others

North America Facial Injectables Market, by End User

Hospitals

Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Cosmetic Centers

Dermatology Clinics

Physician Clinics

North America Facial Injectables Market, by Country

North America U.S. Canada



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Medical Aesthetic Devices Market (Product - Aesthetic Laser and Energy Devices, Skin Tightening and Body Contouring Devices, Aesthetic Implants, and Facial Aesthetic Devices; Application - Facial and Body Contouring, Facial and Skin Rejuvenation, Breast Enhancement, Scar Treatment, Reconstructive Surgery, Tattoo Removal, and Hair Removal) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/medical-aesthetics.html

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BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says he expects a smooth transition to the next US administration within the Defense Department. Gen. Joe Dunford was talking to reporters Wednesday after wrapping up meetings in Paris and Brussels, and before heading home to attend presidential inauguration set for Friday. Initial contact between the department and President-elect Donald J. Trump's Defense Department transition team was about six weeks ago, the general said. 'We talked about the state and nonstate challenges we have [and] spoke about our priorities we've had in our national military strategy,' Dunford said. They also spoke about risk assessment and readiness and military capabilities, which led to a discussion of the budget, he added. The transition team has done 'deeper dives' with the staff, and Dunford described the relationship as dynamic, with a lot of back and forth. 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.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- The Association of National Numbering Agencies today announced that Emma Kalliomaki has been confirmed as managing director of ANNA, as well as the ANNA Derivatives Service Bureau (DSB) and the ANNA Service Bureau (ASB). An active participant and leader in standards-related initiatives throughout her career, Ms. Kalliomaki will work with the ANNA board on a broad range of activities, including engagement with industry stakeholders, regulators and third-party providers.

"We are delighted that Emma is returning to ANNA in a full-time role," said Dan Kuhnel, chairman of the ANNA board. "Her deep expertise in financial data, standards and regulation is a perfect match for our intense level of activity, and she shares our commitment to the renaissance of ANNA as a vibrantly involved participant in the evolution of financial markets."

Kalliomaki was previously head of SEDOL Masterfile of the London Stock Exchange Group. She spearheaded initiatives such as establishing the LSE's role as a Local Operating Unit in the global Legal Entity Identifier system and the rebuild of the SEDOL Masterfile system, as well as overseeing the role of the London Stock Exchange as the UK numbering agency for International Securities Identification Numbers (ISINs) and Classification of Financial Instruments (CFI) codes. She has participated in revision and development of many ISO standards, including serving as convenor of the CFI study group which introduced a new range of OTC derivatives categorizations. She also served as executive secretary of the ANNA board of directors in 2010 through 2015.

"ANNA is in the midst of an exciting development phase with bold objectives and excellent resources and support," notes Kalliomaki. "What has been accomplished to date by the membership and a volunteer board of directors is remarkable, and I look forward to carrying on this progress."

About ANNA

Established in 1992 by 22 founding numbering agencies, ANNA is the membership organization of national numbering agencies, which are operated by depositories, exchanges, government agencies, nationally central data vendors and other financial infrastructure organizations. ANNA also serves as the registration authority for the ISIN numbering standard, under appointment by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Under ANNA's stewardship, the role of the ISIN in enabling global financial communications has been established worldwide. ISINs are issued today more than 200 jurisdictions worldwide. The number by national numbering agencies and nations working to establish national numbering agencies continues to grow each year, now surpassing 120 jurisdictions globally. For information about ANNA, its members and activities, please visit anna-web.org.

Contact:

Kathleen Hawk for ANNA

Email Contact

+1 845 687-2222




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Wednesday in Washington, D.C., the United States Government signed a bilateral treaty with Cuban Government to delimit their maritime boundary in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The treaty delimits the only part of the U.S.-Cuba maritime boundary that had not previously been agreed, and covers an area of continental shelf in the eastern Gulf of Mexico that is more than 200 nautical miles from any country's shore. The treaty is consistent with the longstanding U.S. goals to resolve our outstanding maritime boundaries and promote maritime safety and protection of the marine environment, the State Department said Wednesday. The treaty will come into force only after the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. 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.
LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- AdColony, the largest independent mobile advertising platform in the world, today announced the appointment of Jeff Hackett as SVP of U.S. Brand Sales. The appointment coincides with Mike Owen's promotion from EVP Brand Sales, North America to CRO, Global Brand. Both executive moves support the company's global mission to deliver the highest quality advertising experiences for today's mobile world. Hackett will be based in AdColony's New York office.

"We are thrilled to have Jeff join us in advance of the largest slate of new mobile advertising products in years. While 2016 was a year of R&D, 2017 is a year of innovation and new product releases around video, creativity and performance advertising," said Will Kassoy, CEO of AdColony. "I'm looking forward to Jeff and Mike's leadership as we launch these new products with our close brand and agency partners globally."

As SVP of U.S. Brand Sales, Hackett takes responsibility for AdColony's brand- and agency-facing sales organization across offerings. Hackett joins AdColony having spent the past 14 years at comScore, Inc. in a variety of critical roles, most recently as EVP of Sales. During his tenure, Hackett led the U.S. Digital Media commercial team and was responsible for expanding the well-known public company's partnerships across marketer, agency, publisher and platform customers and partners. Hackett also pioneered efforts that introduced greater accountability to mobile advertising in bringing comScore's mobile audience and advertising effectiveness solutions to market. Hackett's deep knowledge of the measurement and data space is a tremendous asset as AdColony delivers meaningful outcomes for its customers.

"Brands today see mobile advertising as a unique opportunity to deliver the most targeted and engaging messages to audiences that simply can't be found elsewhere," said Jeff Hackett, SVP U.S. Brand Sales, AdColony. "AdColony has spent the last five years building a world-class platform that enables today's top brands to truly make an impact at scale and drive real business outcomes. I am thrilled to join the team at this inflection point."

On the heels of Opera Mediaworks' recent rebrand to AdColony, Mike Owen is stepping into a global focused role guiding the company's brand sales efforts on a worldwide, unified scale. Owen formerly served as EVP Brand Sales, North America, helping drive Opera Mediaworks/AdColony's growth through its acquisition and rebrand back to AdColony.

"Jeff will be a tremendous asset as we continue to build strategic brand and agency relationships and prepare for game-changing launches this year," said Owen. "With powerful data, stunning mobile creative, and unrivaled video and rich media technologies, our teams are eager to go to market under Jeff's leadership to show what Today's Primetime has to offer for brands."

AdColony continues to focus globally on delivering Today's Primetime advertising by focusing on the highest quality mobile experiences, fueled by data and insights, to drive results for brands across the hottest apps in the world where consumers spend more than 50% of their in-app time. With one of the largest SDK footprints in the top 1000 apps, AdColony is able to activate award-winning creative executions and high-performing campaigns to capture the attention of the ever-evolving global consumer.

Hackett and Owen's moves are immediately effective. To learn more about this news, please visit http://www.adcolony.com.

About AdColony

AdColony is one of the largest mobile advertising platforms in the world with a reach of more than 1.4 billion users globally. With a mission to elevate the state of mobile advertising by focusing on the highest quality consumer experiences that deliver outcomes for brands and publishers on today's primetime apps and sites, AdColony is trusted by Fortune 500 brands and more than 85% of the world's top grossing mobile publishers. Known for our exclusive Instant-Play HD video technology, proprietary rich media formats, our global performance advertising business and programmatic marketplace, and our extensive ad SDK footprint in the Top 1000 apps worldwide, we are passionate about helping brands connect with consumers at scale on the most important screen in their lives. A fully-owned subsidiary of Opera ASA, AdColony is a global organization with over 20 offices worldwide.

Media Contact:



Hollis Guerra

Blast PR for AdColony

Email Contact




NEW YORK, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Declining domestic production and decreasing import of natural gas from Myanmar, coupled with growing demand for electricity and stable prices of LNG to drive Thailand LNG market through 2025

According to TechSci Research report "Thailand LNG Market Demand & Supply Analysis, By Region, By Application, By LNG Terminal, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011-2025", LNG market in the country is projected to exhibit a CAGR 7.2% during 2016-2025, due increasing addition of LNG based power plants and rising LNG demand from petrochemical industry in the country. Moreover, Thailand is expected to invest around USD1.5 billion in Mozambique LNG project at Rovuma by 2021, which is anticipated to supply up to 3.6 MMT of LNG till 2021 to Thailand. Thus, growing urbanization and increasing industrialization are expected to positively influence Thailand LNG market during 2016-2025.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140117/663730 )



Browse 9 market data Tables and 12 Figures spread through39 Pages and an in-depth TOC on

"Thailand LNG Market"

https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/thailand-lng-market-demand-supply-analysis-by-region-by-application-by-lng-terminal-competition-forecast-and-opportunities/877.html

Bangkok, Central and Western regions dominated Thailand LNG market in 2015, owing to increasing use of LNG for power generation owing to high population density and presence of CNG filling stations in these regions. These regions include the largest natural gas power generation plants in the country and are well connected through pipelines, which is further fueling demand for LNG from these regions. Bulk of LNG is blended with piped natural gas and supplied to power plants, industrial consumers and CNG refilling stations.

Download Sample Report

@ https://www.techsciresearch.com/sample-report.aspx?cid=877

Customers can also request for 10% free customization on this report.

"LNG supply market in the country is anticipated to grow as PTT LNG terminal is expected to double its import handling capacity to 10 MMTPA by 2018. Moreover, easy availability of LNG from Qatar, Australia and the United States etc., are expected to aid growth in Thailand LNG market during the forecast period." said Mr. Karan Chechi, Research Director with TechSci Research, a research based global management consulting firm.

"Thailand LNG Market Demand & Supply Analysis, By Region, By Application, By LNG Terminal, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011-2025" has evaluated the LNG market in Thailand and provides statistics and information on market structure, industry behavior and trends. The report includes market projections and potential demand forecasting. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers to take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyzes emerging trends along with essential drivers, challenges, and opportunities available in LNG market in the Thailand.

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Global LNG Market Demand & Supply Analysis, By Region (Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, South America and North America), By Country, By LNG Terminal, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011-2025

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Global Small Scale LNG Market By Application (Industrial, Transportation, Utilities, Others), By Mode of Supply (Truck, Rail Tanks, Trans-shipment), By Region Opportunities & Forecast, 2021

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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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NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- With inauguration day upon us, pundits have begun to decode how the different voter segments feel about the results. This week, the college focused tech start up University Beyond, which matches employers to college talent, activated its nascent Insights division, UBI, alongside its partner Shine Scout, Inc., to survey college students across the country about what they were feeling, post-election.

The results came in rapidly and fiercely focused from students across the United States. These newly minted first time voters -- Gen Z, as they are called, stood true to their growing reputation as inclusive, intelligent, even-tempered, thoughtful and hardworking. Politely, but unflinchingly, they spoke of being left out by this election.

In fact, close to 70% of those asked felt that their generation "wasn't heard". This newest generation, also known as 'The Plurals' for their diversity of race and religion, were quick to point out the America belongs to all people, regardless of their race, culture or sexual choices. In their own words to the incoming president, "Take another look at the way you treat other people -- women, girls, people of color, lgbt people, muslims -- and remember that they are people you are now responsible for. We are not the other, we are your country, and you must respect us." They sense a deep threat to the rights of women, and the safety of minorities, as well as the specter of war. When selecting from a list of post-election issues, close to 60% of students checked these as their top concerns. But their cries of foul are by no means shrill, or passive.

Rather:

Over 60% cite the desire to 'do something positive"

40% electing to express this by joining with their peers to make sure this never happens again.

31% look to protest peacefully

31% look to become activists

When asked about their specific hopes and fears, they haltingly look forward to a time of increased financial prosperity and a regaining of economic strength. This is strongly overshadowed, however, by a fear of war, and the sense that we, as a nation, have begun a rapid descent into civil unrest and racial bigotry. They are very frightened. However, they have shown themselves, since birth, to be steady and thoughtful -- and we see this in their view of the future: it is murky and uncertain, but they are willing to wait and see what happens. They are on watch, however, and are determined and ready to step in and make things right. Consistent with their reputation as a solution focused, hard working group, they are not setting themselves up as victims, or throwing blame at anyone. They are willing and able to take on the worst scenario and want to have a part in creating a better future

Methodology - Qualtrics software was used, with a combination of multiple choice and open ended responses. Over 600 students people replied to the survey covering all US states. (With the exception of Hawaii, Alaska and Montana.)

UB and Shine Scout have partnered to create UBI, a proprietary insight reporting platform, to offer companies and brands real time access to the hearts and minds of today's college students.

About UB:

The University Beyond platform provides over 200 brands unprecedented access to hire, manage, and scale their campus ambassador and summer intern programs. In addition to an on-site job board, the University Beyond collaboration dashboard provides task management, communication, payment, and review features. For additional information please visit www.universitybeyond.com/

About Shine Scout

Shine Scout is a strategic brand consultancy that brings new light to your company vision by uncovering the insights, beliefs and emerging trends that make the biggest impact for the future. We work with CMOs and change makers to bring to life new stories, new brands and new products. We balance the unique magic of human desire with consumer science and marketing strategy. For additional information please visit www.shinescout.com
SLAVE LAKE, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Western Economic Diversification Canada

Slave Lake, Fort Vermilion and Barrhead will receive much-needed funding to upgrade valuable local infrastructure through the Government of Canada's CIP 150 combined investment of over $1 million. The improvements made with this funding will help make community and recreational facilities more sustainable and enjoyable for many years to come.

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

"Participation in cultural and recreational activities brings us together in our communities and contributes to our health and well-being. The renewed facilities funded through the Canada 150 Infrastructure Program respond to the significant demand for community infrastructure improvements and also give us an opportunity to celebrate the people and communities of this great country."

- The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Mill Woods on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada

"Today's Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program funding announcement will provide upgrades to the Slave Lake Multi Recreational Center (MRC) that residents here in the Slave Lake region use on a daily basis. The MRC provides meaningful and important recreational programs and activities for this community, and this funding will contribute to a recreational facility that Slave Lake residents can be proud of."

- His Worship Tyler Warman, Mayor, Town of Slave Lake

Backgrounder

Government of Canada Invests in Slave Lake, Fort Vermilion and Barrhead Community Infrastructure

The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program (CIP 150) 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 invest in local improvements to communities across the country, starting in 2016-17. A total of $46.2 million was allocated for projects across Western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba). Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) is responsible for administering the program in the West.

CIP 150 supports projects seeking to renovate, expand, and improve existing community infrastructure. Priority was given to projects that upgrade recreational facilities, advance a clean growth economy, and have a positive impact on Indigenous communities and peoples.

A Government of Canada CIP 150 investment of $1,005,731 was announced today for work on three recreational and cultural projects in north-central Alberta.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Organization Project Location Federal Funding ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fort Vermilion Replace the ice plant Fort Vermilion, $480,000 Recreation Board at the arena AB ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Barrhead Enhance energy Barrhead, AB $78,000 efficiency at the Barrhead Arena ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Slave Lake Upgrade the Multi- Slave Lake, AB $447,731 Recreation Centre ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stay Connected

Twitter: @WD_Canada, @canada150th, @MinisterISED

Hashtags: Canada150

Website: WD Homepage, Canada 150 Homepage, Town of Slave Lake, Town of Barrhead, Fort Vermilion

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

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



Christopher Brown

Communications Coordinator

Town of Slave Lake

780-849-8033

commscoordinator@slavelake.ca




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Monument Mining Limited (TSX VENTURE: MMY)(FRANKFURT: D7Q1) ("Monument" or the "Company"), reports that the Company has now signed an Exclusive Option Agreement with Panex Resources Inc. ("Panex"), subsequent to the related announcement made on December 28, 2016, to acquire Panex's 51% controlling interest in the Matala Gold Project. Panex is a public company that acquired rights to earn up to 90% of the Matala Gold Project under a farm-in agreement with Afrimines SARL, the owner of Matala, in June 2016.

President Robert Baldock commented "The Company has been interested in the opportunities for significant gold and other resources in the DRC. This opportunity provides low entry cost and risk by allowing Monument to evaluate the results of the drill program being conducted by Panex prior to deciding whether to exercise the option.

Panex has specialized in exploration, evaluation and acquisition of mineral properties focusing in Africa with particular focus in the DRC due the prolific gold, copper and other natural resources that have been discovered there. This move will enable Monument to assess Matala and possibly a number of acquisition opportunities in DRC, where several significant listed mining operators have successfully discovered reserves and resources and built both gold and copper projects and have been profitably operating these mining projects over recent years."

Terms of Exclusive Option Agreement

Under the terms of the Exclusive Option Agreement, the Company will pay a one-time option fee of US$250,000 to Panex upon certain conditions being met within 10 days of the execution of the agreement. Upon payment of the fee, Monument will be granted an exclusive option to purchase a 51% project interest in Matala by issuing 20 million common shares of Monument to Panex, subject to TSX Venture Exchange and regulatory approvals.

During the 6 month option period, Panex will cover all overheads and undertake a drilling program without any cost to Monument, the results of which will be made available to Monument and the market. Monument will not be required to spend any funds or be on the ground to undertake any work. In the meantime Monument will have a 6-month period to be able to undertake a due diligence update on the project before making any decision to proceed. If warranted, Monument may have a new technical report prepared on the project to replace the report filed on SEDAR on March 22, 2016, which should not be relied upon.

About Monument

Monument Mining Limited (TSX VENTURE: MMY)(FRANKFURT: D7Q1) is an established Canadian gold producer that owns and operates the Selinsing Gold Mine in Malaysia. Its experienced management team is committed to growth and is advancing several exploration and development projects including the Mengapur Polymetallic Project, in Pahang State of Malaysia, and the Murchison Gold Projects comprising Burnakura, Gabanintha and Tuckanarra in the Murchison area of Western Australia. The Company employs approximately 240 people in both regions and is committed to the highest standards of environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighboring communities.

Robert F. Baldock, President and CEO

Monument Mining Limited

Suite 1580 -1100 Melville Street

Vancouver, BC V6E 4A6

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION visit the company web site at www.monumentmining.com.

"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."

Forward-Looking Statement

This news release includes statements containing forward-looking information about Monument, its business and future plans ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are statements that involve expectations, plans, objectives or future events that are not historical facts and include the Company's plans with respect to its mineral projects and the timing and results of proposed programs and events referred to in this news release. Generally, forward-looking information 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" or "be achieved". The forward-looking statements in this news release are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and certain other factors include, without limitation: risks related to general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; uncertainties regarding the results of current exploration activities; uncertainties in the progress and timing of development activities; foreign operations risks; other risks inherent in the mining industry and other risks described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company's projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Material factors and assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements in this news release include: expectations regarding the estimated cash cost per ounce of gold production and the estimated cash flows which may be generated from the operations, general economic factors and other factors that may be beyond the control of Monument; assumptions and expectations regarding the results of exploration on the Company's projects; assumptions regarding the future price of gold of other minerals; the timing and amount of estimated future production; the expected timing and results of development and exploration activities; costs of future activities; capital and operating expenditures; success of exploration activities; mining or processing issues; exchange rates; and all of the factors and assumptions described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company's projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

Monument Mining Limited

Richard Cushing

MMY Vancouver

+1-604-638-1661 x102

rcushing@monumentmining.com



Wolfgang Seybold

Axino GmbH

+49 711-82-09-7211

wolfgang.seybold@axino.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.
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Gallium Arsenide Components Market 2017-2021" report to their offering.

The global gallium arsenide (GaAs) components market to grow at a CAGR of 4.26% during the period 2017-2021.

Global Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) Components Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global gallium arsenide (GaAs) components market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the sales of GaAs components worldwide. The report also includes a a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.



Market vendors expand their business, improve their market share, and gain access to new technologies through strategic alliances, collaborations, and M&As. These collaborations help provide better solutions based on the latest technologies to customers. In January 2016, RFMD merged with TriQuint Semiconductor to form Qorvo, which is one of the leading RF solution providers in the market currently. In addition, Avago Technologies and Broadcom entered a merger agreement in May 2016, and Skyworks Solutions acquired Advanced AnaIogic Technologies in 2012. The collaborations among vendors are expected to have a positive impact on the growth of the market during the forecast period.



According to the report, Shipments of smartphones will reach more than 2 billion units by 2020 due to the availability of low-cost smartphones in emerging markets such as China and India and increasing internet penetration worldwide. This is a significant increase from around 1.4 billion units in 2016. The growth in the shipments of smartphones will drive the demand for GaAs components used in mobile handsets, particularly GaAs power amplifiers. Smartphones currently require more GaAs content, as they need many frequency bands to accommodate 3G and 4G networks.

The increasing demand for tablets is also contributing to the market growth. Tablet shipments are estimated to reach about 430 million units by 2020 from almost 290 million units in 2016. There are many local market participants that have started introducing tablets in their respective countries, such as Micromax in India and Xiaomi in China, and the number of such vendors is expected to increase during the forecast period.



Further, the report states that the availability of alternative devices is a major challenge faced by the market. Since 2012, GaN, SiGe, LDMOS, and CMOS devices have emerged as alternatives to GaAs devices. Power amplifiers use GaN and LDMOS devices while SiGe devices are increasingly used in low-noise amplifier (LNA) applications. CMOS power amplifiers are being used in entry-level phones and are expected to be used in smartphones as well. Therefore, the end-user segments served by GaAs components are now being targeted by these alternative technologies. This could significantly lower the demand for GaAs components during the forecast period.

Key Vendors:



Skyworks Solutions

Qorvo

Broadcom

Other Prominent Vendors:



Advanced Wireless Semiconductor

ANADIGICS

Analog Devices

MACOM

Murata Manufacturing



Key Topics Covered:

Part 01: Executive summary



Part 02: Scope of the report



Part 03: Research Methodology



Part 04: Introduction



Part 05: GaAs wafers



Part 06: Market landscape



Part 07: Market segmentation by end-user



Part 08: Geographical segmentation



Part 09: Key leading countries



Part 10: Market drivers



Part 11: Impact of drivers



Part 12: Market challenges



Part 13: Impact of drivers and challenges



Part 14: Market trends



Part 15: Buying behavior



Part 16: Vendor landscape



Part 17: Appendix



Part 18: Extras



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/fbfzq3/global_gallium

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
PARIS, January 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

- The Consumer Goods Forum key contributor to event that brought together leaders in business, international institutions, academia, faiths, the media and civil society

- Roundtable had strong endorsement from the Vatican, including an audience with His Holiness, Pope Francis

On 13th and 14th January, Peter Freedman, Managing Director of The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), participated in the 2017 Rome Roundtable to discuss a variety of topics related to sustainable and inclusive globalisation, including the eradication of forced labour. The event brought together roughly 70 high-profile leaders from business, civil society, faith organisations and academia and included an audience with His Holiness, Pope Francis. The Roundtable was an excellent opportunity to engage with prominent stakeholders and further emphasised the importance of collective collaboration when addressing some of the world's most pressing problems. It also highlighted how momentum from industry-defining public commitments, like the CGF's Forced Labour Resolution, can help lead to necessary changes

The 2017 Rome Roundtable, convened by The Global Foundation, had the objective of discussing how to restore confidence, trust and optimism in the global economy through cooperative globalisation, with a particular focus on the Sustainable Development Goals. The event built on the 2016 Rome Roundtable, which was similarly focused on mobilising the global economy for more inclusive and sustainable growth and saw the Vatican commit to slavery-proofing its own supply chains. This year's edition however took the discussion a step further with its special focus on implementation.

In this context, Peter Freedman elaborated on the CGF's work on forced labour, including the first-ever industry commitment on forced labour eradication and the recently announced Priority Industry Principles that, when applied on a broad scale, could help stop the main cases that lead to forced labour. The open and participatory dialogue reiterated the ongoing need for collaboration between businesses, NGOs, governments and faith institutions to ensure that globalisation is beneficial for the collective global community and not only a select few - a reality for which Pope Francis has continuously championed.

During the Roundtable's audience with Pope Francis, Steve Howard, Secretary General of the Global Foundation cited the work on forced labour by the members of The Consumer Goods Forum, highlighting its focus on implementation, including the planned pilots in South East Asia. During his Address to the Roundtable, the Pope emphasised his support for a positive form of globalisation, one involving sustainable and inclusive economic growth. He stressed the importance of partnerships and cooperation to achieve this goal.

The Consumer Goods Forum is committed to collaborative engagement amongst key stakeholders to drive positive change and welcomes cross-sectoral collaborative initiatives such as the Rome Roundtable. Cooperation between faith institutions, governments and business are a crucial piece of the puzzle and the CGF hopes to see international bodies like the G20 take a strong role in leading governmental action on efforts against forced labour.

Peter Freedman, Managing Director, The Consumer Goods Forum said

"The Consumer Goods Forum is committed to positive stakeholder engagement to find collective solutions to collective problems. The Rome Roundtable was an excellent opportunity to engage on behalf of our members with a variety of actors who share the CGF's mission to drive positive change. We thank the Global Foundation for convening this meeting and His Holiness for his encouragement. We look forward to collaborating with all relevant stakeholders as we strive to reach a more sustainable society for the good of the planet and its people".

--ENDS--

About The Consumer Goods Forum

The Consumer Goods Forum ("CGF") is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises 54 manufacturer and retailer CEOs.

For more information, please visit:http://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

About The Global Foundation

The Global Foundation is a trust global network and platform with a unique power, which enables people from many walks of life to meet and work together in addressing some of the greatest global challenges of our time. It is a not-for-profit, membership organisation, open to all and intentionally diverse in its supporter base. It relies entirely on its member and sponsor contributions, that come from many companies, universities, institutions, philanthropic and individual sources.

It is fully independent from governments and yet works closely with governments of the day and international institutions and organisations, in a non-partisan manner.
DUBLIN, Jan 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Automotive Battery Management System Market 2016-2020" report to their offering.

The global automotive battery management system market to grow at a CAGR of 22.17% during the period 2016-2020.



Global Automotive Battery Management System Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.

The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is advances in technology. Over the years, the advances in technology have led to the rising use of various battery-operated devices worldwide. This, in turn, has resulted in an increase in energy consumption, especially batteries. EVs and PHEVs are being increasingly equipped with innovative features such as GPS, modern powertrain systems, AC systems, power windows, and display drives that give real-time information about battery charge levels and consume a substantial amount of battery power. Therefore, EVs lose their battery power in a shorter time and require frequent charging. Thus, there is an increased need for efficient and optimal work cycle of rechargeable batteries, which has led to the growth of the global BMS market in the automotive sector.



According to the report, one of the major drivers for this market is increasing demand for H&E vehicles. Hybrid and electric vehicles are powered mainly by batteries. The battery pack in an HEV needs to tolerate massive charge (for sudden braking) and heavy discharge (for sudden speed boost). In addition, the SoC must be kept up to 80%, keeping space for regenerative charging, while simultaneously discharging sufficiently for a power boost. Hence, BMS is a crucial feature in these vehicles, guaranteeing healthy battery operations.

Key vendors



DENSO

Johnson Matthey battery systems

battery systems LG Chem

Lithium Balance



Other prominent vendors



Ashwoods Energy

Calsonic Kansei

Clayton Power

Elithion

Hitachi Automotive Systems

Mitsubishi Electric

Preh

Tesla Motors

Ventec



Key Topics Covered:



Part 01: Executive summary



Part 02: Scope of the report



Part 03: Market research methodology



Part 04: Introduction



Part 05: Market landscape



Part 06: Market segmentation by type of battery



Part 07: Market segmentation by application



Part 08: Geographical segmentation



Part 09: Market drivers



Part 10: Market 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/t8vljx/global_automotive

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716
Dana, a global leader in highly engineered driveline, sealing, and thermal-management technologies, is ready to bring a strong lineup of its aftermarket products to the 2017 Automechanika Jeddah and Dubai trade shows.

Automechanika Jeddah, Saudi Arabia's leading regional trade fair for the automotive aftermarket industry, will take place from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events. Automechanika Dubai, the largest automotive aftermarket trade exhibition in the Middle East and Africa, will take place from May 7 through May 9 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

At each of the upcoming shows, Dana will provide its booth guests access to Spicer driveline products and Victor Reinz premium sealing products for the light, commercial, and off-highway vehicle aftermarkets. Dana also will present its GWB industrial driveshaft products, developed for the Middle-Eastern marketplace, at its exhibitor booths. The company has previously shown its Spicerproducts at these shows, but this will mark the first time that Dana will present the products as a complete driveline package with axle, transmission, and driveshaft applications. By bringing its Spicer, Victor Reinz, and GWB products into one exhibit, Dana will be able to better showcase its diverse product portfolio.

Current and potential customers from around the globe who visit Dana's exhibition booths also will have the opportunity to interact directly with Dana's technical and product specialists about the range of products provided by Dana, ask questions, and establish a personal rapport with Dana's product and aftermarket experts.

This year will mark Dana's ninth time exhibiting at Automechanika Dubai, and the second time at Automechanika Jeddah. The company's continued presence at these and other Automechanika shows is testament to Dana's commitment to offer advanced technologies and high-quality original equipment solutions that meet top-performance standards for its global customers.

About Dana in the Aftermarket

Powered by recognized brands such as Dana, Spicer, Victor Reinz, Glaser, Magnum, GWB, Thompson, TruCool, SVL and Transejes, Dana delivers a broad range of aftermarket solutions including genuine, all makes, and value lines- servicing passenger, commercial, and off-highway vehicles across the globe.

www.dana.com/aftermarket

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005948/en/

Contacts:

Dana Power Technologies

Carolin Sailer

Team Manager

Communication and Marketing

Fon +49 731 7046-407

Fax +49 731 7046-400

carolin.sailer@dana.com
HOUSTON, TEXAS -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- TransCanada Corporation (TSX: TRP)(NYSE: TRP) (TransCanada) announced today the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued an order approving the construction of the Leach XPress and Rayne XPress projects. The combined $1.8 billion investments will provide additional outlets to transport domestic, clean burning natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica production areas to higher-value Midwest and Gulf Coast markets.

The issuing of the certificates of public convenience and necessity follows the September release of FERC's final environmental impact statement for the projects. Once remaining regulatory approvals are obtained, TransCanada plans to begin right-of-way preparation and construction activities on both projects in February, and is reviewing the projects' overall timeline in an effort to maintain the proposed November 1, 2017 in-service date.

"Approval of Leach XPress and Rayne XPress follows a very thorough review by the FERC," said Stan Chapman, TransCanada's senior vice-president and general manager, U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines. "These projects will create critically needed connectivity between the prolific, but constrained, Marcellus and Utica shale production areas and higher value markets. The projects will also create significant new jobs and tax revenues for communities along the projects' routes."

The approximately $1.4 billion investment in Leach XPress will enable the safe transport of approximately 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica supply basin to homes, businesses and industries. The 160-mile greenfield project crosses the northern panhandle of West Virginia and then traverses southeastern Ohio.

Rayne XPress primarily involves the construction of two new compressor stations along TransCanada's existing Columbia Gulf system and is designed to create an additional 1.0 Bcf/d of capacity to efficiently transport Marcellus and Utica production to markets in the Gulf Coast region and beyond.

Both projects are underpinned by long-term, fixed-fee, firm transportation service agreements. They will be designed, constructed and operated with a core focus on safety and minimizing environmental impact.

With more than 65 years' experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas and liquids pipelines, power generation and gas storage facilities. TransCanada operates a network of natural gas pipelines that extends more than 90,300 kilometres (56,100 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is the continent's leading provider of gas storage and related services with 664 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A large independent power producer, TransCanada currently owns or has interests in over 10,700 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is also the developer and operator of one of North America's leading liquids pipeline systems that extend over 4,300 kilometres (2,700 miles), connecting growing continental oil supplies to key markets and refineries. TransCanada's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP.

Visit TransCanada.com and our blog to learn more, or connect with us on social media and 3BL Media.

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

This publication contains certain information that is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties (such statements are usually accompanied by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "intend" or other similar words). Forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide TransCanada security holders and potential investors with information regarding TransCanada and its subsidiaries, including management's assessment of TransCanada's and its subsidiaries' future plans and financial outlook. All forward-looking statements reflect TransCanada's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this news release, and not to use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. TransCanada undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information except as required by law. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the anticipated results, refer to TransCanada's Third Quarter Report to Shareholders dated November 1, 2016 and 2015 Annual Report on our website at www.transcanada.com or filed under TransCanada's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

Contacts:

Media Inquiries:

Scott Castleman / Mark Cooper

304.357.2128 or 800.608.7859



Investor & Analyst Inquiries:

David Moneta / Stuart Kampel

403.920.7911 or 800.361.6522




SMYRNA, TN -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Franke, the largest stainless steel kitchen sink manufacturer in the world and a leading name in kitchen faucets, showcased a range of technology and design innovations at the 2017 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Orlando January 10-12 that demonstrated its commitment to immerse home chefs in luxury kitchen products defined by ingenuity, ease and environmental awareness.

Particularly noteworthy for melding form and function with technology to serve the home chef were Franke's:

All-in-one Chef Center: Named one of Beautiful Kitchens & Baths' "30 Most Innovative Products for 2017" -- the Chef Center enhances entertaining, simplifies cleanup and maximizes creativity for those who demand a cooking experience they can customize. Incorporating the capacity to both compost and store as well as offering all-inclusive accessories, the Chef Center is more of a sous chef than a sink -- an extra hand in the kitchen instead of just a well-made receptacle. The Chef Center, now available in showrooms nationwide, is sold exclusively at Franke retailers.





Industry-first StillPure Franke Filtration App: Franke's StillPure Filtration System filters out limescale, metals, chlorine and more -- providing users with the purest fresh water available directly from the kitchen faucet. The StillPure Franke Filtration App -- available for mobile download in the Spring of 2017 -- works with the FM100 Monitor (a Bluetooth monitor that easily attaches to the Filtration System) to track how many filtered gallons of water a household consumes and conveniently alerts users when it's time to change the filter. It's the definition of luxury for environmentally responsible consumers, whose water usage alerts are sent directly to their cell phone. Franke's StillPure Filtration System will be sold exclusively at Franke retailers.





Easy-to-install Fast-In Products: Franke's ingenious Fast-In technology -- featured on select top-mount sinks and faucets -- allows Do-It-Yourself (DIY) homeowners to save time and money without sacrificing the superior quality, craftsmanship and performance they expect from the Franke brand. Franke's Fast-In Quick Install Kitchen Sink System offers simple no-tools-required, top-mount installation; versatile single-bowl or double-bowl designs; and either traditional or hand-crafted, modern styles. Fashioned of Franke stainless steel, the faucets in Franke's Fast-In Collection -- Bern Pulldown, Bern Pro Pulldown, Bernadine Pulldown and Bernard Pullout -- are beautiful and durable. They attach to the sink above the countertop in a few quick steps: simply insert the faucet base into the sink, locate the two mounting screws, and tighten with a Phillips screwdriver. Franke's Fast-In products are available at select retail locations.





"Whether you need an all-encompassing sous chef, a green reminder about your water usage, or a DIY sink or faucet of the highest quality, Franke offers a range of smart kitchen solutions that redefine luxury and quality," said Gary Langbo, President of Franke Kitchen Systems. "Our products create an unparalleled kitchen experience -- customized to fit your lifestyle."

This year at KBIS, Franke's booth was a hot spot and the Chef Center was the scene of delectable interactive demos by Chef Billy Parisi, who also showed Kortney and Dave from HGTV's Masters of Flip how to make the most out of Franke's stand-out product when they stopped by for a visit. Relive the experience by visiting Franke's social channels. To download high resolution images, and for more information about the Franke products, visit franke.us/ks-media, or check us out on Facebook, Houzz, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Tumblr.

About Franke

Franke is the largest stainless steel kitchen sink manufacturer in the world and a leading name in kitchen faucets; hot- and cold-water filtration; topmount, undermount and apron front sinks; and waste disposers. Headquartered in Aarburg, Switzerland, the Franke Group is a leading provider of solutions and equipment for domestic kitchens, bathrooms, professional food service, coffee preparation and beverage delivery. The group employs 9,000 people at 68 subsidiaries on four continents, and exports to over 100 countries. For more information, visit www.franke.us/ks.

Media Contact:

Laura Stephens

DVL Seigenthaler

laura.stephens@dvlseigenthaler.com




With a greater number of developing countries manufacturing and exporting textile goods and traditional trade partnerships across the world facing uncertainties due to political and humanitarian crises, the face of apparel manufacturing is changing around the world. Details on these changes are some of this week's featured stories on BizVibe. BizVibe is the world's smartest B2B marketplace and allows users to connect with over seven million companies around the globe.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005978/en/

The dynamics of apparel manufacturing are changing globally (Graphic: Business Wire)

Vietnam's Textile and Apparel Exports Experiencing Growth

Though Vietnam's textile and apparel industry is experiencing a lack of raw materials, its exports have begun to increase. The total export value of the textile and apparel industry in Vietnam reached USD 27.2 billion in 2015, an increase of 9.43% from the previous year.

The textile labour costs in Vietnam are still relatively low, giving the country an advantage in terms of price competitiveness. The number of textile jobs in the country are expected to rise as the value of exports rises and allows companies to employ more people.

Connect with fabrics and textiles companies in Vietnam listed on BizVibe

Global Value of Textile Exports Decreases

According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the global value of textile exports declined by 7.2% in 2015 from the previous year. This is the first time that this value has declined since the 2009 global financial crisis.

The WTO suggests that this is a result of economic slowdown in Russia and Brazil, strong fluctuations in exchange rates, and financial volatility driven by divergent monetary policies in developed countries. Despite this decrease, China, the European Union, and India remain the top three exporters of textiles. Additionally, an increasing number of developing countries have begun exporting to developed countries for apparel manufacturing purposes.

Connect with nearly 35,000 fabrics and textiles companies listed on BizVibe

Textile Market in Turkey Making New Connections

Turkey is making efforts to establish new trading partners due to uncertainty about their future doing trade with the US and the EU. In 2015, textiles and clothing products accounted for 19.2% of Turkey's total exports.

Additionally, ISIL taking control of the majority of cotton fields in Syria, traditionally one of Turkey's largest suppliers of raw materials for the textile industry, is encouraging Turkey to increase their domestic production of cotton and find new countries to supply raw materials.

Connect with 225 fabrics and textiles companies in Turkey listed on BizVibe

In addition to these segments, BizVibe is also home to 50,000+ apparel and textile companies across 200+ countries, covering all sectors. The BizVibe platform allows you to discover highest quality leads and make meaningful connections in real time. Claim your company profile for free and let the business come to you.

About BizVibe

BizVibe is home to over seven million company profiles across 700+ industries. The single minded focus of BizVibe's platform is to make networking easier. Over the years, we've searched far and wide to figure out how businesses connect and enable trade. That first interaction is usually fraught with the uncertainty of finding a potential partner vs. a potential nightmare. With this in mind, we've designed a robust set of tools to help companies generate leads, shortlist prospects, network with businesses from around the world and trade seamlessly.

BizVibe is headquartered in Toronto, and has offices in London, Bangalore and Beijing. For more information on the BizVibe network, please contact us.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005978/en/

Contacts:

BizVibe

Jesse Maida

BizVibe Media Marketing Executive

media@bizvibe.com

www.bizvibe.com
NORTH WILKESBORO (dpa-AFX) - Home improvement retailer Lowe's Companies Inc. (LOW) has reportedly informed about 2,400 employees that they will be laid off. The majority of the lay offs are at the store level, while other affected positions are at distribution centers, contact centers and at the company's corporate office in Mooresville. The layoffs affect less than 1 percent of the company's global workforce. Lowe's has about 180,000 full-time employees and 90,000 part-time workers. It operates 1,840 stores in the U.S., including 39 in Alabama. Lowe's has said that affected employees will be able to apply for jobs at other locations, while severance packages and career placement services are also being offered to laid off workers. 'The changes will better align store staffing with customer demand, shift resources from back-of-the-store activities to customer-facing ones, and enhance our efficiency and productivity,' Lowe's CEO Robert Niblock said in an email to employees Tuesday obtained by the Charlotte Observer. 'I recognize that change is never easy, but I'm confident that if we focus our organizational talent and investments on our omni-channel strategy, we'll deliver a better customer experience.' Last week, reports indicated that Lowe's intends to cut thousands of jobs in order to adapt to the changing shopping habits. Lowe's, which is one of the biggest home improvement retailer in the US, has been struggling to increase its sales and improve customer traffic. For the third quarter, Lowe's reported sales and profit that fell below Wall Street expectations. The retailer also lowered its full-year expectations. 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) - As Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus prepares to become President-elect Donald Trump's Chief of Staff, members of the committee elected Ronna Romney McDaniel as his successor on Thursday. McDaniel, the niece of former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, became the second woman ever elected Chair of the RNC. As Chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, McDaniel was credited with helping deliver the state for Trump and the GOP for the first time in decades. In remarks at the RNC winter meeting, McDaniel indicated that she intends to push back against the idea that the Democratic Party is the party of women. 'As Republicans, we know their so-called monopoly on being the party of women is false, and it is a mindset I intend to change,' McDaniel said. 'Women are not a special interest group. We care about all issues. As Republicans, we believe that.' Priebus argued that he is leaving the RNC in the best possible hands with McDaniel and newly elected Co-Chair Bob Paduchik, who most recently served as the Ohio State Director for the Trump campaign. 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 D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2017) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Jennifer A. Diamantis has been named Chief of the Enforcement Division's Office of Market Intelligence, which is responsible for the collection, analysis, and monitoring of the hundreds of thousands of tips, complaints, and referrals that the SEC receives each year.

Before arriving at the SEC in September 2016 to become Deputy Chief of the office, Ms. Diamantis held various positions in the private sector and at federal agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission. She supervised, investigated, litigated, and managed enforcement actions and oversaw the implementation of complex regulations in the financial space.

The previous Chief of the Office of Market Intelligence, Vincente L. Martinez, left the SEC last summer, and Ms. Diamantis has been serving as Acting Chief since she arrived.

"Within a short time, Jennifer has enhanced the Office of Market Intelligence's critical mission of overseeing the SEC's collection, evaluation, and dissemination of the vast array of market intelligence that we receive," said Stephanie Avakian, Acting Director of the SEC Enforcement Division. "Jennifer's rich work experience as a manager and supervisor and her dedication, expertise, and skill make her an ideal fit for leading the office."

Ms. Diamantis said, "I am honored to lead the team of dedicated professionals charged with the critically important task of leveraging the valuable intelligence we receive from the public to protect investors, and look forward to continuing to cultivate relationships with our regulatory partners to further this mission."

Before joining the SEC staff, Ms. Diamantis held various roles at the CFPB's Division of Research, Markets, and Regulations, most recently Managing Counsel. Before that, she served as Supervisory Counsel in the FDIC's Enforcement Section and Senior Trial Attorney in the CFTC's Division of Enforcement. She also was a partner at the law firm of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP.

Ms. Diamantis received her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1999, and earned her bachelor of arts degree with honors from the University of Florida in 1996.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - During a hearing on his nomination to run the Energy Department on Thursday, former Texas Governor Rick Perry expressed regret for previously recommending the department's elimination. Testifying before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Perry said he had learned a great deal about the important work being done every day by the outstanding men and women of the Energy Department. 'If confirmed, my desire is to lead this agency in a thoughtful manner, surrounding myself with expertise on the core functions of the department,' Perry said. He added, 'My past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking.' During his 2012 presidential campaign, Perry called for the elimination of the Energy Department but famously forgot its name during a debate. Perry, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Energy Secretary, also appeared to reverse course on the issue of climate change. After previously expressing skepticism about climate change, Perry said he believes the climate is changing and that some of it is caused by man-made activity. 'The question is how do we address it in a thoughtful way that doesn't compromise economic growth, the affordability of energy, or American job,' Perry said. However, Perry declined to directly answer repeated questions from Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., regarding whether climate change represents a crisis. (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.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- WPC Resources Inc. (the "Company" or "WPC") (TSX VENTURE: WPQ) is pleased to announce that it will be attending the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference 2017. The Conference is being held at the Vancouver Convention Centre West at Canada Place on January 22nd and 23rd. Management will be present at Booth 409 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to meet with shareholders and investors and to discuss the Company and its developments.

About WPC Resources Inc.

WPC is a Vancouver-based gold company focused on mineral exploration and development. On October 31st 2016, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the historic Lupin Gold Mine and Ulu Gold Property from Mandalay Resources Corporation. The Company holds a 100% interest in the 8,000-hectare Hood River property located contiguous to the Ulu Gold Property. The Company trades on the TSX-Venture Exchange under the symbol, WPQ, and has 98,900,304 common shares currently issued and outstanding.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking information. All information included herein, other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements and involves various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. 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:

Stephen Wilkinson

President and CEO

778-379-1433



Wayne Moorhouse

CFO and Secretary

778-379-1433

www.wpcresources.ca




The global maritime patrol aircraft marketis expected to grow at a CAGR of close to 5% during the forecast period, according to Technavio's latest report.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005982/en/

Technavio has published a new report on the global MPA market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

In this report, Technavio covers the market outlook and growth prospects of the global maritime patrol aircraft marketfor 2017-2021. By product type, maritime patrol aircrafts are segmented into fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft.

The market size of maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) is expected to reach USD 15.57 billion by 2021, with maximum revenue generated from the sales of maritime patrol fixed-wing aircraft.

Many countries around the world are currently involved in the modernization of their defense and offense forces by increasing their procurement of military patrol aircraft to boost maritime security. This will create demand for the special mission military aircraft market, and provide a greater sense of security to the countries.

Technavio's research study segments the global maritime patrol aircraft market into the following regions:

Americas

APAC

EMEA

Americas: largest maritime patrol aircraft market segment

"The US is the largest market for MPA in the Americas. The changing nature of warfare has led the US Department of Defense to make a strategic move toward the protection of its political and commercial interests in international waters by the development of special mission platforms," says Moutushi Saha, one of the lead analysts at Technavio for defense research.

Also, there is a growing utilization of MPAs like P-8A Poseidon in anti-submarine warfare missions in the region. Meanwhile, South American countries are also focusing on the modernization of their MPA to increase the operational effectiveness of their defense fleets. The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) received their first order of modernized Embraer P-95 MPA from AEL Sistemas, a Brazilian company.

Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=55844

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.

APAC: fastest growing maritime patrol aircraft market segment

APAC is expected to showcase a CAGR of over 5% through the forecast period, growing faster than the other regions. The South China Sea and the Indian Ocean are prominent zones in APAC with multiple countries trying to assert dominance over them. This is leading to a large-scale procurement of submarines and heavy surveillance equipment to augment naval capabilities of various nations, thereby increasing patrol capabilities to counter any form of attack.

Countries like Singapore, the Philippines, India, and Malaysia are investing significantly in the procurement of aerial platforms such as MPA to fight against marine threats. Meanwhile, countries like Australia are currently focusing on securing nearby regions, which include maritime South East Asia and the South Pacific.

EMEA: increased adoption of MPA to improve combat readiness

"To have greater control over emergency political situations, and to improve combat readiness, countries in EMEA have procured a number of MPA. Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, Israel, Russia, Turkey, and the UK are some of the biggest consumers of MPA from the region," says Moutushi.

Boeing has received a contract worth USD 68.4 million to provide the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF) four P-8A Poseidon aircraft. Similarly, Thales signed a contract with the government of Turkey to modify the CASA C295 transport aircraft fleet of the Turkish Coast Guard and Turkish Naval Forces. Such investments from EMEA towards the procurement of maritime patrol aircraft will drive the growth of the market in the region.

The top vendors in the global maritime patrol aircraft market highlighted in the report are:

Airbus

Boeing

Lockheed Martin

Saab

Browse Related Reports:

Global Maritime Information Market 2016-2020

Global Maritime Propulsion Engine Market 2016-2020

Global Submarine Market 2016-2020

Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like aerospace productscommercial aviation, and space. This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005982/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2017) - Hello Pal International Inc. (CSE: HP) (FSE: 27H) (OTC Pink: HLLPF) ("Hello Pal" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement of 4,000,000 common shares of Hello Pal at a price of $0.25 per share for gross proceeds of $1,000,000 (the "Offering").

Hello Pal will not be paying any finder fees under the Offering.

Proceeds of the Offering will be used for developments to the Hello Pal Platform and general corporate purposes.

For information with respect to the Company or the contents of this news release, please contact Ryan Johnson, Corporate Development at (604) 683-0911 or visit the website at www.hellopal.com. Email inquiries can be directed to: investors@hellopal.com

About Hello Pal International

The Hello Pal Platform is a proprietary and open social exchange language and learning mobile application and network (i.e., a full mobile language exchange) for use in a number of applications - including language learning and socialization. Hello Pal has been designed from the ground up to be easy to use and enables users' the freedom to speak in their own language regardless of the other person's language they are speaking to. Hello Pal's overriding mission is to bring the world closer together through social interaction, language learning and travel.

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. Hello Pal cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond Hello Pal's control. Such factors include, among other things: Hello Pal's limited operating history, obtaining regulatory approvals and those risks and uncertainties described in Hello Pal's Listing Statement dated May 10, 2016 available on www.cnsx.ca. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Hello Pal undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

THE CSE HAS NEITHER APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE
CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - China is scheduled to release a raft of data on Friday, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. On tap are Q4 numbers for gross domestic product, as well as December data for industrial production, retail sales and fixed asset investment. GDP is expected to add 1.7 percent on quarter and 6.7 percent on year after rising 1.8 percent on quarter and 6.7 percent on year in the three months prior. Industrial production is tipped to add 6.1 percent on year, slowing from 6.2 percent in November. Retail sales are expected to gain 10.7 percent on year, down from 10.8 percent in the previous month. FAI is called steady at 8.3 percent. Japan will see December figures for department store and convenience store sales. In November, nationwide department store sales fell 2.4 percent on year, while Tokyo area store sales lost 1.4 percent and convenience store sales added 0.5 percent. Australia will provide November numbers for new home sales; in October, sales slid 8.5 percent on 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.
Some days ago, Samsung NEXT has launched its $150M venture capital fund. In conjunction with the announcement, Brendon Kim*, the current Vice President and Managing Director of Samsung NEXT Ventures, answered our questions about the new fund, how it works, and shared with us his thoughts about whats hot in tech today.

FinSMEs: Hi Brendon, Why have you set up Samsung NEXT Fund? Whats the target?

Brendon: The Samsung NEXT Fund targets compelling, early-stage (seed through Series B) startups that can leverage and transform the Samsung ecosystem. We want to bring the power of the Samsung platform to startups to accelerate their success and generate outsized financial returns. By being great partners to startups, we hope to gain access to innovative ideas and world-class talent.

FinSMEs: Can you explain to us the investment strategy of the new fund (in terms of duration/stage/sector/geo/amount of operation, etc.)?

Brendon: We focus on early stage (seed, Series A and B), when startups are innovating technology and business models. For the earliest seed-stage companies, in addition to funding, we can provide co-location, functional expertise and mentors. Given the wide scope of Samsungs businesses, we have the opportunity to add value in many sectors, but we are particularly focused on AI, AR and VR, security, digital health, mobility and IoT. We can invest globally, and our typical investments range up to $3M.

FinSMEs: How many people/offices are involved?

Brendon: We have five offices across two continents (New York, Tel Aviv, Korea, Silicon Valley, San Francisco)

FinSMEs: The fund has already made some investments. How many startups do you want to invest in?

Brendon: We dont have a set target for investments, but I can say that weve made 45 investments over the last four years, so thats roughly a one a month pace. 38 of those investments were done out of a previous fund. Seven have been made out of the new Samsung NEXT Fund.

FinSMEs: Personally, what do you see particularly hot in the tech world?

Brendon: AI. All the major tech players are investing heavily in this space. AI is certainly not a new concept, but market demand, technology and infrastructure improvements are all making big advancements in the field possible. AI picked up a lot of steam last year and I expect AI to stay hot for a while.

FinSMEs: Currently, a public discussion is open about AI and robotics. Will thy change our world and the way we work? Do they represent a threat of on opportunity?

Brendon: AI will absolutely change the way we work and the way we navigate the world. It will permeate all of the software and services we use. AI will create more personalized experiences and deeper connections with the people and things around us. It will also help us work more efficiently and effectively.

FinSMEs

19/01/2017

* Brendon Kim has been investing in early stage startup companies for over 20 years, Prior to joining Samsung, Brendon was a co-founding general partner of Altos Ventures. He started his career as a strategy and management consultant in the media, consumer and technology industries.

Brendon received his MBA from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University and his BA from Princeton University.
Smart Antenna Technologies, a University of Birmingham (UK) spinout, raised 1.0m in funding.

Backers included Mercia Technologies (250k) Senetas Corporation (500k), and the Alta Innovations managed University of Birmingham Spinout Investment fund.

The company intends to use the funds to complete product development for a potential industry partner, to further expand the engineering capabilities of the business and to extend its core technologies.

Led by Sampson Hu, Founder and CEO, Smart Antenna Technologies has developed a single antenna system solution for smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices that require up to six antennae to achieve their full functionality, including Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and mobile network coverage such as 4G LTE. The companys patented technology should reduce the overall number of antennae required, thus potentially achieving a reduction of up to 50% in the cost of materials for manufacturers, as well as improved performance, reduced size and increased battery life for the device.

FinSMEs

19/01/2017
The domestic violence law is an adversarial legal regime unwittingly pitting family members against each other in its avowed aim to protect women. But then it is necessary given the history of violence perpetrated against women although critics especially men have been saying that the law should be gender neutral because it is not uncommon for men to be at the receiving end. Be that as it may, what we need is a simultaneous regime that fosters family harmony. And the two regimes would not be working at cross purposes. If anything it would have the effect of endearing a wife to her husband and vice versa and thus serve to lessen filial hostilities and violence.

In a previous article in these columns, I had canvassed for Finance Minister Arun Jaitley taking a leaf out of the US Federal income tax law---granting a substantial tax relief to husband and wives filing joint income tax returns, in his forthcoming Budget. That could indeed be the major plank of reorienting our personal taxation into family taxation which once again would be a perfect fit with Indian realities. Double income families must be encouraged. What best can be the encouragement than the substantial reduction in tax liability for the couple leaving them with a higher disposable income! Clubbing of income has been mandated under certain circumstances where a person is trying to reduce his tax liability by splitting his income so as to frustrate his aim and get more tax from him. The Finance Minister ought to reward couple who do not resort to such devious stratagems but work hard and contribute to GDP.

Public sector banks can start the practice of giving higher interest to joint accounts held by husbands and their wives on the condition that they forswear individual accounts. Indeed, joint bank accounts and joint returns must be incidental and corollary to the healthy practice of couples owning their properties jointly. Stamp duty could be reduced significantly in favor of properties registered in the joint names of married couples.

Togetherness is the hallmark of family, and our laws should do their bit to promote the idea through financial incentives. Family allowance granted in many jurisdictions including Malaysia incorporate the principle of number of mouths fed. It recognizes the reality that a carefree bachelor with no one to be taken care of by him ought to be taxed more than a family man weighed down by family responsibilities of taking care of say a wife and three children as well as ageing parents. It would be churlish to resent this favor on the ground that it would put a perverse premium on large families when the accent is on family planning with one child touted as the best. Welfare state presupposes sympathetic worldview of families. People who have come into the world must not be viewed as a burden.

As it is, family figures on the radar of the taxman only tangentially---for granting exemptions to health and life insurance premiums on children and spouse. Of course it figures more substantially when Hindu Undivided Family (HUFs) are recognized. HUF as a taxable unit has come in for criticism though from minorities as well as secularists on the ground that it gives latitude to Hindus to manipulate or arrange their tax affairs so as to minimize their tax liabilities. Of course, HUF was not born of parochial considerations but as a result of the hoary practice of family properties devolving from generation to generation as opposed to individual properties that can be willed away to anyone the testator pleased. HUF has been conducive to togetherness though a cynical view has also been that it has had the effect of encouraging idlers. Be that as it may, the point is if the Finance Minister gives allowances and tax breaks uniformly or secularly irrespective of the religion or caste one belongs to, the tirade and fulminations against HUF might perhaps stop.

The government had given subtle hints of rewards in store for the tribulations people cheerfully put up with during in the heady months of November and December 2016 when demonetization shook the nation like nothing else before. Let fostering family harmony be that reward.

For full coverage of Union Budget 2017, click here
In a fresh jolt to the fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya, India's Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) today has passed an order allowing the consortium of bankers led by State Bank of India to recover their debt of Rs 6,203 crore from beleaguered businessman.

Mallya has been on the run since 2 March, 2016, after the businessman moved to UK in order to avoid being booked in his home country for duping lenders worth over Rs 9,000 crore.

The fresh order today in favour of the lending consortium will allow them to initiate the recovery proceedings and confiscate his properties.

The lenders had moved the DRT in 2013 to recover dues from the defunct airline. SBI had filed three other applications also, including one seeking Mallya's arrest and impounding his passport, for "defaulting" on loans.

Mallya, who left the country on March 2 last year and is now in the UK, has been declared Proclaimed Offender by a special PMLA court in Mumbai on a plea of Enforcement Directorate in connection with its money laundering probe against him in the alleged bank loan default case.

During the prolonged hearing, the DRT had disposed some of the IAs filed by either side. The DRT had on March 7 last year, restrained Mallya from withdrawing $75 million exit payment from British liquor giant Diageo as part of a severance package for quitting Diageo-owned United Spirits (USL) as its Chairman under a "sweetheart deal".

However, on July 13, the tribunal ruled that the order had become "infructuous" as $40 million had already been transferred prior to the March 7 directive. Later, passing orders on another IA, the tribunal had directed Diageo Plc to deposit with it the remaining $35 million of the "sweetheart deal".

The DRT had on July 16 allowed another IA of the bankers for lifting of corporate veil to pierce the protection against personal liability enjoyed by individuals controlling Kingfisher Finvest, a holding company of Mallya.

It had also dismissed the IA filed by Dutch beer major Heineken seeking impleadment in the Mallya case to enjoy Right of First Refusal over UBL shares. Heineken has some presumptive rights on UBL shares held and owned by Mallya.

With PTI inputs
Mumbai: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel has told colleagues that any effort to belittle the reputation of the central bank deserves 'zero tolerance' and asked them to guard the integrity of the institution.

In his first address to the staff after taking over as the 24th Governor on 4 September, 2016, Patel, in an email, said the RBI has achieved the excellence only because of the collective efforts of its employees.

Specifically talking about the withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes by the Centre on 8 November, he said, "Let me emphasise that one thing we should all zealously guard is the integrity and reputation of our organisation and any act belittling the same should deserve zero tolerance from all of us."

It may be noted that during the demonetisation drive, a few senior RBI employees were held for alleged money laundering and illegal exchange of banned notes. Following this, the CBI had in December arrested a few RBI officials.

Post-note ban announcement, the RBI in general and Patel in particular, were also criticised by Opposition politicians as well as analysts over 'abdication' of responsibility by the monetary authority.

Some of Patel's predecessors including D Subbarao, Y V Reddy, Bimal Jalan, and Manmohan Singh, criticised the apex bank for not doing enough to reassure the public in the wake of currency invalidation exercise.

During the 50-day demonetisation period, the RBI faced flak for numerous flip-flops over currency exchange norms.

"I am confident that all of us working together will rise to the occasion and face these challenges in a manner befitting the reputation of this esteemed organisation," Patel said in his email to the employees on the eve of the New Year.

Patel said that during the year gone-by, RBI continued its efforts at restoring macroeconomic stability to the economy.

"While the policy actions have already shown positive effects, nevertheless they are work in progress and need to be fine-tuned constantly to keep pace with the changing environment," he said.

The RBI employees union, feeling deeply humiliated" by the events since demonetisation, on 13 January wrote a letter to Patel protesting against operational mismanagement in the exercise and the government bid to impinge on its autonomy by appointing an official for currency coordination.

In the letter, they claimed this has 'dented beyond repair' RBIs autonomy. They said appointment of a senior Finance Ministry official for currency coordination was a 'blatant encroachment' on RBI's exclusive turf of currency management.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel would have to thank former prime minister Manmohan Singh for rescuing him from a situation that could have become awkward.

Singh, according to a PTI report, helped Patel come out unhurt from from a severe grilling by the parliamentary standing committee on finance on Wednesday.

Patel, who along with other RBI and finance ministry officials appeared before the parliamentary panel, was put to some tough questions by members, sources in the committee told PTI.

He could not reply to questions like when normalcy would be back in the banking system and how much of demonetised currency was deposited during the 50-day window.

Before further grilling could start, Singh, who made a forceful speech against demonetisation in Rajya Sabha calling it a "monumental failure and organised loot", intervened to say that the central bank and the Governor's position as an institution should be respected.

He should not be put to odd questions, Singh, who himself was RBI Governor once, is believed to have told the Committee.

According to a report in The Economic Times, Congress members of the panel notably Digvijay Singh, asked Patel whether there will be a run on banks if the cash withdrawal limits are revoked.

The report, citing members in the committee as a source, said Manmohan stepped in at this point and told Patel that he need not answer this question.

Why did Singh do this?

Definitely it is not that he has changed his stance on demonetisation. A renowned economist and a former central banker, Singh has been scathing in his attack on the note ban exercise.

In the Rajya Sabha, he had termed it a monumental mismanagement and warned of a 2 percentage point hit on growth. "It is a case of organised loot, legalised plunder of the common people," he had said.

Recently, he again warned that the worst impact of the whole scheme is yet to come.

Major Memon, NCP member told ANI: He came to the rescue of RBI Governor to respond to certain queries which probably he may have been finding difficult to do. So, this is just a human helping hand but I don't think Manmohan Singh would approve what mistakes have been committed by either the Government of India or RBI in the matter of demonetisation.

It is indeed a helping hand. Also, Singh's statesmanship shines through. In a democracy, respect for the opposing views is of utmost importance. That's what makes a democracy thrive. Singh's rescue act is a reminder of this.

Moreover, it also shows Singh's respect for the RBI and his concern about its reputation, which has suffered post-demonetisation. Reportedly, he had asked members of the panel to keep the RBI's stature as an institution in their mind when questioning Patel.

More importantly, it also sends a message that in policy matters the final authority is always the government. There is no point in hounding the RBI politically.
New Delhi: The Prime Minister had created a civic movement with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the objective of which was to make our cities and the country clean. A cess has been levied on citizens of the country to meet the objectives of this sanitation program. This is the third cess that the citizen have to bear not only on their income but also on their consumption.

Approximately Rs 6,900 crore have already been collected under this cess, and hence the deployment of the fund collected is crucial. Which is why LocalCircles asked citizens the question about its deployment. Around 37 percent of the 8,941 citizens polled said that engaging citizens and municipal corporation is the most important area for deploying these funds.

Municipal Corporations across the country are the nodal bodies responsible for the sanitation and cleanliness of cities. Unfortunately, due to systemic inefficiencies and lack of accountability most municipal corporations have either not done anything with Swachh Cess funds or do not know how to access this corpus.

Most Municipal Corporations are also disconnected with their citizens and do not know where these funds should be deployed in the city. For instance, both collection and disposal of waste is not organised in cities. As a result outskirts of most cities have become dumping ground for waste leading to pollution of both ground water and air.

Building toilets has been one of the major drive of the government, and a large portion of the fund have gone into subsidising both public and private toilets across the country. The crucial factor with regard to public toilets is that it needs to be maintained and remain functional. Which is why 31 percent of the citizens polled voted that the Swachh bharat Cess should be used in ensuring these toilets are functional.

Another 18 percent of them wanted that the Municipal infrastructure should be strengthened from the swachh bharat cess. And another 15 percent want municipal reforms and upgrades. Municipal Corporations are a major area for reforms and not much has been done by the state governments in this area. It is important that these corporations have skilled employees who are able to take care of key areas including sanitation, water and waste disposal. As there is no overwhelming opinion on the deployment of the Swachh Cess fund, citizens clearly seem to indicate that all four areas need the attention of the finance minister in the budget.

For full coverage of Union Budget 2017, click here
Aligarh: Razia Begums house lies just beyond the main graveyard in Aligarhs old city. The suns rays barely reach the narrow, brick-lined lane. Open sewage drains flow past her house.

The 35-year-old mother of four set herself on fire on 20 November last year. She died two weeks later. She told reporters she did it because her children hadnt eaten for three days.

Razias was one of the scores of deaths reported in the days following Prime Minister Narendra Modis decision to scrap high-value bank notes in a crackdown on 'black economy'.

While some collapsed waiting in queues outside banks and cash machines, others couldnt bear the shock of discovering that their savings were no longer legal tender thanks to demonetisation. Razia told reporters she took the step because of her 'helplessness'.

Razias husband Akbar Hussain and brother-in-law Ashraf make locks for a living. Akbar tried exchanging old currency notes at a local money lender, but the going rate for an old 500 rupee note was 300 rupees in legal tender.

Razia took the family savings of 3,000 rupees -- six 500 rupee notes -- and queued at the bank. On the third day, she went early in the morning, skipping breakfast to beat the crowd, and lost consciousness after standing in line for more than six hours.

Back home, when the children started pestering her for food, Razia thrashed them. Then she set herself on fire.

She was a little stubborn, someone who always had to have her way, Razias mother Raisa Begum told India Insight. It was her temperament that led to her end.

The entire day was spent cooking for them, teaching them, fulfilling their little wishes and trying to save them from falling into bad company, said Razias sister-in-law Rizwana.

The rusted metal door of Razias house opens onto a verandah with Akbars lock-making machinery and tools scattered on the floor. Their dim bedroom is sparsely furnished, and the bed is cluttered with clothes. Rented plastic chairs on the verandah are there to seat relatives, neighbours and local politicians who drop by to talk about Razia.

Razias mother, who lives in the city of Mathura, some 60 kilometers away, has moved in to raise her grandchildren.

I dont know what was in her mind and why she didnt seek help from relatives. If she had shared her problem, maybe it would have calmed her down, said Raisa Begum, holding her youngest grand-child in her lap.

Ten-year-old Aadil brought his mother home the day she fainted in the queue. The eldest of Razias four children, Aadil is the only one who understands she will never come back.

He used to go to school, but was struck off the rolls as his parents couldnt afford the tuition.

Aadil is intelligent and very quick. Hes like his mother, who was a fast learner, studied till the tenth grade and was really good at maths, said Raisa Begum.

Aadil has blank eyes and does not respond to questions about his mother. His brothers Ayaan and Azhar play on the floor. Their sister, 3-year-old Zoya, clings to their grandmother and plays with the zip of her sweater.

The woman who died did not always live in Aligarh, famous for its university. Razia, named after Indias first Muslim female ruler, was born in Mathura and was the eldest of six siblings. Her father was a tailor. As a teenager, Razia worked in a beauty parlour and helped her brothers make bridal tiaras.

She was the only one in the family who could read Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, apart from being well-fversed in the Quran, her mother said.

Razia wanted to go to college, but the family didnt allow it, so she helped out in the house and kept accounts.

She married her cousin in Aligarh after a two-year engagement. Razias in-laws adored their talkative, amiable new bride.

I always used to tell her that her food is not digested until she talks to people to her hearts content, her sister-in-law Rizwana said.

Razias death may help send her children back to school. The state government of Uttar Pradesh announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for her death in the wake of Indias demonetisation drive.

Razias death came at the end of a two-week ordeal at a city hospital.

Mother, I promise I will get fine, she said to me many times, said Raisa Begum. But her body started to stink and clothes started to stick to her body.

Maybe if the ban on old notes had not happened, Razia would not have had to face such pain, she said as she clutched a passport-sized photo of her daughter.

Locals say demonetisation has hit Aligarh hard, especially its centuries-old lock-making industry. It has an estimated worth of Rs 4000 crore and employs more than 200,000 people.

All the work and factories have stopped for the last two months. There are no orders, no demand any more, said Ashraf. Who will buy locks when there is no money to eat?

In Aligarh, people prefer to pay for things in cash, and few shops accept digital payments. Though almost everyone said they faced inconveniences, it was people in wealthier areas of town who said they support the cash ban to fight 'corrupt and black money hoarders'.

"It will be over soon and everyone including you will benefit in the long run. It's just a bitter medicine to cleanse the system," said one shopkeeper as he chewed paan while standing outside his shop.

In Razia's neighbourhood, populated mostly by daily wage labourers, there was much less support for the move.

Local residents are becoming desperate. Days before Razias death, newspapers reported daily wage worker Puran Sharma got himself sterilised at a camp in Aligarh in return for money to feed his starving family.

Razias neighbours say they are still suffering from the cash crunch.

Its not as if I didnt think of killing myself, said Nikhat, who cant afford medicine for her sick child. What will we do when we have nothing to eat?

Rizwana said she disapproves of the step her sister-in-law took.

It was not just Razia who was distressed because of the cash ban, she said. All of us suffered, but we have not given up like her.

As Razias family prepares for a traditional memorial service 40 days after her death, a bespectacled, brown-haired neighbour who goes by the name of Bhure ('brown' in Hindi) drops by and bemoans the governments demonetisation drive.

I stood for four days in queue. The rich were getting cash because of their connections, while people like us suffered, said Bhure. What will the poor do if not kill themselves?

The nearest bank is a 10-minute walk from Razias house. The scramble for cash persists, with around 80 people jostling each other in a queue that snakes into nearby lanes. Cries and curses rend the air when someone tries to break the queue. But mostly, everybody waits patiently.
With just two weeks left for the Union Budget, Firstpost spoke to Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor, State Bank of India. He said the budget will be a perfect opportunity for the government to take the reforms to next step after the demonetisation exercise. More so, since the government has completed two and a half years in the office, the next two and a half years will be very crucial in the run-up to 2019 elections, and hence this particular Union budget is very important, says Ghosh.

It will help us to understand whats in the governments mind in terms of revenue mobilisation that will help take India to the next level, he said.

His expectation from the budget is that the government shouldn't be overly focused fiscal consolidation road map. The second thing he is looking forward to is how the government is going to prioritise revenue mobilisation and expenditure curtailment.

He said there could be sops in the form tax incentives for individuals like the scope of Section 80 C being enhanced. Besides this, some incentives for digital payments, tweaking of tax structure, and some extra tax benefits for senior citizens could be on the cards. Even sector-specific incentives for agriculture , housing, banking and infrastructure could be considered in this budget.

(Watch the whole interview in the above video).

For full coverage of Union Budget 2017, click here
Colors TV's reality show Bigg Boss has had its fair share of controversies in its tenth season, however, it now finds itself in the midst of a potential legal mess.

Colors TV's CEO Raj Nayak, celebrity host Salman Khan and ousted contestant Swami Om have been named in a case filed by a lawyer in Bareilly for 'promoting obscenity'.

The lawyer, Anil Dwivedi, filed the complaint before the chief judicial magistrate of Bareilly on 18 January, Wednesday, reported The Indian Express. Dwivedi requested the court to register a criminal case against Nayak, Salman and Om, and CJM Kusumlata Rathore has set 13 February as the date for hearing the case.

In his petition before the court Dwivedi stated that Om, a self-styled godman used foul and abusive language in the episodes that were telecast. He named Salman and Raj Nayak in his complaint for 'promoting' Om's behaviour.

Swami Om was among the most infamous contestants on this latest season of Bigg Boss. He was made to leave the show after he urinated on fellow contestants Bani J and Rohan Mehra while performing a task.

Dwivedi's complaint also claims that Om has 'hurt religious sentiments' by consuming meat on the show while claiming to be a spiritual leader.

He (Swami Om) was shown consuming meat while wearing that dress thus demeaning the importance of saints in the Hindu religion, states the complaint.

Meanwhile, a Hindustan Times report recently stated that an eight-member team of the doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) had said that Swami Om needs thorough psychiatric evaluation.
The Filmfare Awards have been making waves ever since the event took place this past weekend, though also for a couple of different reasons. The first one was when music composer Amaal Malik questioned the rationale behind not nominating several brilliant performances of last year in various categories. Now, after the event has wrapped up, actor Harshvardhan Kapoor has also questioned the working of the award show.

The Indian Express quotes him as saying that he does not know whether the winners are adjudged by the jury or popular voting at Filmfare, but he has a contention with not winning the Filmfare Award for the Most Promising Debut (Male).

The second-generation actor, who made his debut with Rakesh Omprakash Mehra's romantic saga Mirzya, expressed his disappointment in Filmfare for giving the award to an experienced actor from another industry who happened to do his first Hindi film last year.

Diljit Dosanjh, who bagged the award for Abhishek Kapoor's Udta Punjab, has starred in a dozen Punjabi films in the past. He made his screen debut in 2011 with The Lion of Punjab and has won multiple awards and accolades ever since.

The same report quotes him as stating the hypothetical situation in which Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio makes his Hindi film debut. Naturally, the Academy Award winner will go on to win the Most Promising Debut award, going by the parameters of Filmfare.

Anuradha Choudhary, Executive Editor, Filmfare, responded with a rather stingy comment, clearly directed towards Harshvardhan. The actor got the hint and picked a Twitter war with Filmfare. He claimed that he is at least entitled to his opinion just like the magazine is entitled to have an opinion on the stars.

It's not entitlement it's an opinion just like how your magazine always has one https://t.co/D2Y3ivBbQW  Harshvardhan Kapoor (@HarshKapoor_) January 19, 2017

He also clarified that he was just questioning the principle of who a 'newcomer' is and has no qualms losing the award to an actor like Jim Sarbh, who is a newcomer and was brilliant in his portrayal of a terrorist in Ram Madhvani's Neerja. Interestingly, Neerja also starred Harshvardhan's sister Sonam Kapoor, who bagged the Critics' Choice award for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 62nd Filmfare Awards for playing the titular character of the self-sacrificing air hostess Neerja Bhanot.

Don't feel entitled to any award,I'm questioning the principle of who is a newcomer,have zero problems losing to a genuine newcomer  Harshvardhan Kapoor (@HarshKapoor_) January 19, 2017

While Harshvardhan makes a valid point, Mid-Day also quotes him saying that his Sonam should have won the Best Actress in a Leading Role in the popular category, rather than the Critics' Choice category.

He argues that Neerja was the highest female-oriented grosser of the year which stands testimony to its supreme popularity. The Best Actress Award in the popular category was bagged by Alia Bhatt for playing a Bihari migrant in Udta Punjab.
What was 'conjecture' yesterday is the truth today. This rings true in the case of filmmaker Karan Johar and actor Rishi Kapoor as the two renowned Hindi film personalities released their autobiographies this past week.

They validated a number of rumours that had been doing the rounds at the time when those events took place. Johar was particularly candid when he discussed the strains that his equations with multiple top actors have gone through over the years, like Kajol, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. He has spoken at length and even dedicated large chunks of his autobiography, An Unsuitable Boy, to these memoirs.

Rishi Kapoor has not pulled back his punches or minced his words either in his book Khullam Khulla. He has recalled a detailed encounter with the underworld ruler Dawood Ibrahim and also addressed how he, along with other contemporaries, were often bitter of Amitabh Bachchan bagging all the good roles back in the 1970s and '80s.

These candid confessions make us yearn for many more of such works of literature. It is safe to say that the Hindi film industry has seen only a few autobiographies since its inception. While Satyajit Ray's was the first one to hit the book stands, a few others followed suit decades later.

On this week's 'Throwback Thursday', Firstpost recalls our five picks of the unmissable autobiographies and the reason why they created buzz at the time of their release.

The Substance and The Shadow by Dilip Kumar

The thespian's autobiography, released in 2014, was long in the making, given his illustrious career and highly speculated personal life.

He discussed the hottest news point of his 94 year old life when he confessed that he was indeed planning to marry his Mughal-e-Aazam co-star Madhubala. He clarified that contrary to popular belief, Madhubala's father Ataullah Khan did not oppose the marriage but supported it since he saw the two top actors adorn films under his production house, until the end of their careers.

But this was a deal that Kumar was not willing to strike as he was unwilling to compromise with his choice of films. He revealed that he distanced himself from Madhubala and they even stopped greeting to each other on the sets of Mughal-e-Aazam. The 'feather scene' in the film, which is considered one of the most iconic ever, was shot when the two were not even on speaking terms with each other.

And Then One Day by Naseeruddin Shah

Shah released his autobiography in the same year as Kumar. While he addressed his personal life with abandon, the most interesting confession came in the form of Richard Attenborough considering the actor for the titular character in the Academy Award-winning film Gandhi.

Shah claimed that he went to London to audition for the role but discovered that Ben Kingsley had already been finalised for the sought after role and it was a promotional strategy on the makers' part to give out the impression that they were looking for an Indian actor to portray the role of Mahatma Gandhi.

Romancing With Life by Dev Anand

While the title of his 2007 autobiography was quite apt, what was more intriguing was Anand's affair with politics back in the late 1980s. He recalled that he was banned by television and radio when he refused to support Sanajy Gandhi and Youth Congress during The Emergency.

He went on to support Janata Party and later, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) to demonstrate his protest against Indira Gandhi. When Indira offered him to join forces instead, he refused pointedly. "Joining hands with an autocrat was absolutely out of question," he says, in the book. Interestingly, his autobiography was released by Congress leader Manmohan Singh and was attended by Indira's daughter-in-law Sonia Gandhi.

Prem Naam Hai Mera, Prem Chopra by Prem Chopra

Chopra was often dubbed as the 'serial rapist' of Hindi cinema. However, he confessed in his book that he detested doing those countless rape scenes on screen and saluted the leading ladies, Hema Malini in particular, for cooperating so sportingly.

He even admonished the rape scene ingredient of the formula films those days and claimed that they affected society adversely. "This treatment (of the rape survivor) sends out wrong signals to society. Shame was attached to the rape victim instead of focusing on societys perversity," said Chopra, in the book.

Cracking the Code by Ayushmann Khurrana

He may be the youngest actor to pen his autobiography. His is more of a memoir of his struggling days but is nonetheless, laced with candour. He reveals how he was offered a fictional television show by Ekta Kapoor but the caveat was a three-year deal with her production house Balaji Telefilms.

Since the actor had bigger plans (of entering the Hindi film industry), he walked out of the show. He stated in his book that he was rather amused to learn that Kapoor had lost her temper and "smashed her mobile by hurling it at the executive producers face."

As is clear by these examples, the Hindi film industry has a lot of stories to tell.
When Kavya Madhavan tied the knot with fellow Malayalam film industry star Dileep in November 2016, it caused quite the stir.

The duo, who are quite a successful and popular onscreen pair, had long been the subject of speculation. When they married in their surprise November ceremony, attended by close friends and colleagues from the industry, the occasion was noted as much for its 'secrecy' factor (celebrity guests were informed of the event just the night before), as it was for capping what was widely assumed to be a decades-long relationship.

A little over a month-and-a-half after the wedding ceremony, Kavya Madhavan has filed a police complaint against social media trolls for bullying her over her marriage to Dileep.

Fans believe that it was his relationship with Kavya that caused the breakdown of Dileep's 17-year marriage to actress Manju Warrier. Dileep's daughter with Manju, was present at his wedding to Kavya.

In her complaint to the cops, Kavya Madhavan has alleged that abusive comments were left on her Facebook page and even named some people in connection with the trolling.

The News Minute quoted a police official as saying: "In her complaint, the actor pointed out that she has been the butt of hurtful comments that were mostly directed at her marriage with Dileep. These were extremely derogatory in nature, thereby causing her great mental trauma. She has filed a written complaint. We will proceed to file a case based on it.

The police will be filing a case for defamation and one under the IT Act against those found to be trolling the actress.

Neither Kavya nor Dileep had issued a statement about the issue so far.

This is the second marriage for Kavya as well; she was briefly married to an NRI entrepreneur in 2009.

Dileep and Kavya, who have acted in over 20 films with each other, were most recently seen together on screen in Pinneyum.
By Jatindra Dash

BHUBANESWAR, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A 42-year-old American has been arrested in Hyderabad on suspicion of circulating child pornography on the internet, police said on Thursday, adding that they were investigating whether any of the victims had been trafficked.The man, working for a multinational law firm in Hyderabad since 2012, was arrested on Monday after police were alerted by Interpol to an IP address linked to online images and videos of children being sexually abused.Ukkalam Rama Mohan, the police superintendent in charge of fighting cyber crime in Telangana state, whose capital is Hyderabad, said the suspect had confessed to publishing and transmitting obscene images electronically."We found several thousands of pornographic images and videos on his laptop and iPhone which he had collected since long," Rama Mohan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.

Soumya Mishra, Telangana's Inspector General from the Crime Investigation Department, said police were going through the large repository of images and videos seized and would be working with Interpol to check if the children were trafficked."We will give the entire data to Interpol to find out who are these children in the videos and trace them. This is a big amount of research," Mishra said.The man, who is from New Jersey in the United States, could not be contacted. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi could not confirm the arrest or provide any details.

Police said if found guilty, the American national could face up to five years imprisonment, and a fine of up to one million rupees ($14,665).News of the arrest comes days after the Indian government announced plans to establish a national alliance with charities and police to stem a surge in images of children being sexually abused on the internet.

There is no accurate data on the number of Indian children being exploited in pornographic material - either being forced to show their sexual organs or engage in sexual acts - as many victims do not go to the police due to fear and shame.There were 96 reports of children in India being sexually exploited in online imagery in 2015 -- a rise of 140 percent from 2014, according to National Crimes Records Bureau data. (Reporting by Jatindra Dash in Bhubaneswar. Additional reporting by Nita Bhalla. Writing by Nita Bhalla @nitabhalla, Editing by Katie Nguyen. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit news.trust.org)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
NEW DELHI India, the world's biggest sugar consumer, has no plan to lower import duty on the sweetener, at least in the near term, a government official said on Thursday.Sugar prices in the local market have risen more than 10 percent in a month on an expected drop in production after back-to-back drought ravaged cane crop in the top producing western state of Maharashtra.Traders were speculating that the price increase may force the government to lower import duty.

India's sugar production in 2016/17 is likely to fall to 22 million tonnes, down 4.3 percent from an earlier estimate, as mills in Maharashtra are closing early due to a cane shortage, industry officials told Reuters.

(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Lisa Richwine and Anya George Tharakan

Streaming video pioneer Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) added over a third more subscribers than expected in the last quarter of 2016, a sign of success for its ambitious global expansion that sent its shares up 8 percent in extended trading.Netflix signed up 7.1 million new subscribers globally, far more than the 5.2 million analysts had expected, according to research firm FactSet, beating targets at home and abroad even as it raised prices.Original shows like "Marvel's Luke Cage" and British drama "The Crown" performed strongly around the world, Netflix said, noting that competitors were adapting to compete.Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) recently expanded its Amazon Prime Video service globally, and Britain's BBC announced plans to release entire series at once to allow the "binge watching" popularized by Netflix."It's becoming an internet TV world, which presents both challenges and opportunities for Netflix as we strive to earn screen time," the company said in its quarterly letter to shareholders.Netflix, in its earnings report, said it added 5.1 million subscribers outside the United States and 1.9 million in its home market in the quarter ended Dec. 31. (nflx.it/2jyes47)

Analysts had forecast 3.73 million non-U.S. additions and 1.44 million at home."The future battleground at home is now in keeping hold of customers as much as it is in trying to acquire new ones," said Neil Saunders, head of retail analyst firm Conlumino."In our view, the fact that consumers have readily absorbed the price increase, and that Netflix has continued to advance its subscriber numbers in spite of it, indicates the company is now firmly in pole position in the streaming arena."

Netflix said it planned to release more than 1,000 hours of original programming this year, up from 600 hours last year. It recently signed a deal with comedian Jerry Seinfeld to stream his show "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" as well as two new stand-up specials and other shows he will develop.The Los Gatos, California-based company said revenue rose 35.9 percent to $2.48 billion in the December quarter. Analysts on average had expected $2.47 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.The company said it expected to add 1.50 million subscribers in the United States in the current quarter, fewer than the FactSet estimate of 1.79 million.

In international markets, Netflix said it expected to add 3.70 million subscribers, above the average estimate of 3.05 million.Netflix projected negative free cash flow of about $2 billion in 2017, up from negative $1.7 billion in 2016. Up to Wednesday's close of $133.26, Netflix's stock had risen 33.5 percent since it reported third-quarter results in October. Netflix rose as much as 8.2 percent in after-hours trading, adding nearly $5 billion to the company's stock market value. (Reporting by Anya George Tharakan in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Henderson and Richard Chang)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By David Alire Garcia

| MEXICO CITY

MEXICO CITY A teenage student suffering from depression shot three students and a teacher at a private school in northern Mexico on Wednesday before killing himself in what state officials called an unprecedented attack that was caught on security video.The 15-year-old student pulled out a handgun inside a classroom at the bilingual Colegio Americano del Noreste and began shooting, the officials said, critically wounding three of his victims before turning the pistol on himself.Hours after the shootings, Nuevo Leon state governor Jaime Rodriguez named the gunman as Federico Guevara and said he had died. His motive was being investigated, Rodriguez told a news conference.Security camera footage showed the teenager quickly and calmly firing what appeared to be seven shots at seated students and a female teacher, some at point-blank range. At least two victims immediately slumped over after being hit.Looking dazed, Guevara aimed at his own temple and pulled the trigger twice, but he had apparently ran out of bullets. He walked back to where he had been sitting, reloaded, and shot himself in the chin. He keeled over.Students who had been cowering beneath desks and chairs then fled, stepping over the shooter to reach the door.

"He had depression and was being treated," Aldo Fasci, security spokesman for Nuevo Leon, told local television. "We have no motive yet."Ambulances, police and soldiers raced to the school, which offers pre-school, elementary and high school classes on the southern outskirts of Monterrey, Mexico's third largest city.Distraught parents gathered outside, where they were watched over by troops in camouflage carrying rifles and backed up by an armoured car. Forensic technicians in white suits checked the scene.

While Mexico has endured a decade-long drug war that has claimed tens of thousands of victims, the country has not seen the type of school shootings that have occurred in the United States.The nationalities and identities of the victims were not immediately divulged by authorities.Fasci said one 15-year-old student was shot in the arm, and two 14-year-olds were shot. He said the shooter had brought a .22 caliber firearm from home.

Photos widely shared on social media showed three people lying on a classroom floor with pools of blood around their heads. Reuters was not able to confirm the authenticity of those images.Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto lamented the tragedy."As a father and as president, what happened this morning at a school in Monterrey hurts me very much," he wrote on Twitter. (Additional reporting by Adriana Barrera, Gabriel Stargardter and Veronica Gomez; Editing by Simon Gardner and Daniel Wallis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution for creating a conducive atmosphere for the return of Kashmiri Pandits and other migrants to the Valley.

Soon after the House met in the morning, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Assembly should pass a resolution for the return of Kashmiri Pandits and other migrants, rising above party politics.

The working President of National Conference (NC) said 27 years ago "unfortunate" circumstances in Kashmir had forced the migration of Kashmiri Pandit community, members of Sikh community and some Muslims.

"Today it has been 27 years since they (Kashmiri Pandits, some Sikhs and Muslims) left the Valley and we should rise above politics and pass a resolution in the house for their comeback," Omar said.

As the Question Hour came to an end, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Rehman Veeri approved that the resolution should be brought in the House.

Speaker Kavinder Gupta moved the resolution which was passed by voice vote.
Washington: Outgoing US President Barack Obama telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to thank him for his partnership that enhanced the relations between India and America, the White House has said.

Obama spoke on the phone with Modi on Wednesday to thank him for "his partnership" and to review joint efforts of cooperation including defence, civil-nuclear energy, and enhanced people-to-people ties, a readout of the telephonic conversation between the two leaders said.

"Recalling his visit as the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in 2015, President Obama wished the Prime Minister warm congratulations ahead of India's upcoming 68th Republic Day anniversary," the White House said.

"Both leaders discussed the progress they have made on shared economic and security priorities, including recognition of India as a major defense partner of the United States and addressing the global challenge of climate change," it said.

Obama was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his electoral victory in May 2014 and immediately invited him to visit the White House.

The two leaders met at the White House in September 2014. Since then they have met each other for eight times. This is a record for leaders between India and America.

According to Assistant Secretary of State for South and central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal, the two leaders share a very warm relationship.

"They have a great deal of personal camaraderie. But they also have a great deal of respect for each other for the leadership and the values and the integrity of each other's approach," Biswal told PTI in a recentl interview.

"You have seen from President Obama that appreciation of Prime Minister Modi in words that he has used to describe him including in that Time magazine profile of the Prime Minister. You have seen that Prime Minister Modi's appreciation of President Obama, of his values, his leadership style which the Prime Minister has used to describe the President," she said.

She said that it is not a relationship that just came about that day when President called Prime Minister-elect Modi to congratulate him.

"The seeds of this relationship were actually sown many many decades earlier," Biswal had said.
At least three women were killed and five others injured in an explosion in the remote forests of Chattisgarh, police said on Thursday.

3 dead and 4 injured in an IED blast in narayanpur: SP Abhishek Meena #Chhattisgarh  ANI (@ANI_news) January 18, 2017

A 14-year-old girl was among the dead in the blast triggered by an improvised explosive device (IED) which exploded after a group of women collecting herbs accidently stepped on the device.

According to a report published in DNA, the blast took place in Narayanpur district where intense counter-insurgency operation are undergoing.

"Two women died on the spot and one died in the hospital. Five more are injured in the blast," Abhishek Meena, police chief of Narayanpur district, told AFP.

One of the injured was a six-month-old girl, he said.

The officer said they were yet to ascertain whether the explosive was meant to target the security forces in the area, which is one of the strongholds of Maoist rebels.

The rebels are often accused of planting IED's to target the troops patrolling the vast swathes of the resource-rich region.

Thousands of armed Maoists are fighting the Indian government for land, jobs and other rights for poor tribal groups, with thousands of lives lost in the decades-old insurgency.

With inputs from AFP
Independent advocate Anant Asthana specialises in child rights and has over the years represented juveniles in a large number of cases. He works closely with the Juvenile Justice Board and is closely associated with the reformation and mainstreaming of juveniles for several years. He travels around the country to orient and trains the police, NGOs, lawyers and judicial officers on the Juvenile Justice Act and other laws concerning children. He is also closely associated with the drafting of laws and policies dealing with children.

Speaking exclusively to Firstpost, Asthana talks about why the country needs special police trained to handle crimes against cases, whether or not India is ready for a sex offenders' registry and how the police figures on the Delhi tailor accused of sexually molesting kids might be exaggerated.

Excerpts from the interview:

The case of a Delhi tailor having allegedly sexually abused 500 kids has horrified the conscience of the nation. Are there any lessons to learn from this case?

A. He may be a sexual offender but where is this information coming from? It is a regular police practice to exaggerate the number of cases in the case of an accused. The fact is that neither the courts nor the police kept any watch on him although he had been arrested and jailed earlier. This is a learning for us. Take the case of the Drug and Narcotic Psychotropic Act (DNPA) where a person is punished if he is addicted to taking drugs. But the second part of the law emphasises that we must try and create a situation wherein he receives proper treatment so that he kicks the drug-taking habit. This aspect has not received due emphasis. If he is a regular sex offender, he is suffering from a mental illness. The police claim that he (the tailor) had been caught in Rudrapur in Uttarakhand and even jailed for six months. The question is why was he not kept under surveillance?

Indeed, that seems to have been a major omission on the part of our police force?

My experience in all these years that I have fought cases in our law courts on behalf of juvenile delinquents is that we remained extremely poor in creating any kind of thorough surveillance systems. There is no follow up from within the system to find out where such an individual is operating and to keep a tag on him.

But at the same time, I do not support the proposal to create a sex offenders registry (SOR) that will supposedly keep track of sexual offenders. We do not need an SOR. My involvement with boys who commit juvenile crimes (or even older men) is that those who commit crimes are known by the system.

Those who are proponents of the SOR believe that the names of sex offenders and paedophiles, etc, should be put on such a portal. Then, I as a citizen can check such a portal and find out who is a sex offender and take proper precaution. The aim of this exercise is that those who have shown such tendencies should be monitored.

But there are many grey areas in this proposal. We have cases where an individual can be a one-time offender and have no other cases registered against him. The authorities need to come up with an appropriate plan to keep him under vigil without putting his name on the SOR.

Having a name on the SOR will mean that if an individual applies for a job, or accommodation or wants to start a bank account, it will be mandatory for him to get police verification. But then there are those who believe this will act as a deterrent and will help bring down cases of sexual abuse, especially against kids.

I have a contrary point of view. I believe the existing system of record keeping within the police force must be strengthened. Our record keeping which must be strongly linked to our crime preventive strategies.

Let me cite you one example. In 2012-13, a number of school kids in Delhi were found to have been sexually abused, and the driver of the school van was caught abusing these children. Based on this incident, a PIL was filed in the Delhi High Court by the HAQ Centre for Child Rights. In response to this PIL, the Delhi Commission for the protection of Child Right prepared fresh guidelines for the prevention of sexual abuse of children which was then notified by the Delhi government.

Once again the emphasis was shifted from the firm implementation of the law to the creation of fresh guidelines which have not been heard of since. A record of criminal offences already exists in the police but this system does not have adequate linkages with the court and other implementation bodies.

We keep coming up with new schemes but the schemes that already exist are not being adequately implemented. Implementation is a governance issue and it is this which needs to be addressed.

Everyone is over- burdened. Our failure to act effectively has proved a major hindrance in our efficient prevention of criminal action including crimes against children. Preventive action is the key to the curtailment of crime. But, police officers don't earn credits from preventive programmes. So, if I have spent the last five years in preventing crime, I have nothing tangible to show to my bosses.

The government machinery and especially police force insist that they are already over-burdened. How does that affect prevention of crimes against children?

Everyone is over- burdened. Our failure to act effectively has proved a major hindrance in our efficient prevention of criminal action including crimes against children. Preventive action is the key to the curtailment of crime. But, police officers don't earn credits from preventive programmes. So, if I have spent the last five years in preventing crime, I have nothing tangible to show to my bosses. Prevention is difficult to measure. If on the contrary, I end up arresting five sex offenders, I can take a lot of credit for my action.

My own experience shows that crimes, whether sexual or otherwise, are being regularly reported in the courts but little has been done to improve governance on this issue.

Based on my individual experience I have been demanding that the government appoint police officers in police stations who will deal exclusively with children issues. These police officers will handle offences committed against children, by children and also deal extensively with members of the community.

Such an exclusive police officer will make focused and committed interventions in child-related issues and will obviously develop an expertise on children issues.

Today, we have police officers who are experts on cybercrime, experts on antiterrorism investigation, experts on drug investigation and so on. But we do not have police officers who can focus exclusively on crimes committed against children. We need to come up with a whole range of preventive schemes which will be implemented effectively. This is the need of the hour.

The situation in our other states is almost the same as it is in the capital region. I do not believe there is much difference. We have to stop this present practice of reacting to an individual incident, but rather come up with a wide range of preventive strategies that have been thought out in advance.

But the crimes are becoming more and more brutal. Sex crimes are also on the rise. What do you think of that?

When the 2012 Delhi rape case happened, the government set up a multi-crore fund in which it would create a mid-level female cadre comprising of at least three sub-inspector rank women police officials to investigate women-related crimes. But this has not been implemented till date.

We need to accept that there is a sharp increase in crimes against children. But these need to be investigated properly. Some years ago, a 15-year-old boy was brought before the court. The police accused him of having stolen 24 gas cylinders and on one occasion the cops were claiming he had gone on foot and stolen six gas cylinders from a hotel. The judge asked the cops as to how could he possibly have stolen six gas cylinders at one go and that too on foot. He told the judge that he had been caught stealing one cylinder some years ago, after which every time a theft of a cylinder occurred, the cops would put the blame on him.

But in the case of the tailor, he has been accused of committing over 2,500 sexual assaults and molesting 500 children. What does that say about the case?

The only person saying this is the police. Did they do any kind of investigation to arrive at these conclusions? There are many cases where poor people do not receive legal aid. They end up getting convicted by a lower court but if they manage to receive a hearing in the higher judiciary, the earlier judgement gets repealed.

The issue of SOR is a highly controversial proposition. In countries where it is being implemented such as Sweden and Norway, there are several mandatory provisions on how the community has to keep a watch over these individuals so that they do not end up being branded in any way. But if we go in for sweeping laws, this will have its own repercussions.

What will happen if an individual has not committed a sex crime but gets his name on the SOR list?

If his name gets on the list the man is doomed.
At least 25 children are feared dead, and 40 others injured in a fatal collision between a school bus and a truck in Uttar Pradesh's Etah district on Thursday, reports said. The driver of the bus was also killed in the accident.

8 school children dead, 40 injured as bus collides with a truck in Etah district's Aliganj #UttarPradesh pic.twitter.com/6I6I8hULdb  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 19, 2017

Though according to PTI, police put the number of school children killed in the accident at 10, Javeed Hameed, DGP, Uttar Pradesh, said in a tweet that around 15 children are feared dead in the accident.

Tragic road accident in Aliganj Etah. Over 15 school kids feared dead. Rescue of injured ongoing.  Javeed (@javeeddgpup) January 19, 2017

The actual number of children killed in the accident, however, could be higher. According to an India Today report, the number of children killed in the accident could be as high as 25.

Though the exact cause of the accident is not known, according to an India Today, the bus, which was on its way from Dewaria to Delhi fell into a gorge as the driver failed to negotiate a curve due to thick fog in the area.

The children are from JS Public School in Etah, a Times of India report said, adding that "the school had remained open even after the Etah administration announced three days of holidays due to cold".

Ahmad told NewsNation that attempts to rescue the trapped children is going on, adding that strict action will be taken against the school.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his sorrows over the accident on Twitter. He said:
Over 20 school children reportedly died in the Etah district of Agra division, when a school bus ferrying them to the school collided with a truck on the Etah-Aliganj road. The driver of the bus was also killed in the accident.

Over three dozen kids have also been injured in the accident that happened around 9 am near village Asadpur in Aliganj. However, the exact number of casualties could not be ascertained as the police claimed that the number of school children killed in the accident is much lower.

Javeed Hameed, DGP, Uttar Pradesh, said in a tweet that around 15 children are feared dead in the accident.

Tragic road accident in Aliganj Etah. Over 15 school kids feared dead. Rescue of injured ongoing.  Javeed (@javeeddgpup) January 19, 2017

Additional Director General of Police, Baljit Singh Chowdhary confirmed that 25 kids had died in the accident, however, Inspector General of Police Agra Zone Sujeet Pandey claimed that the total number of deceased was just 13, which included 10 children, two passerby girls, and the bus driver.

According to District Magistrate of Etah, Shambunath, the school bus and the truck were traveling at a high speed and low visibility due to dense fog could have caused the collision.

India Today TV also reported that the truck, which was on its way from Dewaria to Delhi fell into a gorge as the driver failed to negotiate a curve due to thick fog in the area.

The truck, which had entered the no-entry zone without permission, collided head-on with the bus and slid off the road, falling into a roadside ditch. The driver and cleaner of the truck survived the accident while the bus driver got stuck in the bus and died on the spot.

Sub Divisional Magistrate Aliganj Mohan Singh told Firstpost that dead bodies of the schoolkids, all kindergartners of JS Public School Aliganj, were recovered from the wreckage of the bus using gas cutters. Some of the bodies were mangled beyond recognition and the police had to use the children's school IDs to confirm their identity.

The 42-seater bus had 66 children onboard.

Over three dozen kids, who were injured in the accident were rushed to a nearby nursing home where they are being treated. While schools in the state have been closed until 19 January due to poor weather conditions, the JS Public school to which the bus belonged was open in clear contravention of the orders, according to Shambhunath.

However, the District Magistrate assured that the administration will take action against the school in this case, adding that a enquiry has been launched into how the truck entered the no-entry zone without permission. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his sorrows over the accident on Twitter.
Noida doesn't quite evoke feelings of safety and security, and for good reason. Not for nothing did it top the list of looting cases last year. Specifically on the topic of women's safety, Delhi and the national capital region are notorious for being unsafe spaces.

Delivery persons have often said that they would rather get lower salaries than risk their safety in Noida and Gurgaon. And they are right, because it's not just personal safety, money or jewellery that one has to worry about in Noida  turns out, even pizzas are not spared!

According to a report in The Times of India, on an average a dozen pizzas are stolen every week in the satellite town. Ramesh, a pizza-delivery person quoted in report said that at least two or three such incidents occur every week.

What's more, it appears the culprits are a hungry bunch of people. "It's not as if they steal only one pizza when they rob you. Saare le jaate hain jitney ho aapke paas (They take all the pizzas). Normally, a delivery boy carries 4-5 pizzas when out for delivery," Ramesh's colleague is quoted as saying.

Navbharat Times described Rajneesh, another delivery person's ordeal upon witnessing the loot. He said that he was on his motorbike looking for the addresses when three people came on another bike and they snatched his pizzas and fled. Rajneesh rushed to the police nearby and asked them to catch the pizza thieves, who were nabbed within 15 minutes.

However, it appears that the thieves had done their homework well. While theft of valuables can invite a police complaint, robbing a person of his favourite pizza will attract nothing. A Domino's Pizza employee lamented about how the police said that an FIR cannot be filed for the loss or theft of pizza.

via GIPHY

Amar Ujala reported that while such incidents are common near colleges, but there isn't a fixed time for such crimes to occur. Part of the problem is the utterly absurd nature of the crime. With the hungry thugs stealing nothing other pizza, poor delivery boys lament how nobody even takes them seriously, with many even finding it funny.

Nobody said it was going to be easy delivering pizzas.
#TamilsforJallikattu #TamilsvsPETA #JallikattuUprising are some of the trending hashtags on Twitter to herald the social media-driven leaderless, spontaneous protest at the Marina Beach in Chennai.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that Tamils from all over the state  and even from cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru  have marked their attendance by the sea. What's admirable is that the crowd has exhibited remarkable restraint mixed with civic responsibility by ensuring the beach is not littered and remains swachh.

Many lessons here for parties like DMK and AIADMK and the rest of the Dravidian political crowd: Tamil nationalism is a more heady serving than biryani and a bottle of liquor.

But let us take a step back and look beyond the sea of humanity. How did 50,000-plus people converge on Chennai's landmark? WhatsApp forwards did the trick, say most. Like this one that appealed to Tamil pride and identity: "Nee Thamizhana iruntha, ezhunthu nil." (If you are a Tamilian, stand up in support).

Someone had worked on serious social media mobilisation, identifying vulnerabilities in the Tamilian mind. Mass media did its bit, packaging the jallikattu ban as an insult for Tamilians. Very soon, the crowd was wearing victimhood on its sleeve, with some of them threatening to observe 26 January as a 'black day'.

But is it indeed a pan-Tamil Nadu sentiment, as the visual evidence seems to suggest? Jallikattu, though played for over 2,000 years, has traditionally been confined to a few villages in Madurai and adjoining districts. A vast majority of those who have assembled at the Marina have neither watched jallikattu in their life nor do they completely understand the tradition. But they are holding up banners in its support because they've been convinced that a ban on the bull-taming sport (or bull embracing, as votaries of jallikattu insist) is a threat to the Tamilian's Dravidian identity. At a very subliminal level, the invisible Pied Piper behind the 'Occupy Marina' protest has aroused sentiments of regional nationalism.

Add to the mix video messages posted by Tamil film stars, further underlining the 'jallikattu = Tamil pride' sentiment. There is a reason why stars like Vijay, Kamal Haasan, Suriya, GV Prakash, Vishal, Jayam Ravi, Simbu, etc have all vociferously supported jallikattu. Madurai is a very important market for Tamil films and no one from the industry would like to be on the wrong side of what seems to be popular street opinion.

Secondly, bull taming is equivalent to veeram and pourusham; it denotes macho Tamil nationalism. It goes with the image these stars project.

In villages like Alanganallur and Avaniyapuram in Madurai, home to grand jallikattu events, taming a bull on the rampage is usually a ticket to a woman's heart. That is also the manner in which it has been portrayed in several Tamil films. It is this male honour and masculinity that is being dished out as Tamil culture now. Unfortunately, the machismo turned rogue when some pro-jallikattu elements trolled a female actor like Trisha with abuse of the worst kind because she was not seen to be supporting the sport. Under pressure, she fell in line.

The move to present it as 'Tamil Nadu for jallikattu' is also erroneous. Dalit activists point out that the sport is just another tool to perpetuate the hegemony of a few powerful castes in villages. They say Dalits, barring at a couple of villages, are mere spectators of this non-inclusive sport. Which is why if you scratch the surface at the Marina, you will find faultlines showing up in a caste-obsessed Tamil Nadu.

Who is on target? The most obvious villain is PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals), which played a crucial part in getting jallikattu banned. Narendra Modi also comes in for criticism, as he is seen as someone who is not willing to fight for the Tamil cause in the Supreme Court. That is an unfair criticism, however, as Modi's government did pass a notification last January allowing jallikattu, only for it to be struck down by the apex court. Once bitten, the prime minister is understandably twice shy.

With no immediate solution in sight, the jury is out on how long the crowds will stay at the beach. The narrative each of them dishes out is repetitive: Jallikattu is not cruel. Period. We need an ordinance. Period. Very few even know that jallikattu was in fact permitted under the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009. But activists found that the bulls were abused despite reasonable restrictions. The Supreme Court, based on the evidence at hand, banned it in 2014.

On Thursday, Chennai-based techie Kiruba Shankar who also does farming in his village, posted a photograph of a cow, with vermilion and sandalwood paste on its body, sitting next to a garbage bin and left to eat plastic. He shot the photograph in the Virugambakkam area of Chennai, about 12 km from the Marina. The visual begs the question if the protest is inherently hypocritical. Is it indeed to save the native bull species and produce healthy cows or is it more about Tamil masculinity?
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The state government in Tamil Nadu has declared Thursday a holiday. With schools and colleges remaining shut, numbers of protestors at Marina Beach expected to swell.

"Jallikattu is the sport of the brave," he said.

"In addition to this, Tamil Nadu is also facing drought. This has caused immense pain and misery to Tamil Nadu," he said. "We requested the Centre for drought-relief measures. We have requested the Centre to sanction Rs 32,000 crore for drought relief."

"PM Modi said he gives highest importance to cultural values of the state. He assured he will extend full support to us," ANI further quoted him as saying.

"We need to bring an emergrency ordinance," said the Tamil Nadu chief minister. "I have met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We all want an emergency ordinance to be brought for jallikattu."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam addressed reporters and said that he had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked him to pass an emergency ordinance.

Jallikattu the sport of the brave, we want emergency ordinance: Panneerselvam

Equally shocked (to see video of cop committing arson), hope some sort of explanation is given to us so that we can calm down: Kamal Haasan pic.twitter.com/j6sl0jNJNF

Addressing the media on Tuesday, actor Kamal Haasan questioned the Chennai police action against the protester and said that anyone who opposes Jallikattu (on whatever count) has double standards. "I was shocked (to see video of cop committing arson), hope some sort of explanation is given to us so that we can calm down."

Have been demanding this for over 20 yrs. We were the early agitators of this law because it showed double standard-Kamal Haasan #Jallikattu

Kamal Haasan comes out in full support of jallikattu and said that it cannot be banned. He asked why is not Peta also looking into the treatment of Kerala's temple elephants.

"People make fun calling this a leaderless movement, but look at the cohesion among the people."

When asked on why he is not actively part of the movement, Kamal said, "I kept out because I didn't want to steal the limelight on the agitating students."

Kamal said that the violence in Chennai has disturbed him. He also added that he hopes that the videos showing police indulging in arson are fake.

"CP Ramaswami Iyer wanted a separate Trivancore, would you call him anti-national? Even Tamil Nadu wanted to go separate. It is Patel and VP Menon integrated India. However, we must clarify and why did he said such things. There is some legitimacy in the complaint."

I could have imagined a scenario where MGR would have come to meet protestors. He would have also protested with them: @ikamalhaasan

"I could have imagined a scenario where MGR would have come to meet protestors. He would have also protested with them."

Even MGR would have supported the movement

On the question whether he supports a ban on Peta itself, Haasan said that it is wrong to ban the animal welfare organisation as India is a democracy. He said that we must rather correct them wherever necessary.

Chennai: Violence broke out on Monday in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu as police cracked down on protesters even as the six-day-old 'Marina uprising" was

called off after the state Assembly passed a bill to replace the ordinance allowing the banned jallikattu.

The agitation in Madurai, famous for its Alanganallur bull taming event, Tiruchirapalli, Coimbatore and other places were also withdrawn late in the evening.

After the crackdown early in the morning, the sands of Marina beach and areas around it in Triplicane, Teynampet and Sellur in Madurai and Gandhipuram in Coimbatore witnessed pitched battles between the protesters and police who fired teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the large crowds.

There were incidents of stonethrowing and burning of vehicles and sundry items at various places in protest against the police action. Police personnel and their vehicles along with those of public were targeted. A number of policemen and members of the public were also injured.

Police suspected that some protesters belonged to ultra-left organisations like CPI-ML and Revolutionary Youth Front of India but the agitators said the students and youth who had given the call were not involved in the violence.

Initially, crowds defied appeals for withdrawing the agitation but the protesters were not in a mood to relent.

Acting quickly, the AIADMK government tabled the bill in the Assembly after the Governor's address to replace the ordinance for conducting jallikattu without any hindrance. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment), Act, 2017 piloted by Chief Minister O Panneerselvam was adopted unanimously by a voice vote after a brief debate.

After the ordinance, for which the Centre gave quick approval last week, was enacted, pro-jallikattu organisations and film director Gautaman appealed to the protesters to withdraw the stir.

Parallely, former Madras High Court judge Justice Hari Paranthaman acted as a mediator by explaining the process of lawmaking through ordinance and said for the moment this was a

"permanent solution" that is a victory for the agitators. The agitators numbering a few thousands withdrew their protest after appeals by the judge and office bearers of advocates associations.

Tamil stars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan also expressed concern over the violence and called for restraint by the agitating students.

The protesters fought pitched battles with police in several pockets in Chennai, especially around Marina Beach from where thousands were evicted, and blocked roads in various parts of the city.

Police fired teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge at some places as sections of protesters, removed from Marina in an early morning crackdown, pelted stones.

The agitators went on a rampage, setting on fire vehicles at a few places, including in front of Ice House Police Station near the beach.

While vehicles were gutted, the front portion of the station and the name board were damaged in the fire.

Similarly, vehicles including some cars were set on fire by unidentified elements near Nadukuppam in Triplicane area, close to Marina.

Several schools chose to shut early in view of the sudden turn of events while city buses went off the roads as a preventive measure.

In Coimbatore, police forcibly evicted the protesters from VOC Park Grounds and lathicharged students in Gandhipuram bus stand.

As the appeal made by senior officials to clear the grounds failed, police in large numbers started to bodily lift them and shift them out of the venue.

Some 200 people sat on dharna near the Central bus stand in Gandhipuram to protest police action. Police managed to chase them away.

Even as some protestors were seen leaving the venue voluntarily, police removed nearly 300 protesters from there, police said.

Protesting against the police action, some youths formed human chain on the main Avanashi chain and police made a cane charge to disperse them, police said.

A section of protesters were standing and raising slogans in support of their demand for permanent Act for conducting jallikkatu and against Peta and Police, near the Central Jail, some 200 metres from the venue, prompting the police to take into custody nearly 300 persons, they said.

Police said they had cleared the grounds, venue for the Republic day function, and it is under control of the district administration and police.

Police resorted to lathicharge at two places in Coimbatore to disperse protesters, who allegedly indulged in stone pelting against police.

Protests continued in Madurai with protesters throwing stones on police at Alanganallur.

Police forcibly removed protesters from protest venues at Alanganallur when they refused to heed their repeated requests to disperse.

According to Alanganallur police, 20 persons, many of them policemen, were injured in stone pelting by protesters. Roads near the protest venue were strewn with stones, glass pieces and wooden logs.

Earlier, the Alanganallur village committee, which was satisfied with the ordinance, announced that jallikattu will be held on February one and in Palamedu on 2 February.

On Sunday, the chief minister could not launch the jallikattu event in Alanganallur as planned due to locals' protests.

Though the decision of the local committee was made through public annoucement system, some miscreants at the "agitation venue" refused to disperse and started pelting stones, police said.

There was a scuffle between police and some of the youths in which some protesters were injured. Police were forced to take action as several rounds of talks failed, an official said.

Police said the situation was fully under control and some persons who were seen instigating the crowd have been detained for questioning.

Meanwhile, DIG of Police Anand Somani led a flag march in the village to boost the confidence of the local people.

In Madurai, Additional SP Murugesh held talks with protesting students and urged them to disperse.

One woman was injured in the scuffle between police and youths in the city.

In Madurai, students continued to block a train at Sellur for the fifth day.

Meanwhile, an Erode report said several students sustained minor injuries when police made a lathicharge after a section of them indulged in violence, refusing to disperse.

Two buses were damaged when some miscreants pelted stones while they were being dispersed by police at Thomaiyarpuram railway station where they tried to block train traffic.

A report from Tiruchirapalli said a jallikattu event was held at Kumlur near the city, in which seven persons were injured. All the injured were treated as outpatients.
Chennai: Social media appeared to have played a key role in bringing together thousands of pro-Jallikattu protesters to the sprawling Marina Beach in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu, with updates on the ongoing students' spontaneous stir and messages flooding the platform.

Sites including Facebook were awash with "Let us be united", "We want Jallikattu," and "I support Jallikattu" pages, which together account for lakhs of followers, who kept commenting on the evolving situation and pressing their cause.

Facebook pages like "Jallikattu veeravilayattu," specially designed to spread messages on the bull-taming sport and protest across the state were active with live updates.

Special folk songs were uploaded and real time pictures, videos of protests were posted regularly which helped the information reach more and more people, prompting several of them to join hands.

For instance, a social media user Manikandan uploaded pictures of protest between Madurai and Theni in 'Jallikattu veeravilayattu' Facebook page.

A college student here, R Sukumar, said he joined the protests on the Marina Beach responding to a campaign in Facebook by several other students.

Balakumar Somu, in his Facebook post said, "I see protests in so many places, from the metros to small towns & villages. So happy to be a part of the enlightened Tamil youth @Tirupur (Collector's office)."

Also, posts like "No Jallikattu, no vote" and "save native cattle" dominated social media sites.

Each Jallikattu protest and information related to it got thousands of "likes" on Facebook.

A blogger said, "Jallikattu is not bullfight...PeTA should stop equating the sport with bull fighting."

In Twitter, hashtags like "justice for jallikattu," "save our culture jallikattu" continued to trend through the day with countless messages.

Also, messages like "I can arrange dinner, lunch for protestors," "I can provide drinking water please contact..." were also abound, indicating how the students were organising and managing the protests.
Chennai: Amid intensifying protests across Tamil Nadu for 'jallikattu', Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Wednesday said he would call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, seeking an immediate promulgation of an ordinance to allow the sport and appealed to protesters to end agitations.

"Tomorrow morning I will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urge him to promulgate an ordinance to conduct jallikattu. Hence, I appeal to all protesters to give up their agitations," the Chief Minister said.

He assured the agitators that the Tamil Nadu government would continue to make all efforts to conduct 'jallikattu'.

His assurance came after thousands of youths converged on Marina Beach here demanding a personal assurance from him that the sport would be held.

Panneerselvam said the Tamil Nadu government "is on the same page" with the people of the state on the issue.

"The democratic protests by students and people to uphold our rights and guard our culture are expressive of our feelings (on jallikattu)," he said.

However, to conduct 'jallikattu', the Supreme Court should give a favourable verdict, he said.

If the sport was to be held before such a verdict was given, "only the central government has the powers to bring in an amendment to facilitate that," he said.

Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and DMK Working President MK Stalin suggested that Panneerselvam should take with him representatives of all political parties and protesting youth when he meets Modi.

"If Chief Minister O Panneerselvam meets Prime Minister Modi along with all party representatives and protesting youth, it would add more strength to our appeal to allow holding Jallikattu," he said in a statement in Chennai.
Srinagar: A Lashkar-e-Taiba militant was on Thursday killed while a policeman was injured in an encounter in Bandipora district of north Kashmir.

On specific intelligence input about presence of militants in Hajin area of Bandipora, security forces launched a cordon and search operation, a police official said.

He said during the search operation, the hiding militants fired upon the forces, which was retaliated in which a militant was killed.

A police constable was also injured in the gunfight, the official said, adding he has been referred to a hospital here.

The militant belonged to LeT outfit, the official said.

He said some miscreants pelted stones on the security forces near the encounter site. Further details were awaited.
Jammu: Sitting in his wholesale spices shop in Gummat Bazar of Jammu, 52-year-old Suresh Shah heard about the 27th anniversary of his migration only from the radio. Before the insurgency broke out Shah owned SR Gunj, a famous wholesale spices outlet in Maharaj Gunj and lived in Habbakadal area of Srinagar. After migration, Shah set up his shop in Jammu, raising a family and helping his brothers establish their business.

It has been 27 years since Shah and many others migrated to Jammu. While the radio reminded him of migration, the opposition National Conference leader, Omar Abdullah, was asking for a resolution to be passed in legislative assembly for the return of Kashmiri Pandits and other migrants.

Abdullah said that today it has been 27 years since they (Kashmiri Pandits, some Sikhs, and Muslims) left the Valley and "we should rise above politics and pass a resolution in the house for their comeback."

There are 37,128 Kashmiri Pandit migrant families living in Jammu. Besides, there are 19,338 families living mostly in Delhi and other parts of India, according to the state government's revenue and rehabilitation ministry. In the Valley, the Hindu minority in Muslim-majority Kashmir shrunk from an estimated 140,000 in the late 1980s to a paltry 19,865 in 1998. Today, there are fewer than 3,400 Pandits in Kashmir.

"Home is missed, particularly during summers," Shah says. "But then what is the alternative, none. The Central government doesnt want to take us back and the state government doesnt need us."

Shah was among more than 24,000 families to flee from the valley starting 1989, after repeated threats from different militant groups, who blamed Kashmiri Pandits for being informers or Indian Agents.

Kashmiris used to say batt'ie (Kashmiri Pandit) is a mukhbir (informer). We were suspected of being informers but Muslims became informers. Who killed Burhan Wani, his own people, who destroyed the separatist movement, Kashmiris. No batt'ie (Pandit) came to destroy it, Shah points out.

When we go to the Valley during Kheer Bhawani people welcome us with open arms, Shah adds, but unfortunately they come and say do you know where Dhar sahib lives, do you know were Triloknath lives (I am telling you examples), "he has a Kanal of land, I want to buy it for my daughter."

"In these 27 years, everything has changed," Shah says. "The blood was first red, now it is white. The only thing being, we lost peace of mind and property, we earned enough money because there is peace of mind in Kashmir. Life is paralysed, he says.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in April 2008, had announced a Rs 1,618-crore package for offering jobs to Kashmiri Pandits, in addition to other assistance. The government immediately spent Rs 218.46 crores to create transit accommodation but failed to attract people to the Kashmir Valley.

They tell us to get settled in our own homes, Sanjay Raina, another Kashmiri Pandit, who runs a shop near Shahs, says. "but 80 percent of the houses have either been sold by Pandits or burnt down. Then how can we go back."

"Ninety percent of the property was sold at throwaway prices in the early nineties," Raina adds. "We are ready to go back and get back our prosperity, but who will buy that property back, if in 1990s someone sold his house for 10 lakhs today it costs more than Rs 2 crore. Let the government of India pay for that.

Most of the Pandits complain that the BJP, during elections promised that the day they will come to power, they would immediately start the process for the return of Pandits. "Separate colonies and jobs under the rehabilitation process but nothing has happened till now," Shah says.

As part of the renewed efforts to bring back displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked the state government of Jammu and Kashmir to identify and earmark 16,800 kanals of land in three districts of the Valley  Anantnag, Baramulla and Budgam  where migrant families could be resettled.

After late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed became chief minister of the PDP-BJP coalition government in the state, the return of Pandits was listed in their "Agenda of Alliance."

To provide better facilities to the migrants, the state government had initially come up with temporary accommodation in Jagti township and other areas of Jammu. The PDP-BJP government in the state had told the Assembly in 2015 that it had spent Rs 349.86 crore out of its total allocation of 728.07 crores to help rehabilitation efforts.

The bottom line has been that Kashmiri society has moved on; so have its Hindu residents.

Children understand Kashmiri but they dont speak it," says Raina. "Now if we force someone to speak Kashmiri he speaks like Kishtwari Kashmiri. We try to speak to our children in Kashmiri but most of his time goes in schools and he/she doesnt learn his/her own language. There is no Kashmiri but Hindi. Children those who were born here have their language and culture, and even thinking like a Dogra or a mainland Indian."

The Jammu and Kashmir assembly passed the resolution but will it help in bringing back Kashmiri Pandits like Shah and Raina  who are still longing for a lost home  remains an unanswered question for everyone.

Education Minister and PDP leader, Naeem Akhter, said Kashmiris need Pandits more than Pandits need Kashmiris, and that the migration was a horrific part of the history.

There is an ethnic imbalance in the place where only one type of people lives. There is an instantaneous need for the return of Kashmiri pandits otherwise, it can be an end of a civilisation, he said while talking to reporters outside the assembly house in Jammu.

Pandits need to be made part of economic stake and development, Akhter said, it will help bringing them back.
Dalits in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are angry  and rightly so. They strongly feel that a new "sophisticated architecture of inequality or untouchability" has replaced the traditional practice to suit the convenience of the lawmakers. Dalit experts say they remain under-represented in elected posts, public positions and sidelined in social events and practices which form the ethos of the Indian subcontinent.

The National Crime Records Bureau data indicates that the number of incidents of atrocities against Scheduled Castes increased from 39,408 in 2013 to over 47,000 in 2014 and to a record 72,000 by 2015. Analysts attribute this to a backlash of the General Elections to Lok Sabha of 2014. But the statistics do not capture the more insidious forms of prejudice that dominate the society. While 1,675 cases of Dalit atrocities were reported in 2015 in Telangana, 4,415 cases were reported in Andhra Pradesh. "There has been a continuous rise of atrocities against Dalits since 2014, 9.8 percent in Telangana and 10-15 percent in Andhra Pradesh, as both state and central police remained indifferent spectators to the antics of the militant wings of Sangh Parivar," said Dalit activist and balladeer Gummadi Vithalrao better known as Gaddar.

In the 1980s, a traveller in the interior districts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh could witness separate clay plates and clay cups in hotels for serving Dalits. In some hotels of Rajahmundry, Eluru and Vijayawada, Dalits had to bring their own bed clothes if they wanted a room.

Dalit officials, even Tahsildars and Mandal Revenue Officers, had to sit separately in weddings and eat at a special session. Caste-based ragging continued in colleges, schools and government offices. Women workers, in particular, faced the ire of a casteist society.

In 2002, a lady RDO was requested by a Kamma (OBC caste) leader in Eluru to attend a temple function, but only after the Brahmins and upper caste women had left. Others have faced similar discrimination. "I have stopped attending family weddings of my colleagues after they requested me to come for reception only and not the muhurtam event," said Katti Saraswati Rao, a gazetted officer in the revenue department of Guntur and wife of a Mala leader.

The young and the restless

Luckily though, today, it is not just a tale of victimisation. Dalits are now more organised and connected. They see themselves as a part of an assertive movement of social justice. They have sympathy for Dalit parties but criticise their failures. They worry that caste is getting reinforced, rather than annihilated  the ultimate vision of their icon BR Ambedkar. In Rohith Vemula, they have found a new icon for achieving social justice, and social media is their new weapon.

What perturbs this current generation of politically and socially informed and aware Dalits is the increasing salience of caste in politics and civil society. "From the selection of party office bearers to the distribution of tickets, and nomination of selective posts in societal organisation, caste continues to be central to politics and civil society," says revolutionary poet and balladeer Gummadi Vithalrao better known as Gaddar.

In such a landscape, it is inevitable that Dalits  who have been discriminated for generations have also been mobilising and organising on the same lines of caste identity.

In pre-independent India, Dalit movements in Andhra Pradesh took a reformative stance  attempts to reform the caste system to address the issue of untouchability. Eminent social reformers like Kandakuri Veereshalingam and Gurazada, Apparao, Devulapalli Krishna Sastry were only successful in improving social awakening but not eradicating the injustice.

In a 1980 editorial, eminent editor of Andhra Bhoomi daily, Gora Shastry, wrote that the political parties like Indian National Congress had broken the back of the Dalit movements with land reforms and Panchayati Raj. They raised hopes of getting social justice for the victims, which did not happen at all, he wrote. "Congress party is the main culprit as it transformed a Harijan into a Dalit and its electoral backbone by misinterpreting the Constitution for its political advantage," he wrote during the heat of the quota agitation.

Fact-finding committee reports on the gory police encounters in Telangana, allegedly on extremists, have often exposed the atrocities being perpetrated on Dalit farmers and labourers in villages, and politicians are at the top of the pyramid. For instance, in early 1997, a 56-year-old Dalit farm labourer Yadaiah along with his wife and two children were hauled up in Mulugu area of Warangal for refusing to work in the fields of a local landlord for a pittance. "Yadaiah was threatened of an encounter death if he and his family did not work in the fields of landlord Purushottam Reddy (Congress leader)," said a villager.

The first major movement for Dalit rights in united Andhra Pradesh was the violent campaign against the killings of Dalits in Chunduru in Prakasam district in 1991. It had sent a chill up the spines of the first Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government led by actor-politician NT Rama Rao who thereafter launched a campaign for the elevation of Madigas (SC caste) in the party.

Another intrinsic factor of the Dalit movement was that it was supported only by the middle class and educated section within a caste group, while the illiterate and poverty-ridden sections fell in line with the upper caste bigwigs in the villages, perhaps due to their hapless livelihood constraints. While the lower income groups among Dalits were lured by political parties with subsidies and sops, it was only the middle class among the SC groups that led the Dalit movements. The creamy layer among the SCs, mostly the kin of politicians and bureaucrats, had no inclination to agitate as they cornered the majority of quota seats and jobs. "The poor Dalits in villages had no strength and support to agitate. But the middle classes among Dalits in district towns and cities alone were influenced by Ambedkar or Kanshiram and other Dalit icons," says Dalit activist Mala Venkat Rao of Mala Mahanadu.

The Dalit movement is in a critical phase in the country, and particularly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which account for the countrys 22 percent of Dalit population. Political parties are deliberately enforcing "Dalitism" with an eye on the vote bank and also on their retention as farm labourers and manual workers.

But the struggles of the middle class have brought the Dalits on the national mainstream politics. The academic lobbies of the movement have exploded a number of myths. The movement though has fallen prey to the designs of political managers who promoted and created the concept of quota raj and sub plans (welfare schemes). "Unfortunately our political leaders want to harvest Dalits as a vote bank and have no programmes to remove the Dalit as their prefix," laments Nandi Yellaiah, a former Congress MP from Mahbubnagar, now in Telangana.

Rohith Vemula, A Role Model For Dalit Movement

The suicide of Rohith Vemula is seen as a revival of the Dalit movement in AP and Telangana. "In other words, the Rohith Vemula issue helped in institutionalising the inequality factor and regrouping the Dalits who had split into different parties," says Gaddar.

"Through social media, we reached Vemula. And Vemula reached us even after his death," says Velupula Sunkanna, one of the five students and members of the Ambedkar Students Union who was suspended along with Vemula.

It is also learnt that the Union HRD Ministry officials are investigating yet another angle to the Vemula episode. University authorities say that Vemula was a diehard Students' Federation of India (SFI) activist. SFI is the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He quit SFI after his comrades discriminated against him for his caste. After a visit of Sitaram Yechury, now CPI(M) secretary, to the University of Hyderabad in 2015, Vemulas Facebook post questioning why the CPI(M) hasnt had a single Dalit politburo member in 51 years had gone viral and earned him the wrath of the CPI(M) leadership.

The Dalit movement is in a critical phase in the country, and particularly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which account for the countrys 22 percent of Dalit population. Political parties are deliberately enforcing "Dalitism" with an eye on the vote bank and also on their retention as farm labourers and manual workers.

"The militant units of Sangh Parivar, cow vigilantes and hate groups who are patronised by the central and state governments have been running amuck in rural Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and attacking Dalits for not supporting their campaign. In November 2016, two Dalit families were socially boycotted and beaten up in Chittoor district for eating beef at a family event," points out B Laxmaiah, leader of Kula Nirmulana Porata Samithi.

Political lobbies want Dalits to remain Dalits for life. The future of the Dalit movement lies in bonding and in enlightening all sections of the community on their rights and privileges granted by the Constitution, says former chief secretary and a Dalit rights campaigner Dr Kaki Madhav Rao, adding that political exploitation was the bane of the Dalit movements in both Telugu speaking states.
Primary and secondary schools run in tribal areas are by-and-large a neglected topic in our everyday discourse. The following is the fourth part of a five-part series that seeks to explore some of the issues that affect these schools.

The room is about an inch or two wider than the space occupied by two double bunk beds lined up one after another. One has to walk sideways to pass through the space in between the beds. Bed sheets are sullied. There is no ventilation and the light hardly comes through even at noon. The caretaker has to turn on the tubelight to get a good look of the dingy room, where clothes are hanging above the eye level. This is the state of girls hostel in Nashiks Devgaon tribal residential school. With over 350 residing students here, almost 45-50 of them are cramped into one room, where they spend the night. They do not have separate cupboards, privacy to concentrate on their studies or even a respectable space to keep their clothes.

As one spares a thought for the appalling infrastructural facilities doled out to the students in Devgaon, but as you visit more such tribal schools in Maharashtra, the cramped room appears to be a luxury. Most of the students do not even have a separate space to go to after the conclusion of the last lecture. The room in which they spend their night becomes their classroom during the day.

Maharashtra is the only state that allocates budget for tribal development in proportion of its tribal population, which leaves no scope for shortfall, even though the state runs 555 ashram schools and aids 554 of them. For the year 2016-17, Rs 7,644 crores had been allotted for tribal development.

The tribal ministry is often accused of malpractices and the ground reality of ashram schools makes one wonder where the money goes. In 2008, the Tata Institute for Social Sciences (TISS) had submitted a comprehensive report to the then ruling dispensation, which highlighted similar infrastructural fallacies to what TISS did to this government in August 2015.

According to the findings, almost half the schools would have to be derecognised, considering the codebook of Maharashtra Ashram Schools mandates the campus of the school be minimum 2 hectares to create a conducive atmosphere for the kids to study and play, which is part of the all-round growth of the students. However, 64 percent of aided and 38 percent of government tribal schools had a campus that did not measure up to the codebook, as per TISS findings.

The report further exposed the state, for it found only 9 percent of the aided and 12 percent of the government-run schools could provide a living space of 40 square feet per student at the girls hostel. The boys hostel did not fare much better.

With the kind of infrastructure the state provides, it cannot hope to expect the quality of education to be impressive. Only 60 percent aided and 50 percent government schools had classrooms with maps and charts. Moreover, merely 58 percent aided and 55 percent government schools provided tubes/bulbs and fans, making it worse for students to study.

Milind Thatte, an activist in the Jawahar tribal belt, said the concept of tribal schools has become outdated. Residential schools were conceptualised because there was hardly any access to most of the tribal villages, he said. Today, a lot of those villages have become easily accessible. Let the students live with their parents and the state can save up what it spends on the hostel and use it for their books, meals etc. Ashram schools should be limited to places where it is a task for the kids to head out of the villages.

In December 2015, the Maharashtra government had mooted the idea to rope in the private sector to run the ashram schools, which was an admission in itself of being incapable of running them well in spite of spending thousands of crores.

Former MLA Vivek Pandit, whose organisation works with tribals in the area of Palghar, Thane and Dahanu, said the tribal welfare department depends on contractors, which is marred with rampant corruption. When TISS paid a visit to 1,076 schools across Maharashtra in 2015, it encountered around 75,000 students less than what they had been told, which is astounding considering these are residential schools. Last year, a corollary scam had come to light, where thousands of students enrolled in the schools were found to be non-existent. Since the states money is allotted on the basis of the number of students, more enrollment ensures more subsidy to the school.

TISS also found the number of posts at the ashram schools had been unoccupied. Including the headmaster, teacher, male and female warden, cook, peon, lab attendant, helper and others, 976 posts had been vacant in aided schools, while in government schools, the number was 3,469.

Instead of filling up important posts like those of a trained teacher, permanent employees, many of the schools have hired teachers on a contract basis, where they are used as cheap labour. While a permanent teacher would have to be paid a salary of at least Rs 35,000, the contract teachers, who teach primary students, are hired at Rs 15 an hour. They are mostly graduates in their mid-20s, hoping to get a permanent job. The secondary and higher secondary teachers get Rs 54 and Rs 72 per hour respectively. One of the teachers, at the request of not being named, expressed his frustration. I have been working as a contract teacher for 15 years, he lamented. Rs 15 an hour fetches me around Rs 2,000 a month. It is humiliating.

As a result, the student-teacher ratio remains dismal and pupils spill out of the classrooms. Better trained teachers do not take up the job and many who do leave midway through the term.

When TISS submitted its report in 2008, some of its major suggestions included Provide guidance on academic and co-curricular activities, Better training for better teachers and Prepare infrastructure budget and check on the structures. Seven years later, the study by the same organisation did not come up with very dissimilar suggestions. In all likelihood, TISS might be commissioned another study in 2020 and it would probably not matter if the institute merely updates the date and submits the same report it submitted a year and a half ago.

Despite the conditions in which the tribal students study, records show more than 95 percent of the students pass their board exams. But before one is misled into thinking about a positive story amid adversities, activists call it a scam. Most of the students, they say, struggle to read, and yet go on to pass the exams. Interactions with students at various schools indicated there is much truth to it. Students laboured to solve basic math problems at the age of 14 and 15. Many of the schools did not have a laboratory or a teacher for science, yet students over there have passed the subject.

Activist Bandu Sane, who works extensively with the tribals in Vidarbha, asked if the tribal schools produce toppers, where do the students go after they graduate. If all the students are passing their board exams, why do they struggle so much once they are out of the tribal schools? He asked. It has been five decades since the inception of ashram schools. Why have they not been able to emancipate the tribal society? Why have the tribals remained the way they were a few decades ago?

Read Part 1: State of neglect endangers student health

Read Part 2: Students stare at malnutrition due to poor food, filthy kitchens

Read Part 3: Abysmal security, sexual assault cases remain an alarming concern
In the book "Guns, Germs and Steel", author Jared Diamond builds a beautiful case of how the white man (read the Western Civilisation) came to dominate the course of world history. Much of this dominance could be attributed to three factors; guns (invention of gun powder), germs (immunity to diseases because of urbanisation) and steel (related to the industrial revolution). While the guns helped win over the enemies on a battlefield, the germs the colonist carried with them spread afar, decimating populations that had never faced such biogens before. This is how the Incas were defeated by the Spanish, or even how the North American continent was brought under control by the progeny of the Mayflower settlers.

India too has made a contribution (a rather dubious one) to the global bank of germs and diseases. Cholera is described as an acute diarrhoeal infection that is caused by the intake of contaminated water. Caused by the bacterium vibrio cholerae, the disease is a global one, infecting some 4 million people a year, and accounting for some 143000 deaths according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The origin of the disease is has been placed in India, the first recorded instance was in 1563 in an Indian medical report (http://www.choleraandthethames.co.uk/cholera-in-london/origins-of-cholera/). It was called as Haiza by the Arabs, caused by fasaad-e- ghiza (Decay of food) and Fasaad-e- hazm (Dyspepsia). (http://www.nhp.gov.in/haiza-cholera_mtl)

But it was the 19th century when the disease acquired a global dimension. Traveling on board the Company ships that docked on the colonised ports in India, the rather innocuous invertebrate from the deltas of Ganges reached the banks of Thames. And so in 1831, London, the largest city in the world (back then) had its first devastating encounter with Cholera. The streets of London back then were overflowing with filth, human and otherwise, and the bacterium was much at home in all the filth. Thousands were infected and hundreds died within a matter of few days.

Over the course of next couple of decades, there were numerous outbreaks of Cholera. Sadly, much of it was attributed to the stench in the air or miasma (as it was called). The co-relation between contaminated water and spread of Cholera was discovered by a local doctor in London, named Dr. John Snow, who helped understand the dangers of drinking contaminated water.

As a result of this discovery, Great Britain took up the single largest engineering project in the 19th Century, namely creating a sewer network underneath the city of London. The same was completed in a span of some 18 years, under the watchful eyes of Sir Joseph Bazalgette. This network of sewerage has become the sort of template for all urban cities across the world.

It was this outbreak of Cholera and chance discovery of the correlation with contaminated water that is responsible for the setting up of the modern municipal structure. Considering that it was the same Britishers who ruled us, our cities too have the same structure and mechanism. This is how the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata got their sewer and water infrastructure. Gandhis India that largely lived in the villages, now steadily moved into the cities.

Sadly, the population has expanded many times more than the system could cope up with. Although access to drinking water has improved, the World Bank estimates that 21% of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe water. In India, diarrhoea alone causes more than 1,600 deaths dailythe same as if eight 200-person jumbo jets crashed to the ground each day.

Yet, in spite of the obvious dangers, even today, hundreds of thousands of Indians are coerced to drink dirty water.

Thankfully, there seems to be a growing realisation on the need to resolve this problem. The government of India and the various state governments have instituted a series of reforms that are targeted providing clean water to the citizen. In addition, there are also efforts being undertaken by private companies like Eureka Forbes that have launched an initiative like Jaldaan, under which every signatory pledges to provide 5 litres of clean water to the needy. In fact, for every single pledge, the company has committed to provide Rs. 10 towards setting up special filtration plants in poor areas.

Humanity (be it white or coloured) has been battling the menace of germs for centuries. With science and technology, we have been able to redraw the battle lines. Today, with medical interventions like vaccinations, Cholera has been largely contained. Yet, the war is not over. Till every drop of water that is drunk by the people is not pure and healthy, the struggle will be on. Everyone can be a part of the movement, by taking a pledge at http://bit.ly/Jaldaan

So why wait? Do it now!

This is a partnered post.
An all-party meeting convened by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on 21 November had resolved to end political violence in the northern district of Kannur, but the merchants of death have breached the deal in less than two months by murdering a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker in his own Assembly constituency in the district.

The cycle of political killings going on since the Assembly election in 2016 May returned to haunt the district with the murder of 52-year old Mullapram Ezhuthan Santhosh. An unidentified gang broke into his house at Andallur near Dharmadom at 11.30 pm on Wednesday and hacked him to death.

His wife and two children were not at home at the time of murder. Santhosh himself had informed his friends about the attack, but he had succumbed to the injury by the time they rushed him to the hospital.

Blaming the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), the district unit of the BJP staged a shut-down strike in the district in protest against the murder. The dawn to dusk strike affected normal life in the districts with shops and business establishments downing shutters and vehicles keeping off the road.

District leaders of the CPM have denied the charge. Party Pinarayi area secretary K Manoharan urged the police to bring the killers before the law. The leader said in a statement on Thursday that the party would not protect if any party men were found involved in the crime.

BJP district president Sathya Prakash said Santhosh was murdered by the CPM activists due to political rivalry. He told the Firstpost that the party men had targeted him after he contested the local body election at Andallur.

Local police believe that the murder could be the culmination of the clashes going on between the CPM and BJP activists in the area for some time now. An official at Dharmadam station said that the student wings of the two parties had clashed at the local college over the celebration of Vivekanada Jayanthi.

The Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPM, has been unleashing a reign of terror in the area. They attacked an RSS activist in the area without any provocation. They also assaulted a school student for refusing to attend a meeting of the SFI, the BJP leader said.

Sathya Prakash said that the RSS office at Thaliparampu was attacked soon after the murder of Santhosh. He said that the attack came after the chief minister used the ongoing state school art festival forum at Kannur to warn befitting reply to 'those' who try to suppress freedom of expression.

A debate has been raging in the state over the freedom of expression after senior BJP leaders came down heavily on cultural leaders, including noted writer and Jnanpith award winner M T Vasudevan Nair, for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modis demonetisation drive.

While they questioned the academic qualification of the writer to comment on an economic issue, a film director who came to the defence of the writer was asked to leave the country.

Pinarayi termed this as a manifestation of the Sangh Parivars intolerance to criticism finding its way in the state while inaugurating the school arts festival and warned that this will not work in a politically enlightened state like Kerala.

BJP leader from neighbouring Karnataka and Lok Sabha MP Nalin Kumar Kateel countered the Kerala leader by warning that the Central Government would intervene if BJP workers continued to be physically targeted in the state and the CPM may also face retaliation in other parts of the country as well.

"They (CPM) 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 the BJP Kerala state committee at Kottaym.

The murder in Kannur followed the death of two BJP workers in an attack on their house at Kanjikode in Palakkad district in the last week of December. Radhakrishnan (55) and his wife Vimala, both members of the BJP, were injured when a gas cylinder exploded after a group of CPM workers set fire to three bikes kept in a shed near the kitchen.

With these deaths, the number of people killed in political violence in the state since the assumption office by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has gone up to 11. The cycle of deaths started when a CPM worker was killed in a bomb attack on a CPM victory procession at Dharmadom on the votes counting day on 19 May.

Majority of the murders in the current bout of political violence has occurred at Dharmadom, from where Pinarayi was elected to the Assembly in 16 May election. The Sangh Parivar had expressed fear over the escalation of political violence in the district in the event of Vijayan becoming chief minister.

The Prime Minister had urged Pinarayi to take concrete steps to end the spectre of political violence in the state in his fist meeting after assuming office as the chief minister. Senior BJP leader say that Pinarayi had not taken any step to restore peace in Kannur because he believed in physical annihilation of political opponents.

The BJP Kannur district president pointed out that Pinarayi had made foray into active politics by murdering an RSS activist at Thalaserry in the district in 1969. The murder of Vadikkal Ramakrishnan is considered as the first political murder in the northern district.

Sathya Prakash said that the chief minister and his colleagues in the CPM believe that they can prevent the rise of alternate political forces by creating an atmosphere of terror. He sees such a clear pattern in the murder politics in Kannur.

The murders in Kannur district clearly suggest a strategy by the CPM to prevent the growth of the BJP and RSS by physically eliminating its workers. Though they have not succeeded in achieving the objective even after killing many of our workers, the CPM is not ready to abandon the path of violence, he added.

Sathya Prakash said that the party will face all challenges and emerge as a third alternative in the state. A senior leader of the party has sought imposition of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFPSA) in Kannur to enable the political parties to carry out their democratic activities.

BJP state Intellectual Cell convener TG Mohandas has taken up the matter with Home Minister Rajnath Singh citing the high incidence of violence as well as the terrorist and fake currency rackets. He said that he made demand as the police officials had expressed their helplessness in restoring normalcy in the district.

The police officials are helpless when the party in power is giving patronage to the perpetrators of the violence and its senior leaders are openly advocating the use of violent methods. The law and order has totally collapsed in the district, he added.

Meanwhile, the Central government has granted VIP security cover to four party leaders in the state considering the rise in the attacks on party workers and offices after the CPM-led government assumed office.

BJP State president Kummanam Rajasekharan, former State president PK Krishnadas, general secretaries MT Ramesh and K Surendran are the leaders who have been granted Y category security by the Home Ministry.
By Emma Farge

| BANJUL/DAKAR

BANJUL/DAKAR Adama Barrow took the oath of office as Gambia's president on Thursday at its embassy in neighbouring Senegal, calling for international support as regional troops prepared to back him in a showdown with incumbent Yahya Jammeh, who has refused to step down.Barrow's appeal that could trigger a military push into Gambia by West Africa's ECOWAS bloc, which has said it is ready to remove Jammeh by force if necessary.Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup and whose mandate ended overnight, initially conceded defeat to Barrow following a Dec. 1 election before back-tracking, saying the vote was flawed. Overnight talks to persuade him to stand down failed, despite his increasing political isolation."This is a day no Gambian will ever forget," Barrow said after taking the oath, which was administered by the president of Gambia's bar association. "Our national flag will now fly high among the most democratic nations of the world."I hereby make an explicit appeal to ECOWAS, the (African Union) and the UN... to support the gov and people of the Gambia in enforcing their will, restoring their sovereignty and constitutional legitimacy," he said.ECOWAS and the African Union have said they will recognise Barrow from Thursday. Senegal's army, which has deployed hundreds of soldiers at the Gambian border, said on Wednesday it would be ready to cross into its smaller neighbour, which it surrounds, from midnight. Ghana has also pledged troops. A senior military source in Nigeria, which pre-positioned war planes and helicopters in Dakar, told Reuters that regional forces would only act once Barrow had been sworn in.Barrow gave the oath in a tiny room in Gambia's embassy in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, and many of those present broke into the Gambian national anthem once he had completed it.

Outside the building on a residential street amid a heavy security presence, dozens of Gambians listened to the ceremony through loudspeakers."It's very sad to be swearing in a president in someone else's country. I am happy and sad at the same time," said Fatou Silla, 33, a businesswoman who fled Gambia with her son a week ago.Fearing unrest, thousands of Gambians have fled the country, the United Nations estimates, and diplomats said its Security Council would on Thursday vote on a resolution backing ECOWAS's efforts.A senior aide to Barrow said that, once sworn in, arrangements would be made for him to return to Gambia though it was unclear how he would travel.At a bar in the Gambian capital Banjul's popular Senegambia strip, people crowded around a television to watch the swearing in and cheered and danced when it was over.

"I'm so happy there's a new government," said a cashier who only gave her name as Fama. "We have been suffering for 22 years and now things will be different." COMMANDER IN CHIEF

During the brief inauguration speech, Barrow asserted his new role as commander and chief of Gambia's armed services, ordering soldiers to stay calm and remain in their barracks. Those who did not would be considered rebels, he said.

As tour companies pressed on with the evacuation of hundreds of European holidaymakers, shops, market stalls and banks in Banjul remained closed while police circulated in trucks and soldiers manned checkpoints. It was unclear what Jammeh's next move would be. He faces almost total diplomatic isolation and a government riddled by defections. In the biggest loss yet, Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy, who has held the role since 1997, quit on Wednesday, a government source and a family member told Reuters. Gambia's long, sandy beaches have made it a prime destination for tourists but Jammeh, who once vowed to rule for "a billion years", has also earned a reputation for rights abuses and stifling dissent.He has ignored pressure to step aside and offers of exile. (Additional reporting by Diadie Ba in Dakar, Felix Onuah in Abuja and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Richard Lough and John Stonestreet)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Pushed into a tough multi-cornered contest, Goas ruling BJP is ready to unleash its time-tested high- intensity campaigning ahead of the assembly polls on 4 February. Top state and national level leaders of the party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah are to campaign to save their citadel from crumbling in Goa.

Defeat in Goa would adversely impact Modi and the BJP, considering Goa is the only BJP-ruled state among five provinces set to go to the polls between February and March (BJP is a junior partner to the Shiromani Akali Dal-led government in Punjab).

BJP is ready with its blueprint of campaigning in four phases and gradually increasing the tempo. The first phase of reaching out to the 11,09,280 voters through door-to-door campaigning has already begun. Teams of 20 workers from each of the nearly 1,700 booths are visiting voters with printed materials and booklets highlighting the achievements of the provincial government over the past five years.

In the second phase, top Goa BJP leaders, including federal ministers Manohar Parrikar and Shripad Naik, incumbent Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, his deputy Francis DSouza, South Goa Member of Parliament Narendra Sawaikar and Goa BJP president Vinay Tendulkar are to address rallies covering all 40 constituencies across the state. These rallies are to be held over the weekend between 20 January and 22 January.

Senior national leaders of the BJP will come into the picture in the third phase which kicks off on 23 January, prominent among them Amit Shah, who is expected to address four rallies.

The fourth and final phase, which begins on 27 January will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Goa. He is expected to address two rallies  one each in Hindu majority north Goa and Christian majority south Goa. While Modis programme has not been finalised yet, he will, in all likelihood visit Goa on 28 or 29 January which happens to be over the weekend. This phase will last till 2 February when the campaigning comes to an end in the lead-up to the polling on 4 February.

A galaxy of BJP leaders from some neighbouring states and federal ministers are also expected to address rallies to maintain the tempo. Federal highways ministers Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are in high demand since they can address crowds in Marathi, which along with Konkani, is widely spoken in Goa. Gadkari is also BJPs in-charge for Goa.

Other federal ministers slated to address rallies here include Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar, Smriti Irani and Nirmala Sitharaman. Interestingly, Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys name does not figure in the list of campaigners, perhaps because he may not be popular anywhere after the Modi governments demonetisation policy, although the official line remains that Jaitley will be preoccupied with presenting the Union Budget on 1 February. The BJP may also rope in some Bollywood stars like Jackie Shroff and Arjun Rampal who have expressed their desire to campaign for the party. BJPs former star campaigner and federal lawmaker Shatrughan Sinhas services are unlikely to be requisitioned due to his anti-Modi image.

Termed as carpet bombing by the BJP, this phased and sustained campaign strategy, meaning one rally after the other in any poll-bound state, was planned in the war room situated inside BJPs central office in New Delhi. The concept of carpet bombing and involvement of war room has been utilised for the Goa election, which indicates that the BJP might find it difficult to match the 21 seats it won in the 2012 polls, although Amit Shah has fixed a target of winning 26 seats.

BJP has reasons to be sceptical about its prospects ever since its parent organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) decided to withdraw its patronage in Goa. Goa unit of the RSS has already announced that it will not campaign for or against any political party this time while giving a free hand to its cadres to support, campaign or vote for any party or individual of their choice. The RSS had actively campaigned for the BJP in 2007 and 2012 Goa polls.

RSS Goa unit is unhappy with the BJP government dragging its feet over the contentious medium of instruction (MoI) issue. BJP had come to power in 2012 promising Konkani and Marathi as medium of instruction in primary schools. However, in order to keep the local Christian community in good humour, it never implemented it. All the Parsekar government did was to set up a committee to study the issue towards the fag end of its tenure while continuinggovernment funding to English medium schools which are owned and operated by churches. This led to rebellion in the Goa unit of RSS last year and formation of rebel Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) as a political party. GSM has since entered into pre-poll alliance with BJPs erstwhile ally Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) with the avowed aim of defeating BJP. RSS central leaders, fearing another rebellion and split in its ranks, are reluctant to lend a helping hand to the BJP in Goa.

The only solace for the BJP is that the GSMs decision to join hands with the MGP may not go down too well with the majority Hindu voters as they see MGP as untrustworthy and power hungry.

Another factor that may help BJP is the split in the anti-incumbency votes after decision of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to contest Goa polls in a big way. The Christian votes, particularly in south Goa, may witness vertical split between the principal opposition the Congress and AAP, which might help the BJP scrape through in many constituencies.

Moreover, the traditional Congress vote bank may witness a further dent after an enraged Nationalist Congress Partys announced it would contest 20 seats after it was spurned by its old ally at the eleventh hour.

However, the BJP, for its part, is not looking to burn its bridges with the MGP since it sacked the Dhavalikar brothers (Sudin and Deepak) as cabinet ministers in December. The idea is to use the MGP, which has its pocket boroughs in three constituencies, through all means, including enticement to support it post-poll, should it fall short of the majority mark.

The BJP has adopted a well thought out strategy to divert the attention from MoI and demonetisation by talking about its achievements and development work done during the past five years, including construction of 14 new bridges, widening or resurfacing of seven major roads, renovating government offices, implementing a better health care system, several social welfare schemes, construction of a state of the art floating jetty in Old Goa and opening a modern garbage treatment plant in north Goa, besides the fact that its government has by and large remained free from any corruption charges.
CUTTACK, India Limited overs stalwarts Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni rolled back the years to smash scintillating centuries to help India secure a series-clinching 15-run victory in the second one-day international against England on Thursday.England captain Eoin Morgan blasted a blistering 102 but could not take his team over the line as India prevailed in the thrilling run-fest to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Put into bat, India were reeling at 25 for three at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium when Yuvraj and Dhoni, with the experience of 580 one-dayers between them, staged a spectacular recovery with an epic 256-run partnership spread over 38-odd overs.The early dismissals of the openers or the rare failure of home captain Virat Kohli mattered little as Yuvraj and Dhoni exhibited the kind of shot-making which comes naturally to them.Left-handed Yuvraj, one of the cleanest strikers of the ball, hammered a career-best 150 off 127 balls, a sizzling knock studded with 21 boundaries and three sixes.

Dhoni, who relinquished limited-overs captaincy earlier this month, made 134 off 122 balls, his 10th one-day century. His innings contained six sixes, including three in a Liam Plunkett over.Paceman Chris Woakes emerged from the batting carnage with his reputation intact, having claimed four wickets as India posted a commanding 381-6.In reply, England lost Alex Hales cheaply but Joe Root (54) and Jason Roy steadied the innings with a century stand.

India's spin spearhead Ravichandran Ashwin (3-65) struck in his first over, dismissing Root, and England lost three more wickets, including that of Roy who made a brisk 82, to slump to 206-5.Morgan raised 93 runs with Moeen Ali (55) to keep England in the chase and went on to complete his ninth ODI century, which contained five sixes, to inject fresh excitement into the contest.

Unfortunately for the tourists, Morgan was run out in the penultimate over and Bhuvneshwar Kumar sent down a tidy final over to restrict England to 366-8.Kolkata hosts the third and final one-dayer on Sunday. (Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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With Panchayat elections in Odisha barely three weeks away, the spectre of Maoists looms large over Malkangiri, the district bordering Andhra Pradesh. Posters threatening people to boycott elections, particularly in cut-off areas of the district, have sent shivers down the spine of voters, candidates as much as the officials on poll duty. The little finger of the voters will be chopped off and the poll officials will be beheaded, say the warnings.

The rebels have already made their intentions clear by abducting five electoral officers from Jantri village, on 13 January, just as the process of nominations began. Though the officials were released after being threatened in a kangaroo court, some on the way to duty stations, fled to safer destinations and do not want to join work unless security is provided.

For the uninitiated, the nine gram panchayats in cut-off areas of the district function from outside the villages.

Close to 150 villages in Malkangiri district are affected by Maoists activities over the one and half decades. Despite assurances by the successive state governments, most importantly the 17-year-old Naveen Patnaik government, most places in the district, particularly in the cut-off areas (Jantri, Panasput, Gajalmundi, Dhuliput, Barpada etc) are bereft of basic facilities like hospitals, electricity, drinking water and schools, not to mention absence of roads which are defined by red soiled pathways and 60 km of waterway inside Balimela reservoir.

People of nine panchayats under Chitrakonda block are completely cut off from the hinterland, surrounded by Balimela reservoir on three sides and Andhra-Telangana border on the fourth. It has more than 20,000 population but people walk miles to sell their forest produce to eke out a living and women stride long distances to fetch water. This has made most villagers inert towards the government which has helped Maoists establish base and gain their confidence, first through coercion and later, support.

Counter-insurgency operations are conducted at regular intervals but that has not stopped these rebels from creating disturbances in the area. In October last year, 26 high cadre ultras were killed in a combined operation of Andhra-Odisha police which had weakened their base. But given the present threats and abduction of government officials, conducting polls doesn't seem easy. Add to it, the precedence of 2014 general elections when re-elections were conducted in many places as the Maoists had created disturbances and ballot boxes were destroyed. Though the deadline is over, only 12 people filed their nomination so far in these cut-off areas which have nine GPs.

According to DIG South Western Range, S Saini, the collector and the SP have submitted a joint report on the situation to the State Election Commissioner (SEC) and plans are being made to conduct free and fair elections. ''Alternatives are being sorted out and it is not proper to disclose the strategies but we will work according to the instructions of the SEC and ensure safety and security of all concerned,'' Saini said.

Elections will be held to 853 seats in the zilla parishads, 6,665 seats in the panchayat samitis, 6,801 sarpanches and 92,029 wards in five phases from 13 to 21 February in the state. Not only Malkangiri, Maoists have called for poll boycott in other districts like Koraput, Gajapati and Kandhamal but the situation is not as as bad as in Malkangiri.

As a first step for an immediate measure to conduct polls, the government should look for perfect coordination among the district administration, SEC and police who need to take people into confidence. The affected villagers and polling officers should be provided security prior to polls, on the poll day and post polls as well. Monitoring and logistics play important roles as it will keep the government officials on duty and ballot boxes secure plus, people are not harassed by the rebels after polls. Keeping in view the intelligence inputs, if necessary central forces can be sought by the government or the SEC can re-fix a date for Malkangiri, after elections are over in other places so that security mechanism can be strengthened.

On long term basis, its time the government and all the political parties think beyond vote politics and send their representatives to set base at the grassroots level in all villages. So that people feel connected, their grievances are heard and they are assured that their needs will be looked into. If the absence of development is the root of the malaise, the district administration too must convince people by showing its presence at regular intervals in these cut off and neglected areas. It is of utmost importance that intelligence inputs, coordination between bordering states dealing with the common problem, local participation, administrative zeal and grassroots level involvement of people can go a long way in restoring normalcy in the district.
By Mubasher Bukhari

| LAHORE, Pakistan

LAHORE, Pakistan Pakistani security forces said on Wednesday they had killed the leader of the banned Sunni Muslim militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) along with three other militants accused of killing hundreds of civilians.The Counter Terrorism Department of the eastern province of Punjab said its forces had killed Asif Chotoo and his comrades during a shootout in the city of Sheikhupura after a tip-off that the group was planning an attack in nearby Lahore.However, an intelligence official with knowledge of the operation told Reuters that Chotoo had been in custody since August and was "eliminated" by authorities, something Punjab police spokesman Nayab Haider called "baseless".The incident came 18 months after police gunned down Chotoo's predecessor, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi's longtime leader Malik Ishaq, in what police sources said bore halmarks of an "encounter", a term government critics use for extrajudicial killings in custody staged to resemble a shootout.

Authorities deny any such practice exists.The actions against LeJ, which targets minority Shi'ite Muslims, could signal a harder line against sectarian militants by a government regularly accused of being softer on them than on militants seeking to overthrow the government, such as the Pakistani Taliban.

LeJ was once believed to have support from Pakistan's military intelligence agency, accused of using such groups as proxies in India and Afghanistan and to counter Shi'ite movements, something Pakistan denies. Last week, opposition members walked out of parliament after Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan said: "You cannot equate banned sectarian organisations with the banned terrorist organisations," local media reported.

Pakistan banned dozens of militant groups under a National Action Plan, launched after Pakistani Taliban fighters killed 134 students at an army-run school in Peshawar in 2014. (Additional reporting by Mehreen Zahra-Malik; Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Randy Fabi and Robin Pomeroy)

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The largest state of the country, Uttar Pradesh is going to polls in a six-week-long electoral battle. Political pundits, psephologists, journalists along with the political stakeholders are on their job and struggling with the question: will the UP Assembly Election 2017 defy the conventional electoral wisdom as we saw in the 2014 General Elections to Lok Sabha? The recent electoral trends have exhibited a differing nature of voting pattern in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, and there is also a gross absence of Narendra Modi like magical reason, a conclusive extrapolation based on 2014 results seems imprudent. Besides, there have been differing findings among different survey (opinion poll) results further complicating the contemplations.

As the statistics show, both the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi party (SP) formed a majority government in 2007 and 2012 Vidhan Sabha elections, respectively with just 30 percent votes. To understand this, one must understand the sociology of the state, which has been suitably cultivated culminating from the social engineering.

As study of the state's electorate shows the caste composition to include 22 percent upper caste consisting of Brahmin (9 percent), Rajput (6 percent), Tyagi-Bhumihar (2 percent), Baniya (2 percent), Jat (2 percent) and others (1 percent); 40 percent other backward castes consisting of Yadav (8 percent), Kurmi (3.5 percentage), Lodh (2.5 percent), Koiri-Kachhi (3.5 percent), Mallah-Kashyap (2.5 percent), OBC Baniya 2 (percent) and others 18 percent; 20 percent SC-ST consisting of Jatav-Chamar (11 percent), Pasi (3.5 percent), Dhobi (1.5 percent) and others (4 percent); and 18 percent minorities of which Muslims (17 percent) form the largest part followed by Sikh, Jai, Budh and Christians Minorities comprising the rest one percent.

Political studies have found following antecedents affecting voting decisions in the state of Uttar Pradesh:

 Electoral outcomes are resultant of emotional outbursts.

 Roads and electricity play an important role in repeated electoral success.

 The strength of the leadership is a key in deciding the strength of a party.

 Relationship chemistry between a leader and voters has gained significance and is the only non-caste-based arithmetic in Uttar Pradesh. From Narendra Modi to Arvind Kejriwal and Nitish Kumar, none have been caste champions.

 Relatively high urbanisation acts as an advantage to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It BJP could win all the municipal corporation mayoral seats during not so achche din of the party.

These findings alone, however, aren't sufficient. Whether or not the electorate will favour the BJP in the UP elections depends on the sociology of the state, which depends a lot on the following grounds:

1) A multi-cornered contest has always been a big reason for the electoral success of the BJP. In the Assembly elections of Assam, Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand, the BJP could win when there was a multi-cornered contest. In the direct contests, as we saw in Delhi and Bihar, despite maintaining the Lok Sabha vote share, the BJP lost. Uttar Pradesh is most certain to witness a multi-cornered contest among the BJP, BSP, SP and a fourth front along with several caste-based political outfits spread across the state.

2) Being a fairly large state, Uttar Pradesh has several Muslim political outfits with a noticeable presence. It includes Peace Party (3% vote share and won four seats in 2012), Ulema Council (sizeable presence in 15 seats of Eastern UP) and Quami Ekta Dal (won two seats with a sizeable presence in four districts of Eastern UP has recently merged with the Samajwadi Party). Besides, the Samajwadi Party has had a strong support base among Muslims especially Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who is extremely popular among young Muslims. The BSP too is striving to woo Muslims and has received an encouraging response. The OWaisi brothers All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is also striving to make its mark in the state. Then there's Congress who has been contesting strongly as a party of choice for Muslims of Uttar Pradesh. A statewide consolidation of Muslim votes towards one single party is quite unlikely in UP, but strategic consolidation at constituency level is most certain.

3) The SP government is currently plagued with its infighting. While excessive Yadavism has annoyed the OBCs, its minority appeasement has also led to disgruntlement among certain sections of the society.

4) The BSP is once again relying on its alliance-based strategy even though it failed miserably in the 2012 Assembly Election and 2014 Lok Sabha Elections. This time, however, the BSP has changed partners and is now attempting to align with Muslims. With a rising BJP and an annoying SP, the BSP appears to have gained ground among Muslims.

5) The Congress' attempt to relaunch the party through "Kisan connect could not bring desired results. With reluctant leaders and an absent social support base, congress attempt to forge alliance could not see the light of the day. The Congress is still a party of preference for Muslims of the state as a Deoband by-poll result stated, but in the event of not having a sizeable support fails to become a challenge.

6) The BJP has thoughtfully cultivated leadership from the state with a definite identity, all of whom have been successfully generating enough affiliation and empathy among different sections of the society across the state.

7) Besides, the cadres of the BJP and the Rashtriya Sevak Sangh in Uttar Pradesh have always been strong and has helped the party form a government thrice in the state including offering a win over 90% seats in the General Elections to Lok Sabha in 2014.

An analysis of the electorate shows that the upper caste voters in Uttar Pradesh appear consolidated towards the BJP. The party has also received support from non-Yadav OBCs who after getting disgruntled from the SP have reciprocated to the deliberate measures of the BJP. The BJP has also been focussing on non-Jatav SCs. The sociology of the Uttar Pradesh provides for following contribution from different social segments of UP electorate.

In a multi-cornered contest, any party or coalition getting 30 percent of polled vote can form a government with absolute majority. A strategic BJP may eye on 30 percent plus votes. To win Uttar Pradesh, BJP and Prime Minister Modi have to muster the 5 percent floating vote that goes with the wind through campaign management.

The BJP also has to attempt to acquire new social groups through creating attraction of attribute, the similarity of belief and empathetic connect with a hope driving, solution providing, confidence imparting collective campaign. Therefore, an all-inclusive leadership that appears free from caste or geographical bindings and represents all social segments is a must. It also has to carve out a section especially youth and females from traditionally non-supporting social and demographic segments through positive campaign and promise.
With SP and Congress engaged in finalising the nitty-gritty of a pre-poll alliance in Uttar Pradesh, posters have appeared at several places in Varanasi depicting Rahul Gandhi as Lord Krishna and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as Arjuna on a chariot.

Even as hectic behind the scene parleys were on in SP to finalise the list of candidates and complete alliance formalities with Congress, posters have already appeared in Varanasi featuring the Gandhi scion and the UP chief minister.

Akhilesh holds bow and arrow on the back seat, whereas Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is driving the chariot.

The posters also carry Samajwadi party poll symbol 'cycle' and slogan 'Vikas Se Vijay Ki Ore Chale Do Maharathi'.

These posters appeared at Beniyabagh, Chetganj and other places in the city.

Even as the party leadership, officially clarified that an alliance will be forged only between the SP and Congress on Thursday, the posters were already grabbing eyeballs since Tuesday.

Samajwadi Party leader Kiranmoy Nanda said on Thursday, "Yes we are entering into an alliance with Congress and seats will be announced soon. There were no talks of an alliance with RLD"

On the series of meetings, reportedly conducted between the leaderships of the two parties, Trilok Tyagi clarified," Samajwadi Party leaders talked to us in the past but there were no talks on alliance after that."

Until Thursday morning, political pundits were speculating a Bihar-like grand alliance between Rashtriya Lok Dal, Samajwadi Party and Congress, amid a series meetings between the SP leadership and the two likely alliance partners.

Uttar Pradesh will have a seven-phase poll beginning 11 February and filing of nomination papers for the first phase began on Monday.

With inputs from PTI
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)s embattled governor, Urjit Patel, missed an opportunity to clarify his stand on certain important issues regarding the demonetisation exercise at his meeting with the Parliamentary panel of finance on Wednesday. Of course, the information Patel shared gave us some insights about the course of the note ban, but still left many questions unanswered. Patel should have ideally offered the much needed clarification on certain critical issues to the panel in the larger good of economy and interest of common man, battered by an unprecedented cash crunch in Asia;s third largest economy.

Before discussing these issues, one must take note that the RBI chief indeed informed the panel that discussions between the government and the RBI regarding the demonetisation began on early 2016 although the formal correspondence happened began only closer to the D-day on 8 November.

This puts to rest, to great extent, the debate that whether the RBI was in the know all along, although whether one question still remains on whether the central bank was overruled by the Modi-government in the entire exercise or not.

At least, governor Patel doesnt seem to have said so, so far. But, this is something that is likely to remain a mystery forever, no matter how many RTIs are dispatched to the Mint Road. Patel also shared that about Rs 9.2 lakh crore new currencies have been infused into the banking system since 10 November.

But, beyond these, the three important questions Patel could have, but didnt, answer are these:

First, how much old currency deposits did come back to the system since note ban? The process of arriving at a figure is still on, said the governor to the panel.

This response is understandable given the massive scale of exercise being undertaken and for taking into account the lag for the final counting after the 30 December window got expired. But, it doesnt still explain why the RBI couldnt give an interim-update of the money returned in the exercise.

The last time the central bank gave an update on the money returned to bank counters was on 13 December when it said Rs 12.44 lakh crore currency has returned as deposits till 10 December. Since then, around 40 days have passed. The central bank could have given an update to the public since the amount returned to bank counters is one of the key indicators deciding the outcome of the demonetisation drive.

It is even more critical to be transparent given that there have been reports that almost all of the demonetised money has returned to the banking system, ending room for debates will significant amount of black money would perish outside the formal system.

Besides, former RBI top officials such as Usha Thorat had pointed out the need for this transparency asking the central bank to be more forthcoming in sharing information on the demonetisation exercise.

Second, what is the guidance from the central bank to the public on the eventual full roll back of cash curbs and return of normalcy in the banking system? This guidance was totally missing from Patels deposition before the Parliament panel, except some vague comments on things returning to normal as soon as possible.

About Rs 9.2 lakh crore new currency notes have been infused into the banking system till date post the decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to scrap Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes on 8 November, Patel, told the Parliamentary standing committee. Going by Patels explanation, 60 percent of the old notes withdrawn from the system is already been replaced with new notes. Purely looking at numbers, at this pace, the current cash crunch should have come to an end already in the nation hit by severe currency scarcity in the last two and half months.

But, is that the reality on ground? Even after replacing 60 percent of the currency, why does cash crunch continues in many areas even now and despite all ATMs being upgraded to dispense new currency? Many of them remain non-operational, something bankers themselves admit. Even the recent hike in daily withdrawal limits to Rs 10,000 per day from Rs 4,500 wouldnt help much unless the weekly limit of Rs 24,000 is withdrawn, also due to the fact that cash hoarding will continue with people anticipating continuing shortage. Patel wasnt specific in offering a timeline to lift the cash curbs.

Third, an important question the panel should have asked the RBI governor is the estimate of central bank with regard to the cost of demonetisation in the economy. All that we see in the last two months is pessimistic growth forecasts, reports of rising unemployment, bank lending coming to 19-year lows and industrial activity, consumer demand coming to a halt. Shouldnt have the central bank offered an estimate on the extent of impact on the economy and the expected tangible gains from the whole exercise? Wasnt a detailed explanation even more warranted at a time when the RBIs ability and professional integrity is being questioned?

In short, Patel left more questions than answers at his meeting with the Parliamentary panel on Wednesday.
By Souleymane Ag Anara

| GAO, Mali

GAO, Mali Al Qaeda's North African affiliate said a suicide bomb attack on a military camp in northern Mali that killed up to 60 people and wounded more than 100 others on Wednesday was punishment for groups there cooperating with France.The attack struck at the heart of still-fragile efforts by the government and rival armed groups to work together to quell violence that has plagued the restive desert north for years. The bombers forced their way into the camp shortly before 9 a.m. (0900 GMT), running over several people before blowing up their vehicle just as 600 soldiers were assembling, said Radhia Achouri, a spokeswoman for Mali's U.N. peacekeeping force MINUSMA."We will fight you. We will defeat you. You will not have the last word," President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said in a televised address late on Wednesday.Mali will observe three days of national mourning.In a statement released by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) translated by the SITE Intelligence Group, the militant group said the attack was carried out by its close ally al Mourabitoun.It gave the bomber's name as Abdul Hadi al-Fulani. Malian state media had earlier said there were five bombers.

"We do not permit the establishment of barracks and bases or the convening of patrols and convoys belonging to the French occupiers, to wage war against the mujahideen," the statement read.France intervened in Mali in 2013 to drive back Islamist groups that seized the desert north a year earlier and maintains a regional operation aimed at stamping out insurgents.Al Mourabitoun, led by veteran jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar, is believed to have carried out a number of high-profile attacks against military and civilian targets in Mali and other West African nations.Together with AQIM and the Massina Liberation Front, it claimed an assault by jihadist gunmen on a Radisson hotel in the capital, Bamako, in November 2015 in which 20 people died.

"SYMBOLIC ATTACK"

State media put Wednesday's death toll at 60 and said another 115 were wounded. It was not clear if the figure for the dead included the five suicide bombers that were earlier reported to have carried out the attack.The camp housed government soldiers and members of rival armed groups who were due to begin conducting joint patrols under a U.N.-brokered peace deal aimed at easing local tensions so that the government can focus on fighting Islamist militants.

"We are not used to this kind of violence. These are practices that are imported here to turn us away from the path of peace," Defence Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga said as he visited some of the wounded in hospital in Gao.Despite the successful French-led military intervention, Islamist militants still conduct frequent attacks in northern Mali and use it as a base for operations in neighbouring countries."The significance of this attack is that it strikes at the very heart of the Algiers peace agreement," said Sean Smith, a West Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft.French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux described the blast as a "highly symbolic attack" in an area visited only days ago by President Francois Hollande.Gao is a dusty town of 50,000 people on the banks of the Niger river. The 13,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali has the highest casualty rate of any U.N. mission in the world, and a truck bomb flattened its offices in Gao in December. (Reporting by Adama Diarra and Tiemoko Diallo in Bamako, Nellie Peyton in Dakar and David Lewis in Nairobi; Writing by Ed Cropley and Joe Bavier; Editing by Kevin Liffey and James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
China will build a "new model" of relations with the United States, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday in a speech that portrayed Beijing as the leader of a globalised world where only international cooperation could solve the big problems.

Two days before the inauguration of Donald Trump who has promised to be a US president putting "America first", Xi urged countries to resist isolationism. "Trade protectionism and self-isolation will benefit no one," Xi told an invited audience at the United Nations in Geneva. "Big countries should treat smaller countries as equals instead of acting as a hegemony imposing their will on others."

Xi called for the world to unite on everything from environmental protection to terrorism and nuclear disarmament, in contrast to Trump, who has said he has an "open mind" on climate change and that the US would win any nuclear arms race.

"We will build a circle of friends across the whole world," Xi said. "We will strive to build a new model of major country relations with the United States, a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with Russia, a partnership for peace, growth, reform and among different civilizations and a partnership of unity and cooperation with BRICS countries."

While UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Xi it was "very reassuring to see China assuming such a clear leadership in multilateralism in today's world", rights campaigners expressed concerns about China's record.

"It is unfortunate that Xi was given an obsequious red carpet treatment at the UN while NGOs with concerns about his dismal rights record were kept out," said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. Western governments have accused China of widespread rights abuses and its smaller neighbours say it has expansionist ambitions in the South China Sea, things Beijing denies.

"We always put people's rights and interests above everything else and we have worked hard to develop and uphold human rights," Xi said. "China will never seek expansion, hegemony or sphere of influence."

Xi's speech was the finale of a trip that included topping the bill at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The United Nations  at risk of budget cuts from Trump  ensured the grandest possible welcome for Xi, and many UN staff went home early to clear the way for the red carpet.

Trump tweeted on 26 December that the UN "has such great potential but right now it is just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time. So sad!"
By Parisa Hafezi

| ANKARA

ANKARA At least 20 firefighters were killed when a 17-storey Tehran commercial building collapsed on top of them as they tried to put out a blaze, Iranian state television quoted the city's mayor as saying on Thursday.Soldiers, sniffer dogs and rescue workers were searching the ruins of the Plasco building after it crashed down in a giant cloud of dust. The collapse was shown live on state television and one witness described it as "like a horror movie"."At least 20 firefighters who were trapped under rubble have died," Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said. "They are martyrs. They lost their lives when trying to help people."But Tehran Fire Department spokesman Jalal Maleki told the broadcaster: "I cannot confirm the death of around 20 firefighters ... but some of them have been killed. The rescue operation continues."Tehrans Governor Hossein Hashemi told state TV rescue workers were opening three separate routes to access those trapped. "One of those trapped in the building sent a text message saying five of them are alive," Judiciary website Mizan reported. State TV said at least 78 people, including 45 firefighters, were injured. Most were taken to hospital and many quickly discharged, it said.The semi-official Tasnim news agency said troops had been sent to help dig through the ruins. It said one of the first firefighters to be reached had asked to be let back inside to save his colleagues.

The agency quoted an official in the Tehran governor's office as saying an electrical short-circuit had caused the fire, but there was no immediate confirmation of this.President Hassan Rouhani ordered an investigation and compensation for those affected. SAFETY FEARS

Occupants of the building had been evacuated as firefighters tackled the blaze. State TV said the tenants included garment manufacturers and it broadcast footage of business owners trying to re-enter the wreckage."I have lost everything. What am I going to do now. What should I tell my family?" owner of one of the 400 business units in the building, Mohsen Ghamisi, told Reuters by telephone.Tasnim news agency reported that the business units and shops inside the building were not insured because of a lack of required safety measures.Sniffer dogs searched for survivors buried under giant slabs of concrete and heaps of twisted metal. The rescue operation could last more than two days, state TV said.

The Plasco building, Iran's first private high-rise, was built more than 50 years ago by an Iranian-Jewish businessman who was arrested and sentenced to death for ties to Israel after the 1979 Islamic revolution.Maleki said: "We had repeatedly warned the building managers about the lack of safety."The owner of a nearby grocery store, forced by police to leave the area, told Reuters by telephone: "It was like a horror movie. The building collapsed in front of me."The semi-official Fars news agency said police had cordoned off the nearby British, German and Turkish embassies. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Washington: Outgoing US President Barack Obama offered a parting message of hope for the country, one day before his successor Donald Trump takes office, assuring Americans that "we're going to be okay", even as he vowed to speak up if the country's core values are threatened.

"At my core, I think we're going to be okay," Obama said, as he concluded his final news conference at the White House. "We just have to fight for it, work for it, and not take it for granted," he said.

Obama said that he has given his best advice to Trump, to whom he would pass on his baton on Friday. "I have offered my best advice, counsel about certain issues both foreign and domestic," Obama said, describing his conversations with the president-elect.

"And my working assumption is, is that having won an election opposed to a number of my initiatives and certain aspects of my vision for where the country needs to go, it is appropriate for him to go forward with his vision and his values. I don't expect that theres going to be enormous overlap," Obama said.

He said now his priorities would be to do some writing, spend some time with his two daughters and wife Michelle. "I want to do some writing, I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much. I want to spend precious time with my girls," he said.

However, he said any effort to enforce systematic discrimination, erode voting rights, muzzle the press or round up young immigrants, would cause him to speak out. "There's a difference between that normal functioning of politics and certain issues or certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake," he said.

During the campaign, Trump vowed to ban Muslims from entering the US and deport millions of illegal immigrants. After Trump's victory in the 8 November presidential elections, Obama has met his successor only once, but the two leaders have spoken over phone quite frequently, with the last one being reported to be on Monday.

"I wont go into details of my conversations with president-elect Trump. They are cordial. At times they've been fairly lengthy and they've been substantive. I can't tell you how convincing Ive been. I think you'd had to ask him whether Ive been convincing or not," he said, when asked about the details of his conversations.

Obama said it may be that on certain issues, once Trump comes into office and he looks at the complexities of how to, in fact, provide health care for everybody  something he says he wants to do or wants to make sure that he is encouraging job creation and wage growth in this country, that that may lead him to some of the same conclusions that he arrived at.

"But I don't think well know until he has an actual chance to get sworn in and sit behind that desk. I think a lot of his views are going to be shaped by his advisors, the people around him  which is why its important to pay attention to these confirmation hearings," he said. "I can tell you that  this is something I have told him  that this is a job of such magnitude that you can't do it by yourself. You are enormously reliant on a team. Your Cabinet, your senior White House staff, all the way to fairly junior folks in their 20s and 30s, but who are executing on significant responsibilities," he said.

On Russia, Obama said having a constructive relationship with Kremlin is in the interest of America and that of the world, but at the same time he justified his decision on imposing sanctions.

"I think it is in America's interest and the world's interest that we have a constructive relationship with Russia. That's been my approach throughout my presidency. Where our interests have overlapped, we've worked together," Obama told reporters.

At the beginning of his term, Obama said, he encouraged Russia to be a constructive member of the international community, and tried to work with the government of Russia in helping them diversify their economy, improve their economy, use the incredible talents of the Russian people in more constructive ways.

He noted that his own overtures to Russia were frustrated by an "adversarial spirit" when Vladimir Putin regained the presidency. He said the US imposed sanctions on Russia not because of nuclear weapons issues. "It was because the independence and sovereignty of a country, Ukraine, had been encroached upon, by force, by Russia. That wasnt our judgment; that was the judgment of the entire international community," he said.

"What Ive said to the Russians is, as soon as youve stop doing that the sanctions will be removed. I think it would probably best serve not only American interest but also the interest of preserving international norms if we made sure that we dont confuse why these sanctions have been imposed with a whole set of other issues," Obama said in response to a question.

He warned Trump to think through foreign policy decisions that may be domestically popular, like his vow to move the US

embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. "It's a volatile environment. What we have seen in the past is when some unilateral moves are made that speak to some of the core issues and sensitivities of either side, that can be explosive," he said.

Refraining from reacting to the decision of several Democratic lawmakers to boycott Trump's inauguration, Obama said, "All I know is I'm going to be there. So is Michelle. And I have been checking the weather, and I'm heartened by the fact that it won't be as cold as my first inauguration because that was cold."

Obama also defended his decision to commute the 35-year sentence of Chelsea Manning, a transgender solider convicted of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, arguing that she had served a "tough prison sentence" already.

Obama also told reporters that "they are supposed to be skeptics and not sycophants". "I have enjoyed working with all of you. That does not, of course, mean that Ive enjoyed every story that you have filed. Thats the point of this relationship. Youre not

supposed to be sycophants, you're supposed to be skeptics," Obama told members of the White House Press Corps at his last

news conference. "Youre supposed to ask me tough questions. You're not supposed to be complimentary, but you're supposed to cast a critical eye on folks who hold enormous power and make sure that we are accountable to the people who sent us here."

His remarks gains significance given that there is talk among the incoming Trump administration on moving the press corps out of the White House to the Old Executive Office Building next door.
India and the US have more to look out for than monitoring Chinese ships in the Indian Ocean. China has begun asserting its weight as a global leader in solving the worlds problems  a space that will presumably be left partially vacant after US President-elect Donald Trump assumes office given Trumps distaste for global trade, the UN and the traditional western pre-occupations like exporting democracy.

Like in Davos, Chinese President Xi Jinping struck the right notes talking a language that has mostly been the domain of American presidents from global cooperation on trade, global terrorism, climate change, nuclear disarmament and the need for dialogue. However, there were differences from what a traditional American statement may have sounded. Xi stressed on the necessity of respecting the sovereignty of countries and not letting a single country dominate international discussions, thus, representing the non-western, including African voices.

Sovereign equality is the most important norm governing state-to-state relations over the past centuries. The essence of sovereign equality is that the sovereignty and dignity of all countries, whether big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, must be respected, their internal affairs allow no interference and they have the right to independently choose their social system and development path, Xi Jinping told an invited audience at the United Nations in Geneva on Wednesday.

The statement, of course, ignores Chinas apparent lack of sensitivity towards Indian concern of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir  a point that was re-emphasised by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar in the second Raisina Dialogue.

We should advance democracy in international relations and reject dominance by just one or several countries, Xi added.

Calling out to major powers to respect each others core interests and major concerns, Xi asked for new frontiers of cooperation in the deep sea, the polar regions, the outer space and the Internet.

Taking a dig at Trumps stand, the Chinese president said, Trade protectionism and self-isolation will benefit no one, portraying himself as the last big bastion of globalisation when much of Europe and the US are buckling under anti-globalist trends.

The trend towards multi-polarity and economic globalisation is surging, Xi said.

Referring to the Paris Agreement as a milestone in the history of climate governance Xi urged nations to ensure that this endeavour is not derailed.

In an attempt to walk the talk and appear serious towards its goal, China has cancelled 103 coal plants in view of smog and wasted capacity.

China announced last year to contribute a whopping $3.1 billion to the Green Climate Fund to help poorer countries make a transition to a green economy.

The new UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres described China in the high-level event as a key player in creating the conditions for the Paris Agreement to be signed and as being very strongly linked to the two biggest success stories of international diplomacy in the last decades.

Loosening the purse strings

Well-meaning platitudes aside, China is also further loosening its purse strings. It is already one of the biggest funder of the UN. The Chinese president at the event announced his decision to provide an additional 200 million yuan of humanitarian assistance for the refugees and the displaced of Syria.

As terrorism and refugee crises are closely linked to geopolitical conflicts, resolving conflicts provides the fundamental solution to such problems, Xi said.

China played a role as part of the UN P5 group in clinching the important Iran nuclear deal and has emphasised in recent times that it would continue working for its effective implementation. It also plays an important role in negotiating a political settlement to the ongoing Syria crisis, as part of the International Syria Support Group. These trends show its increasing confidence in getting mired in global conflicts.

In the coming five years, China will import $ 8 trillion of goods, attract $ 600 billion of foreign investment, make $ 750 billion of outbound investment, and Chinese tourists will make 700 million outbound visits.

All this will bring more development opportunities to other countries, Xi added.

It is also substantially increasing its peacekeeping contributions.

Between 1950 and 2016, China provided foreign countries with over 400 billion yuan of aid and promised to increase assistance to others as ability permits.

We will make funds available to peace and development oriented programmes proposed by the UN and its agencies in Geneva on a priority basis, he said referring to the China-UN Peace and Development Fund that has recently been officially inaugurated.

It also promised to support public health in African countries and other developing countries, a new model of major country relations with the US, a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with Russia, partnership with Europe and a partnership of unity and cooperation with BRICS countries.

China will never seek expansion'

No matter how strong its economy grows, China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence, Xi told the elite audience.

The statement belies the experience of smaller neighbours to the communist regime who have accused the state of having expansionist ambitions.

Interestingly, last year, China had rejected a ruling against it and in favour of Philippines by an international tribunal in The Hague over the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

The UN body, among other findings, had said that China had violated the Philippines sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone by constructing artificial islands, interfering in its petroleum exploration and fishing activities and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from venturing into the zone.

The Chinese president also spoke of the One Belt One Road project (OBOR) again.

Over 100 countries and international organisations have supported the initiative, and a large number of early harvest projects have been launched, Xi said.

The UNSG in his speech called the OBOR a very important initiativeaiming at building infrastructure to support global development and global trade around the world.

The OBOR initiative, again, is a matter of concern for India as it has termed it a unilateral or a national initiative of China.

In our choices and through our actions, we have sought to overcome barriers to our outreach to the West and Central Asia, and eastwards to [the] Asia-Pacific, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said in the Raisina Dialogue 2017.

However, equally, connectivity in itself cannot override or undermine the sovereignty of other nations, he added without explicitly referring to China.

UN reciprocity

The UN in Geneva hosting an invitation-only event is itself a rare gesture.

Human Rights Watch calls it an utterly unprecedented move in the way in which the UN imposed restrictions on its staff that included requesting them to leave the UN building, and barring accredited civil society representatives from entering. Junior UN staff, reportedly, were made to escort the 200-member strong Chinese delegation with Xi Jinping and the 800 people as audience. All the gates of Palais des Nations were shut except one and diplomats and others complained of long winding security checks.

It is unfortunate that the Chinese president was given an obsequious red carpet treatment at the UN while NGOs with concerns about his dismal rights record were kept out. We would hope that UN Secretary General Guterres, who in his opening remarks made no mention of human rights, will in his new post prioritise persuading China to halt its relentless trampling on rights such as freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch, said in a press statement.

Police stopped a few Tibetan activists from unfurling the Tibetan flag.

The WHO sent a letter to all its staff that read: To minimise the impact of this visit [of the Chinese president] on staff, staff who can do so are encouraged to work from home on Wednesday (18 January), in particular during the afternoon, with the permission of their supervisors.

Many of the staff, numbering about 3,000, working in the UN premises were encouraged to leave the UN premises early.

The high-level event was attended by almost all the top UN officials, except the High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al-Hussein (who was in Davos) with the UNSG, the Director-General of the UN office at Geneva Michael Moller and the UN General Assembly president Peter Thomson on the dais.

This commitment of China to multilateralism is today more necessary than ever, Guterres said in the opening address.

The UN is much nervous  after Trump dismissed the UN as "a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time " and threatened that things will be different after 20 January (Trump's inauguration as President)  and sees China as the only country capable of giving some fillip to the cash-strapped multilateral organisation.

If China continues playing the spoiler for India on some key issues at the UN, then Chinese overtures to the UN, including increased financial contribution and the UNs reciprocity, may be a matter of concern for India.
By Ian Simpson

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON Washington turned into a virtual fortress on Thursday ahead of Donald Trump's presidential inauguration, with police ready to step in to separate protesters from Trump supporters at any sign of unrest during the festivities.Some 900,000 people, both Trump backers and opponents, are expected to flood Washington for Friday's inauguration ceremony, according to organizers' estimates. Events include the swearing-in ceremony on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and a parade to the White House along streets thronged with spectators.On Thursday, police cars lined much of Pennsylvania Avenue, the parade route, as workers unloaded crowd control fences from flatbed trucks, erected barricades and marked off pavement with tape.The number of planned protests and rallies this year is far above what has been typical at recent presidential inaugurations. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said police aimed to keep groups separate, using similar tactics as employed during last year's political conventions."The concern is some of these groups are pro-Trump, some of them are con-Trump, and they may not play well together in the same space," Johnson said on MSNBC. About 30 groups totaling 270,000 people have received permits to stage demonstrations, both for and against the New York businessman in Washington around the inauguration. That number includes some 200,000 people who police say they expect to attend Saturday's Women's March on Washington, an anti-Trump protest. Trump opponents have been angered by his comments during the campaign about women, illegal immigrants and Muslims and his pledges to scrap the Obamacare health reform and build a wall on the Mexican border.

The Republican's supporters admire his experience in business, including as a real estate developer and reality television star, and view him as an outsider who will take a fresh approach to politics.Bikers for Trump, a group that designated itself as security backup during last summer's Republican National Convention in Cleveland, is ready to step in if protesters block access to the inauguration, said Dennis Egbert, one of the group's organizers."We're going to be backing up law enforcement. We're on the same page," Egbert, 63, a retired electrician from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, said at the group's site along the parade route.

SECURITY CORDON

About 28,000 security personnel, miles of fencing, roadblocks, street barricades and dump trucks laden with sand are part of the security cordon around 3 square miles (almost 8 square km) of central Washington.A protest group known as Disrupt J20 has vowed to stage demonstrations at each of 12 security checkpoints and block access to the festivities on the grassy National Mall.Police and security officials have pledged repeatedly to guarantee protesters' constitutional rights to free speech and peaceable assembly.

Aaron Hyman, fellow at the National Gallery of Art, said he could feel tension in the streets ahead of Trump's swearing-in and the heightened security was part of it."People are watching each other like, 'You must be a Trump supporter,' and 'You must be one of those liberals,'" said Hyman, 32, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November election. Anti-Trump protester will stage at a rally in New York on Thursday evening. Mayor Bill de Blasio, filmmaker Michael Moore and actor Alec Baldwin, who portrays Trump on "Saturday Night Live," will take part in the event outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower.One of the Washington protests will feature a haze of pot smoke as pro-marijuana activists light up to show their opposition to Trump's choice for attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions, a critic of legalization.Friday's crowds are expected to fall well short of the 2 million people who attended Obama's first inauguration in 2009, and be in line with the 1 million who were at his second in 2013.Security officials have eased a ban on umbrellas at the ceremony due to a rainy weather forecast, allowing people to use small umbrellas. (Additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Bill Trott and Alistair Bell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Tim Cocks and Emma Farge

| BANJUL/DAKAR

BANJUL/DAKAR Gambia's President-elect Adama Barrow will be sworn in at the Gambian embassy in neighbouring Senegal on Thursday, officials said, as West African troops prepared to back him in a showdown with a defiant incumbent Yahya Jammeh.The ceremony could trigger a military push into Gambia by West Africa's ECOWAS bloc, which has said it is ready to remove Jammeh by force if he refuses to yield to Barrow, winner of the presidential election in December.Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup, initially conceded to Barrow before he then back-tracked, saying the vote was flawed and there had to be a re-run. Overnight talks to convince him to stand down failed."We have confirmation. It is very important to us that he will be sworn in today. Then we can make arrangements for him to go back to Gambia," said Isatou Toure, a senior Barrow aide.The ceremony is due to take place in the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal, at 1600 GMT in a tiny room that officials said can only seat about 20 people. Giant screens outside will broadcast the event live.There was a heavy security presence at the embassy on Thursday afternoon. Embassy staff climbed onto the roof to replace the faded Gambian flag with a new one. It was not clear how Barrow will travel to Gambia.The capital, Banjul, was largely quiet on Thursday. There were several military checkpoints in town and police circulated in trucks. Shops, market stalls and banks remained closed.

ECOWAS and the African Union have said they will recognise Barrow, not Jammeh, from Thursday.Senegal has deployed hundreds of soldiers to its shared border with Gambia. Nigeria has pre-positioned war planes and helicopters in Dakar, and sent a navy ship to the region. It was unclear what Jammeh's next move would be. He now faces almost total diplomatic isolation and a government that has all but collapsed from defections.In the most senior loss yet, Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy, who has been in the role since 1997, quit on Wednesday, a government source and a family member told Reuters. Gambia's long, sandy beaches have made it a prime destination for European tourists but Jammeh has also earned a reputation for rights abuses and stifling dissent.

TROOPS ON STANDBY

Senegal's army had said on Wednesday it would be ready to cross into its smaller neighbour, which it surrounds, from midnight. Ghana has also pledged troops for the operation.However, a senior Nigerian military source told Reuters that regional forces would only act once Barrow had been sworn in.

"What the Senegalese said about the midnight deadline was to put pressure on Jammeh. It was a show of muscle," a diplomat in the region told Reuters.The United Nations said at least 26,000 people fearing unrest have fled to Senegal and tour operators have sent charter jets to fly hundreds of European holiday makers out of the country.Jammeh, who once vowed to rule for "a billion years", has so far ignored pressure to step aside and offers of exile. He says the electoral commission was under the influence of "foreign forces", and has challenged the result in the Supreme Court - which currently lacks the judges necessary to preside over it. Gambians celebrated in the streets when Jammeh unexpectedly conceded to Barrow, a real estate developer who once worked as a security guard at an Argos store in London. But a week later, the president changed his mind and security forces have cracked down on critics. It was the latest in a long line of eccentricities from a leader who had said only Allah can remove him from office, claimed to have a herbal cure for AIDS that only works on Thursdays and threatened to slit the throats of homosexuals. (Additional reporting by Diadie Ba in Dakar, Felix Onuah in Abuja; Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Richard Lough)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Emma Farge

| BANJUL/DAKAR

BANJUL/DAKAR Gambia's President-elect Adama Barrow was to be sworn in at the country's embassy in neighbouring Senegal on Thursday, officials said, as regional troops prepared to back him in a showdown with defiant incumbent Yahya Jammeh.The ceremony, scheduled for 1600 GMT, could trigger a military push into Gambia by West Africa's ECOWAS bloc, which has said it is ready to remove Jammeh by force if he refuses to yield to Barrow, who won December's presidential election.Fearing unrest, thousands of Gambians have fled the country, the United Nations estimates, and diplomats said its Security Council would on Thursday vote on a resolution backing ECOWAS's efforts.Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup and whose mandate ended overnight, initially conceded to Barrow before back-tracking, saying the vote was flawed. Overnight talks to persuade him to stand down failed despite his increasing political isolation."It is very important to us that (Barrow) ...will be sworn in today. Then we can make arrangements for him to go back to Gambia," said Isatou Toure, a senior Barrow aide.The ceremony was due to take place in a tiny room in the Dakar embassy, where staff replaced the faded Gambian rooftop flag with a new one. Outside the building on a residential street amid a heavy security presence, dozens of Gambians gathered as Barrow's supporters handed out T-shirts bearing the slogan "Gambia has decided". "It's very sad to be swearing in a president in someone else's country. I am happy and sad at the same time," said Fatou Silla, 33, a businesswoman who fled Gambia with her son a week ago.ECOWAS and the African Union have said they will recognise Barrow from Thursday, though it was clear how he would travel to Gambia.

The Gambian capital, Banjul, was largely quiet on Thursday. As tour companies pressed on with the evacuation of hundreds of European holidaymakers, shops, market stalls and banks remained closed while police circulated in trucks and soldiers manned checkpoints. DIPLOMATIC ISOLATION

Senegal's army, which has deployed hundreds of soldiers at the Gambian border, said on Wednesday it would be ready to cross into its smaller neighbour, which it surrounds, from midnight. Ghana has also pledged troops.

"What the Senegalese said about the midnight deadline was to put pressure on Jammeh. It was a show of muscle," a diplomat in the region told Reuters.A senior military source in Nigeria, which pre-positioned war planes and helicopters in Dakar, told Reuters that regional forces would only act once Barrow had been sworn in.It was unclear what Jammeh's next move would be. He faces almost total diplomatic isolation and a government riddled by defections. In the biggest loss yet, Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy, who has held the role since 1997, quit on Wednesday, a government source and a family member told Reuters.

Gambia's long, sandy beaches have made it a prime destination for tourists but Jammeh, who once vowed to rule for "a billion years", has also earned a reputation for rights abuses and stifling dissent.He has ignored pressure to step aside and offers of exile. He says the electoral commission was under the influence of "foreign forces", and has challenged the result in the Supreme Court - which currently lacks the judges necessary to preside over it. Gambians celebrated in the streets when Jammeh unexpectedly conceded to Barrow, a real estate developer who once worked as a security guard at an Argos store in London. But a week later, the president changed his mind and security forces have cracked down on critics. It was the latest eccentric act from a leader who has said only Allah can remove him from office, claimed to have a herbal cure for AIDS that only works on Thursdays and threatened to slit the throats of homosexuals. (Additional reporting by Diadie Ba in Dakar, Felix Onuah in Abuja and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Richard Lough and John Stonestreet)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Malaysia said on Thursday it would pay a reward to any private company that found the fuselage from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, days after a fruitless, three-year hunt was suspended.

Australia, Malaysia and China ended the search for the aircraft on Tuesday, leaving one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries unanswered.

The Boeing 777 jet disappeared in March 2014, en route to Beijing from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, with 239 people on board.

Malaysian deputy transport minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said the government was open to credible private companies searching for it, and would reward any that found its fuselage. "All costs must be borne by them. We will only reward them if they are successful," Abdul Aziz told Reuters.

He said the size of the reward had not been decided. Any company intending to search should contact the government, and a decision would then be made on the reward, he said. The search of a 120,000 sq km (46,000 sq mile) area of the Indian Ocean cost about A$200 million ($150 million).

But the three countries involved were reluctant to keep looking without new evidence about the plane's final resting place. Flight MH370 lost contact over the Gulf of Thailand in the early hours of 8 March, 2014. Subsequent analysis of radar and satellite contacts suggested someone on board may have deliberately switched off the plane's transponder before diverting it thousands of kilometres out over the Indian Ocean.

Since the crash, there have been competing theories over whether the plane was hijacked and whether it was under the control of anyone when it finally ran out of fuel.

The end of the underwater search drew swift and angry reactions from relatives of those on board, who have repeatedly called for the hunt to be expanded. "We know the next-of-kin are not happy when we suspended the search," said Abdul Aziz. "We can't proceed until there is new evidence, but if there are credible companies that want to take on the search, then why not?"

The only confirmed traces of the plane have been three pieces of debris found washed up on the island country of Mauritius, the French island Reunion and an island off Tanzania.

As many as 30 other pieces of wreckage were found there and on beaches in Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa, all suspected to have come from the plane.

On Wednesday, Australia said it was not ruling out a future underwater search. Malaysia holds ultimate responsibility for the search given Malaysia Airlines is registered there. The aircraft is thought to have crashed west of Australia, placing it in its maritime zone of responsibility. Most of the passengers were from China.

Abdul Aziz said the search costs had been borne by the three countries while the aircraft-maker, Boeing, had not committed anything. "There's been no funding from Boeing," he said.

Boeing said in a statement it provided technical expertise and assistance, principally as advisers to government investigative authorities. "In addition, at the direction and under the supervision of investigating authorities, Boeing provides exemplar hardware, testing analysis and laboratory services," the company said.
UYO, Nigeria The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed to Senegal in case of the need to enforce Gambia's election mandate, it said on Wednesday.As part of a regional response, Senegal's forces are at the Gambian border and will enter the country if veteran Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who lost a Dec. 1 election, does not step down when his official mandate ends at midnight.

"The NAF today moved a contingent of 200 men and air assets comprising fighter jets, transport aircraft, light utility helicopter as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to Dakar from where it is expected to operate into Gambia," it said in a statement.

(Reporting by Tife Owolabi; Additional reporting by Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Michelle Nichols

| UNITED NATIONS

UNITED NATIONS The United Nations Security Council needs to push Iran to abide by an arms embargo, outgoing U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said on Wednesday amid U.N. concerns that Tehran has supplied weapons and missiles to Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah.Most U.N. sanctions were lifted a year ago under a deal Iran made with Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia, the United States and the European Union to curb its nuclear programme. But Iran is still subject to an arms embargo and other restrictions, which are not technically part of the nuclear agreement.In her last appearance at a public Security Council meeting before U.S. President Barack Obama's administration steps aside on Friday, Power said that recognising "progress on Iran's nuclear issues should not distract this council from Iran's other actions that continue to destabilise the Middle East."Under a Security Council resolution enshrining the 2015 deal, the U.N. secretary-general is required to report every six months on any violations of sanctions still in place.U.N. political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman briefed the 15-member council on the second U.N. report and said there had been no reports of nuclear-related or ballistic missile-related violations of the council resolution.

However, the report expressed concern that Iran may have violated the resolution by supplying arms to Hezbollah. Iran's senior nuclear negotiator said in 2015 that Tehran had no intention of complying with the arms embargo or ballistic missile restrictions."We on the council need to come together to push Iran to effectively implement the binding provisions of resolution 2231 - especially restrictions that ban Iran's export of arms and related material," said Power. She did not specify how.

The council could impose further sanctions over breaches of the arms embargo, but Russia and China - which are council veto powers along with the United States, France and Britain - were unlikely to agree to such a move, diplomats said.U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to scrap the nuclear agreement or seek a better deal. Trump's nominee to replace Power, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, said it would be better to review the deal rather than withdraw from it.

She also told lawmakers at her Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday that Iran should be held accountable for sanctions violations. She said: "Anytime that we put sanctions forward we should follow through on those when there are violations." (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
BRASILIA A plane carrying Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki, who is overseeing a massive corruption investigation, crashed into the sea off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state on Thursday, a judicial source said.The small aircraft left Sao Paulo and crashed into the sea near the tourist town of Paraty, airforce and civil aviation sources said. A press representative for the Supreme Court had earlier told Reuters that Zavascki was on the passenger list for the flight, but could not confirm he was onboard.

(Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Additional reporting by Bruno Federowski and Brad Brooks in Sao Paulo; Writing by Brad Haynes; Editing by Daniel Flynn)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Tim Cocks and Emma Farge

| BANJUL/DAKAR

BANJUL/DAKAR Senegal's military entered Gambia on Thursday, an army spokesman said, as part of regional efforts to support its new President Adama Barrow and remove longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh, who has refused to step down after last month's election.Barrow took the oath of office as Gambia's president on Thursday at its embassy in neighbouring Senegal, calling for international support from West Africa's ECOWAS bloc, the African Union and the United Nations. "We have entered Gambia," Senegal's army spokesman Colonel Abdou Ndiaye told Reuters.Nigeria, which pre-positioned war planes and helicopters in Dakar, said in a statement that it had also deployed military assets "to protect the people of the Gambia and maintain sub-regional peace and security." It was not immediately clear, however, if they too had crossed the border.Ghana has also pledged troops. "This is a day no Gambian will ever forget," Barrow said after taking the oath, which was administered by the president of Gambia's bar association. "Our national flag will now fly high among the most democratic nations of the world.""I hereby make an explicit appeal to ECOWAS, the (African Union) and the UN... to support the government and people of the Gambia in enforcing their will, restoring their sovereignty and constitutional legitimacy," he said.The U.N. Security Council on Thursday backed ECOWAS's efforts to ensure Barrow assumes power, and the United States said it supported Senegal's intervention.Ecowas has been attempting to persuade Jammeh to quit for weeks, and has failed to do so, despite his increasing political isolation and last ditch efforts to reason with him overnight.Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup and whose mandate ended overnight, initially conceded defeat to Barrow following a Dec. 1 election before back-tracking, saying the vote was flawed.

"THE DICTATOR IS OUT"

Hundreds of Gambians celebrated in the streets, cautiously at first, and then gradually in larger numbers as they realised the security forces looking on were not going to open fire.Cars whizzed up and down the highway lined with iron-roofed shops in the pro-Barrow Serrekunda district of Banjul, with horns honking and people hanging out of the windows. "The dictator is out," shouted pharmacist Lamine Jao, 30, as others cheered and whistled in agreement. "It's just a question of time. We'll soon flush him out. Believe me," he said. During the brief inauguration speech, Barrow asserted his new role as commander and chief of Gambia's armed services, ordering soldiers to stay calm and remain in their barracks. Those who did not would be considered rebels, he said.

ECOWAS and the African Union have said they will recognise Barrow from Thursday and nations including the United Kingdom and France were quick to congratulate Barrow.U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement pledged "his full support for his (Barrow's) determination, and ECOWAS's historic decision, with the unanimous backing of the Security Council, to restore the rule of law in The Gambia so as to honour and respect the will of the Gambian people." Barrow gave the oath in a tiny room in Gambia's embassy in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, and many of those present broke into the Gambian national anthem once he had completed it.Outside the building on a residential street amid a heavy security presence, dozens of Gambians listened to the ceremony through loudspeakers."It's very sad to be swearing in a president in someone else's country," said Fatou Silla, 33, a businesswoman who fled Gambia with her son a week ago. Fearing unrest, thousands of Gambians have fled, the United Nations estimates.

A senior aide to Barrow said that arrangements would be made for him to return to Gambia though it was unclear when or how.At a bar in the Gambian capital Banjul's popular Senegambia strip, people crowded around a television to watch the swearing in and cheered and danced when it was over. "We have been suffering for 22 years and now things will be different," said a cashier who only gave her name as Fama. As tour companies moved out hundreds of European tourists, shops, market stalls and banks in Banjul remained closed. Police circulated in trucks and soldiers manned checkpoints. It was unclear what Jammeh's next move would be. He faces almost total diplomatic isolation and a government riddled by defections. In the biggest loss yet, Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy, who has held the role since 1997, quit on Wednesday, a government source and a family member told Reuters. Gambia's long, sandy beaches have made it a prime destination for tourists but Jammeh, who once vowed to rule for "a billion years", has also earned a reputation for rights abuses and stifling dissent.He has ignored pressure to step aside and offers of exile. (Additional reporting by Nellie Peyton and Diadie Ba in Dakar, Felix Onuah in Abuja, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations and John Irish in Paris; Writing by Joe Bavier and David Lewis; Editing by John Stonestreet and Dominic Evans)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Beirut: The Islamic State group has killed 12 people it held captive in Syria's ancient Palmyra by shooting and beheading them, with some of the slayings carried out in the city's second-century Roman amphitheater, activists said on Thursday.

The extremist group had recaptured the city in December from government troops  nine months after Islamic State was expelled from there in a Russia-backed offensive and while Syrian government forces were focused on retaking the eastern half of the city of Aleppo from rebels.

When they previously controlled Palmyra, Islamic State militants had used the Roman amphitheater for public killings, including those in a video showing 25 boys with pistols shooting captured Syrian soldiers, the ancient colonnades visible in the background.

The Islamic State group has also destroyed ancient temples and other relics in the past, triggering fears among experts for remaining antiquities in the city. The city has been largely emptied out of its residents, following the government offensive in March last year.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and another activist network, the Palmyra Monitor, said the 12 captives were killed on Wednesday. They were captured as they tried to escape the Islamic State offensive on Palmyra last month.

The Observatory said four teachers and government employees were beheaded in the courtyard of the Palmyra museum. The Observatory and the Palmyra Monitor said the others  four opposition fighters and four pro-government troops  were first shot, then beheaded in the Roman amphitheater or in a former Russian base in Palmyra.

The Observatory also said Thursday that Islamic State militants during an ongoing assault in eastern Syria's Deir el-Zour province, hung the heads of six pro-government fighters in public, in different parts of the town of al-Mayadeen. There were no bodies attached to the heads, and it was not clear if the six were killed in battle or after they were taken captive.

Over the past year, Islamic State has suffered defeats in both Syria and Iraq, losing several towns and cities it had captured in 2014. Its surprise re-taking of Palmyra came weeks before it went on a wide assault in Deir el-Zour, against the government controlled part of the city. Activists said it was the Islamic State group's most aggressive onslaught on the government area and a nearby military air base in a year.

The Islamic State group is feared for its reign of terror and gruesome killings, including beheadings, often carried out in public.
By Parisa Hafezi

| ANKARA

ANKARA At least 20 firefighters were killed when a 17-storey Tehran commercial building collapsed on top of them as they tried to put out a blaze, Iranian state television quoted the city's mayor as saying on Thursday.Soldiers, sniffer dogs and rescue workers were searching the ruins of the Plasco building after it crashed down in a giant cloud of dust. The collapse was shown live on state television and one witness described it as "like a horror movie"."At least 20 firefighters who were trapped under rubble have died," Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said. "They are martyrs. They lost their lives when trying to help people."But Tehran Fire Department spokesman Jalal Maleki told the broadcaster: "I cannot confirm the death of around 20 firefighters ... but some of them have been killed. The rescue operation continues."Tehrans Governor Hossein Hashemi told state TV rescue workers were opening three separate routes to access those trapped. "One of those trapped in the building sent a text message saying five of them are alive," judiciary website Mizan reported. State TV said at least 88 people, including 45 firefighters, were injured. Most were taken to hospital and many quickly discharged, it said.The semi-official Tasnim news agency said troops had been sent to help dig through the ruins. It said one of the first firefighters to be reached had asked to be let back inside to save his colleagues.

The agency quoted an official in the Tehran governor's office as saying an electrical short-circuit had caused the fire, but there was no immediate confirmation of this.Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani sent condolences to the families of those killed. Rouhani ordered an investigation and compensation for those affected, state TV reported. SAFETY FEARS

Occupants of the building had been evacuated as firefighters tackled the blaze. State TV said the tenants included garment manufacturers, and it broadcast footage of business owners trying to re-enter the wreckage."I have lost everything. What am I going to do now. What should I tell my family?" owner of one of the 400 business units in the building, Mohsen Ghamisi, told Reuters by telephone.Tasnim news agency reported that the business units and shops inside the building were not insured because of a lack of required safety measures.Sniffer dogs searched for survivors buried under giant slabs of concrete and heaps of twisted metal. The rescue operation could last more than two days, state TV said.

The Plasco building, Iran's first private high-rise, was built more than 50 years ago by an Iranian-Jewish businessman who was arrested and sentenced to death for ties to Israel after the 1979 Islamic revolution.Maleki said: "We had repeatedly warned the building managers about the lack of safety."The owner of a nearby grocery store, forced by police to leave the area, told Reuters by telephone: "It was like a horror movie. The building collapsed in front of me."The semi-official Fars news agency said police had cordoned off the nearby British, German and Turkish embassies. "The embassies are being protected by diplomatic police forces... All the security and safety measures have been taken," TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Stephen Adler and Sujata Rao

| DAVOS, Switzerland

DAVOS, Switzerland Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for a worldwide effort to counter the threat of Russian cyber warfare and urged the United States to "be great again" by demonstrating leadership on issues such as global security.U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pledge to improve ties with the Kremlin and open admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin has put Ukraine, whose Crimea region was annexed by Russia in 2014, under the spotlight.Poroshenko played down speculation that Washington could backtrack on its support for Kiev, noting that Trump had said publicly he would stick to U.S. obligations and there had been "promising" statements by nominees to his cabinet. "That gives us a lot more optimism for the future," Poroshenko told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, adding he already had a visit planned to meet the new U.S. president "in a few months". Poroshenko said joint global efforts were needed to halt Russian aggression, both military and cyber:"There is a global cyber war of Russia against (the) whole world, there is lots of evidence. This is a global danger and the world should be together to fight this danger."Ukraine's utility Ukrenergo told Reuters on Wednesday in Kiev that a cyber attack was behind a Dec 17-18 power blackout in the capital city. Ukrenergo did not say who was behind the incident, although Ukrainian security services blamed Russian cyber attacks for similar power outages in December 2015. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in cyber attacks on Ukraine..

Moscow is also alleged to have sought to influence the U.S. election by hacking Democratic political groups, something Russia has dismissed. "The same way as Russian propaganda is an element of Russian hybrid war, cyber (warfare) is an element of the Russian hybrid war, no matter if it's in Germany or United States," the Ukrainian president said.QUESTION OF SECURITY

Poroshenko also stressed the importance of NATO as a bulwark against Moscow after Trump stirred unease in Europe by calling the military alliance "obsolete"."NATO, mainly this is not a question of money, it is a question of security. Russian aggression demonstrated again there is no other security system but NATO which was effective to stop the aggression," he said.And to demonstrate its role as a global leader, the U.S. would need to establish trans-Atlantic unity."America should be great again," he said in a reference to Trump's campaign catchphrase.

Poroshenko also said that Ukraine expected to get clearance for visa-free travel to the European Union for its citizens within a "very few" weeks after meeting the bloc's requirements.An agreement reached last month after weeks of stalling has yet to come into effect"This is a direct obligation of the EU....We are waiting for the very few moments or weeks for finishing the paperwork for these things and launching," he said.Poroshenko is also confident of getting Crimea back from Russia, which denies sending troops or military equipment into Ukraine. Kiev this month filed a lawsuit at the United Nations' highest court demanding that Russia halt support for pro-Moscow separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine..Asked whether Ukraine would ever regain Crimea, Poroshenko said: "I have no doubt. This is Ukrainian territory, Ukrainian people. This was brutal violation of international law." (Editing by Alexander Smith)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
As we step into 2017, the advancements and popularity towards smartphones is growing at a rapid pace. You cannot deny the fact that the smartphones now feature highly capable technologies and ever exceeding processing power. But before you buy, you should know whats coming next. If you are due for an upgrade, these are the upcoming smartphones you might want to wait for.



1. The Swagphone Honor 6X

Honor announced the Honor 6X under mid-range segment in China a few months back. The main highlight of this smartphone is the dual camera setup that gives a 12MP camera with phase detection autofocus (PDAF), LED flash and a secondary 2-megapixel for achieving a depth of field and background blur.

The Swagphone Honor 6X comes in metal unibody design packing a 13.97cm Full HD 2.5D curved glass IPS display. Talking about the hardware, the Honor 6X is powered by an Octa-core Kirin 655 processor with Mali T830-MP2 as GPU under the hood. The phone runs on Android Marshmallow operating system and gets the Huawei EMUI 4.1 on top that will be updated with the EMUI 5 very soon.

In terms of storage, this mid-range offering comes in two variants  3GB RAM with 32GB inbuilt and 4GB RAM with 64GB (eMMC 5.1) storage. Further, it gives you the option to expand the memory as well through MicroSD card slot. It is juiced with a 3340 mAh battery with support for fast charging.

Moving on, we are not sure about the pricing of the smartphone for the Indian market, which we should know when it is launched on January 24th exclusively on Amazon.in.

2. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

Xiaomi announced Redmi Note 4 in China last year around August with a brushed metal body and chamfered edges. Following the success of Redmi Note 3, the company is planning to launch the device in the Indian market this month.

However, the Redmi Note 4 launched in India will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset instead of Helio X20 processor. The remaining specifications will be the same including a 5.5-inch Full HD glass display, runs on MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow).

It has a 13-megapixel rear camera with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) to focus in just 0.3 seconds, comes with dual-tone LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It supports 4G VoLTE and juiced with a 4100mAh battery.

The Redmi Note 4 starts at Rs. 9999, and will go on sale from 23rd January.

3. Coolpad Conjr

Yet another Chinese handset maker, Coolpad introduced Conjr smartphone with unibody metal design under mid-ranger segment at the CES earlier this month. It comes packed with 5-inch HD 2.5D curved glass display (70.6% screen-to-body ratio), is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6735 processor, has 3GB of RAM, runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) with Cool UI 8.0.

It has a 13MP rear camera with OIS, LED flash and also has an 8MP camera on the front with LED flash. Additionally, the smartphone supports 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS. The Conjr smartphone comes with a fingerprint sensor as well on the backside of the device.

Coolpad said that the Conjr smartphone will be aggressively priced in the Indian market. We should know the price when it goes official later this month.

4. Moto G5 / G5 Plus

While the existence of the Moto G5/G5 Plus smartphones are almost confirmed, we are not sure if we can expect it at the Motorolas MWC 2017 event next month. The Moto G5 Plus is expected to come with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, powered by an IOcta-core Snapdragon 625 processor clubbed with 4GB RAM.

It is said to sport a 13MP rear camera with dual-LED flash and a 5MP front snapper on board. Further, the smartphone is expected to pack a 3080mAh battery. It is also said feature a unibody metal design.

If it is announced of February 26th, it will likely launch in India as early as March.



5. Nokia E1

Nokia is all set to make a comeback globally following the launch of Nokia 6 smartphone in the Chinese market. The so-called Nokia E1 might get launched in MWC 2017 event next month, along with several other smartphones.

The purported Nokia E1 is expected to come with a 5.2-inch 720p display, powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 425 processor clubbed with 2GB RAM under the hood. Further, the E1 might run on Android 7.0 Nougat like the Nokia 6. We should know all the details on February 26th.
Google has acquired Fabric mobile developer platform from Twitter. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. As a result of the acquisition, Fabric our team will join Googles Developer Products Group, working with the Firebase team.



Jack Dorsey, Co-founder and CEO, Twitter wrote in a blog post,

Today, were pleased to announce that weve signed an agreement for Fabric to be acquired by Google. Googles commitment to building mobile developer tools is a strong match for these products, customers, and team. While we have found a new home for Fabric, developers remain important to Twitter. We are committed to continuing to invest in our public APIs, our Publisher Platform products including Twitter Kit and TweetDeck, our Ads API, MoPub, and Gnip.

Googles Firebase Product Manager Francis Ma wrote in a blog post,

As a popular, trusted tool over many years, we expect that Crashlytics will become the main crash reporting offering for Firebase and will augment the work that we have already done in this area. The integration of Fabric is part of our larger, long-term effort of delivering a comprehensive suite of features for iOS, Android and mobile Web app development.

Twitter had launched Fabric as a modular SDK in 2014 to allow developers to choose different tools to improve their apps.

Source: 1, 2
Netflix has recorded $2.48 billion revenue in Q4 2016, up 41% YoY. The US based streaming service added 7.05 million subscribers of which 1.93 million members were from the U.S. and 5.12 million internationally. Netflix said it was the largest-ever quarterly subscriber growth in its history.

In 2016, Netflix generated $8.3 billion in global streaming revenue (35% y/y growth) and finished the year with 93.8 million members on 19.0 million net additions compared to 17.4 million in 2015. Q4 marks the 10-year anniversary of Netflix who said its originals like Marvels Luke Cage, The Crown and Black Mirror continue to generate excitement and excellent viewing all across the world. The service said it planned to invest more than $6 billion in content this year, up from $5 billion in 2016.

Netflix entered India in January 2016 and has indulged into partnerships and exclusive deals. The service competes with recently launched Amazon Prime.

Source
Check out FoneArena Daily video that gives you a daily dose of the latest technology news.

Xiaomi today launched the most expected Redmi Note 4 smartphone in India starting at Rs. 9999. It is powered by an Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 SoC in the country and comes in three different SKUs. It will be available exclusively from Flipkart and Mi.com starting from 23rd January, 12 noon. You can check out our Redmi Note 4 Review here.

LG has announced its MWC 2017 event in Barcelona on February 26th, where it is expected to unveil its flagship LG G6 smartphone. Sony has also announced for its MWC 2017 event in Barcelona, which is scheduled for February 27th, where it is expected to introduce new mid-range Xperia smartphones and some accessories.

Google has introduced a new offline search feature that will help users with poor internet connection. If you are searching for something on Google app and loose internet connection, the app will store your query and will deliver result once internet is back.

Nintendo today announced that Super Mario Run will be released for Android in March.

Todays Deal  Samsung EVO Plus 128 GB MicroSD card.
Last year was a bounce-back one for Anadarko Petroleum (APC). The global oil and gas producer's stock rebounded 42%, which helped it start climbing back from an awful 2015 when the stock price nearly got cut in half. Igniting that rally was an end in the slide of crude prices, which roared back to life by year-end. While crude prices are still half what they were before starting on the downward spiral, Anadarko has gotten its costs down to the point where it can thrive at lower prices. In fact, the company is about to embark on a growth plan that will see its output expand by a double-digit compound annual rate over the next few years. Because of that, there should be plenty of growth left in Anadarko's tank.

A look back at 2016

Given the persistent slide in oil prices entering 2016, Anadarko took a cautious approach early in the year. The company slashed its dividend 81.5%, which would save it $450 million of annual cash flow. Further, it announced that its capex budget would be 50% lower than 2015's spending level, which would be just enough money to keep production roughly flat. Finally, the company announced plans to sell up to $3 billion of assets, which would strengthen its balance sheet. These moves would enable the company to live within cash flow at lower oil prices.

The company would go on to exceed most of those expectations. Production volumes came in ahead of expectations due to stronger well results. In fact, oil volumes exceeded the midpoint of the company's 308,000 to 313,000 barrel per day guidance range by 13,000 barrels per day. That helped push companywide production to an average of 800,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE/d) through the first nine months of the year, which was above expectations. Further, the company lined up $5 billion of asset sales by the end of the year.

Another of last year's highlights was Anadarko Petroleum's decision to take advantage of the opportunity to acquire Freeport-McMoRan's (FCX 11.50%) Gulf of Mexico assets. The company spent just $2 billion to buy the Freeport-McMoRan properties, which doubled its ownership interest in the Lucius facility to 49% and expanded its infrastructure in the region. Anadarko expects that the acquired Freeport-McMoRan assets will generate an incremental $3 billion of free cash flow over the next five years at current oil prices.

What lies ahead at Anadarko Petroleum?

As a result of the actions taken last year, Anadarko Petroleum initially estimated that it could deliver a compound annual oil production growth rate of 10% to 12% over the next five years. However, it increased that outlook to 12%-14% annually as a result of the Freeport-McMoRan transaction. This growth would come off an oil production base that averaged 309,000 barrels per day through the first nine months of last year.

That is a very comparable growth rate to similarly sized peers. For example, Occidental Petroleum (OXY 1.54%) sees companywide production increasing by 5% to 8% annually over the long-term. Though, that is off Occidental Petroleum's larger oil-equivalent base of 605,000 BOE/d as of the third quarter. Meanwhile, Devon Energy (DVN 1.06%) expects to deliver a double-digit U.S. oil growth rate this year, which comes off a base that averaged 143,000 barrels per day over the first nine months of 2016. Meanwhile, Devon Energy expects top-line production to increase by a low to mid-single digit rate from last year's average of 635,000 BOE/d. What's important to note is that Anadarko, like Devon, is focusing growth on higher-margin oil.

Anadarko Petroleum has the potential to increase its growth rate even further as a result of signing a deal to sell its Eagle Ford Shale assets for $2.3 billion earlier this year. That transaction will increase the company's financial flexibility, which it could use to accelerate investments in its higher return assets in the Delaware Basin, DJ Basin, and the Gulf of Mexico. Such an acceleration could be a catalyst that fuels the stock to another run.

Investor takeaway

Anadarko Petroleum got back up on its feet last year by repositioning its portfolio and balance sheet to thrive at lower oil prices. Because of those efforts, the company is now in the position to deliver double-digit compound annual oil growth over the next five years. That ramp up could drive the stock even higher this year, especially if the company's results continue running above expectations.
Very quietly, the price of a barrel of oil has surged over the past year, nearly doubling, as OPEC's plan to pressure U.S. suppliers and spur global demand begins to pay off. And this is ahead of the OPEC led plan to cut production 1.8 million barrels per day to push prices higher.

Oil prices of $100 per barrel may not be on the horizon quite yet, but it's clear that OPEC's strategy to regain control of oil markets is working and it may be preparing to start squeezing billions more dollars out of U.S. consumers.

OPEC's gamble is paying off

In 2014, OPEC threw oil markets into turmoil when it decided not to cut production to support prices above $100 per barrel. The working assumption for years had been that OPEC would just cut back a little to maintain prices, but OPEC saw that as giving up market share and future control of oil markets.

It was good for OPEC when oil prices were $100 per barrel, but between 2005 and 2014 oil markets had changed. High prices had driven consumers to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles, and U.S. production had surged because of improvement in shale technology. You can see both in the chart below.

By refusing to reduce supply, and actually increasing production over the next two years, OPEC would attempt to undercut U.S. supplies (giving OPEC more market share) and spur drivers to drive more and buy less efficient vehicles. You can see below that both trends have turned in OPEC's favor.

Now that U.S. oil producers have cut back on investments in drilling and consumption is up, OPEC can start to squeeze markets in an effort to increase oil prices.

OPEC's big move in 2016

The trends above show that OPEC's strategy to regain market share and control is working. And now that trends are in OPEC's favor, the cartel made an agreement, along with a few additional countries, to cut production by 1.8 million barrels per day.

Saudi Arabia cut its production to under 10 million barrels per day in early 2017, below what's been set forth in OPEC's broad agreement to cut production. So, for now, the cartel looks to be sticking to its plans to squeeze oil markets and push prices higher.

What's not yet clear is where oil prices will finally stabilize. OPEC learned the hard way that at $100 per barrel U.S. drillers will add supply so rapidly that markets will be oversupplied. It wouldn't be surprising to see oil settle between $60 and $80 per barrel.

Companies that will cash in on higher oil prices

If oil prices do rise, we can expect a lot of energy companies to be beneficiaries. One that should see a broad recovery is Baker Hughes (BHI), the oilfield services company that's joining forces with General Electric's (GE 3.43%) energy business. As drilling increases in shale plays and offshore the companies will provide the services explorers need, giving them upside in oil without direct exposure to the commodity itself.

If prices rise far enough, we could see a big recovery in offshore drilling stocks as well. Seadrill (SDRL) and Transocean (RIG -2.40%) are two of the biggest offshore rig owners and have been hammered by a lack of demand from low oil prices. But even a recovery to $70 or $80 per barrel could bring a surge in offshore rig demand. Both companies are still high risk, but if the supply and demand dynamic I laid out above means higher prices, both companies should benefit.

The companies that provide equipment and services to oil explorers will ride a broad wave of higher oil prices that already appears to be on the way without the risk of a single field or well's production. And that's why Baker Hughes, Seadrill, and Transocean are a great way to ride oil higher as OPEC takes control of the market.
The inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump will take place later this week, and President Barack Obama is about to leave office after eight years in the White House. Those of different political persuasions will disagree about the reasons behind what's happened since then, but the fact is, the S&P 500 (^GSPC 1.36%) has climbed 167% over that time frame, and that doesn't include the upward impact of dividends that stocks have paid since 2009.

As strong as the bull market has been, those returns pale in comparison to what the top-performing stocks have accomplished. Let's look at the stocks currently in the S&P 500 and find the 10 top performers during the Obama administration.

Stock Total Return ULTA Salon (ULTA 0.65%) 4,350% Netflix (NFLX -3.07%) 3,037% General Growth Properties 2,737% Regeneron Pharmaceuticals 2,294% Priceline Group (BKNG 2.67%) 2,241% Skyworks Solutions 1,888% United Rentals (URI 2.38%) 1,778% Amazon.com 1,587% Expedia 1,574% XL Group 1,463%

Perhaps the most interesting thing about these top 10 stocks is that they don't actually have that much in common with each other. You'll find a wide variety of different industries represented, and some of them appear to have little connection to the financial crisis. There are, though, a few common themes, and those concepts are likely to keep driving performance in the future.

The mobile revolution keeps moving forward

Several of the companies above have benefited greatly from advances in technology over the past eight years, but they've taken different approaches toward capitalizing on their opportunities. For Priceline and Expedia, gains stemmed largely from the perception in 2009 that the travel world had changed forever. The 2008 recession convinced many people that business travel would shrink dramatically, as cost concerns forced many businesses to consider other options, like teleconferencing, as an alternative to live interaction. Yet that never actually happened, and even with challenges persisting in some parts of the global economy, both Priceline and Expedia have found niches in which to grow and prosper.

The convenience that technology provides has lifted shares of many other tech companies. On this list, Netflix and Amazon share the streaming video arena in common, but more broadly, they've taken advantage of rising demand for consumer convenience by delivering goods and services directly to homes rather than making customers venture out to fulfill their needs. Americans have been quick to adopt those attitudes, but both Amazon and Netflix have growth opportunities internationally to duplicate their U.S. successes and get another spurt of revenue and profit gains in the years to come.

Finding other ways to thrive

Yet some companies have found ways to fight back against the domination of online alternatives. Ulta Salon has counted on the desire of its customers to visit its stores, producing an in-store salon experience that complements its vast array of beauty and other products well. Even as many brick-and-mortar companies have had to close stores, Ulta has gone through a massive expansion, and sees that trend continuing indefinitely.

The best thing about Ulta's business model is that, try as they might, online retailers simply can't duplicate the tactile feeling of having professional stylists and cosmeticians working directly with you in person. That gives Ulta a competitive advantage that will help defend its business from the online retail trend.

Similarly, United Rentals has tapped into the sharing economy by providing construction equipment to those who need it without requiring customers to go to the expense of making a full upfront purchase. Just as companies like Uber and Airbnb seek to offer those who want to be able to go places and stay somewhere without having to buy a vehicle or a home, United Rentals offers the use of what would be prohibitively expensive equipment to buy at attractive rental prices.

Those prices allow United Rentals to make a profit even as they save customers money. That's an idea that never goes out of style, and if the construction market starts to gain traction, then United Rentals could see even more extensive gains in the future.

The stock market has soared during the Obama administration, and these 10 stocks saw particularly impressive gains. For most of them, opportunities still exist that could send their share prices even higher long after the current president has left the White House.
Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates, who is also the richest man in the world with a net worth of $75 billion per Forbes, is excited to work with another billionaire Donald Trump, and his new administration.

I dont have a crystal ball, he told the FOX Business Networks Maria Bartiromo. But we have the opportunity to talk about U.S. leadership.

Especially when it comes to the U.S. governments support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization he said.

How we continue that type of outreach and how it helps our security that we are helping those countries to be healthy and be stable, he said. There will be some great conversations and be some ideas about new investments that can be made.

More From Gates on FBN Bill Gates on the benefits of automation replacing labor

The Gates Foundation recently joined a new $460 million global coalition to prevent epidemics. He said the focus will be on rapidly developing vaccines.

The good news is, he said science has these RNA, DNA-type vaccines that you might literally in a period of months be able to create something new instead of the many years that it takes now.

1.5 million children die each year globally from vaccine preventable diseases, according to the foundation which notes on its website that it is boosting access to immunization in 73 of the worlds poorest countries.
Some Capitol Hill residents who didnt vote for Donald Trump are drinking away their sorrows this week at a local pop-up bar that has cutouts of the incoming U.S. president and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Before the election, Barrel in Capitol Hill turned its basement level into a Donald Trump-themed pop-up, offering drinks specials such as grab them by the ---. This week, the pop-up returns with an international twist.

We decided to go with a Russian motif theme for the inauguration instead, Mike Haigis, general manager of Barrels Restaurant, told FOXBusiness.com. Youre going to see a lot of Russian flags, a Vladimir Putin cutout next to a Donald Trump cutout.

Haigis said he first developed the Trump pop-up themed bar to make fun of the then-GOP-nominees infamous moments on the campaign trail, the outrageous drink specials are listed on oversized menus for small hands.

It was a really big success. It was positioned against [Trump], but not really that pointed, said Haigis. It was so popular. We had lines out the door. People loved it.

More than 90 percent of the citys electorate voted for Hillary Clinton in November. This time around, the bar is serving a wide range of Russian vodkas and beers, with one drink called This Drink Costs $29 at The Trump Hotel.

One patron at the bar told FOXBusiness.com they arent anti-Trump, they just wanted to come and have some fun.

We thought it was pretty funny to be here and see all the anti-Trump and pro-Trump. Its fun, its interesting, its different, said the customer. Were not anti-Trump at all. Its cool, its just a different decor that we wont see any other time.
Miner BHP Billiton Ltd , its partner Vale SA and their jointly owned Samarco unit said on Thursday they have set a June 30 deadline to settle billions of dollars in compensation claims stemming from an iron ore mine disaster in Brazil in 2015.

The aim is to consolidate and settle separate claims, including a $47.5 billion civil claim brought by Brazil's federal prosecutors last year, the companies said.

Under the agreement, BHP Billiton, Vale and Samarco will initially provide 2.2 billion reals ($681 million) in total to support compensation and remediation from the impact of the fatal dam failure.

Operations at the Samarco mine were suspended in 2015 after the collapse of a dam holding mining waste, or tailings. The rupture killed 19 people, left hundreds homeless and caused Brazil's worst environmental disaster.

"This spells out how and when we are going to settle this with the prosecutors," BHP spokesman Paul Hitchins said. "Up until this time we had all these different courts hearing the case. This consolidates all that."

The companies said any restart of operations at Samarco was subject to a separate set of negotiations with relevant parties and would occur only if it was deemed safe, economically viable and had the support of the local community.

(Reporting by Sonali Paul and Jane Wardell; Additional reporting by James Regan; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
Insurance broker Aon Plc is in advanced talks to sell its employee benefits outsourcing unit to buyout firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice LLC for nearly $4.5 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The divestiture would undo much of Aon's 2010 acquisition of human resources services provider Hewitt Associates Inc for $4.9 billion, signaling that the company now wants to focus more on its insurance and risk management businesses.

After submitting an offer earlier this month, CD&R has prevailed over private equity firm Blackstone Group LP in an auction for the unit, the sources said. The sources cautioned that negotiations were ongoing and that the outcome could still change.

CD&R operating partner and former SunGard Data Systems Inc chief executive officer Russell Fradin, who was Aon Hewitt's CEO from 2006 to 2011, is playing a key role in drafting a plan on how the unit can be separated from Aon, the sources said.

The unit for sale facilitates the processing of claims for companies, including defined benefit, defined contribution, and health and welfare administrative services.

Aon hopes to announce a deal by Feb. 10, when it plans to report fourth-quarter earnings, the sources said.

The sources requested anonymity because the negotiations are confidential. Aon and CD&R declined to comment, while Blackstone did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Headquartered in London, Aon is active in more than 120 countries.

Private equity firms have been prolific investors in businesses that help companies cut costs by outsourcing large parts of their administrative functions, since such operations can generate strong cash flows. A few years after they invest, they seek to sell ownership of those assets at a big profit.

In September, Canadian pension fund manager Caisse de dpt et placement du Qubec said it would acquire a $500 million minority stake in Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc, which specializes in workers' compensation and is owned by buyout firms KKR & Co LP and Stone Point Capital LLC.

In another example, Blackstone and Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC invested $750 million in 2014 to obtain minority stakes in Kronos Inc, a workforce management solutions company controlled by buyout firm Hellman & Friedman LLC.

(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
While there are some indications that bidding activity has started increasing ever so slightly in the offshore drilling space, it's largely a foregone conclusion that 2017 will be one of the worst years the segment has endured in decades. This reality is set to create further pains for a number of offshore drilling companies, and that could very well includeSeadrill Ltd. (NYSE: SDRL), which has at least eight more vessels set to come off contract by the end of July.

Seadrill must address its debt situation before it can really move forward. Image source: Getty Images.

With that in mind, it may seem that the obvious answer to "what is the most important thing Seadrill must accomplish in 2017?" is getting its fleet back to work. And in the longer term, yes, that's unequivocally important. But Seadrill's biggest threat right now is $3.1 billion in debt that must be repaid, refinanced, or otherwise renegotiated, between now and the end of September.

Let's take a closer look at Seadrill's debt situation, what management has told us about its progress, and what investors should expect.

April is expected to be a big month for debt negotiations

In all, Seadrill has $3.18 billion in debt maturing in 2017, and a significant portion of that must be dealt with before the end of July, with three major secured credit facilities totalling $2.85 billion maturing before then. The good news is that the company has already had success with the bankers that hold this debt, having reached agreements in April 2016 to defer these same credit facilities to the upcoming dates.

So what's the holdup in pushing them further back? In short, Seadrill's overall debt picture is diverse and complex, and management's goal is, according to comments made by CFO Mark Morris on the most recent earnings call, to renegotiate essentially all of its debt expiring in the next three years. Morris put it thusly:

Where this gets complex is that Seadrill's debt situation goes beyond its direct consolidated debt, and includes the debt of two of its subsidiaries,North Atlantic Drilling, andSeadrill Partners LLC, both of which Seadrill Ltd. has had to sign on as guarantors for. It also includes, as Morris described, bondholders. Case in point: Seadrill has nearly $900 million in bond debt maturing in September.

Seadrill doesn't have the capital to deal with its upcoming debt expirations. Negotiations with its creditors are intended to fix that, but it's not clear how much shareholders will be affected. Image source: Getty Images.

In addition to the $3.18 billion in debt maturing in 2017, Seadrill has $2.37 billion coming due in 2018, and $3.38 billion in 2019, and all of these amounts include a mix of both secured and unsecured term loans, revolving credit facilities, and bonds, held by multiple banks, financial organizations, and individuals.

CEO Per Wullf, however, said that "we expect to conclude our plans by April 2017." He also stated that so far, its banking partners have been amenable. The question is how things will work out with bondholders.

What should investors expect?

It's a little tough to call at this stage, but the most likely scenario will include refinancing of the company's secured and unsecured term loans and revolving credit facilities, without the banks having to take any severe haircuts and simply pushing back debt maturities several years. After all, Seadrill's drilling vessels, which secure the vast majority of the existing debt, remain high-quality assets that should remain competitive in the marketplace for many years to come. This is one area where its very new, high-specification fleet is certainly a competitive advantage as compared to operators with older, less-viable drilling vessels.

When it comes to the bonds, it could be another story, and I'm relatively certain that the company will be forced to issue stock to satisfy at least a portion of that part of the debt. One of the wild cards is Seadrill founder and largest shareholder John Fredricksen, who has reportedly been part of the package that has been presented to debt holders as standing ready to lend as much as $1 billion to the company. And while his $1 billion would certainly help absorb some of the upcoming debt expiries, the big question is whether existing bondholders or new investors will be willing to pony up and purchase new bonds.

There could be big reward investing in Seadrill now. But the risk of permanent losses can't be ignored. Image source: Getty Images.

The reality is, it's not very likely that Seadrill's banks will extend more credit to the company -- at least not in large enough amounts to erase the existing bond maturities. This is doubly true when you remember that Seadrill still has some $4 billion in newbuilds still scheduled for construction, including seven set for this year though management has made it clear it will not take delivery on any newbuilds without a drilling contract in place.

Looking ahead

As much as Seadrill's stock has gotten very cheap, at least on a book-value basis, this is where the risk resides. While it seems very unlikely that the company won't be able to rework its debt situation (and continue to defer newbuilds), itislikely that a lot of new shares will get issued as part of that reworking of debt. Add in the reality that offshore activity isn't likely to pick up before near the end of 2017 at the soonest, and there's plenty of time for Seadrill's stock price to move around a lot before there's a clear path forward.

So if you're thinking about buying shares of this company (or almost any other offshore driller), keep those things in mind. I think there's a lot of upside in the long term, but acknowledge the risk and buckle in.

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Image source: Getty Images.

Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI) reported its fourth-quarter and full-year results after the closing bell on Wednesday. The energy infrastructure giant produced $1.147 billion of distributable cash flow for the quarter, pushing its full-year total to $4.511 billion. While both of those numbers were down year over year, they were right in line with the company's revised full-year guidance.

Kinder Morgan Inc. results: The raw numbers

Data source: Kinder Morgan Inc. Chart by author. NOTE: In millions of dollars.

What happened with Kinder Morgan this quarter?

Kinder Morgan hit the bull's-eye:

Natural gas pipeline segment earnings came in at $984 million for the quarter and $4.03 billion for the full year, a decline of 10% and 2%, respectively. While full-year earnings were below the company's initial budget of $4.22 billion, it previously adjusted those expectations to reflect the sale of a stake in the Southern Natural Gas pipeline to Southern Company (NYSE: SO), calling for earnings to be down 5%, or roughly $4.01 billion, which it exceeded. Aside from the impact of the Southern Company deal, the other factor driving down segment earnings was weaker midstream gathering and processing volumes, resulting from a 21% year-over-year decrease in gathered volumes resulting from slumping oil and gas production in the Eagle Ford Shale.

(NYSE: SO), calling for earnings to be down 5%, or roughly $4.01 billion, which it exceeded. Aside from the impact of the Southern Company deal, the other factor driving down segment earnings was weaker midstream gathering and processing volumes, resulting from a 21% year-over-year decrease in gathered volumes resulting from slumping oil and gas production in the Eagle Ford Shale. Earnings in the carbon dioxide segment were $238 million in the fourth quarter and $917 million for the full year, down 18% and 20%, respectively, through right on budget. Driving those weaker results were lower commodity prices and declining oil production, which fell 8% from last year's average in part because of project deferrals.

Terminals segment earnings were $296 million for the quarter and $1.133 billion for the full year, up 15% and 7%, respectively. That said, results were about 5% below budget, which matched the company's most recent guidance. Driving earnings growth were record volumes, which were up 14% on the heels of four Jones Act tanker deliveries and the impact from the company's new terminals joint venture with BP (NYSE: BP). Meanwhile, the bankruptcy of a key coal customer caused results to miss the initial budget expectation.

(NYSE: BP). Meanwhile, the bankruptcy of a key coal customer caused results to miss the initial budget expectation. Segment earnings in products pipelines were $308 million in the fourth quarter and $1.185 billion for the full year, up 7% and 8%, respectively. That was roughly 4% below its initial $1.232 billion budget, which was slightly better than its recently updated guidance that results would be 5% below budget. Stronger volumes on two key pipelines and an improvement in its Transmix business drove growth last year.

Finally, earnings in the company's Canada segment were $38 million during the quarter and $161 million for the full year, down 12% and 1%, respectively. Still, results were 3% better than budgeted, thanks to strong volumes and better foreign exchange rates.

Image source: Kinder Morgan.

What management had to say

CEO Steve Kean commented on the company's results:

Kinder Morgan's fourth-quarter and full-year results reflect the overall stability of its business. While weaker volumes and asset sales caused results to fall year over year, the company still managed to generate a tremendous amount of cash flow.

While the company used some of that cash flow to fund its dividend, the bulk went to finance growth projects. These investments enabled the company to complete its Southern Natural Gas pipeline and Elba Express Company expansions, the South System Flexibility project, the Cortez pipeline expansion, and the construction of the American Endurance tanker last quarter. Further, it completed these and other projects and funded capital toward future project completions while living within cash flow, which enabled the company to push its leverage lower. Overall, debt to adjusted EBITDA fell from 5.6 at the end of 2015 to 5.3 at the end of last year.

Looking forward

Kinder Morgan still has about $12 billion of expansion projects in its backlog, including $3.2 billion of capital spending this year. As with last year, the company intends to finance that capex with internally generated cash flow, which should be about $4.46 billion. After paying $1.1 billion individends, the company should have more than $100 million in cash left over, assuming no more joint ventures, project cancellations, or improvements in oil prices.

10 stocks we like better than Kinder Morgan When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

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Very quietly, the price of a barrel of oil has surged over the past year, nearly doubling, as OPEC's plan to pressure U.S. suppliers and spur global demand begins to pay off. And this is ahead of the OPEC led plan to cut production 1.8 million barrels per day to push prices higher.

Oil prices of $100 per barrel may not be on the horizon quite yet, but it's clear that OPEC's strategy to regain control of oil markets is working and it may be preparing to start squeezing billions more dollars out of U.S. consumers.

Image source: Getty Images.

OPEC's gamble is paying off

In 2014, OPEC threw oil markets into turmoil when it decided not to cut production to support prices above $100 per barrel. The working assumption for years had been that OPEC would just cut back a little to maintain prices, but OPEC saw that as giving up market share and future control of oil markets.

It was good for OPEC when oil prices were $100 per barrel, but between 2005 and 2014 oil markets had changed. High prices had driven consumers to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles, and U.S. production had surged because of improvement in shale technology. You can see both in the chart below.

US Crude Oil and Petroleum Products Supplied data by YCharts

By refusing to reduce supply, and actually increasing production over the next two years, OPEC would attempt to undercut U.S. supplies (giving OPEC more market share) and spur drivers to drive more and buy less efficient vehicles. You can see below that both trends have turned in OPEC's favor.

US Crude Oil and Petroleum Products Supplied data by YCharts

Now that U.S. oil producers have cut back on investments in drilling and consumption is up, OPEC can start to squeeze markets in an effort to increase oil prices.

OPEC's big move in 2016

The trends above show that OPEC's strategy to regain market share and control is working. And now that trends are in OPEC's favor, the cartel made an agreement, along with a few additional countries, to cut production by 1.8 million barrels per day.

Saudi Arabia cut its production to under 10 million barrels per day in early 2017, below what's been set forth in OPEC's broad agreement to cut production. So, for now, the cartel looks to be sticking to its plans to squeeze oil markets and push prices higher.

What's not yet clear is where oil prices will finally stabilize. OPEC learned the hard way that at $100 per barrel U.S. drillers will add supply so rapidly that markets will be oversupplied. It wouldn't be surprising to see oil settle between $60 and $80 per barrel.

Companies that will cash in on higher oil prices

If oil prices do rise, we can expect a lot of energy companies to be beneficiaries. One that should see a broad recovery is Baker Hughes (NYSE: BHI), the oilfield services company that's joining forces with General Electric's (NYSE: GE) energy business. As drilling increases in shale plays and offshore the companies will provide the services explorers need, giving them upside in oil without direct exposure to the commodity itself.

If prices rise far enough, we could see a big recovery in offshore drilling stocks as well. Seadrill (NYSE: SDRL) and Transocean (NYSE: RIG) are two of the biggest offshore rig owners and have been hammered by a lack of demand from low oil prices. But even a recovery to $70 or $80 per barrel could bring a surge in offshore rig demand. Both companies are still high risk, but if the supply and demand dynamic I laid out above means higher prices, both companies should benefit.

The companies that provide equipment and services to oil explorers will ride a broad wave of higher oil prices that already appears to be on the way without the risk of a single field or well's production. And that's why Baker Hughes, Seadrill, and Transocean are a great way to ride oil higher as OPEC takes control of the market.

10 stocks we like better thanWal-MartWhen investing geniuses David and TomGardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter theyhave run for over a decade, the Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

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Nigel Farage, former leader of the UK Independence Party, joined the FOX Business Network to discuss why the Democratic Party lost the U.S. presidential election.

People were sick to death of a career political class, working hand and glove with big business, with big banks in their own interests, who had completely lost touch with ordinary people, their hopes and aspirations, Farage said.

A member of the European Parliament for the South East of England, Farage, said that this phenomenon is not exclusive to America, but is also occurring across the pond in Britain.

Weve had enough [of] being led by people who are so hamstrung by political correctness, they dare not discuss the issues that we talk about at our dinner tables every night, he said. And what they had in 2016 was a seriously good kicking and I think in Europe, this year, there may be a few more of those to happen too.

Farage also discussed the potential for a trade deal between Britain, which recently voted to exit the European Union, and the U.S. under Trumps leadership.

A lot of people around Trump want this to happen, he said. Theres a lot of cross investment between Britain and America, and we can put together a trade dealnot just on goods, but on financial services toothat would be mutually beneficial, good for growth, good for jobs and Id love to see it happen.

With Trump in charge, Farage said he doesnt think it would take long to complete the deal.

Im told by the bureaucrats in Brussels and Im told by civil servants in London that it takes five years, or seven years or 10 years to do a trade deal. I think, with this Trump administration, it could be done and dusted in the space of a few months.
Rick Perry, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to run the Energy Department, said during his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday that he regrets having called for the department's elimination during his failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

"After being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination," the former Texas governor said in his opening remarks to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Perry, 66, was governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015, making him the longest-serving governor of the oil-producing state in its history. He is seen by Trump as a person who can usher in energy jobs.

As energy secretary, he would also lead a vast scientific research operation credited with helping trigger a U.S. drilling boom and advancements in energy efficiency, and would oversee America's nuclear arsenal.

Perry's proposal to get rid of the Energy Department caused what has become known as his "oops" moment during a November, 2011 Republican presidential candidate debate when he could not remember all of the three Cabinet-level departments he wanted to eliminate.

After mentioning the departments of Commerce and Education, he said, "I can't. The third one, I can't. Sorry. Oops." A few minutes later in the debate Perry said with a laugh, "By the way that was the Department of Energy I was reaching for a while ago."

During Thursday's hearing, Perry is expected to face questioning by senators on how he would create jobs in the industry and bolster U.S. energy security. Trump, who takes office at noon on Friday, has championed increased production of oil, gas and coal.

Perry is also likely to face questions about his stance on climate change. Like several other Trump Cabinet appointees, Perry is a self-professed climate skeptic. Democrats are concerned about the future of climate science research at the department's lab network that sprawls across the country.

A questionnaire the Trump transition team sent to the department in December demanded names and publications of employees who had worked on climate issues. After an uproar by critics who said it amounted to a witch hunt, the team disavowed the survey.

Department leadership under Perry would represent a pivot from being run by learned scientists to a person who is known for close ties to energy interests.

Current Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz is a nuclear physicist who led technical negotiations in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, while the previous head, Steven Chu, is a Nobel Prize-winning physicist with a background in lab work and management.

Perry resigned from the board of directors of Energy Transfer Partners LP, the company building the Dakota Access Pipeline opposed by Native Americans and environmentalists. He has said that, if confirmed, he will divest his interests in two pipeline companies. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Leslie Adler and Alistair Bell)
Did he say "gorilla" or "guerrilla"?

ESPN announcer Doug Adler came under fire on social media for a comment he made about Venus Williams during her second-round Australian Open match against Stefanie Voegele on Tuesday.

Adlers comment was captured by Twitter users who shared video of his commentary during the match. He can be heard narrating, She misses a first serve and Venus is all over her. You see Venus move in (and) put the gorilla [guerrilla] effect on. Charging.

The Twitterverse was quick to respond to Adlers choice of words.

Doug Adler needs to apologize to Venus and fired from @ESPN. Under no circumstances do you make an analogy of a gorilla to a woman of color  Shanna  (@PinaCocoblog) January 18, 2017 @espn ESPN commentator Doug Adler should be fired NOW for comparing Venus Williams to a gorilla. Period.  Heidi618 (@HereinOhio) January 19, 2017 @ESPN needs to sack Doug Adler. Cannot be making comments like that about one of the greatest athletes in this day and age.  James Phillips (@thegreatswerve) January 19, 2017 @TWA_tennis_blog @ESPNTennis I must say Doug Adler is Racist and must be dismissed and barred from Tennis world immediately with heavy fine  Ramesh (@Rameshsoba) January 19, 2017

However, some social media users defended Adler, saying the comments were taken out of context and that Adler meant "guerrilla."

Can't see the problem with these Doug Adler comments. He didnt 'compare' her to a gorilla. PC world gone mad. #Storminateacup @ESPNTennis  Jimbo Byrne (@JimboByrne1) January 19, 2017 Doug Adler is a great & hard working #tennis announcer & journalist. Guerilla warfare comment in no way racist #AusOpen https://t.co/Ryjm0o7Oeq  Crackbillionair (@crackbillionair) January 19, 2017

A spokesperson for ESPN told FOX411 that Adler should have been more careful in his word selection and has apologized for his remarks. He has been removed from his remaining assignments.
Kevin O'Leary is looking to make Canada wonderful again.

The "Shark Tank" star, nicknamed Mr. Wonderful, tells FOX411 he is running for the leadership of Canada's opposition Conservative Party because voters don't trust politicians anymore.

"What's occurring not just in Canada, but globally and in the U.S., is people don't want politicians as leaders anymore," O'Leary says. "They want people that have a track record of executional skills. I'm not a politician and, as a result, I think voters and taxpayers are looking for change makers."

As soon as O'Leary announced his campaign Wednesday afternoon, the Donald Trump comparisons began rolling in.

"The only similarity is we both worked with Mark Burnett and we've both been successful in reality TV and business, but that's where the comparisons end," O'Leary said.

The SoftKey co-founder said he is the son of immigrants and "if there was a wall around Canada I wouldn't exist."

Despite their differences, O'Leary, 62, said he looks forward to working with President-elect Trump should he win the election and believes he will do a much better job connecting with Trump than current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The reality TV star's end goal is to overturn everything Trudeau has done.

"I'm going to unwind everything [Trudeau] did when I get in there," O'Leary promised. "Canadians won't remember his name after I'm there for 100 days."

"Canada is now open for business again."

As for his role on the hit ABC show "Shark Tank?"

"I've always thought about 'Shark Tank' as a wonderful thing because it encourages entrepreneurism," O'Leary said. "I'll always be grateful for that...but my first job now is to make sure Candada survives and we'll worry about 'Shark Tank' later."
One is a friendly Food Network host who spent years working in government and the other is a supermodel with no formal culinary training.

So what do Ina Garten and Chrissy Teigen have in common?

These well known cooks both had the bestselling cookbooks of 2016.

Gartens Cooking for Jeffrey was the years highest selling print cookbook, selling over 400,000 copies, according to Publishers Weekly. That figure was generated by Nielsen BookScan, a book research company that tracks around 80-percent of the country's book sales. The stat is even more impressive considering that the tome didnt even hit bookstores until October.

SHOCKING FOOD NETWORK STAR FACTS

The book details recipes Garten, the host of Food Network's Barefoot Contessa, makes for her husband Jeffrey, who makes frequent appearences on her show.

Teigens Cravings cookbook, which promised recipes for all the food you want to eat, was second bestselling cookbook with approximately 270,000 copies sold; while Thug Kitchen, which focuses uses profane directions in a lighthearted way to get consumers to eat healthier, was third with 197,000 copies.

Most of the chefs and books rounding out the top 10 were more traditional.

Ree Drummond, another Food Network star who rose to fame with her blog The Pioneer Woman, also made the list in 2015 with more than 500,00 copies sold of her book The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime: Comfort Classics, Freezer Food, 16-Minute Meals, and Other Delicious Ways to Solve Supper! The book was so popular that it stayed in the top ten in 2016 and came in fourth with around 175,000 copies sold.

FOR THE LATEST FOOD & DRINK FEATURES FOLLOW FOX LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK

Anthony Bourdain released his first cookbook in ten years and it sold 120,000 copies last year, landing him the number nine spot.

Overall, cookbook sales had a good year-- unit print sales jumped by 6 percent from 2015.

Top selling cookbooks in the U.S. 2016

1. "Cooking For Jeffrey," Ina Garten

2. "Cravings," Chrissy Teigen

3. "Thug Kitchen," Matt Holloway, Michelle Davis

4. "The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime," Ree Drummond

5. "Air Fry Everything," Meredith Laurence

6. "The Food Lab," J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

7. "Skinnytaste Fast And Slow," Gina Homolka

8. "The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook," Laurel Randolph

9. "Appetites by Anthony Bourdain," Ecco

10. "Inspiralized by Ali Maffucci," Clarkson Potter
The 21 Club, New York Citys iconic restaurant and former speakeasy, has long been the place where A-list performers, socialites and presidents rub elbows. Thats right  POTUS, as in every sitting president since FDR except for two.

One was George W. Bush, who ate there when he was governor of Texas. The other is President Barack Obama. And his time is almost out.

President-elect Donald Trump, a native New Yorker, is already a regular. He has been eating at 21 since he was a kid. He had his first wedding reception there in 1977, and he recently slipped past his press pool and headed with his family to dine at the restaurant, which is just a few blocks away from Trump Tower.

The club appreciates its nearly 100-year-old history and keeps track of who sat where with an interactive map. Trump, like former President Gerald Ford, sits at table 11, along the wall near the bar. Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush sat at table 7. John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton favored table 31. Clinton donated a model of Air Force One that dangles from the ceiling in the dining room, just one of many other relics from famous patrons.

JFK was quite a regular and dined here on the eve of his inauguration in 1961, says the restaurants hospitality director, Avery Fletcher, and he gave us a model of the ship he was a commander of when he served. The ship sits behind the bar.

Despite the name and clientele, 21 is not a private club. Its open to everyone-- and its a special treat for those who love history. The tables are draped in white linen, a reminder of old school traditions that have made it a power hub and a hangout for the elite. It still offers house accounts, and it maintains a strict dress code of jackets for men and no jeans or sneakers.

Even the food has a history; the baked Alaska has been on the menu since 1933. The once-secret wine cellar, which dodged plenty of FBI raids during Prohibition, is filled with over 2,000 bottles left behind by Nixon, Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and Sammy Davis Jr.

All thats been missing, it seems, is Barack Obama. In 2009, Brian Williams asked the new president on air during the inauguration march if he would be making his way to the 21 Club, like so many presidents before him. Eight years later, he hasnt yet.

But the restaurant hopes the first foodie president will show up soon.

He seems to like steakhouses and has a taste for American cuisine, so we think he would love our steak tartare or 21 burger, which has appealed to other presidents in the past. Fletcher said.

Obama, whose affection for a great burger is well known, might find the 21 burger too tempting to pass up. The duck fat-infused gourmet meat patty has been a favorite of many politicians, including Trump, former President Jimmy Carter and Hillary Clinton, though it carries a whopper of a price. At $36, it exposes Trumps upscale taste buds after the blue-collar billionaire raved about his love for fast food during the campaign.

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

But it might take more than a great burger to bring in Obama, says Clark Wolf, owner of the food and restaurant consulting firm, Clark Wolf Company.

There are a lot of iconic locations in the world to visit, he said. Hes visited some, but not all of them. Perhaps he would go if there was a chance he would be meeting an interesting person to have lunch with. Obama is a very thoughtful, modern president, and I think he would need a reason to go, not just because of the history.

So will the 44th president become only the second in office not to eat at 21 in three-quarters of a century?

Carrie Sheffield, founder of the news media outlet bold, says Obama might decide to wait until after he leaves office.

Since Obama has always made himself a celebrity president. I think he would feel right at home at the 21 Club, she said. But since its a tradition for presidents to go, and Obama is a president that has broken some traditions in the past, Im not so sure its high on his list before he leaves office.

"But hopefully theres plenty of time after.
Cases of flu are on the rise, according to a recent statement from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and experts are warning that this years flu season will be worse than last. Now, a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Virology is shedding some light on exactly how cold weather and the spread of viruses are linked.

It turns out, seasonal flu outbreaks first appear each year about a week after the winters first cold spellor at least thats what happened in Sweden, over the course of three years when researchers tracked weather patterns and the prevalence of the virus.

During that time, researchers collected more than 20,000 nasal swabs from people seeking medical care in and around the city of Gothenburg, and analyzed them for influenza A and other respiratory viruses. Then they compared those findings with weather data from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.

A surprisingly consistent pattern emerged: Each year, the first really cold weekwith low humidity and temperatures below freezingseemed to trigger the spread of flu.

RELATED: 10 Ways You May Put Yourself at Risk for Flu (Without Realizing It!)

We believe that this sudden drop in temperature contributes to kickstart the epidemic, said lead author Nicklas Sundell, a researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy and infectious diseases specialist at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, in a press release. Once the epidemic has started, it continues even if temperatures rise. Once people are sick and contagious, many more may become infected.

Airborne particles containing liquid and virusfrom a sneeze, for examplecan spread more easily in cold and dry weather, say the study authors. Dry air absorbs moisture from the particles, shrinking them and helping them stay in the air longer and travel longer distances.

The study found that some other common respiratory infections, such as respiratory syncytial virus and coronavirus, followed similar, temperature-driven patterns. But others, like rhinovirus (one cause of the common cold), did not seem to be affected by the weather or season.

RELATED: 10 Biggest Myths About the Flu

Sundell said that better knowledge of outbreaks based on weather may help doctors and public health experts know whats comingand communicate those risks to the public.

If you can predict the start of the annual epidemics of the flu and other respiratory viruses, you can use this knowledge to promote campaigns for the flu vaccine, he said. Hospital emergency departments could also prepare in advance, he added, for increased numbers of sick patients.

Of course, cold weather isnt the only prerequisite for flu epidemics to take off. The virus [also] has to be present among the population, and there have to be enough people susceptible to the infection, Sundell explained.

And the flu obviously still spreads in climates that are warm year-round, says Nirav Patel, MD, assistant professor of infectious diseases at Saint Louis University, who was not involved in the new study.

Clearly then, the temperature drop is important, but perhaps not the only factor, Dr. Patel told Health via email.

He also points out that the study was only able to show a correlation between weather and flu timing in one particular region. Wed need to see this replicated in other climate areas to assess whether this is a consistent phenomenon or is unique to influenza in Sweden, he wrote.

Still, he says the findings are definitely intriguing, and should be explored further.

In the meantime, hell continue recommending the same things hes always recommended for preventing the spread of fluregardless of the temperature outside: covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, washing your hands frequently, and getting an annual flu shot.

This article originally appeared on Health.com.
President Obamas last press conference was, despite the elections rejection, an otherworldly stroll down victory lane. Listening put one in mind of Alice in Wonderland.

He fielded adoring, generally lightweight questions from a group of well-wishing White House reporters.

He strained to project a positive self-assessment, despite leading the most historically unanchored, divisive and out-of-touch administration in modern times.

Having regularly divided Americans along economic, racial, ethnic, religious, geographic and policy lines, repeatedly emphasizing differences over common points, Obama pivoted to grand rhetoric  congratulating himself on being a peacemaker.

All this was predictable. The contrast between how he sees the world he leaves behind, and how Americans see the world he has created for them, is stark. But this is how President Obama chose to govern, doing one thing, saying another. And this press conference was the exclamation point.

The press conference confirmed what everyone expected: Obama leaves office as an unrepentant progressive, unapologetic for much of anything, from unprecedented domestic divisions and disrespect for law enforcement to a shattered foreign policy, adversaries and allies doubting us.

From his decision to reject Israel at the United Nations to glibly upending traditional family values, from politicizing the Justice Department to commuting a 35-year sentence for treason, the president sees not what he has wrought. This is why his Party has sent packing, why they have shed more than 1000 combined legislative, gubernatorial and congressional seats since Obama took office.

Instead of a balanced review, he offered a tinny, thin valedictory. But then this was the man who directed his Secretary of Defense to award him the Distinguished Service Medal, and then pinned on Vice President Biden a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Get all you can, while the getting is good; take no blame, accrue all credit; deflect and ignore failure, create victories where there are none. Coming to an end are eight years of strangely affected, regularly self-serving nonsense. And this press conference was a distillate.

Clicking through pre-set names, Obama extolled the virtues of a free press, then prodded these fawning followers to continue the same tenacity with his successor.

Legacy? He was comfortable commuting the treason sentence of Chelsea (nee Bradley) Manning, saying she was not unpunished, that her sentence was not pardon. Never mind senior military leadership advised against this unprecedented move.

Veering left, he pressed a non sequitur on national security, saying it involves people whose lives are put at risk  ironically seeking to defend Mannings release, a convict who stole tens of thousands of classified documents, put them on line endangering countless American lives. Obamas own lax security allowed China to hack 18 million Americans most sensitive data. He saw no contradiction in denouncing WikiLeaks, to which Manning had released the material, adding it was not clear WikiLeaks was a witting participant. What? Really?

Advice to Trump on Putin: Be constructive toward Russia, as he claimed he initially had been. Then Obama claimed he had helped Russia diversify and improve their economy, tried to help the Russian People use their incredible talents.

Really?

Then on into Ukraine and sanctions. Which slid into a lecture on international norms, leading by example, and how Obama had told Putin how to behave. Suddenly, Obama was bragging on successful non-proliferation policies. No mention of Iran or North Korea.

Suddenly, another nugget: Important that the United States stand up for people, since big countries dont go around and bully smaller countries, especially womens rights and freedom of the press. He noted, in a parting apology-for-America-cum-insult, that the United States has not been perfect in this regard, nor allies met the standard. Wow.

Asked about whether a Democrat boycott of the Trump inauguration was consistent with respect for a peaceful transition of power, he demurred. No comment. He and Michelle would be there.

Looking forward, I dont expect enormous overlap. You dont think? On Trump, he opined: Reality may lead him to the same conclusions Obama held, and reality has a way of biting back. Yes, the election.

Another Obama gem: The job is of such magnitude that you cannot do it by yourself, you must depend on a team. Good to know.

If you only listen to people who agree, you will start making mistakes. Words from experience, certainly. And as for Obamas future: Want to do some writing, not talk so much. Good, good.

Setting strawmen, the departing president said he might speak on core values, if systematic discrimination was ratified, explicit obstacles  set against voting, and institutional efforts occurred to silence dissent or the press.

What contempt for an incoming president, and for all Americans. What condescension and lack of grace. And irony: He sees no inconsistency in advocating for rights respected in America, while rewarding Cuba for violating the same rights, or Iran. Why honor Cubas communist leaders? That is the old way of thinkin  that did not make sense. Why? No one in the tenacious press asked.

Another pivot, throwing a final punch at Israel. Somehow, he feels his anti-Israel United Nations vote advances Israeli, Palestinian, regional and American national security. He hopes Israel will now make a more sober assessment of alternatives.

Forgetting this vote and his red line threats, he warned Mr. Trump sudden, unilateral moves can be explosive. And this is volatile stuff, so pay attention, actions have consequences. Right.

In closing, he praised the Olympics and his children, adding he could not be prouder of the transformation in our society in the last decade, done  he thinks  with no backlash, and in some cases these issues were controversial. Right. His last jab: Voter fraud is fake news, so no need for identification at polling places.

There you have it. What a way to go out, what a victory lap, what a mess. As lawyers say, res ipsa loquitur, the thing speaks for itself. It sure did.

To President Obamas way of thinking, the past eight years have brought people together, made a vibrant economy, elevated Americas international respect, secured the world and advanced civic order, civil rights, and the most wonderful transformation of America. He seems oddly convinced.

And that is why so many Americans are so ready for the Trump/Pence Team  seasoned leaders, prepared, poised, battle hardened and honest.

Obama is still the unrepentant progressive, blind to the reasons for his partys demise, pleased with his evanescent accomplishments.

To him, the final press conference was great. Now, he packs his bags to write his book, President Obama in Wonderland.
Donald Trump will take stewardship of U.S. national security Friday, and he will be confronting emboldened enemies across the globe. President George W. Bushs wartime experience ten years ago in creating the Iraq Surge contains important lessons for the president-elect in dealing with the threatening road ahead. He should embrace them.

Some background: by late 2006, the Iraq war looked bleak. Al Qaeda and Iranian-backed forces were on the march, and U.S.-backed government troops were reeling. At home, a significant portion of the American public was disenchanted with the conflict. Members of Congress, including Republicans, were increasingly skeptical of the mission. The U.S. appeared headed for defeat.

In January 2007, President Bush announced that the U.S. would change course in Iraq to reverse the tide of the war. His decision to set in motion the 2007-2008 Surge of more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops  armed with a new strategy  pulled Iraq back from the abyss, decimated jihadist and Iranian terror networks, and provided an opportunity for emergence of a state amenable to long-term American interests in the Middle East.

President-elect Trump would do well to ponder that feat. Like President Bush, he will operate in an environment where Islamic extremists and other anti-U.S. actors are emboldened by the status quo, and where the roadblocks to victory are disheartening and numerous. He should zero in on the following lessons from the Surge:

1. The national interest should always prevail over public opinion and short-term political calculations. The decision to undertake the Surge was deeply unpopular. Many suggested that the U.S. should simply cuts its losses in Iraq, and leave. But the President would not allow himself to be beholden to the polls. He identified the root of the problem, relied on a clear-eyed view of the national interest to develop a response, let the strategy drive questions over resources, and moved ahead.

2. Recognize when your policy is failing and be willing to change it. President Bush acknowledged that his previous approach was inadequate. He did not attempt to sugarcoat the reality of the situation nor did he try to define down Americas security requirements. He took ownership of the policy and defied serious resistance within his own administration to reverse course. That process required wisdom, acceptance of risk, and courage.

3. There is no viable substitute for American military power in certain crises. It was clear in 2006 that Iraqi forces were incapable of regaining control amidst increasing sectarian violence. Yet we continued to transfer responsibility for security to these forces in order to pull back and eventually withdraw our own forces. A change in strategy proved critical to turning the war around, but it could not have been executed without a significant commitment of U.S. military forces moving out from their bases and stepping into the fight.

4. Military action is a critical component  not the totality  of a successful anti-Islamic extremist campaign. With the Surge, the strategy shifted from handing tasks off to Iraqis to securing the population. Capturing and killing terrorists remained a vital priority, but the mission required a non-military track that included political reconciliation and economic development. This effort, advanced in coordination with military operations, gave us a chance to make sustainable security gains on the ground.

5. Securing the peace demands continued effort. The Surge was not the ultimate solution to Iraqs problems. The subsequent Iraq tragedy lies in U.S. policymakers failure to capitalize on success and chart a viable plan for the next phase of the war. Then-General David Petraeus cautioned in 2008 that the progress in Iraq  decreasing violence, a weakened al Qaeda, and positive movements toward a long-term political solution  remained fragile and would require a concerted U.S. effort to sustain. President Barack Obama largely neglected the mission in Iraq for a variety of reasons, which helped lead to our enemies resurgence.

The incoming administration will face a world even more dangerous and complex than the one that we faced in 2007. Yet some of the lessons from the Surge are enduringand pertinent.

President-elect Trump now has an opportunity to apply them in attempting to restore American national security.
Most presidents wait until the corner stone is laid for their presidential libraries before they really try to airbrush their mistakes, errors and scandals out of history. But President Obama is already into full revisionism. He told CBS 60 Minutes last Sunday that we are probably the first administration in modern history that hasn't had a major scandal in the White House." His chief of staff, Denis McDonough says hes most proud of is that Obamas tenure has ben historically free of scandal.

Every administration engages in political spin, but this is political fantasy. For starters, this president and his minions have twisted, bent, and distorted the Constitution, engaging in unilateral actions that ignored, changed or rewrote federal law as if he was a potentate with a pen and a phone, not the executive of a constitutional republic. Obama has, in fact, presided over some of the worst scandals of any president in recent decades. Just a quick overview reveals a collection of truly deplorable events

Operation Fast & Furious, the most reckless law enforcement operation ever conducted by the Justice Department that supplied dangerous Mexican drug cartels with over 2,000 weapons? Perhaps he should talk to the family of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry or the families of the many Mexican citizens who have been killed with weapons obtained through that program. He even claimed executive privilege to cover up this scandal and obstruct a congressional investigation, an investigation that resulted in Attorney General Eric Holder being held in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over documents about the operation.

In behavior even Richard Nixon didnt get away with, President Obamas IRS flagged tax-exempt applications from conservative groups. Some were never acted on, some were put through intrusive and improper questioning and others werent approved. All of this may have resulted in suppressing Tea Party groups enough to secure Obamas narrow 2012 election.

But no one was punished for abusing the power of one of the most feared executive agencies. No criminal prosecution was undertaken and his Justice Department even refused to enforce the contempt citation issued by Congress against Lois Lerner, one of the main culprits at the IRS, for her refusal to answer questions about the scandal.

The Obama administration has also dodged persistent questions about the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack that cost the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. What is known is that the State Department ignored persistent requests for more security from the Benghazi consulate and did nothing to assist its occupants for hours after the attack began. In its coverup attempt, the administration peddled a false narrative about the motive for the attack just before the 2012 election while knowing it was false.

We still dont know the full story of the secret mission Ambassador Stevens was in Benghazi for.

Perhaps President Obama presided over the biggest data breach in the federal governments history, a data invastion by reputed Chinese hackers at the Office of Personnel Management.

This hack exposed the personnel files of millions of current and former federal employees and may end up being used for everything from identity fraud to blackmail and espionage.

The director of OPM, Katherine Archuleta, the presidents former 2012 political director, had been warned repeatedly about the deficiencies in OPMs IT program but did nothing to fix them. -- Kind of like the presidents refusal to take any steps against the aggressive actions of Vladimir Putin until Russia may have finally done something that really went too far exposing what the DNC and the Clinton campaign were doing behind the scenes in the 2016 presidential election.

One reason ObamaCare may be repealed in disgust is how Obama has revised the law dozens of times without consulting Congress.

The law was treated like a blackboard, with Obama erasing or delaying parts he didnt like without consulting Congress in order to keep the program on life support.

That kind of lawlessness was accompanied by a lack of transparency so severe that in 2014, 47 of Obamas 73 hand-picked Inspector Generals signed an open letter decrying the administrations stonewalling of their investigations.

When it came to the media, Holders Justice Department subpoenaed phone records from the Associated Press, demanded New York Times reporter James Risen reveal his sources and named Fox News reporter, James Rosen, a "criminal co-conspirator" under the Espionage Act to gain access to his personal records.

One reason for Obamas penchant for secrecy was his habit of breaking rules. Those ranged from not informing Congress of the dubious prisoner swap involving Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl and the linking of the release of four Americans by Iran with the cash payment of $400 million delivered on pallets. Despite warnings not to so, Obama ordered the release of at least 12 hardened terrorists from Guantanamo who have since returned to terrorist ranks and sought to kill Americans.

It seems every cabinet department has had its own mega-scandal -- from the secret death lists and phony status reports compiled by Veterans Affairs to the green scam boondoggles of the Energy Department to the Agriculture Departments payouts to fictitious farmers in the Pigford scandal.

The claims by Obama and his aides that there have been no scandals on his watch is so delusional it makes wonder whether they and the president, who will remain titular head of the Democratic Party, will install Sergeant I know nothing Schultz of Hogans Heroes as their new spokesman.

Obamas media allies are amplifying and repeating the no scandal myth.

NBCs Tom Brokaw gushed after Obamas farewell address last Tuesday that Hes been scandal free, frankly, in the White House. We havent had that for a while.

Some of Brokaws media allies would take issue with him. Obamas administration fought tooth and nail to block valid Freedom of Information Act requests from reporters. Then, as Kevin Williamson of National Review notes, under the flimsiest of national-security pretexts, the Obama administration used the Department of Justice to spy on Fox News reporter James Rosen. It also spied on the Associated Press.

But no matter how much help Obama gets from his media allies, I doubt hell be able to airbrush away scandals that have cost taxpayers billion, resulted in lost lives and have damaged our nation in ways we dont yet fully comprehend.

History has a way of eventually outrunning political spin.
Start with a simple indisputable fact. Most of the Department of Energys budget has nothing to do with energy. Nothing. Some $20 billion of that agencys $30 billion budget is devoted to military-related nuclear activities.

Other than DOE having a misleading title, whats the problem with that? The illusion that DOE is energy-focused matters, whether youre bragging or complaining about its budget. More importantly, it means that the Secretary of Energy and the congressional oversight committees are, necessarily, preoccupied with non-energy issues. Imagine if two-thirds of NASAs budget involved chemical production or two-thirds of HUDs was for forest management.

This is how the White House Office of Management and Budget describes the mission though: The Department of Energy (DOE) is charged with advancing the national, economic, and energy security of the United States; promoting scientific and technological innovation in support of that mission; and ensuring the environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex. Theres a lot of money and misdirection covered by that last little caveat about weapons. Talk about the tail wagging the dog.

It would be a mistake, though, to squander political capital trying to abolish DOE. The irony has been widely noted that Governor Rick Perry, Secretary of Energy nominee, made its elimination part of his run for the Republican nomination. President Reagan too made abolishing DOE a signature line in his 1980 campaign and, within the first months of his first term, proceeded with such plans. But as Reagans team discovered, once a beastly federal agency has been created, abolishing iteven when it was just four baby-years old back thenis borderline impossible.

Sometimes in politics, business and life you have to deal with the art of the possible, or, to use a Trumpism, the art of the deal. There is a logical and politically achievable deal to be made here. Leave DOEs overall budget as a battle for another day, and simply split up the organization along the lines suggested by its separate energy and military functions.

The myriad $20 billion activities involving nuclear weapons materials, propulsion, security, safety and cleanup are all vital. But they belong within a clear non-cabinet-level Defense Nuclear Materials Agency (DNMA) comparable in rank to the EPA or Securities and Exchange Commission. To dilute partisanship and enhance operational efficiency and safety, a DNMA should be structured like the SEC with five commissioners, of which no more than three can be from the same political party, and a chairman who serves five years after presidential appointment and congressional approval.

Then the remaining $10 billion in DOEs budget stays within the now eponymously named department. Here is where the incoming Secretary of Energy can use the political capital that every new administration enjoys. It is past time to revisit what DOE spends its money on.

Why was the DOE created? Its foundational motive is clear: In establishing the agency in 1977, Congress began with the assertion that the U.S. faces an increasing shortage of nonrenewable energy resources, meaning specifically oil and natural gas. While we can debate why that statement was deeply misguided then, the fact is that today it is most assuredly not true. Indeed the issue that preoccupies the political world today is a glut of nonrenewable energy.

Given that original mission, its ironic that no government programs brought us Americas hydrocarbon renaissance. Salvation came almost entirely from private sector innovation, investment and risk-taking. However, the government did spend cumulatively more than $150 billion to pursue alternatives to hydrocarbons. But not only does two-thirds of Americas energy still come from oil and gas, but that share will remain unchanged for foreseeable decades according to the just-released DOE Energy Information Administration forecast. The $150 billion didnt change a thing. Its time to try something different and stop throwing yet more money at what has obviously failed.

This means redirecting spending to more basic science and less on yesterdays tired list of alternative technologies. It means putting faithand moneyinto the undirected support of the fecund imagination of young scientists, researchers and innovators. It means eliminating thinly veiled corporate subsidies from a top-down bureaucracy for the same old favored solutions or organizations. It will take radically new science and the serendipity of discovery to find the kind of long-run magical new energy options that can make an impact equivalent to shale. This approach to energy R&D has been espoused by Bill Gates lately, which could give the incoming Secretary of Energy some comfort and perhaps even political support.

It also bears noting that the second animating assertion founding the 1977 DOE Act was that our increasing dependence on foreign energy supplies presents a serious threat to the national security of the U.S. and to the health, safety and welfare of its citizens. DOE should hew to the impetus behind this mission. Since the shale revolution is what finally reduced Americas import dependence, logic dictates increasing associated basic research in hydrocarbon and shale geosciences. These goals would be far easier to effect and manage in an agency whose sole mission were in fact energy.

All of this would bring DOE into the 21st century. And it would be fitting to get this done before the 40th anniversary of that Departments activation on October 1, 1977.
The North American International Auto Show  the premier industry assembly for auto aficionados and manufacturers  is in full swing this month in Detroit.

Six thousand miles away, a far different auto show involving many of the same manufacturers is unfolding in Iran. For the Iranian regime, the auto industry is more than a massive source of revenue for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a terrorist organization sanctioned by the United States and the international community. It also provides the countrys rulers with access to advanced foreign technologies and dual-use products for its military and security forces through foreign business agreements.

Some of the same companies proudly showing off their dazzling, shiny wares at the auto show in Detroit, including Fiat-Chrysler and Daimler, are in the middle of negotiating deals in Iran that are being brokered with Iranian counterparts closely linked to the IRGC.

While the public and press check out the latest model designs and auto technology from companies like Fiat-Chrysler and Daimler, these same businesses are negotiating deals to enter a market controlled by a regime that is the worlds leading state sponsor of terrorism worldwide, that represses its own citizens, and is responsible for the killing of more than 1,000 U.S. service members.

Fiat-Chrysler and Daimler suspended their business ties to Iran just a few years ago, under heavy pressure from the U.S. public and economic sanctions. But today, automakers are using the Iran nuclear deal as a legal mechanism that enables them to re-enter the Iranian market.

But if Fiat-Chrysler and Daimler were concerned about the regimes behavior before the JCPOA, they should be just as anxious now. Since the signing of the nuclear deal, Iran has tested multiple ballistic missiles in defiance of U.N. security council resolutions, smuggled weapons and missiles to its terror proxy Hezbollah, stepped up its harassment of U.S. Navy ships in the Persian Gulf, enabled Syrias Bashar al-Assad to barrel bomb his own people, and arrested and held hostage numerous dual national citizens from Western nations.

Despite this incendiary behavior, automakers insist on pushing ahead with their own lucrative business deals. Fiat-Chrysler is reportedly going announce a deal next month at the Iran Automotive Industry International Conference (IAIIC) with Iran Khodro, a subsidiary of IDRO, an Iranian government body that controls companies that developed the regimes nuclear and missile programs. In other words, Fiat-Chrysler will soon be in business with an entity posing a grave threat to international security.

News accounts suggest Daimler, with the encouragement of the German government, has signed letters of intent for a joint venture with Iran Khodro Diesel for its Mercedes-Benz trucks. The same trucks have been used in the past by the regime as mobile launchers for ballistic missiles, as well as platforms for public executions. Daimlers willful blindness enables a regime that hangs dissidents from construction cranes, trains and funds terrorists, and maims and kills American men and women in uniform. And as long as Germany encourages business deals with dangerous bedfellows and there are profits to be made, Daimler is being saddled with serious legal, political, financial, and reputational risks associated with doing business in Iran.

Unfortunately, that line of thinking is clouding the judgment of executives around the globe. We have seen this same show unfold in the past: companies eagerly exploring business opportunities in Iran only to have to back away due to sanctions or public pressure.

Given the regimes indefensible behavior, history is set to repeat itself once again. When that happens, the question for Fiat and Daimler will be: why would you do business with the worlds leading state sponsor of terror?

Mark D. Wallace is CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran. He is the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform.
Students at Independence High School in Williamson County, Tennessee, will not be allowed to watch President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration during class on Friday, according to one student and her mother.

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Senior Olivia Roberts was so surprised by the ban she decided to write a Facebook post that has since gone viral:

To preface this, I am not one to post or debate anything political on Facebook but wanted to hear thoughts on this:

I go to public school and we are not allowed to watch the inauguration tomorrow...

Teachers are banned to show it.

Teachers are also not allowed to discuss anything about politics or religions which is understandable but this is a nationwide event in history that I think an a US citizen (whether you are happy about it or not) should be watched to honor and support the president of The United States of America (no matter who it is) And pay respect to the country we are privileged to live in. We watched the last 2 presidential inaugurations in school.

Suzanne Roberts is Olivias mother. She thought it was really strange that teachers would not be allowed to show such a historic event in the classroom. So she picked up the phone and called the principal.

Instead of getting answers, she said she received a lecture from the principal.

I asked her if there was a policy regarding inaugurations but instead of answering she asked me, Why is it important for you personally that your child see the inauguration live?

I was a little thrown off, she told me.

She told me that Independence High School is going to focus on learning and moving forward and staying on curriculum and they would not be stopping class for the inauguration, Mrs. Roberts said. She told me that news happens every day in this country and they wont be stopping class to watch the news.

However, Carol Birdsong, a school district spokesman, said late Thursday, "there has not been any type of districtwide directive regarding watching the inauguration, either live or replayed, and to our knowledge, no principal has banned teachers from watching the event with students as might be appropriate."

Meanwhile, fourth graders at a Michigan grade school will not be allowed to watch President Trump's inauguration address because their teacher fears he might use inflammatory and degrading language.

Conservative radio host Steve Gruber obtained a letter purportedly written by teacher Brett Meteyer and sent to parents at Explorer Elementary School in the small town of Williamston.

Meteyer said he was concerned about children being exposed to inappropriate language and behavior.

I am anxious about showing Mr. Trumps inaugural address, given his past inflammatory and degrading comments about minorities, women, and the disabled, he wrote. I am also uneasy about Mr. Trumps casual use of profanity, so I sought an assurance that as their teacher, I would not be exposing children to language that would not appear in G or PG-rated movies.

Does the teacher really think that the president-elect is going to deliver his inaugural address while dropping f-bombs from sea to shining sea? "Ask not what your country can do for you..."

Ive covered a lot of educators acting moronically over the past few years, but this guy takes the cake.

I put in a request to the Trump team to preview the speech, but I have not heard back from them, he reportedly wrote to parents.

Im going to go out on a limb here and suggest the president-elects transition team has more pressing matters to attend to than being lectured by a fourth grade school teacher.

The school district sent me a statement acknowledging they are aware of discourse within the community regarding a teacher parent communication surrounding the Presidential inauguration.

The district administration expects teachers to present a balanced perspective consistent with the curriculum and demonstrate good judgement in their communications with families, the statement read. Administrators do not preview nor censor communications sent by teachers.

What a load of pretentious pomposity.

President Trump is going to have a difficult time making America great again with educators like this stinking up our nations classrooms.
Rep. Mick Mulvaney, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to run the White House budget office, failed to pay more than $15,000 in payroll taxes for a household worker more than a decade ago, prompting the Senate's top Democrat to issue a statement saying the lapse should disqualify his nomination.

"I have come to learn, during the confirmation review process, that I failed to pay FICA and federal and state unemployment taxes on a household employee for the years 2000-2004," Mulvaney, R-S.C., stated in a response to written questions from the Senate Budget Committee.

It was not immediately clear whether the lapse would have any effect on the confirmation of Mulvaney, a staunch conservative elected in the 2010 tea party wave. A hearing before the budget panel is scheduled for next week. Democrats opposing Mulvaney no longer retain the filibuster power that could block him.

But Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer quickly pounced, saying that tax problems have forced previous Democratic nominees for both President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama to drop out and that Mulvaney should, too.

"When other previous Cabinet nominees failed to pay their fair share in taxes, Senate Republicans forced those nominees to withdraw from consideration," Schumer said shortly after The New York Times initially reported the story. "If failure to pay taxes was disqualifying for Democratic nominees, then the same should be true for Republican nominees."

The Trump transition team provided a statement supporting Mulvaney and attacking Schumer.

"Congressman Mulvaney raised the issue surrounding the care of his premature triplets immediately upon being tapped for this position, and has taken the appropriate follow-up measures," said transition official John Czwartacki. "President-elect Trump fully stands behind Rep. Mulvaney."

In 2009, failure to pay taxes sunk Obama's choice to head the Health and Human Services Department and nearly derailed his nominee for treasury secretary. Former Sen. Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination for HHS after failing to pay back taxes of more than $100,000 he owed for a chauffeur and car service.

But former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said he made a careless mistake when he didn't pay all his taxes while working at the International Monetary Fund. He ended up paying some $40,000 in back taxes and interest. A host of top Republicans supported Geithner, including Orrin Hatch of Utah and John Cornyn of Texas.

The Trump transition statement called Schumer a "complete hypocrite" for defending Geithner eight years ago but opposing Mulvaney now.

Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky opposed Geithner in 2009, however, noting "the questions that still remain." McConnell's office had no comment regarding Mulvaney.

Earlier, during the Clinton years, nominees Zoe Baird and Kimba Woods were forced to withdraw for failure to pay taxes for household help.

Mulvaney said he repaid more than $15,000 before interest and IRS penalties and that state amounts had yet to be determined.
Vice President-elect Mike Pence told Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier" Wednesday that President Obama's decision to commute Private Chelsea Manning's 35-year prison sentence for releasing classified documents to Wikileaks "was a mistake."

"Private Manning is a traitor and should not have been turned into a martyr," Pence told Baier two days before his inauguration as Donald Trump's vice president. "Private Mannings actions compromised our national security, endangered American personnel downrange, compromised individuals in Afghanistan who were cooperating with our forces by leaking 750,000 documents to Wikileaks."

Pence vowed that the Trump administration would be "committed to protecting our nation's secrets" and would "bring to bear the law" on Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who reportedly vowed that he would allow himself to be extradited to the U.S. if Manning was granted "clemency."

Wikileaks gained notoriety during last year's election campaign when it published emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta, actions seen as benefiting Trump's campaign.

"I think what the president-elect has said is that the information that came out through Wikileaks -- which has never been questioned as having been real information, real emails that were verified -- was useful to many Americans, but that doesnt mean he agrees with or that we endorse the tactics or the actions of Julian Assange," Pence told Baier."

The vice president-elect added that a plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare was "coming together."

"Its going to be what the president-elect talked about in this election," Pence said. "Allowing the American people to purchase health insurance across state lines, allowing the free market to meet the needs  we can have low-cost health insurance in American by implementing free-market principles and implementing the kind of reforms in Medicaid thatll allow underprivileged Americans to be able to take more control of their own healthcare."
President-elect Donald Trump will officially nominate former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to be secretary of agriculture Thursday, a senior transition source told Fox News.

The nomination was expected to be announced by Vice President-elect Mike Pence during a press briefing with incoming White House Press secretary Sean Spicer Thursday morning.

Perdue, who in 2002 became the first Republican to be elected Georgia governor in 130 years, had long been considered the favorite to head the Agriculture Department in a Trump administration, with one source describing him to Fox News earlier this month as a "lock" for the position.

Perdue, 70, would be the first Southerner to lead the Agriculture Department in more than two decades. He comes from the small city of Bonaire in rural central Georgia, where he built businesses in grain trading and trucking. He is the cousin of Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga.

During Perdue's tenure as governor, Georgia adopted tough new food-safety regulations after a deadly U.S. salmonella outbreak was traced to Georgia-made peanut butter. He moved the state office that issues water permits for irrigation and other agricultural uses from Atlanta to rural south Georgia, where it would be closer to farmers. And Perdue poured millions of state dollars into Go Fish, a program that aimed to lure bass fishing tournaments to the state.

Perdue's nomination rounds out Trump's Cabinet choices. Sources told Fox News that the transition team wanted to complete the nominations by Friday.

Senate Republicans are pressing Democrats to allow confirmation votes for several of Trump's nominees on Friday evening, hours after he is inaugurated as the 45th president. Among those expected to be considered by the full Senate Friday are Defense Secretary nominee James Mattis, Homeland Security Secretary nominee John Kelly and Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., for CIA Director.

Fox News' Ed Henry, John Roberts and Chad Pergram contributed to this report. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
Former President George H.W. Bush was in stable condition Thursday afternoon and his wife, Barbara, reported feeling "1,000 percent" better after both had been hospitalized, him for pneumonia and her for bronchitis.

The 92-year-old former president went into the ICU at Houston Methodist Hospital on Wednesday and remained there on Thursday, family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement.

"President Bush had a good night's rest...His medical team is actively evaluating him for extubation, and we are hopeful he will be discharged from the ICU in a few days," McGrath said.

The 41st president had been placed in the ICU to address "an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia," McGrath said. He later told The Associated Press that doctors were happy with how the procedure went. Bush was first admitted to the hospital Saturday for shortness of breath.

"I don't think there's a whole lot of money to be gained betting against George Bush," McGrath said. "We're just kind of in a wait-and-see mode."

DOROTHY BUSH KOCH: WHAT MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME ABOUT LEARNING

McGrath said Barbara Bush, who is 91, had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks and decided "to take it out of committee and have the experts check it out."

"Antibiotics and some good rest seem to have restored her to better health," McGrath said on Thursday.

The Bushes, who were married Jan. 6, 1945, have had the longest marriage of any presidential couple in American history. At the time of their wedding, he was a young naval aviator. She had been a student at Smith College.

After World War II, the pair moved to the Texas oil patch to seek their fortune and raise a family. It was there that George Bush began his political career, representing Houston for two terms in Congress in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Bush, who served as president from 1989 to 1993, has a form of Parkinson's disease and uses a motorized scooter or a wheelchair for mobility. He was hospitalized in 2015 in Maine after falling at his summer home and breaking a bone in his neck. He was also hospitalized in Houston the previous December for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.

FORMER PRESIDENT'S MOVEMENT DISORDER MIMICS PARKINSON'S

Despite his loss of mobility, Bush celebrated his 90th birthday by making a tandem parachute jump in Kennebunkport, Maine. Last summer, Bush led a group of 40 wounded warriors on a fishing trip at the helm of his speedboat, three days after his 92nd birthday celebration.

Bush's office announced earlier this month that the couple would not attend Donald Trump's inauguration because of the former president's age and health.

"My doctor says if I sit outside in January, it likely will put me six feet under. Same for Barbara. So I guess we're stuck in Texas," Bush wrote in a letter to Trump.

His son George W. Bush, the 43rd president, still expects to attend the inauguration and does not plan to travel to Houston, spokesman Freddy Ford said.

Trump and President Barack Obama sent their well wishes  via Twitter and a news conference respectively. Former President Bill Clinton also tweeted: "41 and Barbara  thinking about you both and sending wishes for a speedy recovery. Love, 42."

George Herbert Walker Bush, born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, also served as CIA director and Ronald Reagan's vice president.

George W. Bush was elected president in 2000 and served two terms. Another son, Jeb, served as Florida governor and made an unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination in 2016. Only one other U.S. president, John Adams, had a son who also became president.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Republican National Committee elected Ronna Romney McDaniel Thursday to serve as its chairwoman  making her the first female RNC chief in three decades.

McDaniel, President-elect Donald Trumps preferred candidate, previously served as the chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party and played a key role in delivering the state by a thin margin to Trump in the November election.

McDaniel, 43, is the niece of 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney and earned favor with Trump by supporting him despite a feud earlier this year between her uncle and the now-president elect.

"I am a mom from Michigan," she said. "I am an outsider. And I am going to do everything I can to make sure Donald Trump and Republicans everywhere are successful."

McDaniel was elected by RNC members gathered in the nations capital, and takes over from outgoing chairman Reince Priebus, who had served in the role for six years. Priebus is moving to the Trump White House where he will serve as chief of staff.

Priebus gave McDaniel a strong endorsement in his final address to the committee, calling McDaniel the right woman to lead the RNC" and pointed to her ability to turn Michigan red in the election.

"It is that level of passion, along with her commitment to building out the ground, data, and digital operation the RNC has been working on for years, that gives me total confidence she is the right woman to lead the RNC," he said.

Congratulations to @RRMGOP, the new Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee! pic.twitter.com/xfM5CmqGxu  GOP (@GOP) January 19, 2017

Massachusetts GOP chair Kirsten Hughes said McDaniels election is part of an honest effort to improve the partys standing with women. After the 2012 presidential election defeat, the RNCs now famous autopsy encouraged the party to grow the ranks of influential female voices in the Republican Party."

McDaniel herself indicated that her election could play a role in breaking down the Democratic Partys claim to be the party of women.

"For far too long, Democrats have hailed themselves as the party of women," McDaniel said. "As Republicans, we know their so-called monopoly on being the party of women is false, and it is a mindset I intend to change."

McDaniel is expected to play a behind-the-scenes role, with a special focus on fundraising and maintaining the national field and data operation built by Priebus team. She will work with new Co-Chair Bob Paduchik, who was Trump's state director in Ohio.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In a last major act as president, Barack Obama cut short the sentences of 330 federal inmates convicted of drug crimes on Thursday, bringing his bid to correct what he's called a systematic injustice to a climactic close.

With his final offer of clemency, Obama brought his total number of commutations granted to 1,715, more than any other president in U.S. history, the White House said. During his presidency Obama ordered free 568 inmates who had been sentenced to life in prison.

"He wanted to do it. He wanted the opportunity to look at as many as he could to provide relief," Neil Eggleston, Obama's White House counsel, said in an interview in his West Wing office. "He saw the injustice of the sentences that were imposed in many situations, and he has a strong view that people deserve as second chance."

For Obama, it was the last time he planned to exercise his presidential powers in any significant way. At noon on Friday, Obama will stand with President-elect Donald Trump as his successor is sworn in and Obama's chapter in history comes to an end.

Even as Obama issued the commutations, the White House had been mostly cleared out to make way for Trump. In between carrying out their last duties, the few remaining staffers were packing up belongings as photos of Obama were taken down from the walls of the West Wing corridors.

The final batch of commutations  more in a single day than on any other day in U.S. history  was the culmination of Obama's second-term effort to try to remedy the consequences of decades of onerous sentencing requirements that he said had imprisoned thousands of drug offenders for too long. Obama repeatedly called on Congress to pass a broader criminal justice fix, but lawmakers never acted.

For Bernard Smith, it's a long-awaited chance to start over after 13 years away from his wife and children.

Smith was working at a restaurant in Maryland in 2002 when his brother asked him to obtain marijuana for a drug deal. Though it was his brother who obtained the crack cocaine that the brothers then sold along with the marijuana to undercover officers, Smith was charged with the cocaine offense, too.

His 22-year sentence was far longer than his brother's, owing to what the court called Smith's "extensive criminal history" prior to the drug bust. Smith still had 10 years on his sentence when he was notified Thursday that the president, on his last day in office, was giving him another chance.

"He's looking to turn his life around," said Michelle Curth, his attorney. "He's a good person who, like so many people, got involved in something he's been punished for already."

Curth said that Smith had learned his lesson and owned up to his crime  he asked for a commutation, she noted, not a pardon, which would have erased the original conviction. She said Smith hopes to get licensed in heating and air conditioning maintenance and has lined up family members to help with his adjustment.

But freedom for Smith is still two years away. Rather than release him immediately, Obama directed that he be set free in January 2019  two years after Obama has left office  and only if Smith enrolls in a residential drug treatment program.

To be eligible for a commutation under Obama's initiative, inmates had to have behaved well in prison and already served 10 years, although some exceptions to the 10-year rule were granted. They also had to be considered nonviolent offenders, although many were charged with firearms violations in relation to their drug crimes.

Obama personally reviewed the case of every inmate who received a commutation, often poring over case files in the evenings or calling his attorneys into his office to discuss specifics. Although a backlog of cases remains as Obama leaves office, his administration reviewed all applications that came in by an end-of-August deadline, officials said.

Eggleston said Obama had been particularly motivated to grant clemency to inmates who had turned themselves around in prison. He said one inmate had trained and obtained a commercial driver's license through a prison program, despite having a life sentence that all but assured he'd never get to use it.

"The ones who really stuck home for the president and me are the ones who got their GED, they worked, they took courses in anger management, they took courses in getting over drug abuse issues, they remained in contract with their families," Eggleston said.

Obama has long called for phasing out strict sentences for drug offenses, arguing they lead to excessive punishment and incarceration rates unseen in other developed countries. With Obama's support, the Justice Department in recent years directed prosecutors to rein in the use of harsh mandatory minimums.

Earlier in the week, Obama commuted most of the rest of convicted leaker Chelsea Manning's sentence, arguing the Army intelligence analyst had shown remorse and already served a long sentence.

Yet Obama will leave office without granting commutations or pardons to other prominent offenders who had sought clemency, including accused Army deserter Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He also declined to pardon former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
Barack Obama is the president who aggressively went after the press for publishing leaks.

Obama is the president whose administration thought it was okay to surreptitiously obtain reporters emails and phone records while pursuing leaks.

Obama is the president whose administration conducted more leak investigations than all of his predecessors combined.

Obama is the president who has consistently decried the exposure of national security secrets.

So Im having great difficulty understanding why the president, in one of his last official acts, thought it was okay to free a person who leaked 700,000 classified documents.

Chelsea Manning, a low-level Army intelligence analyst who revealed American military and diplomatic secrets around the world, had served seven years of a 35-year sentence. Obamas commutation, delivered against the urging of defense advisers, will free her in May.

At his final presser yesterday, Obama offered a fairly weak defense. He said Manning had already served a tough sentence and that 35 years was disproportionate. He said this did not send the wrong signal to future leakers and did not contradict his stance on military secrecy or his administrations criticism of Wikileaks. But he couldnt quite explain why that was.

I dont quite get how this champion leaker became a hero on the left, though her transgender statusshe was Bradley Manning when she gave all those documents to Wikileaks, putting Julian Assanges group on the mapmay have something to do with it.

And perhaps the move involved a bit of compassion after two reported suicide attempts. I can even see where 35 years would seem excessive. But handing Manning a get-of-out-jail card sends a horrible signal.

Anyone else contemplating espionage may figure that a commutation could be in their future. So much for the idea of a deterrent.

On what planet should Manning be deemed a whistle-blower, as her lawyers are claiming? Yes, as Josh Earnest pointed out, Bradley Manning faced the music while Ed Snowden, our eras other big leaker, fled to Russia. But since when is undergoing prosecution a talking point for having ones sentence cut short?

How did U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan feel about Manning dumping out hundreds of thousands of military incident logs, even if some did show abuses by the Iraqis?

As the New York Times noted, 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 had been killed because of the leaks. Well, then.

It was Eric Holders Justice Department that saw fit to secretly obtain personal records from the Associated Press and Foxs James Rosen, without their knowledge, even labeling Rosen a co-conspirator.

So a journalist doing his job by pursuing a State Department story is named in a criminal complaint, and a leaker of military secrets is set free?

It's the kind of move that presidents feel emboldened to make when theyre halfway out the door, reminiscent of Bill Clintons last-minute pardon of wealthy fugitive Marc Rich.

Obama was about to leave office on a high note, with a 60 percent approval rating, a gracious transition with Donald Trump and sympathetic media coverage. The Manning move, unfortunately, mars that story line.
He was convicted of trying to overthrow the government, and named a leader of a terrorist group that bombed public buildings and killed people.

Now, President Obama's decision to commute the sentence of FALN member Oscar Lopez Rivera has sparked outrage from terror victims.

"I'm disgusted by what the president did. It's a travesty," said Joe Connor, whose father was killed in an infamous FALN terrorist bombing in Manhattan.

"The enemies of our country are being rewarded, and being treated as if they are heroes. What we hear is that Oscar Lopez Rivera did not get to know his family. Well, neither did my father. The victims and the Americans get pushed aside."

Rivera has been serving a 55-year federal prison sentence for being a leader of the Puerto Rican terrorist group, which sought independence for the U.S. island territory. The FALN claimed responsibility for over 70 bombings in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Chicago from 1974 to 1983. The attacks killed five people and wounded dozens more, including police officers.

In 1981, Lopez Rivera was convicted of seditious conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government and arms trafficking. He was later sentenced to serve 15 more years behind bars for trying to escape twice, and he never renounced his radical cause.

In 1999, on the eve of Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate run in New York, her husband, President Clinton, commuted the sentences of 16 imprisoned FALN members. But Lopez Rivera reportedly turned the offer down, refusing to be released unless all of his comrades were released from prison.

Now, 18 years later, he will be walking out of the federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind., a free man, his sentence cut short by 34 years.

"I went to his parole hearing in 2011," said Connor. "We were looking for some sort of reconciliation, some sort of admission, some sort of atonement. We didn't get any of that. He is a sworn terrorist, and for the president to release a sworn terrorist for political reasons, or whatever reason, is a disgrace."

Joe was only 9 years old when his father Frank went to have lunch at the historic Fraunces Tavern, near Wall Street, on Jan. 24, 1975. The colonial landmark is where President George Washington bid farewell to his troops on Dec. 4, 1783. That is why the symbol of the nation was targeted.

As Frank had lunch, a bomb suddenly exploded, killing him and three others. More than 60 people were injured. Frank Connor was 33 years old, and since then his son has taken up the crusade to speak out against terrorism and freedom for the killers. He says Lopez Rivera never admitted or accepted responsibility for his acts, never expressed any remorse, and that the president's decision sends a horrible message.

"It does nothing but encourage terrorism, it makes you think that at some point, terrorism will be forgiven," he said.

Lopez Rivera has become a cause celebre among some Latino officials and celebrities, who have claimed he is a freedom fighter unfairly imprisoned for his political beliefs. His supporters range from Broadway's "Hamilton" creator Lin Manuel Miranda to several members of Congress, the mayor of San Juan, the speaker of the New York City Council, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. More than 100,000 people signed a petition urging Obama to grant the clemency.

I think it is an historic moment for the Puerto Rican people," said Lopez Rivera's brother, Jose, who lives in Chicago.

"It's a moment where we can say the president of the United States, this President Obama, has really shown that we have to reach a level of reconciliation. My brother went to prison and charged with seditious conspiracy for exposing the fact that the U.S. is a colonial power in Puerto Rico," he said.

Connor countered, "There are no political prisoners, the United States does not hold political prisoners, these were terrorists."

Connor is also calling for the extradition of American fugitives from Cuba, including convicted cop killer and Black Liberation Army member Joanne Chesimard and FALN chief bomb maker Willie Morales. Morales has been called the suspected mastermind of the Fraunces Tavern bombing that killed Joe's father and he remains protected by the Castro regime even as he is on the FBI's Most Wanted List with a $100,000 reward offered for his capture.

"We have 70 or 80 fugitives in Cuba, and we have to now look to the Trump administration and say, hey we have to bring back Willie Morales," Connor said.

"We need justice, and my father deserved that justice. He was a good man, and the rest of the people who were murdered by the FALN deserve justice."

Lopez Rivera will walk out of prison a free man on May 17, and President Trump, by U.S. law, will not be able to reverse the decision.

Follow Eric Shawn on Twitter @EricShawnTV

Fox News Jen Oliva contributed to this report.
A New York lawyer appealed to President Obama Wednesday in an opinion piece to pardon former-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and others who may be potential targets of an investigation into the use of her private email server.

Robert Begleiter, a partner at Constantine Cannon LLP and former assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of New York, wrote in The Daily News that the Constitution permits a president to pardon someone who has not been charged with a crime.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he has no intention of investigating Clinton, despite the familiar chant by supporters at his primary rallies, Lock her up. He even refered to her as Crooked Hillary.

I dont want to hurt the Clintons, I really dont, Trump told editors at The New York Times shortly after the election. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways, and Im not looking to hurt them at all. The campaign was vicious.

Begleiter wrote that he wishes Trump well as president, but said it would be a gamble in the event Clinton ever criticized Trump during his presidency. He called it sideways to believe that a person who accepted a pardon is admitting guilt.

He wrote that a pardon for Clinton could, in the words of Alexander Hamilton, restore tranquility to the commonwealth

John Crudele, a financial columnist with The New York Post, wrote that Obama is the most forgiving president in U.S. history, and commuted the sentences of 1,000. He theorized that Obama likely does not personally like Clinton very much and the email scandal put him in an embarrassing situation.

But the best reason for not giving a pardon is simple: Obama doesnt really know what kind of trouble Hillary might be in. And she would have to admit to things she might not be ready to reveal to get completely out of trouble, he wrote.
There is business to be done on Inauguration Day in the United States Senate.

But it will come late in the day.

Long after the swearing-in of President-elect Trump. Hours following the helicopter departure from the Capitol of President Obama via Executive One. Its designated as such because the former president is on board, having just bid farewell to the new president. And we havent even mentioned the special inauguration luncheon on Statuary Hall of the Capitol.

Consider the bill of fare:

Did guests prefer the J. Lohr 2013 Arroyo Vista Chardonnay paired with the Maine lobster and Gulf shrimp -- with saffron sauce and peanut crumble? Or did the Delicato Black Stallion 2012 Limited Release Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon go better with the Angus beef -- with dark chocolate and juniper jus and potato gratin?

The House and Senate are in fact in session Friday. The inauguration itself constitutes a Joint Session of Congress  just outside. The House gavels in Friday morning but wont really do anything. Technically, the Senate is in too at that point (theres a debate about whether to raise the flag over the Senate wing of the Capitol, denoting the Senate meeting). But unlike its companion body, the Senate will conduct the first business of the Trump administration sometime after 4 p.m. ET.

The question  is how much.

The Senate will focus on confirming some of the new presidents nominees. Republicans certainly have the votes to confirm many of Trumps picks. But for now, Democrats can determine how many nominees the Senate can advance on Inauguration Day and how many they can delay.

Senate Republicans are pushing for the confirmation of seven nominees. But in reality, Trump will only get three or four on Friday. Maybe five at the most.

Seven sounds like a good number, said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas. Seven is the number in 2009. I would expect parity.

Seven is magnificent for Republicans because thats how many nominees the Senate confirmed on Obamas inauguration day eight years ago. The Senate approved the nominees on whats called a voice vote, not taking a formal tally. Those in favor simply holler aye. Those opposed shout no. The louder group prevails.

In 2009, the Senate confirmed Steven Chu as Energy secretary, Arne Duncan as Education secretary, Janet Napolitano as Homeland Security secretary, Ken Salazar as Interior secretary, Eric Shinseki as Veterans Affairs secretary, Tom Vilsack as Agriculture secretary and Peter Orszag as the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The Senate confirmed Hillary Clinton as secretary of State the next day, 94-2 with 39 Republicans voting yea. Defense Secretary Bob Gates stayed on from the Bush administration.

At the very least, Republicans are angling to confirm Trumps national security team Friday: Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., as CIA Director, retired Gen. James Mattis as Defense secretary and retired Gen. John Kelly as Homeland Security secretary. Theres chatter the Senate could confirm Elaine Chao, the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as Transportation secretary Friday. Chaos not controversial. The Senate confirmed Chao on a voice vote as President George W. Bushs Labor secretary in 2001.

This is an important moment for the Democrats. Democrats dont align politically with many of the president-elects nominees. Cabinet confirmations are the first proxy fight on the field. Democrats must flex their muscles to build support with the left. This helps set the tone for the next two if not four years. The Democrats efforts to vilify the president and portray his choices in a negative light help their cause. In other words, if Trump is so good at spotting talent, why are there issues with the nominees?

This is a swamp Cabinet full of bankers and billionaires, proclaimed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

But doesnt the president have the right to have as many members of his Cabinet in place as soon as possible? Schumer says its not analogous for the GOP to complain if the Senate doesnt confirm seven nominees on inauguration day like they did for Obama. Schumer says the presidents nominees turned in their background paperwork for review in a timely fashion. He said the wealth of Trumps picks created issues in the vetting process.

Start with Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson. Tillerson could even face Republican opposition. Thats a problem. Republicans hold a 52-48 advantage in the Senate (two independent senators caucus with the Democrats). If Democrats hold the line, Republicans have a narrow margin for error.

Democrats are also targeting Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos and EPA Administrator nominee Scott Pruitt. Democrats are worked into a lather over the nomination of Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., as Health and Human Services secretary. Thats because of the role Price could play in dismantling ObamaCare. The OMB nominee, Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., just coughed up more than $15,000 in delayed payroll taxes he owed to a worker at his home.

Im sure theyll grab for every straw they can to delay the president-elects cabinet, said Cornyn.

But Democrats cant do much to torpedo nominations if Republicans stick together. All Democrats can do is elongate the process by a day or two and require a procedural vote to end debate on a nomination. All eyes are watching for the first Republican senator who dares to vote against one of Trumps nominees  and the wrath they may incur.

Such a prospect could give any senator indigestion  regardless of the wine pairing they preferred or the peanut crumble.

Capitol Attitude is a weekly column written by members of the Fox News Capitol Hill team. Their articles take you inside the halls of Congress, and cover the spectrum of policy issues being introduced, debated and voted on there.
Tensions flared over Democrats resistance to President-elect Donald Trumps Cabinet nominees on the eve of his inauguration, as senators traded jabs on the sidelines of his Treasury picks confirmation hearing and the transition team squared off from afar with the chambers Democratic boss.

Incoming Press Secretary Sean Spicer said at a pre-inaugural briefing Thursday theres no excuse for what he called delay tactics in confirming Trumps team, as Republicans push to have as many as seven nominees confirmed right away.

But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., while denying theyre trying to drag out the process, said Thursday that Democrats only expect to vote Friday on Homeland Security secretary nominee John Kelly and Defense secretary nominee James Mattis.

Meanwhile, the confirmation hearing for Steve Mnuchin as Treasury secretary turned feisty as lawmakers grilled him on his banking career  and bickered over one Republicans joke gone bad.

The former Goldman Sachs bankers hearing got off to a shaky start when Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., joked he should give ranking member Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a Valium pill for the questioning.

Senator Wyden, Ive got a Valium pill here that you might want to take before the second round, Roberts said. Just a suggestion, sir.

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown butted in and fired back, saying he hopes the comment about Valium doesnt set the tone for 2017 in this committee. He added, This is just outrageous.

After a minute of back-and-forth bickering, Wyden, the committees top Democrat, said that we have many colleagues waiting.

Roberts snapped, Fine Ron, Im done.

Nearly all of the Democrats on the committee as well as one Republican, Sen. Dean Heller, took Mnuchin to task for more than three hours of questioning  then went on a break  and returned for round two.

The tone was in keeping with the tense nature of several recent Cabinet hearings, which fueled Spicer's criticism of the process on Thursday.

Wyden criticized Mnuchin over his use of a dynasty trust which shields tens of millions of dollars from taxes. He also chastised the New York banker for using a tax-exempt foundation to push for the approval of his banks merger.

As questioning continued, the staff for Democrats on the committee circulated a memo that claimed Mnuchin failed to initially disclose close to $100 million of his assets on disclosure documents sent to the Senate Finance Committee. The memo also claimed he forgot to mention his role as a director for an investment fund located in a tax haven.

Democrats pounced and said the omissions should disqualify Mnuchin as a suitable fit for Treasury secretary.

The Treasury secretary ought to be somebody who works on behalf of all Americans, including those who are still waiting for the economic recovery to show up in their communities, Wyden said. When I look at Mr. Mnuchins background, its a stretch to find evidence hed be that kind of Treasury secretary.

Wyden also turned his attention to Mnuchin and accused the Wall Street banker of putting more vulnerable people on the street faster than just about anybody else during widespread foreclosures on homeowners across the country.

Mnuchin said that after he was nominated by Trump as Treasury secretary he had been maligned as taking advantage of others hardships in order to earn a buck.

Nothing could be further from the truth, he said, adding, I was committed to loan modifications intended to stop foreclosures. I ran a Loan Modification Machine. Whenever we could do loan modifications, we did them.

Mnuchin told the Senate Finance Committee that his bank extended over 100,000 loan modifications to borrowers who had fallen behind in their mortgage payments.

Mnuchin said whenever possible OneWest offered loan modifications using guidelines from a variety of government programs, but "unfortunately, not all of the homes could be saved through these programs and despite my best efforts, some were sadly subject to foreclosure."

After being nominated for the Treasury job in November, Mnuchin said his bank's foreclosures reflected the fact that before he took over the failed IndyMac, it had accumulated one of the worst portfolios of bad mortgage loans "in the history of time."

A group of 10 Democratic senators led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren participated in a forum Wednesday to hear testimony from some of the people who lost their homes after Mnuchin's bank foreclosed.

"OneWest was notorious for its belligerence and for its cruelty," Warren said.

Liberal groups began airing a television ad on the foreclosures seeking to bring pressure on five Republican senators, including Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Dean Heller of Nevada, who are both members of the Finance Committee, to vote against Mnuchin.

"Steven Mnuchin, the foreclosure king, made millions by taking people's homes with no regard to anything but his own bottom line," said Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, one of the groups running the ad.

But Mnuchin's supporters include Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. He called Mnuchin a "leader and a manager through his career, demonstrating an ability to make tough decisions and to be accountable."

Mnuchin, who as Treasury secretary would serve as the administration's chief economic spokesman, faced questions about Trump's ambitious plans to double the country's growth rate through tax cuts, reducing government regulations and boosting government spending on infrastructure projects.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Obama's famous pledge to close the Pentagon's Guantanamo Bay detention facility was ultimately done in by the very evil of the men it houses.

While hundreds of enemy combatants and terror suspects have been through the facility since the war on terror began - with many returning to the fight - the most hardcore Al Qaeda operatives ever captured remain there. They are too dangerous to set free, and no one else wants them.



During its peak, Gitmo held some 778 suspected Al Qaeda operatives. Obama acclerated the policy of his predecessor, President Bush, to free those deemed to no longer be a risk. Within the last week, another 14 were released from the facility, and turned over to other countries willing to hold them.

But the federal government admits that once they leave Gitmo, there's no guarantee their new countries will keep them locked up. And the Pentagon has estimated that at least 30 percent returned to the battlefield, killing Americans and their allies.

The policy of closing Guantanamo Bay has made America less safe, said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The best way to gather intelligence long term to help prevent Islamic terror attacks is by capturing those engaged in Islamic terror groups and questioning them over a long period of time.

The Trump administration will reverse Obamas policy and keep Gitmo open, Johnson predicted.

As long as the war on terror continues, as long as Islamic terrorists want to attack the civilized world including the U.S. and U.S. interests, we ought to try to find them, and where we can, capture them and question them, Johnson said. I dont know why we would handcuff ourselves and not have a detention facility.

During the terms of President Bush, who opened Gitmo after 9/11, the prisoner count swelled to 779. It had dropped to 242 when Obama took office, and now stands at 41.

Still at Gitmo for more than a decade are some of the worst of the worst, Johnson said.

The most famous - and most dangerous - occupant is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a Pakistani senior Al Qaeda recruiter, financer and operational planner who the Pentagon calls the mastermind of the 9-11 attacks. The 52-year-old terrorist also was indicted for his role in the Feb. 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Jay Hood, who oversaw the detention facility, and who has personally interviewed many of the terrorists there, said clearly Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other top Al Qaeda operatives should never leave.

Also remaining at Gitmo:

Abd al Aziz Ali, 40, a citizen of Pakistan and an Al Qaeda senior member and planner. His military records show that under the direction of his uncle, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, he helped plan 9/11 and was involved in numerous other plots against the US.

Abd al Rahim al Nashiri, 52, a citizen of Saudi Arabia, is considered one of Al Qaedas most skilled, capable and prolific operational coordinators. With a long jihadist history, he and has been linked to as many as a dozen plots to attack U.S. and western interests including the successful bombing of the USS Cole off the coast of Yemen on Oct. 12, 2000. He reported directed to Usama bin Laden, according to the U.S. military.

Abd al Hadi al Iraqi, 56, a citizen of Iraq, is a senior member of Al Qaeda, according to the U.S. military, which determined that in addition to serving as an accountant and commander for the terror network, al Iraqi also initiated attacks on coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Mustafa Ahmed al Hawsawi, 48, a citizen of Saudi Arabia, is a senior Al Qaeda member who served as a facilitator, financial manager and media committee member his records show. He is accused of planning the movement of 9-11 hijackers and helping to obtain financing for the terror plot.

Ramzi Bin al Shibh, a citizen of Yemen, is a senior Al Qaeda operative who, according to his military file, was the coordinator of the 9-11 attacks.

Walid Bin Attash, a citizen of Yemen, is a senior Al Qaeda operative who served as a trusted bodyguard for Bin Laden. His military file said the 38-year-old helped coordinate and acquire materials for the USS Cole bombing.

After reviewing the background of many of those still at Gitmo, Hood said it is obvious why other countries around the world do not want to take them off our hands.
From hunting rifles to prepared-for-anything rifles, SHOT Show is the place where the new guns are revealed.

For a range of budgets and objectives, here are five highlights of the best rifles unveiled for 2017.

Browning BAR Safari Rifle

Considering investing in a rifle with some meaningful military history behind it? Then Browning has a special limited-edition option for you. Unveiled at SHOT, the rifle will be tough to nab because they are only producing a mere one-hundred pieces.

Before World War I, the US Army commissioned John Browning to design a next-level rifle. He created the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) in a remarkable three months  such a brilliant design that it withstood the test of time. The BAR continued to be used by the military through World War II until Vietnam. John Brownings grandson then introduced a sporting twist on this iconic weapon and teamed up with FN to leverage their expertise as well.

JOHN WAYNE GUNS FOR BEGINNERS REVEALED AT SHOT SHOW

In honor of the 100th anniversary, Browning is introducing the BAR Safari 100th Anniversary model with some special features. The stock is high-end Grade V Turkish walnut with oil finish. And military and hunting scenes will be engraved on the steel receiver and highlighted with gold.

It weighs 7 pounds 14 ounces, and is 44 inches long including the 22 inch barrel length. This semi-automatic sporting classic BAR rifle will be available for around $2,699.99.

Remington Model 700 American Wilderness Rifle

Speaking of anniversaries and safaris, another iconic American company, Remington, has reached 200 years and revealed their new big game rifle  the Model American Wilderness Rifle (AWR).

It is designed to be very durable and performs extremely well in tough outdoor conditions while looking good at the same time.

The Model 700 AWR has a stainless steel action and a black Cerakote coated 24-inch free-floated 5R barrel to withstand any abuse your remote adventures might throw at it.

SHOT SHOW 2017: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The rifle also has a very robust Grayboe stock with high fiberglass content to provide further durability against weather you may come up against in the wilderness.

And the trigger? Theres an X-Mark Pro that is externally adjustable.

The AWR will be on sale in 2017 for about $1,225.

Ruger 10-22 Takedown Lite

Whether you need to react and move quickly or are just keen on a highly capable, accurate rifle that you can store and carry easily, the new 10-22 Takedown Lite is a big reveal at SHOT for 2017.

The 10-22 Takedown Lite is a rapid takedown separating the action from the cold hammer-forged barrel. And where does the Lite come in? This new rifle weighs 4.5 pounds, making it a great option for long days at the range, for women who prefer a lighter weight, and for professionals who want to stay light, fast, and agile.

Just how easy is it to takedown? Thanks to the very smart design it is incredibly easy. You just lock the bolt back, push the recessed lever and twist the subassemblies pulling it apart. Thats it. It is literally that fast.

The design incorporates a threaded muzzle with a thread cap that can be easily removed to use muzzle accessories. It also features the Ruger Modular Stock System with a standard pull length and low comb.

Theres a detachable 10-round rotary magazine with a cutting-edge rotor that enhances feeding reliability. The 10-22 Takdown Lite comes with the option of a high comb standard pull length module too and will be available for about $659.

Winchester XPC

Another new chassis-based precision rifle for this year is the Winchester XPC. Designed for extreme accuracy, the action is based on their popular XPR, and theres a threaded muzzle with target crown.

The free-floating barrel features a Permacote black finish. The design incorporates a cerakote fully machined alloy frame chassis and the Magpul PRS Gen 3 fully adjustable butt stock. Theres an M.O.A. trigger system and two-position thumb safety.

The ten-pounder, bolt-action XPC is very accessory friendly. Theres a 20-MOA scope base, full-length top Picatinny rail and an M-LOK accessory rail.

This new rifle is expected to be available for about $1,599.99.

Saint shines at SHOT Show

The Saint made by Springfield Armory is definitely another standout. It was introduced at the very end of last year and made its first appearance at SHOT, drawing a whole lot of buzz.

Fit for fighting and for the range, this new AR-15-style rifle has a mid-length gas system, Bravo Companys slim contour Polymer KeyMod handguard, an enhanced trigger, well-balanced weight, excellent accuracy and much more.

At Range Day, while testing this rifle out, folks raved about Springfield's Accu-Tite Tension system that tightens up the space between the lower and upper receivers. The new Saint retails for about $899.
Robocop has nothing on this latest piece of tech.

An R2-D2 style crime-detecting robot was seen patrolling the streets of New York City on Thursday, drawing the attention of curious pedestrians.

The Knightscope robot comes equipped with sensors that detect concerns or threats in its vicinity and alert authorities according to DNAinfo New York.

CHESS-PLAYING ROBOT AT CES LEARNS FROM EXPERIENCE

The machine's designer, which is reportedly meeing with investors and clients, has set up shop near Marquee Nightclub on 10th Avenue in Manhattan.

The robots can capture and send video to a security network as well as detect sounds like glass breaking, according to TechCrunch.

Its a security robot, Stacy Dean Stephens, vice president of marketing and sales for Knightscope explained. Its meant to augment the way that security guards actually do their work.

THIS GIANT MANNED ROBOT MIGHT PATROL THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER

The companys team was shooting video of the robot on the sidewalk, which it plans to use to engage investors, he told DNAinfo New York.

[People] want to know what it is, they want to understand what its capabilities are, and most everybody who sees it is quite thrilled to see it, I think, he said.

We all grew up in this age of people saying were going to have robots running around someday, and now were actually living it.

Click here for more from DNAinfo New York.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has filed a lawsuit against Hawaiian families in an effort to sell their land in order for the billionaire and his family to have more privacy.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Wednesday that about a dozen parcels of Zuckerbergs Kauai estate are owned by so-called kamaaina families, or Hawaii residents born on the island regardless whether they have native Hawaii ancestry or not. Zuckerberg hopes the lawsuit would force these families to sell their land at a public auction.

According to the paper, Zuckerberg filed lawsuits through several companies against a couple hundred people who inherited or once owned interests in so-called kuleana lands. Those lands refer to the real estate acquired by Hawaii citizens though the Kuleana Act of 1850, which allowed private ownership of land, the Star-Advertiser reported.

This is a big problem in Hawaii, a local lawyer not involved in the case told the paper. A contested claim could cost upward of $100,000. Zuckerberg has also proven that he had claim to some of these lands because he already brought out interests from part-owners.

Some of the lawsuits Zuckerberg filed are complex. One case involves a woman who once owned a parcel of land on Zuckerbergs property who has no surname, which is part of the old Hawaiian tradition. Another case is against 300 defendants who are said to be related from an immigrant Portuguese plantation worker. Some cases will have to trace land ownership through genealogical records.

Defendants have 20 days to respond to the lawsuit and they dont respond they get no say in the legal proceeding.

Neighbors have already clashed with Zuckerberg over the rock wall surrounding his property. The rock wall is designed to reduce highway and road noise. Similar walls are routinely used for this purpose, she said. The wall follows all rules and regulations, but neighbors think its an eyesore.

Its immense, Gy Hall, a resident, said in an interview with West Hawaii Today last year. Its really sad that somebody would come in, and buy a huge piece of land and the first thing they do is cut off this view thats been available and appreciated by the community here for years.

Forbes reported Zuckerberg paid over $100 million for the property, which spans more than 700 acres on the coast, in 2014.

Click for more from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Ready for a little fun in the sun without those pesky tan lines?

A clothing-optional cruise, first put on by Mexican cruise company Original Group in 2016, is ready to set sail once again next year.

The Desire cruise, which offers nudist-friendly activities in a couples-only environment, will set sail from Barcelona in April 2018, making stop in Marseilles, France, Monte Carlo, and several Italian cities along the way before ending in Rome.

Our new Barcelona to Rome cruise creates an exciting opportunity to live the Desire experience aboard a sensual sanctuary at sea where couples can rejoice in exotic destinations on a journey of fantasy and reverie while being pampered with our top-quality service, Original Group CEO Rodrigo de la Pena said in a statement.

NO SHIRT, NO SHOES? NO PROBLEM FOR CRUISE COMPANIES USING SEX TO LURE TRAVELERS

The cruise will provide passengers with a series of steamy options incorporating workshops letting passengers get in touch with their romantic, sensual side, spicy daytime events and provocative theme nights. There will also be unique dining experiences that run the gamut from casually playful to erotically elegant.

Tickets for the first Desire voyage (dubbed "Venice Foreplay") sailing through the Adriatic in September are now on sale.

We're very excited to announce our newest cruise! It will set sail from Barcelona on April 2018 >> https://t.co/4mdwlhYYLt pic.twitter.com/FWpJ25Ge8G  Desire (@Desireresorts) January 16, 2017

The CEO added that Desire cruises are just one of many sensual vacation experiences Original hopes to add to its roster. The announcement of the second cruise comes amid a rise in popularity of nudist holidays-- particularly among British travelers.

FOR THE LATEST TRAVEL FEATURES FOLLOW FOX LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK

According to a survey conducted by lastminute.com, searches for nude-themed travel have jumped 52 percent in the last year. While many aren't sure if they could go totally bare, 35 percent of men and 17 percent of women admitted that they would go nude while catching some sun.

The Desire cruise isnt scheduled to set sail for several months but tickets are already on sale for sailings in 2017 and 2018.
One of the better kept secrets for avoiding waits at airport checkpoints is about to get a big boost.

According to Delta Air Lines, the biometric identity service Clear will soon open express lanes at four of the busiest airports across the country: Atlanta, New Yorks LaGuardia and JFK airports, and Los Angeles International.

Clear has been around for several years and is already at 17 U.S. airports, but the addition of four major hubs and the backing of Deltawhich bought a five percent stake in the company in April 2016could reach millions of potential new members. (It currently has around 750,000, who have used the service more than five million times.)

Here's how it works: A private sector technology company based in New York, Clear lets travelers jump to the head of security lines, using fingerprints and iris scans to confirm a passengers identity. It is not to be confused with TSA PreCheck, the government-run expedited screening service with around four million members who are fingerprinted and vetted by the government. PreCheck passengers get expedited screening and dont have to remove shoes, laptops, or jackets.

Clear bypasses another source of aggravation to fliers, the document checkinstead, you head to special kiosks to confirm your identity with the tap of a finger or the blink of an eye and jump the security line, but you still have to go through screening.

Another difference between the two? TSA PreCheck costs $85 for a five-year membership, while Clear normally costs $179 a year; however, a Delta SkyMiles membership reduces that to between $79 and $99 a year, and additional family members can be added for $50.

While it might seem that PreCheck and Clear are competitors, a number of fliers see them as complimentary, according to Clear, because even with PreCheck, passengers often have to stand on line to get their boarding pass and ID checked before entering the lane. Moreover, plans to expand PreCheck enrollments recently hit a snag, and fliers trying to sign up have experienced long waitsand the PreCheck waits themselves can be unpredictable.

When you think about not having to dig through your bag for your boarding pass or your drivers license, that is transformative, Caryn Seidman-Becker, chief executive of Clear, tells Conde Nast Traveler. The savings in time per passenger, when multiplied across the entire universe of airline customers, could be huge, she says.

And while it may seem that we're rushing into a future of travel based less on human interaction and more on technology, airlines and air travel organizations say that the time has come to look toward an ID-free airportwith the public more accepting of sharing whats known as the three biometric tokensfingerprints, plus scans of a persons iris and face.

"In even a few years, the technology to make this happen this has matured, says Guido Peetermans, project manager of Smart Security for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has set a goal of having 80 percent of the worlds travelers use self-service technology to get from curb to gate in the next five years.

Your mobile phone has a fingerprint reader; with Apple Pay, you actually trust your smartphone with your money. Why would you not use the same technology to authorize identity transactions?

Check Out How to Get Free Global Entry
Federal authorities say they're investigating threats to Jewish centers nationwide.

A brief FBI statement Wednesday says it and the Justice Department's civil-rights division are investigating "possible civil rights violations in connection with threats." The statement from the agency's Washington headquarters doesn't characterize the threats.

But the Anti-Defamation League the same day issued a statement citing "a series of bomb threats to Jewish community centers in at least 17 states."

The ADL's Jonathan Greenblatt adds about actual explosives that "so far these threats do not appear to be credible." But the statement says centers should still take them seriously.

The ADL says it's received reports of threats in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Delaware, Connecticut, Alabama, California, Maine, Tennessee, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas and Kansas.
A Philadelphia funeral director found with three decomposing bodies in her garage has been sentenced to three months in prison.

The Philadelphia Inquirer (http://bit.ly/2jMfqXN ) reports that a judge also barred 73-year-old Janet Powell-Daily on Wednesday from working for any mortuary business or service despite her protests that "the whole story hasn't been told."

Her prison term will be followed by 20 months of house arrest.

Police were called in August 2015 to the garage adjacent to Powell Funeral Home after neighbors investigating a foul odor stumbled upon the bodies. One was in a coffin and two others were in cardboard body boxes.

Powell-Dailey pleaded no contest last month to theft by deception, theft of movable property and abuse of a corpse. Her attorney says they're pleased with the outcome.

___

Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.inquirer.com
Prosecutors have charged an Indianapolis woman with two counts of neglect after her 3-yar-old son shot his 5-year-old sister in the head.

Twenty-three-year-old Asia Turentine was arrested Wednesday, a day after charges were filed against her in connection with the Dec. 31 shooting of D'Asia Turentine. The girl died three days later at an Indianapolis hospital.

An affidavit says the woman had a handgun in her purse that she laid on her bed in the master bedroom. It says she put the children in their bedroom for a nap, then fell asleep on a couch. She awoke to the sounds of a gunshot and a scream from her daughter.

The woman told detectives she thought the gun's safety was engaged.

Court records didn't list an attorney for Turentine.
A Virginia prosecutor has cleared two police officers in the shooting death of a woman who was brandishing a replica handgun.

Commonwealth's Attorney Greg Underwood said in a report Wednesday that India Beaty pulled the fake weapon from her waistband as the Norfolk officers approached her March 19.

The officers had confronted the 25-year-old after she pulled the black replica handgun on a man in a shopping center parking lot. The report said officers identified themselves as police and that Beaty ignored their commands to get on the ground.

The report said officers shot Beaty after she lifted her shirt and grabbed the fake weapon. An autopsy revealed that she had cocaine and alcohol in her system.

The report does not provide the races of the officers. Beaty was black.
A federal appeals court affirmed the criminal conviction of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship on Thursday in connection with the deadliest U.S. mine disaster in four decades.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the evidence shows Massey was repeatedly cited for safety violations at West Virginia's Upper Big Branch coal mine before the 2010 explosion that killed 29 men. In 2009 alone, the U.S. Mine Safety & Health Administration identified 549 violations there, the court noted.

Blankenship was aware of violations, receiving daily reports, Judge James Wynn wrote. Many concerned improper ventilation and accumulation of combustible materials.

"Notwithstanding the numerous citations and warnings, defendant has a 'policy to invariably press for more production even at mines that he knew were struggling to keep up with the safety laws,'" Wynn wrote. Chief Judge Roger Gregory and Senior Judge Andre Davis agreed.

Blankenship was convicted in 2015 of a misdemeanor, conspiring to violate the federal mining safety law, and sentenced to a maximum year in prison. The 66-year-old is scheduled for release May 10.

Blogging from a federal prison in California, he has called himself an "American political prisoner."

A call to his attorney William Taylor was not immediately returned Thursday.

The three-judge panel rejected the argument by Blankenship's attorneys that jury instructions about "reckless disregard" for the consequences of his decisions made it too easy to conclude that he willfully violated safety rules.

The court also rejected arguments by the Ohio, Illinois and Virginia coal associations that this willfulness standard represents "an expansion of criminal law to the point that mere involvement of company management in certain affairs can serve as a basis, in whole or in part, for criminal prosecution."

Wynn wrote that "Congress intended to bring conduct evidencing reckless disregard within the meaning of 'willfully.'"

"In particular, Congress imposed enhanced penalties in the Mine Safety Act because it found 'mine operators still find it cheaper to pay minimal civil penalties than to make the capital investments necessary to adequately abate unsafe or unhealthy conditions,'" he wrote.

Holding mine operators personally criminally liable is meant to deter large corporations from choosing production over safety compliance because financial penalties won't do it, Wynn wrote.

Blankenship was also fined the $250,000 maximum permitted by law. He was acquitted of securities fraud at the six-week trial.

___

Information from: The Charleston Gazette-Mail, http://wvgazettemail.com.
Mayor Dan McQueen of Corpus Christi, Texas, has resigned after just 37 days in office.

McQueens brief term was marked with controversy that he fueled with negative posts on his personal Facebook page about City Council members, city staff and the local news media, according to The Caller Times. It is difficult to track down exactly what he wrote because according to reports, his account was deactivated.

TALL TASK: PATCHY BORDER BARRIER SHOWS CHALLENGE TRUMP FACES IN BUILDING 'WALL'

McQueen made comments about the education levels of members of City Council, KIII-TV reported. The Mayor allegedly said the city council members only had a high school education, which is largely untrue. Many have at least bachelors degrees from reputable colleges.

However, during an interview with KIII just two hours before he resigned, McQueen dodged questions about his own education.

According to the station, McQueen claimed to have an engineering degree during his campaign. But during the interview McQueen conceded and said, Do I have a specific degree that says engineer on it? No. Does that make me not an engineer?

PRESIDENT'S DECISION TO FREE TERROR LEADER SPARKS OUTRAGE

City Secretary Rebecca Huerta confirmed McQueens resignation Wednesday during a news conference. McQueen originally posted his resignation on Facebook and then submitted both an emailed and hand-written resignation to Huerta.

McQueen wrote to Huerta, Consider this my resignation. The city can no longer deal with such differing views and divisiveness. I step down from my position as Mayor of Corpus Christi, TX.

City Councilman Rudy Garza hinted in an email to Fox News that the resignation was a good thing for the city.

I think when we remove uncertainty, we can focus on moving forward and addressing the issues we were elected to do. The mayor's situation created a lot of uncertainty, Garza wrote.

According to Texas Election Code Section 201.023, when a resignation is submitted, whether to be effective immediately or at a future date, a vacancy occurs on the date the resignation is accepted by the appropriate authority or on the eighth day after the date of its receipt by the authority, whichever is earlier."

Technically the mayor is still the mayor until the City Council decides whether to accept the resignation at its next meeting on Tuesday, according to the Executive Assistant for the City Secretary. From there, city officials will further explain the process for filling the position.

According to the Corpus Christi Charter, in the event of a mayors resignation, the City Council member elected at large who received the highest number of votes in the last regular election shall immediately become the mayor. That council member is Joe McComb. But because theres more than one year until the next regularly scheduled city council election in 2018, that person will be the mayor until a special election can be called. The Mayor Pro Tem is Carolyn Vaughn.

Huerta explained they're not certain what to do because they've never used that provision of their charter. The city attorney is researching how the provisions should be interpreted and they'll address that at Tuesday's meeting.

(We're) just looking forward to meeting on 24th so we can get more clarity for our citizens and community. We want to move forward at this point and have council complete their term successfully, Huerta said.

Fox News reached out to every member of the Corpus Christi City Council and heard back only from Garza. Requests for an interview from McQueen also went unanswered.
The father of an Islamic State group fighter has told a jury at the terrorism trial of an Arizona man how he searched desperately for his son.

Mohamed el-Goarany (ehl-goh-AHR'-nee) cried Thursday describing efforts to find his son Samy after the college student flew to Turkey in January 2015.

The testimony came in the New York trial of Ahmed Mohammed el-Gammal (ehl-gahm-AHL'). The suburban Phoenix man pleaded not guilty to charges he aided the Islamic State group by helping Samy el-Goarany.

El-Goarany's parents and a brother testified this week.

Mohamed el-Goarany became emotional as he described his wife telling him she believed they would never see their son again after Samy disappeared in January 2015.

He testified that his son died in November 2015 fighting for the Islamic State group.
A convicted art thief in a stolen car was arrested after driving from Miami to Washington D.C. to seek a presidential pardon, police said Wednesday.

Marcus Sanford Patmon was arrested outside a Starbucks in Arlington, Va. on Sunday, NBC Washington reported. He was charged with unauthorized use of a stolen vehicle.

MINN. MAN MURDERED WIFE AFTER SEARCHING 'DARK WEB' FOR HITMAN, PROSECUTORS SAY

Police told the station that Patmon sought to meet with Eric Holder because he wanted the Obama administration to grant him a pardon before Trump took over the presidency. The biggest problem with that attempt was that Holder is no longer attorney general  Loretta Lynch is.

Patmon pleaded guilty in 2009 to defrauding a California art dealer in the sale of stolen Pablo Picasso etchings, one known as Fauune Devoilant une Femme and the other Le Repas Frugal, according to the FBI. He also admitted to transporting in in interstate commerce a stolen lithograph by Marc Chagall called The Meeting of Ruth of Boaz. He also admitted to stealing a third Picasso etching, the Jacqueline Lisant after authorities found it hidden behind a sofa in his Miami home.

The California dealer who Patmon sold the stolen art to contacted authorities soon after he bought the etchings because he thought the deal was unusual.

Patmon served less than two years in prison for that crime.
Bomb technicians will inspect what police believe to be an old grenade that was found in Waikiki.

Honolulu police tell the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (http://ow.ly/LCJr308aIzj ) a maintenance worker found the device under a bush next to a convenience store Thursday morning.

Lt. Bernie Terry at the Waikiki substation says it's likely an old grenade. She says there was no pin inside and it wasn't a live grenade.

The discovery prompted police to close a road during the investigation.

___

Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com
A judge will consider whether to bar from trial a former Virginia Tech student's confession in connection with the slaying of a 13-year-old girl.

According to news outlets, Judge Robert Turk said Wednesday that he'll review lawyers' briefs and go through audio and video from the 27 hours 19-year-old Natalie Keepers spent with investigators. He says he will decide before the trial, which is set to begin March 27.

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. His trial is also scheduled for March.
The man accused of posting a Twitter threat to kill President-elect Donald Trump had released a string of religious-themed videos online, years after the death of his mother on 9/11.

VIDEO: FINAL INAUGURATION PREPARATIONS ARE UNDER WAY

Dominic Puopolo, 51, reportedly wrote that his mother's death at the hands of terrorists spurred him to protect his country. The family knew Hillary Clinton through work at the AIDS Action Committee, American Cancer Society and American Red Cross, and Clinton -- then a U.S. senator -- gave a eulogy at his mother's funeral, the Miami Herald reported.

More than a decade later, police in Florida said Puopolo told them he was homeless, and his attorney said the man was mentally ill.

REPUBLICANS PUSHING TO CONFIRM SLATE OF TRUMP NOMINEES ON DAY ONE

In the video, Puopolo appeared to state that he would "be at the review/inauguration and I will kill President Trump, President-elect Trump" while in Washington. "What are you going to do about it, Secret Service?"

He admitted to officers later that he posted the video, and they arrested him at a Subway restaurant in Miami Beach, according to a police report.

Several other videos with religious themes reportedly appeared under his Twitter handle.

He said his mother, Sonia Morales Puopolo, was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11 and sat near hijacker Mohamed Atta. The plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

"The tremendous pain I feel daily varies, but there is never a full day that passes by that I have relief from the losses of that horrible day in September 2001," he wrote in a 2005 essay for Dateline NBC.

His defense attorney told a judge Wednesday that Puopolo also went by the name Jesus Christ.

Jail records showed he was being held without bail on state charges of threatening harm against a public servant.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The man accused of fatally shooting a Texas police officer and triggering a standoff that lasted more than 6 hours had a criminal history dating back more than 15 years, according to reports.

Sources close to the investigation into the shooting of Little Elm Det. Jerry Walker on Tuesday identified the gunman as Rudy Joseph Garcia, FOX4 reported. The 46-year-old convicted felon was found dead inside his home.

According to FOX4, Garcias criminal history started in 2002 and included arrests for DWI, evading arrest, assault and family violence.

MAN SUSPECTED OF KILLING TEXAS POLICE OFFICER IS DEAD AFTER 6-HOUR STANDOFF

Antonio Sutton, a neighbor who witnessed the shooting on Tuesday, recalled that police had been called to Garcias home several times in the past. He added that he had several confrontations with the accused as well.

He came out of his garage, out of his territory and walked up on me. And at that point, I just proceeded to walk away. I didnt get into a verbal spat with him or anything, Sutton told FOX4. Had I attacked him, who knows? He couldve come here with that same rifle.

The investigation into the shooting is still ongoing; however details leading up to the shooting are quite clear.

Walker, an 18-year veteran of the department, responded with other officers to a report of a man outside a home armed with a rifle. As they approached the home, officers asked Garcia to drop his weapon, who instead shot at them from behind a fence before barricading himself inside.

I was actually on the scene, I was less than 50 yards away. I saw Det. Walker get shot, Police Chief Rodney Harrison said during an afternoon press conference on Wednesday.

CHICAGO OFFICER CHARGED WITH MURDER IN FATAL SHOOTING OF UNARMED MAN

He said he was talking to Walker on police radios just before co-worker was hit.

Moments later, Detective Walker responded to me, I think that he's shooting at us, and then a hail of gunfire that came from inside the residence at the direction of Detective Walker and our patrol officer, Harrison said. Detective Walker fell to the ground and our patrol officer on scene immediately returned fire inside the house.

The standoff ensued.

According to FOX4, police learned an elderly woman was inside the house. Denton County Sheriffs deputies were able to get her out through the rear of the house.

WATCH: OFFICER CARRIES ELDERLY WOMAN TO SAFETY WHEN TRUCK BURSTS INTO FLAMES

This allowed police to deploy a robot, which was used to discover Garcia dead inside the house. It's still unclear how Garcia died.

Walker, who was promoted to detective in 2013, leaves behind four children, including a child who was just a few months old.

The Jerry Walker Fund has been set up at a local Capital One Bank branch. Those wishing to contribute can contact Theresa Rocha, 2821 E. Eldorado Pkwy., Little Elm. (214) 544-4832.
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Donald Trump's assumption of the U.S. presidency couldn't come at a worse time for Mexico.

Drug violence here is again on the upswing, the government has struggled to combat widespread corruption and nationwide protests have erupted after gasoline prices spiked this month amid the country's falling oil production and inability to produce all its own fuel.

Even before his swearing-in, Trump has already hurt the country's economy by pressuring automakers to shift factories out of Mexico, threatening its most important manufacturing sector and status as a rising star in auto production. Amid an uncertain economic outlook, the peso has plunged to all-time lows against the U.S. dollar.

Now Trump takes office vowing to crack down on migrants, whom he famously denigrated as criminals and "rapists," and who send back remittances that inject billions of dollars into Mexico's economy. He has also threatened to impose tariffs on Mexican products, force Mexico to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and pay for a wall along the nearly 2,000-mile (3,145-kilometer) border.

"We have begun a year full of challenges and adversities," the Mexican Council of Bishops said in a statement Wednesday. "International economic crises are killing our economy, and the elections and political decisions of our neighbors have such an important impact on our country, but paradoxically we have no say in the matter."

Trump's election has also further dimmed Mexicans' view of President Enrique Pena Nieto, who held an unpopular meeting with the then-Republican candidate.

Pena Nieto's approval rating fell to 12 percent this month, according to a Grupo Reforma poll. That coincided with a bump for the populist leftist politician Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, whose Morena party led all others in the Reforma survey with 27 percent of respondents saying they would vote for it if the 2018 presidential election were held today. The poll had a margin of error of four percentage points.

Already two major manufacturers have abandoned Mexico expansion plans, and Trump has threatened General Motors and BMW with a border tax on vehicles built here. So far BMW has held fast to plans for a new Mexico factory, but GM announced that 450 new pickup truck axle-making jobs will be moved from Mexico to Michigan.

Ratings agencies have lowered the outlook for Mexico's debt, foreign direct investment is expected to suffer and the government has had to curtail spending and implement the fuel price hike, which sparked widespread protests and looting.

The looming crisis has broken down Mexicans into roughly three camps: a governmental and business elite that hopes for a pragmatic appeal to Trump's business background; farm groups that never liked NAFTA's huge imports of cheap U.S. grain and hope parts of the 1994 trade deal will be repealed; and another segment that wants its leaders to stand up to what Mexicans widely perceive as bullying by Trump.

"Mexican society has been frightened by the threats of a bully," said Eugenia Correa, an economist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, who predicts some rocky months ahead. "The credit ratings are going to continue to fall, the foreign investments are not going to arrive, or they are going to wait."

Correa argued that, especially due to the incoming Trump administration's policy promises, Mexico needs to reduce dependence on the United States, by far its largest trade partner, by developing domestic oil refineries, farming and trade ties to other Latin American nations.

Some fear the possibility of a wave of returning migrants, either through deportations or people fleeing a hostile climate in the United States. So far, there have only been anecdotal reports of such "self-deportations," but an exodus of returnees could devastate the nearly $25 billion in remittances sent to the country each year.

Former Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda said Mexico should be prepared to fight back. It could be less cooperative with the deportation process, for example, or halt its efforts to enforce its southern border and crack down on Central American migration bound for the United States.

"We don't have any reason to do the dirty work (of detaining migrants) for nothing, for a president who is no friend of Mexico," Castaneda said. He and others also say Mexico could stop aiding the United States in anti-drug operations.

Others like Victor Suarez, who launched a national farm cooperative movement in 1995, said grain imports made possible by NAFTA drove 6 million Mexican farmers and workers off the land. He sees a silver lining to renegotiating the trade deal.

He argues that NAFTA has hurt workers, farmers, unions and the environment in Mexico, the United States and Canada, and he would like to see protections put in place for Mexican corn, beans, rice and sugar against U.S. exports.

"We have been demanding the renegotiation of NAFTA since 1994," Suarez said. "We have always said it was badly negotiated and implemented even worse."

Mexico's government has said it wants to negotiate with Trump "as soon as possible."

Pena Nieto recently appointed Luis Videgaray, an acquaintance of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, to head the talks as foreign relations secretary. The bet is that Trump likes to strike deals.

"This is a man who has negotiated all his life," Videgaray said. "We have to be open to re-negotiating some points of NAFTA  to Mexico's advantage."
Three bodies were pulled out of the rubble at a four-star spa hotel in Italy as rescue workers continued to search for dozens of people feared dead after an avalanche hit the area Wednesday.

Two people escaped the devastation at the Hotel Rigopiano in the mountains of the Gran Sasso range and called for help, but it took hours for responders to arrive to the remote zone.

Rescue workers, who first arrived on skis reported no signs of life while heavy snow conditions hindered heavy vehicles struggling to get to the scene.

Ci si fa largo nella neve, ancora poche centinaia di metri e il nostro gruppo di soccorsi arrivera a #Rigopiano #essercisempre pic.twitter.com/saAjjUJEnL  Polizia di Stato (@poliziadistato) January 19, 2017

While twenty guests and seven staff members, including some children, were registered as being at the hotel, rescuers say that the actual number could be upwards of 35.

SPAIN'S SOUTHERN TOWNS POST FIRST SNOWFALLS IN DECADES

There are many deaths, said Antonio Crocetta, the head of a mountain rescue team, according to BBC News.

Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, compounded by four powerful earthquakes that struck the region on Wednesday.

It wasn't immediately clear which if any of the quakes triggered the avalanche. But firefighters said the sheer violence of the snow slide uprooted trees in its wake and wiped out parts of the hotel, leaving only some structures standing and others down the mountainside.

"There are mattresses that are hundreds of meters (yards) away from where the building was," Luca Cari, firefighters' spokesman, told the ANSA news agency.

The hotel in the Abruzzo region is about 45 kilometers (30 miles) from the coastal city of Pescara, at an altitude of about 1,200 meters (3,940 feet). The area, which has been buried under snowfall for days, is located in the broad swath of central Italy between Rieti and Teramo that was jolted by Wednesday's quakes, one of which had a 5.7 magnitude.

4 QUAKES SHAKE ITALY, ISOLATING TOWNS BLANKETED UNDER SNOW

Giampiero Parete, a chef vacationing at the hotel, called his boss when the avalanche struck and begged for him to mobilize rescue crews. His wife Adriana and two children, Ludovica and Gianfilippo, were trapped inside, employer Quintino Marcella told The Associated Press.

Parete had left the hotel briefly to get some medicine for his wife from their car, and survived as a result.

"He said the hotel was submerged and to call rescue crews," Marcella said, adding that he phoned police and the Pescara prefect's office, but that no one believed him. "The prefect's office said it wasn't true, because everything was OK at the hotel."

Marcella said he insisted, and called other emergency numbers until someone finally took him seriously and mobilized a rescue, starting at 8 p.m., more than two hours later.

A photo shared by officials show the walls of snow alongside the road reaching above many of the vehicles.

The buried hotel was just one of several rescues underway in an area that has been pummeled by more than a meter (three feet) of snow in recent days  storms that have knocked out power and phone lines and blocked roads, isolating towns and hamlets.

Italian Premier Paola Gentiloni told reporters Thursday that the priority is to reach all isolated towns and hamlets that have been buried under snowfall for days and then jolted by four powerful quakes on Wednesday.

Gentiloni said: "I ask everyone if possible to multiply their efforts. I ask politicians to show sobriety respecting the difficulty of the situation and the commitment of civil and military crews who are responding."

Residents have been complaining for days that they have been without electricity because of what Gentiloni called a "record snowfall."

The mountainous region of central Italy has been struck by a series of quakes since August that destroyed historic centers in dozens of towns and hamlets. A deadly quake in August killed nearly 300, while no one died in the strong aftershocks in October largely because population centers had already been evacuated. In the meantime, the entire region has been hit by freezing weather and buffeted by snowstorms, piling more suffering on to the hard-hit population.

People left homeless by the earlier quakes had been moved to hotels in the region, but it wasn't immediately clear if any of them were staying at Hotel Rigopiano, which is located in the Gran Sasso National Park.

On Tuesday, the hotel posted photos of the recent snowfall, calling it "a dream Tuesday. Snow is giving us spectacular scenes." It advised guests that roads were still passable but snow tires were required with chains for cars. In the hours since the report of the avalanche, Facebook users have been posting messages on the hotel's page seeking information about the hotel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A pair of B-2 "stealth" bombers blasted two ISIS training camps in Libya on Wednesday evening, dropping 108 precision-guided bombs and sending jihadists scattering -- many of whom were then "cleaned up" by drone-launched hellfire missiles, U.S. defense officials told Fox News.

The assault killed an estimated 85 terrorists at the camps, which were about 30 miles southwest of the Libyan coastal city of Sirte. Many of the fighters were "actively plotting operations in Europe," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said at a news conference Thursday.

PENTAGON RECOMMENDED AGAINST MANNING COMMUTATION, OFFICIAL SAYS

President Obama authorized the action. Most of the terrorists targeted had escaped Sirte after extensive military actions there.

U.S. drones "cleaned up" the operation by launching hellfire missiles that killed a several of ISIS fighters trying to run to safety.

Immediately prior to the attack, the militants were seen in formation carrying weapons and mortars and wearing tactical vests.

THE HOTTEST MILITARY GEAR FOR 2017

The bombers took off from their permanent base in Missouri and refueled at least five times midair during the mission. The flight lasted about 30 hours. The planes flew around the world and back without landing.

The strikes used strategic nuclear-capable bombers as opposed to more conventional jets stationed in England in order to "send a strategic message" to other adversaries such as Russia and China, a source told Fox News.

Carter said the bombers were the most capable tools for this mission even though other available airpower was closer to North Africa. Previous strikes in Libya used drones and F-15s from a U.S. Air Force base in England, and two Navy guided-missile destroyers were off the coast of Libya armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles.

B-2 Spirit stealth bombers had last seen combat in March 2011, helping to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya, Pentagon officials said. "The B-2 Spirit is the world's most technologically-advanced strategic bomber and brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe," Air Force spokesman Capt. Mark Graff told reporters.

The strikes were part of the Pentagon's goal to give ISIS "the lasting defeat it deserves," Carter added. He said "little nests" of fighters had sprouted up in recent years amid the civil war in Libya.

Two U.S. Navy ships -- the USS Donald Cook and USS Porter -- remained in the Mediterranean to provide search and rescue if necessary. Sirte is located about halfway between Tripoli and Benghazi.

The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is about to leave the Mediterranean after hosting a Libyan general, Khalifa Haftar, fighting the U.S. and U.N.-backed government in Tripoli. The Russians reportedly pledged weapons and financial support.

The U.S. has conducted 495 airstrikes in Sirte since August, mostly from drones flown from the region to target ISIS. Marine Harrier jets and Cobra attack helicopters conducted airstrikes as well from a Navy amphibious assault ship off the coast of Libya in August.

At the start of the August strikes, Pentagon officials said the bombing campaign would last "weeks." President Obama approved extensions to the campaign four times.

Late last month, the U.S. Africa Command announced the bombing campaign had ended.

The military has conducted unilateral strikes two other times since November 2015, targeting ISIS camps and leaders. These strikes originated out of an Air Force base in England.

In addition to the Libya operation, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said that two Al Qaeda operatives were killed in separate airstrikes in Syria last week. The first airstrike, on Jan. 12, resulted in the death of Abd al-Jalil al-Muslimi, who the Pentagon described as a travel "facilitator" who had ties to numerous attack plotters and terrorists.

The second airstrike, on Jan. 17, killed Mohammad Habib Boussadoun al-Tunisi, who officials said was involved in a number of plots to attack Western targets. Boussadoun had been in Syria since 2014 after spending several years in Europe and the Middle East.

Cook also said that a Jan. 8 airstrike in Syria killed Abu Anas al-Iraqi, a senior ISIS member. He said al-Iraqi oversaw media and financial operations and was a member of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's inner circle.

Since taking office, President Obama has authorized airstrikes in at least seven countries: Libya, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Human Rights Watch says members of the youth league of Burundi's ruling party have tortured and brutally killed scores of people across the country in recent months.

In a report released Thursday, the rights group said members of Imbonerakure carry out violent crimes with impunity because President Pierre Nkurunziza's government is unwilling to prosecute or rein in the youth group.

Imbonerakure members have been frequently mentioned among the perpetrators of violence in Burundi since April 2015, when Nkurunziza announced he would seek a disputed third term.

Hundreds of people have since died, with the security forces blamed for most of the killings.

A spokeswoman for the ruling party denied the allegations, telling Human Rights Watch that Imbonerakure carry out political activities "calmly and serenely" and do not make arrests.
The nephew of former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, arrested for an alleged bribery and money laundering scheme, worked as a broker at a real estate firm that is also the U.N.s landlord, and where the U.N. Secretariat spent more than $9 million on office space last year alone.

The firm, Colliers International, is a global company that among other things is the landlord of the 18-storey FF Building at 304 East 45th Street in mid-town Manhattan. The U.N. Secretariat, despite a recently completed $2 billion renovation of its showcase headquarters, uses five separate leases to rent nine floors of office space and houses some 550 staff at the FF Building at a cost of $9,245,455 last year, according to a U.N. spokesperson.

The remainder of the building is rented by other U.N. entities, the spokesman said.

One of those entities is the United Nations Development Program, whose website lists offices for its capacity development group on the buildings 6th floor. According to figures provided by a UNDP spokesperson, the annual lease cost for that space is about $7.7 million.

According to the spokesperson, the most recent U.N. lease extension was signed in November 2016Secretary General Ban Ki-moon left his job at the end of December-- and extended the U.N. Secretariats occupancy to at least 2027.

The former Secretary Generals nephew, Joo Hyun Bahn, also known as Dennis Bahn, and his father Ban Ki-Sangformer Secretary General Bans brotherwere charged on January 10 with, among other things, conspiring to bribe a Middle Eastern official to finance and close an $800 million deal for a 72-storey skyscraper in Vietnam. Dennis Bahn was subsequently released on $250,000 bail; his father remains at large.

According to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Southern District of New York after the arrests, both the son and his real estate firm were hired by the father to work on the deal, which was supposed to result in a multimillion dollar commission for Bahn.

Instead, the two allegedly decided to turn to bribery to get a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund to put up money for the transaction. However, U.S. federal prosecutors say they were in turn double-crossed by a middle-man who stole a major portion of the bribe money and is still at large.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RELEASE

Neither Ban Ki-moon nor the U.N. was mentioned in relation to Dennis Bahns alleged crimes, and Colliers was not identified by name in the U.S. Attorneys release.

In response to a query from Fox News about Joo Hyun Bahn /Dennis Bahn, in which the Korean version of the name was inadvertently misspelled, a spokesman for Colliers replied that the individuals in question are either no longer associated with Colliers or were never associated with Colliers and we will continue to provide any assistance requested by applicable authorities in connection with this matter. At this stage we are not in a position to provide any further comment.

The U.N. leasehold at 304 East 45th Street is a decades-old affair, dating back originally to June 1995, 13 years before Secretary General Ban Ki-moon took office. Before the Bahn imbroglio, it was already a small, scandal-tainted footnote in U.N. history.

Among other things, the U.N. Secretariat space contained the office of Alexander Yakovlev, a Russian-born, U.N. Procurement Department official who pleaded guilty in 2005 to wire fraud in connection with taking nearly $1 million in bribes to swing U.N. procurement contracts to a variety of companies through bid-rigging schemes.

He was arrested after a Fox News investigation uncovered the fact that his son was working for a company that did business with Yakovlev.

That was in violation of a U.N. rule stating that staff members shall not use their office or knowledge gained from their official functions for private gain, financial or otherwise, or for the private gain of any think party, including family, friends and those they favor.

The scandal brought down another Russian diplomat, Vladimir Kuznetsov, who at the time was head of the U.N.s chief budget advisory committee.

It also led to creation of a special, anti-corruption Procurement Task Force at the U.N., which said it uncovered at least 20 other major schemes involving more than $1 billion in U.N. contracts and services.

The Task Force died in 2009 after U.N. member states, led by Russia and Singapore, spearheaded a move to cut off the investigators funding.

George Russell is Editor-at-Large of Fox News. He is reachable on Twitter at @GeorgeRussell and on Facebook at Facebook.com/George.Russell
A French military spokesman says the death toll in the attack on an army camp in Gao, in northern Mali, has risen to 77.

Col. Patrik Steiger said on Thursday that 77 people were killed in the attack a day earlier by a suicide bomber driving an explosives-laden vehicle. The victims were soldiers and former fighters trying to stabilize the region after a 2015 peace agreement with the government.

Steiger said he was uncertain about the number of injured, reported earlier at 150.

A group linked to al-Qaida's North Africa branch, al-Mourabitoun, claimed responsibility.

The attack came days after French President Francois Hollande visited Gao. France intervened in Mali in 2013 to crush Islamist extremists. French soldiers remain as part of a larger operation in the Sahel region.
Germany's parliament has paid tribute to the 12 people killed in the truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin a month ago.

Speaker Norbert Lammert told lawmakers Thursday that "terror aims to shake, paralyze and destabilize democratic societies. The terrorists did not achieve this aim in Germany."

Seven Germans were among the victims, along with people from Poland, Ukraine, Italy, Israel and the Czech Republic.

Anis Amri, a Tunisian whose asylum application had been rejected, drove a commandeered truck into the market in central Berlin on Dec. 19. He was killed in a shootout with Italian police four days later after they stopped him for a routine identity check.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Indonesia's anti-graft commission has named a former top executive of national flag carrier Garuda as a suspect in a case involving bribes for the purchase of Rolls Royce aircraft engines.

A deputy chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission, Laode Syarif, said Thursday that the bribery occurred between 2005 and 2014, the period when Emirsyah Satar was Garuda's president-director.

Satar is alleged to have received bribes totaling $3.45 million for procurement of Rolls-Royce engines for some 50 Airbus planes owned by Garuda.

Syarif said Satar received the bribes via another suspect who has a Singapore-based company but was not identified.

Rolls Royce on Tuesday agreed to pay 671 million pounds ($808 million) to settle bribery and corruption charges brought by authorities in Britain, the U.S. and Brazil.
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For nearly 50 years, Israel's settler movement has been criticized, condemned and ostracized by the international community. But on Friday, they say they will be greeted with open arms as invited guests to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

A warm welcome in Washington would be by far the settlers' greatest accomplishment in terms of gaining international legitimacy, and reflects both the extraordinary nature of the Trump era and their own evolution into a dominant political force in Israel.

"I definitely agree that we are now getting the VIP treatment, which is something that we have been working on for many years," said Oded Revivi, chief foreign envoy of the Yesha Council, an umbrella group representing Israel's more than 120 West Bank settlements. "You could basically argue that it has taken 50 years, since 1967, to be recognized on such a level for such an event."

Revivi, who is mayor of the fast-growing Efrat settlement near Jerusalem, is leading the delegation on Friday, joined by two other mayors. He said the invite came from a member of Trump's "first circle" of advisers, but refused to name the person.

His office gave The Associated Press photos of invitations to the main inauguration ceremony and an inaugural ball.

When asked if Trump, his incoming administration or inaugural committee had invited the settlers, inaugural committee spokesman Boris Epshteyn did not answer the question, saying in a statement only that no heads of state or heads of government were among the invited guests.

"The only representatives who will be invited are members of the diplomatic corps who are based here in Washington, D.C.," he said. Epshteyn did not reply to follow-up questions.

The invitation  the first of its kind for the settlers  is a stunning change for the movement, which began after Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war.

Today, there are some 400,000 Israelis living in West Bank settlements, in addition to roughly 200,000 Israelis in east Jerusalem, also captured in 1967. The Palestinians, with wide international backing, seek both areas for a future independent state.

For decades, U.S. presidents have joined the international community in condemning the settlements as obstacles to the peace process. Last month, the Obama administration allowed the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution condemning the settlements as a "flagrant violation" of international law. In a farewell speech, Secretary of State John Kerry also harshly criticized the settlements.

The settlers and their allies, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, defend the settlements on both security and religious grounds. They say east Jerusalem, home to key holy sites, is an eternal part of Israel's capital and not up for negotiation.

After repeated clashes with Obama, Israel's nationalist right has high expectations for Trump, who has signaled he will take a much kinder approach toward them.

Trump has appointed David Friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer who has raised millions of dollars for the Beit El settlement, as his ambassador to Israel. The foundation run by the family of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has also supported Beit El, and Trump himself has donated money to a Jewish seminary in the settlement through his foundation, tax records show.

"I think the new administration is definitely going to be one which is more responsive, more understanding and that is what's bringing definitely a lot of hope," Revivi said.

Having such access was unthinkable just a few months ago. Revivi described the Obama years as "frustrating."

He said the new opportunities with Trump were the result of years of intense diplomatic efforts by the settler movement to forge ties with American officials, lawmakers and community leaders. During the presidential campaign, Trump supporters in Israel set up their headquarters in the West Bank to encourage American expatriates to support their candidate.

Revivi said he has a "detailed shopping list" for the coming years that goes beyond expanded settlement construction, but he declined to elaborate, saying much would depend on Netanyahu and Trump.

"Inviting us over to his ceremony is an indication that the relationship is going to be different. When you have a dialogue, when you have a tight relationship, the sky is the limit," Revivi said.

Yesha opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, but is also against the creation of a single "binational state" of Jews and Palestinians. Revivi said he favors an approach that would improve the quality of life for the West Bank's 2.3 million Palestinians, but not give them Israeli citizenship.

Critics say this is unsustainable, and that the continued occupation will eventually force Israel to choose between remaining Jewish or democratic.

Trump's campaign platform made no mention of a Palestinian state, and he has shown little affinity for the Palestinians. No Palestinian officials or dignitaries are believed to have been invited to the inauguration.

Trump also has promised to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem  a key Israeli demand opposed by the Palestinians.

Pro-settlement lawmakers plan to introduce a bill Sunday calling on Israel to annex the large West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim. The bill's advocates say the timing is intentional because they believe the new administration will not oppose the move.

The Palestinians have issued dire warnings about any embassy move, saying it would prejudge negotiations on one of the most sensitive issues in the conflict. President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to revoke recognition of Israel and cut off security ties, and religious leaders said Thursday an embassy move would "drag the whole region into a religious feud that may have dire consequences."

Hanan Ashrawi, a top Palestinian official, said the incoming administration has sent "very alarming signals" about its intentions.

"By linking up with the settlers and the illegal settlements enterprise, Trump is placing the new American administration squarely outside the law and is encouraging Israeli lawlessness," she said. "He is destroying the chances of peace and preparing for further conflict and instability and violence."

___

Associated Press writer Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report.
Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned the Danish ambassador over an attack on its Copenhagen embassy.

The official IRNA news agency said the attack on Thursday involved four Iranian dissidents, without providing further details.

IRNA said the Foreign Ministry condemned the attack and reminded the Danish government that it is responsible for protecting the embassy. The ministry called on Danish authorities to pursue the perpetrators and notify it of the results.

Danish officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
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Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to help end the persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority, as OIC foreign ministers open a special meeting to discuss the crisis.

Najib, in a speech at the meeting Thursday, said that the crisis is no longer Myanmar's internal affair as it has caused an exodus of refugees that could destabilize the region. He warned that the violence must end before terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State group infiltrate and radicalize the Rohingyas.

Security forces in Buddhist-majority Myanmar are accused of widespread abuses against the Rohingya, including killings, rape and the burning of thousands of homes that have driven an estimated 65,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh in the past three months.
Infamous Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who twice escaped from maximum-security prisons in his country, was extradited at the request of the United States to face drug trafficking and other charges and arrived in New York late Thursday.

TIMING OF EXTRADITION SEEN AS POLITICAL

A plane carrying Guzman landed at a suburban airport, where a caravan of SUVs waited to take him away. Guzman, the convicted leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the world's largest drug trafficking organizations, was expected to spend the night in a New York jail before his first appearance in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Friday, officials said.

Mexico's Department of Foreign Relations announced Guzman was handed over to U.S. authorities for transportation to the U.S. earlier Thursday, the last full day of Democratic President Barack Obama's administration and a day before Republican Donald Trump's scheduled inauguration.

NOTABLE DATES IN MEXICO'S DECADE-OLD DRUG WAR

Guzman was taken into custody by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Ciudad Juarez, a border town across from El Paso, Texas.

Guzman, who's in his late 50s, first escaped from prison in 2001 and then spent more than a decade on the run before he was recaptured, only to escape again in 2015 via a mile-long tunnel dug to the shower in his cell.

The 2015 escape was highly embarrassing for the government of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, and Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand the headache off to the United States afterward. A court denied Guzman's appeal and found his extradition was constitutional, the Mexican Department of Foreign Relations said.

In Mexico, Deputy Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran told reporters late Thursday that Guzman still faces formal charges in 10 other cases.

"When he completes his sentence in ... the United States, he will return to Mexico to continue" the prosecutions, he said.

Guzman's lawyers had fought extradition since his 2016 recapture and said Thursday the Mexican government sent him to the United States to distract the public from nationwide protests over gasoline prices.

"It was illegal. They didn't even notify us," lawyer Andres Granados said. "They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike. It's totally political."

Besides New York, Guzman faces charges in five other U.S. jurisdictions, including San Diego, Chicago and Miami. He could face the possibility of life in a U.S. prison if convicted.

An indictment in New York accuses him of running a massive drug operation that employed thousands of people, laundered billions of dollars in profits back to Mexico and used hit men to carry out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.

After his recent escape, he became something of a folk legend for a segment of Mexico's population for his defiance of authorities. He was immortalized in songs known as narco-corridos, ballads about the drug trade and drug bosses.

It was while on the lam the second time, in fall 2015, that he held a secret meeting with actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo. The encounter was the subject of a lengthy article Penn published in Rolling Stone last January, right after Mexican marines re-arrested Guzman in the western state of Sinaloa.

In the interview, Guzman was unapologetic about his criminal activities, saying he had turned to drug trafficking at age 15 simply to survive.

"The only way to have money to buy food, to survive, is to grow poppy, marijuana, and at that age, I began to grow it, to cultivate it and to sell it. That is what I can tell you," he was quoted as saying in Penn's article.

The decision by Mexico to extradite one of its most prized prisoners to the U.S. comes as Trump has taken a tough stand on illegal immigration from that country, vowing to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it. Mexican officials have repeatedly said they will not pay for a wall.

Derek Maltz, who headed the DEA's Special Operations Division until his retirement in mid-2014, said the timing of Guzman's extradition less than 24 hours ahead of Trump's inauguration could be seen as a show of good faith by Mexico.
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Donald Trump's all-but-dismissal of human rights as a foreign policy principle could land like an earthquake across a Middle East landscape beset by warring factions and beleaguered governments, with some players eyeing the prospect of once unimaginable new alliances.

Syria is the foremost test of Trump's promise of a return to a hard-headed realpolitik and could quickly show whether America is truly abandoning promotion of democracy and the rule of law in a way that could reshape much of the region's post-Cold War, post-9/11 order.

Trump has raised the possibility of a broad new U.S. partnership with Vladimir Putin's increasingly authoritarian Russia and has even hinted at aligning with Syrian President Bashar Assad, which would amount to a dramatic reversal from years of the Obama administration calls for Assad's ouster. Trump seems to calculate that their shared enemy in the Islamic State is more important than shared values.

"When it comes to civil liberties, our country has a lot of problems, and I think it's very hard for us to get involved in other countries," Trump explained last July as Turkey was punishing tens of thousands of people seemingly unconnected to a failed coup attempt. "We need allies," Trump said in a New York Times interview. "I don't know that we have a right to lecture."

When Barack Obama declared a new beginning with the Muslim world in a landmark speech eight years ago, he mentioned democracy six times and broached the subject of human rights on a dozen occasions. Trump has barely mentioned these as foreign policy principles, extolling instead deal-making, diplomatic and economic, and championing the fight against IS.

"Human rights will not be his top priority," concluded Mustafa Alani, the director of the security and defense department at the Geneva-based Gulf Research Center.

Some believe the change will in the end be largely a matter of style, noting that Obama has fought jihadism all over the region as well. Aaron David Miller, a Mideast adviser under five American presidents, expects Trump to prove "risk- averse" and remain consistent with Obama's own reticence to interfere in other countries' affairs, use military force, remain engaged in Iraq or get truly involved in Syria's civil war.

But it's clear that several long-standing allies in the Middle East are relishing an end to what they saw as moralizing rhetoric, confused signals and unfulfilled red lines, and favoring a Trump pivot to counterterrorism and security.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi is still waiting for a White House invitation, having been shunned by Obama for his bloody crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia is expecting a renewed push from Washington on its arch-rival Iran, instead of Obama's more neutral stance and its accompanying criticism of the kingdom's treatment of women and killing of civilians in Yemen. And Israel's nationalist leadership has made almost a public celebration of Trump's imminent arrival, confident that its grief for how it treats the Palestinians is over.

Here's a look at how Trump's policies could shake up the Middle East:

SYRIA AND ISLAMIC STATE

The U.S.-led campaign against IS, more than 60 nations strong, has lacked in Syria the one thing it needs most: a partner on the ground capable of reclaiming and holding territory, as the Iraqi government is doing in its areas. Widespread evidence of torture, chemical weapons attacks and even war crimes by Assad's forces had made a partnership infeasible to Obama and most of America's foreign policy establishment.

Meanwhile, Russia's intervention since September 2015 has dramatically shored up Assad's position. If Assad and Putin now take on IS in its strongholds in northeastern Syria, it is less difficult to imagine Trump accepting perhaps a tacit partnership.

Trump has said Assad may be "bad" but the rebels fighting to topple him "could be worse." He has said the U.S. has no idea who its allies in the country are and has appeared most concerned about containing the exodus of Syrian refugees, fearing they'll spread terrorism.

Assad recently suggested the U.S. and Syria could be "natural allies."

Such a shift would have consequences. America's Sunni allies in the Persian Gulf will chafe at any outcome they see as strengthening the hand of Assad's other main partner, Shiite Iran.

ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

Years of contentious relations between Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu culminated last month in a U.N. Security Council resolution declaring illegal the Jewish state's construction of settlements on occupied land the Palestinians seek for a future state. Obama's decision to not veto the resolution followed bitterness in Israel over the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

Trump has vowed to heal the wound, apparently by embracing parts of Netanyahu's nationalist agenda. He has appointed a pro-settlements ambassador, vowed to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to more controversial Jerusalem and spoken of renegotiating and even dismantling the Iran deal.

Whereas much of Obama's disapproval of Netanyahu was expressed in moral terms, Trump has steered wide of any such thing.

"He is against this kind of moralism and political correctness," said Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israel relations at Israel's Bar-Ilan University. "He is a businessman. If there is a potential for a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, he will do it. If there is no potential for a deal, he will not do it."

Many fear overreach by Israel that could trigger a new Palestinian uprising. And some note the situation could turn if the confident Netanyahu ever provoked the mercurial Trump as he has did Obama. "Within a year, they'll be annoying the hell out of each other," predicted Miller.

THE GULF AND IRAN

If there is one authoritarian country unlikely to enjoy the fruits of Trump's human rights-free foreign policy, it's Iran. The president-elect regularly chastised Obama for agreements that provided new funds to a U.S.-designated terror sponsor and left it only several years away from potentially returning to nuclear weapons capacity.

Beyond the talk of a nuclear renegotiation, Trump also has promised to get American prisoners released and threatened to shoot Iranian boats out of the water if they provoke U.S. Navy vessels in and around the oil-rich Persian Gulf.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has said if the U.S. tears up the nuclear accord, "we will light it on fire." But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday dismissed the possibility that Trump could undo the nuclear deal, likening it to turning a finished shirt back into cotton. The president-elect's tough talk on the deal was is "mainly slogans," he said.

Officials in Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional rival, are nonetheless pleased with a president who might focus more on Iran than its own human rights violations. Although its rights record routinely ranks among the world's worst, Rex Tillerson, Trump's choice for secretary of state, wouldn't call the key U.S. ally a rights violator.

EGYPT

El-Sissi, Egypt's general-turned-president, isn't hiding his hopes in Trump: "There is appreciation (by Trump) for Egypt's regional role and there will (be) more coordination with the United States going forward," he said this week.

Government circles in Cairo widely see Obama as naive about the true intentions of political Islam and excessively idealistic about liberal democracy. Championing the popular protests of the 2011 Arab Spring, Obama urged the stalwart U.S. ally Hosni Mubarak to step down and welcomed the ascendancy of the country's first elected president, Islamist Mohammed Morsi.

After el-Sissi led a 2013 coup replacing Morsi, Obama's administration struggled for months over whether to call it a coup and later suspended some arms sales to Egypt. It has routinely criticized the government's police brutality, mass trials of Islamists and the crackdown on liberal dissent, drawing charges from el-Sissi that the U.S. supports Morsi and other religious hard-liners.

Under Trump, "there will be a lot of capacity for less friction and more engagement," said Michael W. Hanna, an Egypt expert at the New York-based Century Foundation.

But given Egypt's dire economic condition and internal instability, el-Sissi may have little to offer a deal-oriented U.S. president in return. How important that turns out to be will help show whether the new American compass will truly be about the quid pro quo.

___

Klapper reported from Washington. AP correspondents Adam Schreck in Dubai, Hamza Hendawi in Cairo, Ian Deitch in Jerusalem and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed to this report.
Few people are more eager for Donald Trump's arrival in the White House than those who do business in Russia.

Russian magnates and American investors are anticipating an administration that removes sanctions and encourages U.S. business in Russia's vast market  regardless of Russian President Vladimir Putin's policies.

While Trump hasn't laid out a clear policy on Moscow yet, Russia's business world is hoping tensions over hacking and Ukraine will blow over soon.

Andrei Kuzyaev, head of ER Telecom, a leading Russian broadband provider, says "Trump inspires me. He's an entrepreneur" who puts economic benefits first.

Russian executives are out in force at the World Economic Forum this week in Davos. Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov is expected to spell out Russia's international economic strategy at the Swiss resort Thursday.
Spain's Supreme Court has sentenced a rapper musician to a year in prison for exalting terrorism and humiliating terrorism victims in Twitter messages.

In the tweets posted between 2013 and 2014, Cesar Montana Lehmann, 52, of the Def Con Dos rock band, talked of sending a cake bomb to former King Juan Carlos on his birthday. He also said some politicians made him long for a former leftist armed group.

Montana was also banned from holding public office for 6 years.

Amnesty International last week cited Montana's case as an example of the excesses being committed in Europe under anti-terror laws.

The sentence Thursday followed an appeal by prosecutors of Montana's acquittal by a lower court last year.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said on Thursday he would stand by his earlier pledge to be extradited to the U.S.

The anti-secrecy website tweeted out earlier this month that Assange would accept extradition to the U.S.  where hes wanted for questioning regarding WikiLeaks  if a former military officer convicted of espionage received a commuted sentence from President Obama. That condition was met on Tuesday when Chelsea Mannings sentence was commuted with a set release date of May 2017.

ASSANGE: RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT NOT THE SOURCE OF WIKILEAKS EMAILS

I stand by everything I said including the offer to go to the United States if Chelsea Manning's sentence was commuted, Assange said in a live online news conference.

He did, however, appear to add a caveat.

RUSSIA AGREES TO EXTEND SNOWDEN'S RESIDENCY

It's not going to be commuted [until] May. We can have many discussions to that point, Assange said.

Assange is also wanted for questioning in a rape case in Sweden. To avoid extradition, hes been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in Britain since June 2012. Assange has proclaimed his innocence.

Assanges U.S.-based attorney told The Hill on Wednesday that the WikiLeaks head would not come to the U.S.

Mr. Assange welcomes the announcement that Ms. Mannings sentence will be reduced and she will be released in May, but this is well short of what he sought, Barry Pollack said. Mr. Assange had called for Chelsea Manning to receive clemency and be released immediately.

Manning was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment in July 2013 stemming from violations of the Espionage Act. Manning disclosed a trove of classified U.S. secrets that was later published by WikiLeaks.
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Syrian rebels are sending more than a dozen representatives next week to the capital of Kazakhstan for talks with government representatives, the first such negotiations between the two sides in a year.

But the loss of Aleppo, the election of Donald Trump and the pivot of Turkey toward Russia has left the opposition with very little room to maneuver.

Without much foreign support and with Syria's wider rebellion in crisis, the opposition will be negotiating for scraps, having been forced to take part in a Russia-led initiative that won't challenge President Bashar Assad's hold on power.

"They have no choice. With Trump's win, any lingering hope to push the West into increasing its rebel support is lost," said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

Monday's scheduled meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, highlights the enormous changes in the year since the last talks broke down in Geneva.

Russia's massive military intervention has unequivocally given Assad the upper hand, leaving his forces in control of Syria's major cities and key population centers.

In the most significant setback for the rebellion since the conflict in Syria began in March 2011, pro-government forces recaptured the northern city of Aleppo in December, ending the opposition's four-year hold on parts of Syria's largest and most important city. For the rebels, it was an emotional departure from a place that once represented the dream of a Syria free of Assad.

It will be difficult for them to recover from such a defeat.

Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdogan is embroiled in troubles at home and has moved closer to Russia recently, prioritizing the fight against Kurds and the Islamic State group over support for the Syrian rebels he has propped up for years.

"The Russians have dealt us a military defeat in Aleppo," said Yasser al-Youssef, a member of the political bureau of the Noureddin el-Zinki armed group, a major rebel group in northern Syria.

"Now they are trying to deal us another defeat, politically," he said, referring to the conference in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.

The humiliating loss forced the rebel factions on Dec. 29 to sign a cease-fire deal in which they agreed to the talks with representatives of Assad's government.

The Russians cast the talks as the first opportunity to bring opposition military leaders to the table. Officials have said the session initially would focus on strengthening the truce in Syria, which Russia brokered with Turkey and Iran, and would help pave way for prospective talks in Geneva.

The negotiations will undoubtedly set the tone and agenda for future talks.

"Vladimir Putin's rush to establish a new political framework through organizing Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital are primarily designed to cement the Kremlin's position as the architect of a political solution," said Ayham Kamel, Middle East and North Africa director at Eurasia Group.

He said Putin's effort is set to eliminate any negotiating structure that would require Assad's removal.

Week-long negotiations in Turkey ahead of the talks reflect deep disagreement among the rebels on the goals and purpose of attending. With few friends left, the armed opposition also has no significant lifeline beside Ankara, which also had sent its troops to Syria to lead an offensive against Islamic State militants and Kurdish fighters on its borders. Saudi Arabia, an early supporter of the uprising, has been embroiled in its own war in Yemen, drying up coffers amid lower oil prices. Qatar, another ally of the rebels, would still have to coordinate with Turkey to reach them.

Jamil al-Saleh, commander of the U.S.-backed Alezzah Army, praised Turkey for hosting nearly 3 million Syrian refugees and keeping the only remaining route for civilians and fighters to the outside world. "They are the biggest ally," he said.

His group is sending two representatives to Astana. But al-Saleh said the delegates would pull out if there is no serious effort to form a transitional government and end Assad's rule.

Al-Saleh said the ceiling for talks is to reinforce the cease-fire, open humanitarian corridors for besieged areas and create a mechanism to hold violators to account. "Meanwhile, we are waiting for the U.S. to change its position," he added.

Another aim of Russia is to separate the rebels from the al-Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham group, which Moscow insisted on excluding from the cease-fire. The front is one of the most powerful groups and maintained close alliances with most of the other rebels at times of intense confrontations with pro-government forces.

Disassociating with the front at a time of dwindling support could spell the end for many of the myriad armed groups. It also could spark tensions among the rebels.

"You can't ... try to drag the Syrian people toward a fourth front," said al-Youssef of the al-Zinki group, suggesting that giving up on the Fatah-al-Sham Front would further complicate the war and spell more radicalization.

Al-Zinki is one of the few groups that won't take part.

Another powerful group, Ahrar al-Sham, said it also won't participate in the talks because, among other things, excluding Fatah al-Sham is an attempt to divide the rebels.

If there are "good results," the group said it will support the talks. But it added: "It is a lie to say that now is the time for political action only. Now the battle is on, and the fields of jihad are calling for the lions of Islam."

But in a reflection of a highly volatile terrain, reports emerged Thursday of clashes between the two groups, who have been in talks to merge.

According to the opposition-run Qasioun news agency and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, fighters from Fatah al-Sham assaulted Ahrar al-Sham-controlled checkpoints and positions in Idlib's western countryside and arrested fighters from the Islamist group. The Fatah al-Sham Front, which has been advertising its suicide attacks in parts of Syria despite the cease-fire, also seized a crossing on the Syria-Turkey border, according to the monitoring group.

Ahrar supporters have criticized the group's decision to boycott the talks, allegedly under pressure from the more powerful Fatah al-Sham.

The divisions came despite efforts by the opposition to coalesce.

"The rebels are unlikely to find unity in defeat where they have not found it in victory," Landis said.

Part of the conversation now is how and when Assad leaves, but there seems to be tacit acceptance  or resignation  that the 51-year-old leader will stay for the time being.

An Arab diplomat said Turkey has pressed the opposition to attend the Astana meeting because it has a long-term interest in keeping a stake in Syria. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly.

Russia may be taking advantage of a weakened Erdogan and the transition in the U.S. to push the Syrian political process forward and target terrorist groups in Syria.

Assad said the talks will focus on the cease-fire and humanitarian assistance, and are unlikely to delve into political issues.

In remarks to Japanese broadcaster TBS TV, he said the conference offers armed groups a chance to join reconciliation initiatives through which the government has negotiated local surrenders, allowing fighters to either lay down arms or relocate.

"We have no expectations from the Astana talks, but we have hopes that it becomes a forum for talks between all Syrian parties," Assad said.

___

Hashem Osseiran in Beirut contributed.
Baja Fresh Celebrates Grand Opening of Its Newest Restaurant in Trevose, Pennsylvania

TREVOSE, Pa. - Jan. 19, 2017 // PRNewswire // - Baja Fresh Mexican Grill (www.BajaFresh.com), the fast-casual fresh Mexican food chain, announced a grand opening celebration in honor of its newest Baja Fresh location in Trevose, Pennsylvania on January 19, 2017. The new Baja Fresh is conveniently located at 551 East Street Road in Trevose. The grand opening event will include a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. and is open to the public.

The new Baja Fresh restaurant in Trevose is owned by franchisee Jigar Patel, who has been in the restaurant industry for the past six years. "I have been a huge fan of Baja Fresh since I was in college. I liked it so much, I would eat there at least three times a week," said Patel. "I believe the quality fresh ingredients and delicious Mexican flavors far exceed those of other fast-casual restaurants and I can't wait to welcome the community to our newest location."

This 2,500 square foot Baja Fresh restaurant, located inside a recently developed shopping center called The Shops at Emerald Walk, encompasses Baja Fresh's latest interior restaurant design, service and customizable menu. Guests will also notice a distinctly new interior incorporating the use of natural recycled woods, stone and warm colors in this updated design, in addition to a more accommodating family-friendly seating plan.

For more information, please visit www.BajaFresh.com.

About Baja Fresh

Baja Fresh serves handmade, fresh Mexican flavors for lunch, dinner, dine-in or take-out, all in a spacious and new contemporary environment. All entrees are made with fresh, all natural, hormone free, chicken, fire grilled steak, line caught seafood and slow roasted pork carnitas. Don't forget the handmade guacamole and salsa bar hosting six salsas made fresh every day, all day. Founded in 1990, Baja Fresh operates or franchises 165 restaurants in 26 states as well as restaurants in Dubai and Singapore. In 2016, Baja Fresh became part of Kahala BrandsTM, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of 18 quick-service restaurant brands and approximately 2900 locations in 28 countries.

For more information about Baja Fresh or Kahala Brands visit www.BajaFresh.com or www.KahalaBrands.com.

2016 Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. BAJA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL and BAJA FRESH are registered marks of Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. All other marks are property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Baja Fresh

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This unique space offers a good opportunity for Vietnamese students and people who love the Republic of Korea to find updated information about Koreas language and culture.













Photos: ATP

Speaking at the event, Mr Lee Hyuk, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Vietnam, said Korea corner would further promote the attraction of his nation to Vietnamese friends, and hoped that the cooperation with Hanoi University would develop more, making the space a true destination for experiencing Koreas arts and culture.

As the two nations are celebrating the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties, Mr Ambassador was firmly confident of witnessing growing mutual understanding between the young generations, especially Vietnamese student and pupils.

The corner is opened free for all who love typical aspects of Koreas arts and culture./.
President Tran Dai Quang (R) and Azerbaijani Minister of Energy Natig Aga Emi Olgu Aliyev (Source: VNA)

During a reception in Hanoi on January 18th, Quang hailed the visit at the beginning of this year, which marks the 25th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, adding that the Vietnamese leaders always support the deepening of bilateral relations for the sake of the two peoples.

Discussing measures to boost bilateral economic, trade and investment ties, he suggested accelerating the realisation of high-level agreements and the outcomes of the first session of the Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic-Trade and Science-Technology Cooperation.

In order to lift two-way trade, Vietnam is willing to export agro-fisheries, electronics and computers to Azerbaijan, he said, adding that both sides should consider resuming cooperation in education-training and expanding connections in culture and tourism as well as launching a direct flight between Hanoi and Baku.

He said Vietnam wants Azerbaijan to continue assisting the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group in joining more oil and gas exploitation projects in the country.

Minister Olgu Aliyev, for his part, thanked the Vietnamese State and Government for creating favourable conditions for the session, during which, both sides reached a number of deals.

He agreed with the Presidents proposed measures to intensify bilateral partnership, especially in oil and gas, science-technology, culture and tourism./.
In the unlikely event that Laurence Alan Stewart II ever comes back to Virginia after he is returned to a Montana prison, a lengthy incarceration will await him.

Stewart, 29, was sentenced Thursday in Stafford County Circuit Court to two life sentences plus 40 years for a series of pipe bombs he set off in 2012 targeting police officers and his ex-fiancee. He pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted capital murder and two counts of terrorism.

There is little chance, however, that Stewart will serve any of his Virginia time. The former Stafford resident is already serving seven life sentences in Montana for other pipe bomb-related incidents.

According to the evidence presented by Commonwealths Attorney Eric Olsen, Stewart set off explosives on Oct. 30, 2012, at the Stafford homes of his former fiance, Stafford Detective Greg Bender and a Fredericksburg residence where Stafford Lt. Deuntay Diggs used to live. Bender and Diggs were involved in prior cases involving Stewart.

No one was injured in the blasts, but there was considerable property damage, Olsen said.

Stafford authorities quickly identified Stewart as a suspect and searched his home for evidence. They found receipts for items used in making pipe bombs and internet searches for the addresses of multiple Stafford Sheriffs Office personnel, including then-Sheriff Charles Jett.

The address Stewart found for Diggs was one where he was no longer living. At the time of the bombings, Stewart was wanted for protective order violations involving the former fiance.

A nationwide lookout was issued for Stewart following the bombings and he was stopped for speeding in Montana the next day by a highway patrol officer.

While examining Stewarts license, Trooper Joe DeJong learned that Stewart was wanted in Virginia. Stewart sped away in the stolen car he was driving while DeJong was waiting for backup.

During the ensuing pursuit, Stewart tossed a number of pipe bombs at pursuing officers. None of the officers were hurt, but several reported feeling their cruisers shake and being struck by shrapnel.

He was carrying a gun when he was finally cornered after a foot chase, but he was taken into custody without injury. He was convicted of seven counts of attempted deliberate homicide by a Montana jury in 2013 and given seven life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Though it appears that Stewart will die in a Montana prison, Olsen said it was important that he be held accountable for his Stafford crimes. He was extradited from Montana last month and will be returned to that state shortly.

Stewart agreed to plead guilty even before a trial date had been set for his Stafford charges. Court records indicate that he was motivated by a desire to leave the Rappahannock Regional Jail as soon as possible.

He wrote a letter last year in which he requested information on how to plead guilty to his Stafford charges by video without leaving Montana.

In exchange for Stewarts guilty pleas, Olsen dropped several other charges. Attorney Ron Hur represented Stewart, who answered Judge Charles Sharps questions but said nothing else during Thursdays hearing.
A magnificent adult eagle rescued weeks ago in Caledon State Park was returned to the wild Wednesday between stretches of swamp and brush on a gravel road.

Wildlife Center of Virginia President Ed Clark cautioned the crowd of nearly 100 nature enthusiasts sporting cameras, boots and wide smiles to stay quiet as he removed the female eagle from its cage.

The bird was a little jumpy as Clark reached into the cage in the back of a WCV van to remove it for the release.

It even pecked at a WCV staffer who helped take off the hood that had been placed on the eagle to keep it quiet on the ride from the Waynesboro facility to the park in King George County.

But once Clark got the bird solidly on his heavily gloved arm, it calmed enough for him to walk it through the corridor of people whod driven from all over the state to see its release.

The leader and cofounder of the nations preeminent treatment center for wild animals counted to three, giving the group time to pull out their cameras and focus them, and then tossed the eagle up toward the bright blue sky.

To gasps all around, it took the big, strong bird only a few beats of its massive wings to shoot skyward, eventually veering toward the spot where two rangers found it on the ice Dec. 10, after it was injured in a tussle with another eagle.

Oh, look at that! said Cathy Earnest, whod driven from Brandy Station with a friend to see her first release of an eagle treated for injuries. This was just an opportunity I couldnt miss, she added a moment later.

Nina Cox, park manager at Caledon, said the staff was glad to welcome the crowd of folks who filled small buses and a farm wagon for the miles-long trip down to the Alder Flats section of the park for the release.

She noted that a dozen or so eagles treated for various injuries have been released at Caledon over the years, with crowds growing from a dozen or so to the throng drawn Wednesday by news of the release on social media.

Clark, a tireless advocate for wildlife in Virginia and all over the globe, used the moments just before the eagles release as an opportunity to warn of a growing threat to the bird that has served as a national symbol.

In the last four weeks, weve had six birds come in, all suffering from lead poisoning, said Clark, noting that the birds are poisoned by eating carcasses or internal organs hunters leave behind after shooting deer or other game animals with lead ammunition.

WCV eagle statistics for the year 2016: 38 admitted, with only 8 released or still alive. Lead poisoning is the cause of many of those deaths.

The worst thing about this is that most hunters dont know this is happening, he said, noting that a shredded piece of a lead pellet or bullet the size of a grain of rice is enough to be fatal to an eagle. There are, he noted, lead-free alternatives for hunters looking for ammunition that isnt as harmful to eagles.

Were seeing eagles come in with lead levels that are 300 times what it takes to be toxic to the birds, said Clark.

Another growing concern, according to Clark, is the fact that a growing statewide eagle population is sending the birds into habitats that arent really suitable for them, such as landfills and worse.

Old growth forest along a body of water like the Potomac River is the perfect habitat for these birds, he said of Caledon, one of two parks in the nation established especially to protect eagle habitat.

The eagle released at Caledon did show it had been exposed to lead at some point, through bloodwork showed the level was too low to require treatment.

Instead, the wildlife vets at WCV treated the bird for a large puncture wound to its back and gave the bird antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Then, after several weeks of healing and observation, the staff said the bird was ready to go back to the wild, which it did at Caledon in a ceremony that had everyone smiling.

This really was something to see, said Chuck Buell, who traveled with other members of the Colonial Nature Photographers Club of Williamsburg to shoot pictures of the release. I think I got a good shot or two.
Culpeper County is getting its first chance to deal with life after proffers.

Because of a change in state law, governments can no longer demand proffers from developers before approving zoning changes. That made Wednesday nights Planning Commissions work session with Caruso Homes a bit awkward, to say the least.

Caruso, a Maryland-based developer, is hoping to build 301 affordable housing units on 121 acres that is zoned to accommodate a maximum of 40 single-family dwellings.

The Arbors of Culpeper, proposed for what is now a cow pasture just across the Norfolk-Southern Railroad tracks on Nalles Mill Road, would be a community consisting of 266 village homes and 35 townhouse units.

According to developer Jeff Caurso, the single-family dwellings would be 1,800 to 2,600 square feet each, while the townhouse units would range from 1,300 to 2,000 square feet.

Caruso would not speculate on just how affordable these units would be, explaining that price would depend on development costs and the strength of the housing market when the homes are built.

But both he and Bruce Clark, his Culpeper attorney, assured the commission that the homes would not be the extravagant residences of the previous building boom.

It is the end of the day for the mansions, Clark said. Smaller homes are the way of the future if we want to conserve land.

Clark added that clustering is the way to create more affordable housing since land is a primary factor in the cost of a home. Homes in The Arbors would be built on lots that are a maximum of 6,000 square feet.

He also pointed out that this subdivision, if built, would almost certainly be quickly swallowed up by the town of Culpeper through annexation since the property borders the municipality on two sides.

This is a piece of the county that is within the town, Clark said, explaining that the parcel is within spitting distance of Walmart, Kohls and Buffalo Wild Wings. Tyco Industries lies just across the railroad tracks.

To that end, Clark said Caruso wanted to develop a community that is compatible with similar developments within the town limits. In fact, the attorney suggested that the county work with town planners on the project, especially since the proposed community would be served by town water and sewer.

Clark further pointed out that the project follows the countys comprehensive plan, which advocates high-density development in only three areas: Clevengers Corner, Brandy and around the edges of the town.

While the Planning Commission may no longer legally seek proffers, Caruso offered several, including sidewalks, curbs and gutters, landscape trees, street lights, asphalt and wood chip walking trails, a 1.2-acre playground for small children, a pavilion and 40 percent (about 48 acres) of open space.

Commissioners asked a number of generic questions, but were careful to avoid any discussion of proffers.

Commissioner Cindy Thornhill said she wanted one more work session before the project came up for a public hearing and a vote, but county planner Sam McLaren pointed out that the commission had about all the facts it is likely to get.

When asked, Clark said he could not say when the project would begin if the new zoning is approved.

It will likely depend on the housing market, he said.

Any children from the proposed development would go to Pearl Sample Elementary School, Floyd T. Binns Middle School and Eastern View High School unless boundaries are adjusted in the future.

Commission Chairman Sanford Reaves made only one statement.

This is good, he said. We need a lot more affordable housing for older folks and for starter homes.
The Fredericksburg Electoral Board has appointed Marc Hoffman, deputy clerk of the Fredericksburg Circuit Court, as the city's new director of elections and general registrar.

On Friday he will officially succeed Juanita Pitchford, who retired recently after holding that post for nearly 16 years.

Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw and others at Pitchford's retirement celebration on Jan. 11 noted her dedicated service to the city and leadership of several community organizations, including the local NAACP and Girl Scouts chapters. Among other gifts, she received proclamations from Gov. Terry McAuliffe and the Commonwealth Department of Elections.

Hoffman, 43, has worked closely with Pitchford as part of his duties as chief records clerk for the court for the past five years. Prior to that, he was a small business consultant helping firms streamline their business practices and accounting. He is a graduate of West Virginia University, where he majored in English.

The Fredericksburg Department of Elections is located in Executive Plaza, 601 Caroline St., Suite 500-A. Voters can manage their registration and find election information at elections.virginia.gov.
THE CENTRAL ORGAN OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM The Voice of the party, State and Vietnamese people on the internet

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With regard to The Free LanceStars Jan. 16 business section article [Lawmaker wants Virginia electricity rates reviewed], I would like to thank state Sen. Chap Petersen of Fairfax County for looking out for us.
This difference in age distribution between men and women is likely due to biological differences between the sexes, said Dr. Denise Galloway, a Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center virologist whose work linking HPV to cervical cancer and development of virus-like particles helped pave the way to the vaccine.

Men are clearly different. We think this is related to their ability to mount a good immune response to HPV infection, said Galloway, who holds a Fred Hutch 40th Anniversary Endowed Chair.

While the NHANES study can distinguish active genital infections from prior presence of the virus, it cant say whether these infections are new or not, Han said. That is, they dont know whether the men are getting newly infected with new viruses, have chronic active infections, or may have periods of latent and active infection from the same virus. More detailed studies following the same men over time would be required to tease out those possibilities.

Virus tied to 30,000 new cases of cancer each year

The virus devastating effects are clear though, for both men and women. HPV is linked to more than 30,000 new cases of cancer every year in the U.S., according to the CDC, and many of these are preventable by vaccines.

Men and boys should get vaccinated not just to protect women from the more than 10,000 new cases of cervical cancer caused every year by HPV, but to protect themselves, Han said. Recently, cases of HPV-linked oropharyngeal cancer, or cancer of the mouth and throat, surpassed cases of cervical cancer. And most of the 11,000 new cases of HPV-linked oropharyngeal cancer per year occur in men.

For now, the HPV vaccine is only approved for men 26 years old and younger. The vaccine works best in people who haven't yet been exposed to the virus, Han said. But her group's results indicate that studies looking into raising the maximum age for vaccination could be warranted, given the high level of HPV infection in older men.



Not all of the estimated 35 million HPV-infected men could have avoided infection with vaccination. Nor will most of these men go on to get cancer. The vaccines protect against either four or nine different strains of HPV, depending on the vaccine, and cover the majority of the cancer-causing strains. Of the 45 percent of men with HPV, about a third carry the strains the vaccines protect against, Han said.

And yet, so few are getting the vaccine.

HPV vaccination in men is as important, or even more important, than in women. We as a society are not doing it well, Han said.

That disparity may be due in part to the fact that the vaccine was approved by the FDA for boys several years later than it was for girls, Galloway said. Marketing of the vaccine was also initially focused on girls, and parents of boys were urged to get the vaccine for the sake of protecting girls and women.

But its clear from this and other studies that boys and men have more reasons than pure altruism to get vaccinated, Galloway said.

Theres a perception that men arent at risk of getting HPV-associated diseases, which is not true, she said. Men should be getting vaccinated not just to protect women, but to protect themselves.
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It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the
WHATS UP The Cherokee County Literacy Association is having a hot dog sale fundraiser on November 12 at 11:00 a.m.2:00 p.m. in the office parking lot at 409 Buford Street. Plates for...

Blacksburg town employees to get bonus of $175 Blacksburg town employees were rewarded for their work Tuesday with a little extra in their holiday bonuses. Blacksburg Town Council unanimously agreed to give most full-time and part-time employees an...

In this region, no one fights alone Traditional rivals Landrum and Liberty presented a $4,700 check at Fridays Blacksburg game from a competitive fundraiser to celebrate Pink Out Week. Students competed to see which school could raise...

Pet Obituary Cameo CamiWard 7/27/2004  10/29/2022

Cameo chose her forever family by walking into their yard June 2006. She loved her cat proof backyard, window and screen porch. Cameo for many years played hide and go...
Story Highlights Most see Trump's inauguration as a celebration by his supporters

Eight years ago, most saw Obama's inauguration as a celebration for all

Americans more likely to be OK with protests than in the past

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Most Americans embraced Barack Obama's historic inauguration eight years ago as a celebration by all Americans, but a majority this year has returned to the view that the ceremony is a more partisan affair. Fifty-five percent now say Donald Trump's inauguration this week is more of a political celebration by his supporters than "a celebration by all Americans of democracy in action."

Do you see this week's inauguration more as a celebration by all Americans of democracy in action or a political celebration by the supporters of the candidate who won the presidential election? Celebration by all Celebration by supporters % % 2017 Jan 14-15 37 55 2009 Jan 9-11 55 42 2005 Jan 14-16 29 69 2001 Jan 15-16 26 72 Question was not asked prior to 2013 inauguration GALLUP

Trump will take office with a majority of Americans having an unfavorable view of him and with his opponents planning widespread protests through the weekend. This political landscape is far different from eight years ago, when 55% of Americans felt Obama's inauguration as the first black president was a time for all to celebrate and more than three-quarters viewed his inauguration as one of the most historic in the nation's history. When Obama took office, the few protests surrounding his swearing-in were directed mainly at outgoing President George W. Bush.

Losing Parties See Inaugurations as Victory Parties for Their Opponents

More than three-fourths (77%) of Democrats and those who lean Democratic view this year's inauguration as a celebration by Trump's supporters rather than a celebration by all. A smaller majority of Republicans and leaners viewed Obama's first swearing-in ceremony as a Democratic victory party. And more than four in five Democrats saw the Bush inauguration celebrations of 2001 and 2005 as a celebration by his supporters.

Percent Who Say the Inauguration Is a Political Celebration by the Supporters of the Candidate Who Won the Presidential Election Democrats + leaners Republicans + leaners % % 2017 77 34 2009 24 64 2005 85 51 2001 86 56 Question was not asked prior to 2013 inauguration GALLUP

Though the overall percentage who now see the inauguration as a time for all to celebrate has dropped since 2009, it is higher than prior to either of the times George W. Bush was sworn in -- driven almost entirely by changes in attitudes among Republicans and leaners. More Republicans now say it is a celebration by all, even though Republicans are less likely to have a favorable view of Trump now (82%) than they were to view Bush favorably prior to his inaugurations (97% both times).

Americans More Likely to Condone Inauguration Protests Than in Past

Americans are split on whether protests are appropriate during the inauguration ceremonies -- 46% say they are while 51% say they are inappropriate. The public was less willing to view the protests as appropriate in the days prior to George W. Bush's inauguration ceremonies in 2001 (28%) and 2005 (38%). Gallup did not ask this question prior to Obama's inaugurations in 2009 and 2013.

Regardless of whether you think people have a right to protest during the presidential inaugural ceremonies, do you think it is appropriate or inappropriate for them to do so? Appropriate Inappropriate No opinion % % % 2017 Jan 14-15 46 51 3 2005 Jan 14-16 38 61 1 2001 Jan 15-16 28 71 1 Question was not asked prior to 2009 and 2013 inaugurations GALLUP

The increase in the percentage of Americans deeming inauguration protests appropriate is based mainly on the shifting attitudes of Democrats and leaners -- from 37% in 2001, to 49% in 2005 and 67% now. Views of Republicans and those who lean Republican have changed little. Nineteen percent in 2001 found them appropriate, 25% in 2005 and 23% now.

Bottom Line

Presidential inaugurations are ceremonies at which presidents have celebrated the principles and beliefs that unite Americans. But in an era of ever-growing partisan differences, the gulf between Republicans and Democrats has widened even on the subject of the inauguration itself. Republicans and leaners are more likely now than they were eight, 12 or 16 years ago to see the inauguration as a time for all to celebrate. Democrats and leaners are now more likely than in 2001 or 2005 to think it is appropriate to protest the ceremonies.

With the incoming president facing major protests, a historical inauguration boycott by Democrats in the House of Representatives and a doubting public, the nation is in a far different place than eight years ago, when four in five Americans saw the nation's first black president as a uniter, and an overwhelming majority looked ahead to better times.
Story Highlights Satisfaction with race relations and position of minorities both down since 2016

Race relations satisfaction dropped sharply in 2015 and is down further since

Whites' and Republicans' satisfaction with race relations down most

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' satisfaction with both race relations and the situation for blacks and other racial minorities in the U.S. edged down from last year, the only two areas of the 28 Gallup measured to decline significantly over this period.

Americans' Satisfaction With the State of the Nation Total % satisfied 2016 2017 Change % % pct. pts. The state of the nation's economy 34 46 +12 The level of immigration into the country today 30 41 +11 The nation's laws or policies on guns 34 42 +8 The nation's military strength and preparedness 59 66 +7 The nation's security from terrorism 43 50 +7 The Social Security and Medicare systems 40 47 +7 The role the U.S. plays in world affairs 38 45 +7 Our system of government and how well it works 34 40 +6 The nation's policies regarding the abortion issue 33 39 +6 The way income and wealth are distributed in the U.S. 29 35 +6 Government regulation of businesses and industries 33 38 +5 The overall quality of life 76 80 +4 The opportunity for a person to get ahead by working hard 62 66 +4 The size and influence of major corporations 35 39 +4 The influence of organized religion 53 56 +3 The size and power of the federal government 37 40 +3 The amount Americans pay in federal taxes 36 39 +3 The nation's energy policies 39 41 +2 The availability of affordable healthcare 37 39 +2 Efforts to deal with poverty and homelessness 22 23 +1 The nation's policies to reduce or control crime 38 38 0 The moral and ethical climate 31 31 0 The acceptance of gays and lesbians in the nation 60 59 -1 The quality of medical care in the nation 53 52 -1 The quality of the environment in the nation 53 52 -1 The quality of public education in the nation 38 37 -1 The state of race relations 27 22 -5 The position of blacks and other racial minorities 43 37 -6 Gallup

Americans' current satisfaction with aspects of life and national policies varies significantly, ranging from 22% who are satisfied with the state of race relations to 80% who are satisfied with their overall quality of life. Satisfaction with the position of blacks and other racial minorities is also among the lowest of the 28 areas measured.

The biggest positive changes over the past year were increases in Americans' satisfaction with the state of the nation's economy, up 12 percentage points, and the level of immigration into this country, up 11 points. By contrast, satisfaction with the position of blacks and other minorities fell six points, from 43% to 37%, and satisfaction with race relations edged down five points, from 27% to 22%.

These data are from Gallup's annual Mood of the Nation poll, conducted each January since 2001, except for 2009-2011. The most recent poll was conducted Jan. 4-8.

2015 Marked Significant Dividing Line in Race Relations Satisfaction

At least half of Americans were satisfied with the state of race relations in most years since Gallup first asked the question in 2001, including 55% in 2014 when race relations was among the higher areas of satisfaction. In the past few years, however, satisfaction with race relations has dropped precipitously, falling to 30% in 2015, 27% in 2016 and now 22%, the lowest to date.

The most likely explanation for this substantial shift in attitudes about race in the U.S. is a series of deadly incidents that have occurred in recent years involving black men and white police officers. These included the deaths of unarmed black men in Staten Island, New York, and Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. In both instances, grand juries subsequently decided not to indict the police officers involved. In the years since, deaths of black men and women at the hands of white police officers in Maryland, South Carolina, Minnesota and elsewhere continued to fuel the fires of controversy over the treatment of blacks by police -- a situation further exacerbated in 2016 by the targeted killing of white police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Americans' satisfaction with the position of blacks in the U.S. has shown a similar trend.

Other Gallup measures have shown that public worry about race relations jumped in 2015 and 2016, that race relations has risen on Americans' list of most important problems, and that twice as many Americans say that the nation lost ground as gained ground on race relations since Barack Obama became president.

Whites, Republicans See Biggest Declines in Satisfaction With Race Relations

The drop in satisfaction with race relations is evident across all major demographic groups, including gender, education, income, age and region.

Comparing satisfaction from 2002-2014 to 2015-2017, the downturn is much larger among whites than among blacks. Across the earlier time period, whites, on average, were significantly more positive than blacks about the nation's race relations, at 54% and 38%, respectively. Whites' satisfaction has fallen over the last three years by 29 points, while blacks' satisfaction has decreased by only 10 points. As a result, whites are now less satisfied than blacks with race relations, a flip from previous years.

The same pattern is evident in the trend among Democrats and Republicans. Republicans were significantly more satisfied than Democrats with race relations from 2002 to 2014. GOP satisfaction has fallen dramatically over the past three years, putting Republicans in a position where they are tied with Democrats on this measure.

Implications

More than seven in 10 Americans in late 2008 said that the election of Barack Obama as the first black president in U.S. history constituted one of the most important advances for blacks in the past 100 years. These views faded as his presidency continued, however. Over the final three years of Obama's presidency, Americans also have become much less satisfied with race relations than they were during his first years in office and during most of the George W. Bush administration.

Clearly, despite the historic nature of his election, Obama's legacy is not going to be focused on achieving racial harmony or erasing the race relations problems that have been a part of American culture in one way or another since the nation's inception.

President-elect Donald Trump's rhetoric surrounding race and ethnic and religious minorities since the beginning of his presidential campaign has been controversial. Trump has promised that black Americans will, within four years, be thankful for his presidency and vote for him in large numbers if he runs for re-election in 2020. How Trump's actions and policies will affect either the reality or the perception of race problems in the years ahead remains to be seen. Gallup's last two measures of Trump's image show that blacks are three times less likely than whites to view Trump favorably (16% vs. 51%, respectively).

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 complete question responses and trends.

Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works.
Readers, we need your help to prove a merry Christmas for victims of domestic violence.
This log includes incidents in which there might have been a public disturbance or a risk to the public. Information comes from the Corvallis Police Department, the Benton County Sheriffs Office and Oregon State Police. It does not include all calls for service. The status of incidents might change after further investigation. Locations are approximate. People arrested or suspected in crimes are considered innocent until proven otherwise.

Corvallis Police Department

TUESDAY, JAN. 17

ID THEFT: 5:28 p.m., 600 block Northwest Walnut Boulevard. A woman reported that someone opened two credit cards in her name and charged a combined $8,700 on the two cards. The woman reported finding out that the person who opened the accounts was a family member and changed her mind about pressing charges and instead decided to solve the matter civilly.

MONDAY, JAN. 9

FRAUD: 8:07 p.m., 300 block Southeast Goodnight Avenue. A woman reported that she met a man on an online dating website known as "Scott Brian" who later told her he was in Nigeria for work, lost his wallet and didn't have funds to return home. The woman reported that the man deposited $2,000 into her account and asked her to send a MoneyGram for $1,800 to Nigeria. After making the transaction, the woman reportedly discovered that the $2,000 deposit into her back had not cleared. There was no suspect information beyond the username. The case was discontinued.

Benton County Sheriff's Office

FRIDAY, JAN. 6

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY: 4 a.m., 7000 block Northwest Oak Creek Drive. A man reported that a woman messaged him on Facebook and told him he needed to send her money or she would share pictures of him "in a state of undress" to his contacts. The man reported that he did not know how the woman got those pictures. The man later reported that he had never taken those types of pictures, but the deputy taking the call reported that the man was then evasive in answering questions. The man wanted the deputy to "trace" the Facebook account. The deputy explained it was not that simple.
German secondary school : Eleven students injured in pepper spray incident

Bornheim Several ambulances descended upon the Alexander-von-Humboldt secondary school on Wednesday afternoon. Eleven students were injured in an incident involving pepper spray.

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Several ambulances descended upon the Alexander-von-Humboldt secondary school on Wednesday afternoon. Eleven students were injured in an incident involving pepper spray. There was quite a commotion at the Alexander-von-Humboldt-Gymnasium (secondary school) on Wednesday afternoon when eleven students from Year 6 suffered eye and respiratory irritation because pepper spray had been used on an elevator.

Police spokesperson Simon Rott said six of the students were taken to hospital for outpatient treatment; the other five were treated by paramedics and released into the care of their parents. As school director Christian Dubois described, the affected students had been in the main building near the elevator where the pepper spray was used.

Who sprayed it and why remains unclear. We do not know whether it was one person or more, or whether they were from inside or outside the school, said Dubois. Police took photos and secured traces. The incident was apparently not intended to be targeted at any individual or group of students.

The school director said he could only hope that the person who caused the suffering was clear about the consequences of his or her actions. He said it was not even close to being a joke and he was really stunned about the incident. It took place between 12:30 and 1 pm while school was in session.

After the incident happened, all the doors were quickly opened. The smell of the irritant permeated the air. School lessons continued for those in classrooms not affected. Dubois had praise for the school helpers who came to the aid of the students. It was remarkable how calm they were as they treated the students, he said. They took them in their arms and were just there for them, he added.

Paramedics also had praise for the first responders at the school. The school is looking in to the incident and will remain in contact with police for any possible consequences resulting from the findings.
Godesberger Allee : Former Saudi Embassy being torn down

Bad Godesberg Signs on the metal fence and demolition containers are visible to motorists driving along the B9. The demolition of the former Saudi Arabian Embassy on Godesberger Allee has begun.

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At the end of last year, the city granted a permit for the demolition of the 22-meter high building, which formerly housed the Saudi Arabian Embassy. The building had become fully covered with graffiti. According to Markus Schmitz of the city press office, it is unclear what will come in its place. We do not have any building permit requests or anything similar, he said.

It is clear, however that it will take some time before a new building can be constructed there. At first, we have demolished a small building off to the side because the pollutant cleanup and disposal was not so costly there, explained construction manager Werner Klaes from the Neuss firm P&Z. After that will come the main building, which contains asbestos and PCBs. We have to remove the contaminated materials manually, and only when the building has been officially cleared are we allowed to tear it down, said Klaes.
One year anniversary : Happy Birthday, GA-English!

BONN After one year up and running, GA-English is celebrating the opportunity to serve the English speaking international community in Bonn and the surrounding area. It was reported in the print edition of General Anzeiger on Thursday.

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The idea was simple, obvious, but so ingenious that it electrified us news people who thought we had already seen and heard everything: after 127 years of reliably informing our Bonn readers in German, General-Anzeiger added a digital, English language edition. Just a year ago, on January 19, 2016, we started off with an English version of local news, event tips and topics to help guide and inform the numerous international employees, researchers, neighbors and newcomers from all over the world.

The response has been fantastic: GA English has almost a thousand fans on Facebook, and the English online news site is being visited around 25,000 times a month. Thanks everybody! Happy Birthday, GA English team, youre doing a great job! So far, we are the only regional newspaper in Germany which also appears in English - daily, free of charge, with a wide variety of articles and really nice readers. The nice reader part isnt because of us, of course - sorry Berlin - but rather Bonns unique mix of the United Nations, international corporations and the University of Bonn, helping to give Bonn its international flair.

If you have not yet visited GA-English, you are warmly invited to check out our website:

See you soon!
Carnival time : United Nations gets into the swing

Foto: Benjamin Westhoff

BONN Its probably the most international carnival club in the country. After 20 years in Bonn, the United Nations has formed their very own carnival club - yes, one can safely call them jecks now.

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A new international carnival club with royalty and all. On Tuesday evening, the Bonn carnival festival committee and the SWB held a reception. The surprise of the evening? The United Nations: On Friday, January 13 at exactly 4 pm on the 21st floor of the Langen Eugen, the carnival spark was lit and the UN-Funken were born. The 34 newcomers in the festival committee come from Cameroon, the Philippines, Ireland, Columbia, Australia, Serbia and other countries. Its not a surprise then, that the president comes from the Netherlands: Patrick van Weerelt, Head of Office at the Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development.

I studied in Maastricht. Carnival is celebrated there too, said van Weerelt. But its all a lot bigger here than there. At the last carnival storming of the City Hall, he was right in the thick of things. Besides that, he likes Kolsch beer better than the Dutch beer. But the UN as a carnival jeck (that beloved term for carnival revelers)? After being in Bonn for about 20 years, its about time, says treasurer Simona Constanzo Sow.

Also on board the carnival wagon are Oliver Kramer, Prinz Mirko I and UNiversa Nora I. There was much praise for the city in supporting the UN to establish the carnival club. Its a given that the UN-Funken will proudly take their place at the Rosenmontag parade - of course promoting sustainability.
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.
Mozilla just unveiled their brand new logo: Moz://a News oi -Chakri Kudikala Mozilla finally gets its new logo after several months of publicity.

Mozilla, the old age browser finally gets a new logo after being announcing their rebranding process back in August 2016. The new logo spells out the name of the company along with some special characters in between the logo.

As you can in see the image, the company's logo is now 'Moz://a'. They announced the rebranding on their official blog saying that 'we stand for the internet' alongside their new logo.

In the same blog post, Mozilla's creative director, Tim Murray quoted as follows: "reinforces that the Internet is at the heart of Mozilla." The company will undergo several changes in the coming weeks and will be completely rebranded by the end of 2017.

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Nokia 6 out of stock in a minute News oi -Prajith This was bound to happen.

HMD Globals first-ever Android-powered smartphone, the Nokia 6 was made available to the folks in China through a flash sale today. And, to-no-ones surprise, the smartphone had gone out-of-stock just under a minute.

Available exclusively on the Chinese website JD.com, the Nokia 6 is priced at USD 245 (roughly Rs. 16,692). The fact that smartphone went out-of-stock is by no means, astonishing since it had already received 1 million registrations for todays flash sale. Moreover, the Nokia 6 marks the re-entry of Nokia as a brand to the smartphone world. So, this was bound to happen.

Also Read: Nokia 6 flash sale registrations cross 1 million breaking all records

The exact number of units that were made available for masses during the flash sale has not been disclosed yet. But, considering the demand, we are pretty sure that the next flash sale will commence very soon.

Also, as we are approaching the MWC 2017 event, expect more Nokia branded smartphones including the much-rumored flagship Nokia P1 to be announced.

Are you excited about the Nokia 6 smartphone? What do you think about the device? Do let us know your thoughts through the comments section below.

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Samsung Galaxy S8 leak tips at bezel-less display sans home button News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu No home button on Galaxy S8?

The Galaxy S8 is one of the highly anticipated smartphones that is surfacing online on a daily basis. Samsung should be trying hard to prevent its upcoming flagship from leaking, but the device is making its way online despite all the efforts.

Lately, we saw the leaked case of alleged Galaxy S8 tipping at the possible design of the smartphone. Now, the first photos of the smartphone's tempered glass screen protectors have hit the web. These leaked tempered glass screen protectors add authenticity to the rumors that tip at use of dual-curved edge display on the Galaxy S8. Moreover, these show almost non-existent bezels.

In addition, the photos of the tempered glass screen protectors of the Galaxy S8 also show that the top and bottom bezels are way too thin. Moreover, the top bezel seems to have an opening for the selfie camera, ambient light sensor, and earpiece. There appears to be another opening that could be for an iris scanner to facilitate biometric authentication and this is nothing new as we already saw it with the Galaxy Note 7, which was recalled.

Samsung Galaxy S8 launch pegged for April 15

There seems to be no physical home button on the protectors adding fuel to the already burning rumor that the fingerprint sensor will be implemented under the display eliminating the need to have a physical home button.

For now, there is no mention on the exact display size, but the already existing rumors and speculations tip that the Galaxy S8 might feature a 5.7-inch display and the bigger Galaxy S8 Plus will arrive with an ever larger 6.2-inch display.

Samsung Galaxy S8 to have highest-level of water resistance

Talking about the expected launch date, there is no clear information on when the Galaxy S8 could be launched. One set of rumors point towards the MWC 2017 launch at Barcelona, Spain, and another set points at an April launch date. We are yet to get the confirmed details from Samsung.

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Obama commutes sentence of Manning, grants clemency to hundreds

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 7:35AM

Outgoing US President Barack Obama has shortened the prison sentence of over 200 inmates, including Chelsea Manning, the former military intelligence analyst responsible for the biggest breach of classified materials in US history.

In one of his final acts before leaving office, Obama on Tuesday reduced Manning's sentence from 35 years to seven years, a White House official said.

Manning was one of 209 inmates whose sentences Obama was shortening, White House Counsel Neil Eggleston said in a statement.

"Today, 209 commutation recipients  including 109 individuals who had believed they would live out their remaining days in prison  learned that they will be rejoining their families and loved ones," Eggleston said.

The 28-year-old transgender whistleblower, who changed her name from Bradley to Chelsea after her sentencing, will be released in May.

She has been imprisoned since 2010 and was sentenced in 2014 to 35 years in prison for espionage, by far the longest punishment ever imposed in the United States for a leak conviction.

Manning was working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad in 2010 when she provided more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, the largest leak of classified materials in US history.

Court testimony showed that she had been in a mental and emotional crisis before the leaks, due to the stress of a war zone and the fact that she had gender dysphoria.

Manning has already served nearly seven years in prison. She tried to kill herself on two separate occasions while in prison last year.

Obama's commute angered some Republican lawmakers.

"This is just outrageous," US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement. Ryan 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.

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.

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WikiLeaks Founder Waffles On Pledge To Accept U.S. Extradition

RFE/RL January 18, 2017

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on January 17 appeared to waffle on his pledge to accept U.S. extradition now that President Barack Obama has pardoned former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.

Melinda Taylor, who serves on Assange's legal team, initially told the Associated Press he would stick to his offer last week to accept extradition if the White House granted clemency to Manning, who was imprisoned for the biggest leak of classified materials in U.S. history to WikiLeaks in 2010.

But Taylor later told AP and AFP that Assange would like the U.S. Justice Department instead to announce it will not pursue charges against him and is closing its investigation of WikiLeaks and ending its "war on whistle-blowers."

Assange has been living at Ecuador's embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden on sexual-assault charges. He says he has long feared if he leaves the embassy he could be extradited to the United States to face criminal charges, although no formal charges have been filed against him.

WikiLeaks and Assange have been under investigation for years for publishing thousands of highly sensitive leaked documents from the United States.

In particular, WikiLeaks is under FBI investigation for its central role last year in an alleged Russian scheme to influence the U.S presidential election through the hacking and publishing of internal Democratic e-mails.

The White House, in shaving more than 30 years off Manning's prison sentence and ending her sentence on May 17, said it was not influenced by Assange's offer to come forward when it made the decision to pardon Manning.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/wikileaks -founder-assange-waffles- pledge-accept-us-extradition-white-house-pardon- chelsea-manning/28240491.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 Extends Snowden's Residence Permit By 'A Couple Years'

RFE/RL January 18, 2017

Russia says that Edward Snowden, the former U.S. intelligence contractor who leaked thousands of secret documents from the National Security Agency (NSA), has been granted permission to remain in the country for at least two more years.

The move comes as outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama commuted the 35-year prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, another American who revealed classified information through WikiLeaks.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova revealed on Facebook late on January 17 that Russia has extended Snowden's residence permit.

She made the statement in a comment on a recent published call by former acting CIA chief Michael Morrell for Russian President Vladimir Putin to hand Snowden over to the United States.

"The funniest thing is that [Morrell] doesn't know that Snowden's Russian residency permit has just been extended by a couple years," Zakharova said on her Facebook page.

Snowden's Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, was later quoted as saying that his client has been given the right to remain in Russia for another three years, until 2020.

Kucherena also said Snowden would be eligible to apply for Russian citizenship once he has been a resident for five years, according to Russian state news agencies.

Snowden fled the United States in 2013, traveling to Hong Kong and then to Russia, where he was stranded at a Moscow airport after the United States revoked his passport and was later granted temporary asylum.

He is wanted in the United States on espionage charges and could be imprisoned for 30 years if he returns to the United States and is tried and convicted.

He was initially granted permission to stay in Russia for one year amid the rapid deterioration in Moscow's relations with Washington.

Snowden had leaked 1.5 million documents he acquired while working as a contractor for the NSA, prompting a furious public debate about the legality of some of the agency's programs, about privacy concerns, and about U.S. snooping on its allies.

In one of his final acts as U.S. president, Obama granted commutation of sentences to 209 individuals and pardons to 64 others.

The list includes Manning, who is serving 35 years in prison on espionage charges and other offenses for her role in leaking diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks in one of the largest breaches of classified material in U.S. history -- but not Snowden.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said last week there were "some important differences" between Manning's case for mercy and Snowden's.

"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."

At a court hearing, Manning apologized for "hurting the U.S." and said she had mistakenly thought she could "change the world for the better."

The 29-year-old transgender U.S. Army private, born Bradley Manning, is now scheduled to be freed on May 17 of this year, instead of in 2045.

Manning twice attempted suicide last year at the male military prison where she is being held in Kansas. She also went on a hunger strike, which ended after the military agreed to provide her with gender dysphoria treatment.

Also on January 17, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared to waffle on his pledge to accept U.S. extradition now that Obama has pardoned Manning.

Melinda Taylor, who serves on Assange's legal team, initially told the Associated Press he would stick to his offer last week to accept extradition if the White House granted clemency to Manning.

But Taylor later said Assange would like the U.S. Justice Department instead to announce it will not pursue charges against him and that it is closing its investigation of WikiLeaks and ending its "war on whistle-blowers."

Assange has been living at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on sexual assault charges.

He says he has long feared if he leaves the embassy he could be extradited to the United States to face criminal charges, although no formal charges have been filed against him.

WikiLeaks and Assange have been under investigation for years for publishing thousands of highly sensitive leaked documents from the United States.

In particular, WikiLeaks is under FBI investigation for its central role last year in an alleged Russian scheme to influence the U.S presidential election through the hacking and publishing of internal Democratic e-mails.

The White House, in shaving more than 30 years off Manning's prison sentence, said the commutation was not influenced in any way by Assange's extradition offer.

Assange did not immediately comment on whether he plans to surrender, but he did tweet: "Thank you to everyone who campaigned for Chelsea Manning's clemency. Your courage & determination made the impossible possible."

In the United States, a commutation means the sentence is lifted, while a pardon also removes other penalties such as the bar on convicted felons to sit on federal juries and state-level prohibitions on such things as voting.

Neither clemency measure is an acknowledgment of innocence.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, Interfax, The New York Times, and the BBC

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia-extends- snowden-residency-permit/28240668.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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Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has transferred public joint-stock company Ukrzaliznytsia to the management of the government to increase efficiency of its corporate management, Secretary of the Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine Adnriy Haluschak has told Interfax-Ukraine.

He said that on Wednesday the government decided to bring the company's regulations in line with the law on the specifics of the creation of the public joint-stock company of railway transport of general use.

He said that the amendments are aimed to creating the conditions for conducing the company's corporate management reform.

Under the law, the founder of PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia and its only shareholder is the Cabinet of Ministers.

"Now the government as a shareholder will be able to quickly make effective decisions required for the functioning of the company and reforms," he said.

Haluschak said that the role of the Ukrzaliznytsia's supervisory board as the management body headed by First Deputy Infrastructure Minister Yevhen Kravtsov would expand.

"The Infrastructure Ministry would focus on its key function  forming the public policy in the railway transport, not diverting its attention to solving management issues," he said.
WikiLeaks: Assange Ready for Extradition to US If All Rights Guaranteed

Sputnik News

22:28 18.01.2017

Founder of the WikiLeaks website Julian Assange is ready to be extradited to the United States for testimony if Washington guarantees all his rights, the whistleblowing organization said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama commuted whistleblower Chelsea Manning's 35-year prison sentence. The whistleblower, sentenced in 2013 for releasing US classified government information, will be released in May. Earlier in January, WikiLeaks stated that Assange would agree to be extradited to the United States if Obama granted Manning clemency. Earlier in the day, Assange's lawyer Per E Samuelson said that his client was ready to be engaged in negotiations on extradition, but he pointed out that Manning had not been pardoned.

"Assange is still happy to come to the US provided all his rights are guarenteed despite White House now saying Manning was not quid-quo-pro," WikiLeaks said on its Twitter account.

Assange has been residing at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012 for fear of being extradited to Sweden where he has been accused of rape. He denies the allegations, claiming they are a ruse organized by Washington to hand him over to the United States.

 Sputnik

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US Made Attempt to Recruit Russian Diplomat on January 14 - Moscow

Sputnik News

21:28 18.01.2017(updated 21:31 18.01.2017)

US intelligence services undertook another attempt at recruiting a Russian diplomat on January 14, just a week before President Barack Obama's departure from the White House, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said Wednesday.

MOSCOW, January 18 (Sputnik)  On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gave a press conference summarizing past year's events during which he noted a rise in US attempts to recruit Russian diplomats, including an April 2016 incident involving a minister counsellor of the Russian Embassy in Washington.

"What Sergei Lavrov has described was a small part of what we have seen. One of the latest recruiting attempts took place on January 14. So imagine, the [Obama] team is about to leave, it has to busy itself with transferring the administration to the new president and the new team, but despite this, it has been ramping up every means used against Russia," Zakharova said as broadcast by the Rossiya-1 TV channel.

US recruiting attempts were confirmed by the Kremlin, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that the details were made public by the Russian Foreign Ministry due to aggressive and unfriendly rhetoric coming from the Obama administration.

Obama's team has just two days before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.

 Sputnik

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Following Chelsea Manning's commutation, UN expert urges pardons for other whistleblowers

18 January 2017  Welcoming the commutation of United States army officer Chelsea Manning's 35-year sentence for leaking classified military documents, a United Nations independents human rights expert today called on Governments to recognize the contributions of whistleblowers and pardon those serving prison sentences.

"I call on Governments worldwide to put an end to multiple campaigns of defamation, mobbing and even prosecution of whistleblowers like Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, the Luxleakers Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet and the tax corruption leaker Rafi Rotem," said Alfred de Zayas, the UN Independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order.

Mr. de Zayas added that these are whistleblowers "who have acted in good faith and who have given meaning to Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on freedom of expression."

"A culture of secrecy is frequently also a culture of impunity," Mr. de Zayas said, noting that because Article 19 is "absolutely crucial to every democracy, whistleblowers should be protected, not persecuted."

In addition, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights defends freedom of expression and information.

The UN expert also directly called on the Governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom to follow the recommendations of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and to strengthen the human rights system.

Implementing the recommendations of the Working Group could impact one of the whistleblowers who Mr. de Zayas mentioned. Mr. Assange has been under the diplomatic protection of Ecuador in London for more than four years.

Independent experts and Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

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Airmen deliver aid to refugees in northern Iraq

By Maj. Wayne Capps, 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs / Published January 18, 2017

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) -- Reservists from the 315th Airlift Wing delivered humanitarian aid here Jan. 13 while also conducting a multifaceted training mission; the aid is bound for refugee camps in northern Iraq.

"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 (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant)," said Master Sgt. Chris Fabel, a 315th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief stationed at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.

The humanitarian aid was flown using the Denton Amendment, a State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development program that allows humanitarian supplies to be flown aboard Air Force aircraft on a space available basis.

According to the Denton cargo application, Global Samaritan Resources, a nonprofit corporation located in Abilene, Texas, 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, the 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 ISIL-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," Farmintino said. "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 315th AW and will be flown later to 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, it's written in our DNA," he said. "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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U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Jan. 18, 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 17 strikes in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed two oil wellheads, an oil tanker truck, and four pieces of oil support equipment.

-- Near Bab, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Raqqa, 10 strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed a vehicle-borne bomb, a checkpoint and a command-and-control node; damaged two supply routes; and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Ayn Isa, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position and supply cache.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed eight oil stills, an oil wellhead and a fuel truck.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter, rotary and remotely piloted aircraft as well as rocket artillery, conducted six strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Huwayjah, a strike destroyed a weapons cache,

-- Near Mosul, five strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed three tunnel entrances, two vehicles, three vehicle-borne bombs, three barges, a watercraft, three fighting positions, three tactical vehicles, two mortars and an artillery piece; suppressed two ISIL tactical units; and damaged a tunnel, a fighting position, and 29 supply routes.

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 Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Rotational Brigade Fires First Tank-Training Rounds in Europe

From a U.S. European Command News Release

STUTTGART, Germany, Jan. 18, 2017  Just 10 days after combat vehicles rolled off cargo ships in Bremerhaven, Germany, soldiers from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, fired their first rounds in Europe.

The brigade joins a persistent rotational presence of American land, sea and air forces in the region operating in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, designed to reassure NATO allies and partners in the region in light of Russia's aggression in Ukraine.

Accuracy Screening

Live-fire training Jan. 16 provided crews from the brigade's 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, and 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, their first opportunity to zero their Bradleys' main guns and complete the live fire accuracy screening test for the M1A2 Abrams tank in western Poland.

Officials said 3rd ABCT soldiers are actively training to ensure their combat vehicles and crews are certified before deploying across Europe.

The equipment began being offloaded Jan. 6 and arrived by rail over the past week. The brigade's arrival to Europe marks the start of continuous, "heel-to-toe" rotations of armored brigades in Europe as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve. This rotation will enhance deterrence capabilities in the region, improve the U.S. ability to respond to potential crises and defend NATO allies and partners in the European community, U.S. European Command officials said.

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NATO Aims to Transform Military Capacity, Official Says

By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity

BRUSSELS, Jan. 18, 2017  Throughout its history, NATO has always changed and adapted to new threats, new doctrines and new realities, the commander of the alliance's Allied Command Transformation told reporters here yesterday.

Gen. Denis Mercier of the French air force, like many alliance officials, admits that parts of NATO are outdated, and said that's a big reason why there is a major command in Norfolk, Virginia, ensuring the organization remains relevant.

One of the areas in need of review is responding to new threats that require quick response, Mercier said, but he disagreed with critics who charge that the alliance has not been combatting violent extremism. He mentioned Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which established the alliance in 1949. Article 5 states that an attack on one allied country is an attack on all. The general noted that it has been invoked only once,, in response to the terror attack on the United States in September 2001.

Transforming Military Capacity

People talk about transformation all the time, Mercier said, "but the question is what do we transform? What we transform is the military capacity of the alliance."

NATO will soon have 29 members, and each has its own military strengths and weaknesses, along with varying cultures and traditions, the general said. Allied Command Transformation must take all this on board as it looks ahead, he added.

"We deal with future operations," the general said.

Mercier was here for meetings with the NATO Military Committee. Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also participated in the meetings.

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Defense Acquisition Chief Lays Out Hard-Won Lessons

By Karen Parrish DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2017  The outgoing undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics leaves office this week, and he's leaving behind a road map for the future of defense acquisition.

Frank Kendall spoke yesterday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies here about his new book, "Getting Defense Acquisition Right," which is available in PDF form here.

The book contains, as Kendall wrote in its introduction, "some of the hard-won lessons of my decades of experience in the development of new defense products."

"I'm not a believer in acquisition magic.  I think it's all about hard work, attention to detail, and really knowing what you're doing," he said at CSIS.

Acquisition Cover to Cover

The book has six chapters, which Kendall outlined in some detail:

-- Getting policy right;

-- Building professionalism in the acquisition workforce;

-- Managing technical complexity;

-- Working with industry;

-- Responding to external forces and events; and

-- Measuring progress in improving acquisition.

The chapters contain articles Kendal wrote during his tenure in the Defense Department, plus emails, memorandums and other material.

"I think there's still room for improvement in all areas of acquisition," Kendall said. Acquisition improvement must "come from within," he added, from people "in the trenches."

"Dealing with industry, trying to get the incentives right, trying to get the performance right, trying to set up business deals and enforce them, set reasonable requirements in our contracts, do all the hundreds of things that are necessary to get good results  that's where we're going to improve," he said. "It's those day-to-day, hands-on things that thousands of people are doing every day."

Emphasizing Professionalism, Expertise

Kendall emphasized that the people who make up the acquisition workforce are essential to sustaining improvement. Integrity, ethics, and the right skillset are all part of the professionalism defense acquisition requires, he said.

"You need to have expertise in the thing that you're doing, or you're not going to do well," Kendall said. "We've worked very, very hard over the last few years to develop the acquisition workforce."

Sustaining momentum in improving acquisition has been his theme for the past year, he said, along with "keep your sense of humor."

"There is a lot of momentum right now, and as I read all of these program executive officer and program manager assessments of their programs, I am hearing back the things I want to hear," Kendall said. "A lot of it is success stories about how people have implemented 'should-cost,' or they've implemented a better set of incentives for their contractor, or they've gotten competition where they've been sole-sourced for 10 years."

The next administration should prioritize defense spending on research and development along with modernization, Kendall said.

"That's where we really need the money," he said. "We've got the ideas.  What we don't have in our budget right now, in our budget request, is the money to take those demonstration [projects], and assuming the results are successful, go on to building products."

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Dunford Says Transition to Trump Administration Going Smoothly

By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity

BRUSSELS, Jan. 18, 2017  The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrapped up meetings in Paris and here, and he is heading home to attend presidential inauguration events Jan. 20.

Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford told reporters he expects a smooth transition to the next administration within the Defense Department.

Initial contact between the department and President-elect Donald J. Trump's Defense Department transition team was about six weeks ago, the general said. He spoke with the transition team leaders, he said, about the national military strategy and about the current campaign.

"We talked about the state and nonstate challenges we have [and] spoke about our priorities we've had in our national military strategy," Dunford said. They also spoke about risk assessment and readiness and military capabilities, which led to a discussion of the budget, he added.

The transition team has done "deeper dives" with the staff, and Dunford described the relationship as dynamic, with a lot of back and forth.

Meeting President-Elect

"My only formal engagement with the national security advisor, deputy national security advisor and the president-elect was [Jan. 12] when I went to New York to talk about some things from a military perspective that the president-elect and vice president-elect would want to know on Day One," the general said. "My responsibility is to share options that the next leadership team can choose and to identify both the risks and the opportunities associated with the various options."

Dunford added that his job is to provide options to the secretary of defense and the president, "and we will be prepared to do that."

Incoming Defense Secretary

The chairman said he'd first like to have the opportunity to speak with the president-elect's nominee to be the next defense secretary, retired Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, "to have the conversation about what it is that we are doing today, why we are doing it, what are the things that might be done and why haven't we done them to date."

"That gets into the conversation about opportunity and risk," the chairman added.

Dunford said he was encouraged by a White House-sponsored "principles-only" exercise that was held Dec. 12 in the Executive Office Building in Washington. Cabinet officials and deputies sat with their proposed successors and they ran through a number of scenarios -- a sort of "left-seat, right-seat" effort for the most-senior officials in government. Discussing the scenarios, the chairman said, allowed participants "to really talk about roles, responsibilities and authorities and to facilitate transition."

Dunford added, "I was the only one who didn't have someone sitting next to him."

The officials discussed the Hurricane Sandy response, the Haiti earthquake response, responding to domestic terror, a pandemic and more, the chairman said.

"That discussion lasted about three hours, and despite all of the rhetoric outside,  all of the incoming administration officials and all of the outgoing officials were sitting in a big rectangle in the Executive Office Building having a professional dialogue about roles and responsibilities," Dunford said. "It was good to be a part of it, and I thought it was a very useful exercise."

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Dunford Discusses Russia, Other Issues, in Interview

By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity

BRUSSELS, Jan. 18, 2017  Military officials have to judge capabilities as they assess the risk of threats, and that is why Russia remains the most capable state actor that could challenge the United States, Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters today.

Dunford told reporters traveling with him that Russia has built up its capabilities in the nuclear and cyber arenas and in space assets. The nation, which faces tough economic and political problems, is still spending vast sums to modernize its military capabilities.

He spoke to reporters following the meeting of the NATO Military Committee.

Russia has the full range of capabilities to threaten the United States, the general said. It is one of the countries, he said, that the United States must use to "benchmark" its own capabilities.

Reassuring Allies

"We reassure members of the alliance that we will meet our commitments, we deter potential adversaries and we posture ourselves to respond in the event deterrence fails," Dunford said.

There are actually two different deployments to Europe right now. One -- the deployment of the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division in Poland -- is part of Operation Atlantic Resolve and is a U.S-Poland bilateral agreement.

The second is part of NATO's enhanced forward presence in the East. The United States will lead a battalion-sized unit in Poland with other NATO nations contributing troops and capabilities to the unit. Canada, Great Britain and Germany will lead similar mixed units in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. The presence of the units demonstrates NATO solidarity against Russian aggression, said a senior NATO official speaking on background.

Forward Presence

The enhanced forward presence -- which NATO leaders agreed to at the Warsaw summit -- is important because it shows that all members security concerns are being addressed by the alliance, the chairman said. "That's what makes the alliance relevant: each of the nations must feel that the alliance is meeting their security challenges," Dunford said.

The deployment of the troops in the NATO enhanced forward presence, and the movement of a brigade to Poland are relevant from a deterrent, an assurance and a responsiveness perspective.

NATO can do and is doing more in dealing with the challenge of countering violent extremism, Dunford said. Its unique role is in defense capacity building, the general said. He cited the alliance's Mediterranean Dialogue as an example of the capacity building that enhances stability for all. NATO works with Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Israel, Tunisia, Mauretania and Morocco to build security capabilities and enhance the environment for economic development.

And, of course, NATO has been involved in capability and capacity building in Afghanistan for years.

NATO Training

This month, NATO will begin to deploy troops to Iraq to help the Iraqis build their security capacity, Dunford said. NATO officials are working closely with the Iraqi government.

Building capacity is important in Iraq moving forward because after ISIL is defeated in Mosul a logical extension of operations after Mosul is effective border police training and effective army training so Iraq has effective control of its borders. This will ensure ISIL doesn't have the flexibility and freedom of movement to move back and forth across the border, Dunford said.

The general stressed that this is an Iraqi decision and that the Iraqis want to consolidate the gains of the last 18 months and turn it into permanent security and stability.

Before the NATO meeting in Brussels, the general met with counterparts in Paris on the counter-ISIL fight and taking a proper transregional approach to ISIL. This was the fifth meeting concentrating on this and it continues the work of building an effective transregional approach to a transregional problem.

"My colleagues in NATO embrace the idea that challenges like violent extremism  quickly become transregional and all-domain," he said. "It is fair to say that my counterparts across the board see the  the changes in the character of war similar to the way we do."

Intelligence Sharing Network

Dunford said he'd like to see an information and intelligence sharing network to aid in the fight. "We know Southeast Asia, West Africa and all points in between, nations are dealing with the threats posed, not just by ISIL, but also al-Qaida and other extremist organizations," he said. "From a foreign fighter level, the example I use is 122 nations, 45,000-plus foreign fighters just to Syria and Iraq. Having visibility on those individuals and having information and intelligence sharing network -- not just at the military level, but also with law enforcement officials is one of the ways we can put pressure on the network."

The network would also help in combating in three specific areas: the narratives of the group, the resources flowing to and from the groups and the foreign fighters that are attracted to the groups, he said.

"Those are the things that connect one group to another," Dunford said. "Our efforts really are to isolate these groups one from another, build the capacity of local forces so they can deal with local challenges and prevent these groups from communicating with each other and cooperating with each other and presenting a threats to our allies or ourselves."

This network approach would also be valuable in facing other transregional challenges.

Sequester

The chairman said he is encouraged by "some very positive signals coming out of the Congress" on sequestration. "I've recently had a number of engagements with Congress and I've seen positive signals coming out of Congress and the new administration that it is a matter of priority to  repeal sequestration, and I think that is absolutely critical and we have made it clear what a disaster it would be for sequestration to stay in place," he said.

Sequestration is still the law of the land and if it triggers it would mean another $100 billion coming out of the defense budget on top of what has already been taken. "It is going to be our political leadership working through some tough issues, and I am more optimistic than pessimistic that we will find a way to put sequestration behind us," he said.

North Korea is "a very unstable, unpredictable regime that has been on a continuous path to develop nuclear weapons and has also been on a path to develop ICBM capability and combine that with nukes," Dunford said.

China's and other nation's claims in the South China Sea represent another source of tension in the world, the chairman said.

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The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) on January 19 declared Bank People's Capital (Bank Narodny Kapital, Kyiv) insolvent, according to the central bank's website.

The central bank made relevant decree No. 34- RSh/BT due to the incompliance of the bank's ownership structure with the requirements regarding transparency.

According to the NBU, now more than 85% of the bank's shares are owned by the persons, none of whom holds a substantial stake in the bank.

The sole owner of such a share is Valeriy Makarenko (owns 14.24% of the shares), who, however, has received a significant share violating the law - without NBU consent. In this connection, he had been deprived of the right to vote for a long time.

The NBU noted he had not agreed self-liquidation of the bank, because the law on banks and banking activity provides that such consent may be granted only in case of non-availability of the signs, according to which the financial institution can be declared problem or insolvent.

The NBU said in July 2016 Bank People's Capital was classified as problem in connection with the incompliance of its ownership structure with the requirements of transparency.
Oklahoma Army National Guard gears up for deployment

By Staff Sgt. Eric McDonoughJanuary 18, 2017

Camp Gruber, Okla. -- Guardsmen with 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 149th Aviation Regiment, Oklahoma Army National Guard are conducting pre-mobilization training at Camp Gruber this month in preparation for deployment to the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

The GSAB are deploying three companies comprised of aviators, maintainers and fuel technicians for CH-47 Chinook helicopters. Much of the GSAB's training at Camp Gruber is focused on general Soldier skills, which are refreshed annually and prior to any deployment. When needed, Camp Gruber's training cadre make modifications to the standard pre-mobilization training tasks to suit the needs of more specialized military units.

"They've got a lot of good training," said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Pindel, operations non-commissioned officer for the GSAB. "We're making this iteration a little more realistic for them; this will help them with their survival skills. This is basically a pseudo SERE lane for them."

Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) is a program that provides U.S. military personnel with training in evading capture, survival skills, and the military code of conduct. The Army aviators, flight crews and fuel technicians of the GSAB have all trained in these tactics.

"When they come under attack here and can't get the aircraft off the ground, they'll have to leave the aircraft," Pindel said. "They'll have to escape and evade from there to a site they can be extracted from."

Chinooks are one of the most flexible, heavy-lift aircraft in the U.S. Army with a maximum lift capability of 26,000 pounds and a maximum range exceeding 400 miles. The capabilities of the Chinooks make it a highly utilized aircraft for a large range of missions.

"We mainly are tasked with hauling personnel and gear, both internal and external loads," said Sgt. Grant Atteberry, a Chinook maintainer with Bravo Company. "We carry all things from mail to large shipping containers that are externally sling loaded and everything in between."

This is Atteberry's second deployment. He combines his military experience with his civilian job experience as a Cleveland County Sheriff's Deputy to increase his effectiveness in both areas of his life.

"The training has been good. With every unit that comes through, with every mobilization the training gets better," Atteberry said. "Things like the Combat Life Saver courses provide me with additional tools to build upon what I get civilian side. If I respond to a scene, a car wreck or anything of the sort where someone is injured, I have further training to render aid to that person prior to civilian medical getting there."

The GSAB will move onto Fort Hood, Texas, for additional mobilization training before heading overseas.

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Lightning II strikes Iwakuni, F-35B arrives

US Marine Corps News

By Cpl. Aaron Henson | January 18, 2017

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 18, 2017.

VMFA-121 conducted a permanent change of station to MCAS Iwakuni from MCAS Yuma, Arizona, and now belongs to Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

"There's definitely been a lot of challenges . . . moving our aircraft here, the logistics and we have a lot of people to move," said U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Vincent Koscienlniak, an avionics technician with VMFA-121. "One of our biggest issues was the physical movement and preparing everything to come here. There has been a lot of cooperation within the unit and most of the Marines here are very good at what they do. They are hand-selected, and it has shown the last few months."

VMFA-121 consists of the F-35B Lighting II aircraft, which is planned to replace the F/A-18 Hornet and AV-8B Harrier II aircraft currently based at the air station.

The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation fighter, which is the world's first operational supersonic short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft. The F-35B brings strategic agility, operational flexibility and tactical supremacy to the Pacific with a mission radius greater than that of the F/A-18 Hornet and AV-8B Harrier II in support of the U.S.  Japan alliance.

"The F-35B represents the future of Marine Corps tactical aviation, and bringing it to Japan makes MCAS Iwakuni the second only operational F-35B base," said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Jimmy Braudt, a quality assurance officer and pilot with VMFA-121. "One of its capabilities is a powerful sensor suite that fuses together several different sources and provides superior situational awareness to the pilot. It will be the first short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft permanently based in this theater, and it is capable of countering modern threat systems beyond what legacy aircraft were designed to handle."

Braudt said it impacts the relationship with Japan and other Pacific allies. Bringing the most capable, modern and lethal platform in the U.S. inventory to Iwakuni demonstrates the U.S. Government's commitment to the defense of Japan.

The Marine Corps conducts the essential training needed to accomplish their assigned mission, including the training and operations required to be ready to defend the Pacific region as necessary.

"VMFA-121 desires to contribute to the readiness of MAG-12, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and III MEF as a whole," said Braudt. "Our objective is to be highly trained and effective in our platform while learning how to integrate this new capability with the rest of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force and our Pacific partner nations. We are happy to be in Japan and look forward to the culture we will get to experience, and we would like to thank the people of Yamaguchi Prefecture and Iwakuni for being excellent hosts."

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Topeka Visits Yokosuka during Indo-Asia-Pacific Deployment

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170118-01

Release Date: 1/18/2017 7:52:00 AM

By Lt. j.g. Jason L. Herrera, USS Topeka (SSN 754) Public Affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka Jan. 17 for a visit as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific patrol.

The visit strengthens the already positive alliance between the U.S. and Japan through the crew's interaction with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. It also demonstrates the U.S. Navy's commitment to regional stability and maritime security in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

"We are honored to have the opportunity to visit Japan," said Cmdr. Steven Tarr III, commanding officer. "I believe that healthy relationships between the United States Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force contribute to peace, security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Through port visits such as this we fortify our bond and introduce many of our young Sailors to our allies and their unique culture. I appreciate the efforts that made this visit to Yokosuka possible."

Topeka is a marvel of modern engineering, capable of operating at depths greater than 800 feet and at speeds exceeding 25 nautical miles per hour.

"The crew has been working hard on this deployment and this port visit to Yokosuka will allow some much deserved rest for them all," said Master Chief Electronics Technician (navigation) Matthew Schecter, chief of the boat.

Many crew members are excited to experience the rich culture of Japan.

"I am excited about making the port visit to Japan," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Davin Laurell. "The country is known for its exciting culinary scene. I am excited about trying new cuisine I haven't experienced."

Measuring more than 300 feet long and weighing more than 6,000 tons when submerged, Topeka is one of the stealthiest submarines in the world. This submarine is capable of supporting a multitude of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Commissioned in 1989, Topeka has a long standing tradition of excellence and achievement. Its crew is highly trained and capable of supporting the boat through any mission cycle within short notice.

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Car bomb kills 37 at military camp in Mali

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 11:20AM

A car bomb explosion has killed dozens of people and injured many others in a military camp in northern Mali.

The explosives planted in the vehicle were detonated at the camp in the northern city of Gao on Wednesday. The army says at least 37 people were killed.

The camp houses Malian soldiers and members of various rival armed groups, who fight in line with the United Nations (UN)'s peacekeeping force, known as MINUSMA, to quell violence in the region.

The UN's peacekeeping force, which has more than 11,000 military and police personnel from various countries throughout the vast Sahel region, has lost more than 30 peacekeepers over the last year.

Human Rights Watch accused the government on Wednesday of failing to protect its people in its northern and central regions from terrorists. Rights groups say terrorists force Malian families to give up their children to them.

The group described in its new report the way militants have occupied villages and attacked UN peacekeepers.

Mali's Security Minister Salif Traore declined to respond to the report, but said he is well aware of security challenges in the country, which has been witnessing violence in its northern regions since 2012.

Since 2013, French forces have been present in the country in a declared mission against militancy.

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Palestinian factions agree to form unity government

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 7:2AM

Leading Palestinian movements, Hamas and Fatah, have agreed to form a new unity government following extensive negotiations in Moscow, Russia.

The unity deal was announced late Tuesday, three days after the talks began under the Russian auspices among representatives from Ramallah-based Fatah as well as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both headquartered in the Gaza Strip, and other factions.

Russia has been working towards conflict resolution in the region as part of the Middle East Peace Quartet, also comprising the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.

"We have reached agreement under which, within 48 hours, we will call on Mahmoud Abbas to launch consultations on the creation of a government," Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad told a press conference.

Abbas, who leads Fatah, will be carrying out the consultations in his capacity as the president of the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Moussa Abu Marzouk, the deputy chairman of Hamas' political bureau, also described a unity government as "the most effective tool" to address divisions among Palestinian groups, adding that "it is responsible to promote the solutions, including the holding of free and democratic elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip."

The official noted that an agreement between Fatah and Hamas to achieve Palestinian unity is not considered a compromise by any means. The concept of unity, among all factions, is a win for all sides, rather than a loss, he said, adding, "Everybody will win."

Fatah and Hamas have been at odds ever since the latter scored a landslide victory in Palestinian elections in 2006. Hamas governs the Gaza Strip, while Fatah has set up offices in the West Bank.

The factions agreed in April 2014 to end their grievances and reconcile. The move drew the Israeli officials' ire, and the Tel Aviv regime consequently responded by suspending the so-called peace talks with the PA.

Following the agreement, the two sides formed a unity government, which Fatah unilaterally dissolved in June 2015, claiming it was "weak," and that Hamas would not "allow it to work in Gaza."

In line with the new arrangements, the Palestinian sides involved in the Moscow talks, including Islamic Jihad, will now join institutions under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and form a new Palestinian National Council.

The new council will select the PLO Executive Committee, the top political and diplomatic Palestinian body.

In another development on Monday, the Palestinian diplomats met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, asking Moscow to help dissuade US President-elect Donald Trump from fulfilling his campaign pledge to move Washington's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.

"We sensed understanding on the part of Mr. Lavrov," Ahmad said following the meeting.

Prior to the talks in the Russian capital, the Palestinian Authority had also asked Russia to intervene to stop the potential relocation of the US embassy in Israel.

The unity deal comes at a critical juncture amid growing international pressure on Israel over its occupation of Palestinian territories.

Israeli paper Haaretz quoted a Fatah official present at the Moscow talks as saying that "the unity government is of strategic importance for the Palestinians" given the recent peace conference in Paris, the UN Security Council's Resolution 2334 criticizing the settlements as well as Trump's election.

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Estonia, Lithuania Sign Deals With U.S. To Allow Troop Deployments

RFE/RL January 18, 2017

Estonia and Lithuania moved on January 17 to shore up military relations with the United States ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

The two Baltic states signed bilateral defense agreements with the United States to formalize the presence of U.S. troops in their countries, their defense ministries said.

The third Baltic state, Latvia, signed a similar deal with the United States last week.

The accords will ease the deployment of U.S. forces in the countries and allow for joint exercises and training.

"We are interested in the continued presence of American troops in Lithuania, as this is one of the key elements of our security," Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis said.

Trump has called the NATO alliance that binds Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania with the United States and 24 other countries "obsolete." The comments caused a stir in the Baltic states, which have expressed concerns about the assertiveness of neighboring Russia following that country's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Trump, who will take office on January 20, has repeatedly signaled his intent for warmer relations with Russia.

Linas Kojala, director of the Eastern Europe Studies Center in Vilnius, told the Associated Press that the moves are purposely being made to beat the clock on Trump's inauguration.

"Both sides (the United States and Lithuania) aimed to finalize the agreement before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, as the arrival of the new administration might push the issue to the bottom of the political agenda," Kojala said.

With reporting by dpa and AP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/estonia-lithuania-latvia -military-accord-us-nato/28240474.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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Will UK's Joint Missile Project With Japan Be More Trouble Than It's Worth?

Sputnik News

18:01 18.01.2017

Japan and Britain are pushing ahead with the development of a new air-to-air missile in 2017 and the technical feasibility study for the Joint New Air-to-Air Missile (JNAAM) is slated to be completed before the end of this year, Sankei News reported.

Work on the JNAAM project started in November 2014 as an attempt to merge the AESA missile seeker from the Japanese AAM-4B missile on the body of Meteor missile jointly developed by Britain, Germany and France. Even though the new missile can travel great distances, its accuracy leaves much to be desired.

The Japanese want to install an active self-homing system from their Mitsubishi AAM-4 missile, which they hope would help bring the JNAAM up to par with the very best such missiles around.

In an interview with Sputnik, political analyst Dmitry Verkhoturov said that the AAM-4B with an active radar homing system and effective range of 120 kilometers produced in Japan since 2010 is more effective than its main Chinese counterpart, the Tien Chien II, which has a passive radar and infrared homing system and a maximum range of 60 kilometers.

Even the more advanced PL-12 missile with an active homing system and a range of up to 100 kilometers is no match for Japan's AAM-4.

"With such an edge over their Chinese rival, the Japanese have nothing to worry about," Verkhoturov said.

As for the Meteor missile, it is equipped with an active self-homing system and has a maximum range of up to 100 kilometers.

"Even it is it is a little better than its Japanese analogue, I don't think it makes any sense working together on a new missile that may never find any practical use," Verkhoturov added.

According to military expert Konstantin Sivkov, "the Japanese and British are developing a new missile to leave the Americans behind. The Japanese army is well equipped, but it mainly depends on US technology, including the Aegis system, missiles and military aircraft."

"Just like the British who scrapped their own development back in the late-1970s. Moreover, no one has so far been able to top Russia's R-37 missile," Sivkov said.

Dmitry Verkhoturov mentioned the KS-172 missile with an effective range of 400 kilometers, which is currently being tested in Russia. It is meant to engage strategic bombers and AWACS planes.

"This means that, compared with Russian missiles, the joint Japanese-British project is already outdated because if you increase a missile's range from 100 kilometers to 400, you can not only shoot down enemy fighters but can also destroy the enemy's entire battle control system and seriously degrade its air power."

If all goes well, Japan and Britain plan to install their new missile on the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning IIs. Before this happens, however, the designers need an official go-ahead from the Japanese government. The high cost of the new missile's development could also be a problem.

 Sputnik

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Polish President Rebuffs Trump's Comment, Says No Factors Weakening NATO

Sputnik News

16:37 18.01.2017(updated 16:38 18.01.2017)

There are no factors that may cause weakening of the NATO, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Wednesday in the wake of US President-elect Donald Trump's recent criticism of the alliance.

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.

"NATO is doing well, and I do not see any factors which could lead to a weakening of NATO," Duda said, as quoted by the Polish Radio English Section.

Duda added that Poland had welcomed the US troops to date and intended to host US-Polish military drills in the near future.

At the NATO defense ministers' summit held in July 2016, the alliance had agreed to deploy four multinational battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

 Sputnik

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NATO Article 5 'Sacred Obligation' of US, Cannot Be Questioned - Biden

Sputnik News

13:55 18.01.2017(updated 13:57 18.01.2017)

The Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, stipulating that an attack on a member state is an attack against them all, is a "sacred obligation" of the United States which cannot be questioned, US Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The outgoing vice president classified the US support for NATO as "thoroughly bipartisan."

"And the single greatest bulwark in our transatlantic partnership is the unshakeable commitment of the United States to all of our NATO allies. It is our sacred obligation we have embraced that an attack on one is an attack on all. That can never be placed in question," Biden said, speaking at the Davos forum.

US President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to take office on Friday, questioned whether NATO is obsolete and criticized allies who do not contribute the full 2 percent of GDP to the alliance.

 Sputnik

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Mali: UN condemns suicide bombing of Gao military camp as 'direct attack' on peace process

18 January 2017  The United Nations peacekeeping chief strongly condemned the suicide bombing that reportedly killed at least 50 people and wounded dozens of others at a military camp in the northern Mali city of Gao, denouncing the attack as an attempt to derail the peace process and undermine recent progress on security arrangements.

"We condemn with the utmost firmness this cowardly and ignoble attack which constitutes a direct attack on the peace process," Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Herve Ladsous, told the UN Security Council at the opening of his previously scheduled briefing on the situation in Mali and the work of the UN Mission there known by the French acronym, MINUSMA.

According to the UN Integrated Multi-Dimensional Stabilization Mission, shortly before 9:00 a.m., a sucide vehicle exploded inside the OMC (Operational Coordination Mechanism) camp in Gao. The camp is home to the elements of the Armed Forces of Mali, the Platform and Coordination of Azawad Movements (600 in total) which are tasked with leading the joint patrols envisaged by the 2015 Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali.

The Mission, which also strongly condemned the attack and which, along with Mr. Ladsous, extended condolences to the people and Government of Mali, said that is currently is providing assistance to the wounded and has stepped up its efforts to secure Gao city.

In his remarks to the Security Council, Mr. Ladsous said the attack was clearly aimed at derailing the peace process by undermining trust between the signatory parties and the people, as well as counteracting recent progress in implementing the security arrangements of the peace accord.

Yet he stressed: "This incident underlines once more that accelerating the implementation of the [agreement] remains the only avenue possible for achieving peace and reconciliation in Mali and I once again urge all signatory parties to fully engage in its implementation. We do not have much time left."

Progress in implementation of the Peace Agreement

Continuing his briefing, Mr. Ladsous said that more than 18 months after the signing of the peace accord, "very little significant progress has been made," despite some positive steps.

"The implementation of the interim institutional and security arrangements has stagnated and remains undermined by persistent disagreements and lack of trust between the signatory parties," he added. "Fragmentation of armed groups, especially within the Coordination of Azawad Movements, and the repeated attempts by dissident groups to undermine the peace process, also hampered the implementation."

With only five months remaining until the end of the interim period, he said that the absence of tangible results is of major concern "and leads me to wonder about the real will and commitment of the signatories of the peace process."

As such, it is of paramount importance to restore the confidence of the Malian population in the peace process. He noted that MINUSMA continued to receive reports of serious violations of human rights "committed by armed groups and State actors." Mr. Ladsous also stressed that the implementation of the development strategy for northern Mali, more than a year after the international conference for the economic recovery and development of Mali, had not yet begun.

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President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has had a meeting with former President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz in Davos.

"The parties shared views on the continuation of the EU sanctions against Russia because of its aggression against Ukraine. They also discussed the issue of introduction of the visa-free regime for Ukrainians and ratification of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement," the presidential press service said on Wednesday.

Poroshenko expressed gratitude to Schulz for his constant and immutable support of Ukraine, its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and European choice during his presidency in the European Parliament.
Pakistan Wants Afghan Leaders to Review 'Fragmented' Approach to Taliban Peace Talks

By Ayaz Gul January 18, 2017

Pakistan has called on Afghan leaders to review their "fragmented" approach to peace talks with the Taliban on containing and ending the resilient insurgency, instead of blaming Islamabad for the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan.

Sartaj Aziz, chief foreign policy advisor to the Pakistani prime minister, in an exclusive interview with VOA, says that a lack of political consensus and prevailing ambiguity in Afghanistan about whether to treat Taliban insurgents as terrorists or stakeholders in national politics has blocked internationally-backed efforts to start peace talks between warring Afghan sides.

"Their approach to talks with the Taliban is very, very fragmented. We want the (Afghan) government of national unity to succeed, to establish its writ, we want them to send a clear signal to the Taliban and other groups that the whole world wants them (insurgents) to talk (to Kabul) and solve the problem because nobody wants fighting in Afghanistan to continue. ," Aziz told VOA.

The clarity in the Afghan approach coupled with Pakistan's resolve to prevent the use of its soil against Afghanistan and international pressure may send "right signals" to the Taliban and they may come to the table for peace talks.

"I think they will come under greater pressure and so, if serious negotiations begin in 2017 that will be our best hope for peace in Afghanistan," Aziz said.

He said that years of reliance on the use of military power to resolve the Afghan conflict has so far not yielded results and instead strengthened the Taliban.

"The Taliban may not be able to capture (the) bulk of Afghanistan or the capital or any other (major urban) place but they can carry on insurgency for a very long time and the people of Afghanistan do need peace as early as possible In the meanwhile, of course, ISAF (international) forces are trying to help Afghanistan to make sure that they (the Taliban) don't gain much territory because if they start gaining (more territory) then obviously they will be reluctant to negotiate," cautioned Aziz.

While the Afghan government controls about two-thirds of the country, the insurgents are in control of roughly 10 percent and the rest is contested, according a U.S. military assessment.

War of words

Continued Taliban battlefield attacks and last week's deadly bombings in different Afghan cities have refueled a war of words between the two uneasy neighbors.

President Ashraf Ghani has alleged that planners of recent terrorist attacks in his country "live, move freely and recruit people in Pakistan," a reiteration of a long-running official stance that Taliban sanctuaries on the other side of the border are prolonging the Afghan war.

Pakistani officials refute the charges as unfounded, politically motivated and an attempt to divert attention from internal Afghan problems.

Aziz says Pakistan has repeatedly assured Ghani that space has been squeezed on anti-Afghan insurgents and those hiding on the Pakistani side of the border have mostly gone back to Afghanistan.

"So, that commitment we are gradually honoring. Through operation Zarb-e-Azb, North Waziristan was cleared. The infrastructure of all the terrorist groups was destroyed so they can no longer operate as forcefully and as frequently as they used to but remnants are still scattered. The cleaning up operations are going on," Aziz said.

He was referring to the military-led counter-terrorism offensive underway in traditionally volatile tribal districts near the Afghan border.

Border security

The de-facto Pakistani foreign minister says his government has also intensified efforts to boost security along its 2,600-kilometer long porous border with Afghanistan. He called for Afghan authorities to make a matching response on their side, saying unlike the decades old tradition of free cross-border movement, travelers are now required to show valid identity documents to move in either direction.

"This (new policy) will enable us to monitor the movement of all kinds of people and so this documentation travel has to be (introduced) on both sides. So far they (Afghanistan) aren't (implementing it on their side)and that is the best way to ensure that undesirable elements do not go (to Afghanistan) and this is the only way we can ensure that our commitment of not allowing our soil to be used can be observed," Aziz asserted.

Allegations that Taliban insurgents operate out of Pakistani safe havens have long strained Pakistan's relations with the United States, which is leading the international peace and stability efforts in Afghanistan.

Optimistic about Trump

Advisor Aziz, however, sounded upbeat about maintaining "a very constructive and positive" engagement with the incoming Donald Trump administration for achieving what he said was shared peace and security objectives of a peaceful Afghanistan and the region in general.

"So, I think here both U.S. and Pakistan agree that a peaceful solution through negotiations and through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process is the way forward. So, we hope that because of this convergence of views on this subject we will be able to move forward together to seek a peaceful solution to the Afghan crisis."

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Vietnam Signals Softer Stance on Contested South China Sea

By Ralph Jennings January 18, 2017

Vietnam shows signs of softening its approach toward China over their bitter maritime dispute, a move welcomed by nervous leaders in Beijing as it could rebalance Hanoi's foreign policy away from Washington while cooling decades of strife.

Beijing and Hanoi issued a communique Saturday proposing negotiations on their conflicting claims in the South China Sea, state-run media from both sides report. The two sides will also look for shorter-term solutions that avoid slighting either country's political position, the reports say.

Cooperation with China would remove the thorniest opponent to Beijing's expansion in the sea. Four other governments claim the ocean, which is rich in fishery stocks and possible fuel reserves. They normally keep quiet about Beijing's military maneuvers and reclamation of small, disputed islets.

Friendlier Sino-Vietnamese ties also would help protect marine shipping lanes that bring exports from Asia to markets in the West and make the commercial fishing industry safer for the millions who depend on it, said Frederick Burke, a partner with the multinational law firm Baker & McKenzie in Ho Chi Minh City.

"There was a concern about instability, and that this might be a flashpoint for conflicts as China's military capacity continues to grow," Burke said. "I think those concerns won't disappear overnight, but this is a very strong positive message that the parties will work things out."

Vietnam is often described as the most assertive opponent of China's expansion into the 3.5 million-square-km sea since around 2010. It competes with China to reclaim land in the Spratly chain and has criticized Beijing's control of the Paracel Islands, which lie east of Vietnam and southwest of Hong Kong.

In 1974, China seized Paracel islets occupied then by South Vietnamese troops and 70 Vietnamese sailors died in a naval battle with China in 1988. In 2014, the two sides got into a boat ramming clash that set off deadly anti-China riots in Vietnam.

Relations showed initial signs of a thaw in September when Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed to manage maritime differences and improve cooperation.

Stung by a world arbitration court ruling against the basis for its claim to 95 percent of the sea, China was keen then to negotiate differences with other countries.

A peace-seeking statement from China and any other maritime claimant "fits China's damage-control agenda" after the arbitration verdict in July, said Denny Roy, senior fellow at the U.S. think tank East-West Center.

China prefers bilateral talks rather than negotiating through multi-party organizations such as the 10-country Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN or the world court, which may dwarf Beijing's diplomatic clout, analysts believe.

The communique issued Saturday in Beijing was part of Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's four-day visit to China, where he met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

It's too early to tell what will come of the statement itself, analysts say. It overlaps points in the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea signed by countries throughout Southeast Asia, Roy said.

Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines also claim all or parts of the sea.

Vietnam may be keen to engage China now as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office Friday, some experts say.

Trump says he plans to withdraw from the Trans Pacific Partnership, or TPP, a 12-country trade zone led by the United States and including Vietnam. Vietnam's economy depends heavily on exports, including to the United States and fellow TPP member Japan. The 12 countries signed the deal about a year ago.

"I think Vietnam officially, given that the TPP now hasn't passed, there's probably an incentive for Vietnam officially to engage with China," said Alaistair Chan, an economist with Moody's Analytics in Australia. "Obviously all countries will be wanting more extra stability in the region. I think it's more of a Vietnam issue more than anything, though."

The Vietnamese news website Vietnamnet.vn reported the Communist party heads agreed last week to "accelerate" talks on demarcating an area in the shared Gulf of Tonkin and move toward joint development. The agreements mean "effectively stepping up" joint projects in "less sensitive fields," the report said.

People in Vietnam are not changing their expectations toward China yet, especially on economic relations, said Hoang Viet Phuong, head of institutional research and investment advisory with SSI Securities Services in Hanoi.

"At this point in time we haven't seen any real development except for the recent visit to China, but the real impact, we need to work on that," she said. "I think people might not be that excited, except for the fact that last year we know that quite a lot of tourists came to Vietnam."

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US Signs Defense Pacts With Baltic States, but NATO Allies Wary of Trump Era

By Henry Ridgwell January 18, 2017

The United States has signed defense cooperation agreements with Lithuania and Estonia, formalizing the deployment of thousands of troops to bolster NATO defenses in the face of a Russian threat of aggression.

The agreements, signed Tuesday, will regulate the legal status of U.S. armed forces in the two Baltic states and are part of the biggest NATO reinforcement since the end of the Cold War. Four multinational battalions are being deployed in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Far greater numbers of Russian troops are stationed just across the border, but the multinational makeup of NATO's deployment is designed as a so-called tripwire defense, said Jonathan Eyal of Britain's Royal United Services Institute.

"All of them could suffer exactly the same fate if there is an invasion of these countries," he said. "And therefore any invasion of these countries will automatically trigger off a response by all the NATO countries."

The United States is sending close to 6,000 troops, alongside tanks, heavy weapons and aircraft. It will lead the NATO battalion deployed in Poland.

In a newspaper interview this week, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump called NATO "obsolete," rattling European allies. Eyal said front-line states fear the U.S. deployment could be scaled back.

'Divided' alliance

"NATO at the moment is a divided organization," he said. "There are certain countries where there are American troops. There are others where there are none. The deployment was meant to equalize the security umbrella of the alliance. If there is anyone in Washington who draws back from that position, that would have serious consequences for the alliance."

Russia has deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles alongside thousands of troops to its exclave of Kaliningrad, which borders Poland and Lithuania. This week, Lithuania announced plans for a border fence along the frontier. It is not designed to prevent a military incursion, but to deter other illegal activity, said Linas Kojala of the Eastern Europe Studies Center in Vilnius, who spoke to VOA via Skype.

"The first aim is to ensure that the border is being surveilled all the time and that there are officers who are able to see what is going on in different stretches of the border," Kojala said. "And, of course, the scenarios that can occur there are both smuggling and some kind of hybrid activities that we've seen coming from Russia in our neighboring countries such as Ukraine or even Estonia."

Estonia alleges Russia abducted one of its border guards on Estonian territory in 2014 in a cross-border raid. Moscow said the guard was on the Russian side of the frontier. NATO members fear Russia could attempt similar so-called hybrid tactics, such as the kind Moscow used in its forceful takeover of Crimea in 2014, following the new Baltic deployments.

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In White House Farewell, Obama Says US 'Is Going to Be OK'

By Cindy Saine January 18, 2017

At his final news conference as president Wednesday, Barack Obama sought to reassure those Americans anxious about the change of administrations after eight years with him in charge: "I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad."

White House reporters questioned Obama about his controversial action to shorten the prison term of former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, and other topics. The president fielded those easily, but took his time answering the final query, about how he discussed the results of the U.S. election with his two teenaged daughters, Sasha and Malia.

Obama said Malia and Sasha were disappointed by Republican Donald Trump's defeat of his preferred candidate, Democrat Hillary Clinton, just as he and first lady Michelle were, but that he is proud of them because they are resilient, patriotic and not cynical.

The president admitted his public persona - calm and cheerful - is not quite the way he feels when behind closed doors.

"I curse more than I do in public, and sometimes I get mad and frustrated, like everybody else does," he said. "But at my core, I think we're going to be okay [as a country]. We just have to fight for it, we have to work for it, and not take it for granted, and I know that you will help us do that."

He said his daughters understand that "the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world."

With that, Obama thanked the members of White House press corps, waved, turned and left the Brady Briefing Room, packed to overflowing with reporters. Striking a quiet and at times wistful tone, the president said having reporters in the White House had made him a better president, and that a free press is essential to democracy.

To the journalists, he said: "You're not supposed to be sycophants. You're supposed to be skeptics. You're supposed to ask tough questions."

That appeared to be a follow-up to intense discussions among reporters about rumored plans by Trump aides to move the White House press corps out of their current quarters close to the president's Oval Office, to another location farther away, possibly in a different building.

Manning commutation

The first question to Obama Wednesday was about his commutation of the 35-year prison sentence handed down to Chelsea Manning for leaking classified military documents.

Since Manning already has served a longer sentence than others convicted of similar crimes, and since she has accepted responsibility for her actions, Obama said: "In light of all the circumstances, commuting her sentence was entirely appropriate."

The transgender former Army private has already endured a "tough" time in prison, he noted, so shortening the prison term meant that "justice was served." Manning is now due to be released in May, by which time she will have been behind bars for seven years.

Obama said he saw no contradiction between granting clemency to Manning while he denounces Russia's computer hacking of the U.S. presidential campaign, including the alleged theft of emails that embarrassed Democratic Party officials.

He also dismissed a promise by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks that its founder, Julian Assange, would agree to face charges in the U.S. in return for Manning's release: "I don't pay much attention to Mr. Assange's tweets, so that wasn't a consideration."

Obama said he has tried to persuade Russia to reduce nuclear stockpiles, but Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has been reluctant to discuss that issue, so he hopes his successor will be able to make progress on nuclear disarmament.

Turning to the larger question of what role the United States plays in the world, the president said the sanctions that were brought against Russia after it annexed Ukraine's Crimea region were a "good example of the vital role" America plays. He also urged the incoming administration to continue to prevent big countries from "bullying" smaller countries.

Overall, Obama, said, the transition between his administration and the Trump team has been "cordial." He added that he has advised the president-elect to gather a team of well-qualified advisers around him, because "this is a job you can't do alone."

Obama noted that Trump won the presidential election by opposing many of the initiatives he pushed during the past eight years. The new president will move forward with his own vision and values, Obama said, and "I don't expect that there is going to be enormous overlap" between the two administrations' policies or directions.

Obama said he would only speak up to criticize Trump if he feels core American values are at stake, through restrictions on voting rights, a harsh anti-immigrant policy or attacks on journalists. He declined to comment about the expected boycott of Trump's inauguration on Friday by more than 50 Democratic lawmakers; the outgoing president and his wife will at the U.S. Capitol to witness the new president's swearing-in ceremony.

In a message of diversity and inclusion, Obama said in the future he expects to see a woman president, a Latino president, a Jewish president, a Hindu president and many others in the United States.

"We'll have a whole bunch of mixed-up presidents at some point that nobody knows really knows what to call them," he said with a smile.

Obama reminded journalists there is still work to be done to repudiate "fake news," such as the claims last year - all thoroughly disproven - that the U.S. election results would be distorted by vote fraud. The president said there is an "ugly history" behind restrictive voting in the United States that traces back to slavery.

On another controversial topic, Obama said he decided to end the so-called "wet foot, dry foot" policy for Cuban immigrants because it no longer made sense, given the increasing engagement between the United States and Cuba. The administration ended the arrangement last week under which Cuban emigres would be allowed into the U.S. if they reached the mainland after fleeing their homeland (the "dry foot"), but not if they were picked up at sea (the "wet foot") before reaching the United States.

On the Middle East, the president said the "moment may be passing" for establishing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but that he feels the "status quo is unsustainable" for Israel.

Obama began the news conference Wednesday by offering prayers and well wishes to former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, both of whom fell ill and are hospitalized in Houston, Texas, - "as fine a couple as we know."

At 55, Obama is younger than many U.S. presidents as they leave office. He has been somewhat vague about his post-presidency plans, although it likely includes writing a memoir and political attempts to help Democrats eventually regain political clout in Washington, where Republicans now control both houses of Congress. He said he is looking forward to spending time with his wife and daughters and being quiet, adding he has heard himself talk "too darn much."

VOA's Mia Bush contributed to this report.

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Al-Qaida-linked Militants Claim Responsibility for Mali Suicide Bombing

By Ken Schwartz January 18, 2017

An al-Qaida linked extremist group claimed responsibility for Wednesday's suicide attack on a military camp in northern Mali that killed at least 60 soldiers and former rebels and wounded 115.

A car packed with explosives penetrated the camp in Gao as hundreds of soldiers gathered for a morning meeting.

They belong to the Joint Operational Mechanism, which brings together government forces and former Tuareg rebels who form patrols to enforce the 2015 Malian peace agreement.

Al Mourabitoune, which is linked to al-Qaida's North Africa branch, said it was behind the bombing.

Three days of mourning

Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop called the bombing "criminal, cowardly and barbaric."

"This attack should not distract us from our will to move forward to promote peace and to act against those who are trying to sabotage the peace process," Diop said during a scheduled meeting on Mali at the United Nations Security Council.

He said Mali will observe three days of mourning for the victims and vowed that those who carried out the bombing will be found and punished.

U.S. 'strongly condemns' bombing

U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous appealed to all sides to do what they can to preserve the peace deal in Mali, warning that "if the security situation The continues to deteriorate, then soon there won't be any peace to keep in Mali."

The U.N. Security Council condemned the attack as well as "any attempt to derail the peace process in Mali."

The U.S. also says it "strongly condemns the cowardly attack" in Mali. State Department spokesman John Kirby added that "we also denounce in the strongest terms all efforts to derail implementation of the peace agreement."

A very shaky peace

Tuareg separatists took advantage of a 2012 military coup in Mali to briefly seize control of the north before al-Qaida linked militants drove them out.

A French force took back the region from the Islamists. Thousands of U.N. peacekeepers and Malian soldiers are overseeing a very shaky peace agreement between the Malian government and the Tuaregs.

Human Rights Watch says Islamists killed 29 U.N. peacekeepers last year and still threaten to impose strict Sharia law in northern and central Mali.

Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.

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Mauritania's President Tries to Intervene in Gambian Political Crisis

By Ken Schwartz, James Butty January 18, 2017

Mauritania's President Ould Abdel Aziz is making a last-minute effort to settle Gambia's political crisis without the need for military intervention.

Aziz held talks with outgoing President Yahya Jammeh, who has refused to give up power, then went to Senegal late Wednesday to meet with Gambia's President-elect Adama Barrow, who is set to be sworn in Thursday in the Gambian capital, Banjul.

However, Aziz told reporters he is "less positivistic" about a peaceful outcome after talks with both men.

Troops at the border

Troops from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are on the Senegalese border, ready to cross into Gambia if Jammeh still refuses to give up power.

Barrow won the December 1 election. Jammeh, who once vowed to rule Gambia for "a billion years," initially accepted the results but then changed his mind, citing alleged voting irregularities.

Liberia is the current ECOWAS chair. Liberian Information Minister Eugene Nagbe tells VOA that military force is always the last resort, but that all options are on the table.

Nagbe said Barrow won the election freely and fairly and that ECOWAS encourages Jammeh to respect the Gambian constitution.

"ECOWAS' position is very clear, that the mandate of the Gambian people ... as expressed in the election ... must be respected," Nagbe said. "On Thursday, President-elect Barrow will be inaugurated and he will be recognized not just by ECOWAS but also by the African Union and the rest of the world."

Gambian troops stand down

Gambian army chief Ousman Badjie told the French news agency Wednesday that his men will not resist other African forces if they cross the border.

"This is a political dispute," he said. "I am not going to involve my soldiers in a stupid fight."

With tension and uncertainly hanging thickly in the air, much of the Gambian capital of Banjul was deserted Wednesday. Some tourists boarded special flights out of the country and crowded onto ferries to neighboring Senegal, but other remained behind at resort hotels.

Jammeh, who had seized power in a 1994 coup, retained his office in a series of elections until last month's ballot.

Many Gambians say they are more than ready for a change in leadership.

Amnesty International and other major human-rights groups accuse Jammeh of having little tolerance for dissent; they say he has killed or jailed many opponents.

He also has threatened to murder homosexuals, and once ordered the kidnapping more than 1,000 villagers accused of being witches. They were forced to drink a vile liquid that sickened them.

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Arrow 3

The name Arrow-3 is misleading, as this is not an upgraded version of the Arrow-2, but a totally new interceptor using kinetic kill instead of proximity warhead detonation as in the operational Arrow-2. The missile is "very energetic" with energy used to give the missile "super-manoeuvrability" so it will be capable of changing its trajectory to engage another target detected after launch.

The Upper Tier Program provides the Arrow-3 missile, increasing the system`s capability against advanced medium range threats by providing approximately four times the current Arrow-2 battle space. The primary near term objective is to complete and demonstrate Upper Tier design, and continue Initial Lot Production (ILP) deliveries. This project provides funding for the Upper Tier component of the Arrow Weapon System (AWS) development. The United States through the cooperative effort gains knowledge and experience of the Israeli Defense Forces operation of a multi-layered defense architecture. This project also includes the procurement of the Silver Sparrow Air-Launched Target which is necessary to validate the performance of the Arrow-3 Missile and related Block 5 spiral development activities. Spiral development and UTI upgrades were incorporated into the Arrow Weapon System (MD26: Israeli ARROW Program) as the UTI initial development and Low Rate Initial Production were complete beginning in FY 2019.

The Israeli Air Force entered a "new era" as it has received Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missiles from Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), the IMDO director said 18 January 2017. The ceremonial transfer of the anti-ballistic missiles, which can intercept the missiles while they are outside the Earth's atmosphere, was reportedly attended by Gen. William Coley, a representative of the US Missile Defense Agency, Air Defense Force Commander Brig. Gen. Zvika Yachimovitch, Israeli Aerospace Industries Vice President and Head of the Missile and Space program Boaz Levy.

While significant progress had been achieved in the Arrow-3 development program, by 2011 assessments of high technical and schedule risk is still valid. Of the 20 Knowledge Points, 6 of 7 planned have been successfully accomplished thus far. One Knowledge Point related to the booster motor was not met due to a static test failure, and the re-design and re-test is in progress. As designers proceeded into more complex component ground tests leading up to the first flight test, additional technical issues have surfaced. These technical issues were driving slight schedule delays (first quarter so far) for the first flight test, but there was very little schedule margin to be able to accommodate any additional issues. The remainder of the schedule through IOC declaration was also success-oriented with no room for error.

A solicitation outlined the expansion of an Israeli Air Force facility at Tal Shahar, halfway between Jerusalem and Ashdod near Beit Shemesh, indicated that it would be used for four Arrow 3 launchers on sites in the surrounding hills. The estimated completion date was around the end of 2014. Each of the four launchers would have six missiles for a total of 24 interceptors. The plans for the base were revealed in a routine United States Department of Defense contract solicitation.

Under Solicitation Number W912GB-13-R-0027 ["BMD Launcher LS 13103, Israel"] on 25 April, 2013 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District (USACE EUD), planned to enter into a firm-fixed-price (FFP), design-bid-build (DBB) construction contract for facility construction to include but not limited to reinforced protected concrete structures, approximate area - 450 sq-m each, including storage and operations areas. Reinforced concrete pile foundations, protective reinforced concrete walls and reinforced concrete protected roofs, protective doors/gates and interior & exterior paint finishes. Building systems will include: electricity, communication, air conditioning, fire detection and lifting devices. Site development will include but is not limited to roadways connecting the buildings to existing roads, infrastructure and utility connections for electricity, communication, water, sewage and drainage pipes, fire detection, earth works, paving, fences and gates, etc. According to the bid requests on the $25 million project, the Arrow 3 system will include six interceptors in vertical launch positions to be placed in the facility, and a gantry crane would need to be erected for further missiles. The structures encasing the interceptor system are to be constructed from high-grade concrete reinforced with steel mesh grids. They would have steel blast doors and a system to protect electrical wiring from the pressure created by a launch.

Arrow 3, Israels longest range interceptor, will add to the Arrow 2 capability, providing a new layer to Israels intercept capability, engaging threats in space far beyond Israels borders. The system had completed its second successful test flight in 2014, and was on track to become operational in 2015.

In January 2014, Israel successfully tested the Arrow 3 system, which is designed to intercept missiles at a higher altitude, to try and limit the damage from fallout. A long-range Arrow 3 interceptor was fired from Palmahim air base, south of Tel Aviv. It left the Earths atmosphere, carried out maneuvers in space and having fulfilled its mission fell into the Mediterranean. The test lasted 10 minutes. No real missiles were targeted. "The Arrow 3 interceptor successfully launched and flew an exo-atmospheric trajectory through space," Israel's Defense Ministry said in a statement at the time.

The kill vehicles fired by the Arrow 3 system, are also known as "kamikaze satellites". They are said to be able to identify and track chemical, biological or nuclear warheads above the Earth's atmosphere. The interceptors then ram into the missiles and destroy them at an altitude, where the disintegration is safe. The Arrow 3 can intercept types of missiles that are used by Iran and Syria and are believed to be held by Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israeli patent WO2006003660 (A1) - 2006-01-12 "EXO ATMOSPHERIC INTERCEPTING SYSTEM AND METHOD" is said to describe the Arrow 3 kill vehicle. The kill-vehicle to be used in an exo-atmospheric anti-missile interceptor aimed at hitting a target has a main body and comprising: an electronic box; a sensor unit coupled to the electronic box and including at least one sensor for tracking the target at a certain field of view; an inertial measurement unit coupled to the sensor unit; and a divert system controlled by the electronic box for providing the kill-vehicle with thrust at a desired direction; said divert system and electronic box constituting said main body, wherein the kill-vehicle further comprises at least one gimbals unit coupled to the main body and to the sensor unit for controllably changing an angle between the sensor unit and the main body, and wherein said electronic box is configured to synchronically operate said divert system and gimbals unit such that the target remains in the field of view of said at least one sensor and the thrust is provided in a direction required for hitting the target.

Israels upgraded Arrow ballistic missile shield failed its first live interception test on 16 December 2014. Operators of the Arrow 3 battery at Palmahim Air Base on the Mediterranean coast reportedly canceled the launch of its interceptor missile after it failed to lock on to a target missile fired over the Mediterranean. There was a countdown to the launch, and then nothing happened, according to one source. The Defense Ministry said that a target missile was launched and carried out its trajectory successfully.

On December 11, 2015 Israel said it had successfully tested a ballistic missile shield for protection from long-range weapons held by Hezbollah, Iran and Syria. The Defense Ministry said the Arrow 3 system fully passed its interception test, hitting a target in space as it would a missile coming from a hostile party. The successful test boosts Arrow 3, which is to become the top-tier missile defense system in Israels arsenal. A similar test last year failed due to what designers said was a faulty deployment of the target. "The Arrow 3 successful trial this morning is further proof of our security industries' impressive abilities in the technological field, in this case of the Israel Aerospace Industry," said Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon.

The Defense Ministry conducted a missile test from the Palmachim air base early on 05 July 2018. In the framework of the Homa [missile defense] directorate, a planned test launch was conducted this morning, the Defense Ministry said in a statement, without elaborating on what type of missile was launched. Two earlier tests of the system in Israel were called off after technical problems and in May 2018 the Defense Ministry delayed an upcoming joint test with the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA), which was due to take place on the Alaskan island of Kodiak.

: The Arrow Weapon System (AWS) continues Block 4 and Block 5 spiral development and target development. Included is the integration of Block 5 assets, which consists of the Arrow-3 missile, launcher, and Long Range Detection Suite (LRDS). Continue proven Interoperability with U.S. Assets and enhancements to existing AWS System Components. Arrow Block 5 development will also incorporate a Long Range Detection Suite that consists of an unmanned aerial vehicle Airborne Early Warning System (ABEWS) and Sharp Eye Radar for increased sensor range, early detection and enhanced raid size capacity. The program also includes the continued development of Arrow`s interoperability with U.S. BMDS.

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Trump Pledges War on Radical Islamic Terrorism

By Masood Farivar January 18, 2017

President-elect Donald Trump's campaign pledge to wage war on "radical Islamic terrorism" is about to become U.S. policy.

In its emphasis on ideology, it is a war that puts him at odds with his two immediate predecessors. While both former President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama have avoided casting the war on terror in ideological terms for fear of alienating Muslim allies, Trump has stressed that very dimension and the need to counter it ideologically.

"Containing the spread of radical Islam must be a major foreign policy goal of the United States," Trump said in April in the first of two major foreign policy speeches he delivered during the campaign. "Events may require the use of military force. But it's also a philosophical struggle, like our long struggle in the Cold War."

More than campaign rhetoric, it seems to be a deeply held view. In the weeks since his Nov. 8 election, Trump has steadfastly stuck to his hardline position on terror even as he's softened his views on other hot-button issues.

After a Tunisian man drove a truck through a crowded Christmas market in Berlin last month, killing 12 people, Trump tweeted: "This is a purely religious threat, which turned into reality. Such hatred! When will the U.S., and all countries, fight back?"

And when he was asked about his controversial campaign call to bar Muslims from entering the country, he replied: "You know my plans all along  I've been proven to be right."

Blaise Misztal, director of the national security program at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, said Trump sees radical Islam as an ideological threat to his nationalistic vision of "making America great again."

"I think by seeing the threat as an ideological one, President Trump will see the problem as not just stopping attacks but stopping the spread of that ideology and stopping the potential for further radicalization," Misztal said.

Evolving view

Trump wasn't always so hawkish on fighting terror. Nor was he the first to warn about radical Islam.

The credit for popularizing the phrase goes to his Republican rivals  and some of his subsequent advisers, such as incoming chief strategist Stephen Bannon  who repeatedly chastised Obama for refusing to utter the words. Indeed, in his June 2015 presidential announcement, Trump made no mention of radical Islam and called China a "bigger problem" than Islamic State.

But Trump's rhetoric grew increasingly bellicose as the campaign wore on and a rash of terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States unnerved voters, leading him to make some of his campaign's most incendiary comments and proposals.

After a terror attack in Paris in November 2015 and a deadly shooting by a Muslim couple in San Bernardino, California, the following month, Trump proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S.

In March 2015, he told CNN that "Islam hates us" and later defended his comment, saying "large portions of Muslims" have "tremendous hatred" for the West. And two months later when a Muslim-American gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Trump blamed the violence on radical Islam and said he favored a suspension of immigration from countries with "a proven history of terrorism."

'Ideological warfare'

In August, with Americans still jittery over terrorism, Trump delivered what some experts saw as his most coherent policy statement on national security. Comparing radical Islam to fascism and communism, he championed a "new approach" and a "long-term plan" to fight what he branded an "ideology of death."

"All actions should be oriented around this goal, and any country which shares this goal will be our ally," he told supporters at Youngstown University in Ohio, echoing Bush's post-9/11 rhetoric.

He advocated "ideological warfare" against Islamic State and vowed to work with NATO and "our friends in the Middle East" and to find "common ground" with Russia to defeat the group.

"My administration will aggressively pursue joint and coalition military operations to crush and destroy ISIS, international cooperation to cut off their funding, expanded intelligence sharing, and cyberwarfare to disrupt and disable their propaganda and recruiting," he said. ISIS is an acronym for Islamic State.

Trump said the common thread among terrorist attacks since 9/11 was the involvement of immigrants or the children of immigrants, and he called for an ideological test for immigrants to screen out those who do not "share our values and respect our people."

The policy implications of Trump's call to arms remain to be seen. Colin Clarke, a political scientist at RAND, said it is too early to tell how the rhetoric of Trump and his advisers translates into policy.

"That still doesn't tell you what he'll do differently in terms of combating the threat," Clarke said. "It doesn't tell you how he's going to allocate resources any differently than the Obama administration."

Homeland secure

Critics of Obama's refusal to acknowledge a link between terrorism and Islam hailed Trump's drive to highlight the issue, but they cautioned against painting the world's 1.5 billion Muslims with a broad ideological brush.

"Actually it does have something to do with Islam," said former CIA Director Michael Hayden. "A lot of it is about Islam. But I quickly add, it's not all about Islam, and for God's sake, it's not about all Muslims."

Apart from his controversial Muslim ban and proposal to work with Russia, nearly everything Trump has proposed to fight terror  bombing IS, working with Middle Eastern allies, and using drones and special forces  are policies that have been carried out by the Obama administration.

"I haven't seen anything [new]," Clarke said. "I've been looking. Trust me. I think a lot of people have."

In securing the American homeland against terrorist attacks since 9/11, the U.S. may have exhausted nearly all the law enforcement, investigative and intelligence tools at its disposal, Hayden said. While mass-casualty attacks like 9/11 have grown highly improbable, he warned that so-called lone wolf attacks by homegrown extremists will be hard to prevent.

New strategy?

According to Pentagon data, in the two years since the U.S. launched a bombing campaign to roll back IS, coalition aircraft have carried out nearly 17,000 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, damaging or destroying nearly 32,000 targets.

"Getting tough" has its limits, Hayden cautioned. "I'm fond of saying, if being tough is all you needed, if you could kill your way out of this, we'd have been done a decade ago," Hayden said.

But Trump advisers say the threat of international terrorism has grown over the last eight years and requires a new strategy.

"I do think there are, there are clear and broad distinctions between the past administration and the future administration," said James Carafano, director of foreign policy studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation who advises the Trump transition team on foreign policy. "And it's logical that there ought to be big changes because by almost every observable measure, the problem of transnational terrorism is worse than it was eight years ago."

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Israel Enters 'New Era' With Arrow 3 Anti-Ballistic Missiles

Sputnik News

20:51 18.01.2017(updated 20:52 18.01.2017)

The Israeli Air Force enters a "new era" as it has received Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missiles from Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), the IMDO director said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Jerusalem Post newspaper reported that Arrow 3 was developed jointly by Israel and the United States and the two countries would continue developing new capabilities for the systems.

"It is a new era in the Israel's multi-layered defense system," Moshe Patel said, as quoted by the Jerusalem Post newspaper.

The ceremonial transfer of the anti-ballistic missiles, which can intercept the missiles while they are outside the Earth's atmosphere, was reportedly attended by Gen. William Coley, a representative of the US Missile Defense Agency, Air Defense Force Commander Brig. Gen. Zvika Yachimovitch, Israeli Aerospace Industries Vice President and Head of the Missile and Space program Boaz Levy.

 Sputnik

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Hong Kong Not to Become Independent From China - Outgoing Chief Executive

Sputnik News

14:45 18.01.2017(updated 14:51 18.01.2017)

Outgoing Hong Kong Chief Executive says that Hong Kong is an "inalienable" part of China and will not become independent.

BEIJING (Sputnik)  Hong Kong is an "inalienable" part of China and will not become independent, outgoing Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chung-hang said Wednesday.

"This is both a legal fact and an internationally recognized political reality, leaving no room whatsoever for Hong Kong to become independent or separate from the motherland in any manner," Leung was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post newspaper.

During his last address to Hong Kong's legislative body, Leung stressed that amid difficult situation in the international relations every Hong Kong citizen was obliged to protect China's "sovereignty, security and territorial integrity".

The election of the new chief executive is scheduled for March 26. Leung announced that he would not run for the office.

A political disagreement between Beijing and Hong Kong took place in 2014, when the Occupy Central campaign was launched in Hong Kong following Beijing's decision to vet candidates running in the special administrative region's 2017 chief executive election. Activists opposing the decision took to the streets demanding democratic elections. The protests lasted for 78 days and led to numerous arrests and clashes with the police.

China gained sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997. The administrative region was granted legal, economic and political autonomy from Beijing under the "one country, two systems" principle formulated by Chairman of the Central Advisory Commission of the Communist Party of China Deng Xiaoping in the early 1980s.

 Sputnik

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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in his interview with the Wall Street Journal expressed confidence in the continuation of the efficient cooperation between Ukraine and U.S., the press service of the Ukrainian president has said.

The president noted that over the past years, U.S. has demonstrated support of Ukraine. He quoted Winston Churchill that there are no eternal friends or eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Poroshenko noted that the interests and values of the U.S. had been already defined for a while: "The values of the U.S. havent emerged one, two or ten years ago. They have been formed by the Founding Fathers. These values are freedom, democracy. Ukraine has the same values."

The president expressed confidence in fruitful and efficient cooperation between Ukraine and the U.S. for the sake of freedom and democracy, as well as compliance with ones obligations to the partners, as under the Budapest Memorandum, several countries, including U.S., have guaranteed security of Ukraine.

Poroshenko has once again noted that Ukraine required Russia to withdraw troops and military equipment from the Ukrainian territory, as well as to de-occupy Crimea. The president reminded that since the beginning of war in Donbas, over 10,000 servicemen and civilians from Ukraine had been killed because of the Russian aggression.

"We do not need foreign soldiers or armies for the protection of the Ukrainian territory. We are doing it ourselves. But the international support, including sanctions, is an instrument to motivate Russia to sit down at the negotiating table and create a stimulus for the withdrawal of troops." The president reminded that Ukraine had submitted a dispute against Russia to the UN International Court of Justice a few days ago. He said that the Ukrainian party used every possible political and diplomatic method for self-protection.
China's Xi Warns of Dangers of Trade War

By Saibal Dasgupta January 18, 2017

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned governments of the dangers of a trade war while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday.

"Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. Wind and rain may be kept outside, but so is light and air," he said in an obvious reference to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to impose a 45 percent tax on Chinese goods, and a 35 percent tax on German vehicles manufactured outside the United States.

China's answer to Donald Trump

"What Xi has done is clarified China's position, which is that a trade war would be costly for all countries," Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies and director of the Lau China Institute at King's College in London told VOA. "I think China will watch for the decisions Trump takes after becoming president, and then identify the soft or hard [actions] it needs to take to defend itself."

Xi also spoke of China's massive resources to prove that Beijing is capable of providing massive amounts of business to countries that do not oppose Beijing's interests. China will spend $8 trillion in imports and invest $750 billion in overseas businesses in the next five years. Chinese tourists will make 700 million foreign trips supporting the world economy in the coming five years he said.

China's economic hard times

But critics point out that this may be the worst time for China to make such promises.

The country, which is undergoing an economic slowdown, is expected to suffer some serious economic setbacks in 2017. This would include a sharp decline in the country's ability to attract foreign investments, and selling shares and bonds in western markets this year. Chinese officials have said they expect a slower growth in foreign investment inflows in 2017 after a lackluster performance last year.

At stake is not just economic but also China's political clout, and its ability to counter expected adverse actions from the next U.S. administration. In addition to the tax on Chinese goods, Trump has promised to closely examine Chinese investments in the U.S..

China's diplomacy dependent on a robust economy

China's diplomacy has thrived in recent years on its ability to import and invest billions of dollars. Leaders of major countries routinely visit Beijing or host Chinese leaders with sales pitches for deals relating to airplanes, heavy machinery and high-end technologies.

Beijing managed to use its economic prowess to drive its political agenda in different countries and organizations, including the Association of South Eastern Asian Nations (ASEAN). But analysts say the country's economic slowdown will result in a dilution of its political influence, and in turn make it difficult for Beijing to effectively counter the likely moves by Trump in the coming weeks and months.

China's influence in ASEAN is tied to its economic clout

"Chinese influence in ASEAN has been buoyed by trade and investments, and even managed to counter the influence of the U.S. and Japan," Thomas Eder, research associate at the Berlin based Mecator Institute of China Studies told VOA.

ASEAN has been divided on what kind of stand it should take on the South China Sea dispute that involves half of its 10 member countries. But China has often managed to block any discussion on the subject at ASEAN meetings.

"China has compounded the difficulty of ASEAN reaching a consensus position against it. This was done by using the lure of investments, which played a role in making Cambodia a defender of Chinese interests within the organization," Eder said. "As a chair of ASEAN, Cambodia saw to it that China's behavior in the South China Sea would not be condemned in an ASEAN summit declaration."

China's economic influence not what it was

China is no longer as capable as it was earlier to buy goods and invest heavily across the world because it is facing severe economic slowdown at home. China's trade surplus fell for the first time in five years slipping 14 percent to $510 billion in 2016, according to figures released on Monday.

The country's imports also slipped 5.5 percent last year. Chinese exporters faced 119 anti-dumping investigations in 2016, an increase of 37 percent compared to the previous year. The ongoing investigations will thwart Beijing's efforts to increase exports even after the recent devaluation of the Yuan, which is aimed to assist exporters.

Foreign direct investments grew at 4.1 percent reaching $118 billion in 2016, which was far lower than the 6.4 percent rate seen in 2015. And economic officials in Beijing recently said they expected a weaker performance in 2017.

China has imposed stiff restrictions on foreign investments by Chinese companies in what is seen as a desperate effort to shore up falling investments in the domestic economy.

"Certain countries like Vietnam will strive to diversify their trade and investment relations away from China," Eder said, discussing the consequences of the country's economic slowdown and the likelihood of trade and political frictions with the U.S.

Any increase in U.S.-China frictions would result in uncertainties thwarting growth in investments as businesses shy away from taking big risks. This will put greater pressure on Beijing to persuade Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan to toe its line, analysts said.

"Beijing will counter the situation by pushing for more deals along its "maritime silk road" and try to keep investment levels at least stable," Eder said.

China has friends in Taiwan

Some of China's strongest supporters have been Taiwanese businessmen who have strong links with China. More than 40 percent of Taiwan's trade is with China. But Trump has managed to infuse a sense of uncertainty by questioning Beijing's claim on Taiwan through its one-China policy. China has rejected the move and its official media have warned that Trump is "playing with fire."

But David Gosset, Director of Academia Sinica Europaea, China Europe International Business School, believes the United States would not be able to weaken China's influence in Taiwan. "What will happen to Taiwanese companies like Foxconn without China's economic dynamics? The economic convergence between Taiwan and Mainland China is a reality, and any amount of manipulation by the United States would not change the situation on the ground," he said.

Gosset said the United States is unable to provide an alternative solution to the economic needs of most Asian countries, which is met by China because of its economic size and geographical proximity.

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Indian Army to Receive Bullet-Proof Helmets After Two Decades of Shortages

Sputnik News

19:47 18.01.2017(updated 19:49 18.01.2017)

Indian soldiers on counter-insurgency deployment often have to do without basic safety equipment like bulletproof jackets and helmets. The army has placed a huge order for ballistic helmets that will save the lives of soldiers in close quarter combat.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  The Indian Army may soon start receiving the badly required advanced ballistic helmets from a local manufacturer. It has placed orders for 160,000 helmets under a fast-track plan. This is the first such large-scale order of helmets in decades. The ballistic helmet will be able to stop 9 mm bullets from close to 20 meters. The lightweight helmets will also be equipped with communication headsets, sources told Sputnik. The Indian Army has a shortage of close to 390,000 bullet-proof helmets.

The need for ballistic helmets was mentioned upfront by the new Indian Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat at his first press conference. "Several casualties take place because of bullet injuries. We are looking at ballistic helmets. Today we are using a patka (a lightly armored wraparound) which only protects one's forehead," Gen. Rawat said.

Indian soldiers are fighting close range fights with terrorists and snipers from across the border without basic safety equipment. Indian quasi-military forces fare worse with ballistic helmet shortage touching 90 per cent.

The Central Reserve Police Force, deployed in Kashmir, is 350,000-strong but has about 2,000 bulletproof helmets. "The reason for the deficiency is non-availability of helmets with the desired protection level against 7.62 mm bullet," the Indian Home Ministry had informed Parliament last year.

 Sputnik

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India Set to Increase its Naval Arc in Indian Ocean

Sputnik News

17:45 18.01.2017

As a part of its strategy to become a blue navy for safeguarding its burgeoning economic interests, India is vigorously increasing its sphere of influence in the Indian Ocean region and beyond.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  India no longer wants to be geopolitically contained in South Asia. It is expanding its maritime domain and naval capabilities to fulfill its aspirations as a rising power as well as match up to China.

Ever since Narendra Modi came at the helm of affairs, India has tried to deepen its framework for maritime engagement with the Indian Ocean littoral.

"India has a long history of being a maritime nation. The arc of influence of Indian Ocean extends well beyond its littoral limits. Our initiative of SAGAR  Security and Growth for All in the Region  is not just limited to safeguarding our mainland and islands. It defines our efforts to deepen economic and security cooperation in our maritime relationships," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while addressing the second annual Raisina Dialogue, a Geo-political gathering with ambitions to match other conclaves of a similar nature in Munich, Dubai and Singapore.

Modi further added that, "We know that convergence, cooperation and collective action will advance economic activity and peace in our maritime region. We also believe that the primary responsibility for peace, prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean rests with those who live in this region. Ours is not an exclusive approach. And, we aim to bring countries together on the basis of respect for international law."

Repeating India's concern about the South China Sea and China's aggressive maneuvering in the Indian Ocean region, Modi said that, "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."

"There is no doubt that, as India's ambition of becoming a great power in linked with its strategic influence across the seas. India is following that path," former Indian ambassador and expert on India's maritime strategy, Yogendra Kumar told Sputnik.

In fact, India is going by the dictum that, "Whoever controls the Indian Ocean dominates Asia."

 Sputnik

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IAEA verifies Iran's commitment to JCPOA

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Jan 18, IRNA -- Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukia Amano verified Iran's commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

During a speech delivered to the ACUNS Vienna UN Conference on Tuesday, he said, "Yesterday was the first anniversary of the start of implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a landmark international agreement concerning Iran's nuclear programme."

He said, "The IAEA is best known as the world's so-called "nuclear watchdog." We help to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons by implementing safeguards."

Amano said, "The Agency is verifying and monitoring Iran's implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA. My regular reports to the IAEA Board of Governors last year showed that Iran is implementing its commitments."

On Monday, the Office of the Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General welcomed the first anniversary of the implementation day of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six world countries plus the European Union as the coordinator of the negotiations.

1424**1771

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UN: Iran Nuclear Deal Working; Continued Commitment Required

By Margaret Besheer January 18, 2017

A U.N. report says Iran has not received any unauthorized transfers of nuclear-related items since an international nuclear agreement was implemented a year ago, but Tehran may have violated some provisions on conventional arms transfers and travel restrictions.

"The secretary-general has not received any report, nor is aware of any open source information, regarding the supply, sale or transfer to Iran of nuclear-related items undertaken contrary to the provisions of the resolution," U.N. political chief Jeffrey Feltman told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Resolution 2231 was adopted in July 2015, endorsing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that aims to ensure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. The five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany negotiated the deal with Iran.

IAEA reported compliance

Feltman's briefing covered only Annex B of the resolution, including nuclear- and ballistic-missile-related transfers to or from Iran, as well as asset freezes and travel bans. He did not cover Annex A provisions  namely, implementation of Iran's nuclear-related commitments and sanctions. But in four prior reports, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has verified that Tehran is abiding by its nuclear-related commitments.

Feltman said the U.N. also had not received any information of Iranian violations of the provisions regulating ballistic-missile activities or related transfers. But he did express concern about "possible ongoing travel ban violations," including by two senior Iranian army generals.

The U.N. report expressed concern that Iran also might have attempted to send conventional weapons to Somalia or Yemen in the past year, and according to televised remarks by the leader of the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, Tehran supplies all of its weapons and missiles. If verified, these would be violations of Resolution 2231.

All of this information has been reported before, but the U.N. secretariat is required to brief the Security Council twice a year on implementation. Overall, Feltman concluded that his briefing to the council was taking place "against a backdrop of steady implementation, cooperation and progress."

Continued U.S. commitment?

In a possible reference to comments by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that he thought the Iran deal was "terrible" and should be torn up, Feltman reiterated the necessity of international support for the agreement's full implementation.

Several council members echoed that sentiment, calling the deal "historic" and one of the major diplomatic achievements of the last decade that requires a long-term commitment from all parties.

In Washington on Wednesday, Trump's nominee to become U.N. ambassador, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, took a less aggressive tone at her Senate confirmation hearing. When asked whether she supported the U.S. backing out of the nuclear deal, she said, "I think what would be more beneficial at this point is that we look at all the details of the Iran deal; we see if they are actually in compliance."

Haley said if Iran violated the agreement, then the U.S. should "act on those violations."

Diplomatic dividends

Some council members noted that since the deal's implementation, they had experienced a surge in trade with Iran.

The European Union said its trade with Tehran was up by 63 percent over the first three quarters of last year. Britain noted a 42 percent increase in its exports to the country, and France said bilateral trade was up 200 percent in overall value since the deal was implemented last January.

But while they touted the mutual economic benefits, they noted that progress had been tempered by Iran's negative behavior in the Middle East  specifically, its support of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria and its threats against Israel.

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Security forces free large area in Iraq's Mosul

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 8:21AM

Iraqi security forces have declared the liberation of the Left Coast area in the east of the city of Mosul, in a major advancement in the larger-scale operations to free the entire city from Daesh terrorists.

The Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) announced the development on Wednesday. Security forces had already advanced way into the Left Coast  which is located on the east bank of the Tigris River  on Tuesday and a full liberation was expected.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi military announced that the government troops have managed to take "full control" eastern part of the city.

A senior Iraqi military commander hailed the achievement as "unprecedented."

In another development, an airstrike by the US-led coalition purportedly fighting Daesh terrorists in Iraq targeted a funeral ceremony in Mosul, killing eight civilians.

Colonel Ahmed al-Jaboury, with the Nineveh Liberation Operation, said in a statement that the victims were killed as the US-led coalition "mistakenly" hit the mourning ceremony in Shefaa neighborhood in western Mosul on Tuesday.

Separately, the commander of the Nineveh Liberation Operation, Abdul Amir Yarallah, said a group of Daesh terrorists were killed in an Iraqi airstrike on Tuesday.

The air raid targeted the terrorists in Rashidiya area as they were fleeing from eastern Mosul to its west.

Mosul is the last urban area in Iraq that is still controlled by Daesh. Large-scale operations are underway by the Iraqi military from several fronts to liberate the city.

Additionally, Saad Maan, the spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command, said two bomb disposal engineers lost their lives as a car bomb they were trying to defuse accidentally detonated on Tuesday.

According to al-Sumaria news website, the car bomb went off in Abu Dashir area in southern Baghdad. According to the report, seven other people, including two police officers, were also injured.

Earlier on Tuesday, a car bomb attack in the same area claimed the lives of seven people and injured 20 others.

The Daesh militants have recently increased their acts of violence across the Arab country in revenge for the blows they have been suffering at the hands of Iraqi forces, particularly in the northern city of Mosul.

Daesh began its campaign of terror in northern and western Iraq in 2014. Iraqi army soldiers and allied fighters are leading military operations to win back militant-held regions.

In yet another development, a security source said nine police forces were killed in a Daesh attack on security checkpoints in eastern Salahuddin Province on Wednesday.

According to al-Sumaria, the attack reportedly targeted the security forces on the outskirts of Hamrin area near the Farhan Village in eastern Salahuddin.

Meanwhile, some reports said five police forces have been kidnapped by Daesh in the same province.

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Joint news conference with President of Moldova Igor Dodon

Vladimir Putin and Igor Dodon gave a joint news conference following the Russia-Moldova talks.

January 17, 2017

16:20

The Kremlin, Moscow

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

Our talks with the Moldovan President were held in a constructive and I would also say friendly atmosphere. They were concrete and covered issues of mutual interest.

We have discussed the entire range of bilateral issues first in a narrow format and then in the presence of the heads of Russian ministries and agencies. We have outlined the goals and tasks for the further development of Russian-Moldovan cooperation.

We also held a detailed discussion of regional issues. I welcome our partners' intention to further develop bilateral relations. I would like to say that Moldova is an important partner of Russia in the post-Soviet space. Russia has always stood firmly for maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the republic and its non-aligned and neutral status.

This year Russia and Moldova will mark 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Mr President and I have agreed that we will celebrate this event.

Our talks focused on the development of mutual trade. Unfortunately, our bilateral trade has decreased by more than 50 percent in the past few years, largely due to objective factors such as fluctuating prices of raw materials. Also, we must say that Moldova's mutually beneficial ties with Russia deteriorated due to attempts to boost the republic's rapprochement with the European Union.

As a result, Moldovan goods have almost lost their traditional place in Russia and have not gained a foothold in other markets. On the contrary, statistics show that Moldova's trade with the EU countries has declined.

The bilateral intergovernmental commission is now working to remedy this situation. During a recent meeting, it has adopted a joint action plan for 20162017, which includes practical steps to bolster mutual investments and trade, including in industry, high technologies and agriculture.

Incidentally, Russia is not opposed to Moldova developing relations with its partners anywhere, including Europe, as we pointed out at the talks with the Moldovan President. However, we would like this joint work to proceed in a coordinated manner, so as not to damage what we have created but to help us move forward, improving our economies, the social sector and the quality of life for our people.

The energy sector is a key aspect of Russian-Moldovan economic cooperation. Russia regularly provides Moldova with oil and gas and completely meets the country's demand for natural gas. After the talks, we instructed experts to draft proposals on addressing issues in this area.

Russia and Moldova have substantial experience of inter-regional cooperation. Sixty-seven Russian regions maintain contacts with their Moldovan partners. Moscow, St Petersburg, Belgorod and Bryansk regions lead the way in this respect. Russian regions are also actively expanding their ties with Gagauzia.

We have agreed to take action for expanding bilateral cooperation in humanitarian areas.

Naturally, we discussed the Transnistria peace settlement in great detail. Some improvements in the negotiating process that manifested themselves in 2016 will certainly help enhance trust between the parties to the conflict. It is necessary to search for a mutually acceptable state legislative model for resolving the conflict on the basis of generally recognised norms of international law. As before, Russia is ready to continue acting as mediator and to guarantee compliance with agreements that may be reached by the parties.

During our talks, we devoted attention to Eurasian integration processes. As the incumbent CIS president, Russia praises the desire of the President of Moldova to expand Moldova's involvement in the work of CIS organisations.

I know that Mr President has met with Tigran Sargsyan, chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission's Board, earlier today. I hope very much that we will also be able to reach certain agreements in this area, so as to remove all possible concerns in the economic sphere and to expand the base of our cooperation.

In conclusion, I would like to thank President of the Republic of Moldova Mr Dodon and all our Moldovan colleagues for the detailed and fruitful exchange of opinions. I am confident that the latest talks will help expand equitable Russian-Moldovan cooperation.

Thank you for your attention.

President of Moldova Igor Dodon: Mr President, friends,

Today is a historic day for Moldovan-Russian relations. Unfortunately, the past seven years were not the best period in our relations, which date back hundreds of years. As we know, strategic partnership with the Russian Federation has disappeared from the majority of government documents and strategies of the Republic of Moldova.

This is the first visit by a Moldovan President in the past nine years. Until now, Moldovan leaders did not come to Russia but made official visits to Brussels.

Last year Moldovan citizens cast their votes for the values the President of Moldova will uphold. They opted for maintaining our statehood and neutrality, for reintegration, for settling the Transnistrian issue and preserving our traditional Orthodox Christian values. These three aspects are of fundamental significance and cannot be protected or promoted outside strategic partnership with the Russian Federation.

I would like the citizens of Russia to know clearly without any doubt that the majority of Moldovans want to be friends with Russia, regardless of what some politicians may claim. We are set for strategic partnership with Russia, and I am convinced that we will turn a new page in our bilateral relations today, the goal we have discussed in detail during my visit.

Of course, we discussed very many issues that have accumulated over the past years. One of them concerns trade. We understand that it will be difficult to resolve all problems in our bilateral trade while retaining the free trade agreements we have with other countries, including the EU, but we have agreed to move towards this goal.

Of course, there is the issue of our migrants. Almost 500,000 Moldovan citizens officially work in the Russian Federation, several tens of thousands are in Moldova and cannot enter Russia due to various administrative violations. This issue was among those discussed. We hope that in the very near future a solution for our citizens can be found.

Transnistria is another very important issue. Transnistria is a part of the Republic of Moldova. For the first time in the past nine years, I paid a visit to the left bank, Transnistria. Earlier this year, also for the first time in the past nine years, there was a meeting between the leaders of the right and left bank. This produced a concrete result: the Joint Control Commission started working.

I do hope that with the active involvement of our strategic partners from the Russian Federation, we will make progress in solving the problems that our people face on both banks of the Dniester.

We learned our lessons from the mistakes of the early 2000s when it comes to the Transnistria issue and I am certain that we will not repeat those mistakes again and will move forward.

Therefore, Mr President, our citizens have great expectations and I am sure they are justified. I hope that from now on, the citizens of Moldova will feel that we have resumed our friendly strategic relations.

Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Question: Mr Putin, I have a question for you. A lot of things are happening in Moldova for the first time now. We had a nationwide presidential election for the first time. Also for the first time since 2008, as someone mentioned today, we had a meeting at this level here in the Kremlin. And a meeting of the two leaders, the newly elected president and the Transnistrian leader took place on the right bank, in the town of Bendery, also for the first time.

Reasonable political forces in Moldova now understand that improving the protracted situation in the Transnistrian region is impossible without the active participation of Russia. In your view, what might happen and how, and what could drive this process? Perhaps, the revival of the "Kozak plan," or some other road map? Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: First of all, I want to say that we welcome the courage showed by the newly elected President Igor Dodon, who travelled to Transnistria, because it is definitely a demonstration of the desire to restore not only relations, but also the country's territorial integrity. It is also a clear manifestation of respect for the people who live in Transnistria. I think that this will create proper conditions for the start of constructive and serious talks on the Transnistrian settlement.

You know, in 2003, we came as close as ever to reaching a final settlement to this issue. Unfortunately, the Moldovan authorities abruptly changed their mind then, and the plan drafted by all the parties to this process fell through. I hope very much that we will return to this issue not in words but in deeds, and find a compromise solution taking into account the interests of all the people who live in that region. If such a compromise is found  and it can be found only among Moldova and Transnistria  we will definitely act as guarantors of the fulfilment of all agreements that are made.

Question: I have a question for both of you.

I will continue the theme of the many firsts today  not only the first visit or the first high-level talks. As we know, the Russian-Moldovan Intergovernmental Commission met recently for the first time in four years.

Based on the results of today's talks, do you think it will be possible to move toward restoring intensive cooperation? Will it be possible to restore economic cooperation between Russia and Moldova? For example, will Russia open its market to Moldova? And if so, when can it happen? Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: I think we will eventually get there. We must proceed from realities, though, including the reality of Moldovan politics. We know the competence of the Moldovan Government, the competence of the President. Some issues are not within the President's competence according to the country's constitution. But we will work with the Government and with the President, we are ready for it. I already mentioned this in my opening remarks.

Much will depend on how Moldova will build its relations with the European Union, I mean the association agreement between Moldova and the European Union that has been signed and entered into force. There are certain risks for us, similar to the risks that we faced after a similar document was signed between Ukraine and the European Union. We said so openly and quite convincingly, I believe. We always said so to our partners in the CIS countries, and to our European partners. Much can and should be done in the trilateral format, of course, if our European friends and our partners (Moldova, I mean) are willing to do so. Many plants in Moldova have reopened already, and their products are being delivered to the Russian market.

We agreed that a number of plants will be further inspected by relevant Russian agencies, and I do not rule out, actually I am almost certain that the number of companies allowed to supply products to the Russian market will increase.

The same applies to labour migration issues. Mr Dodon has raised this issue today in a variety of formats. Well, what can I say? Moldova is certainly less of a threat in terms of undesirable migrants infiltrating Russia than other areas, bearing in mind a number of factors that the President of Moldova just mentioned. We will think about how to resolve this problem, considering that many Moldovans are really economically dependent on working in Russia. We understand this and are willing to help them. I think a solution will be found.

Igor Dodon: Regarding the resumption of full-scale economic cooperation, I will say this. Of course, we would like it here and now but we understand that Moscow was not built in a day. We understand that what was destroyed over years cannot be restored overnight.

We are pragmatists and we understand that there is an association agreement with the European Union. By the way, I have repeatedly come out against signing the agreement. I believe that the agreement has done Moldova no good. We have lost the Russian market and, strangely enough, our exports to the EU have also fallen. In other words, we have received nothing from signing the agreement. And I cannot rule out that after the next parliamentary election, this will be the position of the parliamentary majority and I will support that position. There is the Socialist Party and I hope they will get a parliamentary majority and the agreement will be repealed.

Regarding cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union, it is very important. Mr Putin has spoken about this. In the morning I had a meeting with the leadership of the Eurasian Economic Commission. Today I put forward an initiative to sign a framework memorandum on cooperation with the EAEU. We agreed to begin consultations within the next few weeks and sign this memorandum in the next few months. It is not at odds with the agreements that Moldova has signed at this point with other partners, but it is the first step toward rapprochement.

I asked Mr Putin to consider the possibility of Moldova getting observer status in the Eurasian Economic Commission. I believe this is a good step for us to see what needs to be done and how, as well as to gather information from both sides.

Insofar as trade and economic ties are concerned, I believe we are at the beginning of our path. At this stage, enterprises from Transnistria, Gagauzia, and dozens of companies from the rest of Moldova are already supplying their goods to the Russian market. I hope that in the next several weeks (we have discussed this) the list will be expanded for our manufacturers to return to the Russian market.

However, the full-scale opening of the market should, of course, be considered also within the framework of the agreements that Moldova has signed with other participants. In early February I will visit Brussels and naturally we will talk about this with our EU partners, citing figures. Two years have passed and so far, there have been no results either in the economy or in other sectors. We will have to decide what to do next.

Question: I have a question for Mr Putin. Labour migration is a key concern in Moldovan society. Do today's talks provide any hope for resolving this issue? What specific steps is Russia prepared to make in order to positively resolve the migration issue?

Vladimir Putin: I have just mentioned this. I can only repeat what I said earlier.

About half a million people from Moldova work in Russia. We don't have any major issues with the people who come to work in Russia from Moldova. About 50,000 Moldovans can't enter the territory of Russia because they violated certain laws. There will not be a positive outcome for those who have committed felonies. For all others, we will seek a solution. I repeat: I am confident that we will find one.

We need to build such relations with a wide range of our partners. This does not apply to Moldova, because if we make certain decisions with regard to Moldova, we will have to make decisions with respect to other countries. In this sense, Moldova is hostage to our relations with other countries, but I repeat: we have no problem with Moldova and Moldovans of all ethnicities who come to Russia. I am referring to a variety of favourable factors. We need to do more work on this issue.

We agreed that we will create a corresponding Security Council committee in Russia, and effectively it has already been created upon my instruction. In the course of today's talks, the Deputy Interior Minister reported to us their plans for the near future. I just don't want to get ahead of events, but I want to assure you that we will find a solution.

Question: Sorry, this is a bit off-topic for today's meeting, but it is an international issue. I'm referring to the flare-up of American passions.

It is an important issue. How do you feel about the fact that Barack Obama, whose term will end in days, has introduced new anti-Russian sanctions, without waiting for the previous sanctions to expire? A bill is pending in Congress and if it is adopted, it will be more difficult for Trump to lift them if he so decides.

And another point. You have never commented on the report claiming that we in Russia gathered compromising materials on Trump, among other things, during his visit to Moscow. It has been alleged that he partied with prostitutes at a Moscow hotel. Is that true? Have you seen those files, videos, footage?

Continuing on the topic of America, some of Trump's remarks have displeased Ms Merkel and Mr Hollande, and America's relationship with the EU is worsening. How do you feel about this?

Vladimir Putin: We have a news agency. It is called Life. Everyone is trying to prod us closer to life. (Laughter.)

You know, there is a category of people who leave without saying goodbye, out of respect for the situation that has evolved, so as not to upset anything. And then there are people who keep saying goodbye but don't leave. I believe the outgoing administration belongs to the second category.

What are we seeing in the United States? We are seeing the continuation of an acute internal political struggle despite the fact that the presidential election is over and it ended in Mr Trump's convincing victory. Nevertheless, in my opinion, several goals are being set in this struggle. Maybe there are more, but some of them are perfectly obvious.

The first is to undermine the legitimacy of the US president-elect. By the way, in this regard, I would like to point out that whether deliberately or not, these people are causing enormous damage to US interests. Simply enormous. The impression is that, after a practice run in Kiev, they are now ready to organise a Maidan in Washington to prevent Trump from taking office.

The second goal is to tie the new president's hands as he works to fulfil the campaign promises he made to the American people both at home and abroad. Well, think, how can anything be done to improve Russian-US relations if red herrings such as interference by hackers in the election campaign are trotted out? Although to reiterate, hackers  whoever they are  did not compile anything; they did not make anything up; they only disclosed material. Or, especially, if Russian special services have some compromising material on the president-elect.

Look, I am not acquainted with Mr Trump. I have never met him. I do not know what he will do in the international arena, so I have no reason either to attack him or criticise him for whatever reason or to defend him, no matter what. We will not even ask the Nobel Committee to give him a Nobel Prize for mathematics or physics or any other subject. I have absolutely no grounds for that. However, these leaks are obviously fabricated.

When Mr Trump came to Moscow a few years ago  I don't remember exactly when  he was not a politician. We were unaware of his political ambitions. He was just a businessman to us, one of the wealthiest men in America. Does anyone think that our special services are chasing after every American billionaire? Of course not. It's nonsense. That's my first point.

Second, concerning the allegation that Trump arrived in Moscow and the first thing he did was meet with Moscow prostitutes. First, he is an adult and, second, he has for many years sponsored beauty contests and had the chance to meet the world's most beautiful women. Why would he run to a hotel to meet up with our girls of limited social responsibility? Although they are, of course, the best in the world. But I doubt that Trump fell for it.

Finally, there's one more consideration. Prostitution is an ugly social phenomenon. Among other things, young women engage in it because they cannot make a decent living otherwise. To a great extent, the guilt lies with society and the state.

People who order these kinds of fabrications, which are now being used to smear the US President-elect, and use it to advance their political agenda are worse than prostitutes. They have no moral constraints at all. By the way, Russia is constantly dealing with such people, our opponents. The fact that such methods are being used against the President-elect of the United States is certainly unparalleled and has never happened before. This indicates the significant level of degradation among political elites in the West, including the United States.

But I very much hope that common sense will prevail. This applies to relations between the United States and its allies, including in Europe. After all, it is the current outgoing administration that has involved many European political leaders in the US domestic political fight. Today's problems are the result of these activities.

I am sure that major mutual interests will set things right. Of course, there may be nuances, and it might leave a bad aftertaste, but still things will fall into place eventually. By the same token, I am sure, we will eventually be able to return to normal state-to-state relations in the interests of both the peoples of Europe and the peoples of Russia and the United States, which will contribute to advancing the global economy, stabilising the international situation and providing security.

Igor Dodon: Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

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Biden calls Russia threat to world order, warns of clash with West

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 1:13PM

US Vice President Joe Biden has called Russia the "greatest threat" to the international order, warning of a looming clash between the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the West.

The outgoing vice president made the remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, two days before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has taken a rather conciliatory line towards Moscow.

"Under President Putin, Russia is working with every tool available to them to whittle away at the edges of the European project, test the fault lines of Western nations and return to a politics defined by spheres of influence," Biden said.

He further warned that Russia was planning to intervene in "the democratic process" of European countries, repeating Washington's claims that Moscow meddled in the 2016 US presidential election that led to Trump's victory in November.

"With many countries in Europe slated to hold elections this year, we should expect further attempts by Russia to meddle in the democratic process. It will occur again, I promise you. And again the purpose is clear: to collapse the liberal international order," Biden added.

Despite reluctantly confirming US intelligence reports that accuse Putin of personally ordering cyber attacks to change the outcome of last year's vote, Trump keeps showing strong willingness to work with the Russian head of state.

Speaking to hundreds of world leaders, CEOs and bankers gathered in the Swiss Alps resort town, Biden warned of a "dangerous willingness to revert to political small-mindedness" in politics.

He took another jab at the Republican president-elect by hailing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), describing as "a sacred obligation" the Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which views an attack on a member as an attack on all.

"Defending the liberal international order requires that we resist the forces of European disintegration and maintain our longstanding insistence on a Europe, whole, free and peaceful," Biden stated.

"It means fighting for the European Union, one of the most vibrant and consequential institutions on earth," he added.

This is while Trump has criticized the US-led alliance as "obsolete," arguing that member states should either pay for Washington's military support or stand on their own.

Since cutting ties with Russia over the Ukraine conflict in 2014, NATO has been amassing troops and heavy weaponry on the country's Western borders in the Baltic region in order to curb what it calls "Russia's aggression."

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Trump's Choice For UN Ambassador Says U.S. Can't Trust Russia

RFE/RL January 18, 2017

WASHINGTON -- President-elect Donald Trump's pick for United Nations ambassador delivered sharp criticism of Russia on January 18, saying Moscow cannot be trusted, but added that Washington will nonetheless need the Kremlin's cooperation on counterterrorism efforts and other challenges.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley's testimony at a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing comes amid badly strained bilateral ties with Russia over Moscow's role in the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, as well as alleged Kremlin meddling in the American presidential election.

Trump, who has said he wants to improve those relations, has drawn criticism from both Republicans and Democrats that he is soft on Moscow's aggressive foreign policy.

The 44-year-old Haley told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Russia is trying to "show their muscle" and that Moscow knows "no boundaries."

"I don't think that we can trust them," she said.

Haley left room for cooperation with Russia, however, on the condition that the Kremlin is willing to give ground.

"I think that we have to make sure that we try and see what we can get from them before we give to them," she said.

Haley, who criticized Trump during the campaign, has little experience in international affairs and has not spoken much in public about her foreign policy views.

If confirmed by the Senate, she would succeed Samantha Power -- a vocal critic of Russia's invasion and illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula, of its backing for pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine, and of Moscow's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Speaking a day before Haley's confirmation hearing, Power said Russia's actions "are not standing up a new world order. They are tearing down the one that exists."

Haley said in her January 18 hearing that she considers Crimea to be part of Ukraine -- a position backed by more than 100 UN member states in a resolution.

She said that Washington should not lift the sanctions it imposed against Russia over its interference in Ukraine until Moscow changes course.

"I think that Russia has to have positive actions before we lift any sanctions on Russia," she said.

Haley also said that she believes Russia is responsible for "terrible atrocities" in Syria, including war crimes in Aleppo.

She added, however, that while Washington must voice its displeasure about Russia's actions in Ukraine and Syria, it will also need to seek the Kremlin's support to confront terrorism and on other pressing issues.

"We're also going to tell them that we do need their help with ISIS and with some other threats that we all share," Haley said, using an acronym for the extremist Islamic State group.

Haley's confirmation hearing also comes in the wake of what U.S. intelligence official say was a Russian hacking and public-opinion manipulation campaign directed by President Vladimir Putin to influence the U.S. presidential election.

The Kremlin rejects the charge, and Trump had repeatedly cast doubt on the assessment before publicly saying in January that Russia was likely behind computer hacking that targeted his opponent in the election, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Trump insists Russia's hacking and public opinion manipulation campaign had no impact on the outcome of the election.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/trump-haley-un- ambassador-russia/28241817.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 Warns Of Russian Threat To World Order, Election Meddling

RFE/RL January 18, 2017

In his final major speech in office, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said that Russia poses the biggest threat to the "liberal international order" and warned that "further" Russian attempts to meddle in Western elections should be expected.

Biden spoke on January 18 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, amid allegations that Russia meddled in the U.S. presidential election.

Earlier this month, U.S. intelligence agencies said they had concluded "with high confidence" that Russian President Vladimir Putin "ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election."

They also charged that Putin and the Russian government "developed a clear preference" for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump over his rival in the November 8 vote, Hillary Clinton.

With several European countries scheduled to choose new parliaments or presidents this year, Biden warned that "we should expect further attempts by Russia to meddle in the democratic process."

"It will occur again, I promise you," he added. "And again the purpose is clear: to collapse the liberal international order."

Moscow denies any interference in the U.S. vote, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on January 17 that claims that Moscow is staging cyberattacks to meddle in European elections are "dreamed up."

Biden said China and Iran also "equate their success with a fracturing of the liberal international order," but he insisted that "this movement is principally led by Russia."

"Under President Putin, Russia is working with every tool available to them to whittle away at the edges of the European project, test for fault lines among Western nations, and return to a politics defined by spheres of influence," the vice president also said.

"We see it in their aggression against their neighbors, sending so-called 'little green men' across the border to stir violence and strains of separatism in Ukraine," Biden said.

He also cited Moscow's "propaganda and false information campaigns," its use of "energy as a weapon," and "cyberintrusions against political parties and individuals in the United States."

Biden called on the United States and European Union to "lead the fight" to stand up to Putin and protect liberal values, and insisted that NATO must remain a key element in transatlantic relations.

Without addressing any politician directly, Biden also warned of a "dangerous willingness to revert to political small-mindedness, to the same nationalist, protectionist, isolationist agendas that led the world to consume itself in war during the past century."

Trump, who takes office on January 20, has called NATO "obsolete," charging that it has not done enough to fight terrorism, but has also said the alliance is still "very important" to him.

He has also said he wants to improve troubled relations with Moscow.

U.S.-Russia ties 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.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/biden-davos-russia- threat-world-order/28241147.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 militants have violated the ceasefire regime for 37 times in Donbas over the past 24 hours, where two Ukrainian soldiers have been wounded, the press centre of the Anti-Terrorist operation (ATO) staff said on its Facebook page on Thursday morning.

The militants shelled Talakivka with mortars. Slavne, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Talakivka, Novotroyitske, Shyrokyne and Vodiane were shelled with grenade launchers and small arms. Shyrokyne was attacked by infantry combat vehicles armament. The enemy's sniper targeted the Ukrainian positions near Novotroyitske.

In the Luhansk sector militants fired Novo-Oleksandrivka and Troyitske using 120 mm mortars, 82 mm mortars were used to fire on Novozvanivka. Grenade launchers and small arms were applied for attacking on Ukrainian army positions in Stanytsia Luhanska and Novozvanivka, anti-tank missile systems - on Novozvanivka.

The Russian occupational troops attacked the Ukrainian positions near Zaitseve and Avdiyivka with grenade launchers and small arms.
Trump's UN Ambassador Nominee Says Russia Cannot Be Trusted

By VOA News January 18, 2017

In one of several U.S. Senate confirmation hearings Wednesday for top posts in Donald Trump's administration, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations nominee Nikki Haley said the U.S. cannot trust Russia.

"I don't think we can trust them," Haley told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday. But Haley, who is governor of South Carolina, left open the possibility of cooperating with Russia on issues of mutual interest.

"We do need their help with ISIS and with some other threats that we all share," she added.

Haley's expressed mistrust of Russia appears to contrast with the position of the incoming president, who repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin during and after his presidential campaign.

Haley's position on the creation of a national registry for Muslims residing in the U.S. also differ's from the president-elect's.

"I don't think there should be any registry based on religion," she said.

Haley also was critical of President Barack Obama's administration for allowing the U.N. Security Council to condemn Israel. U.S.-Israeli relations reached a low point last month when the Obama administration abstained from voting on a U.N. resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlements in occupied territory.

Haley's testified the U.N. is "often at odds with American national interests" and the "U.N. seeks to create an international environment that encourages boycotts of Israel."

Commerce pick

Trump's choice for Commerce Secretary, billionaire Wilbur Ross, said nations that do not trade fairly should be "severely punished."

Speaking before the Senate Commerce Committee, Ross called China the "most protectionist" country in the world. Ross also said China talks about fair trade, but its practices fall short of its rhetoric.

Ross told senators that he is not anti-trade, but favors "sensible" trade that benefits U.S. workers and companies.

If confirmed by the Senate, Ross is expected to play a larger-than-usual role in U.S. trade issues. He said examining trade policy with Canada and Mexico will be a "very early topic."

Ross, the 79-year-old chairman of a private equity firm, is known in financial circles as the "king of bankruptcy" for buying and restoring distressed companies to profitability.

After developing a specialty as a banker in bankruptcy and corporate restructuring, Ross launched W.L. Ross in 2000 and earned part of his fortune by investing in troubled factories in the industrial U.S. Midwest, sometimes generating profits by limiting employee benefits.

Earlier this week, Ross agreed with the Office of Government Ethics to divorce himself from his business affairs. Ross will divest from 40 businesses and investments within 90 days of being confirmed, and he will divest from another 40 within 180 days.

The president-elect has been at odds with the head of the ethics agency over his refusal to divest himself of his business empire. Trump has said he will instead turn control of his business affairs to his sons.

HHS, EPA nominees

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee questions Trump's pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services about the impact of Trump's plans to replace President Barack Obama's health care law, which provides medical insurance for about 20 million people.

Congressman Tom Price, who is an orthopedic surgeon, drafted his own plan to replace the law. An independent analysis concluded Price's plan would have saved taxpayers money, but it also would have covered fewer people.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, Trump's choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, faces tough questioning by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee about his ties to the energy industry. Pruitt is a climate change skeptic, who as Oklahoma's top prosecutor has sued more than a dozen times the agency he has been nominated to lead.

When he first became Oklahoma's attorney general, Pruitt eliminated the unit responsible for protecting the state's natural resources.

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Biden: Russian Attempts to Influence Elections 'Will Occur Again'

By VOA News January 18, 2017

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden warned European nations Wednesday to be ready for Russia to try to influence their elections in the same way that U.S. intelligence agencies say they are certain Russia did in the November vote that is bringing Donald Trump to office this week.

"With many countries in Europe slated to hold elections this year, we should expect further attempts by Russia to meddle in the democratic process. It will occur again, I promise you," Biden said in his final address in Davos, Switzerland.

He further accused Russia of working to unravel what he called the "liberal international order" and return to a world in which super powers exerted control over nations in their sphere of influence. In addition to targeting democratic systems, Biden cited Russian "aggression against their neighbors," including actions in Ukraine, and using control of energy supplies as a weapon against other countries.

Russia has rejected the U.S. intelligence conclusion that it interfered in the election with the goal of helping Trump.

NATO

Biden also sought to reassure NATO countries that the U.S. remains committed to the alliance. Trump during his campaign called NATO "obsolete" and suggested the U.S. would not automatically defend a member who had not paid its full share.

"The single greatest bulwark for our transatlantic partnership is the unshakeable commitment of the United States to all of our NATO allies," Biden said. "It is a sacred obligation that we have embraced, that an attack on one is an attack on all. That can never be placed in question."

The vice president said going forward there need to be efforts to make Europe more energy independent, for nations to improve their cyber security and to combat misinformation.

Biden said the world is probably safer than it has ever been, but that with modern technology and the ease of sharing images it can feel like there is "perpetual chaos." He said in facing current fears there is a danger of reverting to what he called the "political small-mindedness" and nationalist policies that led to world wars last century.

He advocated responding by tapping into the "big heartedness" that brought the plan to rebuild Europe after World War II and the "audacity that proposed the United Nations."

"We can't rout fear with retrenchment," Biden said.

An uncertain world

He cited a "palpable uncertainty about the state of the world," but said that while the United States plays an important role, the world's challenges do not hinge solely on leadership from Washington.

"Whether we reinforce the ties that bind us or whether we unravel under the current pressures, these choices have to be made by every single nation," Biden said. "And they will determine what kind of nation and what kind of nations and what kind of world we're going to leave for our children."



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Syrian government, armed militants name heads of Astana talks delegation

Iran Press TV

Tue Jan 17, 2017 11:31PM

The Syrian government and opposition militants have announced the names of their delegation heads for the upcoming peace talks in Kazakhstan.

On Tuesday, Syria's Ambassador to the UN Bashar al-Ja'afari was named as the head of the government's delegation for the intra-Syrian talks in Astana, scheduled for January 23. The talks would focus strictly on military developments and reinforcement of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

The Syrian government's delegation "will be led by Syrian diplomat and permanent representative to the United Nations Bashar al-Ja'afari," said a report in Syria's Al-Watan daily, adding that 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 foreign-sponsored militant groups will be represented by Mohammad Alloush, the head of the political office of the so-called Jaish al-Islam militant group. Their delegation will also include some 20 other people.

The negotiations, which exclude the Daesh and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham terrorist groups, will be held in the wake of a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, which was endorsed by the UN Security Council on December 31.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that representatives from the future US administration and the United Nations should be invited to the talks.

"We think it would be the right thing to invite the representatives of the UN and the new US administration to the meeting, taking into account that the meeting will take place on January 23, as planned," Lavrov said.

"We're counting on the new [US] administration accepting this invitation and being represented by experts on any level they consider possible. It will be the first official contact during which we could begin discussing stepping up the efficiency of fighting terrorism in Syria," he added.

Lavrov also noted that he had received information that some European countries are mulling sabotaging the negotiations because they felt left out. He added that he hoped they would refrain from such actions.

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.

Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy over the past almost six years. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated in August last year that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the Syrian crisis until then. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.

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'No peace with US, allies supporting terrorists in Syria'

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 5:0PM

With less than a week to the Syria peace talks to be held in Kazakhstan, there is a degree of skepticism over the final outcome of the much-awaited negotiations.

The peace talks initiated by Russia and Turkey will see representatives from militant groups as well as the Syrian government sit down at the table in Astana as part of efforts to give an end to the deadly war in Syria.

Mohammad Marandi, a professor at the University of Tehran, said the peace talks would not bear fruit unless the United States and its regional allies including Saudi Arabia, change their policies on Syria.

"It's very difficult to imagine that the Astana talks will make a big difference until the United States changes its policy" Marandi told Press TV's Top 5 on Wednesday

The US and its regional allies have already been under fire for fueling war in Syria by supporting militant groups in the Arab country.

Washington has not been directly involved the latest diplomacy after failing efforts to lead Syria peace talks.

"The United States really does not deserve - under the Obama regime at least - to be at negotiating table," said the professor of American studies and English literature at the University of Tehran.

The US-led alliance to fight Daesh in Syria refused to pound the terrorist group's position in Dayr al-Zawr, but the alliance helped the terrorists by "intentionally bombing Syrian Army position," he noted.

In September 2016, the United States and Russia brokered a ceasefire in Syria. But the truce failed after the US warplanes targeted a Syrian air base near Dayr al-Zawr in eastern Syria, killing 82 soldiers.

Since March 2011, Syria has been gripped by devastating war, which has left hundreds of thousands of civilians dead.

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Russia says Turkey jets join anti-Daesh operation in Syria's al-Bab

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 2:49PM

Moscow says Russian warplanes and Turkish jets have jointly targeted positions of Daesh terrorists in the Syrian city of al-Bab.

The Wednesday aerial attacks by Russian and Turkish war planes were the "first joint air operation" by the two countries against the Daesh terrorist group in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Lieutenant General Sergei Rudskoi of the Russian military's General Staff told a briefing that nine Russian and eight Turkish planes were part of the operation in the area around the city of al-Bab, located 40 kilometers northeast of Aleppo, which was fully recaptured by the Syrian forces in December.

The Russian military official said the operation had been conducted with the Syrian government's consent.

The Russian Air Force was also providing air support to Syrian government troops trying to fight off a Daesh attack around the eastern city of Dayr al-Zawr, Rudskoi said, adding that Russian jets were also backing a Syrian army offensive near the ancient city of Palmyra.

Rudskoi said that "36 targets" had been destroyed in the joint operation.

The announcement came less than a week after the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that Moscow and Ankara had agreed to coordinate aerial attacks "on terrorist targets" in Syria, and signed a memorandum on combat flight safety during missions in Syrian airspace.

Meanwhile, a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Moscow and Ankara and endorsed by the UN Security Council in late December, is largely holding across Syria as a new round of peace talks, to be mediated by Russia, Turkey, and Iran, are to be held in the Kazakh capital Astana next week.

The Daesh and JabhatFateh al-Sham Takfiri terrorist groups are excluded from the ceasefire and the talks between representatives from the Syrian government and armed opposition groups.

Washington has not been involved in the latest diplomacy on the Syrian conflict as Ankara is ostensibly shifting from its long-time ally and tilting more toward Russia on the war in the Arab country.

Biggest bones of contention between Turkey, US

Ties between Turkey, which is a NATO member, with other member states of the Western military alliance have been strained following their support for Kurdish militias.

The tension between Ankara and its Western allies is significantly linked to the country's July 15 failed coup, to which Turkey says they did not show due reaction.

Washington's refusal to extradite US-based Turkish opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of masterminding the botched coup, is another bone of contention between the two countries.

In August last year, 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), who have been making gains under the aegis of the US and other Western countries. Ankara has already made it clear that it will not tolerate Kurdish territorial gains close to its frontiers.

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No joint invitation sent to US for Syria meeting: Iranian official

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 11:34AM

Iran, Russia and Turkey have not sent any "joint invitation" to the US for taking part in the upcoming conflict resolution talks on Syria in Astana, Kazakhstan.

"Due to Iran's objection to the US participation in the Astana gathering, Washington has been sent no joint invitation by the three countries, at whose initiative the meeting is to take place," Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council said Wednesday.

The Kazakh capital is to host the negotiations between representatives from the Damascus government and foreign-sponsored opposition groups on January 23.

The talks are to be mediated by Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

The three countries have over the past several months been working together and holding trilateral talks aimed at improving the situation on the ground in the Arab country.

Last month, such efforts led to the conclusion of a deal enabling the evacuation of civilians and armed elements out of the northwestern city of Aleppo as it was being liberated by the Syrian Army.

Iranian officials, most importantly Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, have voiced opposition to Washington's attendance, citing its dedication to the ouster of the Syrian government thought supporting the terror groups.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has, however, said he believes US representatives should be invited to the meeting.

The United States and its regional allies, namely Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, have been lavishing financial and political support on anti-Syria terror group since 2011, when the outfits unleashed their campaign of violence against the country.

Shamkhani said the US may only be invited to the talks as an observer at the invitation of the host country, adding that Washington cannot play a part in "managing, leading and directing the current initiatives on the Syria crisis," including the Astana talks.

He cited Washington's record of reneging on its commitments and incompetence in bringing about truce and directing the warring parties towards negotiation.

"As the country, which has had the most important role in supporting the Syrian government in fighting terrorism, the Islamic Republic will also be having a notable and active role in the political process, including the Astana meeting," the official noted.

Iran has been lending political and military advisory support to Damascus in its uphill battle against terrorism.

Shamkhani also said only the armed groups, which have signed the all-Syria ceasefire and announced their commitment to inter-Syrian talks, as well as the UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura have been invited to the Astana talks.

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Aleppo win averted future uncertainty in region: Iran president

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 10:50AM

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has hailed the liberation of Syria's strategic northwestern city of Aleppo as a major step towards stability in the Arab state, saying the gain prevented the Middle East from having to face an uncertain future.

In a Wednesday meeting with visiting Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis, Rouhani said had the Takfiri terrorists and their supporters won in Aleppo, "a dangerous path would have opened up for the region and an uncertain future befallen it."

Late last year, the army managed to liberate the eastern sector of Aleppo, the country's second-largest city, which had fallen to Takfiri groups back in 2012. By doing so, the Syrian forces both restored the entirety of the city to government control and dealt the hardest blow to the militants since the onset of their campaign of foreign-fueled violence in Syria in 2011.

Government forces later secured the evacuation of remaining civilians and armed elements from the city under a ceasefire deal, brokered by Russia and Turkey, which were respectively representing the Syrian government and the armed factions. The Aleppo deal set the stage for a landmark all-Syria truce deal between Damascus and foreign-backed militant groups.

Rouhani further said the victory in Aleppo showed the world that "the Syrian people are capable of defending their homeland in the face of terrorists, and that the terror groups and their sponsors will never be able to achieve their goals.

The Iranian chief executive praised the Aleppo triumph as well as the Syria ceasefire as "two important steps towards establishment of peace and stability in the Arab country."

This favorable opportunity should be seized to step up the fight against terrorists, said Rouhani, stressing, "What is sought by all of Syria's friends is for peace and stability to return to the country so people can easily decide their future."

"The Iranian government, people, and Leader [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] have always stood by the Syrian people and will always do so," the Iranian president noted.

Khamis, for his part, said the Aleppo victory owes to the perseverance and resistance of the Syrian people and army as well as Iran's unstinting support.

He asserted that the Syrians were intent upon returning security to their country.

Astana talks 'no place for US'

Khamis also met with Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei, who said the Islamic Republic is "vehemently opposed" to the US participation in the upcoming conflict resolution talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

The negotiations will be held between representatives from the Damascus government and foreign-sponsored opposition groups on January 23.

They are mediated by Russia, Turkey, and Iran. Talks between the three have so far worked much in the way of bringing about the achievements on the ground.

"The talks will be the result of the victories of the Syrian government and people as well as their allies," said Velayati, adding that the parties, which have long supported the terror groups and faced defeat on the battlefield, should not be allowed to "exploit the political arena and reap their desired results."

The US has, from the start, insisted on deposing Syria's legitimate government, he added.

The United States and its regional allies, namely Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, have been lavishing financial and political support on anti-Syria terror groups since 2011, when the outfits unleashed their campaign of violence against the country.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also communicated Tehran's opposition to Washington's presence at the negotiation table.

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Syrian general, eight soldiers killed in militant bomb attack

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 1:35AM

A Syrian general and eight troops have been killed in a militant bombing attack outside the capital city Damascus, says a UK-based monitoring group.

According to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Tuesday, the government forces were killed when an explosive device planted by militants went off in a tunnel in the town of Harasta, located to the northeast of the capital.

"The explosion killed a Syrian officer at the rank of general, and eight other members of the government forces, and wounded several people," said the director of the observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman.

He noted that the death toll would probably rise as a number of the wounded were in critical condition and that 15 people were still unaccounted for.

Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy over the past almost six years. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated in August last year that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the Syrian crisis until then. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.

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Turkish General Staff Praises First Joint Airstrikes With Russia in Al-Bab

Sputnik News

19:51 18.01.2017(updated 21:29 18.01.2017)

The Turkish General Staff on Wednesday praised coordination with Russia in the operation against Daesh terrorist group in Syria's Al-Bab in the province of Aleppo.

ANKARA (Sputnik)  Earlier Wednesday, the Russian General Staff said Russian and Turkish combat planes carried out their first joint airstrikes against Daesh targets in war-torn Syria.

"Under the agreement on prevention of incidents, signed between Turkey and Russia, today, as a result of successful coordination, Russian aircraft carried out an air operation against designated Daesh targets in the south of Al-Bab," the statement said.

"Nine strike aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, including four Su-24M, four Su-25 and one Su-34 bomber, as well as eight Turkish Air Force's jets  four F-16 and four F-4 aircraft  are involved in the aerial campaign agreed with Syrian authorities," Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, the chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, said at a news briefing in Moscow earlier in the day.

The news comes amid a nationwide ceasefire in Syria backed by Russia and Turkey which came into effect on December 30 and was later supported by a UN Security Council resolution.

Turkey is currently conducting an operation in Syria dubbed Euphrates Shield. On August 24, Turkish forces, supported by Free Syrian Army rebels and US-led coalition aircraft, began a military operation dubbed the Euphrates Shield to clear the Syrian border town of Jarabulus and the surrounding area from Daesh terrorist group. As Jarabulus was retaken, the joint forces of Ankara, the coalition and Syrian rebels continued the operation to gain control over Al-Bab in the Aleppo province.

Al-Bab is one of Daesh's last remaining strongholds near the Turkish border. Capturing the city is of strategic importance to Turkey in order to prevent the Syrian Kurds taking it and unifying their own territories.

 Sputnik

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Kurdish-Led Syrian Democratic Forces Refuse to Support Astana Meeting Results

Sputnik News

19:25 18.01.2017(updated 19:26 18.01.2017)

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) opposition group will not support the results of the meeting on Syria in Astana, as the SDF has not received an invitation to attend it, SDF spokesman Talal Selo said Wednesday.

CAIRO (Sputnik)  The SDF consists mainly of Kurdish and Arab detachments, and participated in operations against Daesh terrorist group with the support of the United States.

"Since we have been excluded from these negotiations, we do not recognize the conference or any of its results," Selo told Sputnik, adding that in his opinion, the Turkish authorities were the authors of the decision not to invite the SDF.

The Syrian peace consultations in Astana are expected to be held on January 23, with the opposition represented as a united bloc. The talks will be followed by a new round of negotiations on Syrian peace in Geneva on February 8.

On December 17, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed in a phone call the possibility of a meeting between the Syrian conflicting parties in Astana. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev supported the initiative and expressed readiness to provide a platform for such talks in the Kazakh capital.

 Sputnik

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The Ukrainian Defense Ministry is experiencing difficulties in carrying out its reform and requires assistance from foreign advisors, Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said at a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.

"We have started huge work on reforming the defense agency. The work on drawing up strategic documents is super-important, and it has turned out to be super-difficult. But it is even more difficult to implement the planned reforms and put what's written on paper into practice. And we expect assistance from foreign advisors in this. I am sure we can manage to do everything together," Poltorak said.

Thirty-two advisors from 12 NATO member-states and five high-level strategic advisors from the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada, Lithuania, and Germany are working in the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and armed forces to provide qualified expert and consultative assistance in various aspects of the Ukrainian armed forces' activities and are involved in training Ukrainian personnel based on NATO's methodology and standards, he said.
Syrian Army Supported by Russian Warplanes Conducts Op Against Daesh in Palmyra

Sputnik News

17:04 18.01.2017(updated 18:19 18.01.2017)

The Russian General Staff said that the Syrian army supported by Russian warplanes launched an operation against Daesh in Palmyra.

The Russian General Staff said that the actions of the US-led coalition in Iraqi Mosul "are mostly reduced to ousting Daesh forces in eastern Syria, which smuggle weapons, explosives, manpower toward Palmyra, Deir ez-Zor, as well as toward the border with Turkey, the city of Al-Bab."

"We have received information confirmed by several sources about the transfer of a big amount of explosives to Palmyra to help Daesh terrorists destroy world historical heritage in the city. Currently, [Syrian] government forces supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces are carrying out an offensive against Daesh in Palmyra," Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, the chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, said at a news briefing in Moscow.

On December 11, Daesh attacked and recaptured Palmyra, which had been liberated from the terrorists by the Syrian Army with the help of Russian warplanes in late-March. The ancient city had suffered for eight months under Daesh's control. Some 4,000-5,000 militants, including hundreds of suicide bombers and armored vehicles, took part in the attack.

According to the Russian reconciliation center in Syria, Daesh managed to move considerable forces from Mosul in Iraq and the Syrian provinces Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa, where the United States-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had stalled their planned attack on the group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the Daesh offensive on Palmyra. According to the Russian leader, the situation in Palmyra was a result of discordant actions of different players in Syria.

 Sputnik

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Russian, Turkish Jets Conduct First Joint Operation in Syria's Aleppo

Sputnik News

17:02 18.01.2017(updated 17:41 18.01.2017)

The Russian General Staff said that Russian and Turkish military aircraft have conducted their first joint operation in Syria.

The Turkish Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Forces have carried out their joint operation against Daesh near Al-Bab in the Aleppo province.

"Nine strike aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, including four Su-24M, four Su-25 and one Su-34 bomber, as well as eight Turkish Air Force's jets  four F-16 and four F-4 aircraft  are involved in the aerial campaign agreed with Syrian authorities," Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, the chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, said at a news briefing in Moscow.

A total of 36 targets have been destroyed by Russian and Turkish military jets, Rudskoy said.

"A total of 36 targets have been struck. I want to emphasize that they have been agreed in advance through General Staffs and commands of aviation groups of the two countries."

According to the first estimates of the results of the Russia-Turkey joint airstrikes in Syria, they have been highly effective, he said.

The news comes amid a nationwide ceasefire in Syria backed by Russia and Turkey which came into effect on December 30 and was later supported by a UN Security Council resolution.

Turkey is currently conducting an operation in Syria dubbed Euphrates Shield. On August 24, Turkish forces, supported by Free Syrian Army rebels and US-led coalition aircraft, began a military operation dubbed the Euphrates Shield to clear the Syrian border town of Jarabulus and the surrounding area from Daesh terrorist group. As Jarabulus was retaken, the joint forces of Ankara, the coalition and Syrian rebels continued the operation to gain control over Al-Bab in the Aleppo province.

Al-Bab is one of Daesh's last remaining strongholds near the Turkish border. Capturing the city is of strategic importance to Turkey in order to prevent the Syrian Kurds taking it and unifying their own territories.

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Taiwan declines to comment on call to revisit one-China policy

ROC Central News Agency

2017/01/18 22:32:24

Taipei, Jan. 18 (CNA) Taiwan's Presidential Office said Wednesday that the government has "no comment" on the views expressed in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal Monday that called for the U.S. to revisit the "one-China" policy and form closer military alliance with Taiwan.

"It is high time to revisit the "one-China policy" and decide what the US thinks it means, 45 years after the Shanghai Communique," according to the article written by John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

"Donald Trump has said the policy is negotiable. Negotiation should not mean Washington gives and Beijing takes," Bolton wrote.

"We need strategically coherent priorities, reflecting not 1972 but 2017, encompassing more than trade and monetary policy, and specifically including Taiwan," he said. "Let's see how an increasingly belligerent China responds."

Bolton then goes on to suggest that the U.S. enhance its East Asia military posture by increasing military sales to Taiwan and by stationing military personnel and assets in the country.

In response, Taiwan's Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang () told reporters Wednesday that the government has noticed "a wide variety of ideas" on Asia-Pacific policies being put forward recently by U.S. scholars and former U.S. officials, but the Presidential Office has "no comment" on those thoughts.

In the article, Bolton said a closer military relationship with Taiwan would be a "significant step" toward securing core American interests in East and Southeast Asia, such as guaranteeing freedom of the seas, deterring military adventurism and preventing unilateral territorial annexations.

(By Christie Chen, Sofia Yeh and Ku Chuan)

ENDITEM/pc

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China calls on US not to allow Taiwan delegation at Trump inauguration

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 9:50AM

China has called on the United States not to allow a delegation from Taiwan at US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony.

"We again urge the relevant side in the United States not to allow the Taiwan authority to send a so-called delegation to the United States to attend the presidential inauguration and not have any form of official contact with Taiwan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press conference on Wednesday.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said earlier this week that a delegation, led by former premier and ex-ruling party leader Yu Shyi-kun, would participate at the Friday inauguration ceremony. A national security adviser and some lawmakers would also be present.

"China's position has already accurately and unmistakably been given to the US administration and Trump's team," Hua added, in an apparent reference to the numerous statements by Chinese officials over the past several weeks against the US recognizing Taiwanese independence.

The spokeswoman also warned Taiwan against engaging "in activities to interfere in or damage China-US ties."

China regards Taiwan as part of its own territory, and any move implying independence for the island angers Beijing.

Washington cut formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 and has since been recognizing Beijing as the sole government of "One China." Incoming US President Trump, however, is challenging China's sovereignty over Taiwan, seeking to negotiate with the country over the "One China" policy.

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. He later defended the phone call.

China and Taiwan are physically separated by the Taiwan Strait in the Western Pacific Ocean. They split politically following the 1927-1950 Chinese Civil War and there have been no formal cross-strait diplomatic relations ever since.

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Taiwan simulates China invasion during annual drills

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 6:47AM

The Taiwanese military has begun two days of exercises simulating a Chinese invasion at a time of increased tensions between Taipei and Beijing.

Troops started practicing combat skills with tanks, artillery, and helicopters in the city of Taichung as part of annual exercises on Tuesday. Fighter jets and naval vessels were also deployed to the Taiwan Strait, where the passage earlier of a Chinese fleet ruffled feathers in Taipei.

"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," said Chen Chung-chi, a spokesman for Taiwan's military.

Signals across the strait  and beyond

Taiwan and China have not had formal relations since after the 1927-1950 Chinese civil war, but Beijing continues to claim sovereignty over the self-ruled island. The Taiwanese military exercises this year are particularly significant given a series of developments that have worked to further bitter cross-strait relations.

Things first took a turn for the worse when US President-elect Donald Trump took a congratulatory phone call from Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen late last year, not only breaking with US diplomatic protocol but also sending a signal to China.

When later asked about the phone call, Trump, a businessman-turned-president, said explicitly that he did not feel bound by the so-called One China policy  which recognizes Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan  unless China gave some kind of concession to Washington.

Chinese officials reacted heatedly to the remarks by Trump, repeatedly emphasizing that matters of sovereignty were not open to a trade-off. They also warned Taiwan against feeling emboldened by Trump's rhetoric and behavior.

China also sought to send a signal of its own last week when it dispatched a naval fleet, including its only aircraft carrier, to the Taiwan Strait. Taiwanese officials were alarmed by the move, scrambling jets and naval vessels to monitor the passage. They said the Chinese fleet did not enter Taiwan's territorial waters but did sail into its air defense identification zone.

The tensions, heightened by Trump's disdain for diplomatic norms, now risk significantly ratcheting up regional tensions, if not sparking a war.

But the US had been angering China before the Trump controversy, too. Washington has been consistently taking sides with China's rivals in regional, territorial disputes, including in the South and East China seas.

The US has slammed China's building of artificial islands on reefs and shoals in the South China Sea, and has been routinely sending warships to the region to assert what it says is its right to freedom of navigation.

Recently, Rex Tillerson, Trump's nominee for secretary of state, said in highly controversial, anti-China remarks that Beijing should be banned from the islands it has built in the South China Sea. China has installed defense missile systems on the islands.

The US is also a major supplier of arms to Taiwan despite the absence of formal ties with the island.

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Turkey issues arrest warrants for 243 military personnel in post-coup crackdown

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 8:1AM

Turkish prosecutors have ordered the arrest of as many as 243 staff with the country's military over their alleged use of a messaging application, which Ankara associates with US-based opposition cleric Fetullah Gulen.

The arrest warrants were issued on Wednesday as part of Ankara's ongoing crackdown on those suspected of having a hand in the failed July 2016 military coup.

The country's Anadolu news agency reported that the arrests will be made in operations in 54 provinces across the country.

Those sought are accused of using "Bylock," an encrypted smartphone messaging application, which the government says had been used by the network tied to Gullen.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ally-turned-foe, Gulen is blamed by Ankara for orchestrating the abortive coup last July with the aim of unseating the head of state.

A sweeping manhunt has ensued, which has seen more than 41,000 being put in jail pending trial.

Some 120,000 people have been suspended or dismissed, although thousands of them have been given back their jobs. As many as 100,000 others face investigation.

Gulen denies the allegations. Ankara has been unsuccessfully calling on Washington to hand "the terrorist" over.

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Turkey Grants Arrest Warrants for 243 Military Personnel in Post-Coup Purge

Sputnik News

13:33 18.01.2017

A prosecutor in Istanbul issued arrest warrants Wednesday for 243 military service members suspected of links to a network blamed for last year's coup attempt, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Judicial sources told the state-run news agency Anadolu they were accused of using an encrypted phone messaging app to coordinate last July's failed attempt to depose the Turkish president.

The Turkish government accuses US-based cleric Fetullah Gulen of running a terrorist group, FETO, to orchestrate the power grab. It has laid off, suspended or arrested thousands of people from all walks of life on claims they had ties with the organization.

FETO members allegedly communicated via an app called ByLock. The Daily Sabah newspaper said Turkish security services hacked the messenger last year, exposing a network of some 10,000 organization members.

 Sputnik

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Remarks by Vice President Joe Biden With Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release

January 17, 2017



Bankova

Kyiv, Ukraine

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Mr. President, I may have to call you once every couple weeks just to hear your voice. (Laughter.) This has been going on a long time.

Good afternoon, everyone. It's a great, pleasure to be once more here in Kyiv to reaffirm the depth of the partnership between our two peoples. This is my sixth visit to Ukraine as Vice President and my fifth in the year since the Revolution of Dignity on the Maidan, which was an astounding thing to witness when so many Ukrainian patriots stood up and demanded a future that this country has been too long denied.

And I wanted to come here one more time on my last trip as Vice President to honor how much progress the people of Ukraine have achieved. This year marks the 25th year since Ukraine gained its independence. And the United States has been there to support and help you at every step of the way. Our partnership has spanned four different American Presidents from across our political spectrum. It has deep roots in both the Republican and Democratic parties.

As you saw a few weeks ago when two of my good friends from "the other side" -- former Senate colleagues John McCain and Lindsey Graham and Amy Klobuchar, of my party -- visited with Ukrainian troops on the front lines in the east.

And that's because Americans and Ukrainians are united by deep bonds -- our shared values and our common hopes for the future. And the American people, including nearly 1 million proud Ukrainian Americans, understand that so much depends on your success, not just for Ukrainians, but for Europe and for the United States.

If you continue carrying your progress forward, then not only will you continue to build a more open, more democratic, more prosperous future that the Ukrainian people deserve, you will keep the international community united behind you in that effort.

And I hope the next administration will also want to be a supporter and a partner in your continued progress. But as you know, no one else can do the hard work but the Ukrainian people. It's up to Ukrainian leaders and people to put the needs of the country above narrow personal interest, to place the general good above point scoring and local prejudices. And that goes for everyone -- members of Ukraine's government; representatives of the Rada, who took an oath to serve the Ukrainian people as a whole; judges who undertake the responsibility to dispense justice equally; members of the media and civil society and ordinary citizens whose job it is to hold those in power responsible.

As I said last year when I had the great honor to address the Rada, "Each of you has an obligation to answer the call of history and finally build a united, democratic Ukrainian nation that can stand the test of time."

You're well underway to do that, Mr. President. So I wanted to thank you, Petro, not only for your leadership but for your friendship. I shared the same sentiment earlier this morning when I met Prime Minister Groysman earlier today. As a nation you've made a lot of very difficult decisions. And many more difficult political choices remain ahead. But there is no denying the progress that Ukraine has made since the Maidan. Together with a dynamic generation of Ukrainians committed to reform, you've begun to overhaul your government, your economy, your entire political system.

In the year since my last visit, you continue to meet the reform requirements in the IMF assistance package. You've strengthened the country's banking sector. You protected Ukrainian depositors by nationalizing Privatbank. You implemented a groundbreaking, new electronic-asset-declaration system to fight corruption, which will help ensure that officials cannot leverage their political positions for personal gain.

Your national anti-corruption bureau and the special anti-corruption prosecutor are providing and proving their impact when they have the resources. And it's imperative that you continue to strengthen all of your anti-corruption institutions to root out those who would return Ukraine to rule by cronyism and kleptocracy.

Thanks to the vital steps you've taken, your economy is now growing again. But there remains much work to be done to ensure Ukraine finally realizes its potential as a vibrant, modern economy. Keep working with the IMF to implement the tough reforms that will make Ukraine's economy sustainable. Continue cleaning up the banking system. Press forward with energy reforms that are eliminating Ukraine's dependence on Russian gas. Work to privatize state-owned enterprises transparently. Create a business environment with responsible, legal, and regulatory systems that make Ukraine a destination for investment. None of this will be easy. None of what you've done so far has been easy, but you've done it. And we know it's going to be hard to continue to finish the job.

You're fighting both against the cancer of corruption, which continues to eat away at Ukraine's democracy within, and the unrelenting aggression of the Kremlin.

Russia's continued attempts to undermine your success, your security, your sovereignty, and your territorial integrity are manifold. False propaganda attacks. Attempts to destabilize your economy. Ukraine, like every country in Europe, has a right to determine its own path. Yet Russia seeks to deny that choice. And the international community must continue to stand as one against Russian aggression and coercion.

There are over 1.7 million internally displaced people Oppression of Crimean Tatars continues. More than 9,600 Ukrainians have been killed in the fighting in the east and more than 22,000 wounded in the conflict. And fully one-fifth of those victims have been civilians.

That's why in addition to the $3 billion in loan guarantees and the $750 million in assistance to fortify your economic resilience, the United States has provided $600 million in security assistance. We've trained your national guard, conventional military forces, as well as special forces; helped you increase your readiness and make your force interoperable with NATO; provided armor, radars, night-vision devices, medical equipment -- all of which has saved lives and bolstered your defenses.

Together with our EU and G7 partners, we've made it clear that sanctions should remain in place until Russia fully -- I emphasize fully -- implements its commitments under the Minsk Agreement; and that the Crimea-related sanctions against Russia must remain in place until Russia returns full control to the people of Ukraine.

Although I know how -- you find this difficult to keep faith with the Minsk process when the Russians refuse to meet their security commitments, it remains the only viable framework for resolving the conflict in the Donbas, restoring Ukrainian governance in the east, and returning control of the international border to Ukraine. It's Ukraine's best hope to move forward as a united country.

But let me be perfectly clear, the political agreement cannot be implemented until Russian violence stops. Only after Russia and its proxies in the east fulfill their obligation to end the fighting and let the Donbas again enjoy peace and security can Ukraine be expected to fulfill its political commitments.

It's no secret that Russia does not want you to succeed, Mr. President. It's not just about Ukraine. It's about the future we have long sought of a Europe whole, free, and at peace -- whole, free, and at peace -- something that is in the vital national interest of both the United States and all Europeans.

Your self-determination, your freedom from coercion, your success as a liberal democracy are all essential in realizing this objective.

So I strongly urge the people of Ukraine: Keep demonstrating your commitment to the rule of law; keep fighting corruption; insist on transparency; investigate and prosecute government officials who siphon off public funds for their own enrichment. Russia over the last decade or so has used another foreign policy weapon. It uses corruption as a tool of coercion to keep Ukraine vulnerable and dependent. So pursue those reforms to root out corruption.

It's not just about good governance. It's about self-preservation. It's about your very national security. It's not just about good governance. As I said at the beginning, this year our nations celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations. Over that time progress has come in fits and starts. Sometimes we move forward, sometimes backwards.

But the Ukrainian people are like the American people, they never give up. And one of the things that gives me the most hope for the future is the incredible energy and passion of Ukraine's young people. I've met with them on each of my previous visits here. And I have no doubt that they will inspire, demand, and ultimately succeed in attaining the Ukraine that has been sought for for so long.

On a personal note, Mr. President, I want say what a privilege it has been to support and stand with Ukraine over these past 25 years -- first as a senator and of late as Vice President.

I've been inspired by your people, their courage, their resilience, brave Ukrainians who never gave up hope for a future of something better, who get up and go to work every day for a democratic and united Ukraine.

And if you can continue to make progress, Mr. President, if you keep doing the hard work and making the difficult choices to put Ukraine first, I promise you the American people will stand with you. This next year is going to be a very, very telling year -- a very telling year.

There is a line that John Kennedy used in deciding to go to the moon. He said, America is doing it because we can no longer -- we're no longer willing to postpone. I believe the Ukrainian people are no longer willing to postpone a free, open, democratic, and prosperous Ukraine. So seize it.

I'm looking forward to seeing what our nations can build together, Mr. President, over the next 25 years and beyond because as my grandfather would say, with the grace of the God, and the good will of the neighbors, which we can't count on very much in this neighborhood, we can get this done. But it all depends on the willingness of your people to continue to insist on what they deserve because they deserve it.

END

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Ukraine's Savchenko Draws Fire For Crimea Comments

RFE/RL January 18, 2017

Ukrainian lawmaker Nadia Savchenko has caused controversy by suggesting that Kyiv must accept Moscow's grip on Crimea for the time being if it wants to regain control over eastern territory held by Russia-backed separatists.

Speaking on 112 Ukraine TV on January 17, Savchenko said that "the only peaceful way" to resolve the status of the eastern Donbas region in Kyiv's favor is to put the issue of Crimea, which was seized by Russia in March 2014, "on the back burner."

"We must not abandon" Crimea or the Donbas, Savchenko said. But she suggested that in order to regain control of separatist-held territory in the east, Ukrainian politicians will have to "give up" Crimea "for a certain period."

She suggested that if Kyiv focuses on demands for the return of control over Crimea, the Donbas will become "another Transdniester" -- a reference to a sliver of neighboring Moldova that has been held by pro-Russian separatists since a war in 1992.

The only other way to regain control over the Donbas is by force, she said.

Russia took control of Crimea in March 2014 after sending in troops and staging a referendum condemned by Ukraine and 99 other countries in the UN as illegitimate.

More than 9,750 people have been killed since the conflict between Kyiv's forces and Russia-backed separatists erupted in the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces the following month.

Savchenko faced criticism over her comments from politicians and people posting on social media.

"We will not exchange Crimea for the Donbas, and we will not give up the Donbas either. We will claw back every meter of Ukrainian land," Iryna Herashchenko, first deputy speaker of Ukraine's parliament, said on Facebook. "We will fight for every Ukrainian. Ukraine is Kyiv and Lviv but also Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk."

Refat Chubarov, a lawmaker and leader of the Crimean Tatars -- an ethnic minority whose members mostly opposed Russia's takeover and have faced oppression from the Russian-imposed authorities on the peninsula -- said her remarks were "not only extremely unacceptable and deeply offensive, [but] cynical and traitorous to all citizens of Ukraine and the Crimean Tatar people, [some of whom] are still held hostage by Russian occupiers."

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, meanwhile, reiterated that Moscow has no intention of ever ceding control of Crimea.

"Russia does not discuss the status and future position of Russian regions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Savchenko, a former military aviator, says she was abducted by separatists in June 2014 and taken illegally into Russia, where she was jailed and tried on charges of involvement in what Moscow called the killing of two Russian journalists who died in the conflict.

Savchenko was convicted last year and sentenced to 22 years in prison but was pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin in May and released in a swap for two Russians held by Kyiv. She was widely hailed as a hero upon her return to Ukraine, but has faced criticism from nationalists since then.

With reporting by Christopher Miller in Kyiv

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-savchenko- comments-crimea-donbas-/28241076.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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China Offers To Help Seek Resolution Of Ukraine Crisis

RFE/RL January 18, 2017

China is willing to play a constructive role in seeking a political resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Ukrainian counterpart on January 17.

The first-time Chinese offer of aid to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on the sidelines of the Davos economic summit came in Switzerland comes at a time when the United States' role in mediating the Ukraine conflict appears set to diminish under a Donald Trump presidency that seeks to mend fences with Russia.

China has previously shown little interest in getting involved in diplomatic efforts to end the crisis spawned by Russia's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backing for militant separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Beijing has avoided taking sides in the conflict, saying it respects Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty but that Western powers should take into consideration Russia's legitimate security concerns.

Beijing in the past has avoided alienating Moscow, its ally on many international matters, by getting drawn into the struggle between Russia and the West over Ukraine's future.

But those concerns appeared to be set aside, at least temporarily, in Davos when Xi told Poroshenko that China would like to deepen cooperation with Ukraine under a long tradition of friendship between the countries.

"We genuinely hope that Ukraine maintains social stability and economic development and are willing to play a constructive role in promoting a political resolution to the crisis," Xi said, according to China's Foreign Ministry.

Poroshenko told Xi that Ukraine welcomed Chinese investment and that there was great potential for cooperation in areas like logistics, ports, steel, and agriculture, the ministry said.

Also at the Davos summit, Xi met with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who has been the Obama administration's point man on Ukraine and a strong supporter of Kyiv in its struggle with Russia.

Xi released a statement after the Biden meeting that did not address Ukraine but noted the record level of trade between the United States and China achieved under the Obama administration and called for a continuation of that trend.

"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," Xi said.

Trump has vowed to aggressively confront China over trade and economic issues, even threatening to withdraw support for the decades-old "One China" policy, in a development that has been deeply unsettling to Beijing.

With reporting by Reuters and Xinhua

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/china-offers-ukraine -crisis-resolution/28240480.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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Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has approved military units of foreign states to take part in training exercises in Ukraine during 2017.

Bill No. 5636 confirming the decision of the president was supported by 236 Ukrainian parliament deputies, ten more than the simple majority required.

The bill, which was submitted for approval by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, provides permission for foreign military units to enter the territory of Ukraine in order to participate in multinational military training exercises, including the Sea Breaze-2017 and Rapid Trident-2017 training exercises with U.S. armed forces personnel.

According to the Rada's website, up to 3,000 foreign soldiers will take part in military training exercises during 2017. They include U.S. troops and soldiers from NATO-member states under the Partnership for Peace program. Armaments and up to six military aircraft and helicopters will take part.

Sea Breeze-2017, which will take place from July to September for 25 days will see the arrival of up to 2,500 U.S. and NATO-member state troops. Partnership for Peace exercises will involve up to ten military ships, five submarines, up to ten military planes and up to 60 military vehicles.

The Rapid Trident-2017 exercise, which is scheduled to take place from June to November in 2017 for up to 25 days provides for up to 2,000 U.S. and NATO-member state troops.
Russian Sovereignty Over Crimea 'Undisputed' - Kremlin

Sputnik News

12:19 18.01.2017(updated 12:33 18.01.2017)

Russia's sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula is not up for discussion or dispute, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Ukrainian lawmaker Nadezhda Savchenko, who had been detained in Russia since mid-2014 until President Vladimir Putin pardoned her last May, said that Crimea would "have to be left out for some time" to resolve the Donbass conflict.

"This issue is not under discussion, and it is undisputed for Russia. We do not discuss the status, condition and the future of Russian regions" Peskov told reporters.

Crimea, which has a predominately ethnically-Russian population, seceded from Ukraine to rejoin Russia in March 2014, following a referendum in which over 96 percent of the voters supported the move. The Ukrainian government and many Western nations refused to recognize the legality of the vote and introduced sanctions against Russia.

 Sputnik

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B-2 Operations

US bombers hit Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) camps outside the city of Sirte in Libya, killing 80 jihadists, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter told reporters 19 January 2017. In Libya, our Africa Command conducted airstrikes against two ISIL camps south of Sirte, Carter said in a press conference. According to initial estimations, the airstrikes killed more than 80 ISIL fighters, he added. the US military issued a statement saying the individuals targeted posed a security threat to Libya, the region, and U.S. national interests.... We are committed to maintaining pressure on ISIL and preventing them from establishing safe haven [in Libya].

The B-2 bomber is a multipurpose stealth bomber with an un-surpassed radar capability to locate small mobile targets, such as terrorist's pickup trucks. It was first used by the US during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. It was designed primarily to deliver nuclear weapons but has been used extensively as a conventional bomber in major US military campaigns, from Afghanistan to Libya.

Two B-2 bombers departed Guam 2 April 1998 after successfully completing their first deployment to a forward operating location. During their 10-day stay at Andersen AFB, men and women of the 509th Bomb Wing from Whiteman AFB, Missouri, along with two B-2s, tested every aspect of what it took to operate and maintain the bombers away from their home station. Just months after receiving the first jets in their final Block 30 configuration, the 509th BW validated the new dimension of being able to fight from a forward location to its combat capability. Because the hangars at Andersen AFB suffered severe damage in super typhoon Paca, at least one of the bombers sat in the open at all times, alternately being baked under the hot sun and being drenched by the driving rain storms of the South Pacific. Most maintenance, including that of low-observable coatings, was performed outdoors. The tropical weather had little, if any, effect on the maintenance and operations of the aircraft. The bombers achieved 100 percent sortie success rate, accumulating nearly 90 flying hours prior to returning to the States.

On 6 August 1998 the 509th Bomb Wing commander temporarily suspended peacetime training missions for the B-2 Spirit. This temporary suspension did not impact the 509th Bomb Wing's combat capability. The suspension was the result of a potential problem associated with initiators, which operate the air crew ejection system. The manufacturer discovered the potential flaw in the initiators during routine acceptance testing. Each B-2 has eight initiators and all initiators were replaced as a safety precaution. Each aircraft resumed peacetime training as soon as replacement parts were installed and inspections were complete. B-2 Bombers resumed normal flying operations on 10 August 1998.

The B-2 stealth bomber made its operational debut 24 March 1999 when two Spirits dropped 32 2,000-pound joint direct-attack munitions during a 31-hour, nonstop mission from Whiteman Air Force Base. The B-2 was the only operational aircraft used to deliver JDAMs. The combination of its all-weather precision capability and the B-2's ability to penetrate lethal defenses put high-value fixed targets at risk. Over the course of Operation Allied Force, 45 B-2 sorties by a total of six aircraft delivered 656 JDAMs on critical targets in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Extensive tanker support was needed to refuel B-2s flying global attack sorties. Each plane had to be refueled multiple times during its sortie. While such capability is essential for rapid employment in any scenario, forward basing would substantially reduce tanker requirements, reduce sortie length (simplifying everything from mission preparation to crew fatigue), and allow the assets to be utilized at a greater rate. Forward basing remains the optimum employment scheme for all long-range platforms.

In June 2000 more than 90 members of the 509th Bomb Wing deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on a 12-day global power mission for the B-2. The operation was called Coronet Spider. While at Andersen, the 509ers became the 325th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron to practice flying operations from a forward operating location and test new capabilities for the stealth aircraft. The EBS was named the 325th because it was primarily made of members from the 325th Bomb Squadron. The rest of the expeditionary force was made up of airmen from the 509th Security Forces Squadron, 393rd BS, 509th Operations Support Squadron and various members of the wing. The mission plan included 14 sorties, eight of which were flown from the forward operating location in Guam. The expeditionary squadron had only three B-2s for the 14 sorties. The eight missions that were flown on location lasted an average of 10 hours. These 10-hour sorties from Guam would probably be 40- to 45-hour sorties if they had been flown from Whiteman AFB.

With the number of overseas bases shrinking, it was likely that future combat missions would takeoff from Whiteman, strike targets, and either land back at Whiteman or at another base. During Kosovo the B-2 averaged 30-hour missions and at that time the furthest commanders felt comfortable pushing pilots was to a 40-hour sortie. In May 2001 four pilots conducted the longest B-2 simulator mission in history, a 50-hour flight in the B-2 Weapon System Trainer. The simulator mission was based on real-world targets and threats. The pilots flew from Whiteman, in-flight refueled six times, struck targets and landed at an overseas base. Crews could not leave the simulator once it started. Everything the pilots needed for a real mission had to be in the WST with them. Helmets, ejection seat harnesses, maps, food, water and sleeping bags had to be packed into the cramped 10-foot by 10-foot full-motion B-2 cockpit simulator. A chaise lounge chair for sleeping and a small dry chemical toilet, similar to those used for camping, were also used.

During Operation Enduring Freedom the B-2 flew a total of six missions on the first three days of the war. Each sortie took 70 hours, including the flight to Afghanistan, a turn-around at Diego Garcia for a new crew, and the flight back to Whiteman. Of the 21 B-2s, a total of 55 percent were mission-capable when the bombing began on 7 October 2001, though by November 2001 the mission-cable rate fell to 49 percent.

The Air Force goal was to have aircraft available for combat 60 percent of the time. Much of the B-2 maintenance time was devoted to removing blemishes from its radar-absorbing skin. The B-2 fleet was available for combat duty 31 percent of the time during 2001, down from 37 percent the previous year. As of June 2002, the 21 B-2s had only a 42 percent mission-capable rate, meaning just eight or so planes were ready to perform at least one of their assigned operational missions. Inability to meet stealth requirements was the single greatest driver for the low B-2 readiness rates. The aircraft's composite skin needs time-consuming repairs before it can meet standards. Were low-observability requirements not a factor, the plane would remain relatively ready, boasting a rate closer to 80 percent mission-capable.

The Air Force was undertaking a B-2 "mission-capable rate improvement plan," crafted by Northrop Grumman. This was intended to replace the traditional tape and caulking material repair method with a new approach using spray-on, radar-absorbing coating. Thought the new method promises to save time and money, the plan is to introduce it slowly over a period of seven years as B-2s cycle through depot.

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Parents of teenage girls are probably used to nagging children for a number of things.

Perhaps most of all for staring at their mobile phone or tablet screens while they scour social media.

Those possibly annoying teenage habits could be turned into a well-paid career  and even help to keep the country safe.

"My advice to all potential applicants would be enjoy the experience and I look forward to meeting some of you."

GCHQ, the intelligence and security agency based in Cheltenham, is looking to target teenaged girls to get them interested in careers in hi-tech intelligence.

The National Cyber Security Centre, the 'gamekeepers' organisation set up in London under the control of GCHQ, is launching a competition specifically for girls aged 13-15 as part of its CyberFirst scheme.

CyberFirst Girls will allow girls to get together in teams of four and they will be set challenges and puzzles based around cyber security which can be done at school. The puzzles will include questions on logic, coding and cryptography, with each round getting progressively more difficult.

Any one of the thousands of people who have bought the GCHQ Puzzle book for Christmas will know exactly how tricky those questions and challenges can be.

The ten teams with the highest score will be invited to the London finals of the nationwide competition, with the winners awarded 1,000 worth of IT equipment for their school.

GCHQ said that with only 10 per cent of the global cyber workforce being female, millions of women in Britain could be missing out of a career they could enjoy - in a growing sector.

GCHQ Director Robert Hannigan said: "I work alongside some truly brilliant women who help protect the UK from all manner of online threats. The CyberFirst Girls Competition allows teams of young women a glimpse of this exciting world and provides a great opportunity to use new skills.

"My advice to all potential applicants would be enjoy the experience and I look forward to meeting some of you."

One of the deputy directors at the NCSC, Alison, said: "Women can, and do, make a huge difference in cyber security  this competition could inspire many more to take their first steps into this dynamic and rewarding career.

"Having worked in cyber security for over a decade, it is a line of work I would strongly recommend to anybody, and one where lots more women could make a really positive impact on the world. It's a fantastic career choice where team work, ingenuity and creative thinking are highly valued attributes and the rewards can be substantial."

Team Guardians can pre-register their interest today here where a teacher's pack can be downloaded and terms and conditions and questions and answers can also be found.

Teams will be able to fully register from February 13.
Japanese Ambassador Shigeki Sumi has said that Japan is ready to start the cooperation program with Ukraine to develop public broadcasting and supply technical equipment, the press service of Ukraine's Information Policy Ministry reported on Thursday.

"After studying your address we have decided that Japan would provide technical equipment to develop public broadcasting in Ukraine," Shigeki Sumi said at a meeting with Ukrainian Information Policy Minister Yuriy Stets on January 17.

The ambassador said that under the two and a half year program, starting this month, a group of experts would arrive to Ukraine from Japan. The group is ready to train public broadcasting specialists how to provide important information to citizens in the emergency situations. Japanese experts will also share experience of creating educational television programs with Ukrainian colleagues.

The ambassador also said that under a request of the ministry a possibility of launching the website of national information agency Ukrinform in Japanese has been found. This will be one of the ways to have access to information about Ukraine to Japanese.

Stets, in turn, said that the Information Policy Ministry will help to broadcast information about Japanese culture in Ukraine. 2017 year was announced the year of Japan in Ukraine.

"Ukrainians know a lot about assistance of the European Union and few about assistance of Japan. This is what we are ready to undertake  to promote spreading information about our friendly country Japan," he said.

The ministry recalled that at the previous meeting of the minister and the ambassador the sides discussed Japan's assistance in providing technical equipment for the multimedia platform of foreign broadcasting, but the sides decided to provide equipment to public broadcasting aiming at ensuring the efficiency of the reform.
Considering the vast uncertainty hovering over the future of health care at the federal level, Virginia's hospitals are asking the state's lawmakers to take a "do no harm" stance on state health policies.

During a news conference at the General Assembly building Wednesday, the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association encouraged legislators to restrain themselves during this year's session, particularly regarding Certificate of Public Need, or COPN, reform.

Congress' repeal and possible replacement of the Affordable Care Act would have a major impact on hospitals all over the country, the association contends, including in Virginia.

"Health care providers and patients have been through considerable transformation and upheaval over the last years, and it appears we will be in store for even more dramatic changes in the future," said Toni Ardabell, CEO of Bon Secours Virginia Health System and a member of the association's board of directors. "That change could fundamentally alter our health care system and our patients' access to our care."

A contested issue between hospitals and physician groups, Virginia's COPN program requires anyone who wishes to build a new hospital or imaging facility go through an application process with the state.

Hospitals claim COPN protects them in light of the billions they spend every year providing charity care to state residents. Opponents of the program claim it stifles competition and limits access.

"As a business leader, I believe in a free market," said Bryan Stephens, president of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. "But an honest discussion of COPN requires an open acknowledgement that health care simply is not a free market.

"A free market system requires a level playing field - we don't have a level playing field. Repealing COPN would make an already uneven playing field even more slanted. And that concerns the business community."
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan 18, 2017) - QMX Gold Corporation ("QMX" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:QMX) reports that the nominees listed in the management proxy circular dated December 20, 2016 were re-elected as directors of the Company at the Company's annual and special shareholders' meeting. QMX management would like to thank shareholders for their participation and continuing support, and note over 59% of all of the issued and outstanding shares of QMX were represented at the Meeting.

Detailed results of the vote for the election of directors held at the Meeting on January 17, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario are set below.

Nominee % Votes For % Votes Withheld Fred Leigh 99.99 % 0.01 % Bruce Humphrey 99.99 % 0.01 % Brad Humphrey 99.99 % 0.01 % Steve Notis 100.00 % 0.00 % Stephane Amireault 99.99 % 0.01 %

Shareholders at the annual meeting also approved the appointment of the Company's auditors and the Company's stock option plan.

About QMX Gold Corporation

QMX Gold Corp. is a Canadian based resource company traded on the TSX-V under the symbol "QMX". The Company was recently restructured and is now systematically exploring its extensive property position in the Val d'Or mining camp in the Abitibi District of Quebec. In addition to its extensive land package, QMX owns the Aurbel gold mill.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Mineral Resources:

David Rigg is a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 and Senior Vice President, Exploration of QMX. He has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this press release.

This press release contains or may be deemed to contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the future plans, operations and activities, proposed use of proceeds, receipt of required permits and obtaining necessary financing, and the ability of the Company to continue as a going concern. Generally, forward-looking information 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" or "be achieved". Forward looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company, its properties and/or its projects to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to those risks described in the disclosure documents of the Company filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities 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.
TORONTO, Jan. 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Zinc Corp. (Nevada Zinc or the Company) (TSX-V:NZN) is very pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Beqaj to its Board of Directors.



Director and CFO, Don Christie commented on the appointment, I have known Jim throughout his very successful career and have witnessed the positive impact he has had on the various corporations he has been involved with at both a senior management and board level. Jim brings a wealth of experience and an extensive network of contacts in both the Canadian and US financial markets. Senior management and the directors of Nevada Zinc look forward to working closely with Jim as we broaden the Companys profile with both retail and institutional investors across North America.

Upon graduation from Queens University, Jim began his career at Wood Gundy and ultimately rose to the position of President, CIBC Wood Gundy. Jim resigned from Wood Gundy in 1996 and spent two years as Vice Chairman of BMO Capital Markets. Jim then set out on his own and founded Beqaj International a trusted advisor in human resources to the financial services industry. Jim is still actively involved with Beqaj International and he has authored two books on the process of finding the right employer and the right job.

In connection with his appointment Mr. Beqaj commented I am extremely pleased to be joining the Nevada Zinc board at a time when the commodities cycle appears to be at the front end of a sustainable upswing. Nevada Zincs highly prospective zinc and gold projects provide a balanced risk adjusted exposure to both base and precious metals. My objective is to broaden the Companys shareholder base and raise Nevada Zincs profile in financial markets in order to help finance significant exploration programs on both of the Companys projects.

The Company has granted Mr. Beqaj options to purchase 500,000 shares under the Companys stock option plan at a price of $0.49 per share for a period of 5 years.

About Nevada Zinc

Nevada Zinc is a discovery driven mineral exploration company with a proven management team focussed on identifying unique opportunities in mineral exploration that can provide significant value to its shareholders. The Companys existing zinc and gold projects are located in Nevada and Yukon, respectively.

The Lone Mountain Project

While the Company maintains its highly prospective Yukon gold properties and continues to advance them, the current focus of the Company is the exploration and advancement of the Lone Mountain Project comprised of 224 claims covering approximately 4,000 acres near Eureka, Nevada.

The Lone Mountain Zinc Project is located in east-central Nevada and is easily accessible via paved and gravel roads northwesterly from Eureka where all essential services are available. The land that comprises the project includes options, leases or purchase agreements to acquire 100% interests in all properties along the key structural trend for more than four kilometres.

www.nevadazinc.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.

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.



For further information contact:



Nevada Zinc Corp.

Suite 1660, 141 Adelaide St. West

Toronto, Ontario M5H 3L5

Tel: 416-504-8821



Bruce Durham, President and CEO

bdurham@nevadazinc.com


Orosur Mining Inc. (Orosur or the Company) (TSX/AIM: OMI), the South American-focused gold producer, developer and explorer is pleased to announce an update of its exploration activities at its wholly-owned, high grade Anza gold project (Anza) located in the Mid Cauca Belt in Colombia.

Completion of preliminary geological model

Orosur has completed a preliminary geological model for the Aragon-Pastorera Trend Area (APTA) of the Anza project, based predominantly on 17,408m of existing diamond core drilling data from 53 holes previously drilled. 3,000m of this core has been re-logged, with special attention given to the lithology, alteration suites, structural trends and grade distribution.

Based on this information, a geological estimate of an exploratory gold potential of a portion of the APTA has been prepared with the assistance of Mine Development Associates (MDA) of Reno, Nevada. The resulting potential ranges between 1.6 M - 2.3 M tonnes averaging between 3.2 - 3.7g/t Au. This estimate is based on current drilling and is expected to grow as future exploration drilling is conducted.

The Company believes that the mineralized zones in the APTA continue, both at depth and at the surface, to the north and south of the limited area which has been analysed to date and included in the preliminary model. As such, there is the potential for a much larger resource base to be identified.

The APTA extends 2 km along strike of the vein-like deposit; but only accounts for a small portion of the total Anza project, which covers approximately 105 km in total.

Previous drilling of Anza has shown consistent high grade gold intercepts over significant widths as well as coincident zinc mineralization. Anza is situated in a well-known geological setting in Colombia already hosting a number of substantial gold projects. The Anza project has existing mine and environmental permitting, and its existing infrastructure, including camps, roads, power and water, are in good standing.

Next steps in Colombia

During 2017, the Company plans to undertake a 15,000m - 30,000m drilling campaign to:

Delineate maiden resources;

Further define and expand the potential mineralization for APTA;

Test mineralization in undrilled areas of the deposit where strong indications of economic gold occurrences exist; and

Commence initial drilling of nearby untested and highly prospective targets.

Upon completion of this drilling campaign, the Company intends to prepare and publish a maiden N.I. 43-101 compliant resource report for the Anza project.

The Company will update the market once the upcoming exploration programme has been designed and validated and a drilling contractor has been engaged.

Ignacio Salazar, CEO of Orosur, said:

Orosur acquired Anza in July 2014, through its nil premium all share acquisition of Waymar Resources, at a time when little to no value was being given to exploration projects. Our ambition at that time is now being rewarded with the encouraging initial exploration potential estimate for the drilled area. We look forward to finalizing plans for progressing the Anza project with significant drilling activities during 2017.

The Company believes that Anza has significant upside and we expect the project to take a more prominent standing in our suite of South American gold assets in the months to come.

About Anza

Anza is located in the Western Cordillera, 50 km west of the city of Medellin, 50 km south, along the Cauca lineament, of Continental Golds high grade Buritica gold project (4.7 Moz measured and indicated (M&I) resource, grading 11.4 g/t Au) and 70 km from Red Eagles San Ramon project (479Koz M&I resource, grading 3.5 g/t Au) which is a vein like gold deposit in a shear zone with a similar mineralization style as the APTA in a different geological environment.

As previously announced in October 2016, initial preliminary metallurgy and density test work were completed utilising a combination of gravity concentration, flotation and cyanidation processing, with average gold recoveries ranging from 95.9  96.1%. This is in line with the metallurgical recoveries of development projects and producing mines in the region.

The site has environmental permits enabling both underground and open-pit mining operations. The Anza project includes two small underground gypsum mines, each of which also have environmental and mining permits granted by the Colombian authorities. Historically, the gypsum mines have been operated by a third-party contractor; Orosur is currently in the process of taking over operatorship. The gypsum permits can be readily expanded, enabling Orosur the ability to fast-track permitting for future gold mining operations.

Access to the project is via a paved road to the town of Anza and a 17 km gravel road operable all year round. The gypsum mine has been in operation at the site since 1991. It has excellent infrastructure, with power grid, abundant water and mine facilities on site. The elevation ranges from 700 m to 2,000 m above sea level.

The APTA deposit is up to 200 m wide and at least 2.5 km long, with soil geochem showing gold content along the entire 7km Aragon fault. The deposit is open on strike, at surface and down-dip. Significant drill hole intercepts include:

Hole Number From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t Ag g/t Zn (%) MAP?11 213.0 219.0 6.0 18.26 1.95 0.35 including 217.5 219.0 1.5 72.30 6.90 0.93 MAP?20 145.0 186.0 41.0 3.85 1.39 1.25 including 171.3 177.0 5.7 19.84 3.94 1.66 MAP?21 224.0 242.0 18.0 14.14 2.05 2.83 including 225.0 229.4 4.4 45.62 5.47 10.59 252.0 253.0 1.0 10.85 1.80 0.67 MAP?29 183.0 194.9 11.9 10.57 2.40 1.61 including 185.0 187.0 2.1 40.25 4.85 4.64 MAP?33 157.1 179.5 22.4 10.42 1.87 1.56 including 165.0 170.8 5.8 29.49 3.37 2.81 MAP?36 198.6 227.5 28.9 3.88 1.68 0.43 including 205.5 217.5 12.0 8.83 2.65 0.59 MAP?38 123.4 124.5 1.1 15.40 3.60 1.94 172.0 212.5 40.5 14.09 3.82 1.95 including 179.5 186.0 6.5 70.99 6.34 0.12 including 184.6 186.0 1.4 176.00 15.20 0.39 including 202.0 205.4 3.4 20.89 9.71 4.75 MAP?43 65.5 68.6 3.1 7.66 73.04 0.68 167.5 231.5 64.0 1.88 1.88 0.70 including 209.0 214.0 5.0 9.07 3.40 0.70 MAP?47 105.0 118.3 13.3 2.24 316.25 1.00 including 106.0 110.5 4.5 4.69 768.89 2.34 MAP?48 181.0 195.7 14.7 40.37 9.30 3.41 including 185.5 195.7 10.2 58.03 13.16 4.85 including 187.6 189.5 1.9 219.00 29.50 6.55

The Anza land package, which is wholly owned by Orosur, includes multiple additional highly prospective potential gold targets. In addition to the APTA, there is an extensive area of more than 100 km open to exploration. Charrascala and Guaimarala are two of the most highly promising additional gold targets. At Charrascala, there are existing outcrops with gold and copper mineralization. Favourable topography, existing infrastructure and the existence of a wide low-grade gold envelope in the Anza land package provide further exploration, development and mining upside, all with strong indications of the potential for significant by-product mineralization.

To see a full PDF of the release with images, click here.

Stock Option Exercise

The Company also announces that it has issued 341,667 common shares of no par value ("Common Shares") following the exercise of options on January 24th, 2017 by an option holder as follows:

Exercise Price Options C$0.105 41,667 C$0.185 300,000 Total 341,667

The net proceeds of the exercise amount to CAD$59,875. Application has been made for the Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM ("Admission"). It is expected that Admission will become effective and that dealings will commence on January 25th, 2017 in respect of the Shares. Following Admission, the total number of common shares currently issued and outstanding will be 100,293,071 and the total number of options outstanding is 7,892,425 following the options grant.

Qualified Person's Statement

The technical information related to the current assets of Orosur Mining in this announcement has been reviewed by Miguel Fuentealba, a Mining Engineer who is considered to be a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 reporting guidelines. Mr. Fuentealba is a graduate in Mining Engineering from the University of Santiago de Chile and is an AusIMM Member and Qualified Person of Chilean Mining Commission. Mr. Fuentealba has 20 years of professional experience in the field of mining engineering, mine development and management.

Forward Looking Statements

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained or incorporated by reference in this news release, including any information as to the future financial or operating performance of the Company, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of certain securities laws, including the "safe harbour" provisions of the Securities Act (Ontario) and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are based on expectations estimates and projections as of the date of this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Such statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation success of exploration activities; permitting time lines; the failure of plant; equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents; labour disputes; requirements for additional capital title disputes or claims and limitations on insurance coverage. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.

For more information, please visit www.orosur.ca

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 ('MAR'). Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service ('RIS'), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

About Orosur Mining Inc.

Orosur Mining Inc. is a fully integrated gold producer, developer and explorer focused on identifying and advancing gold projects in South America. The Company operates the only producing gold mine in Uruguay (San Gregorio) and has assembled an exploration portfolio of high quality assets in Uruguay, Chile and Colombia. The Company is listed in Canada (TSX: OMI) and London (AIM: OMI).

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170118006340/en/

Contact

Orosur Mining Inc.

Ignacio Salazar, +1-778-373-0100

Chief Executive Officer

info@orosur.ca

or

Cantor Fitzgerald Europe

David Porter / Craig Francis / Philip Davies, +44 (0) 20 7894 7000

or

FTI Consulting

Ben Brewerton / Oliver Winters / Sara Powell / Emerson Clarke, +44 (0) 20 3727 1000
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - January 19, 2017) - Victoria Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE: VIT) "Victoria" or the "Company" is pleased to announce a $6.2 million Phase 1, 2017 mineral exploration campaign on the Company's Dublin Gulch Property and regional properties. The majority of the planned gold exploration activities will be focused on the Dublin Gulch claim block with a subordinate amount of exploration work set to be conducted on regional targets within the Company's larger Yukon property holdings portfolio.

Mr. John McConnell, President and CEO of Victoria commented: "2017 will be an exciting and busy exploration season for Victoria as we look to advance a series of high priority exploration targets previously identified on the large Dublin Gulch Block. Our exploration team has been working with minimal budgets for many years and has delivered high quality Reserve ounces at the Olive-Shamrock target which were included in the Updated Eagle Feasibility Study, filed in October 2016. The mineral endowment of the Dublin Gulch claim block is impressive, and management believes that 2017 represents a unique opportunity to underscore this through systematic exploration efforts in parallel to the development of our Eagle Gold Mine advances."

The Company will continue step-out and definition drilling at the Olive-Shamrock Zone with the aim to continue expanding mineable tonnage along this high grade mineralized shear zone. Additionally, there are six first order targets along the >13 km Potato Hills Trend that will be the subject of 2017 exploration activities. In addition to their geological potential these targets are proximal to Eagle and largely accessible by existing access roads.

The 2016 Phase 1 and 2 drilling campaigns at the Olive-Shamrock Zone were successful in definition of mineralization controls in the Olive-Shamrock shear zone controlled deposit, and 2017 drilling will target additional definition of the Olive-Shamrock mineralized structure as well as exploration along strike of the mineralized trend.

Victoria's exploration efforts at Eagle and Olive-Shamrock over the last three seasons has greatly advanced the Potato Hills Trend Mineralization Model which defines intrusion-related mineralization along a general northeast-southwest trend across the Dublin Gulch Claim Block and the District. It was the application of this mineralization model that drove the definition of the Olive-Shamrock Zone and will now be further tested throughout the Dublin Gulch Claim Block.

The targets selected for advanced gold exploration in 2017 include: 1) East Potato Hills; 2) Rex-Peso; 3) Nugget; and 4) Lynx Dome and 5) Anne Gulch; all of which lie within 5 kilometres of the Eagle Gold Mine footprint. An additional target, Falcon on the Company's VBW Claim Block will also see exploration work in 2017.

The East Potato Hills target lies less than two kilometres from the Olive-Shamrock Zone and has a strong two-kilometer long, coincident gold+arsenic-in-soils geochemical anomaly centered on a series of Dublin Gulch Stock intrusions. Chip sampling of exposures in the area of the soils anomaly in 2013 by Victoria returned up to 8.16 g/t Au. This target has never been drilled.

At the Nugget target, a large Cretaceous granodirite intrusive, akin to the Eagle Deposit, has been the subject of limited historic exploration work and has a defined gold-in-soils geochemical anomaly that graded up to 1.12 g/t in soils. Historic trench samples collected here graded up to 5m of 2.38 g/t Au and grab samples up to 1.35 g/t Au.

Additionally, the VBW claim block, contiguous to the East of Dublin Gulch and host of the Falcon target, will receive much deserved follow-up from the Company's 2013 drilling discovery where the first ever drillholes collared on this claim block returned up to 59.2m @ 0.58 g/t Au including 14m @ 0.98 g/t Au in drillhole VBW- 13-01C from 7.0 to 66.2 metres. The Falcon zone consists of an area of stockwork quartz-veined, contact-metamorphosed, Hyland group sediments, local faulted, and mid-Cretaceous age granitoids of the Tombstone Plutonic Suite. The intrusions are interpreted to be of similar character to the Dublin Gulch stock, which hosts the Company's Eagle gold deposit. Minerals found within the veins and locally disseminated within the sediments and intrusions include arsenopyrite, realgar, chalcopyrite, pyrite, bismuthinite and rare galena. The table below highlights the results from the 2013 drilling program at the Falcon showing.

Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Length* (m) Grade (g/t Au) VBW13-01C 7.00 66.20 59.20 0.58 including 9.50 23.50 14.00 0.98 including 60.50 66.20 5.70 1.30 VBW13-02C 7.00 166.65 159.65 0.40 including 34.00 39.80 5.80 0.84 VBW13-04C 82.00 270.00 188.00 0.30 including 192.00 198.00 6.00 0.86

*Reported intersections are drilled intersections, as true widths have not yet been determined.

About Olive and Shamrock

The Olive and Shamrock targets are defined by a broad gold/arsenic in-soils geochemical anomaly and lie on the intrusive-sediment contact of the Potato Hills Trend (as does the Eagle Deposit) and are punctuated by several historically exploited high-grade sulphide veins. The area was mined on a small scale from shallow shafts and adits in the early 1900's and via placer mining in creeks draining the area. The Olive and Shamrock vein system is located near the top of Olive Gulch and consists of gold-bearing quartz-scorodite-arsenopyrite vein material centralized in a shear zone structure. More detail and a current summary of the Olive and Shamrock Zone exploration can be found on the Company website.

About the Dublin Gulch Property

Victoria Gold's 100%-owned Dublin Gulch gold property is situated in the central Yukon Territory, Canada, approximately 375 kilometers north of the capital city of Whitehorse, and approximately 85 kilometers from the town of Mayo. The Property is accessible by road year-round, and is located within Yukon Energy's electrical grid. The Company has constructed and maintains a 100 person all-season camp at the project site.

The Property covers an area of approximately 555 square kilometers, and is the site of the Company's Eagle Gold Deposit. The Eagle Gold Mine is expected to be Yukon's next operating gold mine and, between the Eagle and Olive deposits, include Proven and Probable Reserves of 2.7 million ounces of gold from 123 million tonnes of ore with a grade of 0.67 grams of gold per tonne, as outlined in a National Instrument 43-101 feasibility study. The NI 43-101 Mineral Resource for the Eagle and Olive deposits has been estimated to host 191 million tonnes averaging 0.65 grams of gold per tonne, containing 4.0 million ounces of gold in the "Measured and Indicated" category, inclusive of Proven and Probable Reserves, and a further 24 million tonnes averaging 0.61 grams of gold per tonne, containing 0.5 million ounces of gold in the "Inferred" category.

Analytical Method

All exploration drill core from the 2016 program was analyzed at SGS Canada Inc. of Burnaby, B.C. utilizing the GE-ICP40B, 34-element analytical package with FAA5515 50-gram Fire Assay with Gravimetric finish for gold on all samples. All core samples were split on-site at Victoria's Eagle camp and shipped to SGS Canada Inc.'s Burnaby, B.C. Laboratory. There, samples were sorted and crushed to appropriate particle size (coarse crush) and representatively split and pulverized to a smaller size whereon analyses were performed. A comprehensive system of standards, blanks and field duplicates was implemented for the 2016 Olive-Shamrock drilling programs and is monitored as chemical assay data became available.

For the Falcon 2013 drill program, core samples were logged and prepared for shipment on-site and Victoria's Eagle Camp where they were subsequently delivered to the Whitehorse, Yukon, sample preparation facility of ALS Minerals. There, samples were crushed and pulverized, with prepared pulps sent to ALS Minerals' analytical laboratory facilities in Vancouver where they were analyzed by 33 element ICP-AES package ME-1CP61 with a 50 gram Fire Assay Au finish.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Paul D. Gray, P.Geo., as the Qualified Person.

Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this discussion, other than statements of historical facts, that address future exploration drilling, exploration activities, anticipated metal production, internal rate of return, estimated ore grades, commencement of production estimates and projected exploration and capital expenditures (including costs and other estimates upon which such projections are based) 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 forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include metal prices, exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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The new geopolitical situation in Ukraine carries additional risks for Ukraine, and the best way to cope with them is speeding up reforms and fighting corruption, because it will increase the chances that Ukraine will remain a negotiating partner. This is the conclusion of guests at the Ukrainian 'breakfast' meeting in Davos organized by the Pinchuk Foundation on Thursday.

"What is most important is battling corruption in the country, broad political inclusiveness, ensuring the interests of all groups, continuing structural reforms, providing more freedom for business," said a top European official attending the event.

He said Ukraine's calls to the European Union and the United States for support would be better heard if people living there had the sense that Ukraine was conducting reform and battling graft seriously.

"Ukraine is a sovereign nation. It can freely and independently choose its course. If a country decides to become more pro-western, more pro-Euroepean, that is its right and we should support this," another famous EU politician said.

According to speakers at the breakfast, Donbas and Crimea have not been lost. However, participants said it is necessary to strengthen Ukraine economically.

Ukraine was represented at the event by Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, six parliament deputies from the Rada's Euro-optimists group, as well as business leaders.
VANCOUVER, Jan. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - Inca One Gold Corp. (TSX.V: IO) ("Inca One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard A. Mundie to its Board of Directors (the "Board") effective immediately. Mr. Mundie has numerous years of executive leadership experience with key organizations in the global mining sector. He is a well-respected Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant and his career included roles in finance, corporate development, marketing, and mergers and acquisitions.

Mr. Mundie began his career at Bethlehem Copper which was acquired by Cominco. At Cominco he continued to progress his career into senior financial roles. In June 1992, he joined Teck Resources Ltd. ("Teck") as Vice President of Special Projects, and went on to serve in a number of executive roles including Vice President Marketing, Vice President of Commercial, Vice President of Asian Affairs and as Teck's Chief China Representative.

Mr. Mundie, over the past couple decades, has served as an independent director for a number of TSX and TSX Venture listed entities, and for many of these he has held the position of Chairman of the audit committee. Currently Mr. Mundie serves on the board of directors of Taseko Mines, where he is also the audit committee Chair.

Mr. Mundie obtained his Chartered Accountancy designation after graduating from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

"We are extremely pleased to have Richard join our Board and bring his many years of executive experience to Inca One," stated Edward Kelly, Inca One's President and CEO. "As we enter our next phase of business we look forward to shaping our Board with experienced business leaders with a track record of strong oversight and good governance."

The Company would also like to announce the following departures from its Board of Directors.

After a lengthy tenure of over six years Mr. Phu Van Bui has resigned as Director of Inca One in order to focus more time towards his geological consulting business. The Company would like to thank Mr. Van Bui for his years of service and we wish him well in his future business.

The Company would also like to announce that Mr. Brian Antenbring resigned as Director after Inca One's most recent Annual General Meeting. The Company would like to thank Mr. Antenbring for his guidance and wish him continued success in his principal business enterprise.

About Inca One

Inca One is a Canadian-based mineral processing company with a gold milling facility in Peru, servicing government-permitted, small-scale miners. Peru, a highly mineral-rich country, is one of the world's top producers of gold, silver, copper and zinc, with substantial production coming from small scale miners who need government permitted milling facilities to process their mineral (such as the Company's Chala Plant).

On behalf of the Board,

Edward Kelly,

President and CEO

INCA ONE GOLD CORP.

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.

Statements regarding the Company which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements due to factors such as: (i) fluctuation of mineral prices; (ii) a change in market conditions; and (iii) the fact that the Company has limited operating experience with its Chala plant and future operational results may not be accurately predicted based on this limited information to date. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to update any changes to such statements. Inca One believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included herein should not be unduly relied upon.

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 these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

SOURCE Inca One Gold Corp.
TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2017 - U3O8 Corp. (TSX: UWE, OTCQB: UWEFF) (" U3O8 Corp. " or the "Company") announces uranium and vanadium assays from exploration trenching of soft gravel and sand in the La Rosada area, which the Company considers to be an extension of the Laguna Salada Deposit.

"Last week we reported that our focus on exploration for higher-grade extensions to the Laguna Salada Deposit had led to the discovery of uranium and vanadium in a layer adjacent to, and beneath, gravel in the La Rosada area," said Dr. Richard Spencer, CEO of U3O8 Corp. "That was an unexpected bonus because our target was uranium and vanadium in the gravel itself, which is an extension of the layer that contains the Laguna Salada Deposit 50 kilometres to the south. Assay results from the gravel at La Rosada, reported in today's release, have grades similar to the very highest-grade material in the Laguna Salada resource. In addition, the assay results show that uranium in La Rosada gravels can be efficiently concentrated into the fine-grained component of the gravel with the removal of pebbles and coarse sand by screening. The higher grade, as well as the efficiency of concentration of uranium from La Rosada gravels, has the potential to lower estimated production costs for the Laguna Salada Deposit."

Assay Results

Table 1. Summary assay results from composite panel samples from trenches in unconsolidated gravel and sand in the La Rosada area.

Sample Data Assay Data Sample No Material From

(metres) To

(metres) True

Thickness

(metres) U 3 O 8 (ppm) V 2 O 5 (ppm) Bulk

sample In Fine

(<0.15mm)

Component

After Screening Bulk

sample In Fine

(<0.15mm)

Component

After Screening 16828 Gravel 0.3 0.6 0.3 106 1,304 234 801 16834 0.3 0.7 0.4 5,475 20,764 1,963 7,568 16839 0.4 0.7 0.3 701 1,114 1,326 1,191 16841 0.4 1.2 0.8 154 2,844 322 1,358 16889 0.7 1.7 1.0 133 570 140 623 Average: Mineralized Gravel 0.55 1,314 5,319 797 2,308 16829 Sand 0.6 1.5 0.9 2,800 3,155 1,432 1,573 16831 0.7 1.5 0.8 501 1,113 705 1,380 16832 0.4 1.0 0.6 597 675 669 736 16833 1.0 1.4 0.4 493 1,031 1,054 1,375 16835 0.7 1.3 0.6 388 722 254 396 16836 0.4 1.0 0.6 138 349 263 415 16837 0.8 1.2 0.4 195 533 234 399 16842 1.2 2.2 1.0 699 1,239 841 1,117 Average: Mineralized Area of Sand Layer 0.7 726 1,102 681 924 16830 Sand 0.6 1.6 1.0 76 134 952 970 16874 1.4 2.5 1.1 13 193 103 579 16894 0.4 1.2 0.8 59 114 167 270 Combined Grade & Thickness of Sand and Overlying Gravel in Trenches Where Both Layers are Mineralized: 16828 &16829 Gravel & Sand Layers 0.3 1.5 1.2 2,197 2,692 1,360 1,380 16834 & 16835 0.3 0.7 1.0 2,422 5,732 938 2,194 16841 & 16842 0.4 2.2 1.8 154 1,640 1,326 1,177 Average of Mineralized Gravel and Mineralized Sand Where They Occur in the Same Trench 1.3 1,591 3,355 1,208 1,584

Uranium-Vanadium  Bearing Gravel and Sand

Gravel at La Rosada and Laguna Salada have similar general characteristics. At Laguna Salada, however, the gravel forms a tabular sheet deposited in an outwash plain while at La Rosada, gravel occupies northeast- to east-trending channels that are about 150 metres wide, and the one that has been most extensively explored is at least 2 kilometres long (Figure 1). Similar northeast- to east-orientated trends of radiation measured in radon cups in the area south of La Rosada may be indicative of similar mineralized channels in that area. The channel-constrained distribution of gravel is a feature that La Rosada has in common with the Langer Heinrich Deposit in Namibia.

A sand layer that lies beneath the gravel at La Rosada may also have been preserved in channel features. The sand layer is extremely friable, and very significantly, is well mineralized in some areas where it has been exposed in exploration trenches. The sand layer has characteristics that are similar to the unconsolidated sands that host the Tubas Uranium Deposit in Namibia and represents a target in its own right at La Rosada.

Uranium-vanadium  bearing rhyolitic volcanic tuff, assay results from which were reported on January 11, 2017, lie adjacent to and beneath the sand layer at La Rosada.

Beneficiation

The key to the Laguna Salada Deposit is the ease with which the powdery uranium-vanadium mineral, carnotite, can be washed off sand grains and pebbles, concentrating in the fine-grained material. Gravel at La Rosada shows similar characteristics with carnotite forming a friable coating on pebbles and sand grains  a YouTube video available via this link shows the nature of the gravel and its mineralization at La Rosada.

The "Bulk Sample" column in Table 1 above provides the overall grade of uranium and vanadium in the gravel and sand samples from La Rosada. This grade is derived from a large sample in which all the material, including the barren pebbles and sand grains, have been crushed and assayed with the uranium-vanadium  bearing material that coats the grains. These grades provide the raw data that are necessary for future resource estimation.

The grade of the fine component, composed of grains less than 0.15 millimetres in diameter, that was separated from the pebbles and sand by sieving, has an average grade of 0.5% (5,319ppm) U 3 O 8 , with a sample that spiked to 2% U 3 O 8 (20,764ppm, Table 1). The average grade of vanadium of the fine material is 0.23% (2,308ppm) V 2 O 5 . The average thickness of the gravel is 0.5 metres, with mineralization starting from 0.3 to 0.7 metres below surface. Only the fine component of the gravel would be processed for uranium and vanadium extraction.

Results from the unconsolidated sand layer that lies beneath the gravel at La Rosada show that its uranium and vanadium are also concentrated into the fine material by washing and sieving the sand. The average grade of the sand is 726ppm U 3 O 8 while the fine component has a grade of 1,102ppm (0.1%) U 3 O 8 . Vanadium assays average 681ppm in the raw sand and 924ppm V 2 O 5 in the fine component. The average thickness of the sand layer is 0.7 metres.

Where gravel and sand are mineralized in the same trench, the combined average thickness of the uranium-vanadium  bearing layer is 1.3 metres with an average grade, in the fine material, of 0.33% (3,355ppm) U 3 O 8 and 0.16% (1,584ppm) V 2 O 5 .

Estimated Cash Cost of Production at Laguna Salada

The Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA")1 modeled mining of the richest areas of the Laguna Salada Deposit followed by successively lower-grade areas so that the capital cost of the Project could be paid off as quickly as possible. Using the data available at the time of the PEA, this approach resulted in an estimated cash cost of production of US$11.62 per pound of uranium in year one, rising to average US$21.62 per pound over the life of the mine modeled in the PEA (Figure 2). This graphic shows the relationship between uranium grade and estimated cash cost of production by year established in the PEA on the Laguna Salada Deposit.

Focus of Further Work

The next steps in the drive to lower estimated production costs for the broader Laguna Salada Project are as follows:

A link between mineralization in the tuff and the overlying gravel observed at La Rosada has led to a better understanding of higher uranium-vanadium grades found at the base of the gravel at Laguna Salada. With the insight gained from La Rosada, it is considered likely that higher-grade mineralization at the base, where the gravel rests on tuff, represents a second, deeper layer of mineralization that adds further, higher-grade resource potential at Laguna Salada 2 that will be explored with trenching and vibrosonic drilling in due course;

that will be explored with trenching and vibrosonic drilling in due course; Continued exploration of higher-grade mineralization in gravel, sand and volcanic tuff in the La Rosada area with the aim of identifying areas that could be cost-effectively included in a future resource estimate; and

Metallurgical test work to determine the efficiency of the U-pgrade processing method to concentrate uranium and vanadium into a smaller mass than is currently being achieved with screening. With the identification of the uranium-vanadium  bearing sand at La Rosada, the planned test work was delayed in order to incorporate this new style of mineralization. Initial results are now expected in Q2.

Sample Preparation and Assay

Panel samples were taken on the walls of each trench, bagged and delivered to ACME's preparation facility in Mendoza, Argentina. Each sample was riffle-split. One sub-sample was crushed, split and pulverized to 75m and a split of 250 grams sent for assay to provide an assay value for the raw gravel and sand to provide data for resource estimation purposes. A second set of sub-samples was wet-screened through successively finer mesh starting at 2mm, through 550 micrometres ("m"), 180m and finally at 150m. Each size fraction was dried in ovens at 60C and each fraction was sent to ACME's analytical facility in Vancouver, Canada, for analysis by ICP-ES and ICP-MS after four-acid digestion.

Technical Information

Dr. Richard Spencer, P.Geo., CGeol., President and CEO of U3O8 Corp. and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has approved the technical information in this news release relating to the Laguna Salada Deposit and the related PEA.

About U3O8 Corp.

U3O8 Corp. is focused on exploration and development of deposits of uranium and associated commodities in South America. Potential by-products from uranium production include commodities used in the energy storage industry  in the manufacture of batteries - such as nickel, vanadium and phosphate. The Company's mineral resources estimates were made in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, and are contained in three deposits:

Laguna Salada Deposit, Argentina  a PEA shows this near surface, free-digging uranium - vanadium deposit has low production-cost potential;

Berlin Deposit, Colombia  a PEA shows that Berlin also has low-cost uranium production potential due to revenue that would be generated from by-products of phosphate, vanadium, nickel, rare earths (yttrium and neodymium) and other metals that occur within the deposit; and

Kurupung Deposit, Guyana  a uranium resource has been estimated in four veins within a uranium-zirconium vein system. Resources have been estimated on four veins, while consistent mineralization of the same type has been intersected in scout drilling of an additional six veins, while yet other veins require first-time exploration drilling.

Information on U3O8 Corp., its resources and technical reports are available at www.u3o8corp.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Follow U3O8 Corp. on Facebook: www.facebook.com/u3o8corp, Twitter: www.twitter.com/u3o8corp and Youtube: www.youtube.com/u3o8corp.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward looking statements" related with the development plans, economic potential and growth targets of U3O8 Corp.'s projects. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intensions for the future, and include, but not limited to, statements with respect to: (a) the low-cost and near-term development of Laguna Salada, (b) the Laguna Salada and Berlin PEAs, (c) the potential of the Kurupung district in Guyana, (d) impact of the U- pgradeTM process on expected capital and operating expenditures, and (e) the price and market for uranium. These statements are based on assumptions, including that: (i) actual results of our exploration, resource goals, metallurgical testing, economic studies and development activities will continue to be positive and proceed as planned, and assumptions in the Laguna Salada and Berlin PEAs prove to be accurate, (ii) a joint venture will be formed with the provincial petroleum and mining company on the Argentina project, (iii) requisite regulatory and governmental approvals will be received on a timely basis on terms acceptable to U3O8 Corp., (iv) economic, political and industry market conditions will be favourable, and (v) financial markets and the market for uranium will improve for junior resource companies in the short-term. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in such statements, including, but not limited to: (1) changes in general economic and financial market conditions, (2) changes in demand and prices for minerals, (3) the Company's ability to establish appropriate joint venture partnerships, (4) litigation, regulatory, and legislative developments, dependence on regulatory approvals, and changes in environmental compliance requirements, community support and the political and economic climate, (5) the inherent uncertainties and speculative nature associated with exploration results, resource estimates, potential resource growth, future metallurgical test results, changes in project parameters as plans evolve, (6) competitive developments, (7) availability of future financing, (8) exploration risks, and other factors beyond the control of U3O8 Corp. including those factors set out in the "Risk Factors" in our Annual Information Form available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. U3O8 Corp. assumes no obligation to update such information, except as may be required by law. For more information on the above-noted PEAs, refer to the September 18, 2014 technical report titled "Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Laguna Salada Uranium-Vanadium Deposit, Chubut Province, Argentina" and the January 18, 2013 technical report titled "U3O8 Corp. Preliminary Economic Assessment on the Berlin Deposit, Colombia."

________________________

1 September 18, 2014 technical report: "Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Laguna Salada Uranium Vanadium Deposit, Chubut Province, Argentina."

2 May 20, 2011 technical report: "Laguna Salada Project, Chubut Province, Argentina, NI 43-101 Technical Report on Laguna Salada: Initial Resource Estimate".







Contact



Richard Spencer, President & CEO

U3O8 Corp.

Tel.: (416) 868-1491

richard@u3o8corp.com


Brussels to decide on abolition of EU sanctions against Russia after Moscow complies with Minsk agreements  Mogherini

The decision on cancellation of European sanctions against Russia will be taken not in Washington, but in Brussels, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice President Federica Mogherini said on Thursday.

Mogherini told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos that they together with their American friends are committed to the implementation of the Minsk agreements. And this decision is not made in Washington, but in Brussels, she said.

Earlier, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in his interview did not rule out the likelihood of the abolition of anti-Russian sanctions if Moscow follows the way of further disarmament.

Mogherini said the sanctions - not a mandatory part of their policy, but a way to improve the situation in Ukraine.

Mogherini said they cooperate with Russia on many issues and their attitude to some of them, such as the situation in Ukraine, seriously differs.
Two states will soon have new governors as a result of appointments by President-elect Donald Trump. In one of those states, that could mean real political change.Iowa's Terry Branstad, the longest-serving governor in the nation's history, will be leaving to serve as ambassador to China . His lieutenant governor, Kim Reynolds, is a close ally who's not expected to deviate from the pro-business, conservative course set by Branstad.By contrast, the departure of South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who will be ambassador to the United Nations , should shake things up in her home state. Her replacement, Henry McMaster, enjoys much better relations with the legislature."Because Haley is so disliked in the legislature, her proposals were torpedoed," said John Crangle, executive director of Common Cause South Carolina, a nonpartisan government watchdog group. "There's an expectation when McMaster comes in [that] some of the legislation that's been logjammed will roll through."In a way, it's surprising that Haley got a top position in the Trump administration and not McMaster. McMaster was the first statewide official in the country to endorse Trump last year, while Haley was notably critical of the candidate.Haley, however, has long been considered an important star in national GOP circles -- she gave the official Republican response to President Obama's final State of the Union address -- and she's popular with the voting public.But maybe clearing the way to the governor's office was the biggest favor Trump could have done for a loyal supporter. After all, McMaster has had his eye on the job for decades. Prior to being elected lieutenant governor in 2014, McMaster served for two terms as the state attorney general. Before winning that office, he spent a decade as chair of the state GOP."You certainly can't think of a more experienced politician than Henry McMaster," said Dave Woodard, a Republican consultant who teaches at Clemson University.While McMaster has collected a lifetime's worth of friends in the state's capital city of Columbia, Haley fashioned her career as an opponent to the old-guard power structure in the state. She attracted enemies in the legislature, even though it's controlled by her own party.She turned her Facebook account into a "wall of shame" for members who voted against her. She even advised a group of real estate agents to "take a good shower" after meeting with legislators.Last year, Haley organized a super PAC that spent more than $1 million in an attempt to unseat her enemies in primaries. She failed to oust some of her biggest targets, who are now running the state Senate's two most important chambers as well as the chamber itself.Haley angered legislators in June by issuing line-item vetoes of 51 earmarked spending projects worth a total of $41 million, which she derided as pork. She did sign an infrastructure package, which allows the state to borrow $2.2 billion over 10 years to fund projects. But she refused to consider any package that included new taxes, frustrating legislators. Haley herself said the resulting compromise wasn't "anything close to a victory.""The legislature would override a lot of her vetoes," said Gibbs Knotts, who chairs the political science department at the College of Charleston. "It always seemed strange for a Republican governor to veto a Republican legislature on spending."Haley likely would have had a frustrating last couple of years in office before being term-limited out in 2018. Instead, McMaster -- also a conservative -- is expected to be more flexible in making deals with legislators to find more funding for roads and schools."This is an opportunity for McMaster to establish himself as a governor who can get something done, without acrimony," said Woodard. "We've been governed by the past two governors basically by veto, even though they're in the same party as the legislature."In Iowa, Reynolds will represent less of a break from Branstad. In fact, observers in the state are hard-pressed to come up with any ways in which she'll change policy directions or even differ from her boss in terms of setting priorities.Reynolds served as a county treasurer before being elected to the state Senate in 2008. Just two years later, Branstad chose her as his running mate for his successful comeback bid as governor in 2010. He's made no secret that his intention for years has been to groom her as his successor."She is in on all the decision-making," Branstad told Iowa Public Television in 2014. "She is next in line to be governor. I want to make sure that she is well-prepared."Branstad has given Reynolds -- a college dropout who completed her degree in December -- considerable responsibilities in areas such as economic development and promotion of STEM education.For the most part, though, Reynolds is known as Branstad's virtual shadow, sitting with him in meetings and standing next to him on countless public platforms."She was plucked out of political obscurity by Terry Branstad," said Dennis Goldford, who chairs the political science department at Drake University. "Not many of us really know who she is, in terms of an agenda or a political profile."Both Branstad and Haley are expected to be confirmed, but there's no telling what the timing will be. Haley, however, had her hearing before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday.Both Reynolds and McMaster were likely to run for governor in 2018. Now they can enjoy the big advantage of running as incumbents.
Maine's Republican Gov. Paul LePage said Tuesday that the NAACP should apologize to white America, making the comment just hours after he weighed in on the president-elect's Twitter beef with a black civil rights icon."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."LePage's criticism was aimed at U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights leader and Democratic member of Congress from Georgia who called Donald Trump an "illegitimate president" and said he would not attend the inauguration. Trump answered Lewis on Twitter, saying Lewis was all talk and no action.The feud prompted 42 Democratic members of Congress so far, including Maine's Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, to boycott the inauguration events in Washington, D.C., on Friday.LePage, later trying to clarify his references to presidents Hayes and Grant, said the NAACP was casting all white Americans as racists. It's not clear why he referred to the NAACP in his criticism of Lewis, who was a founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s, not the NAACP."The blacks, the NAACP (paint) all white people with one brush," LePage said. "To say that every white American is a racist is an insult. The NAACP should apologize to the white people, to the people from the north for fighting their battle."LePage said he mentioned Hayes and Grant because they fought to secure equal rights for blacks. LePage said he knows many Maine families who had ancestors who fought in the Civil War."In 1964 when we were desegregating schools there were a lot of people from the North who went down to the South, were killed for trying to help the blacks," LePage said during an impromptu discussion with a reporter in the office of his communications director, Peter Steele. LePage went on to say he felt all white people were being lumped together unfairly."And now they paint one brush and say all whites are racists. I'm sorry, we're not." LePage said. "Some of us are abolitionists. I'm a strong abolitionist, I'm a strong Lincoln supporter, I'm a strong Grant supporter, I'm a strong Dwight D. Eisenhower supporter, I think LBJ did the right thing -- I'm all in."The abolitionist movement in the U.S. came before and during the Civil War to end the slave trade and free slaves. The 13th Amendment, passed in 1865, abolished slavery.Lewis is considered a civil rights icon who worked closely with the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to fight Jim Crow laws that discriminated against blacks in the South. He is the last of the "Big 6" civil rights leaders of the 1960s still alive.A spokeswoman for Lewis said LePage's comments did not warrant a response."I don't think (Lewis) feels the need to defend himself against spurious comments," said Lewis' communications director, Brenda Jones. "People who know America's history know what the facts are. It sounds to me like (LePage) is just trying to be mean-spirited. The facts of history refute that statement."Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, who was president from 1869-77, led the Republican Party in efforts to get rid of slavery and protect African-American citizenship. As a general during the Civil War and after the war, he oversaw the federal government's Reconstruction policies in the post-Civil War South to ensure voting rights for freedmen and the removal of former Confederate officials from power.Hayes, president from 1877-81, oversaw the end of the Reconstruction era, which gave rise to the Jim Crow laws enforcing racial segregation. Those laws remained in force until 1965, when the Voting Rights Act was enacted. As one of the original Freedom Riders and chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Lewis played a key role in agitating to end segregation, including being beaten by police and arrested over 40 times.Colby College history professor Dan Shea told the Associated Press that Jim Crow laws didn't come about until after the Grant administration and a deal that put Hayes in office led to the end of Reconstruction and set the stage for Jim Crow laws."Paul LePage is going to give John Lewis a tutorial on the history of black oppression in the United States? That's rich," he said.Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, who is also president of the NAACP Portland branch and state director of the NAACP in Maine, said LePage's comments criticizing Lewis, a day after the federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, were "unfortunate.""Yesterday, our nation came together to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights leaders, including John Lewis," Talbot Ross said in a statement. "It's unfortunate the governor felt it was right to revise that history and disparage a congressman who, through his sacrifices, gave so much to ensuring our basic rights."Talbot Ross said LePage's comments would have a far-reaching effect."The ripple effects of this insult reverberate far beyond Maine's African-American community," she said. "It's a painful reminder to every person in Maine and those nationwide that the fight for equal rights and dignity continues.The NAACP remains dedicated to this fight today and tomorrow. We also welcome the opportunity to correct the governor's historical assessment of the civil rights movement."LePage has a history of making controversial and racially charged statements, drawing national media attention to Maine.Tuesday, major television news networks such as NBC and CNN reported on LePage's comments criticizing Lewis.Racially charged statements have put LePage in the national spotlight before.In August, national media descended on Maine after LePage said he kept a binder of booking mugshots on drug arrests in Maine that showed 90 percent of those arrested for trafficking drugs in Maine were either black or Hispanic. LePage then left an obscene voicemail for a Democratic state lawmaker who LePage believed had called him a racist. A Freedom of Access Act request to review the binder later showed that LePage's estimate of 90 percent was incorrect, with only about 40 percent of the mugshots showing people of color and 60 percent showing white people.LePage's office then repeatedly sought to explain that he was specifically referring to out-of-state heroin dealers when he described the race of those arrested, not to dealers in other drugs like methamphetamine.LePage has not been a fan of the NAACP. In 2011, after NAACP members suggested that his decision not to attend Martin Luther King Jr. holiday ceremonies was part of a negative pattern against minorities, he responded, "Tell them to kiss my butt."LePage also said during the radio appearance Tuesday that Pingree should resign if she refuses to attend the inauguration. Pingree announced Monday night that she would not attend the inauguration out of solidarity with Lewis."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 won't attend on Friday, I would advise her to resign."LePage said Trump's election had followed the U.S. Constitution and was a demonstration of the peaceful transfer of power that the American government has long enjoyed.Pingree's statement Monday said she wouldn't attend the inauguration because Trump's actions "go beyond any kind of reasonable debate, they threaten the constitutional values our country is based on."LePage said he had "no idea what she's talking about."Pingree on Tuesday said LePage was free to criticize her and others but his criticism of Lewis was uncalled for and inappropriate. In a statement, she likened LePage to Trump saying he was doing the country a complete "disservice.""Like Dr. King, Congressman John Lewis is a civil rights hero," Pingree said. "Denigrating the contributions he has made toward equality in our nation further divides us. We should not, and I will not, take for granted all of those who spoke up for social justice and equality when it was unpopular. That fight is never ending, and one I will always champion."LePage said Trump won the election because "the American people are sick and tired of the political rhetoric that Chellie Pingree has been espousing for many years," adding that "Chellie Pingree, Angus King -- these people, these silver-tongued people, that's what we are sick of."King, Maine's independent U.S. senator and a former governor, has been critical of Trump but said he will attend the inauguration on Friday.
About a month after being sworn in, Corpus Christi Mayor Dan McQueen announced his resignation in a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon, asserting that he could "no longer deal with such differing views and divisiveness," according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.Consider this my resignation, McQueen posted to Facebook at around 2 p.m. according to the Caller-Times. I resign immediately. The city can no longer deal with such differing views and divisiveness. I step down from my position as Mayor, in order to allow the council and city to regain focus on success.""Sorry, they are now into my ex-wives and kids," McQueen continued. "Nothing good will come from that mess."McQueen has also submitted his resignation to the city secretary, according to the Caller-Times.City Councilwoman Carolyn Vaughn, who is the mayor pro tem and will lead the council in McQueen's place, told the Caller-Times she appreciated McQueens decision to resign and that rules are being discussed on how to proceed.McQueen was sworn in as mayor just over a month ago on Dec. 13, after unseating Nelda Martinez in the November elections. Since there is more than a year left in his term, the Caller-Times reported that there will likely be a special election to fill the position.In another Facebook post, published earlier Wednesday, McQueen condemned the council for being comprised of only high school graduates and emphasized his engineering credentials to explain why he, as the most educated and experienced person on council, was attacked.The Corpus Christi city council does include members with college degrees, according to the Caller-Times.Martinez told The Texas Tribune on Wednesday evening that she found out about McQueen's resignation at the same time as the public. She said McQueen did the right thing in resigning and expressed optimism for the future of the city."We will deal with this challenge and struggle through it, but we will come out stronger than ever," Martinez said. "We do have eight very capable city council members, and city business will continue."Martinez also did not immediately rule out another run for mayor.Knowing how much I love our city and believe in our city, its a valid question to ask," she said. "Im asking myself the same question.
named Anjelique ran away from her home near San Francisco last summer, her trauma didnt end when police eventually found her. Instead, while her distraught mother and grandmother posted missing child fliers all over the East Bay area, police took Anjelique to an Alameda County social services assessment center in Hayward. Before police take troubled youths home, they often bring them there to receive counseling and services.But 12-year-old Anjelique only stayed one night. Thats because sex traffickers were using the assessment center as a recruitment base. Anjelique befriended another teenage girl in the center, who convinced her to leave. Together, they walked just a few minutes up the seedy commercial strip in Hayward to a budget motel. Once there, Anjelique was put to work.As a means of controlling her, her mother said, Anjeliques traffickers got her hooked on heroin. As part of an investigation into her story, a local news crew visited the motel where Anjelique unwittingly entered the sex trafficking trade. Filmed one night this past summer, the news video shows young women arriving early in the evening while others linger in the doorways of rooms or on the balcony outside. Throughout the night, men come in and out of the rooms; other men whisk the girls away in cars, bringing them back a few hours later.Anjelique eventually escaped, and at the time of the news story, was spending time in drug rehab for her addiction.Anjeliques story may sound sensational, but in the world of child sex trafficking, its painfully normal. Traffickers seek out vulnerable, unhappy teens -- like runaways. Juvenile detention facilities or social services centers such as the one in Hayward are prime recruiting grounds. Sometimes, young women already in the trade become recruiters themselves, approaching other vulnerable girls and offering them what seems like an exciting life. The new recruit comprehends the full reality of her new situation too late. Readily available drugs help numb the pain.Its a pattern thats repeated every day in cities across the world. Its helped fuel a global industry that researchers estimate generates some $51 billion to $99 billion annually, and its created a hidden epidemic affecting hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. alone. In Alameda County, where Anjeliques case occurred, District Attorney Nancy OMalley has aggressively prosecuted child sex trafficking cases. As of 2012, Alameda accounted for 46 percent of all cases prosecuted under Californias human trafficking statute. Now other counties, OMalley says, are starting to take these cases as seriously as Alameda County has.Progress is slow. Thats because in California and elsewhere, the real struggle in combating trafficking is in changing how the justice system treats the victims of the sex trade. Until recently, victims were seen as law-breaking prostitutes, and law enforcement dealt with them accordingly. Thats starting to change. Alameda County has established girls courts as a way of focusing on treatment rather than jail time, an idea that Los Angeles County has since implemented as well. State money has been directed to child welfare services to craft a specialized treatment program for survivors. Alameda County is one of the few in the country receiving funding to develop a pilot program of safe houses to shelter trafficked kids and help rehabilitate them.The shift from viewing kids selling sex as willing prostitutes to looking at them as victims in a larger crime ring began back in 2000, with the passage of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which defined human trafficking, victims and methods of prosecution. But that law -- and many people at the time -- mainly looked at trafficking as an issue of smuggling foreign nationals. It noted that 50,000 women and children are trafficked into the United States each year and that current laws fail to protect victims because they are often illegal immigrants. Still, the federal action spurred and helped fund more research. And from that work emerged an uncomfortable fact: Most victims of sex trafficking, as now defined in the law, are born on American soil.In the years since then, hundreds of laws in dozens of states have been passed to address specific aspects of sex trafficking and the exploitation of children. California last year joined 17 other states that make all minors immune from prosecution for prostitution. Some 28 states have enacted so-called safe-harbor laws, which say that trafficked children should be treated as victims and be diverted from the justice system to appropriate services. Beginning with New York in 2010, half of all states now have a law that allows someone who committed a crime while being trafficked the opportunity to get it wiped from their record.The flurry of state legislation is important, supporters say. But a new law is only the first step; implementation is much harder. They have stopped being invisible children, at least here, says OMalley. But, candidly, the law enforcement community is still trying to get training, trying to figure out how to implement the laws that have been passed to help these kids.In other words, Alameda County, despite being one of the most active jurisdictions in the country on this issue, is still waiting to see real change. Thats true across the country, says Meredith Dank, the lead author of a 2010 Urban Institute report that made more than a dozen policy recommendations for cities and counties combating human trafficking. Weve been talking about a victim-centered approach for a very, very long time, she says. But there isnt really the evidence to show that were taking that, because we are still arresting so many [young women].was one of those young women. For her, being a victim of the sex trade didnt just leave psychological scars, it left her with a rap sheet that included assault and prostitution. A young kid who grew up in the foster care system in Chicago, she was adopted at age 12. Soon after, she met a man 15 years her senior, who showered her with attention and gifts. He told her he understood her. Frundt thought she fell in love with him.He convinced her to join him and his family in Cleveland, and at the age of 14, Frundt ran away with him. But in Cleveland, she found his family was actually a sex ring, run by the mans grandmother. Frundt was told she had to do her part. She was repeatedly raped and forced to meet a $500-a-night quota. When she didnt, she was beaten.A year after arriving in Cleveland, she was arrested in a police raid. But juvenile detention provided no real respite. Jails not safe, Frundt says today, more than 20 years later. I picked up six charges of assault while I was there. Other girls are in there trying to get you to go to their pimp.After her release, she was left to deal with the mental and physical scars on her own. It was too tall an order for a teenager, and she fell back into the same situation with the man and his family. First you need to escape your own mind, right? she says. I didnt exit [his scheme] until my late 20s.Frundt now works with other survivors at a safe house she founded in Washington, D.C., and she helps train law enforcement officers through her position on area task forces and the White Houses Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. She says one of the biggest parts of her job is changing peoples perception that young women have a choice in these sex trafficking schemes. Pop culture tends to portray prostitutes as willing sex workers, or perhaps even as dominant women in total control over their male clients. Pimps, meanwhile, are either treated as a joke -- think of the number of cartoony pimp costumes for sale every Halloween -- or glorified in pop music. In some cases, thanks in part to shows like MTVs Pimp My Ride, the word has become aspirational. To combat those perceptions, advocacy groups across the country have launched awareness campaigns in recent years. Theyve sponsored billboards and bus stop ads that say things like, Buying a teen for sex is child abuse. Turning a blind eye is neglect. And, Teens sold for sex arent prostitutes. Theyre rape victims.As public sentiment has shifted, so have state laws, culminating in the 18 states that now ban minors from being arrested for prostitution. But laws like those present a new challenge: If police cant lock up youths involved in prostitution, what can they do? At the very least, detaining child prostitutes is a way to temporarily remove them from a bad situation. True, jail time comes with its own traumas, as it did for Frundt. But in California, for example, the problem now is that the state doesnt have the right infrastructure to treat and rehabilitate victims. Child welfare is responsible for responding to them, but the system doesnt yet have a specific treatment plan in place. Nor is there a network of safe houses to send victims for treatment. The smattering of religious facilities and privately run centers isnt enough.Actually reaching the kids who need help can be a challenge too, as Minnesota has learned. Lawmakers there chose to enact a three-year waiting period after eliminating the charge of prostitution for children in 2011. Officials used that time to develop a comprehensive service response model for victims. The first year, legislators funded training of law enforcement and the creation of statewide protocols. The following two years saw about $2 million in funding for creating specialized tracts within existing social and health services that treat survivors. The efforts have made Minnesota the leader in terms of developing a holistic approach to treating survivors.But on implementation in 2014, health officials ran into another problem. If police stop picking up kids selling sex, how can potential victims find the services available to them? Officials realized they needed to think about outreach in a different way, and started relying more on survivor and youth voices to help them get their message across. Victim is a very loaded term when youre approaching these youths, says Lauren Ryan, director of Safe Harbor Minnesota. We have to meet them where theyre at, and that means recognizing the other ways they might present, like running away, drug abuse, a violent relationship. Those are the ways they show up as opposed to exploitation.Police still play a vital role, say Ryan and others, because they should be approaching potential prostitution victims in much the same way they handle anyone they suspect is in an abusive relationship -- communicating with them and connecting them to available services and support. But it can be extremely difficult for that attitude to take root among officers.Maryland, for example, set up a human trafficking task force a decade ago that trains police to focus on going after the traffickers rather than the prostitutes. But the numbers suggest officers have been slow to change. In Baltimore, a hub for trafficking, a University of Maryland newspapers analysis of FBI data showed that from 2008 to 2012, city police made about 800 prostitution arrests each year. In 2013 and 2014, the city only charged a total of 10 suspects with sex trafficking; prosecutors wound up dropping the charges in eight of the cases.Its an ongoing process, says Iona Rudisill, a state task force member and lead forensic interviewer at the Baltimore Child Abuse Center. Police in the state are still allowed to arrest youths for prostitution, but the training theyve received from the task force in recent years has urged them to take their detainees to child welfare services instead of jail. Part of the challenge for police, says Rudisill, is being able to pick up on signals that might suggest a child is a victim of trafficking -- things like dealing drugs or skipping school. Many survivors have been stopped and, just because of the [antagonistic] way they were treated by law enforcement, they didnt speak up, she says. What you see on the surface might not be whats actually going on behind closed doors.the picture often gets complicated. The social situations that drive many young girls into prostitution are often the same factors that drive men into trafficking. In many cases, traffickers grow up with exploitation as a family business. It becomes normalized and often looks like a safer career than drug trafficking. One 45-year-old African-American man, now in prison, told the Urban Institutes Dank about when he realized as a child that his aunt, who lived with his family, was a sex worker. At the age of 5, he started noticing men coming and going all the time. One night, I saw [what was going on] and asked, the man said, as quoted in the institutes report. She said, The clothes on your back, the apartment, this is how I pay the rent. I had nothing but love for my auntie.  Then my sister and my momma did it. Its been in the family. My uncle and father were pimps.According to the institutes interviews with 73 incarcerated individuals, mostly men, roughly a third started pimping through a family member. Two-thirds were black. More than two-thirds had completed a high school education or even taken some college courses. Four of those interviewed had a college degree.Its evidence, says Dank, that the new state laws and new law enforcement techniques will only go so far. Demonizing sex traffickers may not be the most effective way to curtail the trade. We have taken this issue of human trafficking and put it in black-and-white terms: These individuals are monsters, she says. We dont necessarily look at the full picture of what the push-pull factors are for the victim and the perpetrator. In other words, if governments really want to address sex trafficking, theyll have to start focusing on prevention -- and thats a lot harder.There are other shortcomings with current legislation, say Dank and others, even with the most victim-oriented laws. So far, all the laws address minors; the day a 17-year-old in sex trafficking turns 18, he or she loses most legal protections and is seen by the law as a criminal. Legislation is also largely focused on young women, but boys and transgender teens are being trafficked as well, and they tend to present differently and thus require different training and social and health services. Beyond that, much of the recent lawmaking on trafficking has targeted the sex industry, but labor trafficking and domestic servitude are also billion-dollar industries, and they can be even harder to build a case against.For now, most governments are in the nascent stages of recalibrating their approach -- if this issue is on their radar at all. Officials universally say that awareness and training are the most important things they can do to start changing the mindset, and that survivors must play a key role in outreach. They hope more legislation and money for resources will then follow. Its a process akin to the emergence of drug courts in the 1990s. Back then, county and state governments began to recognize that habitual drug offenders might not be in control of their choices, and that locking them away probably wont solve the problem. Two decades later, governments are realizing that young girls and boys selling sex might not be doing so by choice either, and that the traditional ways of responding to them may do more harm than good.For victims advocates on the front lines, the pace of change has been frustratingly slow. Human trafficking has always been in existence. All it did was change names, says Rudisill. Its been slavery, its been human bondage. The Emancipation Proclamation was supposed to stop it from happening here. But it didnt stop -- we know this. It just changed faces.
Description

GIS - 19 January, 2017: The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) collaborated with the Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries, Shipping and Outer Islands to organise a Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) from 16 to 19 January 2017. The exercise is part of an ongoing collaboration with AMSA known as the Search and Rescue Capability Partnership Programme. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) collaborated with the Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries, Shipping and Outer Islands to organise a Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) from 16 to 19 January 2017.The exercise is part of an ongoing collaboration with AMSA known as the Search and Rescue Capability Partnership Programme.

A debriefing of the week-long activity run by Senior Search and Rescue Officer, Ms Cindy Francis, was conducted this morning at the ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries, Shipping and Outer Islands in Port Louis, where Minister Premdut Koonjoo, and Australias High Commissioner to Mauritius, Ms Susan Coles, met the press for a review.

Minister Koonjoo reaffirmed the Governments commitment for the development of a sustainable blue economy and for fulfilling its obligation towards the maritime community which includes capacity building in SAR for the safety of life and property at sea. He also expressed his gratitude to the Government of Australia for the funding and resources that have been deployed for the enhanced SAR capability in Mauritius and the region.

For her part, High Commissioner Coles said: Australia is committed to playing an active and constructive role in the Indian Ocean and projects such as the Search and Rescue Capability Partnership Programme reflect Australias commitment to this region and in particular to our shared maritime safety and security .

The Search and Rescue Capability Partnership Programme

The AMSAs current programme of collaboration with the Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries, Shipping and Outer Islands, the National Coast Guard and the Department of Civil Aviation dates back to January 2015 when the Search and Rescue Capability Partnership Programme (SCPP) was first launched.

The $2.6 million programme funding which is being provided by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through its Government Partnerships for Development programme will help strengthen SAR capabilities in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Mauritius. The programme will run until June 2018.



The Programme is assisting partner countries to strengthen their national SAR services to enable more effective response to maritime and aviation distress situations in their SAR areas. Search and rescue requires a cooperative and coordinated response across multiple government agencies including those involved in maritime and aviation operations and policy, policing, defence, weather prediction and the private sector.

In Mauritius, SAR authorities have worked collaboratively with the AMSA and supported all activities for enhancing SAR capability. Successful activities delivered to date have included SAR training in Port Louis and Singapore, training and implementation of the e-Broadcasts and Search and Rescue Calculator systems, Search and Rescue Exercises, and a meeting of the National SAR Standing Committee with over fifteen SAR organisations and agencies of Mauritius represented.

Search and Rescue Exercises are designed to practise and determine the readiness of organisations involved in a SAR response operation. They confirm that trained staff follow established procedures and use available systems to develop an effective SAR response plan. Outcomes and areas for improvement are determined through a debrief discussion and recommendations are made for consideration by the participating agencies.
Description

GIS  19 January, 2016: Government is taking necessary actions to ensure that the finance sector remains vibrant so as to attract investors for the right reasons. Operating in transparency and respecting international norms and standards are among the various incentives put in place so that Mauritius remains competitive at the international level and safeguard its own economy.

This statement was made yesterday by the Minister of Financial Services, Good Governance and Institutional Reforms, Mr S. Bhadain, at the opening of a three-day workshop on National Money Laundering Risk Assessment, being held at Le Meridien Hotel, Pointe aux Piments.

The Minister underscored that the workshop will raise awareness about different types of risks related to a country and the proper allocation of resources to mitigate possible threats through a risk-based approach.

He underlined that a framework designed to prevent money laundering and combat terrorist financing is most successful when it targets resources where they will be most effectively used. He further added that there is a need to use available resources for the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing.

The National Risk Assessment is an effective framework designed to prevent money laundering and combat terrorist financing. This risk-based approach seeks to ensure that anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism regimes support measures corresponding to the involved risks.

The workshop will focus on the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force for countries to identify, assess and understand money laundering risks within their specific contexts. To help this happen, the World Bank has developed a Risk Assessment advisory package to support countries in conducting their risk assessment through a systematic and organised process in view of helping countries to identify their risks and build a longer term capacity to sustain hazard.

Some 135 participants from different financial institutions are attending the workshop, organised by the Ministry of Financial Services, Good Governance and Institutional Reforms in collaboration with Financial Intelligence Unit and the World Bank. It will focus on the review and discussion of risk assessment results, the design of risk-based action plans and the issues related to its implementation.

The participants, after discussions and brainstorming, are expected to design a roadmap for the execution of a risk assessment methodology under the guidance of the representatives from World Bank.

The themes that will be discussed are: threat analysis; national vulnerability; banking sector; securities sector; insurance sector; offshore sector; other financial institutions and Designated Non-Financial Business Professions.
(TNS) - What if you could buy flood coverage from a private insurance company, pay less money and get the same or better benefits as a policy sold through the National Flood Insurance Program?You might. That's what Louis G. Fey Jr. did. Fey is vice president of risk management for Wright & Percy Insurance in Baton Rouge. He's one of a small but growing number of homeowners in less flood-prone areas who have made the move to private flood coverage.But the obvious allure of private flood insurance, which isn't available to people living in high-risk zones, underscores what experts say could be a much larger downside. Private insurers cherry-picking properties in the least risky areas eventually could doom the already underfunded, government-sponsored National Flood Insurance Program, Fey and others said."It gives me the same limits of coverage for about $200 less a year," Fey said of his private policy, "but I also get additional living expenses and replacement cost coverage, which I can't get through the National Flood Insurance Program."Under NFIP, a homeowner can purchase up to $250,000 in coverage for structural damage and $100,000 for contents. But contents coverage is limited to "actual cash value," or the replacement cost minus depreciation. That means the gap between what the policy will pay for a 5-year-old sofa and the cost for a new one can be considerable.Fey's private flood policy includes replacement cost, the actual amount he would need to buy a new sofa or a television. In addition, and unlike NFIP policies, his new policy includes additional living expenses, money that covers costs such as a hotel room if flooding renders his house uninhabitable."What's happening is these private insurers are gobbling up all these prime properties that are not in flood-prone areas," Fey said. "And they're able to do that and reduce premium and give better coverage for those risks because (those properties) probably are not going to flood."If the same people buy coverage through NFIP, they pay more because they're helping subsidize premiums for more flood-prone homes, Fey said. By cost shifting, NFIP makes coverage more affordable for high-risk properties.Fey bought his policy from Western World, a surplus lines company, whose officials were not available for comment over the past two weeks.Surplus lines companies rates are regulated in the state where their headquarters are located. To do business in Louisiana, they must register and meet eligibility and financial requirements, such as $15 million in capital and surplus, although the insurance commissioner can approve totals as low as $4.5 million. If the companies fail, their claims won't be paid by the state's guaranty fund. Surplus lines companies have been selling flood insurance for years, but those typically are supplemental policies that cover any damage above the NFIP limits or provide additional benefits.In Louisiana, surplus lines companies don't sell much in the way of flood insurance.The 20 largest surplus lines brokers in Louisiana had just $1.1 million in annual premiums for the same kind of coverage offered by NFIP, state Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said. The Insurance Department does not know how many properties are covered, but Donelon believes lower premiums drove the purchases.The most recent figures show NFIP covers 480,000 residential and commercial properties in Louisiana, representing $355 million in annual premiums.Neither Donelon nor the National Association of Surplus Lines Offices expect surplus lines companies will take away make much of the flood business from NFIP  for now. That's because the main driver for flood insurance is lenders requiring homebuyers in high-risk zones to carry the coverage, and that the coverage is from NFIP, Donelon said.Brady Kelley, executive director of the National Association of Surplus Lines Offices, said surplus lines companies excel at underwriting very specific risks, but those risks tend to be more complex. This more granular approach, while effective, tends to limit the volume of properties surplus lines companies insure against flooding.Kelley expects the real competition for NFIP will come from standard carriers, companies like Chubb and AIG, which are state-regulated.Standard carriers have steered clear of offering their own flood policies for half a century. The NFIP was established in 1968 because property owners couldn't buy flood insurance on the private market.But Congress opened the door to private flood insurance in the 2012 bill reauthorizing the NFIP. So far only a few standard carriers have stepped in, but could find that door opening wider when Congress renews the program, which expires Sept. 30.At present, several dozen standard companies, which represent a very large share of the private insurance market, write and service NFIP policies, Kelley said. But under federal law, the companies that sell NFIP policies can't offer their own competing products.Private flood coverage also has been limited by the 2012 bill's wording, which led to some uncertainty about whether private flood policies meet mortgage lenders' requirements, Kelley said. The U.S. House of Representatives attempted to clarify the law in 2016 but the rewrite didn't make it out of the Senate.Donelon said he expects Congress will tackle the issue again.There's a much greater push from reinsurers and standard companies anxious to get into the private flood insurance market, Donelon said. Reinsurers, which insure insurance companies, are flush with cash from investors and looking for other opportunities to profit. For the moment, their focus is on private flood policies."Insurers always feel they can price that risk. That's what they do. That's their profession," Donelon said.The appetite for the private flood business varies from state to state, although the trend is so new that national figures aren't yet available. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners began gathering data in 2016 and expects to issue a report around March.The move to basic private flood coverage began just a couple of years ago, said Aaron Brandenburg, statistical information manager for the NAIC."There wasn't much written. Even now most of it's written on a surplus-lines basis," Brandenberg said.A number of "Lloyds companies"  insurance syndicates where members assume part of every risk  have been active in the South's private flood market.Don Griffin, vice president of personal lines for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, said Florida has the most progressive stance on private flood coverage.Three years ago, the state passed a law to make it easier for insurers to move into the business, Griffin said. Still, there are probably fewer than 10,000 private flood policies in Florida, which has about 1.8 million NFIP policies.In Louisiana, none of the standard companies offer basic flood coverage for homeowners, Donelon said, and only a few surplus lines companies do.It's different in Pennsylvania, where the state Insurance Department set up a flood insurance web page that includes contact information for 17 standard companies and 40 surplus lines brokers. The department launched the page in February to help consumers find cheaper alternatives to NFIP, spokesman Ron Ruman said.When the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversees NFIP, redrew flood maps, many homeowners found themselves in high-risk flood zones for the first time. Flood insurance rates soared.By encouraging private flood coverage, Pennsylvania has saved some serious cash for consumers whose homes may have been redrawn into flood plains, or whose property is only partially in a flood plain. One homeowner who was paying $2,000 for an NFIP policy found private coverage for $400, according to the department. Another cut flood insurance premiums by $2,000 a year.Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller has warned the private market probably won't insure homes in the highest-risk areas.But Griffin, with the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, expects insurers to take on higher-risk properties."It will happen. It will happen. If they think they can make money, they will underwrite the risk," he said.2017 The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.Visit The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La. at www.theadvocate.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
There are currently 1,763 citizens of Ukraine wanted by Interpol, Head of the administration of the Interpol National Central Bureau for Ukraine Vasyl Nevolia has said.

"There are 1,763 Ukrainians who are wanted by Interpol. As a rule, our citizens are wanted for the committing "popular crimes" - murders, robberies, thefts [...] Most of them are property crimes," he said during the hotline conversation at the 'Komsomolska Pravda in Ukraine' in Kyiv on Thursday.

Nevolia believes that this figure is quite large. In this context, the head of the Ukrainian Interpol Bureau expressed the need to improve procedures for the international wanted list so that the whole complex mechanism of investigation will not be used for minor crimes.
The emergency community in Michigan may have fewer Amber Alerts to respond to this year, as the state implements new measures intended to pare back use of the emergency child-abduction notification system.Michigan recently redefined its criteria for Amber Alerts to fix definitions that law enforcement officials say were drawn too broadly. The new guidelines fall more closely in line with U.S. Department of Justice guidelines and more closely fit the systems original intent.If we adhered strictly to the old criteria, we could have put out an Amber Alert every single day in Michigan, said Detective Sgt. Sarah C. Krebs, who heads Amber Alerts for the Michigan Department of State Police Missing Persons Coordination Unit.The state sounded the missing child alert 10 times in 2016, and it has been as high as 40 in a single year. Thats a lot, especially when you factor in the use of text notifications. When an Amber Alert goes out at 3 a.m., an entire districts population may hear their phones go off. Authorities want to limit how often that happens, rather than risk the public getting jaded and tuning out.This ability to engage the public in real time has brought more children home than any other single tool, said Bob Lowery, vice president who oversees the missing children division at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. We want to avoid car alarm syndrome. When car alarms first came out, we would all turn our attention. Now they go off so often, the public is desensitized. Thats the last thing we want, the public ignoring us at moments where we really need them engaged.The new rules require a text message, or Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), anytime an Amber Alert goes off. A vehicle license plate number is no longer required for a WEA. With this in mind, authorities looked for ways to contain the number of possible alerts that will be sounded.In the past, the states Amber Alerts covered a range of circumstances beyond the stereotypical stranger abduction envisioned by the systems builders. Authorities have sounded the alarm when kids with disabilities have wandered off, for instance, or in cases of parental kidnapping.Now those circumstances are off the list. With the recent introduction of an Endangered Missing Advisory, responders now have an alternate way to address these circumstances which, while critical, may be best addressed by some means other than an Amber Alert.There are a lot of parents of children with disabilities who disagree with this, but from a law enforcement perspective, those children dont often dont need an Amber Alert, Krebs said. Its not that they are not endangered, but they can be handled in a different way. There can be a local community response.Take a hypothetical child who wanders off in the woods. If we put out an Amber Alert for that in just one district of Michigan, what good would it do to have people know that there is a child in the woods? Krebs said. The child is on foot, there is a limited area where they can go. And law enforcement doesnt necessarily want the public wandering around on the scene trying to help. That case can better be handled by the local law enforcement agency.Last summer Michigan police declined to send out an Amber Alert when a girl went missing with her mother: There was no obvious, immediate risk. When they found moms car and realized she was with a known sex offender, they sounded the alert. Thorough police work located the mom in Florida, and the child was unharmed.The lesson for emergency managers and first responders? That case did not need an Amber Alert. It needed a good, old-fashioned police investigation, Krebs said. It wasnt the Amber Alert that led us to the mother and child. It was people being interviewed. That is still what gets results in a missing child case.In seeking to reduce the number of Amber Alerts, Michigan isnt suggesting that the system itself is ineffective. In fact, the alerts have racked up a substantial track record since being introduced two decades ago.The U.S. Department of Justice reports that there are 86 Amber Plans throughout the country. Some 800 children have been rescued specifically because of Amber Alerts, including 25 children found because of WEAs.Even as it moves to limit some aspects of the system, Michigan is putting in place expanded definitions, for instance by extending the maximum Amber age up from 16 to 17 years old. Those older children make poor choices at times, Krebs said. Their brains are not developed enough to call them adults.Advocates applaud the shift. Its absolutely a good thing. We have teenage children who are abducted and in fact the older the child, the harder it is sometimes for law enforcement to recognize the risk, Lowery said. If a 5-year-old goes missing, we automatically know to have all hands on deck. With an older child, there is a risk that they will be simply labeled as a runaway, when in fact they may have been taken by someone.While the age adjustment opens up the possibility of additional alerts, Michigans overall intent still is to narrow the use of the system to only the most urgent and critical cases. Law enforcement experts read this as a positive move.It may seem appropriate to send out an Amber Alert for every type of situation needing intervention to protect a child. The balance for such a tool is to be sure that the alert is not overused, said Anthony S. Mangeri, a faculty member in the School of Security and Global Studies at American Military University.Michigans efforts may lead to improved public attention because of the uniqueness of the alert, he said. If the public senses the urgency, they may be more likely to listen and provide important information.
Increasing requests

Technology change

(TNS)  Last year Yakima County responded to 2,453 requests for public documents. Many of those had multiple parts, each requiring research of thousands of documents.For example, one recent request in the countys planning department contained 10 boxes of documents.Answering requests isnt always simple. Documents must be reviewed to redact confidential information, a process that could take weeks or months depending on the size and scope of the request, said the countys public records officer, Stormy Miller.People think theyre just going to put in their record requests and get their documents  and its not that easy, she said.Meanwhile, as government agencies grapple with a growing number of requests, advancements in technology further complicate responses.Now cities and counties statewide are unifying behind a push to change the Public Records Act that would charge fees for electronic documents and require disputes over public disclosure requests be solved through dispute resolution rather than in court. Its unclear how much the fee would be but the thought is it would be comparable to the 15 cents typically charged for paper copies.Other proposed changes to the law would include requiring clear language governing how requests are to be made, and providing municipalities with technical and funding assistance in improving records management.Spearheaded by the Association of Washington Cities, the effort also has the support of the Washington State Association of Counties.Approved by voters in 1972, the public records act protects citizens right to know how their governments operate and is a tool to provide accountability.Were not looking for anything too radical, said Josh Weiss, policy and legislative director of the association of counties in Olympia. Our members are often viewed as being opposed to open government, but thats not the case at all.A group composed of city, county, state and media representatives has been refining changes that eventually will be proposed to state lawmakers.There are three draft bills now in Olympia proposing fees for electronic documents, improving training and software for records managements, and establishing a court similar to a small claims court that would exclusively handle disputes over records requests.Those changes would help agencies respond more quickly and efficiently to requests, said Rep. Joan McBride, D-Kirkland, who is working on the bills.Its an essential part of government that our local agencies produce documents to the public quickly and efficiently when they are requested, she said.Rep. Norm Johnson, R-Yakima, also supports the proposed changes. He previously served on the Yakima City Council.When I was on the City Council, we had to hire a person just to do public records requests, he said. Its become a very costly thing for the taxpayers, and what it does is it takes away resources from other things.Media representatives arent sold on all the proposals but primarily support charging for electronic documents, said Roland Thomson, executive director of Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, which advocates for government transparency and provides newspapers with legal advice concerning public disclosure.Were not going to let them change any penalties, procedures on how you go about a lawsuit, he said. None of thats changing."According to a study conducted by the state Auditors Office, records requests increased by 36 percent statewide between 2011 and 2015. Last year alone statewide governments spent more than $60 million fulfilling 114,000 records requests.The city of Yakima, which responded to 1,872 requests last year, spends about $500,000 a year responding to such inquiries, said city spokesman Randy Beehler. The city and county continue to see slight increases in requests, with the city receiving 1,903 in 2015 and 1,788 the previous year.In 2014, the county was hit with a total of 2,038 requests, and in 2015 the number was 2,158 before topping at 2,453 last year.Broad requests that come in seeking volumes of information seemingly without specific intent are more of a problem, Beehler said.We often get very broad requests and it becomes very challenging  requests saying (they) want all documents that include a word, such as Randy, Beehler said. Well, Ive worked for the city for 25 years and there are other Randys that work here.Such requests can bog down operations by forcing staff to wade through volumes of documents, he said.One of the biggest challenges we face is every line of every document has to be reviewed for potential redactions, he said. Thats what becomes so time-consuming for us and what makes it difficult for us to keep up with the volume of requests we get. If we release the wrong stuff, we could get hit with a lawsuit.Some requests come from people or law firms with ulterior motives, Weiss said.Some intentions are not to get public records, but to harass agencies that fired them, or law firms looking to trip up government agencies in attempt to be awarded attorney fees they get reimbursed for, he said.Email and electronic files may be responsible for increases in records requests.Nowadays, most government agencies store documents electronically and can simply respond to records requests electronically.But the electronic exchange is more beneficial to the one making the request than the agency providing the documents, which still have to be reviewed thoroughly for potential redactions.There are no fees for receiving electronic documents; paper documents typically cost the requester about 15 cents a page in copy charges.Some government agencies are even swarmed with automatic email requests called chatbots from one requester several times a day, Weiss said.You get a bot every 15 seconds seeking a different request, he said.That example came out of Snohomish County. Its not a common thing, but its not a unique thing either.Placing some sort of charge on electronic documents would force people to pause before making frivolous requests and would help government agencies recoup some of the cost of having to produce records, Thomson said.Were negotiating our way for a modest charge per gigabyte, he said. If those people have to pay $5 for a large request, theyll often go away.
Includes video

Students, parents, and educators from across Washington gathered at the state's Capitol to communicate their need for more state funding.

Olympia - More than 6,500 students, educators, and parents assembled across the capitol steps Monday, Jan. 16, to shout out their frustrations over the state's failure to fund basic education, its constitutional duty.

Speakers at the Rally for Student Civil Rights and Amply Funded Public Schools referred to Dr. Martin Luther King's fight for equality. Monday was his Day.

"In honoring Martin Luther King Jr., Washington can look to his words for inspiration and a call to action," said Summer Stinson, co-founder and vice-president of Washington's Paramount Duty, an organization formed to push for fully funding the state's basic education system.

She reflected on Dr. King's 1963 speech at the Lincoln Memorial, where he expressed that African Americans were not provided the rights that the Declaration of Independence and Constitution promised for all Americans; Black Americans had received a check "marked 'insufficient funds.'"

"Washington's check to its children has come back marked "insufficient funds," Stinson continued. The state's inequities have most impacted students who need support, including children with disabilities, children of color, and children who are learning English.

Students attending the rally spoke about funding inequalities within their schools.

"I strongly believe there should be more African American teachers in history because I feel we should be teaching our African American students about our history," said student Decorlan Roundtree.

"It's young men and young women being told that their education, their time, and their future, is not valued by the state or by its leaders," Garfield High School student Duncan King said to the cheering crowd. "I implore the members of the Washington State Legislature to keep these students in mind and meet their constitutional obligation to fully fund education."

Paul Schneider, a Spokane social studies teacher and parent, urged the rally participants to initiate change by pressing lawmakers to sufficiently fund "high-quality schools, support programs, an education that connects all students to school, and education professionals who are the "best trained in the nation."

"Unfortunately too many kids come to us traumatized, too many kids come hungry, and too many kids do not have that same freedom to dream," he said. "Their futures are uncertain, dictated by zip code, skin color, and the crushing bigotry of institutional inertia."

Students, educators, and parents met with their district legislators to discuss the education funding issue.

Courtney Stange-Tregear met with Rep. Noelle Frame (D-Seattle), and Sen. Reuven Carlyle (D-Seattle). Stange-Tregear has three children who attend Adams Elementary School and is frustrated with the budget shortfalls Seattle Public Schools currently faces.

Responding to a question about how much leverage Seattle lawmakers have in the education funding issue, Frame expressed the importance of attending events, such as the rally, where citizens can communicate with lawmakers. Stange-Tregear appreciated Frame's message, but doesn't believe she gave a sufficient answer.

Rally participants gathered in the Capitol to listen to messages from Gov. Jay Inslee and Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal.

"Every child deserves a decent shot," Inslee said. He believes that his proposed education budget works to educate all students in the state. Both Inslee and Reykdal reiterated the importance of communicating with legislators about fully funding education.

(This story is part of a series of news reports from the Washington State Legislature provided through a reporting internship sponsored by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation. Reach reporter Grace Swanson at grace.swanson47@gmail.com)
Kevin Magnussen says he was "disappointed" to hear about his former Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul's recent parting shot.

Last week, as the Danish driver heads to Haas for 2017, his former Renault chief Abiteboul said Magnussen "stood still" last year.

"Personally, I was disappointed in Magnussen, for his performances and his behaviour," the Frenchman told Auto Hebdo magazine.

"Kevin is a talented driver, but he lacks discipline. Also, he tries all too often to make excuses."

When asked about those disparaging remarks, Magnussen said during a visit to Haas' F1 headquarters: "I will not comment on Cyril's opinions at all."

Asked by the Danish newspaper BT if he really wants to leave Abiteboul's claims unchallenged, Magnussen insisted: "Yes, I can do that.

"I don't think it will do any good to talk about it. But it's clear that I am surprised. And disappointed," the 24-year-old added.

For Magnussen, the comments are actually an unfortunate pattern, as following his departure from McLaren he was similarly criticised by Ron Dennis.

"Yes, I can see that. But what should I do?" Magnussen responded.

Asked if his former teams might both be guilty of pointing fingers rather than acknowledging their own shortcomings, he concluded: "It could be something like that."

(GMM)
Two Ukrainian servicemen were injured in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in Donbas in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk said.

"No Ukrainian servicemen died in the hostilities over the past day. Two soldiers of ours sustained injuries," he told a press briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.

Ten shelling incidents were observed in the Luhansk sector in the past 24 hours, including six with use of heavy weapons, Motuzianyk said, adding that hostiles attacked Ukrainian army positions in Stanytsia Luhanska and in the Popasna district. He reported seven attacks in the Donetsk sector. "In the Mariupol sector, hostiles continued to shell Slavne and Novotroitske, and mortar attacks were seen near Talakivka and Pavlopil. In all, 20 hostile attacks were observed in that area, including two attacks employing heavy weapons," Motuzianyk said.
Former F1 driver Christian Klien is starting his year by finally completing his compulsory military service in his native Austria.

Now 33, it is over a decade ago that the former Jaguar, Red Bull and HRT driver began his F1 career by deferring his service, which is compulsory in Austria.

"I was just about to come into F1 with Jaguar, but the army was really cooperative about it," Klien, now a GT3 driver and F1 pundit, told Speed Week.

"Now I am fulfilling my obligation, even though I have lived abroad for ten years," he said.

"Even my friend Kimi Raikkonen had to do his service in Finland, and obviously it didn't hurt him," Klien smiled.

On F1 matters, Klien said he is looking forward to being in the paddock for Austrian television in 2017, and seeing how the drivers fare with the quicker cars.

"For sure 2017 will be physically harder for everyone because of the wider tyres and the new aerodynamics," he said.

"Maybe they'll have to work as hard as we did in the mid 2000s. No matter who you ask - Alonso, Webber - they all say they were physically at the limit. For me this was normal. I knew nothing else," added Klien.

(GMM)
McLaren executive Zak Brown has confirmed reports the British team might be set for a livery change in 2017.

With supremo Ron Dennis now ousted, speculation suggests the Honda-powered marque might return to its roots and switch to its traditional orange this year.

"We have been showing the McLaren guys and girls and we are very excited," Brown is quoted by Spain's El Confidencial.

"I think the fans will be happy to see how the car will look, both technically and aesthetically," he added.

It also appears that good sponsorship news is on the horizon, with a photo on Twitter of Stoffel Vandoorne wearing a Castrol-logoed grey team t-shirt having emerged.

It comes as McLaren loses its long-time oil sponsor Mobil to Red Bull.

Finally, Brown said McLaren is determined to keep its top driver Fernando Alonso on board beyond 2017, with talks about a new contract to be discussed this year.

"We would like to keep Fernando, of course," the American is quoted by Auto Bild.

But Brown also admitted that it will be an "exciting" year on the driver market, with Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari deal also set to run out.

"He is also without a contract for next year, so it will be an exciting year on the market," he said.

(GMM)
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko at a meeting with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte in Davos has said Ukraine is waiting for the Netherlands to ratify the Association Agreement with the European Union as soon as possible.

"The head of state stressed that the decision of the December meeting of the European Council opens prospects for the completion of the ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union by the Netherlands," the president's press service reported.

In turn, the Dutch prime minister confirmed his country's support for Ukraine in the need to maintain sanctions against Russia until the full implementation the Minsk agreements and the restoration of the territorial integrity of the state, including Crimea, as well as the speedy introduction of the EU visa-free regime for Ukrainian citizens.

The two officials also coordinated efforts aimed at bringing those responsible for the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 to justice.
On Monday, January 23, at 11.00, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press conference entitled "Political Leaders of Ukrainian Donbas." The participants will include director of the Center for Civil Society Studies Vitaliy Kulyk and expert of the Center for Civil Society Studies Dmytro Vozny. Results of the expert survey on the state of the political leadership in Donbas will be presented (8/5a Reitarska Street). Accreditation is required by phone: (066) 110 0006.
Cellulosic and biorefining technology company Edeniq has raised $7 million in equity capital. The proceeds will be used to support growth in Edeniqs Pathway cellulosic ethanol business. The company is focusing on customer acquisition, adding resources to support existing customers, and developing technology enhancements that can potentially increase the amount of cellulosic ethanol eligible for D3 RINs and other regulatory incentives at each customer plant.

The companys largest existing investors, including Flint Hills Resources, Angeleno Group, I2BF Global Ventures, and Cyrus Capital participated in the equity round. Trinity Capital Investment was a new equity investor in the round. Trinity previously provided debt financing and, concurrently with the equity financing, Trinity amended and restated its debt facility for the Company.

Edeniqs Pathway Technology is a low-cost solution for producing cellulosic ethanol from corn kernel fiber, utilizing existing fermenters at corn ethanol plants. Within the past four months, three ethanol plants have received cellulosic ethanol registrations from the EPA after deploying Edeniqs Pathway technology.
The 12 companies bring together their different expertise from the V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communications innovation ecosystem, such as wireless communication design, data analytics and network security. The industry partners include Panasonic, software multinational Red Hat, automotive system manufacturers Schaeffler and Denso, as well as ST Kinetics, the land systems and speciality vehicles arm of ST Engineering.

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and NXP Semiconductors have launched Singapores first Smart Mobility Consortium to focus on testing and developing smart mobility technologies. The technologies will be tested on the NTU campus, which serves as a living test bed, bringing together 12 industry partners to form the NTU-NXP Smart Mobility Consortium.

The backbone of the test bed at NTU is supported by NXP Semiconductors, the secure communication systems of which can link cars, traffic lights and other infrastructure in a campus-wide network.

Professor Yoon Soon Fatt, Chair of NTUs School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, said NTU has a proven track record when it comes to joint industry research partnerships and practical solutions over the years. The new consortium will be a platform to turn such innovations into actual products, which can then be adapted to other big cities facing similar smart mobility challenges like Singapore, said Prof Yoon.

The new consortium will enable more industry partners to test their smart solutions while enjoying the benefits of cost-sharing on the test bed, which is supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Some of the technologies developed in the test bed, such as the automated video analysis and environmental sensors have other potential beyond mobility and can also be deployed as solutions for Singapores Smart Nation initiative.

Working with the consortium members, NTU and NXP will be launching projects to develop and trial new technologies and solutions for a suite of mobility applications that will enhance safety of both driven and driverless vehicles as well as personal mobility devices.

The NTU-NXP Smart Mobility Test Bed is built using the latest technology from NTU and NXP. It consists of 50 vehicles equipped with a smart on-board unit and 35 roadside units with video cameras mounted on street lamps throughout the university.

The test bed enables companies, research institutes and government agencies to deploy, test and validate V2X wireless applications that allow vehicles to interact seamlessly and safely with traffic infrastructure and vehicles around them.

Fully deployed since December 2016, the test bed is a campus-wide V2X network, which has an always on data center capable of handling live video and V2X data collection. It also has a command center that can monitor NTUs traffic in real time and broadcast safety information.

The network runs on the IEEE 802.11p and 1609 standard, an international Wi-Fi like standard suite developed specifically for vehicular use. The test beds ready infrastructure makes it easy for industry partners to plug in and test their technologies at NTU with access to staff and students as trial participants.

For example, NTU and Panasonic have demonstrated various smart traffic camera technologies, where vehicles and their speed can be detected automatically along roads at NTU. If successful, this smart surveillance technology can identify vehicles which flout traffic laws, warning nearby smart vehicles to be cautious while alerting authorities.
Route Monkey already works with Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh on creating and enhancing innovative algorithms for transport and travel ( earlier post ). The two are now joining forces with the Networked Quantum Information Technologies Hub ( NQIT ), led by the University of Oxford. Together, the three organizations will develop, test and commercialize quantum algorithms.

Scotland-based route optimization specialist Route Monkey, a unit of telematics and big data company Trakm8, is working on a new generation of transport and mobility algorithms for quantum computers.

The leap forward in the capabilities offered by quantum computing opens up a whole new field. We can create algorithms that deliver even faster and more accurate answers, to ever more complex transport and mobility challenges. Colin Ferguson, Trakm8 Groups Managing Director of Fleet and Optimization

A quantum computer is a device that exploits the weirdness of quantum mechanics to be a more powerful type of computer. Currently, each bit in a computer is either at zero or one. A quantum computer has quantum bits, which can be zero, one, or in-between; they can even have several different values at the same time. For algorithm-based solutions, this means that the quantum computer only has to run one set of calculations to analyze various scenarios. It can also deal with much larger, more complex data sets and crunch the numbers much faster.

Simple demonstrations of programmable quantum computers have already been carried out in labs. Typically about 8 or so qubits (quantum bits; the measure of the number of quantum components in the computer) have been achieved. Very simple algorithms have been demonstrated. NQIT has demonstrated all the building blocks needed for a quantum computer.

NQIT is the largest of the four hubs in the UK National Quantum Technology Programme, a 270-million (US$332-million) investment by the UK government to establish a quantum technology industry in the UK. NQIT is working towards building a quantum computer demonstrator, the Q20:20 engine, which demonstrates a networked, hybrid light-matter approach to quantum information processing.

The Hubs core proposition is that networking together smaller quantum systems results in a powerful and flexible information processing platform.

Route Monkeys optimization solutions eliminate unnecessary mileage and improve vehicle utilisation, typically helping to reduce fleet costs by up to 20% and substantially cut carbon emissions. The algorithms are capable of making millions of calculations in a relatively short space of time, vastly improving on manual transport planning. They provide a competitive edge to businesses and also help cities deal with growing urban challenges like congestion.

Founded in 2009, Route Monkey initially focused on developing complex algorithms that provide route optimization and scheduling software solutions for fleet and transport managers. Building on this success, Route Monkey has expanded its algorithm portfolio to support low carbon vehicles and is now the UKs leading provider of optimization solutions for both ultra-low emission vehicles and the energy management of their charging stations.
The largest private gas-producer in Ukraine forges relationship with the new U.S. Administration

The Atlantic Council of the United States and Burisma Group, largest independent gas producer in Ukraine, have signed a cooperative agreement. Atlantic Council will develop transatlantic programs with Burisma's support, focusing on European and international energy security, as reported in the company's release. http://burisma.com/en/news/the-atlantic-council-of-the-united-states-and-burisma-group-sign-cooperative-agreement/

For Burisma Group, it is a new chapter of cooperation with the United States and Europe together with such a high-profile organization as the Atlantic Council.

Cooperation with Ukraine and future programs with Burisma Group will be coordinated by a respected diplomat, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (2003-2006) and the Director of the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center (Atlantic Council's Center) John Herbst.

"Burisma's support and cooperation will enable us to continue to expand our Ukraine programming and to provide new platforms for discussing these vital and timely issues," admitted John Herbst.

It is symbolic that the start of cooperation has coincided with the new U.S. Administration. According to experts, this will enable more efficient implementation of new joint energy-related projects and ensure support of one of the top U.S. think tanks. It became possible to sign a cooperative agreement between Burisma and the Atlantic Council after all charges against Burisma Group companies and its owner Nikolay Zlochevskyi were withdrawn.

According to Nikolay Zlochevskyi, President of Burisma Group the Atlantic Council has played a vital role in Ukraine in championing transatlantic relations, democracy, and energy security: "Ambassador Herbst has been a tireless champion for Ukraine and Burisma welcomes this opportunity to support the important work of the Ambassador and the Atlantic Council."

The Atlantic Council is a leading US think tank in the field of international affairs, headquartered in Washington, D.C. As one of the most influential non-governmental U.S. organizations, it manages ten regional centers and functional programs related to international security and global economic prosperity.

For more detailed information please contact our press center: media@burisma.com
City department heads and council representatives will start working on the new budget at the end of the month and already face a few challenges.

The Green River City Council approved the placement of Gary Killpack and Lisa Maes on the citys budget committee Tuesday night. For Killpack, his placement is a chance to be both a liaison to the rest of the city council, as well as have a small part in crafting the budget. Killpack served on the committee last year and hopes they will have enough funding to cover the important needs, as well as a few line items the city wants. Killpack recogni...
Arthur Paul Pivik, 79, of Rock Springs passed away Jan. 13, 2017, at the Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County. A lifelong resident of Rock Springs, Pivik died following a brief illness.

He was born Feb. 9, 1937, in Rock Springs, the son of Joseph Pivik and Dorothy Frances Taucher Pivik.

Pivik attended schools in Rock Springs and was a 1955 graduate of the Rock Springs High School.

Piivk worked for Teton Lumber Company in Wilson following graduation. He then entered the United States Army Oct. 10, 1955, at the Old Custom's Building in Denver. He served for three years and entered the United States Army Reserve for one year in Jackson Hole. Pivik was honorably discharged Feb. 9, 1962, as a sergeant. Following his service to the army, he went back to work at Teton Lumber Company while in the Army Reserve. He moved back to Rock Springs and went to work for Cyril Rahonce and Company in 1960, then he went to work for Stauffer Chemical in 1962 and retired in 1989. After retiring, he was self-employed for another 10 years.

He married Nancy Lee Lesko Sept. 8, 1960, and she preceded him in death on Nov. 29, 2014.

His interests included hunting, fishing, helping people and he always enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and children. Pivik's hunting camp was fondly named "Grass Creek Hunting Camp." He also kept an impeccable yard due to all his hard work.

Survivors include his two sons, DeWayne and Debbie Pivik of Rock Springs and Edward Pivik of Houston; one daughter, DeAnna Hunter and husband Randy of Rock Springs; one sister, Dorothea Butler and companion Dan Blevins of Rock Springs; his sister-in-law, Frances Lesko; his grandchildren Branden Cheese, Erik Pivik, Kody Pivik and wife Katie; several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, several brothers and sisters.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m., Saturday at Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Rock Springs. Interment will be in the Rock Springs Municipal Cemetery. A vigil service with rosary will be recited at 6 p.m., Friday at the church.

Friends may call at the church Friday from 4 p.m. until time of rosary and on Saturday at the church one hour prior to services.

The family of Arthur Paul Pivik respectfully suggests that donations in his memory be made to Holy Spirit Catholic Community, Red Desert Humane Society or the charity of your choice.

Condolences may be left at http://www.vasefuneralhomes.com.
Dear Editor,

The Wyoming Legislature will be considering HJ0001 and HJ0002 which address Wyoming submitting an application to Congress, along with other states, to call for a Convention of States. A convention is necessary because Washington, D.C. is out-of-control and the federal government will never rein in its own power. Therefore, it is up to the state legislatures to assert control over Washington. This is not a Constitutional Convention, which is entirely different from a Convention of States; which are the state legislatures sending delegates to discuss amendments to the Constituti...
Charitable giving to organizations that work to slow climate change have increased in the past year, and many more groups are receiving funds than just a few years ago. But despite the increases, giving from individuals and foundations to climate-related causes remains a stubbornly small percentage of overall charitable giving, according to a new report by the ClimateWorks Foundation.
Members of the Supreme Courts conservative majority are questioning the continued use of affirmative action in higher education. In lengthy arguments Monday, the justices wrestled with persistent, difficult questions of race. The justices heard from six different lawyers in challenges to policies at the University of North Carolina and Harvard. Those policies consider race among many factors in evaluating applications for admission. One conservative justice likened affirmative action to giving some college applicants a head start in a footrace. But a liberal justice said universities are the pipelines to leadership in our society and suggested that without affirmative action minority enrollment will drop.
(Xinhua) 08:36, January 19, 2017

Partisan feud fuels, confidence floundering, marches and protests on the way, while hundreds of thousands of supporters for Donald Trump's White House also being rallied to celebrate his Friday inauguration in and outside Washington D.C.

Low confidence:

Latest polls find U.S. President Barack Obama will leave office Friday with his highest approval rating since June, 2009, his first year in office, while his successor Donald Trump is entering White House with lowest popularity rate as a president-elect in the past four decades.

About two-thirds (65 percent) say Obama's presidency was a success, including nearly half (49 percent) who say that was due to Obama's personal strengths rather than circumstances outside his control, according to a new CNN/ORC poll issued Wednesday. His approval rating stands at 60 percent days in the final days of his 8-year presidency.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump enters office as the most unpopular of at least the last seven newly elected presidents, a new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds, with ratings for handling the transition that are also vastly below those of his predecessors.

Sixty-one percent of Americans surveyed lack confidence in Trump to make the right decisions for the nation's future, only 40 percent see Trump favorably overall or approve of the way he has handled the transition, the national surveys shows.

However, these polls also show six out of ten Americans have high expectations on the newly elected U.S. president on certain issues, especially the economy, jobs and fighting terrorism. About half of them also expect he can do well in three other issues: helping the middle class, handling the deficit and making Supreme Court appointments.

"The same people who did the phony election polls, and were so wrong, are now doing approval rating polls" Trump backfired on Twitter in response to the spate of negative poll results.

"They are rigged just like before", he claimed.

Though Trump will start his presidency with Republicans' majority in both chambers of Congress, his general unpopularity is an unprecedented hurdle, whose impact on his ability to govern remains to be seen, Justin McCarthy, a Gallup analyst, said earlier this week when his company issued similar poll results.

Spreading protests

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are heading to Washington, D.C. this week, many of them to celebrate Trump's swearing-in as the nation's 45th president, many of them for the opposite goal.

D.C.'s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is expecting 800,000 to 900,000 people to attend the ceremony overall, which is significantly less than Obama's inauguration in 2009 that drew 1.8 million and forced the city into gridlock.

Meanwhile, protesters from a group called DisruptJ20, as well as some others, are planning to block Trump' s inaugural ceremony and inaugural parade on Friday. The Act Now to Stop War and End Racism Coaltion also plans to hold a demonstration from early Friday morning in downtown Washington, just hours before the inauguration starts.

The largest protest is expected to come the day after Trump's inauguration. The U.S. National Park Service, in Washington D.C. alone, has already issued permits for at least 25 separate demonstrations set over this weekend, according to a USA Today report.

The number of such events is "pretty well unprecedented", said Mike Litterst, a park service spokesman.

Among the weekend protesters, at least 200,000 are expected to gather in for the Women' s March on Washington. Organizers say that they see the demonstration as not being solely anti-Trump but in support of a range of issues affecting women, including abortion rights, health, equal pay and gun violence.

"It's quite noteworthy. If they get those kinds of numbers, it will far exceed any previous inaugural protest," Inaugural Historian Jim Bendat told local reporters.

Sister marches are planned across the country, including one set to pass in front of Trump Tower in Manhattan, as well as other demonstrations in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

An estimated one million people plan to demonstrate against Trump's presidency in all 50 U.S. states and 32 countries, according to local media reports.

Partisan feud:

As the country braces for Trump's inauguration, partisan feud is also fuelling.

Two days before Trump's swearing-in ceremony, roughly 60 Democratic lawmakers have already announced their boycott, some citing Trump's campaign remarks about Mexicans and women, some citing his Twitter attacks on House Democrat John Lewis, a well-known icon of the civil rights movement who last week called Trump an illegitimate president.

"I cannot go because of the president-elect' s inflammatory comments, his racist campaign, his conflicts of interest, his refusal to disclose his taxes," House Representative Jerry Nadler said on Monday.

Meanwhile, the partisan battle over Trump's Cabinet picks dominates Capitol Hill this week. Nine of Trump's high-profile nominations, including Jeff Sessions for attorney general and Betty Davos for education secretary, are all facing questions before Senate committee.

As expected, Tom Price, Trump's pick for health and human services secretary, was grilled Wednesday by Senate Democrats for his stand on the Obamacare repeal and his buying and selling of health-related stock.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that Price may have broken the law with at least one of those trades while Republican leaders in the Senate said they believe Price is absolutely qualified and want to see him confirmed as soon as possible.

Walter Shaub, chief of the independent Office of Government Ethics, warned Saturday that several of Trump's nominees potentially have "unknown or unresolved ethics issues", describing it as an unprecedented situation in his office's 40-year history.

It remains unclear how many cabinet appointments could be affirmed on the day Trump is sworn in. In 2009, seven Obama's Cabinet picks were passed in the Senate on the Inauguration Day.

Sean Spicer, the incoming White House spokesman, said Wednesday that Trump may take four or five executive actions on Friday after being sworn into office, bringing confusion since Trump himself announced Tuesday that "Day One" of his administration will be Monday, not his inauguration day.

During the campaign, Trump promised to begin dismantling his predecessor's eight years of work on the first day he is in White House, including overruling many of Obama's executive orders.
WASHINGTON  President Barack Obama is criticizing Congress for refusing to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, saying there's 
The violent body slam of a Wake County female high school student on Jan. 3 by an SRO has renewed demands there to remove police officers and sheriff's deputies from the schools there altogether.

Certainly, the episode was deeply disturbing.

Given the force of the impact  and the nauseating sound of it captured on viral cellphone video  it's easy to see why some parents might have misgivings.

It's also a minor miracle that the girl didn't suffer severe injuries.

What if she were your daughter? Or mine?

The officer was responding to a fight at Rolesville High School.

But the girl who was picked up and hurled to the floor was attempting to break up the fight, according to witnesses.

The officer has been placed on paid leave. And a long-simmering issue has returned to the front burner.

Do we really need police in schools and is their presence there doing more harm than good?

The same discussion has surfaced time and again in Guilford County.

Critics of SROs say the greater the police presence in schools, the more misconduct that was greeted with a trip to the office or a suspension now results in arrests.

They cite studies that show a correlation between a greater police presence in schools and more arrests of students.

They say having police in schools tends to "criminalize misbehavior."

A 2009 University of Tennessee study of SROs in schools finds both positive and negative impacts of law enforcement on campus.

On the one hand, the study, published in the Journal of Criminal Justice, noted:

"The findings showing that SROs were not associated with an increase in total arrests when controlling for school poverty and that schools with an SRO had fewer arrests for weapons and assault charges are encouraging. Such results are contrary to the criminalization hypothesis and may even signify that SROs have a positive impact at schools."

On the other:

"... The number of arrests involving disorderly conduct charges at schools with an SRO is troubling. As police and school security become more and more omnipresent at schools, school resource officers, teachers, principals, and all school staff need to be mindful of the negative consequences associated with punitive disciplinary strategies and criminal arrests. For most youth, especially those from lower socioeconomic neighborhoods, education is an invaluable resource to insure a brighter future. To deny them an education because of a minor classroom disturbance or hallway disruption is unacceptable, unfair, and may permanently limit their prospects for a better life."

A 2016 George Washington University Law Review article questions the presence and role of SROs more pointedly.

"Most SROs are not properly prepared to handle student discipline problems," the article's author, Jason Nance of the University of Florida School of Law, writes. "School administrators and teachers receive advanced training in adolescent behavior, discipline, pedagogy, and educational theory and practice, and are accountable to local school boards. SROs, on the other hand, typically receive little or no training in adolescent behavior, pedagogy, or educational theory and practice, and are not accountable to school boards."

But there are other factors to consider.

As much as my News & Observer colleague, Barry Saunders, longs for how it was back in the day. It's not back in the day.

In an era of mass shootings, when serious violence is a tangible threat from within and outside of schools, Id hesitate to remove armed officers.

In 2013, a 19-year-old Dudley High School student beat her math teacher so badly that he passed out and nearly died.

In 2015, a 17-year-old High Point Central High School student was charged with rape and strangulation after allegedly assaulting another student.

Also, it's worth mentioning that many SROs do superb work in schools, and have excellent rapport with students.

We often, if not often enough, hear their stories when they are recognized at awards ceremonies for their service.

We also heard them last year in public meetings about SROs in Guilford County.

Those kinds of positive benefits are hard to measure.

The missing ingredient in Rolesville and elsewhere is proper screening and training of SROs.

Not every officer is suited to be an SRO. He or she may have the temperament or motivation to work day in and day out with young people. (You teachers out there know what I mean.)

In addition, special training should be tailored to SROs.

Finally, there should be a clear understanding of when police should and should not be involved in disciplining students.

For instance, routine discipline should not require SROs.

"If schools do decide to rely on SROs for security purposes, I recommend that state legislatures enact laws that prohibit SROs from becoming involved in disciplinary matters unless students or school staff are in immediate physical danger," Nance writes.

But it's easier to call a cop than to handle a matter yourself.

I suspect that staff and faculty rely on officers far more than they should.

Because they're there.
LOS ANGELES  Hollywood might still be patting itself on the back for its 2016 films, but theres a lot to look forward to in film this year  in all genres. Here are 10-ish films to put on your radar for the year.

John Wick: Chapter 2 (Feb. 10), The Fate of the Furious (April 14). Two franchises, both unlikely, both silly and both endlessly watchable get new installments this year.

Keanu Reeves is back as the vengeful hit man John Wick in the sequel to the 2014 sleeper hit. And the Fast and Furious crew is joined by Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren in movie No. 8, directed by Straight Outta Comptons F. Gary Gray.

Beauty and the Beast (March 17). Harry Potters Emma Watson stars as the beautiful, bookish Belle in director Bill Condons live-action, musical adaption of the fairy tale, which he promises will include nods to both Disneys animated feature as well Jean Cocteaus black and white classic.

Downton Abbeys Dan Stevens plays the Beast opposite a strong supporting cast of Luke Evans, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Emma Thompson and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 5 ), Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7), Thor: Ragnarok (Nov. 3). What superhero fatigue? The studios have assembled some formidable talent behind some of the years most high profile sequels (and reboots).

Taika Waititi will bring his comedic edge to the Thor world, while James Gunn tries to recreate that mixtape magic with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

One film that doesnt require any catch-up work is Spider-Man: Homecoming, yet another reboot of the web-slinging teen, but a promising one  star Tom Holland upstaged even the likes of Robert Downey Jr. when introduced in Captain America: Civil War. Director Jon Watts says his Spider-Man will be in the vein of classic high school films.

Alien: Covenant (May 19), Blade Runner 2049 (Oct. 6). Ridley Scott is back to playing his old hits this year, with a twist. Scott directs the sixth installment in the Alien universe with Alien: Covenant, about a crew traveling to a remote part of the galaxy in search of paradise, only to find something much more horrifying. Katherine Waterston stars with Michael Fassbender.

As for Blade Runner 2049, Scotts only producing  Arrival and Sicario director Denis Villeneuve is directing the longtime-coming sci-fi sequel, set 30 years after the original film. Ryan Gosling stars as a new LAPD officer who needs to find Harrison Fords Rick Deckard.

Wonder Woman (June 2). Gliding by the crazy fact that its taken until 2017 for one of the most popular characters in comic book history to get her own feature film, this one also looks like it packs the potential to define this whole modern era of DC Comics adaptations (Justice League, out Nov. 17, could too).

Wonder Woman has the promising team of Monster director Patty Jenkins at the helm and Gal Gadot wielding the iconic lasso in this World War I-set origin story.

The Beguiled (June 23). Sofia Coppola is making a Western, and not just any Western  a remake of Clint Eastwoods 1971 film (itself an adaptation of A Painted Devil by Thomas P. Cullinan) about an injured Union soldier in an all-girls Confederate boarding school whose presence causes rifts among the women. Kristen Dunst, Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell and Elle Fanning star.

Dunkirk (July 21). Christopher Nolan is perhaps the only filmmaker working on this level whose movies are events in and of themselves. He doesnt need the stamp of Intellectual Property to make his a must-see (regardless of what you think of Interstellar).

Dunkirk takes us to the beaches of France early in World War II when the Allied forces were surrounded and evacuated. Newcomer Fionn Whitehead leads the cast, which includes Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance and even Harry Styles (yes, that Harry Styles).

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (July 21). Most Americans probably arent familiar with the French comic source material Valerian and Laureline, but dont let that dissuade you from checking out Luc Bessons (Lucy, The Fifth Element) wildly ambitious sci-fi epic starring Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne as a pair of space- and time-traveling agents.

Baby Driver (Aug. 11). So Edgar Wright didnt get to do Ant-Man. The maestro behind Hot Fuzz and The Worlds End has his own action pic up his sleeves, and an original one at that, about a getaway driver (Ansel Elgort), the girl he wants to leave it all behind for (Lily James) and the crime boss (Kevin Spacey) who might destroy it all.

Star Wars: Episode VIII (Dec. 15). At the rate of one new Star Wars film (spinoff or otherwise) a year for the foreseeable future, its hard to imagine that The Force Awakens-level excitement can be sustained, but Episode VIII has its own credentials separate from the nostalgia of that galaxy far, far away.

Simply: Its a Rian Johnson film, the mind behind Looper and Brick, and hes setting the story for the final two films of the main trilogy (hes writing Episode IX but ceding directing responsibilities to Colin Trevorrow).

Theres also the bittersweet knowledge that itll feature one of Carrie Fishers final performances, fittingly in her most iconic role.
The Broadway revival of Arthur Millers The Price is scheduled to open in a couple of weeks. But local audiences will have the opportunity to see Triad Stages production of the same play first.

The Price is scheduled to open in Greensboro on Jan. 29, marking the first time Triad Stage has presented a Miller play.

Ive been on a journey with Miller, said Preston Lane, the Triad Stages artistic director. I studied theater at a time when Miller wasnt respected in the United States. It took me a long time to find my way back to Miller.

Although Miller is best known for Death of a Salesman and The Crucible (as well as his marriage to Marilyn Monroe), Lane said people he spoke with kept bringing up The Price as a play he needed to explore.

Lane also said the Broadway revival of The Price, starring Mark Ruffalo and Danny DeVito, is completely coincidental. But he hopes the attention generated by the Broadway show will encourage theatergoers to check out the Triad Stage production.

The play tells the story of a family selling off their deceased parents belongings to an elderly furniture dealer. Victor, a police officer, and Walter, a surgeon, havent spoken in over a decade until meeting to settle their familys estate. Over the course of The Price, the family members dig deep into long-hidden, sometimes painful secrets.

Although the play is set in 1968, the Great Depression looms heavy, as the familys now-dead father lost most of what he had when the economy collapsed. Lane said that as with 1929 and 1968, 2017 feels like it could be a historically pivotal year, making this an appropriate time to revisit The Price.

The questions Miller asks are as important today as they were in 1968, he said. Its about far more than the price of furniture  its about the price of the choices we make.

But, he said, The Price offers few answers. Instead, it leaves the audience with questions that, he said, will hopefully be discussed outside of the theater.

Lane said the set design envisioned by Triad Stages Fred Kinney is a key element of this production. The stage is crowded with old furniture  it visually serves to divide the four characters on stage and is a constant reminder of the familys former lifestyle before the Depression.

Kinney, the plays scenic designer, said, Its interesting as this play takes place in the 1960s, however that requires a lot of furniture that clearly must be pre-Depression era. Our goal was to make sure that the furniture evoked the feeling of New York City opulence before the stock market crash of 1929.

As with most Triad Stage productions, several special events are scheduled for the run of The Price, including a wine tasting, a question-and-answer session with the cast, a behind-the-scenes discussion with the production team, and two pay-what-you-can performances.
Genealogist and librarian Ann Palmer will hold three free workshops to help library patrons build their research skills at the Asheboro Public Library, 201 Worth St. in Asheboro:

The A-B-Cs of Early American Handwriting, 2-4 p.m. Jan. 28. Learn tips for transcribing handwritten documents.

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words, 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 21. Learn how to enhance your family history using photographs. Discover how photos can help or hinder your research and what to do about the no photos dilemma.

Those Elusive Females, 2-4 p.m. March 11. Learn how to track down women by using clues to finding maiden and married names, and in what type of records women are found.

For information, call (336) 318-6815.

Randolph Hospital changes name to Randolph Health

Randolph Hospital has become Randolph Health.

Officials said they believe the new name better reflects the evolution of health care that has been taking place throughout the Randolph system over the past couple of years.

Randolph Health has 26 distinct care locations in Randolph County, in addition to the services they provide in homes. Sixty percent of their patient interactions take place off campus.

Greensboro farmers market to host 6th Chili Challenge

The Greensboro Farmers Curb Market will host the sixth annual Chili Challenge from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 28. The market is at 501 Yanceyville St. in Greensboro.

The competition is the markets kickoff fundraiser for 2017. Local chefs, farmers and food enthusiasts will compete for the bragging rights for the best chili in the Triad.

Live music will be provided by Gary Mitchell beginning at 8 a.m. followed by Laura Jane Vincent at 10 a.m.

The cost of the Chili Challenge is $5 for a sampling plate of the competing varieties with proceeds benefiting the market.

For information, call (336) 373-2402 or visit www.gsofarmersmarket.org.

Used book sale on Jan. 28

at High Point Public Library

The Friends of the High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St., will hold a used book sale from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 28 in the librarys Morgan Room and adjacent area. A $3 bag sale will occur during the last 90 minutes of the sale.

A preview sale, limited to members of the Friends of the Library will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 27. Non-members interested in supporting the library and participating in the presale can join the Friends of the Library that evening for the $10 annual membership fee.

To learn more about Friends and download a membership form, visit https://www.highpointnc.gov/927/Friends.

Event proceeds will support activities of the library.

Winston-Salem Arts Council to kick off annual campaign

The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County will kick off its 2017 Annual Campaign at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at The Barn at Reynolda Village, 106 Reynolda Village in Winston-Salem.

The free event is open to the public.

The kickoff will feature poetry readings and performances by recent Duke Energy Regional Artist Project Grant recipients Jacinta V. White, Ezra Noble and Aaron Bachelder.

The registration deadline is Jan. 23; contact Devon MacKay at (336) 747-1417 or dmackay @intothearts.org.
GREENSBORO  A protest at City Hall on Wednesday ended with the arrest of seven people, each charged with second-degree trespassing.

Chanting No documents, no peace; no secret police, members of the group GSO Operation Transparency, all dressed in red, were taken from an office at the Melvin Municipal Office Building, 300 W. Washington St., in handcuffs while more than 30 other members of the group chanted and cheered.

GSO Operation Transparency has been demanding since mid-December all written and electronic correspondence connected to the violent arrest of Dejuan Yourse on June 17, 2016, by Officer Travis Cole, who has since left the Greensboro Police Department. On Wednesday, about 40 members of the group marched to City Hall about 9:45 a.m. The seven were arrested after City Manager Jim Westmoreland told the group that the documents would not be released.

Police identified the 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.

They were taken before a Guilford County magistrate, police spokeswoman Susan Danielsen said. The charge is a Class 3 misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $200. None of the names of those as arrested appeared in jail records late Wednesday.

Now more than ever we need (the City Council) to put safety above comfort, Brinson said before the arrests. There must be something that makes them uncomfortable about releasing the files.

We need to ensure we live in a city with democracy and transparency, he said. Im prepared to stand for democracy and protect those who are most vulnerable.

Footage of the June 17 arrest from the body cameras of Cole and fellow Officer Charlotte Jackson was released September 2016. It shows Cole punching Yourse in the face and throwing him the porch to the ground. Cole and Jackson were investigating a possible robbery at the address of Yourses mother. Like Cole, Jackson has since resigned from the police force.

At City Hall on Wednesday, some protesters carried boxes they hoped to fill with documents. Westmoreland told the group he would not release the documents, citing the records as personnel files.

After refusing to release the files, Westmoreland told the group that the City Council has already released an amount of information about the Yourse arrest that he characterized as unprecedented. Council members voted to release the body camera footage, he said, and 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 council also sent a letter to the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission asking that 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. The arrests occurred when the chanting grew louder, and some group members talked over Westmoreland.

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.

After the arrests, group member Isabell Moore said the group would continue to push for the release of the documents.

This is not the end today, Moore 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.
Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab Province, Pakistan. [Courtesy of Pakistan Embassy in China]

At the onset of 2017, the world is exposed to far graver threats to its peace, stability and security than was the case in the preceding year. With transformative changes sweeping through the United States, Europe and greater Middle East, the role of the global institutions responsible for conflict management and resolution has increased manifold.

However, a more strident view on the mushroom growth and complexity of conflicts around the world has questioned the effectiveness and relevance of the international governance architecture, stating that a manifest lack of commitment to the ideals and principles of the UN Charter explains why the world is adrift chased doggedly by chaos and turbulence.

There are serious concerns on the uncertain direction the world has taken having the potential to deepen crises in different parts of the world. The interconnected nature of these challenges becomes all the more perilous when we observe that the values and notions that have founded the globalized order are under severe attack and running the risk of unraveling in the absence of a counter-narrative.

Amid concerns and apprehensions about the future of international order, Chinese President Xi Jinping has come to represent the aspirations of the world community. His call for a participatory and broad-based governance model to regulate the world affairs has found ready listeners.

As a statesman, President Xi Jinping has had his finger on the pulse of the people when he says that reform of the existing global governance system and mechanism is necessary in view of the evolution the world landscape and major transnational challenges are undergoing. His advocacy of a shared approach on the part of the world community is premised on employing innovation to revamp the existing system in an attempt to build more equitable, just and effective architecture of global governance, one which meets the aspirations of the people.

Two initiatives of President Xi need to be talked about here that show that China is taking practical steps to set up a model of development that benefits not just her but also builds win-win partnerships aimed at distributing the fruits of prosperity.

The establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) represents Chinas response to the growing needs of the Asian communities for infrastructure development. This initiative is in line with Chinas declared aim of making greater contribution to international development endeavors, for the Chinese are convinced that much of their progress owes itself to international cooperation. AIIB will play the leadership role in the Asian continent in terms of provision of funds for infrastructure development. This role is all the more critical when seen in the context of likely funding deficit to the tune of US$800 billion during the decade of 2010-2020 as per projection of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

The second initiative of President Xi Jinping is his Belt and Road vision that has the potential to redefine global geopolitics by making shared fruits of economy and trade the pivot of the whole dynamic concept. This initiative that proposes six corridors including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will eventually connect 65 plus countries through air, road, and sea routes thereby resulting in increased trade flows to the tune of US$2.5 trillion according to one estimate.

The Belt and Road Initiative is in line with the Chinese Presidents vision of building a community of shared interests, destiny and responsibility. It is a part of Chinas grand strategy of deepening reform and opening-up. The ideas of win-win partnership that President Xi has espoused at every level whether it is UN General Assemblys 70th Session in New York, G20 Hangzhou Summit in China, or 8th BRICS Summit in India, are defined by peace, inclusiveness and prosperity.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, is undergoing robust implementation at the moment. The projects of worth US$30 billion are being implemented. Eight industrial zones to bet set up in all the provinces of Pakistan will create investment and employment opportunities. With a major chunk of the CPEC investment i.e. US$34 billion earmarked for energy sector projects, Pakistans GDP will be strengthened by 2 percent straightaway on their completion.

The 13th of November 2016 will do down in history as an epoch-making day when the Prime Minister of Pakistan, flanked by top civil and military leadership of the country, inaugurated the Pilot Trade Project at a prestigious ceremony at Gwadar city. The operationalization of the Gwadar port, which is the centerpiece of the CPEC, is the best news to come in recent months. The start of the trade activity represents the realization of a cherished dream and opening of a new era of peace and development for Pakistan, South and Central Asia, and Gulf regions.

The fact that the cargo containers used the overland western route during their 3000 km long movement from Kashgar to Gwadar sends multiple messages. It proves that Pakistan is a peaceful country and the CPEC route has been fully secured, thanks to elaborate security arrangements made by the government of Pakistan. The way people showed their warmth and excitement as the caravans passed through different regions shows the popular ownership of the CPEC project.

I would take the opportunity to thank the Chinese leadership particularly President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang for their highly dynamic and proactive role in the success of the whole endeavor. The opening of Gwadar port for international trade is the result of unity of thought and close coordination between our two governments.

The successful implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative would help deepen regional economic integration, boost cross-border trade and financial flows between Eurasian countries and the outside world, and further entrench patterns of trade, investment, and infrastructure. The formal start of trade activity at the Gwadar port represents a landmark event in this regard.

In a world driven by various conflicts and hardcore rivalries, China is a voice of sanity that stands for collaborative efforts to negotiate the current set of challenges. The rise of China as the second largest economy and paramount military power is a lesson in how strong leadership commitment and clarity of purpose backed by amazing energy of the leadership can work wonders in a short span of a few decades.

The Chinese model of development that focuses on continuous process of internal reform, consolidation of gains, rule of law and peaceful coexistence with neighbors is holistic, containing important lessons for its friends. China has successfully bridged the North-South gap by championing the causes of the developing world at every forum.

In Pakistan, we continue to be inspired by spectacular accomplishments China has made under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. The way Beijing has lifted people out of acute poverty by providing them with reasonable standard of living is a practical manifestation of the China Dream, an idea that is changing lives for the better.

As old global order faces threats of extinction, it is satisfying that the new world order with Chinese characteristics of peace and development is there to augment or better still replace it.

The writer is Chief Minister of Punjab Province in Pakistan.
GREENSBORO  Morals, morale and medical reasons delayed a first-degree murder trial in Guilford County on Wednesday as the defense attorney and assistant prosecutor whittled the jury pool.

It took more than 11 hours over two days for defense attorney Robert McClellan and Assistant District Attorney Veronica Edmisten to settle on 12 jurors and two alternates.

Bertie McQueen, 35, faces charges of first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the 2013 shooting death of 21-year-old Derrick Rogers. Rogers was a father and a Guilford Technical Community College student at the time.

If convicted, McQueen faces life in prison. If jurors decide he is guilty only of the robbery charge, he faces a maximum of 12 years in prison.

Superior Court Judge Bradford Long emphasized through the trial, which started Tuesday, that picking the right jurors was important to the case because McQueen faces the greatest charge he can face in Superior Court, and the case involves a loss of life.

Jury selection began at noon Tuesday and ended at 5 p.m. Wednesday. McClellan and Edmisten began with 28 jurors, but Long ordered an additional 15 jurors added Wednesday because only three people remained in the pool after nine were chosen.

It was clear that many prospective jurors did not want to serve: several muttered curse words as others were dismissed from duty. One of the last men questioned told the judge he wished he could come up with a reason he could not serve. He was dismissed by the defense attorney.

Others asked to be removed from the case.

Those dismissed from jury duty included:

A woman who said she had a sick child at home, and said she had pictures of the sick child to prove it.

A man who said his trip with his daughters to Disney World starts Friday.

Two men who said they were in excruciating pain from medical problems.

Another man said his school-age children arrived from Africa last week.

A woman who said she could not be fair because her parents were incarcerated during her childhood.

A man who said he could not be fair to the Greensboro Police Department because they did not treat him fairly.

Other potential jurors were dismissed after indicating they had strong moral beliefs against guns or drugs.

More than 25 officers are listed as potential witnesses, including Police Chief Wayne Scott.

Though McQueen does not face any drug charges, his attorney told the jury the shooting happened during a drug deal. McQueen maintains his innocence in Rogers death, though his attorney said he admits to a drug deal for which he is not charged.

The trial is expected to continue into next week.

McClellan and Edmisten said they both plan to offer brief opening statements before calling their witnesses this morning.
Fourteen men from North Carolina were among those whose sentences President Barack Obama commuted or pardoned on Tuesday.

Among the men receiving commutations were Billy Ray Fairley Sr., 48, of High Point and Michael Thomas Potts and Rodney Anton Williamson, both 42 and from Greensboro.

Fairley is serving a sentence of 24 years from a 2002 conviction for distributing crack cocaine. With the commutation, he is now scheduled for release on Jan. 17, 2019.

Williamson received a life sentence on Dec. 7, 2007, for distributing cocaine hydrochloride  a topical anesthetic used to numb the mouth, nose and throat before some surgical procedures.

His sentence has been reduced to 30 years.

Potts was convicted in 1998 for possession with intent to sell and distribute crack cocaine. He received a 30-year sentence. His sentenced was commuted to expire on Jan. 17, 2019, under the condition that he enroll in drug treatment.

Obama pardoned or commuted sentences for 273 people Tuesday.

In total, he has commuted sentences for 1,385  more than the past 12 presidents combined.
GREENSBORO  In an increasingly globalized business environment, Guilford College senior Jose Oliva said, companies need people who are multilingual, who understand the particulars of foreign markets, and who can build bridges.

The Global Opportunities Center is looking to help local business build some of those bridges when it hosts its second Global Student Welcome Reception Friday at HQ Greensboro.

The event will allow the areas international students to meet with local employers.

We are more globally connected than at any other time in history, said Oliva, who is one of the events organizers and is from Guatemala. And there are a lot of skills international students bring to the table. They can help companies expand into international markets.

Roughly 25 companies will be taking part, among them VF Corp., RLF Communications and BB&T. Organizations like Opportunity Greensboro, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, and Downtown Greensboro will also be on hand.

The Global Opportunity Center was founded by local business and education leaders last year with a $500,000 Strong Cities, Strong Communities grant from the federal government.

The grant, according to the U.S. Economic Development Administration, helps local governments develop and execute their economic vision and strategies, providing necessary technical assistance and access to federal agency expertise, and creating new public and private sector partnerships.

The Global Opportunities Center hosted its first Global Student Welcome reception in August. About 125 students attended, said Cindy Thompson, the groups launch director.

Organizers hope to host similar events at the beginning of each semester.

We have almost 2,000 international students studying in the Triad region every semester, Thompson said. But theres no current way to quickly connect them with leaders of firms who are looking for some global talent. Thats one of the gaps were trying to fill, so this welcome reception provides a launching point for those connections to happen, as well as for students to register for internships and project opportunities.

Oliva said someone with a different perspective can often be key to securing a deal.

Theres a company that were working with, they were trying to talk with a client in South America, he said. And they didnt really have anyone who spoke Spanish, except for the intern. And he helped to close this pretty big deal just because he was bilingual and knew know how to work with clients there. Thats the type of thing that makes companies stronger.
A rich variety of fresh fish altogether weighing over 5 tons have been removed from the ponds of South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. After catching the fish between Jan. 17 and 18, the school distributed them to students and professors for free. Many fish died from oxygen depletion due to their massive numbers and low dissolved oxygen levels in the water.
Donald Trump was swept into office and Republicans maintained their majorities in Congress because Americans were sick of Obamacare. It raised premiums. It raised deductibles to catastrophic levels.

Who can afford a $6,000 or $12,000 deductible? Insurance companies are withdrawing coverage in many states.

Congress must keep its promise to the American people to repeal Obamacare. Since 2010, Congress voted more than 60 times on repealing parts or all of it.

However, President Obama would have vetoed a full repeal.

Now is the time for Republicans to keep their promise to repeal Obamacare. Congress must keep faith with American voters. Some people say that repeal will leave people without coverage, but repeal bills typically contain transition periods.

Immediately after repeal, Congress should pass the replacement bill(s) in clear, understandable terms, not hiding or burying any provisions. Congress should boldly go before the American people to explain the bill(s), forged for a free people. Many conservative organizations and members of Congress have been working on a replacement for quite some time.

Call Congress at (202) 224-3121 to tell your senators and representatives to repeal Obamacare now.

Peggy Smetana

Pinehurst
Carla Strickland is canceling her News & Record subscription (letter, Jan. 16) because the paper is too leftist for her. Here are my thoughts:

Newspapers covet readers who are thinkers, not readers who suffer from cognitive dissonance. The N&R is losing a reader who is consistently upset because she is confronted with facts that do not jibe with the Trump narrative she would like to see spun (the ultimate irony).

Report: Russia intel has goods on Trump. Top intelligence chiefs briefed Trump on claims that Russia had compromising material on the president-elect. The N&R would have been derelict in its duty not to report on the report. This didnt sit well with Strickland.

Trump battles press. Nope, says Carla.

Trumps daily growing battles, not just with Pulitzer-prize-winning press organizations, but civil rights icons and various agencies  domestic and international  apparently are an illusion.

Rational people: Dont believe your lyin eyes or ears when it comes to the Donald.

The problem with the easily duped is that facts  Trumps own words in print or on tape  are routinely ignored.

Goodbye, Ms. Strickland. The world of Pizzagate, Trump winning the election by a massive landslide and other bogus stories beckons.

You wont be missed. And your false Trump narrative will never hold weight with the Fourth Estate.

Kim McDonald

Greensboro
REIDSVILLE  Reidsville was filled with unity, camaraderie and history as guests spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day together through a slew of events from morning to evening.

Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast

The day began with the 19th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast at Zion Baptist Church.

The breakfast brought together citizens and officials from throughout the county thanks to the combined effort of the MLK Unity Committee, including the Reidsville Chamber of Commerce, Reidsville NAACP and Reidsville Human Relations.

Keynote speaker and Rockingham Community College President Mark Kinlaw spoke of Kings preachings on education.

Our youth need us, so how do you get involved with the education of our youth to ensure that they get the best education possible from a knowledge and character standpoint? Kinlaw said. Well, first, dont stand by and watch.

Kinlaw went on to explain his recommendations on how the community can make an impact in the education of local students.

Go to a school and read to a child, he said. It may be the only time someone other than a teacher reads to them. Be a mentor to a youth. They need to know someone cares. Be a tutor in our schools and at our college. Wed love to have you.

After Kinlaws speech, Dick Frohock of the Human Relations Commission noted that Kinlaw walked the walk by turning the honorarium he was paid by the committee for speaking directly back into the committees scholarship fund.

This gift and the proceeds from the event, totaling $2800, will go to benefit two scholarships for Reidsville High School students to attend Rockingham Community College

As part of the events tradition, each of the MLK Unity Committee groups offered memorial awards to local leaders and community members.

The Human Relations Commission awarded the Rev. Eddie C. Hughes Memorial Award to Numa Glen Washburn Jr.

There were many, many things that Reverend Hughes did that nobody realized he had done while he was doing it until after he was gone, Frohock said. We have such an individual here that really exemplifies Reverend Hughes modus operandi.  This gentleman has carried the ministry to the prison when the prison was here, he was involved in the board of directors of the local halfway facility since its inception and has served on the county health department.

The NAACP awarded the J. Arthur Griggs Civil Rights Memorial Award to Major Ronnie Ellison of the Reidsville Police Department.

This award is given to a person for accomplishments in the area of civil rights in our community, said City Council and Reidsville NAACP Member Donald Gorham. This years recipient fits the history of devotion to the cause of civil rights established by previous recipients.

The Chamber awarded the James W. Daniel Memorial Unity Award posthumously to Clarence Beverly CB Lawrence.

CB Lawrence cant be here with us today to celebrate this award, said Tyler Walker of the Reidsville Chamber Board of Directors. Today he is with his heavenly father above. We would like to present this award to his family in his honor for all the dedication that CB gave to Merchant 1 Manufacturing, Reidsville, Rockingham County and every person that he touched.

Cathy Badgett of the Human Relations Commission presented the two Julius J. Gwyn Memorial Youth Awards to Jeremy Davis and Samuel Thorne.

Reverend Rosetta Badgett also presented a special plaque to RockinghamNow Reporter Justyn Melrose in appreciation of his continued coverage and dedication to the community.

The Block Historical Marker Unveiling and Dedication

That afternoon, the festivities moved to Reidsvilles Martin Luther King Jr. Drive for the unveiling and dedication of a historic marker, immortalizing The Block, Reidsville historic black business district.

Martin Luther King said, The time is always right to do whats right, and today were going to do something thats right, said Council Member Donald Gorham during the ceremony.

Mayor Pro Tem Harry Brown read a certificate of recognition, honoring the historic site, and Elder Catherine Wilson unveiled the marker which describes the blocks history.

From the 1930s to the mid 80s, NE and NW Market Streets was a bustling black business community.

There were barbershops, hair salons, cab stands, drug stores, cafes, the teenage club which I wasnt allowed to go to and I went to anyway, the pool hall, the dance hall, the shoe shine parlor, the funeral home, the doctors office over there, the dentists office, the Laundromat, memories, said Old School Block Celebration Committee Secretary Denise White.

By November 1988, however, most of the buildings were demolished with only a few remaining today.

The memory of the old block carries on through the annual Old School Block Celebration and the renaming of the road as Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in 2016.

MLK Jr. Unity March

Beginning at the site of the new historic marker, the Ministerial Alliance and Community Awareness Group welcomed Reidsvillians of any race and age to join them in the annual MLK Jr. Unity March.

City Officials, local clergy and city citizens joined in singing familiar spirituals, filling the roads with song and inviting the attention of shop owners and pedestrians.

Headed by members of the Reidsville NAACP Youth and College Division, the procession made its way down Martin Luther King Drive before turning down Gilmer Street and then making its way toward the Reidsville Police Station.

Along the way, ministers offered prayers and thanks to God for Martin Luther King Jr. and what the civil rights movement has brought.

Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Memorial Celebration

A short while later, the religious community came back together at First Baptist Church on Hubbard Street for a service in memory of the days namesake.

The service, hosted by the Ministerial Alliance of Reidsville and Vicinity, included song, scripture, prayer and words from Interim President of Bennett College Phyllis Worthy Dawkins.

You need look no further than Black Lives Matter, spawned by police shootings of unarmed black men across the country, to realize Dr. Kings words are still highly relevant today, Dawkins said.  Not convinced? Take a look at inner city schools, attended mostly by children of color where facilities, books and technology often lag woefully behind that which can be found in suburban schools attended mostly by white children.

Dawkins went on to say that injustice was also prevalent in the poor planning for and anticipation of the category five storm Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged Louisianas coast in 2005 resulting in the loss of homes, businesses and more than one thousand lives.

Dawkins also noted the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Throughout the last two years, this crisis has left sinks and showers throughout the city pumping lead-contaminated and discolored water. In the city of about 100,000, 42 percent are below the poverty line and 57 percent are black, she said.

If we are to truly honor Dr. Kings legacy, if we are truly to continue persevering despite injustices all around us and if this country is ever going to be the country Dr. Martin Luther King lost his life fighting for, we must be reminded of those powerful words: The time is always right to do whats right, Dawkins said.

Before the close of the celebration, Jacey Bell presented the 2017 Martin Luther King Jr. Award to Reverend George Gunn for outstanding community service.
(Xinhua) 13:44, January 19, 2017

South Korea's presidential frontrunner heralded a severe punishment for corruption and cozy ties between politicians and businessmen after prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for the heir apparent of Samsung Group, the country's largest conglomerate.

Moon Jae-in, former head of the biggest opposition Minjoo Party, held a meeting with foreign correspondents in Seoul on Wednesday night, saying his country's punishment for corruptions involving the heads of conglomerate, called chaebol here, was too lenient in the past.

In the country's modern history, the chaebol chairmen were hardly in custody for criminal charges. If they faced a jail sentence, it was frequently suspended. The imprisoned chairmen were frequently released early by presidential pardon, Moon said.

The warrant to arrest Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was sought Monday, but it was rejected early Thursday by a Seoul court.

South Korea has a long history of granting clemency to chaebol heads. Samsung's founder Lee Byung-chul was investigated in 1966 for a smuggling charge, but he was not punished.

The second-generation chief Lee Kun-hee was sentenced in 1996 to a suspended two-year jail term for bribing politicians, but he was pardoned about 13 months later. The 2008 suspended a three-year prison term for his tax evasion also ended with presidential pardon the following year.

The third-generation heir faced the arrest request, but it was met again with efforts to exaggerate negative effect on the entire economy as well as the country's most influential conglomerate.

The younger Lee has been in effect leading the business empire since his father Chairman Lee was hospitalized in May 2014 for heart attack.

Moon said "sham campaigns" were carried out to inflate the effect of chaebol head punishments on the economy, stressing that the healthier economy and chaebol will be made possible, should everyone be equally penalized for wrongdoings under the law.

He vowed to restrict presidential pardon for chaebol corruptions and make it difficult for white-collar crimes to be sentenced to a suspended jail term.

"Chaebol reform" apparently became the spirit of the country's present age, in which hundreds of thousands hold candlelight vigils every Saturday night to demand the resignation of the scandal-scarred president that resulted in the presidential impeachment.

Protesters shouted on the streets for the breakaway of chaebols, raising high effigies of conglomerate chiefs that are dressed in prison uniform and handcuffed.

Accordingly, presidential contenders in the opposition camp, including Moon who was the runner-up in the 2012 presidential election, pledge chaebol reform during campaigns.

A presidential race is forecast to be launched as early as late February if the constitutional court upholds the bill to impeach President Park Geun-hye, which was passed in the parliament by an overwhelming majority on Dec. 9.

"Now is a right time for foreigners to invest in (South) Korea though situations are thrown into disarray and look uncertain," said Moon.

The political crisis, Moon said, granted South Korea a great opportunity to eradicate "shades" hidden behind its dazzling growth in a short period of time, referring to business corruptions and collusive links between politicians and businessmen.

The eradication will make the South Korean economy more transparent and healthier, eventually helping end the prolonged low growth and raise its potential growth significantly, Moon said.
(Global Times) 14:08, January 19, 2017

A thermometer shows the temperature in Qibao old town in Minhang district exceeding 50 C July 24, 2016. File photo: IC

Last year's global average temperature was the hottest on record, marking the third year in a row global heat records have been shattered, according to reports published Wednesday by two US government agencies.

The agencies bolstered the scientific conclusion that our planet is getting warmer.

CLEAR TREND

Data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showed that in 2016 the average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.69 degrees Fahrenheit (0.94 Celsius) above the 20th century average of 57.0 degrees Fahrenheit (13.9 Celsius).

"This was the highest among all years in the 1880-2016 record, surpassing the previous record set last year by 0.07 degrees Fahrenheit (0.04 Celsius)," the NOAA report said.

"Since the start of the 21st century, the annual global temperature record has been broken five times (2005, 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016)," it said.

In a separate analysis of global temperature data, scientists from the US space agency NASA also found 2016 to be the warmest on record, a finding also confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization and other agencies.

Last year "is remarkably the third record year in a row in this series," said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, "We don't expect record years every year, but the ongoing long-term warming trend is clear."

According to NASA, most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years, with 16 of the 17 warmest years on record occurring since 2001.

PERFECT RECIPE

The announcements by NOAA and NASA are something that can be expected, since the first eight months of the year had record high temperatures for their respective months.

"That 2016 was the hottest year on record comes as no big surprise," said Professor Dave Reay of the University of Edinburgh. "The combination of a strong El Nino event with human-induced climate warming was the perfect recipe for another record-breaker."

A strong El Nino event, which warms the upper tropical Pacific Ocean, was in effect for most of 2015 and the first third of 2016, but experts believed that it only played a small role last year.

Deke Arndt, climate monitoring chief at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, told reporter on a conference call that last year's El Nino event may "have contributed a quarter to a third" of the warming, while Schmidt estimated about "10 percent."

The long-term warming trend means that 2017 will likely be another very warm year globally, despite the presence of "a very mild La Nina," which cools the upper tropical Pacific Ocean.

"It's still going to be a top five year in our analysis. I'm pretty confident about that," said Schmidt. "But it's unlikely to be another record year."

RECORD WARMTH EVERYWHERE

During the final month, the December combined global land and ocean average surface temperature departure from average was the third highest on record for any month in the 137-year record. Only the Decembers of 2014 and 2015 were warmer.

Overall, record warmth was observed around the world in 2016, including Far East Russia, Alaska, far western Canada, a swath of the eastern United States, much of Central America and northern South America, and southern Chile.

Much of eastern and western Africa, north central Siberia, parts of south Asia, much of southeast Asia island nations and Papua New Guinea, and parts of Australia, especially along the northern and eastern coasts, also experienced record high temperatures.

No land areas were cooler than average for the year, the NOAA report said.

In the sea, the estimated average annual sea ice extent in the Arctic was about 10.15 million square kilometers in 2016, the smallest annual average ever recorded and continuing a trend of decline seen in recent years.

In Antarctica, the annual sea ice extent was the second smallest on record, behind 1986, at 11.16 million square kilometers. Both the November and December 2016 extents were record small.

Higher above Earth's surface, separate analyses, drawn from both satellite and weather balloon observations, found that 2016 was the warmest year on record for the planet's lower troposphere, which represents roughly the lowest eight kilometers of the atmosphere, and its middle troposphere, the layer between roughly three to 10 kilometers above the surface.

Satellite analyses found that 2016 was the coolest of the 38-year record for the lower stratosphere, the layer of the atmosphere between roughly 13.5 and 21 kilometers above the surface.

WARNING SIREN

The NOAA and NASA reports came just two day before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has called climate change a "hoax" and has threatened to pull the US out of the Paris Agreementthat took effect last year.

Specially, a senior Trump advisor has reportedly said the new administration wants to eliminate all climate change research done by NASA as part of its efforts to crackdown the so-called "politicized science."

In an article published in the highly regarded research journal Science recently, outgoing US President Barack Obama warned Trump against walking away from the Paris Agreement and predicted that without further action, the world could see a rise in average global temperatures by four degrees Celsius.

"The decisions we make in the next few years will significantly shape the trajectory of our efforts toward a zero-carbon economy," Lou Leonard, senior vice president of climate and energy of the World Wildlife Fund, said in a statement.

"America's safety, health and prosperity is contingent on remaining a part of the Paris climate agreement and an active player in overall international efforts to address climate change," said Leonard.

Professor Mark Maslin of the University College London said the idea of a pause or a hiatus in global warming "must now be abandoned" with the announcements that 2016 was the warmest year on record.

"Climate change is one of the great challenges of the twenty first century and shows no signs of slowing down," Maslin said. "The hottest year on record is such a clear warning siren that even President-elect Trump cannot ignore."
Time to slake that thirst with something besides soda. Photo: Getty Images

Hero Governor Andrew Cuomo is once again fighting for New Yorkers God-given right to drink alcohol. Not satisfied with the booze he awarded the Sunday-morning brunch crowd, hes now come to the rescue of moviegoers prone to sneaking flasks into the cinema. In the 2017 budget he proposed yesterday, Cuomo calls on the State Liquor Authority to issue beer and wine licenses to all theaters statewide, and then incentivize the libations in particular from New York breweries and wineries, which thankfully are growing in number every day. Right now, the only theaters that can sell any sort of alcohol are the dine-in type that have kitchens attached, like Nitehawk or Alamo Drafthouse (and that only came after a protracted legal battle).



Sales would only be approved to ticket holders of movies rated PG-13 or higher, and they could only buy one drink at a time, presumably to discourage these kinds of incidents. Its also unclear how seriously state legislators plan to consider the idea, and its definitely just beer and wine, alas  Cuomo apparently draws the line at washing down Raisinets with hard liquor. Lets not go too far, he told reporters.
(File photo)

Chinese experts reiterated right ahead of the inauguration of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump that Taiwan issue is never a bargaining chip for the new U.S. leader, or it will become the most severe challenge on the bilateral ties that both sides should cherish.

There is no room for negotiation when sovereignty is concerned and there is no bargaining chip in exchange for such issues, said Lu Xiang, an expert on U.S. from the Chinese Academy of Social Science. He explained that Trump had acted that Taiwan issue is the Trump card, which would in fact entail more problems.

He Weiwen, a former commercial counselor to San Francisco and New York, noted that Taiwan issue is the biggest problem facing Sino-US relations, as the One-China policy is the very core interest of China.

The remarks were made at a seminar held by Center for China and Globalization (CCG) on Jan. 19, one day before Trump would be sworn into office, which may see the presence of a Taiwan delegation.

The delegation would be led by former leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Yu Shyi-kun  who is notorious for his pro-Taiwan independence stance  and would attend the inauguration, according to the islands foreign ministry.

It would mark the latest close-in interaction between Taiwan and the U.S. since the U.S. president-elect made a phone call with Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen after Trumps victory.

Trump had also openly said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that the One-China policy is up for negotiation and that he is not fully committed to it.

Our position is very clear. China opposes any moves by the Taiwan authority for whatever excuses to send people to the U.S. to conduct activities that will disturb or undermine Sino-U.S. relations, Hua Chunying, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, told a daily briefing on Jan. 18 in Beijing.

We once again urge relevant parties in the U.S. to allow no delegation sent by the Taiwan authority to attend the inauguration ceremony of the president, and not to have any official contact with Taiwan, Hua noted, adding that the message has been delivered to the sitting US administration and the Trump transition team.
DOs cookie dough. Photo: Melissa Hom

DO (pronounced dough) is terrible news for anyone whose only obstacle to gorging on raw cookie dough is the FDAs warning against eating uncooked eggs and flour. Founder Kristen Tomlan found a way to render the stuff harmless, with a pasteurized-egg product and heat-treated flour, and launched an online company that celebrates proto-cookie goop in every imaginable form: scooped into cups and cones, flattened and frozen into cookies for ice-cream sanDOwiches, half-baked into brownies, and folded into Blue Marble ice cream for sundaes and milkshakes. Next week, shell open a Greenwich Village showcase for it with 15 seats, Tobys Estate coffee, and a case full of prepacked flavors like chocolate chip, cake batter, and confetti. Take a look at some of the confections and the space.

Cookie dough by the scoop. Photo: Melissa Hom

Dont call it a cupcake: Its baked cookie dough stuffed with Nutella or sprinkles, topped with cookie-dough-buttercream frosting. Photo: Melissa Hom

Ice cream SanDOwiches, with raw chocolate-chip cookie dough encasing cookie-dough ice cream. Photo: Melissa Hom

DOs baked (unraw) cookies. Photo: Melissa Hom

Waffle cones of cookie dough. Photo: Melissa Hom

DIY sundae: Choose your cookie, ice-cream flavor, and cookie-dough flavor. Photo: Melissa Hom

Cookie-dough ice-cream pie with a chocolate-chip-cookie crust, topped with unbaked cookie dough. Photo: Melissa Hom

Make-your-own sandwich: Pick your cookie and your ice cream or cookie dough. Photo: Melissa Hom

DO. Photo: Melissa Hom

Photo: Melissa Hom

Photo: Melissa Hom

550 La Guardia Pl., nr. 3rd St.; 646-892-3600

*A version of this article appears in the January 23, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.
Earlier today an unknown Samsung-branded device was approved by the US official certification authority, the FCC.

The document doesnt say much but it includes the ID of the device - SM-J727. That's the model number of the Galaxy J7 (2017).

Rumors say the device will be powered by Samsungs Exynos chipset and will have 5.5 Full HD display and 3GB RAM. The battery is rumored to be 3,000 mAh which is 10% less than the J7 (2016) so lets hope the chipset and the other components will act better so a difference would be uncanny.

Via
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Samsung's release of the new "Pro" line of the Galaxy C family has been rather chaotic. The Galaxy C9 Pro has been available in India for a couple of days now after an official unveiling, most markets are already waiting on the C5 Pro and C7 Pro, as well.

The US seems to be the next market the lineup is eyeing. The Galaxy C7 Pro already received its FCC certification, back in December 2016 and today, the C5 Pro and C9 Pro finalized the process as well.

As you can imagine, the documents in question offer little info on the pair of handsets, beyond hinting at their imminent US release. Just in case anybody is interested, their FCC IDs are A3LSMC900F and A3LSMC5010 for the C9 Pro and C5 Pro, respectively.

The Galaxy C9 Pro has a 6.0-inch, 1920x1080 Super AMOLED display, Snapdragon 653 SoC with 6GB of RAM, 64GB expandable storage, 16 megapixel cameras on the front and back with f1.9 aperture each, stereo speakers, dual SIM, USB-C, and a 4000mAh battery. The C5 Pro is said to take things down a notch with a 5.5-inch panel and Snapdragon 625, among other things.

Source 1 | Source 2 | Via
With the Galaxy S8, Samsung will enter the AI virtual assistant fight and in typical Samsung fashion, its loading it to the teeth with features. Bixby, as it is called, will integrate with apps and will support Samsung Pay.

Bixby will more than listen to your commands, it will use the S8s camera for visual search and text recognition too. The thing sounds similar to Googles Goggles app, which could scan barcodes to offer more info on the product.

The goal is to have Bixby scan a product and then hand you over to Samsung Pay to complete the purchase from an online store. It should also be able to direct you to a brick-and-mortar store for an in-person purchase.

This will be a boon for Samsung Pay as it will push more purchases through the system, but it's also an advantage over Apple's Siri (which can only use Apple Pay to send money to people, not pay for stuff online).

Source
Exactly one week ago a Lenovo Group VP made a promise regarding the update to Android 7.0 Nougat for the ZUK Z2 Pro - namely, that it would be rolling out at some point this week. And it turns out that prediction was accurate after all.

Starting today, ZUK Z2 Pro units are receiving the update which brings with it the latest version of the Lenovo sub-brand's own skin on top of Android too, which is ZUI 2.5.335. This is built on Android 7.0 Nougat, so owners of the Z2 Pro can now taste this iteration of Google's mobile OS for the first time, as you can see from the screenshots below.

It's unclear whether the update is rolling out in stages or if it's available at once to every ZUK Z2 Pro owner who goes into Settings and manually checks for updates, but it can't hurt to try this if you're impatient. There's no word on the Z2's Nougat release yet, even if the aforementioned promise from the Lenovo VP included that phone too. It's supposed to be graced with Nougat this week as well, but the week isn't over yet so perhaps this will happen in the next few days.

Via
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Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) (file photo)

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) completed the construction of its West Region Technical Center in Chengdu, Sichuan province on Jan. 18, Chinanews.com reported.

It's the company's fourth technical center in China, following those in Beijing, Guangzhou and Suzhou. The center covers an area of 3,600 square meters. 3M officially announced its Chengdu center on March 10, 2015; since then, hundreds of millions of RMB have been invested in its construction.

Stephen Shafer, president of 3M Greater China Area, introduces the company's diversified development to Raymond Greene, consul general for the United States in Chengdu. (Chinanews.com/Liu Yanjun)

China is no doubt a key growth market for 3M, said Stephen Shafer, president of 3M Greater China Area. He noted that with the ongoing implementation of China's Belt and Road Initiative, together with western development strategy, 3M is surprised by the great potential and vitality shown in the western China market. 3M will seize the opportunity and accelerate its investment in this region, according to Shafer.

The completion of 3M's Western Region Technical Center will further strengthen the company's product development and research capabilities in China's western market, and help the corporation to forge closer ties with local clients.

In the past five years, 70 percent of new highways in Sichuan province have used reflective signs produced by 3M. (Chinanews.com/Liu Yanjun)

The center will effectively promote the development and transformation of related industry chains, and bring benefits to the economic development of China's western region, said Raymond Greene, consul general for the United States in Chengdu. As one of the earliest foreign-owned enterprises to enter China, 3M has been in the Chinese market for more than 30 years.
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
The Canadian government turned over illegally exported cultural relics and fossils to Chinese representatives in Ottawa, Canada on Jan. 18, 2017. Many officials and museum workers from both sides attended the handover ceremony. Canada has returned a number of fossils since 2010.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of adhering to economic globalization and opposing protectionism as he delivered a keynote speech Tuesday at the 47th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos.

The future of globalization, once described as "the treasure of Alibaba" but now criticized as an opened "Pandora's box," was the key topic of Xi's speech at the forum, held in the Swiss ski resort.

It is the first time that a Chinese president has attended the annual meeting, a gathering of 3,000 government, business and civil society leaders to help shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Xi said many of the problems troubling the world are not caused by globalization, citing the refugee crisis as an example. "There is no point in blaming economic globalization for the world's problems, as that is not the case and will not help with solving the problems," he said.

"Xi is indirectly criticizing the protectionists among the West, because in the past, during the golden era of globalization, the West didn't treat the negative side of the system seriously and pushed it without consideration of uneven development between developed and developing countries," said Wang Yiwei, director of the Center for International Studies at the Renmin University of China.

But now, during difficult times, protectionists in the West are yelling to withdraw from the process of globalization, Wang said. "This shows the protectionists' irresponsibility and selfishness."

Xi pointed out the root causes of the sluggish global economy are lack of robust driving forces for global growth, inadequate global economic governance, and uneven global development.

The Chinese president stressed the need to develop 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.

He also called for a balanced, equitable and inclusive development model.

Belt and Road forum

US President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet nominations on foreign trade and his attitude to Sino-US relations show that the possibility of a trade war between China and the US is "extremely high," said DiaoDaming, a research fellow at the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

China will keep its door wide open and not close it, Xi said, stressing that this allows other countries to access the Chinese market and China itself to integrate with the world. He voiced hope that other countries will also keep their doors open to Chinese investors and keep the playing field level for China.

There will be no winner in a trade war, as Xi also stressed that the Paris Climate Agreement is a significant achievement and should not be abandoned easily. He said this is the responsibility that we must take for future generations, which won applause from the audience.

Pang Zhongying, director of the Center for the Study of Global Governance at Renmin University, said, "This is a message to Donald Trump, and obviously, Xi won support from Europe and elsewhere."

China's development will continue to offer opportunities to business communities in other countries. In the coming five years, Xi said, China is expected to import $8 trillion of goods, attract $600 billion in foreign investment, and make $750 billion in outbound investment. He added that Chinese tourists will make 700 million overseas visits.

During the speech, Xi announced that China plans to host a One Belt, One Road forum for international cooperation in Beijing this May to brainstorm on interconnected development.

The upcoming forum will explore ways to address regional and global economic problems, generate fresh energy for interconnected development, and make the Belt and Road initiative deliver greater benefits to peoples of the countries involved, Xi said in the speech.

"President Xi's speech demonstrated to other countries China's resolution to globalization and showed that China is willing to shoulder responsibilities in global development. It will boost free trade and economic globalization," said Jing Xiandong, ECO of Ant Financial, a division of Alibaba, who was present at the Davos opening ceremony.

WEF founder and chairman Klaus Schwab also praised President Xi's speech and thanked Xi's commitment to keep supporting economic globalization, saying that Xi's speech was "very very important" at this historic moment.

Schwab also mentioned the "Chinese Dream," a key term that Xi has raised to encourage and unify the Chinese people to realize the great revival of the Chinese nation, saying that the Chinese Dream can also connect to a dream of a "fair, innovative, open and inclusive" future for the whole world.
Jean-Jacques de Dardel, Swiss Ambassador to China. Photo: Courtesy of the Switzerland Embassy in China

Editor's Note:

Chinese President Xi Jinping is on a state visit to Switzerland, during which he met Swiss President Doris Leuthard, consolidating an already close partnership. Xi will also attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos for the first time.

The Global Times (GT) reporter Zhang Xin interviewed the Swiss Ambassador to China Jean-Jacques de Dardel, who talks about the further deepening bilateral cooperations and China's important role in the world economy.

GT: This is the first time President Xi visits Switzerland. And President Leuthard has just taken office. What does the meeting of the two mean?

De Dardel : President Leuthard and President Xi were set to hold official talks discussing bilateral as well as global topics, touching upon various fields of our broad bilateral ties. The development of China-Switzerland relations has gained a sound momentum. The meetings of the two presidents, as well as the ones with other ministers, will allow us to further deepen and diversify the cooperation between our two countries. I am confident that both countries are willing to work with each other to enrich the Innovative Strategic Partnership between China and Switzerland, and to lift the bilateral relations to a higher level.

GT: China and Switzerland declared the establishment of an "Innovative Strategic Partnership" in April 2016. In what ways has it shaped and accelerated the bilateral relationship so far?

De Dardel: China and Switzerland have maintained a diverse and in-depth bilateral relationship in a variety of areas, such as politics, the economy, culture as well as science for 66 years. Following former Swiss president Johann Schneider-Ammann's visit to China in April 2016, Sino-Swiss relations have surged to new heights vivified by both countries' Innovative Strategic Partnership - the first to date and unique. The partnership will usher in new collaboration opportunities through the application of "practical innovation" unique to Switzerland. As creative partners, both countries will explore innovative ways to further ties to mutually beneficial ends. As such, the Innovative Strategic Partnership by no means merely depicts innovation in the narrow sense of science and technology; rather, it recognizes the diversity, intensity and significance of the Sino-Swiss bilateral ties.

GT: China is recognized as a market economy by Switzerland, but within the European Union, there are debates about whether China deserves the recognition. What's your take on China's economic reform? How has Switzerland benefited from its economic ties with China?

De Dardel: Considering the progress that was made on the economic front and the longstanding strength of Sino-Swiss relations, it should not come as a surprise that compared to other advanced economies Switzerland granted China market economy status at a relatively early stage. China is a country with a huge population, which has been developing very dynamically in the past 30 years. It is admirable how the leadership has managed to keep this large supertanker steady through various challenging times. Now, facing lower growth rates, China is embarking on a new round of market-based reform. This choice by the Chinese leadership seems to be very sensible in achieving the goal of shifting the Chinese growth model from quantity to quality. The focus on a sustainable development and on strengthening the rule of law seems particularly pertinent in the context of the reform agenda.

Switzerland is the world's 19th economy and China is the second. That means we are an important economic partner for many. Switzerland was in 2016 the 10th supplier of China worldwide and the second in Europe. Since 2010, China has been Switzerland's third most important trading partner after the US and the EU. Usually it is China has a large amount of export. But our products are of such quality and our economies are so complementary that we traditionally have a large trade surplus with China. The Free Trade Agreement which entered into force in July 2014 is opening countless windows of opportunities in know-how exchange, investment, technology transfer, research and education, innovation, culture, and business creation.

GT: This visit will see China's first presidential participation in the annual meeting of the WEF. What kinds of changes will China bring to the forum? And in what way will the forum influence China?

De Dardel: As the first Chinese president attending the WEF in Davos, the participation of Xi Jinping sends a strong signal that China is endeavoring to take a stronger role on global issues. Established in 1971, the Davos Forum remains the foremost creative force for engaging the world's top leaders in collaborative activities to shape the global, regional and industry agendas each year. In 2016, a series of events have happened in the international arena: Brexit referendum, migration, terrorism and the rise of protectionism and populism. This year's forum will provide a platform for world elites to work together in finding a common purpose to achieve a positive outcome.

China has demonstrated in recent years that it will play a larger role internationally. The recent unprecedented market development in China demonstrates the potential for greater market integration. The establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the implementation of the "One Belt One Road" initiative, and the inclusion of the Renminbi (RMB) in the special drawing rights basket, the foreign exchange reserve assets defined by the IMF, are all concrete examples of a China that is taking a more active and stronger role internationally.

GT: RMB is experiencing an unstable yuan-dollar rate recently. Does Switzerland still have the confidence to expand the offshore RMB market in Zurich as stated last year in a joint declaration between the two sides?

De Dardel: The establishment of an RMB hub in Switzerland offers attractive possibilities and provides great potential for Chinese and Swiss financial institutions to benefit from the further liberalization of the RMB.

Due to Switzerland's position as one of the most important financial centers worldwide, China's foreign direct investments (FDI) to Switzerland and Swiss FDI to China have great potential to grow further. The RMB hub in Switzerland, including the establishment of a China Construction Bank branch in Zurich, helps to promote the bilateral trade between China and Switzerland. Swiss financial institutions continue to be interested in contributing to the development of Chinese financial markets and to use the new business opportunities in China. By joining the AIIB, Switzerland helps to support infrastructure projects along the ancient Silk Road and beyond. The Silk Road aims at a better trade connection between China and Europe and therefore provides huge potential for an increased bilateral trade between China and Switzerland. Swiss authorities are very supportive of the further internationalization of the RMB.




Opening Day Remarks

From House Minority Leader Beth Fukumoto, January 18, 2017

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, members and guests. It an honor to have the opportunity to once again serve as this bodys Minority Leader and work with you, the Majority Leader and the rest my colleagues on solutions to our states big problems.

In my past opening day speeches, I didnt talk much about policy. Instead, I focused on the importance of working together and encouraging dialogue on EVERY policy created by this body. Mr. Speaker, you and your Majority have responded by listening to our ideas and incorporating our opinions. In this Legislature, like in our state, I think we know that there is strength in diversity.

That said, Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk a little more about issues because our present situation demands it. This session, were facing a sizeable budget deficit, and the natural inclination of government is always to raise revenues and cut spending to find immediate solutions to an impending problem. We will need to take some of those actions, Mr. Speaker, but wed be doing a disservice to the people of Hawaii and future generations if that is ALL we do.

Two years ago when I got elected as Minority Leader, I mentioned that I was the first millennial to serve in this position. In 2016, I was also the youngest female in the country to hold a caucus leadership position. I give you these statistics to remind you that I speak for a growing demographic in this State who can no longer afford to live in a place that we grew up in and love. For us, Hawaii is not just paradise, its our home, and we cant afford it anymore.

Mr. Speaker, we talk a lot about the cost of living. And, I know the Governor has already proposed tax increases on transportation, and Im sure there will be other tax increases for us to consider. I hope that, if the Majority of this body chooses to act on those increases, that you will do so with caution and consider making those increases temporary.

As the Minority members, we will be proposing measures to encourage tax equality and lessen the tax burden on middle and lower income earners, recognizing that  in the face of a deficit  these may be long term ideas. But, as a body, we should never lose sight of the goal to make Hawaii more affordable for its residents.

In terms of affordability, Mr. Speaker, the biggest thing we can do this session to help local families is to address our rising housing costs. In 2015, a nationwide survey of cities found that Honolulu had the fourth-largest percentage of residents depart. When over 52% of a Hawaii residents income goes toward fixed costs like housing and transportation, we can conclude that housing prices are a major reason for residents, particularly young people, leaving our state.

This year, Mr. Speaker, you will see Minority members contributing a variety of measures that offer housing solutions for individuals and families at every level of need - from homeless individuals who need temporary housing to middle-income wage earners that want to buy their first home at an affordable price.

The Minority recognizes that, as a local economist pointed out, Hawaii has become a preferred place for the international 1 percent to buy property. This desire to purchase paradise is making it harder and harder for local residents to keep Hawaii their home. And, Mr. Speaker, we look forward to working with you and the Majority to reverse that trend.

Every year, this Legislature will come up with a handful of measures to address housing and homelessness, but we need to do better. We need a comprehensive plan. By 2025, we will be short nearly 65,000 housing units in our state, and many of our local families will be priced out of their communities if we dont increase our affordable housing inventory.

This, Mr. Speaker, is a crisis, and we need to start treating it like a crisis. Local families have watched this state become less and less affordable for decades. Its time to find the political courage to take risks and solve that problem.

Together, we can take control of our future. We need to be leaders that listen to the needs of the people that we represent. We need to hear the concerns of the recent college graduate who has returned home only to find that their home has undervalued them in favor of out-of-state financiers and we need to find a way to take care of those working families who make an average wage, but can't make a sufficient living.

We were once a State that not only took care of everyday people, we made sure that they felt accomplished, and we made sure that anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status, saw a better life as something achievable and something to aspire to.

We can be that State again, but weve got difficult decisions in front of us. Most of those decisions will need to be made quickly. A comprehensive plan to address housing at every level of need cant be sidelined by a budget deficit.

We cant keep planning our states economy in two year cycles. We may need some short term fixes, but we also need a long term economic plan. That long term plan MUST include making it easier for our young people, our working families and our retirees to stay and live in this state that they call home.

Mr. Speaker, we look forward to working with you and the majority on creating that long-term plan this session.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to close by acknowledging and thanking our Mililani High School students that are in the gallery and sitting with me on the floor today. Everything we do here is about making a better future for you.

Thank you for being here. And, thank you, Mr. Speaker, members and guests for listening.

***
Glasgow MP in ship plea to Governor of Hawaii

by Graeme Sneddon, AlisonThewliss.Scot, January 18, 2017

A Glasgow MP has issued a plea to the Governor of Hawaii, asking him not to sink a Clyde-built ship which is the last of its kind in the world.

SNP MP Alison Thewliss has written to the US Governor, David Ige, pleading that authorities in Honolulu dont sink or destroy the Falls of Clyde ship, as is currently intended.

The Glasgow Central politician is campaigning alongside the City of Glasgow College and a local history group to have the ship, which was built in 1878, repatriated to the River Clyde and used as a community run sail training venture.

The Glasgow Central MP said:

Given its rich history, it would be nothing short of historical and cultural vandalism to sink or destroy Falls of the Clyde. The ship is thought to be the last four-masted iron-hulled sailing vessel of its kind anywhere in the world. This Clyde built ship was launched in 1878 and has visited every continent of the world save Antarctica. There is growing interest in repatriating the boat to Scotland from organisations like Old Gorbals Heritage Group, the City of Glasgow Colleges Riverside campus and many others in Scotland and around the world. The River Clyde is full of potential and it would be absolutely amazing to bring the ship home and perhaps run it as a sail training venture. Returning this ship to the Clyde after 130 years would also swell public interest in the already popular attractions of the Riverside Museum and the Tall Ship. We must find every way possible to bring this ship home.

---30---

BBC: MP in bid to save rare Clyde-built ship Falls of Clyde

HS: MP steps into fight to save Clyde-built ship under threat in Hawaii
tralian businesses embracing D&I continue to reap the rewards, while others in the community want to ignore the benefits, according to Diversity Council Australia (DCA).DCAs CEO, Lisa Annese said that all the evidence points towards diversity leading to better performance, better innovation, better engagement and better wellbeing for individuals.As organisations, we should always be trying to strive for a more diverse workforce, she said.Many are introducing innovative programs, setting targets and identifying senior leaders to champion change, said Annese.In 2016 there was an increase in ASX-listed companies of all sizes adopting a diversity policy. Moreover, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency reports some improvements in employer action on gender equality.However, Annese added that 2016 saw the term political correctness make a comeback as an insult pointed at those who were trying to drive positive change.Deriding efforts at D&I by labelling it PC flies in the face of all the evidence that it is actually about delivering business benefits, said Annese.Businesses must recognise that its not about being PC but simply about workplace respect and dignity and being polite.The business sector in Australia has moved way beyond debate about D&I and is getting on with the job, said Annese.Robust strategies with measureable objectives and clear accountabilities are still the best way to create more diverse workplaces. But its also important to focus on inclusion as this will enable you to harness all of the benefits of that diversity.The DCA identified the following challenges for business in 2017:: Organisations commitment to D&I should be maintained and expanded as the evidence continues to show it is good for business.Diversity refers to the mix of people in your organisation. Inclusion occurs when a diversity of people (i.e. from different ages, gender, cultural background etc.) can contribute their talents, skills and energies to the organisation. Improved performance and wellbeing of organisations, teams and individuals requires both. And inclusive leadership capabilities are critical in this.Policies and programs are a good start but they have to lead to better outcomes. Measurable objectives work, especially when they are transparent and where they hold individuals accountable for achieving them.People are not one-dimensional and considering all elements of identity can signal that different approaches are sometimes required.Organisations consistently rate gender as a high diversity priority but neglecting other diversity dimensions will mean you will miss out on talents and opportunities.
More than 5,000 people are expected to attend the Womens March on Raleigh this Saturday, Jan. 21.

Organized in solidarity with the Womens March on Washington, the goal is to send a bold message to the nations new government on their first day in office that womens rights are human rights.

The group is calling itself the Noisy Majority and has asked supporters to sign a pledge to mobilize North Carolina to take the state back from the far-right New Confederacy.

The Raleigh march, organized by a diverse group of women, will culminate with a rally in Moore Square.

WHAT: Womens March on Raleigh

WHO: 5,000 people are expected to participate in a march and rally in Raleigh organized in solidarity with Womens March on Washington.

WHY: The rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonized and threatened many. The marchers in Raleigh stand together for the protection of the rights, safety and health of all, recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country.

WHEN AND WHERE: Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017,

10 a.m.: Marchers will meet at City Plaza on Fayetteville Street in front of the Marriott.

10:30 a.m.: March step off. Attendees will march on the sidewalk from City Plaza heading north on Fayetteville Street to East Martin Street where it will turn east, crossing Wilmington and Blount Streets and ending at Moore Square. No streets are expected to be closed.

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Rally at Moore Square. Speakers at the rally include Reverend Michelle Laws, MaryBe McMillan of the NC AFL-CIO, Nia Wilson of SpiritHouse, Serena Sebring of Southerners on New Ground, and Sarah Preston of Lillians List.

Contacts: Salma Mirza, 716-432-1576 or [email protected]

Anna Grant, 484-326-4399 or [email protected]

More information can be found at womensmarchonraleigh.org and on the Facebook event and Facebook page.

Womens March on West Jefferson

The marchers will gather in town at the Backstreet Park on the Backstreet. Our march will begin at 2 p.m.

According to the Sister Marches page, Our intention is to share our POSITIVE vision about what we want to see created in our community and the world. We will then march through town (on sidewalks only). Afterwards we will gather for a shared potluck and fellowship in the library community room, for those interested in connecting further.

For more information, click here.

Find other sister marches here.

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Governor Roy Cooper has recommended eight community and regional projects in Western North Carolina for Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) funding. The recommendations total more than $3 million in ARC funds.

The Appalachian Regional Commission is a longtime, valued partner in regional economic development for our state, said Governor Cooper. From enhancing STEM education to improving broadband access, these projects support jobs and local businesses in communities across Western North Carolina.

The North Carolina ARC program, part of NC Commerce, makes an initial review of funding requests in order to assure consistency with state and federal guidelines. Final recommendations are formally made by Governor Cooper. Then ARC makes the final decision on the grant recipients which will be announced later this year.

Governor Cooper recommended the following applicants and projects:

Town of Blowing Rock  $10,000 ARC grant request

Funds would be used to expand the towns Wi-Fi network to cover the entire downtown business district off Sunset Drive. It will serve 10 businesses.

Blue Ridge National Heritage Area  $90,000 ARC grant request

Funds would be used to plan, develop and implement the Blue Ridge Craft Trails. This relaunch of the Handmade in America craft trails would focus on supporting the crafters with accessing markets online. This project will result in improving 75 businesses.

Haywood Community College  $100,000 ARC grant request

Funds would equip the Advanced Machining Incubator at Haywood Community College. This project could create seven small businesses.

Land of Sky Regional Council  $47,500 ARC grant request

Funds would identify local assets and develop community plans for broadband deployment. This project could result in a regional broadband plan called the Next Generation Network for Western North Carolina.

City of Morganton  $1,374,714 ARC grant request

Funds would support the construction of an access road to a new commercial development. This project could create 45 jobs and leverage approximately $2.7 million in private investment.

Rutherford County  $873,509 ARC grant request

Funds would widen and repave more than three miles of Jack McKinney Road (SR 1111) to improve access to a vacant industrial facility. This access road investment will improve the marketability of a 217-thousand-square-foot building on 65 acres and improve traffic safety for the community.

Town of Sparta  $300,000 ARC grant request

Funds would create a town streetscape with improvements including sidewalks, benches, landscaping and lighting to serve the community and 20 businesses.

Western Piedmont Council of Governments  $100,000

Funds will assist teachers in Alexander, Burke and Caldwell Counties develop problem-based learning related to local industries. This program would serve 2,160 students.

The U.S. Congress created ARC in 1965 to improve the lives of the people in Appalachia. Federal funding is allocated to North Carolina and 12 other states that make up the Appalachian region. North Carolina counties eligible to receive funding are Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, McDowell, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey.

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On Monday, Jan. 23 communities across North Carolina will host events as part of a statewide day of action for Climate Justice and a nationwide call from the Peoples Climate Movement for 100 actions in 100 cities in the first 100 hours of the new administration. Boone will join this nationwide movement with a Peaceful Peoples Parade hosted by the grassroots group, Boone Rising.

The Peaceful Peoples Parade is a celebration of the High Country community we love and an opportunity for residents from Boone and surrounding areas to come together and pledge to stand united to protect the mountains and our community from climate change and social injustices. The parade will feature live acoustic music, acro-yoga, flow dance, puppets and costumes from the Elkland Art Center, banners, signs and more! Children of all ages are welcome and folks are encouraged to bring their own signs and art, or show up a little early to pick out an Elkland Art Center puppet or costume.

What: Peaceful Peoples Parade

When: Monday, January 23rd, 4 pm

Where: Meet at Watauga County Public Library, (140 Queen St. Boone, NC), Parade Down King St.

Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/events/797287383743537/

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The following information is provided by local law enforcement agencies.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Compiled by Jessica Isaacs

Jan. 10INCIDENT: Fraud  credit card/ATM was reported at 5508 Old U.S. Highway 421 in Zionville.

INCIDENT: Fraud was reported at 946 Fallview Lane in Boone.

INCIDENT: Calls for service were reported at 162 Georgia Ave. in Boone.

ARREST: A male suspect, 59, of 165 Robin Lane Apt. 307 in Boone, was charged with simple assault and misdemeanor larceny. Trial date: Feb. 9.

ARREST: A male suspect, 39, of 2294 Shulls Mill Road in Vilas, was charged with possessing/concealing weapons. Secured bond: $1,000. Trial date: Feb. 9.

Jan. 11

ARREST: A male suspect, 33, of 744 Pine Mountain Road in Creston, was charged with felony indictment for habitual felon and misdemeanor failure to appear on felony charges. Secured bond: $500,000. Trial date: March 20.

ARREST: A male suspect, 18, of 481 Silverleaf Road in Zionville, was charged with probation violation. Secured bond: $5,000. Trial date: Jan. 3.

Jan. 12

ARREST: A female suspect, 29, of 5230 U.S. Highway 221 S in Blowing Rock, was charged with contempt of court/perjury/court violations. Secured bond: $500. Trial date: Feb. 17.

ARREST: A male suspect, 30, of 300 Mountain View Baptist Church Road in Deep Gap, was charged with contempt of court/perjury/court violations. Bond: $1,000.

ARREST: A male suspect, 26, of 128 Hemlock Edge in Boone, was charged with failure to appear. Trial date: Feb. 10.

ARREST: A male suspect, 43, of 6520 Whitefield Drive in Willow Spring, was charged with parole and probation violations. Secured bond: $2,000. Trial date: Jan. 31.

ARREST: A female suspect, 54, of 313 J C Greene Lane in Deep Gap, was charged with larceny. Secured bond: $500. Trial date: Feb. 20.

Jan. 13

INCIDENT: Trespassing was reported at 1703 Wildcat Ridge Road in Deep Gap.

INCIDENT: Calls for service were reported at 108 Linville Creek Road Unit 3 in Vilas.

INCIDENT: Breaking and entering, simple physical assault and larceny were reported at 254 Seminole Trail in Elk Park.

INCIDENT: Larceny  from motor vehicle was reported at 378 N.C. Highway 105 Bypass Unit 3 in Boone.

ARREST: A male suspect, 3216 Sacramento Drive in Yadkinville, was charged with FTA felony larceny. Secured bond: $5,000. Trial date: Feb. 17.

Jan. 14

INCIDENT: Felony fleeing to elude arrest, DWLR and resist/obstruct/delay were reported at 0 Wiedemanns Road in Banner Elk.

INCIDENT: Warrant service was reported at 1233 Andy Hicks Road in Banner Elk.

ARREST: A male suspect, 22, of 1233 Andy Hicks Road in Banner Elk, was charged with FTA injury to real property. Secured bond: $3,000. Trial date: Feb. 17.

ARREST: A male suspect, 22, of 254 Seminole Trail in Elk Park, was charged with felony flee and elude arrest with motor vehicle, misdemeanor reckless driving to endanger and driving while license revoked Secured bond: $26,000. Trial date: Feb. 15.

ARREST: A male suspect, 27, of 114 Presnell School Road in Banner Elk, was charged with resist/obstruct/delay. Secured bond: $750. Trial date: Feb. 27.

Jan. 15

INCIDENT: Calls for service were reported at 121 Beck Court in Boone.

INCIDENT: Simple physical assault was reported at 1425 Stoneybrook Lane in Boone.

ARREST: A female suspect, 43, of 1425 Stoneybrook Lane in Boone, was charged with simple assault. Trial date: Feb. 27.

ARREST: A male suspect, 34, of 4303 Bamboo Road in Boone, was charged with failure to pay child support. Bond: $250. Trial date: Jan. 20.

Jan. 16

INCIDENT: Vandalism was reported at 245 Bamboo Road Unit 4 in Boone.

ARREST: A male suspect, 21, of 159 David Sides Road in Boone, was charged with battery on unborn child and assault on a female. No bond. Trial date: Feb. 27.

ARREST: A male suspect, 19, of 415 Knollwood Drive in Boone, was charged with felony break or enter a motor vehicle. Secured bond: $5,000. Trial date: Feb. 9.

ARREST: A male suspect, 39, of 1410 Crackers Neck Road #1 in Mountain City, was charged with unauthorized use of motor vehicle. Secured bond: $500. Trial date: Feb. 27.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on Tuesday and delivered a keynote speech. He stressed that blaming economic globalization for the world's problems is inconsistent with reality and unhelpful to solve the problems.

The challenges of globalization are the most prominent issues in global governance. There have been anti-globalization waves in some Western countries, which are causing political impacts. Donald Trump's election and Brexit are considered responses to the anti-globalization sentiment in the US and the UK.

Globalization is now at a crossroads. Some are calling for China to fly the flag of globalization. But counting on China alone does not conform to the logic of globalization, which requires efforts from every country.

The opposition of some Western forces to globalization comes as a result of irrational sentiment rather than prudent thinking. Generally, the West is the biggest beneficiary of globalization. As capital, commodities and services flow across the globe, the West is at the apex of the entire system.

There is little room to further grow wealth within the West, where the need for building new infrastructure is limited and a diminishing population means a shrinking consumer market. The West can only explore growth in high-end sectors and abroad. If it shuts the door to the outside world now, it will block opportunities for growth.

Until now, most of the world's top 500 companies are from the West, however, the public feel they are worse off. The problem lies in a distribution system in which capitalists and the elites have taken the majority share of the benefits, leaving little for the public. The West shouldn't blame globalization.

Even after Trump takes power and the UK leaves the EU, there is no easy way for the US or the UK. Globalization is a one-way journey, while anti-globalization is a false proposition. Anti-globalization, in essence, is an attempt to adjust global rules to grab more benefit from it.

Trump proposed that American enterprises should site their factories within the country, but he also wants investors from China, Japan and South Korea to create jobs in the US; meanwhile, made-in-USA should continue to sell worldwide. He just feels that the US did not earn enough from globalization.

Perhaps the West is used to seeing big gaps with developing countries. But they have never thought that new emerging economies like BRICS countries will narrow the gap with developed ones, which is an irreversible trend.

Migration is one phenomenon amid globalization. It has brought some problems that the West feels difficulty adapting to. The problems should be managed rather than becoming a reason for anti-globalization.

Globalization has become a necessity in a modern society. China has benefitted from globalization, and will take actions to promote globalization. The China-proposed "community of common destiny" is sincere in both minds and deeds.
(Bloomberg) The nonprofit group behind the bestseller Clinton Cash, whose investigation of dealings by Hillary Clinton and her family furnished ammunition for Donald Trump in last years presidential campaign, got two-thirds of its funding from a single hedge-fund manager.

Robert Mercer provided $1.7 million of the groups $2.6 million of revenue in 2015, according to Internal Revenue Service documents obtained by Bloomberg News. The group, the Government Accountability Institute, was co-founded by populist firebrand Stephen Bannon, now the president-elects chief strategist.

To read this article:
Governments across Asia have to address massive challenges  climate change, rapidly aging populations, urbanization, and immigration  that often outpace their financial and human capabilities. Collaboration with other sectors is increasingly seen as a way to use additional financial resources, solicit innovative ideas, and tap into expertise that the government may be lacking. Governments aiming to get things done at all in todays world benefit from engaging NGOs, businesses, charities, and social enterprises.

ABSTRACT: The massive challenges faced by governments across Asia can be better addressed through cross-sectoral partnerships, but such relationships also come with distinct risks

However, even though governments may want to engage in cross-sectoral partnerships  involving government and partners from other sectors  doing so effectively is easier said than done. After all, partners from other sectors often have different agendas, working styles, and constituencies, such as donors, supporters, or shareholders they have to consider.

Lets start with collaborations between local governments and international NGOs. In post-conflict Cambodia and post-tsunami Indonesia, local officials teamed up with international aid agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development and small, local NGOs to share expertise and address needs on the ground. These collaborations supported cash-for-work recovery projects that employed 70,000 people, and helped finance the revival of Acehs (Indonesia) fishing industry. Partnerships also developed and hosted 3-month vocational courses for hundreds of young people, who subsequently played a key role in jumpstarting local economies.

Likewise, getting nonprofits and communities to work together opens up a reservoir of highly passionate, increasingly well-connected and supported networks of individuals with deep ties to local communities. At the same time, however, governments shouldnt be naive in assuming that highly passionate and driven civil society partners will necessarily effectively replace government. Traditional distrust towards government and difficulties in sustaining continuance of funding and personnel are factors that NGOs may not be able to address.

What about the business sector then? Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are vehicles widely used across Asia for the development of natural resources and large-scale infrastructure projects. Results are mixed, even though much cross-country learning from the best practices has taken place, aided by organizations such as the Asian Development Bank. In such PPPs, governments usually take the lead. Increasingly, however, we see examples of corporations taking the lead as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

For instance, India-based Suzlon Energy established the Suzlon Foundation in 2007 to run its operations more effectively and build lasting relationships with all their stakeholders. The foundation heads CSR initiatives as a separate organization, structurally isolated from the business units of the company, reflecting a trend among multinationals. Projects are implemented in communities surrounding the companys wind farms. By now, Suzlon Foundation has implemented close to 200 different projects in close collaboration with dozens of NGOs and government partners.

Still, engaging private-sector players carries risks for governments as well.

Through their participation, governments may (unintentionally) legitimize corporate activities whose ultimate intent may be shadowy at best. In the not too distant past, mining and resource exploration in various Asia Pacific countries were examples of such activities in which environmental damage, human rights abuses, and regulatory negligence were condoned, perhaps even reinforced by governments, in exchange for a piece of the pie. More so, governments should refrain from allowing businesses to take over their roles and responsibilities, such as providing basic sanitation services, security, and health services. Ultimately, however, engaging private-sector partners opens up enormous potential in helping to address the major issues of our time. The private sectors ability to scale up, finance, innovate, and make operations more efficient may well be unparalleled if it sees a case for good business.

Clearly, cross-sectoral collaboration may create enormous added value while posing common risks as well.

What, then, should governments engaged in cross-sectoral partnerships keep in mind in order to become better at collaboration, and for their bureaucrats to ultimately become tri-sector athletes? Four key lessons matter. First of all, they should maximize strong interpersonal relationships while developing institutional relationships as well to ensure continuity; second, they will have to recognize power imbalances and work with them rather than trying to correct them; third, they must treat other stakeholders as full collaborators; and finally, governments and their partners should start collectively identifying common objectives and interests while recognizing conflict.

Bureaucrats will have to adopt a less technocratic and hierarchical mindset to make these collaborations work. Newer generations of entrepreneurs and politicians already embody this mindset. In the years to come, they will be instrumental in unleashing the full potential of cross-sectoral collaboration in Asia.
The national broadcasting company has obtained an advance copy of a white paper detailing the overhaul to be announced by Berner on Thursday. Berner, it writes, is proposing that the car tax after first registration be abolished and that the fuel and vehicle taxes be cut dramatically in a move that would reduce annual tax revenues by up to 1.6 billion euros.

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Anne Berner (Centre), is proposing sweeping changes to taxes levied on road vehicles, reports YLE .

The tax cuts would be offset by the introduction of road-use charges.

YLE reveals that the new state-owned transport network company to be established to take over road administration and maintenance would charge motorists an average of 539 euros a year, depending on the amount of emissions produced by their vehicles.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications neither denied nor confirmed the report on Wednesday.

The Finnish Central Organisation for Motor Trades and Repairs (AKL) has expressed its concerns about the fact that the reform would reduce the cost of buying a new car dramatically. AKL duly calls for the adoption of temporary car-buying incentives to prevent a steep fall in motor vehicle sales as prospective buyers wait for the changes to take effect.

The key provisions set forth in the white paper are to be implemented at the beginning of 2018, according to YLE.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 18

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Representatives of the Czech agriculture ministry and agriculture companies intend to visit Azerbaijan by June, Frantisek Masopust, executive director of the Czech Chamber of Commerce for relations with CIS countries, told Trend.

"Agriculture ministries of Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic must agree on the date of the visit," he said. "The Czech deputy minister, not the minister, can head the ministerial group."

He added that the group is expected to include representatives of the Czech agriculture companies, both suppliers and owners of agro-processing technologies.

Masopust added that there are good prospects for developing the cooperation between Azerbaijan, which is now actively developing the non-oil sector of the economy, and the Czech Republic, which has a developed agriculture.

He said that in particular, the Czech Republic can offer Azerbaijan its milk processing technologies.

"The Czech companies are mainly manufacturers and exporters of the products and they do not have enough funds to invest in the projects abroad," Masopust said.

"We understand that it would be rather beneficial for the Czech Republic to establish joint ventures in Azerbaijan," he said. "The labor force is cheaper in Azerbaijan than in the Czech Republic. Moreover, the goods produced in the Czech Republic could be sold in Azerbaijans partner countries in the region."

He said there are bilateral cooperation prospects in infrastructure construction, construction of roads, railways, bridges.

Masopust added that the Czech Republic has great experience in lightening of cities.

"I am pleased to visit Baku because the city is changing for the better every year," he added.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
A member of the ruthless gang who beat a father and threatened to kill his children during a violent burglary has been attacked in prison by one of his own gang.

Patrick Gately (27) was one of the seven who attacked the home of the Corcoran family in Burnchurch, south Tipperary, in November 2013.

On Monday, the thug was attacked on his landing in Mountjoy Prison and subjected to a savage beating, with blows inflicted mainly to his head and face.

It is understood that in the wake of the attack Gately, who is serving a 16-year-sentence for the horrific armed raid on the Corcorans' home, was moved to St Pat's and is now under protection.

Brutal

Sources said the thug was targeted because he "had been loose with his tongue", sparking a brutal response from his own allies.

"That lad had been mouthing off and his own gang heard about it," a source said.

Sources confirmed last night that the assault was not linked to the Kinahan/Hutch feud.

The attack on Gately comes six months after another member of the gang, Donal O'Hara (24), had tendons in his arm severed and was beaten with metal poles in retaliation for an attack on a woman. The beating is believed to have been carried out after a 5,000 'hit' was put out on O'Hara.

Authorities believe the threat against O'Hara also originated with former associates.

In October 2015, Gately and O'Hara were two of seven men sentenced to a total of 105 years in prison for one of the most horrific and violent burglaries to take place in Ireland.

The gang broke into the home of Mark and Emma Corcoran armed with a sawn-off shotgun, a handgun and a machete.

Mrs Corcoran managed to dial 999 and left her mobile phone on for seven minutes. Gardai could hear what was happening during the raid.

Mrs Corcoran said she told the raiders that her children - aged eight, six and two - were in the house and was told "we'll kill your f***ing kids".

Two of the attackers - Dean Byrne (22), of Cabra Park, and Patrick Gately (27), of Primrose Grove in Darndale - were sentenced to 20 years, with four suspended.

John Joyce (20), of Lentisk Lawn, Donaghmede, was sentenced to 15 years with four suspended and Patrick Joyce (22), of Beaumont Hall, Beaumont Woods, was sentenced to 14 years with four suspended.

Thomas Flynn (20), of Moatview Avenue, Coolock, was jailed for 12 years with three suspended, while Michael McDonagh (23), of Tara Lawns Belcamp Lane, Coolock, and O'Hara (24), from Glin Park in Coolock, were both sentenced to 12 years, both with seven suspended.

Shouting

Shortly before the seven gang members were led away from the courtroom, some of them shouting as they left, Judge Thomas Teehan offered his best wishes to the Corcorans, who live in the townland of Burnchurch outside Killenaule in Co Tipperary.

"I'm quite certain everyone in court has enormous sympathy for what you have endured," he told the emotional couple after issuing the prison terms.

"I'd like to wish you every possible success and for your children in your efforts to recover from this.

"No doubt your own determination will be very important in that regard. Nobody could possibly ever forget what you have gone through."
Gardai have arrested a 23-year-old man in relation to two early morning arson attacks on cars in Dublin's north inner city.

In one, an apartment block had to be evacuated for fear that the flames would spread from two of the burning vehicles.

The incidents, which happened in the Arbour Hill and Stoneybatter areas, are believed to have been carried out by the same person.

Four vehicles were destroyed, while a fifth was damaged. A number of properties were also damaged.

In the first attack, last Wednesday, an Audi was burnt out in Palatine Square, close to Arbour Hill.

The fire quickly spread to another car, which was also destroyed.

A third car was slightly damaged in the fire, which started at 5am, while heat caused panes of glass to shatter in properties.

The owner of the A4 believes his car was set on fire by vandals.

"Cars just don't burst into flames," he said. "I heard a bang at around 5am and looked out of the window and saw my car on fire.

Precaution

"I ran out the back of the house with my partner."

The fire quickly spread to a Nissan Note owned by the next door neighbour and damaged another car parked outside the row of terraced houses in Tomar Court.

The second arson attack happened last Thursday, when two cars were destroyed in nearby St Joseph's Court in Stoneybatter.

The fire began at about 3.50am and residents were told to evacuate their homes as a precaution.

Nobody was injured in the incident.

Members of the Dublin Fire Brigade responded to the incident and managed to control the fire before it caused further damage.

Investigating officers from the Bridewell Garda Station detained the 23-year-old yesterday morning.
Residents of south Dublin fear chalk markings, like the one shown (inset), are being used by burglars to target homes

A female commuter was dragged to the ground during a robbery in Dublin city centre.

The terrifying incident was one of a number of robberies in the capital's north inner city yesterday morning.

A man was struck in the throat with a crutch and another man was robbed on the Luas during separate attacks.

Gardai suspect that the same robbers were responsible for all three crimes and two men were arrested yesterday.

Mysterious

A source said the first incident happened at 7am on Abbey Street Lower, in Dublin's north inner city. The commuter was dragged to the ground by two males who stole her handbag before fleeing.

A short time later another commuter was struck in the throat with a crutch after being approached by two men who stole his mobile phone.

Gardai at Store Street also received a report of a man being robbed on the Luas red line in the city centre. His phone and wallet were taken during the theft.

Meanwhile, fears have been raised that a burglary gang is targeting homes in south Dublin after mysterious chalk markings appeared on footpaths.

Locals in the Ballybrack and Shankill areas are concerned after spotting the distinct markings outside their homes.

Councillors in the area have warned residents to remain vigilant after the local council confirmed the markings were not created by its staff.

Residents have now shared a key on social media to help identify the different markings.

The key originated from police in the UK, where similar markings have been reported to help burglars attack homes.

One image of a chalk marking in the Dublin locality shared by a local shows the letter X three times in a row, which according to the key suggests "three good targets in a row".

Local Fianna Fail councillor Vinny Duran-Kearns said similar markings had been used to target homes in the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown area.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Energy makes the basis of cooperation between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan, said Azerbaijani Ambassador to Bulgaria Nargiz Gurbanova in her interview with Bloomberg TV Bulgaria.

Azerbaijan sees Bulgaria not only as a country buying Azerbaijani gas, but also as a transit state in the European area, noted Gurbanova.

Bulgaria is the gateway of Azerbaijan to Europe, and Azerbaijan, for its part, acts as a bridge to ensure Bulgarias access to the dynamically developing markets of Asia, she added.

The diplomat said that Bulgaria is one of the countries, with which Azerbaijan signed an agreement on strategic partnership in March 2015. The two countries also signed an agreement on gas import from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria in 2013 that will meet one third of the countrys demand in energy consumption, added the ambassador.

Gurbanova noted that this year Bulgaria and Azerbaijan mark the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Over the past years, great success has been achieved in the development of bilateral relations, she noted.

Azerbaijan sees Bulgaria as its strategic partner among countries of the European Union, said the diplomat.

The ambassador added that Azerbaijan will soon start negotiations on new agreement with the EU on strategic partnership and hopes for the support of its Bulgarian partners during the discussions on the agreement with the EU.

The presidency of the Council of the EU will pass to Bulgaria in 2018.

Negotiations on new EU-Azerbaijan agreement will start in the coming two weeks in Brussels, Belgium.

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.

s 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.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict occurred as a result of wrong policy of General Secretary of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, according to the document RDP91B00776R000600150001 declassified by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

According to the document as of July 25, 1988, the continuing unrest in the Caucasus is the most extreme example of the nationality tensions.

Moscow's initial failure to discourage Armenian aspirations led Armenian nationalists to press their demands; its subsequent hard lineby dashing heightened expectationsradicalized the movement, the document said. Widespread civil disobedience erupted, with control over the protests passing into the hands of more outspoken and uncompromising protest organizers.

Gorbachevs policy - glasnost (openness) has led to an expanded discussion by minorities of legal, economic, and cultural rights, as well as a greater public discourse on the past "wrongs" perpetrated against them, the document said.

Gorbachev has now had time to see the aggressively independent form nationalistic aspirations have taken; while he does not want to crush the spirit of these movements, he cannot be confident of the regime's ability to control their direction, the document said.

According to the CIA, Moscow also appears to be groping toward a long-term plan that just might prove acceptable to both sides.

This would be some new administrative arrangement whereby Nagorno-Karabakh is not transferred to Armenia but is given some degree of genuine autonomy in Azerbaijan, perhaps accompanied by some measures to give national groups living outside their national "homelands" expanded cultural and economic rights, the document said.

According to the document, a major problem Gorbachev faces is that working out the details of this plan may take some timerequiring endorsement by a Central Committee plenum and probably approval of constitutional amendments by the Supreme Soviet.

With passions at fever pitch, it has been difficult to sell the plan even to those concerned parties who would in calmer times be amenable to compromise, the document said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19

By Anakhanum Hidayatova  Trend:

NATO continues to encourage all sides to pursue efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the process run by the OSCE Minsk Group, a NATO representative told Trend Jan. 19.

Peaceful resolution of conflicts is a core value of NATO and is one of the core commitments that all partner countries commit to when joining the Partnership for Peace (PfP), said the NATO official. We fully support the OSCE co-chairs work as well as their latest statement dated 10 January 2017.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group  ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France, and Richard Hoagland of the US  released a statement on Jan. 10.

The co-chairs, saying that Armenian Armed Forces are still holding the body of an Azerbaijani serviceman killed in a fighting on Dec. 29, 2016, urged 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.

On Dec. 29, 2016, a reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces tried to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the borders 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 conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19

Trend:

Azerbaijani Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev and Head of the Uzbek State Committee on Tourism Development Anvar Sharapov discussed the opening of charter flights, the creation of joint tour packages and other important issues to intensify mutual tourist flow, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Jan. 19.

All those issues were discussed during the meeting at the Fitur-2017 International Tourism Fair in Madrid, Spain, the ministry said.

According to the message, other cooperation opportunities in the tourism sector between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan were also discussed during the meeting.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 20



Trend:



Today, Azerbaijan commemorates the 27th anniversary of the 20th January tragedy.



January 20, 1990 is a day which went down in history of Azerbaijan's fight for independence and territorial integrity.



The Jan. 20, 1990 entrance of the Soviet army forces into Baku, to suppress the masses, resulted in unprecedented tragedy in Azerbaijan.

The protests were held against the USSR-supported Armenia's aggressive actions, made upon territorial claims towards Azerbaijan.



Valiant sons and daughters of Azerbaijan put the country's freedom, honor and dignity above everything else, sacrificed their lives and became shahids.



The tragedy of Jan. 20 brought huge losses and death of innocent people. But it also demonstrated the spirit and pride of Azerbaijani nation, which couldn't stand the betrayal policy of the criminal empire led by Mikhail Gorbachev.



Azerbaijani people gained the independence they have been dreaming of, and the country achieved sovereignty.



Despite that many years have passed since those bloody days, Azerbaijani nation remembers the dreadful night that took many innocent lives, and marks the anniversary of the January 20 tragedy every year.



The events of January 20 are immortalized in the vital memory of Azerbaijani nation as a Day of the Nationwide Sorrow.
It's been 125 years since Dracula was published. And it's still scary.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19

Trend:

The Turkish Embassy in Azerbaijan issued a statement Jan. 19 in connection with the 27th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy.

The January 20 tragedy  a turning point in Azerbaijan's struggle for independence  will never be forgotten, reads the statement.

The selfless struggle of our Azerbaijani brothers who blocked the way of tanks with their bodies will never be forgotten. We respectfully revere the memory of martyrs who 27 years ago sacrificed their lives for the independence of Azerbaijan, which is today a bastion of stability and prosperity in our region, and we want to emphasize that we support Azerbaijan as always, the statement said.
A ceremony dedicated to 27th anniversary of the bloody tragedy in January 1990 was held at Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS). The event participants held a moment of silence to honor glorious memory of the victims of the Black January.

Opening the meeting, BHOS Vice-Rector for Training, Science and International Relations Ramiz Humbatov provided a detailed report about tragic events in January 1990. He emphasized that 20 January is not only a day of national mourning, but also a day of national pride and glory. In his words, this day symbolizes all Azerbaijani peoples struggle for their freedom and territorial integrity of their motherland, and the shehids of Black January who sacrificed their lives for those higher purposes wrote a bright page in the countrys history. He emphasized that the first historical and political assessment of the event was given by the national leader of Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev. Ramiz Humbatov said that it was the national leader Heydar Aliyev, who laid foundation of the independent state policy of Azerbaijan, which has been successfully carried out by the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev. It is vital that young generation treasures state independence of Azerbaijan, which was gained at the expense of the shehids lives, he said.

Associate Professor of BHOS English Language and Humanitarian Disciplines Centre Alamdar Shahverdiyev told about the tragic events in January 1990 and said that this tragedy occupies an important place in the history of Azerbaijan. Alamdar Shahverdiev reminded that hundreds of civilians were killed as a result of those tragic events. He said that nowadays youth should always remember about Black January and join their efforts to bring perpetrators of those atrocious crimes to justice.

At the end of the ceremony, a short documentary highlighting events of 20 January tragedy was demonstrated.

It shall be noted that Rector of the Baku Higher Oil School Elmar Gasimov enacted a plan of actions to commemorate 27th anniversary of 20 January. Within this plan, a round table to mark the tragic anniversary was held at the Higher School. BHOS students also attended demonstration of documentaries dedicated to National Heroes of Azerbaijan, which was held at Nizami Cinema Centre from January 17 to January 19 and was dedicated to the 27th anniversary of 20 January. On the eve of the tragic anniversary, staff members and students of the Higher School visited the Alley of Martyrs (Shidlr Xiyaban) to honor the memory of the victims of the Black January events in Baku in 1990.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19

Trend:

The event dedicated to the 27th anniversary of the 20 January events was held at UNEC on January 19.

Besides the university academic staff, martyrs family members also attended the event organized at the Memorial Complex erected to the memory of UNECs martyr alumni and students.

UNEC Rector, Professor Adalat Muradov, university staff and martyr families viewed the exhibition on Bloody January through UNEC Students Eyes. Laying the flowers at the Memorial Complex, the participants of the event commemorated martyrs fond memories with a moment of silence.

Speaking about the occurrence of the tragedy January 20, UNEC Rector, Professor Adalat Muradov emphasized that the massacre committed 27 years ago was an inveterate crime against humanity; the night engraved to the memories as a Black January is considered as the remembrance day of the martyrs and also the day of unity, pride and honor of our people who fought for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Saying Martyr student always became a source of pride for us, rector highlighted that their names are mentioned with respect and esteem at UNEC.

Rector also talked about the political and legal assessment of the events of January 20th. He noted that these events were given necessary political and legal assessment at the state level only after the National Leader Heydar Aliyev came to power. Putting his life in danger, the Great Leader came to the permanent representation of Azerbaijan to Moscow and condemned in anger the organizers of the bloody tragedy before the world community, made an accusing and bold statement. Afterwards, at the National Leaders initiative the Supreme Assembly of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic gave the first political assessment to the January 20 tragedy.

UNECs martyr student Habil Azizovs brother Etimad Azizov shared his memories about brother: My brother Habil has reached to the top of martyrdom on his birthday. It was his childhood dream to become this universitys student. Unfortunately, he was unable to graduate from the University of Economics and achieved the title of the eternal student. Participating in the event, other martyrs - Ilgar Abilhasanovs brother Yaver Abilhasanov and Mahammad Umudovs father Eldar Umudov spoke about the support rendered to the martyr families by the state. They highlighted that Azerbaijani people will never forget their martyrs.

The January 20 martyr Aslan Aghaverdiyevs grandson, UNEC student Aslan Azimzade spoke about his grandfather who rose to the pick of martyrdom. Saying As I was born in a martyr family, I can say with certainty that have always felt the attention by our state, Aslan stressed that UNEC students are always ready to continue the heroic path went by martyrs.

UNEC is the brand of Azerbaijan State University of Economics. The brand of UNEC has been registered and patented by the State Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Patent on January 21 2016.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19

Trend:

Vietnam wants Azerbaijan to continue support for the Vietnamese state oil and gas company in developing the countrys oil and gas fields, said Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.

He made the remarks during a meeting with Azerbaijans Energy Minister Natig Aliyev in Hanoi, the National English language daily Viet Nam News reported.

Tran Dai Quang said that he is ready to create favorable conditions for the import of Azerbaijani goods into Vietnam.

He also noted that Vietnam is ready to export products of agro-industrial fishery, electronics and computers to Azerbaijan in order to increase the volume of trade turnover.

The two sides should consider the issue of resumption of cooperation in the educational sphere, launching direct flights between Hanoi and Baku, as well as expanding ties in cultural and tourism fields, said the Vietnamese president.

Natig Aliyev, for his part, thanked the Vietnamese state and government for favorable conditions created for holding meetings, during which the sides reached several agreements.

The minister also agreed with the proposal of the Vietnamese president on intensifying bilateral ties, in particular, in the oil and gas, scientific and technical, cultural and tourism spheres.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19

Trend:

The main strategic priority of the Azerbaijan-UN economic cooperation in 2016-2020 is the achievement of sustainable and inclusive economic development, backed by a growing diversification, said Ghulam Isaczai, UN resident coordinator and UNDP resident representative in Azerbaijan.

He was addressing a meeting on the UN-Azerbaijan Partnership Framework (UNAPF) for 2016-2020, held in Baku Jan. 19.

The main goals to be reached by 2020 are to ensure a more diversified economy and sustainable growth, provide work for youth, women, disabled and other vulnerable segments of the population, he said.
An adolescent boy, Pankaj, is discovering his sexuality. Torn between a patriarchal Indian upbringing full of gender stereotypes and his natural urge to identify with the opposite gender, he finds an opportunity to express his desires: In the privacy of his home, he starts dressing up like a girl and collects womens jewellery.

This is the plot of Daaravtha (The Threshold), an indie Marathi short film that won the best film award at the New York Indian Film Festival 2016, and a National Award for its director, Nishant Roy Bombarde. Daaravtha is among 12 other films that will be screened at Mumbai Pride, an event that looks to raise awareness about inclusivity for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) community in Mumbai. The event also marks the celebration of Pride Month - 30 days dedicated to acknowledge and celebrate the queer community.

Read more: Different strokes: How the LGBT community is making itself heard through art

Cinema is great way to engage the society in a dialogue. So, the idea is to curate the best of LGBT-centric short films on a platform like the Mumbai Pride, which reaches out to an audience that is genuinely invested in the cause, says Sridhar Rangayan, filmmaker and founder of the annual Kashish Mumbai Queer Film Festival.

The films to be screened at the event are broadly divided into three themes  transgender rights, analysing gender-based behavioural stereotypes, and the changing mindset of the society towards the LGBTQ community.

For instance, a documentary by filmmaker Meera Darji, titled Transindia, will shed light on the day to day life and challenges of a transgender woman - a commentary on how society continues to shun the trans community despite the Supreme Courts judgment legalising the third gender. The film line-up, however, doesnt go overboard with the serious stories. Setting Them Straight, by Australian filmmaker Caleb McKenna, sees a slightly effeminate boy trying to tell his parents of his straight sexual preference. His parents are otherwise convinced their son is gay and are willing to accept him wholeheartedly. Its a comedy of errors, says Rangayan.

Read more: Dummies guide to Pride Parade: What it is, who should attend

Beyond films, the event will also see a panel discussion that will focus on busting myths such as homosexuality is more about lust than love. Speakers such Mira Malhotra (director Studio Kohl, Malad), Rangayan, and Jeremy Birnholtz (a faculty member at the Northwestern University, Illinois, USA), will comprise the panel, and will speak about the pop cultural stereotype that displays homosexuality in the limited realm of physical attraction. There is sincere love involved in a homosexual relationship, just like in a heterosexual one. It is important to highlight that aspect, says Rangayan.

BE THERE: Mumbai Pride will take place on January 21, 11am to 7pm.

Where: Auditorium, Godrej ONE, Vikhroli (E)

To register, email at indiaculturelab@godrejinds,com

Entry: Free

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Kathak dancer Seema Mehta collaborates with Emmy-winning American tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith for Rhythm Rewritten

We meet Jersey City-based tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith (37) at kathak dancer Seema Mehtas (40) Napean Sea Road residence. He greets us with a Namaskar proving that this is not his first trip to India. He toured the length and breadth of the country with the late kathak legend Chitresh Das for a decade (2005 to 2015) as part of India Jazz Suites (titled Fastest Feet in Rhythm in India). It was a performance where kathak met tap dance and was largely unchoreographed. I didnt know anything about Indian culture till I met Chitresh da. Through our conversations, watching him dance, over meals, I learnt a lot more, says Smith.

Read: Homecoming act: Dancer Astad Deboo performs in Mumbai after two years

He is now collaborating with Dass disciple, Mehta (she runs Chhandam Nritya Bharati, a school of kathak in Mumbai) to present Rhythm Rewritten, a spontaneous performance similar to India Jazz Suites.

American Tap Dancer Jason Samuels Smith rehearses with Kathak dancer Seema Mehta (Photo: Aalok Soni/HT)

Tap and kathak may belong to different countries and cultures (tap is rooted in the African-American community), but both rely on elaborate footwork. While Mehta and Smith rehearse to music to get the rhythm and beats right (Sabir Khan on tabla, Jayanta Banerjee on sitar, among others), their movements are largely unchoreographed and spur of the moment. Each artist reacts to the moves of the other  a chakkar by Mehta is followed by a jump click (clicking of the heel taps together) by Smith. Towards the end, the movements gain in pace and create a surreal visual experience.

Every performance is a fresh one; no one knows what is going to happen, including the artists. We have to improvise, he says, adding, During the performance, I play/react to the musicians, the audience, to my fellow dancer... I want to challenge everyone. Your heart should be in your mouth, says Smith.

Smith started learning tap dance from the age of seven. His mother, a jazz dancer, enrolled Smith for tap dance classes to keep him out of trouble. I grew up in Manhattan, better known as Hells Kitchen, in the 80s and 90s. It was rough; you could be robbed anywhere and there were drug dealers and prostitutes in the neighbourhood. Dance gave me a lot of confidence and was my tool for survival, says Smith, adding that it helped him battle his speech impediment as well.

Smith went on to perform on Broadway and won an Emmy at the age of 23 (2004) for outstanding choreography in the opening number of a Jerry Lewis/MDA Telethon tribute to American actor and dancer Gregory Hines. My mom keeps it as a statue in her apartment in New York, jokes Smith, who aspires to win a Grammy for choreography.

Unlike Smith, Mehtas initiation into dance happened in her twenties. I grew up in Antwerp, Belgium and California, USA, and later moved to India. At the age of 21, I saw a performance by Chitresh Das and I became his disciple, she recalls, adding that she met Smith while helping organise editions of India Jazz Suites.

Mehta and Smiths vision is to build a bridge between the two disciplines and attract a newer audience to it. Both of the art forms are in a similar place. They had humble beginnings and stand on great foundations. But they are no longer for the people who created it and they struggle to appeal to a younger generation. When they do see it, they are blown away but it is not so readily accessible to everyone, says Smith.

Rhythm Rewritten  Kathak Meets Tap will be performed on January 21, 7pm

At Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point

Call 6622 3737

Tickets: Rs 625 onwards, available on bookmyshow.com

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Think of Kuchipudi and the names that pop into ones minds are of the celebrated dancers Raja, Radha and Kaushalya Reddy. As Raja Radha Reddy observe 50th anniversary of being professional dancers, they talk about their love for dance and for each other.

On their foray into dancing

Belonging to a family of landlords and agriculture, Raja Reddy was the first one to step into the world of dancing. In my family, dancing was considered low-class. But I was absolutely mad about the craft. It was same with Radhas. Her family was also against the idea of her and I being together. They would stop her from coming to my house because I was to become a dancer.

Not just family, even gurus were unsupportive of Raja. He says, I went to one of the dance Gurus and he refused to teach me dance. My features were not feminine enough. In those days, one had to have a sharp nose, pretty eyes, a thin waist and fair complexion. They told me to quit dancing, and go back to my village to do agriculture. Luckily, two-three days later, I met my guru Vedantam Prahlada Sarma  he was the perfect master.

Describing their days of struggle, Kaushalya Reddy, who is also Radhas younger sister, says, Didi and he have struggled a lot. In their initial days, they had only one sari to share between them. After he would finish performing, he would change and then she would wear it.

The couple Raja Radha Reddy moved to Delhi in the year 1966.

Turning points

Fate took a turn when the couple performed a full-recital in Delhi. We were the first couple to give a full-length recital of Kuchipudi dance. All national papers carried stories on us saying Andhra dancers storm Delhi. That changed our fate. The then tourism minister Karan Singh saw one of the articles and organised a program for us at Ashoka Convention Hall. After that, we got out first international performance invite to France.

When Castro put in a word

Another turning point, as the maestro mentions, is their performance in Cuba. In 1982, Fidel Castro attended one of our performances in Delhi at the Non Aligned Meet, and loved it so much that we were invited to Cuba for three days to perform, he says. Castro was so happy with our performance that in a letter to Indira Gandhi, he wrote, I saw complete India in Raja and Radhas program. When in 1984 we received the Padma Shris, Mrs Gandhi told me that it was because of what Castro had said. And it was another first for us and for dance, because before this, no two persons from the same family had received the award.

On their love for dance and each other

Raja shares that it is through dance that his family derives joy. We have been mad about dance all these years. Performances, teaching, starting our own institution, we have done all that we could in dance. And were the only family completely dedicated to dance. People from traditional gharanas dont teach their daughters, but we have taught our daughters. Dance is anandam, joy.

Talk about his wife Radha, and Raja is quick to reply: Without Radha, my dance wouldnt have become so popular. If she werent interested in dance, we might have separated. In one of our programs at Kamani Auditorium, we performed pieces where she was Parvati and I was Shiva, she was Sita and I Rama and in the finale, we presented Tarangam where I was Krishna and she was the gopi. After the performance, Dr Sivarama Murthy came on the stage and said: I have seen Shiva and Parvati, prakriti and purusha, Sita and Rama through your dance. Radha has been my other half. With her, dance sampurna tha.

Kaushalya agrees and says, Even after all these years and such successes, they are still so humble that no one would imagine the heights they have reached. And theyre still as mad about dance as they were 50 years ago.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reach Punjab in the last week of January to campaign for the SAD-BJP candidates ahead of the February 4 polls.

State unit of the party has sought time from him, on January 27 or 29, and he is expected to visit Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Pathankot or Amritsar.

We are planning his rally at a best suited place for maximum number of candidates of the SAD-BJP combine, said state BJP unit secretary Vineet Joshi.

Other senior leaders of the saffron party, including Union home minister Rajnath Singh and finance minister Arun Jaitley would also address series of meeting in the state.
How about getting your own cuddly Prime Minister Narendra Modi doll this election season? And if this seems to be a tad more than you bargained for then go and pick or rather click for any of the offbeat array of items available online in various hues and shades of different political parties.

So multicolour rubber and metal key chains, car flags, outdoor flags in silk and cotton or for that matter even gamchas, all sporting colours of different political outfits are available online. For the more adventurous, metal stone decorated brooches, mobile phone covers as well as laser key chains and laser pencil torches are also in the offing. Interestingly, the party with most items in the offing is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) followed by the Congress and then the Samajawadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party a distant third and fourth respectively.

Be it Amazon, Flipkart or Snapdeal and others, these products are attracting great attention among online shoppers and even party leaders and poll strategists are looking forward to try something new rather than sticking to the time-tested gestures to draw more voters in their fold.

Merchandise bearing Congress Party symbols sold by Amazon. (PriceZilla.in/Screengrab)

Of all these items, it is the PMs miniature doll that is grabbing eyeballs. The 40cm doll is dressed characteristically like Modi in an orange kurta, white pyjama and a white jacket. It has even Modis signature white beard and unmistakable spectacles that sit on the bridge of his nose.

While Snapdeal and Flipkart are selling the toy doll for Rs 1,100, both e-commerce websites are offering their own set of discounts on the product. While Snapdeal has the toy listed with a 45 per cent discount, Flipkart is offering a discount of 44 per cent on the Modi doll. Not to be left behind, Toyzone is offering the Modi doll for Rs 990. Other items are available from Rs 120 to Rs 1200 per piece and even in a set of five.

From exquisite to quirky and tech-driven to traditional, these items promise to help win over young voters to various political folds with ease and are yet another example of how the cyber world has taken over real world dealers manufacturing poll campaign material who are ruing the affect of the recent demonetisation on their trade.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is trying to garner all the support it can get, from India as well as abroad, to win the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab.

Nearly 100 NRI supporters of AAP arrived in Delhi from Canada on Thursday morning, and were set to leave for Punjab soon to drum up support for the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. They were received by Manish Sisodia, deputy chief minister of Delhi, and senior party leader Kumar Vishwas, who was recently in the news over alleged plans to cross over to the BJP.

Read | Kejriwal, Gul Panag, Kumar Vishwas among 40 star campaigners for AAP in Punjab

.@DrKumarVishwas and @msisodia along with other leaders nd volunteers welcoming NRI delegation from across the globe.#ChaloPunjabForAAP pic.twitter.com/lXKZbXDyA4  AAP Punjab (@AAPPunjab2017) January 18, 2017

Several MLAs from the party were also present at the airport to welcome the NRI supporters, who came wearing AAP tee-shirts.

It's midnight, but

Delhi Intl Airport creating history

Hundreds @AAPOverseas members r coming n celebrating victory of Punjab in Advance pic.twitter.com/p4tMRl8UnH  Jarnail Singh (@JarnailSinghAAP) January 18, 2017

The overseas wing of the party had launched the Chalo Punjab campaign in countries with a large number of people from the state. The campaign was led by Kumar and senior leader Sanjay Singh, who also organised several fund-raising campaigns in this regard, an AAP leader said.

Read | Turban trumps topi for AAP in Punjab

AAP has promised that if the party is voted to power in Punjab, it would fight rampant drug abuse among its youth and accord more funds to farmers for cultivation.

The Punjab election is likely to witness a three-way fight between the Congress, AAP and the BJP-SAD alliance in all its 117 seats.

Both AAP and the Congress are trying to take advantage of the perceived anti-incumbency factor thats weighing down the states BJP-SAD government. A shoe was also hurled at chief minister Parkash Singh Badal during a poll rally recently.

Read | Will reform Punjab judiciary if AAP forms govt: Arvind Kejriwal

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The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday condemned Punjabs deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal for insulting the Punjabis settled abroad by branding the whole community as terrorists.

The deputy chief minister had said that pro-Khalistan and radical elements based in other countries were supporting the AAP.

Addressing the non-resident Indians (NRIs) who arrived in Punjab from Canada to campaign for the AAP, party general secretary Sanjay Singh said Sukhbir Badals utterances against NRI supporters of the AAP are unwarranted and a great insult to Punjabis settled abroad.

NRIs in Canada had extended moral and financial support to AAP to see a prosperous Punjab while Sukhbir Badal is accusing the AAP of getting funds from terrorists, said Sanjay.

As the first batch of Punjabi NRIs based in Canada arrived on Thursday, they were welcomed by Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and AAP overseas convener Kumar Vishwas in Delhi.

The second batch of NRIs from the United Kingdom will land on January 24.

Punjab has strong links with its diaspora settled in Canada, Britain, the United States and other countries.

Surinder Mavi, convener of Chalo Punjab campaign in Toronto, who led the first batch, said they had come to Punjab to ensure the defeat of Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) alliance and the Congress.

The Congress is not an alternative but a substitute of the present corrupt regime of the Badal family. We must save Punjab from mafia rule. AAP is the only and last hope for the people of Punjab, said Mavi.

Sanjay said the AAP will win over 100 of the 117 seats in Punjab.

Jagtar Singh Sanghera, head of the NRI cell of the party, also flayed Sukhbir for what he said was labelling of NRIs as terrorists and radicals.

NRIs had supported the SAD in 2007 and also funded its election campaigns with the hope that the Akalis will provide good governance, Sanghera said.
The Congress and the Samajwadi Party may take some time to reach a consensus over seat sharing in Uttar Pradesh. Both parties are still engaged in discussions on entering an alliance even as nominations for second phase of polling begin on Friday.

Both the parties are still holding discussions about the number and identification of seats to be shared. The Congress-SP alliance is not a foregone conclusion, said sources.

The Congress has been insisting on a respectable share. The Samajwadi Party, on the other hand, feels the Congress is becoming overambitious in its demand.

Senior Congress leaders were not available for comments. Sources in the SP, however, said, The SP is finding it difficult to concede to the Congress demand.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (incharge UP) Ghulam Nabi Azad had earlier this week announced that the Congress would fight the UP election in alliance with the SP.

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Bakcell, The First Mobile Operator and Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan is pleased to announce the launch of its yet another lottery for the participants of the Ulduzum program. The lucky winner of the main prize of this advantageous lottery will receive a travel package for a trip to Manchester from Bakcell.

Bakcell customers will get a chance to win 10 tickets for 100 AZN each, 20 tickets for 50 AZN each, 40 tickets for 30 AZN each and 90 tickets for 20 AZN each. The total weekly lottery fund will be 160 coupons equal to 5000 AZN and one main prize of lottery is Trip to Manchester.

To join the lottery, one should simply send KOD word via SMS to 5555. Bakcell will send you Ulduzum code to use the services provided by one of the following partners of the Ulduzum program as Loccitane, Katv1, Dominos Pizza, Kids World, Tusi-Bohm Planetarium, Poppy gallery, Karen Millen, Megafun, Flo, Puma. A minimum amount spent when using these services must equal to 10 AZN. For every 10 AZN purchase in the partner stores, Bakcell customers will get an automatic entry into the Ulduzum lottery. Depending on a number of purchases, Bakcell subscribers will get a message on a number of entries to participate in the weekly and final lottery draw.

Ulduzum lottery will be held from 10 January 2017 to 21 March 2017. Weekly draw results will be announced on every Tuesday during this period. The winner of any week may also become the lucky winner of the main prize and travel to Manchester. The final lottery draw will take place on 27 March 2017.

With more than 220 partners, the Ulduzum program covers selected restaurants, luxurious clothing and various accessories, perfume, furniture, home appliances and electronics stores, along with health, sports, recreation and service centers. To this day, more than 2000000 subscribers have joined Ulduzum program.

More detailed information about the Ulduzum Lottery and the benefits of Ulduzum program is available at www.ulduzum.az.

Bakcell, The First Mobile Operator and the Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan, offers a variety of products for modern mobile communications customers. Bakcell provides class leading 3G and 4G mobile internet experience in the country under the Su[email protected] brand name.

With more than 5300 base stations Bakcells network covers more than 99% of the population and 93% of the land area of the country (excluding occupied territories). Bakcell is a leader in innovation and it focuses on bringing the best of the mobile internet to Azerbaijanis through new partnerships and its Su[email protected] services. Bakcell 3G service is available in all regions of Azerbaijan and covers 93% of population.

For more information about Bakcell products and services, please visit www.bakcell.com or call 555.For press releases please see www.bakcell.com/az/news (or www.bakcell.com/en/news for press releases in English).

If you are not a Bakcell subscriber, but wish to find out about Bakcell and its services, please call 055 000 05 55.
The protests are politically motivated, So many issues are there in Tamil Nadu, why have people only gathered for this one?, and, Only crazy, primitive people can support a sport that harms an animal. These are some of the common arguments that dismiss the current protests in many parts of Tamil Nadu  unfortunately, these are easy ways to dismiss something thats not fully comprehended.

Many of the protesters in Marina Beach in Tamil Nadus capital Chennai have gathered to express solidarity to the people whove been arrested in different parts of the state in relation to supporting/holding Jallikattu  a bull taming sport banned by the Supreme Court. Their demands are that the ban of Jallikattu be lifted, that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) be banned, and that chief minister O Panneerselvam meet them in person.

Interestingly the sentiments behind the protests have moved beyond just the ban on Jallikattu, and have now become the manifestation of the many wrongs  perceived and real  meted out to the Tamil people by the central government (Delhi).

Read | Jallikattu warriors: Meet the hi-tech brains behind Chennai protests

In the process, there has been a convenient portrayal of the Jallikattu-loving Tamilian as what Edward Said would have called The Other. The description of the protesters in an English TV newsroom debate as barbaric people confirms this. There is also a reverse to this, where many, especially the protesters, see Delhi  the Centre, politicians and other groups  as the oppressor.

Read | Jallikattu: After Kamal Haasan, now Rajinikanth bats for the sport

Not a politically motivated protest

A significant feature of the current protests is that it is not spearheaded by a political outfit. It is motivated by some sort of affront to tradition. Unconfirmed reports from media persons covering the protests and social media conversations suggest that many political leaders were shooed away from the venue in Marina Beach  some reports even suggesting that water packets were hurled at a senior leader from the Opposition.

The fact that no political party, especially the AIADMK and DMK, are allowed (at the venue) is a sign that it is apolitical. I salute the youth whove come out like this. This is a spontaneous outburst, PMK leader and former Union minister Anbumani Ramadoss told Hindustan Times.

Read | Kamal Haasan to GV Prakash: Why Tamil actors support Jallikattu

The role social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook, among others, played in the protests gaining momentum cannot be overlooked. Even Tamilians outside India have extended support to the cause (to lift the ban on Jallikattu). The protests were initially centred in cities and towns, but soon spread across the state because of social media, a senior journalist from a Tamil newspaper said.

A feeling of being targeted

To dismiss the protests as a non-issue is to add insult to injury, and strengthens the predominant feeling in the state, especially among the youth, that Tamil Nadu has been at the receiving end of Delhis indifference.

Read | Jallikattu events held in Tamil Nadu, Supreme Court ban defied

There has been an appalling sense of indifference in Delhi to the issues of a state that sends almost 40 MPs and is one of the major industrial engines of the country. Theres a feeling that weve been given the short end of the stick, R Kannan, a UN official currently posted in Iraq and author of Anna, said.

For 50 years Tamil Nadu has been treated like beggars. The government at the state and Centre have neglected the sentiments of the Tamil people, Ramadoss said.

Read | No excuses for Jallikattu: Argument that its Tamil culture doesnt hold up

R Azhagarasan, a professor at the University of Madras, agrees. What were seeing now is an accumulated hurt because of the Delhis continuous contempt towards the state. Be it the Tamil fishermens issue, the Tamil Eelam issue, the Cauvery issue and now Jallikattu, in none of these the outcome has been in favour of the state. The ban on Jallikattu, in that sense, adds to the recurring rhetoric that Tamils are targeted.

Its not Jallikattu vs PETA

The protest is not about cruelty towards animals, and thus, centring the debate on animal rights is to water down the issue. The protests are about the disruption of Tamil culture, of Delhi stopping a centuries-old tradition, and, most importantly, of being wronged. Many see PETA as a vehicle Delhi has used to further oppress Tamil Nadu.

Read | In Tamil Nadu, the stars align in favour of MK Stalin

However, Kannan feels that this ban has breathed life into the rural sport. PETA has done a huge service to a sport (Jallikattu) that would have otherwise perhaps faded away, he told HT.

The not-so-unanimous protest

The Jallikattu protests have been able to unite political parties in the state on the demand to revoke the ban. Beyond politics, film celebrities, spiritual leaders, sportspersons, intellectuals, etc, have expressed support.

However, Dalit groups have traditionally opposed the sport because of the caste restrictions it imposes. Even such voices of dissent support to the protests. Dalits have always opposed Jallikattu, but this protest has now become a movement demanding Tamil pride, an activist-politician would did not want to be identified said.

Read | Jallikattu ban: Thousands protest at Chennais Marina Beach, CM Panneerselvam to meet PM Modi

Our society does not react in this manner to many greater social issues because many of them are taken up by parties...they have become political issues. This one is an emotional one, writer and activist Stalin Rajangam said.

Without a clearly defined leadership or direction the longevity of this protest could be short  and it would be unfortunate if this widespread display of anger is not addressed.

After a very long time the question of identity has been stoked. It has touched a raw nerve, Kannan said.

And its not a good sign to leave such a deep sense of hurt unattended  its bad for the state, its bad for the nation, and its bad for the health of our democracy.

@VijuCherian

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Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Ra.One might have been criticized as a film overall, but saw some excellent animation in it and won a National Award for Best Special Effects, in 2012.

Charu Khandal, the animator behind the big win, breathed her last on January 17, at the age of 32, after battling for five long years.

Reportedly, Charu was paralysed, after a speeding car hit her auto-rickshaw, in 2012. She suffered serious injuries in head and spine.

Red Chillies VFX took to their Facebook handle to post a message on the same, In memory of Charu Khandal: Charu Khandal, a former team member of our studio, passed away on Tuesday morning, 17th January, 2017. Charu will always be remembered for being a happy go lucky, spirited girl and a true fighter! A few Red Chillies VFX team members who remember working with her said, She was always passionate towards her work, and believed that she could make a difference with her contributions.
On January 20, Raveena Tandon will be felicitated for her achievements as an actor and contributions towards social causes by a renowned global research company in Mumbai. The event will commemorate the 50 most influential and inspirational women in Maharashtra from various fields.

When contacted, Raveena said, I am truly humbled to be surrounded by legendary people from our industry and also from other spheres. They have carried out some great social work and have worked towards the betterment of our society.

The actor also points out that women are making progress by leaps and bounds. They are gaining respect globally through their hard work and achievements. On the other hand, its shameful to hear bigoted and chauvinistic comments by some people, who are supposed to be our leaders and clerics, she says.

 A photo posted by Raveena Tandon (@officialraveenatandon) on Jan 17, 2017 at 8:54am PST

While talking about societal issues that concern her as a woman, Raveena says, The latest victim to be shamed for her success was Zaira Wasim. She had to apologise because of the abuses and threats to her life.

#fangirlmoment #mohrateam #myfavorite #naseeruddinshah #legend #oorjahelloawards #pune A photo posted by Raveena Tandon (@officialraveenatandon) on Jan 16, 2017 at 9:49am PST

She adds, Rape and violence against women is also an issue that needs to be handled sternly. Mohammed Afroz, who was the most brutal attacker of Nirbhaya (case), got off scot-free and was given a job by the government. Giving incentives to rapists only encourages and sets a wrong precedent.

The actor was last seen in Bombay Velvet co-starring Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma. Her next movie is Maatr - The Mother.

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Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) 2017 saw Hindi writers, poets and professors assemble to discuss Global Hindi: The Desi Diaspora, among other things. One of the major (and probably only) takeaways from the session was how language plays a huge role in cultural and ethnic identities.

Anu Singh Choudhary, an award winning journalist, filmmaker, and writer, speaks of how language is sometimes the only connection that a diasporic community has that ties them to their roots, cultures and traditions. More than people who live in India, it is people living away from home who hold onto their language, cultures and traditions dearly. It is part of their identity, she said.

Anu Singh Choudhary at the Jaipur Literature Fest 2017 on Thursday. (Saumya Khandelwal/HT Photo)

People living away from their home countries, many a times are caught in a limbo. They are bound to a country that they left long ago and are fighting to keep that connection intact; but at the same time many still stick out like sore thumbs as they dont really fit in at home either.

The identity crisis, borne out of this dissonance, can be very confusing to many.

This is more of a problem for older generations. Younger generations have better tools and resources to deal with it, with the amount of technology and information available. With the internet and social media, many can seamlessly move between their multiple languages and identities, said Choudhary.

Choudhary was part of a panel that was moderated by Philip A Lutgendorf, a professor of Hindi at the University of Iowa and included speakers like Nand Kishore Pandey, director of Central Hindi Institue and Divya Mathur, an award winning author and poet.

Click here for our full coverage of the Jaipur Literature Festival 2017.

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As competition from Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio increases, Bharti Airtel, the largest telecom company in India, enters final stages of discussion with Norwegian telecom operator Telenor to acquire its local unit, sources confirmed HT.

The sources added that the deal will be finalised by the end of February, and that Airtel is a stronger negotiating position.

Telenor, on the other hand, has been scouting for a buyer for a long time. It was also in talks with Idea Cellular, HT had reported earlier. The discussion has been called off, and Telenor is only pursuing discussions with Airtel.

Airtel officials did not respond to calls for comments on the story. Telenor, too, didnt take calls.

However, industry sources said that much of the decision on Telenor will be taken on January 24 -- the day the Airtel board is meeting for its third quarter results.

It has been earlier reported by a financial daily that if Airtel goes ahead with the Telenor acquisition, it will have to take an additional debt burden of Rs 1,500 crore.

Telenor was one of the six telecom companies who were given spectrum in 2008. The handing of licences later on led to the infamous 2G scam, where the Comptroller and Auditor General of India pegged loss of Rs 1,76,000 crore to the national exchequer.

Eventually, Telenor, which initially aimed to become a pan-India telecom operator reduced its circles, and even closed some, after it was forced to participate in fare auctions.

Telenor is present in seven circles, and has 54 million subscribers -- most of them yield low average revenue per user. Signalling its intention to exit India, Telenor marked down the value of its local business by Rs 5,000 crore in 2016, and it did not participate in the October auctions.

All these put together, experts said, gives Airtel higher negotiating power. Airtel can decide if it wants to pay for the subscriber, or towers, or the spectrum, or all of them, said sources.

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Tata Nanos success remain an unfinished dream for Ratan Tata, but its future still has hope under Tata Motors new chairman N. Chandrasekaran.

We are Nano will continue for the next few years... We are not forecasting the demise of Nano, said Anil Sharma, analyst at London-based consultancy firm IHS Markit.

Nano is not just a car -- its was Tatas dream to change mobility in India, and that has become a bone of contention in Tata Groups infamous boardroom battle.

Cyrus Mistry, the ousted chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company that runs Tata Group, wanted to shelve the Nano project due to rising losses -- cumulatively valued at Rs 6,400 crore. In an affidavit filed at the NCLT, early January, Mistry alleged that despite being aware of the loss in the Nano project, Tata pestered for a higher marketshare.

A source who had worked on the Nano project had revealed to HT earlier that a lot of research and development was happening on the Nano platform There were plans to use it to develop an air car (which uses compressed air to drive), and hybrid and electric cars.

All these projects were shelved, and Mistry had said that there was no sight of profitability for the Nano.

But, under Chandrasekaran, who is also the new chairman of Tata Sons, some of these projects might take off. Sharma said that Nano has a lot of promise in the battery technology space.

Tata had a turnaround plan for the Nano, like he had for Jaguar Landrover, the British luxury carmaker, which he bought to expand Tatas footprint in the automobiles business globally.

As a result, JLR drives almost all of Tata Motors profits. It is also the second largest profit earner for the Tata Group after Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

Under Mistry, Tata said, that the automobile business marketshare dropped from 13% to 4%.

Reviving Tata Nano, which failed

Tata Motors had started working with Norwegian electric vehicle and component maker Miljbil Grenland, and picked up 67% stake in the company. After 2010, Tata Motors gave Miljbil Grenland funds to develop the battery technology, and said it will give five bodies to Miljbil Grenland.

For the air car, Tata Motors was working with French firm Motor Development International on a seven-year project.

There is a space for the product like Nano, they will have to look at a different strategy... Nobody focussed on that segment until Renault Kwids success, there is a market, and Chandrasekaran can position the product in a different way, said Abdul Majeed, a partner at consultancy firm PwC.

Nano was also launched with automatic transmission. Also, feature-rich Nanos were planned to be sent to Latin America and Europe.

Nano was a low-budget vehicle for India. It was an engineering project and has pushed the bar on low cost manufacturing. The automaker has been also doing experiments in other market, which Tata Motors has not leveraged much, like in sub-Saharan Africa, where the Nano makes a lot sense. Other markets, Indonesia, Thailand and South East Asian market, where inexpensive vehicles have a sizable share of the market, said Sharma.

Also Read: Ratan Tatas dream that never took off: The Nano timeline

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Bank and cash logistics companies are under pressure due to a shortage in cash supply after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the daily withdrawal limit at ATMs from Rs 4,500 to Rs 10,000 per day on Monday.

The RBI, however, left the weekly ceiling of Rs 24,000 from the automated teller machines unchanged. The central bank also increased the withdrawal limit for current accounts to Rs 100,000 per week from Rs 50,000 earlier.

Sources said many ATM machines went dry within a few hours after the RBI announcement. They added that the ATMs located at busy areas in the cities are being prioritised for loading with cash since supply was still in shortage. But those in smaller towns are not being filled with cash adequately.

We are yet to get a grip on the situation. The increase in withdrawal limits is more than double, there is a possibility that a few ATMs located at not-so-busy areas do not have cash to dispense, a senior bank official, who did not wish to be named, told Hindustan Times.

Read | RBI increases withdrawal limit: Heres a list of the withdrawal and deposit rules

Most banks and cash logistics companies have decided to segregate ATMs based on their usage and location for loading of cash. Those near hospitals, shops or offices will be accorded priority for refilling of cash.

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 November 8, about Rs 13-14,000 crore was given to the ATMs for daily loading.

It may take another month for things to normalise, sources said.

Cash logistics companies and banks said the supply of Rs 500 currency notes has improved though it may still take some time to get to the normal level. A State Bank of India (SBI) report said 75% of the total value of currency notes would be back only by January end.

Read | RBI increases withdrawal limit but demonetisation pangs still not over

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To make GST regime less onerous, the Centre and states have decided to water down the penal provisions to ensure a trader gets immediate bail if the alleged tax evasion is up to Rs 2 crore.

The GST Council, at its last meeting, has decided that the provision of arrest will be restricted to forgery and non- deposit of collected taxes with the exchequer within the stipulated time frame.

In case of offences where the amount does not exceed Rs 2 crore, the person arrested for violation of GST laws will be entitled to bail, an official said, adding that the penal provisions in the GST will be less onerous than the provision in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for the same type of offences.

Under the IPC 1860, forgery and cheating are non- bailable offence, which means that bail can only be granted by a court.

Most other offences like availing of wrong input tax credit or refund and failure to furnish documents, which were earlier listed in the revised draft GST law for prosecution, will not lead to arrest but may attract only financial penalty.

While in the case of service tax, there is a provision of arrest for non-deposit of the tax beyond Rs 50 lakh with the government, the excise law gives the commissioner discretion to invoke arrest provision in the case of default.

PwC leader (indirect tax) Pratik Jain said the arrest provisions as per the revised model GST law may lead to undue harassment for traders.

To start with, there should be lighter penal provision for offences for at least two years as GST is a new tax regime and traders would need time to understand the law, Jain said.

Though anti-profiteering and prosecution provisions may act as a deterrent for tax evasion, these are likely to do more harm than good under GST, KPMG (India) Partner Indirect Tax Harpreet Singh said.

Whenever sweeping powers are given to officials with discretion and subjectivity, it is likely to result in rampant misuse of authority creating hardships for GST dealers, Singh said.
Your iPhone and iPad might not get the made in India tag, just yet. Top sources in the government say that it is unlikely to further sweeten the deal for Apple to start manufacturing in India with its contract manufacturer Foxconn.

India is still keen for the US tech giant to produce its signature smartphones here and information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday that India would keep an open mind in negotiations.

We will very much like Apple to come and have a base in India, he said.

But Apple Inc has a long list of incentives and tax sops that it wants before it starts manufacturing in India.

Three departments within the Indian government are looking into Apple Incs list of demands. They are: department of industrial production and promotion, department of revenue and department of information and technology. This panel will take a final decision on Apples demands on January 25.

Apple has been looking for several duty and tax incentives for manufacturing handsets in India, but the government is unlikely to make any exception for one company, said a top official in one of the departments mentioned above. Speaking to HT on condition of anonymity, the official said that any exception for the iPhone manufacturer will defeat the purpose of an integrated policy such as Make-in-India.

Apple wants more incentives from the government under the Make in India. Local manufacturing will help Apple open retail stores in the country. Taiwans Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd (Foxconn), which makes Apple devices, has a manufacturing facility in southern India.

Apple wants higher exemptions since there are not many high-end phone-component makers in India to buy from, said another government official, who did not wish to be named. The company will have to manufacture the components in India, and it has to meet international standards.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that the company was looking at India as the next big market. Apple was not in India for a year or two, instead 100s of years, Cook said during his visit to India earlier in the year.

HTs mail to Apple has so far not received any response.

The government already offers several initiatives, including differential duty structure, modified special incentive package scheme (MSIPS) and zero-duty on import of all components except adapters, batteries and headsets, for global and local manufacturers, under Make in India.

Aimed at promoting electronic manufacturing, MSIPS provides capital subsidy of 20% in special economic zones (SEZs) and 25% in non-SEZs, in the form of reimbursement of excise for capital equipment. For high-capital investment projects, it also provides for reimbursement of central taxes and duties.

Also, if a handset-manufacturer assembles phones locally, then it just pays a 1% duty, instead of the 12.5% on a phone that is imported.

However, Apple seems dissatisfied with just these benefits. A person in the know of things said that India is now being compared to manufacturing destinations like Vietnam and China.

Apple might want MSIPS to continue, freight subsidy as the country has logistical issues, continuation of differential duty on mobile handsets and components manufacturing even when the GST regime comes in and income tax holiday in the country just as China or Vietnam offers, an industry expert told HT.

Earlier, the Tim Cook-led company had sought relaxation of local sourcing norms under the shield of state-of-the-art and cutting edge technology providers.

A foreign brand looking to open single-brand retail stores in India is mandated to source 30% from Indian manufacturers for a minimum period of three years. With Prime Minister Narendra Modis intervention, Apple is likely to see a relaxation on this, from three to five years.

Apple wants higher exemptions since there are not many high-end phone-component makers in India to buy from, said a government official, who did not wish to be named. The company will have to manufacture the components in India, and it has to meet international standards.

Competitors such as South Koreas Samsung Electronics and Chinas Xiaomi have already set up manufacturing in the country.

In May 2016, Modi and Cook agreed to work towards a package of four projects: assembling iPhones, opening Apple stores, importing certified pre-owned iPhones and refurbishing them in India, according to the letter.

Apple said its initial focus was to set up manufacturing of iPhones in India over two phases, the first of which was to be introduced by spring this year.
The Nano, as the worlds cheapest car, was meant to migrate millions of Indians from two wheels to four and prove Indias supremacy in frugal manufacturing just as Henry Fords Tin Lizzie had established the moving assembly line.

Tata, or RNT, as his executives like to refer to him, remains a guiding light for the group despite retiring at the end of 2012. He was the one who conceived the idea of the Nano.

His first doodle, of a car built around the humble scooter, was inspired by the sight of a family perched precariously on a scooter and trying to take shelter under a flyover in typically heavy Mumbai rain. The Nano, with its low price tag, would be the answer to their problems. Years before it came to be named, the concept of the car spread like wildfire as soon as Tata mentioned it in 2003. They called it the worlds cheapest car, or the Rs 1 lakh car, or - in Hindi - the lakhtakia gaadi.

Tata Motors had spent $400 million just on developing the little car, and then some on shifting of the manufacturing from Singur in West Bengal to Sanand in Gujarat. This also delayed the launch of the much-anticipated car by a year and a half. Tata Motors started work om the Nano in 2005, it finally hit roads in 2009. But what hurt the car more than the delay was its no-frills approach, forget stereo, air-conditioning, and power windows, it did not even have a glove compartment.

With that, customers became less tolerant of its little quirks such as the different sizes of the front and rear wheels. Add to this the rumours of Nano catching fire, and there was no way the car would ever live up to RNTs expectations.

In 2012, RNT said that the car had immense potential in the developing world while admitting that early opportunities were wasted due to initial problems.

Six years down the Nanos fortunes have not changed, rather it has worsened. It sells an average of 700 units every month, while the company maintains a monthly production capacity of 20,000 cars.

The dwindling sales figures triggered Mistry to attack RNT for his dream project.

In his 5-page letter Mistry said that Nano has no sight of profitability.

Also Read: Chandrasekaran might revive plans for Tata Nano to run on air, battery
Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center has started cooperation with the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Senior officials of the Center had a meeting with Barama startups on January 18. In total, 30 junior startups participated in the event. Different projects supported by Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, as well as opportunities offered by azexport.az web portal which operates under the Center were discussed at the meeting. Portal Manager Mr. Zaur Garadshov informed the startups about the mission and objectives of the portal and answered to various questions of young entrepreneurs. The young entrepreneurs also received detailed information about technical capabilities of azexport.az portal learned how to upload product data and benefit from the features of the website.

Mr. Imran Baghirov, Head of Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, noted that public and private organizations have conducted successful startup projects recently in Azerbaijan and underlined that azexport.az portal have a large export potential which provides new opportunities for services and products. In addition, cooperation with the portal will be an added value to improve investment climate in IT sector, identify internet and IT projects and turn innovative ideas into successful businesses. It means further opportunity for Azerbaijani youth involved in IT industry to be recognized abroad.

Mrs. Nigar Shikhlinskaya, Head of Corporate Communications Unit at Azercell, pointed out the importance of development of non-oil sector and stated that our country has all prerequisites to achieve it. She noted that Azercell always supports the young generation in their entrepreneurial activities and professional development and encouraged them to make the most of these opportunities.

Azexport.az was established under the executive decree signed on 21 September 2016 by Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on Development of unified database of goods produced in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Mission of Azexport.az, managed by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication is to provide information about products of Azerbaijani origin and becoming the beneficial platform for their sales in foreign and domestic markets.

Barama Innovation Center was founded in 2009 by Azercell with the aim to support entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan. The Center generally supports IT projects and start-ups operating in this industry. Barama Center has made a number of achievements during six years of its activity. More than 1000 projects were launched at the center and 10 of them grew to become successful businesses https://barama.az/ .

The leader of the mobile communication industry of Azerbaijan and the biggest investor in the non-oil sector Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. With 48% share of Azerbaijans mobile market Azercells network covers 80% of the territory and 99,8% of population of the country. Currently, 4,5 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Azercell has pioneered an important number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, 24/7 Customer Care, online customer services, GPRS/EDGE, M2M, MobilBank, one-stop- shop service offices Azercell Express, mobile e-service ASAN signature, etc. Azercell deployed first 4G  LTE services in Azerbaijan in 2012. According to the results of mobile network quality surveys of Global Wireless Solutions company and international systems specialized in wireless coverage mapping such as Opensignal and Testmy.net, Azercells network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan.
Thai Airways International said on Thursday it will launch an internal corruption investigation after being named in a bribery case relating to British company Rolls-Royce Plc.

Rolls-Royce agreed to pay more than $800 million in fines to resolve charges of bribing officials in six countries, including Thailand, in schemes that lasted more than a decade, justice officials in the U.S. and Britain said earlier this week.

British court documents setting out the case between the Serious Fraud Office and Rolls-Royce said the company paid several intermediaries between 1991 and 2006 to facilitate the sale of Rolls-Royce engines to Thai Airways. Thai Airways was not accused in the case.

Thai Airways said in a statement it would launch an investigation and appropriate actions would be taken if any evidence of corruption was found.

The company conducts all its businesses in a transparent manner and without exception to corruption, the statement said.

Rolls-Royce 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 U.S. Justice Department said.

In a statement, the companys 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.

Thailands National Anti Corruption Commission said on Thursday that it was conducting its own independent investigation into the Rolls Royce case.
The BJP and the Shiv Sena were once seen as natural allies but life for the original saffron alliance is not quite the same in the age of Narendra Modi. Last week, when the picture of Modi replacing Mahatma Gandhi on the khadi and village industries commission calendar stirred a controversy, it was a Shiv Sena-backed union that first raised the red flag. A Shiv Sena MP went on TV to describe it as a sin to replace the Mahatma with the prime minister. Ironically, the Shiv Sena has never been an admirer of Gandhi: Sena founder, the late Bal Thackeray, once said, Nathuram Godse was not a hired assassin, he was genuinely infuriated by Gandhis betrayal.

Read: BJP, Shiv Sena to exchange wishlist of wards

So has the Sena suddenly discovered a love for the Mahatma, or is their aversion to Modis style of functioning greater than any regard for Mahatma Gandhis brand of non-violent politics? In the answer to that question might lie a truism of contemporary Indian politics: The glue that increasingly binds the Opposition outside and even some critics within the government is Modis persona. Then from a Mamata Banerjee to a Mayawati to a range of parties that are now coming together as a Maha-gathbandhan in UP, Modis seemingly narcissistic approach is uniting varying shades of opponents. Only Sharad Pawar, Naveen Patnaik and now Nitish Kumar to some extent from among prominent Opposition leaders have chosen to keep the peace.

It isnt as if this Opposition is purely ideological. The Shiv Sena is, after all, the flag bearer of militant Hindutva, Mamata has been part of BJP-led governments in the past while Mayawati has allied with the BJP. The Opposition this time instead is sharply personal, driven by a deep fear and mistrust of the prime ministers individualistic attitude. Indeed, the language used against Modi is abusive and hate filled: A senior Trinamool MP went ballistic in describing the prime minister as a son of a rat. Arvind Kejriwal has already called the prime minister a psychopath, but now even Rahul Gandhi has attacked Modi as someone who lies about his yoga skills.

Read: After Modis speech, China says NSG, Azhar issues must not be stumbling blocks

The coarse and offensive discourse suggests that the Opposition has run out of fresh ideas to mount an effective challenge to Modi. A tit for tat politics has instead become the favoured option. After all, Modi too hasnt minced his words in ridiculing his opponents. Remember his constant targeting of Sonia Gandhi for her Italian origins or disparaging references to Rahul Gandhis qualifications to be a leader? But while the Gandhis may have reason to hit back as they have in the past (recall Sonia Gandhis Maut ka saudagar remark during the 2007 Gujarat election campaign), why should the non-Congress parties get so aggressive?

Perhaps when politics ceases to be about ideology, then individual battles take over the narrative to fill the vacuum. Mamata is a classic example. Post-demonetisation, her rage towards the central government has acquired a furious energy that is uncommon even by her standards. The arrest of two more of her MPs in a chit fund scam appears to have panicked her enough to spread the word that this is a case of personal vendetta. Mayawati too seems to be incensed by the tax raids on her relatives. It is almost as if Modi has shaken the cosy relationships that are seen to exist at the highest level in Indian politics. That Modi has even threatened the social base of some of his core supporters with moves like demonetisation may have spurred a gang-up against the prime minister.

The Modi versus all rhetoric perhaps suits a prime minister who likes to project himself as a victim, an outsider who is taking on the Lutyens establishment, synonymous with the perks and privileges of the power elite. As Modi grandly announced at a recent election rally, borrowing an old Indira Gandhi slogan, woh kehte hain Modi hatao, mein kehta hoon corruption hatao. Indeed, by making himself the centre of the Opposition campaign, Modi may well believe he is trapping his critics into only responding to an agenda set by him rather than shaping one of their own. There is a certain vacuousness in the Opposition campaign that has prevented the anti-Modi groups from offering a solid and consistent alternative politics to the Modi model of governance. It is, after all, one thing to keep harping that the emperor has no clothes, but what is the Opposition offering by way of a new wardrobe? Surely, opportunistic alliances are no substitute to a coherent agenda for governance?

Read: Modi turned India into Hiroshima, Nagasaki with demonetisation bomb: Shiv Sena

And yet, elections in particular are about arithmetic before chemistry, and if Modis adversaries come together in grand alliances, then it does threaten the dominance of an individual. Weve seen its impact in Bihar, now the maha gathbandhan model is sought to be replicated in UP. While the Opposition needs to offer a big new idea to check the Modi juggernaut, the BJP too should worry if Modi becomes a magnet for the entire Opposition to stick together in the run up to the 2019 general elections. Grand alliances have worked in the past: 1977 and 1989 are two examples. Will 2019 also see a political realignment with the sole purpose of defeating Modi? What Bihar and UP have done today, the rest of the country may see tomorrow.

Post-script: An SMS joke best highlights the Opposition predicament in coping with a monopolistic Modi model : first, Modi took away the jhadoo from AAP with his black money campaign, then he took away Gandhi from the Congress with Swacch Bharat, now he has taken the Charkha away from Gandhi!

Rajdeep Sardesai is a senior journalist and author. The views expressed are personal.

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A CBI team visited Delhi governments information and publicity department on Thursday in connection with a preliminary enquiry (PE) initiated by the agency into the alleged irregularities in Talk To AK campaign by the department last year.

The preliminary enquiry has been initiated against deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who heads the DIP, and unnamed officials for alleged irregularities in awarding contract for the social media campaign.

A CBI official said a team visited the DIP office to seek and collect documents and no search or raid was conducted during the process.

The CBI on Wednesday initiated PE against Sisodia and health minister Satyendar Jains daughter, Saumya, in two separate cases. The probe was initiated against Saumya, who was appointed an adviser to the Delhi government for its mohalla clinic project that is aimed at boosting primary health care in the citys neighbourhoods.

Both cases were referred to the central agency when Najeeb Jung was lieutenant governor of the national capital. Jung resigned last month.

A CBI team reaches DIP office. Modi ji, I was waiting since morning in my office and residence. Modi ji, such threats through CBI wont be able to spare drug lord Majithia, your favourite in Punjab. His countdown has begun, Sisodia said in a series of tweets, soon after the team reached his department office.

          !              1/2  Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) January 19, 2017

 !   -                   2/2  Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) January 19, 2017

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is on campaign trail in Punjab, reacted saying the Prime Minister has turned both CBI and RBI into laughing stocks (sic).

Delhi government sources said the CBI team arrived at DIP office around 4 pm and stayed till late evening. They were seeking general information about the department functioning and documents related to the advertisement campaign, a DIP staff said.

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A 23-year-old playschool teacher was stabbed at least nine times by two men, one of whom is the son of a Delhi Police assistant sub-inspector.

The injured teacher was rushed to a hospital with severe injuries. Police said they recovered the knives were allegedly used in the incident.

The accused, Amit, 25, and his cousin Basant, 19, entered the womans house in outer Delhis Najafgarh and stabbed her with kitchen knives at around 2pm on Wednesday.

Police said Amit, a married man and the cops son, was stalking the teacher and had proposed marriage to her. A month ago, Amit had also befriended the womans younger brother to get entry to her house. Police said Amit apparently stabbed the woman, when she rejected his proposal again on Wednesday and slapped him.

On Wednesday afternoon, the incident took place when the woman was alone at home. Diagnosed with typhoid, she had taken leave from school and had been resting at home for the last 10 days.

The victims younger brother said Amit first called him to a nearby market in the afternoon on the pretext of buying medicines.

When I reached the place, I called Amit thrice, but his number was switched off. I then called my sister, but she too did not answer my call raising my suspicions, the womans brother told HT.

The incident came to light when the victims four-year-old niece came home from school and saw the woman lying unconscious and in a pool of blood on the ground.

The child immediately alerted her neighbours, who then informed the police and the womans relatives. She was rushed to Rao Tula Ram hospital, from where doctors referred her to Safdarjung hospital.

Doctors told police that the woman had been stabbed in the left side of her abdomen and had also received injuries on her head and ear.

Police recorded the womans statement at the hospital in which she named Amit and Basant as the culprits.

Deputy commissioner of police (outer) Rishi Pal said the two men were then arrested on Thursday morning.

Amit, who had studied till Class XII, had got married three months ago and is unemployed. His cousin Basant confessed that they had bought the knives from a local market a few hours before the incident.

She had turned him down once

After initial investigations, police have found that Amit had lied to the womans brother and told him that he knew the victim from a civil volunteer training class that they attended together. I was unaware of him stalking my sister. Amit stays nearby, so when we wanted to become friends, I did not suspect anything, the victims brother said.

He said that once they became friends, Amit started visiting him at home. Amit told me that he and my sister have worked together as civil defence volunteers, said the victims brother.

The womans mother, who works as a domestic help in Vasant Kunj, told HT that for the last 15 days, Amit had been harassing her continuously.

My daughter told me that she was being stalked and harassed by Amit. I had twice told off Amit and asked him not to visit our house. I had even warned my son against being in touch with him, she said.

She also said that she did not discuss this with her husband to avoid a possible confrontation. Some days ago, when my daughter was alone at home, Amit had come home and proposed marriage. My daughter then had slapped him and complained to me. We did not even know he was married, she added.

The victims father works as a security guard.

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As the minimum temperature in January hovered around 4C in the city, the residents of Delhi said they felt a lot colder during the mornings and evenings than it really was. Meteorologists explain this as wind chill factor.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) or the Met department announced in 2016 that information about wind chill would be released this winter, but the plan seems to be stalled for now. Wind chill factor is the perceived decrease in air temperature felt by the body on exposed skin due to the flow of air.

It is not such a serious issue here in this region. Our focus is to bring out cold day and cold wave forecasts, Dr M Mohapatra, a scientist at the IMD said.

The IMD started releasing summer and winter forecasts with heat and cold wave warnings only last summer.

The forecasts include minimum and maximum temperatures and wind speeds but not wind chill factor, which is a derived product, explained IMD scientists. The two things that determine wind chill are temperature and wind speed. Strong winds aggravate the loss of warmth from exposed skin. The higher the wind speed, the cooler you would feel.

Read: Delhi weather: Morning fog lifts, temperature to rise from today

The face is generally the most exposed part of the human body, so wind chill calculations usually also take into account the average height of the population.

The factors that impact wind chill are many and they are very localised. Narrow alleys between buildings where winds are stronger can feel colder. Even if you calculate the wind chill for a neighbourhood, for example, Safdarjung, you cannot generalise it to all of Delhi, said IMDs director general, Dr Kanduri Jayaram Ramesh.

Although, the IMD is hoping to launch an app to disseminate weather information and also crowdsource data from the public by this monsoon season, the priority for the department is getting high-resolution data about temperatures and wind speeds and secondary products like wind chill dont figure high on the departments priority list.

Mohapatra insisted that it is more important for western countries, where temperatures regularly fall below freezing, to provide this data. Meteorological agencies in countries like Canada and the US are proactive about providing wind chill information.

Read: Delhi-Gurgaon weather: Fog returns, 27 trains delayed, flight operations not hit

According to the US National Weather Service calculator if the temperature is 6 and there is a wind blowing at a speed of 5km/ hour the actual temperature feels like 5C. If winds are blowing at 10 km/ hour the experienced temperature falls to 4C.

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Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday ordered the removal of encroachments, and unauthorised parking under flyovers and near U-turns across the city to ensure smooth traffic in the city.

In a meeting, which was attended by senior officials of agencies, including the Delhi Traffic Police, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the three municipal corporations (north, south and east), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the transport department, Baijal expressed concern over regular traffic jams in the city.

Critical bottlenecks and congestion points should be identified by the traffic police and measures should be taken to remove them. Unauthorised parking and encroachments under flyovers and U-turns be removed and the area be fenced and beautified, a statement released by L-Gs office read.

Baijal asked the Delhi Traffic Police to set up a task force in coordination with other agencies concerned for uniformity in decision-making and focused efforts on the ground.

Read: Kejriwal-Baijal bonhomie marks event to inaugurate 10 skill centres at homeless shelters

Baijal also directed the traffic police to procure red-light violation detection cameras and automatic number plate reader cameras and install them at identified locations at the earliest.

Strict action should be taken against speeding vehicles and persons using mobile phones while driving. No offenders to be spared, he said.

He reiterated the need for a uniform parking policy for Delhi and said it needs to be prepared by the civic corporations and the transport department at the earliest.
A 65-year-old NRI woman was killed in a road accident near AIIMS in south Delhi on Wednesday.

Police said the victim, identified as Sushma Dua, lived with her husband and son in Australia. She had come to India a week ago and was staying at a relatives house in Meerut.

On Wednesday, the incident took place when Dua was on her way to attend a wedding in Gurgaon with her sister and her brother-in-law when the accident took place around 3.30 pm.

The car they were riding in reportedly first hit a road divider and then rammed into a street pole. Some passers by immediately rushed to help the occupants of the car and informed the police.

Read: Ghaziabad: Biker plunges to death from under-construction flyover without barricades

Dua was sitting in the front seat of the car. She sustained severe head injuries and died during treatment. Her family in Australia has been informed. The car driver, Anil Kumar (41), has been arrested, said a senior police officer.

A case under section 279 (rash driving) has been registered against Kumar at Hauz Khas police station.

Duas post mortem was conducted at AIIMS Trauma Centre. Her final rites will be conducted in Australia, police said.

In a separate road accident on Wednesday, a man was injured after his car allegedly hit a truck in south Delhis Saket. The incident took place around 11pm. The car occupant was injured and the front portion of his vehicle damaged. Police said no case had been registered in the incident.

In a third accident, a sub-inspector was injured when his bike was hit by a car in south east Delhis Govindpuri on Tuesday.

Read: On day of engagement, Delhi man loses control of speeding BMW and dies

The incident took place when the victim, Navneet Kumar, who is posted at Govindpuri police station, was riding his bike. Police said Kumars bike collided head-on with a Swift Dzire car. Sub-inspector Kumar sustained severe head injuries in the incident and was rushed to Batra hospital.

A case has been registered under sections 279 (rash driving) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC. The car has been traced and the driver, Prakash Garkoti (44), has been arrested. Garkoti is a resident of Govindpuri, said deputy commissioner of police (south east) Romil Baniya.

Read: Etah accident: School bus collides with truck, 15 children killed
An alleged criminal and his associate were found murdered by members of a rival gang, for reportedly demanding protection money from them, in west Delhis Moti Nagar.

The semi-naked bodies of Gulzar, alias Babu, and Anil Shah, 39, with their faces disfigured beyond identification were discovered at an isolated plot near Zakhira bus stop on January 12.

Four persons were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the double murder case. The identities of the deceased remained a mystery for over a week, as their faces were smashed with stones. Those arrested have been identified as Mohammad Azad, gang leader, Sabu Khan, Akbar and Shamshad.

Dependra Pathak, joint commissioner of police (southwestern range), said the arrest of the four led to the busting of two gangs that were involved in cheating and robbing passengers of their cash and belongings at railways stations in Delhi that mostly remain deserted during late evening hours.

Even as these gangs were targeting passengers frequently, there were hardly any complaints against them. The gangs remained low profile and out of the police radar because they generally targeted passengers, who were outsiders and waiting for trains to their home town. The criminals took advantage of the fact that such victims generally avoid filing their complaints, said Pathak.

Read: Cops son stabs teacher nine times in Delhi for rejecting marriage proposal

The investigating teams were taken aback when 60 mobile phones the four had robbed from passengers in the past few weeks were recovered from them. Sources said that not a single complaint was lodged with the police in connection with the cheating or robbery of the 60 mobiles.

Vijay Kumar, DCP (west), said that on January 12, they received a call about two unidentified bodies that were lying on a DDAs land. Their faces were badly smashed with stones and empty liquor bottles were found lying nearby. It suggested that the killers had consumed liquor with the two before killing them, thus giving a clue that they were known to each other.

A case was registered and teams formed to identify and nab the killers, said Kumar adding photos of the deceased with their physical description details were uploaded on zonal integrated police network (Zipnet).

During the investigation, the police linked one of the bodies with Gulzar, whose missing complaint was filed at the New Usmanpur police station by his family. Gulzars family members identified the second deceased as his friend Anil Shah.

Gulzars antecedents were verified. It was learnt that he operated a gang of criminals who cheated and robbed passengers at railway stations by posing as fellow passengers.

Further probe revealed that Gulzar and Shah were last seen with members of another gang led by Azad that operated similarly. The four were caught after multiple raids.

Azads interrogation revealed that his gang was into crime for past some months. As they had started operating in areas dominated by Gulzars gang, Gulzar started collecting 1,000 as hafta (protection money) from them.

Gulzar recently hiked the protection money from 1,000 to 2,000. When Azad opposed this, he was slapped and threatened by Gulzar. This enraged Azad so much so that he along with his associates planned to kill Gulzar, the officer said.

As per their plan, Azad and his four men invited Gulzar to a liquor party at an isolated spot, where he arrived with Shah. When they got drunk, the five strangled them and then smashed their faces with stones to ensure that they were not easily identified, the officer added.
Do you wait for the airline portal to open so that you could check-in on web to get that favourite seat? Do you remain eager to jump the queue while deboarding the plane? Do you switch on your phone after landing even before the captain announces to do so?

If yes, then you are not unique, according to a survey by a travel website.

As many as 45% travellers say food on airports is unpalatable and nearly double, 88%, say its expensive. The observations on the behaviour of air travellers have come out in a survey by travel portal, Make My Trip.

The survey found that 45% flyers dont prefer shopping at the airports and those who do, mostly buy gifts or chocolates (30%). The website contacted 2.2 lakh travellers for the survey of which 1,000 passengers, who travelled in November and December last year, responded.

Twenty-eight per cent respondents admitted carrying an overweight hand baggage to avoid paying for extra weight. Many passengers carry home cooked food to avoid buying costly food onboard.

Read: Gold worth Rs 26 lakh seized from slippers of 2 fliers at Delhis IGI airport

The study was done to understand the behaviour of the domestic air travellers and their perception of the services available at the airports and inside the planes. The study digs deep into what flyers from across Indian cities want, how they behave, why they make certain choices, etc, said Mohit Gupta, COO-Online of Make My Trip.

While choosing an airline, punctuality got a weightage of 53%, fare 90%, and suitable time had 58% value.

When asked about airports, 73% flyers believe the overall infrastructure at Indian airports is good and 71% are happy with the cleanliness at the airports.

Another interesting fact thrown up by the survey is that 31% respondents were not aware of the fragile tag used for the check-in luggage and 62% have never used. Twenty-three per cent missed their flight at least once.
The Delhi government on Thursday refuted allegations of irregularities based on which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) against Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and visited the office of directorate of information and publicity.

The government officials asserted that no consultant was hired by the AAP government especially for social media campaign Talk to AK. It also denied that R 1.5 crore was spent on the social media campaign.

A senior official said a public relations company was appointed by the government in June last year to publicise its works for a period of one year through an open tendering process. Officials said the Talk to AK was organised in July by the company hired, as per its given mandate and the government did not incur any extra cost.

The government doesnt have expertise in dealing with social media campaigns. The hired PR firm had assured the government that it will manage the campaign, Talk to AK. Also, payments to Facebook and Google are made through credit card for such campaigns. The government usually doesnt do so, a government spokesperson said.

On the allegations that the government went ahead with the campaign despite objections from the finance department, officials said it was a policy decision, which, the government is fully competent to make.

The government also claimed that the PR firm had spent R 98 lakh on the campaign. Moreover, it did not take any service charge.

The government has paid R98 lakh to the company so far. The bill is pending and there has been no irregularity in the exercise, the government spokesperson said.

Read: Centre creating India-Pak situation with Delhi govt: Kejriwal on Talk to AK

The CBI on Wednesday also initiated a PE against the daughter of health minister Satyendar Jain, Saumya, who was appointed an adviser to the Delhi government for its mohalla clinic project aimed at boosting primary healthcare.

Jain rubbished the allegations saying his daughter was working with the mohalla clinic project on voluntary basis and did not charge any remuneration for her service.

Meanwhile, AAP leaders said the CBI inquiry against Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jains daughter is a result of a rattled BJP government and it was an indicator that the AAP will sweep Punjab and Goa in the upcoming Assembly polls.

Addressing a press conference, AAP (Delhi) convener, Dilip Pandey, sought to link it to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals announcement that he will jail Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia before April 15.

After Arvind Kejriwal promised to jail Majithia, even we were wondering why Modiji was silent. But now, they have let loose the CBI. Modijis cowardly act has established, in a way far better than any opinion poll, that AAP will win Punjab as well as Goa, he said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19

By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:

Regional court of Kazakh Karaganda region reduced the term of imprisonment of former Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov by 1 year and 7 months, Kazakhstan Today reported.

The court granted the petition submitted by Akhmetov to reduce his sentence in accordance with the law "On amnesty in connection with the 25th anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan passed in Dec. 2016.

The law on an amnesty applies to about 30,000 convicts and people held in pretrial detention. Some 1,500 people behind the bars are to be freed and the rest would have their prison terms shortened within the law.

Akhmetov served as a Prime Minister during September 2012  April 2014.

In Dec. 2015 Akhmetov was charged of misappropriation of the property entrusted to him on a large scale, illegal participation in entrepreneurial activity and abuse of power and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Later his term of imprisonment was reduced to 8 years.

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
New Delhi

A jilted lover and his accomplice were arrested on Thursday for allegedly stabbing a 21-year-old in Najafgarh in southwest Delhi. The womans condition is said to be critical.

The 25-year-old married man, identified as Amit, and his cousin, Basant (19), were arrested by the outer district police on charges of attempt to murder within 24 hours of the incident. After the matter was reported at Najafgarh police station on Wednesday, four probe teams were constituted.

A senior police official said that the weapon, allegedly used to attack the woman, has also been recovered from the accused.

Read: Delhi woman set on fire for rejecting marriage proposal by neighbour

Amit is a friend of the victims brother. He claimed to be in love with the woman. He told the police that he wanted a relationship with her but she turned down his proposal. Unable to take rejection, he allegedly decided to take the extreme step and had fled.

This is second such incident reported in Najafgarh less than six-months. In September 2016, a 21-year-old girl was stabbed 30 times. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
Two months ahead of the crucial MCD polls in the Capital, fault lines in the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) grew prominent on Thursday with a section of alleged disgruntled leaders seeking appointment with partys national president Amit Shah to air their grievances.

Sources in the party said some long-serving members were not happy over the recent appointment of office bearers. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari reshuffled his team with the announcement of 35 office bearers on January 15.

A few people, who were accommodated in the executive committee, came as a shock. They are unfamiliar faces. Leaders, who have been serving the party for long, were dropped. It was not expected, a party insider said.

In the new executive committee (EC), only 12 people from the previous team were retained. Earlier, the party had changed all 14 district presidents.

Read: Delhi MCD polls: Advantage AAP as civic body map redrawn

Another party functionary said leaders belonging to the Sikh community are not happy with their representation in the committee. He said only those from Akali Dal were given preference.

Sardar Kulwant Singh Baath, the sole Sikh member in the committee, is a SAD (Badal) leader.

It is like short cut. They take the Akali route to gain key post in the Delhi BJP while several other Sikhs, who are with the party for long, feel alienated. Their grudge is justified. These issues should be sorted at the earliest so that it does not affect partys prospects in upcoming municipal polls, a BJP leader said.

He said infighting in the party is not a secret anymore as national vice president and partys incharge of Delhi Shyam Jaju confirmed it on Wednesday in the partys EC meeting at Mukhmelpur in Outer Delhi.

Though, Shyam Jajuji has asked the party men to approach him, disgruntled leaders are writing to party president to express their dissatisfaction, he said.

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The initial autopsy reports of mother-daughter duo found dead at their rented home at West Vinod Nagar house near Mandawali in east Delhi last week has left the Delhi Police scratching their heads.

Geetanjali, 25, and her two-year-old daughter, Ananya, were found in a pool of blood in the flat that was locked from inside.

Geetanjalis preliminary autopsy reports say that the four stab wounds found on her stomach were self-inflicted while Ananyas reports substantiate that she was stabbed over a dozen times, said a senior police officer.

The latest developments have confused the investigators, who till the arrival of preliminary autopsy reports were probing the deaths as a case of double murder. Their investigation is now back to square one because the preliminary autopsy reports hint that Geetanjali first allegedly killed her daughter and then killed herself.

Weapon missing

The investigators are baffled as the kitchen knife that was used to commit the crime has been missing from the crime scene.

Read: Husband prime suspect in the brutal murder of woman and two-year-old daughter

The knife could not be recovered even when cops searched the entire flat, all pipelines and drains connected to the building.

What we saw and found at the crime scene contradicts the autopsy reports. If Geetanjali used a kitchen knife to kill her daughter before killing herself in the flat that was locked from inside, why it was not found near their bodies and where did it disappear? said a senior investigator.

Suicide note complicates case

Another confusing element in the case is a purported suicide note that was found near the bodies. The hand-written note said that Geetanjali took the extreme step because of personal and family reasons.

When Station House Officer (SHO) of the Mandawali police station visited the crime scene and read the note, he straightaway updated his supervising officer that it was an open and shut case of suicide after murder. But as the district DCP and other senior officers were told that the flat was locked and the weapon of the offence was missing, they directed him to register a murder case and initiate the probe.

No evidence against suspects

Geetanjalis husband Mithlesh Anand, an Indian railways employee, became the prime suspect because he only had told his landlords son how they can open the balcony door and enter the flat after reaching there through the balcony on the staircase.

Read: Delhi murder: Hired killer, drug and lethal injection stolen from AIIMS

The landlords son, who first entered the flat and saw the bodies, become the second suspect because the cops suspect him of allegedly removing the knife.

Anand and his landlords son were detained and questioned to probe their alleged role in the crime. The suspicion grew further against Anand when he told investigators that the handwriting in the note was not of his wife. But in the absence of concrete evidence, cops released them.

Geetanjali and her daughter died between 11am and noon. Between that period, Anand was at his office and this has been corroborated by his colleagues and his mobile phone location. The other suspect had to a local gym and his presence was confirmed by the CCTV camera footage, the officer said.

Unanswered questions Why was the weapon of offence, a kitchen knife, missing from the crime scene? How did Geetanjali hide the knife after stabbing herself four times? The police found a suicide note from the spot that said Geetanjali took the extreme step due to personal and family issues. Husband claims the handwriting in the note was not of his wife. If some one had planted the note, why did the person remove the knife? Why would a mother stab her daughter so brutally that her stomach was left split open? Why did the mother choose to stab herself when she could have killed herself by hanging or by consuming poison? Geetanjalis family members do not suspect her husband Mithlesh Anands involvement. Why they have not been able to tell the reasons that could have forced her to take the drastic step?

Investigators were initially hopeful that Geetanjalis parents would accuse Anand with murder charges. But they were taken aback when her family members gave Anand a clean chit, saying they do not suspect him.

What next

Anand is presently at his hometown in Bhagalpur, Bihar, attending the last rites of his dear ones. The police are now planning to collect details about the couples background. They believe that going into their past might give some clue that will lead them to establish the motive and sequence of events that led to the deaths of the duo.

Read: Delhi Mercedes murder accused changed looks, fled to Haridwar to avoid arrest

Geetanjalis handwriting samples will be collected from her parents and will be matched with the notes handwriting by handwriting experts.
The Delhi high court on Thursday told the Delhi government that it cannot force private minority unaided schools to follow a January 7 circular, which makes it mandatory for these schools to admit students in nursery, in the unreserved category, on the basis of neighbourhood criteria.

Justice Manmohan was of the view that minority schools, which have been given more autonomy on how they run and function, cannot be told to follow the governments nursery circular.

Delhi government cannot bring out notification which is contrary to the Constitution and Supreme Court judgments, the judge said, adding, that he was inclined to give a complete stay to the notification with regard to minority schools.

The government baffles me at times. Some time they just pass orders without reading the statutes and judgements (on private minority institutes), the judge said as he posted the issue for hearing on Friday, when a direction from the court is expected.

Read: Delhi nursery admission: Upper age limit info on govt website confuses parents

On January 7, the government brought out nursery admission circular that made private schools  built on Delhi Development Authority land  accept admission forms based only on the neighbourhood or distance criteria.

The circular told minority schools to treat unreserved seats as Open/General seats in which admission will be conducted on the basis of neighbourhood criteria.

Three private unaided minority schools  Mount Carmel School, Ryan International School and Somerville School  have moved the court contending that the circular infringed on their rights to admit students.

The court pulled up the government for bringing out notification at the eleventh hour. It asked the Centre about its policy regarding private schools running on land allotted to them by government at concessional rates across the country.

It issued notice to the ministries of human resource development and urban development seeking their replies on whether there is a neighbourhood criteria for admission in schools.

Read: Nursery admissions: Manish Sisodia orders action against over 50 pvt schools

The court also sought to know the stand of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Land and Development Office here, on the neighbourhood criteria set by the city government.

One of the major problems that the 298 private schools, built on DDA land, are facing is that they can no longer deny admission to anyone who seeks admission from their neighbourhood.

The notification gave priority to those living within a radius of 1km. In case seats remain vacant, those living within 3km radius will get a chance.

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A 42-year-old Delhi police head constable was arrested for allegedly raping a first-year college student. The incident was reported from East Delhis Kalyanpuri area.

According to the police, the head constable was known to the 17-year-old and used to frequent her house on the pretext of helping her with her studies. On December 6, he allegedly called the girl over to her house to give her some notes, when his family was away, and sexually assaulted her.

Since the girl is a minor, the police have also invoked sections of POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) and have sent him to judicial custody.

Read: Delhi serial rapist superstitious: wore red jacket, jeans before abusing girls

In her complaint, the girl alleged that though she addressed the cop as her uncle, he used to touch her inappropriately whenever he found a chance. She alleged that he would often visit her house when her parents were away.

The girl alleged that on December 6, she went to the cops house to take some notes of her English speaking classes. The cop, she claimed, came to pick her up at the mother dairy on his bike. He then allegedly took her to his house and then closed the door from inside. She alleged that he then sexually assaulted her and also threatened her of dire consequences, a police officer said.

Based on the girls complaint, a case of tape has been registered against the cop and he was placed under arrest. The girl is yet to give a statement before the magistrate. The police also took the girl for a medical examination.

A police officer said that the cop has refuted allegations claiming that the girls family was trying to settle scores with him following an ongoing dispute between the two families. He claimed that they were also trying to extort money from him. The police are looking into his allegations as well.
As the star-studded Jaipur Literary Festival gets underway, it is heartening to hear that the Nitish Kumar government is planning a gender literature festival in Patna, where writers from across the world will be invited to discuss women-centric issues from April 7. Much of the agenda for the festival is unexceptional. It aims to discuss gender equity, discrimination and challenges for women as well as issues related to the transgender and LGBTQ community.

Read | Lalu leads Bihar political pack on twitter

Where the agenda of the festival goes awry is in the aim of the state government to consolidate the women constituency. This could be partly because it is being organised by the gender resource centre under the women development corporation of the Bihar social welfare department. But, this means it runs the risk of being a showcase for the governments achievements in the field of womens empowerment, like 50% reservation for women in panchayats and local bodies, 35% reservation for women in government jobs, school uniforms, bicycles, scholarship schemes, targeting creation of one million self-help groups, imposing prohibition of liquor, and so on. This will make it a drab political bragfest rather than a showcase of the vast body of womens literature in India by both men and women.

This festival should be used to open up conversations about the kind of pressures that women writers face in India for a start. The festival should also be a platform for aspiring women writers to get mentorship from more established ones and gain some visibility. Indian women authors have not really got their place in the sun in the past as their experiences were not deemed as worthy as that of their male counterparts. They were supposed to write on light themes and leave the really serious issues to men. But women writers broke that mould with powerful writings from people like Kamala Das to Mahasweta Devi to Ismat Chugtai to name a few. It was with such writers that feminist ideologies began to be reflected in Indian literature in English and the vernacular languages.

Read | Mass cheating: College principal, teachers fined to set a precedent

The core of the festival which is meant to be appreciating gender issues through popular literature, art and culture should not be diluted. This will also hopefully encourage the many women writers who are left out of the mainstream like those from the Dalit community and other marginalised sections to discuss their works and challenges. An issue that should also be discussed is the paucity of proper translators among languages and from the vernacular into English with particular reference to womens writings. This is where the government can help, not by using this proposed festival as a political tool.
Presidency College (now Presidency University) is celebrating its bicentennial this year. Well-known historian and former vice-chancellor of Visva Bharati, and an alumnus of the college, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, speaks to KumKum Dasgupta about his alma mater, the festivities and why the college must look beyond just celebrating its past.

INTERVIEW

KumKum Dasgupta (KD): Presidency College is celebrating its 200th year. What are your thoughts on the occasion?

Sabyasachi Bhattacharya (SB): I am happy that the college is receiving public and media attention and the reason is not a scandal, power conflict or a gherao. The organisers must be congratulated. It is a good idea to use this occasion to provide opportunities for academic interactions between students and eminent scholars from other countries.

However, I recall that when I was a student, it celebrated its centenary (1955). President Rajendra Prasad, an alumnus, inaugurated the programme. The foundation day was then supposed to be on June 15, 1855. In 1955, the college faculty, who were then the organisers of the celebrations, believed that Presidency College was separate from Hindu College, which was officially closed on April 15, 1855.

Hindu College was a private institution controlled by a Committee of Management but Presidency College was a government college. Moreover, the location changed because the present building of the college came into existence much later in 1874.

However, since the 200th anniversary now being observed at Presidency College assumes that there is no discontinuity between Hindu College and Presidency College, I think it is inappropriate to make a fuss about the historical details now forgotten, for the prevailing mood is to celebrate.

KD: What are your views on the newspaper advertisements about alumni like Swami Vivekananda, Jagadish Chandra Bose or Subhas Chandra Bose?

SB: As far as I know, JC Bose was not a student of the college, he studied in St Xaviers College. Again, it will be incorrect to identify Subhas Chandra Bose as a graduate of the college; almost everyone knows that he was expelled from the college and he eventually took his degree as a student of Scottish Church College.

Once again, I recall that Vivekanandas brother Bhupendranath Dutta states that Vivekananda started his college studies in this college but eventually he appeared in the FA and BA examinations as a student of the General Assemblys Institution (now Scottish Church College). The advertisements contradict these facts.

In any event, it is odd for an institution like Presidency College to advertise itself in the manner you have pointed out.

KD: As a former student of Presidency College, how do you feel about the celebrations?

SB: I will share with you a thought that crosses my mind. In Sanskrit literature, we come across a peculiar word - goshthi-sukham, which presumably means the pleasure of being together with kinsmen. Our middle classes revel in the pleasure of being with their own kind. It will be cruel to deny the middle classes and the literati this pleasure in celebrations of this kind. And yet they may find it useful sometimes to get out of that cast of mind. The old alumni, understandably in a celebratory mood now, might look at the college as one remembers it and Bengal as it was and ask themselves, what did their generation inherit and what did they leave behind? Does the present state of Bengal allow us to congratulate that generation on their contribution to the advancement of Bengal? That is a frequently unasked question.

KD: Presidency College celebrations are a part of many utsavs, anniversaries, memorial celebrations etc. that take place in West Bengal nowadays. So what is special about the college?

SB: Presidency College is special to the extent it plays a role in shaping the mind in this country. It had indeed played a historically important role. While Bengal is falling behind in terms of development, access to health care, primary education and various indices of quality of life, we are getting celebrations commemorating achievements of the past. To turn a blind eye to that fact is to join the carnival of the sightless. But I am sure that the mind of Presidency College will remain alert to that reality and not remain complacent with goshti-sukh of the moment.
2017 marks the bicentenary of the Hindoo College, Kolkata, which was renamed Presidency College in 1855. The College, affiliated to the University of Calcutta, was given the status of an independent University in 2010.

My first tutor in college was the late, great Kajal Sengupta. She was older than my mother, but I called her Kajaldi (no student had ever called her anything but Kajaldi). Towards the end of one of our first tutorials (we were discussing Wordsworths Preludes), she said, What do you think of the text? Why arent you disagreeing with me?

Disagree? I, the product of the West Bengal state board of higher secondary education, had been dutifully taking prolific notes, hoping to reproduce verbatim what she had been saying. Disagree with a teacher? I didnt know that that was permissible, let alone encouraged.

Youll have to learn to think for yourself, she said. Presidency College taught us how to do that; to not take received wisdom at face value; to question and debate; to be, in the words of one of its famous alumnus, Amartya Sen, an argumentative Indian.

Like thinking for oneself, close reading is an acquired skill as well. There was a great premium on close reading at Presidency College. We learned how to parse texts; we learned how, if one paid really close attention to words, they yielded their meaning, their essence  and how, the meaning and the essence could be not quite what you thought they were when you first encountered the words. We sought and found worlds within words.

Other worlds, too. They opened up in those two classrooms one came to on turning left after ascending the stairs on which Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had ambushed the racist professor, EF Oaten. We were told that, for us to appreciate literature of the Renaissance, we had to have an understanding of the art and architecture of that period.

On a pavement bookstall in front of the college (in those days you found books there rather than self-help manuals), I found a copy of the Larousse Encyclopaedia of Renaissance and Baroque Art. And embarked on a new love affair. It was not just art. It had nothing directly to do with the syllabus either. Psychology, philosophy, history, theology, film: immersion in the world through words.

I learned to appreciate European cinema. Our Saturday afternoon screenings at Derozio Hall led us through the oeuvres of Eisenstein, De Sica, Tarkovsky, Godard, Fellini, Antonioni, Rossellini. And when the international film festival came to town, my teachers assumed that I would be there  queuing for tickets from early in the morning and watching films through the day  rather than in class.

My mind in those three years was being expanded in other ways. Badminton after a session with recreational substances. The swish of the racket a few seconds after the shuttle had arced downwards. The shot completed only after the feather was lying at my feet. Things slowing down, proceeding at a lag with actual time.

Unlike many of my peers, I do not consider my time at Presidency College as the best years of my life. Those would come later, much later. Those would come in finding a vocation, becoming a published writer, making a happy marriage, discovering the unrivalled joy and pride of fatherhood.

But the years at Presidency, I feel, laid some sort of foundation for all that. When I look back now, I think a line from John Le Carre best sums up my three years in college. It was too kind, too generous, too sudden, too long ago.

(A longer version of this piece appears in the bicentenary issue of the Autumn Annual, a magazine produced by the Presidency Alumni Association, Kolkata)

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Keeping paedophiles far away from children is part of the strategy of keeping them safe. This is what the minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi is seeking to do by writing to the minister for external affairs Sushma Swaraj to revise the visa format so that foreign nationals with records of child abuse cannot enter India. Gandhis actions are clearly motivated by past experience. In 1991, Australian paedophile Freddy Peats was arrested for sexually exploiting young boys at a Goa orphanage for more than 17 years. Two decades later, in 2011, British social worker Jonathan Robinson, patron of the Gail Trust, was convicted of child sexual abuse. In 2011-12 alone, 66 British nationals in India pleaded for help to their consulates in cases of child sex abuse. But the the phenomenon of paedophiles preying on children is not restricted to foreigners alone. As per National Crime Records Bureau statistics, there were more than 94,000 crimes committed against children in 2015, many of them by paedophiles. Of these, almost 40% of cases were offences such as rape, molestation and sexual harassment. The recent shocking case of paedophile Sunil Rastogi, who carried on assaulting girls between 2004 and 2017 despite having five cases registered against him, could have been unearthed much earlier had a national register of sex offenders been in place. Earlier, during the 2006 Nithari serial murders, 10 girls went missing and were later found raped and murdered. Still the police could not connect the dots which could have helped apprehend serial offender Surinder Koli.

Read: Counselling room opens for child abuse victims in Gurgaon

According to a study on child sexual abuse by the NGO HAQ: Centre for Child Rights, the number of crimes against children in India saw an increase of 528.9 % between 2005 and 2015. Child rape increased by 169.6% in the same period. The number of calls received by Childline 1098, a helpline for children in distress, rose from 2,969 in 2014-2015 to 4,340 in 2015-16.

Tourists who travel to other countries with the objective of abusing kids can be curtailed at the entry points. But beyond stricter visa norms, on the lines of Britain, we also need a mechanism to ensure convicted child sex offenders are barred from coming in contact with children.

Read: Delhi serial rapist: Paedophiles dont see their act as crime, says expert Rajat Mitra

A proposal for a national register of child sex offenders is reportedly pending before the ministry of home affairs on account of the scope being needed to be enlarged. This can waste precious time and put more children in danger.
As far as protests go, the one at Chennais Marina Beach can serve as a role model for many. It continues to be a peaceful gathering of people united against the 2014 Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu, the traditional bull-taming sport that is a part of Pongal celebrations in parts of Tamil Nadu. No law has broken; protestors are even picking up water bottles, cups and plates used to serve refreshments. And yet they have managed to make their point loud and clear: dont mess with our culture.

Therein is the catch: the citing of culture or the branding of a practice as such, to challenge change, and the decisions of the law. Senior lawyer Anand Grover sees nothing wrong in the protest. Anybody can air their views. We have freedom of expression in the country. It is for the Parliament to make a law in keeping with the constitutional provisions, he says.

In 2014, the Supreme Court banned Jallikattu while upholding the concerns of animal rights activists that the sport was cruel to bulls. Sociologists have also spoken of the inherent display of casteism in the sport: it is mostly popular among upper castes and Dalits are discouraged from participating and have a separated area marked for them to view the sport. But the demand for the Supreme Court to review its ban ahead of Pongal has received support from political leaders in the state.

READ: The repeated neglect of Tamil identity is the rallying point for Jallikattu protests

The problem with the word culture is that the idea of culture is often confused in daily use, says social scientist Shiv Visvanathan. What is the culture that we are talking about here? A sport that is anyway in decline in most parts of the state--a masculine, casteist sport at that. So what are we fighting for here? Are we fighting for something that is part of the agrarian society, a show of masculinity or is it just a case of identity politics?

The law anyway has an element of culture embedded in it. Its decisions do take into consideration and reflects living conditions, lifestyles etc, which are all a part of culture. But it is not meant to be based on identity politics, he says.

The past few years have seen progressive discourse on many issues that have for years been put out of the reach of debate in the name of culture and tradition. Women have moved court against the system of triple talaq and polygamy. The Centre is pushing for a Uniform Civil Law--a move which has again been opposed in the name of religion and tradition. In October last year, the Supreme Court allowed women entry into the Haji Ali shrine in Mumbai. The fight for women to enter the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, where entry is banned for women, has also reached the courts.

All these movements are indicative of a society poised for change--a society where reason and basic rights are respected more than traditional practices that might be rooted in ignorance, blind faith and inequality. To give in to the demand to reinstate any one of these practices, will not only weaken the rule of law in the country, but will also give others the scope to push for other such regressive traditions. And then, where does one stop the slide back in time?

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Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jan. 19

By Demir Azizov Trend:

The permanent population increased by 545,800 people (1.7 percent) as of December 31, 2016 and amounted to 32,121,100 people in Uzbekistan compared to 2015, the Uzbek State Statistics Committee said in a report.

Some 50.6 percent of the total population accounts for towns, while 49.4 percent  for the countryside, the report said.

According to the report, some 726,800 children were born in Uzbekistan in 2016.

According to the report, some 154,500 deaths were registered during the reporting period.

Some 141,700 migrants arrived in Uzbekistan, while 168,300 people left the country in 2016, the report said.

The number of people engaged to work in the economy reached 13.298 million people in Uzbekistan in 2016, which is 1.8 percent more than in 2015, the report said.

According to the report, the employment rate of the economically active population is 94.8 percent, while the unemployment rate - 5.2 percent.
I stumbled my way in through the hallowed gates of Presidency.

You see, I went to a CBSE school in Salt Lake, Kolkata. Hariyana Vidya Mandir. Yes, Hariyana with an i. Ive had to explain that for years. Once, to an editor who was convinced Id misspelt my own schools name on my resume.

I studied science in Class 11 and 12. And the natural thing to do thereafter was to crack an engineering entrance. I didnt have the acumen for math, and organic chemistry equations left me as baffled as David Lynch does his audience. I wouldnt make it into an IIT. But any half-respectable college would do. I gave the entrance. Got through. Ranked 11,000-something. And nearly began packing for four years at an engineering college.

But I never went. Because I got selected to study English Literature at Presidency.

I thought my Presidency entrance test had been disastrous. We were asked to write a 50-mark essay on fidelity is the essence of prose. And I wasnt sure what fidelity meant (Yes, dark secret. Now you know). I asked the girl seated next to me. And was told, Im not supposed to tell you. I wrote the essay without once using the word fidelity.

I still remember the mid-summer, sweltering Calcutta afternoon that would change the course of my life. On the first floor of the main building, on an old, once-brown wooden notice board, behind a glass so scratched you had to get close to read anything, hung an incongruously new A4 sheet with 30 names. I didnt have to go past number 10.

I bought a pot of rosogollas on my way home. I wasnt as much being the sweet Bengali boy, as telling my parents Id made up my mind. I was going to Presidency.

In the next three years, the college would shape the person I am. In class, I learnt to love Shakespeare and Keats. Outside it, in Promod das canteen, I learnt the lyrics to Bhoomi and Chandrabindoo. Class shaped my habit to looking at the arts critically, and to try and prise out meaning from words that, at first glance, seem simple (William Blake blew my mind). The water tank adda right underneath the classroom window taught me to criticise politics and talk about it openly. Coleridge taught me that forbidden substances inspired genius. On the canteen terrace, our experiments with them mostly yielded nonsense.

Yes, I stumbled into Presidency. But three years later, when I walked out, the world would never be the same again.

(Sarit Ray is an associate editor with Hindustan Times in Mumbai. The views expressed are personal.)

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The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to entertain an NGOs plea seeking transfer of hearing related to the nursery admission case from a single judge to a larger bench.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar said that the petition which has challenged the jurisdiction of the single bench on the ground that only a larger bench has jurisdiction to decide it, can be decided by the single bench itself.

Please raise the issue before the single judge. We are not going into the issue, the bench said, adding that whenever you challenge the jurisdiction of the judge or the bench, it should be heard by the same forum which is seized of the issue.

NGO Justice For All, which is one of the parties seeking to be heard by the court, has argued that the schools have challenged a statutory notification issued by the lieutenant governor and as per Delhi High Court rules only a division bench is entitled to hear the plea.

The school associations filed the present writ petition in which the statutory notification issued by the lieutenant governor has been challenged but the prayer has been framed in a way that a clause of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is challenged, the NGO, through advocate Khagesh Jha, has argued.

The single judge is hearing petitions challenging the Delhi governments January 7 notification that made 298 private schools - built on DDA land -- accept admission forms based only on the neighbourhood or distance criteria.

Two minority schools and two separate groups representing private unaided schools and some parents have challenged the notification.
LUCKNOW: Despite several schemes to promote girl child education, the percentage of girls out of school (age 11-14) in Uttar Pradesh is 9.9%, the highest in the country. Even neighbouring state Bihar fares better at just 4.4%.

The Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2016 report suggests, girls out of school in UP is almost double of all-India figure of 5.2%. Rajasthan just behind UP has a dismal performance at 9.7%.

ASER is the largest annual household survey in rural India that focuses on the status of childrens schooling and basic learning. Facilitated by Pratham, the survey is carried out by volunteers from local partner organisations in almost all rural districts of India.

The only consolation for UP is the fact that according to ASER 2016 more than 94.7% of children (age 6-14 years) are enrolled in school. Enrolment figures have exceeded 93% in the state for more than eight years.

Childrens attendance, especially in primary schools, is below 60% in UP. Attendance is the most important factor in childrens learning. Attendance should be used as a criteria to assess if children are in school rather than enrolment, said Rukmini Banerji of Pratham who leads the ASER effort.

PVT SCHOOL KIDS PERFORMING BETTER

The report indicates that private school children are clearly performing better than government school students. Almost three out of four children in government school despite finishing five years of schooling are unable to read texts prescribed for Class 2. Almost three out of four children cannot solve Class 2 level subtraction problems. Only 35.4% of UP children in Class 8 can read sentences in English.

Performance of children in lower grades is a cause for concern. Urgent action is needed to help children improve basic learning in classes 3 to 5 and to ensure that every child can meaningfully complete elementary education, Banerji said.

The report recommends immediate and urgent action to improve reading and learning abilities of students of classes 1 and 2 and their basic skills.

The report suggests that children need to be encouraged to speak, discuss, express their opinions and solve problems together. It also suggests that students who have finished Class 2 should be comfortable with numbers and basic mathematical operations on numbers 1 -100.

For students of classes 3 to 5, immediate attention is needed to help many of them quickly acquire basic skills without which they cannot progress in school. A systemic correction is the need of the hour.

Schools need to make time for children to catch up with the syllabus. Clear, focussed and achievable learning goals need to be set. The entire system needs to be geared to make this happen.

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New Delhi: the Indian education system has a lot to answer for. Learning levels have improved slightly in primary classes in schools across rural India and not in upper primary classes. About 50% Class 5 students are unable to read texts meant for junior classes, an Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) has said.

Nationally, the proportion of students in Class 3 who can read at least Class 1 text has gone up to 42.5% in 2016 from 40.2% recorded two years ago.

Reading levels for Class 5, measured by the ability to read Class 2 level text, has dipped from 48% in 2014 to 47.8% in 2016. Similarly, only about 73.1% of Class 8 students can read Class 2 level text as compared to 74.7% in 2014. This means at primary level over 50% students cannot read texts meant for students three years junior.

This is the 11th ASER report by education non-profit Pratham conducted across 589 districts in India. The last report was published in 2014.

However, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharasthra and Telangana have shown improvement of 7 percentage points since 2014 for reading levels of Class 3 students.

Similarly for Class 5, reading ability has improved by 5 percentage points from 2014 to 2016 in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tripura, Nagaland and Rajasthan.

This improvement in early classes in government schools can be credited to various schemes focusing on primary education. But at upper primary level the results will take time to show, said Ranajit Bhattacharyya of Pratham.

Arithmetic

Although low, there is slight improvement - from 25.4% in 2014 to 27.7% - in the number of Class 3 students who can do subtraction. Similarly, only 26% of Class 5 students and 43.3% of Class 8 can do division.

The proportion of Class 8 students who could correctly do a 3-digit by 1-digit division problem was 68.4% in 2010. This number has dropped to 44.2% in 2014 and 43.3% in 2016. Only children in Manipur, Karnataka and Telangana show an increase, the report said.

Reading English

Childrens ability to red English improved slightly improved in Class 3 but remained relatively unchanged in Class 5. In 2016, 32% children in Class 3 could read simple words in English as compared to 28.5% in 2009.

Only 24.5% of children in Class 5 could read simple English sentences. This number is virtually unchanged since 2009, the report said. The decline in upper primary classes, however, continues with only 45.2% of Class 8 students being able to read simple sentences in 2016 as compared to 46.7% in 2014 and 60.2% in 2009.

Availability of computers

There has been no change in the availability of computers in schools since 2014. In 2016 it was 20% as compared to 19.6% in 2014. However, some states stand out in terms of high provision of computers. In Kerala, 89% schools visited had computers while in Gujarat 75.2% schools had them and in Maharashtra the figure was 55.1%.
The tables are about to turn.

Students in government schools may soon get to assess their teachers, with the Centre asking officials to come out with a format allowing pupils to rate their classroom experience.

Students of Class 5 and above were likely to participate in the exercise the details of which were being worked out, sources said on Wednesday. The programme could be introduced this year.

The idea is to find out what students think about the way they are being taught, an official said on condition of anonymity. Rather than asking them questions, we are developing a system with a set of questions that will be distributed among students to rate the teachers.

India has more than a million government schools. But, increasingly parents are opting for private institutions because of falling standards of education and poor facilities in state-run schools.

The plan for the evaluation exercise was discussed with a number of states and some agreed to it. Initially the programme would be conducted in select states. A model questionnaire would be prepared and circulated among these states for students feedback.

A team of human resources development ministry officials was working on the questions. Depending on the feedback, the exercise could become a regular feature, sources said.

We want to have in place a transparent mechanism and want to reward teachers who are performing well too. At the same time, those who are not delivering will have to mend their ways, the official said. Teachers would be provided training to help them improve.

The proposal could face resistance from teachers, so the government was looking at a plan that would be acceptable to them as well.

Teachers will also be rated on how the students perform.

Learning outcomes had been circulated and would be implemented from this academic session, government said on Wednesday.

Teachers would not only be assessed on the marks obtained by their wards but whether a child can recognise a word, can write a sentence, is able to narrate a story, another official said. Learning outcomes are benchmarks to assess students progress.

A chart will be prepared for each student and performance on various parameters will be marked on that to assess the teacher, the official said.

To improve quality of schooling and teachers, the HRD ministry has introduced steps like learning outcomes to promote critical thinking.

College and university students were in 2016 allowed to evaluate teachers but only those with 75% or more attendance could participate. The proposal is yet to be implemented.

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Teachers should concentrate on teaching only and should not be assigned any non-academic work, a group of secretaries appointed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recommended.

A senior HRD official, privy to the groups report, said engaging teachers to do activities other than teaching takes a toll on them and affects their primary duty.

It also impacts the results, the official told HT, not wishing to be named.

The secretaries, in their report, stressed that teachers, being pivotal to quality education, should concentrate on teaching only.

The HRD ministry will now work on the recommendations of the report.

From conducting cattle census, election duties, pulse polio work to ration card verification, teachers across the country are roped in to do several non-teaching activities.

Apart from government school teachers, even private schools make teachers multi-tasksometimes asking them to do an accountants job of collecting fee to cut costs where clerical staff or non-teaching employees are supposed to perform such chores.

Most private schools also task them with the job of accompanying students in school buses. CBSE, in a circular last year, had asked private schools affiliated to it to ensure that their teachers are not saddled with non-teaching duties such as travelling with children in buses and managing canteens.

The Right to Education Act 2009 also allows only three dutiescensus, disaster and election (only on polling and counting days).

Last year, the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry had also said it will conduct a survey to assess the adverse impact of non-teaching activities on teaching and teachers.

The National University of Educational and Administration (NUEPA) was asked to undertake the study and submit it by September, sources said. Established by the HRD ministry, NUEPA assists capacity building and research in planning and management of education.

A number of teachers associations had taken up the matter in their respective states.

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On July 28, a day when Gurgaon and its adjoining areas coped with excessive rain, waterlogging and traffic snarls, Amit Kumar, a 27-year-old resident of Ghaziabad, had another more grave problem on his hands.

His left hand was amputated accidentally while cutting metal at a construction site in Sector 4 of Manesar where he was employed as a daily wage earner. It was later reattached following a nine-hour reconstructive surgery.

Carrying his hand in a container, Amits colleagues rushed him to nearby VPS Rockland hospital.

As per hospital authorities, Amit was immediately admitted and his amputated hand was kept in an ice box to prevent contamination. Wires were attached to keep his arm stable and reduce blood loss.

Upon reviewing Amits X-ray, doctors diagnosed him with wrist disarticulation and a team of five specialists, two assistants and one anaesthetist carried out a nine-hour hand reattachment operation.

His vessels were repaired immediately to provide blood flow to tissues. It was followed by repair of tendons and common digital nerves of each finger. The patient (Amit) was kept under supervision for four days and then discharged, Dr Pradeep Kumar, head plastic surgeon, VPS Rockland Hospital-Manesar said.

The costs for the surgery were borne by Amits employee but the post-operative costs had no sponsors. Amit who has a five-year-old son and a one-year-old son resumed work as a a metal cutter within a month after the incident.

I am spending over Rs 3,000 as monthly medical charges for consultations, medication and physiotherapy. Despite having fears that a similar accident might happen again, I cannot afford the charges without going to work at the construction site. My wife has also started working as a tailor to cover the familys remaining expenditure, Amit said.

Amit claims that he had regained 60% of his hand movement and the hospital authorities have assured him of a full recovery within a year.

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Hundreds of residents of Sector 57 have expressed concerns about the mushrooming of slums on a vacant land in their area. The unhygienic condition of the slum, which is spread over an acre, has forced residents to complain to authorities. The area has over 200 hutments, most of them constructed in the last one year.

Residents have reported the matter to MCG commissioner, town planner and other officials, but no action has been taken.

We have written to the Huda administration and a complaint has been registered with the CMs Window as well, but the authorities are yet to act, said Joginder Singh, a resident.

How can administration let illegal construction take place on a piece of land, the fate of which is to be decided by the court? The developer has become a mere observer, the municipal corporation and Huda administration have been turned a blind eye to the issue. Although the area MLA has visited the site numerous times, no relief has come to us, said Divyansh Batra, a resident.

The land encroached upon belongs to Huda and the Ansals. The land was acquired by land acquisition office and compensation was awarded to the villagers, which they have not taken. A licensed portion of land of Ansals was also mistakenly acquired by the land acquisition officer and it is being released now. All encroachments are illegal and have to be removed by the authorities with the help of town planning department, Ajay Pandita, addition vice-president of Ansal Buildwell, said.

The construction of hutments started a year ago and, today, there are over a 100 of them. Even security guards working with the developer resides in these slums, said Hari Singh Dhillo, another resident.

This is the right time for civic authorities to act against the illegal slums. If illegal structures become a full-fledged slum colony, it would be a big problem for residents, said Pushplata Batra, a resident.

HUDA had taken action against the illegal occupation of vacant land in all sectors in the past. The biggest problems the residents face due to the slum are pigs and garbage dumps.

YM Mansuri, senior town planner said, We will soon resolve the issue. We have called the developer in last week of this month and the enforcement wing is also informed.

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Reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who was robbed of jewellery in Paris last year, will reportedly shoot for the film Oceans Eight, which involves a jewellery heist.

The film has been in production at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for days, with numerous stars making cameos in a dramatic heist scene.

Kardashian was seen at the set with her sister Kendall Jenner on Monday. According to sources, the Met Gala scene involves the theft of a high-end necklace in a museum bathroom.

On the set of Oceans 8 at The Met, such fun, designed many of tonight's gowns recreating the Costume Institute Gala A photo posted by Dennis Basso (@dennisbasso) on Jan 17, 2017 at 8:05pm PST

Sources said Kardashian is in the film, although its not clear if she is a victim or a famous face in the crowd, reports pagesix.com.

The movies main cast includes Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson and Mindy Kaling.

On Monday, in one of her first public appearances since the robbery, Kardashian was back in a gown to film the scene in which the all-female cast pulls off a jewellery raid.

An insider said: We were surprised Kim showed up for filming. She had seemed totally traumatised by her Paris robbery. But then she will still appear in a movie that glamorises a jewellery heist.

Kardashians representative confirmed she has a cameo in the movie, but declined to comment further.

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The humour shone through the scare for director M Night Shyamalan and the actors in his latest film, Split, which premiered on Wednesday night.

The psychological horror thriller follows three girls as they fight to stay alive after being kidnapped by a man suffering from dissociative identity disorder, who has 24 distinct personalities.

None of this terror was present on the red carpet, however, as the stars spoke instead about the dry wit featured in the script.

I also hope people laugh and I also hope people have empathy and sympathy for the characters as well. Its something that I tried to do in equal measures, said Scottish actor James McAvoy, who plays the split personality of the title.

Newcomer and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) rising star nominee Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays one of the girls, said she was able to appreciate the wit of the film after shooting.

From left, director M Night Shyamalan, and actors Anya Taylor Joy and James McAvoy pose during a photo call for the movie Split in Milan, Italy. (AP)

I loved it because I didnt expect it to be funny, she said.

Filmmaker Shyamalan said the idea for the horror movie had been in his notebooks for 15 or 16 years, adding that the dark and crazy tone of McAvoys character that inspired him to bring it to life.

Shyamalan is known for scary movies with an intriguing twist, such as The Sixth Sense, Signs and Unbreakable.

Split opens in Indian theatres in February.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jan. 19

By Demir Azizov  Trend:

Representatives of Uzbekistans Foreign Ministry and OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan John MacGregor discussed the results of cooperation in 2016, the Uzbek Foreign Ministrys press service said.

The sides also discussed prospects of development of the cooperation in 2017, primarily, in the sphere of implementation of joint projects, as well as other relevant issues of Uzbekistans relations with the OSCE, said the press service.

Uzbekistan became a member of the OSCE in 1992. The OSCE coordinator carries out projects that include assistance in strengthening legislation; conducting training courses; organizing seminars, conferences and study visits; and giving advice on improving the performance of state authorities, government agencies and civil society organizations.
Miscreants torched 32 school buildings during the past five months of disturbances in Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmirs minister of state for education Priya Sethi said on Thursday.

Among the schools torched, 14 were fully damaged and 18 partially, she said, noting police have registered cases and investigations are on.

She said 47 miscreants have been arrested in connection with the torching of the schools.

Replying to a clubbed question by NC members Qaiser Jamshed Lone and Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri in the Legislative Council, Sethi said in view of these incidents in the Valley, the divisional administration took various measures for protection of schools.

These included deployment of watch and ward staff, numberdars (revenue officials), chowkidars, involving local Auqaf Committee and local imams and respectable persons of the society, besides regular monitoring, fire safety measures, better lighting.

Asserting that elaborate steps were taken to prevent these incidents, she said the schools were categorised into three types -- normal, sensitive and hypersensitive.

She said all sensitive and hyper sensitive schools were provided round-the-clock watch and ward staff by redeploying existing manpower comprising chowkidars, orderlies.

A plan was put in place by the security agencies which included patrolling around schools categorised as sensitive and hypersensitive.

She said all schools were directed to adopt fire safety measures.

Legislators Ghulam Nabi Monga raised supplementary queries to the main question.
More than 75 bank accounts held by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, his two NGOs and its associates are being investigated over foreign funding, the National Investigation Agency said on Thursday.

The agency has written to banks of the 78 accounts of Naik, the Islamic Research Foundation and the Islamic Research Foundation International for details and around half of them have responded to its request, an official said. It is probing the foreign donations that came into the accounts.

The controversial TV evangelists empire consists of at least 37 properties, mostly in Maharashtra towns, NIA sources had earlier told Hindustan Times.

Of these, 25 are flats in Mumbai alone. Conservative estimates put market value of these properties and other assets of IRF and Naik around Rs 100 crore, said an NIA official who wished to remain anonymous.

The agency also recovered Naiks propaganda material contained in 14,000 tapes which amounts to around 5,000 terabytes (TB) of data.

A team of NIA officials headed by agencys chief Sharad Kumar travelled to Mumbai on Thursday and held discussions with the Mumbai police officials on recoveries made.

The agency gathered details of these properties during its scrutiny of records of Naik and his outfit, the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), which has been banned for five years following a government notification declaring it to be an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Naik and IRF also have properties in Pune and Solapur. Naiks spokesperson was not immediately for comments.

After a ban on the foundation, the NIA registered a case against Naik and the IRF on charges of inciting Muslim youth to indulge in violence and promoting enmity between groups on the basis of religion and race. The agency also charged Naik with indulging in activities that are prejudicial to national integration.

The agency then conducted searches at around two dozen properties of Naik, his relatives and the IRF with help from Mumbai police.

Around three dozen bank accounts of the IRF and its trustees including Naik have been identified and banks were asked to freeze them as well, said the official.

The government has constituted a tribunal to reconsider the ban imposed on the IRF.

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In a shocking incident, a 17-year-old Muslim girl was allegedly gangraped for several days by men in Jalandhar because she refused to be the second wife of one of her perpetrators, police said.

The minor girl was abducted from Kharawar village in Rohtak on January 8 and was recovered by the Rohtak police from Nakodar in Jalandhar district of Punjab.

The victim told police that she was gang-raped by her kidnappers for several days.

The police said they have registered a case against 15 accused in this regard for kidnapping, and four for gang-rape, though no arrests have been made so far. The victim has been handed over to her family members after her statement was recorded before a magistrate and medical examination and counselling done.

The victim, who originally belongs to Ludhiana district in Punjab, had come to her maternal uncles place in Kharawar village of Rohtak district. Her brother said a boy from their village, Pegu, wanted to marry her and make her his second wife. However, when they refused, he threatened to kidnap her.

The victim alleged that the village boy traced her location to Rohtak and subsequently 15 men came in two cars, injured her brother, and abducted her.

She said they took her to Delhi and Jalandhar, where she was repeatedly gang-raped by four men out of the 15.

We will seek Punjab polices help in nabbing the accused, Kharawar police station in-charge sub-inspector Jagdish said.
Police on Thursday rescued 80 people, including 33 children, from a village in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir due to avalanche warning after the area was cut-off following snowfall.

The Jammu and Kashmir police launched a rescue operation in Waltengoo Nad area of Kulgam and rescued 80 people including 33 children, a police spokesperson said in Srinagar.

In view of the heavy snowfall and apprehensions of avalanche in the area, senior superintendent of police, Kulgam has constituted rescue teams that rushed to the spot, he said.

After clearing the snow on about 15 kilometres of road from Qazigund to Waltengoo, the teams reached Waltengoo Nad, the spokesperson said.

The people were evacuated to a building of Government Middle School Naubugh and arrangements like meals, bedding and heating were made by the district administration, he said.

Moreover, two children suffering from hepatitis were shifted to a hospital for treatment, the spokesperson added.
After Amazon withdrew a Tri-coloured doormat offensive to Indian sensitivities from its Canadian platform in the face of warnings by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, the e-commerce major has now also pulled out flip-flops bearing the picture of Mahatma Gandhi, a senior official said on Thursday.

We have been in touch with Amazon both in Washington as well as in Delhi and we have had constructive conversations, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in his media briefing here.

I am happy to report that the offending item has since been pulled by Amazon and we hope that our engagement will continue to be fruitful, he added.

Earlier this month, Amazon Canada kicked off a row by putting up doormats featuring the Indian flag, which was made available by two of its vendors -- Mayers Flag Doormats and XLYL.

Read I Not just Amazon doormat: Websites sell Indian flag, emblem as shoe, dog coat

Sushma Swaraj took up the cause on Twitter, responding to one of the hundreds of people who petitioned her to demand action from Canadian authorities.

Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately, Swaraj said in a tweet.

If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the visas issued earlier, she added.

Amazon then wrote to Sushma Swaraj expressing regrets at hurting Indian sensibilities.

A third-party seller, not Amazon, had listed these products for sale in Canada. These products were not available in India. After learning of the products listing, we immediately removed them from the Canadian website and implemented measures to ensure that these products could not be sold on any of our other marketplace or websites, the letter said.

Read I Amazons national flag doormat is not worth Sushma Swarajs Twitter ire

The letter said Amazon remains steadfastly committed to India, and refered to its CEO Jeff Bezos announcement to invest $5 billion in India.

It said Amazon values immensely its relationship with the Indian government, the countrys entrepreneurs and innovators, Indian customers and employees.

Amazon is committed to respecting Indian laws and customs. To the extend that these items offered by a third-party seller in Canada offended Indian sensibilities, Amazon regrets the same, it said.

At no time did we intend or mean to offend Indian sentiments, it said.

Swarup on Thursday said that the Indian Ambassador in Washington has been instructed to convey to Amazon that while providing a platform for third-party vendors, it should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments.

Read I Political merchandise for sale: Modi doll to party flags just a click away
Bollywood actor Anupam Kher said on Thursday while reciting a poem that the future of Kashmiri Pandits is in dark.

The actor, who dedicated a poem to the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, told ANI that it was an attempt to remind people that Kashmiri Pandits still exist and that their voices should be heard.

As far as Kashmiri Pandits future is concerned, everything is in dark. I dont think even 0.1% of them are staying there (Kashmir). We need to go back but we cannot go back in an atmosphere of fear. We cannot go back to the atmosphere of false security. We need to find solution. My attempt to recite this poem is to let people know that we still exist and our voices should be heard, he added.

When asked if he feels secure in Kashmir, the 61-year-old said that the removal of Article 370 is one of the solutions to make the situation better in the conflict-ridden state.

How can there be any safety? I have always told that may be after removal of Article 370, the situation might be better but I dont know how are these political things done. I believe that if people are allowed to do business there, if they are allowed to launch start-ups, if they are allowed to buy land, then may be the situation can be better. So, for me, the removal of Article 370 is a solution, Kher said, adding that Srinagar should be declared as a smart city.

Kher said that January 19, 1990 was a black day, remembered by Kashmiri Pandits for the exodus when they were forced to flee from their homeland due to violence.

On January 19, 1990, lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee from Kashmir Valley after to outbreak of militancy.

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The timing of the arrival of 60 jersey cows from Switzerland could not have been more wrong as a wave of preservation of Swadeshi breed of livehilood animals is sweeping Tamil Nadu hosting pro-Jallikattu uprising.

The mobilisation of masses has been also possible on the issue of severe depletion in the number of native breeds of bulls and cows. There were 130 or so cattle breeds in India 100 years ago and now there are only 37, say Jallikattu supporters.

Read I Demand on PETA foolish, says animal rights group

Some 60 jersey cows, housed in 10 crates, were transported from Switzerland via Kolkata on Tuesday. This is the first batch of 540 such animals imported by the National Diary Development Board for Tamil Nadu and another 500 are for West Bengal.
BJP MLA Bharamagouda and five others who were absconding after being booked for allegedly assaulting a Youth Congress worker in Belagavi district earlier this month have been arrested, police said.

The accused were nabbed from a forest resort about 130 kms from Pune and all of them were taken into custody, they added.

Those under custody include Bharamagouda, four of his family members and his driver.

Four teams were formed to nab the MLA from Kagwad and 12 others, mostly his family members, who were named as accused in the case, police said.

Further legal procedures would follow, they said, adding that efforts were on to nab the others as well.

Some of Bharamagoudas family members and their supporters had allegedly assaulted Vivek Shetty after dragging him out of his house on January 1, accusing him of posting derogatory comments about them on the social media.

CCTV footage of the alleged incident, which had gone viral, showed a group of people with sticks barging into Shettys house and dragging him down the stairs.

Shetty was earlier with the BJP before getting associated with the Youth Congress.

Police had booked 13 persons on various charges under the IPC, including attempt to murder.
The Bihar government on Thursday assured the Patna high court that participation in Saturdays human chain, billed as the worlds largest, was voluntary and alternative routes are being created to avoid traffic chaos due to closure of national highways and state highways for five hours.

Principal additional advocate general Lalit Kishore gave the states reply to a division bench of acting chief justice Hemant Gupta and justice Sudhir Singh during hearing of a PIL filed by NGO Forum for Public Interest Litigation.

The PIL wanted to know under what provision the state government decided to stop traffic on national and state highways for the January 21 human chain programme in support of prohibition.

The counsel for the petitioner, Shahibhusan Kumar, presented before the court a newspaper report which stated that block education officer of Sasaram passed a coercive order that students who do not participate in the human chain programme would be deprived of benefits provided by the state government.

The court directed chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and director general of police P K Thakur to personally appear before it on Friday to clarify on this and also how media comes under essential services to get exemption for plying vehicles on that day.

Kishore told the court that participation in human chain programme is voluntary and there is no mandatory order for participation. People are requested to join the programme through appeal, he said.

Regarding participation of school students, he said, the education department, which is conducting the human chain, has exempted students below class V from participating in the human chain and participation of students of class V and above is voluntary.

The Nitish Kumar government has planned the gigantic human chain spread across more than 11,292km involving around two crore people.
A BJP worker was allegedly stabbed to death by CPM activists in Keralas Kannur district, police said on Thursday, sparking clashes between right-wing activists and police in the politically sensitive region with a history of red-saffron violence.

The CPI (M) said the party has no role in the killing, which came barely a few days after the alleged murder of two BJP workers in Palakkad, about 200 km from Kannur.

Police said E Santhosh (52), who was active in both the BJP and its ideological mentor RSS, was attacked on Wednesday night by a gang that broke into his house in Andalur near Dharmadam, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayans assembly constituency. He died at the hospital.

Violence flared up when BJP workers tried to take the body to the venue of a youth festival but were stopped by police.

Police fired tear gas shells and caned the protesters when they turned unruly, officials said.

The BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan asked the Centre to deploy central forces in the district, nearly 500 km from capital Thiruvananthapuram.

We have lost faith in the police controlled by the ruling CPI(M). We want immediate deployment of central forces, he said.

Police said they have taken some people into custody for questioning.

A former mukya sikshak of the RSS, he was also the block president of the BJP

The RSS called a dawn-to-dusk shutdown in the district on Thursday to protest the murder.

Though the RSS-BJP exempted the ongoing youth festival from the bandh, many participants said they found it difficult to reach the venue.

The ruling CPI(M) is out to vitiate peace in the area. The latest killing really exposes the fascist face of the party, said Satyaprakash , the BJPs Kannur district president.

Police said they have increased security in the area to avert a possible retaliatory attack.

At least 250 people, belonging to both camps, have been killed in three decade-long bloody battle for supremacy in the district, famous for ancient martial art form Kalaripayattu

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Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jan. 19

By Demir Azizov Trend:

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a decree On measures to further simplify and accelerate sale of state properties to be used for business purposes.

The provisions of the decree eliminate bureaucratic barriers to privatization of state properties and contribute to the organization of production at the privatized facilities.

The document also simplifies some procedures for the acquisition of state properties.

For example, the tenants, who upgraded or overhauled their state properties, as well as created new jobs there, will have an advantage over other applicants. It is also allowed to sign contracts for the sale and purchase of state properties if the corresponding proposal is received from the only applicant.

Three years period is provided to carry out redemption payments regarding the privatized properties. During the sale of state properties at the competitive bidding, it is prohibited to demand any other documents except for the application and business plan from the applicants, who are residents of Uzbekistan, and it is also prohibited to initiate issues regarding the review and cancellation of the results of privatization.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday made a slew of announcements, which his party intends to implement if voted to power in the BMC, but maintained silence over alliance with BJP in the upcoming civic polls.

Talks of alliance with the BJP have not reached me as yet. As and when it reaches me, I will talk about it. Also, I would not like to talk on the alliance at a time when talks are progressing positively, Thackeray said, while addressing reporters here on Thursday.

The pre-poll alliance talks between BJP and Shiv Sena, after veering towards a broad consensus over the issue, had shifted to haggling between local leaders of both parties, over which seats they can win.

Sena MP Anil Desai on Wednesday said that after the second round of meeting with BJP, the latter demanded 114 seats for polls to the 227-member BMC.

Thackeray has set a deadline of January 21 for wrapping up the talks as he would announce his decision on the eve of late Sena chief Bal Thackerays birth anniversary that falls on January 23.

The Sena chief on Thursday said there is a big question mark on housing and health sector in the city.

We have thus decided that for existing homes having a carpet area of up to 500 sq ft, property tax will be completely waived off and for homes up to 700 sq ft, there will be a concession in property taxes, he said, adding that the Sena does not indulge in election jumlas (rhetoric).

Our relation with people is not limited to elections, he asserted.

Thackeray also said that housing societies which indulge in activities like rain water harvesting, use solar electricity, they will be given additional benefits by BMC.

He further said that citizens in the city, apart from the services they get at civic-run hospitals, will be given free health services under the Balasaheb Thackeray health cover scheme and that he would announce more schemes in the election manifesto.

In the last five years, we have constructed new health facilities, increased the number of beds in existing facilities as well, Thackeray said.

Like there was an election jumla of acche din (good days), I do not indulge in such jumlas. What I promise, I fulfil, he said.

Thackeray also said that the Sena has sent a letter to the Union Finance ministry, listing the partys demands in the Budget, that will be presented on February 1.
A case has been registered against Bollywood actor Salman Khan, CEO of Colors TV and former Bigg Boss contestant Swami Om for promoting obscenity and hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus in a court in Uttar Pradesh.

The case was lodged in the court of the chief judicial magistrate of Bareilly on Wednesday.

Read | Bigg Boss 10 done, Swami Om wants to be a villain in Salman Khans movies

Anil Dwivedi, a lawyer, has said in his complaint that the popular reality show Bigg Boss is promoting obscenity, use of foul language and is responsible for hurting the sentiments of people of Hindu community. Dwivedi has alleged that Colors TVs CEO and Khan, who hosts the show, are party to it.

He (Swami Om) was shown consuming meat while wearing that dress thus demeaning the importance of saints in the Hindu religion, reads the complainant.

Read | Why is Swami Om abusing Manu and Manveer on Bigg Boss 10?

Dwivedi has demanded strict action against all three and asked the court to ensure that a criminal complaint is registered against them.

CJM Kusumlata Rathore has set February 13 as the date for hearing the case.

Read | Bigg Boss 10: Swami Om threatens he wont let the finale happen
Churches do not have power to grant divorce decrees, the Supreme Court held on Wednesday, affirming only civil courts have the jurisdiction to adjudicate matrimonial dispute among Christian couples.

A bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud dismissed 87-year-old Karnataka residents petition, saying it is devoid of merits. The ruling means the Indian Divorce Act, 1989 will override the Christian personal law that will not have any power to nullify marriages.

The court order came after Additional Solicitor General Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for the Centre, said the SC had settled the debate in 1996 wherein it was held that Indian courts have the authority to annul Christian marriages.

Advocate MP Raju, who appeared for activists opposing the petition, welcomed the order. Canon law was not woman-friendly since it did not provide for any maintenance.

Under the Canon law you cannot ask for divorce but only seek a declaration to nullify the wedding, which means that the marriage never took place in the eyes of law. Since there is no concept of separation, the question of granting maintenance never arose, Raju said.

A British-era law, the Indian Divorce Act was amended in 2000 to provide more rights to Christian women. Before it was reviewed a Christian man could seek divorce on the solitary ground of adultery. However, if a woman wanted judicial separation then she had to prove adultery along with other allegations.

These amendments were brought in after deliberations and discussions the activists had with the government, Raju told HT.

The present case before the SC contended if India recognized dissolution of marriage among Muslims through the much-criticised Triple Talaq then dissolution of marriage by Christians under the Canon law should be given precedence over judicial pronouncements.

Due to the conflict, the petitioner contended, Christian men were being prosecuted for bigamy. After getting divorced from the ecclesiastical tribunal the men were remarrying, which prosecuting agencies claim is invalid.

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Chief Justice JS Khehar has constituted a special committee to suggest ways to ensure uniformity in the selection of judges for all lower courts, which have over 4,000 vacancies.

Though the decision to streamline appointments in the subordinate judiciary was taken on the administrative side, Justice Khehar announced it after a senior advocate requested him to list a PIL dealing with the issue on Wednesday.

The advocate, Vijay Hansaria, informed the bench that the top court has been monitoring the process for years  nudging the high courts to adopt a uniform procedure. The case in hand was heard last July.

I want to share a secret. We have formed a panel that will give its report within 15 days. Wait till then. If that does not happen, you can mention it again, the Chief Justice told Hansaria.

The countrys subordinate judiciary is being weighed in by over two crore cases. Law ministry data has suggested that while 41% of these cases are less than two years old, over 10% have been languishing before various lower courts for more than a decade.

Justice Khehars move to set up the panel comes close on the heels of law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad questioning the judiciary over its inaction in filling up trial court vacancies. Prasad had gone on the offensive after former Chief Justice TS Thakur criticised the government for sitting on recommendations to appoint high court judges.

The posts of over 4,000 subordinate judges are lying vacant. Why are they not being filled up? Neither the Centre nor the state governments have any role to play in this because they have to be filled by the respective high courts on their own accord or through the public service commission, the law minister said.

The committee will deal with issues such as fixing the dates for floating advertisements, conducting examinations and interviews, and issuance of appointment letters.

Hansaria, who has been assisting the court on the pending PIL, said he was hopeful of a concrete decision from the administration. However, the same has to be incorporated on the judicial side, so high courts are made to follow it, he told HT.

The advocate said there hasnt been a major improvement in the situation despite the top court issuing several directives in his case.

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The Income Tax Department has written to the RBI informing it about alleged illegal malpractices being deployed by a number of cooperative banks after its probe found serious difference in accounts, to the tune of multi-crore rupees, in the aftermath of the notes ban.

In an analysis report prepared by the department, also accessed by PTI, two specific instances in Mumbai and Pune have been reported where it was found that over Rs 113 crore excess amount of old demonetised notes was reported by two banks to the banking regulator in order to generate black funds.

In the Pune bank case, the reported amount (to the RBI) was Rs 242 crore while physical stock was of Rs 141 crore, showing clearly that the cooperative bank had reported to the RBI excess Specified Bank Notes (old currency) as on December 23, 2016 to the tune of Rs 101.07 crore. In the case of a similar bank in Mumbai, the excess amount of such notes was Rs 11.89 crore, it said.

The department had conducted surveys on these two banks last year, post the notes ban, and it detected serious unexplained difference between the old notes reported to the RBI and the physical stock available in the bank during the said operation.

Officials said it had informed the RBI about these alleged malpractices earlier and is regularly updating it about such modus operandi being deployed by a number of such banks as it apprehends that the excess reporting of old notes had serious potential for large scale conversion of old notes for new notes even after December 30, 2016 (the last date for the validity of the old notes).

In this backdrop, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had issued a circular on December 30 last year requiring all banks to deposit all old notes received till December 30, 2016 with RBI chests by the next day, ie, December 31, 2016 and also stating that old notes cannot form part of the closing cash balance of banks as on December 31, 2016.

A big possible window that would have allowed conversion of black money into white, post demonetisation, by the cooperative bank system was plugged to a larger extent after the I-T department detected these instances. In cases where such an activity has already taken place, the investigation is ongoing and notices have been issued, officials said.

The Income Tax department has earlier raised serious concerns over the working of a number of cooperative banks across the country in a earlier report where it had claimed that they used the opportunity of demonetisation to make a quick buck and indulge in money laundering worth several crores.

An analysis report prepared by the department had said tax sleuths found these banks have been involved in generating and routing of black money at an unprecedented scale post November 8 when the currency scrap was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

I-T probe had found that in the case of such a bank based in the small town of Alwar in Rajasthan, the directors of the bank cheated it of Rs 8 crore by fraudulently obtaining loans in the names of 90 persons of doubtful identities even as it was used to launder personal unaccounted cash of Rs 2 crore by the management.

Several such instances were chronicled by the department in its report submitted to the Finance Ministry and shared with the RBI for action.
In a sudden move ahead of assembly polls later this year, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday announced Dharamsala as the second capital of the tiny hill state with a population of about 70 lakh.

The chief minister, who was on a visit to lower hills of Himachal Pradesh, said, Dharamsala nestling in the lap of majestic snow-clad Dhauladhar ranges has a significance and history of its own and fully deserved to be the second capital of the state.

The announcement is significant as 25 out of 68 assembly seats fall in Kangra, Una and Hamirpur districts, and Dharamsala was important for lower areas of Himachal Pradesh including Kangra, Chamba, Hamirpur and Una districts.

The chief minister said that the people of these areas would now benefit from the decision and that they would not be required to travel long distances to come to Shimla for their works.

Dharamsala already figured prominently in national and international map due to its significance owing to many reasons including religious, natural and adventurous tourism and also being abode of Tibetan Spiritual head Dalai Lama.

The chief minister said it was during his earlier term, a full-fledged winter session of the assembly was held for the first time outside Shimla in December, 2005.

Singh said that he introduced the practice of annual winter sojourn way back in 1994 to hear the people out and see for himself the progress of development works being carried out in the area.

Meanwhile, leaders and people of the region expressed their gratitude towards the chief minister for declaring Dharamsala as the second capital of the state.

They said it was a historic step for which the people of the region would always remain indebted towards Singh.
The accident involving a school bus in UP has put the focus back on the long-pending Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill.

The proposed changes to the law, which was framed in 1988 and last amended in 2001, have been under discussion in and outside Parliament for nearly a decade.

However, with the low priority accorded to road safety issues by policy and lawmakers, the bill has failed to see the light of the day even as fatalities on account of road accidents continued to rise.

Fatalities due to road accidents have risen from 92,618 in 2004 to 1.46 lakh in 2015.
Rajveer Singh was in a dilemma  whether to attend the last rites of his daughter Mamta, 5, or rush to Agra for the treatment of his other daughter Karishma. The helpless father chose to go with the surviving daughter who was injured in the bus accident in Etah district on Thursday.

Both Mamta and Karishma left home for their school JS Vidhya Niketan, but one never returned.

Karishma and two other injured students  Adesh, 5, and Anshika, 7, were shifted to SN Medical College in Agra. It took us two hours to bring them to the emergency ward, informed the staff accompanying the ambulance driver.

I am clueless after losing one daughter, while the other is struggling for life, said Rajveer, a father of three daughters, who works as a labourer.

Read I School authorities neglected students safety

Sher Singh, another labourer, was also rushing to the SN Hospital where both his children Adesh and Anshika were admitted in an injured condition.

The bus was generally overloaded and many students used to go standing in it, lamented Singh. Most of the injured students were shifted to Saifai for treatment. Rajesh Krishna, Etah SSP said the deceased also included Avdhesh Kumar, driver of the school bus.

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An ex-serviceman on Wednesday sought to return his gallantry award received for his participation in the Kargil War, upset over non-conduct of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.

R Selvaramalingam, a former Indian Air Force personnel hailing from Konganapuram village in Salem district, met district collector P Sampath in the Collectorate and wanted to return the medal to the central government through him.

However, Sampath told the ex-serviceman that he had no power to accept the medal, following which the latter left the collectorate, official sources said.

Earlier, Selvaramalingam, who had served IAF from 1995 to 2015, in a letter to the Collector said he was pained that the traditional sport Jallikkattu was not allowed to be conducted in the last three years.

I have decided to return the gallantry medal given by the Centre for 1998 Kargil war victory to the government. I will take it back only after the ban is lifted and jallikkattu is conducted, he said in the letter.

Read| O Panneerselvam to meet PM Modi over Jallikattu ban, film artistes support protesters
Veteran Congressman ND Tiwaris offer of support to the BJP in exchange for his son Rohits entry into the party on Wednesday has put the spotlight back on turncoats or what has come to be known as Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram phenomenon of Indian politics.

The metaphor has its origin in Haryana where Hassanpur MLA Gaya Lal made several political somersaults within a fortnight: leaving Congress to join the United Front (UF), back to the Congress and then again to the UFin 1967. When he returned to the Congress, party leader Rao Birendra Singh declared at a press conference: Gaya Ram is Aaya Ram. Little did he know that he was coining a term that would become a catch phrase in Indian politics.

Read I BJP faces rebellion as outsiders, turncoats get preference

There have been many Gaya Rams in politics since then, notwithstanding the anti-defection law enacted in 1985. In 1979, George Fernandes valiantly defended Prime Minister Morarji Desai in Parliament, only to join Charan Singhs camp the next day. But this pales in significance when compared to those who have virtually made jumping parties an art. Take the case of incumbent Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu.

A Congress MLA, he switched loyalty twice in 2016 in three monthsquitting Congress to join the Peoples Party of Arunachal Pradesh and then the BJPto give the BJP its second government in the North-East.

Naresh Agarwal, Samajwadi Party (SP) MP from Uttar Pradesh, started his innings as a Congress leader. He then floated Loktantrik Congress Party before returning to the SP. After the BSP came to power in UP in 2007, he joined the BSP. Ahead of 2012 assembly elections, he returned to the SP. BJP MP Jagdambika Pal also had stints in the Congress and Agarwals party.

Former Congress leader Jagdambika Pal joined the BJP ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections. (PTI File Photo)

Ram Temple movement figures Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh started with the BJP and went on to float their own parties before returning to the saffron fold. There are numerous such instances.

In the run-up to the assembly elections, the BJP is facing protests from the cadre for allotting tickets to many Gaya Lals. About two-dozen outsiders figure in the BJPs list of 149 candidates for Uttar Pradesh; 15 of 64 BJP candidates in Uttarakhand joined the party only recently. As many as 10 Congress MLAs who had launched a rebellion against chief minister Harish Rawat have got BJP tickets.

Ramesh Tomar, a four-time MP and BJP candidate from Dhaulana in Uttar Pradesh, was the Congress candidate from Gautam Buddha Nagar Lok Sabha seat. He also had a stint in the Samajwadi Party.

The list of political turncoats is long but its set to get longer with all parties wooing them with tickets and other rewards.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19

By Dalga Khatinoglu  Trend:

Ten years after resuming the development of Irans second biggest offshore gas field, Kish, with 1.4 trillion cubic meters of in-situ gas reserves and 70 percent recovery rate, the country hasnt been able to progress noticeably.

Last month Iran signed a memorandum of understanding with Shell on studying the reservoir, which contains 514 million barrels of gas condensate as well.

An unnamed source told Fars news agency January 18 that Iran is likely to hire Shell to develop Kish gas field, a giant field in the Persian Gulf, but spokesman of Shell told Trend that he cant comment on this issue.

According to an official document, prepared by Irans Oil Ministry and seen by Trend, the first phase of project is aimed to produce 28.3 million cubic meters per day (mcm/d) of gas as well as 11,300 barrels per day (b/d) of gas condensate. The field, divided to three phases, would produce 85 mcm/d of gas after becoming full operational.

Iran started developing Kish gas field 48 years ago, but after drilling the first well at 2,621 meters, the operations were halted until 2004. The drilling of the second well at 4,409 meters was also a failure, and Iran stopped working on the field after that.

In 2008 Iran signed a buy-back contract with Kayson oil, gas and energy company (KOGC) to develop the project, but the contract was cancelled two year later. Iran then signed a financial services agreement with domestic companies, but this contract was also cancelled due to financial problems.

Since 2017, Iran has resumed the development of the project several times. During nine months of the current fiscal year (started on March 21), Iran only spent $76 million to develop the drilling operations at the field.

However, the first phase of project with worth $2.5 billion (including construction of a refinery with 28 mcm/d of gas and a power plant with 75 MW capacity) has been less than ten percent developed as of January 1, 2017, the ministrys report says.

Now, Iran plans to sign a contract with a foreign company with financial and technical might to develop the first phase of Kish gas field in 18 months.

The project includes drilling 13 wells, which progressed by 76.83 percent as of the end of 2016. About 33 percent of the drilling operations were completed in nine months of Irans current fiscal year.

Iran produced about 244 bcm of commercial gas during 2016, or 16 percent more than 2015. The country plans to increase this volume to 456 bcm by 2021.

Irans gas reserves stand at about 34 trillion cubic meters, ranked first in the world.

---

Dalga Khatinoglu is the head of Trend Agencys Iran news service, follow him on Twitter: @dalgakhatinoglu
The Congress on Thursday raised questions over the combined commanders conference being held in poll-bound Uttarakhand on January 21, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking undue political advantage by using the armed forces.

Chief minister Harish Rawat told reporters at AICC headquarters that the Prime Minister was attempting to breach the Election Commissions directive against using meetings of officials for political gains.

Rawat, as also Uttarakhand Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay, said it was strange the commanders conference of 2016 was being held now and that too in a poll-bound state, which honours soldiers.

In an obvious dig at the Centre, the chief minister said if the Prime Minister wants to hold such meetings, it should be held in places like Pathankot or Uri or in Jammu and Kashmir or any other operational area.

Rawat said the Congress was not against holding the conference in Uttarakhand, but only about its timing.

The meeting can be held anytime after February 15, when the poll proceedings will be over, he added.

He also said the meeting is being held in Uttarakhand to divert the attention of ex-servicemen in the state from OROP.
Pakistan on Thursday accused Hindu terrorist outfits of carrying out ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Muslims in Jammu region and claimed that the government is empowering such groups.

The Pakistan Foreign Office, in a statement, alleged that Kashmiris were being killed by security forces in fake encounters.

Many Kashmiris have been killed in fake encounters, house raids and custodial killings. We condemn continuous killing of Kashmiris, Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said.

Hindu terrorist organisations...and the armed Village Defence Committees are committing ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Muslims in the Jammu region, he claimed.

He alleged that since the Modi government took over in 2014, the Hindu terrorists have been empowered with full support from the state machinery in Kashmir, causing displacement of scores of Kashmiri Muslim families by design.

Zakaria said Pakistan is constantly sensitising the world community on the grave violation of human rights of Kashmiris.

He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently visiting Davos to participate in the World Economic Forum, held bilateral meetings with various leaders on the sidelines during which he highlighted human rights violations of Kashmiris by Indian forces.
The US, India, Russia and China must join hands for a genuine fight against terrorism in the region and the Donald Trump regime should demonstrate its resolve to combat the threat by changing Americas existing policy towards Pakistan, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Thursday.

Blaming Pakistans spy agency ISI for revival of Taliban in Afghanistan, he also said the US must deeply reassess its relations with Pakistan and come together with countries like India to defeat terrorism and extremism in the region.

Karzai made the remarks during a conversation with minister of state for external affairs M J Akbar at the concluding session of the three-day long Raisina Dialogue.

In his comments, Akbar called for concerted global action against terrorism and asserted that not an inch of Indias territory is for compromise.

Referring to the threat of terrorism and other challenges, he said India wants prosperity and not war but has the required clarity and resolve to contain the menace. He said the region is facing an existential problem.

He also expressed anguished over failure of the United Nations to arrive at a definition of terrorism for last 20 years, saying fight against it cannot be effective if there is no clarity on it. How on earth you are going to confront it when you could not define terrorism for last 20 years.

Referring to threat of terrorism and other challenges, he said India wants prosperity and not war but asserted that not an inch of our territory is for compromise.

Karzai said countries of the region must realign their policies to defeat extremism and terrorism.

He hoped that good equation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump will lead to good policy for the region and help combat terrorism.

Karzai said a cooperative Russia and its friendship with US will be tremendous asset to the region.

A Russia that fears the US intentions will be a disaster for the region, he cautioned.

Karzai said Afghanistan was suffering immensely because of certain aspects of wrong policy of the US and that a fundamental change in its policy towards Afghanistan was required.

He said American policy in Afghanistan cannot change without change in its policy towards Pakistan.

Russia, the US, China and India must get together for a genuine fight against terrorism. The US has to explain its genuineness to defeat terror groups. Unless they do it countries in the region will not believe them.
The World Economic Forum, NITI Aayog, the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the Cornell University will work together to develop an India Innovation Index that will provide impetus to Indian states to drive the innovative spirit.

Prime Minister Modi believes that competitive and cooperative federalism is key to Indias progress. This index will encourage states to compete with each other and, in turn, lead to better policies for inclusive growth, said Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog.

Each partnering organisation will nominate a working group member to work on the index. The first ranking is expected to be released at the India Economic Summit in New Delhi on October 4-6, 2017.

We are delighted to collaborate on this index and believe that it can move India to an innovation-driven economy. We want to identify and measure the grassroots issues that affect innovation capabilities, said Viraj Mehta, Head of India and South Asia, World Economic Forum.

The index will be based on key pillars of innovation and sub-indices that together will assist in tailoring policies that promote inclusive growth. The pillars include the strength of institutions, capacity of human capital and research, supporting infrastructure and the level of business sophistication, among others.

We are very excited to collaborate on this and hope that this will further mobilise the availability of new data for the Global Innovation Index (GII) itself, said Francis Gurry, Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

The index will measure and rank the innovation performance of all Indian states with the aim of moving India towards an innovation-driven economy.

The index will spur competition and ensure progress towards innovation at the local level in India, said Soumitra Dutta, co-editor of GII and dean of College of Business, Cornell University, US.
Responding to reports that British Parliament may discuss the Jammu and Kashmir issue, India on Thursday said there was no room for a third party in the matter.

I am aware of these reports. All issues between India and Pakistan will be resolved bilaterally, and there is no room for a third party, said external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

He was responding to a proposal by the Backbench Business Committee of the House of Commons following an application from British MP David Nuttall.

The proposed motion had said: That this House notes the escalation in violence and breaches of international human rights on the Indian side of the Line of Control in Kashmir; calls on the Government to raise the matter at the United Nations; and further calls on the Government to encourage Pakistan and India to commence peace negotiations to establish a long term solution on the future governance of Kashmir based on the right of the Kashmiri people to determine their own future in accordance with the provisions of UN Security Council resolutions.

India says Kashmir is a bilateral dispute and there are two parties to it  India and Pakistan.

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The Indian Army is acquiring ballistic helmets for its soldiers. The army will get around 1.5 lakh of these bulletproof helmets that have been the forces requirement for years now.

The Indian Army needs to move quickly to fill some vital gaps to enhance the fighting capability of its soldiers and protect them on the battlefield.

The worlds second largest army is still struggling to equip its soldiers with basic gear that can spell the difference between life and death during operations.

Here are five gaps that need to be plugged swiftly:

1) Night vision gear: The existing night vision devices are based on second generation technology and not very effective. The ability to operate optimally at night can determine the outcome of a battle. The army hopes to acquire new systems in three years.

2) Assault rifles: The INSAS (Indian small arms systems) rifle needs to be replaced with a new and more powerful weapon. Little progress has been made in the last 10 years and the army is still hunting for a replacement.

3) Bulletproof jackets: These are heavy and offer limited protection. The jackets leave soldiers vulnerable on the sides and the neck. Also, the jackets are uncomfortable and fall short of international standards. Steps are being taken to equip all soldiers with world- class jackets by 2020.

The bulletproof jackets currently held by the Army are bulky and are on the verge of obsolescence. (AFP File Photo)

4) Winter clothing: Soldiers have to buy winter clothes from the market for their survival. The gear issued by the army is bulky, prone to wear and tear and restricts freedom of movement. The army has set a one-year deadline to overcome this problem.

5) Location awareness system: Commanders are sometimes unaware of the exact location of troops conducting operations as the army doesnt have location awareness systems. The army plans to acquire such systems by the end of next year for better planning and execution of operations.
They are young, educated, come from well-off families and spent a lot of time online.

Fifty-two men arrested over the last one year by the National Investigation Agency for being Islamic State sympathisers fit the profile, which may force security agencies and forces to rethink their anti-terror plans.

The NIA on Wednesday offered a glimpse into the world of the alleged IS supporters, sharing details of their education and background.

The NIA was asked by the government to investigate 12 IS-related modules. It arrested 52 men and is looking for another 35.

Of the arrested, 28 are aged between 18 and 25 and 20 are in the 25-40 age group. Only four are above 40, NIA data shows.

The data is not all surprising, as most of the accused were radicalised on social media platform. Therefore, one needs to be active on social media and ... be aware of what is happening in IS-held area, said former Sashashtra Seema Bal chief Arun Chaudhary, who also spent time in the Intelligence Bureau.

Islamic State has used social media platforms to get new recruits. Thirty-five men have a college or a university degree or have attended a diploma course. The rest are either matriculates or have passed Class 12. Only 20% went to madarsas or studied part-time.

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Global terror network Islamic State mostly recruited educated Indian Muslims belonging to middle income groups, according to a confidential National Investigation Agency (NIA) data that breaks a common myth that radicalised youth are mostly impoverished illiterates.

As per analysis of the data accessed by IANS, 28 of the 52 arrested Islamic State suspects were in the age group of 18-25. Twenty were between the age of 25 and 40 years and four were above 40.

NIA officials said they were shocked to learn that all the arrested persons were educated and were radicalised by the recruiters of the network that has established an Islamic caliphate in its governed parts of Syria and Iraq.

The NIA data said 20 of the arrested Islamic State supporters were graduates and some even had degrees in technology or engineering.

Twelve had diplomas, four had attended school up to Class 12 and 13 were matriculates. Three even held post graduate degrees.

Eighty per cent arrested IS accused had formal schooling while 20% went to madrasa, according to the data analysis.

Nine of the arrested suspects belonged to the upper income group, 30 were from middle income group and 13 from the lower income group.

The counter-terror agency said it had filed charges and supplementary charges in six of the 12 Islamic State cases referred to it by the central government last year. It said the agency was still searching for 35 identified absconding suspects.

The agency officials said investigation was on in eight cases.

According to the data, 12 of the arrested were from Maharashtra, 10 from Hyderabad, 11 from Kerala, five from Karnataka and West Bengal each, four from Uttar Pradesh, two from Rajasthan, three from Tamil Nadu and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

It further said 50% of the arrested IS sympathisers followed Ahle Hadith -- a puritannic Islamic school of thought, 30% Tablighi Jamat -- a worldwide movement to preach fundamentals of Islam, and 20% Deobandi -- the puritanical, revivalist Sunni Muslim movement that began in north India in 1867 and now carries a huge influence in Bangladesh, Pakistan and also parts of the United Kingdom.

The data pointed out that none of the arrested are the followers of Barelvi -- again a north Indian Sunni Islamic movement that believes in the synthesis of Sharia and Sufi thoughts. It also carries a lot of clout in South Asia.

The data said 15% recruits were converts from Christianity or Hinduism.

On January 22 and 23 last year, the NIA conducted over two dozen raids in coordination with state police forces and other agencies across the country and till the end of the year 52 Islamic State supporters, including a foreigner, were arrested.

The agency in its chargesheets had alleged that terror sympathisers were seeking to establish an Islamist caliphate in India -- Junoodul-Khilafa-Fil-Hind -- and recruited Muslim youth to terrorism at the behest of Syria-based Shafi Armar alias Yusuf-Al-Hindi.

According to the NIA, Armar, a resident of Karnatakas Bhatkal district and a senior Islamic State leader managing India recruitment, was in touch with the accused through social media networks.

He trained them how to prepare IEDs, identify training venues and provide logistics support for terror strikes.
Protesters were disappointed on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained non-committal to Tamil Nadus forceful appeal for an ordinance to skirt a ban on Jallikattu, saying the matter was in the Supreme Court.

Chief minister O Panneerselvam rushed to the national capital for a meeting with Modi as a wave of protests rocked the southern state with anger rising over the top courts 2014 ban on the traditional and popular bull-taming sport.

Thousands of people camping at Chennais landmark Marina Beach for the third consecutive day blamed politicians for not bringing in an emergency ordinance to override the courts ban. Besides, they want a ban on PETA, the animal rights campaign group.

We are not politicians, said Haseem, a 19-year-old college student from Chennai who joined the protests on Wednesday morning. Our movement is not going stop because of our leaders failures. Our movement began as a response to their repeated failures.

In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said the government acknowledged the cultural significance of Jallikattu but added the matter is presently sub judice.

The Centre would be supportive of steps taken by the state government.

For his part, Panneerselvam promised that the state government will soon take steps along with (the) Centre on how to enable Jallikattu.

You will soon see steps. Wait, good will happen, he said, a day after the ruling AIADMKs general secretary VK Sasikala announced that the state government will adopt a resolution in the assembly for lifting the ban on Jallikattu.

Shortly before the chief ministers comments, the Supreme Court refused to hear a plea over the protests at Marina, which has turned into the ground zero for the agitation against the ban.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar asked the petitioner, lawyer Raja Raman, to file a plea in the Madras high court for relief.

The fresh wave of protests was triggered by the Supreme Courts refusal last week to pass an order before the Pongal celebrations in mid-January, the time when Jallikattu is held. Earlier, the top court had struck down of a central notification allowing the sport.

Experts fear the Jallikattu protests could turn into a bigger uprising like the anti-Hindi riots, which took place during the Dravidian movement.

Tamil Nadu witnessed large scale protests by students in the 1960s over the imposition of Hindi as the official language in the state, with the majority Dravidian community fiercely opposing it before the order was rolled back by the central government.

Those protests were led by Periyars Dravidar Kazhagam and later the DMK. But the current demonstrations are a reflection of peoples anger against political figures.

Sentiments expressed on the beach had strong anti-Centre overtones.

Do you really think a BJP Hindi-wallah sitting in Delhi is interested in us Tamils? asked Ganesh, a 40-year-old professional from Chennai. He was silent when Karnataka defied the SC and didnt release Cauvery water. So what is he going to do?

Thousands of protesters across the state vowed that their apolitical demonstration will continue as long as the ban is not lifted.

Hanif Mohammed is one of many who say the #Jallikattu protests here are beyond politics, creed, and caste @htTweets pic.twitter.com/2wYE3vPff9  Aditya Iyer (@Theadityaiyer) January 19, 2017

Senthil Nayagan, a 40-year-old IT professional who helped coordinate logistics for the crowd at the seafront site, said the protests are about an integral piece of Tamil culture that has been throttled.

No politician is behind this, its the people spontaneously coming forth to fight for their heritage in the face of opposition from the Centre and other groups.

Reports said police caned some of the protesters on Wednesday night, although the protests have remained peaceful so far. Authorities also ordered over two dozen colleges Chennai to close down.

Tensions have been escalating for the last week after hundreds of people were detained by police for allegedly organising local Jallikattu contests in defiance of the court ban.

(With agency inputs in New Delhi)

For highlights of the day, click here

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Top Tamil Nadu celebrities Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, AR Rahman and Viswanathan Anand came out in support of Jallikattu on Thursday, as protests against a court ban on the traditional and popular bull-taming sport continued to rock the southern state.

Oscar-winning music composer Rahman tweeted he would fast on Friday to support the spirit of Tamil Nadu.

Bring in whatever rules but Jallikattu must be held to keep up the traditions of our Tamil culture, superstar Rajinikanth said, referring to the Supreme Courts 2014 ban on Jallikattu, played during the Pongal festival in mid-January.

Watch: PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss detained for Jallikattu protest

Chess champion Anand called the ancient sport a cultural symbol. Im all for animal rights but here that is not the point.tradition & livelihood are, he tweeted.

Their support lifted the spirits of thousands of protesters on Chennais signature Marina Beach, and cities and towns across the state. The crowd was disappointed over the Centre dodging Tamil Nadus appeal for an ordinance to skirt the court ban.

Besides, they wanted a ban on PETA, the animal rights group campaigning against Jallikattu. PETA said it would explore legal options if the Centre tried to reverse the ban.

The protests spread beyond India, with the large Tamil diaspora in Sri Lanka, Britain and Australia holding demonstrations. Tamil groups in neighbouring Karnataka organised rallies too.

On Marina Beach, the stirs ground zero, protesters vowed to continue their stir till the ban is lifted.

We are not politicians, said Haseem, a college student at the seafront site.

Our movement is not going stop because of our leaders failures. Our movement began as a response to their repeated failures.

The fresh wave of protests was triggered by the Supreme Courts refusal last week to pass an order before the Pongal celebrations.

Experts fear the apolitical Jallikattu protests could morph into a bigger uprising such as the anti-Hindi movement. Tamil Nadu witnessed large-scale protests by students in the 1960s over the imposition of Hindi as the official language in the state, with the majority Dravidian community fiercely opposing it before the order was rolled back by the central government.

Hanif Mohammed is one of many who say the #Jallikattu protests here are beyond politics, creed, and caste @htTweets pic.twitter.com/2wYE3vPff9  Aditya Iyer (@Theadityaiyer) January 19, 2017

Sentiments expressed on the beach had strong anti-Centre overtones.

Do you really think a BJP Hindi-wallah sitting in Delhi is interested in us Tamils? asked Ganesh, a 40-year-old professional from Chennai. He was silent when Karnataka defied the SC and didnt release Cauvery water. So what is he going to do?

The nearly 200,000 protesters across the state vowed that their apolitical demonstration will continue as long as the ban is not lifted.

Senthil Nayagan, a 40-year-old IT professional who helped coordinate logistics for the crowd at the seafront site, said the protests are about an integral piece of Tamil culture that has been throttled.

No politician is behind this, its the people spontaneously coming forth to fight for their heritage in the face of opposition from the Centre and other groups.

Reports said police caned some of the protesters on Wednesday night, although the protests have remained peaceful so far. Authorities also ordered over two dozen colleges Chennai to close down.

Tensions have been escalating for the last week after hundreds of people were detained by police for allegedly organising local Jallikattu contests in defiance of the court ban.

(With agency inputs in New Delhi)

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If US president-elect Donald Trump annuls the nuclear deal, he will be surprised by Iran, says Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, IRNA reported.

As I said earlier, Trump will be surprised if he tries to renegotiate the deal, Zarif said.

Noting that Iran's stances are stable and it is up to the US to decide before the international community, he said that hes taking a wait and see attitude about the Trump administration.

'We believe that nuclear deal is an international one and we are not worried about it at all,' he said.

'We are not going to be wary of what Trump does and we will remain to have our options,' Zarif said, noting that this is an international accord and all parties should comply with it.

Zarif on Wednesday, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, had said that it wont be the end of the world if he (Trump) tries to walk away from the deal.

Iran and six world powersthe US, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany-- clinched a deal last year to end a decade-long standoff over Tehran's nuclear program.
Thousands of protesters thronged Marina Beach in Chennai on Thursday against a court ban on Jallikattu, Tamil Nadus popular but controversial bull-taming sport played during Pongal festivities in mid-January.

They have demanded lifting of restrictions on the sport, a ban on animal rights campaign group PETA, and an audience with chief minister O Panneerselvam.

The chief minister didnt go to Marina, but rushed to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The CM batted for an emergency ordinance to allow the sport. Also, he implored the protesters to end their demonstration.

Highlights of the day

9:00pm: The ongoing protests over Jallikattu in neighbouring Tamil Nadu had its echo in Karnataka, with Tamil groups organising an agitation demanding that the ban on the bull-taming sport be lifted.

8:20pm: Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said the state government has the power to enact a law to treat Jallikattu as a traditional sport, but cautioned that the animals should not be harmed or cruelly treated during such events.

8:00pm: Supporting the demand for holding of jallikattu, the VHP said the judiciary should not interfere in ancient beliefs of the Hindus and that those who are sentimental about bulls lives better demand a ban on cow slaughter.

We urge all in the society at large, in all governments, judiciary and media not to interfere in ancient beliefs, faiths and religious feelings of Hindus like jallikattu, Ganesh/Durga visarjan etc, VHP international working president Pravin Togadia said.

7:30pm: With PM Modi virtually indicating his governments inability to promulgate an ordinance to allow Jallikattu, the DMK termed it regrettable and said if CM O Panneeselvam had taken an all party delegation to meet him, the feelings of the people of the state could have been expressed better.

7:00pm: BJPs state unit welcomed the meeting between Modi and CM O Panneerselvam on the Jallikattu issue, saying it was a healthy approach and lauded the PM for creating an opportunity to highlight the strong feelings of the state.

6:30pm: Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar backed the revoking of the ban on Tamil Nadus controversial bull-taming sport -- Jallikattu -- describing it as a game for which both the bull and the people are prepared well.

6:10pm: Protests demanding the lifting of the ban on Jallikattu have spread to beyond India, with the Tamil diaspora in Sri Lanka, Britain and Australia holding demonstrations, PTI reported. Hundreds of UK-based Indian Tamils have come together to organise a series of protests in favour of Jallikattu this week in London and across the UK.

6:00pm: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India said it may take the legal route if the Centre brings an ordinance to enable the conduct of Jallikattu or continue its campaign to create awareness against the holding of the bull-taming sport.

Our campaign is against cruelty towards all animals. We will consult our lawyers and take a decision if there is an ordinance, PETA spokesperson Manilal Valliyate told PTI.

5:00pm: AR Rahman joins the debate. The star musician says hell be on fast on Friday to support the spirit of Tamil Nadu.

4:20pm: The ripples of Jallikattu protests were felt in Delhi, with scores of people including students from Tamil Nadu demonstrating against the ban on the bull-taming sport.

3:55pm: PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss staged dharna (sit-in) outside the Prime Ministers residence in New Delhi , seeking the ordinance lifting ban on the bull-taming sport.

Speaking to reporters, former Union health minister Ramadoss also warned that his party men will go ahead with conducting the event in case the Centre failed to pass the ordinance before Republic Day and also cautioned that violent protest may follow if the demand was not met with.

3:50pm: Chess champion Viswanathan Anand says Jallikattu is a cultural symbol . ...Respect it. Im all for animal rights but here that is not the point.tradition & livelihood are, he tweeted.

My state rises again. In unison . In peace. Proud to be a #tamizhanda.Genext here are modern yet culturally rooted. #JusticeforJallikattu  Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) January 19, 2017

3:40pm: The Supreme Court preferred to stay away from the pro-Jallikattu protests across Tamil Nadu and said the issue of protecting the agitating supporters of the bull-taming sport can be raised before the Madras high court.

3:25pm: DMK working president MK Stalin urged Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam to call an all-party meeting during the day as well as a special assembly sitting on Friday over the Jallikattu issue.

2:30 pm:

So will you ban cricket also? The cricket ball is dangerous,and it has been fatal for many players: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev #jallikattu pic.twitter.com/soKRczjLwW  ANI (@ANI_news) January 19, 2017

2:15 pm: Congress respects rights of people of Tamil Nadu to preserve the culture and protect rich tradition of Jallikattu, says RS Surjewala of the Congress. It is responsibility of Centre and state to respect sentiments & strike a balance on safety and safeguard, he adds.

2:00 pm: The Madras high court Advocates Association has announced boycott of the courts on Friday in support of state wide protests demanding a lifting ban on Jallikattu.

1:30 pm: Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader and Dharmapuri MP Anbumani Ramadoss is protesting outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to the latters refusal to meet him for a discussion over the bull taming sport of Jallikattu.

12:40 pm: Gave letter to PM saying that ban on Jallikattu must be lifted and Centre should draft an ordinance on it, ANI quoting Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam. PM Modi said he gives highest importance to cultural values of the state. He assured he will extend full support to us, he added.

12:15 pm: Spiritual guru Ravi Shankar supports Jallikattu, says, Pongal is the biggest festival in Tamil Nadu,bigger than Holi and Diwali,and Jallikattu is an intergral part of Pongal.

11:40 am: The ban imposed on Jallikattu by the Supreme Court came up for discussion. While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the Prime Minister observed that the matter is presently sub-judice, tweets PM Modi after meeting Tamil Nadu chief minister O Pannerselvam.

11:05 am:

Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Pannerselvam meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urge ordinance on #Jallikattu. pic.twitter.com/KnTgV9YKhR  ANI (@ANI_news) January 19, 2017

11:00 am: Supreme Court refuses to admit a plea filed which sought that apex court should hear the matter pertaining to the public protest against Jallikattu ban at Marina beach. The Supreme Court asked the petitioner to approach the concerned Court.

10:45 am:

Delhi: Youth activists protest outside Tamil Nadu House in support of the bull taming sport #jallikattu pic.twitter.com/2wlZ0DJ4Kk  ANI (@ANI_news) January 19, 2017

10:25 am: Chief minister O Panneerselvam arrives at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urge ordinance on Jallikattu.

10:15 am: Several colleges have declared holiday in Chennai and in other parts of the state, the number of students to assemble at Marina is expected to go up.

10:00 am: At the Marina beach here, protesters sat through Wednesday night and on Thursday morning, they helped in cleaning up the area which is a litter free zone.

(With agency inputs)
So far, the mass upsurge for Jallikattu, the ancient bull-taming sport of Tamil Nadu, is strictly apolitical and sans celebs taking over a ready-made platform as masses comprising students, professionals and people from different walks of life barred them from taking centrestage.

It is for the first time in the history of Tamil Nadu that such an upsurge has been witnessed without the involvement of a political party, all of which were kept out deliberately by students and youth at the forefront of the movement. If TN ministers came, they came in the darkness and were not encouraged by protesters to stay. DMK working president MK Stalin came and retreated after offering support that was not solicited or responded to.

Read I What is Jallikattu? All you need to know about the bull-taming sport

Is it an encore of an Anna movement that gave birth to a political party in the north? Political analysts are sure that on this count, parties can breathe easy as the divisions in society that the political class exploits are pretty much intact.

Read I Jallikattu is unacceptable: Argument that its Tamil culture doesnt hold up

Besides, as one of the people behind Jallikattu protests, Sankaranrayanan Balakrishnan of Tirunelveli, said, These protests are completely apolitical and also have no political agenda at all. If eventually something emerges out of this pent-up fury remains to be seen.

Read I VHP says people against Jallikattu must demand ban on cow slaughter

But what has brought together people is fury and disappointment of years of injustice as the people see, whether it was the Sri Lankan Tamil issue (genocide of Tamils), Cauvery issue, Mullaiperiyar issue or the current Jallikattu issue, said Prof AR Venkatachalapathy of Madras Institute of Development Studies.

The political class has to read the message given by the masses. There is a huge trust deficit and people do not believe politicians anymore. And they dont expect parties to work out solutions either, Venkatachalapthy said.

But there is a feeling that the BJP has bungled and there is growing anger against the Centre, he said, something that Prof Ramu Manivannan of Madras University agrees with. And with Sasikala seen to be siding with BJP and the spectacle of ministers and MLAs touching her feet is also being disliked by many people, he said.

Read I AR Rahman to go on a day-long fast in support of Jallikattu

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Tamil Nadu on Thursday made a forceful appeal for an ordinance to skirt a ban on Jallikattu but Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained non-committal on the contentious issue, saying the matter was in the Supreme Court.

Chief minister O Panneerselvam rushed to Delhi for a meeting with Modi as a wave of protests rocked the southern state with anger rising over the apex courts ban on the ancient bull-taming sport.

(I) gave a letter to PM saying that ban on Jallikattu must be lifted and Centre should draft an ordinance on it, Panneerselvam told reporters after a meeting with Modi.

In a series of tweets, Modi also said the government acknowledged the cultural significance of Jallikattu but added the matter is presently sub-judice.

Panneerselvam also said the state government will will soon take steps along with (the) Centre on how to enable Jallikattu, a remark which was similar to one of Modis tweets.

The Centre would be supportive of steps taken by the State Government, Modi said.

However, neither Modi nor Panneerselvam explained how they would override the apex courts 2014 ban and its subsequent striking down of a Centre notification allowing the sport.

You will soon see steps. Wait, good will happen, Panneerselvam added, a day after the ruling AIADMKs general secretary VK Sasikala said the state government will adopt resolution for lifting the ban against Jallikattu.

Shortly before the chief ministers comments, the Supreme Court refused to hear a plea over the protests at Chennais iconic Marina beach, which has turned into the ground zero for the agitation against the ban.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar asked the petitioner, lawyer Raja Raman, to file a plea in the Madras high court for relief.

The public there in the Marina beach were staging a peaceful protest, but the police were even not allowing the protesters to take food and water. So this court should take suo motu cognisance in the matter and hear it, Raman said.

The Supreme Court had outlawed Jallilkatu in 2014 after a plea by animal rights groups which have long argued that the event -- held every year in different parts of Tamil Nadu state -- is cruel.

In Chennai, the crowds continued to swell at the sea front as the massive unrest continued for the third day.

The fresh wave of protests was triggered by the Supreme Courts refusal last week to pass an order before the Pongal celebrations.

Thousands of protesters have been camping at Marina beach since Tuesday, refusing to end their agitation till the ban is lifted.

Sources said police caned some of the protesters on Wednesday night. Police say the protests have remained peaceful so far but have spread to large parts of the state. Authorities also ordered over two dozen colleges in the city to close down.

Tensions have been escalating for the last week after hundreds of people were detained by police for allegedly organising local Jallikatu contests in defiance of the court ban.

Several popular Tamil film stars have voiced their support for the demonstrators as has Indias leading spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.

Tamil Nadu witnessed large scale protests by students in 1960s over the imposition of Hindi as the official language in the southern state, with the majority Dravidian community fiercely opposing it before the order was rolled back by the central government.
Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to try and quell a massive unrest in the southern state over a ban on the popular but controversial bull-taming sport Jallikattu.

Officials said Pannerselvam will fly to New Delhi on Thursday to meet Modi and seek an ordinance to lift the Supreme Court ban on the sport that has sparked massive protests and fuelled anger against the state and central governments.

(The) Tamil Nadu government will continue to take necessary steps to ensure holding of Jallikattu- CM O Panneerselvam (sic), the AIADMK tweeted on Wednesday night amid demands by protesters gathered at Chennais Marina beach seeking a meeting with him.

The fresh wave of protests was triggered by the Supreme Courts refusal last week to pass an order before the Pongal celebrations.

In this Jan 15, 2013 photo, bull tamers try to control a bull during Jallikattu in Chennai. (AP File Photo)

Both the ruling AIADMK and rival DMK have backed the pro-Jallikattu groups.

Thousands of protesters have been camping at Marina beach since Tuesday, refusing to end their agitation till the ban is lifted.

Sources said police caned some of the protesters on Wednesday night. Police say the protests have remained peaceful so far but have spread to large parts of the state.

Authorities also ordered over two dozen colleges in the city to close down on Thursday as the crowds swelled at the main protest site.

The Supreme Court had outlawed Jallilkatu in 2014 after a plea by animal rights groups which have long argued that the event -- held every year in different parts of Tamil Nadu state -- is cruel.

Unlike in traditional Spanish bullfighting, the animals are let loose into open fields and young men then compete to subdue them bare-handed.

Youngsters stage a protest condemning the ban on Jallikattu at Tamukkam in Madurai on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)

Critics say organisers lace the bulls feed with liquor to make them less steady on their feet and chuck chilli powder into their faces to throw them into a sudden frenzy as they are released from a holding pen.

The rights group PETA has released footage it says shows bull farmers doping their animals ahead of the event.

But organisers of the festival insist the animals suffer no harm and Jallikatu is an established part of Tamil culture.

Tensions have been escalating for the last week after hundreds of people were detained by police for allegedly organising local Jallikatu contests in defiance of the court ban.

Several popular Tamil film stars have voiced their support for the demonstrators as has Indias leading spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.

Tamil Nadu witnessed large scale protests by students in 1960s over the imposition of Hindi as the official language in the southern state, with the majority Dravidian community fiercely opposing it before the order was rolled back by the central government.

Read: Protests over SCs Jallikattu ban not a first, here are other cases of defiance
A Lashkar-e-Taiba militant was killed on Wednesday while a policeman was injured in an encounter in Bandipora district of north Kashmir.

On specific intelligence input about presence of militants in Hajin area of Bandipora, security forces launched a cordon and search operation, a police official said.

He said during the search operation, the hiding militants fired upon the forces, which was retaliated in which a militant was killed.

A police constable was also injured in the gunfight, the official said, adding he has been referred to a hospital here.

The militant belonged to LeT outfit, the official said.

He said some miscreants pelted stones on the security forces near the encounter site. Further details were awaited.
The Union home ministry has issued guidelines on how people with disabilities can show respect when the national anthem is being played in movie halls or public functions, saying they should not move and position themselves maintaining the maximum possible alertness physically.

The home ministrys December 21 guidelines follow the Supreme Courts modified order that exempted physically challenged people from standing during the national anthem. They also spell out how those who have a hearing disability, mild intellectual disabilities or are visually challenged should show respect to the national anthem.

In November last year, the Supreme Court ordered cinema halls to mandatorily play the national anthem before the screening of a film and directed that the audience must stand in respect.

It subsequently modified its order on December 9 following a plea that disabled people should be exempted. Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi informed the apex court that the Centre will issue guidelines within 10 days.

The protocol says while a person who is on a crutch should become stable (non-mobile) to the extent of maximum alertness those with hearing disability if capable to stand, shall stand with attentiveness.

 there must be appropriate indication on the screen that the national anthem is being played or sung as the persons with hearing disability is likely to miss the auditory cues. Suitable instructions may be given in the form of captioning as well as in sign language on the screen so that the persons with hearing impairment are well informed that the national anthem is being played, the guideline says.

The rules give relaxation to people with severe intellectual disabilities but say that those with mild intellectual disability without associated conditions can be trained to understand and respect the national anthem.

The guideline also calls for generating public awareness so as to avoid any unwarranted incident against persons with intellectual disabilities as some of the persons with intellectual disabilities may not exhibit physical disabilities.

The national anthem is already played before movies in some states  such as Maharashtra  but the measure is often controversial, with instances of people beaten up for not standing up for the anthem.

Last October, award-winning writer Salil Chaturvedi - who suffers from spinal injury - was beaten up at a Panaji multiplex for not standing up while the national anthem was being played.

It was last ordered to be played in cinemas in India after the countrys 1962 war with China but the practice was discontinued in 1975 after most moviegoers ignored it.

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Congress on Thursday latched on to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs defence of RBI Governor Urijit Patel in the Parliamentary Standing Committee meeting to target his successor Narendra Modi.

In the PAC Dr. Manmohan Singh protected RBI in public interest. Modi is diminishing its independence acted against public interest, senior leader Kapil Sibal tweeted.

Another Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is also member of the Standing Committee on Finance, hit out at Patel, a day after the central banks governor escaped possible grilling by the parliamentary committee over the notes ban issue following the intervention of Singh.

I had the privilege to hear the earlier Governor RBI and the present one also. What a contrast!, Digvijaya tweeted.

Digvijayas apparent reference was to Raghuram Rajan, the predecessor of Patel, who was not given a second term by the Modi dispensation.

On Wednesday, Patel, who along with other RBI and Finance Ministry officials appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, was put to some tough questions by members.

Singh, who had made a forceful speech against notes ban in Rajya Sabha calling it a monumental failure and organised loot, intervened to say that the central bank and the Governors position as an institution should be respected.

In a memorandum submitted to RBI offices, which were gheraoed by its workers on Wednesday, Congress has demanded that the governor must resign taking responsibility for the notes ban mess and for permitting the Modi government to encroach upon the banks jurisdiction and rendering it as a mouthpiece of the government.

RBIs autonomy and statutory powers have been subjugated and compromised. Responsibility lies at the doorstep of RBI Governor for this erosion of credibility, the party said in a memorandum .

An autocratic Prime Minister Narendra Modi, bloating over the arrogance of numbers and a captive RBI, has plunged the country into a state of economic anarchy, wiping out peoples earnings and creating a colossal sense of fear and insecurity, it said.
From setting up his own charity to hanging condoms on trees, Manvendra Singh Gohil has dedicated himself to fighting the scourge of AIDS since coming out 10 years ago as Indias first openly gay royal.

A member of a royal warrior clan and heir apparent to the throne of Rajpipla in deeply conservative Gujarat state, Gohil uses his fame and status to educate the gay community about safe sex and their rights in a country where gay sex is a criminal offence.

People say homosexuality is a part of western culture. It is absolutely wrong, Gohil told AFP in an interview, citing the Kamasutra and the homoerotic sculptures that feature in ancient temples across the country.

It is the hypocrisy in our society which is refusing to accept this truth. And this motivated me to come out openly and tell the world I am gay, so what? And I am proud of it.

Gohil has been part of a campaign against the colonial-era law that bans homosexual acts in India, which he says has contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

His charity, Lakshya Foundation, works with homosexual men and the transgender community to promote safer sexual practices, though they face constant obstruction from police.

People are having sex under fear and unsafe sex practices are going on, he said.

When we started work among the MSM (men having sex with men), we were harassed and threatened by police.

We would keep condom packets in public toilets, and even hang them on trees in public parks because we did not want to stop them from having sex in toilets or behind the bushes. We just wanted them to have safe sex.

Gohil says some of his NGOs workers were arrested and taken to the police station where the cops themselves had forced sex with them without condoms. (AFP)

Spreading homosexuality

Gay sex was effectively decriminalised in 2009 when the Delhi high court ruled that prohibiting it was a violation of a persons fundamental rights.

But in 2013 the Supreme Court ruled that the responsibility for changing the 1861 law rested with lawmakers and not judges.

Prosecutions are rare, but gay people say they face significant discrimination as well as harassment from the police.

Read | Timeline: Legality of homosexuality in India

Gohil said even a government contract to distribute condoms did not protect his workers from police harassment.

They said we were spreading homosexuality, he recalled.

Some of our workers were arrested and taken to the police station where the cops themselves had forced sex with them without condoms.

India has the third highest number of HIV/AIDS cases in the world according to the United Nations, with about 2.1 million people in 2015, although the rate of infection is falling.

In another positive sign, two bills designed to end discrimination against transgender people and individuals infected with HIV are currently going through the Indian parliament.

Working with people in the transgender community is a priority for the government in its national AIDS response plan, but social isolation means the community is still at particularly high risk of HIV transmission.

The bill seeks to prohibit discrimination in any form and specifically bans denying them access to public places, on pain of up to two years imprisonment and a fine.

But campaigners have objected to a clause which would force people to undergo tests to determine their gender identity.

Read | 52% of gay men in India without peer support suffer violence: Survey

They say this is against the spirit of a 2014 Supreme Court judgement that allowed anyone to self identify which gender they are.

When the social empowerment ministry itself is not clear who a transgender is how will they address their issues? said Gohil.

It is a challenging situation. I dont blame any political party. Its not the party but the individuals who are either homophobic or gay friendly.

Its our duty to educate them because they are ignorant.
Delhi Police commissioner Alok Kumar Verma, a 1979 batch Indian Police Service officer who was appointed the new CBI director on Thursday, has an illustrious career.

Verma of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre has been the Delhi Police chief for the past 11 months. He was earlier the director general of Tihar prisons and the police chief of Mizoram.

As a pre-requisite for appointment as the CBI chief, an official needs to have a prior experience of working in the central agency or he or she should have handled vigilance work in the parent cadre. Verma handled vigilance work late in his career --- between February 1, 2011 and February 16, 2012 as a special commissioner of police in Delhi.

Verma has also served as the joint and special commissioner of the Delhi Police crime branch between August 2007 and December 2008. Vermas tenure as police chief till now has been without any controversy.

Senior police officers say though many Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs have been arrested during Vermas tenure, the ruling party hasnt vociferously accused him of working for any political boss.

Verma is also not outspoken as his predecessor BS Bassi and is yet to give any interview as the police commissioner. Unlike his predecessor or the police chief of other metros, Verma hardly uses the Delhi Police commissioners Twitter handle.

Verma created a record of sorts when he pushed for the promotion of over 26,000 Delhi Police officers in December last year. The Union ministry of home affairs finally consented and gave a green signal to promote the officers, most of whom were working without a promotion for over two decades.

His appointment as the CBI director is his 24th posting in his 36-year career as a police officer.

Though originally slated to retire on July 31 this year, Verma will get a fixed tenure of two years as the CBI chief.
The squabble among airlines over punctuality in landing and take-offs took an interesting turn on January 16 when the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) suspended two staff for fudging the On-Time Performance (OTP) of some flight operations. The enquiry report, however, did not mention the names of the airlines.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had set up a panel to investigate OTP after Indigo Airlines accused the Mumbai airport of inaccuracy. SpiceJet chairman and managing director Ajay Singh had also met DGCA and said the probe reflected double standards as the airline crying foul now did not have any problem with the mechanism until it had the best OTP.

After discounts, OTP has become the primary yardstick to lure fliers. Some airlines have aggressively used it for branding.

On checking of chocks-on and chocks-off data (time of take-off and landing) of the flights, it was observed that off-chocks times of 10 flights during the month of December and 12 flights in the month of November 2016 were recorded incorrectly in the Airport Operational Data Base (AODB), thereby affecting OTP of these flights. We have started an internal inquiry to find out the personnel involved in the wrong recordings of the off-chocks data. From the initial findings, it appears that two staff were involved and both have been suspended, MIAL said in its report.

A spokesperson for MIAL said the matter is under investigation.

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Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19



By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:



EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini has said that the EU would not welcome any attempt to renegotiate Irans nuclear deal.



This is an agreement that was endorsed by the UN Security Council with a resolution. This has involved six world powers plus the European Union and Iran, Federica Mogherini said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, streamed live on the forums official website.



So it is an international agreement. It is not a bilateral agreement and by the way it came after 12 years of very difficult and tough negotiations, she added.



I think it is very clear to everybody that reopening it partially will not be possible, the EU official concluded.



Mogherini made the comment reacting to President-elect Donald Trumps remarks who has earlier called the 2015 accord (nuclear deal aka JCPOA) "the worst deal ever negotiated" and threatened to annul it or seek a better agreement.


A top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant, who police say was the nephew of 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, was killed in an encounter with security forces in north Kashmir on Thursday.

Abu Musaib, who was in his mid-twenties, was killed in a gunfight with the police and Indian Army personnel after they cordoned a village in Hajin area of Bandipora following a tip-off about the presence of militants in the area.

Police said a constable of the special operations group of police was injured in the firing by the militant. Musaib was killed in the retaliatory fire.

Jammu and Kashmirs director general of police (DGP) told Hindustan Times their information suggested that Musaib was the nephew of Lakhvi. Rest you will have to ask Lakhvi, he said.

Officials said that Musaib was the divisional commander of LeT in Ganderbal-Hajin-Sumbal-Bandipora belt and was active in the area for the past three years.

Bandipora superintendent of police S Zulfikar said that Musaib revived militancy in Bandipora district, which had witnessed a relatively peaceful time since 2010.

He revived LeT in the belt since 2014-15. He was the commander of the group in north Kashmir and was also in touch with LeT group of south Kashmir. Since 2015 there have been many militancy-related incidents in the area, Zulfikar said.

The SP said that the militant commander was involved in the killing of an army man in 2015 besides snatching his rifle.

He also was involved in an attack on a civilian in 2016. He also attacked and injured two army men in Hajin, he said.
Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang has urged the Centre to ask Myanmar to stop border fencing in the Noklak area of Tuensang district in the state as it will adversely affect free movement of the people and also, the traditional land-holding system prevailing in the area.

According to a statement issued by the chief ministers office in Kohima on Thursday, Zeliang took up the issue with Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday and pointed out that the people of Noklak stood to lose some 3,500 acres of land which they had been cultivating for generations.

Border fencing is also not in tune with the free movement regime shared by both India and Myanmar, Zeliang said while pointing out that unlike the India-Pakistan border region, people of the area have been living peacefully together for long and as such, there was no need for border fencing.

The communities living on both sides of the border in these areas have very close cultural and social affinity and there are instances where they hold land on both sides of the border, Zeliang pointed out.

Moreover, the Act East policy of the Government of India intends to improve trade and communications across the Indo-Myanmar border and fencing of the boundaries would defeat the very purpose of the Act East Policy, he added.

The Union home minister told the chief minister that the MHA had written to the ,inistry of external affairs to take up the issue with Myanmar and ask it not to proceed with border fencing on its side.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed to have been unearthed an alleged nexus between some government departments in Nagaland and insurgents in which money was being routed to the banned groups.

The probe agency is conducting an inquiry into the alleged routing of funds to the militants groups active in Nagaland, a senior NIA official said here on Thursday.

The NIA has recovered incriminating documents during the searches carried out on Wednesday in various premises allegedly pointing the role of some state government officials for transferring the money, he said.

Preliminary investigation has found that the money was being illegally channelled from state government departments to the banned organisations like NSCN (K) and NDFB, the official said.

The money was also being allegedly routed to Naga National Council, a group active in Nagaland, he said.

Over 12 state government departments -- including tourism, rural department, industry and commerce, urban development, public works department and Directorate of Information and Public Relations -- are under the NIA scanner for allegedly transferring the states money to the militants groups, the official said.

The NIA will soon question certain Nagaland government officials to ascertain their involvement in the alleged militants funding from the states fund, he said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday claimed that terror attacks at army installations in Uri and Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir were carried out by Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

A senior NIA official claimed that one of the four terrorists involved in the attack on the army camp in Handwara managed to flee.

The terrorists had attacked the camp of 30 Rashtriya Rifles camp in Langate in Handwara in October last year. While three attackers were killed by the security forces, one is believed to have escaped, the official said, adding they were looking into it.

Heavily armed terrorists had stormed the army base in Uri sector in September and killed 18 soldiers.

There is proof indicating role of LeT behind Uri and Handwara attacks, he said.

Earlier, it was claimed that Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was behind the attack.

NIA is looking into both these cases.

The investigation in Uri attack case will gather pace soon as the agency officials earlier could not visit the points of ingress to verify certain leads due to shelling from across the border, the official said.

A team of officials is now likely to visit the area from where the terrorists might have entered and attacked the Uri camp, he said.

Talking about the Handwara incident, NIA officials said they recovered cell phones of Samsung and Huawei companies. These phones worked without SIMs using latest technology and manipulating its configuration, he claimed.

The NIA had written to both Samsung and Huawei seeking details of these cell phones including information on shipments. Huawei had informed us that the phone was shipped to Pakistan. We are still awaiting response from Pakistan, the official said.

There are other documents and proof in possession of the NIA that points towards LeTs involvement in the attack, he said.

Besides, the cell phones Global Positioning System (GPS) sets and wireless system were found from the slain terrorists behind the Handwara attack. The NIA is in the process of getting information from Mauritius and Japan about the companies there which would have made these instruments, the official said.

Investigators have also found a diary from one of the slain terrorists and verifying a phone number, believed to be of one of their associates, mentioned there. They also claimed misuse of social networking sites Facebook and Twitter by the terrorists for communication, he said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), central counter-terrorism law enforcement agency in the country, has opened offices in Jammu and Raipur, aimed at expanding its footprint in sensitive areas.

While Jammu and Kashmir witnesses terrorist attacks, parts of Chhattisgarh and neighbouring states are facing left-wing extremism.

The agency will shift to its new headquarters which is being constructed in full-swing in Central Government Offices (CGO) complex area here by August this year, a senior NIA official said.

At present, the probe agency functions from a government building at New Delhis Jai Singh Road.

Two new branch offices have started functioning in Jammu and Raipur, he said.

Besides the NIA headquarters, it has eight branch offices including at Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai and Kolkata.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will take over probe into the Ghorasan incident of Bihar wherein an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was found near a railway track on October 1 last year.

The Bihar police have arrested three persons in connection with the case and one of the arrested has claimed that he and his associates were also behind the derailment of Indore-Patna Express on November 20 near Kanpur in which 148 passengers died.

We have written to the home ministry seeking transfer of probe into the Ghorasahan incident. We will look into all claims made by the accused, said NIA official in their annual briefing.

The Nepal police is also helping the Indian agencies in the probe as three more associates of the arrested trio have been nabbed there in a twin murder case.
India on Thursday said it is not seeking membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as a gift, responding to a statement from the Chinese foreign office that New Delhis entry into the elite club cannot be a farewell gift (of the Barack Obama administration).

The Chinese reaction was with regard to US assistant secretary of state Nisha Biswal saying clearly there is one outlier that needs to be addressed and that is China which prevents Indias membership.

Our views on Indias membership of the NSG are clear and have been stated on many occasions before. India is not seeking NSG membership as a gift. India is seeking it on its non-proliferation record. I of course cannot speak for other applicants, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

Read I Outlier China blocking Indias entry into NSG: US

The NSG is an exclusive club of 48 countries that deal with trade in nuclear technology and fissile materials.

The (US) President (Barack Obama) has been very clear and unequivocal that he believes that India has met the criteria for NSG and that the United States supports Indias entry that India is ready and India should be brought into the NSG, Biswal had said.
Describing Kashmir as the unfinished agenda of Partition, Pakistans ex-army chief General Raheel Sharif on Thursday said normalcy will return to the region only after the long-standing dispute is resolved.

The former army chief made these remarks while addressing the Pakistan Breakfast event on the sidelines of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in this Swiss mountaintop city.

The session was arranged by the Pathfinder Group of Pakistan in its efforts to promote the country at the forum which is attended by the worlds leading political and business personalities.

Raheel Sharif stressed that the Kashmir issue should be resolved according to the aspirations of the people and resolutions of the United Nations to achieve durable peace in South Asia. Pakistan needs peace but the core issue is Kashmir, which has to be resolved first, he said.

The restive Himalayan region suffered a rise in violence last year after the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani on July 8. Jammu and Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but both claim it in full.

In reply to a question whether peace and economic prosperity could be achieved in South Asia without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, the former chief of the Pakistan Army said: There are three words to explain how to move forward and these are Kashmir, Kashmir and Kashmir.
As over 3,000 leaders from across the world huddle for their annual talkfest in this snow-capped Swiss ski resort town in sub-zero temperatures, senior Union minister Nitin Gadkari has got a full city to take back home literally -- he wants to create Indias own Davos in hilly terrains of Himalayas.

Gadkari, minister for road transport, ports and shipping, said it is very much possible to create a new city like Davos back in India where hotels, shops and conference centres would be set up, while taking care of the environment and other issues, and which can host events like World Economic Forum while giving a big boost to tourism, jobs and overall economy.

After I came here, a thought has come to my mind. Im yet to start any work on it. We are working on a 1,000-km new roads for Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri of Rs 12,000 crore which would be all-season roads. That will be a historical thing with tunnels etc.

Along with that, there is Pittoragarh where we are building a road for Mansarovar and we are taking Australian machines through MIG-17 and some work is already done, about 50 per cent. That place has got temperature of about minus 5-6 degrees.

After coming to Davos, I felt why cant we develop a township like this in that area, where people will come in sub-zero temperatures and which will have hotels and tourism facilities and will even go to Mansarovar, Gadkari told PTI in an interview here at Make in India lounge on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting.

The minister, known for his out-of-the box innovative ideas, said it is very much possible to create a Davos-like city there in India, which is rich in all kinds of assets.

We are capable of creating Taj Mahal even in a desert. It needs a vision, fast track decision making process, transparency and corruption free system. Another important thing is the commitment to the society and the country, and my country also needs something like this, he said.

Giving an example, Gadkari said he was travelling from San Francisco through Pacific Ocean and an idea struck him to build a new road for Mumbai to Goa which will run alongside the sea and the work has begun on that idea.

Similarly, we will work on Yamuna riverfront by building a wall for a highway from Delhi to Yamunanagar. A study is on for this project which will make travel easier from Delhi to Uttarakhand and Himachal, bringing down the traffic on existing roads, he said.

Observing that at times an extreme position is taken on environment like issues, he said it is necessary to protect environment but development is also necessary, so appropriate measures can be taken to ensure that there is no ecological disturbances.

Read| Afghanistans first female orchestra set to perform at WEF in Davos
President Pranab Mukherjees motorcade got stuck in a traffic jam for a few minutes in Kolkata on Thursday. The goof-up happened despite tight security arrangements in the city for the VVIP movement.

Mukherjee was on his way to attend a function of a local newspaper. His pilot car suddenly took a wrong turn even as roads were cleared for the long motorcade. After it realised its mistake, there was no other way but to make a U-turn and take the other side of the road.

But the Eastern metropolitan bypass was packed with cars on the other side. The Kolkata police frantically cleared the traffic while Mukherjees bullet proof Scorpio waited for the road to be cleared.

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The United States condemned a suicide bomber attack on a military camp in Gao, Mali, the US Department of State said in a press release on Wednesday, Sputnik reported.

Media reports indicate at least 37 people were killed in the attack.

"The United States strongly condemns the cowardly attack on a military camp in Gao," the release stated. "We are aware of reports that the attack was engineered by a suicide bomber using a truck filled with explosives."

The release noted that the people targeted in the attack were government forces and members of the armed groups that signed a peace accord in 2015.

The individuals at the military camp were about to start joint patrols in Gao as laid out in the peace accord.

The United States also denounced the efforts by the attackers to derail the implementation of the peace agreement, and will continue to support efforts to mitigate terrorist threats, the release added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Malian President Ibrahim Keita declared three days of national mourning for the victims of the attack. Never miss a story again  sign up to our Telegram channel and we'll keep you up to speed!
Six persons from the citys radical and conservative sections united to lay the foundation of Presidency College (the Hindoo College) on January 20, 1817.

Two hundred years later, the President and a former Prime Minister will address the bicentenary celebrations of the institution that has blossomed into one of the finest undergraduate colleges with alumni that include heads of states, Nobel laureates, inventors, scholars and many others.

On Friday, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address a gathering at Derozio Hall on the campus. About three hours later, President Pranab Mukherjee will also speak at the same venue.

The programmes actually began on January 5 with an exhibition at the main building.

On January 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11, a Global Education Summit was held to discuss the future of education in a number of fields from natural science to social science, mathematics to languages.

Participants included Nobel laureates and academics from a number of foreign universities.

What was known as Hindoo College till 1855, earned fame as Presidency College between 1855 and 2010, when it turned into a university during the Left rule.

For the past 200 years, Presidency College not only blossomed into one of the finest colleges in the country, but also contributed to one of the most remarkable eras in the subcontinent  the Bengal renaissance, which marked a simultaneous explosion creativity in a number of fields from arts to science.

Some of the most gifted and spirited minds of modern India such as Satyendranath Bose, Meghnad Saha, Subhas Chandra Bose, Swami Vivekananda, Satyajit Ray, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, Rajendra Prasad, Amartya Sen emerged from this institution.

According to most of its students and teachers, Presidency College stoked the spirit of inquiry.

If the battle of Waterloo was fought on the playfields of Eton, then it could be said the struggle for modernity begun on the premises of Hindoo College, and it still continues in the classrooms of Presidency College, former principal Amal Kumar Mukhopadhyay said at the welcome address of the 175th anniversary celebrations.

From an A+ NAAC accreditation as a college in 2006, it suffered a downgrade to A as a university in 2016. The focus of vice-chancellor Anuradha Lohia is to retrieve some of its old glory. A second campus is under preparation, and will be the most important addition contribution in this direction.

A series of programmes will mark the bicentenary celebrations that will conclude in December this year when we unveil the second campus at New Town, said Anuradha Lohia.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday lamented the growing conflict and difference of opinion in the society and said there was a stronger need to enhance mutual respect, remarks that came against the backdrop of protests in the country over several issues.

These days whenever you see newspaper and watch TV, there are news of regular violence. I am not talking about international violence, but it is also about violence in our minds, our conscious and conflict in our souls, Mukherjee said after inaugurating the 28th Dantan Gramin Mela here. Dantan is a tiny town in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal.

There were conflicts and difference of opinion earlier also. But now this kind of situation is increasing day by day, he said against the backdrop of recent protests in Bhangar in West Bengal over the construction of a power grid sub-station and the Jallikattu ban in Tamil Nadu.

Mukherjee said that earlier, such conflicts used to be prevented at a local level but now it is spreading like anything.

Expressing concern that the world is becoming more violent, the President said, It is not the general trend of human society. People used to love each other, accept each other, and not reject. The human psychology is to love each other and not spread hatred.

In the present scenario, there is a stronger need for enhancing mutual respect, he said.

He also mentioned that earlier people never used to get to know incidents of violence, but now they are aware thanks to the key role being played by the media.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said he is glad that the Indian youth have not fallen into the trap of radicalisation and have successfully resisted extremist approaches.

Interacting with a delegation of Muslim religious scholars, academicians, intellectuals and other eminent people, who called on him, Modi said he feels proud to see that while the number of jihadist recruits from several countries is in thousands, the number of Indian youth in such cases is negligible, a member of the delegation told IANS.

He said the credit for this should go to the long, shared heritage of our people.

The Prime Minister said that the culture, traditions and social fabric of India will never allow the nefarious designs of the terrorists, or their sponsors, to succeed.

Modi also stressed on the importance of education and skill development, which is the key to gainful employment and the way to grow out of poverty.

The delegation, led by Maulana Umer Ilyasi, President of the All India Imams Association, comprised several prominent Muslim faces, including AMU vice chancellor Zameeruddin Shah, Jamia Millia Islamia Vice Chancellor Talat Ahmed, former Supreme Court judge MY Eqbal, and journalists Shahid Siddiqui and Qamar Agha, among others.

The 38-member delegation interacted with the Prime Minister for more than an hour.

We thanked the Prime Minister and the minority affairs minister for their efforts in getting the Haj quota of India hiked by 35,000. We also demanded that the so-called Haj subsidy should be ended, as it serves no useful purpose, Ilyasi told IANS.

Besides, we demanded that 175 mosques across the country, which are under the Archaeological Survey of India control, should be immediately opened for namaz. We also discussed with the Prime Minister the founding of model madrasas where both religious and modern education should be imparted, Ilyasi added.

He said that the Prime Minister listened to the delegation and assured to do the needful.

Union minister of state for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Union minister of state for external affairs MJ Akbar and former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Asif Ibrahim were also present during the meeting.
Pune: A 34-year-old Pune-based IT professional allegedly committed suicide after strangling his wife to death because he was upset that she shared their personal details on WhatsApp, police said on Thursday.

Bodies of Rakesh Balasaheb Gangurde and Sonali Rakesh Gangurde, 28, residents of Shivsai apartment in Hadapsar, was recovered by the police early on Thursday. The cops have also found a suicide note allegedly written by Rakesh.

According to the suicide note, Rakesh was undergoing fertility treatment as the couple did not have any child. He was angry with his wife because she used to share their medical details with friends and relatives on social media. They were married for about six years. Rakesh had also written about his plan of killing his wife before committing suicide.

The police said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the couple frequently quarrelled over the issue. They suspect they might have fought again on Wednesday, following which Rakesh took the step.

Sonalis mother, Chhaya Pawar, rang up her daughter from Nashik on Wednesday, but no one answered the call. Chhaya then asked her son Harshal, a resident of Pune, to check on Sonali. When Harshal reached his sisters house on Wednesday night, he found the doors locked from inside. He then approached Hadapsar police, who broke open the front door. They found Sonalis body in the hall and Rakesh hanging from a ceiling fan in the bedroom.

Rakesh was working with an IT company, while Sonali was a computer engineer. She had stopped working since the past few months, the police said.
The Congress partys Punjab unit has requested the Election Commission (EC) to direct the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to relax the limit on withdrawal of cash from banks and ATMs for candidates to facilitate fair play of democratic processes.

In a letter to chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi, state Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh said on Wednesday that, given the time constraint, the matter needs urgent attention of the EC and the RBI.

With the existing RBI norms allowing only Rs 24,000 withdrawal a week from savings account and Rs 1 lakh from current account, it is not possible for the candidates to defray their expenditure, given the two weeks they would have for campaigning, from January 21 (when final list will be announced by EC after scrutiny of nominations) to February 2 (the last date for electioneering), he wrote.

He pointed out that the candidates in the fray were expected to incur expenditure on their respective campaign as per the limits prescribed by the EC, and it requires proper maintenance of accounts. The EC has fixed Rs 28 lakh as the limit of poll expenditure for the state.

The poll panel has directed candidates contesting polls in the five states to open separate bank accounts for election expenses and said that all payments above Rs 20,000 must be made by cheque. Candidates are also required to provide details of their poll expenses to the panel by no later than 75 days after the elections.

Several other Congress leaders have also written to the poll panel regarding the matter.

 ... we are unable to meet out day to day expenses in the polls. We need lots of money in cash every day for petty expenditure on food, publicity vehicles and for our personal requirement, Kuljit Nagra, Congress MLA and candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib, said.

Congress Patiala Rural candidate Brahm Mohindra, who also sent a letter to the EC on Tuesday, said the existing limit is not sufficient for candidates.

We are allowed expenses of Rs 28 lakh. With less than three weeks left, I will not be able to withdraw more than Rs 75,000 at the maximum (as per current norms), he said.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8 announced to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, restrictions were imposed on withdrawal of cash from ATMs and the counters in the banks.

The Congress has already decided to raise demonetisation as a poll issue.

We have received a number of complaints and are taking up the matter at the appropriate level, Punjabs chief electoral officer VK Singh said.

The assembly elections in Punjab will be held on February 4 and votes will be counted on March 11
Self-styled godman Asarams son Narayan Sai, currently behind bars in a rape case, on Thursday moved a court in Surat seeking temporary bail to contest assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh beginning next month.

Sai moved an application before additional sessions judge PS Gadhvi, stating he could contest on two seats--Sahibabad in Ghaziabad district and Shivpur in Varanasi.

Seeking the relief, he stated that Ojaswi Party, of which he is one of the founders, wants to field candidates in the elections and that he needs to be out of jail to oversee the preparations.

The court kept the matter for hearing on January 21.

Sai was arrested for allegedly raping a Surat-based woman disciple of his father between 2002 and 2005.

The woman had accused Sai of repeated sexual assault when she was living at Asarams ashram in Surat.

Sai has been lodged at Lajpore Central Jail here since December 2013.

Asaram is also facing trial in rape cases and lodged in a jail in Jodhpur.
Taking on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Urjit Patel for dereliction of his duty, a Congress leader said on Thursday he failed to answer a parliamentary committee over the demonetisation moves aftermath because he was afraid of revealing the information.

Patel couldnt give on Wednesday a time frame for an end to cash restrictions nor could he provide a parliamentary panel a figure for the amount of banned notes deposited into banks after demonetisation, sources said.

The central bank had pumped in Rs 9.2 lakh crore in new banknotes to help replace the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bills banned on November 8, Patel told a parliamentary panel. Around Rs 15.4 lakh crore worth of the notes were removed from circulation.

Read: In first address, Urjit Patel asks staff to guard RBI reputation

It shows the unpreparedness on the part of Reserve Bank of India. The RBI governor appeared before the parliamentary committee and this notice was given to him two weeks back. Not that he did not have the information but he is afraid of revealing it to parliamentary committee, which is dereliction of duty on the part of the RBI governor, Congress leader PC Chacko told ANI.

Chacko said nobody can hold back any information of the parliamentary committee.

When the question was put to the RBI governor he did not report to the committee that by what time things will be normal, by what time the currency will be made available. Various pertinent questions were put to him by the committee was not answered so it is a question of privilege that he is holding back and not revealing the facts, he added.

Read: Talks with govt on demonetisation began early last year: RBI

The RBI governor was unable to tell us how much old currency has come to the banks, panel member and Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy told media on Wednesday, criticising Patel for his inability to answer vital questions.

Demanding Patels resignation, Chacko said he has lost the moral authority to continue as the RBI governor and added that the central bank behaved like the junior department of the central government.

The chairman of central bank is always considered as a very highly independent position because the monetary control of the country is mainly done by the RBI. Such an organisation should be in a position to advice the government on matters and should not take orders from the government, he added.

Read: Demonetisation: Manmohan Singh saved RBIs Urjit Patel from intense grilling

Patel and several finance ministry officials appeared before the panel to answer questions on the demonetisation decision that triggered a huge cash crunch and restrictions on money withdrawals.

Patel, who took over as the countrys top banker on September 4, had a tough time fending off MPs, prompting former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who is also on the committee, to come to his rescue, sources in the panel said.

Singh, a former RBI governor, told Patel not to answer questions that would compromise the autonomy of the central bank, sources said.

Patel failed to provide a figure for how many of the banned notes were had been deposited. The RBI was still in the process of calculating how much money came into the banking system, he said.

The figure would be an indication of the success or failure of the disruptive move, which the government said was aimed at curbing black money and choking counterfeit currency.
School authorities of JS Vidhya Niketan threw caution to winds, which led to the death of 15 students in the accident involving the school bus and a truck on Thursday.

The school bus carried around 60 children against a capacity of 35, according to Parush Ram Singh, in-charge of Aliganj police station.

The accident took place at about 7.30 am when there was dense fog and visibility was very low, Singh said, adding that these students were from rural area of Raja Ka Rampur and other villages of Aliganj area.

Inspector general, Agra zone, Sujeet Pandey said the accident could have been avoided had authorities of the residential school followed the district administrations order to shut schools till January 20 due to cold weather.

Action will be taken against authorities of school which has violated the orders, Pandey said.

Two girls on bicycles too were killed in the accident as the vehicle involved in accident took a steep turn to avoid hitting them.

Driver of school bus was killed on spot while driver of truck has lost both his legs, Singh said.

The injured were taken to primary health centre in Aliganj where dead bodies were also shifted, he said.

Those with serious injuries were shifted to Agra, Aligarh and Safai Medical College.

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Twelve schoolchildren and the driver of the bus they were travelling in were killed and about two dozen other children injured when their vehicle collided with a sand-laden truck amid dense fog in Etah districts Aliganj on Thursday morning.

The bus was carrying students to JS Vidyaniketan, which had opened despite the district magistrates orders to keep all schools closed in view of intense cold, officials said.

Reports said the tragedy happened when the school bus driver tried to save two school girls on bicycles. As he could not see the approaching truck due to dense fog, he rammed the bus into it. The two girls also died in the accident.

The bus driver also died in the accident while the driver of the truck lost his legs.

There were about 60 students in the bus which had a capacity of only 35 students, said Parush Ram Singh, the Aliganj police station incharge.

Anger and grief writ large on their faces, parents of the victims and locals, however, said both bus and truck drivers were driving in high speed despite the fog. They also alleged that the rescue operation was not well coordinated.

A team of doctors was sent to the spot and the injured students were referred to Agra, Aligarh and Saifai hospitals.

District magistrate, Etah, Shambhu Nath said eight children died on the spot and the rest in hospital. Local officials feared the toll might increase.

The DM said orders have been issued to cancel the recognition of the school. The deceased kids were in the 5-15 years age bracket, he said.

Soon after getting the news, senior officials rushed to the accident spot and supervised rescue and relief operations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of the children in the mishap. Anguished by the tragic accident in UPs Etah district. I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole passing away of young children, he said in a tweet. I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest, he said.

Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav also condoled the death of the children.

The chief minister asked district officials to launch all out rescue operations and ensure proper treatment of the injured.

Director general of police Javed Ahmed said the school was open against the order of the district administration to close due to cold.

Strict action will be taken against the school, he added.

ANOTHER ACCIDENT

About half-a-dozen students were injured when their school van collided with tractor in Mustaffabad area of Jasrana in Firozabad district on Thursday morning.

The students were from Gardenia Public School in Shikohabad of Firozabad district. The school authorities brought another vehicle of the school and took the injured students for treatment.

(With inputs from agencies)

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External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj sought a report from the Indian mission in Malaysia to rescue a 46-year-old Indian abducted in the country.

We are taking this abduction very seriously. I have asked Indian High Commissioner in Malaysia to keep me informed on daily basis, she tweeted.

Her response came after the family of Keshpal Singh, who is missing in Malaysia for over 20 days, sought her intervention.

@SushmaSwaraj ji Pls help he has been kidnapped by someone. he asked for money yesterday#sos malay police isnt helping @MEAIndia #Malaysia, tweeted Keshpals son Yogendra.

Keshpal has been working in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur for last five years.
The United States has received an official invitation from Moscow to take part in the Astana meeting on Syria, US State Department spokesman John Kirby announced in a briefing on Thursday, Sputnik reported.

However, the spokesperson said that the decision is to be taken by the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

"Our Embassy in Moscow did receive an invitation delivered to them from the Russian Foreign ministry which they duly passed to us," Kirby said. "So we are aware that there is an actual invitation for the US to participate. But so far as I know, no decision has been made."

Acting US Secretary of State Tom Shannon will likely consult President-elect Donald Trumps administration on whether or not to attend the intra-Syrian peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, US Department of State spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing on Thursday.

"I am sure that Ambassador Shannon will consult appropriately with the new White House about what they would like to do," Kirby stated when asked about attending the Astana talks.
Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Raos proposal to bring in a legislation providing 12% reservation to Muslims in educational institutions and employment has received a lot of flak from the Opposition.

At present, Muslims are enjoying four per cent reservation in Telangana. If this quota is increased to 12%, the total reservations in the state would go up to 58%, which is eight per cent more than the ceiling prescribed by the Supreme Court. Therefore, it would require a Constitutional amendment to enhance the quota.

Provision of 12% reservations to Muslims was one of the major promises made by the chief minister during the 2014 elections.

We will bring pressure on the Centre to amend the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to accommodate the enhanced quota for Muslims, KCR told the assembly. The Opposition leaders are, however, questioning the feasibility of the move.

There is absolutely no clarity on how KCR wants to increase the quota for Muslims. He knows that the BJP-led government at the Centre will not agree for a Constitutional amendment. He is just trying to hoodwink Muslims, leader of Opposition in the legislative council Mohammad Ali Shabbir said.

He reminded that it was the Congress government, headed by YS Rajasekhar Reddy, which had introduced four per cent quota for Muslims in 2007, well within the 50 per cent quota prescribed by the Supreme Court.

So, it is practically not possible to provide 12 per cent quota for Muslims, Shabbir said.

BJP, too, on Thursday criticised the proposal.

KCRs statement reiterating that his government will provide for 12 per cent reservation to Muslims is not just a blatant lie, but also unconstitutional and uncouth minority vote bank politics, Telangana BJPs official spokesperson, Krishna Saagar Rao said.

KCR declared that if the NDA government does not cooperate, his government would not hesitate to move the Supreme Court.

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Two women and a minor girl were killed while four others injured when a pressure landmine, suspected to have been laid by Maoists, went off in a dense forest pocket of Chhattisgarhs insurgency-hit Narayanpur district, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place last evening in the forests of Narayanpur police station limits, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) SRP Kalluri told PTI.

As per preliminary information, the residents of Tumnaar village including some women and their children, were passing through the area where road construction work was underway between Sonpur and Kurushnar villages, he said.

They inadvertently stepped over the pressure IED (improvised explosive device) connection near Godagaon village forest, triggering the blast, killing two women and a 15-year-old girl, the IG said.

Three more women and a two-year-old baby also sustained injuries in the blast, he added.

The incident came to light late last night when the villagers brought the victims to Narayanpur hospital following which security forces were rushed to the place, he said.

The body of deceased has been sent for the postmortem while the injured were being treated at Narayanpur hospital, he added.

The Maoists have planted the IEDs to target security forces deployed to facilitate ongoing road construction on that axis. They mostly plant landmines close to trees and culverts. Several times in the past security forces as well as villagers have become victims of such Maoist blasts in Bastar region, the IG said.

Further details are awaited, he added.
Information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday asked department secretary Ajay Mittal to examine various issues facing the print media sector, especially the newspaper industry.

According to an official release here, Naidu has taken note of the concerns expressed by the newspaper industry.

The minister is apprised of the matter and has asked the Secretary I&B to look into the issues in the wake of implementation of latest wage board recommendations and the proposed GST regime, the statement said.

If required, necessary consultations with the stakeholder ministries will also be initiated to address the issues, it added.

The minister will also meet the representatives of the industry to have detailed discussions, the statement said.

There have been reports about difficult times being faced by the print industry with profits shrinking.

The ministrys statement comes days ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget.
Supporting the demand for holding of Jallikattu, VHP said on Thursday the judiciary should not interfere in ancient beliefs of the Hindus and that those who are sentimental about bulls lives better demand a ban on cow slaughter.

We urge all in the society at large, in all governments, judiciary and media not to interfere in ancient beliefs, faiths and religious feelings of Hindus like Jallikattu, Ganesh/Durga visarjan etc, VHP International Working president Pravin Togadia said.

Togadias statement came on a day when protests demanding Jallikattu swelled on the streets of Tamil Nadu.

If anyone is so sentimental about bulls lives then come with us in our demand of a national law banning any slaughter of cow progeny, the VHP leader said, in an apparent reference to animal rights body PETA which has been opposing bull-taming sport Jallikattu.

The fresh wave of protests was triggered by the Supreme Courts refusal last week to pass an order before the Pongal celebrations in mid-January, the time when Jallikattu is held. Earlier, the top court had struck down of a central notification allowing the sport.

Experts fear the Jallikattu protests could turn into a bigger uprising like the anti-Hindi riots, which took place during the Dravidian movement.

Tamil Nadu witnessed large scale protests by students in the 1960s over the imposition of Hindi as the official language in the state, with the majority Dravidian community fiercely opposing it before the order was rolled back by the central government.

Those protests were led by Periyars Dravidar Kazhagam and later the DMK. But the current demonstrations are a reflection of peoples anger against political figures.

Thousands of protesters across the state vowed that their apolitical demonstration will continue as long as the ban is not lifted.
Paytm chief Vijay Shekhar Sharma is thrilled about 2017. A video from Paytms annual office party (Revolution 2017) uploaded by OfficeChai.com shows him giving a speech on Paytms success, claiming the company has done in one year what others couldnt even in 10 years.

On November 8, 2016, 86% of Indias currency was nullified in a shocking move made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to curb endemic corruption. All 500 and 1,000 rupee notes were demonetised, triggering Indias biggest ever cash crunch.

But the nation of jugaad found an alternative way. Paytm Karo became the new buzz as the countrys largest mobile wallet became an alternative for cash for many.

Petrol pumps, shopkeepers, vegetable sellers, restaurants - everyone lapped it up. From television commercials in major cities to full-page ads in newspapers, Paytm has made its presence felt everywhere. The app has been translated into several Indian languages and the company has even set up how-to-use-the-app boot camps. It now has the license to be a payments bank.

In the video, Sharma is motivating the crowd, shouting (and occassionally cussing), Humne kuch socha, humne kuch socha, humne kuch socha, aur saala doosron ki pant geeli nahin hui to kya socha?

The performance reminded many of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who was known for his charged on-stage appearances at Microsoft developer conferences.

To all those poking fun at PayTM CEO's antics at an office party - He is not the first. There was a Steve Ballmer.  Shyam (@shyamk) January 18, 2017

While Sharma boasted about how Paytm has grown by leaps and bounds, Ab koi India mein hamari taraf nahi dekh raha, kyon? Hamare ko saara desh nahi, saari duniya dekh rahi hai! (Now no one in India is watching us because the entire world is), Twitterati was largely in support of the startup chiefs words.

I'm not a fan of crude language, but unki party, unka CEO, unka high... tum sab Paytm karo aur chalte bano. https://t.co/iqOH3CyOm0  Abhishek Baxi (@baxiabhishek) January 18, 2017

I didn't mind the speech at all. But moment of silence for the sound engineer at the PayTM party.  Vir Das (@thevirdas) January 18, 2017

When american CEOs abuse, they are hailed as cool. When an Indian CEO does the same, he is ridiculed. #Paytm @vijayshekhar  Anurag (@raag15anu) January 18, 2017

Watched that PayTM annual party whr @vijayshekhar invokes his staff. I don't think there was any exaggeration. Truth every word  Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) January 18, 2017

But Sharma is unperturbed. Jo humare saath nahin wo royenge, he shouts out. Those who arent with us will be left crying!
A day before he demits office, US Ambassador to India Richard Verma, on Thursday underlined how the two countries resolved some tough issues during his tenure, including nuclear liability, even as he cautioned against being complacent.

Terming cross-border terrorism a serious threat, Verma said it is not for anyones lack of effort that perpetrators of terrorist attacks continue to roam free in Pakistan, whose leaders, he said, have been addressed in serious terms.

Asked about the appointments being made by the incoming administration, he said, As optimistic as I am, I dont want to be complacent. We had to really solve some tough issues in trade, nuclear liability. Weve to got to keep working at it.

He was speaking at an event at Foreign Correspondents Club here in his last public engagement in India in his present capacity.

48-year-old Verma, who is of Indian origin, will quit before President-elect Donald Trump assumes charge as his team said the envoys, who are political appointees, will not be given any grace period beyond Trumps inauguration day.

Asked about the unfinished trials of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and the menace of terrorism, Verma said it was a very vexing problem and the top-most threat that confronts the US, India and the people of Pakistan.

It is a scourge that we have to stand up against collectively. No one nation can do it own its own. The challenge of cross border terrorism has been a serious threat and one that we have condemned and addressed in serious terms with leaders in Pakistan.

We have to continue to work with this. Our security partnership has greatly enhanced, we share more intelligence now. This will require all elements of our national power including countering extremist messages. Its not for a lack of effort on anyones part, he said.

Verma said the dominant view in Washington was that Indo-US ties were a non-partisan endeavour, which he said was on a upward trajectory.

We are joined together by deep shared values. I have a lot of reason to be optimistic. We have demonstrated to the people that this a relationship that really does help people, he said, hoping the new President would take it forward.

Touching upon the concerns expressed by many on erosion of diversity in US, Verma narrated the experiences of his own family, especially his mother, and affirmed that is the American dream I will continue to cherish, celebrate and protect.

We have confronted such doubts and headwinds in the past...and the American ideals upon which our country was founded have always prevailed  they will do so again. It will require a resolve, and a commitment to speak up for those who may need a helping hand, he said.

Verma, who had assumed charge as the 25th US Ambassador to India in January 2015, had played a key role in the Congressional passage of the civil nuclear deal and is a strong advocate of closer ties between the two countries.

He had succeeded Nancy Powell, who resigned in March 2014 in the backdrop of a diplomatic row over the treatment meted out to Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in the US.
Urging women to empower themselves, Union textiles minister Smriti Irani on Thursday said women should develop the habit of saving money for themselves in order to achieve financial security.

Irani, who was speaking at an interactive session on the topic Women and Wealth here said, Why not talk about women and savings rather than women and wealth.

Usually, women think about her family before herself. She saves for her family. But, it is equally important to save for herself. Women should empower themselves before empowering others, she said.

At the event, which was organised by Young FICCI Ladies Organisation, Irani urged experts to provide tips on saving for women from marginal income group.

She also emphasised on the need to have a registered will, so that no confusion prevails in future.

It is indeed awkward to ask your father or husband to have a registered will. They may take it otherwise. But it is necessary to have such a will. Even I asked by my father once if he has made one. I believe that it is alright to ask to have such registered will, she said.

Irani praised the small women entrepreneurs for their commitment towards returning government loans. Out of the 100 small-time women entrepreneurs, who took loan from us recently, 99 have returned it while one couldnt because of her death, she said.

The Union minister, however, did not comment on the recent controversy surrounding her educational qualifications and other political developments.
Two persons, including a Yemen national, have been arrested for assaulting a woman after allegedly lacing her drink with sedatives in Bengaluru, weeks after the reported sexual assaults on women here.

The 21-year-old woman, from northeast, had gone to a pub on Brigade Road in the heart of the city on Friday to meet friends, who did not turn up. The Yemen national Ayub Ali, whom the victim knew, and the other accused Thimanna Uttappa allegedly laced her drink with sedatives and then forcibly carried her into a car and assaulted her before dumping her in Kammanahalli area in east Bengaluru, police said.

The woman was found lying unconscious by a passer-by early on Saturday. The man took her to his house and helped her contact friends after she regained consciousness.

There were multiple burn wounds on the victims body, apart from other wounds, police said.

The incident had been captured on CCTV cameras, which helped police nab the culprits.

So far, we have arrested two persons and a probe is on to ascertain whether others were involved, said Hemanth Nimbalkar,, additional commissioner of police (east).

The two have been booked under sections 354 (sexual assault with intent to outrage the modesty of a woman) and 273 (sale of noxious food or drink) of the Indian Penal Code.
Introduced as Magh Mela special service this year, chopper joyride is attracting pilgrims but scaring away the migratory Siberian birds, which flock to Sangam every year in this season.

Ironically, the nod for chopper service, launched by a Chennai-based company, came from district magistrate Sanjay Kumar, who himself is a noted bird photographer and enthusiast.

The sensitive migratory birds travel thousands of miles from Siberia to different parts of the country to escape the harsh weather in their native land.

One of their favourite destinations is the Sangam area because of the climate here and the protection given to birds by local priests and boatmen who encourage pilgrims to feed migratory birds, promoting it as a religious ritual.

However, with the starting of service this year, birds are being disturbed and are scared whenever the chopper hovers over Sangam area.

Although, choppers do not fly too low over Sangam, disturbing loud noise of its engine is causing a stir among delicate birds.

They panic to the sound of the chopper and fly away only to return when it leaves, says Aditya Gupta, a bird lover, who recently visited Sangam.

Abdullah Rehman, another bird lover, says migratory birds choose a safe and quiet place for winters but change the spot if they are disturbed regularly. The chopper service started on January 12 from the police lines. The four-seat chopper makes several rounds of Sangam and other areas of the city on a fee of Rs 4000 per person.

District magistrate Sanjay Kumar said, Chopper service is being appreciate by pilgrims as well as citizens and there are no reports of it causing any disturbance to migratory birds. The chopper flies too high and it takes only seconds to cross the Sangam area.

Read more: Magh Mela area faces swine flu scare
It has been a long journey for Shailendra Singh, former tough cop who is now a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, social activist and champion of the farmers cause.

Singh resigned as deputy superintendent of police, Special Task Force, in 2004 after he fell out with the then Samajwadi Party (SP) government over gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansaris arrest.

Singh had arrested Ansari and was about to impose the Prevention of Terrorist Act (POTA) on him when he was allegedly pressured by his political bosses to set the mafioso free.

Unwilling to give in to pressure, Singh quit his job, stirring a debate in the state over the politician-mafia nexus.

He unsuccessfully contested the 2004 Lok Sabha election from Varanasi as an independent candidate.

He lost the 2009 Lok Sabha poll on the Congress ticket from Chandauli. In the 2012 assembly elections, he tried his luck on the Congress ticket from Saiyadraja assembly constituency in Chandauli but lost.

He had an almost seven-year stint in the Congress where he headed the partys RTI cell for UP. Singh joined the BJP on April 15, 2014.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Singh was in charge of Prime Minister Narendra Modis war room in Varanasi.

Admired for his ability to tackle social issues, he is among the few BJP leaders to interact with Modi whenever he visits his constituency.

The former deputy SP took the right to information (RTI) and public interest litigation (PIL) route to fight corruption.

After resigning from the police force, I decided to take up social issues via the RTI and PIL route, Singh told HT.

Singh filed a PIL in the Supreme Court in 2008, seeking details of money spent by the then Mayawati government on constructing Ambedkar memorials in Lucknow. Soon, Singh was arrested in September that year for allegedly ransacking the state information commission office. He said the charge was politically motivated. The former police officer was released on bail by the court of the additional sessions judge which passed strictures against the Mayawati government for the arrest. Singh was in jail for seven days.

Espousing the cause of corruption-free governance, Singh went on to file a PIL at the Allahabad high court in December 2010, this time seeking details of the money spent by the then Uttar Pradesh government on implementing the e-governance project.

Singh is now working to meet the Modi governments objective of self-employment in the agriculture sector.

He is working closely with farmers in implementing zero budget spiritual farming across Uttar Pradesh. The concept is the brainchild of Subhash Palekar, a farmer of Amravati in Maharashtra. This unique method has its origin in ancient Indian farming techniques. A formulation called Jiwamrita is at the heart of the technique and nurtures thousands of bacteria essential for healthy crop growth.

I have divided Uttar Pradesh in eight zones for implementing zero budget spiritual farming in the state. To start with, this technique has been introduced to farmers of a village in Barabanki and Mahmudabad in Sitapur district, said Singh.

By 2020, it will be implemented across the state, he said.

I feel the agriculture sector has the maximum potential for self-employment opportunities for youths, he said.

The former deputy SP says, I feel contented with my social work. I have achieved what I wanted to do when I had decided to resign from the job (UP Police).

Singh is yet to taste electoral success but his political career has evolved in the BJP where he is admired for his prowess to tackle social issues.

Read more| There should be no cooling off period for bureaucrats to join politics: Punia

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Two suspects, including one police officer, were arrested Thursday in connection to the assassination of Andrey Karlov, Russias ambassador to Turkey, Anadolu reported.

Police detained five suspects Wednesday, including police officer Sercan Baser and tradesman Enes Asim Silin.

The pair was remanded later by an Ankara court pending trial under accusations of "being members of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO)".

The court approved the release of three other suspects under judicial control.

Karlov was fatally shot Dec. 19 by Mevlut Mert Altintas as the diplomat delivered a speech at an art exhibition in the Turkish capital.

Altintas was later shot dead in an exchange of fire with security personnel.
As Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress inched closer to finalizing a seat-distribution formula, the distrust between Jat and Muslim community in western UP post Muzaffarnagar riots is said to be posing a hurdle in inking a deal with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) of Ajit Singh.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav remained closeted with party general secretary Ramgopal Yadav on Wednesday for the 140 assembly seats that go to polls on February 11 and 15. A formal announcement of the alliance is expected by Thursday with Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad expected to arrive later this evening in Lucknow.

Muslims in the region are unlikely to go for RLD because of the lack of trust with Jat community. Riots have also affected SPs clout in the region. Hence, they see the Congress as their only bet that can wrest power from the BJP at the Centre in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, says Athar Hussein, director the Centre for Objective Research and Development

According to sources, the RLD, which has considerable support in Western UP, has reportedly also upped its demand is not willing to settle for anything less than 30 seats. The SP has offered it 20 seats. We are not in touch with the RLD. The seat-sharing details between the SP and Congress you will get to know very shortly, said SP vice president Kiranmoi Nanda told Hindustan Times.

SP patriarch Mulayam has already given a must-have list of his own 38 candidates to CM on Tuesday. The list initially included brother Shivpal Yadavs son Aditya from Jaswant Nagar. But later Shivpals name was replaced by that of his son. The earlier formula that all sitting SP legislators will be fielded again no longer applies now, said party sources as the caste arithmetic has changed with the forging of alliance with Congress and possibly with RLD also.

Read more: Lalu Prasad to campaign for Akhilesh to ensure victory of socialist forces

Several ticket seekers, including at least two UP ministers, who went to meet Akhilesh Yadav to press their claim were denied entry into the CMs 5 Kalidas Marg residence here on Wednesday. According to sources, both Akhilesh and Ramgopal were busy signing form A and form B related to party symbol and finalised candidates. A quid-pro-quo approach would have to be adopted. For instance, SP has already announced the name Aparna Yadav, Mulayams second daughter in law from Lucknow Cantonment seat, which was won by Rita Bahuguna Joshi as Congress candidate. Bahuguna is now in BJP.

But SP would have to offer Congress another seat in lieu of Lucknow Cantt. Similarly, Congress does not want to give up Amethi seat, which is held by controversial minister Gayatri Prajapati, a close aide of Mulayam.

Mulayam has reportedly recommended Prajapatis name from Amethi but the SP could vacate the seat for the Congress, according to sources.

Uttar Pradesh has 403 assembly constituencies. After several rounds of back channel talks, while the SP will contest on 290-300 seats, the Congress has reportedly sought 90-100 seats. The seat-distribution is being done on the basis of these parties performance in 2012 assembly elections in UP.

SP insiders said while the Congress was ahead of SP on 56 seats, the RLD got more votes than SP on 26 seats. This is generally the broad seat-sharing formula that is being worked upon. We are willing to leave five seats for other smaller parties, said a senior SP leader. Since Congress has made it clear that it will not settle for anything less than 90 seats, the RLD too is trying to drive a bargain and wants at least 30 seats.

Read more: With Akhilesh in control, expelled loyalists brought back into party fold

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For a place where 44% children are underweight, 57% are stunted and 88% pregnant women are anaemic, Shivaji Nagar has no hospitals and no maternity homes. It has just one dispensary and four health posts. These stark realities were reported by Apnalaya, an NGO, based on its surveys of 12 slum clusters, comprising 6,631 families in Mumbais M/East ward.

Apnalayas report, titled Life on the Margin: Changing Realities, highlighted that the areas population of 6 lakh requires a minimum of 60 dispensaries and four health posts.

The survey, conducted in April 2015, reveals that 60.3% people said they go without even one meal a day. 58.8% said they worry that their household does not have enough food.

Founded in 1973, Apnalaya works towards improving health, livelihood and gender relations in the ward.

A ward that ranks the lowest in Human Development Indices in the city, the average age of death in M/East is just 39 years. Though Shivaji Nagar itself has more than two lakh registered voters, access to basic civic amenities is the poorest here. M/East also houses the largest dumping ground, the Deonar dump. Though many earn their livelihood at this dump, it is also one of the biggest health hazards in the city.

The report comes at a time when the citys civic elections are slated for February 21. Candidates are likely to woo voters with dreams of a better life.

Every second male, and 6 of 7 females who participated in the study were unemployed. Gender discrimination is also poignant as women account for just 17% of the total workforce in the area.

As much as 60% were employed in the casual labour sector. The average monthly income in the slums is merely Rs7,802, compared to the national average of Rs14,000.

The average income of a person who has been living in Shivaji Nagar for four decades is just Rs700 more than a person who is new to the community. Most of the work is rudimentary. One can imagine the circumstances that force people leave their home and come to Shivaji Nagar to just earn Rs700 more in 40 years, said Arun Kumar, CEO, Apnalaya.

Through the report, Apnalaya aims to collaborate with the local body and the state to improve conditions in the ward, Kumar added.

The report highlights inconsistencies in the availability of potable water, which leads to more than half the families spending Rs10-Rs29 on water everyday, an added burden with minimal income.

Read

BMC polls: Political parties give a miss to Mumbais development plan

Incentives for slum revamp: Maharashtra government mulls high FSI for more cheap homes

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Elections to the BMC are due next month. Hectic parleys are underway as the political parties search for strategies and alliances to get control of the countrys richest municipal corporation.

Who will win the elections time alone will tell and is not really germane to the issue. Rather, it is what people of this city want and deserve. Heres a four-point agenda for the next custodian of the BMC to make Mumbai livable again.

Health:

A standing joke in my college days  quite morbid admittedly  was that if an unwanted relative fell ill get him or her admitted to a municipal hospital: the return back home was highly unlikely. The crux issue in this tasteless sentiment might appear to be the hapless relative, but in fact it was an indictment of the health facilities and care provided by the BMC.

Not much, sadly, has changed in the past four decades and more. Going by recent stories, shenanigans in BMC hospitals have reached new heights. Ironically, medical colleges that come under the jurisdiction of the BMC provide excellent education and produce excellent doctors. In the absence of a national health scheme, a vast majority of citizens are left to the mercy of the BMC. It devolves on the corporation to deliver: not just in hospitals, but scores of municipal dispensaries that dot the city.

Education:

Supplementary to health care, and rather much in dire straits too. Given the apathy of the BMC, municipal schools have become repositories of inadequate and unfulfilling education. Curriculums are often obsolete or not strictly adhered to (for lack of vigilance) and teaching standards have slumped as teachers have migrated (or want to) to private schools.

Right to education is enshrined in the Constitution as imperative for the development of society and nation and municipal schools seemed to work well in the first few decades post-Independence. As private education has flourished, those in the economically deprived categories have been unable to benefit and are being left behind. An aspirational society was always going to throw up serious challenges, but the gross neglect of the BMC is creating a socio-eco-cultural chasm that could hurt in the future.

Environment:

My first editor would refer to Bombay (as the city was known earlier) as Slumbay. This was not only because of the proliferation of ghettos and slums, but because of the distinct odour he got whenever he returned home. Since Bombay became Mumbai, that particular smell has reduced considerably. But whether the city is much better off environmentally today is a moot point.

This must necessarily be seen in the context of how sensibilities of people have changed, what their expectations are today and how much of this is being met. In this aspect, I venture the BMC has flopped. Last years raging fire at the Deonar waste dump is a case in point, but not the only one. In fact, it is not major incidents that highlight the inefficacy of the BMC, but the everyday maintenance of the city. There seems to be gross reluctance to do things that any city  leave aside the countrys leading megapolis  requires.

Waste and garbage piles lie across Mumbais length and breadth, sometimes unattended for days. Repairs of sewers take longer than perhaps anywhere else in the world. Roads remain dug up for longer. And, of course, every remedial activity comes only at a price.

And it is not just about garbage and stink, but caring about and maintaining open spaces, the coast line and beaches, the excellent heritage and legacy structures that give Mumbai its identity and not the least, taking a holistic view of cluster redevelopment.

Monsoon preparedness and the omnipresent potholes:

This cannot be explained in a few paras but would need a book. Or several. Suffice to say that Mumbais best season, the monsoon, has become its worst for citizens to cope with. And the pothole problem has assumed, in an odious sense, legendary status.

Can there be relief from this?
The efforts of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena to forge an alliance for the Mumbai civic polls hit the first major hurdle on Thursday.

Even with alliance talks underway, ruling allies Shiv Sena and BJP  in a game of political one upmanship  released partial manifestos on Thursday, dangling freebies to voters and taking swipes at each other. By evening, the differences became louder with BJP MP Kirit Somaiya commenting that the citizens of Mumbai were fed up with one familys rule over the city and Sena leaders asking the BJP to restrain its leaders to ensure the talk continue.

In a day of quick developments, it was Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray who first took the press conference and announced the party will exempt property tax for houses with carpet area less than 500 sq and offer a heavy discount on tax for houses up to 700 sqft if it is re-elected to power. The sop is aimed at the middle- and working-class population in Mumbai, who form a majority of the votebank. He also promised free healthcare for all Mumbaiites who do not qualify for any of the state governments health sops, by launching its own Balasaheb Thackeray Aarogya Kavach scheme. Taking a veiled dig at ally BJP, Thackeray said other parties may have caused stress to the public, but the Sena will not do the same. My announcements will not be limited to elections the way the Acche din campaign was. I will implement everything that I have promised, Thackeray said.

Barely two hours after this announcement, BJP city chief Ashish Shelar claimed ownership of the property tax sop, taking the exemption 100 sqft further, exempting flats with carpet area of 600 sqft. He also announced the cancellation of street tax and rescuing citizens from tax terrorism by the Mumbai civic body in a jibe to the Sena, which controls the civic body.

As far as property tax goes, the BJP had first proposed exempting the tax on properties with carpet area of up to 600 sqft. I had tabled this in the Vidhan Sabha last year and it had been cleared. So we are not opposed to such a move. We have also proposed that Mumbaiites be free of street tax until the state of roads in the city improves, said Shelar.

The BMC has a budget of Rs34,000 crore and deposits of Rs25,000 crore and despite this, tax terrorism continues in Mumbai. Street tax of nearly Rs500-Rs 600 crore is collected annually even though the state of the roads is shoddy. The BJP is committed to changing this scenario, Shelar said.

Even as parties competed with each other over freebies, BJP MP Kirit Somaiya trained guns on the Sena chief and his family questioning how long Mumbai would tolerate the rule of one family and one party. He called for a mafiaraj free civic body. Somaiyas remarks to a Marathi TV channel IBN Lokmat came a day after Sena mouthpiece Saamana took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying demonetisation was akin to dropping a nuclear bomb on the countrys economy. Reacting to Somaiya and Shelars remarks, the Sena leaders told the media that they would ask the BJP if it was the official stand of the party. Sources said the three Sena leaders participating in the talksAnil Desai, Anil Parab and Ravindra Mirlekarhad suggested party chief Uddhav Thackeray to have a word with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the public comments being made by his colleagues.

The ongoing acerbic charges exchanged between the parties are being seen as part of pressure tactics by both the parties. The seat-sharing talks between the two parties are expected resume on Friday. The BJP has finalised its wishlist of 114 seats, exactly half of the 227 member-BMC and this will be shared with the Sena to take the talks forward.

The tussle on Thursday, however, indicates that even if the allies stitch up an alliance, it will be difficult for them to avoid criticism of one another. And the contest for the leading party in Mumbai or who can wrest the mayors slot will get played out between these allies turned rivals.

The seat-sharing talks between the saffron allies are likely to continue on Friday with January 21 as the accepted deadline between the two parties.

Earlier, both the parties offered freebies to the voters but did not elaborate on the details of rolling out these freebies. Property tax is the second-highest source of revenue for the Mumbai civic body after octroi duty. The BMC collects about Rs6,000 crore every year in property tax. Street tax is a component of the property tax and the civic body collects nearly Rs500-Rs600 crore through this levy. Significantly, the third major party in the fray in Mumbai, the Congress has already announced that it would provide free water upto 90 litres a person daily if elected to power. It has also promised reduction in property tax.

Currently, those living in houses of up to 500 sqft are exempt from the BMCs capital value-based system, which links property tax to ready reckoner rates, taking into account the market value of these properties. Houses of up to 500 sqft have to pay a notional rateable value, which is the earning capacity of a property. As a result, property taxes in several areas of the island city are anyway low as rents were frozen under the Rent Control Act.

Read more:

BJP, Shiv Sena go on a poaching spree
Even as the alliance talks between the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are on, the parties have started preparing to go solo in the civic polls to be held on February 21.

If the alliance fails, the main poll battle will be fought between the saffron allies. It will also be the first time in 15 years that the parties will contest all 227 seats independently. Keeping this in mind, both parties have been poaching sitting corporators and this is likely to intensify.

About 13 sitting civic corporators have left their parties to join the Shiv Sena and BJP. The Sena has inducted eight of these, two of whom  Congress corporators Yogesh Bhoir from Kandivli (East) and Bhomsingh Rathod from Malad (East)  joined the party formally, at Matoshree on Monday.

The BJP claims it could hijack as many as 20 sitting councillors, while Sena sources said they are in touch with six to seven corporators.

We are focussing on winning the mayors seat, irrespective of the alliance. We expect about 20 sitting corporators to join our party soon, said a senior BJP leader.

BJP sources told HT that leaders have started asking popular and winnable local leaders from other parties to join the party.

We have not contested more than 65 seats in the BMC polls. We played a smaller part so far. If the alliance does not work out, we will have to put up strong candidates for at least 115 seats. Even otherwise, if we want the mayors seat, then we need to do better than the Sena. Party leadership said we should identify strong candidates from other parties and woo them, said a senior party functionary.

Speculation is rife that top Congress and NCP leaders such as Pravin Chheda, Devendra Amberkar and Dhananjay Pisal are likely to be approached by the BJP. However, they have not confirmed this.

While the Congress has lost four of its corporators, five Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and three NCP corporators also switched loyalties and joined the ruling partners. These include, Sandhya Doshi from the NCP and Ishwar Tayade, Suresh Avale and Geeta Chavan from the MNS who joined the Sena last year. Prakash Darekar and Sukhada Pawar from the MNS, Kesarben Mehta and Sagar Thakur from the Congress joined BJP. Even BJP MLA Parag Alavanis wife Jyoti Alavani  who had contested as an independent candidate during the 2012 election  has now joined the party.

According to highly-placed civic sources, three NCP and three MNS corporators are likely to join the Sena. We are expecting six corporators to join our party soon. Two women and one man from the MNS will join us by next week, said a senior Sena member.

Read

Shiv Sena gears up to guard its citadel

BJP, Shiv Sena to exchange wishlist of wards

Can CM Fadnavis win them all?

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The Bombay high court (HC) on Thursday directed the Maharashtra government to remove the seal and attachment imposed upon the Cambata building that houses Eros theatre near Churchgate. The HC is likely to take up the matter for further hearing after four weeks.

The building was sealed by the city collectors office on Wednesday, following litigation in the labour court over pending dues.

The city collectors office is seeking to recover labour dues amounting to Rs4.45 crore from Cambata Aviation Private Limited, the former ground handlers at the Mumbai airport.

However, a division bench comprising justice Shantanu K hemkar and PD Naik held on Thursday while the state had a right to recover its dues, it must not, in the process, force other tenants or occupants out of the building.

The directions came while the bench was hearing two separate pleas, filed by the Eros Theatre management, and the Cambata Trust. The latter is the landlord of the building and has sublet the various units/office spaces in the building to the Eros film theatre, Eros gymnasium, and a restaurant, to various offices, a bank, an ATM, a chemist shop, and a gift shop.

Eros in its plea argued it was merely a tenant and had no role to play in the ongoing dispute between Cambata Aviation and its employees. It also argued the collectors office acted in an arbitrary and high handed manner, adding the authorities came at a time when a movie show was on at the theatre and began forcing members of the audience out.

At this, the bench questioned the collector offices conduct and said, What is this manner of forcing people out of the theatre in the middle of a show? Will you also start throwing people out of restaurants? We are of the view that prima facie the submission that the authorities acted arbitrarily and in a high-handed manner, seems to have some basis.

Cambata Trust, meanwhile, argued it was not warned of the sealing action in advance and that on January 18, it received phone calls from tenants informing the collector and the staff of the state abour Dues and Recovery department had evicted them and sealed the premises.

Also read: Eros theatre building sealed for not paying salary to staff

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For the past six months, an indicator installed at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Dadar has been showing the countdown to the 2017 Mumbai civic polls, in days, hours, minutes and seconds. It tells party workers exactly how much time they have to pull off a victory, down to the last second.

It is a significant election for the BJP since it won the Assembly polls in 2014. Contrary to the past 25 years, this time the Mumbai civic polls are not revolving around the Sena, but the BJP.

The party hopes to more than double its seats from the current 31 to 80-85 of the 227 seats, to wrest control of the countrys financial capital. Its a difficult feat, given the partys highest score in the past 15 years has been 35 seats.

The 2014 Assembly polls propped the party to power in Maharashtra and changed the political equation in Mumbai. The BJP won the highest number of legislators in the city, 15 of the 36. With it, came the confidence that it can make a bid for the BMC as an equal partner of the Sena, if not alone. With power in the state as well as the Centre, and BJPs winning streak unabated even in the recently concluded municipal council polls, party leaders feel it may be now or never.

Not taking a chance

We are systematic in our approach. CM Devendra Fadnavis prefers to rely on data instead of sentiments. It worked in the Kalyan-Dombivli civic polls where our tally rose from 9 to 42. We hope it will work for us in Mumbai too, said a senior party functionary.

Four detailed surveys have been carried out by the party so far, two by Mumbai city chief Ashish Shelar and two by Fadnavis to understand the pulse of the city and where the BJP stands.

While the partys Dadar office has been serving as the nerve centre for the electoral efforts, a war room at Nariman Point has been dabbling with various sets of data. Besides, the surveys on the partys chances in polls, data on community-wise break-up to identify BJP voters and winnability of candidates in each ward has also been undertaken to work out a strategy

Change in approach

In a marked shift from the earlier stand, where the BJP was seen as the favoured party of trading communities like Gujaratis and middle-class Maharashtrians, the party has made a sustained outreach to north Indians, who make up for nearly 20% of the citys population. The party is targeting non-Marathi voters, so far seen as the Congress domain, besides making inroads in the slums. Fadnavis has attended Chhat Pujas, Uttar Bharatiya programmes, Tamil sammelans, Dalit programmes in the past one year, leaving no community out. North Indian leaders like RN Singh, president of Uttar Bharatiya Sangh with Congress credentials, has been inducted into the party and even made an MLC.

Marathi voters may account for 30% of the city voters, but north Indians and Gujaratis are also a big component. Earlier, 100% of Marathi voters would come out to vote, while the other communities didnt vote much. Now, they have settled, call Mumbai their home and vote. Even slum pockets are more cosmopolitan today, said Parag Alavani, BJP legislator from Vile Parle.

The other big change has been the shift from the middle class to the urban poor. One of the big exercises carried out by the party last year was to identify BJP voters from slums. It carried out a polling booth wise survey of those who had benefitted from central schemes like LPG subsidy. Many of those identified were inducted as party workers and are now its brand ambassadors. The BJP voters live in shanty towns and look up to the BJPs development agenda and PM Modi, said the partys organising secretary Sunil Karjatkar.

The party is confident its traditional middle class Maharashtrian voters will support it.

No to corruption

It is more than evident that Fadnavis is the face of the party as it goes to polls and development is the campaign plank. From the metro network to free WiFi and CCTV cameras, the BJP will ask voters to make a choice based on the work done by the government in the past two years.

Also, the party does not want to let go of its anti-corruption plank that gave it dividends in 2014 polls. So it started targeting the Shiv Sena for the scams in the civic body from poor roads to nullahs, a year before the elections.

The mandate we have is clearly anti-corruption and no one can be fooled into thinking the BMC is not corrupt. As a dominant partner in the BMC, the Sena is responsible. Thats why the CM has insisted on transparency, said a senior party minister. The partys big fear is this transparency agenda will get diluted if the alliance works.

Politics of poaching

Like in the recently concluded municipal council polls, the party will make use of realpolitik, power and induction of winnable candidates from across parties to increase its tally.

A bid is being made for the MNS vote bank largely by inducting the party corporators and legislators into its fold. The party is investing time and money to make room for itself in Sena bastions of Lalbaug, Parel, Dadar. Much of this work has been outsourced to newly inducted politicians like Prasad Lad, a former NCP politician. Former Sena legislator Suresh Gambhir was inducted to make inroads into the Dadar-Mahim belt. Earlier, MNS former legislator Pravin Darekar was inducted and made an MLC.

Corporators like Prakash Darekar and Sukhada Pawar (MNS) and Sagar Thakur, son of former legislator Ramesh Thakur, and Kesarben Patel (Congress) have been admitted into the party so far.

In many seats, we dont have candidates because we were contesting limited seats in alliance with the Sena. So, we are looking to induct winnable candidates, admitted a party legislator.

Read

Criminalisation of politics and the BJP

Can BJP breach Congress-NCPs rural bastions?

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Four people, including two women, were injured on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Thursday morning, after the car they were travelling in crashed into the divider.

The accident took place near Rasayani, around 20km from Panvel city, around 6.30am.

According to the police, the four were travelling from Goa to Mumbai in the car. As they were crossing the village, the car rammed on to the divider and skidded on to hit a tree in the boulevard between the dividers.

All four people suffered injuries in the accident. They were rushed to MGM hospital in Kamothe. One of them is in a critical condition, said one police officer from Rasayani police station.

So far, we know that the injured are residents of Mumbai. However, we dont have their residential addresses yet, he further said.

Explaining the reason behind the accident, the officer said, The man behind the wheels dozed off probably because he was driving for a long time. He lost control of the vehicle.

READ MORE

WiFi on Mumbai-Pune e-way dangerous, say experts

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The Worli police on Thursday registered a case against veteran Indian actor Rati Agnihotri and her husband for allegedly stealing electricity worth Rs48.97 lakh.

A case was registered on Thursday evening after the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) officials raided their building and found that the actor and her husband had tampered with the electronic meter, sources said. After raiding the apartment, they arrived at the police station and registered a case under section 135 of the electricity act, according to the sources.

The police said that Rati and her husband, Anil Virwani, were accused of stealing electricity, amounting up to Rs48.97 lakh, for the past three years. The BEST officials said the actor and her husband have tampered the electronic meter which was attached inside their residential building three-and-a-half years ago.

An officer from BEST, on the condition of anonymity, said, We have the courts permission to raid any residential apartment where we suspect something illegal is going on. Our vigilance team found out that something was wrong with their meter, so accordingly with the help of police officials, we raided their apartment at 10.30am on Thursday and reported the matter at the police station. We have learnt that they have been doing this since the past three years and the bill amounted to Rs48.97 lakh.

Deputy commissioner of police, Paravin Padwal (zone 3), confirmed the case and said, We have registered a case against the actor and her husband on the basis of the BEST officials complaint.

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Two non-resident Indians (NRI) based in United States and United Kingdom respectively have registered a case of cheating and forgery with the Azad Maidan police station. The police said that the two NRIs had sent cheques via courier to their payees in India but the cheques were misplaced, manipulated and deposited in an alleged frauds account.

According to the police officials, the NRIs have been identified as Reggi George a resident of UK and Johnson Kunjppi a resident of USA.

George lost Rs1.50 lakh when he sent a cheque for Rs50,000 to an NGO in Kerala. But the cheque never reached the payee. Instead, it was deposited in a Canara Bank account belonging to a Shailesh Kalyanji Vora and the amount was somehow altered to Rs1,50,000. The account holders bank branch is in Mumbai and comes under the jurisdiction of the Azad Maidan police station.

A police officer privy to the investigation said, George had sent the cheque on the name of one Yuliti Abram who runs an NGO in Kerala but it didnt reach her at all. The amount mentioned in the cheque was of Rs 50,000, but the fraud who managed to get his hands on the cheque changed it to Rs1,50,000. The cheque was deposited in the bank on August 10.

When George realised that Rs1 lakh extra has been withdrawn from his account, he inquired with Abram and contacted the Azad Maidan police.

A similar incident took place with Johnson Kunjppi who lives in USA. He had dispatched a cheque of Rs1.5 lakh for his brother Jacob, who lives in Kerala, but it too never reached the payee.

The cheque was misplaced, manipulated and deposited in Voras account on the same date as Georges cheque was deposited, that is August 10. In Kunjppis cheque, the fraud changed the name of the payee and deposited it in the Canara bank branch here, said an officer.

After getting details of the banks location, Kunjppis approached the Azad Maidan police through an e-mail, following which a case was registered on January 12 in which both complaints from both the NRIs were included.

The police have frozen Voras account and after obtaining his address from the bank, are trying to locate him. Voras had Rs2.5 lakh in his account which was frozen immediately we have also got his address and have summoned him for a statement, said the officer.

Confirming the news, senior police inspector Vijay Kadam from Azad Maidan police station said, We have learnt that someone from the courier company is involved in the racket as they have been misplacing cheques and handing them over to frauds who in turn pay them a trifle to do so. Further investigation is underway.

Also read: RBI allows NRIs to exchange old Rs 500, Rs 1000 banknotes up to June 2017

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Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19

Trend:

Turkey hopes for a positive outcome from the Syrian talks between the government and the opposition, to be held in Astana Jan. 23, Turkeys Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told TASS on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"We are optimistic in the sense that for the first time key players - Russia, Iran and Turkey - have a lot of common ground to put an end to this human tragedy," he said. "And these players can make a big difference."



"There have been a lot of efforts in the past in Geneva and elsewhere but there was a broad sort of effort and people just literally shouted at each other," the deputy PM said. "You know, they talked past each other."

"So now for the first time the actors who have big stakes, who are on the ground, who have significant influence on the conflicting sides, are together working on this," Simsek continued. "So, they can make a big difference. We have high hopes."
1. NCP war room goes digital to approach voters in Mumbai

Using the social media to reach out to millions has become a norm and political parties seem to be taking serious note. After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) too has now set up an election war room with a dedicated team of social media experts, information technology professionals and statisticians to reach out to every individual voter for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Read

2. Now, an app to help find Mumbai WiFi hotspots

In a bid to make its WiFi service more user-friendly, the Maharashtra government is coming up with a mobile phone application that will help citizens identify nearest WiFi hotspots. The app  Aaple Sarkar Mum WiFi  will be launched by next week. Read

3. Car collides with divider on Mumbai-Pune Expressway, four injured

Four people, including two women, were injured on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Thursday morning, after the car they were travelling in crashed into the divider. The accident took place near Rasayani, around 20km from Panvel city, around 6.30am. Read

4. Indian business fliers bills touched US$29.6 billion in 2015: Report

Business fliers in India drew a travel bill of US$29.6 billion (Rs2,01,909 crore) in 2015, making it among the worlds top 10 countries in spending on business travel, said a white paper released in Mumbai on Wednesday. While China topped the list followed by the US, Germany, Japan and the UK, India stood tenth, the report said. Read

5. It was Charu, who kept us going

Two days after she passed away, the father of animator Charu Khandal said that for the five years that she was at home, coping with a serious spinal injury, never did she sit idle. Read
The Mumbai police stumbled upon a sex racket functioning in the city in the guise of an escort service, rescuing 22 women, one of them a minor.

Four persons have been arrested in raids conducted over the last 10 days.

Most of the women, aged between 20 and 25, were from West Bengal and had been trafficked to the city for prostitution. The 17-year-old is from Mumbai.

The flesh trade was being run online under the cover of escort services, with mobile numbers of pimps being given out, said a police source. From January 6, the police started deploying decoys who contacted several of these numbers.

The police said that the pimps used to ask customers to book rooms in hotels and sent the women there.

The social service wing of the Mumbai polices crime branch rescued the women after conducting raids at 10 places and sent them to a government shelter home.

READ MORE

Chinese woman sentenced to 3 years for trying to smuggle 370 turtles
A 44-year-old mans heart was transported from Mahim to Mulund, covering a distance of 23 km in 17 minutes, for Mumbais 40th heart transplant.

A 31-year-old man received the heart from a donor, who was declared brain dead at S L Raheja Hospital. This was the second cadaver donation of this year.

The transplant surgery was conducted by Dr Anvay Mulay, head of the cardiac transplant team of Fortis Hospital, Mulund. The recipient was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy and had been waiting for a transplant for a week.

The cadaver donation became possible when the donor was declared brain dead following a cerebro-vascular stroke. After the family of the patient were counselled and told about the possibility of donating transplantable organs, they decided to donate his heart, liver and kidneys. Doctors from Mulund reached Mahim to harvest the heart at 03.16 am on Thursday and reached Fortis Hospital, Mulund at 03.33 am.

Swift coordination between Mumbais Traffic and Police Authorities enabled a smooth organ transfer across all city hospitals. A green corridor was created from Fortis S L Raheja Hospital  T Junction at Dharavi  BKC  Eastern Express Highway  Airoli Junction  Mulund.

Speaking on Mumbais record number of heart transplants, Dr Mulay said, The donor familys contribution to the society is unmatched. Theyve been courageous for having taken a decision to save lives at the time of grief and personal loss. About the patient he said, The surgery has been concluded and the recipient is now stable. We will continue to monitor him in the ICU for the next 48 to 72 hours.

Mumbais first successful heart transplant was done at Fortis Hospital in August 2015.

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Cadaver donation leads to first kidney transplant of 2017 in Mumbai
The Eastern Freeway and the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) are as structurally different as they come. But apart from the Eastern in their names, motorists also see both these routes as Mumbais only race tracks.

According to the citys traffic police, many motorists who speed along the stretch often end up in severe accidents  many of them fatal.

The 23.55-km EEH, which connects Thane to south Mumbai, is prone to accidents thanks to speeding motorists and some parts of the highway are also in the list of blackspots compiled by the Mumbai traffic police.

But why the need for speed?

A portion of the EEH from Thane to Chembur has seven lanes, including two service lanes . It is the broadest route in the city and is a straight path. Taking advantage of the space and orientation, motorists and bikers accelerate rashly, said Satish Patil, retired senior inspector, who served at Vikhroli traffic division.

Patil said, Among heavy vehicles, cleaners and dumpers are involved in most accidents, bikers are the second-most likely group of motorists to lose their lives on the Eastern expressway. Most accidents on the stretch occur at night as there are no traffic signals during that time and people find it empty enough to their liking.

The EEH connects with the Eastern Freeway in Ghatkopar. Ending at P DMello Road in south Mumbai, the 16.8-km road with two lanes for each direction, has saved travel time for motorists heading to south Mumbai. However, motorists travelling on both the EEH and the Freeway face the same danger  speed.

While the speed limit on the EEH and the freeway is 80 kmph, the speed limit at the turns on the freeway has to be 40 kmph or less. Traffic officials said motorists often flout the norm, creating a serious safety hazard.

According to the World Health Organisations 2015 report on road safety, A 5% cut in average speed can result in 30% reduction in fatal crashes.

The report further points out, An adult pedestrians risk of dying is almost 60% if hit by a car at the speed of 80 kmph. Thirty-kmph speed zones can reduce the risk of a crash and are recommended in areas where vulnerable road users are common, like

in residential and school areas .

AV Shenoy, road safety expert ,said, Motorists take road safety very casually. They have to adhere to lane discipline and remain within the prescribed speed limits to avoid any accidents.

Shenoy highlights that unlike the EEH, the freeway is narrower and hence it also increases the chances of fatalities because of accidents.

There are curves on the stretch where the speed has to be reduced. If that is not followed, it will certainly result in an accident, said Shenoy.

Read more: HT Road safety series: Western Express Highway slows down Mumbaiites

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Despite satisfactory rainfall this monsoon, Maharashtra registered a paltry fall of 5% in farmer suicides to 3,063 in 2016 from 3,228 in 2015 .

The new numbers have raised questions over policies of the state government, which has allocated Rs25,000 crore for agriculture.

Shockingly, the number of suicides in the last six months after the 2016 monsoon set in was as high as in 2014 and 2015 for the same period.

Suicides in Yavatmal and Osmanabad districts were the highest, despite Krishi Samruddhi Yojana and Baliraja Chetana Yojana schemes to counsel farmers to reduce the number of deaths there.

The Marathwada region, which has been worst hit by the drought for last three years, witnessed 1,053 suicides in 2016 against 1,133 in 2015, while Vidarbha (Amravati and Nagpur division of administration) registered 1,451 deaths in 2016 against 1,570 in 2015.

Yavatmal witnessed a significant reduction in the cases to 278 in 2016 from 386 in 2015. Amravati and Osmanabad, however, did not chart any dip.

About 40% of suicides were termed ineligible by the district administrations, thus denying the government help to the agrarian families. The number of ineligible cases went up in 2016 compared to 2015.

It is true that farm production increased this year owing to satisfactory rainfall this year. But the drastic fall in the price to the produce has led to a great loss. For instance, tur price has fallen to Rs4,000 a quintal from Rs12,000 last year. The Swaminathan Commission has suggested minimum support price, which includes 50% profit to farmers; however, governments have failed to fix the rate. The failure to implement governments policies has resulted in the abysmal suicide numbers, said Vijay Jawandhia, a farm activist and Shetkari Sanghatana leader.

Talking about various measures being taken under the Baliraja Chetna Yojana, Rajesh Khawle, resident district collector of Yavatmal, said, By identifying the socio-economic problems faced by farmers in the district, we launched various schemes. Farmers were found distressed owing to health problems, marriages of their kids and the cash crunch.

By forming committees at the village level, we identified six families per village each for these problems and helped them with Rs5,000 each. The grant for the marriages in the family was raised to Rs35,000. This yielded us good result in the last one year, he said.

READ

Good rains fail to offer respite to farmers in Maharashtra
Business fliers in India drew a travel bill of US$29.6 billion (Rs2,01,909 crore) in 2015, making it among the worlds top 10 countries in spending on business travel, said a white paper released in Mumbai on Wednesday. While China topped the list followed by the US, Germany, Japan and the UK, India stood tenth, the report said.

The survey sample accounted for just 5% business travel spends in India based on business travel bookings and expense reporting data of more than 100 corporates and some small businesses from consultancy firm KPMGs database. FCM Travel Solutions, business travel provider partnered with KPMG in the study.

India has three kinds of business travellers from CEOs shuttling in private jets to junior executives taking economy class flights and budget hotels, said the report, adding that the travel expenditure of such people is set to mushroom over the next decade.

Currently at US$30 billion, collective work-induced travel bills are projected to more than triple to US$93 billion by 2030, it said.

The projections, however, did not take the recent demonetisation into account.

The forecasts were based on spending patterns seen in 2015. Our long-term projections stay unchanged, said Rakshit Desai, managing director, Flight Centre Travel Group, India, adding that it was too early to gauge the impact of demonetisation on business travel. Our trading numbers are unaffected until now. Domestic air ticket prices stayed strong. Only international airfares fell by about 10% but that could be owing to several factors such as crude prices.

According to the report, in 2015, India recorded a 15% spike in business travel spends which is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12% through 2020 to 6% by 2030. Even if South Korea, Italy and Brazil were to add up their expected growth in business travel spends, Indias graph would still beat them, said the study, adding that 13 years from now the country would be among top five on the list.

Despite some recent economic speed bumps, the business travel market remains incredibly robust and dynamic with a number of countries such as India, China, Germany and Canada, growing at a remarkable rate, said Jaideep Ghosh, partner and head of (transport, leisure and sports) with KPMG in India.

Ghosh added that if Indias spending patterns continue for 15 to 20 years, it will surpass the US and be second only to China. In fact India is statistically where China was close to 15 years back. It is clearly a story that no one is talking about yet, but it bears watching.

Desai said the paper explains emerging trends and gives a perspective on business travellers today. This white paper helps analyse the disruptive changes happening today and forecasts how they will impact managed travel processes, the Indian business travellers experiences and expectations in the near future.

The report findings reinstated the increasing nature of work-induced travel bookings happening on the go. According to the paper, travel bookings made from smartphones rose from Rs34 billion in 2009 to Rs109 billion in 2014, recording a 300% growth.

READ MORE

Service tax hike hits the holiday planner

Mumbai remains most unpunctual private-run airport

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Two days after she passed away, the father of animator Charu Khandal said that for the five years that she was at home, coping with a serious spinal injury, never did she sit idle.

For most of the time, she would be bedridden but instead of wasting that time, Charu used to take online classes through skype and teach NRI children Hindi for free, said Ashok Khandal, father of Charu.

Life suddenly took a downward spiral for Khandal who was the lead animator for the film Ra.One, produced by Shah Rukh Khan. On the same evening when the film won the national award for best special effects in March 2012, the autorickshaw in which Charu was returning home from a party was hit by a car, resulting in grievous injuries for her.

The injuries ultimately resulted in Khandal becoming a quadriplegic and coming back to her hometown Jaipur in 2014.

These five years were extremely tough for us but the only thing that kept us going was the never-give-up spirit and positive attitude of Charu. Till the time she was hospitalized for the last time, she hoped that one day she would be able to walk again, said Ashok Khandal.

Khandla passed away on Tuesday after suffering multiple infections.

Ever since her death, I have been constantly getting messages from all her students in other countries such as UK and USA whom she used to teach Hindi. She was the driving force for all of us, said Ashok Khandal.

The 33-year-old would also avidly follow all the medical innovations on the internet to find any possible cure of her condition and would also notify the doctors about them, said her family members.

The father of Khandal also thanked Shah Rukh Khan for consistently giving moral support to the family.

The actor gave us every type of moral support which could be possible and we thank him for that, said Ashok Khandal.

READ MORE

Ra.One animator Charu Khandal passes away at 32
The special court set up to hear the 2008 Malegaon blast case on Thursday granted permission to accused retired major Ramesh Upadhyay to contest upcoming Uttar Pradesh (UP) elections.

Upadhyay had, last week, moved a plea before the special court seeking permission to contest the 2017 UP elections. The National Investigating Agency (NIA),who is probing the case, did not object to the plea.

Contesting the elections is a question of personal liberty and there is no issue about it. The court has allowed the plea and also asked the jail authorities to cooperate with him, said special public prosecutor Avinash Rasal.

Upadhyay had also contested the UP elections in 2012. That year, the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha had offered Upadhyay two seats  Ballia, Bairia and Meerut Sadar. However, he had lost the election. This year, he is yet to take a call on how he will contest the elections and so far he has decided to go solo, said sources close to Upadhyay.

Upadhyay is in jail for his role in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Soon after giving him provisional bail from February 4 to March 4 to participate, the court has now asked the NIA to file its reply on Upadhyays plea. we have received the plea and we have told the court that we would consider it and file a reply by next hearing, Rasal said.

The NIA alleged that Upadhyay attended all alleged conspiracy meetings held at Bhopal, Faridabad and various other places.

On 25, 26/1/2008, in a secret meeting at Faridabad, accused Ramesh Upadhyay proposed and accepted the theory of accused Prasad Purohit for a separate constitution for Hindu Rashtra with a separate flag (bhagwa flag). He was part of the discussion on formation of Central Hindu Government (Aryawart) against the Indian government and put forth concept of forming this government in exile in Israel, reads the charge sheet filed by the central agency.

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College students in the city may no longer have to run around locating their examination centre hours before a test.

The examination department of the University of Mumbai (MU) has come up with a proposal to conduct examinations for final year BA, BCom and BSc students in their own colleges. The proposal has been sent to the university's Board of Examination (BoE) and the universitys vice-chancellor for approval.

Currently, the students are allotted colleges other than the one they are enrolled in as exams centres, ostensibly to allow students to answer the question paper in a college nearer to their homes and to avoid malpractices during the examination. The students of professional courses  engineering, management, BEd and law  which are fewer in numbers compared to those enrolled in courses like BCom, are exempted from this norm.

The move will likely ease the work of MU, which is currently responsible for finding examination centres for more than 1,00,000 final-year degree college students enrolled in more than 200 colleges across the city and Konkan region. It may also prove beneficial for students, who have to hunt for their centre before every examination.

"We are trying to implement some new ideas [for conducting exams]. The engineering and law students don't have to run around looking for their exam centres. We want to introduce the same scheme for the rest of the students . It will save a lot of time and effort," said Deepak Wasave, officiating controller of examination at MU. Last year, the university had rescheduled the examinations to wrap them up in nine days, down from the earlier 45-day schedule.

The proposed move may also help put an end to exam-time blunders caused by MU's mismanagement. In 2015, thousands of third-year BCom students were left in the lurch when their examination centres were shifted at the eleventh hour and the paper was delayed. More recently, several examination centres handed wrong question papers to the students.

"It often becomes very confusing for the colleges that don't teach a particular course and are still tasked with supervising its papers. As we are a commerce college, it becomes very difficult to navigate through 20-25 different subject combinations. I think it's a reasonable move on part of exam department," said Madhavi Pethe, principal, Dahanukar College of Commerce in Vile Parle.

However, some fear the decision will make it easier for students to cheat during examination as supervisors could ignore malpractices, or even encourage their students to cheat . If the students write papers in their own college they will be more comfortable, but it will also open the doors malpractices,, said an official from the varsity. Pethe suggested the malpractices can be curbed by vigilance squads sent by the university.

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The Oshiwara police have sought a cause-of-death report and legal opinion to find if they can add new charges in the case of Charu Khandal, 33, the lead animator of Shah Rukh Khans 2011 movie RaOne, who died on January 17 this year after an alleged drink-driving accident in March 2012 left her grievously injured.

Senior police inspector Subhash Khanvilkar of Oshiwara police station said, Its a rare case. We have sought the opinion of legal experts. We have also asked for the cause-of-death report of Khandal. We will have to ascertain if the cause of her death can be co-related to the injuries caused by the accident. We will take appropriate action.

The incident had occurred in the wee hours of Sunday around 1am, when Khandal was returning home in an auto rickshaw with her sister, Ritu, and friend Vikrant Goyal. They were returning from a party. The accident took place on the same day when the film won the national award for best special effects.

The accident occurred near Shreejee restaurant in Andheri (West). A Honda city car driven by Manoj Gautam,44, who was alleged to be drunk at the time of the accident, crashed into the auto rickshaw.

Charu sustained serious injuries to her spine and was left paralyzed. The injuries ultimately resulted in Charu becoming a quadriplegic and her coming back to her hometown, Jaipur, in 2014.

Gautam was charged under Indian Penal Code sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and section 185 (drunk driving) of the Motor Vehicles Act. The maximum punishment under these charges is two years imprisonment.

Gautam was arrested and granted bail on March 25, 2012. The matter has seen several adjournments over the years, and the first witness is yet to be examined.

Charus sister Ritu said the family had stopped pursuing the case after they moved to Jaipur. Our entire family was engaged in taking care of her and that is the reason none of us took up the legal case seriously . We will take it up now, she said.

These five years were extremely tough for us, but the only thing that kept us going was the never-give-up spirit of Charu. Till the time she was hospitalised last, she hoped that one day she would be able to walk again, said Ashok Khandal.

Khandla passed away on Tuesday after suffering multiple infections. The 33-year-old would also avidly follow all the medical innovations on the internet to find any possible cure of her condition and would also notify the doctors about them, said her family.

Khandals father also thanked Shah Rukh Khan for his moral support to the family. The actor gave us every type of moral support which was possible and we thank him for that, said Ashok Khandal.

Also read: It was Charu, who kept us going
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The Excalibur Spider Carbon features a Spider-type skeletonised case with a DLC- treated crown, case-back and container, all made from titanium. The light yet sturdy material is teamed here with multi-layered carbon for the case, as well as vulcanized rubber on the container and red lacquer lighting up the bezel. Even more importantly, it introduces the first-ever movement plate, bridges and tourbillon upper-cage entirely made in carbon. The result is a mainplate and case forming a chassis that is rendered even lighter by this choice of material.



The honeycomb dial decor inspired by automobile radiator grilles creates a perfect high-tech background against which to highlight this Calibre RD509SQ, an Astral Skeleton flying tourbillon movement beating at a rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour and benefiting from a 70-hour power reserve.



Such an amazing technical feat, further complicated by the skeletonised nature of the calibre, is made possible by the particularly rigid nature of this T700 carbon that results in less vibrations and enhanced precision. Its ultra-thin layered structure, achieved by a sophisticated impregnation process, results in a number of useful properties. These include a uniform structure enabling 8% lower porosity compared with most other types of carbon, along with a substantial 30% reduction in weight that facilitates the rota- tion of the tourbillon upper-cage. The 10-angled layers applied to the calibre plate and bridges call for a sophisticated production process and are a fine example of dedicating technical expertise to serving aesthetics.



Their purpose is to reproduce the same motifs on the movement as those appearing on the case middle. Gripping the wrist (and the imagination) with its strap featuring a rubber base and red RubberTech fabric- like inlay, firmly secured by a DLC-coated titanium folding clasp, the Excalibur Spider Carbon is issued in a 28-piece limited edition.








Using the social media to reach out to millions has become a norm and political parties seem to be taking serious note. After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) too has now set up an election war room with a dedicated team of social media experts, information technology professionals and statisticians to reach out to every individual voter for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

The war rooms depend heavily on social networking platforms to establish man-to-man campaigns.

However, unlike the BJPs plans to capture the countrys richest civic body that has an annual budget of Rs30,000 crore, the NCPs war room is making efforts to reach to every individual voter and make its presence felt, which the party has failed to do in the past 15 years. This will be done by raising major issues that the city has been facing in all these years and helping candidates approach voters in the best effective way. For this, the war room has chalked out strategies, including an offline program for candidates, based on the characteristics of each and every ward that the party is contesting. Apart from this, all social media platforms currently available are being used to approach voters.

We have decided to reach out to the voters in the best possible manner. This will be done by adopting some unique ways as we have decided not to use phone calls and text messages for this purpose. Instead, we have chalked out our own strategy to achieve it, said Dhananjay Garje, chief coordinator of the war room for the BMC elections.

NCP is the weakest party in the city among the top four in the state, despite being part of the government for 15 years. The party has never crossed a figure of 14 seats in the BMC polls in the recent years. Currently, it has 13 seats in the 227-seat civic corporation.

War room sources revealed that their main objective was to reach out to every individual voter. This will be made possible by preparing a digital election manifesto for the first time. It means the election manifesto will be in audio-video format against the traditional print format. We believe it will help voter understand the issues and what NCP wants to do, the sources revealed.

The same formula is being applied while making profile of each and every candidate. For the first time, we are making digital profile (audio-video format) of every candidate which will be sent out to every voter of the concerned ward, the sources further said. The profile will feature their qualification, background and what they are up to, sources told.

We have also started creating an information hub for every candidate along with offline program. The information hub comprises basic details about a ward, its boundaries, demography of voters, festivals, best advertisement sites, details of local cable operators for advertisement purpose etc, sources said. Offline program has number of ways that will be used for approaching voters. This is followed by messages on problems existing in Mumbai since long such as potholes, water woes and issues related to affordable housing, infrastructure and traffic, sources added.

All this will be disseminated to voters through a Twitter handle, Facebook page, Youtube channel, Instagram and WhatsApp. We have asked every party worker to form 100 WhatsApp group so that each and every voter can be covered. The messages will be in many forms such as animated graphic, pictures, videos, advert and infographic with comparative figures, the sources said.

READ MORE

BMC polls: Parties spell war with taglines

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After a grand ceremony where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government launched the foundation stone for the mid-sea Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial, some of Indias largest infrastructure companies have queued up and evinced initial interest in implementing the project.

Thirteen companies attended the pre-bid meeting for the Rs3,600-crore Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial, proposed to be built in the Arabian Sea, off Marine Drive. These include firms such as Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Afcons Infrastructure, Tata Projects, Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) and Navayuga Engineering, officials in the state public works department said.

We have extended the last date for bid submission to February 14 as the companies interested wanted more time to prepare their bid submissions. Many of these companies have also hinted at tying up with global firms based in European countries such as France, UK and so on, to bring outside expertise to the project, a senior official from the state public works department said.

A pre-bid meeting is held to gauge initial interest in a particular project where firms clarify any doubts that they may have with the government and then decide whether to put in a tender.

L&Ts portfolio includes Indias first monorail, Metro projects in India, airports, mass housing schemes, as well as the contract for the Statue of Unity, a 182-metre Sardar Vallabhai Patel statue in Gujarat. HCC has worked on projects such as the Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai, executed tunneling works in the Himalayan region, constructed Indias longest rail tunnel, the Pir Panjal tunnel in J&K, and a portion of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Afcons has a list of completed projects in marine engineering such as jetties, dry docks and wharves at places such as Gujarat, Kochi, Nagapattinam, Oman, Jordon, Madagascar and so on. Like Afcons, Navayuga Engineering also has specialized experience in marine structures such as cargo berths, container berths and jetties.

A senior official from a company that attended the pre-bid meeting said, The completed structure will definitely be first-of-its-kind in the country, but if we look at it as a structural element, it is something very similar to working on water and height. Several Indian companies have ample experience in this. It is only for the metallurgy bit  the metal covering of the memorial that will have to withstand all kinds of weather conditions for 100-200 years  that Indian companies may to consider getting the work done in foreign foundries.

The mid-sea Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial involves building the worlds tallest statue, surpassing the height of New Yorks Statue of Liberty and the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. The entire memorial will be 210m tall, close to a 12-storey structure, built entirely on an islet of 15.96 hectare. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted a bhoomipujan for the ambitious project in December, in the run up to Mumbais civic polls. The state government has invited tenders for the first phase of the memorials construction, estimated to cost Rs2,500 crore.

Read more:

CA files PIL seeking scrapping of Shivaji Memorial project

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The Kharghar police seized a truck with 1.50 tonnes of beef near the toll naka on Sion-Panvel highway on Wednesday.

They have also arrested two persons, including the truck driver, who were transporting the meat to Mumbai from Pune without any documents.

Ravindra Ahire, assistant police inspector from Kharghar police station, said, We had received a tip off that some people were planning to illegally transport a huge amount of beef to the city from outside. Accordingly, we laid a trap to get hold of them.

Within a few hours our officials spotted the truck passing through the toll naka. They checked and found the meat in it. We then arrested the driver and the other person in it, he said.

The arrested people have been identified as Babubhai Mehboob, 40, and Faisal Shaikh, 25, both residents of Pune.

The police have booked them under sections 429 and 43 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and different sections of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act. They were produced before the judicial court on Thursday.

The police called in a doctor to examine the meat to confirm that it were beef. On receiving the preliminary reports they disposed the meat on Thursday. We are now investigating the case to find out the real culprits, Ahire said.

The accused did not have any document to transport meat. They were taking it to Kurla. We have sent the sample for forensic tests. The remaining meat has been disposed in a dumping ground, he added.

The police called in a doctor to examine the meat to confirm that those were beef. On receiving the preliminary reports they disposed the meat on Thursday.

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Former Beatle Paul McCartney sued Sony Corps music publishing arm on Wednesday in federal court in New York, seeking to reclaim copyrights to 267 Beatles songs that pop star Michael Jackson acquired two decades before his death.

Jackson famously outbid McCartney for publishing rights to the songs in 1985, paying $47.5 million to obtain the collection as part of a much larger trove of some 4,000 pop music tunes from Australian businessman Robert Holmes a Court.

Musician Paul McCartney takes the stage to perform at the Desert Trip music festival at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. (REUTERS)

The Beatles songs and rest of the ATV collection were then rolled into a joint venture Jackson formed in 1995 with his Sony-based label, creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which grew into the worlds biggest song publisher.

His estate sold off its stake in Sony/ATV, including the Beatles collection, to Sony Corp for $750,000 in 2016, seven years after Jacksons fatal 2009 drug overdose from the powerful anesthetic propfol.

According to his lawsuit, McCartney put Sony/ATV Music Publishing on notice as early as October 2008 that he wished to reclaim rights to the dozens of songs he co-wrote with the late fellow ex-Beatle John Lennon from September 1962 to June 1971. Those songs form the bulk of the Beatles catalog.

The suit claims Sony/ATV has so far failed to acknowledge the composers rights to terminate copyright transfers of that music, including such hits as All You Need is Love and I Want to Hold Your Hand, under the US Copyright Act.

Because the earliest of Paul McCartneys terminations will take effect in 2018, a judicial declaration is necessary and appropriate at this time so that Paul McCartney can rely on quiet, unclouded title to his rights, the suit said.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing called the lawsuit unnecessary and premature in an emailed statement.

Musician Paul McCartney performs at the Desert Trip music festival at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

Sony/ATV has the highest respect for Sir Paul McCartney, with whom we have enjoyed a long and mutually rewarding relationship with respect to the treasured Lennon & McCartney song catalog, Sony/ATV said.

The lawsuit said Sony/ATV attempted to stall talks with McCartney until the conclusion of a separate lawsuit involving similar claims by British pop band Duran Duran in an English court. Duran Duran lost the legal battle to a Sony/ATV subsidiary in December.

The suit is seeking a declaration from the court that McCartney can reclaim his copyright interests in the songs, as well as attorneys fees.

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Sitting MLA and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate from Jewar assembly constituency, Vedram Bhati, has declared assets worth Rs6.72 crore in the affidavit submitted to the election commission while filing his nomination papers in Gautam Budh Nagar district on Wednesday.

In 2012, he had declared assets worth Rs4.45 crore in his election affidavit. Bhati is a two-time MLA from Jewar seat and was a cabinet minister in the BSP government in the state from 2007 to 2012.

His affidavit states that he has Rs27.50 lakh in cash and his annual income is Rs23.94. In 2012, he had declared an annual income of Rs4.45 lakh. However, Bhati said there is no increase in his assets in the last five years.

There is no increase in my assets at all. I have ancestral agricultural land and also own a brick kiln in Jewar. The value of my assets witnessed an increase due to hike in circle rates that takes place annually in each district. Also, the Yamuna expressway industrial development authority had acquired a part of our land and paid us compensation. We had, in 2015, invested that compensation money into buying agricultural land, he said.

Bhati, a law graduate from Meerut University, has declared his residential plot, agricultural land and house to be worth a total of Rs6.42 crore.

He has also listed moveable properties worth Rs56 lakh and a Toyota Fortuner that he did not have in the 2012 elections. At that time, he had only Rs10 lakh of moveable assets, as per his declarations made to the election commission then.

All three BSP candidates who filed nominations in Gautam Budh Nagar in Noida, Dadri and Jewar assembly constituencies have no criminal case lodged against them.

Ravikant Mishra, who is named from Noida, has declared assets worth Rs2.6 crore and Dadri candidiate Satveer Singh Gurjar has declared assets worth Rs4.36 crore. Mishra is a first-timer and runs a playschool in Noidas Sector 50 while Gurjar is a farmer who won the Dadri seat in 2007 and 2012.

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As assembly elections are round the corner, the district administration has asked the police to keep an eye on the expenditure incurred by various candidates and report the same to the authorities.

With three constituencies  Noida, Dadri and Jewar  going to the polls on February 11, the police personnel on election duty will also be conducting vehicle checks and surprise inspections of candidates.

Earlier, the election commission (EC) had announced that all candidates will have to open a fresh bank account for election expenditure and all expenses above Rs 20,000 will be made through cheques from their respective accounts.

The expenditure limit for each candidate in the state assembly elections has been set at Rs 28 lakh.

With regard to the regulations, the district administration held a meeting with senior police officials in Noida on Wednesday in which the police were asked to inform the accounting team about the expenditure they see candidates incurring during campaigning.

The onus is on us to ensure that the polls are conducted according to the model code of conduct and the expenditure regulations. For this, we will need the polices support. We have asked them to inform the accounting team immediately if they notice any candidate incurring expenses so that we can keep an updated record of their upper limit expenses, said Umesh Chandrakant, election expenditure officer.

The police are also expected to conduct surprise inspections of candidates and vehicle checks to keep a tab on unregulated and unaccounted cash.

If the police find Rs 50,000 or more in cash in any vehicle and the owner is unable to account for the source of the cash, the notes must be seized. However, if proper details about the cash are provided, it will not be seized. However, any amount over Rs10 lakh, even if found with proper details, must be intimated to the accounting team, said Kumar Vineet, additional district magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar.

Sujata Singh, superintendent of police (rural), said no policeman will be allowed to inspect any woman in the district.

We will deploy female police personnel to check the belongings of women during inspection rounds. We will ensure that there is no unaccounted supply of cash during the poll season, said Singh.

Expenditure committee to collect daily data from six teams

The local expenditure committee in-charge has directed members to collect daily data from six teams and the returning officer (RO).

When I asked for a daily report on Thursday, some members said they have not collected it and the teams concerned claimed there was no activity. I have directed them to collect daily reports from the six teams even if it is a nil report, said Nijlingappa, treasury officer and expenditure monitoring committee in-charge.

The six teams include control room team, videography team, video viewing team, media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC), flying squads and static teams, he said.

Further, daily data will be collected from returning officers about the permissions granted by them for use of vehicles, rallies and road shows. This will help us calculate the expenditure incurred by candidates under different heads, he said.

Rates for items such as food items, tent structures, vehicle rent, advertisement and banner displays have been decided by the election commission. We will calculate the expenditure as per the EC rate card. Candidates too have been directed to do so accordingly in their expenditure details register. Then, we will tally their details with ours, he said.

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The police on Thursday arrested a woman for allegedly kidnapping a one-year-old girl from outside her house at Gagan Vihar in Ghaziabad on Wednesday evening. A CCTV installed near the girls house helped her family and the police find out what happened.

Police officials said the woman was traced to Nand Nagri in Delhi and arrested with the help of Delhi police. They brought her and the girl, Amar Jeet, to Sahibabad police station on Thursday afternoon.

We are inquiring as to why the woman took the child. The girl was rescued with the help of Delhi police from Nand Nagri area. The CCTV helped us find about the incident, but the woman was wearing black clothes and her identity could not be ascertained from the footage, said Anup Singh, circle officer (Sahibabad).

The girls parents had been searching for her since she went missing on Wednesday evening.

Her mother left her playing outside the house and later realised that she was missing. We searched for her a lot and finally went to the police station late at night when we lost all hopes of finding our child. We came to know from a CCTV installed at a house nearby that my daughter was kidnapped around 4.50pm. We searched everywhere but could not find her. On Thursday, the police informed us that she was rescued and the woman arrested, said Bhram Singh, the girls father who is a furniture maker.

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2017 marks the bicentenary of Hindoo College, Kolkata, which was renamed Presidency College in 1855. The College, affiliated to the University of Calcutta, was given the status of an independent university in 2010.

From very early on I knew I wanted to go to Presidency College. My mother wanted me to be a doctor. I told her they did not teach medicine at Presidency. My father insisted I inherit the family profession and become a lawyer. My response to him was similar.

In high school, my friends had convinced me that if I didnt qualify for the IITs, people would think I was dumb. The general sciences apparently were only for students who didnt get into the IITs, in one or two attempts. So I sat for all the entrance exams, and I got admitted to all the places my friends coveted.

And then I joined Presidency to read physics.

At Presidency I met some of the cleverest and most fiercely talented people I have met in my life so far. Many of them were my fellow students - I cannot imagine a more vibrant bunch at any college at this level. And many of them were our teachers.

We in physics were a smug and arrogant bunch - seven of us had ranked among the first 20 in the higher secondary exams. However, very early on in the first year, we were put in our place, when we failed in the first exam on mathematical physics given by our formidable head of the department, Prof Amalkumar Raychaudhuri (AKR).

In fact the highest mark was 10%. We had been given deceptively simple problems that required us to think in a way we hadnt been used to for the bookish exams we had been so proud of conquering.

Our education had just begun. Prof Shyamal Sengupta repeatedly reminded us to look beyond our textbooks, and read widely. We were encouraged by Prof Hemendranath Mukherji to turn our routine lab experiments into little projects, worrying about how to design them better.

Our creative life outside the classroom involved debate, poetry, theatre and art. The highlight of my second year was editing the College magazine - visiting many illustrious alumni for contributions - Satyajit Ray, for instance, took a few minutes to design a lovely cover for us.

I went out into the world with my head held high, knowing that I had received my basic training from and with the best. The academic courses in my two years at the University of Oxford, where I went next, were mostly disappointing after the rigour through which we had been put at Presidency.

Prof Roger Penrose, on hearing I had come from Presidency, wondered how it had felt being taught by AKR. Penrose and Stephen Hawking at that time had been working on their singularity theorems, building upon some of the seminal work done by our head of physics at Presidency.

Presidency gave most of us this confidence to take on the world - something most Indian institutions now fail to give their students.

Much of who I am is due to the college. I did not hesitate, therefore, to return as faculty when I was given the opportunity. Re-imagining the institution for its third century has been a worthwhile challenge, and I am glad that I have had the opportunity of playing a role in it.

I have taught at various institutions all over the world for over three decades now - I have no hesitation to say that I havent seen smarter and more talented students anywhere else.

Learning at Presidency was enriching. Teaching at Presidency has been life-affirming.

Somak Raychaudhury is director, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune. The views expressed are personal
I was a science student in high school and my dream was to study in the physics department of Presidency College. There was an unparalleled glamour attached to the department during my time and though there were the IITs, Shibpur Engineering College and Jadavpur University- physics department in Presidency College was the ultimate destination. However, soon after I entered college, a huge student movement began to take shape in the winter of 1966-67 and for the first time a prominent Left-wing student union took centre-stage. Some of these students eventually became Naxalites.

Behind all this, there was an interesting cultural change sweeping through the college. Besides the Left-Right divide, there was also a palpable cultural divide between students who came from English-medium schools and those from Bengali-medium schools. And the period was marked by some tectonic changes in the landscape of Bengali literature. Bengali-medium students became prominent in the multifarious debates that occupied students  about Marxism, for instance, or about existentialism or politics. The times were exciting.

I got intensely involved in political activism in college. This experience no doubt helped me in many ways later in life when I switched to history, for the experience had awakened in me a deep interest in questions of history: Why were so many people so poor? Why was Indian society so unjust in so many ways? As students activism became the order of the day, the spotlight in the press remained on Presidency

College, for people and the press wondered why good students were getting so involved in disruptive politics.

At the same time, the cult of violence, too, was spreading with many young people falling victims to both political and police violence. That was disturbing and scary.

So I decided to drop out of the movement but once I did so, I lost many friends and this affected some of my future academic choices (like getting into IIM-C, for instance).

Looking back, I think that the students movements affected students in different disciplines unevenly. For those studying history, literature or political science, the first-hand experience of student activism can be quite rewarding in the long run.

But for others, especially those pursuing subjects that required demanding laboratory or hospital work, this could be just so much time lost. Moreover, we should remember that for every case of a person who later in life becomes socially successful after a period of intense involvement in absorbing and heady social movements that distract from studies, there are also many cases of failures that we tend to overlook.

The movements do not come free, without any social costs.

That said, one also has to acknowledge that injustice is still so predominant in India that one cannot simply blame students for their desire to do something to help usher in a fairer society.

Students typically ask millions of questions that are related to socio-political contours and many of these are legitimate questions of justice.

The difference between Presidency College or any other premier educational institute in India and comparable colleges in West is this: Student activism that leads to disruption of classes is relatively rare in the latter case. Focus on academics on the whole retains its importance. For example, I have seen students at the University of Chicago -- where I teach -- weeping literally after Donald Trump was elected the president of the US.

They were visibly affected and teachers organised teach-ins to help them cope with their emotions. But classes were held regularly and there was no disruption of the system. That, to my mind, is one critical difference.

Besides, political parties in India start recruiting students to their folds right from the beginning these days -- from the admission process on. This is something one does not observe in Australia and the US. The admission process there is politically neutral. This also makes a big difference in the ambient environment of Indian institutions.

Dipesh Chakrabarty is Lawrence A Kimpton Distinguished Service Professor of History and South Asian Studies at the University of Chicago. The views expressed are personal.
Twenty-five years back in Presidency College we were unaware of the real world. Much of our politics was idealist statements, based on a binary of good socialist versus bad capitalist people, occasionally taken to absurd levels.

Let me give an example. A dear activist friend, who was a senior when I took admission, used to regularly advise me against taking exams. One day, I ran into him at the college many years after I had left. I asked over tea what he was up to. My friend, he said, I never did a politics of compromise and I never will. My friend was a rebel student for life. This, of course, means that your class struggle must be eternally extended to a struggle with the classroom, a struggle against taking the class literally. Such was our passion for politics back then but not everyone took it to such epic proportions.

For the keen and committed activists, Promoddas canteen and the union room used to be the temple blessed with the spirit of young Bengal. Now sadly burnt and possibly gone, the canteen was a constant core of activities. Every morning it started off a lot of intense debates and lectures, taking place right next to complicated chess and card games, interrupted by songs and poetry, witty puns and polemics exchanged across tables, occasional pamphlets circulating with the tea.

Posters on the wall were arresting, often with lively and angry excerpts from Leftist poets, and strong images recalling Chittaprosad Bhattacharya and Jamini Roy, occasionally Picasso. The more statement-based posters that were hung at the gate or the portico were differently done, often on newsprint with ink.

In the middle of all this, you could not avoid meeting a few, unusually grave and intense looking student leaders and devoted apprentices, in declassed panjabi and jeans with a jhola. That was the uniform of being political.

This is admittedly as good as any stereotype but the important thing is that this stereotype started breaking down when we joined as students. We came to witness, as well as, became a part of certain experiments with students politics, leading to the formation of a diffuse and indefinite group, called the Independents Consolidation.

I will come to the story of IC in a moment. It is important to recall the larger background as we saw it and practically struggled to understand. The old school Left was facing a global crisis at this point. The Soviet Union of Lenin was gone, the Berlin Wall was gone, communist China had brutally repressed pro-freedom demonstration at Tiananmen Square.

As if this was not enough, the explosion of caste and Hindu communalism shook our innocent world to the roots. This was a different world of politics that did not play by the rules and ideas we knew.

We did not know anything about this world but the more questions we asked the more it made the old school Left hostile towards us. Here we were, some of us convinced with Marxism but not the way in which we saw it around us. None of the different shades of the Left seemed convincing any longer and we were left with nowhere to go. The word postmodern had not come around yet but perhaps it gives a sense of our spirit of experiment with regard to politics.

It is not that those who were experimenting were always doing things very consciously. Most of those involved with making IC came from a background of the third stream Left, by and large critical of the ruling dispensation but not everyone was a Leftist.

There was a willingness in some to take part in the public life of the college, to ask a set of new questions and create new activities, to push the political sensibility and cultural discourse on the whole.

At the same time, some others shared a strong dislike for the sense of boredom and stereotypes that came to be associated with Leftist politics. What brought them together was a desire for an organisation that will not impose a suffocating discipline of doing politics. Instead, it will be one where people will explore and enjoy doing politics. Politics will be affirmative activity, connected to celebrating life, not a lonely path of monks like the old school Left.

It was, loosely speaking, a disagreement with the communist party form of political practice that tried to look for democratic alternatives perhaps with questionable success.

The point I want to leave you with goes past the failures of such experiments, which acquire a structure over the years. Our idea was to try and resist this solidification and the suffocation of hierarchies.

These were intuitions that I believe are real forces in popular politics today. Much of the students unrest ranging from Jadavpur to JNU reverberates with the fragments of memories like the nineties from Presidency.

Rajarshi Dasgupta is assistant professor, Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University. The views expressed are personal.
An attendee uses an Apple Inc. iPhone, not the iPhone 8, before the start of an event in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016. (Photo : Getty Images/ David Paul Morris)

Popular iOS developer Stefan Esser may release a working jailbreak tool for iOS 10.2. Esser even shared on social media that iOS 10.2 jailbreak for Apple's current version of iOS, could be released soon.



In the end the iOS 10.1.1 signing window closing is not such a big deal, considering that the iOS 10.2 jailbreak is about to hit soon.

Advertisement  Stefan Esser (@i0n1c) December 21, 2016





Recently, Luca Todesco, an Italian jailbreak tool developer, released an iOS 10 Jailbreak Tool for iOS 10.1.1 in beta version and it is not yet known if the hacker is working on an iOS 10.2 Jailbreak tool. Currently, Apple lovers can choose between trying the Luca Todesco jailbreak tool now or wait for the availability of iOS 10 Jailbreak tool release date for iOS 10.2 been done by Italian hacker, Esser or Pangu.



Many jailbreaking fans were delighted when the iOS hacker, Todesco, came out with his Yalu jailbreaking tool for iOS 10.1.1, though, some were disappointed as it is not that usable. However, the jailbreaking tool itself is still in its beta stages despite being available to download for the fans.



Yalu jailbreak tool for iOS 10.1.1 was unveiled before 2016 ended and a number of Apple users are still disappointed as a result of the many limitations of the released jailbreak tool. The jailbreak tool only supports iOS 10.1.1 and works on few Apple devices.



Among the Apple devices that Yalu jailbreaking tool works on include iPhone 6S, iPad Pro, iPhone SE, iPhone 7 and all other iPhone Plus models, Cypple reported. The released tool requires users to carry out the jailbreak process again every time the Apple device is restarted as the tool is still in its beta version.



Apple users who are dying to test the released Yalu jailbreak tool are becoming hesitant because of its limitations. This has resulted to some Apple users keep on holding on to the iOS 9.3.3 Pangu Jailbreak and have settled on waiting for the real release date for iOS 10 Jailbreak Tool. This is especially now after Apple officially released iOS 10.2, its second major software update.



According to Mac Rumors, the Cupertino Company is already seeding iOS 10.2.1 to both developers and public beta testers. Therefore, Apple users can expect a release of iOS 10.2.1 very soon. This comes a month after Apple released iOS 10.2, the second major update to the iOS 10 operating system.



The iOS 10.2.1 release follows the release of iOS 10.2, a great update that saw Unicode 9 emoji, a new TV app, Music improvements, Messages Screen Effects, and a whole slew of bug fixes.With the new Unicode 9 emojis, the iPhone becomes the shortest way to express a 'shrug' and 'fingers crossed.'



Here is a video of iPhone SE TSMC iOS 10.1.1 Yalu jailbreak:






The main accused in the Siwan journalist murder case, Md Kaif alias Banti, was granted bail by the special CBI court on north Bihar, headquartered at Muzaffarpur, on Thursday as chargesheet against him was not submitted within the stipulated 90 days of his arrest.

CBI judge Anupama Kumari heard a bail petition filed by Sharad Sinha on behalf of Kaif before granting the bail. The CBI counsel was absent during the hearing.

Kaifs lawyer told HT that this was a moral victory for them as CBI officials had failed to submit the chargesheet. It shows that they have nothing against my client. A period of 90 days is enough to gather evidence. But, their failure to submit the chargesheet is a clear indication that my client is innocent in this particular case, registered under section 120 B, 302, 34 of IPC as well as section 27 of arms Act, Sinha added.

He said the release order of Kaif had been sent to the jail authorities concerned. But, my client will remain in custody for next couple of days as another matter is pending with a Siwan court. Once, he get bail in that case, Kaif will be out from the prison, he added.

Kaif and some of his associates were made accused in the murder of Siwan-based journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, who was killed on May 13 last year. Sources said Ranjan was intercepted by two motorcycle-borne assailants, one of whom fired from close range.

CBI started probe into the case on the intervention of the Supreme Court after slain journalists wife Asha Ranjan filed a petition before it on September 23 last year. Asha Ranjan claimed before the Supreme Court that the CBI had not even started its probe into the case due to political influence and fear of (former Siwan MP and strongman) Mohammad Shahabuddin.

The top court had directed the CBI to proceed with its probe into the murder and asked the Bihar police to provide protection to Ranjans family that has claimed receiving threats from Shahabuddin.
Bihar politicians are not only using microblogging site Twitter to reach out to masses and take potshots against rivals, but making waves in terms of clocking number of followers.

Guess, whos topping the chart in number of followers? Its RJD chief Lalu Prasad who has already clocked 5.93 lakh followers on his official site with partys social media managers are hoping to reach the six-lakh figure, in the next few weeks.

Prasads ally and chief minister Nitish Kumar has 5.28 lakh followers while RJD chiefs younger son and deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav is still below the one-lakh mark.

Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi has a strong following too with 4.87 lakh loyal followers.

It is just a matter of few weeks when RJD chiefs Twitter account will cross six lakh followers. That is no mean achievement and reflects how he is the one of the most followed politician in the country, said Sanjay Yadav, who handles the Twitter account of Prasad and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.

Sanjay Yadav, an MBA with keen interest in politics, says the RJD chiefs erstwhile image as the one who had distaste for information technology (IT) for once quipping, Yeh IT, YT kya hai, has gone through a huge makeover.

The RJD chief guides us in making a comment on various issues. One cannot discount that his tweets are weaved in words with his usual witticism and metaphors to stump opponents. Thats the reason Prasad has gained such a fan following in the digital world, Sanjay Yadav said.

The assertion, however, is debatable as Prasads many tweets on issues like demonetisation and swipes at Prime Minister Narendra Modi have evoked angry reaction for its purported harsh language.

Political observers say the microblogging site has become a handy tool for the top politicians in Bihar to express their stand on various issues and also give vital information about governance as well as party activities.

Nitish Kumar usually takes to Twitter to share important government decisions. A month back he had posted his letter to the Prime Minister, expressing his reservation against disbanding of the Nalanda International University governing board.

On prohibition too, Kumar has made several tweets showing how he finds the micro networking social site a powerful medium of communication.

Opposition leaders also use the site on a daily basis to air views and attack the government. Needless to say, the war of words between BJP leader Sushil Modi and the RJD chief Prasad on Twitter has been quite regular.

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The Patna high court on Thursday summoned the chief secretary (CS) and the director-general of police (DGP) while expressing its displeasure over the reported move to engage schoolchildren in the proposed human chain to solicit support on de-addiction on January 21.

The court asked the CS and the DGP to appear before it on Friday.

A division bench of acting chief justice Hemant Gupta and justice Sudhir Singh asked the duo to appear before the court on Friday to clarify the governments stand after principal additional advocate general Lalit Kishore said participation in the human chain programme was voluntary.

There is no type of coercion in the exercise. Participation (in human chain programme) is entirely voluntary, Kishore told the court in compliance to its Wednesdays order.

Kishore also said that arrangements had been made for unhindered flow of traffic on alternate routes. Only one lane would be used for human chain at places where there were no alternate routes, he said in response to the courts query, seeking to know from the government under which provision it had decided to stop traffic for five hours on national and state highways.

Kishore also said ambulances, fire tenders, water tankers, vehicles of judiciary and those carrying policemen, government officers on duty and mediamen would be exempted from the traffic restriction.

The court had on Wednesday sought the state governments response to a petition seeking to know why school children were being roped in for the proposed human chain programme and under what provision it had decided to stop traffic.

Earlier, appearing for petitioner Public Interest Ligation Forum, a non-governmental organisation, advocate Shashi Bhushan Kumar said the state government had no power to stop traffic on highways, and engaging schoolchildren in the programme was not appropriate

The Nitish Kumar government has planned a human chain across the state from 12.15pm to 1pm on January 21 to reaffirm its commitment to the liquor ban. The proposed human chain will spread across 11,292 km, involving around two crore people. District administrations have directed all schools  both private and government  to participate with their students in the 45-minute event.

The state has sanctioned Rs 10 crore for the entire event which will be captured by five satellites, some 40 drones and four trainer aircraft of the Bihar Flying Institute.

In its petition, the forum pleaded for quashing of the government order to stop plying of all vehicles on national and state highways for five hours on January 21.
Beaten up for allegedly harassing a classmate, a 15-year-old Dalit student of Government High School, Bhai Bakhtaur, committed suicide by jumping before a train near Yatri, 30 km from Bathinda, on Wednesday.

The railway police on Thursday booked Bhai Bakhtaur sarpanch Charanjit Singh, school management committee chairman Pali, teacher Sanjeev Kumar and the mother of the girl who had alleged harassment for abetting victim Gurpreet Singhs suicide, on his father Maghar Singhs complaint.

The deceased Gurpreet Singh (HT Photo)

The sarpanch, who belongs to Shiromani Akali Dal, and the three others had allegedly beaten up the boy, a Class 9 student, in the school. Gurpreets name was also struck off the school rolls without informing the family, alleged his cousin Gulab Singh.

Angry villagers blocked the road and locked the school gate on Thursday and didnt let the teachers and other staff enter the premises. Some residents allegedly beat up the sarpanch as well. Police and other security personnel deployed in the district for the assembly polls had to be moved to the village.

Bathinda superintendent of police (operations) Davinder Singh, who reached the village, said the railway police had registered a case under Sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He said the sarpanch had made no complaint about being manhandled.
Though newly-elected mayor Asha Kumari Jaswal is pressing for revenue generation by finding new ways like imposing entry tax on commercial vehicles coming to the city from other states, the BJP councillor seems to be ignoring the fact that in past one year, they have lost the revenue amounting to Rs 20 crore.

The MC failed to generate revenue through paid parking, multilevel parking and car bazaar. It also failed to collect Rs 12 crore from water-bill defaulters. With the earnings of just Rs 49 crore this fiscal, the civic body is running behind its target of Rs 70 crore revenue generation. On January 12, new city mayor Asha Jaswal had said, she would not oppose new taxes for the betterment of the city.

MC suffered a loss of Rs 50 lakh in 8 months

It was on June 9 last year, when MC allotted the contract to a Gurgaon-based company  MAAC Infrastructure Private Limited for three months to run Rs 50 crore multilevel parking at Sector 17, since then MC has been losing Rs 5 lakh a month as it has been paying Rs 20,000 a day to the contractor for operation and maintenance, but earning only Rs 3, 000 a day. Against the capacity of 900 vehicles at the new parking facility, only 300 spots get occupied there on an average. Since September, MC has been operating the facility on its own and they are re-thinking how to run the same.

Lost Rs 5 crore due to paid parking

MC has suffered a loss of Rs 5 crore as it has failed to auction 22 parking lots in the city. In July last year, MC decided to convert all parking lots in smart parking lots, but no concrete steps have been taken till now.

Suffered loss of Rs 10 lakh due to car bazaar

With the MC not allowing car bazaar dealers to function from Sector 7 market since December last year, it has suffered a loss of nearly Rs 10 lakh in seven weeks. They are asking dealers to shift to new site at Hallo Majra, but dealers are opposing the move.

Enforcement wing revenue slashes by Rs 2.5-cr

With the MC not challaning unauthorised street vendors since June last year; the revenue has dropped to Rs 1 crore. Whereas in 2015, the revenue from challaning unauthorised vendors was Rs 3.5 crore.

MC fails to collect Rs 12 crore from water-bill defaulters

The dues of water-bill defaulters has been growing for the past five years and has reached to Rs 12 crore. Despite this, MC has never initiated steps to recover the amount. Besides, in 2015, revenue generated from water charges was Rs 60 crore which dropped to Rs 55 crore last year and is expected dip further this year.

MCs apathetic about losses

Due to non-allotment of its hundreds of booths, the MC has suffered a loss of about Rs 8 crore so far. Then MC commissioner Vivek Pratap Singh had also constituted a committee in August 2014 to frame a policy for booth allotment, but things havent moved much. In the accountant generals report, it was stated the MC didnt make efforts to lease out these booths and that their condition has deteriorated over the years.

Shops in the Sector 17-22 subway are lying vacant for the past one decade. However, after suffering a loss of over Rs 5 crore due to these 14 vacant booths for for over 10 years now, the MC is now planning to auction them.

Main sources of revenue generation

At present, the MCs main sources of income are property tax, paid parking lots, rent from cable operators, taxi stands, community centres, through auctioning of seized articles, festival charges, rickshaw licence fee, rent from night food-street, subway shops, eating joints and liquor vends.

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The members of Congress party held a protest outside the Reserve bank of India (RBI) in Sector 17 on Wednesday to oppose the demonetisation decision taken by Narendra Modi government. As the workers tried to cross the barricades, police had to use water cannons to disperse the crowd.

Former Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal; members of parliament Rajiv Shukla and Rapolu Ananda Bhaskar; Viplav Thakur; Manoj Chauhan; Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar and Chandigarh Congress president Pardeep Chhabra along with the members of legislative assembly (MLA) of Haryana Congress and party office bearers of Haryana and Chandigarh Congress were also present at the site of protest.

The protest was organised as a part of nationwide protest against demonetisation with the party workers gheraoing RBI offices at several locations. The leaders also submitted the memorandum to RBI officers.

Pawan Kumar Bansal hit out at the Modi government for not restoring cash flow even after 70 days of demonetisation and accused it of ruining the central banks autonomy.

Rajiv Shukla said that wheel of development has come to a standstill as crore of people are lining up in front of banks and ATMs for last 70 days by giving up their day-to-day livelihood. Whats more tragic is these never-ending lines are for withdrawing ones own hard-earned money, he added.

Ashok Tanwar said that Congress is protesting against demonetisation and the government's inability to restore normalcy in its aftermath. Modi government and RBIs decision to not lift the weekly withdrawal restrictions of 24,000 is a treachery with people of India, Tanwar added.
Olympian Milkha Singh appeared before the court of civil judge (junior division) Imambir Singh Dhaliwal to record his statement in the case pertaining to the fake website and Facebook profile of legendary athlete.

Singh stated before the court that the accused persons were young and hence should be given another chance, and they will not commit such a crime again.

The statement further read , The compromise is completely voluntary, without any coercion or undue influence with my own free will.

The court recorded the statement.

The accused persons who had created fake website had stated that they are ready to apologise for the mistake.

The decision on the application of the accused will be decided on the next date of hearing.

It emerged that if application is accepted than the FIR lodged against the accused persons will be quashed while striking a compromise.

The judge is yet to study whether the offences are compoundable or not.

The case

In February 2014, Milkha Singh had submitted a complaint at the public window at police headquarters in Sector 9.

Terminder Singh, counsel for the complainant sought registration of a case under the IT Act and Sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security) and 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against unidentified persons who created the fake website: milkhasingh.co.in.

Cyber-cell officials had tracked down the IP address of the site to the Delhi-based firm, Net Gains. On April 23, 2014, a case was registered against Atir Khan, Sanjeev Kumar Singh and Azfar of Net Gains India Internet Pvt Ltd. They were booked by the UT cyber cell under Sections 66, 66A, 66C, 66D of the Information Technology Act, and Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Sector-3 police station.

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More than half of class 1 students in Maoist-hit Jharkhand cannot recognize letters of the English Alphabet, while nearly half of them fail to recognize single digit numbers, the Annual Survey of Education Report (ASER) 2016 has revealed.

The survey released on Wednesday highlighted the abysmal state of school education in the tribal state, claiming that 49.7% class 6 students in the state failed to read class 2 textbooks and only 67.7% class 8 students managed to read the same books.

Total 48.1% class 1 students couldnt recognize numerical and 56.6% students of the same class couldnt recognize English letters, the survey said.

More than 50 lakh students study in the 40,000 odd government schools in the state. Around 50,000 regular teachers and 72,000 ad hoc teachers teach these students at schools. Frequent protests by para teachers and poor monitoring of educational schemes has been a perennial problem in Jharkhand, where 21 of 24 districts are declared Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected.

The performance of Jharkhand students has remained almost similar over the years. The 2014 ASER report said that 55.7% class 1 students in rural Jharkhand could not recognise English alphabets, while 53.7% students of the same class could not recognise single-digit numbers. ASER did not release a report in 2015.

Mathematical calculation was equally challenging for the students here. As per the latest survey, only 42.9% students of class 8 could perform division and only 24.7% students of the same class were able to subtract.

State school education and literacy secretary Aradhana Patnaik said that the results of the efforts which the government had put in in the past couple of years cannot be gauged immediately.

Improving education is a gradual process. It cannot be gauged in one year. We have put in a lot of efforts and the results would be visible gradually over the next five years, she said.

ASER is an annual, non-government survey that aims to provide reliable estimates of childrens enrolment and basic learning levels for each district and state in India. It conducts the survey on random groups of children spread across rural areas of each districts of the state.

Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) director Manish Kumar did not reject the findings of the report, but said that any report cannot be entirely true since only a group of children are tested.

Today, the situation is worse than what is projected in the report. The government has been laying impetus on quality education, but most of the initiatives were only limited to pen and paper, said Manoj Kumar, member, State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR).

EoM

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Zoe Saldana Says Hollywood 'Bullied' Donald Trump (Photo : Complex News/Youtube)

Zoe Saldana spoke how Hollywood star bullied President-elect Donald Trump in an interview last January 5. The actress is not a supporter of the Republican trailblazer and she thinks there should be fair treatment.



Meryl Streep recently took the global limelight criticizing Donald Trump during her "Golden Globes" speech. Saldana explicitly took a stand with the furtive shout-out to Streep after a week during the "Live by Night" Press tour.



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"We got cocky and became arrogant and we also became bullies," explaining that Trump's triumph should get wide acceptance as the Star Trek star said. "We were trying to single out a man for all these things he was doing wrong and that created empathy in a big group of people in America that felt bad for him and that are believing in his promises," she added, according to the online publication Nola.



After the popular election last November 2016, the entire nation got stirred up with the final ballot, putting Donald Trump on the center stage being the winner. Rallies came out, and protest rained on major cities all over the United States.



Even before the US Election, there are several controversies that sparked during the campaign and involved incoming First Lady Melania Trump and the Trump children. Critics ranging from the simplest taxpayer up to major names in Hollywood.



"The country was never a divided nation," said outgoing President Barack Obama. However, political analysts say Donald Trump will inherit a broken nation. This progress in American history is marking its steps that the world will remember, as noted on the Fox News.



Bullying made a remarkable position in the American culture and at the same time, this is an attrition of civility in modern life. Major Hollywood stars supported Democratic bet Hillary Clinton because of how they accused Donald Trump as a bully.



Such support, however, turned out as another form of bullying, and this time to the highest political and civil position in the country. Saldana's opinion points out to a question on the difference of Donald Trump and those attacking him.



Zoe Saldana belongs to the few Hollywood stars who spoke up and expressed their opinion on how oppressing the current treatment with Donald Trump is. She is not alone in this quest.






Deepika Padukone, who aims for world domination with her Hollywood debut xXx: Return of Xander Cage, recently revealed how she got the part in the flick on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

While making her debut appearance on the hit chat show, she said, I actually auditioned for Fast and Furious 7 about two-three years ago but for whatever reason that didnt work out. And I think people remember me from that audition. And then, about a year ago, I get a call from Paramount Pictures saying they are casting for this film and so I flew down and met director DJ Caruso.

Deepika then narrated the incident of her meeting with the Hollywood hunk as she said, Vin Diesel found out in Los Angeles that I was in Toronto and said he wanted me to come and see him. So, overnight I flew down to LA to see Vin.

Deepika cracked the live audience up by saying that she still doesnt know if she got the part. (YouTube)

Suddenly, in the middle of the night, we are doing this 45-minute professional photoshoot and I was like, What is going on!

She cracked the live audience up by saying that she still doesnt know if she got the part.

Vin just put the picture up. I said, I do hope you know that if you put that snap up, it means I am doing this movie. He still didnt say anything!

Donning a classy white dress, the 31-year-old debuted on the infamous talk show just two months after Priyanka Chopra made her appearance.

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Priyanka Chopra won a Peoples Choice Award for Favourite Dramatic TV Actress for her performance in the hit show Quantico.

Im really happy being a drama queen if this is how its done! she said as she received the award.

Congratulating her fellow nominees - Ellen Pompeo, Taraji P Henson, Viola Davis and Kerry Washington - Priyanka said that they were the reason she joined TV, while her Baywatch co-star Dwayne The Rock Johnson applauded from the crowd.

Thank you to all you of you, she said, referring to the People. Thank you for accepting me.

She ended her speech with an endearing wiggle and blamed it on her recent concussion.

This is Priyankas second Peoples Choice Award. Quantico airs on Mondays on the network ABC in the US, and on Star World in India.

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Brazilian authorities on Wednesday started transferring some inmates from a prison wracked by deadly gang violence for days, as troops were mobilised elsewhere to help confront a broad crisis in the overcrowded penitentiary system.

Elite officers entered the Alcacuz prison near the northern city of Natal to start the process, AFP journalists saw.

The facility has been the scene of gruesome violence between two rival gangs since the weekend, when 26 inmates were massacred, most of them beheaded.

We are going to carry out this transfer as carefully as possible, respecting all security issues, a spokesman for the state police, local mayor Eduardo Franco, told reporters.

Four buses were brought in to take away prisoners who were members of one of the gangs. Three of the buses arrived with inmates from other facilities that were to be put in the vacated cells.

Wives and girlfriends of some of the prisoners being taken away tried to block the road but were dispersed when police fired rubber bullets.

The prisoner transfer underlined the tinderbox climate within Brazils prison system, in which 134 people have been killed in prison violence this year according to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, citing justice ministry figures.

Inmates remain atop the prison roof during a riot at Alcacuz Penitentiary Center near Natal in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil on Thursday. (AFP)

National emergency

Authorities are accused of long having allowed gangs to run the jails, which are filled well beyond their intended capacity.

In a bid to wrest back control, the government on Wednesday said it was deploying 1,000 troops to clean out arms, explosives and cellphones from various cellblocks in the country.

Defense minister Raul Jungmann, who called the situation a national emergency, said the soldiers will only enter when the risk of rioting is minimal or nonexistent.... The armed forces are not going to confront these groups.

The troops, who include teams used during last years Olympic Games in Rio, dont have the constitutional authority to take control of the prisons, only to confiscate dangerous contraband items.

Brazilian police had stormed the Alcacuz prison early Sunday to halt the bloodbath, but were still not in full control three days later.

Inside, the situation remained volatile as inmates from the rival drug gangs, the Sao Paulo-based First Capital Command (PCC), the countrys biggest drug-trafficking group, and the Rio de Janeiro-based Red Command, squared off across a 50-meter (-yard) courtyard.

Officers had entered the facility earlier Wednesday -- amid inmates lighting fires and chanting -- with the aim of keeping the two sides separate while the transfer operation was prepared.

We want those from the PCC to go to another state, an inmate had told AFP by telephone earlier. We wont rest until (the authorities) take them away from here.

The uprising was tied to a turf war over control of cocaine trafficking within Brazil.

Relatives of inmates protest against the transfer of prisoners to another prison in front of Alcacuz prison in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil, on Thursday. (Reuters)

Fear of attacks

The rise of gang violence in the prisons and the increasingly tough measures to quell it raised anxiety in the public of a return to organised criminal action in Brazilian cities in towns.

A repeat of a May 2006 offensive by the PCC in Sao Paulo, the economic heart of the country, was especially feared.

Over three days, the gang launched some 200 attacks on police stations and cars, resulting in 90 deaths.

The subsequent ripple of terror triggered school, public transport and office closures, leaving the streets of the metropolis nearly deserted.

Other, more disparate and smaller attacks followed. In all, more than 500 people were killed, including police officers, PCC members and bystanders.

Walter Maierovitch, who served as a senior counternarcotics official in 1999, the latest prison crisis was the result of authorities essentially leaving gangs to charge of the penitentiaries.

The government has always acts when the horse has already bolted. It left the prisons in the hands of organized criminals, he said.

Brazil has the fourth biggest prison population in the world, with 622,000 inmates.
A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle penetrated a camp in northern Mali on Wednesday, killing at least 60 people and wounding 115 soldiers and former fighters who are trying to stabilize the region. The attack marked a significant setback for peace efforts.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) said in a statement on Wednesday that bombing was punishment for groups there cooperating with France, according to a translation released by the SITE Intelligence Group.

The statement confirmed that the attack had been carried out by al Mourabitoun, an ally of al Qaedas North African affiliate, and gave the bombers name as Abdul Hadi al-Fulani. Malian state media had earlier said there were five bombers.

The morning blast hit the Joint Operational Mechanism base in the city of Gao, home to Malian soldiers and hundreds of former fighters who signed the peace agreement with the government. Witnesses said the car breached the camp as hundreds of fighters were gathering for a meeting.

The office of Malis president late Wednesday put the provisional death toll at 60, with 115 wounded.

Dr. Sadou Maiga at Gaos hospital told The Associated Press that all other hospital activities had ceased with dozens of wounded victims arriving.

Some have died from their wounds, and others are in a very grave state, he said. At this point, its not the toll of dead and injured that interests me, its saving who I can.

The attack underscores the enormous challenges that remain in northern Mali four years after the French military led an intervention to drive the jihadists from power in the major towns across the north. The peace agreement has proved difficult to implement.

Read| 50 killed in suicide attack on military camp in northern Mali

The former fighters who signed the 2015 peace deal include ethnic Tuareg secular rebels who once fought the Malian military. Now they are supposed to be forming joint patrols in the area, though the program has yet to begin.

If the security situation continues to deteriorate, then soon there wont be any peace to keep in Mali, UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the UN Security Council on Wednesday. He said attacks are becoming more sophisticated, and that rivalry among armed groups continues to slow implementation of the peace deal.

Ladsous reminded the council that it has the power to impose targeted measures against those who violate the cease-fire.

At the United Nations, Malis Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said the criminal, cowardly, barbaric attack will not deter the government from moving forward to promote peace.

The US condemned the cowardly attack, State Department spokesman John Kirby said. French President Francois Hollande, who visited a French military base in Gao just a few days ago, also condemned the attack and reiterated support for Malis peace process.

Mali has become the worlds deadliest UN peacekeeping mission. Some 29 UN peacekeepers were killed last year in attacks blamed on jihadist armed groups, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Wednesday.

The report says extremists are extending their reach further into central Mali, trying to implement their strict interpretation of Shariah law and pressuring families to give up their children as soldiers for the cause.

Malian security minister Salif Traore declined to respond to the reports specifics but said he is well aware of security challenges throughout the region.
Prominent Indian-American scholar Ashley Tellis on Thursday warned that incoming US President Donald Trumps America First strategy has the potential to damage Indo-US ties. Tellis, speculated to be the next envoy to India, has said the President-elect needs to strengthen bilateral relations to cope with the challenges posed by China.

Trumps America First strategy has the potential to damage the US-India relationship. Trump should instead strengthen Indias alliance to cope up with the challenges posed by China, said Tellis, senior fellow, South Asia programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a top American think-tank.

In an op-ed published in Asia Policy by the National Bureau of Asian Research, Mumbai-born Tellis said that the variety of positions expressed by Trump suggests that the potential threat to the continuing transformation of US-India relations comes less from his views on Indiawhich are probably unsettledthan it does from his iconoclastic convictions about the relationship between the US and the world.

Tellis, 55, argues that while many elements of Trumps nationalist agenda are understandable, even defensible, the worldview it represents diverges from that which initially cultured the evolving US-Indian partnership.

Going back to the earliest years of the George W Bush administration, the US rapprochement with India was premised on the assumption that the principle strategic problem facing both countries consisted of the rise of China and the threat it posed to both US primacy and Indian security, not to mention the safety of the US other Asian partner and allies, simultaneously, he wrote.

Since it was assumed that the United States would subsist as the principal protector of the liberal international order, and the Western alliance system in particular, even in circumstances where the containment of China was impossible because of the new realities of economic interdependence, the Bush administration slowly gravitated toward a strategy of balancing China by building up the power of key states located on its periphery, Tellis said.

Tellis observes that the current US commitment to the rise of Indian power sans symmetric reciprocity was devised during the Bush administration but has been faithfully continued by Obama for very good reasons.

According to a recent report in The Washington Post, the incoming Trump Administration is considering nominating Tellis as the next American Ambassador to the US.

Neither Tellis nor the Trump transition team has responded to questions on the news reports.
Anti-China protests have been taking place across Sindh against the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which passes through the province.

Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), a Sindh-based nationalist party, has been opposing the CPEC and led a massive rally-cum-march from the Indus Highway to the tomb of Saint GM Sayed, the 20th century Sindhi scholar and politician who laid the foundation of Sindhudesh movement.

The protesters were carrying anti-CPEC, anti-extremist and religious terrorism banners and placards, which demanded the independence of Sindh.

JSMM leaders and activists placed floral wreaths at the tomb of Sayed and the tombs of the martyrs of Sindhudesh movement and recited the national anthem of Sindhudesh as a salutation on the eve of 113th birthday of Late Sindhi leader.

Chairman of JSMM, Shafi Burfat, also addressed the gathering via video link and said Sindh has always been an independent country and nation since ages.

Speaking on the current political situation, he declared that the CPEC to be the death warrant for the cultural, economic, geographic existence of Sindhi and Baloch nations, deeming it a Punjabi conspiracy to strengthen its imperialist expansionist hegemony over Sindh and Balochistan.

Burfat also termed the CPEC as a trigger of international conflicts and nuclear arms race in the region and strategic military design of Chinese aggression over the Indian ocean.

The Sindhi leader demanded international community and United Nations to take an immediate notice of Pakistani states brutality and atrocities against the Sindhi and Baloch political activists, condemning the enforced disappearances of septuagenarian JSMM leader Ustad Muhammad Rahimon and others.

In a statement, Burfat announced a Sindh wide strike on February 20th to protest the CPEC and appealed Sindhi nation, trade unionists, lawyers, journalists, students and every Sindhi to cooperate and participate in the strike to send the civilized international community and Chinese imperialists a clear message that Sindh will never accept CPEC and slavery of Punjab.
At least 38 firefighters were injured when a blazing high-rise building in Tehran collapsed, state television reported on Thursday.

Everyone had been evacuated from the building, state TV said, but firefighters were still trying to control the blaze and police have cordoned off the area.

Rescue teams were at the scene, state TV said.

The building is one of the oldest buildings in Tehran. The Plasco building is a very old building in southern Tehran. It is mostly a commercial building, state TV said, referring to the Plasco Building, which is more than 50 years old.

At least 38 people were injured and hospitalised but most of them have been discharged.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency said the Plasco building had caught fire in the past.

The fire started on the ninth floor ... The fire is almost under the control now, Tasnim reported.

A grocery shop owner, forced by police to leave the area, told Reuters by telephone that it was like a horror movie. The building collapsed in front of me.

The semi-official Fars news agency said police have cordoned off British and Turkish embassies that are located near the Plasco building.

The flames could be seen kilometers away from the old building ... but most of the residents and shopkeepers in the building have been evacuated, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The fire started around 8 a.m. (0430 GMT) local time when many shopkeepers were not inside the building, it said.
China on Thursday noted that important progress has been made in its relationship with the US under President Barack Obama. Sidestepping recent disputes over Taiwan and regional security, Beijing said the two countries should move forward as partners rather than competitors.

Asked to sum up relations under Obama, who leaves office Friday, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying recalled the numerous meetings between the US president and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, including last year in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou.

Trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges between the sides all hit new records under Obama, while the countries worked together on climate change, an investment agreement, building trust between their militaries, counterterrorism and the Iranian nuclear issue, Hua said at a daily briefing.

Important progress has been made by the two countries. This has shown that China-US relations have strategic and overarching significance and we have more common interests than differences and when China and the US work together we can achieve a lot, Hua said.

China and the US need to be friends and partners rather than competitors and enemies, Hua said.

Hua made no mention of the long-running dispute over Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own territory. Washington has robust unofficial relations with the island and provides it with arms to guard against Beijings threat to use force to reunify with it.

China on Wednesday called on the US to bar a Taiwanese delegation from attending Donald Trumps Friday inauguration, underscoring concerns that the incoming president could seek to redefine relations among Beijing, Taipei and Washington.

Trump had already angered Beijing and upset decades of diplomatic precedent by talking by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen shortly after winning Novembers presidential election. Last week, he said in a newspaper interview that Washingtons one-China policy under which it recognized Beijing in 1979 was open to negotiation, and earlier questioned why the US should be bound by such an approach without China offering incentives.

Beijing and Washington have also tangled repeatedly over Chinas assertions of its territorial claims in the South China Sea, including man-made islands equipped with airstrips and military facilities. Missions by US ships and planes to press the right to freedom of navigation in the area have met with angry responses from Beijing, which sees them as part of an effort to restrain its rise as the regions leading military power.

Other disputes center on US criticism of Chinese trade and investment practices that are seen as unfair, as well as the ruling Chinese Communist Partys treatment of political and human rights activists and policies toward minority groups in Tibet and the far western region of Xinjiang.
A Belgian court handed out prison sentences of up to eight years for a group of 14 people convicted of falsifying documents used by Islamist militants in attacks in Paris and Brussels, Belgian media reported on Thursday.

They had made about 2,000 documents - including Belgian, Spanish and Danish identity cards - and delivered them all over Europe. Their sentences ranged from three to eight years.

These documents were used by militants such as Salah Abdeslam, who fled after the Paris attacks in November 2015, and Najim Laachraoui who blew himself up at Brussels Airport in March, Belgian daily Le Soir reported.

The Brussels court was not immediately available for comment.
Britain and the United States have approached India to leverage its influence with Mauritius on the contentious issue of Diego Garcia, where the US has a major military base, but is caught in claims over Mauritian sovereignty and legal rows over return of former islanders.

New Delhis help was sought by foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who is currently on a visit to India, during Wednesdays meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, London-based sources told HT.

The help was sought since it is seen as part of the same security architecture with Britain and the US, sending what is considered a good signal from New Delhis perspective. Continuation of the US base would also be in Indias interests, Modi was told.

Diego Garcia, one of the Chagos islands in the Indian Ocean, was leased by Britain to the US for the military base in 1966 for 50 years (two years before Mauritius independence in 1968). Nearly 2,000 islanders were driven out and settled in Mauritius and Seychelles. London administers it as the British Indian Ocean Territory.

The lease expired recently, but has been renewed by London until December 20, 2036, much to the chagrin of Mauritius and groups seeking the return of islanders. London also announced in November last that the islanders will not be allowed to return.

Mauritius Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth has threatened to take Britain to the International Court of Justice to resolve the dispute over the sovereignty of Chagos islands after securing a vote in the UN General Assembly on the issue.

Jugnauth has criticised Londons refusal to let the Chagossian community return to the island, which, he said, always formed and continues to form an integral part of the territory of Mauritius.

He said: In view of the purported unilateral actions of the UK, Mauritius would be fully justified in taking forward the completion of the process of decolonisation, which is now on the agenda of the current session of the UN General Assembly, with a view to putting the matter before the International Court of Justice.

Britain disagrees with Mauritius claim to the Chagos archipelago, but has often undertaken to cede it to Mauritius when it is no longer required defence purposes. In 2010, Britain created a Maritime Protection Area in the Chagos island allegedly to stop return of islanders.

The foreign office said: These defence purposes contribute significantly towards global security. Diego Garcia is a joint UK-US facility that is used by many international partners in countering terrorism and countering piracy.

The UK is disappointed that Mauritius is seeking a request by the UN General Assembly to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The UK believes this is an inappropriate use of the ICJ mechanism and sets an unwelcome precedent for other bilateral disputes, it added.

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Martin Luther King III met with Donald Trump (Photo : Smooth R&B 105.7/Facebook)

After a weekend of civil rights activist criticism, President-elect Donald Trump met Martin Luther King III on Jan. 16. The voting rights discussion included on the meeting at the Trump Towers.



Martin Luther King Jr's birthday marked a significant factor in the US Civil Rights movement and a major holiday in the United States. The civil rights leader's son, Dr. Martin Luther King III arrived before 1:00 PM at the Trump Towers in an unexpected meeting with the incoming President.



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In an almost hour meeting, Dr. King III with William Wachtel, a prominent New York Lawyer confirmed that they discussed the legacy of the late civil rights leader. This is in connection with the mass voter participation in an election easier for all Americans.



During elections, Americans would not be allowed to vote with the absence of specific identification cards such as a driver's license or official ID. The meeting included adding more people into the system by establishing a free photo identification during elections.



According to Nola, Dr. King described the meeting as "constructive" as President-elect Donald Trump showed deep interest in protecting civil rights under his administration. This is contrary, however, to the incoming president's reputation he established during the election.



"He said that he is going to represent Americans, he's said that over and over again. We will continue to evaluate that," Dr. King said in an interview after coming out of the elevator doors of the Trump Towers. According to the New York Times, it is the sense of importance for the African-American community for Donald Trump to tone down and change his policy positions.



The concluded election created a systematic chaos all over the United States. The President of the National Urban League Mr. Marc Morial expressed, "There's a lot of anxiety, there's a lot of distrust, there are people who have expressed to me that they're scared of what his policies might entail."



Donald Trump's inauguration will be on Jan. 20, and up to now, there are detractors of his triumph. There are 30 Democratic lawmakers who vowed to boycott the inauguration. The recent meeting post a significant point that there will be progress on the coming Trump administration.






China and the United States can resolve any trade disputes through talks, the government said on Thursday, as a Chinese newspaper warned US business could be targets for retaliation in any trade war ushered in by President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump, who is sworn into office on Friday, has criticised Chinas trade practices and threatened to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese imports.

Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross, Trumps choice for commerce secretary, voiced sharp criticism of Chinas trade practices on Wednesday, telling senators he would seek new ways of combating them.

Read: Chinas forays in Indian Ocean a matter of concern, US commander tells India

Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Sun Jiwen said the government was willing to work with the new US administration to promote the healthy development of commercial ties.

I believe China and the United States can resolve any disputes through dialogue and negotiation and that the China-US commercial relationship will not significantly stray from the path of mutual benefit, Sun told reporters.

Both sides benefit with cooperation, and both are hurt with conflict, he added.

But an influential state-run newspaper took a harsher line.

Read: Indias NSG membership cant be Obama administrations farewell gift: China

In an editorial, the Global Times said that as the United States has the stronger economy, China may suffer more once a trade war starts, but China will take the US on to the end.

There are few cases in modern history where only one party surrendered in a trade war; rather, the two parties ended up compromising with each other. How could Trumps team believe China would surrender without any countermeasures? it said.

The arrogant Trump team has underestimated Chinas ability to retaliate. China is a major buyer of American cotton, wheat, beans and Boeing aircraft, the paper added in the editorial carried in its Chinese and English-language editions, without elaborating.

Boeing Cos China office declined to comment.

Boeing anticipates China will need 6,800 new jetliners worth $1 trillion over the next 20 years.

Read: Chinas power dynamic factor in Asia: Full text of foreign secretary Jaishankars speech at Raisina Dialogue

In October, Boeing and Chinese planemaker Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd (COMAC) signed an agreement to open a Boeing 737 completion facility in the Chinese coastal city of Zhoushan.

The widely-read Global Times, run by the ruling Communist Partys official Peoples Daily, is known for its stridently nationalist tone, but its editorials cannot be viewed as representing government policies or official statements.

In recent weeks, the Global Times and other state-run Chinese news outlets have issued several warnings of possible retaliation if the Trump administration carries out threats of tariffs or undermines Beijings claims on self-ruled Taiwan.

Read: Naive for India to tilt towards US in China-US trade war: Chinese state daily

In November, the Global Times warned that China could switch large orders from Boeing to Europe, Apple phones would essentially be crowded out and US soybeans and corn banished from China if Trump creates problems for China on trade.

China is the worlds top producer and consumer of cotton and top buyer of grains such as soybeans to feed its vast livestock industry.
Fake news probably did not change the outcome of the US presidential election, according to a study of news consumption by voters.

The study bolsters arguments by Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, who has sought to deflect criticism that the huge social network may have been used to fuel the spread of misinformation that impacted the 2016 race.

However, the researchers did reach some potentially troubling conclusions -- that 15 percent of people surveyed reported seeing fake news stories, and eight percent reported seeing and believing them.

The report was published this week as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, known for its role in determining recessions in the US economy.

Researchers Hunt Allcott of New York University and Matthew Gentzkow of Stanford concluded that despite the widespread consumption of fake stories, this was not likely a determining factor in Donald Trumps victory over Hillary Clinton.

They said pro-Trump fake stories were shared on Facebook about three times more than pro-Clinton stories -- 30.3 million shares compared to 7.6 million.

Still, they said that in order to swing the election, these stories would have had to change the votes of 0.51 percent of the voting age population, which was unlikely.

Our data suggest that social media were not the most important source of election news, and even the most widely circulated fake news stories were seen by only a small fraction of Americans, the researchers wrote.

For fake news to have changed the outcome of the election, a single fake news story would need to have convinced about 0.7 percent of Clinton voters and non-voters who saw it to shift their votes to Trump, a persuasion rate equivalent to seeing 36 television campaign ads.

The researchers concluded that while social media was a key source of news for many, it wasnt the most important source.

The respondents spent an average of 66 minutes per day reading, watching or listening to election news, of which 25 minutes were on social media.

But when asked which were most important, the top information sources were cable TV, network TV, websites and local TV. Social media was the fifth most important news source, cited by 14 percent of those polled.

The study was based on an online survey of 1,208 US adults the week of November 28 -- three weeks after the November 8 election.

Even though Facebook has brushed aside criticism over its role in the spread of fake news, the worlds biggest social network has nonetheless taken a series of initiatives since November aimed at curbing the spread of misinformation and hoaxes.
Former President George HW Bush and his wife, Barbara, remain hospitalised in Houston, where he is in intensive care for pneumonia and she is being watched after complaining of fatigue and coughing.

A family spokesman says the 92-year-old former president went into the ICU on Wednesday and underwent a procedure on his airway. Bush was stable and resting comfortably at Houston Methodist Hospital.

The spokesman later told The Associated Press that doctors were happy with how the procedure went. Bush was first admitted to the hospital Saturday for shortness of breath.

Barbara Bush, who is 91, had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks and decided to seek treatment. The spokesman described the move as precautionary.
US President Barack Obama faced the media for the last time on Wednesday, two days before Donald Trump takes office.

Following are the key quotes from the press conference:

On Trump

I have offered my best advice (...) I can tell you that -- this is something I have told him -- that this is a job of such magnitude that you cant do it by yourself. You are enormously reliant on a team.

-- Obama, saying why its important to pay attention to confirmation hearings for Trumps cabinet picks.

On the Middle East

I think the status quo is unsustainable -- that it is dangerous for Israel, that it is bad for Palestinians, bad for the region and bad for Americas national security. (...) Obviously its a volatile environment. What weve seen in the past is when sudden unilateral moves are made that speak to some of the core issues and sensitivities of either side, that can be explosive.

-- Obama, in an apparent reference to Trumps plan to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

On Russia

I think its in Americas interest and the worlds interest that we have a constructive relationship with Russia. Thats been my approach throughout my presidency.

I think its fair to say that after President Putin came back into the presidency that an escalating anti-American rhetoric and an approach to global affairs that seem to be premised on the idea that whatever Americas trying to do must be bad for Russians (...) that returned to an adversarial spirit that I think existed during the Cold War, (that) has made the relationship more difficult.

-- Obama, in perhaps some advice to Trump, who has said improving ties with Russia is a priority.

On the media

Youre not supposed to be sycophants, youre supposed to be skeptical. (...) And having you in this building has made this work place better. It keeps us honest, makes us work harder.

-- Obama in a rather veiled dig at Trump, whose staff have floated the idea of moving the press corps out of the White House to the Old Executive Office Building next door

On race

Weve got more work to do on race. It is simply not true that things have gotten worse. They havent. Things are getting better. And I have more confidence on racial issues in the next generation than I do in our generation or the previous generation. I think kids are smarter about it.

-- Americas first black president on race relations

On Chelsea Manning

Lets be clear. Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence. (...) I know I feel very comfortable that justice has been served and that a message has still been sent.

-- Obama, responding to criticism about his decision to commute the 35-year sentence of the transgender army private who leaked classified US documents to WikiLeaks. Manning will be released in May after serving seven years.

On his future

I want to do some writing, I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much. I want to spend precious time with my girls.

-- The Obamas will head on vacation to Palm Springs after Fridays inauguration.

On speaking out

Theres a difference between that normal functioning of politics and certain issues or certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake. (...) that would merit me speaking out.

-- Obama, citing any infringement on a free press, systematic discrimination or efforts to round up immigrants and deport them as subjects that would prompt a reaction.

On future of America

Democracy is messy and doesnt always work the way you want, doesnt guarantee certain outcomes. But if you are engaged and involved, then there are a lot more good people than bad in this country.

What weve also tried to teach them is resilience and tried to teach them hope and that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world. (...) At my core, I think were going to be okay.

-- Obama, when asked about how his daughters Sasha and Malia were taking Trumps election.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not be travelling to Washington for US President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration on Friday, but a high-level Cabinet delegation, including Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan, will be attendance.

Trudeau, who also skipped the World Economic Forum meet in Davos, is currently on a tour of the country, connecting with Canadian citizens at town hall-like events.

However, the composition of the delegation, which includes recently-appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr; and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrew Leslie, shows the high priority Canada places on the US.

In a statement, Freeland said, The United States has no closer friend, partner and ally than Canada, and we look forward to working closely with the new US administration and with the US Congress.

Sajjan, it may be recalled, was also part of the Canadian delegation that accompanied Trudeau when outgoing US President Barack Obama hosted a state dinner at the White House for the Canadian PM last year.

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A 46-year-old Indian-origin womans body was found hidden in a suitcase dumped in an alleyway in the UK following which a man, believed to be her ex-husband, has been charged with murder.

Kiran Daudia was found dead by a member of public in a walkway off Cromer Street, Leicester, on Tuesday.

Kiran, a mother of two, was a call centre worker with popular UK retailer Next in the city in the East Midlands region of England.

Leicestershire Police said they had charged Ashwin Daudia, 50, with murder and remanded him in custody. Daudia, of Lyme Road, Leicester, will appear at Leicester Magistrates Court today.

The man arrested is believed to be Kirans ex-husband.

A 50-year-old man has been charged with murder following the body of woman being discovered in a suitcase. He has been remanded into custody and will appear at Leicester Magistrates Court, Leicestershire Police said in a statement.

Cromer Street and a nearby property on Mayfield Road remained cordoned off yesterday while police examined the scene.

Anyone who may have seen someone pulling a suitcase in the area of Lyme Street and the alleyway behind Cromer Street in the late afternoon or early evening of Monday has been urged to contact the force.

Family of Kiranhave spoken of their devastation following her tragic death. In a statement they said: Kiran was a much loved mum, daughter, sister and auntie, and she will be deeply missed by us all. We ask that our privacy be respected during this very difficult time.

Daudias former workplace also expressed shock at her death. A spokesperson for Next said: Next is shocked to learn of the tragic death of our colleague Mrs Kiran Daudia in such horrific circumstances.

Kiran was a long-standing, much loved and highly respected member of our Customer Services Team, having worked at Next for over 17 years. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and co-workers at this saddest of times. She will be sorely missed.

Naturally this is a police matter and Next is co-operating fully with the investigation. As it is an on-going situation Next is unable to comment further.

Neighbours said they feared the victim may be a local woman who disappeared shortly before the case was discovered.

Jasbir Kaur said she spoke to the missing womans sister at around 9.30m on Monday.

The woman said my sister is missing. She was last seen when she finished work at 2:00 pm yesterday. She left work and did not come home, Kaur said.

Forensic officers carried out a number of searches after the grim find, and door-to-door enquires were carried out in the area.
Islamic State militants put at least 12 people to death in execution-style killings in the ancient city of Palmyra, which they re-captured from the government for a second time in December, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Thursday.

The jihadist group beheaded four of the people - state employees and teachers - outside a museum, the group said. The eight others - four of them government soldiers and four of them rebel fighters captured elsewhere in Syria - were shot.

Some of the killings took place at an ancient Roman theatre in Palmyra, where Islamic State last year put at least 25 government fighters to death, the Observatory said.

Islamic State captured Palmyra for a second time from the government in December. Government forces and their militia allies, backed by Russian air power, took the city back from Islamic State in March, after first losing it in 2015.
One of Japans biggest hotel chains has been rebuked by Beijing, and Chinese travel agencies have boycotted it, after it was revealed that the owner of the chain wrote a book denying that the Japanese army carried out a massacre in Nanjing city in eastern China during World War II.

A Chinese historian recently came across the book, titled The Real History of Japan, in a room of the APA hotel, owned by Toshio Motoya, while travelling in Japan. The book was widely available in the hotel chain and residents could buy copies from the hotels gift shops.

The Japanese occupation of China during the 1930s and particularly the events in Nanjing  known as the massacre of Nanjing or the rape of Nanjing  are sensitive topics. Chinese historians say Nanjing was home to more than 600,000 residents before the Japanese attack and occupation; more than 300,000 Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed in December 1937.

Chinese state media reported that the book refers to the 300,000 people slaughtered in Nanking as falsehood and the Nanjing Massacre in China, comfort women and large-scale forced prostitution in South Korea as untruths.

The state-controlled Global Times newspaper reported: As of September 2016, there were 413 hotels or resorts and 70,000 hotel rooms under the APA Group. Company figures show that during peak tourist season, about 40% of its hotel rooms are occupied by foreigners  half of them from China and South Korea.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the Japanese government must ensure that Japanese people are exposed to authoritative versions of history. She said the book again shows that some forces within Japan refuse to squarely face history and even attempt to deny and distort history.

According to the Chinese official news agency Xinhua, despite the protest, the APA hotel chain has refused to remove the book from its rooms.

Zhang Jianjun, chief researcher with the Nanjing Massacre Research Institute, told Xinhua that the book is a fabrication based on the rhetoric of the Japanese right-wing.

The official statement from the APA group said it had received a flood of opinion on the controversy but said it would not withdraw the book.

Although we acknowledge that historic interpretation and education vary among nations, please clearly understand that the book is not aimed to criticise any specific state or nation, but for the purpose of letting readers learn the fact-based true interpretation of modern history. Therefore, we have no intention to withdraw this book from our guest rooms, no matter how many denounces may be made about it from whatever viewpoint. Japan constitutionally guarantees freedom of speech and no one-sided pressures could force any assertion made get repealed, the company said in a statement.
Tehrans mayor said more than 20 firefighters had been killed when the citys oldest high-rise collapsed following a fire on Thursday.

So far, more than 20 of our colleagues in the fire brigade have lost their lives rescuing others, mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Iranian state television.

Fire brigade spokesperson Jalal Maleki said he could not confirm the 20 deaths, and they were still being treated officially as missing since no bodies had yet been pulled from the rubble.

Rescue workers, soldiers and sniffer dogs were desperately hunting for survivors in the debris of the 15-storey Plasco building, which contained a shopping centre and hundreds of clothing suppliers.

Some 78 people -- mostly firefighters -- were injured as they rushed to evacuate the building, the head of Tehrans emergency services told state television, and six were still in hospital by late evening.

Dramatic images showed flames pouring out of the top floors of the building, which collapsed shortly before midday after a four-hour blaze.

Around 200 firefighters had been tackling the blaze at the Plasco building, which dated from the 1960s.

I was inside and suddenly I felt the building is shaking and is about to collapse. As we gathered colleagues and got out, a minute later the building collapsed, said Ali, a firefighter at the scene.

Local media said the workshops were especially full of clothes in the build-up to Nowruz, the Iranian New Year which falls in March.

President Hassan Rouhani demanded an immediate investigation, calling the incident unfortunate and sorrowful.

More than 30 times we warned the buildings owners that it was not safe, but unfortunately they did not pay attention, said municipality spokesman Shahram Gilabadi.

The fire brigade spokesman said the building was known to breach safety standards.

Even in the stairwells, a lot of clothing is stored and this is against safety standards. The managers didnt pay attention to the warnings, Maleki told state television, adding that the building lacked sufficient fire extinguishers.

A firefighter works during the operations removing debris of the Plasco building (AP)

Thousands ruined

The tragedy brought condolences from around the world, with the London Fire Brigade tweeting: Our thoughts are with the friends and families of the firefighters who have died following the fire and building collapse in Tehran.

Dozens of Tehranis queued to donate blood, with one young man telling state television: This is the least we could do for those who take their lives into their hands to rescue others.

The steel skeleton of the building was left twisted and bent down to the ground as around 100 fire engines and dozens of ambulances surrounded the area, from which smoke was still rising hours later.

Ive lost my entire stock. Thousands of families have been ruined, said Ahmad, the owner of one of hundreds of shops and business units in the building.

The head of Tehrans tailors union said there were around 400 clothing suppliers inside and many lacked insurance.

On lookers watch the Plasco building engulfed by a fire in central Tehran (AP)

They were preparing clothing for the New Year and thats why all supply units were full of clothes.

Unfortunately the majority of these suppliers did not have fire insurance and have therefore suffered irreparable damage, he said.

The Plasco building was Tehrans first shopping centre and Irans tallest building when it was finished in 1962, before being dwarfed by the construction boom of later years.

It was built by Habibollah Elghanian, a prominent Iranian-Jewish businessman who was arrested for ties to Israel and sentenced to death and executed after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The fire is thought to have begun on the ninth floor and spread quickly to workshops above.
The Theresa May government on Thursday reiterated Britains long-standing position that it is for the governments of India and Pakistan to find a solution to the dispute in Jammu and Kashmir, adding it cannot play a role beyond encouraging them to continue the dialogue.

Speaking at the end of a three-hour debate in the House of Commons, Foreign Office minister Alok Sharma said Jammu and Kashmir had a long and complex history, and noted estimates that nearly two-thirds of British Pakistan hailed from the Pakistan side of Jammu and Kashmir.

The debate was to discuss a motion on escalation in violence and breaches of international human rights on the Indian side of the Line of Control in Kashmir, and issues related to it. There were passionate speeches from most of the 19 participating MPs.

Speakers included Virendra Sharma, Bob Blackman, Nusrat Ghani and Shabana Mahmood.

Issues raised included the use of pellet guns by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian laws related to security, and the UN high commissioner for human rights.

Sharma said: India and Pakistan are both longstanding and important friends of the United Kingdom and we have significant links to both countries through diapora communities. We also have strong bilateral relations with both countries.

The longstanding position of the UK is that it can neither prescribe a solution to Kashmir nor act as a mediator. It is for the governments of India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. We encourage both sides to maintain positive dialogue but the pace of this is for both of them to determine.

Sharma said the issue attracted much attention at various levels. He noted that the Indian security forces had stopped using pellet guns, and recalled joint declaration between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister David Cameron in November last on the issue of jointly combating terrorism.

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Donald Trump Holds Meetings At Trump Tower (Photo : Getty Images)

Even if Miss Universe host Steve Harvey has apologized for his Asian men joke a week later, netizens doubt how sincere his apology was. The comedian tweeted on Tuesday that it was not his intention to offend anyone, and his humor was not meant to have any malice or disrespect.



Soft Apology



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One comment from netizens was that it took him one week to issue the soft apology, noted Jack Davis. Eddie Huang, author of Fresh off the Boat, wrote a comment on The New York Times on Saturday that Attractiveness is a very haphazard dish that cant be boiled down to height or skin color, Shanghaiist quoted Huang.



Harveys joke was in reference to a self-help book How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men. He asked in a segment on his talk show on Monday, Excuse me, do you like Asian men? No! Thank you  I dont even like Chinese food, boy. It dont stay with you no time. I dont eat what I cant pronounce.



Twitter Comments



His bad joke continues to elicit negative comments on Twitter. Ionne tsunami called Harveys joke wack and made no sense. Connecting the joke with U.S. politics, Rion Amilcar Scott said the joke was an application to join White Supremacy. His meeting with Trump an acceptance into the clique.



Harveys meeting with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump is also harvesting a lot of negative comments. Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show mocked on Monday his meeting with the billionaire at his Trump Tower in New York. The black host explained in a tweet that the meeting with Trump was for him to help Ben Carson, a nominee for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, discuss how to help inner cities, CNN reported.



Besides Daily Show host Trevor Noah who commented on Monday that people thought Trump would not do anything for black people, rapper T.I. also called out Harvey and several other prominent blacks by posting videos on Instagram for meeting with Trump.






North Korea may be preparing to test launch a new, upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), South Korean media reported on Thursday, citing military sources.

In his New Years speech, leader Kim Jong Un said North Korea was close to test launching an ICBM, and state media has said a launch could come at any time. Experts on the isolated and nuclear capable countrys missile programme believe the claims to be credible.

That test launch could be imminent, and potentially coincide with the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump on Friday, South Korean media said.

South Korean intelligence agencies reported on Wednesday that they had recently spotted missile parts being transported, believed to be the lower half of an ICBM, raising fears that a test launch may be imminent, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing unidentified military sources.

It was different from a conventional Musudan missile in its length and shape, the source told the Chosun Ilbo, referring to the Musudan intermediate-range missile tested by North Korea last year.

It is possible they were moving it somewhere for assembly, the source said.

A spokesperson for South Koreas Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Roh Jae-cheon, told a regular news briefing that while the reports could not be confirmed, the military was monitoring North Koreas ICBM development.

North Korea has in the past paraded mockups of a road mobile missile believed to be an ICBM design dubbed the KN-08 by outside observers. It is also believed to have an upgraded version, the KN-14.

A road mobile ICBM, which could be kept hidden or moving until fired, would make tracking and stopping a North Korean missile launch significantly more difficult.

The suspected ICBM is made up of two parts under 15 metres (49 feet) long and is shorter than the KN-08 and KN-14, the Yonhap News Agency said, citing unidentified military sources.

I dont recognise the missiles from this description, said Joshua Pollack, editor of the US-based Nonproliferation Review. But as we saw in 2016, theres certainly a variety of active missile programmes underway in North Korea.

Its also possible that they are simply conducting field exercises with no plans to launch, or the option to launch if decided, said Pollack.

Last year, North Korea conducted a test of an ICBM engine made up of a cluster of smaller rockets, indicating it was working on an ICBM design.

Separately, the Washington-based think tank 38 North said on Thursday that operations at North Koreas Yongbyon nuclear facility may have restarted. North Korea is believed to be able to reprocess plutonium at Yongbyon used in its nuclear warheads.
Whether its writing a book, working with minority youths or helping the Democratic Party to rise from the ashes, Barack Obama sees life after his eight years in the White House as that of an active citizen.

At 55, Obama will be a year younger than Bill Clinton when he leaves office on Friday. He remains highly popular and says he hopes not to become the old guy at the bar, you know, whos -- whos just hanging around re-living old glories.

Americas first black president says he has no intention of getting involved in the day-to-day scrum of political life once he leaves the White House.

But he also says he will not hesitate to weigh in on foundational issues about our democracy -- a subtle hint that Donald Trump may face some well-placed pushback over the coming four years from his predecessor.

Read I Obama warns Trump, tells supportes well be ok in his last press conference

In the short term, after Trump takes the oath of office on the steps of the Capitol at noon Friday, Obama will head on vacation with his wife Michelle and two teenage daughters Malia and Sasha. Destination: Palm Springs, California.

After that?

I have to be quiet for a while. I dont mean politically, I mean internally. I have to still myself, Obama told former close aide David Axelrod in an interview for CNN.

Former presidents rarely remain in the nations capital after their time living and working in the citys oldest public building, but the Obamas will be staying in Washington while Sasha finishes high school.

Jimmy Carter headed home to Georgia and Ronald Reagan did the same, residing in California until his death.

Bill Clinton opted for New York, where he launched his family foundation and where wife Hillary launched her own political career as a US senator. George W. Bush went back to Texas.

President Barack Obama speaks during his final presidential news conference on Wednesday in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo)

Obama, a Hawaii native who made his start in politics in Chicago and never expressed any real love for Washington, has rented a home in the citys upscale Kalorama neighborhood.

In the middle term, Obama has expressed a wish to work with young minorities from poor neighbourhoods, where school dropouts, unemployment and incarceration rates are higher than elsewhere.

Those opportunity gaps begin early, often at birth, and they compound over time, becoming harder and harder to bridge, Obama said in 2015.

This will remain a mission for me and for Michelle, not just for the rest of my presidency, but for the rest of my life.

- Supreme Court? Too monastic -

Read I Obama calls Modi as he readies to sign off

Hillary Clintons surprise election loss in November -- and Trumps win, which Obama admits he did not see coming -- changed the outlook for Obamas post-presidency.

The Democrat has clearly said he will work to rebuild his battered party.

I want to make sure that Im doing everything I can to amplify and lift up a next generation of voices not just in politics, but in civic life, Obama said in the exit interview with CNN.

And I have the connections and, I think, credibility to be able to do that in some unique some ways.

Obama says he hopes that he can push his party to go beyond aiming to win presidential elections and instead be present not just in Democrat-leaning big cities but also in communities where people feel as if theyre not being heard.

Several ex-presidents have stayed in Washington to make a mark in other branches of government.

Defeated in 1828 after one term, John Quincy Adams was elected to Congress, where he remained till his death. His oratorical skills served him well, and he is remembered for his passionate fight to abolish slavery.

William Howard Taft, who left the White House in 1913, later became a Supreme Court justice.

Obama, an expert in constitutional law and the former president of the Harvard Law Review, doesnt see the high court in his future.

I think being a justice is a little bit too monastic for me, he told The New Yorker in 2014.

The example of his two Democratic predecessors -- Carter and Clinton, who both launched charitable foundations respected at home and abroad -- could be instructive.

Obama might use his presidential library, which will be built in Chicago, to develop some of his post-White House initiatives.

Read I Obamas last surprise: Calls press secy Josh Earnest a really, really good man

Persistent rumors say he wants to teach at New Yorks Columbia University, where he earned his undergraduate degree.

I love teaching. I miss the classroom and engaging with students, Obama -- who lectured at the University of Chicago before becoming president -- told The New Yorker in 2014.

Obama, the author of two successful books, will also spend time writing -- a rite of passage, and a lucrative one, for former US leaders.

Media reports say he could earn more than $20 million in book contracts, including for his memoir.

He could rely on the journals he has kept since his student days, including at the White House.

Ive kept some, but not with the sort of discipline that I would have hoped for, Obama told The New York Times. Not as much as I would have liked. I just didnt have time.
Reflecting on his election as the first black president, Barack Obama has said if the US continues to be inclusive and diverse, it could someday send a woman, a Hindu, a Jew or a Latino to the White House.

The outgoing president also made clear he was not going away entirely as he planned to speak out if and when he saw our core values in danger, serving up a thinly veiled warning to President-elect Donald Trump and his team.

Taking questions at his last news conference on Wednesday Obama, 55, said if the US remained inclusive, giving equal opportunity to everyone, were going to have a woman president, were going to have a Latino president, and well have a Jewish president, a Hindu president.

Who knows who were going to have? he wrapped up the argument with the usual Obama flourish tailored to get a laugh. I suspect well have a whole bunch of mixed-up presidents at some point that nobody really knows what to call them.

Obama said he plans to spend time with his family, do some writing and hear less of himself speak. But he will not fade away, as former presidents are supposed to, and will continue to speak on issues of importance to him.

I want to do some writing, Obama said (a $45 million book deals awaits him, according to some news reports), adding: I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much. I want to spend precious time with my girls.

People applaud during a news conference held by Clarissa Lopez (not pictured), daughter of Puerto Rican independence militant Oscar Lopez Rivera, after US President Barack Obama pardoned Lopez Rivera who is serving a 55 year prison sentence for his involvement with Puerto Rican militant group FALN, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (REUTERS)

As reporters cracked up, the context couldnt have been lost on anyone. The United States had just a few weeks ago passed up, once again, a chance to elect a woman president, someone Obama had campaigned for.

It took the US more than 220 years, since its first presidential election, to elect an African-American president, and as a Protestant-majority country, it waited more than 170 years to pick its first Catholic president, John F Kennedy.

And, as Obama said, it has had no Jewish or Hindu as president nor a Latino, the largest minority community in the US now, overtaking African-Americans. There are about 4 million Jews and an estimated 2.29 million Hindus in the US.

They have a long way to go.

Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii who became the first Hindu to be elected to US congress (the House of Representatives) in 2012, is often spoken as a leading prospect from this tiny religious minority.

Gabbard was joined in 2017 by three more Hindus, all Indian-Americans  Rohit Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal and Raja Krishnamoorthi.

Gabbard is not of Indian descent, which she is often mistaken for being a Hindu.

Any one of them could someday, if, as Obama said, America continued to give every citizen equal opportunity, could occupy the White House. Inequality was among a few things he was worried about as he leaves office, the 44th American president said.
Defence Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday he had opposed commuting the prison sentence of convicted leaker Chelsea Manning, who was convicted in 2013 of espionage and other crimes for leaking classified information while deployed in Iraq.

That was not my recommendation, Carter said in an Associated Press interview. I recommended against that, but the president has made his decision.

Carter declined to elaborate on his view.

President Barack Obama has drawn intense criticism from members of Congress and others for his decision Tuesday to commute Mannings 35-year prison sentence to about seven years, including the time she spent locked up before she was convicted. Her sentence is now set to expire May 17.

At the time Manning committed the crimes she was known as Bradley Manning and was serving as an Army private.

A judge convicted Manning of 20 counts, including six Espionage Act violations, theft and computer fraud. She was sentenced to 35 years out of a possible maximum of 90. She was acquitted of the most serious charge of aiding the enemy, which carries a possible life sentence.

The now 29-year-old native of Crescent, Okla., leaked more than 700,000 classified Iraq and Afghanistan war logs and diplomatic cables in 2010 while working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad. Manning also leaked a 2007 video clip of a U.S. helicopter crew killing at least nine men, including a Reuters news photographer and his driver. The Pentagon later concluded the helicopter crew acted appropriately, having mistaken the camera equipment for weapons.

At a White House news conference Wednesday, Obama firmly defended his Manning decision, arguing she had served a tough prison sentence already.

The White House declined to comment on Carters remarks but pointed to Obamas explanation about why hed granted the commutation.

Obama said his decision took into account the fact that Manning had gone to trial, taken responsibility for her crime and received a sentence that he said was harsher than other leakers had received. He emphasized that he had commuted her sentence, not granted a pardon, which would have symbolically forgiven her for the crime.

I feel very comfortable that justice has been served, Obama said, adding, A message has still been sent that when it comes to our national security, that wherever possible we need folks who may have legitimate concerns about the actions of government or their superiors or the agencies in which they work, that they try to work through the established channels and avail themselves of the whistleblower protections that have been put in place.

The president said he does not accept the argument of critics that the commutation sends the wrong message to others in the military.

The notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital, classified information would think that it goes unpunished, I dont think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served, Obama said.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Obamas decision on Manning was a mistake and called the convicted leaker a traitor.

Pence said in an interview airing Wednesday night with Fox News Brett Baier that Mannings actions compromised national security, endangered American personnel and compromised individuals in Afghanistan who were cooperating with U.S. forces.

One name missing from the list of pardons and commutations the White House announced Tuesday is U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. The former prisoner of war is accused of endangering comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009, and has asked Obama for a pardon. He was captured by the Taliban and held prisoner for five years.

A pardon would allow Bergdahl to avert a military trial scheduled for April. He faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. The misbehavior charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Asked about the Bergdahl case, Carter told the AP: That one hasnt come to me yet in any way. Its a law enforcement matter, so I really cant comment on it.
Its a wrap. President of the United States, Barack H Obama, signs off for the Republican billionaire Donald Trump to take over the Oval Office on Friday.

In the last eight years -- September 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden was killed, a global climate deal was struck to stall global warming, US diplomatic ties with Cuba were renewed after over 50 years of severance, LGBT marriages were legalised in America, the Iraq war ended, policy was shifted to pivot Asia, Iran nuclear deal was implemented, etc.

Read | Barack Obama leaves office: Highs and lows in India-US ties during his tenure

Yet, Obama will not be remembered only for these political and social developments through his tenure. He is, and will possibly be, the only pop-culture icon who is also the Leader of the New World.

Here are some of the other moments to remember Obama by:

Obamas first tweet:

We couldnt believe it either!

Hello, Twitter! It's Barack. Really! Six years in, they're finally giving me my own account.  President Obama (@POTUS) May 18, 2015

Talk show appearances:

Obama was the first sitting President to appear as a guest on the popular The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2009. He kept up the tradition by appearing on various talk shows through his presidency, including slow-jamming news with Jimmy Kimmel, dancing with Ellen deGeneres or even reading out mean tweets directed at him.

Heres a sneak peak:

Relationship goals:

There are friendship goals and then there are Obama and Biden. The Democrat Presidents bromance with Joe Biden is a friendship goal idolised by many. Who wont miss those stolen glances and the playful banter. After all, vice-president Biden was the best decision Obama ever made as a nominee.

Could it BE any more cheesy!

via GIPHY

He knows how to host a dinner:

The US Presidents last White House Correspondents Dinner might was defined by dropping the mic and casually declaring: Obama out. But there were jibes and hits to remember; most of all, it was Obamas masterstroke was inviting comedian Keegan-Michael Key as his anger translator.

Wed let the video do the talking:

A hip-hop President:

Obama embraced hip-hop more than any of his predecessors. He has referenced Jay Zs lyrics and Kanye West in speeches, released playlists on Spotify that included Nas, Chance the Rapper, Mos Def and Method Man, and was caught dancing to Drakes Hot Line Bling at a White House event.

And televised concert celebrating the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Obama was shown rapping along when Public Enemys Chuck D performed Fight the Power.

But it isnt just hip hop hes known for. Jazz and Christmas songs feature in his list too.

Shedding a tear:

Who says presidents dont cry. One of the most powerful leaders in the world has wept at least 10 times on camera since he took office, most tellingly when tears poured down his cheeks last year when he talked about the toll that gun violence was taking on America. Obama wiped away another few earlier this month when paying tribute to his wife Michelle and his teenage daughters in his farewell speech in Chicago.

US President Barack Obama wipes away a tear as he delivers his farewell address in Chicago, Illinois. (Reuters Photo)

Hanging out the kids:

Obamas most endearing moments captures are with the kids, whether its playfully coaxing a British Prince into shaking his hand or being shot by spiderman in the White House.

Obama hit by the Spiderman, at the White House. (Picture courtesy: White House)

In this handout photo released by Kensington Palace, Britain's Prince George meets with US President Barack Obama at Kensington Palace, London. (AP File Photo)

Going out on a bang:

His parting gift was a presidential clemency for Chelsea Manning, the US intelligence officer who was convicted of leaking sensitive information to WikiLeaks. Thanks to Obama, Manning will walk out of prison in May this year.

With the Republican side often denying the existence of man-made global warming, Obama also ensured the survival of his legacy by transferring $500 million to the Paris climate change fund.

via GIPHY

Heres hoping Trump has another tremendous presidency.

(With input from agencies)
A robber who posed as a customer stole 15 million euros (Rs 108.8 crore) worth of jewellery from a shop in the French riviera resort of Cannes on Wednesday, local police said.

The thief, in his thirties, entered the Harry Winston jewellery shop wearing sunglasses and was greeted as a customer before pulling out a gun and what appeared to be a grenade, police said.

Security camera footage was being examined in an effort to identify the robber who made off calmly on foot.

No shots were fired and nobody injured in the heist.

Cannes Mayor David Lisnard said that the robbery could and should have been avoided, and called on the government to allow the use of biometric recognition software to avert such crimes.
Saudi Arabias government should end the kingdoms ban on women driving and reform the male guardianship system, a United Nations independent expert said on Thursday.

Philip Alston spoke at the end of a 12-day visit during which he met cabinet ministers, people living in poverty, activists, Islamic experts and others.

My concern is that the government is in fact deferring to a relatively small portion of conservative voices, Alston told a news conference.

This is obstructing the economic and social progress which the oil-rich kingdom aims to achieve under a wide-ranging reform programme released last year, said Alston, the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.

So I feel very strongly that the kingdom should move to enable women to drive cars, said Alston, an independent expert who reports to the UNs Human Rights Council.

He said features of the guardianship system which hinder womens ability to work and travel need to be reformed.

Under that system a male family member, normally the father, husband or brother, must grant permission for a womans study, travel and other activities.

Alston, an Australian legal expert, said driving and guardianship are very much related to poverty. Women in low-paying jobs, for example, cannot afford to hire drivers.

He said he visited Jazan, in the kingdoms southwest, because it is the poorest part of the country.

He found conditions there that I think would shock Saudi citizens.

Alston also called on the government to liberalise its approach to social media, after he received reports of instances in which it has cracked down on certain people communicating over the Internet.
US president Barack Obama spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday as part of farewell calls to world leaders he worked with closely over his years in the White House.

Obama and Modi had developed what officials on both sides concurred a good working relationship. They spoke often regularly  touch base, as the White House said once  and met frequently, over seven times, according to the last count.

On the farewell call, the White House said in a statement, Obama and Modi reviewed joint efforts of cooperation including defense, civil nuclear energy, and enhanced people-to-people ties

The president spoke of his visit as chief guest at the Indias Republican Day celebrations in 2015  when his chewing gum made as much news as his presence  and extended congratulations ahead of Indias upcoming 68th Republic Day anniversary.

Both leaders discussed the progress they have made on shared economic and security priorities, including recognition of India as a Major Defense Partner of the United States and addressing the global challenge of climate change, the White House added.

From their first meeting in September 2014, at the White House, when Obama greeted Modi in Gujarati, they developed an easy working relationship, calling each other by their first names in public, a routine western practice but rare for an Indian leader.

Obama was, in fact, among the first word leaders to call Modi on his election in 2014, when he invited the Prime Minister to visit the US, ending in one stroke weeks of speculation about how Modi will travel to US, having being denied a visa in 2005.

They would go on to meet frequently, almost twice or more on the sidelines of world meetings of the US and multilateral meetings, with three bilateral state visits, two in Washington DC  2014 and 2016  and one in New Delhi, 2015.

Before their September 2014 meeting, the two leaders co-authored an op-ed in The Washington Post laying out their joint vision for the relationship. It was titled, Chalen Saath Saath: Forward, we go together.

The joint statement issued after their meeting the next day covered all the usual points the two sides like to see, and went beyond. It called, for the first time, for all parties in the South China Sea dispute to resolve their differences amicably.

That led to speculation in the next few months, of the two countries considering joint naval patrol in those waters in an obvious challenge to the Chinese, who have litigated their case in the region with unbridled aggression.

Modi and Obama used social media, Twitter actually, their favoured platform for public communication before Donald Trump discovered it, to announce the US president will be chief guest at the Republic Day parade in 2015.

That was a first for a US president, and a double first, as it was the first time a sitting president was to visit India twice while still in office; the significance of which was not lost on either party and the world, signaling a rare closeness.

But Obama used the visit to remind his host of the importance of tolerance. 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 in a speech.

As a stung Indian political establishment pushed back, possibly behind closed doors, the White House sought to tone down the presidents remarks telling Indian reporters in DC he had only invoked shared values and that it had been misconstrued.

That may have sounded reassuring to Indian leaders, but Obama doubled down on his remarks just a few days later, saying acts of intolerance (in the last year in India)  would have shocked Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation.

Obama also pushed India on climate change, to accept responsibility as a major polluter, as had China, and undertake to do more to cut emissions tweaking its longstanding position that the developed world be made to shoulder the burden mostly.

Eventually, the two were seen taking the lead with Chinas Xi Jinping in forging a historic global compact in 2015-end, which Trump has threatened to tear up. Both India and the US have ratified the accord along with many other countries.

Read| Obamas last surprise: Calls press secy Josh Earnest a really, really good man
The Philippines police chief expressed sorrow and fury on Thursday after discovering members of an anti-drug task force had kidnapped and killed a South Korean businessman inside the national police headquarters.

I want to disappear from this world because of so much shame after what my men did, police chief Ronald Dela Rosa, a longtime ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, told a news conference.

Dela Rosa said he was very angry and very offended after learning the crime took place at the home of the national police. He did not say how many policemen were involved, or if any had been charged.

I am very sorry that this crime happened and my own men are involved, he said. I want to kill those policemen who are into crime syndicates but I cannot do it. Thats illegal.

The cremated remains of Jee Ick-joo, abducted in October by rogue officers involved in kidnappings, were found at a funeral parlour in the capital Manila, according to media.

Policemen detained Jee with a fake arrest warrant with the intent of holding him for ransom, but killed him the same day. The men then extracted a ransom of five million pesos ($100,000) from Jees wife without telling her the businessman was dead.

Jees death is the latest setback for a police force drawing heavy criticism from rights groups, who say cover-ups and abuses of power are rampant and accuse police of executing suspected drug dealers as part of Dutertes narcotics crackdown.

Police deny involvement in extrajudicial killings and say deaths in the course of the anti-drugs campaign are in self-defence.

Dela Rosa said Dutertes assurance of legal protection for policeman accused of wrongdoing as part of the drugs campaign would not apply to erring officers.

Antonio Trillanes, a senator and staunch Duterte critic, said the presidents campaign against drugs had created a culture of impunity. Were creating monsters out of some elements of the Philippines National Police, he told CNN Philippines.

South Korean officials expressed alarm over the killing and other attacks on Koreans in the Philippines. Foreign minister Yun Byung-Se demanded those behind the crime be brought to justice.

Philippines police have reported killing 2,250 drug suspects since Duterte assumed office, with 3,710 others murdered by unknown suspects who at times have left signs at crime scenes accusing their victims of being drug dealers or addicts.

Duterte has promised to protect police from prosecution if they are charged with murder for killing a drug suspect. He reiterated his support for police on Thursday.

I wont neglect my police. If you work in the performance of your duty, I will protect you. You have no problem, said Duterte, who has not commented directly on Jees murder.
Several children were among the missing after a devastating avalanche on Thursday buried an Italian mountain hotel with more than 25 people believed to be trapped inside.

The prospects of anyone being rescued alive from the ill-fated Hotel Rigopiano looked bleak with rescue efforts hampered by heavy snow that had blocked access roads to the remote site.

Firefighters arrive near Hotel Rigopiano. (REUTERS)

The three-storey building was hit by a two-metre (six-feet) high wall of snow late Wednesday afternoon.

The first rescue workers only reached the remote site in the early hours on Thursday and it was midday by the time a snow plough and the first mechanical excavation equipment got there.

Rescuers make their way to the hotel hit by an avalanche in Farindola. (AP)

As some 35 firemen and sniffer dogs combed the rubble, officials said one body had been recovered and the location of another one identified by early afternoon.

We are trying to recover bodies, said fire service spokesman Luca Cari. Asked if there was any hope of survivors, he told AFP: You never know.

A man, centre, is helped during a rescue operation in the avalanche area following the avalanche in Farindola. Rescue workers were met with an eerie silence Thursday when they reached a four-star spa hotel in a mountainous earthquake region of central Italy where authorities said at least 30 people were missing, including at least two children. (AP)

He added: The building was basically run over by the avalanche leaving it buried.

I saw mattresses that had been dragged for hundreds of metres, which shows how big the search area is. There are tonnes of snow, tree trunks and all kinds of detritus.

An aerial photo shows the rescuers heading to Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola, central Italy. (REUTERS)

Italian television showed images of piles of masonry and rubble in the entrance area of what they dubbed a coffin hotel.

The region was hit by four seismic shocks measuring above five magnitude in the space of four hours, when at least one person was confirmed to have died. Quake experts said the tremors almost certainly triggered the snowslide.

An aerial view shows Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola. (REUTERS)

The four-star hotels guests had been assembled on the ground floor awaiting an evacuation following the quakes that was delayed by snow-blocked roads when the avalanche struck.

The building was moved some 10 metres off its foundations by the force of the hurtling wall of snow.

A photo taken from a video shows a rescuer entering the Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola. (REUTERS)

Local officials confirmed two guests who were not inside when the avalanche struck had been rescued. They were suffering from hypothermia but not in any danger.

One of them, identified as Giampiero Parete, 38, was quoted by friends in Italian media as saying his wife and two children, aged 6 and 8, had been inside the hotel.

A photo taken from a video shows the snow inside the Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola. (REUTERS)

Officials said there had been 20 guests staying and seven or eight staff on duty at the hotel on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain.

The first mountain police on the scene got there by helicopter with others following on skies.

This image grab made from a video handout released by the Guardia di Finanza shows a rescue team member digging the snow at the Hotel Rigopiano. (AFP)

They were quoted as saying there were no signs of life inside the building while one of their commanding officers told reporters: There are many dead.

Ambulances were blocked for hours by two metres of snow in the nearest village, Farindola, some nine kilometres away, according to the civil protection agency.
Lauren German, Tom Ellis (Photo : Getty Images/Frederick M. Brown)

"Lucifer" Season 2 recently saw Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) and Chloe Decker (Lauren German) exchanging that much-awaited kiss. But this is not the only big thing that will happen in the lives of the two characters.



In episode 12, titled "Love Handles," more exciting revelations and twists will be part of the two characters' lives. On Twitter, one fan asked for some information about Lucifer and Chloe in episode 12. The writers could not give actual spoilers, but hinted that the upcoming installment will be a huge one.



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Meanwhile, "Love Handles" will see Chloe making a move at Lucifer. Surprisingly, the latter will be the one to ask the former if she is sure that she is ready to have sex with him.



As of late, it is unclear whether or not Lucifer and Chloe will actually do the deed, but what is even more exciting to know is whether or not Chloe really has true feelings for Lucifer.



After all, Chloe had a conversation with Charlotte (Tricia Helfer) in episode 11, titled "Stewardess Interruptus." Charlotte told Chloe that she now likes her for her son, and almost instantly, Chloe became more confident about herself and her relationship with Lucifer.



It is possible that Charlotte simply hyptonized Chloe into falling in love with Lucifer. Since it is Charlotte's biggest mission to send Lucifer back to Hell, she knows for sure that Chloe can help her with this.



Charlotte will also get Maze (Lesley-Ann Brandt) on board with her plans since the latter is no longer friends with Lucifer. In fact, executive producer Illdy Modrovich told TV Line that Maze will try to take down Lucifer in an upcoming episode. She will also have a physical fight with him.



In other news, Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside) will take Lucifer and Chloe's side. Even though he has strong feelings for Maze, Amenadiel is tired of following Charlotte's evil plans. He already told her so in the previous episode when she tried to stop Charlotte from killing Chloe.



"Lucifer" Season 2, episode 12 will air on FOX on Monday, Jan. 23 at 9 p.m. EST.



Trust us... Next week is BIG... You don't want spoilers. #Lucifer https://t.co/PEIxXELEzl

 Lucifer Writers Room (@LUCIFERwriters) January 18, 2017










President-elect Donald Trumps spokesperson said on Thursday there will be an announcement on whether the United States will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Stay tuned, incoming White House spokesperson Sean Spicer told reporters, asked about the issue at a briefing the day before Trump takes office. Therell be a further announcement on that.

While campaigning for the presidency, Trump pledged to switch the embassy from Tel Aviv, where it has been located for 68 years, to Jerusalem.

The proposal drew an outcry from Palestinians and others who said it would kill any prospect for peace.

Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state and the status of the city is one of the most sensitive issues in the Israel-Palestinian dispute.

The United States and other countries do not regard Jerusalem as Israels capital. Other nations embassies are located in Tel Aviv and do not recognize Israels annexation of Arab East Jerusalem following its capture in the 1967 Middle East war.

Trump has criticised the Obama administration as not being friendly enough to the longtime US ally.

The Obama administration has been highly critical of Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Most countries view all Israeli settlements on occupied land that the Palestinians seek for their own state as illegal.

The president (Trump) has made it very clear that Israel has not gotten the attention it deserves or the respect in the last eight years. He intends to really show his respect for Israel, the importance of it in the Middle East, Spicer said.
The Obama administration is releasing the last of three installments of documents belonging to Osama bin Laden that were found in the terrorists secret compound in Pakistan in 2011.

President Barack Obama ordered the raid that resulted in bin Ladens death, and he cites it as one of his top accomplishments over eight years in office.

Intelligence officials have worked for more than two years to declassify the hundreds of documents captured in the raid.

Bin Laden is responsible for orchestrating the 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people.

The attacks drastically changed Americas footprint abroad and challenged some of the most basic tenets of the U.S. Constitution in an effort to detect terrorists before they strike.
President Barack Obama has denied a clemency request by American Indian activist Leonard Peltier, who has spent most of his life in prison in the killing of two FBI agents in South Dakota in 1975, Peltiers attorney said on Thursday.

His attorney, Martin Garbus, said they received a letter from the White House on Wednesday night saying their application to commute his sentence to the 40 years hes already served has been denied.

He understands that this is a death sentence, Garbus said. Hes in very bad physical condition. (President-elect Donald) Trump is not going to grant him clemency.

Peltiers supporters say he was wrongly convicted in the killings of FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He has exhausted his appeals and his parole requests have been denied. Peltiers supporters consider their clemency request to Obama as their last chance for winning his freedom.

The FBI maintains hes guilty and was properly sentenced to two consecutive life terms.

Peltier, 72, is incarcerated at the federal prison is Coleman, Florida. He was active in the American Indian Movement, which grabbed headlines in 1973 when it took over the village of Wounded Knee on the reservation, leading to a 71-day standoff with federal agents. Tensions between AIM and the government remained high for years, providing the backdrop for the fatal confrontation in which both agents were shot in the head at close range.

Amnesty International, which considers Peltier a political prisoner, issued a statement saying Obamas decision means Peltier may die in prison.

The families of the FBI agents who were killed during the 1975 confrontation between the FBI and American Indian Movement (AIM) members have a right to justice, but justice will not be served by Peltiers continued imprisonment, said Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA.

But former FBI agent Ed Woods, who has long campaigned to keep Peltier imprisoned, issued a statement thanking the president.

We are collectively grateful, and humbled, that you chose not to grant commutation to Leonard Peltier, Woods said. His brutal attack and murder of two young FBI Agents and his remorseless public statements support that justice should continue as he serves the remainder of his lawful conviction and sentence.
On November 6, 1971, a MiG-25R Foxbat reconnaissance plane from the Soviet Unions 63rd Independent Air Detachment rolled out of its hardened shelter at an air base near Cairo. In the cockpit was one of a group of men designated as farm workers by the Soviet Union and sent to Egypt in response to an urgent request by President Anwar Sadat. In reality, these were highly trained pilots, led by Hero of the Soviet Union Colonel Alexander Bezhevets.

The Soviet MiGs wore Egyptian Air Force markings, and the men flying them observed strict radio discipline, but their Israeli opponents were not fooled. As the Foxbat sped over the Sinai at 75,000 feet on a mission to photograph Israeli positions near the Mitla Pass that November, it did not go unnoticed. Since March the Israeli Air Force had been frustrated time and again by its inability to intercept the brazen intruders with ground-to-air missiles or fighter aircraft.

WAITING GHOSTS

This time the Israelis were ready. A pair of McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantoms, specially modified to be as light as possible and armed with AIM-7E Sparrow missiles, waited on standby. The Phantoms climbed to 44,000 feet and launched their missiles,which rose to the Foxbats altitude and detonated, but by then the MiG had long since passed their position. The Sparrows proximity detonators couldnt deal with the closing speed of the encounter.

Back to the drawing board. Israels Knesset discussed the reconnaissance overflights twice in emergency sessions, also sending in commandos disguised as Bedouins to have a closer look at the base where the MiGs were stationed. They offered the pilots a million dollars and a villa on the coast to defect. None of it worked. Though the Soviet overflights stopped with the end of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the MiGs left a powerful impression.

The G-139 pod, shown on an RF-4C, allowed just four inches clearance from the runway. (Courtesy Jay Miller)

READY FOR EXPORT

The Israelis had already been looking for their own effective reconnaissance platform.They thought they found it in the HIAC-1 advanced high-altitude reconnaissance camera, built by General Dynamics. But the camera was so large it had to be carried in an RB-57F, a recon version of the British Canberra bomber license-built by Martin and General Dynamics, which had not been approved for export by the United States.

By 1971, the attitude in America toward such exports had changed. The U.S. Air Force had developed a pod, designated the G-139, that could house the camera and be mounted under the fuselage of an F-4 Phantom. Even then, however, the camera was so large that the pod was more than 22 feet long and weighed over 4,000 pounds. The camera/pod combo was flown on many reconnaissance flights (designated Bench Box) near the North Korean border, attached under RF-4C Phantoms.

The Israelis were interested in the camera-carrying Phantoms, which led to the birth of Project Peace Jack. A major concern was the adverse impact of the enormous camera pod on aircraft performance. General Dynamics engineers decided the best way to address the problem was to increase the F-4s performance rather than trying to design a lighter camera system. The company sought to boost the thrust of the Phantoms engines using water injection,an idea for which there was a precedent.

On December 9, 1959, Operation Skyburner had commenced as an attempt to secure high-altitude flight records using the Phantom. But the Skyburner program also had the absolute speed record in its sights. For that attempt, McDonnell engineers added water-methanol injection to an F4H-1. A large tank was installed in the rear cockpit, in the space normally occupied by the weapon systems officer. In addition, the windscreen had to be reinforced,since it would be in danger of breaking due to friction heat at the higher speeds. On November 22, 1961, U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Bob Robinson flew the modified Phantom to an absolute world record speed of 1,606.342 mph.

The RF-4X mock-up contrasts a stock intake (right) with the enlarged version for the PCC. (Courtesy Jay Miller)

THE F-4X

The General Dynamics team applied those same lessons to what was now designated the F-4X. The new aircraft would have large 300-gallon conformal water tanks mounted above the fuselage engine fairings. Demineralized water would be used for pre-compressor cooling (PCC) of the General Electric J79 engines, serving three purposes: cooling the air entering the compressor, increasing the total mass flow through the engine (thereby increasing thrust) and adding more oxidizer to the afterburner. GE had tested the engines, and passed along that data to General Dynamics,simplifying the job for the F-4X project engineers. PCC was calculated to increase the J79 engine thrust by 50 percentmore than satisfactory.

To allow for much faster air speeds, larger engine air intakes were designed, complete with a sophisticated system of internal plates and bleeds. A new polycarbonate cockpit enclosure would deal with the friction heat.The flight controls were also modified, and the tail area was increased.

In 1973 a smaller, updated version of the HIAC-1 camera was installed in the jets nose. With the reduction in drag from the pods elimination, the Phantoms performance was now calculated to increase to a cruising speed of Mach 2.4 and dash speed of Mach 3.2.

But this brought the export of the F-4X into doubt. No country other than the United States and the Soviet Union had aircraft with Mach 3+ performance. In his book Spyplane: The U-2 History Declassified, Norman Polmar cited an example of why that might be a concern. Starting in August1970, two U.S. Air Force U-2R reconnaissance planes were stationed at the RAF base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, during the Suez Crisis. After the first day of U-2 overflights, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan called the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv into his office and complained that the U-2s had deviated from the narrow5-kilometer-wide corridor the Israelis had assigned them. Dayan then threatened to shoot them down using F-4Es.

AMERICAN WORRIES

Its understandable that the State Department would be worried that another nationeven an allymight acquire interceptors that could threaten U.S. reconnaissance aircraft. However, the F-4X was not equipped with radar and so was unlikely to be used as an interceptor. The program was thus allowed to continue. In November 1974, an Israeli F-4E was flown to General Dynamics Fort Worth facility to serve as a mock up for the new aircraft. Engineers worked on the jet well into 1975, by which time the program had run into problems. After extensive testing, General Dynamics concluded that PCC would cause the turbine compressor blades to expand and hit the engine case, causing catastrophic failure.

Meanwhile, the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle was finishing its test program and about to become operational. Because theF-4X might offer superior performance in some ways at a lower cost, Air Force officials feared Congress would cut back on F-15 funding. The State Department was also still concerned the IAF would use the F-4X as an interceptor, and that a successful shoot-down of a Soviet reconnaissance plane would create an international incident. This signaled the death knell for the F-4X.

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The program wasnt a complete bust, however, as Israel still wanted the nose-mounted HIAC-1s. Two additional IAF Phantoms joined the F-4E used for mockup work, with all three converted into the new RF-4E(S) variant. Because of the F-4X programs early termination and budget limits, the converted aircraft still used conventional unmodified J79 engines.

The three RF-4E(S) reconnaissance planes were finally delivered to the IAF in 1976 and 1977. With characteristic irony, the Israelis nicknamed them Tsalam Shablul, or Photographer Snail. Because the Shabluls flew their missions at altitudes approaching 70,000 feet, the pilot and systems officer wore full pressure suits, the same David Clark Company A/P22S-6 suits used by American reconnaissance pilots.

The Shabluls were retired in May 2004 after a long and busy career. Two were placed into storage at Ovda, and the third can still be seen at the Israeli Air Force Museum at Hatzerim Air Base.
President-elect Donald Trump holds meetings at Trump Tower (Photo : Getty Images)

To appease China, United States President-elect Donald Trump is counting on China's "old friend," Iowa's Governor Terry Branstad, who will take a new post as U.S. Ambassador to China. Prior to his inauguration, Trump earned Beijing's ire when he took a "congratulatory" call from Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen.



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On Tuesday, Trump announced in Iowa its governor is the "prime candidate to take of China" for the latter's friendship with the East Asian country that was forged as early as in 1985, according to a report from NPR. The year 1985 was also the time when Brandstad sat for the first time as the state's governor.



The gist of his job is to interpret to China on behalf of Trump. Recently, the President-elect has been at the center of controversy for his behavior in social media, particularly on Twitter.



The U.S.' stand in South China Sea disputes is also something to factor in when the governor takes on his job as the ambassador. But more than these, an ambassador, according to Zha Daojiong, a Peking University professor, should "function as a bridge between the different voices of both societies."



The friendship between Terry Branstad with the present President Xi Jinping began in 1985. On that year, a certain Xi Jinping, an agricultural official hailing from Hebei Province, paid a visit to Iowa and the two officials hit it off so that their friendship grew over the years.



Through the years as well, both officials ascended to higher positions. By 2011, Brandstad, as Iowa's governor, was managing the state's export business to China.



Branstad and Xi exchanged tokens of friendship, such as photos and some artworks, which according to a report, are on display at Branstad's office. But being the American Ambassador to China is not an easy undertaking. Even Brandstad admitted to such.



Although Branstad has his friendship with a Chinese official as proof of his skills in doing business with China, his latest post spells a huge difference. Notwithstanding however, the governor is positive he can find ways for the two economies to have cooperation.



Brandstad served as Iowa's 39th governor between 1983 and 1999 and is serving as its 42nd governor since 2011. He is a supporter of outgoing President Barack Obama's Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is heavily criticized by President-elect trump. Trump, who labeled the partnership as a disaster, vowed to scrap it after he is sworn in as President.



China has issued an earlier statement, cautioning any state who would attempt to violate the "One China" policy, which claims Taiwan as part of China.


T he world, it seems, has fallen in love with British furnishing fabrics and wallpapers. Export sales were booming even before Brexit sent the pound tumbling, with brands such as Osborne & Little selling more abroad than at home in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Designers Guild has just opened a chic new Paris showroom, after 30 years in the city. The French are incredibly important to us. They adore colour and are very confident, so we are natural partners, says Tricia Guild, Londons colour queen.

Our big decor labels are launching their new spring designs on Thursday in 90 venues clustered on either side of the Seine at Paris Deco Off, the French capitals huge design show, where they happily hang out with their mainly French, Italian and US counterparts.

The four-day show is open to everyone, and huge lamp shades decorate the narrow streets. Gorgeous new fabrics, wallpapers and trimmings, plus some lighting and rugs, will arrive in London by the end of the month  and some are already here.

Tricia Guild's new Designers Guild collection was inspired by beautiful Majolica ceramics

Our talent is in demand

Global tastes for British decoration vary hugely. American decorators love our stuff, in particular our elegant weaves. Spain and Portugal like bold coloured wallpapers, while Russians like damask and metallic effects.

The UKs bubbling spring of design talent is envied everywhere. It wells up from our excellent art schools, which fiercely foster individual expression and originality. Every brand has an expanding in-house design studio  this is what brings the world knocking at our decor door.

Each collection has its unique inspiration. Designs are perfected over several months using a range of artistic techniques such as pencil, charcoal and ink drawing, watercolours and acrylic/oil paints, resist-dyeing, block printing and more, not to mention sophisticated computer software.

This colourful lampshade and patterned chair are from James Hare's striking spring line

Digital experiments and old crafts

Daring experiments with pigments, fibres, threads, looms and digital printers are underpinned by the old crafts of stitching and embroidery, weaving braids and handmaking silken tassels and fringes.

British brands have impeccable design cred, with great expertise and ancient archives. Many collections are explicitly British, with sources such as the Savoy Theatre, used by Osborne & Little, period London homes, from Little Greene using records dating back to 1773, and even board games, referenced by silk specialists James Hare.

Authenticity is our trump card, says Fiona Holmes, new director of a clutch of top decor labels including Sanderson, Morris & Co, Zoffany, Anthology, Scion and Harlequin. Made in Britain is a hallmark of quality, internationally respected - our group makes over 95 per cent of our prints and wallcoverings in our own factories.
If one thing is clear, it's that 2016 marked the beginning of a new era of uncertainty. With political upheavals like Brexit, Donald Trump and the Turkish coup d'etat, terror attacks in France and Belgium and natural disasters in Italy  many of which affected traditionally popular destinations  you might be forgiven for thinking that the travel industry is on the verge of a crisis.

This couldn't be further from the truth. Opinion polling has already suggested that political events like Brexit have little impact on tourism, with a survey of US travellers by travel industry intelligence company Skift revealing that over half view Brexit as unlikely to affect their likelihood of visiting Britain. Some have even suggested that the plummeting value of the pound may encourage more tourism to the UK. Trump's victory, too, seems unlikely to dampen the glittering appeal of the USA as a travel destination.

My outlook for 2017 is therefore one of cautious optimism. Tourism has proven itself resilient in the face of global uncertainty, and it is my belief that it will continue to do so over the coming year. Indeed, this resilience is already evident: early bookings were strong in the last quarter of 2016, although it is possible it may simply be a reflection of a pre-existing trend in that direction. Nonetheless it seems clear that tourism has yet to be hit by this global uncertainty.

The future is digital

Much of this can be attributed to the growing population of digital natives. Unlike previous generations, many of these tourists tend to demand a richer experience from their travel. Traditional holiday packages no longer satisfy this new breed of traveller, particularly when opportunities for authentic experiences can be readily found online.

Furthermore, in this era of 'fake news', the mainstream media is no longer considered the authoritative source it once was. With local expertise now available at the touch of a button, digital natives can look beyond negative news stories about Donald Trump or Brexit and focus instead on a unique culinary experience in Louisiana or a secluded natural wonder in Wales.

Unperturbed by disasters

For this same reason, travellers are becoming more receptive to destinations typically considered unsafe. While this doesn't mean they are heading off in their droves to Syria, it does open up countries like Nepal, Myanmar or Rwanda that have suffered from natural disasters and political instability in recent decades.

Even recent disasters and terrorist attacks appear to have had little negative impact on the global market as a whole. Following terror incidents North Africa over the last two years, tourists simply migrated their attention to resorts elsewhere in the western Mediterranean; after natural disasters, bookings typically pick up after only two or three weeks, a much faster rate than in previous years.

A change in climate

The desire for more authentic experiences has also meant that, in 2016, more people looked to city breaks than traditional beach holidays. The most obvious beneficiary of this is the sharing economy, with peer-to-peer services like Airbnb  which gives travellers the opportunity to stay in the homes of real locals  making it increasingly possible for tourists to have the meaningful, authentic interactions they seek. However, I also believe that independent boutique-style hotels, often synonymous with their neighbourhood, stand to benefit.

The rise of the sharing economy and the educational power of the internet is beginning to have a major effect on the travel and hotel industry, meaning tourists are able to cut through the fog of uncertainty to reach the genuine experiences they demand from their holidays. What this suggests is that the major events of 2016 are unlikely to perturb tourists. The ramifications of Brexit and Trump's presidency are as yet unclear, but short of a catastrophe, we can remain hopeful that tourism will be relatively unscathed by any negative consequences  real or perceived  they might produce.

About HotelREZ

HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts was founded in 2004 by Mark Lewis, an experienced hospitality industry professional and entrepreneur. Over the course of over a decade the company has grown to be one of the leading hotel representation companies dedicated to marketing and connecting independent properties with bookers worldwide. HotelREZ now provides distribution, revenue, sales consultancy and marketing services and support to more than 1,500 hotels, apartments and hotel groups in over 100 countries including private label GDS chain code solutions. HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts is a SAAS company. HotelREZ also incorporates the global World Rainbow hotels, the world's only GDS enabled LGBT global hotel consortia representing some 1200 hotels in 230 destinations across the globe.

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Bangkok  Dusit International (Dusit Thani Public Company Limited), in partnership with Bangkok Bank, Boon Rawd Brewery, Central Group, Chiva-Som International Health Resort, Jim Thompson, Siam Piwat, Thai Airways, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, has published a new book detailing the history of the tourism industry in Thailand and the pioneers behind its early development.

Written by Thailand-based journalist and lecturer Mr Steve Van Beek, and edited by Mr Roy Howard, the original Advertising Manager of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, Thailand Tourism: The Early Days charts the rise of the industry since the 1950s and examines the people, places, institutions, hotels and agencies which have transformed Bangkok from the Venice of the East to a dynamic gateway to all the attractions the country now has to offer.

The book examines in rich detail the challenges faced by these early pioneers and, through profiles, anecdotes and quotes, underscores the need to preserve their stories. Among the key figures profiled in the glossy, full-colour book are His Serene Highness Prince Bhisadej Rajani, President of the Royal Project Foundation; General Prem Tinsulanonda, former Prime Minister of Thailand; Lt. General Chalermchai Charuvastra, founder of the Tourist Organization of Thailand; Mr Niels Lumholdt, former Executive Vice President of Thai Airways International; Dr Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, founder of Bangkok Airways; Mr Kusa Panyarachun, founder of Thailand's first travel agency; Mr Chin Sophonpanich, founder of Bangkok Bank; Mr Samrit Chirathivat, founder of Central Group; and Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui, founder of Dusit International. A special section dedicated to Thailand's royal family highlights how projects initiated by His Majesty the late King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, have had a positive effect on tourism.

Mr Chanin Donavanik, Dusit International, hopes the book will not only help to preserve the stories of the early pioneers, but also inspire a new generation of hospitality workers to follow in their footsteps.

"The travel industry is one of the most important industries in Thailand and today employs almost 15% of the population and contributes 17% GDP to the Thai economy," said Mr Chanin. "I think it's vitally important that the new generation understands what happened in the past, and how the risks and opportunities taken by the early pioneers ultimately shaped the industry as we know it today.

"In producing the book, we hoped to preserve the inspiring stories and wisdom of our forebears by featuring as many influencers from 60 years ago as possible. While we could not include everyone we originally planned to, either due to time or budgetary constraints, or lack of information available in cases where people have either moved or passed away, we still managed to include most of the key players, resulting in a comprehensive, well-balanced overview which we hope will inspire readers and encourage hospitality students to discover more inspiring stories from the past."

In keeping with Dusit's aim to help boost hospitality education in Thailand, copies of the book will be distributed for free to schools, colleges and universities offering tourism, hotel management and culinary programmes in Thailand. A free ebook, available in English and Thai, will also be available at www.thailandtourismtheearlydaysbook.com.

From February 2017 onwards, the book will also be available at Asia Books and all Dusit hotels in Thailand, priced at THB 1,500. In remembrance of His Majesty the late King, all proceeds from sales of the book will be donated to the Royal Project Foundation, which helps to improve the living conditions of Thailand's rural communities.

For more information visit www.thailandtourismtheearlydaysbook.com.

About Dusit International

Established in 1948, Dusit International or Dusit Thani Public Company Limited (DUSIT) is a leading hospitality group listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Its operations comprise five distinct yet complementary business units: hotels and resorts, hospitality education, food, property development, and hospitality-related services.

The group's portfolio of hotels, resorts and luxury villas includes more than 300 properties operating under a total of six brands (Dusit Thani, Dusit Devarana, dusitD2, Dusit Princess, ASAI Hotels, and Elite Havens) across 16 countries worldwide. The group also operates culinary schools and hospitality colleges in Thailand, plus catering companies for the education sector in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Dusit International's diversified investments in real estate development, hospitality-related services, and the food sector are part of its long-term strategy for sustainable growth, which focuses on three key areas: balance, expansion and diversification.

For more information, please visit dusit-international.com.

Sureerat Sudpairak

Corporate Manager  Public Relations

+66 (0) 2200 9999 ext. 3321

Dusit
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Xi Jinping. (Photo : Getty Images)

Chinese President Xi Jinping said China will be the engine driving future world economic growth while reaffirming China's commitment to pursue the common development that will make this growth possible.



In a keynote speech delivered at the United Nations office in Geneva, Switzerland on Jan. 18, Xi noted China has contributed to the world's development and vice versa. That common development will continue in the future.



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"China's development has been possible because of the world, and China has contributed to the world's development," said Xi.



"We will continue to pursue a win-win strategy of opening-up, share our development opportunities with other countries and welcome them aboard the fast train of China's development."



Xi said China has provided foreign countries with over $58.4 billion in aid between 1950 and 2016. Since the outbreak of the international financial crisis in 2008 (also referred to as The Great Recession), China contributed over 30 percent of global growth each year on average.



Xi said that in the coming five years until 2022, China will import $8 trillion worth of goods; attract $600 billion in foreign investment; make $750 billion dollars in outbound investments, while Chinese tourists will make 700 million outbound visits.



"China remains unchanged in its commitment to foster partnerships," he said.



Xi pointed out that China has formed partnerships of various forms with over 90 countries and regional organizations, and will build a circle of friends across the world.



He said China will strive to build "a new model of major country relations with the United States;" a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with Russia; partnership for peace, growth, reform and among different civilizations with Europe, and a partnership of unity and cooperation with BRICS countries.



China is also going to remain unchanged in its commitment to multilateralism.



He noted that China has grown from a poor and weak country to the world's second largest economy not by committing military expansion or colonial plunder, but through the hard work of its people and their efforts to uphold peace.



"China will never waver in its pursuit of peaceful development. No matter how strong its economy grows, China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence. History has borne this out and will continue to do so."


After it was reported that rap podcast host Taxstone (real name Daryl Campbell) was being released to house arrest on $500,000 bail, a judge has reversed the decision and ordered that Campbell be held without bail.



According to the New York Daily News, prosecutors convinced Manhattan Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan not to release Campbell to house arrest following his charges in the May 2016 Irving Plaza shooting. They argued that he posed a danger to the community, and that witness testimony will directly show that he fired the shot which killed Troy Aves bodyguard Ronald McPhatter. The prosecutors also argued that the witness testimony may bring about new charges for Campbell.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Campbells DNA was found on the gun that fired the fatal shot.

Campbells lawyer suggests that prosecutors used his podcast to wrongfully cast him as a gang member, and argued that Campbell is not violent.



Campbell was arrested on Monday. Troy Ave, who was injured in the shooting, was arrested for attempted murder in relation to the shooting. He has since been released on $500,000 bail.

Taxstone
Willie Nelson, Mumford and Sons, Imelda May, Gregory Porter, Lisa Hannigan, Pixie Geldof and Rusangano Family are just some of the big names set to appear on the 15th series of Other Voices, which starts on Thursday, 2 February at 23:30 on RTE 2 and will run for nine weeks.

There's no questioning that Other Voices returns with its most vibrant series to date. The new episodes were captured at Arlyn Studios Austin, Texas and back at its hometown of Dingle on Irelands Wild Atlantic Way.



In October 2016, Other Voices hit out from Dingle crossing the Atlantic on the musical expedition of a lifetime. The show found a sister home in Arlyn Studios, Austin, Texas where they filmed an exclusive acoustic performance with the legendary Willie Nelson and captured a mesmerizing performance from Grammy winning jazz and bluesman vocalist Gregory Porter. Special guests Mumford and Sons performed songs from their number one, platinum selling album Wilder Mind and and gave us a cover of Bruce Springsteens Im On Fire.

Fresh from performances on SNL and Jimmy Kimmel, the new Queen of Honky Tonk Margo Price and her band showed us exactly why she is Countrys rising star. Aoife ODonovan recalled summers spent in West Cork and sang the beautiful Lakes of Pontichartrain. Iarla OLionard (The Gloaming) and Colm Mac Con Iomaire brought the room to a standstill with a spellbinding performance of The Foggy Dew.



The new series of Other Voices will also include performances from Cage The Elephant, Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Sweet Spirit, Asleep At The Wheel, Dale Watson, Carson McHone and Wild Child who all joined us in Austin, Texas.

Following the trip of a lifetime to the Lonestar state, Other Voices returned home to St. James Church, Dingle during the eir Other Voices Festival to celebrate 15 years of the series with an exceptional Irish line up.

The new series will include Imelda May, who raised the roof of the Church, performing new material from her forthcoming album produced by T-Bone Burnett.

The show will also feature Lisa Hannigans delicate set of finely crafted songs from her critically acclaimed record At Swim and the unstoppable force that is Rusangano Family, who burst onto the stage, addressing issues such as migration, identity and diversity in Ireland with infectious, powerful energy.

The new series of Other Voices will feature beautifully haunting tunes from Pixie Geldof, indie punk-rockers Girl Band who turned the volume up to 11, atmosfolk duo Saint Sister who played mesmerizing songs from their EPs Madrid and Tin Man, Margaret Glaspys emotive, heart wrenching cover of Lauryn Hills Ex-Factor and an exceptional trad performance from Caoimhin O Raghallaigh (The Gloaming) and Cormac Begley.



As always, the IMRO Other Room will showcase some promising artists on the rise  Roisin O, Overhead The Albatross, Fangclub, Moon Looks On, Cry Monster Cry and Viewers Choice Ailbhe Reddy who will feature in an Other Voices Other Room special. Performances were filmed in front of a live audience in An Chonair, Dingle. Other Voices is presented by Annie Mac, Huw Stephens, Shakey Graves and May Kay.
OPEC's long record of cheating on promised oil production cuts has given crude markets pause in recent days. But the cartel will probably comply with at least 80 percent of the proposed 1.2 million barrels a day in output cuts set to begin this month.

That's because Venezuela and Iran, traditionally the cartel's biggest cheaters, have been hamstrung by outages and flat output, said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at London research firm Energy Aspects.

"Even if they wanted to cheat, they couldn't cheat," Sen said Wednesday during a panel at the Argus Crude Summit in downtown Houston.

Over the past three decades, OPEC has typically complied with 66 percent of promised cuts, according to an analysis by Energy Aspects, though that should improve this year in part because Venezuela's oil production has declined as the country wrestles with severe financial pressure.

Oil field services company Schlumberger has effectively ceased operations in the Latin American country because Venezuela hasn't been able to pay. Venezuela's output will likely continue to decline this year, Sen said. Iran's production, she added, has been flat since May.

Oil prices have slipped recently amid market jitters about OPEC's commitment to cutting oil production as well as increased U.S. output. U.S. crude prices fell $1.40, or nearly 3 percent, to settle at $51.08 on Wednesday in New York.

In December, OPEC cut oil production by the largest amount in more than two years. Crude production in Saudi Arabia and other member nations of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries dropped by 220,900 barrels a day last month.

Saudi Arabia reduced production by 149,000 barrels a day, and Venezuela's production fell by 113,000 barrels a day. But output edged up slightly in Iran, Iraq, Libya and other countries, OPEC said in its monthly oil market report on Wednesday.

Still, the group believes U.S. oil production will rise faster than it previously expected as crude prices rise. It revised its projections of the nation's output by 230,000 barrels a day, as shale drillers benefit from higher oil prices and dispatch scores of rigs to domestic oil patches.

Traders have worried about projections that U.S. oil production will rise and offset cuts made by OPEC. Sen, for one, believes the nation's crude output will increase by 500,000 barrels a day.

But many analysts have ignored the effect of low oil prices on other countries outside the United States and OPEC, Sen said. Non-OPEC production fell by 900,000 barrels a day last year. Production in these countries is expected to decline 100,000 barrels a day this year - even with increases in the United States, Sen said.

"The reality is, activity has collapsed around the world," she said.

In its monthly report, OPEC revised its production forecast for non-OPEC countries like Russia, Kazakhstan and China down by 180,000 barrels a day.

Ed Morse, global head of commodities research at Citigroup, who also spoke at the panel discussion, said oil prices could end the year around $60 a barrel, depending on how much global inventories decline this year, according to a forecast by the New York bank.

"We're in a period of time when the market has already been rebalancing, and it's likely to lead to higher prices," Morse said. "We think inventories are going to draw steadily as markets rebalance."
WASHINGTON - A decades-long fight by oil and gas companies to open drilling in the deserts and mountain ranges of the Western United States gained a new champion Friday with the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

The federal government owns in excess of 600 million acres, almost entirely concentrated in western states like Alaska, Utah and Nevada, where Trump has promised to reverse President Barack Obama's policies that restricted energy development on public lands. Trump's goal: expand local economies and make the country "energy independent."

Far from the major shale plays in Texas and North Dakota, those lands have largely been left out of the hydraulic fracturing boom that swept the country over the past decade. A report by the Congressional Research Service said federal lands only represented 21 percent of U.S. oil and gas production in 2015 - down from 36 percent in 2010.

But wildcatters from Houston and beyond have long maintained that modern drilling techniques honed in fields like the Eagle Ford and Permian Basin could allow them to get at oil and gas deposits in little-explored federal lands. In western Colorado, for example, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the Mancos Basin holds 66 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, a deposit close in size to the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania.

But attempts to develop the Colorado shale field were dealt a blow late last year after the Bureau of Land Management canceled 25 more than decade-old leases, citing low production figures and the prevalence of hikers and other sportsmen using the area. Similar rulings elsewhere, along with environmental reviews that can run close to a decade, have turned many companies away from drilling on federal lands, said Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, a trade group representing oil and gas companies.

"We have shale plays on federal lands in the West we can not get access to," Sgamma said. "When there's no political will behind a development, the inertia in the bureaucracy really takes over."

Under Obama, drilling on federal lands slowed drastically from the oil-friendly policies of George W. Bush. In 2014 - even before the crash in oil and gas prices caused companies to pull back - the number of wells drilled on federal lands had fallen 50 percent since 2008.

Trump has laid out a loose plan for federal lands that would expand leasing for energy production, lift a moratorium on new coal mines and remove regulations that the energy industry says can delay projects. But how much impact such moves would have is unclear.

Interest in federal lease sales has declined along with prices, with oil and gas companies buying just 23 percent of the leases offered last year, according to the Department of Interior. Coming off one of the worst oil busts ever, the appetite for forging into frontier areas remains low, said Clay Lightfoot, a Houston-based research analyst with Wood Mackenzie.

Developing these fields would be particularly costly, since they don't have the pipelines, roadways and ready supply of workers available in more established fields, such as the Permian Basin in West Texas.

"In a price environment like we have now, operators are going to allocate capital to projects where there's existing infrastructure and a lot of historic production, things that will remove uncertainty," Lightfoot said. "Are there resources on federal land? Yes, probably. But to figure out what there is and what's feasible are decisions that are going to need lots of money behind them."

In addition, any oil and gas projects close to national parks and monuments, along with lands considered wild or culturally significant to the Native Americans, are likely to face protests and lawsuits. Groups are already mapping out a strategy similar to what they have used to disrupt pipeline projects like the Keystone XL and the Dakota Access, despite statements by Trump, whose son Donald Jr. is an avid hunter, that protecting wilderness areas will be a priority, said Lena Moffitt, director of the Sierra Club's "Beyond Dirty Fuels" campaign.

"We're hopeful (Trump) will continue to subscribe to the conservation ethics he referenced throughout the election," she said. "But if he doesn't, we'll be there."

As Obama wound down his presidency, he used executive power to permanently protect federal lands and waters he considered too pristine or culturally important to develop. Chase Huntley, energy and climate program director at the Wilderness Society, said the president "has protected more acres onshore and offshore than any president in history."

Over the past two years, Obama designated more than 4.6 million acres of federal lands as national monuments, including more than 1.3 million acres of buttes, canyons and Native American ancestral grounds in Utah as a national monument named Bears Ears.

The area's underlying oil and gas deposits had already attracted the interest of companies including Houston's EOG Resources. But the designation, announced last month, is likely to make development anywhere close to the monument's boundaries difficult, industry officials said.

Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, has reportedly pressured Trump to try to pull back that national monument designation - a move no president is believed to have attempted before. Whether Trump would consider such an action is unclear.

During a confirmation hearing last week, Interior Secretary nominee Ryan Zinke called himself "an unapologetic admirer of Teddy Roosevelt," the president who created the National Park system and designated 18 sites, including the Grand Canyon, as national monuments to protect them.

"There are lands that deserve special recognition," Zinke testified, "where man is more of an observer than an active participant."
Justin Denison, senior vice president of product strategy at Samsung, speaks during a launch event for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 at the Hammerstein Ballroom, August 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/Drew Angerer)

Samsung is pressured to make the Galaxy Note 8 specs better than its predecessor. Safety is also a concern especially after the Galaxy Note 7 battery explosions.



There was a major recall for the Galaxy Note 7 across the globe because of the danger it posed to users. It was even banned in major airlines despite being turned off.



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The Galaxy Note 8 will still be released in the following months or so. There may be some delays as Samsung works to ensure that the fiasco is not repeated. In fact, the Galaxy S8 release date has been moved because of additional tests being done on the flagship smartphones.



Samsung Galaxy Note 8 specs may include a 4K display for better VR experiences, according to Business Korea, as cited by Gotta Be Mobile. It makes sense and is actually possible considering that the South Korean tech company has already revealed their 4K Bio Blue panel in 2016.



One possible feature for the new phablet is Samsung's own artificial intelligence agent as an assistant. Samsung acquired the AI assistant company Viv Labs before 2016 ended. They may already be developing their own AI assistant which will make its way to other Samsung devices as well such as the Galaxy S8 or even the Galaxy S8 Plus.



The Galaxy Note 8 specs may also include 6GB RAM and IP68 water resistance as well, Value Walk reported. Samsung's Iris scanner will also be retained considering that it was not the cause of the problems in the Galaxy Note 7.



There are also speculations of a foldable display which is still plausible considering that Microsoft may also be developing a foldable Surface Phone or Surface Pro tablet. Unfortunately, there has been no concrete proof to support the claims yet.



Samsung may reveal the Galaxy Note 8 specs, price and release date in the following months after the Galaxy S8 is launched. Leaks are expected to appear before the reveal itself.



Find more information regarding the new phablet below:






JEWETT - Jim Salley has spent a half century selling boots, clothes and gear to men and women working in the local coal mine, steel mill and oil and gas fields, but the last few years have been a struggle.

The energy bust cost the county hundreds of jobs; the recent shut down of the local coal mine eliminated another 250. The steel mill has slashed hours and pay of its employees. As for Salley's business in downtown Jewett, sales are down 20 percent.

"We are not in good times," he said.

But Salley, 72, expects that to change Friday, when Donald Trump is sworn in as the nation's 45th president. Throughout the campaign, as Trump pledged to unleash the oil and gas industries, end the so-called war on coal, and stop cheap imports from undermining U.S. manufacturing, his promises spoke to few places as much as this community of 1,200 between Houston and Dallas.

Here in Leon County, which gave Trump 86 percent of its vote, expectations are high that a new era of prosperity is on its way. On Jewett's Main Street, in the shops among empty storefronts, in the popular restaurant CJ's Kountry Cookin', in the local library, and at the Chamber of Commerce, people talk about how Trump will lift regulations on oil and gas, impose tariffs on foreign steel, spend billions on public works, and remove environmental restrictions on coal.

All this, they say, could translate into more jobs, more people moving into town, and more customers for local businesses like Salley's Rodeo Western Wear.

John Sitton, the mayor for the past four years, has served during the recent hard times. Sitton, 78, the son of poor sharecroppers who rose to own a machinery company, blames the energy policies, environmental regulations and overreach of the Obama administration for his community's economic troubles.

"I am just hoping to goodness that, come Friday, things get turned around right there and then," he said.

Good times turn bad

Jewett, located about 130 miles north of Houston, is hidden in oak and cedar groves, just a few miles west of Interstate 45. For much of the last century, Jewett was a poor farming and ranching community that young people fled in search of work elsewhere. But in 1975, Nucor, now the nation's largest steel manufacturer, opened its mill, which today employs about 400.

A decade later, a surface mine began operation to feed a coal-fired power plant. In the 2000s, the shale revolution opened nearby gas fields and provided lots of work for local oilfield services companies.

By the end of 2014, the unemployment rate in Leon County had fallen to 4.4 percent as the energy boom brought jobs and money that boosted other industries. In Jewett, the Nucor mill, which makes steel pipe used in drilling, was running 24 hours a day, seven days a week for most of the year.

The bust, however, hit the area hard. Leon County lost 1,000 jobs - about one in seven. The unemployment rate peaked last summer above 7 percent, more than two points above the state average.

Come fall, things didn't look much better. Houston-based NRG Energy, the owner of the power plant, said it would dump its contract with the local coal mine in favor of cheaper and cleaner-burning coal from Wyoming's Powder River Basin. With the loss of its only customer, the mine, owned and operated by Colorado-based Westmoreland Coal Company, shut down on Dec. 31, throwing as many as 250 people out of work.

Westmoreland did not return requests for comment.

Fair trade

On the outskirts of Jewett, the steel mill makes more than 1 million tons of steel year, most of which is sold in Texas to construction and the oil and gas industries. During the two-year oil bust, Nucor, which has a no-layoff policy, cut hours of operation and pay of its workers. Nucor officials declined to provide specifics on the impact of the bust on their business.

The Nucor plant is only beginning to recover, with some of its operations still on reduced schedules. One day in early January, Ross Simmons, 56, stood behind two layers of protective glass as hundreds of tons of scrap metal, heated to 3,000 degrees, were melted down to make steel for an oil and gas pipe. He's the manager of Nucor's melt shop, the first step in the process of turning scrap metal into steel.

Simmons grew up 30 miles outside of Jewett. He hopes the Trump administration policies will help the steel industry with proposals such as increasing federal spending on highways, bridges and other infrastructure that use lots of steel.

Managers at the Nucor plant said they expect to get particular help on trade. They have been particularly frustrated by what they see as lax enforcement of U.S. laws.

In particular, they claim that foreign manufacturers, including Mexico, are gaming U.S. import rules to sell their steel in the U.S. at unfairly low prices. They said they expect such practices to end under Trump, who has made Mexico a particular target.

"In this administration," said Allen Bracey, the sales manager, "we have the greatest opportunity, more than with any other administration, to enforce laws."

Lost cause

Most people think that not even Trump can save the coal mine, which produces a particularly dirty form of coal known as lignite and can't compete with coal mines in Wyoming. At the same time, they expect that a Trump administration and its pledge to support the broader coal industry will take the pressure off NRG's coal burning power plant, which employs about 150.

The jobs provided over the years by the mine, the steel mill and the power plant helped make Jewett into a place where people could stay, raise families, and put down roots over generations, said Patricia Schmidt, who has lived in Jewett for more than 30 years. For years, Schmidt, 71, and her husband, Kenneth, lived in Houston and visited Jewett on weekends. But in 1984, they decided to move their family of three kids here permanently, because they loved the rural lifestyle.

The Schmidts own a business that makes crowns for local dentists. In recent years, their company, Phoenix Dental Laboratory, has suffered as residents, out of jobs or struggling with pay cuts, put off dental work. Sales at Phoenix Dental have plunged about 50 percent.

Schmidt, who writes a column for the local newspaper, is convinced that Trump will help small businesses and small towns across rural America. And she expects it to happen quickly.

She sees Trump quickly repealing the executive orders of President Barack Obama that have limited pipeline expansions and drilling (both good for the steel mill). She believes Trump will also rein in the Environmental Protection Agency and its efforts to impose ever stricter emissions restrictions on power plants (good for the NRG generating station).

In short, she said, she expects the first year of Trump's presidency to be wonderful.

"This little community has prayed over this election," Schmidt said. "And as far as I am concerned, God had a hand in it. He did. He stepped in and changed minds and hearts. I think (Trump) is meant to be."
How willing are you to tell your bosses that they've crossed an ethical line?

We all like to think we'd have the courage to stand up to wrongdoing, bullying or unethical behavior. When that moment comes, though, it's harder than you think.

A new 30-minute program for PBS station WLIW re-examines the accounting scandal at Enron to report what happens when workers refuse to stand up to management until it's too late. The program features Sherron Watkins, a vice president in corporate development, who did speak up just five months before what was then the world's largest bankruptcy.

For those of us who came to Houston after Enron, the program is a short primer on perhaps the biggest financial scandal in the city's history. More importantly, it prompts the viewers to consider what they would do under the same circumstances.

The vast majority of businesses are filled with good, honest and hard working people. They try to make a living by meeting a societal need with goods and services. Commerce of this sort is the basis of human society.

The opportunity to amass wealth, though, can create incentives to cheat. In Enron's case, executives started cooking the books to also avoid the humiliation of failure. These schemes never work and will always fail eventually.

In the movies, whistleblowers are heroes, men and women who sacrifice their jobs and salaries to alert society to a betrayal. Congress passed the Whistleblower Protection Act to encourage federal employees and contractors to do the right thing without fear or reprisal.

Congress has updated the False Claims Act, which allows employees of private companies to fight fraud. If employees find evidence that their company is defrauding the government, they can launch a lawsuit on behalf of the government and then collect 15 to 25 percent of the damages recovered.

Whistleblowers, though, too often pay a high price for speaking up. Consider the employees of Wells Fargo who refused to engage in illegal sales practices and then found themselves fired and blackballed in the banking industry.

We all want to believe we'll be rewarded for doing the right thing, but the results are mixed. Too many companies and managers value loyalty over righteousness. Many people lose their livelihoods forever once they've stood up to their bosses.

That's a shame, because we need more ethical behavior in the world, not less. Honorable behavior is good for business and good for society. The biggest question, though, is how you are going to feel about yourself if you don't speak up.
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There are times when Larry Eshleman returns home at the end of the day ready for a stiff drink. Partial to whiskey, he doesn't discriminate - rye, scotch and bourbon will all do.

But the hard stuff isn't always easy to come by in Pearland, a city that only recently voted to allow liquor stores within its limits. He usually finds a bottle just over the Harris County line or treks north to browse the Spec's near downtown Houston.

"It's a little bit of a drive," he said. "I just think having the option to go locally to a more convenient location is better."

Closer options are on the way. Two months after Pearland residents voted to expand alcohol sales to include packaged beer, wine and spirits, the city is considering its first permit application for a liquor store in the Food Town shopping center on West Broadway.

Costco, too, plans to add alcohol at its store at 3500 Business Center Drive. The company, which couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday, filed an application with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission earlier this month, said Martin Griggs, a senior planner with the city of Pearland.

Costco and Houston businessman Hiren Patel are the only two operators with pending proposals, Griggs said.

Patel said in an interview he sees great opportunity in an untapped market of more than 130,000 people. It's still early in the process, but he could be the first in the city to set up a standalone shop, which he tentatively named Liquor Zone.

"Every store around the Pearland border is very successful," he said. "Let's see what this does inside Pearland."

For Patel, the application involves obtaining a conditional use permit from the city, a process expected to take about three months. But Costco, which opened in Pearland in 2015, isn't required to apply for that permit because it occupies a planned development with different regulations, Griggs said.

The Pearland market opened up amid rising competition among Houston-area liquor stores. In late October, Maryland-based Total Wine & More took on Houston-based Spec's with a competitively priced location in Willowbrook, and it's expected to open more this year.

Griggs said several other liquor store operators have expressed interest in opening Pearland locations.

His head start looks like a needed advantage for Patel, who owns one other liquor store, in Texas City.

"It's exciting and scary at the same time," he said. "There are big fish out there just waiting to come in."

Eshleman, who moved to Pearland in 2005, recalled a time when the city restricted the sale of alcohol in restaurants, a rule that ultimately changed in 2007.

He considers the latest vote the "last step" in removing what he considers an unnecessary constraint on the market.

"It was a long time coming, a needed change, if you will," he said. "I think this is a better representation of what the city should have."
During the presidential campaign, president-elect Donald Trump took contradictory positions on economic issues  reversing himself several times on raising the minimum wage, for example, whether health care should be paid for by the government, and what to do with the 11 million people living in illegally in the United States.

As he takes office, Trump has baked those disagreements into his cabinet and wider circle of appointments to a degree that presidential scholars say is unprecedented, making it difficult to read how the new administration will proceed on a host of thorny issues.

"Presidents typically are careful to nominate cabinet members who agree with the basic thrust of their policies," said George Edwards III, the Jordan Chair of Presidential Studies at Texas A&M University. "The fact that in many cases Donald Trump did not do so indicates a lack of concern for policy specifics. It is fine to argue that the president likes a range of views, but there is likely to be substantial slippage if his key officials disagree with him on core policies."

The most fundamental rifts are over government interference in business operations to achieve specific goals, and the degree to which America should be integrated with the rest of the world.

Trump has voiced a willingness to put his presidential thumb on the scale of business decisions in ways that have unnerved traditional conservatives  by publicly shaming manufacturers for moving jobs to Mexico, for example. At the same time, he's brought in some of the most fundamentalist free-marketeers in Washington to join the team as well.

"Trump is definitely a populist, so there's going to be friction on economic issues," said James Granato, a political science professor at the University of Houston. "If you had a Democratic president browbeating Carrier and Ford, people would go crazy."

The two philosophical poles in the White House are best embodied by campaign manager turned White House advisor Steve Bannon, a media entrepreneur and self-identified "economic nationalist" who has pushed Trump in a more populist direction, and incoming National Economic Council chairman Gary Cohn, who as president of the investment bank Goldman Sachs represents a class of borderless global elites that Trump railed against on the campaign trail.

On the specific issues, start with trade. Trump promised a harder line on countries like China and Mexico, charging steep tariffs to companies that moved production overseas to sell back into the United States, and pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement with 13 Asian and South American countries.

Some of his appointments reinforce that position. Trump's pick for Commerce Secretary, the billionaire investor Wilbur Ross, is a former Democrat who won praise from the United Steelworkers union for his practice of buying distressed steel mills and putting them on a firmer footing. In his confirmation hearing Wednesday, Ross defended tariffs and said that renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico would be a top priority.

In addition, Trump's chosen U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, is an attorney who has represented manufacturers and harshly criticized China for dumping cheap steel on the world market. Trump also created a new National Trade Council headed by University of California economics professor Peter Navarro, who authored a book called "Death by China" on how the country's trade practices have harmed America.

In the other camp are picks like Iowa governor Terry Branstad, whom Trump tapped as ambassador to China. Branstad's state depends more on agriculture than manufacturing, and he was a strong backer of the Trans Pacific Partnership as a way to expand exports to other Pacific Rim nations. Close Trump advisor and longtime CNBC anchor Larry Kudlow, who has been mentioned as a top candidate to head the Council of Economic Advisors, is an ideological proponent of free markets who has described Navarro's trade positions as "just wrong."

For another schism, take investment in infrastructure, a promise that has boosted markets with the prospect of increased federal spending. Bannon has promoted Trump's "trillion dollar" plan for building new highways, bridges, airports, and railroads, and Gary Cohn reportedly inspired its heavy reliance on tax credits to draw in private investment. The incoming Treasury Secretary, fellow Goldman alumnus Steven Mnuchin, has also spoken favorably of the plan.

But Trump's choice for budget director, Rep. Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, is a strong opponent of government spending of all kinds as a founding member of a group of fiscal hardliners called the Freedom Caucus. That includes money for the Pentagon, which Trump has also promised to increase.

There's a grab bag of other internal contradictions: Trump's pick for Labor secretary, fast-food CEO Andrew Puzder, has spoken in favor of relaxed immigration laws -- a sharp contrast to Trump's calls for building a wall along the border with Mexico. While Trump has promised "insurance for everyone," his choice for Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price, proposed a plan that did not include universal coverage as a goal. In his hearing, Mnuchin diverged from Trump in backing a strong dollar, which could pose challenges to the recovery of manufacturing.

If there's one thing they all have in common  including other economic advisors like corporate raider Carl Icahn and former Bear Stearns chief economist David Malpass  it's being white and male.

So far, Trump seems unconcerned by the statements that his cabinet picks made contradicting his stances in their confirmation hearings. "I want them to be themselves and express their own thoughts, not mine!" he tweeted last week.

And it's not unprecedented for presidents to hire deputies who are opposed to each other, sometimes as a way of creating a unified coalition government, as with Abraham Lincoln's famous "team of rivals." But subsequent cabinets have typically either shared fundamental goals, or foundered in confusion.

"Franklin Roosevelt loved to pit one adviser or cabinet member against another, but they were all firm believers in the New Deal," said Lyn Ragsdal, the Radoslav Tsanoff Chair of public affairs at Rice University. "Jimmy Carter set up a large group of equals with direct access to the president. This fell apart quickly because there were too many people competing for access and none of them got along."

Aaron Crawford, a visiting fellow at the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University, recalls that differences of opinion on economic matters in Bill Clinton's first cabinet were largely put to rest by a warning from Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan that the federal deficit was getting too large. That kicked off a push to raise taxes and cut spending.

"Maybe the Clinton administration was the least cohesive, but it came together very quickly," Crawford said. "That's normal. What's going on now is not typical. I'm at a loss for words. I don't know what to expect."

In these kind of situations, Ragsdal and Crawford noted, the administration becomes a competition between advisors to maintain the trust of the president, who, at the end of the day, calls the shots. If others don't fall in line, well, there's another difference between Trump, star of The Apprentice, and his predecessors: Lots of experience in cutting people loose.

"This president," Crawford said, "will have no problem firing people if he needs to."
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An elderly couple were the victims of a vicious assault in a home invasion last week in Sharpstown.

Elsa Jimenez, 83, told police she was approached by a man while gathering trash bags in her garage at approximately 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10. The man offered to assist in sweeping leaves from her driveway, but she declined.

She said that the same man returned to her home that night at approximately 8 p.m. Police say he may have entered the home by breaking into a bedroom window.

LOOKING OUT: Consider this when caring for elderly parents

According to a police report, the man grabbed her by the neck and ripped off the gold chain she was wearing. He then forced her to the ground and ransacked the bedrooms.

Her daughter, Elena Soler, told the Houston Chronicle that her father, Elpidio Jimenez, 88, was in the home at the time. He suffers from Parkinson's Disease and is bound to an electric wheelchair.

"When (the suspect) realized he wasn't going to get the cash he needed, that's when he started cussing her out, grabbed her and threw her across the wall," Soler said. "He dragged her on the floor and unplugged my dad's chair."

She said the man also snapped their cell phone and threw the house phone into the bathroom, out of the couple's reach.

"(My mom) was left on the floor with a broken hip for 13 hours," she said.

The couple's home care nurse found them at roughly 9:30 a.m. the following day and reported the incident to police.

The couple, who have been married 56 years, were transported to Memorial Hermann Southwest, where Soler said her mother is being treated for a broken hip.

According to doctors, Elsa will require surgery and physical therapy. The couple's insurance company has so far declined to cover the costs, their daughter said.

"This man cost us a lot. My mom is traumatized," Soler explained. "They're both very active and my mom cares for (my dad)."

The man is described as a black male roughly 5'7 tall, and 160 pounds. According to the police report, he's slim and was wearing a dark-blue T-shirt. Police said he stole a gold necklace and gold earrings. Soler said that the man also stole roughly $100 from her mother's wallet.

Anyone with any tips is encouraged to contact the Houston Police Department robbery division at 713-308-0700 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Because this is considered a felony offense, there is a reward of $5,000 offered to anyone with information leading to an arrest.

A crowdfunding account has been set up to assist with the family's medical expenses: www.gofundme.com.
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Veterans will no longer have to give up shopping at the PX after they hang up their uniforms, under a new plan approved by the Pentagon.

The Department of Defense has given a green light for honorably discharged veterans to use online shopping throughout the military exchange system. In the past, only active military personnel and those who retired could use the PX.

The new program comes into effect on Nov. 11-Veterans Day.

"We are excited to provide these benefits to honorably discharged veterans to recognize their service and welcome them home to their military family," Pentagon official Peter Levine said in a statement released by the Defense Department.

Vets can forget about using their new shopping privileges for tax-free beer and smokes, however. Those items won't be offered through the online system.

There are almost 20 million military veterans in the United States, according to the US Census Bureau and Defense Department officials said tapping into that pool of potential customers will help their bottom line. The military exchange stores also finance many programs for the active duty troops on the post.

"This initiative represents a low-risk, low cost-opportunity to help fund Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs in support of service members and their families. And it's just the right thing to do," Levine said.

Veterans will be required to register at www.shopmyexchange.com before they can begin their online buying.
Beijing Reports Big Progress in Getting the PLA to Quit its Business Empire

Chinese soldiers. (Photo : Getty Images)

China claims both the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Chinese People's Armed Police Force (PAP) have halted 40 percent of their commercial activities as part of the ongoing military reform aimed at rooting out endemic corruption in the armed forces.



"Decommercialization," the phrase used to describe the PLA's relinquishing its vast business empire, has so far focused on five areas: house rentals; agricultural and livestock production; hospitality services; medical services and research and development.



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The PLA, the armed forces of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and the PAP have been profit-making machines with the blessing of the CPC since 1992 when the Central Military Commission (CMC) that oversees the PLA officially approved commercial activities by the PLA and the PAP.



The reach of the PLA's business empire is formidable. It's been estimated that most every sector of China's economy has its quota of military companies. The largest of the PLA's businesses are beginning to resemble the chaebols, the conglomerates that dominate South Korea's economy.



PAP is a Chinese paramilitary police force primarily responsible for civilian policing and fire rescue duties, as well as providing support to the PLA Ground Force during wartime.



The PLA started running its own businesses in the mid-1980s to offset a sharp plunge in the defense budget ordered by Deng Xiaoping, China's paramount leader from 1978 to 1989.



The transformation of the PLA and the PAP into business owners is being blamed as one of the key causes for the widespread corruption in the PLA, especially among its officer corps that runs these far-flung businesses.



The PLA, for example, controls China's multi-billion dollar space program whose reach encompasses many other multi-billion dollar industries.



The Supreme People's Court of China established a panel to help the PLA deal with related legal and judiciary affairs.



In February 2016, the CMC ordered the PLA and the PAP to eradicate all commercial activities within three years. CMC told PLA units stop signing new contracts and negotiate with civilian clients and to cancel existing ones.


GALVESTON - A Galveston County judge on Wednesday threw out a criminal trespass case against a Galveston police officer accused of illegally entering a vehicle owned by an activist who had taken video of the front of the county Justice Center.

District Judge Kerry Neves dismissed the case against Sgt. Archie Chapman Jr. after agreeing with defense attorney Gregory Cagle that the prosecution had failed to prove its case.

'Get back to work'

After explaining to jurors that their services were no longer needed, Neves looked at the 12-year police veteran and said, "Mr. Chapman, get back to work."

Chapman's wife, Rachel, hugged one of her husband's supporters, saying, "I got my husband back."

The officer waded into a throng of back-slapping supporters, many of them in police uniforms, hugging and shaking hands. "It's been a tough 15 months" since the Nov. 4, 2015, incident, he said.

Chapman said he was surprised that the trial ended on its first day without going to the jury but that he had been prepared for a jury verdict in his favor.

"My heart was in the right place," he said about entering the car without the owner's permission, a warrant or reason to believe that a crime had been committed.

The activist, 27-year-old Phillip Turner of Austin, was not immediately available for comment.

He had been charged with failure to identify himself to police, but the city dismissed the charge in November 2015 and later reached a $10,000 settlement with him.

Legs outside car

Turner testified that he had not given Chapman permission to enter his car.

Wednesday's dismissal turned on a legal requirement that one's entire body be in the vehicle for there to be criminal trespass.

A prosecution witness had testified that Chapman's legs were partly out of the car, and an investigator testified that she had no evidence that Chapman's body was entirely inside the vehicle.

Neves paid little heed to prosecutor John Haugh, who pointed out that Chapman had said three times in an interview with an investigator that he had entered the car and admitted that it was wrong to do so.

The charge against Chapman sprang from his arrest of Turner, a civil rights activist who takes videos of police stations throughout Texas to assert the right of the public to photograph police officers and public buildings.

He testified that he has been arrested several times and has sued several cities that prevented him from taking videos or arrested him.

Turner operates a YouTube page, The Battousai, where he has posted some 300 videos of his interactions with police and of public buildings.

He also is a correspondent for an internet publication, "Photography is Not a Crime," which monitors police censorship.

No ID provided

Turner, who is employed full time in the Information Technology department of an Austin company, met with another activist, David Worden, after taking video of police stations in League City and Texas City without incident, he testified.

They drove in Turner's Toyota Corolla to Galveston, where they began videoing the Galveston Law Enforcement Facility, which houses offices of the city police and Galveston County sheriff.

Chapman asked Turner for his identification, according to testimony. Turner always refuses to provide his identity to officers, citing Texas law stating that it is required only if a crime has been committed. He had locked his wallet in his car to prevent officers from learning his identity by taking his driver's license.

Jailers told Chapman that they could not book Turner without identification.

In a video of an interview with Investigator Carolyn Adkins of the DA's office shown to the jury, Chapman said two sheriff's deputies approached him with a key fob taken from Turner's personal effects and said they were going to use it to find Turner's car.

Chapman went with the deputies, and they found the car parked in front of a business about a block from the courthouse by holding the fob out the window and clicking it until the car lights flashed.

Worden testified that he saw Chapman sit in the driver's seat, his legs partly out of the car, and lean toward the console to get Turner's wallet.
Hours after candidates began filing paperwork to run for city office, a federal judge Wednesday denied a request by Pasadena officials to delay her order that the city election be run under an 2011 election scheme to protect the rights of Latino voters.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal in Houston said Pasadena should conduct its upcoming May elections based on eight single-member districts, throwing out the six single-member and two at-large districts that the judge ruled had diluted the clout of Hispanics.
Hours after candidates began filing to run for city office, a federal judge Wednesday denied a request by Pasadena officials to temporarily suspend her order throwing out the city's election system over perceived voting rights violations.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal in Houston stood firm on her ruling that Pasadena should hold its upcoming May election using a 2011 system with eight single-member districts, instead of a 2014 scheme of six single-member and two at-large seats that the judge ruled had diluted the voting strength of the city's robust Hispanic population.

The focus now shifts to the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where Pasadena officials have challenged the judge's ruling in the voting rights case, which has drawn national attention.

C. Robert Heath, the lead attorney for the city, said he will ask the Fifth Circuit this week to temporarily stay Rosenthal's order so that the city elections can proceed under the system it has used since 2015.

The ongoing legal wrangling didn't stop candidates from filing to run for city council and the mayor's seat, all of which are on the ballot in May.

Eight candidates submitted paperwork indicating their intent to run for council seats on the first day of filing Wednesday, including two who expressed their intent to run for District H, one of the single-member districts restored under the judge's ruling.

Four candidates also filed to replace longtime Mayor Johnny Isbell, whose behind-the-scenes push to change the election system was at the heart of the voting rights allegations. Isbell is facing term limits and cannot run for re-election.

Districts could change

With the case pending before the Fifth Circuit, however, city officials distributed notices to candidates Wednesday that the districts could change pending the outcome of the city's appeal.

Heath said he will ask the Fifth Circuit for an expedited response on the city's request to use the 6-2 system for the upcoming elections until the legal issues are resolved. If the court rules by Feb. 17 - the end of the filing period for candidates - the election should be able to proceed on schedule, he said.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed suit against Pasadena on behalf of Hispanic voters, saying city officials deliberately changed the city's election system because they feared Hispanic-backed candidates would take control of the council. The changes were initiated shortly after a 2014 U.S. Supreme Court ruling lifted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act requiring federal "preclearance" of any changes to election systems in Texas and other states with a history of discrimination.

Rosenthal's final judgment in the lawsuit also ordered Pasadena to submit to federal oversight for the next 6.5 years, until June 2023.

Nina Perales, the lead attorney for MALDEF, said voters are already expecting the May election to proceed with eight single-member districts.

"It's too late for a stay," Perales said. "The candidates have already filed their intent. Anything different, any change in the redistricting plan at this point - now that candidates have filed for a place on the ballot and started their campaign - would be disruptive and confusing for the electorate."

City appealing

After a seven-day trial presented directly to her and not to a jury, Rosenthal concluded that Pasadena violated the Voting Rights Act, depriving Hispanic voters of equal representation on council and access to city funds to improve their blighted neighborhoods.

Her final judgment was issued Monday, a federal holiday celebrating the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., whose civil rights efforts led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

City lawyers are appealing the ruling, challenging the judge's conclusion that the new voting scheme was put in place with the aim of intentionally stopping Hispanics from gaining a majority of the council and arguing that it did not weaken the success of Hispanic-backed candidates at the polls.
Former President George H.W. Bush is in the intensive care unit at Houston Methodist Hospital with pneumonia, but stable following a procedure Wednesday morning to treat an "acute respiratory problem," a family spokesman said.

The 92-year-old 41st president was moved into intensive care for that treatment Wednesday, the same day his wife, Barbara, 91, was admitted to the same hospital as a precaution after "experiencing fatigue and coughing." Thankfully, doctors determined she has bronchitis, not pneumonia, family spokesman Jim McGrath said Wednesday evening.

"The former president still has a row to hoe, but never bet against the Bushes," the spokesman said. "There's no one more resilient."

McGrath acknowledged the transfer to intensive care was a turn for the worse for the former president - "92, pneumonia and ICU aren't a good fact pattern on the face of it" - but said the doctors are "encouraged because they believe they removed the source of his respiratory distress."

On Wednesday night, he said the next positive step for Bush would be a transfer from intensive care back to a regular hospital bed where he had been since last weekend.

Anniversary marked

One of Houston's most beloved couples, the Bushes celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary earlier this month. They hold the distinction of having the longest presidential marriage in American history. The couple married on Jan. 6, 1945 as World War II raged and Bush was recuperating from fighting in the Pacific. He was 20 and she was 19.

Last month to mark the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, they had attended a ceremony at his presidential library in College Station, complete with a low flyover by war-vintage aircraft. He sat alongside former U.S. Sen. Robert Dole, both in wheelchairs, two of the last direct connections to the war that defeated fascism and ushered in America's role as a global superpower. That day Bush presented Dole, his political rival in 1988, with a public service award.

Meanwhile, Bush was admitted to Methodist hospital Saturday for shortness of breath and "seemed on the fast track to discharge, telling people he was going to be out by Thursday or Friday," McGrath said Wednesday. As late as 5:14 a.m. Wednesday, McGrath was tweeting that Bush had responded well to treatment and that the hope was to have him out of the hospital soon.

But by noon Wednesday, however, McGrath issued a statement that Bush had been move into the intensive care unit, where doctors performed a procedure "to protect and clear his airway." The statement noted the procedure required sedation.

Possible treatments

Local pulmonologists not involved in the former president's care said the description sounded like Bush had a tracheal intubation, which involves the placement of a breathing tube into the patient's windpipe and protects the airway. They said he also may have had a bronchoscopy, which allows doctors to look into the airway and suction secretions and other debris. Doctors could have done either or both, they said.

"If a patient has mild or moderate pneumonia, it wouldn't require either procedure," said Dr. Kiran Nair, a pulmonologist affiliated with Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center. "The statement suggests Bush needed help battling the pneumonia, that he was having too many secretions into his airways to handle at his age."

Dr. Daniel Musher, a professor of medicine in the section of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine, said that because Bush has Parkinson's disease, he is susceptible to pneumonia, lacking the muscles in the chest to cough and clear secretions.

Musher called the prognosis of a 92-year-old pneumonia patient now in intensive care as "guarded."

In his final news conference on Wednesday, President Barack Obama mentioned the Bushes' hospitalization.

"We have been in touch with the Bush family today after hearing about President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush being admitted to the hospital this morning," Obama said. "They have not only dedicated their lives to this country, they have been a constant source of friendship and support and good counsel for Michelle and me over the years. They are as fine a couple as we know. And so we want to send our prayers and our love to them."

A week ago, Bush wrote to President-elect Donald Trump to express his regret that health issues would prevent him from attending Friday's inauguration, noting "my doctor says if I sit outside in January, it likely will put me six feet under."

Bush is the only former president who will miss the ceremony to usher in the 45th president, with his son George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter all expected to attend along with their wives.

The elder Bush wrote Trump that "we will be with you and the country in spirit."

Latest hospitalization

The health setback is just the latest for Bush, typical for many people his age.

In July 2015, he was taken to a hospital in Portland, Maine, after he fractured a bone in his neck in a fall at the family's summer home in Kennebunkport. He was "up and talking and out of bed" within a day after the fall.

The fall happened about six months after he was taken by ambulance to Houston Methodist for what his spokesman called "shortness of breath." He was released from the hospital about a week later.

In late 2012, Bush was admitted to Methodist for a bronchitis-related cough. He was later released, but returned the day after Thanksgiving because of a persistent cough. Bush was later admitted to intensive care and spent nearly two months at the hospital.
AUSTIN - With Donald Trump just a day away from inauguration, Republican leaders in Texas are hoping he will make good fast on his biggest and most controversial campaign promise: a border wall separating the United States from Mexico.

Fulfilling that, lawmakers say, would allow Texas, which faces its most significant budget shortfall in years, to reallocate much of the $800 million it now is spending on border security to other programs, such as schools, social programs and key agency operations.

Not only has Gov. Greg Abbott hinted at the savings, but so have Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and many lawmakers who say they hold great hopes a Trump administration can provide some windfall to ease Texas' budget pain. Privately, however, budget-writers in the Senate and House say they have no such illusions.

On Tuesday, a first draft of the Senate 's proposed two-year budget proposed spending about $17.2 million less for border security than the current budget, mostly due to one-time acquisition costs of equipment used in the border operation. By contrast, the House proposes to spend $154 million less,

In fact, a growing number of lawmakers say they are not sure a border wall will be built anytime soon and that the tight budget could trigger a spirited discussion over whether Texas should continue to spend so much on border security at the expense of other state programs.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has asked for an increase of about $300 million, for a total of about $1 billion over two years, to continue its border security operations.

"Until I know for a fact that the federal government has its border security in place to replace the state resources, Texas will have to continue funding that security on its own," said Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, chairwoman of the Senate Finance Committee. "We can't just stop funding border security because we think the federal government may step up. We shouldn't count on having that $800 million to do other things with."

Trump has insisted he is not giving up on his plan to build a wall - perhaps a fence in some areas, he hinted weeks ago - or his promise to get Mexico to pay for it. Mexican officials continue to insist their country will not pay for his wall.

Test of resolve

At a time when most polls show border security remains a top priority for many Texans, even if some are less enthusiastic about a wall, the upcoming budget debate could test leaders' resolve on the issue.

"I'm for border security, but the current wall in Texas is full of holes  and it's been very expensive for the state to secure the border with boots on the ground and technology," said state Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen. "I was born in Texas, but I was deported at age 5. My mother was undocumented. There are a lot of families with the same history. It's just the way things are along the border in South Texas. It makes a solution complicated."

And, he added, "very difficult to solve with a wall."

Federal reports show that only about 700 miles of the 2,000-mile border between the United States and Mexico currently is fenced, and less than 400 miles of that is designed to block pedestrian traffic. Texas has the most border segments without a barrier, thanks to the winding boundary along the Rio Grande River that is much more difficult to fence than straight-line sections in New Mexico, Arizona and California.

"I support a wall because it's better than we have now, which is nothing," said Vincente "Chente" Garcia, a landowner near Del Rio who has been an outspoken proponent of Trump's proposal from the start. "But even with a wall, people will climb over it, dig underneath it or go around it. If people want to get in, they'll find way, just like they always have."

For that reason, Denise Gilman, director of the immigration clinic at the University of Texas law school in Austin, said history shows that walls end up being more symbolic than effective. Even if the Trump administration were able to start construction in coming months, which is unlikely, it could not be completed in time to save the state money it its upcoming budget.

"With the budget situation we have, the question we should be asking ourselves is can we save this money and put it to better uses somewhere else?" she said, noting that border crossings of undocumented immigrants have dropped to 400,000 in 2014, from 1.6 million people in 2000, according to federal figures. "To portray this as any security threat doesn't match what we're seeing at the border."

Wall skeptic

Even former Gov. Rick Perry, who ramped up border security as a state priority and made it a key issue during his two unsuccessful presidential campaigns, said last July that a brick-and-mortar wall was not the answer.

"It's a wall, but it's a technological wall, it's a digital wall," Perry said on a Snapchat politics show. "There are some that hear this is going to be 1,200 miles from Brownsville to El Paso, 30-foot high, and listen, I know you can't do that."

For Texas Republicans, who look at the strong poll support for border security, no thought is being given to cutting back on the state's role, unless Trump bolsters the number of border patrol agents and builds the wall.

"I don't see that changing at all this session," said state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, a member of Nelson's budget-writing committee.

Abbott and Patrick have underscored that point, saying Texas remains committed to securing its border until the federal government steps up.

Effectiveness doubted

Critics of the state's expensive ramp-up of border security have insisted the agency has little to show for all the money spent, except for increased arrests in border areas that would be a natural consequence of an infusion of hundreds of additional troopers.

While they insist there is little evidence the state's border surge has thwarted the continuing influx of undocumented immigrants, DPS Director Steve McCraw repeatedly has told legislative leaders that the significant state presence has allowed law enforcement agencies to identify and curb drug smuggling, human trafficking and other criminal activity from reaching major Texas cities.

For Sen. Jose Rodriguez, an El Paso Democrat who grew up in the South Texas hamlet of Alamo, near McAllen, a wall is not a solution for border security or the state budget.

"The Republicans are banking on the fact that Trump will make good on his promise to build a wall, and that will save the state $800 million, but it's not going to happen," said Rodriguez, chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus and critic of the state's border security initiative.

"While the Republicans know they can't continue spending as much on border security as they have in the past, politically they can't back off of it because it's their big issue. Trump is their only hope to save the state this money."
Financing Texas schools

Regarding "Doubt cast over school finance reform" (Page A1, Sunday), I believe the educational deficiencies caused by the financial disparities of public education in Texas are caused by outmoded belief systems. The United States is the only nation to fund elementary and secondary education based on local wealth.

The rhetoric, gerrymandering and espousal of outmoded belief systems have prevented elected representatives in Texas from seeking common, political ground to represent their constituencies.

It's been close to 60 years since federal (Rodriguez v. San Antonio ISD) and state (Edgewood v. Kirby) cases have been explored and decided challenging the Texas system of funding public education in this state, and the problem keeps being taken to court for the sole purpose of obstructing the Texas and federal constitutions and kicking the problem down the road. Enough!

John B. (Jack) Harrison, Houston

Teaching liberal arts

Regarding "HISD deserves an A for its decision on standardized test scores" (Page A3, Sunday), you can use every method in school districts to judge children. This percentile, that score for a certain grade, mandates from the state only make these children more stressed, worried about failure.

Enter the arts: music, dance, theater, all forms of art, and wow, the creativity that has been pushed so far back in their little heads comes alive. Interpretive dance, original poetry, learning musical notes and creating their own compositions, experimenting with all kinds of art forms, writing and performing their own plays and more.

It is simple: Allow children to be creative thinkers. They are our future scientists, discoverers of new medical treatments, how we can come up with plans to help the poor, mentally ill, the environment and so much more. Don't stifle, but support them and their ideas. This doesn't show up in a test score.

Noel Foreman, Houston

Housing, outside the box

Regarding "HUD blasts city over affordable housing" (Page A1, Saturday), there is a larger issue here - the absence of conventional middle-class neighborhoods within the city. Houston has become an extremely segregated mix of "have" and "have not" communities, often living side by side but with little interaction. This is how the unwanted wealth gap plays out.

The middle-class has vacated the city, either to the suburbs or smaller more affordable towns. As a former resident of Briargrove where the very expensive Fountain View site is located, my recommendation is to create new "high-opportunity areas" through adoption by City Council of revitalization plans for evolving mixed-income areas. The Near Northside, Independence Heights, the Greater East End and my neighborhood, Museum Park, are good candidates. It is a win-win approach.

Peter H. Brown, Houston

Repealing toward disaster

Regarding "House sets stage to gut health law; bigger hurdle of replacing it looms (Page A1, Saturday), House Speaker Paul Ryan repeats as a talking point about the Affordable Care Act that "Americans are struggling under this law." Polling shows that this assertion is not accurate.

According to a survey of adults with marketplace or Medicaid coverage conducted by the Commonwealth Fund in spring 2016, 82 percent report that they are somewhat satisfied or very satisfied.

Ryan, R-Wis., also said "This experiment has failed." In September 2016, the rate of uninsured dropped hit a record low 8.6 percent, the first time in the nation's history it had fallen below 9 percent.

Like any large-scale, complex piece of legislation, the Affordable Care Act needs revisions in order to make it function more effectively. But on balance, Obamacare is a successful program that has expanded access to health care for 20 million Americans.

It would be disastrous to repeal the Affordable Care Act when the Republicans - despite having seven years to prepare - have put forward no tangible plan to replace it.

Andrew Edmonson, Houston
The 2017 Texas Legislature will be judged by the steps it takes to protect and support children. The decisions that lawmakers make on children's policy issues during this session will change millions of kids' lives.

As the Houston Chronicle's recent editorial, "Year of Texas Kids," (Page A33, Jan. 8), asserts, not only are those lives precious today, but they will shape our communities and our state for years to come.

Here are five of the steps that Texans are counting on legislators to take to support kids:

Ensure Child Protective Services (CPS) can keep kids safe and help them succeed if they enter foster care

Texans have been horrified to hear of the backlog of CPS investigations into reported neglect and abuse in Houston and other communities and the ways that children's lives often get worse, not better, when the state removes them from unsafe homes and puts them in foster care.

State leaders have taken important initial steps to address the CPS crisis, but there is much more work to do. The Legislature must reduce CPS staff case loads and turnover so they can effectively protect kids.

To ensure there are more high quality foster homes and services, lawmakers must boost reimbursement rates, pay the full cost of these services and effectively investigate dangerous foster care homes. Texas must ensure older youth are on track to succeed as young adults when they age out of foster care and avoid repeating the cycle of child neglect as teen parents.

Restore therapy funding for kids with disabilities.

Young kids with disabilities and developmental delays rely on Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services, but our recent research found a 31 percent decline in Harris County kids receiving these services over four years. Other regions of the state saw similar decreases at the same time that the child population grew.

Legislators should reverse the cuts to ECI funding and Medicaid reimbursement rates that led to kids missing out on these services. They should also learn from this experience that it's a mistake to cut basic services just because the budget is tight.

Ensure the new pre-k grants (and young kids) are successful.

Schools in Houston ISD and hundreds of other communities are halfway through the first year of the new Texas pre-k grant program. There has been high demand from school districts for the grants. They know that giving 4-year-olds a boost through effective pre-k classes will improve school success.

But the grant funding the state allotted to each student is about half of what Gov. Greg Abbott originally envisioned. Now that the Legislature is going to provide the grants for a full two-year budget, it must maintain the current level of funding for each student, at a minimum.

There are other ways for the state to leverage the long-term impact of early childhood experiences. The Legislature should listen to the health groups that recently called on the state to incentivize child care centers to be good partners with parents in helping kids develop a healthy weight and healthy habits. The state should also work to improve child safety and learning in child care. It can start by partnering with Houston's Collaborative for Children and other researchers to collect data on the connection between child injuries and the number of kids assigned to each teacher.

Provide mental health support for students, new moms and other Texans.

A year ago, the Chronicle documented local school mental health efforts that were starting to help students be healthy and do better in class. Texas should learn from community-led examples and build on them to support student mental health, a top issue raised in the new report from the Texas House Select Committee on Mental Health.

The Committee also echoed Abbott's 2014 campaign call for addressing postpartum depression. The report wisely urges lawmakers to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from the current 60 days to one year and consider allowing pediatricians to screen new moms for depression during babies' well checks.

Continue juvenile justice reforms by raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction.

Texas automatically sends 17-year-olds to the adult criminal justice system when they get in trouble, no matter how minor their offense. Momentum was developed during the 2015 session for making the juvenile system the default for 17-year-olds while still allowing judges to certify teens as adults when deemed appropriate.

Holding 17-year-olds accountable in the juvenile system would cut down on repeat crime and save taxpayer money on retrofitting jails to keep 17-year-olds separate from adults.

It would also reduce the risk of sexual assault of youth in the system and reduce the number of Texans who face difficulty getting a job, college education or housing because of an adult criminal record earned before they turned 18.

Texans will be watching to ensure our state leaders make real progress on these critical issues.

Rubin is CEO of the Austin-based nonprofit Texans Care for Children.
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The prize: embattled Mosul with its many districts.

The Iraqi Army and its allied forces have captured half of the ISIS-held city of Mosul after three months of bitter and bloody fighting.



The Iraqi government troops on Jan. 18 said its troops were in "full control" of eastern Mosul after expelling ISIS militants from that part of the only city on Iraqi soil held by the Islamic terrorist group. The Iraqi Army, Kurdish Peshmerga and allied militia groups with support from United States and coalition aircraft began the campaign to liberate Mosul on Oct. 17, 2016.



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At the time, one Kurdish Peshmerga commander predicted it would take up to six months of hard fighting to seize full control of Mosul from ISIS. The pace of the fighting seems to confirm his assessment.



What remains of the original 5,000 man ISIS force that defended Mosul in October 2016 have retreated into western Mosul. And if Iraq's estimate of ISIS casualties are anywhere near accurate, it means only some 2,000 battered and shell shocked ISIS fighters remain alive to contest western Mosul.



The seizure of eastern Mosul was a "big victory," said Lt. Gen. Talib Shaghati of the Iraqi Army who commands the counter-terrorism forces, the elite of the Iraqi Army that is spearheading the Mosul attack.



Gen. Shaghati described Iraq's victory as "unprecedented."



He said plans were now being made to retake the western part of Mosul but gave no further details. The fight for western Mosul, however, isn't expected to be a walkover despite heavy ISIS losses.



Western Mosul is home to some of Mosul's oldest neighborhoods, and its narrow streets packed with buildings will be to the advantage of ISIS. As in eastern Mosul, however, U.S. airpower is a trump card that will make life easier for the Iraqi Army and its allies.



The Iraqi Army, however, admitted pockets of ISIS resistance linger in eastern Mosul.



Up until the first week of December 2016, the United Nations estimated Iraqi Army combat deaths alone at close to 2,000 men since the offensive was launched. The UN gave no estimates of combat deaths among coalition allies such as the Kurdish Peshmerga. It also gave no figure for deaths among Iraqi paramilitary units or Sunni fighters.



Combat death among Iraqi Army allies will push total coalition deaths to above those suffered by ISIS, or ISIL, as the Americans are wont to call them.



While ISIS deaths are difficult to estimate with any certainty, the Iraq Army that has led the assault into Mosul estimates killing over 2,000 ISIS fighters. Not included in this toll are fighters killed by U.S. and coalition airstrikes that pummel ISIS almost every day.


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ders like Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs are known for being bold thinkers who drive their teams to hit their goals. They hold themselves to high standards and expect the same from team members.But while such leaders can have a major impact on their companys bottom line, their leadership styles might be too exhausting for employees to keep up with, wrote organisational leadership expert and author Mark Murphy.If you are following Steve Jobs leadership style, then you should be on the lookout for two warning signs from your team.Are they missing deadlines and making mistakes often? And when they do make mistakes, do they appear to magnify the situation or beat themselves up over it?If so, chances are theyre feeling very anxious.Instead of telling the employee to stop whining or to suck it up, back off a little bit and dial down your intensity, he advised.If possible, break down the project into smaller pieces to help them feel less overwhelmed.No bad news is not good news for team morale, said Murphy.Leaders who know whats going wrong in their operations generally have a higher career survival rate than those in denial, he said, adding that employees need to be comfortable enough with you to let you know when there is bad news.When it seems like the information flow in the organisation is weak or non-existent, be proactive and speak directly to the employees and ask them whats been getting in their way and how you can help fix it.Challenging your employees to reach for more is a cornerstone of great leadership. But you do want to guard against pushing your team so hard that they buckle under the pressure, he concluded.
Create additional focus on Employee Assistance Programs to assist employees as GDP rises.

Business leaders, HR departments and managers can be more attentive to employees during economic downturns to ensure they are aware of the resources available to help them cope with stress and uncertainty.

Proactively create plans to ensure adequate staffing levels during times of positive economic growth including a buffer for potential claims.

Look for flexible Group Benefit plans that have options such as allowing employees to return to work on a part-time basis while still receiving benefits.

Ensure employees understand the coverage in their plan and make use of any Return to Work Benefits such as financial planning, rehabilitation and other services to help make a smooth transition back into the workplace

ioneering new report has identified a link between long-term disability claims and GDP meaning employers can now predict lengthy absences and better prepare their organizations.Conducted in Canada by RBC Insurance, the report is making waves in many business circles, largely thanks to the counter-intuitive correlation which it uncovered.Contrary to what many think, the RBC Insurance Group LTD Forecast highlights that LTD claims increase while GDP is rising and the economy is doing better, says John Carinci, vice-president of group & business markets at RBC Insurance. When GDP falls, so do LTD claims.While it may seem strange to learn claims actually increase when times are good, RBC Insurance believes that the phenomenon is similar to a prolonged adrenaline rush putting stress on the body.During challenging or uncertain economic times, workers are worried about job security and performance, creating significant mental and/or physiological stress, the firm said in a statement.As GDP rises and the economic outlook brightens, workers begin to feel more secure and that pent up stress and anxiety takes its toll, which results in them succumbing to illness and taking a leave from work to recoup.Developed over six years using data from over 300,000 group benefit clients, RBC Insurance has also developed an algorithm which it says can help predict disability rates up to two years in the future.For years we observed cyclical trends with the claims we were seeing but thanks to the teams efforts and many late nights developing and analysing the algorithms data, we have a much clearer picture around the timing of new LTD claims, says Carinci. Were hoping that by sharing this information we can help employees and businesses proactively manage and prepare for these claims.RBC Insurance also offered the following tips for businesses to help mitigate the risk of long-term disability claims.
New York is ready to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year with an array of cultural events. (Photo : Getty Images)

On Jan. 26 and 27, New Yorkers and tourists will be in for a treat. The crown of the Empire State Building in Manhattan will be lit up in hues of red and gold to welcome the Chinese Lunar New Year, which starts on Jan. 28.



In a report by new.xinhua.net, the lighting ceremony will be led by John B. Kessler, president and CEO of the Empire State Realty Trust, and Zhang Qiyue, the Consul General to the United States. It was announced during a briefing in the Chinese Consulate General in New York by Shirley Young, chair of the U.S.-China Cultural Institute.



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A spectacular fireworks show by CAFA will also light up the New York night sky on Jan. 26. The show will begin at 8:30 p.m. It will be divided into four themes, tied together by traditional Chinese philosophy, with elements of objects, civilization, and nature.



Art Exhibition and Concerts to Welcome the Year of the Rooster



The lighting ceremony will usher in an array of China-related cultural events in celebration of the start of the Year of the Rooster. The events will be co-hosted by the U.S.-China Cultural Institute and the China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA).



The Metropolitan Pavilion and the New York Institute of Interior Design will both host four themed exhibitions from Jan. 23-29 and Jan. 26-29, respectively. These exhibits include "Cross-Cultural Dialogue: China-America Art Students Exhibition," "Image of the Mind: Contemporary Chinese Art Exhibition," and "Abstract Art in Dialogue."



To end the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration in New York, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra will hold a special concert on Jan. 31, 7:30 p.m., at the David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center.



"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 in the press briefing.


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Arlene Dickinson's "Dragon's Den" run may be over, but she's still breathing fire.

The Canadian businesswoman, who frequently sparred with Kevin O'Leary on the CBC show, is still not a fan of the latest Conservative leadership candidate.

Dickinson made that abundantly clear when she appeared on CBC News Wednesday, just hours after her former colleague announced his leadership bid.

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"I will have a drink with Kevin O'Leary  that doesn't mean I think he should be a leader of our country," she said during the interview.

O'Leary is an "opportunistic guy" Dickinson added, saying she thinks his leadership bid has a lot to do with seeking "fame and attention."

Dickinson also described the candidate as lacking "compassion"  a quality she said he has in common with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

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"I don't think Kevin O'Leary is Donald Trump," she said. "I think there are a lot of similarities between these two individuals."

Trump comparisons not true: O'Leary

O'Leary has repeatedly spoken out against claims he's Canada's Trump. While both are businessmen, reality TV stars and international investors, he says their views on immigration are starkly different.

"Im the son of an immigrant from Ireland and Lebanon," O'Leary said while on CTV's "Your Morning" Wednesday. "Theres no walls in my world. I wouldnt exist if Canada had walls."

This isn't the first time Dickinson has slammed O'Leary. In January 2016, the businesswoman criticized him for offering Alberta Premier Rachel Notley $1 million to resign.

"I don't think it would be a country that would represent the core values that we as Canadians adhere to."

It's the type of behaviour that doesn't jibe well with being prime minister of Canada, she told CBC News.

"I don't think it would be fiscally conservative. I don't think it would support our military. I don't think it would help the under-privileged. I don't think it would be a country that would represent the core values that we as Canadians adhere to."

Watch Dickinson's full interview with CBC News below:

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Most frequent travellers know where it is and isn't safe to drink tap water, but if it's been a while since you've been on a plane, you might have forgotten. And unfortunately sometimes all it takes is opening your mouth in the shower or a contaminated ice cube to make you very very sick.

Fortunately, in the infographic below, online travel booking company Just The Flight shares where exactly it is and isn't safe to drink tap water for North Americans.

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While many believe Europe to have safe drinking water, it really depends on where you are. Places like Portugal, France and Germany are fine, but you might want to stick to bottled beverages when you head to European countries like Ukraine, Romania and Croatia.

In most countries where tap water is considered unsafe your best option might just be a bottle of beer. In South America, Asia and Africa, where tap water is mostly deemed unsafe, the price of beer is just a third of the price of bottled water.

Of course it isn't possible to avoid water on your trip all together so take precaution by buying water bottles with safety seals, treating your water or simply boiling it. When travelling to countries with unsafe tap water it is important to remember that drinking it is only one way to be affected by it. Avoid raw, fresh produce unless it is peeled and avoid ice in your purchased drinks. And don't forget to use bottled water while brushing your teeth and of course keep your mouth closed while in the shower!

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One of the apple's biggest turnoffs is that it browns.

Say you just want to eat half and save the other half for later? Or it gets knocked around in your bag?

After being damaged in basically any way, the poor fruit bruises.

But one B.C. apple grower thinks he has a solution: a genetically-modified apple that doesnt brown.

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Neal Carter, the president of Okanagan Specialty Fruits, told Good Fruit Grower that a sliced Arctic Apple can last three weeks without browning if theyre washed in chlorinated water and kept cold.

The fruit has less of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, which jumpstarts a chemical reaction that browns the flesh of an apple when its cells are damaged by biting, slicing or bruising.

Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties have been approved for sale in both the U.S. and Canada, and the Fuji has also been approved in the U.S.

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And next month, pre-sliced Arctic Golden Delicious apples are expected to pop up on select U.S. shelves.

10 stores in the countrys midwest will carry the genetically modified snack in February and March, according to Capital Press.

But it will likely be a few years before youll see the apples in Canada.

Our goal right now is to learn as much as we can from this test marketing exercise in the U.S., Carter told the Kelowna Daily Courier.

The company doesnt have enough fruit right now to sell all across the United States, he said.

But it reached its 2016 goal of planting 70,000 trees and plans 300,000 in 2017, according to a press release.

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The apples are only grown in New York and Washington State, Good Fruit Grower reported at the end of December.

"We really just think it's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist."  Canadian Organic Growers board member Sarah Dobec

Not everyone is as excited as Neal Carter about the possibility of the fruit entering the Canadian marketplace.

A 2012 study from the BC Fruit Growers Association and the Quebec Apple Producers Association found 69 per cent of respondents didn't want Health Canada to approve the apple.

"We really just think it's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist," Sarah Dobec, a board member of Canadian Organic Growers, told The Canadian Press in 2015.

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"Apples brown for a reason and that's nature telling us that it's slowly degrading or oxidizing, so to remove that function of the biology of the apple doesn't seem to serve anybody really."
She made lemonade out of lemons.

A Boston-area woman with Down syndrome has a flourishing business thanks, in part, to previous rejection she faced.

Collette Divitto says she was turned down by bakeries after applying for positions as a professional baker. Even though she was told she had great skills, she was not "a good fit," according to her website via SFGate.

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A photo posted by Collettey's Cookies  (@colletteyscookies) on Dec 29, 2016 at 7:45am PST

Rather than giving up, the 26-year-old decided to start her own business, which ultimately became Collettey's, a cookie shop.

Divitto says her ultimate goal is to open production factories across the United States and employ thousands of people with disabilities.

Thats my dream, Collette told WBZ CBS Boston. I want to help more people with disabilities. It would be a great feeling to hire them.

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According to SFGate, Collettey's received orders for more than 50,000 cookie deliveries for the 2016 holiday season, and Divitto got more than 65,000 letters of support from people around the world after her story went viral.

I havent slept at all, Divitto joked to WBZ CBS Boston in December. I am really amazed at the support for my company and my cookies.

According to WBZ CBS Boston, Divitto perfected her recipe for the cookie years ago as an aspiring cook. Friends and family told her she should sell her cookies to make extra money.

"We kept telling her, 'This is a really good cookie. You could sell this!'" her mother, Rosemary Alfredo, told the broadcaster. But when she tried to find a job in her field, she was disappointed to find out that no one was willing to hire someone with a disability.

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Its very upsetting to me, Divitto told WBZ. Its very hard to find a paying job for people like me who have special needs. That's when the entrepreneur decided to open her own business. Divitto learned how to create a website, make business cards, buy ingredients and write invoices.

A photo posted by Collettey's Cookies  (@colletteyscookies) on Dec 4, 2016 at 11:53am PST

Shes never accepted her disability, Alfredo said. Shes kind of stepped into this role of trying to inspire and motivate other people.

Since her business began taking off, Divitto has created a GoFundMe page to help fund her own production and distribution facility so she can create more jobs for adults with disabilities.

As of press time, she has raised nearly $16,000 of her $125,000 goal.

Also on HuffPost

Stunning Photos Open Our Eyes To Reality Of Down Syndrome See Gallery
Aw, now don't these two make a cute couple?

In a made-up trailer only Ellen DeGeneres could pull off, the 58-year-old host of her own show makes us all believe her and Canadian sweetheart Ryan Gosling make the perfect pair.

In the video below, the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" host shares her own version of the "La La Land" trailer, adding she was originally the first choice for leading lady as opposed to the movie's star, Emma Stone.

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Oh Ellen, we're convinced.

In the exclusive behind-the-scenes clip, Ellen is seen jumping into the man of her dreams and is sporting some fun outfit changes. The ideal movie heroine.

Zygi Kamasa, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Damien Chazelle attending a gala screening for "La La Land" held at Ham Yard Hotel, London.

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In December during another interview on the show, the 36-year-old "Crazy, Stupid, Love" actor greeted the host with one of the best hugs (OK, not really a hug) we've ever seen in the video above.

During the segment, the actor talked lovingly about his two daughters Esmeralda and Amada with partner and actress Eva Mendes.

He also talked about potentially buying a Roomba for the Roomba he already owns.

"I feel bad for [my Roomba] because it works tirelessly, and at night I can hear it cleaning downstairs, and I just feel bad for it," the actor jokes. "And when it's tired it goes home, and it docks itself, and it recharges, and if it hits your foot, it acts ashamed... it's complicated and I wanted to get a Roomba for my Roomba this year."

Always the charmer.

In early 2016, the "The Place Beyond The Pines" actor also appeared on "Ellen," and took part in a hilarious backstage segment.

Also on HuffPost

Ryan Gosling See Gallery
Sophie Turner attends the Sky Women In Film & TV Awards at London Hilton on December 2, 2016 in London, England. (Photo : Getty Images/Jeff Spicer)

In the aftermath of the lukewarm response to "X-Men: Apocalypse" there have been calls to bring forth one of the most iconic storylines in Marvel Comics history.



While it has already been revealed that Fox is going to make a New Mutants movie, it was recently leaked that there are actually two films in production.



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In this listing by Production Weekly, a curious entry read: "X-Men: Supernova" (w/t "Dark Phoenix"). In a separate, earlier entry was "X-Men: The New Mutants" which denotes that they are two separate films.



In the sites "About" page, it stated that "Production Weekly provides professionals working in the film and television industries with the most comprehensive production breakdown available. Our professional research staff continuously tracks and compiles up-to-date data on projects in various stages of development, both domestically and international."



With this information, it confirms that the X-Men saga will continue and will adapt (re-boot) the Dark Phoenix Saga storyline. While Fox already made that adaptation in the third X-Men movie (X-Men: The Last Stand) in 2006, the movie was highly criticized and it seemingly led to the franchise's end, until the reboot "X-Men: First Class."



If Fox does decide to use the Dark Phoenix saga , the storyline could introduce some new characters, specifically the Shi'ar Empire and their Imperial Guard, as Comic Book.com illustrated.



"The working title of 'Dark Phoenix' is a reference to "The Dark Phoenix Saga," a classic X-Men story written by Chris Claremont and drawn by John Byrne. 'The Dark Phoenix Saga' followed Jean Grey's possession and eventual corruption by the cosmic entity called the Phoenix Force. 'The Dark Phoenix Saga' took the X-Men into space and pitted them against the Imperial Guard of the Shi'ar Empire in trial by combat for Jean's life. 'The Dark Phoenix Saga' ended tragically with Grey sacrificing herself to make sure that the Dark Phoenix did not possess her again."



It's still unconfirmed at this time but they added the working title of "Dark Phoenix" which further ignited speculation. Also, the presence of the Phoenix force was hinted in "X-Men: Apocalypse."



This time, Jean Grey is played by Sophie Turner of "Game of Thrones" fame and this could be her most memorable movie role yet.


Kathleen Wynne's popularity has apparently dropped so much that there's now a rap song railing against the Ontario premier and the sky-high hydro bills in her province.

Jeremy Renaud, or J Reno, shared his tune "Hydro Bills" on Facebook Monday. It starts off with a question period clip of Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown blasting Wynne and the Liberals for surging electricity costs.

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"Dear Ms. Premier, why you so out of touch?" the Windsor, Ont. artist says at the start of the song. "Your policies are destroying and taking everything from us."

You can listen to J Reno's song in the video embedded below:

J Reno - Hydro Bills ( Official Visuals ) Ontario Hip Hop artist airing out Kathleen Wynne & the Hydro scam. Must listen! Purchase & support at: https://jreno.bandcamp.com/track/hydro-bills-single Posted by J Reno on Monday, January 16, 2017

Renaud told CBC News he doesn't often get political in his tracks and doesn't consider himself a Liberal or Conservative supporter.

"I want to reach people who otherwise wouldn't be paying enough attention to the issues," he said. "I still can't process how massively this has snowballed."

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Speaking to Global News, the artist said his family's personal experiences with soaring rates inspired the song.

As a musician for the style of music I normally do, this isnt going to help me sell records or get more shows or stuff like that. Its more about being a voice for people," he said.

Renaud told the Windsor Star his household's monthly hydro bills are sometimes more than $500.

On Wednesday, Wynne met with Libby Keenan, an Amherstburg, Ont. woman who criticized Wynne and the province's hydro rates in a viral Facebook post earlier this month.

During the meeting, Wynne promised Ontarians would see hydro relief by spring, according to the Toronto Star.

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In December, an Angus Reid Institute poll found Wynne's approval rating sitting at 16 per cent  the lowest numbers she's had since she came to office in 2013.

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It might be time to brush up on your French skills.

Less than a year ago, we were reporting that Toronto and Vancouver were creating pretty much all the jobs in the country.

Not so anymore. The new hotspot for jobs in Canada is  Quebec. More precisely, Montreal.

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According to Statistics Canada data, in 2016 Montreal alone created more full-time jobs than the rest of the country combined  a net total of 74,000 in a year.

Whats more, if you strip out Montreals job gains, the rest of the country actually lost full-time jobs: A net loss of 13,600 positions across the country, ex-Montreal.

Montreals unemployment rate is the lowest its been in 30 years, according to the CBC, dropping to 6.8 per cent this December from 8.8 per cent a year earlier.

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And, by all accounts, its high-quality jobs that Montreal is churning out these days.

The city is becoming renowned as a centre of artificial intelligence development. Google announced last summer its investing in an AI project at the Universite de Montreal. Microsoft followed quickly with an investment into Element AI, an incubator of global AI talent linked to McGill University.

Meanwhile, Quebecs manufacturing sector is looking more competitive these days, a fact some attribute to much lower electricity rates in Quebec than in Ontario.

Despite some high-profile manufacturing layoffs, such as the ones at Bombardier and at Montreals Oreo cookie plant, the province still managed to add about 1,500 manufacturing jobs last year. Ontario lost 11,300 in that time.

Simon De Baene, founder of Montreal software firm GSOFT, told Bloomberg the city is becoming the right place to start businesses and grow jobs.

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We have an incredible quality of life in Quebec. Great engineers; were creative; and the cost of living is really good, De Baene said. We have the ideal environment to build up successful organizations.

And even the province's lower-income workers are seeing some good news. Quebec's Labour Ministry announced on Thursday it's hiking the provincial minimum wage to $11.25 as of May 1, from the current $10.75.

Follow The Huffington Post Canada on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Himalayan salt lamps are said to improve air quality and boost mood and energy levels thanks to the negative ions they're believed to emit, but doctors say there's just no proof that's true.

"There has been some talk in the holistic community about the fact that electromagnetic radiation from cellphones, from microwaves, from computers, creates positive ionization of our body. The talk has been that the negative ions supposedly produced by the lamps help to neutralize the positive charge. But to be honest with you... I haven't seen any large studies that would confirm this," holistic doctor Svetlana Kogan told Today.

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What has been studied however is the use of high-density ionization as an alternative to bright light therapy in people suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). A 2006 study compared the two and found ionization to be an acceptable alternative to bright light or medication.

And the promotion of salt lamps as a cure for asthma and allergies is just as unfounded. While salt in the form of a saline solution has the ability to thin mucus in the body there are very few studies that look at the benefits of salt therapy in asthma patients.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, salt therapy comes with its own set of dangers including bronchoconstriction and the premature discontinuation of prescriptions.

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So if you're buying a salt lamp to boost your mood or help your breathing, you might want to think twice. Aside form recent recalls, the beautiful lamps are also lacking in proven health benefits.

Also on HuffPost
As the world braces for the unpredictable reality of President Donald Trump, a new poll suggests Americans still see Canada as their top global ally.

Its a much different picture for the United States neighbour to the south.

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According to a survey of 1,500 Americans released Thursday by the Angus Reid Institute, eight-in-10 want Trump to approach Canada as a valued partner and ally (57 per cent) or on friendly terms (23 per cent).

The numbers suggest Canada has a better reputation among Americans than the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, France, and Germany.

Though much has been made of the contrasts between Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, it turns out supporters of the brash Republican may hold a slightly more positive view of Canada than those who voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton.

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Eighty-six per cent of Trump supporters told the firm they want his administration to be on friendly terms with its northern ally, compared to 81 per cent of Clinton supporters who said the same.

But it seems Americans are looking to Mexico with more caution. Just 17 per cent said the new U.S. administration should treat Mexico as a valued partner, though 33 per cent want the two nations on friendly terms. Another eight per cent called Mexico a potential threat to U.S. interests.

Less than half of Trump voters (44 per cent) want the U.S. to approach Mexico on friendly terms.

Trump famously began his presidential campaign by charging that Mexico was allowing criminals and rapists to cross the border into the United States. He pledged to build a southern border wall and deport millions of undocumented Mexican immigrants.

Since his election victory in November, Trump has threatened to punish American companies considering a move to Mexico. He has also vowed to slap a so-called border tax on cars built in the country.

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While the threat of tariffs has also sparked concerns in Canada, Trumps promise to reopen the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been a focal point. On this issue, Trump voters expect action.

More than 60 per cent of Trump supporters surveyed want the new administration to either decrease the U.S. commitment to the pact (32 per cent) or take the U.S. out of the arrangement altogether (31 per cent).

The numbers also point to a contrasting view of the trade relationships between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners. While roughly 77 per cent of Americans told the Angus Reid Institute that trade with Canada benefits both countries equally, just 35 per cent felt the same about trade with Mexico.

And while 45 per cent said trade with Mexico benefits the other country more, only 11 per cent felt the same way about Canada.

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Canada is Americas second-largest trading partner behind China, and Mexico is third.

Trudeau has already offered to sit down with Trump to discuss NAFTA. The move sparked criticism from interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose, who alleged the incoming presidents anti-NAFTA rhetoric was always about Mexico, not Canada.

But The Canadian Press debunked that claim in November by pointing to occasions Trump also singled out Canada on the campaign trail.

"We lose with Canada  big-league. Tremendous, tremendous trade deficits with Canada, Trump told a rally in Rochester, N.Y. last year.

Trudeaus cabinet shuffle this month was seen to have been done in preparation for Trumps elevation to the White House. The prime minister notably promoted Chrystia Freeland to foreign affairs from international trade, but said she will continue to manage the Canada-U.S. trade file.

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Trump takes trade and jobs lens to foreign affairs: PM

Freeland, a former New York-based business journalist, won praise for sealing the Canada-European free trade agreement last year.

Trudeau told reporters that Freeland was the ideal person to represent Canada to the U.S. during a time of change.

"One of the things we've seen from president-elect Trump is that he very much takes a trade and job lens to his engagements with this world in international diplomacy,'' he said at the time.

The online poll was conducted between Jan. 13-17 among a representative, randomized sample of 1,503 American adults. The firm says that, for comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

With a file from The Canadian Press

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Twitter's @MatureTrumpTwts Is The Grownup Trump We Probably Won't Get See Gallery
If billionaires keep gaining wealth at their current pace, the world could see its first U.S.-dollar trillionaire in the next 25 years, according to a report by Oxfam International.

The report, which was released Monday ahead of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, suggests that cronyism, tax dodging and shareholder capitalism are contributing to the global inequality crisis by making the rich significantly richer.

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The world's wealthiest person at present is Microsoft founder Bill Gates, with a fortune of $75 billion. For Gates to become the world's first trillionaire  meaning wealth of at least a thousand billion dollars  his fortune would have to grow 13-fold.

"Once a fortune is accumulated or acquired it develops a momentum of its own. The super-rich have the money to spend on the best investment advice," reads the report, titled An Economy for the 99 Percent: Its Time to Build a Human Economy That Benefits Everyone, Not Just the Privileged Few."

"Once a fortune is accumulated or acquired it develops a momentum of its own."

"In such an environment, if you are already rich you have to try hard not to keep getting a lot richer."

It adds that if the economy had grown proportionally between 1990 and 2010, rather than primarily benefitting the world's richest, "700 million more people, most of them women, would not be living in poverty today."

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The world's eight wealthiest people are now as rich as the poorest half of the world's population, according to the report.

The organization's findings were compiled by looking at wealth distribution data from Credit Suisse and the Forbes Billionaires List.

OxFam is calling on world leaders to commit to reducing the gap between rich and poor in their countries.

The report states, " we can create a fairer world based on a more human economy  one in which people, not profit, are the bottom line and which prioritizes the most vulnerable."

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After years of tension over Iran's nuclear program, tensions which nearly boiled over into war, a multilateral agreement was reached between the P5+1 countries and Iran in July 2015 and successfully implemented last year on January 16.

The nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was the result of 20 months of diplomatic negotiations that led to implementation of major restrictions on Iran's nuclear capabilities in exchange for the removal of nuclear related sanctions imposed on the country. This multilateral agreement was a major example of the successful resolution of major disagreements in a troubled region through diplomacy and constructive engagement instead of relying on military intervention or continuous isolation.

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Since the implementation of JCPOA the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed in regular inspection reports that Iran has complied with its obligations under the agreement. As sanctions have been eased on Iran many international businesses have expressed their interest in entering the Iranian market.

In the first nine months of 2016 the European Union's trade with Iran has increased by 63 per cent. Several major contracts have been signed over the past 12 months including major deals with Boeing and Airbus, worth billions.

The results of successful diplomatic re-engagement with Iran have extended beyond its nuclear program. Recently Iran has entered into an agreement with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to implement an agreed upon action plan for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. The diplomatic dialogue established between U.S Secretary of State Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif helped in the quick release of 10 U.S sailors who were detained by Iranian military forces in the Persian Gulf in early 2016.

In recent months Iran has met with EU officials to discuss human rights related issues. While Iran's human rights record remains a significant concern, recently there have been slow but promising steps taken by moderate factions in Iran towards improving human rights conditions in the country. The proposal of a bill of citizens' rights by President Rouhani and efforts in the Iranian parliament to remove the death penalty for drug related crimes are examples of attempts by moderate forces to improve respect for human rights in Iran.

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The re-integration of Iran into the international community is a momentous opportunity for further consultation and engagement to resolve disagreements over its regional policies and to address concerns over Iran's human rights record.

While the benefits of the nuclear agreement and reengagement with Iran have been significant and clear, there are important challenges and hurdles that lie ahead. Given the rhetoric from President Trump and the repeated attempts in U.S. Congress to block the implementation of the JCPOA, there is significant uncertainty about the future of the nuclear agreement and the future of U.S. policy vis-a-vis Iran.

At this time of uncertainty in U.S. politics it is important for other countries involved in the JCPOA and other U.S. allies including Canada to ensure the continuity of the deal. Canada, as a country with a historic role in advancing peace through diplomacy and as a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), should embrace the nuclear deal, reengage with Iran and encourage all parties involved in the nuclear agreement to fully comply with their obligations under the JCPOA.

The nuclear agreement with Iran was a significant accomplishment for diplomacy and dialogue in peacefully resolving a major international challenge in Middle East. While there are significant hurdles in the path forward, there is hope that the leadership of the countries involved, with the support of their allies, will continue dialogue and constructive engagement to address the existing challenges instead of backing away from the significant accomplishments of the deal and resorting into the failed coercive policies of the past that only exacerbated tensions and instability in the region.
monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images Adult Daughter Helping Senior Mother With Computer At Home

Kicking off the New Year is a good time to put the task of making your end-of-life wishes at the top of your to-do list.

That's right, the beginning of a new year and the accompanying reflections of what the future holds is the perfect time to tell family and friends your healthcare preferences in case one day you are unable to speak for yourself. This is called advance care planning and it is good to do for your peace of mind and for your loved ones too.

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Studies show that people who have conversations about their end-of-life preferences are much more likely to be satisfied with the care received, and their caregivers are less likely to suffer from depression or be left wondering if they made the right decisions for their loved ones.

The reality is that the majority of those nearing end of life are often unable to make decisions for themselves. Yet a recent poll found that only half of Canadians had discussed their wishes with family or friends -- and only 10 per cent had discussed the topic with healthcare providers.

So here are four steps to help guide conversations about your advance care plan:

1. Reflect on what makes life meaningful for you

What do you value most about your physical and mental health? For many people, this includes independence, interacting with family and friends and favourite hobbies. Now imagine what might make life unacceptable for you.

Modern medicine can and will prolong life in many cases. But it can also mean prolonging the end of life and may require living with severe limitations, such as reduced mental capacity, loss of ability to control bodily functions, lack of mobility and loss of privacy. This is unacceptable to many people; one study found that over half of seriously-ill patients in hospital would rather not be kept alive on life support when there is little hope for a meaningful recovery.

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Advance care planning is typically thought about in the context of advanced age or specific diagnoses such as cancer. However, it is important for everybody to do, and particularly, for those with multiple medical problems and frailty. While frailty increases with age, it can occur at any age and increases the chances of dying. Although catastrophic illness can occur at any time, frailty increases the likelihood that end of life is nearing and when life prolonging procedures may not be appropriate or effective.

While many people reaching the end of life say they want to die at home, without an advance care plan, they are often trapped in hospital enduring heroic procedures rather than receiving comfort care during the little time they might have left. Comfort care includes pain and symptom management to prevent or relieve suffering at the end of life.

2. Find out your care options and choose a substitute decision maker

Learning about care procedures for end of life will help inform your advance care plan. You can find some common medical and legal terms at advancecareplanning.ca. Also, talk to your doctor.

Many sick or elderly people worry about being a burden to their families. The good news is that patients who have end-of-life conversations place less of a strain on caregivers and are more likely to receive hospice care or palliative support at home.

Think about and designate a substitute decision maker. This is someone you trust to make healthcare decisions based on your wishes in the event you cannot make them.

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3. Talk about your wishes

Talk to your substitute decision maker, loved ones and your doctor.

Your loved ones will be grateful that you spoke up. When patients have an advance care plan, their families are much more likely to know that their loved one's wishes were known and followed. Lack of planning has been shown to leave families less satisfied during terminal illness or in the months following death.

There are many ways to get the conversation started and it doesn't have to be grim. The pallimed.org blog recommends humour as a useful strategy. It may take a few tries to get heard, but don't give up.

4. Write it down -- just like a will

Once you have arrived at a plan, write it down and make sure everyone knows. In particular, make sure that healthcare providers and institutions are aware and have noted it in your chart. At present, patient preferences are only known in a minority of cases.

Canadians are living longer and healthier. A little planning can ensure the well-being of yourself and your loved ones at the end of life as well.

You've probably already written a will for your things, so why not write an advance care plan for yourself?

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Why is flushing money down the toilet the thing the Capital Regional District board seems to be best at?

And how can the municipal politicians and officials charged with building a sewage treatment centre be so oblivious to things that don't pass the smell test? (No pun intended.)

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Earlier this month, the CRD board approved a plan to pay the chair and vice-chair of the board responsible for the new sewage treatment plant $20,000 each, per month, through March. That's on top of a $30,000 annual retainer for chairwoman Jane Bird, and a $16,000 annual retainer for vice-chairman Don Fairbairn.

The CRD board should know that giving big payouts on this project is controversial. Seaterra, the original attempt at a Greater Victoria sewage treatment centre, was a financial debacle, capped off by $600,000 in severance payments for four Seaterra staffers. That came after it was revealed Albert Sweetnam, the project manager, was the highest paid regional staffer in 2014, collecting $297,466.

Nice return for a group that didn't even break ground on a new plant.

The CRD board should know that giving big payouts on this project is controversial.

To their credit, it looks like Saanich representatives tried to stop this new set of $20,000 payments -- or at least slow them down. the Times Colonist reports that Mayor Richard Atwell, along with councillors Colin Plant and Vic Derman, asked for the vote to be delayed so the board could get more information on what had been spent so far, and if there was any room to save money in that process.

"I have no way of saying that I'm getting value for the taxpayers, and I should be able to do that," Derman said.

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"This is about how we do business here," added Atwell. "How we spend money and how we account for money."

The Saanich request was an entirely reasonable one, but the rest of the board, led by free-spending Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, rubberstamped the pay raise.

Later, Saanich's concerns were reinforced by a radio interview with board chairwoman Bird about the extra pay. Bird was asked by CFAX 1070's Pamela McCall about how much the pay raise would cost taxpayers. A long pause ensued.

"Just doing the arithmetic right now... $160,000, something like that, on [the total project cost of] $765 million," Bird said, noting the monthly payment runs November to March.

Actually, five months at $40,000 per month is $200,000. And many taxpayers would likely prefer the chairwoman know the arithmetic ahead of time; it certainly lends credence to Saanich's point that the full financial picture is still murky.

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In the interview, Bird insinuated that the payout is insignificant in the course of a $765-million project. But it's inattention to details that gets these big projects into trouble.

What's a couple hundred grand in all this? Well, it's the sewage tax paid by 961 average Saanich households this year. Think of that: nearly a thousand homes will scrimp and sacrifice to pay their sewage bill this year, only to watch that money flow into two people's pockets. Is that really insignificant?

The decision also sends a disturbing message that the CRD board is uninterested in scrutinizing and grinding down costs on this megaproject. Why won't they sweat the small stuff?

Of all people, Helps should know that. She's seen the Blue Bridge project drag on for years and go massively over budget. She even called for real-time financial information to help council better manage it.

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But when Saanich asked for similar clarity before approving these pay hikes, she shot them down.

There's an old saying that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Let's hope, for taxpayers' sake, that the adage is wrong in this case.
California Governor Jerry Brown wants to continue working with China even if President Trump doesn't. (Photo : Getty Images)

American President Donald Trump raised controversy over his recent dealings with the Taiwanese president and his comments on the One China policy. However, California Governor Jerry Brown is not likely to follow suit.



The Californian leader released several statements pertaining to his continued cooperation with China especially on the environment.



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"We are working together with China," he said. "Whatever little differences we have, or whatever big differences, the fact is, we have one world. We have one space we're all connected by."



Brown was referring to the ongoing collaboration between the California government and China on developing new approaches on renewable energy. The studies that are done with China could help the state deal with its challenges on preserving the environment's resources.



Brown recently spoke at the Lunar New Year celebration at the Chinese embassy. He stated that working with China was at the "state's great interest."



"There will be a few side arguments in Washington," Brown said. "Don't worry. When it comes to California and China, we're on the right track, and we're going to stay there."



Joe Matthews, a writer for the San Diego Tribune, said that working with China will be better for the U.S. in many ways.



He wrote, "A sustained conflict between China and the U.S. could produce new restrictions on the flow of money and people, with devastating results for California."



He added: "Our public universities rely both on federal funds from D.C.--and top-dollar, out-of-state tuition fees from Chinese students to subsidize the education of Californians. So any Trump restrictions on foreign visitors--or retaliatory Chinese limits on overseas study and travel--could blow up the University of California's business model."



Matthews suggested that President Trump should take more precaution when dealing with China.


It's official: telecom costs for Bell Canada (BCE, Inc.) customers are increasing in 2017. Bell subscribers in Ontario and Quebec will see monthly price increases of $5.00 for Internet service, $3.00 for satellite and terrestrial TV, and a $2.51 increase for home phone rates.

In its online notice of regional increases to customers, the company cites ongoing investment in infrastructure and increases in network traffic as justification for the price hikes -- excuses consumers are sadly all too used to hearing when such news arrives in their inbox.

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Unfortunately for Bell customers, the $5 monthly increase on home Internet comes hot on the heels of an unprecedented move from independent Internet service provider (ISP) TekSavvy, who made waves with promises to increase speeds and cut prices by nearly the same amount. And, as promised, their price decreases kicked in Monday to much fanfare.

With Bell customers paying more, and TekSavvy decreasing prices, readers might be left wondering: what's the deal here?

Thanks to pro-customer rules from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) passed in 2010, smaller, more affordable Internet providers are able to access the networks owned by Canada's entrenched players -- such as Bell, Rogers, and Telus -- at rates that reflect actual operational costs.

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These rules make it possible to foster a more competitive Internet market for Canadian consumers -- and they're working. A recent government report confirms that smaller providers who make use of the CRTC's rules now account for 11 per cent of the residential market and 23 per cent of the business market for wired Internet service. This means more affordable Internet access for Canadian households and businesses.

But why TekSavvy's sudden price drop? In October, CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais challenged efforts by the Big Telecom providers to inflate the wholesale Internet rates being charged to small providers to access network infrastructure, warning it was "very disturbing" telecom giants "did not respect accepted costing principles and methodologies" in the CRTC's rate-setting process.

In response, the CRTC slashed these wholesale rates by as much as 89 per cent. The result? Price decreases for Canadian Internet users. TekSavvy themselves have cited the CRTC's rate change, again giving the October CRTC decision credit for their decision to lower prices in a recent online video.

This clearly demonstrates smaller providers are willing to do what it takes to remain competitive, gain market share, and, perhaps most importantly, relieve Canadians saddled with increasingly high telecom prices.

Recent filings from Bell and Rogers suggest the big providers want the tariffed rates charged to small providers to be quite substantial.

Now, as TekSavvy customers settle in to lowered bills and Bell customers prepare for their increase on February 1, a new battle for affordable Internet access is happening right under our noses: the price of next generation, ultra-high speed fibre Internet.

In July 2015, the CRTC ruled it will extend these same access rules to wholesale fibre Internet. Experts believe it will help make fibre available to millions of Canadians who would otherwise could not afford these important but, presently, very expensive services.

Since then, the CRTC has been trying to determine what fair wholesale rates should be for these services. And indications of what Big Telecom thinks they should be are, again, quite troubling.

Recent filings from Bell and Rogers suggest the big providers want the tariffed rates charged to small providers to be quite substantial. If these proposals by Big Telecom are accepted by the CRTC, smaller providers will struggle to sell fibre Internet rates at a level competitive with incumbents -- a move that will significantly harm affordable Internet access for Canadian households and businesses.

At this point, there's no doubt the CRTC's rules are working to bring down costs for Canadians. But there's also no guarantee that this will continue without vigilance from the Commission, experts, advocacy organizations, and industry observers.

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In a landmark ruling this past December, the CRTC announced the Internet is a basic service. A huge win for Canadians, the decision requires that providers meet real-world performance speeds of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload in order to qualify for government funding. These speeds are very difficult to meet with current technologies like Bell's DSL offerings, which makes the wholesale rates of these next generation fibre Internet services critical to ensure Canadians aren't excluded from high speed services.

So this is the CRTC's chance to get it right and make it affordable. Canadians need the Commission to ensure the new fibre rates allow consumers affordable access to a wide range of providers in a decentralized marketplace -- which is only possible with fair rates for all providers, not just entrenched incumbents.

And in the meantime, Canadians should look for smaller providers available in their area to ensure they can take advantage of the cost-savings being created by pro-customer rules at the CRTC.

Josh Tabish is Campaigns Director for OpenMedia, an international digital rights non-profit that works to keep the Internet open, affordable, and surveillance-free. Find him on Twitter at @jdtabish or @OpenMediaOrg.

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It's been a wild ride for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers over the past couple of years. After we mobilized with the public to beat back the Harper Conservatives' planned demolition of door-to-door delivery, our union then faced a tough round of negotiations with the Conservative-appointed managers of Canada Post.

At the same time, the newly elected Liberals began a review of the post office that complicated matters enormously by holding public consultations on the future of the post office at the same time we faced a highly publicized lockout designed to keep everybody's minds on a manufactured crisis and a fabricated "need" for cuts.

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In this political context, the fact that at least some of the CUPW's proposals for service expansion are being recommended in "The Way Forward for Canada Post," the Report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates should be regarded as a victory.

Among its recommendations are: restoring door-to-door delivery from the start of the 2015 federal election; using the post office as a community hub and delivering new services such as broadband and wireless. These are all positives, although they do not go far enough. Home delivery, for example, should be restored to everybody who has lost it, period. There is also no mention of restoring Food Mail, the Canada Post service that was scrapped for the Conservatives' disastrous Nutrition North program. And the idea of postal banking is conspicuous by its absence.

Both at the negotiating table and at the review hearings, postal workers and our allies have been advocating for the return of banking at the post office as a way to keep Canada Post viable while expanding its capacity to offer services that are both wanted and badly needed. In many other countries across the world, postal banking ensures financial inclusion, offering bank accounts and access to credit to lower-income and marginalized people.

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In Canada many rural and remote areas lack bank branches. Many are forced to turn to payday lenders that charge exorbitant fees, and the major banks themselves gouge us every day, forcing us to pay some of the highest fees in the world at ATMs and elsewhere. There's no reason for the big banks to be overcharging us this much for their services; collectively, they raked in profits of $35 billion in 2015.

Postal banking isn't there to enrich greedy bankers or predatory lenders.

Postal banking isn't there to enrich greedy bankers or predatory lenders. Instead, it reinvests its profits back into our post office, and therefore into our communities, and even plays a more overt social role. For example, in France, la Banque Postale funds social housing. Here in Canada, allies have proposed that postal banking could help finance greening initiatives at the community level. This is the kind of forward-looking, visionary proposal that we need, one that is moreover supported by hundreds of municipalities and thousands of Canadians.

And yet, reading the "Way Forward for Canada Post" report, one would never know that postal banking could work for us. The Task Force in phase 1 of the postal review just scoffed at the idea and the parliamentary committee has dismissed it (with the NDP dissenting).

Despite the fact that Canada had a postal bank for a century (the legislation is still on the books) and that postal clerks still process moneygrams and other financial transactions, banking services are no longer considered a "core strength" by management. People who will never have to worry about their finances keep telling us that we're just fine, that we're well-served by the big banks and by outfits such as Cash Money, whose CEO testified at the parliamentary hearings.

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For years now, we've been calling for Canada Post's secret banking study to be released. It would seem that eventually the parliamentarians did get to look at it for a limited period of time. Perhaps ironically, it is in the pages of the Conservatives' dissenting report where one can find the most insight into who or what is killing postal banking as an option.

It says: "The Committee saw evidence of a push to form relationships between CPC and financial institutions in 2010, but this was not met with enthusiasm by the banking sector. This sentiment was expressed clearly by the banking representatives when they testified before the Committee." In other words, "stay off our turf," as the Canadian Bankers Association publicly said.

Clearly, the banking and predatory lenders' lobby has so far prevailed in holding its "turf" by excluding the possibility of a public bank for Canadians as an alternative to getting gouged. But the big banks must not be allowed to foreclose on our possibilities. As the Liberal government prepares to make its decisions about our post office this coming April, it's up to us to insist that we want a public postal bank to be part of the way forward.

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Plume Creative via Getty Images Illustration by Tom Howey.

While networking, I asked an HR professional of a mid-sized company (150 employees) when would she hire a communications expert like me to come and train her employees. She told me she never has because there's no budget. Then she added that all training budgets were for technical training and only the C-suite folks do retreats, team building and leadership development.

Oh?!?

So I asked her, what would happen if there was a huge turnover rate because people just weren't getting along or feeling heard?

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She replied that although this has happened in some departments with some managers with poor communication skills, the leaders believed that their profits were not dependent on people getting along as much as the sales made.

Double Oh!

Then I asked what she thought of that approach. At this point, the dam sort of burst.

She had plenty to say about how hard it was to replace employees who left for a better work environment. The number one reason that people left (she believed) is that they didn't feel heard or respected. She said that the industry is small and word gets around. (Although I didn't mention it, I'm sure this belief would impact the way she does interviews too.)

I asked her if she ever shared her thoughts with her bosses. She answered that she didn't feel comfortable enough to question their decisions.

Then I asked her, "If someone is having difficulty dealing with a boss, where do they go to get some assistance?" Apparently, the HR folks, including herself, are the ones expected to resolve interpersonal conflict.

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Triple Oh!

Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place.

Which is worse? Training them and they leave, or not training them and they stay?

Points to consider

1- Enhanced Communication

Increasing communication skills to improve collaboration can assist an organization to become more effective as well as successful. When your employees and leaders are getting along with each other, there are fewer misunderstandings, so, workplace frustration also becomes reduced.

For managers and supervisors, confident communication is a key leadership skill which makes it possible to communicate their ideas and expectations more clearly.

2- Improved Profit Potential

Building a business, managing people, conveying new ideas, and reducing the operating costs all require healthy exchanges and communication.

Those qualities impact employee and customer satisfaction, as well as retention. Not to mention that the company image and employee productivity will improve.

Working in collaborative teams also means that the company's profit potential stands to rise. When people get along, projects finish in a more timely manner with less waste of resources.

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3- Employee Development

When you provide this type of training, you may discover valuable people who may have had a problem in communicating their true talents.

Improved communication places your organization in a better position to address future challenges, as well as capitalize on the talent that is already available within the firm.

When you pass over employees within the company for projects or promotions because they don't have the right communication skills, the costs tend to increase, as you have to spend more on recruitment as well as training new hires.

Not investing in our employees' growth is like ignoring our spouse and assuming they like us.

4- Assist in Anchoring How Communication Occurs

In business, interpersonal skills are very important. During times of conflict, another employee can deliberately, or easily misinterpret what their colleague intended to say.

Language is considered to be one of the most powerful reflections of what people think and feel about the work they are doing, as well as the feelings they harbor towards their colleagues.

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Bringing in a qualified trainer helps in making a big impact, as they offer an unbiased view and can assist in changing the language or approaches used when in disagreement. In doing so, it helps them improve their communication skills significantly.

5- Attitude

It is possible for an employee to change the direction that a discussion is taking by altering their attitude. Increasing our self-awareness and understanding of what makes us tick while communicating, this type of training can help you to consciously choose a more productive stance when in disagreement.

From all these points, it is safe to say that there is a lot to be gained by businesses by hiring an experienced communications trainer for their organization.

If the leaders are all transactional business people, who may have a difficult time expressing value to other people for their ideas and personalities, only keeping an eye on sales, eventually, they will not be able to compete against great workplaces.

I know I'm biased. But visioning without developing their leaders' communication skills for a great work environment is not sustainable in the long term.

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What do you think? Does investing in training pay off in the long run?

Bio

The most successful leaders are not infallible when faced with someone who "drives them crazy!" Monique Caissie's corporate keynote or training called "CAN'T WE JUST GET ALONG?: How To Go From Conflict To Collaboration" is appreciated by all who would like more control over their professional and personal lives. Monique draws from 30 years of crisis intervention work to help others increase their confidence to feel more heard, respected and happier. Check out her website for free resources.
The five things you need to know on Thursday, January 19

1) THE ICE QUEEN

Theresa May will deliver her open for business pitch to the global elite of snow-covered Davos today. She will be sorely tempted to also gently point out why citizens of the world risk misunderstanding the political forces that led to Trumpism, Brexit and May-ism. She has a piece in the Sun pledging to smash the barriers of privilege to build on workers rights. With China's President trying to pitch himself as a greater defender of free trade than Donald Trump, let's see how she squares that diplomatic circle.

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The PM will be cheered by the cautious reaction to her Lancaster House speech by some leading EU figures. Guy Verhofstadt is not treated seriously by No.10 but officals were struck by Jean-Claude Junckers measured approach. And as Italian finance minister Pier Carlo Padoan put it yesterday in Davos: The problem with Europe, is Europe, a reference to the EUs institutional remoteness and apparent inflexibility.

As I pointed out on Wednesday night, one acid test for May is not the fluctuations of the pound but the number of jobs that shift away (and to) the UK during the rocky road of the Brexit process. The new Leave/Remain question is how corporations will vote with their feet.

Downing Street was pretty sanguine yesterday at HSBC and UBS talking about moving 1,000 jobs each out of London, telling us the plans were just contingencies not realities. Both No.10 and Jeremy Corbyns team seem to think bankers are as out of touch as Brussels these days, but JP Morgans criticism of Mays very dangerous Brexit bluff struck a chord with many. Barclays chief exec has however told the BBC that London will remain a big part of its business.

And the FT reports that Toyota too is looking at its options. We are now going to consider how our company can survive [in the UK], its chairman says. Is that itself a corporate bluff to nudge May on a customs deal? Have they been given the same message as Nissan, but are not buying it? Business Secretary Greg Clarks new modern industrial strategy will be launched next week, and will face fresh questions about tariffs, guarantees and sectoral interests.

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Todays Times/YouGov poll shows the voters, not just the Government, are both pro-cake and pro-eating it. Some 47% have confidence in Mays negotiating skills but 56% think the EU wont agree to her demands. Lord Kerr, who helped draft Article 50, said yesterday that it was not about trade, it is about divorce, with the UK facing a bill of about 60bn in contributions such as EU workers' pensions. We may have to pay for the cake too.

2) ESCAPE TO VICTORY

The MoD revealed yesterday that the British Army has sent a tank and various armoured vehicles through the Channel tunnel for the first time as part of an exercise to practise for a deployment to Europe. No wonder Boris Johnson was in fighting mood yesterday.

Bojos warning shot to Francois Hollande not to dish out punishment beatings in the manner of a WW2 guard certainly reminded us of his gift of the gaffe. Sources confided that Boris had Steve McQueens Great Escape in mind, but as any kid knows, his character was put in the cooler rather than beaten up.

No10 told us Boris was categorically not calling Hollande a Nazi. Given that the PM herself had been the one to raise the idea of punitive reactions by the EU, it could hardly have kicked the Foreign Secretary. The PMs spokeswoman said: He was making a theatrical comparison to some of those evocative World War Two movies that people have seen. But there was a surreal moment when one source said this was because some of the guards in the Great Escape were from the Germany army, rather than the SS. Textual analysis of old war films: proof that 2017 could be just as crazy as 2016.

To add to the craziness, Michael Gove popped up on Twitter to defend Bojo from the fake outrage of snowflake critics. As Labours Wes Streeting pointed out, that may not be enough to get him back on Boriss Christmas card list, but it shows the Vote Leavers have their tails up. The irrepressible Liam Fox tells the Telegraph of his plans for new trade deals with 12 countries.

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And David Davis is at least in profit personally. He confided to LBC radio that on EU referendum day hed defied the pollsters and put a bet on Leave. I put some money on, and it's still paying my office's drinks bills. I made a grand.

3) STOKE-ING UP TROUBLE

After one of Jeremy Corbyns less successful PMQs yesterday, it certainly looked like his party wanted to get Brexit over and done with as quickly as possible. The Telegraphs sketchwriter Michael Deacon puts it beautifully: Labour MPs gazed helplessly up at the Commons clock, willing it to turn to 2019.

The Times/YouGov poll underlines just how much of a mountain Labour faces in the polls, with the Tories back on a 17-point lead (they are up three to 42%, Labour down three to 25%). And with UKIP leader Paul Nuttall looking set to take the gamble of standing in the Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election, Labours Brexit nightmare looms at the ballot box. To misquote T Blairs favourite song, things can only get worse (though MPs hope the NHS and Nuttalls backing for privatisation will be the big issue).

In his final Commons speech, Tristram Hunt pointed to the division of opinion between the official Labour party position and many of our heartland voters. Chris Grayling used a ConHome article to claim that Corbyn could actually limp to power at the next election, fuelled by Momentum activists, new membership cash and a coalition with Lib Dem and SNP MPs. Several Labour MPs saw that as pure trolling.

Speaking of Momentum, Ken Livingstones ex-aide Lee Jasper (who stood against Labour in the Croydon North byelection) is standing in its latest elections. And tonight the grassroots movement is hoping for victory in the Copeland by-election selection. Rachel Holliday, who joined the party to vote for Corbyn, is up against a former NHS doctor and local councillor, Gill Troughton. It looks like a race between the new Labour party and the old one.

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BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR

Watch the best bits of Barack Obamas final press conference. No-drama Obama says America will be OK.

4) FOOD FOR THOUGHT

No one can say that Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner hasnt experienced real life. In an interview with HuffPost today, she speaks candidly about her life as a teenage mother, growing up on a council estate.

Seen by Jeremy Corbyn as one of his rising stars, she points out that Labour has to end its factionalism and unite to take on the Conservatives. And she also has praise for Tony Blair for having the vision to create the SureStart childrens centres which turned her life around.

Ideology never put food on my table. I talk about Tony Blairs tenure, because it changed my life, it gave my children a life that I could never have dreamt of having and I want us to get back to that. There was a council house waiting for me when I had Ryan, there was a welfare state. I never put into the system before I took out, I was on income support before Id even paid a penny of tax.

Thank you to the taxpayers of the UK because instead of taking my child off me like they used to in the 50s and 60s to single parents at that age, you let me be a mum to my son and my son is at college, hes working, hes a great young person, youd be proud of him, Im proud of him and I pay taxes now, and you continue to pay taxes now because of what you did for me. It was a tremendous thing and thats what Labour stands for, thats what you do when youre in power.

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See the full interview with Owen Bennett HERE.

5) DUMPING DAVE

Brexit has dominated this month, and will pop up again next Tuesday when the Supreme Court finally gives its verdict on Article 50 and Parliaments rights. With the modern industrial strategy coming next week too, one consequence for the No10 grid is that the long-awaited White Paper on Housing has been put back to the end of this month.

Housing, or the lack of it, is still very much a big deal for those strivers to whom May pitches her message (she even mentioned it in her Big Brexit Speech). But today thanks to the National Audit Office, and a sharp-eyed Labour housing team, we find that one of the Governments flagship targets has been dumped.

Yes, David Camerons pledge to build a million homes during this Parliament, made as recently as last February, has been quietly shelved. The NAO found that the Department for Communities and Local Goverments time frame has been shifted from May 2020 to the end of 2020. The Department does not set out that its timescale for adding one million homes is to be achieved over five years and nine months, it says. Which is as close to a burn as the impartial NAO can get.

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2016 was unfortunately marked by dog whistle politics, the rise of the Far Right, and an increase in hate crimes against women and minorities. We are living in increasingly challenging times, and when I speak to everyday grassroots women, they often tell me about their fears for their safety, anxieties about what the future holds, and report a sense that the most divisive elements of society have been emboldened on the back of political campaigns which have been dogged by xenophobic rhetoric. I was keen to participate in the Women's March, so that I could mark the beginning of 2017 with positive action, which would unify and bring people together, irrespective of their background or views.

The Women's March is taking place in many cities all over the world, on 21 January, the day after President-elect Trump's inauguration, and will be a global show of strength and solidarity of diverse communities marching for equality and the protection of fundamental rights for all. As a passionate believer in listening to and promoting diverse women's voices, I couldn't wait to get involved with and support a global movement for everyone, organised and led by women. Women's voices are fiercely needed now more than ever before, as during the US elections we have seen how women have been demeaned, patronised and are expected to put up with routine sexual harassment. Moreover, we are now living in a world in which for many women of colour and especially Muslim women, physical assault, verbal abuse and anti-Muslim hate attacks, are not only on the increase but have become a daily norm. Thus it is vital that women's voices of all backgrounds, including minority groups, are meaningfully heard, and their experiences which are often intersectional in nature - that is they face multiple challenges such as racism, misogyny and ablism - are acknowledged and amplified.

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We may not all agree on all issues, but when faced overwhelmingly with the prospect that our fundamental rights to exist are being threatened, it does not matter. Critically, many unified voices will be much more effective and powerful in sending a message to those who would seek to divide, that we will not allow a climate of fear and hatred to overcome us. And our message is clear: walls will not be built to separate us from our neighbours, Muslims are equal citizens and justice (social/political/economic) is a fundamental right for all.

It would be too easy to focus on the negative consequences of the new era of divisive politics that we now find ourselves in. This would however, only lead to despair and hopelessness, which in turn leads to fear, and this fear is exploited by the far right and other xenophobes.
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Oxford Dictionaries declared post-truth to be the international word of the year for 2016. The word was chosen to reflect the politics of the past twelve months. Truth has been relegated to a bit part on a stage where politicians appeal to emotions and feelings, rather than thoughts and minds.

Fashion Revolution is a pro-truth campaign.

A poem by Sasha Haines-Stiles in Fashion Revolution's new zine Money Fashion Power concludes:

Who embroiders truth

Who's naked underneath

Who are you

Who are you wearing?

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Illustration by Alec Doherty

For Fashion Revolution, truth means transparency and transparency implies honesty, openness, communication and accountability. Transparency means that if human rights or environmental abuses are discovered, it is far easier for relevant stakeholders to understand what went wrong, who is responsible and how to fix it. It also helps unions, communities and garment workers themselves to more swiftly alert brands to human rights and environmental concerns.

In order to create a sustainable fashion industry for the future, brands, and retailers must start to take responsibility for the people and communities on which their business depends. The factories operating in the Rana Plaza complex made clothes for over a dozen well-known international clothing brands, but it took weeks for some companies to determine whether they had contracts with those factories, despite their clothing labels being found in the rubble. Lack of transparency costs lives. It is impossible for companies to make sure human rights are respected and that environmental practices are sound without knowing where their products are made, who is making them and under what conditions. If you can't see it, you don't know it's going on and you can't fix it. Tragedies like Rana Plaza are preventable, but they will continue to happen until every stakeholder in the fashion supply chain is responsible and accountable for their actions and impacts.

This week sees the inauguration of new US President Donald J Trump. The Washington Post called him 'the least transparent U.S. presidential candidate in modern history' due to his failure to release his tax returns or provide evidence for the tens of millions of dollars he has reportedly donated to charity.

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At Fashion Revolution, we are working on compiling the next edition of the Fashion Transparency Index which will cover 100 of the major global fashion brands with a turnover above $1.2 billion. Ivanka Trump's brand does not disclose her financials, but we thought it would be interesting to measure her transparency against the criteria we used for the 2016 index to see how she would score. Last year we rated and ranked 40 companies based on how transparent they are. Those who are more transparent get more marks than those who are less transparent. It uses a ratings methodology, which benchmarks companies against current and basic best practice in supply chain transparency in five key areas:

The lowest percentage scores in our 2016 Fashion Transparency Index, were achieved by Chanel who scored just 10%, and Hermes and Claire's Accessories who each scored 17%.

Measured against the same criteria, Ivanka Trump's brand would have scored 0%. Her website discloses no information at all. Nothing.

Fashion Revolution's mantra is 'Be Curious, Find Out, Do Something'. We ask people to dig deeper, look for evidence, hold brands to account, ask them #whomademyclothes. The New York Times has carried out research into Ivanka Trump's supply chain. According to a review of shipments compiled by import databases Panjiva and Import Genius, the latter of which tallied 193 shipments for the brand during 2016, her shoes and handbags are made principally in China, whilst her dresses and blouses are made in China, Indonesia and Vietnam.

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Ivanka Trump's website is post-truth. It's not untruthful, but it appeals to the emotions of consumers to sell her clothing, rather than providing any facts. It claims to be the ultimate destination for women who work, but what about the women who work for her in China, Indonesia and Vietnam? Her website contains no code of ethics, no supplier or vendor code of conduct, no sustainability or CSR report, no manufacturing list, no human rights or environmental policies. Nothing.

In the past month, critics of Donald Trump have taken to posting ironic reviews of Ivanka Trump's Issa boots on Amazon.

On 13 December Lucinda Tinsman posted

'Very narrow boots; go well with people with a narrow-minded outlook on life and actively the validity of people of diverse backgrounds from being worthy of civil rights. Because they are made of man-made materials, very difficult to breathe in. Due to the escalation of climate change they are linked to, in all likelihood the wearer will not be able to breathe at all within one generation. They are the product of pure greed, which doesn't make any sense because even the wealthiest individuals' children and children will die if their father's and father's father's actions led to a world that cannot support human life, which is what is happening as we speak. Do not buy, for the good of the country or for the good of your children'.

Susan Harper gave the boots a five star rating, explaining

'The leather is perfectly conditioned with the sweat and tears of underpaid sweatshop workers, and will keep its beautiful sheen for years'.

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Without being truthful and transparent about how and where her clothes are made, Ivanka Trump can do little to refute disparaging comments about her supply chain. Yes, the reviews are ironic, but if Ivanka Trump had been more honest from the outset, she could perhaps have avoided significant reputational damage to her brand.

The Globescan Corporate Responsibility Radar 2016 found that transparency is a critical driver of trust in business; being seen as open and honest is the most significant driver of trust, yet consumers across the world rate the performance of companies poorly for "being open and honest." Brands not only need to know their supply chain in detail, but this information also needs to be made available to the consumer in a way which informs and educates and starts to rebuild public trust in the fashion industry. Brands who practice transparency can help build customer trust and enhance their reputation at the same time as safeguarding the health and wellbeing of their workers and the environment.

As George Orwell said in 1984 'In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act'. So let's see a revolution and let's make transparency the word of the year for 2017.
The annual Edelman Trust Barometer, published this morning, makes for hard reading. Not only does it demonstrate falling levels of trust in all major institutions (government, media, business and NGOs), but the credibility of CEOs is at an all-time low: falling a massive 12 points from last year.

Perhaps the result of this survey simply reflects the gap in expectation which we know already exists between big business and the average citizen. Many top executives feel that they are contributing to society by creating good products and services, providing jobs and delivering returns to their shareholders. Many citizens however, don't agree that these activities sufficiently 'serve society' and so feel exploited when they hear about corporations avoiding tax, levels of executive pay and business malpractices.

What is really worrying about this year's barometer results is the resounding lack of confidence in the system. Only 15% of people surveyed said they have faith in the current paradigm, whilst many expressed despair at the possibility of ever achieving change.

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People need hope more than ever before. Unfortunately, the people who have the ability to restore that hope, are the leaders of the system which we no longer believe in. Therefore, no matter how hard it may be, we need these leaders to stand up and address our societal issues head on. We want them to have the courage to take the initiative, both individually and acting together with others, to re-set the implied contract between business and society. To make clear that citizens can expect a certain standard of behaviour and integrity from the corporate giants of this world, and that business acts for the good of society, rather than for the good of a privileged few.

Even if this sentiment does get expressed, it doesn't mean that trust will be restored overnight. Trustworthiness is granted to those who we respect and care for. Clearly neither of these can be said about our current institutions. In order for this relationship to be rebuilt, the Edelman survey points out a number of things organisations can do to demonstrate their trustworthiness: creating high quality products and services, having ethical practices, paying fair taxes, treating employees well and listening to customers. In other words, CEOs and organisations need to demonstrate that they genuinely care and respect people.

Therefore, in my mind it is clear, if businesses and CEOs are going to re-establish themselves as trustworthy, they must challenge the conventional focus of maximising profit for shareholders. Instead, they must focus on living out a purpose which serves society: an effort which will allow their care for employees, customers, suppliers, citizens and the environment to shine through. Not only would this be good for society, but it would be good for the economy too. Companies like Patagonia, Interface and Unilever have demonstrated that being purpose-driven not only earns you a reputation and respect from customers and competitors, but that it is also profitable, and can drive long term sustainable performance.

CEOs need to recognise that the only way to build trustworthiness is for everyone in business to respect the humanity of all. Because doing so, is part of the very reason that business exists.

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It may have been a week ago, but the mental image of Joe Biden tearfully accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to him by his commander-in-chief and best bud, Barack Obama, still leaves a dent in my heart.

Yes, because it represented one of the few public appearances we had left of Obama as president, but I think the reason the ceremony continues to resonate is that it reminds us of a cast-iron friendship that has seen two men through eight gruelling years in power.

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We hear a lot about the sisterhood and bonds between women that help in times of need, yet hear comparatively few about the friendships that carry men through. Barack and Joe's willingness to lean on each other, and their happiness to display that to the world, is inspiring.

That two of the most powerful men in the world would be so publicly and unironically emotionally available to each other should cause men young and old across the world to reflect on how they relate to their fellow men. Too often are male friendships defined by firmness, coldness and competitiveness: honesty bad, stoicism good. Sincerity bad, light banter good.

As a man who has struggled to develop male friendships, I've found the genuine 'bromance' between Biden and Obama among the most compelling stories of the Obama administration.

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Joe Biden and Barack Obama embrace at the funeral of Beau Biden, 6 June 2015

I can think of few better examples to show our young men of modern masculinity. Their friendship illustrates how men can raise each other up, how we succeed best when working together and for each other. How greater things are possible when you can rely on one another for support.

The two also sit in stark comparison to what will come next.

Donald Trump is not a kind man. You see it in his lack of compassion for others, in particular towards those he betters, and those with whom he disagrees. You can see it in his wanton sexual abuse of women or his utter lack of empathy for refugees or migrants who flock to America in pursuit of better.

Contrast Obama's 2008 appeal to the country to unite and promise to serve all Americans with Trump's inane ramblings about the "losers!" and the "haters!", and the bleary-eyed dawn Twitter vendettas against whoever most recently spoke against him.

Trump's entire pre-election brand was all about 'the deal'. By all accounts he defines himself by his ability to get the best of other people. Note his borderline sociopathic categorisation of almost all around him as 'winners' and 'losers'. Think of the total absence of warmth, and the haunting void where most humans contain their levity and sense of humour. As Trump biographer Gwenda Blair told POLITICO, the President-elect operates with an "emphasis on being combative, being killers - as his dad famously instructed his boys to be".

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His vice president, Mike Pence, is not a kind man. He is a man who seeks to overturn a woman's right to abortion in America, going so far as to say Roe vs. Wade must be "consigned to the ash heap of history where it belongs". He is a man who believes marriage equality will bring about "societal collapse".

Can we imagine these two unkind, compassionless men in a warm embrace, eight years from now, unabashedly celebrating their deep respect and emotional reliance on the other? I fear we will instead return to a cold, toxic masculinity that sets the tone for the rest of the Trump administration.
Getty

A report from the London Assembly was released this week which claimed that Notting Hill Carnival is at a "tipping point,'' due to its size, and that the event "needs to be re-examined to ensure it remains a safe and positive experience for all.'' However, this stand-out feature of the London calendar risks turning into a sterile, shadow of the celebration it was. Championing black culture and diversity is as important as ever and the carnival has and should continue to be a flagship recognition of the cultures that have shaped modern day Britain.

Notting Hill Carnival often isn't a picnic, make no illusions. An absolutely enormous number of people attend every year. Over a million people attended in 2016, creating a population almost as numerous as Birmingham whilst confined to a relatively small geographical area. Safety and security should be a priority, but so must ensuring that London continues to celebrate black culture and history and proposals such as those to move the carnival to Hyde Park should be challenged.

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I have enjoyed Notting Hill Carnival since the age of 10. I haven't experienced any violence or disorder. I've seen incidents, but they have been isolated and few and far between. Carnival has always remained an environment in which people, literally of all ages, come together to celebrate diversity and the triumph of multiculturalism. When you consider the sheer numbers of people that attend, the arrest rates compare favourably with events such as Glastonbury.

The eponymous streets which gave birth to the sea of colours, culture and creativity may be quite different to those that they were when carnival started in the 1960s, but the connection between the two are inseparable. Proposals to move the carnival to Hyde Park ignore the central history of how carnival came to be and how it should be remembered. It has its roots in 1959, where an indoor Caribbean celebration took place at St Pancras Town Hall, organised by Claudia Jones, the 'mother of the Notting Hill Carnival.' This led to the first carnival in the streets of Notting Hill in 1966, to celebrate the diverse community in which it existed, and to help repair race relations in a time and society where black people faced enormous amounts of discrimination in employment, health and housing and in which black people were regularly harassed by the authorities.

Notting Hill's contribution to the London economy far outweighs the costs of policing it. Carnival contributes an estimated 93m to the London economy, whilst the costs of policing stand at 7m. Police chiefs talk of their colleagues dreading working carnival, but whilst in some cases this may be true, some of the iconic images of carnival are of those police enjoying the revelry and festivities. In the age of Brexit, London's status as a cultural capital is under pressure and Notting Hill is a vital piece of London's, and Britain's culture. Remaining in the streets from which it has borne its name is integral to its atmosphere. By moving to Hyde Park, it becomes another festival in a city park, with no connection to the history of the area and social movements in which it was founded.

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Carnival's organisers could do more to take retain its heritage. Steering away from some of the corporate marketeering that has in places become predominant, where audiences have to vie for tickets to sectioned off areas is perhaps symptomatic of Notting Hill's, and London's, socio-economic change since the 1960s. If Notting Hill loses carnival, there is little to celebrate the transformational difference that black people made in the 20th century to an area in which house prices now sell for an average of 1.8m.

The fact that Notting Hill is always measured by its crime rate in the first place is evidence of the biased and discriminatory way in which black culture's value is measured in the UK. Not Glastonbury, or no other public event of such standing gets judged in the same manner.
It's a strange way to start the New Year, but in the first week of January the world's tech industry gathers together in Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronic Show. Now in its 50th year (and my second), the show is a chance for the great and the good to demonstrate their latest innovations to a willing audience of over 175,000 visitors. I use the term 'innovations' in its broadest sense, as while many market defining products and trends first emerge at CES, the show is also littered with novelties that will never see the light of day - connected hairbrush anyone?

For me, the defining trend this year that will genuinely resonate with people in the 'real world' and convince them to part with their hard earned money, was voice activation. Amazon's Alexa was the star of the show and integrated within a whole host of different devices across sectors. Voice activation will undoubtedly revolutionise how consumers interact and use technology both in and outside the home. Seeing Alexa integrated into TVs that are shortly to go on sale in the US was particularly interesting to me. In a world where we watch content via live TV, catch up, on demand and OTT services, finding what you want to watch has never been harder, but voice activation has the power to change that with a simple command.

Talking of the big US players, it was encouraging to hear that manufacturers and service providers with designs on the UK market realise just how important simple access to live TV still is to British viewers, as well as the OTT services that they are so keen to offer. Seeing as over 80% of TV consumed in this country is still live, for any global player wanting to crack the UK, access to live TV must be front and centre of the viewer's overall TV experience.

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Elsewhere, battle lines were being drawn for taking picture quality to even higher levels across manufacturer's new ranges of TVs. OLED, QLED, HDR, HLG TVs will be hitting stores soon, giving consumers a whole new host of acronyms to learn and technology to get their heads around. But as manufacturers strive to differentiate their products, this competition is offering viewers an even better viewing experience, and that ultimately can only be a good thing.
Chinese Visitors to Thailand Down Due to Decrease of Budget Tours

Tourists flock to Thailand for its pristine beaches. (Photo : Getty Images)

The Thai government pursued to stop tour operators who are selling budget packages from China to Thailand. A report from Kasikorn Research Center Co. revealed that arrivals fell 16 percent in December from a year ago.



The trend is seen to continue to the early part of 2017 and the Lunar New Year.



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The Thai government is now refocusing toward building more expensive tour packages for smaller groups. Tourism comprises 11 percent of the country's GDP.



Pimonwan Mahujchariyawong, an economist at Kasikorn Research Center Co. said, "The impact may continue to the first quarter as tour operators will take some time to adjust packages."



He added, "After that, things should get back to normal. It's good for the long term to boost the quality of our services and improve our image among tourists. It's short-term pain, long-term gain."



Kasien Wattanachaowisut, president of the Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association (TCTA), noted that removal of the zero-dollar tours will push the prices up by 40 percent to 100 percent.



"The high prices associated with the new regulation will have a psychological effect on Chinese tourists," he said. "But if they consider it carefully, the new amounts are the same or even less than what they ended up paying in the past when problems prevailed."



The Thai economy has slackened in recent years due to the typhoons that hit the country, according to the Thai Chamber of Commerce. The country is also showing sluggish expansion compared to other countries in Southeast Asia.



However, with the government's plan to invest on more infrastructure projects, the economy is seen to grow by 3.2 percent this year. The tourism sector is also seen to expand.



According to Somprawin Manprasert, chief economist at Bank of Ayudhya Pcl in Bangkok, "Tourism will continue to help drive expansion in 2017 and economic growth will likely be more balanced, with private consumption and investment providing increased support."



"This incident is expected to be only a short-term blip," he added.


Eight years ago, positively bored and uninspired by most forms of exercise, I decided to put dance back in to my life. As a 45 year old mother of four children whose ages range between 12 and 20 years old, there is a danger of thinking it's time to put your dancing shoes away or at least your children think you should! I decided to do the complete opposite and positively implant dancing back into my system as there was nothing else that would inspire me to exercise. I then went on to share my secret of mindfulness and therapy by introducing my friends to "Jo's Dance" by creating a comfortable platform for women to express themselves.

Without running the risk of generalising, it is safe to assume that with the combined factors of becoming a mother, being married for a while or simply just reaching a certain age, that you may feel the need for a 'boost'! What I observed and had not anticipated was the surprising lack of confidence that some women displayed. To then witness them grown in confidence with every class they attended gave me immense satisfaction. They are indeed, in their own way, empowered by allowing themselves self-expression in the form of dance.

Women for Women International describe many of the women they support as having been dehumanised. Imagine their lack of self worth, self confidence? In most cases they have no idea they are entitled to it.

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I want to help these women and the women here in the UK at the same time. Hence, I have organised the #SheInspiresMe dance fundraising event, which will take place on Jan 25th at The Cafe de Paris, London. I am excited to bring together dynamic women to experience the adrenalin boost and feel good factor of this night of self expression. We are honoured to have the amazing Darcey Bussell as our special guest. Darcey has, needless to say, inspired women throughout her spectacular 20 year career as one of Britain's greatest Ballerina's.

The power of dance is not to be underestimated. You don't have to be brilliant at it, you just need to feel it. I hope our #SheInspiresMe dance event's participants will leave the evening not only exhilarated by the fun element, but will also feel the camaraderie of a group of women who are all there to be one.

Within these communities of women that Women for Women International fund, their survival as women is based on camaraderie. With the hardships of their day to day life they help each other survive.

I hope the ladies who are supporting the event will make the same connection that I do. If every women attending our event sponsors a woman for 22 a month, that is not only 100 or so women being supported. The ripple effect of the strong empowered woman equals a strong empowered family, which equals better educated children (especially daughters), which equals more stable, productive communities.

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It's a no brainer.

As women living in the western world we have to do all we can so that the women out there struggling do not feel forgotten.

Click here for tickets to #SheInspiresMe Dance
As animal welfare campaigners, myself and my colleagues repeatedly highlight that trading puppies through third party sellers is inherently damaging to their welfare.

Contributing factors include the source of the puppies (by definition responsible breeders don't sell through pet shops), transportation to the premises and the increased exposure to disease. Then there are serious ethical conundrums - impulse purchasing and puppies that do not get sold. Accountability presents a massive challenge when puppies are not sold direct from the breeder. These reasons provide the most compelling justification for an outright ban because as long as the trade continues, puppies will continue to suffer. No permissive strategy (such as licensing third party sellers) can overcome these problems and to invest considerable resources in an attempt to minimise them seems illogical and actually immoral when there is no reason for the activity to continue.

A ban on third party selling is the essential first step in regulating dog breeding. Without it, any other strategies will fail because the route to market which sustains the very worst breeding practices will remain open. This has been proven time and again. How many more generations of dogs are doomed to suffer because the belief persists that attempting a cure is better than prevention?

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There have been suggestions that a ban is an idealistic proposal and regulating the third party trade through licensing would be a compromise or even a preferable alternative. Nothing could be further from the truth. A ban is the most efficient and practical solution from every perspective and in fact, attempting to 'improve' puppy sellers through licensing would result in an even more dire situation than we currently face. Far from eliminating dealers, it will sanction and legitimise their existence. The appalling consequences of their trade are increasingly highlighted in the media and bring widespread condemnation; no stronger demonstration is needed to prove the failure of a regulatory approach and a desire to bring this cruelty to an end. Puppies cannot be sold responsibly via commercial third party vendors because the essential processes are so detrimental that their welfare will always be adversely affected. To argue for anything less than a ban amounts to saying this is acceptable.

To support the licensing of third party sellers is to support the continuation of a trade in misery. To support licensing means condoning the sale of puppies in pet shops; it means endorsing the breeding of dogs where the only priority is quantity and the only incentive is maximising profit. Supporting licensing gives the message to puppy buyers that pet shops and puppy dealers are safe and appropriate places to buy from. It means accepting legalised animal abuse and it means the puppy farmers and dealers have won.

In December, a brave little victim of this dreadful trade finally lost her battle. Lucy the Rescue Cavalier did so much to raise awareness of the problems of puppy farming and her tragic passing has touched thousands. She represented the population of ex-breeding dogs who have been used and then callously discarded but she was one of the lucky ones because she found love with her dedicated and devoted owner. As campaigners, we also hear heart breaking stories from owners who have lost their puppies and dogs far too young - some within days of purchase from licensed pet shops. These dogs and puppies have been loved and the grief felt by their owners is immense - but some dogs and puppies are never named, never loved, never grieved over.

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POOL New / Reuters

In her Brexit speech on 17th January, Theresa May gave her clearest indication yet that free movement of persons will not feature in any post-Brexit deal. She made it clear that she is willing to sacrifice the UK's access to the Single Market in order to have greater control of immigration. Her emphasis on controlling immigration was tempered with platitudes regarding the UK continuing to attract the brightest and best and an 'openness' to international talent. However this contrasts starkly with the direction we have seen UK immigration take under Theresa May as Home Secretary with respect to non-EU migrants. The Prime Minister did not indicate or elaborate on how a system incorporating EU citizens would be any less restrictive.

She spoke, for example, of her intention that the UK be 'one of the best places in the world' for science and innovation, despite it becoming ever harder for scientists and innovators to come to the UK. Her on-going push to limit numbers has also seen the UK become a less desirable destination for top students. When asked by reporters after her speech whether any business sectors would be exempted from the immigration rules, the Prime Minister was unwilling to commit, choosing instead to reemphasise her interpretation of June's referendum as a vote to take control of immigration.

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An end to free movement will, undoubtedly be of concern to a great many businesses in the UK who rely on free movement for everything from farm labourers through to neurosurgeons (and let us remember that EU citizens make up 10% of NHS registered doctors).

An Open Britain poll of leave voters earlier this month showed that more than half (54%) of Leave voters are not prepared to make any personal financial sacrifices for the UK to regain control of immigration. It will be more important than ever to continue to draw attention to fact based analysis of immigration that show the clear economic benefits this brings to the UK.

The Prime Minister also failed in today's speech to allay the fears of the three million Europeans who have made the UK their home. She has talked about the importance of guaranteeing their right to remain. Yet sadly she offered nothing new. In the seven months which have followed the Referendum, there has been no indication as to how such rights will be protected and no plan is forthcoming

It seems the fate of those in question still relies on the outcome of negotiations with other EU states regarding British citizens in those nations. While it is clearly important to protect the position of British Citizens across the EU, it is the UK who is seeking to leave. We have taken the decision to withdraw from the EU and, as the instigator of this change, it is clearly of the utmost importance that we take the lead in mitigating against the damage being done to the human beings caught in the cross hairs of our decision.

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Mrs May used her speech to berate those who want greater clarity and are as she said 'frustrated'. It is not mere frustration driving three million Europeans to seek security in their residency. Their future is at stake.

The process of documenting European citizens who have a right of residence in the UK will be a slow one. Clearer guidance for European Citizens on their rights and how to evidence these would be welcome, as well as steps to simplify and speed up the process. We are advising Europeans in the UK to be thinking about confirming their position now.

However, it remains a concern that the sheer volume of individuals who may need proof of their status makes the two year negotiation period too short. Proper and effective transitional provisions must be put in place as a matter of priority. It is essential these reflect the practicalities of requiring three million people to get documented and the harsh reality of limited Home Office resources.
It's hard to know where to look when you're in full hiking gear, following a path, and find yourself crossing a nudist beach. The path we were following was part of the E4 European long-distance footpath, where it goes along the coast of southern Crete. The landscape of this part of Crete is incredibly varied, but we'd gone from stony scrub to bare bums in just a few seconds.

It may have been October but the temperatures on Crete were still in the 80-90F (26-32C) range, making for hot hiking, even before our unexpected encounter. Averting our gaze, we plodded on along the E4, following the signs up and over another headland or two, where we found deserted beaches and private coves, the perfect place for a picnic lunch and cooling swim. For those who still had energy left it was only a little further to the beach at Elafonissi, one of the biggest and most stunning on Crete.

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This southern coast of Crete is far more rugged than the north. In some places the mountains come so close to the Libyan Sea that there's no room for a road inbetween, and a few villages are only accessible by boat or footpath, or by one road in and out. From Elafonissi we could have returned on foot but there was also a convenient boat to take us back to our base at the Hotel Pal Beach, right on the seafront in Paleohora. Another day we hiked the Samaria Gorge, where a boat also took us back to Paleohora, providing an end-of-day bonus of great views of those coastal cliffs.

On the first day our guide, Samzie, who leads walking groups all over the world, was on virtually home territory as she broke us in gently with a walk from Paleohora to the village of Anidri, where her father has a house and which she's been visiting since she was a child. We walked through olive groves and past horse pastures, then along goat tracks that zig-zagged us up to a little white chapel, Agios Giorgios, overlooking Anidri on one side and the Libyan Sea on the other.

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Lunch in Anidri

There were more views of the sea from the amazing Sto Scholeio taverna in Anidri, where we had lunch. We were early and had to patiently wait for food, as every dish is prepared fresh each morning and they don't start till everything's ready. Inside the chefs were chopping, outside our stomachs were rumbling as we gazed longingly at the menu's treats: bacon, date and almond rolls, fennel pie, octopus with walnut and garlic dip, baked sea bream, pork with leek and orange... peach tart, cheesecake, orange pie and chocolate brownies. Thankfully it was downhill all the way after lunch, as we picked our path down through the Anidri Gorge to the local beach, then eventually back along the coast road to Paleohora.

On our final day we got Lucky, literally, as Lucky's the owner of a taverna in the mountain village of Azogires. After serving us a tasty lunch of Greek salad, chips, souvlaki, tzatziki, dolmades, pork chops, assorted pies and more wine than it's safe for a walking group to drink before a walk, Lucky turned to another of his jobs and became a walking guide as he took us on a ramble round Azogires, with tales of its history that were alternately hilarious and moving, and always fascinating.

Lucky Tells a Story

As Lucky led us down to the gorge that would take us back to Anidri, he took us into a church that had been carved out of the rock face alongside the path. There, after regaling us with more stories, he blessed us all with holy water. It was one of those simple gestures you can only get away with by being absolutely sincere. We did indeed feel blessed to have met Lucky, and lucky to have spent a week walking in this part of Crete.

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More Information

The author hiked on Crete as part of the Ramblers Walking Holidays Walking on Crete's Southwest Coast trip. The one week holiday costs from 1,245 per person including flights, half-board accommodation with dinners at local tavernas, the services of a dedicated leader and all local transport. The next departures are in May and October 2017. Tel: 01707 331133.

The Author

Mike Gerrard is an award-winning travel writer and the author of numerous guides to Greece, including the National Geographic Traveler Guide. He is also an editor at 101 Holidays and publishes the Greece Travel Secrets website.

Photos

All photos (c) Mike Gerrard.
Social Mobility Commission's (SMC) December 2016 report Ethnicity, Gender and Social Mobility highlighted the "broken promises for many groups" in recent Britain. Its key findings drew attention to four categories of people that were struggling for good jobs and better opportunities in life: White British vulnerability to school underperformance; Black underperformance in secondary and higher education; broken mobility promises for Asian Muslims, particularly women; and female underperformance in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects.

The House of Commons Women and Equalities Select Committee (WESC) made a similar point on the Muslim community in its report on Employment opportunities for Muslims in the UK in August 2016. The report found that "Muslim people suffer the greatest economic disadvantages of any group in society". The community is facing a huge disadvantage in catching up with others. With unemployment rates more than twice that of the general population (12.8% compared to 5.4% and 41% economically inactive compared to 21.8%) their economic woes are far greater. Particularly vulnerable are Muslim women, 65% of whom are economically inactive.

With the majority of Britain's 2.7 million Muslims hailing from the Indian sub-continent, Asian Muslims' success or failure impacts upon rest of the community. According to the SMT report, although Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin children, especially girls, are doing better than average in educational achievements this is not being translated in the labour market. Higher unemployment rates amongst Asian Muslims have thwarted their overall economic progress and holding back their social mobility. Only a small proportion is moving up the ladder to occupy managerial or professional occupations.

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There are multiple factors behind this lack of progress vis a vis the Muslim community. Some are internal and they need to be seriously addressed by the community itself. Muslims originate from the four corners of the world and have varied socio-economic backgrounds; many started their life in Britain in the lower rungs of the social pecking order. There are also cultural issues such as family expectations and practices in some sections that inhibit them from playing a fuller part in Britain's social life.

The majority of Muslims live in Britain's inner city conurbations which generally have the hall marks of poor housing and other disadvantages. Although much improved in recent decades, young Muslims do not yet see enough role models in public life from their community. As the social capital of the community is relatively low and the middle class is still small, its ability to catch up with other successful minority communities is still limited.

There are also unfortunate political realities in recent times such as the tendency amongst some in the wider society to see Muslims as "Others"; they are often treated as a suspect community. This needs to be tackled head on by the government with appropriate policies that would help demystify this attitude. Seeing Islam through the prism of security, particularly after 7/7, has unfortunately become normalised; negative portrayals or stereotyping of Muslims has become a pastime to sections of the media. All this feeds on prejudice, intolerance and Islamophobia giving rise to discrimination in public life.

The Government Equalities Office (GEO) admitted that Muslims are held back in the jobs market and suggested a number of strategies to improve the situation of not only Muslims and Muslim women but also other people facing similar difficulties.

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A coherent cross-Government plan focused on specific groups is essential to do the heavy lifting for all disadvantaged communities. The Equality Act applies to everyone, regardless of gender and faith. All should be free to make their own choices in their lives, including education and employment.

No one underestimates the challenges of violent extremism in a small section of our youth, but the conflation of integration with counter-extremism that has been experienced primarily by Muslims has become counter-productive. This needs changing. The effective way to countering extremism is through a robust implementation of equal opportunities programs to improve the life chances of all. This is also one of the antidotes to intolerance and social fracture.

Muslims have a significantly larger youth populations compared with the wider society (48% compared to 31% aged 24 years and below, according to Census 2011) and thus have huge potential to perform better in a rule-based meritocratic society like Britain. Urgent action is needed by the community itself to look beyond their educational success in order to achieve across all sectors of life. The civil society and business sector can also offer their helping hands to take down the barriers that young Muslims are facing in public life.

We live in a world of gross inequality. Recently, the international development charity Oxfam published a report that found "just eight men own the same wealth as the poorest half of the world". Grotesque inequality amongst human beings is untenable and dangerous for the world. We must work together to make sure Britain works for all.

No community should be left to falter in 21st century Britain. Since Brexit, Prime Minister May has been talking about an inclusive Britain. It is time our government comes up with practical sustainable plans with measurable objectives to tackle the inequalities faced by disadvantaged groups like Muslims.

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Donald Trump's racism has dangerous ramifications in Britain too. That is why Stand Up To Racism is marking his inauguration with a day of protests, outside the US Embassy in London and in 25 other towns and cities this Friday. We hope to use this occasion to encourage people to attend a mass demonstration on 18 March against racism, islamophobia and anti-Semitism; this will coincide with the UN Anti-Racism Day.

Trump's scapegoating of Muslims and migrants, like that from politicians on both sides of last year's EU referendum debate here, has given racists everywhere a boost - as I know all too well after being subject to the recent spike in racist hate crime.

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Two weeks ago, while eating out in a fish and chip shop, a man decided to grab me as if to pull me out of my seat. He explained his problem was with "people like me", to which he meant Muslims. What happened to me was certainly no exception, I know Muslim women are disproportionately likely to be on the receiving end of Islamophobic attacks.

Yet the shocking thing about this incident is that it happened when I was surrounded by a group of friends in a takeaway in a busy high street in West London. I can only imagine this brazenness will continue with the election of Donald Trump, unless the divisive politics he represents is sufficiently opposed.

Trump led one of the most racist and bigoted campaigns in US election history. It was marked by his attempts to bully marginalised groups and individuals including his promise to build a giant wall along the Mexican border, to expel 11 million "illegal" immigrants and ban Muslims from entering the country.

In Europe Trump's victory last November was celebrated by far-right figures and organisations including Marine le Pen and the Front National in France, Gert Wilders in Holland, Norbert Hofer in Austria and right-wing leaders in Poland, Hungary and Farage in Britain.

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It is too simplistic to say Trump won the election solely on a racist vote. In the US, as in Britain, there is evidence of deep dissatisfaction with the effects of decades of neo-liberal policies and austerity measures implemented since the financial crash of 2008. The result of this has been a crisis for establishment politics and polarisation.

Trump's success has until now come from his ability to portray himself as being 'anti-establishment', when this could not be further from the truth. His toxic views both divide and incite hatred against Muslims, Jews, migrants, women and people of colour but they also represent an attempt to roll back the clock on many of the hard fought gains won by these groups. Trump's decision to launch an attack on civil rights icon John Lewis, the day before Martin Luther King Day in the US should leave us in no doubt of this.

While Donald Trump represents the politics of hatred and division, there are millions of people who reject his views and are willing to stand up to oppose them. On Friday 20 January, the day he will be inaugurated as President, hundreds of protesters are expected to take to the streets in a defiant stance against Trump's racist and reactionary rhetoric. We are calling on as many people as possible to join us outside the US Embassy in London or your nearest protest (see event page). There is nothing inevitable about the rise of racism and bigotry. It can be halted by people from across communities standing together in defence of one another.

We can expect racism will continue to frame much of the political discussion during the next year particularly in the lead up to the government's enacting of Article 50 when the negative rhetoric around migrants is likely to intensify once more. However, ordinary people can also play a role in shaping an alternative narrative.
Bastiaan Slabbers via Getty Images

Help, my son is quoting Donald Trump!

"Build the wall" is a phrase that regularly rings out from my son - often in response to handling conflict with his siblings! "Son, please try and get on with your sisters", "No, I'm going to build a wall between us, just like Trump!" is typical of his flippant responses.

For me, this highlights the great parenting struggle of encouraging our kids to be politically engaged and aware, but not wanting them to copy the immature behaviour that so often characterises public life - especially in the age of Trump! After all, why engage reasonably with opponents when you can just lash out?

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In our age of oversimplified generalisations, sweeping half truths and tweetable soundbites, how do we help our children engage in the political process? We need politically savvy children and young people more than ever. I was speaking to a member of the London Assembly recently who described politics as a "nasty game". We are unlikely to change that anytime soon, but please let's not join them in their folly!

Here are my tips on helping our children engage politically.

Teach them to listen to the real stories

Those with political platforms can take the average person's genuine concerns about life and twist them to target particular groups. Trump's talk of a wall and rhetoric about Mexicans would be a classic example. Behind these twisted soundbites are the real concerns people have about their lives and the future. Help your children hear the real concerns, not the divisive rubbish that grabs the headlines.

No instant sharing!

I confess I've hit 'share' too quickly, allowing an emotively written Facebook post to cloud-out reason and failed to research the facts. Facts are more boring than an emotive stand for a cause you believe in, but without them we make some shocking mistakes. 'All Muslims are terrorists' or 'all Trump voters are deplorables' are sentiments that it is far too easy to repeat without thinking. Fact checking is not that hard... Google really does help, or sit with your child and go old school with an encyclopaedia. Fact check together!

Teach respect for democracy

Honestly, our system and the US system have clear rules and processes (and apart from some smallish hacking issues!) they run well. Not all people enjoy this. Threatening to ignore, or worse trash, our political system is a very dangerous sentiment to instil in our children, so we must be careful how we speak of our governments and institutions in front of them.

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Teach how to refine our democracy

One of the wonderful things about our systems is the freedom to take positive action to refine and change the democracy we enjoy. So attend a protest about something your kids care about - we did recently, and I am so glad we taught our children to use their voice. If not a protest, maybe ask your children to write to their political leaders. Work out how to participate in constructive acts of rebellion.

Share great political stories

There are so many great children's books about being agents of political change showing how political leaders can transform their countries and societies. Tell Nelson Mandela's story, Gandhi's and Martin Luther King's. Inspire your children to emulate the achievements of those who stood for justice and the vulnerable in their society. The children's version of Malala Yousafzai's book is excellent and there are some great political fiction books for all ages. (Duck for President is particularly fun and Opal Plumstead is an inspiring read).

Eat together

Ok, so this is a surprising one - but it is essential! Having the whole family gather around a meal eaten slowly means that children will listen to the political arguments and debates which happen around the table. Very rarely will a family all agree and it is invaluable for them to hear different opinions from adults they (hopefully!) respect.

The modern view of debating as modelled on phone in radio stations has more to do with point scoring, name calling and being right, rather than making the country a better place - whether left or right, most shows preach to the converted. So model healthy debate around the table - don't worry, it can still be heated and passionate, but always done with love and respect, without the name calling. And if it spills over into that kind of debate you can model forgiveness!

My son is joking about when he quotes Trump, but sadly too many people are not joking when they defend some of the soundbite and divisive politics of the age. We parents are not going to perfectly handle the challenge of the political age, but let's do our best at helping our children have a wiser, more mature political debate and engagement.

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The fourth industrial revolution is almost here, but is a world still largely shaped by the Victorian era ready for it?

In the last 150 years the UK has lived through three industrial revolutions. The first, and by far the most famous, between 1760 and 1840, was unprecedented in the way it influenced a way of life that remained largely unchanged since medieval times. The second industrial revolution involved the widespread introduction of steel to the UK, early electrification of factories and the introduction of mass production and the production line. The third (or digital) revolution took place towards the latter half of the twentieth century, and saw industry make the switch from mechanical and analogue electronic technology, to digital electronics.

The latter event marked the beginning of the information age in which we now live and so it's fitting that at the imminent onset of the fourth industrial revolution, it has been given a suitably futuristic sounding moniker - Industry 4.0.

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The theory behind Industry 4.0 is that it will effectively create what has been called a 'smart factory', which utilises cutting edge technology, including cyber-physical systems, the Internet of things and cloud computing, in order to monitor the physical processes of a factory and make informed, decentralised decisions.

Within these new smart factories, cyber physical systems (controlled or monitored by computer-based algorithms integrated with the internet) create virtual copies of the physical world, in order to communicate with each other, and humans, via the Internet of Things - a relatively recent tech advancement in which everyday objects like fridges, cars and entire buildings have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data.

These connected, intelligent products utilise data and create new digital business models that bring computers and automation together in an entirely new way, with computer systems equipped with machine learning algorithms, allowing the system to 'learn' and operate with little input from humans.

For many it may sound like futuristic nonsense but despite the ambitious premise and abundance of technical soundbites, Industry 4.0 is far from science fiction. Most of these digital technologies have been ticking over for some time, but many are not yet ready for application at scale, and not without serious investment on the part of Britain's industrial players. Or indeed without significant government assistance.

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To demonstrate the need for significant public sector backing to even begin to deliver on the 4.0 premise, take for example the two recent examples of the Nissan plant in Sunderland and the vast Tata steel complex in Port Talbot, both of whom turned to the UK government for a mixture of financial support and policy assurances when both of their operations ran into problems.

So it would be fair to say that our country's SMEs, not to mention our established large scale corporations, will make very little headway in joining the fourth industrial revolution without significant government support. Last year the German government pledged some 500 million to encourage research across academia, business and government into the concept of Industry 4.0. And in the US there exists the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition (SMLC), a NFP organisation funded by $140 million of public-private investments, made up of tech firms, manufacturers, suppliers, government agencies, universities and scientists, all of whom have the common goal of advancing the Industry 4.0 concept.

So what about the UK? A recent report by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO in partnership with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, found that there isn't enough understanding regarding Industry 4.0 by UK manufacturers.

According to the report only 8% of UK manufacturers have a significant understanding of Industry 4.0, despite 59% recognising that the fourth industrial revolution will have a big impact on their sector.

So clearly there is a fair amount of work to do here and it is likely something that will be high on the agenda of the newly appointed Committee on Economic and Industrial Strategy. But leaving public sector support aside British SMEs have their own work to do in ensuring that their businesses are investing in, and adopting, Industry 4.0 practices. My own firm, an SME manufacturer based in south Wales that makes large diameter plastic pipes for the construction industry, is already making inroads, with investment in early 4.0 framework totalling around 1.1million in the past year alone.

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As technological advancement continues to move at unprecedented pace, there's no doubt that traditional industries will need to do all they can to avoid being confined to history. However on a positive note, last year acclaimed General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt addressed the company's Minds + Machines conference, a celebration of the industrial Internet of Things, saying that while industry in general may not have seen much reward from the Internet era as yet, in the future they could become bigger users than tech companies or consumers. In fact, Immelt has predicted that in the next fifteen years digital industrial companies will add $15 trillion to global GDP. That's some figure and when the likes of GE are laying out billions in R&D to support their claims, industrialists the world over would be wise to sit up and take notice.
I've always been interested in responsible tourism and have learnt a lot on wildlife conservation trips in Africa with Wildlife ACT and Lilongwe Wildlife Trust. It's fantastic to see that in the past 10 years there has been such a huge evolution in nature volunteering and conservation holidays overseas, with organisations such as Earthwatch, Biosphere Expeditions and Blue Ventures offering wildlife research trips with a strong focus on benefiting nature. There is no doubt that working to protect such majestic creatures as lions and elephants is hugely rewarding.

At home, however, there is nowhere near as much opportunity for Brits to choose holidays that have a directly positive impact on wildlife and habitat. The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, yet conservation through tourism is not something that has been developed to its full potential.

It seems that this could be about to change; an exemplary programme of UK wildlife conservation holidays, designed by Wild Days to support the work of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB, the National Trust and the RSPB, proves that there is a sustainable model for successful ecotourism in the UK.

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Image credit: Wild Days

Wild Days holidays offer hands-on opportunities that allow volunteers to not only see but also handle wildlife as they record key characteristics of small mammals before releasing them back into the wild. Last year, they made a positive contribution to conservation in Suffolk and their resounding success serves to demonstrate how the approach can now be scaled-up across a national network of organisations. These excellent results are especially pertinent considering that 2017 is the UN's international year of sustainable development through tourism.

Wild Days founder, Andy Jefferies, says: "Development of high quality ecotourism in the UK is long-overdue; the need is greater than ever and conditions are ripe right now. Ecotourism in Britain is ready to move from niche to mainstream and in the process make a real difference to our environment."

There is already a huge appetite for wildlife-watching holidays in Britain; eco holidays go one step further by engaging with wildlife and natural areas that are under threat and directly contributing to their conservation.

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Jefferies says: "I would hope that TV programmes like Springwatch and Planet Earth II are changing the opinion that wildlife is more exciting elsewhere in the world. You only need to spend a night surveying small mammals in the UK to know that a pygmy shrew in the hand is worth two tigers in the bush!"

Image credit: Wild Days

The 2016 State of Nature report shows that now, more than ever, there's a need for active nature conservation in the UK on a large scale and that everyone can get involved. Citizen science has burgeoned in Britain, with volunteers contributing to scientific understanding and generating a staggering 4.5 million wildlife observations annually.

Jefferies says: "It's very clear that the Springwatch generation want to do something useful to help nature but are struggling to find UK holidays that make a positive contribution to conservation. 'This is exactly what I've been looking for' is typical feedback we get from the people taking part in our eco holidays."

The few organisations that are doing eco tourism well in the UK include: National Trust working holidays, Trees for Life in Scotland and Waterways Canal Camps. Having developed a sustainable model, Wild Days is now actively working to build a national partnership and use the success of its approach to mainstream the concept of eco tourism in the UK.

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Image credit: Wild Days

It's about time we focused on the fascinating wildlife on our doorstep. Animals in Britain can be just as enigmatic as Africa's 'Big Five' - great creatures can also be small! Jefferies suggests that Britain's 'Small Five' could be: the wood mouse, the bank vole, the pygmy shrew, the dormouse and the harvest mouse.

The Small Five's tiny size makes them particularly susceptible to environmental unpredictability such as loss of habitat and the use of pesticides - all the more reason for us to help preserve Britain's countryside through tourism and keep them safe.


Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Davos

Re: How the UN could support SDGs with Shared Value

Dear Mr. Secretary General,

While you are at the World Economic Forum in Davos, with the global business elite, you should think about the fact that less than US$0.01 per cup of coffee drunk in Davos helps "Improve the State of the World". Poverty and extreme poverty in many cases are the consequence of exploitative business models of multinational corporations that claim to be ethical and also say that they support the SDGs. Their business models perpetuate poverty in rural communities, concentrating profits in developed nations.

I wrote to your predecessor in July 2016 requesting that the United Nations audits the impact of its supply chain in the Sustainable Development Goals that it supports and promotes. I also requested that the Secretary General encourage every government and multilateral institution to do the same. Mr. Ban Ki Moon ignored my requests. I hope that you consider my requests with the seriousness they deserve.

Procurement and consumption by the United Nations, The World Bank, The IMF, the OECD, by other multilateral institutions and by every government should and must be exemplary and be aligned with its policies to eradicate poverty and defend the Convention of the Rights of the Child and the human rights of all, in all corners of the planet.

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Today less than US$0.01 per cup of coffee, tea and chocolate consumed by United Nations personnel in New York, Geneva, Vienna, etc, helps reduce poverty in the rural areas that produce them. The shared value of so-called 'Fairtrade' products is both insignificant and unacceptable, and perpetuates a cruel form of 'poverty light' in the people that produce them.

I encourage you and the United Nations to support the creation of WeShare, a transparent shared value system to help eradicate poverty and create a rural middle class in the communities that produce coffee, tea and cacao with compensation of at least 10CentsPerCup.

This amount represents more than 30 times the premium of what some dare to call 'fair trade'. Compensation of 10CentsPerCup consumed in developed nations could dramatically improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people whose livelihood depends directly or indirectly on the production of these three commodities. 10centsPerCup could bring living wages, running water, education, proper healthcare and even crop insurance and social security to all farmers and farmworkers.

Sadly, hundreds of millions of farmworkers earn daily wages that are lower than the price of a cup of coffee, tea or chocolate in New York or Geneva, while the industries they supply in developed nations accumulate tens of billions of dollars in profits every year. Their work also helps generate tens of billions in taxes in developed nations.

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Were you personally to decide, as a symbolic gesture, to share compensation of 10CentsPerCup of coffee, tea and cacao with the communities that produce them, this could end up being a watershed moment that transforms the neo-colonial and exploitative business models of these and other industries. Exemplary leadership is required at this time. The United Nations sharing 10CentsPerCup institutionally would trigger a global debate about how we must put an end to consuming products that depend on abusive labor practices and exploitative business models. You know very well that 10CentsPerCup is an insignificant amount compared to the average income of UN employees and all diplomats.

I hope you agree with me that what the world needs, to end inequality and extreme poverty and reach and surpass the SDGs, is a transparent shared value system in global trade and not glitz at the UN or buzz in the media. No cup of coffee, tea and cacao or any other product should be considered ethical, sustainable or fair until all girls in the communities that produce them can attend secondary school. Gender Equality is a myth unless all young women have access to education.

Today there is hunger, malnutrition and unacceptable levels of infant mortality in the coffee, tea and cacao lands. In the Ivory Coast, the world's leading producer of cacao, a baby girl has a higher probability of dying before reaching age one than ever graduating from secondary school.

Your mandate just started, you can make United Nations known for the impact of its exemplary actions and not by its many meetings, declarations and multiple goals.

I thank you in advance for your consideration to my request and look forward to your 10CentsPerCup of coffee, tea and chocolate.

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Respectfully,
Making a Murderer star Steven Avery has been convicted since 2007 over the murder of Teresa Halbach in 2005. (Photo : YouTube/ Games Radar)

"Making a Murderer" lawyer Kathleen Zellner has been aggressive on overturning the conviction of the Netflix docuseries star Steven Avery since she became his new attorney. Recent updates from the lawyer claims that there are several planted evidence filed against Avery, which may indicate a possible freedom of Avery.



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On Twitter, Zellner enumerated numerous plotted evidence against Avery. It could be recalled that Avery's new lawyer has been communicating with a Swedish scientist, who could help her detect if the evidence at the scene of the crime were planted or not. Kirsty Spalding has been in contact with Zellner since she watched an episode of "Making a Murderer" on the television.



Not 1 but 8 plants:bullets, bones, blood, camera, cellphone PDA, key, car + false confession. World's best experts on it. #MakingAMurderer

 Kathleen Zellner (@ZellnerLaw) January 17, 2017





In an interview with Radio Sweden, as cited by Post Crescent, Spalding made it clear that she is not after knowing if Avery is innocent or not. She added that she wants to determine if the evidence were planted on the 2005 killing of photographer Teresa Halbach.



There is no news yet when viewers will see "Making a Murderer" Season 2. Filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos assured that people are going to witness the happenings after Avery's post-conviction, including the emotional turmoil that their loved ones are experiencing.



The new season will bring all the developments in the case of Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey, who is also convicted in the case. Zellner has a deadline of until August 2016 to submit her appeal.



Avery's former lawyers Dean Strang and Jerome Buting represented the convicted "Making a Murderer" star on his first trial. However, Avery changed his lawyers after his conviction in 2007. He reinstated that his former lawyers did not do their work.



Strange and Buting will have less participation in the upcoming "Making a Murderer" Season 2. He added that the series is now featuring episodes, where they are not anymore directly included in the case.



Meanwhile, Zellner has recently joined the defense team of a Centerton man named James Bates, who was convicted of first-degree murder and tampering of evidence in connection to the death of Victor Collins. She will be joining other lawyers, including Douglas Johnson and Kimberly Weber.



Police reports revealed that Collins was found dead in Bates' hot tub. Bates was charged of drowning and strangulation and covering up evidence by cleaning up the crime scene, Crime Watch Daily reported. Watch some updates about "Making a Murderer" Season 2 below:






Jose Pepe Mujica shot back on Friday at the president of the International Narcotics Control Board, a U.N. agency, for saying that his administration refused to meet with the agencys officials before legalizing marijuana this week.

Mujica batted down the criticism, insisting that his administration is open to discussing the law and accusing the INCB President Raymond Yans of applying a double standard by criticizing Uruguay, even as U.S. states pass laws to legalize recreational marijuana consumption.

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Tell this old guy not to lie, Mujica told reporters, according to Colombian daily El Espectador. Any guy in the street can meet with me. Let him come to Uruguay and meet with me whenever he wants He thinks that because hes in an international position, he can tell whatever lie he wants.

Yans had said that the law passed by the Uruguayan legislature this week legalizing the consumption and government-controlled production and sale of marijuana would violate the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which Uruguay has signed.

The INCB president said on Wednesday he was surprised that the Uruguayan government knowingly decided to break the universally agreed and internationally endorsed legal provisions of the treaty.

But Mujica dismissed the criticism as a double standard, pointing out that the U.S. states of Colorado and Washington have already legalized weed and that both of the states populations individually exceed Uruguays 3.4 million inhabitants.

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Do they have two discourses, one for Uruguay and another for those who are strong? Mujica asked.

Uruguays Senate gave its final approval Monday to a law legalizing the consumption of marijuana creating a government-controlled market for the soft drugs production and sale. Those wishing to smoke marijuana recreationally must register with the government and limit their intake to 40 grams per month, or whatever they can reap from up to six plants they may grow at home.

Mujica and his supporters argued that regulating marijuana consumption and production would take the profits out of the hands of criminals, rather than continuing using soldiers and police to enforce a prohibition policy that fails to keep people from smoking weed.

The United States has largely refrained from publicly criticizing Uruguays actions, though State Department Spokesman Pooja Jhunjhunwala also said the new law would violate the 1961 U.N. convention on drug control in comments to the Washington Post.

But Uruguays president said hed faced international pressure, including from neighboring Brazil, for pushing ahead with his effort to end marijuana prohibition.

Theres always going to be pressure, Mujica told Brazilian daily A Folha de Sao Paulo before the law passed. Theres an apparatus in the world that lives by repressing, and it costs a lot of money.
BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 14: Tajik President Emomalii Rahmon reviews a guard of honour with German President Christian Wulff (not pictured) during an official visit by Rahmon at Bellevue Palace on December 14, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. Rahmon is on a three-day official visit to Berlin. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

A U.S.-trained secret police force in Tajikistan has arrested a graduate student conducting research and may charge him with treason.

The State Committee of National Security, the successor to the Soviet spy agency KGB in the central Asia country, arrested Alexander Sodiqov on June 16 in Khorog, Tajikistan. Sodiqov, a Tajik citizen who is a Ph.D student studying political science at the University of Toronto, was conducting interviews in a troubled border region near Afghanistan when he was seized, according to his university adviser.

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Sodiqov apparently was forced to appear in a video that aired on Tajik television. John Heathershaw of the University of Exeter, Sodiqov's research partner, told Global Voices that the video appeared heavily edited.

Sodiqov may face treason charges, according to some sources. His supporters said they believe he may have been arrested to discredit an opposition leader he had interviewed as part of his doctoral research.

"No evidence of any kind has been offered for anything," Sodiqov's graduate adviser, Edward Schatz, told HuffPost in an email. "Even the video has not been offered as evidence."

As a Tajik studying at a Canadian university, Sodiqov's connections to the U.S. may seem tenuous -- but not in the context of America's backing for the Tajik government. Tajikistan's strongman President Emomali Rahmon rules with "breathtaking" corruption, according to the conflict-monitoring non-governmental organization International Crisis Group. But the U.S. sees Rahmon's government as a critical regional bulwark against Islamic extremism. The U.S. spends millions annually training employees of the State Committee of National Security.

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A State Department spokesperson told HuffPost that the U.S. government has been in contact with Tajikistan's government, but declined to speak on the record about Sodiqov's situation. Tajikistan's U.S. embassy did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
Had you asked me 10 years ago, five years ago, or even three years ago whether I could foresee Hugo Boss and Giorgio Armani going fur free, SeaWorld announcing an impending end to live orca performances, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus retiring its elephants and then ultimately going out of business completely, I would have simply said, "not anytime soon; perhaps in my lifetime, but not anytime soon."

High-end fashion designers need high-end fashion items, and fur has always been considered high-end fashion. SeaWorld needs orca performances and Ringling needs elephant performances to fill the seats (and to entertain the ill-informed).

Yet, here we are. Hugo Boss and Giorgio Armani are fur free, SeaWorld has announced it will end orca shows, and Ringling is folding up its tents this May. Times do, indeed, change.

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However, these changes don't happen without the efforts of committed and compassionate citizens across the country. Their voices--when raised in unison, with authority, and with fearlessness--can effect change most significantly. It is the refusal to buy fur and the public examination of cruelty in the fur industry that move the business model to be more humane. It is the declining visitor numbers among a more enlightened public that convinces aquatic circus owners to stop the demeaning and cruel shows (coupled, of course, with a steady parade of musicians refusing to perform at a place like SeaWorld). And, it is the pressure on cities and states to declare an end to elephant mistreatment in circuses that causes the elephants to be retired from performances and, ultimately, a retiring of the circus altogether.

The desperation of animal exploitation is clear and it is pervasive. Tilikum, the orca who recently died in captivity, was captured in the waters off Iceland in 1983, torn from his natural family when only two years old. He was transferred from tiny tank to tiny tank for his whole life, forced to perform and languish pathetically. Other orcas, when he was near them, bullied him painfully. Humans made him perform shamefully. And, he was ultimately a danger to human trainers, actually killing several of them. The largest orca in captivity before his death, Tilikum died of a lung infection earlier this month.

Others still suffer. But, soon, none will perform, be bred, or be imported for marine parks like SeaWorld.

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Ringling paraded animals, who had been whipped and prodded, around a ring in front of screaming people for a century and a half. Tigers were forced to jump through rings of fire; elephants were forced to walk with front legs perched on the backs of their fellow inmates, stand on their heads, and balance on balls; and lions, kangaroos, camels, and other species were similarly caged, trained, and pushed to do unnatural acts night after night in city after city. We know that these animals were mistreated. We have the evidence of the cruel bullhook being used to hit them.

Year after year of public protests, media exposes, and litigation in the courts took a toll. Cities started saying they wanted no part of the circus coming to town--too cruel. If you can't keep your elephants without bullhooks, you can't bring them to our town; if you can't bring them to our town, people won't come to the circus; and, if people won't come, you lose money.

So... time to shut down the business.

The bottom line is that one of the biggest obstacles to animal freedom and respect has historically been a resistant corporate model: one that deems fur to be appropriate fashion, and that deems elephants, tigers, and orcas to be acceptable (if unwilling) performers. Current developments should inspire.

What trajectory is animal exploitation on? With ongoing vigilance and the wind at our backs, perhaps we are, indeed, moving intentionally toward a world where wild animals don't perform for us; where elephants aren't killed for their ivory; where marine mammals don't languish in captivity; where primates aren't bred and traded as "pets"; where lynx aren't killed for their skins; where lions aren't slaughtered in the name of sport; and where bears aren't imprisoned for their bile and gallbladders. The list is long.

People change. Business models change. The world evolves. Recent trends suggest that this evolution is a more humane one. We must be certain to maintain momentum. With each success, animal exploitation becomes more and more rare. Animal exploitation is having a "going out of business sale"; let's unite to help them all close up shop, once and for all.

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Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
In less than 2 days, Donald J Trump will become the 45th president of the United States. But, much like Sergeant Shaw in the Manchurian Candidate, has America's next commander in chief been recruited, and cultivated as an unwitting Russian agent?

These are the explosive claims made by an unverified dossier penned by Christopher Steele, a highly respected former MI6 officer who has a long history of working in the shadowy underworld amongst Russia's spooks and spymasters.

According to the report which was posted online by Buzzfeed last Tuesday, Vladimir Putin not only helped the property tycoon to win last year's presidential race, but he "has been actively cultivating, supporting and assisting TRUMP for at least 5 years."

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His aim: to "disrupt, divide and discredit" the entire western democratic world order in favor of Moscow.

According to the dossier, Putin's wish list includes lifting sanctions on Russia, turning a blind eye towards its aggressive efforts in the Ukraine, and creating a divisive rift amongst western allies.

And, interestingly in the past week alone, Trump has called Nato, the centrepiece of Transatlantic security "obsolete", championed the disintegration of the EU, and said that he is open to lifting sanctions on Moscow.

Originally commissioned as opposition research by Trump's former Republican rivals, the report also claims that Trump's campaign team were privy to the Kremlin's efforts to hack the Democratic National Commitee, and even colluded with the regime in a treasonous exchange of sensitive information.

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Moreover, it claims that Moscow has gathered a "kompromat" of compromising and salacious material on Trump in order to blackmail him in the future if need be.

Hired by a Washington DC research firm last summer, Steele grew increasingly alarmed by what he discovered as he began to investigate links between Putin and the former Apprentice star.

He reportedly told friends that he was sitting on highly incendiary material which threatened to be far more damaging than the Watergate scandal which ultimately felled Richard Nixon.

For the sake of national and global security, he felt obliged to share his findings with intelligence agencies on both sides of the Atlantic, and he continued to investigate the matter long after his client stopped paying for it.

And, whilst many of the dossier's claims seem ridiculously far-fetched, both the CIA and FBI brought it to president Obama's attention last week owing to Steele's long history of providing reliable and credible intelligence.

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A Cambridge graduate and MI6's former chief Russia specialist, Steele is highly regarded amongst former colleagues, with one US official describing him as "a person of complete professionalism, integrity, diligence and precision."

And, whilst his dossier may be far from perfect, according to one British Foreign Office official, intelligence reports are always marked with "gradations of veracity":

"You aren't dealing with a binary world where you can say this is true and this isn't. The strongest reason for giving this report credence is that intelligence professionals in the US take it seriously. They were sufficiently persuaded by the author's track record to find the contents worth passing to the president and president-elect."

The explosive allegations came just one week after the CIA and the FBI concluded that the Kremlin did in fact meddle in last November's election by hacking the DNC, and by posting a string of fake news which hurt Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

According to the dossier, the Russian president both "hates and fears" the former Secretary of State.

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On Friday, the Senate committee said that it would examine links between Moscow and Trump's campaign team, and US intelligence officials are also reportedly looking into the matter.

Time can but tell if anything comes of it as no news or intelligence agency has been able to verify any of the dossier's claims thus far. However, that does not necessarily mean that it is false

Frustratingly, much of the report is hard to corroborate as it comes from uncited Russian sources. And, to make matters worse, Steele himself has now disappeared after fleeing his home last Wednesday in fear for his safety.

As can be expected, Moscow has dismissed the allegations as "pulp fiction" whilst Trump himself has described the findings as "crap", "fake news" and "phony stuff" made up by "sick people."

Moreover, there is always the possibility that the Kremlin fabricated the entire story in order to discredit the next US president. In the smoke-and-mirrors world of international espionage, such misinformation risks are forever present.

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Going forward, talk of the dossier may hamstring the new Trump administration for weeks and months to come. Congress will have the power to subpoena witnesses relevant to the case, and two Republican senators are allegedly gunning for a Watergate-style investigation.

"If there was any evidence that the Trump campaign actively colluded with Russia and committed crimes, that would be the most shocking political scandal in American history," says Susan Hennessey, the NSA's former legal counsel: "It would be a betrayal not only of the American people, but of basic democratic values. "

If any of it does prove to be true, the tycoon tweeter will certainly be impeached.

In many ways, regardless of whether the report is true or not, it can be construed as a win-win for the Kremlin. As Simon Tisdall writes in the Guardian:



"The unprecedented confusion and disarray in the US is what old KGB agents like Putin could only dream of. Putin famously decried the collapse of the Soviet Union, which the US played a leading role in bringing about, as "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the [20th] century". A quarter of a century later, having exhibited the calculated patience of Karla, John le Carre's fictional Russian spymaster, Putin can savor his revenge - at arm's length."

After all, Trump's power on both the national and global stage has certainly been compromised, and the entire American Democratic process looks like a complete farce. Many people in the US and overseas will now regard the incoming US president as either a complete "dupe, dope, or stooge."
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 01: Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo attends the Cadillac House grand opening at 330 Hudson St on June 1, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Pont/WireImage)

Donald Trump has not been sworn in yet, but New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo is already busy running around the state promoting himself as the liberal Democratic candidate for President in 2020. He may even have Bernie Sanders fooled. Sanders appeared at a rally with Cuomo where the Governor announced his plan for free tuition at the State University. Cuomo called his proposal "a wake-up call to this nation." "If you want to offer everyone a fair shot, you have to get up to date and say, 'What high school was 75 years ago, college is today.'"

I attended the City College of New York in the 1960s when it was tuition free and I am a strong advocate of free tuition in public universities. But of course, there are a number of "catches" in the Cuomo plan. Free is not free. Tuition is not being eliminated. Cuomo only pledges to cover the remaining cost of tuition for lower-income students after other state and federal scholarship money is gone. They would also have to be enrolled in college full-time to qualify, which would eliminate part-time students who have to work to support themselves and their families while attending college. The Cuomo plan does not help with living expenses.

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Every year the state legislature would end up debating who is poor enough to qualify for the tuition support supplements. Why not just eliminate tuition altogether and fund the State and City universities through tax dollars?

There is also concern that Cuomo will not support sufficient funding so the public colleges can provide adequate academic support for students graduating from high school not yet ready to do college level work. An estimated half of New York City's high school graduates who enter college need some form of academic remediation. Up until know Cuomo's budget allocations have been very stingy with state funding for the State University and the City University of New York (CUNY).

According to Fran Clark, a spokesperson for the union representing CUNY faculty and staff, last year, Cuomo initially demanded that New York City take over $485 million of CUNY's funding costs and he has under-funding the public university network for years. The New York Times estimated that in 2015, CUNY faced a $51 million budget shortfall because of Cuomo.

This year Cuomo is proposing to increase state aid to schools by about one billion dollars, far less than the $2.1 billion requested by the state's Board of Regents, its educational policymaking body, and even further less than the state owes poorer school districts as the result of a law suit. Ten years after a settlement was reached, and five years Cuomo's administrations, poorer districts are still being shorted $3.9 billion they are entitled to under the settlement. Cuomo has promised the city of Buffalo a $13.6 million increase in state aid over the previous year. But school officials are still waiting for the $91 million the district is owed from the 2006 court ruling.

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The Board of Regents requested a $1.47 billion increase in foundation aid to poorer school districts this year and a total of $4.3 billion over the next three years. Cuomo is only offering poorer school districts Cuomo's $428 million in "foundation aid." Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education, charges Cuomo has "talked about the fact that there are two public school systems, one for the rich and one for the poor. This just keeps that rolling right along."

Jasmine Gripper, the legislative director for the Alliance for Quality Education, highlighted a section of the Governor's proposed budget that says "For the 2018-2019 school year and thereafter, districts shall be eligible for Foundation Aid equal to the amount of Foundation Aid such districts received in the 2017-2018 school year," which would mean no further increases. Gripper called this budget insert a " direct assault on communities of color and those living in poverty." Future educational aid would be based on "political horse trading instead of students' educational needs."

Taking a page from Donald Trump's campaign playbook, candidate Cuomo also promises to cut taxes. However New York State faces $3.5 billion budget deficit this year. The situation for education funding is even worse because Cuomo refuses to challenge renege Democrats siding with the Republican Party in the State Senate.

At a time when Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee are challenging Donald Trump's nomination of Betsy "Amway" DeVos as Secretary of Education because she champions charter schools, vouchers, and channeling public money to private and religious schools, Andrew Cuomo endorsed the similar policies. He has promoted increasing the number of charter schools over local opposition and backdoor vouchers via tax credits for "donations" to religious schools. He has also pushed high-stakes testing and using student scores to evaluate teachers. But maybe all this was just last week before he launched his presidential campaign.

The Democratic Party can certainly do better than Andrew Cuomo. Meanwhile, New York advocates for public education eagerly await learning how he will pull off his budgetary magic trick.

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French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Marc Ayrault addresses delegates at the opening of the Mideast peace conference in Paris on January 15, 2017.Around 70 countries and international organisations are making a new push for a two-state solution in the Middle East at the conference in Paris, just days before Donald Trump takes office vowing unstinting support for Israel. / AFP / POOL / THOMAS SAMSON (Photo credit should read THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images)

The conference for peace between Israel and the Palestinians initiated by the French government that took place on January 15 in Paris was positive in many ways. The concluding declaration that collectively emerged pointed out the need to establish a Palestinian state as a prerequisite to peace and stability, urged the two sides to recommit themselves to a two-state solution, and emphasized the urgent need for both to take action to reverse the current trends of Palestinian incitement and Israel's expansion of the settlements.

Furthermore, it called for ending the occupation and accentuated the importance of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative (API) to provide the framework for a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace. The resolution also stressed the importance of public debate, strengthening the role of civil society, and addressing the humanitarian and security situation in Gaza.

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Perhaps one of the most important reasons, however, for holding the conference only a few days before the inauguration of President-elect Trump was to send a message to the new administration about the international consensus regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, hoping to prevent Trump from taking any measure that might threaten the prospect of a two-state solution.

Of main concern to the conferees was Trump's campaign promise to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and give Netanyahu a free hand to expand the settlements, which could torpedo the prospect of peace and provoke the Arab states at a time when they are needed to support any new peace initiative.

Although the resolution was largely on target, it lacked specific suggestions that could be embraced by the Trump administration to help advance the peace process in a tangible way.

I was directly involved in an effort to shed new light on the core issues that have and continue to separate the two sides, and I suggested specific measures to mitigate them -- issues which I considered critical to the resumption of the negotiations that would substantially improve the prospect of reaching a durable peace.

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To that end, I wrote a major proposal which I discussed with top French Foreign Ministry officials. Subsequently, Pierre Vimont (France's Middle East Special Envoy), EU Special Representative for the Middle East Process Fernando Gentilini, and I addressed the EU Foreign Relations Committee in November 2016, where I emphasized the need for a new approach.

There were many areas in the conflict over which Mr. Vimont and I fully agreed -- and were reflected in the final declaration of the conference -- and other issues which were not spelled out. In my view, had such issues been clearly stated, they would have revealed the real causes behind the stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and offered ways to mitigate them.

The first issue is the psychological dimension of the conflict and its impact on every conflicting issue. Unless major efforts are made to change the public narrative on both sides to reflect the truth from historical and religious perspectives, neither side can make the far-reaching concessions necessary to forge a peace agreement.

The need to mitigate that through a process of reconciliation -- people-to-people and government-to-government -- is central to constructive negotiations. Such a process would allow both sides to nurture mutual trust, which is totally lacking, and allay concerns over national security, while also disabusing strong Israeli and Palestinian constituencies that still want to have it all.

The second issue is Hamas and its political stance, which has and continues to impede any progress. The conference's resolution stipulates the "importance of addressing the humanitarian and security situation in Gaza and called for swift steps to improve the situation." Although this is necessary, as long as Hamas calls for the destruction of Israel and is not a signatory to the API, it plays into the hand of the hard-core Israelis who claim that the Palestinians simply want to eradicate rather than peacefully coexist with Israel.

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The conference should have called on Hamas to accept in principle Israel's right to exist and beseeched countries like Turkey and Qatar, who enjoy substantial influence on Hamas, to embrace the API. This is necessary particularly because Hamas must be part and parcel of any final resolution to the conflict.

Third, although the participants "expressed their readiness to exert necessary efforts toward the achievement of the two-state solution...," who will exert such efforts -- economic and other incentives? I took the position that the conferees should have established a commission composed of representatives from an Arab state, the EU, and the US to encourage the parties to take certain steps, review progress, and pin down the sources that impede it. Otherwise, the recommendation will be just words.

Fourth, the conferees call for " ending the occupation...satisfy Israel's security need, and resolve all permanent status issues on the basis of [UNSC] Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973)..." This appeal is certainly valid and no solution is possible unless these requirements are met. Here again, though, there is nothing new.

The participants should have also recommended the establishment of another commission to work closely with both Israel and the Palestinians to begin modifying their public position on several of the major conflicting issues.

For example, everyone who is familiar with the conflict knows that the right of return of the Palestinian refugees cannot and will not be exercised, as this will almost instantly change the Jewish character of Israel. The Palestinian Authority should begin to speak publicly about the only viable option to resolve the Palestinian refugees through compensation and/or resettlement.

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Similarly, Israelis should also know that there will be no Israeli-Palestinian peace unless East Jerusalem becomes the capital of the state of Palestine. Here too, the Israeli public must begin to think in these terms and not buy into Netanyahu's argument that a "united" Jerusalem will remain the eternal capital of Israel, which would foreclose any prospect for peace.

To be sure, even though the conferees do not have any power of enforcement, by opening public debates on these issues they would have made a positive impact on the peace process. In the final analysis, as long as the Israeli and the Palestinian publics are led by leaders who do not promote the peace process along these lines and have different political agendas not necessarily consistent with a two-state solution, the public will remain in the dark and to a great extent become complacent.

There is an urgent need for new leadership committed to reaching an agreement. Netanyahu will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state under his watch and Abbas is incapable of delivering the necessary concessions that could make peace possible.
What will it take to rebuild trust in capitalism and create a sense that it can provide for the needs of a broad and diverse set of stakeholders?

Firstly, we must recognise that the world has changed in terms of who senior leaders need to relate to. In the 'old world' it was all about shareholders - keep them happy and all would be well. Now the capacity to understand and respond to a much broader range of people is critical. In the words of Kipling, it is about being able to ' talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch'. As leaders we often live in a bubble were we work and play with a group of very similar people, to the detriment of decision-making and reputation. As with human reproduction, if the genes are too similar the risk of sick children increases; and this, in the public's perception, is a problem with Davos - even though reality, as with many things in life, is more complex. This capacity to look outwards also relates to thinking about the future. 2016 has brought to light our collective difficulty in this regard: our ability to predict events and the consequences of those events is becoming increasingly challenged and has no doubt contributed to the lowering of trust seen in the 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer. This is clearly a problem that needs to be addressed.

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Secondly, we have to think differently about how to structure and operate organisations. Public companies (and their associated models of management), hierarchies, risk management and HR policies appear in general to be failing to create organisations that can innovate, utilise employees' potential, and develop the right products and services. This is causing an increasing number of people to question their utility. In his 2014 book Reinventing Organisations Frederic Laloux describes a number of organisations that are experimenting successfully with new models of management, trusting people to manage themselves and recognising that economies of scale often lead to diseconomies of motivation.

Finally, we need to recognise that the ego is a leader's biggest servant, and can derail (both the leader and the organisation) and lead to sub-optimal performance at the same time. Jim Collins, in his work on Level 5 leadership, recognised that those who were not focusing on status, money and position were leading organisations that were creating more long-term shareholder value. Indeed, he described the executive capable of leading a company to greatness as one who combines 'extreme personal humility' with 'intense professional will'. More and more leadership development practitioners are creating interventions that focus on this challenge, many with roots in spiritual and/psychotherapeutic worlds.

In summary, to lead through the challenges that we face today, and that are on the horizon, we need leaders who can understand the world, organisations and themselves in a ways not historically associated with what it takes to take on a senior leadership role. Purpose (organisational and individual) is often seen as a unifying theme that operates across these boundaries. But this is not purpose as seen through a PR/marketing lens: it is grounded in concrete actions coming from the core of the business. In the short term these actions are often costly, require a leap into the unknown, but can frequently lead to profitable growth. This sends a strong signal that a company takes its role in and service to the world seriously.

For those of us in business schools and similar organisations, focusing on one of these issues is not enough. We need to work across all three dimensions in an integrated way if we are to be of use to our students, participants and client organisations.

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Want a glimpse into the inner workings of President Donald Trump's mind? Try a secret my family learned from 80 years of working with America's leaders from both parties -- look carefully at his Chief of Staff. We've seen time-and-again, in nearly every case, that if the chief of staff is a fine person, the same holds true for the politician. Our country's leaders tend to hire themselves as their chiefs of staff.

This trait was clearly visible with Richard Nixon's less-than-public-service oriented H.R. Haldeman and apparent once more with George W. Bush's amicable Andrew Card. Of course, at times, there are deviations from this rule, particularly with multifaceted presidential personalities. Ronald Reagan had both no-nonsense Secretary James Baker and universally loved Senator Howard Baker. Barack Obama had audacious Rahm Emanuel and also supremely personable Denis McDonough.

So what does President Trump's choice for White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus, tell us? Priebus' extraordinary success in Washington as Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) came through a conventional approach, and this suggests that Trump may run the White House in a far more universally accepted fashion than he did his campaign. If Mitt Romney or Jeb Bush had won the presidency and hired Priebus, it would have been lauded as a "major catch."

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Those who are concerned about a Trump Presidency may be pleased to learn of Priebus' deep human decency. He refers daily to three books on a podium next to his desk - his party's national platform, the Bible and his faith's (Greek Orthodoxy) Divine Liturgy. The leader of Priebus' faith, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America, was the highest-ranking religious leader in America with the courage to answer the call of Martin Luther King during his march in Selma, Alabama. During World War II, the Greek Orthodox Church in Greece was unsurpassed in its public opposition to the Holocaust in the midst of the Nazi occupation.

As Chairman, Priebus greatly modernized the RNC. He dramatically expanded the party's appeal among the growing demographic of minorities as well as with women and young people. He took the RNC out of the crippling debt he inherited and set fundraising records. While following conventional political strategies, he simultaneously brought in cutting-edge technology stewarded by the establishment of an office in Silicon Valley. Many aspects of his chairmanship even exceeded friends who previously held that position and went on to become Washington giants - like US Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and former President George H.W. Bush.

There is another important quality that Priebus possesses that has been tragically missing in Washington policymaking for some time. It is a quality that enabled Dole, H.W. Bush and their Democratic peers to make Washington function quite well. Priebus' decades long Wisconsin friend, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, highlighted the quality as he opened the 115th Congress. Ryan said, "If I had to sum up my approach, it would be, 'Agreement whenever possible, but at all times respect'.'' Does the Priebus selection suggest that Trump, contrary to the impression left with many by his campaign, understands that in the field of policymaking, respect for one's opponent is essential to progress?

Seeing someone come to Washington with such extraordinary integrity, perspective and effectiveness moved us to write about Priebus more than once over the years that we have known him. His heritage seems to have blessed him with legendary Greek philotimo (doing the right thing) as well as German efficiency. His ability to handle the intoxication of Washington's power and prestige leaves little doubt in our minds that if this new Administration were to somehow move in dangerous directions, as some fear, Priebus would take a stand.

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By Hong Soon-do, Beijing correspondent, AsiaToday - China's political world had been dominated by various factions before Xi Jinping took power at the 18th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) National Congress in 2012. But now there are signs of unification of political factions within the party. While China's socialist system and the regime remain unchanged, we could even say that no other faction than the Xi Jinping faction is left in China.

According to Beijing sources familiar with the Chinese government information on Wednesday, there used to be two main political factions within the CCP leadership competing for power, influence and control over policy initiatives. They are the Communist Youth League faction and the Shanghai faction. They deserved to be the main powers since the Youth League faction produced former President Hu Jintao and Premier Li Keqiang, and the Shanghai faction produced former President Jiang Zemin. Their close allies monopolized key positions of the ruling party. But now it is not easy to find high ranking officials of these factions in the office of the ruling party. It's because most of them have been relegated to less important posts as a result of a recent reshuffle. Chinese vice chair Li Yuanchao, who is widely considered to be a protege of Hu Jintao, is even embroiled in rumors of losing his post.

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[Chinese President Xi Jinping and his allies. The picture is taken during their Europe visit in 2014./ Source: Xinhua News Agency]

On the other hand, Xi Jinping's close allies are being promoted to key positions. It can be clearly seen from the recent reshuffle. What's most eye-catching is the position of mayor Shanghai. Ying Yong, a former close subordinate of Xi Jinping, is expected to step up from deputy role to replace Yang Xiong, who is considered a member of the Shanghai faction.

[Ying Yong, a former close subordinate of President Xi Jinping, is expected to be appointed mayor of Shanghai./ Source: Xinhua News Agency]

We should also take note of the appointment of the deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, which is considered ministerial rank. Xi's long-time speechwriter Li Shulei was promoted to deputy chief of the discipline commission during the commission's recent plenary session. The appointment shows that the Chinese president is seeking to train Li to be secretary Wang Qishan's successor.

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In addition, we should not ignore the appointment of Zhang Guoqing and Chen Yixin as mayors of Chongqing and Hubei provinces, respectively. Zhang and Chen's appointments show Xi Jinping's intentions to train young bloods in order to increase his control in the future.
All over Alabama the lights are out.

James Agee, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men



With all the excitement about events in Washington this week, it's easy to overlook exciting events in Alabama. Among the most exciting was President Obama's declaration of two new national monuments, designations that came only three days before the last celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day during President Obama's presidency. The confluence of those events caused this writer to again reflect on other events of note that have taken place in Alabama during the past year and may occur in 2017.

Two thousand sixteen, it will be recalled, was an exciting year in Alabama politics. Part of the excitement was generated by Roy Moore. Roy had the distinction of being the only man in Alabama history to serve not once, but twice, as the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court in non-consecutive terms. In 2016 he was suspended from office without pay by the Alabama Court of the Judiciary because of an order he gave lower court judges to ignore federal court orders pertaining to issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. That was his second encounter with that Court. In 2003 the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered him to remove a 5,280-pound granite monument to the Ten Commandments that he had had placed in the central rotunda of the state judicial building. He refused to comply and, as a result, the Court of the Judiciary removed him.

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Two thousand sixteen was also memorable for Michael Hubbard, the speaker of the Alabama House. It was he who, following the takeover of the Alabama legislature by Republicans in 2010, wrote a book in which he explained that "Ethics was a subject that set Republicans apart from the Democrats." In 2016 he was convicted of 12 counts of corruption, sentenced to four years in prison, and given $210,000 in fines. That did not, however, derail one of the Alabama House's significant projects during 2016.

On April 23, 2016 the Alabama House signed a resolution to impeach Governor Robert Bentley for corruption and neglect of duty as a result of certain activities involving a female aide with whom he may have been having an affair. That investigation by the Alabama House continued until an unforeseen event occurred.

In early November, Luther Strange, the attorney general of the state of Alabama, wrote the head of the Alabama House Judiciary Committee, saying it "would be prudent and beneficial to delay the work of the House Judiciary Committee [on impeachment] . . . .I respectfully request that the Committee cease active interviews and investigation until I am able to report to you that the necessary related work of my office has been completed." In response to that letter the head of the committee said: "We are temporarily suspending activity at the attorney general's request . . . ."

That brings us to 2017, a year that may prove to be as exciting for Alabama citizens as 2016. Jeff Sessions is one of the two United States Senators from the State of Alabama. Donald Trump has nominated Mr. Sessions to be the new attorney general of the United States. If Mr. Sessions is confirmed by the Senate, he will no longer serve as a United States Senator, thus creating a vacancy in that seat. In Alabama, the vacancy in a Senate seat is filled by the governor calling a special election at the time of his choosing. Prior to the election, however, the governor may make an interim appointment. According to reports, in order to avoid the cost of a special election, Governor Bentley has scheduled the election of a successor to take place at the next general election in 2018. Between now and then, the person the governor appoints on an interim basis will serve as one of the United States Senators from Alabama.

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Supernatural Season 12 episode 9 spoilers, airdate: When will the show return? What happens in First Blood?

(L-R) Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins attend the 'Supernatural' Special Video Presentation And Q&A during Comic-Con International 2016 held on July 24, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Kevin Winter)

"Supernatural" Season 12 will finally resume its run with episode 9 on Jan. 26. The highly anticipated episode is titled "First Blood" and it will pick up from where episode 8 left off. The show will see how Sam and Dean Winchester plan to prove themselves innocent and get rid of the charges of an attempt to assassinate the President of The United States. Here are spoilers for the next chapter of the series. Read on to find out what happens next.



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[Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for "Supernatural" Season 12 episode 9 "First Blood." Do not read further if you don't wish to know more about it.]



"Supernatural" Season 12 midseason finale ended with a major cliffhanger. The Winchester brothers end up getting arrested by Secret Service for planning the assassination of the President of the United States. However, the truth is, the President Jefferson Rooney was possessed by Lucifer and they only attempted to exorcise him.



Moving on to "Supernatural" Season 12 episode 9 "First Blood," the show will see the Winchester Brothers deal with the consequences of their actions. Sam and Dean will still be behind the bars and must do something to prove they are innocent.



Spoiler TV's description for "Supernatural" Season 12 episode 9 suggests "the Hunters become the hunted." According to the press release, the two brother will attempt to find an escape from an "underground, government-run, detention facility." Meanwhile, Mary gets into action to find her sons and she finds help from unlikely source.



A promo video for "Supernatural" Season 12 teases the events of episode 9. It shows that the brothers are locked up in a cell which "officially doesn't exist." And Castiel and Mary come to rescue the brothers.



In addition, Executive Producer Andrew Dabb told TV Line that there will be a six-week time jump.



"We'll see how Sam and Dean act in that period of isolation, but also how the rest of the world reacts, as well - specifically Cas and Mary and some other players," he added.



"Supernatural" Season 12 episode 9 airs Jan. 26 at 8:00 pm on The CW. Stay tuned for more spoilers and updates.



CREDIT: YouTube.com/Television Promos


There is a case making its way through the California legal system which may result in a religious exception for the "Brain Death" statute. The case of Jahi McMath began on December 9, 2013 when she underwent a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy at the Children's Hospital of Oakland. She had post-operative bleeding which resulted in a cardiac arrest. Ms. McMath was successfully resuscitated but there was a period of time when her brain was not getting enough oxygen. As a result, she suffered a severe brain injury.

On December 12, 2013, McMath's physicians declared her "brain dead," and, without the mother's permission, notified the California Transplant Donor network that Ms. McMath's organs should be evaluated for possible harvesting and transplantation. As long as McMath was on a ventilator, her heart would beat and her organs would remain useful for transplant purposes.

By the physician declaring Jahi "brain dead" she would be legally dead under California law. There would be no obligation for the hospital to continue her life support and the insurance company would not have to pay for further care, regardless of any family wishes.

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Ms. McMath's mother, Nailah Winkfield, refused to acknowledge the "brain death" pronouncement and took legal steps to block the removal of her daughter's life support. She asserted that their religious beliefs were that death only occurs with the loss of cardio-respiratory function and the loss of brain activity was irrelevant.

The case was heard by Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo who held that Jahi met the criteria for brain death under California law; this ruling would allow the hospital to remove the ventilator. However, he stayed his ruling so that life support could be maintained while Ms. Winkfield appealed to a higher court.

During the appeals process, a U.S. Magistrate Judge oversaw negotiations between the hospital and Ms. Winkfield. The parties agreed to allow Jahi to leave the hospital, with life support, but only upon the completion of Jahi's death certificate. The death certificate was issued but was incomplete pending an autopsy. The Coroner released the body to the family who moved the body to a location in New Jersey where a tracheostomy was done and a feeding tube placed. Obviously, an autopsy was not done.

New Jersey's "brain death" law had an accommodation for religious beliefs. Under the accommodation, if religious beliefs preclude a brain death declaration, then the time of death could only be based on cardio-respiratory criteria. Jahi was deemed to be dead in California but alive in New Jersey.

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Under New Jersey law, the physicians taking care of Jahi could not remove the ventilator and the insurance company had to pay for the ongoing medical costs. New York and New Jersey are the two states which have religious exemptions to their "brain death" laws. The exemptions were put in place due to concerns of large numbers of Orthodox Jewish residents in those states some of whom object to the concept of brain death.

According to media reports, Jahi improved and was moved to an apartment in August 2014. Her attorney claims that subsequent evaluations show blood flow and electrical activity in the brain and he further claims that Jahi will move on command. He has asked the California courts to reverse the findings of "brain death" in this case. If the brain death determination is not reversed, then moving Jahi back to California would put her at risk of not having any medical support.

Ms. Winkfield argues that they are being denied medical care even though they have a religious belief that death does not occur until the heart stops beating. The California death certificate, they claim, violates their Free Exercise rights under the First Amendment of the Constitution. California will probably argue that the law is neutral in nature and was not meant to violate any religious belief or practice.

The questions raised by this case are far-reaching. For a malpractice case originating in California, compensation is limited to $250,000 if the patient dies but there is no limit if the patient is still alive. For financial reasons, it would be in Ms. Winkfield's best interest to have Jahi's death declaration on neurologic grounds overturned.

In fact, in March 2015, McMath's family filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the surgeon who performed the operation on her tonsils and against the Children's Hospital of Oakland. They will probably argue that Jahi is not brain dead and the California state limit of $250,000 for patients who are dead does not apply. They will have to argue that the death certificate is evidence of a violation of their Free Exercise rights under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. This will be a difficult argument to win.

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Of more concern is the effect that an overturning of the "brain death" statute would have for organ transplantation. If the McMath litigation results in an overturning of death certification by neurologic criteria, transplantation for patients with end organ dysfunction will come to a halt. Waiting for the heart to stop before declaring death will cause many otherwise suitable organs to be unusable for transplant purposes. Once again we are faced with a conflict between clinical practice, medical ethics, and religious beliefs. It would be best for a national debate, emanating from the Congress of the United States, to address these issues.

The definition of death and the interpretation of patient autonomy and best interests should not be left in the hands of individual courts who are dealing with issues that have already occurred. Since organ transplantation crosses state lines and funding for research in transplantation comes from sources across the country, the Commerce Clause would allow legislation of this complex issue to originate from Congress. Legislation is better able to look into the future and is better able to bring the debate to the public with more time and resources to come to a reasonable solution to this complex issue. This debate should start now.
The formidable Harriet Walter, as directed by the equally formidable Phyllida Lloyd, is delivering the most astonishing reinterpretation of a famous William Shakespeare speech you might ever hope to witness.

It's the poem that begins "Our revels now are ended," normally rendered as a magisterial pronouncement by the exiled and tyrannical Prospero in The Tempest. Not so magisterial this time. Walters, head resting on folded arms, recites the enchanting lines as a deeply emotional release, an expression of long pent-up stress.

Walters and Lloyd evidently conclude that having established a kingdom on the island to which he's condemned himself and daughter Miranda (Leah Harvey, in Mohawk coiffeur gone wild), Prospero has placed a previously unacknowledged strain on his powers.

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Once he's married Miranda off to Ferdinand (Shiloh Coke), he realizes he can give in to the wearying leverage he's placed on himself and those surrounding him. These include those who drove him from his home and whom the tempest has now shipwrecked--Alonso (Martina Laird) and Antonio (Carolina Valdes) and others--on this far-flung shelter.

Walter is giving her devastating performance in the third of the all-women Bard trilogy Lloyd has put together--the previous entries also imported from London's Donmar Warehouse to St. Ann's Warehouse. The other two are Julius Caesar, in which Walters played Brutus, and , in which Walters played Henry IV and pulled off a nonpareil deathbed scene.

There is so much clever in the Lloyd approach that it's hard to know where to start, but perhaps the best place is in the overarching conceit. The quick-thinking director couches these cross-gendered versions as plays-within-a-play. Each is supposedly being performed by prison inmates. It's a smart tactic that gets away from the actors merely taking on male roles. Here they're women taking on Shakespeare and, given their incarceration conditions, forced to play male roles. (They're not Prospera types as, for instance, played by Vanessa Redgrave at London's Globe or by Helen Mirren in the recent Tempest film.)

Lloyd is so thorough about her plan that patrons waiting in the lobby before the auditorium doors open are able to witness the ensemble arrive wearing prison uniforms and chained to each other in single file.

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The set-up is further enforced by Walters's introducing the supposed jailhouse performance (Chloe Lamford and Bunny Christie responsible for the institutional look) by informing the audience she's Hannah, convicted to a life sentence as a result of driving the getaway car in what she labels a political protest.

This dramatic layer undoubtedly contributes to the intense feelings Walters projects during the "revels now are ending" outpouring. Yessirree, Walters Is no slouch when it comes to probing a role's (double-role's?) possibilities. You could say there is nothing like this dame.

Lloyd is full of additional surprises, too, and she salts-and-peppers this Tempest with them. Foremost are the delightful performances she plucks from the cast. A reviewer is allowed to have a favorite, and this time it's Karen Dunbar, who's a Scottish Trinculo of boastful attitudes. Stealing scenes left and right, once in white-stripped minipants, she appears to be having the time of her life.

Jade Anouka's Ariel, who gets to sing every once in a while, is another focus-puller. Notice the gyrations she goes through whenever summoned and either praised or chastised by Prospero. Jackie Clune's Stefano is fun, too, and that she and Dunbar could almost pass for twins is a big plus.

Among the other tricks Lloyd has up her sleeve is the strung-together detritus (many empty plastic bottles and other junk) flotsammed and jetsommed around. The coup de theatre that gets audience members laughing ooh-and-aah-ily is the one where, during the wedding celebration, white balloons grounded by bottles tied to them sport amusing projections of contemporary memes.

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The abundance of music has in large part to do with Joan Armatrading's contributions. Some of it gives the impression of being blended into Lloyd's take on London's annual Notting Hill Festival with its gleeful Caribbean overtones.

Playing the oppressed Caliban in Lloyd's version is Sophie Stanton. (She also strums guitar during the proceedings; Walters tweaks the drums.) Stanton was the commanding Sir John Falstaff in the Henry melding. She's less commanding here, which may have nothing to do with her but everything to do with the character.

This gets to a personal reaction. Watching Lloyd's playful, critical take on The Tempest, I had an unexpected epiphany. Yes, maybe it does have to do with Lloyd and Walters and the revelation about Prospero. He's a bully, and so, despite the great Shakespeare's poetry laced throughout it, I've decided--maybe just for the time being--that The Tempest is one of the man's 37 plays that I like less than many of the others.

This, of course, is no reason for anyone to pass up the enormous pleasures Lloyd, Walters and company bring to it.
Responding to a recent Trump tweet calling for America to "strengthen and expand" its nuclear capability, Senator Merkley (D-Oregon) concluded, "We have an incoming president with the maturity of a five-year-old, wrapped by a massive ego." While agreeing with the Merkeley's diagnosis, I would, as a good Freudian, ascribe the President-elect's immaturity to his id, not his ego. Egos develop as children grow into the awareness that they are not the center of the world; that their wishes are not omnipotent; that relationships and satisfactions must be negotiated. For most children that happens around the age of seven. Before then, they live in the insatiable world of their id, where (as my fave lyric from The Sound of Music goes), "every star and every whirling planet, every constellation in the sky, revolves around the center of the universe, that lovely thing called 'I'."



Ironically, Trump's nuclear tweet and the senator's diagnosis were made during this past holiday season, when we replayed the words of the Prophet Isaiah, "For unto us a Child is born, a Son is given...and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God...Prince of Peace." On that prophecy of a Divine Child who will grow into a messiah, a savior, an avatar, we light the Christmas Tree and Menorah candles, or, moving towards the Ganges, shoot off fireworks for Diwali.



According to Luke, Jesus was such a child, a penniless prince born in a stable, whose birth was announced by angels; whose Star guided three kings to a stable. He's the brilliant bar mitzvah student who confounds the rabbis in the Temple. And according to one of the non-canonical apocrypha, he's the toddler who shapes birds out of clay which then take off in flight. In India that Child is Krishna, beloved of the Gopi cowgirls; a naughty avatar of Vishnu who was suspected of stealing milk by his mother Devaki. Looking for evidence, she forces Krishna to open his mouth. What she finds causes her to faint: instead of traces of the stolen milk she beholds all the swimming constellations of the cosmos where his molars ought to be.



Carl Jung was the first to define the Divine Child as an archetype, hardwired into our unconscious mind which craves light at the nadir of the year. For Jung "the Divine Child represents the strongest, the most ineluctable urge in every human being, namely the urge to realize itself, an incarnation of the inability to do otherwise...revealed in the miraculous deeds of the child hero." Exploring the hero myth, Jung concludes that the Divine Child "represents our efforts to deal with the problem of growing up, aided by the illusion of an eternal fiction." Thus for Jung, the child archetype is a symbol of the developing personality.



But what if the child doesn't develop? What if Jesus continued to distinguish himself as a molder of clay birds, or Krishna as a milk thief? All that childish id controlled by an anemic ego? I discovered just such a perversion of the Divine Child archetype while collecting myths and folktales from the Mende people in Sierra Leone, West Africa. His name was Little Moses (Musa Wo). Born a prince like many heroes of African myth (Sundiata, Shango, Mwindo, etc), Little Moses begins his career as an enfant terrible, but descends to the level of a relentless and obscene monster. Born parthenogenetically from his mother's thumb (shades of Athena from Zeus's forehead), he travels with a magic turtle whose farts revivify the dead. He knows the language of animals, and is under their totemic patronage. But instead of using these divine attributes for the benefit of his subjects, Little Moses destroys the very institutions which sustain him. A list of his crimes reads like Charles Manson's police blotter: Fratricide, patricide, genocide, mutilation, mayhem, incitement to murder, fraud, and political destabilization...the list might be extended, but only in the same direction. Pornography and violence run towards exhaustion after their first exhilarating climaxes. Perhaps this is the reason Mende storytellers say that a Little Moses story can never be ended.



The mystery of Little Moses lies in the disjunction between the hopes he raises as a rebellious youth, and the appalling results of his unrestrained actions. Perhaps this is what Senator Merkley meant when he called President Trump a five year old child, suffering from what on-line blogger N. Ziehl describes as Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), a "incurable and barely treatable" malady from which Trump almost certainly suffers.



The NPD sufferer will say whatever feels most comfortable or good to him at any given time. He will lie a lot. As Ziehl says, "if you're trying to reconcile or analyze his words, don't. Only address his actions...If he gets enough accolades for better behavior, he might continue to try it. But don't count on it....Entitlement is a key aspect of the disorder. He will not observe traditional boundaries of office. He states that rules don't apply to him...It's very common for non-disordered people to lower their own expectations and try to normalize NPD behavior. DO NOT DO THIS AND DO NOT ALLOW OTHERS, ESPECIALLY THE MEDIA, TO DO THIS. Pay attention to your own emotions: do you sort of enjoy his clowning? is this kind of fun and dramatic, in a sick way?"
Today's Neologism "CorpUps"

Davos is a sleepy ski town with a lovely winding main street. In the three days preceding the WEF annual meeting, many of the stores are emptied and teams do a complete renovation to turn them into Corporate Popups. Call them CorpUps. Companies like Accenture, Credit Suisse, Facebook, Generale, HSBC, IBM, Planantir (who built the cockpit of a jet as a bar), Salesforce, SAP, and Thompson Reuters. Davos looks more like a corporate mall than a ski village. But it sure is great to be able to drop into to any of these Corpups and get great coffee snacks and talk to an eager customer relationship person. (see above photo)

Theme 1: China Steps into the Global Leadership Vacuum

On a more serious note, the buzz here is that the appearance of Chinese President Xi Jinping was pretty much a calculated masterpiece. It sure was an interesting coincidence, that in the first days of the Trump Era, that after 47 years China sent its leader to speak at Davos. In a thinly veiled polemic against protectionism in general and Trump's "America First" rhetoric in particular, Xi argued that countries shouldn't be blindly pursuing their national interests.

Pointing to the sluggish global economy he asked, "What strategies would bring about growth?" Mr. Xi likened protectionism to "locking oneself in a dark room" in the hopes of protecting oneself from danger, but in so doing, cutting off all "light and air." He compared global markets as a great ocean and said that it's a mistake to retreat to shore every time there is a storm - or worse, turn the world into a collection of lakes and creeks. He pointed to a lack of global governance as being inadequate and inclusive. Governments, global finance, and rules are not keeping up with changes to the global economy.

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He came across as a supporter of innovation, International cooperation, of abiding by global agreements such as climate and overall presented himself as the statesman needed to fill a global leadership vacuum. (Needless to say he didn't mention political oppression and limitations of free speech and organization in China - the final prerequisite for China to assume a true leadership role.)

Some Davos Facts: 6Number of Trudeau cabinet ministers attending Davos

26 Heads of State

62 Number of Canadians

500 Number of journalists

1971 Year the World Economic Forum was founded.

2,500 Number of delegates

7,000 Number of young people part of the Forum's global "Shapers"

11,000 Population of Davos

16,000 Numbers of additional support staff and other hangers on

30,000 Population of Davos during the meeting.

8 million Number of francs the Swiss government spends on security

Theme 2: The Global Implosion of Trust

Another hot topic here is the just-released Edelman Trust Barometer, which showed the largest-ever drop in trust across the institutions of government, business, media and NGOs around the world.

In this era of fake news, it's no surprise that trust in media (43 percent) is at all-time lows in 17 countries. Trust levels in government (41 percent) dropped in 14 markets and is the least trusted institution in half of the 28 countries surveyed.

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The credibility of business leaders is also falling. CEO credibility dropped 12 points globally to an all-time low of 37 percent. This was true of all countries studied. The least credible is government leaders at just 29 percent.

"Business is the last retaining wall for trust" - Kathryn Beiser, Edelman

Edelman has done the survey for the past 17 years, and more than 33,000 respondents were sampled. "Business is the last retaining wall for trust," said Kathryn Beiser, global chair of Edelman's Corporate practice. "Its leaders must step up on the issues that matter for society. It has done a masterful job of illustrating the benefits of innovation but has done little to discuss the impact those advances will have on people's jobs. Business must also focus on paying employees fairly, while providing better benefits and job training."

Theme 3: The Fourth Industrial Revolution beginning to wipe out entire sectors of the Workforce

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a big Davos theme, and this year the focus is on the downside. The first revolution used water and steam power to mechanize things like shovels. The second, caused by the advent of electric power, enabled mass production. The third, the digital revolution, saw us using electronics and information technology to automate production and it gave rise to the Internet, the World Wide Web, mobile computing, and social media.

Now, we are in a Fourth - in which technology is being fused into almost everything in the physical, digital and biological worlds. Ubiquitous digital technologies, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, the so called Internet of Things, 3D printing, nanotechnology, robotics, biotechnology and big developments in materials science, energy storage and quantum computing are starting to shake the windows and rattle the walls of the global economy. One of these is a topic of special interest to me - the technology behind the digital currencies like Bitcoin called the blockchain. Together they are creating entirely new capabilities and dramatic impacts on, well, just about everything - our political, social and economic systems and the future of civilization.

This Fourth Industrial Revolution brings disruption and a human cost along with its seemingly limitless applications. Soon the rise of "smart factories" may replace factory workers, leaving millions unemployed. And it's not just blue collar workers either - technology is now targeted at the heart of professions from doctors and druggists to limo drivers and airline pilots.

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In the past years at Davos, most people argued that like all of the revolutions that came before it, this one will displace old industries with new ones and overall contribute to jobs and prosperity. This year, delegates have woken up to the reality and are struggling to find ways that innovation can contribute to inclusive growth rather than exacerbate unemployment and income inequality.

In one session, US Secretary of State John Kerry stunned the audience by saying that it's not outsourcing that is causing job loss in America. 85 percent of job losses over the last decade are actually attributable to technological change -- largely automation -- rather than international trade.

How can breakthroughs in science and technology help in solving problems of the global commons from climate change to public health? How will emerging technologies transform the global security landscape? How can governments build institutions capable of making decisions when the challenges they face are more complex, fast-moving and interconnected than ever before?

All good questions. More on this as I formulate some conclusions from the week.
As over 200,000 protestors converge on DC this weekend for the Women's March and other anti-Trump rallies, conservatives have a message: the protestors are marching against democracy and representative government.

Writing in The Spectator, Joanna Williams claimed that "the Women's March on Washington is a protest against democracy," composed of bitter "Trump-haters" who have forgotten basic democratic principles in a "cry of rage."

"Protesting against an incoming president," she declared, "is less a bid to overturn new laws and more an expression of distaste against the electorate."

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Dave Jones, a prominent Trump supporter, went further, arguing the planned peaceful demonstration is "direct assault on our democracy."

They're wrong. The hundreds of thousands of women and allies marching in DC--and in 620 cities across the world in solidarity-- are not protesting democracy. They are defending it.

Democracy is more than the scramble to 270 electors in the electoral college. It's more than winning the most votes. (By that metric, incidentally, Hillary Clinton won overwhelmingly).

True democracy builds a society and civic culture in which all people are regarded with respect, dignity, and care. True democracy safeguards fundamental rights. True democracy protects the vulnerable and supports the disenfranchised.

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The best articulation of this conception of democratic theory comes from the late Ronald Dworkin, a legal philosopher who taught at Oxford, NYU, and Yale Law School. According to Dworkin, governments gain legitimacy by "treat[ing] all those in its charge as equals, that is entitled to equal concern and respect."

Majoritarianism is part of democracy. To apply Dworkin's framework, granting one vote to each person gives "equal concern and respect" to a polity. But democracy is much more expansive than counting ballots in an election. "Democratic elections" and "democracy" are not synonyms.

To Dworkin, "equal concern and respect" involved protecting individual rights. He called individual rights "political trumps held by individuals."

These political trumps are more important than political Trump. Politicians, even those elected democratically, cannot violate individual rights. And rights, in turn, provide the foundation for democracy.

The marchers (and full disclosure: I am one of them, participating in the Women's March in London) are responding to Trump's failure to respect individual rights and equality. The proposed policies and actions of President-Elect Trump militate against a true democracy, even if he was democratically elected.

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Consider candidate Trump. He vowed to discriminate against religious minorities, crack down on the press, round up immigrants, punish women for abortions, and revitalize torture. These policies hardly treat people with "equal concern and respect."

Or take Trump's actions since November 8. He's refused to renounce some of his most odious policies. He's appointed White House advisers who have promoted Islamaphobia, white nationalism, and anti-Semitism. In public statements, Trump has reaffirmed his contempt for the basic rights that are central to democracy.

And most frighteningly, he's double downed on implementing his proposals to restrict individual rights. Just last night, Trump told donors, "We will do what we said we will do. Believe me."

In Freedom's Law, Dworkin posited, "deference to temporary majorities on matters of individual right is... brutal and alien, and many other nations with firm democratic traditions now reject it as fake."

Ultimately, the protestors are refusing to give "deference to [Trump's] a temporary majority on the matters of individual rights." And in the process, they are upholding "democratic traditions," not undermining them.

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They're not just marching against Trump, but for democracy.
The attacks by Trump, Trump's Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus, and some GOP leaders on Georgia Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis for flatly calling Trump's presidency "not legitimate" was predictable. What wasn't expected was the criticism from a few Democrats who voiced some dismay at Lewis's broadside against Trump. There were two glaring problems with this. The first is that this feeds the deep suspicion that more than a few Democrats, especially Democratic senators, are more than willing to make nice with Trump and the GOP on vital legislative and public policy issues ranging from his jaded cabinet picks to their big-ticket assault on the Affordable Care Act.

The fear level jumped when the GOP fast tracked the confirmation hearing of Trump's Justice Department head pick, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, and HUD pick, Ben Carson, that brought only a tepid challenge from Democratic senate committee members. The fear level jumped even higher when some Democrats talk about seeking compromise measures to soften the GOP's gut or outright scrap of Obamacare.

The other problem is the collective amnesia some Democrats exhibit when they stoop to criticizing Lewis for hammering Trump. Trump first ran for president in 2012, not 2016. Initially, his candidacy was widely regarded as a cross between a media oddity and PT Barnum self-promotion stunt. That is until he managed to figure out the one angle that was a surefire way to get attention. That was to dredge up the birthers' lie about President Obama citizenship.

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Trump knew it would get the tongues wagging and oodles of attention and invites on network talk shows. Trump's revisit to the bogus issue in 2012 did not mark him as a serious contender for the GOP presidential nomination then. However, it did put a quasi-public figure, who had become something of a household name, on record that the birther issue had enough merit to become a campaign issue. No matter that it had been thoroughly debunked and discredited that it soon joined the pantheon of politically correct no-no's for any of the pack of would-be GOP presidential contenders to raise. Trump knew that but that was partly why he blurted it out. He also knew that while it was a taboo subject to raise in polite political circles, a significant number, if not majority of Republicans, actually believed or wanted to believe that Obama's birth was a legitimate issue to dump back on the political table.

The point was really not Obama's birthplace or citizenship. The point was to tag Obama's presidency as illegitimate. If Trump and the GOP could drive that notion deep into the thinking of millions, then it could become a backdoor way to destabilize the Obama administration on any and every policy initiative he pushed on health care, the economy, and a softer foreign policy outreach. It worked to perfection in the 2014 mid-term elections. The GOP took back the Senate and tightened its grip on the House. With the Congressional numbers in its favor, it now could keep the issue of repealing the Affordable Care Act alive long enough to hope that a GOP president could win the White House in 2017 and deal the final coup de grace to the law.

Even after Trump withdrew from the GOP presidential hunt in 2012, he did not back away from still taunting Obama as an illegitimate president. Whenever he did, it stirred media attention and kept the Trump name out there. That was just enough for him to mount a serious run from the White House in 2016. This time he didn't need to make an issue of Obama's alleged illegitimate presidency to get attention. He was a household name and could cloak his presidential bid with respectability by playing the angry champion of the poor put upon working man candidate. This was more than enough too mark him, and his campaign, as a political horse of a different color from the established pack of established GOP candidates. Even better for Trump, he got a total pass from the press and worse, Democrats, in not waving his past of assailing Obama's presidency as illegitimate in his campaign face. And reminding all how he used that to first make a presidential name for himself.

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It was almost as if this issue was never an issue with Trump. So, when Lewis had the temerity to call out Trump's presidency as not legitimate it seemed more than fitting to turn the table on the man who made his bones on calling another president not legitimate. Democrats shouldn't forget that ploy by Trump when he officially takes over the Oval Office. After all this was an office that he, of all people, felt the president that occupied it before him didn't legitimately belong in and he made his political reputation by saying so.
U.S. President Barack Obama holds his final press conference at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 18, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Right on cue, as President Obama readies his exit from office, The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza this week published a misguided critique of the Democrat's two terms. His analysis focused specifically on Obama's broken "promise" and parroted a favorite Beltway media talking point: Both sides are to blame for the federal government being mired in "partisan gridlock" during his eight years, and it's largely Obama's fault he didn't "fix" politics. Obama didn't create "a government that worked for all of us"; he failed to create "something new, different and better," wrote Cillizza.

Cillizza acknowledges that "Democrats immediately point to the fact that congressional Republicans, almost from the first day of Obama's time in the White House, made opposing him a political strategy," but dismisses it as being the primary cause for the partisan mess. (In Cillizza's view, it's both sides' supposed culpability for the failed "grand bargain" in 2011 that serves as the key event.)

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The erroneous analysis represents a safe refrain that's been repeated by journalists for years, as they've collectively convinced themselves that Obama's culpable for the radical Republican obstruction that partly defined his two terms. They're comfortably certain that if Obama had just reached out earlier, or more aggressively, or more sincerely (or "schmooz[ed]" a bit harder), things could have played out more smoothly and Obama could have written a different Beltway script where harmony and progress reigned.

It's pure fantasy, of course.

Fact: When Republican leadership adopted the radical position that they'd refuse to even hold hearings for Obama's next Supreme Court nominee, the GOP systematically shred more than 100 years of protocol in the process. That's what Obama faced for much of the last eight years, and the press's messaging has helped Republicans every step of the way.

Still, the bipartisan fantasy endured: Republicans wanted to work with Obama and make serious, good-faith deals, it's just that Obama wasn't savvy enough to read their signals (i.e. Why won't he just lead?).

What's so bizarre about this parallel universe that the press concocted is that by the end of Obama's second term, Republicans weren't even trying to hide their radically obstructionist ways in closed-door strategy sessions. They bragged about refusing to work with Democrats. (Today, they insist that Trump, who lost the popular vote, somehow secured a "mandate" that Democrats must respect.)

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Yet here's Cillizza in the face of Republican obstructionist boasts, still pretending Obama's largely at fault for screwing things up and that he passed up a great chance to forever fix partisan rancor. So desperate is the media's need to portray the Republican Party as a mainstream institution that has not drastically veered toward the fringes in recent years, that journalists are willing to blame the victim. And they've been willing, and eager, to normalize Republican behavior.

Just logically, why would the president who's had his agenda categorically obstructed be the one blamed for having his agenda categorically obstructed, and not the politicians who purposefully plotted the standoff? It doesn't make sense, other than because the Beltway press is opting to give in to Republicans and downplaying the party's radical ways -- in an apparent effort to maintain the preferred media mirage that "both sides" are to blame when the government doesn't function.

When Republicans obstructed Obama's agenda, the president was responsible for not changing the GOP's unprecedented behavior. And if it wasn't entirely Obama's fault, then "both sides" were to blame for the GOP's extremist actions and the grand gridlock it purposefully produced.

And the media blame game started from essentially day one for Obama. On January 29, 2009, the Los Angeles Times reported, "As the House on Wednesday gave President Obama the first big legislative victory of his term, it was clear that his efforts so far had not delivered the post-partisan era that he called for in his inauguration address."

Meaning, nine days after first being sworn in, Obama was being blamed for not having ushered in a shiny, new "post-partisan era." (Loved that Times headline, too: "Newpolitical era? Same as the old one.")

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But no, Obama didn't usher in a new bipartisan era, because Republicans wouldn't let him -- and that's according to Republicans. "If he was for it, we had to be against it," was how former Republican Ohio Sen. George Voinovich once explained the GOP's knee-jerk response to Obama proposals.

Given a path by the press to obstruct Obama and to also be rewarded for scoring victories over him in the process, Republicans seized every opportunity and soon defied historic norms.

We saw it with the sequester obstruction, government shutdown obstruction, paid leave obstruction, cabinet nominee obstruction, Hurricane Sandy emergency relief obstruction, the consistent obstruction of judicial nominees, the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act obstruction, and of course the 2013 gun bill obstruction.

That was the expanded background check bill featuring a centerpiece proposal that enjoyed nearly 90 percent public approval, including overwhelming support from Republican voters and gun owners. But Obama couldn't get most Republican senators to budge. "There were some on my side who did not want to be seen helping the president do something he wanted to get done, just because the president wanted to do it," explained Sen. Patrick Toomey (R-PA), who was one of just four Republicans who voted for the compromise bill.

But most of the context was left out of the gun vote coverage in 2013, as pundits and press rushed in to blame "Obama and his allies" for the actions of obstructionist Republicans.

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For the record, there were some lonely voices in the Beltway wilderness who specifically debunked the "both sides" meme and placed the gridlock responsibility squarely on the shoulders of activist Republicans.

"We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional," scholars Thomas Mann and Norm Ornstein wrote in The Washington Post in 2012 in an essay adapted from their then-new book. "In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party."

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Sunday morning broadcast network political talk shows and much of the media at large wasn't interested in their analysis, which Ornstein told The Washington Post's Greg Sargent was unfortunate given the fact that their assessment "focused on press culpability -- it would be hard to find a more sensitive issue for the media than the question of whether they're doing their job."

That simply wasn't the preferred story the Beltway press wanted to tell during the Obama years.
Iranian Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif speaks at the World Economic Forum. Image credit: AP

One has to give it to Jawad Zarif. Not only can Iran's chief diplomat bluff, but -- as attendees at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting found out -- he can do it while keeping a straight face. Speaking at a special panel in Davos, Iran's foreign minister said he cannot see a reason why his country cannot work closer with arch-rival Saudi Arabia to ensure regional stability.

"I do not see any reason Iran and Saudi Arabia should have hostile policies toward each other," Zarif said. "We can in fact cooperate for the future stability of our region. We can in fact work together in order to put an end to the miserable condition of the people in Syria, Yemen, Bahrain and elsewhere in the region."

As heart-warming and positive as the words of Tehran's leading spin-doctor may seem on the surface, the subliminal messages are quite disturbing and inaccurate, as they seek to equate the villain (Iran) with the victim (Arab countries that have suffered from Tehran's meddling).

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Zarif can pretend to be as dovish as he wants, but the reality is that there is nothing he could say that will sugar-coat the "big bad wolf" behavior his government is engaging in; behavior that is not harmful only to Saudi Arabia, but to the whole of the Middle East.

If Iran truly seeks regional peace and stability, what is stopping it from ceasing to support the Houthi militias that have overthrown the UN-backed legitimate government in Yemen, or ceasing its backing of Shiite militias in Lebanon and Iraq? What is stopping Tehran from ending its support for the murderous Syrian regime, which has so far overseen the killing of over 400,000 people and the displacement of millions since 2011?

If Iran is serious, why does it not unilaterally announce that it will no longer meddle in the affairs of neighboring Arab countries, and that it will no longer incite sectarian rift in the region?

All these questions could have been raised during the session in Davos, but there is only so much a WEF-appointed moderator can do, particularly if the interviewee refuses to take questions (the forum, as a Switzerland-based entity, opts not to take sides). The situation would have been quite different if Zarif's Saudi counterpart, or at least a representative of the Kingdom, was on the panel to hit back with the facts.

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In the backdrop of the recently concluded BRICS* health ministers' meeting in New Delhi, Chandra Kishore (CK) Mishra, India's Secretary for Health & Family Welfare and Dr Flavia Bustreo reflect on the benefits of effective collaboration to improve health and development and the new ways of working needed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) era**.

Unique relationship

The working relationship between the Government of India and the World Health Organization (WHO) is unique and, perhaps the most mutually symbiotic relationship in the history of public health, playing a critical role in the country taking giant strides in improving its health outcomes. From eliminating polio and maternal and neonatal tetanus to reducing preventable maternal and child mortality, the Indian government, with technical support from support WHO, has conceived and implemented many successful health initiatives.

The success against polio has generated renewed enthusiasm to eliminate other killer diseases in India. Mission Indradhanush, the Indian government's flagship campaign to achieve full immunization coverage of all children and pregnant women, is a testimony to this change. This campaign aims to immunize children against seven preventable childhood diseases. The government has also introduced the pentavalent and rotavirus vaccines to tackle the huge burden of childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea, and has announced the rollout of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine early next year.

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This positive momentum for health is further reflected in India's National Strategic Plan (2017-23) to ensure a TB-free India by 2035, which is being developed in partnership with WHO. The government also launched its national strategy for adolescent health in 2014 - the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) - which aims to promote health and well-being throughout the life course and build a strong foundation for India's socio-economic development.

This extraordinary collaboration demonstrates how it is possible for a WHO Member State - in this case India - to "set the agenda" and drive its own health reform, while remaining in step with the health standards and priorities established by WHO in its role as the global coordinating authority on health. While this partnership can act as a model of engagement for other Member States, it should be noted that the world has now entered a new phase.

BRICS and the SDGs

In September 2015, the international community endorsed the SDGs. Health and international development stakeholders need to up their game if we are to achieve these ambitious objectives. Universal health coverage and the elimination of preventable mortality cannot be achieved with a business-as-usual approach.

BRICS, and especially India with other Member States, must play a leading role in realizing these ambitious goals in collaboration with WHO and other development partners. Ensuring good health and well-being is a key cornerstone of the SDGs framework, which will require political will, targeted financing and a thriving health innovation ecosystem. India can play a major role by leveraging its position as the Chair of the BRICS' New Development Bank (NDB) to position health as a key investment area for the bank. It can also work with WHO to implement the health R&D roadmap and expand access to affordable lifesaving drugs and vaccines.

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India unequivocally supports the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health (2016-2030), which provides focused guidance to end preventable deaths, promote health and wellbeing and expand enabling environments to achieve good health.

Through an open, mutually reinforcing working relationship that is underpinned by an eagerness to share knowledge and best practice, India and WHO can ensure timely progress against the Global Strategy's various targets and help realize the SDGs.

This approach is already reflected in the BRICS Framework for Collaboration on Strategic Projects in Health. South-South learning between Member States is of particular value, as is already taking place through governments' collaboration as Partners in Population and Development (PPD). Such efforts need to be amplified.



New ways of working

WHO fully realizes that it needs to be better prepared to respond effectively in the SDGs era. It can do this by evolving new ways of working, creating a more agile organization by updating its governance and leadership, drawing on the best minds in global public health, adapting rapidly to emerging health challenges and being more responsive to countries' needs.

Member States must play an important role in WHO's evolution by providing feedback on the kind of support they value most and the global collective action that is required. This will need WHO to work ever more closely with them, especially countries from the global South. Member states should contribute financially to support global collective action and take clear ownership of their national health agendas. WHO can also benefit from these countries' indigenous medicine systems by incorporating their traditional knowledge to complement the existing scientific know-how, and help these countries to develop policies and assess the required investments to support traditional medicine.

With the world facing critical health threats such as antimicrobial resistance, we need to urgently scale up the in-country laboratory capacities and mobilize sufficient human and financial resources to strengthen surveillance of emerging threats. This can be best managed by WHO under the able guidance of a seasoned global health leader who has a thorough understanding of the organization and its current functioning, the leadership vision, management skills, and perhaps, most importantly, the current experience of updating its governance and leadership to make WHO 'fit for purpose' to effectively serve its critical role.

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Going forward, WHO will be judged by its ability to deliver on its mandate as the coordinating and technical authority on global health and the results that it produces for its Member States. We want to assure the international community that we intend to further leverage our strong and evolving partnership to realize good health and well-being for people around the world.

*BRICS is the acronym for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

**The views expressed here are solely those of the authors in their private capacity.
I normally write something for the Huffington Post at least once a month, but I admit that even before the actual election, I began to have a bit of writer's block, which only intensified with the surprise outcome on November 8th. I wasn't sure whether to write about feeling heartbroken and angry, or to attempt to find some Kumbaya spirit and consider ways to bring everyone together using art and music as therapy. I am essentially an optimist, and in most everything I write, I attempt to find some element of hopefulness. I also pride myself on being someone who actually enjoys helping people to find common ground, and using my skills as a writer to negotiate opposing sides.

However. This is a toughie. My general practice when something upsets me is to let my mind untangle for a time until words come out that may make sense of my anger and frustration to me and hopefully to others. But especially after the election, the words just weren't coming. I couldn't find the sense in what happened, and I couldn't find the silver lining.

What started to form in my head instead was an idea about artists as communicators, and therefore influencers. All of the news stories about Russia have reminded me of a project I participated in when I was a child in the 1980's, during the height of the Cold War. It was a musical called "Peace Child" that was created in 1981 detailing the adventures of fictional Soviet and American children who meet and become friends. Frightened of the prospect of nuclear war, the children decide that if the kids from the two countries can become friends, they can bring their message of peace to the adults and politicians. The children eventually bring about a meeting of the political leaders of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R, resulting in peace talks between the nations.

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The musical itself began with real life American children performing throughout the United States, and then brought a tour with some of those children to the Soviet Union to perform the musical for Soviet audiences, and eventually became the first time Soviet children were allowed to travel to the United States as the very first youth cultural exchange between the two nations.

I performed roles in the musical many times throughout my childhood, and participated in one of the performances that featured Soviet children in San Francisco. The Soviet kids, despite being followed very closely by their K.G.B. agents, ran around, danced and sang with us American kids, and we all threw our arms around each other and made immediate friends - performing together creates deep bonds, no matter the circumstances. The "Peace Child" musical was performed over 5000 times in 31 countries, involving 250,000 children, and resulted in life imitating art when in 1986, after working with U.S. and Soviet administrations to create the first cultural exchange between Soviet and American youth, Mikhail Gorbachev invited the Peace Child foundation to work with his Green Cross organization to fight climate change. (info from the Peace Child International Website)

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It was not only the news stories about Russia that made me think of "Peace Child" - it was the idea that something artistic that speaks to individuals can have a great impact on people, beyond just making a statement. The disconnect, fear, and lack of understanding between Americans and Soviets of the 1980's reminds me of the way the people perceive one another on either side of the political aisle in the United States right now. People are now so ensconced in their beliefs - they can, if they choose, watch, read and follow news and social media stories that only support what they believe, and therefore the other side of the political spectrum has become almost like another country with whom we are in a non-communicating war.

But art will always have the ability to transcend the cold. Just after the election I performed Handel's Messiah in Kansas City, Missouri. As I sat in front of the orchestra waiting for my solos and listening to the glorious music, I looked out at the faces of the audience members, who were nodding their heads, smiling, closing their eyes, and enjoying the music created by this long dead German guy, brought to life by people from within their community and those of us flown in from far and wide. I can guarantee you that there were people from across the political spectrum sitting in that audience, but we were all experiencing something together that connected us no matter our political opinions. Art will always be a form of communication that can be shared by people who may feel they have nothing else in common.

So back to my original question: What can artists contribute to a polarized political climate? Of course artists who are famous can and will use their fame to express their opinions and to fight against what they feel is unjust. But those of us who aren't famous and don't have that same platform have something to contribute as well: our ability to communicate with those we may not understand or feel connected to in other ways. If "Peace Child" could bring about the first youth cultural exchanges between two countries that faced the prospect of war, artists today must encourage the same exchanges between red states and blue states, who are seemingly at war with words and ideas and even to some degree cultural identity despite being in the same country.

I read today that the new administration has plans to completely defund the National Endowment for the Arts. I'm here to tell you that this must not happen. Our country is in a communication meltdown, and eliminating funding, and therefore support of the arts is not the answer. The arts may be one of the only pieces of glue that is holding us together with which we can still share and find common ground. We may disagree about almost everything, but we still all go out and see the same movies, listen to the same songs on the radio, and download the soundtrack to Hamilton. And the classical art forms that receive funding from the N.E.A. allow new works that influence and inspire everyone from Francis Ford Coppola to Lin Manuel Miranda. I'm serious: Miranda wouldn't have been able to come up with his genius libretto for Hamilton without the musicals that came before him, which wouldn't have existed without the operas and operettas that came before those, which have always found a way to delve into political issues while still transcending their arguments (Mozart and Da Ponte were deconstructing the relationships between royalty and servants a long time before Miranda was turning history on its head by repositioning a historical figure as a rap / hip-hop / musical theater icon).

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I guess my conclusion is that our work as artists continues to be to make great art, and also to find ways to present that art to people who might think they are excluded from experiencing it. We should follow the lead of the San Francisco Gay Men's chorus who after the election cancelled their trip to Europe to instead started planning a tour of red states. We need to acknowledge that while arts and artists tend to propagate in cities and urban areas, the rural areas need access to our creations even if it means performing for an audience of 10 initially unwilling audience members. Artists are communicators and we need to use our skills with determination and focus, in order to make sure everyone understands our importance in every day life.
Sora casting the Tornado spell attack in 'Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.' (Photo : YouTube/ Kingdom Hearts)

With the end of the holidays several new games have launched in Japan. Topping the charts are two highly anticipated titles: the J-RPG "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" and the visual novel "Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony."



An official chart of hardware sales and software sales has been released by 4Gamer (via Gematsu). The chart shows that not only do the two games top the charts but "Danganronpa V3" takes both the second and third spots since it has a port on the PS4 and the PS Vita.



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"Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8" will be the final release of remastered content and spin-off materials before Square-Enix launches "Kingdom Hearts 3." The former contains a remastered port of "Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance" as well as a CGI movie and a prologue game titled "Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth By Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage."



Most of the other games in the chart have seen a decrease in sales. However, "Yokai Watch 3: Sakiyuki" only saw a 2 percent drop and the PS4 version of "Grand Theft Auto V" saw an increase of 6 percent, Attack of the Fanboy reported.



"Pokemon Sun and Moon" for the Nintendo 3DS have taken the fourth spot of software sales, having been on the top position for several weeks since their launch.



In terms of hardware, the Playstation 4 managed to top the sales and is the only console to have seen an improvement in sales. Nintendo 3DS sales dropped by more than half of last week's sales and the Wii U only managed to sell 1,169 units.



The Wii U is expected to continue to dwindle now that Nintendo has officially ended all support for the system in favor of the new and upcoming Nintendo Switch. The Switch will launch worldwide on March 3.



The official trailer for "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" can be viewed below:






This piece is co-authored by Thomas Kveiborg, Executive Director for Ramboll Environment & Health.

Prices for solar and wind power are falling sharply, and speeding the transition to green energy. At the same time, investors are increasingly turning away from fossil fuels. Anticipated changes in US energy policy under the U.S. administration taking over January 20 won't stop this trend.





The U.S. presidential election has raised concerns about the implications of possible changes in U.S. energy and carbon management policy, and associated effects on environmental policy around the world. But it appears that such changes in U.S. policy under the new administration taking over on January 20 won't have as much of an effect on the "green transition" from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources as many believe. Instead, the green transition will continue to be motivated by global market forces rather than changes in policy in the US or other jurisdictions.

This was also the conclusion at the UN's climate conference COP22 in Morocco in November, after the initial reaction to the result of the US election had died down. At the meetings in which Ramboll participated, a slogan quickly arose that "Markets eat politics for breakfast". And market forces are turning greener all the time.

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In Denmark we have clearly felt the greening of the market, such as when the price for power from the new wind farm, Kriegers Flak set a world record - in a good way - during the bidding process in November. According to The Economist, the average price for offshore wind in Northern Europe was cut by 50% in just three years.



Also outside Europe, things are moving fast. The Chinese wind market now accounts for half of the world market, and China plans to build the equivalent of 25 Anholt offshore wind farms by 2020 at the latest - something that Danish companies are well aware of: Ramboll is the first foreign engineering consultancy for offshore wind in China.

Solar prices are falling even faster, and this source of renewable energy is now competitive with gas and in some areas also coal, particularly in Africa. Also for solar, China is the world's largest producer, and the country plans to triple its capacity by the end of the decade.

The Chinese are not only driven by the declining prices, but also the risk of social unrest in their population from the heavily polluting coal-power plants. Representatives for the Chinese government have repeatedly emphasised that the country's climate action is not dependent on the rest of the world - and thus not affected if the US tries to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

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India is also focusing on climate action in its domestic politics - as protection against storms, floods and other destructive weather events.

The poorest countries of the world may lack money for climate investments, but even this can be solved: Bill Gates, together with other major business investors is creating a fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, to invest over a billion dollars in companies that develop sustainable energy solutions.

Even in the US home market, the impact of anticipated policies favoring traditional fossil fuels like coal and oil will be limited. No company will drill an oil well if it is not profitable, and the main reason for the declining US coal production is not the outgoing administration's policy - but the availability of cheaper (and more CO2-friendly) shale gas.

And moreover, the states are largely self-determining in the area of energy. For instance, California intends to continue to tighten environmental requirements on cars and to set strict climate targets.

In addition, energy buyers are becoming increasing more interested in knowing what they are actually paying for. In 2017, Google will buy renewable energy to match the total consumption of its data centres and offices around the world. And we are talking here about a company with energy consumption comparable to its hometown, San Francisco.

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At the same time, a growing number of investors refuse to put money into fossil energy projects. The World Bank will only invest in coal, if there are absolutely no other less-polluting alternatives. The world's largest investment fund - the Norwegian government's Pension Fund Global, which holds more than 1 percent of all registered shares - entirely rejects coal investments.



Also in Ramboll, we have not felt any waning interest in our climate-related services - neither during COP22 nor after. Implementing climate protection measures and energy system analyses are rarely requested for idealistic reasons alone - but in response to market demand. And because it increasingly pays off.
"This is your victory," President Barack Obama said in his 2008 victory speech given at a time when the country was in the worst economic recession in decades, with unemployment soaring, the financial markets near total collapse, and the country immersed with two costly foreign wars.

He inherited a dispirited and scared nation consumed with uncertainty and fear. But his message to the quarter million people gathered in Chicago's Grant Park, and tens of millions Americans watching on television, was one of hope. "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep," he said. "We may not get there in one year or even one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there."

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Many of those who voted for President Obama, the nation's first African American president, were seeking change. The government in Washington was failing, the political system was broken, and big money had too much influence. Manufacturing jobs were fleeing the country, millions of Americans had no health care, and the middle class was shrinking. America's place in the world was diminishing, terrorists cast a shadow over daily life, and U.S. soldiers were dying in two distant wars that seemed interminable.

President Obama's message of hope, his intelligence, his thoughtfulness, his incredibly positive demeanor, his decency, his integrity, his fine character, his grace under pressure, his equanimity and good temperament are traits that he lived by every day.

Many challenges faced this president. At the moment he was sworn in for his first term, the Republican leadership agreed to block every initiative, law, or action the president proposed. They proclaimed they wanted to make him a one-term president. Members of Congress, right wing radio talk show hosts and a New York real estate mogul constantly questioned President Obama's religion, citizenship and character. The attempts to delegitimize the president were disgusting and demeaning, and they added fuel to a very combustible situation created by those motivated by their own self-interests.

No president has been perfect. Every president makes mistakes, some more than others. History will ultimately be the judge of Obama's presidency. But, despite the challenges, he leaves office with many accomplishments. He was a truly consequential president.

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President Obama saved the country from the Great Recession. He saved the auto industry. Unemployment fell from nearly 10 percent to 4.7 percent during his presidency, and the stock market has nearly tripled (almost all of it before his successor was elected). He extended health insurance to 20 million Americans, dramatically slowed the growth of health care costs, and made it possible for those with pre-existing health conditions to get insurance. President Obama supported marriage equality, repealed the military's "don't ask-don't tell" policy, signed legislation to combat pay discrimination against women, and signed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. He signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Protection Act, and he signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act. The president improved school nutrition programs, boosted fuel efficiency in cars, invested more in Veteran's Affairs, and reduced the homeless rate among veterans by 50 percent. He appointed the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.

President Obama's administration helped negotiate the historic Paris Climate Treaty. The president helped negotiate the Iran Nuclear Deal, which includes Russia and our allies. He ended the war in Iraq, reduced American military presence in Afghanistan, and ordered the capture and killing of terrorist Osama bin Laden. He reversed Bush-era torture policies, began normalizing relations with Cuba, and he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. However, he has been criticized for his policies toward Syria, Russia and the Middle East, three intensely complex and complicated issues with no easy solutions.

President Obama held his final news conference in the White House pressroom Wednesday, thanking reporters and sending a message to the incoming president about the importance of having the press corps in that location. "Having you in this building has made this place work better. It keeps us honest, it makes us work harder," he said. The president was asked about the election's impact on his daughters. "What we've also tried to teach them is resilience," he said, "and we've tried to teach them hope and that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world."

The president said he plans to take time off with his family, but he will speak about issues he deeply cares about. "I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad." He continued, "If we work hard and if we are true to those things in us that feel true and feel right, that the world gets a little better each time. That's what this presidency has tried to be about." He concluded, "At my core, I think we're going to be OK. We just have to fight for it, we have to work at it and not take it for granted."

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If the United States were a democracy, Donald Trump would not be president. Despite Russian intrusions into the election, Hilary Clinton garnered 3,000,000 more votes than Trump. Moreover, Trump received only 63 million votes out of 241 million eligible voters, only 26% of eligible voters.

But we live in a representative republic with a weird electoral system. Given this weird system and (likely) Russian intrusions, Trump won the electoral college.

But, and here's my point, while he was elected, Trump does not represent.

Granted, Trump speaks on behalf of 26% of eligible voters and 14% more approve of him. But 60% of American voters view him unfavorably, nearly 20 points more than any previous incoming president. He does not represent the millions who voted for Hillary and he does not represent those who didn't vote but view him unfavorably.

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Moreover, Trump, in alliance with the Republican-majority congress, will think they now have a mandate. But they don't.

Given our aspirations to democracy, then, it is imperative that the 145 million people whose views Trump does not represent SPEAK OUT and actively resist Trump's agenda.

Trump needs to hear our collective voices and fear our peaceful protests.

Unlike Congress during Obama's presidency, we should not childishly resist everything Trump proposes simply because Trump proposes it or because it's a policy of the Republican party.

We should reach across the aisle to reform, for example, the Affordable Care Act, immigration policies, and tax policy. The lamentable failures of our unduly partisan two-party system should not persist. Surely there is a great deal that all or most 241 million Americans can agree and work together on.

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But we should not be so magnanimous that we sit idly by and watch Trump's bigotry, homophobia, Islamophobia, misogyny, rich privilege, environmental degradation, and science denial sweep over our country.

Before it's too late, we can start by urging Congress to resist several of Trump's cabinet nominees. That the Republican-majority seems comfortable rushing the candidates through without a thorough ethical vetting should give us pause. Especially because what we already know about some candidates is deeply disturbing.

Jeff Sessions, candidate for Attorney General, may be a devout Methodist and an Eagle Scout but his history of racism alone should disqualify him from a position in the Justice Department. He has also criticized the Voting Rights Act, civil rights enforcement, gay rights, and, apparently, the 14th amendment. If Sessions' nomination is approved, we can expect a resurgence of white privilege and the diminution of years of racial progress.

While Rex Tillerson's business connections create perhaps irremediable conflicts of interest, his impoverished ethical sense should disqualify him for Secretary of State. As ExxonMobil CEO, Tillerson cozied up to Putin and Russia to gain economic favors, adding to worries about Trump's already shady relationships with Russia.

But global climate warming is, I believe, one of the two greatest threats to stability in the world today and ExxonMobil, with Tillerson at the wheel, withheld crucial information concerning the human contribution to global climate warning through the burning of fossil fuels to global climate warming. ExxonMobil scientists have known for decades of the human contribution to climate warming and continually informed ExxonMobil executives.

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Pursuing profit over people, ExxonMobil executives (Tillerson included) used their ample financial resources to sow confusion over the human causes of global climate warming. Unlike most scientific theories, the denial of human-caused climate warming has huge consequences: because of Exxon's lies, people will die.

Given its threat to human life, climate change skepticism should be an automatic disqualifier for nearly any cabinet appointment. To that end, we need to fight against the appointments of Rick Perry for Secretary of Energy, Scott Pruitt for the Environmental Protection Agency, and Ryan Zinke for Secretary of the Interior.

Since rich nations will likely find ways to adapt to climate change, poor nations will be disproportionately and devastatingly harmed. Frankly, right now we need leaders who are fighting for the environment, for alternative fuel sources, for the dispossessed, and for future generations.

Finally, because of his blatant Islamophobia, we need to resist Michael Flynn's appointment as National Security Advisor. Although the vast majority of Muslims favor and pursue peace, Flynn has tweeted that fear of Muslims is rational. In fact, you are more likely to be shot by a toddler than killed by a Muslim terrorist; but fear of toddlers is not rational. Flynn has called Islam a cancer and, falsely claimed that Florida democrats voted to institute Sharia. He believes we are in a war with Islam.

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We should enthusiastically join hands with Trump and congressional Republicans wherever we can find common ground. But where we cannot--where bigotry and ignorance rear their ugly heads--we need to resist.
I thought about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his message of justice and equality when I joined my colleague, Kacey Mordecai, to meet with activists and human rights lawyers in Nassau, Bahamas. It was Martin Luther King Day, but this was no vacation.

Images of the Bahamas evoke crystal-clear waters and white sand beaches soft as talcum. It's a place so idyllic its residents named one of its islands "Paradise." But for women, immigrants, environmentalists, and their advocates, the Bahamas is a place far from paradise.

Our day began as days often do for human rights advocates. After reports emerged of a nightmare situation at the Carmichael Detention Center, where over 700 immigrants are detained, we sought to investigate. The official denial of access was swift and unbending. We would not be allowed to look.

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One step inside Carmichael Detention Center, Nassau, Bahamas

A former Carmichael detainee detailed a life of monotony inside a 25 by 15 foot room. 40 other women and children were her roommates. The food was meager, the rations were rotten, and the stench overwhelming. Guards implemented a caste system among immigrants: Cubans were given the best treatment, including beds; then Jamaicans; with Haitians treated worst of all. It's a sadly familiar story.

Haitian detainees are not just denied beds, they were refused blankets and forced to sleep like books stacked on a shelf. The detainee shared a disturbing story of a woman subjected to multiple injections during childbirth, medicine designed to delay her delivery until neither she nor her baby had a claim to Bahamian citizenship. The pattern of police accepting bribes of $1,500 per person to release detainees has become so prevalent that the Haitian community has been forced to mount a campaign to stop distraught relatives from paying the bribes.



Stories of Carmichael Detention Center are passed on by those on the outside

Unlike nearly every country in the Western hemisphere, being born in The Bahamas does not grant citizenship. Children born in The Bahamas to immigrant parents must apply for "Belonger's Permits," a recent invention of a 2014 immigration policy championed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchel.

The new policy requires children born in The Bahamas to immigrant parents to obtain passports from their parents' country of origin. At age 18, these children have the constitutional right to receive Bahamian citizenship, a process that often takes 3+ years. Until then,, these children are treated as foreigners by their own government and denied basic education and medical care.

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A subsequent conversation with Marion Bethel, a prominent lawyer and women's rights advocate, who this year has been appointed for a four-year term as a member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), revealed an unsettling connection between this horrendous treatment of immigrants and a lack of respect for women's rights in The Bahamas.

Last year, the Bahamian public overwhelmingly voted against an amendment to the Constitution that would have allowed Bahamian women equal rights. The referendum was sabotaged by conservative religious leaders who preached that women's equality was a backdoor path to marriage equality and LGBTI rights.

The Bahamian far-right also began a divisive misinformation campaign, arguing that allowing Bahamian women the same right to pass on their Bahamian citizenship as Bahamian men could lead to an invasion of foreign men who would marry them, gain Bahamian citizenship, and take over the country. As one Bahamian Archdeacon put it recently, Bahamian women "breed too much." Local advocates believe the Bahamian government thinks "they can ride the wave of paranoia back into power."



A life of privation and dull routine at Carmichael Detention Center

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights is at the forefront of the effort to change broken systems. In the Bahamas, our litigation team, along with the Puerto Rico-based Caribbean Institute for Human Rights, and local partners the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association exposed the inhumane conditions in which migrants are detained at Carmichael Detention Center.

We petitioned for and won precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ( IACHR) to safeguard the lives of detainees in the facility. We supported Save the Bays in its successful request to the IACHR for protective measures of its human rights defenders, and we are organizing a training for civil society leaders on how to hold the Bahamian government accountable for human rights abuses before international bodies.

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In 2015, digital marketers were greatly sought after. In fact, they were one of the most hired digital professionals of the year. They are also more in demand compared to project managers. By the start of 2016, experts say that we are already in the post-digital age. In other words, hiring digital experts are no longer as relevant as last year. Why is this so?

Entrepreneurs might doubt this sudden shift of hiring trend. But if you study the shift from 2014, the year for project managers, to 2015, the year for digital marketers, it might not be so shocking at all.

However, the predicted shift turned to be not true as digital marketers still topped as the most in-demand jobs in 2016. While there has little to no change in this area, there are new trends in the field of human resources, too.

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Here are some of them.

Preparation for Small Applicant Pool

According to Adam Robinson, CEO of hiring software technology Hireology, a lot of companies are starting to make preparations for the shrinking number of workforce. Hireology found that in just about seven years, the number of trainable and promotable people will decrease by 10%. Thus, it's normal for those in business, especially in the hospitality industry to invest more in building their workforce.

In the light of this shortage problem, job seekers are searching for companies who offer better-earning power. And since employers are only too hungry for high-quality candidates, a lot of them have offered increased salary, better base compensation, etc.

Growth of Employer Branding

Companies screen applicants, but before they can do this, the candidates must first submit their applications. How do modern job seekers choose the company they want to apply to? The answer is obviously through the internet.

Job seekers usually don't bother to apply to a company which they can't find online. There are only a few reasons a business is not listed online yet. One, the company is technologically challenged. In which case, it has little chance of surviving in the modern market. Two, the company is not legitimate. A fake company won't bother investing in a website.

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Since the evolution of employer-brand-focused websites, companies have been establishing and building their brand in 2016. The trend is actually helpful as candidates can know beforehand the culture, mission, and vision of the company. Thus, recruiters will have to screen only those who have agreed or believed in their company's goals.

Lucrative Referral Programs

In recent years, most hiring managers highly depended on employee referrals. This hiring metric is not only proven effective, but it's also time-efficient. In 2016, this trend has continued. In fact, employers have even ramped up their referral programs and have extended their referral bonuses externally.

Use of Improved HR Technology

The list will not be complete without mentioning HR technology. Experts have found that HR technology cross-platform has seen further growth this year.

Unlike the other years, however, companies are turning from using multiple vendors to focusing on their human capital management. As a result, technology is streamlined and directed towards video interviewing and applicant tracking. Integration of the two is seen as an advantage.

According to Miriam Groom, the Vice President of Groom Associes, "What any recruitment agency is really looking for in a talent management platforms is for them to enhance their recruitment solutions and support critical workflows. However, this was not achieved this year even though there was significant progress on it.

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Exploration with Talents Analytics

Analysis of data in order to measure your hiring process is progressing became prevalent in 2016. There has been a shift from traditional recruitment methods to investing in analytics.

Putting everyday data into the recruiting intelligence makes it easier for the HR department to improve their system and create insights about their current and future employees. Thus, a lot of companies started investing in in-depth talent metrics. These metrics are used to measure whether candidates have the right experiences, competencies, and traits to succeed in their company.

Some of the companies are even using analytics to study their competitors' talent pool and search for candidates with the potential to join them.

Use of Social Media to Find Candidates

Social media has greatly influenced different industries. In recruitment, it offers a significant platform to investigate the candidate's qualifications.
As a candidate, Trump's claim to legitimacy and mass support was built on a rejection of insider politics and pledges to "drain the swamp" in Washington. However, in the lead up to his inauguration, he and congressional Republicans have shown multiple signs that they intend to do just the opposite, one of which is their unprecedented barrage of attacks on ethical protections.

The most discussed ethical issue is of course Trump's unwillingness to tackle his own personal conflicts of interest and interconnected assets. But beyond that problem, there have been three other obvious affronts. First was the considered lack of focus from Trump's Cabinet appointees on completely disclosing and dealing with their own conflicts as required by law. Second was an ignoring (and disdaining of) the Office of Governmental Ethics (OGE) as it tries to administer both Trump and his appointee's transition process, and third was an unexpected attack on the Office of Congressional Ethics--the independent House ethics watchdog.

At his press conference last week, Trump announced a new arrangement for his business holdings, which will do little to curb his conflicts of interest. Trump declined to divest himself of his holdings, instead only transferring control of them to his two sons. Without full divestment, Trump will still have a financial interest in his global company when he takes office later this week. Scarily, that means that Trump soon will be making regulatory decisions impacting businesses (such as banks, insurance companies, and more) that are entangled with his own. He also will be deciding American foreign policy in countries where he still has holdings and where his businesses could directly profit.

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Office of Governmental Ethics Director Walter Shaub has correctly described President-elect Trump's announced plan as "wholly inadequate." Since stating his opinion on the Trump plan, Shaub has faced several attacks. First, from U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, when he made threats in a letter to investigate and potentially eliminate the OGE. The second came from Reince Priebus, the incoming White House chief of staff, when he said that Shaub should "be careful" about criticizing Trump's handling of his business conflicts. This kind of veiled threat as Shaub tries to critique Trump's inadequate ethics plan is thuggish and unwarranted.

On the second battle ground, OGE also has made important comments about the slow pace of Trump's nominees to submit their ethics forms, which typically are cleared before their nominations are even announced. With so many extraordinarily rich appointees (the Cabinet will include three billionaires and is set to become the wealthiest in U.S. history), the problem of their interconnected finances is even more acute. To figure out their plans for recusal from ethical conflicts, nominees must do more than just fill out a form.

The OGE should be free to comment--both with critique and praise, as the Cabinet nominees and others move through the appointment paperwork process.

On the third ethics front, two weeks ago, as Congress started up, House Republicans tried to quietly change House rules and undermine the independent ethics watchdog, the Office of Congressional Ethics. The immediate public outrage led to congressional chaos and forced the Republicans to withdraw their plan.

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The blatant attacks on the institutions charged with upholding ethical standards - the OCE and the OGE - coupled with the obvious disregard from incoming President Trump and some of his Cabinet members for resolving their own conflicts, leaves us deeply concerned about the state of ethics in the new administration.
Rooms are lovely, but breakfast is the star at these five fantastic inns and resorts "out East" USA.

1. Caldwell House, Salisbury NY. There are shamrocks everywhere in the Caldwell House, a beautiful four-leaf-clover of a Bed and Breakfast in a stately home built in 1803 by a wealthy merchant from Ireland and turned into a B&B in 2000. Indeed, you don't need to have the luck of the Irish to be assured a superb stay in this historic home that's been wonderfully restored by incorporating original front door, floorboards and other 19th century elements. Owned by the spritely Dena and John Finneran, the 14-room Caldwell House, unpretentious in its luxury, is elegant and stately. Breakfast is a freshly cooked three-course treat, personalized with a paper placemat welcoming guests by name and providing information about the day's news headlines and weather. The omelet quesadilla, fried potatoes, sausage and sweet watermelon bites - hearty and delicious - will tide you over till dinner.

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2. A.C. Stickney House, Strasburg VA. Owners Donna and John Huntsberger raised their family in this meticulously landscaped Victorian home on a hill in Strasburg, Virginia, and then opened it up as a luxury B&B in 2010. Almost immediately, the inn began drawing "Heritage Tourists;" folks looking for their roots in this region of the country. Common rooms are cozy, circa 1892 Victorian, filled with art both old and new. Bags of local Route 11 Potato Chips and glasses of wine are complementary for guests. The Huntsberger's warm hospitality extends into the morning hours with an extravagant three course candlelit country breakfast. Mine began with a wine-poached pear, topped with vanilla yogurt, fresh strawberries and plated with a drizzle of local honey, morsels of blue cheese and dried cranberries. This was followed by a sausage-egg casserole in a parfait glass and an X of sweet maple bacon. No big surprise that repeat visitors come back to The Stickley B&B time and time again for Donna's breakfast alone.

3. Acadia's Oceanside Meadows Inn, Prospect Harbor ME. On 200 diverse acres, a ferry ride from Bar Harbor, this fantastic place is not just an "inn:" it's a nature preserve, a lecture/event hall, and beach all in one. Plus, it offers one of the most beautifully presented and delicious B&B breakfasts I've ever seen and tasted. FYI - this Inn is Vegetarian, so do not expect a Farm Breakfast with Sausage and Bacon. You will get, however, one of the most beautiful breakfasts a B&B can offer. The inn's property encompasses rocky shore, sandy beach, salt marsh, meadows and fresh water ponds (with beavers!) and is one major reason visitors from "away" keep coming back here year after year. Guestrooms in both the main house and the Farmhouse next door are not posh or luxe, but comfy and pretty in traditional country decor. In the morning, you will not miss bacon or sausage when you see what comes out of the kitchen. First course, the likes of Mellon-Ginger Soup served in stunning blue-glass bowls, followed by Whole Wheat Waffles with fresh berries is a feast for both the stomach and eyes.

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4. Peacock House B&B, Lubec ME. This 1860's Captain's House stands atop a hill in the tiny Canadian border town of Lubec Maine. Surrounded by flowers in the spring, with birds chirping and coffee brewing in the morning - it's a quiet, tranquil, and beautifully decorated haven. When all 7 rooms are full, mornings become a happy, social, "small world" time for conversation over a hot gourmet breakfast. Soft-spoken and warm innkeeper, Mary Beth Hoffman, purchased The Peacock Inn (named for the Peacock family) last year, but her pride of ownership is readily apparent. She has all the reason to be proud. Common areas are lovely - bright rooms furnished in a modern, eclectic style, a grand piano and guitar in the living room (for guests to play), a library stocked with jazz and classical CD's and books about the Roosevelt's (whose summer home is across the bridge on Campabello Island, Canada) and a stately dining room with illuminated glass china cases. Mary-Beth serves a hot, candle-lit gourmet breakfast in the dining room, with fresh fruit to start and something sweet or savory, like toothsome hot berry compote. Guests gather around the large stately table to swap stories and backgrounds, making for a very congenial, social and delectable meal.
1. GovernanceOne of the advantages of having a professional civil service is that whenever there is a new government administration, most of the workers remain in their positions, regardless of party affiliation or personal loyalties. It is this continuity that allows government to be responsive and effective. In Honduras, this has never been the case, which is one of the reasons governments have always tended to be dysfunctional. Given this reality, how do you plan to implement your ideas for addressing critical issues and govern effectively, and what are the top three problems you intend to resolve if you are elected president of Honduras? 2. Crime, Gangs & DrugsHonduras is experiencing a wave of crime and violence like it has never known before in its history. Much of it is related to illegal drug trafficking overseen by organized crime syndicates in partnership with violent gangs. It is a market that is being fueled by the huge demand for illegal drugs by consumers in the United States, and so there is only so much the Honduran government can do to deal with the situation. Besides spending more money to expand, equip, and train the police and military, what will you do to improve security in the country and make Hondurans start to feel safer and confident that things will get better soon? 3. EducationHonduras has one of the worst public education systems in the Western Hemisphere. It has been said that we are 100 years behind Costa Rica. Teachers are constantly on strike because they often do not get paid consistently, and students seldom receive the full 200 days of classroom instruction they are due each year... and sometimes not even half of that. Even when students are in class, the quality of their education and schools is poor. How do you plan to fix the system, specifically with regard to ensuring that teachers get paid on time every time, and radically improving the curriculum and repairing facilities so that students are inspired to want to learn? 4. TaxesThe tax collection system in Honduras is inefficient. A large portion of the Honduran population either does not pay taxes or does not pay their fair share. A big part of the problem is logistical and administrative. But another part is simply that individuals and businesses avoid paying. What specifically will you do to modernize the tax collection system? Apart from threatening legal action and prison sentences, what can you realistically do to encourage people to pay up? 5. Foreign InvestmentThe Lobo administration has emphasized the need to attract foreign investment. It came up with the "Honduras is Open for Business" event, and is pushing the so-called "Model Cities" initiative. Given the crime situation and all the bad publicity that comes with that, how do you intend to effectively sell Honduras to tourists and business people without being dishonest and trying gloss over the fact that it is one of the most violent countries in the world (with a staggering homicide rate of 86 murders per 100,000 people), and also one of the most corrupt? How do you plan to move to repair the roads, highways, and bridges that have seriously decayed or collapsed throughout the country? 6. CorruptionEach year, Transparency International of Germany publishes a "Corruption Perceptions Index" which regularly lists Honduras as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. While there is some dispute about the methodology used, and thus the accuracy of the study, the reality of extreme corruption in Honduras cannot be denied, particularly within government. Every politician promises to fight against corruption, but the truth is that corruption is a cultural and systemic problem throughout Honduran society. How would you proceed to deal thoughtfully with this issue, knowing that you will not be able to solve the problem in your lifetime -- much less in a four-year term? 7. Abuse of Women & ChildrenIn recent years, more than 80 percent of all birth certificates issued in Honduras do not name a father. The family structure is disintegrating, and this has led to a crisis of abuse of women and children. There is an epidemic of "femicide" in Honduras. Over 3,000 women have died violently in Honduras since 2002. An untold number of children are being sexually abused. Given the weakness of Honduras' legal system, a lack of police in communities, and the inability of courts to place at-risk women and children in protective environments, how to you intend to protect victims and begin to improve the system and culture that allows the abuse to persist? 8. HealthcareThe public healthcare system in Honduras is a mess. Doctors and nurses frequently go on strike because they have not been paid their salaries or have not received promised wage increases. Hospitals and clinics often lack basic equipment in good working order and basic medications and supplies. Often, the administrators are incompetent because they are political appointees with little or no administrative and managerial background. What is your vision for improving healthcare services -- specifically fixing existing equipment and facilities, streamlining distribution processes, and ensuring competent administrators? 9. Sanitation & Clean WaterThe poor health of many Hondurans (and thus their capacity to learn and work productively) is directly related to horrendous sanitation and the lack of clean drinking water. Many sanitation problems, including disease outbreaks and chronic poor health, are linked to bad or non-existent city planning and overcrowding. The lack of clean water is often linked to the polluting of water resources by industries that go unregulated. Given that the essence of a productive society lies in the health of its people, how do you plan to ensure a higher level of sanitation and access to clean water for those at risk? 10. EnergyHonduras must rely on imported oil and gas to meet a large portion of its energy needs, leaving it susceptible to fluctuations in international market prices for these commodities. The Lobo administration has emphasized alternative energy resources such as solar and wind, and it has moved to build new hydroelectric projects along rivers such as the Patuca. What are your ideas for improving energy efficiency in Honduras, and transitioning the country away from its dependence on expensive imported fuels?
In a time of grief and turmoil after the death of his sister, Maja, Albert Einstein wrote to his stepdaughter Margot, "Look deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."

In the spirit of Einstein, I would like to suggest that a quark--a subatomic particle--offers wisdom and guidance to the mainline church, which stands today in grief and turmoil as it faces a steady and precipitous decline in membership.

But first, let me explain what a quark is.

Atoms are made of protons, electrons, and neutrons. As author Bill Bryson explains, "Protons are so small that a little dib of ink like the dot on this 'i' can hold something in the region of 500,000,000,000 of them." Three quarks fit inside a proton. Physicists categorize quarks as the true building block of all matter, from the Eiffel Tower to a cardboard Starbucks coffee sleeve.

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In the 1960s, physicist Murray Gell-Mann named quarks after a phrase in James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake: "Three quarks for Muster Mark!" Quarks run in packs of three, so Gell-Mann believed the word captured this newly discovered particle's numerical as well as whimsical identity.

Frank Wilczek, a Nobel Prize winner and MIT physics professor, maintains that quarks interact with each other in "asymptotic freedom."

What does that mean?

Wilczek discovered that if quarks are pulled apart inside a proton, the "strong force" binding them together actually grows stronger, making it impossible to isolate a single quark outside a proton. However, as quarks move closer to each other, the opposite is true: The force between them grows weaker, giving them more freedom to move.

So how can the quark help the mainline church grow?

When I became active in the mainline church 25 years ago, specifically in the Presbyterian Church (USA), membership was nearly double what it is today. People now joke it might be prudent to ask the last Presbyterians to please turn off the lights as they close the door. That's why one of the urgent issues for the mainline church is how to relate to a new generation of potential church attendees, the millennials--a generation that has now numerically surpassed baby boomers and will exceed Generation X by 2028.

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Who are millennials?

A Pew Research Center study reveals that millennials resist being placed in categories, even such seemingly positive ones as "patriotic," "responsible," "willing to sacrifice," "religious," "moral," "self-reliant," and "politically active." Millenials are diverse, 43 percent non-white, and increasingly tolerant of ideas such as same-sex marriage, marijuana legalization, and allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for citizenship. But millennials also aspire to belong to authentic communities and to participate in networks of peer groups--81 percent, for example, are active on Facebook.

In other words, millennials are quarks.

Millennials covet and enjoy their freedom, but at the same time they long for a "strong force" to keep them from feeling isolated.

This raises a question: What "strong force" might bind millennials to the church? Barna Research notes that what draws millennials to church is not the promise of relationships (only 5 percent attend church to meet friends), but to feel "closer to God" and "learn more about God" (71 percent). In other words, what the church offers millennials is an invitation to discover a "strong force" that does bind us, that never leaves us feeling isolated or alone-- a force we call "God."

In 1617 the archbishop Marco Antonio de Dominis reflected on challenges the church was experiencing and suggested the path forward was: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

Grief and turmoil are an undeniable part of life and of all organizations, including the church, but I believe one way to grow the mainline church is, as Einstein described, to "look deep, deep into nature" and to be inspired by how quarks, the smallest known particles in the universe, were created with unwavering resistance to being pulled apart but also the freedom to interact without constraint.

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Washington DC: Goodyear Satire Co.

As of noon on Friday, July 20, 2017 Russia will be our BFF. Joy!

We'll have sleepovers. We'll hit on chicks. We'll imprison journalists.

Good times.

This is The Trump Doctrine.

This is the doctrine of a man who controls 7.100 nuclear warheads but doesn't know what the nuclear triad is (air, sea and land based missiles -- now you're smarter than the President of the United States).

"If we have nukes, why don't we use them?" he famously asked. "Because they'll use them, too, and we'll destroy the earth" was the unnecessary reply to what should have been an unnecessary question.

Donald Trump can't find Hiroshima on a map.

The Putin Doctrine

The Trump Doctrine happens to be nearly identical to The Putin Doctrine. The only difference is The Putin Doctrine includes (in the fine print) "23. Infiltrate America."

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"We Will Bury You!"

In 1956, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev made the taunt "We will bury you!" to Western ambassadors at a reception in Moscow.He lived to regret the phrase because of the blow back. He then backtracked, saying "Of course we will not bury you with a shovel. Your own working class will bury you."

Khrushchev must have had Trump voters in mind.

It appears that Vladimir Putin at some point realized that Russia did not need to beat America on the battlefield, it could just manipulate America's electoral process so that a pro-Russian president could be elected.

Enter Donald Trump, a man so needy he wears his heart on his tweet.

Do you think Putin will be going to The Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow - if so, will he become my new best friend?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 19, 2013

Its an open question how much aid Putin gave to Trump's campaign. Half a dozen separate government investigations are now underway. Its unclear, though, how many investigations will survive the coming Saturday night massacre, when those involved in the investigations are fired, demoted, sent to Siberia or are just surgically neutered.

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The media is too busy arranging interviews with the low-hanging fruit of Trump spokeslizards to pick up a phone and do something called in-ves-tig-a-tive jour-na-lism. But that's so 80's.

By the way, why does Wolf Blitzer still have a job?

Donald Trump has shown no inclination on his own to investigate the events that may have led to his becoming president, going so far as to deny any relationship between the Russian aid and the Trump win.

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"

The existing Senate investigations mean that the parties must maintain and not destroy relevant evidence, but there is no certainty that the parties in possession of the evidence will do so. Donald Trump's companies have been accused in the past of destroying evidence under subpoena.

Will President Donald Trump give the Russians what they want, possibly rewarding them for helping him become President?

Putin has a long list of needs, and Trump is his fairy godmother. Trump can grant his new BFF's every wish. Putin doesn't even need to clap his hands or click his heels.

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Trump has indicated he will lift the punishing sanctions freeing up Trump's Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson's ex Exxon/Mobil to reap a $500 million contract to exploit Russian oil.

If you loved Dick Cheney, you'll adore the graft and corruption the Trump cabinet has in store.

Donald Trump has called NATO obsolete, and Russia has agreed. Russia would love to see the end of NATO, as it has kept Russia's territorial ambitions (and those of its predecessor the USSR) in check in the postwar era.

Trump has also signaled he will withdraw from the Paris climate deal. Trump calls climate change a "Chinese hoax." Trump will scuttle the Iran nuclear deal and Obamacare because, well, they were Obama's signature accompllishments. Trump also wants to repeal and replace the law of gravity.

Its clear who's the top in the Putin/Trump relationship. The master player Putin gave the rookie Trump the kiss of death this week when, at a press conference in Moscow, Putin confirmed there was no sex tape of Trump and promised he wouldn't release it unless it was really, really necessary.

That's the Joy of Sex in Russia.

"In Russia, room videotapes you!" Yakov Smirnov never said it so well.

The first sign something is amiss in the Trump administration will be when the administration's new press secretary starts asking where their honeymoon is. Here's the response they'll get. "Honeymoon? Honey child, the media's already left Donald Trump and sued him for child support."

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That's what the next four years is going to be like.

If you're going to the inauguration, be prepared. There's a 100% chance of pain.
Rafael Nadal (Photo : Getty Images)

Rafael Nadal could face a "big challenge" in his Australian Open 2017 campaign when the King of Clay meets German teen Alexander Zverev in the third round of the tournament in Melbourne.



Nadal has remained sharp at the Australian Open winning his first two matches of the tournament with remarkable display of his game after fully recovering from a left wrist injury. The 14-time Grand Slam winner yet again showed a masterful performance in his second round match against Marcos Baghdatis, defeating the Cypriot, 6-3 6-1 6-3.



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"I feel my body has no injuries now, I suffered injuries in my career, I've had lots of success and lots of memories from where I have played. I can't complain. I am trying to enjoy every moment I am on court," Nadal said, reports the Telegraph.



It has been a long while since Nadal won a major title, and with Novak Djokovic out of the Australian Open after a stunning defeat in the hands of Denis Istomin, the Spaniard has a great chance of adding another crown to his 14 Grand Slam singles titles. However, any of those hopes will be tested when Nadal faces Zverev, who cruised past USA's Frances Tiafoe 6-2 6-3 6-4 to move into the next round.



Nadal leads Zverev one game in their FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup, having beaten the 19-year-old German in first and only faceoff at the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells last year. While Nadal has the numbers against Zverev, the Spaniard believes it could be a "big challenge" for him.



"It will be a big challenge for me. He is a potential grand slam winner. He's a big talented player. He's improving in every moment he's on the tour. He can be a future world No 1," Nadal said.



Nadal or Zverev could face the winner between sixth-seeded Gael Monfils and 32nd seed Philipp Kohlschreiber in Round of 16. Monfils defeated Alexander Dolgopolov 6-3 6-4 1-6 6-0, while Kohlschreiber won over Donald Young, 7-5 6-3 6-0.



Live streaming info and score updates



Watch Australian Open 2017 Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev live via AusOpen.com or Watch ESPN. Live scores will be available during game days at the Australian Open's official website.


On January 20th, 2017, an event completely unprecedented in the history of the United States of America will take place in the nation's capital - a blatantly Christianized inauguration.

A man devoted to driving as many wedges as possible between the people of this country will be sworn into the highest office of the land. Following him to take up positions of inconceivable power is a "Who's Who" of the nation's worst possible representatives - those who preach "God's Word" to justify hatred, oppression, and dominion over their fellow citizens.

Donald Trump's coming reign - there's no other way to describe the term inhabited by a dictator - ushers in an era of evangelical bullying and enforced conformism hitherto unseen. He surrounds himself with harbingers of cruelty, who will soon gleefully inflict it on those marginalized and less fortunate than they, all in the name of the twisted, hateful, Dominionist version of the Christian god.

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It became obvious which way the wind was blowing when Trump announced Jeff Sessions as his choice for attorney general. Sessions is closely allied with numerous hate groups, accepted an award from alt-right extremist David Horowitz in 2014 and is a strong advocate of an evangelical Dominionist theocracy. He claimed that only those who believe in truth are fit to lead, not secularists, ending with "as a nation, without God, there is no truth." Nine of Trump's cabinet picks identify as not just Christians, but "devout Christians" - because why just be for Jesus if you can be double Jesus, and thus superior to all others?

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Trump's inaugural team also includes prosperity gospel televangelist Paula White, who believes (like Trump) that being rich is a sign of God's favor. White is also the chair of Trump's evangelical advisory board (yes, such a thing exists), and the only thing she loves more than other rich people is living in the Trump Tower and escaping penalties after being investigated by the Senate Finance Committee.

Other faith leaders scheduled to speak include Rev. Dr. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of Great Faith Ministries International from Detroit. The only non-Christian scheduled is Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean and Founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. No Muslim clergy will be speaking at all. Think about the profound ramifications of that for a moment.

The flavor of religious fervor being promoted is clear: evangelical Dominionist Christianity with the heavy taint of prosperity gospel. Trump won 81% of the hard right evangelical vote, and it would seem their support was well placed; under Trump, we can expect to see theocratic Dominionist precepts take hold with the stripping of rights and benefits from LGBT, women, Muslims and other non-Christians, and the poor - all in the name of Christian charity.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange makes a speech from the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy, in central London, Britain February 5, 2016. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo

We humbly ask that you share this news.

1. A Republican aide in Maryland has been fired after it was discovered he had set up a fake news site with the intention to harm Hillary Clinton's campaign. This shit is bananas. More here.

2. 200 protesters danced their way to Mike Pence's house last night in protest of Pence's homophobic views. Sounds like a better party than the upcoming inauguration. More here.

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3. Beyonce has given her support and blessing to the Women's March scheduled for Saturday. The Bae has blessed us all. More here.

4. Paul McCartney wants his songs back, damn it. Wait? Who took his songs? More here.
On the eve of the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, CDP announced the Carbon Pricing Corridor initiative, the world's first industry-led initiative aimed at defining the investment-grade carbon prices needed for the power and industrial sectors to meet the Paris Agreement. The initiative seeks to address the emerging questions on how companies can manage climate change risk through the use of carbon price scenarios.

The announcement was a part of the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition's "Doubling The Wave" event, where Heads of state and business leaders convened to discuss progress and uncover the challenges of achieving its goal of doubling the coverage of emissions subject to carbon pricing by 2020, and doubling it again within the next decade.

In a further emphasis of the need for scenario analysis, the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) has called for the potential impact of different scenarios, including a 2C scenario, on an organisation's business, strategy and financial planning. The considerations associated with these scenarios is a key step to better understanding the potential financial implications of climate change. As Stuart Gulliver, CEO of HSBC said in Davos, "Carbon disclosure and pricing are two sides of the same coin, together they enable an assessment of risk and where required a reallocation of capital."

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Introducing the Carbon Pricing Corridor

By bringing together CEOs and chief investment officers on an expert panel, we will create the reference scenario of carbon-related price signals that deliver the ambitions of the Paris Agreement, in the short-to-medium term. The three critical audiences for this work are: investors, as they undertake stress-testing of their portfolio's against a Paris-compliant economy; corporations, when running Cap-ex and Op-ex decisions against an internal carbon price; and policy makers, giving them a clear picture of price signals needed to drive private sector investment.

In a session in Davos on the TCFD there was general consensus that consideration should be given to evolve the scenario analysis recommendation to agree reference scenario, for example those of the IEA or the reference scenario emerging as part of the corridors initiative.

Why is this different to anything that has been done before? Economists internationally have done similar things within the IPCC and the IEA, offering a range of numbers for a direct carbon price. But that hasn't been updated for a long time, it has always been done by macro-economists and scientists, and it has always projected into the very long term. Our Carbon Pricing Corridor instead involves the investors and CEOs directly, from the finance and utility sectors right out to industry. This is industry talking about the factors that they take into account - the barriers to and drivers of to high or low carbon investments. Then, and only then, can you talk to governments to say 'here are the carbon pricing corridors needed if you want to make a clear investment signal for the private sector'.

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From economic theory to real world application



Currently, most price signals for carbon are weak and inconsistent - they limit the effectiveness of existing schemes and the ability for the private sector to prepare for future pricing, particularly at the scale and speed needed to deliver on Paris. Furthermore, apart from a few good practice examples, there is little information on how prices will develop - improve and strengthen - in the coming years. Without stronger prices and more reliable information, carbon pricing policies will remain limited in their effectiveness, which impacts not only government efforts to decarbonize, but those by the private sector too.

Investors are asking for clear signals which will help them to place a monetary value against the risks they may face in their portfolios as we transition to a low-carbon economy. At this point, there are a plethora of economic signals which either increase or decrease the costs associated with high carbon activities. It is sometimes said that investors are good at pricing risk, whilst not so good at pricing uncertainty, this work aims to translate the uncertainty of future carbon prices into scenarios of risk so this can be integrated into investment analysis.

The Carbon Pricing Corridor offers a Paris-compliant reference scenario; which can serve as a guide for investors to help them monetise transition risk, updated twice a year, by a panel of business CEOs and investment insiders. There will be two publications a year, the first of which will be coming out this Spring, to tie-in with the G20 finance ministers meeting in Baden Baden, Germany and the IMF Spring Meeting in Washington DC.

At the outset, the publication will present future carbon price signals as a global adapted average for the G20. Over time, we expect to develop corridors specific to key markets and regions.

We want to hear from you



The Carbon Pricing Corridor, facilitated by We Mean Business and CDP, will also feed directly into the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) facilitated by the World Bank Group. It will complement the work of leading economists such as Joseph Stiglitz and Nick Stern who will also be reporting on needed carbon price levels in the Spring of 2017, focusing on the social costs of carbon, among other topics.

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The make-up of the panel will be 70% business and investors, 30% related experts. Our initial panel of 15 includes Else Bos, CEO, PGGM, Gerard Mestrallet, Chairman, Engie, Jose Ignacio Sanchez Galan, CEO, Iberdrola, Rana Kapoor, CEO of YesBank, Abyd Karmali, Managing Director of Climate Finance, Bank of America Merrill Lynchand Saker Nusseibeh, CEO of Hermes Investment Management. The ultimate target is a panel of 30-50 experts.
Bryson Rand and Vincent Tiley are speaking as part of The View From Here: Creating Meaningful Art in Hostile Times, a lecture series in conjunction with the exhibition The Gay Essay by Anthony Friedkin. The lecture series will feature LGBTQ artists and advocates speaking on the topic of creating art in a culture of increased bigotry as a result of the current political climate.

Daniel Cooney Fine Art released a statement reading, "This lecture series was born of frustration and anger at the election of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States. The need to unify and express ourselves in opposition has been a hot topic among creative people since November 8th."

Bryson, Vincent, and I sat down to discuss their work and their participation in the lecture series.

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Phillip M. Miner (PM): Are we ready to talk about Trump?

Vincent Tiley (VT) and Bryson Rand (BR) in unison: [Sharp Inhale]

PM: [Laughs] I guess not.

VT: [Laughs] Our current environment isn't specific to Trump. Artists have been responding to certain, similar political forces that have been in play in this country for a very long time, so Trump is not a new problem.

I'm supposed to be talking about how artists react and create meaning during political crisis. But, I don't want my studio to be hijacked by this imposter. One of the things that gets said a lot is that a weird consolation prize of this presidency will be "oh, at least there will be a bunch of good art made."

Art gets made all the time. It's not like artwork doesn't exist in our most fair weather political climate. It gets continued to be made, but institutions don't pay the same kind of attention to it or give it the same space to be seen.

For me, when someone asks "How will your art respond to Trump?", my honest response is, "Same thing, different day." We've yet to see how things will change in the next four years, but I'm going to keep making the work that I make.

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BR: I don't foresee a shift in my work or me addressing Trump specifically. But, I would like to speak to the importance of creating projects and spaces that are about community building and bringing people together. People who maybe aren't given a lot of agency in mainstream media. I don't know what I'd do without my artist friends. I'm always wondering if my work makes sense and if it is doing what I want it to do and I am grateful to have people in my life who are struggling with the same problems and insecurities.

Whether that's working with other artists to collaborate, bringing people together for a photoshoot, or having one-on-one conversations with the people I'm photographing, that's always been a part of my practice. Right now it feels more urgent or more necessary to do.



Vincent Tiley photographed by Bryson Rand

PM: Do you consider yourselves queer artists?

Both: Yeah.

BR: It's something I've thought about a lot and engaged in conversation with women or people of color--we all get labeled as x kind of artist. I see where the trap could lie in other people always quantifying me as a gay artist or queer artist. But, the content of my work is a direct representation of my sexuality and my desires and the history that's all tied up with that. To fight it seems futile?

I approach my work the same way I exist in the world, I don't hide anything. I don't go through the world to fit in or pretend to be something I'm not, so why would I want to do that with my work.

But, I think we both make work that have elements for people to be interested in regardless of their orientation or gender identity.

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VT: I think that the word "queer artist" refers to a lens that you can view the work through but isn't necessarily the audience it is intended for. So, I don't really find it a trapping at all. If anything it affords me the opportunity to speak politically, which I hope I do well! [laughs]

BR: In grad school when I was getting feedback from panelists or people would see the my work and say things like, "I don't understand why you're making this work, gays don't have it that bad anymore." That just makes me want push further. It gives me fuel for my fire.

VT: Whereas, if you're a dude photographing nude women there would be zero questions. No one would ask "Why are you making this work?"

BR: I think it's important my work provides visibility for myself, the people I photograph and the communities we're engaged with. I want my work to have an edge that makes people uncomfortable or pisses them off.

I hope my work sparks some conversation about sexuality and how we relate to our bodies and shifts people's attitudes away from fear and shame and towards acceptance. Internalized shame about sex isn't confined to queer people, so I'd love to inspire larger conversations that can lead to change.

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That said, I don't want to give people who would hate me too much credit, but there is something so satisfying about provoking those people who get bent out of shape about a picture of a naked man. That makes me want to do it more.



Bryson Rand photographed by Matthew Leifheit

PM: What are your opinions on art as advocacy?

VT: I mean why not! I think art at its best comes with an amount of political conversation or political baggage. Even some of modernism's best attempts to evacuate that from the conversation are hugely political.

I think it's a responsible attitude to take in order to acknowledge that and embrace it as part of your practice. There's something very "come on" about people who claim their artwork isn't political.

It is. It's not necessarily that it's speaking to a particularly political movement or a specific people, but it's disingenuous to call it apolitical. Who are they trying to fool at this point? This thing called post-modernism is re-politicalizing modernist tropes and re-historicizing them. I don't think there's a lot of work today that isn't advocacy in a certain sense.

I think what is off-putting about what is deemed political art is how literal it becomes. When everyone knows what they're supposed to take away from a piece, that's when a piece dies.

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BR: I think for a long time, that's how I understood political art--It had to be something very specific and often involved text.

It took me a while to realize there are other ways to create work that have a political impact. I always bring up this quote from David Wojnarowicz where he talks about the idea that revealing something private about your experience in a public way, whether it be through visual art, writing, speaking, protesting, or whatever form it takes has a way to bring together a community and starts to slowly chip away at the systems of oppression.

VT: Kerry James Marshall's show is an example of an entire practice that's dedicated to both a meticulous and gorgeous development of painting but also an advocacy for African American people. Articulating a black body on a canvas is a political act.

BR: Agreed, but there is also all of the symbolism that goes into his work. The fact that he's showing black bodies not just in a context of pain or oppression, but also showing the joy and the community and the love that develops in communities. He's re-contextualizing and breaking down stereotypes.

VT: That's how as an artist you engage in a political conversation.

Rand and Tiley's artist talk will be Wednesday, January 18th at 7:00 at Daniel Cooney Fine Art, 508 W 26th St 9C, NYC, NY 10001.

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Selected Work by Bryson Rand [NSFW] See Gallery
Stack of school books and apple on desk in empty classroom

Weekday mornings in our household are much like any other household with teenagers. Waking teens, outfit planning, rushing around to gather laptops and to find shoes.

At 7 am, the bus pulls up. We walk our daughter onto her special education bus, make sure she's seatbelted in, and wave goodbye.

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Each day, we sent her off to her public school, where she joins other students like herself in a specific program for students with cognitive/intellectual disabilities. Her classroom is bigger than the average classroom because it needs to contain things like a swing for sensory input, a cushioned platform for when they need to lay down, room for wheelchairs, plus desks and tables and cabinets. Peer tutors - students from the traditional classrooms of this school - come in and help tutor my daughter and her classmates, which in return, teaches the traditional students what life is like for my daughter, and give them insights they otherwise wouldn't have had.

My daughter spends the majority of her school time in that room. She leaves to do gym, have lunch, help deliver stuff to the office or go to a pep rally. Otherwise, her day is spent learning the things she needs to learn, with teachers and paraprofessionals who have the knowledge on how to teach her the way she needs to be taught. Yet her public school balances all this well, and she is part of the school community, is known and liked by other students.

We have tried inclusion in the past. It did not suit her needs. We found that smaller classes designed specifically for children with her types of needs gives her the best chance of being successful and independent.

Who doesn't want that chance for their child?

This is why when I heard about Betsy DeVos's nomination for Secretary of Education, I paid close attention. For I knew that Donald Trump had been quoted in the past that he'd like to possibly get rid of the Department of Education and with it, all the laws.

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One of those laws is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act - better known as the IDEA. A federal law, mind you. A federal law that gives my child the right to a public education.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.

Infants and toddlers with disabilities (birth-2) and their families receive early intervention services under IDEA Part C. Children and youth (ages 3-21) receive special education and related services under IDEA Part B.

This is Special Education 101. When your child qualifies for special ed services, you learn about the IDEA and you learn about FAPE - Free Appropriate Public Education.

Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is an educational right of children with disabilities in the United States that is guaranteed by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973[1] and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under Section 504, FAPE is defined as "the provision of regular or special education and related aids and services that are designed to meet individual needs of handicapped persons as well as the needs of non-handicapped persons are met and based on adherence to procedural safeguards outlined in the law." Under the IDEA, FAPE is defined as an educational program that is individualized to a specific child, designed to meet that child's unique needs, provides access to the general curriculum, meets the grade-level standards established by the state, and from which the child receives educational benefit.[2] The United States Department of Education issues regulations that define[3] and govern[4] the provision of FAPE.

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To provide FAPE to a child with a disability, schools must provide students with an education, including specialized instruction and related services, that prepares the child for further education, employment, and independent living.[5] (source: Wikipedia)

See, once upon a time, not so long ago, schools could deny children like mine an education for whatever reason they chose - too costly, too time consuming, not enough resources. This was also the time period where children like mine were often sent to institutions to live.

We no longer live in those times. And we shouldn't have to go back to them.

So when I heard that during the confirmation hearing, that Betsy DeVos was "confused" by IDEA and unwilling to answer questions about if schools should meet the requirements of the IDEA. In fact, she said it should be left to the states.

What Betsy DeVos does not understand is that private and charter schools do not want students like my daughter. They are not equipped for students like my daughter. They have no place for students like my daughter.

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I looked to see what schools there were in the Seattle area for children like my daughter. I found none. I also did this when we lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan - again, there were none.

Betsy DeVos supports voucher programs. But even if my daughter could attend the one private school in Seattle for children with mild learning disabilities like dyslexia, ADHD, etc., a $5000 voucher wouldn't pay one-fourth of the tuition. And yet, that's a moot point as they won't take my daughter - she's too disabled.

I think I have a good reason to be worried and frustrated by this nominee for Secretary of Education. She does not support public schools, she does not understand basic federal laws protecting students with disabilities, and she does not understand that when it comes to education, students with disabilities have few options.

Betsy DeVos is about school of choice - yet we don't get choices. When my daughter started kindergarten, I asked what our options were. I was told, "We'll make this work."

"But what if it doesn't work, what are our other options?"

"We'll make this work."

There were no other options.

The fate of my daughter's education is now up for debate it seems. Not so much what kind of education she should have, but if she's deserving of one. That the possible Secretary of Education wants to leave it up for discussion at some other time is not good enough.

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On December 30, Beijing announced that it would ban all domestic ivory trading and processing by the end of 2017, in a move hailed by conservationists as a "game-changer." On the face of it, the development seems unequivocally positive. Banning all domestic trade would considerably streamline enforcement operations since without a legal market, any processing or sale of ivory would become automatically illegal.

However, the ban is only one part of the puzzle. And as with other complex, transnational problems, ranging from the drug trade to illegal fishing, every piece will have to fall into place before the world stops losing one elephant every 15 minutes to poachers. And sadly, in its current form, the ivory ban is not nearly far-reaching enough to achieve that objective.

As it turns out, banning the legal sale of ivory would barely register, as more than 90% of the ivory sold in China is processed through the black market. Officially, the multi-billion dollar industry is administered by a just a handful of venues, half of which are slated to close in the coming months. What's more, the ban is only aimed at mainland China - Hong Kong has until 2021 to end its share of the very lucrative ivory trade. What this means is that after 2018, the trade could simply move south, with the autonomous territory becoming the main hub for wealthy Chinese on the prowl for the "white gold." Some even fear that with the ban in effect, poachers hunting elephants in Africa are in for an even bigger windfall as ivory prices will probably skyrocket on the black market. Currently, one kilogram of the stuff fetches more than $1,100 per kilogram - in government-sanctioned stores.

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Were Beijing serious about its plan to protect elephants, it should have gone a step further and stop residents from buying their ivory from markets in neighboring countries, such as Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar. This would require, at a minimum, regional policing efforts, and ideally a full regional ban on ivory trading and processing. Beijing will also need to cooperate with African countries to crack down on the mainly Chinese-run criminal groups that have been poaching in Africa. The continued, legal sale of mammoth ivory is also likely to throw a wrench into enforcement efforts. Some observers worry that its legality provides another technique for laundering, since elephant ivory can be passed off as mammoth ivory.

Not only that, but the government's announcement has a potential loophole that allows "cultural relics made of ivory that are of legal origin and have been verified by a specialist appraisal body" to be auctioned under supervision. This could mean that the trade of ivory antiques, or even ivory objects that have artistic value, would continue. Instead of permitting certain ivory objects to be sold, the government should ban the sale of all ivory, antique or not, to cut down on demand and to send a clear message that the material has no more cachet.

So then what explains this much-hyped but otherwise half-hearted approach? While the goodwill to change a deeply ingrained cultural habit is there, it's much more likely that Beijing is merely attempting to score a quick PR win with its trade partners in Africa, where the elephant population has steadily declined at the hands of Chinese-run gangs. The ban on ivory allows China to burnish its image as a protector of the environment, especially at a time when the US is set to be run by a mainly climate-skeptic administration.

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But much to Beijing's dismay, this superficial window dressing will not buy it much favor in Africa. In fact, banning the ivory trade would just solve the tip of the iceberg when it comes to China's illicit activities on the continent.

As with the ivory trade, other transnational illicit practices will have to overcome numerous hurdles before they will be finally eliminated. For instance, Chinese fishing vessels have been operating with impunity along Africa's coasts, draining the fish populations and harming the marine environments of poor countries such as Guinea and Mozambique. Despite the devastating consequences of illegal fishing, these governments have been left with their hands tied since they lack the resources or the will needed to properly police their waters.

In 2013, for instance, Mozambique's government undertook a number of initiatives to try to crack down on illegal fishing along its 2,470 km coastline, since only one of the 130 boats in national waters belonged to Mozambique and the state was losing an estimated $65 million per year due to the practice. The government undertook a number of investments to shore up its maritime surveillance abilities and bought a fleet of patrol vessels to police its waters. However, the boats have lain fallow while illegal fishermen continue to operate freely, furth throttling the government's ability to repay its debts or boost growth.

Although progress has been made in the fight against illegal fishing - such as the recent signing of an international treaty under the auspices of the UN - it's clear that numerous obstacles persist. While the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) aims to bring an end to unlawful fishing practices and has been signed by the EU, the US and 28 other states, China has so far declined to follow suit.
As Donald J. Trump' bizzaro world fantasy becomes our frightening reality, the President-elect has gone out of his way to remind us that the rules of administrations past no longer apply. Since the election, Trump has seized every opportunity to attack legitimate news sources like the New York Times and CNN for "fake news," all while blithely sidestepping mountains of evidence that Russia had an extensive role in his victory.

Which is why The Donald's nominee for CIA director Mike Pompeo struck such an unexpectedly sane departure from the PEOTUS' line when he told senators at his confirmation that he would pursue a tougher line towards Moscow. Rather than poo-pooing charges that Moscow has been at least complicit in the plethora of leaks and hacks perpetrated in the run-up to the election, the Kansas Republican led with criticism of the Russian government, rightly dubbing them "sophisticated adversaries" against the U.S. in cyberspace.

That the top intelligence man in America is having a clear notion of Russia's malignant attitude towards the country has become more important than ever, especially since the latest round of cyberattacks exposes not just the critical flaws of our political system but in some of the nation's key infrastructure as well. Sadly, despite the fact that Republicans never miss a chance to hype their role as America's national defense party in contrast with the fickle Democrats, there are a number of critical vulnerabilities in the country's security infrastructure - two of which stand head and shoulders above the rest.

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The first and arguably most crippling vulnerability pertains to America's electric grid. A recently detected hack in a machine associated to a Vermont utility sent shivers down the collective spines of the intelligence community. A malware code connected with a Russian hacking operation was recently discovered in a laptop associated with (but fortunately not connected to) the computer system operating Burlington Electric's power grid. An investigation is ongoing, but the conclusion drawn by the FBI and DHS in a report detailing the results of a separate investigation of the Russian hackers associated with the Vermont code is that the hackers obtained passwords using phishing techniques against email addresses harvested from Democratic emails released by Wikileaks. An attack against the power grid would not just be disastrous due to the ensuing blackout, but it would also catch the government completely unprepared.

As Tom Koppel pointed out in a searing indictment of the U.S.' power grid, the administration does not have the slightest inkling of a plan to deal with such an attack. And while the Vermont hack was a scare, swathes of Ukraine were really plunged into darkness by Russian hackers in December 2015 and December 2016. Security experts have pointed out that the country is being used as a "testbed for refining attacks on critical infrastructure, attacks that could be used across the world".

Predictably, and despite the fact that U.S. officials are aware of cyberattacks emanating from Russia since at least 2009, Trump has consistently questioned intelligence regarding such Russian attacks when not heaping lavish praise upon Russia's president Vladimir Putin.

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The second example involves critical flaws in the woefully outdated system used by financial institutions the world over to transfer trillions of dollars each day. The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system is a messaging system that most of the world's banks use to communicate payment orders. The system is used innumerable times each day to move gargantuan amounts of money - although other systems exist, none of them are as ubiquitous as SWIFT. However, the system is fraught with security holes. In June a group of hackers (possibly Russian) stole $10 million from a Ukrainian bank via the SWIFT system. Last May a group of hackers successfully stole $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank. Hackers stole the bank's credentials for international transfers and moved money it held with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to entities listed in the Philippines and Sri Lanka. But for a misspelling of the word "foundation," the thieves might have made off with more.

The investigation of the breach in Bangladesh has also unearthed several other possible instances of theft using the SWIFT system in up to a dozen other banks as well. It's certainly possible that some thieves with better spelling skills have stolen more, too. According to a Russian security firm's investigation, a total of up to $1 billion may have been stolen from dozens of banks in just the past two years alone - the exact number may never be known as SWIFT does not disclose attacks on its systems. In addition, the success of the Bangladesh hackers has spurred on the Odinaff group, which is a criminal syndicate linked to Russia's Carbanak group, to develop software that steals critical information from SWIFT messages sent through infected computers.

Despite assurances from SWIFT that the system is safe, such proclamations about the fidelity of a outdated system with Swiss-cheese-like security come off more like a tweet from The Donald. The SWIFT organization doesn't believe its propaganda, either. A letter addressed to member banks obtained by Reuters a month ago warns of the "persistent, adaptive and sophisticated" threats that the system is currently facing, admitting that such attacks are "here to stay." The continuing, multi-million-dollar attacks against member banks have finally forced SWIFT to acknowledge the elephant in the room. The co-op is now contemplating the adoption of blockchain technology to shore up its security, but its recent announcement raised more questions than answers. It's unclear how much the transition will cost, how long it will take and just how secure their blockchain technology will be.
It's no secret that many of President-elect Donald Trump's advisers favor killing the Iran nuclear deal. But to hear Europe tell it, they will not blindly follow suit. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini recently said Europe might line up with Russia against any efforts by the Trump administration to scuttle the deal; there's no way it can be re-opened bilaterally; it's impossible to demand fresh concessions from Iran; and the bloc won't feel obliged to re-impose sanctions on Tehran if Washington walks away from the agreement. For these comments, Europe should be praised. But should it be believed? The past 20 years demonstrate that some skepticism is warranted.

There are many reasons to doubt Europe's willingness to craft an Iran policy independent of Washington's preferences, but three stand out above all else. First, what recourse does the EU actually have at its disposal? What tangible costs is it willing and able to impose on the U.S. if steps are taken that damage EU interests? It's not at all clear, and I've pressed numerous current and former European diplomats on this point during private conversations over the past two months. Without fail, each of them has shrugged and conceded that if push comes to shove, the alliance with Washington is more important than their relations with Tehran. Europe knows it, Iran knows it, and the incoming Trump administration knows it.

Frankly, this knowledge was the linchpin of U.S. policy toward Iran under George W. Bush and first-term Barack Obama: You can do business with Washington or Tehran, but not both. The EU relented. If Trump pursues identical measures, why should we believe that Europe's response would be any different? Thus far, he has openly dismissed EU interests when they don't align with Washington's, and the backbone of his campaign was putting "America First." Why should we believe that his position would change?

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Moreover, Europe's track record on diverging from America's Iran policy doesn't bode well. Not since 1996 - when the EU was preparing to take the U.S. to the WTO over Iran sanctions, but ultimately settled via direct negotiations - has Brussels threatened to impose costs on Washington over diverging policy interests. Since then, you'd be hard pressed to find any geopolitical issue of importance in which Europe has openly deviated from the U.S. Even when Washington makes painfully and obviously bad decisions like invading Iraq, most of Europe did not actively oppose the war after America pressured them and warned of worsened relations. Britain and Poland were foolish enough to join the U.S. coalition that kicked off the Iraq disaster.

Europe's deference to American preferences also highlights another inconvenient truth: the Iran deal was only possible once Washington and Tehran started substantively engaging in 2013. From 2003 through 2005, the EU led nuclear negotiations with Iran that America refused to join - and hammered out a deal that Washington refused to accept, forcing Europe to back down. Reality is that on Iran-related issues, Europe long ago outsourced its sovereignty to the United States, and there's no discernable reason to believe that will change in the foreseeable future.

Finally, it's important to remember that all politics is local: Upcoming elections in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, and Portugal breed uncertainty and caution in key European countries. Moreover, the United Kingdom is still in turmoil with no end in sight after its vote to leave the European Union. This reduces the likelihood that all 27 EU member states will form a cohesive bloc to take on Washington if it tries to kill the Iran deal. Moreover, politicians in most countries are generally more risk averse in the run up to elections. As Barack Obama inadvertently whispered into a hot mic four years ago: "After my election I have more flexibility." By the time the dust settles after nine elections in Europe, it will be mid-2017 at the earliest and Trump's Iran policy will almost certainly be locked in. The window to potentially influence that policy is now, and it's unclear if Europe is in a position to speak and act with a cohesive voice.

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This begs the question: What can the EU do to save the Iran deal, avoid another war in the Middle East, and help prevent an already tragic refugee crisis in Europe from spiraling out of control? If Trump chooses to pursue a policy that damages European interests, the bloc could make clear to Washington the costs of doing so - first privately in an effort to provide Trump with an opportunity to save face, and then going to the megaphones publicly if private outreach doesn't bear fruit. There are a variety of options at Europe's disposal. Two in particular could send a strong message.

First, the EU could announce the establishment an office in Brussels and the capitals of all 27 EU capitals tasked with long-term planning of alternative international banking and financial options outside the existing U.S.-controlled infrastructure. Europe might consider telling the U.S.: Overusing secondary sanctions that extend to non-U.S. persons will not be tolerated when Iran is fulfilling its end of the nuclear bargain, and American actions to that end could threaten its central role in the global financial system. Outgoing Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew recently warned of this in his exit memo, and Trump's Washington may think twice before damaging European interests if there's an even greater cost to its own.

To that end, Europe could also consider announcing the formation of a joint EU bank with no ties to the U.S. financial system in which all 27 member states have an equal stake. Run out of Brussels, such a bank might serve as the clearinghouse for transactions with countries that Washington seeks to isolate in ways that damage core European interests. Because it's unrealistic to expect an alternative global financial system to be quickly cobbled together, the EU should clarify that the foundation and takeoff operations for both of these initiatives would be established during Trump's four years in office - thereby giving him space to take European interests into account, while making clear the long-term ramifications if he does not.
The icon's day has come and gone, and -- oh, the irony -- eight people were fatally shot in Chicago on his weekend. Another eight were shot during a Martin Luther King rally and celebration in Miami.

God knows how many more died this past weekend: around the country, around the world.

An enormous wrong called human violence continues to roll across Planet Earth, but we bring less understanding to it than we had 50 years ago, when King spoke at Riverside Church in New York City and stood courageously against the war in Vietnam.

"We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation," King said in his electrifying and disturbing speech, which merged the movement for civil rights and social justice with the growing national outrage against war. "The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. And history is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating path of hate. . . .

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"We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today."

As I say, this was 50 years ago: April 4, 1967, a year to the day before he was assassinated. And tomorrow is still today.

"We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. . . . We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation."

Consider the dystopia on display in this Chicago Sun-Times story about the eight fatal (and 24 non-fatal) shootings across Chicagoland on the weekend of Jan. 14-16. Each fatality in this irony-permeated account is meticulously listed, along with the street and block on which it occurred, the precise time of day (1:13 a.m., 6:55 p.m., etc.) and, my God, the lethal bullet's entry location on each victim's body. Thus we learn that there were two chest wounds, a head wound, head and chest wounds, abdomen and face wounds, and three multiple gunshot wounds. That's it. No larger understanding is conveyed, no outrage, no despair. What's the point?

The story ends: "Nine people were shot in Chicago last weekend."

This is no fantasy dystopia but the world we actually live in -- the "tomorrow" of King's passionate warning cry half a century ago: "The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy," he wrote in his 1967 book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? "Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it."

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We're watching his prescience come to life, even as we honor him -- and in the process, ignore him. As I wrote a decade ago: "The public accolades ladled upon this fallen leader embalm him in sentimentality, in some glass case in the pantheon of national heroes, next to Washington, Lincoln, Elvis, et al. Then once a year we cherry-pick a memorable phrase here or there ('I have a dream' comes to mind for some reason), as though the words are frozen in history, part of a time when there was struggle and disagreement and prejudice.

"The shocking thing about King is that his words are as alive and unsettling as they've ever been."

So the best we can do is try to pull them loose from yesterday's context and look at them, absorb them and embody them in today's. If anything, however, the wall of cynicism that prevents his words from entering the American political consciousness is more formidable than ever.

"This I believe," he said in his Riverside address, "to be the privilege and the burden of all of us who deem ourselves bound by allegiances and loyalties which are broader and deeper than nationalism and which go beyond our nation's self-defined goals and positions. We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for the victims of our nation and for those it calls 'enemy,' for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers.

"And as I ponder the madness of Vietnam and search within myself for ways to understand and respond in compassion, my mind goes constantly to the people of that peninsula. . . . (It) is clear to me that there will be no meaningful solution there until some attempt is made to know them and hear their broken cries."

These words tear me open, not simply because of the truth they manifest but because, despite that truth -- wrenchingly apparent as it is in the wake of 50 further years of U.S. militarism -- they still fail to penetrate the wall that separates policy from sanity.

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Hear the broken cries of those who join ISIS? Of course not. But Erik Prince, mercenary extraordinaire, founder of Blackwater (and brother of Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos), apparently has the ear of President-elect Donald Trump, and, as Jeremy Scahill reports, has been pushing for the Trump administration to "recreate a version of the Phoenix Program, the CIA assassination ring that operated during the Vietnam War, to fight ISIS."

And the global dystopia rolls on.

I repeat: "The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy."

Welcome to tomorrow.

- - -

Robert Koehler is an award-winning, Chicago-based journalist and nationally syndicated writer. His book, Courage Grows Strong at the Wound is available. Contact him at koehlercw@gmail.com or visit his website at commonwonders.com.
For 17 years, my colleagues and I at Clean Edge have highlighted the major clean-energy trends to watch at the beginning of each year. Many of our past projections have become reality: the wide adoption of LED lighting, the growth of EVs over fuel-cell vehicles for next-gen transportation, and the significant cost declines of both wind and solar power which are making renewable energy (RE) sources more competitive than coal in a growing number of regions.

As we move into 2017, and Donald Trump takes office in just a few short days, what does the future of clean energy look like in the U.S. and across the globe? Well, despite Trump's rhetoric that "we dig coal," wind and solar (along with natural gas) will continue to dominate in new generation capacity, due to pure economics. There are a multitude of players, spanning the public and private spheres and the political spectrum, that strongly support continued clean-energy development. In my view, there's little chance of turning back the clock.

So, what does this year's crystal ball foretell? Here are our top three clean-energy trends for 2017:

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1) Corporations Double Down on RE Goals

Earlier this month, Clean Edge released a new Corporate Clean Energy Procurement Index on behalf of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). The first-of-its-kind index ranks all 50 U.S. states based upon the ease with which companies can procure renewable energy (RE) for their operations in them, tracking both policies and deployment. The Top 5 states based on our research are Iowa, Illinois, New Jersey, California, and Texas. An interesting mix of East, West, Red, Blue, and in between.

Corporate RE procurement is gaining momentum due to a number of factors including the rapid cost decline for solar and wind power, a considerable increase in corporate climate and sustainability goals, and the ability for corporations to hedge against fossil fuel price volatility.

At present, 84 multinational companies are members of the RE 100 campaign, one of the leading groups supporting and tracking corporate commitments to reaching 100% renewable electricity. This number is up from just 53 companies a year ago. Global giants that have made this commitment include Apple, Bank of America, Facebook, Google, HP, IKEA, Nike, and Wells Fargo. We expect the list of companies aiming for 100% renewables to continue to expand considerably. Some companies, such as Google, Apple, and Amazon, have even set up separate subsidiaries focused on energy management, RE procurement and development, and in some cases, the resale of surplus RE supply.

In late 2016, Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, perhaps recognizing the growing importance of corporate RE initiatives and the need for his state to remain attractive to corporate procurers, vetoed a continued freeze on the state's renewable portfolio standard. The Buckeye State, which ranks eighth overall in our index, now stands ready to capture even more of the high-paying jobs that come from data centers and other corporate operations seeking a ready supply of clean electrons.

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2) California (Along with Other Subnational Governments) Offers a Beacon of Clean Energy Hope and Innovation

California Gov. Jerry Brown offers both hope and salvation for those concerned about the prospects for federal climate policy under Trump. Make no mistake, California (along with leaders in Oregon, Hawaii, New York, Massachusetts, and elsewhere) will continue to lead on climate change. Not only do many of these states have renewable targets exceeding 50%, but they are actively involved in building their clean-energy innovation capacity.

At a recent American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco, California's governor made it clear that the nation's largest state (and the sixth largest economy in the world based on GDP) was ready to step into the fold. If the Trump administration tries to dismantle NASA's climate research and related satellite operations, Brown emphatically noted that California would "launch its own damn satellite."

California has also taken a leadership role in organizing the Under2MOU initiative, bringing together states, provinces, and other subnational governments around the world committed to deep decarbonization and a shared goal of limiting greenhouse gas emissions to 2 tons per capita, or 80-95% below 1990 level by 2050. The initiative now represents jurisdictions from 33 countries representing more than 1 billion people and 35% of the global economy.

And California has one other key element in its clean-energy arsenal. Many years ago, Congress provided the State of California unique authority to set vehicle fuel efficiency standards that are more stringent than federal mandates. And other states are permitted to follow California's standards. So, if federal leadership decides to pull back on the Obama Administration's corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards, California stands ready to play a central role, as it has in the past, in enabling other states to pursue tougher standards.

3) Clean Energy Jobs Remain a Major Growth Opportunity

While not a single brand name smartphone is made in the U.S., the same cannot be said for clean-energy products and services. Across the nation, Americans are hard at work building and assembling EVs from Chevrolet and Tesla, LED light bulbs from Cree and 3M, wind turbines from Vestas and GE, and solar panels from First Solar and SolarWorld. That's not to say that competition for these jobs isn't intense and global. But unlike in the smartphone industry and so many others, the U.S has proven to be an attractive place for a host of clean-tech manufacturing jobs on both coasts and in the heartland, from Beaverton, Oregon and Toledo, Ohio to Lake Orion, Michigan and Durham, North Carolina.

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Just days after winning the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump met with one of the leading icons of the Japanese tech industry, Masayoshi Son of Softbank. Not only has Son made fortunes from robust cellular services and tech business, he has been a leading light around renewables development in Japan, and is founder of the Renewable Energy Institute in Tokyo. He has been a major champion of solar power development in post-Fukushima Japan, and has also committed to spend $20 billion to develop solar power in India. In his meeting with Trump, he promised that his new fund would invest $50 billion in the U.S. and create 50,000 jobs. How much will go into clean-energy innovation remains uncertain, but it certainly could be a not-insignificant portion of Son's U.S. innovation strategy.

The renewable energy sector in the U.S. provides nearly 770,000 jobs, with the solar industry alone now surpassing the number of jobs in the oil and natural gas extraction industries in the U.S., based on research from IRENA. But the U.S. risks losing out on the job creation opportunities offered by the fast-growing clean-energy sectors if Trump works to derail, hinder, or marginalize the nation's robust clean-energy industry and tilts the playing field in favor of fossil fuels. Such actions will only shift the center of clean-energy gravity to Asia and Europe. China, for example, just announced plans to invest an additional $350 billion into renewable power generation and predicts that the nation will count 13 million jobs in the RE sector by 2020, up from 3.5 million in 2015. So, the question isn't whether there will be job growth in the fields of solar and wind power, energy storage, green buildings, EVs, and more - it's just a question of where those jobs will be created.
Actor Ryan Reynolds attends the Q and A during The Contenders Screening of DEADPOOL With Ryan Reynolds at MOMA on December 19, 2016 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/ Lars Niki)

Perhaps the most highly-anticipated aspect of "Deadpool 2" is the time-travelling war veteran Cable. Rumors about his casting have been heating up ever since the end-credit scene of "Deadpool" confirmed that the character would appear in the sequel. After months of searching, has "Deadpool 2" found its Cable?



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There have been many names attached to the role of Cable. For one, "Avatar" actor Stephen Lang was reportedly campaigning to win the role of Cable. On the other hand, it was reported that "Deadpool" director Tim Miller wanted "Friday Nights Light" star Kyle Chandler for the role, but the choice didn't quite resonate with Marvel and reportedly intensified tension between Miller and actor Ryan Reynolds. Long story short, there hasn't been a seemingly official statement about the Cable casting until now.



Ryan Reynolds himself did a little teasing on his Instagram account by posting a photo of him with Hugh Jackman and "James Bond" star Pierce Brosnan. The connection between Reynolds and Jackman is evident, as they both play rival Marvel characters. Interestingly, it is reported that Jackman's last outing as Wolverine may not be "Logan," but "Deadpool 2." While fans have established who Reynolds and Jackman are in the Marvel sphere, there's a huge mystery surrounding Brosnan participation in the photo.



Reynolds captioned the photo, "Wolvie. Bond. Wade," Movie Web reported. The trio did the "hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil" pose, which perhaps indicates that they might be hiding a big project together. It didn't take much for fans to speculate that Brosnan may have bagged the role of Cable, considering that he does fit the part.



Brosnan appears to be an age-appropriate choice for the role of Cable. Moreover, he has solid acting chops to take on the role of the time-travelling mercenary. A huge plus is his experience as James Bond, which means he's got what it takes to do an all-out action movie.



Meanwhile, Reynolds told MTV News that filming for "Deadpool 2" will not start until they're ready. "Everything feels great. Everybody is seamlessly locked in to the situation. It's been really amazing," Reynolds said about the production.



"Deadpool 2" is expected to hit theaters in 2018.






A signature exchange early in the first Senate hearing Wednesday for Rep. Tom Price in his nomination to be the next Health and Human Services Secretary illustrates a lot about our still damaged healthcare system, and how it could now get much worse.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose call to expand coverage through an improved Medicare for all was a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, forcefully challenged Price to commit to guaranteed healthcare for every American.

Sanders: The United States of America is the only major country on earth that does not guarantee healthcare to all people as a right. Do you believe that healthcare is a right of all Americans, whether they are rich or they're poor? Should people, because they are Americans, be able to go to the doctor, be able to go into a hospital because they are Americans? In Canada, in other countries, all people have the right to get healthcare. Do you believe we should move in that direction?

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Price: I believe that every single American has access to the highest quality care and coverage that is possible.

Sanders. 'Has access to' does not mean that they are guaranteed health care. I have access to buying a $10 million home; I don't have the money to do that.

Unpack the evasions and you have the Ayn Rand-Tea Party philosophy in a nutshell. You only deserve the healthcare you can buy, from private insurance companies that have a history of price gouging with multiple restrictions on the care you can receive even after paying your premiums.

"Access to care" in the mouths of those devoted to shredding every vestige of our healthcare safety net only serves as a pointed reminder of the elevation of double speak for an incoming administration whose press secretary, Sean Spicer, can praise the "totality of diversity" that is "second to none" for a Cabinet where 13 of 16 nominees are white men. Or perhaps Spicer just meant the "diversity" of both millionaires and billionaires.

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Any notion that the private healthcare market, which has long prioritized its profiteering above any guarantees of access, cost, or quality, will somehow do a better job of assuring "every person the financial feasibility to purchase the coverage they want" requires a suspension of disbelief that is truly Orwellian.

Probably the best evidence of the failure of the market-driven system - which saw the U.S. fall to 37th in the world according to a World Health Organization ranking early in this century - is the decades long push for major healthcare reform.

The Affordable Care Act was a step forward, especially in access, through the expansion of Medicaid for many low and moderate income adults, and a ban on some of the worst insurance abuses that permitted more people to buy insurance plans through the ACA market exchanges.

Significant holes in the ACA, especially the failure to adequately control out of pocket costs for millions of people, opened the door to much of the attacks, as hypocritical as the ideological resistance has been from those in Congress to a plan that was evolved from conservative think tanks and designed to meet the desires of the healthcare industry.

Now, with the rush to repeal the ACA, things are in danger of getting very ugly fast.

Incoming President Trump did throw a wrench into the feeding frenzy in a series of statements insisting that the Republican majorities in the Senate and House adopt a concurrent replacement plan with repeal of the ACA.

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Further he set conditions, that no one lose coverage they've gained under the ACA, and that premiums and deductibles be lowered.

That has made it sticky for the repeal and replace crowd. Not one scheme they have talked about the past eight years comes close to meeting those barometers.

Not health savings accounts or tax credits to buy insurance without any controls on the predatory pricing practices of the industry.

Not "selling insurance across state lines" which is merely a race to the bottom, letting insurance giants decamp in the least regulated states so that other states, with stronger public protections, must accept those same lowered standards.

And not converting Medicaid to block grants, which Price, and now Trump as well, are proposing as a "solution" for expanded coverage.

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The Medicaid block grant proposal is intended to sharply reduce federal funding for Medicaid, and then leave it to states, more than half now controlled by conservative budget hawks, to reduce their commitment to health coverage for low and moderate income people by restricting eligibility and cutting covered benefits.

Sanders also pressed Price on whether he would adhere to another Trump promise not to cut Medicare and Medicaid.

And then there was this exchange, where Sanders pointed out another Trump call for increased negotiations to reduce prescription drug prices, which would be a sharp u-turn for Congressional conservatives who have repeatedly blocked the ability of Medicare to negotiate discounts as most other countries do.

Sanders: Will you work with us so that Medicare negotiates prices with the pharmaceutical industry?

Price: You have my commitment to work with you and others to make certain that the drug pricing is reasonable and that individuals have access to the medications that they need.

There he goes again. "Access" to medications may mean you can stand in a pharmacy and admire the drugs on the shelves, but it still does not mean you can afford the massive price gouging to get them.
What's the biggest threat to building an engaged workforce in 2017? A recent study concludes: employee burnout.

The study, by Kronos Incorporated and Future Workplace, found that 95 percent of human resource executives think that burnout is what stands in the way of employee retention. What's worse, they don't think that a solution will be found in the near future.

HR managers point to plenty of reasons for employee burnout. Unfair compensation, unreasonable workloads and too much overtime or after-hours work are the three biggest causes. But they agree that a negative workplace culture is another big factor in burnout.

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I would argue that culture is at the root of all other challenges in the workplace. It's the foundation of policies, practices and perspectives that spell the difference between employee engagement and employees who are job hunting. And one of the most effective steps that leaders can take to build stronger work cultures is to put social impact squarely at the center of your corporate values.

Looking towards the year ahead, business leaders have their work cut out for them when it comes to increasing employee engagement. As you cultivate a more positive work culture, here are four top leadership trends in HR that some experts are forecasting for 2017:

1. The employee experience will be a big focus for 2017

Mercer predicts that 90% of employers anticipate more competition for talent, especially in India, North America, and Asia. So it's not surprising that Kronos reports that organizations will expand their focus from the customer experience alone to the one felt by their workforces, driven by the need to improve employee recruitment, engagement and retention, and to make work more professionally fulfilling. Which perks and benefits matter most to employees, and how can these be utilized to avoid employee burnout?

One study found that 83% of HR leaders said "employee experience" is either important or very important to their organization's success. Companies like GE now actually have people whose job title is Head of Employee Experience. And HR leaders in many organizations are beginning to connect with heads of Real Estate, IT, Marketing, Internal Communications, and Global Citizenship to create a compelling life for employees within their companies.

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But even small companies can create a big impact for employees by focusing on one area they deeply care about: giving back. One of the benefits that we know matters a great deal to employees, especially Millennials, is a perk-rich employee and giving volunteer program. If you've got a program in place, make sure it's laden with goodies like dollars for doers, matching gifts, paid time off to volunteer, and an online platform that fosters a social, mobile, interactive and transparent volunteer experience. 2. Companies will make the workplace more digital for employees

As noted by Future Workplace advisor Jeanne Meister, sixty-seven percent of CEOs think that their company is a "technology company," according to a survey by Fortune. And according to Forrester, 47% percent of executives surveyed believe that by 2020, digital will have an impact on more than half their sales. HR leaders are following this inclination, bringing more technology and digital experiences to their employees.

"Applying a consumer and digital lens is much more than just incorporating new solutions in HR," Meister notes. "Being employee-centered and digital is about having a new mindset...Above all, it requires a belief in the power of leveraging the latest consumer technologies inside HR."

You can't have the mindset of an innovative technology company and then bring an analog volunteer and giving experience to your employees. Your company's interest and efforts in creating a culture of giving back needs to be matched by an investment in the same kind of digital experience that you bring to the rest of your business. Without this, employees can smell "lip service" a mile away and will fast lose interest in participating.

3. Companies will focus on the development of teams, not just individuals

Another observation from Meister is that team development will take on a higher importance in 2017. As Ashley Goodall, Senior Vice President of Leadership and Team Intelligence at Cisco, told Meister, "One of the big misses in HR has been our nearly exclusive focus on individual development and performance. At Cisco, we noted great accomplishments are delivered through teams, not just through individuals working alone. This led to our insight that an individual employee's experience is really their team experience and this is different for everyone."

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Volunteering and giving programs are particularly well-suited to foster team dynamics and development. Leading companies understand that these programs are a rich minefield for team, leadership and skills development, at a fraction of the cost that traditional employee development programs incur. And all while serving the large purpose of breeding meaningful corporate cultures that fuel employees' passions and sense of fulfillment.

4. Companies will get creative with employee impact

Employees expect much more from their companies than a "done in a day." According to Cone Communications, sabbaticals were all the rage in 2016 - experiences where employees can see, feel and touch impact activities outside of the office. "In an effort to attract and retain Millennial talent," Cone Communication reports, "Citigroup has created a new immersive service experience - allowing junior bankers to work on a four-week microfinance project in Kenya. In a similar move, boutique investment bank Moelis & Co. is now offering four weeks paid sabbatical for employees to pursue a passion area after five years with the company."

HR and CSR leaders need to apply a shot of creativity to their programs and consider how to take their impact efforts to the next level. Leading in business is increasingly associated with leading in social change; companies need to convince top talent as well as other stakeholders that they have the innovation it takes to be a transformative workplace.

Companies afflicted with mass employee burnout need to rethink everything about how they're approaching their mission. A positive culture of giving back is a powerful salve against the daily rough and tumble of business as usual. Charitable cultures serve as an effective antidote to much that disengages employees and create a base of goodwill that improves every touchpoint of an organization.
This week Donald Trump becomes the 45th President of the US, taking over as the least popular head of state in at least forty years, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Trump's surprise election victory came at the heels of a controversial campaign, which often relied on xenophobic, misogynistic and divisive rhetoric. More than his contemptuous tone, however, it was Trump's stances on issues such as homeland security, immigration, treatment of minorities, and women's reproductive rights or his attacks on the press that shocked and awed. His proposed programs have resulted in opponents describing him as "authoritarian," a "tyrant," and a "unique threat to American democracy," and propelled some to organize a resistance against his agenda.

What this unprecedented level of anxiety belies, however, is that some of Trump's most alarming proposals signal a mere continuity of the Obama administration's policies.

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Two of Trump's earliest jolts were related to his proposed treatment of Latinos and Muslims. In his June 2015 campaign launch speech Trump called Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists, and announced plans to build a border wall. He also pledged to expel all illegal aliens, only changing that last November to deporting two to three million undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

In late 2015 Trump also proposed the creation of a "Muslim registry," along with a temporary ban on Muslims from entering the US. He subsequently changed his position to a ban on travelers from any country afflicted by terrorism along with extreme vetting of all immigrants.

Trump's vitriol sent shockwaves, but perhaps for the wrong reasons. These ideas deserved panic not for their assumed unprecedented discriminatory nature, but instead their similarity to existing Obama administration policies.

With the focus on DACA and DAPA as defining Obama's immigration reform legacy, what receives far less attention is the administration's record-setting deportations of over 2.5 million immigrants.

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President Obama long articulated his administration's focus on deportations as a policy response, promising, however, only to remove violent criminals. Even Trump described his new proposal as a continuation of Obama's policy but "perhaps with a lot more energy."

Of course, as government data from 2009-2014 and 2014-2016 reveal, despite Obama's assurances, only 20 percent of deportees have been convicted of violent crimes, with the overwhelmingly majority either having clean records (59%) or only immigration-related offenses or minor infractions (each at 11%), such as shoplifting. The numbers dispel the myth of "felons, not families."

While the sheer magnitude of expulsions Trump envisions may be tough to achieve now, his administration will nevertheless inherit from Democrats a sprawling bureaucratic infrastructure to implement mass deportations.

Furthermore, on American Muslims too Trump's proposals have been relentlessly unoriginal. His proposed "extreme vetting" has been in effect throughout the Obama years, without Congressional authorization, under the Controlled Application Review and Resolution Program, a covert policy targeted almost exclusively at Muslims under which the FBI conducts special vetting of immigration applicants assumed to pose a terrorist threat.

The Muslim registry also essentially existed over the past eight years under a recently dismantled Bush-era database known as the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS). More importantly, under Obama more sophisticated automated systems were developed which rendered NSEERS obsolete and presumably allow for more efficient tracking.

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Moreover, Trump's support for greater surveillance of Muslims is borrowed from the Obama administration as well, which relying on the FBI and local law enforcement agencies, spied on American Muslim communities using a variety of techniques ranging from geo-mapping to phony community outreach programs and the use of informants.

Similarly, Trump's position on America's nuclear power have not strayed from existing policy. His pronouncements to greatly expand US nuclear capabilities, even if it resulted in an arms race, were condemned as frightening and dangerous, but again missed the mark. As pointed out, the Obama administration has already created the largest nuclear modernization program since the 1980s, including the purchase of new weapons and advanced delivery systems. The arms race is already happening.

Finally, a continuing worry about the Trump presidency has been its treatment of the press, a concern reinvigorated after he again derided reporters at a press conference last week. What the flurry of criticism and horror that followed omitted was that Trump's intolerance for transparency and press freedoms too is directly in the footsteps of President Obama.

First, the Obama administration's transparency record was bleak. Despite promising an era of openness, the administration impeded the press and concerned citizens from obtaining information, setting records for either entirely denying access or providing heavily redacted versions of government files requested under the Freedom of Information Act in both 2015 and 2016 (65% and 77% of all requests, respectively).

Second, the administration became increasingly hostile towards journalists over its tenure. It targeted whistleblowers under the Espionage Act at least nine times (by comparison used only three times in the ninety years prior), ordered the FBI to spy on journalists who had received information from leakers, including tapping their phone records and hacking their emails, and tried coercing them into revealing their sources.

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Third, it quashed supply-side dynamics with similar ferocity, creating the Insider Threat Program in 2012 to identify and punish those involved in leaking government materials as well as those failing to report their suspicions of a co-worker.

Fourth, more than establishing dangerous precedents, the Obama administration also won the legal cover to punish journalists publishing stories using leaked documents, including jailing them for not complying with subpoenas to reveal sources of the leaks, that can now be exploited by the next government.

Since launching his campaign Trump has repeatedly shocked his audience by relying on a pugnacious style of politics and inflammatory narratives now unusual in presidential campaigns. Unfortunately, this has often resulted in his proposals also being treated as unparalleled. As a more careful reading of the past eight years reveals, however, some of the most unsettling parts of Trump's agenda are either borrowed from or congruous with the policies of the Obama administration and reflect a prevailing policy consensus.
I live in New York City - a fact that reassures and frightens me on this Inauguration Eve. I take comfort in neighbors who are just as worried about the president-elect as I am. Trump or no-Trump we're an amazing sanctuary city with systems that work and powerful resources. But we're also Trump's home town; you might as well paint target bullseyes across Manhattan. I don't know what to fear more: a nuclear strike or Trump's bigoted agenda.

I check multiple news sites daily, but I'm most loyal to the New York Times. I want to know: did Russia succeed with a soft coup? Who in DC will enforce our laws? Will the Senate confirm cabinet appointees egregiously unfit for their roles?

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Non-Trump Voters are the majority. Yet our stories of coping with the election aftermath have not made the New York Times homepage. I decided to reach out to some non-Trump voters. This is not a scientific survey. But you will find definite trends: dread, grief, and commitment to resistance. Some respondents wished to be named, some wished to include their race. Others did not. If you wish, please share your stories in the comments.

A NYC Corporate Lawyer Can't Shake the Dread

"Many people I know across the board-- Republican, Democratic, at work and outside of work--are deeply worried. In New York City, most of us already know Donald Trump to be a narcissistic, insecure, bombastic blowhard and cannot believe that he got away with bamboozling the folks who elected him. Up to now, he has been somewhat harmless. Now, he is emboldened and he has surrounded himself with very dangerous, mean-spirited, privileged people who have real power. Disaster can be just a tweet away. I cannot shake this feeling of profound fear and dread."

A NYC Publisher Is Reminded of Abusive Parents

"This whole new administration has awakened memories of being abused by my parents. I learned early on that you can't bargain, negotiate or normalize crazy. It is very hard, I see, for the media and the people in general to understand how they can box you in. In order to not get sucked in, for me at least, I'm doing what I think is absolutely necessary--to work at what I feel most passionate about and to practice much more loving patience to everyone I come into contact with." - Deborah Emin

Michigan Teacher and Grandmother Couldn't Sleep

"At first it felt like someone close to me had died. I mean, I felt stunned, sad, sick to my stomach, couldn't sleep. After a day or two the shock and sadness became anger, I felt cheated, believed (still do) that something illegal had occurred. Today, two days before his swearing in, all I feel is fear. I believe that ultimately his own party, or the security forces in this country, will have to step in, will make him step down. This is my hope. My bet is that the pendulum is going to swing hard...to the left, and we will be singing the songs of the 1960s again." - Gloria Nixon-John

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Stay-at-home Upper East Side Mom Thinks We Elected Voldemort

"I feel like we've elected Voldemort. Truly, an entity who is soulless and evil. Someone who could see a frail elderly person fall and hurt himself and not only not offer to help them stand up, but not even care. It chills me to think of someone who honestly seems to me to be a sociopath becoming president. I didn't agree with either Bush, but I always saw a bumbling essence of humanity.

"But he's also PT Barnum. And Beavis and Butthead- guttural, ignorant and crude. I know people who know Donald Trump well--money and real estate types who live in NYC. None of them will admit to voting for him and so many of them say he doesn't believe the things he's saying. They say this is all for show. He's whipping up people he knows he can control. They say he used to be a pro-choice Democrat. So purely to achieve his goal he has unearthed an ugliness that will reverberate for generations and will forever impact the world. I don't think that all the hope we've achieved has been reversed, but it certainly feels that way a lot.

"As Meryl Streep pointed out, the ramifications of this dark entity getting elected are chilling because he's made it okay to do any of these things as long as you never admit guilt, which is textbook sociopath behavior. I feel like none of the Democrats are stepping up. I feel like no one is hearing us and we're viewed as ineffective. I feel like I'm being left alone with an abusive uncle and no one is looking after me."

A Jewish Attorney and Mother is Incandescent with Rage

"I'm a forty-year-old Jewish attorney and mother of a six-year old daughter and I'm incandescent and inarticulate with rage these days. But fine otherwise!"

Black, Queer Physicist Won't Let Democrats Off the Hook

"Shit is fucking fucked. I'm extremely worried. My husband works in public health, and I cried through his conference calls during the first week after the election. Today I am reading the plans to cut funding to the Department of Energy, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities and trying to imagine our national community without those resources. I keep seeing how I've always imagined 1984.



"I'm scared to wear headphones while riding public transportation now. I'm afraid I won't see the beating coming. I struggle even more to decide when to allow myself leisure, which includes my professional work as a physicist, and when to focus on things that will enact resistance, including my work as Editor-in-Chief of The Offing.



"I think I'm more committed now than I've ever been to seeing The Offing succeed to ensure that people on the margins, people challenging the status quo both in terms of their existence and also the forms their work takes, get their work out into the world. I know that the arts have a major role to play in keeping us grounded in our humanity as well as envisioning the better world that we have no choice but to fight for. I'm also even more committed to my work with Jewish Voice for Peace, where I am a member of the Academic Council and a leader in the Jews of Color, Sephardim, and Mizrahim caucus. We can't relent in our anti-racist work both here in the United States and in Palestine-Israel.

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"I am afraid of not doing enough and simultaneously of losing my humanity because I try to do too much. In our fight for justice with peace, we can't forgo what makes us human because then what are we fighting for? I'm always worried about that balance, always aware of how my social and economic capital influences my thinking about it. I'm coping by reading and writing, a lot. I'm re-reading Moby Dick because it is such a brilliant allegory for white supremacy. I'm also still watching a lot of escapist TV, like MTV's Catfish.

"Make sure that your existence is part of the resistance. And don't let the Democrats off the hook, FFS. And don't trust them either. Look at their track record, honestly, and demand justice." - Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

White NYC Professor and Activist Feels her America Died

"I am living in a state of anxiety and 'bracing' myself for the next blow to be delivered by Trump. I'm managing my feelings by working out and resuming my meditation practice. My feelings swing from sadness to rage. I feel like my America has died."

Kasich Write-In Will Support Trump, is Sick of the Hate

"I am a Republican who did not vote for the President-elect, but I am going to support him and hope he succeeds. Do I have concerns about foreign policy, social issues, civil liberties, civility, compassion ... YES! But the message I got from the election was that a lot of people HATE government, for one reason or another.

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I have lots of liberal friends and I have maintained connections to them on social media through the election. I appreciate passion for the election process and people advocating for their candidates. But now, after the election, I have a few friends who are demonstrating the kind of anger and hate that they believe Trump represents. I am sick of it."

Black Bay-Area Novelist Has Escape Plans

"I'm still in shock. Every morning I think of some new layer of awful. I have been suffering from pretty serious anxiety and depression. I have a lot of fear. I feel like we don't even know what we don't know right now. Every day has seen one shocking set of revelations and deplorable appointments after another.

"I will feel much less safe traveling internationally, which I do often. I was applying for a Fulbright to Morocco but now I think I'm scrapping those plans--I just wouldn't feel safe hanging out near a US embassy or in places heavily frequented by Westerners now that Trump is president. I am also very saddened at the prospect of having Jeff Sessions as AG. My biggest fear is the police. With a guy up there sending the message that it's open season on Black folks and they will not be sanctioned or prosecuted? My fears are amped up considerably.

"I call my senators and representatives three times a week. There is no shortage of issues to discuss. Resist by contacting our representatives in Congress every chance we get. Resist economically by boycotting big banks and etc. Truly, at this point, the secret to resistance is thwarting these folks economically. For me the tax structure is a biggie, as Trump has said he will do away with Head of Household, which will penalize single parents. I am most certainly not getting married, so this will take a huge chunk out of my income.

[I think about] my children's futures. Which seem imperiled in so many ways at this point. While it may not be reality to think one needs to exit the country immediately, it feels incredibly realistic to have a long-range escape plan. Things may get very strange very fast--we just don't know anything beyond the fact that we have a President who doesn't seem prepared to sustain any sort of normalcy whatsoever. It may become unprofitable and unsafe for many people to continue to live in this country."

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Mexican-Jewish Poet Feels Loss Immediately

"The day after the election, I wrote for The Kenyon Review how I'd lost my keys, my wallet, and all forms of ID in the less than forty-eight hours. While I've recovered almost everything, my keys are still lost. I know they are still in the apartment because I'd last used them to get inside, and yet they are also gone. I've looked everywhere. It might seem pointless, but I can't stop looking.

Now in the new year, I'm still looking at my fellow citizens who support Trump in disbelief. How did a reality TV personality who's never held any public office and who's largely been sheltered from the financial and social burdens that plague most of us already do such damage? How is it possible, for example, that has not yet been charged with inciting violence during his campaign? How so quickly have racist and sexist forces already begun shaping actual public policy and laws-- before he's even stepped into office. This is not some reality show-- he's playing with our lives, making reactionary, crippling decisions that won't even affect him at all." - Rosebud Ben-Oni

Boston Writer Battles Depression with Small Actions

"Since Trump became President-elect, I feel we've entered into a new America where racism and intolerance is now trying to be normalized into mainstream America. Fake news and propaganda is trying to rewrite history and skew our perceptions of what is decent and good. I can't accept this. It goes against everything I know. At times I feel depressed and overwhelmed, like everything I know and love about my country is changing so fast for the worst, but then I remind myself that as long as I am taking action, however small, to fight against those negative forces, then I am part of the resistance against hate and intolerance. All action matters, even on the smallest, individual level." - Olivia Kate Cerrone

Native Texan, Over-60, Will March This Weekend

"I am dismayed, disheartened and, yes, depressed. I have thought about and commented on politics more than usual. I am anxious about any 'success' that Trump might have when it's at the expense of people, programs and services from health care to education to the arts. I resist the status quo, although I haven't determined exactly what that looks like. I'm going to start with the Women's March in NYC and ask for inspiration from fellow marchers. I am heartsick at the people I know who think this person will 'make America great again' and what that definition of 'great' actually entails.

"I don't know what to do next ... except get up each day and try to 'be the change I want to see.' Eloquence escapes me."

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Lifelong Democrat from Republican State Would Be Surprised if Trump Lasts 4 Years

"My morale is low; though my family and career are supportive and will continue to be, I cannot shake the feeling of impending dread, not just for my own situation, but for everyone, including the misguided, duped "Trumpcore" who got him elected.

"I haven't exactly determined the best way to resist Trump, but I will. I actively resisted the bad policy ideas of Reagan and GW Bush, but frankly, I felt we resisters were unable to make much of a difference during their terms--they both wrecked the US economy and made life more difficult for many people here and abroad.

"Lately, I have been thinking about lessons learned in study of US politics during college, such as: the fickle and shallow will of the "sheeple"; how readily they are attracted to Nazi-style propaganda when it's wrapped in the US flag; how US politics used to be cyclical, swinging left and right across a center, but now seems to be swinging more and more to the right.

"Many people in the shrinking white majority seem to want to return to a rigid pre-1960 ideal of America, but they have failed to understand that life is itself a rose-colored fiction, not one lived by anyone outside an archetypal white, middle-class, Mom-at-home bubble, especially in minority communities. They yearn for an authoritarian time, where difference of any kind is marginalized, contained and punished.

"I really don't have a clue about what we, as a people, can do other than to continue to live our lives, not abandon our ideals, and hold those in power accountable for bad decisions or policies. But having said that, I will be surprised if Trump lasts 4 years."

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Female Brooklyn Writer Tries to Use This Heartbreak for Good

"My morale is generally low, but trying to find the stars in the sky. Tears just fall from my face at any moment now, including during sex. And I am barely reading the news, which is odd. I feel upbeat when I'm with friends, numb when I look at anything to do with Trump. I'm either detached or disassociating since I don't know what to be most afraid of, so it feels safer not to feel.

"I'm thinking about compassion and harmony. Just came up with this mission statement: I use my heartbreak to walk toward harmony with compassion as my guide.

"What am I worried about? I'm worried we'll all get teargassed or arrested at the march. Extremely concerned by all of Trump's appointments--2017 meets McCarthy era. I am nesting at home, creating a co-gender group and a lady writer support group to have more spaces for emotional support. And I'm writing. I am mainly staying off social media since Twitter just feels like a rage machine.

"I'm resisting right now by going to the march in DC. I'm also engaging Trump voters in conversation to hear why they made the choice they did. I would like to be part of some sort of cross country (in person) dialogue so that we can all learn to listen to each other, at least for those who would be willing to take part. I also want to make everyone's reaction 'okay' - like it's okay that I want to talk to people who voted for Trump and it's okay that others don't. Let us all find our way through this."

Oregon Scientist Remains Optimistic

"I am--because I must be--optimistic. The next few years will likely shake the country to its roots....or not. If it does, it is the shaking that we need for Dems to institute a thorough, deep makeover. The current mind boggling situation we are in has opened my mind farther than it has ever been opened. That's what us really keeping me optimistic." - Kathy McCarthy
I'm a 34-year-old male with a wide range of interests, though I don't see myself as a loose millennial. In fact, lately I've been shocked when taking a look at myself in the mirror and seeing my aging facade. Growing up, when our family needed something, we'd browse though the yellow pages to find where to buy it. Already as a child, I had quite an imagination. I recall forcing my mom into asking the service staff at the local pizza place if they had pizza with whipped cream on top as I'd seen this on the Teenage Ninja Turtles movie. To my defense, I'd checked the yellow pages first without any luck, before bulldozing my mom.

As a customer I'm inconsistent, complex and demanding. I've bought $300+ A.P.C. jeans, but I buy the cheapest dish detergent from the closest grocery store. I didn't want to pay $55 for a Gildan tour merch t-shirt, but have bought Hanes t-shirts with a printed box-logo for a price three times more than similar t-shirts without the logo. I felt kind of dumb doing it the first time but then I actually did it again a few months later. I've got a luxurious Leica camera, yet I couldn't have been happier when I found a pair of Jordans from Marshalls for $60. Some of my friends in Miami request to meet up at cafes offering two cups of coffee for $18 dollars, while other friends back home in Finland aren't even willing to meet up anywhere else than a gas station. I'd love to hear what kind of insights the big data banks have to say about me as a consumer. In fact, I quite frankly hate the word consumer. I find brands that refer to their customers as consumers arrogant and outdated.

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Lately there's been a lot of loud talk about customer experience. People value different things in different situations. In a world where loneliness is making people sick, some people want their grocery shopping to be a social experience where one can meet and chat with others. In a world where time is money, some want to get out of the grocery store as quickly as possible. Proving value for different individuals at different touch points must be quite hard.

I was traveling in business class recently. Before getting to the airplane I decided to spend some time at the business lounge. The lounge was being cleaned while I was trying to enjoy a cup of coffee with some light snacks and a sip of water just before the departure. Here I was wondering whether one would seriously consider cleaning their house while having visitors? Anyways, since there was nothing to instagram, I decided to head off to the gate. I guess I didn't look like the typical business traveller as I had a cap and a hoodie on. Seeing as I didn't walk further to the economy class, the airline staff looked at me with clear confusion. I really didn't mind and just greeted them in a friendly manner. I decided to remain standing, as I was still wearing my winter jacket. In doing so, I was waiting for the flight attendant to ask if she could take my jacket. I waited till it started feeling a bit awkward. As I noticed other business travelers being helped, it felt even more awkward. I didn't want to wait any further so I asked one of the flight attendants to just kindly take my jacket. She said, "yes, of course", at this point I didn't feel valued.

During the end of last year, I decided to get a golden credit card. I filled out the application and waited for two weeks for the card to arrive by mail. As a bonus, the credit card company had promised me free visits to airport lounges. When I did finally receive the card, it had a sticker on it instructing me to call the customer service number to verify my card. The number was available only on weekdays during (Nordic) office hours. I waited till Monday to call the number. To my disappointment it wasn't a person picking up the call but an automated phone system. But robots work 24/7, right? Later on I realized that I'd need to print a new application and send it to the credit card company by snail-mail in order to receive the additional benefit of free access to airport lounges. At this point, I honestly felt tricked; as if I was the one working for the credit card company rather than the other way round. The following day I received an automated email from the credit card company stating how much they value my opinion, asking for feedback about their service. Well, till then I just felt like I hadn't been in contact with anyone and hadn't received any service for that matter. I therefore wouldn't waste any more of my valuable time on them.

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Then there's the TV incident. My parents decide to buy my nephew a new smart TV for Christmas. The retailer promised a three-month subscription on an on demand-streaming service as a freebie upon purchasing the TV. As I'm installing the new TV, I find out that the smart TV isn't so smart after all. It doesn't support the freebie streaming service. It doesn't even connect to the local WiFi network. The customer service representative for the network operator instantly blames the TV and tells me to call the customer service of the TV retailer. When I call the customer service for the TV, they are friendly but suggest that the problem is on the network operator's modem. Yet again they make me do all the work! They ask me to go online and download an update for the TV, then transfer it unto the TV on a USB stick. This is all to say that the retailer is selling products with outdated software. As if that wasn't enough, the advertised freebie doesn't work on the product bought. Seems like all these brands are just after my money - which is fine if a brand is transparent about it.

I think the most important ingredient of any experience is attitude. Test-driving a Ferrari can be an awful experience if the person selling it gives you an attitude different from what you expect. The 7-Eleven on the ground floor of the building I used to live in often ran out of hot coffee, was definitely not the cleanest store in the neighborhood, and some of the staff would listen to music on their headphones while serving customers. I didn't mind though, seeing as they were always friendly and gave me bang for the buck.

Yet I can't help but wonder: isn't there enough competition or why do I feel like so many brands hate me...
In case you hadn't noticed, someone recently loosed a satirist in American politics. Let me give you an example. You remember FBI Director James Comey, who gained a certain notoriety by stepping into the limelight 11 days before the recent presidential election via a very publicly dispatched letter to the Congressional leadership. It focused on an FBI investigation into emails from Hillary Clinton believed to be on a computer that disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner shared with his wife and Clinton aide Huma Abedin. As Comey admitted three days before the election, when it came to that investigation, there was no there there. This seeming non-event about an investigation of no significance would, in fact, prove historic. It represented the first intervention by the national security state, that ever more powerful fourth branch of our government, in an American election campaign and might well have played a role in putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office. (Just last week, the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General announced that it would look into the FBI's investigation of Clinton's email and, in particular, whether Comey's late-in-the-day intervention "violated policy or procedure when he sent Congress notification about new evidence his department had discovered.")

You may by now be wondering where the promised satire is, but be patient. Comey made his first public appearance since his pre-election dramatics at a recent Senate hearing and was asked whether the FBI might be investigating possible ties between Russian officials and the Trump campaign. In response, he offered this: "I would never comment on investigations -- whether we have one or not -- in an open forum like this, so I can't answer one way or another."

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Of course he wouldn't! As Senator Angus King of Maine responded (in an understated but tickle-your-ribs fashion that would have been quite suitable for Saturday Night Live), "The irony of your making that statement, I cannot avoid."
UC Berkeley Graduates

 UC Berkeley Used with Permission

Last month, on December 18th at 10:30 a.m., I stood on the podium at Haas Pavilion, looked at thousands of people and gave UC Berkeley's Winter Commencement Speech. I wasn't a alt-right "Dangerous Faggot," like college drop-out Milo Yiannopoulos but a nice, left leaning, bookish one and I felt terrified. Other queer people had given commencement speeches (Ellen DeGeneres and John Waters and Oregon Governor Kate Brown). However, none of them were graduating students or had spoken about being personally subjected to gay-to-straight therapy or the AIDS epidemic.

After I'd finished and stepped away from the podium, I knew why politicians, authors and activists were eager to do what everyone else in the world feared. For me, giving the commencement speech was more than an amplified selfie. It was alchemy. My personal his-story merged into a general our-story and this melding of the personal with the political became an experience that made me a better activist, artistically emboldened and whole.

UC Berkeley Graduates Walk Into Haas Pavillion

 UC Berkeley Used with Permission

I began my journey to that podium at Haas on November, 8, 2016. I stood with thousands of other CAL students, faced a giant screen set up outside Sproul Hall and watched an electoral map of America slowly turn red. The morning after was beautiful, limned by bright sun, silver clouds and crisp air. Berkeley looked like Athens by the Bay. I forced myself to leave the house, picked up two book bags filled with school work and set off for a day of research and reading.

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During a study break, I listened to an interview with the white feminist, Gloria Steinem. She pointed out that while the election results had articulated a backlash against people of color, women and immigrants, those were ultimately delaying tactics. "Those babies have already been born," Steinem observed. That night, I attended class and asked the professor-- herself an immigrant and feminist scholar -- "Is this the beginning of America turning into a fascist state?" She said, "Use your voices."

UC Berkeley Medalist Radhika KannanSpeaks at Commencement, Source YouTube

During the days that followed, I got emails about the upcoming graduation. I planned to skip it and go to L.A. where I'd get some sun and a brow waxing. But tucked into all those emails about tickets, caps and gowns, one caught my eye: "Graduation speaker needed."

Later that evening, I sat in an Oakland cafe and wrote the first draft of what became the 2016 Winter Commencement speech. A few days later, I met Katharine Sen (of The Californians) who headed the search committee for the speaker. I stood at a lectern in Dwinelle and, for the first time, I gave the speech.

"Wow," she said, when I'd finished. "You've just made our decision very difficult."

The next day, I learned that I'd been chosen and began the revision process. I was determined to speak about Darryl Adams, a fellow student who had died of AIDS - and connect that period's crisis with our era's crisis: police brutality. In my opinion, both were epidemics. While one was a physical virus and the other sociological, both were, as the French Philosopher Michel Foucault theorized, expressions of a dis-eased social body.

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I first saw a connection between the AIDS crisis and police brutality in August, 2014, the same month that I'd left L.A. and returned to the Bay Area. Michael Brown was killed on the 9th, Ferguson burned on the 10th. Between then and the 2016 election, Sandra Bland hung herself (or, was murdered) and a Grand Jury exonerated the officers who'd lynched Eric Garner. During the days and weeks after the election everyone -- voters, media, politicians (and their advisors) -- fiercely debated the results, some defending the president elect, others critiquing the disconnection between the popular vote and Electoral College.

Meanwhile, I rewrote the speech, reaching out to my friend, the feminist filmmaker, Lizzie Borden (Born in Flames, Working Girl), who gave me an ending. Julia Bader (the English professor whose advice I'd taken literally) suggested that I include a personal element (thus, the gay-to-straight therapy). My best friend, Jose Jimenez, pointed out that I needed to explain why I used the name, "Tomas" despite having not brown but pink skin.

But the speech's deepest revisions happened with Amy Cranch, an editor (and fellow yogi) at UC Berkeley. Amy engaged me in a challenging and productive dialogue about the nature of speeches. She made strike-throughs, offering edits that were choices, not mandates, and nudged the speech towards the center -- the place that one aspires to in yoga -- where, she said, I could stand, speak and connect with a huge and diverse audience.



UC Berkeley Graduates Engineering School

 UC Berkeley Used with Permission

During those six weeks of revision, I'd often told people, "I'm giving the Winter Commencement Speech." Those people would smile at me like I was crazy and say, "Oh, you mean for your department?" I'd smile and say, "No -- to the entire school."

Between my not-so-subtle boasting and the passage of time (December! So faraway!), I slipped into a state of denial. I practiced my Winter Commencement Speech but not in earnest.

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The speech I loved most was given by the author Barbara Kingsolver who told a story about living on a farm and linked it with climate change. I started to imagine that while I believed my speech was well written and emotionally compelling, by graduation someone else who was a better looking and more accomplished speaker (ideally, UC Berkelely Medalist Radhika Kannan who gave an amazing speech at the May 2016 Commencement) would step in and give my speech for me.

That didn't happen.

Sunday morning, I dressed in my plain black gown, drove to campus and walked up the steps to Haas. I felt like I was being escorted to my execution. Entering the Pavilion, I chatted with the ceremony's main speaker, Olympic Gold medalist Dana Vollmer, and confessed that I'd never been to a "game" at CAL. Thus, I had no idea that when I gave this speech that my face would be projected onto a Jumbo-Tron in 4-D or that my voice would be amplified and heard by thousands.

As it turned out, standing in Haas Pavilion was similar to standing before my community of queers, trans and p.o.c. and reading my work at Pass the Mic. At Haas, I was likewise supported by queer folk -- Regina Marler and Shah Smoak -- who sat with my cousin Tracey Ellen Rodriguez and her son, Isiah Harrell.

I edited the speech in real time, skipping over a section about my person achievements and, overcome with emotion, shortened a paragraph about dropping out of CAL during the AIDS epidemic. From the original, "Changing diapers and holding men's hands as they thrashed and screamed and succumbed to night sweats," I simply said, "Died.")

UC Berkeley Graduation Speaker Sheryl Sandberg

 UC Berkeley Used with Permission

I walked back to my seat and shook hands with Chancellor Dirks, barely aware of the applause that filled the Pavilion. I watched hundreds of CAL graduates file up and accept faux diplomas. We left. Lunch and laughter followed. Shah drove me back to the apartment and dropped me off. I opened the door and, facing an empty living room, realized that I was as alone as I was when I'd left five hours earlier.

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The solitude was a stark contrast between being the center of attention to a massive, appreciative audience. I changed my clothes, took the 49 bus up to Shattuck and bought a ticket to Jackie. Afterwards, I slipped into a screening of La-La Land. I sat in the back row of the downstairs theater and, watching the last scene -- a What If? medley between the actors Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone -- I sobbed. But in that moment of grief, something else happened.The husk that had weighed me down for years shriveled up and fell off. And I was free of being a college drop-out but had also lightened the circumstances which had triggered my initial withdrawal.

Puka Lopa UC Berkeley Graduate with Son Majour

 UC Berkeley Used with Permission

Later, I spoke to Jose.

"I was with my sister today," he said. "And I told her, I feel like I'm nineteen and back to where I left off when I dropped out of CAL-State."

We'd been friends for over twenty years and spoke in short hand. We didn't need to explain what this meant because we both knew how far our unconventional life choices had taken us from our early promise. Along the way, we'd stumbled and fallen too many times to count. Yet we'd survived.

This realization was bittersweet. Those years were lost to us. But neither of us could (or, really, would have chosen to) go back. I am estranged from my parents and that won't change. As much as we'd been architects of our destruction, we'd also engineered our restoration (with a lot of help). We had survived. We were alive unlike so many others who'd fallen and never gotten up.

The next day, December 19th, I stood on 40th & San Pablo, and waited for the "F" bus to San Francisco. Much like November 9th, it was a bright, clear day with crisp air. I closed my eyes and returned to the moment, exactly twenty-four hours prior, when I had stood in Haas Pavilion and spoken my truth.

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For the first time in many years, I experienced something that I realized that I'd forgotten. Now I felt not only free and whole but for reasons that still remain elusive to me, I felt joy.



UC Berkeley Graduate's Cap

 UC Berkeley Used with Permission
Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump gets smiles from his sons Eric Trump (L) and Donald Trump Jr. (R) as they leave him to take the stage to rally with supporters at an arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S. November 7, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

New From Trump University

Cross-posted with TomDispatch.com

Donald Trump was right. The election was rigged. What Trump got wrong (and, boy, does he get things wrong) is that the rigging worked in his favor. The manipulations took three monumental forms: Russian cyber-sabotage; FBI meddling; and systematic Republican efforts, especially in swing states, to prevent minority citizens from casting votes. The cumulative effect was more than sufficient to shift the outcome in Trumps favor and put the least qualified major-party candidate in the history of the republic into the White House.

Trumpist internet trolls and Trump himself dismiss such concerns as sour grapes, but for anyone who takes seriously the importance of operating a democracy these assaults on the nations core political process constitute threats to the countrys very being. Lets look at each of these areas of electoral interference in detail.

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Gone Phishing: The Drone of Info Warfare

Suppose one morning you receive an email from your Internet service provider telling you a security breach has put your data at risk. You are instructed to reset your password immediately. In keeping with the urgency of the situation, the email that delivers the warning provides a link to the page where your new password can be entered. Anxiously you do as instructed, hoping youve acted soon enough to prevent a disaster.

Congratulations: you have successfully reset your password. Unfortunately, you have also provided it to the hackers who sent the original, entirely bogus warning about a breach of security. This kind of ploy is called phishing. Its exactly how the email account of John Podesta, Hillary Clintons campaign chair, was penetrated. His assistants fell for the ruse.

Alternatively, a phisher might send dozens of intriguing offers to employees of a certain organization over the course of weeks. Each message provides a link for more information, and as soon as someone in a moment of boredom or confusion clicks on it, presto change-o, the hacker is inside that persons computer, free to worm through the network to which its connected. This is how hackers got into the computers of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and downloaded not just emails but strategic planning documents and other confidential information.

At this point no one aside from Trump die-hards and maybe Trump himself -- he has said so many contradictory things on the subject, its difficult to tell what he actually believes -- denies that the hackers were Russian and acted under some kind of official instruction, even possibly from the highest levels of Kremlin authority, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moreover, its clear that the harvest of stolen material was used to help Trump and hurt Clinton. This is the unambiguous conclusion of a National Intelligence Community report released on January 6th and representing the shared conclusions of the CIA, the FBI, and the National Security Agency, which stated: Russias goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments.

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None of the meddling was as blatantly subversive as taking electronic control of voting machines and altering vote counts. Nor did the Russian hackers disable vote-tallying computers, as they did in Ukraine in 2014, but they achieved the next best thing. In our information-drenched world, the drumbeat of background noise can be as powerful as what one hears in the foreground. The Russians and their allies, in part through WikiLeaks, parceled out the juiciest tidbits from the stolen material over the course of the summer and fall, and the news media ate it up.

The Democratic dirty laundry they aired showed that Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chair of the DNC, favored Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. In the ensuing flap, Wasserman Schultz resigned and the public was left with the message that the DNC was both untrustworthy and in disarray -- and indeed, following the chairs departure, the disarray couldnt have been more real. When other emails were released in which Podesta and various colleagues second-guessed Mrs. Clintons decisions, the message that lingered in the public mind was that even her closest associates had doubts about her, never mind that candid, water-cooler criticism is normal in any undertaking.

The Russians did more than merely steal computer information. They also planted false news stories, both with state sanction (according to the national intelligence report), and without it. One of the upshots of the faux-news business is that, amid intense click-bait competition for advertisers, only sites and articles pandering to the far right make money. Disseminating made-up stories favorable to Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders returned nothing to the bottom line of the freelance hackers operating in what has become one of the Russian-speaking worlds newest cottage industries. Evidently a suspension of critical thinking -- or its complete absence -- is easier to exploit among those disposed to hate liberals and love Trump.

That this kind of gullibility is more than just politically dangerous became clear in December when Edgar Welch of Salisbury, North Carolina, stormed into Comet Ping Pong, a pizza joint on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C., filled mainly with parents and children. Welch was carrying a handgun and an assault rifle, which he fired. He later explained that he intended to self-investigate reports that had been ricocheting around the Internet asserting that Hillary Clinton and John Podesta operated a child trafficking ring out of that restaurant. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

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The hoax that fooled the benighted Edgar Welch first appeared on the Internet in late October, shortly before the election. Via Twitter, Reddit, Facebook and other platforms, users subsequently clicked it onward several million times. Among the enthusiastic retweeters of this sort of claptrap (if not the specific Comet Ping Pong story) was retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, whom Trump has named his national security adviser, a position for a modicum of probity, if not honesty, used to be a requirement. (Flynns son did, however, promote the Comet story on social media.)

In the echo chamber of the Internet, the drone of half-truths and lies blurs the edges of the real. Eventually, it imparts a kind of lazy, unevaluated validity to memes of all kinds: Hillary is a crook, immigrants are criminals, Muslims are terrorists. In such a world, Trumps chronic mendacity becomes unremarkable. This is political branding, advertising, and product definition in the twenty-first century. Its part of what the spinmeisters call "seizing the narrative," and the more you seize it for your side, the harder it becomes for your opponents to make their case. Truth is beside the point.

Russian faux-news stories, purloined emails, and exfiltrated documents dogged the Democratic campaign. They were like gnats that packed a painful bite, buzzing continually wherever Clinton went. They distracted the media and the public from Trumps much more substantial sins and reinforced the memes that he and his proxies chanted at every opportunity. They built toward a death by a thousand cuts. That was the background. Then, into the foreground stepped FBI Director James Comey.

Out of Line

On October 28th, only 11 days before Election Day, with early voting already underway in many states, Comey delivered a letter to Congressional leaders stating that, in connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation of Hillary Clintons private email server. They were, devastatingly enough, on a computer that scandal-ridden former Congressman Anthony Weiner had shared with his wife and Clinton aide Huma Abedin. At the time, Comey did not have a warrant to inspect those emails or any idea what the emails specifically contained. He released his letter in violation of longstanding Justice Department procedures and contrary to direct advice from Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

The most sympathetic thing that might be said about Comeys rogue gambit was that he felt a muddle-headed sense of obligation to keep the public and, more particularly, Republican members of Congress informed about developments in an investigation that he had declared resolved nearly four months earlier. A darker interpretation is that he dropped his bomb intending to help the Trump campaign, which, if true, would constitute a violation of the Hatch Act and entitle him to an extended stay in a facility populated by people he used to prosecute. We may never know his motives in full, but it is rumored that he will offer some kind of statement after the inauguration.

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Motives aside, Comeys letter detonated across the late-stage election landscape. Predictably the media went into overdrive, as did Trump. With his usual bombast he proclaimed that this is bigger than Watergate, and the spinning went on from there. Clintons polling numbers nosedived. On November 5th, Comey issued a follow-up letter in which he conceded that, um, well, the trove of emails added absolutely nothing new to the previously dormant investigation. This 11th hour admission did little to mend the damage already inflicted on Clinton and may, in fact, only have deepened the injury by keeping the item in the news and underscoring the suspicions many voters felt toward her.

Nate Silver, at FiveThirtyEight, suggested that the flap may have cost Clinton a three-point swing among the electorate and calculated that, after the Comey bombshell hit, the probability of her winning the presidency plunged by 16%. He also suggested that Comeys letter may have influenced down-ballot races, especially in the all-important struggle for control of the Senate. Bloomberg reported even more dramatic numbers, finding that Clintons 12-point lead eroded to a single percentage point, making the race essentially a dead heat.

Digging deeply into the Comey Effect, Sean McElwee and his colleagues at Vox found that it correlated with sharp downturns for Clinton in both national and state polling, probably accounting for a surge toward Trump that was particularly pronounced among late-deciders -- people who made up their minds only when they were at the brink of going to the polls. Moreover, the surge was likely shaped by an astonishing peak in the negative news coverage of Clinton, centering on her emails. In the last week of the campaign, 37% of all coverage of Clinton was scandal-related, far higher than had been the case for months.

These are powerful statistics. Three percentage points in an election in which nearly 129 million ballots were cast for the top two candidates amounted to 3.87 million votes. Add them to the 2.86 million by which Clinton beat Trump in the popular vote, and you have a victory margin more than a million and a half votes larger than that by which Obama beat Romney in 2012. You also have a big win in the Electoral College. People would have been talking about a landslide.

As things turned out, Trumps victory in the Electoral College was determined by fewer than a combined 100,000 votes in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. You can massage the numbers many different ways, but if Comeys letter accounted for only 2% of Trumps votes in those states, then without the letter Clinton would have won all three of them -- and the presidency.

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Elections are always contingent: weird stuff happens. In 1960, Richard Nixon hit his knee on a car door moments before the first-ever televised presidential debate. Hed just had surgery on the knee to combat a staph infection, and the pain from the swelling bump undermined his performance.

Its an old story: for want of a nail, a shoe is lost, for want of a shoe, a horse, and the rest is history. But the intervention of a high government official on a completely politicized hot-button issue at the apex of a presidential campaign is unprecedented in American history. It exceeds by orders of magnitude the contingencies of elections past.

Voter Suppression

In the last year or two did you receive a postcard from election authorities asking you to confirm your present address? I did. Those postcards originate from Operation Crosscheck, a brainchild of Kris Kobach, the Republican secretary of state in Kansas, in which 27 states collaborated to uncover the identities of citizens registered to vote in multiple states. Thats a common enough occurrence since people rarely bother to cancel old registrations when they move from one state to another. Sounds benign, right?

Not so. As Greg Palast detailed in Rolling Stone last August, this purge of voter rolls was methodologically inept and had the effect of disproportionately disenfranchising minority voters.

The crosschecking frequently matched only first and last names, ignoring middle names and suffixes like junior or senior. As a result, common surnames -- Jones, Washington, Garcia, and the like -- generated huge numbers of matches. The intent of the program was to prevent double voting, a form of voter fraud that the right has frequently decried as widespread, but for which no one has found substantial evidence. (As the New York Times reported in the wake of election 2016, no significant evidence of voter fraud of any sort was found.) This fake issue has, however, been used as a smokescreen for implementing voting restrictions that inhibit poor people, students, and minorities, who usually vote Democratic, from exercising their franchise.

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Poor people, as Palast points out, are overrepresented in 85 of 100 of the most common last names. If your 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. If your name is Kim, there's a 95% chance you're Asian.

Crosscheck sent 7.2 million matches to the 28 originally participating states. (Oregon dropped out when its officials realized the extent of Crosschecks flaws.) Nearly all of them with Republican secretaries of state then handled matters as they saw fit, eliminating an estimated 1.1 million voters from their rolls. Virginia, for instance, dropped more than 41,000 registrations as inactive shortly before the election. In many cases, state authorities sent voters cryptic, small-print postcards like the one I received.

Undoubtedly, many students and poor voters, who move frequently from apartment to apartment, never even got their postcards, and when they failed to respond, their voter registrations were canceled. In Michigan, which Donald Trump won by 10,704 votes, Crosscheck provided a purge list of 449,922 names. How many of these people were prevented from voting? How many voted but had their ballots disallowed? No one knows for sure, but the situation cries out for sustained and aggressive investigation.

At least 14 states compounded the problems of Operation Crosscheck by creating new, additional obstacles for voters, including eliminating early voting on weekends, reducing polling place hours, and mandating the use of photo IDs. In Wisconsin, a new voter ID law was sold to the public with promises that the states motor vehicles department would issue appropriate IDs to non-drivers within six business days of application. In actual fact, the process often took six to eight weeks. Even an order from a federal court (that found as many as 300,000 voters may have been affected) failed to speed up the turgid Wisconsin bureaucracy.

In the November election, voter turnout in Wisconsin, which Trump won by 22,748 votes, was the lowest in 20 years. It fell 13% in Milwaukee, where most of the states black voters live. Part of the problem was undoubtedly the unpopularity of the major candidates, but voter suppression seems to have played a significant role, too. As Ari Berman of the Nation points out, the active discouragement of poor and minority citizens from voting -- not just in Wisconsin, but in Virginia, North Carolina, and many other states -- was undoubtedly the most underreported story of 2016.

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Alas, Poor Hamilton

The last kind of man whom Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, as architects of the new American republic, saw as a fit head of state was someone modeled on the character of a medieval prince: narcissistic, volatile, cruel, deceitful, and as vulnerable to manipulation by flattery as by insult. But Hamilton and Madison were hardly naive. They fully understood that no democracy could be completely immune from such men. In fact, they expected that the House of Representatives, in particular, would ultimately open its doors to a fair share of lunatics, demagogues, and nincompoops. History has more than validated this view.

Hamilton and Madison, however, believed that the presidency of the new United States had to be protected from unqualified men at all costs, and so they came up with a plan. They invented the Electoral College. Writing in the Federalist 68 in March 1788, Hamilton extolled their creation and explained,

The process of election affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors in a single State; but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union, or of so considerable a portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States.

The inauguration of Donald J. Trump looms. If the old saying about rolling over in ones grave has any substance, Hamilton and Madison should be spinning like turbines.

In truth, our electoral process is broken. Key protections provided by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were gutted in 2013 by a Supreme Court more blatantly political than any in living memory. Right-wingers in North Carolina thereupon ginned up a suite of voting restrictions that, in the words of a federal judge, targeted black Democratic voters with almost surgical precision. The judge struck down the most egregious provisions of that law, but repressive efforts in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and other Crosscheck states will continue to be advanced, as opportunity permits. The vital task is to deny the opportunity.

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Meanwhile, James Comey has shown that a lone, rogue public official can interject himself into the most sensitive of national moments in a way that not even his roguish predecessor J. Edgar Hoover would have countenanced. And Vladimir Putin has evidently found the cheapest of methods, using electrons instead of sanctions or guns, to undermine the political institutions of his adversaries and befuddle their people.

The extent to which Trump campaign functionaries maintained links, if any, with Russian operatives remains unknown. On January 11th, a 35-page document consisting of memoranda on Trumps Russian connections, compiled by a researcher hired by his opposition, became public. That document contains allegations ranging from the salacious to the treasonous. Although none of them has been verified, the leaked release of the memoranda has intensified public pressure on Trump to offer a full accounting of his relationship with Russian business interests and the Putin regime. Irrespective of whether these lines of inquiry produce information of substance, the fact remains that a foreign, hostile power used subterfuge to interfere with the domestic electoral politics of the United States.

On that last count, many an Iranian, Guatemalan, or citizen of any of scores of countries might justifiably say that turnabout is fair play, for the United States has a long and well-documented history of meddling in other countries elections. The consequences of a breakdown of democracy in the United States, however, are costly for the entire world. Missiles and nuclear codes are at stake. So, too, is the ever-narrowing window for meaningful global action on climate change, not to mention the clout of the worlds largest economy and most powerful military. All of these things, by hook and by crook, have now been entrusted to a man very like a medieval prince.

William deBuyss most recent book, The Last Unicorn: A Search for One of Earths Rarest Creatures, was listed by the Christian Science Monitor among the 10 best nonfiction books of 2015. He is a TomDispatch regular.
Family, friends, and random strangers who have stumbled upon this page,

I am humbled and grateful to be standing here before you, to know you, on this inauguration day. For the past eighty-four years, on the twentieth of January, eras have ended and others begun, promises been made by the leaders of a great nation of the world they would create.

Well, I am the leader of no great nation, in fact I am no leader at all, and there is no time or place in this world for the one I would like to create. But since we are contemplating building, leaving legacies, perhaps I could contemplate on my own, and make a list of the issues I can and pledge to fight for on my watch.

I will not address foreign policy, global markets, climate change. I will not talk of religion, terrorism, war crimes, humanitarian crises. Abortion; same sex marriage; the future of artificial intelligence and virtual reality; rising oil prices, depleting natural resources; new cures for cancer; new viruses, bacteria and vaccines; test tube babies and aging populations; obesity, famine and water droughts. Since when have people like me had answers to human suffering and agendas to save the world?

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I cannot stop innocence and chivalry from dying, or Venice from sinking into the sea. Human lives being claimed by floods, earthquakes, bombs. Animal lives for fur, ivory, steak. Entire species of exotic flowers, plants, trees, from disappearing, cultural human heritage from destruction and decay. Whitman asked:

What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.

That you are here -

I am here, and so is my first order of business on this inauguration day. I would like to address the issue of wildflowers going extinct:

Since the 1940s, 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost. Urbanization and intensive agriculture have cost us dozens of species of cornflowers, poppies, daisies. I grew up blowing wishes into dandelions, harvesting pixie dust from cyclamens, threading violets into crowns. Now there are fewer and fewer unploughed fields left in which they can grow.

So I pledge to fight for a field of wildflowers for my children to run and play in one day. To find a patch of land somewhere, however small, and let the flowers in it grow free.

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I would like to address a number of other issues too, essential not to survival, but to life:

The fading craft of reading, writing. The endangered art of poetry. Playing the harp, cello, accordion, ukulele. Talking to strangers on the bus. Writing letters and actually sending them in the mail. Holding hands, holding doors.

True emotions concealed by sarcasm and indifference. Dreams stifled by fear of judgment, failure, regret. Vanishing books, vinyls, polaroid photographs - who takes a genuine selfie these days? The rarity of any commodity or relationship meant to last a life. Time wasted, misinvested, lost. Time for an afternoon nap or walk.

I was raised on poems and stories and songs and hope in the triumph of good. Foolish as it is I pledge to keep hoping that all these poems, songs, stories are true. I pledge never to disprove fairytales, never say it cannot be done. I pledge to try to be good, do good, not let the world make me hard, nor the sadness make me hate.

I pledge to invest real time and real emotions in people and causes dear to me. I pledge that I am here,

--that life exists and identity,

That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

Dreamers do not make promises; they make wishes no one hears. Perhaps they are wise in making the distinction between what they can and cannot change.

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I will never be president. I will not change the world or history. But I can pledge to hope against hope, to dream out loud. To contribute a verse and not to let the wildflowers disappear. Not on my watch.

"Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."

-- Oscar Wilde
The United States Marine Corps Band practices in front of the podium where US President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office and be sworn in as the 45th US president in Washington, DC on January 19, 2017.Twenty-four hours before he takes the oath of office as the 45th US president, Trump arrived in Washington on Thursday, determined to transform American politics over the next four years. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

The people who elected Donald Trump thought the days of pay for play politics were over. They thought that Donald Trump would "drain the swamp." They thought this rogue maverick who didn't play by the rules was set to change the political game as we know it. They thought wrong.

Unfortunately the progression erosion of our democratic values began long before Donald Trump took office. However, when Donald Trump becomes the 45th President of the United States tomorrow, he will also be given more power than most people are aware of. This includes the power to cite a sixteen-year-old authorization called The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF).

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The bill was signed only three days after 9/11 by the George W. Bush Administration. It allows for the use of military force as justification for attacking nearly any community in the world. It's been used dozens of times since 2001, often for issues unrelated to 9/11 and Al-Qaeda. It's a scary amount of power and now we're giving it to a thin-skinned demagogue who already uses his Twitter account as a weapon.

The short documentary, War Authority, takes a look at the controversial act of congress. It examines how the AUMF was passed with a vote of 420 to 1, and the lone dissenter. Director Matthew Palmer told Outspeak, "War Authority began as a very different film. It was simply about Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the sole member of Congress to vote against the 2001 AUMF. After interviewing her, however, I decided that more people had to know about the AUMF and its implications. Then, the 2016 election happened, and the matter became even more pressing."

Now President Donald Trump has nearly unlimited authority to bomb, detain, and monitor just about anyone.

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Kuwaits National Assembly Speaker Marzouk Ali Al-Ghanem arrived in Cairo on Thursday to meet with a number of Egyptian officials, state news agency MENA reported.

Al-Ghanem is set to discuss regional issues, as well as boosting bilateral ties between Egypt and Kuwait.

The Kuwaiti official's talks with Egyptian counterparts will also cover developments in the ongoing crises in Syria, Libya and Yemen, as well as joint counter-terrorism efforts between Egypt and Kuwait.

Kuwait and Egypt signed earlier this month in Cairo a legal and judicial cooperation agreement on civil, commercial, criminal and personal status issues, as well as the transfer of sentenced persons.

The Arab Gulf country has aided the Egyptian economy with billions of dollars in oil shipments, cash grants and central bank deposits since the ouster of the former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
(Credit: ColsonCenter.org Screengrab)

Recently, The Colson Center created a statement entitled Preserve Freedom, Reject Coercion in which they ostensibly call on the federal government to ensure "religious freedom" and oppose "coercion or censorship of fellow citizens who have different views."

It is signed by many of the sorts of straight white guys people whose signatures you would expect to find at the bottom of such a document, including Franklin Graham, Albert Mohler, John MacArthur, and Eric Metaxes among many others.

It's a document full of lots of lovely sounding euphemisms about faith and freedom, but to anyone paying even the slightest bit of attention, it's clear those statements are just that: euphemisms.

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This isn't a call for religious freedom. We already have that in the United States and have ever since the Constitution was ratified in 1788.

This statement is a call for non-affirming Christians to be able to legally discriminate in the name of Jesus against the LGBT community in the public square.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Statements like this are, of course, nothing new. They've been coming out in droves ever since (and before) the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage in the summer of 2015.

And they've accomplished essentially nothing.

Well, nothing other than to reinforce a persecution complex in the minds of certain Christians.

While the election of pandering-to-our-baser-instincts Donald Trump has given hope to folks who would sign such a document as this - hope that the tide of history will turn and their ability to be able to legally discriminate in the name of Jesus will become the law of the land - it's a vain hope...at best.

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Yes, Donald Trump did say, "If I am elected president and Congress passes the First Amendment Defense Act, I will sign it to protect the deeply held religious beliefs of Catholics and the beliefs of Americans of all faiths." However, Donald Trump also said he's "fine with" the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage and considers the matter "done."

So who really knows? It's Donald Trump.

But for the sake of argument, let's say the First Amendment Defense Act is passed. Let's even say it stands as the law of the land for a few years until the United States Supreme Court inevitably rules it to be unconstitutional. Even if that were to happen, it's a small battle won in a bigger war that is already over for everyone except the most strident conservative Christians - and those who suffer their wrath.

Already, some 55% of Americans support same-sex marriage and that number will only continue to rise. Why? Because for all our faults, our history tells us that once we do recognize discrimination for what it is, American opinion changes and it never looks back (even if we don't always live out or newfound ideals). For example, when is the last time you saw anyone with any credibility come out in favor of the reinstitution of slavery? Or Jim Crow laws? Or oppose interracial marriage?

The answer, of course, is never.

But each of those horrendous issues - slavery, Jim Crow, and opposition to interracial marriage - were once vehemently supported by Christians in the name of Jesus and "the Bible says so."

Which is important to remember when talking about same-sex marriage and "religious freedom."

This isn't the first time Christians have played the Bible card in order to seek legal protection for sanctified discrimination and, sadly, it probably won't be the last. But when it comes to this particular matter - the rights and inclusion of our LGBT brothers and sisters - the tide of not just American history, but Christian history has turned and it's not turning back.

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Which brings us to the hard, but simple truth for non-affirming Christians.

No matter how many euphemistic statements you sign, no matter how many state-sanctioned discrimination laws are passed in the next 4 years, and no matter how vehemently you believe otherwise, the Church will look back in generations to come at this period in our history in much the same way we do now when we look at Christian support for slavery and Jim Crow and interracial marriage bans.

We'll be embarrassed and wonder how we could ever have been so blind to the gospel and the moving of the Spirit.

I know, I know. If you're a non-affirming Christian you're probably screaming at me through your computer screen right now, "Oh yeah! You just wait and see!!"

But here's the thing: we don't have to wait and see.

That number is only going to continue to rise.

Which means when the people who signed the Colson Center's Preserve Freedom, Reject Coercion statement and folks like them pass on into entirety, there are not going to be legions of holy warriors standing ready to take there place on the front lines in the battle for sanctified discrimination.

Will there be some? Of course. And sadly, I'm sure there always will be, just as there continue to be racist Christians today and misogynistic Christians who believe women are second class citizens in the kingdom of God. There will always be pockets of sin in the Church this side of eternity, no matter how hard we work to eradicate them.

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But despite the festering malignancies that are sure to linger, at some point in the very near future, when the children of today's non-affirming Christians grow up or when their children grow up or when their children's children's children grow up they will do so in a Church that is fully inclusive of their LGBT brothers and sisters and they'll do so gladly and proudly while looking back at their forefathers and wondering why they could so easily exegete their way out of Paul's call for slaves to obey their masters, but couldn't extend that same exegetical grace to their LGBT neighbors.

I know that claim is hard to hear and likely impossible to accept for many, if not most non-affirming Christians. But if you are non-affirming, please know I don't make such a claim in order to rub defeat in your face.

I know how hard it is to change one's mind on something you're so sure of, something you're convinced the Bible is crystal clear about. I've been there. I grew up deeply conservative and could argue with the "best" of them about why homosexuality is a sin. It's incredibly difficult to change one's theological convictions. And when you top that conviction off with a theology that says having the wrong idea about things is a one way ticket to eternal conscious torment, it makes it all but impossible to even consider the possibility that what you were taught in Sunday School and what you have come to accept as gospel isn't actually the gospel of Jesus.

Believe me, I get that. Deeply and truly, I do.

But it's not just society that's changing. It's the Church too. The Spirit is moving and the Spirit has been moving to open up the eyes of Her people and see where we need to extend grace where once we extended only condemnation.

Your children see it and if not them, then their children and their children's children for generations to come will see it. No matter what you do today, future generations will grow up in a world in which the idea of LGBT opposition is just as antiquated and offensive as segregation is today.

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You can continue to "fight the good fight," but I would invite you instead to beat your swords into plowshare and your spears into pruning hooks. Come together around the table of Christian fellowship and let us reason today.

The Spirit is moving.

Your brothers and sisters see it, some of your children see it, and the polling numbers guarantee that when you're gone you're children's children and their children will see it too.

So, instead of leaving behind a legacy of sanctified discrimination, begin working now to leave behind a legacy of grace. Begin getting to actually know your LGBT brothers and sister instead of keeping them at arms length or treating them as token friends in a friendship that only exists to save face. Learn to see in them the image of God in the same way you do yourself and maybe, just maybe the Holy Spirit will begin a new work in you too and open your eyes to reality that LGBT folks can love and incarnate Jesus every bit as much as you and me.

Ultimately, you have a decision to make.

You can either continue to fight a losing battle for legalized (and sanctified) discrimination.

Or you can become an agent of grace that your descendants will be proud of for generations to come.

It's up to you.
Bill Self, Kurtis Townsend won't be on sidelines for KU's first four games

Hawk Zone
Pope Tawadros II of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church met on Thursday with the country's nominee for the presidency of the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Moushira Khattab.

During the meeting held in the papal headquarters in Cairo, Pope Tawadros II expressed the Egyptian church's support for Khattab's bid for the international position.

Egypt officially nominated in July 2016 the former minister of family and population Moushira Khattab for the position of Director General of UNESCO.

The announcement was made at the Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo during a cultural dialogue event titled Egypt, UNESCO and International Cultural Issues, attended by Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and foreign minister Sameh Shoukry as well other ministers and prominent figures in Egyptian society.

A former ambassador, Khattab graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University in 1967.

She began her diplomatic career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1968, before becoming Egypt's ambassador to Czechoslovakia from 1990 to 1995, during its peaceful dissolution into Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Khattab served as Egypt's ambassador to South Africa from 1995 to 1999, before becoming an aide to the foreign minister.

In 2002, she was appointed as Secretary-General of the National Council for Childhood & Motherhood and in 2010 was appointed to the short-lived ministry of family and population.

Khattab is not the first Egyptian to be nominated for the UNESCO position.

In 2009, Egypt nominated former minister of culture Farouk Hosni for the post. Hosni lost the election amid allegations of anti-semitism tied to remarks he made during his term as culture minister.
Paul McCartney Files Lawsuit To Force Sony/ATV To Transfer Rights To 267 Beatles Songs

Former Beatle Paul McCartney filled a lawsuit against Sony/ATV Music Publishing in federal court in New York on Wednesday, hoping to reclaim the ownership of 267 Beatles songs that Michael Jackson acquired in 1985.

____________________________

More than two decades ago, Michael Jackson outbid Paul McCartney for the publishing rights 267 Beatles songs, paying $47.5 million as part of a much larger catalog of 4,000 songs from Australian businessman Robert Holmes a Court. Jackson later sold the collection to Sony/ATV.

Now, McCartney wants his songs back.

According to his lawsuit, McCartney put Sony/ATV on notice in October of 2008 that he wanted to reclaim rights to the many songs he co-wrote with the John Lennon from September 1962 to June 1971.

Sony/ATV has failed to acknowledge the composer's rights to terminate copyrights, according to the suit, under the U.S. Copyright Act. "Because the earliest of Paul McCartney's terminations will take effect in 2018, a judicial declaration is necessary and appropriate at this time so that Paul McCartney can rely on quiet, unclouded title to his rights," the suit claims.

Sony/ATV Responds

The music publisher called the lawsuit "unnecessary and premature" in an emailed statement to Reuters. "Sony/ATV has the highest respect for Sir Paul McCartney, with whom we have enjoyed a long and mutually rewarding relationship with respect to the treasured Lennon & McCartney song catalog," Sony/ATV said.

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Its an emerging market segment sweeping the nation, so Insurance Business asked Americas pioneering marijuana insurer, and its largest cannabis legal firm, what industry insiders need to know.Next Wave Insurance launched what it calls a seed to sale cannabis coverage program before Lloyds of London entered and exited weed underwriting.The San Diego-based company offers policies for crops, indoor cultivation, retailers, laboratories and the companys CEO Jeff Ward said it is the only insurer offering coverage for product recalls.While theft and vandalism make up a significant portion of claims made to Next Wave, electrical fires from 23 watt bulbs overheating in grow-ops, and equipment breakdown generally, also account for the largest share of losses.However, the largest exposure cannabis companies face, be they growers or shop owners, is having inadequate coverage offered by insurers with marijuana exclusions, Next Wave said.In terms of limits, in terms of forms, we see other markets out there with really poor policy language that, even though theyre allegedly offering coverage, they have a lot of ways to deny coverage, Ward said.Charles Pyfrom, senior vice president of commercial programs at Next Wave underwrote the companys cannabis program and said it was imperative new markets like marijuana come with clarity.

We want to make sure they (policyholders) are not being misled or having so many exclusions theyre not going to actually have coverage by the time they have a loss, Pyfrom said.

Having been on the carrier side for the past 10-plus years, I spent a lot of time making sure the verbiage was specifically tailored to whatever the type of exposure we were looking to cover.
The three lists submitted include prisoners who received final judicial verdicts, detainees younger than 18, and other prisoners recommended for pardoning by the House of Representatives Human Rights Committee

A committee tasked with recommending Egyptian youth prisoners for presidential pardon submitted three lists on Thursday to the Egyptian presidency for review, in the framework of compiling a second list of prisoners to be pardoned, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

Committee member Tareq El-Kholi told Al-Ahram that the three lists include youth prisoners who received final juidicial verdicts, detainees younger than 18, and other prisoners recommended for pardoning by the House of Representatives Human Rights Committee.

On 17 November 2016, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi pardoned all 82 prisoners included on the first list recommended for pardon by the committee.

The list included mostly students, but also recommended former TV host and Islamic studies researcher Islam El-Behery and Ahmed Saeid, MD.

El-Sisi called in late October for the committee to be formed to review the cases of youth imprisoned for politically related crimes," as well cases with humanitarian significancefamilies with more than one member imprisoned, for example.

The committee includes prominent politicians, a journalist, and a member of Egypt's National Council for Human Rights.

In 2015, the president pardoned 100 prisoners, including dozens who were convicted of violating the 2013's controversial protest law.

Article 155 of the Egyptian constitution stipulates that the president may issue a pardon or mitigate a sentence after consulting with the cabinet.

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Global insurer XL Catlin has been given top-billing for its work in insurance innovation.The ranking in Advisens Annual Pacesetter Index recognizes the insurers introduction of 33 new insurance coverages, risk management services or coverage enhancements during 2016.We have been working very hard to be innovative and creative in helping clients manage their risks around the world, Greg Hendrick, XL Catlins President, Global Property & Casualty noted. In our first full year of operation as XL Catlin, we climbed to the top spot of Advisens index.Hendrick paid tribute to the hard work of the firms insurance professionals and was optimistic about the year ahead.Im incredibly proud of what XL Catlin colleagues are accomplishing every day. Were excited about the momentum weve got going into 2017, he said.John D. Doak, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner, has been appointed to represent the National Association of Insurance Commissioners at international economic organization OECD.Doak will represent US insurance regulators at the organization and present on the US state-based system of insurance regulation."I'm honored to have this opportunity to represent the NAIC at the international level," said Doak. "International dialogue between insurance supervisors is critical as the global insurance market becomes increasingly connected."Insurance brokers in the UK are calling on the government to protect their access to European markets ahead of formal Brexit negotiations.The British Insurance Brokers Association wants the UK lawmakers to commit to freezing the Insurance Premium Tax and to negotiate to retain access to the European single-market.The organization is calling for a minimum 5-year transition period to allow the insurance industry time to adjust to the impact of Brexit; and protection for EU insurance professionals in the UK and vice-versa.
Tower 1 returned to Fire Department Headquarters on Thursday afternoon.

Pittsfield's Ladder Truck Has Returned To Service

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The city's front-line ladder truck is back.

Tower 1, which has been in an upstate New York repair shop for the last seven weeks or so has returned to service. When the truck had gone out for a routine maintenance, heavy corrosion was found underneath and it wouldn't pass a third-party inspection. It has been in the shop since.

Meanwhile, the city's reserve ladder, Truck 2, a 1994 Spartan/Darley pumper, was supposed to be fill in while Tower 1 was being repaired. But that truck's stabilizers wouldn't retract and it had to be taken out of service.

Thus, the city has had no ladder truck since late November.

On Wednesday, firefighters received the call that Tower 1 was fully repaired and immediately went to pick it up. It was back in Pittsfield's headquarters by 4 p.m.

The city now has one ladder truck in service, and soon there will be two. The City Council earlier this month allocated an additional $200,000 to a previously approved $600,000 bond approval to purchase a used 2014 Pierce Manufacturing Co . 100-foot aerial ladder truck, which had been used as a demonstrator model at trade shows for the company. The purchase price is $780,000.

Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski said on Monday that the truck was ordered and being driven from Wisconsin to Walpole for servicing this week  the icy weather in the Midwest slowed delivery by a day or so. As soon as it arrives in Walpole, Fire Department staff will inspect it to ensure it is what they expected and have it lettered.

"It's looking we'll have that in service by the end of January," Czerwinski said. "It should be pretty well set ... it is basically a new truck."

The chief says the new Pierce has never been to the scene of a fire but has put on about 10,000 miles going from trade show to trade show. New radios will be installed and equipment added before it can go in service.

"We should have 95 percent of the equipment we need in-house already," Czerwinski said.

The Department hasn't quite determined how to utilize the two ladder trucks, whether it will rotate the new one to be the front-line vehicle or use it more sparingly. And Tower 1 will need to go in for its annual inspection soon.

Nonetheless, Deputy Chief Matthew Noyes said to say the department is happy about Tower 1 returning is an understatement. The firefighters are thrilled to have the truck back in service.

When both trucks were down, neighboring towns were called in to help at several fires. Dalton provided primary mutual aid with its ladder truck and was called to the Tahiti Takeout fire in December and was on hand, but not used, at the Carlo Motor Express on East Street. Dalton's truck is now in the shop for maintenance and not available.

This past weekend, Lenox, Williamstown, and Adams were all called for mutual aid to bring ladder trucks to help combat a fire on Dalton Avenue.

Tower 1, a 2009 Pierce, is a platform ladder whereas the one on order is a straight ladder.




iciHaiti - DR : The 20 Haitians arrested, were released and returned to the border





The 20 Haitians who came to carry out transactions at the border market of Elias Pina, bordering the commune of Belladere, which had been arrested on Monday by the Dominican migration agents without official reason https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-19823-haiti-dr-20-haitians-arrested-for-unknown-reasons.html were finally released on Tuesday morning and escorted back to the border of Elias Pina after checking of their identity.



The victims of this arrest say they do not understand that the Dominicans accused them of being clandestine migrants who wanted to take advantage of the market day to enter the Dominican territory illegally, whereas they are accustomed of the binational market. They say they are outraged at the treatment received and have spent the night without receiving food.



This error of the Dominicans, intervenes in a situation of great pressure of illegal Haitian migrants to the border. In Dajabon, over the past weekend, agents of the Specialized Corps of Terrestrial Border Security (CESFRONT) arrested and returned to Haiti more than 700 undocumented Haitians attempting to illegally enter the Dominican territory.



Those arrested (men, women and children) received food, water and milk before being taken to the Ministry of Immigration, which was responsible for the repatriation to Haiti.



During the weekend operations, several bags of garlic, onions, soups, beer, rum and other smuggled goods from Haiti were seized on the Dominican territory.



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-19823-haiti-dr-20-haitians-arrested-for-unknown-reasons.html



SL/ iciHaiti


















On Monday, Egypts High Administrative Court rejected a government appeal and affirmed Egyptian sovereignty over the islands of Tiran and Sanafir

Egyptian MP Ibrahim Hegazy submitted on Thursday a letter to parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal urging him not to allow a parliament vote on a government deal to transfer two strategic Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, given the recent court verdict affirming Egyptian sovereignty over the islands.

On Monday, Egypts High Administrative Court rejected an appeal by the government against a June 2016 decision by a lower administrative court that voided the April 2016 Egyptian-Saudi maritime demarcation deal.

The deal between Cairo and Riyadh, signed in April 2016, would place the two islands in the Gulf of Aqaba under Saudi Arabian sovereignty.

Shortly following the Monday court verdict, parliament speaker Abdel-Aal said in a TV interview that parliament will have final say on the agreement despite the ruling.

The cabinet had approved the agreement and submitted it to parliament for a vote on 1 January, two weeks before the date set by the High Adminstrative Court for a ruling.

In line with Article 151 [of the constitution] 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, Abdel-Aal stated.

However, MP Hegazy cited the same article in his letter to Abdel-Aal as grounds for not voting on the deal, saying that the deal should have been made by the president, not the cabinet as such deals are not in its jurisdiction.

According to Egypts State Information Service website, Article 151 of the constitution stipulates that the president of the republic represents the state in foreign relations and concludes treaties and ratifies them after the approval of the House of Representatives. In all cases, no treaty may be concluded which is contrary to the provisions of the Constitution or which leads to concession of state territories.

The government has argued that the Red Sea islands are originally Saudi, and therefore the deal does not constitute a concession of state territories.

The deal has sparked widespread public outcry in the country. A number of street protests took place after the deal was announced in April. Dozens of protesters were arrested and tried for demonstrating against the deal without permission; most have been since released after paying hefty fines.

The government has also appealed the administrative courts June decision to void the deal in front of the Supreme Constitutional Court, which is yet to decide on whether it will hear the case.

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Faces of The Fellowship: Ana

The Fellowship | January 18, 2017 Faces of The Fellowship: Ana

Ana is a 92-year-old woman from Belarus living alone in Israel. She participates in The Fellowships With Dignity and Fellowship project, which provides impoverished elderly assistance with food, medicine, and companionship.

Ana also receives monthly deliveries from The Fellowships virtual supermarket, which offers elderly who are strong enough to cook but too weak to go shopping an opportunity to order food for free. Fellowship volunteers visit Anas home with a laptop and help her order the food she wants. Soon after, the food is delivered to her apartment. Both visits provide much-needed companionship for elderly shut-ins like Ana.

The Fellowships Yael Eckstein recently helped deliver one of Anas food boxes. During the visit, she offered Yael some of a vegetable casserole shed cooked with food from a previous Fellowship delivery. Our donors compassionate support helps elderly people like Ana maintain a sense of independence and dignity during their final years. Ana is very grateful for this help, evidenced by her effusive praise to Yael for The Fellowship and all we do for her.

Learn how you can help other elderly Israelis in need receive lifesaving assistance.

And help us keep impoverished elderly people, including Holocaust survivors, warm this winter when you support our Operation Winter Warmth project!
A study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases shows that the diphyllobothriosis (an infection caused by tapeworms of the Diphyllobothrium genus) is reemerging because of global importation and increased popularity of eating raw fish. The researchers detected the Japanese broad tapeworm (Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense) in the musculature of wild pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) from Alaska. Therefore, salmon from the American and Asian Pacific coasts and elsewhere pose potential dangers for persons who eat these fish raw.

In July 2013, the researchers examined 64 wild Pacific salmon of five species: one chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), one coho salmon (O. kisutch), 23 pink salmon, eight rainbow trout (O. mykiss), and 31 sockeye salmon in Southcentral Alaska. The salmon were collected by angling or obtained from local fishermen. The musculature was filleted to narrow slices, and internal organs were observed under a magnifying glass. Several morphotypes of diphyllobothriid plerocercoids were found, including a single larva in the musculature of pink salmon collected in Resurrection Creek (near Hope, Alaska). The sequences of the cox1 and 28S rRNA genes (lsrDNA) on this plerocercoid were almost identical to those of the Japanese broad tapeworm available in the GenBank database, thus providing unequivocal support that this plerocercoid was a larva of the D. nihonkaiense tapeworm reported from North America.

For decades, the possible occurrence of the Japanese broad tapeworm on the Pacific coast of North America was ignored, but since 2008, human infection with adult tapeworms and natural infection of carnivores (wolves and bears) with adult tapeworms have been confirmed by use of molecular markers. The researchers concluded that this report provides additional evidence that salmon from the Pacific coast of North America may represent a source of human infection. Because Pacific salmon are frequently exported unfrozen, on ice, plerocercoids may survive transport and cause human infections in areas where they are not endemic, such as China, Europe, New Zealand, and middle and eastern United States. For more effective control of this human foodborne parasite, detection of the sources of human infection and critical revision of the current knowledge of the distribution and transmission patterns of individual human-infecting tapeworms are needed.

Study
Egyptian prosecutors have been cooperating with Italian counterparts to determine who murdered the Italian student in Egypt last year

Italian foreign minister Angelino Alfano told the Italian parliament on Wednesday that Italy will not rest until it uncovers the truth behind the murder in Cairo last year of Italian student Giulio Regeni, ANSA news agency reported.

We will continue to follow the path of firmness and cooperation, the effort will continue with the same determination there has been up till now, Alfano said, according to ANSA.

Alfano added that cooperation between Italian and Egyptian prosecutors has produced fruitful results.

Regeni was in Cairo to conduct research on independent trade unions when he went missing on 25 January 2016, the fifth anniversary of Egypts 2011 Revolution.

His body was found on 3 February on a roadside on the outskirts of Cairo bearing signs of torture.

Egypt has strongly rejected suggestions that security forces were involved in Regeni's murder.

In December, Egypt's prosecutor-general visited Rome to discuss developments in the investigation, the fifth such meeting between Egyptian prosecutors and their Italian counterparts since the murder.

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Eight years ago, artist Shepard Fairey created the iconic red and blue Barack Obama "Hope" poster that helped define that election.

Now, Fairey and his team are making new poignant political statements through the campaign "We the People, named after the first three words in the preamble to the Constitution.

Non-profit Amplifier Foundation commissioned three works by the artist, all featuring women of different ethnicities. The organisers hope the posters will help fight "hate, fear and open racism."

'We The People' poster campaign Show all 5 1 /5 'We The People' poster campaign 'We The People' poster campaign 'We The People Are Greater Than Fear' by Shepard Fairey 'We The People' poster campaign 'We The People' by Ernesto Yerena 'We The People' poster campaign 'We The People Protect Each Other' by Shepard Fairey 'We The People' poster campaign 'We The People Defend Dignity' by Shepard Fairey 'We The People' poster campaign 'We The People' by Jessica Sabogal

Recommended How to leave planet Earth

Posters designed by Ernesto Yerena and Jessica Sabogal were also commissioned, with Fairey explaining on his website how the prints honour the Womans March taking place on Donald Trump's inauguration day.

If you plan on marching this Saturday in Downtown, Los Angeles, carry these signs high with pride, the artist wrote on the website.

The We The People project began as a Kickstarter hoping to raise $60,000 to spread the posters throughout the US - theyve since raised $1,365,005.

 President Barack Obama's best viral moments

Much of Washington will be locked down on Inauguration Day, and in some areas, there will be severe restrictions on signs and banners, the Amplifier Foundation wrote on their Kickstarter page. But we've figured out a hack. It's called the newspaper!

On January 20th, if this campaign succeeds, we're going to take out full-page ads in the Washington Post with these images, so that people across the capital and across the country will be able to carry them into the streets, hang them in windows, or paste them on walls.
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Throughout his time in the White Office, President Barack Obama has recommended hundreds of books.

For the last two years, for instance, Obama has shared with the world his recommended summer reading, leading to bookstores selling out of his chosen novels across America.

With the Democrat leaving the Oval Office within the week, we look back at some of the books Obama recommended over the last eight years.

Summer reads - In 2015 and 2016, Obama recommended various books to sit back and read while enjoying the sunshine, ranging from sci-fi to a portrait of Alexander Hamiltons life.

Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Show all 15 1 /15 Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden watch Barack Obama's farewell speech on 11 January. Obama called Biden his 'brother' Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years US President Barack Obama speaks alongside US Vice President Joe Biden about the Affordable Care Act AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Obama listens to Joe Biden speak of his work on defeating cancer on 18 October in the White House Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama is applauded by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden while delivering his final State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in Washington Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. Vice President Joe Biden interjects as President Barack Obama delivers remarks at a reception for the 25th anniversary of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics at the White House in Washington REUTERS Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Obama and Vice President Joe Biden react after a heckler was removed for their extended interruption (Reuters) Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Speaker of the House John Boehner (R) as Vice President Joe Biden looks on Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack and Michelle Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden observing a moment of silence outside the White House to mark the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack Obama and Joe Biden putt on the White House putting green Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama and Joe Biden in April 2013 AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years January 1, 2013: U.S. President Barack Obama winks as he arrives with Vice President Joe Biden (L) in the briefing room Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House May 1, 2011 in Washington, DC Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice-President Joe Biden, right, confirmed that the US was looking at ways of taking legal action against Julian Assange - back in December 2010 GETTY IMAGES Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden, left, and retired military officers watch President Barack Obama sign orders to close down the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in January 2009 GETTY IMAGES

1. Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, William Finnegan

2. H Is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald

3. The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins

4. Seveneves, Neal Stephenson

5. The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead

6. All That Is, James Salter

7. All The Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr

8. The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert

9. The Lowland, Jhumpa Lahiri

10. Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates

11. Washington: A Life, Ron Chernow

Favourite books (according to Facebook) - On his social media account, Obama - who whoever set up his Facebook page - lists numerous classic books along, including the Bible.

"Call me Ishmael"

12. Song Of Solomon, Toni Morrison

13. Moby Dick, Herman Melville

14. Shakespeares Tragedies

15. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch

16. Gilead, Marylinne Robinson

17. Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson

18. The Bible

19. Lincolns Collected Writings

Favourite books (according to The New York Times) - In an email to the NYT, Obama added a few more classics to his favourite books list.

20. Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. Du Bois

21. Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson

23. Gandhis autobiography

24. All the Kings Men, Robert Penn Warren

25. Best and the Brightest, David Halberstam

26. The Federalist, Alexander Hamilton

27. Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith

28. Cancer Ward, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

29/30. The Power and the Glory and The Quiet American, Graham Greene

31. Working, Studs Terkel

For his daughters - While speaking to the Times, Obama listed the books he suggested his 18-year-old daughter read

32. The Naked and the Dead, Norman Mailer

33. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

34. The Golden Notebook, Doris Lessing

35. The Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston

From independent bookstores - The NYT were once again on hand when Obama visited an independent bookstore and picked 17 novels, some of which were listed by the publication.

36. Redwall series, Brian Jacques

37. Junie B. Jones series, Barbara Park

38. Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson

39. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad

40. All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr

41. Nora Webster, Colm Toibin

42. The Laughing Monsters, Denis Johnson

43. Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China, Evan Osnos

44. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, Dr. Atul Gawande

45. Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms, Katherine Rundell

46. The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Richard Flanagan.

Favourite books (again) - When visiting the public library in Washingtons Anacostia neighbourhood, Obama spoke to young students about some of his favourites from childhood.

47. The Hardy Boys series, Edward Stratemeyer

48. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson

49. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

50. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

51. Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak

Other favourites - back in 2009, the year he officially became President, Obama also listed numerous favourite books. A comprehensive piece in The Telegraph also lists numerous other additions to the favourites list.

52. Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin

53. The Golden Notebook, Doris Lessing

54. Various writings of Reinhold Niebuhr

55. Lush Life, Richard Prince

 President Barack Obama's best viral moments

56. Philosophy & Literature, Peter S Thompson

57. Collected Poems, Derek Walcott

58. Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese

59. To the End of the Land, David Grossman

60. Lessons in Disaster, Gordon Goldstein

61. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, Edmund Morris

62. John Adams, David McCullough

63. Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison

64. Plainsong, Kent Haruf

65. The Way Home, George Pelecanos

66. Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution, Thomas L Friedman

67. What Is the What, Dave Eggers

68. Netherland, Joseph ONeill

69. Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet, Jeffrey D. Sachs

70. Defining Moment: FDRs Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, Jonathan Alte

71. FDR, Jean Edward Smith

72. Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, Steve Coll

73. Unequal Democracy: The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age, Larry Bartels

74. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Doris Kearns Goodwin

75. Fates and Furies, Lauren Goff

76. Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling

77. Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights, Salman Rushdie

78. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn

79. The Three-Body Problem, Liu Cixin
The commander of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar arrived in Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

The Libyan general has visited Egypt on more than one occasion since leading a sweeping offensive against rebel forces in eastern Libya in mid 2014.

Egypt has been playing an active role in mediating a solution to end the five-year civil war in Libya.

Last December, Libyan officials and representatives from the country's various political factions met in Cairo and agreed to a declaration of principles, which includes five proposed amendments to the UN-brokered Skhirat agreement of 2015.

On Saturday, Egypt's Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Mahmoud Hegazy discussed with the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya Martin Kobler achieving a consensus between the various rival factions in Libya in accordance with the Skhirat agreement.

Last Thursday, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed in Cairo the latest developments in Libya with the chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council Fayaz Al-Sarraj.

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Sir Paul McCartney has gone to a US court in a bid to regain publishing rights to 267 classic Beatles songs from Sony, in a case that could have huge ramifications for other British artists.

Sir Paul has been trying to claim back ownership of the songs he wrote with John Lennon since Michael Jackson outbid him in the 1980s, including Hey Jude and Let It Be.

Jackson bought shares in Sony/ATV, which were sold back to the company by his estate as a bundle for $750m (610m)  including many of The Beatles tracks.

The BBC reports Sir Pauls case, which was filed on Wednesday, is over what is known as copyright termination  part of the US 1976 Copyright Act.

This gives authors the right to reclaim ownership of their work from music publications after a certain amount of time has passed. It allowed artists including Prince, Billy Joel, and Blondie to regain control of their work.

However, an attempt by Duran Duran to make a similar case failed in 2016.

Simon Le Bon and other members of the group argued that US copyright laws gave them the right to call for a reversion of copyright after 35 years.

Lawyers for Gloucester Place Music Ltd successfully countered that English laws of contract prevented them from doing so.

Legal papers filed on Sir Pauls behalf say that he is concerned that Sony/ATV will use Duran Durans loss to challenge his own attempt.

They state that Sir Paul wants quiet, unclouded title to his rights.

Rolling Stone reports that Sony/ATV has said it is disappointed by the lawsuit and called it unnecessary and premature.

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

Sony/ATV has the highest respect for Sir Paul McCartney with whom we have enjoyed a long and mutually rewarding relationship with respect to the treasured John Lennon and McCartney song catalogue, Sony/ATV said.

We have collaborated closely with both Sir Paul and the late John Lennons Estate for decades to protect, preserve and promote the catalogues long-term value. We are disappointed that they have filed this lawsuit which we believe is both unnecessary and premature.
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Production of some of the most important food crops  wheat, soybean and maize  could be reduced by up to 50 per cent by the end of the century as the world gets warmer, a new study has found.

Researchers developed a computer simulation of how crops responded to rising temperatures, then tested this against real-world examples.

They found they could accurately predict how various different plants would respond.

And their findings were stark.

Without significant reductions in emissions, maize yields in the US could fall by nearly 50 per cent by 2100.

And soybean crops could see a 40 per cent reduction, while a 20 per cent reduction in wheat was also possible.

The US is one of the worlds largest exporters of crops. A dramatic cut in yields would have a serious effect on food prices around the world, causing food shortages in the poorest countries.

This could increase migration as people go in search of food and create conflict and, potentially, full-blown wars.

Recommended Trump urged to ditch climate change denial by 630 major companies

Bernhard Schauberger, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, who led the study by an international team of scientists, said: We know from observations that high temperatures can harm crops, but now we have a much better understanding of the processes.

The computer simulations that we do are based on robust knowledge from physics, chemistry, biology; on a lot of data and elaborate algorithms.

But they of course cannot represent the entire complexity of the crop system, hence we call them models.

In our study, they have passed a critical test.

However the researchers said that farmers could off-set the losses by increasing irrigation  if there was enough water available.

The losses got substantially reduced when we increased irrigation of fields in the simulation, so water stress resulting from temperature increase seems to be a bigger factor than the heat itself, said researcher Joshua Elliott, of Chicago University.

Irrigation therefore could be an important means of adaptation to dampen the most severe effects of warming.

However, this is of course limited by the lack of water resources in some regions.

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

California has already been suffering significant droughts for some time, prompting restrictions on water use.

The models took account of an array of different factors, from water supply and fertiliser use to the levels of carbon dioxide  which causes global warming but is also absorbed by plants to grow  and, of course, the temperature.

For each day above 30C, maize and soybean plants can lose about 5 per cent of their harvest.

And the models found that even small increases above this temperature could result in abrupt and substantial yield losses, according to a statement about the research issued by the Potsdam Institute.

 CIA director nominee Mike Pompeo refuses to accept Nasa's findings on climate change

Climate sceptics have trumpeted one effect of increased carbon dioxide in the air, known as global greening.

This happens because plant growth is boosted by the extra carbon.

However, the researchers said the extra fertilisation from atmospheric carbon was not strong enough to counter the drop in crop yields because of the rising temperatures.

The researchers did not exam the effect of extremely high temperatures above 36C, which would likely hit yields even harder.

A paper about the research was published in the journal Nature Communications.
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Overfishing off the west coast of Africa threatens to drive many species to extinction, which could cause food shortages for local people, conservationists have warned.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said the Madeiran sardine and other important sources of food could be wiped out.

Some 37 species were classed as threatened with extinction and 14 more were said to be near threatened from Angola in the south to Mauritania in the north.

Illegal fishing in these waters is a significant problem with complaints that European fishing fleets are taking too many fish.

Pollution, degradation of habitats, the spread of invasive species and the warming of the waters caused by human-induced climate change are also all putting pressure on fish populations.

The IUCNs director-general, Inger Andersen, said: The growing extinction threat to fish off the central and western coast of Africa could seriously undermine food security across the region.

Fish provide a major source of animal protein for coastal communities, which account for around 40 per cent of this regions population.

In a part of the world where poverty reduction remains a challenge, preserving the rich diversity of marine fish species will help safeguard the livelihoods of local communities.

Experts studied the populations of some 1,288 bony fish species, the vast majority of those found off Africas west coast.

Of those classed as threatened or near threatened, 39 were targeted by fishing fleets and many were food staples.

In a statement about the study, the IUCN said: The Madeiran sardine, now listed as vulnerable, is one of three sardine species which are all considered overfished within the region.

The endangered Cassava croaker is estimated to have declined by 30 to 60 per cent over the past 10 years, primarily due to overfishing.

Croakers are particularly important to local subsistence fishers, who will be most affected by stock declines.

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

The area is famed for its fishing grounds with places like the Niger delta providing rich breeding grounds for fish.

But this has been affected by serious oil pollution, development, and the conversion of mangrove swamps for human uses.

Piracy has been a problem in this area, with some fishermen turning to crime after struggling to make a living. Some have blamed European fleets for stripping the seas of fish.

The study highlights the severely limited capacity for fisheries surveillance and enforcement in the region, leading to illegal fishing and overfishing that imperils national and regional management efforts, the IUCN said.

In many countries illegal catches represent over 40 per cent of the reported legal catch.

The IUCN said marine resources provided food and livelihoods for nearly 400 million people living in western and central African countries with a marine coastline.

Idriss Deffry, marine and coastal coordinator for the IUCN programme for western and central Africa, said: For the first time, we have comprehensive knowledge of the presence and population status of all marine fishes in the region.

This will provide critical information for improved fisheries and marine protected area management, and identify further research and conservation efforts needed.
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The last time ocean temperatures were this warm, sea levels were up to nine metres higher than they are today, according to the findings of a new study, which were described as extremely worrying by one expert.

The researchers took samples of sediment from 83 different sites around the world, and these natural thermometers enabled them to work out what the sea surface temperature had been more than 125,000 years ago.

This revealed that over the course of some 4,000 years the oceans had got about 0.5C warmer, reaching about the same temperatures as are found now  after a similar increase achieved largely as a result of human-induced climate change in little over a century.

The cities that would be under water if sea level rises by nine metres Show all 6 1 /6 The cities that would be under water if sea level rises by nine metres The cities that would be under water if sea level rises by nine metres UK and Netherlands All images are giving an indication of what an increase of 9m to sea level would look like Alex Tingle The cities that would be under water if sea level rises by nine metres New York All images are giving an indication of what an increase of 9m to sea level would look like Alex Tingle The cities that would be under water if sea level rises by nine metres Florida All images are giving an indication of what an increase of 9m to sea level would look like Alex Tingle The cities that would be under water if sea level rises by nine metres Egypt All images are giving an indication of what an increase of 9m to sea level would look like Alex Tingle The cities that would be under water if sea level rises by nine metres Shanghai All images are giving an indication of what an increase of 9m to sea level would look like Alex Tingle The cities that would be under water if sea level rises by nine metres Bangladesh All images are giving an indication of what an increase of 9m to sea level would look like Alex Tingle

Previous research has established that sea levels at the time were between six and nine metres higher. This gives an indication of what sea levels might be like once the vast oceans expand and ice sheets melt over the course of the next centuries and millennia.

If sea levels were to increase by nine metres, parts of London and New York, almost all the Netherlands, huge chunks of China, including Shanghai, and much of Bangladesh would be just some of the places that would be lost to the sea.

But the bad news does not end there.

For the computer models used by scientists to predict what the climate will be like in the future had failed to pick up on the rise in temperatures 125,000 years ago.

This suggests the models could be missing a key warming effect that might be about to kick in, sending temperatures higher than currently expected.

Another recent study suggested the sensitivity of the climate to greenhouse gases could be much greater than previously thought, potentially putting the world on course for more than 7C of warming by 2100  a prospect described as game over for life as we know it.

Dr Jeremy Hoffman, of Oregon State University, lead author of a paper in the prestigious journal Science about the new research, told The Independent that sea levels some 125,000 years ago might give a rough indication of what could be expected over the next few centuries as the warmer temperatures slowly take effect.

But he stressed the reasons for the global warming then and now were very different  the former was natural, the latter caused by humans  so the worlds last major warm period could not be viewed as a simple way to predict the future.

There are a lot of things that have happened over the last century that far outpace the natural world, Dr Hoffman said.

Its not just the warming, its the release of carbon from reservoirs [of fossil fuels] in the planet that have been around for millions of years.

Were talking about something that took millions of years to form and were removing it in decades.

The Earth would need to have an eruption like Mount St Helen's happen every 2.5 hours  to keep pace with the emissions we are producing.

He said perhaps the most significant implication of their research was that current computer models of climate change were failing to pick up on the warming 125,000 years ago.

If we are missing some process that would give rise to additional warming [at that time]  that would only work to be under-estimating the future climate as well, Dr Hoffman said.

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

Commenting on the research, Andrew Watson, a Royal Society research professor at Exeter University, said: Sea level responds directly to global temperatures, but slowly, so that the full extent of sea level rise will only be apparent over thousands of years.

The study suggests that in the long term, sea level will rise six metres at least in response to the warming we are causing.

The good news is that with luck it will continue to rise slowly, so that we have time to adapt, but the bad news is that eventually all our present coastal city locations will be inundated.

Professor Richard Allan, a climatologist at Reading University, said: The result that present global sea surface temperatures are indistinguishable from those at the last interglacial 125,000 years ago is extremely worrying since sea levels were six to nine metres higher then compared to present.

He said that heating up the depths of our vast oceans to the point where sea levels reached that point would take thousands of years so sustained and substantive cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from energy-intensive activities remain vital and beneficial to societies.

 Climate change: It's "game over" for planet earth

And Professor Michael Mann, a renowned climate scientist from Pennsylvania State University, described the studies findings as sobering.

It indicates that we may very well already be committed to several more metres of sea level rise when the climate system catches up with the carbon dioxide weve already pumped into the atmosphere, he said.

That is actually consistent with some model simulations. The important thing to recognise is that the climate system hasnt yet come into equilibrium with the increase in carbon dioxide, so it is misleading to compare the historical sea level rise weve seen so far with the sea level rise 125,000 years ago, because the latter indicates the full response [to the warming effect].
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Skincare purists are quick to berate facial-cleansing wipes, often dismissing them as the lazy girls choice when it comes to removing make-up and cleansing your skin. Environmentalists hate them too, rightly concerned about clogging landfill sites and polluting water supplies.

While we agree that a full-on cleansing routine is the way to go for a spot-free, glowing and healthy look that will serve you well in older age, its not always possible to spend 30 minutes in the bathroom with all your go-to products on hand.

These wipes all do the job well enough to remove full make-up, with many coming good on claims of three-in-one cleansing, toning and moisturising as well as blemish-fighting and anti-ageing effects. Better still, they are all biodegradable, so you can tumble into bed after a night on the town with a fresh face and a clear conscience  at least when it comes to your skincare

1. Yes To Primrose Oil 2-in-1 Facial Wipes: 4.99 for 30, Look Fantastic

Californian natural beauty brand Yes Tos refreshing compostable face wipes are a saviour after a day in an over-heated office (tip: pop them in the fridge when home to keep them cool). Formulated with multi-tasking primrose oil instead of water, theyre a top choice for those with sensitive skin as 98 per cent of the ingredients are natural, while the eco-aware will appreciate the cruelty-free and FSC certifications (meaning theyre made from sustainably sourced wood). The delicate scent is gently revitalising for a quick freshen-up on the go and its cleansing power proves particularly effective on oilier parts of your face, leaving skin free of grease and clumps of eye make-up yet also soft and hydrated. If you fancy something less floral-smelling, try the detoxifying tomato charcoal wipes, or the popular blueberry ones.

Buy now

2. RMS Beauty Ultimate Makeup Remover Wipes: 15 for 20, Net-A-Porter

Proof yet again that simple and natural is best, these cleansing wipes were the most welcome surprise on our list. They are infused with nothing but certified organic, unrefined coconut oil and the smell upon opening one will transport you to a tropical island. The material is 100 per cent compostable rayon and to keep them moist, each wipe comes individually wrapped in a sleek silver sleeve with colourful holographic branding  ideal for popping into your make-up bag. Those doubting their efficacy will be delighted to find that every trace of make-up, including stubborn mascara, melts away without the need to rub your eyes sore. RMS has been generous with the oil, known for its anti-bacterial and anti-ageing properties, so the wipe never felt dry and our face was left feeling wonderfully moisturised. These are a godsend for anyone who struggles with dry patches in winter.

Buy now

3. The Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes: 7 for 25, The Body Shop

Busy women who struggle to fit a full cleansing routine into their day will love these. Suitable for all skin types and formulated with nourishing vitamin E and moisturising wheatgerm oil, their effect is threefold  they cleanse, tone and moisturise in one quick and easy step, also making them ideal for business trips when your luggage allowance is limited. They are gentle to use, with a mild soapy fragrance, and dont leave residue behind on the face, removing even glittery eyeliner and lashings of mascara without stinging or the need for harsh rubbing. Our skin felt soft but not at all greasy after use, making them an appealing choice for those with combination skin. While they arent the cheapest on this list, they wont break the bank either. Theyre environmentally sound too: biodegradable and ethical, using Community Trade olive oil from Italy.

Buy now

4. Eyeko Mascara Off Wipes: 6 for 10, Marks & Spencer

Eyeko's promise to remove our smokey eyes set our expectations high. Thankfully these wipes do not disappoint, so long as you're patient enough to follow the instructions of holding each pure cotton wipe over your eye for at least 10 seconds to soften waxy waterproof mascara. They have a pleasant, lightly fruity fragrance and the bold blue packaging will make them easy to find in your backpack for removing glittery festival eye make-up. They are smaller in size than the pack suggests but would be useful for touching up make-up if your eyeliner goes wrong on the bus. They work just as well on the rest of your face and, being paraben-free, are a great choice if you have sensitive skin. Olive oil smoothes and aloe vera soothes, while refreshing grapefruit awakened our tired eyes. Eyeko is against animal testing so this is a cruelty-free hit too.

Buy now

5. Lancer Makeup Removing Wipes: 32 for 30, Look Fantastic

These luxury cleansing wipes may smell slightly sterile, but don't be put off for they are a pampering treat. Intended to remove even the heaviest make-up, they are made from non-irritating bamboo fibres and infused with gentle aloe, cucumber and marshmallow extracts to calm and soothe. They are oil-free and pH balanced, making them a wise option for acne-prone skin, and come individually wrapped in airtight packets to keep them moist for freshening up on the move. Fully soaked, they remain effective without drying up halfway through doing your face as some cheaper options tend to. These wipes are designed by dermatologist Dr Harold Lancer, whose skincare line is a favourite of the stars, so you can expect quality for the high price tag if youre willing to splash out for the convenience factor.

Buy now

6. Faith in Nature 3 in 1 Facial Wipes: 3.25 for 25, Faith in Nature

This natural, British-based beauty brand supplies biodegradable face wipes, and has just launched a new wipe that is even more natural than before. Made from wood pulp, its new offering is fully compostable, with a blend of natural essential oils specially formulated to moisturise, refresh and tone while clearing the face of the days make-up and grime. They have a revitalising lemon scent and are good value at just 13p per wipe, especially when compared with many similar products on the market. There no nasties hiding in the ingredients list and they wont strip your skin of moisture when cleaning off the make-up. They are gentle enough to be used elsewhere on the body too, making them a great, versatile alternative when you want to feel truly clean but dont have easy access to a bathroom.

Buy now

7. Ecocare Organic Facial Wipes (Apple & Honey): 5.05 for 25, Planet Organic

Four apples have been squeezed into this pack of biodegradable, certified organic cotton wipes to break down oil and cloying make-up for clean, glowing skin. Ecocare makes the most of what nature has to offer in the way of renewable ingredients, with rejuvenating honey added for hydration and green tea for antioxidants. Its all cruelty free too (Leaping Bunny-approved), so will get a firm thumbs up from ethical consumers wanting the best for the environment. Made in the UK, these wipes fulfilled their promise to remove my waterproof mascara, though they would also serve nicely for a post-sunbathe freshen-up on holiday. Theyre fragrance and alcohol free, hypoallergenic and left our skin feeling toned and looking radiant, all for a fair price considering the eco-friendly brownie points.

Buy now

The Verdict: Biodegradable face wipes

RMS Beautys coconut oil-infused wipes were the dark horse of the list before testing, but wowed us with scent, efficacy and moisturisation. Sadly, quality costs money, so while they make a lovely treat, Yes Tos delicious-smelling range ticks multiple eco boxes and did not pull up short when it came to removing heavy eye make-up. If its organic youre after, go for Ecocare, or splash out on Lancer for a taste of the A-list lifestyle.
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Russian state broadcaster Russia Today has been banned from Facebook so that it can't cover the Donald Trump inauguration, it has claimed.

The site can't post any media or links onto its page until the ceremony is over and Mr Trump becomes president, it has claimed.

Its ban is temporary and will be lifted on Saturday evening, and it says that it is working to get it lifted sooner. But if that doesn't happen it won't be able to cover any of Donald Trump's inauguration, which takes place on Friday.

Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration Show all 13 1 /13 Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration The US Capitol building is seen ahead of the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump Getty Images Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration Participants take part in a rehearsal for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump at the US Capitol in Washington DC Getty Images Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration Army Sgt. Maj. Greg Lowery, left, playing the part of President-elect Donald Trump, and Army Spc. Sara Corry, playing the part of Melania Trump, walk along the parade route during a dress rehearsal for Inauguration Day in Washington, DC Getty Images Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration Work is still being performed on the stage ahead of next week inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington DC Getty Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration A sign welcoming President-elect Donald Trump is seen near the White House in Washington, DC Getty Images Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration Workers prepare the West Front of the US Capitol for the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump Getty Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration A marching band rehearses on the East side of the US Capitol in Washington DC, during a dress rehearsal Getty Images Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration Members of the US Army band march down Pennsylvania Avenue during an inaugural parade rehearsal in Washington DC Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration Maxine McGinnis arranges the Trump paraphernalia for sale on a store shelf at the White House Gifts store in Washington DC Getty Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration Donald Trump hot sauce is seen for sale on the store shelf of Stars and Stripes store as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take the reins of power. The inauguration will take place on January 20th when President Barack Obama ends his 8 year run as Americas president Getty Images Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration Sarah Chambers shops for Trump paraphernalia at the White House Gifts store as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take the reins of power as President in Washington DC Getty Images Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration The Washington Monument is seen as preparations continue for the presidential inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump Getty Images Rehearsal for Presidential Inauguration Workers prepare the stage in front of the Lincoln Memorial to be used in the presidential inauguration festivities for President-elect Donald Trump as he prepares to take the reins of power in Washington DC Getty Images

RT said that the ban had happened because the page live-streamed Obama's final press conference. "Such things happen because (for ex.) some other news media livestreams carry the same shots and feed, and Facebook considers this a copyright violation," it wrote on its page, where it can still post text but no images, videos or links.

But the video appeared to come from the White House, which makes its video available copyright free. As such, it isn't clear who the complaint came from or when it was made.

In response to comments under that post it said that it was "NOT going anywhere, so tune in & question more" and that it was "proud to have such a great audience".

Relations between Russia and the US have become strained in recent weeks after the latter's intelligence agencies accused Russian agents of interfering with the US election to help Mr Trump be elected.
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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will stand by his offer to go to the US now that Chelsea Manning is being released, he told a press conference.

Mr Assange had previously committed to hand himself in and face any possible extradition to the US, should outgoing US President Barack Obama offer clemency to Ms Manning. But when that happened, his lawyers suggested that he wouldn't actually fulfil that commitment  arguing that Ms Manning wasn't being released quickly enough.

Now Mr Assange has said that he will stand by the offer. He said that there will be many discussions on his future before Ms Manning leaves prison in May.

Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty

It remains unclear whether or not the US would actually attempt to extradite Mr Assange. No official has suggested that such an order is in place, but members of Mr Assanges team have argued that it may be secret.

Recommended Julian Assange under pressure to hand himself over for extradition

Asked why he was giving himself up to go to the US when there was no public charge or extradition order, Mr Assange said that he believed the government was behaving exactly as it would if such an order was in place.

Theres either a deliberate attempt by the Department of Justice to keep me and WikiLeaks in a state of uncertainty, abusing the process for psychological gains and refusing to confirm or deny whether they have issued some request, but saying that the pending proceedings continue, or there is a sealed indictment and it is an offence for any official to reveal a sealed indictment, he said.

Mr Assange did not comment on why he was only publicly offering to go to the US, and not to Sweden where he is also sought by authorities. He suggested that he would refuse to go to Sweden because he feared he would be extradited to the US, despite having committed to face that same extradition process.

He said that he had never been charged at any stage and that he had been previously cleared in relation to the same charges in Sweden. He also made reference to the UN claims that he was being wrongly detained inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

WikiLeaks and Mr Assange have moved closer to the US, and Donald Trump has approvingly quoted him in tweets. Asked during the press conference about Mr Trump, Mr Assange said that he didn't agree with everything that the new President said, but that he thought he was being demonised by the press.

 Trump vs Clinton Like 'Cholera vs Gonorrhoea' - Assange at Green Party Convention

Asked whether he would receive different treatment from Mr Trump's Department of Justice, Mr Assange said that it remains to be seen.

The comments were made on a live audio stream that Mr Assange hosted on Periscope and posted onto the official WikiLeaks Twitter.

Mr Assange has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy since the summer of 2012, claiming that he fears that if he leaves he will be extradited to the US.

He was interviewed in the embassy in November in the presence of prosecutors from Sweden, where he faces a sex allegation. He denies the claims, but insists he faces extradition to the United States for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks if he leaves the embassy.
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The hoverbike quadcopter being developed by the US Army looks set to be used for the delivery of supplies, rather than soldiers.

The Joint Tactical Aerial Resupply Vehicle (JTARV), as its formally known, was previously believed to have been designed to carry soldiers into battle wherever and whenever reinforcements were required, but a new release from the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) makes no reference to that particular use-case.

It instead likens the contraption, which resembles a pair of drones attached to a table-top, to Amazons delivery service.

Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty

Anywhere on the battlefield, soldiers can potentially get resupplied in less than 30 minutes, said Tim Vong, the associate chief of ARL's protection division. We want to have options like that.

The current prototype is electric, but the researchers behind it are open to adopting a hybrid propulsion system in order to increase range. They want the finished model to be capable of flying low to the ground or at thousands of feet, at speeds of at least 60mph.

We're exploring increasing payload capacity to 800 pounds and extending the range up to 125 miles, added Vong. We're also looking to integrate advanced intelligent navigation and mission planning.

The JTARV is a joint project between the ARL and UK firm Malloy Aeronautics, which originally showcased the hoverbike on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter
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Anjali Lama was sitting in a Kathmandu apartment when the Nepali television show came on. Sangharsha, it was titled. Struggle. The show depicted the lives of people who felt their identity did not match the gender assigned to them at birth.

That day I understood, Lama said. I am also that kind of person.

In the farming village where Lama grew up  in a poor family of nine in Nuwakot, Nepal, the notion of someone transitioning genders was inconceivable, she told The Washington Post. But for as long as she could remember, Lama wanted to be a girl. Born with the male name Navin Waiba, she spent all of her time with female friends, and felt closer to her mother and sisters than her father and brothers. Her teachers questioned her behaviour and her classmates mocked her, telling her she walked and talked like a girl. But as much as Lama tried to behave like a boy, she couldnt.

Decades later, the misunderstood schoolboy from the farming village has been transformed into an international supermodel, impressing crowds with her confident stature, high cheekbones and striking gaze. Next month, Lama, 32, will be the first transgender woman to walk the ramp in one of Indias premier fashion events, Lakme Fashion Week.

Lamas rise to stardom in Nepal and now, in India, parallels the progress made for transgender communities in both countries in the past several years. In 2006, Nepal ended a decade of conflict against Maoist rebels, who regularly harassed and beat transgender men and women, The Washington Post reported. After the insurgency, Nepal began acknowledging LGBT rights, ruling in 2007 that citizens could select their own gender identity. In 2015, Nepal began issuing passports with a third gender category  one of only a few countries to do so.

Transgender model Anjali Lama walks the runway in a previous fashion show (Courtesy of Anjali Lama)

In India, transgender people  known as hijras  have made huge strides recently toward greater inclusion, culminating in a landmark decision in 2014 by Indias Supreme Court that recognised a third gender that is neither male or female. Transgender people are eligible for quotas in jobs and educational institutions, and are even getting a boost from Bollywood films  a pop band of transgender women was featured on the soundtrack of a Hindi movie last year, Reuters reported.

Still, Lama said, gaining acceptance in the workforce  and in rural parts of her home country  remains a challenge for many members of the transgender community.

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After high school, Lama left her village to live in the capital, Kathmandu. She worked in hotel after hotel, getting laid off quickly at each one because of her identity, she said. Customers and staff would tease her, calling her names she didnt want to ever repeat. Mentally, I was tortured, she said.

One night in Kathmandu, when Lama was about 19 years old, she saw a group of transgender women on the street wearing makeup and heading to a club.

She approached them, telling them she identified with them, and asked them for advice. They gave her the phone number for a community office for LGBT affairs. Two days later, she visited the organisation, and in 2006, she would begin working there as a member of staff.

Over the years, friends and colleagues would tell Lama that her tall, lean frame would be perfect for a modelling career. So in 2007  the same year that Nepals Supreme Court ruled in favour of gender self-identification  Lama participated in a beauty pageant, learning how to walk and carry herself as a model. Her career took off in 2009 when a national magazine in Nepal, Voice of Women, featured her in a photo shoot on Kathmandus transgender community.

And yet, she struggled to be selected for gigs, no matter how well she trained and prepared for auditions. Her agent would tell her it was because she was transgender. Others made her believe it was because of her age  in Nepal, most women leave the modelling industry after the age of 25. She auditioned for Nepals premier fashion week three different times, and was rejected.

I thought, maybe I shouldnt do modelling, she said. But, she decided, I should try.

So she set her sights outside of Nepal, hoping for better luck in Indias fashion industry. She travelled alone to Mumbai, with no connections or help, and auditioned for the 2016 Lakme Fashion Week. She was rejected. The following year, she gave it another chance, competing against more than 100 other women for five spots in the show. She was selected to model for several leading designers at the show, running from 1 to 5 February in Mumbai.

Lama says many people from her village do not understand her new identity (Courtesy of Anjali Lama)

This seasons model pool will also include a gender neutral model and a plus-size model, Jaspreet Chandok, fashion head at IMG Reliance, an organiser of the event, told Reuters. The event planners hope to take these conversations forward, shining light on some these issues and bringing them to the national consciousness, Chandok said.

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Most people in the village where Lama grew up still do not understand her new identity, she said, including her father. Hell never see me as a daughter, she said. Her mother  one of the few relatives who supported Lamas transition  died in 2010.

Lama said she dreams of walking in other international fashion shows, and completing her sex-change operation. She underwent breast augmentation in 2010, but has yet to complete her transition. She also hopes her modelling career will empower members of the transgender community to do whatever they want in life, she said.

Because of me, she said, maybe they can get some confidence to come out.
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The chief executive of Barclays has said that  even after a hard Brexit the UK will most likely continue to represent the financial lungs for Europe.

Jes Staley, speaking to the BBC on Thursday, admitted that his bank may have to relocate some jobs to other cities in the European Union after the UK quits the bloc, but said that the majority of the groups European banking business would still be able to be done from the UK.

I don't believe that the financial centre of Europe will leave the city of London, he told the broadcaster. There are all sorts of reasons why I think the UK will continue to be the financial lungs for Europe

Mr Staleys comments come on the back of a slew of other leading banks warning, from the World Economic Forum in Davos, of thousands of job moves as a result of Brexit.

On Wednesday, UBS chairman Axel Weber said that about 1,000 of the Swiss bank's 5,000 employees based in London could be affected by Brexit, while HSBC chief executive Stuart Gulliver said the bank could relocate 1,000 staff to Paris.

German newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Thursday that Goldman Sachs is considering moving half of its London-based jobs to Frankfurt and other financial centres because of concerns over Brexit.

But Prime Minister Theresa May, also speaking in Davos on Thursday, hailed Britain as a hub for foreign investment and insisted that the country remains open for business.

She said the UK was not turning its back on the world, but seeking out new trading partners and allies around the globe - while maintaining close ties with European neighbours.
Egypt's Prime Minister Sherif Ismail announced on Thursday that the cabinet is preparing to submit to parliament a proposal for a ministerial reshuffle by the end of the month, Ahram Arabic news website reported.

Ismail said that the exact number of ministers who will be replaced has not been determined, and that the new ministers will be chosen based on expertise.

Ismail added that there will no changes in regional governors for now.

The prime minister said that no new ministries will be created out of the reshuffle, but some existing ones could be merged.

Earlier this week, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi confirmed reports that a ministerial reshuffle would soon take place.

The last ministerial reshuffle to take place under Ismail was in March 2016, with 10 ministers replaced.

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Goldman Sachs is considering moving half of its London-based jobs to Frankfurt and other financial centres because of concerns over Brexit, German newspaper Handelsblatt has reported.

As many as 1,000 staff will move from London to Frankfurt, with other key operations moving to New York, France, Spain and Poland the paper reported, citing financial sources.

In total, the US investment bank could reduce its London staff from 6,000 to 3,000 under the plans, Handelsblatt said.

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Staff moving to Frankfurt would reportedly include traders and managers responsible for regulation and compliance, the papers sources said. Back-office personnel would move to Warsaw and investment bankers who advise French and Spanish companies would move to those countries.

The reports come a day after the US investment bank posted surging profits, in part thanks to volatile trading in the wake of Donald Trumps US election victory.

On Wednesday, UBS chairman Axel Weber said that about 1,000 of the Swiss banks 5,000 employees based in London could be affected by Brexit, while Stuart Gulliver, HSBCs chief executive, said the bank could relocate 1,000 staff to Paris.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

A spokesperson for Goldman Sachs said: We continue to work through all possible implications of the Brexit vote. There remain numerous uncertainties as to what the Brexit negotiations will yield in terms of an operating framework for the banking industry. As a result we have not taken any decisions as to what our eventual response will be.

Cities across the EU have been vying to attract London financial jobs since the June vote to leave the trading bloc, with Frankfurt and Paris among the leading contenders.

Leaving the EUs single market is likely to result in banks losing crucial passporting rights, which allow them to sell their services freely across the rest of the EU and give firms based in Europe unfettered access to Britain.

Loss of the passport could be devastating to the City unless a deal offering similar levels of access is secured. Nearly 5,500 firms registered in the UK currently use the rights to operate in other European countries.
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Andrea Orcel, the president of UBSs investment bank, has said that the Swiss bank will definitively move some of its staff from London to a country within the European Union following the UKs vote to leave the currency bloc.

UBS, one of the worlds largest managers of private wealth, previously said that London is likely to see an exodus of finance jobs in the wake of the Brexit vote.

In an interview with Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, Mr Orcel said that with Brexit we have to anticipate the worst adding that the bank cant afford to be optimistic.

The only question that remains is how many jobs will have to be moved, Mr Orcel said.

He said: It will very much depend on the agreement the UK will reach with the EU, but yes we will have to move bankers.

"We have flexibility to decide where to go but we will definitely have to move.

He explained that if the UK and the EU did not reach any sort of transition deal on Brexit, then some of his staff in London would have to move as soon as the UK government invoked Article 50, the legal procedure to leave the EU.

 Theresa May's Brexit speech - five key points

UBS choice on where to move its staff would depend on infrastructure, on the nature of the deal the bank can reach in each country, and on the shape of the EU at that point in time, Orcel explained.

On Wednesday, HSBC's chief executive, Stuart Gulliver also said he was preparing to move 1,000 staff from London to Paris.

The comments from two of the largest investment banks in the City of London underscore the extent of Brexit-related uncertainty gripping the UKs financial industry.

For months, there has been widespread speculation that thousands of financial jobs currently based in London could be migrated to cities like Dublin, Paris or Frankfurt, so that the banks affected can continue to offer their services to EU clients.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Theresa May outlined Britains plan for leaving the EU in a landmark speech at Lancaster House.

Ms May announced the UK would leave the single market  though attempt to maintain the "greatest possible access" to it  while forging a "bold" trade deal with the EU and similar new agreements around the world.

She said that she will not seek a long lasting transitional period as Britain leaves the EU - favoured by many businesses..

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

"It 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.
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Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein said New York is already a bit of a gainer from Brexit as the Wall Street firm slows its previous policy of moving operations to London.

Operating our business to maximise our global potential -- we were trying to get as much into the UK as we could, Blankfein said in a Bloomberg Television interview on Thursday with John Micklethwait at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Were slowing down that decision to avoid having to move businesses twice, he said.

Blankfein and other Wall Street bosses are privately meeting British Prime Minister Theresa May later Thursday as banks mull what staff will need to move given the UKs likely loss of passporting rights, which give London-based bankers the ability to service clients across the European Union. A Goldman Sachs spokeswoman said Wednesday that the firm hadnt made any decisions after Handelsblatt reported it may cut its London staff in half to 3,000 workers.

Recommended Goldman Sachs considers moving half its London jobs because of Brexit

I dont know if there will be one one or ones that we will go to, Blankfein said of potential destination cities, noting that the bank used to be spread out across the region, running large operations in cities like Paris, Frankfurt and Milan. It wasnt the most efficient way to run our business. It wasnt the safest way to run our business. Its better to have people in a concentrated place where you can watch them. Technology is more expensive if people are distributed.

However, we know how to operate in that fashion, he said. We have done it before. Its too early to say what businesses might move, he said. I dont think we will need two years to make whatever adjustments we make, so were watching. He also said he worried about the EU with Britain outside of it.

Blankfein said Mays Brexit strategy, where she ruled out staying in the EUs single market to gain control over immigration, is not anti-Goldman.

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

I take the vote as primarily a vote on immigration, he said. As a politician, that has to be her declared priority. The financial-services industry is so important to the British economy, the thing will speak for itself. That will become an important priority. It wont be dominant.

Blankfein, whose firm has seen executives and former staff like Gary Cohn and Steve Mnuchin take on assignments to work for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, also said he wouldnt preclude serving in government himself someday.

Trumps policies are quite market-supportive and stimulative on taxes, regulation and infrastructure, he said. Blankfein also said he doesnt find fault with Trump if he seeks to renegotiate trade agreements to be more in favor of U.S. interests.
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A South Korean court on Thursday dismissed an arrest warrant against the head of Samsung, the country's largest conglomerate, amid a corruption scandal that has led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.

But the reprieve for Jay Y. Lee, 48, may only be temporary, as the special prosecutor's office said it would pursue the case.

Lee, who has led Samsung since his father, Lee Kun-hee, suffered a heart attack in 2014, was still likely to face the same charges of bribery, embezzlement and perjury, legal analysts said, even if he is not detained.

Lee left the Seoul Detention Centre carrying a white shopping bag and climbed into a car without talking to reporters, having been held overnight as the court deliberated whether to grant the arrest warrant.

The special prosecutor's office said it would be continuing its probe but had not decided whether to make another arrest warrant request, and the setback would not change its plans to investigate other conglomerates.

Spokesman Lee Kyu-chul said the prosecution was unconvinced by the Samsung chief's argument that he was a victim of coercion due to pressure from Park.

The spokesman also said Samsung Group Vice Chairman Choi Gee-sung had been classified as a suspect on suspicion of bribery, but did not elaborate further. Two other Samsung officials, Choi's deputy Chang Choong-ki and Samsung Electronics executive Park Sang-jin, were also under investigation.

The office has accused Lee of paying multi-million dollar bribes to Park's confidant, Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the heart of the scandal, to win support from the National Pension Service for a controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung Group affiliates.

The merger helped cement Lee's control over the smartphones-to-biopharmaceuticals business empire. He has denied wrongdoing.

The judge said in a statement on his ruling that an arrest was not necessary - for now.

"After reviewing the contents and the process of the investigation so far ... it is difficult to acknowledge the necessity and substantiality of an arrest at the current stage," he said.

Lee Jung-jae, a lawyer and former prosecutor, said he didn't think the special prosecutor would push for Lee's detention again.

"They probably already have as much evidence as they could gather," he told Reuters. "They will indict him eventually, but without detention."

Samsung said in an emailed statement that it appreciated "the fact that the merits of this case can now be determined without the need for detention".

Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Here are some pictures of exploded phones that are circulating online Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures

The group's flagship, Samsung Electronics, is the world's biggest maker of smartphones, flat-screen televisions and memory chips.

Making its case for an arrest warrant on Monday, the special prosecutor's office accused Lee of paying bribes totalling 43 billion won ($36.70 million) to organisations linked to Choi to secure the 2015 merger of Samsung C&T Corp and Cheil Industries Inc.

Park, 64, was impeached last month by parliament over the influence-peddling scandal. If the decision is upheld by the Constitutional Court, she will become South Korea's first democratically elected leader to be forced from office early.

Both Park, who remains in office but stripped of her powers while the court decides her fate, and Choi have denied wrongdoing.

The special prosecutor's office said on Tuesday it had evidence that Park and Choi shared profits gained through bribery payments, but did not elaborate.

This week, the special prosecutor indicted the chairman of the National Pension Service, the world's third-largest pension fund, on charges of abuse of power and giving false testimony in relation to the deal.

Thursday's court ruling angered many, including members of the left-wing opposition Democratic Party, which said the decision ran counter to public sentiment. Samsung and its leader have been dogged by protests in recent weeks as the graft probe advanced, with some calling for Lee's immediate arrest.

"The law is not equal for all," one South Korean remarked on web portal Naver.

Key Samsung Group shares rose following the court decision: Samsung Electronics and Samsung C&T gained 1.5 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively, outperforming a 0.1 percent gain for the broader market .KS11 though down from their opening peaks as investors braced for the likelihood of an indictment.

"The only thing that has changed is that he won't be detained now," commented Park Jung-hoon, a fund manager at HDC Asset Management, adding that uncertainties were likely to linger.

Reuters
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More than a third of schools are failing to meet new government targets at A-level, official league tables have revealed.

And of 6,235 schools measured under the Governments new GCSE ranking system, 1,910 were given a negative rating, meaning they were performing below average.

This year is the first time schools have not been judged solely on how many pupils score at least 5 GCSE grades A*- C, but by the two new measures Progress 8 and Attainment 8.

Similarly, schools and colleges providing A-Levels for 16-18 year-olds are given a positive or negative progress score that can be compared against the national average.

Free schools, introduced in 2010, were proportionately the worst performing schools in the state sector, with 84 per cent given a negative rating for progress.

Grammar schools, which have traditionally dominated the top of the league tables, also fell in the charts as part of the overhaul, making way for a number of state funded schools praised for their dramatic improvement of results for individual pupils.

The dramatic changes in ranking were partly attributed to the fact that some of the countrys previously top ranking selective state schools had so few pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, that the Department for Education did not list them in the tables.

Of the two new GCSE measures, Progress 8 determines how far a child has progressed from when they started secondary school until their GCSE exams.

Attainment 8 is a measurement of the results from an individual pupils best eight grades, with emphasis on maths and English.

Critics have argued that while the traditional method was too limited to show the true growth of children, the new measure is too complicated to understand and implement.

Welcoming the statistics, Schools Minister Nick Gibb said the results confirmed that the hard work of teachers and pupils across the country was leading to higher standards.

He praised schools for closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers and added: Under our reforms, there are almost 1.8 million more young people in good or outstanding schools than in 2010, and through our new, fairer Progress 8 measure, we will ensure that even more children are supported to achieve their full potential.

Under the new system, which measures last summers GCSE results, nine out of the top 10 performing schools were state funded.

The figures also revealed that more than half of the ten worst performing local education authorities are in the north-west of England, illustrating a north-south divide in the country.

The best performing areas for pupil GCSE grades were in London, with two Blackburn faith schools  Tauheedul Islamic Girls and Boys  topping the table.

Commenting on the results, leaders from the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and National Association of Schoolmasters/ Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) warned the new tables should be taken with an appropriate degree of caution.

Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers union in the UK, said: Progress 8 provides just one perspective on the quality of work that schools undertake with their pupils and there are many other indicators that have to be taken into account to get a rounded and accurate picture.

Kevin Courtney, General Secretary of the NUT, said: The NUT congratulates schools on withstanding the effects of cuts and teacher shortages to achieve results that demonstrate a rise in student attainment at GCSE. But it would be a mistake to think that the Department for Educations new progress measures, Progress 8, are a trustworthy measure of progress.

Ministers claim that the Progress 8 numbers show that educational quality is rising. That is far from the truth. Secondary schools suffer from a narrowed curriculum, from increasingly severe problems of teacher retention and an impending crisis of funding. It is to these issues that ministers should turn their attention.
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Separation from the European Union will not be "without pain", International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has warned.

Any Brexit trade deal the UK strikes with Brussels was unlikely to be as good as the current arrangements enjoyed as part of the single market, the former French trade minister said.

A series of issues remained to be resolved about the UK's future trading relationship with the EU and other countries and "uncertainty is always a risk", she added.

In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF said it now expects the UK economy to grow by 1.5 per cent this year, marking a 0.4 per cent upward revision to forecasts made in October.

But it downgraded its UK forecasts for 2018 by 0.3 per cent, with gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2018 now expected to come in at 1.4 per cent.

The "extraordinary" response by the Bank of England and the "quite remarkable" behaviour by British consumers who have continued to spend had helped the economy defy the gloomy forecasts - including by the IMF.

But at the World Economic Forum in Davos Ms Lagarde told the BBC: "Once uncertainty clears, if people feel that their ability to set up shop in the UK and operate throughout the geographical area that is the European Union is not working as well as it did, the investment decision will change.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

"In the same vein, if exports are subject to significant tariffs, restrictions and so on and so forth, the ability of the UK to activate that trade engine is going to be reduced.

"So while we have upgraded our forecasts for 2017, we have downgraded for 2018 ... We are still of the view that it will not be positive all along and without pain."

Ms Lagarde echoed the views of Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who said that any Brexit deal the UK strikes with Brussels must be "inferior" to EU membership.

She said the members of a club "have a degree of affinity and particular terms under which they operate" and "somebody outside the club ... has different access".

The future relationship the UK agrees "would certainly be different, and if being part of a club is optimising and leveraging your membership it would not be as good".
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Dozens of countries around the world are preparing to expand their trade links with the UK as it leaves the European Union and gets "out into the world", Liam Fox has claimed.

The International Trade Secretary said work was already being carried out with "a number of countries" to see how barriers to commerce and investment could be removed.

Dr Fox said the UK would champion free trade in a world where decades of progress to open up markets was under threat.

Although Britain cannot strike bilateral deals while a member of the EU, informal negotiations have reportedly already begun with 12 countries.

"Trade ministers have visited 55 countries, promoting UK exports of goods and services and encouraging investment," Dr Fox wrote in an article for The Telegraph. "Since the referendum, more than 16 billion has been invested in the UK from overseas; a clear vote of confidence.

"At the same time, we are exploiting new trade opportunities and discussing the possible shape of new agreements once we have left the EU.

"While we remain members we will fulfil our current commitment to push forward trade deals with Japan and Canada, and support international agreements on services and environmental goods.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA

"But when we leave, we will want to develop new arrangements with countries such as Australia, New Zealand and India.

"We are conducting trade audits with a number of countries to see how we can remove barriers to trade and investment to our mutual benefit."

Prime Minister Theresa May has said the UK will leave the single market and has ruled out retaining full membership of the customs union - which ministers hope will give the country the freedom to secure trade deals.

Dr Fox said: "Since joining the EU, trade as a percentage of GDP has 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.

 David Davis: 'Parliament will have a say at every stage' of Brexit negotiation

"Dozens of countries are preparing to expand their trading links to the UK. As the Foreign Secretary discovered when he visited the United States, the UK is no longer 'at the back of the queue' with our largest single trading partner.

"This Government will never compromise on the prosperity of the UK. We see that Brexit is not a threat to that prosperity, but the key."
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The Government is prepared for a spike in hate crimes next week after the Supreme Court rules on whether the Prime Minister has the power to bypass Parliament before triggering the Article 50 exit clause.

Home Office minister Baroness Williams of Trafford told peers that they had learned the lessons from a spate of hate crime incidents recorded in the wake of last year's EU referendum.

We are working very closely with the police and community organisations to monitor any changes in hate crime levels, she said.

Lady Williams also confirmed Home Secretary Amber Rudd would be meeting with consular staff from all the EU embassies.

Stop Hate UK chief executive Rose Simkins said reducing hate crime was a "long-term commitment" and could not be prevented with a short-term fix.

For the Government to be prepared, they have to be putting resources into going out into communities, talking to people about their fears and concerns, on all sides - to people who are fearful but also those who are feeling pushed to commit these kinds of acts, she told The Independent.

Firm statements need to be made to say: 'We will not tolerate this and action will be taken,' but real work with communities to understand those tensions and help prevent them is needed - that is not a short-term fix that is a long-term commitment.

More than 2,300 race-hate offences were reported in London in the 38 days after the vote, up from 1,400 in the 38 days before, according to Metropolitan Police figures.

Anti-racism campaign Hope Not Hate warned that it was expecting spikes in hate crimes at key events to continue over the next two years.

Britain is an increasingly divided society and it is incumbent on all of us to work together to prevent communities from fracturing further, a spokesperson told The Independent.

At the same time, its key for the authorities to ensure that those who are tempted to carry out hate crimes realise they will face the full force of the law.

Lady Williams' comments came as the human rights watchdog warned hate crimes against EU citizens could increase after article 50 is formally triggered.

Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) David Isaac told MPs that he feared a potential backlash against EU nationals in Britain and called on police to be prepared.

Theresa May has promised to trigger article 50 before the end of March however her keynote speech on her Brexit negotiating strategy, which outlined plans to leave the single market, could speed up the process.

A Home Office spokesperson told The Independent: "The Home Secretary has been crystal clear that hatred has absolutely no place in a Britain that works for everyone. The action this Government is taking is working and more victims are finding the confidence to come forward to report these crimes.

"Our hate crime laws are among the best in the world and our Hate Crime Action Plan sets out how we are further reducing hate crime, increasing reporting and improving support for victims."
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British newspapers have been accused of publishing a consistent stream of inaccurate stories about Muslims, after national titles were forced to make corrections over inaccurate reporting more than 20 times in recent months.

Miqdaad Versi, assistant general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain, has been seeking corrections for inaccurate reporting since last November.

So far he has secured almost 20 corrections and retractions and a further 20 complaints are being examined by the press regulator Ipso.

Mr Versi said he has flagged up five inaccurate reports by The Sun, three by the Express and three by the Mail Online.

Inaccurate reporting has caused a "rising hostility towards Muslims" in Britain, he said.

"This has real-life consequences as far-right extremists share such false stories, leading to rising hostility towards Muslims," he told The Independent.

There have been a number of corrections made in recent months as a result of complaints made by Mr Versi and others.

Enclaves of Islam see UK as 75% Muslim

Among them was a December report in the The Sunday Times which stated that "enclaves of Islam see UK as 75% Muslim". The story was also picked up by The Sun, the Daily Express and the Mail on Sunday.

Based on a report by government integration tsar Dame Louise Casey, the reports claimed thousands of Muslims in the UK were so cut off from mainstream society that they estimated the country's Muslim population to be 10 times larger than it was.

However, it later transpired the survey cited from the report was based on respondents in one school and that they were asked about Asians, not Muslims.

The headline in The Sunday Times was subsequently changed to "Britain is 50-90% Asian, say schoolchildren".

The full correction read: "We reported in Enclaves of Islam see UK as 75% Muslim that the Casey review of integration would say that some segregated Muslims believe Britain is 75% Islamic."

'One in five Brit Muslims sympathy for jihadis'

In November 2015, following the Paris attacks, The Sun's front page carried the results of a shock poll which claimed one in five British Muslims sympathised with Isis.

Ipso received an unprecedented 3,000 complaints, some from anti-Islamophobia think tank MEND, and ruled in March 2016 that the publication misrepresented the results of a poll.

It later emerged that the question in the poll only asked if Muslims sympathised with those who travelled to join fighters in Syria, and did not specify Isis.

The Sun was subsequently ordered to admit the story was significantly misleading.

Islamic Honour Killing

The Sun also landed itself in hot water when an article described the murder of a 34-year-old Muslim woman in Luton as an Islamic honour attack.

This prompted a complaint that it incorrectly asserted honour-killings have a basis in Islam.

Police had said they were investigating the possibility she was killed in honour-based violence, but were keeping an open mind over the motive.

Following an Ipso investigation into the matter, the newspaper offered a clarification, stating: We are happy to make clear Islam as a religion does no support so-called honour killings'.

Mr Versi, who plans to continue seeking corrections from the press about inaccuracies about Muslims, said the scale of the issue is being massively underestimated.

Journalism plays a vital role in our democracy and the brilliant work by many journalists is being tarred by this consistent stream of negative and inaccurate reporting about Muslims, he told The Independent.

Newspaper editors need to seriously consider whether such a large number of inaccuracies on this one issue, is in line with the basic standards of professional standards that they claim to adhere to, or whether it is indicative of the prioritisation of click-baiting over accuracy in the case of serial offenders."

He added: "It is worth noting that this huge number of corrections that have been forced, mainly due to complaints by me, seems to be a massive underestimate of the scale of the issue, given that the majority have taken place within the last one to two months when I have been monitoring closely.
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A vegan fried "chicken" shop has opened in London prompting a full spectrum of reactions from fast-food lovers in the capital.

Delighted crowds descended on Temple of Hackney, that opened its doors this week, billed as the worlds first meat free fried "chicken shop.

The chicken in question is made from seitan, a wheat protein with a meat-like texture.

The shop is the brainchild of Melbourne couple Rebecca McGuinness and her husband Pat OShea. Ms MsGuinness used to work in KFC and had always missed fried chicken since becoming vegan 10 years ago.

She started making it with seitan and launched a street-food stall, Temple of Seitan, on Brick Lane in East London last year.

Regulars to the stand were elated when it was announced the couple would be opening a permanent location.

Many left rave reviews after eating at the establishment on its opening day.

Ed Watts wrote: Simply the stuff of dreams. You don't get better vegan chicken.

However, others took issue with the shops name, accusing the owners of being offensive to Christians.

Writing on Facebook, Justin Pickering said: Seems like the owner is deliberately being offensive to Christians which is kind of sad considering the amount of hate and division there already is in the world.

Laura Price wrote: Seitan..???. so youre not playing on words with the occultism? Satan.. are you with that correction ... admit you're causing division..?

Many users were quick to defend the chicken shop, with one writing: Dude... Seitan is wheat gluten! Nothing to do with Satan!

Temple of Seitan responded to the accusations, writing:  Hi Justin not setting out to offend anyone, simply declaring our love for Seitan. Please feel free to post this as a regular visitor post, but the reviews are meant for people who've actually visited/tried the food.

Some were just sceptical that vegan fried "chicken could be as good as the real thing.

Temple of Hackney is open from 12 to 8pm, Wednesday-Sunday, 10 Morning Lane, E9 6NA.
Iraqi forces battled the last holdout Islamist militants in east Mosul Thursday after commanders declared victory there and quickly set their sights on the city's west, where more tough fighting awaits.

The announcement that the left bank of the Tigris River that divides Mosul had been retaken was a key milestone in an offensive that began three months ago but could yet last several more.

Staff General Talib al-Sheghati, who heads the Counter-Terrorism Service spearheading the fighting in Mosul, declared the left bank "liberated" at a big press conference on Wednesday.

Iraqi forces were still fighting there on Thursday, flushing out fighters from the Islamic State (IS) militants in northern neighbourhoods east of the river.

According to the Joint Operations Command coordinating the fight against IS, federal forces retook a large hotel and a presidential compound. They also recaptured the town of Talkif, further north, which they had besieged for weeks.

Only a handful of areas on the east bank remained to be cleared, including the neighbourhood of Rashidiyah, commanders said.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said around the new year that ridding the country of IS, which seized around a third of it in 2014, could take three more months.

He had initially promised to do so by the end of 2016 and many observers have argued his new timetable was still optimistic.

Before Iraq launched its massive offensive against IS-held Mosul on October 17, the west bank had always been thought to be where federal forces would meet the toughest resistance.

But elite troops struggled in the east too and only broke the back of the Islamist militants there in recent days, after stepped up coordination and increased aerial and advisory support from the US-led coalition.

Once they have fully secured the east coast, Iraqi forces will need to tackle the west bank of the river, which is a little smaller but more densely populated.

Patrick Martin, Iraq analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said the worst may be yet to come.

"The coalition and the ISF (Iraqi security forces) should plan for western Mosul to be the hardest fight in Mosul," he said.

"It is denser urban terrain, with older neighbourhoods and narrower streets that will make clearing operations challenging.

"IS and Sunni insurgent groups also have had historical support zones in western Mosul," he added, warning that federal forces advancing in the streets could encounter more hostile residents than they have on the eastern side.

The UN estimates about 750,000 people still live on Mosul's west bank, which includes the old city and key landmarks such as the mosque where IS supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed his "caliphate" in June 2014.

Colonel John Dorrian, spokesman of the US-led coalition that has dropped close to 10,000 munitions on IS targets in the Mosul area since the operation began, said the battle would be tough but argued the Islamist militants had also been severely weakened since October.

"They lost a lot of fighters, a lot of resources, a lot of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and a lot of weapons during the first half of this battle," he said.

"The city is for all intents and purposes surrounded so they won't be able to resupply or reinforce whatever remains," he explained.

Unlike most of the previous major battles to retake Iraqi cities from IS, the current offensive did not empty Mosul of its population.

The UN and other relief organisations had planned for an unprecedented exodus of up to one million people but so far about 150,000 civilians have been displaced as a result of the Mosul offensive.

The presence of so many residents in west Mosul as IS fights to the death for its last major bastion in Iraq was a concern, however.

"Many families have escaped the horrors of Mosul, but at least 300,000 children remain trapped in the west of the city and now face the prospect of a brutal siege," said Misty Buswell of Save the Children.

"Children have already paid a heavy price during the battles for the east, with civilians so far making up nearly half of all casualties in the conflict," she said.

"In the narrow and densely populated streets of the west, in Mosul's old city, children and their families run an even greater risk of being caught in the crossfire or being hit by bombs."

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Germanys finance minister has warned Theresa May she will not be taken seriously by world leaders if she breaks a G20 agreement by slashing taxes to attract business after Brexit.

The Prime Minister has made clear she is ready to walk away from negotiations if the European Union only offers the UK a punitive trade deal.

Setting out her strategy on Tuesday, she warned that Britain would respond to any attempted punishment for Brexit by changing the basis of its economic model and reducing corporate taxes to attract investment.

But Wolfgang Schauble said Mrs Mays claim that the country will emerge from Brexit as a truly global Britain would be undermined if she followed through on her warning.

She would be breaking an agreement reached by world leaders at 2015s G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey, not to use corporate taxes to compete with other countries, he said.

Addressing a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Schauble said: The UK has always agreed and the G20 summit in Antalya said we will not use taxation (of) companies as a matter of instrument for competition, that has been agreed.

And if we want to be taken serious we have to stick to what we have agreed.

He went on: I got Prime Minister May saying the UK will be a truly global economy.

That has been agreed not in the EU, it has been agreed in the global forum of the G20 in Antalya, and therefore a truly global economy has to stick to what has been agreed globally, otherwise there will be a contradiction.

And you can always count on the UK.

Earlier German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the fact that London had accepted that free movement of EU citizens was not something it could opt out of without losing other EU rights.

There cannot be any cherry picking by Britain in Brexit negotiations, she told an economic conference, adding that access to the blocs single market was ultimately linked to accepting the EUs four freedoms  of movement of goods, capital, people and services.

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

Speaking during a joint news conference with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Ms Merkel said: The speech made by British Prime Minister Theresa May has given us a clear impression of how Great Britain wants to proceed.

The main thing is that Europe does not let itself be divided and we will make sure of that via very intensive dialogue.

Mr Gentiloni said the EU was ready to discuss the issue with the correct approach, which is in solidarity and friendship with the UK.

A spokesman for the German finance ministry said Londons vision for implementing Brexit could prove to be pretty complicated given that Britain would have no EU passport to conduct financial transactions once it left the bloc.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he feared the two-year negotiation period, which will begin when Britain launches Article 50 of the EUs Lisbon Treaty, may not be enough.

Everybody needs to think through the timetable for these negotiations because in practice we have actually not more than perhaps one-and-a-half years, perhaps a little bit more, he told reporters in Davos.

Autumn 2018, that is a very, very short time for these complex negotiations, so I think that the UK ... is a bit optimistic (on the) timetable.

While European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said EU negotiators were not in a hostile mood toward Britain, Slovakias Prime Minister said the EU had to ensure London did not win a deal that would be to the detriment of the remaining 27 members.

I am convinced that in no case will a future agreement be more favourable for Great Britain than current membership in the EU, Robert Fico told a news conference.

Negotiations over Brexit will be very tough and painful and it would be wrong if (remaining EU members) emerged weaker and Britain stronger.
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The former UK diplomat who wrote Article 50 has said it is perfectly possible Brexit will not happen.

Lord Kerr said the Prime Minister could revoke Article 50 if Britain began to suffer a serious degree of economic damage.

He also said there is a one in three chance Brexit negotiations will end with no deal between the UK and the European Union, resulting in serious economic disruption and a degree of legal chaos.

 David Davis: 'Parliament will have a say at every stage' of Brexit negotiation

The former diplomat, who negotiated European deals for both Margaret Thatcher and John Major, made the comments as he considered a number of possible outcomes for the UK following the vote to leave in 2016.

He said it was perfectly possible Theresa May could revoke Article 50 if we were beginning to suffer a degree of economic damage by the end of 2018, Buzzfeed reports.

He also said there was around a 10 per cent chance panic over the Brexit vote and other populist movements in France and the Netherlands could encourage a reform within the EU, which could persuade the UK to remain.

One scenario is that Europe has changed by 2019, Lord Kerr said.

Maybe President Le Pen is demanding a new European model, maybe Brussels is in full retreat, then we could declare victory and stay  but the probability of that is very, very low.

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

During a lecture at Glasgow University, he told how he is pretty confident the UKs exit will not result in the break-up of the EU.

He warned that the financial negotiations about leaving would be very nasty.

Lord Kerr said: Article 50 is not about trade, it is about divorce. It's about paying the bills, dividing the property. The money negotiation is going to be a very nasty negotiation.

Going on to outline some of the possible outcomes from Brexit, Lord Kerr said there was about a 25 per cent probability the UK will leave Europe in 2019 with an agreed Article 50 financial settlement, a substantive framework setting out future relationships and a degree of progress on the trade negotiations Mrs May says she wants.

There is about the same chance the UK will leave in 2019 but with only a thin framework and not much progress made on trade, he said.

Another scenario is that Brexit talks could go into extra-time, with an extension agreed to the two-year period for Article 50 negotiations. Lord Kerr said: The probability is very low, probably about 10 per cent.

Another outcome he mooted was no deal at all with Britain and the EU in a deadlock on money and forced to go to the courts to try to resolve the situation.

This would mean we leave anyway, he said, adding: As Article 50 says, if there is no agreement and no extension, the departing country departs.

So, out we go into serious economic disruption and a degree of legal chaos.

He also warned that talks with the dozens of nations the EU has trade agreements with would not be able to take place until the Brexit process has been completed, telling the audience: We can expect, I'm afraid, a decade of delay and disruption with investment, economic growth and employment lower than they would have been.

Additional reporting by Press Association
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A key ally of Jeremy Corbyn has become the first Shadow Cabinet member to say he may refuse to vote to start Brexit.

Recommended Corbyn says he will tell Labour MPs to vote to start Brexit

Clive Lewis, the Shadow Business Secretary, said Labour should be demanding assurances and guarantees before backing the triggering of the Article 50 exit clause.

And he suggested other Labour MPs were yet to make up their minds, saying: I think that will be critical to many people when they come to make their decision on this vote.

The comments put Mr Lewis in potential conflict with Mr Corbyn, after the Labour leader said  for the first time  that his MPs will be told to vote for Article 50.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Corbyn said: Ive made it very clear the Labour Party accepts and respects the decision of the British people. We will not block Article 50.

But, asked if that meant a three-line whip to force Labour MPs into line, Mr Corbyn replied: It means Labour MPs will be asked to vote in that direction next week or whenever the vote comes up.

The reply suggested any rebels will escape punishment  as three frontbenchers did in an earlier vote on Article 50, last month.

About five Labour MPs have said publicly they will vote against Article 50 and four Shadow Cabinet members are rumoured to be considering revolt.

Mr Lewis spoke, to the Eastern Daily Press, before Mr Corbyn gave his interview, but is understood to be standing by his comments.

The Norwich South MP said: It is safe to say that I am deeply concerned at the direction that Theresa May and the Conservative Government is taking these negotiations, and the developments that are taking place.

I dont think what is currently on the table, given the irreversibility of Article 50, means that signing Article 50 under these conditions is in the best interests of people in Norwich or the country.

However, it is the job of the opposition to see what we can get between now and 31 March in terms of assurances and guarantees and I think that will be critical to many people when they come to make their decision on this vote.

The issue of whether Article 50 can be halted is fiercely contested  but many lawyers have argued it could be, with political will.

One Labour backbencher stated her determination to vote against Article 50 unless the Prime Minister gives voters a chance to think again about Brexit.

Helen Hayes, the MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, in London, tweeted: My position on #Article50 is clear: I will vote against triggering it without a 2nd referendum on detail of Brexit deal or general election.

But Dominic Raab, a senior Conservative MP, said: Its unbelievable that members of Jeremy Corbyns top team are now plotting to vote to ignore the result if they get the chance.

Labour is too divided and incompetent even to agree to respect the decision people have already made.

Until now, Labour had said only that it would not block the legislation, leaving open the possibility that it would abstain the Commons vote.
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One of the most senior figures in the European Commission has warned that Brexit will be damaging for both the EU and Britain.

Pierre Moscovici said forecasts in both Europe and the UK predicted as much, but that a deal could be struck that would re-invent the relationship with the UK.

He was speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos where International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde also warned that Brexit will not be without "pain".

Recommended Royal Mail letter volumes hit by Brexit uncertainty

Mr Moscovici said: "Im convinced that [Brexit] is not an example to follow, that it is not positive, neither for us, neither for the UK.

"When I presented as European Commissioner for Economics the forecasts for 2017, the growth of the UK might be, or is to be, divided by two, from two to one per cent."

Speaking to the BBC he added: "[UK Chancellor Philip Hammonds] forecasts showed that there would be, as he said ups and downs."

In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF said it now expects the UK economy to grow by 1.5 per cent this year, marking a 0.4 per cent upward revision to forecasts made in October.

But it downgraded its UK forecasts for 2018 by 0.3 per cent, with GDP growth for 2018 now expected to come in at 1.4 per cent.

 Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn clash on free trade after Brexit

The "extraordinary" response by the Bank of England and the "quite remarkable" behaviour by British consumers who have continued to spend, had helped the economy defy the gloomy forecasts, including the IMFs.

Former French trade minister Ms Lagarde said as the summit opened: "Once uncertainty clears, if people feel that their ability to set up shop in the UK and operate throughout the geographical area that is the European Union is not working as well as it did, the investment decision will change.

"In the same vein, if exports are subject to significant tariffs, restrictions and so on and so forth, the ability of the UK to activate that trade engine is going to be reduced.

"So while we have upgraded our forecasts for 2017, we have downgraded for 2018 ... We are still of the view that it will not be positive all along and without pain."
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Theresa May hailed Britain as a hub for foreign investment  even as leading banks said they are poised to shift thousands of jobs away because of Brexit.

Speaking to world leaders and corporate chiefs in Switzerland, the Prime Minister insisted that Britain remains open for business despite leaving the EU.

The UK was not turning its back on the world, but seeking out new trading partners and allies around the globe  while maintaining close ties with European neighbours.

Ms May told the World Economic Forum in Davos she would make the case for free markets, free trade and globalisation, while responding to peoples concerns about the impact.

And she said: We are by instinct a great, global, trading nation that seeks to trade with countries not just in Europe but beyond Europe too.

A Global Britain is no less British because we are a hub for foreign investment. Indeed, our biggest manufacturer, Tata, is Indian  and you still cant get more British than a Jaguar or a Land Rover.

But the speech was delivered against the backdrop of a business backlash against Ms Mays speech this week, which was widely seen as threatening a hard Brexit.

One leading bank, HSBC, indicated that it plans to move 1,000 jobs from the bank's London business to Paris in direct response to EU withdrawal.

Barclays is looking to route activities through Ireland and Germany, while Switzerland's UBS is preparing to move posts from the UK to the continent.

Furthermore  in the starkest warning issued yet  leading carmaker Toyota said it was working out how it could survive Brexit.

Its chairman, Takeshi Uchiyamada, told the Financial Times: We have seen the direction of the Prime Minister of the UK, we are now going to consider, together with the suppliers, how our company can survive.

Ms Mays use of the phrase Global Britain could be seen as a retort to a German newspaper which carried the front-page headline Little Britain, after her Brexit speech.

But, in Davos, the Prime Minister  despite backing Remain  turned full circle by praising voters for having the courage to vote to leave the EU.

She acknowledged the road ahead will be uncertain at times, but said it promised a brighter future for our countrys children, and grandchildren too.

So, while it would have been easy for the British people to shy away from taking such a path, they fixed their eyes on that brighter future and chose a bold, ambitious course instead, the Prime Minister said.

It was simply a vote to restore, as we see it, our parliamentary democracy and national self-determination. A vote to take control and make decisions for ourselves.

And  crucially  to become even more global and internationalist in action and in spirit too.

Ms May also made the contentious claim that the Brexit vote was not a decision to become more distant from the EU.

Our decision to leave the EU was no rejection of our friends in Europeit was no attempt to become more distant from them, she insisted.
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Jeremy Corbyn has failed to act on the Northern Ireland political crisis because he is worried allegations will resurface that he supports militant Republicanism, a leading politician has said.

Power-sharing collapsed at Stormont earlier this week after more than a decade of cooperation and joint rule between nationalist and unionist politicians. Naomi Long, who is leader of the anti-sectarianism Alliance Party, told The Independent that both the Conservatives and Labour were failing to recognise the gravity of the situation.

The Labour leader has long been accused of harbouring Republican sympathies, having attended and given speeches at an official commemoration in 1988 to honour dead IRA terrorists during the Troubles, also referring to their imprisoned members as prisoners of war.

Mr Corbyn has previously denied having any connections to or political sympathy for the group.

Ms Long said Mr Corbyn was not doing enough to address the political crisis in Northern Ireland, saying it could be partly due to fear that his links to Republicanism will resurface and spark new criticism.

She told The Independent: I think there is a reluctance for him to engage [in the present Northern Irish political crisis] because of the line he has taken in the past.

She added that constant reshuffles of Mr Corbyns cabinet meant that there have been four Shadow Northern Ireland Secretaries under the Labour leader, which undermined relationships between the party and Northern Irish politicians due to loss of institutional knowledge and personal links.

She said: I think were on to our fourth secretary of state from Labour. People like Vernon Coaker and Ivan Lewis, had a good working relationship with the local parties and a good understanding of what is going on. But we have this constant flux within Labour.

Ms Long also expressed concern that continued in-fighting in Labour related to Mr Corbyns electability meant the party had become inward looking, at the expense of wider issues, such as the Northern Ireland crisis.

She said: They are very much focused on Labours problems at the moment. They are very distracted in terms of whats going on in Northern Ireland.

Stormonts executive collapsed on Monday after Sinn Fein pulled out of power-sharing with the Democratic Unionist Party.

Martin McGuinness resigned as Deputy First Minister, citing concerns at what he called the DUPs arrogance over how the partys leader had dealt with claims of financial mismanagement. Arlene Foster, Northern Irelands First Minister, is accused of mishandling a government renewable heat scheme which has cost the tax payer 490m. She has refused to step down over the scandal, prompting Mr McGuinness to resign in protest.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 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with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, 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Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. 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Under power-sharing rules his resignation meant Ms Foster also lost her post as both must govern jointly at all times in order for the other to retain their position.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire has announced a snap election will now take place on 2 March, in the hope of electing a new government that will return to power-sharing.

The Independent has approached Jeremy Corbyn for comment.
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Labour MPs will be told to vote for a Bill to start Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn has said for the first time.

The Labour leader confirmed he would expect his MPs to back Theresa May when she triggers Article 50 and starts the two-year exit process.

However, Mr Corbyn said Labour MPs would only be asked  rather than strongly whipped  to do so, suggesting any rebels will escape punishment.

About five have said publicly they will vote against Article 50 and four Shadow Cabinet members are rumoured to be considering revolt.

Until now, Labour had said only that it would not block the legislation, leaving open the possibility that it would abstain in the Commons vote.

But Mr Corbyn, speaking to Sky News, said: Its very clear, the referendum made a decision that Britain is to leave the European Union.

It wasnt to destroy jobs or living standards or communities, but it was to leave the European Union and have a different relationship in the future.

Ive made it very clear, the Labour Party accepts and respects the decision of the British people. We will not block Article 50.

 Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn clash on free trade after Brexit

Asked if that meant a three-line whip to force Labour MPs into line, Mr Corbyn replied: It means Labour MPs will be asked to vote in that direction next week or whenever the vote comes up.

The stance was immediately condemned by Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, who accused Labour of helping the Conservatives take us out of Europe.

He said: Labours claim to be the official Opposition must break the Trade Descriptions Act.

Not only did Jeremy Corbyn fail to campaign against Brexit in the referendum, he is now actively helping Liam Fox, Boris Johnson and David Davis to pull Britain out of the Single Market at a huge cost to jobs and prosperity.

Last month, 23 Labour MPs defied Mr Corbyn in a vote to force Ms May to reveal her Brexit plans, because it also meant support for triggering Article 50.

Three  Tulip Siddiq, Catherine West and Daniel Zeichner  are frontbenchers, who were allowed to keep their jobs.

The next vote is likely to be on hastily-drawn up legislation  rather than a simple motion  in line with an expected Supreme Court ruling against the Government next Tuesday.
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Theresa May must explain the disgraceful fivefold rise in EU citizens being held in immigration detention centres since the Conservatives came to power, MPs have said.

Between 2009 and 2015, the number of EU nationals detained under immigration powers leapt from 768 to 3,699  in many cases for months at a time, where no crime had been committed.

Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats, told The Independent the UK was alone in western Europe in detaining people indefinitely for immigration purposes.

Recommended Fivefold rise in number of EU citizens held in UK detention centres

[In her Brexit speech] Theresa May talked about Europe being our closest friends and allies  if this is how our Government treats our friends then we should be very worried, he said.

Detention for administrative purposes, when no crime has been committed, fundamentally goes against the democratic foundations of our society, he said.

In 2009, 2.7 per cent of all immigration detainees were EU nationals, while in 2015, this had risen to 11.4 per cent. The detention of EU citizens has continued to shoot up, with 1,227 detained in the third quarter of 2016  17 per cent of the total number recorded in that period.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called on Ms May to explain why so many people who are allowed to be in the UK under their EU treaty rights were being held.

Immigration detention is only supposed to be used in the most serious immigration enforcement cases, not as a casual alternative to the normal processes of the criminal justice system, she said. The Government needs to explain urgently why on earth there has been such a big increase in detention of EU citizens in just a few years.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

The Prime Minister has been accused of deliberately trying to spread anxiety among people from EU countries living in the UK, in an effort to deter others from moving to Britain.

Since 2010, when Ms May became Home Secretary, the number of EU nationals expelled from Britain has risen by 256 per cent. Removing some people is also telling other people that their status is insecure. It functions to spread anxiety, immigration lawyer Adrian Berry told The Independent.

Scottish National Party MP Paul Monaghan called the rise disgraceful and said the use of immigration powers to detain people indefinitely was completely inappropriate.

If somebody has committed a crime, they should be dealt with by the criminal justice system in the country that they allegedly committed the crime in, Mr Monaghan said. Its completely inappropriate for the immigration process to be used as some kind of disposal for the criminal justice sector.

A Home Office spokesperson said new regulations had recently been introduced enabling us to deport EU nationals who repeatedly commit so-called minor offences  crimes which nonetheless cause deep pain to the victims and affect communities.

Our deportation action is taken in accordance with UK and EU laws, they added, stating that EU citizens may remain in the UK for three months provided they do not become a burden on the social assistance system of the UK or abuse their rights.

But John Hopgood, policy and research manager of the charity Bail for Immigration Detainees, said he had worked with an increasing number of EU nationals being detained and facing removal from the UK over pretty much nothing.

People have been detained for reasons such as losing their ID card or having a birthday party in a park, he said, adding: From what weve seen, were not treating EU nationals fairly at the moment, let alone whats going to happen after we leave the EU.

Labour MP Diane Abbott, who spoke at BIDs annual meeting on Tuesday evening, said it was clear the rise was a product of Government policy, as dramatic changes like this dont happen willy-nilly.

The policy was spearheaded under the current Prime Minister, who as we know is much more interested in removing foreigners than she is in adopting policies which support our prosperity, she said.

Whether officially or unofficially it is clear that there is a new, harsher regime in the treatment of asylum seekers and migrants. In relation to one aspect of the regime  the removals of detainees, the regime is even harsher for EU nationals  a startling development.

Caroline Lucas, co-leader of the Green Party, said the figures were deeply concerning and Ms Mays actions did not match her claims that EU nationals living here were welcome.

I am sure that this revelation will add to the deep sense of unease among EU nationals  who still have not been guaranteed a right to remain in the UK, she said.
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Senegalese troops have entered The Gambia, an army spokesman said, moments after the UN Security Council voted unanimously to back the right of election winner Adama Barrow to take power.

Mr Barrow was sworn in as President in exile on Thursday afternoon, in the countrys embassy in neighbouring Senegal, while incumbent Yahya Jammeh continues to cling on to power.

The Security Council resolution invited the formidable west African regional bloc to ensure Mr Barrows election victory was respected, but a last-minute amendment urged the use of political means first.

Yet minutes after the resolution had passed, Senegalese Colonel Abdou Ndiaye issued a brief statement to news agencies declaring: We have entered Gambia.

A delegation of West African leaders  including the the presidents of Liberia, Mauritania and Guinea  are due to arrive in Gambia on Friday as part of a mediation mission, Gambian state television announced.

Mr Barrows inauguration ceremony was held in a small conference room at the Dakar embassy, and attended by dignitaries including the President of the Commission from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).

The bloc had threatened to invade The Gambia and forcefully eject Mr Jammeh if he did not step aside peacefully, giving a deadline of midnight on Wednesday. Nigerian gunboats and Senegalese troops assembled on the Gambian border.

Introducing the new President Barrow on Thursday afternoon, an official declared that after 22 years of a gruelling dictatorship, the Gambian people have opted for change.

Mr Barrow addressed the audience of delegates, saying: This is victory of the Gambian nation. Our national flag will now fly high among the other democratic nations of the world.

"This is a day no Gambian will ever forget.

The hastily-arranged ceremony was also an opportunity for the international community to express support for Mr Barrow, their chosen candidate. An Ecowas official said: The Ecowas Commission, African Union and United Nations congratulate his excellency Adama Barrow, President of the republic of The Gambia, as he is sworn in following his victory at the presidential election on 1 December 2016.

The Ecowas Commision, AU and UN equally congratulate the people of The Gambia who have demonstrated patience, discipline, maturity and resolve to express their popular will at the election and during the post-election crisis.

President Yahya Jammeh has said only God can remove him from his post (Getty) (Getty Images)

Mr Barrow convincingly won the December election, appearing to bring an end to the more than two decades-long rule of Mr Jammeh, who came to power in a coup in 1994.

Mr Jammeh initially conceded defeat, sparking celebrations across west Africa. But he then changed his mind and said he would not accept the results, saying the election was marred by irregularities.

Botswana announced it no longer recognised Mr Jammeh as The Gambias President. It said his refusal to give up power undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance in The Gambia and in Africa in general.

The streets of Banjul, the Gambian capital, were quiet on Thursday, according to reporters who remained in the city, with few cars and scattered groups of men gathered on roadsides. Shops were closed and petrol was in short supply.

Most tourists and thousands of Gambians have fled the country, including some former cabinet members who resigned in recent days.

Among them were thousands of British holiday-makers, who described a chaotic scramble to get on flights out of Africa upon their arrival back in the UK.

Boris Johnson, the British Foreign Secretary, was among the international voices calling for Mr Jammeh to respect the result of the election.

Mr Johnson said: It is vital that former president Jammeh now stands aside to allow an orderly transition.

He praised African organisations which are working to ensure the democratic wishes of the Gambian people will be respected, stating that the 1 December elections had been free and fair.
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American forces have bombed two Isis camps in Libya where militants were plotting new terror attacks on Europe.

Ashton Carter, the outgoing US defence secretary, said initial estimates suggested more than 80 fighters were killed.

They were external plotters who were actively planning operations against our allies in Europe, he said.

They may also have been connected with some attacks that have already occurred.

 Libya: Government forces block ISIL at Sirte coastline

Mr Carter, speaking in his last press briefing before Donald Trumps inauguration, said: These were critically important strikes in our campaign and to destroy Isis not just in Iraq and Syria, but wherever it emerges."

He said he was confident that his successor would continue American efforts to deliver Isil (Isis) the lasting defeat it deserves.

More than 100 munitions were dropped by two US B-2 stealth bombers that were flown all the way from a base in Missouri for the mission.

Journalists were shown surveillance footage from the air of Isis fighters on the ground, moving shells and rockets between vehicles covered in desert camouflage.

Peter Cook, the Pentagon press secretary, said the operation was carried out around 25 miles southwest of the groups former stronghold of Sirte on Wednesday night.

Militants had gathered there after fleeing the US-backed assault that drove them out of the coastal city in order to reorganise, he added.

They posed a security threat to Libya, the region, and US national interests, Mr Cook said.

The US has been backing militias fighting to push Isis back in Libya (Reuters)

While we are still evaluating the results of the strikes, the initial assessment indicates they were successful.

We are committed to maintaining pressure on Isil (Isis) and preventing them from establishing safe haven.

The mission was authorised directly by Barack Obama in his last days as President, having given military support to Libyan militas effort to retake Sirte last year.

His successor has been unclear on his position over Libya, hitting out at Americas support for British and French-led efforts to oust Muammar Gaddafi.

We would be so much better off if Gaddafi would be in charge right now, Donald Trump said on the campaign trail last year.

But in 2011 he claimed he would have authorised strikes to knock this guy out very quicklyto save lives.

The US carried out several rounds of air strikes targeting Isis in Libya since receiving a request from the country last year.

Two Serbian embassy employees being held hostage by the militants were killed by an American bombing raid near Sabratha in February.

In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte Isis fighters parade through in Sirte in 2015 In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte Islamic State (IS) group jihadists on the outskirts of Libya's western city of Sirte AFP/Getty In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte A photo of a billboard in Sirte, Libya, listing seven rules for women's clothing, saying they must be loose-fitting and undecorated HRW/social media In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte Isis militants process down a street in the coastal city of Sirte in Libya this week; the group has heralded Libya as its strategic gateway to attack Europe AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte An Isis lecture on Sharia at the Ouagadougou complex in Sirte, Libya, in 2016. HRW/social media In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte A sign reading "The city of Sirte, under the shadow of Sharia" as smoke rises in the background while forces aligned with Libya's new unity government advance on the eastern and southern outskirts of the Islamic State stronghold of Sirte on 9 June. Reuters In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte Fighters loyal to Libya's GNA prepare to launch attacks against Isis as they continue their resistance on the outskirts of the western city of Sirte Getty In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed unity government are seen during clashes with jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) on the western outskirts of Sirte on June 2, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed unity government fire during clashes with Isis around 14 miles west of Sirte on June 2, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Libya

Isis Libyan branch was formed in 2014 by local militants who pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, later being bolstered by leading Iraqi and Saudi members of the terrorist group.

The country has since been used as a training ground for Isis militants and terror attackers, with areas along its coastline including the city of Sirte temporarily taken under the groups control in 2015.

Recommended Government continues support for Libyan coastguard despite attacks

An engineer who fled the city told The Independent how jihadis had arrived masked in a convoy of cars before seizing control and imposing the groups bloody interpretation of Sharia law.

They kill people and then they hang their bodies up in the streets so people can see them, as a lesson to others. The shut everything down, Yahia bin Yahia said. I couldnt stay there.

Libya has been in a state of conflict and lawlessness since Gaddafi was killed in the 2011 civil war, with the fragile new Government of National Accord struggling to exert control over swathes of the country still controlled by a plethora of warring militias.

If the Libyans could settle their internal differences they would make quick work of Isis, Mr Carter said.

As long as the conditions of civil war are there, the Libyans dont have any unity. For now, under these conditions, our help is invaluable and we are providing it.

The defence secretary also said that Isis days were numbered in Mosul, where the US and UK are backing advancing Iraqi forces, as allies also work to isolate the groups de-facto capital of Raqqa in Syria.

Libyas conflict has also fuelled the refugee crisis, allowing thousands of migrants to be imprisoned, tortured and forced into labour or prostitution before being put on unseaworthy boats over the Mediterranean Sea.

It has also continued to destabilise northern and western Africa, allowing the free flow of weapons to rebels and extremists in countries including Mali and Sudan.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he believed Russian-backed peace talks in Kazakhstan aimed to produce local "reconciliation" agreements with rebel groups whereby they would give up their weapons and receive a government pardon.

Assad said in an interview with a Japanese TV station that it was unclear if the talks in Astana scheduled for next week would yield a political dialogue, "because it is not clear who will participate". He hoped the conference would be a platform to discuss "everything" with rebel groups, he said.

Local reconciliation agreements are the government's preferred method for pacifying rebellious areas. They amount to the effective surrender of rebels in a particular area, typically after years of government siege and bombardment.

Russia set the new diplomatic process in motion after its air force helped the Syrian government and allied Iran-backed militia to defeat rebels in the eastern areas of the city of Aleppo last month, the opposition's biggest defeat of the war.

"So far, we believe that Astana will be about talks with terrorist groups over a ceasefire" that would allow them to reach reconciliation deals, Assad said in the interview, excerpts of which were published on Twitter by the presidency.

Russia, Assad's most powerful ally, has played a leading role in organising the Astana talks with help from Iran and Turkey, which backs the opposition but has switched its priorities to fighting Kurdish groups and Islamic State.

A number of Turkey-backed rebel groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner have agreed to attend the talks in Astana. The rebels say the talks must focus on shoring up a ceasefire that was brokered by Russia and Turkey last month.

The rebels accuse the government of violating the ceasefire on many frontlines, including the Wadi Barada area near Damascus where government forces and Lebanon's Hezbollah are waging a campaign to capture the capital's main water source. Assad has also accused rebels of violating the deal.

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So help me God. When Donald John Trump utters those words on Friday, the Chief Justice of the United States, John Roberts, offers his warm congratulations and the band strikes up the first bars of Hail To The Chief, he will become the 45th President of the United States. It will be interesting to see how quickly he will fire of his first presidential tweet, hopefully not rubbishing the historic and solemn ceremony he has just taken part in. True to form, though, President-elect Trumps inauguration is already proving one of the most divisive and controversial in American history. He certainly has a lot to live up to  so here we helpfully offer him a few tips for success.

Get yourself a good speechwriter

Like Shakespearean plays, presidential inaugural addresses have given the language some of its most ringing phrases. Mr Trumps speechwriter and current director of policy, Stephen Miller, will have had as strong influence on what Mr Trump chooses to tell the nation. Mr Miller composed Mr Trumps speech to the Republican Convention and, if it runs along those sorts of lines, it will be rather long and contain more or less explicit references to some of the themes that Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan used in their campaigns  such as the silent majority or make American great again. He may even echo President Reagans quip from 1980 that in this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. If he wanted more inspiration he has much to choose form. John F Kennedys speech contained the most stirring rhetoric ever issued form the steps of the Capitol, and well worth quoting:

John F Kennedy made a memorable speech at his inauguration in 1961 (Getty/Bettmann Archive) (Getty)

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you  ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Kennedys skilled use of the two-part contrast, a classical rhetorical device, helped those lines (though not the less quoted second one) become endlessly quoted and plagiarised. That wasnt all, though: Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans  born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage  and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. As the oldest President to take the oath, Mr Trump probably couldnt lift that paragraph. Nor is he likely to beat the most useful quote from an initial speech, Franklin D Roosevelts ringing cry to restore business and consumer confidence in Depression-era America: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

But dont copy too closely

Melania Trump was widely accused of plagiarising Michelle Obamas speeches, and that will be a lesson learned for the Trump team. Nor would he wish to repeat the experience of the newly installed President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, whose remarks bore a curious resemblance to those that fell from the lips of Bill Clinton in 1993. See what you think:

Bill Clintons speech in 1993 may have inspired the words of other leaders more recently (Getty) (Getty Images)

Clinton: Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. And Americans have ever been a restless, questing, hopeful people. We must bring to our task today the vision and will of those who come before us.

Akufo-Addo: Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. Ghanaians have been a restless, questing, hopeful people. And we must bring to our task today the vision and will of those who came before us.

What are the chances, eh?

Wrap up warm

Though not conclusively proven, the short presidency of William Henry Harrison was matched by the length of his speech  about an hour and three quarters and 8,500 words (over)long. On the bitterly cold and damp day President Harrison dispensed with hat and coat, caught a chill that turned into pneumonia and did for him. He was the third oldest man to take the oath (after Trump and Reagan), and served for just one month in 1841.In 1985 Ronald Reagan thought better of the 14C cold and took the oath indoors instead. After the resignation of President Nixon in 1974, Vice President Ford took the oath in a low-key ceremony at the White House.

More tragically, Lyndon Johnson became President aboard Air Force One, on his return from the assassination of Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Vice President Johnson asked federal district judge, Sarah T Hughes, to swear him in, and used an order-of-service for a mass rather than the traditional bible, as that was all there was to hand. Barack Obama held the bible used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861; the militantly secular John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, swore on a book of US laws rather than a religious tome; and Theodore Roosevelt, like Johnson taking office hurriedly after the assassination of President McKinley, did without a prop altogether.

Barack Obama rests his hand on the bible that President Lincoln used for his swear-in (Rex)

Practice that famous oath

Otherwise some pedant will go around saying that youre not a legitimate president. Barack Obamas first swearing-in in 2012 was badly botched. Chief Justice Roberts, at his first gig, told Mr Obama to repeat the line, I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully, rather than I will faithfully execute When asked if he would take the pledge again, Obama replied that he would : Were going to do it really slowly, which they did, in a private session. So maybe practice those 35 legendary words (the last four  so help me god  supposedly ad libbed by George Washington).

Make sure the music doesnt die

President Ulysses S Grant thought it would be kinda neat to recruit 100 canaries to be suspended in cages tweeting (in the traditional sense) above the heads of the guests at the inaugural ball, being held in a tent. So cold was it, however, that the canaries dropped off their perches. No humans were hurt, however.

Chief Justice Earl Warren (left) swears in President Richard Nixon in 1969 (Getty)

Invite some folk along

President-elect Trump, obviously, has promised his inauguration will have unbelievable, perhaps record-breaking turnout. Depends on how many forgotten Americans remember to turn up, but the figure is most likely to be about half of the 1.8 million or so who went to see Americas first black President in 2008 (and the first, four years later, to use the word gay in an inaugural address  another symbolic moment). Mr Trump made explicit reference to Americas LGBT community in his Republican nomination acceptance speech last year, and may well do so again.

Ronald Reagan sensibly took his oath indoors in 1981 (Getty) (Getty Images)

Book some talent

The list of performers who have refused President-elect Trumps invitation to do a turn for his big day reads like a showbiz whos who: Elton John, Celine Dion, Garth Brooks, Kiss, Moby, Andrea Bocelli, Rebecca Ferguson and Charlotte Church have all declined, more or less politely. Had they agreed, they might have eclipsed the acts at Barack Obamas his first inauguration concert: Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen and Aretha Franklin performed. Bill Clinton had Fleetwood Mac perform their/his campaign song Dont Stop, Richard Nixon treated his guests to James Brown and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Presidents Truman and Eisenhower persuaded Abbott and Costello to do their shtick, and George HW Bush invited Barbra Streisand to take the stage. Thus far Mr Trump will be the biggest star at his own event. He is planning a Voices of the People concert, and the DC Fire Department Emerald Society Pipes and Drums, Kings Academy Honor Choir, the Republican Hindu Coalition and 3 Doors Down are confirmed.

So help me god, indeed.
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A demonstrator attempted to set himself on fire outside the Trump International Hotel in Washington DC in protest at the President-elect before his inauguration on Friday.

Police and fire crews in the US capital responded to reports of a man on fire on Tuesday evening outside the hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, a few blocks from the White House.

The incident happened 24 hours before Donald Trump made a visit to the same hotel.

Unconfirmed reports said the protester shouted Trump several times before using a lighter to start the small blaze.

The Trump International Hotel in Washington DC; the President-elect was at the hotel for dinner two days before inauguration (Getty)

The 45-year-old, from California, suffered burns and was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

I was trying to light myself on fire as an act of protest. Protesting the fact that we have elected somebody who is completely incapable of respecting the constitution of the United States, he told NBC News.

It is not clear if he intended to set himself alight or was burned in the process of starting the fire.

The DC police department notified the Secret Service although the incoming president was not thought to be in Washington at the time.

A spokesman for the citys fire department said: We did arrive and did find a male adult with burns and we transported that patient to an area hospital with potential but not life-threatening burns.

Security has been ramped up in Washington DC in the run up to Mr Trumps inauguration.

On Wednesday evening the President-elect made a surprise visit to his Washington hotel, arriving with a lengthy motorcade for dinner at around 9.30pm.

Mr Trump will return to Washington for good on Thursday but will, as per tradition, stay at Blair House  the president's guest house  the night before his inauguration.

During his election campaign Mr Trump made regular unannounced visits to the hotel to check on its construction.
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President Barack Obama pushed back against President-elect Donald Trumps proposal to lift sanctions against Russia in exchange for a nuclear arms reduction deal, insisting the sanctions should remain connected to why they were implemented in the first place.

The reason we oppose the recall was not because of nuclear issues. It was because the independence and sovereignty of a country, Ukraine, had been encroached upon by force by Russia, Mr Obama told reporters at his final presidential press conference.

I think it will probably best serve not only American interests but also the interests of preserving international norms, he added, if we made sure that we dont confuse why these sanctions have been imposed with a whole set of other issues.

Mr Trump said that he would possibly work on a deal with the Russian government to lift sanctions imposed in 2014 following the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine.

They have sanctions on Russia  lets see if we can make some good deals with Russia, Mr Trump told the London Times earlier this week. For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, thats part of it.

President Obama signed the 2010 New START treaty negotiated with Russia, agreeing to limit the number of strategic, long-range nuclear weapons the countries can deploy.

Russian military activity in Crimea Show all 11 1 /11 Russian military activity in Crimea Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian13-ap_1.jpg AP Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian9-ap.jpg AP Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian12-ap.jpg AP Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian11-rtp.jpg Reuters Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian10-afpgt.jpg AFP/Getty Images Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian7-rt.jpg Reuters Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian6-afpgt.jpg AFP/Getty Images Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian8-rt_1.jpg Reuters Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian-navy1-rt.jpg Reuters Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian4-ap_1.jpg AP Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian3-ap.jpg AP

According to the US State Department, the US has 1,367 nuclear warheads on deployed missiles and bombers; Russia has 1,796.

Mr Trump suggested that he would work to reduce negotiating a new nuclear arms agreement with the nation, offering the recall as an incentive.

Russias hurting very badly right now because of sanctions, he said, but I think something can happen that a lot of people are going to benefit.

Precisely who is going to benefit from the recall of sanctions has been the focus of criticism of the incoming administration.

Secretary of State nominee and former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson brokered deals with the Russian oil conglomerate Rosneft, which is estimated at $1bn. But Exxon had to suspend operation in Russia as a result of the 2014 sanctions.

Mr Tillerson has come under fire for providing misleading answers about his role in lobbying against the sanctions while running the massive oil company in 2015 and 2016.

I have never lobbied against sanctions personally, Mr Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. To my knowledge, Exxon never directly lobbied against sanctions.

Between 2014 and 2015, according to public documents, Exxon spent some $300,000 on lobbying against the Russian sanctions in Washington.

For his part, Mr Obama said that, as long as Russia continues to occupy Ukrainian territory and meddle in Ukrainian affairs  and support military surrogates who have violated basic international law and international norms, the sanctions will remain.

As soon as [Russia stops] doing that, the sanctions will be removed."
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It was only contained nine words, but its sincerity was all too apparent.

Two days after President Obama announced that he was to commute the sentence of Chelsea Manning, the whistleblower thanked the man who had both sent her to jail, and ensured her release.

Thank you @BarackObama for giving me a chance. =,) she wrote on Twitter.

On Tuesday, the White House announced it was commuting the sentence of Ms Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst had served seven years of a thirty-five year sentence for leaking classified material to Wikileaks.

The 29-year-old, 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.

 Obama tells the press: "America needs you, and our democracy needs you"

Today, 273 individuals learned that the President has given them a second chance, Neil Eggleston, Counsel to the President, wrote when the commutations and pardons were announced.

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.

The decision by Mr Obama to show clemency to someone who had prosecuted for leaking classified material, was welcomed by supporters of Ms Manning, and criticised by many Republicans. Donald Trumps press secretary, Sean Spicer, said that the President-elect was troubled by the move.

Yet at his final news conference, his 165th, Mr Obama defended the decision to commute the sentence of Ms Manning, who sent much her incarceration in solitary confinement, and battling the military authorities to enable her gender reassignment. He made clear, however, that he had not granted her a pardon.

Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence, the outgoing president told reporters.

So the notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital classified information would think that it goes unpunished, I dont think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served.

Mr Obama said that Ms Manning faced trial and took responsibility for her actions in leaking hundreds of thousands of classified materials in 2010.

But he added: The sentence that she received was very disproportionate to what other leakers had received, andshe had serve a significant amount of time that it made sense to commute and not pardon her sentence.
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The Army have said Chelsea Manning will lose her military healthcare benefits following President Barack Obamas decision to free her from prison.

In his final days in office, the outgoing President has issued 64 pardons and 209 commutations, including granting the release of Manning. The transgender US Army private, who was jailed in 2010 after handing thousands of secret documents to WikiLeaks, will now be freed on 17 May instead of her scheduled 2045 release.

A spokeswoman for the Army said Manning, who came out as transgender a day after her 2013 sentencing, would relinquish her entitlement to military transgender benefits.

 Obama uses final news conference to defend Chelsea Manning decision

The army has been providing Manning, who was serving a 35-year military sentence at Fort Leavenworth prison, with treatment for gender dysphoria. This includes hormone treatments.

Manning was also a candidate for gender-reassignment surgery which would have been funded by the Pentagons new policy for transgender troops.

If Pvt Manning is discharged with a dishonorable discharge, she will lose her entitlement to (military) benefits, including gender-transition care at (military) medical treatment facilities, Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith told USA Today on Wednesday.

Smith explained Mannings dishonourable discharge was included in the terms of the sentence imposed on her in 2013.

While the commutation reduces Manning's sentence, it is not a pardon which many campaigners were calling for.

However she did explain that Manning would be able to appeal her discharge determination but said if it was unsuccessful she would be dishonourably discharged from the Army. Smith added that Manning would also be prohibited from receiving Veterans Affairs Department benefits under that status.

In December of last year, a court filing revealed a military doctor treating Manning denied her request to have her female gender reflected in her military records. Manning asked her military medical provider, Dr Ellen Galloway, to recommend the change since she has achieved stability in her female gender but her attorneys said Dr Galloway denied the request.

Manning also filed the lawsuit to seek better medical care for her gender dysphoria, including being allowed to follow female grooming procedures. Gender dysphoria is a condition of potentially severe distress or anxiety that some transgender people endure.

Mr Obama defended his choice to commute Manning's sentence at his final press conference as President on Wednesday, saying she had served a tough prison sentence.

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

[It is] that the sentence that she received was very disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received and that she had served a significant amount of time, that it made sense to commute and not pardon her sentence, Obama added. I feel very comfortable that justice has been served.

Manning, arrested in 2010 as Bradley Manning, was convicted in a military court in 2013 of leaking more than 700,000 secret military and State Department documents to WikiLeaks while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq.

On 22 August 2013, a day after sentencing, Manning's attorney released a press release to the Today Show announcing Manning was a female and asking for her to be referred to by her new name of Chelsea and by feminine pronouns. The request deeply divided the media, with some refusing to refer to her by her new gender.
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A homeless man whose family are believed to have been friends with the Clintons has been arrested by police in Florida, after producing a video in which he threatened to kill President-elect Donald Trump at his inauguration ceremony.

Dominic Puopolo, 51, was detained at a local branch of Subway in Miami and reportedly admitted to officers he had posted the clip on Twitter.

In the video, Mr Puopolo said he intended to assassinate the President-elect using a Wesley Scopes Booth high-powered rifle during Mr Trumps ceremony in Washington DC on Friday. He repeatedly referred to himself as Jesus Christ as his messages became more incoherent.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. 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In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. 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A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. 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. 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Mr Puopolo appeared in court in Miami following his arrest, and his defence lawyer recommended he be given a full psychological evaluation to determine his mental state.

He was charged with threatening to harm a public servant and awaits trial. His bail was set at $1 million, once medical professionals deemed his was stable enough to be released.

According to the Miami Herald, Mr Puopolos mother Sonia, a pro-Democrat activist, was among those killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when American Airlines Flight 11 was flown into the Twin Towers in New York.

The Puopolo family is thought to have been friends with the Clinton family, and former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton reportedly read the eulogy at Mrs Puopolo's funeral.

A photograph from the funeral in 2001 meanwhile appeared to show Mr Puopolo sitting two seats away from Mrs Clinton as they listened to the service.

Following the presidential election in November, the FBI reportedly began to monitor Twitter after users made a series of calls for someone to assassinate Mr Trump before he takes office.
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Bookmakers have reported a flood of money on Donald Trump failing to see out his full term as President ahead of his inauguration.

Odds on the businessman-turned-politician getting impeached or resigning before the end of his term of office have halved with Ladbrokes, which opened its market at 2-1 in the wake of his election. The price has since come in to evens.

Head of political betting Matt Shaddick said 90 per cent of the bets the bookmaker has taken have been on the Republican not seeing out his full term, with just 10 per cent for the alternative, although it is still a shade of odds on.

Paddy Power, which is running a market on the date of a possible impeachment, says its most popular bet is on Trump to be impeached within six months.

The price on that has tumbled to 4-1 from 8-1, while the same to happen within two years is now 10-1 from 20-1.

Trump is also odds-on (2-5) not to seek a second term. The bookie offers 1-3 for a member of The Trump cabinet to quit within a year of taking office.

While a return of 133 from a 100 bet is unlikely to make anyone rich, that price could actually prove to be rather generous for those with the funds to bet big.

 All the artists who have refused to play Trump's inauguration

Punters just love betting on Trump, says Lee Price, the bookies political betting guru.

For political betting hes been an absolute godsend. The most popular bet weve had is for him to be impeached within six months.

Shaddick notes that only one President in history has seen his term called to an early end by either resignation or impeachment  Richard Nixon, who resigned in his second term in 1974 in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

President Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Abraham Lincoln after the latters assassination, survived an impeachment trial in 1868 by a single vote. While a large majority of the Senate at the time (35-19) voted to convict, to be successful his opponents would have needed to secure a two thirds majority.

Working against those putting money on impeachment are the same forces that worked in favour of President Johnson  the arithmetic. A majority of the US House of Representatives must first vote in favour of the charges, a tough ask in the current climate given that it is currently controlled by the Republican Party that Trump leads.

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

After that, two thirds of the Senate have to vote in favour to convict, with the upper house also currently in the control of the Republicans.

Nonetheless, Shaddick told The Independent: It has been completely one way traffic in the betting. Despite the historical record people still think he wont make through until 2020. If theyre right, say hello to President (Mike) Pence.

The former governor of Indiana, who will be inaugurated as Vice-President tomorrow, would assume the Presidency in the wake of Trump stepping down.
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When Donald Trump won the election, House Speaker Paul Ryan and many other Republicans who vowed he would make the party of Abraham Lincoln implode had to quickly decide whether or not to rally around their candidate.

Just two months after Mr Ryan said he could no longer defend the party nominee, Mr Trump will take the oath on Lincolns Bible, the same one used by Barack Obama for both of his ceremonies in 2009 and 2013.

The Lincoln Bible was bought for the inauguration in 1861 by Supreme Court Clerk William Thomas Carroll as the US was on the brink of Civil War. It is bound in velvet, with a gold-washed metal rim along the edges of the covers.

Conservationists told the New York Times they were hoping it would not rain.

If Mr Trump dropped it, or if the Bible was damaged in some way, a library staffer would be standing nearby to whisk it away for repair.

The President-elect will also use his own Bible, which his mother gave him when he graduated Sunday school in 1955.

Mr Trumps Bible has his name embossed on the cover with a message inscribed from church leaders.

The Bible has only been used three times so far  in 1861, 2009 and 2013 (Getty)

The chairman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, Tom Barrack, said: 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.

Once the oath has been taken under the eye of US Chief Justice John Roberts, Lincolns Bible will be returned to the Library of Congress.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence will be sworn in using the Bible of Ronald Reagan by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the first African-American person to administer the oath to a Vice President or President..

Lincolns election was so divisive that they feared he would be attacked, and he was smuggled into the White House while his court clerk was sent out to buy the Holy book, only measuring six by four inches.

Mr Trumps inaugural ceremony, however, is expected to welcome around 800,000 people.
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Since Donald Trumps unlikely victory, the world has been catapulted into a limbo period of speculating about what a Trump presidency will look like.

While you get people who argue the billionaire property developer will tone down his inflammatory campaign rhetoric once in office and should be allowed a grace period, there are others who subscribe to a wholly different school of thought and instead think he must be judged on his rhetoric.

If you are proponent of the second viewpoint and take the President-elect literally, his cornerstone policies look set to be implemented on his very first day in office.

Mr Trump has made a great deal of pledges for his first day. If implemented, the political fabric of America could begin to radically change in just a day as Barack Obama's legacy is rolled back and the Trump team's agenda is brought in.

Here is a selection of some of the promises he said he will start enacting on his first day in the corridors of the White House.

Repeal all of Obama's executive orders

The soon-to-be Vice-President Mike Pence said Mr Trump planned to repeal every single Obama executive order on his first day. To be clear, executive orders are unilateral actions that do not need congressional approval.

In a similar vein, his former transition chair, Chris Christie, told lobbyists in private meetings in Washington in September that the transition team were focused on reviewing administration policies to try and find everything which could be rolled back.

It would technically be possible for Mr Trump to issue a blanket order which repeals every executive order Mr Obama signed on his first day as President.

His spokesman Sean Spicer said on Wednesday that he might impose four or five executive orders on day one.

Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Show all 15 1 /15 Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Kandy Freeman participates in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Hawk Newsome, a Black Lives Matter activist, leads a protest outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Hawk Newsome (C) leads a chant during a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, US. January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower An NYPD officer speaks with a Black Lives Matter leaders during a protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Kandy Freeman participates in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower An NYPD officer speaks with a Black Lives Matter leaders during a protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Carol Garza, a Black Lives Matter supporter, protests outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower A Black Lives Matter supporter protests in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter activists march in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter activists march in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter supporters protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter Kandy Freeman marches in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty

Repeal Obamacare

Mr Trump has frequently touted his plans to repeal Obamacare - the commonly used nickname for The Affordable Care Act. Not only did Mr Pence say that the President-elect would immediately repeal Obamacare, the pledge has also been listed on Mr Trumps actual campaign website.

On day one of the Trump Administration, we will ask Congress to immediately deliver a full repeal of Obamacare, it reads.

Get rid of gun-free zones

Mr Trump claimed gun-free zones acted as bait to a sicko. For this reason, he said he wanted to do away with them immediately.

I will get rid of gun-free zones on schools and on military bases. My first day, it gets signed, OK? My first day. There's no more gun-free zones.

According to The Atlantic, repealing gun-free zones would require Congressional approval so an executive order is wholly unworkable.

Mexican wall

Mr Trump has said he will start building a border between Mexico and the US immediately.

On day one, we will begin working on an impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful southern border wall, Mr Trump said during a speech on immigration in Phoenix in September.

Deporting undocumented migrants

In September, Mr Trump said he would waste no time in deporting two million migrants with alleged criminal records.

We will begin moving them out, day one. My first hour in office, those people are gone, he said.

Make America Great Again

This might sound like an obvious one but almost a year ago Mr Trump said he would "make America great again" on his very first day and is likely to have said it incalculable times since.

What I would do on my first day in office. #MakeAmericaGreatAgain, he wrote on Facebook. Text TRUMP to 88022 to join the #TrumpTrain.

Withdraw from TPP

He promised that if elected, he would withdraw the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, which is aimed at making trade easier among twelve Pacific Rim countries - apart from China who refused to sign it. It was signed in February last year, concluding seven years of negotiations, but has stalled.

If the media doesnt believe me, I have a challenge for you. Ask Hillary Clinton if she is willing to withdraw from the TPP [on] her first day in office and unconditionally rule out its passage in any form".
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Donald Trumps plans to mitigate and deal with a national crisis have been described as a "black box" as key staff leave their posts and crucial vacancies remain unfilled.

As Mr Trump heads to Washington DC to be sworn in as 45th President of the US, his state department of defence remains largely unfilled below cabinet level.

The staffing gap became even more apparent after Fox News commentator Monica Crowley withdrew from her appointment as deputy national security adviser for strategic communications amid accusations she had plagiarized passages of her 2012 book and her doctoral dissertation.

The day before Mr Trump is handed the nuclear codes, the National Security Councils strategy, and who will staff it, remains a guessing game.

The hiring and firing of the NSC - up to 200 staff need to be appointed - is being overseen by incoming national security adviser and retired general Michael Flynn, who has no NSC experience. He has also regularly tweeted out fake news and conspiracy theories, and described Islam as a "cancer". In a bid to be fully briefed, he has met four times with Mr Obamas counterpart, Susan Rice, who told the New York Times they were "racing to make up lost time".

The available roles include senior directors who handle issues like the Middle East, Russia, Afghanistan, economic sanctions and nuclear proliferation, as reported by Politico.

 Donald Trump's controversial cabinet

His deputy, Fox News anchor KT McFarland, has slightly more experience as she was a typist and research assistant at the NSC when Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford were in office.

"This isn't getting attention it deserves. Who will run and implement policy? Right now there is a big vacuum," Max Boot, a military historian and fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said on Twitter.

 Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn (Ret) says islam is a political ideology and not a religion

The President-elect has appointed far short of the 4,000 overall government positions he has to make.

The Trump team is reportedly trying to avoid appointing foreign policy experts who were against his Presidency, in line with the incoming administrations policy to blacklist Never Trumpers.

Mr Trump appointed retired general Keith Kellogg to be the NSC chief of staff, and speculation abounds about a couple of other appointees, many of which have military experience, but lack government experience or the knowledge on how to deal with a domestic crisis.

Almost two dozen Trump appointees joined an Obama staffer-led emergency meeting last weekend to discuss how to deal with natural disasters, but in the case of a terrorist attack, Mr Trumps government might have to meet such a crisis with an understaffed team.

The New York Times reported that the Obama administration has written nearly 1,000 pages of classified material on North Korea, Isis, the South China Sea dispute and various other threats to the US, but it has not been confirmed whether anyone in Mr Trumps team has read them.
Two explosions hit the Gaza Strip, police said Thursday, including one targeting the home of an official from Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party, without causing casualties.

The first blast struck at around midnight in eastern Gaza City outside the home of Nayef Khuweter, a Fatah official in the territory, police and eyewitnesses said.

Fatah condemned the attack, saying it would "disrupt" attempts at reconciliation with the Islamist movement Hamas which runs the Gaza Strip.

In a separate incident, a car exploded in Nuseirat refugee camp of central Gaza.

The Hamas-led police said they had opened investigations into the blasts, for which there were no immediate claims of responsibility.

Hamas has ruled Gaza since a near civil war in 2007 led to the expulsion of Fatah, which runs the West Bank.

Tension between the two rival parties has increased in recent weeks against the backdrop of an electricity crisis in Gaza and anti-Hamas protests.

Several reconciliation bids have failed, though the two were among several Palestinian parties which recommitted to forming a national unity government during talks in Russia on Tuesday.

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Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer defended the lack of diversity amongst President-elect Donald Trumps Cabinet nominees.

Mr Spicer claimed that the transition team focused on recruiting the best and brightest to serve in their roles in the new executive branch. He asserted that the Cabinet will be among the most diverse in American history.

The President-elect drew criticism for the nomination of former Georgia Gov Sonny Perdue to the Secretary of Agriculture post, making his administration the first in almost three decades to have a Latino serve among its senior ranks.

I think that when you look at the totality of his administration  you see a president who is committed to uniting this country who is bringing the best and the brightest together, Mr Spicer told reporters in his final press briefing before entering the White House.

He specifically pointed to the three people of colour among the 15 Cabinet picks  Dr Ben Carson, Elaine Chao, and Gov Nikki Haley  as evidence of the diversity of Mr Trumps administration. Mr Spicer added that some 5,000 jobs will likely bill filled with a wide array of cultures.

Its not just about skin colour or ethnic heritage, he said, I think you can start to pick out one group and say, Wheres the percentage of that?  but when you look at the totality of the diversity [in the administration] that hes bringing in this, I would say that its something that you could hold up second to none.

Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Show all 15 1 /15 Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Kandy Freeman participates in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Hawk Newsome, a Black Lives Matter activist, leads a protest outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Hawk Newsome (C) leads a chant during a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, US. January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower An NYPD officer speaks with a Black Lives Matter leaders during a protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Kandy Freeman participates in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower An NYPD officer speaks with a Black Lives Matter leaders during a protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Carol Garza, a Black Lives Matter supporter, protests outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower A Black Lives Matter supporter protests in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter activists march in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter activists march in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter supporters protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter Kandy Freeman marches in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty

If the Senate approves all nominees, Mr Trumps cabinet will shape up to be the whitest and most male since the Ronald Reagan administration that ended in January 1989.

The last Republican president, George W Bush, was celebrating for having the most ethnically diverse GOP administration ever. And both Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama entered the office with a large percentage of female and non-white appointees to their cabinets.

Mr Trumps exclusion of Latinos from high levels in his administration draws concern from Latino groups, especially given that he launched his campaign with a racist tirade against Mexican immigrants  whom he referred to as rapists, criminals, and drug traffickers.

We have always had Democratic and Republican presidents speak to us, Brent Wilkes, the executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, told CNN. Him not speaking to the Latino community is dividing this country.

National Hispanic Leadership chair Hector Sanchez added: It is unacceptable that he has yet to build a relationship with Latino and Muslim communities that he has targeted the most throughout his campaign.

Communities that are now suffering because of the things he said.
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Women who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault and their lawyers are planning to march in Washington DC while the President-elect is being sworn into office.

Former Apprentice candidate Summer Zervos, who filed a defamation lawsuit against Mr Trump on 17 January, will be marching alongside at least 200,000 others.

She accused him of defamation after he denied all claims of sexual assault or misconduct against her. She had alleged that he repeatedly kissed and groped her while she featured on the fifth series of his reality television show.

Mr Trump was accused by more than 13 women of sexual impropriety, and he denied all the claims. At rallies before the election, he labelled his accusers as fame-hungry liars who were "disgusting" and "sick".

Recommended Summer Zervos files defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump

The lawyer representing Ms Zervos and other accusers, Glora Allred, will also be at the march.

Ms Allred told reporters at the press conference: "Summer and I will both be there. I also expect that some of the other accusers will be marching with us."

She said she could not reveal their names at the time. She posted a video in December to explain that she was marching on behalf of womens reproductive rights. Ms Allred said she was forced to undergo a "back-ally abortion" in the 1970s and almost bled to death.

"Our daughters deserve better than I believe they will get under a President Trump administration," she said.

Cathy Heller, who accused Mr Trump of trying to kiss her without her consent 20 years ago, will travel to Washington DC from New York this weekend, and told the Huffington Post she had reserved an entire Amtrak train carriage to bring supporters.

In a podcast, lawyer Lisa Bloom, who is Ms Allreds daughter, said she will take her friends and family to the march. She said she will be marching on behalf of her clients - a woman was who was allegedly "savagely beaten" by her husband, another woman who was allegedly anally raped at college, and others.

"But for me, its personal. Its the work I do every day," she added, talking about post-traumatic stress and the courage of sexual assault survivors.

"Women are too often treated as sexual play things for powerful men, and cower in fear at the idea of standing up for our rights. And of course Donald J Trump, our President-elect who embodies all of that," she said.

"The man [was] accused of sexual harassment and misconduct by over a dozen women during the campaign, a man who bragged about sexual assault and attacked [his] accusers at rallies."

Ms Bloom represented a client who filed a lawsuit accusing Mr Trump of raping her as a minor. Mr Trump strongly denied the allegations.

The lawsuit was dropped last year shortly after the accuser failed to reveal her identity at a press conference.

More than 200 marches around the world will take place this weekend, and many in the US.
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China has urged America to bar Taiwan from incoming US President Donald Trumps inauguration, in the latest disagreement between the two countries.

A Taiwan delegation  led by former ruling party leader Yu Shyi-kun  is expected to attend Friday's ceremony.

Mr Trump set off diplomatic protests by China when he broke with decades of US protocol and accepted a congratulatory phone call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

The President-elect has further angered Beijing by repeatedly suggested the One China principle, in which the US recognises the self-governing island of Taiwan as part of China, is up for negotiation.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, which is not entitled to conduct diplomatic relations.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news conference China opposed Taiwan sending representatives to the US to take part in "activities to disturb or or undermine China-US relations".

She added: We once again urge relevant parties in the US to allow no delegation sent by the Taiwan authority to attend the inauguration ceremony of the President, and not to have any official contact with Taiwan.

This message has been delivered to the sitting US administration and the Trump transition team."

China's ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, will be sent to the inauguration on its behalf, she added.

It is usual for Taiwan to send a delegation to US presidential inaugurations and a US delegation attended the Taiwanese Presidential initiation ceremony in 2016.

No meetings are scheduled with the Trump administration during the visit, a spokesperson for the Taiwan President said.

Yet the ceremony has adopted new significance after tensions flared between the Mr Trump and Beijing.

The Republican was particularly critical of China during his election campaign, accusing the country of exploiting America economically.

In recent weeks, several influential state-sponsored newspapers have also written strongly-worded editorials warning Mr Trump to cease questioning the One China policy.

English language newspaper China Daily claimed that if the future president Beijing will have no choice but to take off the gloves if it is provoked further, while The Global Times said Beijing would take strong countermeasures against Washington.

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

Although Taiwan's President Tsai has said she wants to maintain peace with China, she is suspected by the Chinese of wanting to push for Taiwanese independence, which would be a red line for the global power.

In an apparent upturn in relations between Beijing and the incoming US administration  President Xi Jinping used a speech in Geneva on Wednesday to say China will build a new model of relations with the US as part of its creation of a "circle of friends" around the world.

Mr Xi called for unity on climate change and the fight against terrorism, as well as nuclear disarmament.
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The grandmother of Harambe, the male silverback gorilla killed in Cincinnati, has been put down by the zoo where she lived.

Josephine, who was just short of 50, has been euthanised by Zoo Miami after the health problems she had suffered with in recent years became too much.

The ape was born in the wild in 1967. She arrived at Miami's zoo in 1983, and lived there until she died.

She had been suffering with a range of health conditions related to her age, the zoo said in a statement. Exams and tests had showed "several abnormalities that indicated systemic terminal conditions that had no chance for positive outcomes or hope for recovery", the zoo said.

The most controversial animal killings Show all 6 1 /6 The most controversial animal killings The most controversial animal killings Cincinnati Zoo worker shots and kills Harambe, the 17-year-old gorilla Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla was shot and killed by a Cincinnati Zoo worker after a three-year-old boy climbed into a gorilla enclosure and was grabbed and dragged by Harambe. The incident was recorded on video and received broad international coverage and commentary, including controversy over the choice to kill Harambe. A number of primatologists and conservationists wrote later that the zoo had no other choice under the circumstances, and that it highlighted the danger of zoo animals in close proximity to humans and the need for better standards of care Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden The most controversial animal killings Walt Palmer (left), from Minnesota, who killed Cecil, the Zimbabwean lion (pictured here with another lion shot in Africa) Walter James Palmer has been named by Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force as the shooter of Cecil, a 13-year-old prized lion. He is now wanted by Zimbabwe officials on poaching charges. The lion was protected and the subject of a decade long study by the Wildlife Unit of Oxford University in the UK. He was outfitted with a GPS collar and was killed in Hwange National Park. The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said that two men were charged with poaching in connection to Mr Palmer The most controversial animal killings Kendall Jones hunting images Kendall Jones, a 19-year-old Texas Tech university student, has provoked worldwide fury after posting pictures of herself smiling next to animals she hunted, including a lion, rhinoceros, antelope, leopard, elephant, zebra and hippopotamus The most controversial animal killings Rebecca Francis hunting images Rebecca Francis, a huntress who has killed dozens of wild animals has been sent death wishes by furious social media users after a picture showing her lying down next to a dead giraffe was circulated. Rebecca Francis has a website and Facebook page dedicated to the animals she has killed in hunts across Africa and America. Francis, a prolific hunter who has also co-hosted the television show Eye of the Hunter, regularly posts pictures of herself posing next to dead bears, giraffes, buffaloes and zebras, among other animals. She uses a bow and arrow to kill her prey The most controversial animal killings The slaughter of Marius, an 18-month-old healthy giraffe in Copenhagen Zoo Copenhagen Zoo made the controversial decision to euthanise a healthy giraffe named Marius, which was later dissected and fed to lions as visitors watched. The slaughter sparked a furious backlash from social media users and zoo staff have received death threats by phone and email. Soon after the incident, Copenhagen Zoo faced an international outcry once again after four healthy lions were put down The most controversial animal killings Swiss Dahlholzli zoo kills healthy brown bear cub A Switzerland zoo faced heavy criticism from animal rights groups, after keepers put down a healthy brown bear cub to spare it from being bullied by its dominant male father. The 360 kg male bear Misha had already killed one of his 11-week old cubs in public and was bullying the second, staff at the zoo said, because he was jealous of the attention the cubs were receiving from their mother, Masha. Both adult brown bears had been donated to Berns Dahlholzli zoo in 2009. Campaigners condemned staff there for not separating the cubs, who are being referred to as Baby Bear Two and Baby Bear Three, and their mother from Misha after their birth in January Facebook

It was after those became too much  "when Josephine could hardly move, even to reach for her favourite treat"  that the "staff knew the right thing to do" and euthanised her, the zoo said in a statement.

Josephine was famous in large part because of her relation to Harambe, the gorilla who was shot to death by staff at the Cincinnati Zoo last May. That happened after a young boy fell into his enclosure, but the ensuing controversy would lead to outpourings of grief and intense trolling of the zoo.

But she had also gained attention earlier for giving birth to the first gorilla born in captivity in Miami. Local media reported that her son, Moja, was moved to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas and there sired offspring including Harambe.

And she had been the subject of a pioneering cataract surgery that saw her sight restored by implanting two artificial human lenses into her eyes. Those restored her vision after she was nearly blind.

Her death makes her the third African lowland gorilla on display in a US zoo to pass away this month. On Tuesday, a 60-year-old female known as Coco died in Ohio.

(Zoo Miami (Zoo Miami)

Josephine had suffered with the effects of old for years, the zoo said. Gorillas can live as long as 50 years or even more, but often do not.

The animals are the world's biggest primates and are endangers because of the damage to their habitat, poaching dangers and their susceptibility to disease. There are around 350 gorillas of all species in US zoos, according to officials, and around 150,000 to 250,000 are thought to live in the wild.
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Jewish community centres across the US have faced two waves of bomb threats this month, prompting an FBI investigation and a security advisory.

As reported by the JJC Association of North America, a total of 27 centers across 17 states were targeted this week, similar to threats faced by 16 centres in nine states last week, suggesting the scale of the threats has increased.

In both cases, there were evacuations and the police worked quickly to give the centres the all-clear. No actual bombs were found.

The FBI is investigating "possible civil rights violations in connection with threats".

David Posner of the JCC association said in a statement that the group is "concerned about the anti-Semitism behind these threats."

"While the bombs in question are hoaxes," he said, "the calls are not."

The Anti-Defamation League issued a security advisory to Jewish institutions across the country, adding that it was closely monitoring the situation and has been in touch with state and federal police.

Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Show all 15 1 /15 Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Kandy Freeman participates in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Hawk Newsome, a Black Lives Matter activist, leads a protest outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Hawk Newsome (C) leads a chant during a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, US. January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower An NYPD officer speaks with a Black Lives Matter leaders during a protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Kandy Freeman participates in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower An NYPD officer speaks with a Black Lives Matter leaders during a protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Carol Garza, a Black Lives Matter supporter, protests outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower A Black Lives Matter supporter protests in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter activists march in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter activists march in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter supporters protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter Kandy Freeman marches in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty

"Although so far these threats do not appear to be credible, we are recommending that Jewish communal institutions review their security procedures and remain in close contact with law enforcement," said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt in a statement.

"While each incident needs to be taken seriously and investigated closely, thus far we are not aware of any of these threats being substantiated."

It was not clear whether the threats this week were connected with those of the previous week, but Paul Goldenberg, national director of the Secure Community Network, a nonprofit that advises Jewish groups on security, told Reuters that the number of threats was unheard of.

The threats come shortly after a group of Neo-Nazis planned and failed to march in the small town of Whitefish, Montana, the hometown of white supremacist Richard Spencer.

The plans were prompted by an article in fascist website The Daily Stormer, in which Andrew Anglin picked up on comments made by Spencers mother, who blamed a non-profit called Loves Lives Here for blaming her for her sons views. The organisation denied the allegations.

The discriminatory article was posted under a section of the website called "The Jewish Problem", posting contact details and pictures of people from the organisation, including a young boy, with yellow stars added to their clothing.

Fascists were halted, however, when the group failed to get a permit on time for the demonstration.

Neither the demonstrations planned for Montana nor the Jewish bomb threats were directly linked to Donald Trump.

However, the number of hate crimes have spiked sharply since the election, found the FBI and the Southern Poverty Law Centre.
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A 17-year-old girl faces spending the rest of her life in prison after she was charged with raping an older man at knifepoint.

Lestina Marie Smith appeared in court on Tuesday where she was arraigned on two felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Either of the counts could see her put behind bars for life.

The charges stem from an incident in which she is alleged to have held a 19-year-old man at knifepoint before forcing him to engage in oral and vaginal sex.

It was said to have happened in Saginaw Township, in central Michigan, MLive.com reported.

Ms Smith was remanded in custody after the hearing and is being held in the Saginaw County Jail.

She is next due to appear in court on 3 February, for a hearing to determine probable cause.

The alleged victim's identity has not been revealed, nor have further details of the alleged attack.
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Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly suing Hawaiian families who have ancestral rights to land within his $100 million (81.2 million) property in a bid to force them to sell their plots.

The Facebook founder has launched the legal action in an attempt to make his 700-acre beachfront estate on the Island of Kauai more private.

Under legislation dating back to 1850 known as the Kuleana Act, almost a dozen native families currently have the right to live on small sections of land within the billionaire's property on the island, according to the Honolulu Star Advertiser.

Mr Zuckerberg is understood to have filed suits called quiet title actions against several hundred Hawaiian people through different companies he owns.

Some of owners of the land are now dead and the owners of the plots can be difficult to trace, since land possession under the old law is largely undocumented.

The plots, known as kuleana lands, are often divided into ever smaller portions as they are passed down through families.

 Zuckerberg gives away 99% of shares to charity

As a result Mr Zuckerbergs team will have to trace ownership through genealogical records and make valid efforts to identify any living descendants. If it finds them, they will have the opportunity to participate in the court action.

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

Keoni Shultz, a partner at the Honolulu law firm Cades Schutte representing Mr Zuckerbergs companies, told the Honolulu Star Advertiser, it was usual for large portions of land in Hawaii to contain plots with unclear ownership.

Quiet title actions are the standard and prescribed process to identify all potential co-owners, determine ownership, and ensure that, if there are other co-owners, each receives appropriate value for their ownership share, Mr Schultz said.
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The Mexican army has been deployed to Cancun after a second major shooting incident in as many days.

Nine people, including three tourists and a police officer, were killed during gun battles at a nightclub during an electronic music festival in Playa Del Carmen and later during a stand-off with soldiers at the state prosecutors office.

It is not known whether the two shootings, which were thought to be drug-related, were linked in any way. Multiple security checkpoints were set up around tourist areas, which have typically avoided gang-related violence.

The US government has also issued a warning to tourists to remain indoors.

The violence comes at a particularly inopportune time for Cancun, which is a major holiday destination for American students on spring break. Every year in March, thousands of revellers fill huge nightclubs across the city for a week of partying.

A Canadian man and an Italian man were among those killed on Monday at the BPM music festival in Playa Del Carmen, as gunshots prompted crowds to flee in panic. Shops and roads were briefly closed in the area.

Local authorities implemented a code red warning across Cancun, and announced the police and army presence would be increased while they monitored the situation.

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 US Consulate in Merida meanwhile advised American visitors to follow local authorities warnings and directives, and consult with their hotels before leaving the premises. Officials said the best course of action was to shelter in place.

In December, the US government issued a general warning for tourists thinking of travelling to Mexico, noting that many American citizens have recently been victims of violent crimes, including homicide, kidnapping, carjacking and robbery.
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While Donald Trump gets ready to be sworn in as 45th President and Melania Trump prepares to become First Lady, Michelle Obama has taken one final walk through the White House.

After eight years of living at Pennsylvania Avenue, the First Lady has shared a video of herself taking one last walk through the White House with First Dogs Sunny and Bo plodding along melancholically beside her.

Ms Obama, who has held consistently high approval ratings, also shared a photo of herself and Barack Obama embracing arm in arm enjoying the view from the Truman balcony for one of their last times.

Being your First Lady has been the honour of a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, she wrote on Twitter.

The outgoing President and First Lady already have their bags packed as they prepare to leave 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Friday.

They are moving to the affluent Washington DC neighbourhood of Kalorama while their younger daughter, Sasha, finishes secondary school. Ivanka Trump and Jeff Bezos will be among their high-profile neighbours.

However before that, the outgoing First Couple will be indulging in some downtime and taking their final flight on Air Force One to Palm Springs in California.

Michelle Obama as the First Lady Show all 11 1 /11 Michelle Obama as the First Lady Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty

Mr Obama is leaving the White House more popular than at any time since his first year in office. According to a new CNN/ORC poll, the Democrat now has an approval rating of 60 per cent, which is the highest since June 2009.

The outgoing First Lady has also held consistently high popularity ratings. In October, a NBC News / Wall Street Journal poll found Ms Obama was one of the best-liked public figures in the US and 59 per cent of people had a positive view of the First Lady, while just 25 per cent did not.

Ms Obama was one of the most popular figures in the 2016 election, appearing alongside Hillary Clinton, who she referred to as my girl, on the campaign trail. The First Lady, who is very social media savvy and carved out a massive following on Twitter, Instagram and even Snapchat, was applauded for her barnstorming speech against Mr Trump back in October.
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A group of activists have held an LGBT dance party outside the home of Vice President Elect Mike Pence.

Around 200 protesters, decked in rainbow flags and glitter, danced outside the Republican politicians home, while blasting Beyonce songs from a pick-up truck.

The crowd shouted We are queer, we are here, we will dance!

Activists wore rainbow flag suspenders as they danced

Some participants held glow sticks, while others bore signs with slogans such as "Love Trumps Hate" and "Make America Gay Again".

One protester, wearing a rainbow top, hoola hoops outside Pence's home

Mr Pence, who is known for his opposition to LGBT rights, recently moved into a new neighbourhood in the Chevy Chase area of Maryland. He is due to be inaugurated as Donald Trumps second in command at the inauguration on Friday.

Mr Pence has previously signed a religious freedoms bill making it legal to discriminate against LGBT people due to faith. He has also opposed marriage equality, LGBT inclusive anti-hate crime laws and repealing the dont ask, dont tell policy.

Protesters marched from Friendship Heights metro station to the Vice-President elects home. They were stopped from approaching his home directly by police officers and instead stopped to hold the impromptu dance party in the street, The Advocate reports. Activists say they managed to shut down the roads outside Mr Pence's property.

 Crowd of people hold LGBT dance party outside Mike Pence's house

The action was organised by Firas Nasr, who co-ordinates Werk For Peace, a direct action group which uses dance to highlight and advocate against LGBT discrimination.

He told The Advocate that Mr Pence is a: staunch homophobe and transphobic; he supports conversion therapy, he's passed a draconian anti-LGBT law, he does not support gay marriage, and we're here to say that's not OK.

Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Show all 14 1 /14 Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A lesbian couple kisses in front of mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a barbecue bar 'Keule Ruke' on May 19, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Barcroft Media/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A lesbian couple kisses in front of mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a barbecue bar 'Keule Ruke' on May 19, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Barcroft Media/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural VILNIUS, LITHUANIA - NOVEMBER 23: A woman walks past a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A woman walks past a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A child walks past a graffiti depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a bar in the old town in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, May 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural People walk past a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A man photographs a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A young woman walks past a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin with the slogan "make everything great again," in reference to Trump's campaign slogan of "Make America Great Again," on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A morning commuter stops to look at a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Restaurant owner Dominykas Ceckauskas pose next to a mural on the wall of his establishment depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. / AFP / Petras Malukas (Photo credit should read PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP/Getty Images) Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A passerby photographs a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Getty

He added: Dance as a form of protest is a really powerful form of protest, especially in the queer community because dance and the dance floor has always been a sacred space for us, said Nasr.

It's been a safe space, a space for self expression, for connection, for love, for self-love, so Werk for Peace is taking the dance floor to the streets and assert that we are queer, we are here, and we will dance.
Gambia's new President Adama Barrow demanded "loyalty" from the armed forces Thursday as he took the oath of office in Senegal in a standoff with Yahya Jammeh, the longtime leader refusing to step down after his election defeat.

Dressed all in white, 51-year-old Barrow waved to crowds before being sworn in at The Gambia's embassy in Senegal's capital Dakar.

"This is a victory of the Gambian nation. Our flag will now fly high among those of the most democratic nations of the world," he said.

The inauguration took place as a regional military force massed on the Senegal-Gambia border ahead of a UN Security Council meeting to vote on west African efforts to ensure a transfer of power.

"I command the chief of defence staff and officers of high command to demonstrate their loyalty to me as commander in chief without any delay," Barrow said.

"I command all members of the armed forces to remain in their barracks, those found wanting or in possession of firearms without my order will be considered rebels."

Barrow, an opposition coalition candidate, won the December 1 election in a surprise victory over Jammeh, who had ruled the former British colony since taking power in a coup in 1994 and has rejected international pressure to leave office.

Nigerian jets overflew The Gambia, officials said in Abuja, as troops from Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria readied for a possible intervention against Jammeh, whose mandate expired at midnight (0000 GMT).

Shops were shuttered and streets quiet in and around the capital Banjul, and tour operators evacuated hundreds more tourists from the tiny country's popular beach resorts.

But Barrow supporters were jubilant.

"For the last 22 years we were living under a state of dictatorship," Corra Kah said in Banjul as he watched the inauguration. "Now we are free".

In off the cuff remarks, army chief Ousman Badjie insisted his soldiers would not get involved in a "political dispute" or prevent foreign forces from entering the west African nation.

Barrow, a real-estate agent turned politician, flew to Senegal on January 15 after weeks of rising tension over Jammeh's stance.

Jammeh initially acknowledged Barrow as the victor but later rejected the result.

He then attempted to block Barrow's inauguration with a court ruling and by declaring a state of emergency this week.

A senior member of Barrow's opposition coalition, Isatou Touray, welcomed the army chief's declaration.

"That's a very positive outlook from him, given that Jammeh's regime is done," Touray told AFP.

"We don't have to risk the lives of innocent citizens."

In remarks at a hotel restaurant late Wednesday, Badjie said he loved his men and would not risk their lives in a "stupid fight," witnesses said.

Arriving back from The Gambia at Manchester airport in England, several passengers could be seen comforting a Gambian national and UK resident who had tried unsuccessfully to get his family out.

Ebrima Jajne described the situation as "really scary for everybody... because this president (Jammeh) doesn't want to step down and people are fleeing."

Tourist Ralph Newton said local residents had done what they could to reassure visitors, despite the threat to themselves.

"All the locals were just worried... They said it's a bad time for us but you'll be alright... It'll be us they come for, if they come for anybody."

Despite the build-up along the border, an army source told AFP that Senegalese troops were "not yet" present on Gambian soil.

After 11th-hour talks in Banjul, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz held a meeting with Barrow also attended by Senegal's President Macky Sall, the private RFM radio station reported.

It was not clear whether the Mauritanian leader had secured a deal or made an asylum offer to Jammeh.

The last-minute intervention came after several unsuccessful attempts at diplomacy by the 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS).

Mauritania is not part of ECOWAS and diplomats have previously reached out to the conservative desert nation in hopes of brokering a deal with Jammeh.

ECOWAS heads the regional force massing on Gambian-Senegalese border.

Speaking to AFP at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Amnesty International chief Salil Shetty hailed the ECOWAS efforts to resolve the crisis.

"ECOWAS has stood up, and they don't always do that," he said.

"It's an important message to Jammeh, both from the people of The Gambia, the people of Africa, and from neighbouring states, that it's not business as usual anymore."

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Vice President-elect Mike Pence praised Barack Obama and Joe Biden for their cooperation with ensuring a smooth transition for the incoming Trump administration.

As Mr Obama concludes his presidency, he has consistently encouraged a smooth transition of power as one of the unique aspects of US democracy. While Mr Trump has fervently opposed many of Mr Obamas signature policies, that has not stopped the President from helping the New York businessman from assuming his role as the new head of state.

The cooperation that the outgoing administration has extended in this transition effort would make every American proud, Mr Pence, who served as the chair of the transition team, told reporters.

And I know the President-elect has expressed his appreciation not just for the hospitality, but for the collaboration of this administration in supporting our teams transition efforts, and I would reiterate that today.

Mr Pence's statement contradicts sentiments expressed by Mr Trump on Twitter following policy roadblocks put into place by Mr Obama.

In his final weeks in office, Mr Obama banned further Arctic drilling, protected funding for Planned Parenthood clinics, imposed further sanctions on Russia for alleged hacking to influence the election, among many other actions.

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"Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks. Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!" said the President-elect, who customarily uses Twitter to respond to even the smallest of criticisms.

Mr Obama had previously called the transition effort unusual in an interview with 60 Minutes.

Its unusual. Ill agree with that. And I suspect the President-elect would agree with that.

 Donald Trump's most offensive moments

Look, hes an unconventional candidate. I dont think theres anybody whos run a campaign like his successfully in modern history  not that I can think of  and as a consequence, because he didnt have the supports of many of the establishment of his own party, he ran sort of an improvisational campaign.

The outgoing President had lambasted Mr Trump on the campaign trail, asserting that he was uniquely unqualified to run the US. After Mr Trump won the election, following a 90 minute meeting, the White House said that Mr Obamas position had not changed.

And since the election, Mr Obama has set up roadblocks to protect his legacy

Mr Obama has continuously warned of potential threats to democracy that have presented themselves in the months leading up to and following the 2016 election  and he believes it is important to preserve institutional norms that he says hold the country together.

The one thing Ive said to him directly, and  I would advise my Republican friends in Congress and supporters around the country, is just make sure that, as we go forward, certain norms, certain institutional traditions dont get eroded.

Because theres a reason theyre in place."
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President Barack Obama has renewed his appeal to close controversial military prison Guantanamo Bay, accusing a partisan Congress for placing politics above taxpayer money, national safety and common sense.

In an open letter to Congress the day before he hands the White House to Donald Trump, the 44th President said there was "no justification" for keeping the prison open as it costs too much money, employs military members who could be better employed elsewhere, harms relationships with allies and is used by terrorists as propaganda against the US.

Mr Obama said if shutting the prison had been "easy", he would have done it years ago, but blamed a Republican-led Congress for failure to complete an action which he had set out to do in 2009. He said history would judge them "harshly" as a result.

Recommended Barack Obama releases 10 Guantanamo inmates

The prison in Cuba has long been criticised for degrading human rights and using torture methods like force-feeding. Over his two terms in Washington DC, he has brought the inmate population down significantly from nearly 800 to just 41 people, with 15 cleared for release.

Mr Obama released 10 people this week, and another four were released earlier this month. One Yemeni prisoner was held for 14 years without ever being charged for a crime.

"The restrictions imposed by the Congress that prevent us from imprisoning detainees - even to prosecute and secure a life sentence - in the United States make no sense," he said.

"No person has ever escaped one of our super-max or military prisons here, ever. There is simply no justification beyond politics for the Congress insistence on keeping the facility open."

 USA: 'Close Guantanamo' - Protests hit the White House, Washington D.C.

He said he had sent a plan to Congress on how to close the facility, securing safe transfers of prisoners abroad and opening a new facility for any inmate that still posed a threat to the US.

"Guantanamo is contrary to our values and undermines our standing in the world," he wrote, "and it is long past time to end this chapter in our history."

Many Republicans have vowed to keep the original facility open, including the President-elect.

Speaking at a rally earlier this year, Mr Trump said: "This morning, I watched President Obama talking about Gitmo, right, Guantanamo Bay, which by the way, which by the way, we are keeping open. Which we are keeping open ... and we're gonna load it up with some bad dudes, believe me, we're gonna load it up."

Guantanamo Bay was opened 15 years ago during the office of George W Bush, shortly after terrorists bombed the Twin Towers.
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President Barack Obama vowed that he would not fade into the background once he leaves office and promised to speak out whenever he feels Americas core values are threatened.

While he said that he was looking forward to taking a break from politics, he told his final news conference as president that certain issues or certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake, would draw him out of retirement.

I put in that category if I saw systematic discrimination being ratified in some fashion, he said. I put in that category explicit or functional obstacles to people being able to vote, to exercise their franchise. I put in that category institutional efforts to silence the press.

Recommended Barack Obama leaves office more popular than at any time since 2009

In a clear differentiation to his successor Donald Trump who has threatened to deport undocumented migrants and their children, Mr Obama said he would speak out if efforts were made to round up kids who have grown up here and for all practical purposes are American kids and send them somewhere else, when they love this country.

Mr Obama also revealed his advice to Mr Trump.

"This is a job of such magnitude that you can't do it by yourself," Mr Obama said. "Reality has a way of biting back."

The outgoing leader also defended as entirely appropriate his decision to commute the sentence of Chelsea Manning.

He said the whistleblower behind one of the largest breaches of classified information in US history had served a tough but adequate prison sentence.

I feel very comfortable that justice has been served, Obama told reporters. Lets be clear. Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence.

Rejecting critics who argued his action would encourage espionage and future leaks of classified information, he said: The notion that the average person who is thinking about disclosing vital classified information would think that it goes unpunished I dont think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served.

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. 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Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. 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Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. 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Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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Mr Obama also urged Mr Trump to keep separate the issue of economic sanctions on Russia from the pursuit of talks to reduce nuclear stockpiles.

The President-elect has said that he would propose offering to end sanctions on Moscow in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal.

But Mr Obama, whose administration imposed the sanctions in 2014 after Russia's annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine, said: "Russia continues to occupy Ukrainian territory and meddle in Ukrainian affairs.

He added: "I think it would probably best serve, not only American interests, but also the interests of preserving international norms if we made sure that we don't confuse why these sanctions have been imposed with a whole set of other issues.

"It is important for the United States to stand up for the basic principal that big countries don't go around and invade and bully smaller countries.

Sharing thoughts on his future plans, he said it was important for him to take some time to process this amazing experience that we've gone through, to make sure that my wife with whom I will be celebrating a 25th anniversary this year, is willing to re-up and put up with me for a little bit longer.

He added: "I want to spend precious time with my girls."

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which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA

Casting his daughters Sasha and Malia as the source of his hope and as America's future, he said that although they were disappointed by Mr Trump's victory over Democratic Party rival Hillary Clinton, they did not "mope".

He said: "We've tried to teach them hope.

He also voiced a belief that the world could get better.

He said: "I believe in this country and I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad.

"I believe tragic things happen, I think there's evil in the world but I think at the end of the day, if we work hard, and if we're true to those things in us that feel true and feel alright, that the world gets a little better each time."
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Incoming US President Donald Trump has said he will wage war on Isis, vowing to "bomb the s*** out of 'em".

And as the world gears up for a seemingly more violent four years, it is worth reflecting on President Obama's tenure

According to newly released figures, President Obama had already upped the number of bombs on foreign countries.

US forces dropped over 3,000 more bombs in 2016 than 2015, taking the grand total of strikes for the year to at least 26,171.

This map by Statista shows you where they were:

Vast majority of strikes carried out in Iraq and Syria (Statista)

The figures are likely to be an underestimate, since the only reliable data only comes from a handful of countries, and multiple bombs can be classed as a single strike under the Pentagon's definition.

But of the confirmed bombings, the vast majority (24,287) took place in Iraq and Syria, according to analysis of official data by Micah Zenko, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

His research concluded that the US dropped 79 per cent of all 30,743 coalition bombs in 2016.

 The most significant moments of Obama's presidency

While President Obama reduced the number of US soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, air-strikes proliferated under his leadership.

He expanded the use of unmanned air-strikes outside the confines of war-zones in Afghanistan and Iraq to countries including Pakistan and Yemen.

In the wake of Mr Trump's win, the value of arms companies soared. He has promised extravagant military parades through America's cities and, like many Republicans, vowed to build up the US military.

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

Yet Democrat Mr Obama leaves the White House having authorised ten times more drone strikes than George W Bush and having been at war for longer than any President in US history.
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North Korea may be preparing to test a new enhanced type of intercontinental missile to coincide with Donald Trumps presidential inauguration, South Korean media have warned.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been heightened since the North's leader Kim Jong-un used his New Year speech to say the country was in the final stage of developing the weapon.

The North Korean foreign ministry has since said it was ready to test launch the missile anytime, anywhere.

 North Korea: Long-range missile launched amid sanctions

While some claims by the isolationist state have been dismissed and ridiculed, some experts said they believed the most recent pronouncements were credible.

The statements have stoked fears the dictatorship is drawing close to its goal of developing a nuclear weapons system that could reach the US mainland.

South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported that intelligence agencies had seen missile parts, thought to be the lower-half of an ICBM, being moved in the country.

It was different from a conventional Musudan missile in its length and shape, a source told the paper, referring to the medium-range weapons tested by the country in 2016.

It is possible they were moving it somewhere for assembly.

The South's Yonhap news agency then reported that two missiles, believed to be fitted with new engines, had been loaded onto mobile launchers.

The reports cited South Korean military officials. Yonhap said Pyongyang had intentionally leaked the missiles' existence to send a strategic message to the incoming US President.

South Koreas joint chief of staff, Roh Jae-cheon, told a news briefing the reports could not be confirmed, but that the military was monitoring the situation.

The two missiles are estimated to be no longer than 15 metres long, making them shorter than the Norths existing ICBMs.

I dont recognise the missiles from this description, Joshua Pollack, editor of the US-based Nonproliferation Review told the South China Morning Post.

But as we saw in 2016, theres certainly a variety of active missile programmes underway in North Korea.

Its also possible that they are simply conducting field exercises with no plans to launch, or the option to launch if decided.

Inside the daily life in North Korea Show all 19 1 /19 Inside the daily life in North Korea Inside the daily life in North Korea People reading a newspaper at the metro station Inside the daily life in North Korea Thoughts of the leaders on the tram. They have about a dozen of these on every tram, all with different thoughts Inside the daily life in North Korea Young people training for a big upcoming festival Inside the daily life in North Korea People at the Pyongyang's annual marathon Inside the daily life in North Korea Many stars on one of the trolleys in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea An intimidating poster in a primary school in North Korea. Inside the daily life in North Korea Solar panels installed on a street lamp. Inside the daily life in North Korea A poster on the window next to one of the venues we visited in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea Kids playing football next to the Arch of Triumph. After a while tourists were allowed to join, so some of us did Inside the daily life in North Korea Class in an educational center in Pyongyang (where people over 17 years old can attend any classes they choose after school, for free) Inside the daily life in North Korea People waving at me during the Pyongyang marathon Inside the daily life in North Korea People having a great time dancing at a public park Inside the daily life in North Korea A metro driver in a metro station in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea Fireworks to mark the birthday of the Eternal President Kim Il Sung on our last night in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea My wonderful tour guide at a public park Inside the daily life in North Korea One of the parks in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea A person rowing some boats for the day at a river in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea The National War Museum Inside the daily life in North Korea Public park in Pyongyang

Washington-based monitoring project 38 North said on Thursday that activities at North Koreas Yongbyon nuclear facility appeared to have been stepped up.

Satellite imagery of the site showed there was no snow on the roof of the facility, which it said indicated the site was active.

North Korea is understood to be able to process plutonium at the Yongbyon site for use in potential nuclear warheads.
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Three-year-old children should be given compulsory language testing to aid in their educational development and deal with inequality, officials from Denmarks local government association have said.

The proposal by Kommunernes Landsforening (KL) aims to improve linguistic education by targeting schools in Denmarks poorest municipalities, where as many as one in four children grow up illiterate.

Officials from KL suggested that three-year-olds should be tested for their language skills in 10 to 30-minute batches. Those identified as struggling would then be given the additional assistance they require.

At their most basic level, the tests, which KL estimates will cost the Danish government an estimated 11 million Kroner (1.27 millon) per year, would require children to look at photographs and describe what they see in various levels of detail.

In October Ellen Trane Nrby, Danish Minister for Education suggested a similar programme for children of two years and up, but it was ruled out by the government for being too expensive to implement.

Recent research has shown significant gaps in the language and social abilities of Danish children when they enter their first year of schooling, with some children set back two years because of their abilities, according to the Politiken newspaper.

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

Dorthe Blese, a childrens research professor at Aarhus University said the idea was sensible.

We need to admit that there are significant numbers of children whose linguistic development is not adequately supported in daycare because it is hard to find the [problem] children without a test and because not all institutions have a strong enough focus on creating the right learning environment, she said.

However Denmarks national parents organisation resisted the plan, saying the problem was one of observation rather than testing.
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Hundreds of asylum seekers deemed a security risk will have their cases reviewed by German authorities in the wake of December's terror attack on a Berlin Christmas market which left 12 people dead.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the countrys Joint Terrorism Task Force would examine the cases of 547 people to determine if they needed to be deported or taken into custody.

It came as Social Democrats politician Burkhard Lischka revealed authorities had lost track of three people identified as being high risk.

This prompted some to draw parallels with Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri, the suspected Berlin attacker, who managed to evade authorities and flee to Italy where he was eventually gunned down in a shootout with police in Milan.

"They are playing with fire, and every wrong calculation can be deadly," Mr Lischka said.

Amri had been identified as a threat last February, but investigators decided it was unlikely he would carry out an attack, according to German media reports.

The 24-year-old is accused of ploughing a lorry through a Christmas market in the Breitscheidplatz area of Berlin, with Islamic State claiming responsibility for the attack.

Mr de Maiziere, with justice minister Heiko Maas, announced earlier in the month Germany would tighten security in the country following the attack.

Proposed plans include to make some suspected extremists wear electronic tags, impose tougher residence rules on those who give false identity information and extend the period for which failed asylum seekers can be detained.

Recommended A meeting in Berlin with a fellow journalist and old friend from Iraq

Christian Democrat Mr de Maiziere urged lawmakers to approve the new measures quickly, which will make it easier to take people into custody for deportation.

He said it was imperative to set up uniform guidelines for federal state authorities and the national government for handling those deemed potentially dangerous, and said it was unacceptable that Islamist militants were moving around Germany freely.

Additional reporting by Reuters.
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Vasilis Tsartsanis was filming a music video near the Greek-Macedonian border in September 2014 when he noticed small groups of people trudging through the fields.

Confused over why families would be walking through the middle of nowhere, he asked them where they were from.

Syria, they replied. And where were they going? To Europe.

Vasilis, a hairdresser and part-time film maker, was mystified and returned to investigate why people were starting to journey through the sleepy area.

Migrants from Syria cross the railways at the border post of Idomeni at the Greece-Macedonia border on April 21 (AFP/Getty Images)

I got in touch with the people and I realised something not normal was happening, he told The Independent.

People were in the middle of nowhere, winter was coming. Every day I went, I was seeing more and more people.

What started as a trickle of refugees crossing from Greece to Macedonia on the way to western Europe would turn into a flood, with hundreds then thousands of people starting to pour through the previously unknown village of Idomeni every day.

It has since become one of the largest refugee camps in Europe, housing 15,000 people in squalid conditions until Greek authorities started clearing the area in May.

Btu the magnitude of the crisis to come was not foreseen over two years ago, when Vasilis found families hiding in fields without shelter, water or food.

He and his friends started gathering donations and delivering necessities when they could.

We could not allow this to happen metres away from our houses, we had to do something, he said. The local people are a very conservative society but they started to support us. So we decided to take some donations and see what we could do.

Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily.

The small band of volunteers quickly realised the situation was growing beyond their meagre capabilities, once taking 300 sandwiches, only to be confronted by 500 asylum seekers waiting to cross the border.

Many were severely ill, with pregnant women and babies among the crowds, so Vasilis started to use his car as a makeshift ambulance ferrying refugees to friends houses and convincing local doctors to treat them without payment.

He quickly gained the trust of the new arrivals, who revealed they were being charged by smugglers exploiting the lack of authorities to leave Greece, then again by gangs over the border to enter Macedonia.

On one night in May 2015, Vasilis got a phone call from a refugee he had helped, saying they had been beaten by more than 100 mafia members inside Macedonia and fled back towards Greece.

Everyone came back bleeding, we had to take 11 people straight to the hospital, he said. They stole the Syrians papers and passports.

There were still no authorities and no charities on the ground at Idomeni, but the number kept on increasing as Vasilis and other locals gave what help they could to around 1,000 people arriving every day.

We were using our own money, we werent getting any help from Europe, he said. We couldnt continue any more, the numbers were too many.

Migrant men help a fellow migrant man holding a boy as they are stuck between Macedonian riot police officers and migrants during a clash near the border train station of Idomeni, (AFP/Getty)

Having alerted local authorities, politicians and NGOs to the dire situation, Vasilis was invited to speak at the European Parliament in April 2015.

He then went to media in the UK, France and US to invite journalists to document the growing scale of the catastrophe.

Recommended Refugee mother forced to wash newborn baby in a puddle at Greek camp

And they came, with the reports from May 2015 spurring action by Greek authorities and international aid agencies who moved into Idomeni.

But as the refugee crisis peaked, Serbia and Macedonia closed their borders and trapped thousands of people in what Vasilis called a humanitarian catastrophe in the heart of Europe.

Official clearances of the Idomeni camp started in May but refugees continue to arrive, despite a controversial deal struck between the EU and Turkey to stop boat crossings to Greece over the Aegean Sea.

Several migrants have been killed by freezing temperatures sweeping the continent so far this year, with thousands of refugees struggling to survive in tent camps and on the streets.

Its like we make them to feel worse than animals, Vasilis said. We would put dogs somewhere better.

A migrant stands next to a snow-covered tent at the Moria detention camp on the Greek island of Lesbos on 7 January (AFP/Getty)

He still watches refugees passing through Idomeni almost every day, with some being rounded up in remote forests and taken back to Thessaloniki by police.

Whoever has money is still able to pass illegally, he added. Inside the illegal passing will come the criminal passing and the radicalism.

Lets start to take people from Libya, from Egypt, from Syria. We need to know who is coming and where from.

Vasilis fears the crisis and terror attacks are making Europe more conservative and susceptible to radicalism as it lives under fear.

But he is continuing to do what he can for the refugees of Idomeni, despite receiving no salary and turning down jobs at NGOs. Im still working with them, Ill never stop,  he said.

The hairdresser, whose work is supported by the Open Society Foundations, has travelled around Europe to meet some of his 20,000 contacts.

Many have sent messages of thanks from their destinations including the UK, Germany and Sweden.

Eiad, who now studies in Frankfurt, wrote: Syrians will never forget what you personally offered, what you have done, and Greece... we will never forget dear friend Vasilis.


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At least 20 firefighters have been killed after responding to a huge fire in a commercial high rise building in Tehran, which caused the structure to collapse.

Iranian state media said it is believed people are still trapped beneath the rubble and that rescue efforts could go on for a further two days.

Soldiers, sniffer dogs and rescue workers were searching the ruins of the Plasco building after it crashed down in a giant cloud of dust. The collapse was shown live on state television and one witness described it as like a horror movie.

At least 20 firefighters who were trapped under rubble have died, Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said. They are martyrs. They lost their lives when trying to help people.

But Tehran Fire Department spokesman Jalal Maleki told the broadcaster: I cannot confirm the death of around 20 firefighters ... but some of them have been killed. The rescue operation continues.

Dramatic footage showed the iconic structure collapsing in on itself in just a few seconds, taking out three fire trucks as it fell.

Thick plumes of brown smoke filled the sky and onlookers screamed as the building came down.

In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse Show all 12 1 /12 In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse Firefighters battle a blaze that engulfed Iran's oldest high-rise, the 15-storey Plasco building in downtown Tehran Getty Images In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse Iranians watch the Plasco building engulfed by a fire, in central Tehran, Iran. The high-rise building engulfed by a fire collapsed on Thursday as scores of firefighters battled the blaze AP In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse Rescue workers gather in front of the collapsed iconic Plasco building in Tehran, Iran. Media reported that the major commercial building in Tehran has collapsed after hours of a severe fire, according to Iranian state media. At least 30 firefighters are believed to have died after being trapped on the upper floors of the building EPA In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse A firefighter reacts at the site of a blazing high-rise building in Tehran, Iran Reuters In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse Media reported that the major Plasco commercial building in Tehran has collapsed after hours of a severe fire, according to Iranian state media. At least 30 firefighters are believed to have died after being trapped on the upper floors of the building EPA In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse Firefighters try to put out a fire in a blazing high-rise building in Tehran, Iran Reuters In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse A firefighter breaks down at the site of a blazing high-rise building in Tehran, Iran. A number of firefighters are thought to have lost their lives attempting to tackle the blaze Reuters In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse Smoke rises from a blazing high-rise building in Tehran, Iran Reuters In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse An Iranian fire fighter cries as other prepare themselves. The iconic Plasco building collapsed after a fire in Tehran, Iran EPA In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse The building in Tehran collapsed after hours of a severe fire Reuters In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse Iranian fire fighters prepare as the iconic Plasco building collapses after a fire in Tehran, Iran EPA In pictures: Fire engulfs Iranian building and causes collapse Iranian fire fighters carry one of their injured colleagues in Tehran, Iran EPA

At least 88 people, including 45 firefighters were taken to hospital, state media had reported earlier. It did not specify whether those injured were hurt by the blaze or the buildings collapse.

The fire is now under control, fire department spokesperson Jalal Maleki said.

The 50-year-old Plasco, home to a major shopping centre, was one of Tehrans most recognisable landmarks.

Dozens of anxious shopkeepers and others desperate to save their valuables were kept back by police as firefighters continued to secure the scene.

The tower was built in the early 1960s by Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian and named after his plastics manufacturing company.

At the time of its construction the Plasco was the tallest building on the citys skyline.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted an official in the Tehran governors office as saying an electrical short-circuit had caused the fire, but there was no immediate confirmation of this.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani sent condolences to the families of those killed. Mr Rouhani ordered an investigation and compensation for those affected, state TV reported.

Occupants of the building had been evacuated as firefighters tackled the blaze. State TV said the tenants included garment manufacturers, and it broadcast footage of business owners trying to re-enter the wreckage.

I have lost everything. What am I going to do now. What should I tell my family? owner of one of the 400 business units in the building, Mohsen Ghamisi, said.

Tasnim news agency reported that the business units and shops inside the building were not insured because of a lack of required safety measures.

Mr Maleki said: We had repeatedly warned the building managers about the lack of safety.

The owner of a nearby grocery store, forced by police to leave the area, said: It was like a horror movie. The building collapsed in front of me.

The semi-official Fars news agency said police had cordoned off the nearby British, German and Turkish embassies.

The embassies are being protected by diplomatic police forces... All the security and safety measures have been taken, TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying.
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Isis has carried out a new wave of executions in the ancient ruins of Palmyra after re-taking the Syrian city.

Monitors said teachers were among 12 people murdered in front of crowds of men and children, either having their throats slit or being shot by jihadis.

The Palmyra Monitor group said captives were killed in three separate locations  Free Syrian Army and regime soldiers in two groups at the Roman theatre and in an abandoned Russian military base, and civilians outside Palmyra Museum.

There are now fears that Isis may carry out more executions of civilians who were arrested after it took control of the city, the group said.

 Palmyra before ISIS

There are about 75 Palmyrene civilians still under arrest by Isis and dozens of regime soldiers and militia men.

There were differing reports of the methods of execution, with Palmyra Monitor saying the soldiers had their throats slit, while the civilians were shot.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said all the captives, including city employees and teachers, were beheaded on Wednesday.

Isis favoured Palmyra as a setting for its gory execution videos after first gaining control of the city in 2015, including footage showing the killing of 25 soldiers in its Roman theatre, formerly a famed tourist attraction.

Militants publicly beheaded the citys 81-year-old head of antiquities, Khaled al-Assad, after he helped remove artefacts from the museum and refused to reveal the location of hidden treasures from the Unesco World Heritage Site.

Isis, which views the Roman ruins as idolatrous, destroyed countless precious structures including the Temple of Baalshamin, during its first, 10-month period of control in Palmyra.

Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Show all 10 1 /10 Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Graffiti on the ancient stones reads in Arabic Shooting without the permission of the chief is prohibited Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Damaged artefacts lay inside the museum of the historic city of Palmyra Reuters Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Syrian pro-government forces rest by Palmyra Citadel as they take control of the city from the hands of Isis Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces The UNESCO world heritage site appears surprisingly intact after its recapture from the militant group Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Many had feared the ancient city would be destroyed following its capture by Isis in May Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Smoke billows from the Palmyra Citadel as Assads forces drive the Jihadist group from the city Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Palmyra is one of the most important cultural centers of the world Unesco says Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Pro-government forces play football in the streets following the recapture of the city Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces The extent of the destruction caused by Isis 10 month occupation of the city has yet to be fully realised Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces The City Council of Palmyra building in ruins Reuters

The group was driven out of the city by Syrian government forces and militias backed by Russian air strikes in March 2016, but returned last month after troops were pulled out for Bashar al-Assads offensive on Aleppo.

Dr Jean-Marc Rickli, a research fellow at King's College London and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, said regaining the city was a symbolic victory for Isis after months of territorial losses and the killing of major figureheads..

Everybody knows Palmyra now, he told The Independent. Isis has sent a signal that theyre not dead.

Vladimir Putins air force is supporting a continuing Syrian army offensive to drive Isis back out of Palmyra and territory gained across Homs Governorate.

Lt-Gen Sergei Rudskoi, a senior Russian defence ministry official, said intelligence indicated that Isis may be planning a new wave of destruction in Palmyra.

We have received information, confirmed by several sources, that a large amount of explosives has been brought into the Palmyra area and that the terrorists plan on destroying the city's world-class historical legacy, he said.

The US-led coalition is also conducting regular air strikes on the region, most recently on 10 January, when an Isis tactical unit and vehicles were destroyed.
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A Taliban bomb maker accidentally killed himself and his four sons, when explosives detonated while he was building weapons for the militant group.

Kamal Khan, an expert bomb constructor from Sar-i-Pul province in northern Afghanistan, inadvertently caused an explosive to detonate during the night, while his family slept upstairs.

A spokesman for the provincial government said bombs made by Mr Khan were used frequently during deadly Taliban roadside attacks against security forces and US army troops.

He is believed to have been the Talibans most experienced explosives expert in Sar-i-Pul as well as a district commander, and had worked for the group for over a decade.

According to a UN report, a total of 2,562 civilians were killed and another 5,835 wounded during battles between the Taliban and Afghan government in the first nine months of 2016.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. 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Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

In June last year, a Taliban suicide bomber attacked an Afghan military convoy outside Kabul, killing almost 40 people and leaving dozens with severe injuries.

In November, at least two people died in a car bomb attack on the German consulate in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in north Afghanistan.
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Just a week before his inauguration as US president, Donald Trump became deeply embroiled in a bizarre story about unverified claims that the Russian government holds compromising information on his private life. The claims were made in a series of reports said to have been written by Christopher Steele, an ex-MI6 officer turned private intelligence consultant who it is claimed was commissioned by groups opposed to Trump to dig up discrediting material.

The dossier makes personal claims regarding Trump, allegedly based on information provided by officials of Russias Federal Security Service (FSB). Trump has furiously rejected the dossier as fake.

Plenty of observers have questioned the dossiers accuracy. Its claims are, after all, both remarkably lurid and conveniently topical and it is notably light on specific sources.

But the story refocuses the spotlight on Russias extensive use of honeytraps. This is one of its most reliable tools for generating kompromat  embarrassing information on individuals that can be leveraged to elicit secrets  throughout the Cold War, the FSBs Soviet predecessors, the NKVD and KGB, famously used it to great effect.

Defences down

William Luers, a former US ambassador to Czechoslovakia, assumed he was always watched as a young diplomat in 1960s Moscow. What they would do, Im sure, is listen to my wife and me to find out if we had any problems financially, was I given to promiscuity, and just listen to our apartment and wherever I was, he told Time magazine. In 2003, Sir Brian Crowe, once a junior Foreign Office official in Moscow, spoke of restrictions, self-imposed, on us no romantic/sexual relations with Russians for fear of blackmail.

Western officials are routinely warned about the risks of being compromised in sexual acts or illegal activity, yet Russias intelligence agencies have enjoyed much success, both past and present. Major Ivan D Yeaton, US military attache to Moscow from 1939 to 1941, described regular parties with girls generously provided by the NKVD.

In the 1950s, at least a dozen US diplomats were recalled to Washington after admitting sexual liaisons with KGB partners and in 1981 the US assistant military attache to Moscow  supposedly the best Russian-speaker in the American Embassy  returned to the US following a party stage-managed by the KGB.

Recommended Kremlin announces Russia will permanently leave G8

In 1989 Felix Bloch, a US State Department official, was discovered to be passing secrets to the Soviets having been compromised following an interest in sadomasochistic sex. He was forced to resign his post, though he was never charged.

Various British officials in Moscow also fell foul of Soviet honeytraps. John Vassall, an Admiralty clerk working at the UKs Moscow embassy, was famously blackmailed into spying for the KGB after being photographed during an orgy with several men at a time when gay sex was illegal in Britain. I remember the lighting was very strong and gradually most of my clothes were removed. I remember two or three people getting on to the bed with me, he said in a confession in 1962 released by the National Archives in 2006. Certain compromising sexual actions took place. I remember someone in the party taking photographs.

In the 1960s, Jeremy Wolfenden, The Daily Telegraphs Moscow correspondent and an SIS agent, was also blackmailed by the KGB with photos of him having sex with a man. (Funnily enough, he was the son of Lord Woldenden, who chaired the committee that recommended Britain legalise homosexuality.)

Soviet intelligence also compromised Sir Geoffrey Harrison, Britains ambassador to Moscow from 1965 to 1968. In his own words, Harrison let his defences drop and started a sexual relationship with a young, attractive Russian maid, who turned out to work for the KGB. As a result, Harrison was forced to admit the affair to Foreign Office mandarins, leading to his removal in 1968 and the end of his diplomatic career.

It is happening all the time to diplomats and journalists, even to politicians, he explained at the time. If you are on a long tour abroad then your defences can drop. Its unforgivable but it happens.

The KGB lured many Western officials into the bosom of the Soviets (Shutterstock)

Then and now

Sir Anthony Brenton, Britains ambassador to Moscow between 2004 and 2008, described kompromat as very much a part of the way Russia works. Sure enough, various incidents of recent years prove that Western diplomats and luminaries on tour in Russia still need to keep their noses clean.

In July 2009 British diplomat James Hudson, then deputy consul general at Yekaterinburg, was humiliated by the release of a four-minute video, Adventures of Mr Hudson in Russia, which showed him with prostitutes. There was no suggestion he was involved in espionage. He resigned his post. In a statement, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned that staff should demonstrate high levels of personal and professional integrity.

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A month later, a US diplomat was also involved in a sex scandal following a video which showed him with a prostitute being leaked online.

Whatever the truth regarding allegations against Trump, sexual entrapment was, and is, a tool frequently used by the Soviet intelligence services and their modern-day Russian descendants. The claims in the dossier are lurid and unproven, but they draw on very real precedents.

Dan Lomas is Programme Leader, MA Intelligence and Security Studies, at the University of Salford. This article first appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.com)
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Thirty years ago Soviet authorities hushed the devastating accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in what is now Ukraine. Now a court in the country on its northern border, Belarus, has discredited controversial lab results detailing the potentially dangerous legacy of the catastrophe.

In April last year, journalist Yuras Karamanu visited areas of southern Belarus still contaminated from the Chernobyl accident. He came across cows grazing near an area where signs warned of radiation. A local farmer offered him a glass of freshly drawn milk. Instead of tasting the sample, Karmanau sent it to a lab in the capital, Minsk, to be tested for radiation  as it turns out, he did well to do so.

Initial tests at the state-run Centre of Hygiene and Epidemiology found levels of a radioactive isotope 10 times higher than the nations food safety limits  a fact he reported in his story for AP to mark the 30th anniversary of the disaster. Months later, however, the Belarusian journalist was to face another problem: a court case brought against him for writing the piece.

Three decades on from Chernobyl disaster, it seems the political fallout is yet to settle  now both Karamanus career and the future of investigative journalism itself in Belarus face meltdown.

The story started when malfunction at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in April 1986 caused a chemical explosion  70 per cent of the radioactive dust created descended on Belarus. The fallout left swaths of the country uninhabitable and 20 per cent of agricultural land contaminated. The lives of more than two million of Belarusians  a fifth of the country  were affected.

Rates of thyroid cancers, particularly among children, skyrocketed. A 2002 report published by the UN described the Chernobyl accident as an environmental emergency adding the outcomes of the Chernobyl catastrophe both for the population, as well as for the economy of Belarus, can hardly be measured.

A 2005 commemoration of the Chernobyl disaster in central Minsk was broken up by Belaruss Special Forces who detained journalists, activists, and opposition politicians. Amnesty International declared the hundreds of protesters, who were later handed fines or imprisoned, were prisoners of conscience.

The Chernobyl disaster of 1986 caused farmers to trash their crops (PA)

Perhaps the most outspoken critic of government policy on Chernobyls legacy is Yury Bandazhevsky. In 1990 the 59-year-old scientist founded the first institute dedicated study the health impacts of Chernobyl  and then in 2001 he was sentenced to eight years in prison. His arrest on bribery charges was described as political both by Amnesty International and the National Academy of Sciences. Bandazhevsky was released in 2005 following a campaign supported by rock band The Cure. In his most recent interview from Ukraine, where he now lives in exile, Bandazhevsky said: The problem of Chernobyl is not finished, it has only just begun.

As recently as 2012, Belarusian human rights groups documented the detention and harassment of activists campaigning for a nuclear-free Belarus. Last year, six months after Yuras Karamanus milk story was published, the dairy company in the story went after him citing damages. In Belarus, where the legacy of the Chernobyl accident is contested by the government and the press is notoriously restricted (the country ranks 157th out of 180 states in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index), the verdict did not come as a surprise.

The issue of Chernobyl has become taboo, Karmanau told reporters before the first hearing in October. Milk has become a white oil for the state, exported to Russia. Milkavita exports 90 per cent of its products to Russia, to Moscow. And it is essential for the state to show that Belarusian milk is safe.

All attempts to investigate the Chernobyl zone are faced with a morbid reaction from officials, Karmanau added. The state has closed the issue of Chernobyl.

After a three-month legal battle, the judge ruled in favour of the company, Milkavita. The crucial moment of the proceedings came when Aksana Drabysheuskaya, chief engineer of the Centre of Hygiene and Epidemiology, recanted the findings her lab had relayed to Karmanu. She told the court that the readings Karmanau reported could not have been accurate because the sample was in a liquid state when it was tested and the milk had undergone the wrong testing procedure. Milkavita and the Belarusian Ministry of Agriculture agreed that the labs initial results could not be correct. The Economic Court in Minsk ordered the journalist to pay the legal fees of both the court and Milkavita  a total of 980 (2,340 Belarusian rubles).

Judge Tatyana Sapega ruled that Karmanau must retract the findings of his report in a written letter to his employer, Associated Press (AP). If the ruling is upheld after a pending appeal, authorities in Minsk may revoke the reporters accreditation. The Belarus Association of Journalists (BAJ) was among the first to criticise the ruling. The result of this trial significantly narrows the boundaries of freedom of speech in the country, the group said in a statement on the day of the courts decision. It calls into question the very possibility of significant investigative journalism in Belarus.

The power plant after the accident 30 years ago  a radioactive hangover, it is claimed, continues (PA)

Karmanaus employer, which was barred from becoming a co-defendant on the case, also released a statement in support of the journalist and his work. AP strongly disagrees with the courts decision and unreservedly stands behind journalist Yuras Karmanau, Ian Phillips, APs vice-president for international news, said in a statement. Mr Karmanaus reporting is a fair and accurate account of the lingering effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on Belarus 30 years after the accident, Philips added. The courts refusal to consider key evidence in support of Mr Karmanau raises serious concerns, and AP looks forward to vindication on appeal.

The BAJ was quick to question why Karmanau was being held personally responsible for his investigations findings. Citing Belarusian media law, BAJ claimed that the journalist was not liable for the dissemination of data not corresponding to reality, if that data is received from state bodies, which includes the Centre of Hygiene and Epidemiology. However, the chief engineer, Aksana Drabysheuskaya, had argued that that the readings given to Karmanau were not official state documents, but were informal readouts. Moreover, Drabysheuskaya said the unofficial lab results were given, not to the AP, but to Karmanau, a private citizen.

For analysts familiar with case and Belaruss repressive political climate, the result did not come as a surprise. Independent Belarusian journalists know very well that the authorities do not condone investigative journalism, which focuses on public agencies or government-run projects, said Igar Gubarevic a senior analyst at the Ostrogorski Centre based in Minsk. Few people believe in the independence of the Belarusian judiciary system, Gubarevic told The Independent. A government-owned entity has no chance of losing a court case against a journalist, regardless of how strictly he or she adheres to journalistic standards.

Belarusian political analyst Siarhei Bohdan told The Independent that the government could respond by providing more information, inviting some authoritative experts, and explaining the situation. Yet so far we have more politicised speculations [of Chernobyls legacy] than studies and analyses that clarify the risks.

Bohdan also questioned that the APs goal in testing milk, as opposed to a finished diary product, saying that the article may have been intended to cause political scandal in Russia.

The courts ruling comes at a time when public opinion on nuclear power in Belarus is under the spotlight. Construction on Belarus first nuclear power station, which began in 2013, is now well under way. A series of fatal accidents on the construction site of BelNPP, which authorities initially tried to cover up, has sparked a debate on nuclear safety that has left Belarusians, some opposition politicians and government officials in neighbouring countries worried.

A woman holds a disfigured piglet hit by fallout in the 1980s  the Belarus government is keen to complete a 9bn nuclear power plant (Getty Images)

Belarus avoids drawing public attention to the legacy of Chernobyl for two main reasons, senior analyst Gubarevic explained. The image of a contaminated country might hamper its efforts to promote exports and attract foreign investment and it may be at odds with the governments newly adopted policy of pursuing nuclear energy by building the BelNPP. 

Public opinion on the 9bn nuclear project is hanging in the balance. A poll conducted by the Independent Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studies in June last year showed that a slight majority of respondents  35 per cent  disapprove of the project. Anti-nuclear activists, including those detained by authorities, argue that the planning and construction of BelNPP have violated United Nation nuclear regulations and Aarhus and Espoo environmental conventions. These allegations are hotly denied by the government. Belarusian Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich, whose collection of survivor testimonies, Chernobyl Prayer, painstakingly recounts the human impact of the nuclear disaster in Ukraine and Belarus, described President Alexander Lukashenko's decision to progress plans for the nuclear station as a crime.

Belarus is a closed, authoritarian system, and the theme of Chernobyl is also a closed topic, said Alexievich. One person makes decisions in an authoritarian country, and he has decided to build a nuclear power plant, she said, referring to Lukashenko. The BelNPP nuclear station in the unspoilt north of the country, which is seen as Lukashenkos pet project, was originally devised as a solution to the countrys reliance on Russian energy. Minsk hoped to profit by selling surplus energy to neighbouring countries in the EU.

After 10 deaths and an accident involving a reactor casing at the BelNPP construction site, which is a mere 30 miles from Lithuanias capital, foreign governments have turned against the accident-prone and Russian-constructed project. Lithuanias president, Dalia Grybauskaite, who is staunch opponent of Russian influence in Europe, described Lukashenkos BelNPP in August as an existential question for European security.

Tatyana Novikova, a thyroid cancer survivor and activist who has been detained by authorities for her opposition to BelNPP, says the Economic courts ruling against Karmanau is in keeping with the governments broader attitude towards the legacy of Chernobyl. The Belarusian government is trying to represent the consequences of Chernobyl as a problem which is passing away, she told The Independent.

''In other words, they try to convince citizens that the government has already done everything to protect them, and that the factor of time has eliminated radiation. The problem is that contamination will still be there and it is still a danger to people, she said.
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The airlift to bring thousands of British holidaymakers home from The Gambia is well under way, following the Foreign Office warning against all but essential travel to the West African nation.

Q Whats the political background?

The president, Yahya Jammeh, lost in an election last month to Adama Barrow, but on the eve of when he was due to hand over power declared a state of emergency instead. Reports suggest there is a high level of tension and uncertainty.

The British High Commission in the capital, Banjul, believes that the volatile situation could result in Banjul International Airport being closed at short notice. Rather than risking UK holidaymakers being stranded in a country where the only other way out involved a long and difficult overland journey via Senegal, the decision was taken to put The Gambia on the no-go list.

Recommended British tourists are being evacuated from The Gambia

Q What are the implications of the Foreign Office advising against travel?

People on package holidays can expect to be flown home as soon as an airlift can be organised. The tour operator has a duty of care which includes removing customers from a country or region that is deemed to be dangerous. People who have travelled to Banjul independently on flight-only arrangements are not entitled to emergency repatriation.

Q Why is there a distinction?

Legally, every package holiday comes with robust consumer protection including the requirement to remove customers from areas of danger as swiftly as possible. A straightforward plane ticket has no such protection. For example, I can easily buy a flight from a range of UK airports on Brussels Airlines via the Belgian capital to Banjul. The fact that the British government advises against a trip is not the carriers problem  it is merely honouring a contract to provide transportation.

Having said that, Thomas Cook is going beyond its statutory responsibilities to ensure the earliest possible flight availability for return to the UK for independent travellers. Many flight-only customers are coming back on the rescue flights on Thursday and Friday, but some are staying put  mostly people with family in The Gambia.

Q What happens about travel insurance?

While the airlift is being organised, travellers continue to be covered. But once planes are available, anyone who chooses not to depart will find that their travel insurance policy is invalidated. A typical policy says any claim arising as a result of your travel to a country or specific area or event to which the Travel Advice Unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or the World Health Organisation has advised the public not to travel will be rejected.

Q How difficult is it to organise an airlift from a country like The Gambia?

There is never a good time for an emergency evacuation to be deployed, but for one to happen the middle of the week in the middle of January is about as benign as it gets; there are plenty of planes and crews around to begin an airlift without disrupting other plans.

The main complications arise on the ground in The Gambia  contacting independent travellers, and managing the airport handling. Package holidaymakers tend to be easy to contact, because the travel company knows where they are staying. But independent travellers are more difficult to manage. Thomas Cook has used social media to contact customers and advise them of the options to depart.

Recommended These 6 idyllic places are being destroyed by tourism

Banjul airport is small and congested. This is particularly significant because of the long flying time to The Gambia. In order for crew to stay within their legal hours, turn-rounds must be swift  and so Thomas Cook has flown in managers to help with check-in and ground handling.

Q I can still buy a holiday in The Gambia. Is it legal  or moral  for companies to sell these while tourists are being told to get out quick?

Its perfectly legitimate, and there are some good deals around; a trip to Kotu Beach from Birmingham on 14 February for a week costs barely 500, including accommodation with breakfast.

The hope is that the political crisis will abate, and that the Foreign Office will lift its advice. Holiday companies will continue to sell future trips in the belief that they will be able to operate them as planned. If the ban persists, though, travellers will be able to claim full refunds.

Q I have a future booking for The Gambia. What are my options?

Again, the options for package holidaymakers and flight-only travellers are different. Anyone who has just an air ticket has no legal entitlement for a refund or a change of destination, though some airlines will allow this.

For package holidaymakers: if a trip does not go ahead because of Foreign Office advice, travellers are entitled to a full refund. For later dates, some holiday companies are likely to offer limited free amendments for impending trips until the situation in The Gambia becomes clearer.

Q But I have a holiday booking for November, and I no longer want to go. What can I do?

You can certainly ask the tour operator if you could switch your departure, but at this stage you are unlikely to get a positive response. Ten months is a long time in West Africa, and it seems fair to allow travel companies to assess the situation closer to departure.

Q Was putting The Gambia on the no-go list an overreaction?

Some travel-industry figures have privately said that they are concerned about the timing of the announcement. They hint the move was partly dictated by the course of the inquest into the deaths of 30 British holidaymakers in the massacre on the beach in Sousse, Tunisia in June 2015.

Claims have been made that the Foreign Office should have put Tunisia on the danger list earlier, after an attack on the Bardo Museum in the capital three months before. The implication from the industry sources is that the British Government is keen to avoid such accusations in future, and therefore is opting for the safe choice of warning against travel.

Yet the suggestion of an abundance of caution appears to be misplaced. Indeed, the US government called on all its citizens  and families of diplomats  to leave The Gambia 10 days before the UK decision.
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Its called the Butler Model (named after Professor Richard W Butler): a tourist destination is discovered, grows exponentially and reaches peak success. For most places, though, its all downhill from there  beaches are overcrowded, queues are long and badly behaved tourists ruin the atmosphere that their predecessors came for. As Barcelona blames ever-increasing tourist numbers for an uptick in complaints to police and Thailand has closed an island due to overcrowding, Responsible Travel's CEO Justin Francis tells us which destinations are crumbling under tourism  and how to visit them with minimal impact.

Venice

Venices population has been hollowed out by tourism, halving with every decade, says Francis. Its going from a living, breathing place to a theme park. The rise of Airbnb means locals are being pushed out of the housing market, he says, and cruise ships going right into the historic areas has an environmental, aesthetic and economic impact, since tourists rarely eat or sleep off the ships. Overcrowding is a huge problem  in peak season, people arent able to access some of the main sights, he says.

How to do it better: Go in shoulder season  it creates more certainty for local businesses, and doesnt overwhelm the local community and culture as travelling in peak season does. A locally owned hotel is the most ethical place to stay, Francis reckons  that way, more of your money goes back to the community, but youre not stripping locals of a place to live.

Or try: Italys borghi or rural villages are slowly emptying as younger generations abandon them for the city. This is where your tourist dollar can make a difference. Stay in an agriturismo (country B&B) or an albergo diffuso  a hotel made up of rooms scattered around a historic centre, immersing you in local life.

Buying souvenirs from children at Angkor Wat, Cambodia, can cause problems in the local community (AFP/Getty Images)

Cambodia

Cambodia as a country isnt being ruined by tourism, says Francis, but tourism revolving around orphanages is tearing communities apart. Not only are orphanages mushrooming around tourist resorts, but 80 per cent of children in them arent orphans  theyve been placed there by their families in the hope of giving them a better start. Children in the orphanages suffer psychological effects from being repeatedly abandoned, according to Francis. You shouldnt visit them, and you should by no means volunteer at them, he warns. The same goes for buying souvenirs from the kids shilling them at tourist sites  parents take them out of school thinking that cute kids can earn more money than adults. Dont contribute.

How to do it better: Volunteering should be about What good can I do? rather than How good can I feel?" says Francis. If you want to volunteer, find a project that helps parents keep their kids at home. You can still visit Angkor Wat; just buy your postcards from an adult.

Or try: Cambodias wildlife areas are worth supporting, in order to stop them being developed for tourism, says Francis. Try visiting places that are lesser known.

The Seljalandsfoss in Iceland probably won't be this peaceful when you see it, so try another waterfall (Alexander Scheuber/Getty)

Iceland

Iceland recast its economy around tourism after the 2008 crash; and its done that so well that its swiftly becoming a victim of its own success. Sometimes tourism grows faster than the infrastructure, says Francis. There were 250,000 tourists to Iceland in 2009, and 1.6m last year. It cant handle those numbers. In peak season, the Golden Circle route is overcrowded and difficult to navigate, he says.

How to do it better: Branch out from the normal itineraries. You wont know the difference between the most famous waterfall in Iceland and the second and third most famous  theyre equally magical, says Francis. But youll enjoy the lesser-known ones more as theyre more peaceful.

Or try: For the far north, Spitsbergen, in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, is magnificent says Francis  fly via Oslo. Greenland is an up-and-coming destination, too.

Barcelona

The mayor of Barcelona is clamping down on tourism: banning large groups from the Boqueria Market, fining holiday operators for misconduct, shutting down illegal rentals and blaming drunk Brits for an uptick in police complaints. In a recent survey, locals declared themselves more concerned about tourism than poverty, says Francis. The city sees three times the number of visitors it did in the 1992 Olympics, and its eroding the citys identity.

How to do it better: Like Venice, visit in shoulder season to minimise impact and provide a steady flow of tourist income. Again, Francis recommends staying in a locally owned hotel.

Or try: Rural Spain, for a full immersion into the food culture people come to Barcelona for. Like Italy, Francis says, young people in Spain are draining from the country to the city. Tourism can give them a reason to stay.

Phuket's beaches are no longer paradise, according to Responsible Travel (Getty)

Thailand

Thailand closed the island of Koh Tachai to tourists last year after overcrowding issues, but that hasnt ended the problem, says Francis; Phuket exemplifies too much tourism. Thailand tried to model itself as a paradise, but its as far from paradise as you can imagine  there are too many instances of sex tourism, theres really bad behaviour from tourists, and a growth in drug culture. Mangrove forests are being degraded in order to build resorts, and the animal welfare at tourists sites is appalling, Francis reports.

How to do it better: Look beyond the marketing, says Francis. Thailand has an epic coastline  there are more than 1,400 islands to choose from, so pick an alternative. And be responsible  travelling with respect will earn you more respect. He suggests asking hotels whether they pay staff the minimum wage before booking.

Or try: Burma has deliberately limited tourist numbers, he says  so you wont see the same ugly effects.

Cuba

In the past few years there has been a vast increase in tourist numbers, says Francis, but theyre going up faster than the infrastructure. That doesnt just mean issues with finding places to stay; its affecting locals too, with restaurants buying up food, meaning locals are priced out and tourists are literally raiding food off the plates of the Cubans, according to Francis.

How to do it better: Francis tells us a high proportion of tourists only visit Havana; go further afield to spread the tourist load more evenly. He also recommends staying in casas particulares (homestays) rather than hotels.

Or try: Belize and Costa Rica have developed excellent models of sustainable tourism, says Francis  in fact all of Central America is a better bet than the Caribbean, according to him.
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It is 2022 and the UK has finally left the EU. Mike Ashley has woken up and has to pinch himself. All those dreaded extra protections for workers established since 1997 have been ditched. Hurrah. He can now pay his Sports Direct staff 1 an hour and the law requiring employers to offer their staff paid time off is a thing of the past. It may seem like fiction, but if some Brexiteers get their way this might be exactly where were heading.

The suggestion has been made that the UK could become the next Singapore. A closer examination of that small states labour market and economy suggests this is not an economic model we should be aspiring towards.

One of the allures of Singapore for many expatriates is not just the climate but the plethora of low-skilled domestic workers. Employ someone from the Philippines or Indonesia to do pretty much any domestic chore in Singapore and it will not break the bank.

Recommended The first thing Trump will do could change America entirely

Figures from 2015 indicate that 220,000 women work in Singapore households doing cooking, cleaning and caring for children, and elderly and disabled people. Foreign domestic workers are, however, exempted from most labour laws  which means there are no rules to provide minimum rest days. Many have been subject to violence or verbal abuse.

Recent legislation has improved things slightly, but it only requires employers to pay a minimum of 315 per month to domestic workers. In most other sectors there is still no minimum wage.

Maybe this is the kind of model Priti Patel was thinking of when she said last year: If we could just halve the burdens of the EU social and employment legislation we could deliver a 4.3bn boost to our economy and 60,000 new jobs. It is more than a little ironic that Brexiteers in Britain want us to become the next Singapore at the same time as the Prime Minister is campaigning against modern slavery.

 Donald Trump's inauguration: What actually happens?

In Singapore there is no such a thing as unemployment benefit. According to the countrys Manpower Minister, 9 in 10 Singapore employees get retrenchement benefits  a nice way of describing redundancy packages  from their employer. That still leaves 10 per cent of people being made redundant without getting a single penny to tie them over between jobs. Some Conservative MPs on the right of the party have already been trying to call for the young unemployed to have their benefits turned into loans (as if those with student loans were not already sufficiently indebted), so they have clearly been thinking along the same lines.

This week the Chancellor spelled out that, should the UK not get the type of trade deal it wants, the Government is prepared to change its economic model. By this he appears to mean a beggarmy-neighbour low corporation tax policy which only leads to lower amounts of corporation tax being collected. As we scrabble around to get as much foreign money invested as possible, the UK is likely to become even more of a haven for tax dodgers. What better a place to launder your ill-gotten gains than in a low tax environment?

Just as Singapore and other low tax countries such as Switzerland have discovered, the more wealthy overseas people you have owning assets in your country, the greater the risk that your banks are laundering dirty money. Last year, two Swiss banks had to be shut down in Singapore due to money laundering.

As Transparency International has pointed out, since 2004 more than 180m worth of property in UK has been brought under criminal investigation as the suspected proceeds of corruption. If we lower our tax rates even further in a post Brexit world, do we really think this trend will decline?

Before we heed the call of Brexiteers to follow the yellow brick road to Singapore, we should think hard about what it really means and who really benefits in this new utopia.
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Why, if they know they could die at sea, are they still coming? Thats the question being asked by many Europeans about the continuing flood of migrants trying to cross from Africa to Italy, Greece and other parts of Europe in crowded, often unseaworthy boats, many dying in the attempt. I wanted to show what is happening on the other side of the Mediterranean, in Libya.

Working in Libya is difficult and dangerous, even with a good knowledge of the country and good connections. We didnt know what to expect.

What we discovered were hundreds of people being held in camps, waiting, hoping for a better life. Some were so thin that bones were sticking out of their backs. One woman told us: What will happen next, we dont know. Migrants are keen to speak to the camera, desperately trying to call for help, to say: We are here and we are human beings, we exist. In some way they believe that if only the world outside could know, something would happen to change things. They cannot believe they are just left to their fate.

These desperate refugees who have fled from terror in their own country (Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia) are housed in huge hangars. They are forced to live there, often with little water or food, and at risk of being beaten. Living in a halfway zone between home and the freedom they seek, they have no knowledge of whether they will ever leave Libya.

As part of the research for the story I needed access to government-manned centres, and authorisation from the ministry of interior. This often requires clearances signed by the police or other bodies, and includes days spent in waiting rooms and multiple telephone calls to different offices.

Sometimes even that preparation was not enough, for instance on one occasion visiting the officially government-controlled Abu Slim centre, despite the visit being arranged by the ministry and an officer accompanying me, the militiamen, who werent consulted beforehand, blocked our visit. As we crossed the gate a number of young guys wearing flip flops and carrying pistols threatened the director and the officers.

Of course, as there is no press freedom in Libya, we just scrape the surface and try to get as deep as possible, bearing in mind that what we can see is never the whole reality.

During my work, all the militias I met were keen to show how good they were at controlling the migrants and, astonishingly, they were not worried at all about hiding every kind of abuse they were perpetrating. In some way they seemed to believe that in Europe nobody cares about that, as long as they can prevent migrants arriving on our shores. In some cases the only reason I was allowed to work in one camp was because the militia thought that visibility of the media could have been useful to put pressure on the government.

The most scary thing is that what we were seeing and documenting was just the good part: what is shown is considered acceptable or even something to be proud of. Despite this, the living conditions I saw were really harsh and abuses are part of normal life. What happens out of sight may be even more terrible.

European public opinion was shaken when on 18 April 2015 more than 800 men, women and children drowned in the Mediterranean. Following this, the European Union expressed a willingness to bomb boats and ports used to smuggle migrants across the sea. The Tripoli government, supported by Islamist coalition Libya Dawn, declared its intention to engage in the struggle against human trafficking, and started a campaign aiming to show it was serious about stemming the flow of migrants. The Libyan government is also receiving support from the EU to help control Mediterranean crossings.

Migrants have become a valuable commodity in the fight for power, as Libyan militias, who are widely believed to have a major role in the human trafficking business, stepped into migration policy to try and gain influence on the government.

Government officials told me they did not have enough resources to carry out any of the operations the government had announced so they had hired rough militias to secure the shores and stop illegal crossing to Europe.

The migrant stories are gruesome, they cannot speak freely and what we can hear from them is not the whole reality. The mi- grants I met with again when some of them managed to reach Europe told me about torture and killings as a day-to-day routine.

I thought it was important to cover this story to show what happens out of the sight of European people. While the public were demanding a bigger effort to save the lives of migrants in the Mediterranean sea, the actions undertaken by the Tripoli government to show itself as a reliable partner for the EU in the control of the migration flow were in effect worsening living conditions and in- creasing the danger for migrants in Libya.
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History is about to unfold in Washington, but lets talk grizzly bears for a moment. Actually, we wont be alone; the social mediaverse has been wall-to-wall grizzlies this week.

For that we have Betsy DeVos to thank, the Michigan billionaire picked by Donald Trump to lead Americas giant school system. She, like several other of his cabinet nominees, had her ritual cross-examination by US senators on Capitol Hill this week and, well, it didnt go especially well.

Recommended Donald Trump still needs to appoint majority of government jobs

There was much, in fact, to make any teacher  or parent  weep. As when Senator Elizabeth Warren asked about her level of personal experience of 1) running any large-scale organisation, 2) running a $1 trillion lending bank which the Department of Education is, or 3) taking out college loans herself (or her children doing so). Answers: none, none and none.

Ms DeVos does have a years-long record of promoting private charter schools, an effort that necessarily implies taking funds and talent from the public system she wishes to lead. She also has one of giving generously to Republicans. That would be about $200 million over time, she said, from herself and members of her family. Enough to buy any cabinet position, perhaps?

Now to those four-legged mammals that like to eat honey (and possibly young children). When Senator Christopher Murphy asked whether she believed in keeping guns out of schools she ducked, suggesting it should be up to local governments to make that call. Why? Because in some parts of the country a school might need a gun to protect from potential grizzlies.

The grizzly bear. Reason enough to keep stationary cupboards packed with rifles? Betsy DeVos thinks so (Reuters)

Heavens (to Betsy). It didnt seem like she was trying to be funny. School officials in the part of Wyoming that Ms DeVos was allegedly referring to have since noted that while bears are a concern they do not stock their stationery cupboards with hunting rifles for the day they show up for science class. The sheer insensitivity of her answer left jaws hanging. Senator Murphy is from Connecticut. In 2012 he was a Congressman whose district encompassed Sandy Hook, the site of a mass shooting that took the lives of 20 elementary schoolchildren and six teachers.

You cant blame liberals for seizing on the gaffe. This is not just about Ms DeVos. All week, the Senate has been in full throttle vetting Mr Trumps cabinet choices. A few may be approved by the time he takes the Oath of Office. The process is serving as a reminder that any hopes we may have that Mr Trump will be more moderate  or just more sane  as president than he was as campaigner seem foolish when you consider the people he is surrounding himself with.

As has been widely observed, it will be a team dominated by grey-haired white men and, in many cases, billionaires and people selected for jobs they are either utterly unqualified for or which present serious conflict-of-interest issues.

Where to begin? To head the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Mr Trump tapped Scott Pruitt, whose favourite hobby as attorney general of Oklahoma was to sue said body for daring to impose regulations designed precisely to, well, protect the environment. And when asked at his hearing if he believed humans were the cause of global warming he said he wasnt sure. He might want to read Wednesdays news about our planet achieving yet another temperature record.

To head the Department of Energy, he tapped former Texas Governor Rick Perry, who while running for president in 2011 said that that same department was one of three he would abolish. (You recall his oops moment when on a debate stage he could only remember two of the three).

Just on Wednesday he settled on former Georgia Governor Sonny Purdue for Agriculture Secretary. Some in the Peach State will remember his response to its crippling drought in 2007. He led hundreds to the State Capitol to pray for rain, asking God to forgive Georgians for their previous water wastefulness. (He did also take the more practical step of imposing restrictions.)

Who else do we have? Tom Price is up to set healthcare policy and thus take the lead in replacing Obamacare. Also from Georgia, he said during his confirmation hearing he wasnt worried about poorer Americans losing full insurance so long as they are covered for catastrophic hospitalisation. Thats nice. For the Department of Housing and Urban Development, we have a former brain surgeon. Why not? At least Ben Carson offers diversity.

On Thursday, Steven Mnuchin, the likely new Treasury Secretary, was lambasted by Democrats for his ownership at the time of the crash of OneWest Bank, an institution that profited from foreclosing on thousands of homeowners who found they couldnt pay their mortgages. The bank was dubbed a foreclosure machine in the press, a description Mr Mnuchin has pushed back against. At his hearing, Mr Price was asked to explain his purchases of stocks in healthcare companies while at the same time voting on laws that directly affected them. If most saw a glaring conflict of interest in the transaction, Mr Price apparently did not.

The suggestion that Mr Trump may in his bones be less conservative than he pretended to be on the trail last year is not a new one. At the start of this week, he startled many in his own party by dropping hints in an interview with The Washington Post that the healthcare policy he would like to see could actually be more progressive than Obamacare, not less.

But it is hard to square that with the people he has assembled to govern with him. With firm control over the process, it is unlikely that Republicans will allow any of his cabinet nominees to fall by the wayside, however ignorant or deliberately obfuscatory they have appeared under interrogation on the Hill. That includes Ms DeVos, she of grizzly fame.

On Twitter, Mr Trump has a word for states of affairs as disappointing and dispiriting as this.

Sad.
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday backed efforts by West African states to ensure Gambian President Adama Barrow assumes power from Yahya Jammeh, but stressed that it should be pursued by political means first.

West African regional bloc ECOWAS said it would remove Jammeh if he did not hand over power. Senegalese troops entered neigbouring Gambia on Thursday, an army spokesman said shortly after the Security Council vote.

Barrow won an election in early December and the mandate of Jammeh, who has been in power since a 1994 coup, ended on Thursday. Overnight talks to persuade Jammeh to stand down failed despite his increasing political isolation.

Jammeh initially conceded to Barrow but then back-tracked, saying the vote was flawed and there had to be a re-run. Barrow was sworn in at Gambia's embassy in Senegal on Thursday.

Gambians took to the streets in their dozens on Thursday to celebrate the swearing-in of Barrow on television live from Senegal, AFP reported.

Young men shouted and sang while hanging out of cars, as children danced with their mothers on main roads near to the capital, Banjul, where Jammeh was believed to remain despite the expiry of his mandate.

The 15-member U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution that expressed "its full support to the ECOWAS in its commitment to ensure, by political means first, the respect of the will of the people of The Gambia as expressed in the results of 1st December elections."

The initial Senegalese draft text circulated on Wednesday would have had the council support "ECOWAS in its commitment to take all necessary measures" to install Barrow. But that language was softened to win unanimous support, diplomats said.

The council did not need to formally authorize a military intervention in Gambia because Barrow requested ECOWAS help.

"Nothing in this resolution should be interpreted as authorization for the express use of force," Uruguay's U.N. Ambassador Elbio Rosselli told the council after the vote.

Bolivia's U.N. Ambassador Sacha Sergio Llorentty Soliz echoed Rosselli, saying the resolution could not be seen as "support or endorsement for the use of force."

The council resolution asked "the Gambian defence and security forces to demonstrate maximum restraint to maintain an atmosphere of calm in the Gambia and stresses their duty and obligation to place themselves at the disposal of the democratically elected authorities."

It also requested Jammeh to carry our a peaceful transfer of power.

Farhan Haq, a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Thursday: "The U.N. supports regional efforts aimed at resolving the crisis peacefully."

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Presidents propose; Congress disposes. And so it will be with Donald Trumps tax plans. He wants to cut tax rates both for individuals and for companies. Republicans in Congress  and remember they control both the House and the Senate  also want to cut taxes, so there will quite swiftly be changes in the US tax system. But still to play for will be the detail, and that game has yet to begin.

The background is that the US has a bad tax system. Yes, I know most people hate tax, but the point about the US is that it has high nominal tax rates combined with lots of exemptions. So it leads to huge distortions, while collecting a relatively low proportion of GDP in tax.

Personal tax first. At present there are seven bands of Federal tax, with a top rate of just under 40 per cent. But as well as that are state income taxes, of which the highest is California at over 13 per cent, though you have to have an annual income of more than $1m to get there.

Seven states including Texas and Florida have no income tax at all, and while they do charge property and other taxes, this leads a lot of rich Americans to more there on retirement.

But there are exemptions, which include payment into pensions, donations to charitable foundations, deductions for medical expenses, and so on. There is even a deduction for gambling losses, though it is better not to lose the money in the first place.

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

Donald Trumps proposal is that there should be three rates of Federal income tax: 10 per cent, 20 per cent and 25 per cent. The House plan, led by speaker Paul Ryan, is also for three rates  12, 25 and 33 per cent  so there is obviously a gap to close.

The other main difference is exemptions, with the House plan ending nearly all of them, except mortgage interest and charitable donations. Donald Trump, by contrast, wants to keep them  except, maybe he wont. His nominee for Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, says: There will be no absolute tax cut for the upper class. There will be a big tax cut for the middle class, but any tax cuts we have for the upper class will be offset by less deductions.

Now to corporate taxation. The rate there is 35 per cent, the highest in the developed world, and some states levy tax on top of that too. But as with personal taxation there are huge exemptions, of which the most notable is that profits earned abroad can be parked abroad free of tax. This has led to the double Irish and other devices, whereby multinational companies can avoid tax altogether on a huge chunk of their revenues.

Two-thirds of US companies pay no corporation tax at all. Donald Trump proposes cutting the rate to 15 per cent, the second lowest after Irelands 12.5 per cent rate. The Republicans in the House have proposed a 20 per cent rate, the same as the UK at the moment.

But the key, as with personal taxation, will be what happens to exemptions. The House plan would stop interest exemptions, which have led to the device where owners take cash out of a business, load it up with debt and then use the interest on the debt to reduce profits. This was not why the policy was created: it was to increase investment by cutting the cost of borrowing. But it has had this perverse effect, leading sometimes to quite disgraceful business practice.

 Donald Trump's inauguration: What actually happens?

As for all that money stashed abroad, well have to wait and see quite how the new administration plans to get it back. Expect a mixture of carrot and stick  bring back the money in some form of amnesty, paying a low rate of tax, or be clobbered later on.

The House Republicans have promised major tax changes in the first 100 days of the new administration. Tax reform is complicated but because there is such widespread frustration with the present system that a lot of preparation work has been done on ways to reform it.

But the President and Congress have to hammer out a deal that satisfies both. They also have to create something that increases incentives without too serious a loss of revenue. Whatever they do will be savaged by the Democrats and economists favourable to the Democrats. But do expect something big.
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Tuesdays UK Supreme Court ruling, allowing two Libyans to sue the British government for alleged complicity in their rendition and torture by the CIA, takes us back to the dark days after 9/11 when America kidnapped people and handed them over to squalid foreign regimes, like Colonel Gaddafis or President Assads.

However, it has gone unnoticed that US President-elect Donald Trump looks set to continue renditions when he takes office in a few days. True, his cabinet nominees told Congress last week that they would not use torture, despite Trumps calls for waterboarding and a hell of a lot worse on the campaign trail. But Mike Pompeo, his pick for CIA Director, has effectively confirmed that rendition will be an available policy. In response to written questions from Senators recently, he said that, if the CIA does conduct rendition/transfers of prisoners to foreign countries, he will seek diplomatic assurances from those countries that torture will not occur.

In other words, rendition is on the table. This isnt surprising, because the US has been in the rendition business for decades, long before George W Bush came on the scene. It basically involves the extralegal transfer of prisoners from one country to another without going through formal extradition or deportation procedures.

'I was tortured' claims Iraqi who threw his shoes at Bush Show all 2 1 /2 'I was tortured' claims Iraqi who threw his shoes at Bush 'I was tortured' claims Iraqi who threw his shoes at Bush 242129.bin AP 'I was tortured' claims Iraqi who threw his shoes at Bush 242128.bin REUTERS

There are two types of rendition. On the one hand, there are the less problematic ordinary renditions, when suspects are captured and brought to the US for trial. On the other, there are extraordinary renditions, when suspected terrorists are abducted and sent extrajudicially to third countries where they are often held in secret and mistreated.

Ordinary renditions are old, dating back to the mid-1980s, and, under certain conditions, comply with international law. Extraordinary renditions, by contrast, started more recently, under President Clinton in 1995, and are far more controversial due to the torture and indefinite detention they typically involve.

Bush intensified extraordinary renditions after 9/11. Perhaps the most famous case during his administration was the Italian Job, when CIA officers kidnapped the cleric Abu Omar off the streets of Milan in 2003 and flew him to Cairo, where he was held incommunicado and tortured by Egypts brutal mukhabarat.

The Bush team denied that torture was the purpose of these renditions, insisting it had diplomatic assurances that prisoners would be treated humanely. But, given the nature of the regimes in question (Assads Syria being one), these assurances were usually hollow, and abuse all but guaranteed.

 CIA Torture Tactics

To the surprise of many, President Obama continued renditions when he took office in 2009. However, there have been no extraordinary renditions to Egypt, Syria or elsewhere that we know of during his administration, only ordinary renditions when captives have been snatched abroad and flown back to the US for trial.

Similar to renditions, and more concerning for Obamas record, are prisoner transfers. In Afghanistan, US and other coalition forces have handed detainees over to the Afghan intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), where a substantial number have been vilely tortured according to UN reports in 2011 and 2013.

When the UN released its findings, coalition forces in Afghanistan quickly suspended prisoner transfers. But the CIA did not, and continued sending captives to NDS facilities where extreme torture was documented.

More recently it has been reported that Isis fighters caught with the aid of US special forces were tortured by Iraqi Kurds in 2015. The authors of the story, Shane Harris and Nancy Youssef, even go so far as to call the episode reminiscent of the rendition program under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Then there is proxy detention, where foreign governments hold terror suspects at Americas behest. This practice, also known as rendition-lite, has seen a number of individuals arrested abroad, tortured by local security forces, and periodically interrogated by FBI agents since Obama took office in 2009. According to outgoing CIA Director John Brennan, proxy detention has been the agencys preferred approach to holding captives under Obama. With the closing down of the CIAs black sites, and the gradual emptying of Guantanamo, the US has increasingly outsourced its detention operations to third parties.

Congressman Mike Pompeo is known as a vocal opponent of President Obama's nuclear deal (AP)

Obamas CIA has reportedly even used a black site in Somalia to interrogate captives in its fight against al-Shabab. The site was funded by the US, but managed and staffed by indigenous personnel, making it  in theory  a Somali operation. It appears prisoners were rendered there from other African nations and held in filthy conditions.

Maybe this light footprint strategy is an improvement. Surely it is better to let sovereign countries handle their own affairs. But the system could facilitate prisoner abuse by allowing the US and others to farm out their dirty work. Diplomatic assurances provide a degree of plausible deniability that torture was ever intended.

Whether Trump will outsource torture in this way, only time will tell. But, given the long and often sordid history of extraordinary renditions, we should remain vigilant.
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When Donald Trump takes the oath of office on Friday, he will inherit a wide range of powers as the chief executive of the most powerful country in the world. The powers of the presidency were originally defined by the US Constitution and have been both expanded and clarified as the US has grown and changed. They are broad but subject to significant political, legal and logistical constraints. Here are six of the most important powers that President Trump will be taking on.

Nuclear weapons

The President has sole control over the US nuclear arsenal, which is distributed between land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and bombs carried by fighter and bomber aircraft.

The nuclear command and control system was designed for rapid response in the event of a full-scale war with the Soviet Union, so while numerous checks were built into the system to prevent accidental launch or sabotage, there are effectively no limitations on a Presidents authority to launch nuclear strikes.

Intelligence and counter-terrorism operations

The US intelligence apparatus is the worlds largest  including the CIA, the NSA and numerous less-well-known agencies with a huge range of data-gathering, analytical and operational capabilities. They all report to the President via the Director of National Intelligence. Congress and elements of the judiciary exercise oversight, but the high degree of secrecy inherent to these operations means that the president and their appointees have significant discretion over the priorities and targeting of intelligence operations.

The intelligence community  particularly the CIA  is also empowered to take direct action under presidential directive in some circumstances; including lethal actions such as its drone programme.

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

Trade Policy

The President has fairly wide (but not unlimited) authority to raise and lower trade barriers and negotiate trade agreements. Mr Trump has suggested that he might rip up the North American Free Trade Agreement, which created a free-trade area between Mexico, the US and Canada, though the first step is likely to be a renegotiation between the three countries. He will certainly halt any progress on the existing Trans-Pacific Partnership and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreements.

Staffing the federal bureaucracy

The executive branch, which the President heads, consists of virtually all of what people think of as the government  everything from the military to the National Parks Service to NASA (though the majority of government employees in the US  teachers and police officers for example  are employees of their respective states, not the federal government).

 Donald Trump's inauguration: What actually happens?

The President appoints the top echelons (cabinet secretaries, under-secretaries, administrators of independent departments, etc.), and through those choices exercises significant control over the operations of the entire federal machinery.

Signing or vetoing legislation

The President must sign any piece of legislation passed by both houses of Congress in order to make it into a law. He can also veto legislation, unless it is passed with a two-thirds majority of both houses (a rare occasion, especially in an era where bipartisan cooperation is unusual).

The bully pulpit

The president of the United States is automatically the most recognisable political figure in the world. Their public statements have enormous consequences  they can deter or invite action by others and set the course of major world events. The US government has a relatively powerful public information apparatus at its disposal, but it is almost beside the point given that even a tweet from the President will be given the widest possible distribution and subjected to exacting analysis worldwide.
Kevin OMalley, outgoing US Ambassador to Ireland, at his residence in Phoenix Park. Photo: Mark Condren

Outgoing US Ambassador to Ireland Kevin O'Malley believes Britain's decision to leave the EU will result in more American multinational companies investing here.

Mr O'Malley said Ireland would be the last English speaking country in the EU once Brexit negotiations were finalised, and this would make the country even more attractive to US businesses.

Speaking to the Irish Independent in his Phoenix Park residence in Dublin, the Ambassador claimed US firms did not move to Ireland for tax avoidance purposes but rather to take advantage of our well-educated workforce and open business culture.

"Americans like dealing with the Irish and I think the Irish like to deal with the Americans and that's the reason this works," Mr O'Malley said.

In a clear swipe at president-elect Donald Trump, the Ambassador said: "That's not dependent on any one person or any one administration - that's based upon a couple of centuries of history and a couple of centuries of shared DNA."

Mr O'Malley said there would be challenges for Ireland once Britain left the EU but insisted Brexit would present the Government with mostly positive opportunities.

Central to these opportunities was the chance to lure companies from the US and other countries by marketing Ireland as the last English speaking access point to the EU.

He described Ireland as the "jumping-off point" for countries seeking to move into the European market.

Mr O'Malley said technological advancements and the changing face of globalisation meant the tax polices in most countries had become "antiquated" and needed to be updated.

However, he said Mr Trump's plan to drastically cut US corporation tax to lure multinationals back to the US was unlikely to have a knock-on effect for Irish-based companies.

He also noted that Irish companies had created more jobs in the US than American firms had made in Ireland.

"American corporations have done very well in Ireland.

"There is no reason to think they are not going to continue to do well in Ireland," he said.

"In Ireland, US multinationals provide employment for 140,000 people.

"Irish companies in the United States provide more jobs so America is a net winner on this issue."

He said foreign direct investment by US companies in Ireland had created "high quality jobs that provide a good salary" which in turn also "provides a lot of self-respect" for workers.

"I have visited many of the American multinationals here and the workers understand they are producing world-class products and that adds to the swagger of the step of the worker," he said.

Mr O'Malley said the EU's 13bn unpaid tax ruling against tech giant Apple led to "uncertainty" among US firms considering investing in Ireland but insisted the country's image was not damaged by the controversy in America.

"I think most Americans who have studied the issue believe the companies are not here for tax avoidance," he said.

"They believe they are here because they see it as a way to grow the market into the EU and we can rely on a clear tax code. We can rely on the integrity and dedication and education of the Irish worker.

"We can rely on that we don't have to translate words or money because we speak the same language."

Separately, Mr O'Malley said he hoped Mr Trump would continue the US tradition of playing a central role in the peace process in Northern Ireland.

"It is a place that we have historically been able to do some good with, and I would like to think we would continue to be beneficial to the parties in the North if we can help them to get through these crises they have," he said.
The Union Jack and EU flag hang outside the EU parliament in Brussels

A hard Brexit could cost Ireland as many as 40,000 jobs in the medium term and could add 20bn to the national debt, according to the Department of Finance.

The chief economist at the Department of Finance John McCarthy said exports to the UK could fall as much as a third, in the event of a worst case Brexit deal.

The figures are based on a model that assumes no policy response by the Government here.

There are just four staff in the Department of Finance's dedicated to Brexit, its secretary general Derek Moran has told TDs and senators.

An additional five and a half staff in Brussels are working full time on the issue.

Officials are speaking at the Oireachtas Finance Committee.

More to follow...
Separation from the European Union will not be "without pain", International Monetary Fund (IMF) chiefwarned despite the resilience shown by the British economy since the referendum vote.

Ms Lagarde said any Brexit trade deal the UK strikes with Brussels was unlikely to be as good as the current arrangements enjoyed as part of the single market.

A series of issues remained to be resolved about the UK's future trading relationship with the EU and other countries and "uncertainty is always a risk".

In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF said it now expects the UK economy to grow by 1.5pc this year, marking a 0.4% upward revision to forecasts made in October.

But it downgraded its UK forecasts for 2018 by 0.3%, with gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2018 now expected to come in at 1.4%.

The "extraordinary" response by the Bank of England and the "quite remarkable" behaviour by British consumers who have continued to spend had helped the economy defy the gloomy forecasts - including by the IMF.

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But at the World Economic Forum in Davos Ms Lagarde told the BBC: "Once uncertainty clears, if people feel that their ability to set up shop in the UK and operate throughout the geographical area that is the European Union is not working as well as it did, the investment decision will change.

"In the same vein, if exports are subject to significant tariffs, restrictions and so on and so forth, the ability of the UK to activate that trade engine is going to be reduced.

"So while we have upgraded our forecasts for 2017, we have downgraded for 2018 ... We are still of the view that it will not be positive all along and without pain."

Ms Lagarde echoed the views of Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who said that any Brexit deal the UK strikes with Brussels must be "inferior" to EU membership.

She said the members of a club "have a degree of affinity and particular terms under which they operate" and "somebody outside the club ... has different access".

The future relationship the UK agrees "would certainly be different, and if being part of a club is optimising and leveraging your membership it would not be as good".
Theresa May says she and Enda Kenny are "absolutely on the single page on this"

British Prime Minister Theresa May has been invited to make a historic address to the Dail during her state visit to Ireland later this month.

An official invitation was sent by the Department of the Taoiseach to Number 10 Downing Street yesterday afternoon.

Mrs May is visiting Ireland to begin formal Brexit negotiations with Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Mrs May would only be the second British prime minister to speak before the parliament - the first was Tony Blair, who addressed the Dail in 1998.

Invitations to foreign dignitaries to address the Dail are extremely rare and Mrs May is only the 20th leader to be extended such an invitation.

However, Fianna Fail last night questioned the need for Mrs May to address the Dail.

Expand Close British Prime Minister Theresa May. Photo: REUTERS/Neil Hall / Facebook

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The party's foreign affairs spokesman Darragh O'Brien said the invite was "nothing more than a photo opportunity" for the Taoiseach.

"Instead of looking for a set-piece media opportunity, which is all it will be, I really think the Government should be focused on putting our own plan and putting Ireland first," Mr O'Brien said.

"There is nothing to be served by it and that's not being rude to the prime minister."

Speaking in the Dail, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said it was important for Mrs May to address the parliament when she visits Ireland. Responding to Mr Ryan, the Taoiseach said he would see if it was possible for Mrs May to address the Dail during her one-day visit.

Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail made the suggestion to the Taoiseach.

Meanwhile, senior sources have said the Government is confident it will retain its common travel area with the UK once Brexit negotiations are completed.

The Government believes the EU will not seek to restrict the free movement of people between the two countries once Britain triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Read more: John Downing: May's strong message that UK will not be 'half-in/half-out' means headaches for Ireland

However, there are still concerns that a custom border will have to be introduced between the North and Ireland if the UK completely leaves the EU Single Market.

"Borders and immigration issues will be solved relatively easily but the customs aspect will pose a problem," the source said.

It is believed the EU will not seek to interfere on Ireland's immigration arrangements with the UK as there is already a historic and unique relationship between the two countries.

Concerns over reigniting sectarian tensions will also be at the fore of Brexit discussions on the Border. However, the Government is expecting tough negotiations on customs controls which could be introduced after Brexit.

A source ruled out introducing any restrictions on EU citizens travelling to Ireland after Brexit. "The freedom of movement of EU citizens coming to Ireland will in no way be diluted," the source said.

Yesterday, Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar said the Government would have to be "tactical" during Brexit talks.

"Bear in mind, this is not an agreement between Dublin and London," he said during an interview with Ocean FM.

"It's going to be an agreement of the 27 member states, of which we are part, and Britain, or rather the United Kingdom," he said.
Gambian army chief Ousman Badjie celebrated on the street with supporters of President Adama Barrow on Thursday, after promising his men would not fight approaching African troops.

Badjie appeared in the Westfield district close to the Gambian capital where Barrow supporters have gathered to dance and cheer following the inauguration of their new president, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

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Brexit is pushing up house prices in Frankfurt as buyers expect wealthy professionals to move there from London, according to research by Deutsche Bank AG.

"Impetus from the Brexit vote caused prices to surge in 2016. Probably in anticipation of wealthy London bankers moving to the city, prices for family homes rose particularly sharply," the report, published last Friday, said.

Frankfurt, an established financial capital at the heart of Europe's biggest economy, has been touted as a potential beneficiary of Brexit as financial institutions consider shifting operations out of London to retain European market access. The city is home to the European Central Bank and hopes to become the new headquarters of the European Banking Authority, the regulator currently based in the UK capital.

Prices for family homes in Frankfurt are up 11.75pc year-on-year, compared to a 6pc increase across the country's other major cities, the report said. "Because of the high level of migration to Frankfurt, rents and prices are expected to continue to rise rapidly over the coming years," the report said.

Frankfurt's status as a European financial hub will be strengthened further if Deutsche Boerse AG completes its $12.4bn purchase of London Stock Exchange Group Plc, according to research commissioned by the German exchange operator.

The merger "produces a wide range of potential opportunities and positive network effects for Frankfurt as a financial centre" to counter the city's recent decline in significance, said the report, which was produced by Professor Dirk Schiereck of the Technische Universitat Darmstadt.

The report supports Deutsche Boerse's rationale to take over LSE and comes before executives at both companies meet politicians from the German state of Hesse next Tuesday in an attempt to overcome objections. Hesse has the power to block the deal.

German politicians and regulators have voiced concern about putting the headquarters of Europe's largest exchange operator in London, outside the European Union.

Political leaders in several eurozone countries have called for a rule change to force euro-denominated clearing to take place within the EU once the UK leaves the bloc. LSE subsidiary LCH is the world's largest clearing house for off- exchange interest-rate derivatives. Trading these products, which currently takes place between banks, could move to Frankfurt if the contracts can be turned into on-exchange derivatives, the report said.

(Bloomberg)
Taoiseach Enda Kenny met with British Prime Minister Theresa May last night in Davos.

The pair had a ten minute conversation at a traditional Swiss restaurant in the alpine town.

Their conversation took place ahead of today's keynote address by Mrs May to the 47th annual World Economic Forum.

In her speech, Mrs May pledged that Britain will be the world's strongest advocate of business, free markets and free trade - and will be "open for business" after Brexit.

Expand Close Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 19, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich / Facebook

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In an address intended to reassure political and business leaders at Davos, Mrs May said Britain had voted for a "bold, ambitious" course when it voted to leave the European Union.

Mrs May denied that Brexit was a rejection of "our friends in Europe" insisting that it was "simply a vote to restore our parliamentary democracy" and to become more global and internationalist.

Voters who opted for Brexit in last year's referendum were choosing to "leave the EU and embrace the world", and Britain would as a result become "even more globalised and internationalist in action and in spirit", she said.

Mrs May said talk of greater globalisation, one of the main themes of discussion at the annual gathering of the world's elite, made many people fearful.

Mrs May is addressing Davos days after a landmark speech in which she said that Britain would leave the European single market.

Ms May's Brexit speech last Tuesday prompted many international bankers attending Davos to announce plans to leave London. Banks that have indicated they will move staff out of the City of London include HSBC and UBS.

HSBC indicated 1,000 jobs from the bank's London business are on course to move to Paris while Barclays is looking to route activities through Ireland and Germany and Switzerland's UBS is preparing to move posts from the UK to the continent.

Mrs May said the modern industrial strategy she will launch next week was part of a plan to turn post-Brexit Britain into a "great meritocracy" and create a "more united nation" that "works for ordinary people".

But the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt warned it was an "illusion" to suggest the UK could leave the EU but retain the benefits of tariff-free trade.

Writing in the Guardian, Mr Verhofstadt said no one in the EU wanted to "punish" the UK.

But he said "it is an illusion to suggest that the UK will be permitted to leave the EU but then be free to opt back into the best parts of the European project, for instance by asking for zero tariffs from the single market without accepting the obligations that come with it".

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Enda Kenny is not taking part in any public debates or addresses at Davos.

Instead, the Irish delegation, which includes Finance Minister Michael Noonan, will focus on reassuring international investors that Ireland is a a stable and attractive location post Brexit.

Mr Kenny has a series of private bilateral meetings with major multi nationals during his brief trip to the Swiss alpine town.

Today the Taoiseach meets with Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook and participates in a closed session of the Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders (IGWEL).

He also has meetings with AT&T's Karim Lesina, Omar Ishrak, chairman and CEO of Medtronic, Ginni Rometti, chairman, president and CEO of IBM and with Flemming Ornskov, CEO of Shire.

Tonight Mr Kenny will deliver a speech to the heads of up to 50 global corporations at a dinner hosted by the IDA.

Additional reporting from PA
Two of the largest investment banks in the City of London have said they will move staff abroad when the UK leaves the European Union.

HSBC chief executive Stuart Gulliver said he was preparing to move 1,000 staff from London to Paris, while Swiss bank UBS also confirmed some of its 5,000 London-based staff would also move to Frankfurt or Spain.

Mr Gulliver was speaking a day after British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit speech in which she said Britain would leave the single market.

Mrs May flew to Davos, Switzerland, last night ahead of a keynote address she will deliver at the World Economic Forum this morning. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond will also address delegates.

Speaking to Bloomberg Television at the WEF, Mr Gulliver said staff would have to move as about 20pc of its revenue related to activities specifically covered by European financial rules. HSBC already has a presence in Europe, having acquired Credit Commercial de France in 2002.

Mr Gulliver, who has committed to keeping the bank's global and UK headquarters in Britain post-Brexit, said its position was different from rivals that would now seek to acquire EU banking licences.

"Some of our other fellow bankers have to make decisions pretty quickly now - given that the UK said it will come out of the single market - about applying for banking licences in some of the EU countries. We don't have to do that."

Andrea Orcel, president of UBS Investment Bank, also said staff will have to move out of London post-Brexit.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Finance Minister Michael Noonan will today begin a series of intensive bilateral meetings with a number of leading executives from the insurance, banking, telco, pharma and medical tech sectors.

Some 3,000 senior figures from the worlds of politics, business and the arts are gathering at Davos for the 47th annual WEF.

The IDA is also conducting a series of bilateral meetings and will tonight host a dinner for 50 Davos delegates and companies, including targeting companies it is seeking to lure to Ireland.

Speaking to the Irish Independent ahead of the dinner, IDA chief executive Martin Shanahan said the key message to international investors at Davos was the stability of Ireland's economy and access to the European single market and talent pool in the wake of Brexit.

"The message we will be getting across to both [existing and new] investors is that Ireland continues to be an extremely attractive place to invest," Mr Shanahan said.

Ahead of the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump, the second day of the WEF heard that economic stresses and globalisation were leading to the "hollowing out" of the middle classes in advanced economies and had contributed to Brexit and the election of Mr Trump.

Outgoing US vice president Joe Biden told delegates that globalisation had not been an "unalloyed good" and called on Europe and the US to defend the liberal international order.

IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said the middle class was growing in emerging economies but shrinking in advanced economies such as the US.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has vowed that Ireland's "comprehensive and consistent tax policy" will not change.

Mr Kenny was addressing more than 50 ceos and executives from major multi nationals at an IDA dinner at a the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"Ireland will continue its pro-enterprise policies which have been the corner stone of our economy for many years," said the Taoiseach at the oversubscribed IDA dinner.

"Ireland is prepared and work is well under way for the challenges posed by Brexit," Mr Kenny told the group of existing and target investors.

"We have an open, educated workforce. We will be the only English speaking country in the EU and will remain a member of the Union.

"Leadership is about courage. The courage to sometimes make decisions and sometimes the courage to say no. When you look back at where we as a country have come from a few short years ago, it has been a remarkable journey.

"Now we face a fresh set of challenges".

The Irish delegation at Davos has played down the question of Ireland's corporate tax regime and pressure in Europe to move towards a common, consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) in the wake of the 13bn Apple tax ruling which the Government is appealing.

Instead the delegation, including Finance Minister Michael Noonan and IDA chief executive Martin Shanahan, have been telling investors that Ireland is a stable proposition post Brexit and capable of attracting more, not lest FDI into the country when Britain leaves the single market.

Speaking after the dinner, Martin Shanahan said: "We've never had more people employed in FDI companies in Ireland - it was fantastic to have so many senior decision makers from different industries in the room tonight to hear, first-hand, why Ireland is such a great place to invest."
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has ruled out the prospect of a General Election in Ireland this year.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Kenny - who briefly met British Prime Minister Theresa May last night in the Swiss alpine town - also said he was "confident and optimistic" that Ireland would be able to attract more foreign direct investment in the wake of Brexit.

Mr Kenny defended the current coalition, describing it as stable and said "not at all" when asked if Irish voters would go to the polls in 2017.

"People said 'you will not put a government together, youll never be able to get a budget, or be able to pass legislation'." Mr Kenny told CNBC.

"This is not so. Were moving on, as I say. We want to continue to manage our finances, prudently in the peoples interest, and continue to grow employment, invest in infrastructure, provide good services for our people."

The Taoiseach is attending Davos with Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Martin Shanahan, chief executive of the IDA, which is meeting investors to reassure them that Ireland is an attractive location for foreign direct investment post Brexit.

Expand Close Taoiseach Enda Kenny with UK Prime Minister Theresa May Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire / Facebook

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"I have to say that Im very confident and very optimistic that Ireland continues to be a very attractive location, both for investment from abroad, and for the possibilities for expansion of indigenous Irish industries," said Mr Kenny.

"Yes, of course, in terms of currency fluctuations there are challenges here, thats an undoubted fact, but were looking at, you know, continuing to be competitive, looking at new markets, at new opportunities.

"So, I'm very optimistic about the future for Ireland, despite the uncertainties that there might be about some elements of the decision of Britain to leave the European Union, and thats a matter, where having completed our plan in terms of negotiations diplomatically, we will negotiate very hard to retain our objectives which we have agreed in part with the UK Prime Minister."

Mr Kenny, in his sixth visit to Davos, told CNBC that banks will not wait for long to make decisions after Brexit.

Ms May's Brexit speech last Tuesday prompted many international bankers attending Davos to announce plans to leave London.

Banks that have indicated they will move staff out of the City of London include HSBC and UBS, with Dublin a potential location for a host of international financial institutions and insurers.

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"Financial houses, banks and other businesses will not hang around for interminable delays in terms of doing trade deals," said Mr Kenny.

"Theyll make decisions, and Irelands a very attractive location at the moment. We have a lot of interest being expressed by companies who want to see regulation, who want to see what the opportunities for investment, or for doing business in Ireland are, and we respond to that.

"Of course, its a competitive field, and there are other locations where people could decide to go to, we are in there with the very best".

Earlier at Davos, Ms May pledged that Britain would to be the world's strongest advocate of business, free markets and free trade.

Ms May addressed Davos days after a landmark speech in which she said that Britain would leave the European single market.

Mr Kenny is not taking part in any public debates or addresses at Davos, but has an intensive series of bilateral a with a host of multi nationals.

Today the Taoiseach met with Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Oficer of Facebook and participates in a closed session of the Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders (IGWEL).

He also has meetings with AT&T's Karim Lesina, Omar Ishrak, chairman and CEO of Medtronic, Ginni Rometti, chairman, president and CEO of IBM and with Flemming Ornskov, CEO of Shire.

Tonight Mr Kenny will deliver a speech to the heads of up to 50 global corporations at a dinner hosted by the IDA.

In an address intended to reassure political and business leaders, Ms May said Britain had voted for a "bold, ambitious" course when it voted to leave the European Union.

Ms May denied that Brexit was a rejection of "our friends in Europe" insisting that it was "simply a vote to restore our parliamentary democracy" and to become more global and internationalist.

Ms May said talk of greater globalisation, one of the main themes of discussion at the annual gathering of the world's elite, made many people fearful.
A number of local residents have lost their legal challenge over approval of permission for a wind farm development in Ballingeary, Co Cork.

The residents' concerns included about the environmental impact of the development and noise from the turbines.

They disputed An Bord Pleanala's June 2016 permission for a six turbine wind farm, a substation, underground cables and associated development in the town lands of Derragh, Rathgaskiga and Lack Beg.

Following an earlier High Court decision, Framore Ltd, the developer, revised its planning application to relocate one of the turbines some 50m away from its original proposed location in order to ensure all turbines were a minimum 500 metres away from all residences.

The board granted permission for the revised application but locals challenged it.

On Wednesday (January 18), Mr Justice Brian McGovern dismissed their case.

He found the board did what the previous High Court decision required it to do, "and did so properly".

It comes as three other, separate cases around wind farm developments, in Clare, Offaly and Wexford, are facing legal challenges in three separate High Court cases.

Environmental group, "Friends of the Irish Environment Ltd", is challenging a decision by An Bord Pleanala last October to grant permission for a 46m 12-turbine development near Kilmihil, Co Clare.

In the Offaly case, local resident, Brian Kennedy, Stonestown, Cloghan, has challenged the board's decision to give permission to Gaeltacht Energy Cloghan Ltd for nine turbines in Cloghan.

In the Wexford case, a group of residents have challenged permission given to Ballinclay Windfarms Ltd for three turbines at Clonroche.
Etihad remains "committed" to its partnership model of holding stakes in airlines from Air Berlin to Alitalia despite challenges, ceo James Hogan has insisted.

Speaking at the Global Airfinance conference in Dublin, Mr Hogan acknowledged that the partnership model has been tested.

Etihad used to own 5pc of Aer Lingus, and among its stakes in other carriers holds just under 30pc of Air Berlin and 49pc of Alitalia. But Alitalia has been losing about 500,000 a day and Air Berlin has struggled - making an operating loss of 62.7m in the second quarter of the last financial year and a net loss of 45.6m in the third quarter. Mr Hogan said the initial restructuring at Air Berlin hadn't been rapid enough. "We have faced... challenges with Alitalia and Air Berlin," he said adding that both airlines demonstrated why "fundamental change" is critical in the aviation industry. Etihad signed a codeshare agreement with Lufthansa in December, but has dismissed speculation that it is planning to buy a stake in the German airline.

Mr Hogan also said 2017 will be a difficult year for airlines. "The industry does face significant challenges," he said.

The chief economist of the International Air Transport Association, Brian Pearce, told the conference that airlines might end up being "disappointed" about the strength of the current cycle in 2017.
JD Wetherspoon is keen to expand its presence in Ireland as the superpub warned of high costs and lower sales over the next six months.

The British pubs group currently operates five pubs in the Republic of Ireland, including The Three Tun Tavern in Blackrock and The Forty Foot in Dun Laoghaire.

But the low-priced bar and restaurant - founded in 1979 by chairman Tim Martin - is looking to double the number of its pubs across the country.

"Our five Republic of Ireland pubs are doing very well and it is clear that our customers enjoy what is on offer," Mr Martin told independent.ie.

We are keen to open more sites in the Republic and as well as the four new sites we currently have, we are also looking for new sites too.

Wetherspoon has sites in Dublin city centre  Abbey Street and Upper Camden Street/ Lower Camden Street - but planning permission approval for these have been delayed.

The company aims to build new pubs at the two Dublin sites plus a 100 bedroom hotel at the Upper Camden St site.

According to Wetherspoon, both Dublin projects would create 200 new jobs plus a 20m investment in terms of purchasing the sites and developing them.

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Meanwhile, the firm has warned that significantly higher costs and lower like-for-like sales in the next six months may take the shine off higher sales over the Christmas quarter.

Mr Martin said like-for-like sales rose 3.2pc in the 12 weeks to January 15, the second quarter of its fiscal year, with like-for-like sales for the 25 weeks to January 15 up 3.4pc.

Local resident Barry Chambers halted the Camden Street plans after lodging an appeal with An Bord Pleanala against Dublin City Council's decision to grant permission.

Mr Chambers pointed out that there are already 14 pubs on the Camden Street/Wexford Street area with 13 cafes/restaurants.

As the case is due to be decided by April this year, a Wetherspoons spokesperson said the company "still needs various permissions in order to start developing the sites".

The company also has sites in Carlow and Waterford but there is no building or opening dates for these as yet.
An award winning Irish tech firm has partnered with leading UK retailers as part of their overseas expansion.

Social enterprise FoodCloud will work with Waitrose and Tesco UK to help bring surplus food from those stores to communities that need them.

Food Cloud's innovative software platform allows stores to connect with local charities to ensure this good food can be rescued.

Initially, the successful Irish firm will pilot with 25 Waitrose branches, and if successful, will expand to all 350 Waitrose stores through the UK.

Expand Close FoodCloud co-founder Aoibheann O'Brien and CEO and co-founder Iseult Ward Photograph: Naoise Culhane / Facebook

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Whatsapp FoodCloud co-founder Aoibheann O'Brien and CEO and co-founder Iseult Ward Photograph: Naoise Culhane

The company's partnership with Tesco UK launched in February 2016 and over 1,000 stores are now using the FoodCloud platform to donate their surplus food.

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Since then, FoodCloud have facilitated the redistribution of 5 million meals from Tesco stores across the UK, with over 3,300 community groups and charities receiving from the donations.

Last year, FoodCloud grew from 200 donating stores to over 1,200 across the UK and Ireland - and work is already underway to bring on a further 1,800 Tesco convenience stores in 2017.

CEO Iseult Ward, who was named this week as one of Forbes 30 under 30 European Class of 2017, said: Continuing from our success with Irish retailer partners, including Tesco Ireland and Aldi, we are delighted that Tesco UK have redistributed over 5 million meals in less than a year.

"We are excited to also have the opportunity to work with Waitrose in 2017 and benefit more communities across the UK.
Egypt is considering temporarily reintroducing a stamp duty on stock market transactions after the tax was frozen in 2014, two finance ministry sources told Reuters on Thursday.

The comments come a day after the International Monetary Fund released the details of its $12 billion, three-year agreement to support a wide-ranging programme to reform Egypt's ailing economy and restore financial stability.

The agreement revealed that Egypt had committed to imposing either a capital gains tax or a stamp duty on stock market transactions by the 2017/18 fiscal year.

"We are studying temporarily re-imposing a stamp duty on stock market transactions pending the return to a capital gains tax, which has been postponed since May 2015," one of the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The source did not say when the levy might be reinstated.

Amr al-Munayer, a senior finance ministry official, told Reuters no law to reinstate the duty was in the works "at this time." Sherif Samy, the head of Egypt's financial regulator, told Reuters he had yet to be consulted on such legislation.

Egypt imposed a stamp duty on buyers and sellers in May 2013, collecting more than 350 million Egyptian pounds ($18.77 million) in revenue before the levy was replaced in July 2014 by a 10 percent capital gains tax.

Egypt suspended the capital gains tax in May 2015 for two years, under pressure from investors. They said it was discouraging business just as Egypt was struggling to recover from a plunge in confidence after a 2011 uprising and subsequent political upheavals.

The Higher Investment Council last year extended the suspension of capital gains tax for three years, until 2020 as part of efforts to draw investors back.

Egypt won final approval for its IMF programme just days after the central bank took the historic step of floating the currency. Together, the moves unleashed a deluge of investment in the Egyptian stock market, which has hit record highs in recent weeks.

But the blue-chip index tumbled 3.4 percent by early Thursday afternoon after Reuters reported the stamp duty on stock market transactions may be restored.

"Now is the right time to impose a tax on the bourse, as it is in its best possible state. The tax rate will be much higher than it was previously, which was 1 pound per 1,000. We are now looking at the volumes and values of stock market transactions to make it fair," another finance ministry source said.

More than 270 companies are listed on the Egyptian stock exchange and more than 500,000 investors are registered to trade there.

Ahmed Shams El Din, head of research at EFG-Hermes, said that any negative impact on the market would be short-lived.

"The costs won't be high for buyers," he said.

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Nuritas founder Dr Nora Khaldi with U2s Bono and the Edge who became investors in the company last month

Food science firm Nuritas will enter into a new partnership with German-based BASF Human Nutrition that will see the German group produce and sell the Irish company's bioactive peptides.

The initial part of the deal will see Nuritas grant an exclusive, royalty-based licence to BASF to sell one of its existing peptide products.

Nuritas uses data technology to find molecules in food and food by-products which are then placed into drugs to treat specific illnesses.

The second part of the collaboration will involve the discovery of new peptides.

The deal represents a major step forward for Nuritas, which was founded by Dr Nora Khaldi in 2014.

Dr Khaldi is a Trinity College trained mathematician who set about developing natural and scientifically proven ingredients to manage and improve health.

In October last year, the company won the Nutrition Capital Network Venture event which recognised it as the most innovative new ingredient company on the market in 2016.

The company also received EU funding for the development of a peptide that could help cut the risk of diabetes.

Last month, Nuritas secured Bono and The Edge as investors.

BASF is a German chemical giant that specialises in the provision of nutrition.

The company has subsidiaries in over 80 countries around the world and employs around 112,000 people.

BASF recorded revenues in excess of 70bn in 2015.

"We are delighted to be working with a company of BASF's status, global reach and business acumen in their quest to deliver sustainable, and highly impactful health ingredients,"said Emmet Browne, Nuritas ceo.

"As a young, disruptive company this agreement further accelerates our vision of improving the lives of billions of people worldwide through the predicted discovery of bioactive peptides," Mr Browne added.
Here's a look at what it says in this morning's business pages

Irish Independent

*Ryanair rival Wizz Air will eventually enter the Dublin market, but doesn't plan to engage in a frontal assault on the Irish airline just yet, according to founder and ceo Jozsef Varadi.

"You never say never," said Mr Varadi in an interview with the Irish Independent, on whether he will target Dublin. "But we have better opportunities than picking a dogfight with Ryanair."

*Book publishers saw double-digit sales growth in Ireland last year as print title sales continue to accelerate after years of decline.

Thanks to the success of titles such as Paul O'Connell's 'The Battle', book sales in Ireland hit 131m in 2016, the highest level of revenue recorded since 2011.

*AIB is tipped to pay a 285m dividend within months, its first since the crash. Almost all of the money will go to the State.

The money is in addition to an anticipated 3bn the State will raise by reducing its stake in the bank from more than 99.9pc through a stock market flotation.

*Slack, the "email killing" messaging service taking over US offices, expects to triple staff at its new Irish headquarters, according to founder and chief executive Stewart Butterfield.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, Mr Butterfield said that the Irish office would reach 180 employees this year.

*It's still 'too soon' for Ryanair to make any decisions about its presence in the UK following last June's Brexit vote, according to the airline's chief financial officer, Neil Sorahan.

But he said that despite announcing an expansion at Stansted Airport last week, Ryanair could reduce feed at some smaller airports in the UK or not grow as quickly there as it might otherwise have done.

*Farmers and small business owners will see the burden of high nursing home bills for elderly relatives reduced under sweeping changes to the Fair Deal scheme.

It is understood as much as 90pc of farm assets may be exempted in determining how much farmers are liable to pay towards nursing home costs.

Irish Times

*Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister for Finance Michael Noonan arrived in Davos in a bid to secure Irelands position as a global investment location as the twin challenges of Brexit and potential changes to US tax policy present unprecedented challenges to Irelands economic model.

The Taoiseach is due to hold a series of bilateral meetings with senior figures in the banking, telecommunications and pharmaceutical worlds, including the chairman of Lloyds of London chief executive Inga Beale.

*The head of the Irish employers' group Ibec has predicted that the UK will not be able to strike a deal with the EU in light of the priorities laid out by Theresa May in her Brexit speech.

This opens up the prospect of the UK switching to World Trade Organisation tariffs, which would result in significant costs being incurred by Irish exporters.

*Current trends risk creating a bubble in aircraft values, an industry analyst warned at a conference in Dublin on Wednesday.

Adam Pilarski, senior vice-president of aviation consultancy Avitas, told the annual Global Airfinance Conference that his companys view of the aircraft market was that it has yet to reach a peak.

*Ireland retained its position as the top European location for distressed loan sales for the fourth year in a row in 2016, driven by Namas ongoing wind-down and a large Ulster Bank portfolio sale, according to US investment bank Evercore.

US private equity firm Cerberus was the most active buyer of loans being disposed across Europe for a third straight year, fuelled by its purchase of assets from Nama, Ulster Bank and Permanet TSB.

Irish Examiner

*Enda Kenny is facing a growing backlash over claims he has no plan to cope with the escalating Brexit crisis and has sat on his hands as the situation unfolded.

Accusation by opposition parties was made as fears mount Ireland could become a makeweight in the EUs battle with Britain.

*Darren McKinley, senior analyst at Merrion Capital, predicted that property stocks such as Green REIT and Hibernia REIT  whose shares in the past year have failed to spark  could benefit from the Brexit fallout if UK firms were to relocate their bases here.

The broker said Green REIT was its preferred buy as the property firm seeks to sell non-core asset sales which may lead to it paying out a special dividend.

*British pub group JD Wetherspoon said it remains hopeful it will be granted permission to open new bars at Abbey Street and Camden Street in Dublin, as well as developing two more sites in Carlow and Waterford.

A spokesperson for JD Wetherspoon told the Irish Examiner it was trading very well in the Republic, where it has five bars, four in suburban Dublin and one in Cork city centre.
Ryanair rival Wizz Air will eventually enter the Dublin market, but doesn't plan to engage in a frontal assault on the Irish airline just yet, according to founder and ceo Jozsef Varadi.

The Hungarian carrier is notable by its absence from Ireland, serving only Belfast on the island. "You never say never," said Mr Varadi in an interview with the Irish Independent, on whether he will target Dublin. "But we have better opportunities than picking a dogfight with Ryanair."

"When you have bigger fish to fry, that's what you pursue and that's what we have been doing. We are very measured on growth capacity. So we don't want to grow and jeopardise the financial performance of the company. We're trying to find a fine line of bringing in financial results in line with expectations, and growing the business as needed from a strategic, longer-term perspective."

Wizz Air, is listed on the London stock exchange and a FTSE-250 company. It is the biggest carrier in central and eastern Europe, competing with Ryanair in many markets.

"I recognise that we are not flying to Ireland, but I'm sure that we will be at some point," said Mr Varadi.

Wizz Air generated revenue of 1.42bn in its financial year to the end of last March, with a profit after tax of 223.9m. This year it expects profits of between 245m and 255m.

Wizz Air's single biggest shareholder is US-based private equity vehicle Indigo Partners, a company headed by aviation veteran Bill Franke that was co-founded by Ryanair chairman David Bonderman. Mr Varadi said Wizz Air - which had 805m in cash at the end of September - does not intend to initiate any dividend policy.

"We are still in a high-growth phase of the airline. We need ammunition to support that growth," he said. "We've done reasonably well. In 2019, we will start taking delivery of new aircraft. We're getting better credit ratings and enjoying lower cost of financing as a result."

In a tough market, Wizz Air's boss said he's surprised more small airlines haven't gone bust, but noted the still low-cost fuel environment. He ruled out interlining agreements with legacy carriers. Ryanair has already lined up deals with Aer Lingus and Norwegian.

Read the interview in full
Dave Elkington of InsideSales, which is opening in Ireland

An international business that predicts future sales patterns through artificial intelligence is set to expand into Ireland as the company looks to boost its presence in EMEA markets.

InsideSales.com also announced it had secured a round of investment from the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) and had also entered into a partnership with the Insight Centre for Data Analytics.

The Insight Centre for Data Analytics is a joint initiative between researchers at Dublin City University, NUI Galway, University College Cork and University College Dublin. The partnership aims to help advance data science and machine learning.

InsideSales is scouting the country for locations, with the firm expected to hire up to 120 new staff over the next three years.

"As an early leader offering AI-fueled tools in the workplace, we're excited to use this new investment to bring InsideSales' technology to new geographies, new platforms and to foster smart growth for companies of all sizes," said ceo Dave Elkington.

"Over the past year we've seen the buzz around AI reach a fever pitch. No other business based in Ireland has a focus on machine learning and data science like InsideSales.com does."

"We're not only looking to hire some of Ireland's best and brightest technology graduates, but also to help build a new, highly skilled industry in the region," Mr Elkington added.

InsideSales.com confirmed the close of a $50m (46.8m) growth equity round, led by returning investor Polaris Partners with support from Microsoft.

New investors include QuestMark Partners and the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund.

Existing venture investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, Hummer Winblad, US Venture Partners, Epic Ventures, and Zetta Venture partners also participated.

The round brings the company's total venture capital funding to over $250m.

"We are pleased to welcome InsideSales into Ireland's flourishing technology community," said Eugene O'Callaghan, Director of ISIF

"This investment is well-aligned with the ISIF's mandate with the key benefits to the Irish economy being the targeted creation of more than 120 high-quality jobs over the next three years in addition to the collaboration between InsideSales and the Insight Centre in Ireland fostering growth of this important specialist sector," Mr O' Callaghan added.
Gary Byrne, founder of Nostra - the company is set to increase its headcount

Two different company initiatives are to create 110 new jobs.

Sixty are planned as a result of a joint venture involving a Dublin-based solar company, BNRG Renewables.

The joint venture, with French renewable energy group Neoen, aims to develop more than 220m of solar projects in Ireland.

BNRG Neoen Holdings, will co-develop a portfolio of 23 projects in the south and east of the country totalling over 200 Megawatts (MW).

When constructed, the planned total investment in renewable energy infrastructure will exceed 220m.

The overall project will create up to 60 full-time positions in operation and maintenance as well as another 2,000 jobs during the construction phase and other indirect jobs.

Meanwhile, Irish ICT support firm Nostra has today announced 50 new posts.

The company, which was set up by Kevin O'Loughlin, Gary Byrne, Senan Finucane and Barry O'Loughlin in 2006, is aiming to increase its headcount from 75 to 125 over the next five years.

A company spokeswoman said that the firm is to recruit computer engineers and sales personnel.

Nostra provides IT support services to companies including BoyleSports, Dawn Farm Foods and aerospace giant Avolon. A spokeswoman said that the company's 2016 turnover was over 7m and that it aims to triple that figure by 2020.

Nostra has recently extended its headquarters and has just completed a full renovation of its 9,000 sq ft office.
Anas Modamani, a teenage Syrian refugee, took a selfie with Angela Merkel when she visited his shelter in Berlin on 10 September 2015

Anas Modamani had only been in Germany for a couple of weeks when a pack of politicians and reporters descended on his refugee accommodation in Berlin.

Among them was Angela Merkel, who had just shocked Europe by opening her countrys borders to Syrian asylum seekers risking their lives in search of safety on the continent.

Anas, aged just 18 at the time, snapped a quick selfie with the German Chancellor as she passed by on 10 September 2015, showing the smiling pair looking happy and relaxed.

I took the selfie because my hobby is taking photos, he told The Independent. It was for me, not for other people.

But the teenager had no idea that an agency photographer standing metres away had captured the moment on camera, with the image going viral in a matter of hours and dominating international news coverage.

It was swiftly picked up by far-right activists and groups in hate-fuelled social media posts that evolved into fake news stories spread on Facebook, accusing Anas of terrorism and attempted murder.

He is now suing the social media giant in a landmark case, claiming damages for its alleged inability to remove the defamatory and distressing posts.

Among them is a combination of Anas selfie with CCTV images of one of the Brussels bombers, alleging he was among Isis militants who attacked the Belgian capital, with the caption you reap what you sow.

State-owned Russian media helped spread the false claims with an article claiming Anas resembled bomb maker Najim Laachraoui, under the headline: Did Merkel take a selfie with Brussels attack suspect?.

Read More

The jihadis were identified, but Anas remained a target. As the hunt continued for the man who rammed a lorry into a Christmas market in Berlin last month, his photo popped up again.

It was superimposed on photos of the wreckage from the massacre in a mock news story with the headline They are Merkels dead.

One of the Facebook posts, which remains available on the site, falsely accusing Anas Modamani of involvement in an attack on a homeless man in Berlin.

Then, after a homeless man was set on fire by seven migrants at a Berlin underground station over Christmas, Anas was falsely alleged to be among the suspects.

Homeless man set on fire. Merkel took 2015 selfie with one of the perpetrators! read a Facebook post.

The lies were repeated on Twitter and on websites posing as anti-mainstream media news outlets, where the articles remain.

Anas, who is now 19, said he learned of many of the posts from friends concerned for his safety, who advised him to stay inside amid fears he would be attacked.

He hoped the fake stories would die down but as malicious claims continued to surface in new incarnations, an activist group that previously debunked the allegations put him in touch with a lawyer.

I came to Germany because I wanted to live in peace, away from danger, Anas said.

I dont want anyone to continue using my photo on Facebook. I want to live in peace without any problems.

The teenager, who is working while continuing courses to improve his German, still cherishes his selfie with Ms Merkel, which he posted on Facebook alongside photos documenting his gruelling journey from Daraya to Germany via countries including Turkey, Greece and Macedonia.

His lawyer, Chan-jo Jun, said that Facebook has a legal responsibility to remove defamatory or discriminatory content that violates German law.

Instead, Facebook has created an environment that allows illegal content to thrive, he told The Independent.

In this case, I will either demonstrate the legal gaps that are still being closed to effectively enforce German law, or Facebook will learn that it does not pay to constantly violate the law.

Read More

Mr Jun prompted an investigation into Mark Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives last year over claims the site may have violated German hate crime laws by failing to remove abusive posts.

He has filed a new injunction seeking to prevent Facebook Ireland Ltd from publishing the slanderous image of the Syrian refugee Anas Modamani and other defamatory material that violates German law  if not the sites community standards.

Mr Jun said Facebooks policies must change, claiming malicious posts had remained online because they were initially judged not to have contravened its rules.

The case also names a politician from the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party, who was allegedly among hundreds of people who shared one of the posts featuring Anas picture.

Mr Jun said that the legal community has a chance to curb fake news, at least where the rights of individuals are violated, and hopes his case could set a precedent for the future.

A spokesperson for Facebook said it took down one piece of content that violates Mr Modamani's right of personality at his lawyers request, adding: Access to that reported content was quickly disabled, so we do not believe there is any basis for him to seek an injunction.

But a cursory search of the social network reveals several other posts linking Anas photo with the Brussels attacks, as well as the attempted murder of the homeless man in Berlin.

Austrias Mimikama group, which campaigns against fake news and abuse on social media, has worked to debunk the reports.

Member Andre Wolf, who connected Anas with his lawyer, is a member of, said the young Syrians selfie had brought many negative consequences.

Anas Modamani is ultimately a victim of the hatred, prejudice and falsehoods of people on social networks  one of many, Mr Wolf told The Independent.

False and defamatory posts cannot remain unpunished. The internet is not a rights-free zone.

Read More

The campaigner said it would be far too easy to blame Facebook alone but called on the social network to make it easier and quicker to take down harmful posts.

The court case must also be a signal to those people who inflict damage on others with false posts, Mr Wolf added.

These people should know that they can be held to account for a lieAnas example could be an important case.

The case will be heard at the district court in Wurzburg on 6 February.
Jay Y. Lee arrives to be questioned as a suspect in bribery case

A South Korean court has dismissed an arrest warrant against the head of Samsung Group, the country's largest conglomerate, amid a graft scandal that has led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.

But the reprieve for Jay Y. Lee, 48, may only be temporary, as the special prosecutor's office said it would pursue the case.

Lee, who has led Samsung since his father, Lee Kun-hee, suffered a heart attack in 2014, was still likely to face the same charges of bribery, embezzlement and perjury, legal analysts said, even if he is not detained.

Lee left the Seoul Detention Centre carrying a white shopping bag and climbed into a car without talking to reporters, having been held overnight as the court deliberated whether to grant the arrest warrant.

The special prosecutor's office said it would be continuing its probe but had not decided whether to make another arrest warrant request, and the setback would not change its plans to investigate other conglomerates.

Spokesman Lee Kyu-chul said the prosecution was unconvinced by the Samsung chief's argument that he was a victim of coercion due to pressure from Park.

The spokesman also said Samsung Group Vice Chairman Choi Gee-sung had been classified as a suspect on suspicion of bribery, but did not elaborate further. Two other Samsung officials, Choi's deputy Chang Choon-ki and Samsung Electronics executive Park Sang-jin, were also under investigation.

The office has accused Lee of paying multi-million dollar bribes to Park's confidant, Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the heart of the scandal, to win support from the National Pension Service for a controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung Group affiliates.

The merger helped cement Lee's control over the smartphones-to-biopharmaceuticals business empire. He has denied wrongdoing.

The judge said in a statement on his ruling that an arrest was not necessary - for now.

"After reviewing the contents and the process of the investigation so far ... it is difficult to acknowledge the necessity and substantiality of an arrest at the current stage," he said.

Lee Jung-jae, a lawyer and former prosecutor, said he didn't think the special prosecutor would push for Lee's detention again.

"They probably already have as much evidence as they could gather," he told Reuters. "They will indict him eventually, but without detention."

Samsung said in an emailed statement that it appreciated "the fact that the merits of this case can now be determined without the need for detention".

The group's flagship, Samsung Electronics, is the world's biggest maker of smartphones, flat-screen televisions and memory chips.

STRIPPED OF POWERS

Making its case for an arrest warrant on Monday, the special prosecutor's office accused Lee of paying bribes totalling 43 billion won ($36.70 million) to organisations linked to Choi to secure the 2015 merger of Samsung C&T Corp and Cheil Industries Inc.

Park, 64, was impeached last month by parliament over the influence-peddling scandal. If the decision is upheld by the Constitutional Court, she will become South Korea's first democratically elected leader to be forced from office early.

Both Park, who remains in office but stripped of her powers while the court decides her fate, and Choi have denied wrongdoing.

The special prosecutor's office said on Tuesday it had evidence that Park and Choi shared profits gained through bribery payments, but did not elaborate.

This week, the special prosecutor indicted the chairman of the National Pension Service, the world's third-largest pension fund, on charges of abuse of power and giving false testimony in relation to the deal.

Thursday's court ruling angered many, including members of the left-wing opposition Democratic Party, which said the decision ran counter to public sentiment. Samsung and its leader have been dogged by protests in recent weeks as the graft probe advanced, with some calling for Lee's immediate arrest.

"The law is not equal for all," one South Korean remarked on web portal Naver.

Key Samsung Group shares were higher following the court decision, though down from their opening peaks as investors braced for the likelihood of an indictment.

"The only thing that has changed is that he won't be detained now," commented Park Jung-hoon, a fund manager at HDC Asset Management, adding that uncertainties were likely to linger.
The man who made a killing when he bought Bank of Ireland shares during Ireland's banking collapse went before the US Senate last night ahead of his appointment as Donald Trump's new Commerce Secretary.

US billionaire Wilbur Ross was one of the few global investors who backed the Irish financial sector at the height of the recession. He bought shares in Bank of Ireland in 2011 when there was little appetite for the stock among global investors, as part of a consortium that kept the bank from full nationalisation.

He later sold the shares in a series of deals that tripled his money, handing him a 500m profit. Donald Trump's presidential campaign was marked by protectionist language deep antagonism to China over trade.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Chinese President Xi Jinping made an outspoken defence of globalisation in an historic speech seen as a rebuke of the Trump campaign.

However, in his testimony before the US Senate, Wilbur Ross rejected the idea of China as a free trade champion. "China is the most protectionist country of very large countries. They have both very high tariff barriers and very high non-tariff trade barriers. So they talk much more about free trade than they actually practise.

"We'd like to level that playing field and bring the reality a bit closer to the rhetoric," Mr Ross said.

He poured scorn on the economic performance of the US over the past number of years, noting it should be referred to as "The New Dismal".

Ross, 79, would be one of the most seasoned business leaders on Trump's economic team. As a private-equity investor, he restructured companies across a range of industries including steel, banking and textiles. Bloomberg values his fortune at $2.9bn, and in financial disclosures released Tuesday, he revealed assets topping $336m, including at least $150m held in bank accounts and an art collection worth more than $50m

In Wednesday's prepared statement, Ross said the companies he's invested in operated in 23 countries.

He said he's probably had more direct experience than any cabinet nominee with unfair trade practices such as non-tariff barriers and state subsidies of foreign exports. "I am not anti-trade," he said. "I am pro-trade. But I am pro-sensible trade, not trade that is detrimental to the American worker and to the domestic manufacturing base."

Ross's vast business holdings may open him to the same line of attack Mitt Romney faced when he ran for president in 2012 - that he was a corporate raider who flipped companies for profit while laying off American workers.

(Additional reporting by Bloomberg)
Donald Trump's choice to be the new US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, has said that lowering corporation tax in the US will be a top priority for luring multinationals to the country.

In a testimony that will send a shudder down the spine of Irish policymakers, Mr Ross told a US Senate Confirmation Committee that lowering the current rate of tax on multinationals would be "the biggest single tool" the US could use to attract and keep large corporates.

"The best way for foreign firms to come here is for us to lower the corporate tax rate.That will be a further inducement for them to come.

"Right now, we are not competitive with our marginal tax rate against many other countries with whom we compete," Mr Ross said.

"Take, for example, Mexico. The corporate tax rate there is about half of what it is in our country, and that's true of the tax rates in many of the other countries," Mr Ross told the Senate committee.

Mr Ross has a long history with Ireland, having previously invested in our financial sector at the height of the recession.

He purchased shares in struggling Irish lender Bank of Ireland (BOI) in 2011 when few international investors would contemplate investing in Irish bank stocks.

He sold the shares in 2014, recouping an estimated $500m profit in the process.

But Mr Ross' intervention on the issue of corporation tax will have done little to soothe the concerns of Irish policymakers, who are attempting to chart a course for the country's economy against a backdrop of myriad external challenges.
Big Brother star Hughie Maughan is back in rehearsals for Dancing With The Stars and he is sporting a paler complexion.

The Ballymun native (22) was hit with a barrage of criticism for his excessively dark fake tan on last week's episode but the reality star looks to have scrubbed down since then.

Taking to Instagram, he uploaded a photo of himself in the rehearsal studio, without his trademark bronzed hue and fans were quick to take notice of his lighter appearance.

"You're looking a bit pale Hughie," one user wrote.

The Dubliner came under fire for his appearance on last week's show and received death threats and accusations of racism for his tan.

Hughie insisted he wasn't worried about the criticism, with most viewers seeing the funny side of his look.

Another day at rehearsals .. can't wait for Sunday #DWTS A photo posted by Hughie Maughan.. AKA..HUGHDOGG (@hughiemaughanofficial) on Jan 19, 2017 at 7:42am PST

Dancing With The Stars producers are said to have asked the TV star to tone down his use of fake tan for the duration of the competition.

The series is back on screens next Sunday and will see the 11 celebrities perform together in one episode for the first time.

The show will end with the first contestant being given the boot.
U-47700 is a deadly chemical originally produced as an alternative to morphine. The strong synthetic opioid has been cited as the cause of dozens of deaths across the US. stock image

A teenager has been arrested in connection with the supply of the synthetic drug, U4, which may have caused the death of a 16-year-old boy in Cork city.

Michael Cornacchia was found dead at his home in Deerpark, on the southside of Cork city, on Monday morning.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out, and gardai are awaiting the results of toxicology reports. The results could take several weeks to come back.

A teenage boy was arrested in connection with the death on Tuesday. He was detained by gardai at the Bridewell Station in Cork in connection with the possible supply of U4.

He was released without charge pending a file to the DPP.

Meanwhile, gardai investigating the death believe that Mr Cornacchia may have taken the drug U4.

The drug is cheap but poses a major health risk to users.

U-47700 is a deadly chemical originally produced as an alternative to morphine. The strong synthetic opioid has been cited as the cause of dozens of deaths across the US.

The drug was developed in a lab in the 1970s by pharmaceutical company Upjohn.
Patrick Gately was subjected to a savage beating in Mountjoy Prison on Monday

A member of the ruthless gang who beat a father and threatened to kill his children during a violent burglary has been attacked in prison by one of his own gang.

Patrick Gately (27) was one of the seven who attacked the home of the Corcoran family in Burnchurch, south Tipperary, in November 2013.

On Monday, the thug was attacked on his landing in Mountjoy Prison and subjected to a savage beating, with blows inflicted mainly to his head and face.

It is understood that in the wake of the attack Gately, who is serving a 16-year-sentence for the horrific armed raid on the Corcorans' home, was moved to St Pat's and is now under protection.

Brutal

Sources said the thug was targeted because he "had been loose with his tongue", sparking a brutal response from his own allies.

Expand Close Donal O'Hara (22) of Glin Park, Coolock, Dublin 17, was sentenced to 12 years, with seven suspended. He had 19 previous convictions / Facebook

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Whatsapp Donal O'Hara (22) of Glin Park, Coolock, Dublin 17, was sentenced to 12 years, with seven suspended. He had 19 previous convictions

"That lad had been mouthing off and his own gang heard about it," a source said.

Sources confirmed last night that the assault was not linked to the Kinahan/Hutch feud.

The attack on Gately comes six months after another member of the gang, Donal O'Hara (24), had tendons in his arm severed and was beaten with metal poles in retaliation for an attack on a woman. The beating is believed to have been carried out after a 5,000 'hit' was put out on O'Hara.

Authorities believe the threat against O'Hara also originated with former associates.

In October 2015, Gately and O'Hara were two of seven men sentenced to a total of 105 years in prison for one of the most horrific and violent burglaries to take place in Ireland.

The gang broke into the home of Mark and Emma Corcoran armed with a sawn-off shotgun, a handgun and a machete.

Mrs Corcoran managed to dial 999 and left her mobile phone on for seven minutes. Gardai could hear what was happening during the raid.

Mrs Corcoran said she told the raiders that her children - aged eight, six and two - were in the house and was told "we'll kill your f***ing kids".

Expand Close OFF THE STREETS: Thug Thomas Flynn, one of the raiders who were given hefty sentences at Clonmel Circuit Court / Facebook

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Whatsapp OFF THE STREETS: Thug Thomas Flynn, one of the raiders who were given hefty sentences at Clonmel Circuit Court

Two of the attackers - Dean Byrne (22), of Cabra Park, and Patrick Gately (27), of Primrose Grove in Darndale - were sentenced to 20 years, with four suspended.

John Joyce (20), of Lentisk Lawn, Donaghmede, was sentenced to 15 years with four suspended and Patrick Joyce (22), of Beaumont Hall, Beaumont Woods, was sentenced to 14 years with four suspended.

Thomas Flynn (20), of Moatview Avenue, Coolock, was jailed for 12 years with three suspended, while Michael McDonagh (23), of Tara Lawns Belcamp Lane, Coolock, and O'Hara (24), from Glin Park in Coolock, were both sentenced to 12 years, both with seven suspended.

Shouting

Shortly before the seven gang members were led away from the courtroom, some of them shouting as they left, Judge Thomas Teehan offered his best wishes to the Corcorans, who live in the townland of Burnchurch outside Killenaule in Co Tipperary.

"I'm quite certain everyone in court has enormous sympathy for what you have endured," he told the emotional couple after issuing the prison terms.

"I'd like to wish you every possible success and for your children in your efforts to recover from this.

"No doubt your own determination will be very important in that regard. Nobody could possibly ever forget what you have gone through."
Staff have been offered a pay rise of up to 3pc a year over the next four years if they accept the cuts and do not take industrial action. (Stock picture)

Trade union Unite, which represents craft workers in Bus Eireann, warned that the actions of management are putting the companys future at risk.

The unions Regional Officer Willie Quigley was speaking following a letter to unions from management issued yesterday and released to the media in what Mr Quigley described as the latest episode in managements PRs assault on the companys workers.

Yesterday, the company announced cuts to premium payments, allowances and redundancies under a cost-cutting plan to save itself from going bust.

Staff have been offered a pay rise of up to 3pc a year over the next four years if they accept the cuts and do not take industrial action.

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"For over a week, our members have had to hear their employers plans leaked to the airwaves and the national press. This is an unprecedented situation in industrial relations terms, and managements behaviour is particularly disappointing in a company which describes itself, in the letter issued yesterday, as a premium employer."

The union representative said that leaking the report to media was the latest "assault on Bus Eireann workers".

It will propel our members into a ballot for industrial action situation as, having refused to engage at the Labour Court before Christmas, the company now wants our members to accept more hits on top of a nine-year pay freeze.

"In addition, these demands are being made in the absence of any engagement with the unions since the leaking of the Grant Thornton report. Eight days after it was provided to the media, the Company has still not issued that report to us - yet they expect the unions to sign up to a package of cuts and changes as a precondition for meeting with us next Tuesday. "

Mr Quigley said that their members' patience are "exhausted".

Mr Hernans letter correctly notes that the key objective shared by all is to ensure the future of Bus Eireann. However, managements unprecedented behaviour over the past while is putting that future at risk. Workers and their representatives deserve better of Bus Eireann: they deserve to be treated with respect as equal stakeholders.

All unions in Bus Eireann will be consulting on how best to defend our members and protect the vital public service provided by the company and its workers, Mr Quigley concluded.
The CIA stayed silent on explosive allegations it was involved in gunrunning to the IRA at the height of the Troubles, declassified intelligence files reveal.

The concerns were raised in a letter to the director of the Central Intelligence Agency from a congressman who warned it to "speak out vehemently" or risk other criminal and terrorist organisations "finding cover under the CIA umbrella".

Expand Close Benjamin A Gilman. Photo: GETTY / Facebook

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It followed the November 1982 trial of five self-confessed IRA gun smugglers - including Michael Flannery, the 80-year-old founder of Noraid - found not guilty of transporting an arsenal of weapons and ammunition into Northern Ireland.

The five claimed they bought the arms from an arms dealer who was an undercover CIA agent.

The CIA, with a licence to export weapons, had aided their operation in order to monitor the flow of arms to Ireland and prevent the IRA from turning to the Soviet Union for arms, the defence claimed.

It was a defence the jury found credible - with a female juror telling press they "firmly believed" the operation could not have continued without government sanction.

Expand Close Newly elected president Erskine Childers (right) with predecessor Eamonn De Valera at the all-Ireland final in Croke Park in 1973. CIA archives recall his election was a mild upset. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Newly elected president Erskine Childers (right) with predecessor Eamonn De Valera at the all-Ireland final in Croke Park in 1973. CIA archives recall his election was a mild upset.

The letter from Benjamin A Gilman to William J Casey, director of the CIA, dated November 1982, was contained along with press reports of the trial in a cache of some 13 million pages of documents declassified by the CIA and released on its website.

The move came after lengthy efforts from freedom of information campaigners and a lawsuit against the CIA which culminated in the agency finally releasing the archive which had previously only been accessible at the National Archives in Maryland.

Ireland features in some 3,000 dispatches, reports or newspaper cuttings - ranging from the intriguing to the downright bizarre.

A secret report on Ireland from April 1949 - amid the paranoia of Cold War politics - gave details on political parties, the power of the Roman Catholic church and the negligible influence of communists - with one "Dublin bookseller" considered the only communist of note in the entire country.

The CIA seemed to take a blase, almost amused approach to Ireland's neutrality and considered us to have a crucial role to play in its own Cold War defences.

"Denial of Ireland to an enemy is an inescapable principle of United States security," it said.

Irish neutrality would "probably be tolerable" but "it could become necessary to utilise Ireland", it warned, before cosily concluding that because Ireland was already ideologically aligned with the West and "strongly Catholic and anti-Communist" would "probably not remain neutral in an East-West war".

The same report detailed Irish political parties, finding little difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, apart from "personal animosities", but found Fine Gael to be favoured by "the wealthy and conservative elements and those most friendly to the British tend to support Fine Gael".

Expand Close Uri Geller bends a Spoon during his appearance at the new Maplin Electronics Shop on Jervis Street. Photo: Declan Cahill / Facebook

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A brief note on June 1, 1973, stated that the election of Erskine Childers, "a London-born Protestant", as president was "a mild upset".

A CIA letter from January 1975 to the National Council of Irish Americans thanks them for "sharing their thoughts" on allegations that the CIA was acting in Northern Ireland but says "it has been our general tradition not to comment - one way or the other".

A confidential report from December 1974 addresses the outlook for Dublin's presidency of the then European Community and notes "Ireland's insistence on staying out of military alliances, its long-standing Francophile biases, and its pragmatic determination to avoid contravening basic British interests".

It also rather sniffily details how "the country's most able diplomats were sent to the major European posts while J. Molloy, the non-political assistant secretary in charge of administration, was sent to Washington".

The CIA shrewdly thought of the practicalities - the difficulty of physical communication - with London being the only EC capital having frequent flights to Dublin.

"The Irish will have their hands full," it concluded.

Meanwhile, in a secret document dated March 6, 1975, the CIA turned its sights to the first threat of Brexit - the UK's referendum for the country's continued support of membership of the EC.

Negotiations between members at a meeting in Dublin "will undoubtedly be prolonged and is expected to have at least a show of cliff-hanging to enhance the chances for a favourable British vote in the pending referendum on EC membership later this year," the CIA surmised.

CIA thought the spoon-bender Uri Geller had some 'psychic powers'

CIA agents came across as slightly naive in files addressing the wonder of illusionist Uri Geller and his spoon-bending capabilities.

The CIA put Geller to the test in 1973, aided by scientists at the Stanford Research Institute.

Geller was locked in a shielded room and asked to recreate the same sketch as that drawn by an experimenter down the hall.

Geller failed several times but succeeded often enough to convince the CIA of his psychic powers.

"We consider that he has demonstrated his paranormal perceptual ability in a convincing and unambiguous manner," the CIA report concluded.

The agency eventually recognized Geller's tricks as the work of an illusionist.

Newspaper stories debunking Geller's claims are contained in the archive with a note saying "just in case you didn't happen to see this".

'UFO calls just dried up'

Flying saucers provided much food for thought for the CIA from the 1940s through to the early 1990s.

Most of the documents concern CIA cables reporting unsubstantiated UFO sightings in the foreign press.

A heavily redacted document said the US Forecast Centre had been "plagued" with calls about UFO sightings, which then stopped.

An unnamed individual had told the CIA that he "never gets these calls anymore and surmised that someone must have made a political decision that they were not to be sighted anymore".

Proper spy business is addressed in documents from the archive which give a German recipe for invisible ink.

Another paper tells how to open sealed letters with the application of many chemicals - and an iron.
Former Chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, Sean Fitzpatrick (68) of Whitshed Road, Greystones, Co Wicklow, leaves the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he is accused of misleading Anglos auditors over a five year period. Pic Collins Courts.

A former director with Anglo Irish Bank has told a trial that he first learned of the extent of multi-million euro loans to Sean FitzPatrick in December 2008.

Loans taken out by Mr FitzPatrick (68), his wife and family members increased from about 10 million in 2002 to 103 million in 2007. Mr FitzPatrick, the bank's former chairman, is accused of failing to disclose the loans to auditors.

The prosecution alleges that the amount of the loans was artificially reduced for a period of two weeks around the bank's financial end of year statement by short term loans from other sources, including Irish Nationwide Building Society.

Mr FitzPatrick of Whitshed Road, Greystones, Co Wicklow has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 27 offences under the 1990 Companies Act. These include 22 charges of making a misleading, false or deceptive statement to auditors and five charges of furnishing false information in the years 2002 to 2007.

On day 64 of the trial Ned Sullivan told the jury that he served on the Anglo board of directors as non-executive director from 2001 to January 2009. He said a non-executive director differed from a executive director in that the former is not employed by the bank.

From mid 2002 to mid 2007 he served on the bank's audit committee. He told John Byrne BL, prosecuting, that he understood that any loans made to directors of the bank were made in the normal course of business and on the same commercial terms as any other lending.

Expand Close Former non-executive Director of Anglo Irish Bank, Ned Sullivan, leaves the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court this morning where he gave evidence in the trial of former Chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, Sean Fitzpatrick. Pic Collins Courts. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Former non-executive Director of Anglo Irish Bank, Ned Sullivan, leaves the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court this morning where he gave evidence in the trial of former Chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, Sean Fitzpatrick. Pic Collins Courts.

He said he first became aware of the extent of the loans to the accused at a meeting on December 16, 2008. He said Mr FitzPatrick told him about the size of his borrowings and the annual temporary transfer arrangement in place with Irish Nationwide.

He agreed with Bernard Condon SC, defending, that he was not involved in the day to day running of the bank.

Frank Daly, who retired as chairman of the Revenue Commissioners in March 2008, said that in December 2008 he and Alan Dukes were nominated as public interest directors in the bank.

He said the accused asked him to come to the meeting at Heritage House on December 16 with Mr Dukes and Mr Sullivan. At that meeting Mr FitzPatrick disclosed that the accounts being prepared for publication would show an increase in director's loans from 41m in September 2007 to approximately 120m for the financial year ending September 2008.

Mr FitzPatrick said that most of this increase was down to loans to himself. The witness said that the accused described how he would temporarily move the loans out to other banks.

The trial continues before Judge John Aylmer and a jury.
A patient's back surgery was undone when she slipped on the wet floor of a hospital bathroom the day after she underwent the surgery, it has been claimed in the High Court.

Edel Byrne (29), Cedar Park, Ridgewood, Swords, Dublin, is suing the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin and cleaning contractors, Noonan Topco Ltd, Ardee Road, Rathmines, Dublin.

She claims negligence over the condition of the floor in the ensuite bathroom which she was using the day after her surgery on February 21, 2012.

Both defendants deny liability.

It is alleged Ms Byrne, who is a nurse, slipped and hit her head against a washbasin and her back against the toilet bowl.

Her counsel said the fall effectively undid the surgery she had undergone.

Her lawyers applied to the court for an order requiring Noonan Topco to provide further and better particulars of its defence to the claim.

They said the replies given so far were far too general and they were "left guessing" about what the defence was.

Mr Justice Seamus Noonan rejected the application saying the replies given by Noonan Topco were effectively the "bog standard" type in slip and fall cases.

What Ms Byrne's side was seeking was for the defendant to say how the accident happened and that could not be done unless it had someone in the bathroom who had witnessed the accident.

He was perfectly satisfied Noonan Topco had supplied sufficient particulars.
A 15-year-old boy found guilty of attacking and injuring a girl on a playground swing has been spared a custodial sentence.

The boy, then aged 14, denied assault causing harm to the girl (14) on a date in June 2015 at a playground in north Dublin. However, he was found guilty in November by Judge John O'Connor following a trial at the Dublin Children's Court.

The judge noted today that a Probation Service report on the youth was positive.

The boy's barrister asked the judge to note that the teenager and his parents had engaged fully with the service and the pre-sentence report stated he was at a low risk of re-offending. He is still in education and has not continued to come to garda attention since being found guilty, the court also heard.

Judge O'Connor said he was imposing a conditional discharge requiring the teenager to keep the peace for the next six months. He told the boy that if he does not come to more Garda attention in that time he will have no recorded criminal conviction for the assault.

I don't wish to leave him with a conviction but I have to acknowledge that there is an injured party who has suffered as a result of it, he said.

The boy, who was accompanied to court by his parents remained silent during the hearing.

The court had heard that the girl had been on a disc shaped basket style swing with a friend when the boy and another youth started pushing them. She agreed that she thought during the course of the pushing it got aggressive.

She suffered injuries to her nose, ear and cheek bone which were swollen when the garda arrived a short while later. She has attended hospital and Judge O'Connor noted she had to go through an operation on her nose which he said was quite serious.

The girl wept as she gave evidence of being "really scared" and telling the teenage to stop pushing the swing. The second youth "backed off" but the defendant kept pushing her, she said, adding, "I flipped, I fell straight on my nose".

As a result of her injuries she struggles to breathe through her nose, she said. Her mother said the girl now finds it hard to eat and her self esteem is low.

In evidence, the teenage boy told the court in November that four or five girls were present. He claimed, another girl on the swing with the victim kept asking him to push them higher and he was going to stop when the second girl jumped out and the basket toppled. He claimed the victim fell out and it was an accident.

Judge O'Connor had said the girl suffered a very nasty injury and despite finding the boy guilty he had said he didn't think the teen set out to assault her.
John Walshe's recent article (Irish Independent, Saturday, January 7) on fee-charging schools raises some very uncomfortable questions regarding the Catholic Church's sponsorship of these schools.

Catholic education finds expression in very different kinds of institution. The Catholic tradition of teaching and learning occurs in schools that have a deserved reputation for their work with the disadvantaged and marginalised. In the 16th century, concern for the poor animated the efforts of the Brothers of the Common Life to extend educational opportunity to the poor. This concern has also inspired the work done in Ireland and internationally by the Christian Brothers, Mercy, Presentation and Holy Faith sisters and other orders from the 19th century to the present. Although in Ireland the majority of learners who are most educationally challenged tend to be found in schools run by education and training boards (ETBs), the success of Catholic schools in serving the poor is widely acknowledged in the educational literature.

Some flagship Catholic schools, however, are renowned for their exclusive character and their association with the wealthy. One of the most famous expressions of this feature of the Catholic tradition is to be found in the words of Stephen Dedalus's father in 'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man', perhaps the classic fictional account of a Catholic education. Having fallen on hard times, Stephen's father has had to withdraw him from Clongowes, the Jesuit boarding school. Both parents are keen to get him into Belvedere, an equally exclusive Jesuit day school. Mrs Dedalus explains that she "never liked the idea of sending him to the Christian Brothers".

Mr Dedalus then vehemently exclaims: "Christian Brothers be damned", in their school Stephen will find himself "with Paddy Stink and Mickey Mud". "No," continues Dedalus, "Let him stick to the Jesuits in God's name since he began with them. They'll be of service to him in after years. Those are the fellows that can get you a position." He makes no reference at all to the possible role of the school in fostering his son's religious faith.

The perception that education in certain Catholic schools in Ireland and elsewhere confers positional advantage is still current. This means that parents choose fee-charging schools to secure for their offspring social and economic advantage over others in terms of employment and access to higher education.

Like Mr Dedalus, many may not choose Catholic institutions for religious reasons at all but rather to ensure that their children become schooled in the secret scripture of the rich. For example, an article in a series on private schools deals in detail with St Stanislaus's, a school in an affluent area of Paris and has the heading 'In Stanislaus, God will recognise his own'. This is because those attending the school are being groomed as the elite of the new generation and Catholicism is viewed as part of this cachet of elitism. A feature on schools in Germany offers a similar profile of the constituency served by certain Catholic schools there.

The same applies in Ireland where some fee-charging Catholic schools are among the most exclusive in the country, although revenue from general taxation goes to support them. Defenders of Catholic education will have to be far more honest about this issue and avoid referring to Catholic schools as if they were all the same. It is no answer, indeed it is hypocritical, to argue that fee-charging schools are active in promoting social awareness on the part of their pupils if their very existence is an institutional expression of socio-economic division.

In Ireland, writers on education like to criticise the high value placed on the credential effect of educational achievement by schools, parents, and students. Most theorists, at least in public, prefer to propose pleasant and politically acceptable platitudes about the role of education in developing the whole person or in forming critical agents of social change.

Citizens in a liberal democracy, however, rightly enjoy the freedom to use their income as they see fit. If they use it to secure positional advantage for their offspring by sending them to fee-charging schools, this is a consequence of living in a free society. But these schools cannot claim to be inspired by an ethic of service to the poor.

Dr Kevin Williams is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection, Dublin City University
Alicia Hickey and Anand Enkhtulga from Rutland Street NS, Lower Gloucestor Place and their project 'Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, 'How can our (Sheltered Inner City) garden grow?' at the RDS Primary Science Fair.

When the current curriculum for primary schools was being devised 20 years ago Ireland was another country. Society has changed a lot and so too has what is happening, and needs to happen, in the nation's classrooms.

In the late 90s, immigrants were starting to arrive, chasing jobs borne out of the economic boom of that decade. The "new Irish" brought with them different cultures and religions, and no religion, adding even more diversity to a society undergoing its own 'post-Catholic' social revolution.

Today, children of immigrant families make up about 10pc of the primary school population.

Back then, computer coding was seen as the preserve of a few highly educated nerds. Today, seven-year-olds can write their own algorithms, but depend on volunteer organisations like CoderDojo to learn those skills.

In 1999, when the current curriculum was introduced, the ink was not long dry on the first guidelines to combat bullying in schools.

The guidelines have been updated and are a crucial tool, but there is a new focus on promoting mental wellbeing among children. If all pupils were to feel good about themselves, perhaps the guidelines would become redundant.

A lot more has changed. Last year's 1916 centenary commemorations showed how, with the time to unleash imagination and talent, teachers and pupils lifted history from the pages of the textbooks and transformed it into works of dramatic and visual art.

What happens in primary schools must also be cognisant of external developments, such as the recent roll-out of universal pre-school education for three-year-olds. Those with responsibility for the curriculum keep abreast of latest research in teaching and learning, as well as new insights into children's experiences from their primary school years, such as is now available from the Growing Up in Ireland study.

School curricula must evolve with the times.

Changes happen anyway in response to various developments and concerns. A few years ago, the numeracy and literacy strategy was a direct result of worries about the performance of Irish students in international tests. A more recent assessment suggests that it has worked.

But tacking things on to a curriculum leads to complaints about overload and does little for overall coherence.

The task of advising the Government on school curriculum matters rests with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). It recently published a consultation document, 'Proposals for structure and time allocation in a redeveloped primary curriculum', now out for public discussion.

NCCA acting CEO John Hammond says that, after two decades, it is timely to ask what type of curriculum do we want for our children in primary schools into the next decade.

The NCCA proposals are not about the nitty gritty of what is taught in any subject, but about how best to use time and about devising an overall structure for the school year/month/week/day.

It is very much about deciding what we want from the system for the next generation of children. According to NCCA, "timed allocations are not neat, uncontested bundles of minutes allocated to individual curriculum areas or subjects.

"They represent values and priority in primary education - what we deem important for our young citizens in the formative years of their educational experiences and what we value and prioritise for children's learning and development."

Time itself is not an issue: Irish primary schools devote 915 hours a year to tuition, ahead of the international average of 754 hours. The challenge is about fitting in all the growing, and competing, demands.

As the NCCA sat down to do its work, subjects clamouring for more time were social, political and health education (SPHE) and physical education (PE), while new areas such as coding, modern languages, wellbeing, and a general education about religions, beliefs and ethics are banging on the door. How to do all that without throwing out the three Rs?

The NCCA has broken its thinking, and proposals, into two. The first looks at structure, such as for how long in the primary school continuum should teaching and learning be grouped into overarching, thematic and curriculum areas, rather than distinct subjects.

They borrow from international research and from the Aistear curriculum developed for early years education, which focuses on play as a vehicle for learning. Aistear is used not only in pre-schools but is also encouraged by the Department of Education for children up to the age of six or seven. Among the options for discussion now are whether third class, or even fifth class, is time enough to introduce distinct subjects.

Secondly, the document deals with the breakdown of time between different curriculum areas/subjects. A major talking point here will be the allocation for religion, currently two hours 30 minutes a week. That is twice the international average, while we lag well behind other countries in the time for science and PE.

The NCCA suggests significant modifications to existing timetables, with maths, English and Irish awarded a weekly allocation, while everything else would be given a monthly allocation.

Overall, the NCCA proposes that time for maths, English and Irish, combined with monthly allocations for SPHE, science, arts and PE, should amount to a minimum 60pc of the school year. Monthly allocations would allow for planning extended blocks of time for deeper learning in subjects such as history.

The other 40pc would be flexible time, for areas such as the patron's religion programme, recreation, assemblies, roll call and discretionary use. That may, or may not, have implications for the special place given to the patron's religion programme.

Taken together, these elements currently amount to 36pc of the full school week. As well as the time for the patron's religion programme, there is two hours discretionary curriculum time, one hour 40 minutes assembly time, 50 minutes roll call, 50 minutes for breaks and two hours 30 minutes for recreation. Instead of specifying time for each of these, the NCCA proposes giving schools greater latitude.

The outcome of the NCCA public consultation will inform more detailed work by the NCCA. That, in turn, will lead to a further consultation in 2018.

Primary pupils are class act at science fair

From online hacking, to finding out what sort of kite flies best, to designing packaging for posting a crisp, primary pupils are showing just what inquiring minds they have.

Some 6,000 fourth, fifth and sixth class pupils are involved in 240 primary school class projects at the RDS Primary Science Fair this month. Last week it was held in conjunction with the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, while this week, it runs at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. The showcase, now in its eighth year, has attracted schools from 24 counties this year.

Belfast has been added as a venue for 2017 (June 8-9), bringing overall participation to 7,500.

Projects are displayed at one of the three events.

The aim of the fair, which is non-competitive and seeks to engage the entire class in a science-related project, is to equip students with science and maths skills. It has been developed and fully managed by the RDS.

Research has found it to be unique on an international level, through its methodology of whole-class, child-led approach to primary school STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) learning.

It also found that multi-annual participation has a lasting impact on students, teachers and schools.

RDS chief executive Michael Duffy said engaging pupils in STEM-related projects at an early education age can be crucially important for students' long-term engagement with STEM.

Having Your say

The NCCA is inviting opinion through a number of channels, between now and April:

* Attending a focus group for teachers in one of the selected education centres

* Completing an online questionnaire

* Requesting a meeting for a school/organisation by emailing structureandtime@ncca.ie
Returning to education is a daunting and difficult decision for many. This week, in particular, is a critical week for mature students who are hoping to apply for a college place, via the CAO, in 2017.

In the coming days and weeks, before the all-important February 1 deadline, a large number of colleges will hold their final open evenings and mature student information sessions.

The February 1 deadline is important for all applicants, but even more so for mature applicants. While other applicants have the opportunity to add additional courses to their CAO list during the 'Change of Mind' process, which takes place from May 5 to July 1, mature students are much more restricted at that time. Most courses may not be added to a mature student's application during the Change of Mind period as interviews and testing (additional elements in the application process for mature students) are likely to have taken place. Additionally, very few colleges will consider late applications from mature applicants for the same reason.

Given these restrictions, there is a little more pressure on mature students to make correct choices the first time around. Therefore, mature students must be much more certain in their choices by February 1. With this in mind, attending any upcoming events is extremely important. Open days/evenings allow prospective students to get a feel for the college, meet lecturers, ask detailed questions and allay any fears they may have.

Like all CAO applicants, mature applicants should take some time to research fully all courses in which they are interested, and consider courses in similar areas. This can be done online through careersportal.ie, qualifax.ie or unibrowse.ie, before attending an open evening or information session. By doing as much research as possible in advance, applicants can gain maximum benefit from their time at such events..

HPAT Those who are considering applying for undergraduate medicine in 2017 should be aware that the closing date to register for the HPAT is this Friday, January 20 at 5.15pm.

The HPAT is an additional test that all applicants to undergraduate medicine in Ireland must take. Applicants must first register for the CAO as they will need to have their CAO number to proceed with their HPAT registration. It is not necessary to enter any courses on the CAO form to do this, but applicants must create an account and pay their fee.

As Medicine is considered a restricted entry course, all courses should be listed on an applicant's CAO form before the February 1 deadline. It is possible to remove these courses during the Change of Mind process. Therefore, if applicants are not sure for which medicine courses they wish to apply, it may be prudent to list all options by February 1, with the knowledge that they can be removed later if needed.

Once an applicant has been issued with a CAO number, they can download an information booklet and create an online account at the website, hpat-ireland.acer.edu.au. The test will take place on February 25. The fee to sit the HPAT is 130 and test centres are located in Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Cork, Sligo and Waterford. Applicants will be asked to select their preferred test centre and this can be changed until February 1.

Results will be released in June most likely after the Leaving Cert exams have been completed.

Aoife Walsh is a guidance counsellor at Malahide Community School, Co Dublin

Q. I am a primary school teacher with a BComm and I am hoping to retrain as an educational psychologist. I want to continue working, so I am just wondering is there a part-time conversion course in psychology available?

A. Unfortunately, most conversion courses are full-time, however, there are some options including a Higher Diploma in Psychology (part-time) through Dublin Business School. This course is run from Dublin city centre locations, two to three nights a week, depending on the term. It will result in you meeting the criteria for graduate entry to the Psychological Society of Ireland which you must have in order to enter most masters and doctorates in psychology, including educational psychology.

Important dates

Today

Open Day - Blackrock College of FE

Open Evening - Dublin Business School

CAO Info Evening - DCU

Open Day - Griffith College

Open Evening - IT Tallaght

Open Evening - ICHAS (Limerick & Dublin)

Open Evening (Matures) - NUI Galway

HEAR & DARE Clinic The Rose Hotel Tralee; Ferrycarrig Hotel, Wexford

Engineering Open Evening - UCD

Tomorrow

Open Night - Dunboyne College of FE n Portfolio Day - Limerick IT

JANUARY 20

Open Day - Bray Institute of FE

Discounted Application Deadline - CAO

Registration deadline - HPAT Ireland

Open Day - Waterford College of FE

Open Day - Waterford IT

JANUARY 21

CAO/mature student talks - GMIT

HEAR & DARE Clinics - UCC, Villa Rosa Hotel Ballybofey, DIT Aungier St, NUI Galway; Maynooth University (Maynooth and Kilkenny); UL; Athlone IT, Glencarn Hotel Castleblaney, IT Sligo

Open Day - NCI

Architecture, Landscape, Planning Open Day - UCD

Open Day - Waterford IT
In future, additional teaching support for pupils with special needs will be based on the social and educational profile of a school. (picture posed)

There has been a broad welcome for a new system for allocating extra teachers to schools for children with special educational needs, but with a warning that it would have to be backed up by resources.

It will eliminate the need for parents of children with the most complex needs to pay for a diagnosis to support an application for additional classroom resources.

In future, additional teaching support for pupils with special needs will be based on the social and educational profile of a school. Profiles will be based on results from standardised tests conducted in primary schools and from Junior Cert data, as well as information on the socio-economic backgrounds of a school's pupils, such as the numbers availing of an exam fee waiver.

The profiles will also include a weighting for pupils with the most complex needs, who will be identified through a scheme being devised in consultation with the school psychologists, the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

Unfair

Up to now, extra resources for pupils with high incidence needs, such as dyslexia, were linked to a school's overall teacher numbers, while parents of children with the most complex needs required a professional assessment, which was deemed unfair to less well-off families.

Education Minister Richard Bruton said it would be a fairer and better way to allocate resources. He said no school would receive an allocation of resources less than the allocation they received in the current school year.

Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) general secretary Sheila Nunan said while the plan had a number of positive aspects, the "jury was out" and its success would depend on "resource provision to match the rhetoric".

Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools (ACCS) president Antoinette Nic Gearailt said they trusted it would result in a less cumbersome application process.
Farmers and small business owners will see the burden of high nursing home bills for elderly relatives reduced under sweeping changes to the Fair Deal scheme.

It is understood as much as 90pc of farm assets may be exempted in determining how much farmers are liable to pay towards nursing home costs.

It follows ongoing pressure to change Fair Deal to prevent farmers having to sell parts of their land to meet these costs.

Senior Fine Gael figures yesterday discussed the State's nursing home support package for the first time this year ahead of the publication of a major cross-departmental review.

The review is expected to recommend a portion of the value of farm or commercial assets being excluded. Such a move would reduce a family's nursing home fees by thousands each year, Government sources told the Irish Independent.

Ministers have come under intense pressure in recent weeks amid claims nursing home fees are leaving families saddled with six-figure bills.

Senior sources within Fine Gael say the matter was discussed earlier this week following an RTE documentary by Brendan Courtney - which demonstrated some of the perceived unfairness of the Fair Deal scheme.

The issue arose again after it emerged a senior HSE official claimed elderly people are being left in hospital beds by relatives worried about the impact on their inheritances.

Read more: 'The more you have, the more you pay' - Independent.ie readers have their say on the Fair Deal scheme

The Department of Health confirmed the issue in relation to farms and small businesses is under review - but it is still unclear how soon a decision will be made.

Sources say that two ministers in the Department of Agriculture, Michael Creed and Andrew Doyle, are anxious to see changes to the rules surrounding farmers's assets.

At present, a family's payment is calculated based on 80pc of their annual income, as well as a 7.5pc annual charge on their overall assets. And assets that have been transferred within the previous five years are also means-tested.

A source last night said there was an expectation among some farmers for 90pc of the assets of the farm to be excluded, although the exact figure is to be decided.

"The Programme for a Partnership Government has committed to reviewing the nursing homes support scheme to remove any discrimination against small businesses and family farms," said a Department of Health source.

It comes in the wake of claims by Eunice O'Raw, the HSE head of legal services, that some farm families were keeping an elderly relative in hospital to avoid them going into a nursing home and being liable for fees under the Fair Deal scheme.

She said this practise was found to be aimed at protecting a farmer's inheritance although she did not say how many cases were involved.

Read more: Eilish O'Regan: Elderly face lottery when it comes to HSE home care support

But farmers reacted angrily and called on the HSE to clarify the statements.

"It's shameful that the HSE would target farming families in this manner," said Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association president Patrick Kent.

"Nonetheless, debate on the issue does serve to highlight just how brutal the scheme is. As it stands, the Fair Deal scheme is extremely unfair and unworkable for the vast majority of farmers and ICSA has been calling for changes to be made."

Health sources also pointed out that delayed discharges were down from 659 at the end of September to 458 yesterday.
A HOSPITAL that allegedly had 'no patients' in the building during a recent visit by TDs, saw a HSE overspend of 7m on refurbishment work it has been claimed.

It is understood that the hospital caters for day patients, but hasn't had inpatients for a number of years.

Independent TD Mattie McGrath has written to the Dail's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over concerns at the alleged overspend at Our Lady's Hospital in Cashel, Co Tipperary.

Labour TD Alan Kelly told the committee that he visited the hospital with the health minister on one occasion and "there wasnt one single patient in the building".

He said the issue is "a unique moment where I agree with Deputy McGrath from Co Tipperary. Its probably a first."

"This is an incredible story which goes back the guts of 20 years in relation to agreements that there will be a new role for this hospital," he said.

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"I visited this hospital with the minister for health  just to tell the committee  there wasnt one single patient in the building.

"So its not just a case of where did the 7m go. Its a case of what is it being used for or what will it potentially be used for while South Tipperary General Hospital, which we all know, is one of the biggest overcrowding situations in Ireland," Mr Kelly added.

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Sinn Fein TD Mary Lou McDonald said there's "a strong argument for just calling the HSE in fairly promptly".

"To read from Deputy McGraths correspondence, its not just that theres nobody in it. He states that in fact it will never have patients on beds. Thats his assertion," she added, before saying she didn't know if that's "correct or incorrect".

Mr Kelly said: "Many of us have been arguing that its obviously a disgrace that this facility is left like that.

"Not alone is it being left like that but the HSE are refusing to use it in relation to step down as regards people who are going through the theatres in South Tipp General Hospital and having their procedures.

"If its not going to be used as step down what in the name of God is it going to be used for?," he asked.

PAC Chairman Sean Fleming proposed writing to the HSE, enclosing Mr McGrath's letter and seeking "a full explanation of this overspend".

Meanwhile, Health Minister Simon Harris has called on the HSE to address the allegations.

Mr Harris said the HSE should absolutely come before the PAC to explain why the money was spent.

As a former member of the PAC I welcome any time the Public Accounts Committee looks into how taxpayers money is spent and properly scrutinised and I expect the HSE will cooperate fully, he said.

It is important to note that the hospital in Cashel is not meant to see patients overnight.

"It is a hospital that largely provides primary care facilities. I do believe there is potential for that hospital to do much more.

"I have raised that with the HSE and I would like to see greater cooperation between South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel and also Our Ladys Hospital in Cashel, he added.
Simon Coveney has been warned his pledge to end the use of hotels as accommodation for homeless families by June cannot be achieved.

Fianna Fail TD Barry Cowen said the housing department "can't square that circle" in the absence of promised rapid-build housing, much of which won't be delivered until 2018.

Meanwhile, Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Ruth Coppinger questioned if Mr Coveney hoped to resolve the situation this year or next, adding this June "seems like an absolute impossibility".

The June promise was contained in Mr Coveney's 'Rebuilding Ireland' strategy to tackle the housing crisis.

Mr Coveney previously vowed that despite a view that he was "crazy" to pledge an end to homeless families in hotels, he is "going to make that happen".

But concerns about hitting the deadline came as Department of Housing secretary general John McCarthy briefed an Oireachtas committee on progress in the plan.

Mr McCarthy said that in addition to the Housing Assistant Payment (HAP), a "key element" of the plan to end the use of hotels for homeless families is the provision of 1,500 rapid-build homes by the end of 2018.

Mr Cowen seized on figures provided by Mr McCarthy showing there were 4,436 adults in emergency accommodation in November 2016. He asked how many homeless children are in hotels. And with just 2,000 people taken out of homelessness last year, he questioned if thousands of people in hotels could be reduced to zero by June.

He put it to Mr McCarthy that if one of the tools used to achieve this is rapid-build housing that won't be fully delivered until the end of next year, "unfortunately you can't square that circle". He argued just 22 rapid-build homes were completed last year and he accused the department of a "lack of urgency".

Mr McCarthy said there were 2,549 children in emergency accommodation among 1,200 families. He said 700 of these families are in hotels in Dublin.

He clarified that the pledge is to rehouse families living in commercial hotels, not all homeless individuals. But he told Mr Cowen: "You made a valid point in relation to my reference about the whole rapid-build programme being completed by 2018 and how that gels with the mid-year target that we have for hotels."
Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers deal with disturbances in the Laurel Bank area of Poleglass on 18th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

A woman has been injured and a man arrested after an angry mob gathered outside the home of a man listed on Facebook page as a potential target for a so-called 'punishment shooting' on Wednesday night.

Hundreds of people swarmed to the property in Poleglass, Belfast with many demanding that the man leaves the area.

Police were called to Laurelbank in Poleglass, where a car had been smashed up at around 7.30pm.

It is believed to belong to a man accused of involvement in a public altercation in the area recently.

Masked men smashed the windows of his home, where it's believed a young child was staying. A woman in the house was attacked. However she did not receive serious injuries. The gang later made off on foot.

Police had to escort a number of family members, including the targeted man, to safety.

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It's understood the Housing Executive has provided the family with emergency accommodation.

Angry residents could be heard shouting obscenities as the man was escorted from the area.

Police are appealing for witnesses following an incident in the Laurelbank area of Dunmurry last night, Wednesday 18 January.

While officers were conducting follow-up enquiries in the area a 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon after a fight broke out between two men. He was interviewed and later released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Police have appealed for information.

The incident came just days after a husband and wife were shot at their home on Norglen Parade.

PSNI Belfast commander Chief Superintendent Chris Noble said it is too early to say whether the recent shootings are linked, but added they are a huge concern to both the police and the people of west Belfast.

"In terms of the basic facts of the incident, we were informed by the Ambulance Service just after 10pm (on Tuesday) that they had come across a young male, a 26-year-old male, who had been shot twice - once in each leg," he said.

"We attended very quickly afterwards and there was an immediate closure of the scene and attempts to secure evidence and we have since engaged with the victim in hospital, who thankfully is stable.

"We want to condemn what has happened. In terms of people involved, it is very early days to speculate but at the very least they are criminals. It is also too early to say if the number of recent shootings are linked but clearly there is an active line of inquiry around violent dissident republicans being involved."

"We also don't want to speculate on exactly why this individual was targeted. We don't want to speculate on the cause but clearly there is no justification whatsoever for this type of anti community behaviour."

Mr Noble called on anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area and in particular after 10pm to come forward to police.
Young childminders from overseas are being obliged to work in the black market Photo: Thinkstockphotos.com

Young childminders from overseas are being obliged to work in the black market because of a lack of clear government rules on au pairs, the Dail has been told.

Fianna Fail childrens affairs spokeswoman, Anne Rabbitte, criticised the Governments delays on reporting on the situation. She said board and lodging allowances relating to au pairs dated back to 2002 and there was no sign of a promised official review.

Families need to know where they stand on this, Ms Rabbitte said. She added that the legal vacuum meant many au pairs were now working illegally.

Last March the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland urged that all au pairs, traditionally students learning English in Ireland and helping with childminding, should be paid the minimum wage.

It followed a ruling by the Workplace Relations Commission that a Spanish woman had been exploited and awarded her over 9,000 in back pay and compensation.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions also said au pairs should get the minimum wage. But others close to the sector said this was an excessive demand and called for better informal rules on au pairs conditions.

Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald, replying for the Government, said the review was continuing as part of an overall study of childcare. She noted calls for formal and legally-binding arrangements set against others seeking a code of conduct.

Many families will want to continue with more informal arrangements. But we certainly need good guidelines, the Justice Minister said.
Mourners including former senator Maurice Hayes, centre left, console Dermot Gallaghers widow Maeve at the funeral. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin.

Former US president Bill Clinton paid tribute to Dermot Gallagher - a key architect of the Northern Ireland peace process - as hundreds of mourners attended the well-respected diplomat's funeral.

In a letter of condolence to Mr Gallagher's wife Maeve, Mr Clinton described him as "a fine man, an extraordinary diplomat and a gifted civil servant who dedicated his life to advancing peace and prosperity for the Irish people".

Mr Gallagher's career spanned 40 years and Mr Clinton thanked him for his exemplary service as ambassador to the US between 1991 and 1997.

"I will be forever grateful for his important role in negotiating the Good Friday Agreement," he said.

"With his knowledge, insight and sharp wit, he was a precious asset for a better future."

Mr Gallagher, a native of Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim, died on Sunday at the age of 72, following an illness.

Expand Close Former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness and Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams with former taoiseach Brian Cowen. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin. / Facebook

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Among the mourners at the Holy Trinity Church, near his home in Ratoath, Co Meath, yesterday were former president Mary McAleese and her husband Martin.

Read more: Obituary: A wily diplomat and an architect of peace

Former minister Dermot Ahern, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, former taoisigh John Bruton and Brian Cowen, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness were also in attendance.

Mr Gallagher's children Fiona, Aoife and Ronan, and his brothers Niall, Lionel and Brian attended the service.

Mr Gallagher also served as general secretary to the Department of Foreign Affairs and to the Department of the Taoiseach.
A garda on duty  some GRA members are seeking further wage increases. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Militants among rank-and-file gardai are demanding a further pay rise in relation to the one only being given to other public servants because the gardai had got a 50m wage deal.

Sources revealed some Garda Representative Association (GRA) members believe they should also benefit from a new deal, that was brokered as compensation for them getting a 4,000 pay boost to call off strikes.

As a result of that Garda deal, the Government has agreed to give a 1,000 pay rise to public servants in April rather than September, when it was originally due under the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

One source said the force is divided about the deal for its public sector colleagues, with some saying they were glad the others "got a few quid".

But others mistakenly believed gardai would not get the 1,000 pay rise in September.

There is also a group that believes it should get the new deal on top of its own deal.

"Some are questioning it and asking why are they not getting it, as they are signed up to the same Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA)," said the source.

The new deal, announced by Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe this week, will be paid to all public servants except gardai, who had brokered their own deal.

Also excluded are those secondary school teachers who have not signed up to the Lansdowne Road deal.

The new pay pact was agreed with unions after gardai were offered the 50m payout following the strike threat last November.

In response, other unions in the public sector had threatened a free-for-all of pay claims and industrial action.

These unions made the argument that gardai who had not signed up to the Lansdowne Road deal and threatened to break the law by going on strike were being treated better than their members.

Fianna Fail public expenditure spokesman Dara Calleary said he wasn't concerned that the GRA had been left out of the talks.

"They had a deal which was given to them specifically at the end of last October because of the Labour Court," he said.

"Their deal was the precedent for the announcement, so in effect what was announced was applied to the gardai beforehand."

Meanwhile the GRA has written to Mr Donohoe seeking an urgent meeting over its exclusion from the pay negotiations.

These pay talks have delivered an accelerated pay rise of 1,000 for 250,000 public servants from April 1. The talks were held to address the "anomalies" that arose after the 50m pay deal for gardai.
Prof Fanning, was Professor Emeritus of Modern History at University College Dublin where he also studied. Photo: Steve Humphreys

President Michael D Higgins led the tributes to the noted historian, Professor Ronan Fanning, who died yesterday.

Prof Fanning (75), was Professor Emeritus of Modern History at University College Dublin where he also studied.

Mr Higgins described Prof Fanning as a "much admired and respected historian whose extensive research and writings delivered a rich legacy to Irish scholarship".

He said he was an accomplished author and frequent broadcaster who "possessed a rare and wonderful talent for capturing and enrapturing his audience with an energetic and passionate literary style".

"He will be missed by his colleagues in academic life and by all of us who had the privilege of knowing him," he said.

Prof Fanning, of Donnybrook, Dublin, passed away in a south Dublin nursing home. He was predeceased by his wife, Virginia and is survived by his daughter Judith, sons Gareth and Tim, brothers Adrian and Paul and other family members.

He was a distinguished student, who won a scholarship to Cambridge University. Among the positions he held at UCD was director of archives acquisitions. He was also a member of the Royal Irish Academy.

Sadness

UCD president Professor Andrew Deeks said news of his death was met with "deep sadness" within UCD.

"He was one of our leading historians. He contributed to the university in countless ways over many years," he said.

Prof Deeks said Prof Fanning was "truly gracious with his guidance and advice".

National University of Ireland (NUI) chancellor, Dr Maurice Manning said "his loss will be keenly felt". He said the country "had lost one of its most eminent historians".

Dr Manning described him as a "brilliant teacher; he encouraged and inspired new generations of Irish historians".

He brought his considerable academic talents to bear on the study of many aspects of modern Irish history.

Dr Manning said he wrote the "authoritative biography 'Eamon de Valera: A Will to Power' which followed in a list of very distinguished publications stretching back to his 'The Irish Department of Finance 1922-58' published in 1978".

Professor Fanning was a regular columnist with the 'Sunday Independent' and, last year, contributed to the series of 1916 commemoration supplements, jointly produced by the Irish Independent and UCD.
Three of the five people shot in the last month in punishment-style attacks were named on a Facebook page before they were targeted.

Photographs of the young men, along with derogatory nicknames and allegations that they had been involved in named crimes, were also posted on the page. Updates on when named individuals were shot have also been posted on the page.

These posts have attracted hundreds of sinister comments, which include further accusations against those that have been named. Some comments even appear to celebrate that those named have been shot, and photographs of the injuries meted out by the gunmen have also been posted to the page.

PSNI Belfast commander, Chief Superintendent Chris Noble, confirmed that detectives are looking into the Facebook page but said they are not linking it to the shootings at this stage.

He has urged community leaders to speak out and condemn the attacks and said, as a police officer, he felt a lingering feeling by some that such punishment shootings are acceptable needs to be tackled.

SDLP councillor Brian Heading said the Facebook page should be removed and urged the community to condemn it.

"It is easy to put a name up on a website and accuse someone without evidence," he said. "Facebook should close this site down and anyone with any information about it should give it to police. This is not a way to deal with some of the issues of criminality. It is detrimental to community policing and needs to be challenged by the community."

Chief Supt Noble revealed at a press conference yesterday that the number of punishment attacks in west Belfast has doubled in the last year despite an overall drop in numbers across the city.

He made the revelation as he reacted to the recent incidents, and confirmed the shooting of a 26-year-old man on Tuesday night was by appointment.

"By appointment simply means if there has been intimidation of people to turn up. No-one goes to these incidents willingly," he said.

"It's a real challenge for us to investigate these, and this is not something that we can solve by having many more police in the area. It's about the community working with police to actually bring to justice people who are involved in these. And there are members of the community today who I have no doubt have bits of information that they haven't yet provided to police. My plea is please give us that information.

"We have seen over the last year in west Belfast a lift in these types of incidents and it is people who are clearly doing it for their own very selfish ends, trying to exercise control in the community and in some ways trying to pretend that they are a police service. They are not, the police service in west Belfast is the Police Service of Northern Ireland."

A PSNI spokesperson confirmed that detectives are aware of the Facebook posts.

"We are aware of social media posts that have made serious allegations against a number of individuals in the west Belfast area," she said.

"While we are not linking the posts to recent shootings at this stage we will look at all available information and will follow all possible lines of enquiry. I would like to remind everyone that uses social mediato be mindful of the content of any material they post online.

"The PSNI are committed to working in partnership with local communities to address any issues or concerns and it is vital that anyone with information on any illegal activity contacts their local police or indeed a community representative who can pass the information to police so that the matter can be fully investigated by police officers and anyone who may have acted illegally can be dealt with accordingly."
Drivers have been hit hard by increases in motor premiums, but the good news is that premium rises are set to stabilise this year.

Insurance premiums have been rising non-stop for two years.

The insurance industry blames the surge on what it said was a spike in the number of motor accident personal injury claims.

Insurance Ireland pointed to increases in the level of awards and frequency of compensation secured through the courts last year.

An updated book of quantum - essentially a guide to injury payout levels in the courts, Injury Board and directly by insurers - has now been issued in the hope of bringing some consistency to award levels.

Rises in the cost of premiums have been so high that experts now see them levelling off this year.

Director of general services at the Irish Brokers Association, Brian McNelis, feels we are over the worst when it comes to prices rises.

"With reduced losses being reported by the insurers and with the Government determined to deal with the issues affecting premiums, we are hopeful that 2017 will bring a form of stabilisation to the market."

Regardless of what happens you still can save money so here are some ways to fight back against the high premiums.

Switch

If you are claims-free, it makes sense to regularly switch insurer. Compare rates by ringing different companies or going online. It is worthwhile using a broker. It won't cost you any more than going directly to the insurer as the broker is paid by the company.

Don't over-insure

Other tips to keep costs down include being conservative with the car's value. This is important as you can only claim what the vehicle is deemed to be worth by the insurance company's assessor. People often over-value their car.

Check the excess

And be careful about excesses. This is the amount you have to pay before you can make a claim. Lately, insurers are imposing higher and higher excesses. This reduces the risks for them, but means you end up not claiming for small accidents. Excesses of 500 are not uncommon, but when they get to that level, they negate the value of having insurance.

Get a discount by using telematics

Telematics is a way of monitoring the location, movements, status and behaviour of a vehicle. You can do it through a smartphone. Insurer AIG offers discounts of up to 20pc on motor cover for using an app that monitors driving style. AIG says it aims to reward better driving behaviour with potential savings of up to 25pc on car insurance premiums.

Men, get insured with Its4women

Online insurer Its4women markets its motor insurance at females but the law means it cannot refuse to cover men. Because most of its customers are women, who are safer drivers and have fewer claims, it tends to be more competitive than motor cover sold equally to both sexes.

A recent European Union gender directive, which became the law in this country, means men and women can't be discriminated against in terms of the price of insurance.

Take out two-year cover

The cost of motor premiums are predicted to keep rising this year. To ensure you pay the same this year as next, you could opt for two-year cover which is offered on motor insurance by Blue Insurance. This means that the premium you pay this year will be the same again next year. And if you have an accident in the two-year period, your premium will not rise.

Pay annually

Pay for your cover annually if you can afford to do this. Paying for cover on a monthly basis is the same as taking a high-interest loan from your provider, with the interest as high as 20pc imposed on top of the premium for paying by instalments.
I remember the first time I saw an American newspaper advertisement for cheaper health insurance based on lifestyle. The ad asked the question: "Can you run a mile in eight minutes." If you could then, basically, you would get a discount on your health insurance premium.

I could run a mile in eight minutes. Yet, I felt the ad portrayed a crude and uncaring system of healthcare provision. Under that kind of system, how much would I have to pay when I could no longer run it in eight minutes?

For example, many of us feel we are reasonably decent drivers. We often wonder why we can't get a better deal on our motor insurance than some of those "crazy muppets" we encounter speeding recklessly around the place.

The bottom line with motor insurance is that we are priced on our risk, which is based on a relatively crude set of facts about our profile, such as our age, our experience, where we live and our track record, etc.

There are benefits to finding a better way of pricing risk for drivers - and some insurers are doing that now. However, never for a split-second would I consider an entitlement to cheaper health insurance because of my lifestyle.

That is because health insurance is different. No matter how fit or healthy we are in our younger years, we all get older. That inevitably means that a risk-priced health insurance system will lead to massive premiums in our later years.

I might be a conscientious driver now. Chances are I will continue to be conscientious when I get older. But irrespective of how conscientious I am about my health, I will need more medical care as I age.

Ireland is one of a number of countries that applies community rating to the health insurance market. It prevents health insurers from charging premiums based solely on risk profile. Just because you are older, doesn't mean you can be charged more.

Yet, the long-established and, I believe, fair system of community rating in Ireland has once again been questioned from within the health insurance industry.

Jim Dowdall, managing director of Irish Life Health, was reported in the Sunday Times as advocating a new approach that could undermine the community-rating principle. He is in favour of health insurance being offered as a multi-year policy tied into health and wellness programmes.

"Changing the regulatory environment to support an increased focus on initiatives and programmes that will keep people healthier would help," he was quoted as saying.

We are all in favour of keeping people healthier but achieving that through a health insurance incentive simply opens the floodgates for a premium free-for-all on older clients. It also raises privacy issues around proving ones ongoing health.

In the US, for example, insurer John Hancock offers a 15pc discount on your life insurance if you do 15 minutes of exercise a day. But you only get the discount if you use a health-monitoring wristband that enables exercise tracking. You have to make your wristband data available to the company.

Abandoning community rating doesn't mean going to that extreme, but it opens up the principle.

Even if I disagree with Mr Dowdall on the issue of abandoning community rating, he is right about several other things.

He has said that an ageing Irish population is going to cost us all more and it will push up health insurance premiums. Mr Dowdall believes Ireland will need to build three new hospitals the size of Beaumont over the next 10 years to cater for its ageing population.

He is right that seriously responding to the pending health care crisis will require a political change of mindset.

The only way we could abandon community rating and retain some kind of fairness in the system, would be if the entire public health system was completely re-invented or a new workable universal health insurance system was introduced.

The former is unlikely to ever happen. The latter is Fine Gael policy, but as a plan it has had to be abandoned because it would cost too much money.

In the meantime, the dysfunctionality of our current system continues. Health insurance premiums continue to rise. Dumping community rating would not solve the problem but simply allow the three health insurers in the market (and there are only three) to cut prices for the young, explode prices for the old and make a shed load of money.

Laya Healthcare made pre-tax profits of 15.7m in 2015, an increase of 22pc, in a market with community rating. Not bad money. With 300 different health insurance plans in the market, there is already a "confusopoly" where companies with similar products confuse customers instead of competing on price.

In Ireland, close to 50pc of people have health insurance cover. The number is so high for two reasons. Firstly, the public system is a shambles which drives more and more people into paying for private care. Secondly, because of community rating the cost for older people is not as prohibitive as it would be without such a government policy.

In the UK, for example, around 11pc of the population have private health insurance. In theory, our public system is supposed to be similar to and built on theirs. But theirs works much better and that is why they see health insurance as a luxury rather than a necessity.

Furthermore, they don't have community rating. Health insurance cover for a 70-year-old can be three times the price paid by a 35-year-old.

Many insurers won't take you if you have illnesses or health problems. They tend to provide care in private hospitals rather than in public ones.

Depending on your postcode, you could end up paying 130 more a year based on one survey.

In countries that have community rating, take-up rates for private health insurance among those aged 65 and over is similar to the market average. In the UK, where risk rating applies, it is just over half of the market average. Older people stay away from health insurance.

People in their 20s in the UK cost the NHS an average of around 300 (341) per year. For those aged 45-49, it is still only around 500 (569). But once they hit 70+ it goes to 1,250 (1,423), right up to 2,700 (3,074) for those aged over 85.

This gives some indication of the economics involved and how they would apply in Ireland without community rating. Health insurers could make a killing by focusing on younger customers and lots of them, or by hitting the more expensive older ones with multiples of what they pay now.

The company that focuses on younger healthier consumers, might not even be around in years to come but could build up a customer base and then sell it on, as has already happened with new entrants to the Irish market.

At least Mr Dowdall is right to raise the issue of the wider structural problems with the system once again. The government hasn't so much buried its head in the sand as buried the problem in a special cross-party Oireachtas committee.

This committee was tasked with coming up with a future vision for the health services when it was set up last summer. It has taken submissions, had public sessions and is due to produce its final report later this month.

The terms of reference were too vague and the timeframe too short to examine anything in detail. For example, its terms of reference refer to devising "cross-party agreement on a single long-term vision for health care and direction of health policy in Ireland".

There are two problems here. It talks about a "vision" and a "direction." It doesn't refer to a strategy, a plan or an actual policy.

Its terms of reference are so woolly that one of its submissions came from a group seeking to have more art included in the provision of health care. I am all for art, but should it sit in the same report as an analysis of the future role of community rating, or universal health insurance?

There is confusion about the status of what it will come up with. Various submissions and even the committee's own literature refer at different times to how it will devise a "plan", "a strategy" and "a vision" interchangeably. They are not the same thing.

The vaguer it is, the better the chances of reaching a relatively meaningless cross-party agreement. Actually putting its conclusions into concrete government policies would be very different and isn't what is on offer.

Even Fine Gael's "commitment" to universal health insurance, which was an actual policy, was abandoned with ease.

In the absence of a genuine political sea change, we have to hang on to what remains of the social contract between us all in the health system.
The 34pc of couples who have non-church marriages are not necessarily anti-religious (picture posed)

In his piece about faith schools admissions policy (Irish Independent, January 17), Education Minister Richard Bruton quotes a statistic that, in 2016, 66pc of all marriages were church weddings while more that 96pc of primary schools are controlled by the churches. He states that this is unfair.

Not for the first time has this statistic been used by public figures to make some point in favour of a more secular agenda.

My question regarding the marriage statistic is this - of the 34pc of non-church marriages in 2016, how many were second marriages for one or both partners and therefore the option of a church marriage was not open to them even though they may have wished to be married in church?

I have not seen any statistic for those who get married in civil ceremonies but may very well have preferred a religious one. In my own parish every year, I am aware of civil-marriage ceremonies where the couple would dearly love to have received a church blessing.

Let's face it, many priests do provide some form of blessing for couples who marry in civil ceremonies, but these marriages are recorded only as civil ones.

My main point is that it is totally misleading to presume that because couples do not marry in a church wedding ceremony, they are anti-religious, feel forced to have their children baptised and would prefer not to have their children educated in a faith-based school.

Fr Martin Delaney

Rathdowney, Co Laois

Wealth creation the work of many

The praise of the late TK Whitaker is deserved for getting us out of our economic morass.

But no man is an island and we must not forget the bigger picture. Wealth creation depends on joining a large, creative, scientific community to push out the frontiers of knowledge and use that knowledge to innovate new methods and products.

Keeping pace in the hi-tech race means research and development in a smart economy. Credit must also be given to the UN for the report 'Investment in Education', written by Professor Patrick Lynch of UCD and put into operation by Patrick Hillery in setting up the Institutes of Technology and the University of Limerick.

Donogh O'Malley must get credit for bringing in free second-level education.

Prosperity is correlated with fertile minds working in a favourable economic environment.

Stephen Fallon

Limerick city, Co Limerick

The power of hope remains

One of the most powerful things to give any human being is the power of hope. I recall watching the inspirational speech by Barack Obama at the Democratic Convention a year before he became president of the USA, the most powerful country on this planet.

At my age, and as someone who loves all things political, you would think I should know better.

This was a black man, a driving force of change. 'Yes we can, Yes we can'. I believed him and I so much wanted change. I wanted peace, I wanted a fairer society, justice for everyone - all these things he spoke so beautifully.

He let me down so much. We have more war, more inequality, but I still have hope and no one can take that away.

Paul Doran

Clondalkin, Dublin 22

Blowing it on Brexit

It seems that Britain would prefer membership of a loose-knit 'European trading group' than membership of the full-blown European Union with all its concomitant social and political re-engineering, and that the unelected Brussels Eurocratic elite is intent on punishing Britain for having the temerity for wanting to leave their creation.

But surely if the benefits from being in the EU are so great, then won't leaving be punishment enough - or are those benefits largely illusory? It would have been much better if Britain had voted to remain, and then fight to reform the EU's bloated and undemocratic institutions.

Roger Blackburn

Naul, Co Dublin

Are we in the process of discovering a new phenomenon, May's Boson - membership of a club without being an actual member? Will it turn out to be another thing with imaginary mass?

Joseph Mackey

Glasson, Athlone, Co Westmeath

Let's stress our strengths to EU

Following Theresa May's speech on Tuesday, it is obvious that we in Ireland must reassess our strengths and act in a way that maximises those strengths and minimises the impact of our weaknesses.

Strengths include:

1. I believe our population speaks more European languages than the UK population because we do not have a history of ruling an empire where subjects had to speak English. So we can more often converse in French, German, Italian and Spanish and, of course, English. Let's stress this.

2. We have, as the only native English speakers remaining in the EU, a huge advantage over UK companies who may need to relocate to Ireland rather than mainland Europe. Let's emphasise this.

3. We have an educated workforce, including a possible 10pc portion who are from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Moldavia, Hungary, Romania, etc. We all are capable of devising strategies which lead to us exporting more to Europe, apart from the UK.

4. Ireland has a unique 'green' image which pre-dates 'green' becoming a buzzword. This is a unique advantage which must be hammered home in Europe.

5. If the UK leaves (which is still in doubt since Mrs May says "it's certain", but also agrees that Parliament must agree the terms negotiated) the EU market will be 450 million people.

Of that, about half is affluent territories in Western Europe. So can we not replace the possible shortfall in, eg, agricultural exports to the UK with exports to Europe of the same total?

The EU market can be cracked if we remain competitive and use our advantages.

6. Ireland has largely welcomed workers from EU states that are new to the Union.

These people will not forget and have sent this message back to Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Hungary and other 'new' countries. This must present huge opportunities.

Fergus Jordan

Dublin 4

More money for civil servants

I recently listened to Paschal Donohoe making a case for the extra 130m being paid to public servants on salaries of 65,000 and under.

Meanwhile, OAPs may be asked to pay an annual charge for "free travel" and hospitals are struggling to cope.

Maurice Prendiville

Newtown, Waterford
Thousands of Western holidaymakers were being evacuated from the Gambia last night as West African troops massed on the border to topple the country's resident dictator.

The tourists left in emergency flights from the capital, Banjul.

The exodus took place as several hundred troops from neighbouring Senegal gathered on the border, with instructions to remove Gambia's president, Yahya Jammeh, by force if he did step down when his term expired at midnight.

Mr Jammeh, one of Africa's most feared strongmen, reneged on a pledge to leave power after losing elections in December and has been under growing international pressure to quit.

His would-be successor, Adama Barrow, a property developer who once worked as a security guard for Argos in London, is due to be inaugurated today, but is currently in neighbouring Senegal amid fears Mr Jammeh might try to assassinate him.

Holidaymaker Allan Pennell (69), from Crewe, England, said: "I asked if it was possible to stay but our tour rep said 'No, everyone has to leave'."

The Senegalese troops are understood to have been joined by an 800-strong Nigerian contingent, as well as jets from the Nigerian Air Force and a Nigerian warship that is in the area on manoeuvres.

Last night, the president of neighbouring Mauritainia, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, arrived in Banjul to attempt to persuade Mr Jammeh to step down. ( Daily Telegraph London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Survey ship HMS Echo, with a Lockheed P-3 Orion overhead, helping the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean (MoD/PA)

Malaysia said on Thursday it would pay a reward to any private company that found the fuselage of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, days after a fruitless, three-year hunt was suspended.

Australia, Malaysia and China ended the search for the aircraft on Tuesday, leaving one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries unanswered.

The Boeing 777 jet disappeared in March 2014, en route to Beijing from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, with 239 people on board.

Malaysian Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said the government was open to credible private companies searching for it, and would reward any that found its fuselage.

"All costs must be borne by them. We will only reward them if they are successful," Abdul Aziz told Reuters.

He said the size of the reward had not been decided. Any company intending to search should contact the government, and a decision would then be made on the reward, he said.

The search of a 120,000 sq km (46,000 sq mile) area of the Indian Ocean cost about A$200 million ($150 million).

But the three countries involved were reluctant to keep looking without new evidence about the plane's final resting place.

Flight MH370 lost contact over the Gulf of Thailand in the early hours of March 8, 2014. Subsequent analysis of radar and satellite contacts suggested someone on board may have deliberately switched off the plane's transponder before diverting it thousands of kilometres out over the Indian Ocean.

Since the crash, there have been competing theories over whether the plane was hijacked and whether it was under the control of anyone when it finally ran out of fuel.

The end of the underwater search drew swift and angry reactions from relatives of those on board, who have repeatedly called for the hunt to be expanded.

"We know the next-of-kin are not happy when we suspended the search," said Abdul Aziz.

"We can't proceed until there is new evidence, but if there are credible companies that want to take on the search, then why not?" he said.

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.

On Wednesday, Australia said it was not ruling out a future underwater search.

Malaysia holds ultimate responsibility for the search given Malaysia Airlines is registered there. The aircraft is thought to have crashed west of Australia, placing it in its maritime zone of responsibility.

Most of the passengers were from China.

Abdul Aziz said the search costs had been borne by the three countries while the aircraft-maker, Boeing, had not committed anything.

"There's been no funding from Boeing," he said.

Boeing said in a statement it provided technical expertise and assistance, principally as advisers to government investigative authorities.

"In addition, at the direction and under the supervision of investigating authorities, Boeing provides exemplar hardware, testing analysis and laboratory services," the company said.
The collision happened in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh

A truck loaded with sand has collided with a school bus, killing at least 24 young children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

At least two dozen other children were injured early on Thursday when the speeding truck collided head-on with the bus, said Javeed Ahmed, the state's most senior police official.

The children, between the ages of three and 12, were studying at a school in the town of Etah.

Another police officer, Daljeet Chaudhry, said visibility was low due to dense fog.

Mr Ahmed said rescuers were working to free several children still trapped in the wreckage.

The state's education authorities had closed all schools in the district due to a severe cold snap.

Mr Ahmed said the authorities would check why the school had stayed open.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences, saying: "Anguished by tragic accident in UP's Etah. I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole (the) passing away of young children."

Accidents are common on Indian roads, with most blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and ageing vehicles.

AP
People watch the Plasco building where smoke rises from its windows in central Tehran, Iran (AP)

At least 30 firefighters are reported to have been killed when a burning building in the capital of Iran collapsed.

Another 75 people were injured when the disaster struck the Plasco building in central Tehran, just north of the capital's bazaar, state media reported.

Firefighters, soldiers and other emergency responders dug through the rubble, looking for survivors.

Iran's state-run Press TV announced the firefighters' deaths, without giving a source for the information. Local Iranian state television said 30 civilians were injured in the disaster, while the state-run IRNA news agency said 45 firefighters had been injured.

Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before the collapse. The fire appeared to be most intense in the building's upper floors before the collapse. Those floors were home to garment workshops.

Police tried to keep out shopkeepers and others wanting to rush back in to collect their valuables.

Tehran's mayor, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said there were "no ordinary civilians" trapped under the rubble. However, witnesses said some people had slipped through the police cordon and gone back into the building.

IRNA reported that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ordered interior minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli to investigate and report the cause of the incident as soon as possible.

He also ordered the ministry to take care of the injured and take immediate action to compensate those affected by the disaster.

The building came down in a matter of seconds, shown live on state television, which had begun an interview with a journalist at the scene. A side of the building came down first, tumbling perilously close to a firefighter perched on a ladder and spraying water on the blaze.

A thick plume of brown smoke rose over the site after the collapse.

Among those watching the disaster unfold was Masoumeh Kazemi, who said she rushed to the building as her two sons and a brother had jobs in the garment workshops occupying the upper floors of the high-rise.

"I do not know where they are now," she said, crying.

In a nearby intersection, Abbas Nikkhoo stood with tears in his eyes.

"My nephew was working in a workshop there," he said. "He has been living with me since moving to Tehran last year from the north of the country in hopes of finding a job."

Jalal Maleki, a fire department spokesman, earlier told Iranian state television that 10 fire houses responded to the blaze, which was first reported around 8am.

The Iranian military sent units to help with the disaster, state television reported.

Several embassies are located near the building. Turkey's state-run news agency, reporting from Tehran, said the Turkish embassy was evacuated as a precaution, though it sustained no damage in the collapse.

The 17-storey Plasco building was built in the early 1960s by Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian and named after his plastics manufacturing company. It was the tallest building in the city at the time of its construction.

AP
Police said a Pennsylvania man tried to strangle his wife after he woke up from a dream in which she was cheating on him

A Pennsylvania man tried to strangle his wife after he woke up from a dream in which she was cheating on him, police said.

Police in Archibald said 49-year-old Conrad Rudalavage had been drinking before he fell asleep, then woke up convinced that his wife was unfaithful.

He attacked, choked and threatened to kill her, officers said, until his teenage daughter intervened and tried to call police. He then attacked the daughter, police said.

Police said the girl was able to escape and run to neighbours for help. A neighbour then helped pull Rudalavage off his wife, who was treated for bruises and other injuries to her face, head and neck, officers added.

Rudalavage is in jail on attempted homicide and other charges.

AP
The suspected Istanbul nightclub gunman was directed by an Isil commander in Syria who ordered him to change his target at the last minute, according to reports.

The shooter, named by Turkish authorities as Abdulgadir Masharipov (34), had originally planned to attack Taksim Square, a central gathering place in the city, but a handler in Raqqa told him to pick somewhere with less security.

Using the code name Ebu Muhammed Horasani, the Uzbek national told police yesterday that he entered Turkey through Iran in January 2016 and moved to the central city of Konya, the local 'Hurriyet' newspaper reported.

"When I was in Konya, an order came from (capital of Isil's self-declared caliphate) Raqqa for me to carry out an attack in Istanbul," he said in testimony to Turkish police.

After arriving in the city on December 16, he is reported to have spent the following week scouting for locations for the attack.

A video released by police showed Masharipov filming himself walking around Taksim Square on the day of the shooting.

"I arrived at Taksim on New Year's Eve but there were very intensive (security) measures. It was not possible to carry out an attack," he said.

"I re-established contact with the person who gave me the order and we agreed that Taksim was not suitable for an attack. I was ordered to scout a new target in the area."

The suspect said he later took a taxi to the Bosphorus river at around 10pm, when he spotted the Reina nightclub.

Suitable

"It didn't look like security measures were high. I explained the situation to the person who gave me the order and told him that Reina was suitable. He agreed and asked me to carry out the attack at Reina," the man told police.

'Hurriyet' did not say how it obtained the testimony and the reports could not be independently verified.

Isil claimed responsibility the next day, saying the attack, which left 39 people dead, was revenge for Turkish military involvement in Syria. Turkish troops entered Syria last August to push the jihadists away from the border and halt Kurdish militia advances.

The suspect was arrested at a house in Esenyurt, a suburb on Istanbul's western outskirts, after a two-week manhunt. They also arrested an Iraqi man and three women from Egypt, Senegal and Somalia.

Police seized more than $200,000 (187,000) in cash, pistols, ammunition and two drones from the property.

Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin said on Tuesday that Masharipov had admitted his guilt and that his fingerprints matched those at the scene.

Mr Sahin described him as well-educated, able to speak four languages, and said he had received training in Afghanistan.

During the attack on new year revellers, the gunman arrived by taxi at the upmarket venue in the Ortakoy district and shot dead 21-year-old police officer Burak Yldz and Ayhan Ark, a 47-year-old travel agent who had been walking past the entrance.

He then went inside and started spraying bullets at the 600 partygoers.

The attacker repeatedly reloaded his weapon to shoot the wounded as they lay on the ground.

Thirty nine people were killed and at least 70 people were injured. ( Daily Telegraph London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Could you imagine Donald Trump having a sing-song at the White House podium?

Although it may be hard to imagine the 45th President of the United States bursting song, the outgoing POTUS Barack Obama took the opportunity at a few points in his eight years as Head of State.

Even though some of his notes were a little shaky, Obama's crooning never failed to get a crowd going.

Speaking at his final press conference as President on Wednesday, Obama said he plans to take life easy once he leaves office, but that he will be keeping a close on Trump's actions.

"I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much," he said.

After tomorrow's inauguration, Barack and Michelle Obama will take a holiday in California. After that, they will return to Washington DC, where they plan to live in a rented home until their youngest daughter Sasha finishes high school.

No plans to release an album yet then.
A detainee from Afghanistan is carried on a stretcher before being interrogated by military officials at the detention facility Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay (AP)

President Barack Obama has blamed Congress for his failure to keep a promise to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, saying there is "simply no justification beyond politics" to keep it open.

Obama pledged when he became president eight years ago to close the facility in Cuba in his first year, but lawmakers in both political parties blocked the effort.

Obama significantly reduced the number of terrorist suspects being detained on the island from several hundred to fewer than 50 in the hope of making a financial case for closing the Bush-era facility.

But that argument has failed to sway lawmakers, many of whom object to moving inmates to US prisons on the mainland.

Congress ultimately banned the transfer of prisoners to US soil for any reason.

The prison population fell to 45 earlier this week after Oman accepted 10 detainees whom officials had cleared for release.

In his letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan, Obama said the population stood at 41 as of Thursday.

A senior administration official confirmed that an additional four inmates had been transferred out of the prison.

"The restrictions imposed by the Congress that prevent us from imprisoning detainees, even to prosecute and secure a life sentence, in the United States make no sense," Obama said in the letter dated Thursday, the day before his presidency ends.

He noted that no-one has ever escaped from a US super-max or military prison.

"There is simply no justification beyond politics for the Congress' insistence on keeping the facility open," Obama added, reiterating his argument that continuing to operate the prison jeopardises US relations with its allies and poses a continued threat to US national security.

Donald Trump, who will be sworn in as president on Friday, said during the presidential campaign that he wants to keep Guantanamo open and "load it up with some bad dudes".

That put pressure on the Obama administration to find countries willing to accept as many of the prisoners as possible this week.

AP
Ash Carter in his Pentagon office, as he said he had opposed commuting the prison sentence of convicted leaker Chelsea Manning (AP/Cliff Owen)

US defence secretary Ash Carter opposed the decision to commute the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, who was convicted of espionage for leaking classified information while deployed in Iraq.

He told The Associated Press: "That was not my recommendation.

"I recommended against that, but the president has made his decision."

President Barack Obama has drawn intense criticism from members of Congress and others for the decision he made on Tuesday.

He commuted Manning's 35-year prison sentence to about seven years, including the time she spent locked up before she was convicted. Her sentence is now set to expire on May 17.

At the time Manning committed the crimes she was known as Bradley Manning and was serving as an Army private.

In 2013 a judge convicted Manning of 20 counts, including six Espionage Act violations, theft and computer fraud.

She was sentenced to 35 years out of a possible maximum of 90. She was acquitted of the most serious charge of aiding the enemy, which carries a possible life sentence.

The now 29-year-old native of Crescent, Oklahoma, leaked more than 700,000 classified Iraq and Afghanistan war logs and diplomatic cables in 2010 while working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad.

Manning also leaked a 2007 video clip of a US helicopter crew killing at least nine men, including a Reuters news photographer and his driver.

The Pentagon later concluded the helicopter crew acted appropriately, having mistaken the camera equipment for weapons.

At a White House news conference in Wednesday, Mr Obama firmly defended his Manning decision, arguing she had served a "tough prison sentence" already.

The president said his decision took into account the fact that Manning had gone to trial, taken responsibility for her crime and received a sentence that he said was harsher than other leakers had received.

He emphasised that he had commuted her sentence, not granted a pardon, which would have symbolically forgiven her for the crime.

"I feel very comfortable that justice has been served," Mr Obama said.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Mr Obama's decision was a mistake and called the convicted leaker a "traitor".

Mr Pence said that Manning's actions compromised national security, endangered American personnel and compromised individuals in Afghanistan who were co-operating with US forces.

One name missing from the list of pardons and commutations the White House announced on Tuesday is US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.

The former prisoner of war is accused of endangering comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009, and has asked Mr Obama for a pardon. He was captured by the Taliban and held prisoner for five years.

A pardon would allow Bergdahl to avert a military trial scheduled for April. He faces charges of desertion and misbehaviour before the enemy. The misbehaviour charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Asked about the Bergdahl case, Mr Carter told the AP: "That one hasn't come to me yet in any way. It's a law enforcement matter, so I really can't comment on it."

AP
Rescue workers on skis have reached a four-star spa hotel buried by an avalanche in earthquake-stricken central Italy.

They reported no signs of life as they searched for around 30 people believed trapped inside.

Three bodies were recovered as heavy vehicles struggled to get to the scene.

Two people escaped the devastation at the Hotel Rigopiano, in the mountains of the Gran Sasso range, and called for help - but it took hours for responders to arrive to the remote zone.

Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, compounded by four powerful earthquakes that struck the region on Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear which, if any, of the quakes triggered the avalanche. But firefighters said the sheer violence of the snow slide uprooted trees in its wake and wiped out parts of the hotel, leaving only some structures standing and others down the mountainside.

"There are mattresses that are hundreds of metres away from where the building was," Luca Cari, firefighters' spokesman, told the ANSA news agency.

The hotel in the Abruzzo region is about 30 miles from the coastal city of Pescara, at an altitude of about 1,200 metres.

The area, which has been buried under snowfall for days, is located in the broad swathe of central Italy between Rieti and Teramo that was jolted by Wednesday's quakes, one of which had a 5.7 magnitude.

Accounts emerged of hotel guests messaging rescuers and friends for help on Wednesday, with at least one attempt at raising the alarm rebuffed for several hours.

Giampiero Parete, a chef on holiday at the hotel, called his boss when the avalanche struck and begged for him to mobilise rescue crews.

His wife Adriana and two children, Ludovica and Gianfilippo, were trapped inside, employer Quintino Marcella said.

Mr Parete had left the hotel briefly to get some medicine for his wife from their car, and survived as a result.

"He said the hotel was submerged and to call rescue crews," Mr Marcella said, adding that he phoned police and the Pescara prefect's office, but that no one believed him.

"The prefect's office said it wasn't true, because everything was OK at the hotel."

Mr Marcella said he insisted, and called other emergency numbers until someone finally took him seriously and mobilised a rescue, starting at 8pm, more than two hours later.

When rescuers on skis arrived at the hotel in Florindola in the early morning hours of Thursday, they found just two people alive: Mr Parete and Fabio Salzetta, identified by Italian media as a maintenance worker at the hotel.

There were no other signs of life, with rescue crews saying they yelled out but heard no replies, and were using rescue dogs.

Mr Parete was being treated for hypothermia at a hospital in Pescara. The Romanian foreign ministry reported three Romanian citizens missing in the hotel - an adult and two children; they were believed to be Mr Parete's family.

Aerial video shot by helicopter crews showed rescue workers on top of the snow-covered hotel, digging holes down to try to get in.

Civil protection authorities said that around 30 people were missing. By Thursday afternoon, three bodies had been removed.

Civil protection officials said the risk of further avalanches was factoring into the search effort.

Premier Paolo Gentiloni, arriving at the civil protection headquarters in the area at midday, sought to deflect criticism of the rescue efforts and urged authorities to redouble efforts to reach people isolated by the quakes and snow, which had dumped as much as three metres in some places.

Residents have been complaining for days that they have been without electricity and phone service and have been house-bound because of what Mr Gentiloni called a "record snowfall".

"I ask everyone if possible to multiply their efforts," Mr Gentiloni said.

"I ask politicians to show sobriety respecting the difficulty of the situation and the commitment of civil and military crews who are responding."

AP
Adama Barrow has been sworn in as president (AP/Jerome Delay)

Few venture into the streets as shops remain closed in Banjul, Gambia (AP)

Senegalese troops have charged into neighbouring Gambia in a show of force to oust longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh after he failed to step aside when his mandate ended at midnight after losing the presidential election last month.

The troops moved in shortly after Adama Barrow was inaugurated as Gambia's first new leader in more than 22 years at the country's embassy in neighbouring Senegal after a final effort at diplomatic talks with Mr Jammeh failed to secure his departure.

Senegalese military spokesman Colonel Abdou Ndiaye confirmed to the Associated Press that the first West African troops had crossed into Gambia and were on their way to the capital, Banjul.

AP journalists saw at least 20 military vehicles gathered at the border town of Karang.

In his inaugural speech, which took place under heavy security, Mr Barrow called on Mr Jammeh to respect the will of the people and step aside.

The new president also called on Gambia's armed forces to remain in their barracks as the regional military intervention got under way.

Outside Gambia's embassy in Dakar, Baal Jaabang held up a freshly framed portrait of Mr Barrow, already printed with the words: His Excellency Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of Gambia.

"I'm extremely delighted, so wonderfully happy today," he said.

"But now the situation risks moving into fighting. No Gambian - in the diaspora or back home - wants our country to face fighting."

Mr Barrow had come to Senegal last week at the urging of West African mediators, who had feared for his safety amid the political crisis.

He arrived at the embassy to cheers of joy from hundreds of Gambians who had gathered, with national flags, for a glimpse of the new president.

"Our national flag will now fly high among the most democratic nations of the world," Mr Barrow said after the ceremony.

Mr Barrow was declared the winner of the December 1 election and at first was congratulated by Mr Jammeh in a phone call aired on state television.

But once it was suggested that Mr Jammeh could face criminal charges linked to his long rule, he backtracked and challenged the vote in court, alleging irregularities.

Mr Jammeh on Thursday remained at his official residence and intended to stay there, said an official close to the administration.

If the regional force is going to arrest Mr Jammeh, it will have to be there, the official said.

Many of Mr Jammeh's loyalists will resist, the official added.

But there were signs that some in Gambia's military might not put up a fight.

One soldier said several barracks had indicated they would support Mr Barrow.

Gambia's army is estimated at well below 5,000 troops.

Alex Vines, head of the Africa programme at Chatham House in London, said Mr Jammeh may try to cling to power for a few more days but was becoming increasingly isolated.

"After the inauguration of Adama Barrow, the trickle of power flowing to him will become more of a flood," Vines said.

"Jammeh clearly believes leaving Gambia in a hurry is an option - his aircraft has been on standby at Banjul airport for two weeks," he added.

African nations began stepping away from Mr Jammeh, with Botswana announcing it no longer recognised him as Gambia's president.

His refusal to hand over power "undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance" in Gambia and Africa in general, it said.

The African Union earlier announced that the continental body would no longer recognise Mr Jammeh once his mandate expired.

Congratulations to Mr Barrow began pouring in, including from British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and the head of the African Union, who said she would invite Mr Barrow to attend the continental body's summit late this month.

Inside Gambia, many people hugged and cheered, chanting "New Gambia, new Gambia!" as news of the inauguration spread.

"It's unbelievable! Today I can say anything. I am the happiest man on earth," said Lamin Sama, a 35-year-old in Banjul.

"For 22 years we couldn't say anything, we were like slaves."

AP
Rhode Island voters will head to the polls Tuesday to choose the first new face to represent the state's 2nd congressional district in 20 years as leading candidates Seth Magaziner and Allan Fung vie to replace the retiring James Langevin, who has served in the role since 2001. The tightly-contested congressional race is just one of a number of important contests taking place Tuesday as the state will also select its next Governor, voters will decide the fate of a number of high-priced ballot initiatives and towns up and down Rhode Island select their local officials in a number of highly-divisive and politicized town council and school committee races. Do you believe the results of this years election will make a positive or negative impact on your community? Let us know in this week's poll question below.

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MOORESVILLE- The Mooresville man whose boat struck and killed a Cox Mill High School student in 2015 received probation for the incident. He will serve no jail time unless he violates that probation.

Keith Cerven, 50, submitted a no-contest plea to involuntary manslaughter on Wednesday, Jan. 18 in Iredell Superior Court.

Initially, Cerven was charged with involuntary manslaughter, boating while intoxicated and operating a motor vessel in a reckless manner in the death of 17-year-old Sheyenne Marshall. The last two charges were dismissed.

Cerven was given 30 months of supervised probation. If he violates probation, he will receive a prison sentence of 16 to 29 months.

Marshall was killed by Cerven while she was knee boarding on Lake Norman during Fourth of July weekend in 2015. Cerven was intoxicated when he hit her.

Superior Court Judge Julia Gullett also required Cerven complete 60 months of restitution payments totaling $14,396.06 for the funeral expenses of the victim.

Ken Darty, Cervens defense attorney, said his client strongly maintains his innocence.

There were other contributing factors that day, other than (Cervens) conduct.

After the hearing, Darty said Cerven wanted closure for the events that occurred that day.

My client is extremely remorseful about the accident and would have liked to have (the victim's) family in the courtroom so he could have apologized directly, Darty said.

Sheyennes Law

In June of 2016, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed HB 958, also known as Sheyennes Law, which cracks down on drunk boating and gives stronger penalties to impaired boaters that cause death or serious injuries.

Marshalls family contacted Rep. Larry G. Pittman (R-Cabarrus) when they learned Cerven would only be given a misdemeanor charge. The bill passed in the North Carolina House and Senate and its primary co-sponsors were Rep. Carl Ford, Rep. John Bell, John Fraley and Pittman.

The law equalized the penalties for causing death or serious injury by impaired boating to penalties for causing death or serious injury by driving. It raises the charged from a misdemeanor to a felony.

McCrory signed the bill at Cox Mill High School surrounded by Marshalls friends and family.

Marshalls nickname was Shiny and friends remember her as outgoing, fun and kind to everyone. She was a member of the Cox Mill softball team, Beta Club and the National Honor Society.
KANNAPOLIS  Kannapolis Mayor Darrell Hinnant presents North Carolina Music Hall of Fame Director Eddie Ray with a proclamation during Rays 90th birthday party at Restaurant 46, honoring Rays work in the music industry.

Ray was born in Franklin, NC on Dec. 21, 1926, and was the first

African-American appointed to the position of vice president at Capitol Records, and has been called a national treasure, the proclamation states.

Born in the rural foothills of western North Carolina Ray, the grandson of a former slave, he spent some 60 years in the commercial music business, rising to become the nations first African-American executive of a major record company. He started as a stock boy for Decca Records in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when he was 18 years old. and eventually rose to become vice president of Capitol/Tower Records in Hollywood, California, one of the top major record companies in the U.S. He was the first African-American in such a decision-making role.

It was during his 60 years in the commercial music business that Ray had a significant impact on the careers of rising stars such as Rick Nelson, Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, Ernie Freeman, Mike Curb, Irma Thomas, Ernie K-Doe, Sandy Nelson, Pink Floyd, and many others.

Although not a musician, Ray was one of the first inductees into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, on Oct. 3, 2009 and from then until now he has served as vice chairman and operations director for the hall of fame, being a key force in shaping its success.

The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and then from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is located at 600 Dale Earnhardt Blvd., Kannapolis. It is free to attend the hall of fame, but donations are welcome.

Visit http://northcarolinamusichalloffame.org/ for more information on the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.

Check out our related photo gallery.
If we rewind back two years the time frame alone should suffice in throwing up dozens of protests that have taken place in our country - a mass revolting for rights that should have been accorded to citizens in the first place; whether it`s been women`s safety, fighting against the criminalisation of Section 377 or the price of onions - it's never been so important for us to voice out our opinions until now and as the time passes by we have got more creative about it. Art and protest have a long, torrid history with censorship always just kept at bay. An anomaly, you would think, in a democratic state.Here are few musicians that took this plunge and composed their hearts out for the causes that mattered the most to them scroll down through and check it out:

A R Rahman: A R Rahman's album Raunaq launched in Sep 2014 as a complete dedication to Women Empowerment. The album's title track had a track "laadli" which Rahman sang with Lata Mangeshkar and lyrics were penned down by Kapil Sibal which made this track composed by one of the most iconic trios.

Shalmali Kholgade: Shalmali who has given Bollywood some of the most memorable and chartbuster numbers launched her first single "Aye" a song that personifies gender equality and vouches for no discrimination. It isn't a plea for women being superior but a perspective to keep things equal between both the sexes. The video has been directed by Shalmali herself and the song too has been composed by the talented musician. Aye has strong choreography and visuals reiterating its core concept of gender equality. Sona Mohapatra also lent her voice to a song which aimed at creating awareness about cleft deformities and how corrective measures are helping in transforming lives. An initiative Muskaan by Himalaya Lip Care.

Anoushka Shankar: Anoushka Shankar launched an album called "Land of Gold" The title song was dedicated to Syrian infant Aylan Kurdi whose lifeless body was washed up on a Turkish beach. The song is in the context of the humanitarian plight of refugees and a very dynamic composition. In 2013, Anoushka also launched an album called "Traces of You" dedicated to the Delhi gang rape. In an interview, she also quoted "the song reminds her of her horrific past when she was sexually abused as a child".

Salim-Sulaiman: The iconic brother duo launched their single called "Khalipan" on harsh genocide of children all over the world. The incident includes and sort of talks abut the Peshawar Killing, the civil war in Syria and the Yemen war.

Vishal Dadlani: Vishal Dadlani in collaboration with Salim Sulaiman launched a special song on children's day titled "Broken World" which was a dedication to all the children around the world who lost their lives in various terrorist attacks.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy: Shankar Ehsaan Loy (SEL) contributed to the cause of girl child education through their music by the song "Ding Ding Dinga". The song is a recreation of School Chale Hum which was a social initiative of the corporate brand Nestle with shiksha and the Indian Government.

Sunidhi Chauhan: Sunidhi Chauhan launched a track called "Betiyan" for Save the Girl Child Campaign an initiative by National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The title song Betiyan was crooned by Sunidhi that went viral on social media.
JMC Projects India secures new orders of Rs2,277 crore; Stock gains 2.6% JMC Projects (India) Limited (JMC), a leading Civil Engineering and EPC Company has secured new orders of Rs2,277 crores. The details are as follows: Water Projects in India of... November 04, 2022 | 04-11-2022 2:08 pm

Lupin receives USFDA tentative approval for Drospirenone Tablets Global pharma major Lupin Limited (Lupin) has announced that it has received tentative approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug ... November 04, 2022 | 04-11-2022 1:26 pm

Bloomberg Report: Pegatron Corp starts production of iPhone 14 in India Pegatron Corp., a Taiwanese contract manufacturer for Apple Inc., has begun producing the most recent iPhone 14 model in India. Pegatron is now the second Apple supplier to manufacture th... November 04, 2022 | 04-11-2022 12:48 pm

JMC Projects India allots NCDs for Rs100 crore; Stock rallies over 3.5% The Management Committee of the Board of Directors of JMC Projects (India) Limited at its meeting held on November 04, 2022 has allotted 1000 Repo Rate, Unsecured, Rated, Listed, Rede... November 04, 2022 | 04-11-2022 12:34 pm

Nykaa receives shareholders' approval for bonus issue and ESOP; Stock down 1% The Board of the lifestyle retailer FSN E-Commerce Ventures Limited (Nykaa), on October 3, 2022, approved Bonus Issue of Equity Shares in the proportion of 5 (Five) fully paid-up Equity Sh... November 04, 2022 | 04-11-2022 12:03 pm
Nineteen Purdue University students, led by political science professors Nadia Brown and Natasha Duncan, will witness the presidential inauguration and a variety of related events during a research trip to Washington, D.C.

The four-day itinerary (which began Jan. 19) includes a tour of C-SPAN with founder and Purdue alum Brian Lamb, a visit with Indiana senators Joe Donnelly and Todd Young, the inauguration and parade, The Anti-Inauguration forum at the Lincoln Theatre, the Womens March on Washington and a workshop on critical race theory and the election at Georgetown University Law School.

Throughout the various events, the students will work in small teams to study American political participation during the inauguration, ideally seeing the issue from a variety of viewpoints.

Im hoping they come away with experiences that lead them to be critical thinkers and citizens, Brown said. Our goal with the trip is to have them talk with people from varying perspectives and in doing so, theyll be challenging their own views.

In addition to being able to conduct research in a unique setting, the students will be able to expand their knowledge of research methods. Duncan said many students have ample opportunity to work with quantitative methods (methods that focus on objective data, such as statistics), but this trip will provide a unique chance to delve into qualitative methods (e.g. in-depth interviews and observation).

To prepare for the trip, Brown and Duncan have had two workshops to discuss specifics of the project, as well as more practical matters and advice, such as Dont wear a Donald Trump T-shirt, Brown said.

After the trip, students will attend two more workshops and analyze their findings, write reports and present their work to the group.

The trip will also be a learning experience for Brown and Duncan. While students go about their projects, the professors will be gaining insight on experiential learning and how teaching research skills can be different outside the typical classroom setting.

From a pedagogical standpoint, we are thinking about this experience as an experiment, if you will, with a high-impact, short-term opportunity to teach research methods, Duncan said.

Just as the students will be expected to do, Duncan said she and Brown would share their findings with their colleagues. Brown said colleagues, department heads and others at the university have been supportive of the trip from the start, and its not lost on her how significant that support has been.

I would be remiss if I didnt share that this is a remarkable moment in time, to have two Black women professors leading a group of students to the inauguration of someone whos not Barack Obama, Brown said. When Natasha and students at Pi Sigma Alpha (proposed the trip), there was no hesitation from the university. Thats not something I take lightly.

As Black women wholly situated within this perspective of marginalized people, Brown continued, the support that were getting from the university to ask these questions and do these things  tells a good story about what were doing at Purdue.
Former Indiana state representative Mae Dickinson passed Tuesday morning at the age of 83. From 1992 to 2007, Dickinson represented Indianas 95th House District and was known for her passion for protecting Indianas most vulnerable residents. She wrote legislation that safeguarded people testifying in criminal trials and fought for harsher punishments for people convicted of battery. Her desire to help at-risk youth was well known. She served on the Governors Commission on Abused and Neglected Children and Their Families and supported legislation created to protect children.

Many local leaders are reflecting on Dickinsons life:

Indianapolis City-County Council President Maggie Lewis said:

I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of State Representative Mae Dickinson. For nearly 15 years, she served the people of Indianapolis 95th district with valor. Colossians 1:10 says, Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

Representative Dickinson produced good fruit for the City of Indianapolis. Because of her profound commitment, our community has tougher domestic violence penalties and more extensive background checks for school corporations. On behalf of the City-County Council, my deepest sympathy goes out to her family for their great loss.

Indiana House Democrats tweeted:

RIP to former State Rep. Mae Dickinson, long-time advocate for childrens issues and victims of domestic violence.

U.S. Congressman Andre Carson shared:

Saddened to hear about the passing of former State Rep. Mae Dickinson. Mae was not only a friend, she was a leader, stateswoman and gift to our entire community. May God bless her family during this time.

State Rep. Cherrish Pryor added:

Whenever anyone thought of Mae, they remembered her great beauty and warmth and wisdom. They also remembered she was a force to be reckoned with. Her legacy  which includes kinship care, protecting victims of domestic battery and criminal history checks for school employees  was marked by her determination to do what was right and her unwillingness to back down in the face of great odds.

We will miss her counsel and the example she set  as an African-American woman. At a time when we are remembering Dr. King, it is fitting that we also recall Mae Dickinson as a woman who set a shining example for people of all races and all genders.
January 19 marks the migration anniversary of the Kashmiri Pandits, who 27 years ago today, fled from the Kashmir Valley to escape the mounting violence of the militancy.

Dedicating a powerful piece to them was Anupam Kher, who shared the following message on Twitter.

27yrs on we #KashmiriPandits r stil refugees in our own country. A protest poem about their #SilentScream. Do share. https://t.co/72wRMpL9iS  Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) January 19, 2017

A Kashmiri Brahmin himself, Kher said that the Pandits had suffered for years in silence and warned that "these voices will not be silent anymore".

In the video, Kher recites a poem written by the renowned Kashmiri poet, Dr. Sashi Shekhar Toshkani. Kher recites,

"Our silence will spread all over the world...just like salt in an ocean... Our silence will demand answer for the torcher we faced in our own homeland."

youtube

On January 19, 1990, over 60,000 Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the valley when the clash between Pakistan-backed militancy kicked in against the Indian government. According to a J&K police report written in 2008, more than 24,000 families had left the valley and 209 people were killed between 1989 and 2004.

newsgram

While speaking to ANI, Kher said,

"No Kashmiri Pandit can forget this day. Announcements were being made from masjids saying 'Kashmiri Pandits, leave your house, you go.' That night is unforgettable for our Kashmiri Pandit friends and relatives. It's been 27 years today. This exodus day is not celebrated, but remembered. It is an effort to make our voices reach to those ears who don't want to hear this."

Watch the video here.
The film fraternity had a mixed reaction on the ban of Pakistani artists in India. It's rather sad that India will never get to see Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan in Bollywood films in the future. In December last year, Shah Rukh Khan, along with producer Ritesh Sadhwani, met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray to ensure a smooth release of the film.

In a meeting that lasted for almost an hour, SRK promised Raj that neither will he bring down Mahira to India for promoting Raees and nor will he work with any Pakistani actors in future. However, this has obviously left Mahira crest-fallen.

#mahirakhan A photo posted by MayaAli & MahiraKhan (@mayaali.mahirakhan) on Jan 18, 2017 at 11:45pm PST

Following the ban on Pakistani artists in India, actor Mahira Khan, whose film Raees is all set to hit the silver-screens expressed her displeasure on not being able to promote her debut Bollywood film Raees.

Express Tribune quoted Mahira as saying in an interview,

Good morning guyss Im really sorry for post something so late ... Mahiras smile is everything ufff She is so damn beautiful and sweet  And Srk...I cant wait for the movie anymore  #shahrukhkhan #mahirakhan #raees A photo posted by S H A H R U K H K H A N (@shahrukh_khan_official_) on Jan 18, 2017 at 10:06pm PST

Of course, I feel bad. When you put so much effort and hard work in a project, you wish to see the results."

Mahira also spoke how Fawad Khan's role in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was reportedly cut short due to India-Pakistan tension. Mahira added, Im not privy to that but I am content with my part in the Rahul Dholakia directorial.

However, Raees will always remain as one of the most special projects for her. She added,I work with same dedication and zeal in all my projects, but Raees is very special.
Ever since Deepika Padukone posted a picture of herself and Vin Diesel in December 2015, it spiked our obsession with her Hollywood debut xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage. So much so that, we started keeping track of every minute detail.

Before you begin the blame game, we need to clarify a very important thing here. Theres no smoke without fire. Our thirst for information was time and again quenched with teasers, pictures, interviews, announcements and what not.

Vin Diesel FB

Initially, the fans and the media couldnt help but swoon every time Deepika Padukone interacted with Vin Diesel and her Hollywood co-stars. Their mutual admiration society was loved by one and all. Fans were hungry for information and the makers and actors provided ample material to satiate their hunger.

Vin Diesel FB

Take a look at some of the highlights of their kickass promotions strategy:

1. When Vin Diesel and Deepika Padukone wished their Indian fans on Diwali. Wait, Diesel even spoke Hindi for us in a video.

Well, this has to be one of the best moments for sure. How often do you see a Hollywood biggie decked up in a glittering sherwani and speaking Hindi, right?

2. Deepika and Vin Diesels alleged Koffee With Karan appearance

Vin Diesel FB

Well, while we dont have an official confirmation on this but if this turns out to be true then it wont just be another milestone for Karan Johar but their film will get a hell lot of exposure in the form of the entire Bollywood industry and millions of fans.

3. Vin Diesels grand desi welcome in India  starting from the moment he stepped out from Mumbai airport

Trust me when I say this that his welcome looked nothing short of a festival. From badass women dressed in traditional wear and riding bikes to a full-blown Maharashtrian styled aarti, Vin Diesel and his team got to see our culture in abundance.

4. The pre-premiere event and Vin Diesel dancing on Lungi Dance with DP

video grab

Well, this was another very entertaining moment when an uncomfortable Deepika(thanks, to her ultra-revealing outfit) made Diesel wear a lungi and taught him and director DJ Caruso the Lungi Dance.

5. Vin Diesel sang Happy Birthday for Deepika Padukone in front of a huge crowd during promotions

twitter

He and his gang made sure that Deepikas birthday was celebrated on a grand scale. So much so, that Diesel even sang for her in front of a huge crowd.

6. Last but not the least, the many pictures that Vin Diesel posted on his social handles since the last year

Vin Diesel FB

Vin Diesel FB

Vin Diesel FB

Well, it all started with his bald head and Deepikas expressive eyes and since then there has been no looking back. We have seen so many pictures of besties DP and Vin Diesel that many started speculating about them being in a relationship. No, we kid you not. Take a look

Now if you are wondering why are we even discussing all this, then heres your answer. If you go by the critics reviews and the audience reactions, the film hasnt done as well as it was expected too:

#ReturnOfXanderCage XXX starring Vin Diesel, Deepika Padukone is so underwhelming. Dissapointing :-( pst!!  Kireeti Damaraju (@KirrD) January 14, 2017

#ReturnofXanderCage is cliche but freaking crazy action makes it watchable without any story-line. Pretty Fun!  Alia's Omkar (@TheOmkarSethi) January 14, 2017

#ReturnOfXanderCage is like #SuicideSquad on steroid. It's all about the dumb fun and looking cool. Not necessarily in that order.  ()=3  (@ryanelicious) January 19, 2017

Disappointing to see that @deepikapadukone character at the end was another romantic interest for #XanderCage. #XXX #ReturnofXanderCage  Shariff (@Muhd_Shariff) January 19, 2017

I strongly believe the return of xander cage might cause a couple of upsets at the next oscars, watch out #LALALAND #ReturnofXanderCage #usa  jkwaudreyldn (@jkwaudreyldn) January 19, 2017

Now the big question is - Was it worth all this hype? Tell us in the comments below.
1. Priyanka Chopra's Speech On Winning Her Second People's Choice Award For Quantico Is Beautiful

Twitter

And history just repeated itself! Priyanka Chopra has made India proud once again as she bagged her second Peoples choice Awards 2017 for Favourite Dramatic TV Actress. PC attended the award show in Los Angeles, donning a gorgeous peach ensemble by Sally LaPointe.

2. After Vin Diesel, Deepika Padukone Teaches Host James Corden The 'Lungi Dance' On His Show

Twitter

After a kickass and absolutely entertaining stint at American chat show The Ellen DeGeneres show, DP also shot for The Late Late show with James Corden. Deepika appeared on the show with her co-star Vin Diesel, who kept on admiring her throughout the show. One of the key highlights of the show was the Lungi dance that she made James do.

3. 100 Days Are Left For 'Baahubali 2' And The Excited Fans Have Already Started The Countdown

Baahubali 2 is all set to hit the theaters on April 28 and even though there are 100 days left for the release, fans have taken over Twitter and in no time #100DaysToBaahubali2 started trending.

4. This short film starring Gauahar Khan and Huma Qureshi Proves That Relationships Are complicated Only Because We Make Them So

YouTube Screengrab

Ek Dopahar is a story about a woman who suddenly craves to meet an ex-boyfriend after eight long years of parting ways. Hesitant at first, she finally gives in to her desire to catch up with the guy, who is now a married man. Now, catching up with an ex is an awkward thing in itself but meeting his family, well the feeling cannot be expressed in mere words.

5. Mahira Khan Is Upset Because She's Unable To Promote Her Bollywood Debut Film 'Raees' In India

Red Chillies

In an interview, Mahira said, Of course, I feel bad. When you put so much effort and hard work in a project, you wish to see the results." Mahira also spoke how Fawad Khan's role in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was reportedly cut short due to India-Pakistan tension. Mahira added, Im not privy to that but I am content with my part in the Rahul Dholakia directorial.
Between 19 and 23 January, Diggi Palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan, will play host to some of the most celebrated word wizards of our times. If you're attending the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival 2017, there's no better time than now to get to know the people on the stage, who'll soon also be your favourite authors.

1. PAUL BEATTY

ITV.com

Country of origin: USA

The book you missed: The Sellout

Know the author: Los Angeles-born Beatty is first American author to have grabbed the prestigious Man Booker Prize (fiction), in 2016, for his novel The Sellout that singed audiences with its hard-hitting, satirical narrative on US racial politics. Beatty admits the book is 'hard to read,' but there's solace in knowing that the same book is also being touted as a 'comic masterpiece.' (Source)

2. ALAN HOLLINGHURST

BookFans

Country of origin: United Kingdom

The book you missed: The Line of Beauty; The Swimming Pool Library

Know the author: The English poet, author and translator penned The Line of Beauty, which went on to win the 2004 Man Booker Prize. He admits to finding it easy to live in isolation, something that perhaps begins to explain the numerous awards he's won. Interestingly, life and work are also some things he'll be talking about at the festival. Goodbyes for him aren't easy either - "Normally, I do have a brief but acute sort of depression when I finish a book, which is to do with saying goodbye to this place you've been inhabiting," he told The Guardian in an interview. Fans can expect his new novel to come out in the summer of 2017.

3. EKA KURNIAWAN

Eka Kurniawan

Country of origin: Indonesia

The book you missed: Beauty Is A Wound; Man Tiger

Know the author: Kurniawan is the first Indonesian to have won the Man Booker Prize in 2016. Although funny, his work isn't for the faint of heart. From Beauty Is A Wound to Man Tiger, his work is undeniably dark. Between these two books, there's a dead prostitute rising back from the dead, gangsters, sex, violence, corpses, possessed people and the likes. Content aside, he can't understand the sudden attention or why it only worked after his work was published in the US - "Do outsiders really need to read anything about Indonesia?," he asked in his interview with ft.com. His third book, Love and Vengeance, will soon be available in English.

4. RICHARD FLANAGAN

RICHARD FLANAGAN

Country of origin: Australia

The book you missed: The Narrow Road to the Deep North

Know the author: He's easily one of Australia's finest authors. He won the Man Booker prize in 2014 for The Narrow Road to the Deep North, a book about love, suffering and war at a time when the Burma Railway became the Death Railway. The story comes from closer home for the author - his father survived this Japanese ambition. His book delves deep into episodes of conflict at a time when the present has conflicts of its own, and this creates a strange resonance that's hard to escape.

5. MEI FONG

Mei Fong

Country of origin: Malaysia

The book you missed: One Child

About the author:

The first Pulitzer Prize-winner from Malaysia and former Wall Street Journal reporter, Fong, much like what she narrates in her book One Child, will discuss the ripple effect that China's 'one child' policy created. nytimes.com writes, 'It is often assumed that the limitation to a single child was an act of Maoist despotism;' meanwhile Fong has written an argument linking it to the era after Mao's death. Mei Fong is known for her comments regarding China, and if there's something we can learn about population from a neighbour we share a fence with, it's during Fong's time on stage at the festival.

6. SEBASTIAN SMEE

Cary Lecture Series

Country of origin: Australia

The book you missed: The Art of Rivalry: Four Friendships, Betrayals, and Breakthroughs in Modern Art

About the author: His voice on the subject of art has been described as "vivid and exuberant." He's presently the arts critic for the Boston Globe and a Pulitzer Prize-winning one at that. His book reveals the stories behind four famous pairs - Freud and Bacon, Picasso and Matisse, Manet and Degas, and Pollock and de Kooning - all male, and something he makes no apologies for when describing the period as "overwhelmingly patriarchal." (Source) His work outlines the vulnerability of someone so immersed in art, and all the forces of life that come in to play thereafter.

7. HARI RAM MEENA

HARI RAM MEENA

Country of origin: India

The book you missed: Dhuni Tape Teer

About the author: A former IPS officer, Meena borrowed episodes from real life for his novel; he spent a considerable amount of time in tribal areas. This inspiration led him to pen eight novels, poems and travelogues based on the lives of the marginalised tribals.

8. NASEEM SHAFAIE

NASEEM SHAFAIE

Country of origin: India

The book you missed: Open Window and Neither Shadow Nor Reflection

About the author: Born in Kashmir, Shafaie grew up all too aware of its troubled past and present. She wrote those episodes from the perspective of a woman and went on to win the Sahitya Akademi Award. At the festival, she'll talk about the view of the world from a woman's perspective as she continues to live in a war-stricken place.

9. S.L. BHYRAPPA

Swarajya

Country of origin: India

The book you missed: Vamshavriksha, Grihabhanga, Parva, Saakshi, Tantu, Saartha, Madra and Aavarana

About the author: Hailed as the bestselling novelist in Kannada, and possibly the best in the country, Bhyrappa is the author of 24 novels including four volumes of literary criticism. He was a railway porter, a monk and later a writer which is something he'll be talking about at the festival.
The Cold War it seems, isnt over. Not to be outdone by America, Russia is now planning to acquire a nuclear second strike capability like no other. It intends to build a space-plane that can take off from airfields deep inside Russia and travel to space like the space shuttle. If required it can then bomb any country in the world and return home. At least thats the plan.

Twitter

A report in Sputnik says that the intended bomber will be developed by 2020. Lt. Col. Aleksei Solodovnikov told news agency RIA Novosti The idea is that the bomber will take off from a normal home airfield to patrol Russian airspace. Upon command it will ascend into outer space, strike a target with nuclear warheads and then return to its home base. Tentatively called the PAK-DA, the sixth generation bomber was earlier thought to be a stealth design, like the American B-2 Spirit. But now it seems that it will also be a hypersonic space plane.

Sputniknews

In another report by RT, the country has managed to design the engines for the space plane. Its said to be a combined engine that will allow the plane to fly both in the air and cross over into space. The know-how allowed us to create a combined [aircraft] power plant that enables switching the engine from an atmospheric flight mode to a rocket mode while flying in space, according to General Sergey Karakaev the commander of the Strategic Missile Force.
One out of five top executives of global corporations are apprehensive of investing in India because of concerns around frauds said Global Fraud and Risk Survey for 2016 published by Kroll, a global risk solutions provider.

Reuters/Represenatational image

The report said that of the 545 respondents who were reached out to as part of the global survey around risks to business emerging out of fraudulent practices and cyber security lapses, 19% of the respondents said they had been dissuaded from investing in India due to such concerns.

In the survey, India ranks second only to China which saw 25% of the respondents saying the same.

These statistics reveal the contradictions in the Indian economy. On the one hand, India is an attractive destination for foreign investors, on the other hand investors are deterred due to fraud, corruption and security concerns, said Reshmi Khurana, head of South Asia at Kroll.

Reuters/Represenatational image

The report also found out that among the major reasons that accounted for the frauds, 27% originated from management conflict of interest, 27% from corruption and bribery, 27% from market collusion and 25% from internal sources.

While the report did indicate a bleak figure for the Indian investment environment, it also noted the fact that 68% of Indian companies were affected by fraudulent actions in 2016 compared to 80% last year.

The reported 12% drop in the number indicated that there is a gap in the perception of fraud in India between internal and external stakeholders, said Khurana. In many cases Indian companies shy away from reporting such attacks and incidents fearing reputation loss.

Reuters/Representational image

Kroll also said that while companies were mostly targeted for their top secret business information, there were also attempts to extract information about their employees. Employee details are things that have a huge market in India and more the details higher is the price in the grey market, said Khurana.

Unlike in the developed world cyber security was never part of the priority list of companies in India but steps like demonetisation and also increased digitisation have brought the entire discussions around cyber security to the foreground.

Cyber risk is set to grow in India as the country becomes more digitised. At the same time, as the laws governing cybercrime strengthen companies in India will face greater reputation risk from having more obligations to disclose breaches that they may suffer, said Tarun Bhatia, managing director, investigations and disputes, Kroll.
India's metropolitan cities are reeling under heavy pollution with a lot of people falling ill due to it. What is worse is a recent report that has revealed that as many as 80,665 people have died due to various kinds of pollution only in Delhi and Mumbai in the last 30 years alone. Indeed due to rapid industrialisation and movement of people from rural to urban spaces has added to the woes, but things seem to be getting worse with many other cities are following the trends of the metros.

A study held at the Indian Institute of Technology has found that every year around Diwali, India gets riled up about dangerous levels of pollution consuming the country and how its causing thousands of premature deaths that can be well avoided if some stringent practices are enforced.

But can we any longer afford to only talk about pollution when the after-effects of Diwali crackers is in plain sight in the shape of heavy smog? The answer is simple  no, we cannot because the causes of pollution are many and they exist all year around, as should the dialogue. Here are five causes of pollution that exist with or without Diwali crackers:

Also read: Killer Pollution Is Responsible For Nearly 81,000 Deaths In Delhi & Mumbai In Last 30 Years

1. Huge construction sites in urban areas

Reuters

India is in a transition stage  while its metropolitan cities are expanding to accommodate the inflow of people migrating from rural areas, its tier two and three cities are developing to become smarter places to live. What this essentially means is that most Indian cities are under large-scale construction, with everything from high-rise apartment buildings to new highways and roads to shopping centres being built to provide citizens with a higher quality of life. In January 2016, a team of scientists said they believe construction activity is as much to blame for dangerous concentrations of air particulate matter as auto-emissions. Construction contributes to the suspended particulate matter (SPM) count and begins the moment anything material is demolished. In demolishing an existing site and building a new one, a lot of dust is generated from earth, sand, cement and brick, which is swept all over from wind forces.

BCCL

Arunava Mazumdar, former director professor of All India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health, said, Governments and private firms spend crores of rupees on building projects but they do not spend even a fraction of it to control the dust. No one takes ownership of it, so no one is accountable. The dust gets recirculated by trucks, buses and cars. All that the army of civic sweepers do is transfer it from one place to another. In May 2016, Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board revealed that construction work causes more pollution than vehicles in Bhopal. Since Prime Minister Modis Smart City and Housing for all by 2022 projects make the construction industry a key contributor towards Indias GDP, both directly and indirectly, as a country we cannot afford to sideline the harmful impact and the key role of construction in causing dangerous levels of air pollution.

2. Traffic jams and inefficient vehicular policies

Reuters

Residents of India spend more time behind the wheel than people in Australia, China or even Thailand, a Ford-conducted survey revealed in 2015. It also said that 49 per cent of respondents in India spend at least 12 hours or more than 100 minutes every day driving. And 14 per cent said they have spent up to three hours every day driving. Vehicular traffic is one of the leading causes of detrimental air quality in India and this is an every day problem and will continue to be so if government leaders and policy makers do not implement stringent rules to curb traffic.

AFP

Vehicular emissions is one of the chief reasons why Punes pollution levels are plummeting to Delhi standards. According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), the city's air pollution has increased by 35.7 per cent since 2010, with pollutants from vehicles being the largest contributors.

3. Absence of an effective waste management policy

AFP

A study published in the Environment Science and Technology journal in 2014 linked trash burning to pollution and toxic particles in the air. The study found that residents of India and China burnt the most trash and it concluded that much of the worlds air pollution can be blamed on burning garbage, which includes discarded plastics, busted electronics, broken furniture and food scraps.

Reuters

Also, the Central Pollution Control Board of India has estimated that garbage burning in the open air contributes 5 per cent to 11 per cent of all direct particulate matter in Indian cities air. Indias trash burning problem carries a dichotomy because while burning trash is illegal, India is also lacking a comprehensive trash burning system. So when garbage isnt collected from hundreds thousands, people are left with no choice but to burn trash as a means of disposing. And apart from burning trash, come winters and thousands of homeless living on the streets in different parts of the country turn to burning plastic bags and rubber tyres to keep themselves warm, which also adds to lowering air quality.

4. Stubble burning in farm land

AFP

In the last few years, stubble burning has become a matter of contention between Punjab, Haryana governments and Delhi government as the latter says burning paddy residue adds to pollution levels in the capital. In October 2016, Delhi government said that stubble burning in neighbouring states wasnt just local problem but instead contributing to lowering pollution levels in Delhi. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, that same month, Delhis pollution levels dropped from moderate to poor.

Reuters

However, the solution to stubble burning is not as easy as just implementing policies that stop farmers from burning paddy residue  the government needs to empower farmers with alternate means of disposing paddy harvest, which will give incentives to them to move away from burning.

5. Indoor pollution

Most of the discussion around pollution is about curbing outdoor pollutions and in that debate, we often forget about the damaging health impacts of indoor pollution, which stems from households habits. The issue of indoor pollution if often underrated through lack of dialogue when in fact the gravity of the situation is high  in 2013 it was revealed that indoor pollution actually causes more deaths than outdoor pollution. At over a million deaths a year, India has one of the highest rates of deaths caused by indoor pollution in the world. And according to a TERI study, around 27.5 per cent of under-five mortality of is because of indoor pollution. The causes of indoor pollution are many, the most primary cause being the use of biomass cooking fuel in rural India. According to the 2011 census, biomass is used for cooking in 67% of Indian households, including 87% of rural households, which is far more than China and South-East Asian countries.

Reuters

In order to change the quality of Indian air, we must understand that this is a task that cannot be accomplished by the government alone. All citizens must rise to the task of realizing that their actions have implications on the air and environment and it is everyone's duty to take part in making India, and by extension, the world's air better.
Twenty Indians, stranded in Dubai for nearly a year, their wages unpaid, passports seized and living in squalor in a public park, are barely getting by on alms from other Indian nationals. They pleaded with the Centre, through a telephone interview on Wednesday, to repatriate them at the earliest, their desperation clear when they spoke of wasted efforts to seek help from the Indian consulate in Dubai.

Reuters

M Dhanapal, from Thanjavur district, said he'd been in the Gulf emirate for four years. "I have not been paid my salary for seven months," he said.

"I have had two heart attacks and despite pleas to my employers they refuse to send me back home."

"We all are all living off the charity of other Indians here," Dhanapal said, huddling together with his compatriots in the biting cold of Satwa Park.

"We urge the Union government to help us return home. Our families are desperate for us to be reunited."

Another worker from Tamil Nadu, Palani Kumar, a native of Sivaganga district, was in tears.

Sneha May Francis

"I am unwell and the company has confiscated my passport. It has warned us of dire consequences if we approach the local authorities," he said. "I'm desperate to go home after living in this park next to the bustling Satwa bus station for the past six months." Priests from a church in Bur Dubai in the heart of the city help these men with food from time to time. Ajith Prashovam, from Kerala, collects food from the church and distributes it among the stranded men.

"If Indian officials visit the park they will understand what we are going through," Prashovam said.

But delivery appears nowhere at hand. Patukottai native T Ramesh said his firm had not paid him his salary for six months. "My employer has cheated all of us," he said.
As demand for holding jallikattu during the Pongal festival got more strident and took on a more political hue, Union ministers and BJP leaders took cover behind courts. Refusing to commit to whether the Centre would bring about an amendment to facilitate the conduct of jallikattu this year, Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday supported the bull-taming sport saying it was a traditional art of Tamil Nadu.

Youtube

"According to me, personally, this has been a traditional art or traditional game of the people of Tamil Nadu. And nobody should have any objection. But, the highest court of the land has expressed a view. I, as a minister, am not supposed to contradict the court's stand," Naidu told at an event here. "But, I have already conveyed my sentiments to my colleagues at the central government. Let us see what is going to happen," he added.

The Union minister's statement comes amid raising tempers in state with political parties demanding that the Centre to amend the law for the purpose.

BCCL

Meanwhile, a day after the Tamil Nadu government urged the Centre to consider promulgating an ordinance to enable the conduct of the sport, Union environment minister Anil Madhav Dave said the matter should be looked into, especially when there is no violence involved in the sport and it has been a tradition of a society.

"Presently the case is in the Supreme Court. The decision is pending. As a government, we only can wait for the decision," said Dave. "But the moment the decision comes, tomorrow or day after tomorrow, we will take our stand. I think the Court will take care of the sentiments of society.

examveda.com

It is the tradition. "The moment decision will come, we will examine and we will go ahead," he told reporters in New Delhi.

On Monday, actor Kamal Haasan defended jallikattu saying if it was cruel to animals then biryani should be banned too.
The National Investigation Agency has said that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and not Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) was behind the terror attacks in Uri and Handwara of Jammu and Kashmir last year.

BCCL

The investigation agency said the JeM was behind the Nagrota army camp attack in which two officers and five soldiers were killed.

Earlier, it was believed that the four attackers who killed 19 soldiers in a predawn attack at the Uri administrative base of 10, Dogra regiment, were from Pakistan-based group JeM.

BCCL

On September 18, last year, 19 soldiers were killed after four militants attacked an army camp in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir.

Both JeM and LeT had the claimed responsibility of the two deadly attacks.

While LeT Chief Hafiz Saeed continues to evade Indian law due to the political patronage he enjoys in Pakistan, India's repeated efforts to impose UN sanctions on JeM supremo Masood Azhar has been blocked by China.

BCCL

Following the attacks, Indian Army had carried a surgical strike inside PoK targeting terror launchpads and inflicted heavy damages on the terror infrastructure there.
The National Investigating Agency (NIA) on Thursday said that controversial preacher Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) has investments of as much as Rs 100 crore in real estate business. The agency also said that Naik's 78 bank accounts are under the scanner. The agency has questioned around 20 associates of Naik, including his sister Nailah Naushad Noorani, in connection with its investigation, NIA sources said.

BCCL

"We have sought certain documents including income tax returns and others. Besides this, 78 bank accounts in different banks of the country, are also being scanned. Once examination is done, we intend to summon Zakir Naik for questioning," a source said.

The NIA officials have found complicated movement of money in the financial transactions made by people involved in the case, they said, adding that the role of Mumbai-based Harmony Media Pvt Ltd--involved in production of religious and educative videos--is being looked into in this case.

On November 19 last year, the agency conducted raids at 10 premises of IRF in Mumbai after registering a case against Naik under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and section 153A of Indian Penal Code (IPC). The NIA action had come after the Union Cabinet declared IRF a banned organisation under UAPA.

BCCL

IRF had come under the scanner of various security agencies after one of the terrorists involved in the Dhaka cafe attack on July 1, 2016 allegedly posted on social media that they had been inspired by Naik's speeches. In addition, some young men from Mumbai's suburbs, who had left their home to join the Islamic State in 2016, also allegedly said they were inspired by the preacher.

The home ministry found the NGO allegedly had dubious links with Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, which has been accused of propagating terrorism. On January 13 this year, IRF challenged the validity of its ban. The government defended its action by saying IRF was luring youth to join ISIS.

"Youth were being radicalised. Many were in the queue for joining ISIS. Many youths arrested in unrelated terror cases stated that they were inspired by speeches of Zakir Naik. What could have been a more urgent situation for a nation? Should we have waited for pralay (catastrophe)," Centre told Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva of the Delhi High Court during the proceeding.

Naik is currently out of the country apparently to evade arrest. His speeches are banned in the UK, Canada and Muslim-majority Malaysia.
AFP

At least 25 people including 18 school children were killed and 50 injured as a school bus was hit by a truck on Thursday in Etah district.

The bus was ferrying students to school in Etah. Thirty-six among the 50 injured are stated to be critical, sources said.

According to eyewitnesses, it took an hour to take out the bodies from the mangled school bus. Read more here

Here are 5 more stories for you:

1. NGO Workers Knit Up XXXXXXXXL Sized Sweaters For Their Elephants In Mathura

DailyMail

They may weigh over 5 tons, but elephants feel as cold as the rest of us.

Rescued and handicapped elephants taking shelter at Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Mathura are being equipped against a cold wave that is taking over North India, with XXXXXXXL sized giant sweaters.

Ladies near the NGO began knitting the special edition, one-of-a-kind elephant woolies last year.Read more here

2. Russian Prostitutes Are The World's Best. Don't Take Our Word For It, Take Putin's!

PROEmilySalazar flickr

There's nothing like pride in your nation's people, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken it to another level.

Stating that he doesn't think US President-elect Donald Trump spent time with prostitutes on his trip to Russia, Putin added that Russian prostitutes are the world's best.

This statement was mentioned in a dossier Buzzfeed published recently and is one among many unverified statements and allegations of Trump having a scandalously good time while in Russia. Read more here

3. Excited To See His Father Finally Free This Man Died Of A Heart Attack In Front Of Prison

S3.india/Representational Image

Sajid Makwana was barely four in 1996 when a life sentence for his father, Hasan, was confirmed by the Bombay high court. Hasan never applied for parole after his conviction. So when he was set to be released from the Kalamba central prison here on Tuesday after serving 23 years behind bars, Sajid (24) was naturally over the moon.

However, the excitement of meeting his father proved too much; he collapsed and died of a cardiac arrest right outside the jail. Read more here

4. Iran Female Bodybuilder Jailed For 'Un-Islamic Photos' Of Her Biceps And Fitness Workouts

   ...      :         . A photo posted by    (@shirin_muscleking) on Jan 7, 2017 at 10:23am PST

An Iranian bodybuilder has been arrested, after she posted selfies of her muscular figure on social media. Iran's Islamic Republic, which has strict rules on women and nudity, deemed these photos 'nude'.

She was unable to provide the bail of two million rials (50).

Many believe the woman to be Shirin Nobahari, who participated in an international competition and was reportedly warned about her selfies. Read more here

5. Banned From Depositing Notes, 30-Year-Old Woman Strips Outside RBI Branch In Delhi

A 30-year-old woman, accompanied by her one-year-old son, was at the centre of an unseemly commotion outside Reserve Bank of India on Parliament Street on Wednesday. When she was denied entry into the bank to deposit Rs 5,000 in old currency notes, she had an argument with the policemen there.

In a video shot by a bystander, the woman is then seen physically resisting the attempts of the cops to lead her away before resorting to stripping in front of the gathered crowd.

Sources said the woman had been waiting outside RBI to get her old invalidated currency notes exchanged for new ones. But on being stopped at the gates, she started shouting at the cops and the others who were trying to stop her from creating a nuisance. Read more here
Americas 2016 Presidential election that led business tycoon, Donald Trump to victory has once again, more than 20 years after the end of the cold war, put Russia and America at loggerheads.

Reuters

In October, outgoing President Barack Obamas administration publicly said that it was confident that Russia was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and leaked thousands of emails, many of which included damaging revelations about the Democrats and party nominee, Hilary Clinton.

Reuters

Since then, the two countries have been passing vitriolic remarks at one another, and threatening global security by acting like two kids pushing each other in a sandpit.

On December 30, the Obama government expelled 35 Russian diplomats from America saying they were actually intelligence operatives. This move has largely been viewed as Americas way of taking revenge on Russia for hacking their election.

Moscow replied to the expulsion by calling the American government losers and threatened retaliation.

Russias response to the event was swift and bitter. The Russian Embassy in London posted a tweet with a picture a duck with the word, lame running across the image. The tweet also read, Cold war deja vu.

President Obama expels 35  diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl  people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm. pic.twitter.com/mleqA16H8D  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) December 29, 2016

Also read: US Expels Russian Diplomats, Putin Denies Tit For Tat, But Calls Obama A 'Lame Duck'.

And continued, It added: "As everybody, including American people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm."

Obama has also blamed Russias alliance with the Assad regime and its broader interference in Syria for the monstrosity and large-scale loss of lives in Aleppo. He said, "This blood and these atrocities are on their hands.

Reuters

Also read: Barack Obama Says Syrian Blood Is On The Hands Of Assad, Russia And Iran

Carrying on with the attacks, on January 11, US agencies told President-elect Trump that Russia may be in possession of his intimate financial details and also personal information. America got this information from a former British spy, who said Russia had information on Trumps activities of sexual perversion during a visit to Moscow. The complete 35-page memo released by Buzzfeed also describes a sex video of Trump involving prostitutes filmed during Trump's visit to Russia in 2013.

Also read: US Agencies Alert Trump That Russia Has His Sex Videos And Financial Information

Putins alleged response to the dossier was that Trump is a grown man who has spent many years corroborating on beauty contests with some of the worlds most beautiful women. He 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."

Reuters

Also read: Russian Prostitutes Are The World's Best. Don't Take Our Word For It, Take Putin's

Two of the most powerful countries with nuclear weapons going head to head with each other is a scary proposition for global politics and stability. Let's see what Donald Trump's presidency does to the relationship of these two otherwise opposing nations.
As he bid adieu to White House after eight years, the outgoing US President, Barack Obama, hoped that told the Americans, "We are going to be ok." All eyes were on Obama who was making way for Donald Trump who has been in news for most of the wrong reasons during the run up to the polls.

His goodbye speech was dominated by his surprise decision to commute the sentence of Chelsea Manning.

Defending his decision to cut nearly three decades off convicted leaker Chelsea Manning's prison term, Obama said the former Army intelligence analyst had served a "tough prison sentence" already.

AP

Obama said he granted clemency to Manning because she had gone to trial, taken responsibility for her crime and received a sentence that was harsher than other leakers had received. He emphasized that he had merely commuted her sentence, not granted a pardon, which would have symbolically forgiven her for the crime.

"I feel very comfortable that justice has been served," Obama said.

Manning was convicted in 2013 of violating the Espionage Act and other crimes for leaking more than 700,000 classified documents while working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad. Formerly known as Bradley Manning, she declared as transgender after being sentenced to 35 years in prison. She had served more than six years before Obama commuted her sentence on Tuesday, with a release date set for May.

Reuters

So, how did his daughters react to Trump's victory?

Obama was also asked how did Malia, 18, and 15-year-old Sasha react to Trumps victory in the presidential election? According to Guardian, his answer revealed something about his own attitude and, perhaps, his parting advice to an uncertain nation and world.

What weve also tried to teach them is resilience, and weve tried to teach them hope, and that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world, and so you get knocked down, you brush yourself off and you get back to work, he said. And that tended to be their attitude.

Neither intends to pursue a future in politics, he added.

But both of them have grown up in an environment where I think they could not help be but patriotic, to love this country deeply, to see that its flawed but see that they have responsibilities to fix it, and that they need to be active citizens and they have to be in a position to talk to their friends and their teachers and their future co-workers in ways that try to shed some light as opposed to generate a lot of sound and fury.

I expect thats what theyre going to do. They dont mope, and what makes me proudest about them is they dont get cynical. They dont assume because their side didnt win, or because the values they care about dont seem as if they were vindicated, that automatically America has somehow rejected them or rejected their values.

On Israel-Palestine peace process

Obama also warned that the "moment may be passing" for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, pushing back on criticism over his recent move to put pressure on the Jewish state over settlement-building.

Turning his attention to President-elect Donald Trump, Obama said he reserves the right to speak out as ex-president if Trump violates America's "core values."

Obama's defense of controversial decisions came as he prepares to exit the presidency after eight years marked by major victories on health care, the economy and climate change, along with disappointments over his inability to achieve his goals on immigration, gun control and closing the Guantanamo Bay prison. He also wound down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but wrestled with other security threats posed by the Islamic State group and the Syria civil war he was unable to resolve.

Even many of Obama's proudest achievements, like the "Obamacare" health care overhaul, stand to be rolled back or undermined by President-elect Donald Trump, a shadow that hangs over Obama's legacy as he leaves office. The formal end comes Friday when Obama and Trump will motorcade together to the Capitol for Trump's swearing-in before Obama, then an ex-president, flies with his family to California for a vacation.

AP

Reflecting on his legacy as the first black president, Obama disputed the notion that race relations had worsened. And he dismissed as "fake news" the idea that there is widespread voter fraud in the US, a notion that Democrats say is used to justify restrictions that make it harder for African-Americans to vote.

Appearing one last time in front of the White House seal, Obama said he was "significantly worried" that the growth of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territories would "increasingly make a two-state solution impossible." He stood behind his decision to allow a UN Security Council resolution to pass criticizing Israel over the settlements, though he conceded Trump might pursue a different approach.

"If you do not have two states, then in some form or fashion you are extending an occupation," Obama said.

He defended his administration's rapprochement with Cuba and his eleventh-hour move to end the "wet foot, dry foot" policy that lets any Cuban who makes it to US soil stay and become a legal resident. Ending the visa-free path was the latest development in a warming of relations that has included the easing of the US economic embargo and the restoration of commercial flights between the US and the small island nation.

Reuters

"That was a carry-over of an old way of thinking that didn't make sense in this day and age, particularly as we're opening up travel between the two countries," Obama said of the "wet foot, dry foot" policy.

After leaving office, Obama plans to write a book, raise money to develop his presidential library, and work on a Democratic initiative to prepare for the 2020 round of congressional redistricting. Yet he said he plans to assume a low profile in the months after he leaves office, and to avoid commenting on politics on a daily basis.

"I want to be quiet a little bit, and not hear myself talk so darn much," Obama said.

Reuters

Yet he carved out room for potential exceptions. Obama was insistent that he wouldn't stay silent if Trump tries to deport children brought to the US illegally, a group Obama has sought to protect though executive action.

"That would merit me speaking out," Obama said.

Although Obama had long intended to take one last round of questions before leaving office, White House officials said that in recent days, Obama became intent on using the occasion to draw a symbolic contrast with Trump on issues of accountability and press freedoms.
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Barf Alert Biden at Davos: Russia is Greatest Threat to Democracy



By Donna Leinwand Leger January 17, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " USA Today " - DAVOS, Switzerland  Russia is undermining the liberal world order in its quest for influence, Vice President Biden said Wednesday in his last major speech before leaving office. Biden cited Iran and China among "the greatest threats" to the democracies built in Europe and the United States, but, he said, "I will not mince words. This movement is principally led by Russia." "Under President (Vladimir) Putin, Russia is working with every tool available to them to whittle away at the edges of the European project, test for fault lines among western nations, and return to a politics defined by spheres of influence," Biden told an audience of CEOs, world leaders and media gather for the World Economic Forum. Biden cited Russia's efforts to stoke separatism in Ukraine, use of energy as a weapon and its cyber intrusions into democratic elections, and warned that Russia could use its tactics to manipulate politics in Europe. "With many countries in Europe slated to hold elections this year, we should expect further attempts by Russia to meddle in the democratic process," he said. Biden began his speech on a light note, noting he had just two days before he could "say what I think" as a simply a citizen, but quickly moved to address the economic and political unease that has inspired populist movements around the world. "In these early days of 2017, theres a palpable uncertainty about the state of our world," Biden said. "Here in this exclusive Alpine tower, where CEOs of multinational corporations rub elbows with leaders of nations, it is easy to embrace the intellectual benefits of a more open and integrated world. But it is at our own peril that we ignore or dismiss the legitimate fears and anxieties that exist in communities all across the developed world." Biden, who calls himself a "free trader" and supporter of globalization, said that business and political leaders must recognize that "globalization has not been an unalloyed good" and take steps to close the rift between those "racing ahead at the top" and those "struggling to hang on in the middle." The "top 1% is not carrying their weight. Youre not bad guys. Youre good guys," he told the audience. He noted at the start of his speech that his comments about uncertainty and unease did not refer to the transition of power Friday as President-elect Donald Trump takes office, but said opposition to globalization manifested in backlash against free trade and diplomacy would unravel some of the gains made by western democracies since World War II. "Popular movements on both the left and the right have demonstrated a dangerous willingness to revert to political small-mindedness  to the same nationalist, protectionist and isolationist agendas that led the world to consume itself in war during in the last century," Biden said. "As we have seen time and again throughout history, demagogues and autocrats have emerged  seeking to capitalize on peoples insecurities." In an interview with The New York Times published Tuesday, Biden said if Trump fails to engage in foreign policy, pursuing an isolationist agenda for the United States and just stays behind the lines  hands off  it could be very ugly. Very, very ugly. Biden, who spent two days at the elite gathering in Davos, met with China President Xi Jinping, Masoud Barzani, who represents the Kurdistan Region in Iraq and Serbia Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic. He gave a speech on the cancer moonshots and mingled with CEO and celebrities, including George and Amal Clooney.
The Extraordinary Array of Those Questioning Trumps Legitimacy



By Gary Leupp January 18, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " CP " - It is an extraordinary situation. The ruling class seems by and large quite shocked by the election result. Donald Trump is surely a representative of the classin that hes a billionaire for god sakebut, for the majority of the richest and most powerful, not their preferred choice as chief executive of the USA. This is apparent by Trumps treatment at the hands of the corporate media (that he continues to insult), by the foreign policy establishment, by the intelligence agencies (which he sometimes disparages), by Congressional leaders of both parties who generally regret that he won. The Deep State seems to have its knives drawn for him. Wall Street would have been comfortableequally comfortablewith Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton as president. The RNC and DNCthe Central Committees of the official Two Partiesare huge concentrations of bourgeois power. Reince Priebus and Debbie Schulz Wasserman as their chairs were creatures of the status quo. The pundits favored Bush to win the Republican nomination, or maybe Cruz (despite his unpopularity among his peers), or maybe Rubio; Trump was an amusing long shot. And of course they assumed that Clinton would be the Democratic shoo-in. What could go wrong? Things started to go wrong when the Trump campaign, treated to limitless free media exposure, spiraled out of control. The more outrageous Trump became, the more he attracted, first the Neanderthals, and then the more thoughtful types who thought, Hm, looks like he could win. Hes awful, but at least hes better than her. And there are always plenty of opportunists like Giuliani, Christie and Carson willing to jump on a bandwagon that looks headed to possible victory. In alarm, prominent Republicans including Mitt Romney expressed open disdain. In August 50 GOP former intelligence officers signed a statement opposing Trump, including CIA and National Security Agency Director Michael Hayden, former Director of National Intelligence and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, former Dick Cheney security adviser Eric Edelman, former Homeland Security secretaries Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff, and former deputy secretary of state Robert Zoellick. In October 55 retired flag military officers signed a statement declaring Trump utterly unworthy of being commander-in-chief and president. House Speaker Paul Ryan, the most powerful figure at the time in the Republican Party, who only endorsed Trump in June, was by one count obliged to distance himself from the candidate eight times by August and declined to campaign for him. Alas, despite all this confusion and alarm within the ruling class, the Trump genie had been let out of the bottle. And what of Clintons smooth path to power, to be paved by such experienced political operatives as campaign director John Podesta and Wasserman Schulz? Something started going very wrong when Bernie Sanders kept getting massive youthful crowds who were anything but turned off by an elderly Jewish socialist talking about college debt relief. They were so confidant of the pervasiveness of their own tired Cold War thinking among the masses that they assumed no self-avowed socialist could gather any momentum. The fools! And then there were those Wikileaks emails (allegedly hacked by Russians) showing how the DNC chair had assured her colleagues that they neednt be silly, because Sanders wont be president; how one staffer had raised the prospect of labeling Sanders an atheist in largely evangelical districts; how Podesta had recommended using press contacts to promote Trump as one of the more easily defeatable of the Republican candidates. This plus the (separate) issue of Hillarys use of a home server for emails, and alleged violations of security policy and accountability, and Comeys sudden reopening of the investigation so soon before the election. There was no enthusiasm for Clinton, and especially among the youth, a lot of simmering resentment that the primary process had been rigged. If the Clinton camp smugly expected the Sanders supporters (having been brought into the political process) would channel their much-praised enthusiasm into a Clinton vs. Trump race, they were optimistic. Many enraged Sanders supporters would never defile themselves with a Clinton vote. And so, a corrupt process produced a uniquely unpopular president-elect. And now you have a unique convergence of forces all questioning Trumps legitimacy to rule, but for different reasons. Rep. John Lewis says he cant accept Trump because Russia helped him get elected; his vow to boycott the inauguration ceremony has been embraced (so far) by over 40 other members of Congress. Similarly, the Deep State cant accept him because he wants rapprochement with Russia. Suddenly all the liberal shills on TV are expressing reverence for Lewiss civil rights legacy and associations with Martin Luther King alongside moral outrage at the charges leveled against Moscow by the Deep State. How strange to see Rachel Maddow and John Brennan in bed together. There will be tens of thousands of protesters on the cold streets of DC on Friday chanting Hes not my president! mostly for the reasons touted endlessly by the DNC: hes a racist, misogynist, bigot, who lost the popular vote. Some will add to the charges Hes a Putin puppet, thus making common cause with the worst war mongers who remain firmly lodged in the power structure and (despite his promises of good relations with Russia) around Trump himself. The Revolutionary Communist Party on the other hand says we cant accept Trump because hes a fascist. Their manifesto calling for mass protests to reach a crescendo January 20 declares: By any definition, Trump is a fascist [Fascism] is a very serious thing. It has direction and momentum and must be stopped before it becomes too late. Fascism foments and relies on xenophobic nationalism, racism, misogyny, and the aggressive re-institution of oppressive traditional values. Fascism feeds on and encourages the threat and use of violence to build a movement and come to power. Fascism, once in power, essentially eliminates traditional democratic rights. Fascism attacks, jails, even executes its opponents, and launches violent mob attacks on minorities. In Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 40s, fascism did all these things. This is where this can go. No mention of any supposed Putin-Trump bromance. Not that there should be. But the radical leftpreoccupied with opposing more imperialist wars in the Middle Eastis not much given to analysis of the U.S.-Russian relationship, or reflection on the very real possibility of nuclear war triggered by events in Ukraine, Syria or even the Estonia. The U.S. possesses 7,100 nuclear warheads, Russia 7,300. (France is thought to have 300, China 260, the UK 215, Pakistan 140, India 110, Israel 80, North Korea 8.) A U.S.-Russian war could destroy civilization, not by blowing up monuments and orchestrating acts of exemplary horror, raping, crucifying and beheading children, but by obliterating whole cities the way the U.S. obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. No, worse, much, much worse next time than Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That Trumps few vague words about friendship with (as opposed to belligerency towards) Russia should set him up for this Putins puppet charge quietly intimated on the one hand by voices within the Deep State hoping to shame Trump into towing the new Cold war line, and on the other hand by John Lewis-type liberals eager to hop on the Cold War bandwagon to justify their rejection of the president-elect, should disturb any thinking person. It is the patriotic union of all who can be united over the traditional, knee-jerk Russophobia. How can the progressive anti-Trump movement move forward, if it either embraces this narrative of Russian interference in the U.S. election (which is based, after all, on the premise that whoever leaked the damning DNC and Podesta messages showing how the DNC worked to promote Trumps candidacy, and to curtail Sanders support, thereby influenced public opinion against Clinton whereas public opinion should have been mercifully spared the information), or fails to target it as misinformation and war mongering? If the goal is to so isolate Trump that he is somehow driven from power, one would like the antiwar masses to smash the corrupt system, build a new society and avoid war. One would not like to make common cause with those who hate Trump, not for his fascistic tendencies, but for his challenge to the warmongering neocon/liberal interventionist status quo that wants to maintain a posture of unremitting hostility towards Russia. Without analyzing these dialectics, how can those who long for revolutionas I donavigate the post-election political situation, and exploit the crisis to serve the peoples ends? Gary Leupp is Professor of History at Tufts University, and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Religion. He is the author of Servants, Shophands and Laborers in in the Cities of Tokugawa Japan; Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan; and Interracial Intimacy in Japan: Western Men and Japanese Women, 1543-1900. He is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion, (AK Press). He can be reached at: gleupp@tufts.edu
Xi Jinping Steps Up With Charm Offensive



Chinese leader profits from a geopolitical vacuum only days before Donald Trumps inauguration



By Pepe Escobar January 18, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Asia-Times" - He did it, his way; Chinese President Xi Jinping descended on the Swiss Alps; profited from a geopolitical vacuum only three days before Donald Trumps inauguration with the Atlanticist West mired in stagnation and/or protectionism; unleashed a charm offensive; and deftly positioned China in the lead of inclusive globalization. In a wide-ranging speech that went from global angst to Chinas new normal, Xi sounded all the right notes that global capital needed to hear; protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room, and no one is a winner in a trade war. His speech delved into the necessity of peace in Syria, the perverse effects of the absence of financial regulation, and the struggle for balance between efficiency and equity. So onwards with the fourth industrial revolution  and may China deliver. Xi, the first Chinese president to visit the turbo-capitalist World Economic Forum talkfest, meant business from the start. He arrived with an 80-strong delegation that included Alibabas Jack Ma, Dalian Wandas Wang Jianlin  Chinas top two billionaires  as well as Baidus Zhang Yaqin. Compare these globalist princelings with the Trump camp, represented by one of his official business advisers, Anthony Scaramucci, founder of hedge fund SkyBridge Capital and Salt, a not exactly stellar Las Vegas investment conference (the next one is at the Bellagio in May). Wheres the ticket to the Rothschild party? A humanized Davos 2017 is very worried about saving the world  or at least saving the wealthy from most of the world. The WEF has suddenly discovered that globalization as we know it fosters massive inequality, as much as globalizations self-appointed managers remain inflexible about their moral right to bend whole nations to their will, as the miraculous numbers of the Irish economy attest. Thus an alarmed WEF is promoting at least six sessions discussing inequality, from Combating Rising Insecurity and Inequality to Squeezed and Angry: How to Fix the Middle Class Crisis, starring IMFs Christine Vuitton Lagarde and a bunch of hedge funders. And this while Oxfam revealed to the world the real G8 of inequality  as in those individuals who own as much wealth as the poorest 50% of the world combined. Call them the Kings of Globalization  featuring, among others, Bill Gates, Amazon supremo Jeff Bezos, Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg, Oracles Larry Ellison and Michael Bloomberg, . In pure neo-Dadaist fashion, there could not be a more graphic emblem for inequality than Davos itself. To get a green card all-area-access, mostly in and around the Grandhotel Belvedere, corporations must become strategic partners of the WEF. The list is a beauty. Each membership costs a whopping US$600,000, allowing a CEO to bring up to four cohorts; but still they must pay for each individual ticket. And even that does not guarantee an invitation to the glitziest party in town, thrown by Nat Rothschild in tandem with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska. Still, those who shelled out the cash will hardly resist the chance to hear Facebooks COO Sheryl Sandberg (with a US$1.3 billion fortune) expand on how older global leaders can profit from the optimism of youth. Eric Schmidt (worth US$11 billion), chairman of Googles parent company Alphabet, is also in town, but this time he opted for discretion. Listen to the sound of my win-win clapping Xi was very careful not to advertize a new Chinese consensus, or model, as the model itself is being carefully, and painstakingly, tweaked. What stood out in his presentation is that Beijing does not interpret globalization in a Western, turbo-neoliberal sense. There are indeed benefits. They also do mask the plunder of the developing worlds resources via stealth international laws and (now dead in the water) trade agreements such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) or the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), mostly for the benefit of the Wests 0.01%, who then become alarmed by inequality. Xi instead is promoting the notion of serial win-win deals; and thats why his positioning is essentially the ultimate glorious pitch for the New Silk Road, a.k.a. One Belt, One Road (Obor) project, largely featured in the last part of his speech. Everyone knows about Obor as an essential tool to tweak the Chinese model; develop the Chinese Far West; open an array of Eurasian markets; promote the internationalization of the yuan; and of course consolidate a major geopolitical shift, not least by neutralizing most of the Obama/Clinton pivot to Asia. So when we get the concerted firepower of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB); the Silk Road Fund; and the New Development Bank (NDB) under Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), we have enough capital to generate generous financing for an infrastructure bonanza from China, across Central Asia, and all the way to Western Europe and Eastern Africa. Only in Kazakhstan, for instance, there are more than 50 deals valued at over US$20 billion in effect. The new peace in Syria negotiations  Russia, Iran and Turkey  will take place in Astana, not Geneva. Kazakhstan represents the intersection of the New Silk Roads and the Eurasia Economic Union (EEU). Russia and China are luring Iran  and later on Turkey  into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) fold. Syria, pacified and rebuilt, will be a key plank of Obor. Its all interlinked. So what China is proposing has nothing to do with deglobalization. Its rather about localization. But trade deals never die. With the death of TPP, Xi had to extol the merits of the pan-Asian Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which excludes the US but crucially merges all of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations members with everyone ASEAN has trade deals with; China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. RCEP will be a boon for manufacturing within the vastly complex and broader supply chain across Asia, smashing tariffs across the board. That will include China-India trade. Yet it remains to be seen how Prime Minister Narendra Modis Make in India campaign will cope with opening up its markets to Chinese imports. And, of course, Xi had to refer to the yuan question. The yuan is currently overvalued. The Peoples Bank of China does not want it to slide down even further; its priority is a stable exchange rate  to stabilize trade. Still, Danske Bank strategist Allen von Mehren, whos usually spot on, predicts the yuan falling to 7.26 to the US dollar by the end of September. Somebodys got to explain all this to Trump, implications included. It wont be Scaramucci. Not to mention Peter Navarro, Wilbur Ross, Mad Dog Mattis or Michael Flynn. It has to be global helmsman Xi in person. Pepe Escobar is correspondent-at-large for Asia Times. His latest book is 2030, published by Nimble Books.
Remember Don Siegelman By Paul Craig Roberts January 18, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - I hope that President Obama commuted Mannings unjust sentence not as a sop to transgenders, but as a sign that a bit of humanity still remains in the outgoing war criminal president. Manning did his duty and reported US war crimes by releasing the astounding video of US troops murdering innocent people and journalists walking along a street and then murdering a father and his two young children who stopped to help the wounded left on the street by the US helicopter gunship or drone or whatever the murder device was. The video reveals US troops playing video kill games with real people. Mannings reward was to be held for two years in solidary confinement in torture-like conditions, which little doubt left Manning fundamentally impaired. This illegal and unconstitutional treatment was followed by a kangeroo trial in which Manning was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison for doing his duty. Julian Assange, also falsely accused and mistreated, must not turn himself over in exchange for the commutation of Mannings sentence, or he will suffere the same fate. Any truth-teller who falls into the hands of the US government is doomed. The US government hates nothing worse than it hates the truth. Obamas failures as president would fill an encyclopedia. Obama might have destroyed the Democratic Party by his failure to commute the sentence of falsely charged and falsely convicted Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Indeed, Obama could have ordered a US Justice Department investigation that almost certainly would have resulted in prison sentences for the Republican Alabama politicians, Republican US attorneys, Republican federal judges and Republican operative Karl Rove who participated in one of the most obvious frameups in human history. More than 100 Democratic and Republican former attorneys general and officials condemned the prosecution of Siegelman as politically-inspired prosecutorial misconduct. Yet Obama did

nothing. By doing nothing for Siegelman, Obama demonstrated to every Democrat that they were on their own if they won elections in Republican political strongholds. Don Siegelman is the only person in the history of Alabama to have been elected to serve in all of the top four statewide elected offices. He was very popular and did extraordinary good for the people and state of Alabama. That the Republicans were able to remove from office and imprison the most decent man in Alabama public life despite eight years of a Democratic President and Department of Justice is a surefire indication that no Democratic politician can trust the Democratic Party to come to his aid when he comes under attack from the Karl Rove Gang. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order .
FBI, 5 Other Agencies Probe Possible Covert Kremlin Aid To Trump By Peter Stone and Greg Gordon

McClatchy Washington Bureau January 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " McClatchy "- The FBI and five other law enforcement and intelligence agencies have collaborated for months in an investigation into Russian attempts to influence the November election, including whether money from the Kremlin covertly aided President-elect Donald Trump, two people familiar with the matter said. The agencies involved in the inquiry are the FBI, the CIA, the National Security Agency, the Justice Department, the Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and representatives of the director of national intelligence, the sources said. Investigators are examining how money may have moved from the Kremlin to covertly help Trump win, the two sources said. One of the allegations involves whether a system for routinely paying thousands of Russian-American pensioners may have been used to pay some email hackers in the United States or to supply money to intermediaries who would then pay the hackers, the two sources said. The informal, inter-agency working group began to explore possible Russian interference last spring, long before the FBI received information from a former British spy hired to develop politically damaging and unverified research about Trump, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the inquiry. On Jan. 6, the director of national intelligence released a declassified report that concluded Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered an influence campaign to undermine faith in the U.S. democratic process, damage Hillary Clintons election prospects and bolster Trumps. The campaign included the hacking of top Democrats emails and fake news distributed by Russian sources. The president-elect, who will be inaugurated Friday, has said he believes Russia was involved with the hacking, and he has called allegations that he or his associates were involved a political witch hunt and a complete and total fabrication. Trump has yet to say whether FBI Director James Comey will be retained. The rest of Trumps newly appointed intelligence and law enforcement chiefs will inherit the investigation, whose outcome could create national and international fallout. Trump's presidential transition team did not respond to a request for comment about the inquiry. Russia has never tried to use leverage over me. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA - NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017 A key mission of the six-agency group has been to examine who financed the email hacks of the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. The London-based transparency group WikiLeaks released the emails last summer and in October. The working group is scrutinizing the activities of a few Americans who were affiliated with Trumps campaign or his business empire and of multiple individuals from Russia and other former Soviet nations who had similar connections, the sources said. U.S. intelligence agencies not only have been unanimous in blaming Russia for the hacking of Democrats computers but also have concluded that the leaking and dissemination of thousands of emails of top Democrats, some of which caused headaches for the Clinton campaign, were done to help Trump win. Trump and Republican members of Congress have said they believe Russia meddled in the U.S. election but that those actions didnt change the outcome. However, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, a former chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press that she believes that Russias tactics did alter the election result. The Senate Intelligence Committee has opened its own investigation into Russias involvement in the campaign. That panel will have subpoena power. FBI Director Comey refused at a recent Senate hearing to comment on whether the bureau was investigating Russias hacking campaign for possible criminal prosecutions. Spokespeople for the FBI, the Justice Department and the national intelligence director declined to comment. The BBC reported last week that the joint inquiry was launched when the CIA learned last spring, through a Baltic ally, of a recording indicating the Russian government was planning to funnel funds aimed at influencing the U.S. election. Another source of information was the former longtime British intelligence agent, Christopher Steele, who was hired to gather opposition research about Trump for a Republican client and later a Democrat. Early last summer, Steele became alarmed about information he was receiving from a network of Russian sources describing a web of Trumps business relationships with wealthy Russians and alleged political ties to the Kremlin, according to two people who know him. These sources also declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. Steeles reports also alleged that Russian consulates in New York, Washington and Miami were used to deliver tens of thousands of dollars to Kremlin-hired operatives using fictitious names as if they were legitimate Russian-American pensioners. That ruse was designed to give Russia plausible deniability, Steeles reports suggested. However, Russia does not operate a consulate in Miami. Steele, who had worked previously with the FBI and was well regarded, fed the bureau information in July and September suggesting collusion between Trump associates and Moscow in the hacking of Democratic computers, they said. Eventually, he met in Italy with an FBI official to share more information alleging that a top Trump campaign official had known about the hacking as early as last June, the sources said. About a month after the election, Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona gave FBI Director Comey a copy of a 35-page compilation of Steeles reports. BuzzFeed posted the 35 pages of allegations online, acknowledging the report had obvious errors and had not been corroborated. Several news organizations, including McClatchy, had the document earlier but had resisted publishing any of the allegations because of the lack of verification. Trump and Putin have branded Steeles dossier as fake news. On Jan. 11, at his only news conference as president-elect, Trump dismissed it as nonsense and crap. On Tuesday, Putin accused soon-to-depart Obama administration officials of trying to undermine Trumps legitimacy, suggesting that the White House had released Steeles dossier. The Russian leader said those who had prepared the dossier were worse than prostitutes. Steeles information has been treated as unverified intelligence by the working group because most of it came from purported Kremlin leaks and virtually all of it is extremely difficult to corroborate, the people familiar with the investigation said. The BBC reported that the FBI had obtained a warrant on Oct. 15 from the highly secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court allowing investigators access to bank records and other documents about potential payments and money transfers related to Russia. One of McClatchys sources confirmed the report. Susan Hennessey, a former attorney for the National Security Agency who is now a fellow at the Brookings Institution, said she had no knowledge as to whether a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant had been issued in the investigation of Russian influence. However, she said such warrants were issued only if investigators could establish probable cause that the target was a foreign power or its agent and that the surveillance was likely to produce foreign intelligence. She said the information in Steeles dossier couldnt have met that test. If, in fact, law enforcement has obtained a FISA warrant, that is an indication that additional evidence exists outside of the dossier, she said. One episode that Steeles reports described from multiple sources referred to a late-summer meeting in Prague between Russian government representatives and Michael Cohen, a lawyer for the Trump Organization, the president-elects vast business operation. But the FBI has been unable to establish that Cohen was in Prague during that period, the two sources familiar with the working group said. Cohen has denied ever traveling to the Czech Republic, although he told The Wall Street Journal that he did so in 2001. Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only "stupid" people, or fools, would think that it is bad! We.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2017 For months, Trump has voiced positive sentiments toward Putin. In early January, he tweeted that only stupid people, or fools would think its bad to have good relations with Russia. When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD! he tweeted last week. During the campaign in July, he displayed ignorance that Russian-backed separatists had invaded Crimea in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and he called on Russia to hack away to uncover thousands of emails that Clinton had never made public after using a private server while secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. At the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last July, Trumps campaign associates successfully changed the Republican Partys platform to weaken a provision advocating more military support for the Ukrainian government in its fight to defend itself against the Russian-backed incursion in Crimea. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the standard for obtaining a FISA warrant.
A Parting Shot at Personal Freedom By Judge Andrew P. Napolitano January 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - On Jan. 3, outgoing Attorney General Loretta Lynch secretly signed an order directing the National Security Agency  Americas 60,000-person-strong domestic spying apparatus  to make available raw spying data to all other federal intelligence agencies, which then can pass it on to their counterparts in foreign countries and in the 50 states upon request. She did so, she claimed, for administrative convenience. Yet in doing this, she violated basic constitutional principles that were erected centuries ago to prevent just what she did. Here is the back story. In the aftermath of former President Richard Nixons abusive utilization of the FBI and CIA to spy on his domestic political opponents in the 1960s and 70s  and after Nixon had resigned from office in the wake of all that  Congress passed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which created a secret court that was charged with being the sole authority in America that can authorize domestic spying for non-law enforcement purposes. The standard for a FISA court authorization was that the subject of the spying needed to be a foreign person in the United States who was an agent of a foreign power. It could be a foreign janitor in a foreign embassy, a foreign spy masquerading as a diplomat, even a foreign journalist working for a media outlet owned by a foreign government. The American spies needed a search warrant from the FISA court. Contrary to the Constitution, the search warrant was given based not on probable cause of crime but rather on probable cause of the status of the person as an agent of a foreign power. This slight change from "probable cause of crime" to "probable cause of foreign agency" began the slippery slope that brought us to Lynchs terrible order of Jan. 3. After the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, numerous other statutes were enacted that made spying easier and that continued to erode the right to be left alone guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment. The Patriot Act permitted FBI agents to write their own search warrants for business records (including medical, legal, postal and banking records), and amendments to FISA itself changed the wording from probable cause "of foreign agency" to probable cause of being "a foreign person" to all Americans who may "communicate with a foreign person." As if Americans were children, Congress made those sleight-of-hand changes with no hoopla and little serious debate. Our very elected representatives  who took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution  instead perverted it. It gets worse. The recent USA Freedom Act permits the NSA to ask the FISA court for a search warrant for any person  named or unnamed  based on the standard of "governmental need." One FISA court-issued warrant I saw authorized the surveillance of all 115 million domestic customers of Verizon. The governmental need standard is no standard at all, as the government will always claim that what it wants, it needs. All these statutes and unauthorized spying practices have brought us to where we were on Jan. 2  namely, with the NSA having a standard operating procedure of capturing every keystroke on every computer and mobile device, every telephone conversation on every landline and cellphone, and all domestic electronic traffic  including medical, legal and banking records  of every person in America 24/7, without knowing of or showing any wrongdoing on the part of those spied upon. The NSA can use data from your cellphone to learn where you are, and it can utilize your cellphone as a listening device to hear your in-person conversations, even if you have turned it off  that is, if you still have one of the older phones that can be turned off. Notwithstanding all of the above gross violations of personal liberty and constitutional norms, the NSA traditionally kept its data  if printed, enough to fill the Library of Congress every year  to itself. So if an agency such as the FBI or the DEA or the New Jersey State Police, for example, wanted any of the data acquired by the NSA for law enforcement purposes, it needed to get a search warrant from a federal judge based on the constitutional standard of "probable cause of crime." Until now. Now, because of the Lynch secret order, revealed by The New York Times late last week, the NSA may share any of its data with any other intelligence agency or law enforcement agency that has an intelligence arm based on  you guessed it  the non-standard of governmental need. So President Barack Obama, in the death throes of his time in the White House, has delivered perhaps his harshest blow to constitutional freedom by permitting his attorney general to circumvent the Fourth Amendment, thereby enabling people in law enforcement to get whatever they want about whomever they wish without a showing of probable cause of crime as the Fourth Amendment requires. That amendment expressly forbids the use of general warrants  search where you wish and seize what you find  and they had never been a lawful tool of law enforcement until Lynchs order. Down the slope we have come, with the destruction of liberty in the name of safety by elected and appointed government officials. At a time when the constitutionally recognized right to privacy was in its infancy, Justice Louis Brandeis warned all who love freedom about its slow demise. He wrote: "Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Governments purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding." Someday we will learn why Obama did this. I hope that when we do, it is at a time when we still have personal liberty in a free society. Andrew Peter Napolitano is the Senior Judicial Analyst for Fox News Channel, commenting on legal news and trials, and is a syndicated columnist whose work appears in numerous publications, such as Fox News, The Washington Times, and Reason.https://www.creators.com/read/judge-napolitano Creators Syndicate, Inc.  2017
The Scheme to Take Down Trump



The U.S. intelligence communitys unprecedented assault on an incoming U.S. president  now including spreading salacious rumors  raises questions about how long Donald Trump can hold the White House, says Daniel Lazare.



By Daniel Lazare January 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Consortium News " - Is a military coup in the works? Or are U.S. intelligence agencies laying the political groundwork for forcing Donald Trump from the presidency because they cant abide his rejection of a new cold war with Russia? Not long ago, even asking such questions would have marked one as the sort of paranoid nut who believes that lizard people run the government. But no longer. Thanks to the now-notorious 35-page dossier concerning Donald Trumps alleged sexual improprieties in a Moscow luxury hotel, its clear that strange maneuverings are underway in Washington and that no one is quite sure how they will end. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper added to the mystery Wednesday evening by releasing a 200-word statement to the effect that he was shocked, shocked, that the dossier had found its way into the press. Such leaks, the statement said, are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security. Clapper added: that this document is not a US Intelligence Community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC. The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions. However, part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security. Rather than vouching for the dossiers contents, in other words, all Clapper says he did was inform Trump that it was making the rounds in Washington and that he should know what it said  and that he thus couldnt have been more horrified than when Buzzfeed posted all 35 pages on its website. But it doesnt make sense. As The New York Times noted, putting the summary in a report that went to multiple people in Congress and the executive branch made it very likely that it would be leaked (emphasis in the original). So even if the intelligence community didnt leak the dossier itself, it distributed it knowing that someone else would. Then there is the Guardian, second to none in its loathing for Trump and Vladimir Putin and hence intent on giving the dossier the best possible spin. It printed a quasi-defense not of the memo itself but of the man who wrote it: Christopher Steele, an ex-MI6 officer who now heads his own private intelligence firm. A sober, cautious and meticulous professional with a formidable record is how the Guardian described him. Then it quoted an unnamed ex-Foreign Office official on the subject of Steeles credibility: The idea his work is fake or a cowboy operation is false, completely untrue. Chris is an experienced and highly regarded professional. Hes not the sort of person who will simply pass on gossip.  If he puts something in a report, he believes theres sufficient credibility in it for it to be worth considering. Chris is a very straight guy. He could not have survived in the job he was in if he had been prone to flights of fancy or doing things in an ill-considered way. In other words, Steele is a straight-shooter, so its worth paying attention to what he has to say. Or so the Guardian assures us. That is the way the CIA and the FBI, not to mention the British government, regarded him, too, it adds, so presumably Clapper felt the same way. What is Afoot? So what does it all mean? Simply that U.S. intelligence agencies believed that the dossier came from a reliable source and that, as a consequence, there was a significant possibility that Trump was a Siberian candidate, as Times columnist Paul Krugman once described him. They therefore sent out multiple copies of a two-page summary on the assumption that at least one would find its way to the press. Even if Clapper & Co. took no position concerning the dossiers contents, they knew that preparing and distributing such a summary amounted to a tacit endorsement. They also knew, presumably, that it would provide editors with an excuse to go public. If the CIA, FBI, and National Security Agency feel that Steeles findings are worthy of attention, then why shouldnt the average reader have an opportunity to examine them as well? How did Clapper expect Trump to respond when presented with allegations that he was vulnerable to Russian blackmail and potentially under the Kremlins thumb? Did he expect him to hang his head in shame, break into great racking sobs, and admit that it was all true? If so, did Clapper \then plan to place a comforting hand on Trumps shoulder and suggest, gently but firmly, that it was time to step aside and allow a trusted insider like Mike Pence to take the reins? Based on the sturm und drang of the last few days, the answer is very possibly yes. If so, the gambit failed when Trump, in his usual high-voltage manner, denounced the dossier as fake news and sailed into the intelligence agencies for behaving like something out of Nazi Germany. The intelligence communitys hopes, if thats what they were, were dashed. All of which is thoroughly unprecedented by American political standards. After all, this is a country that takes endless pride in the peaceful transfer of power every four years or so. Yet here was the intelligence community attempting to short-circuit the process by engineering Trumps removal before he even took office. But the Guardian then upped the ante even more by suggesting that the CIA continue with the struggle. Plainly, the Republican congressional leadership has no appetite for an inquiry into Steeles findings, the papers New York correspondent, Ed Pilkington, wrote, adding: That leaves the intelligence agencies. The danger for Trump here is that he has so alienated senior officials, not least by likening them to Nazis, that he has hardly earned their loyalty. What was the Guardian suggesting  that disloyal intelligence agents keep on searching regardless? And what if they come up with what they claim is a smoking gun? Explained Pilkington: To take a flight of fancy, what if it [i.e. Steeles findings] were substantiated? That would again come down to a question of politics. No US president has ever been forced out of office by impeachment (Richard Nixon resigned before the vote; Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were acquitted by the Senate). Any such procedure would have to be prepared and approved by a majority of the House of Representatives, and then passed to the Senate for a two-thirds majority vote. As the Republicans hold the reins in both chambers, it would take an almighty severing of ties between Trump and his own party to even get close to such a place. Its a long shot, but the Guardians recommendation is that rogue agents keep on digging until they strike pay dirt, at which point they should go straight to Congress and persuade  if not pressure  the Republican leadership to initiate the process of throwing Trump out of office. This is not the same as sending an armored column to attack Capitol Hill, but its close. Essentially, the Guardian was calling on the intelligence agencies to assume ultimate responsibility regarding who can sit in the Oval Office and who cannot. A Desperate Establishment All of which demonstrates how desperate the military-intelligence complex has grown after Clappers report on alleged Russian hacking of Democratic emails met with such a derisory reception following its publication on Jan. 6. Even the Times admitted that it provided no new evidence to support assertions that Moscow meddled covertly through hacking and other actions while the Daily Beast said it was unlikely to convince a single skeptic due to a notable absence of anything by way of back-up data. The Steele dossier was supposed to take up the slack. Yet it has fallen short as well. It asserts, for example, that Trump attorney Michael Cohen traveled to Prague to discuss hacking with a Russian official named Oleg Solodukhin, a claim that both men have since denied. It misspells the name of a major Russian bank and gets its Russian geography wrong too. As Owen Matthews points out in a very smart article in Newsweek, it seems to be under the impression that the suburb of Barvikha on the tony Rublevskoe highway is a closed government compound, instead of just an expensive vacation home area favored by the new rich. The dossier misspells the name of an Azeri real-estate mogul named Aras Agalarov and reports his association with Trump as news in August 2016  when Agalarov publicly organized Trumps visit to the Miss Universe pageant in 2013 and arranged a meeting with top Russian businessmen for Trump afterward, both of which were widely reported at the time. Other aspects of the dossier dont add up either. It reports that the Russian government has been cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for at least five years in order to encourage splits and divisions in the Western alliance. But as Matthews points out, Trump wasnt in politics five years ago and was considered a long shot for months after entering the presidential race in mid-2015. So how could the Kremlin be sure that their man would ultimately prevail? The dossier says that Trump accepted a regular flow of intelligence from the Kremlin, including on Democratic and other political rivals. But Trump gave no hint of having inside information when he called for Crooked Hillary to be locked up for purging her email files; to the contrary, he did so on the basis of information available on every front page. The memo says that the Russians also had compromising material on Clinton. If so, then why wasnt it used? Hearsay Evidence The discrepancies go on. But this is what one would expect of a document based entirely of hearsay in which Source A claims to have gotten a juicy tidbit from Source B, who heard it from Source C deep inside the Kremlin. Grasping at straws, the Guardians Ed Pilkington conceded that no news agency has been able to verify the dossiers findings. But, he said, they are unlikely to be discarded as quickly or as conclusively as Trump would like for the simple reason that the flip side of information that cannot be classed reliable is that neither can it be classed unreliable. But the same could be said for information that someone got from a friend whose brother-in-law heard from a park ranger that Barack and Michelle like to while away their evenings snorting cocaine. It cant be classed as reliable because no one can verify that its true. But it cant be classed as unreliable because no one can prove that its wrong. So maybe the best thing to do is to impeach Obama in the few days he has remaining just to be sure. This not to say that the so-called President-elects legitimacy is not open to question. To the contrary, it is questionable in the extreme given that he lost the popular election by more than 2.86 million votes. In a democratic country, this should count for something. But the intelligence community is not attacking him on democratic grounds, needless to say, but on imperial. Trump is a rightwing blowhard whose absurd babblings about Saudi Arabia, Iran and Yemen reveal a man who is dangerously ignorant about how the world works. But he has managed to seize on one or two semi-good ideas over the years. One is that Obama administrations confrontational policies toward Russia are a recipe for disaster, while another is that toppling Syrias Bashar al-Assad with Al Qaeda and ISIS still up and about will only hasten their march on Damascus. Both views are perfectly sensible. But because Washingtons endlessly bellicose foreign-policy establishment is wedded to the opposite, it sees them as high treason. This is very serious. U.S. foreign policy has been marked by a high degree of continuity since World War II as Republican and Democratic presidents alike pledged to uphold the imperial agenda. But Trump, as radical in his way as William Jennings Bryan was in 1896 or Henry A. Wallace in 1948, is bucking the consensus to an unprecedented degree. Even though its policies have led to disaster after disaster, the foreign-policy establishment is aghast. Consequently, it is frantically searching for a way to prevent him from carrying his ideas out. The intelligence agencies appear to be running out of time with the inauguration only a few days away. But that doesnt mean theyre giving up. All it means, rather, is that theyll go deeper underground. Trump may enter the White House on Jan. 20. But the big question is how long hell remain. Daniel Lazare is the author of several books including The Frozen Republic: How the Constitution Is Paralyzing Democracy (Harcourt Brace).
What Constitutes a "Legitimate President" in the United States? By Danny Haiphong The struggle to legitimize the US Presidency is ultimately a desperate attempt by the finance capitalist-aligned ruling class to stabilize the system with endless war. January 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " BAR " - A recent piece authored by Robert Kuttner, the founder of the liberal magazine The American Prospect, laid out the criteria for a "legitimate" Presidency. The purpose for such criteria is given away by the piece's title, aptly named "Impeaching Trump." There currently exists a layer of the liberal section of the ruling class that is committed to ousting the President-elect from office. The danger in such a move does not necessarily reside from the elimination of Trump and his particular form of rule. What is dangerous about the effort to impeach Trump is the conflation of the genuine interests of oppressed and working class people with Kuttner's particular definition of Presidential legitimacy. What defines a "legitimate President" of the United States according to Kuttner? The criteria of Presidential legitimacy are simple. The President must be anyone else but Donald J. Trump. Trump's unsettled business ventures mix "official duties with personal enrichment," which is deemed illegal under the US Constitution. And a legitimate President certainly cannot have peaceful relations with Russia. Trump's so-called ties to Russia are grounds for treason and enough to warrant impeachment. Yet Kuttners argument for what constitutes a legitimate President rests on the assumption that the system of governance is legitimate in its own right. Yet the system of capitalism and imperialism in control of the US state apparatus has never been mired in a deeper crisis of legitimacy than the one currently in motion. Since Trump's election, establishment Democrats and Republicans have waged a multifaceted campaign of war against Russia in attempt to resolve the crisis. This campaign includes Kuttner's narrative that Russia meddled in US elections in favor of Trump as well as the vast NATO-sponsored military buildup in the Baltic States bordering Russia. The struggle to legitimize the US Presidency is ultimately a desperate attempt by the finance capitalist-aligned ruling class to stabilize the system with endless war. The President must be anyone else but Donald J. Trump. So the question must be posed again: What really constitutes a legitimate President of the United States? A "legitimate President" in the eyes of the ruling establishment is defined by a number of factors. "Legitimate" Presidents help consolidate and manage the crisis of imperialism in a manner that is palatable to the policy objectives of the ruling class. Such rule must also be effective in curbing the ideological and political development of the inevitable insurgency that arises from capitalist and racist oppression. Donald Trump's deviation from the ruling class on Syria and Russia as well as his public white supremacist worldview makes him an unsavory choice to govern a superpower that is circling the drain. Perhaps the best example of a "legitimate" US President under imperialism is leaving office on January 20th. Barack Obama has consistently met all the criteria for what makes a President legitimate in the hearts and minds of the ruling class. Obama managed the crisis under terms that handsomely rewarded his capitalist masters. The "first Black President" worked diligently for Wall Street, transferring the most wealth to the top 1 percent from the rest of the population in US history. Obama achieved a new record for the most transfers of military weaponry to racist police forces that occupy Black American cities. He deployed US Special Forces to 70 percent of the world's nations, with a staggering 1600 percent increase in Special Operations Forces in Africa from 2006 until the present. These forces helped Obama drop over 26,000 bombs in 2016. Under Obama, imperialism's most egregious crimes found room to flourish. Obama was a gift to the imperialist system, which before his first term began was stuck in both political and economic turmoil. Under Obama, imperialism's most egregious crimes found room to flourish. Not one banker was punished for the economic collapse of 2007-08. In fact, trillions of dollars were sent to Wall Street's coffers while working class and oppressed people were left with an economy dominated by low-wage and contract jobs. The real unemployment rate sits at 23 percent as millions of people have gone uncounted by official unemployment statisticians. But imperialism had plenty of opportunity over this time to spend trillions militarizing the Russian border, funding and arming jihadists, and renovating the US nuclear arsenal . Under Obama, the ruling class won and the people lost big. Yet despite this development, popular protest was relatively small in size and duration. The Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter movements brought police terror, white supremacy, and inequality back into the political discourse, but were unable to develop a solid organizational and ideological basis from which to win material victories. The anti-war movement was completely suppressed, and the LGBTQ and women's movements were consumed under the Democratic Party umbrella. All of this can be traced back to the "legitimate" Presidency of Barack Obama. His rule ensured that radical and revolutionary political alternatives would have no breathing room under the weight of political symbolism and neo-liberal dogma. It appears that no amount of information will stop the Democrats push for Trump to abandon his rhetorical gestures of peace with Russia and continue the dangerous war against Russia that began under Obama. Obama popularized oppression and exploitation among a large section of the electorate for the majority of his Administration. Workers and oppressed people struggled in disorganized silence. And even when popular protest ensued, few activists held Obama accountable for things like mass incarceration or the continued protection of the banks. The Obama period has been the highest expression of the Democratic Party's transformation into the War Party and the most legitimate party of imperialism. Trump's ascendancy has brought this reality out of the darkness and into the light. Recent weeks have intensified the Democratic Party's rabid drive to become the most preferred imperialist political party in the United States. Hollywood millionaires such as Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks have lauded Obama's rule while taking ineffectual swipes at Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the Obama Administration has moved forward in peddling the lie that Russia, Trump, and WikiLeaks worked together to meddle in the 2016 elections in favor of Trump. Numerous reports of Russian hacking have been discredited and the only intelligence report that exists on the subject contains zero detail on the specifics of Russia's so called hack job. But it appears that no amount of information will stop their push for Trump to abandon his rhetorical gestures of peace with Russia and continue the dangerous war against Russia that began under Obama. Donald Trump's deviation from the ruling class on Syria and Russia as well as his public white supremacist worldview makes him an unsavory choice to govern a superpower that is circling the drain. A recent piece on Obama by fellow admirer and corporate liberal Ta-Nahesi Coates exemplifies the danger of the current moment. While "progressives" obsess about Trump, pundits such as Coates have gone into overdrive to legitimize the Presidency of Barack Obama. The piece aggrandizes Obama and wishes him a warm farewell. Coates is unable to provide one example of how the Obama Presidency benefited the oppressed in a material way. The Democratic Party has been embarrassed by the rise of Trump yet the policies of Obama's two terms helped Trump take the White House. To hide their complicity, Democrats have sought to soil the insurgency of the coming period by defining themselves as the legitimate political leader of the oppressed. However, empty promises no longer get the job done so the Democrats have turned to all out war instead. The definition of a "legitimate" President is dependent on the lens of the inquirer. If one looks through the lens of the ruling class, a legitimate President manages the crisis of the imperialist system of exploitation under relative terms of social peace. The expectation is that working class and oppressed people will continue to validate this definition in the name of American Exceptionalism. However, there has never been a US President that has genuinely governed in the interests of humanity. The imperialist state is an organ of class rule. It is organized to protect the interests of the capitalist class and suppress the interests of the working class and oppressed. The coming period holds much potential for the further development of radical insurgency. The effort by the Obama camp of the ruling class to legitimize the Presidential seat is nothing but an attempt to stifle the insurgency. Danny Haiphong is an Asian activist and political analyst in the Boston area. He can be reached at wakeupriseup1990@gmail.com
Violence: The Language of a Jewish State



By Jonathan Cook

January 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Here is another image (copyright: Keren Manor) that conveys the situation of Palestinians  these ones Palestinian citizens of Israel  more completely than any words. The man on the ground is Ayman Odeh, a member of the Israeli parliament, the head of the Joint List, the third largest party in the parliament, and the highest-ranking Palestinian politician in Israel.



Israeli police have just shot him with rubber-tipped bullets, not once but twice  including to the face. Odeh is one of the least confrontational politicians among Israels large Palestinian minority, a fifth of the population. His message is consistently one of peace and amity between all Israeli citizens, whether Jews or Palestinians. That does not seem to have protected him from the shoot-first, ask-questions-later approach of Israels security forces towards Palestinians.



This image should be as shocking as seeing a bloodied Bernie Sanders or Jeremy Corbyn crawling in the dirt, watched impassively by US or UK police.



Context is important too. Odeh had joined the 1,000 inhabitants of Umm al-Hiran  all Palestinian citizens of Israel  early this morning in a demonstration to stop demolition crews destroying the 150 homes of their village in the Negev. Israel allowed these families to move to the area of Umm al-Hiran in the 1950s after it had driven them from their original, and much more substantial, lands during the Nakba. The pretext then for expelling them was that Israel needed their ancestral lands for an exclusively Jewish kibbutz.



That all occurred during a military government that ruled over Israels Palestinians for nearly two decades. More than 60 years later, exactly the same thing is happening again, but this time in front of the cameras. Umm al-Hiran is being destroyed so that an exclusively Jewish community, with the same name of Hiran, can be built over these families homes. Israel never issued Umm al-Hiran with a master plan, so now it can be declared illegal and its inhabitants called squatters and trespassers. The families are being ethnically cleansed a second time  not during hostilities or in a time of war, but by their own state in a time of peace.



They are far from alone. Thousands of other families, and their villages, face the same fate.



The truth is nothing has changed from the 1950s. Israel still behaves as if it is ruling militarily over its Palestinian citizens. It is still a Jewish state, one that privileges the rights of Jewish citizens over Palestinian citizens. It still treats all non-Jews as a threat, as an enemy.



Israel is not a normal kind of state. It is an ethnocracy, and one driven by an ideological variation of the ethnic nationalisms that tore apart Europe a century ago.



Odeh is a leader who campaigns for peace and equality between Jewish and Palestinian citizens. Today, he got his answer. His place is bruised, bloodied and bowed, crawling through the dirt. This is the language of a Jewish state.



Jonathan Cook is a Nazareth- based journalist and winner of the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism http://www.jonathan-cook.net
Where Is The Left-Wing When A Country Needs One? By Paul Craig Roberts January 19, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - I was about to write a detailed and favorable review of Greg Palasts book, Billionaires & Ballot Bandits when a friend sent me a request to share Palasts Facebook LIVE broadcast of Palasts documentary exposing exactly how Trump and his cronies attacked the voting rights of a million minority voters to steal the White House. Lets see, Trump won the presidency by winning 84% of geographical America, losing only the black, Hispanic, and white liberal vote; yet he stole the election by disenfranchising one million blacks. These blacks dont live in flyover America. They live in the 500 counties that went for Hillary. 2,600 counties went for Trump. Here is the map. It tells the story: http://brilliantmaps.com/2016-county-election-map/ I am disappointed with Palast, a good investigative reporter, but I understand his frustration. Palast, despite his virtues, has the failing of so many of those on the left-of-center. They are required to hate conservatives and anyone identified as one, whether justified or not. The only thing in Palasts book about voter suppression with which I disagree is his gratuitous, unexplained designation of Pat Buchanan as a pinhead bigot. How exactly do we understand Palasts misunderstanding of Pat Buchanan? Buchanan put his solid career with Republicans on the line when he ran against them and the jobs offshoring globalist corporations. Buchanan ran as a candidate fighting to protect the jobs of black and white working class Americans. There is no doubt whatsoever that Buchanan was correct when he said that the so-called free trade deals were designed to send American jobs offshore and to dismantle the ladders of upward mobility that had made the US an opportunity society. Buchanan was totally correct. Globalism is a device for the enrichment of the one percent and the impoverishment of everyone else. Nothing else can be said for globalism. Few have fought harder for the jobs of the working class than Pat Buchanan and I. Yet, some on the left-of-center call us Reaganite fascists. It makes you wonder who the left-of-center works for. The globalist corporations? Now we have Donald Trump trying to restore the jobs of middle class Americans, fighting the class war for them against the Republican and Democratic oligarchs, and Greg Palast is writing that Trump stole the election! For who, from who, Greg? Obviously, Trump stole the election from the CIA, from the military/security complex, from the offshoring global corporations that concocted the Trans-Pacific and Trans-Atlantic partnerships that make US global corporations immune to the laws of the sovereign countries in which they do business. If the election was stolen, which it was not despite the best efforts of the Ruling Establishment to steal it for Hillary by demonizing Trump, it was stolen from the CIA and those who are ruining the economic prospects of Americans. Finally, we get a president independent of the ruling oligarchy, and Palast joins the CIA and Ruling Establshment in their effort to deep-six Donald Trump. It is disappointing to see the left-of-center crowd performing as if on cue as faithful servants of the ruling elite. If a country ever needed a real left-wing, the US surely does. But there is not one. The left-wings causes have shrunk down to little more than transgender rights, homosexual rights, lesbian rights, female rights, illegal alien rights, and the persecution of white heterosexual males for opposing these rights. As Jeffrey St. Clair asked the other day, what about the working class? The left demonizes and delegitimizes. Even the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence have been turned into documents of white supremacy. Thomas Jefferson, who happened to live in a time when the work force consisted of slaves, stood for the people against the interests. Nevertheless, the left delegitimizes him as a slave owning serial rapist. Donald Trump stands for the people against the offshoring interests and the military security/complex. One would think the left would support a president so fiercely opposed by the CIA, but, no, Trump is delegitimized as a racist elected by a racist electorate. The hate card overwhelms common sense. Everyone but blacks, hispanics, native Americans, illegals, and the left are racists. This is not a program that connects with the people and leads to reforms. It is not unlikely that Trump will prove to be another disappointment. Even if he is sincere, the organized interest groups are more powerful than the president. As Nomi Prins has shown, even the bankers alone can prevail over the White House. As Robert F. Kennedy reveals in his memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a lesser president than John F. Kennedy would have been shoved by the military/security complex into war with the Soviet Union. Would the world still exist if Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, or Obama had been in JFKs place? The easiest way for a president to lead is to accommodate the agendas of the powerful interest groups. Is this what the left wants Trump to do? If not, why is the left helping the interest groups to force Trump into this role? Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order .
Nigeria Army has arrested six people over the alleged murder of former Commandant, Command Secondary School, Apata Ibadan, Colonel Anthony Ekor Okeyim.

After successful investigation into the death of former Commandant, the Nigerian Army 2 Division, Odogbo Cantonment yesterday paraded six man- gang who allegedly killed the Army officer.

The suspects, who were paraded at the 2 Division headquarters, Ojoo Ibadan were believed to have played varying roles in the killing of the late senior officers in his residence

The name of the suspects are: Solomon Agbada Emmanuel, 20 years; Bibisoye Kehinde (Aka) Efrebor, 27 years and Taiwo Adeniyi 34 years.

Others are: Ewere Andrew 25, Ephraim Obi, 38 and Udobata Onusa (Aka) Kaka 28.

It would be re-called that lifeless body of late commandant was found in the premises of Command Secondary School on the December 12, 2016 after some suspected assailant had visited the premises stealing some personal belongings of the deceased Commandant including his cell phone.

Autopsy reports said the deceased died as a result of rise in intracranial pressure from intracranial hemorrhage caused by fracture of the skull.

He was said to have been promoted to the rank of brigadier three weeks before his death and he was waiting to be fully decorated with his new rank at the time of his assassination.

Parading the suspects, Deputy Director, Public Relations, 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Colonel Timothy Antigha in company of the Commander, 2 Division Provost Group, Colonel Abdullahi Ibrahim said the stolen phone Samsung X4 helped greatly in apprehending the killers as the phone was later found in the possession of first suspect.

According to Anthiga, the first suspect; Solomon Emmanuel who claimed that he got the phone from the third suspect: Taiwo Adeniyi also confessed stated that on the night of December 11, 2016 he and the other named suspects went to CSS Apata in an ash coloured Toyota camry car belonging to the first suspect

The second suspect also confirmed that the fifth suspects car was used for the murder. He admitted that he was the one who switched off the generator in the deceased officers house before the murder.

He described the late senior officer vividly, as well as the dress the deceased officer wore at the time of their attack.

Investigation also revealed that the third suspect claimed that he was notified of the plot to attack the late senior officer by the second suspect but the fourth suspect stated that he was with the second, third, fifth and sixth suspects during the murder of the late senior officer.

Antigha explained the fifth suspect provided the logistics for operation as his vehicle, an ash coloured Toyota Camry was used to move the gang to and from CSS Apata.

But, the sixth suspect was mentioned by others as being a member of the gang

The Army hierarchy however noted that the suspects and all available evidences that links them to the incident would be handed over to Nigeria Police authorities in Ibadan for further and necessary action

On behalf of the General Officer Commanding, division, Major General Chukwunedum Abraham, I thank the Nigerian police and the Department of the State Services, Oyo State Commands for their invaluable support, without which very little progress would have been made in unearthing the circumstances surrounding the death of the late senior officer, the Army Deputy Director, PR stated

While addressing journalist at press briefing Colonel Abdullahi urged parents to watch their children to know the kind of friends they are move with and the company of those they spend their time.

Source: Leadership
Adama Barrow took the oath of office as Gambias president yesterday at its embassy in neighbouring Senegal, calling for international support as regional troops prepared to back him in a showdown with incumbent Yahya Jammeh, who has refused to step down.

Barrows appeal that could trigger a military push into Gambia by West Africas ECOWAS (Economic Community Of West African States) bloc, which has said it is ready to remove Jammeh by force if necessary.

Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup and whose mandate ended overnight, initially conceded defeat to Barrow following a December 1 election before back-tracking, saying that the vote was flawed.

Overnight talks to persuade him to stand down failed, despite his increasing political isolation.

This is a day no Gambian will ever forget, Barrow said after taking the oath, which was administered by the president of Gambias bar association.

Our national flag will now fly high among the most democratic nations of the world. I hereby make an explicit appeal to ECOWAS, the (African Union) and the UN  to support the government and people of the Gambia in enforcing their will, restoring their sovereignty and constitutional legitimacy, he said.

ECOWAS and the African Union have said they will recognise Barrow.

Senegals army, which has deployed hundreds of soldiers at the Gambian border, said on Wednesday that it would be ready to cross into its smaller neighbour, which it surrounds, from midnight.

Ghana has also pledged troops.

A senior military source in Nigeria, which pre-positioned war planes and helicopters in Dakar, told Reuters that regional forces would only act once Barrow had been sworn in.

Late yesterday Senegal army spokesman Colonel Abdou Ndiaye wrote in a text message to Reuters that we have entered Gambia.

Barrow gave the oath in a tiny room in Gambias embassy in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, and many of those present broke into the Gambian national anthem once he had completed it.

Outside the building on a residential street amid a heavy security presence, dozens of Gambians listened to the ceremony through loudspeakers.

Its very sad to be swearing in a president in someone elses country. I am happy and sad at the same time, said Fatou Silla, 33, a businesswoman who fled Gambia with her son a week ago.

Fearing unrest, thousands of Gambians have fled the country, the United Nations estimates.

Yesterday the UN Security Council unanimously backed ECOWAS efforts to ensure Jammeh hands over power.

A resolution drafted by Senegal won the support of all 15 council members, including Russia, which stressed that the measure did not formally authorise military action in Gambia.

The resolution calls on the council to give its full support to the ECOWAS in its commitment to ensure, by political means first, the respect of the will of the people.

The measure does not invoke Chapter 7 of the UN charter, which authorises the use of force.

Russian Deputy Ambassador Petr Iliichev stressed that the resolution calls for political means to resolve the stand-off and warned that military action could fail.

For the time being, there is no bloodletting but if they intervene, who is going to take responsibility for that? Iliichev told reporters ahead of the vote.

UN diplomats said if Barrow requests a military intervention in Gambia, this would provide the legal basis for the use of force.

We are hoping that there is a peaceful resolution to this, but it is very clear that if President Barrow asks for assistance, then that is something that, as the legitimate president of Gambia, he is perfectly entitled to do, said British Deputy Ambassador Peter Wilson.

The resolution requests that Jammeh carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process, and to transfer power to Barrow.

It urges all stakeholders, within and outside Gambia  exercise restraint, respect the rule of law and ensure the peaceful transfer of power.

At a bar in the Gambian capital Banjuls popular SeneGambia strip, people crowded around a television to watch the swearing in and cheered and danced when it was over.

Im so happy theres a new government, said a cashier who only gave her name as Fama. We have been suffering for 22 years and now things will be different.

During the brief inauguration speech, Barrow asserted his new role as commander and chief of Gambias armed services, ordering soldiers to stay calm and remain in their barracks.

Those who did not would be considered rebels, he said.

As tour companies pressed on with the evacuation of hundreds of European holidaymakers, shops, market stalls and banks in Banjul remained closed while police circulated in trucks and soldiers manned checkpoints.

It was unclear what Jammehs next move would be.

He faces almost total diplomatic isolation and a government riddled by defections.

In the biggest loss yet, Vice-President Isatou Njie Saidy, who has held the role since 1997, quit on Wednesday, a government source and a family member told Reuters.

Gambias long, sandy beaches have made it a prime destination for tourists but Jammeh, who once vowed to rule for a billion years, has also earned a reputation for rights abuses and stifling dissent.

He has ignored pressure to step aside and offers of exile.
Hundreds of the displaced victims of Olokonla town via Ogombo village in Etiosa local government area of Lagos State, yesterday, stormed the Lagos Island residence of the former Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu to protest one month of homelessness brought about by illegal demolition by the state government.

The protesters were displaced on December 16, 2016 when some armed military men in company of some officials of Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development demolished about 200 buildings valued at N15b.

The ministry was said to have embarked on the exercise 48 hours after some of the buildings were marked for demolition and many of the victims were said to be brutalized while salvaging their property.

Two of the victims were said to have died three days ago due to the torture they allegedly received from the soldiers.

Not satisfied with the development, the victims have petitioned the House of Assembly and Governor Akinwumi Ambode about the development without result.

Having waited for a month without justice, the victims staged a peaceful protest at the entrance of Tinubus residence located at Bourdillon to register their plight.

One of the protesters 70 years old Suwebatu Ayedogbon said the exercise has almost reduced her family to beggars. She said, my only son struggled to own a building where I was accommodated for the past two years but this was demolished in December and all of us have nowhere to stay,

Another protester Mr Akeem Onilekere said he had nowhere to lay his head since the exercise, I acquired a loan in my place of work to develop the property hoping to move in by April but I have not finished paying back the loan when the structure was demolished,

Addressing the protesters, an aid to the former governor Mr Tunde Rahman calmed the protesters and asked them to report to Tinubus office on Tuesday for a round table discussion. .

Counsel to the victims Oladotun Hassan said the former governor was their last result since various attempts have failed.

Source: Vanguard
The Enugu State Police Command said that it had burst a kidnapping and human trafficking syndicate that abducted and sold a four-year-old girl in Abia for N350,000.

Ebere Amaraizu, the commands spokesman, said in a statement that the little girls kidnap was aided by a family member from Inyi community in Oji River Local Government Area.

According to Mr. Amaraizu, the little girl went missing from school without a trace at about 12:45 p.m. on December 15, 2016 and was only recovered by the police one month later.

The report of the missing girl threw the entire family, especially the mother, into confusion and sorrow.

In the course of investigation, one Miss Chinedu Chukwu, immediate younger sister to the mother of the victim, and her boyfriend, Osunkwo Chinonso, were nabbed for their involvement in the dastardly act.

They conspired and came in from Anambra to the school where little Chinecherem was, tricked and whisked away to Umuahia in Abia.

They sold the child at Ihe Olokoro community of Abia to one Florence Nwokocha at the price of N350,000.

Police operatives on January 16, nabbed Nwokocha who provided information leading to the recovery of the girl from where she was kept at Faulks Road, Aba, awaiting a buyer, he said.

Mr. Amaraizu said the police had also launched full scale investigation and manhunt for the person who harboured the little girl in Aba.

All the suspects are assisting the police in their investigations just as little Chinecherem Irechukwu has been reunited with her family, the police spokesman said.

The mother of the victim, Mrs Irechukwu, expressed gratitude to God and the police for their prompt action which led to the arrest of the suspects and the rescue of her daughter.

God is at work, the relieved mother said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

She expressed regret that her immediate younger sister was involved in such a woeful act.

Source: NAN
Yesterday, troops from the Nigerian Army, Air force, and Navy departed for Senegal in preparation for a likely offensive on Gambia.

The troops are on a mission to make sure the mandate of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) stands in the West African country following the refusal of its president Yahya Jammeh to accept the result of the presidential elections held in December and hand over power to the victor, Adama Barrow.

Jammeh has refused to back down and instead got a three-month extension on his tenure by the countrys parliament.

Fighter jets, transport aircraft, Light Utility Helicopter as well as Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft have also been deployed to Dakar, capital of Senegal, where the offensive would be launched from if Jammeh still refuses to back down.

Below are the pictures:

Photo credit: Breaking Times
Nigerian newspaper headlines January 19, 2017.

Punch

A total sum of N3.5tn was earned as Internally Generated Revenue by the 36 states of the federation within a 66-month period from January 2011 to June of 2016, figures obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics have revealed.

Vanguard

Suspected leader of a militant group which operates the largest creeks where kidnapped victims are kept , Mr Philip Joel, popularly known as General Kakadu, has been arrested in connection with last Fridays kidnap of some students and staff of the Nigerian Turkish International College, in Isheri North Local Government Area of Ogun state.

Guardian

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) has urged the Federal Government to obey the court ruling, which ordered the release of its leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife.

Thisday

A high level delegation led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari, was in Maiduguri yesterday to deliver President Muhammadu Buharis condolences to the government and people of Borno State over last Tuesdays accidental airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force that killed 50 people and injured 200 others, including international aids workers in Rann, Kalge Local Government Area of the state.

Leadership

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arrested a supervisory councillor for agriculture in Mafa local government of Borno State, Umar Ibrahim and four others for allegedly diverting 300 bags of rice donated by Danish Refugee Council (DRC), a Non Governmental Organisation and meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the council.

Premium Times

The Edo Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwandu, said the command would recommend a serving inspector being investigated for extra-judicial killing for discharge from service if found guilty.

The Sun

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), yesterday, said it has deployed a contingent of 200 men and air assets, to Dakar, from where it is expected operate into The Gambia.

The Nation

After the initial shock over the accidental bombing of an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Rann, Borno State, it was time yesterday for the big question  how did it all happen?
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed to Senegal as part of Nigerian contingent of Economic Community of West African States Military Intervention in Gambia (ECOMIG)  a standby force tasked by ECOWAS Heads of State to enforce the December 1, 2016 election mandate in the The Gambia.

The NAF today moved a contingent of 200 men and air assets comprising fighter jets, transport aircraft, Light Utility Helicopter as well as Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft to Dakar from where it is expected to operate into Gambia. The deployment is also to forestall hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result from the current political impasse in The Gambia.

Addressing the contingent before departure, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar urged the troops to maintain discipline and be professional in their conduct. Reminding them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria, the CAS stated that no act of indiscipline by the contingent would be tolerated. The contingent, led by Air Cadre Tajudeen Yusuf, was airlifted this morning from 117 Air Combat Training Group Kainji. Other troop contributing countries include Senegal, Ghana and countries within the sub-region.
Dapo Olorunyomi, the publisher of news platform, PREMIUM TIMES, was on Thursday arrested alongside a journalist, Evelyn Okakwu, by the officials of the Nigeria Police Force at the head office of the organization in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

According to reports, the officers who were not on uniform stormed the Abuja office at about 5:00 pm and whisked away staff of the information house.

The officers said they were acting on a complaint filed by the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, some staff who witnessed the incident said.

The arrests came days after PREMIUM TIMES turned down the armys demand to retract news stories about the Nigerian Army and its operations.

In his reaction, the Editor-in-Chief of PREMIUM TIMES, Musikilu Mojeed, condemned the raid totally as he added that the newspaper will not deter from giving out information the public needs to hear.

They should stop deluding themselves that they can muzzle the press and intimidate PREMIUM TIMES

They should know that our loyalty lies with our readers and the Nigerian people who have a right to know, he remarked

He stated further that the paper will continue to discharge its responsibilities in line with global best practices, social responsibility and patriotism, even at great risk to our personal liberties.
Fulani leaders in Southern Kaduna have expressed their commitment to the restoration of peace and calm in the crises-torn area.

They made this commitment when a non-governmental organisation, Global Peace Foundation Nigeria (GPFN), on Tuesday met with indigenous Fulani leaders and youths in an effort to proffer solution to the crisis in Southern part of Kaduna State.

The meeting which took place at Adara Hall in Kachia under the theme, Active Involvement of Fulanis in Southern Kaduna Peace-building Process drew over 80 participants of Fulani extraction across the eight local government areas of Southern Kaduna to discuss how to end the crisis and restore peace and confidence in the area.

Speaking at the programme, the country director, GPFN, John Oko, noted that the Foundation organised the consultative meeting in line with its vision of One Family Under God Campaign, with a view to facilitating and enhancing the process of mediation for an amicable resolution of the problem bedevilling the area.

He said the foundation started the mediation process with the Fulani community and will reach out to other indigenous tribes soon.

Also speaking separately, the northern co-coordinators of the foundation, Rev. John Joseph Hayab and Sheikh Halliru Abdullahi Maraya, reminded the participants on the need to always recognise dialogue as the most effective tool in resolving disputes.

They appealed to the participants to take the message of forgiveness and tolerance in all they do so as to create the enabling environment for all to live peacefully and also restore the peace the area.

In a goodwill message to the gathering, the chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Kaduna State, who is also the interim chairman of Jaba LGA, Mr. Ben Kure, appealed to the people to partner with government in working to restore peace to the area and to eschew bitterness.

In his contribution, the chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Kaduna State, Haruna Usman Tuga, said that Southern Kaduna Fulani are committed to the peace process and called on people to avoid false accusation and rumour mongering that can easily ignite hatred.

Source: Leadership
The Board of Directors, Wema Bank Plc. has appointed Ademola Adebise as the Deputy Managing Director of the bank. The board announced this at a retreat held recently in Lagos.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has now approved the appointment. In a letter to the bank, the CBN said it had no objection to the appointment.

As DMD, Adebise will oversee Wema Banks Corporate and Business Directorate covering Corporate Banking, Treasury & Financial Institution, South Business Group (South-South and South-East) and Business Support Division.

Prior to his appointment, Adebise was the Executive Director in charge of Corporate & South Directorate.

Adebise has over 28 years experience in the banking industry (inclusive of 4 years in management consulting), and has worked in various capacities in Information Technology, Financial Control & Strategic Planning, Treasury, Corporate Banking, Risk Management and Performance Management.

Before joining Wema Bank, Adebise was Head, Finance & Performance Management Practice at Accenture (Lagos Office) where he led various projects for banks in Business Process Re-engineering, Information Technology and Risk Management.

He is an alumnus of the Advanced Management Program (AMP) of the Harvard Business School and a Bachelors degree holder in Computer Science from the University of Lagos. He obtained a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Lagos Business School.

Adebise is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). He is also an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria). He is an honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (HCIB) and a member of the Institute of Directors.

Adebise also serves on the board of AIICO insurance Plc, AIICO pensions management Limited and FITC
In his campaign for president, Donald Trump tapped into the viral anger over H-1B use. The outsourcing of high-skill jobs is a tremendous threat, he said. Disney workers who trained visa-holding replacements spoke at some of his rallies.

But soon after the election, President-elect Trump assembled a 16-member team of CEO-level executives to advise him on job creation, including many from firms that send jobs overseas and have advocated for an H-1B cap increase.

Trumps appointments included one of the pioneers of offshore outsourcing to India: Jack Welch, the former chairman and CEO of General Electric. Also on this committee is Bob Iger, the chairman and CEO of Disney, whose offshoring of Disney IT workers was a topic at a Republican presidential candidate debate.

The chairman of the Presidents Strategic and Policy Forum is Stephen Schwarzman, the chairman and CEO of Blackstone, a private equity firm that is betting on the success of IT offshore outsourcing. Blackstone last year acquired a majority stake in Mphasis, an India-based IT services firm that is categorized by the U.S. as H-1B dependent, meaning 15 percent or more of its workers are on a visa.

At the time the Mphasis deal was announced, Indias Economic Times wrote this about Blackstone: The all-cash deal reinforces the firms bullish outlook on the outsourcing business as more and more global clients ship out IT jobs to emerging markets such as India and save costs.

Mphasis and Blackstone both declined to comment for this story.

Some members of Trumps advisory committee belong to groups that advocate for an H-1B cap increase. Iger, for instance, is also one of eight co-chairs of the Partnership for a New American Economy, a high-profile organization advocating for an increase in the H-1B visa cap.

Following Trumps appointments, the Partnership for New York City, a business group, issued a report (PDF) detailing five federal priorities. One priority includes immigration reform to increase the H-1B cap and allow U.S. companies to hire skilled workers based on labor market demands, not fixed and arbitrary quotas.

The Partnership for New York noted in this report that six of its members were members of Trumps economic advisory committee.

The partnership wrote: Policies that promote the continued growth and vitality of New York City and the nation will have forceful advocates on President-elect Donald Trumps recently announced Strategic and Policy Forum, chaired by partnership co-chair Stephen Schwarzman (Blackstone) and including partnership members Jamie Dimon (CEO, JPMorgan Chase), Larry Fink (CEO, BlackRock), Rich Lesser (Boston Consulting Group), Ginni Rometty (CEO, IBM) and Mark Weinberger (CEO, EY).

The Trump committees expertise on IT offshoring is deep. General Electric, under Welchs leadership, was one of the first firms to utilize India for offshore outsourcing.

Welch was the pioneer of, and chief evangelist for, offshore outsourcing, said Ron Hira, an associate professor of public policy at Howard University and co-author of a book that documents the history of offshoring, Outsourcing America.

IBMs U.S. workforce has been declining for years, but in 2010 the company stopped reporting its U.S. headcount, and provided only a global headcount. Soon after being appointed to the Trump committee, IBMs Rometty announced plans to hire 25,000 workers in the next four years, but the company declined to disclose its current U.S. headcount or how many of those workers were a net addition.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon is also on the Trump committee; the company was criticized last year by the AFL-CIO for its use of IT offshore outsourcing contractors. The company, in response, said the vast majority of IT workers were U.S. citizens.

But Trump, despite this CEO committees preference for an H-1B cap increase, has appointed people who want the opposite to happen, namely Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), his Attorney General nominee. Sessions is one of the Senates leading advocates for H-1B restrictions.

At a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing last week, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the committee chairman, questioned Sessions about the H-1B visa.

The Obama administration has failed to protect American workers, said Grassley, who has also sponsored bills seeking restrictions on the H-1B visa use. Will you be more aggressive in investigating the abuses of these visa programs?

Sessions responded: Its simply wrong to think that were in a totally open world and that any American with a job can be replaced if somebody in the world is willing to take a job for less pay.

Sessions said he will investigate the H-1B program, but said reform will require legislation.

It remains to be seen how aggressive the Trump administration will be on H-1B use, and also whether it will have much impact on U.S. firms that want to offshore jobs.

For their part, IT offshore outsourcing firms are betting on restrictions, not a cap increase, and are adjusting their business models.

The leading Indian IT suppliers are already focusing on increased U.S. onshore investmentsand this isnt only because of the Trump fears, but also because they need more IT staff more closely aligned with customer needs and digital business models, said Phil Fersht, the CEO and chief analyst of HfS Research, which examines this market.

Fersht points to Wipro, an India-based IT services firm, as an example. It recently acquired Appirio, an Indianapolis-based cloud computing consultancy, for $500 million.

The major Indian IT services firms have long needed to globalize their delivery base and President-elect Trump is merely an added incentive for them to do so, said Fersht.

This story, "Trump turns to H-1B advocates for advice" was originally published by Computerworld .
Stratoscale is a small company with a very big ambition: to turn your datacenter into an Amazon Web Services (AWS) region. Forget OpenStack, forget VMware. Stratoscale aims to help IT shops get beyond device-level virtualization and deliver the same app-friendly building blocks AWS provides. In the process, the company promises to cut the cost of operating datacenters by more than 80 percent.

Founder and CEO Ariel Maislos, who cashed in big in selling an earlier flash memory startup to Apple, says CIOs dont want to build out bigger VMware-based datacenters. Instead, they want to build Amazon-like datacenters, and Stratoscale has the best solution for those hybrid public/private AWS ambitions. In this installment of the IDG CEO Interview Series, Maislos spoke with Chief Content Officer John Gallant about why longtime VMware customers would gamble on his emerging company and exactly what it means to turn your datacenter into an AWS region using what is essentially Stratoscales datacenter operating system. Maislos also talked about why OpenStack  which he dubbed a nightmare  isnt the answer for the dynamic datacenter.

IDGE: Why was Stratoscale founded? What problem did you set out to solve?

Maislos: I founded the company because I was bored, and I needed something to do, and its the genesis of a good story. Im an entrepreneur. I had a few startups. I was very fortunate in my past life and [had] a very large, successful business.

Before Stratoscale I founded a company called Anobit, which I ended up selling to Apple and setting up Apples flash storage development team. I headed that for a year before leaving Apple. At the time, Anobit was developing flash storage for enterprise, as well as flash for embedded technologies, the iPhone, and such.

Obviously, at Apple we worked more closely on the device side and not on the enterprise side, but I was always curious about datacenter. The datacenter to me seemed like an amazing piece of technology: very complex, very large, a lot of moving parts, fascinating.
Last Friday Microsoft Germany posted a PR piece that said, Windows 7 can no longer keep up with todays increased security requirements. This morning the post is no longer available.

It seems Microsofts denigration of Windows 7 touched a sore spot.

[ The essentials for Windows 10 installation: Download the Windows 10 Installation Superguide today. | Stay up on key Microsoft technologies with the Windows Report newsletter. ]

Assertions made by Microsoft Germanythat Windows 7 has fallen behind the times, and its more expensive than Windows 10 due to maintenance, lost working time due to increased malware attacks, or increased support requestshave been hotly debated, both from a factual standpoint and from a logistical one: Why would a company pay to upgrade an operating system thats being supported so poorly?

You can read an English translation of a cached copy of the original Microsoft Germany PR post here. It includes such gems as this:

Windows 7 is based on long-outdated security architectures. Three years before the end of the support, corporate customers in particular should deal with the transition to a modern operating system in good time. Companies and users who are on their way to Windows 7 with their sensitive data within three years are faced with enormous dangers. Already today virtually every company has to expect cyber attacks

German blogger and Windows expert Gunter Born published a fascinating rebuttal on his blog, Borns Tech and Windows World (English translation), that dismantles Microsoft Germanys assertions one by one. Born points to a study published two months ago by Carnegie Mellons CERT/CC, in which Senior Vulnerability Analyst Will Dormann shows, with a great deal of supporting evidence, that Windows 10 cannot protect insecure applications like EMET can.

The basic point is that Windows 7 with EMET 5.51 can, in some common situations, protect your operating system better than Windows 10 can. Says Dormann:

Microsoft strongly implies that if you are running Windows 10, there is no need for EMET anymore. This implication is not true. The reason its not true is that Windows 10 does not provide the application-specific mitigations that EMET does.

Microsoft will be discontinuing EMET on July 31, 2018.

Born goes on to say hes been running Windows for many years, and DOS before that:

Machines with Windows XP and then Windows 7 have been a solid foundation for my SoHo business Windows 10 isnt what I need as a SoHo business user. Its focused on things Microsofts marketing identified as good for the companys revenue.

Even if you accept the idea that Windows 10 is more secure than Windows 7 (depending on how you define more secure), poster messager7777777 on AskWoody makes a good point:

German M$ anti-Win-7 blogpost for businesses was likely referring to the much more expensive Win 10 Enterprise E3 & E5 editions which came with better security service packages via monthly subscriptions, eg Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection, Credential Guard, Device Guard, etc.

Clearly, organizations that pay for Enterprise E3 or E5 licenses and have the staff necessary to implement and maintain the advanced security packages will have a more formidable defense than those who run Windows 7. But that doesnt make Win7 obsolete, and it doesnt let Microsoft off the hook from providing security patches to Win7 for the next three years.

If you choose to move from Windows 7 to Windows 10, thats great. But if you decide to stick with Win7, you shouldnt be bullied by ill-conceived PR ... even if it comes from Microsoft.
Cotton Closes with another Triple Digit Gain Barchart - Fri Nov 4, 4:46PM CDT Front month cotton futures added triple digits to the climb on Friday. Dec cotton closed up by another 4.73%, for a weekly gain of 20.5%. The December to December spread is now an 8.56 cent premium for... CTZ22 : 86.93s (+4.73%) CTH23 : 85.67s (+4.26%) CTK23 : 84.63s (+3.21%)

Cattle Markets Fade into Weekend Barchart - Fri Nov 4, 4:46PM CDT Live cattle futures ended the Friday session 10 to 50 weaker in the front months. For the week, Dec fats faded by $1.35. The weeks cash price was mostly near $150 in the South and mostly near $153 in... LEZ22 : 151.650s (-0.20%) LEG23 : 154.375s (-0.32%) LEJ23 : 158.000s (-0.19%) GFX22 : 177.825s (-0.10%) GFF23 : 179.625s (+0.11%)

Mixed Close for Hog Futures Barchart - Fri Nov 4, 4:46PM CDT Hogs went into the weekend mixed but mostly lower with 15 to 40 cent losses in the nearbys and 5 to 20 cent gains in the deferred contracts. For the week, December hogs ended with a $13.13 loss, while... HEZ22 : 82.975s (-0.48%) HEJ23 : 92.400s (-0.16%) KMZ22 : 93.875s (-0.13%)

Soy Futures Rally into Weekend Barchart - Fri Nov 4, 4:46PM CDT Soybean prices traded higher with 1.14% to 1.7% gains in the front months to go into the weekend in the black. Jan beans closed the week with 4.4% gains. Soy oil futures led the rally, closing the week... ZSX22 : 1451-4s (+1.73%) ZSPAUS.CM : 14.2554 (+1.92%) ZSF23 : 1462-2s (+1.76%) ZSH23 : 1469-0s (+1.73%)

Wheat Futures Gain on Friday Barchart - Fri Nov 4, 4:46PM CDT Fridays wheat trade worked higher after a re-balancing from the Russia related run-up to start the week, and subsequent collapse on Wednesday. On net, December SRWs 7 1/4 cent gain into the weekend... ZWZ22 : 847-6s (+0.86%) ZWH23 : 866-6s (+0.81%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.7988 (+0.94%) KEZ22 : 953-2s (+1.27%) KEPAWS.CM : 9.1129 (+1.33%) MWZ22 : 954-4s (+1.22%)

Corn Closes Net Stronger Barchart - Fri Nov 4, 4:46PM CDT The week of corn trade saw strength out of the weekend on Russia pulling out of the grain export corridor, but quickly reversed midweek when Russia re-entered. On net, Fridays 1 3/4 to 3 1/4 cent gains... ZCZ22 : 681-0s (+0.26%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.7795 (+0.35%) ZCH23 : 686-6s (+0.29%) ZCK23 : 686-6s (+0.29%)
Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush has been moved to an intensive care unit at a Houston, Texas, hospital and is resting comfortably following a procedure to protect and clear his airway, according to family spokesman Jim McGrath. The spokesman also said Bush is stable and will remain in the ICU "for observation."

McGrath also said Bush's wife, former first lady Barbara Bush, was admitted to the same hospital on Wednesday as a precaution after "experiencing fatigue and coughing."

The 41st U.S. president was admitted on Saturday for shortness of breath. McGrath said the 92-year-old Bush experienced "an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia" and that the procedure that Bush underwent required sedation.

At his final news conference Wednesday, outgoing President Barack Obama said the White House has been in touch with the Bush family. Of George and Barbara Bush, Obama said, "They have not only dedicated their lives to this country, they have been a constant source of friendship and good counsel for me and Michelle over the years." Obama also said, "They are as fine a couple as we know, and so we want to send our prayers and our love to them. Really good people."


Westport Properties Inc. (WPI), which operates 110 self-storage facilities under the US Storage Centers brand, announced the recent passing of company partner and vice president of development Jamie Alai. Alai died last weekend after a two-year battle with cancer.

Alai was the first person hired by WPI Founder Barry Hoeven more than 20 years ago and was instrumental in the companys growth and success, according to a press release. Most recently, he designed and supervised construction of Westports flagship property in Alhambra, Calif. He was also the 2015 recipient of the Facility of the Year award from Mini-Storage Messenger, an industry publication.

Jamie was an older brother to me. No day will go by that I wont think of him and all he did for Westport, his family, Barry and my family as well, said WPI Chairman Drew Hoeven. He was truly one of the most kind-hearted persons I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I will miss him dearly.

Alia is survived by his wife, Julie, and high-school age sons, Jeffrey and Jake.

Founded in 1985 and based in Irvine, Calif., WPI is a real estate investment company that acquires, develops and operates self-storage facilities as well as provides third-party management services. Its portfolio comprises more than 7.5 million rentable square feet in 13 states. It's affiliated with Westport Memphis Self Storage LLC.
The Woburn, Mass., Planning Board has unanimously recommended the city council approve an ordinance that would eliminate self-storage as an allowable use in the citys business-interstate, industrial-park and industrial-general zoning districts. The measure is sponsored by council president Richard Haggerty, who believes self-storage doesnt generate enough tax revenue and devalues industrial properties, according to the source.

There seems to be a trend of turning these industrial buildings into warehouse facilities, Haggerty told planners during a recent meeting. I look at our zoning in the city and want to encourage higher-end uses. Theres really no jobs created by these [self-storage businesses], and they tend to devalue properties when theyre converted.

Though Haggerty acknowledged theres consumer need for self-storage, he believes the local market is saturated. We have seven of them. I think we have plenty to meet the needs of the community, he said.

Planner Michael Ventresca noted there have been instances when converting an existing building to self-storage has made sense for the city. Calling the use low impact, he also warned that banning self-storage from the identified districts would eliminate the use as a possible fit for industrial buildings that border neighborhoods or high-traffic corridors.

Haggerty countered that many residents tend to oppose self-storage within neighborhoods. He argued that other uses would provide better investment opportunities for the city, the source reported.

If passed, existing self-storage businesses would be allowed to continue operation as pre-existing, non-conforming uses, according to the source. The report didnt indicate when the city council is likely to vote on the ordinance.
The Skokie, Ill., Plan Commission has recommended approval for a four-story self-storage facility proposed by real estate developer Scannell Properties on behalf of Berman-Lapetina Enterprises LLC. The 48-foot tall structure would be built in the 5800 block of Howard Street but requires a zoning amendment to allow the height of the building, a zoning change from office assembly industry to light industry, and the subdivision of 14 lots into one parcel, according to the source. The village board would also have to approve a special-use permit. Upon completion, it would be occupied by self-storage real estate investment trust Extra Space Storage Inc.

The target building site is currently an unused parking lot, according to village planners. The self-storage facility would include office and sales space on the first floor, with the top floors reserved for storage units. Twenty-six units along the north and west facades would have exterior access, architect Michael Carney of Reitan Architects LLC said during a Jan. 5 planning meeting.

Planners have approved the projects public-parking plan, which will include 12 outdoor spaces. Though the developer indicated most of those spots wont be used at one time, the Niles Township High School District 219 expressed concern about the potential of its nearby administrative building being used by customers for overflow parking.

"We certainly welcome a commercial tax base that helps both the village and the school district with [the] sales-tax revenue that this facility would generate," Eric Trimberger, district assistant superintendent, said during the meeting. "The district's only concern about this development is the number of parking spots."

Planning supervisor Steve Marciani reassured Trimberger that the amount of parking was adequate for the facility based on historically low demands at other self-storage properties in the village. The site layout also wouldnt make parking at the district building convenient, he said.

No timetable was reported for when the village board is expected to vote on the project.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Extra Space owns or operates 1,421 self-storage properties in 38 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico. The companys properties comprise approximately 955,000 units and 107 million square feet of rentable space.

Scannell Properties is headquartered in Indianapolis and has seven satellite offices across the nation. It offers architecture, construction-management, development, engineering, finance and legal services.
The French national pension reserve fund, Fonds de Reserve pour les Retraites (FRR), announced in December 2016 that it was going to exclude investments in the equities and bonds of tobacco-producing companies.

There is growing pressure on institutional investors and others to divest from tobacco, based on strong scientific evidence of the harm caused by smoking. In particular, the efforts of Tobacco Free Portfolios, a campaigning initiative set up by Dr. Bronwyn King, an Australian cancer specialist, have raised awareness of the issue. FRR executive director Olivier Rousseau admits it struck a chord with him: Morally, its a very clear-cut situation; it is indefensible. This is only a harm-producing industry, so from a moral perspective, it was easy to say that we dont want tobacco in the portfolio.

But whereas there is a strong rationale for excluding tobacco stocks on moral grounds, applying hard-headed investment logic to it can be sobering for investors. The returns for tobacco have been absolutely outstanding. Between June 2004 and September 2016, the MSCI World Tobacco index grew by a whopping 632 percent, Rousseau says. Whereas the MSCI World index went up 122 percent. And according to the Credit Suisse Global Investment Returns Yearbook 2015, from the Credit Suisse Research Institute, the tobacco sector was, together with beverages, the star performer since 1900 with an annualized gain of 14.6 percent [see chart below]. Weve all heard comments from CalPERS, which said that not having had tobacco in the portfolio over the last 15 years has cost it around $3 billion. Similarly the Norwegian GPFG [Government Pension Fund Global] says its tobacco exclusion, which started ten years ago, has cost it some $2 billion. The results may vary depending on the methodology used. If one compares total returns, the difference is bigger than if one assumes, as is the case in real-life portfolios, that the dividends of high-yielding sectors, such as tobacco, are actually pooled with all dividends and reinvested in all sectors pro rata to their index weightings. Anyhow, yes, it is a bad industry, but there is no denying that it has been a very profitable investment.

However, tobacco may not be such a good investment in the future. One reason to expect lower future returns is tougher public health legislation on smoking. Many countries have made a commitment to act against smoking, and France is party to a 2005 international agreement on this, which basically says that public institutions should not have tobacco investments, Rousseau says. You can argue about its enforceability, but it is clearly a commitment taken seriously by the countries that have signed it.

There is a significant probability that more developed countries will take more measures against tobacco in the future. France is the second country, after the U.K., to remove branding from packaging for tobacco since January 1 this year, Rousseau says. Taxes are always being increased on tobacco, and regulations are increasingly restricting smoking in public spaces. Just as we can see a shift away from using carbon-emitting energy sources, so there is a similar regulatory move away from tobacco consumption.

As part of the food and beverage sector, tobacco has performed strongly as a low-volatility, high-dividend and stable growth sector since the start of the global financial crisis in 2007. As such, tobacco stocks have been valued at high multiples, as one of the darlings of the low-volatility trend in portfolio management, but Rousseau says this is now changing. There has been a formidable run for the low-volatility, stable-growth types of companies, but it is coming to an end. From last July, after the first few weeks of Brexit scares, he says, value stocks have come back with a vengeance. Since then the stable-growth, low vol companies, carrying high multiples, have done poorly relative to the overall market. This tendency has started, and we believe there is more to go, and this could be the case for some time to come.

FRRs executive board had to present the case for excluding tobacco to the supervisory board. There was a good debate, because it was easy to see the moral argument against tobacco stocks, Rousseau says. And of course concerns about returns were expressed, so that argument was also discussed. We cannot promise the supervisory board that excluding tobacco companies will pay out in future, but we simply believe that the formidable returns of the past are not going to be repeated in the same fashion. In our view, that would be a very low probability scenario.

Although many investors engage with companies in an effort to improve their ESG rating and see divestment as a last resort, Rousseau says that this approach is not possible with tobacco producers. It is typically the only thing that they do, so you would be asking them to stop their activities altogether, he says. You either invest, or you divest. The middle-of-the-road approach would be to reduce your weighting, but that is ducking the issue, really. We understand that there is an element of risk to us, but the next decade will most probably not see the same performance as in the past.

As a result of its decision to exclude tobacco stocks, FRR has joined CalPERS and CalSTRS, in addition to Norways GPFG, the Netherlands PGGM, a handful of Australian and New Zealand pension funds, AXA insurance group, and, most recently, Swedens AP4, in going tobacco-free. As we understand it, there are still very few investors that have done this so far, and I think the return argument is something that has been very powerful, Rousseau says.

At the same time as it announced its tobacco divestment, FRR said it will now also exclude companies in which thermal coal extraction, or coal-fired power generation, accounts for more than 20 percent of turnover. Rousseau added that FRR is shortly to reveal the three successful managers it has hired for a 5 billion ($5.34 billion) passive equity mandate with an ESG approach, expressed notably through a smart beta, low-carbon theme and, of course, tobacco exclusion. This mandate will make up 40 percent of FRRs developed-market equities.
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Inflation remains the primary concern for the worlds central banks, which have engaged in the broadest and fastest tightening regime in history, according to Alejandra Grindal, chief economist at Ned Davis Research.
Underinsurance continues to be a problem impacting both businesses and consumers.With a host of emerging risks making themselves known in the Australian insurance industry, brokers need to work with clients now more than ever to ensure proper protection is put in place.As many in the industry looks forward to the opportunities and challenges that 2017 will bring, Robert Cooper, director of CPR Insurance Services, said that three lines of business stand-out for brokers.Our biggest challenges continue to be influencing and convincing our clients that they really need to have cyber risk cover, management liability, and business interruption, Cooper told Insurance Business. Many continue to be underinsured.We understand our clients want to save money, but they need to protect their assets that are the value of their business. So far only a small percentage are following our advice.Recent research from Zurich found that the Asia Pacific region remains underinsured when it comes to business interruption through supply chain risk.Six out of 10 organisations in the region have experienced at least one supply chain disruption over the last year with 46% of those failing to insure their losses and subsequently being forced to bear the full brunt of the costs.To many in the insurance industry, business interruption is a must buy for clients but translating this into protection for those that need it remains a challenge.David Coe, managing director of Northwest Insurance, told Insurance Business that both cyber and management liability will be in for a big year in 2017 as more clients realise that they need the cover.We are trying to add those as a bolt-on to a business customer that contacts us and [we] explain why they really need it, he explained. They may not take it out straight away but they certainly contact us three or four months later about it.While cyber, management liability and business interruption may be seen as a challenge for brokers, they also represent an opportunity to help further develop their businesses and drive growth.The big opportunities remain as before in the cyber risk and management liability risk areas, Cooper continued.We need to keep informing our clients constantly about these exposures.
Reinsurance broker Aon Benfield said natural catastrophes around the world in 2016 caused the highest amount of insured losses in four years.According to Aons latest Annual Global Climate and Catastrophe Report, there were 315 natural disasters last year that generated total economic losses of US$210 billion.Just 26%, or US$54 billion, of the economic losses were covered by insurance in 2016, Aon said, due to a higher percentage of damage occurring in areas with a lower insurance penetration.However, the public and private insurance industry losses were 7% above the 16-year average and the highest insured loss total since 2012.Overall insured losses in 2016 ranked as the sixth-highest on record for the industry and just the ninth time that a year has topped US$50 billion.After a decline in catastrophe losses during the previous four years, 2016 marked a bit of an uptick in natural peril costs to the global economy, said Steve Bowen, director and meteorologist at Aon Benfields catastrophe model development team.Bowen said climate change, more intense weather events, greater coastal exposures and population migration shifts are all contributors to the growing trend.With these parameters in place, and forecasts continuing to signal greater risk and vulnerability, it is anticipated that weather-related catastrophe losses will further increase in the coming years, he said.Based on the Aon report, a series of earthquakes in Japan last April was the costliest event both economically (US$38 billion) and for the insurance industry (US$5.5 billion).Six of the top 10 costliest insured loss events occurred in the US, including Hurricane Matthew and multiple severe weather outbreaks.For the fourth consecutive year, flooding in Europe and other parts of the world was the costliest overall peril at US$62 billion. The most significant flood events were along the Yangtze River basin in China and in the US state of Louisiana.Another event that caused one of the biggest insured losses was the wildfire in Fort McMurray, Canada that cost the industry nearly US$2.8 billion.
Allianz Groups specialist corporate insurer, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS), has named Henning Haagen northeast zone executive for North America in addition to his current role as global head of aviation, effective immediately.

Haagen will take over responsibility for the Northeast from Vinko Markovina, who was recently appointed global head of MidCorp and regional head of corporate underwriting.

Both executives are based in New York and report to Bill Scaldaferri, AGCS North America president & CEO.

As northeast zone executive, Haagen will lead and execute local business strategies, plans and change initiatives, including organizational transformation with a key focus on people and products, communication, distribution, markets and customers across all lines of business.

Since joining Allianz in 2008, he has held a range of global leadership positions within the organization both in Munich, Germany, and London, England, before being named global head of aviation in 2015. He then relocated to New York, where he led AGCSs global aviation underwriting strategy.

Prior to this position, Haagens other leadership roles included global head of aviation, EMEA, Asia Pacific, global head of reinsurance and head of aviation reinsurance underwriting.

Before joining Allianz, Haagen worked as a senior underwriter for both GE Insurance Solutions and Augsburg Re/Brit Insurance. He began his insurance career at Gerling Insurance and Reinsurance AG.

As global head of MidCorp and regional head of corporate underwriting, Markovina will be responsible for AGCSs global MidCorp portfolio comprised of Package and Small Business, Middle Market Programs, Farm and Ranch and Highly Protected Risk (HPR) Property business. In his corporate underwriting role, Markovina will be responsible for North American underwriting lines that include corporate property, liability, financial lines and engineering.

Markovina has held a number of leadership roles during his 14 years within the Allianz Group. Prior to his appointment as northeast zone executive in August 2015, he was the global practice leader of International Insurance Solutions.

Other previous positions include head of operations in the Americas, country manager for Canada, head of North America Allianz Risk Consultants and general manager in the Americas. He began his insurance career with GE Industrial Risk Insurers (IRI).

Source: Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty

Topics New York Underwriting Aviation Allianz
Russian authorities have extended a residence permit for U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked thousands of secret documents from the National Security Agency.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a post on Facebook late on Tuesday that Snowden's residence permit has been extended for "a couple of years."


World temperatures hit a record high for the third year in a row in 2016, creeping closer to a ceiling set by the Paris climate change deal, with extremes including unprecedented heat in India and ice melt in the Arctic, scientists said on Wednesday.

The findings, providing new signs of the impact of greenhouse gases, were issued two days before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who questions whether climate change has a human cause.

Average global surface temperatures in 2016 were 0.83 degree Celsius (1.5 Fahrenheit) above a long-term average of 14 degrees Celsius (57.2F) from 1961-1990, according to the U.N.-affiliated World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva.

Temperatures, lifted mainly by man-made greenhouse gases and partly by a natural El Nino weather event that released heat from the Pacific Ocean, beat the previous record in 2015, when 200 nations agreed a plan to limit global warming.

That peak had in turn eclipsed 2014.

We dont expect record years every year, but the ongoing long-term warming trend is clear, said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASAs Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

The WMO data were based on records compiled by NASA, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Britains Met Office.

Global temperature records date back to the 1880s. It was only the second run of three record-breaking years after 1939-41, said Deke Arndt of NOAAs National Centers for Environmental Information.

Temperatures this year are unlikely to set a new record after the fading of El Nino, scientists said. But heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels, especially from China and the United States, will keep building up in the atmosphere.

Unless we have a major volcanic eruption, I expect the record to be broken again within a few years, said Piers Forster, climate expert at the University of Leeds. Ash from big eruptions can dim sunlight.

Natural Disasters

Among last years extreme weather events, wildfires in Alberta were the costliest natural disaster in Canadas history, while Phalodi in western India recorded a temperature of 51 degrees Celsius (123.8 Fahrenheit) on May 19, a national record.

North America also had its warmest year on record, the Great Barrier Reef off Australia suffered severe damage from rising temperatures, and sea ice in both the Arctic Ocean and around Antarctica is at record lows for mid-January.

At a summit in Paris in late 2015, governments agreed a plan to phase out fossil fuels this century and shift to renewable energies such as wind and solar power.

They agreed to limit warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6F) above pre-industrial times, while pursuing efforts for a 1.5C (2.7F) limit. By that yardstick, the WMO said temperatures in 2016 were 1.1C (2.0F) above pre-industrial ties.

Long-term indicators of human-caused climate change reached new heights in 2016, said Petteri Taalaas, head of the WMO, referring to rising levels of carbon dioxide and methane.

He also said that warming was having other knock-on effects, such as melting Greenland ice that is pushing up sea levels.

Trump, who has described climate change as a hoax, has threatened to cancel the Paris Agreement and shift to exploiting cheap domestic coal, oil and gas. At a meeting in Marrakesh days after Trumps victory, however, almost 200 nations said it was an urgent duty to combat climate change.

Trumps choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, was quizzed by Democratic senators at a confirmation hearing on Wednesday about his fossil fuel industry ties.

The hottest year on record is such a clear warning siren that even President-elect Trump cannot ignore, said Mark Maslin, Professor of Climatology at University College London.

(Reporting by Alister Doyle; editing by Mark Heinrich)

Topics USA Energy Oil Gas Climate Change Pollution
Canadas 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 worlds 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, Chinas 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 Canadas oil heartland of Alberta.

Asked about the document, CSIS spokeswoman Tahera Mufti did not address details about the industry meeting or the briefing officials description of physical threats to Canadas energy infrastructure.

She said only that the agencys 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)

Topics USA Cyber Energy Oil Gas Canada
USI Insurance Services (USI) has acquired Diversified Insurance Service, a risk management and employee benefits firm headquartered in Elmore, Ohio.

Founded in 1948, Diversified Insurance Service provides personal risk, commercial and employee benefits products for clients throughout Ohio. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Thomas D. Cassady, USI Midwest regional chief executive officer, said the company has targeted Ohio as a strategic area of growth.

Source: USI

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Ohio
More than 21,000 Marlboro Lights smokers and their attorneys will receive a portion of $29.1 million from a lawsuit settlement fund approved by an Arkansas judge.

A Pulaski County Circuit judge approved the payment on Jan. 17 from the $45 million settlement fund, which was set up to end a 13-year-old lawsuit alleging that Philip Morris USA and parent company Altria Group misled smokers in Arkansas by advertising Marlboro Lights and Ultra-Lights were safer than regular cigarettes, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

The companies denied any wrongdoing, citing that the lights filters were specially ventilated to reduce tar and nicotine, but smokers could get more by inhaling more deeply or more often.

Anyone in the state who bought the Lights brands between November 1971 and June 2010 were entitled to a share of the money regardless of whether they ever resided in Arkansas. People did not need to provide receipts to stake a claim of part of the settlement money, but they did have to submit a sworn statement estimating their annual purchasing habits.

The 38-year period covered the time the cigarette brands were introduced until regulators bared cigarettes from being advertised as light.

Lead Little Rock attorney Tom Thrash has said the lawsuit helped bring the nationwide downfall of the lights class of cigarettes.

About $18.1 million will go to more than 13,000 applicants. About 20 percent, or more than 5,000 applicants, were disqualified from the settlement by the judge. The judge also approved a payment of $10 million to the lawyers who have been working on the case since 2003.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Legislation Arkansas
Mississippis 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.

Theyre 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 states school districts using Googles 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. Hes advising parents to consult their local school systems.

When you give a written contract and you dont follow it and you mine the data, then its a violation of the Mississippi Consumer Protection Act. Its 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 Hoods inquiry is legal. Hood said Tuesday that the investigation continues but denied that he was motivated by personal animus against Google.

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 Hoods 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 Hoods 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 Hoods use of civil lawsuits is a rampant abuse of his role.

Every lawsuit that he files is a declaration of public policy Baker said. Were the legislators, the setters of public policy. Hes the lawyer. Hes not also the client.

Hood, though, said efforts to limit his power violate the states Constitution.

The attorney generals 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 Moodys 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.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Mississippi Google
Authorities are forming a team to investigate the massive fires that tore through a Tennessee tourist city late last year, killing 14 people.

The team will be made up of representatives from the Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and a fire chief from a community not far from Gatlinburg, the Knoxville News-Sentinel quoted park superintendent Cassius Cash as saying. He said he expects the team to arrive in the next week or so.

There has been some criticism of how Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials handled the fire, which started on 1.5 acres in a remote part of the park on Nov. 23 before drought conditions and high winds pushed it 5.5 miles over five days into Gatlinburg.

We are really looking forward to having the opportunities to look back on the decisions that were made, Cash said. The report will not be punitive in nature. It is an objective review so that we can look back and learn from it and apply that learning to other programs in our agency.

Dan Buckley, the National Park Services Wildland Fire Branch chief, said he has not yet picked the teams members. He estimated the teams report would be released in mid-March.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Tennessee
Californias Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has stayed more than 200,000 liens worth a combined claim value of more than $1 billion that are linked to 75 medical providers facing criminal fraud charges.

The DIR announced the liens in conjunction with the filing of a report on its anti-fraud efforts in the California workers compensation system.

DIR said it efforts to eliminate medical provider fraud and illegitimate liens were bolstered by two new laws effective Jan. 1:

SB 1160 (Mendoza) requires DIR to automatically stay liens owned by providers who have been indicted or charged with crimes until the disposition of criminal proceedings.

AB 1244 requires the Division of Workers Compensation (DWC) Administrative Director to suspend any medical provider, physician or practitioner from participating in the workers compensation system when convicted of fraud. DWC has adopted provider suspension regulations and is now issuing notices of suspension to convicted providers.

Over the past year, we have worked to prohibit criminal and indicted providers from lining their pockets through liens, said DIR Director Christine Baker. Removing fraudulent providers and their lien claims from the workers compensation system will further improve services to injured workers and ultimately reduce costs in the system.

DIR has posted information on its fraud prevention efforts online, including information on indicted medical providers.

DIR and the Department of Insurance have embarked on an effort to identify and address strategies for improved anti-fraud efforts in the workers compensation system.

At the direction of the Secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, DIR prepared a report on further recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.

The report identifies premium fraud  through which unscrupulous employers seek to lower costs by underreporting payroll, misclassifying employees, or misreporting workers in high-risk occupations as engaged in low-risk occupation  as warranting the next series of significant anti-fraud policies.

DIRs ongoing work to combat workers compensation fraud includes the creation of an Anti-Fraud Support Unit to share and track data from system participants. The department contracted with the RAND Corporation for an independent evaluation and recommendations, including a review of fraud detection in other federal and state health care programs. The study, currently in peer review, is slated for release this spring.

Source: California DIR

Topics California Workers' Compensation Fraud
Lee was immediately released from temporary detention in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, where he awaited the court decision.

But judge Cho Eui-youn said, "I see no need to arrest the suspect right now as there is room for disagreement about the major charges."

The independent counsel investigating the massive corruption scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye wanted to arrest Lee on bribery charges.

The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday declined to issue an arrest warrant for de facto Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong.

Samsung breathed a sigh of relief as it had been worried about a power vacuum with chairman Lee Kun-hee in a coma and his son under lock and key.

The independent counsel accuses Lee of bribery, embezzlement and lying under oath to the National Assembly. The counsel's team believes that Samsung paid billions directly or indirectly to Park's longtime crony Choi Soon-sil in return for government support for a controversial merger.

Lee claims it was a simple case of extortion by Cheong Wa Dae and Samsung expected no favors in return for the "donations."

The team says it has concrete evidence that Samsung did ask for favors, as did other heads of top conglomerates who were tapped for contributions.
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Vancouver, Kelowna, Delta, BC - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering luxury goods and cruise ship stocks releases a special report featuring Maison Luxe, Inc. (OTC: MASN), a company that offers luxury retail consumer items.

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A high-rise building in Iran's capital Tehran collapsed Thursday after being engulfed by flames, killing or injuring dozens of people.

At least 20 firefighters are missing or dead following the collapse, Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told state television.

The fire broke out at the Plasco building, an iconic structure in central Tehran just north of the capital's sprawling bazaar.

Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before the collapse. Police tried to keep out shopkeepers and others who wanted to rush back in to collect their valuables.


Wicked the musical is returning to Dublins Bord Gais Energy Theatre.

The insanely popular production is defying gravity and touring the UK from February 2018 before flying into Dublin in August 2018.

WICKED flies back to Dublin next year Aug 2018! Tickets for @WickedUK go on sale FRI 30 JUN '17 9am.#WickedDublin https://t.co/lwxn5NtZ71  Bord Gais Energy Theatre (@BGETheatre) January 19, 2017

For those of you not in the know, the musical is told from the perspective of the witches of the Land of Oz; its plot begins before and continues after Dorothy's arrival in Oz from Kansas.

It is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, an alternative telling of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic 1900 story, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Wicked just recently celebrated ten years in London's West End with Belfast native Rachel Tucker playing the leading role of Elphaba.
A young father has been jailed for four years for stabbing a drug dealer to death over a 100 debt outside an apartment complex in Dublin in 2014.

William Gilsenan went on trial for the murder of Edward Fitzgerald but was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter last month.
Turkish Police have seized handguns, drones and cash as they raided the home of the suspected Istanbul nightclub attacker.

Abdulgadir Masharipov, who is alleged to have been a member of Islamic State, was caught by police on Monday night.
Shares in London rose by as much as 4% as JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said sales on a like-for-like basis in the UK and Ireland rose 3% in the 12 weeks to January 15, the second quarter of its fiscal year.

Mr Martin warned, however, that the firms wage bill was expected to rise by around 4%, and incur 9m (10.3m) in additional business costs.

Nevertheless, as a result of modestly better-than- expected year-to-date sales, we currently anticipate a slightly improved trading outcome for the current financial year, compared with our expectations at the last update, said Mr Martin.

A spokesperson for JD Wetherspoon told the Irish Examiner it was trading very well in the Republic, where it has five bars, four in suburban Dublin and one in Cork city centre.

He added: We are hopeful for favourable planning outcomes at two sites in Dublin at Abbey St and Camden St, with a projected investment of 20m on both sites and the creation of 20 jobs.

He said that its sites in Waterford and Carlow were also being looked at for its next phase of development but that there were no immediate plans for expansion in Cork, where it has been speculated for more than a year that it would add to its Linen Weaver bar at Paul St.

JD Wetherspoon has previously stated its confidence in succeeding with its 4m hotel and bar plan for Camden St  despite objections from locals and a planning hold-up over council concerns about the high number of late-night venues in the vicinity.

The group said it believes that the development will benefit the city in terms of investment, jobs, and the refurbishment of a disused site.

Mr Martin has previously outlined his ambition to grow JD Wetherspoon to 30 bars in Ireland but conceded last July that it would take longer than he had initially anticipated.

JD Wetherspoon, founded in 1979 by Mr Martin, owns more than 950 pubs in Britain and Ireland, providing low-priced drinks and food, including breakfasts and promotions such as steak and curry clubs.

Mr Martin, a prominent backer of Brexit, has previously warned that a bullying approach by European leaders over Brexit risked hurting sales of French wine, German beer, and Swedish cider.

Additional reporting by Reuters
Barry Doyle, aged 29, of Portland Row, Dublin, was jailed for life five years ago for the murder of Mr Geoghegan in Limerick on November 9, 2008.

Doyle had been brought from Dublin by a Limerick criminal gang to kill a rival criminal but, instead, shot dead Mr Geoghegan in a case of mistaken identity.

His appeal raised issues concerning the right of access to a solicitor.

The Chief Justice, Susan Denham, was among the six judges who dismissed Doyles appeal on different bases.

All seven judges agreed there is a constitutional right of reasonable access to a solicitor, but a majority agreed there is no constitutional right to have a solicitor present during questioning.

Mr Justice Peter Charleton, whose judgment was endorsed by a majority, held the Constitution should be interpreted as requiring and guaranteeing access to a lawyer, but does not require a lawyer be present during interviewing.

The disputed interview with Mr Doyle, his 15th, in which he told gardai: Yeah, I shot him, was video- recorded.

Doyle later refused to name anyone else involved but removed a set of a rosary beads from around his neck, a memento of his own dead brother, for gardai to give to the Geoghegan family as a mark of his remorse, the judge noted.

A range of safeguards and protections for detained persons now available, including a right of access to legal advice prior to questioning, were not available in the past, the judge said.

It is not a necessary part of the right to a trial in due course of law under Article 38.1 of the Constitution that a lawyer should be present for the interviewing of a suspect in Garda custody, he held.

Mr Justice Donal ODonnell, Ms Justice Mary Laffoy, and the Chief Justice, agreed on that point, but Ms Justice Iseult OMalley reserved her position on the constitutional right to have a solicitor present at interview to a future more appropriate case, saying that issue did not truly arise on the facts of this case.

She agreed with Mr Justice John MacMenamim that Doyle had failed to show any causative link between his admissions and the alleged breach of a putative constitutional right to have a solicitor present during an interview.

Mr Justice MacMenamin held the Constitution, in principle, requires in future a lawyer be present for the interrogation, but also found Doyles admission of killing Mr Geoghegan would not be excluded.

In his dissenting judgment, Mr Justice William McKechnie said it was of fundamental importance, and necessary to fully protect and vindicate the rights of a suspect, to have a solicitor present during garda interrogation.

Doyle alleged gardai induced an admission of the murder from him, but the Court of Appeal found that Doyle knew what he was doing when he made the admission.

That court noted that it was Doyles solicitor who approached gardai with an offer that Doyle would say he killed Shane Geoghegan if gardai agreed to release his girlfriend, the mother of his then one-year-old daughter, from custody.
His comments reportedly follow a conversation he held last week with a senior official in a managerial position at an Irish bank.

The conversation I had [with a bank official] was very, very clear, Mr Hall told the Irish Examiner.

He said: There has been an easing off of repossession proceedings for the last 12 months but that lull is over and we are back at it again.

The repossessions relate to the adjourned cases [approximately 20,000] already before the courts as well as new ones.

The effect of these repossession orders being processed and granted by the Irish courts will turn a housing crisis into a catastrophe.

If the banks go ahead with this plan and repossession orders start being granted, these people [who are evicted from their homes] will go into the rental market, not be able to afford the rental rates, then perhaps not be eligible to qualify for social housing and get pushed into the homeless crisis.

Mr Hall said: I think later this year or early next year that cascade effect will start [to show] as orders [to reposess] are granted. Its turning a crisis into a catastrophe.

Mr Hall said that banks are under pressure to clean up their balance sheets and adhere to sustainability rules.

Responding to Mr Halls assertions, Francis Doherty, a spokesman from the Peter McVerry Trust, said homeless services could become overwhelmed if such a case materialised.

Peter McVerry Trust has very genuine concerns around the scale of the mortgage arrears and repossession issue, said Mr Doherty.

Given the number of people that face losing their homes existing homeless services, already stretched, could simply be overwhelmed.

There are around 7,000 people in homelessness across the country at the moment, but given the scale of repossessions, that figure could rise very dramatically in a very short space of time.

It is very difficult to understand why much more is not done to head off what could clearly be a catastrophic scenario.

Mr Hall, meanwhile, said there are several things that people who find themselves in arrears can do, including contacting the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (Mabs).

There are insolvency options available, there are multiple options so there is no excuse not to engage. People need to know what their circumstances are, he said.

With the Abhaile scheme, for example, you can meet a personal insolvency practitioner. Vouchers for these are distributed through Mabs.

People in difficulties have a responsibility to themselves and their families to seek help. There are plenty of us there that are here to help.

Housing Minister Simon Coveney launched Rebuilding Ireland in July to address the housing shortage.
Tech expert DC Cahalane, and global marine business boss Dave Ronayne plan to open their Republic of Work facility at 12 South Mall early next month.

Mr Cahalane, its chief executive, said they were proud to unveil the Bank of Ireland-supported initiative, the largest of its kind in the region, in their home city.

Growing up, the South Mall was always the heart of Corks business community and were delighted that we can now be a part of the vibrant city centre business community and, in our own small way, help return the South Mall back to its rightful status as the centre of the Cork business community, he said.

Mr Cahalane, a start-up expert with over 15 years experience working with tech and start-up businesses, is the former vice-president for growth and marketing at Cork firm www.Teamwork.com and was former chief marketing officer at the online fraud-fighting firm Trustev.

Mr Ronayne is the chief executive of Irish Mainport Holdings, a global marine business which oversees onshore and offshore services ranging from exploration support, salvage, towage, bunkering, stevedoring, warehouse, and base management. He is also Ibecs regional president for Cork.

Pat Phelan, a serial tech entrepreneur who founded Trustev and oversaw its sale to TransUnion for 44m in 2015 and who last year helped launch a 25m fund to help Irish companies scale globally, is the chairman of the new hubs advisory board, which also includes Dan and Linda Kiely, founders of Cork-based global outsourcing giant VoxPro.

The 15,500 sq ft hub will feature an airport lounge-style business lounge for casual meetings and networking, a meetings and events space, and three WorkHub co-working areas with 160 desks available on a 30-day, no-contract basis.

It has three boardrooms, a meeting space for 100 people, two classrooms, and a dedicated innovation centre for corporate off-site meetings and brainstorming sessions.

The building is designed for use by businesses at all scales  from solopreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, and multinationals  across all sectors.

It will operate on a monthly membership model, with various membership plans on offer.

Members will enjoy free access to business software, special events, and exclusive access to industry experts, through workshops, office hours, and business coaching sessions.

Our focus goes far beyond just putting a roof over our members heads, said Mr Cahalane.

Were committed to their success through a unique blend of community networking, innovation training and providing access to the latest technology and work practices. We want to expose our members to global best practice around the future of work and help them take their businesses to the next level.

He said he hopes the facility will provide larger and more established companies with the ideal off-site location for meetings, interviews, with temporary office overflow space, or for strategic planning sessions.

Bank of Irelands head of innovation, Dave Tighe, said they have seen renewed business confidence from Cork-based companies.

Republic of Work is due to open next month, and is taking membership queries via www.republicofwork.com
Dr Niall Muldoon, a clinical psychologist and former national clinical director of the CARI childrens charity, addressed 3,000 secondary school students yesterday at the sixth Cycle Against Suicide Student Leaders Congress, held at the University of Limerick.

The two-day event, which heard that around 800 people die by suicide in Ireland every year, continues today when 3,000 more students will attend UL from schools all over the country.

Its crucial we resource childrens mental health services appropriately. Weve seen continuous disregard for budgeting, so that even when money is put aside for mental health, its been raided, and its something that we need to stop doing, said Dr Muldoon.

Were already behind the curve on the amount of money that is spent on mental health services; we need to start catching up with it as quickly as possible so that when our brave children do decide to come forward  and its happening more and more where theyre acknowledging their pain  we need to have a service in place for them as quickly as possible.

Dr Muldoon, an expert in child protection, explained that early intervention makes a huge difference to a persons mental health.

He said young people are falling through cracks within the mental health services because of a lack of investment over decades.

The child who comes forward (with an issue) and doesnt get a service for 12 or 18 months, they often go back into their shell and often dont seek help after that, he said.

Helen McEntee, the minister with responsibility for mental health, also spoke at the suicide awareness congress. She acknowledged that services were lacking in the past but are a priority for Government.

We have started from a very low base, where the model was that you locked people away if there was an issue, whereas now we are much more focused on a recovery orientated model, within the community , said Ms McEntee.

She said the Government has this year provided for an 850m investment in infrastructure and staff.

We have the largest budget for mental health than we have ever had... and my priority is to see that increase year on year, she said.

Meanwhile, a Clare priest said parents need to remind their children that they are loved as a means of helping to end the scourge of suicide.

Fr Jerry Carey, the parish priest of Doora Barefield, told the congress he believes one of the main triggers for suicide in young people is that they do not feel loved.

Having engaged at length with his young parishioners, Fr Carey said he has found many of them dont feel appreciated.

My message to parents is to tell your children that they are loved. We all need to hear that we are loved; tell your kids that, dont presume they know, said Fr Carey.
The residents concerns included the environmental impact of the development and noise from the turbines.

They disputed An Bord Pleanalas June 2016 permission for a six-turbine windfarm, a substation, underground cables and associated development in the town lands of Derragh, Rathgaskig, Lack Beg, at Ballingeary.

Following an earlier High Court decision, Framore Ltd, the developer, revised its planning application to relocate one of the turbines 50m away from its original proposed location in order to ensure all turbines were a minimum 500m away from all residences.

The application was also revised to provide for underground cabling between the site substation and the national electricity grid substation near Kilgarvan, Co Kerry.

The revisions were made to address earlier findings of the High Court concerning the boards assessment of the developments environmental impact.

In late 2014, the High Court quashed an earlier permission by the board to Framore after finding an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the proposed development had to be considered as part of an overall assessment of how the turbines will be connected to the national power grid.

The court said an EIA of the 100m turbines could not be considered separately from the grid connection which could involve overhead or underground power lines.

Following the decision, the High Court later ruled that the board could reconsider a revised application from Framore for permission. The board did so and granted permission.

The families challenged that permission decision but, in a reserved judgment yesterday, Mr Justice Brian McGovern dismissed their case.

He found the board did what the previous High Court decision required it to do, and did so properly, and dismissed arguments the EIA carried out by the board was inadequate.

The board was required to ensure the cumulative effects of the proposed windfarm development and the connection to the national grid were assessed before granting permission for the proposed windfarm, the judge said.

That assessment was conducted with complete, precise and definitive findings and conclusions capable of removing all reasonable scientific doubt about the effect of the development on three European sites and, particularly, the effects of other windfarm projects and sources of drainage run off on the Gearagh Candidate Special Area of Conservation, he held.

The permission does not authorise the development of the grid connection between Cleanarth and Derragh windfarm sites, he also held.

The case was adjourned for two weeks to allow the judgment be considered.

Eamon Galligan, for the residents, said they will consider whether to seek leave to appeal.
Fabiele Marques de Abreu had flown from Brazil for her circuit civil court claim accompanied by Brazilian and Spanish colleagues who had worked with her as housekeepers at Dublins Castle Hotel in 2013 when she injured herself.

Ms Marques, aged 29, posted on Facebook that she had loved Dublin and the 12 months she spent in the city, and had brought Dublin with me to Brazil.

She told Judge Brian OCallaghan she had to give up a photography course because of her injury but had since become a flight attendant.

She said she had been unable to properly hold a camera after the incident and now, because of her injury, had to regularly switch hands when wheeling her trolley through airports.

Counsel Matthew Jolley told the court that Findlater Hotels Limited, which trades as the Castle Hotel, could not be held responsible for a situation Ms Marques had drawn upon herself.

Mr Jolley said she had opened a kitchen door across herself with her left hand while holding a glass ice-flask in her dominant right hand.

The door, which she claimed had a defective spring-loaded opening mechanism and which was denied, had smashed against the glass, cutting her hand.

The court heard Ms Marques had to have surgery under general anaesthetic for exploration and repair of the digital nerve on her right hand.

She claimed to have lost feeling in a middle finger and been left with a small cosmetic scar.

Judge OCallaghan said Ms Marques had suffered a nasty injury and while she and her colleagues had given evidence of the door sometimes opening too quickly, none of them had reported any suspected defect to management.

The judge said a member of the hotel staff had told him she had used the same door on the morning of the accident and it had been operating properly.

Dismissing Ms Marquess claim and awarding estimated legal costs of up to 10,000 against her, Judge OCallaghan said that to hold the hotel responsible for breaking a glass in her hand by a door opening faster than she had anticipated would be stretching too far the duty of care owed to an employee by the defendant.
Detectives suspect that the victim, Neil Reilly, a 36-year-old drug dealer, was involved in firing shots into a house in Ronanstown, west Dublin, at around 4am yesterday.

After Reilly and possibly an accomplice fled in a getaway car, they were pursued by a group of up to five men in at least one vehicle.

There was a 5km pursuit across Clondalkin, into neighbouring Lucan, where the car Reilly was travelling in was cornered in the Glebe housing estate, near where Reilly lived, in St Finians Close.

There was a mass fight there and Reilly was severely assaulted by the pursuing gang. Gardai are investigating reports that knives or other sharp weapons were used on him.

They are also investigating reports that a car driven by gang members drove over Reilly.

He was brought to James Connolly Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 5.30am.

The deceased had a partner and, it is thought, two children, a teenage boy and a young girl.

Garda Supt Dermot Mann speaks to the media at the scene at Esker Glebe, Lucan, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney, Collins.

Superintendent Dermot Mann, who is leading the investigation, said a number of shots, from a shotgun, were fired into the house at Liscarne Gardens in Ronanstown at around 4am.

He said there were an estimated four or five adults in the house at the time.

Nobody was injured in that incident, he said.

A number of cars left there, but we are not sure how many.

He said that, very soon after, gardai were alerted to an incident at the Glebe housing estate in Esker, Lucan, were a number of cars had crashed into each other.

We are not sure how many cars or people were involved, he said.

But, after the crash, there was a serious altercation on the street involving five to six people or maybe more.

Supt Mann said the victim had substantial injuries when he was brought to hospital and confirmed they were treating the death as murder.

He said one avenue of investigation was that a group of men left the house that had been shot at and pursued the victim.

Detectives are trying to identify the occupants of the house and locate them.

Supt Mann said: There is no known motive at this stage. Its probably too early in the investigation. Were keeping all avenues open.

Reilly was a known drug dealer and had numerous convictions. In May 2011, he was given a seven-year sentence for drugs supply.

Gardai will look back at his convictions and his time in prison.

It is the second gangland murder in Lucan in a month after drug dealer Mark Desmond was shot dead in nearby Griffeen Valley Park.

Supt Mann asked anyone who saw anything suspicious at Liscarne Gardens or in the Glebe estate, or between the two locations, including cars driving fast or people on foot, to contact Lucan Garda Station on 01 6667300 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111.
In comments to the European Parliament which are likely to be seen as a comment on Theresa Mays plans for Brexit, Mr Juncker warned that no European country would be able to deal with the challenges of the economy, unemployment, migration and terrorism on its own.

Meanwhile, the man who will lead the European Council when negotiations open said the terms agreed with Britain in any Brexit deal must be inferior to the benefits of full membership.

Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat, whose country holds the six-month rotating presidency of the council, warned that negotiations under Article 50 of the EU treaties would be arduous and that the 27 remaining members were unequivocal that the principles of free movement of people, goods, services and capital must be maintained.

We want a fair deal for the UK but that deal necessarily needs to be inferior to membership, Mr Muscat told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

This should not come as a surprise to anyone. Indeed, thinking it can be otherwise would indicate a detachment from reality.

Mr Juncker welcomed Ms Mays speech on Tuesday, but said Brexit talks could not begin until the European Council had been formally notified of the UKs intention to quit under Article 50 of the EU treaties, telling MEPs a speech alone cannot activate negotiations.

I will do everything to make sure the negotiations will be according to the rules and will yield good results, he told MEPs.

However, he added: Most of our citizens and you and the commission would have liked Europe to react more rapidly and with greater solidarity to the events of 2016.

Quite often, we end up going down the route of the extremists when we defend their own interests, because they make Europe responsible for all ills.

"I would like to say straight away that they are wrong and they fool these people who think if you close in on yourself and close your doors to migrants that is the way to solve these problems.

"We need to show these people who think that this is the time to deconstruct Europe, to let it fall apart, we have to show them that they are wrong.

On their own no country will be able to organise the economy, fight unemployment, welcome in migrants and fight terrorism, he said.

Muscat said Ms Mays tabling of Article 50  which she has promised before the end of March  will be followed by consultations between the remaining 27 states to establish guidelines which will serve as a negotiating mandate for the European Commission.

These will be agreed at an extraordinary European Council meeting of the EUs national government leaders around four or five weeks after the invocation of Article 50, probably allowing negotiations to get under way in earnest in May.

The talks will aim to produce a clear and clean cut from current arrangements but cannot be allowed to compromise European rules and institutions, he said.

He said any new free trade agreement would be unrelated to the Article 50 negotiations and may require transitional agreements.
Garrett Hill, of 19 The View, Gleann na Ri, Tower, Blarney, was brought before a special sitting of Cork District Court on Saturday and charged with two offences following the drugs seizure by members of the Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad.

He was charged with possession of cannabis and possession of cannabis for sale or supply at the same address on January 12.
Father-of-one Hutch, 35, a nephew of Gerry The Monk Hutch, was gunned down outside Avondale House flats, on North Cumberland Street, in inner-city Dublin, on May 24 last year.

Thomas Fox, who has an address at Rutland Court, in north inner-city Dublin, was charged last year with unlawful possession of a Makarov 9mm handgun, at Avondale House, on May 23, a day before the shooting.

That charge was contrary to section 27A of the Firearms Act, which can carry a sentence of up to 14 years.

He had been initially refused bail by Dublin District Court, on June 1, and was remanded in custody. Yesterdays was his 13th hearing, when he appeared before Judge Victor Blake, at Cloverhill District Court.

Dressed in a green jumper and grey tracksuit bottoms, Fox was escorted into the courtroom by prison officers in stab vests.

Det Garda Sergeant Robert OReilly told the court that Mr Fox was charged at 10.34am yesterday with the murder of Gareth Hutch. He said the accused replied not guilty, when the new charge was put to him.

There was an application for him to be remanded in custody for one week and the court also heard that the DPP has directed trial on indictment.

There was an application on behalf of Mr Fox, who is represented by Eoin Lysaght, for the firearms charge to be dismissed. The State objected and the judge refused to dismiss it, but said he would strike it out.

State solicitor Karen Wilson said the book of evidence is near completion and would be ready in two weeks.

Judge Blake remanded Mr Fox in custody, to appear via video-link on January 25.

At a previous hearing, the judge heard that the case was complex and that 300 statements have been taken.

The accused had been in custody since June 1 on the firearms charge. Bail cannot be granted in the district court in a murder case and he will have to make an application to the High Court to get released, pending his trial.
However, he said his door is still open and he will be holding discussions with growers.

Fianna Fail had called for a special fund to help struggling tillage farmers who have lost up to half their crops. Farmers protested outside the Dail yesterday to highlight their plight.

Grain producers who had travelled to Leinster House packed the Dail gallery last night as Fianna Fail put forward a motion calling on Mr Creed to set up a crisis support fund to provide direct payments to farmers who were impacted by severe crop loss last year.

IFA president Joe Healy, Grain chairman Liam Dunne and deputy president Richard Kennedy with IFA members as they gather for a protest from the Department of Agriculture to outside the Dail. Picture: Finbarr ORourke.

Fianna Fails agriculture spokesman Charlie McConalogue said: The government have not recognised the particular plight of these farmers and indeed recognised that there is a real need for a compensation fund to ensure they can meet the bills which are falling due and also to ensure that they can stay in business.

He said the unusual rainfall at harvest time meant many farmers from Cork right up to Donegal lost between 25% and 50% of their crops.

He pointed to a 86m under-spend in the Department last year meaning that the capacity and the money is there but unfortunately the will isnt.

It comes on the back of three or four years of four prices in the cereals where farmers in the tillage sector havent been making a profit, he said.

Fianna Fail TDs Dara Calleary, Kevin OKeeffe, Margaret Murphy, and Charlie McConalogue at Leinster House. Picture: RollingNews.ie

However, Mr Creed said a loan scheme was being introduced to help farmers.

To say we havent put exchequer funding into the tillage sector is not accurate, he told the Dail.

Rejecting the Fianna Fail motion, he said if a compensation fund were to be introduced it would have to be focused and targeted and that he would be open to further dialogue around this.

I have to grapple with the complexities of how we do it and I am anxious to do it in the best possible way that delivers to those who are most adversely affected and I am committed to that.

IFA president Joe Healy said tillage farmers are facing severe financial difficulties arising from crop losses of over 4m in last years harvest.

An IFA survey found losses for 245 farmers come to 4m, which is made up of 3m on grain and 1m on straw.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has rejected opposition claims he has no plan to cope with the escalating Brexit fallout amid growing concerns about the free movement of goods and services between north and south.

The Taoiseach insisted his Government remains in control of what is happening and accused opponents of a blame everybody else approach after being told he has sat on his hands throughout the crisis.

Speaking in the Dail before travelling to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last night, he repeatedly stressed he has carefully planned Irelands response to Britains decision to leave the EU.

However, he was heavily criticised by Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald, who said:

The Taoiseach sat on his hands until now, awaiting breathlessly the utterance of prime minister, Theresa May.

He now argues that he is awaiting what other EU member states might have to say in that regard. It is now clear that the Taoiseach has no plan. That is very troubling.

It is clear that the Taoiseach, at this 11th hour, has no discernible plan, vision or direction. All he has done today in this Dail chamber is repeat a list of issues. A list of issues is not a plan.

Ms McDonald said the Taoiseach must now be assertive and face down both Britain and the EU regarding Irelands needs.

Responding to the criticism, Mr Kenny said he has referred on many occasions to Irelands focus on protecting the economy, preserving the common travel area, and preventing the return of a hard border with the north.

Dismissing Ms McDonalds claims as a blame everybody else approach, he said all that has changed after Ms Mays speech is that the British prime minister has declared what the British government sees as being Britains interest and that talks have yet to begin.

The type of politics contained in the deputys commentary is typical of where Sinn Fein is now. Namely, blaming everybody and with its own wishlist.

What we want for this country is a continuation of a strong economy and no return to a hard border, he said.

The Dail stand-off came as Mr Kenny travelled to the World Economic Forum in Davos to re-emphasis Irelands priorities during and after Britains departure from the EU.

Mr Kenny is expected to meet with a number of leading politicians and business groups, including the chief executive of Lloyds of London, Inga Beale, who has previously confirmed the bank is actively considering relocating to Dublin in light of Brexit.

Mr Kenny, Finance Minister Michael Noonan, and IDA chief executive Martin Shanahan are also due to meet the chairman of the BT Group, the vice-chairman of Bank of America, and officials from drugs giant MSD, US telecoms conglomerate AT&T, IBM, and Liberty Global.

The Taoiseach will also attend a special Brexit-related address to the forum by Ms May this evening.
The boy was arrested at an address on the northside of the city on Tuesday afternoon, and was detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

He was taken to Bridewell Garda Station for questioning, where it is understood he was quizzed about the supply of the synthetic drug, U47700.
On a clear August day in 1950, two young Americans toured Blarney Castle in the company of an Irish priest.

The visitors wore expensive attire and spoke in the mannered accents of New Yorks moneyed elites.

When it was suggested they might like to kiss the Blarney Stone, they responded enthusiastically in the affirmative.

Dangling from medieval balustrades was not a feature of life on Manhattans Upper West Side or at their sprawling weekend retreat on Long Island.

A little over a decade later, the younger of the two would be one of the most photographed people in the world  a fashion icon and celebrity but ultimately a figure of pity too.

Yet on that balmy evening nobody paid much attention to 21-year-old socialite Jacqueline Bouvier as she explored the castle with stepbrother Hugh Auchincloss and Fr Joseph Leonard, an old friend of the family.

If Ireland was not immediately entranced by the future first lady, she was besotted with the country from the outset.

Jackie Kennedy and Fr Joseph Leonard, with whom she began a correspondence. Picture: Irish Times/Sheppards

With 73-year-old Fr Leonard as chaperone, young Jacqueline attended the Abbey Theatre, dined at Jammets, Dublins finest French restaurant, and spent freely on Waterford Crystal.

Upon returning to America, she would commence a correspondence with Leonard, which would last until his death in 1964 and covered her marriage to JFK, her years as first lady, and the life after her husbands assassination (in 2014 the letters were the subject of a dispute which saw them put forward and later withdrawn from auction).

Jacquelines love for Ireland is briefly referenced in Jackie, the striking new movie in which Natalie Portman portrays the first lady as a ghostly figure, her emotions buried deep beneath her perfectly prim exterior.

JFK has just been shot and, as his stunned retinue boards Air Force One for the flight back to Washington, a hysterical Jacqueline insists the Irish cadets whom her husband so enjoyed watching on his trip to Ireland be present at the funeral.

The moment is throwaway  but a testament, nonetheless, to the abiding affection president and first lady held for the country of Kennedys ancestors.

Jackie Kennedy with her children John Jr and Caroline arriving at Shannon Airport on June 15, 1967.

Jackie, directed by Chilean art-house filmmaker Pablo Larrain, takes place in a heightened reality, through which its eponymous protagonist drifts, a lost soul struggling to keep her inner turmoil from the world.

The only person with whom she shares her feelings is a priest, played by John Hurt and seemingly modelled on Fr Leonard, who had become a close confidante.

Indeed it was to Leonard that Jackie turned in 1952 to reveal she had fallen for a swaggering young politician from Massachusetts.

I think Im in love with  and I think it would interest you  John Kennedy, she wrote.

Hes the son of the ambassador to England  the second son  the oldest was killed. Hes 35 and a congressman.

Maybe it will end very happily  or maybe, since hes this old and set in his ways and cares so desperately about his career, he just wont want to give up that much time to extracurricular things like marrying.

She did not accompany her husband on his June 1963 visit to Ireland. But, as per her request, a troupe of Irish cadets flew to Washington for the presidents funeral later that year.

John F Kennedy

They were allowed to bear arms, the first foreign troops to do so in the American capital since British forces burned the White House to the ground in the War of 1812 (commanded, ironically, by an Irishman).

The cadets crossed the Atlantic as America was engulfed in hysteria.

Lee Harvey Oswald, the suspected assassin, was shot by Jack Ruby while the flight was in the air.

They touched down in New Yorks Idlewild Airport where they were immediately set upon by photographers. Anything to do with the Kennedy death was news  even the arrival of fresh-faced soldiers from the old country.

We got word on the Friday night [that JFK had been shot] and everyone was shocked, remembers Felix OCallaghan, one of the cadets who attended the funeral.

We met President de Valera on the tarmac as we prepared to board the plane. Most of us had never been on a boat, never mind a plane. It was only as we were halfway across the Atlantic that we realised what a big deal this was.

The late Eamon de Valera with Jacqueline Kennedy in Washington, May 1964.

Jackie culminates with the funeral march from downtown Washington to the presidents final resting place at Arlington Cemetery.

Standing to attention near the grave were the Irish troops. OCallaghan recalls the moment with clarity.

We waited for two-and-a-half hours for the cortege, he says.

We could hear the music all the time, drawing closer and closer. Nobody was particularly excited. We were professional soldiers doing a professional job.

In Ireland, Kennedy had pledged to return one day soon with his family. That opportunity was denied him.

In 1967 Jacqueline visited with their two children, Caroline and John Jr.

This prompted something of a frenzy among the media when she went swimming at a beach near the holiday residence at Woodstown House, Co Waterford.

Jacqueline Kennedy (1929 - 1994) with her children Caroline and John at Shannon Airport, at the start of a family holiday in Ireland, 15th June 1967. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

She attended Lismore Castle, took in a performance of John B Keanes Many Young Men of Twenty at the local hall and, as guest of taoiseach Jack Lynch, attended a race meet at the Curragh.

All [along] the route from Shannon to Woodstown the people lined the streets of the towns and villages and gave Irelands No 1 tourist a tremendous welcome, reported the Cork Examiner.

The people of Waterford. fully cognisant of the much publicised desire of the widow of the late President Kennedy, for a quiet holiday gave her and her party a warm but restrained welcome when she arrived at the city. There was hand-clapping but no cheering.

"An old woman standing near Reginalds Tower summed the welcome up in this way: We want to show Mrs. Kennedy that she is welcome here and beyond that we dont want to interfere.

The trip nearly ended in tragedy as Jacqueline almost drowned in the choppy waters near Woodstown and had to be rescued by a bodyguard.

In mid-channel I found myself in a terrible current. I could not make the land opposite and the sea was so cold you could not hold your fingers together, she wrote in a letter to the Secret Service.

I am a very good swimmer and can swim for miles and hours, but the combination of current and cold were something I had never known.

"There was no one to yell to. I was becoming exhausted, swallowing water and slipping past the spit of the land.

Jacqueline Kennedy with her children Caroline and John in the Kennedy ancestral home a t Dunganstown, Wexford, in June 1967, with Mary Ryan, Maeve Rowe, Josie Grennan , Mrs John Fenlon, James Kennedy, Margaret Kirwan, and Mary Ryan. Picture: London Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty

Jackie is a stark but ultimately uplifting movie in which Jacqueline Kennedy summons a steely resolve in order to preserve her husbands legacy.

While it gives a sense of the extraordinary challenges Jacqueline faced after Kennedy was shot, the central character remains deeply elusive.

Not even a talented actress such as Portman could completely solve the puzzle posed by that mysterious smile and distant gaze.

Jacqueline Kennedy was very much a woman of the skies, which is beautifully portrayed in the film, remembers Felix OCallaghan, who attended a special screening of Jackie in New Ross last week in association with the JFK Trust.

She was always that bit ethereal and withdrawn, someone very much in the background. The film shows her strength and her character

She was a very dignified, very reserved woman.
DIPLOMACY often witnesses unusual spats.

There was the Pig and Potato War of 1859, the Affair of the Dancing Lamas in 1924, and the Bogota Bracelet incident of 1970, to name just a few. But few were more surprising than the just- concluded Episode of the Offensive Doormats.

Amazon  which has lately been cultivating India as the next frontier of its global expansion, reflected in plans to invest $5bn (4.7bn) in the country  was recently startled by a series of intemperate tweets from the countrys external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj.

In just a few 140-character messages, Swaraj denounced the company and threatened to cancel its employees visas and refuse visas to its executives in the future.

What provoked Swarajs outburst was a Twitter users complaint to her that the Amazon Canada website offered for sale doormats depicting the Indian flag.

The notion that dirty shoes would be wiped on a representation of the Indian flag had outraged the tweeter, Atul Bhobe, who contacted  and found an advocate in  Swaraj.

Amazon was swift to respond. After clarifying that the offending doormats were technically being offered by a third-party supplier, not Amazon itself, the company removed them from Amazon.ca and implemented measures to ensure that these products could not be sold on any of our other marketplaces or websites.

Amazons India country manager offered an apology to Swaraj for hurting Indian sensibilities and, recalling the companys $5bn (4.7bn) investment commitment, reiterated its dedication to the country.

Less than 24 hours after the doormat crisis erupted, the matter was defused. But the episode raises a number of broader issues that wont disappear so quickly.

The first issue is Swarajs use of Twitter. Swaraj stands out among her peers in India for her trigger-happy approach to tweeting (though her use of the platform is still dwarfed by that of US President-elect Donald Trump, who often uses Twitter as a bully pulpit).

I certainly do not oppose the use of Twitter by public officials. On the contrary, I view the growing comfort of government ministers with social media as a matter for celebration.

But Swaraj may well be going too far, responding to every individual case of a lost passport or delayed visa tweeted to her  an approach that has earned her the not entirely flattering sobriquet of Indias minister for consular affairs.

That a foreign minister would respond to a Twitter complaint on such trivial matters, some would argue, seems to indicate that she lacks more important things to do.

(The suggestion undoubtedly reflects the fact that, under prime minister Narendra Modi, substantive foreign policy is conducted largely by him and his office, rather than by the external affairs ministry that Swaraj leads.)

But the problem extends beyond Swarajs communication with ordinary citizens.

In the recent doormat drama, she also used Twitter to issue instructions to her own diplomats, tweeting at the Indian high commission in Canada to deal with the unacceptable matter, by taking it up with Amazon at the highest level.

Such a move is unprecedented, and not particularly welcome. Social media is no substitute for a diplomatic cable.

Also less than diplomatic was the language Swaraj used in her warning to the company.

Amazon must tender unconditional apology, she tweeted.

They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately. If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier.

A profession famed for summoning ambassadors for a discreet dressing-down has been reduced to upbraiding companies on Twitter.

The final issue that the doormat incident brought to the fore is Indians tendency to take offence at the slightest affront  a tendency that is now being elevated, by the thumbs of a top minister, to the level of official policy.

Of course, disrespect for the national flag is derided in most countries, and has been a criminal offence in India since 1971, with the adoption of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, which threatens whoever mutilates, defaces, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon, or otherwise shows disrespect to the Indian flag with imprisonment.

Indians have a particularly low threshold for what qualifies as disrespect.

Whereas in other democracies, flags are used freely and harmlessly on T-shirts, boots, bikinis, and even underwear, in India, the majesty of the flag can, it seems, be tarnished by any tawdry manufacturer of gewgaws.

And its not just the flag. Last year, Amazon enraged many Indians by offering doormats with pictures of Indian gods and goddesses, prompting the furious hashtag #BoycottAmazon.

Two years earlier, the companys website had caused similar outrage by selling womens leggings with images of Hindu gods.

So Amazon is no stranger to the anger of offended Indians. But the companys swift capitulation in the latest incident  which will surely not be the last  shows the value of a gigantic market like India far outweighs that of any single product.

China has already proved it can dictate terms to multinationals that covet its vast market.

India, it seems, will follow suit. But whoever has emerged as the winner of the doormat debacle  outraged Twitter users, perhaps  diplomacy has been the loser.

Shashi Tharoor, a former UN under-secretary-general and former Indian minister of state for external affairs and for human resource development, is chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs and an MP for the Indian National Congress.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017.
I HATE agreeing with Vladimir Putin, even a little. Russias president is dragging his country, the country of my birth, backwards, and falsely argues that violating international law is somehow good for Russians.

However, the hysterical response of Americans to the Kremlins alleged efforts to influence the US presidential election has forced me to look at things from Putins perspective.

To be sure, the US intelligence agencies allegations that Russia purveyed fake news and released hacked emails in order to hurt Hillary Clintons chances against Donald Trump are not baseless.

It is certainly in Putins character to purloin secrets and create disinformation; he was a KGB operative, after all.

Likewise, the accusations that Putin is holding a dossier of compromising material on Trump, though uncorroborated, also ring true. It would make little sense for Russia to spare Trump, of all people, from its schemes.

And, beyond Trump, Republican Party leaders must know that if Russia hacked the Democrats, their own servers must have been hacked, too.

Even if the alleged dossiers sensational details are not accurate, chances are that Russia is holding at least some compromising business records, or even Trumps tax returns  information Trump has worked very hard to keep hidden from the American public.

If Trump doesnt play nice, taking Russias side on issues ranging from Nato to Ukraine, he will likely see his secrets laid bare, just as Clintons were.

The US response to this prospect has been extreme. Those firmly in Trumps camp are willing to indulge the fragile bromance between Trump and Putin, despite its obvious vulnerability to exploitation by both sides.

Others, including some senior Republicans, cite the recently-released US intelligence report on Russias suspected interference in the election and demand stern measures against Putins government, even though a new Cold War is clearly in nobodys interest.

In my view, the intelligence report itself was fundamentally problematic.

Full of conjecture and bias, the report is based on the argument that Putin must be an enemy, because he doesnt share Western values.

But how could he? Russia was never fully welcome in the Western world order, much less able to participate in it on equal terms.

That is why Putin has sought to create his own international order.

In fact, in the early days of his presidency, Putin wanted Russia to be part of Europe. However, he was immediately confronted with Natos expansion into the Baltic states.

In 2006, President George W Bushs administration announced plans to build a missile-defence shield in Eastern Europe, to protect the Western allies against intercontinental missiles from Iran.

Russia viewed the plan  which President Barack Obama went through with last year  as a direct threat, and a sign that calls for closer ties should be regarded with caution.

The US has supported anti-Putin forces since 2008, but ramped up that support in 2011, when Putin, then the prime minister, prepared to return to the presidency.

In 2013, the US cheered the protests in Ukraine that ultimately ousted the pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych.

However, while Yanukovych was undoubtedly a crook, the US supports plenty of crooks. Its effort to deny Russia, or any other power, the right to possess similarly odious factotums is pure hypocrisy.

Such duplicity has pervaded US foreign policy. Bushs war in Iraq was launched on the basis of tendentious intelligence.

For his part, Obama supported the Arab spring uprisings, but offered no pro-democratic strategy  an approach that has led Libya to become a failed state, Egypt to become even more dictatorial, and Syria to collapse into nightmarish and protracted conflict.

Meanwhile, the US National Security Agency was spying on everyone, whether friend or foe.

The US intelligence report asserts that Putin is seeking to undermine liberal democracy.

It seems clear, however, that his more immediate goal is to expose the Wests double standards, thereby breaking down Western barriers to his pursuit of Russian interests.

If the US can behave so badly without apology, Putins thinking goes, why should Russia be denied its sphere of influence in, say, Ukraine?

For that matter, why shouldnt Putin have attempted to help out Trump? Ukrainians campaigned for Clinton, believing she would advance their interests.

It is perfectly reasonable that Putin would back Trump, who had repeatedly expressed admiration for his leadership, over Clinton, who had compared him to Adolf Hitler.

The notion that he shouldnt take steps to protect his interests is ideological partiality disguised as objectivity, and it lends credence to Putins claims that the West is out to get him.

Dont get me wrong: despite its imperfections, the US remains a positive force in the world. Indeed, it may well be the only strongly positive force, along with the European Union, which should stop squabbling and start curtailing megalomaniacal and illiberal leaders like Hungarys Putin-infatuated prime minister Viktor Orban.

Moreover, the prospect that their new president is in Putins pocket should certainly be worrying to Americans. And the Wests policies toward Russia  economic sanctions or military exercises in border countries like Poland  are not necessarily wrong.

What is wrong is that those concerns and policies are driven largely by anger over Putins own nationalism, rather than by a careful consideration of the diplomatic and strategic milieu.

If the US allows itself to become caught up in suspicion and conjecture about Russian involvement in its recent election, it will most likely find itself locked in an even more destructive confrontation with Putin.

Instead, the US should devise a sound, thoughtful, and measured approach toward Russia  one that appeals to values not as propaganda, but as the basis of a more straightforward and credible foreign policy.

Nina L Khrushcheva is professor of international affairs and associate dean for academic affairs at The New School and a senior fellow at the World Policy Institute. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017
Rather than working to cure the IT security disease, too many companies are focused simply on treating the symptoms by adding layer after layer of security complexity. To get to the root of the malady, what they need to be focused on instead are data analytics, machine learning, and an understanding of individuals roles.

That was my key takeaway from a recent interview with Stan Black, chief security officer at Citrix Systems, who said that conclusion had been reinforced by the findings of a newly released IT security survey, commissioned by Citrix and conducted by the Ponemon Institute. Black addressed the layering phenomenon in the context of what he sees as the role of public cloud:

Historically, if you wanted to do intrusion prevention, you would stick another appliance or piece of infrastructure into your business. That would add a layer of complexity and multiple headcount to monitor it, support it, manage it, and maintain it from a licensing perspective. And then you multiply that across firewalls, antivirus, anti-malware, intrusion prevention, intrusion detection, whitelisting, blacklisting, etc. So many of the platforms that are in the cloud now  [Microsoft] Azure and AWS [Amazon Web Services], for example  give you the ability to do many of the layered functions that we would historically do through infrastructure, people, processes, and technology, and instrument it in the cloud. Thats compelling. So if you virtualize your environment, you take away the need for all the patch management and the malware and all the other layers. DLP [data loss prevention] is a spectacular example. How can I have data leakage or loss, when it wasnt in the building in the first place?

Black went on to explain where analytics come in:

In the security space, we historically have had things like SIEMs, or Security Incident and Event Management technologies, which were really a point of aggregation for security technologies. But anybody who was reasonably savvy also incorporated things like health checks on routers or servers. In other words, its producing logs, and its telling you that youre getting to, say, 98 percent utilization of a router or a server, for example. Historically, the IT world will look at that and say, Oh, well, we need to add more resources. Im a paid paranoid. I look at that and I say, I think were getting DDoSd, or someones owned a box. So, instead of layering on extra controls, the way Im approaching a lot of this is to do the analytics, and establish reasonable thresholds for operations.

Black referred in this context to the global Citrix/Ponemon Institute survey of IT and IT security pros, which found that 70 percent of the respondents cited data analytics, 77 percent cited machine learning, and 78 percent cited identity and access management, as keys to reducing security risk over the next two years:

What does that tell you? In my mind it tells me, one, a computer never committed a crime, so you better darn well know who your people are, and what they have access to. Part of that is going to be role mining. Oh, well, lets see, everyone has access to our financial systems even though theyre not part of the finance organization. Thats bad. Data analytics and machine learning, I couple them together. When you do proper Big Data analytics and log aggregation, consistently producing metrics about your systems, whether security or operational, and you plug that into several of the machine learning technologies today, you can find a root cause that would have taken two years to identify. Maybe its an insider stealing something, or a compromised system thats slowly eking out data. So as we add complexity  and I never thought this was going to be a reality in my career  we can actually have a machine look at that without any contextual knowledge of what we do for a business, what our peoples jobs are, and actually find anomalies and potential risks. Thats phenomenal.

Black provided a compelling example of what he was talking about:

There was a security software company out there that thought they had two people that might be stealing some of their code, and shipping it off to a nation-state. So for two years, they investigated by digging through logs, and subsystems, and access, router, and firewall logs, to finally get to the point where they were sure. But what they did before they finished that was they engaged a machine learning company to do the analytics, and they gave them their logs. And the logs were a mess. But the machine learning technology crawled through that data for approximately two weeks, and absolutely and empirically proved that they had two insiders. And that particular company said, Well yeah, we figured that out ourselves. The machine learning company said, Oh yeah, and by the way, there are 11 more doing the same thing. Thats pretty darn unique.

Black wrapped up the conversation by highlighting the essential nature of providing visibility into the protection:

I would challenge you to find me a single billion-dollar enterprise that does not have dependencies upon third-party vendors, and that has zero cloud presence, whether its an HR system, a travel system, or what have you. So it is my belief that these capabilities need to be able to gather data, without placing other companies at risk. In other words, if Citrix provides a cloud service to a customer, where data at rest, in use, and in motion is there, which is sensitive to them, we have to be able to instrument or provide the visibility into how we are protecting you. When we look at what the technology can do with identity and access management in the cloud, where you can federate across large, disparate organizations, where you can use the data from your service provider to prove in real time that they are testing vulnerabilities, that they are patched at the right level, you can begin to take what is locked in your data centers and put it in different locations. Because now, we can instrument it with technology that historically did not exist.

A contributing writer on IT management and career topics with IT Business Edge since 2009, Don Tennant began his technology journalism career in 1990 in Hong Kong, where he served as editor of the Hong Kong edition of Computerworld. After returning to the U.S. in 2000, he became Editor in Chief of the U.S. edition of Computerworld, and later assumed the editorial directorship of Computerworld and InfoWorld. Don was presented with the 2007 Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity by American Business Media, and he is a recipient of the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for editorial excellence in news coverage. Follow him on Twitter @dontennant.
A new analysis made by Oxfam has determined who are the 8 richest men right now, and the way in which these multi-billionaires literally owns more money than the half of the world, since their entire fortune reach the $426 billion, while half of the worlds population only reach $409 billion.

Among the several details provided by the research, one of the most incredible is the fact that 3 of these rich men are tech entrepreneurs, which clearly shows not only the these persons efficiency in the market but also the way in which technology is one of the most lucrative businesses in the history. Without further preamble, here are the richest tech entrepreneurs in the world right now.

Mark Zuckerberg: The Leader Of Silicon Valley

Is not exactly a surprise that Mark Zuckerberg appears in this list, given the fact that he has proved to be one of the most successful tech leaders in the world, to the point in which hes probably the most important member in Silicon Valley, above other important figures as Tim Cook or even Larry Page.

According to the analysis, Mark Zuckerberg is the number six in the list, since he has a net worth of $44.6 billion being chairman, chief executive officer, and co-founder of Facebook, which is the most popular media in the world, and one of the most successful companies right now.

Although being one of the most outstanding tech entrepreneurs in the world and being on this list shows his outstanding efficiency, last year was highly controversial for Mark Zuckerberg because of the way he was blamed because of Donald Trumps victory in the presidential election.

Jeff Bezos: One Of The Most Influential Tech Entrepreneurs

Hes one of the most influential tech entrepreneurs the world, to the point in which he has been considered as one the greatest exemplification of how a man can success in the technology business. Jeff Bezos is the chairman, chief executive officer and co-founder of Amazon, one of the most important companies in the world, to the point in which its profits are absolutely incredible.

According to the list hes the 5th richest man in the world with a net worth of $45.2 billion, and just like Mark Zuckerberg, last year was framed not only in the way in which Amazon managed to get great revenues but also because of the fact that he had the major role in one of the most controversial moments of the U.S. presidential elections. The thing was that The Washington Post -which he purchased in 2013 was the media that published Donald Trumps secret tape in which said sexists comments.

Bill Gates: Once Again, The Richest Man On Earth

Of all the tech entrepreneurs that exist, Bill Gates is practically the most important in the history, thanks to the way in which he literally set a turning point in the technology business with its company Microsoft, and with his Holy Grail, the Windows operating system. Along with Steve Jobs and Apple, Bill Gates can be considered one of the most important tech leaders of all times, and one of the persons who helped to define the last decades of the 20th century.

According to the analysis made by Oxfam, hes the richest person in the world, which is not exactly a surprise considering that this is something that Bill Gates achieved quite while ago, having a net worth of $75 Billion. Although last year was not so controversial for him as it was for tech entrepreneurs Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, 2017 seems to be a quite important period for his philanthropist foundation, in a world in which many things needs to be done in order to achieve a much better quality of life.
South Koreans may not have to worry about being late again. The country aims to make a train-like public transportation concept that is almost as fast as the speed of sound - or about 1,000 kilometers per hour.

The Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) said that they will join forces with other research groups and Hanyang University to build the near-supersonic "train". The ultra-fast transport can take passengers from Seoul to Busan in just thirty minutes, South China Morning Post reported. A KRRI official said Tuesday that in the near future, they hope to create an "ultra-fast train, which will travel inside a state-of-the-art low-pressure tube at lightning speeds."

The Innovative Hyper-Tube Technology Will Use Floating Pods To Transport People

According to Korea Times, the innovative hyper-tube technology will transport people in floating pods inside tubes under a partial vacuum. The idea was first proposed by Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. Typically, conventional trains don't have friction between the between wheels and tracks as well as air resistance, these hyper-tube pods can travel almost as fast as the speed of sound.

If This Pushes Through, It Will Be Twice As Fast As Maglev Trains

If this plan pushes through, South Korea's near-supersonic "train" will be twice as fast as the magnetic levitation (maglev) train - the fastest existing ground transport in the world. Maglev travels along a guide way using magnets which create lift and propulsion, reducing friction and allowing very high speeds. Maglev trains can travel at up to 500 kilometers per hour.

"Many countries such as the United States, Canada, and China are competing to take the lead in this futuristic technology and we will also try to pre-empt our global rivals," KRRI's officer said. The institute added that the government focuses on "interdisciplinary research" and that this will be their biggest effort to "to develop a representative future technology."
There's a new Gmail-related news that users are definitely not going to be happy about. A new phishing technique has been making rounds online that composes convincing emails by copying your past messages and attachments that have been browsed through by hackers.

According to a post by Mark Maunder, The CEO of popular WordPress security plugin Wordfence, they discovered the cyberattack. The attack works in two main parts. First, the hacker will compromise your Gmail account and browse through your list of contacts. The hacker then sends a seemingly authentic email with an attachment which appears to be a PDF with a familiar file name. The attacker will also mimic subject lines from previous emails. The second part is that the PDF is actually a smartly camouflaged image which will bring you to a new tab with a functional Gmail sign-in page once the attachment is clicked.

The attack's Gmail sign-in page is very convincing that a lot of users, including experienced technical users, are tricked into immediately providing their login credentials.

If you are looking to protect Gmail account from, which you definitely should, you need to be extra cautious when you check the location bar. Checking to see if you are on 'accounts.google.com' in the location bar is not enough. If you happen to see "data:text/html...," you're in for a possible trouble. Wordfence says that users need to verify the protocol, then verify the hostname. Users must be certain that there isn't anything before the hostname 'accounts.google.com' other than "https://" and the green lock symbol.

According to Aaron Stein from Google Communications, Google is aware of the issue and is working to strengthen its defense from phishing attacks. Other security measures users can apply is the two-step verification and check Gmail sign-in history to check time, dates, and IP addresses for suspicious activities.
Our judgements and movements are a cycle - what you think touches what you do, and how you act affects how you feel. So today we'll talk about count both grateful thoughts and grateful actions into your life.

First, a couple of palpable actions you can take to add gratitude into every single day of your life.

Set Up Cues In Your Life To Remind You

Every time I speak to people about what they fight with when it comes to practicing gratitude, without a doubt the thing that comes up the most is people struggle to recall to do it.

To add more gratitude into your life - and to make it a regular routine - you need to remember to train it.

Sandwich Your Day With Gratitude

By that I mean: start and end your day with some sort of gratitude practice.

I love starting the day off with gratitude and I feel like it has a positive influence on the rest of my day. And I also find that ending the day with gratitude helps to bring me back to place of appreciation no matter what has happened during the day.

Grateful Thoughts Make For A Better Life

Here are a few practices to help you remember all the things to be appreciative for in your life.

Working on gratitude, no matter what's facing you, helps to reinforce your emotions. It can help make you stronger so when unforeseen stress hits, you can handle it better and spring up back better than you ever expected.

Remember The Bad Times

Thinking about a time in your life that really sucked may not seem like the best way to nurture gratitude in your daily life, but obviously, it's kind of a crucial part of becoming a more grateful person. Per The Huffington Post, "the key to leading a thankful life is acceptance setbacks as part of your overall journey."

So fundamentally, recalling the difficult times that you've already overawed, can help you gain some much-needed standpoint when it feels like you have nothing to be grateful for.

Make Time For Your Favorite People

Dr. Robert Emmons told The Huffington Post that gratitude, "actually fortifies relationships and relationships are the strongest forecasters of happiness and coping with stress." Additionally, Dr. Michael E. McCullough, a University of Miami researcher, told The New York Times that, "More than other sensation, gratitude is the emotion of friendship." So, if you want to live a more grateful life, make sure you're spending quality time with the people you love.

Make Time To Help Others

Not only does research suggest that volunteering can improve feelings of depression, but people who make time to help others usually feel grateful for the experience, because it allows them to use their talents in new, meaningful ways.

Savor The Small Stuff

OK, so maybe you're not where you want to be monetarily, and that means you can't afford to do the things you really want to do. Maybe you're going through a difficult breakup and everything seems horrible. Or, maybe everything is fine, but you're in a weird funk right now anyway. Whatever's going on in your life, though, remember that there will always be best things to adore - like pizza, your favorite TV sequence, soft clothing, and clean sheets. Try to savor the small things in life, then no matter what's happening in your universe, practicing gratitude should become less thought-provoking.
Android One smartphones have already been released in some countries around the world, offering a cheap product that could easily meet customers expectations not only because of the cost but also because of the fact that it provides almost the same specs and features just like the greatest mobile devices. Although it wasn't known if these phones would get to the American market, a new report revealed that these mobile devices will arrive in the U.S. anytime soon.

A Budget Smartphone That Could Conquer The American Market

According to the International Business Times, the Android One smartphones are set to arrive in the coming months, with the intention to repeat the success it has already achieved in other developing markets as Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and many other South Asian countries in which these mobile devices has already become some of the greatest budget smartphones ever released. Naturally, this represents a great strategy from Google, since extending the market is the best way not only to increase revenues but also to increase the brands popularity.

Apparently, the report suggests that the Android One could be priced around $200 or $300, which is practically a great price for a budget smartphone that is expected to offer great specs and features, given the fact that this is exactly the cost of the greatest mobile devices of this kind. Also, the disclosure revealed that South Korean giant LG could be the first manufacturing partner of the Android One, and when the device is out, Google could add more of these smartphones from other manufacturers.

The Android One Smartphone Will Have An Outstanding Aspect

As reported by Digital Trends, the most extraordinary detail about the Android One smartphone is that it will be updated with the latest security fixes and Android updates for a full 24 months from the date of sale, which is a strategy that could make this mobile device extremely popular and successful, considering that most of the budget Android phones currently in the American market tend to arrive with outdated software.
Twitter is selling off assets, specifically the software maker Fabric to Google.

Twitter Is Selling Its Fabric Developer Platform to Google

Google is buying one of Twitter's big assets, Fabric, which makes software for mobile apps. The companies did not disclose the information on the financial terms yet. But Twitter is said to be selling off its assets as it faces growing demand from Wall Street to reignite growth and development as user and revenue increase flattens.

According to USA Today, Google says the acquisition will help it recruit mobile developers to its cloud computing service.

"When we look at Fabric, we see it as a great opportunity to bring together two amazing developer platforms, to really have the best of breeds," said Jason Titus, vice president of Googles Developer Product Group.

Fortune reported that as for why Twitter decided to sell Fabric is because the company made that decision because it is "focusing on our core products and businesses, to best position Twitter for long-term growth." The company also recently shut down its Vine video-sharing app, which had become popular with a wide range of creative users.

Fabric made its debut to many advertising sites in 2014 but is being discarded as Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey narrows Twitter's focus by suspending some initiatives which are the most high profile such as the video app Vine.

Know More About Fabric

On the blog posted by Fabric on their site, they are already claiming that their platform is joining Google. "When we launched Fabric in 2014, our goal was to provide the best tools to help developers create amazing apps. Since then, Fabric has evolved from a suite of tools for mobile developers to a powerful platform that helps entire teams build better apps, understand their users, and grow their business."

It is also said that in just 2 years, Fabric has grown to reach 2.5 billion active mobile devices. That is a big achievement for a starting company. Aside from that, it was mentioned that Fabric's Crashlytics and Answers kits were also recently recognized as the number 1 SDKs for app stability and analytics. "We are incredibly proud of the products we have built and grateful to this community of more than 580K passionate mobile developers."
George Bush, 92, and his wife Barbara Bush, 91, have both been hospitalized on Saturday says a spokesman of the former president on Wednesday. The couple have been taken to Houston's Methodist Hospital where the ex-president was rushed to the intensive care unit to manage his respiratory problem from pneumonia. Spokesman Jim McGrath says Mrs. Bush also has been hospitalized as a precaution after being observed with coughing and fatigue.

McGrath says the former president was taken to the hospital for shortness of breath, and was given sedatives for a procedure that clears and protects the airway. His vital signs are stable and he is resting comfortably. Barbara Bush also shows signs of stable health condition but she is being carefully monitored for complications.

Jean Becker, chief of staff to George Bush, told the Houston Chronicle and KHOU-TV that the couple are expected to be discharged in a few days. Bush, who was president from 1989 to 1993, suffers from a form of Parkinson's disease. He rides a motorized scooter or sometimes a wheelchair to help him move around, the Mercury News says.

In 2012, he celebrated Christmas in the intensive care unit for another bronchitis-related cough and other medical problems. In 2015, he was taken to a hospital in Maine after experiencing a bad fall in his summer home. He incurred a broken bone in his neck.

He was again hospitalized last December in Houston for a week due to shortness of breath. Despite his immobility, Bush had a blast on his 90th birthday as he made a tandem parachute jump in Kennebunkport, Maine. He went on a fishing trip in a speedboat, leading 40 wounded soldiers last summer, just three days after his 92nd birthday, the ABC 30 says .

Bush's spokesman announced this month that he and his wife Barbara, would not attend Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration due to their advanced age and complications in health. They sent a congratulatory letter instead. The George Bush and Barbara have celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary on Jan. 6.
Tesla is under a bit of pressure to release the Model 3 within the year, despite the increasing number of reservations for the affordable electric sedan. And the company has begun battery production in its Gigafactory in Nevada, the same space will be used for other parts of the upcoming unit. That is, according to Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, who claimed the same.

As noted by C|Net, Governor Sandoval announced that Tesla will bring some of its production lines to its Gigafactory from its plant in California. More specifically, the EV company will manufacture electric motors and gearboxes. He mentioned the same during his speech, which outlined the policy initiatives he will be taking during his last two years in office.

The Gigafactory, which was built in partnership with Tesla, is going to be a monster of a plant. Engadget notes that as much as 550 new jobs will be created. But while it is good for the citizens of Nevada, it only means that individuals who have put in an order for the Model 3 are one step closer to getting the electric vehicle of their dreams.

Other than the items previously mentioned, the Gigafactory will be responsible for churning out the batteries, which are arguably the heart of an electric vehicle. The majority of the Model 3 will still be constructed on the NUMMI facility in California. The plant was acquired by Tesla after the area was vacated by Toyota and General Motors.

Currently, there are over 400,000 orders for the Model 3, of which delivery is scheduled to begin before the year ends. The sheer number of reservations have somewhat put Tesla in an unexpected predicament, as the publication notes that CEO Elon Musk was taken aback by the same. Nevertheless, the company is doing what it can in order to meet demands.

Moving production of electric motors and the gearboxes to the Gigafactory will provide Tesla with more space in its California plant. The space can then be used to produce the remaining parts of the Model 3. The question really is not if the company is doing what it can to meet demands, but whether or not it can ship the promised amount despite its best efforts.

In its most successful year to date, Tesla managed to deliver over 80,000 units in 2016. Even if the company can double this amount, it will still leave hundreds of thousands without the Model 3. However, several publications are still hopeful that the company will be able to meet its targets - both in numbers and its overall goal to make electric vehicles more available to the masses.

The Model 3, which will retail for about US$35,000, can travel over 215 miles on a single full charge. In terms of speed, the unit will be able to go from 0 to 60 kilometers per hour in under six seconds - an impressive statistic that is attached to the slowest variant. It currently has a five-star safety rating, largely because it has a bigger crumple zone on the front of a vehicle, as opposed to a standard petrol car which would house the metal engine in the front.
A new report states that around 119,000 children worldwide are born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) each year. The syndrome is a group of conditions that include mental and physical developmental problems, poor growth both inside the womb and after birth, these problems can last through adulthood and are linked with drinking in pregnancy.

An average of 10 percent of women worldwide drink alcohol during pregnancy. In some countries, the rate is as high as 45 percent according to researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. According to research the five countries that have highest alcohol consumption during pregnancy are Russia, Denmark, Belarus, United Kingdom and Ireland. Europe had about 2.6 higher prevalence of the syndrome than the global average.

The regions with lowest levels of drinking during pregnancy and fetal alcohol syndrome are the South East Asia region and Eastern Mediterranean as these regions has high rates of alcohol abstinence. Dr. Svetlana Popova, a senior scientist at the center, estimates that about 1 in every 67 women who drinks alcohol during pregnancy will have a child with FAS.

It is estimated that 15 per 10,000 people have fetal alcohol syndrome worldwide. According to the study, they are uncertain as to the factors that makes a fetus susceptible to harm from alcohol. Abstinence during the whole course of the pregnancy is the safest course of action in order to prevent having a baby with FAS according to Dr. Popova in an article by Tucson.com.

The research looked into more than 3,500 maternal records from 1990 to 2011, the rate of fetal alcohol syndrome in Ireland was also examined. According to a global study, around 60 percent of births in Ireland have evidence that their mothers consumed alcohol during pregnancy. Drinking in pregnancy is prevalent in Ireland and Irish women are rated the biggest drinkers during pregnancy according to Independent.IE.
The Mobile World Congress 2017 is taking place next month. With that, smartphone fans are already prepping up to see what this year's MWC has to offer. If you're one of the people awaiting the said event, here's a list of some of the smartphones expected for an MWC 2017 launch.

Sony 2017 Smartphone

Right now, the only solid info about Sony's smartphone plans is that the company will be holding a press conference in Barcelona at the MWC event. As per GSM Arena, the exact date for the invite is February 27 at 07:30 GMT. As for the exact Sony Xperia smartphone that the company will be launching, rumor has it that it could be the Sony Xperia successor that has been leaked in the past.

Nokia Android Phones 2017

Nokia has revealed the Nokia 6 this January and rumor has it that a follow-up launch for another smartphone will happen at the MWC event. Take note that the Nokia 6 is a midrange smartphone so fans are still looking forward to seeing a flagship Nokia device. Rumor has it that it will be the Nokia P1 and it will be up for an MWC launch.

LG 2017 Smartphone

LG has also given out invites for the company's MWC press event. As per CNET, LG will hold its press-con this coming February 26 and rumor has it that fans will be seeing the LG G6 at the said event. Right now, some of the leaked LG G6 traits include having a waterproof body and slimmer bezels.

HTC 11 2017

The HTC 11 may also be coming out at MWC 2017. However, HTC may launch it with a different name. Nevertheless, it will be the successor to the impressive HTC 10 so hopefully, it will be just as amazing.

BlackBerry Mercury Smartphone

The BlackBerry Mercury was made official this January. However, the unveiling was just some sort of a soft launch and BlackBerry hasn't given out the specifics about it yet. Needless to say, this phone could also be showcased at the upcoming MWC 2017 event.
Due to the emergence of new diseases whose pathology is not clearly known, scientists fast-track vaccines for these potentially harmful diseases to prevent the occurrence of deadly global outbreaks. A group of governments and charities have donated $460 million to speed up the development of vaccines for Mers, Lassa fever and Nipah virus. They are pleading financially-able personalities at the World Economic Forum Davos to fund the health project another $500 million.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi) hopes to achieve their goal of having two new experimental vaccines prepared for each disease within five years. The creation of new vaccines is costly, usually worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and typically takes about ten years to develop. That's why scientists fast-track vaccines to meet demands when another outbreak happens.

The undertaking of this project is significantly linked to the survival of the majority of the population as data on the effects and safety of vaccines have exposed. According to the BBC, The world has been shown how "tragically unprepared" we are when it comes to dealing and managing deadly viral exposure such as the Ebola outbreaks West Africa, and the Zika epidemic in Latin America. Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, one of the pioneering members of Cepi have stressed the challenging issue of containing outbreaks due to travel and urbanization, the itv reports.

"21st Century epidemics could start in a big city and then take off the way Ebola did in West Africa," he says. Bill Gates have also weighed in on the urgency of the development of vaccines for the three diseases which have high probability of causing a global epidemic. "Without investments in research and development, we will remain unequipped when we face the next threat," he says. Scientists fast-track vaccines to contain the serious threat to global health and its economic repercussion, ensuring rapid development of the medicine and swift delivery to prevent outbreaks.
Recent reports have given indications that Samsung is on the verge of releasing an all-new Galaxy Note 8 in 2017. According to rumors, it should be release similarly with previous Galaxy smartphones, which is probably a mid-August release date.

The troublesome Note 7

The trouble that the tragic Galaxy Note 7 has brought to Samsung and to the people will always be. Events of the device catching fire and even exploding, up to the point it had to be recalled twice, was a very traumatic experience for not just the consumers but Samsung as well.

According to reports, Samsung already claims that it now know the cause, and will be reporting their findings sometime this year. But despite that, Samsung seems to be moving on and are now focused towards reviving their lost reputation through the upcoming Note 8.

Samsung to pursue VR aspirations

According to reports, it has been mentioned that a new and improved design that features a 4K display will be featured on the Galaxy Note 8. This would give indications that Samsung is continuing its campaign of incorporating Virtual Reality on its future phones.

Samsung to develop own AI assistant

As we can recall, Samsung has recently purchased Viv Labs, an Artificial Intelligence assistant company, who were the prime creators of Apple's Siri. This has risen some expectations that Samsung is also planning to integrate their own AI assistant in both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8.

Samsung to feature bezel-free design

Samsung is also rumored to be working on a bezel-less design that will enable a much larger screen on their upcoming mobile devices. This will also come in addition to optical fingerprint scanners that will be incorporated into the glass, which could also mean the home button will be no more.

Despite all the hype, nothing is really known for now. Any potential Galaxy Note 8 release date is still months away so we will have to take all these rumors with a grain of salt.
Samsung seems to have moved on from the Galaxy Note 7 exploding battery issue and has already focused itself on the future. Several reports have indicated that the South Korean tech giant is placing a lot of its resources on incorporating a lot of next-generation features on its upcoming flagship, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

Samsung not rushing itself this time

However, potential delay in the release of the Note 7's sequel is going to be imminent, as per the report. Several sources have already claimed that Samsung is not rushing itself, and it taking its time to release the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

Also, several sources have also confirmed that the Galaxy Note 8 release date has been moved from the previously announced mid-2017 to September; about the same exact time as the expected launch of Apple's upcoming iPhone 8.

Potential Specs

Among the expected specs for the Samsung Galaxy Note, 8 is a rumored foldable display, moving from the prototype introduced by Samsung a few years ago into the real thing, ready to become the first ever handset to take advantage of the technology. This has been confirmed after several reports have leaked Samsung submitting to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that would grant them a patent for a fold-out smartphone.

AI and 4K resolution

In terms of digital assistance, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be featuring Bixby, powered by their recently acquired Viv intelligence. The screen would have 4K display resolution, ram is going to be an increase to 6GB and double for internal storage.

Hints of an upgraded S-Pen that would feature speakers and a much powerful battery has also been speculated

No more Home Button

I the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will also pack in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, including a fingerprint sensor that will be embedded in its display. This would then replace the traditional home button. Among other rumored specs, an iris scanner will also be included on the upcoming handset.
During the recently-concluded Nintendo event on January 12, the Japanese gaming company officially announced the release details for its brand-new hybrid console, the Nintendo Switch. According to their info, the console will officially launch on March 3, 2017, and will cost $299.

More info for the Nintendo Switch

Despite the event already conveying some very significant information regarding the Switch, some analysts are still claiming that we still don't know some other information regarding the Switch, specifically how is Nintendo approaching on its features and services, but some recent leaks on a Nintendo Official have given some clarification on several questions that were left unanswered.

Availability of the Switch

Being able to find a Nintendo console can sometimes be difficult, especially since Nintendo's systems are starting to become in-demand all of a sudden. Take the NES Classic Edition for example.

The Switch will launch on March 3, which isn't that far away, and some reports have already said that retailers have already stopped preorders due to the Switch being sold out. But according to the leak, Nintendo is guaranteeing that no shortage will be happening it the Switch this time around, as it has already announced that 2 million units will be shipped on its release date - ALONE.

More about the specs

It terms about specs, the leak didn't disclose anything, apart from saying that the Switch will be way more powerful than Wii U. The console, featuring no 4K display, tops at 1080p in TV mode and 720p in handheld mode.

It also exclusively uses Wi-Fi and no other type of wireless connection. In terms of surround sound, it doesn't feature an optical out, instead, it handles sound passing via HDMI.

Battery life issues

Nintendo has already claimed that the Nintendo Switch can have up to six hours of battery life, but some heavy games - like the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - will drop that length to around half that, which is really sad since people would want to have more playing hours on the go.
The mystery of the African fairy circles might finally be understood as science stepped in to give a logical explanation to the landscape. While it has been believed to be a product of a supernatural phenomenon, scientists finally have a better understanding about the intricacy and the complexity of the patterns. The new study shows how insects and plants might be clever survivors of nature.

A research recently published by the journal Nature has shed some light to the mysterious African circles that people has long been looking at as works of supernatural forces like fairies. The formations in the Namib Desert are circles of land which are a couple of feet wide. Although they create a stunning pattern over the desert, this formations had locals and scientists mystified for ages.

As the Washington Post reports, the circles in that desert appear to be almost perfectly round which are formed by fringes of grasses enclosing the round area of land. A more amusing fact about the so-called African fairy circles is that the rings align to form a hexagonal pattern which looks like it was arranged to appear like a Chinese checkers board. The rings are arranged uniformly and after some time they fade away and die. Following this nature of the African fairy circles, a lot of people believe that the patterns are out of this world.

The Himba people who lived among the African fairy circles believed in the myth that the patterns are footprints of gods who walked through Earth at the beginning of time. Others though believe that these are dead spots created when a dragon breathed his poison out through that desert. Scientists then argued over the more pragmatic reasons of the circles' existence. Some researchers claimed they were caused by tiny insects who ate the grass eventually forming a large circle pattern. On the other hand, others would believe that the formations are caused by how the plants organize themselves as noted by Phys.org.

Ecologist Rob Pringle of the Princeton University says that the African fairy circles might be a "a little bit of both" the compelling explanations. Using computer models, Pringle's team demonstrated how termites can interact with the grass that grows around their territories in a complex system to form rings. This research reportedly explained how the large circles were formed and arranged, and also revealed reasons for the emergence of the grassy spaces between them. While the results of the research do not give definite answer to why the fairy circles grow, it is believed that these African fairy circles teach a lesson in math, geometry and physics as taught by no less than nature itself.


In his campaign for president, Donald Trump tapped into the viral anger over H-1B use. The outsourcing of high-skill jobs is a "tremendous threat," he said. Disney workers who trained visa-holding replacements spoke at some of his rallies.

But soon after the election, President-elect Trump assembled a 16-member team of CEO-level executives to advise him on job creation, including many from firms that send jobs overseas and have advocated for an H-1B cap increase.

[To comment on this story, visit Computerworld's Facebook page.]

Trump's appointments included one of the pioneers of offshore outsourcing to India: Jack Welch, the former chairman and CEO of General Electric. Also on this committee is Bob Iger, the chairman and CEO of Disney, whose offshoring of Disney IT workers was a topic at a Republican presidential candidate debate.

The chairman of the "President's Strategic and Policy Forum" is Stephen Schwarzman, the chairman and CEO of Blackstone, a private equity firm that is betting on the success of IT offshore outsourcing. Blackstone last year acquired a majority stake in Mphasis, an India-based IT services firm that is categorized by the U.S. as H-1B dependent, meaning 15% or more of its workers are on a visa.

At the time the Mphasis deal was announced, India's Economic Times wrote this about Blackstone: "The all-cash deal reinforces" the "firm's bullish outlook on the outsourcing business as more and more global clients ship out IT jobs to emerging markets such as India and save costs."

Mphasis and Blackstone both declined to comment for this story.

Some members of Trump's advisory committee belong to groups that advocate for an H-1B cap increase. Iger, for instance, is also one of eight co-chairs of the Partnership for a New American Economy, a high-profile organization advocating for an increase in the H-1B visa cap.

Following Trump's appointments, the Partnership for New York City, a business group, issued a report (PDF) detailing five "federal priorities." One priority includes immigration reform to increase the H-1B cap and allowing U.S. companies "to hire skilled workers based on labor market demands, not fixed and arbitrary quotas."

The Partnership for New York noted in this report that six of its members were members of Trump's economic advisory committee.

The partnership wrote: "Policies that promote the continued growth and vitality of New York City and the nation will have forceful advocates on President-elect Donald Trump's recently announced Strategic and Policy Forum, chaired by partnership co-chair Stephen Schwarzman (Blackstone) and including partnership members Jamie Dimon (CEO, JPMorgan Chase), Larry Fink (CEO, BlackRock), Rich Lesser (Boston Consulting Group), Ginni Rometty (CEO, IBM) and Mark Weinberger (CEO, EY)."

The Trump committee's expertise on IT offshoring is deep. General Electric, under Welch's leadership, was one of the first firms to utilize India for offshore outsourcing.

"Welch was the pioneer of, and chief evangelist for, offshore outsourcing," said Ron Hira, an associate professor of public policy at Howard University and co-author of a book that documents the history of offshoring, Outsourcing America.

IBM's U.S. workforce has been declining for years, but in 2010 the company stopped reporting its U.S. headcount, and provided only a global headcount. Soon after being appointed to the Trump committee, IBM's Rometty announced plans to hire 25,000 workers in the next four years, but the company declined to disclose its current U.S. headcount or how many of those workers were a net addition.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon is also on the Trump committee; the company was criticized last year by the AFL-CIO for its use of IT offshore outsourcing contractors. The company, in response, said the vast majority of IT workers were U.S. citizens.

But Trump, despite this CEO committee's preference for an H-1B cap increase, has appointed people who want the opposite to happen, namely Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), his Attorney General nominee. Sessions is one of the Senate's leading advocates for H-1B restrictions.

At a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing last week, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the committee chairman, questioned Sessions about the H-1B visa.

"The Obama administration has failed to protect American workers," said Grassley, who has also sponsored bills seeking restrictions on the H-1B visa use. "Will you be more aggressive in investigating the abuses of these visa programs?"

Sessions responded: "It's simply wrong to think that we're in a totally open world and that any American with a job can be replaced if somebody in the world is willing to take a job for less pay."

Sessions said he will investigate the H-1B program, but said reform will require legislation.

It remains to be seen how aggressive the Trump administration will be on H-1B use, and also whether it will have much impact on U.S. firms that want to offshore jobs.

For their part, IT offshore outsourcing firms are betting on restrictions, not a cap increase, and are adjusting their business models.

"The leading Indian IT suppliers are already focusing on increased U.S. onshore investments -- and this isn't only because of the Trump fears, but also because they need more IT staff more closely aligned with customer needs and digital business models," said Phil Fersht, the CEO and chief analyst of HfS Research, which examines this market.

Fersht points to Wipro, an India-based IT services firm, as an example. It recently acquired Appirio, an Indianapolis-based cloud computing consultancy, for $500 million.

The major Indian IT services firms "have long needed to globalize their delivery base and President-elect Trump is merely an added incentive for them to do so," said Fersht.
China intends to develop a prototype of an exascale supercomputer by the end of 2017, tweaking an exascale delivery date that's already well ahead of the U.S. The timing of the announcement, reported by an official government news service, raised the possibility it was a message to President-elect Donald Trump.

China's announcement comes the same week Trump takes office. The Trump administration is bringing a lot of uncertainty to supercomputing research, which is heavily dependent on government funding.

[ Further reading: The march toward exascale computers ]

"The exascale race is also a publicity and mindshare race," said Steve Conway, a high-performance computing analyst at IDC. "The Chinese are putting a stake in the ground and saying we're going to have a prototype computer soon, maybe a year or so sooner than people expected," he said.

The Hill reported Thursday that the Trump administration is planning deep cuts at the U.S. Department of Energy, which funds the development of the America's largest supercomputers.

This report, which didn't name sources, said the Trump administration was considering cutting advanced scientific computing research to 2008 levels, a position advocated by conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation.

China's exascale prototype update, a system previously expected in 2018, arrived at the same time a U.S. Senate committee held a confirmation hearing of Rick Perry, the former Texas governor and Trump's nominee for Secretary of Energy.

Perry once called for the elimination of the department, but at today's confirmation hearing he said he regretted that earlier statement.

"I am a major proponent of maintaining American leadership in the area of scientific inquiry," said Perry, in prepared remarks to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "I support the academic and government mission of basic research, even when it will not yield benefits for a generation."

[To comment on this story, visit Reddit, where discussion has been lively.]

China is building a supercomputing program not only to advance its scientific research capabilities, but to help it develop an IT industry independent of U.S. technology. Its TaihuLight system was built entirely with Chinese-produced microprocessors.

"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, according to the report in the China Daily.

China had previously set 2020 as its delivery date for an exascale system, so the prototype plan does not change the broader deadline.

TaihuLight, can reach a peak of just over 125 petaflops. A petaflop system can perform one quadrillion arithmetic operations per second. An exascale system is 1,000 petaflops.

"It's not exactly clear what an exascale supercomputer prototype means," said IDC's Conway. The size of it is unknown, but he expects it will be a system with the same architecture of an exascale system, but a smaller version of it.

The U.S. has set a 2023 timeframe for development of an exascale system that is fully capable of running applications. The U.S. plans to order the systems in 2019, but the Trump administration may have different goals. Japan, Europe and maybe even Russia are in the race to build exascale systems.

The Department of Energy develops and safeguards the nation's nuclear weapons. It uses supercomputers to conduct simulations of nuclear weapons. But these systems are also used heavily for basic research by academic and industry researchers throughout the U.S.
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LOOKING BACK

EACH week we look back at Isle of Wight history and heritage, using the Isle of Wight County Press Archive.

For more, please see the Isle of Wight County Press newspaper, every Friday.

Search for your own stories by accessing our archive here.



Ten years ago: Councils and governments putting right the ills of society, stopping war and saving the planet from environmental disaster, were some of the hopes of IW schoolchildren for 2007.

A group of pupils from Somerton Middle School, Cowes, echoed some of the pressing issues most youngsters wished to see resolved.

Speaking of the war in Iraq, Shaun Riddick, 12, said: "It is diabolical and I hope it will get sorted out so no more lives are taken."



100 Years Ago - January 13, 1917



THE need for potato cultivation was among the most pressing issues.

Yarmouth Parish Council met to address the dire shortage of potatoes and how to increase yield.

Re-elected to the position of chairman was Lord Holmes, a man whose familiarity with growing potatoes was desperately needed during a time of famine.



75 Years Ago - January 17, 1942



A Wootton man was was decorated with the Meritorious Service Medal.

Mr William Gilley, of New Road, was bestowed the honour for his long and highly meritorious service.

The retiring Mr Gilley was already a decorated veteran of India.



50 Years Ago - January 7, 1967



For more than a century, steam trains made a significant contribution to the life and development of the Island.

That era came to an end, however, after the old trains were replaced with electric transport, over what little remained of the Island rail network at the time.



25 Years Ago - January 10, 1992



Apparently in an effort to corroborate claims the Island was among the most haunted places in the world, local psychic investigator Sara Williams claimed to have seen three ghosts at an unoccupied building on the outskirts of Brighstone.

Sara paid a visit to the building after two builders claimed to have heard footsteps and were troubled by a "cold and unpleasant atmosphere".



10 Years Ago - January 12, 2007



Coded letters written by King Charles I while imprisoned in Carisbrooke Castle were finally decoded by Dr Sarah Poynting, of Keele University.

The letters, which were of a raunchy nature, were addressed to the stepdaughter of one of his courtiers.













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The status of Winston-Salem as the U.S. home base for British American Tobacco PLC was made clearer Wednesday by the global tobacco giant.

If regulators and shareholders approve BATs $49.4 billion offer for Reynolds American Inc., the company would become BATs largest global subsidiary.

BAT has no plans to close or move the head office in Winston-Salem, nor make any significant changes to the current high-quality manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Tennessee, nor to the trade marketing team, BAT said in a regulatory filing.

It does not see the need to make material changes, post-completion, to the way Reynolds and its subsidiaries operate.

The declaration was part of the initial rolling out of British and U.S. regulatory filings related to the ground-breaking offer.

Reynolds had 5,600 full-time and 100 part-time workers companywide as of Dec. 31, 2015. Reynolds is estimated to have about 2,000 local employees, the majority of whom work at its Tobaccoville plant.

By comparison, BAT has about 50,000 employees worldwide in more than 200 markets, but none in the United States.

BAT is confident that not only will the great majority of jobs in the Reynolds family of companies be preserved following completion, but in the future, as a stronger, combined organization, we believe there is a possibility of U.S. job growth and expansion, according to the filing.

BAT has identified three main areas for cost synergies that are expected to produce at least $400 million in annual savings by completion of the third year of the deal. They are in procurement, product development and head office roles that need to be relooked at, said Nicandro Durante, BATs chief executive.

The majority of the synergies will be coming from procurement primarily, Durante said.

BAT said it expects to offset other potential cost cutting through revenue gains in the U.S. market.

Durante said BAT expects to need up to six months to determine whether to add Reynolds revenue into its Americas portfolio or list it separately.

Reynolds to gain

three BAT board seats

Initially overlooked was the fact that three members of Reynolds board of directors though none of the five affiliated with BAT  will join the BAT board if the deal is completed.

Reynolds shareholders would own 19 percent of BAT and represent about 40 percent of the combined companys profits. BATs policy is to pay at least 65 percent of its profit as a dividend.

The nine eligible Reynolds board members include Chairwoman Susan Cameron, Chief Executive Debra Crew and former top Lorillard Inc. executive Murray Kessler.

A group of six independent directors (former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, Luc Jobin, Holly Koeppel, Nana Mensah, Lionel Nowell III and John Zillmer) made the decision to approve the BAT offer after turning back an initial $47 billion offer in mid-November.

There are currently 11 BAT board members, none of whom is from the United States. It appears the three Reynolds directors will be selected by BATs board and a transaction committee.

BATs nonexecutive board chairman, Richard Burrows, received $893,483 in overall compensation for fiscal 2015. The compensation range for a nonexecutive board member was $120,442 to $212,617.

The amount differed based on their participation in select committees, including serving as a committee chair.

By comparison, the compensation for Reynolds nonexecutive board members ranged from $430,000 to $475,000 for fiscal 2015.

Explaining a few of the financial formalities

BATs revised offer is valued at $29.44 in cash and $30.20 in BAT shares, or $59.64 per share overall. The breakdown is $24.4 billion in cash and $25 billion in British Tobacco American depository receipts, known as ADR, that are valued at 0.526 BAT shares for each Reynolds share.

According to Investopedia, an ADR is a stock that trades in the U.S. but represents a specified number of shares in a foreign corporation.

The regulatory review process is expected to take between four and five months, some of which will be taken up by BAT fulfilling a requirement to register the ADR shares with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

BAT plans to establish a Level III ADR with the New York Stock Exchange. A Level III ADR is considered as the most prestigious of the three levels, in part because they can be used to raise capital through a public offering.

BAT has committed to handling each companys legacy debt on an equal footing without any display of preference.

Durante said he expects regulators to support the deal given that the company already has secured $25 billion in debt financing. Analysts with Seeking Alpha said the deal could increase the companies combined debt levels to as much as $62 billion, compared with about $3.7 billion in cash.

Bank of America Corp. is one of the five debt lenders at $5 billion apiece. The others are Citibank (combining its London and North American outfits), Deutsche Bank, HSBC and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Japan regulators also

must approve deal

The necessity of Japanese regulatory approval of the deal relates to Reynolds January 2016 sale of the international rights to its Natural American Spirit superpremium cigarette brand.

The $5 billion in cash that Reynolds received from Japan Tobacco Group is a pivotal means for how Reynolds is reducing the debt it took on in its $29.25 billion deal for Lorillard Inc.

Reynolds agreed to sell the nine international companies that distribute and market Natural American Spirit outside the U.S. It also agreed to make certain brand styles on a contract basis, initially through Dec. 31, and now through June 30.

Japan Tobacco has not determined a specific time frame on when it will be moving the manufacturing to Japan, according to Tyler Tebbs, an analyst with Olivetree Financial Ltd. of London.

Although a surprise to market participants, there is sufficient justification for a Japanese antitrust review, and securing approval will likely pose no issue to the transaction, Tebbs said.

The sales generated from the legacy contract are the sole trigger for the antitrust review, he said. Given that they are minimal in nature, expectations for an extended review should not be a high probability.
Authorities arrested a second man Wednesday in connection with Tuesday's bank robbery in Yadkinville.

Concord police arrested Valentino Cabral Darosa, 24, of Concord and charged him with conspiracy to commit robbery with a firearm, Yadkinville police said.

Yadkinville police detectives linked Darosa to the robbery at the Capital Bank in the 500 block of East Main Street in Yadkinville, police said.

Yadkinville police arrested Angel Brown Vazquez, 24, Tuesday and charged him with armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a felon, carrying a concealed weapon, and two counts of assault by pointing a gun, police said.

Darosa was taken to the Cabarrus County Jail and booked under a $500,000 bond, police said. Vazquez was taken to the Yadkin County Jail with his bond set at $500,000.
A massage therapy student is charged with sexual battery after being accused of a sexual assault during an after-school-hours massage on the campus of Davidson Community College in Thomasville.

The college resource officer received the report, which alleged the assault occurred in November. The accuser, also a student, said she was grabbed by 33-year-old Matthew DeBlasio. The accuser did not suffer any physical injury as a result, the Davidson County Sheriffs Office reported.

Deblasio, of Advance, was jailed at the Davie County Detention center under a $2,500 secured bond. He was also banned from the college, the sheriffs office reported.
A federal judge has set a Jan. 27 hearing to address legal complaints surrounding Gov. Roy Coopers attempt to expand the state Medicaid program.

Judge Louise Flanagan said Thursday the hearing, if necessary, will be held in New Bern.

Before Flanagan are Republican legislative leaders injunction thats set to expire Jan. 24, and the motions by state and federal Departments of Health and Human Services officials to dissolve the injunction immediately.

Expansion supporters, as well as several academic studies, have determined such a move could benefit more than 500,000 North Carolinians  potentially raising total Medicaid recipients to 2.4 million.

Public Policy Polling released Thursday the results of its latest survey of North Carolinians, conducted Jan. 13-16, that included a question of whether North Carolina should accept federal funding to expand Medicaid.

The group found that 63 percent of 953 voters support Coopers expansion effort, while 25 percent are opposed. About 86 percent of Democrats support expansion, while only 38 percent of Republicans do. Of the surveyed voters, 47 percent said they voted for Donald Trump for president, while 43 percent for Hillary Clinton.

Flanagan issued a temporary injunction order Saturday. It bars the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from acting on Coopers plans to amend the states $14 billion program through a waiver request.

Cooper declared Jan. 6 his proposal to expand Medicaid. Before the temporary injunction was granted, Cooper had planned to submit his formal request to CMS by today.

The Medicaid reform waiver request, submitted June 1 by the McCrory administration, focuses on creating a hybrid oversight solution involving for-profit insurers and not-for-profit health care systems with no expansion element.

On Jan. 13, Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, and House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, sued the two health departments. In a statement, they referred to the state Medicaid program as a welfare entitlement program, and Coopers request as an expansion ploy.

The motion by interim state DHHS Secretary Dempsey Benton 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. The motion also claims the lawsuit targets the powers conferred to the executive branch.

The motion by outgoing federal DHHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell claims the legislators lawsuit does not belong in federal court. 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, Burwell said.

Burwell was quoted by McClatchy on Jan. 9 as saying, We will process the governors proposal as expeditiously as possible when we get it.

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.

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. He also is urging the states major healthcare systems to help pay the states 5 percent funding match.

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 Associated Press reported Thursday that several Republican governors, who have chosen not to expand Medicaid in their states, are asking the Republican-controlled Congress to approve other options for providing insurance for low-income Americans.

For example, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker  who ran briefly for the GOP president nomination in 2015  continues to pitch his idea of sending federal Medicaid funding to states as a block grant as well as reducing limitations on how the funding is spent. The governors in Indiana and Michigan are making similar pitches.

Ron Pollack, with left-leaning Families USA, told AP that GOP governors may be putting their hands out for money to expand Medicaid now since it is going to be much more palatable for Republican governors to seek additional funding through a Republican-controlled Congress.
DANBURY  Legal issues arising out of a confrontation on Election Day between well-known political activist Steven Hewett and another man came to an end Thursday morning after a judge denied Hewetts request for a restraining order.

And a Stokes County prosecutor announced in court that he would be dismissing a disorderly conduct charge that Hewett had filed against the man, Ronald Edward Shouse, earlier this month.

Prosecutors had already dismissed criminal charges against both men in November and December. Hewett had been charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, and Shouse had been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and careless and reckless driving after police said he struck Hewett with a silver truck. Hewett is well-known in King for the lawsuit he filed several years ago objecting to a Christian flag being flown at the Veterans Memorial at King Central Park as well as a statue of a soldier kneeling at a cross. The lawsuit was settled in 2015.

On Jan. 11, Hewett filed a request for a restraining order against Strouse that was based on the same incident at the American Legion in King on Nov. 8. Judge William Southern of Stokes District Court denied a temporary restraining order.

Hewett came to Stokes District Court on Thursday to ask for a restraining order against Shouse that could last at least a year. But Judge Charles M. Neaves Jr. of Stokes District Court denied that request after a short hearing.

Election Day confrontation

Hewett, a U.S. Army veteran, testified that on Nov. 8, he was campaigning for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at the American Legion polling site. He held a Veterans Against Trump sign, referring to Donald Trump, who won the U.S. presidency. He also had pro-Clinton signs.

Shouse, who is also a veteran, was with other American Legion members about 50 yards away, Hewett said. Shouse began taunting Hewett, shouting, Hey you, come on over here, according to Hewett.

At some point, Shouse lifted his arm and made it appear he was pointing an imaginary rifle, Hewett said. Shouse also flipped Hewett the middle finger with both hands.

Hewett said Shouse also made statements denigrating his military service. Shouse also said he had drawn a gun on people many times before, Hewett said. There was a break and then later, Hewett said Shouse hit him with the silver truck. Hewett was not injured and declined medical attention.

Hewett was wearing a body camera that recorded the incident, and he showed that video and another video to Neaves.

Mark Jones, Shouses attorney, made a motion to dismiss, arguing that Hewett did not make a sufficient case for stalking or harassment. Jones said Hewett didnt have any evidence that Shouse had followed him or had any contact, either through phone, email or social media, before or after the Nov. 8 incident. State law, he argued, requires that allegations of stalking happen multiple times on more than one day.

Hewett disputed that, saying that the law doesnt specifically say that harassment or stalking happened on more than one day; it could happen on the same day. He said that Shouse first harassed him and then intentionally hit him with his truck. If Shouse had not hit the brake, he could have seriously injured or killed people, Hewett said.

On cross-examination, Jones implied that Hewett was the aggressor in the confrontation and not Shouse. He pointed out to Hewett that based on the body-camera footage, it appeared that Hewett wasnt passing out any campaign flyers and was directing his attention to Shouse and others.

Hewett said he called Shouse a coward and had made statements that he would not be provoked by Shouse. Jones argued that this indicated that Hewett was not afraid of Shouse. Jones also asked whether Hewett grabbed his genitals; Hewett denied that allegation.

Jones said both Hewett and Shouse attend meetings at the American Legion and that under the requested restraining order, Shouse would be prohibited from the American Legion at certain times.

Neaves ruled that there was insufficient grounds to grant the restraining order after the hearing.

Charges dropped

Assistant District Attorney Josh Simmons, who attended the hearing, said in court that after hearing the testimony and viewing the videos, he would voluntarily dismiss the disorderly conduct charge against Shouse. Shouse had been scheduled to appear in Stokes District Court on that charge, but the hearing will now be cancelled.

Prosecutors dismissed charges against Hewett after a Nov. 30, 2016 hearing in Stokes District Court. They also dismissed the earlier charges against Shouse on Dec. 5.

Simmons did not return a message seeking comment. Stokes County District Attorney Ricky Bowman did not return multiple calls. King Police Chief Paula May said she was familiar with the case but didnt have any information to add.

In court, Hewett called the decision by prosecutors to drop criminal charges against Shouse appalling. In an interview last week, Hewett said he was told that the charges were dismissed because he suffered no injuries.

So you can assault someone with a deadly weapon and, as long as theres no physical injury, you can get away with it? he said.

Hewett also made reference a December attack in Berlin when a man drove his truck through a crowd of people.

Whats the difference between this and the ISIS attack in Germany? I wasnt standing alone; there were others around me. Its lucky he didnt hit anyone else.
Hannah Davies was 7 years old when she sat with binoculars on her fathers shoulders on Jan. 20, 2009 to watch Barack Obama officially become the first black president.

Shes 15 now and is halfway through her ninth-grade year at Summit School in Winston-Salem. She knew that day was historic. All the people around her, including her parents, Valerie and Octavius Davies, were excited, she said Wednesday at her familys house in Winston-Salem.

But she didnt fully realize how historic that moment was until years later. Now, she is witnessing another historic moment  the end of President Barack Obamas two terms in office and the beginning of a new administration when Donald Trump is inaugurated Friday as the countrys 45th president.

Having a first family  President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their two children, Sasha and Malia  who are black like her has been important to her, she said.

It lets me know I can do anything if I put my mind to it and work hard, she said. Hannah said she especially appreciated Michelle Obamas message of empowerment for young girls like her.

That message of empowerment is exactly what Octavius Davies said he has tried to instill in his daughter.

I challenge her to look beyond her immediate situation, he said by phone from Las Vegas, where he is this week for work.

Valerie and Octavius Davies said they are proud of Presidents Obamas accomplishments, including passing the Affordable Care Act, approving legislation increasing regulations on banks and bailing out the auto industry.

When he went in, we were on the brink of disaster, Valerie Davies said. (Now) were in a great position.

Feeling of joy

Ernestine Griffin was also at the 2009 inauguration.

It was a feeling of togetherness, she said. It was a feeling of joy and I remember standing there with a young man and his daughter and everybody was just happy about electing a black president. It was one of those things where we were thinking that this is something good and something good is going to come out of it.

And eight years later, she believes the Obama presidency achieved a lot of good, even though Obama faced obstacles. Griffin, who is black, is filled with pride that Obama was the first black president and handled himself well with political opposition.

She didnt support Donald Trump and was upset when he won, but she said she is still hopeful and has faith in God.

Well make it, regardless of what the situation is, she said.

Pam Kahl was among more than 200,000 people who attended the March on Washington in 1963 to advocate for civil rights for blacks. Forty-six years later, she traveled to Washington, D.C. again to the 2009 inauguration.

She had long admired Obama and saw him speak at the Joel Coliseum in 2008 while he was running for president.

I always admired his kind of demeanor and his calm response to situations and how he respected the office of the presidency and all the integrity he brought to that office, she said.

Kahl said Obama never got the credit she feels he deserved for turning the economy around and his efforts to solve the housing crisis. She said it was very cold at the 2009 inauguration, but it hardly mattered.

You felt you were part of history, she said.

As much as shes happy with Obamas presidency, she is worried about the incoming Trump administration.

I just do not like the bullying and the name-calling and making fun of people, she said, referring to the controversy that surrounded Trumps presidential campaign. It worries me that it will encourage other people who will behave in the same way.

Kahl said she is also concerned about the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act and whether civil rights will be threatened under the Trump presidency.

Transition worries

Some people always get worried when the political party they supported lost the presidential election and the other political party is taking over, said John Dinan, a politics professor at Wake Forest University. In this case, the White House is going from a Democrat to a Republican.

Dinan said this transition feels different because Trump is a political outsider who has never held elected office before. But this has happened before, he said. The closest parallel is when Ronald Reagan, a Republican, was inaugurated in 1981. He had held political office before as governor of California and had worked as an actor. But Dinan said Reagan also was one of the first wins of the conservative movement within the Republican Party.

And while many were shocked that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton lost the race in November, Dinan said that historically, no one political party has stayed in the White House more than two terms since World War II. Republicans held onto the White House for three terms  two terms of Ronald Reagan and one term of George H.W. Bush. Democrat Bill Clinton beat Bush in 1992.

America also has seen people attain the highest office of the land without previously holding political office, such as Dwight Eisenhower, Dinan said.

What has changed, Dinan said, is that the American public is more polarized politically. People dont tend to encounter other people who hold different political views and they also have greater ability to consume the media that aligns with their political beliefs, he said.

That means Trump wont have as much of a honeymoon as other presidents have had, Dinan said. At least 60 Democrats have said they wont go to the inauguration on Friday.

Theyve seen enough to get a sense of how things will turn out, he said.

On the night of the election, Hannah stayed up until 1:30 a.m. before finally going to sleep. She would take screen shots of election results. When she got up the next morning, Octavius and Valerie Davies told her that Clinton had lost.

She said its sad that the Obama presidency had to end. But shes thankful, too.

Im grateful for the eight years, she said.
Naturally shy, Kathy Proctor surprised herself by shooting her arm in the air when the man in front of her biotechnology class at Forsyth Technical Community College asked if anyone had a story to share.

The man was the president of the United States.

Im not normally one to speak up in a crowd but he makes you feel very comfortable, Proctor said of Barack Obama. It wasnt, Heres the president of the United States and here I am. He was genuine.

Obama popped in on her biotechnology class on Dec. 6, 2010, as part of a visit to the college to learn more about innovation and education at a time when the country was recovering from the economic downturn.

He took his time walking around the room, stopping to chat with each lab-coat-wearing student, peering at least once into a microscope.

He was genuinely interested and asked follow-up questions, Gary Green, the president of Forsyth Tech, said.

He got a good feel for what it was like for community college students to engage with federal programs. He was not just asking public questions but actually drilling down.

Later, in front of her classmates, Proctor, then 55, told Obama that she returned to school after being laid off from her job at a furniture factory, determined to set an example for her twin daughters.

Someone on the presidents team took note of Proctors resilience.

After leaving the classroom, Obama rode in the presidential limousine with Green to the colleges west campus on Bolton Road to give a speech. En route, they passed a group of school kids from St. Johns Lutheran Church on Silas Creek Parkway, smiling and waving at the motorcade.

He commented that he never got tired of seeing that, Green said.

During his 40-minute speech, Obama called for a Sputnik moment that would re-invigorate the economy, using innovation and research.

That speech was actually a test-run for a bigger speech six weeks later, the 2011 State of the Union.

In that speech, Obama revisited the idea of a Sputnik moment, a reference to the Soviet Unions earth-orbiting satellite known as Sputnik, the development of which surprised and rattled the United States, which was years behind.

Proctor was in the crowd at the State of the Union address, after getting an invitation from the White House. She sat in first lady Michelle Obamas box and pointed to herself when Obama wove her story of reinvention into his speech.

When Obama mentioned her, Proctor mouthed, Thats me. The gesture went viral, becoming fodder for a bit on The Daily Show on Comedy Central.

Nearly six years removed from those heady days, Proctor said she was sad to see Obama leave office.

Im like that man at his farewell speech who yelled, Four more years. I think hes done a remarkable job, and I think hes a people president, Proctor said.

Being an Obama backer in ultra-red Archdale in Randolph County was not always easy.

Yeah, Ive had to defend him, but I try to avoid conflict, she said.

Whether America had its Sputnik moment may be up for debate. But Proctors life has changed plenty since that classroom meeting with the president.

Working in quality control at Herbalife in 2017, Proctor said she was making more money than she ever has.

It didnt happen overnight. Going back to school allowed me to transform my life, she said. And it gave me that new career I wanted.
WASHINGTON  A recent tweet from @realDonaldTrump: John Lewis is an American hero. I look forward to working with him in the years to come.

That, my friends, is whats known as fake news. It didnt happen. I made it up.

Heres real news: Just days before his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump got into a verbal battle with Georgia Rep. John Lewis, one of Americas greatest living heroes and an icon of the civil rights movement.

As all surely know by now, Lewis said that Trump isnt a legitimate president, to which Trump retorted that Lewis is: all talk, talk, talk  no action.

Now, now, gentlemen, isnt one of you about to become president of the United States?

By all means, Irony, take a bow.

How rich that Trump would be so offended by a charge of illegitimacy when he spent years trying to prove the same about Barack Obamas presidency.

But Trump doesnt take an insult lying down, you know; when someone fires at him, he fires right back.

This impulsiveness, once perhaps a quirky habit, can have less amusing consequences in a president whose tweets can upset global relations, or worse.

Domestically, its no picnic, either.

Lewis explained that his position was based in part on alleged Russian interference with the election.

As for all talk and no action, does Trump even know who John Lewis is? The man was bludgeoned bloody by police and hospitalized for peaceably crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge during 1965s historic civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery. Obviously, Trump was referring to Lewis more recent record, but this is hardly the time to start a war with a hero  not that this is his first time. Trump also criticized Sen. John McCain in 2015, saying he was only a hero because he was captured.

Nice touch, Mr. Commander in Chief.

More to the point, his takedown of Lewis is such a waste of time and a squandering of human resources that he may need someday. What profit could there possibly be in firing back at someone so admired by so many, especially within the African-American community? By punching back, Trump stoked an opposition movement among congressional Democrats.

Meanwhile, his meeting Monday with Martin Luther King III on the namesake day celebrating his fathers life seemed like a one-upmans stunt contrived to show his bona fides among African-Americans. Trump essentially was saying that he didnt need Martin Luther King Jr.s wingman when he has Kings son in his pocket. No offense to King III, but there was only one King who led the civil rights movement  and John Lewis was by his side when it counted.

As Inauguration Day looms, one wishes that Trumps vow to be so presidential would start early. Why wait? If a presidents role is in part to unify the country, he cant start soon enough. Imagine if Trump had taken the high road in this instance. He could have not remarked at all, which would have been refreshing.

Or, as suggested in the fake news item above, he could have commended Lewis record and expressed hope that hed soon change his mind.

Trump would have seemed a beacon of wisdom, self-restraint and generosity. And Lewis, who insists he has a moral obligation to stand against Trumps history of racist and misogynistic speech and behavior, would have been seen as querulous (Lewis also boycotted George W. Bushs first inauguration), while being dispatched without dishonor.

Instead, Trumps unnecessary engagement of Lewis has pitted Democrats against Republicans: Do you stand with Trump or Lewis? Thats a helluva choice.

More than 50 Democratic representatives have sided with Lewis and plan to join him in boycotting the swearing-in ceremony and the peaceful transition of power, in effect joining hundreds of thousands of protesters for what promises to be an animated weekend.

This isnt to suggest that Lewis is necessarily right with the course he has chosen. People will have to decide for themselves if his moral objection to Trump is justified or whether boycotting the inauguration is disrespectful of the office of the presidency. (Both is a valid option.)

But theres only one person who can bring this episode to a gracious close. In my fantasy, Trump issues a statement  140 Twitter characters, if he must. It would read as follows: With this, my last tweet until I leave the presidency, I invite Lewis to the Oval Office to find mutual ground in aiding all Americans.

Its the big-league thing to do.
GERALDINE P. COOK, Wilkesboro

A chance

I am registered as an independent voter. I have never voted a straight ticket.

Why cant we give President-elect Trump a chance? Doesnt he deserve that? He may surprise us.

***

AUBREY ALBERT, Winston-Salem

Now we know

So now we know that it took the Republicans endless and pointless Benghazi investigations, Russian interference and FBI misdeeds to bring down Hillary Clinton. And she still got almost 3 million more votes than President-elect Trump.

Im still with her.

***

GWEN PASTERICK, Winston-Salem

Fair and square

If Hillary Clinton had won and was now preparing to be inaugurated, conservatives wouldnt be throwing this kind of fit. We wouldnt be marching in the streets or refusing to attend her inauguration or calling for investigations about her ties to Russia.

President-elect Trump won fair and square. This resistance business shows just how childish Democrats are.

***

DOROTHY MATHEWS, Rural Hall

Accusations and evidence

The writer of the Jan. 15 letter The same thing says that Hillary Rodham Clinton was accused of the same wrongs as the six Volkswagen supervisors recently indicted by a grand jury.

Clinton has been investigated several times by congressional committees. None of them found sufficient evidence to bring her to trial.

The grand jury found sufficient evident of wrongdoing to indict the Volkswagen supervisors. Indict in this usage means bring to trial. The evidence will be weighed at the trial to see if it proves the supervisors guilty.

Essentially the same thing? No. Our judicial system requires evidence. Accusing someone is not evidence, even if you accuse them 70 times seven times.

Oh, for the good old days before reasoning was replaced by emoting, facts were replaced by opinions and people actually knew what they were writing about. Perhaps I should have given the writer the benefit of the doubt and looked into his heart for his real meaning instead of just relying on what he wrote.

***

SHEILA JOHNSTON, Winston-Salem

Streeps concerns

Oh my goodness! I had to immediately respond to the Jan. 12 letter Holding forth.

I applaud Meryl Streeps remarks made recently at the Golden Globes. Her profession gives her a platform for advice that could help the president-elect if he chose to listen.

An engineer or landscaper might voice Streeps concerns, but I sincerely doubt the president-elect would send them a tweet.

******

PAUL S. KENNEDY, Winston-Salem

Terrible conflicts

History shows us that mixing politics and religion leads to despotism and terrible conflicts. We only need look at the church and government between the 4th and 16th centuries.

Currently, Islam in the Middle East reflects an unholy alliance of religion and government. This knowledge should make us very uncomfortable when we attempt to legislate religious views on such things as abortion and LGBT rights.

Faith prospers apart from government. Since almost all religions espouse high moral standards, free societies tend to adopt high standards and prosperity is the result. Let us remain vigilant about keeping our separation between church and state.

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By Vincent Charles Keating | (The Conversation) |  

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-elects 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 Id bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding. Were like a bunch of babies, but were going to stay within the laws. But you know what were going to do? Were going to have those laws broadened. They say, what do you think about waterboarding? I said I like it a lot. I dont think its 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 administrations 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.

Under pressure

As far as we know, Trumps 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, Im not saying it changed my mind. Look, we have people that are chopping off heads and drowning people in steel cages and were not allowed to waterboard.

Of course, just because a president supports a policy does not mean he will be able to implement it. President Obamas 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 Trumps desire to reintroduce torture is likely to materialise.

Pressure from the American public

The opinion of the American public is central to Trumps ability to institute waterboarding. He has said he takes the public mood about torture seriously. In his conversation with General Mattis, he said, If its so important to the American people, I would go for it. I would be guided by that.

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 Obamas 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.

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 CIAs 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 Trumps current pick for CIA director, Mike Pompeo, previously denounced Obamas 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 dont 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 isnt 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.

Trumps 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 Bushs 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 Trumps 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.

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.

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

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

AP: McCain Questions Homeland Nominee on Torture
Prosecutor Col. Sita Sangare, Burkina Fasos director of military justice, on Sunday announced [AP report] charges filed last week against General Gilbert Diendere for complicity in the assassination of former president and revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara in 1987. Diendere, the leader of the September attempted military coup in Burkina Faso, was the commander of the presidential guard in 1987. Blaise Compaore staged the 1987 coup that marked the start of his 27-year rule, but denies being a part of Sankaras killing. Compaore resigned in October 2014 [BBC report] after a military takeover and protests against his plan to issue a constitutional amendment that would extend his 27-year term. The Sankara family lawyer said several others have been arrested and charged in relation to the assassination since the October autopsy revealed [Medafrica Times report] that Sankaras body had been riddled with bullets.

Burkina Fasos government has been the subject of intense upheaval for the past few years. Sangare said that he has charged 23 people [Reuters report] so far with charges ranging from murder and concealing the bodies of the dead to threatening state security and fraud in relation to the September coup where at least 11 people were killed and more than 250 injured. In October the interim government said that Diendere would face a military tribunal after he was apprehended for his role the week-long military coup and was later charged [JURIST reports] with crimes against humanity. In August Burkina Fasos constitutional court rejected [JURIST report] a presidential candidate from Compaores Congress for Democracy and Progress Party, which marked the sixth time a candidate from that party had been rejected. In January Amnesty International urged the national government to investigate [JURIST report] excessive use of military force against anti-government protesters when Compaore exited from power.
Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] called on [official press release] Bahraini authorities Wednesday to commute the death sentences of Hussain Ali Moosa and Mohamed Ramadhan. AI warned that the recent protests against the three harsh executions carried out earlier this month risk igniting a human rights crisis. Neither of the men had access to a lawyer during their interrogations and claim they were subject to beatings, electric shocks and other torture in order to force a confession from them. The Bahraini Public Prosecutor dismissed the torture allegations without ordering an investigation and used Hussain Ali Moosas confession to convict the two men.

There has been ongoing criticism of Bahrains human rights [BBC country profile] since the 2011 uprising in which the Bahraini government called in Saudi armed forces to crush protests by demonstrators demanding a more democratic government. Last month Bahraini authorities charged human rights lawyer Mohamed al-Tajer with insulting government institutions [JURIST report]. In November AI declared [JURIST report] Bahrains human rights reforms inadequate. Last July the Bahrain High Civil Court ordered al-Wefaq, the main Shiite opposition group in the country, to be dissolved [JURIST report] because the group allegedly engaged in terrorism, extremism, and violence. Last June a UN human rights adviser called on Bahrain to ensure human rights are respected [JURIST report] following protests triggered by the governments decision to strip a prominent Shia religious leader of his nationality. In September 2015 the UN Human Rights Council released a report [JURIST report] on Bahrains human rights record. Similarly, AI released a report [JURIST report] in April 2015 declaring that reforms had failed to end human rights violations.
[JURIST] A judge for the US District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday refused to intervene [opinion, PDF] to overturn a Defense Department [official websites] decision to continue the detention of Algerian prisoner Sufyian Barhoumi [CCR backgrounder]. Responding to an emergency court petition [text, PDF], District Judge Rosemary Collyer declined to release Barhoumi, who had his repatriation granted by a government review board, but ultimately overruled by Defense Secretary Ash Carter [official website]. Barhoumis attorney, Shayana Kadidal [CCR profile], argued that Barhoumi would be at risk of not making it out of Guantanamo Bay prison under the Trump administration, which has committed [WP report] to maintaining Guantanamo Bay for future prisoner detention. Kadidal indicated that he was surprised by the Defense Departments decision to deny repatriation, considering that the government had determined Barhoumi to be no threat to the United States. Collyer stated that the defense secretary has the authority to continue Barhoumis detention, and therefore chose not to overrule it.

President Barack Obama sought to close [JURIST report] Guantanamo Bay prison while in office. Pursuant to that goal, the Obama administration has been finding new places to house detainees. Earlier this week Omans Foreign Ministry announced [JURIST report] that it accepted 10 detainees from Guantanamo Bay upon request from the Obama administration. 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. Currently 45 prisoners remain at the detention facility.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) [official website] ruled [judgment] Tuesday that a Lithuanian prisoner was improperly denied Internet access in violation of his rights. Citing Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights [text, PDF], which states everyone has the right to freedom of expression, the court held that security concerns were not a sufficient reason to deny prisoner Henrikas Jankovskis access to law courses online [BBC report].

Internet rights have become a point of increased interest as internet access has become more widespread. Earlier this month a British rights group challenged [JURIST report] a UK law that allowed the government to record the internet activity of every citizen. The EU Court of Justice condemned [document, PDF] such governmental action. In December the Council of Europe urged reform [JURIST report] of a new counter-terrorism laws in the Netherlands that similarly allowed Internet monitoring. Last year the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued an order allowing the National Security Agency to continue compiling telephone records of a California-based law firm, just one week after a federal judge ruled [JURIST report] against the part of the agencys surveillance program involving the bulk collection of domestic phone records
[JURIST] The European Commission (EC) [official website] on Thursday welcomed an agreement [press release] between Amazon and Apple [corporate websites] to eliminate their exclusivity obligations with respect to the supply and distribution of audiobooks. These exclusivity rights required Apple to source only from Amazons audible unit and prevented Amazon from distributing any music platform other than Apples iTunes store. Under this agreement to eliminate exclusivity, Amazon can now supply its downloadable audiobooks to other third party platforms, Apple can source audiobooks from alternative suppliers, and publishers and content aggregators can make distribution deals directly with Apple. The EC stated: The removal of these exclusivity obligations will allow for further competition in a fast growing and innovative market and allow European consumers broader access to downloadable audiobooks. Germanys Bundeskartellamt [press releases] also welcomed the agreement.

Many corporations with a worldwide reach have come under fire recently for anti-trust issues. In January the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that plaintiffs may sue Apple [JURIST report] for violating antitrust regulations by forcing users to purchase apps exclusively through their app store. The EU in November made allegations [JURIST report] that Google had abused its market dominance of its Android mobile phone operating system. In August the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), South Koreas antitrust regulator, confirmed that the country is investigating [JURIST report] whether Google violated the countrys antitrust laws.
The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit [official website] on Thursday struck down [opinion, PDF] Chicago restrictions on gun ranges throughout the city. The Chicago ordinances barred anyone under the age of 18 from entering a gun range, created zoning rules that prohibited gun ranges within 500 feet of schools and churches, and restricted gun ranges to manufacturing districts. The court held that these restrictions violated Chicago citizens Second Amendment rights because they were excessively broad and were not supported by evidence demonstrating the citys interest in regulating gun ranges. Circuit Judge Rovner dissented, stating:

Every jurisdiction in the country protects the health, safety, and welfare of minors by prohibiting them from purchasing alcohol and cigarettes, by restricting at what age they may drive and with what limitations, when they may enlist in the military and work  given our long history of protecting minors, even where fundamental rights are in play, stringent regulations for minors in firing ranges will withstand much scrutiny when supported by appropriate evidence.

Chicago has seen a huge spike [NYT report] in gun-related violence in 2016, with over 750 people murdered and more than 3,500 shootings. Chicago has repeatedly attempted to curb violence with gun restrictions over the past several years, but those restrictions have often been struck down by state and federal courts. In January 2014 a judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois struck down [JURIST report] a Chicago ordinance that banned the licensed sale of firearms in the city. In September 2013 the Illinois Supreme Court invalidated [JURIST report] certain provisions of the states Aggravated Weapon Use Law as unconstitutional.
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh [BBC profile] declared a state of emergency [Reuters report] Tuesday to avoid handing power over to President-elect Adama Barrow [BBC profile], who won the election last month. Gambia State Television [official website] said that the declaration will prevent a power vacuum while the Gambian Supreme Court deliberates on Jammehs petition challenging the election result. Amnesty International (AI) [AI report] that it provides no justification for a crackdown on peaceful dissent around the January 19, 2017, deadline for the new government to take office.

Gambia has been in a state of turmoil since the recent presidential election resulted in former opposition leader, and current Barrows victory over long-term president Jammeh. Earlier this week Jammeh filed for an injunction asking the Supreme Court to bar the swearing-in of President-elect Barrow [JURIST report]. Jammehs request for injunction comes in response to the Supreme Court delaying [JURIST report] the suit he filed after the December 1 election. Last month Jammeh said that he would challenge the election results before his countrys Supreme Court [JURIST report]. In November Human Rights Watch reported that intimidation of opposition leaders was threatening [JURIST report] a fair election in Gambia. This report came after the Gambian government announced that it would be leaving [JURIST report] the International Criminal Court (ICC). During the televised statement, Information Minister Sheriff Bojang criticized the court for ignoring western atrocities, referring to the ICC as an International Caucasian Court. Jammeh had previously called upon the court to investigate the death of African migrants [reuters report] attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to access Europe. Instead, Gambia alleges, the ICC has been disproportionately scrutinizing African leaders. Gambias intended departure was the third by an African nation.
Attorneys General from nine states and the District of Columbia filed an objection [brief, PDF] with the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri on Wednesday to stop a proposed settlement [materials] of a class action suit against the gun manufacturer Remington. The lawsuit alleged that about 7.5 million riffles sold by Remington had a design defect that allows the rifle to shoot without the trigger being pulled. The settlement would require Remington to repair the defect on all the allegedly defective rifles. Remington has denied any wrongdoing and denied the defect, but wants to settle the lawsuit in order to avoid further exposure. The 10 Attorneys General contend [CNBC report] that the settlement does not sufficiently address public safety concerns, because it fails to notify gun owners of the defect, the urgency of getting the rifle fixed and of the danger of a gun going of on its own. They further argue that Remingtons continued denial of wrongdoing could lull gun owners into a false sense of security, which might result in fewer people having their rifles repaired. The settlement has received heavy criticism [CNBC report] from several parties, including the presiding judge, for not effectively communicating the settlement and for being a publicity stunt for Remington. The objection from the Attorneys General comes a month before the court is set to decide whether to approve the settlement.

There have been several lawsuits against gun manufacturers of late. In October the Connecticut Superior Court dismissed [JURIST report] a lawsuit against Remington, based on Remingtons continued sale of semi-automatic rifles to the public, filed in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting. The dismissal was appealed [JURIST report] to the Connecticut Supreme Court in November. In 2004 a gun manufacturer agreed to settle [JURIST report] a lawsuit and pay damages to victims following a sniper attack in Washington DC.
The Jordanian government arrested [Al Jazeera report] eight activists last week, charging them with insulting the King and incitement to spread chaos to undermine the political regime of Jordan using social media as late as Tuesday. Those arrested include retired, top military and intelligence officials. Lawyers say that they have been unable to reach their clients, who will be held for at least two more weeks. The activists criticized corruption investigations, security flaws, and government leaders.

Free speech is often implicated in cyber crime legislation and through social media monitoring. Earlier this month HRW criticized [JURIST report] Saudi Arabia for their detainment of rights advocates often through vague provisions from the nations 2007 cybercrime law. In August of last year the National Assembly of Pakistan approved [JURIST report] the controversial Electronic Crimes Bill 2015. The law has received negative attention in the past from human rights activists for the role it could play in hindering the free speech and privacy of Pakistani citizens. In March of that year Amnesty International expressed concern [JURIST report] over the cyber-crime conviction of a journalist in Saudi Arabia for posts created under this private Twitter account.
The Malaysian court of appeal ruled Wednesday that jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim [BBC profile] can continue challenging the rejection of his petition for a royal pardon. Anwar, the former deputy prime minister, is serving a five-year jail sentence for sodomy. His next step [FMT report] is to petition the Federal Court to determine if he has the constitutional right to legally challenge the Pardons Boards decision to reject his petition. Anwars request for a pardon was rejected in 2015. In December Anwar utilized his last legal option for acquittal of his conviction when the apex court ruled his application for review was without merit. If his conviction is not overturned, Anwar is disqualified from future political positions.

Anwar was convicted of sodomy in 2014 less than a year after he led a three-party opposition alliance [JURIST report] to massive electoral gains in 2013. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determined [JURIST report] that Anwars imprisonment was political and urged his immediate release. Anwar has continually denied [JURIST report] the sodomy charge. The Kuala Lumpur High Court acquitted Anwar in January 2012, but an appeals court overturned the acquittal [JURIST reports] and sentenced Anwar to five years in prison. The opposition leader was arrested in July 2008 after he filed a lawsuit against his accuser [JURIST reports] a month earlier. In December 2010 Anwar filed a complaint [JURIST report] in a Malaysian court over a WikiLeaks cable published by Australian newspapers stating he had engaged in sodomy. Anwar was Malaysias deputy prime minister under former Mahathir Mohamad until he was fired in 1998 following earlier sodomy charges of which he was initially convicted but later acquitted. He reentered Malaysian politics following the expiration of a 10-year ban [JURIST report] against him for unrelated corruption charges.
[JURIST] A New Jersey appeals court on Wednesday upheld [opinion, PDF] the firing of corrections officer Linda Tisby, who was terminated for wearing a hijab to work as an expression of her religious beliefs. Tissuey, who had worked for the jail for 13 years, argued that her beliefs required her to wear the religious headscarf while she was at work and that her firing was a violation of New Jerseys Law Against Discrimination [text]. The court, however, disagreed [USA Today report] holding that Tisbys hijab was an exception to the law as it would cause an undue burden on the jail due to overriding safety concerns, the potential for concealment of contraband and the importance of uniform neutrality. Several groups have expressed concern with the ruling, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations [advocacy website] calling the ruling negative precedent.

Hijab, burqas and other religious symbols have been a controversial subject. Last year a Canadian Superior Court justice ruled that a decision to deny a womans case in court because she refused to remove her hijab went against [JURIST report] the fundamental principles of Canadian law. In 2013 a Quebec official proposed a bill [JURIST report] banning religious headwear for public workers. Belgium officially banned [JURIST report] burqas in July 2011. Frances ban on burqas took effect [JURIST report] in April 2011. Some commentators have suggested that the rationales behind the European burqa bans are weak [JURIST op-ed] and that the true purpose of the bills is societal discomfort.
Seventy-seven advocacy groups penned a letter [text, PDF] to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg Wednesday asking for transparency in the social media websites censorship of speech. The groups are concerned with Facebooks censorship of people of colors posts, mainly regarding political speech and law enforcement. The letter was backed by 77 different groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website]. The letter criticized the website for taking down posts against police, yet not doing enough to to white supremacists on the platform. Facebooks third-party complaint process has failed to prevent the spread of violent threats and harassment by white supremacist hate groups on your platform the letter states. The groups are seeking to add transparency to why the website removes certain posts, including an independent public report over the censorship data. The groups are urging that Facebook comply with their recommendations in order to preserve free speech and human rights.

This is not the first time that Facebook has been approached by advocacy groups in order to produce greater transparency. In October groups sent a different letter [text, PDF] over Facebook allegedly deleting posts [JURIST report] over human rights abuses. Earlier in January the European Commission proposed stricter rules [JURIST report] to govern electronic communications, which would have overreaching consequences over social media websites. In July 2016 a lawsuit was filed against Facebook for allegedly facilitating [JURIST report] Palestinian military attacks.
The Romanian justice ministry on Wednesday published a draft of a plan to lower prison overcrowding that involves pardons for thousands of prisoners [press release, in Romanian], but the plan was met with protests around the country. Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanus proposed emergency ordinance would bypass parliamentary and presidential approval and release approximately 2,500 prisoners. The main focus would include sentences less than five years, excluding sexual offenses, violence and corruption, and inmates that are over 60 years old, pregnant or with young children could have their sentences halved. Protests [AP report] occurred in the Romanian capital of Bucharest as well as a few other cities. Grindeanu and the proposal also received political criticism from an opposition leader and General Prosecutor Augustin Laza.

Prison overcrowding has been a widespread issue all over the world. Earlier this month the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Hawaii filed a complaint [JURIST report] with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), stating that overcrowding in the state correctional facilities is resulting in violations of the prisoners Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. In December Bolivia President Evo Morales pardoned 1,800 prisoners [JURIST report] in a continued attempt to cut down on prison overcrowding. More than 2,000 inmates across Zimbabwe were granted amnesty and released from prison [JURIST report] in May 2016 due to overcrowding and a lack of food.
The Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday refused a request by the prosecutor to issue a warrant of arrest against Jay Y Lee [Forbes profile], the chief of South Koreas largest company, Samsung Group. Lee is accused of giving large donations to non-profit organizations run by a close friend of the President of South Korea, in exchange for governmental favors. Among the accusations is that Lee donated a total of USD $36.42 million to secure the 2015 merger of Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries. Lee gave testimony earlier Wednesday before the court and then waited in detention while the court decided. In coming to its conclusion, the court reasoned that there was not sufficient evidence [BBC report] against Lee to detain him. Samsung Group has admitted to making the donations to the non-profit organizations but has denied any wrongdoing and rejected the allegation that they were expecting anything in return.

The focus on the relationship between the non-profits, the donations and the president started in 2016 and in November, the Parliament of South Korea appointed a special prosecutor [JURIST report] to investigate President Park Geun-hye for allegedly allowing individuals to influence state affairs. In November two of the Presidents former aides and a close friend of the President were indicted on corruption charges [JURIST report]. The investigation led to the impeachment of the president [JURIST report], accused of sharing confidential governmental information and extorting millions of dollars from large corporations. The investigation led to the donations made by Samsung Group and on Monday, the special prosecutor asked the court to grant an arrest order [JURIST report] for Lee.
On November 4, 1995, Yigal Amir shot and killed Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in response to the Oslo Accords peace agreement with the Palestine Liberation Organization. Amir was tried and given a life sentence for the murder. Learn more about the trial of Yigal Amir from the New York Times.
Spain-based group Ebro Foods has snapped up local organic business Vegetalia.

Ebro said today (19 January) it had paid EUR15m (US$16m) for Vegetalia from the Barcelona-based business founding shareholder Salvador Sala Druguet.

Vegetalia, set up in 1986, markets organic products from bakery lines to pasta. Its range also includes organic vegetarian foods. The company, which employs 80 staff, generated sales of EUR11.5m in 2016, Ebro said. Ebro did not disclose Vegetalias profits.

Ebro said the acquisition expands its presence in the organic market and fits its organic business in France. Last January, Ebro struck a deal to acquire French organic food group Celnat for EUR25.5m. The purchase of Celnat was Ebros first inorganic move to expand its operations in organic food.

With this acquisition, Ebro Foods increases its market share in organic food. Moreover, this is an excellent complement to the business currently operated by the group in France after buying up Celnat, Ebro said.

In December, another Spanish organic business, Biogran, was sold. Dutch food group Wessanen snapped up Biogran from local private-equity firm Nazca Capital for EUR67m.

Organic sales in Spain increased 16% to EUR1.4bn in 2015, according to the most recent data from the Spanish Ministry for Agriculture and Food.

Wessanen looks to unlock Spanish market with Biogran buy  analysis

The organic sector has been touted as one that could be fertile ground for M&A in the food sector in 2017. See our analysis here.
Mondelez International has sold a clutch of its Australian and New Zealand grocery brands, including the spread business Vegemite, to Bega Cheese for AUD460m (US$346m).

Free Report Whats the forecast for the food and grocery industry? Market drivers and inhibitors

Five-year forecasts and the impact of COVID-19

The performance of the online channel versus offline

Major trends in the market including rapid delivery, ambient retailing, supply chain disruption, and inflation Assess developments within this sector to help your business thrive in 2022 and beyond. The food and grocery sector thrived during the pandemic, largely due to the shutdown of the food service industry and the sectors subsequent necessity, panic-induced bulk purchasing, and spending more time at home. The market has grown as a result of inflation. Consumer unwillingness to go out and socialize, and the reopening of several hospitality facilities, helped maintain the demand for groceries, particularly online, in 2021. As consumer behavior changes, we consume more food and drink at home, and inflation increases basket sizes. GlobalData predicts that the sector will continue to hold a higher share than had been predicted prior to the pandemic. This is true despite the fact that the food and grocery sector's share of overall retail will decline from its peak in 2020. This report will discuss market forecasts and key themes in the global food & grocery industry in 2022 and beyond. It covers:Assess developments within this sector to help your business thrive in 2022 and beyond. by GlobalData Enter your details here to receive your free Report. Please enter a work/business email address Country United Kingdom United States Afghanistan Aland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic of The Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote D"ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and Mcdonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People"s Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People"s Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and The South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand Timor-leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Download free Report By clicking the Download Free Report button, you accept the terms and conditions and acknowledge that your data will be used as described in the GlobalData privacy policy By downloading this Report, you acknowledge that we may share your information with our white paper partners/sponsors who may contact you directly with information on their products and services.



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The acquisition includes the Vegemite, ZoOsh and Bonox brands, as well as other products that use the Kraft brand under licence, such as peanut butter, nut spreads, processed cheese slices, ambient cheese spread, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, Kraft Easy Mac and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Bega will also receive a licence to use the Dairylea brand in Australia and New Zealand.

Mondelez said the deal, which excludes international power brand Philadelphia cream cheese, will enable the US giant to further focus its portfolio and drive profitable growth by investing in its core snack categories and so-called power brands, including Cadbury and Oreo.

Begas executive chairman, Barry Irvin, said the acquisition was strategically important and company making as it will strengthen the dairy and infant formula groups position as a packaged food manufacturer. We believe these iconic brands alongside the Bega Cheese brand are strong building blocks to enable Bega Cheese to become a great FMCG business, he sad.

Bega said that it expects the Mondelez business to add pro-forma net revenue of approximately AUD310m and EBITDA of AUD45-50m in its first full year, after costs. The company noted that would be strongly accretive to earnings per share. The deal will be funded through new debt but Bega said it will also have the opportunity to deleverage in the near-term.

Mondelezs Port Melbourne manufacturing site will transfer to Bega. The transaction is expected to close in the coming months.

Related Companies
OMAHA -- A 19-year-old Omaha man accused of critically injuring a Nebraska Furniture Mart worker in a shooting in the stores parking lot had shown interest in mass murderers Jeffrey Dahmer and Charles Starkweather, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

At a hearing in Douglas County Court, a judge told Ryan Blaha that he was facing seven charges: one count of assault, two counts of attempted assault, three counts of use of a deadly weapon in a felony and one count of robbery. If convicted on all counts, he could be sentenced to up to 290 years in prison.

Blahas bail was set at 10 percent of $1.5 million, meaning he would have to post 10 percent of that, or $150,000, to be released.

Blaha was ordered to have no contact with any victims or witnesses in the case.

Blahas attorney, Steve Delaney, said his client wont be going anywhere soon.

Blaha is charged in the Jan. 11 shooting and robbery of Jared Clawson, 37, a Furniture Mart building engineer who was shot three times in the back.

As I understand it, the victim (Clawson) has had multiple surgeries and is clinging to life, said prosecutor David Wear of the Douglas County Attorneys Office.

Clawson told police he had been shot by a man who, after firing the shots, drove away in a sport utility vehicle. Police searched for a 1995 to 2001 green Ford Explorer.

Police said the assailant used a shotgun in the attack.

Wear said investigators found that Blaha had researched Dahmer, a Milwaukee man who killed 17 boys and men from 1978 to 1991 and cannibalized some of them, and Starkweather, a teenager who killed 11 people in Nebraska and Wyoming in December 1957 and January 1958.

Starkweather died in the Nebraska electric chair in 1959; Dahmer died in prison in 1994 after he was attacked by another inmate.

Wear said Blaha also shot at two other people in the Furniture Mart parking lot. He noted that several weapons were found in a house that Blaha shares with his father.

Wear also said that there is video evidence of the robbery and shooting and that Blaha tried to destroy evidence from the robbery.

A preliminary hearing for Blaha was set for Feb. 6.

Friday, Blaha appeared in court on a misdemeanor charge of shoplifting alcohol a day after the shooting.

In 2015, Blaha was convicted of misdemeanor charges of shoplifting and being a minor in possession of alcohol.
City plans 5-day smog forecasts

From:Shanghai Daily | 2017-01-18 11:33

Shanghai is working on establishing a five-day smog forecasting system to give citizens earlier warnings of air pollution, the environment authority said yesterday.

Residents are currently told of the expected air quality index and threats from major pollutants 48 hours in advance, while the meteorological bureau provides 7-day weather forecasts.

We are working on a five-day, even a seven-day, smog forecast system, which will be introduced when the accuracy of the forecast is improved, said Zhang Quan, director of the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau.

Shanghais 48-hour smog forecast has been generally accurate, but longer forecasts need more technical research and experimentation. Hopefully a five-day forecast can be put into use within this year, especially when Shanghai encounters continuous air pollution, Zhang told fellow lawmakers.

The air quality has been good since the weekend and the Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center said the AQI would climb to about 80 today.

The northern Yangtze Delta will encounter a round of light-to-moderate pollution as a cold front comes in.
Abraham Lincoln said, I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.

George Washington said, It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.

Andrew Jackson said, This book, sir, is the rock on which our republic rests.

Charles Dickens said, The New Testament is the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world.

Daniel Webster said, If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the scriptures. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper, but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how suddenly a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.

All of this has been said about the Bible, and yet we, by the voice of the U.S. Supreme Court, have killed 58.6 million humans, and the killings go on because its legal.

Gods word is still the final authority for faith and practice.

Blessed is the nation whose god is the Lord, and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance. Psalms 33:12

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Proverbs 14:34
FILE - In a Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015 file photo, former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, left, walks out of the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse after the jury deliberated for a fifth full day in his trial, in Charleston, W.Va. A federal appeals court has affirmed the conviction of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship in connection with the deadliest U.S. mine disaster in four decades. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals handed down the opinion Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, saying it found no reversible errors in trial rulings. (AP Photo/Chris Tilley, File)
FILE - In this Nov. 9, 2016, file photo, President-elect Donald Trump smiles as he arrives to speak at an election night rally, Wednesday in New York. Donald Trump enters the White House on Jan. 20 just as he entered the race for president: defiant, unfiltered, unbound by tradition and utterly confident in his chosen course. In the 10 weeks since his surprise election as the nationAos 45th president, Trump has violated decades of established diplomatic protocol, sent shockwaves through business boardrooms, tested long-standing ethics rules and continued his combative style of replying to any slight with a personal attack _ on Twitter and in person. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 10, 2015, file photo, municipal workers search Reunion Island beaches where expected debris of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 could be washed up onto the shore near Saint-Andre, on the French Island of Reunion. While search crews spent years trawling in futility through a remote patch of the Indian Ocean for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, people wandering along beaches on the other side of the ocean began spotting debris that washed ashore. Those pieces provided key information and raised questions whether Malaysia, Australia and China - who funded the hunt for the underwater wreckage - missed key opportunities by failing to organize coastal searches for plane parts. (AP Photo/Fabrice Wislez, File)
The State Councils sixth plenary meeting, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing on Jan 18, discussed drafts of the government work report, which will be sent to provinces and departments of the central government for advice. The final version will be submitted at the Fifth Session of the 12th National Peoples Congress (NPC).

Delivering the government work report to NPC is the legal obligation of the State Council, and the government needs advice from all sectors for further improvement of its work, according to Premier Li.

Despite complex domestic and international situations, China still met the targets of major economic and social development. The economy remains stable, employment and peoples income keep increasing, and peoples lives have been improved, he added.

Such achievements are not an easy job and give us confidence and determination to move forward, the Premier said.

This years challenge is still huge, said the Premier, stressing that facing more economic uncertainties at home and abroad, it is important to be mindful of potential dangers, and maintain confidence at the same time.

He urged authorities at all levels to implement new development concepts, and make progress with steady steps to upgrade the real economy and improve peoples lives by enhancing service and promoting supply-side structural reform.

The Premier stressed that all regions and departments should complete key tasks of the first quarter by fully implementing existing policies, thus laying a solid foundation for the whole year.

They should also keep a close eye on the changes in main economic indicators, speed up research on new measures and expand the reform of all sides to further release market vigor and raise peoples creativity, added the Premier.

He also urged the government to actively respond to peoples concerns and help improve their lives, stabilizing the market, and adjusting economic structures.

Vice-Premiers Zhang Gaoli, Liu Yandong, Wang Yang and Ma Kai, State Councilors Yang Jing, Chang Wanquan, Guo Shengkun and Wang Yong, and others in the State Council also attended the meeting.
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Lets start with the most important part first. Your primary goal while in residency/fellowship is to become a great doctor. The kicker is that you also have to devote some time to your finances and not completely neglect them. We will outline the few financial items you should worry about while in residency.

Student loans

If you dont have student loans, go ahead and skip to the next item; however, the unfortunate fact is that most medical residents are straddled with student debt and lots of it. Personally, I think getting your student loans organized as an intern/PGY-1 is one of the most important financial tasks a medical professional can do.

The desired goal of any medical professional should be to have their student debt forgiven, thanks to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). The best shot you have at PSLF is by starting your debt payments right out of medical school. PSLF will require 120 payments (10 years) on your federal consolidated loans to have them forgiven. The 10 years are critical because your residency/fellowship can be anywhere from three to seven years. Lets assume it takes you six years, you now only have four years left to qualify for PSLF.

Key things to remember for PSLF:

Consolidate your federal loans and make sure they are direct loans.

Make sure you are using an income-based repayment plan.

Dont consolidate any federal loans with private loans; you will lose your option for PSLF.

Once your salary increases with your first medical contract, so will your student debt payments since you are using an income-based repayment plan.

With any private loans, it is a good idea to look to consolidate those loans and shop around for low and fixed rates.

Budget

I know, I know, you hate this word, but it is important! The good news is that budgeting should be much easier as a resident because you probably have your first regular paychecks coming in. Most residents fall anywhere from $45,000 to $55,000 for an average salary. You may feel poor as a resident, but the reality is you are making as much as the average U.S. household, so I have faith that you can successfully build a budget and follow it.

Tip of a lifetime: Even as an attending, try to live off of your resident budget for at least a few years. Build up your savings, pay off any debt and student loans, save for a down payment on a home, max out your Roth IRA and Roth 401k/403b. Please dont buy a mansion and exotic car with your first medical contract, I beg of you!

Emergency fund

I am a little bit more aggressive here and like to usually see three to six months of income in your emergency fund (others recommend three to six months of expenses). If you are making $50,000 a year, your emergency fund should fall between $12,500 and $25,000.

Put money away each month into your savings account, not your checking account. Make sure you keep the accounts separate. I promise life will happen and you will need a sum of cash at some point (most likely numerous points). If you have an emergency, and you are stuck living paycheck to paycheck, you will probably take the easy (and wrong) roadput it on a credit card. It is very difficult to live paycheck to paycheck and hope that you can pay off your entire credit card bill each month.

Dont buy a home

We could probably stop there, but I will add some more details for you. Unless you already signed a medical contract to work in the same city as your residency, you should not be a homeowner.

Start with the basics: You work 20 hours a day = you will never see your home.

Youre a resident, so you probably dont have enough money for a 20 percent down payment. Do not listen to the mortgage broker and/or real estate agent tell you that they can get you into a home for only 3 percent down. They are salespeople and salespeople survive on commissions and will do whatever it takes to get that commission. Some physicians loans will even allow you to do 0% down with no PMI, dont take the bait! Anything less than 20 percent is not financially smart.

Homes are expensive to buy and maintain. Most buyers forget to include closing costs, escrow (property taxes and homeowners insurance) and annual home maintenance costs when picking out their dream home at 30 years old.

Tax breaks are not very attractive for home ownership as a resident. Your salesperson (sorry, I mean realtor) will hype these up but believe me, they are not attractive just yet. Unless you bought a mansion, your standard deduction should be greater than your itemized deductions (aka mortgage interest). In laymen terms, you dont need to own a home to get the larger standard deduction. Everyone gets the standard deduction.

Insurance

Malpractice should be a no-brainer. However, you also want to make sure you have reliable disability coverage in place and possibly a term life insurance policy if your situation requires it.

Investing

Investing comes last on our list for residents because if you take care of all the above items, investing should come pretty easy. Dont ignore investing as a resident. Your best chance to take advantage of compounding interest is this exact moment. Look for a Roth: Roth IRA, Roth 403b, and Roth 401k. The first rule is to always take advantage of any employer match. If your hospital offers a 100 percent match on your first 4 percent of contributions to your 403b, elect to have 4 percent of your salary go into your Roth 403b and the 4 percent match from the hospital will go to your 403b (sorry they want the tax deduction which is why they wont put it into your Roth).

Once you have done that, open your own Roth IRA. You will be able to contribute up to $5,500 per year to that account (as of 2017). If you have done all of the above and still have room to save, head back to the employer plan (Roth 403b from our example).

Learn and absorb as much as you can about personal finance. You dont have to be an expert, but know enough to make sure you are not being taken advantage of. Visit Amazon and buy Dr. James Dahles book, The White Coat Investor and/or Dr. Jeff Steiners book, The Physicians Guide to Personal Finance. They are both excellent reads and do an exceptional job equipping you with the knowledge needed to protect yourself. At the end of the day, your time is much more valuable being an outstanding doctor than a financial guru. Find a great advisor that you like and trust, ask the right questions and hire him or her to help you with your financial planning for decades to come.

Chad Chubb is a certified financial planner and founder, WealthKeel. This article originally appeared in CNBC.



Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Over the 2016 Christmas weekend, 27 Chicago citizens were shot, of which, 7 were shot fatally. While studying in a Chicago medical school in 2011, I saw the effects of gun violence first. It saddens me to realize that six years later, little, if anything has changed. This past year, Chicago has reported a total 745 homicides, a 56 percent increase since last year and the first time in over 20 years that Chicago has seen over 700 homicides within the city. On average, gun violence kills 33,000 Americans each year.

Gun violence is often framed as a divisive, often partisan, political issue; But as a physician, I see it as a major public health issue. Gun violence has been an epidemic for years, and the disease continues to spread. A distinct lack of public health research into decreasing gun violence has left our country without any viable comprehensive solutions. Only by increasing funding for research into this epidemic can we begin to study and solve this problem.

As a physician now working in the Bronx, I daily see the impact of environmental factors on my patients lives and their health As an example, I have a patient who is suffering from serious asthma. We were only able to get her symptoms under control once the construction across the street from her home stopped! On a daily basis, I have read medical research about how decreasing pollution helps patients with asthma, other articles about increasing the availability of fresh foods and vegetables to combat obesity, etc. The National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) facilitate studies to research these problems and offer solutions to inform policymakers. Where, then, is the research to inform policy on another large epidemic, gun violence, that is affecting the health of a number of my patients and our citizens?

I see first-hand the effect that the resulting lack of research has taken on my patients. The consequences are not limited to those being shot; it also affects their family, friends, community. There are patients who now suffer from heart disease and diabetes because they are too worried for their safety to go outside and exercise; there are elderly individuals who suffer from anxiety and panic attacks after seeing their family and friends suffer; there are children who are skipping health classes because they are afraid to go to school. It took the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in 2012, where 20 six and seven-year-old children were shot, to finally get Congress to consider restoring funding. Even Rep. Dickey flipped his position, stating that,  somehow or someway we should slowly but methodically fund such research until a solution is reached. Doing nothing is no longer an acceptable solution.

Now, in 2017, years after the change the CDC has little to show for it. Given gun violences role in U.S. deaths, we should expect up to $1.4 billion annually to be allocated for this research. However, only $22 million was given this past year. Without adequate funding, research cannot be completed, and, without research, evidence-based policies cannot be recommended. Without evidence-based policies, there is little hope for the future of my patients health.

Ashley Ceniceros is an internal medicine resident.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
It's been over a month since President-elect Donald Trump chose former Texas Governor Rick Perry for Secretary of Energy.

Congressman Henry Cuellar supports the nomination, and says under Perry's leadership, Texas successfully increased oil production by more than 150 percent.

He goes on to say the former governor developed one of the largest natural gas basins in the entire country and saw a massive expansion of solar energy.

Cuellar is urging his colleagues in the Senate to vote "Yes" on Governor Perry's nomination.
City leaders decide they will continue with their fight to preserve Laredo's Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance.

Council members voted to authorize an additional $150,000 to keep their outside attorneys moving forward on their appeal.

The city is hoping the Texas Supeme Court will consider taking up the appeal and over overturn the Fourth Court of Appeals decision invalidating the ordinance.

So far, the city has spent approximately $64,000 in legal fees. This new amount could bring the total legal bill to $214,000.

One councilman says they plan to fight the appeal as far as they can.

"We feel this is essential," says City Councilman Albert Torres. "It is a case we already started. We feel it is beneficial to our community. Something that has helped our environment. We feel it's an ordinance that people have already gotten accustomed to."

Several cities with similar ordinances have joined in support of the city's appeal, and have filed briefs in favor of the city.

Proponents say cities should be allowed to enact beautification laws. Opponents say these ordinances violate existing solid waste laws.
1 of 5

Youngest person in the world to travel all countries



A British traveller who has become the youngest person to visit every country in the world aged 24, has finally shared the pictures of his trip...three years after it finished. James Asquith, 28, who now works for Deutsche Bank in London, managed to visit all 196 countries from Australia to Iraq and San Marino to Serbia over the course of five years, ending his adventures in 2014.



Mr Asquith, from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, spent 125,000 Euros on the journey and it landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records last year for becoming the youngest person in the world to travel to all sovereign countries.

Read More...


A fraudster purporting to be a businessman swindled thousands of euros from unsuspecting innocent parties who wrongly believed that he would set them up with a job overseas.

Niall Minogue, Barna, Woodsgift appeared in Kilkenny District Court on Monday on foot of a bench warrant. The defendant is currently serving a six-year sentence in Cork prison for similar type offences.

Minogue (39) was convicted in the Circuit Court last November for nume;rous deception-type offences and was sentenced to six years. The final two years of his sentence was suspended on condition that he be of good behaviour and keep the peace.

On February 6, 2015 Mr Minogue met the injured party in a hotel in Dublin. The injured party told Mr Minogue that he wanted to move to New Zealand and Mr Minogue assured him he could arrange flights, employment and a visa in exchange for a cash payment.

On March 10, 2015 3,300 was lodged to Niall Minogues bank account. Nothing was received in return for the fee and the injured party reported the matter to gardai.

Solicitor Con McDonnell told the court that his client was convicted of a substantive number of similar matters before the Circuit Court in November.

He received a lengthy sentence. He is already an enhanced prisoner and he is working in the kitchens and is making good use of his time in prison.

He has shown a considerable level of remorse and is fully co-operative and made full admissions.

Mr McDonnell also outlined the reasoning behind his clients offending behaviour.

He suffered from gambling addictions for years and he used this (offending behaviour) to fuel his gambling difficulties. There was never evidence of a lavish lifestyle on his part and he has support from his family and partner.

Judge Colin Daly remarked that they were very serious charges.

I will give him credit for his early plea and his personal circumstances, he said before handing down a nine-month sentence.
South Carolina NAACP Executive Director Dwight James welcomes marchers to the organization's MLK King Day at the Dome rally at the South Carolina Statehouse on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, in Columbia, South Carolina. Monday's King Day at the Dome rally was the second since the Confederate flag was removed from Statehouse grounds and one of the most sparsely attended since the event began in 2000. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
Kiplinger is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Heres why you can trust us.
HANOI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official market and indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi at 0212 GMT.

Jan 19 Jan 18 USD/VND mid-point 22,180 22,164

USD/VND interbank 22,572/22,574 22,540/22,600 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.34/36.66 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)
HANOI, Jan 19 (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 0402 GMT.

Jan 19 Jan 18 USD/VND mid-point 22,180 22,164 USD/VND interbank 22,560/22,565 22,540/22,600 USD/VND unofficial 22,780/22,830 22,700/22,750 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.36/36.68 36.45/36.77

Interbank offered rates Overnight 4.8-5.5 4.0-5.5

1 week 4.9-5.5 4.5-5.5

1 month 5.0-5.4 5.0-5.4

3 months 5.0-5.4 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)
By Mai Nguyen

HANOI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Solid hikes in global futures coffee contracts have pulled up prices in Vietnam, the world's biggest robusta producer, to their highest since September 2011, traders said on Thursday.

Traders said robusta coffee prices in Vietnam rose to between 47.2 million and 47.3 million dong ($2,092-$2,093) a tonne on Thursday, reflecting a record high in the March ICE futures contract in London. "Farmers have released quite a lot of beans while exports orders are somewhat solid as buyers and sellers offers have met," said Phan Hung Anh, deputy director of Anh Minh Company in Daklak, the country's top coffee growing province.

Vietnamese exporters quoted robusta grade 2, 5 percent black and broken at discounts of $60-$70 a tonne to the London contract, narrowing from a discount of $80-$85 a tonne earlier this week.

But some traders fear future domestic coffee could be too costly for exporters to buy from farmers if the London price continues to increase.

"Exporters can only sell when we are able to buy beans from farmers," said another trader in Vietnam. "Importers have already asked for cheaper prices as higher London prices push up their interest loans costs as well."

Vietnam, the world's top robusta producer, exported 1.78 million tonnes (29.7 million 60-kg bags) of coffee in 2016, up 32.8 percent from a year earlier, Vietnam Customs said this week. In Indonesia, Vietnam's major rival, one trader quoted premiums of robusta grade 4, 80 defects at $20 to the March contract, slightly widening from a week earlier, while another trader priced a discount of $20 to the January contract .

Both traders said trade was light as inventory is depleting. ($1=22,564 dong)

(Reporting by Mai Nguyen; Additional reporting by Mas Alina Arifin in Bandar Lampung; editing by Susan Thomas)
* Brazil-China rates hit 15-month high for second time this year

* Qtr1 average daily earnings double Qtr1 last year - broker's poll

By Keith Wallis

SINGAPORE, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Freight rates for large capesize dry cargo ships on key Asian routes could hold steady or slip slightly next week after unexpectedly climbing this week on strong cargo volumes, ship brokers said.

"It is a case of two oceans. In the Atlantic, Vale has been active from Brazil, and volumes from Saldanha Bay in South Africa are steady," said a Singapore-based capesize broker on Thursday.

"In the Pacific, it's a waiting game with owners and charterers haggling over a 50 cent difference in the freight rate," the broker added.

This occurred as capesize freight rates on the Brazil-to-China route on Wednesday hit the highest level since September 2015 for the second time this year following a surge in fixtures.

Globally, there were 42 capesize spot charters in the week to Wednesday, compared with around 20-25 a week in December, chartering data on the Reuters Eikon terminal showed.

"Rates may tail off a little before Chinese New Year on Jan. 28," the broker said.

However, freight rates could hold around the current levels or even rise as they sometimes have in the previous years as charterers remain active despite the holiday, a Shanghai-based capesize broker said.

"The market is good, especially from Brazil where rates are at the $16,000-per-day level," the Shanghai broker added. Rates for the Colombia-to-Asia route are higher at $19,000-$20,000 per day.

"Rate levels from Brazil have strengthened as a sudden urge for prompt tonnage have cleaned out most of ballasters (empty vessels)," Norwegian ship broker Fearnley said in a note on Wednesday.

An informal broker's poll of nine ship brokers and owners on Thursday forecast daily capesize earnings of $8,500-$10,000 per day in the first quarter this year.

That compared with average earnings of $4,100 per day in the first quarter last year, data from shipping services firm Clarkson stated.

An ongoing traffic jam of around 300 capesize and panamax vessels in China's Bohai Bay has helped tighten the amount of available tonnage and disrupted future sailing schedules. Charter rates from Western Australia to China rose to $5.87 per tonne on Wednesday, up from $5.37 per tonne last week.

Freight rates for the route from Brazil to China surged to $14.07 per tonne on Wednesday, the highest since September 28, 2015, from 12.03 per tonne last week.

Charter rates for smaller panamax vessels for a north Pacific round-trip voyage slipped to $5,673 per day on Wednesday against $5,738 per day a week earlier as the number of empty ships outweighed cargo volumes, brokers said.

Rates in the Far East for supramax vessels remained steady at about last week's levels with charterers paying around $3,000 per day for ships from north China to southeast Asia, brokers said.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index climbed to 952 on Wednesday from 894 last week.

(Reporting by Keith Wallis; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
Editor's Note: This article has been corrected to show that the Goldgenie product is in fact a solid gold iPhone7 and not an iPhone7 case. The article was originally published on Monday, January 16.

If you're looking to splurge some of the profits you've made investing in gold so far this year, look no further.

Just in time for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration Friday, you can now get your hands on your very own solid gold, diamond-encrusted Donald Trump iPhone7, thanks to Goldgenie, a United Arab Emirates-based store catered to the super rich.

The product, which includes the President-elect's face on it, is priced at around $151,000 and is just one of the many gold-covered products this company sells.

As the company's managing director Frank Fernando told CNN Money last month, the idea for the unique phone came from a Chinese customer, who he preferred to keep anonymous.

"There are very wealthy, high-net-worth individuals all over the world and sometimes it's very difficult to buy gifts for them because they have everything," he told CNN.

At the time of reporting, CNN claimed that Goldgenie received nine other orders for the Trump product, adding up to roughly $1.36 million.

It might be safe to say, Donald Trump has managed to make iPhones great again!

I need one of these immediately - A Gold-Plated, Diamond-Encrusted Trump iPhone 7 cover https://t.co/ZEVHnXEm0H pic.twitter.com/to7vDIIKzN  Preston Cooper (@prestonmcooper) December 28, 2016

When you can't even afford so much as a McDonald's in January but people are paying $151,000 for a custom gold Donald trump iPhone 7 ?????? pic.twitter.com/WRyLTXsCek  PAPER a? a??i?, (@PaigeForExample) January 4, 2017

By Sarah Benali of Kitco News; sbenali@kitco.com

Follow @SdBenali
MANILA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The Philippines said on Thursday a rare surplus in domestic supply this year meant it could be technically able to export corn for the first time ever, touting Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea as possible buyers.

But with a global supply glut persisting, a leading farmers' group cautioned the Philippines would face stiff competition from exporters like Thailand, now producing low-cost, low-priced corn.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol said in a statement the domestic corn harvest this year is seen hitting 8.1 million tonnes, ahead of both projected 5.6 million tonnes domestic requirement and last year's output of 7.5 million tonnes,

"This is the first time that the Philippines will achieve a 120 percent corn sufficiency," Pinol said. Corn output will be boosted by the government's free irrigation programme and hybrid corn seeds distribution, he said.

Pinol said he would ask President Rodrigo Duterte to order the National Food Authority (NFA) to amend the country's export guidelines, reducing the 200 percent sufficiency requirement that's currently in force.

Farmers' groups were less enthusiastic about the prospect of exports.

"It would be difficult for us to export corn because of the high cost of production in the Philippines," said Rosendo So, leader of the group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura. "Who is going to buy at a high price?"

Meanwhile Pinol said production of cassava, grouped with corn in the animal feeds category, is forecast to reach 570,000 tonnes, compared with last year's output of 536,000 tonnes. Philippine animal feed makers are frequent importers of feed wheat.

(Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
Romania sells planned 500 mln lei of March 2021 T-Bonds



BUCHAREST, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Romania sold a planned 500 million lei ($118.66 million) worth of March 2021 treasury bonds on Thursday, with the average accepted yield at 2.54 percent, central bank data showed. Debt managers last tendered the paper in December at an average yield of 2.47 percent. The finance ministry aims to sell roughly 3.4 billion lei worth of leu currency bills and bonds in January. So far, it has sold roughly 2.6 billion lei. Series: RO1521DBN041 Issue date 23/01/2017 14/12/2016 Auction date 19/01/2017 12/12/2016 Maturity 22/03/2021 22/03/2021 Avg.yield (pct) 2.54 2.47 Avg. accepted price 102.7698 103.1042 Highest accepted yield 2.55 2.50 Tail (highest yield 0.01 0.03 minus average yield) Total bids 926.3 mln lei 560 mln lei Allotted 500 mln lei 424.6 mln lei Bid-to-cover ratio 1.9 1.3 ($1 = 4.2138 lei)

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in precious metal products, commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.

kitco news
Serbia's central bank sells euros to boost dinar, dealers say



BELGRADE, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The Serbian central bank sold euros on the domestic interbank market on Thursday to bolster the dinar, which remained weak for a variety of reasons, among them lower exports and less lending by banks, dealers said. The central bank, which a day earlier sold 15 million euros, stepped in with the dinar trading at 124 to euro, roughly the same as the previous close. After the euro sale, the dinar improved marginally and traded at 123.96 at 1234 GMT.

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Larry King)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in precious metal products, commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.

kitco news
BRATISLAVA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial markets on Thursday.

ALL TIMES GMT (Slovak Republic: GMT + 2 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA========================

Real-time economic data releases.................. Summary of economic data and forecasts......... Recently released economic data................ Previous stories on Slovak data.......... **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: =======================NEWS===================================

BREXIT: It would be a mistake for the European Union to emerge weaker and Britain stronger after negotiations for a British exit from the bloc, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Wednesday.

Story: Related stories: For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX Main currency report TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets News editor of the day: Jason Hovet on +420 224 190 476

E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com

(Reporting by Prague Newsroom)
TABLE-Czech 36-week T-bill yield -1.6 pct



PRAGUE, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Following are results of Thursday's auction of 36-week Czech Treasury bills . AUCTION DATE 19/01/17 YIELD (PCT) -1.600 SOLD IN AUCTION (BLN CZK) 2.001 incl.FINMIN RETAINED (BLN) 0.000 INVESTOR DEMAND (BLN) 10.501 TOTAL VOLUME (BLN) 0.00-5.00 AUCTION OFFER (BLN) 0.00-5.00 KEY POLICY RATE (PCT) 0.05 (Reporting by Jason Hovet) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in precious metal products, commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. kitco news
(Recasts with CEO interview)

* Woodside counting on $34 billion Wheatstone LNG

* Australian oil field, Senegal next in line

* Q4 revenue up 2 pct

* Sees 2017 output at 84-90 mmboe

By James Regan

SYDNEY, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Woodside Petroleum Chief Executive Peter Coleman said there's little need for more mergers and acquisitions by Australia's biggest independent oil and gas producer as it works on developing a handful of new projects at home and abroad.

The company, seen as short on growth, has had to rely on a few deals to build up reserves after being snubbed in late 2015 in an $8 billion bid for Oil Search Ltd and walking away from a $2.6 billion gas stake off Israel a year earlier.

"We're starting to get a pipeline of projects moving through," Coleman told Reuters after Woodside reported fourth-quarter revenue rose a better-than-expected 2 percent to $1 billion from the previous quarter thanks to higher oil prices.

The $34 billion Wheatstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) project off Western Australia, which Woodside bought into in 2015, is scheduled to start this year after six months of delays, followed by a second stage in 2018, Coleman said.

Wheatstone, operated by Chevron Corp , will contribute more than 13 million barrels of oil equivalent to Woodside's annual output, when complete.

Woodside expects 2017 production to fall to 84-90 mmboe from 94.9 mmboe last year, in line with two analysts' forecasts, with Wheatstone's ramp-up not enough to offset a long agreed drop in the company's share of domestic gas from the North West Shelf from May.

Woodside's shares fell 1 percent on Thursday, but analysts attributed that to profit taking following a run-up over the past two months on the back of rising oil prices.

From 2019, Woodside plan to start producing from its Greater Enfield oil project in Australia.

"Do we need to buy something? No," Coleman said. "Woodside does not need to buy to grow."

Coleman also said he was anxious to get started on development "as soon as possible" on a promising oil venture off the coast of Senegal that it acquired from ConocoPhillips last October for $440 million.

The Senegal deal gave Woodside 35 percent of the SNE and FAN oil discoveries off the West African country, setting it up to start producing oil early in the next decade.

Woodside last year also bought half of BHP Billiton's stake in the undeveloped Scarborough offshore gas field assets in Western Australia.

It is drilling in Myanmar, too.

"With their level of activity in the past several year, Woodside certainly can't be accused of inertia," said RBC Capital Markets analyst Ben Wilson. "They have been positioning themselves for growth."

(Reporting by James Regan; Editing by G Crosse and Sonali Paul)
John Armstrong writes:

Bill English has done the right thing in following John Keys example and opting to maintain Nationals prime ministerial boycott of national day commemorations at Waitangi. 

The new prime ministers decision to follow in his predecessors footsteps, and stay away from Waitangi, is the right one not only for himself.

It is the right one for the National Party.

Of even more significance, it is more likely than not the right decision for the country.

The brutal truth is that while the Treatys influence has grown to the point where it is now cemented into New Zealands unwritten constitution, Waitangi Day is sinking under the weight of its conflicting roles.

It doubles as a mechanism for acknowledging legitimate Maori grievances past and present while also serving as the countrys national day and which is about projecting an image of unity and happy families.

Divisiveness and inclusiveness are oil and water. They dont mix.
Stuff reports:

Labour leader Andrew Little has promised to table a bill in Parliament to help re-entry to the Pike River mine drift. 

The only excuse the Government has given so far for not helping the families get re-entry to the drift of the mine is they are concerned about liability of the directors. Well, we can fix that through legislation.

Little said he the proposed bill would take liability from the Solid Energy directors and allow experts to go into the drift to see what can be recovered.
Note only one poll in December, so the average is of Roy Morgan only.

The monthly newsletter summary is:

Curias Polling Newsletter  Issue 104, December 2016

There was only one political voting poll in December 2016  a Roy Morgan. This means the monthly average reflects that poll only.

The average of the public polls sees National 17% ahead of Labour in December, down 7% from November.

The current seat projection is centre-right 57 seats, centre-left 53 which would see NZ First hold the balance of power.

We show the current New Zealand poll averages for party vote, country direction and preferred PM compared to three months ago, a year ago, three years ago and nine years ago. This allows easy comparisons between terms and Governments.

In the United States just before he is sworn in at the 45th President, Trump has a negative 6% favourability. No other recent President-Elect has had a negative favourability rating before they took office.

In the UK Jeremy Corbyns net approval rating continues to plummet, now hitting -43%.

In Australia Pauline Hansons One Nation party is rising in the polls.

In Canada after a series of gaffes such as his praise for Fidel Castro, PM Trudeaus approval rating has dropped by 14%, but is still a relatively strong +12%.

We also carry details of polls on Nationals leadership, when the summer holidays should be plus the normal business and consumer confidence polls.

This newsletter is normally only available by e-mail. If you would like to receive future issues, please go to http://curia.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e9168e04adbaaaf75e062779e&id=8507431512 to subscribe yourself.
The former Pakistan PM, who survived an assassination attempt on Thursday, delivered an address from a Lahore hospital on Friday.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Snow may mix in late. Low 32F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch..

Tonight

Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Snow may mix in late. Low 32F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch.
By Park Jae-hyuk

In 2016, Korea lagged behind Japan on the global entrepreneurship index for the first time in three years, due to the two neighbors' differing institutional basis for doing business, a Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI) report showed Thursday.

According to the report based on the Global Entrepreneurship Development Institute (GEDI) data announced last November, Korea ranked 27th among 137 countries at 50.5 points, while Japan placed 25th at 51.7.

The rankings have been reversed for the first time since 2013 when Korea ranked 37th and Japan 34th. Last year, Korea came in at 27th with 53.4 points and Japan was 30th with 50.6.

"Unlike Korea that has remained stagnant on the entrepreneurship index, Japan has established its institutional basis for entrepreneurs," said KERI researcher Park Hyun-sung, who conducted this study. "Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has continued to emphasize animal spirits for entrepreneurs under the basis of Abenomics."














Park Hyatt Seoul

The Park Hyatt Seoul's bar, the Timber House, is presenting an alcoholic beverage happy hour until the end of February.

The happy hour is available every evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for hot cocktails, sake, draft beer, and red, white and sparkling wines. Guests should order a single dish from the bar's Japanese menu to enjoy the happy hour. The Timber House has live jazz music. The happy hour costs 40,000 won, including tax.

For more information and reservations, call (02) 2016-1290/91.

Imperial Palace

The Imperial Palace Seoul Hotel is offering an "All-day Dining package," featuring a one-night stay, a 50,000-won restaurant voucher, complimentary use of the mini bar and a 30-percent breakfast discount at Buffet Familia.

The voucher can be used at its buffet, Chinese and Japanese restaurants and Lobby Lounge. Package guests can also have free access to the fitness club and indoor swimming pool. Guests staying in the Club Deluxe Room, Corner Suite or Duplex Suite can enjoy free breakfast for two at the Club Lounge, a happy-hour offer, day-time snacks, the sauna and more. The package, available until Nov. 30, costs 210,000 won, excluding tax and service fees.

For more information and reservations, call (02) 3440-8000 or visit www.imperialpalace.co.kr.





The Grand Hyatt Incheon is promoting fusion Chinese cuisine until Feb. 28.

The hotel's chef Moon Sung-jo, specialized in Chinese cuisine, will offer Beijing duck, dim sum, pine mushroom soup and duck noodle soup, among others.

Single dishes, as well as a six-course meal, are available. For lunch, the course meal costs 66,000 won per person, while it is 88,000 won for dinner, including tax. The promotion is available from Monday through Friday.

For more information and reservations, call (032) 745-1234 or visit incheon.grand.hyattrestaurants.com.

Lotte City Hotel

The Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong is offering a package that celebrates the hotel's first anniversary until Feb. 28.

The package includes a one-night stay in a Superior Room, breakfast for two, two tickets to the Lotte Cinema and two free Angel-in-us coffee coupons. Guests will have a chance to win in a lottery. Prizes include a room voucher, Lotte gift certificate worth 30,000 won, two Angel-in-us coffee coupons and two movie tickets among others.

The hotel will also offer coffee coupons for guests who upload photos from the hotel during their stay on social media outlets.

The package costs 150,000 won, excluding tax and service fees. For more information and reservations, call (02) 771-1004.





Novotel Ambassador

The Novotel Ambassador Doksan is presenting an "Englishman in Novetel" promotion, featuring English teas and an alcoholic drink, until Feb. 28, in the hotel's lobby lounge.

The list of teas to be served includes Assam, Earl Grey, Rooibos Honey and Oolong. Tea will be served with cakes for 15,000 won, including tax.

In the evening, the lounge bar serves Bombay Original gin originated in England. Its name came from gin's popularity in India during the British colonial period. During the promotion, lime, lemon and grapefruit will be served with the gin. The gin costs 12,000 won per glass, including tax. For more information and reservations, call (02) 3282-6121.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un poses for a group photo during his tour of a company under the Korean People's Army's Unit 233. The Korean Central News Agency reported Kim's first inspection of the military unit in the new year, Thursday, saying he stressed the need to boost the country's combat readiness. / Yonhap



By Jun Ji-hye

North Korea is apparently ready to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at any time and from any location once its leadership decides to do so, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Thursday.

The comment came after intelligence sources said the North has probably built two missiles, presumed to be the new ICBMs, and placed them on transport erector launchers (TELs), apparently for the test-firing.

Military authorities are paying attention to the possibility that the isolated state may launch the missiles very soon to show off its nuclear and missile capabilities to the incoming government of Donald Trump who takes office today.

They believe the North has intentionally leaked the existence of the new missiles to send a "strategic message" to the United States, as several nominees for the foreign affairs and security posts of the Trump administration, including the nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, have made tough remarks about the North.

"We remain vigilant as North Korea could fire the ICBM at any time and place determined by its leadership," a JCS official said. "South Korea and the United States are jointly operating their intelligence surveillance assets to monitor any movements in the North."

The official added, "There is no imminent sign of provocation."

The North's ICBM is believed to have a range of more than 10,000 kilometers, which is capable of hitting targets on the U.S. mainland. Since 2012, the North has shown off ICBMs such as the KN-08 and the KN-14 several times without testing them.

Intelligence sources said the new missiles are estimated to not exceed 15 meters in length, making them shorter than the 19-20 meters long KN-08 and the 17-18 meters long KN-14.

The sources did not provide the exact date for when the new missiles were detected, but it is believed they were picked up around Jan. 9 when the U.S. hurriedly moved its sea-based X-band radar system to the western part of the Pacific Ocean from seas off Hawaii.

In his New Year's message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made it clear his country has no plans to abandon its nuclear and missile ambitions, claiming Pyongyang was in the final stages of preparations for a test-launch of an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The North's state media has also claimed the ICBM will be test-fired in the near future, saying this will contribute to peace in the region.

A spokesman of the North's foreign ministry said, Jan. 8, "The intercontinental ballistic rocket will be fired at any place and time upon the order of our leadership."

Military experts raised the possibility that the new missiles would be equipped with a new type of high-powered engine, unveiled by the North during a ground test in April last year. But they also expressed skepticism about the completeness of the North's ICBM capability.

Kim Dong-yup, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES), a research arm of Kyungnam University, said if the North test-fires the ICBM this year, it is expected to deliberately reduce its range by igniting the first-stage propellants only and then claim that it has succeeded in launching the ICBM.

"It would take about two to three years more for the North to complete the ICBM development and five years to operationally deploy it," he said.
Provinces at odds over sex slavery statue



By Kim Bo-eun



The Gyeonggi Province Council's plan to set up a statue symbolizing wartime sex slaves for Japan on the Dokdo islets is stirring a rift between two provincial governments.



The plan, proposed by the provincial council on Jan. 5, caused a row after it began fundraising for the monument Monday.



Besides the Japanese government's usual and politically-motivated protests, North Gyeongsang Province, to which the easternmost islets belong, has expressed concern over the plan.



"We see it unnecessary to link the two issues of Dokdo and comfort women," said provincial council member Nam Jin-bok, heading a subcommittee on Dokdo. "The installment of the statue will not help protect the territory, but only fuel political and diplomatic controversy."



Nam said it would be difficult to set up any sort of structure on the island because it is designated as a natural monument.



Meanwhile, the Gyeonggi council, which has been leading movements related to Dokdo and comfort women statues, is saying more aggressive measures are necessary to protect sovereignty over the islets and for Japan to acknowledge its legal responsibility for its wartime atrocities.



"Up until now, Korea has taken a passive stance on these issues and this has not helped settle anything," said council member Min Kyoung-sun. "We need to take bolder measures," he said.



Min said there will be no legal problem in installing the statue on the island.



Jo Sung-lae, an official at the Cultural Heritage Administration said, "No such structures have been set up on the island so far, but it is not impossible."



When an entity submits plans according to administrative procedures, the government agency reviews the plan and decides whether to approve it.



"The plan could get approved, depending on whether it affects the natural monument," Jo said.



The Gyeonggi council aims to set up the statue by Dec. 14. The erection of one statue is estimated to cost 35 million won ($29,700), and the council aims to raise 70 million won this year for the Dokdo statue and another one which it will place on the provincial council grounds.



A total of 60 local governments here have either installed or plan to set up comfort woman statues in their districts, as a means to protest the deal reached between Korea and Japan on the issue of sex slaves in December 2015, in which the latter did not acknowledge legal responsibility.



The council is backing the plan amid strained diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan following a row over another statue outside the Japanese consulate in Busan. In December, the city government removed the statue installed by civic activists, but returned it due to a fierce backlash from the public. In protest, Japan recalled its ambassador to Seoul and consul general in Busan.



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has maintained a cautious stance toward the sex slave issue  spokesman Cho June-hyuck told reporters Thursday: "It is not desirable to link the issues of sex slaves and Dokdo."



There are mixed opinions on the issue, though many are defending a cautious approach.



"Although I do not see any problem with setting up monuments such as the comfort woman statues on our territory, considering the method, timing and location, the plan does not seem appropriate," said Yang Kee-ho, a professor of Japanese Studies at Sungkonghoe University. "Also, taking into account that the current administration is lacking leadership, it could be wiser not to exacerbate the sex slave issue."




Paris Diderot University, also known as Paris 7, will launch a regular class on Korea's 1910-45 independence movement against Japanese colonization starting from the fall semester. / Screencaptured from the Internet



By Hong Dam-young

A renowned French university will launch a regular class on Korea's 1910-45 independence movement against Japanese colonization, the Independence Hall of Korea (IHK) said Thursday.

The course will be introduced from the fall semester and be open to master's degree candidates majoring in Korean studies at Paris Diderot University, also known as Paris 7.

IHK representatives recently met Marie-Orange Rive-Lasan, a professor in the university's oriental literature department, during which the two sides agreed to include the class  "History of Korean Independence Movement"  in the university's regular curriculum. The class also will be open to members of the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), a research and higher-education institution in France.

"Paris 7 has expressed great interest in the Korean independence movement that shares ideologies and spirit with the French Revolution," Kim Do-hyung, a senior researcher at the IHK, told The Korea Times. "We decided to open the course after many French students also showed a deep interest in the exhibitions about the topic from the international symposium held in France last year to commemorate 130 years of Korean-French ties."

Since its launch in 1987, the IHK has promoted how Korea's independence movement against Japanese colonization contributed to world peace.

The course is a landmark achievement for the IHK, which wanted to launch the class at the prestigious French university to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year.

The IHK is working with the university on collecting and translating historical records necessary for the course. Early next month, the two will discuss exchanging signed agreements to open the course. Lecturers will be sent from Korea, according to Kim.

"There are more than 700 students taking Korean studies in France," Kim said. "And we intend to promote the course at other European colleges as well."
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong walks out of the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday, after the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the independent counsel team's request for a warrant to arrest him. / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho

A Seoul court rejected a special prosecutor's request to arrest Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Thursday, citing insufficient evidence to charge him with bribery and embezzlement.

Lee, the Samsung Group's de facto leader, walked out of the Seoul Detention Center early in the morning after the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the independent counsel team's request to arrest him on charges of bribery, embezzlement and perjury. He had been held there overnight on the court's instructions.

Presiding Judge Cho Eui-yeon said it was unnecessary to arrest Lee based on the evidence provided to date, after an 18-hour review of a hearing between special investigators and Samsung's legal representatives.

"It is hard to find a reason, necessity and justification for an arrest at this current stage. There is room for dispute as to whether the donation was in pursuit of favors," the judge said in the court's ruling.

In response, Lee Kyu-chul, spokesman for special prosecutor Park Young-soo who leads the independent counsel investigation, expressed strong regret over the decision, saying, "We will nevertheless continue to search for more evidence."

He said investigators have not decided whether to apply for an arrest warrant again.

The court decision was a great relief for Lee, who would have otherwise become the first business tycoon to be arrested over the massive corruption and influence-peddling scandal that has engulfed the Park Geun-hye administration.

As he left the detention center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, he refused to answer the torrent of questions from reporters.

About one hour after Lee left the center, Samsung Group welcomed his release, issuing a short statement that the case should be investigated without the necessity of detaining him.

The special investigation team said it will question President Park as planned regardless of the court's decision not to allow the prosecution to arrest Lee on charges that he bribed her.

"We will not change our plan to question President Park in person in early February," the spokesman said.

Investigators alleged that Samsung offered a total of 43 billion won ($37 million) in bribes to President Park's confidant Choi-Soon-sil in the guise of donations, to take advantage of their relationship.

In return, they say, the President later allegedly pressured the National Pension Service (NPS) to vote for a merger of two Samsung units in 2015  a crucial move for the Samsung heir to tighten his control over group management.

NPS Chairman Moon Hyung-pyo has already been indicted on charges of abuse of power and perjury. He is accused of pressuring the fund, a key shareholder of the Samsung units  Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries  to vote for their merger in 2015 when he was minister of health and welfare.

To indict Lee on bribery charges, investigators had to prove a link between the company's support and the merger, which they failed to do clearly. The court reportedly cast doubt on the order of what investigators called a "backdoor deal," in which Samsung gave money to Choi-related businesses first before a private meeting between Lee and President Park on July 25, 2015.

Investigators reportedly claimed at the hearing that the President promised to support the merger in advance, but the judges did not accept this.

Samsung's legal representatives have insisted that Lee was a victim  not an accomplice  in the scandal, saying the company made "donations" without expecting to receive anything in return.

Earlier, the investigation team's spokesman said the bribes given to Choi were tantamount to bribes to President Park, saying evidence shows the two have shared "economic interests." As the court did not accept this allegation, it may prove difficult for investigators to indict the President on bribery charges.

Concerns have now been raised that the court's decision may undercut the independent counsel team's investigation momentum.
By Kim Se-jeong

A poster in Seoul welcoming Chinese tourists

As China's biggest holiday approaches, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) is drawing up diverse programs to welcome Chinese tourists.

The timing isn't great as China-Korea relations are tense over the planned deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Korea.

The city said Thursday it will install a giant snow globe on top of Mt. Nam. The installation, three meters in diameter, is big enough for people to go inside and take pictures under artificial snowflakes.

The Chinese Spring Festival runs from Jan. 27 until Feb. 2. Local businesses in Seoul are planning to offer benefits to attract visitors spending the holiday here. Almost 100 restaurants in Myeong-dong, Itaewon and COEX  major tourist spots in the city  will provide a 10 percent discount to Chinese tourists.

The Discover Seoul Pass will be 25 percent cheaper than usual. The one-day pass, originally costing 39,900 won, allows access to 16 tourist destinations in the capital, including palaces, museums and art galleries. The pass can be purchased with a special rate at onemoretrip.net.

City tour buses will also offer discounts,up to 40 percent. Passports are required for the purchase.

Buxi, a transport service provider, will offer 20 percent discounts to all passengers during that time. I-Trip, which provides a baggage transport service between hotels and Incheon International Airport, will offer free one-way airport express train tickets to its customers.

"The city is working to make their stay comfortable and pleasurable," Kim Jae-yong from the city government said. "I hope they will enjoy their stay."

According to the city estimates, 6.3 million Chinese tourists visited Seoul in 2016, accounting for almost 46 percent of all tourists.

While the Seoul tourism industry's reliance on Chinese tourists is high, many are increasingly worried the THAAD deployment will bite into it.

Earlier this month, Chinese authorities rejected chartered flight requests from Korea. It was also reported that the Chinese government has been quietly discouraging citizens from visiting Korea.
By Kim Se-jeong

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday released a white paper on the 2009 Yongsan Disaster, a violent clash between riot police and district residents over an urban redevelopment project east of Sinyongsan Station.



Five residents and one police officer were killed when a fire broke out during a daring rooftop police raid.

The white paper came out on the eve of the incident's eighth anniversary, which occurred early Jan. 20, 2009. Mayor Park Won-soon invited families of the victims to the city hall, Thursday, for a ceremony honoring the white paper.

"The only way to prevent the same disaster from happening again is to look closely into what happened," the mayor said, explaining why the city took up the project, which took two years to complete.

The authors conducted more than 50 interviews and looked through more than 9,000 photographs and videos and 10,000 relevant documents.

Mayor Park said the city also plans to open a memorial hall by 2020 near the site to commemorate the victims.

The city is displaying 30 photographs related to the disaster in City Hall's lobby until Jan. 25.

The white paper is available at city libraries or can be downloaded from uri.seoul.go.kr or lib.seoul.go.kr.
Prominent opposition politicians on Thursday criticized a Seoul court's refusal to issue an arrest warrant for Samsung Group's de facto leader embroiled in an influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye.



Earlier in the day, the Seoul Central District Court turned down the independent counsel's request to arrest Lee Jae-yong on charges of bribery, embezzlement and perjury.



"It was unexpected and very regrettable," Moon Jae-in, a liberal presidential front-runner, was quoted as saying by his aide. Moon added the court's decision should not result in constricting the investigation.



Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon posted on Facebook that he can't accept the decision. "Consideration of its impact on the national economy may be important, but what matters more is establishing justice."



"(The independent counsel) should show its resolve to root out corruption and reform chaebol by reapplying for the warrant," he said in the post. Chaebol refers to family-owned conglomerates in Korean.



Local conglomerates have been under fire for financially supporting Park's confidante Choi Soon-sil. She was arrested on charges of exerting influence on state affairs for personal benefit and colluding with the president to extort money from local businesses.



Lee, heir apparent of the nation's largest business group, allegedly gave or promised some 43 billion won ($36.3 million) in bribes to Choi in return for the state-run pension fund's backing of Samsung's merger of two affiliates in 2015.



Rep. Park Young-sun of the Democratic Party said the court's decision shows that Samsung stands at the peak of the country's power hierarchy.



In an interview with CBS Radio, the lawmaker expressed concern that the decision would adversely impact the independent counsel's investigation going forward.



The ruling Saenuri Party said it respects the court's decision, requesting the independent counsel to continue efforts to find out details on a corruption connection between businesses and the government.



Investigators said they would push ahead unwaveringly with inquiries of other conglomerates that donated to two non-profit organizations which were allegedly controlled by Choi under the aegis of the president.



Both the president and Choi have denied all the allegations and even accused the prosecution of concocting the crimes. President Park has vowed to prove her innocence in court. (Yonhap)




By Kim Rahn



Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited former President Lee Myung-bak, Thursday _ his first visit to a major politician after returning to Korea last week after finishing his term at the United Nations.



Their meeting came amid speculation that the conservative former President is backing Ban's bid for the presidency. A number of Lee's former aides are now helping Ban.



Ban visited Lee's office in southern Seoul at 4 p.m., and talked about his 10 years as U.N. chief.



Lee told Ban, "You've worked for world peace and for the people in developing countries for the last 10 years. With that experience, I hope you will work hard here in Korea," according to Lee's former aide, Kim Hyo-jae.



Ban's supporters said it was a courtesy call on a former president, similar to his earlier visit to the grave of former President Roh Moo-hyun in Bongha Village, South Gyeongsang Province to pay his respects.



"During the meeting, Lee did not say he will help Ban. He always thinks it is not right for a former president to participate in current politics," Kim said.



However, not many believe it was just a courtesy visit, considering Lee is the only former president who can have a political influence.



The visit comes a day after Lee's former chief press officer Lee Dong-kwan said in a radio interview Wednesday that the former President asked him to help Ban's presidential campaign in a discreet manner.



Lee's former aides who have expressed their intention to join Ban's campaign include Kwak Seung-jun, former chairman of the Presidential Council for Future and Vision; former senior secretary for political affairs Kim Doo-woo; former Labor Minister Yim Tae-hee; and Lee's former foreign media spokeswoman Sohn Ji-ae.



With such figures, Ban is forecast to strengthen his position as a conservative candidate; while so far he has tried to distance himself from the scandal-ridden Park Geun-hye administration and woo liberal voters, describing himself as a "progressive conservative."



Later in the day, Ban also visited former first lady Sohn Myung-soon, the wife of the late former President Kim Young-sam. He also paid a visit to Daejeon National Cemetery and had a meeting with outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Korea Mark Lippert.







Slip of tongue







In the meantime, Ban has been facing continuous troubles from alleged gaffes.



The latest one was made when he had dinner with 30 young people in Daegu along with some journalists.



Ban earlier praised the controversial Korea-Japan deal on former sex slaves in December 2015. But as his praise drew criticism amid ongoing protests from victims, he took a step backward, saying upon his arrival in Korea, "A deal can become ultimate and perfect when it can resolve the victims' deep sorrow."



As some journalists repeatedly asked questions about his opinion about the deal during the dinner, Ban said, "The deal has paved the way for a resolution of the decades-long conflict following Japan's apology and the fund provision. That's what I meant. I didn't mean the issue has been completely resolved."



After the dinner, however, the conversation between Ban and Lee Do-woon, the leader of his supporters, was overheard, as he said, "They ask only about the issue. As if I made some historic mistake they are bastards."



Regarding the remark, Rep. Woo Sang-ho, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, said he was shocked by Ban cursing journalists, demanding he apologize to the public.



"Ban is one of the stronger presidential contenders, so it is the journalists' duty to ask questions about his thoughts on behalf of the people," Woo said before a party meeting. "It was not a desirable attitude to call them bastards only because they asked uncomfortable questions. A political leader, especially a person who wants to become president, should explain their opinion fully to encompass the people's rights to know."




By Yi Whan-woo



Both Korea and Japan are finding it increasingly difficult to seek a diplomatic solution to the dispute over "comfort woman" statues amid negative public sentiment toward each other.



This is partly because politicians and bureaucrats in the countries are taking advantage of the incendiary issue for their own political interests.



Since the dispute was triggered by the placement of a statue outside the Japanese consulate in Busan, Dec. 30, politicians have been taking more hawkish stances on historical issues between the two countries, analysts said.



"I'm concerned about the politicians linking their domestic situations with diplomacy," Cho Yang-hyun, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said Thursday.



"The diplomatic conflict surrounding historical issues will be inevitable if Korea and Japan continue to be hawkish over the matter. Moreover, such unfavorable circumstances will leave a burden for the next Korean government in its ties with Japan."



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been falling short of taking countermeasures after Tokyo took retaliatory action Jan. 6 over the presence of the statue of a young girl symbolizing comfort women in Busan.



The foreign ministry's bungled efforts came amid a leadership vacuum caused by the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.



Despite this, potential candidates for a possible early presidential election this year have been stepping up criticism of Japan and its agreement with Korea reached in December 2015 over sex slavery during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation of Korea.



Tokyo cited the agreement in its retaliation against Seoul, saying the statue in Busan was in violation of the "final and irrevocable" deal to settle disputes over comfort women.



Opposition presidential hopefuls Moon Jae-in, Lee Jae-myung, Ahn Cheol-soo and Park Won-soon promised to nullify, review, scrap or renegotiate the sex slavery deal.



Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is highly likely to run for the presidency, also said Korea should return the 1 billion yen already sent by Japan if such an offer was made under the condition that any statue in front of Japanese diplomatic missions should be removed.



To further complicate things, Gyeonggi Province Council pledged this week to set up a new comfort woman statue on Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.



If erected, it will join 55 other comfort woman statues that have been installed nationwide by civic activists.



The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's Rep. Park Kwang-on proposed a bill Thursday asking the government to help maintain the statues.



Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, said, "The presidential hopefuls are highlighting the diplomatic issue with Japan to ensure they separate themselves from the unpopular Park Geun-hye government."



He speculated Japan's retaliation against Korea was made as part of efforts to divert public attention following Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's failure in two key diplomatic policies.



Abe has still not convinced incoming U.S. President Donald Trump not to scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, which Abe said will be "meaningless without the U.S."



Abe also ended his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Dec. 15, in a stalemate over disputed islands lying between the two countries.



Shin pointed out that Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida may have also provoked Seoul, Wednesday, by claiming Dokdo was Japanese territory to divert public attention from Abe's diplomatic mishaps.



Kishida's remark was made in response to the Gyeonggi council's pledge to install a comfort woman statue on the islets.



Meanwhile, the foreign ministry here said, Thursday, that it was not appropriate to link issues concerning Dokdo with the comfort women statues.




Fact-finding on popular uprising in 1980 may get boost



By Kim Hyo-jin



A civic organization said Thursday that it is analyzing CIA documents declassified this week to find answers to remaining questions about the 1980 Gwangju civil uprising.



The May 18 Memorial Foundation, a Gwangju-based civic body that investigates the movement and manages commemoration projects, said it started searching for the CIA documents relevant to the Gwangju movement.



The agency declassified roughly 930,000 documents covering the 1940s to the 1990s, Wednesday, and made them accessible online through the CIA records search tool.



Expectations are high that the data may fill in the blanks for the democratization movement the details of which were left unanswered due to a lack of information.



The more than 12 million pages of declassified documents include a myriad of topics, such as early CIA history, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Berlin Tunnel project, the Korean War, and the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft.



The publication was reportedly prompted by a lawsuit from the open-government nonprofit organization MuckRock. The documents were only available during business hours at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, before.



"We are buoyed by the accessibility of declassified records to the public. We are hoping to unveil the truth about the uprising," said an official with the foundation.



She said there have been difficulties in unveiling the details of the government's suppression, including who ordered the firing on citizens, the whereabouts of missing persons, and if the army fired from helicopters.



The foundation is also looking into 89 relevant documents written by the U.S. embassy, according to the official.



The embassy delivered the documents reported to the U.S. government on the 1980 uprising, to the foundation when outgoing U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert came to Gwangju to visit the May 18 Memorial Park, Wednesday.



The official said they contain information on the number of victims during the movement and reports on the political situation in the 1980s.



A total of 88 out of 89 documents overlap the documents the foundation has already secured but the foundation is still hopeful of gaining more information as they are not censored versions.



"We appreciate the U.S. embassy delivering the relevant documents for the first time. It carries some significance. We will work on securing more information from the U.S. based on the trust made this time," said Kim Yang-rae, the foundation chairman.



According to the May 18 Bereaved Family Association, at least 165 civilians died during the uprising and 76 were unaccounted for, presumed dead.



In 1995, the National Assembly passed a special law that enabled those responsible for the May 18 massacre to be prosecuted.



Chun Doo-hwan, an army general-turned-dictator who commanded the suppression and his successor Roh Tae-woo were sentenced to life imprisonment and a 22.5-year prison term, respectively, but in 1997, President Kim Young-sam pardoned them based on the advice of then President-elect Kim Dae-jung.




By Kyung Moon Hwang

A year ago this column predicted that the just-signed agreement between the South Korean and Japanese governments to resolve the "comfort women" issue, once and for all, would instead last only as long as the two current administrations are in power. This appears to have been an over-estimation. Without even knowing the life span of Park Geun-hye's presidency, the brouhaha over the latest statue, which will not be the last, indicates that the agreement is already unraveling.

As usual, there are important historical factors worth examining. Due to the terrible nature of what happened and the postwar amnesia in Japan, the comfort women issue will always arouse nationalist passions across Asia. In South Korea, however, it would be beneficial also to consider the country's complicated history of sexual exploitation and state-sponsored prostitution.

"Comfort Women" or "Comfort Corps" was the euphemism for the military prostitution system servicing the Japanese imperial army in World War II, an offshoot of the "Sacrifice Corps" ("Jeongsindae" in Korean) that produced goods and services for the battle fronts. Various studies over the years have painted a fairly secure picture of how this system worked: The Japanese military helped mobilize and provided the clientele for numerous "comfort stations," run mostly by non-military entrepreneurs (pimps and human traffickers, more or less), that followed the soldiers as they rampaged through Asia.

The question that will never get fully resolved, but which lies at the heart of the continuing controversy, is the extent to which the Japanese government was involved in luring, coercing, and brutalizing these girls. This was not a uniform system, and there was a variety of channels that brought the girls to the comfort stations, although most of the victims appear to have been deceived into circumstances that trapped them in the unrelenting horrors of serial rape.

In the end, of course, it doesn't really matter whether Japanese officials actually managed this system directly, since the Japanese military created and oversaw the demand from its wars of aggression in the first place. The Japanese government, in sum, was responsible for this deplorable reality, and hence this government today should acknowledge and rectify it.

Beyond this general understanding, we would do well to dig deeper into the historical background of the comfort women system and to examine its aftermath. By doing so, we find that the story is more complicated than what is suggested by placing statues in front of Japanese diplomatic compounds.












A mosaic of a woman at the Korean Women Memorial in Glendale, California, which honours the tens of thousands of women forced into prostitution by the Japanese army in the Second World War.



By Rana Mitter



In Japan this week, a sense of urgency pervades as past and present come together in unexpected ways. The week before Donald Trump becomes leader of Tokyo's most important military ally is also the week that the continuing issue of the "comfort women" came back to haunt Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. By Rana MitterIn Japan this week, a sense of urgency pervades as past and present come together in unexpected ways. The week before Donald Trump becomes leader of Tokyo's most important military ally is also the week that the continuing issue of the "comfort women" came back to haunt Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

A few days ago, South Korean protestors placed a statue of a teenage girl in front of the Japanese consulate in Busan. It symbolised the tens and possibly hundreds of thousands of Koreans who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during the Second World War, of whom barely forty are still alive.

In December 2015, the governments of Japan and South Korea agreed what was supposed to be a full settlement of the issue, with statements of atonement by Japan along with a fund to support the surviving women. Most of the women did accept the agreement, but many protestors in South Korea did not, maintaining their vigil opposite the Japanese embassy in Seoul, and now adding a further protest in Busan. China has also demanded recognition from Japan for the fate of its own "comfort women", as has Taiwan.





Chinese soldiers attend the opening ceremony of a memorial site to comfort women in Nanjing city, Jiangsu province.



The row over the Busan statue comes at a difficult time for Japanese policy. Conversations with thinkers involved with foreign affairs keep returning one central question: What will be the effect of a Trump presidency on Japan's role in Asia? The morning after the president-elect's rumbustious press conference, which was mostly consumed by proposals on a blind trust and a blow-up with a CNN reporter, Tokyo newspapers reported some disappointment that policy towards Japan didn't get a mention. Here, by contrast, there is lively discussion on what the new president may mean: experienced hands range from the idea that Trump will be the greatest opportunity Japan has had for decades to the more pessimistic sense that the US-Japan alliance is heading for the rocks. The one thing everyone admits is that nobody really knows.

But the rest of the region will not stand still while the US makes up its mind. Chinese ships regularly cross into the waters around the disputed Diaoyu islands (known in Japan as the Senkaku islands), testing how far Japan will push back. Beijing has sent a warship into the Taiwan Strait, testing the limits of another agreement with the US, the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979. Japan may have to take more of its fate into its own hands, and make more explicit alliances while doing it, taking the initiative in a way it has not done since 1945.

Yet the legacy of Japan's brutal war in Asia continues to resist all attempts to clear it away. The current dispute over the statue in Busan may well be resolved, but Japan's history still remains an obstacle with nominal ally South Korea, and implicit rival China. Why is this? In China, you often hear the answer: "Because Japan hasn't admitted its war guilt." But this explanation doesn't hold up. A string of Japanese prime ministers have expressed horror at Japan's wartime actions, and Japanese historians and journalists have been at the forefront of exposing and condemning Japan's violence during the war for decades, the most famous example perhaps being journalist Honda Katsuichi's reports in the Asahi Shimbun on the Nanking massacre as early as the 1970s. Japan's public sphere has space for many different views, as befits a lively democracy.

But some aspects of that public sphere showcase views that those outside Japan usually find problematic. The Yushukan, the privately-run museum attached to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, contains a display on Japan's wars from the samurai era up to the second world war.

Its gallery on the wartime period refers to the "China Incident" (in China and the West, this would be a rather weak term to define the first four years of the undeclared but very real Sino-Japanese War, which led to millions of military and civilian deaths). One of several causes given for the conflict is "communist terrorism". Not listed, in contrast, is the increasingly aggressive Japanese occupation of north China in the 1930s.





Former Taiwanese comfort woman Chen Lien Hua visits a comfort women museum in Taipei, Taiwan.



Historically unproblematic, and more moving by far, is the officially-supported museum a short walk away, the Showa Memorial, which documents the increasing harshness of life for civilians in wartime Japan. Yet even here, there is relatively little discussion of the militaristic policies that led Japan into what was later termed the "valley of darkness" in the 1930s. Of course, in a free society, museums must be free to portray history as they see fit. But the absence of a museum that portrays the causes, as well as the consequences, of Japan's war more explicitly, ironically ends up leaving that job to the unsympathetic museums in China, such as Beijing's Museum of the War of Resistance against Japan. A Japanese museum that addresses sex slavery along with the other dark aspects of Japan's wartime empire, would go a long way to quieten critics and address the complaint that the context for Japan's war is still too minimally addressed.

It is unfortunate that the "comfort women" issue has on occasion seemed to produce a legalistic attempt by Japan to draw lines driven by a kind of pragmatism perhaps more suited to a trade deal. The agreement with South Korea in late 2015 led to differing responses within the region. China denounced the deal, suggesting it did not go nearly far enough, but since the death of the last of the Chinese women prepared to sue the Japanese government, Beijing has instead concentrated on actions such as the building of a "comfort women" memorial in Nanjing.

In China, the lack of living victims actually gives the state more leeway to decide when  or if  it is prepared to draw a line under the issue. However, Taiwan's outgoing government was surprised last year to find that Japan's cabinet secretary was not prepared to offer the same deal given to Korean women to the few living Taiwanese "comfort women". The reason given was that the circumstances were different  perhaps a reference to the general perception that the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan was less brutal than in Korea  but it sounded an odd note at a time when Japan was seeking to show its willingness to right old wrongs.





A statue of a teenage girl symbolizing the comfort women' who served as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during the second world war outside the Japanese consulate in Busan.



Resolution of the issue might also bring about a change of focus and a new concentration on understanding the issue as a politics of gender and violence, rather than competing nationalisms. Although women activists have been central to bringing the issue to the fore, there is still scope for more work to examine wartime sexual violence in a comparative context. This approach is now a mainstream one for historians examining conflicts as far apart as the second world war and civil wars in Latin America and Africa. But public discourse on the "comfort women" issue in East Asia still tends to stress the country-specific elements of the tragedy, rather than the gendered one.

Japan has been a responsible, indeed essential, actor in shaping order in Asia for seven decades. If the US becomes an uncertain partner in Asia, Tokyo's decisions may matter more.

Encouraging its public sphere to do more to address the responsibility for Japan's wartime past head-on might be the act of supreme confidence that allows the country to take a truly leading role in shaping Asia.
Classical Concerts

KBS Symphony Orchestra 714th Subscription Concert'

Lotte Concert Hall

Jan. 25

KBS Symphony Orchestra will have a concert at Lotte Concert Hall on Jan. 25.

KBS Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1956, and became one of Korea's leading orchestras. For this concert, the orchestra will perform the third symphony of Mahler, in collaboration with Canadian mezzo-soprano Susan Platts. Conductor Joel Levi, the music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra and a Mahler specialist, will lead the orchestra.

Tickets cost 20,000 to 90,000 won. For more information, visit lotteconcerthall.com or call (02) 6099-7400

H.J. Lim Piano Recital  Sound of Silence'

Seoul Arts Center

Feb. 4

For the first time in two years, pianist H. J. Lim will have a recital at Seoul Arts Center on Feb. 4.

H.J. Lim started piano at the age of three. She gained global recognition through her complete recordings of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas, becoming the first Korean pianist to top the Billboard classical chart and the U.S, Netherlands and Canadian iTunes charts.

For this concert, Lim will perform musical pieces of Schumann, Brahms, Ravel, and Franck, and present her unique characteristics and creative musical interpretations.

Tickets cost 25,000 to 70,000 won. For more information, visit sac.or.kr or call (02) 737-0708.

Guerzenich-Orchester Koln'

Seoul Arts Center

Feb. 10

The Guerzenich Orchestra of Cologne will have a concert at Seoul Arts Center on Feb. 10.

The orchestra is famous for its long tradition, as its roots reach back to the 15th century. Since then, the orchestra has provided the citizens of Cologne with diverse music. For this concert, the orchestra will perform Beethoven's Violin Concerto in collaboration with Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang. Conductor Francois-Xavier Roth will lead the orchestra.

Tickets cost 60,000 to 200,000 won. For more information, visit sac.or.kr or call (02) 599-5743.

Big Tickets

2017 BTS Live Trilogy Episode III The Wings Tour in Seoul'

Gocheok Sky Dome

Feb. 18 and 19

Bangtan Boys (BTS) will have concerts on Feb. 18 and 19 at Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul.

BTS is a K-pop boy band with seven members. The band debuted in 2013 with their first album "2 Cool 4 Skool." Since then, they have emerged as one of the most popular Korean boy bands in Southeast Asia, China and Japan. In 2016, BTS released their second studio album, "Wings" which was ranked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 chart and became the best sold K-pop album in the U.S.

These concerts mark the beginning of BTS's 2017 world tour, during which the band will visit various countries including the U.S, Chile, and Brazil.

Tickets cost 99,000 to 110,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 446-2690.

Pop & Jazz

2017 Sechs Kies Yellow Note Final in Seoul'

Jamsil Indoor Stadium

Jan. 21 and 22

The first generation K-pop idol band, Sechs Kies, will perform at Jamsil Indoor Stadium on Jan. 21 and 22.

Sechs Kies debuted in 1997 as a male idol group with six members. They instantly rose to stardom and released numerous hit songs including "Couple" and "School Byeolgok." For these concerts, the band will perform rearranged and remastered versions of their hit songs.

Tickets cost 99,000 to 143,000 won. For more information, visit ticket1.auction.co.kr or call (02) 1566-1369.

Plays & Musicals

Monte Cristo'

Chungmu Arts Center

Until Feb. 12

The Korean version of the musical "Monte Cristo" will be performed at Chungmu Arts Center through Feb. 12.

The musical is based on novel "The Count of Monte Cristo," written by French writer Alexandre Dumas. This musical is about Edmond Dantes, a young sailor who is falsely accused of a crime and goes to jail. In jail, he meets Priest Faria who becomes his mentor and tells him about a treasure on the remote Island of Monte Cristo. After he breaks out of jail, he goes to Monte Cristo and finds the treasure. With the newly gained wealth, Edmond pretends to be a nobleman, Count Monte Cristo, and sets off to Paris. In Paris, he plans to take revenge on the people who framed him.

Actor Ryu Jung-han, Um Ki-joon, Kai, and Shin Sung-rok play Edmond Dantes.

Tickets cost 50,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1577-6478.

Phantom'

Blue Square

Until Feb. 26

"Phantom," a musical adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel "Phantom of the Opera," will be performed at Blue Square Samsung Electronics Hall through Feb. 26.

"Phantom" is about Erik, a mysterious man living in the dark cellar of a Paris opera house. One day he hears someone singing and is enchanted by her heavenly voice. Discovering that the voice was of Christine Daee, he decides to make her the new diva of the Opera Theatre and begins to give her secret lessons every night. With the help of Erik, Christine has her debut, but it is ruined by Carlotta. Erik seeks revenge on her.

Park Hyo-shin, Park Eun-tae and Jeon Dong-suk star as Erik, the Phantom. Kim So-hyun, Kim Soon-young and Lee Ji-hye share the role of Christine Daee, and Jeong Young-ju and Shin Young-sook will alternate for Carlotta.

Tickets cost 60,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1577-6478.

The Underdog'

Uniplex

Through Feb. 26

A musical featuring the life of abandoned dogs, "The Underdog" will be staged until Feb. 26 at Uniplex.

Jin is an abandoned Jindo dog. One day, he is caught and taken to a dog shelter, where he meets other abandoned dogs, each of whom has their own tragic stories. However, he finds out the horrible truth about the dog shelter, and tries to escape with his new friends.

Actor Kim Joon Hyun and Lee Tae Sung play the main character Jin.

Tickets cost 33,000 to 88,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1522-6561.

The Bodyguard'

LG Arts Center

Until March 5

A musical adaptation of the movie "The Bodyguard" will be staged at LG Arts Center through March 5.

The musical features numerous popular songs from the original soundtrack of the movie "The Bodyguard," such as "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston. After its premiere in London, 2012, the musical has won extensive recognition in Europe, Australia and the U.S. This is the first time for the musical to be staged in Asia. One of the best musical actors in Korea, Jung Sun-ah, will play the main character, Rachel Marron, and actor Lee Jong-hyuk and Park Sung-woong will play the role of her bodyguard, Frank Farmer.

Tickets cost from 60,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555.

Our Friends, the Humans'

Seoul Arts Center

Until March 5

French author Bernard Werber's play, "Our Friends, the Humans," will be staged at the Seoul Arts Center until March 5.

Raoul is a timid scientist who works on animal testing, and Samantha is a short-tempered, attractive tiger trainer who loves animals. They find themselves within a glass wall, without knowing where they are, and why they are there. They try to figure out what is happening to them, gradually putting clues together.

Actor Go Myung-hwan, Oh Yong, Park Kwang-hyun, and Jeon Byeong-wook play Raoul, and Ahn Yu-jin, Kim Na-mi, and Stephanie Kim play Samantha.

Tickets cost 34,000 to 49,000 won. For more information, visit sac.or.kr or call 1577-3363.

Dance

Shen Yun 2017 World Tour'

Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center

Feb. 4 and 5

Shen Yun Performing Arts, a classical Chinese dance company based in New York City, will visit Korea as part of their 2017 world tour and perform at Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center on Feb. 4 and 5.

Since the company's foundation in 2006, it has performed around 450 times in over 100 cities annually. For this show, the company will present ancient myths and legends of China through classical dance, along with unique pieces of music that combine traditional Chinese tunes with western orchestral sounds.

Tickets cost 60,000 to 180,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-8808.

Clubs

Club Octagon

Nonhyeon

Near the New Hilltop Hotel in Nonhyeon, this club is notable for its stylish interior and elite clientele. The club offers a stage, lounge bar and dining area to satisfy any night out after work or on the weekend. It is near exit 4 of Hakdong Station on subway line 7. For more information, call (02) 516-8847.

Club Globe Lounge

Itaewon

Club Globe Lounge is famous among women looking for a place to throw birthday parties or enjoy a light dinner. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., it serves as a bar, changing into a club after 10 p.m. Every Thursday, Club Globe Lounge has a Happy Hour buffet for guests. Club Globe Lounge is located near the Hamilton Hotel by exit 2 of Itaewon Station, subway line 6. For more information, call (02) 792-1127.

Club Evans

Hongik University

Club Evans is a live jazz club that has served as a platform for emerging jazz artists for a decade. It operates jazz recording studios and a jazz academy as well, producing albums for many local jazz artists. Club Evans provides jazz concerts and leads music sessions every Monday and Tuesday. Club Evans is located near exit 1 of Sangsu Station, subway line 6. It opens at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit clubevans.com or call (02) 337-8361.

Once in a Blue Moon

Apgujeong

Once in a Blue Moon is one of the best-known and well-established jazz clubs in the city. It features live jazz sets from two different bands every night, usually starting at 7:30 p.m. It is located between the Hakdong Intersection and Galleria Department Store in the posh district of Apgujeong. For more information, visit onceinabluemoon.co.kr or call (02) 549-5490.

Club Answer

Cheongdam

Club Answer, chosen as one of the five hottest clubs in Seoul by CNN, provides a spacious interior and brilliant lighting system with entertaining DJs on stage nightly. Club Answer is in the classy area of Cheongdam, a district known to lead the party culture of Seoul. It is located near exit 13 of Cheongdam Station on subway line 7. For more information, call (02) 514-4311.

Club Double Eight

Sinsa

Opened in 2010, Club Double Eight takes clubbing to its heights. Located in Gangnam, it provides diverse hotel promotions and features weekend lineups with exuberant DJs. It is located near exit 1 of Sinsa Station on Line 3. For more information, call (02) 543-8803.




By Paola Subacchi



LONDON  Is the economics profession "in crisis"? Many policymakers, such as Andy Haldane, the Bank of England's chief economist, believe that it is. Indeed, a decade ago, economists failed to see a massive storm on the horizon, until it culminated in the most destructive global financial crisis in nearly 80 years. More recently, they misjudged the immediate impact that the United Kingdom's Brexit vote would have on its economy.



Of course, the post-Brexit forecasts may not be entirely wrong, but only if we look at the long-term impact of the Brexit vote. True, some economists expected the UK economy to collapse during the post-referendum panic, whereas economic activity proved to be rather resilient, with GDP growth reaching some 2.1% in 2016. But now that British Prime Minister Theresa May has implied that she prefers a "hard" Brexit, a gloomy long-term prognosis is probably correct.



Unfortunately, economists' responsibility for the 2008 global financial crisis and the subsequent recession extends beyond forecasting mistakes. Many lent intellectual support to the excesses that precipitated it, and to the policy mistakes  particularly insistence on fiscal austerity and disregard for widening inequalities  that followed it.



Some economists have been led astray by intellectual arrogance: the belief that they can always explain real-world complexity. Others have become entangled in methodological issues  "mistaking beauty for truth," as Paul Krugman once observed  or have placed too much faith in human rationality and market efficiency.



Despite its aspiration to the certainty of the natural sciences, economics is, and will remain, a social science. Economists systematically study objects that are embedded in wider social and political structures. Their method is based on observations, from which they discern patterns and infer other patterns and behaviors; but they can never attain the predictive success of, say, chemistry or physics.



Human beings respond to new information in different ways, and adjust their behavior accordingly. Thus, economics cannot provide  nor should it claim to provide  definite insights into future trends and patterns. Economists can glimpse the future only by looking backwards, so their predictive power is limited to deducing probabilities on the basis of past events, not timeless laws.



And because economics is a social science, it can readily be used to serve political and business interests. In the years leading up to the financial crisis, global economic growth and profits were so strong that everyone  from small investors to the largest banks  was blinded by the prospect of bigger gains.



Economists employed by banks, hedge funds, and other businesses were expected to provide a short-term "view" for their employers and clients; and to dispense their "wisdom" to the general public through interviews and media appearances. Meanwhile, the economics profession was adopting more complex mathematical tools and specialized jargon, which effectively widened the gap between economists and other social scientists.



Before the financial crisis, when so many private interests and profitable opportunities were at stake, many economists defended a growth model that was based more on "irrational exuberance" than on sound fundamentals. Similarly, with respect to Brexit, many economists confused the referendum's long-term impact with its short-term effects, because they were rushing their predictions to fit the political debate.



Owing to these and other mistakes, economists  and economics  have suffered a spectacular fall from grace. Once seen as modern witch doctors with access to exclusive knowledge, economists are now the most despised of all "experts."



Where do we go from here? While we should appreciate Haldane's candid admission, apologizing for past mistakes is not enough. Economists, especially those involved in policy debates, need to be held explicitly accountable for their professional behavior. Toward that end, they should bind themselves with a voluntary code of conduct.



Above all, this code should recognize that economics is too complex to be reduced to sound bites and rushed conclusions. Economists should pay closer attention to when and where they offer their views, and to the possible implications of doing so. And they should always disclose their interests, so that proprietary analysis is not mistaken for an independent perspective.



Moreover, economic debates would benefit from more voices. Economics is a vast discipline that comprises researchers and practitioners whose work spans macro and micro perspectives and theoretical and applied approaches. Like any other intellectual discipline, it produces excellent, good, and mediocre output.



But the bulk of this research does not filter into policymaking and decision-making circles, such as finance ministries, central banks, or international institutions. At the commanding heights, economic-policy debates remain dominated by a relatively small group of white men from American universities and think tanks, nearly all of them well-versed devotees of mainstream economics.



The views held by this coterie are disproportionately represented in the mass media, through commentaries and interviews. But fishing for ideas in such a small and shallow pond leads to a circular and complacent debate, and it may encourage lesser-known economists to tailor their research to fit in.



The public deserves  and needs  a marketplace of ideas in which mainstream and heterodox views are afforded equal attention and balanced discussion. To be sure, this will take courage, imagination, and dynamism  particularly on the part of journalists. But a fairer, more pluralistic discussion of economic ideas may be just what economists need as well.



Paola Subacchi is Research Director of International Economics at Chatham House. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate.




Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida's recent remarks about his country's sovereignty over Dokdo are imprudent. It is regrettable that Japan's top diplomat made such provocative remarks amid a diplomatic row over the placement of statues remembering the suffering of the so-called wartime comfort women _ sex slaves for the Japanese army.



Kishida renewed his country's claim on Korea's easternmost islets, called Takeshima in Japan, during a press conference to protest a move by a local assembly to establish an additional "comfort women" statue on Dokdo. According to news reports, Kishida said that placing the statue on the island would be unacceptable, since "Takeshima is our country's inherent territory under international law."



Many Koreans have been concerned about Japan's hostile reaction toward the statues. Tokyo recalled two of its top diplomats in Korea after an additional statue was placed in Busan earlier this month resembling one that stands in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. Amid tense bilateral relations, we strongly urge Japan to stop making them worse by instigating a territorial row with Korea.



Also, Koreans should stay away from any confrontational action that will undermine bilateral ties. The Gyeonggi Provincial Council's push to erect a statue to pay tribute to the former wartime sex slaves will only bring negative repercussions to Korea-Japan relations.



There is no doubt that Dokdo is part of Korea, but placing a statue on the islets will only create more tension between the two countries.



It is unwise to instigate further diplomatic rows with Japan particularly during an absence of proper diplomatic leadership due to the presidential impeachment. The provincial council's intention is honorable, but it is also important to consider the diplomatic impact of putting such a controversial statue on Dokdo.



The Gyeonggi Provincial Council should reconsider the statue plan from the perspective of the national interest. It should also consider the viewpoint of North Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kwan-yong, who has pointed out that it is unrealistic to place a statue on Dokdo because the islets themselves are a natural monument.



The two countries should resolve their differences over the statues through diplomacy and communication while refraining from provoking each other.




It's the corporate sector that creates decent jobs



Moon Jae-in, the liberal presidential frontrunner of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), has pledged to create 1.31 million jobs if he becomes president. At a policy forum hosted by his think tank Wednesday, Moon said he would achieve the goal by increasing the number of employees in the public sector and cutting working hours.



Given that it's apparent that one of the next president's key tasks is to create more jobs, no one would dislike it if he could keep his promise. But in many respects, his job creation pledges are flawed and unrealistic.



Moon, the DPK's former chairman, said the government could add 810,000 jobs by hiring more firefighters, police officers and social welfare officials, noting that Korea lags far behind other OECD members in the percentage of public-sector jobs. His idea appears to offer a simple and easy solution to our worst unemployment problem.



But adding public-sector jobs can't be called job creation in its truest sense because of huge tax money needed. Moon, who lost to the impeached President Park Geun-hye in the last presidential race, didn't present details about how to raise funds for the new employment. A simple calculation shows how nonsensical his pledge is: 24 trillion won a year is needed to increase 810,000 civil servants whose average annual pay is, say 30 million won. What about the government's increased burden for their post-retirement pensions as a consequence?



If his job creation proposal is a step in the right direction, there will never be jobless woes if any country collects more taxes and hires more public officials. At this juncture one cannot help but wonder why so many socialist states have collapsed despite their bravado about a society devoid of jobless people. Not surprisingly, many OECD members are struggling with fiscal turmoil because of the bloated public sector.



Moon says 500,000 jobs will be created by obliging employees to observe legal working hours and use up all of their annual paid holidays. But whether this proposal is realistic is also in doubt. At a time when circumstances in each workplace are different, could companies add to their staff despite the risk of much higher personnel expenses?



Moon also proposed allowing parents to work from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. without wage cuts. But would it make sense if the government forces private companies to reduce working hours of some employees?



There is no doubt that the corporate sector creates decent jobs. But Moon's DPK has been hindering the enactment of labor reform and service industry bills critical to job creation in the legislature. He had better persuade his colleague lawmakers to approve the bills before making such hollow job creation pledges.




By Donald Kirk

As Donald Trump is inaugurated today in Washington, it may be timely to wonder what if anything did Edward Snowden, in Moscow, have to do with his election.

Would Snowden be letting his skills go to waste? Might he be sharing notes with Russian friends on cyber-sleuthing and cyber-espionage  and have advised on the hacking that Democrats claim was carried out by the Russians during the U.S. presidential campaign?

If that question seems unfair, some would say he behaved more than unfairly by revealing the secrets of the National Security Agency and CIA. Oh, that's right, he did so for the sake of the American people, whom the NSA was betraying by spying on them.

Maybe so. Moreover, Snowden has given interviews insisting he's had nothing to do with serving his Russian hosts. In fact, he's criticized Russia's record on human rights, and he says he's earning his living giving lectures. He appears, in a conversation with Katie Couric on Yahoo, extremely poised, reasonable, well-spoken and self-contained.

Or is he putting on a terrific act  a consummate performance to match that of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who plays him in the Oliver Stone film, "Edward Snowden"? How much real credibility can you give a guy who unloaded his story in a burst of global publicity and then fled the consequences?

Living comfortably in Russia, might Snowden have had second thoughts while Russia and the U.S. battle,at least rhetorically, from eastern Europe to the middle east to Northeast Asia?

Those are questions to which we may not soon get answers. President Obama, in one of his final acts in office, commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning, who as Army Pfc. Bradley Manning provided Wikileaks with military documents obtained as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. Obama, however, skipped over Snowden, whose offenses were deemed far more damaging.

Now it looks like incoming President Trump will have to decide whether to come to Snowden's rescue. Maybe Trump will ask how Snowden is doing in a summit with President Vladimir Putin, with whom he's been on such good terms, and see if Russia will extradite him.

Before he acts on Snowden's behalf, however, Trump might want some reassurance from Putin that he hasn't been helping Russian cyber-sleuths. That might be a prerequisite for a plea deal under which Snowden would face a pro forma trial, get off on probation  and then make a fortune from books and interviews.

Whether Snowden will ever tell the world the full story of what he's been up to in Russia, however, is doubtful. The guy appears, in characterization on film and in person in interviews, as a genius who would be as good at covering up his activities as at revealing those of the NSA. He might have a future as an actor  playing himself.

Questions about Snowden go beyond his relations with possible Russian colleagues. How's he been helping the Chinese and North Koreans in their own programs of cyber-espionage against South Korea  and the USA? In ten days in a hotel room in Hong Kong, what did he tell the Chinese before spilling his secrets to the world and fleeing to Russia? And would he have also chatted with North Koreans after getting to Moscow?

A noted author, Edward Jay Epstein, in a book called "How America Lost Its Secrets: Edward Snowden, the Man and the Theft," suggests that Snowden also carried with him a ton of documents that he figured the Russians would love. There's even the inference that maybe he was spying all along while working for the NSA in Hawaii.

The Snowden story is bound to get bigger. Oliver Stone makes him a hero, a martyr. It would be interesting to know what Snowden knows about Russian cyber-warfare against the U.S. -- or how the North Koreans hacked into Sony in retaliation for the gross satire of Kim Jong-un in the film "The Interview."

North Korea should invite Snowden to Pyongyang as a guest consultant. At least that would provide some relief from the humdrum routine of life in Moscow.

Donald Kirk, www.donaldkirk.com, watched "Edward Snowden" on the plane from Washington DC to Korea. He's at kirkdon4343@gmail.com
A man has been arrested in Thailand on suspicion of having unprotected sex with men and women while knowingly having HIV, and on suspicion of having sex with a minor.

Zdenek Pfeifer, 49, from Bohemia, Czech Republic, was caught after a huge manhunt by Thai police who found him living in Phuket. Pfeifer was on the run after an Interpol release was issued on behalf of Czech authorities who were searching for him.

He is wanted over accusations that he knowingly passed on the sexually transmitted disease to both men and women in his home country. Pfeifer also allegedly had sex with a minor. One minor alleges he paid him for sex and filmed a pornographic movie of them together.

The Czech national faces charges of battery, sexual abuse, spreading disease and distributing pornography, a police spokesman said. If found guilty of his alleged crimes he could get 12 years in prison. He was found after a local spotted him in a supermarket and called police.
Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari will today be leaving for the United Kingdom on a short leave, which is part of his annual vacation. He is expected to resume work on February 6, 2017.

According to a press statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, During the vacation, the President will also undergo routine medical check-ups.

In line with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara have been duly communicated.

While away, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, will perform the functions of the Office of the President.

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Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is refusing to step down despite the threat of military intervention by neighbouring states.

Adama Barrow, who beat him in elections last month, is due to be inaugurated as the new president today, but Mr Jammeh has ignored the deadline.

West African military forces are ready to enforce a transfer of power., including Nigeria sending down soldiers.

Senegalese troops remain stationed at the Gambian border, despite the deadline for Mr Jammeh to stand down passing at midnight.



The threat of military action is supported by Nigeria and other states in the region.

However, Gambian army chief Ousman Badjie said his troops would not fight Senegalese forces should they enter into the country, AFP news agency was quoted to have said.

We are not going to involve ourselves militarily, this is a political dispute, he said. I am not going to involve my soldiers in a stupid fight. I love my men.

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A 38-year-old unemployed man, Hussein Mohammed, defecated in the dock at an Ikeja Magistrates Court, yesterday, while standing trial for alleged theft of a motorcycle valued at N65,000.

The accused was arraigned before Magistrate G. O. Anifowose on a charge of stealing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused was panting in the dock and when his plea was to be taken, he defecated and urinated uncontrollably right in the courtroom amid tears.

The court was forced to adjourn briefly, while the accused was immediately taken to the toilet to clean up.



Some 20 minutes later, the court relocated to another room where his plea was finally taken.

The accused, who said he resides under the bridge at Iyana-Ipaja, a suburb of Lagos, summoned courage and entered a not guilty plea.

The magistrate granted the accused a bail of N60,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Racheal Williams told the court that the offence was committed on January 13, at Aina George Junction, Ilupeju, Lagos. The case has been adjourned to Feb. 8 for mention.

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A Zimbabwean activist pastor appeared in court on Wednesday after police arrested him for predicting that President Robert Mugabe would die in October this year.

Patrick Mugadza, a preacher in the tourist resort town of Victoria Falls, told journalists last week that he had received a prophecy from God that Mugabe would die on Oct. 17.

Mugadza was arrested on Monday after appearing at the magistrate court on a separate charge of abusing the national flag. He also faces another charge of public nuisance after holding a one-man anti-government protest last year.



Prosecutors could not formally lay charges of criminal nuisance on Mugadza because his lawyers objected to an additional charge of offences to persons of particular religion or race.

He will return to court on tomorrow.

Zimbabwean police often arrest political activists for insulting or undermining Mugabes office, but most of the cases have been dismissed by the courts.

Mugabe has since December been in Singapore on his annual holiday. He also traveled to China and Mali in between.

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KITCHEN SHRINK:

Mr. Zodiac Rooster swoops down on Monkeys head and crows a cock-a-doodle-doo to herald the Chinese New Year  the new moon of the first day of the first lunar month that bears his name. The rooster, a polygamous male chicken, roosts over his many hens and their nests to guard against intruding rivals. How fitting an image since the chicken is also associated with the exorcising of evil spirits in Chinese culture. As a newlywed, I frequently prepared stuffed capon, reading about an obscure superstition that the bird was a symbol of luck and many healthy pregnancies. So bizarre, especially since the capon, which I did not know at the time, was a castrated rooster.

The reign of the fully-endowed rooster starting Jan. 28 on the Chinese astrological chart is expected to make this a year of power and courage. We can now happily serve the female chicken or hen for the New Years feast to ensure a strong marriage and close family ties, along with Peking duck and other traditional dishes that are revered for their symbolic meanings based on either the foods appearance or the phonetic sounding of its name, although some may have to be tweaked for health reasons.

Yes, the Chinese New Year, unlike the western one, is shrouded in customs that embrace ancient rituals and superstitions with sweet-and-savory offerings to family and friends. The gustatory orgy at the start of the 15-day celebration showcases treasures from the land and sea to bestow longevity, fertility, well-being, happiness and prosperity for the year to come.

A tray of togetherness is served when guests visit on the first day of the festival with a variety of eight delicacies, since that number is a lucky one. Seeds can be presented raw (pomegranate, lotus, watermelon or sesame), or baked as a surprise in the middle of a pastry as a hedge against infertility, chunks of fresh coconut foster togetherness, while preserved kumquats, tangerines and grapefruit-sized pomelos represent a financially prosperous year ahead.

Finally, irresistible rice balls called nian gao  blending sticky rice, chestnuts, sugar, dates and lotus leaves  are a favorite delicacy to welcome a sweet, rich life. For a healthier riff to lower the carb load and prevent walloping the pancreas use brown rice in place of white, and honey or coconut sugar rather than white sugar. Wash it down nicely with a cup of polyphenol-rich green tea, an antioxidant warrior (more potent than black, white, jasmine or oolong varieties) toward off free radicals (even the occasional evil spirit), and boost the immune system, especially during flu season.

Prudently, beef or pork takes a short sabbatical since Confucius advises that artery-clogging meats will affect longevity and general well-being. Instead, swap out red meat for red snapper, and other omega-3 fatty acid powerhouses, particularly wild-caught, deep-sea, cold-water ones like salmon, mackerel, herring, scallops, prawns and lobster.

Chinese culture also dictates strict fish rules for presentation and consumption: Fish should be served whole, including the head and tail to symbolize togetherness and prosperity; the head should be pointed at a distinguished guest who gets first dibs; and a portion should remain uneaten to create an aura of surplus and financial stability. As for my contribution to promote good health and a long life, the fish should be prepared by steaming, baking or braising in a tangy ginger soy or cabbage chili sauce rather than frying or breading.

Uncut noodles (preferably nutritious buckwheat), and long beans to ensure good luck and longevity make a nice complement to the fish. At last, a traditional Buddhist dish called jai  a blend of 18 lucky vegetarian ingredients to purify and cleanse the mind, body and soul, also symbolizes eternity. And all New Years delights can be served on red dishes for an added oomph of good luck.

Whether you were born in the Year of the Rooster like such notables as Michael Caine, Bette Midler, Natalie Portman and Prince Philip, or under another animal zodiac sign, youll enjoy these tasty, toothsome long beans that will hopefully kick off the New Year with a dose of double happiness, health, prosperity, and, of course  longevity. Gongxi Fachai!



 Recipe: Longevity Long Beans

Ingredients:

 1 pound Chinese long beans, cut in 3-inch pieces

 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

 1 tablespoon sesame or coconut oil

 1/2 sweet onion, minced

 2 garlic cloves, minced

 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced

 1 teaspoon dark honey

 Cayenne pepper to taste

Method: In a saucepan with shallow water, cook beans until al dente. Drain. In a wok, heat oil on medium and saute onion, garlic and ginger until tender. Add remaining ingredients, stirring constantly. Toss in beans, coating with sauce.

 Catharine Kaufman can be reached by e-mail: kitchenshrink@san.rr.com
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:

Who was Everett Stunz?

Has anybody ever wondered who this man was that named a bed-and-linen store after himself in La Jolla? Well, Everett was of German decent and started the very first adjustable bed store in San Diego on Prospect Street in La Jolla in 1963. His wife began importing beautiful sheets from Germany and Europe and sold them in the store. Since then, Everett Stunz has maintained that high standard of fine quality lines and beds.

Just like in the old days, Everett Stunz still offers the best in customer service and knowledge about their products. Like everything else in life, time has changed the look and style of the products, but what has not changed is the high quality and standards that they have always offered.

For over 53 years, homeowners and designers have relied on Everett Stunz for their exclusive collections of top brands. Whether it is custom bedding, unusual designs or just the best in luxury bands available, their team of professionals will help you bring the vision of your new bedroom or bathroom to life.

Make your bedroom uniquely yours by creating a special sanctuary that can only be called one thing: You. It is not only the wall color or the window treatments that make a bedroom, but also the personal touch you add with soft, luxurious bedding and cozy down pillows and comforters from Everett Stunz. There are various choices in style and price point to create that special bedroom of your dreams.

Your bed is not just a piece of furniture  its your soul mate. You have to love your bed. Your bed serves as more that just a mattress that you sleep on. Your mattress must fit your body and caress you into deep, peaceful sleep. Since we all know that we spend at least one third of our lives in bed, shouldnt that be the one piece of furniture that we pay the most attention to? Why settle for just an ordinary bed that leaves you tossing and turning all night, trying to find a comfortable position and avoid pinched nerves, only to get up the morning feeling more tired than you did when you went to bed?

At Everett Stunz we carry the DUX High Performance Sleep System beds that have been perfected after 90 years of research and testing to give you the utmost comfort and Deepest Sleep. The DUX Bed is designed to make sure your body is in the Correct Sleep Posture, a position where the spine is aligned to the hips so that the muscles in the lower back can completely and fully relax. It is a proven fact and sleep studies show that DUX users not only fall asleep faster, but also enjoy at least an extra hour of Deep Sleep  the only sleep stage where the bodys immune system and muscle groups heal and repair themselves.

In addition to the DUX beds, Everett Stunz also carries the Savvy Rest all Organic all Latex mattresses and the Sleep Response mattresses made by Southerland.

Come visit Everett Stunz at 7547 Girard Ave., La Jolla, in our new location and let us help you to create sweet dreams! (858) 459-3305. (800) 883-3305. everettstunz.com

 Business Spotlight features commercial enterprises that support La Jolla Light.
Its not easy wearing blue.

Even in small communities, police officers see things most people dont want to see and are stressed by issues most people dont want to deal with.

Sgt. Dan Derrick, Police Chief Michael Rasmussen and Police Lt. Ed Gritzner have formally asked the Lake Geneva Police and Fire Commission to initiate an official chaplain program for the Lake Geneva Police Department.

Derrick initially proposed the program to the police and fire commission in October.

While the city has an employee assistance program (EAP), a chaplain program would provide additional support for police officers.

It should be a good thing, Rasmussen said, when asked of the proposed chaplain program.

Rasmussen said both the EAP and chaplain program will be of assistance to police officers.

The EAP provides all kinds of counseling, including financial counseling and legal advice.

But the chaplain program is to help deal with problems that uniquely face law enforcement officers.

You see some horrific things, Rasmussen said of being a police officer.

The volunteer chaplains, who would be on call, could personally counsel officers immediately after an incident.

The chaplains wont wear uniforms, although they will be credentialed, Rasmussen said.

Theres been some interest by members of clergy within the community with the proposed program, Rasmussen added.

Clergy willing

He said the city and department are blessed to have clergy who are willing to help when needed.

Derrick said his motivation stemmed in part from a recent death notification he had to make after a November 2016 fatal car crash claimed the life of a 22-year-old man who was known in the Lake Geneva community.

Officers who deal with the ugly and horrible are often haunted by what theyve seen, he said.

Any police officer who says he doesnt carry the scars from what hes dealing with on the job is lying, Derrick said.

Derrick was one of the officers who was involved in investigating the fatal crash. An experienced police sergeant who also serves on the county SWAT team, Derrick nonetheless admitted to being deeply affected by having to make death notifications to family.

Knowing that the family was Catholic, Derrick said, he called St. Francis de Sales Church. A priest there accompanied him to make the death notification to the family.

The priest was a comfort to the family and the officer, he said.

Derrick said that when he started on the department in 1992, the Lake Geneva police did have a chaplain. But that individual then transitioned to the Walworth County Sheriffs Department and the program was discontinued in Lake Geneva.

He said the department has unofficially leaned on the services of Mark and Mary Moller-Gunderson.

Until recently, Mark, a captain in the Lake Geneva Fire Department, and Mary Moller-Gunderson were co-pastors at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lake Geneva. Capt. Moller-Gunderson is also the fire department chaplain.

Stressed relations

But Derrick said it would be better if the department had its own chaplain program. There have been instances when police needed a pastor or reverend and none in the city were available.

In addition to the personal pressures policing puts on officers, it also stresses relationships, Derrick said.

The spouse and family pay the price when an officers issues are not dealt with. Derrick said.

He said there are studies that seem to indicate that PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) may not always be caused by one event. Accumulated violent or disturbing events can eventually trigger it, he said.

The city provides an employee assistance program that is sufficient as far as it goes, said Tom Hartz, president of the police and fire commission. We see room for additional help.

In that context, I support the chaplain program, Hartz added.

Hartz characterized Derrick as passionate and thoughtful about this topic.

However, Hartz said he and the commissioners want to make sure the policy that creates the chaplain program is property focused.

The commission wants to assure everyone that the program is strictly voluntary by both the providers and the department personnel. And, he said, I wanted to make sure that even though the intentions of the program and those who support it are good; that we didnt inadvertently create something that would not survive a legal challenge.

Derrick said any fears that somehow someone will force religion down someones throat is unfounded.

I want a chaplain program the officers know and trust, he said.

Final candidates for the program would have to be approved by the chief and the commission, he said. Applicants must be affiliated with a major religious organization. And the police and fire commission will be looking for pastors and priests who have experience in counseling.

This is going to be a living, breathing program, said Derrick. Its going to evolve and take shape over the years.

He said the department has three candidates, including one who lives in Fontana.

I think if were really cautious about it, well have a good group of chaplains who will help us out, he said.
LAKE GENEVA  Tristan Crist can make a motorcycle appear out of thin air in his magic theatre, but he cant do it by himself.

Instead, he relies on his assistants to help him showcase his mysterious abilities.

Recently, a reporter with the Regional News had a chance to talk with Shannon McGuire, one of Crists assistants, to learn what its like to help create magic for a living.

Q: How did you become a magicians assistant?

A: For me, my storys a little bit different. I actually was working at Tommy Bartletts in the Dells at the time before I met Tristan. I was a professional water skier, didnt really have any idea or any interest in magic, but I actually had a few friends that were a part of Circus World and thats where Tristan was performing at the time. We kind of hung out and he was looking for an assistant for the next year. I applied, and kind of have been doing it ever since. Watching Tristan perform magic and watching what he does, it really inspires me to want to continue and want to try to work with him and make it even better.

Q: What was the audition process like for this kind of a job?

A: It kind of comes down to flexibility, height, weight and being able to know how to move on stage and be able to read cues and things like that.

Q: What are some of your main duties in this job?

A: Behind the curtain Im actually the one whos setting up the props, making sure everything would go right for that time in the performance, changing costumes multiple times, being as quick and quiet and smooth as possible.

Q: What skills are required to do this job?

A: A little bit of acting. Definitely acting, performing, being quick on your feet, theres a lot of movement. Flexibility, of course.

Q: Is it a pretty collaborative job since you have to work with Tristan and the other assistant?

A: Yes, absolutely. Tristan actually performs all the time, and to be able to do this we really have to be able to read each other very well and work with each other so we can kind of do anything on a moments notice because it is a live show, so we do have to be able to think quick on our feet, and be able to read everyone elses emotions.

Q: What is your favorite part of the job?

A: My favorite part of the job is probably just being able to be on stage, wearing all of these different costumes, feeling so important being a part of this great show, and its just so fulfilling. I love it.

Q: Are you in on all of the secrets behind the tricks?

A: He doesnt like to tell me some of it. Some of the stuff that I do I obviously can kind of figure them out, but he doesnt like to tell me everything. So its kind of frustrating. (Laughs) It gets to the point where I move that prop that I dont know, and Im just like, I dont get it, but Im right here.
Historic ties of north Meck span throughout region Though the north Mecklenburg area didnt see significant population growth until a few decades ago, its rich history dates back to the Revolutionary War. That was the basis of...

An easier-than-expected first mammogram experience HUNTERSVILLE  Scheduling a cancer screening probably ranks somewhere on your to-do list between "clean out the garage" and "donate those clothes that don't fit." Sure, you'll get to it at...
An email from the bosses this morning warned all Los Angeles Times journalists not to take part in marches this weekend pegged to the Donald Trump inauguration. It's against "long-standing ethics guidelines" to take part in the women's marches planned for LA, Washington and elsewhere. Staffers were asking, says the memo from Managing Editor Marc Duvoisin.

Subject: Women's marches in Washington and L.A.

To the staff:

The Womens March on Washington and related events in Los Angeles and around the country will take place Saturday, and a number of newsroom staffers have asked if it is OK for them to participate.

In keeping with the L.A. Times long-standing ethics guidelines, the answer is no. Times journalists who are not covering these events should not participate in them.

Under our ethics guidelines, we are all obliged to refrain from public expressions of our personal political views, in order to safeguard The Times objectivity in fact as well as appearance.

This isnt a new policy. The guidelines speak to this issue in several places: They state that staff members may not engage in political advocacy, should avoid public expressions or demonstrations of their political views, and must not allow their outside activities to undermine the impartiality of Times coverage. (The full guidelines are at http://lat.ms/2jyujj3.)

The Womens March on Washington, according to its mission statement, is intended to send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to create change from the grassroots level up.

As The Times prepares to cover the new administration and hold elected and appointed officials accountable with our journalism, it is our responsibility to do so without taking sides.

Journalists participating in a political event run the risk of jeopardizing our impartiality. Now more than ever, we need to reinforce our independent role in democracy.

If you have any questions about how we came to this conclusion about the Womens March and related events, or about our ethics policy more broadly, please come see me, Davan, Larry Ingrassia or any other member of the masthead.

Marc


PRESS RELEASE

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Makes Secret Visit to Syria

Jan. 18, 2017 (EIRNS)Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) made a secret visit to Syria, Agence France Presse reported today, after speaking to Gabbards spokesman, Emily Lattimer.

Gabbard, an Iraq War veteran, made a fact-finding mission to Damascus, Syrias capital, despite continued fighting in violation of the fragile ceasefire. Lattimer said, "She felt it was important to meet with a number of individuals and groups, including religious leaders, humanitarian workers, refugees, and government and community leaders."

Rep. Gabbard had met with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York in November, two weeks after his election, to discuss Syria policy. Gabbard said that at that meeting she had expressed

"my grave concerns that escalating the war in Syria by implementing a so-called no fly/safe zone would be disastrous for the Syrian people, our country, and the world."

Gabbard has long opposed a U.S. policy of regime change in Syria, because it would result in Syrias further descent into chaos if President Bashar Assad were ousted.

Lattimer declined to say whether Gabbard had met with Assad on her trip, which also included a stop in Lebanon.

On Jan. 13, Gabbard introduced the Stop Arming Terrorists Act, which bars U.S. taxpayer money from supporting organizations allied with or backing "terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda in their war to overthrow the Syrian govenrment." The bill would block U.S. government funding or provision of weapons to groups seeking to overthrow the Assad regime, including the Levant Front and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

"Our limited resources should go toward rebuilding our communities here at home, not fueling more counterproductive regime-change wars abroad,"

she said on the House floor. She urged her colleagues to "stop this madness."

Gabbard is still in the Mideast, Agence France Presse reports.
PRESS RELEASE

Russia Invites Trump Officials to Syria Talks, Lavrov Says

Jan. 18, 2017 (EIRNS)Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said representatives of the incoming U.S. administration have been invited to participate in the Syria talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, expected to begin on Jan. 23.

Speaking at a news conference on Jan. 17, posted on the Foreign Ministry's website, Lavrov said it was "right to invite representatives of the UN and the new U.S. administration" to the Astana talks, but did not say whether the incoming Trump administration had confirmed its attendance

"We're counting on the new [U.S.] administration accepting this invitation and being represented by experts on any level they consider possible. It will be the first official contact during which we could begin discussing stepping up the efficiency of fighting terrorism in Syria,"

Lavrov said. "One of the objectives of the meeting in Astana is first of all to consolidate the cease-fire."

Lavrov's remarks came one day after he talked to the foreign ministers of Turkey, Iran, and Kazakhstan, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Javad Zarif, and Kairat Abdrakhmanov, respectively, regarding the peace talks in Astana.

According to a report in Syria's Al-Watan daily, Syria's UN ambassador would head the government delegation to the talks, while chief rebel negotiator Mohammad Alloush, a leading figure in the Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) faction, would represent the opposition, according to National Coalition member Ahmad Ramadan, Agence France Presse reported.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said on Jan. 18 in an interview with the Lebanese broadcaster al-Mayadeen. Damascus had no objections to the presence of U.S. representatives at the Astana. However, Mekdad stressed that Washington "will have to prove its sincerity about settling the Syrian crisis."

Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamhani said his country opposed the U.S. participation, that there were "absolutely no grounds" for the U.S. participation in the talks. Nonetheless, he admitted that "there is a possibility that the host country [Kazakhstan] will invite the U.S. to Astana as an observer."

Meanwhile, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said Jan. 16 that the European Union wanted to host a conference on the reconstruction of Syria in tandem with the United Nations. She told the Associated Press that the conference would come after the planned restart of the Geneva peace talks and "could be a moment for the international community to turn the page and start the reconstruction of Syria."
Cambodias economy has been growing these last few years with contribution from the banking sector. Currently there are forty commercial banks in the Kingdom, but penetration is still low due to a significant amount of the rural population that does not have easy access to open a bank account and are still skeptical about security issues.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance and the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) work closely to increase financial inclusion. Ouk Sarat, director of the payment system department at the NBC, addressed recently at the National Summit on the Development of Microfinance Sector in Cambodia, the importance of increasing the mobile banking usage as it could bring more people into the formal banking sector. There are still challenges because of the lack of internet in rural areas, as well as a lack of confidence in e-banking security, which has slowed down the transformation process in the country.

However, there is not much difference between the Cambodians mobile consumption habits and globally market trends. Users are on-the-go accessing social networks and applications via their mobile devices, utilizing them beyond calling and texting as what was primarily done so in the past.

Advertisement

Even though last year internet penetration remained extremely low, by contrast mobile broadband was expanding rapidly and at the same time boosting online activity in Cambodia.

Currently, the mobile and internet penetration is almost 45%, in other words, 6.7 million of the Cambodian population use internet mostly by mobile. Last year the number of people accessing the internet from their mobile devices increased by 1.3 million.

By 2020 we wish that number will increase double, Kan Channmeta, State of Secretary of Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPTC), said.

This objective is related to the ICT Master Plan 2020 established by the government, which aims to build Cambodia as an intelligent and savvy nation. The four strategic pillars are Empowering People, Ensuring Connectivity, Enhancing Capabilities and Enriching e-Services, which is also related to the financial inclusion plan.

Cambodias banking is also transforming due to these habits and its young population. According to Askhat Azhikhanov, CEO of ABA Bank, 53% of the people are younger than 25 years old, which means that in ten years, all these millennial kids will be our banking clients and of course they will interface with the bank and with any other company in absolutely different way, he said.

ABA Bank is one of the top banking institutions and was awardedGlobal Finance Magazine and The Banker Magazines Euromoney 2016 award as the best bank in Cambodia. Since its foundation in 1996 as the Advanced Bank of Asia Limited, ABA Bank has focused on multi-channel banking and actively promotes branchless banking.

All our customers are embraced with 24/7 banking solutions that let them do banking wherever they are, Askhat Azhikhanov said. We have always been the pioneers in the market, without innovation it is difficult to compete. We have been the first bank who introduced internet banking in 2009.

In 2013, ABA implemented cash deposit machines outside their branches, which allowed anyone to deposit cash into ABA accounts and pay their bills among others services from a wide variety of locations and not only banks branches.

Even though mobile banking applications are still relatively underused in Cambodia, last year ABA Bank also became the first bank in launching a full-scale native application which allows access to banking services at all times.

The ABA mobile app available for iOS and Android is easy to download and free of charge and allows customers to perform routine banking easily as it has almost the same features of ABA internet banking service, such as checking bank accounts, transactions, paying bills and transferring money among others.

One of the most popular features of the app is E-Cash, which allows anyone to withdraw money from any ABA ATM without a card. It works through a security code that was provided previously by an ABA customer and allows sending money to other person who does not have a bank account or a card. This is a 24-hour service like that allows customers to send money to the province in a safe way.

Innovation is changing banking customers lifestyle, which means there is no further need to waste time in traffic jams and trying to find parking spaces during work hours to manage money.

Investing in digital services or what ABA Bank calls SMART banking in the last seven years has become one of its main competitive advantages.

Our strategy is customers visit the branch only one time when they open an account, and then they do not need to come back again, as they can operate their accounts online or deposit cash through our kiosk available everywhere, even at the most popular shopping malls, Askhat Azhikhanov said.

We are very client-focused and have multichannel capabilities with highly functional self-banking and customer-support channels, he says. We are embracing the technological possibilities, it is absolute paramount right now and nowadays it is not simply good enough to have a very nice branch network. We are the third biggest bank/financier in the country. Its not simply enough to have very nice office, he added.

ABA Banks digital development has also attracted the National Bank of Canada investment, which recently acquired 90 per cent of the bank, becoming the main shareholder. The engagement with an A-rated financial institution has meant for ABA Bank access to a more diversified funding.

ABA Mobile app has proved a hit amongst banking customers, definitely, some clients who are now applying for an ABA accounts are coming because of the mobile app, Zokhir Rasulov, Chief Digital Officer responsible of ABAs digital transformation, said.

In fact, Rasulov refers to a customers case that based his bank choice on whether the bank had big parking areas. Once he tried out ABA app and received information about all the different features, he decided to open an account with them.

Rasulov admits the application was not immediately accepted as any other new feature required market education. Therefore they also invest money and time in demos, video tutorials, advertising and other marketing tools.

Furthermore, ABAs team created a well-structured and complex contact center, which is not only based on phone customers inquiries, but also a real-time web chat which is available 24/7 including weekends and holidays. This type of online customer service is the first in Cambodia not only for the banking sector but also for other sectors.

Due to ABAs customer focused strategy, they were also the first in linking the contact center to the Facebook chats, due to the popularity of the social network in the country.

We have our own Facebook profile, Google Plus and YouTube, among others, Askhat Azhikhanov said.

ABA Bank digital team aims to continue developing, creating and implementing new banking ideas, at least one new feature every three months. For example, the latest updates have been the Fingerprint ID introduction which enforces security and allows users to log in to the mobile ABA app with a single touch of their finger, as well as an interactive map which helps to locate your nearest ABA branch, ATM or cash-in machine.

Along with these innovations, they have also recently released the Khmer version of the application which they hope will promote further population inclusion into digital banking.

Other ABA Bank future plans are to be able to issue and use virtual MasterCard which would have all the benefits of a real plastic card but branchless. This would even allow customers to make purchases using their phones. ABAs digital team is researching on the benefits of this type of payments used in other Asian countries, such as QR codes which are very popular in China.

Cambodian society is ready to skip plastic card usage and just use their phones while going out for shopping, said Rasulov.
As a new presidential administration comes into power, ambiguity reigns for the biodiesel industry.

But at the same time, the California market appears to be growing solidly for the fuel derived from a diversity of products including soybeans, canola oil and animal fats.

We have learned to thrive on uncertainty, said Jennifer Case, president of New Leaf Biofuel, based in San Diego. We are a scrappy industry.

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Case is one of about 800 attendees at the industrys biggest annual get-together, the National Biodeisel Conference and Expo, running through Thursday at the San Diego Convention Center.

Were heading up, said Donnell Rehagen, chief executive of the National Biodiesel Board. Were in a growth pattern.

But the pattern may be disrupted.

A $1-per-gallon tax credit for biofuels expired Dec. 31. Although the credit has always been retroactively extended in the past, there are indications that Donald Trumps administration may take a harder line on renewable energy mandates.

They should absolutely be nervous, said Robert Rapier, chief energy analyst for Investing Daily.

Trump went on the record on the campaign trail saying he supported the Renewable Fuel Standard, the federal program that has been the lifeblood not only of biodiesel but other biofuels such as biodiesels controversial cousin, ethanol.

But the RFS is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency and Trumps appointee to head the EPA is Oklahoma Atty. Gen. Scott Pruitt, who has criticized the fuel standard.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who has been advising Trump, has called the EPAs system of credits accompanying the RFS catastrophic and in need of elimination.

Icahn owns CVR Refining  and oil refiners have long opposed the costs of complying with the fuel standard.

I dont think they have the support to get rid of [the RFS] because youve got a lot of bipartisan senators and representatives from farm states who support the renewable fuel standard, Rapier said. But the EPA has a lot of discretion where they can set that target.

Pruitts confirmation hearings started Wednesday in the U.S. Senate, where he promised to carry out the RFS mandate.

Should Pruitt get confirmed, Rapier said, he may say, All right, I cant get rid of [the RFS] but I can certainly set the mandate lower. 

The National Biodiesel Board is being noncommittal about the Pruitt EPA nomination.

We leave that up to each of the administrations, Rehagen said. They need to have the people on board to carry forth those policies but with that said, well be paying very close attention to policies as they develop.

The story is much different in California.

The state has created the Low Carbon Fuel Standard to help meet Californias aggressive climate targets, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.

The policy demands more and more emissions reductions at an increasing rate, said Ryan Lamberg, executive director of the California Biodiesel Initiative.

That opens the door for biodiesel, which is cleaner than standard diesel fuel.

Biodiesel consumption in California is expected to reach 350 million gallons this year, up from 14 million gallons five years ago, said Shelby Neal, director of state governmental affairs for the National Biodiesel Board.

It is completely because of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, said Neal, who spends part of his time lobbying for the industry in Sacramento. Biodiesel has the lowest carbon score of any of the liquid fuels. So basically that makes it the cheapest compliance option.

Thats good news for producers like Case, whose 31-employee company recycles cooking oil from restaurants across San Diego County. Last year, the company produced 5 million gallons of fuel from the oil.

We have policies in the state of California that are supporting us right now, Case said. We have to double down on this. Federal has to catch up with California.

Biofuels have long faced criticism beyond that of refiners who dont like being mandated to blend ethanol into the nations gasoline supply. Free-market economists say tax credit regimes end up shifting costs  usually onto taxpayers.

Biodiesel doesnt have as high a profile but the oil companies still dont like it, Rapier said. They dont like being told you have to blend a competing product. They might do it anyway if the price was right, but they dont like being told regardless of the price, you gotta put this into the fuel system.

In November, the EPA announced that the amount of corn-based ethanol blended into the nations fuel supply must increase from 14.5 billion gallons to 15 billion gallons while advanced biofuels such as biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol must rise from 3.6 billion gallons to 4.3 billion.

Biodiesels backers received good news Tuesday.

General Motors announced that it is expanding its portfolio of biodiesel vehicles to include cars and crossovers. Chevrolet will roll out diesel-powered editions of the Cruze and Equinox, with the Cruze expected to get more than 50 miles per gallon on B20 fuel  blends of up to 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel.

A big part of the pull came from the customer side, saying we should look at this, said John Schwegman, director of commercial product and medium duty for GM Fleet.

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com
South Koreas Hanjin Shipping Co. has received permission from a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge to sell its majority stake in a Long Beach container terminal operator.

Hanjin will sell its stake to a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Co., which already owns 46% of operator Total Terminals International Inc. The company offered $78 million for Hanjins stake, said Charles Gale, principal deputy city attorney of Long Beach.

Total Terminals International, also known as TTI, is the only terminal operator at Pier T at the Port of Long Beach. TTI operates a 380-acre yard there. The operator also has terminals in Oakland and Seattle.

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Were pleased that the judge did affirm the approval, said Lori Ann Guzman, president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. Pier T is perfectly situated, in terms of the waterfront. Its one of our greatest assets.

In approving the sale, Bankruptcy Judge John Sherwood in New Jersey overruled objections from U.S. creditors that they could lose out in the deal.

Hanjin filed for bankruptcy in August, part of widespread turbulence in the shipping industry, which has been roiled by slower global demand. Shippers purchased more and bigger vessels, but the anticipated business never materialized.

The companys bankruptcy filing stalled delivery of goods as the worlds seventh-largest shipping line idled its ships outside the dock, fearing that the vessels would be seized by creditors.

Guzman said traffic at the Long Beach terminal declined last year compared with 2015, although she said it would be difficult to parse out how much of that decrease was the result of Hanjins bankruptcy.

With the sale taking place, Gale said, we are expecting substantially more containers to come through than have come through in the last several months.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

@smasunaga
Steven Mnuchin, the Wall Street executive tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to be the next Treasury secretary, faced some of the most blistering personal attacks of any Cabinet pick so far as Democrats accused him of foreclosing on the homes of thousands of struggling Americans while head of a Pasadena bank, even as he helped rich hedge fund clients shelter their wealth offshore.

Mnuchin was on the defensive during a more than five-hour confirmation hearing Thursday at which it was also revealed he initially had failed to disclose $95 million in real estate holdings and his position as director of a corporation in the Cayman Islands, a well-known tax haven.

Democrats questioned how Mnuchin could be expected to crack down on tax-avoidance schemes he helped clients use in the past. They also pressed him to ensure that Trumps foreign investments didnt compromise U.S. national security. Mnuchin said he would look into Trumps foreign debt.

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The 54-year-old hedge fund manager and former Hollywood movie producer had barely settled into his seat at the Senate Finance Committee when the panels top Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, launched a nearly 15-minute fusillade of criticism.

A major target throughout the hearing was Mnuchins tenure as head of OneWest Bank, which Wyden said churned out foreclosures like Chinese factories churned out Trump suits and ties.

Wydens opening statement was so aggressive that Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) told Wyden, Ive got a Valium pill you might want to take before the second round.

The comment, delivered humorlessly, sparked objections from Wyden and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). The exchange demonstrated the deep partisan divide over one of Trumps most controversial Cabinet picks.

Republicans rallied to Mnuchins defense, and theres no indication his confirmation is in jeopardy.

If confirmed, Mnuchin would become a pivotal player in the Trump administration on the economy, trade, taxes, entitlements, housing policy, financial regulation and relations with China and other global economic powers.

Mnuchin offered few policy details but was clear that producing economic growth of about 3% to 4% annually  significantly stronger than in recent years  was his main objective, and that cutting corporate taxes was the key.

Our No. 1 priority from my standpoint is economic growth, Mnuchin said. I believe tax reform will be the first and most important part of that.

He also told lawmakers that he supports current economic sanctions against Russia and would support hiring more Internal Revenue Service workers in order to help boost government revenues.

Mnuchin opened his testimony with a strong defense against charges leveled in recent days that OneWest, which he ran from 2009 to 2015, was a foreclosure machine.

Since I was first nominated  I have been maligned as taking advantage of others hardships in order to earn a buck, Mnuchin said. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Mnuchin said OneWest tried to help homeowners avoid foreclosure but often was limited by federal regulations.

My experience confirmed that we must identify and eliminate unwise and burdensome policies which contribute to the disastrous outcomes that came in the wake of the financial crisis, Mnuchin said.

In addition to supporting Trumps deregulatory push, Mnuchin committed to reducing taxes and reviving trade policies that put the American worker first.

He said Trumps trade plans do not include an across-the-board 35% border tax imposed on imports from certain countries, and instead would target companies that move American jobs abroad. Trump, in his own statements and tweets, has suggested doing both.

Liberals have criticized Mnuchin, a multimillionaire, because of his long career at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and his role in dealing with the mortgages held by failed subprime giant IndyMac Bank.

He is one of the top targets of Senate Democrats among Trumps Cabinet picks. In hopes of derailing his nomination, Democrats and liberal activists are focusing on OneWests foreclosures.

In 2009, Mnuchin and other investors put up nearly $1.6 billion to buy IndyMac and renamed it OneWest. They sold the bank to CIT Group in 2015 for $3.4 billion.

Democrats and housing advocates have dubbed Mnuchin the foreclosure king for what they said was the banks aggressive practices. They accused him of profiting from the 2008 financial crisis that left many homeowners unable to make their mortgage payments.

Mnuchin critics point to a 2011 regulatory order from the federal Office of Thrift Supervision that OneWest failed to follow procedures when foreclosing on homeowners.

During a forum Wednesday by Senate Democrats, Christina Clifford of Carlsbad choked up as she told of her experience with OneWest. The bank foreclosed on her Whittier condominium in 2010 after twice saying it lost her paperwork for a mortgage modification request despite cashing the checks she sent with the forms.

Steve Mnuchin profited from people like me, even when we did everything we could to keep our homes, said Clifford, who runs an acupuncture business.

As Democrats hit Mnuchin with similar stories, he said he regretted mistakes by the bank but denied he wanted to foreclose on homeowners.

Anybody who thinks that we made more money foreclosing on a loan than modifying a loan has no understanding of this, Mnuchin said.

Democrats also pounced on Mnuchins financial disclosure forms. According to a memo released by the committees Democratic staff, Mnuchin initially failed to disclose real estate assets, including homes in Los Angeles and Southampton, N.Y., and $15 million in holdings in Mexico.

The committee questionnaire Mnuchin submitted Dec. 19 also didnt disclose his position as director of Dune Capital International in the Cayman Islands, and about $907,000 worth of artwork held by his children.

After questions from committee staff, Mnuchin included the information on revised questionnaires he submitted this month.

Mnuchin said Thursday oversight was unintentional.

I think as you all can appreciate, filling out these government forms is quite complicated, Mnuchin said.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wasnt sympathetic. She is not on the committee but said via Twitter that, When Mnuchin makes mistakes on complicated paperwork, he asks for forgiveness. When his customers made mistakes, he took their homes.

Democrats also pressed Mnuchin on Trumps potential conflicts of interest.

The Treasury secretary chairs the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, an interagency committee that determines whether transactions involving foreign control of U.S. businesses affect national security.

Democrats questioned Mnuchin on how he would exercise that authority to make sure Trumps international investments dont diminish national security or violate the Constitutions prohibition on U.S. officials receiving benefits from foreign governments.

Trump has said he would turn over management of his companys assets to his sons but wont sell his interests.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) asked Mnuchin if, as Treasury secretary, he should know what percentage of Trumps debt is held by foreign interests.

I think you have a valid point about foreign debt and understanding foreign things, and I will research that and get back to you, Mnuchin said.

But Mnuchin would not commit to reporting back to the committee on that percentage.

The U.S. labor forces guy problem: Lots of men dont have a job and arent looking for one 

How Trump could use the presidency to help his own business interests 

jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com

Follow @JimPuzzanghera on Twitter

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UPDATES:

3:20 p.m.: This article has been updated with more background and analysis.

7:00 a.m.: This article has been updated with Mnuchins opening testimony

6:15 a.m.: This article was updated with Sen. Sherrod Browns request to the FBI for information about Mnuchins relationship with Relativity Media.

This article was originally published at 3 a.m.
The families of victims of terror attacks in Paris, Brussels and Israel are blaming social media companies including Facebook and Twitter for facilitating communications among terrorists.

Twitter says it has suspended hundreds of thousands of user accounts in the past 18 months for threatening or promoting acts of terrorism.

But that isnt enough, say lawyers for the families of terror victims, including a brother and sister killed in last years bomb attacks in Brussels and an American college student who died in Paris.

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In a string of lawsuits filed in New York, they say they want Twitter and Facebook to pay damages for failing to stop violent extremists from using their platforms to recruit followers, intimidate enemies and raise money.

If you or I tried to send money to Hamas, you wouldnt get around the block, said Robert Tolchin, a lawyer for the families of Brussels attack victims Alexander and Sascha Pinczowski and Paris massacre victim Nohemi Gonzalez. Banks are required to check before they do any wire transfers. Why is it any different to provide a communications platform to Hamas, to ISIS?

Relatives of those three victims filed a federal lawsuit against Twitter earlier this month, saying the San Francisco company violated the U.S. Anti-terrorism Act by providing material support to terrorists. It seeks unspecified damages.

Another lawsuit filed last year on behalf of five people killed or injured in terror attacks linked to Hamas blames Facebook Inc., saying it provides material support to Hamas.

The plaintiffs include the families of Taylor Force, a Lubbock, Texas, native and Vanderbilt University student stabbed to death in Tel Aviv last March; Yaakov Naftali Fraenkel, a 16-year-old dual Israeli-American citizen kidnapped and killed in Israel in 2014; and 3-month-old Chaya Zissel Braun, who was killed in 2014 when a Hamas operative drove his car into a crowd at a train station in Jerusalem.

That suit was combined with a third lawsuit brought on behalf of 20,000 Israelis seeking a court order requiring Facebook to stop providing services to terrorists.

Similar lawsuits across the country have been rejected by courts on grounds that the companies are protected by the Communications Decency Act, which bars social-networking companies from being sued for speech used by their customers.

Im confused why new lawsuits are continuing to be filed because I think these lawsuits are unmeritorious and it seems like the plaintiffs are not directing their ire toward the proper targets, said Eric Goldman, a professor at the Santa Clara University School of Law. Many social media companies have taken extra steps above and beyond the law to further reduce terrorist content.

In court papers, Facebook is fighting back, saying the material support claim is not new and its been routinely dismissed in court.

Facebook has zero tolerance for terrorism, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company wrote. It condemns terrorist actions, prohibits terrorist content on Facebook, and swiftly removes any reported terrorist content.

Twitter said in a statement that it condemns the use of it services to promote terrorism.

This type of behavior, or any violent threat, is not permitted on our service, it said, adding that it has suspended over 360,000 accounts in the last 18 months for promoting violent extremism, primarily related to the Islamic State.

For legal support, Twitter cites a November ruling of a U.S. court in San Francisco in a case brought by relatives of two U.S. government contractors shot and killed in 2015 at a law enforcement training center in Amman, Jordan. U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick said the suit was barred by the Communications Decency Act.

Alexander Pinczowski, 29, and Sascha Pinczowski, 26, were Dutch siblings who lived in New York. They died when suicide bombers detonated explosives at a Brussels airport.

Nohemi Gonzalez, 23, was among 129 people killed by gunmen in Paris in 2015. She a student at Cal State Long Beach and had been spending a semester in Paris studying industrial design.

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Investment giant T. Rowe Price is disappointed that Snapchats co-founders want to retain disproportionate control over their company when it goes public.

Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, who started working on the chat app together at Stanford University, reportedly are seeking 70% of the voting power of Snap Inc. following an initial public offering this year. They technically would own a much smaller percentage of the company, but they would gain greater control by denying votes to some other owners.

T. Rowe Price, which co-manages at least $7 million worth of Snap Inc. shares, according to regulatory filings, expressed concern with the plan.

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We want our clients to have the vote they deserve, Chief Executive Bill Stromberg told the Australian Financial Review in an article posted Thursday. So we are quietly and persistently advocating for change.

The displeasure appears unlikely to sway Snap to change its plan, and T. Rowe Price acknowledged in a later statement that it doesnt expect to back away from the Los Angeles company.

We take our obligation to represent our investors interests very seriously, T. Rowe Price stated. We believe our investment in Snap continues to be in our investors best interests. We have a very good relationship with Snap and its management team, and we look forward to continuing our partnership in the future.

Snap declined to comment.

Founders having outsized control is a growing trend among public companies, especially in technology and media industries. Having two classes of stocks  one with limited votes  enables company leaders to distance themselves from the views and guidance of shareholders, who may have a different idea of how to govern and grow a company. Entrepreneurs say it frees them to make large, long-term and risky bets on innovative ideas.

But corporate governance experts have said giving outside shareholders little say in a company makes it difficult for them to hold executives and board members accountable.

T. Rowe Price has taken a vocal stand against the dual-class setup. Last year, the firm said it would send a message by voting against the nomination of key board members at companies who adopt a structure in which controlling shareholders have extra power.

paresh.dave@latimes.com / PGP

Twitter: @peard33
Sometimes a civilian moment  seeing a new building or park exactly as the public sees it, without the benefit of press releases or a guided tour  can be a good thing for an architecture critic.

This is the story of one of those moments. Its also the story of how Los Angeles, after decades of largely ignoring its civic realm, is struggling to relearn the art of designing public space.

It begins one afternoon several weeks ago, when I had some time to kill after putting in a takeout order at the Chairman, a newish bao place in the Arts District. I wandered over to check out the progress of the small city park next door, at the corner of 5th and Hewitt streets. Its no-frills name is Arts District Park. ADP for short.

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The half-acre park stands across from Urth Caffe in one direction and the Barker Block Lofts in another. On a third edge, it backs up to the La Kretz Innovation Campus, a building that holds office space for cleantech start-ups.

Looking in from the sidewalk along 5th, I was happy to notice that the long-delayed park, the Arts Districts first in recent memory, seemed finally to be complete. A colorful childrens playground had been installed in one corner; in another was a modest stage area topped with a shade structure.

But wait: There was a tall fence around the entire park. And a large lock, with numbered keypad (!), on each of the doors. Either the park wasnt open yet, I thought to myself, or it was open only to neighbors who knew the code.

One door, I noticed as I looked more closely, wasnt fully latched. I gave it a push and walked in. So this wasnt a Gramercy Park situation after all. Still, who puts a lock like that on a public park?

Inside, some of the design cues were nearly as bad. The curving benches were divided up with bright red armrests, to make sure nobody would even think about lying down.

After I made a few comments about the park on Twitter  calling its aggressive attitude toward security reminiscent of the L.A. that Mike Davis wrote about in his 1990 book City of Quartz  I got an email from Alice Kimm.

Partner with her husband in the L.A. firm John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects, she was one of the parks designers, along with the Department of Recreation and Parks. Rick Fisher, a landscape architect in the Bureau of Engineering, led the design team.

Kimm wrote to say that a colleague had shown her your tweets on ADP (ouch!). She invited me to make a return visit, this time accompanied by her and Fisher as well as Deborah Weintraub, chief deputy city engineer; Michael Shull from Rec and Parks; and representatives from Jose Huizars city council office. We agreed to meet at ADP one morning this month. Shull didnt make it, but the rest of us stood inside the park and discussed its long road to completion as a light rain fell.

The park (which replaced  what else?  a surface parking lot) began as a project of the citys Community Redevelopment Agency. After Gov. Jerry Brown dissolved the states CRAs in 2011, the plan languished. It came back to life with $2 million in Quimby funds, fees the city collects from developers.

(Construction was delayed in 2015 when work crews discovered dangerous metals in the soil. They also found some 19th century artifacts  including bottles of gonorrhea medicine  suggesting that there might once have been a brothel on the site.)

Friedman and Kimm, architects on the La Kretz project, offered to help the parks design team in part because they realized a green space next door might produce an effective symbiosis for the area. People working at La Kretz would have a place to eat lunch or take a quick break outside; their presence in the park would in turn help activate it and draw other users.

In community meetings, the designers told me, neighborhood residents made clear that safety was a top priority for the park; they worried in particular about homeless people sleeping there. In the end, the designers added, Rec and Parks pushed for the park to be completely fenced.

(Asked to confirm that account, Shull sent me an email that could not have been more noncommittal or perfectly opaque. It read, in its entirety, Typically a constraint that they design to based on either operational or community concerns. My reply: Is that a yes?)

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The locks, it turns out, operate on a timer, so the park can be opened every morning and closed every evening without a city employee having to perform the task manually. That kind of shortcut is attractive to the city in part because Quimby funds, even after recent reforms to the program, can be used only for capital expenditures  to build parks, not keep them up or keep them safe.

By all accounts, the neighborhood is thrilled to have the park finished. Its not hard to see why; the increasingly residential Arts District remains desperately short on green space. But in its details and big gestures alike, the park gives the strong impression that it is not a fully public space but an extension of the well-appointed buildings that overlook it  a nicely landscaped yard for the Barker Block and La Kretz.

Forgive my bluntness, but heres why those details and big gestures matter: If you live in a neighborhood with a chronic homeless problem, which means much of L.A. these days, its not a park designers job to help you pretend you dont. And if creating a park thats both welcoming to everyone and safe costs more than one that is merely safe  in terms of security, programming regular events to attract a broad public or other features  that assumption needs to be built into the citys budgeting process from the start.

Weintraub had some good news on the fencing front, however. If current plans hold, she told me, the forthcoming city park at Broadway and 1st Street and the one under the new 6th Street Viaduct will be built without fences.

Our hope, she added, is that we can move beyond them.

christopher.hawthorne@latimes.com

Twitter: @HawthorneLAT

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In a much retweeted curtain-call speech from the Broadway stage in November, Hamilton actor Brandon Dixon conveyed to then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence that theater can be a dramatic reminder of our shared humanity.

Khaled Hosseini hopes that the theatrical adaption of his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, can do just that too.

Ten years after the book came out with its portrayal of Muslim women and girls in Taliban-controlled Kabul, a theatrical adaption of A Thousand Splendid Suns is having its world premiere in San Francisco. The play, running Feb. 1 to 26, coincides with what many feel is a climate of intensified Islamophobia, and Hosseini finds it disturbing that his narrative has a renewed relevance.

With the divisive rhetoric of the presidential campaign, I think stories that bring to light our universal human impulses and needs and desires are more relevant than ever before, Hosseini said from his home in San Jose. Fiction he said, is antithetical to wall building. Fiction is a peek over walls, not the building of them.

Author Khaled Hosseini, photographed in 2013. (Nikki Kahn / The Washington Post / Getty Images)

The Kite Runner, Hosseinis 2003 novel, was an early post-9/11 novel about Muslims, Afghanistan and Afghans in America. The acclaimed bestseller landed just as the region and the religion pervaded the American consciousness.

Whereas The Kite Runner focuses on fathers and sons, A Thousand Splendid Suns explores the lives of mothers and daughters. The novelist wanted to put a human face on the women behind the burka.

I wanted, he said, to get beneath that kind of iconic picture of a woman in a burka walking on the street.

Ursula Rani Sarma adapted the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns for the theater. (Helen Warner) (Helen Warner / Helen Warner)

Hosseini refers to himself as a supportive bystander in the theatrical production, which American Conservatory Theater of San Francisco is co-producing with Theatre Calgary of Canada. ACT Artistic Director Carey Perloff commissioned Irish Indian playwright Ursula Rani Sarma to adapt the script. Sarma had the tricky task of adapting a book that spans 30 years, multiple generations and myriad points of view.

The book follows the lives of two women from strikingly different classes and educational backgrounds. Mariam had an emotionally impoverished childhood as the illegitimate and exiled daughter of a wealthy father and his servant. She is forced into a miserable, loveless marriage. I have known a lot of Mariams in Afghanistan, said Hosseini, who described the constant toil and grind of their lives. But Lailas  urban, educated women with backgrounds similar to his own  were more familiar to him in the progressive hub that was Kabul in the 1970s.

As the Taliban rises and Kabul falls, Mariam and Laila (played by Kate Rigg and Nadine Malouf) become each others lifeline in a time and place where a womans life was worthless. Mariams mother tells her, Only one skill you need, and its this: Tahamul. Endure.

In adapting the script, Sarma knew she couldn't cram the entire political context of Afghanistan into the play. It would end up feeling like a history lesson, she said. She chose to narrow in on the womens friendship and how it enables them to endure.

Director Perloff said that although many plays are about male friendship, she had never seen a play that wrestles with, and celebrates, female friendship. Sharing the same four walls and the same abusive husband, together they raise a child and that's how they survive, she said.

Carey Perloff, ACTs artistic director, right, rehearses a scene with actors Kate Rigg and Haysam Kadri. (Stefan Cohen) (Stefan Cohen / )

The play emphasizes the fear, domestic and political violence that women suffered under the Talibans brutal laws. On the stage, Perloff said, the abuse feels visceral but not literal.

Composer David Coulter at rehearsal playing the saw. (Stefan Cohen) (Stefan Cohen / )

There are poetic elements that avert an exacting realism, such as the original music composed by David Coulter, who plays the saw on stage.

Adapting a novel that feels visceral but not literal is no easy task. Last months opening of the West End stage production of The Kite Runner was panned as plodding (Financial Times, the Independent) and as a workmanlike summation of the book (the Guardian). Adaptations sometimes meet that fate.

You hear so often, Why did you mess with what was already really beautiful and perfectly simple? Sarma said. Her approach is to see adapting as akin to sculpting  in the sense that theres a play living within this novel, and it's about peeling away the excess. To succeed, the adapter must embrace the advantages and the limitations of the new medium, she said.

Hosseini has seen his first book become a movie and a play. (The London production of The Kite Runner premiered at San Jose Repertory Theatre in 2009.) The screen adaptation of his second book is sort of in Hollywood development limbo.

He said theater has a better shot at bridging the cultural divide. Like fiction, its a peek over the wall. And it can be more intimate than film, with the story unfolding right in front of you. As Perloff explained, There's something about being in the same space with human beings going on this kind of journey that I find incredibly moving.

Now more than ever, they hope that the play can respond to stereotypes (often started by something as simple as clothing that looks different) and the alarmist anti-Muslim voices that have grown louder on the basis of a piece of garment, Hosseini said.

My hope is that people see the play and not see divisions but rather the things that we share. That people walk out with a greater sense of understanding and empathy, Hosseini said.

He believes that stories like his endure because they can help us see something of ourselves in others. It helps connect us to people who speak different languages, pray differently, have different customs.

Mariam and Laila may seem exotic and different, Sarma said, but they are people trying to survive. And aren't we all?

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Watch a nightclub shooting in virtual reality? For Rose Troche, painful subjects make for powerful art

Filmmaker Rose Troche wants her virtual reality work to be considered something other than cinema. She premiered a VR piece at Sundance, If Not Love. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Rose Troche says she came out three times in her life: first as a Puerto Rican, next as an artist and finally as a gay person.

By the time I came out as gay, it was like, Oh, this old thing? jokes Troche, the child of immigrant parents who grew up hiding her minority identity on multiple levels in a tough Chicago neighborhood during the 1960s and 70s.

Relaxing on a couch in a Hollywood Hills chalet, she explains how shes in the midst of a fourth coming-out of sorts. As a writer and director on the vanguard of virtual reality, shes trying to articulate that her latest form of art isnt filmmaking.

Its a tricky but important sticking point for the celebrated indie filmmaker, whose virtual reality project If Not Love premiered this week at the Sundance Film Festivals experimental New Frontier arts and media exhibition.

Since 2012, New Frontier has showcased the film worlds bold and exciting steps into the VR space. Troche, who has exhibited three pieces at New Frontier since 2014, is searching for fresh language to describe that entrance.

Im advocating for a whole new set of words so that we stop calling it cinema, she says. This needs to exist as what it is and not be put into a funnel of what is a beautiful and amazing medium, but its not the same thing.

Troche would know. She carved out a career for herself in film after her 1994 feature debut, the lesbian romantic comedy Go Fish, became a cult hit. Made for $15,000, the film grossed more than $2.4 million at the box office thanks to a string of awards and a nomination for a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

I do pieces that take you to places that you dont want to go, and I dont want to take you to those places on a whim or in a cavalier way.  Rose Troche

Film gave way to a decade spent building commercial success in television, most notably as the co-executive producer of the lesbian drama The L Word. But a history of social activism and a desire for a new artistic challenge drove Troche to create VR work.

Three out of four of her pieces have dealt with difficult subjects. Perspective Chapter 1: The Party was a first-person exploration of date rape from the point of view of both the survivor and the assailant. Perspective Chapter 2: The Misdemeanor told the story of a police shooting from the perspective of a policeman and a young black man being shot.

The new work, If Not Love, is a short piece that takes the viewer on a painful, 360-degree journey through a mass shooting at a gay nightclub. If Not Love isnt intended to re-create last years Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Fla., but the project was inspired by that incident as well as by the tragedy in Nice, France, when a truck plowed through a crowd at a Bastille Day celebration.

In both cases, Troche wondered if anything could have been done to stop the violence.

If Not Love explores that thought by following the story of a closeted gay man who, after an anonymous hookup, decides to carry out a shooting at a nightclub. The piece presents an alternate scenario where, instead of letting him leave after sex, the mans partner asks him to stay. The two men kiss and hold each other, while back at the nightclub the bodies on the ground suddenly rise up in reverse of the falls they took in the shooting.

The idea, which Troche admits is perhaps naively simplistic, is that a single act of love just might save someone from himself. She felt VR would be the most effective medium to get her idea across because of its immediacy.

This form allows you a shortness of story, but in a more immersive way, Troche says. I do pieces that take you to places that you dont want to go, and I dont want to take you to those places on a whim or in a cavalier way. I wouldnt want you to be immersed in this for more than seven minutes.

If this isnt film, what is it? You watch it like film, only through a special headset. And the watching is active, instead of inactive. VR encourages you to move around  to look up, down, right and left. If you turn completely around during the scene in If Not Love, when the shooter is leaving after his secret tryst, for example, you will see a childs car seat.

With VR, Troche says, we are relearning how to watch. Its teaching us how to view things differently, and to be more intuitive viewers.

New Frontier curator Shari Frilot says she has invited Troche to exhibit year after year because of her ability to emotionally penetrate the limits of the intellect  in ways that are powerful, familiar and accessible.

She continues to stand out as a storyteller in this field who is doing something unique around combining classic aspects of filmmaking  character, performance, story structure  with the embodied power of this immersive medium in ways that continue to push this field forward, says Frilot, who has seen New Frontier grow exponentially since its inception in 2007 as a fledgling space at the intersection of art, filmmaking and technology.

Troche believes that VR will claim its rightful place in the pantheon of future media arts when its makers learn to create strong narratives with powerhouse performances. Three years ago, she says, it was popular to say narrative couldnt be done in VR. This has been proven false, but to date she doesnt feel the accomplishment has been properly achieved.

Its really important to me to test the parameters of how to create sustainable narratives in VR, Troche says, adding that the sooner a cohesive language to describe it emerges, including critics who understand and employ that language, the sooner that feat will be accomplished.

Actors, too, will need to relearn their craft if VR is to flourish. Actors are never off camera in a 360-degree film, unless they physically leave the room. Its almost like being in a play, only, unlike with theater, actors in VR need to understate everything. The more they project in VR, the more false they look.

Troches next step into the narrative realm is a 30-minute VR comedy series called LGBTQIA, which she describes as The Bad News Bears of gay comedy.

Im trying to find the strengths of VR and what it has to offer, she says.

I watched the film Blue alone in a movie theater, and I remember being in the space and bubble and world of it. I think VR has the potential to put viewers back in that space in a whole new way.
Movie recommendations from critics Kenneth Turan, Justin Chang and other reviewers. Click title for full review.

Arrival Amy Adams stars in this elegant, involving science-fiction drama that is simultaneously old and new, revisiting many alien-invasion conventions but with unexpected intelligence, visual style and heart. (Kenneth Turan) PG-13.

The Eagle Huntress A portrait of a 13-year-old Kazakh girl from Mongolia who defies eons of tradition by learning to hunt with fierce golden eagles is a documentary so satisfying it makes you feel good about feeling good. (Kenneth Turan) G.

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The Edge of Seventeen Hailee Steinfeld gives a superb performance as a high-school misfit in Kelly Fremon Craigs disarmingly smart teen dramedy, the rare coming-of-age picture that feels less like a retread than a renewal. (Justin Chang) R.

Elle Paul Verhoevens brilliantly booby-trapped thriller starring Isabelle Huppert is a gripping whodunit, a tour de force of psychological suspense and a wickedly droll comedy of manners. (Justin Chang) R.

The Founder Michael Keaton gives a performance of ratty, reptilian brilliance as Ray Kroc, the American salesman who turned a California burger stand into the global fast-food behemoth that is McDonalds, in John Lee Hancocks shrewd and satisfyingly fat-free biopic. (Justin Chang) PG-13.

Jackie Star Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy and director Pablo Larrain brilliantly pull back the curtain on one of the most public of private lives. (Kenneth Turan) R.

La La Land Starring a well-paired Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, writer-director Damien Chazelles tuneful tribute to classic movie musicals is often stronger in concept than execution, but it s lovely and transporting all the same. (Justin Chang) PG-13.

Loving Beautifully acted by Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton, this involving, socially conscious Jeff Nichols drama shows the personal lives of the interracial couple whose marriage led to the 1967 Supreme Court ruling that anti-miscegenation laws were unconstitutional. (Kenneth Turan) PG-13.

Manchester by the Sea Powerful, emotional filmmaking that leaves a scar, Kenneth Lonergans drama starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams is both heartbreaking and heartening, a film that just wallops you with its honesty, its authenticity and its access to despair. (Kenneth Turan) R.

Moonlight Superb filmmaking and an exceptional level of emotional honesty universalize a very specific coming-of-age experience, that of a gay black man growing from child to adult starting in 1980s Miamis crack cocaine epidemic years. (Kenneth Turan) R.

Neruda Pablo Larrains intoxicating puzzle of a movie is less a straightforward biopic of the great Chilean poet (played by Luis Gnecco) than a rigorous and imaginative investigation of his inner world. (Justin Chang) R.

Paterson Jim Jarmuschs wonderfully serene and beguiling movie is a portrait of a young artist refining his craft, drawing impressions from his everyday existence and coaxing them into a pleasing and provocative shape. (Justin Chang) R.

The Red Turtle A prize-winner at Cannes, this immersive, meditative, stunningly beautiful animated feature that is concerned with the rhythms of the natural world and the mysteries and wonders of ordinary life. (Kenneth Turan) PG.

Silence Martin Scorseses wrenching adaptation of Shusaku Endos 1966 novel, about 17th century Portuguese priests experiencing a crisis of faith in feudal Japan, ponders the dogmas and mysteries of Christian faith with astonishing rigor and seriousness. (Justin Chang) R.

Toni Erdmann Sandra Huller and Peter Simonischek give splendid performances as a high-strung businesswoman and her screw-loose dad in this magnificently unpredictable comedy from German writer-director Maren Ade. (Justin Chang) R.

20th Century Women Mike Mills lovingly fictionalized snapshot of his late-1970s adolescence belongs to Annette Bening and her marvelously suggestive and layered performance. (Justin Chang) R.

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The child is very much father to the man in Staying Vertical, a serenely nutty cinematic pastoral that unfolds at the crossroads of life and death, freedom and responsibility, this world and the next. The film follows a screenwriter in his 30s named Leo (Damien Bonnard) into the open countryside, where he shacks up with a shepherdess, has a baby boy and soon finds himself dealing with much more than just a crippling case of writers block.

The movie, for its part, hardly wants for creative inspiration. You could probably imagine a much straighter (in every sense) version of this story  one that doesnt feature quite as many growling wolves, eccentric sexual configurations and scenes of botanical electrode therapy.

But really, where would be the fun in that? The French writer-director Alain Guiraudie has a gift for burrowing his way into the human soul by way of the libido, and he works in a searching, serio-comic style that refuses to separate lifes wildest extremes into neat, narratively expedient compartments. With Staying Vertical, he has made the sort of movie that is often described as not knowing what kind of film it wants to be  a dismissal that, in this case, should instead be considered high praise.

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Guiraudie came to international prominence with his 2013 Cannes Film Festival sensation Stranger by the Lake, a wickedly seductive thriller that observed the comings and goings at a secluded gay cruising spot with both erotic heat and chilly analytical rigor. To say that Staying Vertical touches on some of the same preoccupations  the great outdoors, the dark side of desire, manhood and its discontents  is at once perfectly true and faintly misleading. What it lacks in its predecessors exacting formal control, the new movie more than makes up for in its capacity to surprise. It could be titled Stranger by the Minute.

It begins simply enough. Leo finds himself traveling among the windswept wilds of southwestern France (beautifully photographed by Claire Mathon), searching for writerly inspiration and fascinated by the wolves that inhabit the region. He falls into bed with a rural woman named Marie (India Hair), who oversees a flock of sheep with her gruff dad, Jean-Louis (Raphael Thiery), and her two young sons. She soon gives birth to a third, an event that Guiraudie observes in unsparingly gooey detail  one of several full-frontal close-ups that, under the cameras unflinching gaze, seem to evoke Gustave Courbets famous nude, The Origin of the World.

But Marie, the only female character of any stature, soon recedes from the picture, moving to the city with her two older sons and leaving Leo to care for their infant alone. Leo continues to drift, putting off the screenplay hes writing and dragging his son along from scene to scene with an odd mix of affection and carelessness.

He also pays regular visits to a nearby cottage where Marcel (Christian Bouillette), a grouchy old shut-in, likes to blast Pink Floyd and yell anti-gay slurs at his houseguest, a sullen young man named Yoan (Basile Meilleurat). Their love-hate codependency seems forever on the brink of shifting into outright homoerotic desire, and it finds a strange echo in Leos own continually evolving relationship with Jean-Louis.

By the time Leo gets into a canoe and paddles his way downriver in search of a marsh-dwelling plant therapist (Laure Calamy), Staying Vertical has taken on the demented illogic and inexplicable clarity of a dream. Not the kind of dream that teems with bold, hallucinatory imagery, but rather the kind that thrives on steadily escalating degrees of narrative derangement, in which even the storys weirdest formulations seem rooted in the banality of the everyday.

Characters disappear at random only to reemerge in strange new configurations. Traditional roles are slyly recast; people you didnt think knew each other turn out to know each other. The movies circular, repetitive structure increasingly seems to mirror the cyclical nature of all existence. Sex is linked as closely to death as it is to life, lorigin du monde and la petite mort rolled into one.

Its title a sly reference to what distinguishes men from beasts, Staying Vertical hinges on the tension between primal instincts and socially proscribed behavior. Guiraudie isnt just trying to decimate sexual taboos; he is also taking gently comic aim at the overly rigid roles into which people tend to lock themselves. And he has an ideal collaborator in Bonnard, the kind of actor who keeps you at a slight remove initially only to become an increasingly empathetic figure as the movie wends its way toward its strange, and strangely moving, destination.

Of all the roles a man might be called on to play in the world  father, lover, protector, provider  how does he reconcile any single one with all the others? Guiraudies crazily compassionate filmmaking creates a space for all manner of male fantasies and anxieties, however dark, shameful or grotesque, to assert themselves. And he does this without losing sight of those wolves prowling at the edges of the story  a reminder of the very real predators lying out there in wait, to say nothing of those lurking within.

------------

Staying Vertical

In French with English subtitles

Not rated

Playing: Laemmles Royal Theatre, West Los Angeles, and Laemmles Playhouse 7, Pasadena

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justin.chang@latimes.com

@JustinCChang
A title card announces the year as 1347 as a young woman in a nuns habit leads a donkey across an idyllic countryside. She passes through one verdant glen after another on her way back to a small convent, and when she and her sister nuns eventually speak, it is in a pitched contemporary upspeak. Contemporary to now, not then.

Writer-director Jeff Baenas The Little Hours is making its world premiere Thursday as part of the Midnight section at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Adapted from stories drawn from Giovanni Boccaccios medieval book The Decameron, the film draws humor from the tension between its setting and the way the characters speak and interact as a story unfolds about a fugitive servant (Dave Franco) who pretends to be a deaf-mute to be taken in by a convent that includes three young nuns (Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, Kate Micucci), each dealing with personal crises of their own.

The film has quite a cast, as it also includes John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Nick Offerman, Adam Pally, Fred Armisen, Paul Reiser, Lauren Weedman, Jemima Kirk and Paul Weitz.

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This is Baenas third film to make it into Sundance, following the zombie rom-com Life After Beth and the sad bachelor party comedy Joshy. The new film was shot in Tuscany, Italy, in spring 2016, with the beautiful locations serving as both a selling point for the cast and also something of a scheduling challenge to get everyone there. Ahead of the films festival premiere, Baena sat down for an interview about his unusual approach to comedy and making an ahistorical period comedy.

This is your third film and all three have gotten into Sundance. Do you still get nervous about your first screening?

Oh, I still have that. You just dont know. You show a movie to your friends when youre working on it, but you dont have any real objectivity. You just dont know. So that moment when its shown for the very first time at Sundance, its just terrifying. Im so anxious. And then every screening is different.

Your three films are so outwardly different from one another, but do you relate to them in the same way? Is there some secret through-line that links them?

Theres definitely a secret through-line between the three of them, but I think the stuff that people would probably pick up on, its not that. Thats probably just more my sensibility and I guess my weird tonal shifts and sense of humor. But these three movies definitely are connected. I almost think of them as a trilogy, even though they are so far off from each other.

Theres references to each other, but theyre very subtle. Its not meant to be a puzzle; its not like Westworld or something, but its coming from somewhere inside of me. I think ultimately there is a similarity in the dryness of tone of them. I mean, Life After Beth is a zombie movie, Joshy is a guys-hanging-out movie, and this one is a medieval convent sex comedy. But theres definitely some underlying connective tissue.

All three are not what they appear to be on first glance. Theres always a sleight of hand going on where they are also something else.

Well, I approach them not just as a creator but also as a viewer of movies. And I try not to do something that you feel comfortable with, so that if you have an obvious choice, as a way of getting from point A to point B, sometimes I just like to forgo that and forget about even trying to get to point B and just see where it goes. If it feels like youre aiming for something too familiar and youre not having a primary new experience, then whats the point of making that movie? Its been done before, so try to find something new out of it. But I also want to be sure it tracks on a psychic, emotional, spiritual level all at the same time.

From its very first moments, there is this great tension and comedy between the period setting and historical Italian locations and the very contemporary way the characters talk to each other. It never stops being funny.

First off, when youre shooting in that part of the world, in Tuscany, no matter what youre shooting its gorgeous. I havent really had the opportunity because of budget and time to explore the more cinematic elements of filmmaking. Im just trying to get an exposure and make my day. This one, it was still kind of hectic, but I made a real effort to highlight the more visual aspects of it.

With this movie in particular, its based off the source material of Decameron by Boccaccio, and when people are given this book thats really thick like War and Peace or Gravitys Rainbow, people are annoyed, like, Im going to have to read all this? But its so funny and its so contemporary and modern and human and relatable. So I think part of me wanted to play off of that. I didnt want something that was abstract, portraying the people as automatons who just followed the church. People were really complex and led really rich lives. Theyre just like us, theyre just from a different time.

I guess one through-line between the three movies is a sadness and loss. For me, this one theres a bittersweet connection Ive built to these people, even though theyve been dead for 600 years. They were living just like we are. Obviously their world was in medieval Tuscany, so they didnt have technology and scientific advancement, but their emotionality was identical. And I think we sort of do a disservice when we approach history as something thats like a lesson or something that exists only in a book. Its all just people; its all politics and interpersonal dynamics.

So aside from the way the characters talk to one another, were you still aiming for historical accuracy in the clothing and details?

Completely. I felt like the trick in this movie was to make everything completely period, historically accurate, and then just make the human beings feel like theyre contemporary. Part of the logic of that was, lets say were doing a documentary on nuns in medieval Italy in 1347, theyd be talking Italian. They wouldnt be speaking English, they wouldnt be speaking English with a British accent, it would just be communication and it would feel natural for their time period. So my thinking was lets cut out that buffer between us and history and just have them talk naturally so its one less generation away from feeling separate from this thing. The ultimate version of this movie is going to be when its released in Italy and they retranslate and dub it into Italian and theyre just speaking contemporary Italian because thats what it would feel like back then.

Mark.Olsen@latimes.com

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The long saga over the rights to the Beatles catalog entered a new phase on Wednesday when Paul McCartney sued music publisher Sony/ATV over the rights to 267 songs that he penned for the band with co-writer John Lennon.

The suit, filed in the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, is the latest turn for the legendary, and lucrative, bank of songs, which includes all of the Beatles hits -- Yesterday, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Hey Jude and dozens more.

McCartneys goal is to reclaim all of his published work with the band, most of it originally published by the company Northern Songs, and has been maneuvering to do so for years.

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For decades, the catalog was a point of contention between McCartney and his onetime collaborator Michael Jackson, who owned half of the rights in a joint venture with Sony/ATV until his death in 2009. Last year, Jacksons estate sold its share to Sony/ATV for a reported $750 million.

At the center of McCartneys suit is the legal term copyright termination. Signed into law as part of the Copyright Act of 1976, it affords songwriters whose work has been sold or otherwise transferred to third parties, according to McCartneys suit, the non-waivable right to terminate those transfers and reclaim their copyright interests.

The 1976 act set that period at 56 years, which means that Lennon and McCartneys 1962-issued songs, including Love Me Do and Please Please Me, would come up for termination in 2018. If hes successful, the rest of the Beatles music would continue to become available as each song hits the 56-year mark.

In a Wednesday statement to The Times, a spokesperson for McCartney said: Paul McCartney has today filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York against Sony/ATV to confirm his ownership in his US reversionary copyrights, which are granted to him by US copyright law, in the songs he wrote with John Lennon and recorded with The Beatles. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and bears the case no. 17cv363.

For tips, records, snapshots and stories on Los Angeles music culture, follow Randall Roberts on Twitter and Instagram: @liledit. Email: randall.roberts@latimes.com.

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You can take Bobbi Brown out of her namesake business, but you cant take business out of Bobbi Brown.

Nearly a month after it was revealed she would depart Bobbi Brown Cosmetics owner Estee Lauder Cos. Inc., Brown pronounced Tuesday during a Q&A session at Indie Beauty Expos Connect Indie event for entrepreneurs at The L.A. Hotel Downtown that shes again an indie beauty person. She continued, I dont know what products Im going to come out with. I dont know what categories Im going to come out with yet, but Im really excited about reinventing the way I see a line should be.

Although Brown didnt share any details on the line other than she envisions it being clear and concise, she did divulge shes adding the position of hotel decorator to her esteemed resume. In an interview with WWD prior to the session led by beauty writer Rachel Marlowe, Brown, who sources say is constrained by a non-compete clause in her Lauder contract, said her next project is to help her husband Steven Plofker renovate The George Inn, a 32-room boutique hotel not too far from where she lives in Montclair, N.J., that should be ready by the summer.

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I travel so much, and I know what I like and what I like now is not what I liked 20 years ago. I like simple. I like calm. Im not a Zen kind person, but I like space and I think about where you put clothes in a room. I like to solve problems, said Brown, elaborating about the hotel, It will be a good place to test out lifestyle products.There will be a pop-up store, so I get to curate some of my favorite things.

Brown is clearly ready to move on from her makeup brand. Asked whether there was anything that could have kept her at Bobbi Brown, she responded, I dont think so. Brown elucidated, It certainly wasnt an overnight decision. The fun thing about starting a brand is creativity and the idea of doing something that doesnt exist. When you get really big, your mind is on different things. Its, how do you stay big? How big can you be? It was 25 years, we reached the celebration and we reached $1 billion in sales. It was like, OK, maybe its time for me to do this again. I still have some ideas and some things I want to do.

One of those things, apparently, is to participate in a makeup revolution emphasizing cosmetics as confidence boosters. In a story penned for Refinery 29 and published last Thursday, Brown maintained makeup is meant to enhance, rather than to cover up and asserted its disheartening to see trends like contouring. On Tuesday, she expounded, When I came to New York City in the late Eighties, it was the end of the Studio 54 era. You wonder about why I dont like contour. Everything was contoured. It was just so artificial. It just wasnt pretty. I think it made models and celebrities look like weird versions of themselves. I happen to like the natural look.

Preceding Browns exit from Lauder in December, the company made deals to buy Too Faced and Becca, brands not primarily known for the natural look. The indie earthquake that has shaken the beauty industry and is at least part of the reason for Lauders interest in Too Faced and Becca isnt lost on Brown. Shes a fan of upstarts. Indie anything is cool and, right now, most people want something that they just discovered or something new or something different, said Brown. I think the clothes are interesting. We have three boys and two of them, they like to wear non-label things, things that were created in Brooklyn or Korea or something different. So, I just think that small, cool, creative companies are where its at.

As many of these cool companies will find out, the transition from emerging indie to emerged power player can be tricky, and Brown has first-hand experience making it. Addressing founders of recently acquired brands taking similar paths, she advised, If you were in charge of every decision, you are not going to be in charge of every decision. Its about getting along with the people you have sold the company to. At the Q&A session, she spoke directly to entrepreneurs with this cautionary note: When you do sell the company and the company is big, you will look back at what you are going through right now and, Im telling you, be happy where you are at because its the good stuff.

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Donald Trumps opinion of Tom Ford isnt changing any time soon.

Thursday afternoon, the day before he will be sworn in as President of the United States, Trump was speaking at the Leadership Luncheon held at Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., when conversation turned to the designer Tom Ford. Once most of the media had been cleared out of the room, sources said that Trump began discussing how several musicians claimed to have turned down offers to perform at his inauguration, but were never invited to perform in the first place. He then made the jump to designers who have come out against dressing the Trump women.

Tom Ford came out and said he was not dressing Melania, Trump said, according to a source inside the luncheon. He was never asked. I never liked him or his designs. Hes never had something to dress like that [pointing to his wife, who was in the room at the time].

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In an appearance on The View in November, promoting his film Nocturnal Animals, Ford was asked if he would dress Mrs. Trump. I was asked to dress her quite a few years ago and I declined. Shes not necessarily my image, Ford said. Even had Hillary won she shouldnt be wearing my clothes, theyre too expensive. I dont mean that in a bad way; theyre not artificially expensive, its how much it costs to make these things. I think the first lady has to relate to everybody.

Fords name is not the only brand to have voiced preference against dressing the soon-to-be first lady. There is a contingent of fashion designers, however, who have pledged to outfit the first lady as she likes, calling it an honor and even a duty. Melania deserves the respect of any first lady before her, said Diane von Furstenberg. Our role as part of the fashion industry is to promote beauty, inclusiveness, diversity. We should each be the best we can be and influence by our example.

I think Melania is a very beautiful woman and I think any designer should be proud to dress her, Tommy Hilfiger said of his willingness to dress Melania.

As WWD previously reported, Melania is expected to wear designs by Karl Lagerfeld and Ralph Lauren for upcoming events.

WWD reached out to a representative for Tom Ford for comment and didnt hear back at press time.

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Dr. Brant Skincare revamped its website this week with an upgraded browsing and shopping experience along with easier ways to pay.

There is also a special tribute page dedicated to the mastermind of the brand, Dr. Fredric Brandt, who died in 2015.

Brandts unexpected death hasnt knocked the vitality of his namesake line, according to Stephane Colleu, the chief executive officer and president who sprang into action to stoke the momentum. The brand has never grown as fast as in 2016, Colleu said. The company has evolved over the past year and our audience has grown tremendously.

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Fueling that growth were innovations such as Magnetight Age-Defier Magnet Mask and Needles No More 3-D Filler Mask. This is just the beginning. In Q1 we have three innovative new products launching that will transcend the boundaries of skin care and makeup like never before, Colleu said. Among those are Pores No More Multi-Performance Stick, a five-in-one-complexion perfector and an a.m/p.m. lip product under the Needles No More collection.

The company does not discuss sales, but Colleu said his vision is to double in size within four years. Industry sources estimate current global sales total $75 million, meaning Dr. Brandt Skincare could eclipse the $150 million mark by 2020.

Dovetailing with launches in the pipeline, Colleu indicated the timing was right to fine-tune the web site. The goal was not only to streamline purchasing online but also provide more information and tell the Dr. Brandt story. We felt it was important to have a digital imprint online that shared our DNA and celebrated our legacy. This, coupled with the explosive growth of mobile commerce and our new audience on social media, convinced us it was time to upgrade our digital offering to continue to capture and engage new customers, Colleu elaborated.

While the refreshed website makes e-commerce more seamless, its purpose stretches beyond sales. No one can deny the growth rate of e-commerce and mobile shopping today. I think every brand is focusing on how to make the most of their digital imprint, Colleu explained, adding there is rich content and education on the new site.

Great effort was devoted to educating consumers how to use products teed up with videos to demonstrate proper application. Product pages offer recommendations about products along with problem and solution tips.

The website also provides background on the companys skin-care adviser board, its partnership with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Dr. Brandt Foundation. The foundations first step is funding for suicide prevention. Also in keeping with the long-held interests of Dr. Brandt, the foundation will also provide support in the following areas: organizations that work with young artists to enhance their skills and passion for the arts, research of skin diseases and the Humane Society.

From a business perspective we revamped both the user interface and user experience of the site. We focused on creating a site that was 100 percent mobile optimized for m-commerce. Shoppers are going mobile and so are we, Colleu said.

There are multiple payment options including PayPal, Amazon Payments and ApplePay will be added soon. The payment options will allow the customers to make a purchase quickly without having to manually punch in their credit card numbers. To further optimize the user experience we integrated an auto-replenishment capability so that our regulars can restock their favorite products without having to come to the web site at all, he said.

The company will also continue to drive shoppers to its retail partner doors, which include Sephora, Ulta Beauty and Beauty Brands.

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La Perla has been working hard to raise the profile of its corset jacket, which the company touts can go from the boardroom to evening.

Gwyneth Paltrow was recently spotted wearing one and Kendall Jenner is featured in the ad campaign. The corset jacket, which sounds like an oxymoron, bows today in stores worldwide and online. Its a cornerstone of creative director Julia Haarts reinvention of the Italian innerwear brand, which includes ready-to-wear, sleepwear, beachwear and accessories.

Haart in August joined La Perla with two stated goals: expand La Perlas scope and design pieces that hide trouble spots without making women feel like theyre trapped in Victorian corsets.

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The ad campaign, photographed by Steven Klein, features Jenner, Isabeli Fontana and Liu Wen. Jenners image is streaked in light to emphasize the curve and precise cut of the corset jacket, which sounds like an oxymoron. An X-rayed image La Perla borrowed from Londons Victoria & Albert Museum is the backdrop for Jenners ad and shows the distorting effect corsets had on womens bones.

Haart wanted to juxtapose the tortured lengths women endured in the name of vanity with the comfort and structural support of La Perlas jacket. Made from bi-stretch wool, the jacket can be worn as a single layer due to internal cups. Its sized according to bra size. Its the concept of making clothes work for you, as opposed to stuffing yourself into them, Haart said.

La Perla in 2013 was acquired by Pacific Global Management, which is owned by Silvio Scaglias family holding company, which was active in the fashion industry at the time through the model management network operating under the brands Elite, Women and The Society. Jenner is under contract to The Society and Elite.

We have an incredible opportunity, Haart said. La Perla is a company that was founded by a woman and built on the understanding of womens bodies.

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For her first inaugural weekend appearance Thursday afternoon, Melania dressed with respect in joining the president-elect for a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Wearing a Norisol Ferrari military-inspired knee-length coat and coordinating sheath dress, the incoming first ladys ensemble was meant to pay homage to American military service members. The occasion was particularly meaningful for the New York City designer whose biological father is a wounded veteran who sustained lifelong disabilities in the line of service.

For the record: For the record, 1:45 p.m. Jan. 19: An earlier version of this post referred to designer Norisol Ferrari as Narisol Ferrari.

In an interview Thursday, Ferraris said her first thought Thursday morning was, God, I hope we can be a less angry nation.

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Addressing the issue of designers who have publicly said they would refuse to dress Trump, Ferrari said, I am absolutely opposed to discrimination in any way. I wanted to give her her own voice. Empowering women is all that matters to me. I do not discriminate whether for race, religion, color of skin, sexuality, political affiliation  what have you. No, I do not believe in it in any form.

Ferrari continued, I really saw a person who is being misunderstood who is being scrutinized. Shes a woman and a mother and I am pro-woman. That at the end of the day is very important to me  equality for women and for all human beings. If thats what I really believe, I had to do it.

Ferrari declined to say how she voted in last years presidential election. I dont believe that my political affiliation has any relevance in this appointment. The only thing I can say is that my biological family paid a very heavy price for this nation and thats why I did this, she said.

Ferrari was connected with Trump through her senior advisor Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who has been collecting the downtown designers pieces for more than five years. Ferrari showed her first collection in 2009. Her husband Lawrence Lenihan, managing director and founder of FirstMark Capital, is her business partner. From their first meeting shortly after Thanksgiving, Trump was clear about wanting a commanding, military-esque coat for todays wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and I happen to make one. Its my strength  jackets, coats and outerwear.

Designing the bespoke New York made stretch cashmere ensemble was no small feat. She said, Its been scary to make sure that I get it right, that I do my best. Its a part of history. (Her efforts must have measured up with Trump, since an ankle-length blue and grey cashmere and alpaca Commander coat was also ordered.

The designer said, Someone who comes from where I come from doesnt get this opportunity. Im an orphan. Im an independent designer, female-owned business, a first-generation minority woman. People like me are dead. They dont survive, they dont strive, they dont get opportunities, they dont get ahead. Women in general dont get opportunities like this in fashion. Im very fortunate to one have such a beautiful muse. Shes striking and poised and kind. That part was easy. She made it very easy.

Not surprisingly Trump knew just what she was after for this solemn occasion. Ferrari continued, In quiet, you can feel her kindness. She has an air of grace. That is hard to describe.

Asked what today means to her on a personal level, Ferrari composed herself and said, WowI really dont want to get caught in the crosshairs of this. I did this for women. I believe the unity of women is the most important thing there is to talk about in the world because without us they have nothing.

An American citizen, Ferrari said she doesnt know a great deal about her family history. I was given up by both of my biological parents. The only thing I do know is that we were invited here. We were not immigrants who ran underneath some fence to get through, she said, adding that her chemical engineer grandfather was invited to work in the U.S. where he was responsible for 150 patents. All I know is that Im Colombian and Venezuelan, and Im fortunate to be alive.

Ferrari said, Its an honor when any woman chooses me for her wardrobe. Its so important for me to arm woman in this world. A conversation that should never be relevant is, What is she wearing? because it is never asked of men. Were constantly being scrutinized for our intelligence, our sexuality and what we wear. To empower women means everything to me  to field this world that is unfair to us.

With an afternoon medical appointment, Ferrari didnt plan to watch the wreath laying ceremony. Im going to the doctor and taking care of myself, which is something that women generally dont do. Im going to try to do a little self care, she said.

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Teachers unions plan protests against President-elect Donald Trump across the Southland on Thursday, while Los Angeles school officials, concerned about student walkouts, have declared that Friday will be Unity Day 2017.

Trump will be inaugurated Friday in Washington, D.C. as the nations 45th president.

United Teachers Los Angeles and a parent organization, the National Education Assn., expect faculty protests at 300 to 350 campuses, mostly before school. Primary locations include Grand View Boulevard Elementary in Mar Vista and Arleta High School.

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The union is not urging students or faculty to walk out of class.

Were not condoning leaving school, said Anna Bakalis, director of communications. We just want to encourage the action for our teachers to participate in tomorrow.

Meanwhile, L.A. Unified is preaching unity, although not necessarily solidarity, behind the new president.

Unity Day is an opportunity for students, for schools, to focus their instructional time or day on topics that are pertinent to their schools and community, and to learn about how government works, the electoral process, said Judy Chiasson, a coordinator with the districts Office of Human Relations, Diversity and Equity. And learning how theyll be able to watch the inauguration if they want to.

The district has put together a web page with lesson plans from such organizations as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. Altogether, they strike a neutral tone, while recognizing that emotions and concerns among students might be high  and that not all student encounters will be mutually tolerant.

An example of effective neutrality is when an educator facilitates a discussion between students so both sides of an argument can be represented, writes Rosalind Wiseman, in a piece posted on the linked ADL site. And that is what schools should be about: learning to engage in constructive dialogue and hear different points of view.

But she adds: A teacher isnt being neutral by not intervening when a student chants: Build the wall! or any of the other similar exclamations we have heard since the presidential election. Using this rhetoric is disrespectful to others history, identity, experience and perspective. Said another way: You cant be neutral when someone is being disrespectful or using bigoted language. [Y]ou look like you are siding with the bigotry.

The districts news release even suggests unity dances, without explaining exactly what that means.

Possible lesson plans include analyzing past inaugural addresses and comparing them to what Trump will say. In another lesson, students break down the meaning of the oath of office and try their hand at writing their own. Another lesson looks at activism and efforts of protesters, without suggesting who is right.

Some district officials are showing less restraint. A recent newsletter from school board President Steve Zimmer urges the public to oppose the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Trumps secretary of Education.

Many educators in the traditional public school system oppose DeVos because she favors providing public subsidies for students to attend private schools, among other controversial positions.

howard.blume@latimes.com

@howardblume

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The developer of a residential tower planned near the Beverly Center offered new concessions to the city on Wednesday, saying he will reduce the height of his project by nearly 23%, taking it from 240 feet to 185.

Businessman Rick Caruso, appearing before the Los Angeles City Councils Planning and Land Use Management Committee, said he has agreed to scale back the La Cienega Boulevard project  cutting it from 20 stories to 16  and promised to provide an additional $500,000 to the city for affordable housing.

Both changes were made at the request of Councilman Paul Koretz, who represents the area.

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Koretz, who is running for reelection, announced last month that he had rescinded his support for Carusos 145-unit tower, saying he had decided the project was too tall. That decision, said Koretz, was made after a group opposed to Carusos project turned in a petition with more than 1,000 signatures.

On Wednesday, Koretz threw his support behind the project once again. He called the height reduction a reasonable compromise between Caruso and the Beverly Wilshire Homes Assn., which opposes the residential tower.

Im confident that we have succeeded in finding an appropriate middle ground, he said.

Representatives of the Beverly Wilshire organization disagreed. Attorney Sabrina Venskus said the building is still too tall and predicted the organization would sue the city if the project is approved at 185 feet.

This compromise is a joke, said Diana Plotkin, the homeowner groups president.

The councils planning committee approved Carusos redesigned project, sending it to the full council for a vote next week. After the committees vote, Caruso said he did the right thing by agreeing to additional concessions.

Diana Plotkin had an opportunity to be part of a process and be part of a solution, and Im disappointed that she chose not to be that way, because we have a long history of working together, he said.

This is a project thats supported overwhelmingly by the community, he added. So unfortunately, Diana is a bit out of step.

For months, opponents have described the project as an example of the city changing its planning rules for a well-connected developer. The site where Caruso plans to build is zoned for buildings no taller than 45 feet, or roughly three stories.

Approval of a much taller project, said Beverly Grove resident Clark Carlton, will undermine the credibility of the citys planning laws.

It means billionaire developers dont have to follow rules, he said.

The La Cienega project has become an issue for backers of Measure S on the March 7 ballot. Measure S seeks to put a two-year ban on projects such as Carusos  those that need zoning changes or other discretionary approvals from city lawmakers.

The Times reported last year that Caruso and his associates provided more than $476,000 to city politicians and their initiatives over a five-year period. Caruso also promised the board of Westbury Terrace, an 11-story condominium tower across the street from the site of his project, that he would make $500,000 in repairs to their building.

Caruso said the money promised to Westbury Terrace shows that he is serious about addressing concerns raised about noise and dust from construction of his tower. And he argued that his political donations are part of a much larger pattern of philanthropic giving to churches, nonprofit groups and educational institutions.

During Wednesdays meeting, supporters of Carusos tower said it would provide much needed housing to the Beverly Grove neighborhood, including 14 apartments rented at below-market rates. They also argued that the area already has buildings that are between eight and 11 stories.

At 185 feet, the Caruso project would be roughly the same height as the Cedars-Sinai Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion up the street.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

Twitter: @DavidZahniser

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The hunt for an Anaheim homicide and kidnapping suspect ended late Wednesday in San Diego when police shot the man after a foot pursuit, officials said.

Sgt. Daron Wyatt of the Anaheim Police Department said Luke Lampers had been the subject of an exhaustive effort to find him and the alleged kidnapping victim after a fatal shooting at the Crystal Inn on West Lincoln Avenue on Jan. 11.

Lampers, 35, a transient, is suspected of shooting Douglas Navarro, 49, during a dispute at the motel. After the shooting, police said Lampers forced Brianne Deese into his car at gunpoint and drove away.

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Wyatt said it was believed that Lampers and Deese had a romantic relationship at some point, and that Deese was being held against her will.

According to Wyatt, detectives learned late Wednesday that Deese had called her father saying she had escaped and was in San Diego. Detectives soon found her, and their investigation led them to a motel in the 4000 block of Taylor Street. When Lampers was observed arriving, Anaheim officers moved in. After a brief chase on foot, an officer shot him.

Lampers was taken to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening and is expected to survive, police said.

Police recovered a firearm near the area where Lampers was taken into custody, Wyatt said.

San Diego police are handling the investigation of the shooting by the Anaheim officer, Wyatt said.

Deese apparently had been staying at the Crystal Inn with a friend and was trying to get away from Lampers, Wyatt said, adding that Lampers tracked her down, kicked in her motel room door and abducted her at gunpoint.

She later returned with Lampers to get belongings from the motel room, when Navarro, who lived in the motel, intervened and said it was not her room and she could not go in, Wyatt said.

While the two argued, Lampers got out of his car, shot Navarro and took Deese at gunpoint.

marc.olson@latimes.com

Follow @molson21 on Twitter

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UPDATES:

7:55 a.m.: This article was updated with details on the shooting at the Crystal Inn.

7:14 a.m.: This article was updated with Lampers condition and police disclosure that a weapon was found near the shooting scene.

This article was originally published at 4:35 a.m.
A fugitive marijuana plant trimmer suspected of fatally beating the operator of a pot farm in Mendocino County surrendered to authorities at the California-Mexico border this week because he was tired of running, officials said.

Michael Andrew Kane, 26, was taken into custody Monday on a felony warrant for homicide after turning himself to U.S. Custom and Border Patrol agents, according to Sgt. Andrew Porter of the Mendocino County Sheriffs Office. Kane had been living in Mexico when he reached out to his family and told them he was done running from authorities, the sergeant said in a statement.

The Pleasantville, N.Y., native was one of seven marijuana trimmers suspected of robbing and killing Jeffrey Quinn Settler in November, according to the sheriffs office. Three other suspects have been arrested.

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Authorities are still looking for Frederick Gaestel, 27, of Clifton, N.J.; Gary Blank III, of Elgin, Ill., and Jesse Wells, 33, of Laytonville, Calif.

Authorities think they fled out of state.

The men had been hired by Settler to trim marijuana plants and buds for his commercial marijuana operation on a rural property in the 49000 block of North Highway 101, according to Porter.

Authorities said the men had conspired to steal the marijuana, which had already been processed for sale.

After trimming plants for the day, the men returned to the remote grounds in the early hours of Nov. 11., he said. According to authorities, the men knew the marijuana was stored in Settlers sleeping quarters.

So they entered the structure and attacked Settler, killing him, the sergeant said. The men also stole more than 100 pounds of processed marijuana, he said.

Later that day, someone reported Settlers death.

When deputies went to the property, they found the 35-year-old native of Bethel Island, Calif., dead.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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The first in a trio of storms hitting Southern California created tricky conditions for motorists early Thursday, with a big rig collision on one freeway and a rock slide in another area.

The big rig collision shut down truck lanes on the southbound 5 Freeway, north of Balboa Boulevard, and the southbound Highway 14 truck lanes to the southbound 5. The lanes were closed for about three hours, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A call also came in at 4:35 a.m. about a rock slide at Las Virgenes and Malibu Canyon roads, said CHP Officer Alex Rubio. A road crew was working on clearing it when CHP arrived.

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As far as driving in the rain: The best advice would just be to slow down, reduce your speed, Rubio said.

The downpour early Thursday was part of the first in a trio of storms. The rain was expected to slow later in the morning.

Its going to continue for a little while, then itll taper down, said Curt Kaplan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. By 7 oclock, we should be seeing scattered showers  the main energy is moving through us.

The heaviest rain was over the eastern part of the county, over Long Beach and up to the San Gabriel Valley, Kaplan said.

On Thursday morning, the Malibu area received more than 1 1/2 inches of rain, downtown had more than half an inch and the Hollywood Reservoir had almost three-quarters of an inch, Kaplan said.

A second storm is forecast for Thursday night and could drop an additional 2 inches of rain  with up to 3 inches in the San Gabriel Valley foothills  by Saturday, according to Stuart Seto, of the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

The third storm, predicted to be the strongest, is expected on Sunday. Fueled by warmer, moist air, the storm could dump up to 3 inches of rain in the valleys and foothills, and up to 5 inches of rain in the mountains.

That could be the biggest one, as far as the rainmakers, Kaplan said.

Because of the rainfall, health officials cautioned those visiting beaches to be careful of swimming, surfing and playing in ocean waters around discharging storm drains, creeks and rivers.

Bacteria, debris, trash and other public health hazards from city streets and mountain areas are likely to enter ocean water through those outlets, according to a Los Angeles County Department of Public Health statement.

Because discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers only comprise a small portion of the beach the statement read, those who want to go to the beach can still do so.

Swimmers and surfers are advised to stay away from discharge sites. There is the possibility bacterium or chemicals from debris and trash could contaminate the water near and around discharge sites, and individuals who enter the water in these areas could become ill, the statement read.

The health advisory is in effect until at least 7 a.m. Sunday. It could be extended depending on further rainfall, officials said.

Staff writer Joseph Serna contributed to this report.

brittny.mejia@latimes.com

Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia

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UPDATES:

12:23 p.m.: This article was updated with the issuance of a health advisory.

This article was originally published at 6:20 a.m.
A 39-year-old man is dead and a woman is in custody after a shootout with San Bernardino County sheriffs deputies at a Motel 6 early Tuesday, authorities said.

Deputies were called to the motel in Twentynine Palms about 3:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a man with a gun, the Sheriffs Department said in a news release.

Deputies went to the room of the person who had made the report and knocked on the door.

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Deputies heard a gunshot from inside the room; the door immediately opened, and the suspect fired a handgun at deputies, the departments statement said. Fearing for their safety, deputies returned fire and retreated to cover. The suspect went back into the room and closed the door.

The deputies ordered the man out of the room, but he refused. Instead, a woman later identified as Tani Garcia, 39, stepped out and was taken into custody.

Garcia, who was not injured, told authorities that the gunman was still alive but wounded. She said he had been up for several days smoking methamphetamine and had checked in to the motel the night before because he thought he and Garcia were being followed by people who wanted to kill them.

The standoff continued until about 8 a.m., when a SWAT team sent a robot into the room and found the gunman dead. A loaded 9-millimeter handgun was found near his body and two loaded magazines were found in his pockets, authorities said.

Garcia was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance. No deputies were injured. The gunman was identified Thursday as Dominic Hodges of Yucca Valley.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

UPDATES:

2:40 p.m.: This article was updated with the identity of the gunman.

This article was originally published at 2:15 p.m.
A Washington city devastated by black-market OxyContin filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against the painkillers manufacturer Thursday, alleging that the company turned a blind eye to criminal trafficking of its pills to reap large and obscene profits and demanding it foot the bill for widespread opioid addiction in the community.

The suit by Everett, a city of 100,000 north of Seattle, was prompted by a Times investigation last year. The newspaper revealed that drugmaker Purdue Pharma had extensive evidence pointing to illegal trafficking across the nation but in many cases did not share it with law enforcement or cut off the flow of pills.

One Los Angeles ring monitored by Purdue and highlighted by The Times investigation supplied OxyContin to gang members and other criminals who were trafficking the drug to Everett. At the height of the problem, in 2010, OxyContin was a factor in more than half the crimes in Snohomish County, and it ignited a heroin epidemic that still grips the region, officials said.

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In a complaint in state Superior Court, city lawyers accused Purdue of gross negligence, creating a public nuisance and other misconduct and said the company should pay costs of handling the opioid crisis  a figure that the mayor said could run to tens of millions of dollars  as well as punitive damages.

Purdues improper actions of placing profits over the welfare of the citizens of Everett have caused and will continue to cause substantial damages to Everett, the lawyers wrote. Purdue is liable for its intentional, reckless, and/or negligent misconduct and should not be allowed to evade responsibility for its callous and unconscionable practices.

Purdue has been sued hundreds of times over the past 20 years over its marketing of OxyContin to doctors and the drugs risk of addiction to patients, but Everetts suit is the first to focus narrowly on what the company knew about criminal distribution of the painkiller.

Purdue declined to comment about the suit Thursday. In a statement Wednesday in advance of a vote by the Everett City Council to authorize the litigation, a spokesman for Purdue said, We share public officials concerns about the opioid crisis and we are committed to working collaboratively to find solutions.

The Times investigation, published in July, disclosed that for more than a decade, an internal security team at Purdue monitored doctors and pharmacies it suspected of colluding with dealers and addicts. In the case of the L.A. ring, criminals set up a phony clinic near MacArthur Park in 2008 and worked with corrupt physicians and pharmacies to obtain pills over 18 months.

A Purdue sales manager dispatched to investigate the high volume of prescriptions at the clinic found a rundown building thronged with rough men and urged supervisors to alert the Drug Enforcement Administration, saying she was very certain this is an organized drug ring.

Despite her pleas and additional evidence suggesting that pills were pouring into the hands of criminals, company officials did not go to authorities until years later when the drug ring was out of business and its leaders under indictment. By then, 1.1 million pills had spilled into the illicit pipeline.

Within days of The Times story, Everett officials quietly began looking into a lawsuit against the company and later hired a Seattle law firm to evaluate a case.

We know this is a bold action we are taking, but it is the right thing to do, Mayor Ray Stephanson said.

The glut of OxyContin from California in the late 2000s created a new breed of addicts in Everett and the surrounding area. Those drawn to the pills included young people and professionals who saw the painkiller as more fashionable and less dangerous than street drugs.

Many became addicted and lost their homes, jobs and families. After Purdue reformulated OxyContin in 2010 to make it harder to abuse, addicts moved en masse to heroin, which has a similar effect.

Heroin remains an enormous problem in the region, with more than 40 residents fatally overdosing each year and government resources severely taxed. The sole detox center in Snohomish County has only 16 beds, but on any given day the jail might have up to 160 inmates in need of detox, officials said. Everett last year spent $160,000 removing trash from a single city block that has become an open-air drug market. Homelessness has exploded, with addicts living in encampments along highways, behind stores and in wooded areas throughout the city.

A lot of individuals we are coming across have worked, have had a job, and somehow they were introduced to prescription drugs, said Staci McCole, one of two social workers recently embedded with the Everett Police Department to help officers handle addicts.

City lawyers wrote in their suit that the heroin crisis is directly attributable to Purdues wrongful and tortious conduct.

We believe that the flooding of the city with OxyContin caused the crisis, said Hil Kaman, Everetts public health and safety director. Our capacity to respond has been overwhelmed, and Purdue should pay for the harm they caused.

Although Everett is the first municipality to sue Purdue solely on the basis of criminal sales of its drug, other jurisdictions trying to recoup costs of the opioid epidemic have raised the issue, along with claims of fraudulent marketing. Two California counties that sued the company in 2014 said that Purdue knowingly profited from criminal dealings of its drug, citing as evidence the companys Region Zero program, a secret database of more than 1,800 suspect doctors first revealed by The Times. By the companys own admission, fewer than 10% of those doctors had been reported to law enforcement.

After the newspapers July story, the New Hampshire attorney general issued a subpoena for company records related to criminal trafficking in that state. The company has refused to turn over the material and is battling the state in appellate court over its use of outside lawyers.

Federal regulators have cracked down on opioid wholesalers in recent years for facilitating criminal trafficking. McKesson, one of the nations largest of these distributors, paid a $150-million fine this week to settle allegations that it had failed to report suspicious orders to authorities.

The Times investigation showed that Purdue had more extensive evidence of suspected criminal trafficking nationally than any single distributor. But historically, manufacturers have not been held responsible for preventing the illicit sales of their drugs.

Experts had mixed opinions about Everetts chances of recovering money. The suit has similarities to litigation against firearm manufacturers by states and cities deluged with gun violence, experts said. Some of those cases succeeded, but many did not.

Richard Ausness, a University of Kentucky law professor who has written about suits against Purdue, said that the evidence in gun cases was often attenuated, such as sales data showing huge weapons sales in areas with small populations and loose gun laws.

They didnt have the specific knowledge that Purdue had, said Ausness. Purdue knew that clinic was a front for a criminal enterprise and you dont really see anything that specific in gun litigation.

University of Florida law professor Lars Noah, who teaches pharmaceutical regulation and public health law, said he was doubtful that a court would accept Everetts claim that Purdue was liable for the addiction crisis under the public nuisance statute.

These theories have been tried with other industries that sell consumer goods and courts with rare exceptions have decided it is too much of a stretch, Noah said, adding that he considered the case more of a publicity stunt.

In Everett, those personally affected by illicit use of OxyContin said they were heartened by the citys suit. Debbie Warfields son, Spencer, became addicted to the drug after high school, often buying pills from street dealers. He later switched to heroin.

You just couldnt imagine how your son could be shooting up heroin. It was beyond belief, Warfield said.

Spencer Warfield died of an overdose in 2012. He was 24.

Of Purdue, she said, I definitely think they need to take some responsibility.

Honestly, it makes me want to cry because it is so overdue, said Lindsey Greinke, a former OxyContin and heroin addict who now runs an Everett nonprofit that helps people afford detox and treatment programs. I hope something actually comes of it. We need it.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

harriet.ryan@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimesharriet

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UPDATES:

4:20 p.m.: This article was updated to note that Purdue Pharma declined to comment on the lawsuit Thursday.

4:00 p.m.: This article was updated to include comments from legal experts.
With another round of winter storms hitting California this week, the question isnt just how much rain and snow they will dump, but how cold they will be.

The coldness of storms can make the difference between one that adds to the fast-rising snowpack  an essential source of water for the state  and one that also leaves a wet mess.

Northern California was pulled out of a five-year drought by a series of storms over the last few weeks that deposited huge amounts of snow over hundreds of miles of the states greatest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada.

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Officials hope the next band of storms will be cold, adding more snow that will slowly make its way into Californias complex water delivery system in the coming months.

Warm winter storms can also provide water storage if rain falls on top of a thick snowpack and refreezes as it drips below. But warm storms can cause other problems, triggering floods when rain hits snow-clogged storm drains in Lake Tahoe towns and delivering clumpy, heavy, wet snow that can pile on trees, causing them to fall and bring power lines down with them.

Lake Tahoe is still digging out from a week that brought its worst winter storm in a decade. In the middle of last week, a warm moment in the middle of a blizzard dumped Sierra cement snow, blamed for helping to bring down a centuries-old tree on top of the main electricity transmission line for the California side of Lake Tahoe, plunging the entire region into darkness for more than 12 hours. Just a few days before that, an abnormally warm storm sent rain that washed 10,000 cubic yards of decomposed granite on all westbound lanes of Interstate 80.

So in recent days, locals have been hoping that this weeks storms would bring snow, not inches of rain that an earlier forecast said was possible and could bring flooding back. Rain is the worst possible thing we can have, said Kim Szczurek, administrative services director for the town of Truckee.

By Wednesday, the snow dances seemed to be working. Rain made only a brief appearance in Truckee and quickly turned into heavy snow, said Nicki Nelson, who works at a cooking supply store on Donner Pass Road.

Its slow and steady and looking beautiful, said Eric T. Brandt, 54, of Tahoe City, who prepares a daily Lake Tahoe snow report. The snow were seeing  and the feet and feet weve been getting for the last two weeks  its going to be here until May.

Longtime residents have remarked how this winter finally feels like the winters of the past, in which big snowfalls were far more common, Brandt said.

The wet snow will still stick to trees and power lines, but at least the region will escape flooding problems, said Steven Poncelet, spokesman for the Truckee Donner Public Utility District.

This series of three storms, which will extend into next week, means California is set to continue its eye-popping run of accumulating snow in the Sierra. With about half the wet season over, precipitation levels have been neck-and-neck with the wettest winter in the historical record, in 1982-83. The northern Sierra has seen double the average precipitation for this time of year. And as much as 10 to 20 feet of snow has fallen at the highest mountain peaks during the most recent storm systems that were much colder than earlier bouts of warmer rains, said UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain.

For the Tahoe area, it is already the 7th wettest January in 114 years of record keeping, said Edan Weishahn, meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Reno.

As a result, Californias irrigation system is finally working as intended  plenty of snow piling up in the mountains, which can be stored into the summer months there as the stockpile of ice melts slowly, gently quenching the thirst of the states aqueducts and reservoirs during the long dry season.

Part of the reason why California has been hurt so badly in its five-year drought has not only been storms snubbing the state, but because precipitation that did come failed to fall as snow in the first place. What little did fall as snow tended to melt earlier, because the overall ambient temperature was warmer, Swain said. It was a rain-on-dry ground situation.

Importantly, the water content in the snowpack in all parts of the state is well above average at this point in the winter. Most of the states big reservoirs are topped out at the maximum level they can hold while still reserving space to hold water in the event of a flood, said Jeanine Jones, interstate resources manager for the California Department of Water Resources. And with the prospect of typical winter storms going forward, we would hope to see additional increase in snowpack, she said.

Its certainly deeper than anything weve seen in the last five years, said state climatologist Michael Anderson.

Experts and officials, however, say that long-term warming trends are likely to complicate how California manages its water supply. Temperatures in the Sierra have been rising in the last few decades, which will pose problems for storing ice in the mountains during the winter and spring. Rain has also become more likely at higher elevations over the years, meaning more precipitation is falling as liquid, not snow.

Water is also running off into reservoirs earlier, a reflection of more rain falling in the mountains or snow melting closer to wintertime instead of the spring. And thats a fact of life thats been happening for 50 years, said Jay Lund, director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis.

In the years to come, as the Earth warms, these lower-elevation ski resorts are likely to see more rain than snow, Lund said.

The solutions on how to change Californias water supply system wont be easy. Its financially and physically impractical to build enough reservoirs to replace the enormous storage capacity of the Sierra. One idea is moving water saved for droughts from reservoirs to underground storage. Another is moving people out of floodplains, Lund said, which would help reduce the need to keep reservoirs emptier during the winter to accommodate unexpected floodwaters.

Technology might help. One solution possibly achievable in the coming decades, Jones said, is improving forecasts of precipitation for the coming weeks and months. Such forecasts would allow reservoir managers to keep more water behind dams if the longer-term forecast appears dry. A pilot project is underway at Lake Mendocino to test this concept.

The three new storms are expected to hit much of the state. The first of the sequence reached California on Wednesday, and was already battering the San Francisco Bay Area, trapping a vehicle in floodwaters near Santa Rosa and felling a 40-foot tree blocking lanes on the Lawrence Expressway in Santa Clara. In the Sierra, traffic was stopped on Interstate 80 for a time Wednesday afternoon following spinouts at Donner Summit.

The second storm is expected by Friday, which could bring snow to the Grapevine, and a third is forecast for Sunday.

The last storm would mark the return of an atmospheric river over California, Swain said. Itll probably be robust across the state, but may actually be most intense in Southern California.

All three rainstorms could give Los Angeles its biggest soaking so far this winter, said Stuart Seto, specialist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard. Between 3 to 6 inches could fall in the valleys and on the coast, and up to 9 inches are possible in some foothill and mountain areas. Officials are warning of possible flash floods and debris flow for burn areas and rock- and mudslides along canyon roads.

Ski resorts in the San Bernardino County mountains could see 2 to 3 feet of snow, the weather service said. Itll be crowded in the mountains after this is over, said weather service meteorologist Brett Albright.

ron.lin@latimes.com

@ronlin

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Three days before his presidential inauguration, Donald Trump paid out $25 million in compliance with the settlement reached in three Trump University lawsuits.

The funds, paid by the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative, were deposited Tuesday night in an escrow account, where they will remain until the settlement is finalized, according to Jason Forge, one of the San Diego attorneys representing about 7,000 class members in two of the cases.

Trump University changed its name to the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative in 2010 after being told by New York officials to stop using university in its name.

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The president-elect had until Wednesday to deposit the funds under the terms of the settlement.

Class members have begun to receive notifications of the settlement and have until about March 1 to turn in their forms or object in writing to the settlement.

U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel has granted preliminary approval of the settlement, and a final approval hearing has been set for March 30 in San Diego federal court.

The settlement, reached Nov. 18, calls for $21 million to go to the thousands of class members in the two San Diego cases. The class members should receive at least half of what they paid to enroll in the program. Another $4 million resolves a lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general.

The lawsuits claimed Trump University misled students into believing the program was a legitimate university teaching real estate success skills and that its instructors were handpicked by Trump.

Students claimed they were tricked into doling out thousands of dollars and didnt get much in return.

Trump had vowed to fight the case, saying the program was not misleading and that the vast majority of students gave the instruction good reviews.

He decided to settle the case after he was elected president, saying on Twitter that he wanted to turn his attention to running the country.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune

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Lucy Killea, the former San Diego City Council member and state legislator whose independent streak put her famously at odds with the Catholic Church and her own political party, has died.

From her work at the CIA and on Eleanor Roosevelts staff at the first United Nations General Assembly in 1946 to her early support of San Diegos trolley and downtown redevelopment, she forged her own path in a political world largely dominated by men.

She was always ladylike, gracious and tough as nails, said former Assemblywoman and state Sen. Dede Alpert.

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Killea had been at the Elizabeth Hospice and died Tuesday, years after she was diagnosed with cancer. She was 94.

Killea served on the city council for five years and spent 14 years in the state Assembly and Senate, retiring from public service in 1996. She continued working with civic organizations and was known for her decades-long push to improve cross-border relations with Mexico.

Her most famous stand came in 1989 when she faced off with Leo T. Maher, then the bishop of the San Diego Roman Catholic Diocese. Maher banned Killea from receiving Communion because of her support for abortion rights, which had become a prominent feature during her state Senate campaign in a special election.

Lucy Killea and friend Susan Harding after a breakfast meeting where they discussed Killeas effort to promote open primary elections. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times )

The bishops edict became national news and Killea, who appeared on The Phil Donahue Show, made it clear she would not alter her position on abortion nor leave her faith. With her reputation growing, she won the election in a Senate district where half of the voters were Republicans and just 36.7 were Democrats, like Killea

She was not a woman who would capitulate, whether to a bishop or another legislator. But high-volume confrontation was not her style.

For years Killea worked to foster better communication across the California-Mexico border. She helped to found Fronteras de las Californias and the International Community Foundation, both of which sought to help people south of the border through grants and charitable giving.

Despite Killeas skill in office, she tried to keep a low profile, Berger said.

Killea was an early supporter of San Diegos trolley system and believed the citys downtown would be a major success if redeveloped.

She was convinced that it could be done, and that we had a useful tool in the redevelopment law, and that we should reclaim what was obviously some of the most valuable real estate in North America, said former Gov. Pete Wilson, whod also served as San Diegos mayor.

Born Lucy Gold Lytle on July 31, 1922, in San Antonio, Texas, Killea was the daughter of a ballerina who toured with Anna Pavlova in Europe and died of tuberculosis when Killea was 8. Her father, a judge, was killed a year later when he was shot in a hunting accident. Aunts and a family friend helped raise Killea, her older sister and her two brothers.

Killea joined the CIA in 1948, preparing reports on post-war construction in Europe. She left the agency in 1956 when she had her first son and when her husband was named the consul general in Monterrey, Mexico, by President Dwight Eisenhower. John Killea later served in Tijuana.

She fell in love with the culture and ultimately earned a doctorate in Latin American history from UC San Diego. She spoke nearly fluent Spanish and sang with a number of groups while in Mexico.

Killea moved to San Diego in 1968 and was appointed to the council in 1978 after her predecessor was jailed for customs violations. Wilson, a conservative Republican, was mayor at the time and backed the Democrat for the council.

It was while she was in the state Senate that she was barred from receiving Communion because of her support for abortion rights. Killea respected the decree within the diocese, but still attended Mass at Immaculate Conception church in Old Town San Diego, and received communion at churches in other dioceses.

She just had that wonderful way where she was so nice about everything, and a classy person, but never would let anyone think she wasnt strong and wouldnt follow through, said Alpert, who considered Killea a mentor.

Killea won reelection in 1992 after announcing that she was dropping her long membership in the Democratic Party to become an independent.

I was disgusted with both parties, she would say later. While officially a member of neither of the major parties, she largely continued to vote with Democrats.

Of all the things she lent her drive to, advocating for women was paramount. Killea was one of a handful of women in office in Sacramento when she was first elected, and she deftly navigated the Legislature. And when other women entered office, Killea showed them how to be effective lawmakers in a world dominated by men.

I think I learned how to be both strong and gracious at the same time, how to get things done, but you dont have to be unpleasant, and yell and scream, Alpert said of the lessons learned from Killea. You dont have to behave the way a man does.

Killeas former chief of staff and longtime friend Susan Taylor said her old boss regularly took female staff members and interns with her to meetings and community groups to show them how things worked.

She cared deeply about helping women move up the ladder politically, socially and economically, Taylor said.

She avoided the spotlight as opposed to what we see so much of now, she said.

As far as she was concerned, she was a good Catholic, Alpert said. She remained a person of faith and maybe figured out how to do it so that it would work for her.

As a high-profile politician denied Communion because of her stance on abortion, Killea is still invoked by name whenever there is talk of another Catholic public official being refused the sacrament.

She later worshiped at an Episcopal church.

She is survived by her sons Jay and Paul.

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
The sound always came first, a low buzz that grew and grew until it roared through the valley. Then the olive-colored plane appeared overhead, flying low. In its wake was a thick shower of oily droplets making a long, slow fall to the forested gullies below.

Kids on the Apache reservation back then chased the planes over gem-laden hills, past the flame-yellow salt cedars lining the banks of the Gila River. If they arrived ahead of the planes, they stood under the mysterious, oily rain, waiting for rainbows.

We just played in it, drank the water with it in there, ate the food we hung out to dry covered in it, said Mike Stevens, 62. Didnt know what it was.

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The planes were delivering a chemical cocktail with components similar to Agent Orange, the powerful herbicide that laid bare the jungles of Vietnam during the 1960s to allow American warplanes to peer into guerrilla encampments.

The compound, known as Silvex, was deployed as part of a little-known test effort from 1961 to 1972 to wipe out water-hungry vegetation on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, part of a larger effort by the federal government to protect scarce groundwater in the newly booming city of Phoenix.

The dioxin-laden herbicide was spread over a population of 10,000 for more than a decade. Now, half a century later, the federal Environmental Protection Agency is sending investigators to the reservation this month to find out exactly what was sprayed and what lingering effects it may have on one of the nations poorest Native American reservations.

Its in our air, our streams, our livestock, said Charles Vargas, an activist on the reservation, 90 miles northeast of Phoenix. This is fundamentally a crime, perpetrated on our people by the government, and no ones ever had to answer for it.

Tribal leaders declined to be interviewed, though they said the tribe had conducted its own extensive tests and found no reason for concern.

A small group of tribal members is hoping EPA investigators will help make public the extent of the spraying program and uncover what contamination, if any, remains.

Stevens, a retired truck driver, drives the rutted roads of the reservation and points to crumbling, abandoned houses of families who died out. One branch of the Thinkas are all dead, he said, as are the Bendles and the Cassas.

Something took all of them, Stevens said. A couple people dying, OK. The whole family? You got to ask what they dropped on us.

Mike Stevens visits the grave of his late wife, Lizette, on the reservation. Lizettes mother, sister and aunt died within a few years of one another in the 1980s and 1990s. (Caitlin OHara / For The Times )

The shy girl with smooth skin lived near the river, and her family lived off its bounty. When the planes flew overhead, the chemicals covered the roof of her tight, tiny four-walled home, which she shared with her mother, grandmother, aunt and sister. It stuck to the dried meat and berries they hung outside, coated the clothing on wash lines.

No one told them what was falling from the sky. Day after day, the planes flew southeast to northwest to dump their payload on a 15-mile stretch of the Gila River next to their small home.

She would cross the river and pick mushrooms, berries. All of it had stuff on it, Stevens said, pointing to the river banks. The flight path was right through here.

In 1969, the flights ended. A few years later, Stevens returned to the San Carlos reservation after college and found that the shy girl with smooth skin was now a strong-willed woman named Lizette Edwards. They married.

Then, people on the reservation started to get sick. First, Edwards mother contracted breast cancer, as did her sister. Her aunt suffered from a central nervous system disorder that caused her to shake. All three died within a few years of each other in the 1980s and 1990s.

And it wasnt just their family. Full branches of longtime San Carlos families simply seemed to drift away. First one member of the household would take ill, Stevens said, and the others seemed to wither with them. Some houses became nothing more than four walls and a sickbed. Children left for the cities, the older family members died out, and the houses still sit today, stripped of their worthwhile metals and abandoned.

::

Mike Stevens shows photos of himself and his late wife, Lizette, who died of pancreatic cancer. (Caitlin OHara / For The Times )

Determining what has sickened a person in the Pinal Mountains of eastern Arizona can be a complicated question. The area around San Carlos was already notoriously polluted. A smelting plant sent a fog of carcinogenic chemicals daily through the streets of the nearby town of Globe. Shuttered mining operations let metal-laden effluvia seep into the waterways. Radiation-contaminated air from 1950s nuclear testing in Nevada blew straight downwind.

Nor has the legacy of pollution here ended. In 2011, the EPA found that the tribe had long allowed excessive levels of arsenic and E. coli bacteria into the water supply while failing to monitor for nitrates, lead and copper.

In November, the agency reported that the tribe had not corrected any of the problems.

From its inception in 1874, the San Carlos Apache Reservation has been a harsh place to make a life. Early settlers called the area Hells 40 Acres.

Diabetes, obesity and cancer are rampant on the reservation, as they are among other tribes nationwide, something the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants to better understand. The cancer rate among Native American populations across the country increased from 1990 to 2009, even as the cancer rate among the general U.S. population shrank.

Ray Stevens worked as a fire spotter in a Bureau of Indian Affairs plane in the 60s. He says when he noticed the spraying program on his flights and asked questions, he was told, You dont got to know whats being sprayed, (Caitlin OHara / For The Times )

Despite all this, many tribe members say they are convinced that mining pollution, radiation and poor health habits couldnt be responsible for so much sickness and death in one location.

The five Edwards women who shared the home near the river, the focus of the aerial spraying, are now buried in foot-tall mounds under tall white crosses above the riverbank, and only one of them succumbed to old age. Lizette, a voluble mother of three, was the latest: Stevens watched her shrink into herself as she suffered through pancreatic cancer, the skin tightening around her eyes and mouth until she appeared almost skeletal.

She died in August.

::

At the time the Silvex program began on San Carlos, another field trial was getting underway on the other side of the world  this one for Agent Orange, a hybrid containing the same hazardous compounds, 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, sprayed at San Carlos. President Kennedy signed off on the use of the material to destroy the cover and cropland of communist guerrillas in North Vietnam in 1961.

The use of Agent Orange continued through the Vietnam War, but was halted abruptly in the late 1970s when researchers began to connect the presence of the noxious chemical dioxin to birth defects in lab animals.

More tests followed, and a national consensus against Agent Orange ended its use. In the following years, Vietnam veterans would begin to complain of a host of illnesses that they attributed to dioxin in their blood as a result of handling Agent Orange.

Soldiers filed a class-action lawsuit in 1979 against the herbicide manufacturers, including Dow Chemical Co. The suit was settled out of court in 1984 for $180 million, and payments since then have averaged $3,800 per veteran or their survivors. The plaintiff class is still expanding  in 2015, the Department of Veterans Affairs added 2,100 Air Force reservists to the eligible class of survivors.

Through the 1970s and 1980s, the environmental community began focusing on what had been the widespread use of Agent Orange-like herbicides across the U.S. Farmers had sprayed it on their fields to kill weeds; the U.S. Forest Service deployed it in forests in California and the Pacific Northwest.

Just outside the San Carlos reservation, in Globe, residents filed suit over a separate spraying program that had been conducted there, led by a woman, Billee Shoecraft, who was one of five people whose bodies had been directly doused with the aerial chemicals. The Globe plaintiffs settled with Dow Chemical in 1981 for an undisclosed amount, and Shoecraft, who wrote a book about her exposure called Sue the Bastards! later died of cancer.

The area around San Carlos was already notoriously polluted. A smelting plant sent carcinogens through the nearby town of Globe. Radiation-contaminated air from 1950s nuclear testing in Nevada blew straight downwind. (Caitlin OHara / For The Times )

No one sued on the reservation  the tribal government itself had signed off on the spraying program. In 1987, the EPA tested the soil and water on San Carlos, selecting areas where the spraying compound was mixed and loaded onto planes. Twenty-four of 77 soil samples showed the presence of dioxin, but tests of fish and livestock tissue did not return any signs of contamination. No cleanup was ordered.

Then they found the barrels.

When the office of the federal Head Start preschool program on the reservation flooded in 2001, employees smelled something strange. In the buildings basement, once a U.S. Forest Service storage area, they found striped drums full of Silvex.

Hazardous-materials crews spent two weeks clearing the basement, then declared it safe. But the discovery of the barrels led a small band of tribal activists to begin asking why their tribal administration had not demanded compensation from the chemicals producers or the government, as the citizens of Globe had done.

They poisoned us, said Michael Paul Hill, an activist and tribal attorney. And [the tribe] wont say why, or who did it. What we know is what weve learned on our own.

Since the discovery of the barrels, tribal government leaders have refused to provide clear answers, according to residents who have sought help from the EPA.

In October, the federal agency announced that it had opened a new investigation into possible herbicide contamination at San Carlos. Agency officials in San Francisco notified Hill recently that investigators will be dispatched to the reservation later this month to conduct new soil tests.

Tribal officials have declined to discuss either the spraying program or the EPA inquiry in detail.

We take the health and concerns of tribal members very seriously. When these concerns were raised, the San Carlos Apache Tribes EPA conducted extensive soil testing to determine if there was a danger to our members. The test results found no reason for concern, tribal Chairman Terry Rambler said in a statement. We welcome the federal EPAs involvement and pledge to work with them on this effort.

As for Stevens, he considers himself lucky. His parents had a covered porch, which kept the chemical compound off the food they dried outside. Families without porches, he said, havent fared as well.

Mike Stevens stands on the foundation of the home his late wife, Lizette Stephens, lived in as a girl on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. (Caitlin OHara / For The Times )

He stops at a bend in the Gila River. The trees hang lower here, forming a small, shaded canopy. Crumpled cans and an empty case of beer mark the recent presence of revelers. Then Stevens points to a 10-by-20-foot concrete slab buried in the earth.

It is the foundation of the home where his wife grew up.

This is where it happened, spraying every day, he said.

His blue Dodge Ram pulls out of the river bend and rumbles to a stop several miles north at his home.

A man who looks very much like a hunched, slender version of Stevens emerges from a rusted trailer. Ray Stevens, Mikes father, was a Korean War veteran working as a fire spotter in a Bureau of Indian Affairs plane when he noticed the spraying program on his flights, and began to ask his superiors and tribal officials about it.

He was told that the project would remove undesirable species from the foliage without damaging the rest of the terrain.

They told me, Dont ask anything else. You dont got to know whats being sprayed, Ray Stevens said.

Darkness falls. The younger Stevens gets back in the truck and steers toward home. On the wall there is a photo of Lizette on what would be her final birthday. She is gaunt but smiling.

My girl, he says.

nigel.duara@latimes.com

Follow Nigel Duara on Twitter: @nigelduara

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In her final hours, as she tried to sleep in the wicked cold of a Portland parking garage and hypothermia took over her body, Karen Lee Batts became confused.

She began to remove clothes. An attendant later found her on the garage floor.

She died from hypothermia due to the severe cold weather, said the officiant at her funeral Wednesday, reading from a newspaper obituary. She suffered from schizophrenia, a mental illness.

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Several dozen people filed past her open casket at the Ross Hollywood Chapel to pay their respects, 11 days after her death. Batts was the third to die here in an extreme cold spell that has killed four homeless people this month  and may have contributed to a stillbirth by a woman who was living on the streets.

In a city that prides itself on liberal values, the snowstorms and freezing temperatures that began battering Portland last month exposed holes in its ability to care for some of its most vulnerable residents.

Portland officials declared a housing state of emergency last summer after learning that almost 2,000 people  including families with children, seniors and people with disabilities  sleep in bushes, tents, cars and doorways every night. Mental illness is common and appears to have played a dominant role in the deaths.

The first victim was David Guyot, a 68-year-old father of three, who succumbed to hypothermia and was found at a bus stop Jan. 1.

That was the same day the new mayor, Ted Wheeler, took office. In his first act, he opened the citys Portland Building as an around-the-clock shelter. Homeless people crowded into the lobby to spend the night. But others chose to stay on the street, shelter workers said.

The next day, 51-year-old Mark Elliot Johnson, who had struggled with alcoholism and homelessness after his girlfriend died a few years back, was found dead under a blanket in a business doorway, the second victim of exposure.

Its horrible. Nobody should freeze to death on the streets of Portland, Oregon.  Ted Wheeler, Portland mayor

Its horrible, the mayor told a reporter as the frigid weather continued. Nobody should freeze to death on the streets of Portland, Oregon.

Then on Jan. 7, Batts died. She was 52.

She lived life on her own terms, the officiant at her funeral Wednesday told the mourners, mostly family and friends from an earlier time in Batts life.

At Portlands Grant High School, she was a junior varsity cheerleader and part of the 1982 Rose Festival Court, a citywide competition that her brother, Alan Batts, described as the highlight of her life. She graduated with honors, he said.

She attended college too, but mental illness eventually set in. She spent most of the last 20 years on the streets and hadnt seen her brother or mother in more than a year.

No one can hurt her now, her brother told the mourners. She doesnt have to struggle. She is at peace.

Two days after Batts death, a woman at a homeless encampment delivered a stillborn baby, placed him under her coat and walked the streets until police noticed her.

The next day, the cold claimed another victim: Zachary A. Young, a mentally ill man of 29, who was found at his camp in a wooded area in southwest Portland.

Talk-radio callers and online commenters wondered what their city had come to. The mayor told Willamette Week that the stillbirth was a damnation of our response to untreated mental illness on the streets.

At a news conference last week, he said the city has increased the number of beds for the homeless and that Multnomah Countys 36 warming centers have also helped. But more donations and volunteers were needed, he said.

At Batts funeral, one speaker suggested that the state pass a new law to encourage the reporting of dangerous situations in which mental health seems to be a factor.

We could call it Karens Law, he said, or Karens Alert, like Amber Alert.

The mourners nodded in support.

Outside the chapel, the temperature was in the low 40s. Ice and thick slush still coated the streets, but it was finally warming up.

Anderson is a special correspondent.

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Shortly after Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination for president last summer, a cougar swam across a salt-water channel to this island oasis amid Seattle and its suburbs.

At the time, many people here viewed the candidate and the big cat as interlopers, soon to be exposed and expelled. But both are still around  and one is clearly causing more concern than the other on this increasingly anxious island.



For the record: This article incorrectly spells Tristan Gornalls last name as Dornall.

If we could have the cougar or Trump for the next four years, Id take the cougar, said Tristan Dornall, 27, who has not ventured alone into the woods near his house since he had a startlingly close encounter with the animal there in November. I mean, definitely.

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If Seattle is the predictably Democratic capital of the Pacific Northwest, Vashon, just 20 minutes away by ferry, is one of the regions experimental laboratories, a place where new strains of environmentalism and progressivism flourish, unencumbered by mainland reality. It presents an increasingly rare constituency: rural but not red.

Country roads curve through art galleries, alpaca farms and sustainable distilleries. A nonprofits popular rewilding program teaches families our renowned approach to deep nature connection and the bundle of teachings we call Coyote Mentoring.

Of the 7,701 people here who cast ballots for president in November, fewer than 13% voted for Trump, and nearly 78% backed Hillary Clinton.

Vashon Island, with about 10,000 residents, takes pride in its small-town atmosphere. (William Yardley / Los Angeles Times )

Now, as the Trump era unfolds, Vashon is confronting what many parts of liberal America feel, an uncomfortable blend of realization, determination and fear. And this being an island  a bubble, yes, islanders know that  there is also a temptation to retrench, to shrink the world to the immediate shoreline.

I tend to be very globally minded, and I think my processing right now is to think more locally, said April Sherman, whose great-great-grandfather homesteaded here in the 1870s. I feel a little out of control, like I cant do much.

Some Vashon residents say they want to reach out, to bridge the cultural and economic divisions Trumps campaign helped reveal. Many also express resolve to fight harder than ever to protect the planet and their unique piece of it.

Since the advent of environmental laws, I think there is more gravely at risk now than ever before, said Amy Carey, whose fight to stop a gravel mine from being dug here more than a decade ago led her to found Sound Action, an assertive nonprofit that works to protect nearshore areas all over Puget Sound. And we have no gimme room for error.

A couple of years ago, stories shot across the Internet declaring Vashon the most liberal place in the United States based on an analysis of political donations. Not long after, that analysis was debunked by an island newspaper, which concluded that, using the same measure, Vashon was merely more liberal than Seattle. Other skeptics have questioned what liberalism really looks like in a wealthy enclave where more than 90% of its 10,600 residents are white.

Islanders, ever self-aware, are trying to answer the question themselves. They have been working to finalize a new zoning plan that aspires to a challenging progressive balance  increase the amount of affordable housing without compromising their rural way of life or giving too much freedom to developers they do not trust.

One idea is to create a nonprofit that would build only as much housing as island workers need and in a way that puts the environment first.

I know we are grieving with the results of the national election, Martin Baker, a longtime resident and environmental activist, wrote to concerned residents last fall. I suggest this is a place to take action. It is, after all, our home.

That word, home, resonates deeply here. Cashiers in the grocery store pick up conversations with customers from the last time they came in. Baristas anticipate orders. Not only do people leave their cars unlocked, some leave the keys on the seat.

The novelist Michael Chabon once lived on Vashon and has said it helped inspire the setting of his 2002 book, Summerland. In the book, the fictional Clam Island was connected to the mainland until a bridge collapsed. It did not take long for islanders to view their new isolation as a good thing. Vashon never had a bridge, but its residents, like those in the book, are content to come and go by ferries, which run frequently from two terminals on the island.

You could not get a cup of coffee or clam chowder, or hear all about your neighbors sick cousin or chicken, on the Clam Narrows Bridge, Chabon wrote, adding, Islands have always been strange and magical places. Crossing the water to reach them ought to be, even in a small way, an adventure.

Vashon Island can only be reached by ferry. (William Yardley / Los Angeles Times )

As for Trump, some here are trying to take a long view  hoping that his election is an aberration, a difficult but not insurmountable hurdle in the march toward a more progressive era.

Many residents note that the West Coast voted overwhelmingly Democratic (some big cities and counties voted more decisively for Clinton than Vashon did). They emphasize that Clinton won nearly 3 million more votes nationwide (suggesting they may not be in such a bubble after all), and they point out that Trump is viewed with suspicion even among many in his own party (another reason, they hope, he might not win a second term).

You have to empathize with and understand those people, Derek Churchill, who teaches sustainable forestry practices on Vashon but also in conservative timber towns, said of Trump voters in rural areas. A lot of these folks are so desperate.

They live in places where schools are closing, where there are meth addiction problems, these communities that are slowly spiraling downward. That is something we need to figure out how to address. Thats got to be a wake-up call.

Bianca Perla, who grew up on the island, earned a doctorate in ecology at the University of Washington and now runs the Vashon Nature Center, said that, although she fears a Trump administration, it may not be a bad thing that his election pierced what she called Vashons bubble mentality.

Now we see more widely, Perla said. Our island, the nice thing about it is we can be sort of insular and have this beauty all around us. But the cold reality is that its affected by larger systems. Its all connected.

That dynamic, in fact, is what prompted the cougar to make his big swim last summer.

Sergeant Kim Chandler of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said the cougar likely was seeking a bubble of its own  a place with lush forests and abundant prey, a refuge from the increasingly developed region beyond Vashon. Now, however, after the cougar has been linked to at least four alpaca deaths, the state is trying to trap it. If the state succeeds, the animal may be outfitted with a GPS collar and released in the Cascade Range.

If you picked that island up and plopped it down somewhere near the mountains, Chandler said, itd be exactly the same habitat.

william.yardley@latimes.com

@yardleyLAT

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A federal judge on Thursday blocked Texas from ousting Planned Parenthood from the states Medicaid program over secretly recorded videos taken by anti-abortion activists in 2015.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks adds Texas to the list of Republican-controlled states that have been thwarted in efforts to cut off Medicaid dollars to the nations largest abortion provider.

Sparks postponed Planned Parenthoods ouster until Feb. 21, but it is expected he will issue a ruling before then. Planned Parenthood would have lost the funding on Saturday had Sparks not intervened.

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Other federal courts have similarly stopped Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi and Kansas, which all cited heavily edited videos that claimed to show Planned Parenthood officials profiting from sales of fetal tissue for medical research. Planned Parenthood has denied wrongdoing, and investigations in 13 states didnt result in criminal charges.

Planned Parenthood says it provides non-abortion services to about 11,000 low-income women in Texas each year through Medicaid. No public funding in Texas is used for abortion, while Medicaid reimbursements cover services that include well-women exams, screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and birth control.

Texas has been aggressive in its efforts to weaken Planned Parenthood, including kicking the organization out of the state womens health program in 2013.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Arkansas, a legislative committee voted Thursday to outlaw an abortion procedure that opponents call savage and barbaric and that others say is the safest way to end a pregnancy in the second trimester.

The proposal by a legislator who is also president of Arkansas Right to Life would ban dilation and evacuation, also known as a D&E abortion. The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee passed the measure Thursday on a voice vote.

We have not stopped a single abortion if we pass this bill, Rep. Andy Mayberry said, telling colleagues that other, less-violent means are available to women seeking an abortion more than 12 weeks into their pregnancy.

Arkansas would be the third state to ban dilation and evacuation abortions, after Mississippi and West Virginia. Similar prohibitions are on hold amid court challenges in other states.

Arkansas officials say 18% of the states 3,771 abortions in 2015 were done through a D&E procedure.

Victoria Leigh, who testified against the bill on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the other means would be incredibly invasive, cost more and require a hospital stay. Planned Parenthood says the legislation is among the extreme and ideological attacks on women.

Mayberry, a Republican from suburban Little Rock, wants to outlaw the use of levered clamps, forceps, tongs or scissors to purposely dismember a living unborn child. He called the procedure savage ... barbaric and ... cruel.
Neil Gorsuch could fall somewhere between his hero, Justice Scalia, and former boss, centrist Justice Kennedy By David Savage Judge Neil M. Gorsuch was resting midway down a Colorado ski slope last year when his cellphone rang with the news that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had died. I immediately lost what breath I had left, Gorsuch recalled in an April speech, and I am not embarrassed to admit that I couldnt see the rest of the way down the mountain for the tears. Now, as President Trumps pick to replace Scalia on the high court, Gorsuch is seen by many on the right as a fitting replacement for the iconic jurist that Gorsuch considered a lion of the law. Like Scalia, Gorsuch, 49, who serves on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, is a well-respected conservative who believes judges should decide cases based on the law as it was understood when passed, not on how they think it should be. Hes a clear, impassioned writer, albeit without Scalias flare for biting sarcasm. But Gorsuch also evokes the qualities of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, for whom Gorsuch worked as a law clerk. (If confirmed, Gorsuch would join three justices who previously clerked on the high court, but he would be the first ever to serve alongside the justice he or she worked for.) Like Kennedy, 80, Gorsuch is a Westerner with a polite, congenial manner who at times has won praise from liberals. He may be more conservative than Kennedy when it comes to expanding individual rights, but he seems to lack Scalias fervor for overturning liberal precedents from decades past. Which way Gorsuch skews could be pivotal for the future of the court. Conservatives clearly hope hell be more like Scalia than Kennedy, a centrist swing vote who has often joined liberals on issues such as gay marriage and abortion. Some conservatives have even expressed hope that Gorsuchs personal history with Kennedy might enable him to draw the Reagan-appointee back toward the right. Read More Facebook

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Trump chooses Neil Gorsuch, a conservative seen as likely to be confirmed, for Supreme Court By Michael A. Memoli President Trump nominated federal Judge Neil M. Gorsuch on Tuesday to the Supreme Court to fill the seat of the late Antonin Scalia, choosing from his short list an appeals court judge from Denver seen as most likely to win Senate confirmation. Because Scalia was a stalwart conservative, Trumps choice is not likely to change the balance of the court. But it does set the stage for a bruising partisan fight over a man who could help determine law on gun rights, immigration, police use of force and transgender rights. Read More Facebook

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Trump administration is radicalizing Democratic voters, creating a challenge for the party, Rep. Adam Schiff says By Sarah D. Wire (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) As protests spread over policy announcements from the Trump administration, Democrats must work to encourage participation in politics, but face a danger of the party becoming too radicalized, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said Tuesday. The radical nature of this government is radicalizing Democrats, and thats going to pose a real challenge to the Democratic Party, which is to draw on the energy and the activism and the passion that is out there, but not let it turn us into what we despised about the tea party, Schiff said. During a meeting with reporters and editors in the Los Angeles Times Washington bureau, Schiff also discussed his role as the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Select Intelligence Committee under a Trump administration and how Democrats will manage in the minority. Ever since the election, party leaders have been debating: Did we lose because we were too far to the left and we had too small a tent, or did we lose because we are too mainstream and didnt energize the base? Schiff asked. We are obviously having that debate, but theres a whole new element, which is the reaction to the Trump administration that makes this different in kind, certainly different in intensity, than I think weve ever seen after an election, he said. The more radical the administration is, the more radicalized our base becomes, which just feeds the Breitbart crowd, and who knows where that ends. Democratic leaders have to channel public reaction to Trumps actions into progress, rather than deadlock, Schiff said. Reaction to Democrats seen as working with the Trump administration has been strong. Monday night, for example, protesters marched on Sen. Dianne Feinsteins home and office voicing fears she would back Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general. The senator from California announced Tuesday that she would oppose Sessions. Several groups calling themselves indivisible have popped up in cities across the country as focal points for efforts to organize. We have two of the most capable strategists as the head of our House and Senate Democrats, Schiff added, referring to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Senate Democratic leader Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York. If anybody can grapple with this, they can, but its going to be a challenging and moving target day to day. I just hope that we can channel that energy in a way where we can provide a check on this administration because Ive never been more worried about the countrys future than I am right now, he said. Schiff said part of his role as the ranking Democrat on the House Select Intelligence Committee will be pushing back when the Trump administration puts out inaccurate information about the intelligence community and its findings. Trump has repeatedly dismissed or sought to minimize the intelligence communitys findings that Russia sought to intervene in the 2016 election to benefit him. Schiff said hes concerned about what else the administration might be willing to dismiss. I think that will be kind of a new frontier, he said. How do we contradict a president making representations about what the intelligence community has to say when the information is classified? Facebook

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Trump administration signals that some temporary bans on entry into the U.S. could become permanent By Brian Bennett  Trumps orders put a greater emphasis on deporting those convicted of crimes and those in the country illegally who were charged with crimes not yet adjudicated The Trump administration doubled down Tuesday on its commitment to transforming the nations border law enforcement, signaling that some of the temporary bans on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries are likely to be made permanent and elevating a deportations official to run the top immigration enforcement agency. Administration officials, led by newly sworn-in Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, moved to allay the havoc that marked the roll-out of the ban and another on refugees. They briefed reporters and planned to head to Capitol Hill later today in an apparent effort to smooth relations after reports that lawmakers and other stakeholders were left out of the crafting of the executive order on toughened vetting at border entry points. In a news conference, Kelly and other top Homeland Security officials conceded some problems, including poor communication. But they insisted that all court orders were followed over the weekend, rebutted reports that some legal residents were denied access to attorneys at airports and said they everyone detained by border agents was treated with dignity and respect. The vast majority of the 1.7 billion Muslims that live on this planet, the vast majority of them have, all other things being equal, have access to the United States, Kelly told reporters. And a relatively small number right now are being held up for a period of time until we can take a look at what their procedures are, he said, seeming to acknowledge that mostly Muslims have been affected by the ban. The moves signaled that the White House remained committed to remaking border law enforcement even in the face of widespread confusion and condemnation of President Trumps order. Kelly said for the first time that the some of the restrictions that caused confusion and sparked protests over the weekend could be extended well into the future. Some of those countries that are currently on the list may not be taken off the list anytime soon, he said. Trump also named a longtime deportation officer, Thomas D. Homan, as acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homan, who will oversee the execution of Trumps immigration enforcement order, was most recently in charge of the agencys 5,000 deportation officers, a force Trump said he would triple to 15,000. Trumps orders put a greater emphasis on deporting not only those convicted of crimes, but also people in the country illegally who were charged with crimes not yet adjudicated, those who receive an improper welfare benefit and even those who have not been charged but are believed to have committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense. Facebook

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White House tries to ban the word ban, hours after president uses it himself By Noah Bierman This is not a ban, spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters in a fiery news briefing. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) President Trump used the word ban in a tweet as recently as Monday to describe his new executive order suspending travel from seven Muslim-majority countries and halting the refugee program for several months. But facing backlash from many directions, the White House adamantly insisted Tuesday that the word is verboten. This is not a ban, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters in a fiery news briefing. When we use words like travel ban, he said later, that misrepresents what it is. Its seven countries previously identified by the Obama administration, where, frankly, we dont get the information that we need for people coming into this country. In fact, people from the seven banned countries  Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya  cannot enter the United States under the order. Spicer appeared to be making a renewed effort to distinguish the order from the all-out ban on Muslims entering the country that Trump proposed during the campaign. Many around the world see the newest policy as an outgrowth of that proposal. Trump himself conceded a religious connection when he said in an interview on Friday that he wanted to make it easier for Syrian Christians to enter the country. And former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani told Fox News that the order sprang from a group he formed at Trumps request to create a legal framework that would accomplish the campaign goal of a Muslim ban. But amid confusion and worldwide criticism in recent days, the Trump administration has tried to temper some of the more incendiary rhetoric around the proposal. Even the words extreme vetting, a favorite Trump slogan, were called into question by Spicer on Tuesday. Calling for tougher vetting [of] individual travelers from seven nations is not extreme, he said. It is reasonable and necessary to protect our country. But changing the ban branding around the program at this point will be difficult. Heres Trumps tweet from Monday: If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the "bad" would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad "dudes" out there!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017 And Spicer himself used the term ban as recently as Sunday: Sean Spiceer today: This is not a Muslim ban. It is not a travel ban.



Sean Spicer in White House press release, Jan. 29: pic.twitter.com/axTM1m66nM  Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) January 31, 2017 Facebook

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Senate confirms Elaine Chao as secretary of Transportation By Associated Press Elaine Chao testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Jan. 11, 2017. (Zach Gibson / AP) The Senate has confirmed Elaine Chao to serve as Transportation secretary in the Trump administration. The vote was 93 to 6 on Tuesday. Chao is an experienced Washington hand. She was Labor secretary under President George W. Bush and is the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Chao would be a lead actor in pursuing Trumps promise to invest $1 trillion to improve highways, rail service and other infrastructure projects. Facebook

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Speaker Paul Ryan defends Trumps immigrant and refugee ban, as Congress grumbles about being left out By Lisa Mascaro "What is happening is something we support... we need to make sure that the vetting standards are up to snuff," Paul Ryan says of travel ban pic.twitter.com/iX6YkOLkLl  CBS News (@CBSNews) January 31, 2017 House Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday stood by President Trumps temporary ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority nations and indicated that he was confident the administration could fix the confusing rollout without action from Congress. What is happening is something we support, said Ryan, whose office was the target of a sit-in by protesters opposed to Trumps order. We need to pause and we need to make sure that the vetting standards are up to snuff so we can guarantee the safety and security of our country. Congress was blindsided by Trumps executive action -- Ryan learned about it as the public did when the White House announced it Friday afternoon. Many GOP lawmakers have raised concerns. During a private meeting in the Capitol basement Tuesday, Republican lawmakers were counseled on how to handle protesters and office sit-ins happening across the country. Its regrettable that there was some confusion on the rollout of this, Ryan said. No one wanted to see people with green cards or special immigrant visas, like translators, get caught up in all of this. Ryan also said he was concerned the ban could be used as propaganda by terrorist groups. The rhetoric surrounding this could be used as a recruiting tool, and I think thats dangerous, he said. Still, Republicans leaders as well as rank-and-file GOP lawmakers largely agreed with the presidents move to halt refugee admissions for 120 days, and to temporarily ban citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, unless they are Christians or other religious minorities. The president was well within his right to issue an executive order, said Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), chairman of the House Rules Committee. Do I feel let out? I feel like everybody was left out, he said. I wish they communicated it. I wish they had gotten more information to people. I wish they had measured three times and sawed once. Lawmakers have shown little appetite for Congress to get involved, and suggested the chaos that erupted at airports over the weekend was just part of a learning curve at the White House. I support the thrust of the executive order, said Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), who nevertheless said the administration should have been better prepared and will need to get your act together. Last year, Ryan had strongly condemned Trumps campaign-trail call for a Muslim ban. In recent days, Ryan, like other congressional leaders, was forced to dial up the administration with his questions and concerns about the order, conferring Monday with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. I am very pleased and confident that he is, on a going-forward basis, going to make sure that things are done correctly, Ryan said. Pressed on whether Congress would have a role, Ryan did not indicate any immediate legislative action. Facebook

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Democrats boycott Senate committee votes on Price, Mnuchin By Jim Puzzanghera Senate Democrats speak with reporters after boycotting Finance Committee confirmation votes. (JIM WATSON / AFP/Getty Images) Senate Democrats on Tuesday boycotted a committee vote on two of President Trumps top Cabinet nominees -- Tom Price to lead Health and Human Services and Steve Mnuchin to be Treasury secretary. Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) blasted the Democratic move as he sat in a hearing room with only Republicans on the dais. They ought to be embarrassed. Its the most pathetic treatment Ive seen in my 40 years in the United States Senate, Hatch said. I think they should stop posturing and acting like idiots, he said. At least one Democrat needs to be present for the committee to vote on the nominations, Hatch said. He recessed the hearing until further notice, saying he hoped a vote could take place later Tuesday. But asked mid-afternoon if he thought the committee would be able to meet Tuesday, Hatch said it doesnt look like it. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the committees top Democrat, said Price and Mnuchin have misled the public and held back important information about their backgrounds. Until questions are answered, Democrats believe the committee should not move forward with either nomination, Wyden said. This is about getting answers to questions, plain and simple, he said. Ethics laws are not optional, and nominees do not have a right to treat disclosure like a shell game. Today @SenateFinance Democrats refused to move forward with nominations of Mnuchin & Price.  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 31, 2017 The litany of ethics revelations regarding @RepTomPrice are strong evidence that he cannot be allowed to have control of #Medicare.  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 31, 2017 Mr. Mnuchin continued to fail to come clean on shady foreclosure practices that hurt Americans.  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 31, 2017 Liberal groups cheered the boycott while Senate Republican leaders decried it as Democratic obstructionism. They are manufacturing issues on a daily basis to drag this process out, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kent.) said of the confirmations of Trumps nominees. I dont see how they can explain to the American people how it is appropriate to prevent the administration from getting up and getting started, he said. Democrats have said Mnuchin, a wealthy Wall Street executive, misled the committee in his response to a written question about foreclosures at Pasadenas OneWest Bank while he ran it from 2009-15. Democrats pointed to a report Sunday by the Columbus Dispatch that Mnuchin denied that OneWest engaged in so-called robo-signing of mortgage documents. The paper said its analysis of nearly four dozen foreclosure cases in Ohios Franklin County in 2010 showed that the bank frequently used robo-signers. The Columbus Dispatch cited a foreclosure involving a mortgage signed by Erica Johnson-Seck, a OneWest vice president who said in a deposition in a 2009 Florida case that she signed an average of 750 documents a week. Barney Keller, a spokesman for Mnuchin, said Monday that several courts had dismissed cases involving allegations of robo-signing by Johnson-Seck. The media is picking on a hardworking bank employee whose reputation has been maligned but whose work has been upheld by numerous courts all around the country in the face of scurrilous and false allegations, Keller said. Democrats also have problems with Price, a six-term congressman and former orthopedic surgeon who has distinguished himself in conservative circles for his staunch opposition to the Affordable Care Act and his plans to slash federal healthcare spending. His nomination has become among Trumps most controversial, in part because of his hostility to government safety net programs, including Medicaid and Medicare. Democrats have also been increasingly critical of Prices extensive trading in healthcare stocks while he has been in Congress, and in some cases while he has pushed legislation that would benefit his portfolio. Price has denied any wrongdoing. Also drawing criticism is Prices purchase of discounted shares in an Australian biotech firm, Innate Immunotherapeutics, which he was offered through a private deal not available to general shareholders. Price also denied that this was improper, and Senate Republicans have rallied to his side, saying he did not violate any ethics rules. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said he and the other Democrats on the committee want Mnuchin and Price to explain their lies either in person before the committee or in new written answers. I want them to disclose this information that they seem not to want to disclose, Brown said. 12:10 p.m.: This post was updated with additional comments from Hatch as well as from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Sherrod Brown. 8:00 a.m.: This post has been updated with additional information and background. 8:07 a.m.: This post has been updated with additional information. Facebook

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White House aides who wrote Trumps travel ban see it as just the start By Brian Bennett (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Even as confusion, internal dissent and widespread condemnation greeted President Trumps travel ban and crackdown on refugees this weekend, senior White House aides say they are only getting started. Trump and his aides justified Fridays executive order, which blocked travel from seven majority-Muslim countries for 90 days and halted refugees from around the world for 120, on security grounds  an issue that they say they take seriously. But their ultimate goal is far broader. Trumps top advisors on immigration, including chief strategist Steve Bannon and senior advisor Stephen Miller, see themselves as launching a radical experiment to fundamentally transform how the U.S. decides who is allowed into the country and to block a generation of people who, in their view, wont assimilate into American society. That project may live or die in the next three months, as the Trump administration reviews whether and how to expand the visa ban and alter vetting procedures. White House aides are considering new, onerous security checks that could effectively limit travel into the U.S. by people from majority-Muslim countries to a trickle. Read More Facebook

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Why corporations cant risk keeping silent about Trumps immigration ban By David Pierson Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz said the Seattle coffee company is developing plans to hire 10,000 refugees over the next five years. (Richard Drew / Associated Press) Corporate America generally prefers to stay quiet about partisan politics. Pick one side of a hot-button issue, the thinking goes, and youll risk losing customers on the other side. But like so many norms before it, President Trump has turned this one on its head. A growing number of companies are deciding its a bigger risk to their investors and bottom line to stay quiet than it is to protest Trumps ban on refugees and travel from seven Muslim-majority nations, betting vocal opposition to the executive order scores them a moral and fiscal victory. While it was possible for companies to take a wait-and-see approach leading up to Trumps inauguration, many firms can no longer ignore the White Houses policy given the effect the order is already having on employees either stranded or fearful of traveling. Only a week ago it seemed foolish to speak out against a president who has admonished individual companies on social media such as Carrier, Boeing and General Motors. Now the pendulum has swung the other way. Companies, mostly in technology but increasingly in other sectors, have decided that its not enough just to speak out against the immigration order. They believe that they must also take headline-grabbing action. Read More Facebook

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Op-Ed: Trump is taking the Bannon Way, and it will end in disaster By Jonah Goldberg Bannon has said hes a Leninist' but hes really more of a Trotskyist because he fancies himself the leader of an international populist-nationalist right wing movement, exporting anti-'globalist' revolution. In that role, his status as an enabler of Trumps instinct to shoot  or tweet  from the hip seems especially ominous. The Bannon way might work on the campaign trail, but it doesnt translate into good governance. Its possible  and one must hope  that Trump can learn this fact on the job. But what if he doesnt? He could put the country in serious peril.  Jonah Goldberg Read More Facebook

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Trump will leave LGBTQ protections in place By Associated Press (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) The White House says President Trump will leave intact a 2014 executive order that protects federal workers from anti-LGBTQ discrimination. In a statement released early Tuesday, the White House said Trump is determined to protect the rights of all Americans, including the LGBTQ community and that he continues to be respectful and supportive of LGBTQ rights, just as he was throughout the election. The Trump administration has vowed to roll back much of President Obamas work from the last eight years and had been scrutinizing the 2014 order. The directive protects people from LGBTQ discrimination while working for federal contractors. The recent statement says the protections will remain intact at the direction of Trump. Here is the text of Obamas executive order, signed on July 21, 2014: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including 40 U.S.C. 121, and in order to provide for a uniform policy for the Federal Government to prohibit discrimination and take further steps to promote economy and efficiency in Federal Government procurement by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Amending Executive Order 11478 . The first sentence of section 1 of Executive Order 11478 of August 8, 1969, as amended, is revised by substituting sexual orientation, gender identity for sexual orientation. Sec. 2. Amending Executive Order 11246 . Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, as amended, is hereby further amended as follows: (a) The first sentence of numbered paragraph (1) of section 202 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex, or national origin. (b) The second sentence of numbered paragraph (1) of section 202 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex or national origin. (c) Numbered paragraph (2) of section 202 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex or national origin. (d) Paragraph (d) of section 203 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex or national origin. Sec. 3. Regulations . Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor shall prepare regulations to implement the requirements of section 2 of this order. Sec. 4. General Provisions . (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an agency or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. Sec. 5. Effective Date . This order shall become effective immediately, and section 2 of this order shall apply to contracts entered into on or after the effective date of the rules promulgated by the Department of Labor under section 3 of this order. Update 6:45 a.m.: This article was updated with the text of the 2014 executive order. Facebook

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Trump fires Justice Departments top official after she refuses to defend his refugee ban By David Lauter Sally Yates. (J. David Ake / Associated Press) President Trump fired acting Atty. Gen. Sally Yates on Monday, just hours after she announced that the department would not defend his controversial executive order banning refugees and travelers from certain countries. Yates has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States, the White House said in a statement. It is time to get serious about protecting our country. The move came after Yates sent a letter to Justice Department lawyers saying that she questioned the lawfulness of Trumps executive order. My responsibility is to ensure that the position of the Department of Justice is not only legally defensible, but is informed by our best view of what the law is after consideration of all the facts, Yates wrote. At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities, nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful, she wrote. Consequently, for as long as I am the acting attorney general, the Department of Justice will not present arguments in defense of the executive order unless and until I become convinced that it is appropriate to do so. Yates was a holdover from the Obama administration. But because Trumps nominee for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions, has not been confirmed and no other senior Justice Department officials have been appointed, firing her was expected to cause significant problems within the department. Among other issues, Yates is the only person in the department currently authorized to sign warrants for wiretapping in foreign espionage cases involving the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Trump replaced Yates with Dana J. Boente, a three-decade veteran of the Justice Department who was appointed in 2015 by former President Obama as U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Virginia. 6:37 p.m.: The story was updated with Trumps decision to fire Yates. Read More Facebook

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U.S. service member killed in Yemen identified as Navy SEAL from Illinois By Jeanette Steele The Pentagon on Sunday confirmed the death of a U.S. servicemember in a raid in Yemen targeting al-Qaeda, marking the first American combat death under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. A Navy SEAL from the Virginia-based elite unit known as SEAL Team 6 was killed Sunday during an unusual nighttime raid that put U.S. troops on the ground against Al Qaeda leaders in the middle of war-torn Yemen. The fallen sailor was identified Monday as Chief Special Warfare Operator William Ryan Owens, 36, of Peoria, Ill.. Three other Americans were wounded in the raid and an MV-22 Osprey had to be destroyed after the aircraft suffered a hard landing and couldnt fly. Another U.S. service member was injured in that crash. The raid marked the first known counter-terrorism operation and first confirmed combat fatality under President Trump. Steele writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Facebook

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Protests against Trumps ban on certain immigrants continue across the country By Ann M. Simmons Protesters rally at Los Angeles International Airport on Jan. 29, demonstrating against the immigration ban imposed by President Trump. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) After a weekend of turmoil at many of the nations airports following President Trumps executive order to suspend the U.S. refugee program and temporarily prohibit entry to citizens of seven predominantly Muslim nations, federal officials said all people being detained on arrival to the U.S. had been released. But that hasnt put a stop to demands to lift the travel ban. Protests continued to be held and organized throughout the country  incluidng in New York, New Orleans, Colorado and Connecticut. According to Ground Game, an online platform for organizing, at least a dozen demonstrations were planned for this week in what the group described as a fight against Islamophobia and Fascism. Calls to rally, demonstrate and protest swept social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook. In Louisville, Ky., a rally was planned for Monday evening at the Muhammad Ali Center, in what organizers said would be a gathering for American values and to voice support for our nation and our city, which was founded and is strengthened by immigrants. In Hattiesburg, Miss., there was call to join a peaceful vigil in solidarity with refugees, immigrants, and Muslims on the University of Southern Mississippi campus on Monday evening. Declaring that Jersey City stands with our Muslim and immigrant community, organizers in that New Jersey city called on people to come to a pedestrian mall on Monday to stand in solidarity and peace as we show our strength in diversity as one of the most diverse cities in the nation. Other demonstrations were planned for later in the week in cities nationwide, including Tuesday in Tuscon, where organizers encouraged people to stand in solidarity with Senator (John) McCains strong public statement opposing the executive order banning refugees and Legal Permanent Residents from Muslim countries! Similar actions were planned on Tuesday at the South Carolina State House in Columbia and at the Worchester City Hall and Common in Massachusetts, while organizers in San Francisco, under the banner #NoBanNoWallSF, urged residents to join the resistance against Donald Trumps racist and exclusionary Executive Orders on Saturday. We will not allow our country to be divided by hate and religious persecution, read a statement from #NoBanNoWallSF posted on Facebook. Facebook

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Obama carefully weighs in on refugee ban, says he is heartened by public response By Michael A. Memoli (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images) Former President Obama has offered his first public comment on the conduct of his successor, saying through a spokesman that he is heartened by public demonstrations against the Trump administrations controversial move to temporarily ban refugees and block all admissions from seven countries. President Obama is heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country, Kevin Lewis, a spokesperson for the former president, said in a statement emailed to reporters Monday. In his final official speech as President, he spoke about the important role of citizen and how all Americans have a responsibility to be the guardians of our democracy--not just during an election but every day. Citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake. Lewis also said in the statement that Obama fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion. Trump aides deny that his executive order, released Friday, involves religious discrimination. The order temporarily blocked travel to the U.S. by residents of seven predominantly Muslim nations, but left many of the Islamic worlds largest population centers unaffected, they note. The order also included an exception for believers of minority religions in those countries, a provision that Trump explicitly said would help Christians. Obamas statement is notable less for its content than for the fact that it was issued at all. It reflected the delicate balance he feels he must strike between showing a degree of deference to the new president and speaking out on issues he sees as critically important. The statement tiptoed around the content of the order, focusing more on the former presidents interest in citizen engagement. Obama said before leaving office that he expected to choose carefully when to comment on the actions of his successor and would focus less on normal functioning of politics and more on certain issues or certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake, as he put it in his final news conference. Mondays statement did point, though, to comments Obama made at a news conference in November 2015, when he called the idea of a religious test for immigration policy shameful and not American. We dont have religious tests to our compassion, he said at the time. Facebook

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GOP-led Congress worries about its role in the Trump era By Lisa Mascaro Its what congressional Republicans had long dreamed about: a majority in both chambers to advance conservative policies and a president from the same party to sign them into law. But the Trump White House isnt turning out exactly the way they envisioned. The GOP establishment is experiencing whiplash after a week of President Trump bulldozing through the norms of policy and protocol  dashing off executive orders without warning, escalating a diplomatic crisis with the countrys closest southern neighbor, triggering global confusion with a new refugee policy and generally hijacking party leaders agenda and replacing it with his own. Rather than the hoped-for collaborative new relationship between the White House and Congress, GOP officials complain that Trump is brushing aside their advice, failing to fully engage on drafting tough legislative packages like tax reform and Obamacare, and bypassing Congress by relying on executive actions, something they frequently complained about under President Obama. At the same time, Trumps unilateral moves continue to blindside Republicans and direct the national focus toward topics many in the party would rather avoid, whether thats how to pay for building the border wall with Mexico, warming ties with Russia, investigating false claims about voter fraud or, most recently, implementing sweeping new policies on refugees and visas. In the name of party unity, many Republicans so far have refrained from publicly attacking the new president. But for some, the new refugee policy crossed the line, signaling the first major rift in their already fraught partnership. Read More Facebook

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Washington state sues Trump over immigration order By Mark Z. Barabak President Trump signed an executive order Friday that suspends all immigration for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Opening a new legal front, lawyers for the state of Washington filed suit Monday seeking to block President Trumps executive order temporarily banning foreign refugees from entering the United States. No one is above the law, not even the president, Atty. Gen. Bob Ferguson said in announcing the federal lawsuit. And in the courtroom, it is not the loudest voice that prevails. Its the Constitution. Over the weekend, a federal judge in Brooklyn issued an order curtailing portions of Trumps executive order, issued Friday, which temporary halts migration from seven predominantly Muslim countries for at least 90 days and also closed the nation to refugees for at least the next four months. Other challenges are pending. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Seattle was the first taken by a state attorney general, and its provenance was no surprise. Washington state and others along the West Coast voted overwhelmingly for Democrat Hillary Clinton in November and have emerged as a hotbed of anti-Trump sentiment. We will not yield, said Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who joined Ferguson at a Seattle news conference. We will not be leveraged. We will not be threatened. We will not be intimidated. We will not be bullied by this. Trumps order, which has sparked demonstrations across the country, brought an outpouring of objection from Insleys Democratic colleagues around the country. President Trumps recent executive orders that divide and discriminate do not reflect the values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution or the principles we stand for as Oregonians, said Gov. Kate Brown. A single executive order does not define who we are as a country, said Connecticut Gov. Daniel P. Malloy. We are a nation of immigrants and must continue to fight for the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses yearning to breath free. In Massachusetts, another state that voted overwhelmingly for Clinton, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker joined the chorus of Democratic criticism, saying the travel ban would undermine the international relations forged by the states business, academic and healthcare communities. The confusion for families is real. The unexpected disruption for law-abiding people is real, Baker said. Thankfully, the federal courts will have an opportunity to straighten this out and it is my hope they do so, and do so quickly. Facebook

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How a top conservative radio host took on Trump, lost his audience and faith, but gained a new perspective By Mark Z. Barabak Charlie Sykes, right, interviews Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) before Wisconsins 2016 primary (Morry Gash/Associated Press) For nearly 25 years, Charlie Sykes was one of the most powerful and influential voices in Wisconsin. He cheer-led policies that turned this historically progressive state into a model of conservative governance. He made and destroyed political careers, using his perch on Milwaukee talk radio to help vault figures such as House Speaker Paul Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker to national prominence. But for the moment Sykes was speechless. He sank into the brown leather banquette of a suburban steakhouse. He stammered. He sighed. When youve devoted your whole life to certain beliefs and you think now they have been undermined and that you might have been deluded about things, he began. So. So. Um... In 2016 Sykes emerged as one of Donald Trumps most prominent critics, a stance that outraged listeners, strained longstanding friendships and left him questioning much of what he once held true. Read More Facebook

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Pentagon compiling a list of Iraqis who aided the U.S. military and wants them shielded from Trumps travel ban By W.J. Hennigan The Pentagon is compiling a list of Iraqi citizens who have worked with the U.S. military and is recommending that they be exempt from President Trumps temporary ban on entry to the U.S. by people from Iraq and six other predominantly Muslim countries, according to the U.S. military. The move could potentially shield tens of thousands of Iraqi interpreters, advisors, and others who have assisted the American military from the presidents controversial executive action that blocked visitors from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen. Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters Monday that the list will include names of individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to helping the United States. Even people that are doing seemingly benign things in support of us  whether as a linguist, a driver, anything else  they often do that at great personal risk, he said. So people who take these risks are really making a tangible signal of support to the United States, and thats something that will, and should be, recognized. The list would not require any changes to the presidents order, but rather serve as guidance to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House in implementing the new policy. White House spokesman Sean Spicer later pushed back against blanket exemptions. We recognize that people have served this country, we should make sure that in those cases theyre helped out, he said. But that doesnt mean that we just give them a pass. Trump, who signed the order at the Pentagon on Friday, did not consult Defense Secretary James N. Mattis or Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the temporary suspensions of entry to visitors from the seven nations, according to U.S. officials. The executive action put the U.S. military in a difficult position because it works closely with the Iraqi government on a range of issues, including the fight against Islamic State, which necessitates travel between the two countries. For instance, Iraqi military pilots train to fly F-16 fighter jets at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Its not clear those pilots, who are active in the fight against Islamic State, could arrive in the U.S. for the training. 1:10 p.m.: This post was updated with White House response. Facebook

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Trump signs order on rulemaking: For every regulation added, agencies have to cut 2 others By Noah Bierman (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump signed an executive order Monday designed to fulfill his campaign pledge reduce red tape for businesses. The two-page order requires that when a federal agency proposes new regulations, it shall identify at least two existing regulations to be repealed. We want to make the life easier for small businesses and big business, Trump said Monday from the Roosevelt Room of the White House, where he met with nine representatives of the small-business sector. Trump said he hoped to see up to 75% of federal regulations eliminated during his presidency. Regulation has been horrible for big business, but its been worse for small business, Trump said. He also reiterated his promise to gut the Dodd-Frank Act, the financial regulatory overhaul that was passed after the financial crisis. Dodd-Frank is a disaster, he said. Were going to be doing a big number on Dodd-Frank. Consumer advocates who backed the law say that eliminating it would help Wall Street and other players in the financial sector at the expense of consumers. Facebook

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U.S. diplomats to protest Trumps travel ban order By Tracy Wilkinson Protesters of President Trumps immigration order block traffic at LAX. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) A number of U.S. diplomats are condemning President Trumps ban on some Muslim immigrants and visitors, saying the abrupt order does not make the U.S. safer and will only stoke anti-American fervor overseas. The complaint, being made through the State Departments so-called dissent channel, echoes criticism coming from human rights attorneys, legal experts and lawmakers from both political parties, as well as world leaders. It is significant because it represents the viewpoint of the men and women who must carry out Trumps unconventional and often provocative foreign policy. A policy which closes our doors to over 200-million legitimate travelers in the hopes of preventing a small number of travelers who intend to harm Americans ... will not achieve its aim of making our country safer, said a draft version of the memo that was circulating Monday and was reviewed by the Los Angeles Times. It was first reported by ABC News. Moreover, such a policy runs counter to core American values of non-discrimination, fair play and extending a warm welcome to foreign visitors and immigrants. The White House was quickly dismissive of the dissent and seemed to suggest the diplomats should quit if they disagree with a policy. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said the diplomats raising of opposition does call into question whether or not they should continue to work in the State Department. It was not clear how many officials would sign the memo. Dissent channel memos are in theory not made public. The mechanism is designed to allow diplomats to offer an alternative policy without fear of retaliation. Acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner confirmed the existence of the memo but declined to comment on its contents. The dissent channel is a longstanding official vehicle for State Department employees to convey alternative views and perspectives on policy issues, he said. "... It allows State employees to express divergent policy views candidly and privately to senior leadership. The agency is still waiting for a boss. Trumps pick for secretary of State, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate this week. The last time a dissent-channel memo was reported publicly was last year, when about 50 diplomats protested Obama administration policy in Syria, which they described as inaction. 12:20 p.m.: This story was updated with White House comment. 8:40 a.m.: This story was updated with comment from a State Department spokesman. Facebook

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Trump to announce his Supreme Court choice Tuesday -- in prime time By Michael A. Memoli (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump will announce his first Supreme Court nomination in prime time on Tuesday, he tweeted this morning. I have made my decision on who I will nominate for The United States Supreme Court. It will be announced live on Tuesday at 8:00 P.M. (W.H.)  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017 The announcement was moved up two days amid the continued fallout from the executive action Trump signed temporarily banning refugee admissions from some countries. Trump had tweeted last week that he would announce his high-court decision Thursday. In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network on Friday, Trump said his administration was doing some final vetting of his choice to replace the late Antonin Scalia, and that the pick would be from among the list of 20 names he issued during the election campaign. I think the person I pick will be big, big, he said. I think people are going to love it. I think evangelicals, Christians will love my pick. And will be represented very fairly. Times Supreme Court reporter David Savage profiled each of the leading contenders: Judge Thomas Hardiman of the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Judge William H. Pryor Jr. from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The move could prompt a major clash with Senate Democrats, who have warned the president against a choice outside what they consider the mainstream. Some are threatening to block any choice in retaliation for Senate Republicans refusal to even hold hearings on President Obamas choice to replace Scalia, Merrick Garland. Democrats 2013 change to Senate rules that allowed most nominations to advance with a simple majority vote exempted Supreme Court nominations, meaning that Democrats could potentially filibuster the choice. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appeared to rule out any further rule change in an interview last week, though Trump urged him to consider doing so. Facebook

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As Hollywood gathered at the SAG Awards, some entertainers joined LAX protest Facebook

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This New York doctor went to visit family in Sudan, and now hes stuck By Molly Hennessy-Fiske Dr. Kamal Fadlalla (Dr. Kamal Fadlalla / For The Times) Dr. Kamal Fadlalla, a hospital resident who has been working in New York for the last 20 months, was stuck in Sudan on Sunday, having gone there to see his family earlier this month. He had left Jan. 13, was due to return Feb. 4 but tried to return on Friday after hearing about President Trumps executive order on immigration, which suspended entry for people from seven countries, including Sudan. He made it past passport control, all the way to the gate at the airport in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. One hour before departure they called my name, he said, and summoned him to the ticket counter, along with other New York-bound Sudanese passengers. When I got to the counter, they said there was a notice from Customs and Border Protection that ... they had to offload us from the flight. I was shocked. Fadlalla, 33, hoped for a reprieve as other passengers gathered, all stuck. One family, they came back from Dubai, she was a mother of three or four kids. She was waiting overnight at the Dubai airport. There were also two passengers turned back from New York, he said. It was a very tough night on me, He stayed for several hours, then returned to his mothers home in Madani, two hours south. Fadlalla is a second-year resident in internal medicine at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn. He is hoping to specialize in hematology and oncology. The Committee for Interns and Residents found an attorney to represent him, he said, but he had not received any news about how a New York federal judges ruling late Saturday, which halted the deportations of people who had arrived in the U.S. with valid visas, could affect him. I dont know what Im going to do. My vacation is going to end and I have to join the hospital next week. Its going to be tough on me, Fadlalla said. I dont know for how long Im going to stay here. I dont know what Im going to do. My visa is valid for three months. Im really stuck. I have my house there, my utilities, my work, my patients, my colleagues. It was my life for the past 20 months. And Im stuck here. Fadlalla is from northern Sudan, and describes himself as a moderate Muslim. He said the executive order wont make the U.S. safer by barring valid visa holders like him because, Ive been through the whole process of visa interviews. He had planned to take board exams next year, and if he misses them, his schooling will be delayed. He had wanted to stay and work in New York, too. All my life is there. Now Im stuck here. I dont know what to do, he said. Its going to really affect my life, my patients, my colleagues and their work schedule. He said the executive order has shocked others in Sudan, too. Theyre talking about human rights. Everybody knows the United States is about freedom, he said. Everybody knows America is a free country, a country of chances for everybody. Still, people have hope in those protesting at airports all over the United States and attorneys who have volunteered to help immigrants and refugees, he said. He said the order is especially worrying for aspiring Sudanese medical residents who have been preparing to match with a hospital in March to study in the United States. A lot of my colleagues who are preparing for exams are really, really worried about this, Fadlalla said. Im really worried about the future of these young people. They study a lot and spend a lot of money, a lot of effort to enter the United States. Im concerned about my future and my colleagues future. Facebook

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Californias congressional Republicans hold their fire on Trumps refugee order By Sarah D. Wire Only a few of the states 14 Republican representatives have publicly commented on an executive order signed by President Trump on Friday that barred refugees and green card holders from seven countries from entering the country. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) released a statement Sunday night saying that some tweaks are needed, but that his background as chairman of the House Select Intelligence Committee leads him to support the executive order. In light of attempts by jihadist groups to infiltrate fighters into refugee flows to the West, along with Europes tragic experience coping with this problem, the Trump administrations executive order on refugees is a common-sense security measure to prevent terror attacks on the homeland, Nunes said. While accommodations should be made for green card holders and those whove assisted the U.S. armed forces, this is a useful temporary measure on seven nations of concern until we can verify who is entering the United States. Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) told the Washington Post that the executive order is the right call to keep America safe, but he hopes the cases of people traveling on visas who were prevented from reentering the country are resolved quickly. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) said Sunday on Twitter that the rollout has created confusion, and that executive orders arent the way to fix the countrys long-term problems. View Twitter post View Twitter post Several of Californias 38 Democratic congressional representatives and the states two senators were out in force over the weekend demanding the release of refugees and green card holders as well as an end to the executive order. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced she would file two pieces of legislation in response. One would immediately rescind the presidents order. The second would limit executive authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to prevent a president from unilaterally banning groups of immigrants. Its clear that the president gave little consideration to the chaos and heartbreak that would result from this order, she said in a statement. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) joined protesters outside the White House on Sunday afternoon. We will fight against racism. We will fight against anti-Muslim rhetoric. We will fight against those who will marginalize who we are. pic.twitter.com/R54f3MDhvo  Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 29, 2017 In Los Angeles, Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) joined protesters at Los Angeles International Airport. On Saturday, Reps. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro) and Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) joined the initial protests at the airport, and worked to get some of those being held released. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) accompanied protesters at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday. Congresswoman @MaxineWaters is here at LAX protest leading the crowd in the chant "no ban, no wall, you build it up we'll tear it down" pic.twitter.com/iNEmkVVkmW  Javier Panzar  (@jpanzar) January 29, 2017 Facebook

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Legal moves come too late for Iranian man who arrived at LAX after Trumps order By Matt Hamilton Ali Vayeghan arrived at 7:15 p.m. Friday from Tehran. He was going to stay with relatives, then go to Indiana, to join his wife, who arrived in the U.S. four months ahead of him, and his son. But he never emerged from customs. His niece said he was put on a plane to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at 3:15 p.m. Saturday. The ACLU was trying to prevent his deportation but arrived with paperwork 45 minutes too late. The family spoke to him by phone after he landed in Dubai, where he was waiting to be put on a flight to Tehran. Hes literally crying in the airport in Dubai, Ali Vayeghans niece, Marjan Vayghan, said. On Sunday afternoon, a federal judge in Los Angeles ordered authorities to transport Vayeghan back to the U.S. and admit him under the terms of his visa, which is set to expire Feb. 14. U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee said in her order that Vayeghan had demonstrated a strong likelihood of success in establishing that removal violates the Establishment Clause, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and his rights to Equal Protection guaranteed by the United States Constitution. But by the time the order came down, Vayeghan was on a plane bound for Tehran. Federal judge in LA has issued order allowing Iranian man deported from LAX yesterday to be admitted to US pic.twitter.com/yPth0xEQpv  Matt Hamilton (@MattHjourno) January 29, 2017 Facebook

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The political climate is a hot topic at the Screen Actors Guild awards The Actor statue watches over the red carpet at the Shrine Auditorium. (Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) Stars on the red carpet and at the winners podium tonight in Los Angeles are not keeping their mouths shut on current affairs. The 23rd Screen Actors Guild awards are being held at the Shrine Auditorium. Heres what they have had to say so far: I want you all to know that I am the daughter of an immigrant. My father fled religious persecution in Nazi-occupied France, and Im an American patriot, and I love this country, and because I love this country, I am horrified by its blemishes and this immigrant ban is a blemish and it is un-American.  Julia Louis-Dreyfus, accepting her award for her role in Veep We need to vote. Had we all voted, we wouldnt be here. You dont like it, you dont have nothing to say if you didnt vote. Get a clipboard, get organized and get in it. Dont sit back on the sidelines. Get in it. This is a fight for the country right now. Its worth fighting for.  Courtney B. Vance, nominated for his performance in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story For the first time ever in my lifetime, Ive been concerned about where its going to go. It doesnt seem to be that its going to go in a very positive direction.  Claire Foy, nominated for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the Netflix series The Crown Read More Facebook

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Green card holders will not be blocked by Trumps order, Homeland Security says By David Lauter (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) The Trump administration backed away from one of the most controversial parts of its new executive order on immigration Sunday evening, saying that permanent U.S. residents in most cases will not be affected by the new rules. Since the president issued the order Friday, confusion has been rampant over the effects on permanent residents, noncitizens who hold so-called green cards that allow them to live and work legally in the U.S. Many were stopped and detained at airports for many hours on Friday and Saturday and, in some cases, reported that they had been threatened with being returned to their home countries. An undetermined number of other green card holders were stopped from boarding U.S.-bound planes. Late Sunday, however, the secretary of Homeland Security, retired Gen. John Kelly, issued a statement changing the policy. Statement By Secretary John Kelly On The Entry Of Lawful Permanent Residents Into The United States  https://t.co/Es1qivoR3J pic.twitter.com/hffMK2MOQC  Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 29, 2017 I hereby deem the entry of lawful permanent residents to be in the national interest, Kelly wrote. Green card holders from one of the seven countries covered by the 90-day ban will still need to request a waiver to gain reentry to the U.S. if they have traveled abroad. But unless officials have significant derogatory information about a green card holder that indicates a serious threat to public safety and welfare, lawful permanent resident status will be a dispositive factor in deciding the case, Kellys statement said. A White House official, briefing reporters about the change in policy, said that about 170 people have applied for a waiver to the ban so far, and all 170 have received a waiver and have been allowed to enter the U.S. The seven countries affected by the ban are Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Facebook

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Uber fights immigration order -- and #DeleteUber hashtag -- with $3-million legal fund for drivers By Tracey Lien Hours after Lyfts co-founders announced a $1-million donation to the American Civil Liberties Union to defend the

Constitution, Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick pulled out his pocket book as well. Kalanick promised in a Facebook post that the company would create a $3-million legal defense fund to help drivers affected by the Trump administrations move to restrict immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries. The fund will help drivers with immigration and translation services. Kalanick also said the San Francisco ride-hailing company will provide 24/7 legal support to drivers stuck outside the country and compensate them for lost earnings. Drivers eligible for assistance were directed to contact the company via an online form. Although the announcement was greeted with some support on Facebook and Twitter, many saw it as too little too late. The company had come under fire a day earlier for advertising on Twitter that it was operating at New Yorks Kennedy International Airport during a taxi strike protesting the executive order. That gaffe, coupled with Kalanicks involvement in a panel advising President Trump on economic issues, helped spawn the Twitter hashtag #DeleteUber, which encouraged customers to delete the app from their phones in protest. You are 20 hours too late, one person wrote in response to Kalanicks Facebook post. Still deleted my account today, wrote another. Though Kalanick issued a statement on Saturday opposing the executive order, it didnt stop thousands of Twitter users from adopting the trending the #DeleteUber hashtag to decry Ubers actions. They accused the company of attempting to profit from the strike and prioritizing business interests over a moral imperative. Celebrities also jumped on the bandwagon, with actor and activist George Takei on Sunday tweeting to his 2.9 million followers: Lyft donates $1mil to ACLU while Uber doubles down on its support for Trump. #DeleteUber. Facebook

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75-year-old grandmother from Iran tells the story of her detention at LAX By Alene Tchekmedyian Siavosh Naji-Talakar of Phoenix hugs his grandmother Marzieh Moosavizadeh after she was released from detention at LAX early Sunday morning. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Marzieh Moosavizadeh and her grandson follow a routine when she visits almost every year from Iran. The 75-year-old, who travels in a wheelchair and speaks little English, struggles to find direct flights to Phoenix, where he and his family live. So they meet in Los Angeles and he escorts her on the last leg of her trip. This time was different. Moosavizadeh landed at Los Angeles International Airport a day after President Trump signed an executive order banning citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iran, from entering the United States. Read More Facebook

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GOP senators call executive order a self-inflicted wound. Trump calls them wrong and weak By Matt Ballinger McCain and Graham in 2013. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona released a statement Sunday saying that confusion at U.S. airports shows that President Trumps executive order on immigration was not properly vetted. Such a hasty process risks harmful results, the Republicans statement read. We should not stop green-card holders from returning to the country they call home. We should not stop those who have served as interpreters for our military and diplomats from seeking refuge in the country they risked their lives to help. And we should not turn our backs on those refugees who have been shown through extensive vetting to pose no demonstrable threat to our nation. It went on: Ultimately, we fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism. The president responded on Twitter: The joint statement of former presidential candidates John McCain & Lindsey Graham is wrong - they are sadly weak on immigration. The two...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2017 ...Senators should focus their energies on ISIS, illegal immigration and border security instead of always looking to start World War III.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2017 Facebook

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At least 600 people wait to greet Syrians arriving in Phoenix By Nigel Duara Elijah Chavez and Brandi Hernandez protest in Phoenix (Nigel Duara/Los Angeles Times) A Phoenix-bound British Airways flight was scheduled to arrive from London at Sunday evening carrying several Syrians. A protest of about 600 people was waiting at a Phoenix international airport terminal for the flight to arrive. The outcome when these people arrive is uncertain at best, said Tanveer Shah, an Arizona attorney in private practice who volunteers with the ACLU. Shah said Syrians on board the flight would, in the best case, walk off the plane without a problem. But given the outcomes in other cities on Saturday and Sunday, Shah said it was incumbent on civil liberties attorneys to be there when the plane arrives. We have staff attorneys here ... who are prepared to file emergency pleadings, Shah said. Facebook

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When Muslims got blocked at American airports, U.S. veterans rushed to help By Matt Pearce (G. Morty Ortega / Getty Images) Jeffrey Buchalter was reflooring his foyer in Chesapeake Beach, Md., and listening to MSNBC over the weekend when he heard the news: An Iraqi who had worked with American forces as an interpreter had been stopped from entering the U.S. under a new executive order on immigration from President Trump. The story stopped him cold. Buchalter, an Army veteran who works as a law-enforcement instructor at the Department of Homeland Security, had served multiple tours of duty as a military policeman in Iraq, service that cost him dearly. He was decorated for injuries sustained from gunfire and improvised explosive devices. Exams revealed hed suffered herniated discs, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, and he spent 2  years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center trying to get right. But he was still alive, and now the married father of two children. And he believes thats thanks in part to the work of Iraqi interpreters who acted as guides during his work in their country. So he told his younger daughter and son they were going to take a trip: a two-hour drive to Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., where, for the first time in his life, Buchalter would join a protest. Read More Facebook

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Demonstrators against Trumps immigration limits  and a few who like them  surge through LAX By Javier Panzar The crowd at LAX is getting bigger and bigger. pic.twitter.com/dJ281TETXj  Javier Panzar  (@jpanzar) January 29, 2017 Thousands of people filled the international terminal at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday afternoon to call for the release of an unknown number of people being detained by immigration authorities. Filling the arrivals section of the terminal and spilling into the street outside, the throng chanted, Let them in, and Love, not hate, makes America great. Jacob Kemper, a 35-year-old Army veteran who fought two tours in Iraq, said he was infuriated to think soldiers he fought alongside might be denied entry to the country. I really dont care about religion, but I really hate oppression, he said, holding a sign that read, I Fought Next To Muslims. Shay Soltani, a network engineer, fled the Iranian revolution 40 years ago and still has family members in Iran. She doesnt know if she will be able to see them again. As she and hundreds of others marched through the airport, she said she was horrified by Trumps order. I am so hurt by this, she said. He is against freedom of speech and the constitution and everything I believe in as an American. Meanwhile, about a dozen counter-protesters popped up on the other side of the street, holding signs that said X-treme vetting and Keep Refugees Out. They said they were tired of immigrants entering the U.S. illegally, which they said jeopardizes the safety of American citizens. Chanell Temple, 63, of Los Angeles said she was sick of watching immigrants here illegally steal benefits and services from American citizens, specifically veterans and homeless people who need aid. I worked out here for 40 years and they are coming here and taking everything away, said Temple, a former bookkeeper who said she lost her job and healthcare after she was fired for an inability to speak Spanish. Raul Rodriguez Jr., coordinator of a group called America First Latinos, said he was concerned about what he considers a surge in crimes committed against Americans by those who are in the country illegally. They are lawbreakers. They have violated federal law and they need to be deported, he said. Facebook

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Silicon Valley execs speak out against immigration ban By Tracey Lien Technology executives are speaking out against President Trumps executive order on immigration, highlighting how the ban hurts their businesses. Leaders of companies that include Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Dropbox and Twitter denounced it over the weekend. Apple would not exist without immigration, let alone thrive and innovate the way we do, said Apple chief executive Tim Cook in a memo to employees. In my conversations with officials here in Washington this week, Ive made it clear that Apple believes deeply in the importance of immigration  both to our company and to our nations future. General Electric Co. chief executive Jeff Immelt said Sunday that businesses with global operations must balance working with the new administration while also supporting their workers and partners. We have many employees from the named countries and we do business all over the region, Immelt said in a statement. These employees and customers are critical to our success and they are our friends and partners. We stand with them and will work with the U.S. administration to strive to find the balance between the need for security and the movement of law abiding people. Facebook

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LAX protest grows as families wait Meg Heatherly, 27, of Los Angeles holds a Shame sign during a protest at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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L.A. city attorney barred from seeing detainees at LAX By James Queally Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer said he was repeatedly denied access to federal detainees or an attorney who could discuss the situation with him at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Federal officials have declined to discuss the LAX detentions or respond to Feuers criticisms. While he was at the airport, Feuer said he was approached by a woman who claimed her father, suffering from Parkinsons disease, was among the detainees. It is those kind of real stories that are at stake because of this outrageous action by the feds. It is time not only for officials in my position, but all Americans, should find this a breathtaking violation of rights.  Mike Feuer Read More Facebook

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Democratic attorneys general from 15 states condemn Trump immigration order By Ann M. Simmons California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) More than a dozen Democratic attorneys general from states across the country have condemned the Trump administrations executive order suspending acceptance of refugees and have vowed to oppose it to ensure that as few people as possible suffer from the chaotic situation that it has created. In a communique Sunday, the group said: As the chief legal officers for over 130 million Americans and foreign residents of our states, we condemn President Trumps unconstitutional, un-American and unlawful Executive Order and will work together to ensure the federal government obeys the Constitution, respects our history as a nation of immigrants, and does not unlawfully target anyone because of their national origin or faith. The executive order places an indefinite ban on refugees from Syria and prohibits citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering as refugees for four months. It also places a suspension on admissions of other citizens of those countries. The legal officials represent 15 states. They include California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and his contemporaries in Washington, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. Religious liberty has been, and always will be, a bedrock principle of our country, and no president can change that truth, the attorneys general said in the statement. They praised the decision of multiple federal courts to order a stay on some aspects of the order. We are confident that the Executive Order will ultimately be struck down by the courts, the statement said. Facebook

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13 people who had been detained at LAX have been released, source says By James Queally Protesters at LAX on Sunday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Thirteen people who were detained Saturday night at Los Angeles International Airports Terminal 2 were eventually released, a law enforcement source told The Times. Each of them held green cards, which grant permanent residency in the U.S. The source, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation at the airport, could not provide detention figures for the Tom Bradley International Terminal, which has been the center of protest activity. Thats where protesters were gathering Sunday. Nurse Jamie Shoemaker, 51, of Los Angeles held an American flag in one hand and carried a sign that read, Muslims are welcome here, racists and fascists are not. She called Trumps order un-American. This is not the country I want, she said. This is not the country I grew up in. Read More Facebook

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Democrats in Congress drafting legislation to repeal Trumps refugee ban, pressuring GOP for support By Lisa Mascaro Sen. Chuck Schumer becomes emotional speaking against Pres. Trump's immigration order, calling it "mean-spirited and un-American." pic.twitter.com/NkhUdpaNyV  ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 29, 2017 Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Democrats will introduce legislation as soon as Monday to stop President Trumps actions temporarily banning refugees and arrivals from certain Muslim countries. House Democrats are taking similar legislative action, and lawmakers from both chambers will rally Monday evening at the Supreme Court to protest Trumps orders. This executive order was mean-spirited and un-American, said Schumer, the New York Democrat, choking up as he stood with immigrants and refugees at a press conference Sunday. It must be reversed immediately. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said House Democrats are exploring legal options, including an amicus brief in support of the ACLU lawsuit against the actions. The chances of passing a bill through the Republican-controlled Congress are slim, as most GOP leaders and lawmakers have not objected to Trumps ban. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday that while he was personally opposed to a religious test on admissions, it was best left to the courts to resolve the issue. Its hopefully going to be decided in the courts as to whether or not this has gone too far, McConnell said on ABCs This Week. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) expressed his support Friday for Trumps action. A handful of Republicans, though, are uneasy with Trumps orders, and have spoken against them. Schumer noted that just few more Republicans would be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold for advancing Senate legislation. Maybe we can pass something in Congress, Schumer said. Its up to Republicans. Facebook

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Emotional reunion at JFK airport after release of elderly Sudanese man from immigration detention By Barbara Demick Tears and hugs at JFK's international arrivals as a detainee is released, reuniting father with son. More families wait, cheering. pic.twitter.com/WrVpoocWjY  Jack Smith IV (@JackSmithIV) January 29, 2017 For those immigrants temporarily detained under a new Trump administration executive order at New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport, attorneys have put a priority on getting some of the older detainees released to their families. One small victory for the lawyers was the case of Yassin Abdelrhman, a 76-year-old green card holder from Sudan who had been detained after a trip home to visit family. He was released about noon on Sunday after being detained for 30 hours. Soon, he was reunited with his sons. He is a strong individual, but he has some health challenges, said U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who had been working on their case. Facebook

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Iranian director Asghar Farhadi will not attend Oscars Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi after winning an Oscar in 2012. ((Allen J. Schaben/ Los Angeles Times) ) In a statement to the New York Times today, Oscar-winning Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi said he no longer planned to attend this years ceremony. Farhadis film The Salesman is nominated in the foreign language film category. Farhadi had initially hoped to attend despite the prohibition on visitors from Iran. But he said he had decided the possibility of this presence is being accompanied by ifs and buts which are in no way acceptable to me even if exceptions were to be made for my trip. Read More Facebook

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How an Iranian Fulbright scholar got into the U.S.: We found a lawyer who found a lawyer who found a lawyer By Barbara Demick Iranian students in front of a makeshift law office in JFKs Terminal 4. (Barbara Demick / Los Angeles Times) Perhaps nothing encapsulates the chaos emanating from President Trumps executive order better than what happened with Ukrainian Airlines Flight 232. The regularly scheduled flight to Kiev had to turn around on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy Airport early Sunday after a federal judge issued a stay of a deportation order of dozens of foreigners, including a 32-year-old Iranian linguist who is a doctoral candidate and former Fulbright scholar. With just minutes to spare, Vahideh Rasekhi -- helped by volunteer lawyers and her smart phone  managed to prevent the flight from taking off. She had arrived Saturday afternoon, but was blocked from entering the United States by the executive order barring arrivals of citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia and Libya. Around midnight, she was put on the Ukrainian Air flight to return to Tehran, via Kiev. We found a lawyer who found a lawyer who found a lawyer, said Mehdi Namazi, 29, a friend who has been waiting for her at the airport. The lawyers were showing officials a copy of the order issued a few hours earlier by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Donnelly in Brooklyn. It was all very confusing. They were arguing as the plane was taxiing, Namazi said. According to one lawyer, Melissa Trent, Rasekhi herself was walking up and down the aisles arguing for the plane not to take off. She knew that if the plane left she would never get back to the United States again, Trent said. Rasekhi spent most of Sunday in detention with other Iranians, but was released into the United States at around 3 p.m.. A dozen Iranian friends had been waiting inside the airports Terminal 4 amid a clutter of discarded coffee cups and half-eaten donuts in front of a diner that had been turned into a makeshift law office. Another Iranian student was waiting for her parents, who were taken into detention after arriving on another flight I havent seen them in 3-1/2 years. They dont speak English. But Im hopeful, said the student, who gave her name as Sahar. The students were both furious at the way their country had been targeted by Trumps order and touched by the outpouring of support from the volunteer lawyers. We see two different Americas here. There is this order banning us, and than there are all these people here who came to the airport. If it werent for these volunteers, she would have been deported, said Namazi. Im very depressed. We feel betrayed by this country that we invested so much energy and hope into. We are all graduate students, professors, PhDs, engineers. To say this is for national security, it doesnt add up, said Tahmineh Tabrizian, 33, another friend of Rasekhis. She said her own parents had planned to come to the United States and had spent $14,000 on tickets and visas and would now have to cancel their trip. Rasekhi, who has lived in the United States for a decade, was a Fulbright scholar at UC Santa Barbara and received a masters degree at Fresno State University, according to a resume supplied by one of her friends. She had been studying for a PhD at Stony Brook University on Long Island. She had gone to Tehran over the Christmas break to visit her parents and was on her way back to resume her studies when she was detained. Facebook

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Protests begin again at LAX on Sunday morning By Genaro Molina Facebook

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Protesters in Tel Aviv compare Trump immigration order to Israeli refugee policies By Joshua Mitnick Demonstrators in Tel Aviv protest U.S. President Trumps new immigration order. (Joshua Mitnick / Los Angeles Times) Holding signs reading Refugees Welcome and chanting No Ban, No Wall, Sanctuary for All, several dozen demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv on Sunday to join protests in the U.S. against President Trumps new immigration policy. Mia Zur Szpiro, a 36-year-old filmmaker, said she felt compelled to demonstrate because her parents survived the Holocaust. We are a country of immigrants, and to me it was astounding that this [order] was passed on Holocaust Memorial Day, she said. Its wrong to stereotype, and its wrong to send people who are in need back into the face of danger and the risk of death. Elliot Vaisbrub Glassenberg, a protest organizer and migrant rights activist, compared the new U.S. policy to Israeli policies toward tens of thousands of Eritrean and Sudanese migrants who crossed into the country illegally from Egypts Sinai desert. The policies that Trump has enacted are no worse than the policies that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has enacted for years here  such as not allowing any non-Jews to be given refugee status in Israel, except for a select few. Togod Omar, a native of Sudan who was at the protest, said he applied for political asylum in Israel three years ago, and is still waiting. He said Sudanese friends hoping to be resettled in the U.S. were upset by the new executive order. Trump doesnt understand whats going on in Sudan, Omar said. You cant punish the Sudanese people for what the Islamic government is doing. You cant banish someone because of their religion. Facebook

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President Trump hits majority disapproval in record time, Gallup finds By David Lauter Days until achieving MAJORITY disapproval from @Gallup



Reagan: 727

Bush I: 1336

Clinton: 573

Bush II: 1205

Obama: 936



Trump: 8. days. pic.twitter.com/kv2fy0Qsbp  Will Jordan (@williamjordann) January 29, 2017 President Trumps actions during his first week in office have appeared to be aimed at the voters who already supported him, not at reaching out to the rest, and thats taken a rapid toll on his support, which was already historically low. Gallup, which has measured job approval for presidents for decades, shows Trumps approval so far at 45%, with 48% disapproving. Thats an average of several days polling. The daily trend lines are not kind to the new administration. As of Saturday, 51% of Americans disapproved of Trumps performance. Thats a record for the speed of getting to majority disapproval. By comparison, President George W. Bush hit majority disapproval six months into his second term, in June 2005, and remained in negative territory for the rest of his tenure. President Obama did not hit 51% disapproval until August of 2011, during the crisis over the federal debt ceiling that summer. His approval rebounded later that year, but he had a second period of majority disapproval during late 2013 and much of 2014. He ended his term with widespread approval and 37% of Americans disapproving. Trump Job Approval: Approve 45% (-1); Disapprove 48% (+3). Get the full trend https://t.co/BjTUhf0NAM.  GallupNews (@GallupNews) January 27, 2017 Facebook

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Hundreds of travelers were caught in limbo over rushed visa ban By Brian Bennett (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Hundreds of travelers were blocked from entering the U.S. or prevented from boarding flights in the hours after President Trump signed his order banning arrivals from seven predominantly Muslim countries, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In the order, Trump temporarily suspended refugee admissions and banned travelers from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Scores of people from those countries were aboard airplanes flying toward the U.S. when Trump signed his executive order on Friday afternoon, setting off waves of confusion among border officials and the traveling public. Upon landing at U.S. airports, 109 people from the listed countries were detained by immigration officials and prevented from entering the U.S., officials said. The department had approved 81 waivers to the new travel ban by Saturday afternoon, the official said, but at least some of the people detained on arrival were sent back to their countries of origin. Court orders issued Saturday evening required U.S. border officials to stop returning people who had already arrived with valid visas. It is unclear how many people were deported before the orders were issued. It is also unclear if the Trump administration has fully complied with those orders. In addition to the people who arrived in the U.S. and were detained, as of 3 p.m. on Saturday, an additional 173 travelers from the listed countries had been stopped from boarding flights to the U.S., a Homeland Security official said in a statement. The department did not make an official available to describe the actions and the agencys response. As many as 3,250 travelers may have been inconvenienced by the new visa restrictions, officials for the department said in a statement Sunday. Yesterday, less than 1% of the more than 325,000 international air travelers who arrive every day were inconvenienced while enhanced security measures were implemented, the statement read. The department will comply with court orders, the statement said. But no evidence was given to confirm this. Lawyers seeking to meet with detainees at Dulles International Airport outside of Washington and at San Francisco have said that they were blocked by officials on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security will comply with judicial orders, faithfully enforce our immigration laws, and implement President Trumps executive orders to ensure that those entering the United States do not pose a threat to our country or the American people, according to the departments statement. All of the visa holders and travelers from the listed countries blocked from entering the U.S. since Friday already had gone through multiple steps of security screening that checked their biographical information and travel history against U.S. terrorism databases. Facebook

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White House seems to back down on part of new vetting policy By Christi Parsons The White House on Sunday appeared to back down on a key part of President Trumps tough new immigration order, signaling that travelers trying to enter the country from seven banned countries will be allowed in if they hold green cards. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said that these legal permanent residents are exempt from the travel ban moving forward, even though over the weekend other administration officials said the rule did apply to them. The apparent reversal came amid a national controversy over the new Trump order that temporarily halts the entry of all refugees to the U.S. and any traveler from seven majority Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Federal judges across the country have blocked parts of the presidents executive actions since they came down on Friday, mostly preventing the deportation of some travelers who ran into the first wave of implementation over the weekend. The back-and-forth over the green-card holders reflected a generalized confusion about the new order, which also bars Syrian refugees from entering the United States indefinitely. Lawyers for some of the affected immigrants said border agents seemed uncertain about the new rules and were disagreeing with one another about which travelers were affected and which were not. Further complicating the picture was a statement from the Department of Homeland Security asserting that its agents would enforce all of Trumps orders while also complying with judicial orders. As some of the orders block deportation, that left individual officers to try to figure out which priorities to honor. Facebook

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Op-Ed: Trumps cruel, illegal refugee executive order By Erwin Chemerinsky Protesters demonstrate at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on Saturday. (Stephanie Keith / Getty Images) Barring individuals fleeing persecution from entering the United States is simply inhumane. Adding irony to injury, Trumps executive order was issued on Holocaust Remembrance Day, which should have been an occasion to atone for turning away refugees during the 1930ssome of whom then died in concentration camps. For example, in 1939, the United States turned away the St. Louis, a boat filled with refugees, many of them German Jews. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 254 passengers from the St. Louis died in the Holocaust.  Erwin Chemerinsky Read More Facebook

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Lyft pledges to donate $1 million to ACLU following Trumps immigration order By Tracey Lien (Richard Vogel / Associated Press) Tech executives had been mostly quiet for the first week of Donald Trumps presidency  but that changed after his controversial executive order restricting refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries. Executive after executive spent Saturday tweeting and posting messages to Facebook decrying the administrations actions. Lyft co-founders John Zimmer and Logan Green went a step further: On Sunday, they announced they would donate $1 million to the American Civil Liberties Union over the next four years. Banning people of a particular faith or creed, race or identity, sexuality or ethnicity, from entering the U.S. is antithetical to both Lyft and our nations core values, the co-founders wrote in an email to Lyft customers. We stand firmly against the actions, and will no
The U.S. Department of Justices report finding unconstitutional police practices in Chicago was scathing yet unsurprising, coming as it did amid months of tension following the fatal 2014 shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald by a white police officer and the much-delayed release of video depicting the incident. Importantly, though, the report was also something of a relief  it finally provided the city, its political leadership and its police an opportunity to focus on a diagnosis of the problem and recommended fixes.

That has been the chief value of the dozens of similar Justice Department civil rights investigations and reports into local police practices around the country: Anger simmers, recriminations fly but too often there is little progress or even movement until the feds step in. There is something tangible about alleged constitutional violations and the threat to take a city to court, and something useful about a detailed to-do list for getting a police departments house in order.

Cities and especially police are often resentful of outside critique, but crisis can so easily turn to desultory stasis that some wind up welcoming in the Justice Department. In Chicago, both a high crime rate and mistrust of police endangered Mayor Rahm Emanuels political career, and the mayor appears to have embraced the Justice Departments involvement as a blessing.

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The Justice Department has often been the only effective force for driving actual changes in [police departments] practices.

The departments role in protecting civil rights is long, storied and a bit spotted, but its hands-on role in police reform was born in Los Angeles in 1991 when four LAPD officers were videotaped beating Rodney King. Following their acquittal on criminal charges, Congress conducted a series of hearings on the federal governments role in preventing police misconduct. The sessions resulted in a 1994 law authorizing the attorney general to investigate cases involving a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that violates the Constitution or rights protected under federal statutes.

The Justice Department made its first such findings after an investigation of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police in 1997. Without admitting wrongdoing, Pittsburgh entered into a consent decree to reform policing practices in order to avoid litigation. Others followed, including Los Angeles in 2001, and more recently, Ferguson, Mo.; Baltimore; and Chicago. L.A.s consent decree brought about a vastly improved, more accountable LAPD.

A defendant police departments ability to enter into the consent decree without admitting fault is one of the key benefits of the process: It allows the parties to cut through the internal politics and battle lines.

It also underscores the Justice Departments power over local policing and makes some observers uncomfortable about federal overreach. In hearings this week, attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions reiterated his belief that the Justice Department could improperly sue good police officers and good departments merely because individual officers have committed misconduct.

In that view he may, oddly, have at least a little in common with many of the angriest critics of the police. Individuals, this line of thinking goes, do bad things and ought to be ferreted out and punished. The difference between Sessions, a strong police supporter, and many anti-police activists is that Sessions sees police misconduct as rare and critics see it as common.

Throughout history there have been individual officers who act criminally and ought to be punished, and that hasnt changed. But as the argument rages on about whether officers as a group are unfairly targeted or unduly protected, and whether some individual ought to be disciplined or prosecuted, the Justice Department has often been the only effective force for driving actual changes in practices.

In Baltimore, for example, the district attorney was praised by community activists for swiftly bringing criminal charges against officers involved in the 2016 death of Freddie Gray in police custody. Then three officers were acquitted, and prosecutors dropped charges against the others.

Following negotiations with the Justice Department, however, Baltimore formally agreed last week to reform its community oversight of police, upgrade and update training, improve its transportation of suspects, analyze problems in its mental health system, improve investigations of alleged employee misconduct  and to take further steps to overhaul police practices.

Local police departments are ostensibly independent from the federal government yet are in reality bound to them through funding and other support. Through the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, the Obama administration has played a valuable role in setting the standard for police performance. Its a role no one else can fill, and it would be a shame if the Trump administrations Justice Department slowed the progress.

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Betsy DeVos love of private school vouchers didnt disqualify her for the role of U.S. Education secretary, even though vouchers are a bad idea. Nor did her lack of experience in public schools.

What did render her unacceptable was her abysmal performance at her confirmation hearing Tuesday, during which she displayed an astonishing ignorance about basic education issues, an extraordinary lack of thoughtfulness about ongoing debates in the field and an unwillingness to respond to important questions.

She was so unprepared that she sounded like a schoolchild who hadnt done her homework. She frankly embarrassed herself and should be rejected by the Senate. Better yet, President-elect Donald Trump should withdraw her name and find someone who at least meets the basic qualifications for the post.

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The hearing probably will be remembered for the grizzly-bear moment, when DeVos suggested that a public school in Wyoming might need to have guns on campus to protect against trespassing grizzlies. But her important bloopers were on more substantive ground.

DeVos suggested that a public school in Wyoming might need to have guns on campus to protect against trespassing grizzlies.

DeVos said, reasonably enough, that all kinds of schools  traditional public, charter, private  could expect her support if they did a good job of educating students. But then she contradicted herself by refusing to say that she would hold charter and private schools just as accountable as conventional public schools. Doing a good job matters only for some schools, apparently.

And how would schools be measured  based on whether they meet a certain standard of proficiency, or how much they improve over time? DeVos floundered trying to address this issue raised by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), clearly unfamiliar with one of the central questions in school reform. As Franken said in a deserved rebuke, This is a subject that has been debated in the education community for years.

DeVos apparently didnt even realize that theres a federal law protecting the educational rights of students with disabilities, saying it should be up to states to make decisions about disabled students. Told that this was a matter of federal law, she stumbled yet again, saying, well, then, the law should be followed, and suggesting that she might have been confused earlier. In addition, she was wildly off in her figures on student debt.

Add to this her failure to answer questions about her home state of Michigans underperforming charter schools, whose growth she advocated; about existing laws to protect adults from predatory for-profit colleges; or whether she would honor the Obama administrations rules regarding sexual abuse on campus.

DeVos is entitled and expected to disagree with Obama administration policies; what disqualifies her is her lack of understanding of existing law and policy, and her inability to address them thoughtfully.

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Unsurprisingly, 2016 was the hottest year on record  the third straight year in which worldwide temperatures have reached record levels. Ironically, Scott Pruitt, the climate change skeptic whom Donald Trump has chosen to run the Environmental Protection Agency, just happened to be testifying before a Senate committee charged with vetting his nomination when the announcement was made. So the nation was reminded simultaneously of the threat the world faces  and that the incoming Trump administration seems poised to ignore it.

The facts are plain, and verifiable. The Arctic experienced an unfathomably warm fall  up to 35 degrees warmer than usual in places  which is expected to accelerate the shrinking of the Arctic ice cap. And the Antarctic ice shelves are melting faster than scientists anticipated as warming salt water eats away at them from below.

It may be quixotic to hope that President-elect Donald J. Trump or Oklahoma Atty. Gen. Pruitt will respect the science and change their tunes on global warming. It is unlikely the new administration will advance the Obama administrations policies to address rising temperatures rather than rolling back crucial regulations. But if Trump continues to question the significant role that human activity  particularly the burning of fossil fuels  has played in increasing global temperatures, American states (led by California) and cities and countries around the world can still press forward. Trump might deny the science, but the rest of the world cannot.

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Sir: How long have I waited for your advent, prayed for someone like you to come along? All these years, since my death in 1868, I have watched each election cycle, hoping that finally my savior would appear, a man  heaven forbid it should be a woman!  who would rescue me from my status as the worst president in the annals of the United States.

Limited as your knowledge of our past may be, surely you are aware that I have been blamed for the secession of the Southern states in 1861, just as my term was ending. Unfairly faulted for the Civil War that ensued, I am now relieved to know that the presidency will soon be in the hands of someone who will, I am certain, go down in history as a leader who most bitterly divided the nation and wreaked havoc with the foundations of our democracy.

I am excited, indeed, about your chances of outshining me. If you persist in your campaign to drill, extract and pollute, if you enable the climate deniers and help to overheat our spacious skies, you will have led us, not to the brink of a conflagration that killed a mere million, but to a more substantial achievement of worldwide significance: taking the whole of humanity to the brink of extinction. That is a record that will considerably exceed my own lapses and make me seem a paragon of wisdom to future citizens (at least, those who survive).

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As to the peoples daily lives, you are likely to far surpass the harm I have wrought there as well. Many families cursed my name as they received news of their maimed or dead kin, but many more will curse yours when their well-being deteriorates as you assault the countrys healthcare system.

I managed to avoid impeachment and so will you, given your proven ability to convince your supporters that facts do not matter.

Regarding corruption, I am also hopeful you will outstrip me. My offenses (accused of bribery, extortion and abuse of power by a congressional committee) will be deemed petty compared to those that loom for you, guaranteeing an administration rife, at all levels, with sleaze and conflicts of interest. But do not tarry over your manifest financial or ethical dilemmas. I managed to avoid impeachment and so will you, given your proven ability to convince your supporters that facts do not matter. Would that such talents had been bestowed upon me, and oh that television and social media had been invented in my day. I could have blamed Mexico for our Civil War.

Could you address two other matters? The first is abortion. It was during my presidency, in 1859, that the American Medical Assn. urged the criminalization of women who terminated their pregnancies, and you have the chance to revert our laws and customs to that pristine moment when the gentle sex recognized that their bodies belonged to their menfolk. And then Cuba. I tried in vain to buy that island from Spain and then favored invading it. You can complete my dream. Extend the reach of our empire into the Caribbean and beyond, intervene vigorously in the affairs of enemy and allied nations. Pay special attention to China, where I made the mistake of being only marginally involved in the Second Opium War. I am sure you will do better when you engage the Chinese in the First Asian Trade War.

I am not alone in urging you to stubbornly follow your instincts. Other deceased presidents also entertain high expectations for your reign. Richard Nixon wishes that your slurs and insults would make people forget his own foul language, and he eagerly anticipates manifold Trumpgates that will make Watergate seem small potatoes. Warren G. Harding is certain that your outrages will go far beyond the Teapot Dome scandal, which fraudulently favored the oil companies. And Herbert Hoover, reviled for ignoring the oncoming Great Depression, is confident you will be even more obtuse, and when you precipitate a worse economic catastrophe his actions will thus appear less disastrous. He expects you will also best him in union-busting and the massive deportation of immigrants.

Presidents who occupy the top tier of favorite leaders, including several Founding Fathers, have reproached me for appealing to what they call the worst angels of your nature. They are preparing a collective message counseling moderation and praying that you are not further deranged by the power of your high office.

Franklin Roosevelt believes that informing you that he regrets the internment of Americans of Japanese origin will discourage you from a roundup of Muslim Americans. Harry Truman, haunted by the ghosts of Hiroshima, would press you to abolish nuclear weapons instead of starting a devastating arms race. Dwight Eisenhower intends to reiterate his warning against the military-industrial complex  so naive, our Ike, unable to realize that representatives of those powers are about to be blatantly ensconced in your Cabinet. And Mr. Lincoln, whose party you have terribly transmogrified, trusts that if he were to whisper daily guidance in your ear, the Republic might, once more, be saved.

I have no doubt that you will not heed him or any other meddling altruist.

After all, I send these words of encouragement inspired by your own example. You have taught me that it is better to bolster ones image in the Presidential Celebrity Sweepstakes than to sacrifice oneself for the good of the country.

And so, farewell, until the moment you join the former presidents on the other side of death, when I will be delighted to steer you to the very bottom of the heap, where I have languished for a century and a half. What a pleasure finally to be able to look down upon someone who has done damage to the United States in ways unimaginable to me in my most desolate dreams.

With my sincere thanks for all your efforts to rescue me from the nethermost abyss and from the title worst of the worst, I am, sir, your humble servant,

James Buchanan

Ariel Dorfmans latest book is the memoir Feeding on Dreams. He and his wife divide their time between Chile and North Carolina, where he is emeritus professor of literature at Duke University.

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Donald Trump represents a grave threat to liberal democratic values. On Capitol Hill, Republicans are falling in line and some moderate Democrats have signaled a willingness to cut deals. But ordinary Americans have the power to resist. We know this is true because we have seen local, grassroots organizing take hold before.

Eight years ago, two of us worked as congressional staffers and the other in immigrant rights organizing. President Obama had taken office with large Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress and seemed poised to enact many of our shared priorities. Another force was taking shape, however, that would eventually bring federal policymaking to a halt.

The tea party protests began early in 2009, as small groups of conservative activists organized against government intervention in the housing and financial markets. By summer, they had grown into a formidable opposition movement, flooding congressional offices with angry letters, emails and calls. Enabled by a media that thrives on conflict, these minority voices soon dominated the national discourse.

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When members of Congress retreated to their districts for what should have been an uneventful summer of little league games and pancake breakfasts, tea party activists awaited them. Two of us worked for Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), who was mobbed in an Austin parking lot by protesters carrying Revolutionary War battle flags and signs denouncing socialized healthcare. Their simple chant, which would soon become familiar, was, just say no.

By keeping relentless, local pressure on progressive members of Congress, we can embolden them to stand firm.

The tea party organized for the 2010 midterms, targeting both Republicans and moderate Democrats. By the time the dust had settled, Democrats had lost their large majorities in Congress and, with their lost seats, any hope of realizing a bold progressive agenda.

Although their policy ideas were destructive, the tea party demonstrated that a small group of activists can take on a newly elected president with a majority in Congress  and win.

Now its our turn.

We learned two key lessons from the tea partys success.

First, they organized locally, focusing on members of Congress in their home states and districts, pushing them to use every available tool  legislation, letters, public statements, media interviews  to oppose Obamas every move.

Under Trump, similar efforts will be just as important in the blue districts of California as anywhere else. By keeping relentless, local pressure on progressive members of Congress, we can embolden them to stand firm. We can remind them that making nice with an administration built on racism, authoritarianism and corruption is not bipartisanship  its collusion.

The second lesson we learned from the tea party is that we need to play defense. The movements members understood that if they tried to choose among competing conservative priorities, their coalition would fracture. Rather than putting forward plans to stimulate the economy or to improve the healthcare system, they chose to just say no. The tea party kept its movement strong, broad and unified by concentrating relentlessly on opposition.

Loud, localized resistance is already proving effective against the new GOP regime.

On the first day of the new Congress, Republicans moved to hamstring the Office of Congressional Ethics. Within 24 hours, activists had taken the fight to the home district office of Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte (R-Va.), who had led the effort, demanding a meeting and posting video of their visit on social media.

They took the just say no approach, and it worked.

Republicans swift retreat affirmed that every constituents voice  across every state, in every district, red or blue  will be vital to expose and block what we expect will be an aggressive attempt to remake government in Trumps image.

To stand united in opposition is not about abandoning a positive vision for the future. Progressives should continue working to develop policy ideas. But for the next two years, at least, we cant set the agenda, we can only respond to it.

If the tea partys approach could stop President Obama, it can stop President Trump. Unlike his predecessor, Trump lost the popular vote, and has no mandate. He also has slimmer majorities in Congress than Democrats had eight years ago.

Americans against Trump are in the majority. If we want to resist his agenda, we have to do it together, and we have to start now. You can find like-minded people through a website we started, Indivisible, or start your own group. Meet in person. Tell your member of Congress to represent you, not Donald Trump. Together we can win.

Gonzalo Martinez de Vedia, Jeremy Haile and Sarah Dohl are contributors to Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda.

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Barack Obama built a new kind of Camelot for a new generation
Will Donald Trump be a transformative president? His predecessor did us the favor of defining the term.

I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not, presidential candidate Barack Obama said in 2008. Reagan put us on a fundamentally different path.

Unequivocal victories are rare in politics. Not all victories are created equal, however. Only some are fundamental. Significance and durability determine whether a president has or hasnt effected fundamental change. Minor policy tweaks dont qualify. Things that could be done easily, or which are uncontroversial, would have been addressed long ago.

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Changes quickly reversed dont qualify, either. Durability, the imperviousness of one presidents innovations to subsequent politicians desires to reverse them, depends on shifting the Overton window  the boundaries defining the roster of public policy options that are politically feasible, rather than considered so extreme as to be out of the question.

What big victory can President Trump seek that will change the nations trajectory ... ? Immigration has to be the top contender for that honor.

A president who makes the sort of fundamental changes Obama described in 2008 shifts the Overton window in two stages. First, he advocates, enacts and implements some policy previously considered unthinkable, a nonstarter. Second, he secures his legacy so that the once-unthinkable departure comes to be considered unalterable, something that cannot, realistically, be unwound.

Reagan, for instance, campaigned for across-the-board cuts in federal income tax rates in 1980, an idea so unorthodox that even George H. W. Bush, his Republican rival and subsequent vice president, called it voodoo economics. Reagan not only got the rate cut he sought in 1981, but a second, even deeper one in 1986. During the 28 years since Reagan left the White House, few have advocated and none have tried returning tax rates to where they were before 1981. As historian Sean Wilentz said in 2008, We are never, in our lifetimes, going to see a top marginal tax rate return to 70%, something that if you stood looking at the future in 1980, would have been amazing.

Supply-side tax cuts were a significant departure from Republicans long preoccupation with fiscal discipline, one rendered palatable by Reagans standing within the party and conservative movement. Trump, virtually a third-party candidate who took over the GOP, has no such reservoir of trust. Trumpism, furthermore, is yet to be defined  its far more attitudinal than programmatic or ideological.

What big victory can President Trump seek that will change the nations trajectory, and set America on a different path that will be hard to abandon? Given the importance he and his strongest supporters placed on the issue, immigration has to be the top contender for that honor. Enacting and implementing more restrictive immigration policies isnt a sufficient condition for a successful Trump presidency  he could fail other important tests  but its clearly a necessary one.

In the course of detailing and implementing his immigration policy we are likely to discover the limits of journalist Salena Zitos famous formulation about Trumps fans taking him seriously but not literally. Does he need to build The Wall, for example, or will they be satisfied if we significantly expand and reinforce physical barriers like fences at our southern border?

The question is one of immigration policy but, more generally, of whether our government is competent and trustworthy. The cynicism that made Trumps election possible is not mystifying when one recalls the Department of Homeland Securitys high-tech border fence, consisting of radar, cameras and satellite data. It was a great idea, but it didnt work, said the department official in charge, after millions had been spent to no effect. Little wonder that Trump campaign rallies featured his applause line, We are led by very, very stupid people.

Changing feckless immigration policy also entails supporting the Constitutions opening stipulation that all legislative powers shall be vested in Congress, which is based on the self-evident truth in the Declaration of Independence that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. When Congress passes laws that go unenforced, such as those prohibiting the employment of immigrants in the country illegally, the peoples ultimate sovereignty over their government is degraded. The fact that the Trump administration can implement what amounts to a dramatically different immigration policy without passing new laws, but just by enforcing existing ones, is a stark indictment of unaccountable modern government in general.

The durability of such policies after Trump leaves office will depend, ultimately, on his success in fortifying American nationalism. We dont have a country without a border, Trump insisted repeatedly during the campaign. Though founded on universal principles, the United States is a particular nation facing, like every nation, the imperative to defend its territory and sovereignty.

In this respect, as in so many others, Trump has been blessed in his political opponents. After his acceptance speech promising to stop illegal immigration and give highest priority to American citizens needs, a New York Times news analysis scolded, Under his presidency, the American dream would be primarily reserved for Americans. If that complaint sounds ludicrous to more voters after the conclusion of this presidency than it does at the start, Trump will have changed Americas trajectory in a lasting way.

William Voegeli is a senior editor of the Claremont Review of Books and author, most recently, of The Pity Party.

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In the two months since the election, there has been an energetic, oftentimes vitriolic, effort on the part of Hillary Clinton surrogates (and the large contingent of neoconservative Republicans who supported her) to blame her defeat at the hands of Donald J. Trump on Democrats like myself who could not in good conscience vote for her on Nov. 8.

Their argument goes something like this: America would have been spared the horrors of a Trump presidency if only the Bernie holdouts and other recalcitrants had been able to put aside their bitterness and come around to voting for Clinton.

Because Bernie Bros and other critics of Mrs. Clinton  along with, unknowingly or not, Russian cyber saboteurs  undermined her candidacy, were now stuck with a dangerous and irresponsible man steering the ship of state for the next four years.

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This thesis has become even more popular as news of Russias interference in the U.S. election has spread. Conveniently, this line of thinking generally absolves the Clinton campaign for tactical mistakes like ignoring key Midwestern battleground states in favor of campaigning in Republican states like Texas and Arizona. It also shrugs off polling data that suggests Trumps economic policies swung thousands of voters who had previously cast their ballot for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.

It further allows supporters of Clintons foreign policy to dismiss uncomfortable questions about whether Trumps rejection of our current interventionist foreign policy orthodoxy added to his appeal.

Instead of pointing the finger at Bernie Bros for Clintons defeat, mainstream Democrats might ask themselves if supporting arguably the most pro-war candidate in the partys history was what actually midwifed the Trump presidency. Was nominating Clinton, a supporter of the Iraq war and a politician who unreservedly played the race card against candidate Barack Obama in 2008 the right thing to do?

Was it a wise decision to nominate someone who pushed for an expansion of the war in Afghanistan, for a needless and reckless war in Libya, and for wider war in Syria?

Were the Clinton campaigns deep financial ties to billionaire Haim Saban, who only a month ago smeared Congressman Keith Ellision by calling him an anti-Semite, not worrying?

Were the Clinton Foundations lucrative links to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and the Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Pinchuk something to be shrugged off?

But questions such as these seem to be out of bounds these days.

Instead, progressives and anti-war Democrats have been the target of baseless accusations of unpatriotic disloyalty, some of which would be funny, if the stakes werent so high.

Self-proclaimed leaders of the Trump #Resistance on Twitter are growing increasingly fond of insinuating  and in some cases accusing  those of us who were not with Her of being with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

The irony of such accusations, coming as they are from Democrats, is rich. During his 8 years as president, Barack Obama repeatedly tried to work with the Russian president  in some cases successfully. Indeed, many of the Obamas signal foreign policy achievements, like the Iranian nuclear accord, the successful effort to dismantle Syrias chemical weapons stockpiles, and, of course, the New START nuclear agreement, only could have come about with the cooperation of the Russians.

To point that out may be heresy these days, but it is not wrong.

In their rush to cast opponents of Clintonism as pawns of the Kremlin, some high profile Democrats are abandoning the partys proud tradition of opposing such polarizing rhetoric. Playing into anti-Russian hysteria and scapegoating and marginalizing the voices calling for a more prudent and pragmatic foreign policy is no substitute for finding solutions to the very real national security challenges facing the United States today.

James Carden is a contributing writer for The Nation.

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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
Donald Trumps ascendance to the White House has raised hopes among U.S. businesses for the most significant rollback of regulations since the Reagan administration.

Cutting regulations is not only a key component in Trumps goal of doubling economic growth to 4%, but some economists regard it as potentially the most powerful agent for revving up the sluggish pace of business investment and overall productivity, the single biggest factor in improving the living standards of Americans.

Regulatory reform, its potential, is way above either cutting taxes or stimulus spending, said John Cochrane, senior fellow at Stanfords Hoover Institution, who blames misguided rules for countless businesses that never got started, products that never got launched and people who never got jobs.

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Consumer and public-interest groups are worried Americans may lose or see a defanging of key regulations protecting people against abusive employers, predatory lending, unsafe food and drugs and environmental pollution.

Will the Feds Janet Yellen take away the punch bowl after Trump takes office? 

In a white paper issued before the election, UC Irvine economist Peter Navarro and financier Wilbur Ross, who have since been named to serve in Trumps Cabinet, wrote that Trump would seek to reduce the regulatory cost to businesses by at least 10%, or about $200 billion annually. The paper singled out easing restrictions on the coal industry, but during the course of the campaign, Trump bashed a wide range of federal regulations, including those involving food safety, healthcare, banking and foreign-worker visas.

Undoing or revising regulations wont be easy, however. Some, like Obamacare, will require congressional action. Many others will likely find resistance from the very agencies that wrote the rules.

Whats more, unwinding federal regulations has to go through the same lengthy process of internal analysis, budget review, inter-agency impact study and public comment period that it took to get them on the books, said Susan Dudley, who headed the regulatory review process for President George W. Bush.

In some ways, getting rid of them is harder, she said.

Here are three major areas that are likely to be at the top of Trumps anti-regulation agenda:

Dodd-Frank

Passed with almost no Republican support after the 2008 financial crisis, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was the biggest overhaul of financial regulations since the Great Depression.

The 2,300-page legislation toughened capital requirements for banks and other financial firms, set up a powerful panel of regulators to watch for signs of instability and created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to oversee credit cards, mortgages, payday loans and other financial products.

Trump has called Dodd-Frank a very negative force in the economy. And his Treasury secretary designee, Steven Mnuchin, believes that Dodd-Frank is too complicated and an obstacle to lending, and has pledged to strip back parts of the law and make that priority No. 1 on regulatory reform.

One target will be the Volcker Rule, legislation drawn from five agencies that prohibits banks from trading for their own profit and limits their ownership of risky investments. Big banks would like to see the law weakened or killed, but that would require legislation.

Trump names UC Irvine professor and fierce China critic to new White House Trade Council 

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, may help. He has been an outspoken critic of Dodd-Frank and last year proposed a bill that would repeal the Volcker Rule, reduce the power of the consumer bureau and allow banks to avoid stricter oversight if they opt to increase the amount of capital they hold.

Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, is trying to rally opposition.

Weve gone to DEFCON-1, he said, using the acronym for the highest alert level for the armed forces.

We have always been very concerned about threats to these agencies, but were going to try to spread the message that just eight years ago our economy collapsed because of a failure of regulation. Millions of consumers lost homes, lost jobs, lost retirement savings.

Frank Sorrentino III, chairman of ConnectOne Bank, a community lender in Englewood, N.J., doesnt want to see Dodd-Frank thrown out. He believes rules are needed to test and provide for an orderly winding down of troubled banks whose collapse could endanger the broader financial system and economy.

Yet Sorrentino thinks the regulatory pendulum has swung too far in the other direction after being too lax, with bank examiners sometimes acting more like prosecutors than regulators. Some of the most stringent Dodd-Frank provisions dont apply to Sorrentino because his bank hasnt reached $10 billion in assets, a threshold that he considers arbitrary. Its enough, he said, that compliance risks have kept him from expanding into areas like auto loans and residential mortgages.

Anything to do with the consumer is very, very difficult to do today, he said.

Overtime pay

Unable to push a higher federal minimum wage through Congress, President Obama has sought where he could to lift workers pay, which has languished, particularly for those at the bottom. One of his signature presidential actions on labor was to sharply increase the salary threshold for overtime so that more workers would qualify for time-and-a-half pay.

The move would have extended overtime pay to more than 4 million workers, according to Labor Department estimates, but a federal judge in Texas blocked the change days before it was to take effect Dec. 1. The Obama administration has appealed the judges decision, but even if the challenge is successful, experts dont see the new rule surviving under Trump.

Not that it already hasnt already prodded some employers to take action.. After Obamas new overtime rule was issued in May, the Los Angeles advertising firm Sensis bumped up the pay of a handful of its workers above the revised salary threshold of $47,476 so that the company could maintain greater flexibility with their work hours. The previous threshold was $23,600, which meant that anybody making more than that wouldnt necessarily have to be paid overtime rates for putting in more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week.

But while some workers who earned salaries close to the new threshold got raises, Jose Villa, president of Sensis, said he had to convert other salaried workers, about 10% of his total staff of 80, to an hourly work schedule.

They did not take it well, said Villa, who has offices also in Atlanta, Austin and Washington, D.C. For some, it was sort of viewed as almost a demotion.  Now you had to clock in and clock out. It took away a lot of autonomy from a young professional staff.

Villa doesnt expect the new overtime rule to last, but he has held off reverting those workers back to salary, uncertain how things will conclude. Proponents for raising overtime pay are talking about taking the fight to individual states, just as many groups have in securing higher minimum wages at the state or local level.

In the past few years, Villa said his costs for keeping up and complying with new regulations have had a snowballing effect on his bottom line. He estimates that HR and other regulatory costs now amount to as much as 4% of his overall revenue. And he says he needs 1 1/2 to two full-time employees today to handle compliance matters. Five years ago, he says, one half-time worker was enough.

Environment

For all of his campaign rhetoric, Trump isnt expected to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency or fold it into the Energy Department, as some have suggested. Nor can Trump unilaterally cancel or renegotiate the Paris Agreement, the international pact to reduce greenhouse gases in which the U.S. promised to cut emissions up to 28% by 2025.

Trump could pull the U.S. out, but that wont come without political costs and would nonetheless take years to withdraw under the agreement. And it isnt clear that Trump is dead set against it.

On key issues such as global warming, Trump has waffled, first claiming that it was a Chinese hoax and only later acknowledging there seems to be some validity to it. But Trumps pick for the EPA, Oklahoma Atty. Gen. Scott Pruitt, is an ardent critic of climate change with a history of battling environmental rules.

First off, the Trump administration will likely ease rules and standards to enhance coal-powered energy and help coal-mining workers who rallied behind him during the campaign. A prime target is the EPAs Clean Power Plan, which Trump officials have argued forces increased investments for renewable energy at the expense of coal and natural gas and thus resulting in higher electricity rates, a statement that environmental protection groups dispute.

Trump could move to repeal Clean Power, but that would require the same extended process of promulgating a regulation to begin with, said David Goldston, director of government affairs for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Trump could change sides in court battles and stop defending the rules, but, Goldston noted, that wont make the litigation go away.

What Trump could do more quickly is undo Obamas order halting coal-mining permits and leasing rights on federal land.

The National Federation of Independent Business, a small-business lobbying group, is also betting that the Trump White House will seek to repeal the so-called Waters of the U.S. rule, which is intended to make clear which waterways would be covered by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the Clean Water Act.

Farmers, homeowners and oil companies have lined up to challenge the rule, arguing it amounts to a bureaucratic overreach that will force them to obtain more permits and hurt their ability to do business. Obama officials, environmental groups and supporters say the rule would help protect wetlands and streams, prevent flooding and ensure the safety of drinking water.

Past efforts by the Republican-controlled Congress in the 1990s and later in the George W. Bush administration suggest that attempts to weaken environmental rules like water safety may not go very far once they are in the public limelight.

Theres a long history of going after water protections and finding thats not the way to get off on the best foot, Goldston said. I think its because its not hard to grasp fundamentals why clean water is important, why you want to protect drinking water sources. Obviously this rule has been controversial, he added of the Waters of the U.S., but I do think that once the specific regulations are under attack in a high-profile way, especially when its part of a larger effort to weaken public protections, the public is not supportive and is at times even enraged.

don.lee@latimes.com

Follow me at @dleelatimes

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Millions of Californians will click on their TVs Friday and groan. Theyll wince as the unthinkable becomes a reality. Can you say President Trump? Its painful.

Yes, hes a terrible choice for all the reasons that need no listing here. Hes not Californias choice, but he is most states.

And, yes, although it sticks in Donald Trumps craw  to borrow an idiom commonly used by my late working-class parents  he won despite having received roughly 2.9 million fewer votes nationally than Hillary Clinton.

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He won because of a convoluted, undemocratic electoral college system created by the Constitutions framers to appease some lightly populated slave states.

OK, enough of the negative. Theres something genuinely positive here that illustrates Americas greatness with or without Trump. And its worth celebrating.

Its simply that American democracy performed, although awkwardly, as the founders basically envisioned: Common folk could stand up against the establishment elite and boot them out the door. Of course, the founders reserved that right basically only for white men  no women, slaves or Native Americans  so weve come a long way.

Rebelling against the ruling class  peasants with pitchforks overrunning the castle  is part of the American DNA.

And these days, rebels benefit from technology. They can easily communicate with each other through social media while being rallied by Trumps tweets.

In this case, Trumps peasants were largely the white working stiffs without college degrees, the very voters who used to be the heart of the Democratic Party. FDRs party. Harry Trumans. Even, to a lesser degree, Bill Clintons.

But they started drifting to the GOP in the 1960s and 70s during the civil rights movement and Vietnam War protests. They became Reagan Democrats in 1980.

For a long time, Democratic politicians have taken these folks for granted. Theyve been ignored and even disrespected.

That has brought us to a pretty sorry place  not only the election of Trump, but the fact weve had a sharp veer to the right for many decades, says Joan Williams, a UC Hastings law professor and longtime feminist activist who has written extensively about the working class.

So in 2016, this middle-class core  particularly workers in the swing Rust Belt states  installed a billionaire businessman in the Oval Office. They rallied behind him, ill manners and all, because he could speak to them and did. And they demanded change. No more Clintons or Bushes.

I am your voice, Trump told them.

Were voting with our middle finger, a Trump follower said in Greenville, S.C., pointing to the establishment.

And Hillary Clinton?

You could put half of Trumps supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables, she said. That was in September, and the Democratic nominee immediately knew she had stepped in it, as shed stepped in so many things over the years.

Lets be honest: Clinton was a horrible, flawed candidate. The Democratic elite deserved what it got in November by forcing this uninspiring retread on voters and ignoring other intriguing possibilities: potential nominees such as U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, or popular Vice President Joe Biden.

Its not surprising that Trumps popularity has slipped even further as Clinton begins fading from peoples minds and the president-elect no longer benefits from the two being compared side by side.

California, of course, is the great exception. Here, Clinton won by almost 2 to 1  61.7% to 31.6%. She received roughly 4.3 million more votes than Trump.

Trump drew a smaller percentage of the California vote than any Republican presidential candidate in 160 years. Two Democrats in the early 20th century fared worse: James Cox and Alton Parker.

Updates from Sacramento 

Most Republican legislative candidates attracted more votes than Trump in their districts, according to the California Target Book, which chronicles races. Assemblywoman Catherine Baker of San Ramon ran 28 percentage points better than the partys standard-bearer.

But in battleground states, white working-class voters rejected the Democrat.

It was incredibly stupid to ignore them, Williams told me.

Im a lifelong Democrat and a San Francisco progressive. I really hope people will use this as an opportunity to listen to the white working class.

Progressives have been seriously out of touch.

Trump talked plainly about real issues that concern the middle class, Williams says: Im not a big fan of Mr. Trump, but hats off to him because hes talking about good jobs for people who are not college grads.

She adds: Theyve been very, very angry for a very long time and people have dismissed their anger. And when that happens, that causes them to get angrier.

The fact is, progressives and elites shouldnt be blaming the white poor for their economic disadvantage, but we do just that. Why dont they get their act together and go to college? People would never say that about inner-city minorities.

Progressives are extremely attentive to the structural disadvantage of poor women and people of color, but supremely uninterested in the structural disadvantage of the white working class. This has not been a central concern of either political party until Trump.

Nobody has been listening to what they need, which are jobs that lead them to a three-bedroom, cinder block house. And they just have totally had it. Its time to listen.

Its time for Democratic leaders to listen closely to the likes of Williams. And maybe pick up some clues from Trumps inaugural address. Assuming he behaves.

george.skelton@latimes.com

Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter

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From extreme wildfires in the Western United States to melting ice sheets in Antarctica, the effects of rising temperatures on Earth have not gone unnoticed.

On Thursday, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced 2017 was at least the third hottest year on record. The year 2016 holds the record as the hottest. Before that, the record was set in 2015. Before that, it was 2014.

For the record: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated warmer ocean temperatures are capable of dissolving more carbon dioxide. They actually dissolve less.

Both agencies linked the record-breaking temperatures to human-caused climate change. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by cars, factories and power plants trap more heat in the atmosphere, causing temperatures to climb upward.

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Although the most severe consequences of this warming have yet to come  especially if greenhouse gas emissions remain at current levels  some of the effects have already been felt. Scientists, public health officials and even the Pentagon are watching with great concern. Heres a look at some of those effects:

Wildfires in the West are twice as bad

A stand of burned ponderosa pines is silhouetted against a smoky sky near Yosemite National Park in August 2013. The trees burned in the Rim fire, which consumed more than 250,000 acres. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times )

Over the last 30 years, the West has seen a dramatic increase in wildfires. Scientists recently determined that human-caused warming nearly doubled the area of land that has burned since the 1980s. That amounts to 16,000 additional square miles, or the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined.

The difference was the amount of plants, trees and dead vegetation that dried out in the warmer, drier conditions that have become more common in recent decades. Without these dry conditions, half as much land would have burned, the study found. The authors said they may have underestimated the role climate change plays in wildfire. Their analysis did not include other effects of warming, such as the spread of tree-killing bark beetles and declining snowfall in the West.

Fires, droughts and hurricanes: Whats the link between climate change and natural disasters? 

As the Arctic ice melts, sea levels rise

More storms falling over land have helped offset the rate of sea level rise caused by melting glaciers and ice sheets. (John McConnico / Associated Press )

Melting glaciers and diminishing sea ice have increased the amount of water in the oceans, leading sea levels around the world to rise by an average of about 6 inches over the last century. At the same time, higher temperatures have caused seas to expand. By the end of the century, waters could rise by 6 feet or more, threatening 13.1 million residents of U.S. coastal cities with flooding, two studies predict.

In another study, scientists determined that the average American produces about 16 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year and is responsible for melting about 50 square meters of Arctic sea ice.

Higher sea levels mean high tides can more easily swamp low-lying coastal regions, such as South Florida. This also means storm surges from hurricanes and tropical storms will hit coastlines harder. Scientists say the surge from Hurricane Matthew, which struck Florida in October, was amplified by climate change.

Antarctica shed a block of ice the size of Delaware, but scientists think the real disaster could be decades away 

A sea of problems

A school of fish hovers over staghorn coral on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. ((Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) )

The oceans absorb heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That buffers some of the effects of climate change seen on land, but it shifts them under the sea.

More dissolved carbon dioxide causes the water to become more acidic over time. Ocean acidification, sometimes called the twin of global warming, can interfere with the ability of shellfish and corals to form hard shells. It also makes fish and sea snails behave abnormally.

Last year saw record coral bleaching events, leading one publication to pen a somewhat hyperbolic obituary for the Great Barrier Reef. The truth is corals can recover from some bleaching events  if the temperature goes back down.

How the Great Barrier Reef is responding to global warming. (Hint: not well) 

Plants and animals on the move

In response to rising temperatures, thousands of plant and animal species have migrated uphill or toward the poles where its still cool enough for them. The result: Species leave their ancestral homes, causing local extinctions in those areas. As suitable habitat becomes harder to come by, many species  such as the alpine chipmunk of the Sierra Nevada  will find themselves boxed in to small ranges, increasing the risk of a species-wide global extinction.

But as some species flounder in warmer temperatures, others thrive. Global warming has opened up new habitats for mosquitoes, which transmitted the Zika virus throughout South America and contributed to the near-collapse of native birds on the Hawaiian islands.

Warmer temperatures may be nice for now, but the feeling wont last

People enjoy the beach on a hot day in Malibu in February 2016. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times )

In April, a study found that 80% of the U.S. population lives in counties that are experiencing more pleasant weather than they did 40 years ago. This boils down to warmer winters and milder summers. But by the end of the century, that trend will flip.

If greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, more people in the U.S. will experience hotter summers and more common heatwaves.

That has public health officials worried. In Los Angeles, rising temperatures could degrade the quality of our air and water and lead to an increase in cardiovascular disease and asthma. A 2006 heat wave saw triple-digit temperatures last for more than a week, killing 650 people in California.

sean.greene@latimes.com

@seangreene89

UPDATES:

10:50 a.m.: This article was updated with the 2017 global heat record.

This article was originally published on Jan. 18, 2017.
Does L.A. really need more hotels? Ready or not, two Kimptons, a Waldorf Astoria, hipster hotels in downtown L.A. and more are set to open this year in Southern California.

Consider: Tourism in 2016 is estimated to have brought a record 47.3 million visitors and 81% hotel occupancy to L.A., according to the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. The county is expected to add almost 6,000 new hotel rooms this year and an additional 2,300 rooms by 2019.



For the record: A previous version of this story said L.A. had received 46.5 million visitors in 2016, that the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills was opening in June and that La Peer Hotels pool deck was 3,900 square feet. L.A. had 47.3 million visitors, the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is opening in April and La Peer Hotels roof deck is 3,900 square feet.

Here are some hotel openings to look out for in 2017  and some you may have missed.

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Dream Los Angeles | Hollywood (March)

The Dream hotel at 6417 Selma Ave. in Hollywood is the first West Coast location for the brand. The building claims a Neutra-inspired design for the building with 178 rooms and a rooftop pool and lounge. Keyless entry, in-room tablet and free Wi-Fi are tech perks included in the price. Reservations start March 1. Info: Dream Los Angeles | Hollywood, (323) 844-6417

Freehand (mid-March)

This hotel and hostel brand that Travel + Leisure calls ultra cool, ultra hip already exists in Miami, Chicago and in New York in 2018. It plans to open in the Commercial Exchange Building at the corner of 8th and Olive streets in downtown L.A. Reservations are open starting March 15, and there are room options aplenty, like a basic king-sized room, a loft suite or a shared room. The Broken Shaker rooftop bar makes cocktails and elixirs, and the Exchange restaurant promises to bring together L.A.s cultural cuisines through an Israeli lens. Info: Freehand, (213) 612-0021

The Everly (April)

Boutique brand Kimpton Hotels comes to the city in a big way in 2017. In Southern California, it already operates the Hotel Palomar Los Angeles Beverly Hills and Hotel Wilshire (known for its rooftop pool and the Roof restaurant), both in L.A. Now it adds the Everly at 1800 Argyle Ave. in Hollywood, which is set to open in April. It will have 216 rooms, including 12 suites. In a release, the brand describes the hotels vibe as a true celebration of its Beachwood Canyon neighborhood and the laid-back California lifestyle. The fifth-floor pool deck might become one of those above-it-all L.A. hangouts. Info: The Everly, (213) 279-3532

Hotel Indigo (mid-April)

Another DTLA hotel expected to join the lineup is Hotel Indigo located at 899 Francisco St. The hip boutique brand owned by InterContinental Hotel Group strives to deliver an authentic urban experience in whatever city youre in. Local experiences and design drives the decor at this 350-room site, according to the website. Reservations accepted starting April 15. Info: Hotel Indigo, (877) 846-3446

La Peer Hotel (May)

The brands second hotel to open this year will be the Kimpton La Peer at 627 La Peer Drive in West Hollywood. It will have 105 rooms and suites and a 3,900-square-foot roof deck, pool and fitness center, and more. Expect a cooler, metallic look here  a front desk sculpted from aluminum and a leather cocoon wall in the lobby. Info: La Peer Hotel, (855) 239-4324

InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown (June)

Iron workers are inside a spire attached to the Wilshire Grand Center in downtown Los Angeles. The InterContinental Los Angeles hotel will be part of the center. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

The glass-towered building for the InterContinental in downtown L.A. will be part of a new city landmark, the Wilshire Grand Center at 900 Wilshire Blvd. With a big spire, it aims to be Americas tallest building west of the Mississippi River. The hotel will have 900 rooms in 73 stories, with a lobby on the 70th floor. Reservations being accepted for June 1. Info: InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, (888) 424-6835

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (April)

The luxury Waldorf Astoria comes to the area with a sleek, Art Deco building right next to the mid-century Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. It will feature 170 rooms in the 12-story building along with a 5,000-square-foot Spa by La Prairie and a roof-top pool.

Rates start at $895 if you want a reservation starting June 1 though the opening date is slated for April, according to the hotels website. Waldorf operates La Quinta Resort & Club in the desert resort of La Quinta, Calif., and has announced plans to create a San Francisco hotel in a new tower complex that will surround the Transbay Transit Center. Info: Waldorf Astoria, Beverly Hills, (310) 860-6666

NoMad Los Angeles

The NoMad food truck came to town with its fresh-and-spicy offerings last October. Now the hotel is slated to open this year. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

First there was the food truck, now theres the hotel. L.A.s NoMad hotel is housed in the Giannini Building at Olive and 7th streets, the onetime Bank of Italy building. The 1923 structure will hold 250 rooms and a rooftop pool. Its created by the Sydell Group, which most recently opened the Line in the mid-Wilshire area. This is the same company overseeing the overhaul of the Freehand too. Info: NoMad Los Angeles

In case you missed these (2016 openings)

Pasea Hotel & Spa near the Hungtington Beach Pier brings more luxe digs to Surf City. It opened last summer and has 250 rooms as well as features like (from the website) a Balinese-inspired spa with indoor and outdoor treatment areas, two pools and Tanners restaurant atop the hotels rooftop deck bar. Info: Pasea Hotel & Spa, (866) 478-9702

Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Californias wine country blends something old, the historic Acacia House, with something new in creating 68 rooms and suites. It has a dream location at 1915 Main St. in St. Helena, next door to the Beringer Winery (how convenient!), and opened last fall. Info: Las Alcobas, (707) 963-7000

The beachy vibe lives at the Kinney at 737 Washington Blvd. in Venice, which opened last summer. The former Marina del Rey Hotel sits about a mile from the beach and the crazy hustle-bustle of the Venice boardwalk. Ping-pong tables, chaise longues and a heated pool and spa add to the laid-back feel of the 68-room hotel. Info: The Kinney, (310) 821-4455

The three-story Shade Redondo Beach joins a sister property (Shade Manhattan Beach) in offering beach-adjacent digs. The boutique hotel at 655 N. Harbor Drive opened in the fall. You can stay in one of 54 rooms, each with a view of the King Harbor Marina. Info:Shade Redondo Beach, (310) 921-8940

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Colombia is working on the "definitive exit" of the Brazilian builder, according to the head of the country's national infrastructure agency
In a recently filed lawsuit, the US Federal Trade Commission is accusing mobile technology player Qualcomm of entering an anticompetitive deal with phone manufacturer Apple. By giving discounts for its licenses for agreeing to exclusively use their processors on iPhone and iPads, the FTC claims that they are closing competitors out of Apple's reach and creating a monopoly.

According to a statement made by the FTC on Tuesday, Qualcomm has recognized that competitors that gained the business of Apple would certainly become a more dominant force on the market, and they used the exclusivity agreement to prevent other Apple to have deals and work with other chip providers, Bloomberg reports. Taking note of the deals both companies had in 2007, 2011 and 2013, the government agency points out that the discount for the licenses are paid to Apple through conditional rebates, which include the non-usage of wireless technology from Intel, agreeing to not sue Qualcomm over the royalties and the use of Qualcomm processors for future iPhones and iPads.

Essentially, FTC is claiming that Qualcomm is forcing mobile phone makers, like Apple, to use their chips along with their technology, as the company would need to pay more royalties if they would use a competitor's chip for their IP.

Qualcomm is not only a provider network chips for use in wireless connection, but the San Diego-based company also owns a significant chunk of the patents and intellectual property for the technology. These are licensed to other companies that manufacture baseband processors for LTE connection, like Intel and MediaTek.

Business Insider reports that Qualcomm, in their response to the lawsuit, stated that FTC's complaint is wrong, as the company never withheld chip supply, or threatened to do so, in order to gain an agreement with Apple. The company also points out the lack of economic support, as well as the flawed legal theory that the claim was based on.

In addition to their defense, the company also accused the agency of rushing the complaint days before the change in administration, and making the time when only three of the five seats in the agency are occupied.

The company has been the subject of several investigations, with South Korea fining the chipmaker around $890 million and calling its business practice monopolistic. And while Qualcomm has stated that they would appeal on the South Korean decision, the European Union and Taiwanese government are also looking at the company's practice.

Recently, tests showed that iPhone 7s with an Intel chip performed less than the Qualcomm-packed iPhone 7 in terms of wireless performance.
NASA is sending a spacecraft to a giant metal asteroid called "16 Psyche". The giant metal asteroid may have held the secret to how our solar system was formed.

According to USA TODAY, NASA wants to know whether the asteroid that is made of iron and nickel could be part of what was an earlier planet perhaps as large as Mars.

16 Psyche is one of the most mysterious objects in our solar system. It may be 230 million miles away from Earth, but this asteroid could be worth a small fortune.

Arizona State University researchers have reported, if the asteroid could be transported back to Earth, Elkins-Tanton calculates that the iron in 16 Psyche would be worth $10,000 quadrillion.

Assuming the market for asteroid materials is on Earth; this could cause the value of precious metals to plummet including those of Governments. Ultimately, it could lead to the collapse of the entire economy.

16 Psyche is located in the large asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This may have started as a planet before it was partially destroyed at the time of the formation of our solar system.

The astronomers have reported that the giant metal asteroid is a 130-mile wide chunk of metal, made up of iron, nickel and a number of other rare metals, including gold platinum and copper. Lead Scientist of this mission Lindy Elkins-Tanton has reported that 16 Psyche is the only known object, and this is the only way humans will ever visit a core.

Though, NASA does not have any plan to bring the asteroid back to Earth. NASA, the space agency will explore the asteroid in the hope of understanding how planets separated into layers in their early histories.

Meanwhile, NASA's mission is targeted to launch in October 2023, arriving at the asteroid in 2030. This is followed a Mars flyby in 2025.


New studies from US and Europe reveal that a flu shot could wear off if these were done months before flu season. It has been a yearly event to get shots but lately these were offered as early as July to August by shops and clinics simply to take advantage of sales. Experts are now worried that getting vaccinated early reduces the chance of fighting more virulent strains of the flu and could undermine the effectiveness of the vaccination program overall.

Huffington Post was one of the first to report about this study and said that scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed that vaccine effectiveness was reduced by more than half for some flu strains and had diminished entirely for another five to six months after the vaccine was administered.

Michael Osterholm director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota said that there is evidence that early vaccination, which is an attempt for pharmacies to get a larger percentage of the flu vaccine, should be discouraged by physicians and health professionals.

Osterholm also said that until more data has been recovered, the best recourse is still to get the flu vaccine just before flu season. Some scientists however do not agree and said that it is too early to warn the public. On the other hand, the CDC advises to get the vaccine by end of October. Once a person is vaccinated, it takes about two weeks for the immune system to respond so timing is crucial to getting vaccinated.

Another problem is that there is no exact date for flu season. All that health officials know is that an epidemic will mostly occur between late November and late March. The epidemic usually rises and falls over a period of 13 weeks.

Meanwhile, How Stuff Works posted that the flu shot wearing off is less likely to happen. According to Dr. James Conway, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, the immunity that a person gains from the vaccine will last from October till the flu season ends come spring. A person may even be immune for a year.

Scientists and influenza researchers are not yet advocating for a change in the recommended times to get the shot. Even getting the vaccine too close to the flu season may be unwise. They only recommend not to get the shot too early.
Australian transport Minister Wednesday reported the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH 370 won't rule out another hunt for the plane if "credible" evidence emerges.

According to USA TODAY, the joint agency Coordination center in Australia announced the suspension of the joint search of Australian, China and Malaysia. But Darren Chester an Australian minister said, "It's not a closed book by any stretch."

They have postponed the search for Malaysia Flight 370 nearly three years after the plane vanished because of not finding any information over the Indian Ocean.

The leading flight MH370 have disappeared reroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers on March 8, 2014. .Australian, China and Malaysia had been leading the search for MH 370. The countries issued a joint statement on Tuesday announcing the suspension.

CNN has reported, in spite of high modeling and advice from a highly skilled professional, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft. So for that, they have suspended the underwater search.

The search has been very costly exercise. In the order of search, 200 million Australian dollars has been spent on the underwater search, of which 60 million dollars spent by Australians Government.

Though, the joint searching committees don't rule out a future underwater search. The ATSB would continue to analyze satellite imagery for any signs of MH 370 as well as any debris that may be linked to the missing plane.

However, a voice 370, a support group for family members of those abroad the flight, released a statement expression disappointing over the suspension of joint military search.

The disappeared of the plane remains one of the greatest aviation mysteries in modern history. The searchers have spent millions of dollars scouring tens of thousands of square miles. But still, now they have yielded little new information about the plane's final moments.

Meanwhile, chief commissioner of the Australian safety Bureau, Greg Hood reported residual search-related activity is continuing until February.


Nokia has crossed over 1 million registrations in China on JD.com where the smartphone is exclusively available. If anyone will visit the website JD.com and search for Nokia 6, they will be asked to book and appointment aka register for the smartphone's sale and the number of registrations is currently listed at around one million. The response of the customers was very good and surprisingly the smartphone registration crossed 250,000 in just 24 hours.

According to IndianExpress Nokia 6 will go on sale from January 19th in China although the company has not confirmed if the same model will be made available to other countries or not or whether Nokia and HMD will have a different version of this mid-range phone. Right now HMD is the company which has the exclusive manufacturing, branding, and distribution license for Nokia smartphones. The company had already indicated that it will be launching more phone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Moreover Nokia will be hosting an event on February 26 to launch these smartphone.

As per Phandroid Unfortunately, the Nokia 6 will only be available in China, and HMD Global has not shared any information regarding the device launching in other markets. Instead, those of us in the West will have to wait until MWC 2017 to see other Nokia devices, including the Nokia 8.

In terms of pricing the Nokia 6 will cost to Chinese people around Yuan 1,699. The Nokia 6 phone will be coming with a 5.5 inches full HD display with a 2.5 Gorilla Glass protection, the device will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage which can be expended up to 128GB via microSD card.

In terms of camera the Nokia 6 will be packed with a 16 megapixel front camera with f/2.0 aperture and 8 megapixel front camera. The device will be backed with a 3000 mAh battery and a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. The phone also has dual amplifier speakers with Dolby Atmos technology. The Nokia 6 smartphone runs Android Nougat 7.0 OS.
Cuba and the United States signed a cooperation agreement about aeronautical and maritime search and rescue efforts. The said agreement will allow greater bilateral cooperation in the air and the maritime search and rescue operations.

According to U.S Department of State Diplomacy in Action, it will be considered as a positive step in normalizing relations in the last few days before President Barack Obama leaves the office. The agreement was signed Wednesday in Havana's Hotel Nacional by Cuba's Deputy Minister of Transport Marta Oramas Rivero, and Charge d'Affaires ad interim of the U.S. Embassy, Jeffrey DeLaurentis.

The agreement between Cuba and the United States is considered as one of the 15 bilateral instruments which were signed by the two countries on December 17, 2014. Through it, there will be a massive cooperation on air and maritime search and rescue particularly in the Florida Straits and other setting territorial limits in Gulf of Mexico waters.

On the other hand, there was also another agreement which is supposed to be signed on Wednesday but was postponed for later this week. The third agreement is about health protocols when dealing issues like bird flu.

According to Josefina Vidal Twitter post, the signing today January 18 of the SAR [search and rescue] Agreement brings to 19 the total number of bilateral instruments concluded between Cuba and the US.

The accord is necessary for conducting joint and continued efforts in finding and protecting people in danger. Oramas Rivero stressed that the authorities from Cuba and United States are already in the process of collaborating on search and rescue efforts for over 20 years.

The successful collaboration of both countries led to the establishment of procedural and operational frameworks for emergency cases in 2014. Jeffrey DeLaurentis also highlighted the importance of perfecting the efforts because of the authorized trade and the flow of travelers in both countries.




Researchers have recently discovered a new molecular information that explains how the brain regulates depression and anxiety. The ground-breaking study identifies a new molecule that relieves anxiety attacks and depressive behavior in rodents. Eleanor Coffey, the Research Director at Abo Akademi University in Finland, led the collaborative research, combining scientists in Finland and the US.

The findings suggest that JNK, a mitogen-activated protein, subdues the production of new neurons in the hippocampus when it becomes active. Hippocampus is a part of the brain that centralises emotions and learning. By restraining JNK to solely newly generated nerve cells in the hippocampus, the researchers were able to mitigate anxiety symptoms and depressive behaviour in mice. The mechanism that was previously unknown, unveils new insights on the manner of which the brain works towards regulating mood and provides a new avenue for antidepressant and anxiolytic drug development through the inhibitors of JNK.

Depression and anxiety are some of the most serious disorders worldwide. Having said that, the results obtained from the research carry a great deal of importance in helping many patients, especially patients who do not respond to current treatments or those who find the treatments less effective. A new mechanistic understanding of these disorders is necessary to identify better drugs for treatment-resistant depression.

The EU-funded Marie Curie Initial Training Network r'BIRTH funded the research, alongside the Academy of Finland, Turku Network in Molecular Biosciences and the National Institute on Aging (US). The research findings are published in the Nature Publishing Group's Molecular Psychiatry Journal.
Leicester Citys representation at the Africa Cup of Nations continued on Thursday evening when Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani both completed 90 minutes for Algeria.

- Islam Slimani and Riyad Mahrezs Algeria beaten 2-1 by Tunisia at the Africa Cup of Nations

- The Leicester City stars completed 90 minutes for the Desert Foxes on Thursday in Gabon

- Algeria next face Group B leaders Senegal on Monday evening

- Daniel Amartey could feature for Ghana on Saturday against Mali

Leicester Citys representation at the Africa Cup of Nations continued on Thursday evening when Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani both completed 90 minutes for Algeria.

The Foxes duo were hoping to help their nation build on their last outing  a 2-2 draw with Zimbabwe in which for the Desert Foxes.

But they couldnt prevent Algeria from slipping to a 2-1 defeat, as an own goal from Aissa Mandi and Naim Slitis penalty sealed three Group B points for Tunisia, despite Sofiane Hannis late reply.

Mahrez and Slimanis nation can still qualify for the knockout stages, but to give themselves a chance of doing so, must beat group leaders Senegal on Monday 23 January.

Next in action could be Daniel Amartey, who helped Ghana to a during their Africa Cup of Nations opener.

The Black Stars take on Mali on Saturday 21 January (4pm kick-off) in Gabon knowing a win would see them through to the quarter-finals of the competition.

As always, check back into LCFC.com in the coming days to find out how the Clubs international stars get on at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Jan 19, 2017, 3:29pm ET

Ex-VW boss denies wrongdoing in Dieselgate scandal

Former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn says he wasn\'t in-the-know about Dieselgate.

Former Volkswagen Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn denied on Thursday in front of a German parliamentary inquiry that he had any advanced knowledge of a cheating device used on the company's diesel-powered vehicles.

Facing allegations that he was aware of VW's diesel cheat device as early as 2014, Winterkorn told lawmakers that was "not the case. Winterkorn said was not aware of the issue until September 2015 when the scandal broke.

However, some of Winterkorn's comments seemed to indicate he at least had an inclining that VW was fudging the numbers to make its diesels legal.

"It is not comprehensible why I was not informed early and clearly about the measurement problems, he said, according to The Detroit News. "Of course I ask myself if I missed signals or misread them.

Winterkorn declined to elaborate of those missed signals, citing the ongoing investigation.

German officials believe Winterkorn might be holding back on telling the whole truth.

"This paints either a picture of a boss who didn't know what was going on in his company or, alternatively, Prof. Winterkorn isn't presenting things as they really were and is downplaying his role in this whole emissions scandal, panel member Oliver Krischer said.
Jan 19, 2017, 10:37am ET

Panasonic wants Tesla partnership to include self-driving tech

The Japanese conglomerate believes its latest CMOS image sensors could be perfect for autonomous vehicles.

Panasonic is reportedly pushing to broaden its partnership with Tesla Motors as the Japanese conglomerate attempts to dive deeper into the automotive industry.

Both companies already have a multi-billion-dollar partnership in the Gigafactory battery plant. A more recent deal will allow Panasonic to build solar cells at SolarCity's Buffalo factory.

"We are deeply interested in Tesla's self-driving system," CEO Kazuhiro Tsuga told Reuters. "We are hoping to expand our collaboration by jointly developing devices for that, such as sensors."

The company is said to view its new CMOS image sensors as particularly well suited to automobiles. The organic photoconductive film sensors are said to offer a much higher dynamic range, while a global shutter helps eliminate distortion when viewing fast-moving objects.

"This technology enables to capture high speed moving object up to 10 times brighter scene in global shutter mode," Panasonic wrote in a press release last year. "In addition, fine motion sensing is realized by variable shutter sensitivity control in various scenes."

The first fatal accident involving Tesla's Autopilot system was blamed in part on a failure of the camera system and processing software to recognize a white semi-trailer against a bright sky. The latest Model S and Model X ship with a much more sophisticated sensor suite, including multiple cameras. Any automaker working on autonomous technology is presumably following advancements in image sensors to further refine their machine vision systems and improve performance.
Jan 18, 2017, 5:47pm ET

Study: 74 percent of Americans think autonomous cars 'not safe'

In China, the most optimistic of the surveyed countries, a majority of consumers still have safety concerns.

Autonomous cars are presented as the next big revolution in automotive safety, but a recent survey suggests most consumers remain skeptical.

Consultancy firm Deloitte surveyed more than 22,000 consumers in 17 different countries to gauge their perception of the nascent technology.

In the US, 74 percent of respondents believe fully autonomous vehicles "will not be safe." The findings were not unique among different countries; China was the most trusting at 62 percent, while South Koreans were the wariest with 81 percent of consumers expressing safety doubts.

More than two-thirds of Americans remain open-minded, reporting that they may change their mind once such vehicles have established "a proven track record."

Little more than half of US drivers said they would ride in an autonomous car if it was offered by a brand they trust. Interestingly, less than half of US respondents claimed they would trust a traditional automaker to bring autonomous cars to market.

"The news is worse for Silicon Valley technology companies with only 20 percent of US consumers indicating they trust these companies when it comes to autonomous vehicle technology," the report found. "Another 27 percent of U.S. consumers indicate they would trust a new company specializing in autonomous vehicle technology."

Japanese consumers have the most faith in traditional automakers to build safe autonomous vehicles. Perhaps unsurprisingly, those in China and India had the lowest trust in established car companies.

"Automakers and technology companies first have to earn consumers' trust, then turn that trust into a willingness to pay for a must-have feature," said Deloitte vice chairman Craig Giffi. "Automakers are under significant pressure to invest more heavily and place bigger bets with less certain returns than we have seen in this industry in several generations."
Jan 19, 2017, 4:37pm ET

Toyota's North America production rises to 2.1M units in 2016

More than half the vehicles were built in America, while around 140,000 were assembled in Mexico.

Toyota has highlighted another record year for its North American factories, which produced more than 2.1 million vehicles last year.

Production volume increased 4.4 percent compared to last year's total of more than two million vehicles from the same group of assembly plants.

Toyota's US factories accounted for the majority of the total, with more than 1.3 million vehicles rolling off assembly lines in Kentucky, Indiana, Mississippi and Texas. Subaru's Indiana plant also produced nearly 36,000 Toyota vehicles.

Canada was second on the list with more than 600,000 vehicles produced last year. The Corolla and RAV4 accounted for most of the Canadian manufacturing tally.

The Japanese automaker's Mexico operations still produce far fewer vehicles than in the US and Canada, with 97,000 Tacoma pickups produced in Baja California and 43,500 Yaris and Yaris iA cars assembled at a Mazda factory.

The company is currently working on a new factory in Mexico with an annual output volume of 200,000 vehicles. Despite threats from President-elect Donald Trump, the factory is moving forward with plans to kick off production in 2019 for the 2020-model-year Corolla.

Aside from the production numbers, several Toyota factories celebrated significant anniversaries in 2016. The company's Cambridge, Ontario, and Georgetown, Kentucky, plants have now been operational for 30 years, while Princetown, Indiana, and Buffalo, West Virginia, factories celebrated 20 years.
Jan 19, 2017, 2:04am ET

Volvo XC40 to debut in Shanghai?

The first-ever XC40 was previewed by the 40.1 concept.

Volvo will launch the first-ever XC40 at the Shanghai Auto Show, according to Chinese media outlets.

The XC40 will be positioned at the bottom of Volvo's crossover lineup. Visually, it will borrow more than a few styling cues from the close-to-production 40.1 concept (pictured) that debuted last year in Gothenburg, Sweden. The overall design will be toned down, but key elements such as the muscular-looking front end, the upswept belt line, and the L-shaped tail lamps will be retained for production.

The XC40 will usher in Volvo's new Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), a platform that will underpin several compact Volvo and Geely models in the coming years. It will also inaugurate the company's new turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine.

A four-cylinder engine and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain will round out the list of powertrain options, according to Car News China. Front-wheel drive will come standard, and all-wheel drive will be offered at an extra cost. Buyers in Europe will have access to at least one diesel engine, though the oil-burner will not be sold on our shores.

We'll learn more about Volvo's upcoming compact crossover in March at the Geneva Auto Show. Regardless of when it breaks cover, the XC40 is expected to arrive in showrooms in time for the 2018 model year.

What's next?

As of writing, it's too early to tell whether the 40.2 concept that was presented alongside the 40.1 at Volvo headquarters last year will spawn a production model. During the event, a company spokesperson told Leftlane that the 40.2 simply explores new possibilities while showcasing the CMA platform's flexibility.
A Bethlehem Township convenience store employee is accused of swapping out cash with a phony bill and stealing $265 worth of lottery tickets.

Charged is Tyler Scott Umstead, 20, of the 2800 block of Queen Avenue in the township.

Township police at 3 p.m. Tuesday were dispatched to Friendly Food Mart, 4209 William Penn Highway. A store representative reported Umstead on Monday took a real $100 bill out of the register and then put a counterfeit $100 bill in the safe, police said.

Umstead also allegedly took 53 crossword lottery tickets, valued at $5 each, and put then down the front of his pants before leaving work, police said.

The store representative showed police surveillance footage of the crime. Police later interviewed Umstead, who allegedly told investigators he found the phony $100 bill on a bike path and thought it looked authentic enough to get away with swapping it out for a real bill.

Umstead also admitted to stealing a roll of lottery tickets, but told investigators he later threw them away in fear of getting caught, police said.

Umstead is charged with forgery and theft. He was arraigned before District Judge Antonia Grifo, who set bail at $20,000 unsecured.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Working for District Judge David Tidd meant never knowing how he would treat them day-to-day, according to some of the now-ex-judge's staffers.

David Tidd (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Tidd, the former magisterial district judge representing the Hellertown area, is on trial for alleged judicial misconduct. The trial began Wednesday before a three-judge panel in Harrisburg, and testimony is expected to continue Thursday, possibly into Friday.

Tidd resigned his seat last summer. He has a private legal practice in Berks County, where he now lives.

The judges heard from two of Tidd's former clerks. Both testified they opted to retire, rather than working for the mercurial judge who often cursed.

Diane Kale had worked for four district judges before coming to Tidd's court, but his court would be her last.

"You never knew if he was going to be in a good mood or a bad mood," said the Easton woman, later adding, "He was just very, very moody. You didn't know how to read him."

Tidd would lose his temper, and "it didn't take much to set him off," Kale said.

In once instance, when a pen wouldn't work as Tidd tried to sign an arrest warrant for a detective, the judge yelled "f-----g son-of-a-bitch," Kale said. When the second pen also did not work, Tidd screamed expletives and threw the pen, according to Kale and former clerk Lisa LeVan.

In addition to commonly cursing, Tidd would have his clerks handle court business that was normally handled by the judge, according to Kale. When Kale said she didn't feel comfortable doing that, Tidd reportedly told her to just do it.

Tidd also balked at presiding over civil hearings, both Kale and LeVan testified on Wednesday.

"To him, it was just a waste of his time," Kale said.

Kale testified about Tidd negotiating deals with a defendant when an officer was not present, and vice versa. Those claims were also made by LeVan.

Defense attorney Samuel Stretton has said if the police officers were not present, Tidd would call officers to confirm the plea deals before going forward.

Kale said she formally complained to Northampton County's court administration four times, and the last time was told there was nothing more they could do.

Kale said she and other clerks then filed a complaint anonymously with the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board.

"At that point, we were just worried about our job security," she testified, when asked why the staff did not use their names on the complaint.

Eventually, Kale said, the stress of working for Tidd became too much, and she decided to retire, though it would hurt her financially.

"It became intolerable for me," she said. "I couldn't do it anymore."

Stretton has argued that Tidd was never told specifically the things he needed to improve, and that staff were taking daily notes on his behavior that they never shared with him.

Stretton has repeatedly mentioned staffers were not loyal to Tidd, and were working against him. In one instance, he called them "the Benedict Arnolds of Northampton County."

Stretton said Tidd plans to testify, and that he has police officers, attorneys and constables who will testify as character witnesses.

Kale testified Tidd met with county court administration officials, including President Judge F.P. Kimberly McFadden three times, and was explicitly told to curb his cursing, hold hearings in his courtroom and wear his judge's robe.

"The cursing never stopped," Kale said, adding Tidd would go into his courtroom to conduct court business for about five to ten days after the meetings, but would revert back to doing business at the counter.

"Did Judge Tidd take those instructions seriously?" prosecuting attorney Elizabeth Flaherty asked.

No," Kale said.

"Did he mock those instructions?" Flaherty asked.

"Yes," Kale responded.

The clerks said they were told by county Court Administrator Debra French to begin documenting Tidd's actions. The women said they would take notes of the incidents, and reports would be sent to French.

The panel has been given two binders, each more than five inches thick, that include some of the clerks' notations.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Faced with a series of constant complaints about a Lehigh Valley district judge's behavior, Northampton County's former president judge testified that she met with David Tidd three times.

David Tidd (Courtesy Photo)

In 2011 and 2012, Judge F. P. Kimberly McFadden addressed Tidd's use of "four-letter words;" conducting so much business at the counter of his office that it was dubbed "fast food justice;" questions about conflicts of interest; and not wearing his judge's robe, she testified via telephone on Thursday.

After the first meeting, McFadden said she was hopeful Tidd would change.

"The complaints continued," the judge said, and there were two more meetings with the then-district judge.

After a third meeting in 2012, McFadden said she warned Tidd "three strikes and you're out," and that she would report him to the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board.

The complaints continued by Tidd's staffers, and McFadden said the county's court administration offered to file a complaint to the conduct on the employee's behalf.

"They asked us not to. They were concerned about retaliation," McFadden testified.

McFadden's testimony Thursday morning is part of the second day of Tidd's trial on allegations of judicial misconduct in Harrisburg.

The conduct board claims Tidd's repeated cursing, conflicts of interest, and informal style of dealing with summary cases and criminal case waivers brought "disrespect, disregard and disrepute" to the office.

The conflicts of interest include warning attorney Jim Burke before warrants would be issued out of Tidd's office for a series of parking violations.

Samuel Stretton, Tidd's attorney, said the complaints were the work of employees who were disloyal to the judge, and spied on him for years. Stretton has referred to the staffers as the "Benedict Arnolds of Northampton County."

Stretton said he plans to call a number of character witnesses in Tidd's defense -- local police officers and attorneys -- in addition to Tidd taking the witness stand.

McFadden testified Thursday she first heard a complaint about Tidd at a Christmas party, though she could not recall who it was, and had heard through rumors that some police officers were not happy with the judge.

McFadden said after speaking with Tidd's staff, she did not report Tidd to the ethics board, and her term as president judge ended in 2013.

Attorney Elizabeth Flaherty, representing the Judicial Conduct Board, said an anonymous complaint was filed with the ethics board in August 2014. Two signed complaints were then filed with the board in 2015, followed by three more anonymous complaints the same year, Flaherty said.

"We investigated them as expediently as we could," Flaherty said.

The letter notifying Tidd of the investigation was sent in February 2016. That same month, Tidd filed a letter of resignation just two months into his new term, saying he "wanted a change."

Tidd then reversed his resignation decision, only to resign effective July 25. He currently has a private practice law firm in Berks County.

Parking ticket warrants and fees

Former clerk Diane Kale, who worked for Tidd before retiring in December 2014, continued her testimony Thursday morning.

Kale said the normal process for parking violations was notifications would be mailed out, both regular mail and certified mail. If the office did not get a response, an arrest warrant was normally issued.

That was not true for attorney Burke, Kale said. After Burke learned an arrest warrant was issued for a parking violation, he came to the office, according to Kale.

Kale said she was questioned by the judge about it.

"(The judge) wasn't happy. He said I should have let him know," Kale testified.

From then on, Kale was to let Tidd know before a parking citation warrant was issued for Burke. Kale said Tidd would call Burke and tell him to come to the office, or a warrant would be issued.

That courtesy was not extended to other people, according to Kale.

If warrants were issued for Burke, Tidd ordered the costs be paid by Northampton County, not Burke, Kale said.

Kale said she questioned Tidd about having the county cover the costs, saying Burke was "no better than anyone else" and that other defendants would have to pay the fee.

Tidd reportedly instructed Kale to continue waiving the fee for Burke.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
While testimony has focused on a former district judge's cursing and "tantrums" in his Lehigh Valley office, witnesses said Thursday David Tidd had his staff handle court matters when he was not there.

David Tidd (Courtesy photo)

Tidd's trial in Harrisburg on allegations of judicial misconduct continued Thursday afternoon with more testimony from former clerks who worked in his Northampton County office. Tidd resigned last July.

Three former clerks have testified that Tidd would handle summary traffic cases or waivers in criminal cases from the front counter in his office, often without wearing his judge's robe.

Witnesses have said the office was referred to as the "fast food court," "the drive-through judge" or "fast food justice."

Former staffers also testified there were times Tidd would be ill and could not come into work, and he would tell his staff to "handle" the cases that would come in.

Samuel Stretton, Tidd's attorney, has said his client suffered from an intestinal issue, and also had surgery for a mass in his lung that was later discovered not to be cancerous.

On Dec. 1, 2011, staff handled seven summary traffic cases, one criminal case and three civil cases, according to notes kept by the clerks. Tidd left instructions with staff the previous day on how to handle the cases, clerks Diane Kale and Lisa LeVan testified.

The criminal case was a preliminary arraignment, and bail was set per the judge's instructions at $5,000 unsecured, but the judge was not present, Kale said.

Kale revealed that it was her and clerk Brenda Anthony who filed an anonymous complaint about Tidd with the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board in August 2014.

"We weren't sure where it was going to lead and we needed our jobs," Kale said of filing the complaint anonymously.

Under cross examination, Stretton pushed Kale to give a specific day or case or defendant's name where hearings were held at the office counter instead of the courtroom.

"There were too many," said Kale, adding she could not give specifics.

Stretton said the incidents detailed in the clerks notes in the complaint amounted to 20 or 30 cases out of the "thousands" that Tidd heard during his tenure.

Stretton asked if staff sat down with Tidd and discussed their concerns with how he was handling cases. Kale said she would give suggestions, but Tidd would ignore them.

At one point, Stretton asked Kale about her connection to a former judge and discussing Tidd's handling of court cases. The exchange upset Kale, who became tearful on the witness stand and court was recessed for a few minutes so she could compose herself.

Then-President Judge F.P. McFadden testified earlier Thursday that she met with Tidd three times to address complaints about alleged conflicts of interest, cursing in the office and how he handled cases. The clerks previously testified Tidd mocked the meetings and, after one meeting, walked into the office and let loose a string of expletives in front of his staff.

McFadden said she also spoke to Tidd about making his bankruptcy practice a priority over his magisterial justice duties.

Clerks were to schedule hearings in the morning, not in the afternoon, and a few times Tidd would go to his office and have to be called back to district court to handle court matters, the clerks have testified.

The staffers previously testified that Tidd would complain about presiding over civil trials, but in January 2012 he was annoyed when a criminal defendant asked for a hearing, according to Kale.

After the hearing, Tidd threw the defendant's paperwork onto a desk and told the clerk the defendant was found guilty.

"No one stands a chance in a hearing with me today," Tidd reportedly told his staff. The quote was read from a binder of evidence the conduct board has submitted during the trial, some it based on weekly notes Tidd's staff compiled.

Stretton objected to the quote, and has objected a handful of times as attorney Elizabeth Flaherty has read the clerks' notes or referenced the notes during testimony.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A Bethlehem man assaulted an Allentown man Wednesday afternoon in the parking lot of a Palmer Township company where they both work, police said.

Jose Collado, 31, was punched in the head by Roberto Soto-Mojica, 33, just after 3 p.m. outside XPO Logistics at 1520 Van Buren Road, township police Detective Jim Alercia said.

Collado suffered a moderate head injury, along with bruising and cuts to his temple, Alercia said. Collado was treated at Easton Hospital, Alercia said.

No motive was immediately discerned and the investigation is continuing as police get surveillance video and witness statements, Alercia said.

Soto-Mojica, who fled before police arrived, will be charged with assault and related offenses, Alercia said.

Soto-Mojica faced a one-year sentence but was initially released Feb. 28 from Lehigh County Jail after pleading guilty to simple assault in a Dec. 28, 2015, incident in Whitehall Township, records show.

He was returned to prison May 2 after a parole violation and released again on Sept. 16, records show. Another parole violation was noted Jan. 10 of this year and bail was set at $1,000 unsecured.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Seven volunteers at the Center for Animal Health and Welfare have been banned from their roles, over criticism of the decision to euthanize a dog involved in a vicious attack.

The volunteers are not letting go of the memory of Oreo, the pit bull mix who broke free during a walk outside the Williams Township shelter and mauled a 7-year-old beagle named Penny. A Facebook page has been set up to commemorate Oreo, and a candlelight vigil is scheduled for later this month in Easton's Centre Square.

Penny continues to recover from the Jan. 5 attack and has begun to eat again as of Monday, the Center for Animal Health and Welfare said on its Facebook page.

Center volunteer Liz Schiavone is among those banned from the center. She reached out to lehighvalleylive.com to tell Oreo's backstory, and was among those who felt he was euthanized needlessly and who went public with her thoughts on Facebook.

"This letter serves as official written notice that The Center for Animal Health and Welfare (The Center) located at 1165 Island Park Road, Easton, PA is terminating your rights to volunteer at the Center, to volunteer at any events held by the Center whether on premises or off site and to attend any such events hosted by The Center," stated letters dated Jan. 10 that were sent to Schiavone and other volunteers.

"You are banned/prohibited from coming onto the property located, owned and managed by The Center at the above aforementioned address and any subsequent property legally owned by The Center," the letters continued. "Any violation will be considered trespassing and will result in removal by legal authorities."

Asked for an explanation, center board President Angela Schmoyer directed Schiavone to "the social media policy portion of your volunteer guidelines," according to an email exchange obtained by lehighvalleylive.com.

Kelly Bauer, executive director at the center, said the volunteers let go were among 103 who were active at the shelter.

"This is not a typical practice for the center, however, we feel that the actions of a select group of people have warranted this action," she told a reporter by email. "While we are grateful for the hard work and dedication of our volunteers, it was brought to our attention that a small group of volunteers were using social media to defame our organization, board members and staff.

"They continue to spread false information surrounding the attack on Penny and the euthanization of Oreo. While we appreciate and rely on the support of volunteers, the behavior of that small group of people grossly undermines the mission of our organization and those that support it.

"We understand and share in their sadness for Oreo, however, we must consider the safety of our community, animals and staff when making difficult decisions regarding the animals in our care. While we welcome feedback and are open to discussions on improving shelter life, we cannot and will not tolerate the spreading of false information and veiled threats," Bauer wrote.

Schiavone, 66, was among those who walked Oreo during his eight months at the shelter. His family surrendered him to the center when they moved out of the area and were unable to take him with them, she said.

"So, Oreo went from being a family pet of five years to a shelter enviorment, living in a (3-foot-by-5-foot) cage," Schiavone wrote in an email. "Oreo never really adjusted to shelter life."

Oreo, according to Schiavone, "needed out, he needed enrichment training all of which didn't happen ... and sadly whatever it was that triggered Oreo to attack, will never be known, because the center reacted and killed him the day after the incident."

Bauer described Oreo as a dog with no previous bite history, either in his previous home or at the shelter.

Witnesses to the attack said something snapped.

Easton residents Lynn Hartranft-Fortebuono and Randy Grube had gone to the shelter to adopt Penny and said the mauling left the beagle clinging to life, "blood everywhere."

Penny, right, is seen with litter-mate Posey, both from a rescue in Virginia, on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017, shortly before she was attacked. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Christopher Lyle, of Toms River, New Jersey, was there that afternoon to donate some items. He was in the cat room at the shelter adjacent to the yard when the attack occurred, and noticed the volunteer who'd been walking Oreo was down on the ground.

Lyle said he ran outside, scooped up Penny and brought her into the center.

"And that's when the shelter had all their training, and they did so much," he said. "They did everything right."

Lyle ended up adopting Penny's litter-mate, Posey, both of whom came to the Center for Animal Health and Welfare via a rescue in Virginia.

"I went in and saw this little dog shaking inside the cage and I said, 'You know what, I'll take the dog,'" he said of Posey. "She's doing better. At first, she was very scared, but within a couple of days she opened up. She's very attached to me. She won't leave my side."

Lyle hopes to adopt Penny, too, once she's healed.

Due to the severity of the attack and the potential for a recurrence, Oreo was euthanized at the recommendation of the center's behavioral committee comprising board members, management and staff, Bauer said shortly after the incident.

Lyle said he feels bad about Oreo, and believes the attack was not the fault of the volunteer walking him, saying he had slipped on ice prior to losing control of the pit bull mix. Oreo could have been a good fit in a home without other pets, he believes.

"Just when he saw another dog, instincts kicked in," Lyle said.

The volunteers who'd come to love Oreo created the "Crusade for Oreo" Facebook page with a mission "to raise awareness about the importance of shelter reform.

"We advocate for improvements in the quality of life of shelter animals," the page states. "Let's use this page in a positive way to bring about change."

The candlelight vigil for Oreo is 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, in Centre Square.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Wilson_Borough_sign

On Jan. 18, 2017, Wilson Borough Council its 2017 budget.

(File photo)

After multiple residents' complaints at several heated meetings, Wilson Borough Council passed the 2017 budget Wednesday night.

Council approved the $6.3 million spending plan with a 13 percent property tax increase. The new property tax rate is 17.5 mills.

A mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of a home's assessed value. The owner of a $100,000 property assessed for tax purposes at $50,000 in Wilson will pay $875 in property taxes in 2017.

Council also passed an ordinance establishing an optional property tax installment plan. Tax payments can be split in thirds, which would be due by March 31, May 31 and July 31.

The installment plan is not available on school, county, state, federal or any other taxes.

The ordinance specifies that those who miss installment dates would have 10 percent penalty fees added to those payments. There is also a 2 percent discount to incentivize people to pay the entire amount on or before March 31.

The budget, millage increase and installment plan ordinances all passed 6-2 with Councilmen James McGowan and Scott Palinkas voting against all three. Councilman Russ Lipari was absent.

Two sticking points for residents who have been filling council meetings in recent weeks deal with the tax hike and several borough employees' salary raises.

Next year, the borough manager/secretary's salary will go from $70,300 to $75,600, instead of the originally proposed $85,000 and the borough clerk would go from $32,136 to about $35,000, which is half of what was originally proposed.

Some residents said the revised salary increases are still too much, and out of line with the types of raises taxpayers see.

"I have read countless meeting minutes -- discovering that not only do our staff get raises this year that are unparalleled to other similar municipalities -- but they also received 3 percent raises last year," resident Donald Barrett said.

Council President Tony Verenna said $114,000 in currently unpaid taxes was a major reason a tax increase was needed this year.

"That's the reason we're in such bad shape," Verenna said.

Barrett spoke at the meeting and raised an issue concerning the timing of a $5,300 raise approved for borough Manager Jill Garcia in 2015.

Council approved Garcia's raise on Nov. 23, 2015. However, there was an election on Nov. 3, 2015.

Pennsylvania law states, "An employment agreement with a borough manager executed on or after a municipal election but before the first meeting in January the year after the municipal election shall be void."

Since the raise was approved after the election but before the reorganization meeting of the newly elected council, Barrett questioned the salary hike's legality.

Borough solicitor Stanley Margle declined to comment other than to say he would investigate the matter if so directed by council.

John Best is a freelance writer. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.
Sara Packer fostered two of her 30 foster children in Lehigh County, an official confirmed Thursday.

Sara Packer, left, who is charged with killing a teenager, and her ex-husband David W. Packer, who pleaded guilty in 2011 to statutory sexual assault. (Courtesty photos | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Packer, 41, of Abington Township, Pa., and her boyfriend, Jacob Patrick Sullivan, 44, of Horsham, are accused in the rape and killing of Packer's adoptive 14-year-old daughter, Grace Packer.

Sara Packer fostered two children out of Lehigh County in 2003 and 2006, respectively. Both ultimately "moved on successfully," according to Lehigh County Executive Tom Muller.

Neighboring Northampton County barred Packer from fostering children following her terminated employment as an adoption caseworker and adoption supervisor in 2010.

The Lehigh County foster placements came while Packer worked for Northampton County but were years prior to her suspension without pay once her then-husband, David Packer, was under investigation in abuse cases involving children.

Packer had been employed as a caseworker and adoption supervisor in Northampton County from 2003 to 2010. Before that, she worked for "The Impact Project" in Lehigh County between 1999 and 2002, when she left the job to briefly be a stay-at-home mom, according to The Bucks County Courier Times.

The Impact Project provides programs for youth placed in foster care through the juvenile probation or children and youth offices in more than 30 counties across Pennsylvania and Delaware, according to its website.

At some point, Packer prior to 2003 also worked for two Allentown nonprofit agencies -- Big Brothers Big Sisters and Communities in Schools of the Lehigh Valley, the Morning Call of Allentown has reported.

David Packer now 40 and from Northampton Borough, went to prison in 2010 after molesting Grace when she was 9, authorities said. He also was found guilty of raping a 15-year-old foster child.

The crimes by David Packer stretched from 2006 to 2010 and he on June 17, 2010, admitted to them, Allentown police previously said. The couple later divorced.

"Obviously, Lehigh County is extremely troubled and concerned about the Grace Packer case and what we've seen in all of the news reports regarding Sara Packer," Muller said in an e-mail Thursday.

Muller declined to answer additional questions, but did say Lehigh County will continue to investigate whether any other child cases can be tied to her.

"We are reviewing any child placement involving Lehigh County that could even possibly be tied to Sara Packer, her ex-husband or boyfriend," Muller said.

Northampton County also has launched an investigation, scouring through seven years of adoption files handled by Sara Packer during her employment, according to county Controller Steve Barron. Barron had said the county wants to make sure that nothing went amiss and no child was placed in an unsafe situation because of Sara Packer.

Aside from Northampton and Lehigh counties, other jurisdictions in a state investigation that includes four other counties also could be interviewing the 30 children state officials said were fostered by Sara Packer, Barron had said.

Packer and Sullivan are being held at Bucks County Prison, each charged with nearly 20 crimes including criminal homicide, rape, kidnapping, abuse of a corpse, child endangerment, tampering with evidence and several related conspiracy counts.

Grace Packer (Courtesy photo)

Sullivan was arrested Jan. 7 after allegedly telling several workers at Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health he was responsible for killing Grace Packer and that the girl's mother was an accomplice. He later revealed in detail to Bucks County detectives how Grace was assaulted and killed over 18 hours, according to a police affidavit.

Authorities said the couple in fall of 2015 wanted to kill Grace Packer after a plan to ship her off with a relative in North Carolina went astray. They later carried out the act July 8 in a home on East Cherry Road in Richland Township, Bucks County

The child was beat, raped, poisoned and ultimately suffocated in what investigators described as a "rape-and-murder fantasy." Scared they would get caught, the couple later dismembered the body and dumped it into a remote area in north-central Pennsylvania, according to the affidavit. Grace's remains were found by hunters on Halloween.

A preliminary hearing for both Packer and Sullivan is scheduled tentatively Feb. 24.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The Slatington area woman pronounced dead after a single-vehicle crash early Wednesday has been identified as 91-year-old Betty J. Peters, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office.

Peters was 91 and lived in the 3300 block of Friedens Road in Washington Township, Lehigh County, the coroner's office said.

The crash occurred sometime between about 1 and 7:15 a.m. in the 4000 block of Levans Road, in the Schnecksville area of North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania State Police at Bethlehem said.

An autopsy was performed Wednesday, but the cause and manner of death remained pending further testing, Chief Deputy Coroner Andrew Kehm said in a news release Wednesday night.

According to police, Peters was driving a white Chevrolet Lumina west on Levans Road when she lost control on a right curve just past Apple Road, left the road and hit a traffic sign then a tree, police said. The car then became airborne while rotating clockwise and came to rest about 30 yards south of the road in the yard of a residence.

Lehigh County Deputy Coroner Jason Nicholas pronounced Peters dead at the scene at 7:32 a.m., police said.

Authorities were continuing to investigate the death and the crash.

State police asked anyone who witnessed the crash to call Trooper Robert Hooper at 610-861-2026.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A 46-year-old fugitive charged with vehicular homicide in connection with the 2010 killing of a Bucks County teacher's aide has been found in South America, authorities said.

Nelio Sotomayor-Sanchez, formerly of Downers Grove, Illinois, was arrested earlier this month in Lima, Peru, and efforts are underway to bring him back to the United States to answer to the charges, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday night in a news release.

Sotomayor-Sanchez is a native of Peru and flew there a day after being charged with vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter and related offenses, the news release states.

The wreck happened Dec. 23, 2010, in Middletown Township, Bucks County. Killed was Sheree Maillie, 55, a teacher's aide at Newtown Middle School. The mother of two lived in Newtown Township, also in Bucks, and previously worked as a New York City police officer, according to a Bucks County Courier Times report.

Police allege Sotomayor-Sanchez was driving a Volkswagen Beetle when he attempted to pass another vehicle illegally over a double-yellow line on Woodbourne Road. His vehicle struck a PT Cruiser driven by Maillie head-on. She died a short time later at a nearby hospital.

Nelio Sotomayor-Sanchez, 46, was arrested earlier this month in Lima, Peru, authorities say. (Courtesy photos | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Sotomayor-Sanchez also suffered injuries. He was hospitalized but moved to Tampa, Florida, after being discharged. His attorney sent a letter to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office on Jan. 12, 2011.

The letter informed the office of the move and indicated Sotomayor-Sanchez was aware that charges would be filed against him in connection with the crash, the district attorney's news release says.

The charges were filed Feb. 25, 2011. The next day, according to authorities, he boarded a plane in Miami, Florida, and flew to Bogota, Colombia. He then flew from Bogota to Lima, Peru, on the same day.

On May 10, 2011, the FBI charged Sotomayor-Sanchez in federal court with unlawful international flight to avoid prosecution. That charge is pending in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.

The U.S. Department of Justice is assisting in the effort to bring Sotomayor-Sanchez back to the country, but the news release didn't indicate when that is expected to happen.

The release also didn't detail the circumstances of his arrest, including the exact date he was taken into custody.

Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A Mountmellick man who broke into two schools in Mountrath leaving his own blood splashed over the premises after cutting his finger on a broken window has been sentenced to jail.

Judge Catherine Staines also directed that money from the court poor box be given to the schools to cover damages, in the case of Stephen Lacumber, aka Stephen Brophy (25), with a previous address at Kirwan Park, Mountmellick.

He was charged with a number of offences at last weeks sitting of Portlaoise District Court.

Inspector Aidan Farrelly gave evidence that on September 6 last, a car was broken into in Mountrath and an ATM card stolen. The card was later used to buy goods at a service station in Mountrath, cigarettes and Red Bull to a total of 16.

The accused was identified from CCTV footage at the service station. He claimed that he had found the ATM card.

On September 7, the accused and a juvenile broke into two schools in Mountrath, Scoil Bhride and St Fintans NS.

Serious damage was caused to Scoil Bhride, as the accused injured his finger on a window and spilled a large amount of blood at the scene.

Insp Farrelly said that 1,050 damage was caused, and 120 of goods stolen.

At St Fintans, there was also a large amount of blood left at the scene, and laptop chargers valued at 75 were stolen and never recovered.

The amount of damage caused was 230.

The accused then broke into St Fintans school again some three weeks later, on September 30. He and a juvenile were caught by gardai near the school with a safe they had stolen.

In a separate incident going back to January 15 of last year, the accused was caught driving without a licence or insurance, at Patrick Street, Mountmellick.

The accused had 30 previous convictions, including four for theft, four criminal damage, assaults, and production of an article.

Defence, Ms Josephine Fitzpatrick said in relation to the ATM card, her client had found it and used it.

He admitted the burglaries of the schools. She said that during one of the burglaries, his co-assailant had knocked himself out while exiting the school.

The accused had been rendered homeless at the time of the offending and had been hoping to find money, said Ms Fitzpatrick.

She said in relation to the road traffic offences, the accused had just purchased the car and had no paperwork.

She said the accused has been in custody for some time on other matters.

Hes spent his first Christmas in custody and I suspect it wont be his last, said Ms Fitzpatrick.

Judge Catherine Staines said these were serious matters which merited a custodial sentence.

For the burglary of Scoil Bhride, the judge imposed ten months in prison, and directed that 1,000 from the court poor box go to the school.

The other matters were taken into consideration, and the judge directed that 300 from the poor box go to St Fintans.

For no insurance, the judge imposed one month in prison and disqualified the accused from driving for four years.
Treacys landmark thatched bar and restaurant near Portlaoise is set for a major facelift.

Treacy's, which is located at The Heath, Portlaoise, is Ireland's oldest family pub - established in 1780. The 7th and 8th generation of Treacys currently work there along with a team of 28 staff.

Tom and Marie are delighted to announce that the restaurant is to shortly undergo a major redecoration. They say it is with regret that this will require a temporary closure to facilitate the works.

The restaurant will be closed from Monday 30th January for 10 to 12 days. The bar, however will continue to open each evening from 7pm.

The Treacys dont plan on losing the tradition or authentic charm of the restaurant, but rather to enhance the premises with modern bathrooms and more comfortable surroundings. They will be keeping their regulars updated via social media as the project progresses.

In 1987 Tom and Marie Treacy opened a restaurant at the premises in response to the demand from truck drivers on the N7 Dublin road for Maries toasted special sandwiches from her kitchen.

The pub has come through much in its 237 plus years  famine and two world wars to name a few. The restaurant has survived the Portlaoise bypass in 1997 and more recently and perhaps more challenging, the recession.
A picture taken by a member of the public at Portlaoise A&E appears to demonstrate the problems faced by patients trying to get treatment at the hospital.

With the Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise experiencing another busy day - 29 waiting for admission according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation - a picture taken at the hospital claims to show that elderly patients are forced to use seating.

The person who took the photo claimed it was taken in the A&E on Wednesday evening about 6pm. It was claimed that the woman was aged in her 70s and forced to sleep on waiting area chairs in corridor. The picture shows a walking stick visible under the seats.

"The area was like a war zone. Staff were terrific," said the member of the public who took the photo.

The daily trolley watch figures for Portlaoise show that of the 29 patients waiting for beds on Wednesday, there were 21 people in the Emergency Department (ED/A&E) and eight on wards.

It has the highest A&E trolley count in the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group which also includes Tallaght, St James', Tullamore and Naas hospitals.

Portlaoise has been one of the busiest hospitals since December and has had a consistently high trolley count.

In its report before Christmas the Health Information and Quality Authority found the situation at the A&E was 'unsustainable' without a decision on the hospitals future or a commitment to fund it as a level three hospital with 24 hour emergency services.

It is widely believed that the HSE has submitted a plan to the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, which calls for downgrade including A&E closure, as part of a shakeup of the DMHG.

During a recent visit to Portlaoise, Minsiter Harris admitted that "the dogs in the street" knew that there was not enough capacity in the system to cope with the closure of any A&E.
It is a dry January of a different kind in a Laois town.

Irish Water is asking residents of Mountmellick to conserve their water usage for the "foreseeable future" due to the unseasonably dry weather conditions over recent weeks.

A a time of year when floods are typically the biggest problem, dry weather conditions have put pressure on the town's only well source.

"The dry weather conditions have resulted in lower than normal water levels in the Straboe well which is the source of drinking water for the Mountmellick Public Supply. Irish Water is asking people to conserve water as much as possible and to report any leaks they see on the public network by calling our customer care helpline which is open 24/7 on 1850 278 278," a spokesperson said today, Thursday January 19.

Irish Water and Laois County Council are carrying out leak repair works on the Mountmellick and Portlaoise public water network to reduce leakage.

The public is being asked to help conserve water by reporting all leaks in the network.

"Irish Water would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and would like to thank the public in advance for their co-operation. We will continue to provide updates on the water storage levels at the reservoir and advise customers when they can return to normal usage," the Irish Water spokesperson said.
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A local councillor has called on farmers to move their sheep feeders to prevent the animals wandering into a neighbouring estate and turning the green area into a pigsty.

Cllr Joanne Pender (Ind) asked yesterday's Kildare Newbridge Municipal District meeting if the council could liaise with the Department of Defence and local farmers, who are placing the feeders at The Curragh between Orchard Park, at an area known locally as The Plantation.

The position of these feeders is ensuring a constant presence of sheep around the estate, which is in turn destroying grassland that is commonly used as playing grounds by the kids in the area, she said.

She said she understood the flocks of sheep had the right to wander over the Curragh but by moving the feeders, they would be encouraged not to enter these areas as often.

The council said it would send a letter if the councillors agreed.

Cllr Mark Stafford (FG) asked if the local residents had been in contact with the parties involved to try and resolve the situation. Cllr Pender said they had.
Happy new Year! The most recent meeting of the Federal Policy Committee took place on 18th January 2016 in Portcullis House, Westminster. This was a very well attended meeting indeed, it being the first of a new cycle of Federal Policy Committee meetings. This committee has a three-year term.

We welcomed a large number of new members the committee. There had been a substantial change in committee membership following the elections. They included Elizabeth Jewkes, Alisdair McGregor, Chris White, Paul Tilsley, Qurban Hussain, Christine Chueng, Jim Williams, Sally Burnell, Catherine Royce, David Weston, Susan Juned, Jonny Oates, Tony Greaves, Kamran Hussain and Heather Kidd. Andrew Wiseman attended to represent the Federal Conference Committee and Richard Cole represent the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors.

Composition of Federal Policy Committee and Committee Elections

Tim Farron MP remains as the chair of the committee.

There were elections for the post of Vice-Chair. There were three vacancies; one of them was reserved for a Parliamentarian (the old M.P. Vice-Chair). The contenders were Duncan Brack, Jeremy Hargreaves and Sarah Ludford and they were all elected without opposition.

Lizzy Jewkes and Alisdair McGregor were appointed to the Policy Equalities Impact Assessment Group. That group conducts an audit of each policy paper to ensure that the authors have thought through and considered the equalities aspect of their work.

Paul Tilsley, Susan Juned and Alisdair McGregor put themselves forward for the two places on the Federal Conference Committee (FCC). There was therefore an election. The winners were Susan Juned and Paul Tilsley and they will attend FCC to represent the committee.

Peter Price and Alisdair McGregor stood for the new Federal International Relations Committee. were duly elected.

Sarah Ludford was elected to the ALDE Congress Delegation. Belinda Brooks-Gordon was elected to the Liberal International Conference Delegation.

Two co-optees were appointed to the committee. They were the representatives from Young Liberals and Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats. The identity of those representatives will by decided by the Federal Policy Committee. There is a position reserved also for the Chair of any Manifesto Writing Group. None of them have voting rights. The Chair of the International Relations Committee was appointed as an observer.

The committee is presently going through the process of appointing Regional Representatives and people to liaise with the Specified Associated Organisations.

Committee members also completed a Declaration of Interests form.

Standing Orders

For the first time in twenty-nine years, the committee had to adopt its own Standing Orders. That was done at this meeting. The draft that was adopted concerned the constitutional role of the committee, the calling and administration of meetings, the quorum, the number and nature of the officers of the committee and their term lengths. There are also sections on conflicts of interests, disclosure and transparency.

One of the requirements of those new Standing Orders is for the committee to produce a written report after each meeting. I am delighted to say that these reports are being used as the template for those official FPC reports!

Nuclear Weapons Policy Paper

The first policy-related item of business for this new committee was the small matter of the Nuclear Weapons Policy Paper. Neil Stockley, the chair of the group, attended to talk about that item. He talked about the proposals in the paper, the escalating costs of Trident and the background to the formation of the group. He strongly advocated the position that his group had taken in its paper.

This issue featured on the agenda of the last meetingof the commottee

As I have set out before, the remit of the group noted that the world had changed profoundly since the United Kingdom became one of the five declared nuclear powers in the 1950s. Britains nuclear posture has, however, not kept up. Following the Cold War position of mutually assured destruction, the post-Cold War era led to improved security but Britain nonetheless retained its nuclear deterrent. Many questioned the need but successive governments rejected the idea of giving up nuclear weapons. In this changed landscape, the group was charged with looking again at the case for Britain being a nuclear power.

As I said in my last report, I cannot re-produce the conclusions of the group here as they will be debated at conference in due course and there is an embargo upon them until they are announced. The preliminary report does, however, make it clear that we want to see a world free of nuclear weapons. The question is how we get there.

The full debate will take place at Spring Conference in 2017. There is likely to be a range of views coalescing around a few discrete positions. Ultimately it will come down to a vote on the floor of conference.

There was a lengthy discussion at the Federal Policy Committee. Many people welcomed the paper but there were a number of dissenting voices. There were contributions about the deterrent effect of nuclear weapons, our previous positions on the issue, the role of Russia, Donald Trumps likely actions as President, the costings for Trident, the present threat to N.A.T.O., the impact of nuclear weapons within Europe, a no first use policy for nuclear weapons and the positions that other parties are taking or are likely to take. There was also a discussion over whether the paper is likely to become out of date in due course or whether it will endure.

The paper was agreed for submission to conference, as was its accompanying motion with some editing suggested.

Faith Schools Conference Motion

As regular readers of these reports will know, there is presently an Education Working Group in train. It is going to consult at the Spring Conference 2017 in York and its final paper will be submitted to the Autumn Conference in Bournemouth. Its remit is wide but one thing that it does not consider is that of faith schools. That is a highly contentious issue in the party and one that has been debated at conference before. For that reason, a deliberate decision was taken to address the issue of faith schools individually at conference and not part of a wider working group; if it was not dealt with in that manner, it would only be the subject of an amendment in any event.

Jeremy Hargreaves had been asked before Christmas to put together a motion on the topic that could be considered at Spring Conference. A motion was duly drafted and placed before the committee. It contained four options and the committee was asked to choose between them. For this discussion, we were joined by a representative from the Liberal Democrat Humanist Association (Toby Keynes) and from a Catholic Education Trust (Peter Taylor).

Again, the discussion was very wide-ranging. It focused around whether options should be offered to conference and, if so, what they should be. There were also a number of contributions made about the validity of the various positions.

As with nuclear weapons, I am not going to set out the text of what was selected. Whether this motion appears on the agenda for conference is ultimately a matter for the Federal Conference Committee and not for the policy committee. Suffice it to say that, if the motion is selected, there will be a full debate at conference, doubtless with amendments from a number of sources!

Immigration and Identity Working Group Remit and Chair

The outgoing committee had agreed to set up a working group on immigration. This is clearly one of the most important political issues that the country faces and it is time that party policy on this question is updated, especially in the light of the outcome of the referendum.

The Federal Policy Committee agreed the remit of the group. That remit starts with a very clear statement that we believe that immigration has made Britain stronger, more welcoming and more prosperous. It goes on to require the group to consider the outcome of the referendum, freedom of movement throughout the European Union, the status of E.U. migrants here and U.K. migrants living elsewhere. It must also address immigration from outside the E.U., public attitudes to migration and the effect of that migration on our community relations and culture, abuse of the immigration system and how best to protect asylum seekers and refugees given the significant problems that many countries face throughout Europe.

There were many people on the committee who wanted to make sure the remit was positive about migration and that we made a strong case in favour of it.

The group will report to the Spring Conference in 2018 and consult at Autumn Conference in 2017.

Adam Pritchard has been appointed as chair of the group.

People and Power Working Group Remit and Chair

The remit for this group, and the selection of its chair, appeared on the agenda for this meeting but was deferred. It is to return to a future meeting. That is because no chair has been selected yet and we ran out of time!

Committee Business

The committee noted its work programme going forward. The policy working groups that we have coming up are as follows:

Spring Conference 2017: Nuclear Weapons Sex Work

Autumn Conference 2017: Britain in the World 21st Century Economy

Rural Communities Education

Spring Conference 2018: Power to the People Immigration and Identity

Yet to be allocated: Health & Social Care Crime, Policing & Justice Taxation

We were going to consider this further but we ran out of time!

Finally

This was a very lengthy meeting, reflected in the length of this report. We did not conclude the meeting until after 21:30. The next time the Federal Policy Committee meets is on 15th February 2017.

* Geoff Payne is the Chair of Federal Conference Committee.
Despite all the sugar-coating in her speech, the Hard Brexit announced by prime minister May didnt go down well with Dutch businesses, many of whom have done business with Britain for decades.

The combination of the threats uttered alongside the Hard Brexit option, and a series of recent stories in Dutch newspapers about extradition letters being sent to Dutch housewives by Tory immigration ministers, seriously changed the way many UK-loving Dutch think about being in Britain, and British policy attitudes.

That point was today brought home to me, when I met a friend whose family had been visiting the Lake District every summer for decades. He told me that he didnt feel as welcome in England as he used to, seeing the way the May government is treating our mixed-married compatriots who also love Britain. He pointed out that Mays walk away threat puts British-Dutch couples in complete limbo.

The treatment of British-Dutch couples is a sore point among my friends with many asking me what Liberal Democrats are doing about it.

After Mrs Mays tough talk, his daughter decided that instead of studying in England, she rather would apply in Paris. She too felt insecure at the end of a three-year curriculum, besides losing the ERASMUS subsidies. The prospect of a hard Brexit wont diminish the fears of being separated by insensitive bureaucracies already felt by Dutch citizens married to British citizens living in Britain with jobs. Dont be self-employed, you wont be able to apply. Dont expect the Dutch media to stop paying attention.

In its Brexit speech analysis, the Economist states that WTO rules forbid cherrypicking sectors after a hard Brexit. Trade deals like CETA take many years, having to be ratified by national and regional parliaments. Im certain the leftwing majority in the Walloon parliament in Belgium which held up CETA, would love to sabotage such a Neoliberal plot again.

Dutch business/finance circles are also worried. The Financieel Dagblad, equivalent of the Financial Times, in its analysis today says that Dutch business is especially worried because in specific sectors, Dutch exports to the UK provide for 300.000 Dutch jobs as our government accounting chamber CPB concluded recently. This is reiterated in the liberal quality newspaper NRC Handelsblad, a must-read for everybody in Dutch politics.

Business sources of Handelsblad and FD fear Mrs. Mays broad trade deal wont be all-encompassing, leaving outside sectors important to smaller countries like us and the same goes for her new-style Tariff Union.

If May walks away from a deal; the (Dutch) ING Bank reckons that WTO rules would add a 10.7 to 17.5% tariff on Dutch meat, flowers and fruit export; and dairy exports (our national identity emblem at international fairs) being hit by a 42% tariff.

The FD quotes experts from three influential EU think tanks: Open Europe (OE) and the Center for European Reform (CER) in London, and Bruegel in Brussels. Mrs. Demertzis (Bruegel) says Mays walk away threat is hollow, seeing the mutual interests in the Dutch-British trade, going back to the medieval wool/cloth trade. Mr. Korteweg (CER) points to the equivalent of Irish-British trade: being very near has bred great, longstanding interdependence. If Mrs. May doesnt put a hard border between Ulster and Ireland, the Dutch will feel especially aggrieved if theyre treated harsher. Demertzis and Mr. Cleppe (OE) agree that the WTO option or selective-treaty tariff walls would hit both the EU (especially the Netherlands) and the UK.

The Dutch CBI equivalents, VNO-NCW (all business) and MKB (small & medium enterprises) have called on Dutch government to defend all Dutch interests.

The Dutch have always been very friendly with the UK as good trading partners and political soulmates. The blunt Dutch and reserved British can get along famously. For the first time in my life, I see tensions pop up in these relationships. Dutch citizens and business worries can harden the Dutch government stance in Brexit negotiations. Dont let that grow.

* Dr. Bernard Aris is a historian, a D66 parliamentary researcher and a LibDem supporting member.
Its time for the Scottish Parliament to debate the Governments budget plans for the coming year. Its particularly interesting this year as the SNP no longer has a majority and must secure the backing, or at least the abstention, of others in order for the budget to pass.

Willie Rennie has written to Derek Mackay, the SNPs Finance Minister, to set out the changes that the Liberal Democrats wish to see before they could consider supporting the budget.

It will come as no surprise to anyone that he is sticking to the priorities we outlined in our manifesto for the Scottish elections last year  more money for disadvantaged kids in schools as we implemented successfully south of the border, an expansion of mental health services, particularly for young people, and more funding for the Police who are struggling to cope with the SNPs disastrous centralisation.

Its quite important that we have all this in mind in everything that we do during this Parliament. We need to think about what we want to achieve and what we will have to say to voters in 2021 about what we have fought for and where we are not prepared to settle for tepid, unambitious half-measures. In the last Parliament, where the SNP had a majority, we still made issues like early years education, colleges, the Police, civil liberties and mental health our own and won significant concessions from the SNP in budget discussions. Now that there is no majority, we need to push for more.

Derek Mackay should not under-estimate the pressures that Willie Rennie is under from within the party. Activists and councillors across Scotland would take some convincing before they would be happy with our MSPs supporting the SNPs budget. There would have to be some pretty significant changes in line with the priorities Willie has set out. Window dressing will simply not do. This is what he has to say on the subject:

The SNP have no majority for their draft budget. If they want a majority they will need to agree to this comprehensive but necessary plan. The intention is to secure substantial changes to the budget which will set Scotland on a stronger, more liberal path, giving people the chance to succeed and reach their potential whatever their background. Liberal Democrats will not agree to the draft budget as it stands and will need these substantial changes. If we dont get what the country needs then we will walk away. Our plan invests for a step change in mental health and a transformation in education that will help in the road to a liberal Scotland. A properly funded pupil premium and more money for colleges will create that opportunity and boost jobs and the economy. New investment in mental health services will boost this Cinderella service and make the whole NHS more sustainable in the future. We have also included support for alcohol and drug services, a higher budget for the police and lower cost transport for the Northern Isles. I have had a number of meetings and discussions with the Finance Secretary so far and looking forward to receiving his response to our plan.

His full letter to Derek Mackay is below:

Derek, We have had meetings on the 2017-18 Scottish Budget prior to publication and since then, most recently last week. I want to use this letter to set out the position of the Scottish Liberal Democrats in advance of the Stage 1 vote on the Budget Bill. The result of the election has left you as a minority. I have looked at the priorities and proposals made by my party in the election. I want to be clear with you about what my colleagues and I believe needs to be changed in the Draft Budget. In short we will need new measures on mental health, restored college funding, a fully supported pupil premium, new money to support the police, together with less costly transport links to the northern isles. Given the turbulence that has affected the Scottish economy, and the weekly warnings about skills shortages, business confidence and educational attainment the Scottish Liberal Democrats are right to prioritise a strong long-term economy for Scotland. It remains our belief that the range of issues we have discussed with you remain important to develop a strong, diverse economy with increased economic participation. You have explained to me how you have adapted and structured your Draft Budget to meet some of those priorities. This note sets out where we accept elements of that but I need to be completely clear with you where the Budget continues to fall substantially short. The centrepiece of our election campaign was a 500m annual investment in education. As you will have heard me say on many occasions, Scotland used to rank amongst the best in the world for education, now we are average. The decline will have a real effect, when the lack of investment in education reduces the number of high-skill and high-wage jobs in Scotland. My partys proposals invest in education and learning from childcare, to the pupil premium, to restoration of funding to colleges. We showed in May that this could be paid for by our Penny for Education proposal, not through the withdrawal of funding to other services. Our proposal for a pupil premium will give schools the resources to raise attainment by children from disadvantaged backgrounds. We allocated 190m in our manifesto to allow additional funding of 1400 for eligible primary school pupils and 900 for secondary. This was on top of the Attainment Fund that existed at the time of the election. Since the election you have announced a welcome change of policy away from your previous position of limiting funding to only certain local authorities and towards our idea of an entitlement that reaches right across Scotland. The amount of your proposed investment still falls short of the amount that would match the similar pupil premium operating in England. The outcomes from the investment in England have been substantial and worthwhile. It doesnt seem right to us to underfund the provision in Scotland and risk not achieving the gains. This 70 million shortfall will need to be addressed if the Budget is to gain our support. On colleges, we remain seriously concerned at the shortages of skills in important sectors. College funding next year will be 93m below the peak funding achieved in 2010-11 under the terms of your Draft Budget. The erosion of the college sector should not be allowed to stand next year. The decline has impacted on women and older students disproportionately. We believe that it is important to return investment back to former funding levels and meet future skills needs. Improved college funding will need to be part of the final Budget. On childcare, at our discussion in December you set out how the Scottish Government will be piloting different models for implementing its policy of additional free childcare provision from the age of 2. My party supports your overall aim. We believe that the policy will be difficult to deliver. We are very concerned about the reports of the difficulty of accessing current provision in some parts of Scotland. I am prepared to accept your assurance that the policy is being implemented in a phased way to allow for proper evaluation of the best way to bring it in. This is a different route to that proposed by my party in May. We felt that much more investment would be needed earlier. I am prepared to accept that your route does not need that particular slice of our additional funding for the year 2017-18. The Scottish Government has failed to meet the challenge of mental ill health. The governments strategy expired more than a year ago. The proposals in the Draft Budget do not get anywhere near meeting the need. This is a big issue for the economy and employers, who lose millions of days from staff absences. It is serious and heart-breaking for individuals and families. In May we proposed to increase the mental health budget line for 2017-18 to allow for the expansion of provision of services. Given the daily reports of immediate problems in the Scottish NHS, together with concerns about its long term sustainability, our proposed investment in mental health is essential. Changing the way we deal with mental health will take the pressure off GPs, A&E and the police who are left, too often, as the only point of call for mental health. Our mental health plan would double CAMHS spend to match England. We would also invest in dedicated mental health professionals in A&E departments, GP surgeries and in police divisions. These are substantial new services that signal a transformation in the seriousness with which mental ill health is treated. I met SAMH last week and they too believe that doubling the CAMHS budget will allow for more Tier 1 and Tier 2 treatment for young people, and this has also been endorsed by the Parliaments health committee. In short, we cannot support a Budget that does not deliver substantial additional resources for mental health, above the resources identified in the Draft Budget. It will need investment of at least 1.2bn in mental health next year together with a mental health strategy that develops the new services I have mentioned. For the wider economy we do need to insist that the Scottish Government honours its commitments on ferry fares to the northern isles. We believe that fares can and should be halved in order to support the economy of the northern isles and to match the increase subsidies given to west coast routes in recent times. The reinstatement of the business use of the Air Discount Scheme is also essential. We are also concerned at the provision of Alcohol and Drug Partnerships. Their budget was cut and then funding amalgamated into the overall health board budgets a year ago. Services are falling short in many areas. As part of the budget process we would want to gain some assurance and certainty that health boards will provide the right investment in these important services. I should also report that we have looked at the points you made to me when we met last week on the police budget. I would wish to place on record that the Scottish Liberal Democrat manifesto retained the 55m change fund and added a further 20m to the indexed police budget. This is because we do not believe the change programme has succeeded. So your present Draft Budget is at least 20m short of what we think is important to promote a successful police service. What I have set out above is not a long list of every item that would benefit from more spending. It is a tight and prioritised list that has the long term future of the Scottish economy at its heart. This list is smaller than that which we proposed in our manifesto but the challenge for you remains substantial. I have indicated where we have accepted your reasoning on childcare. I believe that the proposals I have made here are ones that can be accepted by the Scottish Government and, given the economic challenges ahead, should be incorporated into a revised Scottish Budget. I stand ready to discuss these matters with you further. I have been clear in this letter that our support for the Budget can only be considered if significant and substantial change is included for colleges, the pupil premium, mental health, the police and the island economies.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
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A COMMUNICATIONS breakdown is being blamed for an RAF military transport plane landing at Shannon Airport without seeking permission last month.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan, has confirmed he has instructed his officials to raise the matter with the UK authorities.

He was responding to a query from Deputy Clare Daly who aked why the Hercules C-130J transport plane landed at Shannon Airport on December 29 last.

In this instance, permission to land was not sought in advance from my department. In response to a request for clarification from my officials, the British Embassy has explained that this was due to a communication breakdown, he said.

The Embassy has confirmed in writing that the purpose of the landing was refuelling, and that the flight was unarmed; carried no arms, ammunition or explosives; and was not engaged in intelligence-gathering nor formed part of a military exercise or operation, he added.

Minister Flanagan says the Government views any breaches of the established procedures with the utmost seriousness.

Ms Daly has described the revelations as utterly shocking and a total affront to Irelands sovereignty.
RESIDENTS opposed to Irish Cements controversial plans for Mungret are set to independently monitor the air around the site.

More than 50 people attended a meeting at St Pauls National School in Dooradoyle in protest at proposals by the company to switch from using fossil fuel to solid recovered waste, and used tyres at its Limerick plant.

In a week when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has delayed making a decision on the scheme, and council bosses confirmed they will also have their say, members the Limerick Against Pollution (Lap) group say they will monitor the local environment for dioxins and other substances.

Claire Keating, who lives in Mungret said: The fact is, the nearest EPA monitoring station is in Ennis, so that is no good to us. It is worrying we feel we have to police them. But if we have to do it, we have to do it.

Irish Cement has consistently stated its proposals will not lead to an increase in current emissions from its plant, due to the high temperature the burning will take place at.

The firm has also said if its proposals are waved through by City and County Council and the EPA, it will safeguard the roles of the 80 staff working on site.

But with the company being asked to provide emissions data as part of a further information submission to the local authority  which is deliberating on the physical infrastructure part of its plan  residents are going to do likewise.

Ken Moran, also a member of Lap, said hed be hoping to get mass numbers involved in the monitoring.

There is the possibility to do this. There is a software out there called Air Quality Egg community monitoring. And there, the community monitors the gases and so on, he explained.

Separately, Lap is also to initiate a letter writing campaign to the EPA among school children in the local areas.

James Tuohy, who works as a teacher at Mungret Educate Together National School, and is planning this strategy, said: What I do have confidence in is people power. These agencies are all susceptible to pressure. We saw it in the water charges campaign. We have seen it in the trade union movement. They cannot withstand people power.

Also speaking at the meeting, Fianna Fail councillor James Collins said he is absolutely horrified at the Irish Cement proposals.

Someone mentioned the schools which are being built [in Mungret]. For many years, I have been instrumental in getting that project off the ground. A community and educational campus. For the years it took to put the park and the playground there, and for this to be proposed next door horrifies me, he said.

Cllr Cian Prendiville, Anti-Austerity Alliance, warned that the EPA, the council or An Bord Pleanala should not be seen as white knights who could stop the projects in its track.

The way this will be stopped is through people power, he said, urging a major public protest against the proposals in mid-March.

Earlier this week, it emerged the council is to make an unprecedented submission over the 10m proposals.

Kieran Lehane, the councils manager in the metropolitan district confirmed it would write to the agency after Irish Cements planning application has been decided.

The EPA also announced this week that it has deferred making a decision on whether to give a licence until July.

Lap will this Tuesday night hold a fundraising quiz night at Collins Bar in Dooradoyle.

Irish Cement declined to comment.
UNIVERSITY of Limerick has conferred academic awards on more than 1,200 postgraduates and undergraduates across a range of research areas at graduation ceremonies this week.

This Wednesday, the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences gave awards to 600 students participating in 52 programmes, while the Kemmy Business School and the Faculty of Health and Science awarded 600 awards to graduates on Monday and Tuesday.

Addressing the hundreds at UCH on Wednesday afternoon, UL president Prof Don Barry said that the Faculty of Arts continues to engage in teaching and research in important and emerging areas, prompting thought and debate at a national and international level and in areas affecting us all.

The outgoing president particularly praised the Journalism School for its annual Limerick Voice project, which was distributed with the Limerick Leader in December.

Our journalism students continue to make news  literally. We celebrated the success of a wonderful 40-page local newspaper produced by our masters and fourth year undergraduate journalism students. The paper, known as the Limerick Voice, was distributed with the Limerick Leader.

"And RTEs Brian Dobson, who is Adjunct Professor of the UL Journalism School, officially opened a new television news studio facility as part of a major expansion of our journalism activities.

He said that he was delighted to see a strong increase in CAO applications for 2016, with first preference numbers exceeding 5,000 for the first time in the institutions history.

He added that UL has a strong employment rate which is 18% higher than the average for the other universities in the country. He described this as the UL edge.

During Tuesdays ceremony, 15 PhDs were awarded for research topics including The effect of strength training on performance in endurance athletes and compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction in foster cares.

Seven PhDs were awarded at Wednesdays ceremony, which Prof Barry said it reflected the quality of their work.

The research topics included physical activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis, bladder dysfunction in people with Multiple Sclerosis, chronic neck pain rehabilitation, Irish set dancing for people with Parkinson's disease, and occupational choices for disadvantaged youth.
TRIBUTES have been paid to a Castleconnell man who died in a shooting incident in the chapel attached to University Hospital Limerick yesterday.

The man, who was aged in his sixties, was attending UHL for an appointment before 3pm, having earlier received a terminal diagnosis of cancer.

He was found  with a wound to his chest  by a member of the public who attended the church a short time later. A firearm was recovered by gardai, who are investigating the circumstances of his death, but foul play is not suspected.

Senator Paul Gavan, from Castleconnell, said this Thursday: The community is in shock. It is a personal tragedy for him and his family and I extend my heartfelt sympathies to his family."

I know he was someone who was highly thought of in the local community. His family would have very good standing and I just want to extend sympathies to his family on the tragic circumstances of his loss.

Its a tragedy. His family will have the support of everyone throughout Castleconnell village and beyond in the next few difficult days, continued Senator Gavan.

It is understood that the man, a father of four, was gifted at repairing household appliances and restoring antique furniture.

He was a fine, big, tall man - well over six foot. You would often see him walking around the village. Nobody can believe this. It is very sad, said one local.

No funeral arrangements have been announced to date.

- If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please contact Aware on 1800 80 48 48, the Samaritans (116 123) or Console (1800 201 890). The website yourmentalhealth.ie lists mental health supports and services by county.
A DIRECT Provision centre which houses more than 60 asylum seekers in Limerick city will shut its doors next week after being issued with a closure notice.

Westbourne Holiday Hostels, which is based on Ashbourne Avenue near the Dock Road, was issued with a closure notice on Wednesday afternoon by the Reception and Integration Agency, which oversees all Direct Provision services.

The centre, which has around 15 staff, has up to 64 male adult residents in Direct Provision.

The RIA letter, copies of which have been posted all over the centre, states:

The Reception and Integration Agency wishes to advise you that for contractual reasons, this centre will no longer be available to us for the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers beyond the 27th January 2017.

The centre will close with effect from that date.

All existing residents at the Westbourne will be relocated elsewhere. RIA will assist with transferring your belongings etc to your new accommodation centre.

The Reception and Integration Agency will write to you regarding your new accomodation centre in the coming days.

A source told the Limerick Leader this Thursday afternoon that it is a very distressing time for everybody here.
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Xiaomi takes on Moto G4 Plus with Redmi Note 4 Xiaomi's new 5.5-inch smartphone looks set to stir another battle in the budget Android smartphone segment /smart-living/innovation/xiaomi-takes-on-moto-g4-plus-with-redmi-note-4-111646911282786.html 111646911282786 story

After the impressive Redmi Note 3, Chinese phone maker Xiaomi has announced its successor. The Redmi Note 4 continues in the same vein by offering powerful hardware, latest version of MIUI and subtle design changes that give the new phone better grip and superior looks.

The Redmi Note 4 will be available in three price variants. The 2GB+32 variant is priced at Rs9,999, the 3GB RAM+32GB model will cost Rs10,999 and the 4GB RAM+64GB model is priced at Rs12,999.

The phone is likely to be pitted against the Moto G4 Plus (Rs13,499 onwards), which has already started receiving the Android Nougat update.

Metal versus plastic

Xiaomi is one of the first phone makers to bring full metal body design to the sub Rs10,000 segment with the Redmi Note 3. Its successor also has a metallic exterior but due to a flatter side panel, it offers better grip. The Moto G4 Plus with its plastic exterior looks plain but offers better grip and is lighter too. It weighs 155g, while the Redmi Note 4 tips the scales at 175g. Both phones offer fingerprint sensor. In Moto G4 Plus, it is placed on the front, while in Redmi Note 4 it is placed at the back. The speaker in the former is placed on the front too, while in the latter it lies at the base.

Powerful innards

The new Redmi Note 4 runs on Qualcomms new Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor. This is the first 14nm chip from Qualcomm outside the Snapdragon 800 series and has been used in mid-range smartphones such as the Moto Z Play (Rs24,999). This is the first instance when it is used in a budget smartphone. It is a more powerful chip than the 28nm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor that drives the Moto G 4 Plus. The other highlight of the Redmi Note 4 is that its entry-level variant offers 32GB of internal storage which is twice of what the entry-level Moto G 4 Plus offers.

Custom UI versus plain Android

Xiaomis new smartphone runs Android Marshmallow with the latest MIUI 8 user interface on top. It is a funky UI with lots of customisation options that allow users to modify the colour of the phones display, apply new themes and keep two icons of the same app on the phone. The Moto G4 Plus has an upper hand as it has started receiving the latest Android Nougat update and will be available to users right away. The plain Android interface is a lot more user-friendly but cant match the MIUI 8 in the cool quotient.

Bigger battery

The other major highlight of the Redmi Note 4 is the 4,100mAh battery which Xiaomi claims is 25% more efficient than its predecessors 4,100mAh battery. The Redmi Note 3s battery easily delivers about a one and half days backup on modest use. The Moto G4 Plus is powered by a 3,000mAh battery that provides a days backup at most.
William Blake is important for our pedagogy, says poet Anne Waldman At the Jaipur Literature Festival, the poet on her influences and working with her heroes /news/talking-point/william-blake-is-important-for-our-pedagogy-says-poet-anne-waldman-111646911148839.html 111646911148839 story

Anne Waldman may not be popular in the literary conversation in India, but the 72 year old poet is an important figure in the post-Beat poetry movement. Having grown up with jazz by the likes of Thelonius Monk and literature by Beat legend Allen Ginsberg, she today carries with her the extraordinary story of having gone on to work with Ginsberg later in her life, opening a poetry school in Colorado with him. At the Jaipur Literature Festival which started on 19 January, Waldman gave the inaugural keynote with Indian lyricist Gulzar. This was a special pairing up, especially because Waldman is most influenced by lyrical traditions and forms from the East. Red-flagging the larger context of current times, she said that there seems to be a war on imagination" and it is literature that can help the world wake up to itself."

In an interview with Mint, she spoke of her intimate and long-standing relationship with the Beat poets, on British poet William Blake, the rising popularity of slam poetry, and more. Edited excerpts.

You grew up listening to lots of jazz and reading the Beat poets. And then you went on to interact and work with a lot of them, which is phenomenal.

Yes, I grew up in Greenwich village, and my father had met Ginsberg. In high school in the 1950s we read some of (Lawrence) Ferlenghetti a key poet in establishing the Beat movement; his bookstore City Lights had a publishing wing whose Pocket Poets series gave a platform for the now-famous Beats like Allen (Ginsberg) and other contemporary poets. And then before Allen Ginsberg and I ever met officially, I think I spoke to him on the phone at some point in the 1960s. I wasnt yet out of college, I had another year.

The Beats each have very individual, independent (experiences)I honoured Kerouacs incredible sense of suffering. He was an immigrant, French Quebecois, quintessential male figure for that time vulnerable yet tough, and macho in ways and yet you know, a mamas baby. The complexity of those relationships, and the intimacy, homosexuality, and the tenderness among men was all interesting to me.

Also, I never felt excluded because I came later. Allen (Ginsberg) was very attentive to me and supportive. I could also have friendships with William Burroughs and others, which would be, if I were their generation, more intimidating. But I felt I was curious and I could ask them questions.

And then Allen and I went to on found The Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, and all thats history.

But with the Beats you have jazz and then influence of Black culture, and Allen actually felt that the only spiritual hope for America was the recognition of the Black experience.

Also Read: Who ate up the forests? asks Subodh Gupta at Jaipur Literature Festival

Your work is very different from what one has come to expect of poetry. Even the way you perform much of it sounds like incantations. What influences this?

When I attended the Berkeley Poetry Conference in 1965, I was very inspired. The collaboration of many poets from these alternative traditions though there were not enough women who were very much more influenced by say Asian forms, or by Mantra, or by thinking politically through their work in deeper ways, really stuck with me. They were less bound to the left hand side margin, which comes from the tradition of British poetry, that youre taught in American schools. It is fantastic stuff, but then you realise that forms like the sonnet, the pantoum, and so on actually come out of the oral traditions. I started investigating that, which took me to so many other cultures: For example the Ghazal, Persian poetryI love the Alaap form, wherein you introduce your themes and then you improvise as you go on. This particularly stayed with me, as I was interested in more circular structures less the narrative form which follows a structure of this happens, then you have an epiphany, and then a conclusion. That was not for me.

Blake was also an alternative writer in his time, says American poet Anne Waldman. Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint

You speak of the spiritual and of really studying British Poetry. When these two things are spoken of together, the first thing that comes to mind is the poetry of William Blake. Does your work, or the larger post-Beat movement as it is now, derive from Blake at all?

Yes of course. My recent book is called Voices Daughter of a Heart Yet to be Born. It came out just last year. It starts with Blakes Book of Thel, a very important, small prophetic book. Its a book of desire, the unborn, the consciousness that doesnt want to come into this world; is shown her own death plot and runs screaming back to the veils of innocence. This is a very important image for me.

I think Blake was also an alternative writer in his time. He was a visionary, he was constructing these allegories, and his constructs are so relevant even now. Anybody that is writing a larger work of poetry is drawn to Blake because its so different from this neat little sonnet and so on. And then the sense of innocence versus experience, the dichotomies of darkness and light, and being not a typical Christianall of these I think clearly drew Allen to him.

Allen too had a vision, a Blake-like vision. I think Allens vision of hearing Blakes voice is always mentioned in his biographies. Thereve been many classes at The Kerouac School that teach Blake, for hes very important to our pedagogy. So within my world of thinking, he is important. And for the rock (music) world too I mean Patti Smith references Blake too. Hes good for all times!

Also Read: How AI may help you write your new book

What do you mean by Disembodied Poetics? Whys it a part of the name of your school?

Well at the time (we started) we had nothing. We didnt have a building, we didnt have an office, we didnt have money, we didnt have a desk, we didnt have a department as such, we werent accredited. It was kind of joke actually because The Jack Kerouac school was kind of too heavy, and to me sounded a little too male. And so I threw this in. Allen was okay with it; he was amused. We were in a way also honouring many poetsI mean, we werent an English department, nor did we arrive, as most creative writing departments do, from one. They usually get their funding and their support from English departments and thats how they also get academized.

But we at The Kerouac School were just poets, starting our own program. The idea was that we could teach whatever we wanted. We didnt teach in a methodical way. Allen did an English Literature course and I would do a course on women and modernism, but none it was organised. That was part of the joke, that we were teaching not just ourselves (own poetry), or contemporary poetry, but also people who were no longer with us. William Burroughs even taught Troilus and Cressida!

Spoken word poetry, that really finds its roots in the Beat movement, is now popular everywhere in schools and colleges. I know that it is big in the US and that there are national collegiate tournaments. In the same style, it is lately also catching up in India as well. Do you keep track of this, given that a large part of your work focusses on performance poetry?

I call what I do modal structures. Sometimes theyre songs, sometimes theyre longer, sometimes theyre this mantra Ive never called myself a spoken word poet. Sometimes the label is there. But Ive been very supportive of the slam scene and younger people who are very excited and (find that) it is their way to poetry. I have friends who work at the slam poetry venues, especially New York Citys popular Bowery Poetry Club. But its important for me that you read as well. The book is also a sacred object and I think it can do both. People often say, is it stage, or page?" But no, it is both.

In slam, a trademark sort of style of phrasing and cadence is emerging with most poets. Do you ever see an overlapping of styles, or a cross influence between what you do and what is happening with the younger slam crowd?

I would say that it is very different. Im following a cadence in my head which doesnt have to do with the rhyming or the pentameter or the neat tada-tada-tada-tada. But I give honour to the lyric form. Though it is the same lyric form that I tried to break away from as a child, I find that when you get back into it more deeply, it can be extraordinary. But when its being thrust on you.and it was not interesting to me to have the poem be about a particular subject. I want the poem to be an experience, for both the listener and for myself.
Who ate up the forests? asks Subodh Gupta at Jaipur Literature Festival Artist Subodh Gupta responds to anthropologist Bhrigupati Singh's book on the Sahariya tribe of Rajasthan in his work, 'Who ate up the forests' /news/talking-point/who-ate-up-the-forests-asks-subodh-gupta-at-jaipur-literature-festival-111646911340849.html 111646911340849 story

Jaipur: Subodh Guptas solo show, Anhad/Unstuck, at Famous Studios in Mumbai concluded less than a fortnight ago, on 7 January.

The works there centred around a theme common to his body of workdisplacement and migrationwith the difference that the cosmos had entered the dialogue; he was seeking to explore our relationship with and within the universe.

Artist Subodh Gupta. Photo: Aniruddha Chowdhury/ Mint

At the 2017 Jaipur Literature Festival taking place at Diggi Palace between 19 and 23 January, Gupta has on display one work that brings us right back to earth, with a thud.

Who Ate Up The Forests?, as the work is titled, is in response to anthropologist Bhrigupati Singhs 2015 book, Poverty and The Quest for Life: Spiritual and Material Striving in Rural India. Placed in the centre of a lawn is a large rusted cage, being carried by a bird, an eagle perhaps, its eyes glowing red in the night, which has been created with large-scale imitations of kitchen utensils.

Cover of Bhrigupati Singhs book Poverty and The Quest for Life

Within the cage, using frayed jute cloth, shrivelled coconut shells, used brooms, coconut husk, twigs and branches and other rural household items, are both the body of a bird as well as several nests. The shabbiness, which takes the viewer aback in the midst of the colour and celebratory drums beating at the literature festival, is deliberate.

This is not the first instance of a collaboration between Singh and Gupta. A detail from Guptas Pure (I), an axe partially buried in the ground, appeared as the cover image of Singhs book, releasing it, as the authors note accompanying Guptas artwork put it, by one small stroke, from being solely my own expression". In Poverty and the Quest for Life, Singh travels to Shahabad, where live the Sahariyas, officially classified as Rajasthans only primitive tribe. In an area faced by drought, food shortage, the erosion of natural resources, poverty and among people carrying the baggage of their own terrible history of being former bonded labourersthe wretchedness evoked by Guptas work, of a grim, barren life and earthSingh asks us to reconsider what quality of life is".

As the note to the book explains, He shows how the Sahariyas conceive of aspiration, advancement, and vitality in both material and spiritual terms, and how such bridging can engender new possibilities of life." Which brings us back to the miserable landscape of Guptas work, lit up by the vitality in the birds eyes, which refuse to dim, especially in the darkness of the night.
Trumps refusal to be held accountable has made people embrace him: Paul Beatty Man Booker winner Paul Beatty questions how much power the US President's office really has /news/talking-point/trumps-refusal-to-be-held-accountable-has-made-people-embrace-him-paul-beatty-111646911123089.html 111646911123089 story

Paul Beatty won the Man Booker Prize for his novel The Sellout, which raises some difficult questions about race identity in America, about a country pretending" to be integrated. The protagonist of the novel reluctantly owns a slave, and starts an experiment in segregating the town he lives in order to put in back on the map.

On the opening day of the Jaipur Literature Festival, which is incidentally also the eve of the inauguration of Donald Trump as the new US president, both guest of honour, the poet Anne Waldman and Beatty made strong comments on stage about the new development in their country. While Waldman called the day the eve of the terrible inauguration" and spoke about not wanting to live in such a dystopic world, Beatty, when asked whether he would watch the inauguration, replied in the affirmative, saying: When an atomic mushroom cloud is in the sky, I want a good view."

In an interview with Mint Lounge, Beatty speaks about why hes more voluble about the impact of Trumps presidency now than ever before, and why he thinks the presidency, regardless of whos in the seat, is losing its majesty.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

Congratulations on the Man Booker Prize. What do prizes mean to you?

Obviously in terms of recognition, thats nice. Personally, its nice to know that people appreciate what I am doing, what I write. I dont write to be liked, but its nice to be liked.

Youve often said that once you finished writing this book, you thought it was a good book. Are you always as confident about your writing? Writers are often filled with self-doubt.

Not really. I think I am a decent writer, but this one was different. I ran into a friend and I had just started writing the book. He said to me, yknow times are hard here, the world needs a big book. I dont know exactly what he means by big, just in my head I went, ya I think I am writing a big book. Its about a small world and a small mind, but I realised there was a bigger context. For me that was very different.

Its not a conventional novel. I wanted to ask you about the genesis of it. To me, it seems to be a bunch of conversations you were having with yourself.

Everything I write is the same; I always have these disparate notions and ideas. And for me, the challenge is whats going to be my narrative through all of this, how can I touch on all of this? I just know they belong in the same book. That neighbourhood, I wanted to do something in that neighbourhood. I love the idea of trying to explore segregation in a contemporary context. It took me a long time to figure out how to do it. But I knew where I wanted to get to more or less in my head. The hard part was starting. I was at a dinner party and there were two lawyers there and they were talking about some case, and I went holy smokes, the Supreme Court, thats where its supposed to start. So once I knew where the initial start was, I think I just kind of knew where I was going.

Have you been mulling over this idea of a segregated contemporary world for a while?

Not really, but maybe. One of it is, most places are pretty segregated. They just kind of pretend that its a fact of life that these things happen naturally. I personally dont agree with that. I dont agree that segregation is like the physics of water, people find their levels naturally, I think people get steered to separateness. One of the things I have heard for years, when I was little, was oh African-Americans were better off under segregation, we were independent, more this and more that. I dont think I believe in it necessarily but at some level I heard it and went what would that look like now. We use all these historical references and we pretend that was then and this is now. For me, this stuff always bleeds over in time; it doesnt go anywhere. For me, it was to use these words and these labels that we think we know what they mean. I just kind of try to sort of make all this contemporary to some level. The time of the book is kind of fuzzy, you dont know exactly when it is, but thats the point. It can be 20 years from now, 20 years ago, 20 years sideways, I dont know what that means.

People still believe they were better off segregated?

I dont think its a big line of thought, but I think some people do. Ive been reading all this stuff about how there are these eight multi-billionaire, men whose combined wealth is equivalent to half of worlds. Its insane. Then this article, I dont know whether its true or not, there are places on the planet where people had more nutritional sustenance 500 years ago than they have now. That was really interesting to me. Because we think technology, systems of government, all these things, will create a better life for everyone. But theres something about that, what progress is, thats for me really interesting, and how we render it, articulate it, to what extent it is progress about self interest, just the way people think and talk about it that for me is interesting.

Speaking of the genesis of the book, there are several references to Obamas presidency in the novel, and things somehow seem to take off from this.

Hes supposed to be the symbol of something. Just at a hypothetical level, what are we talking about? One of the things is, I said this thing about people making people feel good about themselves. And theres a part of him that makes people feel good about themselves. Its not like they can and time will tell. Im old, and bitterIm not that bitter, but Im very cynical. But yknow, its like what happens to the world, to kids, all these young people today who grow up and oh, America has a black president, they spend a big part of the affirmative years where America has a black president. I remember when he first got elected, I was pitching a TV idea, I was talking to a producer and he was a huge Obama supporter. Hes a white guy, and he says to me, oh Obama, hes so smart, hes smarter than I am. Then he said to me, how many white people do you know that would admit Obama is smarter than I am? He thinks hes giving me some kind of compliment, but what hes really saying is theres one black person on earth whos smarter than me, and thats this guy.

Its just what he means to people. How does that shape how they see themselves? Its interesting to me. I dont have an answer to it or anything but the general assumption that hes here and that makes things better. Margarat Thatcher was prime ministerdid that make things better for women? Just these weird things about how people think. And I think they make things better for certain types of people. But its how wide do you want to cast that net of that progress? I dont have an answer to that, but obviously its something new, something that people thought would never happen, so it means something.

Theres a comedian in the States named Chris Rock who has a good quote, where he goes, Obamas election wasnt a symbol of black progress, but a symbol of white progress. Thats an interesting way to look at it. In the States, police violence is in the news now. Theres a new Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC about African-American history . I saw a black reporter interview Obama in this black" museum and shes asking him about police shootings. And theres this one shooting on tape and its obviously the cop is in the wrong. Obama starts equivocating. He doesnt say anything. And shes asking about this one specific thing and he wont say. Theres a weird kind of thing about how much power does he have, and is it his job to care about this stuff? Its an interesting thing, we assume that the position, the power means a lot. One of the things thats interesting is how the nation probably thinks about the presidency is really changing, the position itself, regardless of whos in it.

How so?

I dont know yet. I think a part of it is how powerful is the job? Some of it is personality driven. I dont want to say the person is a figure head; its more than that. But we have these expectations and how real are they? Of course these are old questions. But theres something about the job and the majesty of that job thats changing. Theres less romanticism about the job, less romanticism about the country. A part of the book is about who is accountable for what. More of the thing that America is grappling with is its sense of accountability. It kind of started, for me, with the Iraq war. There hasnt been any accountability. Or the Wall Street crisis. There hasnt been any accountability. Trump runs and says all this stuff and nothing makes any sense. But hes never really held accountable. And somewhere the brashness and the refusal to be accountable has made people embrace him. Its interesting to me.

Youre questioning how much power the president really has, so all this fear, apprehensions about Trump becoming the president, does it matter then?

I wouldnt say that. Of course it matters. How it will matter I have no idea. But its like the book, the kids father, hes a pyschologist. He tries to make his son accountable at a certain level that the son is not comfortable with. Hes like youre black, youre supposed to be XYZ and the son is not comfortable with that. I wish I had these declarative statements to make on these, but I dont. The weird things about Trump is that whether it is true or not, people are really seeing a clearly drawn line. And for a lot of people, that line was not always so clear. People are uncomfortable, it feels like sometimes, they may have to take sides. Or beyond taking sides, Im going to cast my ballot to do this. I think sometimes people are feeling, oh it might require some extra effort on my part to make this democracy work, whatever it is supposed to be. People are nervous about that.

I noticed that before Trump was elected president, you withheld comment about him, you didnt want to, as you say, make declarative statements. Today, seems to be different.

Not really, some of it depends on who asked, depends on what mood I was in. I am not a prognosticator, I am not a pundit. It is easy to go, oh this is a sign of XYZ followed by this. Some of that is maybe stuff I would say with my friends, but I wouldnt say in public. It because I dont want to be flippant about it necessarily. I can be humorous about it, but I dont want to be flippant about it.

Why are you a writer?

As you know, I am not a very good talker. Im not very good in public. I am fortunate enough to find something that really gives me satisfaction like nothing else that I do. Thats why. I like language.

This is something youve known pretty early on?

Its something I never admitted to myself, because no one encouraged me to do so. As I got older, I found myself reading differently, Reading more poetry, thinking about life differently, thinking about literature differently. It started to mean more to me somehow. And I was getting my doctorate in psychology and then I realised its what I want to do. I was talking to a friend , and I said to her, I want to start writing. And I just start started doing it. It wasnt something I did as a child, but I realised its something I always liked doing, and was fairly decent at it. I never knew it was an option for a while really.

So, the concept of integration, the reading from your book is everyone is living a falsehood? It is hypocritical, a farce.

Absolutely. Life is like that. I think for most people life is very often hypocritical. Its oftentimes not what we think it is. Sometimes you just need to see yourself in it from another context. Its one of the things I learned from psychology, There are so many perceptions happening at once. Its kind of shifting. One of those things really made me realise what my centredness was about. My centredness is here, but its often somebody else sees it in a completely different way that may be accurate but I just dont know it about myself.

This reads like such a complete book about America. Do you have anything left to write about?

I hope so, Someone said that to me after my first book, and that was four books ago. So hopefully, well see, time will tell.

Are you working on something now.

No, not now.

Does that worry you?

Not at all. I am tired.
Secret agents

Secret agent. (Image credit: sergign, Shutterstock.com)

Spies. They operate in the shadows. The public isn't supposed to know who they are. Perhaps as a result, the most famous spies out there tend to be pretend: James Bond, Jason Bourne and Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan.

Occasionally, though, the curtain gets pulled back, whether through betrayal or just time. Here are 10 stories of spies whose tales have become public.

Spy vs. Trump

After CNN reported on Jan. 11, 2017, that U.S. intelligence chiefs had briefed president-elect Donald Trump on allegations that Russia had dirt on him, Buzzfeed quickly followed by posting the entire leaked dossier. (Image credit: Public Domain)

After CNN reported on Jan. 11, 2017, that U.S. intelligence chiefs had briefed president-elect Donald Trump on allegations that Russia had dirt on him, Buzzfeed quickly followed by posting the entire leaked dossier. The documents contain unverified claims that Russia had assisted Trump, feeding him intelligence about his opponents, and offering him sweetheart real-estate deals. The documents also claim that Russia's Federal Security Service has salacious blackmail material on Trump's sexual activities while visiting Moscow.

At first, the claims in the report were attributed only to a former spy that the U.S. government had reason to trust. Within a day, however, Reuters reported that the person who compiled the dossier was a former British intelligence officer named Christopher Steele.

According to the news agency, Steele spied under diplomatic cover. The U.K. newspaper The Independent reported that he'd worked in the United Kingdom's embassy in Moscow as well as in Paris. Steele is the founder of Orbis Business Intelligence, a private firm in London. As of Jan. 12, he had fled his home and was in hiding as a result of the dossier becoming public.

Valerie Plame

Former CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee March 16, 2007 in Washington, DC. (Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Valerie Plame was a covert operator for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)  though until she was outed in the pages of the Washington Post in 2003, she seemed to be just another D.C.-area professional.

Plame was deep undercover working in counter-proliferation, she told "60 Minutes" in 2007. Her job was to gather intelligence and recruit spies to ensure that bad actors didnt acquire nuclear weapons, she said. That all ended when the late reporter Robert Novak revealed her to be a CIA spy; subsequently, former Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage said he had inadvertently revealed Plame's status to Novak.

No one was charged with leaking Plame's identity, though a Department of Justice investigation probed whether the Bush administration had outed Plame as revenge for her husband's opposition to the Iraq war. In the process of that investigation, administration advisor and lawyer Lewis "Scooter" Libby was indicted for perjury, making false statements and obstruction of justice.

Libby was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, a sentence later commuted by president George W. Bush. Plame now lives in New Mexico.

Alexander Litvinenko

Alexander Litvinenko is pictured at the Intensive Care Unit of University College Hospital on November 20, 2006 in London, England. (Image credit: Natasja Weitsz/Getty)

A former agent in the Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia's spy agency, Alexander Litvinenko fled to the United Kingdom in 2000, after being arrested twice in Russia because he and his colleagues accused higher-ups in the FSB of ordering the murder of Boris Berezovsky. Berezovsky was a businessman who had been critical of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Litvinenko spent his time in exile speaking out against Putin. On Nov. 1, 2006, he became seriously ill. He had been poisoned, doctors found, by radioactive polonium-210, which had been put in his tea that day at London's Millennium Hotel. Litvinenko died three weeks later of radiation poisoning, as reported by the BBC.

A British investigation accused two former Russian agents, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, of carrying out the poisoning. The agents denied the charges and Russia refused extradition; a 2016 inquiry by the British government found that Litvinenko's poisoning was "probably" approved by Putin, according to the BBC.

Ethel Rosenberg

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, separated by heavy wire screen as they leave U.S. Court House after being found guilty by jury. (Image credit: Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division)

Ethel Rosenberg is one of the most famous names associated with clandestine activities, but it's not clear she was even guilty of espionage. Rosenberg was convicted of treason along with her husband Julius in 1951, accused of sharing secrets about the U.S. atomic program with Russia. Both were executed in 1953. As recently as December 2016, the two sons of the Rosenbergs were petitioning President Obama to exonerate their late mother, CBS reported. Ethel Rosenberg was born Ethel Greenglass in 1915 in New York City, according to her biography on Atomic Archive. She worked as a secretary until marrying her husband Julius and having the couples' sons. The couple were members of the American Communist Party until 1943, an affiliation that would not serve them well in the charged Cold War climate of their trial. The primary witness in the case against the couple was Ethel's brother David Greenglass, who was convicted of stealing nuclear weapons intelligence from Los Alamos, New Mexico, according to the New York Times. Documents released in 2015 reveal that Greenglass did not initially implicate Ethel in grand jury testimony, according to CBS; years later, Greenglass would tell the New York Times he lied about Ethel Rosenberg's involvement to distract suspicion from his wife.

Virginia Hall

CIA agent Virginia Hall of Special Operations Branch receiving the Distinguished Service Cross from General Donovan, in September 1945. (Image credit: CIA, Public Domain)

A World War II-era female spy with a wooden leg? It seems too fantastic to be true, but Virginia Hall's tale is the stuff of high drama. This eventual CIA spy was 27 when she lost her lower left leg in a hunting accident, according to the agency's biography of her. She nicknamed her prosthetic leg "Cuthbert."

The Baltimore native was told she could not join the foreign service because of her disability. Instead, she joined the ambulance corps in France at the beginning of World War II. From there, she volunteered for the British Special Operations Executive and set to work organizing resistance activities against the German occupiers in France. The Nazis called her "the most dangerous of all Allied spies" and were determined to eliminate her.

They never could. After the war, Hall continued covert operations in Europe before joining the CIA in 1951. She worked there until the mandatory retirement age of 60.

Oleg Gordievsky

Oleg Gordievsky is congratulated by Baroness Thatcher following his investiture by the Queen on 18th October 2007. (Image credit: Public Domain)

What's a spy story without its double agents? Oleg Gordievsky joined the KGB in 1961. But starting in 1971, Gordievsky had another boss: MI6, the British intelligence service.

Gordievsky's double life caught up with him in 1985, according to a 2015 Smithsonian profile. He received word from Moscow that he was to come home from his posting in London.

"Cold fear started to run down my back," Gordievsky told Smithsonian Magazine. "Because I knew it was a death sentence."

He'd been found out, but with reassurance from MI6 that he hadn't been compromised, he returned to Moscow anyway. He was drugged and accused of being a double agent, but not arrested; the Soviets were waiting for him to contact the British to arrest him, Gordievsky told Smithsonian Magazine. From there, Gordievsky's life started to resemble a movie plot. The British slipped him an escape plan hidden in the cover of a novel; his signal to flee was the sight of a British person eating something at a designated place and time. He made his way to the Finnish border, where three British agents met him with an SUV specially modified so that the fleeing spy could hide in the space where the driveshift would normally be. Gordievsky now lives in the U.K. and has authored several books on the KGB.

Melita Norwood

A view of the general office of the FSB (KGB) building on January 23, 2006 in Moscow, Russia. (Image credit: Oleg Klimov/Getty Images)

Melita Norwood almost got away with it. As a secretary at the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association, she passed information to the Soviet Union about metallurgy research used to develop atomic bombs, according to her obituary. Her code name was Hola.

KGB archivist Vasili Nikitich Mitrokhin revealed Norwood's identity in 1999, by which time she was an 87-year-old grandmother living in southeast London. She told the BBC at the time that in general she didn't agree with spying on one's own country, but that she was motivated to spy to support Russia's new communist system.

"I did what I did not to make money but to help prevent the defeat of a new system which had at great cost given ordinary people food and fares which they could afford, good education and a health service," Norwood said. She was never prosecuted, and died in 2005.

Kim Philby

Kim Philby (1912 - 1988), former First Secretary to the British Embassy in Washington, holds a press conference at his mother's home in Drayton Gardens, London, on Nov. 8, 1955. (Image credit: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

One of the most notorious KGB moles ever was Kim Philby, the son of a British explorer and colonial official in the Middle East who was recruited as a Soviet spy during his time at Cambridge University. In a 1981 speech to the German Stasi, unearthed in 2016, Philby said his place in the upper class provided his cover as he worked his way up to a job in MI6. It was easy to pass secret information to the Russians, he claimed  he simply befriended an archivist who would let him take documents home.

In 1951, Philby left MI6 under suspicion that he was a mole. He was exonerated in 1955 and went to Beirut as a journalist, working again as spy for Russia. He came under suspicion again by British intelligence. He fled, defecting to Russia in 1963. He died there in 1988, reportedly disappointed in Russian communism.

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman (Image credit: Library of Congress)

Harriet Tubman is famous for her work shuttling hundreds of enslaved people to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Tubman escaped slavery herself in 1849. Between 1851 and 1860, she made 19 trips to liberate around 300 people from slavery.

But Tubman was also a spy. During the Civil War, she volunteered at Fort Monroe, Virginia, as a cook and a nurse. After the Emancipation Proclamation in 1963, Tubman was able to take an official position in the Union Army, according to the Harriet Tubman Historical Society. She was a scout and spy charged with creating escape routes for slaves. In a famous raid, the Combahee River Raid, Tubman led 150 black soldiers to liberate 750 slaves in South Carolina.

Robert Hanssen

Shown here, the so-called Ellis drop site; under this footbridge over Wolftrap Creek in Vienna, Hanssen placed a package of highly classified information for his Russian handlers to pick up. (Image credit: FBI)

For 22 years, Robert Hanssen sold American secrets to the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation in what a U.S. Department of Justice report would dub the "worst intelligence disaster in U.S. history."

Hanssen was a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent who started selling intelligence only three years after joining the agency in 1979.

"Hanssen usually collected this material in the normal routine of an FBI manager privy to classified information that crossed his desk or came up in conversation with colleagues," according to the DOJ report. He also downloaded data from the FBI's record system, including the identities of U.S. intelligence agents. Hanssen told investigators his motives were purely financial and that he planned to make a little money. He ended up making $1.4 million in diamonds and cash.

Hanssen was arrested in 2001 and is serving 15 consecutive life sentences at a supermax prison in Colorado.

Shown here, the so-called Ellis drop site; under this footbridge over Wolftrap Creek in Vienna, Hanssen placed a package of highly classified information for his Russian handlers to pick up.
The skeletons found in "cemetery two" at al-Ghazali in Sudan were all males, suggesting monks who lived in the nearby Christian monastery were buried there.

Four cemeteries, from which at least 123 individuals have been excavated so far, have been unearthed near the remains of a medieval Christian monastery in Sudan. A few of the burials contained individuals buried in unusual ways.

The cemeteries and remains, which have been excavated over the past two years, are located at a monastery called al-Ghazali near the Nile River. The people who were buried there lived about 1,000 years ago, during a time when a series of Christian kingdoms flourished in the area, according to Robert Stark, a doctoral student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, who presented the findings this month in Toronto at the joint annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America and the Society for Classical Studies.

The discoveries include well-preserved burial shrouds that in a few instances still cover the skulls of the deceased, Stark said. The archaeologists also found tombstones with engravings of prayers that were written in Greek or Coptic (an Egyptian language that uses the Greek alphabet). In one cemetery, some people were buried in mysterious ways: For example, two individuals were found with post-mortem cut marks incised in their bones. [See Photos of the Massive Burial Ground and Monastery]

Stark is part of an archaeological expedition of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, at the University of Warsaw, which is excavating al-Ghazali.

Massive burial ground

An archaeologist named Peter Shinnie first excavated the cemeteries at al-Ghazali in the 1950s, Stark said. While Shinnie believed al-Ghazali held more than 1,000 burials, he uncovered just a few during the course of his fieldwork. The Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology is the first organization to conduct large-scale excavations at al-Ghazali's cemeteries, he added.

An overhead view of cemetery two, which is located beside the Christian monastery, at al-Ghazali in Sudan. (Image credit: Photo courtesy Robert Stark)

One of the cemeteries consists almost entirely of adult males and was probably used by the monks from the monastery, Stark said. Two cemeteries contain a wider mix of individuals and appear to have been used by people who lived in nearby settlements. The fourth cemetery was discovered recently by archaeologists and contains only 15 burials  and some of those have features that are unusual.

Tombstones

In all four of the cemeteries the remains of stone structures were found on the surface, above the burials, Stark said, adding that some of these structures have the remains of tombstones.

The writing on the tombstones tended to follow a particular format. "To make it simple. The writing on tombstones can be divided into two parts," Artur Obluski, the director of the excavations at al-Ghazali, told Live Science in an email.

The first part consisted of prayers, which included "a prayer for the soul of the deceased, a prayer to the Providence of God, the God himself often described as merciful," Obluski said. These prayers ask "that the soul will be taken care of and can rest on the bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob or in the world of the Living."

The second part of the tombstone engravings "contains some individual information of the deceased: his name, age at the time of death, sometimes titles he bore during his life time  so-called cursus honorum  and professions he performed," said Obluski.

Mysterious cemetery

The graves in the more recently uncovered cemetery showed some unusual features, Stark said.

One burial contains a mix of bones with cut marks from two individuals; an analysis of the bones indicates that the cut marks were incised around the time that the two individuals died.

"All the indicators [are] that this happened when the bones were still quite fresh," Stark said during his presentation, noting that there are no signs that the bones were made by scavenging animals. It's possible that the cut marks were created during some form of defleshing, Stark said.

There were other individuals in the cemetery who were found to be buried in unusual ways. For instance, one person's legs were lying at a 45-degree angle, with the person's right arm dangling across his or her head. This person was buried in a "haphazard" way, Stark said, despite the fact that the person's grave was neatly dug into the ground and a stone structure was apparently built above it.

Original article on Live Science.
A female gorilla and a 4-month-old baby named Kabila (after the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

A future without primates outside of humans seems unthinkable, but an extensive review of ape, monkey, tarsier, lemur and loris populations finds that 60 percent of all primates are now threatened with extinction, and about 75 percent are declining in numbers.

The review, the most comprehensive of its kind to date and published in Science Advances, paints a dire future for our closest biological relatives. Their only hope hangs on global conservation becoming an immediate priority, the international team of authors says.

"It is possible that some primates will go extinct in our lifetimes if we don't increase our efforts dramatically," Russell Mittermeier, a primatologist who is the president of Conservation International, told Seeker from a Madagascar airport.

Madagascar is one of just four countrieswith Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo being the other threethat host two-thirds of all species of primates. Mittermeier, who is also the chair of the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group, explained that "primates are largely tropical rainforest animals," and these countries have such habitat, although these once-lush landscapes are shrinking across the planet.

A species of monkey might have already gone extinct during your lifetime: Miss Waldron's red colobus monkey. It was reportedly last seen in 1978.

RELATED: Climate Change Caused Hundreds of Local Extinctions in 2016

Paul Garber, who co-led the new study with Alejandro Estrada, said, "Several species of lemurs, monkeys and apessuch as the ring-tailed lemur, Udzunga red colobus monkey, Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, white-headed langur and Grauer's gorillaare down to a population of a few thousand individuals."

Just a few thousand Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys are still left in the wild, according to Paul Garber of the University of Illinois, Urbana. (Image credit: Paul. A. Garber)

Garber added, "In the case of the Hainan gibbon, a species of ape in China, there are fewer than 30 animals left."

Contrast those low numbers with the current estimated population of humans on the planet, around 7.4 billion. Our actions are behind all of the factors that currently threaten primate populations. The IUCN has found that agriculture, logging and wood harvesting, livestock farming and ranching, as well as direct loss due to hunting and trapping pose the primary threats. Still other threats include habitat loss due to road and rail construction, oil and gas drilling and mining, pollution and climate change.

Reducing the impact of such threats would require addressing issues concerning local poverty and population growth, Garber said.

"Building economies based on the preservation of forests and their primate inhabitants, and broadening educational opportunities for women would begin to address some of the greatest threats to these animals."

A forest converted into soy fields in Brazil. (Image credit: Rhett A. Butler)

Those proposed solutions, however, will need substantial time to implement, and primates are running out of time. Given their low populations, most are "in the eleventh hour," Garber said.

RELATED: Should We Bring Extinct Animals Back to Life?

Mittermeier agrees that the drivers of primate destruction clearly must be addressed, "but if that is all we do, the primates will be gone before we have the impact desired."

He continued, "We need very specific targeted approaches to primate conservation, focusing on the highest priority regions, ensuring that protected areas work where they already exist and creating new ones where they don't, and carrying out targeted efforts for the most endangered."

He and his colleagues point out that non-human primates offer critical insights into our own evolution, biology and behavior. They are key to rainforest ecosystems, with their decline impacting other animal populations as well as plants. In the wild, they also benefit local economies, given the growth of ecotourism in recent years. Mittermeier is even hoping that "primate-watching" will become as, or more, popular than bird-watching, "to get more people out into the forest and to get more excited about helping to conserve."

Madagascar, with its 111 species and subspecies of primates94 percent of which are endangeredoffers particularly rewarding ecotourism opportunities. Mittermeier explained that the country has been isolated from the rest of the world for at least 90 million years, so primates evolved there to fill many different ecological niches.

Primate conservation requires a global effort, however, with both local and national governments affecting funding, attention and effort directed to solving related problems.

As for the incoming new American president, Mittermeier said, "I don't think Donald Trump has primate conservation high on his priority list. We just don't know what he will do, and will have to adopt a wait and see approach."

Original article on Seeker.
Mind over matter? One government test of paranormal abilities tasked alleged psychic Uri Geller with replicating unseen drawings, such as a bunch of grapes. Geller's result (right) was produced in isolation from the target illustration.

When the CIA recently shared millions of pages of declassified documents online, the agency included a collection of files for what was arguably one of the U.S. Army's strangest initiatives: investigating psychic abilities for use by military intelligence.

Known as Stargate, the program launched in 1978 and lasted for two decades, exploring reports of so-called psychic phenomena that originated behind the Iron Curtain and around the world, and conducting experiments testing "mind control" techniques. [The 10 Most Outrageous Military Experiments]

The Stargate files were recently made available online as part of the CIA Records Search Tool (CREST) database, which included a total of 930,000 declassified files containing more than 12 million pages, CIA officials explained in a statement.

One of the CREST documents, a mission statement for Stargate stamped "Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals," described the project's goal: "To establish a program using psychoenergetics for intelligence applications."

A search on the Merriam-Webster dictionary site yields a discouraging "Words fail us" result for the term "psychoenergetics." However, the William A. Tiller Institute for Psychoenergetic Science defines psychoenergetics as energy exchanges that can be influenced by consciousness.

To understand how these energy exchanges could work  and how they might be used to benefit military intelligence  the Stargate project documented numerous reports of people using their minds to manipulate objects or read others' thoughts. The documents include accounts of spiritual healers in Russia and Mexico, "firewalkers" in Greece, assorted tales of poltergeists and hauntings, and experiments testing metal bending through mind control.

Stargate also conducted tests to see if psychic abilities could be performed on command under controlled circumstances. The well-known performer and alleged psychic Uri Geller participated in a series of experiments over eight days in August 1973. During these tests, researchers asked Geller to duplicate drawings that were produced by another person, whom he could neither see nor hear.

In one notable example, the word "bunch" was selected at random, and the control subject drew a bunch of grapes. Meanwhile, Geller was expected to duplicate this drawing while isolated in a room nearby that was shielded electrically and acoustically and had no window openings, the summary of the experiment said.

Geller first mused about seeing "drops of water," then described "purple circles." He finally said he was "quite sure" he had the picture, and proceeded to draw a bunch of grapes that had 24 globes in the cluster, the same number as in the control drawing.

His performance in this and other experiments provided convincing evidence of his psychic abilities, CIA observers wrote in the study. But overall, the Stargate program failed to amass enough data to support or replicate psychoenergetics activities, and was finally dissolved in 1998.

Original article on Live Science.
Photo of the U.S. Capitol behind of a crowd waving American flags at President Obama's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2009.

More than two months after he was elected to be the 46th president of the United States, Joseph Biden will be officially sworn in to office on Wednesday Jan. 20, 2021. But if votes are cast in November, why does so much time elapse between the election and the inauguration ceremony?

While 10 weeks may seem like a long wait, past presidents had to contend with a much longer delay before taking up the mantle, historical records show.

This year's 59th inauguration ceremony will be only the 22nd ceremony held in January. Prior to the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1933, every new president was expected to take office on March 4. There were exceptions however, such as if a vice president took the oath after the death of a sitting president.

Related: Inauguration forecast: Frigid. (But it's been colder.) (opens in new tab)

The Continental Congress (the country's governing body prior to the first elections) set the first Wednesday in March to be the date of the first presidential inauguration, in 1789, which happened to be March 4, according to Jim Bendat, author of "Democracy's Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President, 1789-2013" (iUniverse, 2011). But this was a logistical decision based on the the need for both Congress members and presidential transition teams to relocate to the capital.

"Back in the early days of the country, it took a long time to travel, particularly from the West Coast to Washington, D.C.," Bendat told Live Science. "So, they needed a long period of time between the election and swearing in of the president to get everything in order."

Related: The 6 strangest presidential elections in US history (opens in new tab)

In fact, that first inauguration, in 1789, did not take place until April 30. Bendat said Congress couldn't get enough of its members to show up for the inauguration of George Washington (opens in new tab), so the ceremony was pushed back to the end of April.

Following Washington's inauguration, Congress decided to keep March 4 as the date for all future ceremonies. In research for his book, Bendat said, he found that part of the explanation for this choice of date (beyond the time needed for the transition between presidencies) was that Congress' study of future calendars revealed that this date was least likely to land on a Sunday. This was important because the most religious of politicians wanted to avoid official business on Sundays whenever possible, Bendat said.

Aerial view of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump taking the oath of office during the 58th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Image credit: Bloomberg/Getty images)

Today, if the inauguration date falls on a Sunday, there is a private swearing in on Sunday and a public ceremony on Monday  as was the case for Barack Obama's second inauguration.

By the 20th century, advances in technology and transportation meant people could travel around the country more quickly, and there was no reason for the "lame-duck" period between Election Day and the inauguration to be so long. Also, in times of national turbulence, the lame-duck period proved to be too long a wait.

Related: The 15 Weirdest Presidential Inaugurations in US History

This long delay was particularly difficult during the middle of the Great Depression, said the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law's "Exploring Constitutional Law." During President Herbert Hoover's lame-duck period in 1932, Hoover and then-President-elect Franklin Roosevelt barely communicated, leaving the country waiting on the government to take action to curb economic devastation. In response, Congress proposed the 20th Amendment.

"There was a debate on when to change it, because it was decided pretty universally that four months was too long to wait," Bendat said. "The Senate originally wanted to change it to Jan. 15, and the House of Representatives suggested Jan. 24, and Jan. 20 was reached as a compromise."

Therefore, the 20th Amendment dictated that the president's term would begin at noon on Jan. 20.

Additional resources:

Learn more about what it takes to put the inauguration ceremony together from the Architect of the Capitol (opens in new tab) .

. Find information on every presidential inauguration in U.S. history from the Library of Congress (opens in new tab) .

. Read more about the history of inaugurations from The White House Historical Association (opens in new tab) .

This article was originally published on Jan. 19, 2017 and was updated on Jan. 15, 2021 by Live Science reference editor Kimberly Hickok.
Nearly half of American men have a genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, but a much smaller percentage have received the HPV vaccine, according to a new study.

The results show that about 45 percent of U.S. men under age 60 have a genital HPV infection, which translates to about 35 million men, the researchers said. What's more, 25 percent of men were infected with so-called "high-risk" types of HPV, which, compared with low-risk types of HPV, are more strongly linked with cancer. Only about 11 percent of U.S. men had received the HPV vaccine, according to the study, published today (Jan. 19) in the journal JAMA Oncology.

And surprisingly, the researchers found a high rate of HPV infection in older men. In fact, the highest rate of HPV infection seen in the study was among those ages 58 to 59 (the oldest age group in the study). This higher rate of HPV infection in older men contrasts with what's been seen in women: The HPV infection rate is lower in older in woman than in younger ones. [Men vs. Women: Our Key Physical Differences Explained]

The "consistent, high infection rate among all age groups in men was very striking, because this was not expected," said Dr. Jasmine Han, who led study and is the chief of gynecologic oncology at the Womack Army Medical Center in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The study is the first to estimate the percentage of U.S. men that have a genital HPV infection.

The researchers hope the findings will increase public awareness of the current low HPV vaccination rate and the high HPV prevalence rate, Han told Live Science. HPV-associated cancers in men are increasing, she noted. There is a very effective "vaccine that could eradicate HPV-associated cancers in both women and men, but the prevalence remains high despite the availability" of these vaccines, she said.

The current vaccination age cutoff for men, 26, should be re-evaluated in light of the new findings showing a widespread high HPV prevalence rate among all age groups, Han said.

HPV in men

Human papillomaviruses are a group of more than 150 related viruses that infect different parts of the body. HPVs that infect the genital area can spread as sexually transmitted infections. Most infections go away on their own, but some can linger and lead to health problems, including genital warts and cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the past, efforts to prevent HPV infection focused mainly on women, because HPV infections can lead to cervical cancer. But in 2009, health officials approved the HPV vaccine for males, and the vaccine is now recommended for both females and males ages 11 to 26 years old.

However, few studies have looked at the prevalence of genital HPV infection in men, or how many men receive the HPV vaccine.

In the new study, researchers analyzed information from 1,868 men ages 18 to 59, who took part in a national health survey from 2013 to 2014. In addition to answering questions, the men in the study underwent a physical exam. As part of that exam, the participants swabbed their penises. The samples were then tested for DNA from nearly 40 different types of HPV.

Men in the youngest age group, ages 18 to 22, had the lowest rate of infection, with about 29 percent of men in this group having an HPV infection. But the rate of HPV infection was higher, 46.5 percent, among men ages 23 to 27, and it reached 51 percent among men ages 28 to 32.

Among men in their late 30s and early 40s, the rate of HPV infection was slightly lower, but among men ages 58 and 59, the rate was nearly 60 percent, the study found.

In contrast, a 2011 study of HPV infections in women found that the rate of HPV infection was nearly 54 percent among 20- to 24-year-olds, but only 39 percent among 50- to 59-year-olds.

Vaccinate older men?

The finding of a lower rate of HPV infection in younger men compared with older ones may, in part, reflect the current recommendation to give the HPV vaccine to younger men. Among men ages 18 to 22 in the study, 22 percent had received the HPV vaccine.

In addition, some studies suggest that men's immune systems don't respond as strongly to fight off HPV infections as women's systems do. What's more, people's immune systems decline with age, which may be why the older men in the study had accumulated a higher rate of infections than the younger group, Han speculated.

Finally, some studies have found that men tend to have a similar number of new and recent sexual partners, regardless of their age, which provides continued opportunity for HPV infection throughout their lives, the researchers said.

Because the study was conducted at a single point in time, it cannot determine why older men had higher rates of HPV infection, the researchers noted. The study also cannot determine the effect of the HPV vaccine on the risk of infection among different age groups. [5 Dangerous Vaccination Myths]

Still, the researchers estimated that more than 25 million American men are eligible for the HPV vaccine, but haven't received it. HPV vaccination "may have a profound effect on the prevention of HPV-related cancers" in both men and women, because men serve as reservoirs for HPV infections for women and because HPV can also cause genital and oral cancers in men, the researchers said.

Additional reporting by Karen Rowan.

Original article on Live Science.
Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, filed a brief with the Texas Supreme Court this week in support of Laredos plastic bag ban, saying the citys storm-drain infrastructure would suffer if a recent ruling from the Fourth Court of Appeals is upheld.

The City of Laredo filed a petition with the Supreme Court in November, requesting a review of the Fourth Court of Appeals ruling in favor of the Laredo Merchants Association.

The appellate court deemed the bag ban ordinance unenforceable as a matter of law, finding the ordinance was preempted by the Solid Waste Disposal Act, a section of the Texas Health and Safety Code.

The Laredo Merchants Association filed a response in December, requesting the petition for review be granted. The association said guidance from the court is needed to bring clarity and uniformity to the preemptive effect the Texas Health and Safety Code has on plastic bag ban ordinances.

The amicus brief discusses how the court of appeals allegedly erred in its opinion and why history and background circumstances should be considered when interpreting the statute applied to Laredos ordinance.

An amicus brief is filed by someone who is not a party to a case but wants to provide their legal opinion or testimony.

This case has seen amicus briefs filed by Texas State Senators and Texas State Representatives, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the Texas Municipal League and Texas City Attorneys Association, the Texas Retailers Association.

Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a brief on behalf of the State of Texas, saying This case presents an opportunity for the Texas Supreme Court to uphold the intent of the Legislature in a ruling that could ultimately invalidate ordinances across the state.

The Legislature did not mince words when it removed the authority of Texas cities to restrict or prohibit plastic checkout bags, Paxton said.

The brief

Zaffirinis brief begins by citing her tenure as the second-most senior member of the Texas Senate in the brief, saying she has a strong interest in seeing the legislatures enactments faithfully interpreted in her capacity as state senator.

The appellate court should have taken into account the absence of any reference to bags in the Solid Waste Disposal Acts legislative record, as well as the fact that municipal bag bans were virtually unheard of at the time of (the acts) enactment and therefore probably not in the mind of any legislator, according to Zaffirini.

Perhaps the strongest single indication that the legislature did not intend to preempt plastic bag bans is the fact that, at the time the preemption was enacted, such bans were almost entirely unheard of in the U.S., the brief states.

According to Zaffirini, there is allegedly enough ambiguity within the acts wording to warrant a more probing inquiry into legislative intent.

Yes, a bag can be thought of as a species of container, but, in much the way the term bird does not immediately call to mind the image of an ostrich, the words container or package do not call to mind single-use plastic carryout bags, the brief states.

Zaffirini finds it is inconceivable that any Texas legislator in 1993 could have foreseen the application of the solid waste acts preemption language to plastic bag bans, as it wasnt until 2008 that a major city in America implemented such a ban.

The consideration of the Solid Waste Disposal Acts legislative history and the circumstances under which the statute is enacted is expressly permitted through the Code of Construction act, according to the brief.

Even if this court concludes that bags are containers or packages, however, legislative history strongly suggests that solid waste management as used in the act was not intended to include municipal litter abatement, the brief states.

When discussing the waste disposal act, Zaffirini references the bill, S.B. 963, that amended the waste disposal act to add the preemptive provisions at issue in the merchant associations case against the City of Laredo.

Far from being a bill about litter, generally understood to mean scattered items, discarded and lying on the ground in a public place, this bill seems to be about enterprise-level waste management  that is, about large-scale operations undertaken to manage refuse that, for the most part, already has been collected, the brief states.

Whatever else Laredos ordinance may do, it obviously does not address solid waste management in this larger sense.

Taryn Walters may be reached at 956-728-2528 or twalters@lmtonline.com.
After months of planning and a full renovation of the site in downtown New Canaan, Connecticut, South Avenue Butcher shop opened for business in the middle of December with a Longford man at the helm.

The brainchild of three Ireland-born friends who now reside in Darien - including Drumlish native, James Farrell - the new shop features a wide selection of beef, pork and veal cuts, as well as sweet and hot Italian sausages, bratwurst and bacon-and-cheddar sausages.

In the coming weeks, Gavin Mitchell from Drumlish - whose award winning sausages are garnering much attention across this country - will visit the South Avenue shop to show head butcher and Dutchman, Michiel Hutten the skill needed to make the much loved produce.

Huttens Italian sausages are already the talk of the town in New Canaan, so Mr Farrell says there will be a huge market for the Irish sausages once they are in a position to produce them at the store.

The shop, too, says the Drumlish native - who is the son of Jimmy and Josie - was a welcome instalment to the town after it became clear to him that the area lacked a facility where good quality meats could be sourced.

There are too many hormones going into the cattle in this country, said Mr Farrell before pointing out that he left Drumlish in 1997 for pastures new in the US.

I decided there was a market for more naturally sourced meats and I buy in grass-fed cattle for the shop.

Butcher Michiel Hutten has more than 30 years of experience and it is he who is heading up day-to-day operations at the shop.

He is serving prime cuts of meat, sourced from animals that are free to roam and grass-fed, meaning that much of the produce at South Avenue Butcher shop is organic.

Mr Farrell is a building contractor and it was only when he and his partners Alan Griffin and Dermot Flynn sat down to a pint one evening that the concept for the butchers shop began.

We are excited about Gavin Mitchell coming out; he will show the guys how to produce high quality black pudding and great tasting Irish sausages, smiled the Longford man, who attended Drumlish NS and Moyne Community School.

Our head butcher Michiel is also adding his own style to things so we are all very excited about this project.

Opened in December, the business has seen a steady flow of eager customers since its inception just over a month ago.

Its skirt steak, tri tip, flank steak, gaucho steak, ribeye, teres major, strip, ground chuck, filet mignon, pork tenderloin, veal chops, veal scallopini, Italian sausages and much, much more are becoming increasingly popular by the day.

As for Mr Farrell, who is married with three children aged six, five and four, this is one of many adventures that he has embarked on since arriving in the US, twenty years ago.

No doubt his steely determination will ensure that South Avenue Butcher shop will live on to tell the tale of yet another success story of an Irishman on American soil.
68% of Long Islanders Agree with Senator Brooks: It's Time to Reform School Funding in NYS

School & Education, Local News, Business & Finance, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 19 2017

A recent Siena poll confirmed what Senator John Brooks knows to be true: more than 68% of Long Islanders believe school funding should not come from local property taxes.

Long Island, NY - January 18, 2017 - A recent Siena poll confirmed what Senator John Brooks (SD-8) knows to be true: more than 68% of Long Islanders believe school funding should not come from local property taxes.

A main platform for his election to the State Senate, Senator Brooks has a comprehensive plan to reform how our schools are funded and will soon be introducing legislation to tackle high property taxes once and for all.

Senator Brooks said, Taxpayers are overburdened by a property tax system that doesnt correctly assess and address the needs of all communities. Instead, what we are dealing with is a situation where some localities receiving stronger funding than others do, and Long Islanders and our economy have suffered because of it.

Sen. Brooks continued, My plan divorces school funding from home values, mandates the funding of a standard educational program, and allows the taxpayers to enhance the educational program beyond state requirements. Taxpayers are demanding reform, and its time that we listen and take action.

To view the results of the Siena poll, visit here
Nature & Weather, Local News, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 19 2017

Senator Kaminsky filed the bill amidst reports that Long Island water has the highest levels of 1,4-Dioxane in the state, which is significantly higher the national average.

Albany, NY - January 18, 2017 - On Tuesday, January 17, Senator Todd Kaminsky, the Ranking Member of the Environmental Conservation Committee, filed legislation, S2683, that will require the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health to study and regulate 1,4-Dioxane, a chemical likely to be carcinogenic, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Senator Kaminsky filed the bill amidst reports that Long Island water has the highest levels of 1,4-Dioxane in the state, which is significantly higher the national average.



Water is our most precious resource, and we must ensure that all New Yorkers have access to clean, safe drinking water, said Senator Todd Kaminsky. That's why I put forth legislation to direct the states health commissioner to immediately conduct a comprehensive health review of 1,4-Dioxane in our water and set a specific limit for this dangerous chemical. When we find out that the water we take for granted every day contains chemicals that may cause cancer, we must act without hesitation.



1,4-Dioxane is a stabilizer for manufacturing solvents present in many household products. The EPA has not established a nationwide standard for the amount of exposure to 1,4-Dioxane considered safe, leaving individual states to determine their own limits.



"1,4 dioxane is an emerging contaminant that needs to be addressed immediately. The longer we wait the more exposure the public has to this chemical. The first step is for New York State to provide a health based drinking water standing for all members of the public. We need our elected leaders to support this critical action so we can quickly move ahead with efforts to reduce public exposure. Kudos to Senator Kalminsky for championing this important effort," said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.



Senator Kaminsky also supports the expansion of a pilot program in Suffolk County that uses innovative technology to remove 1,4-Dioxane from the water supply and Governor Andrew M. Cuomos proposal to invest $2 billion in critical clean water infrastructure across the state.
Local News, National & World News, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 19 2017

A coalition of six Attorneys General is urging the U.S. Senate to reject Senator Jeff Sessions nomination as United States Attorney General.

Albany, NY - January 18, 2017 - A coalition of six Attorneys General is urging the U.S. Senate to reject Senator Jeff Sessions nomination as United States Attorney General, in a letter sent to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein. The Judiciary Committee vote on Senator Sessions nomination is currently scheduled for January 24th.

As the Attorneys General and chief law officers of our respective states, we have a unique perspective and appreciation for the broad authority and prosecutorial discretion vested in the Attorney General of the United States, the Attorneys General wrote. This lawyer wields enormous power and influence in our justice system. In exercising this power, the Attorney General makes critical decisions every day about how, and indeed whether, to enforce the nations laws. It is imperative that the Justice Department be led by an individual on whom our nation can rely to diligently and fairly enforce all laws protective of civil rights, public safety, health and welfare.

The letter specifically cites Senator Sessions refusal to protect racial minorities and vulnerable populations, his rejection of sensible criminal justice reforms even when they had bipartisan support, and his poor management record, including as Alabama Attorney General.

The letter is signed by New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, Oregon Attorney General Ellen F. Rosenblum, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, District of Columbia Attorney General Karl A. Racine, and Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin.

The Justice Department seal reads Qui Pro Domina Justitia Sequitur: Who prosecutes on behalf of justice. As state attorneys generalthe chief law officers of our respective stateswe regularly work with the U.S. Department of Justice. Senator Sessions has stood for policies antithetical to this core mission of the Justice Department, the letter concludes. For these reasons, we believe him to be unqualified for the role of United States Attorney General. We join the thousands of individuals and organizations that have voiced their opposition to Senator Sessions appointment and respectfully urge you to reject his nomination.

Read the full letter here.
The Taliban continues to maintain its innocence in the Jan. 10 bombing in Kandahar, Afghanistan, that killed 12 people, including five diplomats from the United Arab Emirates. In what looks to be an act of desperation to distance itself from the attack, the jihadist group has now issued three separate statements of denial of involvement.

In its first statement, a brief two sentence denial attributed to spokesman Qari Muhammad Yousuf Ahmadi, the Taliban maintained its innocence and blamed the bombing on an enemy internal dispute, or a power struggle within the Afghan government.

The Taliban spokesman felt compelled to issue a second, more lengthy statement on Jan. 14. Ahmadi again accused the Afghan government of covering for the real perpetrators and attempting to create a wedge between the Islamic Emirate and United Arab Emirates, that had nationals present at the site of the incident, with such a rumor.

The Islamic Emirate had good relations with the United Arab Emirates in the past and still seeks good relations with it, Ahmadi argued. It shall never carry out attacks against their nationals and officials when they arrive to extend aid to our countrymen and neither is it the policy of the Islamic Emirate to target relief agencies and workers.

He then went on to claim that it was impossible for the Taliban to have executed the attack because the transfer of explosives into such a secure location is nearly impossible and that it would have killed the chief of police if it had conducted the bombing.

However, Ahmadis reasons for why the Taliban couldnt be responsible are demonstrably false. The Taliban has attacked numerous relief agencies and workers throughout the country over the past 15 years. The Taliban has also proven to be quite adept at penetrating secured locations and detonating bombs.

Yesterday, the Taliban issued a third denial, in the form of an unsigned statement published on Voice of Jihad. The Jan. 18 statement rehashed the previous two denials. The Taliban again blamed the Afghan government and intelligence service for the attack and said that access to such sensitive and secure place is impossible for the Islamic Emirate.

At the end, the Taliban provided some insight on why it issued three press releases denying involvement in the Kandahar bombing. It said still wants good relations with them [the UAE], and then encouraged all countries to continue sending aid to Afghanistan.

[W]e welcome the legitimate humanitarian assistance of the Islamic and other countries with the people of Afghanistan, the statement concluded. We would like to assure the Islamic countries that we are ready to provide security and facilities for your welfare works, aimed at improving the life of the miserable Afghan people and at implementing and reconstructing national projects in the country. The concerned commissions of the Islamic Emirate are well prepared for facilitation and coordination as regards your (humanitarian) activities.

As noted on FDDs Threat Matrix on Jan. 11, it is highly unlikely that the bombing was executed without at the bare minimum, the knowledge and support of the Taliban. The killing of the five UAE diplomats may have been unintentional, and if so, the Taliban is likely trying to dig itself out of a hole in order to maintain relations with the UAE.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
The Defense Department announced today that the US bombed two Islamic State camps 28 miles southwest of Sirte last night. The precision airstrikes are the first American bombing missions in Libya since Dec. 19, 2016, when the US announced an end to Operation Odyssey Lightning, which helped clear the jihadists from Sirte. Both B-2 bombers and drones were used in the air raids, according to the Associated Press.

While we are still evaluating the results of the strikes, the initial assessment indicates they were successful, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement. This action was authorized by the president as an extension of the successful operation the U.S. military conducted last year to support Libyan forces in freeing Sirte from ISIL [Islamic State] control.

The strikes were intended to disrupt the jihadists attempts to reorganize and establish a new safe haven in Libya. The camps were located in a remote desert area, but the Islamic State likely intended to use them to launch operations in more populated areas along the Mediterranean coast, including in Sirte.

The Defense Department did not say how many jihadists were suspected of operating in the camps, however officials told FOX News that an estimated 85 fighters were killed in the attack. But the bombing missions demonstrate that even though Abu Bakr al Baghdadis loyalists lost Sirte, they still maintain a foothold in the North African country.

US forces launched 495 precision airstrikes in an around Sirte between August and December of 2016 as part of Operation Odyssey Lightning. The bombings targeted Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices, heavy guns, tanks, command and control centers and fighting positions, according to United States Africa Command. The airstrikes supported local Libyan fighters aligned with the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA). The Libyan ground forces fought as part of the Solid Structure operations room, which brought together militiamen from Misrata and elsewhere in Libya. Special Forces from Western countries also reportedly took part in battle.

Sirte was one of the three most important cities in the Islamic States so-called caliphate and the most significant location under their control outside of Iraq and Syria. Prior to his demise in an airstrike last year, Islamic State spokesman Abu Muhammad al Adnani referred to Sirte as being on par with Raqqa, Syria and Mosul, Iraq.

The jihadists have vowed to fight on in Libya despite their loss of Sirte. Late last year, the group published an interview with a man known as Sheikh Abu Hudhayfah al-Muhajir, who was identified as the wali (or governor) of the organizations self-declared province in Libya. [See FDDs Long War Journal report, Pentagon: Islamic State has lost its safe haven in Sirte, Libya.]

Muhajir was defiant, saying his men will not be defeated and the trials they are enduring in Libya are intended to separate the good from the evil and the truthful from the claimants. The Islamic State is making the same argument across the board as it loses ground in Iraq and Syria. Whereas the group once argued that it was remaining and expanding, it now says its followers are suffering for a divine cause.

The detachments of the mujahidin are spread today throughout the deserts of Libya, Muhajir said, and they will make their enemies taste severe hardship. He vowed that they will reclaim the cities and areas once more, by Allahs power and strength.

Muhajir was asked about the Islamic States strength in regions outside of Sirte. He claimed that the number of mujahid brothers in the Libyan wilayat [province] continue to be  abundant. Their covert units are scattered throughout all the cities and regions, and their detachments cruise the deserts both east and west. He hinted at the Islamic States presence elsewhere in Libya by mentioning Benghazi in passing.

The loss of Sirte is merely a temporary trial, Muhajir asserted, and these days will be followed by conquest and consolidation.

The American bombings last night were intended to disrupt the Islamic States plan for a comeback.

For more on the offensive against the Islamic State in Sirte, Libya, see FDDs Long War Journal reports:

Pentagon: Islamic State has lost its safe haven in Sirte, Libya

Islamic State fighters remain in a few blocks of Sirte, Libya

Libyan forces seize key points from the Islamic State around Sirte

Opposition to Islamic State claims more ground in Sirte, Libya

Islamic State claims to still control 4 neighborhoods in Sirte, Libya

The battle for Sirte, Libya continues

Islamic States safe haven in Sirte, Libya shrinks to a single neighborhood

US has launched more than 300 airstrikes against the Islamic State in Sirte, Libya

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
A blog about kids with disabilities who kick butt
CEPI - the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations - is a collaboration between government, industry, philanthropy and civil society, to finance and coordinate the development of vaccines against known infectious diseases threats. It aims to have safe and effective vaccines ready to be deployed rapidly to contain outbreaks before they become global health emergencies.

With an initial investment of US$460m from the governments of Germany, Japan and Norway, plus the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, CEPI has raised almost half of the $1bn it needs for its first five years. It is now calling for proposals from researchers and companies around the world to support the development of vaccines against its first target diseases.

CEPI will initially target the MERS-CoV, Lassa and Nipah viruses, which have known potential to cause serious epidemics. It aims to develop two promising vaccine candidates against each of these diseases before any epidemic, so these are available without delay if and when an outbreak begins.

Professor Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, is Vice-Chair of CEPI. He said: "The concept of CEPI was born out of the devastating Ebola epidemic in West Africa which killed 11,000 people. During the outbreak there was an extraordinary collaboration between pharmaceutical companies, academics, funders, emergency responders and the World Health Organization to drive forward vaccine development. But in reality this was an ad-hoc effort and we were lucky there were vaccines already in the pipeline. Such a situation is unlikely to be repeated, and for future disease outbreaks we need to be much better prepared.

"There are many viruses out there which could pose a serious threat to global health, but predicting epidemics is a near impossible business. We don't know which virus will be next and where it will strike, although the poorest countries are often the most vulnerable. For new vaccines to have maximum impact, they must be ready to go before an outbreak hits. That's why we need to be one step ahead, and invest in the development of vaccines against emerging diseases which have the potential to cause severe outbreaks and devastate societies and economies around the world."

Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said: "Ebola and Zika showed that the world is tragically unprepared to detect local outbreaks and respond quickly enough to prevent them from becoming global pandemics. Without investments in research and development, we will remain unequipped when we face the next threat.

"The ability to rapidly develop and deliver vaccines when new 'unknown' diseases emerge offers our best hope to outpace outbreaks, save lives and avert disastrous economic consequences. CEPI is a great example of how supporting innovation and R&D can help the world to address some of its most pressing health challenges."

In addition to funding MERS, Lassa and Nipah vaccines, CEPI will explore ways to support vaccines against multiple strains of the Ebola and Marburg viruses, and Zika. It will also fund development of new vaccine technologies that could be adapted to respond to previously unknown pathogens that emerge suddenly as threats, as Zika did.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust, said: "We know from Ebola, Zika and SARS that epidemics are among the significant threats we face to life, health and prosperity. Vaccines can protect us, but we've done too little to develop them as an insurance policy. CEPI is our chance to learn the lessons of recent tragedies, and outsmart epidemics with new vaccine defences. If others join us in supporting CEPI, we can realise our goal of creating a safer world."



CEPI was founded by the governments of India and Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome and the World Economic Forum, which has played a key convening role, bringing together stakeholders at the 2016 Davos meeting and other events. The Government of India is finalising the level of a significant funding commitment to CEPI.

The European Commission will contribute to CEPI's objectives and plans to co-fund actions with CEPI, such as through the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI).

The coalition is backed by the World Health Organization and Medecins Sans Frontieres, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and academic research groups.
They were both awarded an Honorary Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office awards.

Vikram Patel, Professor of International Mental Health, received the award in recognition of his services to global mental health. His research focuses on addressing the void of mental healthcare in developing countries where there is a shortage of trained psychiatrists and psychologists. He has long been a vocal advocate for advancing mental health services in low-and middle-income regions.

Prof Patel was the founding director of the Centre for Global Mental Health, a partnership between the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Kings Health Partners. He is also the co-founder of Sangath, an Indian-based NGO that provides practical solutions to mental healthcare in developing countries, by offering vital training to lay health-workers to deliver frontline psychiatric treatment. This training benefits people who often live in the margins of their communities. In 2015, he was named as one of TIME Magazine's 100 list of the most influential people in the world.

Prof Patel said: "I feel deep gratitude to the United Kingdom not just for this great honour being conferred on me but for having nurtured me for over two decades from the day I landed on her shores as a young doctor, armed with a Rhodes Scholarship. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the role of the great British institution, the Wellcome Trust, which has steadfastly supported my work for two decades, enabling me not only to hold a full time Professorial position in the School, but at the same time to live and work in India to support my program of research on mental health."

Francesco Checchi, Professor of Epidemiology and International Health, was awarded the Honorary OBE in recognition of his services to emergency health crisis abroad, particularly Syria, Central African Republic and the Ebola emergencies. Prof Checchi has extensive expertise in disease control in crises such as armed conflict, natural disasters and epidemics.

In 2013, he published important research highlighting the death toll from severe food insecurity and famine in Somalia between 2010 and 2012. The study estimated it claimed the lives of 258,000 people, of which half were children under five.

Prof Checchi has significant experience in helping formulate policy and deliver operational programmes for crisis response, having previously worked with Medecins Sans Frontieres, the World Health Organization and as head of the humanitarian team at Save the Children.

Prof Checchi said: "I am extremely grateful for this unexpected award. Since 2004, the UK has welcomed me and my family and given us generous opportunities to thrive. If I could, I would certainly share nearly all of my medal with the large number of colleagues from Save the Children, the School and other agencies, including national staff, whose humbling dedication and professionalism really underpins, and often surpasses, anything I may have achieved."

Commenting on the honours, Professor Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said: "Many congratulations to Vikram and Francesco on receiving these honours, which are thoroughly deserved in recognition of their important research. From extending access to mental health services to people in low-resource communities and raising the profile of this often neglected issue, to working on emergency public health responses in humanitarian crisis situations, their tireless work in their respective fields has helped improve the lives of many around the world."

Prof Piot was awarded an Honorary Knighthood in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Awards for his services to the global response to AIDS and the Ebola epidemic. Professor Nick Black was knighted in the New Year Honours list in recognition for his services to healthcare research.
Culture / Art Republik

Jan 19, 2017 | By Vimi Haridasan

Marking a milestone in his career as a ceramic artist, Yukiharu Furuno will feature at least 20 artworks in his solo exhibition. Titled Inspirations from the Blue, the exhibition will commemorate the 50 years that he has spent crafting ceramic works. Running from March 4 to 14, the exhibition will also be the first time that the artist has exhibited his art in Singapore. To be located at The Spare Room, within close proximity to the Japanese community in Singapore, it will be a chance for fans of Furunos to purchase his handiwork.

Through the exhibition, which is an extension of his award-winning Royal Blue series, visitors will be able to learn more about his inspiration and how the pieces were crafted. Furuno will use the exhibition to introduce several new pieces that reflect the various cultures and designs in Singapore. However, we have yet to get a sneak peek at the Singapore-inspired works, to provide you an in-depth description of what is in store.

The materials used in making the glazes for his work, Furuno uses Japanese plant materials that can be found in Hanna in the Osaka prefecture. This allows the artist to bring viewers on a journey deep within the forests and oceans he conjures up with his art. One interesting element that visitors will be able to witness, is the transition of Fururnos work from featuring yellow ash-glazed ceramics to a distinct new style. While the former had been a signature of his for 35 years, the artist made the switch in 2003 upon the passing of his wife. Along with an exhibition, visitors will be able to meet the artist himself at selected timings and interact with him through tours and sharing sessions.
Top: Jessica Tayson created the logo used for communications about Lycoming Colleges Haberberger Fellowships. Bottom: Lin Nazzaro created a logo to be used by the SPCA for its 125 anniversary. Download Image: Web

A knack for capturing the essence of a program in a visually appealing graphic earned two Lycoming College students the honor of having their logos selected for use in upcoming promotions. Jessica Tayson, a senior commercial design major and corporate communication minor from Delta, Pa., won a contest for creating a logo for one of the Colleges new programs. Lin Nazzaro, a senior commercial design and painting major from Dover, N.J., created a logo to be used for the Lycoming County SPCA's 125th anniversary.

Tayson created a brand image to represent the Colleges Haberberger Fellowships, which are annual scholarships given to juniors to complete a scholarly paper during their senior year. Her logo was selected from designs submitted by students in the Colleges Special Projects in Commercial Design course.

Working with my professors during the design process was a pleasure, said Tayson. I am honored to have been given the opportunity to design the logo.

Nazzaros design was selected from submissions from students and professionals around the state. Her logo will be used by the SPCA for print and online media, and on T-shirts and other merchandise throughout 2017.

A logo is an important part of an organizations or companys brand, a visual symbol of its identity, said Lynn Estomin, professor of art at Lycoming College and the commercial design course instructor. Boiling an identity down to a mark or symbol that is graphically compelling and instantly identifiable requires creativity, research and originality. The design must look good tiny on an envelope or large on a billboard, in black and white or color, and in a variety of media. Creating an eye-catching image that will retain its integrity in all of these circumstances is no easy task.
Laurie Self began working with Qualcomm as outside counsel while she was a partner at Covington & Burling. She moved in-house to the telecommunications company in 2012, taking on the role of vice-president and counsel of government affairs.

Self joined Covington & Burling in Washington DC after graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law. In the early 1990s, she was offered the opportunity to relocate to the firms London office. The firm had just been hired to represent a software business alliance composed of many of the then-leading companies, including Microsoft, Word Perfect and Lotus. Piracy was growing in tandem with the companies that it targeted, and the business association viewed piracy as one of the principle barriers to their ability to grow a market in Europe.

At the same time that piracy was such a growing threat, discussions of copyright as a potentially viable protection for software were percolating. The combination of these two issues really made it imperative for the industry to become more active both in the enforcement space and in the policy space, Self says.

That was her first foray into intellectual property law  and it really kind of became the genesis of my career, she says. It was an auspicious introduction to the field that immediately immersed Self, by her own account, in a cutting-edge industry and the enforcement, licensing and policy issues involved in all types of IP.

Closing the gaps

Self considers herself fortunate to have been mentored at Covington & Burling by one of the first partners she worked with at the firm. In any field where you have a majority of men who are partners or managers, you almost necessarily have to find mentors who are male as opposed to female.

She says that, though not consciously, she would actively seek out mentors who were visibly supportive of women. She was fortunate enough to find such a mentor. He just happened to be somebody who was very supportive of working with women, and giving opportunities to women, she says. Through that mentor Self was able to work alongside many other female associates.

As an associate with a mentor and, later, as a partner with Covington & Burling, Self witnessed the challenges we face in terms of encouraging more participation from women and making sure women have more opportunities to advance.

She says that women dont have access to the same networks that men do, as studies like the one by LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company have demonstrated. This is part of the reason that women dont reach higher positions as frequently as men do. Developing these networks is also key to entrepreneurship and successful startups, many of which are built around the patenting of technology.

Qualcomm has been active in highlighting the situation. It funded a research project undertaken by the Institute for Womens Policy Research (IWPR) titled Equity in Innovation: Women Inventors and Patents, the results of which were released in November.

In the past 40 years, there has been a rapid increase in womens patenting activity relative to mens, but that is starting from a very low base. The IWPR report found that in 1977 just 3.4% of all patents had at least one female inventor. By 2010 that share had more than quintupled to 18.8%, though progress was much slower in the early 2000s. The report noted that at the rate of change since 2000 women will not see parity in patenting (with half of all patents having at least one woman inventor listed) until the year 2092.

Source: The Institute for Womens Policy Research's Equity in Innovation: Women Inventors and Patents" report Source: The Institute for Womens Policy Research's Equity in Innovation: Women Inventors and Patents" report

The gender gap in patenting is even larger when defining women-held patents as only those whose primary inventor is a woman. In 1977, just 2% of all domestic patents had a woman listed as the primary inventor. This share quadrupled in size by 2010. The report noted: But with only 8% of patents having a woman listed as the primary inventor  women have a considerable way to go before achieving parity with men.

Self was shocked by the findings.

If you look at the gender gap in entrepreneurship, that same gender gap exists in the patent system, Self says. So, one of the issues weve been thinking about is how do you make sure that we maintain a strong, inclusive patent system that encourages women inventors to seek patent protection because patent protection is one of those factors that are important in whether an inventor or an entrepreneur obtains venture capital funding.

Keeping pace with policy

Self says that in addition to representing Qualcomms interests, her policy work is also about making sure that we create an intellectual property system that supports the Qualcomms of tomorrow: the startup community.

The collaborative nature of Selfs policy work, which gives her the opportunity to consider how to help female inventors and entrepreneurs as well as to coordinate with other IP stakeholders, keeps Selfs work fun and interesting to her.

It also doesnt hurt that theres seldom been a dull year for policy or for enforcement since Self joined Qualcomm in 2012.

"For better or worse, almost immediately after I joined the company there was a significant new push for patent legislation in Congress, so that immediately became my primary area of focus, she says. Founded in 1985, Qualcomms roots are very much focused on innovation. Patents have been essential to the companys strategies to attract financers, protect its technologies and to the licensing practice that has been a major source of income to Qualcomm for 30 years, according to Self.

Patent policy changes over the past decade necessarily impact us and our ability to continue making big investments in R&D, Self says. She and Qualcomms government affairs team have remained very active on the policy front.

What we have is a somewhat complex ecosystem in the innovation economy  created by the America Invents Act and changes within the USPTO  which at times threatens the ability of Qualcomm to protect and enforce its patents. My role is to make sure that US policies, US legislation does not move in a direction that could weaken that foundation of intellectual property rights, and patent rights in particular, she says.

As the focus of legislative efforts shifted, beginning in 2012, to combatting patent trolls, the legislation that was actually being tabled didnt just target abusive activity, says Self. It affected the enforceability of every patent, and it did so through highly complicated changes to the rules around patent litigation."

This continues to be the case. Self says that much of her focus has been on trying to to move that legislation in a more balanced direction to more narrowly target what have been identified as areas of abusive litigation practice and to ensure that any new legislation doesnt harm patent owners broadly, and doesnt unnecessarily add expense and complexity and difficulty to the process of enforcing your rights.
Riyadh: In spite of being an important cash crop for the country, the date palm cultivation in Saudi Arabia is facing a severe threat due to the governments inability to attract native labour in this sector.

Reports indicate that Saudi citizens are keeping away from palm cultivation, camel rearing and the construction sector. In the date palm sector, this has resulted in several diseases spreading among the plants since due care is not given to them. This has put the date palms in a threatened situation.

To resolve the issue, the government is planning to employ about 40,000 foreign workers in the date palm sector.
New Delhi: RBI Governor Urjjit Patel told the Veerappa Moily-led parliamentary standing committee that Rs. 9.2 lakh were distributed in the new currency notes. But he did not specify how much of the old currency was received by the banks after implementing demonitisation.

Patel will depose before the same committee again and will also appear before the Public Accounts Committee on Friday.

Other than Patel, Economics Affairs Secretary, Revenue Secretary, Banking Secretary and CEOs of ICICI Bank and the Punjab National Bank were also present at the meeting with the standing committee.
What Investors Should Make of Windfall Taxes and Export Bans

Editors Note: MarketMinder favors no politician nor any political party, assessing politics and policy ideas solely for their potential market and economic impact.

Crude oil and gasoline prices may be down from this years highs, but households worldwide continue dealing with high home energy costs, spurring governments to consider taking action. On our shores, the Biden administration is jawboning about an Energy sector windfall profits tax and banning oil and gas exports. Britain is mulling an extension of its own temporary windfall tax, and Australia is considering an export ban and capping natural gas prices. Now, this is obviously a politically sensitive topic, so please understand that we arent trying to take sides or wade into the political aspectespecially on the eve of Americas midterm elections. But considering policies impact is an important task from an investing standpoint. In this case, while we dont think any of these initiatives would likely be a net benefit, we doubt their imposition would be a huge new negative for stocks.

Take windfall profits taxes. The argument for them seems simple: Oil and gas companies have enjoyed bumper profits due to prices that rose for reasons outside their control this yeara happy accident, according to our politicianswhile consumers have suffered. Therefore, it is only fair to tax this temporary windfall and use the proceeds to help households and businesses having trouble making ends meet. Problem is, a windfall tax discourages new investment, which is what is ultimately needed to bring prices down. Why would companies invest in future production now when governments are signaling they could raid any profits that brings? It also ignores recent history as well as the Energy sectors cyclicality. In general, oil prices rise as demand exceeds supply. Eventually high prices incentivize new investment, which boosts production and brings supply in balance with demand. Inevitably, oil companies overshoot, creating a supply glut that pulls prices down. When that happens, they cut costs to stay afloat, which eventually reduces supply as new wells dont come online to replace spent ones. That leads to supply shortages, pushing prices higher and starting the whole cycle anew.

Read More
Stock Market Trading Patience Pays Off with CHK Using Momentum Reversals

One of the key tenants of my Momentum Reversal trading is waiting for the right trigger/event and getting in early. I find this is one of the most difficult aspects for most clients to understand and master. Therefore, in an attempt to further illustrate some components of my thinking and strategy, I have put together these examples to try to help people understand these techniques.

Within this example, Ive selected Chesapeake Energy Corp and a recent price move that resulted in strong gains. As you are well aware, within the Momentum Reversal Method (MRM) are a number of key factors that drive my investment methodology.

Additionally, I use Fibonacci and Elliot Wave Theory in all of my analysis and decision making. The Momentum Reversal Method is not foolproof  it does take some losing trades. Generally, though, the winners far outpace the losers. My trading strategy helps to answer these important questions.

Now, onto the setup I promised earlier  Chesapeake Energy Corp.

This chart illustrates three key components to my Momentum Reversal Method trading strategy:

 Established Price Momentum/Trend

 Defined Price Rotation

 Tightening/Coiling of price prior to a breakout

As you can see from the example chart, above, the upward price trend (highlighted in green) followed by the price rotation (highlighted in red) created a primary setup that allowed me to target this stock for potential trigger setups. In other words, this price momentum and rotation created an opportunity for trade signals.

The coiling of price with the flag/pennant formation created another component I often look for  price congestion. Price congestion following a wide range price rotation is usually indicative of a pre-breakout move. Therefore, the identification of this type of price action can sometimes be an early warning to watch it more closely for the trade trigger.

Ive marked the initial breakout bar (not my ideal trade trigger) with a green up arrow. For the average trader, this would likely be your trading trigger. Within the Momentum Reversal Method, we look for early triggers that can allow us to get into these types of trades earlier  and often with much less risk and greater chance of success.

I hope this clear example of a MRM setup can assist you in understanding why this strategy is such a success.

The Outcome

This, the outcome of the Setup, shows exactly how quickly these setups can turn into profits. Generally, the Momentum Reversal Method holds trades for 3~7 days for short-term trades and for 14~35 days for longer term trades (in some cases even a bit longer).

You may be wondering why we only hold trades for 3-7 days? The answer is simple, we know that most of the biggest moves happen in a very short period of time. The explosive pops/drops in price only last 3-7 days in most cases. Catching these quick explosive moves provide us with the best risk reward. As you know time is money, and it only makes sense to make as much as possible in the shortest period of time, which has two key benefits:

First is that I provide lower risk. The less time our money is locked into a trade/the markets the better as cash is king!

Second, it means we can rotate some of some/or all of our money into the next stock/leveraged ETF ready for its explosive pop/drop.

You can see from this image the first upward move from the trigger bar resulted in a +27.8% gain in only 10 trading days. The second phase run-up in price resulted in an +83.75% gain in an additional 29 days. Clean, Clear and Consistent.

Again, Im not giving away my successful strategy to anyone. The Momentum Reversal Method has worked for me for years and continues to generate fantastic results. Even if I tried to teach you every aspect of this trading methodology/strategy, you would still need my assistance in understanding the nuances of how to deploy it and how to better understand general market sector rotation, when to avoid false triggers and what you should and should not trade and when.

This article is to help illustrate why the Momentum Reversal Method is a success and to teach you some of the basic concepts of Momentum Reversal triggers. My followers receive detailed analysis, research and trading triggers from my member based trading room. I can provide a source of valuable and timely trading triggers and follow-up research regarding all activity I announce to my clients. A few of our recent trades have been VUZI 16%, UGAZ 74%, and last week NUGT 50% on a portion and we are up over 75% on the balance which could be 100% by the end of week. The NUGT trade was partially based of a Market Trend Forecast we published back in December.

Feel free to visit www.ActiveTradingPartners.com to see how easy it is to profit from my analysis and to see how well the Momentum Reversal Method works in real-time.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this article and were able to see how you can improve your future trading successes by using some of these components.

John Winston

Chief Investment Stratgist

Chris Vermeulen

www.TheGoldAndOilGuy.com

Chris Vermeulen is Founder of the popular trading site TheGoldAndOilGuy.com. There he shares his highly successful, low-risk trading method. For 7 years Chris has been a leader in teaching others to skillfully trade in gold, oil, and silver in both bull and bear markets. Subscribers to his service depend on Chris' uniquely consistent investment opportunities that carry exceptionally low risk and high return.

Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect.

Chris Vermeulen Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




The Roanoke City Council will be unable to ban guns and ammunition from council chambers during meetings.

A bill proposed by state Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, quickly died in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee on Wednesday by a 9-6 vote.

Edwards bill that came at the request of the council would have allowed localities to pass an ordinance banning firearms from meetings of governing bodies such as city council or board of supervisors so long as a notice is posted outside the meeting.

Committee chairman Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Rockingham, said there has been a robust discussion about the issue in recent years.

Council members asked for the bill after some citizens carried firearms to a council meeting in the fall, at a meeting also attended by elementary school children, said Councilman John Garland.

They proceeded to basically read us the riot act that we were about to cross the line, Garland said. They didnt describe exactly where that line was, they just said that we were getting very close to that line.

The gun enthusiasts carried their guns to the meeting after the council discussed banning certain long guns with high capacity magazines throughout the city, a request that has yet to be considered by the General Assembly this session.
RICHMOND  Del. Kathy Byrons bill that could limit municipal broadband initiatives across Virginia is too restrictive, said a top official from the Center for Innovative Technology.

While Byron, R-Bedford, has said much of her proposed legislation comes directly from CITs recommendations, the bill does not align with the organizations best practices, said Sandie Terry, the vice president of broadband.

After hearing of Terrys comments, CIT Senior Vice President Bob Stolle clarified that the organization has not taken a formal stance on Byrons bill. CIT is still sorting through the bills details and its too early to say whether it represents the organizations best practices, he said.

The group is working with both supporters and opponents of the legislation, and will only take a stance if its asked to while discussing the issue with Virginias secretary of technology or the governor, Stolle said.

In the meantime, Terry said Wednesday she doesnt believe municipal broadband initiatives should be limited to unserved areas, which is effectively what Byrons House Bill 2108 would do.

We [at CIT] are not just focused on unserved areas, she said. Thats where the bulk of our work goes, because thats what were tasked with. But when we work with a community, a locality, we look at all aspects of broadband.

Byron appeared at a news conference for her bill Thursday flanked by representatives from Cox Communications, the Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association and the Virginia and Northern Virginia chambers of commerce.

During the half-hour news conference, Byron said her bill comes, in large part, from the centers recommendations for municipal broadband, as she did on the House floor and in a Roanoke Times letter to the editor Wednesday. She was taken aback when told of Terrys comments to the contrary.

Im really surprised she said that, Byron said. The misinformation and hyperbole that people are using is distracting from the real issue at hand. Byron has said on several occasions that her bill has been misunderstood because some people interpret it as preventing municipal broadband networks.

The bill does not prevent localities from creating taxpayer-funded broadband networks, but does limit their ability to expand into areas already served by private providers. Representatives from the city of Roanoke, Franklin and Rockbridge counties and the Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority have said that clause could effectively kill their municipal broadband initiatives.

Constituents frequently contact Byrons office believing government-funded broadband networks will provide internet service to their rural homes, the delegate said. The Roanoke Valley authority and others are not designed to help the underserved, but rather, focus on serving businesses, government buildings and schools and at the same time, act as competition to legacy providers, which can lead to lower internet costs.

Those people that are out in our communities that are screaming for us to solve some of their problems that geographically make it difficult to reach that last mile are thinking that the government is going to solve their problems and they are not aware that thats not going to happen, Byron said.

Terry, of the Center for Innovative Technology, said she is able to see both sides of the municipal broadband debate and typically keeps a low profile during such arguments. While she agrees any community without access to download speeds of at least 10 megabits per second and upload speeds of 1 Mbps counts as unserved  as Byrons bill stipulates  she thinks public and private providers need to work together to address coverage issues.

But this is not working together, Terry said. Local governments cannot be restricted to only help in unserved areas. Theyve got to make sure their businesses have what they need. Theyve got to make sure the community has got what it needs.

Broadband is a necessity its complicated its expensive and it is convoluted in how we got to this point, Terry added in a written statement. The devil is in the details. The details of this bill are too restrictive and the intent is understood. We cannot fix the problems and prepare for the future by fighting. Public and private must partner.

In a win for legacy telecommunications providers, a federal appeals court ruled earlier this year the Federal Communications Commission could not block North Carolina and Tennessee from setting limits on municipal broadband expansion. The court battle stemmed from state laws forbidding or restricting municipal broadband expansions, similar to what Byrons proposed legislation would enact if passed.

Now the fight between big telecom and competition-inducing municipal networks is spilling over to states across the country, Virginia included.

While proposed legislation similar to Byrons is popping up in other states, Byron said the bill did not come directly from legacy telecommunications providers, but rather, came from her time serving as the chairwoman of the state Broadband Advisory Council. But when legislative services drafted the bill, they did reach out to telecommunications providers for some of the language, Byron said.

Ray LaMura, the cable telecommunications association president, lauded Byrons bill at the news conference. The association, which has fought for years against the creation and expansion of the Roanoke broadband authority, is the lobbying arm of telecommunications companies like Cox, Comcast and Shentel.

For the first time, she is having the commonwealth of Virginia really focus on deployment to unserved Virginians, he said. That is the focus of using taxpayer dollars to reach the unserved.

Private telecommunications providers, some of Byrons top campaign donors, have opposed municipal broadband in Roanoke and across the country. Verizon is Byrons second highest campaign donor and she has received other donations from the Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association, AT&T, Comcast and CenturyLink, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
MARTINSVILLE The prosecution reached a plea agreement in the hit and run case against the former chief medical officer at Memorial Hospital on Wednesday.

As part of the deal, the prosecution agreed to drop the charge of felony hit and run and amended a charge of misdemeanor hit and run to misdemeanor damage to property. In turn, Martinsville doctor Tooba Ali Kazmi pleaded guilty to misdemeanor damage to property and misdemeanor reckless driving in Martinsville Circuit Court.

In accordance with the plea agreement, Judge G. Carter Greer sentenced Dr. Kazmi on each of the two misdemeanor charges to 12 months in jail, all suspended on condition of payment of a $500 fine, supervised probation for a year, followed by three years of good behavior.

The fines for the two cases together total $1,000, but the period of probation for the two cases will run concurrently and the period of good behavior for the two cases will run concurrently, which means Dr. Kazmi will be on active probation for a total of one year, followed by a requirement of good behavior for a total of three years.

On July 2, 2016, Officer Mark Peters of the Martinsville Police Department responded to a call regarding a hit and run at 9 Cleveland Avenue. The front of a mans white Mercury Mountaineer was smashed and the rear of a building at 9 Cleveland Ave. was badly damaged. The woman who owned the building had her business, a tanning salon, on the first floor, while the second and third floors were her home.

That woman had been woken up by a loud noise. She looked out of her window and saw a blue Honda, driven by Kazmi, collide with the Mountaineer several times. As Kazmi backed up in order to ram the Mountaineer, the back of her Honda smashed into the building at 9 Cleveland Ave.

After doing this several times and causing damage to the building, her vehicle and the Mountaineer, Kazmi allegedly left the scene without leaving any information.

She did, however, leaver her front bumper, according to Martinsville Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Andy Hall. The bumper had her front license plate on it. Officer Peters ran her plate number and obtained her address. Hall said that Kazmi admitted to striking the Mountaineer and the building at 9 Cleveland Avenue and leaving without providing any information or alerting the owners of any law enforcement agency of the damaged property.

The cost to repair the front end of the Mountaineer was less than $1,000, and the damage to the building was considerably more than that, Hall said.

Hall added that Kazmi made restitution very, very quickly, that she has no criminal history whatsoever.

When Judge Greer asked Kazmis lawyers  Ward Armstrong and Roscoe Reynolds  if they had any additions or corrections to the summary of the prosecutions evidence, Armstrong responded, Dr. Kazmi regrets the incident. No reason was given as to why the situation happened.

In an email to the Bulletin, Elizabeth Harris, director of marketing for Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County, said that Dr. Kazmi resigned her role as chief medical officer at Memorial Hospital this summer. She has had no position or affiliation with the hospital since that time.

MARTINSVILLE CIRCUIT COURT

Also in Martinsville Circuit Court on Wednesday, Quentin Gene Cochran Jr. of Martinsville, pleaded no contest to possession of hydrocodone/acetaminophen (a schedule 2 controlled substance). Judge Greer ordered a presentence report and set sentencing for March 16.

According to the commonwealths evidence, on Dec. 6, 2015, Officer Mike Harris of the Martinsville Police Department was on patrol when he observed Cochran urinating on the side of Maple Street. Harris stopped his patrol car and approached Cochran. As he did so, Cochran turned and started to walk away. Harris observed Cochran pull a plastic baggy from his pants pocket and throw it to the ground.

Harris approached Cochran, who ultimately admitted to throwing the baggie to the ground. The bag contained a green leafy material and two yellow tablets. The green leafy material was field tested and determined to be marijuana. Testing by the state Department of Forensic Science Lab in Roanoke determined the tablets were a mixture of hydrocodone and acetaminophen.
TODAY'S WORD is innocuous (ih-nah-cue-us). Example: As the teen set up her Instagram profile, she kept being asked for innocuous details about her life, like age and where she lived.

WEDNESDAYS WORD was epistemophiliac (ee-pis-tem-o-phee-lee-ac). It means one with a love of learning. Example: Going into the library was a treat for the man, as he was a real epistemophiliac.

Stuart-Hairston Camp meets

The Sons of Confederate Veterans, Stuart-Hairston Camp 515, will hold their annual Lee-Jackson dinner on Saturday. The event will be at 5 p.m. at the AMVETS Post 35, over at 2147 Virginia Avenue in Collinsville. The officers call is set for 4:30 p.m. and all guests are welcome.

Birds popping up

Even though its the middle of January, the Stroller has seen quite a few birds stop by his house. The Strollers dog Nugget is especially fascinated with these new visitors. Weve talked about a few of them, the cardinals, in this space before. But why are they showing up right now? And how do they know where to go in the first place? Well, according to some friends of the Stroller at the National Museum of Natural History, the answer both questions has to do with the Earth. See, a bird flying south or returning north relies on the Earths magnetic field. How does this happen? I mean its not like they have GPS, right? Apparently, they do, in a way. The birds have special photo pigments sensitive to certain wavelengths affected by the Earths magnetic field. Theres a neural connection in the brain linking the birds eye and what museum officials call Cluster N, which is part of the forebrain. Its like a Boy Scout with a compass. The magnetic field helps tell the bird what direction to fly. How long will they be around? Well, museum officials tell the Stroller that when the cold weather hits, itll be the birds cue to head a bit further south. Either that or take up residence in a certain birdhouse out near Axton. I guess well find out which one will happen.

Altrusa meeting

Altrusa International of Martinsville and Henry County will meet at 9 a.m. on Saturday, over at Piedmont Community Services. Thats located at 24 Clay Street in Martinsville.

TRIVIA QUESTION: Weve had long-winded talkers and short speeches that get to the point. When it comes to the presidential inauguration address, weve seen all types in this country. How long was the longest presidential address and who gave it? The answer will be in tomorrows Stroller.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Overall in the world, where are the largest cities? What are the top five cities in the world, when it comes to population? Well, in this, the clear winner is Tokyo, Japan. Its not even close. A total of 33.2 million people live in the city, nearly double New York City, which comes in second with 17.8 million. Third is Sao Paulo, Brazil, with 17.7 million, with Seoul, South Korea in fourth at 17.5 million. Rounding out the top five is Mexico City, which houses 17.4 million.
It had been a long time since Id been to Sandy Level.

Its not that Id been avoiding the area; I just hadnt had a reason to go out to the southeastern edge of our county. As a result, what little I knew about Sandy Level came through the grapevine, and what I had heard was not good.

I remember, years ago, hearing talk of how rough it was in Sandy Level, that it was a haven for drug dealers. If you wanted to spot them, people said, just drive through the area and look for the dilapidated homes with luxury cars parked outside.

Drugs tend to beget violence, of course, and I had heard that Sandy Level was a dangerous place. There had been a lot of homicides there over the years.

I hadnt heard anything about Sandy Level in many years, but when I went to the community on Monday morning to cover the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Stop the Violence walk, I still had the impression in my mind that it was an unsavory area.

(I should note that I wasnt particularly concerned about my safety when I went to cover the event, because dangerous drug dealers generally dont participate in Stop the Violence walks at 9 oclock in the morning.)

At the event, I spoke to several people, including Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry. What Perry told me came as a pleasant surprise.

Sandy Level, he said, used to be a dangerous place, with open-air drug markets and too many deaths. But then the people of Sandy Level came together, and they announced that enough was enough.

They started holding community meetings for concerned citizens  meetings that still meet every month, and are still well-attended. They began working with the youth to celebrate their achievements and instill in them a sense of community pride. They began holding events like the Stop the Violence walk, spearheaded by Garrett Dillard in memory of his late brother Glen Dillard and all others in the community who lost their lives to violence in Sandy Level.

As a result, Sandy Level is a community transformed. The drug markets are gone. It has been years since a homicide occurred. Its just a nice little community.

The difference between my perception of Sandy Level and the new reality in Sandy Level struck me.

I often get frustrated when I hear people complain about how communities dont respond when their fringe members commit violence. In the past, when a community somewhere in America has been torn apart by looting and rioting, I have heard people ask, Why arent the reasonable folks in this community speaking out against this?

They are, I reply. It just doesnt make for a good story.

When there is an act of radical Islamic terrorism somewhere in the world, I often hear people say, Why dont the so-called peaceful Muslims speak out against this kind of violence?

They do, I say. There are countless stories are out there if you look for them. They just dont trend on Facebook.

The problem is that we are drawn to bad news, news of murder and death and criminality. Its what we want to read. I dont know why that is; maybe its simply the way were wired.

Drug crime rampant is a hot news story. Local man murdered is a hot news story.

Murder in decline is not a story people hunt for. Community speaks out against drug crime isnt something people share on Facebook.

In Sandy Level, I found my own blind spot. I had assumed that the community was still troubled just because I hadnt heard otherwise. After going to Sandy Level, I learned I was wrong.

I hope that everyone reading this column will consider attending next years Stop the Violence walk in Sandy Level. Its a good time with great people, and its for a cause we should all support.
SPRINGFIELD -- The No. 1 challenge Massachusetts employers face is their need for skilled employees.

On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito met with leaders from local government, education and industry to recruit more of those employers to host high school and college interns in the STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math -- fields.

She also announced that Columbia Gas of Massachusetts will now host interns.

"Today's discussion is really about talent," said David Cruise, president of the Hampden County Regional Employment Board. "Talent is the differentiator."

Polito said Massachusetts has been called the most innovative state in the nation.

"But that is a title that can go away if we are not smart in how we develop our state and how we develop our people," Polito said. "We need to make sure that our educational assets are able to keep up with the change in our economy. We have 100,000 manufacturing jobs to fill over the next 10 years. Where are these people going to come from?"

Just 20 percent of the state's high school students are in vocational and technical programs, she said. That ratio needs to grow if Massachusetts is to grow its economy.

John C. Becker, president of Creative Material Technologies in Palmer, said he's hosted about a dozen high school and college interns since 2011. Many of them have earned jobs with the company after graduation.

"The thing they bring is energy and ideas," Becker said. "The best thing is when they get it. They might be studying physics. With us they can see how physics relates to the project they are working on."

Projects at Becker's company are about molecules. Molecules that make chemicals that are new products like a roofing material he recently developed that changes color: white in summer to stay cool and black in winter to gather the heat.

He's also developed interns from B or C students into experts in the field.

"We need to engage the talent from an early age," he said. "They have the aptitude, but teachers don't have the resources, time or otherwise, to pull that out of them. But when you get them one-on-one, you can challenge them."

Springfield Schools Superintendent Daniel Warwick said so often the challenge in urban education is to give students a perspective on the world that goes beyond their own neighborhoods. Often, the wide variety of vocational paths open to students are not apparent to urban kids, despite those jobs existing right here in Springfield.

State Rep. Aaron Vega, D-Holyoke, echoed the sentiment.

"We have kids that walk past these buildings every day and have no idea what goes on inside," Vega said. "There are companies in Holyoke that make products for NASA."

In Westfield, schools Superintendent Schools Stephan Czaporowski meets monthly with area businesses to hear what they are looking for in an educated workforce and to recruit businesses to work with the schools. He's lining up an intern program at Whalley Computer Associates in Southwick as a result of these meetings.

Statewide, internships are coordinated through a program called MA STEM@Work.

More than 250 STEM companies from every region of the state have hosted about 1,000 high school students each year since 2014. In total, more than 10,000 students worked with commonwealth businesses of all types last year, according to a news release.

Locally, Cruise said the Hampden Regional Employment Board serves as a clearinghouse matching companies with parents, students and with educators.
Dr. John

Dr.John at The Saenger Theatre on May 3, 2014, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

(AP file photo)

New Orleans will celebrate Mardi Gras on the final day of February, but Northampton will get its own taste of The Big Easy three days earlier.

New Orleans legend Dr. John will team with another of NOLA's favorite sons, Charles Neville, at the Academy of Music in Northampton on Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. They will be joined by New Orleans' Soul Brass Band.

The performance will serve to celebrate and support the mission of Blues to Green, a nonprofit founded by Kristin Neville. Blues to Green is dedicated to producing music and art events designed to uplift, inspire and educate communities, and catalyze social and environmental change. Blues To Green has produced the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival for the past three years.

Tickets to the Academy of Music performance are $30 and $45 with premium seats and VIP reception priced at $75. They may be ourchased online at https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1414461

Dr. John is a six-time Grammy Award winner known for such songs as "Right Place Wrong Time" and "Iko Iko." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

Neville, who now makes his home in Western Massachusetts, is a founding member of the famed Neville Brothers, known as "New Orleans First Family of Funk." They released 10 studio albums between 1978 and 2004.
image.jpeg

Artists like Taylor Swift are renowned for their willingness to reach out to fans via social media platforms. But Lady Lamb (aka Aly Spaltro) not only does that, she goes one step further: She created a little conceptual music club for her fans via her new EP, "Tender Warriors Club."

"I was travelling a lot this past year and was writing the most through my travels, and they did feel like a piece of work, and the concept and the title came to me all pretty quickly at once," she said in a recent telephone interview. "And it just felt -- it just made sense to me to kind of make this -- not fully, not truly -- a concept record. But I wanted to kind of start a little club for fans of mine who are sensitive types who like to feel their emotions through music."

Spaltro will return to the Parlor Room in Northampton for a solo show on Feb. 7 is support of the new EP.

Spaltro said when she was visualizing her current tour, the Parlor Room was the model for the shows

"The Parlor Room was the venue that came to mind when I was deciding that, for some of the New England shows, I should probably play in a more intimate venue. And the first show that I thought would benefit from being amplified but being in an intimate place was the Parlor Room," she said.

"And I basically wanted to make this as intimate as possible as a way to tour on it, to reconnect with fans in small states just because I had spent the majority of last year not touring as frequently as usual, and I missed it a lot. So for me, this EP was mostly an excuse to go tour on it in small spaces."

Spaltro is no stranger to this area, having played the Parlor Room several times, as well as Pearl Street last year with a full band.

The 27-year-old, who was a prodigy at age 17, teaching herself several instruments as well as songwriting in her hometown of Brunswick, Maine, said the decision to release an EP rather than a full-length album was dictated by the songs she was writing after returning home from her last tour for her album "After."

"I was noticing that even though I wanted the next full-length to be similar to 'After' in that I wanted it to be [with a] full band -- something I could tour on with friends and have a band live -- I was finding that the songs I was writing weren't really translating that way, they were all just happened to come out very intimately and I was trying to force the songs onto electric guitar," she said.

"And thinking about arranging the things for more instrumentation just wasn't making sense. And then I realized really early on that the songs that I was writing just wanted to be really stripped-down acoustic songs."

Although Spaltro hadn't played acoustic guitar really for several years, she decided that the new songs were best suited on acoustic guitar, so she decided to "just take the little burst of songs I had written and the short amount of time and put them on their own and make them their own piece of work."

Although the record features sparse instrumentation, Spaltro layered vocals on several songs, some of which are somewhat integral to the arrangements. How will she handle that during a solo show with no band?

"A lot of this tour is in living rooms, and I had to purchase a small PA to bring along just in case I start shredding my voice if I am overcompensating with non-amplification. In that case, I am actually going to be looping my vocal on 'We Are Nobody Else,' for example. I have a great pedal that's just going to add a little dynamic boost where I can actually overlap my vocal in real time," she said.

"And then on a song like, 'See You,' that also has my own vocals interweaving, I am going to see if I can get the audience to sing the lines with me so I can sing over them."

While Spaltro will be seated during most of the shows on the tour -- a first for her -- she might not sit for the Parlor Room.

"In order to double the capacity from seating, it has to be a standing show, so I might stand in solidarity," she said with a chuckle.
np 0118 falsettoland 2.jpg

The entire ensemble cast of the play "Falsettoland," being presented by the Springfield Jewish Community Center's J-Art Cafe theater troupe on Jan. 21, 22, 28 and 29, takes a break during rehearsal. From left to right, front row: Peter Vaiknoras, Randy Davidson, Benjamin Buck, Emily Smith and Gene Choquette. From left to right back row: Nichole Wadleigh and Lisa Rizzo.

(Cory White photo)

The theater group J-Art Cafe will present a production of the musical "Falsettoland," by William Finn and James Lapine, on the last two weekends of January at the Springfield Jewish Community Center, 1160 Dickinson St., Springfield.

Emily Smith and Gene Choquette rehearse a scene from "Falsettoland," playing at the Springfield Jewish Community Center on Jan. 21, 22, 28 and 29.

Directed by Becca Coolong and with musical direction by Bill Martin, the play tells the story of a nontraditional family in 1981, the year that the CDC begins to recognize HIV-AIDS. When the play opens, the father has left his wife for his male lover, and the mother has married the father's psychiatrist. The couple's 12-year-old son is about to make his bar-mitzvah when the father's lover falls ill.

"It's the story of a family trying to find life under new norms," said Coolong.

Randy Davidson of Ellinton, Connecticut, plays the father, Marvin. A veteran of the theater, Davidson began his career at age 3 in a Life cereal commercial. He has continued to perform since then. He attended the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, and later the Hartt School at the University of Hartford, obtaining a degree in musical theater.

"This is an amazing show," he said. "There is so much in it - love, acceptance, the growth of a young boy. It's a serious show about a serious topic."

From left to right: Nichole Wadleigh, Benjamin Buck, and Emily Smith rehearse a scene from "Falsettoland," being staged by J-Art Cafe on Jan. 21, 22, 28 and 29 at the Springfield Jewish Community Center.

Benjamin Buck, of Longmeadow, plays Jason, the young boy. "I've done a little bit of theater before," he said. "I was in 'Godspell' at the First Church in Longmeadow. But this is my first leading role." Buck, who like his character is 12 years old, had to audition for the part. "I love it so far," he said. "This is the best show I've been in because of the director. Becca is spot on."

One of the supporting roles is played by Lisa Rizzo, a veteran of J-Art productions. She plays Cordelia, the next door neighbor who is part of a lesbian couple. "This is a very ensemble-based show," Rizzo explained. "My role is the warm and fuzzy character who shows support for all the others. I am the one who has to be the rock."

Rizzo said she's been in theater since she was a kid. Singing is her favorite thing to do. "I'd be singing anyway," she said. "I might as well be singing here!"

Coolong, who is the JCC's director of youth and family services, called this ensemble cast one of the best she's worked with.

"I've been able to get them to do so much," she said. "It's going to be a great show."

IF YOU GO

What: Falsettoland

Where: J-Art Cafe, the Springfield JCC, 1160 Dickinson St., Springfield



When: Jan. 21 and 28 at 8 p.m.; Jan. 22 and 29 at 2 and 7 p.m.

Tickets: $12 for children under 12, seniors and students; $18 for adults; $25 for patron seats

For tickets: Call 413-739-4715



For more information: Visit springfieldjcc.org or call 413-739-4714
beer glass.png

(file)

The city of Boston is another step closer to BYOB.



But if you're keeping track of when it's actually going into effect, add a couple of asterisks to what the city's licensing board did on Wednesday.



The board approved the rules and regulations allowing you to bring your own bottle (BYOB) but they haven't yet come up with an online application form, so you'll probably have to keep waiting until later this year.



And under the new rules, restaurants in downtown Boston, the North End, the South End, Bay Village, Fenway, Chinatown, the Seaport District, West End, Beacon Hill and Back Bay won't be eligible for a BYOB permit.



But BYOB will be allowed in Allston, Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mission Hill, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston, and West Roxbury.

BYOB Mass.: Where you can bring your own bottle in Suffolk County



People who want to bring their own bottles will be limited to beer and wine, and they can't go back out to get more. (A passionate community of local craft beer enthusiasts made sure the rules allow for beer growlers.)



Holders of a BYOB license - they must have a capacity of 30 or less -- can't levy a surcharge or fee for allowing BYOB.



A BYOB license annually costs $400, far less than a $400,000 liquor license.



"This is about activating more of our neighborhood retail spaces," Boston City Council President Michelle Wu, one of the top backers of the effort, told MassLive.com. "BYOB is going to be another tool for restaurant owners to bring economic opportunity into the neighborhoods."

BYOB Mass.: Where you can BYOB in Hampden County



Advocates say a BYOB permit won't be a good fit for every restaurant, but could work for those neighborhood retail spots with a smaller footprint seeking to keep people coming in the door beyond breakfast and lunch.



And they say a BYOB permit could allow restaurant owners who want to get started with a concept and eventually graduate to applying for a liquor license.



"We're almost there," Wu said.
As a new study shows, cities are moving rapidly to harness it and put it to work to make better decisions.

by John M. Kamensky

Full Story: http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-cities-big-data-better-decisions.html
Headframe Spirits Inc. http://www.headframespirits.com, a cutting edge micro-distillery and manufacturing facility, is proud to announce it is now a Certified B Corporation. The recently expanded company will be joining global innovators in a movement to use business as a force for goodTM. Creating a corporation that values its employees, elevates social and environmental performance, and gives back to the community was already a passion for owners, John and Courtney McKee when they first started Headframe Spirits in 2010.

"Our company is a mouthpiece for our values," expressed Headframe Spirits CEO, Courtney McKee. "We believe in making the world a better place, even if its just our tiny corner of the world. The opportunity to add value is as close as we get to a mandate to do so. We take that seriously and we understand that the better each of us does, the better we all do together."

Headframe Spirits will be recognized on Thursday in Missoula as one of four organizations in Montana to be a Certified B Corporation. A panel will discuss the principles behind becoming a Certified B Corporation and how they can improve the business climate by using business as an agent for change, purveying positive values, and ultimately transforming the definition of success from being the best in the world to being the best for the world. They hope to inspire the business community to join them in their efforts to redefine corporate practices and elevate business life in Montana.

About Headframe Spirits

Owners, John and Courtney McKee began their journey with this company in 2010, opening their tasting room doors in 2012. Since then, they have not only won awards and accolades for their products, but also for their impact to their community and state. In 2014 Governor Bullock recognized John and Courtney as Entrepreneurs of the Year and in 2015 as Ambassadors of the Year by the Montana Office of Tourism. Recently, they were award 2016 Small Business Champions of the Year by the Small Business Administration.

About B Corporations

Certified B Corporations meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, legally expand their corporate responsibilities to include consideration of stakeholder interests, and build collective voice through the power of the unifying B Corporation brand. There are more than 1,200 Certified B Corporations from over 120 industries and nearly 50 countries with 1 unifying goal  to redefine success in business.

For more information, visit http://www.bcorporation.net, http://www.bimpactassessment.net, http://www.b-analytics.net and http://www.benefitcorp.net

Headframe Spirits ~ Every drop is made with respect.

# # #

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Cassandra Sunell at 406-299-2886 Ext #110 or email at [email protected].
Digital payment systems are a focus area on course to improving the efficiency and performance of SMEs in the region. This is therefore a very important forum which provides Government to Business, Business to Business and Business to Consumer, key policy aspects that needs to be addressed in order to promote intra-COMESA trade which is currently low.

This was said by Mr. Marday Venkatasamy, Chairman of the COMESA Business Council (CBC), in his opening statement during the Financial Services Regulators Sub-regional Stakeholders Meeting which took place on 13th October 2020.

The COMESA Business Council convened the Financial Services Regulators Sub-regional Stakeholder Meeting, bringing together 73 stakeholders comprising of Central Banks, Ministries of Finance, and revenue authorities, ICT regulators, mobile network operators, MSMEs, Fintechs, and microfinance institutions. The countries present were Zambia, Mauritius, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Kenya, and Tanzania. The meeting was a public private engagement towards collaborative and coordinated approaches in establishing a regional digital common payments policy for MSMEs which would inform the proposed COMESA digital integrated retail payment scheme for SMEs.

The meeting was the last in the series of six sub-regional sectoral meetings which have been convened over the last month, that have brought together stakeholders comprising of MSMEs, mobile network operators, ICT regulators, commercial banks and micro finance institutions, Fintechs and non-bank operators, under the theme Harmonisation of Regulatory Policies Towards an Integrated Digital Common Payment Policy Framework for MSMEs.

Making up 80% of the African economy and employing 70% of the total population in the region, MSMEs play a central role in regional value chains and we have witnessed this particularly during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Strengthening their participation in formal markets reinforces production pathways, and contributes to sustainable economic development, said Ms. Sandra Uwera, the Chief Executive Officer

Financial Services Regulators Sub-regional Stakeholders Meeting Chairman, in her opening remarks. She gave a brief background on the Digital Financial Inclusion Program, highlighting that the programs objective was to support the design, development and deployment of an integrated digital financial services infrastructure that is low-cost, interoperable and fraud resistant, that serves micro small and medium-sized enterprises, with a focus on women and youth at the bottom of the financial pyramid. Expounding on this, Mr. Lazarous Kamanga, Director of Banking, Currency & Payment Systems at the Bank of Zambia, and the meetings chairperson, noted the regional digital common payment policy for MSMEs to be a comprehensive framework that will provide oversight and strategic guidance to all stakeholders within the region, ensuring that financial sector programmes, national strategies and initiatives have broad levels of consistency and synergy. The policy framework will safeguard the needs of all individuals, micro to large enterprises, and be instrumental in attracting a diversified, sustainable and expanding pattern of external capital flows, he went on to add.

The proposed digital common payment policy will leverage on the existing financial rules effectively implemented at a national level, in adherence to international laws, said Amb. Kipyego Cheluget, COMESAs Assistant Secretary General-Programmes, in alignment. He further explained that the purpose of the multi-sectoral stakeholder engagements was to harmonise existing policy platform at a regional level, to allow for the development of a low value regional digital payment scheme for SMEs.

The deliberations attached great importance to the need to promote SMEs competitiveness across the region. This will require concerted efforts from both the public and the private sectors, with the public sector ensuring a business-friendly environment and legislation for the promotion of private sector development and investment, said Mr. Mahmood Mansoor, Executive Secretary of the COMESA Clearing House, and an Advisory Committee member of the CBC Digital Financial Inclusion Program.

Reviewed in the meeting were national policies that have been agreed upon by five sectoral stakeholder workgroups, which will be harmonized at regional level forming the basis upon which a digital integrated regional common payment scheme for MSMEs will be developed. The meeting agreed upon eight policy areas for harmonization in the region namely, Anti-Money Laundering (AML)/Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT), electronic transactions, interoperability, cybersecurity, consumer protection for digital financial services, settlement system operating rules, mobile money guidelines, and national financial inclusion framework.

Additional recommendations put forward included the need to have (i) a common regulatory framework for cross border mobile payments; (ii) a data protection and privacy law which is in harmony with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of EU; (iii) initiatives for migrating MSMEs from informal onto the formal sector through interventions such as digital IDs; (iv) affordable pricing so that MSMEs can easily participate in cross-border trade; (v) more innovations that will drive the cost of cross-border transactions down; (vi) balance between government revenue requirements and MSMEs requirements for the sustainability of their businesses; (vii) multi-stakeholder involvement which will also play a role in reducing the cost of cross-border transactions; (viii) Value Added Services (VAS) such as eGov Payment Services for example for taxes; (ix) provision for an entity to handle disputes; (x) proper mechanisms in place to mitigate foreign exchange risks; (xi) consideration of different authentication options such as digital signatures, biometrics and Artificial Intelligence; (xii) harmonization of digital payment systems in terms of interoperability to avoid reinventing the wheel; (xiii) and, a Universal ICT Access Policy for ICT regulators to ensure seamless digital connectivity for facilitation of transactions.

CBC will be furthering these advocacy efforts at the COMESA Central Banks Governors Meeting and the Ministers of Finance Meeting.

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Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James spent her final day in office honoring one of Maxwells Airmen here, Jan. 19, 2016.

Before a packed auditorium of base leadership, River Region community leaders, and Air University students, James presented two Silver Star medals to Col. Christopher Barnett for his actions in Afghanistan in 2009 on two separate occasions.

Barnett, now an Air War College instructor of leadership and warfighting, was one of eight Airmen who received medal upgrades following the directed review of medal submissions by the secretary of defense in early 2016.

Approximately 150 medals awarded from recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan were reviewed and considered for an upgrade. Nine medals to eight Airmen were determined to not suitably reflect their actions and have been upgraded.

In Barnetts case, the two Distinguished Flying Cross medals he earned in 2009 were upgraded to two Silver Star medals.

These stories quite simply blow me away, and they are inspiring when you think of the resiliency of our people, how they keep going against all odds and how they are so mission driven and particularly in the case of the Airman we honored today, Christopher Barnett, said James following the medal presentation ceremony. He was all about saving lives, and thats the story of many of our Airmen who are recognized for valor. Its about the team, its about completing the mission, and its about saving lives.

According to the citations that accompanied his medal presentations, on April 4, 2009, Barnett, an HH-60G Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopter pilot, engaged with the enemy on four different occasions near Kajaki, Afghanistan, saving the lives of 40 U.S. Special Forces soldiers and one Afghan National Army soldier.

Six weeks later, Barnett was called to action once more.

On May 19, 2009, he and his wingman braved intense enemy fire to rescue a wounded Soldier. Just a few hours later they were called out again to the same location to rescue another Soldier and deliver much-needed water and ammo to ground troops. When at the site, Barnett positioned his aircraft between the soldiers and the enemy fire. The next day, he was called out to the same site to evacuate another fallen soldier.

The thing I most remember about it is the relief at the end of it knowing that all the guys that had gone in there were going to get to go home, he said.

For Barnett, the medal presentation was a complete surprise, learning of the surprise visit from James only two days earlier.

Barnett said he was honored beyond belief that the secretary of the Air Force would spend her final day in office to come from Washington, D.C., to present the decorations in person.

Its great that shes making sure that this gets done for some people who have had their review done on the decorations, because I think its important, and I think it shows a lot about her character; shes looking at making sure these things get done, he said.

After reading the names and highlighting the individual accomplishments of the first seven Airmen on her list who were getting medal upgrades, James referred to them as the magnificent seven. However, she said today was all about honoring the eighth Airman on her list, Barnett.

These stories represent one percent; the military represents one percent of the American public. So one percent of the people protect the rest of us who are the 99 percent, said James. So we owe them a great deal. Its very important that we tell these stories. Its important that we thank them and that we thank their families, because there is an enormous sacrifice involved, and so it means everything to me that I get to do this on my final day.
Earlier in the week, many U2 fans were left angered after not only missing out on tickets for their forthcoming gig at Croke Park in July, but at seeing them very quickly pop up on re-sale sites for hugely inflated sums.

It's a topic that understandably generates a lot of irritation, as it means genuine fans are either left without tickets or having to fork out huge amounts to see their favourite bands.

However, it appears that a campaign is underway to tackle touting, led by TD Noel Rock. The Fine Gael TD has sought a meeting with Taoiseach Enda Kenny this week to seek his support in backing a bill that would outlaw ticket touts - at least of this kind - and has already drafted legislation "which would prohibit the resale of tickets for concerts and sporting events for more than their face value."

It follows on from a similar promise by Independent TD Stephen Donnelly to take action. Seatwave, one of the biggest ticket re-sale sites, has already been shut down in Belgium after similar legislation was drafted.

. @NoelRock & I have had ticket touting selected for topical issues, so will be debating in Dail later today.  Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) January 19, 2017

Radio station NOVA has also launched an online petition to gain support for the campaign, which has been signed by over 2,500 people in recent days.

See here for the petition.




In her long-awaited speech, Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, finally gave more detail of what the Government's policy is regarding leaving the EU. The speech has been met with great approval from the media and those who wish to leave the EU  including UKIP.





Matthew Elliott, the chief executive of the Vote Leave, tweeted: 'Superb speech from PM  everything we campaigned for @vote_leave. Inspiring vision for #GlobalBritain. Loved "Take Back Control" reference.' Nigel Farage, the former UKIP leader, tweeted: '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.' Suzanne Evans, a former UKIP leadership candidate and someone not in the Faragist wing of UKIP, said: 'I was chuckling at some of it, to be honest, it seemed as if she was channelling UKIP. There were various phrases there that Ive used myself again and again, and I think her 12 priorities were all extremely sound, good priorities for a proper clean or what some people called hard Brexit  I overwhelmingly welcome the speech.' Labour have described May's proposals as 'Soft Brexit'.





The English Rights Campaign is unimpressed. In fact, a casual analysis of the May speech reveals it to be vacuous pap, and May's political correctness steadily guides her approach  as does her obsession with free trade. In practice there is a balance to be struck between free trade and a more protectionist approach. The issue is to strike the right balance. Britain's traditional policy of unilateral free trade is not a sensible policy and was largely responsible for Britain's long-term economic decline.





Throughout her speech, May ladled on her belief in globalism. She started in the third sentance: ' They voted to leave the European Union and embrace the world,' in reference to the referendum vote; and that 'It was the moment we chose to build a truly Global Britain', for example. May explained the Leave victory in the referendum as due 'not simply because our history and culture is profoundly internationalist, important though that is,' but also because '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,' and that the vote 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.' This rewriting of history is telling. People did not vote Leave because they wanted more globalization. They were motivated by a rejection of it and were concerned about more down-to-earth issues.





Correctly, May pointed out that Britain should take: 'the opportunity of this great moment of national change to step back and ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be'. Leaving the EU gives Britain the opportunity to tackle its problems. But May ignored this and prefered:





'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.'





This might all sound nice, with lots of talk of being global, but it is meaningless. What of the size of the balance of trade deficit (a problem totally ignored in the speech despite the EU's responsiblity for a great part of it, it not even being mentioned once), or of how to end mass immigration, or of the need to free Britain from other damaging entities such as the human rights courts and legislation? Leaving the EU gives Britain the opportunity to negotiate a trade deal that will end the trade deficit with the EU, but May did not even see that as an aim! She did mention that the Government would get its spending deficit down and spend more on infrastructure as it does so. In fact the deficit is likely to stay high and the Government is actually increasing it above the level planned by the previous chancellor, George Osborne.





May claimed that Britains historical global aspirations are 'why we are one of the most racially diverse countries in Europe, one of the most multicultural members of the European Union'. In fact Britain is 'racially diverse' etc. due to the unwillingness of successive British governments to stop the ever-increasing scale of immigration, despite the firm opposition to mass immigration from ordinary people. Multiculturalism has been imposed on the British public and is not something they have ever voted for.





May set out twelve objectives:





1. Certainty

2. Control of our own laws

3. Strengthen the Union

4. Maintain the Common Travel Area with Ireland

5. Control Immigration

6. Rights for EU natonals in Britain, and British nationals in the EU

7. Protect Workers' Rights

8. Free Trade with European Markets

9. New Trade Arrangements with Other Countries

10. The Best Place for Science and Innovation

11. Cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism

12. A Smooth, Orderly Brexit





May rightly committed to 'convert the acquis  the body of existing EU law  into British law', and that the outcome of the deal negotiated would be put to a vote in parliament.





May said that in future laws would be made in 'Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast', that there was a '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', that there had already been a paper from the Scottish Government', and that the Government expected 'a paper from the Welsh Government shortly'; also that the Government looked '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'. She promised that the Government would work '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'.





But what of the English? Why is there no one representing English interests? Why are the English, who are funding Britain, denied an equal say in Britains governance? Why is there not a devolved English parliament? May saw nothing wrong with anti-Engish discrimination and did not even mention the issue, simply taking it for granted as a normality.





The speech did nothing to reassure voters that mass immigration would end. May boldly asserted that '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', and that 'we will always want immigration'. Instead there was a sop: '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.' As Home Secretary, May did virtually nothing to curtail either legal or illegal immigration. Immigration is at record levels with roughly 650,000 pouring in each year. Currently, the Government has even been using the Royal Navy to ferry illegal immigrants across the Mediterreanean and has recently been searching Europe for and bringing into Britain mature, if not middle-aged men, who claim to be child minors. May made no commitment that anything would change.





May did rule out continuing membership of the EU Single Market. Although this is seen as radical, in fact it is simply what people voted for last summer (both sides of the referendum campaign admitted that a vote to leave would mean leaving the Single Market). Instead, May committed to 'pursue a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement with the European Union' that would give Britain tariff-free access to the Single Market, 'on a fully reciprocal basis'. If that commitment holds, then unilateral free trade will not be pursued. But there is no commitment to dealing with the unfair advantage that the north European countries have, in particular Germany, due to, for them, the undervalued euro. There is no commitment to bring trade with the EU back into balance. This is a serious defect in the Government strategy. Furthermore, although May said that Britain would no longer 'contribute huge sums to the EU budget' and that 'the days of Britain making vast contributions to the European Union every year will end'. They key term is 'will end'. This is something that might happen some date in the future  if the May Government does not cave in. It should be noted that May did commit to 'make an appropriate contribution' for specific programmes with which Britain might wish to stay involved.





May enthused about free trade, saying that a 'Global Britain' must enter into 'trade agreements' with countries across the world. She cited China, Brazil, the Gulf States, and India, as well as Britains daughter nations of Australia, New Zealand and Canada and the USA (our American cousins), which is now keen to strike a trade deal as soon as possible. May bemoaned that since joining the EU trade as a percentage of GDP for Britain has 'broadly stagnated' and of the need for Britain to 'rediscover its role as a great, global trading nation'. To enter into free trade deals with Third World countries would be ruinous, given their much lower wages, living standards and scant levels of regulation, and any such deals would need to be approached cautiously. A free trade deal with the communist, protectionist China would not be worth the paper it is written on. There is already a wopping balance of trade deficit between Britain and China, and Britain needs a clear strategy to bring its trade back into balance. There is no evidence that May even grasps this. The statistic about trade as a percentage of GDP is irrelevant. What matters is the growth rate of the British economy, which will be determined by the competitiveness of British manufacturing and its ability to successfully thrive, primarily, in the home market. Britain was the superpower of the 19th century because it was a great manufacturing nation. It was the competitiveness of British industry that was the source of British economic power and the engine for the increase in living standards.





In order to avoid a 'cliff-edge' when leaving the EU (the term 'freedom' would be more accurate), May proposed that:





'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 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, the opening proposal is that Britain, having spent from June 2016 to March 2017 doing nothing other than consider what it might want to do, then spends two years in negotiations, which may or may not even result in an agreement, before putting anything agreed to not only the British parliament but also all the other EU parliaments, including the European parliament, who can veto the deal; then, after all that, it is proposed that there is an interim period before the vote of June 2016 is finally honoured. This interim period could be many years. In the meantime there are not only elections in Britain, but also across the EU and its 27 Member States; and, importantly, the 'vast contributions to the European Union every year' will continue, the flood of immigrants will continue to pour in, EU laws will continue to be enforced upon us, Britain's fishing grounds will continue to be plundered by foreign fishing vessels, and the balance of trade deficit will continue to balloon. And this is May's ideal! From this ideal position, as is the nature in negotiations, there will be compromises, fudges and sell outs. May's opening stance is a losing position  especially so given her desperation to reach a free trade deal with the EU.

Revealingly, May 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.'





th century free trade theories. It is not automatic that free trade increases more growth, jobs or wealth creation. In practice, there is a balance to be struck between free trade and a degree of protectionism. The question is does Britain have the right balance? The scale of, and reasons for, the continuing balance of trade deficits with both the EU and China proves that we do not. Britain cannot continue selling off assets and borrowing to fund its trade deficit, and needs a strategy to pay for imported goods by selling exported goods. Selling more British goods in the British home market is the key part of this long overdue correction. This is a simplistic presentation of 19century free trade. It is not automatic that free trade increases more growth, jobs or wealth creation. In practice, there is a balance to be struck between free trade and a degree of protectionism. The question is does Britain have the right balance? The scale of, and reasons for, the continuing balance of trade deficits with both the EU and China proves that we do not. Britain cannot continue selling off assets and borrowing to fund its trade deficit, and needs a strategy to pay for imported goods by selling exported goods. Selling more British goods in the British home market is the key part of this long overdue correction.





Interestingly, May pointed out that a failure to reach a deal with the EU 'would risk exports from the EU to Britain worth around 290 billion every year'. A 20% tariff on those EU goods would raise 58billion a year  broadly sufficient to elminate the government spending deficit. Then there is China. In reality the introduction of tariffs would result in fewer imports and exports and more sales in the home market.





The policy should be one of implementing a strategy to bring our trade with the EU into balance (and the same policy should be applied towards China). Taking the deficit with the EU to be in the region of 80billion, then, by definition, British production will increase by 80billion to bridge that deficit. Either we will export 80billion more, or import 80billion less (because we are now buying British goods rather than foreign ones) or, more likely, a combination of both. Those who would now benefit from these extra sales would, in turn, having more to spend, buy more from others, who, in turn, would do likewise. Thus output will increase further (Keynes made much of this multiplier effect).





unilateral free trade), Britain introduced the Import Duties Act which introduced a 10% tariff on all imported goods apart from those specifically exempted (such as raw materials). By April 1932, the tariff rate was doubled. The positive effect of this new policy was dramatic. Britain's output had fallen by 5.6% in 1931. Between 1931 and 1937, industrial production increased by 70%. Britain's per capita incomes increased by 0.2% in 1932, by 2.5% in 1933, and by 6.3% in 1934. There is a precedent. In February 1932, after crashing out of the Gold Standard and in the face of tariffs being used by all other developed countries (with Britain clinging to its policy offree trade), Britain introduced the Import Duties Act which introduced a 10% tariff on all imported goods apart from those specifically exempted (such as raw materials). By April 1932, the tariff rate was doubled. The positive effect of this new policy was dramatic. Britain's output had fallen by 5.6% in 1931. Between 1931 and 1937, industrial production increased by 70%. Britain's per capita incomes increased by 0.2% in 1932, by 2.5% in 1933, and by 6.3% in 1934.





chooses not to do any of this. A policy to bring the trade with the EU and China back into balance would not only eliminate the trade deficit, but also eliminate the government spending deficit, and would also boost growth and increase living standards. Leaving the EU would mean ending the payments to the EU and free extra monies to put into the overstretched NHS, which is what was promised during the referendum campaign. Yet the May Governmentnot to do any of this.





Britain remains a member of the EU until it repeals the 1972 European Communities Act. It is this Act which makes the EU supreme and only repealing it will restore the sovereignty of the British Parliament. Triggering Article 50 does not get Britain out of the EU, and is a delying mechanism that puts the EU in charge, with Britain seeking permission to leave from the European Parliament and the 27 Member States. Currently Malta is taking a hard line (think about that). In any event, the first paragraph of Article 50 states: 'Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements'. Britain should repeal the 1972 Act at once and leave.





May concluded her speech by saying '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'. Indeed they will. Britain does not need a policy of Brexit Postponed, but a policy of Turbo Brexit (as has already been advanced by the English Rights Campaign and set out below):





The English Rights Campaign would regard the following points as central for maximizing the benefits of Brexit and the opportunities it allows. This might be termed Turbo Brexit:





1. A complete end to the annual payments to the EU. Any post-Brexit deal should exclude any further payments to the EU. The so-called Norway Model should be rejected. From the money saved, 100million per week should be allocated to the NHS. The sooner the EU payments cease, the sooner the extra funding for the NHS is available.





2. There should be a full restoration of British sovereignty. Neither the EU, nor any other international organization, should have any power over Britain's internal affairs. Britain's laws should be determined by Britain's parliament. Britain should withdraw from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights and repeal the so-called Human Rights Act.





3. Britain should regain full control over its territorial waters and those should be set at the international standard, with the fishing limit extended to 200 miles. Britain should have full control over its fishing policy and fish conservation.





4. There should be an end of free movement of people and Britain should take whatever measures are necessary to bring mass immigration to a complete end. The EU should have no say over who lives in Britain. Illegal immigrants and immigrant political extremists should be deported. This must necessitate withdrawing from the UN Convention on Refugees; help should be given to genuine refugees in their own or neighbouring countries. British citizenship should not be granted until someone has lived in Britain for at least 30 years and is someone of good standing.





5. Overseas Aid should be reduced to a minimum. The aim should be to reduce it by at least 10billion. Those who wish to give donations to overseas bodies and charities are of course free to do so with their own money.





6. Britain's trade policy should be one of balanced trade. Britain has a massive balance of trade deficit with the EU and also with China. Britain needs to adopt trade policies that will eliminate these trade deficits. If necessary, tariffs should be used. In addition, there should be measures to prevent further key British firms being taken over by foreign entities. Other countries protect their key industries and so should Britain.





7. There should be a determined de-Marxification programme to remove the ideology of political correctness from society. Those promoting political correctness should have their access to public monies cut. Political correctness should cease to be the basis of morality and patriotism should be quietly engendered.





8. Priority should be given to reducing the government spending deficit; ending the scandal of councils seizing pensioners homes if they are taken into care; and reintroducing a fully transferable married couples tax allowance. To raise money, in addition to the extra tax income from increased growth due to trade being brought back into balance, and the savings on overseas aid and payments to the EU, there should be the introduction of a Solidarity Tax on those who have thus far avoided the extra costs of the political correctness and immigration that they so loudly demand. All organizations bringing in immigrants should be charged the full cost of a house; there is no reason why taxpayers should fund a housebuilding programme to cater for the immigrants brought in to save wages and training costs for business and other organizations; let those organizations which do so well out of immigration pay to house those immigrants.





9. The House of Lords needs to be replaced to better reflect the views of ordinary people and to cull the collection of cronies with which the chamber has been stuffed since the expulsion of most of the hereditary peers; it has become and expensive Ponzi class gravy train and is dysfunctional. There should also be the introduction of an English parliament to give the English an equal footing in Britain. The powers devolved to the various national parliaments should be equalized with a proper federal structure.




A meal designed, created and served by Foothills Community School students incorporated the 4 Cs of Culinary into the driving question around the project, As a restaurateur, how can you combine the study of chemistry, cooking, culture and cash to created a culinary compilation?

During their academic classes, we have been studying chemistry, body systems, conflict and its effects on various economic and social realms, culture, unit rates, presentation skills and applying language within different contexts, said FCS instructor Rene McGovny

Within their designated budget, the students had to design a meal they could afford to feed a certain amount of people. McGovny said they started off with wanting expensive delicacies such as surf n turf, but soon realized after calculating the cost, it was going to be too expensive.

I enjoyed that we got to cook the meal ourselves instead of just ordering food or getting other people to make it, said student Chloe Phillips. I think most of the presentation went great.

The students researched many of the staples in the meal they prepared, and found out how the food affects someones body, where it originated from, how it was prepared and broke down how much per person each plate cost.

The scholars worked on this project every day for approximately five weeks. They learned about chemistry, culture, economics and cash in class. They had to then apply those concepts to each of their dishes, said McGovny. They put several hours of thought and preparation into the success of this meal.

Family members of the FCS students bought tickets for $20 to attend the meal at Greenlee Baptist Church on Thursday, Jan. 12. FCS students led their guests into the fellowship hall where they were seated at the table. The guests were offered tea or water which the students served and refilled.

Then, each course was served and the groups talked about their dish and what they had learned.

The students did an excellent job preparing the dinner as well as serving their guests. They appropriately tied each of the five courses to what their academics classes have taught them regarding the 4 Cs of Culinary, said McGovny. Their teamwork seemed effortless, as they were happy to help prepare other dishes as they were needed.

And, any profits the students made from the dinner will be used toward their field trip to Washington, D.C. later this year.

They had calculated and hoped for a profit of $300, said McGovny. Their actual total profit came out to be $240. That is pretty impressive for a meal designed, created and executed by a group of 10 to 14 year olds.

Other classes at FCS participated in the project as well and held their dinners on different days in other locations.

To find out more about Foothills Community School, visit www.mcdowell.k12.nc.us.
WASHINGTON - The contentious confirmation hearing for Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for education secretary, cemented concerns among civil rights advocates that she would either ignore or dismiss the Education Department's role as chief enforcer of the nation's civil rights laws in schools.

DeVos declined to say during the hearing Tuesday whether she would enforce new regulations meant to hold schools accountable for educating all students. She passed up an opportunity to reassure Democrats concerned about a downsizing of the Office for Civil Rights, which is responsible for investigating allegations of discrimination in the nation's K-12 schools and colleges.

She indicated there's a good chance that she'll oversee a significant shift away from President Barack Obama's administration's approach to handling sexual assault, which has forced schools to more aggressively investigate incidents and protect survivors' access to education. And she waffled on a federal civil rights law meant to protect students with disabilities; at one point she said it should be up to states whether to comply, and she later said that she had been "confused" about the law.

"She was very clearly making no commitment to enforcing federal laws, and that's disqualifying. That's an unwillingness to do the job she has applied for," said Liz King of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 200 groups. The Leadership Conference is urging senators to reject DeVos, the first time the organization has objected to an education secretary nominee.

Through what she said and didn't say about civil rights Tuesday, DeVos further alienated Democrats who were already skeptical of her fitness for the job. Republicans, however - who have praised DeVos's willingness to shrink the federal footprint in education and take on teachers unions - showed no signs of withdrawing their support, meaning it appears DeVos almost certainly will be confirmed.

"I think she would be an excellent secretary of education," Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said at the hearing.

Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said Wednesday that nothing about the hearing changed his positive impression of DeVos. "She seemed pretty knowledgeable," Isakson said.

DeVos is a Michigan billionaire who has used her fortune and political connections to lobby for charter schools and, especially, for taxpayer-funded vouchers that allow parents to take public money to help pay for tuition when their children attend private and religious schools.

Her efforts to expand vouchers are of particular concern to many disability-rights advocates, concerns that DeVos stoked Tuesday in several exchanges, including with Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.

Advocates argue that vouchers encourage segregation of students with disabilities and drain public schools of the resources they need. They also object to voucher programs that require students with disabilities to sign away their rights under a federal civil rights law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), that guarantees a free appropriate public education.

The federal government gives states about $13 billion annually for special education, and the Education Department is responsible for ensuring that states meet their obligations under the law.

DeVos told Collins she would explore the possibility of turning IDEA funds - which currently go to states and school districts - into vouchers that could follow students to private schools.

Speaking with Kaine, she seemed to not understand IDEA or to believe that private schools receiving federal funds should not have to abide by the law's requirements. She said that states should be able to decide whether schools receiving public funds must follow the requirements of the law; challenged by Hassan to clarify her views, DeVos said she "may have confused" the fact that IDEA is a federal civil rights law.

Kaine said that in the day since the hearing, he has heard more concerns about DeVos from people who work with children with disabilities than any other group.

"I don't think she believes that private institutions in a voucher system should have to follow the accountability rules that public schools have to," he said. "She would feel like it would be okay for them to get the money but they don't have to follow the same rules."

Susan Henderson, executive director of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, said she expected DeVos to have been better prepared to answer questions about IDEA. "Unless her ideology is such that she doesn't believe in the role of federal laws, and believing in the role of federal laws isn't an option for a secretary," Henderson said. "You couldn't tell from her testimony whether it was ideology or ignorance."

A spokesperson for Trump's transition team said that DeVos knows that IDEA is a federal law.

Asked whether DeVos believes that private schools taking federal funds should be exempt from IDEA requirements, the transition spokesperson said DeVos "believes that IDEA should be implemented as enacted, which includes an opportunity for parents to seek a different option if their local assigned school is not serving their children's needs."

Hassan, whose son has a severe disability, told DeVos she was concerned that children with disabilities who receive taxpayer-funded vouchers to attend private school are vulnerable to losing IDEA protections they would have if they stayed in public school. She asked DeVos for her view on maintaining legal protections for voucher students, and DeVos began her answer by saying she was glad that Hassan had been able to "find the right opportunity" for her son.

Hassan interrupted. "I had the opportunity to send him to the same public school that my daughter went to because the law required that that school provide him resources that were never provided before that law was passed," Hassan said. "The question is, will you enforce the law with regard to students with disabilities" who get a voucher to go to a private school, which then refuses to provide them with services they deserve?

DeVos did not answer directly.

In an interview Wednesday, Hassan said she worries that DeVos "didn't seem to understand" that IDEA is a federal law. "I still don't have a sense that she understands education to be the civil right that it is," she said.

Many voucher advocates say that IDEA was written in an age when children were compelled to attend assigned public schools. They argue private schools accepting vouchers should not necessarily be subject to the law because embedded in vouchers is a different kind of accountability, accountability to parents that can choose to take their children, and their tax dollars, elsewhere.

Chris Haney, a mother of two sons who receive special education services at public schools in the Philadelphia suburbs, said DeVos's answers on special education showed she is not fit for the position. Haney was one of several parents, teachers, students and education advocates who spoke Wednesday at a Capitol Hill news conference opposing DeVos.

"I think she's patently unqualified for the job," Haney said. "She knows nothing about public schools."

Democrats and advocates also decried DeVos's unwillingness to commit to continuing the Obama administration's six-year campaign to combat sexual assault in schools and on college campuses.

Sen. Robert Casey Jr., D-Pa., said Wednesday he would vote against DeVos's nomination, in part because she said during her hearing that it was "premature" to say whether she would uphold the Obama administration's interpretation of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.

In 2011, the Obama administration told officials that they were obligated under Title IX to respond promptly to reports of sexual violence and that they must use a standard of "preponderance of the evidence" when determining whether an assault occurred.

Many Republicans say the OCR letter is a prime example of what they call the Obama administration's overreach on civil rights. Democrats hailed the letter as crucial to advancing a crusade against sexual assault that has profoundly affected college policies and culture.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who has been sharply critical of DeVos, said she was unsettled by the nominee's answers on sexual assault.

"It's extremely important that they continue the work that we started," she said. "I did not get a commitment from her."
Arterys, a San Francisco firm, won FDA clearance, following recent European CE Mark approval, to introduce its Arterys Cardio DL software that automates the process of segmenting ventricles on cardiac MRI imaging scans. Arterys claims that in a clinical setting the application is able to perform segmentation as accurately as experienced docs doing it manually, saving valuable time and letting physicians focus on less tedious tasks.

The software runs on the cloud provided by Arterys and essentially only requires images to be uploaded to the system. These can come from just about any MRI machine, since the software simply works with the image itself. It uses deep learning methodologies, run on powerful computers, that are based on thousands previously compiled and segmented cardiac MRI scans.

Heres a short video, provided by Arterys, introducing the Cardio DL system:

Flashback: Arterys 4D Blood Flow MRI Imaging System Cleared by FDA
Glasgow Neuro Ltd, a young Scottish firm, has released an open-source data acquisition device for wearable health monitoring applications. It can amplify electrocardiography (ECG), electromyography (EMG), and electroencephalography (EEG) signals for processing by external devices such as tablets and smartphones.

The ATTYS is able to transmit raw, uncompressed signal data at 24 bits wirelessly via Bluetooth. Apps can then be easily built that filter and process this data while maintaining the ability to see the original source, a feature particularly useful for scientific studies.

The software within the ATTYS is open source and the idea for the device came out of Dr. Bernd Porr who has devoted his efforts to education the public about applications and techniques for measuring various biosignals. In the process he decided to build a manufactured device that can help developers bypass the difficult step of building such component themselves.

Press release
by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, January 18, 2017

New York City, a place no one has ever described as laid back, is about to get even less relaxed.

The departure of pioneering marijuana magazine High Times is leaving the Big Apple for the Big Bud  er, Los Angeles. The cross-country move comes as High Timesfaces subdued competition, or something, from a new generation of niche publications devoted to cannabis.

The pub was founded in 1974 by Thomas King Forcade  allegedly with the profits from his own marijuana-smuggling operation  to advocate for the legalization of marijuana. High Times has long been headquartered in midtown Manhattan, just south of Columbus Circle  an incongruously buttoned-up location even when the city was at the forefront of American drug culture.

It made even less sense to stay in recent years, as New York State now lags behind many other states in de-criminalizing marijuana and allowing its sale for medical use, to say nothing of full legalization.

Thanks to its easy referendum process, California pioneered legal medical marijuana and recently joined Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Alaska in legalizing it for recreational use  with legal recreational sales set to begin January 1.

Los Angeles, already the world capital for legal medical marijuana dispensaries, will doubtless enjoy an even bigger boom with recreational sales, making it a logical destination for cannabis publications of all stripes. Even before the latest referendum, High Times was already setting up shop there, with the opening of a West Coast office in July 2016.

The magazine also got a new boss last year, with the appointment of David Kohl as president and CEO. He succeeded Michael Kennedy, who moved to the position of chairman after leading the business for 41 years.
by Tobi Elkin @tobielkin, January 19, 2017

This story has been updated from an earlier version to clarify that Rubicon didn't offload the Chango business to IgnitionOne. It exited the intent marketing business which was just one part of Rubicon's Chango acquisition.

While it was reported last week that Rubicon Project is exploring strategic options including a sale, now the company has exited its intent marketing business, which was part of its acquisition of Chango in April 2015. Clients will be referred to IgnitionOne, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The intent marketing business, just one component of the acquisition, drove less than 5% of the ad spend on the Rubicon marketplace, according to Dallas Lawrence, a spokesman for Rubicon.

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Lawrence explained that Chango is not shuttering. In fact, the business was integrated into Rubicon over the course of several months. Chango was folded into Rubicon's buyer cloud offering. Then it was determined that it didn't make sense to have separate buyer and seller cloud offerings. A new CRO was hired, who combined the buyer and seller clouds into one organization that sells across all customer segments.

Chango's intent marketing business, a legacy unit, has 14 people who were offered jobs at IgnitionOne. The Toronto office is where most of the intent marketing personnel were based and it will close. About 30 people will lose their jobs in the Toronto office -- the 14 are not part of that nearly 30, Lawrence explained.

IgnitionOne will acquire Changos clients and some employees in exchange for a fee from Rubicon Project.

In the filing, Rubicon Project said its intent marketing business generated $41 million in GAAP revenue and $19 million in non-GAAP net revenue in 2016. During Rubicons last earnings call, CEO Frank Addante hinted that the Chango acquisition didnt work out exactly as we thought.

These actions will enable the company to increase focus on growth areas, such as mobile, video, orders, header bidding and the recently announced consumer initiative, Rubicon Project stated in an 8-K filing with the SEC.

Commenting on the changes, Hector Pantazopoulos, chief revenue officer, SourceKnowledge, told Real-Time Daily via email: "Chango was a performance-driven search intent ad solution. The fit with Rubicon was never really there. They had a client base, but what they were buying was very specific to the Chango offering. Rubicon was trying to get that buy side of the equation added into their tech stack, but it just drove focus further away from the publisher tools that built the company."
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, January 19, 2017

Chipotle Mexican Grill has selected two new lead agencies: Venables Bell & Partners for creative advertising duties, and MullenLowe Mediahub for media planning and buying.

The decision comes at the end of a four-month agency review that included consideration of nearly 20 potential agency partners, according to the restaurant chain.

After considering some extremely talented agencies, we decided that retaining two best-in-class partners to work with us on the advertising and media roles gave us the best combination of talent to help us as we continue to evolve our marketing programs, stated Mark Crumpacker, Chief Marketing And Development Officer at Chipotle.

Venables impressed us from the beginning with their insights and ability to translate our strategy into really compelling advertising, while Mediahub demonstrated extraordinary analytic and media targeting capabilities.

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Venables Bell, based in San Francisco, has worked for clients such as Audi, REI, and Intel, and was named breakthrough agency of the year in 2016 by Adweek. It gained a lot of attention for its Opt Outside campaign for REI, which encouraged consumers to skip the Black Friday shopping frenzy for the great outdoors. REI even closed its doors on Black Friday.

Boston-based Mediahub is the global media planning and buying arm of MullenLowe Group, and represents a variety of brands including JetBlue, Netflix, Bose and Shinola, among others. Mediahub was named 2016 Creative Media Agency of the Year by MediaPost.

Chipotle and Mediahub share a belief in challenging the status quo to deliver extraordinary results, stated Keith Lusby, executive director at MullenLowe Mediahub and who led the pitch for the agency. Chipotle is the ultimate challenger brand, defying category norms about how food is sourced, prepared and served.

The company spent a total $69.3 on advertising and marketing in 2015 according to its annual report for that year. The company acknowledged that its ad spend levels have been relatively low for a restaurant chain of its size, but added that had achieved a lot of success developing positive word of mouth for its brand via an advertising mix that has included print, outdoor, transit, radio and digital advertising.

But that positive word of mouth turned negative in late 2015 when the chain was confronted with a number of operational problems as well as customers who became ill after consuming Chipotle food allegedly tainted with E. coli bacteria. As a result, the chains financials took a severe hit over several quarters.

The firm recovered to some degree and has signaled that it intends to invest more heavily in marketing and advertising going forward. The company spent $29 million on ads in 2015 and $33 million during the first nine months of 2016 according to Kantar Media.

Chipotle is a brand we have long admired, and we are excited to be working alongside a marketing team which has such a strong and compelling creative pedigree, said Paul Birks-Hay, president of Venables Bell.

Chipotle will continue its work with incumbent GSD&M through the duration of its Ingredients Reign campaign. The Omnicom agency had handled both creative and media for the brand and participated in the review.

The chain continues to work with a number of other agency partners in such area as design, social media, public relations, and digital and mobile services.
by Larissa Faw , January 19, 2017

VSA Partners is rearranging its leadership team.

CEO Dana Arnett is shifting to the new position of vice chairman and founding partner.

After five years at the agency, William Rosen is being promoted to CEO after leading the agency's marketing and data science departments and helping to land clients AB InBev, Beam Suntory and Kimberly-Clark.

Prior to joining VSA Partners, Rosen served as president and chief creative officer of North America for Arc Worldwide, Leo Burnett and Publicis Groupes global marketing company.

Meanwhile, Curt Schreiber has moved into the role of president and the newly created role of chief design officer. The 26-year veteran will lead the creative teams as well as continue to oversee creative for clients such as IBM, Harley-Davidson and Chicago Board of Trade.

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Other leadership changes include the appointment of Patrick Palmer to lead strategy, Eric Martinez will become partner, designing change lead to develop a new offering devoted to designing and leading change in the agency's clients businesses and culture, Anne-Marie Rosser will spearhead client engagement, and Jeff Walker is promoted to senior partner and will continue to serve on the Board of Directors.

According to the agency Arnett will now focus on upholding the agencys design legacy through speaking and thought leadership, while developing client relationships.
by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, January 19, 2017

It should be no surprise that Clinton and Trump voters in 2016 had little overlap in terms of what outlets they relied on for news about the election. How can a splintered public address key issues -- or a nation govern -- if it can't agree on what constitutes truth?

In yet another illustration of the widening ideological chasm in our national politics, Pew Research found that 40% of Trump voters identified Fox News as their main source of election news. In contrast, only 3% of Clinton voters designated Fox News.

Clinton voters were much more varied in their news choices than Trump voters.

CNN came up on top among those voters, but was chosen by only 18%. MSNBC was second with 9%. NPR, ABC, The New York Times and CBS were all named by between 5% and 9% of her voters. CNN was named by only 8% of Trump voters.

Trump voters had eight different news outlets that more than 3% of respondents said was their main source of election news, including Breitbart and The Drudge Report. Clinton voters, proving a bit more intellectually curious about different viewpoints, had 11 outlets on the list released by Pew, including The Huffington Post.

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Within the Democratic party, variations between Clinton primary voters and non-Clinton primary voters point to an interesting dichotomy regarding election news consumption. Clinton primary voters were much more likely than those who did not vote for her to get their news on TV (56% to 37%).

In contrast, and not unexpectedly, Democrats who did not vote her in the primary relied heavily on digital outlets to educate themselves on the election, with 48% of them selecting digital outlets as their main source.

A curious but wholly expected news source that both Clinton and Trump voters relied on was Facebook. Among Clinton voters, 8% pointed to the social-media behemoth as their go-to news source about the 2016 election, whereas it was 7% among Trump voters.

While Facebook chooses not to see itself as a news outlet, for many who use the site, it fills that exact role.

Fake news found a home on Facebook during the 2016 campaign, with weak editorial oversight (an issue the company is trying to fix) and algorithms that can promote completely false stories. That made it harder to establish credibility or truth during the election.

News consumption is changing rapidly, and the line between fact and fiction is quickly blurring. The larger implications of ongoing fake news has alarmed legislators and historians; they worry about its impact on policies designed to protect the public.
Many recently hospitalized seniors experience delirium, a condition in which patients become severely confused and disoriented. New research suggests that delirium may have long-lasting effects on patients mental decline, potentially also accelerating dementia.

Share on Pinterest New research suggests that hospital-induced delirium may accelerate dementia.

Hospital-induced delirium is an often ignored or underdiagnosed illness affecting a large number of senior patients.

The condition is a temporary form of cognitive impairment that can last anywhere between a few days and a few weeks. It is believed to be caused by the changes that come with hospitalization, isolation, and overmedication.

Up to a third of patients over the age of 70 experience delirium, and those having surgery or in the intensive care unit are affected at a higher rate.

Until recently, the condition had been considered normal and simply put down to old age. More and more research, however, is showing that although common, the condition is not normal. It can have negative long-term cognitive effects and can sometimes lead to complications, such as blood clots or pneumonia.

Researchers from University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge, both in the United Kingdom, set out to investigate whether there was a link between post-delirium cognitive decline and the pathologic progress of dementia.
Research shows that prematurely born babies are more prone to developing disabilities. A new study, however, suggests that brain mapping in preemies may help to predict and prevent the negative consequences of early brain injury.

Share on Pinterest A new study suggests that an early brain scan and injury mapping in premature babies could help to predict the development of later disabilities.

Preterm birth occurs when a baby is born before the 37th week of pregnancy  3 weeks before term.

Worldwide, premature births are the leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years old.

In the United States, prematurity affects 1 in 10 infants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC also report that a third of infant deaths are caused by preterm birth complications.

Preterm birth is generally associated with a higher risk of infant disability and death because a baby needs the entire gestation period to develop properly. For instance, a babys vital organs  including the lungs, liver, and brain  all need the final weeks of pregnancy to develop fully and healthily.

Many surviving babies develop complications, such as breathing and feeding problems, learning difficulties, or hearing and visual impairment.

A lack of oxygen supply to the brain is the most common cause of brain injury in prematurely born infants. This results in damage to the brains white matter.

The brains white matter  sometimes referred to as  the subway of the brain   is responsible for connecting different gray matter areas of the cerebrum. As expected, damage in the brains transit system can lead to communication problems and poor signal transmission, which impacts the entire human body.

New research  published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology  investigates the link between white matter brain injury in premature babies and childhood disabilities.
Scientists have developed a dental implant containing a reservoir for the slow release of drugs. Laboratory tests in which the reservoir slowly released a strong antimicrobial agent showed that the new implant can prevent and eliminate bacterial biofilms  a major cause of infection associated with dental implants.

Share on Pinterest Researchers have developed a dental implant with a built-in reservoir for the slow release of drugs. This schematic shows it integrated into the jawbone and with a crown on the tooth.

Image credit: Kaat De Cremer, KU Leuven

The researchers, from various departments at KU Leuven in Belgium, describe how they designed and tested the implant in a paper published in the journal European Cells & Materials.

Lead author Dr. Kaat De Cremer, from the Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics at KU Leuven, explains that the reservoir in the implant can be filled by removing the cover screw. She adds that:

The implant is made of a porous composite material, so that the drugs gradually diffuse from the reservoir to the outside of the implant, which is in direct contact with the bone cells. As a result, the bacteria can no longer form a biofilm.

In general, bacteria have two life-forms. In one, the planktonic state, they exist as single, independent cells, and in the other, they aggregate in a slime-enclosed mass called a biofilm.

Biofilms are notoriously stubborn and hard to treat , and when they become chronic, they are extremely resistant to antibiotics.

Mouth infections are often cited as the main reason why dental implants fail. This has led to research looking for ways to protect against infection  by developing an antimicrobial coating for the implant, for example.
The negative health effects of a sedentary lifestyle are well known, but young professionals are not the only ones affected. New research investigates the impact of low physical activity on the biological age of elderly women.

Share on Pinterest New research suggests that a sedentary lifestyle accelerates biological aging in seniors.

As we age, so do our cells. In fact, we can safely say that cellular aging is aging, as cells make up every organ in our body. However, the rate at which our cells die varies from person to person.

Lifestyle factors  such as alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise, or stress  can greatly influence the progression of cellular aging.

Our cells normally react to stimuli from both inside and outside the body, and they do so using a variety of biological pathways. Genetic regulation is one such pathway.

Among other things, our cells contain telomeres , which are repetitive sections of DNA located at the end of chromosomes. Telomeres protect chromosomes from deteriorating, which has been likened to the way that the tips of shoelaces protect them from fraying.

Telomere length has been associated with aging and disease. As we age, telomeres become shorter and shorter until the cells die or transform into oncogenic cells. Short telomeres have been linked with cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Researchers at University of California-San Diego (UCSD)  led by Aladdin Shadyab, Ph.D., from the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at UCSD School of Medicine  examined the effects of a sedentary lifestyle on cell age in elderly women.

The findings were published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
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 doctors - physicians 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 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 patients - along with the uninsured, and casualty and worker's compensation insurers - often 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.
Biosimilars create opportunities for sustainable cancer care, says the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in a position paper published in ESMO Open. The document outlines approval standards for biosimilars, how to safely introduce them into the clinic, and the potential benefits for patients and healthcare systems.

"Biosimilars are an excellent opportunity to have good, valid drug options that improve the sustainability and affordability of cancer treatment in various countries," said Professor Josep Tabernero, Chair of the ESMO Cancer Medicines Working Group, from the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain. "To do that we have to be sure that biosimilars follow appropriate manufacturing procedures, are clinically tested, and adhere to regulations from the European Medicines Agency (EMA)."

Optimal safety and efficacy is, critically, the shared responsibility of both the manufacturers and the regulatory bodies, states the paper.

Biosimilars are medicinal products derived from living organisms that contain a similar version of the active substance as the original biologic. They differ from generics, which are chemically synthesised and are identical copies of the original drug. Unlike generics, biosimilars require clinical studies to ensure that the manufacturing process is sound and does not differ from that of the originator biologic.

In Europe, price reductions for biosimilars are expected to range from 20% to 40%, and potential savings of 50 - 100 billion by 2020 have been forecast. The majority of monoclonal antibodies are set to come off patent by 2020, which will open the door for biosimilars and could dramatically change the oncology landscape.

"Biosimilars are must-have weaponry in financially sustaining healthcare systems on a global scale as well as significantly improving outcomes for an increasing number of patients throughout Europe and the rest of the world," said ESMO President Professor Fortunato Ciardiello, Universita degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Naples, Italy.

In this position paper, ESMO tackles current issues surrounding definition, labelling, extrapolation, interchangeability, switching and substitution of biosimilars.

"ESMO calls for strict adherence to approval standards of biosimilars as well as their accelerated introduction into the clinic," said Tabernero. "Aligned with ESMOs mission to facilitate equal access to optimal cancer care for all cancer patients, and as clearly set out in its 2020 Vision, this paper provides a timely overview on where we are and the 'where to next' for biosimilar products and their respective regulatory approval processes."

He continued: "The paper highlights a number of areas that should be carefully considered by all stakeholders including prescribers, pharmacists, nurses, patients, reimbursement bodies, and manufacturers. Importantly, it also outlines a number of directions that will need to be collectively followed to guarantee the highest safety and efficacy standards of these medicines and ensure that all patients, irrespective of geographical borders, can access the very best evidence based treatments."

"Biosimilars give us the chance to make treatment options for cancer more affordable everywhere," the ESMO President said. "This ESMO position paper sets out a series of principles that should be fulfilled to ensure that the biosimilars that reach the market are of good quality, safe and effective. Clinicians are starting to ask questions about how to incorporate biosimilars into their daily practice and until now they did not have an authoritative source of information. This paper serves to educate practising physicians on this complex topic."

ESMO is the leading European professional organisation for medical oncology. With more than 15,000 oncology professionals from over 130 countries, it is the society of reference for oncology education and information. ESMO's online open access journal, ESMO Open, is a key avenue for disseminating valuable information to the entire oncology community.

Article: Biosimilars: a position paper of the European Society for Medical Oncology, with particular reference to oncology prescribers, Josep Tabernero, Malvika Vyas, Rosa Giuliani, Dirk Arnold, Fatima Cardoso, Paolo G Casali, ... Fortunato Ciardiello, ESMO Open, doi: 10.1136/esmoopen-2016-000142, published 16 January 2017
Delirium

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Severe or chronic medical illness

Changes in metabolic balance like low sodium or low calcium

Medication

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Study

Findings

Daniel Davis et al. Delirium accelerates cognitive decline in late life: a neuropathological study in 987 individuals from three population-based cohort studies. JAMA Psychiatry ; (2017) doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.3423 Delirium - (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/delirium/basics/definition/con-20033982) Delirium - (https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000740.htm)

The study is the first to show the multiplying effects of delirium and dementia in patients. Delirium is an acute brain dysfunction syndrome that results in confusion and decreased awareness of the surrounding or disorientation.In delirium, the brain does not get adequate oxygen and other essential nutrients. This leads to the build up of toxic chemicals in the brain.Delirium is a major public health problem that affects 20% of the hospitalized older patients. The onset of delirium is sudden beginning within a few hours to days.Delirium may be caused by one or a combination of factors like:The researcher team found that in people who are not known to have dementia, episodes of delirium may also reveal dementia at its earliest stages.Both delirium and dementia are important factors that contribute to cognitive decline among the elderly.Research states that 3 of 10 cases delirium are preventable and treatable through dedicated geriatric care. Delirium interventions might reduce at least some cognitive decline and dementia."If delirium is causing brain injury in the short and long-term, then we must increase our efforts to diagnose, prevent and treat delirium. Ultimately, targeting delirium could be a chance to delay or reduce dementia" said Dr. Daniel Davis (MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Aging at UCL), who led the research while at the University of Cambridge.For the study, scientists examined brain specimens in 987 people aged 65 and older from three European populations - in Finland, Cambridge and UK-wide.Each individual's memory, thinking and experience of delirium had been recorded for over 10 years towards the end of their life.The research team found that memory changes were more prominent in those patients who had both delirium and dementia associated changes when compared to pathological abnormalities due to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.Delirium when associated to the pathological processes of dementia accelerates cognitive decline beyond that expected for delirium or the pathological process itself.Dr Davis said, "Unfortunately, most delirium cases go unrecognized. In busy hospitals, a sudden change in confusion may not be noticed by hospital staff. Patients can be transferred several times and staff often switch over - it requires everyone to 'think delirium' and identify that a patient's brain function has changed."Clinicians need to be alert to older people's cognitive changes during acute episodes and therefore support wider implementation of best practice in delirium prevention.If delirium prevention could lead to consequent prevention of dementia, further research is needed to understand exactly how delirium interacts with dementia and how this could be blocked.The study is published in the journalSource: Medindia
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The Lancet reported, in 2009, that more than half of Indian households have no toilets, over 200 million people have no access to safe drinking water and WHO estimates that 900,000 people die from contaminated water and polluted air.More recently (2013), the Planning Commission reports that progress in meeting millennium development goals has been slow. In contrast to other BRIC nations, public expenditure on health care as a percent of GDP (1%), is the lowest. Total expenditure (public and private) is just 4% of GDP, which places India as the lowest spender. Moreover, out-of-pocket expenditure as a share of total health care spending (58%) places India as the BRIC nation that relies most heavily on patient payment at the point of consumption.Gusmano, Rodwin, and Weisz find that large and growing numbers of residents die prematurely each year due to causes that are amenable to public health and healthcare interventions.Michael K Gusmano is associate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and Research Scholar at the Hastings Center, Victor Rodwin is professor at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University, and Daniel Weisz is research associate at the Butler Aging Institute, Columbia University. Gusmano and Rodwin, co-direct the World Cities Project, a collaborative venture of their respective institutions. More specifically, their article finds that:- Between 2004 and 2013, a time when the economy of India was growing rapidly, rates of premature deaths due to causes for which there are effective treatments (amenable mortality), increased by about 25% in the capital city of Delhi. The leading causes of death were septicemia and tuberculosis. Maternal mortality is well above the global level for other middle-income countries.- During this same time period, cities in other middle income countries, including Moscow, Sao Paulo, and Shanghai experienced a decrease in amenable mortality of at least 25%.- Delhi, and the rest of India, is unlikely to make substantial improvements in these outcomes unless they substantially increase public health spending, monitor health system performance, and improve government capacity to adopt policies and implement a range of programs that address the causes of extreme deprivation.Source: Eurekalert
Raynauds (pronounced Ray-Nohz) is a rare disorder of the blood vessels making some parts of the body, especially the fingers and toes, to become numb and cold in response to cold temperature or stress. Raynauds is named after the French physician, Maurice Raynaud who first recognized this disease.

In this condition, the small arteries supplying blood to the skin undergo spasm and restrict blood flow to the affected parts like the fingers, toes, nose or ears. During the spasm, the affected area turns white and then blue. The attack is usually painful and followed by some swelling and redness. Attacks usually last from a few minutes to a few hours. In severe cases, the attacks can lead to ulcerations and even gangrene.

Primary Raynauds is not associated with any other disorder, and therefore has no underlying cause.

Secondary Raynauds has close connections to autoimmune disorders such as:

Scleroderma  or systemic sclerosis which is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder causing hardening of the skin

Lupus  is also a chronic, autoimmune disease which attacks the connective tissues including the skin

Rheumatoid arthritis  is an autoimmune condition where the joints are chronically inflamed.

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Other conditions that may also be associated with secondary Raynauds include:

Viral infections like hepatitis B and hepatitis C

Blood cancers like lymphoma and multiple myeloma

Intake of medications like sumatriptan and beta blockers, or illegal drugs like cocaine and amphetamine

The use of vibrating tools, or injury to the hands or feet

Smoking

Diseases affecting arteries like atherosclerosis and Beugers disease

Carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition that compresses the nerve supplying to the hand at the wrist.

People with Raynauds usually experience attacks due to cold temperatures, anxiety or emotional stress.

Raynauds affects fingers, toes, nose, ears and lips. An attack can last from a few minutes to a few hours.

During the attack, the arteries narrow thereby reducing the blood flow to the affected areas. This leads to symptoms like:

Numbness with acute pain or throbbing in the affected parts

Change in color from pale to white to blue

Redness, soreness, tingling and burning as the blood flow returns

In the case of secondary Raynauds, there is a risk of skin sores which can consequently lead to ulcers or gangrene. These need to be watched and the sores should be covered with appropriate dressing. The patient may also need oral antibiotics for infection.

While there is no single blood test or diagnostic test to determine if one has Raynauds, doctors usually do a first-in-line clinical examination like examining the nail fold (skin at the base of the fingernail) under a microscope. If he/she finds blood vessels enlarged or deformed, this may be a sign of Raynauds.

The doctor will also find clues in your medical history and other underlying diseases you might have had. If the doctor suspects that you have secondary Raynauds due to autoimmune or connective tissue disorders, he/she may recommend the following tests:

ANA (Antinuclear antibodies test)  The presence of antinuclear antibodies indicates that the person is suffering from an autoimmune or other connective tissue disorders.

ESR (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate)  ESR determines the rate at which the red blood cells settle at the bottom of the tube. An abnormal ESR could indicate the presence of an autoimmune disorder.

CBC - A complete blood count helps to rule out underlying infections.

Raynauds can be treated at home with a few simple precautions. In some cases, you might need certain medications. Treatment should be towards preventing repeated attacks and tissue damage.

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Try the following tips to reduce the frequency of your attacks:

Make sure you keep your whole body warm. Try using gloves for your hands and socks for your feet.

Make sure to stop smoking and cut back on alcohol.

Reduce your stress levels with proper relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation.

Avoid stimulants like coffee, tea and colas.

Get regular exercise to improve your overall blood circulation.

Medications may be required in some cases. The usual medications prescribed are:

Vasodilators relax blood vessels. These may be in the form of creams applied to the fingers and toes to heal the sores. Prostaglandins may also be helpful.

relax blood vessels. These may be in the form of creams applied to the fingers and toes to heal the sores. Prostaglandins may also be helpful. Calcium channel blockers like nifedipine relax and dilate the blood vessels in the hands and feet. These usually reduce the frequency of attacks and also heal ulcers.

like nifedipine relax and dilate the blood vessels in the hands and feet. These usually reduce the frequency of attacks and also heal ulcers. Alpha blockers  Drugs like prazosin and doxazosin usually counter the action of norepinephrine, a chemical in the blood that which constricts (tightens) the blood vessels.

If you have been diagnosed with Raynauds, your doctor may inform you to stay off certain drugs like over-the-counter cold medicines and beta blockers.

The only way to prevent Raynauds is to avoid cold climes. If it is inevitable or you live in a cold climate, make sure you always keep warm. Try thermals to protect your hands and feet. Use a room heater if possible. Do not stay too long outdoors in the cold wind. Opt out of air conditioned spaces; Try an air cooler instead during summers. These simple measures can at least reduce the frequency of painful attacks.
We all have days when wed rather order food online. Those are days where the only thing we want to do is eat-in! For Mumbaikars, we found 10 of the best delivery kitchens that deliver some of the most pocket-friendly, yet, lip-smacking food for days when you just cant deal with people and want to stay indoors.

 Parathawala

If you are craving some comfort food from Moms kitchen with a secret spice, you have to try Hirdyesh Mordanis Parathas, with Love, from Parathawala. Currently there are 40+ interesting varieties of Parathas both in vegetarian and non-vegetarian options!

Must haves: Chicken Parathawala Special, Mutton Keema, Cheese and Spinach and of course Nutella Paratha

Delivery areas: Juhu, Khar, Bandra, Santacruz, Vile Parle

Contact: +912269823456

 Indizza

All your north Indian food hungerpangs end here, and that too post midnight. They make fresh food everyday and also customize the dishes according to your preferences. The food comes without any colors and preservatives!

Must haves: Bharwan Mushroom Tikka, Basil Chicken, Banjara Kofta, Chicken Lababdar, Butter Chicken Roll, Truffle Cheese Naan, Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani

Delivery areas: Most of South Mumbai  Cuffe Parade to Mahim

Contact: +919220070074

 Little Food Daily

The make soul-stirring food with fresh ingredients, and serve you wholesome gourmet, as well as healthy meals.

Must haves: Thai Green Curry, Chicken Pho-Broth

Delivery areas: Between Andheri West to Goregaon

Contact: +912265596559

 The 99 Kitchen

Got 99 problems? Being hungry + broke aint one. 99 Kitchen provides some good, cheap and easy-to-eat options to all. They come as meals and quick bites. Everything is Rs. 99 or less. There is pasta for Rs. 59 and pizza for Rs. 99 as well.

Must haves: Paneer Tikka Paratha Meal, Potato Croquettes, Samosa Chaat

Delivery areas: Bandra Kurla Complex BKC

Contact: +918080410000

 Bombay Biryani

When Times of Briyanis Akshay came up with the concept of Bombay Biryani, he decided to add the Biryani by kilo concept. So here, you can not only order Biryanis per serving, but also by the kilo, for all your party orders! What is the best thing about these guys, you ask? They deliver across the city!!! They also have a newly opened outlet in Bandra.

Must haves: Butter Chicken and Chicken Dum Biryani, Murgh Mocambo Kebab, Schezwan Cheese Burst Naan and Kebab, Punjabi Balti Chicken

Delivery areas: All across Mumbai. Fast delivery within Bandra

Contact: +919004350261 , +919004350165

 Tao 9

Offering Pan-Asian delicacies as well as customizable Wok boxes, Tao 9 serves Chinese, Thai, Burmese and Indonesian cuisines. All the dishes are MSG and trans-fat free.

Must haves: Shrimp Har Gao Dimsums, Spicy Vegetable Dumplings, Tai Chin Potato, Asian Stew Rice, Sesame Korean Chicken, Prawns Teriyaki Skewers, Cantonese Soy Lamb, Balinese Vegetable Curry, Potato Jiang Chilli, Chicken Basil Chilli

Delivery areas: Lower Parel and Powai

Contact: 02224920400 (Lower Parel)

02228570606 (Powai)

 Goila Butter Chicken

Chef Saransh Goilas famous Butter Chicken is truly to die for! You have to try it. They also offer amazing rolls and chaats.

Must haves: Chilli Garlic Roomali Roti, Butter Paneer Biryani, Goila Butter Chicken, Anda Ghotala Pav, Keema Tikki Chaat

Delivery areas: Around Andheri or you can simply take away.

Contact: +918080809102

 Sindhful

Sindhful is Mumbai's first food-delivery kitchen to specialize in Sindhi cuisine by a mother-son duo. They deliver food cooked with less oil and masalas while ensuring authentic Sindhi flavors. They have also opened an outlet in Khar this week.

Must haves: Dal Pakwan, Curry Chawal with Aalu Took, Sindhi Mutton

Delivery areas: Bandra, Khar, Juhu, Mahim, Vile Parle, Santacruz

Contact: +919769394968

 The Curry Brothers

Serving Goan, Bengali and South Indian cuisines, this one stays true to the name.

Must haves: Coconut Rice, Pork Vindaloo, Kosha Mangsho

Delivery areas: Around Lower Parel

Contact: +912230151839

 Burgzooka

Burgzooka is a delivery-kitchen based in Santacruz, West and specializes in serving gourmet burgers. They serve super-sized burgers and are one of the few places open till 5 am to satisfy your late-night hunger pangs!

Must haves: Bad-Ass Chicken Burger, Bad-Ass Buff Burger, BLT Burger, Gourmet Potato Wedges

Delivery areas: Bandra to Juhu

Contact: 0876720050
A set of Tripitaka  the general collection of Buddhist scriptures and books  printed with the original ancient printing plates was donated to the Palace Museum on Tuesday.

The Tripitaka has been officially printed during different dynasties and had many different editions.

The set donated to the museum is referred to as the Qianlong Edition, which was rectified with imperial orders given by the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) emperors and came out during Qianlong's reign.

The donation was made by Buddhist monk Yanzang, who is the honorary chairman of Beijing Cultural Relics Protection Foundation and the chief expert for the renovation and protection project of the Tripitaka.

The Qianlong Edition of Tripitaka was the last officially printed Mandarin-language edition in China.

Started in 1733, the printing project lasted six years and used about 79,000 wooden plates to complete more than 7,200 volumes.

The original plates were then stored in the Forbidden City after the printing. The plates were taken out and suffered damages in history before they were recollected by the Place Museum decades ago.

In 2009, a committee was set up by the authorities to repair the plates.

The repair processes still adopted only traditional crafts to maintain the original style.

The new original-plate-printed edition of the Tripitaka, published by National Library of China Publishing House, fully recreates the styles and features of the old set.

Only 80 volumes of the entire set were recovered and printed so far due to limitation of conditions.

The new prints are said to have high documentation values as some of the documents used by the committee are the only existing copies.

Related:

Rare basement, fireplace excavated at 2,400-year-old palace in NW China

China applies for UNESCO listing for wood engraving pictures
Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias met today, Wednesday, 18 January, with the main opposition party's shadow minister for foreign affairs, George Koumoutsakos.

During the discussion, which took place in a constructive climate, Mr. Kotzias briefed Mr. Koumoutsakos in depth on the proceedings of the Geneva Conference on Cyprus, as well as on the content of the first day of the talks on a technical level, which began today, in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland.
Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis cleared another hurdle Wednesday in becoming the nation's 26th secretary of defense but it was unclear exactly when he will get almost certain confirmation by the full Senate.

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 26-1 to approve Mattis to succeed outgoing Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, was the lone "No" vote.

By law, Mattis cannot be officially nominated as Defense Secretary until President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in at noon Friday, and it was not clear that the Senate could be convened during the parade and partying that follows the inauguration on the west front of the Capitol.

President Barack Obama also has yet to sign the special legislation granting Mattis a waiver to succeed outgoing Defense Secretary Ashton Carter but he was expected to do so before leaving the White House Friday.

The 66-year-old Mattis needed the waiver to get around the World War II-era law barring those in the military from taking cabinet posts until at least seven years after retirement. Mattis retired in 2013 as head of U.S. Central Command.

The law was passed to preserve civilian control of the military and the only previous waiver went to Gen. George C. Marshall, the Army Chief of Staff in World War II.

Gillibrand cited civilian control of the military as her reason for voting against Mattis on the Committee.

"Sen. Gillibrand voted 'No' on Gen. Mattis' confirmation in committee today because she believes civilian control of the military is fundamental," her office said in a statement.

The senator also voted "No" in the panel's 24-3 vote last week on the waiver. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, joined Gillibrand in voting "No."

The full Senate last week voted 81-17 to grant Mattis the waiver. The House voted 268-151 on the waiver.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go.

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune...
LAS VEGAS -- The U.S. Army on Thursday awarded Sig Sauer a contract worth $580 million to make the next service pistol based on the company's P320 handgun.

Sig Sauer beat out Glock Inc., FN America and Beretta USA, the maker of the current M9 9mm service pistol, in the competition for the Modular Handgun System, or MHS, program.

"We are both humbled and proud that the P320 was selected by the U.S. Army as its weapon of choice," Ron Cohen, chief executive officer of Sig Sauer, said in a statement to Military.com here at SHOT Show, the world's largest gun show, taking place this week in the city.

"Securing this contract is a testimony to Sig Sauer employees, their commitment to innovation, quality and manufacturing the most reliable firearms in the world," Cohen added.

The 10-year agreement calls for Sig to supply the Army with full-size and compact versions of the gun. The pistols can be outfitted with silencers and accommodate standard and extended capacity magazines. The firearms will be manufactured at the company's facilities in New Hampshire.

The Army launched its long-awaited XM17 MHS competition in late August 2015 to replace its Cold War-era M9 9mm pistol.

"By maximizing full and open competition across our industry partners, we have optimized private sector advancements in handguns, ammunition and magazines, and the end result will ensure a decidedly superior weapon system for our warfighters," Army Acquisition Executive Steffanie Easter said said in a press release.

One of the major goals of the effort was to adopt a pistol chambered for a more potent round than the current 9mm. The U.S. military replaced the .45 caliber 1911 pistol with the M9 in 1985 and began using the 9mm NATO round at that time.

In their statements, Army and Sig officials didn't specify what caliber the new Sig Sauer pistol will be.

Sig touts the P320 model product as "modular" and "adaptable," with interchangeable grips, multiple sizes and calibers that can be converted between 9mm, .357SIG and .40S&W. "From calibers, to pistol size, to the grip fit best suited for the shooter, the P320 is the most adaptable pistol available today," the company says in promotional materials.

Two sources confirmed to Military.com that Sig submitted to the Army .40-caliber and 9mm pistols for consideration. One source said the Army ultimately selected the 9mm version.

Shortly after the contract announcement, Sig officials celebrated here at the show. Staff at the Sig Sauer booth set out champagne flutes for a celebratory toast.

The Army in December down-selected to two finalists for the competition: Sig and Glock, which had submitted its Glock 17 and Glock 19 models for consideration. Given the size of the contract, Glock is widely expected to protest the decision.

Brandie Collins, communications manager for Glock, said she had not been briefed on the contract award but wished the winners well.

Army officials informed Beretta USA and FN America at the show that they had been dropped from the competition in the recent down-select decision, according to a service source who is not authorized to speak to the press. But confusion reigned as reporters informed company officials of the Army's announcement.

The decision formally ends the Beretta's 30-year hold on the Army's sidearm market.

Gabrielle de Plano, vice president of Beretta Defense Technologies marketing and operations, said staff were still reading through the contract announcement to fully understand it.

"It's going to have to be a no comment from us for now," he said.

Beretta has fought hard to remain to remain the Army's pistol maker. In December 2014, Beretta USA submitted its modernized M9A3 as a possible alternative to the Army's Modular Handgun System program.

But the Army rejected the improved M9A3, which featured new sights, a rail for mounting lights and accessories, better ergonomics and improved reliability. The company, however, wasn't finished yet. It developed a new striker-fired pistol, the APX, and entered it into the competition.

Kristina DeMilt, public relations for FN, said officials at the show hadn't been informed of the award and were not immediately prepared to comment.

The Army began working with the small arms industry on Modular Handgun System in early 2013, but the joint effort has been in the works for more than five years. It could result in the Defense Department buying nearly 500,000 new pistols.

Current plans call for the Army to purchase more than 280,000 handguns, according to Program Executive Office Soldier officials. The Army also plans to buy approximately 7,000 sub-compact versions of the handgun.

The other military services participating in the program may order an additional 212,000 systems above the Army quantity.

"As MHS moves forward into operational testing, the due diligence taken by all of the stakeholders will ensure a program that remains on-budget and on-schedule," Easter said.

Lawmakers may be eager to hear such an assessment.

During last week's confirmation hearing for retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to become defense secretary in the Trump administration, Republican Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Thom Tillis of North Carolina took turns criticizing what they described as an overly bureaucratic effort, with technical requirements totaling several hundred pages.

-- Brendan McGarry contributed to this report.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
On the eve of his departure, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter took a parting shot at Congress Wednesday over the constant budget battles and continuing resolutions that hampered Pentagon planning.

The inability of Congress to get past the cost-cutting sequester process under the Budget Control Act led to "shameful budget uncertainty" for the department, Carter said in shot and final remarks of thanks to uniformed personnel and civilian employees in the Pentagon auditorium.

Despite the uncertainty, Carter said he was leaving behind a military ready to meet any challenge and the demands of the new Commander-in-Chief in President-elect Donald Trump. When he walks out of the building for the last time Thursday night, Carter said, "I will be confident in the nation's and this department's future, in the brightness of its future."

The secretary added, "As all of you know, our mission is demanding and constantly changing, but I couldn't be prouder of you for what you do every day and what you've done for us. And I'm going to continue to be proud in the months and years ahead, as this department continues to live up to the incredibly high expectations Americans have for it."

Trump has selected retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to replace the 62-year-old Carter, who never served in uniform but worked at the Defense Department in various management roles off and in defense capacities in the private sector for nearly 35 years.

Carter was deputy defense secretary from 2011 to 2013 and took office as the 25th defense secretary in February 2015, succeeding Chuck Hagel, a former Republican senator from Nebraska and Army veteran of Vietnam.

From 2009 to 2011, he was undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics -- a position known as the chief weapons buyer -- and from 1993 to 1996 he was assistant secretary of defense for international security policy.

For his government service, Carter has been awarded the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Pentagon's highest, on five separate occasions -- most recently last week.

Carter urged those staying on at the department to continue "making sure we always live the values we defend" in serving a military that will "retain and develop the most talented people America has to offer."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Eight airmen will receive some of the Air Force's highest valor medals after a comprehensive review of awards from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the service announced Thursday.

Outgoing Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James has approved eight airmen to receive a total of nine medal upgrades (one service member will receive two), with awards ranging from the Air Force Cross to the Silver Star to the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor, according to a press release.

The airmen and awards were identified as follows:

Staff Sgt. Christopher Baradat, and Master Sgt. Keary Miller will be awarded the Air Force Cross, the service's second-highest valor medal only to the Medal of Honor; Col. Christopher Barnett, Lt. Col. Gregory Thornton, Lt. Col. Alan Botine, Master Sgt. Kristopher Parker will receive the Silver Star -- Barnett will receive two; and Lt. Col. James Holder and the late Col. David Kennedy will be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor.

James on Thursday traveled to Alabama to present Barnett his awards in her last public ceremony before departing the Pentagon.

There is nothing we can ever really do to thank an airman like Col. Barnett, she told Military.com. We can hug them, appreciate them, thank them repeatedly and ensure they are properly recognized. There is nowhere I'd rather be on my last day in office than with Col. Barnett and his family to say thank you on behalf of a grateful Air Force.

The Air Force had previously said as many as a dozen airmen may be in line for medal upgrades resulting from two separate boards, but that figure appears to have been mistaken.

Missing from the list of eight names was John Chapman, a technical sergeant who was killed in Afghanistan in 2002 while serving as a radioman with Navy SEALs. James, the Air Force secretary, had reportedly pushed for him to receive the Medal of Honor amid evidence that he fought al-Qaeda fighters alone on a mountainside after his unit departed.

That case may still be under consideration as part of a of the Defense Department's push to audit more than 1,100 post-9/11 valor citations to determine if they warrant a higher award. The final count is due to the defense secretary in the fall.

The Air Force reviewed 147 award nominations, which consisted of 12 Air Force Crosses and 135 Silver Stars, Maj. Bryan Lewis recently told Military.com

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
LAS VEGAS -- When the Marine Corps announced in December it was authorizing Magpul's PMAG Gen 3 magazine for operational use with the M4, M16 and M27 rifles, the company celebrated the news on its social media accounts.

"In light of the results from an enormous body of reliability and durability testing and 4 years of combat use, today it was announced that the PMAG 30 AR/M4 GEN M3 Window, in Black and Medium Coyote Tan (MCT), would be the official magazine of the entire United States Marine Corps," company staff wrote Dec. 20.

A month later, the full effects of this decision are still becoming clear.

On Wednesday here at SHOT Show, Magpul director of government and international affairs Tray Ardese said a number of international militaries were paying close attention to the news and are considering the popular polymer magazine for official use with their weapons.

"Whatever the Marine Corps buys, there will be trickle-down effect with all the allies," Ardese said. "Because the first thing we got from the overseas guys, was, 'Did the Marine Corps really adopt this?' They were pretty excited. All our NATO partners are looking at it, and several other foreign militaries are pretty close."

To date, no other militaries have made a commitment, Ardese said. But several have requested information about the Marine Corps' decision, as well as data from tests conducted with the PMAG at the Army's Aberdeen proving ground. Combined with other controlled tests, Ardese said, the PMAG demonstrated the ability to fire 60,000 rounds without a stoppage.

According to the Marine Corps bulletin announcing its decision to authorize the PMAG, units are now authorized to requisition the magazines, which retail for $18, using their own funds. Magpul is already receiving small orders from units for the magazines, Ardese said, and waiting to learn what the full impact of the move will be.

"We're still in negotiations on exactly what the Marine Corps needs for magazines," he said. "I think some people are in shock that it actually happened and they didn't really believe it was going to happen. It could be thousands; it could be large numbers, we're not exactly sure yet."

The move authorizing the PMAG reverses a decision by the Corps in 2012 to ban the magazine due to compatibility issues between the first-generation model and the M27 infantry automatic rifle.

At the time, Magpul released a statement explaining that the current Gen 3 version of the PMAG had resolved the prior issues. But the ban remained in place for four more years.

"The Marine Corps and the military in general are creatures of habit," Ardese said. "They had something that they believed worked really well. And they had stuck with it for a really long time  but a metal magazine, there are just some things it can't do that this magazine can. And so, over time, I believe they realized that and pushed all the familiarity out of the way and went to the test data."

To meet the needs of the Corps, Magpul introduced a new color for the magazine, medium coyote tan, which satisfies the services' requirements for an "other-than-black" mag.

The response from active-duty Marines to the decision to authorize the PMAG has spoken for itself. Ardese, a retired Marine officer, said he first learned about the move when someone he knew from his days in the Corps sent him the official message via email. The subject line: "Amazing."

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
LAS VEGAS -- Last April, the firearms community was rocked when the co-founder of boutique gun maker Devil Dog Arms admitted on the company's Facebook page that he had never been a Marine Corps scout sniper, the claim from which the company took its name and snarling bulldog logo.

"I am not and was not a Marine, did not serve and do not have a DD-214 [discharge record]. I have no excuse for my actions and realize there is nothing I can say or do to make this right," Joe Lucania wrote in the post, acknowledging what is known among veterans as Stolen Valor.

The damage was catastrophic. The company's investors pulled their backing, all the employees lost their jobs, and production and delivery ceased.

But this year at SHOT Show, Devil Dog Arms is back under new management, with a "new exhibitor" sign at its booth and the support of two Marines well-known in the reconnaissance community.

On Wednesday at the show, Marine veterans Rudy Reyes and Walt Hasser -- both known for their roles as recon Marines portrayed in the book and miniseries "Generation Kill" -- shook hands, posed for photos and promised new hope for a tarnished brand.

The company's new chance comes thanks to the same investor who uncovered the evidence of Stolen Valor and shut the company down last year. He asked not to be identified due to ongoing legal processes, but told Military.com he felt a duty to what the company's original name represented.

"I have a brother who's 39 years in the Army now, so I didn't want to dump the 'Devil Dog' name, because I know it's really important to Marines. So I wanted to find the right guys to relaunch with," he said. "It's proving to be good, and we're actually getting a ton of positive feedback from people in the military."

Hasser, a firearms expert, was brought on in October on a contract basis to assist with business development and marketing. Just before SHOT Show, the company also added Reyes as a brand representative.

"I said, 'Hey, you've got one shot at this, and if you want to take advantage of that brand, you need to have complete transparency and you need to develop a veteran workforce,' " Hasser said. "And so we're hiring vets and we're bringing veteran ambassadors in, and we're partnering with veteran businesses. We're giving back to veteran organizations."

Even at the show, Hasser and Reyes were promoting the Recon and Scout Sniper Foundation, which assists veterans in need in a broad range of ways.

For the company, the road ahead will be challenging. When it shut down, some $500,000 in inventory remained -- high-quality AR rifles with custom finishes and elegant features. But in most ways, the small team is starting from scratch. On the Devil Dog Arms website, a message announces that the company is accepting applications for "senior management, gunsmiths, machinists and sales."

The production lines have yet to start churning once more. But Hasser and Reyes are optimistic about the company's future.

"You've got to make some bold moves, and you've got to knuckle down and do it, but Marines don't quit," Hasser said. "Good can come of this. Somebody stole from us; somebody stole from our community. That's not OK. We want it back."

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at@HopeSeck.
Many vets wasted little time registering their disapproval of President Barack Obama's decision to commute the sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who leaked troves of classified intelligence to the website Wikileaks.

Former service members and veterans service organizations alike reacted quickly to the news after it broke on Tuesday.

Military.com's story alone generated more than 800 comments on the website and more than 1,600 on its Facebook page, most of them critical.

"As a classified documents custodian among other classified jobs while active duty, I find this pardoning mess to be as treasonous as the release of the documents themselves," one reader wrote. "This is a slap in the face to anybody punished for minor procedural infractions involving classified information. I witnessed careers destroyed for locking confidential memos in desks instead of safes. It is a sad day for anybody who ever wore a American military uniform."

In an email, another reader, Thomas Prager, wrote, "I can't believe the Army paid for [her] transgender surgery, and I while on active duty separated my shoulder [but] was denied surgery because it was not [deemed] necessary."

Manning, 29, of Oklahoma City, 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 is now set to be freed May 17, according to a release from the White House. She was to be eligible for parole in 2021.

Manning was among 209 inmates whose sentences were shortened by Obama. Another was Dwight J. Loving, a former Army private stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, who murdered two cab drivers, both with military experience. Loving's death sentence was downgraded to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

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.

Brian Duffy, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, blasted the presidential action commuting the sentences of the two military prisoners and pardoning a retired general officer.

"President Obama has upended the entire military justice system," Duffy said in a statement. "To release from prison former Army Pvt. Bradley Manning, who was sentenced to serve 35 years for releasing three-quarters of a million classified and sensitive military and diplomatic communiques, is offensive to everyone who has ever honorably served in uniform."

Duffy added, "To change a death sentence to life in prison for former Army Pfc. Dwight Loving shows more concern for the convicted murderer than the families of the two dead taxicab drivers he killed. And to pardon retired Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, who was convicted of lying to the FBI and releasing sensitive intelligence information to reporters, certainly proves once again that rank does have its privileges."

The VFW commander said, "No one is above the law and those who break the law must pay the price, regardless of who they are."

Obama, meanwhile, defended his decision to commute Manning's sentence.

"Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence, so the notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital classified information would think that it goes unpunished I dont think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served," Obama said Wednesday during his final White House press conference as president.

Previously identified as a man named Bradley, Manning has sought to undergo gender reassignment surgery in prison -- treatment the Army agreed to pay for. She attempted suicide twice last year -- once in July, and again in October while in solitary confinement -- and also underwent a hunger strike.

Manning 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.

Obama said, "It has been my view that given she went to trial; that due process was carried out; that she took responsibility for her crime; that the sentence that she received was very disproportional -- disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received; and that she had served a significant amount of time, that it made sense to commute and not pardon her sentence."

Manning's attorney, David Coombs, wasn't able to be reached by Military.com, but he recently told NBC News that he had said to Manning of her sentence, "I've represented murderers. I've represented rapists. I've represented child molesters. And none of them received 35 years."

Obama also rejected the argument that in commuting Manning's sentence he contradicted his own position on the threat posed by Russia hacking the Democratic National Committee in an attempt to influence the U.S. presidential election.

"With respect to WikiLeaks, I dont see a contradiction," he said. "The conclusions of the intelligence community with respect to the Russian hacking were not conclusive as to whether WikiLeaks was witting or not in being the conduit through which we heard about the DNC emails that were leaked.

"I don't pay a lot of attention to Mr. Assange's tweets, so that wasnt a consideration in this instance," Obama added, referring to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. "And I'd refer you to the Justice Department for any criminal investigations, indictments, extradition issues that may come up with him."

Assange, meanwhile, backed away from a pledge that he would agree to U.S. extradition if Obama granted Manning clemency -- a pledge tweeted just last week on WikiLeaks own Twitter account.

On Wednesday, Assange's attorney in the U.S., Barry Pollack, said in an email to The Hill newspaper that Obama's commutation -- which means Manning will be free in four months rather than immediately -- was "well short of what he sought."

-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
As you transition from a military to civilian career, you've likely been taught the skills of preparing a resume, interviewing for a job, negotiating a salary, and other tactical steps in getting a start on your next career.

But what about the skills of understanding your purpose? Have you learned how to identify and explore the parts of yourself that drive you to serve, commit, sacrifice, and create a legacy for your life? Many of you have never taken the time to explore why you are here and how to maximize the value of your life outside of military service.

V.A. Secretary Bob McDonald recently addressed attendees of the National Student Veterans of America Conference in Anaheim, telling the audience of thousands of veterans that, as they transition to their civilian life, it is paramount for them to discover their purpose and passion in life. He gave several examples of successful transitions which started when the service members began by exploring their motivations, drivers, and sources of inspiration.

Secretary McDonald acknowledged that joining the ranks of the Armed Forces is a commitment to serve with honor and integrity. When envisioning their life after uniformed duty, he encouraged the audience to set a goal bigger than just earning a living. Instead, he asked attendees to see where they can extend their commitment to help and be of benefit to society. Service doesn't have to stop when the uniform comes off, he shared.

Secretary McDonald also discussed the "blessing and the obligation of leadership," pointing out that once someone commits to serving in the military, they have been instilled with a sense of purpose and service unparalleled in other (non-military) careers. While some people might feel that their desire to serve is a burden, he encouraged veterans to look at the gift of being given tools and talents to lead others and create meaning for their lives.

Finding Your Purpose

What Secretary McDonald is speaking of is purpose. As a human being, your "purpose" is what guides you, gives your life meaning, and helps you evaluate opportunities. When we can identify our purpose, our reason for being alive, we can create a life of intention and meaning. Mark Twain said, "There are two important days in your life: The day you were born, and the day you realize why." Do you know why you are here?

The process to uncover your purpose after a career in military service takes great introspection. It might feel uncomfortable and unnatural for you to examine your feelings, fears, and goals, as you are conditioned to put the needs and feelings of others ahead of yourself.

Start by asking yourself:

What do I find interesting and worthy? How would I spend my time if I didn't fear being judged? What would I sacrifice for? At the end of my life, what do I want to be remembered for? How will I make an impact on the world while I am alive?

Your answers to these questions will start the process of identifying your purpose. If you answer them truthfully and fully, you will see patterns and themes develop. Perhaps you see a desire to serve veterans? Or maybe you are compelled to solve global issues? Possibly you are inspired by leaders who sacrifice for the greater good of their teams? These insights help you create a sense of purpose for your life, and how you will influence, impact and serve others.

If You Are Passionate About Service

If service is your passion and purpose, don't ignore it. Secretary McDonald pointed out that a veteran can't and shouldn't leave it to chance that their desire to serve will be fulfilled in their civilian career. The civilian -- and particularly corporate -- world operates vastly different from the military. To find a meaningful way to contribute and continue to serve others needs to be intentional. This might start by finding a job in a service field, or doing volunteer work with a notable charity.

Knowing yourself is a first step to identifying a healthy and meaningful life after service. You have given your time, talents, expertise, and skills to your country. Taking time to see what's best for you is a right you have earned.

As Secretary McDonald noted in his presentation, "What a blessing to have the obligation to have a positive impact on another human being!"
YPSILANTI, MI - Two Eastern Michigan University students, a longtime Washtenaw County public servant and an EMU faculty member were honored this week for exemplifying the values and ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and their contributions to the university and the community.

Desmine Robinson received the annual $1,000 EMU Student Humanitarian Scholarship Award, and Raul Leon and Verna McDaniel were honored with EMU Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Awards. The scholarship and awards were presented during EMU's Martin Luther King Jr. program on Monday, Jan. 16.

Robinson became a well-known figure on campus this past semester at EMU after hearing a variety of his classmates saying they wanted to make a stand against racism, organizing a silent protest consisting of students, faculty and staff.

His goal was to have faculty, students and staff stand in solidarity against racist vandalism that had appeared outside of King Hall. Later in the semester, along with Black Student Union President Jaren Johnson, he helped organize a second such march, a Unity Rally. He is a peer educator at the EMU Women's Resource Center and a mentor and tutor at EMU Upward Bound.

Akintunde Oluwadare received the Evans-Strand Scholarship Award. The annual $1,000 award, modeled after the Nobel Peace Prize, annually recognizes an individual for contributions in advancing the understanding and furthering the acceptance of diversity at Eastern.



Oluwadare, a social work major, has demonstrated a strong commitment to social justice and diversity. His research interests in educational equity underscore his dedication to promoting equity within our educational systems. Funded by a grant from the EMU SURF Program, Oluwadare is creating original research on the factors that influence the academic success of African American men.

He also has created a website with ideas on how to combat the campus racial climate, introducing a three-pronged approach consisting of Education, Representation and Training. He has served as a tutor to EMU Upward Bound, worked a summer with Communities in School mentoring at risk children, and helped underprivileged children to read at the Family Learning Institute in Ypsilanti. He is an honors student while working full-time as a direct care worker at Synod Community Service, and maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

Leon has served as a professor in the Department of Leadership and Counseling in the EMU College of Education since 2011. In addition to advising the Latino Student Association, he helped launch the BrotherHOOD and SisterHOOD initiatives at Eastern. His service to EMU students inside and outside of the classroom exemplifies the values and ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.



McDaniel served as Washtenaw County administrator from 2010-16, She led the creation of a dental clinic in downtown Ypsilanti to serve low-income residents.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Long before she was an Ann Arbor City Council member, Sumi Kailasapathy was a teenage refugee in India.

She and her sister and their mother fled Sri Lanka during the 1983 riots after their house was burned down.

She said they were almost killed.

"There was a huge racial riot in Sri Lanka. I belonged to the Tamil minority group, and on July 25 there were organized military and paramilitary groups with voter registration lists," she said, recalling minorities were being targeted.

"It was meticulous," she said. "By the end of the evening, almost all the minority houses were completely burned down. My father had already died, so my mother took me and my sister, her two young children. She was desperate."

Kailasapathy recalls hiding under a neighbor's bed with her sister and hearing paramilitary groups outside their house yelling.

"They were shouting because they knew it was a Tamil house and it was empty. They were looking for us," she said.

"They said, 'Oh, we have come to save them. We are going to take them to the refugee camp.' Our neighbor didn't let us go because they knew if we were pulled out of the house, we would have been killed right then and there."

Before they fled to India, Kailasapathy said, they went back to see their house. She remembers finding their fish tank knocked down.

"And the fish were all dead," she said. "I mean, the people who came to burn our house were just so angry, not just with us being minorities, but our pets, too, so it just leaves a mark on you that just never leaves you, this blind hatred. And if any of you have any doubts, refugees are just victims. They just need all our support."

Kailasapathy recalled the emotional ordeal during this week's City Council meeting, just before the council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to urge President Barack Obama to exercise his presidential powers to protect hundreds of thousand of enrollees in the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program from being targeted for deportation by Donald Trump's administration.

With the resolution's passage, Ann Arbor council members said they're taking a stance in support of the rights of immigrant students and communities, as well as the principles of democracy and equality. They're also calling on state lawmakers to do what they can to protect DACA youth in Michigan.

They describe the DACA program enacted in 2012 by presidential executive order as the most important and far reaching immigration reform adopted during Obama's presidency, offering many undocumented immigrants the opportunity to come out of the shadows and live free from fear of imminent deportation.

Before voting on the resolution, the council heard from activists who spoke to the importance and urgency of passing the resolution.

The resolution notes deferred deportation action is a discretionary determination. To be considered, undocumented immigrants must show they came to the United States before reaching their 16th birthday, have continuously resided here since June 15, 2007, and were under 31 as of June 15, 2012.

They also must show they are currently in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a general education development certification, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States.

And they cannot have been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor or three or more misdemeanors, or pose a threat to national security.

Entry into the program has offered the undocumented a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit.



Ann Arbor council members note submission of a request for deferred action under DACA requires submitting personal information to the government to prove the person applying meets the criteria, and hundreds of thousands of undocumented youth relied on the promises of the Obama administration that the documentation provided would never be used against them or their families.

"DACA youth took this grave risk in order to advance their own futures as well as their families and their communities," the resolution states.

"President-elect Trump has said he will terminate the DACA program and today, one of the most urgent tasks to defend undocumented immigrant youth is to urge President Obama that he use whatever available processes he may have at his discretion to protect from deportation the more than 740,000 DACA enrollees (according to Department of Homeland Security statistics) who have already provided the incoming administration with the background information to target them as the first selected for deportation."

Abandoning DACA youth would leave families in disarray and in danger of being torn apart, Ann Arbor council members argue.

"Supporters of immigrant rights, democracy and equality must continue to fight to protect DACA, build the immigrant rights movement, and strengthen our capacity to defend our communities," the resolution states.

The resolution was co-sponsored by Kailasapathy, Jack Eaton, Jason Frenzel and Chuck Warpehoski.

"I think this is going to be like another civil rights movement," Kailasapathy said at Tuesday's meeting, noting refugees are moving all over right now, and in many cases they're just families trying to survive and escape violence.

"I think this is a really serious issue and I hope all of us can go beyond just this racism that's spreading in this country and see we are all minorities and we all come from another country, and they are merely victims," she said. "They are not to be treated as bad people. They are not."

Council Member Kirk Westphal, D-2nd Ward, said he's been saddened to learn that pro-refugee yard signs in his neighborhood are being vandalized.

The signs are part of the "One Human Family" campaign and read, "We support refugees and our Muslim neighbors." Many of the signs have popped up on properties throughout the greater Ann Arbor area in the past year.

But as Westphal indicates, at least seven in his neighborhood have been vandalized. If anyone has a sign that's damaged or stolen, Westphal said they can file a police report by going to the city's website.

After fleeing to India during the 1983 riots, Kailasapathy eventually went back to Sri Lanka. After finishing high school, she went to the University of Jaffna to study business and found herself heavily involved in student activism.

She co-founded the Poorani Women's Organization, served as treasurer of the University Students Union, and was an active leader defending civil and human rights, she told AnnArbor.com in an interview in 2010. She said the Students Union played a courageous role in defending the civilian space from the guns of government forces and a rebel group known as the Tamil Tigers.

"Some of the members were assassinated," she said in the 2010 interview. "In the sense, we were caught between the military on the one hand and the Tigers on the other hand. They were coming to civilian areas, shooting at the military. The military would shoot us back. And again, many of the students were killed. And there came a point when many of the Tamil Tigers took over and some of us were lucky enough to flee but many of them died."

She said she eventually escaped her war-torn country under the cover of night at the age of 22, with nothing in hand but a passport and a change of clothes so she wouldn't draw attention to her plans of fleeing.

"My mom said 'just run' because they warned me that the next day they were going to come and sweep up all the activists, and they did, and they killed all of them," Kailasapathy said in 2010 when making her first run for Ann Arbor council.

After fleeing to the United States in the early 1990s, Kailasapathy enrolled at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

She continued her activism there, working through Amnesty International for the release of her fellow students who were held prisoner by the Tamil Tigers.

She earned a degree in economics and political science from Wellesley College and a master's degree in political science from the New School for Social Research in New York before moving to Michigan in 1997.

Kailasapathy taught courses in gender studies, international political economy and globalization at Eastern Michigan University from 1997 to 2007 before transitioning into a career as an accountant. She has served on the City Council since 2012 as a Democrat representing the 1st Ward.
Aerial photos of Saginaw and Bay City

Bay City's Middlegrounds on July 14, 2016. The new Imagination Station playground is proposed to be built in Bigelow Park, south of the trees in the park's green space and north of the Boys and Girls Club of the Great Lakes Bay Region.

(Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com)

Darwin Baranski, Bay City's parks manager, waits to give a presentation on Imagination Station, a new playground being proposed in Bigelow Park on Middlegrounds Island, during a Bay City Planning Commission meeting Wednesday, Jan. 18.

BAY CITY, MI -- It's being pitched as more than just a playground.

And it has the price tag to prove it.

Nearly a year after selecting a location for the reincarnation of Imagination Station -- a 20-year-old community-built playground that was torn down in April 2015 after Bay City officials deemed it a liability -- the estimated cost has more than doubled.

But so has the vision.

"This is going to be a destination park," said Matt VanNortwick, chairman of the citizens committee charged with seeing a new playground built. "If someone lives in Midland or Saginaw, they're going to want to bring their family to Bay City to play in this park. That's the goal."

Committee members initially estimated the play structure, which would be built in Bigelow Park on Middlegrounds Island and feature universal access play fixtures for children with disabilities, to cost between $300,000 and $400,000.

Site plans presented to the Bay City Planning Commission Wednesday, January 18, however, show the playground project broken into two phases that's now estimated to cost nearly $1 million total.

"Being that it's universally accessible, it was more than we originally anticipated," VanNortwick said. "The first numbers were just a complete ballpark estimate."

Site plans show a general layout of the new Imagination Station playground in Bigelow Park on Middlegrounds Island.

While the Planning Commission, on a 5-2 count, put its stamp of approval on the project, there were concerns over its near seven-figure amount and how the city planned on maintaining the state-of-the-art playground park.

"It's a million dollars for a playground," said Planning Commissioner Rich Milster. "These are real serious numbers."

Milster, along with Commissioner Mary Ewald Sayles, were the two votes against the project. The City Commission has the final say on the project. A vote could come as early as next month.

The city is the applicant for the project, but is relying on the citizens committee, which is being facilitated by the Bay Area Community Foundation, to fundraise and obtain grants. To date, about $225,000 has been raised for the project, VanNortwick said.

Bay City Manager Rick Finn speaks during a Planning Commission meeting Wednesday, Jan. 18, defending a project to build a new playground on Middlegrounds Island.

Officials are also hoping to secure a $300,000 Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund grant in the coming year to help pay a large portion of the project's first phase, which is estimated to cost $727,000.

Planning Commissioner Lori Dufresne, who supported the project, said the fact that the playground is being built for children of all abilities is a big selling point.

"Because it's going to be a universal access playground, that's why you're seeing that big price tag," she said.

But a large portion of the entire project's cost is site preparation and infrastructure. According to the plans presented Wednesday, about $600,000 of the $1 million project falls under that category, while the actual playground equipment rings in at about $400,000.

"If this was a $400,000 to $500,000 project for an open play area for all children, despite their handicap, I would be in favor of it," Milster said. "But now it's $1 million. We have $200,000 for a bathroom, we're redoing the access road, redoing the parking lot -- it seems like this project is here so that we can repair the whole north end of the Middlegrounds Island."

The first phase of the project includes site preparation, installation of utilities, parking, hardscape walkways and some of the playground fixtures. The second phase includes the remaining playground fixtures, new bathrooms and additional lighting, said Darwin Baranski, the city's parks manager, who presented the plans Wednesday evening.

VanNortwick, recognizing the higher estimated cost for the project, admitted the numbers look more jarring than originally estimated, but added that it doesn't account for donated work and in-kind donations.

"So, while it looks big, we still don't know what the final cost will actually be," he said.

The Imagination Station construction site bustles with activity Friday, June 14, 1996. This perspective, from the Bay City Fire Department's Aerial truck, shows an overview of the site.

The committee is banking on in-kind donations from the city. In the plans, about $140,000 is earmarked for work performed by the city.

Maintenance of the structure was also a concern for the Planning Commission. City officials say part of the reason the original Imagination Station was torn down in 2015 was because it was at the end of its expected lifespan. But they also admitted the city didn't do an adequate job in maintaining the structure, which was previously located in Veterans Memorial Park.

"It's no secret that there wasn't enough maintenance done on that park," said Bay City Manager Rick Finn. "However, those types of facilities made with that kind of material are being taken down across the country."

Arsenic from the pressure-treated wood of the old play structure leached into the soil, forcing the city to tear it down and ultimately remove a large portion of the soil from the site at a cost of about $36,000.

Commissioner Bill Branigan questioned what the estimated annual maintenance cost for the new park would be. Baranski declined to give an amount.

"Our maintenance costs are initially going to be lower, but will increase as the project becomes older," Baranski said.

Milster said he wasn't convinced that the maintenance issue for the project was solved at this point.

"The first Imagination Station didn't go well," he said. "Now it's the same actors who are doing the second Imagination Station, and I just don't feel like I'm ready to spend $1 million on it."

Finn countered Milster, saying his administration does things "much differently now," promising appropriate maintenance at the park.

There is an existing endowment fund for maintenance on the first Imagination Station playground that would likely be transferred over to the new playground, Finn said. It's unclear how much money is in that account.

Playground committee members said if funds can be raised in time, they hope to have the first phase of the new Imagination Station completed by spring 2018. The second phase would be completed once funding is secured.
BAY CITY, MI -- Speaking through her sobs with a steely determination, a young woman described the man who molested her for years as a monster and a psychopath.

By contrast, her shackled abuser expressed his contrition by first apologizing to Central Michigan University, the institution that employed him, and the faculty there. "I bleed maroon and gold," he said.

Mark T. Ranzenberger, 61, on the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 19, appeared before U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington for sentencing in the federal courthouse in downtown Bay City. The former journalism and broadcasting instructor at CMU wore a gray WCMU sweatshirt at the hearing.

Ranzenberger on Sept. 27 pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. In his plea agreement, Ranzenberger stipulated that between 1995 and 2002 he "sexually abused a minor under the age of 12 years old approximately three times per week."

"I'm incredibly sorry for what I've done," Ranzenberger said, before listing all the CMU personnel and departments he was apologizing to. "I don't know why I took stupid risks, but I did, and I'm sorry. I hid secrets, and I thought I could keep them hidden by leading an exemplary life. This was lurking in the background. I thought it would go away, but it didn't."

He then moved on to apologizing to his two ex-wives and children.

He proceeded to ask for forgiveness, saying forgiving "short-circuits evil." He added he has a strong motivation to change.

"I shouldn't be just thrown out in the junk pile," he continued. "I'm not someone to fear."

"After having the opportunity for reflection, how do you describe your black side?" Judge Ludington asked him. "What motivation is there for your inability to measure your behavior in a way you're obviously intellectually capable of understanding?"

Ranzenberger replied that he likened it to his experience struggling with alcoholism, saying he was selfish and lacked judgment. Had he sought help 15 years ago when he ceased sexually assaulting a young girl, he would have been before a judge then, he said. When child porn popped up, he was "sucked back into the maelstrom," he said.

"I'm incredibly ashamed," he said. "Shame is a strong motivator."

Ranzenberger's victim then took to the podium and gave an emotionally charged statement, starting off by calling Ranzenberger a psychopath.

"He's smooth, charming, and manipulative," she said. "He was able to hide the monster he was in every word he spoke. His coworkers and family didn't know he was a child molester."

She described him as "a slug of man" and "a pathological liar" who spent 25 years covering up his obsession with prepubescent girls.

She added he had her terrified to speak out about the abuse she endured. He conditioned her to experience Stockholm syndrome, she added. As she spoke, Ranzenberger leaned forward in his seat and kept his gaze focused on her.

"He is a psychopath who is not fit to be out with the rest of the people in the world," she said. "And to Mark, everyone who has ever loved you was wrong."

Judge Ludington said there wasn't much that needed to be added to her statements. He sentenced the disgraced professor to 14 years in prison, the uppermost of his guidelines. Upon his release, he's to be supervised for five years.

"These weren't simply pictures of children without clothes," the judge said. "These were kids in masochistic circumstances with adults taking advantage of complete victims. Once the images are shared, they're shared peer-to-peer across the world, literally, forever."

Every time someone views the images, the children depicted in them are victimized anew, Ludington said.

Case background

Authorities began investigating Ranzenberger after a CMU student on March 4 notified Faculty Personnel Services that the teacher had accessed a Dropbox account and downloaded apparent pornographic images, which were seen by the entire class. A few days later, an FPS employee reviewing a backup copy of Ranzenberger's CMU-issued computer unearthed nude photos of minors, according to a complaint filed authored by a special agent of the U.S. Secret Service.

After police reviewed the images, they issued a search warrant on Ranzenberger's CMU office and seized a computer and multiple disks, thumb drives, CDs, external hard drives, an iPad, and a digital camera. Police reviewed the seized material and uncovered numerous images of minors ranging from infants to prepubescence engaged in sexual acts, the complaint states. There were also several photos of clothed children that apparently were taken by Ranzenberger in public locations, seemingly without the children's knowledge.

Police also found a document describing how to groom a child from birth to age 11 for sexual acts.

Interviewed by police, Ranzenberger said he thought he had "gotten rid of all that stuff," according to the complaint. He said he found the images on a German website and had authored the grooming document, but that it was "purely fantasy." He added he had never assaulted a child.

Police also searched Ranzenberger's personal computer, which he voluntarily turned over to them. There were more sexual images of children and surreptitiously snapped photos on that PC as well.

In all, investigators tagged about 1,032 images of sexually abused children on Ranzenberger's various electronic media. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children determined 86 images were of an identified child.

Ranzenberger was arraigned in federal court in June. Read the criminal complaint here.

Ranzenberger's resignation from CMU was official March 22, according to a spokesperson at the school.

Ranzenberger is the second CMU faculty member to get federal time on child porn charges in recent history. In July 2013, Judge Ludington sentenced William L. Merrill to 70 months in prison after the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.

Merrill had specialized in Internet censorship issues at CMU. During their investigation, authorities discovered Merrill had a collection of 5,487 images of child porn and 26 similar videos. At his sentencing, Merrill said he had been sexually abused as a child and the conduct had been recorded. When he began searching the Internet for child porn, he was seeking images of his younger self, he said.

Prosecutors countered that 90 percent of Merrill's collection was recorded after 1970.
Pain pills oxycodone oxycontin

File photo from MSP

( )

Nearly 17,000 Americans died of prescription pill overdoses in 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Some of the blame for the nation's pain-pill epidemic lies with drug distribution companies like McKesson, which supplies many smaller and unscrupulous pharmacies across the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

San Francisco-based McKesson, which operates and supplies distributions centers in at least a dozen states, including a location at 30881 Schoolcraft in Livonia, recently admitted to not monitoring its drug sales stringently enough or reporting suspicious sales to the Drug Enforcement Agency as required between 2008 and 2013.

As a result, the company agreed to pay a record $150 million settlement to the U.S. government. Michigan is among the states involved in the settlement and states where the company will be banned from selling over a period of years.

The DOJ has been watching McKesson since 2008, when they fined the company more than $13 million for drug distribution practices and established a consent agreement under which the company was to set thresholds for orders that if surpassed would require reporting to the government over the next five years.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says the company didn't comply.

From 2008 until 2013, McKesson supplied various U.S. pharmacies an increasing amount of oxycodone and hydrocodone pills, which are highly addictive controlled substances usually prescribed by doctors for severe, chronic pain.

The government hasn't identified by name the smaller customers or pharmacies believed to have diverted the pills for abuse or black-market use.

According to its most recent annual report, McKesson employs 68,000 employees in 21 countries, has more than 13,000 pharmacies, delivers 1/3 of all prescription medications in North America and in 2016 generated $3.7 billion in operating cash flow. It spent $4 billion in 2016 acquisitions alone.

"The United States is in the midst of an opiate epidemic which is being fueled by the misuse of opiate painkillers," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy Plancon. "This historic settlement demonstrates DEA's commitment to the public health and safety by holding the McKesson Corporation accountable for their actions.

"It doesn't matter if the violator is a multi-billion dollar corporation, or an individual selling smaller amounts of drugs on the street, DEA is committed to fighting this epidemic from all angles."

U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade said her office will continue to diligently pursue those whose illegal actions contribute to the rise in opioid abuse and deaths.

"Drug distributors cannot profit from addiction," she said.
NEW YORK ? An executive from Hershey?s provided attendees of Mobile FirstLook 2017 a masterclass in the company?s approach to connected marketing, based on insight that found 30 percent of consumers become anxious when they do not have their phones.





The executive also provided some background on the kind of mobile and content environment that Hershey?s believes its consumers operate within, and claimed that ?technological advances over the past five years have dramatically affected consumer behavior.? She described all Hershey?s consumers as ?mobile consumers,? and trotted out millennial-focused statistics on mobile usage, noting that 87 percent of them have their phone at their side day and night and that they check their phones 150 times per day, on average.





?Linear TV viewing is down, and at the same time digital TV viewership is up,? said Ronalee Zarate-Bayani, head of global integrated marketing and digital advancement at The Hershey Co. ?That delta is increasing more and more, and will only increase even more so in the coming years.?





The Hershey Co.

Within such a connected landscape, Hershey?s made the decision to require its marketing efforts to become just as connected, which, in turn, required connectedness within the infrastructures creating and releasing said marketing efforts.





?Silos reduce agility, they waste resources,? Ms. Zarate-Bayani said. ?It takes a village to win in a village in a very complex landscape, and you need everyone in that village to come together.





?We need data, we need analytics, we need marketing, and we need them all to come together,? she said.









Ms. Zarate-Bayani said that Hershey?s looks to put the consumer at the center of its marketing campaigns, and then overlay context and culture.





One example of the ethos was a Christmas campaign held by Hershey?s property Reeses, in which it released Christmas-tree shaped chocolates that resembled a certain kind of waste. In any case, an undesirable association for a chocolate brand.





Instead of hiding or responding with corporate platitude, Hershey?s decided to parlay the attention the product was getting as a catalyst for unexpected behavior with the #AllTreesAreBeautiful campaign, which resulted in week over week of increasing sales.





Marketing fundamentals

Hershey?s tends to hew to tried-and-tested marketing fundamentals, leveraging an ownable brand strategy and consumer-centric insights into a workflow into a process that looks to get consumers attentions, provide a unique experience, drive to meaningful brand content, engage the consumer and, finally, convert consumer interest to sales.





One campaign that spontaneously achieved all of these goals piggybacked off a viral moment on social media, where a Kansas State University student Tweeted a photo of a napkin that someone who stole a KitKat bar out of his car wrote to him. KitKat responded to the Tweet, and used the moment as an opportunity to fill his car with KitKat bars, a stunt that garnered the attention of over 200 media outlets for The Hershey Co. property.









?Content can manifest itself in a full experience, a single expression, and a way to engage with the brand,? Ms. Zarate-Bayani said. ?You have to build you brand with social today.





?They will talk about you, you could be part of it, or you could let them build your brand for you.?





Ms. Zarate-Bayani also enumerated Hershey?s categories for mobile moments and the future it believes is in store for each. They include ?My experience now,? manifesting in the exploding live video market, which is forecasted be worth $70 billon in ten years; ?My experience made better,? relating to the booming VR market; ?My search made easier,? with voice search on the rise and 55 percent of teens and 41 percent of adults using voice search more than once a day; and ?My way to discover and uncover,? as 69 percent of mobile users are more likely to buy from companies whose mobile sites or apps help them easily find answers.





?We?re in a world today where everything is media,? Ms. Zarate-Bayani said. ?It?s not just print, it?s not just digital, it?s not just a mobile device.





?A car with a bumper sticker is media," she said. "A shirt with a logo is media.



"And content creation is democratized. We as brands are not fighting against other brands. We?re fighting against the stimuli surrounding us 24/7.?
[January 18, 2017] GTCR Announces Sale Of Rural Broadband Investments To Cable One

CHICAGO, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GTCR, a leading private equity firm, announced today that a definitive agreement has been signed to sell Rural Broadband Investments ("RBI" or the "Company") to Cable One, Inc. (NYSE: CABO), a publicly traded cable service provider serving more than 650,000 customers in 19 states, for $735 million. Founded in 2012, RBI is the nation's 13th largest cable operator by homes passed, providing triple-play video, high-speed data and voice services to over 150,000 residential and commercial customers throughout rural areas of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. GTCR executed its Leaders Strategy to form RBI in 2012 through its partnership with veteran cable executives, Phil Spencer, Rod Siemers and Ken Johnson. RBI's investment thesis was to acquire incumbent cable systems in small and midsized communities in order to become the leading broadband provider in these markets. Together, GTCR and RBI acquired NewWave Communications ("NewWave") in April 2013 as the platform investment, and subsequently completed five add-on acquisitions. "We want to thank Phil, Rod and Ken for their partnership. Under their leadership, RBI was able to execute on our collective investment thesis o building a scale incumbent cable provider in order to deliver market leading broadband services within the small and mid-sized communities we serve," said Phil Canfield, a Managing Director at GTCR. Stephen Jeschke, a Principal at GTCR added, "We are sad to see our partnership come to an end, but incredibly proud of what the team has accomplished."



"We could not have chosen a better partner than GTCR," said Phil Spencer, CEO of RBI. Mr. Spencer added, "It has been an honor to lead RBI and NewWave over the course of the last four years. Our employees have worked tirelessly to deliver on our goal of providing superior broadband services and exceptional customer service within the markets we serve. I am excited about the next chapter for RBI under Cable One's leadership and believe that RBI will continue to deliver great results for its customers under its new ownership." The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2017.

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc., Waller Capital Partners, LLC and Garrett M. Baker Advisors served as financial advisors to RBI and GTCR. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel and PriceWaterhouseCoopers served as accounting advisor to RBI and GTCR. About GTCR

Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm focused on investing in growth companies in the Financial Services & Technology, Healthcare, Technology, Media & Telecommunications and Growth Business Services industries. The Chicago-based firm pioneered The Leaders Strategy  finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and organic growth. Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $12 billion in over 200 companies. For more information, please visit www.gtcr.com. About Rural Broadband Investments

Rural Broadband Investments acquires and invests in rural-focused cable systems serving residential and commercial customers in small-to-middle sized markets and rural geographies. For more information, please visit www.ruralbroadbandinvestments.com Contact:

Eileen Rochford

The Harbinger Group

312-953-3305

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gtcr-announces-sale-of-rural-broadband-investments-to-cable-one-300393059.html SOURCE GTCR

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[January 18, 2017] Shiseido Acquires a U.S.-Based Start-Up, MATCHCo, Through Its Regional Headquarters, Shiseido Americas

Shiseido Company, Limited ("Shiseido"), announced today that its regional headquarters and consolidated subsidiary, Shiseido Americas Corporation (Delaware, USA; "SAC"), has acquired MATCHCo (California, USA), a privately-held company utilizing revolutionary technology and innovative digital tools to provide consumers with individually customized foundation at scale. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170118006208/en/ The MATCHCo App The synergy of MATCHCo's innovative digital tools and Shiseido Group's R&D capabilities will help to enhance a business model that captures a major consumer trend: cosmetics customization. About MATCHCo Founded in 2013 by personalization and technology experts Dave Gross and Andy Howell and backed by patented technology, MATCHCo lets customers scan their unique skin tones through its mobile app and uses the data collected to individually blend a perfectly matching custom foundation for each consumer. The MATCHCo app is currently distributed through Apple's (News - Alert) App Store and was featured as "Best New App" and "Best of November" at launch in November 2015. Since then, it has also received beauty breakthrough awards from Teen Vogue, Good Housekeeping and others. MATCHCo will remain based in California, with its engineering team in Palo Alto (News - Alert) and its marketing and operations hub in Santa Monica, and will become part of Shiseido's Global Makeup Center of Excellence, led by Jill Scalamandre and based in New York. Customized, Digital, Direct-to-ConsumerGrowth Model Roll-Out



Combined efforts of MATCHCo and Shiseido Group will result in a roll-out and enhancement of a business model that quickly responds to changes in consumer needs and the rapidly growing market. Expected results include:

increasing focus on customization of cosmetic products;

advancing digital technologies aimed at consumer skin measurement and analysis;

expanding direct marketing; and,

improving consumer marketing by gathering insight through direct contact. Shiseido is already taking steps to reinforce its Skincare, Makeup, Fragrance and Digital Centers of Excellence (COE). Collaboration among these COEs will take this model beyond its initial category, skin foundation, and further drive business expansion. Comment by Shiseido CEO Masahiko Uotani "We are thrilled to welcome MATCHCo, a company possessing innovative digital technologies, into our Group. Creating innovations is an area of special strategic focus for Shiseido Group, and we look forward to offering more unique value to consumers around the world. This will now be made possible through accelerated innovation in rapidly evolving digital tools and customized products." Comment by SAC CEO Marc Rey "MATCHCo is a truly unique company with a transformational technology platform, go-to-market strategy and approach to engaging with consumers. We are very excited to leverage their technology and tools across Shiseido's brand portfolio and continue to build on their innovation." Comments by MATCHCo Founders Dave Gross, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MATCHCo: "Shiseido is the perfect platform to increase our product offering and expand our technology. We are honored to join an organization that has such a rich heritage of innovation. We look forward to working with our new colleagues in addressing the individual needs of each and every customer in a way never before possible." Andy Howell, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of MATCHCo: "Today our MATCHCo customer experiences her own bespoke foundation individually made to match her skin tone from the comfort of her own phone, but this is just the beginning. As part of the Center of Excellence, we look forward to collaborating with the brands in Shiseido's global portfolio to usher in a new age of personalization, A.I. for Beauty." About Shiseido Company, Limited Shiseido was founded in 1872 as the first Western-style pharmacy in Japan. The business gradually evolved into a cosmetics company, offering people the most advanced technology and the finest aesthetics available in the East or the West. Now known globally as the premier cosmetics company with roots in Japan, the name Shiseido has come to represent the world's highest standards of quality. Shiseido's global selection of skincare, makeup and fragrance includes a high-performance category for special skincare, and a brightening line. Shiseido also offers body care, suncare and a skincare line for men. Fiercely contemporary and innovative after over 140 years in business, Shiseido group brands are now sold in over 120 countries and regions. For more information, please visit http://group.shiseido.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170118006208/en/

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[January 19, 2017] Ste. Anne's Hospital Foundation improving veterans' lives with support from Bell Let's Talk

Clara Hughes and Michel Mpambara visit mental health program supported by Bell True Patriot Love Fund at Ste. Anne's Hospital MONTREAL, Jan. 19, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Ste. Anne's Hospital Foundation today welcomed Bell Let's Talk spokespersons Clara Hughes and Michel Mpambara as they visited with veterans at Ste. Anne's Hospital in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, the third stop in a cross-Canada tour by Clara and members of the Bell Let's Talk team leading up to Bell Let's Talk Day on January 25. "I was thrilled to meet today with men and women who have served Canada and hear about their experiences and their paths to recovery," said Clara. "Their camaraderie and openness with Michel and me were really inspiring, as was the impressive support they're receiving from the staff, the volunteers and the Foundation at Ste. Anne's." While at the hospital, Clara and Michel met with veterans, serving members and their families taking part in a yoga and mindfulness session. Launched in January 2016 with a $25,000 grant from the Bell True Patriot Love Fund, the yoga and mindfulness meditation program is offered in conjunction with traditional approaches like psychotherapy. As well as boosting therapeutic effectiveness, it provides substantial support to patients suffering from operational stress injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder and oter mental health issues.



"Since my diagnosis, yoga has been a key part of my approach to living with bipolar disorder," said actor-comedian Michel Mpambara, a Bell Let's Talk spokesperson since 2012. "I'm extremely proud to see how Bell Let's Talk is making local programs like this possible and was honoured today to join with these incredible men and women in their yoga class." "All the energy we put into the Foundation serves a single objective: to improve the well-being of our Canadian veterans," explained Andree-Anne Desforges, Executive Director, Ste. Anne's Hospital Foundation. "When we receive the support of major organizations such as Bell Let's Talk and the True Patriot Love Foundation, we are even more motivated to maintain our efforts. This support also shows that the initiatives we develop and finance deserve to be widely known and especially, deserve the support of all Canadians. Because of Canadian soldiers, we have the good fortune to live in safety, in a free country."

The Bell True Patriot Love Fund

Launched in 2013 by Bell Let's Talk and the True Patriot Love Foundation, the Bell True Patriot Love Fund has so far distributed $1 million in grants to 61 mental health programs delivered through Military Family Resource Centres and other groups in communities around Canada. In November 2016, Bell Let's Talk and the Foundation renewed the partnership for a further 4 years and another $1 million, ensuring continued investment in programs that are making a real difference in the lives of military members, veterans and their families. 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 call and long distance call made by Bell Canada 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 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. Media inquiries: Caroline Audet

(514) 391-9794

[email protected]

@Bell_Nouvelles SOURCE Bell Canada

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business 2017 will be a difficult year for margins: Sunil Mittal Speaking to CNBC-TV18 Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder & Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, said that the focus will be on building networks, and bringing in more technology.
business FDA nod for anti-migraine drug to lift US revenues: Panacea The company Wednesday received the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approval for an anti-migraine drug for which it had filed the Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) in 2012.
you are here:
business Plan on achieving 15% growth rate for Andhra Pradesh: CM Speaking to CNBC-TV18 N Chandrababu Naidu, CM of Andhra Pradesh, expressed hope that investors are showing interest in Andhra Pradesh.
It is commonly believed that sustainable investing is only about those who opt for investments that reflect their values. But times are changing; large numbers of asset managers are incorporating environmental, social and governance considerations into their investment processes. And this is not statement on values, it is because they find ESG evaluations can lead to more sustainable financial returns.

In a similar way, we believe investors should also be better informed on the ESG disciplines of the funds they are considering to buy, or indeed already own. Just over six months ago we launched the industrys first sustainability rating for funds and ETFs, the Morningstar Sustainability Rating. The key purpose of the rating is to give investors a fresh perspective on how well the underlying companies in a fund are doing on sustainability relative to their peers.

What is the Morningstar Sustainability Rating?

The Morningstar Sustainability Rating is based on ESG company research from Sustainalytics, a leading provider of ESG and corporate governance ratings and research. To derive the rating, we first calculate a Portfolio Sustainability Score, which is based on a portfolios ESG score and a deduction for current ESG-related controversies. Sustainalytics classifies controversial events involving companies by severity across five categories, with category 5 being the most severe. To arrive at the rating, we then sort funds into five normally distributed groups by comparing a funds Portfolio Sustainability Score with that of its Morningstar category peers.

Amongst the top-10 largest active European equity funds within the Morningstar Europe Large-Cap Blend Equity Category, the results are mixed. Five out of the ten funds have favourable ESG scores relative to their category peers, but the incidence of controversies amongst the funds overall has been high and has dragged their overall Morningstar Sustainability Ratings down.

A Morningstar Sustainability Rating of High, or 5 Globes, indicates that the companies held in a funds portfolio are better at managing their ESG risks and opportunities than those held in at least 90% of portfolios in the same Morningstar Category. None of those prominent funds earned a 5-Globe rating.

Henderson Fund Scores Highly

The only fund on this list with an Above Average rating, which is equivalent to 4 Globes, is the Henderson Horizon Pan European Equities fund, run by Tim Stevenson and which has long-held a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Silver. Were not surprised that the companies in this fund, on aggregate, score well on ESG and have limited controversial involvement. This outcome is a function of the managers focus on identifying high quality companies with a strong long-term growth potential, wedded to a well-founded responsible investment philosophy at Henderson.

Indeed, it is worth noting that on average across its fund range, the sustainability ratings of Henderson Global Investors  a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investmentshave been slightly above average. Thats not to say that the fund has zero exposure to companies with controversies, but it has avoided some of the more widely held stocks with poor controversy scores, such as Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB), Bayer (BAYN) and Sanofi (SAN). The fund has also had no exposure to tobacco stocks over the last ten years.

Funds Causing Controversy

Whilst Fidelity European Growth and Invesco Pan European Equity both have Above Average ESG scores relative to their peers, their controversy scores rank amongst the worst in the category and have dragged their overall Sustainability Rating down to Average and Below Average, respectively. The Fidelity fund has had an overweight in the energy sector, where the incidence of controversies is higher, and has held Royal Dutch Shell, which has a category 4 controversy score.

According to Sustainalytics, the companys operations are linked to severe environmental pollution; during the past five years, the company has spilled 12.6 thousand tonnes of oil worldwide. A number of stocks with a category 3 controversy score feature in the Invesco Pan European Equity fund, including Intesa (ISP) and Lloyds (LLOY), and two stocks with a category 4, namely Royal Dutch Shell and Novartis (NOVN).

According to Sustainalytics, in 2016 the US government requested that Novartis provide documents of 80,000 events in the period 2002 to 2011 at which doctors allegedly received kickbacks for prescribing the companys drugs. In addition to this investigation, the company has faced investigations related to bribery in seven markets in recent years.

Funds with Unsustainable Practises

At the other end of the spectrum is BGF European Focus, which has a 1- Globe Morningstar Sustainability Rating. Royal Dutch Shell has been a top holding in this focused portfolio of around 40 stocks and this would have impacted this portfolio to a greater extent than comparable peers holding a smaller position in the stock, given that the rating is asset-weighted. In addition, the fund has also held the two tobacco stocks, British American Tobacco (BATS) and Imperial Brands (IMB), as well as Lloyds Banking Group, which has been involved in multiple lawsuits with respect to its products and customer services.

The two tobacco companies both have a history of controversies involving human rights abuses in their supply chain. According to Sustainalytics, in May 2016, the NGO Human Rights Watch published a report detailing its field research into the Indonesian tobacco farming industry, which found widespread child labour for tobacco leaf cultivation and curing.

From a performance standpoint, the majority of those prominent European equity funds have generated returns that beat most of their category peers as well as the broad market index over the last decade. Having said that, the Morningstar Sustainability Rating is a portfolio-based rating that measures how well the companies held in a funds current portfolio are managing their environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, risks and opportunities relative to their industry peers. We dont know and we cant say whether these funds would have had better sustainability ratings over the past decade.

A version of this article was published in Fund Strategy magazine
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 68F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
The 2008 economic recession is still haunting Deutsche Bank. On Tuesday, the German banking giant finalized a $7.2 billion settlement over allegations it contributed to the 2008 financial crisis by misleading investors about the quality of shoddy mortgage-backed securities.Federal investigators said the bank will pay a $3.1 billion civil penalty and provide $4.1 billion in consumer relief, according to a USA Today report.The federal fine is the highest for a single body associated in dealing with residential mortgage-backed securities  deals that turned out to be more dangerous than Deutsche Bank investors thought."Deutsche Bank did not merely mislead investors: it contributed directly to an international financial crisis," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement.Meanwhile, the banks chief executive, John Cryan, said Deutsches mismanagement of mortgage securities marketing and sales between 2005 and 2007 was unacceptable, but had been rectified.As part of the settlement, Deutsche Bank admitted that it had bought and securitized mortgage loans with substantial risk in order to provide flexibility to mortgage originators the bank relied on for a continued supply of loans.
Editors note: This is the third in a series of stories about what U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway of Midland foresees for the nation, issues it faces and solutions that could be implemented.



Republican lawmakers in the nations capital are ready to rumble as today marks Day 1 in office for President Donald Trump. But while the Republican-controlled House and Senate have offered a bevy of insights into what will happen, theres one piece of legislation they seek that likely wont hit the presidents desk.

Rep. Mike Conaway of Midland talked Monday with the Reporter-Telegram about many of the issues facing the nation over the next four years, but with all of the promise of an easier road for Republicans. He said the much-sought-after balanced budget amendment to the Constitution likely will not be accomplished.

Theres no constitutional amendment more important than that one, the lawmaker said. Were not going to get to a point where we have a balanced budget without it, I dont think. We just lack the fiscal discipline to say no to good stuff.

Conaway, who is chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, said that he, too, would struggle with cutting programs that do good in the world just so the U.S. can balance its books.

He spoke about his visit to Ethiopia to evaluate how a U.S. food aid program was working. He went to a school with a lunch program, where a porridge of split yellow peas is served daily. Thinking of his own grandkids boredom with food, he asked the students if they, too, get tired of eating the same porridge every day.

They looked up as if I asked if they were tired of eating, Conaway said.

He also went to an emergency food program in a mountainous area where rice, wheat, split yellow peas and oil are provided. He was moved by how important the U.S.-branded bags of food where to the people. But the good deeds come at a cost.

This is good stuff; were feeding them. But were broke, Conaway said. One of these days, theres a harsh reality to this program where Im going to have to decide if I should continue mortgaging my grandkids future to feed these people today. At some point, there may very well be an answer where I say no, we just cant do it. And Im looking at a program where were literally saving people from starving. But were broke. We cant just keep doing what were doing.

Having a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution will force him and others to make a decision, the representative said.

At some point in time, saying no to something that valuable is going to be required under the Constitution. I dont know that we can do it on our own or that theres enough of us who would say I owe it to American children to not put them into this circumstance because their government failed because the world kept lending us money because we were irresponsible. Thats where were headed.

When asked if he would have been a good fit as secretary of agriculture, Conaway said he would not.

I dont want to do that because the Farm Bill expires Sept. 30, 2018, and I have built a following based on the fact that I want to get that done, and I think (the Farm Bill) is more important for me than being in the Cabinet, he said.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program  known as SNAP or, by older terminology, food stamps  is a major part of the Farm Bill. There has been a push in recent years to make SNAP its own separate bill. Conaway told the Reporter-Telegram on Election Day that together or not, SNAP and the Farm Bill are going to stay.

On Monday, the lawmaker talked more about SNAP, calling it an important program thats essential for those who are on it. He broke down participants into three broad categories: people such as the frail elderly, those with disabilities and others; able-bodied adults under 50 without dependents; and a transitional group in the middle, such as single parents.

He said Congress is not going to abandon the first group -- the folks who are always going to need our help.

The others should participate in SNAP only temporarily and be given work requirements. This fits in with Trumps job creation: When you create jobs, you have to have people to fill those jobs.

The work requirement, however, wont come without a significant reworking of income rules to prevent people from falling off the cliff.

The biggest issue across all of our welfare programs is the means-testing impact, he said. For food stamps, as an example, if you make a certain amount of money, you qualify for the program. If you make just a little bit more, you lose 100 percent of your benefits. That works as a trapping mechanism because a lot of folks cant make the leap to get a raise that will replace all of their tax-free benefits to get them enough when theyre in a taxable place.

Conaway said he wants to figure out a way to help people continue to grow in responsibility and get raises while feathering off their benefits in a way thats in their best interest to keep going and growing to someday get off the program completely.

Like Trevor on Facebook and follow him on Twitter at @HowdyHawes.






Tulsas WPX Energy is spending $775 million to boost its Delaware subbasin holdings, bringing its holdings in the region to more than 120,000 net acres.

The sellers are Panther Energy Company II LLC and Carrier Energy Partners LLC. WPX plans to close the $775 million cash transaction by late March using a combination of proceeds from an equity issuance and cash on hand.

The acquisition includes 18,100 net acres in Reeves, Loving, Ward and Winkler counties and 920 gross undeveloped locations. There is about 6,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day, 55 percent oil, of existing production from 23 producing wells, 17 of them horizontal, and the deal includes two drilled but uncompleted horizontal laterals.

Were focused on the Delaware in the Permian, not the Midland portion of the basin, Kelly Swan, spokesman for WPX, told the Reporter-Telegram by email.

WPX, which was spun off from the pipeline company Williams in 2012, entered the Permian Basin in 2015 with the $2.75 billion acquisition of RKI Exploration & Production.

Our initial experience and results have exceeded our expectations, Swan said. Operating in the Permian has completely redefined our company and dramatically increased what we can achieve. Were eyeing 30 percent growth in oil volumes companywide this year, largely driven by our Delaware volumes.

He said there were several attractive factors with the Panther acquisition, including the drilling inventory, the opportunities to drill long laterals  drillable locations include more than 150 long laterals of one-and-a-half to two miles  and the existing production that generates cash flow to fund the drilling operation. Offset operators include RSP Permian, Anadarko, Shell, Matador, Cimarex, Concho and Centennial.

Since WPX entered the Delaware, it has added 32,000 net acres to its holdings at an average cost of $18,600 per acre.

In the wake of the deal, WPX plans to add two rigs to its existing five-rig drilling program. We're planning to spend approximately $500 million in the Delaware this year. Thats for a seven-rig program targeting 85-100 new wells this year. This is a significant ramp up from our activity level last year when we averaged two rigs in the basin. We think our activity level is appropriate for where the market is at. Were also expanding our midstream infrastructure with the addition of a crude oil gathering line, Swan said.

The acquisition also increases WPXs drilling inventory from 5,500 to 6,400 locations, which Swan said offers decades of drilling. And keep in mind that our estimate is subject to revision based on the delineation work that we and others are doing in the basin to study different intervals. As our chief operating officer says, This is an incredible stack of rocks.

The acquisition has also given a boost to the companys growth trajectory, with WPX now targeting 30 percent oil growth and 25 percent overall production growth in 2017 for a range of 52,000 to 56,000 barrels of oil per day this year.

In our minds, the goal is ambitious but achievable. It will certainly require crisp execution, however, and carrying out the science work we have underway in tandem with our goal of growing production, Swan said. Our focus so far has been on the Wolfcamp A, but we're also looking at the Wolfcamp C, D and X/Y intervals. Were working diligently to maximize the value from our Delaware asset.

Swan concluded, We want to make a mark in the basin from a technical standpoint and with our well performance. We like to compete against the best of the best in a world-class area. Were learning from other operators and advancing our own results as quickly as we can.






MPD file

Two Houston men have been arrested in connection with a motor vehicle burglary that occurred shortly after the victims visited a bank.

Midland police arrested Stoney Bernard Huery Oliver, 33, and Keitatray Rayfield Broussard, 21, on Friday following a vehicle burglary in which the victims were followed from the Chase Bank at 3209 Courtyard Drive to the Wal-Mart located on north Midland Drive, according to a press release from the Midland Police Department.
AUSTIN -- Speaker Joe Straus, before a friendly business audience, blasted the Senates bathroom bill Wednesday as a potential turn-off to skilled workers the state needs and burden for a Texas economy already slowed by reduced oil drilling.

In a direct challenge to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Straus said the legislation to restrict transgender Texans to using restrooms that correspond to their gender at birth at schools and government buildings is misguided and could injure Texas stunning economic success of recent decades.

People from where I come from get concerned about anything that could slow down our overall job creating machine, Straus, a San Antonio Republican, said at a legislative conference sponsored by the Texas Association of Business.

While its been no secret Straus considers a bathroom bill an unneeded distraction, his remarks explained his opposition in detail for the first time -- and revealed his possibly precarious political position in taking on a top Senate priority.

Straus cast his opposition as the desire of his constituents in Bexar County.

While the Senate bill doesnt go as far in some ways as initial laws in Indiana and North Carolina that sparked economic backlash and tourism boycotts, Straus clearly fears it has the potential of bringing down similar push-back for Texas.

Next year, the NCAA mens Final Four will be held in San Antonio, he noted. Its expected to generate $234 million in economic activity, he said. Also, local residents have forked over big bucks to improve the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center and the Alamodome, he said. Theyre banking on a tourism surge, he implied.

Straus said his constituents like what Texas has done to attract business.

They are also watching what happened in North Carolina and they are not enthusiastic about getting that type of attention, he said.

The bathroom bill, introduced by Brenham GOP Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, would bar cities from passing local ordinances that require private business to have specific rules for bathrooms or changing rooms.

Under Kolkhorsts bill, anyone using a shared locker and bathrooms in public schools or local and state government buildings must use the facility that corresponds to their biological sex. A school district, state agency or city found in violation could be fined up to $1,500 for a first and $10,500 for any later offenses.

The issue could dominate this years legislative session, though it puts many of the Republicans who dominate the Legislature in a tight spot. They dont relish picking sides, possibly alienating their usual business allies who are skeptical or angering social conservatives who play outsized roles in GOP primaries.

Last week, as lawmakers convened, the bill was very much the buzz -- even if it will be weeks before committees are organized and begin passing out bills.

Straus implied that Patrick, Kolkhorst and other supporters of the bathroom bill act as though they blithely assume Texas economy can chug on, unaffected.

Its no accident Texas has prospered but theres no guarantee that will continue, he said.

The Texas private sector has built an economy that people want to be part of, the speaker said. Our economy is modern, diverse and dynamic. We attract the types of highly skilled jobs and workers that every state desires -- from engineers to computer programmers to internationally recognized scientists and scholars.

Referring to former Gov. Rick Perrys brag about the Texas miracle, Straus said the term was misleading.

Theres been a lot of work put into our states economic success, he said. Contrary to popular myth, it is not a miracle. We want to continue that success and we want Texas to keep attracting the best and the brightest. One way to maintain our economic edge is to send the right signals about who we are.

Lawmakers should be very careful as they ponder the bathroom bill, he warned. It could make Texas less competitive for investments, jobs and the highly skilled workforce needed to compete.

Interestingly, Straus didnt proclaim bathroom bill dead on arrival in his chamber.

Thats my personal view on this and its the sentiment back home, he said. Well see how the rest of the House feels.

In a subtle prod of Gov. Greg Abbott, who has said little about the subject, Straus said, And the governors opinion on this could make a big difference too.

The speaker urged business owners and executives in his audience to fight the bill.

If you are concerned -- I know many of you are -- now is the time to speak up, he said.

---

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.






Tomorrowland has announced its 2017 stage hosts and boy are there a lot of them. Among some of the highlights for the massive two-weekend, European EDM festival include Martin Garrix's STMPD, Axwell's Axtone, Canadian record label Monstercat, Elrow, Eric Prydz's Pryda and many more.

The festival comes with 40 stage hosts over each weekend and they are all different. There are a few overlapping names, but close to 65 collectives, labels, artists and genre leaders will host a day at one of the many stages at Tomorrowland in 2017.

The festival begins on Friday, July 21 and some of the hosts that day include Elrow, Monstercat, Mark Knight's Toolroom and Adam Beyer's Drumcode. Saturday will feature STMPD, Sebastian Ingrosso's Refune, hardstyle brand Q-Dance, I Love Techno, Afrojack's Jacked and more. The weekend will close out with stages by Ants, Masquerade by Claptone, Smash The House and stages curated by Dave Clarke and Robin Schulz.

The second weekend starts off with a bang on Friday as Steve Aoki's Dim Mak, Elrow again, Netsky & Friends, Armin van Buuren's A State of Trance, Spinnin' Sessions and Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano's Sexy By Nature will all host stages. Saturday keeps up the momentum with Axtone, Q-Dance once more and Lost Frequencies with own stage all on deck. Sunday closes out with a bang as Pryda, The Magician's Potion, Ants and Oliver Heldens' Heldeep are among those who will host stages.

Tomorrowland will take place from Friday, July 21-Sunday, July 23 and July 28-30 in Boom, Belgium. The first batch of artists will be announced this upcoming Monday, Jan. 23. Tickets are starting to roll out in waves over the next few weeks, so head to Tomorrowland's website to register for them and find out when you can buy them.

Discover the 2017 stage hosts. Prepare for a wonderful new tale and musical adventure. First artists announcement: Monday, January 23rd. pic.twitter.com/95Jug66YTG  Tomorrowland (@tomorrowland) January 19, 2017

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
"After I left the last treatment center, I knew what made me happy," Selena explains, "and it was a connection." But on the advice of her doctor, Selena's planned philanthropic visit to Kenya to see the schools she was helping to raise
anthony scaramucci

Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland on Thursday told President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Treasury secretary that he would push for an investigation into Trump adviser Anthony Scaramucci for possible violations of sanctions against Russia.

During a confirmation hearing for the nominee, Steven Mnuchin, Cardin said he planned to send a letter from himself and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts to the Treasury asking for an investigation into Scaramucci and his fund.

Scaramucci is a cofounder of SkyBridge Capital, an investment firm that manages some $12 billion. This week he said he would sell the firm as he prepares to take a role in the White House.

Cardin asked about Scaramucci after Mnuchin said he was "100%" committed to upholding the sanctions against Russia.

"Senator Warner and I are going to be sending you a letter if you are confirmed to investigate the allegations that Mr. Scaramucci, who was recently named as the White House director of engagement and intergovernmental affairs and senior adviser to the president, may very well have violated the sanctions against Russia in his dealings," Cardin said.

Mnuchin said he would "properly investigate" any letter sent to his office regarding the sanctions.

A spokesman for Scaramucci was not immediately available for comment.

Cardin seemed to be referring to a discussion, reported by Bloomberg News, between Scaramucci and the head of a Russian sovereign wealth fund that the US government sanctioned in 2015.

According to Bloomberg, Scaramucci and the fund's director, Kirill Dmitriev, spoke about possible co-investment opportunities. Bloomberg reported that the meeting took place at the World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday and was confirmed by Scaramucci.

During an interview with Bloomberg TV  in which the sanctions against Dmitriev's fund were not directly brought up  Scaramucci said he had known Dmitriev for a while and was unsure whether he could continue to contact the Russian investor once he got into the administration.

Story continues

NOW WATCH: An economist explains the key issues that Trump needs to address to boost the economy





More From Business Insider


New members inducted into Institute of ...
By Paul Kilby

NEW YORK, Jan 19 (IFR) - Argentina set final yields on a two-part bond sale ahead of pricing on Thursday, a source told IFR.

The country will sell a five-year bond at a yield of 5.625% and a 10-year bond at 7% after generating a US$21bn-plus order book.

That was at the tight end of 5.625%-5.75% guidance on the short-dated bond but at the wide end of 6.875%-7.00% guidance on the longer tenor.

Bookrunners are BBVA, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, JP Morgan and Santander.

(Reporting by Paul Kilby; Editing by Marc Carnegie)
Sonora, CA  Governor Jerry Browns administration acknowledged that costs associated with the Medi-Cal program were off by $1.9-billion last year.

The Associated Press reports that the oversight contributed to the governors projection of a deficit in the next budget. The Department of Finances spokesperson H.D. Palmer said the agency deeply regrets what happened and claimed it was simply an accounting error. The miscalculation was discovered this past fall, but it was first reported to lawmakers this week.

Med-Cal, which was expanded under the Affordable Care Act, provides medical insurance to approximately 1/3 of California residents. It is a $100-billion program, with about 1/6 of the costs coming from the states general fund and the majority covered by the federal government.

Republicans, such as Senator John Moorlach, are criticizing the administration, and pointing out that the miscalculation means less revenue available for other programs like student scholarships and paying down long-term pension liabilities.
This story was posted on: 9:37 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017.

Kenneth Lee says he never saw Markeith Loyd inside the vacant home on Lescot Lane where he was captured Tuesday.

But Lee, who lives just a few doors down, said if he had, he would have turned him in.

"It's good that the law did get him because if I would have seen him, I would have said something. You can call me a snitch or whatever you want to call me," said Lee.

Neighbors along the street in the Carver Shores community are surprised and relieved that Loyd is in police custody, captured not far from where Lt. Debra Clayton, the Orlando police officer Loyd is accused of killing, grew up.

"I went to school with Lt. Debra, that was the sweetest woman in the world. She would go out her way for you. I don't care if she was a law officer," Lee said.

When you take a look inside the vacant home, you can't help but notice a medical toilet and a wig, among scattered oddities. Code enforcement signs cite the property for dead trees and limbs and other trash and debris.

Orlando code enforcement has boarded up the vacant home to keep neighbors safe.

Neighbors are left wondering how Loyd traveled 8 miles from the Rosemont neighborhood where he last seen on Monday, Jan. 9, to Carver Shores in west Orlando.

"Being that he ended up over here, I don't think he walked over here. I don't think he caught the city bus over here," Lee questioned.

Up until now, Christopher Ham had innocently taken his 10-month-old son Christopher Jr for walks in their neighborhood.

"You can't walk around no more with your eyes closed. You gotta keep them open now. You'll never who's next to you," said Ham, who lives nearby.

At one point, Orlando Police went back into the vacant home with guns drawn Wednesday to make sure no one else was there.

However, that's nothing compared to the number of officers it took to bring Loyd into custody Tuesday night.

"Undercover trucks pulled up. They blocked off each street. We didn't know what was going on," Ham recalled.

"Next thing you know, about 15 more came from that way. They blocked streets off from all the way down there to all the way to the top right there," Ham added.

Loyd's arrest is reassuring for Carver Shores.

"To have him off the street is a relief," Lee said. "Now the kids can come out and play. The dogs can come out and bark and the birds can twerp, twerp, twerp in the trees."

Orlando code enforcement has boarded up the vacant home to keep neighbors safe.

Orlando code enforcement has boarded up the vacant home to keep neighbors safe.
A group of University of Central Florida graduate medical residents will be on hand in Washington D.C. for the presidential inauguration on Friday.

Team of medical residents from Osceola County will work presidential inauguration

Team is part of partnership between UCF, Osceola Regional Medical Center

They will be on hand for emergencies with attendees, protesters

IN-DEPTH: Inauguration of Donald J. Trump

I was pretty excited to take part in the presidential inauguration," said Amanda Webb. "I think its a very rare opportunity.

The students are part of Osceola Regional Medical Center's partnership program with UCF.

During the inauguration, they will administer first aid and medical assistance to anyone who might be hurt while attending the event, acting as first responders.

Adam Benzing is another emergency medicine resident making the trip. He used to work with the disaster team in D.C., and it was this connection that helped the Osceola team get selected.

So we will be working all day long, until the first people come out and until the last people leave, so it will be a long day," Benzing said. "Itll be much colder up in D.C. than it is here, so which is also part of the reason why theyre going to need medical assistance. Because itll be people outside standing for long periods of time and they may not have their medication in the cold weather, and so we need to anticipate that there will be some need for medical help.

And while President-elect Donald Trump has his own medical team, these residents say theyre ready to tackle anything.

Were expecting about one million visitors to this inauguration and were expecting protesters there as well, said emergency medicine resident Amninder Singh. And likely there will be medical need and we will be there to provide any emergency medical services.

This team will run a treatment and triage in the area alongside the D.C. Disaster Response Team and emergency medicine residents from George Washington University.
For the second day in a row, Astronaut High School received an "unsubstantiated threat," according to Brevard Public Schools.

Students, staff evacuated after Astronaut High School gets another bomb threat

Everyone is safe, says school district

High school received a bomb threat on Wednesday



The high school was evacuated as a precaution while the Titusville Police Department and Brevard County Sheriff's Office surveyed the campus.

Students and staff are safe, said Abby Rex, media and content coordinator for the school district.

"Astronaut High has been placed on a code black due to an unsubstantiated threat," said Rex. A code black is a bomb threat.

Astronaut has been placed on a code black due to an unsubstantiated threat.All students & staff are safe,have been evacuated as a precaution  Brevard Schools (@BrevardSchools) January 19, 2017

The school district tweeted that arrangements were being made for students to receive food and water.

Parents of students attending Astronaut Hight who want to check out their children are advised to report to War Eagle Boulevard for pickup, according the BPS. You must have an ID. The district say that bus transportation will operate on its normal dismissal schedule.

On Wednesday, the school evacuated due to a bomb threat, but nothing was found.

A woman, who wished not to be identified, said that her granddaughter alerted her of the bomb threat. She said that her granddaughter is upset that this is the second day that the school had to be evacuated and the student does not know if it is a prank or not.



"I just want to alert the public around Titusville because all of our kids are in danger if this kind of thing continues," the grandmother explained to News 13.
The FBI is looking at possible connections between bomb threats made to a local Jewish Community Center, and dozens of others made the same day across the country.

The Roth Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando received a bomb threat Wednesday. That call marks their third threat in January.

Now the Anti-Defamation league claims dozens of other centers in 17 other states received bomb threats that same day.

The ADL issued security warnings to Jewish institutions nationwide Wednesday because of the threats.

Although so far these threats do not appear to be credible, we are recommending that Jewish communal institutions review their security procedures and remain in close contact with law enforcement, said ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt in a statement posted on the Anti-Defamation League website. While each incident needs to be taken seriously and investigated closely, thus far we are not aware of any of these threats being substantiated.

Parents of kids who frequently visit the center said they are concerned.

"You never want your child to feel unsafe," said Erika Grabish, who visits the center with her children. "No person wants to feel unsafe."

But Grabish and other parents said while they're worried the threats could turn into something more, they will not let them intimidate their families.

"I can't leave my Jewish community behind out of fear. That would be...giving in," said Erika Grabish, who visits the center with her children.

The center reopened after it was cleared.

The FBI said it's working with the Justice Departments Civil Rights division, and is investigating possible civil rights violation in connection with threats to Jewish community centers.

The ADL says bomb threats were reported Wednesday in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Delaware, Connecticut, Alabama, California, Maine, Tennessee, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas and Kansas.
Former President George H. W. Bush has been admitted to the intensive care unit after suffering from pneumonia. His wife Barbara was also admitted to the hospital on Wednesday.

At first Bush's spokesman Jim McGrath announced on Wednesday that the former president was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital for shortness of breath Saturday. A few hours later McGrath said that Bush was taken to the ICU for "an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia."

His wife Barbara Bush was also admitted to the hospital on Wednesday. Their spokesman said she was being treated for bronchitis.

This means they will likely have to skip President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration tomorrow.

But even from the hospital Bush sent this letter to Trump saying, "My doctor says if I sit outside in January, it likely will put me six feet under. Same for Barbara. So I guess we're stuck in Texas."

Trump wished them well with a tweet.

Looking forward to a speedy recovery for George and Barbara Bush, both hospitalized. Thank you for your wonderful letter!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2017

Former President Bill Clinton also sent well wishes on Twitter.

41 and Barbarathinking about you both and sending wishes for a speedy recovery. Love, 42.  Bill Clinton (@billclinton) January 18, 2017

President Barack Obama said the White House had been in touch with the Bush family during his final news conference yesterday.


This story was last posted on: 6:53 a.m., Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said a use-of-force investigation has been launched over the arrest of Markeith Loyd, just as newly released video of the arrest appears to show officers kicking him as he lay face-down on the ground.

The police department posted a link to the video on its website Thursday afternoon and shared the link on social media.

Mina held a news conference shortly after the video was released at police headquarters. The video is from the spotter helicopter that was up in the air during Tuesday evening's arrest at an abandoned home in the Carver Shores neighborhood, just blocks away from the mother of slain Lt. Debra Clayton.

The chopper video is the only video of his arrest -- no officers were wearing body cameras, Mina said.

He said Loyd first tried to run from the home but then ran back inside when he could see the house was surrounded by law enforcement officers. The video then shows Loyd get down onto his stomach and then crawl from the home toward the officers on the street. Once Loyd reaches the officers at the street, it appears that one officer kicks him in the face.

That's when the chopper's camera pans away for a few seconds, then pans back over at a more zoomed-out view.

"When I first saw the camera pan away, that was concerning to me. But remember, the spotter of that helicopter, who is an OPD officer, also has a responsibility of maintaining control of what's inside the house," Mina said. "As you saw later in the video, a team of armed officers went into the house to clear it, so we don't know that his accomplices that have been helping him are inside the house."

Mina said the use-of-force investigation will determine whether there were any policies violated, especially with the kick. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman said Wednesday that the agency would not be investigating use of force.

"I'm not going to give you my opinion before the investigation into use-of-force is complete," Mina said. "The officers are judged by the totality of the circumstances... proximity of weapons. You saw how dark it was. This person has an extremely violent history."

As a bloodied-and-bruised Loyd was being led by officers after his arrest Tuesday night, he yelled out that he was beaten. A new arrest mug released by the Orange County Jail on Thursday shows Loyd with a bandage still covering his left eye, cuts across his nose and a swollen upper lip.



Updated mugshot of accused killer Markeith Loyd. (Orange County Jail)

Mina confirmed that Loyd has a fracture of the orbital bone above his left eye.

Attorney Beryl Thompson-McClary said getting this portion of the investigation right is paramount.



"Permanent injury brings on a different facet as it relates to excessive use of force by police officers," said Thompson-McClary, who specializes in civil and criminal litigation. "At that point if that is the case, certainly there should be an investigation [into excessive force]."

However, Thompson-McClary said the use of force itself should not affect Loyd's criminal cases.

"The excessive force is not a defense. An excessive force will not mitigate his sentence or mitigate his circumstances to justify anything he's done or not done," said Thompson-McClary.

Mina also gave an account of the shooting of Clayton, saying that surveillance video from the Wal-Mart where she was slain shows Loyd standing over her body and shooting her while she was on the ground. He said the medical examiner determined that the close-proximity shots are what killed her, and that the surveillance video will not be released.

"We're talking about a cold-blooded, ruthless killer," Mina said.

Mina said a full list of charges against Loyd would be released by the end of the week.



Loyd, 41, was captured Tuesday night in Orlando, ending a nine-day manhunt. He is accused in the shooting death of Clayton, as well as the December slaying of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon. On the morning of Jan. 9, Clayton was confronting Loyd, who was at the time wanted in connection to Dixon's death, when she was fatally shot.

Loyd currently faces several charges in Dixon's death, including first-degree murder with a firearm and the unlawful killing of an unborn child. Loyd appeared before a judge Thursday morning and refused an offer for a public defender. "I'm going to defend myself," he told the judge.

On Thursday evening, additional charges were filed against Loyd for the death of Clayton: First-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, attempted first-degree murder with a firearm of a law enforcement officer, carjacking with a firearm, aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony and wearing a bulletproof vest.

Loyd is expected to make another court appearance on Friday for the new charges.
Hacking is a constant problem in our world, whether its playing a role in politics or forcing you to get a new credit card.

Lake Howell High School holds cyber security class

Teaching students how to fight hackers

In response to calls from companies to prepare students for cyber security careers

Some Seminole County students are learning how to turn hacking into a promising career.

Just a high school freshman, Charles Wilder knows enough about hacking to probably do some serious damage. But he wants to do just the opposite.

We need this class so we can fix that, so instead of being bad, we have this class so we can turn that bad image of hackers to a good image  of stopping the bad hackers, said Wilder, a freshman at Lake Howell High School.

Florida companies reached out to administrators at Seminole County Public Schools and urged them to do more to educate students and prepare them for potential careers in cyber security.

The companies are looking for more qualified graduates ready to help them guard their companies against cyberattacks.

Just about any and everything can be exposed or broken into, said Theresa James, the program instructor for Lake Howell High Schools cyber security class.

James is teaching her students how to put their knowledge to work for companies who need a technological line of defense.

They want to go to war, they want to go to war, said James. They call themselves cyber-soldiers, and it will be their turn to do this.

Other schools have after-school clubs, but Lake Howell is the first school in Seminole County to incorporate cyber security into its curriculum.

Were able to take the skills weve learned in this class and do so much with it already. And to know that, its a wonderful feeling, said student Mandy Barclay-Pollard.

And with the dangers of hacking only increasing by the day, students like Wilder realize they are taking an important step in building a lucrative career.

We will be the first person to go to for the job, the first person to go to when something (happens), the youngest with the most experience, said Wilder.

James says she expects the program at Lake Howell to grow into a cybersecurity academy in the future.
LUBBOCK -- Plains Cotton Growers, Inc., is pleased that President-Elect Donald Trump and his transition team have selected former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to nominate as the nation's next secretary of agriculture.

We want to congratulate Gov. Perdue, and we look forward to working with him as he leads the U.S. Department of Agriculture, PCG President Johnie Reed, a cotton producer from Kress, said. He's a veterinarian and a successful agribusinessman who grew up on a traditional row-crop farm, a combination that undoubtedly gives him a wide understanding of many aspects of agriculture. That knowledge will serve agriculture and the USDA well.

Georgia is the No. 2 cotton-producing state in the nation, so as growers, we appreciate the fact that Perdue is aware of the challenges facing our industry in particular, Reed said. However, agriculture as a whole is of utmost importance, as we all must work together to feed and clothe this nation and the world. We know that Gov. Perdue will be a strong and effective leader for USDA and a champion for agriculture, and we wholeheartedly support him as he continues his path toward becoming our next secretary of agriculture.

In Washington, D.C., newly-elected Congressman Jodey Arrington, recently appointed to the House Committee on Agriculture, released a statement following announcement of Perdues nomination:
AMARILLO  Two men from Moore County who pleaded guilty last year to federal offenses stemming from their respective roles in a marijuana trafficking organization, were sentenced Wednesday, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

Manuel Rodrigues Reyes, 48, and Maximilliano Gonzales, 50, both of Cactus, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to 70 months, and 51 months, respectively, in federal prison. Each pleaded guilty in September 2016 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana.

According to plea documents filed in the case, from approximately August 2006 through November 2015, Adan Reyes, along with his brother Guadalupe Reyes, operated a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that trafficked multiple thousands of kilograms of marijuana from El Paso to the Dumas area, and then to locations primarily in the Midwestern U.S. They transported the marijuana in various ways, including using vehicles and/or horse trailers with hidden compartments. Marijuana was also sometimes hidden inside bone meal.

Adan Reyes led the DTO. It employed people to transport as well as follow load vehicles from El Paso through the checkpoint, and from the checkpoints usually to the Dumas/Cactus area, where the marijuana was warehoused at a ranch near Gruver. From the ranch, Adan Reyes used pickup trucks to drive 500 to 1,000 pound loads of marijuana to customers in the Midwest, including locations in Dodge City, Kansas, and Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri. Proceeds from the marijuana sales were driven back to the ranch in Gruver. Adan and Guadalupe Reyes shared the drug proceeds. Different drivers were used to drive the money from Gruver to El Paso to deliver Adan Reyes share.

Manuel Reyes performed various tasks for the Reyes DTO, including assisting in tracking marijuana loads from El Paso to Cactus/Dumas, and he would ensure the loads made it to the ranch near Gruver, where he would assist in unloading it from vehicles arriving from El Paso and onto vehicles that would transport it to customers. He also counted the drug proceeds that were returned to the ranch and ensured the drivers were paid. On multiple occasions, he also transported cash proceeds from Cactus/Dumas to El Paso.

Maximilliano Gonzales was a driver for the Reyes DTO. He drove marijuana from the ranch in Gruver to customers and was paid for each load he transported. He used a work truck with a welder containing a false compartment to transport the marijuana.

When law enforcement conducted a search at the ranch in February 2016, investigators located a white Ford truck with a welding machine mounted to the truck bed. The welder contained a false compartment that housed packaging material, digital scales and other items associated with marijuana trafficking. There were also papers in the truck stating the vehicle was registered to, and insured by, Maximilliano Gonzales. In addition, drug ledgers indicating payments to customers as well as payments to Manuel Rodrigues Reyes and Maximilliano Gonzales were found.

Reyes was paid approximately $1,000 per week for his services in working for the Reyes DTO, thus earning at least $150,000 during his employment. According to his plea agreement, Reyes agrees to forfeit $150,000 that represents a portion of the proceeds he obtained as a result of his criminal conduct.

Adan Reyes is currently being detained in the El Paso Division of the Western District of Texas where he is awaiting sentencing next month on charges related to his role in the Reyes DTO. Guadalupe Reyes has pleaded guilty to similar charges and was sentenced in November 2016 to 188 months in federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Moore County Sheriffs Office and the Cactus Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long was in charge of the prosecution.
MERIDEN  A local man faces assault charges after police investigated a report of a 2-year-old with a fractured arm.



Tremayne Mention, 25, of 177 Sherman Ave., was arrested Thursday and charged with risk of injury to a minor and third-degree assault. He was also charged with risk of injury to a minor in December after police received a report of suspicious fracture of a childs arm and found Mention at home with the child and smoking marijuana, according to Mentions arrest warrant.



During an interview after his December arrest, Mention told police he lied to the doctor about how the child broke her arm, the warrant said. A doctor from Community Health Center that examined the girl reported the suspicious fracture.



Mention said the fracture occurred when he grabbed the child by the arm and she fell down, the warrant said.



The doctor told police the type of fracture the child suffered was not uncommon and can occur from falling. The doctor also said an inflicted arm injury couldnt be ruled out and noted the child had bruising in unusual places including her back, wrist and right clavicle, the warrant said.



Mention was arraigned in Meriden Superior Court on new charges on Thursday. The judge set bond at $50,000 and continued the case to Feb. 14.










Sana Saleem said she was surprised to be removed from a San Francisco Police Department news conference Wednesday for lacking the proper credential.

The reporter from 48 Hills, a small left-leaning San Francisco publication led by former Bay Guardian editor Tim Redmond, said she had been allowed to attend many SFPD news conferences without credentials before being ejected Wednesday from the departments gathering on an officer-involved shooting.

Before Saleem could be briefed alongside other reporters regarding an officer shooting 43-year-old Sean Moore outside his front door in the Ocean View neighborhood, she was removed from the room at police headquarters in the 1200 block of Third Street.

Having worked at 48 Hills for a year, covering officer-involved shootings, among other stories, Saleem said she was no stranger to the department. She added that shed talked to the spokeswoman who removed her before and thought there was simply a misunderstanding.

I thought Id walk out and speak with her and be like, Ive spoken to you a gazillion times, Saleem said.  Ive been to these press conferences. Whats the problem?

That didnt happen, and as she asked for some explanation, she had the door shut on her, she said.

The San Francisco Police Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Reporters are technically required to apply for and receive a department-issued press credential, which are often used to distinguish reporters from protesters on the street and to allow certain journalists access to selected cordoned-off breaking news situations.

But theyre not generally enforced at such news conferences, and Saleem doesnt have one.

Redmond, the editor of 48 Hills, said he planned to file all the appropriate complaints with the San Francisco Police Commission and other relevant agencies.

The longtime San Francisco journalist said that the department has traditionally been very hard on issuing its press passes, but that they have never required them for admission to news conferences.

I hope to God we are not living in a world where the police decide whos a news reporter, Redmond said.

Reporters had gathered at the departments invitation to hear Interim Police Chief Toney Chaplins rebuttal to Public Defender Jeff Adachi, who earlier Wednesday released footage of the incident from the body-mounted camera belonging to the officer who shot Moore.

Adachi released the footage, which he obtained through discovery, to argue that prosecutors should drop charges against Moore, claiming that the officer, Kenneth Cha, did not do everything he could to de-escalate the situation before opening fire.

After the spokeswoman led her out of the room, she asked to see Saleems official press credential, the journalist said.

Asking whether the online-only publication was like a blog, the spokeswoman then said she couldnt be credentialed because 48 Hills was not in print, Saleem said.

At least two major online publications, Buzzfeed and ProPublica, along with many smaller ones, regularly cover the department, but its unclear whether their reporters have police-issued passes.

Saleem said shed never before Wednesday been asked for a credential, adding that it seemed to her a sudden crackdown. Before reporters walked into the room, they were asked to check in and provide their credentials and contact information, she said.

That was also out of the ordinary, she said.

After presenting her 48 Hills ID and a government-issued ID to the officer, Saleem said, she was waved through. She said that it was only inside the room  minutes before the news conference was set to start  that she was pulled aside and ejected.

The whole thing is very absurd to me, Saleem said. What could I have done inside that press conference, apart from taking notes, or maybe taking a video, or perhaps even asking questions?

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @michael_bodley
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A woman accused of groping at least three customers and employees at a Vacaville Walmart this week was found by police after authorities circulated her photo online.

The woman, whose name was not released, was contacted by officers Wednesday but was not immediately arrested after being questioned by police, who declined to release more information citing the sensitive nature of the investigation.
The presidential campaigns of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders are leaving some cities that hosted their rallies with a bit of a financial strain.

According to a lengthy report by the Center for Public Integrity, a Pulitzer prize-winning investigative journalism nonprofit in Washington D.C., all three major candidates owe substantial sums to municipalities and their police forces. Senator Sanders, however, is the only candidate self-reporting such debt. The "Debts and Obligations" reports filed by Trump and Clinton with the FEC do not list any of the expenses, despite invoices published in the Center for Public Integrity's report.

"The Trump campaign  despite receiving demand letters and collection notices  doesn't acknowledge in federal campaign financial disclosures that it owes cities a cent," the report reads. "Nor does the Clinton campaign, which hasn't paid at least $25,000 in bills. 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."

Sanders' public admittance of debt is overshadowed by his campaign's delay in paying local governments. In California, the area that appears to have taken the biggest hit is Solano County, home to seven cities that dedicated significant resources and helped staff event security for Sanders' rallies in 2016.

As outlined by the Federal Election Commission, the Sanders campaign owes Solano County cities $82,264.86 collectively. The fees are said to be owed to city administrations, police departments, and fire officials.

The city out the most money is Vallejo. The city invoiced the Sanders campaign $72,827 and has received only $36,693, according to Joanna Altman, Assistant to the City Manager. That would mean Vallejo is still owed $36,134, but the Sanders campaign claims it only owes it $34,573.

Per Sanders' FEC report, also due money are the Benicia Police Department with $4,338, the city of Vacaville for $7,718, and the Solano County Sheriff's Office with two expenses totaling $22,194, among others.

The Sanders campaign has not responded to SFGATE's multiple requests for comment on remaining debts.

Some organizations have sent multiple invoices to the Sanders campaign, including the Benicia Police Department and the Cordelia Fire District. An official for the latter organization says it has mailed invoices for $2,352 to, "his campaign headquarters and to all address locations to where he works out of," to no avail.

"We are a small fire protection district and we do not have the funds to take legal action against Mr. Sanders," said Keith Martin, Cordelia Fire District Fire Chief. "If we had the money we would have taken those [legal] actions against him."

The City of Vacaville is in a similar position, telling SFGATE that, "the cost of the litigation may far outweigh the debt owed, and if it comes to that point, we will have to decide whether to move forward or not with litigation."

The Solano County Sheriff, however, like the city of Vallejo, may pursue legal recourse. Matthew Davis, the Public Communications Officer for Solano County, says they've sent two separate invoices for two different security-related expenses to the Sanders campaign--one for a May 18th rally on the Vallejo waterfront and the other for a June 3rd rally in Fairfield. Neither was paid, leading the local police and fire department officials to request Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa reach out to Sanders campaign organizers on their behalf. Davis said they have not heard any updates, despite requesting action in September. Rep. Thompson's office has not responded to SFGATE's request for comment.

The problem, as Davis says, is that the procedure for securing police for these rallies isn't standardized, and sometimes there's no paper trail of signed agreements. Frequently, these campaign rallies are last-minute events, and city police departments are forced to provide extra security without any kind of payment contract in place.

San Mateo County, which held a Donald Trump campaign rally in April, staffed and added extra officers for the Hyatt Regency event at no cost to the candidate's campaign. Their priority, as a spokesperson for the Burlingame Police Department told SFGATE, is to protect the First Amendment rights of protesters and the safety of those in attendance. No financial deal to provide security for the candidate's campaign was attempted.

Other city and county governments, like those in Solano County, attempt to work out verbal agreements with candidates to help pay for added security as they don't have time to generate a contract to obligate candidates to pay for services rendered. As Davis adds, "There really wasn't that much time to prepare for these."

And now, Solano County cities are awaiting payment, or for the Solano County Sheriff to consider taking legal steps towards reimbursement for these police and fire agencies. "There are no hard and fast rules for agencies to pursue legal action," Davis says, "but if it is a significant amount, [the legal department] may get involved after the debt goes to collections."

Vallejo is considering a similar strategy. "With the lack of further response from the Sanders Campaign," says Altman, "we are now considering legal action."

Ed: SFGATE's requests for comment from the cities of San Francisco and San Jose, which held large rallies for candidates Clinton and Trump, were not returned.
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Baby No. 2 for San Antonio Bird Bakery owner Elizabeth Chambers and her actor husband, Armie Hammer, has arrived.

Chambers welcomed her newest baby bird to the nest, a little boy, Jan. 15 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.

Neither Chambers nor Hammer mentioned a name for their son, but they did share Instagram photos of the new family of four. Hammer said big sister Harper is already showering the newest Hammer with affection.

RELATED: Eva Longoria sells California mansion she owned while married to Tony Parker

The actor called his son the "future heavyweight champion" and applauded his wife's postpartum pomp. Photos show Chambers dressed elegantly for her departure from the hospital.

Hammer quipped that his wife tried walking out of the hospital on her own.

"(Chambers) made that hallway look like a runway on the way out," he captioned the family photo.

Chambers said the family "couldn't be more in love" with their new baby in her own post.

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye
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Paramour's general manager and beverage director, Chris Ware, has announced his departure from San Antonio's premier rooftop cocktail bar, which he set up.

His last day will be January 31.

"To all of my previous and current staff, thank you for helping me make Paramour a true game changer for San Antonio and helping make our light even brighter than the already incredible talent that this city offers," he wrote in a statement on Facebook. "Life is all about how you challenge yourself and continue to grow."

Ware declined to give details about his next project, which he said he would announce soon.

Lawyer Martin Phipps recruited Ware to set up the bar program.

"When we dreamed up the idea of Paramour, we knew that we needed to have someone passionate, creative and experienced to lead the development of the bar program, and that is why we hired Chris," said Phipps, owner of Paramour and partner at Phipps Anderson Deacon LLP.

A PR spokeswoman for the bar said there was no information about Ware's successor.

Paramour, which sits atop the law office along the Museum Reach of the San Antonio River, has quickly become a place to see and be seen. It opened in August 2015.

"Paramour and I have had a tremendous experience together," Ware said in a phone interview. "It's time for me to move on and grow as paramour grows into its next phase.

Prior to Paramour, Ware already had made a name for himself in cocktail circles as the leader of the bar program at Arcade Midtown Kitchen and bar manager at Bohanan's, and as a driving force behind the San Antonio Cocktail Conference.

Paramour is at 102 9th Street, Suite 400.






Today, President-elect Donald Trump nominated former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue to take the helm of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture was Trump's final cabinet position to be filled, coming in just one day before he is sworn into office as the 45th President of the United States. If accepted, he will succeed Tom Vilsack who was appointed by the Obama Administration in 2009.

Here's a quick backgrounder on Perdue:

Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue (right) and former US Representative Jack Kingston (left). Photo by Bruce Tuten

As The Washington Post notes, Perdue, now 70, is a former Democrat who switched to the Republican Party before he became governor of Georgia in 2003. He was the first Republican to take that office since the Reconstruction era in 1868. Perdue was born into a farming family, and as the New Georgia Encyclopedia states, he attended the University of Georgia and went on to earn a doctorate from the UGA College of Veterinary Science, eventually becoming a small-business owner in Bonaire.

He rose through the ranks of Georgia politics in the 80s and 90s. After assuming the the top-ranking office of the state, he governed primarily conservatively with an eye on the international stage (for example, he brought the first Kia factory to the United States in Georgia). After he left office, he founded Perdue Partners, which Bloomberg describes as "a global trading company that facilitates U.S. commerce focusing on the export of U.S. goods and services through trading, partnerships, consulting services, and strategic acquisitions."

But what does the USDA even do? I needed a refresher myself, so here's how they describe themselves on their website:

We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management. We have a vision to provide economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve our Nation's natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands.

To get a better idea of what we can expect from Secretary Perdue, I spoke to Sam Fromartz, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN). "Perdue is expected to keep the status quo. The question, of course, is whether he will favor the conservation measures that Vilsack pursued to reduce environmental problems," he explained.

Fromartz went on to add that Perdue will most likely not play a pivotal role in keeping things neutral between hunger advocates and farm states on the Farm Bill, a piece of legislation that supports farms and farming as well as SNAP, or the food stamp programthat expires and is updated every five years (the last bill was signed in 2014, so it won't be up for changes until 2019). "Much of the direction will come from Congress, where the battle over severing food stamps from farm support programs comes up repeatedly but has never gained traction beyond zealots," Fromartz said. "But this is also a time when the most unexpected and unimaginable has become the new normal."

What this means in layman's terms is that there is, in Fromartz's words, a "historic compromise" that's long been followed to balance the needs of rural farming communities and SNAP recipients. He says that urban lawmakers will generally vote for the Farm Bill if that nutrition assistance is kept up. "What rural lawmakers get in return are farm supports for farmers, things like what crop insurance is today," Fromartz added. (Crop insurance is pretty self-explanatory: It helps protect farmers against loss of crops due to natural disasters, like hail or drought.) This historic compromise, as well as the renewable fuel program, are where the big policy changes may occur with a new administration keen to cut spending. Additionally, while not the focus of the position, Fromartz mentioned that trade often comes in to play for the Secretary of Agriculture because of their involvement with exports. He explained that some of our main trading partners, like Mexico and Canada (both a part of the North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA) as well as China, have been targeted under complaints by Trump, leaving an uncertainty unlike what's been seen in many years of what is to come in that arena.

So, what does Fromartz think will happen? To him, based on everything Trump has said, he predicts there will be spending at the same time as cutting taxes, especially for things like farm supports, which are big programs. "I think its politically impossible because Congress would never cut it," he explained. "If you are cutting back on those specific supports it's going to have direct impact on people who voted for [Trump]."

Correction: A previous version of this article included China as a part of NAFTAChina is not a part of NAFTA.
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Who better to give advice on quinceaneras than Rubi Ibarra, the Mexican debutante who accidentally became a social media hit last December?

That's the idea Perkins Middle School, in Brownsville, Texas, had when they invited the 15-year-old to campus on Wednesday.

Brownsville Independent School District spokesperson Drue Brown told mySA.com Rubi was already visiting the valley for a prior engagement. She accepted the school's invite to drop by and speak with students.

RELATED: Video: Man trampled to death by horse at viral Mexican quinceanera

Brown said a community service group at the school called "Stallion Angels" were planning a quinceanera for two of their fellow students in the Life Skills program, which is dedicated to "special needs students."

Rubi was able to speak with students about the importance of the tradition ahead of the quinceanera hosted by the Stallion Angels on Friday.

"The students were excited about meeting Rubi," Brown said.

Some members of the community didn't share in the enthusiasm, evident in Facebook comments written on the Stallion Angels page.

People were equally enraged by a stop Rubi made at Boggus Ford, a McAllen car dealership. A Facebook video showed Boggus staff gifting Rubi a new car as a birthday gift. Disapproving comments ensued.

RELATED: Thousands attend Mexican girl's party following viral invite

One Facebook user asked others to complain to the Brownsville Independent School District Superintendent and another called the idea a "disgrace."

Rubi was also labeled a "pseudo internet meme celebrity" by people commenting on the Perkins Stallion Angels Facebook page.

The teen garnered international notoriety seemingly overnight, at really no fault of her own, when the video invite to her quinceanera was shared by a local event photographer.

In the video, Rubi's father announced food, local bands, horse races and prizes before cordially inviting "everyone." The term "everyone" referred to neighboring communities, not the world, Rubi's mom later said.

RELATED: Epic private party closing large part of downtown

But, it was already too late. Millions viewed the video and thousands showed up to the quinceanera in late December. Businesses like Mexican airline Interjet jumped on the opportunity and published a 30-percent-off promotion on flights to San Luis Potosi with the slogan "Are you going to Rubi's party?"

"What happened with Rubi is an interesting example of how the internet amplifies and makes hyper-transparent people's personal lives and how traditional media look for stories on social networks to bring in new audiences who they have been losing," said Sergio Octavio Contreras, a communications professor at Mexico's La Salle Bajio University.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye
They are friends and friendly critics, political outsiders and usual suspects; among them, the first clergywoman, the first Hispanic evangelical Christian, and the first prosperity gospel preachers to speak at a presidential inauguration.

And though Trump himself identifies as a Presbyterian, there's nary a mainline Protestant Christian in sight.

They are the six clergy members President-elect Donald Trump has invited to offer prayers and Scripture readings at his swearing-in on Friday (Jan. 20) in Washington, D.C.

That's many more clergy than have participated in past presidential inaugurations, but the numbers allow Trump to cover many bases. Even the critics among them have something in common with the president-elect, be it a theology that supports wealth, shared political views or even just geography.

Here's a look at the six clergy members who will participate in Trump's inauguration and what their inclusion says about the incoming president.

Pastor Paula White

Of the clergy picked to participate in the presidential inauguration, the choice of televangelist Paula White has received the most pushback.

And it's not because of her politics, which sparked the outcry that led Pastor Louie Giglio to withdraw from President Barack Obama's second inaugural  over a past sermon opposing gay rights.

It's because of her theology, including an embrace of the so-called prosperity gospel, which is dismissed as heresy by many traditional Christians.

The prosperity gospel teaches God will reward the faithful with wealth, health and happiness, but White has offered an interpretation of it that may sit better with many Christians, in that she has defined prosperity not "in terms of money or material objects."

"A prosperous life is a life that is fruitful physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually," she wrote in her 2007 book "You're All That!: Understand God's Design for Your Life."

White is pastor of the New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka, Fla., and chairwoman of Trump's evangelical advisory board. She also is the president-elect's longtime spiritual adviser and an early supporter of his bid for the presidency. And she prayed at the Republican National Convention.

She reportedly will give the invocation on Inauguration Day, making her only the second woman to pray at a presidential inauguration and the first clergywoman. She has said she will "ask God to guide our leaders with wisdom and strength and that He would richly bless our extraordinary home, the United States of America."

Bishop Wayne T. Jackson

Like White, Bishop Wayne T. Jackson preaches the prosperity gospel. That makes the two the first prosperity gospel preachers to take part in a presidential inauguration, according to the Associated Press.

Jackson gave Trump a platform during the presidential campaign. He had invited the then-candidate to speak in September at his church, Great Faith Ministries International in Detroit, Mich.; interviewed him on the TV station he had co-founded, the Impact Network; and wrapped him in a Jewish prayer shawl.

In his comments to Jackson's largely black congregation, Trump had stressed the idea of prosperity, saying, "I want to make America prosperous for everyone."

Jackson said at the time he was a registered Democrat and had voted for Democrats all his life. And he described his invitation to Trump: not as "an endorsement, it is an engagement  so let's talk."

Cardinal Timothy Dolan

When Cardinal Timothy Dolan offers a scripture reading Friday, Trump's fellow New Yorker will be the first Roman Catholic bishop to take part in a presidential inauguration since President Jimmy Carter took office in 1977.

The archbishop of New York said in a statement that he was honored to be asked to participate and looked forward to asking "Almighty God to inspire and guide our new President and to continue to bless our great Nation." He reportedly plans to read from Solomon's prayer upon becoming king of Israel.

During the presidential campaign, Dolan found himself between Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton  literally. He sat between the two at the Al Smith Dinner, a charity roast hosted by the archdiocese in election years that invites the candidates to lightly poke fun at one another.

Trump's jokes at the dinner had fallen flat and drawn the first boos in the history of the event, which the cardinal has said put a damper on "the spirit of the evening." Dolan faced criticism both for inviting Trump and for inviting his opponent, who parts from the Catholic Church in her support for abortion rights.

The archbishop also voiced his own criticisms of Trump's campaign positions in a 2015 op-ed for the New York Daily News, writing, "Nativism is alive, well  and apparently popular!"

Rabbi Marvin Hier

It also will be the first time in a long time  since 1985  that a rabbi has taken part in a presidential inauguration.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, will offer a prayer at Friday's swearing-in ceremony. The center is focused on combatting bigotry and teaching about the Holocaust.

Hier reportedly is close to the family of Jared Kushner, the husband of Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, according to the Forward. The Ku shner family has donated more than $35,000 to the Wiesenthal Center.

He has said he doesn't agree with everything Trump did during the campaign, including proposing a registry for Muslim Americans, and he previously released a statement through the Wiesenthal Center criticizing Trump for "lumping all Muslims in the crosshairs of the Terrorism." A change.org petition with more than 2,220 signatures as of Thursday morning has urged the rabbi to withdraw his participation in the inauguration, saying it helps to "'normalize' the dangerous and hate-fueled Trump administration."

But Hier told the Forward that accepting the invitation "was the menschlichkeit (honorable in Yiddish) thing to do, and I am proud to do it." He noted he's participated in blessings for a number of presidents and presidential candidates, both Republican and Democrat, over the past three decades, though never at an inauguration.

The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez

The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez will be the first Hispanic evangelical leader to participate in a presidential inauguration, according to NPR.

Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and senior pastor at New Season Christian Worship Center in Sacramento, Calif., responded with a statement saying there is "truly no greater honor than to serve one's country in such a special way on such a momentous occasion." He reportedly will read from the Beatitudes, according to TIME.

But that doesn't mean he's without criticisms or suggestions for the president-elect.

Rodriguez wrote in a Religion News Service op-ed that the president-elect's comments during the campaign "were hurtful to many Hispanics, myself included," though he since has told NPR he's noted a "change in tone" over the past few weeks.

And days before the inauguration, he signed onto a letter with rabbis Abraham Cooper and Yitzchok Adlerstein that urged Trump to appoint a National Commission for Healing, noting the "bitterly divisive political, racial and religious rhetoric that has torn our national unity to shreds." Cooper is associate dean at the Wiesenthal Center.

The Rev. Franklin Graham

When the Rev. Franklin Graham offers a Scripture reading Friday, it will be the third time he has participated in a presidential inauguration.

Graham had assisted his father Billy Graham at the second inaugural of President Bill Clinton in 1997. He had offered the invocation at the first inaugural of President George W. Bush in 2001.

This time, he has said, he hopes to offer something "meaningful" both to the president-elect and to the country.

In the run-up to the presidential election, the head of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association visited all 50 state capitals on his Decision America Tour, encouraging Christians to both pray and vote.

While Graham is not registered with any political party and was careful not to endorse either candidate, he made clear the choice really was "about the Supreme Court ... and who do you trust to appoint judges that are going to be in favor of Christian liberty?"

And in the end, he has said, "I think maybe God has allowed Donald Trump to win this election to protect this nation for the next few years by giving maybe an opportunity to have some good judges."

Emily McFarlan Miller is based in Chicago and covers evangelical and mainline Protestant Christianity for RNS.
DANBURY - Two lawmakers submitted legislation this week that would regulate so-called sober homes in Connecticut.

Sober homes  group facilities for drug abusers transitioning back into the community after rehabilitation  came under fire during the past month after three people staying at sober homes in Torrington, including residents of Ridgefield and Danbury, died of heroin overdoses.

Officials and recovery advocates say that while some sober homes provide a needed service, particularly those that offer 12-step programs and strictly monitor their tenants, others are little more than boarding houses.

State Rep. Michelle Cook, a Torrington Democrat, introduced a bill that would require sober homes to register as businesses with municipalities as well as the state health department. The measure also requires that Narcan, an emergency treatment or overdose victims, be kept on site and that those working in the home are trained to use it.

State Rep. Jay Case, a Republican whose district includes a portion of Torrington, submitted similar legislation.

This is not a partisan issue, Cook said. Its about saving lives.

Although similar legislation she submitted last year died in committee, Cook believes the recent focus on the states heroin epidemic and the recent overdose deaths at sober homes might help to move the measure forward this year.

We truly believe that we are in a good position this year to get something done, she said.

Sober homes are largely unregulated by state and local authorities, partly because they are not considered treatment centers under existing state law, according to a legislative report on the matter completed last year. Efforts to regulate such homes also have been hampered by fears that measures could run afoul of the Americans With Disabilities Act, since drug-dependent individuals are considered disabled under the law.

We are not trying to violate anyones right; we are trying to save lives, Cook said. The only way we can get a handle on this is if we know where the homes are.

Officials estimate there are around two dozen sober homes in the Torrington area alone.

Allison Fulton, the executive director of the Bethel-based Housatonic Valley Coalition Against Substance Abuse, said recently that sober houses can be an integral part of the recovery process, but there is no guarantee of success.

There may be a false sense of hope associated with sober homes because there is still a very high risk of using again, she said.

Cook recognized that no amount of regulation is going to save everyone from a potential drug overdose, but she said that doesnt mean the effort shouldnt be made.

Of course were not going to be able to save everyone, but we have to save everyone that we can until this crisis is under control, she said.

Both bills are currently before legislative committees.

dperrefort@newstimes.com
First, he rode his coattails, then Air Force One.

Their political profiles are intertwined: Jim Himes and Barack Obama.

But for the first time since his 2009 arrival in Washington, the five-term Democratic congressman from southwestern Connecticut is having to come to terms that the only president he has ever worked with is hours away from ceding power to Donald Trump.

So how is Himes coping with life after Obama? By attending an inaugural bawl Thursday night organized by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., at Del Friscos Double Eagle Steakhouse in Washington, D.C.

Theres a sense of nostalgia and foreboding among Democrats tonight, Himes said.

In contrast to a growing contingent of his Democratic colleagues, a number that could reach 65 lawmakers, Himes will attend Trumps swearing-in on Friday. Himes, who is from Greenwich, is chairman of the New Democrat Coalition, a centrist group of lawmakers.

Were hoping for better than weve seen from this new president, Himes said. But were preparing to fight if and when necessary.

Republicans from the state are calling on Democrats to give the incoming president a chance.

He hasnt even taken office yet, said Annalisa Stravato, of Wilton, the state GOP vice chairwoman, who is in D.C. for the inaugural. (Trumps) proven that hes a leader and hes here to do a job. This is about the office. Under no circumstances, does that office ever get disrespected. In my opinion, thats what theyre doing.

In 2008, Obama helped propel Himes, a Goldman Sachs banker-turned-nonprofit housing executive, to an upset of 21-year GOP incumbent Christopher Shays in Connecticuts 4th District.

For the most part, the two have enjoyed a strong rapport, with Himes even hopping aboard Air Force One following Obamas 2009 speech on financial services industry regulation at Federal Hall in Manhattan. There have been some departures, with Himes proposing legislation to pause Obamas Syrian refugee resettlement program and Himes critical of Obama for not seeking a separate military action authorization in Syria against the Islamic State (ISIS).

neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
MALTA  A Schenectady man was arrested on Wednesday for alleged spray-painting a woman's car, causing more than $1,500 in damages, Saratoga County deputies said.

Brian M. Little, 29, of 9 Union St., was charged with second-degree criminal mischief, a felony, Lt. Jeffrey Brown said. Upon his arrest, an order of protection was issued.
Drew Angerer / Getty Images

STAMFORD  A city-based advocacy group invites area residents to join them Saturday at the Womens March in New York City.

Women on Watch, or WOW, is leading a group of more than 80 men and women who will represent the Stamford area in the anti-Donald Trump event.
In May 2015, Klein High School senior Temoore Raja took an interest advocating for greater awareness of lung cancer - the disease that took his father that same month.

Further galvanized by classmates he'd see smoking or vaping after school, Raja, 17, has become a breath of fresh air to those in the Klein community who know him.

"It's hard to see the positive effects of your change as a teenager," Raja said of his early efforts to learn and disseminate information about lung cancer to his classmates. "Kids at school would still use (tobacco)."

Change did come, though.

Through his fervent advocacy, he's built a reputation as budding activist of sorts.

Raja, who lives in Tomball, lost his father while he was a sophomore at Klein High. He joined the Klein High Healthy Occupation Students of America club - one of the biggest in Texas, of which he is now treasurer - and started a project as part of the organization's community awareness competition.

He even introduced former state Rep. Patricia Harless, R-Spring, to a bill that would increase lung cancer awareness and reduce the stigmas that may surround it.

"I wanted to spread the dangers of lung cancer and other cancers out there," he said. "We saw things like vapor pens in the market so we wanted to bring awareness to a political level."

He created a public service announcement on the dangers of smoking that was played at his high school; created a Shine Out Lung Cancer event that honored those who lost their lives to lung cancer; and got 355 HOSA-member signatures for an American Cancer society petition to raise the federal tax on tobacco.

Additionally, Raja volunteers with the American Lung Association, working on efforts to curb teenage tobacco use.

"I'm so proud, it took a great deal of bravery to go to speak to people and tell his story," said Kristen Haggard, a health science teacher and HOSA advisor at Klein High.

Haggard describes Raja as "tenacious". She appreciates that he "never makes excuses, just gets the job done."

She depicts him as a kind-hearted boy, but one who simply won't take "no" for an answer.

His work probably confirms this; and it's been recognized accordingly.

His lung cancer awareness project was one of the top finishers in the organization's state-wide competition. Last spring, his work was rewarded when he received the HOSA Hometown Hero Award from his chapter for his work to educate others.

Rubina Abrol is the Asthma Programs Manager for the American Lung Association in Texas.

Abrol, a Klein High alumna and former HOSA president, met Raja in 2016.

A lymphoma survivor, Abrol had already been interested in reaching out to high school students in the area for health initiatives.

When Raja emailed her asking for information about lung cancer, Abrol received a convenient surprise: Raja was not only in HOSA, he already had the cancer awareness project planned.

"He talked a lot about wanting to make change and have positive take away (from losing his father)," Abrol said.

"I can't say enough about this kid, he's incredible. Inspiring," she said, "Doing this at 16, more or less after just losing his father."

Abrol presented Raja with his Hometown Hero award. She's also written recommendations for him.

"He's out trying to make positive change for his community," she said. "He inspires me to keep fighting the fight."

For Raja, his ambition is fueled by a potent curiosity and desire to learn.

"I view everything as an opportunity to grow as a person," he said.

More recently, Haggard said, Raja has spent weekends and time after school working with the Harris County Medical Reserve Corps., learning and aiding with emergency preparedness.

As Raja prepares for college, he's already collected acceptance letters from the University of Texas, the University of Houston, and Texas A&M University.

He's hoping to study finance and eventually go to medical school to become an orthopedic surgeon or an oncologist.

"I hope he knows his dad's proud of him," Haggard said.
The Magnolia Rotary Club has again partnered with Magnolia ISD to bring career day to eighth graders in the district and is looking to expand the program after an extra round of fundraising by the rotary club.

On Feb. 1, 200 eighth grade students - 100 from each from Bear Branch and Magnolia Junior High - will be given an early taste of high school and the potential career paths which lay beyond graduation.

"The project is bigger in scope," Deborah Miller, a previous rotary club member involved with fundraising the event, said, noting it's the biggest program the club's undertaken with the district.

Originally a job shadow program sponsored by a rotary club grant, club members raised an additional $22,000 in sponsorship outside of the grant for this year's event.

District spokesperson Denise Meyers, said Magnolia ISD is starting out small at first. The program will help first generation to-be college students, including students who may benefit from the exposure to various opportunities, with future plans to expand to all 8th grader students.

During the early in the day, students will be introduced to life at their feeder high school.

Afterwards, they'll rotate between learning about three of the four career pathways offered: STEM, public service (including medicine), arts and humanities, and business and industry.

The $42,000 project features professionals from those fields talking about their experiences to help students get a feel for what they may entail and what resources they can utilize to learn more.

Meyers and Miller are keen on research which suggests how pivotal eighth grade is for students in terms of student engagement.

"If kids are going to check out, it's in eighth grade," Miller said.

Meyers said they're aiming to encourage students to research careers they're interested in and increase their confidence. If a student with average grades can feel more invested in their school work and career prospects, she feels the event's impact would be valuable.

Overall, it's also helpful anytime students can see the "real world" application of their school work, she said.

This sentiment was central to the program's growth.

In the last two years, the program was more straightforward and centered around junior high school leadership.

If a student was interested in becoming a veterinarian, they simply spent the day at Shady Brook Animal Hospital.

Now, it's taking on the added mission of more equitable educational opportunities, especially for those who may be the first in their family to graduate from high school or go on to pursue secondary education.

"You get to know your high school so it's not as scary, but also so they can be more career ready after school," Miller said. "It's paramount."
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The morning following the November election, Norma Rebollar's 8-year-old daughter was anxious to know who had won.

"I told her, and she asked me, 'Mommy, what's going to happen to us if you have to go back?' and she just started crying," said Rebollar, 30, an immigrant from Mexico who lives in the Pasadena school district.

Rebollar was 10 when her mother, a victim of domestic violence, brought her and her younger siblings to the United States.

She is in the United States legally on a work visa.

Her three daughters, ages 8, 10 and 16, were all born in the United States and attend school in the Pasadena Independent School District.

feeling uncertain

Still, they feel uncertain.

Others also are watchful to see if some of Donald Trump's statements during the campaign regarding minority groups will translate into action.

Trump repeatedly spoke of his plans to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to help prevent illegal immigration from Latin American countries and asserted that Mexico would fund the project.

He made what many perceived as disparaging remarks about Hispanics and other minority groups, such as questioning if an American-born judge of Mexican ancestry could be fair in a fraud case against Trump University because "he is a Mexican."

Some hope his words were just words.

"He's a politician," Nicole Ramirez said.

"Politicians lie and manipulate the system to where it benefits them."

Ramirez, 36, was on a lunch break with her sister, Tiffany Flores, 38, at a Hispanic-owned refresqueria in north Pasadena, where Hispanics make up the majority of residents.

The idea of a wall, said Ramirez, doesn't make sense to her.

"I think it's just talk to distract us because who is going to build that wall? The Mexicans? I doubt it," she said.

Ramirez and Flores, both employees with the Pasadena Independent School District transportation department, are third-generation Mexican-Americans, born and raised in Pasadena.

Flores said she is not political but wonders why Mexicans immigrants have become the primary talking point for Trump's plans.

"Why not the immigrants that come from India and places like that? And why just Mexicans? We're not the only immigrants," she said.

"People look at a Hispanic and they assume they're all from Mexico.

"They're not all from Mexico. I don't understand. We're just one group."

Yolanda Rodriguez, 60, has lived in Pasadena for more than 25 years and works at La Azteca Bakery on Shaver Street, a Hispanic-owned business that has been a staple in its north Pasadena neighborhood for 35 years.

She doesn't think her life will change with a Trump presidency.

Wait and see

"We'll see what he has, what he does," she said in Spanish. "He's said a lot of things, but we don't what he will do. When politicians are fighting and campaigning, they make promises.

"We have to wait to see if he will do something good. He is the new president and we have to accept him and there's nothing else we can do."

They're not concerned with their status and way of life but know others who have expressed uncertainty.

Not optimistic

Joey Rivera, 18, isn't as optimistic.

"He has lived in Pasadena for most of his life but wonders if some of Trump's more provocative statements about minorities could have a trickle-down effect on local attitudes.

"Nowadays you can't go anywhere or do anything and have to watch everything you do," he said.

"With everything we've hearing from Trump, its going to be worse. It's upsetting."

In November, Trump said he planned to carry out the deportation of 2 million to 3 million undocumented immigrants with criminal records following his inauguration.

While Ramirez doesn't have an issue with that aspect of Trump's plan, threats of mass deportation sound indiscriminate to her.

"I have friends that have been worried about deportation because their parents are from the other side of the border and it's like what do they do? Some of them are here on work visas," she said.

"I feel that if they're going to deport anyone, they should deport these people that are criminals, that are causing trouble, but most immigrants are just here trying to work and raise families.

"I worry about the trickle-down effect, and how these families will be split up."

As for Rebollar, she said she had difficulty explaining things to her youngest daughter.

"Before the election, hearing all these things that Trump said, about immigrants and other minorities, my youngest was so sad because she thought if he won, we would have to go back to Mexico," she said.

"I kept telling her we are Americans and legal here, but she said, 'But you're not, and he's going to send you back and what is going to happen to me?'

"Every day she was worried and sad, she didn't want to go to school."

Rebollar, who recently graduated from culinary school as a pastry chef and owns her own house-cleaning business, said she won't allow her family to be split up.

To find a better life

"If I have to go back, they have to go with me, I won't allow them to go into a foster home," she said. "We are going to try and stay together and be positive."

She said she understand the attitudes of some Americans who may feel threatened by those coming to this country seeking jobs. But her family's story is about survival and opportunity, she said.

""We didn't come to this country to take jobs from people, we came here to find a better life," she said. "That's all we're trying to do."
Consumers despise annoying online marketing tactics. It takes an incredible amount of effort, creativity and money to attract visitors to your website. The last thing you want to do is annoy them to the point they leave, never to return.

Going overboard with automation, suffocating them with calls-to-action and delivering an unpleasant experience are just a few surefire ways to ensure you push away more potential customers than you reel in. Here are four annoying online marketing tactics that you need to stop immediately.

1. Anything that interrupts the user experience.

If you visit a website and are immediately inundated with pop-up and slide-out offers demanding your email address youre going to get annoyed, right? Theres a right time and a wrong time for this tactic, as well as a right and wrong types of pop-up and side-out offers.

If you are driving large volumes of paid traffic to a single landing page and there are one of two outcomes that will occur -- a conversion or a bounce off the page -- then intrusive pop-ups can help to maximize your ad spend. But, if you are dealing with visitors on your main website, then you dont want to interrupt the experience with your website content.

Not all pop-ups are bad, especially those that utilize exit-intent technology. We allow our visitors to browse our entire inventory and navigate the website without interruption, but we do utilize a pop-up that offers someone leaving our site the chance to join our newsletter. We understand not everyone is ready to purchase during their first visit, so this allows us to build our email list and offer discounts and specials to pull those potential customers back to our website, explains Clint Stelfox, CEO of The Tree Center.

Related: 21 Hidden Facebook Features Only Power Users Know

2. Purchasing email lists but ignoring the CAN-SPAM Act.

I get hammered with email spam 24/7.

Maybe Im just lucky, but every day I seem to have millions of dollars waiting for me that someone so generously left me in a foreign country. Mixed in with that garbage are dozens of marketing emails -- none of which I gave permission to email me -- nor have an unsubscribe option to remove yourself from their list.

These companies are either scraping email addresses and blasting them with untargeted offers or they are purchasing email lists in specific industries. If the recipients email address is from a random domain, it was a scrape and pray approach. If the email is coming from a domain related to the offer its coming from a company that is clueless, desperate or a combination of both.

Not only is this type of email marketing annoying, but its also not CAN-SPAM compliant. Blindly emailing data that you scrape or purchase is useless -- they have no idea who you are or what you offer. Instead, focus on building a double opt-in list and allowing your subscribers to leave anytime they wish. Trust me, if they have no interest in what you are offering let them go -- they are just taking up space. A smaller, more responsive email list is always better than a large list with low open and click-through rates.

Related: 10 Simple Productivity Tips for Organizing Your Work Life

3. Gating content.

Publishing high quality value-packed content on your website is a great way to attract prospects and build a level of trust thats required to get your visitors to open their wallets and pull out their credit cards.

You want to let your visitors engage with your content freely. I see so many websites make the mistake of gating their content, requiring an email opt-in or a social media share to grant access. The business assumes their visitors will be so interested in reading the content that they will willingly hand over their email or engage via social media. This is far from the truth.

In December of 2016, there were 73.9 million posts published across WordPress websites alone, proving there are plenty of other options out there. Dont give your prospects a reason to seek their content elsewhere. Our blog is responsible for attracting prospects and educating them on a variety of accounting and tax topics. The information contained in our blog is responsible for converting our readers into course enrollments. Gating our content would be foolish and drastically reduce our conversion rates, stated Evan Kramer, CEO of Surgent CPA Review.

Related: How 3 Social Superstars Built Huge Followings Fast

4. Advertising 'live' webinars that are clearly pre-recorded.

Webinars are everywhere. They have caught on like wildfire and you cant scroll down your Facebook feed without seeing a webinar willing to teach you how to do everything under the sun aside from curing cancer. These arent new to consumers any longer.

The, Quick, register now because the webinar is starting in two minutes line reeks of BS. If you are using a pre-recorded webinar, thats fine. Nobody has time to host webinars 24/7, but dont assume your prospects are stupid.

I cringe when I join a webinar and I hear this classic line: Ok, if you can hear me just leave a comment in the chat box. Ok, cool. Looks like Joe can hear me, and Sally in Detroit. Great, lets get started because we arent going to wait for anyone else to join.

Are webinars an effective marketing tool? Heck yeah they are, but you must understand that thousands of companies are using the same automated webinar software, exposing consumers to this tool. Be transparent. If you advertise a live webinar thats clearly pre-recorded, you instantly lose trust and a potential customer.

Related:

4 Annoying Online Marketing Tactics to Stop Right Now

6 Reasons Why Attracting the Right Online Traffic Is Your Top Priority

#5 Most Important Facts About Social Media One Needs to Understand



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
One difficulty that most startup founders and small business owners are all too familiar with is . . . fund-raising. In fact, a recent survey found that 27 percent of businesses responding reported being unable to access the funding they needed.

Related: 7 Essential Tips for an Effective Fundraising Strategy

Yet, as troublesome as the process of finding and securing funding might be, small businesses have a bevy of options to pursue outside the normal means. On top of that, news out of the U.S. House of Representatives -- its passage, in September, of the Wagner bill -- could help ease some of the burden. (The Senate has yet to weigh in on the bill, which was opposed by the Obama administration. The new administration could react differently.)

If the legislation does eventually pass, its provisions would be of great benefit to microcapped companies. Businesses which are valued at less than $300 million could issue stock shares on an accelerated schedule, with less oversight by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Supporters say the legislation has the potential to increase small businesses' access to capital by allowing them to utilize fund-raising methods previously available only to large companies. The bill's detractors believe that it will inhibit regulatory oversight.

Politics is not the only issue. Given the many fund-raising options already out there -- debt, accounts receivable financing and equipment leasing, for example -- small businesses may find it difficult to choose the best route to take. All these choices mean added complexity.

Small businesses can now think big with their funding.

Having access to some of the cost-saving provisions that large companies currently utilize could provide more opportunities for small business growth. However, company leaders could easily find themselves at a disadvantage if they don't tread lightly.

Jumping into something they don't fully understand -- whether it's taking on too much debt, securing the wrong kind of investors or signing unfavorable leasing conditions -- could put their capital in a precarious position. Here are four viable ways startups can use large company fundraising tactics:

1. Equity crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a relatively new option, a trait early-stage companies might gravitate toward. Although crowdfunding only accounts for 3 percent of capital raised, it's a rapidly growing industry, worth $5.1 billion total and responsible for raising about $2 million daily.

This option allows early-stage startups and small businesses to raise up to $1 million through multiple investments, which can be as small as $100. It's kind of like an initial public offering at the micro level.

Some regulatory paperwork is involved with crowdfunding, so startups should use a trusted platform for the transaction. StartEngine -- a partner of ours -- has a great platform, especially for companies with no revenue coming in yet. Polished presentation tactics, such as video packages and presentations that highlight incentives for potential investors, are both hallmarks of successful crowdfunding campaigns. Once a campaign is complete and the funds received, reports must be filed biannually with investors.

Related: A Successful Crowdfunding Campaign Needs a Video. Here's What It Should Look Like

2. Revenue-based financing

Also called a revenue loan, revenue-based financing is a small business-friendly alternative to a traditional bank loan and is typically utilized by larger companies.

One of our partners, Lighter Capital, specializes in these loans. Bank loans usually require collateral and assets as backup; revenue loans, however, are secured with a certain amount of monthly revenue, a percentage of which is paid out until the loan and its multiple are repaid. Lenders usually set their own minimum annual revenue, which can range from $25,000 to $150,000.

Startups that choose this route must have clean, correct financial statements to report. Revenue loans are a great option for company founders not wanting to issue equity in return for capital.

3. Strategic investments

In the traditional business world, strategic investment is simply where one company receives an investment for another with the idea that there's something greater than a normal monetary return that can be gained.

NBCUniversal, for example, put $200 million into BuzzFeed in 2015 for that exact reason. Strategic investments are an option for startups, as well, in the right situation. These investments don't just link companies with investors in hopes of more commercial relationships. And, here, smaller companies can gain credibility, more capital and access to additional resources, such as talent, equipment and domain expertise.

Strategic investments can be hard to come by, because they're essentially a matchmaking game. But networking may be the answer. Networking, especially with leaders at larger companies, is the best way to find investors. These investors have a lot to offer and can provide the resources of a larger company that are normally out of a startup's reach.

4. Traditional debt-financing

Debt financing is a viable option for startups, but it can be harder to secure in a company's earliest days. This type of financing typically involves firms that raise money for working capital or capital expenditures through the sale of bonds, notes or investor bills. In return, investors become creditors, promising repayment of the principal and interest.

Whether a company is large or is a startup getting off the ground, the possibility of securing debt-financing depends on a strong foundation and solid financials compliant with generally accepted accounting principles.

Debt-financing isn't usually the first option for an early-stage, pre-revenue company, but it's another great option for companies not quite ready to issue equity in exchange for capital.

Related: 4 Tips for Landing Revenue-Based Financing

The passage of the Wagner bill -- if it happens -- will create some additional fundraising opportunities for startups and small businesses. They can start to take advantage of funding sources that are more traditionally used by larger companies. These opportunities offer unique benefits for growth, so startup founders should do their homework and use these opportunities to their advantage.

Related:

4 Ways Small Businesses Can Use Large-Business Fund-Raising Tactics

4 Investing Apps I Use and 1 I Don't

2 Strategies for Making Money Day Trading With a Bit Less Risk



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas recently signed a clinical affiliation agreement with The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Baptist officials announced in a news release on Wednesday.

Under the terms of the affiliation, UTMB students, residents, nurses and health professionals can extend their services and skills to patients in the Southeast Texas area.
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The lack of racial diversity in the Beaumont Police Department is a "major problem," Chief James Sinletary said during a town hall meeting on race relations in Southeast Texas Wednesday night.

Singletary was one of four panelists invited by KFDM TV to talk about diversity, relationships between black residents and the police and how to address biases.

The other panelists were Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens, Newton County Sheriff Billy Rowles and director of Beaumont's NAACP chapter Paul Jones.

"One of top priorities in the Beaumont Police Department is to reach out to the community," Singletary said.

He cited Cops and Kids programs and neighborhood forums as ways the department aims to engage more with Beaumont residents. He said the department recently created a unit to directly address concerns in the city's Hispanic community.

Singletary said he wants to increase diversity within the department to better reflect Beaumont's population.

That change will come through building trust in law enforcement and attracting people to the profession from a young age, said Stephens, the first black woman elected sheriff in Texas.

She stressed that the top brass need to hold their officers accountable and make an effort "to change attitudes and beliefs" that come from a long history of distrust between police and minorities.

"Until we have one unified goal to keep this community safe, we're going to have problems," Stephens said. "We would be remiss if we pretend we don't have racism in Jefferson County, because we do."

Jones attributed crime in Beaumont to education and economic problems that he said leave people feeling desperate.

"Crime is a symptom of bigger problems, and in many cases is tied to education and economics," he said. "If we solve the economic issues we have, then we'd solve a lot of the racial issues."

Rowles, who was Jasper County sheriff in 1998 when James Byrd, Jr. was killed in a hate crime, emphasized his belief that 10 percent of people cause 90 percent of problems, both in communities and within law enforcement.

All four panelists discussed the importance of engaging with young people as a means of preventing crime and promoting civic service.

"Community policing is not just policing," said Stephens. "We want to be engaged in the community and be involved in the community. But, we can't be everything to everybody, and we need help," she said, in the form of mentors and neighbors who encourage positive behavior and "embarrass those who do wrong."

"We have to teach our youth the history and the importance of civic service, and getting involved in the community," Jones said.

He said he challenges himself and others to constantly ask, "Would my actions, attitude or decisions be fair if the person I'm dealing with didn't look like me?"

"Make an effort to know someone who doesn't look like you," he said. "If each individual did that, we'll start solving our problems."

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/LizTeitz
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>> See which candidates filed on the first day for the May 2017 municipal and school board elections in the slideshow above.

More than a dozen incumbents  including Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames  wasted little time starting their re-election bids on Wednesday, filing on the first day for the May 6 municipal elections.

All but four of the 17 candidates who filed for office in Jefferson, Hardin and Orange counties are incumbents, including almost half of Beaumont and Port Arthur's city councils.

Filing in 17 area city council elections and 13 local school board elections will continue through Feb. 17.

No candidates filed on Wednesday in almost half of the elections, including all four city council races in Hardin County.

School board elections

Thirteen school districts in Southeast Texas  ranging from Beaumont ISD, which has just over 19,000 students, to Sabine Pass ISD, which has fewer than 400 students  will hold trustee elections in May.

Two candidates, Joe Evans and Denise Wallace-Spooner, filed for at-large seats in Beaumont ISD's first school board election since 2011.

Evans, a former Republican candidate for Jefferson County Commissioners' Court Precinct 1, said last week that while the district's financial performance has improved, student achievement "is the door we've got to be knocking on." Evans said he wants to focus on improving preparation for college and jobs.

Wallace-Spooner said her experience as an educator at six BISD schools motivated her to run.

"I bring all levels of educational and curriculum expertise," ranging from elementary school to college as a teacher and curriculum coordinator, said Wallace-Spooner, who worked for the district for more than 30 years. She retired from the district in 2013.

Although Beaumont voters will elect new trustees this spring, the new board members will have to wait for word from the state about when they will take office.

The district's managers, appointed by the state in 2014, 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.

Two seats are up for election in Bridge City ISD, currently held by Mark Anderson and Michael Johnson.

Anderson, who has served on the board for 12 years, has filed to run again.

No candidates for trustee filed in Port Arthur, Hull-Daisetta, Kirbyville, Lumberton, Newton or Sabine Pass on Wedneaday. Officials in Vidor, West Orange-Cove, Nederland and Jasper did not respond to requests for filing information.

Municipal elections

Beaumont

Four incumbents filed for Beaumont's City Council, including Ames, Ward 2 Councilman Mike Getz, Ward 4 Councilwoman Robin Mouton and Councilwoman At-Large Gethrel Williams-Wright.

All council seats are up in May, including Wards 1 and 3 and a second at-large seat.

"We've got quite a lot of infrastructure work going on in the city, I want to see that through," said Ames, 58, who has been mayor since May 2007. Ames said supporters urged her to run again to see some of the city's work "through to fruition."

Mouton, 56, who was elected in 2015, said she's excited "to continue to stand on the motto of building a better Beaumont" and to continue the work she's begun on the council.

Infrastructure is a top priority for Williams-Wright, 77, she said. A nine-year member of the council, Williams-Wright said improving the city's streets and developing downtown are her motivations for running.

Her biggest goal, she said, "is to see our city become a community, not just a city," where people living in different neighborhoods support each other.

Running for his fourth term, Getz, 60, said he announced his reelection initiatives a few months back to put to rest any misconceptions anyone might have had about of him possibly running for mayor.

"A lot of people were encouraging me to run for mayor," Getz said. "I decided not to. Maybe in the future, but not this election."

If reelected, Getz wants to finalize street projects around the city of Beaumont that include sidewalks and the expansion of Dowlen Road to Walden Road.

"Even though we're representing a ward, we have the city's best interest overall," Getz said.

Port Arthur

Port Arthur will eliminate two council seats after the May 2018 election in the wake of residents' November vote in favor of a charter change to bring the council down in size to six council members and the mayor.

Until then, all council seats, excluding Mayor Derrick Ford Freeman, are up for election.

On the first day of filling, District 2 Councilwoman Tiffany Hamilton, Councilwoman At-Large Charlotte Moses and Councilwoman At-Large Kaprina Richardson Frank filed for reelection. Port Arthur council members serve three-year terms.

"I really want to finish everything that we've been doing as a council," Frank said. "During this past term, we got a whole new staff with a new city manager, and we've been focusing on working on the infrastructure."

Orange

The only contested election on Wednesday was for the District 3 Orange City Council seat. Paul Burch, 52, the owner of Lookin' Good hair salon in Orange, filed to run against longtime incumbent Essie Bellfield, 84. Larry Spears filed to run for his current at-large seat.

Vidor

Vidor Ward 1 Councilwoman Kelly Carder filed to run for her second two-year term on Wednesday. Carder, a registered nurse, ran unopposed in 2015.

Bridge City

Carl Harbert, a retired plant manager who has never held public office, filed to run for place 1 on the Bridge City Council. That seat is currently filled by Kevin Mott, who was appointed to replace David Rutledge after he was elected mayor in 2015. Mott said he was unsure whether he will seek re-election.

"There's a few problem that I'd like to see fixed, like the drainage, and I want to be a spokesman for the community." said Harbert, 65.

SFlores@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/_saraeflores

NKrebs@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/Natalie_Krebs

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/LizTeitz
BAD AXE  A Kinde man who was charged for allegedly molesting a young girl between 2009 and 2011 recently took a deal from the prosecutors office and now faces up to 15 years in prison.

Joseph Howard Jahn was charged with, and pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal sexual conduct-first degree and two counts of criminal sexual conduct-second degree, stemming from a lengthy investigation by authorities last year.

The 45-year-old  and his attorney, Diana Kessler  appeared before Huron Circuit Judge Gerald M. Prill on Jan. 5 for a scheduled motion hearing. At the hearing, Jahn accepted a plea agreement that was offered by the prosecutors office at his September arraignment.

Per the agreement, Jahn pleaded no contest to one count of criminal sexual conduct-second degree and the remaining charges were dismissed.

It was alleged that Jahn sexually abused the victim  who is not an immediate relative  between 2009 and 2011 in Huron Township. Police reports indicate Jahn put his fingers into the victims vaginal area multiple times during the three-year period.

The victim was between the ages of 9 and 12 when the incidents occurred. Law enforcement began receiving information regarding the allegations years later. Following an investigation, Jahn was arrested May 2, 2016.

By accepting the plea agreement, Jahn also will be placed on Michigans sex offender registry.

The way that works, they have to register between the plea and sentencing, Huron County Prosecutor Timothy J. Rutkowski told the Tribune.

Jahn faces up to 15 years behind bars and is scheduled for sentencing at 1 p.m. Feb. 27.
Canadian Solar Inc. CSIQ started commercial operation of two solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in Japan.

Details of the Announcement

Canadian Solar has brought the 10.2 megawatt peak (MWp) Aomori Solar Power Plant and the 2.5 MWp Saitama Minano Power Plant online.

The Aomori Solar plant is capable of generating around 11,695 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity annually, which will be purchased by Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. under a 20 year feed-in-tariff contract at the rate of 31 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).

The Saitama Minano plant, on the other hand, is capable of generating nearly 2,978 MWh of electricity annually, which will be purchased by Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. under a 20 year feed-in-tariff contract at the rate of 27 cents per kWh.

Connecting these two solar plants to Japans grid will bring Canadian Solars total portfolio of operating plants in the country to 58.51 MWp.

Price Movement

Shares of Canadian Solar lost 33.6% in the last 12 months, which compares favorably with the Zacks categorized Solar industrys decline of 44.7%. Canadian Solar provided a weaker guidance for 2016, wherein it lowered its revenue expectation to the band of $2.78$2.94 billion from the previous estimate of $3.0$3.2 billion. The company also lowered its total module shipment expectation to the range of 5.0735.173 gigawatts (GW) from the previous guidance of 5.45.5 GW.

Solar Industry Outlook

Throughout 2016, the solar industry has grappled with challenges like declining solar panel prices, weaker power plant contracting activity and increasing regulatory stringency. The industry-wide downturn was owing to a looming supply glut of solar panels. As solar players continued to step up production in an effort to seize a higher market share, panel supply outweighed demand significantly.

Strong project build-up in the U.S. in anticipation of the Dec 2016 expiration of the solar investment tax credit (which was eventually extended) also played a major role in curbing activity in this space as developers now have more time to build their projects.

Story continues

This had a material impact on solar companies such as First Solar, Inc. FSLR, Azure Power Global Limited AZRE and Enphase Energy, Inc. ENPH.

Further, the unexpected victory of Donald Trump in the Presidential election does not bode well for the renewable energy space. The President-elect has not only vowed to revive the coal industry but has even called climate change a Chinese Hoax.

Zacks Rank

Canadian Solar currently 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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Contributed photo / contributed

NORWALK  The Norwalk Hospital Volunteers organization has donated a new ambulance to Norwalk Hospital to expand its fleet of emergency vehicles and increase its capacity to meet the acute medical care needs of the greater Norwalk community.

Volunteers at Norwalk Hospital have a long history of Hospital service and philanthropic support. Over 400 individuals currently volunteer at the Hospital, providing 60,000 collective hours of assistance and support each year to patients, families, staff and visitors in more than 80 areas of Norwalk Hospital.
A 42-year-old federal prison chaplain accused of smuggling tobacco to Beaumont prison inmates in exchange for money pleaded guilty on Thursday to a federal bribery charge.

Eric S. Patrick, of Nederland, could face up to 15 years in a federal prison at sentencing.
Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack was celebrating Wednesday after bids on construction costs for the widening of Rayford Road came in almost $10 million under budget.

That puts the total amount spent on the $60 million road bond project almost $20 million under budget. The project was Noack's largest on his list to be funded by the countywide $280 million road bond approved by voters in November 2015.

Noack had budgeted construction costs at $35 million to widen Rayford Road to six lanes, build a six-lane bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad, install new traffic signals and signage, improve and synchronize traffic lights, install additional traffic lights to assist residents in and out of neighborhoods, build a raised median to enhance safety of left-turning motorists and drainage improvements.

"There is a dip in construction right now and we were able to take full advantage of it," Noack said. "This project is shaping up to look really, really good, which means we will be able to do some of the other projects on our list which is what I was hoping for."

Noack said the bids will be reviewed by the County Engineer's Office and the Contract Review Committee. Montgomery County Commissioners Court will consider awarding the bid Feb. 14.

Spring-based PSC/James Construction Group, Houston-based Texas Sterling Construction Co. and Conroe-based Smith and Company all submitted bids for the project. Smith and Company had the lowest bid at $26,695,966.39, followed by Texas Sterling at $26,720,720.96 and PSC/James at $26,979,656.60.

In addition to the construction costs, Noack said the purchase of the rights of way for widening Rayford Road came in at $13.3 million, under the $16 million allotted. The county contracted with RPS Klotz Associates for the right-of-way mapping and acquisition services for 56 parcels, final design and construction documents for the project and public outreach. That contract was $1.9 million and was approved Dec. 8, 2015.

David Balmos, senior vice president for RPS Klotz Associates, said he was pleased to get the engineering and design work done and get the project bid ahead of the summer when the Texas Department of Transportation is expected to let many projects related to Proposition 1 and Proposition 7. Both propositions were approved by voters to allow for more funding for highway projects.

Proposition 1, approved by voters in November 2014, allows for a portion of oil and gas tax revenues that typically go into the Economic Stabilization Fund to be deposited into the State Highway Fund. The amendment did not create any new taxes or fees. Proposition 7, approved in November 2015, is a constitutional amendment that dedicates portions of revenue from the state's general sales and use tax, as well as from the motor vehicle sales and rental tax to the State Highway Fund for non-tolled projects.

"We anticipate a high level of construction activity this summer related to the TxDOT lettings tied to (Propositions 1 and 7) that increased highway construction dollars," Balmos said. "All those are going to kick in this summer and there is going to be a huge increase in highway construction.

"I'm excited. This was such a priority for Commissioner Noack. He emphasized from day one to not delay bidding this project because he wanted to make sure his constituents saw the results of the (road bond referendum)."

Balmos said it would take about eight weeks to finalize the construction contract and expects construction to begin soon after.

While Noack did not know what projects he will target with the remaining funds, he did say it would allow the county to complete the widening of Birnham Woods Drive from Fuller Bluff Drive to Waterbend Cove. Noack recently announced he was moving forward with the widening of Birnham Woods Drive from Fuller Bluff Drive to the Grand Parkway. The cost of the first phase of the project is $1.3 million.

The project, Noack said, is part of the South County Mobility Study, which recommends the widening of Rayford Road as a needed short-term project. The recommendations, according to the study, consist of feasibility studies, route studies, environmental and schematic studies, intersection improvements, street widening and area-wide traffic management improvements.
UPPER THUMB  Gov. Rick Snyder briefly spotlighted Michigans Thumb in his annual State of the State Address on Tuesday night.

While touting Michigans tourism industry, Snyder said one of his favorite experiences was biking the brewery and wine trail in the Thumb.

He was referring to the Croswell-Lexington Bike Path, which he biked on his trip to the Thumb in October.

Im a huge fan of kayaking, rock climbing  I even tried elk bugling this last year, Snyder said.

Thanks to Pure Michigan, were showing American just how beautiful we know our home state is, he said.

The state ranks fifth in microbreweries, breweries and brewpubs, Snyder said, and is fourth in the nation in hop production.

Agriculture is doing well in Michigan, Snyder said after giving an update on it.

Michigans cows are the second most productive in the nation after Colorado.  We need to tell Colorado to mooove on over, he joked.

Michigans dairy industry had increased production by 44 percent over the last decade, he said.

The first major industry Snyder addressed in his speech was agriculture.

The food and agriculture industries have an impact of over $100 billion on Michigans economy, he said.

Regarding problems in local government, Snyder mentioned the difficulty in keeping up with legacy costs.

There are 334 units of local government in Michigan with $14 billion in unfunded liabilities for health care and pensions,

For Huron County in 2016, all of the wind energy tax revenue for the county went toward legacy costs, County Commissioner Ron Wruble told the Tribune last month.

Snyder also addressed another state and national issue that touches the Upper Thumb: opioid abuse.

He said there are plans to expand the Angel Program, which was piloted in Gaylord.

The program enlists the Michigan State Police in helping addicts get treatment.

The program pairs addicts with a volunteer angel who will work one on one with addicts, according to a press release from Snyders office.

Thats the kind of outreach we should have, Snyder said in his address.
BEIJING, Jan 19 (Reuters) - China is willing to work with the new U.S. administration to promote healthy China-U.S. ties, the commerce ministry said on Thursday in Beijing.

The Ministry of Commerce said it believes China and the United States can properly resolve any trade problems through dialogue and cooperation, as both sides would be hurt in any U.S.-China trade spat.

(Reporting by Elias Glenn; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove says he didnt discuss vaccines with Donald Trump when the president-elect asked him to become secretary of the US Department of Veteran Affairs. Cosgrove turned down the job, as he did when President Barack Obama offered it to him following the resignation of Eric Shinseki in 2014.

But Dr. Cosgrove did talk about immunizations with Yahoo Finances Alexis Christophorous in Davos, Switzerland, at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. When asked about scientifically discredited views linking vaccines to autism, Cosgrove said, There is no debate anymore about this.

When asked specifically about Trumps tweets about vaccines and autism, Cosgrove said, Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. But we are evidence-based, and were looking at the scientific evidence thats out there. The scientific evidence is pretty clear that vaccinations are safe and they have been an enormous part of reducing the morbidity and the mortality [rates] across the United States.

Cosgrove had to reiterate Cleveland Clinics support of vaccines this month after the publication of an article by the medical director of the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute that questioned the safety of vaccines and mentioned autism. The director retracted the article, the Clinic said disciplinary action was taken and Cosgrove issued a statement rejecting the doctors views.

Theres nothing to suggest that vaccinations are related to autism, Cosgrove told Yahoo Finance. Vaccines are one of the really great things that have happened in medicine. And now, [as] people stop vaccinating their children, were starting to see a resurgence of things like whopping cough. And I cannot say too strongly the importance of getting vaccines and vaccinating your children and the importance in terms of the public health.

Though he was flattered to be asked to join the Trump team, Cosgrove said he wanted to fulfill his obligations at the renowned medical center. I had committed myself to the Cleveland Clinic, and a lot of projects are underway. For example, were opening a new facility in London, we are building a very unique and large medical school and I want to see those projects through. And I didnt think that I should divert my attention and my energies, he said.

It was a tremendous honor  and I took it very seriously and did a lot of soul searching about it and really realized at the end of the day thats what I needed to do, he said.
Courtesy

Veronica Garcia, former vice president of student affairs at Paradise Valley Community College in Arizona, will begin March 1 as president of Northeast Lakeview College, the Alamo Colleges announced Thursday.

The Alamo Colleges board of trustees approved Garcia's appointment Tuesday. She succeeds Craig Follins, who was removed from his post in November 2015 after employees accused him of being insulting and abusive. Follins has said the district asked him to give up his presidency in response to complaints about his management style.
Midland ISD could delve into discussions about its first in-district charter school, maybe as early as the end of the 2017-18 school year.

MISD board President Rick Davis made the recommendation during last weekends board/staff workshop that the district will explore in-district charter school opportunities and, no later than the end of the 2017-18 school year, identify at least one opportunity to implement a charter school within the district and the potential for implementing others within the district.

It was an eye-opening moment for those who have followed the school district for a while -- because of the concept and the proposed timeline. It also could be seen as a sign of how serious Davis and the rest of the board view the job in front of them: reforming a district and using any tool they can to accomplish that task.

Davis told the Reporter-Telegram this week that his recommendation of an in-district charter school is not controversial, but is part of a transition MISD must undertake as it pursues a system of great schools theory of action. According to the Texas Education Agencys Lone Star Governance report, this is when central administration devolves autonomy to schools, empowers parents to make choices, creates performance contracts with campuses, annually evaluated performance of and demand for schools, and makes strategic decisions regarding growing access to high performing schools and addressing low performers.

Davis said it took longer for some trustees to get on board with in-district charters, but he is confident charter schools will be incorporated into the districts final draft of goals, board constraints and theories of action.

Davis said he expects three types of charters will be part of the conversation: an elementary school to help deal with performance issues, a junior high with a STEM focus and a secondary school with a particular focus that is not currently in place.

The first in-district charter school, he said, likely will be an elementary school, but that conversation will begin as MISD leaders see which lower-performing schools made strides this year. Of the districts nine campuses rated improvement required in August by the Texas Education Agency, eight were elementary schools. Milam and South elementaries made the IR list for the fourth-straight year. Crockett Elementary is on the list for the sixth-straight year -- one of at least the five longest streaks in the state, according to the TEA.

The creation of an in-district charter school or other moves to be considered (such as the identification of the most effective educators and ensuring that educator placement is a function of student needs rather than adult preferences) are part of a transition that district leaders expect will lead to more autonomy for campuses.

Interim Superintendent Rod Schroder, the architect of an academic reform effort at Amarillo ISD, said the creation of in-district charters is a trend nationally. He said they werent used in Amarillo because they were not on the radar 15 years ago. He also said the conversation about in-district charters shouldnt impact the caliber of superintendent candidates.

Last weekends workshop provided the board with an outline of goals and expectations for the upcoming superintendent search. The Texas Education Agency official presiding over the workshop made it clear that if reform is truly the goal, then they didnt need to venture from that outline.

They need to hire someone with that type of experience, if that is the way they want to go, Schroder said.
A man died late Wednesday night when he was shot as he stood on a street corner in south Houston.

The shooting happened about 10:15 p.m. in the 6800 block of Cullen Boulevard near Ward, said Sgt. Thomas Simmons, a homicide investigator with the Houston Police Department.
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Members of Denton-based Texas country act the Eli Young Band were counting their blessings on Wednesday in the aftermath of a major fire that claimed a tour bus and a trailer full of stage gear.

The group was traveling just outside Topeka, Kansas when the fire started, according to a message on their Instagram page. The fire was reported just around 1 a.m. Wednesday.

GLITTER AND TWANG: Texas Tech researchers study 'bro country' music

We've lost more than a bus here. There are memories and possessions that we can't replace! It's really sad to see her go. We're just happy that our driver, Randy, is safe! the band wrote under a fiery photo of the bus and attached trailer.

So far the reason for the fire isnt known, but there were no injuries reported.

The band was apparently en route to a show at the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, Minnesota. They have concert dates listed through July.

The Eli Young Band was formed in 2000 and is made up of Mike Eli, James Young, Jon Jones, and Chris Thompson. Members of the band were students at the University of North Texas at Denton.

REMEMBER WHEN: Garth Brooks and the biggest stars of country music's '90s heyday

They built up a devoted following on the Texas country circuit with constant touring and hooky songs perfect for drinking and dancing. They've headlined at RodeoHouston three times, appearing in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

Houston Texans fans might be familiar with the band's version Deep in the Heart of Texas which is played before every home game.

The band's last studio album "10,000 Towns" was released in 2014.

Our bus caught fire tonight right outside of Topeka, KS. We've lost more than a bus here. There are memories and possessions that we can't replace! It's really sad to see her go. We're just happy that our driver, Randy, is safe! Posted by Eli Young Band on Tuesday, 17 January 2017

See Facebook video of the fire above.
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An animal-rights group Thursday said it was contacted by a whistleblower who accused the Army of planning to shoot and stab goats as part of training at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. Military officials said the allegation was groundless.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has long campaigned against the Army Medical Department Center and Schools goat vivisection program at Fort Sam, calling it unnecessary in an era when medics frequently use lifelike mannequins to learn their craft.

The Army says the goats are anesthetized before being vivisected and that their use is a critical step in training medics about to deploy to a war zone for typical problems theyll face in combat. The procedure is being done as it always has been, said Jose Rodriguez, a spokesman for the school, known as AMEDD.

The school does not shoot, stab, or mutilate animals for training, Rodriguez said. All animals are treated humanely and placed under anesthesia before any training is performed.

PETA said it had sent a letter to Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander of Joint Base San Antonio, asking her to confirm the whistleblowers allegation that goats will be shot, mutilated and then killed in trauma training drills involving Army Reserve medics at Fort Sam Houston.

PETA declined to identify or make available the whistleblower for an interview, or to provide documents to support the claim. PETAs Shalin Gala said Thursday the group had no evidence goats had been shot or mutilated, but got information from someone saying it is going to happen again soon. We think the tip is credible. 

It wasnt clear if Pringle, who oversees support operations for three bases in San Antonio but has no authority over medic training at Fort Sam, had seen the letter.

Live-tissue training, as the Army calls it, has continued here despite Pentagon efforts to scale back the use of animals in recent years. A Defense Department directive that took effect Jan. 1, 2015 eliminated animals in a variety of programs that include the training of obstetrics and gynecology residents, registered nurse anesthetist residents and staff, doctors and nurses learning about neonatal resuscitation, and advanced trauma life support. It required that mannequins, virtual training simulators, actors or cadavers be used where possible.

Fort Sam uses a limited number of syndavers, mannequins that mimic human beings by having lungs, beating hearts, bones, nerves, arteries, veins and the ability to breathe and circulate a fluid that is like blood, Rodriguez said. Some of the 30,000-plus soldiers, sailors and airmen going through medic training here every year use the devices, which cost $125,000 each.

Medics train on goats prior to deploying to the war zone, but Fort Sam couldnt say how many soldiers and animals are involved each year.

PETA told Pringle that military facilities including the Navy Trauma Training Center in Los Angeles and the U.S. Air Force Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills do not use animals in training. That these facilities are able to train personnel without harming animals confirms that there is no need to use animals in Fort Sam Houstons trauma training drills, it said.

The Army disputes that. While the Air Force stopped using ferrets at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in 2015, combat medics preparing to go to war continued to train with anesthetized goats in that program. AMEDD officials have insisted it is absolutely necessary to prevent significant loss of human life.

Maj. Gen. Stephen Jones, who commanded the AMEDD Center and School last summer, has said battlefield survival rates over the past 15 years of war are at an all-time high, 92 percent, well above the mark for Vietnam.

Even the most advanced simulation system cannot fully replicate the anatomy and pathophysiology of a severely wounded soldier, Jones, who is now retired, told Gala, senior laboratory methods specialist in PETAs Laboratory Investigations Department, last June. Fortunately, the requirement for (live tissue) training is much less than in the past, and continues to decrease.

sigc@express-news.net
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With evolving technology, Google Fiber may be re-evaluating how it ultimately will deploy a network in San Antonio, a deputy city manager told the City Council on Wednesday.

The city announced earlier this month that it had paused Googles ability to install its so-called fiber huts after complaints from some very vocal residents near Haskin Park on the Northeast Side. But Google likely had decided itself to slow installation of its 15 remaining planned huts because of changes in technology, Deputy City Manager Peter Zanoni told the council.

Google officials declined a city invitation to the Wednesday meeting. The companys local lobbyist, Frank Burney, also did not attend.

What theyre doing today is looking at the whole network and changes in technology, Zanoni said about Google Fibers plan. They would be doing this step-aside and reevaluating this network anyway.

City Manager Sheryl Sculley announced earlier this month that the municipality had paused the installation of prefabricated Fiber Huts, which house technology as part of the backbone of the fiber-optic network. The companys plan called for 17 huts  about 12 feet wide, 30 feet long and 9 feet tall  to be installed on city properties across the city.

Two huts have been installed  in the citys Haskin and West End parks  and the other 15 are on hold. The citys decision to pause Googles ability to continue hut installation was driven, at leat in part, by complaints from residents near Haskin Park.

Meanwhile, city officials have killed eight planned locations  four parks, three vacant residential lots and one library, which had a deed restriction preventing the hut from being installed. Zanoni and others say they determined that parks and vacant residential lots owned by the city werent appropriate locations for the huts. There are no plans, however, to remove the two that have already been installed.

For more on this story, visit www.expressnews.com or read the Thursday edition of the San Antonio Express-News.

jbaugh@express-news.net

Twitter: @jbaugh
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SAN ANTONIO -- A man in his late 20s was shot several times in the upper body by another man Thursday following a physical altercation and argument over property on the Northwest Side, according to San Antonio police.

RELATED: Police: Wanted sex offender may be hiding in the S.A.-area

Emergency personnel responded at about 12:35 p.m. Thursday in the 300 block of Latch Drive, where the younger man approached a man in his 50s at his residence and started an argument over property, said SAPD spokesman Douglas Greene.

The argument turned into a physical altercation, and the older man displayed a handgun and told the other man to stop assaulting him, Greene said. The younger man did not stop and the older man fired several rounds at the gunshot victim, Greene said.

RELATED: S.A. police say man slashed relative's neck, stabbed gums

The gunshot victim was transported to University Hospital, where he is currently in stable condition, Greene said.

The shooter has been transported to SAPD headquarters where he will be interrogated by investigators, he said. Charges are currently pending in the ongoing investigation.
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BROWNSVIILE -- Under cross-examination Thursday afternoon, the brother of a Border Patrol agent charged with capital murder testified that he and his brother had never discussed drugs or Francisco Palacios Paz before Palacios body was found decapitated, washed up from Laguna Madre off South Padre Island in March 2015.

However, earlier in the day, Fernando Luna, 37, testified that after Palacios was killed, Joel Luna approached him about the murder.

He only asked if blood was drawn (in the tire shop where Palacios was shot), Fernando said.

How did he know there was blood? asked Gustavo Gus Garza, Cameron County assistant district attorney.

RELATED: S.A. man named as victim of possible 'foul play' after remains found on Padre

I told him, Fernando said.

Joel Luna, the Border Patrol agent, and another brother, Eduardo Luna, are charged with capital murder in the death of Palacios, a Honduran immigrant who worked in Eduardos tire shop in Edinburg. Two other men also are charged with capital murder in Palacios death: Nestor Manuel Leal and Aaron Rodriguez Medellin. Their case was severed from that of the Luna brothers, whose trial is being presided over by 107th State District Court Judge Benjamin Euresti in Brownsville.

Thursday, Gabriela Garcia, the attorney for Eduardo, sought to underscore contradictions in Fernando's testimony. At one point, Fernando testified that he had crossed the border with $200,000 and $250,000 in cash, but later testified that the figure was closer to $350,000. Garcia also grilled Fernando on the drugs that he admitted to smuggling into Texas.

So the only one who ever handled drugs was you, Garcia said. You were the one who got it ready, broke it down, smuggled it.

Fernando also testified to receiving a series of text messages from Palacios girlfriend, Martha Sanchez, in which she claimed that at any time Palacios might expose their criminal enterprise.

RELATED: Decapitated, mutilated body found floating in bay near South Padre Island

One message read in Spanish, Franky and his brother are saying who is selling drugs. Another read, this Franky is a (expletive) traitor, and yet another read, at any moment he is going to put the finger on you. Fernando said he always forwarded the messages to Eduardo.

When Eduardo had enough he said that he was going to get Franky, Fernando testified.

Fernando has been overcome with emotion at times while on the stand, but he has been mostly stone-faced while testifying.

Thursday morning, Fernando explained how Eduardo had helped dispose of Palacios body.

Fernando testified that Eduardo and Leal decapitated Palacios after shooting him.

Eduardo and Leal then sliced open the body and dumped it in the Laguna Madre off South Padre Island so it would sink, Fernando testified.

On his first day of testimony in state District Court Judge Benjamin Eurestis court Wednesday, Luna sobbed on the stand after seeing his brothers in the courtroom.

On the evening Palacios died, Fernando testified, Fernando and Palacios were watching television in Eduardos tire shop in Edinburg, when Eduardo suddenly entered from the office and shot Palacios. The alleged killers had come to believe that the Honduran immigrant, who worked at the tire shop, was a snitch.

Eduardo backed up his truck to the tire shop while he waited for two other men to wrap Palacios body in a blanket and carry him out, Fernando said.

What happened to Franky Palacios Paz? Garza asked Wednesday in the courtroom.

He was killed, Fernando said.

Who killed him? Garza asked.

Eduardo, Garza said.

Last August, Fernando struck a deal with Cameron County prosecutors to testify against his brothers and other defendants in the capital murder case, which has alleged Mexican drug cartel ties. He pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance before Judge Euresti. Fernando could receive three years in prison and possibly no more than probation as part of the plea deal.

When prosecutor Garza asked Fernando why he had deleted the text messages calling Palacios a traitor, Fernando explained that he did it because of the gravity of the situation, and that Joel, who was born in Texas, could get in trouble for harboring the families of Eduardo and Fernando, who were living in the country illegally.

Knowing that (Joel) had a good job, Fernando said, answering the question as tears streaked down his cheeks. And we had done something wrong.

anelsen@express-news.net
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SAN ANTONIO  Northside Independent School District police and staff at Wanke Elementary School briefly placed the school on a precautionary modified lockdown Thursday morning after receiving a tip from a concerned San Antonio resident, a spokesman said.

NISD spokesman Barry Perez said the school was placed on a modified lockdown from about 9:45 a.m. to about 11 a.m. Thursday, meaning the exterior doors of the building are secured by police and staff, but the activities inside the school are operating as usual.
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Police arrested a 20-year-old man Wednesday after he allegedly attacked a relative with a knife, slashing his neck and stabbing his gums, in the city's East Side.

According to police, Michael Sloulin attacked one of his relatives around 9:15 p.m. in the kitchen of a home in the 800 block of Montana Street.
A Central Texas mother who police say admitted taking meth was arrested Tuesday on the suspicion that her breast milk exposed her child to the drug.

Melina Wright, 30, now faces a charge of endangering a child. She remains in the Williamson County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

RELATED: Camaro crashes into NW Side home after suspected street racing incident

According to Wright's arrest affidavit, authorities were called to her home in the 500 block of South Buffalo Avenue in Cedar Park around 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 25, 2016, in response to a report of an abandoned child.

When they arrived, officers found Wright's child, 2-month-old Liam Curtis, at the home with the person who made the report.

Authorities called Child Protective Services. While waiting for the caseworker to respond, Wright arrived at the residence and told officers she had gone on a bike ride. She said the boy's father was home when she left.

RELATED: 9 suspects arrested in Harris County prostitution bust

She and the child were then taken to the police department for an interview with a CPS investigator. During the interview, Wright allegedly told the investigator she was using methamphetamine.

After she told the investigator she used meth "every other day for the past two weeks," she started breastfeeding Curtis in front of the investigator, according to the affidavit.

On Jan. 4, CPS conducted a drug test on the child, which came back positive. A warrant for Wright's arrest was issued, and she was booked into jail.

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
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A former volunteer at a Catholic church in North Texas was arrested Wednesday on charges of sexual abuse stemming from allegations made in July, police said.

Francisco Guevara, 65, was arrested on two charges of continuous sexual abuse of a child and one charge of indecency with a child.

According to police, Guevara volunteered at the St. John the Apostle Catholic Church nursery, where two of the offenses occurred.

RELATED: Report: Father & son from South Texas charged in sexual assault of 14-year-old twins

The offenses occurred up to 7 years ago, when the victims were between 4 to 7 years of age.

According to a written statement from Deacon Rigoberto Leyva of the Fort Worth Diocese that was issued in July, Guevara abused the victims during evening prayer meetings.

The third offense allegedly occurred in Colleyville, Texas. Colleyville police assisted in the investigation.

RELATED: Suspected TX sex trafficker who advertised teen online caught in the Dominican Republic

According to The Dallas Morning News, police were made aware of the allegations in July 2016 after one of the victims spoke out.

Guevara remains in the North Richland Hills Detention Facility in lieu of $125,000 bond.

The St. John the Apostle Catholic Church has experienced at least two other sexual abuse scandals in the past.

In 2003, Joseph Magone, the church's director of liturgy, was sentenced to five years in prison for raping a 13-year-old girl. The church also settled a lawsuit in 2012 filed by a man who accused Philip Magaldi, a former priest, of sexually abusing him starting around 1994.

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
AUSTIN  President Donald Trump will be a "pragmatist" and may be the "disrupter-in-chief," but he must be careful in managing U.S. relations with China, retired General David Petraeus told the audience of financiers at a conference Thursday.

"He may seem to be spur of the moment, certainly when he has Twitter in his hands, but at the end of the day he is a guy who will do what is necessary to be successful," Petraeus told financiers at an event held by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas and the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

"He also may well be the disrupter-in-chief, and some of that disruption may be very healthy and may be very good. Some of it, on the other hand, you have to be very careful that you don't cut out the underpinnings of a relationship with China," said Petraeus, a former CIA director who met late last year with Trump as he interviewed candidates for Secretary of State. Trump eventually tapped Rex Tillerson, former chairman and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil, for the post.

Petraeus was interviewed at the event by Britt Harris, the TRS chief investment officer. Harris asked Petraeus for his thoughts on how technology is replacing "mental labor" a century after it replaced manual labor.

Trump rightfully wants to boost the number of manufacturing jobs in the United States, but it will be difficult because of technology, said Petraeus, who is chairman of the KKR Global Institute, part of the private-equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.

"The truth is that manufacturing is back in the United States. The problem is that manufacturing jobs have not risen as manufacturing output has. It is being done much more by automation and robots," he said.

Petraeus, who was the top commander in Iraq and Afghanistan, said the paradox of the Middle East is that as the U.S. helps the Iraqi military battle ISIS and civil war rages in Syria, oil and natural gas production have not stopped flowing.

"Even though you have Iraq in general turmoil, the bulk of their oil comes out of the south. That has continued to grow in terms of export. Meanwhile, the north has been taken over by the Iraqi Kurds. It has been secured and it is starting to flow out of the north in greater amounts," he said.

Petraeus did not answer questions from the audience and Harris did not ask about President Obama's decision to shorten the prison sentence of army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning by 30 years.

Petraeus pleaded guilty in 2015 to mishandling classified material and was sentenced to two years' probation and fined $100,000.
Bertha Gonzalez was one of the few women who could say her husband and son were both members of Congress.

Gonzalez, who died Monday in her sleep at the age of 99, was the widow of the first Mexican American congressman from Texas, Henry B. Gonzalez. He retired in 1998 after representing the 20th Congressional District for 37 years. The couples son, Charles A. Gonzalez, was elected to that seat in 1999 and served 14 years. The elder Gonzalez died in 2000.

Henry B. and his wife were married 60 years.

(Bertha Gonzalez) was the best partner that anyone in public office could have been blessed with, Charlie Gonzalez said of his mother. Because she was always in the background, people did not know what a strong partner Dad had.'

She was born Bertha Cuellar in Floresville. She moved with her family to San Antonio at a young age and graduated from Brackenridge High School. She married Henry B. when she was 23.

Her husbands first stint of public service came as a San Antonio City Council member. Later, he was elected to two terms in the Texas Senate before he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. As a congressman, he would spend the week in Washington, D.C., and come home on weekends.

Preferring to raise their children over politics, the mother of eight stayed home in San Antonio and kept the family together during her husbands lengthy public service career.

She once said she was happiest when my life spills over with kids, adding she was the greatest stretcher of Kool-Aid and vanilla wafers in town.

More Information Bertha Gonzalez Born: Nov. 11, 1917, Floresville Died: Jan. 16, 2017, San Antonio Preceded by: daughter Rose Mary Ramos; husband Henry B. Gonzalez Survivors: brother Lino T. Cuellar; sons Henry B. Gonzalez Jr., Charles Gonzalez, Stephen Gonzalez and Frank Gonzalez; daughters Bertha Denzer, Genevieve Barto and Anna Ihle; 26 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren Services: Mass, 10 a.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 223 E. Summit; followed by interment at San Fernando Cemetery No. 2. See More Collapse

I have to be, she told the San Antonio Express-News in 1968. Ive known Henry to start out on a simple bike ride to the park with three or four of our own kids, and come home trailing 30 or more extra children  every last one of them thirsty.

The disparity in the ages of their children was such that the couple already had a 1-year-old granddaughter by the time her youngest child, Anna Marie, entered the fifth grade at St. Anthonys.

She said the first two weeks after Anna Marie started school was the worst time in her life because her husband was in Washington, all the other children were gone and even the housekeeper was on vacation.

It was terrible, she said. Id never been alone before. And I lost my cool. But the family solved it all by keeping me on the phone most of the day. Henry would call a couple of times from Washington; Henry Jr. would call and check from his office; the girls thought up reasons to phone and ask for advice - even the younger children called from school during their lunch hour.

In time, she said, she got used to not having any children at home during school hours.

But Im still happiest when the house is full of people, she said. The more the merrier.

When her children were little, she was active in the PTA and was even a Cub Scout den mother.

She liked working with children because I dont react too fast, she said. I never panic until long after the current emergency is over.

The disciplinarian in the family, she met her match in Blackie, a part Great Dane and part German Shepherd who often interceded on behalf of her son Stephen.

On more than one occasion, when she tried to spank her son, the dog grabbed her arm with his mouth, knocked her to the ground and sat on her until Stephen told the dog to get up.

Its very hard to be an effective disciplinarian when theres a dog sitting on you, she laughingly told the Express-News.

When the congressman was home, she was often at his side, riding with him when he was the grand marshal of the Fiesta Flambeau Parade in 2000 or joining him for dinner at the Tower of the Americas restaurant in 1968 with Natividad Chavez, a retired janitor and his wife, who won the dinner in a drawing.

His wifes soft tacos and her sense of humor were among the things he treasured about her, Henry B. Gonzalez said once.

Some of my hardest moments have been very much easier by her sense of humor, he said. She helps me laugh at myself.
To the editor:

We've heard the reassuring words and now it is time for state Sen. Brandon Creighton and Reps. Will Metcalf and Cecil Bell to propose legislation to have the board of directors for the SJRA and LSGCD elected by the taxpayers paying their "fees." The current practice of appointments to these positions has proven to have resulted in costly and incompetent leadership.

Quoting the SJRA website, "mission is to develop, conserve, and protect the water resources of the San Jacinto River basin. Covering all or part of seven counties, the organization's jurisdiction includes the entire San Jacinto River watershed, excluding Harris County" and "its primary purpose is to implement long-term, regional projects related to water supply and wastewater treatment." Having been formed in 1937, it is obvious they have done little in achieving their mission. However, they have grown to be an expensive, bloated and ineffective bureaucracy.

The SJRA's recent accomplishments include increasing the cost of water dramatically, managing construction of a major pipeline that has failed twice in a very short period and pushing through a million-dollar study of why we have flooding. After being established almost 80 years ago, don't you think they should have a good understanding of flooding caused by the San Jacinto River?

The SJRA has done little, if anything, to clean up the river below the dam. The river is filled with garbage and pollution. The SJRA should have been "developing" and "protecting" this water resource, but has done little, if anything, to do so. Based on what I have seen of their incompetence in project management (dam repairs and pipeline construction), it is probably best they haven't tried.

Over time, the SJRA has expanded its reach far beyond the original intent, entered into new business areas and is, in effect, another taxing entity. As with so many government organizations, they like to portray their tax as fees, tolls, etc. For both the SJRA and LSGCD, the taxes are misrepresented as service fees on our water bills.

Per Jace Houston's (SJRA general manager) recent editorial, the SJRA is a "not-for-profit" organization. I'm willing to believe the SJRA organization doesn't show a profit, but the senior management is doing just fine while expanding and defending the wasteful business.

The overlap and redundancy as well as the conflict of interest between the LSGCD is obvious. A question is how much collusion is ongoing between the two organizations. As I have stated in previous editorials; per Richard Tramm (LSGCD board member), the key goal of the LSGCD was to identify affordable, alternative sources of water. The LSGCD has completely failed to achieve this goal. For years, they have been paying for countless studies to consultants to give them results they wanted rather than the facts.

The arrogance of the boards and management of both organizations have not earned the trust and respect of the citizens they serve. The honorable action and a first step to regain the public's trust would be for the current board members to resign and support efforts to change their positions to be elected by the effected residents. They could then run on their records (good luck to them with that).

Houston's recent editorial in The Courier, like a previous editorial by Tramm, was just self-serving propaganda, based on distorted facts, to try to justify the LSGCD and the SJRA's actions, cost, fees/taxes, unnecessary regulations and to protect their own interests.

Senator Robert Nichols had an editorial in The Courier Wednesday describing his actions and plans for the coming year. As the head of the Senate Sunset Committee, it was disappointing that he did not address restructuring, or better yet dissolving many unnecessary and redundant state agencies that are charged with managing our water resources. Why isn't he engaging?

Tramm's position on the LSGCD is soon due for appointment. Please join me in insisting that County Judge Craig Doyal does not reappoint Tramm.

Recent comments from our elected officials that the boards of the SJRA and LSGCD should be elected rather than be appointed were encouraging. Now it is time for action by Creighton, Metcalf and Bell. The current boards should be removed from their positions and new boards elected before they can do more damage. The new boards' first priority should be to drain the local swamp by replacing much of the current management of these organizations. At a minimum, we must insist our state representatives act to take away the SJRA and LSGCD's out-of-control authorities to impose new fees/taxes (disguised as service fees) and regulations on us.

Gary Blackburn

Conroe

Universal health care the only alternative to Obama's ACA

To the editor:

Eight years ago, Republicans agreed with Democrats that health care in this country was broken; but when President Obama worked to improve the system, they blocked him at every turn. The ACA was passed by Democrats with not one Republican vote. Republicans in the House have since voted 60 times to repeal the ACA without anything to replace it.

The wealthiest citizens will not be hurt by repeal of the ACA. They can afford the best health care in the world. The Congressional Budget Office says that 32 million people will lose health care while premiums for everyone else will soar. People can and will die without adequate and timely health care. The only fair replacement for the ACA is universal health care for all (such as Medicare with no pre-existing conditions, mandates, and lifetime caps). Healthcare should be a right for all citizens. Let's see if Republicans will support the working middle class who pay for almost all health care, or as President-elect Donald Trump puts it, "Let people die in the streets."

Bruce Barnes

Conroe
As far as authorities know, a driver looking at a cellphone instead of the road was not the cause of last week's terrible wreck on I-10 that killed two people and tied up the highway in Orange County for several hours. But the tragedy was hardly the first on that stretch of the interstate, and thousands of anguished Southeast Texans are wondering what can be done to make that highway safer.

As with most problems, many factors are involved from road construction to increased traffic to higher speeds. But those are familiar issues that authorities have been fighting for decades. Talk to any cop - or ambulance driver - and one issue keeps coming to the top when it comes to preventing accidents: distracted driving.
DANBURY  A man who police said robbed a downtown branch of Union Savings Bank in a daring daytime heist Wednesday has turned himself in.

Police began searching for the suspect shortly after the North Street branch was robbed around 3 p.m. Police said the man handed a note to a teller saying he had a weapon, then ran off with an undisclosed amount of money. No weapon was shown, police said.
UNIVERSITY of Zimbabwe law professor, Lovemore Madhuku, has claimed that detained legislators Job Sikhala and Godfrey Sithole are victims of their own political partys decision to refuse to dialogue.

Madhuku, also leader of the opposition NCA party, said this in an interview with Citizens Voices Network.

He was commenting on the failure to secure bail by the Nyatsime 16  all members of the Nelson Chamisa-led CCC who were arrested in June over political violence in Chitungwiza following the abduction and death of CC activist Moreblessing Ali.

Sikhala and Sithole have been denied bail pending trial on five occasions.

The issues of Job Sikhala and others could have been resolved by a dialogue process, said Madhuku.

The CCC members are now victims of their political party that refuses to dialogue and refuses to be part of POLAD, Madhuku said.

He urged CCC leader Chamisa to engage President Emmerson Mnangagwa on the matter so the lawmakers and others would be tried early.

I think that if there were issues to deal with the perception that is coming out strongly that this is a political persecution, said the NCA leader.

What would stop that political party from which they belong having an audience with the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa).

The role of the President there is not to interfere with the courts but to engage the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) who would consent to bail. He is the one who would make an arrangement for an early trial and so on.

Madhuku continued; Every political leader has to know that these issues are political, so you do not go out there on top of the mountain and say the Magistrate or Judge is a political outpost when you still need either of them in other cases.

He added; I have been thinking about it and every time I reflect on this thing, Sikhala, Sithole and the Nyatsime perpetrators are now victims of the failure by their political party to know that politics is about engagement, politics is not always about fighting and if these had a good leadership, they would be out by now.

The way out for Sikhala and the Nyatsime 16 is a political negotiation. As long as @CCCZimbabwe continues being arrogant Sikhala & others will not be released says @ProfMadhuku Watch more on https://t.co/x3u4a5oYqO pic.twitter.com/qxs2XkhdDn  Citizens Voice Network (@ZwVoice) September 6, 2022

If you make it a political issue, you engage other political players and then the way it is done, we can say publicly the NPA is able to engage in political discussion. You need to persuade the NPA not to oppose bail.

 NewZimbabwe

Breaking News via Email
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points:

Crude oil prices drop as IEAs Birol talks up supply gains

Gold prices drop on hawkish Kaplan, Yellen commentary

Technical positioning hints gold, crude oil may be topping

Crude oil prices slumped after IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said that output from US shale producers will definitely react strongly to recent price gains. He added that Brazil, Mexico and China will also bring more crude to market, making for lots more supply in the second half of this year and early 2018. The remarks dovetail with recent skepticism about lasting support from OPECs supply reduction deal.

The WTI benchmark rallied as the cartel and several high-profile external suppliers (notably Russia) improbably agreed to a coordinated production cut late last year. Now, a number of key officials including Saudi oil minister Khalid Al-Falih are saying the scheme probably wont be extended beyond its initial six-month. Meanwhile, top producers are said to have announced the bulk of their cutback commitments.

All told, this may mean that whatever support was to be had from the OPEC deal is already priced into the market. On the other hand, there seems to be ample room for investors to onboard still forthcoming evidence that swing producers in North America and elsewhere have ramped up output in response to higher prices. Within that context, Mr Birols comments speak directly to concerns already at the forefront.

EIA weekly inventories flow data now enters the spotlight. An increase of 128.4k barrels is expected. An analogous report from API pointed to a more dramatic 5.04 million barrel drawdown however. If the official data set hews closer to the private-sector estimate, prices may find a bit of a lifeline. Continued commentary from the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos may muddy the waters however.

Gold prices fell as the US Dollar rallied alongside Treasury bond yields, undermining the appeal of anti-fiat and non-interest-bearing assets. The move followed hawkish comments from Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan, a voter on this years FOMC committee, and Chair Janet Yellen. Scheduled event risk thins out in the day ahead, which may leave room for a corrective drift upward.

Story continues

Will gold and crude oil prices continue to rise in the first quarter of 2017? See our forecasts here!

GOLD TECHNICAL ANALYSIS  Gold prices put in a bearish Dark Cloud Cover candlestick pattern, hinting a top may be forming. A move below resistance-turned-support at 1199.80 opens the door for a test of the 14.6% Fibonacci expansion at 1182.06. Alternatively, a push above the 38.2% Fib retracement at 1219.20 exposes the 1248.98-50.65 area (50% level, June 24 low).

Crude Oil Prices Drop as IEA Stokes Bets on Swing Supply Boost

CRUDE OIL TECHNICAL ANALYSIS  Crude oil prices may be carving out a bearish Head and Shoulders chart pattern. A close below the 50.25-69 area (38.2% Fibonacci retracement, January 10 low) could confirm the setup, exposing the 50% level at 48.72 as the next downside barrier. Alternatively, a move back above a horizontal pivot at 52.44 targets the 23.6% Fib expansion at 53.75.

Crude Oil Prices Drop as IEA Stokes Bets on Swing Supply Boost

--- Written by Ilya Spivak, Currency Strategist for DailyFX.com

To receive Ilya's analysis directly via email, please SIGN UP HERE

Contact and follow Ilya on Twitter: @IlyaSpivak



original source

DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.

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Yves here. Its refreshing to see Sanders taking no nonsense from Trump nominee Tom Price, who is trying to put a pretty face on the Republican plans to cut health care coverage. Even worse, Price has incoherent views on what to do, and as a former member of one of the looting classes of doctors (orthopedic surgeons, who I have found based on extensive personal experience as well as observation, are way too eager to operate) is fiercely opposed to sound and not hugely intrusive cost containment measures.

As Lambert and I have discussed, one of the depressing things the runup to the inauguration has revealed is that Sanders is virtually alone among opposition leaders in being willing to talk about policy. Democrats are so unwilling to abandon their failed strategy of identity politics that they really seem to believe that Russia-related hysteria will lead to a Trump impeachment. The elections already disproved the thesis that moderate Republicans would ally with Democrats against Trump. Republicans know that an impeachment would damage their party enormously, and if Trump wanted to fight, he could do so very effectively by holding rallies in the districts of Republican turncoats. Trump would be vulnerable if the Republicans take big losses in the 2018 midterms. And the public is not going to stay in Trump freakout for more than two years, no matter how hard the media keeps hitting hot buttons.

By Alexandra Rosenmann, an AlterNet associate editor. Follow her @alexpreditor. Originally published at Alternet`

Since his stunning election night victory, Donald Trump and the greater Republican Party have been noncommittal at best about the formers vow to preserve the countrys Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits. So during Wednesdays confirmation hearing, Sen. Bernie Sanders decided to put the president-elects pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services on the spot.

Is the President-elect, Mr. Trump, going to keep his word to the American people and not cut social security, Medicare and Medicaid, or did he lie to the American people?

Tom Price, an orthopedic surgeon staunchly opposed to government spending on healthcare, answered meekly that he had no reason to believe that Trump has changed his position on the matter.

But the fireworks were only just beginning.

The United States of America is the only major country on Earth that does not guarantee healthcare to all people as a right, Sanders continued. Canada does it, every major country in Europe does it. Do you believe that healthcare is a right of all Americans, whether theyre rich or theyre poor? Should people, because they are Americans be able to go to the doctor when they need, to be able to go into a hospital because there are Americans?

We are a compassionate society, began Price.

No were not a compassionate society, Sanders shot back. In terms of our relationship to poor and working people, our record is worse than virtually any other country of any other major country on Earth and we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any other major country on Earth and half of our senior older workers have nothing set aside for retirement, so I dont think compared to other countries we are particularly compassionate.

Watch the tense exchange:
Yesterday, we discussed how fiduciary counsels, whose stated role is to advise pension fund trustees and staff members how to meet their fiduciary duties to beneficiaries, and for public funds, taxpayers, are in fact in the business of shielding boards and fund employees from liability. We showed that by discussing not just the incentives of fiduciary counsels but also their conduct. For instance, they often thwart reformers and dissidents. A striking example was how a so-called fiduciary auditor, Funston Advisors, has accepted the role of undermining South Carolina Treasurer Curt Loftis. Loftis not only worked diligently to address indefensibly poor investment performance at the statess pension fund, but has made it a leader in getting private equity funds to disclose previously hidden fees and costs. Fiduciary counsels also sidestep instructing trustees and staff to be vigilant about conflicts of interest among their advisors.

Today we will discuss how CalPERS is poorly governed, and how its repeated efforts to check its lone vigilant board member, JJ Jelincic, are proof of how the institution puts protecting its image over the interests of its beneficiaries and California taxpayers.

Why Dissent is Essential to Good Governance

In a bit of synchronicity, law professor and former bank regulator Bill Black and the Harvard Business Review have just written about the importance of dissent and robust debate among board directors. From Blacks post:

The Wall Street Journal recently published a summary of a study of desired director traits. A survey of 369 supervisory directors from 12 countries by search and advisory firm Russell Reynolds Associates asked which behaviors they thought are most important to creating a board culture that drives effectiveness and company performance. The Ideal Directors Traits The study found that the five most highly valued traits in a director are, in descending order: Courage

Willing to constructively challenge management

Sound business judgment

Asking the right questions

Maintaining an independent perspective and avoiding group think The first two traits are essentially the same  courage. Traits three through five are closely related to each other. The fifth has an element of courage as well, the courage to fend off group think and the CEOs views and maintain an independent perspective.

And from the Harvard Business Review last week, True Leaders Believe Dissent Is an Obligation. A key section:

Why would executives at so many iconic organizations  Volkswagen, Wells Fargo, FIFA  tolerate behavior so egregious that it threatens the very future of their organizations? How should innovators with a fierce sense of ambition handle the criticisms and objections that inevitably come their way and make sure that confidence does not turn into bombast? In a world hungry for great leadership, these are just a few of the questions that too many leaders seem incapable of answering. I dont pretend to have easy answers myself. But I do know that the best leaders Ive studied  executives and entrepreneurs who have created enduring economic value based on sound human values  recognize and embrace the obligation to dissent. Put simply, you cant be an effective leader in business, politics, or society unless you encourage those around you to speak their minds, to bring attention to hypocrisy and misbehavior, and to be as direct and strong-willed in their evaluations of you as you are in your strategies and plans for them.

Needless to say, vigilance is even more important for public pension funds than private companies. It isnt just that public pension fund trustees and staff members are fiduciaries. Public pensions are also even more subject to corruption, due to fund managers being wealthy enough to be regular political donors and thus willing and able to try to use donations or other forms of back-scratching to steer pension fund dollars to them when they would otherwise not be chosen. Finally, shareholders of public companies should be diversified and can sell their stakes when they become unhappy with management. Public pension beneficiaries and the taxpayers that backstop them are left holding the bag when fund officials fall down on the job.

Yet as we discussed at length yesterday, fiduciary counsels, and that includes ones briefing CalPERS, have actively opposed the sort of courage and dissent widely recognized as central to good oversight, through a perverse reading of trustee responsibilities branded as co-fiduciary duty.

How CalPERS Renounced Good Governance

CalPERS made an even worse transgression than Wells Fargo and has drawn precisely the wrong lessons from that experience. Its 2009 pay to play scandal, which resulted in the imprisonment of its former CEO and the resignation of three board members, sorely dented its reputation and produced disfunction responses. Even worse, CalPERS status as the largest public pension fund means it serves as a model for other public pension funds, so its poor choices can have greater repercussions .1

Contrary to the widely held view that good board members are vigilant and will stand up to executives, CalPERS board has repeatedly ceded authority to staff, to the degree that board members tolerate, indeed foster staff insubordination. Board members regularly state the gobsmacking notion that they should refrain from burdening staff and not ask for information. Proper oversight of CalPERS operations is the boards paramount duty. It would a career-limiting event in business setting for an employee to tell his boss it was too much work to prepare a report, yet CalPERS board members actively promote this backwards view of who is in charge.

Needless to say, unjustifiable board deference to staff is at the root of other symptoms of diseased governance at CalPERS that we have documented, including a culture of casual lying to the board, routine violations of state transparency laws, prioritizing maintaining friction-free relationships with the private equity industry over meeting the clear obligation as fiduciaries to understand the true cost of investing in the strategy.

This devolution is no accident. CalPERS once had healthy, which mean not infrequent, friction between its board and staff. And this cannot be attributed to CalPERS being a high-profile California public pension fund. If you watch the board videos of CalPERS Sacramento sister CalSTRS, the contrast is dramatic: CalSTRS routinely has give and take among board members and between them and staff. Board members also grill experts and do not hesitate to express skepticism.

By contrast. CalPERS board has repeatedly ceded control to staff. Im not sure of the dates of these decisions, but some of them occurred in the wake of the pay-to-play scandal and were clearly orchestrated by the new CEO Anne Stausboll, to take power at the expense of the board. Here are some examples:

Reducing the number of board direct reports from four to one. The board formerly supervised the CEO, the Chief Investment Officer, the Chief Actuary, and the General Counsel. It now oversees only the CEO. This means the board cannot flex its muscle save by threatening to fire the CEO, which is a radical intervention. More subtly, this means that senior staff members see themselves as beholden only to the CEO, and not to the board as well. Delegating the hiring of outside fund managers to staff. This is very unusual among public pension funds. Sadly, it has also led to the board becoming visibly less able. It has been embarrassing to see how often board members in Investment Committee meetings ask questions or make comments that reveal a lack of basic understanding. If the board was regularly involved in manager selection, its members would be forced to up their game. The resulting erosion of competence makes it difficult for many board members even to execute their now-limited duties on the Investment Committee properly, as witnessed by the fact that they often seemed lost when JJ Jelincic was asking staff not very hard questions. Allowing staff to divide and conquer the board through extensive and illegal pre-board meeting briefings. CalPERS as a California government agency is required under the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act to conduct all but certain well-defined types of board discussions and procedures in public. The state attorney general has stated the Bagley-Keene expressly prohibits using various mechanisms to develop a collective concurrence as to action to be taken, including a hub and spoke in which a point person communicates with a quorum of board members individually. As we discussed at length in 2015, a board member revealed that staff engages in extensive pre-meeting briefings with board members one-on-one. Not only does this undermine statutory requirements that the public receive the information the board does in making decisions, but it cripples the board as a decision-making body. As we wrote then: The board has been conditioned to give preference to dealing with staff, each in isolation, rather than working together as a body to develop a common view by extracting and clarifying information from staff and having that information also subjected to examination and correction by the public. The pre-meeting briefings also serve to cement board members view of a matter, making it much harder for members of the public to influence the board in open sessions, no matter how erroneous or self-serving the staffs position is.

Stausboll also appears to have learned a bad lesson from being a protege of former state Treasurer Phil Angelides and union politics: that of giving top priority to loyalty. As CEO, she had the disconcerting habit of lavishly praising staff members for merely doing their jobs. Most CalPERS board ape her, spending far too much time on atta boys, which sends the wrong message about their discernment and authority.

How CalPERS Staff and Fiduciary Counsels Stymie Dissent

CalPERS board is so weak as to verge on toadying to staff. As a result, any board member who is merely properly inquisitive is a threat to this diseased norm and must be tamped down.

As a result, board members and staff are overtly hostile to and work to undermine the one board member who takes oversight seriously, JJ Jelincic. If youve watched CalPERS board meetings, you will see Jelincic is no firebrand. Hes mild mannered and asks entirely sensible questions, particularly regarding fees and costs. And if you look at the videos of meetings of the far better functioning CalSTRS board, youll regularly see the sort of inquiries that Jelncic as routine and leading to productive discussion among board members, staff, and outside experts.

However, Jelicics simple queries have exposed staff incompetence and lies, such as when the head of private equity, Real Desrochers, repeatedly showed he did not understand that the effect of private equity management fee waivers was not to reduce management fees, but simply to shift some of the payment from CalPERS and other limited partners to the companies purchased with their money, or when Chief Operating Investment Office Wylie Tollette incorrectly said CalPERS could not obtain one of the biggest charges it pays, private equity carry fees. Both of these incidents were major embarrassments to CalPERS.

Jelincic has committed what CalPERS staff sees as a cardinal sin: threatening CalPERS relationship with private equity firms, since limited partners like CalPERS have internalized the industry party line that if they ruffle the general partners, they will be excluded from funds. As weve discussed, since the idea that limited partners can out-do each other in funds picking is a myth, and average industry performance does not produce enough in the way of performance to justify its outsized costs and risks, CalPERS would do much better to pursue minimizing fees and costs than continue to pursue the myth that it can find and get into better funds regularly. But a whole industry of consultants exists to dignify that delusion. And no one ever got fired for buying IBM.

Even though Jelincic is already a black sheep on the board, despite being popular among beneficiaries, CalPERS legal staff and fiduciary counsels have made delegitimating and gagging Jelincic a project, to the point of taking indefensible positions about board member conduct that are clearly aimed only at him.

We recounted how this took place with the tainted fiduciary counsel Robert Klasner who recently resigned under a cloud: that he endorsed two bogus ideas that looked to be pet causes of CalPERS legal staff. One was a topsy-turvy reading of fiduciary to claim that Jelincic did not have the right to obtain information denied him by staff through the California Public Records Act. To a person, experts on trust law were appalled that a board member would be denied information by staff. The second occurred when Klausner led a board meeting that one reader described as a hating on JJ session. Board members the discussed on a preliminary basis sanctioning board members who spoke to the press on their own. As we discussed long form yesterday, the media is often the only route available to a board member who believes his fellow board members are at risk of breaching their duties, and trust law obligates the nonpartiicpating board member to take whatever corrective measures he can.

This morning, CalPERS board members will receive their annual fiduciary training. CalPERS does not appear to have hired a successor to Klausner, but the attorney making the presentation, Ashley Dunning, is presumably a top candidate.

If you look at her slideshow, you can see it taking up some of Robert Klausners messages, albeit in more careful packaging. Starting on numbered page 5, it discusses a duty to consult. Even though trustees clearly can and should confer with experts, page 8 strikes some sour notes. It tries to say that the board should not act as a rubber stamp, when that is what CalPERS board almost without exception does. It also effectively says that CalPERS should not overrule expert advice unless it is informed by applicable expertise. So the board has been put in a bind: it cant reject expert advice based on common sense; it presumably has to find opposed expert views, when getting a second opinion in a public pension fund context is a cumbersome, time-consuming process. In addition, as we discussed at great length yesterday, this presentation, like most advice from fiduciary counsels, ignores the pervasive problem of conflicts of interest.

The presentation also gives lip service to compliance with Bagley-Keene, when we have documented numerous abuses, as well as compliance with other policies, when the board just gave its Chief Investment Officer Ted Eliopoulos a bonus that was $135,000 in excess of what was permitted under his formula.

The section starting on page 67, Further Considerations for Board Members Who Speak on CalPERS-Related Topics, is even more troubling. This is the Jelincic should shut up part of the talk. Specifically:

It takes an exclusively negative perspective, that a a board members speech could only do harm and fails to acknowledge that speech can promote members interests. Alleged harm is framed to some degree in terms of harm to CalPERS, the institution, omitting that the interests of CalPERS as an organization and the interests of members/beneficiaries] diverge in important respects (for instance, CalPERS employees want to increase their pay, which is clearly contrary to the interests of members and beneficiaries.) Some examples of this conflation in the presentation: As such, Board members will at all times act in the best interest of CalPERS and its members and beneficiaries (page 68) The speech reflects on CalPERS and may have negative consequences to CalPERS if not carefully and/or accurately expressed. (page 71) The presentation is completely silent regarding the affirmative legal obligation of board members to speak publicly and critically in situations where they believe that the board has acted or allowed others to act in breach of fiduciary duty. The presentation takes a generally condescending and chastising tone (such as Consider carefully the method, tone and content of your speech.on page 71)

We were far from alone in being troubled by these sections of the presentation. Every expert we contacted was disturbed. We would normally have edited their reactions down in the interest of space, but they are articulate and in many cases, the nuances of their reasoning are important, so excerpting them would result in important observations being lost.

From Karl Olson, a First Amendment/media law expert who has twice sued CalPERS successfully over Public Records Act violations:

It is worrisome to see a presentation to CalPERS board depict board members speaking to the press solely in negative terms. The media has long been an important mechanism for holding public officials responsible. I would hope that the CalPERS board does not act to deter either board members or whistleblowers from dissenting or reporting concerns about the investment of public money, particularly given CalPERS recent pay to play scandal. Any such move would raise serious First Amendment concerns and would undermine accountability and the ability to monitor the spending of public money.

From Alex Arapoglu, a professor of finance at the University of North Carolinas, Kenan-Flagler School of Business:

The presentation takes a negative view of having board members speak to the media, and this isnt the first time that Ive seen attorneys try to tell board members to speak with one voice even though their arguments dont seem well founded. If this was such a good system, youd never see members of Congress speaking out individually either. The reason they do is so that voters can see the views they represent and decide which they prefer. If any institution should have its members speaking with one voice, its the Fed, and yet you dont see that at all. We hear a broad range opinion out of the Fed, not just the party line.

From Curt Loftis, the Treasurer of South Carolina and one of the trustees of the states pension plan:

Fiduciary education and audits are highly choreographed affairs with staff and the educators/auditors spending significant amounts of time together, forming relationships and managing outcomes while both parties are being paid large sums of money by the benfiicaries. Fiduciary audits have become commonplace at a time when forensic audits have become a rarity though the latter is needed far more than the former. The duty of a fiduciary sometimes involves the need to speak directly to the beneficiaries and plan sponsors, via the press, without being filtered by staff. Pension plans as self-contained organizations, and their staff, speak to the beneficiaries regularly through press releases, interviews, newsletters, websites and leaks that are used to further their corporate needs and not necessarily those of the plan participants. The self-serving nature of their communication is most easily demonstrated by the chest-thumping press releases of good investment news as opposed to the executive session discussion of an investment that goes belly up. In my case, the retirement system had no intention of illuminating the value-crushing amount of investment fees that reached a high of 1.57% of assets. In fact, most fees were netted out of the corpus of the account so that the apparent amount of fees as reported were much less than the actual total. I broke tradition and went, by speaking with the press, directly to the the plan participants and sponsors. The staff of pension system were not pleased with me and complained bitterly. When they understood how badly they were being served, participants and sponsors demanded action from the pension staff. As a result of the attention sparked by the media coverage, the fees that had been previously netted are now properly reported and reconciledand due to that enforced transparency and accountability the fees have dropped to approximately half of the original amounts. On various other occasions I have gone directly to the plan participants and they have responded warmly and demanded change. The ability to communicate directly with participants is an important tool curbing bad behavior by pensions plans, actions that almost always benefit the pension plan as an organization but harm the interest of the plan participants. Plan fiduciaries owe the highest duty possible to the plan participants and therefore should not be overly concerned with the sensibilities of a well-paid and self-interested staff. Fiduciary experts, like most extremely well paid pension consultants, become nervous at the thought of plan fiduciaries looking elsewhere for wisdom, especially if that wisdom comes directly from the participants. In fact, it seems the interest of staff, the pension plan origination, politicians and Wall Street are always carefully tended while the participants are often left to pay for the excesses of the previously mentioned groups.

And from Andrew Silton, formerly the chief investment officer for North Carolina:

Maybe the notion of CalPERS as a leading institutional investor was just a myth. However, as North Carolinas Chief Investment Officer and before that as a money manager, I used to see CalPERS as a source of best practices and innovative investing. CalPERS was a public pension plan that encouraged vigorous and open debate. Admittedly that was some time ago. In the past decade or so CalPERS has become far more enamored of protecting its reputation and image than in serving the interests of its members or taxpayers. Ive had numerous opportunities to document these instances on my blog, Meditations on Money Management. As an observer of its meetings and as a consumer of its store of online documents, Ive noticed a shift in the tone emanating from CalPERS. The materials produced for this years fiduciary training are a fine example of whats gone amiss at CalPERS. A fiduciary should look out for the best interests of a pension plan, its beneficiaries, and in the case of public pension plan, the taxpayers. At various points CalPERSs training materials try to make this point. However, when the materials attempt to flesh out how board members are supposed to act in specific situations, the training document directs them to be rather docile and subservient. Two sections of presentation are particularly troubling to me because they appear to be aimed at stifling debate, disagreement, and dissent. In one section, board members are urged to subordinate their views to consultants and experts. While the board should be respectful of and give serious consideration to the views of its experts, they should also feel it is their fiduciary duty to probe experts and have a healthy degree of skepticism about their views. The so-called experts have produced an enormous amount of damage for pension plans, including CalPERS. n another section of the presentation, board members are warned to temper their public comments lest those remarks damage CalPERSs reputation. Obviously, board members shouldnt misstate official policy. However, it is important to the well-being of a pension plan that its board members have fairly broad license to express their views. As CIO, I served a sole-fiduciary. Obviously, a sole-fiduciary speaks with one voice, and can act more quickly than a group of trustees. Nonetheless, I believe that a public pension plan is better served by a board. Having a group of individuals with different views and perspectives may make the process a bit messier, but it creates greater safeguards for the people who matter: beneficiaries and taxpayers. However, when staff and legal experts attempt to constrain its board members, governance begins to resemble a sole-fiduciary as the individual voices are stifled.

Even though most of the fiduciary training document covers well-trod ground, the fact remains, as the experts above all stated, that it is being used as yet another staff tool to further hobble effective board supervision. With CalPERS seriously underfunded and under more and more critical scrutiny, the time is overdue for the board to be far more active and skeptical than it has been for many years.

But staff has done such a good job brainwashing the board and subverting normal, healthy reflexes that the only way to achieve change will be to get fresh blood in and continue to pressure the board members who are elected officials, meaning the Treasurer John Chiang and Controller, Betty Yee. Sadly, it will fall on interested members of the public and the media to do the job that the CalPERS board is so flagrantly neglecting.

___

1 For instance, when CalPERS decided to exit hedge fund investing at the end of 2014, it sent a shock wave through the fund management industry. By early 2016, it was clear CalPERS had made a sound call, as investors on a widespread basis were cutting back on hedge funds for charing too much while delivering too little in the way of performance.
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.
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) has received a 5,000 donation from MSD Ireland.

They money was raised for the Le Cairde Day Care Centre in Clonmel. The Day Care Centre will use this valuable contribution to provide essential care to an average of fifty clients.

With over 1,050 people living with dementia in South Tipperary alone, this ASI Day Care Centre supplies an increasingly crucial service, allowing victims to avail of vital supports through therapeutic and stimulating activities. The experience is tailored toward each client, providing unique assistance for every individual case.

An average of 50 clients visit the centre each week. The service includes a hot lunch and transport to and from the centre in Clonmel. Each day, the Alzheimers Society bus collects people from Clonmel Town and during the week it also covers Fethard, Cashel, Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary Town and New Inn.

To further support the charity, MSD employees also recently volunteered their time to sell tickets for the Alzheimer's car raffle at the Showgrounds Shopping Centre in Clonmel.

MSD marks 40 years in Ballydine

Ger Carmody, site lead at MSDs facility in Ballydine, commented; The ASI provides an extremely valuable resource in South Tipperary. People affected by dementia rely on these services for support and MSD is proud to support them. The growing numbers of people with dementia make the work of the ASI even more vital.

Mairead Dillion, Alzheimers Society of Ireland said; The demand for our services has never been greater and is set to increase year on year. Id like to sincerely thank MSD Ireland for this generous donation, thanks to their efforts we can continue to provide our much-needed services to the people of South Tipperary, enhancing the lives of those afflicted by the illness.

As a global leader in healthcare with a strong presence in Ireland, MSD employs approximately 1,800 people across the country. MSD is committed to leading in the implementation of best practice by addressing critical social, environmental and economic challenges both nationally and internationally.
KleinBank is set to challenge a federal lawsuit that accuses the Chaska, Minn., institution of redlining minority neighborhoods around Minneapolis.

The litigation, filed by the Justice Department, has "absolutely no basis in fact," said Doug Hile, the $1.9 billion-asset bank's CEO.

The Justice Department filed its lawsuit Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, claiming that the $1.9 billion-asset bank purposefully structured its mortgage business to avoid serving neighborhoods where most residents were racial and ethnic minorities.

The lawsuit alleges that KleinBank created a "horseshoe-shaped" service area that included mostly white suburbs and excluded urban areas with higher percentages of minority residents. The Justice Department also claims that KleinBank purposely restricted marketing to the neighborhoods it serves, further limiting opportunities for minority homebuyers.

Only 1% of the more than 5,800 mortgage applications Justice Department officials studied were originated in census tracts where the majority of residents were part of a minority group.

"Cases like this one demonstrate the Justice Department's strong commitment to hold banks accountable for continuing and perpetuating historic trends of inequality in residential mortgage lending," Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's civil rights division, said in a press release.

A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.

KleinBank has "virtually no business" in Minneapolis or neighboring St. Paul, Hile said. The 110-year-old bank has historically operated in communities west of the Twin Cities such as Carver and Scott counties, where it has 14 of its 22 branches and three-fourths of its $1.7 billion in deposits, according to data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Hile said the lawsuit's claim that KleinBank is a duty to build branches in Minneapolis and St. Paul would represent "a baseless and unprecedented reach" by government.

"We have a small presence on the western fringes of a very large county [Hennepin] with an extensive banking community," Hile added. "We have less than one-tenth of a percent in market share. In Ramsay County, we have no presence at all."

KleinBank, meanwhile, received "satisfactory ratings" on its last four Community Reinvestment Act examinations, including one conducted in July 1, according to records kept by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council.

Hile added that no one has ever filed a complaint against the bank tied to the Fair Housing Act. "There are zero facts" behind the Justice Department's lawsuit, he said.

Two Cincinnati-area banks, Guardian Savings Bank and Union Savings Bank, agreed last month to consent orders with the Justice Department to settle claims they had redlined minority neighborhoods in Cincinnati, Dayton and Indianapolis. The banks denied the allegations, but they agreed to provide a total of $9 million on loans, grants and marketing in minority markets.
A conference entitled 25 Years of Independence: Energy Security Issues in Central Asia and Beyond took place in Ashgabat on 14-15 December 2016 with the participation of experts from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The event in Turkmenistan provided an opportunity to reflect on security challenges and regional cooperation strategies in particular in the energy sector.

The conference was organised by the NATO Liaison Office to Central Asia, the UK Embassy in Ashgabat and the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

Speakers remarked that while regional cooperation is essential to guarantee the security of energy infrastructures, oil and gas pipelines can be built as means to promote peace and stability. Pointing to the expertise of the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence, represented at the conference by its Deputy Director Col Jean-Marc Bouillet and its Head of Strategic Analysis and Research Division Arturas Petkus, the NATO Liaison Officer to Central Asia Rosaria Puglisi emphasised NATOs support to enhance partners security and defence capacity also in the energy sector.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the importance of strong institutions and transatlantic cooperation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday (19 January 2017). Mr. Stoltenberg took part in a plenary session on Redefining Europes Security Agenda, together with EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, Oxford historian Margaret MacMillan and the Director of Europol, Rob Wainwright.

The Secretary General noted that strong institutions act as anchors in uncertain times  bringing people together to find common solutions to global challenges. He also highlighted how NATO is adapting to todays security challenges, increasing the readiness of its forces, improving resilience against cyber-attacks and providing support to partners in the fight against terrorism.

During his visit to Davos, Mr. Stoltenberg also held bilateral talks with NATO Allies and key partners, including German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz.
(Natural News) The New York Times is engaging in some alternate methods of reporting by using unverified information to crank out stories that paint President-elect Donald Trump in a negative light. The latest slew of unverified smears relates to an alleged dossier of information that could potentially tie Trump and his team to Russia. While its 100 percent impossible to know that Hillary lost the election at the hands of Russia, it appears the left-wing are far from giving up on the matter. Just days before the inauguration, the leftist media are trying to rile up their crowd, but Trump is a deserving president even without the experience. The outsider Washington has desperately needed to curb corruption is here to serve, at the dismay of the corrupt who continue to fight for their outlandish empire.

A recent New York Times article titled How a Sensational, Unverified Dossier Became a Crisis for Donald Trump starts by acknowledging that parts of the story remain out of reach, then tackles the pieces they try to put together to form the story. (RELATED: Find legitimate journalism at censored.news)

Real news: an unverifiable fairy tale

First, they called into question possible ties binding Trump and his campaign officials to Russia, then they give a glimpse of how a dossier of information can be obtained by using a for-hire detective to dig up as much dirt as possible on the target.

According to The Times, a wealthy Republican donor who opposes Trump hired a Washington research firm, which was run by former journalists, to compile the dossier. The firm then went after Trumps past scandals and weaknesses. Someone involved with the opposition research work allegedly described the volatile nature of the story on the condition of anonymity.

The opposition firm, Fusion GPS, is headed by Glen Simpson, a former wall street journalist. While the firm generally works for business clients, they are sometimes hired by candidates, party organizations, or donors to do opposition research as side work. Their work routine involves creating searchable databases of public information including but not limited to old news reports and documents pertaining to lawsuits.

The Times article goes on to ask their readers for confidential news tips, before diving into reports that the DNC was apparently hacked by Russian government agents. The story then alleges that a former spy who had performed espionage work in Russia had outsourced native Russian speakers to contact informants inside of Russia. Also, Simpson and his Fusion GPS team continued to work for free after the election, when the payments stopped, on what they considered very important work. Simpson obviously declined to comment on their story.

Supposed memos from their work describe two Russian operatives, one of which designed ways to influence Trump. There are claims that compromising material, like sex tapes featuring Trump with prostitutes, were used in combination with business proposals to attract Trump. Another operation describes Russian contact with Trump representatives to discuss the hacking of the DNC, which allegedly involved a late summer meeting in Prague, between Trumps lawyer Michael Cohen, and Russian official Oleg Solodukhin, who works for an organization to promote Russian interests abroad.

The Times admits that most of the information in the article, which they believed was passed on to Fusion GPS, is very difficult to check and that several claims are even problematic. Cohen recently said he had never been to Prague, and Solodukhin denied ever meeting him. Donald Trump is certain that the facts are wrong about Michael Cohens alleged trip to Prague, and that Fusion GPS must be confusing Cohen with someone of the same name.

The Times recent article is a tricky read which tries very hard to boast Glen Simpsons journalism resume as credibility for the story, but fails miserably. The Times will most likely continue to run unverified smears against Trump in the days preceding the inauguration, in efforts to assist an attempted coup by radical leftists in gaining traction for their upcoming protests in Washington.

Discover more reports of faked mainstream media news at MediaFactWatch.com.

Sources:

NyTimes.com

Breitbart.com
(Natural News) Native American medicine is something that many people hold in high regard. Their traditional techniques and natural remedies are truly something to marvel at. Every Native American tribe has its own unique approach. The Cherokee, a tribe indigenous to the Southeastern United States, believed that the Creator gave them the gift of being able to understand and preserve medicinal herbs. A number of different herbs and plants can be used as medicine, as they once were.

Here are nine plants that the Cherokee tribe used to cure a variety of different symptoms:

1. Big Stretch (Wild Ginger)

Mild tea made from the wild ginger plant was believed to help stimulate the digestion process. The Cherokee believed it could also treat stomach problems, colic and even intestinal gas. Another Native American tribe, known as The Meskwaki, used pulverized wild ginger stems to treat ear infections.

2. Hummingbird Blossom (Buck Brush)

Hummingbird blossom was used to treat a wide variety of conditions. Traditionally, it was used as a diuretic to stimulate kidney function, but it was also used to treat inflamed tonsils or lymph nodes and other oral issues, as well as menstrual bleeding.

Modern day laboratory research has indicated that hummingbird blossom is great for treating lymphatic blockages and hypertension.

3.Wild Mint

Mint remains popular today as a tasty herbal tea thats also packed with antioxidants. The Cherokee used mint to assist with digestion, and also ground the leaves up to create ointments or for use in cold compresses. Mint was also added to baths to help relieve itchy skin.

4. Blackberry

These berries are loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that help to support good health. In addition to the delicious berries, a tea can also be made from the root of the plant, which is said to help decrease swelling in the joints and bodily tissues. Chewing on the leaves of the blackberry plant is also said to help relieve bleeding gums.

5. Cattail

Cattails have been regarded as a great preventive medicine and, barring the seed heads and mature leaves, is digested fairly easily. Boiled and mashed cattails were often used to create a paste to treat burns and other sores. Seed down, or the fluff from the seed blooms, was also used to help prevent skin irritations for infants.

6. Sumac

Sumac is touted as having many different uses. The bark, for example, can be made into a mild decoction to help soothe diarrhea. Tea made from sumac leaves is also said to help reduce fevers. There are many types of sumac, so one must be careful not to choose poison sumac.

7. Wild Rose

Tea made from wild rose hips was traditionally used to stimulate kidney function and bladder function. A rose petal infusion can also be used to help relieve sore throats; the petals can also be used to make a tasty jam. The roots of the wild rose plant can also be made into a mild decoction for diarrhea.

8. Mullein

According to The Cherokee, this herb can be used to help treat asthma and clear away chest congestion. Inhaling smoke from the burning leaves and roots is said to actually help open your airways and calm your lungs. Decoctions made from mullein can be used for foot soaks to relieve pain and inflammation. Flowers from the mullein plant were also used to make a tea with a mild sedative effect.

9. Yarrow

The crushed-up leaves of this well-known plant were traditionally used to encourage blood clotting. The crushed leaves were applied topically to wounds to help stop the bleeding. Yarrow juice, mixed with fresh water, was also said to help stop intestinal bleeding.

Tea made from yarrow leaves is said to boost digestion and assist with kidney and gallbladder issues.

Herbal medicine is truly natures medicine, and there is so much more we have to learn about it, especially from other cultures. Stay informed about more strategies for preventing disease at Prevention.news.

Sources:

OrganicAndHealthy.org

OffTheGridNews.com
Thursday, January 19, 2017 by: Vicki Batts Tags: EPA , herbicides , paraquat , Parkinson's Disease , pesticides This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) Like other pesticides, paraquat has been the subject of controversy for some time now. In Switzerland, for example, the toxic substance has been banned since 1989. The rest of the European Union has followed the Swiss lead, including England  even though there is still a factory there where paraquat is manufactured for export. (RELATED: Follow more news headlines on pesticides at Pesticide.news)

Even China has phased out the use of paraquat. In 2012, the Chinese government announced that the pesticide would no longer be used in order to safeguard peoples lives. China is not a nation that is recognized for its environmental protection policies. If theyre concerned about this pesticide, it stands to reason we should be too.

And yet, for some reason, paraquat is still available in the United States  even in spite of the growing body of research that suggests it is an extremely harmful chemical that likely causes Parkinsons disease.

Youd think that as Europe and China ceased to use paraquat, the US would follow suit. But instead, use of this pesticide has only begun to increase. Last year, some 7 million pounds of paraquat were used on 15 million acres of land. To make matters worse, more weeds are becoming resistant to more popular pesticides like Roundup, and paraquat is being marketed as a substitute.

(Related: Learn more about glyphosate at Glyphosate.news)

The Paraquat Controversy

Paraquat first became heavily scrutinized for its use in suicide attempts; just a single sip of this stuff can be lethal. But now, a wave of research on this contentious product has shown that there are less-immediate effects of exposure to paraquat  like Parkinsons disease.

The New York Times has even reported that the Environmental Protection Agency made note of paraquats toxicity in a recent regulatory filing. The EPA itself said, There is a large body of epidemiology data on paraquat dichloride and Parkinsons disease. The Times writer Danny Hakim writes that the EPA is currently debating on whether or not the pesticide should still be allowed to be sprayed on our countrys farmland. A decision is not expected to be reached until sometime in 2018.

Europe is known for their cautious approach to pesticides; several bans and moratoriums on a number of different products have taken place over the years. While often criticized by industry officials, paraquat shows that caution is truly necessary when dealing with toxic chemicals  even if they are supposedly not intended to be toxic to humans.

Research on paraquat and Parkinsons disease

Perhaps what is most disturbing about paraquat is that science has indicated that the pesticide was possibly linked to Parkinsons disease for more than twenty years. Over the last five years, however, research on the matter has grown more extensive.

In 2011, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) led a study that found two pesticides  rotenone and paraquat  were linked to a substantially higher risk of Parkinsons disease. The study found that the use of either pesticide was linked a 2.5-time increase in risk of developing the condition. The research was a collaborative effort that included National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Parkinsons Institute and Clinical Center in Sunnyvale, CA.

Freya Kamel, Ph.D. is a researcher in the intramural program at NIEHS and co-author of the paper appearing online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. She stated that Paraquat increases production of certain oxygen derivatives that may harm cellular structures. People who used these pesticides or others with a similar mechanism of action were more likely to develop Parkinsons disease.

A meta-analysis that was published in 2013 by the journal Neurology also found that exposure to paraquat and other similar pesticides could increase Parkinsons disease risk. In their conclusion, the team states that current literature supports the theory that pesticide exposure increases Parkinsons disease risk.

In 2000, which was almost 2 decades ago, research confirmed a potential link between pesticide exposure and Parkinsons. Later, a 2006 study would show that exposure to paraquat resulted in a 70 percent higher chance of developing Parkinsons disease. Research has been indicative of paraquats dangers for the last 20 years or so, and more recent research has only confirmed these suspicions.

The call to ban paraquat in the US has been a long time coming, but will the EPA listen?

Sources:

NYTimes.com

Neurology.org

NIH.gov
Thursday, January 19, 2017 by: JD Heyes Tags: CNN , Obama Cabinet , treason , Trump assassination This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) The far Left has become so unhinged in the wake of President-elect Donald J. Trumps victory over Hillary Clinton in November that its behavior is bordering on the criminal.

And treason.

Discredited fake news outlet CNN is being heavily criticized for a report that seems to suggest there could be an assassination of the president-elect in the offing, and should that happen, an Obama Cabinet pick would be waiting in the wings to take over.

As reported by Infowars, the story, headlined, Disaster could put Obama cabinet member in the Oval Office, says there is no specific threat that is targeting the inauguration, but then goes on to fantasize about who would be in charge if an attack hit the incoming presidentjust as the transfer of power is underway.

You can almost feel the dripping resentment for Trump and the hope that something bad would happen to him just so an Obama sycophant could seize the reins of power (and save the country from the disaster of Trump, of course).

CNN said that an individual named the designated presidential successor will not be at the inauguration as a security precaution, but it wont be a Trump cabinet secretaryit will be an Obama appointee.

The report goes on to emphasize that a president from the prior administration would then take power if there is an attack because none of Trumps Cabinet picks have been confirmed yet by the Senate.

According to the fake news network, the designated presidential successor would probably be Tom Shannon, the Under Secretary for Political Affairs and an Obama appointee (thanks for publishing his identity, CNNgood thing you were around to blow the lid off that D-Day invasion during World War II).

CNN teases the potential attack scenario on the inauguration by noting it would create chaos and high theater, then aired clips from ABCs weekly series Designated Survivor, starring Kiefer Sutherland who plays an obscure Cabinet secretary who is unexpectedly thrust into the presidency after an attack at the Capitol during a State of the Union Address.

There have already been a number of death threats against the soon-to-be President Trump, including a family friend of Hillary Clinton, who was arrested after he threatened to assassinate Trump at his inauguration. And, there have also been numerous reports of protests, unrest and property damage being planned for Inauguration Day, which in and of itself could create enough mayhem to threaten the president-elect and members of Congress in attendance. [RELATED: Stay current with potential threats to the civil society at Bugout.news]

We already know that CNN has regularly committed journalistic fraud; has the network crossed another line by drawing attention to this very dangerous scenario? After all, what is even the point of speculating something like this? For CNNs warped Left-wing ideologues, this is nothing more than wishful thinking disguised as a news story.

Respondents on YouTube, which were very heavily thumbed down, blasted the network for what could be taken as encouraging an attack on Trump.

Totally not suggesting anything her, huh CNN? one person commented, as Infowars reported.

So leftist terrorists know who they need to take out, so that dems can stay in power? This is irresponsible journalism, wrote another.

I flagged this video as dangerous to the president elect, and that it might foment violence, another poster noted.

This is not unprecedented for CNN, by the way, which has demonstrated amazing bias against Trump from the outset. This is the same network of losers who gave Thomas DiMassio a platform after he rushed a state to violently confront Trump during a campaign event in Ohio last year. [RELATED: Keep current with the new administration at WhiteHouse.news]

DiMassios intent? Use violence to send a message to all people out in the country who wouldnt consider themselves racist, who wouldnt consider themselves approving of what type of violence Donald Trump is allowing in his rallies.

Imagine if Fox News had run this kind of a story on the eve of President-elect Barack Obamas first inauguration in 2008; the Left-wing establishment media would have exploded with anger. But thats the point: Its okay for the journo-terrorists on the Left to publish this kind of garbage and pretend its news.

If youre not boycotting CNN, youre just encouraging more of this kind of outrageous behavior.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for Natural News and News Target, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources:

Infowars.com

Bugout.news

NaturalNews.com

YouTube.com
A recent move to ban self-driving cars for at least 50 years is the most recent sign that some people who drive for a living are threatened by the emergence of driverless cars.



According to Digital Trends, New York's Upstate Transportation Association (UTA) wants a 50-year ban on self-driving cars. The association said Uber and Lyft will be shifting to self-driving ridesharing, which can potentially cut thousands of jobs.



CNN says Uber has promised 13,000 jobs in upstate New York. The UTA -- which represents taxi, medical transportation, paratransit, and livery drivers -- isn't exactly "buying" Uber's promise.



John Tomassi, UTA president, told CNN that it "doesn't do anything for the local economy to have driverless cars." He also said this may not match the jobs lost to self-driving cars.



However, they're not the only group pushing to ban self-driving cars. The Independent Drivers Guild, yet another New York City group that is home to 45,000 drivers for hire, believes New York laws right now should be banning self-driving cars already and will fight to keep the laws in place. The law they focus on has a weakness, however, as it refers to drivers and vehicles.



Ed Walters, a Georgetown University Law Center robotic law teacher, said that this certain New York law requires that when people drive a car, they have a hand on the wheel. However, there's no requirement that self-driving cars should have anything on the wheel.



Regardless, Uber and Lyft appear to be testing self-driving cars in other states. However, Uber is asking for permission to offer its ridesharing services throughout the state.



On the New York City website, New York governor Andrew Cuomo presented a plan to allow ridesharing throughout a state. He said it provides economic opportunity and a cost-effective alternative to transportation to ensure all residents outside the city will have access to its benefits.
Deutsche Bank (XETRA: DBK-DE) Chief Executive John Cryan has declined to rule out the possibility of a capital hike in the coming years, with a range of regulatory uncertainties still weighing on the German bank.



In an exclusive interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and his first ever since becoming chief executive of Deutsche Bank, Cryan told CNBC that the bank has always said its preference was not to raise fresh capital when there were other options available, but detailed a range of issues still to be resolved.



"I have been in a CFO role before, so I know never to say 'never.' It remains to be seen what those [regulatory] uncertainties hold for us," he said Wednesday when asked about the possibility of a capital increase in the next one to three years.



"Once we have assessed  particularly our capital position from a regulatory perspective  once we have assessed that, we will always consider how we best manage the company's resources," he added.





Cryan spoke of the bank reducing risk and disposing of "a lot of businesses in the last 12 to 18 months." He said the bank had yet to have clarity on new prudential regulation rules, adding that there was still "critical uncertainty" on the Basel regulations for the banking industry. He posited that there was still "some uncertainty" on the bank's legacy positions too.



Shares of Deutsche Bank experienced a wild ride in the middle of 2016 after the proposed $14 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice that related to the selling of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS).



This raised concerns on its capital position, but the German banking giant insisted that it had a "comfortable" cushion at the time. This didn't stop a whole bunch of price fluctuations in the company's bonds and the cost of insuring its debt. There were reports of a potential state bailout at the time, but Cryan told CNBC Wednesday that he, or any member of the board, never discussed the idea with the German government.

Story continues





The German lender came under pressure from aggressive short-selling, notably from some large hedge funds. The bank announced further job cuts in Germany during that period and it announced it was offloading its British insurance business. Initial worries about Deutsche Bank actually surfaced earlier that year, with investors detailing concerns over its exposure to the energy sector and a possible cash crunch.



On Tuesday, the official announcement came that it would pay $7.2 billion for misleading investors. The U.S. Justice Department stated that this "agreement represents the single largest RMBS resolution for the conduct of a single entity."



"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 in the release.



"Deutsche Bank did not merely mislead investors: It contributed directly to an international financial crisis."

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.





More From CNBC


As creepy and unsettling it may sound, "young blood" transfusion is being eyed as the latest fad to fight aging.

According to Business Insider, a company called Ambrosia is currently looking for people for their clinical test that would hopefully show how a bag of blood of young people can make an adult skin healthier and more youthful. The subjects of the study would have to pay $8,000 for a single 1.5-liter transfusion of plasma (blood without blood cells).

Ambrosia is owned by Jesse Karmazin, who has a medical degree in Princeton but is not licensed to practice medicine.

"Some patients got young blood and others got older blood, and I was able to do some statistics on it, and the results looked really awesome," Karmazin told Business Insider. "And I thought, this is the kind of therapy that I'd want to be available to me."

Karmazin will be working with a physician named David Wright, who has a private intravenous-therapy center in Monterey, in the clinical trial.

The duo is targeting 600 participants and so far 30 had already undergone the procedure.

MIT Technology Review reported that Karmazin's idea was inspired by studies on mice that researchers had sewn together, with their veins conjoined, in a procedure called parabiosis, but that does not necessary mean it will work out. For once, the study that Karmazin is pertaining to was only maintained for four weeks, meaning it is uncertain how Ambrosia's one-time transfusions will affect people in the long-run.

The same report said that Wright was disciplined by the California Medical Board in January 2015 for administering antibiotic infusions to a patient who didn't need them. The patient ended up in the emergency room.

Meanwhile, Stanford University neuroscientist Tony Wyss-Coray, who led the 2014 study of young plasma in mice told Science Mag in an interview that the clinical trial has no credible basis and it is raising a red flag.

"There's just no clinical evidence [that the treatment will be beneficial], and you're basically abusing people's trust and the public excitement around this."
Just days before Donald Trump assume office as the 45th President of the United States of America, Dr. Vazrick Nazari decided to name a newly discovered species of moth after the new president-elect.

The new species of moth, described in a paper published in the journal ZooKeys, features yellowish-white scales on its head and small genitalia. Amusingly, the scales have some similarities to Trump's signature hairstyle, adding justification the moth's name.

"With its hair tufts, its presence in US and Mexico, and its fragile habitat that needs conservation, I really did not have any choice with this one other than to name [the moth] after Mr. President-elect himself," Dr. Nazari shared in a report from CNN.

Officially ned as Neopalpa donaldtrumpi, Dr. Nazari, an evolutionary biologist and systematist, hopes that the new species will gather enough fame to point out the dire need for additional conservation efforts for the fragile areas such as the habitat of the new species.

"By naming this species after the 45th President of the United States, 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," said Dr. Nazari, in a press release.

Dr. Nazari first stumbled across the new moth species while going through some materials borrowed from the Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California. He observed that some of the specimens did not match any previously known species. Due to this, Dr. Nazari conducted a thorough analysis of the moths using all available materials from different institutions. The analysis confirmed that the moth belonged to a new species of a genus of twirler moths.

At present, the habitat of N. donaldtrumpi found in some parts of California and Baja, Mexico is under serious threat due to urbanization and land use. With his name attached to the moth, the researchers hope that the Trump administration will continue to protect the fragile habitats of yet to be discovered species of animals and insects in the country.
After more than six months of reporting by the Investigative Unit, the director tasked with administering Californias workers compensation system responded to criticism from injured workers and doctors who say obtaining authorization for medical treatment has never been more difficult. Many claim critical medical care needed to get employees back to work has been delayed or outright denied by employers and insurance companies.

Christine Baker, the director of the Department of Industrial Relations, defended the system, saying reforms made four years ago improved access to medical treatment and helped contain costs. She also credits a new law enacted in January for further strengthening the system. Although the new legislation will speed up care to workers with new injuries, it wont directly benefit employees with long and complex injuries who feel stuck in the system.

Director Defends Workers Comp Reforms

The major changes launched in 2013 under SB 863 emphasized evidence-based medicine and shifted treatment decisions from the courts to medical reviewers using state-approved guidelines to authorize or deny treatment requests. According to Baker, the changes are paying off.

Benefits are going to workers, treatment has been sped up and appropriate treatment is being approved, she said. It is overall an improvement to the workers comp system, which is very complex.

According to recent estimates, the reforms also cut costs to the nations most expensive workers comp system by more than a billion dollars per year.

But many doctors and attorneys who represent injured workers told NBC Bay Area the savings have come at a price. They say denials have reached all-time highs. They believe the guidelines touted by state administrators are too rigid and dont always keep up with modern treatment techniques.

Baker rejects those claims.

Ninety-five percent of medical care decisions are approved, Baker said. There are a few that dont get approved and it could be that its inappropriate care or the doctor didnt document the requirements for care.

Lack of Data Called Into Question

But the data cited by Baker is impossible to verify. Until this year as a result of new reforms, the state has not collected data on the number of medical treatment requests that are approved or denied by insurers.

Instead, state administrators point to studies published by the California Workers Compensation Institute. The research group relies on data voluntarily provided by its members  insurance companies  which is not made available for public inspection.

More than a dozen doctors that spoke to NBC Bay Area say the denial rate for workers comp medical treatment requests made by their respective practices is substantially higher than what those studies reported.

In 2014, the California Medical Association surveyed doctors about the 2013 reforms Baker said improved the system. Sixty-seven percent of physicians reported difficulties obtaining treatment authorization and more than half said the greatest problem was the denial of medically necessary tests, procedures or services.

The new law, authored by State Senator Tony Mendoza (D)-Artesia, requires the state to track approvals and denials of medical treatment though a process known as utilization review. Doctors working on behalf of insurance companies and employers review requests for medical treatment made by an injured workers treating physician. They approve or deny treatment based on a standard set of guidelines.

Mendoza chaired the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee for the past two years. During hearings concerning workers comp, Mendoza said injured workers repeatedly complained about treatment denials. He said the database of treatment decisions will bring transparency to the process and accountability to insurance companies.

Why are injured workers being denied and for what reasons, Mendoza said. It will really begin to shed light on whats going on in our state.

Injured Workers Battle System for Medical Care

Many injured workers who shared their stories with NBC Bay Area had similar concerns. They say theyve been stuck in the system for years, still hurting and off the job. For many of them, like former paramedic Chuck Hood, the pain is not just physical.

Its been the most frustrating three years of my life, Hood said.

Prior to 2014, Hood says his life was full of meaning. As a paramedic, he answered the call to help on 9/11. For seven days after the attack, he performed search and recovery operations in the south tower of the World Trade Center.

Most recently, Hood worked at Oracle Arena catering Warriors games. He loved the job, especially interacting with fans. But three years ago, a hot box he was wheeling inside the arena tipped and crushed his arm against a post. The injury caused severe nerve damage. The pain, he said, is unrelenting.

His doctor requested a series of treatments, including surgery, to improve his condition. Hood said medical reviewers denied about 80 percent of those requests. At 48, he is headed toward permanent disability.

Being caught in the system is not much fun, I wouldnt wish it on my own worst enemy, Hood said. It feels like you are a prisoner in your own body.

New Law Speeds Up Care

A new reform made under Mendozas legislation would speed up care to workers with new injuries beginning next year. In the first 30 days of an injury, workers will no longer be subjected to the utilization review process many blame for denying treatment.

Mendoza is hopeful the reform will expedite treatment and get workers back on the job faster. But he admitted his legislation may not go far enough to help people feeling forgotten after spending months and years fighting for treatment.

When asked about those injured workers who feel like theyve been strung along with no resolution, Baker pointed to the states independent medical review process.

When medical care is denied, workers can ask the state for a second look at the decision. But an NBC Bay Area analysis of decisions found reviewers uphold treatment denials nearly 90 percent of the time.

Hood said the red tape and roadblocks are exhausting.

Its gotten to the point some days where Ive felt so beaten down by the system I have contemplated suicide, he said.

Delays, Denials and Endless Frustration

Last year, NBC Bay Area reported more stories like Hoods.

Lorrie Mays was a nurse who dealt with chronic pain and depression after being badly injured on the job. Medical reviewers abruptly stopped approving the only treatment her family said provided her any relief. She committed suicide shortly after her appeal was denied. A note she left behind said, We treat our employees while injured worse than we treat our veterans.

Then there was California Highway Patrol Officer Ryan Snyder, hit by a drunk driver in 2013 while patrolling the Napa area on his motorcycle. Snyder was launched from his bike and landed chin-first on the asphalt. He has yet to return to work fulltime and suffers from chronic neck and back pain. Snyder and his doctors say requests for medical care on constantly denied, even for basic items such as a $30 heating pad.

Marty Hoenisch, a San Jose firefighter, was crushed under a toppling wall during a massive warehouse fire. His injuries, including a fractured pelvis, were severe. But San Jose city administrators had to step in and overrule the citys third party workers comp administrator, Athens Administration, when reviewers denied treatment requests made by Hoenischs doctor.

Baker said shed have to look at these individual cases to understand why they faced denials, but reiterated the majority of the 250,000 workers who go through the system each year get satisfactory results.

Most people are not stuck, Baker said. Most get back to work. Most people are getting their treatment.

New Oversight of Insurance Industry

Mendozas legislation will also require more oversight of insurance companies and third party administrators. The medical treatment guidelines that many doctors said were outdated and overly rigid will also be revamped.

Baker said the state is also coordinating an outreach effort to help doctors understand how to properly document a request for a specific course of treatment, which she expects to further reduce denials.

Its an education piece and the Division of Workers Compensation is working hard at getting information and educational information about treatment guidelines on our website and how to use them, Baker said. Were hoping the holistic approach will overall really make improvements to workers comp in California.

Hood is hopeful the changes will make life better for him and other injured workers. But hes cautious.

People dont understand the pain, the disappointment, the false hope and the lies that you are going to be treated, he said. Basically you arent.

If you have a tip for the Investigative Unit email theunit@nbcuni.com or call 888-996-TIPS. Follow Liz on Facebook and Twitter.
Alameda has joined a growing list of sanctuary cities for undocumented immigrants, promising not to arrest people for their immigration status alone.

On Tuesday, the city council voted unanimously to join a list of many cities across the country bracing themselves for stepped up immigration enforcement under President Trump.

At least 30 people spoke out in favor of the resolution and the meeting lasted past midnight.

Vice Mayor Malia Vella said she wanted the vote to send a message that the city would protect civil liberties and civil rights.

Vella's grandmother, who was imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp in Hawaii during World War II, sat in the audience at Tuesday nights council meeting.

It was emotional for me, Vella said. "Knowing how it affected her and my family and my partners family and so many people in Alameda. We still have my grandmothers identification cards."

Under Executive Order 9066, thousands of American citizens of Japanese descent were banned from their homes and interned in remote locations because the U.S. military suspected some were more loyal to imperial Japan than to their new country.

"If theres a request for a registry or internment or an executive order, we dont want to be complicit in that. We took oaths to uphold the constitutional and that includes civil rights. The federal government is not infallible," Vella said.

Vella wears a silver necklace with the number 9066 to represent the injustice of internment. The other side is stamped with the legal case number of Korematsu v. United States, in which Fred Korematsu, who was convicted for refusing to leave his home in San Leandro and move to an internment camp, appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

I wear this reminder around my neck every day. Part of our job is to question whether were upholding civil liberties. We need to ask ourselves, Are we administering the law justly? Vella said. We dont want blind compliance with whatever comes down the pipeline. We want it on the books. We want this to speak to people who feel unsafe, unprotected.

Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley, Richmond, Los Angeles and Santa Ana have declared themselves sanctuary cities; some recently, others decades ago.

Alameda assistant city attorney Alan Cohen said the councils 4-0 vote (Mayor Trish Spencer was absent) supports the Alameda police policy not to arrest immigrants, which has been in place since 2009.

The council and the community was concerned and afraid about federal government taking unprecedented action once Trump assumes office. They want assurance that were not going to participate in these egregious policies, Cohen said.

About 30 people spoke at Tuesdays council meeting in favor of the city of refuge resolution. Two people spoke out against it. The meeting lasted past midnight.

Councilmember Jim Oddie had asked for a report on how much federal funding could be pulled if the Trump administration follows through on his threat to pull freeze grants to sanctuary cities.

The city attorneys office said the city gets about $2.5 million dollars in federal funding, not as much as some cities which get larger sums to operate jails.

I dont think our resolution will jeopardize our funding, Cohen said. Were not going to be the only one in that boat if the feds decide to pursue this.

The Alameda school district has already declared itself a sanctuary district.

The Sanctuary Movement was born in the 1980s in churches and synagogues that sheltered Central American immigrants who fled unrest and violence but werent given refugee status because of Cold War politics.

Supporters argue that sanctuary policies allow undocumented immigrants to come forward without fear of deportation and help law enforcement solve crimes and protect their neighborhoods.
Even though it was a chilly winter morning outside on the Peninsula, a dance floor was heating up inside as the next session of "Tango for Veterans" brought out seniors from a variety of military branches to a veteran's hall in San Bruno.

Ivan Shvarts, the founder of the program, strode across the dance floor with Air Force Veteran Grace David and directed partners to step this way and then that - and then back again.

"I was dancing tango for many years, Shvarts said. "My mother was a bali and tango dancer. She always wanted me to take on tango. Her last words were, go and learn tango." And after retiring from architecture and building, that is exactly what Shvarts did.

In 2005, he began to instruct a senior's tango class in Emeryville, and years later, he founded the Golden Age Tango Academy.

Now he works as an instructor, bringing tango to programs with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department as well as San Francisco Veterans Affairs.

"Ivan Shvarts had been running the Golden Tango Academy for some time - its a nonprofit - and he wanted to serve veterans, Dan Evenhouse, director of community services and a therapist at the San Francisco VA Health Care System, said.

Evenhouse began connecting Shvarts to local halls such as the American Legion in San Bruno where he could host dance lessons.

"The dance instructor does it for free for veterans so it makes sense for to put them in a veterans hall," Lonnie Sopko, Commander of American Legion Post 409, said. "Things to help the community, get vets back involved in things. When you first get out, you're not too anxious to get involved in stuff, but after a couple years you start relaxing a little but and then all of a sudden, you find out were here and the comradeship comes back and it really makes it nice."

Many of the participants at the tango class in San Bruno come from the nearby veterans clinic, but the program attracts different crowds at its five locations around the Bay Area.

"The self-esteem, self-worth, self-importance and physical ability and mental ability all comes from tango - dancing tango," Shvarts said.

There's something to that, the therapist said. "Creative pursuits" as it turns out makes a world of difference.

"Our folks who are involved in this program, they have measurable impacts on their lives," he said. "Their health gets better, they're getting more exercise, they're socializing more. That improves their mood and other mental health problems so it's a really great fit for what we want to do, Evenhouse said.

However, the dance instructor didn't need to see the science behind it to know. Shvarts says he sees it first hand.

"I found that people got involved for different reasons. People with disability, people with all kind of physical and mental illnesses so I see that yes, this dance makes them well and happy," Shvarts said. "The community of tango and the wellness and the musicality and all of these good things you can learn for life."

Interested veterans can attend for free or $10 to the general public by contacting goldenagetangoacedemy@gmail.com.
A small group of educators staged a protest Thursday at Galileo Academy of Science and Technology before school started to join a movement across the country as a national day of action, the day before Donald Trump becomes president.

The principal of the school, however, early Thursday morning came outside to see news trucks outside the school and was surprised. The protest was not sanctioned. The 20 or so protesters, carrying United Educators San Francisco signs, stood outside the school at 7 a.m. and were set to leave just before the first bell rang.

Supervisor Aaron Peskin came out to support them. "Now we have an administration at a time in this country where theres an attempt to privatize our education," he said. "To marginalize our teachers. To work against the union that gives these individuals.a living wage."

Trump's pick for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, is a champion of vouchers and has a historical past of steering taxpayer dollars away from traditional public schools. Educators were also worried about Trump's anti-immigration stance, and the fact that they are being left off the White House agenda.

Across the country schools will be participating in efforts to protect and defend public schools as part of the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools .

Public education has been a cornerstone of American democracy for a longtime and to dismantle it would mean we are taking away an essential part of our society, UESF Executive Vice-President Susan Solomon said. "We wouldnt be out here unless we thought we could affect change."
EDITOR'S NOTE: Senior Digital Editor Riya Bhattacharjee is in D.C. covering the inaugration and protests.

Stacy Goodall almost missed her connection to Baltimore from Boston Logan International Airport Wednesday night. As she plunked down on the empty Jet Blue seat next to me, she heaved a sigh of relief. "I just got in from Seattle, I thought I wouldn't make it."

Tens of thousands of women from the West Coast and all over the country are flying into Washington D.C. this week to take part in the Women's March on Washington Saturday, a day after Donald J. Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Their mission: To make a strong statement about the future of women's rights.

Peeking out of Goodall's carry-on luggage is some hot pink yarn. "Yes, it's for the pussy hats," she says with a smile. Thousands of women are knitting pink "pussy hats"  pink hats with ears  to wear at Saturday's march as part of the "Pussy Hat Project," the first of many actions to protest the Trump administration. The project has been so popular that shops across the country are running out of pink yarn. Many are dyeing white yarn pink to make up for the shortage.

Goodall, who is originally from Baltimore, but now lives in Seattle, said she has been knitting the hats along with her mother for a few weeks now. "By the time the march comes I will have made six hats, I've given away most of them," she said, adding that when she posted pictures of her competed handiwork online, she was attacked by a friend who was pro-Trump. "I'm going to the women's march to be part of the experience," Goodall said. "To be honest, I haven't decided exactly what message I'm going to give out, what I'm going to write in my sign yet. I think for me it's less about protesting and more about making a statement that I'm concerned about the direction of women's rights."

Goodall, like many others taking part in the march, is also concerned about the future of young women in her family. "I just wanna be there, and say I'm here, and support the policies and the direction that we've had that support women's rights, and when policies and trends and people don't continue to support women in the United States and all over the world, I'm going to make sure my voice is heard. And I think going to the march is the first step."

Follow Riya on Twitter @loislane28 to get her latest dIspatches from the Trump inauguration in D.C.
A man charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder will remain jailed while a Vermont judge awaits more evidence to consider defense lawyers' requests that their client be released on bail and conditions.

Ethan Gratton, 26, allegedly shot two men on Jan. 2 outside his family's home in the Franklin County town of Georgia following a dispute over driveway access.

David Hill, 57, of Fairfax, died in the road from multiple gunshot wounds, according to investigators. Mark Brito, 27, also of Fairfax, remains hospitalized following a life-threatening gunshot wound to the face.

"He would give you the shirt off his back," said Steve Brito of Barnstable, Massachusetts, talking about his son, Mark. "He's the kindest kid you could meet and the hardest-working kid you could come across."

Brito said his son, who grew up on Cape Cod but had been working in Vermont for the town of Westford's highway department, initially had a very grim medical prognosis, with bullet fragments lodged in his brain.

However, Brito told necn his son has been making encouraging progress. While the patient can't speak, and the status of his eyesight is uncertain, he has responded to some doctors' commands, Steve Brito explained.

"Every day is a great day, for us to come here and see Mark doing what hes doing," the father said of his son's medical progress.

Brito also praised staff at the University of Vermont Medical Center for their care of his son and compassion to his family.

Gratton has been in jail after pleading not guilty earlier this month to shooting Brito. He also denied a murder charge for allegedly shooting and killing Brito's friend and mentor, David Hill.

Hill's obituary said he enjoyed spending time with his many family and friends, as well as his beloved dog, Sam, watching western movies, and listening to bluegrass music.

Hill had been teaching Brito proper usage of tractor trailers and other heavy equipment, Steve Brito said.

Police said the gunfire followed a dispute over driveway access, with Gratton angry that Hill and Brito wanted to use his family's property to turn around a big rig loaded with logging equipment.

Gratton claimed self-defense, saying those loggers punched him a few times during the roadside argument, breaking his nose and knocking out a tooth.

Wednesday, Gratton's attorneys asked Judge Gregory Rainville to okay their client's release from jail on conditions pending trial.

Judge Rainville noted this is a very unusual case, because Gratton had no prior criminal history, and the fight appeared to have been over something rather trivial.

However, Rainville cautioned all sides against jumping to conclusions because a lot more evidence will be introduced, and a lack of witnesses in the case complicates the investigation.

Prosecutors played a 911 recording of Pam Gratton calling for help for the men suffering in the road outside her home.

Franklin County State's Attorney Jim Hughes pointed out the 911 recording also contained audio of Ethan Gratton in the background saying he shot the loggers because they punched him.

Hughes argued Gratton should stay in jail in order to protect public safety and to protect Gratton from himself, because Hughes said the suspect made suicidal statements after the shooting.

Ethan Gratton's mother, Pam, testified that her son is an educated, hard-working young man. She said she saw her son the day of the tragedy with a bloodied face, which he told her was from punches thrown by one or both of the men in the truck.

Pam Gratton told the court she took a handgun away from her son after the shooting and put it out of his reach until the police arrived.

"I was afraid the trooper would come and shoot Ethan," Pam Gratton testified, choking back tears as she described her worry about what she imagined could happen if an officer saw a bloodied man holding a gun.

Pam Gratton told Judge Rainville she would care for her son and ensure a gun-free home if the court okayed his release from jail on conditions while awaiting trial.

Rainville declined to issue a ruling on the defense attorneys' bail request Wednesday.

The judge said there are still many unknowns in the case, and said before he rules on allowing Gratton's release from jail on conditions, he would first want to review several pieces of pending evidence, including a mental health evaluation of the suspect.
Sen. Dick Durbin said Tuesday that incarcerated former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevichs 14-year prison sentence was excessive.

I think 14 years was an outrageously long sentence. Ill be honest with you, Durbin told WGN Radio. I think it shouldve been a shorter sentence.

Definitely, he shouldve gone to jail for what he did, but 14 years, in light of some other sentencing Ive seen, is really hard to explain, he added.

Blagojevich, who is currently serving his sentence at a low-security federal prison in Colorado, requested a commutation from President Barack Obama last month. The former governor had his initial 14-year sentence upheld during a re-sentencing hearing in August.

Many of Blagojevichs criminal charges are related to his attempts to sell the Senate seat Obama vacated before being sworn-in as president. Durbin was a member of the Senate at the time.

On Tuesday, the White House announced 209 inmates whose sentences Obama is shortening in one of his final acts before leaving office on Jan. 20. Another 64 people also received pardons. Blagojevich was not among the group granted clemency Tuesday.

During the interview, Durbin wouldnt comment directly on Blagojevichs request for a commuted sentence.

"Rod Blagojevich did file the papers to be considered, Durbin said during Tuesday's interview. Whether he did it on time, I cant say. And certainly the president and his staff are aware that the request has been made."

I just cant tell you how this will end. Ive never spoken to the president directly about it, he added.
As thousands of people prepare to descend on Chicago and march one day after Donald Trump's inauguration, there are some things marchers and residents alike should know.

From transportation to potential street closures to timing, speakers and events.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the Saturday event:

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING AND WHO IS ATTENDING?

Organizers say up to 50,000 people are expected to be a part of the Women's March on Chicago this weekend.

The march is said to feature a diverse group of demonstrators from around the city, including both men and women. Organizers say women and allies of women are being encouraged to march.

A list of participating groups can be found here.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

8:30 a.m. -- marchers can arrive at the rally site, on Columbus Drive near Jackson Drive

9:30 a.m. -- Musical performances begin. The music will continue at the rally site during the march as well.

10 a.m.-- Pre-march rally begins, with a series of speakers addressing crowds

11:30 a.m. -- The march steps off for a walk to Federal Plaza

2 p.m. -- Music and post-march gathering ends

MARCH ROUTE AND STREET CLOSURES

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.

The event will begin with the rally near Grant Park, with the march expected to step off at 11:30 a.m.

Demonstrators will continue west on Jackson Boulevard before ending at Federal Plaza.

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.

HOW TO GET THERE

According to the march's website, these are the best routes to take when traveling to the event:

From Union Station: Passengers can board the 126 Jackson eastbound, exit at Jackson and Wabash avenue, walk east 2 blocks and west 2 blocks to Columbus and Balbo.

From Ogilvie Station: Walk to Canal and Washington. Take a J14 to Michigan and Jackson, exit the bus and walk south and east to Columbus and Balbo.

From Millennium Station: Walk to Balbo, and east to Columbus. Alternatively, board a 3, 4, or 147 at Michigan and Washington southbound, and alight at Michigan and Jackson. Walk 1 south and then east to Balbo and Columbus.

From LaSalle Street Station: Board the Blue line toward OHare at LaSalle. Ride 1 stop north to Jackson. Exit the train and walk about 4 blocks south and east to Balbo and Columbus. Alternatively, walk east on Congress Parkway approximately 2 blocks,

Parking: The Millennium Park and Millennium Lakeside Garages will offer nearby parking to the rally, with entrances on Columbus Drive, north of Monroe or south of Randolph. Other options for commuters looking for discounted rates include Bestparking.com and spothero.com.

Metra is also expanding capacity on all lines Saturday to accomodate crowds expected for the march. That includes trains on the UP North, Milwaukee North, UP Northwest, Milwaukee West, UP West, BNSF, Rock Island, SouthWest Service and Metra Electric lines. There is no Saturday service on the North Central Service and Heritage Corridor lines.

WHO IS SPEAKING AT THE RALLY?

The long list of speakers features several people including Ari Afsar, Karen Olivo and Samantha Marie Ware from the cast of Hamilton" as well as Hadiya Pendleton's mother Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton.

See the full list of speakers here.

IS IT CONNECTED TO THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON?

The Chicago event is one of many around the country and the world being held in conjunction with the Womens March on Washington.

"This march is just one moment in time but its a moment that will hopefully ignite a powerful message," said Donna Miller with Planned Parenthood. "Women are taking action and will continue to take action."

The group noted it is not an anti-Trump event, but that many marchers may be marching for political reasons.

"The incoming administration and president have promised an assault on womens rights, we are prepared to fight back," said organizer Ann Scholhamer.

The marches nationwide are expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people on Saturday.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the federal Department of Defense hope a new program will turn the city into a place where college students can learn how to out-hack computer hackers.

Emanuel and a top U.S. Department of Defense official introduced a six-month pilot "cybersecurity boot camp" at one of the city's community colleges on Wednesday. They said it is the first such partnership between a community college and the federal agency.

The program, scheduled to begin this spring at Wilbur Wright College on the city's Northwest Side, will teach students essentially the same skills that hackers use to breach government and private companies' computer systems. It's modeled after a program offered to uniformed personnel only at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C., and will be available to military personnel, veterans and other students.

"If you are going to defend against that you need people that can go in and do penetration testing, find vulnerabilities in your operating systems and patch them before someone else does ..." said Frank C. DiGiovanni, director of force training with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness.

Emanuel said he's confident that the federal government will not divest in the program after Donald Trump takes office later this week because cybersecurity is a "national security priority." He also pointed to DiGiovanni's statement that the Defense Department hopes that the Chicago program will be the first of many across the United States.

"I think it will be permanent because their needs are permanent," Emanuel said.

Both Emanuel and DiGiovanni said the demand for people with such skills far outstrips the number of people that have them, with the mayor saying that there are now 200,000 jobs created a year in cybersecurity.

The field is only expected to grow in the wake of high-profile computer system breaches for credit, debit card data and other information. And most famously, was the recent accusation by U.S. intelligence officials that Russian hackers hacked into the Democratic National Committee to help Trump defeat Hillary Clinton in November's election.
A Chicago police officer has been charged with first-degree murder for an off-duty shooting that left an unarmed 38-year-old man dead, the Cook County State's Attorney announced Wednesday.

Officer Lowell Houser was arrested and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Jose Nieves earlier this month following a criminal investigation, officials said.

"He had no reason to kill my son," Angel Nieves said.

Nieves was shot by the 57-year-old officer, who was assigned at the time to the mass transit unit, in the 2500 block of North Lowell in the city's Hermosa neighborhood, according to Chicago Police.

The two men were involved a verbal altercation that escalated and Nieves, who was not armed at the time, was shot several times, police said.

Nieves was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police and the Cook County medical examiners office said. He died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide.



A day after the shooting, Supt. Eddie Johnson stripped the officer of his police powers.

Nieves' family said in a statement Wednesday that the "the state's attorney's action will not bring back Jose but is an important and swift step in the criminal justice process."

Nieves' sister has filed a federal lawsuit against the city, alleging there was a code of silence among police to cover-up the shooting.



The lawsuit alleged the police department conspired to present misleading reports and said the departments code of silence prevents a proper investigation into civilians who are shot by Chicago police.



A spokesman for the citys Law Department said at the time they had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment.

It was not immediately clear if Houser had an attorney. He is expected to appear in bond court Thursday.
An employee of the citys Department of Planning and Development was accused Wednesday of using city computers to send more than 50 sexually explicit emails over a three-month period and using city resources for more than a decade to moonlight at a second job.

The explosive allegation is one of two involving allegations of sexual misconduct contained in Inspector General Joe Fergusons quarterly report, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

In another case, an employee of the citys Department of Fleet and Facilities Management is accused of making sexually suggestive comments, including uninvited and probing questions to a pair of senior citizens at a city-run facility.

At least one of the seniors became uncomfortable using the facility for fear of running into the city employee, Ferguson wrote.

The employee was fired and appealed that termination. An arbitration hearing is scheduled to be held soon.

As always, accused employees are not identified in Fergusons report.

It simply states the basic facts of each case, which are particularly eyebrow-raising in the case of the city planner.

Not only is the employee accused of using a city email account for over a decade as the primary means of communication for outside employment, including while on the clock for Chicago taxpayers.

The practice of using the city account to conduct private business continuedwith over 170 emails over a seven-month period ending in January, 2016 even after the employee had obtained a private email address.

The employee allegedly compounded the offense by failing to disclose the secondary employment as required by the citys ethics ordinance. But that wasnt the only problem.

OIGs investigation also established that, over a three-month period, the employee sent more than 50 sexually-explicit emails through the citys system. The emails were sent during the workday, the report states.

In response to Fergusons finding, Planning and Development Commissioner David Reifman moved to fire the accused, then changed the punishment to a 90-day suspension without pay after the employees response as required by a union contract.

The accused employee has since requested an arbitration hearing, which is expected to be held in early spring.

Fergusons report also accuses a high-level official in the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection of participating in the prosecution of businesses represented by the employees spouse, a private attorney.

The department ordered the high-level employee to be vigilant when it comes to stepping aside from cases involving either the spouse or the spouses law firm.

But the department concluded that the official did not participate in any decision-making regarding the spouses clients and, therefore, did not have an actual conflict of interest.

In yet another case, a commissioner of one of the taxing districts known as special service areas resigned after being accused of leasing office space to the SSAs service provider.

Feguson also concluded that seven city officials and political groups, including unidentified aldermen, had violated campaign finance laws by accepting illegal campaign donations.

Recipients were given ten days to remedy the violation, as required by the citys ethics ordinance. As a result, $12,700 was returned to donors, the inspector general wrote.

Of the refunded donations, $3,500 came from lobbyists; $7,200 came from city vendors and $2,000 was returned to an entity with a matter pending before the City Council or a City Council committee.
A northwest suburban couple won more than $2 million in a November lottery drawing.

Roy and Gail Voigt of Crystal Lake won the $2.25 million jackpot when they matched all six numbers  02  11  31  36  37  48  in the Nov. 17 drawing, according to a statement from the Illinois Lottery. They plan to get professional financial advice and invest their winnings.

We are shocked that we won, Gail Voigt said when the couple presented their ticket at the Illinois Lottery Prize Center in Rockford. It hasnt sunk in yet.

The Voigts have been playing the same numbers for several years. They checked the winning numbers online a few weeks after the drawing and realized they had hit the jackpot.

The Thorntons gas station at 800 Northwest Highway in Cary received a bonus of $22,500, or 1 percent of the prize amount, for selling the winning ticket.
A group of Illinois congressmen have joined the growing list of lawmakers expected to boycott President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration Friday, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

Illinois Reps. Luis Gutierrez, Mike Quigley and Dan Lipinski are among the roughly 60 members of the U.S. House who plan to skip the historic event, according to the report. Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush will reportedly miss the inaugural due to his wifes hospitalization.

Congressional opposition to Trumps swearing-in grew after the divisive Republican attacked Civil Rights icon and Georgia Rep. John Lewis, who questioned the legitimacy of Trumps presidency based on Russian hacking allegations. Lewis is not expected to attend the inaugural.

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 tweeted Saturday. All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!

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

Democratic Reps. Robin Kelly, Bill Foster, Jan Schakowsky and Danny Davis are still undecided about the inaugural, according to the Tribune report. Kelly responded Saturday to Trumps attacks against Lewis.

You say talk, talk, talk but all you do is tweet, lie and demean, Kelly shot back on Twitter. Thats bigly unpresidential."

.@realDonaldTrump: you say "talk, talk, talk" but all you do is tweet, lie and demean. That's "bigly" unpresidential. https://t.co/inpAhu1kdy  Robin Kelly (@RepRobinKelly) January 14, 2017

Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos announced Tuesday that she plans to attend the event, despite criticizing Trumps agenda and behavior. During the ceremony, Bustos plans to stand with President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Democratic leaders who are committed to fighting for the values that we believe in.

Bustos will also attend the Womens March on Chicago Saturday.

On the next day, I and thousands of Illinoisans will march in Chicago to send a message that the true majority rejects President-elect Trumps politics of divisiveness, and we will hold him accountable, Bustos said in a statement.

Recently-elected Democratic Reps. Brad Schneider and Raja Krishnamoorthi are also expected to attend the ceremony, the Tribune reports. Krishnamoorthi will reportedly join Bustos at Saturday's Women's March.

All seven Republican lawmakers from the Illinois congressional delegation are expected to be on hand Friday, according to the report. As are both Illinois senators, Democrats Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.

Gov. Bruce Rauner told reporters Tuesday that he's skipping the inaugural because he's "100 percent focused in Illinois." He claimed his choice wouldnt have a negative impact on Illinoisans, citing his close relationship with members of Trumps camp.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is also expected to skip the event, according to the Tribune. A mayoral spokesman wouldnt say whether the move was a protest against Trump.

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, Emanuel spokesman Matt McGrath told the Tribune.
Criminals are smashing car windows and grabbing purses while parents drop off their kids at school in Chicagos suburbs, police say.

The break-ins have occurred in Lisle and Downers Groveand possibly others, according to police.

Deanna Killackey was dropping her kids off at a daycare center in Downers Grove Tuesday about 8:30 a.m. She walked her kids insidebut when she came back she discovered someone had smashed out her passenger-side window and taken her purse. Police say two other cars were also broken into that same morning outside the daycare center.

When you have such a hectic morning with two toddlers and their backpacks, you sometimes dont realize that things can happen in a matter of minutes, she told NBC 5, adding that her doors were locked at the time. We all were parked right in front of school, its a very highly trafficked area  we have to

Deputy Chief Ron Wilke, of the Lisle Police Department, says similar break-ins have happened in his village, including Monday night outside of Kinder Careand two others Tuesday morning.

I have heard that some of our neighboring communities have also been dealing with [break-ins], Wilke said. Whether theyre related or notwe cant tell at this point, but we are investigating that line of options.

Lisle police say they are looking for any security footage that may have captured the crimes.
Police are warning homeowners in Chicagos west suburbs after a violent home invasion Thursday evening in Indian Head Park.

Indian Head Park police sent out a warning Wednesday night alerting residents to a home invasion with injuries in the Acacia Townhomes, reporting that the suspect was still at large. In the robo-call and text alert, people living near the area were asked to keep their doors locked and outside lights on.

Cook County sheriff's officers and a police dog joined Indian Head Park police officers in the search for the suspect late into the night.

The intruder reportedly wore a black ski mask and used a butcher knife when he broke into a townhome on Briarwood Court.

Neighbors told NBC 5 they heard commotion in the quiet residential area around 7:30 p.m. before police swarmed the scene. Residents said a woman and child live in the townhome, but that has yet to be confirmed by police.

Authorities have not released further information on the extent of the reported injuries or identities of the victims. Whether the home was targeted or it was a random attack is still under investigation.
A Lake County sheriffs officer shot a person who shot his police dog Wednesday afternoon in northwest Indiana, according to authorities.

About 3 p.m. the officer conducted a traffic stop in the 700 block of 42nd Avenue in Gary, and a passenger ran from the car, according to Indiana State Police. The driver of the silver car also drove off west on 42nd Avenue from the stop.

The sheriffs officer and his K-9 partner, Blade, followed the person who ran from the car down an alley toward railroad tracks that were north of the stop, state police said. At some point near the tracks, the passenger fired shots at the officer and struck the police dog.

The officer returned fire and struck the passenger, who was taken to Methodist Hospitals North Lake campus in Gary with life-threatening injuries, police said. The second suspect remained at large Wednesday evening.

The dog, a 6-year-old Dutch shepherd with four years on the forces Gang Unit, was taken to Purdue University Animal Hospital in West Lafayette. Blade was still undergoing tests Wednesday night, but was expected to survive.

Sheriffs detectives and Indiana State Police are investigating.
B. Harold Smick Jr. remembers Jan. 20, 1941, as if it was yesterday. It was the day Franklin D. Roosevelt became the only U.S. president to be sworn in to a third term. It was the first of many presidential inaugurations Smick attended.

It really made you feel like you were proud of the country, Smick said.

The Salem, New Jersey, native was 15 when he began a tradition he will continue Friday at the age of 91. Since 1941, Smick has witnessed every presidential inauguration. The inauguration of Donald Trump will be his 18th.

Smick recalled some of the more memorable inauguration moments hes experienced. He remembered traveling on a crowded bus with his father from South Jersey to Washington.

It was filled with smoke before we got to the Pennsville ferry, Smick said. We didnt have bridges then. Even in Camden to Philly it was a ferry.

Smick described the snowstorm during President John F. Kennedys inauguration in 1961 that left him stranded.

It got worse every hour, Smick said. At 5 p.m. I pulled off to an Esso Gas Station and said, Im all the way from Salem, Im going to go back on a train. May I leave my car here?

Smick's passion for the inauguration carries over into presidential history in general. His living room is full of inaugural buttons, photos and souvenirs, including the signatures of every American president.

Smick told NBC10 hes a Democrat who voted for Hillary Clinton in the most recent election. That isnt stopping him from attending Donald Trumps inauguration.

Hes a different person from any person whos ever been president of the United States, Smick said. In fact hes never been in politics.

Smick weighed in on the more than 50 Democratic lawmakers who are boycotting Trumps inauguration.

I think its terrible, he said. Its a disgrace really. They got a right to do it in America but its sad. He is our president as of Friday.

During FDRs inauguration, Smick took a piece of felt from the stage cover. He told NBC10 he may do the same thing Friday.

I stayed and walked up on that platform myself, he said. It was a big sheet and I tore off a corner. To this day the FBI doesnt know where that corner piece went.

Smick says hes praying Trump will bring peace, healthcare and jobs.

If he succeeds, and I pray that he does, our family lumber business has been there since 1906, Smick said. Were going to succeed and succeed well.
New Haven resident Greta Seashore recalls an evening when two teens appeared to be following her as she pulled her car into the garage.

I was a little concerned by that obviously, she told NBC Connecticut. I could of called 911, but in our neighborhood we have our neighborhood app that gets us straight to Sgt. Wojo.

Sgt. John Wolcheski became the New Haven Police district manager for the Beaver Hills neighborhood ten months ago.

You want to get it on this, because it gives you an opportunity to see whats going on in the neighborhood, he said, recalling what his predecessor Sgt. Shafiq Abdussabur told him.

Wolcheski said between three and four hundred residents are part of the Beaver Hills WhatsApp chat group.

WhatsApp users can join groups and send unlimited mobile messages, pictures and videos on their phones. Consider this use of the app a 21st century edition of a neighborhood crime watch.

This gives residents a direct line or the ability to have direct access to their neighborhood officer, he said.

Last year there was a rash of car break-ins in a neighborhood near Ellsworth Ave. Sgt. Wolcheski credits communication on the WhatsApp group for catching the crook who was responsible for many of them.

One resident saw a car break in and called the police department and then went on the chat and started giving updates on locations, he explained.

Seashores friend Nan Bartow said the WhatsApp group helped police crack down on drug dealing and prostitution near her home.

We were able to say real time, this is happening, come out, Bartow said.

Wolcheski said he hopes other NHPD district managers get on board with bringing this new community policing tool to their neighborhoods. He added residents should still call 911 first during serious emergencies.

I never had the kind of relationship with the police that we do through the WhatsApp because the district manager watches all the time and he will send somebody out immediately, if needed, Bartow said.
On-campus police officers at Manchester Community College can now carry guns.

Connecticut State Colleges & Universities has approved the schools proposal, which officials said includes training requirements, a use of force policy, an active shooter policy and campus policing procedures.

Officials from Connecticut State Colleges & Universities said students will be notified and on-campus police will begin to carry firearms immediately.

Manchester has satisfactorily completed the process, addressed all the required elements and demonstrated that they are prepared to maintain a safe campus environment, CSCU President Mark Ojakian said in a statement. Having armed security is an option for our community college campuses driven by their expressed desire to feel safe. It is up to each campus community if they wish to go that route.

In October 2016, the Connecticut Board of Regents approved the process to allow armed police at community colleges in the state.

Eastern Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, Central Connecticut State University and Western Connecticut State University have armed police officers and Capital and Gateway Community College have submitted a proposal, according to CSCU.

"This approval gives our POST-Certified Police Officers the designation of a Special Police Force," Gena Glickman, president of MCC, said. "We are fully supportive of the tools our police force needs to ensure the safety of our campus. The security of our students, staff, faculty and visitors is our priority."
Police are investigating the untimely death of a 43-year-old woman found in Bristol on Wednesday and said the autopsy results on the cause of her death are inconclusive.

Police identified the woman as Kimberly Rudy and said her live-in boyfriend called police at 4:11 a.m. saying his girlfriend was unresponsive in their apartment at 92 Main St.

Rudy was pronounced dead at the scene.

Bristol Police are investigating and Connecticut State Police Major Crime Unit are assisting with collection of evidence and scene processing.

Police were unable to disclose any other details.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call BPD at (860) 314-4567.
A University of New Haven freshman and softball player who was missing for two days has been found in good health, police said.

School officials said Allie McGrory, 18, of Medford, New Jersey, was missing from Tuesday, when she was seen at her dorm and police said they found McGrory at Ingalls Rink at Yale University Thursday, but did not explain why she was there.

The search for McGrory started after a resident assistant contacted school authorities Wednesday with concerns that the freshman had been missing for nearly 24 hours and had not gone to classes or softball practice, according to school officials and West Haven police.

Assistant University of New Haven Chief of Police Don Parker said university police determined McGrory was not on campus and there "were some issues she was having typical of most college freshmen, and we became concerned about her well-being."

University of New Haven police reached out to West Haven Police around 6:30 a.m. on Thursday for help to find the student.

During a news conference, police said McGrory's father brought her back to school on Tuesday night after break and she might have left campus that night to go to a movie, but they were not sure. They also said they had a message McGrory sent to her roommate indicating that she was feeling "a little distraught."

Police did not provide any additional information about the message, citing privacy concerns.

Jessica Fulchiero, one of McGrory's family members, made a five-hour trip from Pennsylvania to help with the search.

"Her dad was completely under the impression that she's coming back to school and getting back into softball," she said. "We are very confused."

"We're terrified. She's such an amazing kid. She's smart, she's athletic and we just want to make sure she's safe, that's all," Fulchiero said.
A group of Connecticut college students will be in the crowd when President-Elect Donald Trump takes office on Friday.

Quinnipiac University political science professor Scott McLean has been taking students to the nations capital for the last five inaugurations and they will be there once again on Friday.

This is a tradition for me, regardless of president or party, McLean said.

The trip is made possible in partnership with the Washington Center Program. This year 38 students have joined McLean for the two-week program, which educates them on the entire inaugural process.

I think its important to recognize the peaceful transfer of power, which is the core of our democracy, said McLean.

Among the students in attendance is Ryiah Khan, of Meriden, who had planned to spend the semester in Washington, DC and used the program as an opportunity to extend that stay.

The funny part is, Im not very into politics so it was a very eye-opening experience that it has been for the past week and a half, Khan said.

Although Khan is not a Trump supporter, she and McLean agree this is about the American people, not one political party.

Personally, this wasn't my choice for a president-elect, but that does not mean I don't want to be a part of it, Khan said.

The two are most interested in hearing the new presidents first address firsthand and are eager to hear a message that will unite the country.

Im really hoping President Trump will give the kind of speech that his predecessors have always tried to give, one that will unite our country behind our shared principals, said McLean.
South Windsor police said a man charged with vandalism breaks windows, floods rooms and even smears feces as a way to release stress.

Allen Collins, 34, of South Windsor, is suspected in nearly a dozen vandalism cases in his hometown during the summer of 2016 and he was arrested on warrants last week.

Collins was already in police custody in connection with a separate vandalism case from September 2016.

Police said the latest cases he was linked to happened on Sullivan Avenue and Strong Road.

In one case, police told NBC Connecticut Collins caulked the doors shut on a truck.

He is also accused of breaking windows at the South Windsor Child Development Center and a vacant home nearby.

In both cases, police tell NBC Connecticut he used a hose, turned it on and flooded part of the buildings.

Detectives said he also tampered with the engine of a backhoe on Strong Road and ransacked the cabs of trucks at Mitchell Fuel.

Marianne Lassman Fisher's law office was another building police said Collins vandalized .

"Went through my office, tore it apart, put hand soap in my computers, so none of my computers were working. My phones weren't working, my copiers weren't working," Fisher said.

Police said Collins wiped human feces on the walls. Fisher said it was in her bathroom.

"It was on the walls. Yeah, we had to have a professional cleaner come in ... and on the floor," she said.

It cost her about $3,000 to repair and replace everything.

Police tell NBC Connecticut they interviewed Collins and he told them he did the acts to release stress.

"It was so random and odd, so I'm glad its over," Fisher said.

Collins has been detained and is due back in court next month.
Rainbow flags, cut off shorts and music filled the streets near Vice President-elect Mike Pence's Chevy Chase home Wednesday night.

Hundreds met at Friendship Heights Metro station before marching -- and dancing -- their way to Pence's neighborhood for a "Queer Dance Party."

Organizations WERK for Peace and DisruptJ20 held the event to express "that homophobia and transphobia is wrong and should be resisted," Firas Nasr, a founding organizer of WERK for Peace, told DCist.

The protesters went down Western Ave. toward Tennyson St. NW, where Pence is temporarily staying until he moves into the United States Naval Observatory.

In December, several people on Pence's block hung rainbow pride flags to show their displeasure about his positions on LGBT issues.

LGBT activists have criticized Pence for a "religious objections" law he signed as Indiana governor that they said could sanction discrimination against gay people.
A baby girl who was born at just 22 weeks is finally home from a Fort Worth hospital, where she has spent the first seven months of her life.

"In the first days and weeks of her life, and in the first months, it was very much touch-and-go. Survival is not a given for these babies who are born in the most fragile state of prematurity," said Dr. Jonathan Nedrelow, a neonatalogist and the medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Cook Children's Medical Center.

In his 14 years there, Nedrelow has seen thousands of the tiniest babies. He remembers the day Camila Delarosa arrived at the hospital.

"Camila was an extremely premature baby. She was born very, very small," he said. "This baby had a very, very long course where we had to use all the different tools to help babies survive from a breathing standpoint. She had a need for many types of ventilators."

Camila was born June 9, 2016. Her numbers at birth put her very life in doubt: born at 22 weeks, weighing 17 ounces and her organs underdeveloped.

"I didn't want her to be born at 22 weeks. I was scared," said her mother, Eliana Delarosa. "It's not what you picture. You picture a newborn baby. I didn't know what an NICU was. I didn't know what they looked like. I didn't know how small she was going to be. She wasn't ready, and I wasn't ready."

Delarosa took pictures and video almost from her daughter's birth to document what would turn out to be an incredible will to live.

"They tell you from the beginning, 'Are you willing to go through it? She only has 10-percent chance of surviving," she recalled. "I did. And, she's here."

In the delivery room, though, Delarosa didn't know her baby girl was even present. Her daughter was so tiny, she couldn't see her in the incubator.

"I turned but couldn't find her," she said. "I didn't see anything, because she was this little."

And she was still so small when Eliana held her for the first time at 24 weeks.

"She fit in my shirt. It was like her little head was here," Delarosa demonstrated. "They like kangaroo care. It's good for them. So, I always put her in my shirt and she stayed there."

And, Delarosa stayed by her daughter's bedside. She rarely left the NICU for fear something would happen.

"You're so anxious all the time," she said. "Every call you get, you think, 'Oh, my gosh, something happened.'"

Yet through the weeks and months, Camila not only survived but thrived.

Dr. Nedrelow remembers seeing her personality change as she continued to develop.

"Very feisty, very interactive, with the staff and her mother," he said. "And it's neat to see that emergence of a personality over time. (As if saying) 'I want to interact with everyone. I complain. I cry. I'm happy.' All those things she was not able to do when she was first born."

"Every day she lived was a milestone for me," said Delarosa.

Camila "graduated" from the NICU after six months and has been in a transition unit since December. She leaves Cook Children's with a breathing tube that will stay in place until her lungs grow and she no longer needs the support.

"It's a wonderful thing to witness this transformation for these babies," said Nedrelow. "She faces some challenges still regarding her development. The good news is that she has the chance to face those challenges."

The baby born at 10 inches, 17 ounces is now 21 inches long and weighs 11 pounds.

"I feel blessed, and I'm happy. I'm very happy," said Delarosa, 23. "I just wish her dad was here."

Delarosa's husband is a Mexican national, a man Eliana met on family trips from Texas to Mexico. She fell in love with him and moved to Mexico to marry him. They wanted a family, but Delarosa suffered several miscarriages. Fertility treatment helped her become pregnant with Camila.

The pregnancy was difficult, and Delarosa was put on bed rest almost from the start. She was visiting family in Fort Worth last spring when she went into labor. She knew the early delivery would threaten her baby's life.

"The first month of her life was day by day," she said.

"Her story plays out here often, and we really celebrate and rejoice when any of the kids who are born extremely small can survive and thrive, because it's not a foregone conclusion. Many of these kids don't," said Nedrelow. "She's a wonderful example of a child who was so near death for so long but managed to survive, but many of these kids don't, unfortunately."

"It's just been really hard. You can't explain something like this to anyone," said Delarosa. "It just hits you and you have to live with it and you have to fight for your kid."

"Why some kids survive and others don't is beyond the explanation of medical science," said Nedrelow. "For all these babies born early, there's this intense raw will to live."

"As her mom, I'm very proud of her and very blessed with her," said Delarosa.
Forty-one million Americans wear contact lenses and a third of them report at least one visit to the doctor because of red or painful eyes.

Often, the culprit is poor hygiene or misuse of the lenses. Sometimes it gets so bad that it requires surgery.

As an aircraft mechanic, 26-year-old Rebekah Fraser depends on her eyes.

Yet, for years she slept in her contact lenses, developing ulcers on her eyes.

I had the kind of contacts that you were supposed to take out every night and clean them and let them sit in the morning, and I never did that. I just slept with them in, said Fraser.

Theres a much higher rate of infection and corneal ulcers with this that can have a permanent impact in your vision if they are not treated," Jeffrey Whitman, M.D., an ophthalmologist at Key Whitman Eye Centers in Dallas, explained. "Becka was legally blind without wearing some type of prescription eye wear.

Whitman performed Lasik surgery, traditionally done to correct near-sightedness, but in Beckas case, it also reshaped her cornea and saved her vision.

She saw 20/20 the next day and she could already tell as soon as she got up from the procedure table that she could see better already, detailed Whitman.

Its made a huge impact on my life,"Fraser said." Its helped with work. Its helped with play and its helped with driving. Its helped with everything. It still surprises me, like there will be days where I am like, 'yeah, I can still see, theres no problems with it, I can still see.'

To prevent eye infections and more serious vision problems, doctors remind patients not to sleep in contact lenses.

Also, dont top off old solution with new solution, and replace contact lenses when recommended.
Personal injury attorney Brian Loncar, known across Texas for his series of "Strong Arm" commercials, died last month due to an accidental cocaine overdose, according to a medical examiner's report obtained by The Dallas Morning News.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office said the autopsy showed hypertension and hardening of the arteries were secondary factors in the 56-year-old lawyer's death.

Loncar's body was found inside his car Dec. 4, 2016, parked outside his Dallas office, a week after his 16-year-old daughter Grace committed suicide and two days after her funeral.

Despite the ME's scientific finding, Loncar's family said he died of a broken heart. His family issued the following statement Thursday afternoon:

The Dallas County Medical Examiners office released a finding that our beloved Brian Loncars death was caused by an accidental drug overdose. While we accept this scientific finding, those of us who were closest to him already knew the cause of his death. Brian died of a broken heart. Brians passing followed his daughter Graces death by suicide. These are unimaginable losses for our family. Hopefully, these events will serve as heartbreaking reminders that we all need to reach out and care for our loved ones - every day. Our family appreciates the outpouring of support as well as the efforts to give us the privacy and space we need to mourn Brian and Grace. We are prayerful that the community will help us examine ways to prevent these types of tragedies from shattering another home and family.

In his daughter's obituary, Loncar wrote that Grace had suffered from deep depression since she was 11 years old. Following the service, Loncar wrote on Facebook, "I wish you could have seen both the pain and love that the suicide of a 16-year-old girl causes."

The DMN reported Thursday that Loncar long suffered with addiction to both alcohol and drugs and had been sober for decades until just a few years ago.

Following the death of his daughter, Loncar established "live with Grace - The Grace Loncar Foundation" to combat "the epidemic of teenage depression." After Brian Loncar's accidental death, the foundation was renamed The Grace and Brian Loncar Foundation. Donations to the foundation can be made here.
Actor Judge Reinhold has pleaded no contest to the disorderly conduct charge that landed him in the Dallas County Jail for 10 hours two weeks before Christmas.

The star of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Ruthless People and the Beverly Hills Cop franchise was charged with a Class C misdemeanor after an altercation with Transportation Security Administration and Dallas police officers Dec. 8, 2016. Reinhold was scheduled to return for an April 17 court date in Dallas Municipal Court; if found guilty, at most he would have been slapped with a $500 fine.

CLICK HERE to read more from our media partners at The Dallas Morning News.
The Little Elm neighborhood where a detective was shot and killed Tuesday is still reeling from the tragedy as crime scene tape and barricades continue blocking many streets.

Residents were allowed back into their homes, though streets along Lewis Drive, Lake Haven Drive and Judy Lane, were only opened Wednesday afternoon.

Detective Jerry Walker was shot and killed just around the corner from where his family lives.

For more than a decade, Walker lived with his family one street away from the gunmans home near the intersection of Waterview and Turtle Cove drives.

His long-time neighbor Greg said Little Elm lost one of its finest.

He was a patriot. Thats how I would describe Jerry. He was a patriot, Greg said, adding that Walker was one of the first to volunteer to serve in Iraq.

Walker was also an Army veteran, a school resource officer, a narcotics detective and the father of four children.

Many families, especially youth in this area, they have been blessed by knowing him. He was truly one of the great officers in this area, Greg said.

Eric Matthews also lives in the neighborhood, and remembers Walker speaking to him about never using drugs when he was in high school.

He was a neighborhood guy, Matthews said.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley, who grew up in Little Elm, also tweeted about the detective's death saying, "This is crazy. We lost a good one today. He looked out for me in high school. Rest In Peace."

This is crazy. We lost a good one today. He looked out for me in high school. Rest In Peace. https://t.co/Sn4SNrLXTa  Cole Beasley (@Bease11) January 18, 2017

A vigil will be held Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Little Elm Park. A memorial fund has been set up for the Walker family -- anyone who wishes to contribute can make a donation at Capital One Bank and reference the Jerry Walker fund.
What was just a few bouquets of flowers laying outside the Little Elm Police Department Tuesday night quickly grew to dozens by Wednesday morning, and then easily hundreds by nightfall as the showings of respect poured in for their fallen officer.

The shooting death of Detective Jerry Walker was the first since Little Elm officially became a town in 1966. Many residents said its something they could never be prepared for.

"It just breaks my heart, said Amber Wells who gathered thousands of candles Wednesday to hold a vigil for Walker Wednesday night.

She, like many who stopped by the department, never knew the officer, but felt she had to do something to help out his family and friends.

Many stopping by the makeshift memorial seemed to have some connection to Walker, understandable in a town of only about 35,000.

Walker had been an officer in the city for 18 years and spent part of his career as a school resource officer at the high school where former co-workers said he was dedicated to helping the kids find the best in themselves.

"He cared about kids and he cared about his community, said school secretary Kathy Thompson who just talked to Walker over the holidays. "I can't even describe it. Unreal. Unreal."

To honor the long-time public servant and friend to many, residents and police are contributing to a memorial fund for Walkers wife and four kids set up by at Capital One Bank - Little Elm branch. You can mail donations to the bank, in the name of the "Jerry Walker Fund" to 2821 East Eldorado Parkway, Little Elm.

Several local businesses are also donating supplies and planning for events in Walkers honor, including Little Elms Wal-Mart. Employees from the store brought boxes of blue light bulbs to the police station for residents to install on their front porches in Walkers honor.

By Wednesday afternoon, people who live near the home where Walker was killed were allowed back into the neighborhood.

Most of them had to be evacuated while police were in a standoff with the suspect, now identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office as 46-year-old Rudy Garcia.

Neighbors said Garcia developed a reputation as a trouble-maker.

Antonio Sutton said Garcia started screaming at him one day while he was walking his dog past Garcia's house.

"Knowing [the] situation now I'm glad that I did walk away, otherwise I could've instigated him into using that rifle towards this house or something," said Sutton.

While neighbors are relieved to be back home, after something this tragic, they question whether things can ever truly return to normal.

As of Wednesday evening, only Garcia's home remained blocked off by investigators in the neighborhood.

Police said they will return to the scene on Thursday.
Some Dallas residents said they're uneasy after a 33-year-old man was attacked in the parking lot of a Target store Saturday night.

Dallas police are searching for two men accused in the attack of North Texas theater director Derek Whitener, who was beaten with a large wooden dowel outside the Target on North Haskell Avenue near the Uptown area.

Police said surveillance video showed the two suspects walking around vehicles in the parking lot, lifting door handles prior to the attack.

I dont know if they were looking for property, looking for a victim or a crime of opportunity, Dep. Chief Thomas Castro said.

Castro said the men spotted Whitener going into the store and started following him. He said Whitener reported the men to Target employees and security personnel spoke with the two suspects. As Whitener was walking to his car, police said the men made a threat and beat him with the wooden dowel, fracturing his skull.

Grace Jeffrey said she didnt feel comfortable shopping alone in that parking lot even before the attack.

[The attack] just seems to fit the area," she said. "I wouldn't like to come here at night by myself, so I like to come first thing in the morning."

NBC 5 met Sarah Beth Wilste in January 2015. She was a recent victim of crime in that same parking lot.

When you are five minutes from home, you don't think you're going to get mugged in the parking lot," she said.

Wilste said she was leaving Target while holding her young son when someone crept up behind her and cut her purse strap.

"He cut it in the back and yanked it away. I just felt it yanking off of my shoulder, she explained.

Some now wonder if this is becoming a high-crime area.

"Not anything out of the ordinary sticks out at this particular location, Castro said. They have an off-duty officer. They've had an off-duty officer there since I can remember. They have security personnel."

Target released the following statement:

At Target, the safety and security of our guests and team members is a top priority. Our thoughts are with the victim and anyone affected by this incident.

As soon as we were made aware of this incident, we partnered with local law enforcement.
Governor Greg Abbott arrived in Washington, D.C. several days before the inauguration.

He has had meetings on Capitol Hill to talk about a replacement for the Affordable Care Act.

I have been working with members of United States Senate in finance, working on a way to begin the process of strategizing and crafting what the new product will look like, said Abbott.

Abbott is also working on border security. He hopes the new administration and the federal government will do more to secure it, so Texans spend fewer taxpayer dollars to do so.

He will be reaching out to the nominee for the Security of Homeland Security, General John Kelly.

Hopefully, we will see early and swift and sincere signs of what the Trump administration will be doing about securing the border, the Governor added.

During Abbott's time as attorney general, he sued the federal government more than 30 times. So, as a new administration is about to begin, Abbott is optimistic about what it means for the Lone Star State.

At a deeper level for me, I have been fighting for eight years now against policies that I think are bad for the state of Texas. And now, it is a completely different day, Abbott said.
A North Texas woman who says she's never marched for a cause before plans to be in Washington D.C. for the Women's March, one day after President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office.

Beth Christie is a soft-spoken wife and mother who lives in Fort Worth. This Saturday she hopes her voice will be heard, loud and clear, as she joins thousands of other women in the nation's capital.

"It was time to not just sit behind a computer and read articles and get upset," Christie said, explaining her decision to go. "It was time to show up and stand up."

An estimated 200,000 people are expected at the Women's March in D.C., to be held one day after the presidential inauguration.

"Women's rights are human rights," Christie said. "This is something big, and I want to be there. I want to be able to say I did this. I did this for my mother. I did this for my grandmother. And I did this for my daughter."

Christie says she did not vote for President-elect Donald Trump, but said if any other Republican had won the election she would not be marching.

"The way he spoke about women during the campaign, I found that very offensive," Christie explained.

Some of those comments were aimed at debate moderator Megyn Kelly, former Miss Universe Alica Machado and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The tipping point for Christie came when lewd comments Trump made over a hot mic during an 'Access Hollywood' taping before he was a candidate made headlines. Trump later called it "locker room talk."

"As a mother, I wouldn't allow my son to speak that way, and I don't want my daughter spoken about that way," Christie said.

If she could speak to Trump, Christie said she'd tell him, "Please do your best to listen, to learn, to take it all in, to be compassionate," Christie said softly.

"I don't want our president-elect to fail, because then we all fail," she said.

There are so-called "sister marches" planned across the country on Saturday, including marches in Dallas, Denton and Fort Worth.

"If we all stand up together," Christie said. "We can make our voices heard."
Jim Salley has spent a half century selling boots, clothes and gear to men and women working in the local coal mine, steel mill and oil and gas fields, but the last few years have been a struggle.

The Houston Chronicle reports the energy bust cost the country hundreds of jobs; the recent shut down of the local coal mine eliminated another 250. The steel mill has slashed hours and pay of its employees. As for Salley's business in downtown Jewett, sales are down 20 percent.

"We are not in good times," he said.

But Salley, 72, expects that to change Friday, when Donald Trump is sworn in as the nation's 45th president. Throughout the campaign, as Trump pledged to unleash the oil and gas industries, end the so-called war on coal, and stop cheap imports from undermining U.S. manufacturing, his promises spoke to few places as much as this community of 1,200 between Houston and Dallas.

Here in Leon County, which gave Trump 86 percent of its vote, expectations are high that a new era of prosperity is on its way. On Jewett's Main Street, in the shops among empty storefronts, in the popular restaurant CJ's Kountry Cookin', in the local library, and at the Chamber of Commerce, people talk about how Trump will lift regulations on oil and gas, impose tariffs on foreign steel, spend billions on public works, and remove environmental restrictions on coal.

All this, they say, could translate into more jobs, more people moving into town, and more customers for local businesses like Salley's Rodeo Western Wear.

John Sitton, the mayor for the past four years, has served during the recent hard times. Sitton, 78, the son of poor sharecroppers who rose to own a machinery company, blames the energy policies, environmental regulations and overreach of the Obama administration for his community's economic troubles.

"I am just hoping to goodness that, come Friday, things get turned around right there and then," he said.

Jewett, located about 130 miles north of Houston, is hidden in oak and cedar groves, just a few miles west of Interstate 45. For much of the last century, Jewett was a poor farming and ranching community that young people fled in search of work elsewhere. But in 1975, Nucor, now the nation's largest steel manufacturer, opened its mill, which today employs about 400.

A decade later, a surface mine began operation to feed a coal-fired power plant. In the 2000s, the shale revolution opened nearby gas fields and provided lots of work for local oilfield services companies.

By the end of 2014, the unemployment rate in Leon County had fallen to 4.4 percent as the energy boom brought jobs and money that boosted other industries. In Jewett, the Nucor mill, which makes steel pipe used in drilling, was running 24 hours a day, seven days a week for most of the year.

The bust, however, hit the area hard. Leon County lost 1,000 jobs -- about one in seven. The unemployment rate peaked last summer above 7 percent, more than two points above the state average.

Come fall, things didn't look much better. Houston-based NRG Energy, the owner of the power plant, said it would dump its contract with the local coal mine in favor of cheaper and cleaner-burning coal from Wyoming's Powder River Basin. With the loss of its only customer, the mine, owned and operated by Colorado-based Westmoreland Coal Company, shut down on Dec. 31, throwing as many as 250 people out of work.

Westmoreland did not return requests for comment.

On the outskirts of Jewett, the steel mill makes more than 1 million tons of steel year, most of which is sold in Texas to construction and the oil and gas industries. During the two-year oil bust, Nucor, which has a no-layoff policy, cut hours of operation and pay of its workers. Nucor officials declined to provide specifics on the impact of the bust on their business.

The Nucor plant is only beginning to recover, with some of its operations still on reduced schedules. One day in early January, Ross Simmons, 56, stood behind two layers of protective glass as hundreds of tons of scrap metal, heated to 3,000 degrees, were melted down to make steel for an oil and gas pipe. He's the manager of Nucor's melt shop, the first step in the process of turning scrap metal into steel.

Simmons grew up 30 miles outside of Jewett. He hopes the Trump administration policies will help the steel industry with proposals such as increasing federal spending on highways, bridges and other infrastructure that use lots of steel.

Managers at the Nucor plant said they expect to get particular help on trade. They have been particularly frustrated by what they see as lax enforcement of U.S. laws.

In particular, they claim that foreign manufacturers, including Mexico, are gaming U.S. import rules to sell their steel in the U.S. at unfairly low prices. They said they expect such practices to end under Trump, who has made Mexico a particular target.

"In this administration," said Allen Bracey, the sales manager, "we have the greatest opportunity, more than with any other administration, to enforce laws."

Most people think that not even Trump can save the coal mine, which produces a particularly dirty form of coal known as lignite and can't compete with coal mines in Wyoming. At the same time, they expect that a Trump administration and its pledge to support the broader coal industry will take the pressure off NRG's coal burning power plant, which employs about 150.

The jobs provided over the years by the mine, the steel mill and the power plant helped make Jewett into a place where people could stay, raise families, and put down roots over generations, said Patricia Schmidt, who has lived in Jewett for more than 30 years. For years, Schmidt, 71, and her husband, Kenneth, lived in Houston and visited Jewett on weekends. But in 1984, they decided to move their family of three kids here permanently, because they loved the rural lifestyle.

The Schmidts own a business that makes crowns for local dentists. In recent years, their company, Phoenix Dental Laboratory, has suffered as residents, out of jobs or struggling with pay cuts, put off dental work. Sales at Phoenix Dental have plunged about 50 percent.

Schmidt, who writes a column for the local newspaper, is convinced that Trump will help small businesses and small towns across rural America. And she expects it to happen quickly.

She sees Trump quickly repealing the executive orders of President Barack Obama that have limited pipeline expansions and drilling (both good for the steel mill). She believes Trump will also rein in the Environmental Protection Agency and its efforts to impose ever stricter emissions restrictions on power plants (good for the NRG generating station).

In short, she said, she expects the first year of Trump's presidency to be wonderful.

"This little community has prayed over this election," Schmidt said. "And as far as I am concerned, God had a hand in it. He did. He stepped in and changed minds and hearts. I think (Trump) is meant to be."
The widow of the Orlando gunman who killed 49 people in June at a gay nightclub entered a not guilty plea in federal court in Oakland on Wednesday, two days after she was arrested at her Rodeo, California home.

Then, Noor Salman, 30, blew a kiss as she was led away back into custody at Santa Rita Jail.

Her defense team is hoping for her release at a bail hearing scheduled for Feb. 1. Prosecutors hope she will be extradited to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Central District Court in Florida, where the case is being prosecuted. Her late husband, Omar Mateen, was the mastermind behind the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub, Orlando police said.

Speaking on Salman's behalf, defense attorney Sam Amin said his client is innocent until presumed otherwise and he looked forward to her day in court. Her uncle, Al Salman, stressed her innocence again, saying it's not fair for her to be locked up when she is innocent, and it's not fair to her 4-year-old son, who is being cared for by his grandmother in Rodeo, California, where her family lives.

But prosecutors allege that she was involved in the worst mass shooting in US history across the country this summer.

Charging documents made public Tuesday morning allege Salman had been helping her husband since at least April.

In court on Tuesday, federal prosecutor Roger Handberg said Salman knew her husband "was going to conduct an attack."

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.

In the days after the attack, law enforcement sources told NBC News that Salman told investigators she was with him when he bought ammunition but tried to dissuade him from violence. When asked how Salman couldn't have known about the attack, especially since she knew about the ammunition, her uncle 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."
A man suspected of fatally shooting a man at an Anaheim motel and kidnapping a 23-year-old woman last week was shot early Thursday by police in Old Town San Diego after his victim escaped, authorities said.

Anaheim police detectives Wednesday night was told by the father of the kidnapped woman, Brianne Deese, that she had called him from San Diego and said she escaped her captor. The suspect, identified by police as Luke Theodore Lampers, a 35-year-old transient, was wanted in the Jan. 11 fatal shooting of 49-year-old Douglas Navarro at the Crystal Inn in Anaheim.

"Detectives and investigators responded immediately and located the victim," said Sgt. Daron Wyatt of the Anaheim Police Department. "The continuing investigation led them to a motel in the 4000 block of Taylor (Street) in San Diego where Lampers was believed to be."

San Diego police responded to assist as Lampers was seen arriving at the motel in a vehicle, Wyatt said.

"Investigators from the APD Crime Task Force attempted to contact Lampers and a brief foot pursued ensued at which time an officer-involved shooting occurred," Wyatt said.

Police did not say what prompted the shooting, which occurred about five minutes after midnight. Lampers was struck by the gunfire and was taken to a San Diego-area hospital and his condition was not immediately reported.

The shooting investigation will be handled by the San Diego Police Department, Wyatt said, adding that the Anaheim Police Department's Major Incident Review Team was en route to San Diego to conduct a concurrent administration investigation.

Deese's family made public pleas to Lampers last week, asking him to turn himself in and let Deese go.

Lampers is suspected of gunning down Navarro on Jan. 11 in the motel, located 2123 W. Lincoln Ave., where he was living and where his mother also lived and worked as a maid and in maintenance.

Deese was staying with someone at the motel and apparently left with Lampers and returned sometime later, Wyatt said. She was trying to get into a room where she was staying to retrieve some personal belongings when Navarro intervened to say she wasn't registered at the motel as a guest in that room, Wyatt said.

Lampers apparently saw an animated discussion between the two and allegedly shot Navarro, Wyatt said.

Then Lampers -- at gunpoint -- told Deese to leave with him, Wyatt said.

The "exhaustive" search for Deese ended Wednesday as police were able to safely recover her, Wyatt said.
Firefighters rescued a worker who was trapped under a collapsed cement block wall at a residence Tuesday in Sherman Oaks.

The construction worker suffered non-life threatening injuries when he was pinned between the wall and a mound of dirt at a property in the 4200 block of Las Cruces Drive. The worker was digging near the base of the hillside wall when it fell, pinning his legs.

Los Angeles fire-rescue personnel removed dirt and debris, stabilized the wall and creating enough space to lift the worker to safety.

It's possible the wall collapsed due to a hillside that became saturated during recent rainstorms, according to fire officials. California is bracing for another round of storms after what has been one of the wettest winters in years.
If your upbeat, panache-filled friend had been away for seven or so years, across the country, or in out-of-sight mode, you'd surely throw them the biggest of shebangs when they finally made their much-anticipated way home.

You'd display some paper streamers, and bake cupcakes, and host a bash to remember, surely.

One such friend is returning home to California, to the one place that has no need for streamers and such, as it is already whimsically well-decorated all year long: Disneyland.

The Main Street Electrical Parade, a nighttime, bulb-bright procession that first wended its way through the world-famous theme park, left Anaheim, and Disney California Adventure, in 2010. Now it is back, beginning on Jan. 20, but the Disneyland has a shindig afoot on the evening of Thursday, Jan. 19.

It's the Electrical Parade Party, and it will give mavens of the theme-song swirly spectacular an early chance to see it before it officially makes its re-debut.

True, it was last at Disney California Adventure (at least here in California), but the parade's upcoming five-month run is slated for Disneyland, and that's just where the Electrical Parade Party will take place on the 19th.

On the 7:30 p.m. to midnight roster? "Viewing of the parade" is the biggie, of course, but attendees can also shake it at a '70s-themed Tomorrowland Terrace dance party (the parade has roots in the early '70s) and enjoy a "red carpet welcome."

It's a special ticket. Note also that your parking is complimentary for the event. Best of all, if you like bell bottoms and wide-collared shirts? You'll want to dress like 1972, the year that the Main Street Electrical Parade premiered.

One of the "gets" for party goers is that first chance to see, and possibly buy, special Main Street Electrical Parade merchandise.

Are you ready to hum that theme song again, a theme song so spunky and so peppy that it has become a cheer-raising classic, once again? Be one of the first people to do so, at the kick-off party for Orange County's most illuminated event.
The union that represents the Los Angeles Police Department rank-and-file demanded Wednesday that the city take steps to remove mold and bird droppings found in and around the Southeast Community Police Station on 108th Street in South Los Angeles and provide medical testing for personnel assigned to the facility.

"Over 100 LAPD police officers have filed medical-related claims related to the unhealthy and unsanitary conditions," the Los Angeles Police Protective League said in a statement. "The Station's (ventilation) system vents are covered by black mold."

"The (ventilation) equipment on the roof is covered in bird droppings and bird feathers," the statement continued. "Officers have been affected with respiratory illnesses, adult onset asthma, severe and chronic sinus infections and other health related issues.

"The LAPPL is demanding that the city fully study the extent of the environmental exposure at Southeast Division, as well as other stations, and that the city fully mitigate all conditions that may present a health risk to officers, civilians and the public."

Josh Rubenstein, public relations director for the LAPD, issued a statement in response, saying, "There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our employees. When we were made aware of mold issues at our Southeast Community Police Station we acted quickly to come up with a plan to mitigate the problem.

"While we understand the mold spore levels do not pose a serious health risk, we are working with the Los Angeles General Services Department to remove it from the building. It is our priority to ensure that LAPD employees and the community feel safe in our stations."
What to Know Former President George H.W. Bush treated for pneumonia. He's stable in the ICU and hopes to be discharged in a few days.

Former first lady Barbara Bush, 91, treated for bronchitis after experiencing fatigue, coughing; reports feeling 1000% better Thursday.

Former President George W. Bush and wife Laura still expect to attend the inauguration and do not plan to travel to Houston

Former President George H.W. Bush is recovering and may be discharged from the intensive care unit of a Houston hospital after being admitted Wednesday for pneumonia, a spokesman said.

His wife, Barbara Bush, was also admitted after she came down with bronchitis this week, but reports feeling "1,000 percent better" after rest and antibiotics, family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement.

Here is the Jan 19 2017 update from the Office of @GeorgeHWBush on the Bushes' health. pic.twitter.com/DKNjcFesaY  Jim McGrath (@jgm41) January 19, 2017

The 41st president was placed in the ICU to address "an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia," McGrath said. He later told The Associated Press that doctors were happy with how the procedure went. Bush was first admitted to the hospital for shortness of breath.

The 92-year-old former president will remain hospitalized, but will hopefully make it out of the ICU in the next few days, McGrath said.

"I don't think there's a whole lot of money to be gained betting against George Bush," McGrath said. "We're just kind of in a wait-and-see mode."

McGrath said Barbara Bush, who is 91, had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks, "and it finally just got to the point this morning where she said she wanted to take it out of committee and have the experts check it out." He described the move to admit her Wednesday as precautionary.

La policia investiga el hecho ya que afirman que no es la primera vez que algo asi ocurre en la misma area.

The Bushes, who were married Jan. 6, 1945, have had the longest marriage of any presidential couple in American history. At the time of their wedding, he was a young naval aviator. She had been a student at Smith College.

After World War II, the pair moved to the Texas oil patch to seek their fortune and raise a family. It was there that George Bush began his political career, representing Houston for two terms in Congress in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

Bush, who served as president from 1989 to 1993, has a form of Parkinson's disease and uses a motorized scooter or a wheelchair for mobility. He was hospitalized in 2015 in Maine after falling at his summer home and breaking a bone in his neck. He was also hospitalized in Houston the previous December for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.

Despite his loss of mobility, Bush celebrated his 90th birthday by making a tandem parachute jump in Kennebunkport, Maine. Last summer, Bush led a group of 40 wounded warriors on a fishing trip at the helm of his speedboat, three days after his 92nd birthday celebration.

George Herbert Walker Bush, born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, also served as a congressman, CIA director and Ronald Reagan's vice president.

[NATL] A History of the Presidential Inaugural Procession

His office announced earlier this month that Bush and his wife would not attend Donald Trump's inauguration this week due to the former president's age and health.

"My doctor says if I sit outside in January, it will likely put me six feet under," Bush said in a letter to Trump on Jan. 10. "Same for Barbara. So I guess we're stuck in Texas."

The letter added that the couple wished Trump "the very best."

Bush spokesperson Freddy Ford confirmed to NBC 5's Meredith Land that President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, still plan to attend the inauguration and that they "are looking forward to a full and speedy recovery."

In response to the letter and subsequent hospitalization, Trump tweeted Wednesday, "Looking forward to a speedy recovery for George and Barbara Bush, both hospitalized. Thank you for your wonderful letter!"
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By Francesco Canepa and Andreas Kroner FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Some senior regulators are privately raising doubts over whether politically unpopular European rules seeking to shield taxpayers from bank bailouts will ever be enforced as intended. "Bail-ins" were trumpeted as the centrepiece of Europe's response to the financial crisis, but some of the people who will have to apply them are now questioning in private whether they will be used following the Italian government's rescue of the troubled Monte dei Paschi di Siena . The bail-in rules demand that private investors must suffer some losses before public money is used to rescue a bank. But in the case of Monte dei Paschi, Italy used an exception built into the new rules to avoid a bail-in of senior bond and savings account holders, thereby setting a dangerous precedent for other crisis-struck lenders in Italy and beyond. "A bail-in of savers would cause a revolt in Italy and could bring down the whole euro project by boosting anti-euro parties," one source told Reuters. Imposing losses on creditors, who sometimes include small savers, is economically damaging and politically painful at a time when public resentment towards the European Union is running high and elections loom in key countries. Against this backdrop, banks are struggling to raise the capital they need to deal with unpaid loans accumulated during the economic downturn. The head of the German banking association, Michael Kemmer, has said Rome's approval of a "precautionary recapitalisation" of Monte dei Paschi just before Christmas, after the bank failed to find enough private investors to back its capital increase, puts regulators' credibility at risk. Ratings agency Moody's said the rescue, which is awaiting European Commission approval, "raises questions regarding the European authorities' commitment to follow strictly the ... bail-in provisions to resolve troubled banks". "The SRB is the most useless institution in Europe because no-one dares to use it at the moment," one European regulator said of the euro zone's Single Resolution Board, which is in charge of bail-ins. But its head Elke Koenig said last week she had no concerns about the application of the directive, while an EC spokesperson said the rules "apply on a case-by-case basis to a specific bank in its specific circumstances". TESTING TIMES The SRB's Koenig may find her faith is put to the test soon, with a number of smaller Italian banks still trying to raise capital and Italy's top lender, UniCredit in the process of raising 13 billion euro ($14 billion) through a cash call. "A first round of losses must be absorbed by the state if the banking system is to be rescued," Gennaro Pucci, head of investment firm PVE Capital, said, estimating around 100 billion euros in public money may be needed. Cleaning up balance sheets has been a key objective of the European Central Bank, which wants to bring down the amount of bad loans to free up resources for fresh lending. This risks backfiring, however, if banks try to sell more non-performing loans (NPLs) and shares than investors are prepared to buy. "In the end, the ECBs effort to clean up banks' balance sheets too quickly may be counterproductive," Marco Troiano, a director at ratings agency Scope, said. "At present, there's just not enough appetite out there to buy the NPLs and subscribe capital increases on a wide scale." Even in euro zone countries where bailouts took place before the new rules, some banks are still not out of the woods. Portugal's Novo Banco, the so called 'good bank' carved out of the collapsed Banco Espirito Santo, and Germany's HSH Nordbank may need further state help if they can't find buyers. U.S. hedge fund Lone Star, the top bidder for government-owned Novo Banco, has asked for a state guarantee on its investment, prompting calls from two leftist parties that prop up Portugal's minority government that the firm be nationalised instead. Bailed out during the crisis, HSH Nordbank has until February 2018 to find a buyer or be wound down. The bank's management says it has a good chance of finding an investor. But some question whether it would be allowed to go under even it did not manage to do so. ($1 = 0.9337 euros) (Additional reporting by Francesco Guarascio in Brussels; Editing by Alexander Smith)
He wasn't paid to be there, but a hobby photographer from New Jersey may have accidentally captured the perfect New York marriage proposal photograph.

James Tran took a trip into Brooklyn on Saturday to take pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge Park on a snowy day.

Instead of capturing the cold, he stumbled upon a romantic marriage proposal.

"As I was walking around, I noticed a bunch of people gathered," he said.

"As I got a bit closer to investigate, I saw an aisle assembled from candles and rose petals, with people standing on each side with roses. Immediately, I knew there was about to be a proposal."

He said he stuck around for the next few minutes as the woman was led by a friend down the makeshift aisle, being handed a rose by each person.

Tran said he snapped a photo as the woman reached the love heart made from flowers on the icy ground. The beautiful image shows the happy couple inside the heart, with the Brooklyn Bridge wreathed in mist behind.

"She said yes, and cheers ensued," Tran recalled.

"But afterwards they seemed busy receiving hugs and kisses, so I didn't get their contact information."

Keen to send the couple his accidental engagement photographs, he went to the web.

Tran posted one of the photos he captured to community discussion website Reddit, asking for help finding the lovebirds.

By Wednesday morning, a man on the site had come forward to say he was the person in the photograph.

Tran was verifying whether the person was the subject of his photo, and planned to send the couple a range of photographs to remember the special day by.
Miami-Dade Police passed out flyers Wednesday in the hopes that residents can help them find two suspects wanted in Monday's shooting at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park in northwest Miami-Dade that left eight injured.

The shooting happened hours after an MLK parade had ended at the park at Northwest 62nd Street and 32nd Avenue. Police said the shooting is gang-related.

Of the eight people who were shot, five are juveniles, with one as young as 11. The ages range from 11 to 30, and no one knows if any of the victims were actually targeted.

According to the flyer, police are looking for two black males in their late teens, both about 5-foot-4.

A reward of up to $21,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
A Colombian national accused of pretending to be a doctor in South Florida and injecting silicone into his patients as part of cosmetic procedures has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison.

A U.S. attorney's office news release says 44-year-old Juan David Acosta was sentenced Wednesday. He pleaded guilty in October to two counts of receiving the silicone with intent to defraud or mislead.

Authorities say patients paid Acosta thousands of dollars for treatments at his Hallandale Beach apartment. Acosta was charged with injecting silicone last summer into the buttocks of two victims to affect the size, contour and structure of the area.

Authorities say Acosta wasn't licensed to do that and didn't inform his victims he was injecting them with silicone.
An Idaho man suffered second-degree burns to the neck and lost nine teeth after a vape blew up in his mouth.

Andrew Hall, 30, woke up Saturday morning to get ready for work. Before getting into the shower he took a puff from his vape and then the unthinkable happened.

Hall was rushed to the hospital. He lost two teeth in the blast and seven others during surgery.

Hall's mother, Anagelee Hall, said the 30-year-old has only been vaping for a year. "I love my son very much and all my grandkids. And, I'm the one that heard them cry and say, 'Where's dad?' All they saw was his mouth blown up and all the blood," said Hall's mother.

His mother used to vape herself, and has since quit. She is grateful her son's situation wasn't worse.

Hall's mother has a crying plea to help anyone else out there. "Please don't vape. If you are vaping and you think this is okay, don't do it in front of the kids. This is gonna happen," said Angalee.
A cold case murder on Miami Beach over a quarter century ago has been solved and police say they have the alleged gunman in custody.

53-year-old Dale Ewers was booked into jail after being extradited from Jamaica. He is being charged with four counts, including first degree murder, armed robbery and armed sexual battery.

According to police, Ewers knocked on the door of an apartment on Pine Tree Drive on September 21, 1990. The victim, 34-year-old Mercedes Perez, answered and left the door open while retrieving information Ewers asked for.

Ewers entered the apartment and held another woman at gunpoint before shooting Perez in the face, police said. She would die at the scene. Ewers then allegedly assaulted the other woman before placing her in a closet and stealing items before leaving.

In 2012, DNA evidence linked Ewers to the crime  however, he had been deported to Jamaica several years before after serving time in jail in Massachusetts following a 2008 arrest. Later that year, the surviving victim identified Ewers from a photo lineup. An arrest warrant was issued in October of last year and Ewers was arrested by Jamaican authorities.

After a separate burglary charge was resolved, officials in that county approved his extradition to South Florida.

"Thankfully in 2010 we were able to submit the DNA from the case and get a hit," Miami Beach Police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez said.

Ewers is expected to appear in bond court on Friday.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi says President-elect Donald Trump has reached out to the husband of a slain Orlando police officer.

Bondi said Wednesday that Trump had a phone conversation with the husband of Lt. Debra Clayton, who was fatally shot outside a Wal-Mart store in Orlando last week.

Bondi describes the conversation between Trump and Seth Clayton as "a brief, very touching, private conversation between two husbands."

A suspect wanted for Clayton's slaying was taken into custody Tuesday night after a manhunt that lasted more than a week.

Clayton was shot after she approached Markeith Loyd, who was wanted at the time for the killing of his pregnant ex-girlfriend.

Loyd's first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.
Two South Florida Republican leaders attending the swearing-in of Donald Trump say it's a slap in the face of democracy to see so many lawmakers boycotting the inauguration.

Rep. Carlos Trujillo and Miami-Dade County Republican Chairman Nelson Diaz are making their way to Washington after receiving official invites to the event.

"I didn't expect anything but I was honored to receive one. Not sure why I got invited, but thrilled and happy I got invited," Trujillo said. "I went to the Republican National Convention, I can only imagine it's on a much bigger scale. The energy and excitement of a new administration and a new direction of this country."

But there's a clear divide, with as many as 54 Democratic congressional members saying they'll skip or boycott the swearing-in of Trump.

"Literally the pillar of American democracy, the peaceful transition of power. It's an example that all democracies follow. Them not attending, not participating in democracy is extremely sad and disappointing," Trujillo said.

"It's a day to celebrate the peaceful transition of power in the greatest democracy on the planet. I think we can get back to fighting about policy the day after," Nelson said.

Ultimately anyone can disagree with a president's agenda. Trujillo said you don't have to support it, but everyone should respect the oval office. He called the boycotters selfish.

"These are elected officials, these are congressmen and congresswomen who decide that their own personal agendas are bigger than American democracy. I think it's very disappointing they take that approach," he said.

Trujillo and Diaz aren't the only ones from South Florida preparing to attend the inauguration. About 40 Miami-Dade Police officers from the "Rapid Response Force" will be there to help with crowd control.
A South Florida community is on high alert as screwworms are popping up in homestead and targeting animals.

Defending South Florida from an infestation means fighting a battle the Sunshine State hasn't seen in decades.

Thursday, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is examining surveillance efforts in after a stray dog suffered an infection there earlier this month.

New world screwworm is a significant threat, not only to Floridas agriculture and livestock economy, but to our precious wildlife resources, Putnam said.

Adult screwworm flies infest wounds and their larvae literally eat away at the host animal, leaving a deadly, gory mess. Humans can become infected, but that is rare. Eradication efforts include checkpoints, and pet examinations, plus the release of sterile flies to reduce screwworm breeding.

Female screwworms breed just once in their lives, said USDA Veterinarian Sherry Shaw. If that breeding is with a sterile male, were done.

Those efforts began last October when investigators confirmed a screwworm outbreak in endangered key deer.
A womans trip to the Bahamas was just supposed to be a getaway from her kids; instead she says it scarred her for life after she suffered bed bug bites.

A paradise vacation in the Bahamas quickly turned into a problem when Cindi Avila spent a weekend at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort.

Day four or five after the bed bug bites and it just gets more miserable by the second. I really have never been in so much pain in my life, said Avila.

After being bit by a bed bug she said she complained to the manager, took out her camera and started recording.

She found bed bugs, hundreds of them, feasting in her hotel room. She was stuck with the pain for months.

Things are just swelling up everywhere all over my body. Its literally unbearable. I haven't slept in days and I just want to crawl out of my skin, die or go to the hospital. Its literally the worst thing Ive ever experienced in my life, Avila said.

Her pesky trip was a year ago, but after failed attempts to reach a satisfactory end, shes filed a lawsuit against the hotel for emotional distress.

She hired attorney Michael Winkleman to work her case.

The number of bites, the size of the bites, really terrified me she was literally eaten alive that night, said Winkleman.

In a statement to NBC 6, Atlantis said it took care of the situation immediately, took the room out of service, and compensated Avilas stay.

The hotel added:

"The resort offered to reimburse Ms. Avila for any medical bills resulting from her experience, which she declined. Since that time, Ms. Avila has repeatedly, and through three different attorneys, attempted to extract a large financial settlement from the resort and threatened intimidation in the media if her financial demands were not met. "

Avilas attorney denied that charge and said theyve never tried to intimidate the hotel. Avila said she doesnt want to see what happened to her happen to anybody else. The lawsuit seeks damages for more than $15,000.
In a last major act as president, Barack Obama cut short the sentences of 330 federal inmates convicted of drug crimes on Thursday, bringing his bid to correct what he's called a systematic injustice to a climactic close.

With his final offer of clemency, Obama brought his total number of commutations granted to 1,715, more than any other president in U.S. history, the White House said. During his presidency Obama ordered free 568 inmates who had been sentenced to life in prison.

"He wanted to do it. He wanted the opportunity to look at as many as he could to provide relief," Neil Eggleston, Obama's White House counsel, said in an interview in his West Wing office. "He saw the injustice of the sentences that were imposed in many situations, and he has a strong view that people deserve a second chance."

For Obama, it was the last time he planned to exercise his presidential powers in any significant way. At noon on Friday, Obama will stand with President-elect Donald Trump as his successor is sworn in and Obama's chapter in history comes to an end.

Even as Obama issued the commutations, the White House had been mostly cleared out to make way for Trump. In between carrying out their last duties, the few remaining staffers were packing up belongings as photos of Obama were taken down from the walls of the West Wing corridors.

The final batch of commutations  more in a single day than on any other day in U.S. history  was the culmination of Obama's second-term effort to try to remedy the consequences of decades of onerous sentencing requirements that he said had imprisoned thousands of drug offenders for too long. Obama repeatedly called on Congress to pass a broader criminal justice fix, but lawmakers never acted.

For Bernard Smith, it's a long-awaited chance to start over after 13 years away from his wife and children.

Smith was working at a restaurant in Maryland in 2002 when his brother asked him to obtain marijuana for a drug deal. Though it was his brother who obtained the crack cocaine that the brothers then sold along with the marijuana to undercover officers, Smith was charged with the cocaine offense, too.

His 22-year sentence was far longer than his brother's, owing to what the court called Smith's "extensive criminal history" prior to the drug bust. Smith still had 10 years on his sentence when he was notified Thursday that the president, on his last day in office, was giving him another chance.

"He's looking to turn his life around," said Michelle Curth, his attorney. "He's a good person who, like so many people, got involved in something he's been punished for already."

Curth said that Smith had learned his lesson and owned up to his crime  he asked for a commutation, she noted, not a pardon, which would have erased the original conviction. She said Smith hopes to get licensed in heating and air conditioning maintenance and has lined up family members to help with his adjustment.

But freedom for Smith is still two years away. Rather than release him immediately, Obama directed that he be set free in January 2019  two years after Obama has left office  and only if Smith enrolls in a residential drug treatment program.

To be eligible for a commutation under Obama's initiative, inmates had to have behaved well in prison and already served 10 years, although some exceptions to the 10-year rule were granted. They also had to be considered nonviolent offenders, although many were charged with firearms violations in relation to their drug crimes.

Obama personally reviewed the case of every inmate who received a commutation, often poring over case files in the evenings or calling his attorneys into his office to discuss specifics. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates said the administration reviewed all applications that came in by an end-of-August deadline  more than 16,000 in total.

Eggleston said Obama had been particularly motivated to grant clemency to inmates who had turned themselves around in prison. He said one inmate had trained and obtained a commercial driver's license through a prison program, despite having a life sentence that all but assured he'd never get to use it.

"The ones who really stuck home for the president and me are the ones who got their GED, they worked, they took courses in anger management, they took courses in getting over drug abuse issues, they remained in contract with their families," Eggleston said.

Obama has long called for phasing out strict sentences for drug offenses, arguing they lead to excessive punishment and incarceration rates unseen in other developed countries. With Obama's support, the Justice Department in recent years directed prosecutors to rein in the use of harsh mandatory minimums.

Earlier in the week, Obama commuted most of the rest of convicted leaker Chelsea Manning's sentence, arguing the Army intelligence analyst had shown remorse and already served a long sentence.

Yet Obama will leave office without granting commutations or pardons to other prominent offenders who had sought clemency, including accused Army deserter Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He also declined to pardon former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
(Repeats Wednesday item)

* Finland first to pay basic income in Europe

* 2,000 Finns get 560 euros a month for two years

* Jobless recipient can't believe his luck

* Plan will help tackle "welfare trap" - government

* Critics denounce it as unrealistic, political trick

By Jussi Rosendahl and Tuomas Forsell

HELSINKI, Jan 18 (Reuters) - A group of unemployed Finns have just become the first Europeans to enjoy a guaranteed basic income; from January a monthly pay cheque has begun arriving from the state, regardless of whether they find work or sit at home on the couch.

In its purest form, the basic income idea aims to prepare society for a future when robots and artificial intelligence may replace huge numbers of humans in the workforce. This will allow unwanted workers to lead comfortable and dignified lives while machines create much of the wealth to pay them, supporters argue.

The Finnish scheme has different, less lofty ambitions; while offering a safety net for those who cannot or choose not to work, it seeks to encourage the unemployed to take often low-paid or temporary jobs without fear of losing their benefits.

Swiss voters rejected the concept of an unconditional minimum income for all last year, but authorities in the Netherlands, France, Canada and the U.S. state of California are among those looking at the possibility, though mostly at a local government level.

Finland has gone further by launching a two-year nationwide pilot scheme. Last week, 2,000 randomly-chosen unemployed Finns got their first monthly payment of 560 euros ($597) under the trial in the Nordic country which is struggling to recover from a decade of economic stagnation.

"The participants get this money, no matter what," said Marjukka Turunen at the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA), which runs the programme. "They can ... stay at home on their couches and do nothing if they settle for this basic income."

But Turunen, who heads KELA's legal unit, said recipients could also top up the basic sum. "They can take on part-time jobs or start their own business," she told Reuters.

Story continues

The object is to tackle the "welfare trap" that afflicts many European economies - unemployed people often find they are better off on benefits than in work when it is available, creating a heavy burden on strained government budgets.

For Juha Jarvinen, the scheme offers an escape. A formerly bankrupt entrepreneur and father of six, Jarvinen said he couldn't believe his luck when he found out he had been chosen. "When I saw the letter, I felt like shouting yippee!" he told Reuters.

Jarvinen, an artist and joiner, said he had been unemployed for five years as taking part-time work was unprofitable and he felt returning to self-employment would have been too risky.

"I'm so relieved now that I can start doing something again. I can focus on developing my business without stressing about food," said Jarvinen, who lives in the small town of Kurikka, 300 km (180 miles) northwest of Helsinki.

"UNFEASIBLE REFORM"

The Finnish economy has struggled for the last decade due to a string of problems, including high labour costs, a decline of Nokia's former mobile phone business and recession in neighbouring Russia, a major trade partner.

Labour market data underline the welfare trap: the number of unfilled job vacancies has returned to its highest level since 2007, and yet unemployment remains at around 9 percent, with long-term joblessness rising.

GRAPHIC - Finnish labour mismatch http://tmsnrt.rs/2iKifKr

Following demonstrations and strikes over cuts to public spending and labour benefits in the past two years, the centre-right coalition government hopes Jarvinen and many others can get back to work.

"Employers say they have problems finding employees for new positions. Unemployed people say ... even a small additional income either reduces their benefits significantly, or stops them altogether," said Social Affairs Minister Pirkko Mattila.

"Basic income is one solution to this problem," she said in a speech last month.

Nevertheless, the pilot has drawn criticism from economists, lawmakers and business lobbies. They variously argue that it is too narrow to yield credible conclusions, a waste of time and money, and an attempt to portray the government in a favourable light.

Doubts exist even in the National Coalition Party, a member of the ruling coalition, that such a scheme would work if applied across society. "I wonder if everyone understands ... that the model of this experiment is unfeasible," said Juhana Vartiainen, one of the party's lawmakers and a former head of the State Institute for Economic Research.

Under the trial, the tax-free monthly payments replace unemployment benefits, with the difference being they will not be reduced or halted if the recipient earns extra income for working during the period.

The monthly sum - roughly equal to the basic unemployment benefit that covers food, personal hygiene, clothing and other daily expenses - is supplemented, when necessary, with earnings-related benefits such as housing allowance.

However, it is only roughly a quarter of the proposed basic income payment of 2,500 francs that Swiss voters rejected overwhelmingly in a referendum last October. Opponents of that plan, which included the Swiss government, said it would cost too much and weaken the economy.

TAX-FREE PAYMENT

Sceptics says the Finnish pilot is poorly designed.

"This is a trial for a new kind of unemployment benefit, not for basic income. It targets only one population group, the unemployed, and lacks essential elements including taxation," said Markus Jantti, a professor of public economics at the University of Helsinki.

"The trial should have included all population groups, which in turn would lead to a larger sample size to be effective."

A working group of researchers had suggested having 10,000 participants, but the government viewed that as too expensive. The model with 2,000 jobless people is expected to cost a net 20 million euros.

If the model were applied across Finland's population of 5.5 million, it would need to be funded by raising taxes on middle- and high income-earners to ensure it cost no more than the existing system.

Without the tax component, the model would cost 10-15 billion euros if spread to all Finns, Nordea bank economist Olli Karkkainen estimated.

Finland already has some of the highest taxes in the world. State tax revenue equated to 44 percent of gross domestic product in 2015, compared with an average 34 percent for the wealthy nations of the OECD.

With the basic income payments exempt from tax, the opposition accuses the government - which is nearing the mid-point of its four-year term - of trying to score party political points.

"The government was in a hurry to get a feather in its cap," said Joona Rasanen, a member of parliament for the Social Democrats, a party opposed to the whole idea of basic income.

"No matter what the results are, this model cannot be applied to the whole of society."

The government is looking into extending the pilot to a larger group. According to a social affairs analyst, the government wanted to make sure the trial was well underway before the next general election in 2019 when the sceptical Social Democrats might return to power.

"With that schedule, this was the best test environment that could be set up," said Markus Kanerva, managing director at Tank think tank, who took part in the government-assigned research group.

"There are no guarantees that the trial could be followed up during the next government term," he said, but added. "This should be experimented on with a longer timeframe." ($1 = 0.9376 euros)

(Additional reporting by Attila Cser; editing by David Stamp)
An investigation has determined a doting New York City grandmother whose corpse was left in bags for five months was strangled, months after saying her death was not suspicious.

In October, police found 85-year-old Erika Kraus-Breslin's body in her Ridgewood home after visiting to perform a wellness check at the bequest of her daughter. Her grandson Christopher Fuhrer, 30, led police to her corpse, which was wrapped in plastic bags.

He told officers he'd been living with his grandmother's corpse wrapped in the bags for five months, because he was afraid of becoming homeless.

Police said at the time that the death didn't appear to be suspicious.

But a recent investigation has determined that the woman was strangled.

The medical examiner's office says Kraus-Breslin died of "homicidal asphyxia, including neck compression."

Fuhrer was arrested in October on improper burial and other charges. Police say he told them he wrapped her body in bags and used air fresheners and a fan to mask the smell of decomposition.

No one has been charged with killing her in light of the new information.

Toni Binanti, the owner of a nearby bakery where Kraus-Breslin worked for nearly two decades, said she adored Fuhrer.

"Out of all of her grandchildren, this was the one she talked about the most."

Fuhrer's attorney didn't immediately respond to a request Wednesday for comment on the case.
Police are looking for a man in a bizarre home invasion on Long Island last fall in which he allegedly got in through an open window, took off his clothes and got into bed with someone.

The man pictured in the police sketch broke into the Jefferson Street home in Westbury at about 4:45 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 9, Nassau police said.

He disrobed and got into bed with the victim, according to police. When she left the room to alert family members, the suspect ran away.

The suspect is described as about 26 to 27 years old, 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall with a thin build.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered.
What to Know Julio Nivelo allegedly grabbed the 86-pound bucket of gold off a truck on West 48th Street in September

The West New York, New Jersey, man is a convicted felon known to the NYPD as Luis Toledo, among other aliases

He's a career thief who's been arrested seven times and deported four times to his native Ecuador

The quick-moving crook who brazenly stole a bucket of gold flakes worth nearly $1.6 million from an armored truck in Manhattan last fall has been nabbed in his native Ecuador, law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation tell NBC 4 New York.



Authorities had been looking for Julio Nivelo since he was allegedly captured on surveillance video swiping the 86-pound bucket of gold off a truck on West 48th Street in September.

The hunt led police to Nivelo's residence in West New York, New Jersey, to Orlando, to Los Angeles before detectives from the major case squad headed to Ecuador. Nivelo was arrested there Thursday morning by federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations and The National Police of Ecuador.

He was arrested without incident after he sent the NYPD on a months-long search across the globe. It wasn't known when he would be extradited to New York to face charges. Police say they have recovered some of the money.

Nivelo is a convicted felon who is known to the NYPD as Luis Toledo, among other aliases. He's a career thief who's been arrested seven times and deported four times to Ecuador.

Surveillance video from the theft shows a man, allegedly Nivelo, loitering around the truck before one guard goes to make a pickup, and the other guard heads to the front seat to grab his cellphone. Those 20 seconds were long enough for the thief to strike: he goes to grab the 86-pound bucket and makes a run for it, though he clearly has difficulty maneuvering it.

The video shows the thief setting down the heavy bucket, putting it on his shoulder, then taking a breather. He takes another few steps and pauses again. The normally 10-minute walk takes him an hour. He then jumps into a van at 49th Street and Third Avenue.
What to Know Donald Trump departs NYC for Washington Thursday a day before his inauguration; protesters and supporters have flooded the capital city

President Obama delivered his last press conference and Michelle Obama took a final stroll around the White House with the family's dogs

At least 30 people are missing after an avalanche buried a crowded hotel in Italy

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.

Trump Heads to D.C. for Inauguration

Hundreds of thousands of people continued to pour into Washington, D.C. on Thursday to support or protest President-elect Donald Trump on the eve of his inauguration. Ten weeks after he defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the election, Trump will depart New York City once more Thursday morning, only this time he wont be on his own plane. Hes boarding a military jet headed to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland as he prepares his transition to the nations highest office. The president-elect is scheduled to leave New York at 10:40 a.m. for the last time as a private citizen. Meanwhile, major protests are being planned in D.C. and New York, including one at Columbus Circle on Thursday night. Check out this history of the inauguration process.

Avalanche Buries Italian Hotel

An avalanche buried a mountain hotel in an earthquake-hit region of central Italy, leaving at least 30 people missing, authorities said Thursday. Italian media said that the avalanche covered the three-story hotel in the central region of Abruzzo on Wednesday. The ANSA news agency quoted a rescuer as saying that there were fatalities, but details weren't immediately available. Mountain rescue teams reached the hotel by skis around 4 a.m. local time.

Burning High-Rise Collapses in Tehran

A high-rise building in Tehran engulfed by a fire collapsed on Thursday, killing at least 30 firefighters and injuring some 75 people, state media reported. The disaster struck the Plasco building, an iconic structure in central Tehran just north of the capital's sprawling bazaar. Iran's state-run Press TV announced the firefighters' deaths, without giving a source for the information. Local Iranian state television said 30 civilians were injured in the disaster.

The Obamas Say Farewell After 8 Years

President Barack Obama took the last question of his last press briefing in the White House to brag about his two daughters, who "surprise and enchant and impress" him every day. Obama said he and his wife learned from 18-year-old Malia and 15-year-old Sasha in talking about the results of November's election. The remarks combined several themes Obama has been making lately, as his second term comes to a close. Meanwhile, First Lady Michelle Obama took one last walk through the White House  for the whole world to see. On Wednesday, Obama posted a short video of her stroll on Twitter.

Bushes Remain Hospitalized

Former President George H.W. Bush was admitted Wednesday to the intensive care unit of a Houston hospital with pneumonia, and his wife, Barbara Bush, was hospitalized as a precaution after suffering fatigue and coughing, a spokesman said. The 41st president was placed in the ICU to address "an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia," family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement. McGrath said Barbara Bush, who is 91, had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks.

Woman in Viral Dance Video Dies

A Texas woman with cancer who lifted spirits across the world when she danced to "JuJu On That Beat" with a friend through her chemotherapy died Wednesday. A close friend of Ana-Alecia Ayala described her as "one in a million" when confirming her death. She said the last couple of weeks were particularly tough. Ayalas Facebook page was flooded with condolences Wednesday, with many re-sharing her popular dance video. The video had over 9 million views on Facebook as of Wednesday afternoon.

Adorable Panda Cubs

It's rare that anyone other than a tight-knit group of caretakers gets to go inside the giant panda nursery at Zoo Atlanta. Check out these cute panda twins as they hang out with their caretakers.
What to Know A Quinnipiac poll finds Hillary Clinton would beat New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio by 19 points if she ran against him

Clinton would top De Blasio in most age, gender, geographic and ethnic groups

There has been speculation the former Democratic nominee for president could run in this year's race

Hillary Clinton would crush New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in a head-to-head matchup if she ran as an independent, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday.

Clinton would beat De Blasio 49 percent to 30 percent, with overwhelming support among Democrats and independents, the poll said. The mayor would beat the former Democratic candidate for president by 10 points among Republicans.

Earlier this month, speculation popped up that Clinton could consider challenging de Blasio this fall. While widespread media reports say she almost certainly will not run, the poll makes clear she would win virtually every age, gender, geographic and ethnic group by significant margins if she did.

"New Yorkers aren't in love with Mayor Bill de Blasio, but they seem to like him better than other possible choices - except Hillary Clinton, who probably is an impossible choice," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, in a release.

De Blasio was Clinton's campaign manager during her successful 2000 Senate bid. But he initially delayed endorsing her, finally doing so six months after she announced her campaign.

Clinton's strength notwithstanding, in a series of hypothetical matchups De Blasio would easily win a Democratic primary for mayor against the most commonly discussed candidates, including former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Comptroller Scott Stringer.

He would also win, albeit with smaller margins, against any of those same candidates running as independents.

The phone poll of 1,138 New York City voters was conducted Jan. 11-17 and has a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.
What to Know Homegrown extremists are the biggest threat to New Jersey, a new study finds

Domestic terrorists attacks increased nearly 30 percent between 2015 and 2016

60 percent of all domestic terrorist attacks in the U.S. were attributed to race-based separatist groups

Despite ISIS being an ongoing topic of discussion among U.S. Homeland Security officials, experts say homegrown extremists pose the greatest threat to New Jersey, according to a new study.

The annual study, which highlights trends in terror activities and techniques to combat extremism, was released by the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) Wednesday morning.

Recent acts of domestic terrorism like the September 2016 bombings in Chelsea and Seaside Heights have elevated threats of homegrown extremism from moderate to high, the report found.

What groups pose the greatest threat to NJ in 2017? Assessed Threat Levels: High, Moderate, Low - https://t.co/1EbT05BPVu #IntelUnclass pic.twitter.com/2NnNUWnoQw  NJ Homeland Security (@NJOHSP) January 18, 2017

"The series of bombings in New York City and Elizabeth were a stark reminder of the very real threat we face from individuals who want to disrupt our way of life," NJOSHP Director Christopher Rodriguez said in a statement. "No longer was terrorism over there, it had arrived here in our backyard."

Domestic terrorists engaged in 22 attacks and were responsible for an additional 17 plots and threats of violence last year, a 29 percent increase from 2015, the study found.

Nearly 60 percent of all homegrown terror attacks in the U.S. were attributed to race-based separatist groups whose primary targets were law enforcement officials and minority groups. Attacks against law enforcement and minority groups increased twofold from 2015 to 2016, the study found.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

The study noted that nearly 90 percent of all extremist-perpetrated law enforcement fatalities occurred following the police-involved shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

One of seven documented attacks carried out by white supremacists last year occurred in Harlem, where hate crime suspect Oliver Stewart-Vukicevic attacked detectives with a knife after they came to investigate his apartment on suspicions involving anti-Semitic letters left throughout his building.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has also become a critical threat, the study says. AQAP recently cited the bombings in New Jersey as "a model for future attacks in the United States" and credited Ahmad Rahimi as a "hero of the Lone Jihad."

A group claiming al-Qaida affiliation threatened an NJOHSP official on Facebook last April, a month after a Bangladeshi pro-al-Qaida group urged militants to attack 10 U.S. universities, including Princeton.

Rodriguez emphasized establishing community relationships and increased civilian vigilance as the major methods for combating domestic terrorism. NJOSHP's Hometown Security Initiative educates the public on recognizing potential threats and how to spot and report suspicious activity.

The director says the program is designed to "increase community resilience, readiness and overall security."

Top Tri-State News Photos
What to Know People are flocking to Washington to support or protest President-elect Donald Trump on the eve of his inauguration

Trump departed NYC for the last time as a private citizen on Thursday morning; leaving on a military jet instead of his private plane

Meanwhile, thousands of people are expected to rally in NYC on Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday

Actors Robert De Niro, Sally Field and Mark Ruffalo joined hundreds of other people in front of the Trump International Hotel and Tower on Thursday for a pre-inauguration demonstration organizers said was meant to energize those concerned about the Republican president-elect's policies.

The event, staged near Central Park in Manhattan, was a rally for city residents who have vowed to pursue their own policies on health care, the environment and other issues during the Trump administration. The mayors of Minneapolis and New York attended.

"We can't just mope," said Bronx resident Jawanza Clark, who attended the gathering with his two sons, ages 10 and 5. "I want to give them a sense of the America they're inheriting, the fact that they have to lift their voices up."

Civic-mindedness was a theme throughout the evening.

Movie director Michael Moore urged people to regularly call their representatives in Congress. And actor Alec Baldwin, who portrays Trump on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," said Americans wary of Trump's policies should become more involved.

Baldwin briefly did his Trump impression, which has drawn barbs from the president-elect.

Among the groups that helped organize the event were Greenpeace, Planned Parenthood and MoveOn.org.

Some mayors, including New York Democrat Bill de Blasio, have made a point of defying potential Trump policies.

But a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday shows New Yorkers are split on how de Blasio should deal with the Trump White House. Forty-six percent said de Blasio should try to get along with Trump, while 45 percent said de Blasio should be a national leader in opposing Trump's policies.

Trump, a billionaire New York real estate mogul, was in Washington, D.C., where he's scheduled to be sworn in Friday as the 45th president.

He won the election in part through his vows to pump up the American economy and end many liberal policies of the outgoing Obama administration.
Infamous Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who twice escaped from maximum-security prisons in his country, was extradited at the request of the United States to face drug trafficking and other charges and landed in New York late Thursday, a federal law enforcement official said.

The convicted leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the world's largest drug trafficking organizations, Guzman landed at MacArthur Airport on Long Island and was expected to spend the night in a New York jail before his first appearance in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Friday, said the official, who wasn't authorized to publicly discuss Guzman's case and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Mexico's Department of Foreign Relations announced Guzman was handed over to U.S. authorities for transportation to the U.S. earlier Thursday, the last full day of Democratic President Barack Obama's administration and a day before Republican Donald Trump's scheduled inauguration.

Guzman was taken into custody by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Ciudad Juarez, a border town across from El Paso, Texas. The DEA took him via plane to New York, according to a senior U.S. official not authorized to be quoted by name. The DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals and police are working on the case.

Guzman, who's in his late 50s, first escaped from prison in 2001 and then spent more than a decade on the run before he was recaptured, only to escape again in 2015 via a mile-long tunnel dug to the shower in his cell.

The 2015 escape was highly embarrassing for the government of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, and Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand the headache off to the United States afterward. A court denied Guzman's appeal and found his extradition was constitutional, the Mexican Department of Foreign Relations said.

Guzman's lawyers had fought extradition since his 2016 recapture and said Thursday the Mexican government sent him to the United States to distract the public from nationwide protests over gasoline prices.

"It was illegal. They didn't even notify us," lawyer Andres Granados said. "They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike. It's totally political."

Besides New York, Guzman faces charges in five other U.S. jurisdictions, including San Diego, Chicago and Miami. He could face the possibility of life in a U.S. prison if convicted.

An indictment in New York accuses him of running a massive drug operation that employed thousands of people, laundered billions of dollars in profits back to Mexico and used hit men to carry out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.

After his most recent escape, he became something of a folk legend for a segment of Mexico's population for his defiance of authorities. He was immortalized in songs known as narco-corridos, ballads about the drug trade and drug bosses.

It was while on the lam a second time, in fall 2015, that he held a secret meeting with actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo. The encounter was the subject of a lengthy article Penn published in Rolling Stone last January, right after Mexican marines re-arrested Guzman in the western state of Sinaloa.

In the interview, Guzman was unapologetic about his criminal activities, saying he had turned to drug trafficking at age 15 simply to survive.

"The only way to have money to buy food, to survive, is to grow poppy, marijuana, and at that age, I began to grow it, to cultivate it and to sell it. That is what I can tell you," he was quoted as saying in Penn's article.

The decision by Mexico to extradite one of its most prized prisoners to the U.S. comes as Trump has taken a tough stand on illegal immigration from that country, vowing to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it. Mexican officials have repeatedly said they will not pay for a wall.

Derek Maltz, who headed the DEA's Special Operations Division until his retirement in mid-2014, said the timing of Guzman's extradition less than 24 hours ahead of Trump's inauguration could be seen as a show of good faith by Mexico.

___

Associated Press writer Peter Orsi reported this story in Mexico City, and AP writer Bradley Klapper reported from Washington. AP writers Alicia Caldwell and Eric Tucker in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed.
For nearly 50 years, Israel's settler movement has been criticized, condemned and ostracized by the international community. But on Friday, they say they will be greeted with open arms as invited guests to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

A warm welcome in Washington would be by far the settlers' greatest accomplishment in terms of gaining international legitimacy, and reflects both the extraordinary nature of the Trump era and their own evolution into a dominant political force in Israel.

"I definitely agree that we are now getting the VIP treatment, which is something that we have been working on for many years," said Oded Revivi, chief foreign envoy of the Yesha Council, an umbrella group representing Israel's more than 120 West Bank settlements. "You could basically argue that it has taken 50 years, since 1967, to be recognized on such a level for such an event."

Revivi, who is mayor of the fast-growing Efrat settlement near Jerusalem, is leading the delegation on Friday, joined by two other mayors. He said the invite came from a member of Trump's "first circle" of advisers, but refused to name the person.

His office gave The Associated Press photos of invitations to the main inauguration ceremony and an inaugural ball.

When asked if Trump, his incoming administration or inaugural committee had invited the settlers, inaugural committee spokesman Boris Epshteyn did not answer the question, saying in a statement only that no heads of state or heads of government were among the invited guests.

"The only representatives who will be invited are members of the diplomatic corps who are based here in Washington, D.C.," he said. Epshteyn did not reply to follow-up questions.

The invitation  the first of its kind for the settlers  is a stunning change for the movement, which began after Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war.

Today, there are some 400,000 Israelis living in West Bank settlements, in addition to roughly 200,000 Israelis in east Jerusalem, also captured in 1967. The Palestinians, with wide international backing, seek both areas for a future independent state.

For decades, U.S. presidents have joined the international community in condemning the settlements as obstacles to the peace process. Last month, the Obama administration allowed the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution condemning the settlements as a "flagrant violation" of international law. In a farewell speech, Secretary of State John Kerry also harshly criticized the settlements.

The settlers and their allies, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, defend the settlements on both security and religious grounds. They say east Jerusalem, home to key holy sites, is an eternal part of Israel's capital and not up for negotiation.

After repeated clashes with Obama, Israel's nationalist right has high expectations for Trump, who has signaled he will take a much kinder approach toward them.

Trump has appointed David Friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer who has raised millions of dollars for the Beit El settlement, as his ambassador to Israel. The foundation run by the family of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has also supported Beit El, and Trump himself has donated money to a Jewish seminary in the settlement through his foundation, tax records show.

"I think the new administration is definitely going to be one which is more responsive, more understanding and that is what's bringing definitely a lot of hope," Revivi said.

Having such access was unthinkable just a few months ago. Revivi described the Obama years as "frustrating."

He said the new opportunities with Trump were the result of years of intense diplomatic efforts by the settler movement to forge ties with American officials, lawmakers and community leaders. During the presidential campaign, Trump supporters in Israel set up their headquarters in the West Bank to encourage American expatriates to support their candidate.

Revivi said he has a "detailed shopping list" for the coming years that goes beyond expanded settlement construction, but he declined to elaborate, saying much would depend on Netanyahu and Trump.

"Inviting us over to his ceremony is an indication that the relationship is going to be different. When you have a dialogue, when you have a tight relationship, the sky is the limit," Revivi said.

Yesha opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, but is also against the creation of a single "binational state" of Jews and Palestinians. Revivi said he favors an approach that would improve the quality of life for the West Bank's 2.3 million Palestinians, but not give them Israeli citizenship.

Critics say this is unsustainable, and that the continued occupation will eventually force Israel to choose between remaining Jewish or democratic.

Trump's campaign platform made no mention of a Palestinian state, and he has shown little affinity for the Palestinians. No Palestinian officials or dignitaries are believed to have been invited to the inauguration.

Trump also has promised to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem  a key Israeli demand opposed by the Palestinians.

Pro-settlement lawmakers plan to introduce a bill Sunday calling on Israel to annex the large West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim. The bill's advocates say the timing is intentional because they believe the new administration will not oppose the move.

The Palestinians have issued dire warnings about any embassy move, saying it would prejudge negotiations on one of the most sensitive issues in the conflict. President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to revoke recognition of Israel and cut off security ties, and religious leaders said Thursday an embassy move would "drag the whole region into a religious feud that may have dire consequences."

Hanan Ashrawi, a top Palestinian official, said the incoming administration has sent "very alarming signals" about its intentions.

"By linking up with the settlers and the illegal settlements enterprise, Trump is placing the new American administration squarely outside the law and is encouraging Israeli lawlessness," she said. "He is destroying the chances of peace and preparing for further conflict and instability and violence."
A Texas woman with cancer who lifted spirits across the world when she danced to "JuJu On That Beat" with a friend through her chemotherapy died Wednesday.

A close friend of Ana-Alecia Ayala described her as "one in a million" when confirming her death to NBC4 Southern California. She said the last couple of weeks were particularly tough.

But the Dallas resident didn't let her diagnosis with a rare form of uterine sarcoma in December 2015 get her down, gaining a following thanks to her cancer awareness video, hashtagged "#JuJuOnThatChemo." She endured the highs and lows of the disease, sharing updates of her journey with the world via social media.

"There is life after diagnosis. Making the most of the good days and taking this diagnosis and running with it is what I've tried to accomplish," she said in a November appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

Ayala leaves behind a husband and 3-year-old daughter.

Ayalas Facebook page was flooded with condolences Wednesday, with many re-sharing her popular dance video. The video had over 9 million views on Facebook as of Wednesday afternoon.

Ayalas internet fame exploded after the video was posted in October showing her and friend Danielle Andrus dancing to "JuJu on the Beat" with medical tubes attached to her body. Soon afterward, the pair were invited onto Ellen DeGeneres's show in Los Angeles to share her inspiring story. She even inspired her very own trending hashtag, #AnaStrong.

DeGeneres gave her a $20,000 donation from Shutterfly to help with medical expense.

"My faith in God and my trust in my doctors has gotten me this far," she said in a prior interview with NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
The motorcade for Vice President-elect Mike Pence struck and injured a D.C. police reserve officer Wednesday afternoon, according to the U.S. Secret Service.

The officer was conducting traffic control near the intersection of 6th and F streets NW about 1:45 p.m. when a vehicle in the motorcade struck him, D.C. police said.

The officer was taken to the hospital with a minor injury, the Secret Service said. He has been released from the hospital.

Pence called interim Police Chief Peter Newsham and the injured officer to express his appreciation for law enforcement, according to D.C. Police Director of Communications Dustin Sternbeck.
President Barack Obama took the last question of his last press briefing in the White House to brag about his two daughters, who "surprise and enchant and impress" him every day.

Obama said he and his wife learned from 18-year-old Malia and 15-year-old Sasha in talking about the results of November's election, in which the family supported Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. The way they've bounced back from their disappointment makes him optimistic about the generation that's coming of age in America today, he told reporters Wednesday.

Malia and Sasha "have not assumed, because their side didn't win or because some of the values that they care about don't seem as if they were vindicated, that automatically America has somehow rejected them or rejected their values," Obama said.

He was responding to a question about how he and Michelle Obama talked to their girls about the results of the election, during which Trump campaigned on reversing many of Obama's signature policies and values

The first lady campaigned about the election's high stakes for women, people of color, the LGBT community, and was was one of Trump's fiercest critics. She said in one speech that his comments about women in a 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape were "cruel" and "not something we can sweep under the rug."

Sasha and Malia paid attention to those comments, Obama said, and they are consistent with how the girls were raised, being taught resilience and hope, and that "the only thing that's the end of the world is the end of the world," he said. "You get back to work. That tended to be their attitude."

He continued that he hopes his daughters will try to fix the country they love deeply yet see as flawed, and he said that's representative of the attitude many young people have today.

"They don't mope, and what makes me proudest about them is that they also don't get cynical about it," Obama said.

The remarks combined several themes Obama has been making lately, as his second term comes to a close. In his farewell address last week, he also argued that there's more reason to be optimistic about America than ever, and also praised his daughters as kind, thoughtful and full of passion.

And of course, the message that won him the White House in 2008 was one of hope, a theme he turned to as he concluded the press conference Wednesday.

He noted that, in recent off-the-record meetings, reporters have tried to ask him if his optimism is just for show, but Obama insisted at the news conference, under 48 hours before Trump takes over in the Oval Office, that it wasn't.

"This is not just a matter of 'No Drama Obama,' this is what I really believe," Obama said. "At my core, I think we're going to be okay. We just have to fight for it, we have to work for it and not take it for granted."
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."
A man died early Thursday morning following a scuffle with police in North Philadelphia.

Shortly before 5 a.m., two police officers responded to a complaint of a "person screaming" near the corner of 10th and Poplar streets. When they arrived, officers found a man jumping wildly up and down on a red truck while yelling, police told NBC10.

One officer attempted to approach the man, but he walked to the police car and grabbed a female officer by the neck, police said. A struggle ensued as additional units arrived on the scene.

Police struck the man with a baton and stun gun before wrestling him to the ground where they noticed the once screaming man was unresponsive, said investigators. One neighbor also told NBC10 she saw police performing CPR on the man.

Fearing he had overdosed, police administered the anti-narcotic Naloxene and transported him to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced him dead around 5:45 a.m.

One officer suffered minor injuries during the incident, said police.

The cause of death remained under investigation Thursday, but hospital staff indicated the Taser prongs did not puncture the man's skin, police said. Homicide and internal affairs would investigate the incident further.
When he's not battling bridge scandals, getting kicked off trains, falling out of chairs, making trips to McDonald's for Donald Trump, or eating M&M's, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie sure seems to be fond of insulting Philadelphia Eagles fans.

Christie was at it again Wednesday morning when he spoke with the Boomer and Carton show up on New York's WFAN.

Christie is a well-documented Dallas Cowboys fan and again discussed his fandom and why people seem to care about it.

And in case you needed a reminder, the Cowboys' season is currently over and they didn't even win a single playoff game. Sad!

"I understand why people are interested if you are a public figure, as to who you root for," Christie said. "They're interested. But the hostility, I will tell you that I take for being a Cowboys fan - and this is what I say to Giants fans all the time, and Eagles fans. Now Eagles fans I can understand it from a little more because the Eagles do suck and they've sucked for a long time. And their fans are generally angry, awful people."

He then goes on to say he's not a front runner for liking the Cowboys because they've been far less successful over the last ten years than the New York Giants. Mostly true.

You can listen to the whole interview right here. Via CBS Philly
The Pennsylvania SPCA is seeking the publics help in identifying the person who dumped a dog in a trash bag in Philadelphias Lawncrest neighborhood.

A Good Samaritan found the adult long-haired female dachshund inside a garbage bag on the 800 block of Pratt Street Wednesday morning and brought her to the city shelter. PSPCAs Humane Law Enforcement team then took the dog, who they named Frances, to their Erie Avenue headquarters where she received medical treatment.

This is the second case in recent history involving a dog being dumped in a trash bag where luckily a Good Samaritan has intervened, said Nicole Wilson, the PSPCAs Director of Humane Law Enforcement. Dogs are not trash, and we urge anyone with information about this dog and the situation that led to its abandonment to come forward.

If you have any information on the identity of the person or people responsible for the incident please call the PSPCAs cruelty hotline at 866-601-7722.




The Delaware Senate is set to vote on a bill reforming Delaware's abandoned property laws.

Abandoned property is a critical source of funding for Delaware's state government, amounting to about half a billion dollars annually and representing the state's third-largest revenue category.

But it's also been the subject of several lawsuits by companies challenging the aggressive way Delaware has gone after abandoned property, which can include unclaimed stocks and bonds, insurance policies, uncashed checks, unclaimed wages, dividends, even unredeemed rebates and gift certificates.

The bill to be voted on Thursday adopts certain recommendations from a state task force and includes revisions aimed at bringing more predictability, efficiency, and fairness to unclaimed property reporting and compliance rules.
A Pennsylvania high school will march down Pennsylvania Avenue during Donald Trumps presidential inauguration.

The Franklin Regional High School Panther Marching Band will make the trip from Murrysville  a suburb of Pittsburgh  to the Nations Capital for the parade performance Friday.

"We're very excited, a little bit of nerves," Ashley Li, a junior in the band told NBC-affiliate WPXI. [[181571031, C]]

Friday marks the first time the band will perform on Inauguration Day as they march in the Third Division.

"To walk down Pennsylvania Avenue and be a part of that celebration, that's what America is all about," said band instructor Kevin Pollack. "No matter what your political leanings are, you're celebrating a change in power and a new president and that's what we do in this country."

The band's Inauguration Day playlist pays homage to the Keystone State including costumed characters like Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross, reported WPXI. [[37088324, C]]
UPDATE: Police estimated the total value of the items taken at around $60,000.

Robbers stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from a Manayunk consignment shop after one of the suspects, who was armed, tied up an employee and customer who were inside.

Police say a man entered Remix on Main on the 4300 block of Main Street around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday and asked for a Chanel handbag.

A 32-year-old female employee and a 65-year-old male customer were inside the store at the time. As trio walked to the back of the store to help the man pick out a suit, the suspect produced a silver handgun and announced a robbery, said police.

The suspect tied up both of the victims with zip ties and forced them inside the stores dressing room. [[411155525, C]]

The armed man then turned off the lights in the store and two more suspects entered, police said. The robbers then stole fur coats, jackets, pocketbooks and boots as well as $200 from the register and the female employees purse. In all, the suspects made off with $10,000 in merchandise. They fled the scene in a silver car that was last seen traveling north on Main Street.

Neither the clerk nor customer were injured during the incident. Police also say the entire robbery was captured on store surveillance video though the quality is low. Investigators are also looking at exterior surveillance from both Remix and other businesses in the surrounding area.

Police say the robbery was unusual because it happened in a crowded shopping area during rush hour. Several stores, restaurants and bars are located near where the robbery took place.

Police did not release a detailed description of the suspects but say they were in their late 20s to early 30s. They were also wearing gloves and the armed suspect had on dark glasses and dark clothing, according to investigators.

If you have any information on the robbery, please call Philadelphia Police.




VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2017 / FIORE EXPLORATION LTD. (TSX-V:F.V) (OTCQB:-FIORF) ("Fiore" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that exploration has commenced on its Cerro Tostado project in Chile, where high-grade epithermal silver veins were previously intersected by three of eighteen holes drilled between 2010 and 2012 by Sociedad Quimica Y Minera de Chile SA ("SQM"). Significant intersections from SQM's drilling at Cerro Tostado included:

3.0 m of 637.0 g/t silver in hole CTAR-01

2.0 m of 830.3 g/t silver in hole TEAR-01, and

2.0 m of 332.5 g/t silver in hole CTAR-02.

Cerro Tostado is located just south of the main and Florida zones of Yamana Gold's flagship El Penon Mine (Figure 1). A map of the drill collar locations is provided in Figure 2.

Fiore has signed a definitive agreement with SQM to acquire the Cerro Tostado property, on terms previously announced (see PR of November 14, 2016 for details), and has issued subject to exchange approval 10,000 common shares to Fiore Management and Advisory Corp., in conjunction with this acquisition pursuant to its mandate agreement.

Exploration began with a ground magnetic survey completed in early December by Argali Geofisica Chile E.I.R.L., consisting of 324.3 line kilometres of ground magnetic surveying at 50 m line spacing. The survey identified a number of ENE-SSW, and NW-SE linear structures, with the intersection of these structures representing the most favourable location for epithermal vein emplacement. In January 2017, Fiore geologists began a program of re-logging and resampling the material from the SQM RC holes, which had been stored at a secure SQM facility in Chile. A field program of geological, structural and alteration mapping as well as surface sampling is scheduled for Q1 2017, to build up a more complete picture of the epithermal veins encountered in the previous program. A combined diamond and RC drilling program will follow in early Q2 2017.

Story continues

Tim Warman, Fiore's CEO stated, "We're very excited to begin work on Cerro Tostado, following up on the earlier high-grade silver intercepts drilled by SQM, while we await the final results from Pampas El Penon. The geology of Fiore's land package surrounding Yamana's flagship El Penon Mine is very favourable for both high and low-sulphidation precious metal deposits like those at the El Penon Mine Complex, particularly at Cerro Tostado where mineralized veins have been encountered over a strike length of approximately 160 m, with the veins open along strike and at depth. At the same time, Fiore continues to advance its strategy of acquiring other undervalued and underexplored assets in Latin America, focusing on areas where the management team can provide a competitive advantage through its experience and local knowledge."

At our Pampas El Penon project, the Phase I reverse-circulation ("RC") drilling program was completed in late December, 2016 for a total of 8,227 m in 19 holes (Figure 3). Assay turnaround times have been slower than anticipated, but results have now been received for 16 of 19 holes. Drilling has confirmed the presence of epithermal structures with strongly elevated pathfinder element values (arsenic and antimony) and low but anomalous gold and silver values in 7 of 16 holes reported to date (PP-03, -06, -10, -12, -14, -15 and -17). These zones of anomalous gold, silver and pathfinder elements may represent the upper zones of mineralized epithermal vein structures at depth. A December 2016 site visit report by Nibaldo Rojas, a consulting geologist and former Senior Exploration Director (Andes) for Yamana, has confirmed the similarity between these structures and those currently being mined at Yamana's adjacent Pampa Augusta Victoria mine. Rojas also noted that the discovery of mineralisation at Pampa Augusta Victoria was only made on the third drilling campaign on the property, and the results to date have greatly improved our understanding of the local geology and structure. Plans for a follow up drilling campaign at Pampas El Penon will be made once all of the drilling results have been received and interpreted.

Cerro Tostado

The Cerro Tostado project consists of five concessions totalling approximately 1,500 ha located in Region II some 125 km southeast of Antofagasta. The project is approximately 12 km southwest and 8 km east-southeast of Yamana's El Penon and Fortuna mines respectively (see Figure 2), and along strike from the principal veins reported at the Fortuna mine. A large hill, Cerro Largato, forms a north-south elongated outcrop of argillic altered and brecciated rhyolite that intrudes and is in fault contact with porphyritic andesitic units and dacitic to rhyodacitic units towards the east and southeast. These outcropping units are surrounded by gravel and caliche covered areas. Alteration is most intense along the breccia bodies that are spatially related with the dominant N-S and NW-SE structural trends. Associated with the argillic alteration and structural trends are variable intensities of hematite-jarosite bearing veinlets.

Details of Previous Exploration at Cerro Tostado

Exploration work was carried out by SQM between 2010 and 2012, and consisted of mapping and surface sampling, 3.8 km of trenching and channel sampling, and 17 reverse circulation holes for a total of 2,611 m. The results have confirmed the presence of structurally controlled silver-dominated mineralization

Drilling was conducted by SQM in three campaigns between 2010 and 2012. The holes ranged in depth from 54  350 m, with 9 of 17 holes being less than 100 m in length. Three of the 17 holes intercepted high-grade silver values as follows:

Selected Cerro Tostado Drill Intersections

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width (m) Silver Grade (g/t) TEAR-07 28.0 30.0 2.0 830.3 CTAR-01 97.0 100.0 3.0 637.0 104.0 105.0 1.0 294.0 CTAR-02 185.0 187.0 2.0 332.5

Notes

Insufficient drilling has been completed to calculate true widths

Intercepts are generally calculated using samples greater than or equal to 150 g/t silver, and contain no more than 1.0 m of internal dilution

Five other holes intercepted zones of sub-economic but anomalous silver, as well as elevated antimony, arsenic and lead. The veins intercepted by the SQM drilling remain open along strike and at depth.

Appointment of Chief Financial Officer

Fiore is pleased to announce the appointment of Jessica Van Den Akker as Chief Financial Officer of the Company effective January 4th, 2017. Ms. Van Den Akker is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CA) with over 11 years' experience in the resource sector. She gained extensive experience through a Canadian audit firm providing reporting and accounting assurance services to publicly traded companies, primarily in natural resources. Ms. Van Den Akker is a graduate of Simon Fraser University where she received a Bachelor of Business Administration. The Board has accepted the resignation of Ms. Dhaliwal and would like to thank her for her contributions to the Company and wish her well in her future endeavours.

The Company further announces that pursuant to the Company's Stock Option Plan, a total of 1,350,000 incentive stock options have been granted to directors, officers, consultants, and employees of the Company. The options are exercisable at the closing price of the Company's shares on January 19, 2017 for a period of 10 years, subject to regulatory approval.

Technical Information & Qualified Person

Drilling at Cerro Tostado by SQM was carried out using a reverse circulation rig. Samples were collected every 1.0 m from intervals of interest. Samples were assayed for gold and silver, and in some cases for antimony and arsenic, by Andes Analytical Assay Limitada of Santiago, using the atomic absorption (AA) method. QA/QC procedures were confined to the insertion of a blank sample for every twenty samples. Standard reference materials do not appear to have been used. Fiore is confident that SQM's sample preparation, security, analytical procedures and analyses were adequate for an early stage exploration property. Future exploration drilling programs will utilize Fiore's standard procedures as described below.

Drilling at Pampas El Penon by Fiore Exploration was carried out by AK Drilling International Perforaciones Ltda. using a truck-mounted reverse circulation rig. Samples were collected every 1.0 m from intervals of interest. A 3-kg subsample was prepared using a riffle splitter, and the samples were transported by Fiore personnel in sacks with numbered seals to ALS Chemex Laboratories in Antofagasta Chile for preparation. Sample pulps were then sent to ALS Chemex Peru (Lima) Laboratory for analysis. Gold was assayed using a 50-gram gold fire assay with either an atomic absorption, or a gravimetric finish for samples initially reporting over 10.0 g/t gold. Multi-element ICP (33 elements, 4-acid digest) geochemical analyses were also carried out on each sample. Standard reference materials and blanks were inserted in each assay shipment as part of Fiore's QA/QC program.

ALS Minerals Chile is certified under the integrated ISO quality system; Quality ISO9001:2008, Environmental ISO14001:2004, and Safety OHSAS 18001:2007. The ALS regional Analytical Laboratory in Lima is certified with ISO9001:2008 and ISO17025, accredited by the Standards Council of Canada.

Vern Arseneau, P. Geo., Fiore's VP Exploration, is the Qualified Person who supervised the preparation of the technical data in this news release.

About Fiore Exploration

Fiore Exploration is a Latin America focused gold explorer, whose Pampas El Penon and Cerro Tostado gold and silver projects in Chile cover land in the same geological environment as Yamana's flagship El Penon mine.

On behalf of FIORE EXPLORATION LTD.

"Tim Warman"

Chief Executive Officer

Contact Us:

info@fioreexploration.com

1(416) 639-1426 Ext. 1

www.fioreexploration.com

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Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

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SOURCE: Fiore Exploration Ltd.
A man who escaped to his native Peru six years ago after being charged with vehicular homicide in Bucks County has been apprehended in South America.

Authorities arrested Nelio Sotomayor-Sanchez, 46, earlier this month in Lima and expect to extradite him to the United States to face charges in the 2010 death of a Newtown Township woman.

Sheree Maillie, a 55-year-old teacher's aide, died when Sotomayor-Sanchez's car crossed a double-yellow line while attempting to pass another vehicle. He hit Maillie's car head on near Swift Road in Middletown Township, authorities said. Sotomayor-Sanchez did not have a license at the time of the crash.

He was taken to a nearby medical center and treated for non-life threatening injuries. After being released, he moved to Tampa, Fla., authorities said. Just one month later, Sotomayor-Sanchez flew to Colombia and then home to Peru despite facing several charges, including homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter and causing a fatal accident while driving without a license.

Court documents suggest Sotomayor-Sanchez was aware of these charges when he fled to South America, police said. He was later charged with unlawful international flight to avoid prosecution. That final charge is pending in the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.
Sara Packer is no longer on suicide watch as she sits in Bucks County Jail awaiting a preliminary hearing in the alleged rape and murder of her adopted daughter, Grace, her court-appointed attorney said Thursday.

Packer, who turned 42 on Sunday, remained in restrictive housing at the jail outside Doylestown, her attorney Keith J. Williams said.

"As far as I understand, in restrictive housing, she has virtually no access to visitors," Williams said. "I'm not aware of any."

Packer and her boyfriend, Jacob Sullivan, who is also being held without bail at the county jail, are next scheduled to appear in court Feb. 24. They were previously scheduled for a preliminary hearing Friday, Jan. 20, but that appearance was pushed back because of scheduling conflicts and security reasons, Williams said.

The hearing next month will be held at the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown. Williams said he expects that the Bucks County District Attorney's office will file capital murder charges, which would add the death penalty to the possible outcomes at trial if the couple were to be convicted.

The couple allegedly beat, raped and killed Grace Packer, 14, in their rented home in Quakertown and left her in the attic for months before eventually dumping the body in a wooded area of Luzerne County, according to authorities.

They were arrested two weeks ago and charged with criminal homicide, conspiracy-forcible rape, kidnapping and numerous other charges.

The case spreads across six counties in eastern Pennsylvania, as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, which is now conducting an investigation involving several county Children, Youth and Family social service agencies. The case is complicated by Sara Packer's long history as both a social service case worker, the foster parent of 30 foster children and her adoption of Grace and the girl's younger brother in Berks County in 2014.

Two of the counties involved in the ongoing investigations of Sara Packer and her history with the foster and adoption systems released statements Thursday, promising thorough local reviews and cooperation with the state DHS investigation.

Northampton County Executive John A. Brown said in a statement that Sara Packer did serve as a foster parent for a child in the county from 2000 to 2001. He also confirmed details of Sara Packer's work history that NBC10 has previously reported after records were released through right-to-know requests.

Brown also alluded to the timing of Packer's firing from her job as a county caseworker in April 2010.

"At or near that time, a criminal investigation was taking place in Lehigh County," Brown said. That criminal investigation was into charges that Sara Packer's ex-husband, David Packer, sexually abused an underage foster child and Grace Packer, who was 9 at the time. He was later convicted.

Lehigh County Executive Tom Muller said in a statement that "two minors were placed with Sara Packer by Lehigh County - one in 2003 for 12 months and one in 2006 for four months."

"Both moved on successfully," Muller said.

Packer's attorney, Williams, said he has met twice with the suspect since her arrested. At his latest meeting Tuesday, he said Packer was very upset.

"She's obviously distraught, and it's a horrible situation for all concerned," Williams said.
A cab driver continues to fight for his life after he was shot 13 times over the weekend. Now his family is speaking out.

Police responded to a radio call reporting a person with a gun on the 800 block of Brooklyn Street in West Philadelphia Sunday around 2:20 a.m. When they arrived they found Sambou Sylla, 56, unresponsive on the sidewalk next to his taxi cab which was still running. Police say he had been shot at least 13 times.

Sylla was taken to the Penn-Presbyterian Medical Center where he is currently listed in critical condition.

He lost his left eye, Syllas brother Lassana Sylla told NBC10. He got shot in the arm three times and hands, leg.

Officials with the Philadelphia Taxicab Company told NBC10 Sylla was shot a few minutes after he called dispatch to cancel a job. His cab was also found a block away from the customers pickup location.

While he was driving this customer got hostile, said Khalid Alvi of the Philadelphia Taxi Association. So he called his base and said, The customer is getting aggravated and Im going to let him out from my cab.

Lassana Sylla told NBC10 his brother is married and the father of seven children. He's originally from Mali and has been working as a cab driver for more than 25 years.

"Seven kids and a wife," Lassana Sylla said. "Only thing he do, work, home, work, home. He don't bother nobody. Good man."

Police continue to search for the gunman. The Philadelphia Taxi Association is offering $5,000 to anyone with information that leads to an arrest.

Whoever did this just come forward, Lassana Sylla said. Be a man about it and come forward.
THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF A FREAKISH EVENT

I remember it as if it were yesterday, but it occurred 40 years ago. It seems like such a trivial thing-no one was hurt, or even inconvenienced by it. By IT," I mean snow. And I mean just a few flakes of it. But it was the first time snow was ever observed in Miami, Florida, and everyone seemed to go nuts.

It made news all over the world. Even Johnny Carson did a joke about it in his monologue that night. People who had never seen this before pointed up to the sky as if they were seeing a flying saucer. A local hardware store, in jest, put up a sign stating: Todays Special-Snow Shovels."

YES, THAT IS SNOW ON THE RADAR. NO, IT CANT BE.

That was the conversation between me-the loudmouth intern, and my supervisor of the Radar & Public Service section of The National Hurricane Center in Miami. I was on the midnight shift, and started seeing reports of snow in North Florida (Tallahassee and Jacksonville) when I came in. Every hour or two, more reports came in as the snow spread southward through the state.

By about 7 a.m., my supervisor came in, just as I was about to do something no one had ever done-make an official report of snow on the Miami radar. Things were primitive back then, using teletype to send information. I had started the report with R-S-," meaning light rain and snow. But he wouldnt let me send it.

Weve never had snow here-it cant be snow," he said.

So far, no snow had been observed south of West Palm Beach.

I replied, But Im from Pennsylvania. I know what snow looks like on radar.

It wasnt long after that when the calls started. It was snowing in the Fort Lauderdale area. Some people were actually screaming at me, as if a monster had broken into their house. ITS SNOWING! I SWEAR ITS SNOWING! After a few calls we were convinced it was really happening. Then the calls started coming in from the Miami area-as far south as Homestead. Snow was even reported in Freeport in the Bahamas. By then, I was allowed to report it officially on radar. But it never did snow officially at Miami International Airport, so the record books need an asterisk.

WHAT WEIRD PATTERN CAUSED THE WEIRD WEATHER?

It had to be an extreme pattern-after all, this was unprecedented. Here is the upper-air map from that time, along with the headline as big as if World War III had started..

The now infamous Polar Vortex had dropped near Maine. But the most important feature is the sharp change from that LOW in Maine down to Florida. Upper-air winds flow along those lines, so a flow from the north from Canada to Ohio to Georgia quickly changes to a flow from the southwest just off the Florida coast. This is known in meteorology as a sharp trough," and we rarely see anything so extreme. This pattern not only brought severe cold all the way to Miami, but also allowed precipitation to fall along a narrow band in Florida. A typically strong cold blast coming into Florida usually brings dry weather. Only an extreme pattern could lead to the snow.

This may happen again one day in the future. But it hadnt happened in about 100 years before the event, and hasnt happened in the 40 years after it.




San Diego authorities are asking for the public's help in uncovering more information in the 2016 death of Julio Granados.

Granados was found on the side of the road along the 1500 block of Lemon Street in Oceanside on June 22, 2016. Officers arrived on scene and found the man suffering from stab wounds, according to San Diego County Crime Stoppers.

Granados was flown to a trauma center nearby, where he died from his wounds.

Witnesses who spoke with detectives that night reported seeing suspects flee from the scene of the crime in a car.

Detectives are looking into the possibility that Granados knew the suspect(s); they do not believe it was a random act. Authorities not not believe the crime is gang-related.

Crime Stoppers are offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Oceanside Police Department's Crimes of Violence Unit at (760) 435-4572. If you would like to remain anonymous, call the Crime Stoppers tip line at (888) 580-8477.
With more than 1,000 people expected to show up at a resource fair in downtown San Diego, organizers are asking for volunteers and donations.

Project Homeless Connect is holding its 11th annual one-day resource fair. The event will provide health services, haircuts, legal aid, counseling and pet care for San Diegos homeless adults and families, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities.

Project Homeless Connect is hosted by the San Diego Housing Commission, and is looking for volunteers and donations to help with the event on Jan. 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., downtown at the Golden Hall at San Diego Concourse. Acceptable donations are new sweatshirts size large and up, new or gently used shoes (no flip flops or heels), new blankets, and new ponchos. Donations can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Golden Hall on Jan. 24.

Volunteers would staff registration tables, collect information on homeless individuals, escort them to booths and help clean.

[Project Homeless] goes way back. It started in San Francisco as a day to provide for homeless their basic needs, said Maria Velasquez, chief communications officer for the San Diego Housing Commission.

Twelve hundred people came through last year, were not sure how many people will come this year, but anyone who walks through the doors will be in need of the services which Project homeless Connect provides, Velasquez said.

San Diego Countys Regional Task Force on the Homeless is conducting its annual WeAllCount Point-in-Time census on the homeless, and is looking for volunteers to conduct interviews of the homeless throughout San Diego County, starting Jan. 27.

WeAllCounts one-day census provides the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with information to help plan local homeless assistance systems and programs, as well as raise public awareness of homelessness.

Volunteers would assist with counting unsheltered individuals, sheltered individuals and provide in-depth personal interviews of unsheltered persons.

The 2016 WeAllCount Point-in-Time census found a 69 percent increase in individuals sleeping in tents or hand-built structures from the previous year, according to the RTFH comprehensive report.

U.S. census data shows 13.9 percent of San Diego County lives in poverty.
A Southern California man suspected of kidnapping and murder was shot and wounded by police officers from Anaheim Thursday in Old Town San Diego.

Officials with the Anaheim Police Department (APD) shot suspect Luke Lampers, 35, just after midnight at a California Department of Transportation parking lot in the 4000 block of Taylor Street. After a short foot chase, officials said a detective fired two shots at Lampers, striking him once.

Luke Lampers, a man wanted for murder and kidnapping out of Anaheim, California, was shot by detectives with the Anaheim Police Department in Old Town San Diego on Jan. 19. NBC 7s Liberty Zabala reports.

Lampers was arrested and taken to a San Diego-area hospital with non-life threatening injuries, APD Sgt. Daron Wyatt said. He is expected to survive.

Because the officer-involved shooting happened in San Diego, that part of the incident is being investigated by the San Diego Police Department (SDPD).

#BREAKING @sandiegopd responding to an officer involved shooting & kidnapping in the 4000 blk of Taylor Street in #OldTown. Stay w #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/ijFu75JDk2  Liberty Zabala (@LibertyNBC7SD) January 19, 2017

Lampers is the suspect in a Jan. 11 murder at the Crystal Inn Motel on West Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim, California. That day, investigators said Lampers got into an altercation at the motel with his ex-girlfriend, Brianne Deese, 23.

Douglas Navarro, 49, an employee at the Crystal Inn Motel stepped in to help Deese and Lampers pulled a gun on Navarro, shooting and killing him, according to police.

Lampers is accused of then kidnapping Deese at gunpoint and fleeing to an Easy 8 Motel in San Diego.

Since then, APD Sgt. Daron Wyatt said homicide detectives have been "engaged in an exhaustive effort" to find Deese and bring her home safe.

SDPD Capt. Brian Ahearn told NBC 7 police in San Diego were informed by APD detectives Wednesday that Lampers was possibly in the San Diego area  likely near the Midway District. Ahearn said SDPD detectives were able to confirm Wednesday that someone resembling Lampers entered a business in the Midway District.

On Wednesday evening, APD investigators received information from the kidnapping victims family that she was in San Diego, asking for help. Deese managed to escape from Lampers to call her father to report her whereabouts, saying she was somewhere near Interstate 5 and Clairemont Drive. Her father passed along that information to police.

Anaheim police and SDPD officers conducted surveillance on an Easy 8 Motel in Old Town where Lampers was suspected to be staying. Police believed he was armed with a gun.

#DEVELOPING @SanDiegoPD say 23YO victim Brianne Deese is safe. No officers hurt in shooting. Stay w #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/hxyuNqEvql  Liberty Zabala (@LibertyNBC7SD) January 19, 2017

Just after midnight Thursday, APD officers spotted Lampers driving a stolen car at that location. SDPD investigators said Lampers realized police were on his tail and he pulled into the parking lot in Old Town, got out of the car and began to run.

A short foot pursuit ensued. As Lampers rounded a corner, another APD detective fired two rounds at the suspect, hitting him.

Wyatt said a firearm was found near the location where Lampers was shot and taken into custody.

Ahearn said detectives from multiple agencies would remain at the scene of the shooting in Old Town throughout Thursday, as the investigation is complex. He said there are several witnesses that need to be interviewed at the scene.

No other officers were involved in the shooting. No one else was wounded. Ahearn said APD officers were wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting. Homicide detectives with the SDPD will investigate the shooting.

Deese is safe, police said. She is currently at APD headquarters being interviewed by detectives, Wyatt said. After the interviews, she's expected go home with her father.

Wyatt said that once Lampers is released from the hospital, he will be booked into jail in Orange County on several counts, including kidnapping and murder.
The Marine killed during a training mishap aboard the Marine Corps' Air Ground Combat Center (MAGTF) in Twentynine Palms on Friday has been identified, officials said.

Lance Corporal Austin J. Ruiz, 19, of Naples, Florida, was pronounced dead at Bush Naval Hospital after a live-fire training mishap. The training was in preparation for the start of Integrated Training Exercise 2-17.

Ruiz served as a combat engineer with 3rd Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Okinawa, Japan. At the time of the incident, Ruiz was attached to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.

A second Marine was injured during the mishap, officials said; he was flown to the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

The Marine, who is assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii, is in critical condition.

Authorities did not provide any additional information on the live-fire mishap.

"The Lava Dogs of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, along with the rest of the Marine Corps, mourn the tragedy which befell two of our Marines and their families. Both Marines answered a higher calling to put service before self and there is nothing more admirable or unselfish," said Lt. Col. Jeremiah Salame, commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, in a statement.

The incident remains under investigation.

No other information was immediately available.
Many San Diegans are traveling to Washington D.C. this week to be part of the historic events surrounding President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

Among them are two locals who will both take part in rallies - albeit very different kinds of rallies.

Myke Shelby, who owns the San Diego Harley-Davidson, will be in D.C. in support of Trump.

He and thousands of other bikers are expected to form a so called "wall of meat" around the inauguration to drown out protesters. He has tickets to the inauguration, as well.

"I'm here because this is a moment in history, I want to be a part of it, even if I'm just a witness, I want to be here, I want to share it," he told NBC 7 San Diego.

As a businessman, he says he's excited about lower taxes and less regulations.

Meantime, local Isabela Rodriguez will travel to D.C. tomorrow for a much different reason.

The University of San Diego law student will be part of one of the weekend's largest crowds when she walks in the Women's March on Washington.

The march is predicted to draw upwards of 200,000 people.

Rodriguez says as an immigrant, environmentalist, and woman, she felt compelled to join the movement.

"It's really all focused on positive things, rather than negative things," she explained. "We're just trying to show we're here, we don't want to be ignored, today is your first day in office and this is something we care about and we're going to keep caring about for the next four years."
A convicted art thief recently drove from Florida all the way to Virginia in hopes of receiving a presidential pardon for the past crime. But what he got, instead, was a new charge for driving a stolen vehicle, according to authorities.

Marcus Patmon, 45, of Miami, found himself back in custody Sunday after parking his car in Arlington, Virginia. Police said one of their license plate scanners had detected the vehicle had been reported stolen.

Patmon was there to meet with Eric Holder, according to police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. She told NBC Washington Patmon wanted Holder and the Obama administration to pardon him before Donald Trump took office. However, Holder isnt the U.S. attorney general anymore; Loretta Lynch has held that position since April 2015.

Patmon made the trip because he wanted to get a clean record. In 2009 he admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of artwork  including Pablo Picasso pieces.

According to federal documents, after stealing the Picasso etchings, he tried to sell them to an art dealer in California, NBC News reported. Patmon pleaded guilty to wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property for trafficking in the Picasso etchings and a Marc Chagall lithograph. He spent almost two years in jail before being released in 2012, according to federal records.

Much of his court record remains sealed, but according to prosecutors, Patmon had been inspired to steal and resell art by an episode of the PBS series "Antiques Roadshow," NBC News reported. He hoped the money would afford him the lifestyle he was used to before he was convicted of assault in 2001.

No attorney of record was listed for Patmon.
Bikers for Trump roared through the D.C. area Thursday with a message they want to share with America this inauguration weekend.

The bikers gathered in Woodbridge, Virginia, Thursday morning and rolled north on Interstate 95, crossing the Key Bridge into Georgetown on their motorcycles.

They also stopped at Arlington National Cemetery to honor the men and women some of them served with in the military, people who made the ultimate sacrifice in service for their country.

Their message is unity, said John Caycelo of Dumfries, Virginia.

That's what our country needs right now  unity, he said.

They brought the Trump Unity Bridge from Michigan and drove the Trumpmobile from Florida. Its owners, who are from Finland, said its made from 43 different cars.

This was converted to a Trumpmobile because we all in Florida and Florida was one of the toughest states to be won, owner Pastor Martti Falck said.

A rider from Brazil who now lives in Arlington and became a U.S. citizen said immigration is the reason she rides for Trump.

"I am an immigrant myself, and for me to get all the papers that I needed to become a citizen was a very hard process," Leticia Stanley said. "And I did it the right way. And there are a lot of immigrants that do not do that ... They come here illegally and I do not agree with that."

The bikers anticipate they will encounter anti-Trump protests during the inauguration.

"As long as it's peaceful, the biker community is here to see a peaceful transition of power," said R.C. Pittman of Florida Bikers for Trump.

Bikers for Trump said protesters expected to demonstrate against the new president have nothing to fear as long as they're peaceful.

The First Amendment guarantees them the right to protest, Pittman said. It guarantees them the right to say anything they want to say. It doesn't give the right to get violent.

Bikers for Trump will hold a rally on Inauguration Day along the parade route and end the day with a Bikers Ball.

They said they want to be considered a voting block political candidates will have to deal with for years to come.
A man from Spotsylvania County, Virginia has been charged with two counts of manslaughter while driving under the influence after a crash that killed two of his friends.

Brandon Alexander Shunamon, 26, was driving on Robert E. Lee Drive with his roommate, Taylor Wolfe, their friend Chelsea Favreau and a third passenger on Jan. 12 just after 10:30 p.m. They'd been celebrating Favreau's 21st birthday.

Shunamon was driving a 2007 Chevrolet pickup when it crossed the double yellow line and then ran off the road, police said. The truck struck trees, overturned into a ditch and caught fire.

Moments after the crash, only the front seat passenger was conscious, friends told News4. She tried to put out the fire. Shunamon came to and managed to pull the passenger from the truck, the friends said.

But when he returned for Wolfe and Favreau, the truck had exploded.

Police said alcohol and speed appeared to be factors in the crash. Shunamon was arrested and held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

Wolfe leaves behind two children and a third on the way. Friends are raising money for both of their families; for Wolfe's, click here. For Favreau, click here.
David Guas, the owner and chef of the Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery on Capitol Hill, has always felt a emotional pull toward the stories of the Civil War. That explains his deep affection for the building that he has painstakingly renovated.

His bakery is at 9th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, on the grounds of the Hill Center. In the Civil War, the building had served as a carriage house for the Naval Hospital next door.

Here, the horses that pulled ambulances for wounded soldiers were kept, rested and fed.

"I've always been a huge Civil War buff," said Guas, a Louisiana native. "I love history. And for me, it was kind of a win-win. With all the uniqueness of the property, the wrought-iron fence, I felt like I was in Jackson Square in New Orleans."

Guas wanted the building to tell its story. He sandblasted decades of paint off walls. He ripped linoleum off the floor to find the original brick, laid out in a herringbone pattern. After workers installed the plumbing required of a modern building, he had the floor carefully reinstalled, in the original pattern.

"The bones were here, but it was pretty beat up. It was raw," Guas said.

The building, it turned out, still held original details. A 1905 sign for Virginia tobacco was found wedged behind a window to keep out the cold. In the ceiling near distinctive wooden hay chutes that had fed Civil War horses, Guas and the builders found oats, barley and dried grains, there for a century and a half.

The building is now a bustling bakery, where the cuisine offers the flair of Guas' native New Orleans. On Friday, it will be the location of News4's Inauguration Cafe, a behind-the-scenes look at Inauguration Day.

Guas is expecting a bipartisan crowd, there to enjoy a historic day -- in a historic location.

"It's just really a special place," Guas said.
A 15-year-old student opened fire with a gun at a private school in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey on Wednesday, seriously wounding himself, a teacher and three other students, state officials said.

Nuevo Leon state security spokesman Aldo Fasci said four of the injured, including the shooter himself, had bullet wounds to the head and were in extremely serious condition.

Fasci said a school video showed the male middle-school student first shot the 24-year-old teacher, then shot a 14-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy in the head, and a 15-year-old classmate in the arm. He then pointed the gun at classmates before shooting himself in the head.

"This had never happened" in the state before, Fasci said.

He said the boy had been suffering from depression, but that the motive was under investigation.

The spokesman attributed it to "the situation that is happening everywhere. The children have access to the internet. This has happened in other countries."

The website of the American School of the Northeast says it offers bilingual education for students from preschool through ninth grade.

Fasci said the boy brought the gun from home. It was unclear how he got the .22 caliber pistol into the school. Mexico had once had a program to checked book bags at school entrances, but in many places it has fallen into disuse.

"'There was a reason why book bags were checked. I think we are going to have to start doing it again," Fasci said.

Mexico had been largely spared the phenomenon of school shootings that has hit the United States. In one of the few previous incidents, a 13-year-old student shot a 12-year-old classmate in the head at a Mexico City middle school in 2004, seriously wounding her.

At the height of Mexico's drug war between 2008 and 2011, schools in northern Mexico had considered a much greater threat the possibility that stray bullets from drug gang gun battles outside schools might enter classrooms. Some schools conducted "duck and cover" drills to combat that possibility.
Massachusetts police are searching for the men who robbed a New Bedford convenience store on Tuesday night.

The two masked men were caught on surveillance video entering the Cedars Convenience store, one of them flashing a gun.

The men made their way to the register where they stole the cash inside, and then grabbed dozens of packs of cigarettes.

One of the suspects can be seen stuffing the cigarettes into a backpack while the other held a gun to the clerks head.

The men then made their way around the store, stealing food from the shelves, still holding a gun to the clerk.

At one point, the man holding the gun tried to get the clerk to get to the ground.

The men finally fled the store on foot.

The store owner said the clerk is OK, but scared.
What will a Trump presidency look like? Some say, look to Maine.

Governor Paul LePage has proudly proclaimed he was Trump, before Trump.

A lot of people say we are alike, the Republican Governor told a crowd before a Trump rally last fall. Hes a little shy, but Im working on him.

Both Trump and LePage are businessmen, and campaigned on the idea of running government like a business.

Both have blunt speaking styles, abhor political correctness, and regularly make headlines for controversial, and sometimes offensive, comments.

Theres so many similarities, said Lance Dutson, a longtime Republican political operative in Maine.

Theyve both attained political power through leveraging the anger of the voter, said Dutson. Both Republicans and Democrats have played by the rules  and then LePage has come onto the court and decided to ignore the referees.

The result, according to Dutson, has been dysfunction. He points to a lack of cooperation from the administration with legislative oversight, and a combative relationship with the press.

I never thought Id see the day when a sitting Governor could dismiss the press in the way that Paul LePage does, he said.

Dutson said he worries about the long-term effect figures like LePage and Trump could have on the Republican Party  while other members of the party have hope that both LePage and Trump are steering them in the right direction.

Governor LePage has turned the state around, financially, said Patti Gagne, chair of the Androscoggin County GOP.

She points to the states $49 million revenue surplus as proof that LePages fiscal conservatism is helping the state.

Were not in the black, where we were in the red for so long, said Gagne. I have faith that Donald Trump is going to do the very same thing for America.

The LePage administration has touted significant welfare reforms, that have saved the state millions of dollars.

But Dutson is quick to point out that overall, Maines business ranking has remained the same.

After six years of Paul LePage, Maine is still ranked 49th in the nation for business climate, he said.

Gagne said both Trump and LePage have found ways to speak directly to voters, and gain support: LePag has done a circuit of town hall style meetings across Maine, while Trump tweets

Both Dutson and Gagne agree Trump and LePage are cut from the same cloth.

Political correctness is not part of who they are, said Gagne.

But theres disagreement about how that governing style looks.

I think Governor LePage has done horrible damage to the Maine brand, said Dutson.
Police in Hingham, Massachusetts say a teenage girl was assaulted by a man Wednesday night.

The assault happened around 9 p.m. on North St. as the girl left APT Test and College Prep.

"A man wearing a mask grabbed her and tried to pull down her pants," Hingham Police Sergeant Steven Dearth said. "She fought back kicked and screamed he did not say anything he didnt speak at all to her  she was able to fight him off."

The victim ran back into APT Test and College Prep and reported the incident to her tutor.

Her mother was waiting in a parked car around the corner.

The suspect is described as 55, very skinny, and was wearing tight black pants, a black sweatshirt and a black mask over his face.

Police say the suspect fled in the direction of the bus stop near Station St.and because he was wearing a mask makes it tougher to track him down.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
By Tim Hepher and Cyril Altmeyer PARIS (Reuters) - French aero engine maker Safran on Thursday launched a $9 billion (7.3 billion) agreed bid for seats manufacturer Zodiac Aerospace to create the world's third-largest aerospace supplier as the industry bulks up to tackle record high output plans. The deal comes three months after Zodiac's rival B/E Aerospace agreed to be absorbed by Rockwell Collins and six years after Zodiac's family shareholders publicly snubbed a botched approach from Safran, branding it "opportunistic". The two have frequently been linked as suppliers combine technologies and services to support rising aircraft production. But some analysts warn such a tie-up is risky as Zodiac recovers from a nearly three-year cabin production crisis that disrupted some Western jetliner deliveries. Safran Chief Executive Philippe Petitcolin said he was not worried about Zodiac's recovery from recent production and quality problems in its U.S. seat manufacturing plants and pledged not to let the deal distract Safran from development of new 'LEAP' engines for Airbus and Boeing . "Don't worry, there will be no transfer of skills from LEAP," he told reporters in a conference call. Zodiac has always said it would stay independent and scoffed at Safran's original approach in 2010, saying any tie-up would offer "very slight" synergies with most of its business. But after a series of profit warnings, Chief Executive Olivier Zarrouati said last March Zodiac would be "receptive to any offer that is in the interests of the company". Safran and Zodiac declined to say when the latest round of negotiations had started, but two people familiar with the deal said it had come together "very quickly," negotiated by a tiny group led by the CEOs and chairmen of both companies. Despite earlier rumours of a tie-up, the people said the idea of a merger began to get serious attention in November and December, suggesting it may have received a boost from October's $6.4 billion U.S. takeover of Zodiac's main rival B/E Aerospace by Rockwell Collins. "Sector consolidation is something you can see happening," Zarrouati told Reuters, adding aerospace contained few remaining opportunities for deals on such a scale without significant overlap that could fall foul of anti-trust regulators. Zodiac's chairman Didier Domange said the talks had got off to a better start than in 2010, when family shareholders bridled at what many regarded as a clumsy approach from Safran, a state-backed company at that time digesting a troubled internal merger. Zodiac did not consider other potential partners, he said. However, the speed and secrecy of the talks raised questions over how much first-hand evidence Safran had been able to collect on Zodiac's recovery from industrial problems, potentially diverting Safran from its crucial new engine project. "To be taking on Zodiac, with its recent execution issues, is arguably doubling up on risk," Vertical Research Partners analyst Rob Stallard said in a note. Safran and its engine partner General Electric plan to produce 2,000 LEAP engines a year by 2020. "There is no room for any disruption on these developments or production increase," Petitcolin told Reuters. He also said synergies or benefits from the deal could far exceed an initial estimate of 200 million euros (172.2 million) annually. Wells Fargo analysts said these were similar in relative terms to those promised by B/E Aerospace, which some investors had found challenging. TWO-PART DEAL Zodiac is controlled by various French families, including those of its chairman and the Peugeot carmaking dynasty. Its roots date back to 1896 with warships and airplanes. It gave its name to the fast inflatable boats whose sales rocketed in World War II, but it sold its maritime business in 2007. Now, it is mainly known as one of two major suppliers of aircraft seats and cabin fittings alongside B/E Aerospace. The industry faces rising demand for sophisticated cabin interiors but has struggled to adapt such one-off, customised projects to the fast pace and high volumes dictated by a recent boom in jet orders. Under the two-part deal, Safran will launch a cash offer of 29.47 euros per share, a 26 percent premium to Wednesday's close. That part of the deal values Zodiac at 8.5 billion euros ($9 billion). Zodiac shares accordingly rose 22 percent, paving the way for their best day in 30 years but indicating investors did not expect other bids. Safran fell 2.8 percent after initial gains. Under stage two, Zodiac's controlling family shareholders would not take up the cash offer, but would instead fold their shares into a subsequent merger between the two companies, based on 0.485 Safran shares for each Zodiac share. In addition, Safran shareholders would receive a special dividend of 5.5 euros a share before the deal closes in 2018. Analysts said the total cash and equity transaction would be worth 9.7 billion euros. Zarrouati was named deputy chief executive of the combined group, but his duties remained to be defined. Petitcolins tenure is due to be extended. The companies said the combination would boost earnings per share from the first full financial year. The French state owns 14 percent of Safran and will remain a shareholder of the combined group under a pact with other core shareholders. (Additional reporting by Pawel Goraj; editing by Jason Neely and Jane Merriman)
A Massachusetts police detective is facing child abuse charges after allegedly beating a 5-year-old boy because he would not eat dinner. The child's mother, also an officer, has been placed on leave for allegedly keeping quiet about the abuse.

Marcos Garcia, an officer with the Revere Police Department, is accused of severely disciplining the son of a fellow officer he's dating. Prosecutors say he handcuffed, punched and choked the boy, as well as whipped him with a belt. Prosecutors added that Garcia told the boy to lie about his injuries to anyone who asked.

Garcia didn't say anything as he arrived in court Thursday. But once inside, the 32-year-old listened to the graphic details.

"The 5-year-old was instructed by the defendant to take off all his clothing. He was then handcuffed," Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Alissa Goldhaber said in court. "The defendant then whipped him with a belt, over and over again, slammed his body into the ground, punched him with his fists, then choked him by squeezing his hands around his neck."

Garcia allegedly told the boy, and another child who was in the home at the time, to say he fell down the stairs.

Prosecutors said the child's mother was aware the abuse happened. The boy's injuries were initially discovered last week by a school nurse. The boy was then treated at Boston Children's Hospital.

State police arrested Garcia on Saturday.

"Cases of child abuse are among the most disturbing we encounter," District Attorney Daniel Conley said in a statement. "They hurt the most innocent and vulnerable among us. If you know or suspect that a child is being abused, don't assume that someone else will notice and report it. Call us. Every boy and girl deserves a safe and healthy childhood."

Garcia has been a Revere officer since 2013. Once commended for saving a life, he's now charged with assault and battery on a child and using a dangerous weapon to cause injury.

Garcia is out on $5,000 bail until his next court date in February. Both officers are now on administrative leave.

The child is staying with other relatives.
St Peter Mancroft Church Norwich Presents The Leaves of the Trees an installation by sculptor Peter Walker which provides a memorial for those who died of Covid-19

St Peter Mancroft Church Norwich Presents The Leaves of the Trees an installation by sculptor Peter Walker which provides a memorial for those who died of Covid-19

Community Chaplaincy Norfolk begins a new chapter Community Chaplaincy Norfolk (CCN) celebrated the beginning of a new chapter this week, as the new chair of trustees Chris Tomlinson led his first annual meeting. Read more

Lowestoft Christians launch on-line bible helps app The Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth branch of Good News for Everyone (GNFE), formerly the Gideons, have introduced a new mobile phone app called On-line Bible Helps. Read more

Addicts' rehabilitation centre plan for Drayton Hall Christian addiction charity Teen Challenge London is planning to turn Drayton Hall near Norwich into its headquarters and a rehabilitation centre for men, after it was gifted the freehold of the hall by its owner, the Lind Trust. Read more

The power of positive protest Philip Young encourages us to take a stand for what we believe, and has just written to Therese Coffey regarding climate change and the forthcoming COP 27. He explains why we should be prepared to protest. Read more

Norwich church celebrates with cribs and trees Rosebery Road Methodist Church in Norwich will be holding its annual Cribs and Trees Festival in December. Read more

Transforming Norwich lunch offers ministry tips Ex-Brighton vicar, Rev Phil Moon, will offer tips on how to keep going in ministry to the Transforming Norwich leaders lunch on Wednesday November 16. Read more

Quiet Waters in Bungay offers healing retreat Quiet Waters Christian Retreat in Bungay is holding a gentle day retreat exploring healing in the Kingdom of God. Read more

Latest Norfolk Christian community events Events of interest to the Norwich and Norfolk Christian community happening over the next few weeks are listed. Read more

Norfolk ministry coaching duo are guest speakers Former church leaders and now freelance ministry coaches, Jonathan and Paige Squirrell, are the guest speakers at the next dinner of Norwich FGB on Monday, November 21. Read more

Bringing light to Halloween Anna Price encourages Christians to engage positively with Halloween rather than hide away, on what many see as the darkest night of the year. Read more

First service takes place at Norwich church site SOUL Church hosted around 400 people for a special service on the site of their new building on Heartsease Lane. Read more

Dereham draws up list of warm places for winter As rising energy prices make it harder to heat homes, churches in Dereham are leading the way in creating warm spaces where people can go. Read more

South Norfolk church scoops national award A medieval Anglican church in a tiny hamlet in South Norfolk has won a national award and a 10,000 boost. Read more

Dereham churches help people to help themselves A group of churches in Dereham have launched an ambitious project which aims to meet needs in the town, including the provision of food and skills training. Read more

Halloween light in Gorleston church On Halloween this year, St Mary Magdalene Church in Gorleston will be preparing to welcome around 200 families to experience their Light on a Dark Night event. Read more

An opportunity for Norwich to pray for the nation Rev Nigel Fox, who has served as a Methodist Minister for 15 years in Norwich, shares an open invitation to pray for the nation at a crucial moment. Read more

Norwich church seeks musicians Kingdom Ambassadors International Church is appealing for instrumentlists, keyboardists and guitarists to be part of their worship experience. Read more




Brexit and Trump or Jesus Christ? Brexit and Trump or Jesus Christ?

Regular columnist Andrew Bryant sees a world searching for change, and points us to the only way it can truly be achieved.

Watching the news becomes increasingly harrowing. We see images of children playing amidst the ruin of their houses, doctors trying to save lives in hospitals under bombardment, we see refugees sitting by the roadside waiting at a border post longing to continue their walk to freedom. In our own country, we hear of hospitals struggling to cope and care homes closing under financial pressure. Politicians offer their usual platitudes, engage in the usual blame game and nothing changes. People feel unheard, ignored and fed-up.



We long for it to be different and long for change. The old political alliances and the oft repeated over-familiar political ideas seem to have got us nowhere so what happens if we do if differently? So we search around for something that is different, something that is not like what has gone before. We turn to new political parties, we decide to vote for the political outsider, we want to take the nation in a different direction and give the establishment a bit of a kicking.



What matters is not that the alternative is perfect but simply that it is different, that it is not them and that there is the opportunity of heading in a different direction. In Britain we decide Brexit is the answer and in America Trump seems the best option whilst this coming year in Europe who knows which old parties will fall and which new parties will take centre stage.



In short we want a Saviour. The old order has failed to deliver so let us look elsewhere. Who will help us now? Trump may prove to be best president of the USA ever. Brexit may prove the most important change this country has ever made but the truth that nobody wants to hear is that in the end neither of these will make a real or lasting difference. Different leaders and/or political parties can make some difference but much more limited than either would freely admit.



In the face of all the troubles in the world it may seem weak and ineffectual, but the truth that we all ignore is that the real change that is needed is in peoples hearts, my heart and your heart not just their, them over theres heart. Peace and justice begin with right relationship with God and with one another.



I know I do not live my life as God truly intends me to live. I know I have too often not seen and not heard the voices of those who are struggling. Too often I have been the one ignoring the voices of those around me and have been one of those over-looking the needs of others.



I like to think I am kind and caring, concerned and supportive, but the truth is I move in my own limited circles, favour particular causes and ignore others. There is much I simply do not see, or choose not to engage with.



The real illness of our time is not political but spiritual. It is only when we put right our relationship with God that we will get our lives rightly orientated. It is only then that we will be able to start building stronger and sustainable relationships with the stranger, with those who live differently to us, with those we have previously ignored or overlooked.



It is when we take seriously the example and teaching of Jesus that we will turn our nation around and, in turn, help our world find peace and justice. It is not for nothing that the child whose birth we have so recently celebrated is given the name Jesus for, lest we forget, his name means God saves.



Toast Brexit if you wish, love or hate Trump, but when all the dust has settled neither will make the difference the world really needs. The strange truth that the world has yet to fully grasp is that the answers we search for begin with a carpenters son, born in a backwater in a far off country, two thousand years ago  a story we have yet to fully comprehend. Christianity remains the great experiment that the world has yet to properly try.



The Brexit image is courtesy of https://pixabay.com/



The Revd Andrew Bryant is the Canon for Mission and Pastoral Care at Norwich Cathedral. He was previously Team Rector of Portishead, Bristol, in the Diocese of Bath and Wells, and has served in parishes in the Guildford and Lichfield Dioceses, as well as working for twelve years with Kaleidoscope Theatre, a charity promoting integration through theatre for young adults with Downs Syndrome.



You can read Andrew's latest blog entry here and can follow him via his new Twitter account @AndyBry3 .



The views carried here are those of the author, not of Network Norwich and Norfolk, and are intended to stimulate constructive debate between website users.
Cloud. Despite all the hype about it being super easy, being self service and having a low on-ramp, the reality is service providers often still need to help organizations with the move to the cloud.

You can tell an area is getting widespread attention when the large consulting firms start pricking up there ears. And so it is with cloud computing, where we have seen over the past few years the large consulting firms (both the big four accounting firms and the more traditional IT consulting firms) building out cloud computing service offeringseither from within or via strategic acquisitions of service providers.

+ Also on Network World: Cloud adoption soars, but integration challenges remain +

A good example of this came in 2015 when Accenture acquired Cloud Sherpas, a Salesforce and Amazon Web Services (AWS) consulting partner that had grown rapidly over the preceding years via a number of acquisitions and mergers.

And until every traditional accounting and IT services firm has a large cloud practice in place, there will be much opportunity for independent firms to build out their business, get noticed and summarily get acquired by those aforementioned players. That's why so much funding occurs in the space.

A good example of a growing prospect is SADA Systems, a Google, Microsoft and Facebook consulting shop that is announcing some information about the traction this smaller and generally less well-known player is gaining in the marketplace.

SADA Systems' growth

SADA Systems ticks off the triumvirate of cloud offerings: It was a launch partner for Google Apps (now rebranded as G Suite), Microsoft Office 365, and Facebook for work.

The Los Angeles-based company is ramping up its operations with plans to hire rapidly and invest in potential growth. SADA Systems had revenue of $70 million in 2016, up from $47 million in 2015an interesting statistic given that this sort of revenue figure is often hard to come buy for smaller, privately held companies. The company boasts of some 2,400 customers, up from 1,800 in 2015, and claims it has migrated 20 million users to public cloud, up from 10 million in 2014.

Interestingly, and like other cloud-native service providers, SADA Systems is attempting to branch out and build some of its own IP via specific products. Earlier this month, the company launched Atom, a new asset risk analysis and workforce management application for transportation departments and fleet management companies. It leverages Google's machine learning capabilities, as well as Google Maps and Waze, to help organizations operate more efficiently. IoT is another area where SADA suggests it will continue to make significant investments.

My POV

Cloud is absolutely a high-growth sector. If anyone still doubts that, simply look to Gartner's recent figures, which suggest the market for public cloud services is projected to grow 16.5 percent in 2016 to $204 billion, up from $175 billion in 2015. By 2020, Gartner says "Cloud Shift" will affect more than $1 trillion in IT spending worldwide. Today, only 5 percent of IT spend is in the cloudand thats for applications that have been lifted and shifted. The market size for brand-new cloud use cases is so large its unknown.

Growth SADA and companies it have seen closely mirrors the growth (and potential, it must be said) of the cloud generally. Cloud is easier than traditional IT, but it isn't so easy as to make consulting shops obsolete. The likes of Deloitte, PwC and Accenture are enjoying the huge cloud revenues theyre generating, and SADA is carving itself a good position in the market. Last word goes to SADA Systems CEO Tony Safoian:
Im a life-long Trekkie, and one of the many great things about Star Trek is that the characters always face a big, nearly insurmountable challengeand, of course, the heroes win in the end.

If your organization is like many I see, the new year is ushering in a renewed urgency to embrace the possibilities of digital transformation. It probably feels like a big, perhaps insurmountable, challenge. Whether your organization is leading or being pushed into digital business, the cloud and the network are critical components in this business transformation.

+ Also on Network World: More proof the cloud is winning big +

As I shared in this blog, while moving applications to the cloud can be a helpful step in evolving IT, that by itself is not digital transformation. These apps running on your private cloud or in a public cloud service are important to running your business; however, most are likely not the source of your competitive advantage. Digital transformation is about accelerating the creation of new value for your customers and, most powerfully, helping your customers and partners create value for one another. But rest assured, the cloud and the network both play an important role.

Whether cloud is being used as a tool for a new digital business or to run your business more efficiently, its not a secret that cloud can offer much flexibility and often a lower cost structure. In fact, a recent JP Morgan report suggests that large enterprises expect to have 40 percent or more of their workloads running in the cloud in 2020. Thats significant.

Networks for cloud

If you did a word association poll on cloud, "agility" would surely be among the top five. Cloud enables organizations to adapt and innovate faster. Unfortunately, yesterdays infrastructure was not built with this design principle in mind. The paramount consideration was reliability, and the traditional convention (which digital leaders such as Amazon and Netflix are proving needs to be reconsidered) was that reliable systems did not change. We all know that a majority of organizations still have multi-layered change order procedures passing through multiple approvers, all intended to protect the data center and the enterprise network from change. (Yikes!)

If this situation describes your organization, youre not alone. Gartner predicts only 30 percent of companies will have a fully modernized network by 2019. For cloud to run most effectively, our networks need to become more adept at change with new technologies such as fabrics and workflow automation.

However, adroitness is not the only transformation needed in the network for cloud. Another critical hindrance to the cloud is the basic topology of the network, both in the data center and in the WAN. Three-layered topologies were common in old data center architectures where traffic moves north-south to get between storage and compute. With cloud-based applications now in the mix, modern data center networks are evolving to two-layered topologies that enable greater efficiency in moving traffic between users, applications in the data center and the cloud.

And WAN topologies are even farther behind. Today, most enterprises run their network on a hub-and-spoke model. For example, if done the old way, someone in New York might log in to her company data center in California, but depending on the location of the application, her traffic might be rerouted back east again. Not only is the backflow of digital traffic inefficient, but it unnecessarily increases the total volume of traffic, further slowing the network and app performance. It can even render applications useless from time to time. (Ever have a VOIP call drop in the middle of a conference call?)

Fortunately, this, too, is changing. Technologies such as SD-WAN can enable direct paths to cloud services that bypass data center hubs. SD-WAN takes into account geography and can connect users directly to their nearest cloud app without backtracking. Moving to fabrics, automation and SD-WAN are three initial steps you can take today so that your cloud-based applications run better on your network.

Cloud for networks

Keep in mind, its a two-way street. Cloud services can help the network run better, too. Owning, updating and operating network management tools and control software can take a lot of time from your team. Today, most network admins still manage too many infrastructure elements that require per device interaction at a variety of locations. To reduce this, vendors offer management and control software to centralize functions, but this new software is yet another specialized system to learn, deploy, maintain and repair.

Cloud is an anecdote to let your team adopt the powerful tools of software networking without all the added hassle. For example, when you deploy a wireless network with multiple locations and access points, youll need management tools for provisioning, setting policies, monitoring and trouble-shooting. Yet, until recently, you had to choose between configuring access points one at a time or setting up an on-premises controller to automate the process.

Now, theres a third, and possibly best choice: using cloud-managed Wi-Fi. Cloud Wi-Fi services preserve your control over the management of your network without the hassle of deploying controller software and hardware.

Think about it: No more long lead times for certifying the software for your data center. No more procuring equipment to run it on. No more testing required by your security teamor any other of the multitude of tasks involved in bringing up a new system. With cloud Wi-Fi, your team can get started right away and manage your entire network through a single web-based dashboard. Many vendors also offer a mobile app for even greater accessibility and convenience.

What kind of gains can organizations expect by adopting wireless network management as a service? In short, faster time to value, more network control and visibility, higher scalability, and reduced IT costs. Provisioning and configuring hundreds or even thousands of new access points now take minutes, and you have advanced tools to keep the network running smoothly. Additionally, cloud enables you to scale your network quickly and as needed at lower costs.

Whats more, you benefit from continuous and seamless software improvements. Rather than upgrading your systems every three to five years, or dealing with intrusive software updates, cloud-enabled feature releases and platform enhancements are inconspicuously pushed out daily, weekly or monthly. Your team can focus more time on innovating for your organization rather than maintaining your network. This explains why forward-thinking companies are turning to management as a service in the cloud for their Wi-Fi and other network and infrastructure needs.

Cloud and networks. Like Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, these two are truly a dynamic duo. Unleash their superpowers in your organization by leveraging all that todays technologies have to offer. Its a new year. Its time for a new network.
At CES, AMD launched its first Zen chips for PCs, called Ryzen. Next on deck is the 32-core server chip code-named Naples, which will ship in the coming months.

Naples doesn't have an official name yet, but the expectations are high. While Ryzen is set up for success in PCs, it's a different story for Naples, which has to take on Intel's juiced-up Xeon chips, which are used in most servers today.

AMD is trying to drum up excitement for Naples, which will be released in the first half of this year. It's promoting Naples using the same tactic as it did for Ryzen -- by talking about the performance benefits of the Zen CPU.

The Zen CPU core in Naples will provide the same performance benefits as in the Ryzen chips. AMD claims a 40 percent improvement in instructions per cycle, an important metric to measure CPU performance, compared to the company's previous Excavator architecture.

Naples is notable for its high 32-core count, more than Intel's Xeon chips, which have up to 24 cores. The Intel Xeon Phi supercomputing chip has up to 72 cores, but it isn't targeted at mainstream socketed servers.

A higher core count matters as servers can do more, Forrest Norrod, senior vice president and general manager at AMD, said in a blog entry this week.

More data is moving into the cloud, which is putting more strain on servers in data centers. More cores will add processing power to help servers respond quickly to search requests, recognize images, and process uploaded videos faster. A server with a single CPU will be able to do as much as a current two-socket server, Norrod said.

AMD will come out with more Zen-based server chips with lower core counts, said Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

A bulk of the servers today use quad-core chips, and the actual market for 32-core Naples will be limited. The server market is dominated by two-socket servers, while Intel's 24-core chips go into a four- and eight-socket servers, which are used by companies like financial institutions that need a lot of horsepower.

"Intel has used Xeon to bleed the market" by forcing people to buy two-socket servers, and AMD could change that trend, McGregor said.

AMD will also pack in new memory bandwidth technology, which will boost server performance and possibly give it an edge over Xeon, McGregor said. It's not clear what the technology will be, but it could be based on technology from Gen-Z, a consortium that is developing a high-speed throughput for use inside and outside servers.

AMD has surprised Intel in the server market in the past, only to self destruct. In 2003, it came out with the first 64-bit x86 server chip called Opteron, and Intel had to scramble to catch up. AMD lost the lead with its Opteron chips based on the Bulldozer architecture, which underperformed and were rejected by server makers.

The company killed whatever server market presence it had with another fateful decision to switch architectures. In 2013, AMD took the radical decision to put x86 on the backburner and reboot its server strategy around ARM architecture. AMD believed the power-efficient ARM chips would ultimately replace x86 in servers and have a 20 percent market share by 2017, but that hasn't happened.

AMD shipped its first ARM server chips early last year, but ARM chips are virtually non-existent in servers today, though the promise remains.

Realizing its mistake, AMD reversed course, moving away from ARM for servers and switching back to x86 with Zen chips. In the meantime, Intel took advantage of AMD's missteps and steadily rolled out new Xeon chips that supported the latest technologies. Intel now holds more than a 90 percent market share in server processors.

AMD has a big challenge with 32-core Naples. Companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon are building mega data centers with servers based on Xeon. Those companies have software stacks tuned closely to the processing, I/O, power, and throughput specifications of Xeon chips, and it could be tough for AMD to break into large accounts.

But AMD's Naples is the first legitimate x86 challenger to Xeon in years. Google, Facebook, and Amazon could use AMD's chip as leverage to get better chip prices from Intel. Xeon chips are expensive, and the margins make them highly profitable products for Intel.

Companies won't make a switch to AMD overnight; it could take a year or more to ensure applications work on the new chips. But the competition is good, and AMD has nowhere to go but up in the server market, McGregor said.

AMD also has some technologies that could work to its advantage. It has mulled pairing a Zen server chip with its Vega GPU, which could be useful for tasks like machine learning. The company has also released a GPU targeted at machine learning called Radeon Instinct, but that's effort is targeted toward Nvidia's Tesla GPU, which dominates data centers.

Server wins for Naples are already coming AMD's way. The company is also chasing the Chinese server market -- which is growing fast -- by licensing its Zen design to THATIC (Tianjin Haiguang Advanced Technology Investment Co.), a joint venture between AMD and a consortium of public and private Chinese companies.
Microsoft announced today that it has added support for the Intel-backed Clear Linux distribution in instances for its Azure public cloud platform.

Its the latest in a lengthy string of Linux distributions to become available on the companys Azure cloud. Microsoft already supports CentOS, CoreOS, Debian, Oracle Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Enterprise Linux, OpenSUSE and Ubuntu in Azure instances.

+ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: Windows 10 peeping: Microsoft fails to understand the uproar + Oracle patches raft of vulnerabilities in business applications

The new distro is available in three versions from Microsoft  first, in a stripped-down, simple VM designed for maximum customizability, second, in a Docker-based container runtime, and, finally, in a sample solution image designed for machine learning applications, to demonstrate some of the possibilities.

Clear Linux is a lightweight Linux distribution designed to be as high-performing as possible for server and cloud use  its the brainchild of Intel, which is positioning it as a key building block for containerized applications in particular and the cloud in general. It features a sophisticated workload scheduler, optimizations to the kernel and major Linux components like systemd and stateless operation.

Stateless is a big deal, according to Microsoft open source product manager Jose Miguel Parrella, particularly for teams operating in a DevOps environment.

By separating the system defaults and distribution best practices from the user configuration, Clear Linux simplifies maintenance and deployment which becomes very important as infrastructure scales, he said in a statement.

Microsofts embrace of Linux as a technology of the future, particularly where the cloud is concerned, has been well-documented. The company, which joined the Linux Foundation in November, says that fully a third of all virtual machines running on Azure are Linux.
This column is available in a weekly newsletter called IT Best Practices. Click here to subscribe.

We dont receive enough alerts in our security operations center, said no security analyst ever. The fact is, most SOC teams are overwhelmed with security alerts and they must prioritize which ones to investigate. Many alerts are simply ignored for lack of resources, yet quite often after a data breach it turns out there was an alert pointing at the breach early on.

In the case of one prominent breach at a major retailer a few years ago, many sources report that a FireEye tool generated an alert confirming that malicious software showed up on a company system. Because so many of those particular alerts were false positives, it was ignored, which subsequently led to one of the largest and most costly retail data breaches in history.

Enterprise organizations generate many thousands and sometimes millions of alerts every day, and many of them point at network endpoints. However, security analysts dont have continuous visibility into endpoints; they dont know what is happening on every device at any given time. If an incident happens and the enterprise SIEM generates an alert, there is little context about the event to help the analyst conduct an investigation. In this environment, it can take days, weeks or even months to determine what happened.

The founders of Secdo are experienced SOC analysts, having been responsible for investigating incidents for major companies and government agencies. Dissatisfied with the investigation and response tools available to help them do their jobs, they set out to create a new kind of tool that automates much of what a security analyst has to do. The result is the Secdo Platform.

Most cybersecurity solutions focus on the prevention and/or detection phases of incidents. These stages are certainly important for generating alerts, but once the SOC has those alerts, these tools typically offer little in terms of automating the incident validation and response. Consequently, this is where analysts devote most of their time and effort. The Secdo Platform aims to fill the need in the final phase, the incident response phase.

Secdo says its solution starts by recording everything that takes place on all of an organizations servers and endpoints all the time, similar to a video surveillance camera that never shuts off. By virtue of an agent on each device, every action is recorded, regardless of whether there is a threat. This preemptive forensic evidence is sent to a centralized server where it is retained for hundreds of days. The data provides context around events that are detected by other security solutions, like a SIEM.

The Secdo Platform connects to the organizations SIEM and other detection devices to continuously receive alerts, where they are correlated with the forensic evidence via a patented analysis technology developed by Secdo called a causality engine. This engine builds the story around alerts using the data recordings from the endpoints and servers. Secdo says this is best explained with an example.

A SIEM generates an alert that indicates a computer assigned to an admin attempted to communicate with a blacklisted Chinese IP address. Fortunately, the organizations Check Point firewall detected this communication and blocked it from going through.

In the Secdo Platform, the analyst can search on the Chinese IP address and ask questions about it. For example, by asking who or what communicated with that IP, he discovers an application called CALC.EXE did. It doesnt make sense that a calculator program would communicate with China.

Going deeper, the analyst pivots the data to see what files on the network were accessed by this program CALC.EXE. It turns out the program read all the files on the administrators desktop. Now it is known there is this process called CALC.EXE impersonating the Windows calculator, communicating with China and reading internal files. This is bad.

The analyst can continue to investigate manually using the information in the Secdo Platform, or choose a more automated approach (see graphic). This is known as the forensic timeline. Some of the data came from other vendors (i.e., Check Point, Microsoft) and the rest of the data was collected by Secdo from the endpoints or servers. Its worth noting that the only information the SIEM would provide is the alert about the failed outreach to the Chinese server.

SECDO The forensic timeline of an alert

With the Secdo Platform, the analyst has access to all recorded activity correlated to this alert, including activity that took place prior to the outreach to the Chinese IP address. The graphic display reveals the attack chain, root cause, entities involved and damage assessment.

In this story, a user called SECDO-SUPPORT\admin browsed a website called pr-news.cn, and downloaded a presentation called rsa conference 2016 ticket.ppsx, which is probably infected because that presentation installed CALC.EXE on the users computer. Next the program CALC.EXE tried to communicate with the Chinese IP, hence triggering the Check Point alert.

The first thing the malicious CALC.EXE did was kill the antivirus to prevent being detected. Then the malware created persistency to make sure it survives the computer being restarted. After the blocked outreach to the Chinese IP, the malware kept working. It read the documents on the admins computer and sent those documents to a U.S.-based IP that was not blocked by any proxy or firewall. This action managed to evade the Check Point firewall rules. Then the malware started port scanning to do lateral movements and infect other hosts.

Everything shown here is how the Secdo Platform automatically does the investigation. The next step is rapid response enabled by a variety of responder features that function like a virtual tier 3 or tier 4 analyst.

The company says the platform provides for remote containment and remediation of actual threats on any host without the expensive and time-consuming reimaging that is prevalent today. Security analysts and IT can remotely view, retrieve, assess, isolate, contain and delete individual processes and threads on any host from a single pane of glass.

The Secdo Platform enables organizations to attend to more alerts than humans alone can get to because it does the investigation, validation and response work for them, and in less time. SOCs can operate with fewer analysts and less skill and expertise in the remediation process. This helps organizations scale their SOCs and reduce risk by responding to and resolving alerts much more quickly.
Hot topics at this year's RSA Conference in February will include cloud security, Internet of Things security and encryption -- and all of those issues unsurprisingly are represented among the 10 finalists announced for the event's annual Innovation Sandbox Contest for startups.

I ran the company descriptions provided in the RSA Conference press release about the contest through a Wordcloud generator and produced the spectacular graphic above that put "data" protection at the heart of what these newcomers are addressing. The biggest shock for me was that machine learning didn't get mentioned in each description...but it did make the cut in three of the 10.

In all, 87 companies applied for the contest.

MORE: Hottest enterprise network & IT startups of 2017

A few of the names on the Innovation Sandbox finalists, list are familiar -- we've written about former Check Point CEO Shlomo Kramer's Cato Networks and its cloud-based network security offerings more than once, and the same goes for Veriflow, which verifies network infrastructure changes to avoid vulnerabilities that could lead to outages or intrusions. But most companies on the list are fresh faces, perhaps only vaguely familiar from having announced early funding rounds.

The winner of the contest could well become much better known after Feb. 13, the date on which the companies will demonstrate their ideas and get judged. Past winners have included the likes of Sourcefire and Imperva, as well as 2017 victor Phantom, which just snagged $13.5M in funding for its community-powered security automation/orchestration technology (see our running timeline of network and IT startup funding for 2017). There is no actual prize for the winner, but bragging rights and publicity can lead to additional funding and opportunities.

In addition to Cato and Veriflow, other finalists for 2017 are:

*Baffle, a Santa Clara newcomer that scored $3 million in funding in October for its end-to-end encryption as a service. The company's pitch is that it makes data breaches "irrelevant" by going heavy on encryption. CEO Ameesh Divatia previously sold a company called Lightwire to Cisco.

*Claroty aims to protect industrial control networks and pulled in $32 million in September to help accomplish its mission. It was the second startup launched by Israel's Team8 foundry.

*Contrast Security, founded in 2014, reminds me of the self-advocacy message our local school administrators keep preaching to kids in our town. This Los Altos startup claims to enable apps to detect and fix vulnerabilities to keep themselves from getting infected. Co-founder and CTO Jeff Williams' street cred includes 8 years as chair of the Open Web Application Security Project.

*EN|VEIL, like Baffle, is all about encryption for enterprise customers. "Never Decrypt," the cloud security company cries on its website homepage. Former NSAers are behind this outfit, and the startup is being pretty darn discreet for now.

*GreatHorn is among those with machine learning in its secret sauce. The company protects users of cloud collaboration tools like G Suite, Office 365 and Slack from phishing and other attacks.

*RedLock wants to assure users of IaaS platforms like AWS and Microsoft Azure that they can operate securely even as their cloud infrastructure undergoes frequent changes.

*UnifyID is a member of the machine learning club, using the technology for "implicit authentication" of people based on unique identifiers, including the way the walk and sit. Free beta tools are available if you have a newish iPhone and a Chrome browser.

*Uplevel Security bravely seeks to deal with a whole mess of data, from security alerts to threat intelligence, and help your organization automate and adapt your responses and protections. Co-founder and CEO Roselle Safran was previously cybersecurity operations branch chief at the executive office of the President of the United States. Yeah, she oversaw protection of the White House network. Co-founder and CTO Liz Maida was a senior director at Akamai.

MORE: 10 Internet of Things companies to watch
Theresa May was "absolutely right" says Newbury MP

NEWBURY MP Richard Benyon has backed the Prime Ministers plans to leave the single market and negotiate a new customs union deal as Britain prepares to withdraw from the European Union.

Mr Benyon said Theresa May was absolutely right to state the Governments intentions for Brexit in her address to the nation earlier this week.

However, the Tory MP, who passionately supported the failed Remain campaign in last years referendum, said he would wait and see how the negotiations developed.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mrs May said a final Brexit deal with the EU will mean the UK leaving the European single market, while also setting out plans to negotiate a new customs union deal.

The single market allows free movement of goods, services, capital and labour across all member states, while the customs union ensures all countries charge the same import duties on goods and services brought into the union.

Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News yesterday (Wednesday), Mr Benyon said: I want to see how it all pans out.

Being part of the customs union or not is not a big issue.

There are different parts to it which we might or might not be part of.

I think it was absolutely right to state clearly that if the Government feels that its not going to satisfy the four freedoms its better to say we will not be part of it.

We will seek to create a more bespoke settlement.

The opinion, however, seems to contradict comments made by Mr Benyon last year when, speaking about West Berkshire businesses, he told the NWN: The best thing for them would be to remain part of the single market, or at least the customs union, so they can continue to trade freely with the worlds largest market.

Mr Benyon now feels it is possible for the Government to strike a deal that will allow businesses, including those in West Berkshire, to thrive.

He said: Looking at it through the prism of companies in West Berkshire that do business abroad I think shes right  we can get a deal, which allows those companies to deal in Europe, but of course business is very complicated.

Theres a supply chain.

We have to get a system to allow the complex supply chain to continue.
Adama Barrow is sworn in as President of Gambia at Gambia's embassy in Dakar Senegal in this image taken from TV Thursday, Jan 19, 2017. A new Gambian president has been sworn into office in neighboring Senegal, while Gambia's defeated longtime ruler refuses to step down from power, deepening a political crisis in the tiny West African country. (RTS via AP)

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) -- A West African regional force charged into neighboring Gambia late Thursday to support the country's newly inaugurated president, while longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh showed no sign of stepping down.

The troops moved in shortly after Adama Barrow was inaugurated at Gambia's embassy in neighboring Senegal, after a final effort at diplomatic talks with Jammeh failed to secure his departure. His mandate expired at midnight.

Senegalese military spokesman Col. Abdoul Ndiaye confirmed to The Associated Press that the first regional troops had crossed into Gambia and were on their way to the capital, Banjul. AP journalists saw at least 20 military vehicles gathered at the border town of Karang.

In his inaugural speech, which took place under heavy security, Barrow called on Jammeh to respect the will of the people and step aside. The new president also called on Gambia's armed forces to remain in their barracks as the regional military intervention got underway.

Shortly after the inauguration, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution expressing "full support" to Barrow, calling on Jammeh to step down and condemning his attempts to usurp power. The resolution also backed the regional efforts to get Jammeh to respect the election results.

Outside Gambia's embassy in Dakar, Baal Jaabang held up a freshly framed portrait of Barrow, already printed with the words: "His Excellency Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of Gambia."

"I'm extremely delighted, so wonderfully happy today," he said. "But now the situation risks moving into fighting. No Gambian  in the diaspora or back home  wants our country to face fighting."

Barrow had come to Senegal last week at the urging of West African mediators, who had feared for his safety amid the political crisis.

He arrived at the embassy to cheers of joy from hundreds of Gambians who had gathered, with national flags, for a glimpse of the new president.

"Our national flag will now fly high among the most democratic nations of the world," Barrow said after the ceremony.

Story continues

Barrow was declared the winner of the Dec. 1 election and at first was congratulated by Jammeh in a phone call aired on state television. But once it was suggested that Jammeh could face criminal charges linked to human rights abuses during his long rule, he backtracked and challenged the vote in court, alleging irregularities.

In recent days, Jammeh has tried to stay in power by declaring a state of emergency, while lawmakers voted to extend his mandate by three months.

Jammeh on Thursday remained at his official residence and intended to stay there, said an official close to the administration who was not authorized to speak to reporters. If the regional force is going to arrest Jammeh, it will have to be there, the official said.

Many of Jammeh's loyalists will resist, the official added.

But there were signs that some in Gambia's military might not put up a fight. One soldier with close knowledge of the situation said several barracks had indicated they would support Barrow. The soldiers spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.

Gambia's army is estimated at well below 5,000 troops.

Jammeh may try to cling to power for a few more days but he is becoming increasingly isolated, said Alex Vines, head of the Africa program at Chatham House in London.

"After the inauguration of Adama Barrow, the trickle of power flowing to him will become more of a flood," Vines said. "Jammeh clearly believes leaving Gambia in a hurry is an option  his aircraft has been on standby at Banjul airport for two weeks," he added.

African nations began stepping away from Jammeh, with Botswana announcing it no longer recognized him as Gambia's president. The African Union earlier announced that the continental body would no longer recognize Jammeh once his mandate expired.

Congratulations to Barrow began pouring in, including from British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the U.N. chief expressed his "full support" in a phone call with Barrow.

Thousands have fled Gambia in recent days, including a number of former cabinet ministers who resigned.

But as news of Barrow's inauguration spread, many people hugged and cheered, chanting "New Gambia, new Gambia!"

"It's unbelievable! Today I can say anything. I am the happiest man on earth," said Lamin Sama, a 35-year-old in Banjul. "For 22 years we couldn't say anything, we were like slaves."

___

This version corrects spelling of Senegalese army spokesman's name to Abdoul.

___

Associated Press writers Robbie Corey-Boulet in Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations; Ahmed Mohamed in Nouakchott, Mauritania; and Bashir Adigun in Abuja, Nigeria and Carley Petesch contributed to this report.
By Reuters

The British government is supportive of a three-year transition period for the financial sector once Britain leaves the European Union, Barclays Chairman John McFarlane said on Thursday.

"I think the government does [support it] because I think they understand the complexity of this," McFarlane told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The initial stage of divorce talks will last two years until 2019, after which a transition phase, of, say, three years, would begin. Many questions remain unanswered, however, as to how this would work in practice.

Financial firms have accepted that they will lose their 'passporting' rights to freely sell services across the 28-nation bloc when Britain leaves, but want more time to adapt before they lose full access to the single market.

"We have known for months that passporting is not going to happen," said McFarlane, who is also chair of financial industry lobby group TheCityUK.

"We want a standstill arrangement for three years, that would kick in after the government's negotiations on Brexit are finalised," he added.

Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed this week that Britain would quit the EU single market when it leaves the European Union, setting a course for a clean break with the world's largest trading bloc.

She also signaled for the first time that she strongly believes in a transition phase but banks are not relying on that happening, instead planning for a worst-case scenario that would see them lose access to the single market once Brexit kicks in, expected in the first-half of 2019.

Brexit minister David Davis said on Wednesday companies will only have a maximum of a two-year transitional deal to help smooth Britain's exit from the EU after 2019.

May said in her speech on Tuesday the length of any such deal may vary for different industries.

McFarlane said international and British banks, insurers and asset managers were seeking a bespoke deal with Europe that would give 'mutual recognition to as many of their products and services as possible.

Barclays will keep the bulk of its activities in Britain after the UK leaves the EU, Chief Executive Jes Staley told BBC radio on Thursday.

UBS and HSBC two of Europe's biggest banks warned on Wednesday that they could each move about 1,000 jobs out of London.

Major banks including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Barclays, are keen to keep their dealing rooms, which buy and sell bonds, shares and other securities and employ thousands of people, in London.

May will meet with the chief executives of some of Wall Street's largest firms including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley as well as money manager Blackrock and private equity firm Blackstone in Davos later on Thursday, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Representatives for the firms either declined to comment or could not immediately be reached for comment.

The British government is supportive of a three-year transition period for the financial sector once Britain leaves the European Union, Barclays Chairman John McFarlane said on Thursday. "I think the government does [support it] because I think they understand the complexity of this," McFarlane told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The initial stage of divorce talks will last two years until 2019, after which a transition phase, of, say, three years, would begin. Many questions remain unanswered, however, as to how this would work in practice. Financial firms have accepted that they will lose their 'passporting' rights to freely sell services across the 28-nation bloc when Britain leaves, but want more time to adapt before they lose full access to the single market. "We have known for months that passporting is not going to happen," said McFarlane, who is also chair of financial industry lobby group TheCityUK. "We want a standstill arrangement for three years, that would kick in after the government's negotiations on Brexit are finalised," he added. Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed this week that Britain would quit the EU single market when it leaves the European Union, setting a course for a clean break with the world's largest trading bloc. She also signaled for the first time that she strongly believes in a transition phase but banks are not relying on that happening, instead planning for a worst-case scenario that would see them lose access to the single market once Brexit kicks in, expected in the first-half of 2019. Brexit minister David Davis said on Wednesday companies will only have a maximum of a two-year transitional deal to help smooth Britain's exit from the EU after 2019. May said in her speech on Tuesday the length of any such deal may vary for different industries. McFarlane said international and British banks, insurers and asset managers were seeking a bespoke deal with Europe that would give 'mutual recognition to as many of their products and services as possible. Barclays will keep the bulk of its activities in Britain after the UK leaves the EU, Chief Executive Jes Staley told BBC radio on Thursday. UBS and HSBC two of Europe's biggest banks warned on Wednesday that they could each move about 1,000 jobs out of London. Major banks including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Barclays, are keen to keep their dealing rooms, which buy and sell bonds, shares and other securities and employ thousands of people, in London. May will meet with the chief executives of some of Wall Street's largest firms including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley as well as money manager Blackrock and private equity firm Blackstone in Davos later on Thursday, according to sources familiar with the matter. Representatives for the firms either declined to comment or could not immediately be reached for comment.
By Reuters

DAVOS: Business leaders in Davos, traditionally the high priests of globalisation, are talking up the benefits of local production this week to shield themselves from criticism from incoming U.S. President Donald Trump.

Elected on a jobs-focused "America First" platform, Trump has taken to Twitter to rebuke major companies like General Motors, Lockheed Martin and United Technologies, either for making goods in Mexico or for the price of their products.

At this week's World Economic Forum (WEF), a gathering of business and political elites in the Swiss Alps synonymous with free markets, company bosses said they were now preparing to adjust to the Trump era.

"The basic message is to be more national, don't just be global," Richard Edelman, CEO of communications marketing firm Edelman, told Reuters. "Let's try and pre-empt that tweet by having a long-term discussion about the supply chain."

General Motors on Tuesday highlighted moves it said would add nearly 2,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs, including a decision to shift some production of axles to an American factory, rather than have them supplied from Mexico. The automaker said it wanted to "build where we sell".

"There is no doubt we need to adapt," Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Renault-Nissan, told Reuters. "All carmakers have to revise their strategy as a function of what is coming."

At the same time, companies are reviewing potential mergers and rethinking job cuts, fearing the stigma of being labelled "anti-American".

What companies have yet to spell out is the economic cost of such shifts or the extent of localisation that will be needed to keep the peace with the new White House administration.

TAX REFORM

Adding to the incentive to increase U.S. manufacturing is the promise of lower corporate taxes under the Trump administration.

"It could mean increased investment in the U.S.," Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez told Reuters.

Vishal Sikka, chief executive of Infosys, which provides IT services to large companies including banks, said his company expected more business from helping companies localise.

"The irony is that when more walls show up it is a good opportunity for services companies to help do business across those walls," he said.

The move to go local in response to Trump looks set to fuel a trend already evident in some industries, including food and fashion, which are trying to tap into consumer demand for homegrown materials and production.

Other businesses are also thinking locally to mitigate currency risks in certain markets. Food companies in Britain, for example, which have seen their costs soar after sterling plummeted in the wake of the Brexit vote, have started moving towards local suppliers where possible to keep costs down.

In some cases, technological advances are helping by making it easier for companies to shorten their supply lines.

"With 3D printing, for example, some of the supply chain will reshore and come back to the local economies," said Frans van Houten, CEO of Dutch healthcare technology group Philips. "I think we will see supply chains becoming more regional."

Such tech-fuelled localisation may be a competitive advantage for multinational companies in a world of increasing geopolitical uncertainty, but it brings fresh challenges for developing economies which could lose out as jobs return to richer countries like the United States.

Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP, the world's largest advertising agency, said U.S. growth could come at the cost of nations elsewhere.

"The issue on Trump is what you win on the U.S. swings, you may lose on the international roundabouts," he said.

DAVOS: Business leaders in Davos, traditionally the high priests of globalisation, are talking up the benefits of local production this week to shield themselves from criticism from incoming U.S. President Donald Trump. Elected on a jobs-focused "America First" platform, Trump has taken to Twitter to rebuke major companies like General Motors, Lockheed Martin and United Technologies, either for making goods in Mexico or for the price of their products. At this week's World Economic Forum (WEF), a gathering of business and political elites in the Swiss Alps synonymous with free markets, company bosses said they were now preparing to adjust to the Trump era. "The basic message is to be more national, don't just be global," Richard Edelman, CEO of communications marketing firm Edelman, told Reuters. "Let's try and pre-empt that tweet by having a long-term discussion about the supply chain." General Motors on Tuesday highlighted moves it said would add nearly 2,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs, including a decision to shift some production of axles to an American factory, rather than have them supplied from Mexico. The automaker said it wanted to "build where we sell". "There is no doubt we need to adapt," Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Renault-Nissan, told Reuters. "All carmakers have to revise their strategy as a function of what is coming." At the same time, companies are reviewing potential mergers and rethinking job cuts, fearing the stigma of being labelled "anti-American". What companies have yet to spell out is the economic cost of such shifts or the extent of localisation that will be needed to keep the peace with the new White House administration. TAX REFORM Adding to the incentive to increase U.S. manufacturing is the promise of lower corporate taxes under the Trump administration. "It could mean increased investment in the U.S.," Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez told Reuters. Vishal Sikka, chief executive of Infosys, which provides IT services to large companies including banks, said his company expected more business from helping companies localise. "The irony is that when more walls show up it is a good opportunity for services companies to help do business across those walls," he said. The move to go local in response to Trump looks set to fuel a trend already evident in some industries, including food and fashion, which are trying to tap into consumer demand for homegrown materials and production. Other businesses are also thinking locally to mitigate currency risks in certain markets. Food companies in Britain, for example, which have seen their costs soar after sterling plummeted in the wake of the Brexit vote, have started moving towards local suppliers where possible to keep costs down. In some cases, technological advances are helping by making it easier for companies to shorten their supply lines. "With 3D printing, for example, some of the supply chain will reshore and come back to the local economies," said Frans van Houten, CEO of Dutch healthcare technology group Philips. "I think we will see supply chains becoming more regional." Such tech-fuelled localisation may be a competitive advantage for multinational companies in a world of increasing geopolitical uncertainty, but it brings fresh challenges for developing economies which could lose out as jobs return to richer countries like the United States. Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP, the world's largest advertising agency, said U.S. growth could come at the cost of nations elsewhere. "The issue on Trump is what you win on the U.S. swings, you may lose on the international roundabouts," he said.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: A city-based hospital Sankara Eye Hospital has launched a customised bus to help with the rehabilitation of visually challenged. The bus is equipped to counsel and train people.

It will visit villages and centers within 100 kilometers radius of the city to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services.

Named Maitri, the bus is meant to bring help to the doorstep and help visually impaired people lead an independent life. Microsoft has contributed around Rs 75 lakhs towards this project.

According to Dr Kaushik Murali, President of Medical Administration with Sankara Eye Foundation, a recent survey done by them found that many people who are visually impaired hesitate to visit the doctors or counsellers in the city because of the distance. So we decided on a mobile solution, said Dr Kaushik.

Identify Needy

The bus will go to the villages and SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) Centers once a week. A pilot study conducted by the team and the SSA authorities will identify people who require training.

The bus has been divided into different sections for different functions. One section will hold the initial counselling to decide on the training to be given to the person, another section is dedicated to children to estimate the percentage of blindness and then there are sections to hold classes on reading Braille study materials, computer operations and basic life skills such as cooking and using a stove.

Maitri, claimed the hospital, is the first mobile vision rehabilitation bus in the country. Dr.Pushparaj, Joint Director, Department (Ophthalmology), Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka, said, It is a matter of pride that the first such bus has been made possible. This initiative will significantly benefit the people of Karnataka. We look forward to partnering with Sankara Eye Hospital in this wonderful initiative along with other departments, to ensure that the facilities are utilized to the maximum. We hope this will inspire more corporates to collaborate with healthcare institutions.

First Drive

Recently, in Hoskote village, the Maitri team screened over 130 citizens for vision. Training for more than 30 training for visually impaired people have been conducted in the Mobile Rehabilitation Facility. The beneficiaries included young children and adults. According to the team, so far, Maitri has concluded 32 visits across Hoskote. The hospital plans to conduct visits to various localities such as Devanahalli, Doddaballapura, Nelamangala and Kolar district.

BENGALURU: A city-based hospital Sankara Eye Hospital has launched a customised bus to help with the rehabilitation of visually challenged. The bus is equipped to counsel and train people. It will visit villages and centers within 100 kilometers radius of the city to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services. Named Maitri, the bus is meant to bring help to the doorstep and help visually impaired people lead an independent life. Microsoft has contributed around Rs 75 lakhs towards this project. According to Dr Kaushik Murali, President of Medical Administration with Sankara Eye Foundation, a recent survey done by them found that many people who are visually impaired hesitate to visit the doctors or counsellers in the city because of the distance. So we decided on a mobile solution, said Dr Kaushik. Identify Needy The bus will go to the villages and SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) Centers once a week. A pilot study conducted by the team and the SSA authorities will identify people who require training. The bus has been divided into different sections for different functions. One section will hold the initial counselling to decide on the training to be given to the person, another section is dedicated to children to estimate the percentage of blindness and then there are sections to hold classes on reading Braille study materials, computer operations and basic life skills such as cooking and using a stove. Maitri, claimed the hospital, is the first mobile vision rehabilitation bus in the country. Dr.Pushparaj, Joint Director, Department (Ophthalmology), Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka, said, It is a matter of pride that the first such bus has been made possible. This initiative will significantly benefit the people of Karnataka. We look forward to partnering with Sankara Eye Hospital in this wonderful initiative along with other departments, to ensure that the facilities are utilized to the maximum. We hope this will inspire more corporates to collaborate with healthcare institutions. First Drive Recently, in Hoskote village, the Maitri team screened over 130 citizens for vision. Training for more than 30 training for visually impaired people have been conducted in the Mobile Rehabilitation Facility. The beneficiaries included young children and adults. According to the team, so far, Maitri has concluded 32 visits across Hoskote. The hospital plans to conduct visits to various localities such as Devanahalli, Doddaballapura, Nelamangala and Kolar district.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Two persons, including a foreign national, have been arrested after a woman filed a complaint of sexual assault.

The arrested have been identified as Ricky (34) and Ayub (26), residents of Richmond Town. Ayub is a Yemen national. The 24-year-old alleged victim, who is from Arunachal Pradesh, is a BPO employee. Ricky is a software professional while Ayub is a student of computer science in a private college.

According to police, the woman was with her friends Ricky and Ayub at a pub on Brigade Road on January 13 where they drank and danced together. She later created a scene in an inebriated state, by trying to assault pub staff. The incident, captured on CCTV cameras at the pub, also showed Ricky and Ayub taking her out after midnight.

The three went around in Ayubs car till 3 am, as Ricky claimed they did not know the womans new address. They later took her to a place where she had formerly stayed with a friend in Kammanahalli.

They claimed to police that they dropped the woman near the friends house and left as she began shouting. The woman slept at her friends place till 2 pm on January 14. Later she went to her residence in JP Nagar. The next morning, she found several bruises and injuries on the lower part of her body.

Suspecting that she had been sexually assaulted, she approached Basavanagudi womens police station. Based on the details, police arrested Ayub and Ricky on January 16.

Police sources said, Even the woman doesnt know how she suffered injuries, especially on her private parts. They look like burn marks. The two men also claim they are not aware. We are waiting for medical reports.

Additional commissioner of police (crime) Hemanth Nimbalkar said that the arrested men claimed to have picked the girl from the bar and dropped her at Kammanahalli. The car they used has been seized, he added.

BENGALURU: Two persons, including a foreign national, have been arrested after a woman filed a complaint of sexual assault. The arrested have been identified as Ricky (34) and Ayub (26), residents of Richmond Town. Ayub is a Yemen national. The 24-year-old alleged victim, who is from Arunachal Pradesh, is a BPO employee. Ricky is a software professional while Ayub is a student of computer science in a private college. According to police, the woman was with her friends Ricky and Ayub at a pub on Brigade Road on January 13 where they drank and danced together. She later created a scene in an inebriated state, by trying to assault pub staff. The incident, captured on CCTV cameras at the pub, also showed Ricky and Ayub taking her out after midnight. The three went around in Ayubs car till 3 am, as Ricky claimed they did not know the womans new address. They later took her to a place where she had formerly stayed with a friend in Kammanahalli. They claimed to police that they dropped the woman near the friends house and left as she began shouting. The woman slept at her friends place till 2 pm on January 14. Later she went to her residence in JP Nagar. The next morning, she found several bruises and injuries on the lower part of her body. Suspecting that she had been sexually assaulted, she approached Basavanagudi womens police station. Based on the details, police arrested Ayub and Ricky on January 16. Police sources said, Even the woman doesnt know how she suffered injuries, especially on her private parts. They look like burn marks. The two men also claim they are not aware. We are waiting for medical reports. Additional commissioner of police (crime) Hemanth Nimbalkar said that the arrested men claimed to have picked the girl from the bar and dropped her at Kammanahalli. The car they used has been seized, he added.
C Shivakumar By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: That the disparate gathering that landed up at Chennais Marina beach by the hundreds were connected by social media is known. But just how much? The massive gathering of youngsters on Wednesday led to a spike of over three times in data consumption from state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited alone.

Such was the volume of data generated during peak time  between 7.30 pm and 9 pm  that consumption was 39 megabytes per second (mbps) as against the normal of just 12 mbps. This has been steadily growing from 29 mbps on day one of the protest, D M Bhaskar, BSNLs general manager mobile (Planning and Operations), told New Indian Express.

It was more or less equal to the data consumption when people flocked from faraway places to pay tributes to J Jayalalithaa, Bhaskar added.

It should be noted that these are figures from just one operator  BSNL  which indicates the trend but does not capture the actual magnitude.

On the 2 km stretch along Marina beach from University of Madras to the Lighthouse, the telecom company has a maximum capacity of 60 mbps. BSNL has 11 towers in the area, including seven for 2G connections and the rest for 3G.

On any given day, Bhaskar said the data throughput at Marina is 12 mbps. But that has been going up since Monday  Kaanum Pongal  when thousands of families assemble at Marina. On that day, data consumption was 26 mbps. Being an annual event, this was expected to return to normal the next day. But by Tuesday morning, protesters began converging at the seafront, sending a stream of updates as text, photographs, memes, and videos.

To a query whether there were any call drops due to the alleged use of jammers on Marina, Bhaskar said till now they dont have any such information. A week ago we used our RF drive vehicle and found there were no jammers, he said.

He said in the case of law and order situation, the mobile operator can block the signal as is being done in insurgency-hit areas.

Highest Data consumption in Marina:

Jayalalithaa funeral: 39 mbps

Kannum Pongal: 26 mbps

Jallikattu protest day one: 29 mbps

Jallikattu protest day two: 39 mbps

Average consumption (usual days): 12 mbps

(Source: BSNL)

CHENNAI: That the disparate gathering that landed up at Chennais Marina beach by the hundreds were connected by social media is known. But just how much? The massive gathering of youngsters on Wednesday led to a spike of over three times in data consumption from state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited alone. Such was the volume of data generated during peak time  between 7.30 pm and 9 pm  that consumption was 39 megabytes per second (mbps) as against the normal of just 12 mbps. This has been steadily growing from 29 mbps on day one of the protest, D M Bhaskar, BSNLs general manager mobile (Planning and Operations), told New Indian Express. It was more or less equal to the data consumption when people flocked from faraway places to pay tributes to J Jayalalithaa, Bhaskar added. It should be noted that these are figures from just one operator  BSNL  which indicates the trend but does not capture the actual magnitude. On the 2 km stretch along Marina beach from University of Madras to the Lighthouse, the telecom company has a maximum capacity of 60 mbps. BSNL has 11 towers in the area, including seven for 2G connections and the rest for 3G. On any given day, Bhaskar said the data throughput at Marina is 12 mbps. But that has been going up since Monday  Kaanum Pongal  when thousands of families assemble at Marina. On that day, data consumption was 26 mbps. Being an annual event, this was expected to return to normal the next day. But by Tuesday morning, protesters began converging at the seafront, sending a stream of updates as text, photographs, memes, and videos. To a query whether there were any call drops due to the alleged use of jammers on Marina, Bhaskar said till now they dont have any such information. A week ago we used our RF drive vehicle and found there were no jammers, he said. He said in the case of law and order situation, the mobile operator can block the signal as is being done in insurgency-hit areas. Highest Data consumption in Marina: Jayalalithaa funeral: 39 mbps Kannum Pongal: 26 mbps Jallikattu protest day one: 29 mbps Jallikattu protest day two: 39 mbps Average consumption (usual days): 12 mbps (Source: BSNL)
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: What started off as a gathering of a few people on Tuesday morning grew into one of the largest agitations the State has ever seen in a long time. People from all over the city and outside flocked to the Marina Beach to show their solidarity - some travelling by bus, others in vehicles and a significant number on foot.

Those assembled at the site demanded that the Chief Minister, O Panneerselvam, address them. The Mylapore Deputy Commissioner of Police, V Balakrishnan, tried to coax the crowd, but in vain.

They (PETA and the government) are playing with fire, Revathy Senthil Kumar cried. I belong to Madurai. I have grown up with this tradition. This is my home and my sport: Who is PETA to tell me how to live my life?

The Supreme Courts decision to ban jallikattu in Tamil Nadu sparked the agitation. There were widespread protests across the State and in one such gathering at Alanganallur, some youths were arrested on Monday, enraging many.

Numerous students walked from their respective colleges to the protest site on Wednesday - some from Nungambakkam and others from places farther away.

K Ashwin Kumar, a student of Meenakshi College of Engineering, said that they walked for around 5 km from their college to Vadapalani from where the police had arranged special free buses to the Marina for the students in order to avoid traffic disruption.

Deputy Commissioner of Police trying to negotiate

with the agitators on the Marina

We will stay here all night and tomorrow too if needed- until the ban is lifted, he said. This relentless spirit is what kept up the protest all through and drew more and more people to join in through the day.

The need to come together and preserve a tradition is what brought most of these people to the protest site. The feeling of community and oneness was evident throughout.

We should thank PETA for doing this! 35-year-old IT services developer Senthil Kumar said. They have brought us together. I was here yesterday and there were about 300 people. I knew a lot of people would come but never imagined to see so many people here.

A lot of the protestors had taken the day off at work or college and come here. Some like J. Dhanush, an engineering student, had jumped the college wall, just to be there. Others like G. Haritha and J. Rini, students of a leading city college had missed their internal examinations.

CHENNAI: What started off as a gathering of a few people on Tuesday morning grew into one of the largest agitations the State has ever seen in a long time. People from all over the city and outside flocked to the Marina Beach to show their solidarity - some travelling by bus, others in vehicles and a significant number on foot. Those assembled at the site demanded that the Chief Minister, O Panneerselvam, address them. The Mylapore Deputy Commissioner of Police, V Balakrishnan, tried to coax the crowd, but in vain. They (PETA and the government) are playing with fire, Revathy Senthil Kumar cried. I belong to Madurai. I have grown up with this tradition. This is my home and my sport: Who is PETA to tell me how to live my life? The Supreme Courts decision to ban jallikattu in Tamil Nadu sparked the agitation. There were widespread protests across the State and in one such gathering at Alanganallur, some youths were arrested on Monday, enraging many. Numerous students walked from their respective colleges to the protest site on Wednesday - some from Nungambakkam and others from places farther away. K Ashwin Kumar, a student of Meenakshi College of Engineering, said that they walked for around 5 km from their college to Vadapalani from where the police had arranged special free buses to the Marina for the students in order to avoid traffic disruption. Deputy Commissioner of Police trying to negotiate with the agitators on the MarinaWe will stay here all night and tomorrow too if needed- until the ban is lifted, he said. This relentless spirit is what kept up the protest all through and drew more and more people to join in through the day. The need to come together and preserve a tradition is what brought most of these people to the protest site. The feeling of community and oneness was evident throughout. We should thank PETA for doing this! 35-year-old IT services developer Senthil Kumar said. They have brought us together. I was here yesterday and there were about 300 people. I knew a lot of people would come but never imagined to see so many people here. A lot of the protestors had taken the day off at work or college and come here. Some like J. Dhanush, an engineering student, had jumped the college wall, just to be there. Others like G. Haritha and J. Rini, students of a leading city college had missed their internal examinations.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The CBI is "scared" of Manish Sisodia, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said, referring to the inquiry initiated by the agency against his deputy.

On his part, Sisodia dared the investigating agency to arrest him. The preliminary enquiry was merely a tool to stall reforms in Delhi's education sector, he said.

"Manish kept waiting for CBI, but it did not come. Till now, people used to be scared of CBI, for the first time CBI is scared of someone," Kejriwal tweeted.

Sisodia said he was being punished for creating world class facilities for school children "unlike governments" who push them towards "drugs".

"My work scares them. I invited them to come and arrest me. They should understand that they are affecting the future of 26 lakh children of Delhi and causing me no personal harm.

The moment we vowed to arrest Punjab Minister (Vikram) Majithia they made arrangements to arrest me," he said, addressing an event.

Meanwhile, asked about the CBI enquiry against his daughter Saumya over her appointment as adviser to the Mohalla Clinic project, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said, "It seems Jung has got nothing out of the 400 files he had sought."

Yesterday, the CBI registered preliminary enquiries against Sisodia and Saumya Jain in two separate cases.

NEW DELHI: The CBI is "scared" of Manish Sisodia, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said, referring to the inquiry initiated by the agency against his deputy. On his part, Sisodia dared the investigating agency to arrest him. The preliminary enquiry was merely a tool to stall reforms in Delhi's education sector, he said. "Manish kept waiting for CBI, but it did not come. Till now, people used to be scared of CBI, for the first time CBI is scared of someone," Kejriwal tweeted. Sisodia said he was being punished for creating world class facilities for school children "unlike governments" who push them towards "drugs". "My work scares them. I invited them to come and arrest me. They should understand that they are affecting the future of 26 lakh children of Delhi and causing me no personal harm. The moment we vowed to arrest Punjab Minister (Vikram) Majithia they made arrangements to arrest me," he said, addressing an event. Meanwhile, asked about the CBI enquiry against his daughter Saumya over her appointment as adviser to the Mohalla Clinic project, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said, "It seems Jung has got nothing out of the 400 files he had sought." Yesterday, the CBI registered preliminary enquiries against Sisodia and Saumya Jain in two separate cases.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: A 23-year-old trainee sub-inspector of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was found hanging in his room at the training centre in Hakimpet on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Thursday.

The deceased, Sachin, is a native of Haryana. He had joined the paramilitary force in October 2016 and was undergoing training as a sub-inspector. He was found hanging from the ceiling fan by his roommate who returned after night duty.

Inspector S Ashok Kumar said Sachins body was found hanging in room number 31. Sachin was reportedly depressed ever since his father's demise three months ago. He had joined the force around the same time in October last year.

"No suicide note has been recovered from his room. A case of suspicious death has been registered and the body has been sent to Gandhi Hospital mortuary for an autopsy, said the inspector.

HYDERABAD: A 23-year-old trainee sub-inspector of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was found hanging in his room at the training centre in Hakimpet on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Thursday. The deceased, Sachin, is a native of Haryana. He had joined the paramilitary force in October 2016 and was undergoing training as a sub-inspector. He was found hanging from the ceiling fan by his roommate who returned after night duty. Inspector S Ashok Kumar said Sachins body was found hanging in room number 31. Sachin was reportedly depressed ever since his father's demise three months ago. He had joined the force around the same time in October last year. "No suicide note has been recovered from his room. A case of suspicious death has been registered and the body has been sent to Gandhi Hospital mortuary for an autopsy, said the inspector.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Fed up with the abusive comments and trolls on social media following her marriage to actor Dileep, Malayalam film actress Kavya Madhavan has filed a complaint with the Kochi City Police seeking an inquiry.

As per the complaint, abusive comments and posts against her and Dileep have flooded the Facebook page of her design venture laksyah.com.

She filed her complaint with the inspector-general of Ernakulam range Tuesday and subsequently police recorded her statement.

Kavya Madhavan has been fighting a lone battle against trolls for some few years but they intensified after she married Dileep on November 25 last year. While there were many messages of support as well, her social media profile has been flooded with abusive comments against Kavya Madhavan and Dileep for the decision.

Last year, the Kochi City Police arrested a man for running a fake Facebook profile of Kavya Madhavan. The probe led to the discovery of as many as 12 more fake profiles on Facebook.

Kavya had also filed a complaint for spreading rumors about her personal life through Facebook earlier.

KOCHI: Fed up with the abusive comments and trolls on social media following her marriage to actor Dileep, Malayalam film actress Kavya Madhavan has filed a complaint with the Kochi City Police seeking an inquiry. As per the complaint, abusive comments and posts against her and Dileep have flooded the Facebook page of her design venture laksyah.com. She filed her complaint with the inspector-general of Ernakulam range Tuesday and subsequently police recorded her statement. Kavya Madhavan has been fighting a lone battle against trolls for some few years but they intensified after she married Dileep on November 25 last year. While there were many messages of support as well, her social media profile has been flooded with abusive comments against Kavya Madhavan and Dileep for the decision. Last year, the Kochi City Police arrested a man for running a fake Facebook profile of Kavya Madhavan. The probe led to the discovery of as many as 12 more fake profiles on Facebook. Kavya had also filed a complaint for spreading rumors about her personal life through Facebook earlier.
By Express News Service

Suriya, who is awaiting the release of C3, says Durai Singam is perhaps a character closest to his heart. In Kerala to promote the third installment of Singam franchise, the actor talked about how the film was inspired by real police officers. I find them very selfless, they hardly get any holidays and work during all the major festivals. I have great respect for them and they are the real inspiration for Singam franchise. The actor addshe enjoys playing the super-cop, after C3 I feel like a part of the department, he says.

Durai Singam, his character with signature mustache and fiery one-liners, seems to be on a very different mission this time.

He started off as a village cop who is very attached to his family. He used to be an officer who is not willing to ditch his personal life for the department. But, when we come to the third film, he is more mature and there are more challenges for him to handle in S3, he says.

Quizzed on the expanding market of Tamil films in Kerala, the actor says Kerala is a place where Tamil films are accepted as they are. We have to dub our films in Telugu but there is no need for that here in Kerala. At the same time I think nobody can take over the market here, especially when you have such great talents here. The actor said he is aware of the affection showered on him by the people of Kerala and also recounted how some portions of his debut film Nerruku Ner was shot in Thiruvananthapuram. I think it was at Holy Angels School and I still remember shooting with Vijay and Vasanth sir here.

Suriya says he has immense respect for Malayalam industry and he has been following the wonderful work happening here for the past few years. He also pointed out how Malayalam stars are more popular these days. At a recent award function my sister wanted to take a picture with Nivin Pauly. So I went and asked him if we could take a picture with him, he says.

On why he is not considering Malayalam projects, the actor says, there is a change in sensibility when it comes to different states. If I do a Malayalam film I will have to do it as a Malayalam only. I might not be able to take it to Tamil or Telugu audience. Or you will have to compromise the script. So I have to consciously restrict myself as I can do a Malayalam film only within that logistics.

Suriya, who is awaiting the release of C3, says Durai Singam is perhaps a character closest to his heart. In Kerala to promote the third installment of Singam franchise, the actor talked about how the film was inspired by real police officers. I find them very selfless, they hardly get any holidays and work during all the major festivals. I have great respect for them and they are the real inspiration for Singam franchise. The actor addshe enjoys playing the super-cop, after C3 I feel like a part of the department, he says. Durai Singam, his character with signature mustache and fiery one-liners, seems to be on a very different mission this time. He started off as a village cop who is very attached to his family. He used to be an officer who is not willing to ditch his personal life for the department. But, when we come to the third film, he is more mature and there are more challenges for him to handle in S3, he says. Quizzed on the expanding market of Tamil films in Kerala, the actor says Kerala is a place where Tamil films are accepted as they are. We have to dub our films in Telugu but there is no need for that here in Kerala. At the same time I think nobody can take over the market here, especially when you have such great talents here. The actor said he is aware of the affection showered on him by the people of Kerala and also recounted how some portions of his debut film Nerruku Ner was shot in Thiruvananthapuram. I think it was at Holy Angels School and I still remember shooting with Vijay and Vasanth sir here. Suriya says he has immense respect for Malayalam industry and he has been following the wonderful work happening here for the past few years. He also pointed out how Malayalam stars are more popular these days. At a recent award function my sister wanted to take a picture with Nivin Pauly. So I went and asked him if we could take a picture with him, he says. On why he is not considering Malayalam projects, the actor says, there is a change in sensibility when it comes to different states. If I do a Malayalam film I will have to do it as a Malayalam only. I might not be able to take it to Tamil or Telugu audience. Or you will have to compromise the script. So I have to consciously restrict myself as I can do a Malayalam film only within that logistics.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Thirteen insurgents of the Isak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) were apprehended by Assam Rifles personnel in Nagalands Mon district and seized a cache of arms and ammunition from them.



Defence sources said the rebels were apprehended on the Mon-Tizit road on Wednesday during a routine frisking of vehicles by 35 Assam Rifles personnel. They were travelling from Dimapur to Namsa in two Maruti gypsies along with two children.



Four AK-56 rifles, two HK-32 rifles, one MA-MK4 rifle, four pistols besides a huge quantity of live cartridges were seized, the sources said. Later, all of them were handed over to Nagaland Police.



The NSCN-IM has been in peace mode since 1997 following its signing of a ceasefire agreement with the Centre. One of its most contentious demands is the creation of Greater Nagaland by carving out the Naga-majority areas of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The outfit has so far held over 100 rounds of peace talks with the government but a solution continues to elude both sides.

GUWAHATI: Thirteen insurgents of the Isak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) were apprehended by Assam Rifles personnel in Nagalands Mon district and seized a cache of arms and ammunition from them. Defence sources said the rebels were apprehended on the Mon-Tizit road on Wednesday during a routine frisking of vehicles by 35 Assam Rifles personnel. They were travelling from Dimapur to Namsa in two Maruti gypsies along with two children. Four AK-56 rifles, two HK-32 rifles, one MA-MK4 rifle, four pistols besides a huge quantity of live cartridges were seized, the sources said. Later, all of them were handed over to Nagaland Police. The NSCN-IM has been in peace mode since 1997 following its signing of a ceasefire agreement with the Centre. One of its most contentious demands is the creation of Greater Nagaland by carving out the Naga-majority areas of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The outfit has so far held over 100 rounds of peace talks with the government but a solution continues to elude both sides.
By Express News Service

JODHPUR/MUMBAI: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was on Wednesday acquitted by a Jodhpur court in an Arms Act case involving the killing of blackbucks in 1998. Even as the jubilant actor thanked his fans for support and some colleagues hailed the decision, Twitterati trolled him.

In a 102-page long order, chief judicial magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit ruled that possession and use of fire arms with expired license by Salman could not be proved by the prosecution. The prosecution permission by the (then) district magistrate (Rajat Kumar Mishra) was given without applying mind and was non-speaking and non-regent, the court said, adding that Salman had to suffer for this unnecessarily.

Thank you for all the support and good wishes, Salman tweeted minutes later. Salman and his sister Alvira were present in the court. Salman has earlier been acquitted in two other cases related to the incident.

But Salmans acquittal didnt make everyone happy. Salman teaches us that you can pass the buck when it comes to killing blackbucks if you have lots of bucks, wrote one user.

There are millions who know that Salman Khan is guilty in both cases. Your voice has no value if it is against power and money. How sad!, posted another.

Actor Alok Nath, who played Salmans onscreen father in Hum Saath Saath Hain, said: It is a happy ending to a long, stretched out case. He and his family must be really relieved. Now, it is time for him to get married and have children. Mumbai-based eatery Bhaijaanz Restaurant, named after the Sultan actor, announced a 50% discount after the acquittal.

JODHPUR/MUMBAI: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was on Wednesday acquitted by a Jodhpur court in an Arms Act case involving the killing of blackbucks in 1998. Even as the jubilant actor thanked his fans for support and some colleagues hailed the decision, Twitterati trolled him. In a 102-page long order, chief judicial magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit ruled that possession and use of fire arms with expired license by Salman could not be proved by the prosecution. The prosecution permission by the (then) district magistrate (Rajat Kumar Mishra) was given without applying mind and was non-speaking and non-regent, the court said, adding that Salman had to suffer for this unnecessarily. Thank you for all the support and good wishes, Salman tweeted minutes later. Salman and his sister Alvira were present in the court. Salman has earlier been acquitted in two other cases related to the incident. But Salmans acquittal didnt make everyone happy. Salman teaches us that you can pass the buck when it comes to killing blackbucks if you have lots of bucks, wrote one user. There are millions who know that Salman Khan is guilty in both cases. Your voice has no value if it is against power and money. How sad!, posted another. Actor Alok Nath, who played Salmans onscreen father in Hum Saath Saath Hain, said: It is a happy ending to a long, stretched out case. He and his family must be really relieved. Now, it is time for him to get married and have children. Mumbai-based eatery Bhaijaanz Restaurant, named after the Sultan actor, announced a 50% discount after the acquittal.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: A bus carrying 50 children in the age group of 3-12 to school through a thick fog enveloping the town of Aliganh in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh, 290 km from Lucknow, collided head-on with an oncoming truck on Thursday morning. Thirteen of the children in the bus, its driver and another person died in the accident.

It ought never to have happened, the local administration said. Earlier in the morning, schools in Etah district had been ordered not to open today in view of the thick fog and an intense cold wave sweeping this part of UP, but the school, J S Vidya Public School, these children were being driven to chose to ignore the directive.

Apart from the 15 fatilities, 24 others were seriously injured in the accident.

Although initial reports said 24 school children had died in the incident, the local police revised the casualty figure in the evening to 15.

"The school was open against the order of the district administration, said Uttar Pradeshs director-general of police (DGP) Javeed Ahmad. Well take strict action against the school authorities.

However, he added that the truck involved in the accident was loaded with sand and was speeding.

The district magistrate (DM) of Etah has issued a directive to the police to lodge an FIR (first information report) against the school management for flouting the administrations orders and initiated action to have its recognition cancelled.

Some 10 school children who were grievously injured were rushed to the Sefai superspeciality hospital while others have been sent to different hospitals in Aligarh and Agra districts, the DM told media persons.

The states additional director-general for law and order, Daljeet Singh Chaudhary confirmed that visibility was very poor when the accident took place.

However, action has been initiated against the school, its manager locked the school premises and made himself scarce. The ADG said the owners of the school bus and the truck have been booked in the case.

A local poolice officer, Parasuram Singh said the truck driver suffered serious injuries and his legs had to be amputated.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav directed senior officials, including the local divisional commissioner, to visit the spot and ensure free treatment to the injured children on priority.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Rajnath Singh tweeted their grief over the death of the children. "Anguished by tragic accident in UPs Etah. I share the pain of the bereaved families and condole passing away of young children. I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest," PM Modi was quoted as saying.

LUCKNOW: A bus carrying 50 children in the age group of 3-12 to school through a thick fog enveloping the town of Aliganh in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh, 290 km from Lucknow, collided head-on with an oncoming truck on Thursday morning. Thirteen of the children in the bus, its driver and another person died in the accident. It ought never to have happened, the local administration said. Earlier in the morning, schools in Etah district had been ordered not to open today in view of the thick fog and an intense cold wave sweeping this part of UP, but the school, J S Vidya Public School, these children were being driven to chose to ignore the directive. Apart from the 15 fatilities, 24 others were seriously injured in the accident. Although initial reports said 24 school children had died in the incident, the local police revised the casualty figure in the evening to 15. "The school was open against the order of the district administration, said Uttar Pradeshs director-general of police (DGP) Javeed Ahmad. Well take strict action against the school authorities. However, he added that the truck involved in the accident was loaded with sand and was speeding. The district magistrate (DM) of Etah has issued a directive to the police to lodge an FIR (first information report) against the school management for flouting the administrations orders and initiated action to have its recognition cancelled. Some 10 school children who were grievously injured were rushed to the Sefai superspeciality hospital while others have been sent to different hospitals in Aligarh and Agra districts, the DM told media persons. The states additional director-general for law and order, Daljeet Singh Chaudhary confirmed that visibility was very poor when the accident took place. However, action has been initiated against the school, its manager locked the school premises and made himself scarce. The ADG said the owners of the school bus and the truck have been booked in the case. A local poolice officer, Parasuram Singh said the truck driver suffered serious injuries and his legs had to be amputated. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav directed senior officials, including the local divisional commissioner, to visit the spot and ensure free treatment to the injured children on priority. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Rajnath Singh tweeted their grief over the death of the children. "Anguished by tragic accident in UPs Etah. I share the pain of the bereaved families and condole passing away of young children. I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest," PM Modi was quoted as saying.
Anand S T Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: The Nitish Kumar government told the Patna High Court that no coercion was being used to make children participate in its effort to set a world record for the longest human chain, an event planned for Saturday in support of prohibition.

The judges didnt seem convinced and summoned Bihars chief secretary and director-general of police (DGP) to answer some questions tomorrow.

Meanwhile, evidence emerged that the Nitish Kumar government did use its heft to make children fall in line. A circular issued by the district education officer (DEO) of Rohtas district to all government schools clearly indicated coercion. All principals have been told to ensure participation of schoolchildren and their parents in the human chain event.

And it added: If the students do not attend the human chain, it would be understood that their enrolment in the schools is invalid. Such students would also be debarred from taking benefits (of government schemes at schools).

While the state government told the court that people would voluntarily participate in the event, such instances of government officials using coercion to pull in a crowd have been seen in at least two districts. In one district, some schoolchildren fell sick during a rehearsal for the event.

On Thursday, a division bench of the High Court, comprising acting chief justice Hemant Gupta and justice Dinesh Kumar Singh, heard the governments explanation offered by principal additional advocate-general Lalit Kishore but raised further questions. To answer them, chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and DGP P.K. Thakur would have to appear before it on Friday.

According to Shashi Bhusan Kumar, advocate for the NGO Forum for Public Interest Litigation (FPIL), which filed the PIL in this case, the governments counsel took the plea that only children above class V are being asked to participate in the event. But the bench replied that they would be still be minors and would have nothing to do with drinking liquor or prohibition.

The High Court also sought to know why state and national highways passing through Bihar were being blocked for five hours on January 21 to stage the event.

Despite the courts reservations, chief minister Nitish Kumar continued to appeal to Bihars people to participate in the historic programme and help create a world record for the longest human chain formed on earth. The ruling party JD(U) on Thursday released a music video to drum up support for total prohibition implemented by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016.

The state government will duly address the honourable courts concerns and the historic event will be held as per schedule, said JD(U) state president Vashistha Narayan Singh, who released the music video.

PATNA: The Nitish Kumar government told the Patna High Court that no coercion was being used to make children participate in its effort to set a world record for the longest human chain, an event planned for Saturday in support of prohibition. The judges didnt seem convinced and summoned Bihars chief secretary and director-general of police (DGP) to answer some questions tomorrow. Meanwhile, evidence emerged that the Nitish Kumar government did use its heft to make children fall in line. A circular issued by the district education officer (DEO) of Rohtas district to all government schools clearly indicated coercion. All principals have been told to ensure participation of schoolchildren and their parents in the human chain event. And it added: If the students do not attend the human chain, it would be understood that their enrolment in the schools is invalid. Such students would also be debarred from taking benefits (of government schemes at schools). While the state government told the court that people would voluntarily participate in the event, such instances of government officials using coercion to pull in a crowd have been seen in at least two districts. In one district, some schoolchildren fell sick during a rehearsal for the event. On Thursday, a division bench of the High Court, comprising acting chief justice Hemant Gupta and justice Dinesh Kumar Singh, heard the governments explanation offered by principal additional advocate-general Lalit Kishore but raised further questions. To answer them, chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and DGP P.K. Thakur would have to appear before it on Friday. According to Shashi Bhusan Kumar, advocate for the NGO Forum for Public Interest Litigation (FPIL), which filed the PIL in this case, the governments counsel took the plea that only children above class V are being asked to participate in the event. But the bench replied that they would be still be minors and would have nothing to do with drinking liquor or prohibition. The High Court also sought to know why state and national highways passing through Bihar were being blocked for five hours on January 21 to stage the event. Despite the courts reservations, chief minister Nitish Kumar continued to appeal to Bihars people to participate in the historic programme and help create a world record for the longest human chain formed on earth. The ruling party JD(U) on Thursday released a music video to drum up support for total prohibition implemented by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016. The state government will duly address the honourable courts concerns and the historic event will be held as per schedule, said JD(U) state president Vashistha Narayan Singh, who released the music video.
Ritu Sharma By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: INDIA on Thursday reacted sharply to Chinas comment that the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership cannot be a farewell gift for countries to give one another. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asserted that it was not seeking entry into the NSG as a gift, but based on its non-proliferation record. China had on Tuesday said admission of non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) signatories to the NSG cannot be farewell gift after an outgoing US President Barak Obamas team member called Beijing an outlier in bringing New Delhi to the fold of the elite nuclear club. Our views on Indias membership of the NSG are clear and have been stated on many occasions before. India is not seeking it on its non-proliferation record, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said here. China has been refusing to budge from its stand obstructing Indias application and at the same time linking it with Pakistans entry to the 48-member grouping.

Both the countries are non-NPT signatories and China has been harping that a process needs to be evolved. While Pakistan has invited international censure over its nuclear scientists pilfering nuclear technology to North Korea, India has remained impeccable in its non-proliferation record. I, of course, cannot speak for other applicants, Swarup added obliquely referring to Pakistans bid to gain entry into the NSG riding on Chinas support. Beijing has been the only country opposing New Delhis candidature. US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, Nisha Desai Biswal, had said on Indias NSG membership bid, "Clearly there is one outlier that needs to be addressed and that is China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying responded by saying: "I just want to point out that NSG membership shall not be some kind of (a) farewell gift for countries to give to each other.

NEW DELHI: INDIA on Thursday reacted sharply to Chinas comment that the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership cannot be a farewell gift for countries to give one another. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asserted that it was not seeking entry into the NSG as a gift, but based on its non-proliferation record. China had on Tuesday said admission of non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) signatories to the NSG cannot be farewell gift after an outgoing US President Barak Obamas team member called Beijing an outlier in bringing New Delhi to the fold of the elite nuclear club. Our views on Indias membership of the NSG are clear and have been stated on many occasions before. India is not seeking it on its non-proliferation record, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said here. China has been refusing to budge from its stand obstructing Indias application and at the same time linking it with Pakistans entry to the 48-member grouping. Both the countries are non-NPT signatories and China has been harping that a process needs to be evolved. While Pakistan has invited international censure over its nuclear scientists pilfering nuclear technology to North Korea, India has remained impeccable in its non-proliferation record. I, of course, cannot speak for other applicants, Swarup added obliquely referring to Pakistans bid to gain entry into the NSG riding on Chinas support. Beijing has been the only country opposing New Delhis candidature. US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, Nisha Desai Biswal, had said on Indias NSG membership bid, "Clearly there is one outlier that needs to be addressed and that is China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying responded by saying: "I just want to point out that NSG membership shall not be some kind of (a) farewell gift for countries to give to each other.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha MP and senior leader from the Pattali Makkal Katchi party, Anbumani Ramadoss sat on protest demonstration outside the house of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7, Lokmanya Tilak in the national capital in support of Jallikattu.

The sport is an identity of Tamil people it has been the tradition of the people, the government should bring in an ordinance for lifting the ban on conducting Jallikattu. The younger generation of Tamil Nadu is absolutely against this ban and hence they are coming on streets. I wanted to meet the PM and hand in my memorandum but was not allowed to Ramadoss said.

Ramadoss was taken to the Tughlaq road police station and plans to remain in Delhi till the ban on the sport is lifted he informed further.

Though the agitation is conducted in a peaceful manner, it is anybody's guess that things may go out of hand and agitation will soon become a serious law and order problem in Tamil Nadu. Since this is the matter affecting the sentiments of Tamil, immediate action should be taken to handle the situation in an amicable way said the letter to the Prime Minister.

If there is an issue of animal cruelty then the people are willing to listen, but this ban is the result of the step motherly attitude of the central government towards Tamil Nadu. Whether it is drought and farmer suicide the present government is biased while making the decisions, the youth of Tamil Nadu also demands a ban on the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said Ramadoss further.

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha MP and senior leader from the Pattali Makkal Katchi party, Anbumani Ramadoss sat on protest demonstration outside the house of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7, Lokmanya Tilak in the national capital in support of Jallikattu. The sport is an identity of Tamil people it has been the tradition of the people, the government should bring in an ordinance for lifting the ban on conducting Jallikattu. The younger generation of Tamil Nadu is absolutely against this ban and hence they are coming on streets. I wanted to meet the PM and hand in my memorandum but was not allowed to Ramadoss said. Ramadoss was taken to the Tughlaq road police station and plans to remain in Delhi till the ban on the sport is lifted he informed further. Though the agitation is conducted in a peaceful manner, it is anybody's guess that things may go out of hand and agitation will soon become a serious law and order problem in Tamil Nadu. Since this is the matter affecting the sentiments of Tamil, immediate action should be taken to handle the situation in an amicable way said the letter to the Prime Minister. If there is an issue of animal cruelty then the people are willing to listen, but this ban is the result of the step motherly attitude of the central government towards Tamil Nadu. Whether it is drought and farmer suicide the present government is biased while making the decisions, the youth of Tamil Nadu also demands a ban on the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said Ramadoss further.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: A top commander of Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba and nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was killed in an encounter with security forces in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

A police spokesman said acting on a specific information about presence of militants in Para Mohallah, Hajin locality in North Kashmirs Bandipora district, police, 13 Rashtria Rifles and 45 bn CRPF personnel launched a joint combing and search operation in the area early on Thursday to flush out the militant. He said during the combing operation, a militant hiding in the area opened fire on the security personnel. The fire was returned by the troops and in the ensuing gunfight, the Laskhar commander was killed, the spokesman said.

He said a policeman identified as Vikas Sharma sustained injuries in the gunfight and has been hospitalised. The slain militant was identified as Lashkar Divisional Commander Abu Musaib of Pakistan. An AK-56 rifle, 66 rounds, 3 magazines, 1 radio set and 3 grenades were recovered from the possession of the slain militant, the spokesman said. J&K Director General of Police, S P Vaid, told Express that police have got reports that Musaib was nephew of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, LeT operational chief of Pakistan. "We have got this information and this can only be confirmed by Lakhvi," he said. Lakhvi is the mastermind of November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks and is wanted by India. A police official termed killing of Musaib as a major jolt to Lashkar-e-Taiba.

He said Musaib had infiltrated into Kashmir in 2014 and was active in Bandipora and Ganderbal areas in North and Central Kashmir respectively since 2015. He revived Lashkar in Bandipora and Ganderbal districts, the official said. He said Musaib was involved in many militancy related activities which included weapon snatching of an army man in Bandipora in October 2015. The police official said the slain militant was involved in injuring a civilian at Hajin in North Kashmir, and firing on the Army patrol last year in which two soldiers were killed. Musaib also played an active role in organising the Fidayeen attack on CRPF at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar on August 15, last year in which CRPF commandant was killed, the spokesman said.

SRINAGAR: A top commander of Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba and nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was killed in an encounter with security forces in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. A police spokesman said acting on a specific information about presence of militants in Para Mohallah, Hajin locality in North Kashmirs Bandipora district, police, 13 Rashtria Rifles and 45 bn CRPF personnel launched a joint combing and search operation in the area early on Thursday to flush out the militant. He said during the combing operation, a militant hiding in the area opened fire on the security personnel. The fire was returned by the troops and in the ensuing gunfight, the Laskhar commander was killed, the spokesman said. He said a policeman identified as Vikas Sharma sustained injuries in the gunfight and has been hospitalised. The slain militant was identified as Lashkar Divisional Commander Abu Musaib of Pakistan. An AK-56 rifle, 66 rounds, 3 magazines, 1 radio set and 3 grenades were recovered from the possession of the slain militant, the spokesman said. J&K Director General of Police, S P Vaid, told Express that police have got reports that Musaib was nephew of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, LeT operational chief of Pakistan. "We have got this information and this can only be confirmed by Lakhvi," he said. Lakhvi is the mastermind of November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks and is wanted by India. A police official termed killing of Musaib as a major jolt to Lashkar-e-Taiba. He said Musaib had infiltrated into Kashmir in 2014 and was active in Bandipora and Ganderbal areas in North and Central Kashmir respectively since 2015. He revived Lashkar in Bandipora and Ganderbal districts, the official said. He said Musaib was involved in many militancy related activities which included weapon snatching of an army man in Bandipora in October 2015. The police official said the slain militant was involved in injuring a civilian at Hajin in North Kashmir, and firing on the Army patrol last year in which two soldiers were killed. Musaib also played an active role in organising the Fidayeen attack on CRPF at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar on August 15, last year in which CRPF commandant was killed, the spokesman said.
Aishik Chanda By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: In an incident that may highlight both progress and helplessness of Muslim women in

West Bengal, a 14-year-old Muslim girl student in West Bengals Malda district was hospitalised after being allegedly thrashed by the village headman and his family for protesting against child marriage of a girl whose reception the victim went to attend.

Beauty Khatun, a Class VIII student of Nibedita Girls High Secondary school, had gone to attend the reception of Sujal Sheikh at Nadabpara village under English Bazaar Police Station limits with her parents Maqbool Sheikh and Marjeena Bibi on Tuesday night.

On attending the reception, I doubted that the bride, a resident of Buniyadpur in neighbouring Dakhshin Dinajpur district, was the same age as that of mine. Immediately, I protested that it was a crime to marry a minor girl and police would nab everyone if they came to know about it. The bridegrooms family got tensed. This confirmed my doubts. At first, village headman Panchu Sheikh, who is a relative of the

bridegroom, intimidated me with verbal abuses and then he and his family members started beating me up. I stood for what I believe in. My parents came to save me but were also beaten up. Finally, locals intervened and saved us, victim Beauty Khatun told Express over the phone.

Beautys parents have lodged a complaint against six alleged assailants including village headman Panchu Sheikh at the Womens Police Station in the area.

At a time when efforts are being made for preventing child marriage both by the government and the Muslim community, the village headman is himself supervising over a child marriage, Beautys father

Maqbool, a vegetable vendor, told Express.

On the other hand, village headman Panchu Sheikh said that the family was uninvited. Both the bride and bridegroom were adults. Maqbools family was not invited. Nevertheless, he came uninvited and abused the bridegrooms family. When we protested, he attacked us, he said.

Meanwhile, English Bazaar BDO has sought age proof of the bride and the bridegroom from the bridegrooms father Akalu Sheikh. We are investigating the case and looking into allegations of both the sides, an official in English Bazaar Police Station said.

KOLKATA: In an incident that may highlight both progress and helplessness of Muslim women in West Bengal, a 14-year-old Muslim girl student in West Bengals Malda district was hospitalised after being allegedly thrashed by the village headman and his family for protesting against child marriage of a girl whose reception the victim went to attend. Beauty Khatun, a Class VIII student of Nibedita Girls High Secondary school, had gone to attend the reception of Sujal Sheikh at Nadabpara village under English Bazaar Police Station limits with her parents Maqbool Sheikh and Marjeena Bibi on Tuesday night. On attending the reception, I doubted that the bride, a resident of Buniyadpur in neighbouring Dakhshin Dinajpur district, was the same age as that of mine. Immediately, I protested that it was a crime to marry a minor girl and police would nab everyone if they came to know about it. The bridegrooms family got tensed. This confirmed my doubts. At first, village headman Panchu Sheikh, who is a relative of the bridegroom, intimidated me with verbal abuses and then he and his family members started beating me up. I stood for what I believe in. My parents came to save me but were also beaten up. Finally, locals intervened and saved us, victim Beauty Khatun told Express over the phone. Beautys parents have lodged a complaint against six alleged assailants including village headman Panchu Sheikh at the Womens Police Station in the area. At a time when efforts are being made for preventing child marriage both by the government and the Muslim community, the village headman is himself supervising over a child marriage, Beautys father Maqbool, a vegetable vendor, told Express. On the other hand, village headman Panchu Sheikh said that the family was uninvited. Both the bride and bridegroom were adults. Maqbools family was not invited. Nevertheless, he came uninvited and abused the bridegrooms family. When we protested, he attacked us, he said. Meanwhile, English Bazaar BDO has sought age proof of the bride and the bridegroom from the bridegrooms father Akalu Sheikh. We are investigating the case and looking into allegations of both the sides, an official in English Bazaar Police Station said.
Rakesh K Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday requested the Union Home Ministry to hand over the probe into the East Champaran case with preliminary investigation pointing to the role of ISI in terror hits on railway infrastructure in India including the derailment of a train near Kanpur last year.

NIA sources told the Express that a letter has been sent to the Home Ministry seeking transfer of the case to the agency from Bihar Police.

Earlier this week, Bihar Police had revealed that the ISI was behind recent train derailments and the Pak covert agency had used the Nepal route to target the Indian Railways.

Joint interrogation of the arrested criminals including Uma Shankar Patel, Mukesh Yadav and Moti Paswan has confirmed the ISI plot to directly fund terror attacks in the hinterland. Interrogation by the officials of the RAWs desk in Patna and those from the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in the State capital besides the NIA team revealed an elaborate network of funding put in place by the ISI in Nepal to execute terror attacks in India via the Himalayan nation.

The Centre has also directed the RAW station in Kathmandu to unravel the sinister ISI plot to hit targets in the hinterland by exploiting the open Indo-Nepal border. The Union Home Ministry has also directed the Sasashtra Seema Bal that guards the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders to keep a strict vigil at the border under its jurisdiction, a senior North Block official said.

The trio was in touch with ISI agents Brajesh Giri and Shamsul Hoda who were operating out of Nepal and had received Rs 30 lakh from the Pak covert agency to carry out terror attacks on trains passing from Bihar.

The trio had told the Bihar police sleuths that derailment of Indore-Patna express last year was the handiwork of ISI following which the IB, RAW and NIA officials also joined the questioning of the criminals.

Paswan, Patel and Yadav arrested from East Champaran district last week told the Bihar police that they received Rs 3 lakh from Giri to plant explosives/IEDs at Ghorasahan railway station in the district limits on October 1. The Bihar police has claimed to have recovered IEDs at the instance of the arrested accused persons.

A senior Union Home Ministry official said the NIA request is being considered and a decision will be taken soon to hand over the probe to the anti-terror agency. Once the Centre notifies the NIA probe into the claims made by the trio, the anti-terror agency will register a case and collect the materials gathered so far from the Bihar police for further investigation.

The trio, according to Bihar police claims, have confessed about the ISI's possible role in the last year's derailment near Kanpur in which 150 persons were killed and about 200 others sustained injuries.

The Intelligence agencies have mounted a surveillance operation to nab two other suspects--Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadavhailing from East Champaran for their role in the latest ISI terror strategy, sources added.

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday requested the Union Home Ministry to hand over the probe into the East Champaran case with preliminary investigation pointing to the role of ISI in terror hits on railway infrastructure in India including the derailment of a train near Kanpur last year. NIA sources told the Express that a letter has been sent to the Home Ministry seeking transfer of the case to the agency from Bihar Police. Earlier this week, Bihar Police had revealed that the ISI was behind recent train derailments and the Pak covert agency had used the Nepal route to target the Indian Railways. Joint interrogation of the arrested criminals including Uma Shankar Patel, Mukesh Yadav and Moti Paswan has confirmed the ISI plot to directly fund terror attacks in the hinterland. Interrogation by the officials of the RAWs desk in Patna and those from the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in the State capital besides the NIA team revealed an elaborate network of funding put in place by the ISI in Nepal to execute terror attacks in India via the Himalayan nation. The Centre has also directed the RAW station in Kathmandu to unravel the sinister ISI plot to hit targets in the hinterland by exploiting the open Indo-Nepal border. The Union Home Ministry has also directed the Sasashtra Seema Bal that guards the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders to keep a strict vigil at the border under its jurisdiction, a senior North Block official said. The trio was in touch with ISI agents Brajesh Giri and Shamsul Hoda who were operating out of Nepal and had received Rs 30 lakh from the Pak covert agency to carry out terror attacks on trains passing from Bihar. The trio had told the Bihar police sleuths that derailment of Indore-Patna express last year was the handiwork of ISI following which the IB, RAW and NIA officials also joined the questioning of the criminals. Paswan, Patel and Yadav arrested from East Champaran district last week told the Bihar police that they received Rs 3 lakh from Giri to plant explosives/IEDs at Ghorasahan railway station in the district limits on October 1. The Bihar police has claimed to have recovered IEDs at the instance of the arrested accused persons. A senior Union Home Ministry official said the NIA request is being considered and a decision will be taken soon to hand over the probe to the anti-terror agency. Once the Centre notifies the NIA probe into the claims made by the trio, the anti-terror agency will register a case and collect the materials gathered so far from the Bihar police for further investigation. The trio, according to Bihar police claims, have confessed about the ISI's possible role in the last year's derailment near Kanpur in which 150 persons were killed and about 200 others sustained injuries. The Intelligence agencies have mounted a surveillance operation to nab two other suspects--Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadavhailing from East Champaran for their role in the latest ISI terror strategy, sources added.
Rakesh K Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Security and intelligence agencies are baffled over the revelation by the three persons arrested by Bihar Police that the derailment of the Indore-Patna Express was the handiwork of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and have rushed their sleuths to the State to quiz the accused.

While the Home Ministry has sent a two-member team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials to Bihar, officials of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) have also joined the probe to unravel the larger conspiracy involving ISI agents operating out of Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Home Ministry has sought reports from the Bihar government and the IB in connection with the arrest of Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar and Mukesh Yadav and their disclosures to Bihar Police. The Centre has also sought a report from RAW about ISI activities in Nepal and India besides the UAE. Both the Patna desk and Nepal mission of RAW have been asked to closely track the issue, said top government sources.

The role of the ISI and its agents is being probed by the agencies even as the sleuths are verifying the claims of the arrested persons. If their claim is confirmed, the derailment would be the first case where ISI agents have directly carried out a terror attack in Indian territory, said a senior Home Ministry official, adding that in earlier cases the ISI had used proxies like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad to hit targets in the hinterland.

This could also be the first of its kind case in which Hindus have been directly used by the ISI to carry out terror attacks and that too on railway infrastructure, the official further said.

An intelligence source said the linkage between the ISI and international terror group Street Daawah is also being probed. Street Daawah is active in the Terai region of Nepal and recruits non-Muslims for its terror agenda, including suicide bombings.

NEW DELHI: Security and intelligence agencies are baffled over the revelation by the three persons arrested by Bihar Police that the derailment of the Indore-Patna Express was the handiwork of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and have rushed their sleuths to the State to quiz the accused. While the Home Ministry has sent a two-member team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials to Bihar, officials of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) have also joined the probe to unravel the larger conspiracy involving ISI agents operating out of Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Home Ministry has sought reports from the Bihar government and the IB in connection with the arrest of Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar and Mukesh Yadav and their disclosures to Bihar Police. The Centre has also sought a report from RAW about ISI activities in Nepal and India besides the UAE. Both the Patna desk and Nepal mission of RAW have been asked to closely track the issue, said top government sources. The role of the ISI and its agents is being probed by the agencies even as the sleuths are verifying the claims of the arrested persons. If their claim is confirmed, the derailment would be the first case where ISI agents have directly carried out a terror attack in Indian territory, said a senior Home Ministry official, adding that in earlier cases the ISI had used proxies like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad to hit targets in the hinterland. This could also be the first of its kind case in which Hindus have been directly used by the ISI to carry out terror attacks and that too on railway infrastructure, the official further said. An intelligence source said the linkage between the ISI and international terror group Street Daawah is also being probed. Street Daawah is active in the Terai region of Nepal and recruits non-Muslims for its terror agenda, including suicide bombings.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of a changed political scenario in Uttar Pradesh following the stamp of approval for Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav taking full control of the Samajwadi Party and the likely unveiling of its alliance with the Congress party, the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the BJP on Thursday met here to clear the names of candidates for the third and fourth phase of elections in the cow-belt.

The BJP is likely to release the names of candidates on Friday. The third phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh is scheduled on February 19, while the fourth phase would be held on February 23. In phase three, central parts of the State, including Kanpur, Kannauj, Mainpuri, Farrukhabad, Lucknow, will go to polls. In this phase, the BJP is expecting a keen contest with the ruling SP and the Mayawati-led BSP.

The Bundelkhand region of the State, which includes Jhansi, Lalitpur and Mahoba, would go to polls during phase four. The BJP is expecting a direct contest with the BSP in the Bundelkhand region. The BJP CEC meeting was chaired by party chief Amit Shah, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of the BJP Parliamentary Board also took part. The BJP has already declared its first list of 149 candidates.

Maternity benefit scheme Meanwhile, with Assembly elections in five states round the corner, Modi has sought expeditious rollout of the maternity benefit scheme for pregnant women in which the Centre would pass on Rs 2,000 each in three installments aimed at giving a boost to the well-being of the mother and the baby. The NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Child Development has called a meeting of senior officials of the states to chalk out the rollout plan on January 23 in the national capital.

NEW DELHI: NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of a changed political scenario in Uttar Pradesh following the stamp of approval for Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav taking full control of the Samajwadi Party and the likely unveiling of its alliance with the Congress party, the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the BJP on Thursday met here to clear the names of candidates for the third and fourth phase of elections in the cow-belt. The BJP is likely to release the names of candidates on Friday. The third phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh is scheduled on February 19, while the fourth phase would be held on February 23. In phase three, central parts of the State, including Kanpur, Kannauj, Mainpuri, Farrukhabad, Lucknow, will go to polls. In this phase, the BJP is expecting a keen contest with the ruling SP and the Mayawati-led BSP. The Bundelkhand region of the State, which includes Jhansi, Lalitpur and Mahoba, would go to polls during phase four. The BJP is expecting a direct contest with the BSP in the Bundelkhand region. The BJP CEC meeting was chaired by party chief Amit Shah, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of the BJP Parliamentary Board also took part. The BJP has already declared its first list of 149 candidates. Maternity benefit scheme Meanwhile, with Assembly elections in five states round the corner, Modi has sought expeditious rollout of the maternity benefit scheme for pregnant women in which the Centre would pass on Rs 2,000 each in three installments aimed at giving a boost to the well-being of the mother and the baby. The NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Child Development has called a meeting of senior officials of the states to chalk out the rollout plan on January 23 in the national capital.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Two sisters today sought help from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in bringing back their mother who is stuck in Oman after being allegedly ill-treated by recruitment agents.

The women from Haryana sought her help through twitter.

Swaraj responding to their complaint asked Indian Embassy in Muscat to "file a case against the persons who indulged in human trafficking and ill-treated our national."

"@ProtectorGenGOI Pl take stringent action against this agent. We must take this to the logical conclusion./3@Indemb_Muscat," Swaraj tweeted.

"The lady is in our shelter home. If possible please repatriate her," she asked Indian Ambassador in Oman

NEW DELHI: Two sisters today sought help from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in bringing back their mother who is stuck in Oman after being allegedly ill-treated by recruitment agents. The women from Haryana sought her help through twitter. Swaraj responding to their complaint asked Indian Embassy in Muscat to "file a case against the persons who indulged in human trafficking and ill-treated our national." "@ProtectorGenGOI Pl take stringent action against this agent. We must take this to the logical conclusion./3@Indemb_Muscat," Swaraj tweeted. "The lady is in our shelter home. If possible please repatriate her," she asked Indian Ambassador in Oman
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Its for the first time that ISIS links have been traced to Andhra Pradesh. Two youngsters from the coastal districts of Andhra are said to have joined ISIS by taking an oath of allegiance in favour of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

A day after arresting Mohammed Irfan alias Abu Jaffer from Hyderabad on Tuesday, the officials of National Investigation Agency agency obtained leads on two persons from AP joining ISIS ranks. The duo have been identified as Rehman from Machilipatnam in Krishna and a scientist from Guntur town, NIA officials told Express.

It is for the first time that youngsters from AP have been attracted to ISIS activities. Rehman, and a scientist from Guntur left their house informing their parents that they will go to Dubai for employment. Once they reached Dubai, some handlers helped them reach Syria, where they joined ISIS, the sources said.

After Mohammed Irfans arrest, NIA officials interrogated him on his role in the ISIS module. During interrogation, Irfan reportedly told investigators that around 30 youngsters from Telangana and AP have attempted to join ISIS and they were in touch with some handlers.

The two youngsters from AP have changed their names after joining ISIS. Irfan knew one of the youngster from Machilipatnam as Rehman while the other one he remembers as a scientist from Guntur, sources said.

The NIA officials have contacted the Krishna and Guntur district police officials to collect more details on the duo. We will take custody of Mohammed Irfan to get details about the youngsters from the Telugu states in ISIS, NIA officials said.

HYDERABAD: Its for the first time that ISIS links have been traced to Andhra Pradesh. Two youngsters from the coastal districts of Andhra are said to have joined ISIS by taking an oath of allegiance in favour of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. A day after arresting Mohammed Irfan alias Abu Jaffer from Hyderabad on Tuesday, the officials of National Investigation Agency agency obtained leads on two persons from AP joining ISIS ranks. The duo have been identified as Rehman from Machilipatnam in Krishna and a scientist from Guntur town, NIA officials told Express. It is for the first time that youngsters from AP have been attracted to ISIS activities. Rehman, and a scientist from Guntur left their house informing their parents that they will go to Dubai for employment. Once they reached Dubai, some handlers helped them reach Syria, where they joined ISIS, the sources said. After Mohammed Irfans arrest, NIA officials interrogated him on his role in the ISIS module. During interrogation, Irfan reportedly told investigators that around 30 youngsters from Telangana and AP have attempted to join ISIS and they were in touch with some handlers. The two youngsters from AP have changed their names after joining ISIS. Irfan knew one of the youngster from Machilipatnam as Rehman while the other one he remembers as a scientist from Guntur, sources said. The NIA officials have contacted the Krishna and Guntur district police officials to collect more details on the duo. We will take custody of Mohammed Irfan to get details about the youngsters from the Telugu states in ISIS, NIA officials said.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has constituted a negotiation committee to assess availability and utilisation of water of Mahanadi and its tributaries.

The committee will also examine existing water sharing agreements on river Mahanadi and will consider claims of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand regarding availability and utilisation of waters of these rivers.

The committee has been set up after complaint by Odisha Government under section 3 of the Interstate River Water Disputes Act (IRWDA) 1956 regarding utilisation of water of Mahanadi Basin. The committee will be headed by member (Water Planning and Projects), Central Water Commission (CWC) and will have 11 other members comprising representatives from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Union Ministries of Agriculture, Environment Forest and Climate Change, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, India Meteorological Department and Central Water Commission (CWC). The committee has been asked to submit its report within three months. According to a written reply given by chief minister Naveen Patnaik in the winter session of the assembly in December, 2016 monsoon and non-monsoon flow of water in Mahanadi river has gone down over the years.

The monsoon flow in Mahanadi has come down from 26.15 million acre feet in 2005 to 13.24 million acre feet in 2015. Similarly, the non-monsoon flow of water in the river on the Odisha side has come down from 2.15 million acre feet in 2005-06 to 1.21 million acre feet in 2014-15. There are several tributaries of Mahanadi river like Aung, Tel, Jeera, Harihar Jor and Brutang which contribute to monsoon and non-monsoon flow.

The monsoon flow of Mahanadi at Munduli has also come down from 41.21 million acre feet in 2005 to 22.91 million acre feet in 2015. Similarly, the non-monsoon flow at Munduli came down from 3.71 million acre feet in 2005 to 2.28 acre feet in 2015. The State Government has filed a statutory complaint before the Centre on November 22 under provisions of the Inter State Water Disputes Act,1956 for constitution of an inter-state tribunal to adjudicate the disputes arising from unilatarally planned utilisation of 27.48 million acre feet of Mahanadi water by the Chhattisgarh Government as against availability of minimum flow of 20.61 million acre feet.

The State Government has claimed as a part of its equitable share of a minimum flow of 12.28 million acre feet of Mahanadi water at Hirakud Dam as per the DPR of Hirakud project of 1947 and a further utilisation of 3.67 million acre feet in the surplus flows.

BHUBANESWAR: Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has constituted a negotiation committee to assess availability and utilisation of water of Mahanadi and its tributaries. The committee will also examine existing water sharing agreements on river Mahanadi and will consider claims of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand regarding availability and utilisation of waters of these rivers. The committee has been set up after complaint by Odisha Government under section 3 of the Interstate River Water Disputes Act (IRWDA) 1956 regarding utilisation of water of Mahanadi Basin. The committee will be headed by member (Water Planning and Projects), Central Water Commission (CWC) and will have 11 other members comprising representatives from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Union Ministries of Agriculture, Environment Forest and Climate Change, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, India Meteorological Department and Central Water Commission (CWC). The committee has been asked to submit its report within three months. According to a written reply given by chief minister Naveen Patnaik in the winter session of the assembly in December, 2016 monsoon and non-monsoon flow of water in Mahanadi river has gone down over the years. The monsoon flow in Mahanadi has come down from 26.15 million acre feet in 2005 to 13.24 million acre feet in 2015. Similarly, the non-monsoon flow of water in the river on the Odisha side has come down from 2.15 million acre feet in 2005-06 to 1.21 million acre feet in 2014-15. There are several tributaries of Mahanadi river like Aung, Tel, Jeera, Harihar Jor and Brutang which contribute to monsoon and non-monsoon flow. The monsoon flow of Mahanadi at Munduli has also come down from 41.21 million acre feet in 2005 to 22.91 million acre feet in 2015. Similarly, the non-monsoon flow at Munduli came down from 3.71 million acre feet in 2005 to 2.28 acre feet in 2015. The State Government has filed a statutory complaint before the Centre on November 22 under provisions of the Inter State Water Disputes Act,1956 for constitution of an inter-state tribunal to adjudicate the disputes arising from unilatarally planned utilisation of 27.48 million acre feet of Mahanadi water by the Chhattisgarh Government as against availability of minimum flow of 20.61 million acre feet. The State Government has claimed as a part of its equitable share of a minimum flow of 12.28 million acre feet of Mahanadi water at Hirakud Dam as per the DPR of Hirakud project of 1947 and a further utilisation of 3.67 million acre feet in the surplus flows.
By Express News Service

BALASORE: IN a significant development, a special court dealing with chit fund cases on Wednesday ordered confiscation of property worth over `4 crore of scam-tainted Saradha Group.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) of Balasore has directed confiscation of 13.64 acres of land owned by Saradha Realty in Srikona area along Chandipur road in the district. The attached assets are estimated to be around `4.2 crore.

Balasore Additional District Magistrate had appealed the ADJ to pass the order for attachment of immovable property of Saradha Group and Sastra Enterprises Limited which are part of the multi-crore chit fund scam.

Public prosecutor SK Ray said, the interim order of the Finance Department to attach 13.64 acres of land belonging to the company has been made absolute by the special court under Odisha Protection of Interest of Depositors (OPID) Act-2011.

The court has ordered for its public auction and distribution of the proceeds among the needy depositors on a priority basis, he said.

Saradha Group had allegedly duped thousands of investors in Balasore besides other districts in the State with a promise of attractive returns through its various schemes. The multi-crore chit fund scam had surfaced after the arrest of Saradha Group CMD Sudipta Sen and director Debjani Mukherjee.

Sources said Saradha Group had one of its companies - Saradha Realty India Limited in Balasore and it had purchased land in Balasore district for its future housing projects.

Saradha Group opened around 200 branch offices in the country, including its offices at Balasore, Bhadrak, Berhampur and Bhubaneswar in Odisha.

Earlier, the Crime Branch of police had sealed Saradhas Balasore branch office and seized at least 12 computers and documents related to investments and various dubious schemes. The company had allegedly collected a deposit of more than `100 crore from Balasore alone.

The Crime Branch sleuths had also arrested two senior officials of Saradha Realty India Limited. The companys liaison officer Bichitrananda Das and branch manager Basudev Samal are now released on bail.

Sen had made Hemanta Pradhan, his cook and a school drop out of Baliapal area, one of the directors of the Group. Though he was picked up by the CB police of Kolkata, he was later released as he was made a director without his knowledge and it was too acknowledged by the Saradha CMD in a letter to the CBI.

BALASORE: IN a significant development, a special court dealing with chit fund cases on Wednesday ordered confiscation of property worth over `4 crore of scam-tainted Saradha Group. Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) of Balasore has directed confiscation of 13.64 acres of land owned by Saradha Realty in Srikona area along Chandipur road in the district. The attached assets are estimated to be around `4.2 crore. Balasore Additional District Magistrate had appealed the ADJ to pass the order for attachment of immovable property of Saradha Group and Sastra Enterprises Limited which are part of the multi-crore chit fund scam. Public prosecutor SK Ray said, the interim order of the Finance Department to attach 13.64 acres of land belonging to the company has been made absolute by the special court under Odisha Protection of Interest of Depositors (OPID) Act-2011. The court has ordered for its public auction and distribution of the proceeds among the needy depositors on a priority basis, he said. Saradha Group had allegedly duped thousands of investors in Balasore besides other districts in the State with a promise of attractive returns through its various schemes. The multi-crore chit fund scam had surfaced after the arrest of Saradha Group CMD Sudipta Sen and director Debjani Mukherjee. Sources said Saradha Group had one of its companies - Saradha Realty India Limited in Balasore and it had purchased land in Balasore district for its future housing projects. Saradha Group opened around 200 branch offices in the country, including its offices at Balasore, Bhadrak, Berhampur and Bhubaneswar in Odisha. Earlier, the Crime Branch of police had sealed Saradhas Balasore branch office and seized at least 12 computers and documents related to investments and various dubious schemes. The company had allegedly collected a deposit of more than `100 crore from Balasore alone. The Crime Branch sleuths had also arrested two senior officials of Saradha Realty India Limited. The companys liaison officer Bichitrananda Das and branch manager Basudev Samal are now released on bail. Sen had made Hemanta Pradhan, his cook and a school drop out of Baliapal area, one of the directors of the Group. Though he was picked up by the CB police of Kolkata, he was later released as he was made a director without his knowledge and it was too acknowledged by the Saradha CMD in a letter to the CBI.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi refrained from making any commitment by observing that the matter is presently sub-judice.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who arrived early Thursday morning , held an half an hour long meeting at PM, residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi to discuss Jallikattu. Tamil Nadu chief minister also submitted a memorandum to the Prime minister for demanding centre government to bring an ordinance on Jallikattu.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister indicated union government's inability to promulgate an ordinance on allowing Jallikattu noting that the matter is sub-judice

"While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the Prime Minister observed that the matter is at present sub-judice," the PMO said after the meeting.

At the same time, it said, "The Centre would be supportive of the steps taken by the state government."

As protests demanding the lifting of the ban on bull taming sport Jallikattu spread across Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister rushed here last night to meet the Prime Minister with a request for ordinance.

With regard to the drought situation in Tamil Nadu, Modi assured Paneerselvam that all possible assistance would be provided to the state.

A central team would be deputed to Tamil Nadu shortly to assess the drought situation, the PMO said.

Tamil Nadu chief minister after coming out from PMs meeting, told reporters that,"We will soon take steps with the backing of the Centre for the holding of the sport. You will soon see (the steps). All is well that ends well. Wait, good will happen."

"I am aware of the feelings of the people of Tamil Nadu on the issue," Modi was quoted by the Chief Minister as having told him.

Panneerselvam also recalled that AIADMK chief Sasikala has written a letter to the Prime Minister seeking Centre's ordinance to hold the sport.

The Chief Minister said he told the Prime Minister that Jallikattu is a traditional right of Tamil Nadu and a sport symbolising bravery and that it should be allowed.

UPDATES:

PMK MP Anbumani:If Centre fails to issue Ordinance on Jallikattu in 2 days,PMK will defy ban & conduct Jallikatu in all dts @NewIndianXpress  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 19, 2017

A school kid distributing biscuits and water bottles to sloganeering youngsters on Day 3 at Marina. #Jallikattuprotest @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/NCa1WcxjEk  Deepa Venkatesan (@venkatesandeepa) January 19, 2017

TN CM #OPS after meeting PM: TN govt will take next steps on Jallikattu, in coordination with Centre @NewIndianXpress  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 19, 2017

TN CM #OPS to media after meeting PM Modi: Demanded Ordinance for resuming Jallikattu & drought relief aid from Centre @NewIndianXpress  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 19, 2017

Youth heading to Marina to join the protest sit-in. @Ram_TNIE at Triplicane MRTS station#JusticeforJallikattu pic.twitter.com/g6XqcBurmU  gopu mohan (@gopumohan_TNIE) January 19, 2017

PM's office on Jallikattu:While appreciating cultural significance of Jallikattu,PM observed matter is presently subjudice @NewIndianXpress  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 19, 2017

PM's office tweets after TN CM #OPS met PM: The ban imposed on Jallikattu by the Supreme Court came up for discussion @NewIndianXpress  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 19, 2017

Sit-in protest continues at Madurai. Photo - KK Sundar#JusticeforJallikattu pic.twitter.com/NsUY8xEMI6  gopu mohan (@gopumohan_TNIE) January 19, 2017

TV reports mention that PM Modi is reportedly studying the ordinance draft to take further action.

TN CM #OPS meets PM Modi at his residence and urges him to promulgate Ordinance to resume #Jallikattu @NewIndianXpress  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 19, 2017

Meanwhile, protests intensified across the world as videos about the same kept pouring in.

Support for #jallikattu in Chicago from a Tamil association called ARAM.

Express Video pic.twitter.com/8batFu7XI9  New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) January 19, 2017

___

ALSO READ: Tamil Nadu youth refuse to back down on efforts to hold Jallikattu

CHENNAI: While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi refrained from making any commitment by observing that the matter is presently sub-judice. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who arrived early Thursday morning , held an half an hour long meeting at PM, residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi to discuss Jallikattu. Tamil Nadu chief minister also submitted a memorandum to the Prime minister for demanding centre government to bring an ordinance on Jallikattu. During the meeting, the Prime Minister indicated union government's inability to promulgate an ordinance on allowing Jallikattu noting that the matter is sub-judice "While appreciating the cultural significance of Jallikattu, the Prime Minister observed that the matter is at present sub-judice," the PMO said after the meeting. At the same time, it said, "The Centre would be supportive of the steps taken by the state government." As protests demanding the lifting of the ban on bull taming sport Jallikattu spread across Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister rushed here last night to meet the Prime Minister with a request for ordinance. With regard to the drought situation in Tamil Nadu, Modi assured Paneerselvam that all possible assistance would be provided to the state. A central team would be deputed to Tamil Nadu shortly to assess the drought situation, the PMO said. Tamil Nadu chief minister after coming out from PMs meeting, told reporters that,"We will soon take steps with the backing of the Centre for the holding of the sport. You will soon see (the steps). All is well that ends well. Wait, good will happen." "I am aware of the feelings of the people of Tamil Nadu on the issue," Modi was quoted by the Chief Minister as having told him. Panneerselvam also recalled that AIADMK chief Sasikala has written a letter to the Prime Minister seeking Centre's ordinance to hold the sport. The Chief Minister said he told the Prime Minister that Jallikattu is a traditional right of Tamil Nadu and a sport symbolising bravery and that it should be allowed. UPDATES: PMK MP Anbumani:If Centre fails to issue Ordinance on Jallikattu in 2 days,PMK will defy ban & conduct Jallikatu in all dts @NewIndianXpress  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 19, 2017 GU Pope statue, Marina @Ram_TNIE #JusticeforJallikattu pic.twitter.com/NoQir0KNCM  gopu mohan (@gopumohan_TNIE) January 19, 2017 A school kid distributing biscuits and water bottles to sloganeering youngsters on Day 3 at Marina. #Jallikattuprotest @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/NCa1WcxjEk  Deepa Venkatesan (@venkatesandeepa) January 19, 2017 TN CM #OPS after meeting PM: TN govt will take next steps on Jallikattu, in coordination with Centre @NewIndianXpress  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 19, 2017 TN CM #OPS to media after meeting PM Modi: Demanded Ordinance for resuming Jallikattu & drought relief aid from Centre @NewIndianXpress  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 19, 2017 Youth heading to Marina to join the protest sit-in. @Ram_TNIE at Triplicane MRTS station#JusticeforJallikattu pic.twitter.com/g6XqcBurmU  gopu mohan (@gopumohan_TNIE) January 19, 2017 PM's office on Jallikattu:While appreciating cultural significance of Jallikattu,PM observed matter is presently subjudice @NewIndianXpress  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 19, 2017 PM's office tweets after TN CM #OPS met PM: The ban imposed on Jallikattu by the Supreme Court came up for discussion @NewIndianXpress  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 19, 2017 Sit-in protest continues at Madurai. Photo - KK Sundar#JusticeforJallikattu pic.twitter.com/NsUY8xEMI6  gopu mohan (@gopumohan_TNIE) January 19, 2017 TV reports mention that PM Modi is reportedly studying the ordinance draft to take further action. TN CM #OPS meets PM Modi at his residence and urges him to promulgate Ordinance to resume #Jallikattu @NewIndianXpress  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 19, 2017 Meanwhile, protests intensified across the world as videos about the same kept pouring in. Support for #jallikattu in Chicago from a Tamil association called ARAM. Express Video pic.twitter.com/8batFu7XI9  New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) January 19, 2017 ___ ALSO READ: Tamil Nadu youth refuse to back down on efforts to hold Jallikattu
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The fire lit by protesters at Alanganallur, a village near Madurai made popular by the annual Jallikattu during Pongal, spread across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, as youth took to the streets and refused to back down till an Ordinance is promulgated to circumvent the ban on the sport. The virulence and the swift and wide support it received among youngsters, topped by a Tahrir Square-like occupation of the Marina in Chennai, caused enough rumble in the administration to prompt Chief Minister O Panneerselvam to rush to Delhi to raise the matter of the Ordinance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

Across the cities, towns and villages, including places where the event has not been a part of the tradition, protesters joined hands to raise the demand for Ordinance. Even the official machinery was unnerved by the size of the crowd in each of these protests. However, the protesters were in an occupy mode rather than violently agitating, ensuring that there were no untoward incidents. What caught the attention was the turn-out at Marina where the numbers went up from a few hundreds to several thousands. There were students and working professionals, including those who joined from the IT companies.

The matter also reached the High Court of Madras, but it refused to intervene, pointing out that neither the High Court nor the State government had the powers to do intervene in a matter that the Supreme Court is seized with. However, the expression of helplessness on the part of the authorities here did not satisfy the protesting mass, who sought the immediate promulgation of an Ordinance.

A breakthrough proved elusive for the government, as the protesters were disparate, and without a particular leader or even a representative to hold talks with. A few had discussed the situation with ministers D Jayakumar and K Pandiarajan in the wee hours on Wednesday, but there were not many in the crowd who were willing to pay heed to those who apparently represented them. There was a flutter for a brief while after the protesters and police entered into a scuffle, but the situation was soon brought under control.Finally, the Chief Minister assured all support to the cause.

CHENNAI: The fire lit by protesters at Alanganallur, a village near Madurai made popular by the annual Jallikattu during Pongal, spread across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, as youth took to the streets and refused to back down till an Ordinance is promulgated to circumvent the ban on the sport. The virulence and the swift and wide support it received among youngsters, topped by a Tahrir Square-like occupation of the Marina in Chennai, caused enough rumble in the administration to prompt Chief Minister O Panneerselvam to rush to Delhi to raise the matter of the Ordinance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Across the cities, towns and villages, including places where the event has not been a part of the tradition, protesters joined hands to raise the demand for Ordinance. Even the official machinery was unnerved by the size of the crowd in each of these protests. However, the protesters were in an occupy mode rather than violently agitating, ensuring that there were no untoward incidents. What caught the attention was the turn-out at Marina where the numbers went up from a few hundreds to several thousands. There were students and working professionals, including those who joined from the IT companies. The matter also reached the High Court of Madras, but it refused to intervene, pointing out that neither the High Court nor the State government had the powers to do intervene in a matter that the Supreme Court is seized with. However, the expression of helplessness on the part of the authorities here did not satisfy the protesting mass, who sought the immediate promulgation of an Ordinance. A breakthrough proved elusive for the government, as the protesters were disparate, and without a particular leader or even a representative to hold talks with. A few had discussed the situation with ministers D Jayakumar and K Pandiarajan in the wee hours on Wednesday, but there were not many in the crowd who were willing to pay heed to those who apparently represented them. There was a flutter for a brief while after the protesters and police entered into a scuffle, but the situation was soon brought under control.Finally, the Chief Minister assured all support to the cause.
By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Ellen Francis DUBAI/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iran's government and entities close to the elite Revolutionary Guards have signed major economic contracts with Syria, reaping what appear to be lucrative rewards for helping President Bashar al-Assad regain control of parts of his country from rebels. An opposition group condemned the telecommunications and mining deals signed with Iran, Damascus's main regional ally, as "looting" of the Syrian people and the country's wealth by the "Iranian extremist militias". Syria's economy is shrinking fast as industrial and agricultural output falls after six years of civil war, and almost two-thirds of the population lives in extreme poverty. Five memorandums of understanding were signed during a visit by Syrian Prime Minister Emad Khamis to Tehran on Tuesday, including a licence for Iran to become a mobile phone service operator in Syria, and phosphate mining contracts. Syrian state news agency SANA quoted Khamis as saying the deals reflect the special relationship between the two nations. "We greatly appreciate Iran's major role in combating terrorism and standing by the Syrian people in every way, politically and economically," he said. Syria will give Iran 5,000 hectares of land for farming, and 1,000 hectares for setting up oil and gas terminals, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA. A deal was also signed on providing lands for animal husbandry. Analysts said the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a military force that runs a powerful industrial empire in Iran, would benefit from the deals, especially on the mobile network contract. IRGC largely controls telecommunications in Iran. "Telecoms are a very sensitive industry. It will allow Iran to closely monitor Syrian communications," said Karim Sadjadpour, senior associate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Middle East programme. More than 1,000 soldiers deployed by the IRGC to Syria have been killed on front lines of the conflict in recent years. Apart from military assistance, Syria is increasingly indebted to Iran financially: Tehran opened a $3.5 billion credit line in 2013, and extended it by $1 billion in 2015, which economists say has helped keep the Syrian economy afloat. SANA quoted Iran's vice president Eshaq Jahangiri as saying Tehran was ready to "implement a new credit line between Syrian Trade Bank and Export Development Bank of Iran" to help trade. Tehran and Damascus also signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in a phosphate mine in Syria's al-Sharqiya, according to IRNA. Syria is among the world's largest exporters of the rock phosphate, a raw material used in the production of phosphatic fertilizers, although the war has marred its ability to mine and market its supply. In 2015, Islamic State militants seized al-Sharqiya mine, one of the largest in the country, located 50 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, the Syrian Observatory for Human rights monitoring group reported. Syrian government forces backed by Iran's IRGC drove Islamic State out of Palmyra in March 2016 but the militants recaptured the city in December. WAR-TORN ECONOMY In a meeting on Wednesday with Ali Akbar Velayati, the top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, Syrian premier Khamis called for investment in reconstruction projects in Syria, as "the infrastructure has been destroyed by war". Tehran has already shown interest in helping Syria rebuild its roads, airports, power stations and ports - potentially benefiting the Revolutionary Guards, which own the biggest construction firms in Iran. But not all Syrians have welcomed what Tehran and Damascus hailed as "a new page" for economic ties. One political opposition group called the deals "illegal and unacceptable" under any circumstances. "These agreements represent further a blatant violation of Syria's sovereignty as they are meant to reward an occupation force in return for its involvement in shedding the Syrian people's blood and attempting to break their will," the Syrian National Coalition said in a statement on its website. SANA reported that Tehran and Damascus aimed to sign a deal within two weeks to pave the way for investments by Iranian companies in a Syrian port, although it did not say which one. "Iran increasingly treats Syria as one of its own provinces," Sadjadpour said. "They saved Assad from falling, and now seem to feel entitled to help themselves to the Syrian economy." The Iranian energy minister was also quoted as saying by SANA that Tehran was ready to sign a long-term agreement with Damascus in energy sector. Iranian firms are already involved in a series of electricity generation projects worth $660 million in Syria, according to state media in the Islamic Republic. Iran aims to export electricity to Syria and create the biggest power network in the Islamic world by hooking up Iran's national grid with those of Iraq and Lebanon. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in Dubai and Ellen Francis in Beirut; Editing by Catherine Evans)
By Associated Press

MONTERREY: A 15-year-old student opened fire with a gun at a private school in this northern Mexico city Wednesday, hitting a teacher and two other students in the head before killing himself. Another student suffered lesser injuries in the shooting, which was captured on a video posted to social media.

Nuevo Leon state Gov. Jaime Rodriguez said the shooter died at a hospital and the other three victims with head wounds were "fighting between life and death." The boy wounded in the arm was out of danger.

A video, apparently from the school's surveillance camera, shows a female teacher handing out materials and students seated at their desks when a boy opens fire with a pistol from a sitting position, hitting a boy sitting in front of him, who immediately slumps to the ground.

He next shoots the teacher, who was looking in another direction, and she falls to the ground. The boy rises from his seat and walks around, firing shots at his classmates, before turning the gun on himself.

His first shot apparently misses his head, and then he runs out of bullets. The shooter runs to his backpack, apparently to reload, as his classmates cower at their desks. He appears to say something to the surviving students, who begin to rush for the door, and then he shoots himself in the head and falls to the ground.

The crowded classroom was left with a jumble of overturned chairs, blood and fallen students.

State security spokesman Aldo Fasci said four of the injured, including the shooter himself, had bullet wounds to the head and were in extremely serious condition. He said the student shot the 24-year-old teacher, a 14-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy in the head, and a 15-year-old classmate in the arm. He then pointed the gun at classmates before shooting himself in the head.

"The classes were going perfectly well, the student stands up from his desk and pulls out a gun," Fasci said.

He noted that photographs of the shooting had been posted to social media and said the person responsible would be punished. He also appealed to the news media to avoid using the images, which show minors.

Fasci said the shooter had been under treatment for depression, but that the motive was under investigation.

The spokesman attributed it to "the situation that is happening everywhere. The children have access to the internet. This has happened in other countries."

The website of the American School of the Northeast says it offers bilingual education for students from preschool through ninth grade.

Fasci said the boy brought the gun from home. It was unclear how he got the .22 caliber pistol into the school. Mexico had once had a program to checked book bags at school entrances, but in many places it has fallen into disuse.

"'There was a reason why book bags were checked. I think we are going to have to start doing it again," Fasci said.

Mexico had been largely spared the phenomenon of school shootings that has hit the United States. In one of the few previous incidents, a 13-year-old student shot a 12-year-old classmate in the head at a Mexico City middle school in 2004, seriously wounding her.

At the height of Mexico's drug war between 2008 and 2011, schools in northern Mexico were more concerned about the possibility that stray bullets from drug gang gun battles outside schools might enter classrooms. Some schools conducted "duck and cover" drills to combat that possibility.

MONTERREY: A 15-year-old student opened fire with a gun at a private school in this northern Mexico city Wednesday, hitting a teacher and two other students in the head before killing himself. Another student suffered lesser injuries in the shooting, which was captured on a video posted to social media. Nuevo Leon state Gov. Jaime Rodriguez said the shooter died at a hospital and the other three victims with head wounds were "fighting between life and death." The boy wounded in the arm was out of danger. A video, apparently from the school's surveillance camera, shows a female teacher handing out materials and students seated at their desks when a boy opens fire with a pistol from a sitting position, hitting a boy sitting in front of him, who immediately slumps to the ground. He next shoots the teacher, who was looking in another direction, and she falls to the ground. The boy rises from his seat and walks around, firing shots at his classmates, before turning the gun on himself. His first shot apparently misses his head, and then he runs out of bullets. The shooter runs to his backpack, apparently to reload, as his classmates cower at their desks. He appears to say something to the surviving students, who begin to rush for the door, and then he shoots himself in the head and falls to the ground. The crowded classroom was left with a jumble of overturned chairs, blood and fallen students. State security spokesman Aldo Fasci said four of the injured, including the shooter himself, had bullet wounds to the head and were in extremely serious condition. He said the student shot the 24-year-old teacher, a 14-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy in the head, and a 15-year-old classmate in the arm. He then pointed the gun at classmates before shooting himself in the head. "The classes were going perfectly well, the student stands up from his desk and pulls out a gun," Fasci said. He noted that photographs of the shooting had been posted to social media and said the person responsible would be punished. He also appealed to the news media to avoid using the images, which show minors. Fasci said the shooter had been under treatment for depression, but that the motive was under investigation. The spokesman attributed it to "the situation that is happening everywhere. The children have access to the internet. This has happened in other countries." The website of the American School of the Northeast says it offers bilingual education for students from preschool through ninth grade. Fasci said the boy brought the gun from home. It was unclear how he got the .22 caliber pistol into the school. Mexico had once had a program to checked book bags at school entrances, but in many places it has fallen into disuse. "'There was a reason why book bags were checked. I think we are going to have to start doing it again," Fasci said. Mexico had been largely spared the phenomenon of school shootings that has hit the United States. In one of the few previous incidents, a 13-year-old student shot a 12-year-old classmate in the head at a Mexico City middle school in 2004, seriously wounding her. At the height of Mexico's drug war between 2008 and 2011, schools in northern Mexico were more concerned about the possibility that stray bullets from drug gang gun battles outside schools might enter classrooms. Some schools conducted "duck and cover" drills to combat that possibility.
By PTI

KABUL: Afghanistan suffered its deadliest year on record for journalists in 2016, according to a report released today which said the country is the second most dangerous for reporters in the world after Syria. As least 13 journalists were killed last year, the Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee (AJSC) said, adding that the Taliban was behind at least ten of the deaths.

The committee also found 101 cases of violence against the media in 2016, a 38 percent increase on 2015, underscoring the threat against a small band of media workers who put their lives on the line to report events in their war-torn country. "This increase in violence against journalists has turned Afghanistan into the second most dangerous country for journalists in the world, after Syria," Najib Sharifi, chairman of the committee, told reporters on Thursday.

The report noted that a shift in the Taliban's policy towards the media was the "main driver of the increase in the level of threats and deadly violence against journalists". In January last year, seven employees of popular TV channel Tolo, often critical of the insurgents, were killed in a Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul in what the militant group said was revenge for "spreading propaganda" against them.

It was the first major attack on an Afghan media organisation since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001 and spotlighted the dangers faced by media workers in Afghanistan as the security situation worsens amid a growing wave of militant attacks. In June, American journalist David Gilkey and his Afghan translator were killed in a rocket attack by the Taliban in southern Helmand province.

But the report also noted that the majority of violent incidents against journalists were carried out by government forces, with the European Union criticising the "alarming" trend. "The government should do its utmost to bring perpetrators of threats, attacks and killing of journalists to justice," the EU delegation to Afghanistan said in a statement. According to AJSC figures, 28 journalists and media workers have been killed in the past five years in Afghanistan.

KABUL: Afghanistan suffered its deadliest year on record for journalists in 2016, according to a report released today which said the country is the second most dangerous for reporters in the world after Syria. As least 13 journalists were killed last year, the Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee (AJSC) said, adding that the Taliban was behind at least ten of the deaths. The committee also found 101 cases of violence against the media in 2016, a 38 percent increase on 2015, underscoring the threat against a small band of media workers who put their lives on the line to report events in their war-torn country. "This increase in violence against journalists has turned Afghanistan into the second most dangerous country for journalists in the world, after Syria," Najib Sharifi, chairman of the committee, told reporters on Thursday. The report noted that a shift in the Taliban's policy towards the media was the "main driver of the increase in the level of threats and deadly violence against journalists". In January last year, seven employees of popular TV channel Tolo, often critical of the insurgents, were killed in a Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul in what the militant group said was revenge for "spreading propaganda" against them. It was the first major attack on an Afghan media organisation since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001 and spotlighted the dangers faced by media workers in Afghanistan as the security situation worsens amid a growing wave of militant attacks. In June, American journalist David Gilkey and his Afghan translator were killed in a rocket attack by the Taliban in southern Helmand province. But the report also noted that the majority of violent incidents against journalists were carried out by government forces, with the European Union criticising the "alarming" trend. "The government should do its utmost to bring perpetrators of threats, attacks and killing of journalists to justice," the EU delegation to Afghanistan said in a statement. According to AJSC figures, 28 journalists and media workers have been killed in the past five years in Afghanistan.
By AFP

BANJUL: Senegalese troops backed by other African forces were poised to enter The Gambia Thursday after President Yahya Jammeh refused to leave office, ignoring a midnight deadline to stand down or face military action.

Jammeh's army chief said his troops would not fight their entry into the country, as the Mauritanian president flew out of The Gambia following hopes of a last-minute deal to convince Jammeh to hand over power.

"We are not going to involve ourselves militarily. This is a political dispute," Chief of Defence Staff Ousman Badjie said after eating dinner in a tourist district close to the capital Banjul, eyewitnesses told AFP.

"I am not going to involve my soldiers in a stupid fight. I love my men," he added. "If they (Senegalese) come in, we are here like this," Badjie said, making a hands up or surrender gesture.

Jammeh's mandate ended at midnight (local and GMT) but he has steadfastly refused to leave office after losing elections last month to Adama Barrow, prompting west African states to ramp up pressure on the president following weeks of failed diplomacy.

Nigeria sent troops and fighter jets to Senegal, whose own forces massed on the Gambian border.

Witnesses said the situation was calm in Banjul overnight, although troops had been deployed in the city.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet Thursday to adopt a statement on West Africa that will reaffirm the demand for Jammeh to hand over power, diplomats said.

"If a political solution fails, we will engage" in operations in The Gambia, Senegal army spokesman Colonel Abdou Ndiaye told AFP ahead of the deadline.

Unsuccessful attempts by the 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) led Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to fly into Banjul at the 11th hour for a final round of talks.

Following the discussions he was hopeful of reaching a peaceful solution, he was quoted as saying by Gambian state broadcaster GRTS.

Mauritania is not part of ECOWAS and diplomats have previously reached out to the conservative desert nation in hopes of brokering an asylum deal with Jammeh.

Shortly before midnight Aziz's plane landed in Dakar, where he was met by Barrow -- who is currently sheltering there -- and Senegal's President Macky Sall, the private Senegalese radio station RFM reported.

Senegal has also requested UN backing for regional action against the long-time president. However, a vote on the draft resolution has yet to be scheduled, according to diplomats.

- State of emergency -

Barrow and his team maintain his inauguration will go ahead on Thursday on Gambian soil, and his spokesman said late Wednesday "we do not feel any threat" from Senegalese troops on the ground.

However, the inauguration's head organiser James Gomez said plans for the transfer of power in a huge stadium outside the capital were now cancelled.

The 51-year-old Gambian leader announced a state of emergency on Tuesday, saying it was necessary because of interference from foreign powers in the country's December 1 election, but the declaration has had little effect on attempts to remove him.

The country's vice-president Isatou Njie-Saidy resigned Wednesday, family sources said, along with the environment and higher education ministers, in the latest of a string of cabinet members deserting Jammeh's government.

- Tourists flee -

As tensions rose, Britain and the Netherlands issued travel advisory warnings, with around 1,000 British tourists expected to leave on special flights on Wednesday alone, leaving the small airport near Banjul struggling to cope.

Brian and Yvonne Souch, from Witney in southern England, told AFP they were unaware of the potential risk of flying to the country 10 days ago and felt tour company Thomas Cook should have kept them better informed.

"We didn't know anything until we came down for breakfast," Souch said, sitting in shorts and sleeveless T-shirt in the lobby of a hotel in the Kololi tourist strip as he awaited a bus to the airport.

Thomas Cook said additional flights into Banjul airport would bring home 1,000 package holidaymakers, followed by up 2,500 more at the "earliest possible flight availability".

But holidaymakers were told that Thomas Cook flights would cease in a few days time, leaving them at risk of being stranded.

The panic caused by the state of emergency could prove financially devastating -- experts say up to 20 percent of the economy relies on tourism.

Gambians were taking precautions and stocking up on food and supplies in the few shops that remained open in districts near the capital, with roads quiet and street hawkers notably absent.

A source told AFP that patients at Banjul's Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, which sits opposite Jammeh's seat of power, were removed for security reasons. Only those in intensive care remained.

BANJUL: Senegalese troops backed by other African forces were poised to enter The Gambia Thursday after President Yahya Jammeh refused to leave office, ignoring a midnight deadline to stand down or face military action. Jammeh's army chief said his troops would not fight their entry into the country, as the Mauritanian president flew out of The Gambia following hopes of a last-minute deal to convince Jammeh to hand over power. "We are not going to involve ourselves militarily. This is a political dispute," Chief of Defence Staff Ousman Badjie said after eating dinner in a tourist district close to the capital Banjul, eyewitnesses told AFP. "I am not going to involve my soldiers in a stupid fight. I love my men," he added. "If they (Senegalese) come in, we are here like this," Badjie said, making a hands up or surrender gesture. Jammeh's mandate ended at midnight (local and GMT) but he has steadfastly refused to leave office after losing elections last month to Adama Barrow, prompting west African states to ramp up pressure on the president following weeks of failed diplomacy. Nigeria sent troops and fighter jets to Senegal, whose own forces massed on the Gambian border. Witnesses said the situation was calm in Banjul overnight, although troops had been deployed in the city. The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet Thursday to adopt a statement on West Africa that will reaffirm the demand for Jammeh to hand over power, diplomats said. "If a political solution fails, we will engage" in operations in The Gambia, Senegal army spokesman Colonel Abdou Ndiaye told AFP ahead of the deadline. Unsuccessful attempts by the 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) led Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to fly into Banjul at the 11th hour for a final round of talks. Following the discussions he was hopeful of reaching a peaceful solution, he was quoted as saying by Gambian state broadcaster GRTS. Mauritania is not part of ECOWAS and diplomats have previously reached out to the conservative desert nation in hopes of brokering an asylum deal with Jammeh. Shortly before midnight Aziz's plane landed in Dakar, where he was met by Barrow -- who is currently sheltering there -- and Senegal's President Macky Sall, the private Senegalese radio station RFM reported. Senegal has also requested UN backing for regional action against the long-time president. However, a vote on the draft resolution has yet to be scheduled, according to diplomats. - State of emergency - Barrow and his team maintain his inauguration will go ahead on Thursday on Gambian soil, and his spokesman said late Wednesday "we do not feel any threat" from Senegalese troops on the ground. However, the inauguration's head organiser James Gomez said plans for the transfer of power in a huge stadium outside the capital were now cancelled. The 51-year-old Gambian leader announced a state of emergency on Tuesday, saying it was necessary because of interference from foreign powers in the country's December 1 election, but the declaration has had little effect on attempts to remove him. The country's vice-president Isatou Njie-Saidy resigned Wednesday, family sources said, along with the environment and higher education ministers, in the latest of a string of cabinet members deserting Jammeh's government. - Tourists flee - As tensions rose, Britain and the Netherlands issued travel advisory warnings, with around 1,000 British tourists expected to leave on special flights on Wednesday alone, leaving the small airport near Banjul struggling to cope. Brian and Yvonne Souch, from Witney in southern England, told AFP they were unaware of the potential risk of flying to the country 10 days ago and felt tour company Thomas Cook should have kept them better informed. "We didn't know anything until we came down for breakfast," Souch said, sitting in shorts and sleeveless T-shirt in the lobby of a hotel in the Kololi tourist strip as he awaited a bus to the airport. Thomas Cook said additional flights into Banjul airport would bring home 1,000 package holidaymakers, followed by up 2,500 more at the "earliest possible flight availability". But holidaymakers were told that Thomas Cook flights would cease in a few days time, leaving them at risk of being stranded. The panic caused by the state of emergency could prove financially devastating -- experts say up to 20 percent of the economy relies on tourism. Gambians were taking precautions and stocking up on food and supplies in the few shops that remained open in districts near the capital, with roads quiet and street hawkers notably absent. A source told AFP that patients at Banjul's Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, which sits opposite Jammeh's seat of power, were removed for security reasons. Only those in intensive care remained.
By Associated Press

BEIJING: China's government has defended itself as a supporter of free trade after US President-elect Donald Trump's pick for commerce secretary criticised its tactics.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Thursday pointed to President Xi Jinping's appeal to avoid protectionism in a speech this week at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Hua said it was clear who was "sincerely pushing ahead" to liberalise trade.

During a confirmation hearing Wednesday, Trump's nominee, Wilbur Ross, criticised China for excess steel and aluminium production and said he would look closely at potential anti-dumping cases.

Trump, who takes office Friday, promised during his campaign to respond to what he called unfair Beijing trade tactics by raising tariffs on Chinese goods and possibly imposing other penalties.

BEIJING: China's government has defended itself as a supporter of free trade after US President-elect Donald Trump's pick for commerce secretary criticised its tactics. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Thursday pointed to President Xi Jinping's appeal to avoid protectionism in a speech this week at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Hua said it was clear who was "sincerely pushing ahead" to liberalise trade. During a confirmation hearing Wednesday, Trump's nominee, Wilbur Ross, criticised China for excess steel and aluminium production and said he would look closely at potential anti-dumping cases. Trump, who takes office Friday, promised during his campaign to respond to what he called unfair Beijing trade tactics by raising tariffs on Chinese goods and possibly imposing other penalties.
By AFP

WASHINGTON: Barack Obama vowed to speak up if Donald Trump threatens core US values and reassured Americans "we'll be okay" on Wednesday, in a political swansong after eight years as president.

During his final press conference and public appearance before Trump's inauguration on Friday, the 55-year-old said he was stepping back but would return to the political breach in extremis.

"I want to do some writing, I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much. I want to spend precious time with my girls," he said.

But, he added, any effort to enforce systematic discrimination, erode voting rights, muzzle the press or round up young immigrants, would cause him to speak out.

"There's a difference between that normal functioning of politics and certain issues or certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake."

During the campaign Trump vowed to ban Muslims from entering the United States and deport millions of illegal immigrants, many of them Latin Americans long-settled in the country.

His strident tone since winning election and the contrast with eight years of Obama's liberal agenda has given the country something akin to political whiplash.

- Can't do it alone -

Trump's supporters are euphoric that political business as usual may be over, while his detractors are fearful of a mercurial and untested leader.

Against this backdrop, the traditionally mild-mannered ritual of a final presidential press conference was given added political weight.

Obama was in turn resolute and reassuring. "I have offered my best advice," he said, describing his conversations with the president-elect.

"I can tell you that -- this is something I have told him -- that this is a job of such magnitude that you can't do it by yourself. You are enormously reliant on a team."

He also warned Trump to think through foreign policy decisions that may be domestically popular, like his vow to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

"It's a volatile environment. What we have seen in the past is when some unilateral moves are made that speak to some of the core issues and sensitivities of either side, that can be explosive."

Asked about Trump's stated intention to seek a thaw with the Kremlin, Obama stopped short of criticising his successor -- but noted that his own overtures to Russia were frustrated by an "adversarial spirit" when Vladimir Putin regained the presidency.

He also defended his decision -- slammed by Trump's Republicans -- to commute the sentence of transgender army private Chelsea Manning, jailed for 35 years for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks.

"Let's be clear. Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence," Obama said. "I know I feel very comfortable that justice has been served and that a message has still been sent."

- Going to be okay -

Asked about how his daughters Sasha and Malia were taking Trump's election, he said he and First Lady Michelle Obama had "tried to teach them hope and that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world."

"This is not just a matter of 'no-drama-Obama'," he said, joking about his reputation for a cerebral, even detached approach. "This is what I really believe."

"It is true that behind closed doors I curse more than I do publicly, and sometimes I get mad and frustrated like everybody else does, but at my core, I think we're going to be okay."

Given the rocky transition to Trump's presidency -- which has seen the 44th and 45th president trading barbs -- even the venue for Obama's press conference in the White House briefing room, took on political significance.

Trump's team has floated the idea of evicting the White House press corps from the West Wing, ending daily on-camera briefings and handpicking who gets access, although some of those suggestions have since been rowed back.

Obama hinted at the changes that may be afoot as he paid tribute to the reporters who covered his two terms in office.

"You're not supposed to be sycophants, you're supposed to be skeptical," he said. "And having you in this building has made this work place better. It keeps us honest, makes us work harder."

He has not always been so effusive. While defending the press, he has been a searing critic of shallow and flitting reporting.

When he appeared on the national political stage a decade ago, Obama's oratory pulsed with vitality and hope.

Today, the gray haired leader appeared like a man who was setting down a heavy burden and accepting of his place in history.

He exits with approval ratings that stand at 60 percent -- according to a CNN/ORC poll -- the highest level since June 2009.

On Tuesday, Trump dismissed the polls as "rigged" after a Washington Post-ABC News survey found his 40 percent approval rating was the lowest of any incoming president-elect since Jimmy Carter in 1977.

WASHINGTON: Barack Obama vowed to speak up if Donald Trump threatens core US values and reassured Americans "we'll be okay" on Wednesday, in a political swansong after eight years as president. During his final press conference and public appearance before Trump's inauguration on Friday, the 55-year-old said he was stepping back but would return to the political breach in extremis. "I want to do some writing, I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much. I want to spend precious time with my girls," he said. But, he added, any effort to enforce systematic discrimination, erode voting rights, muzzle the press or round up young immigrants, would cause him to speak out. "There's a difference between that normal functioning of politics and certain issues or certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake." During the campaign Trump vowed to ban Muslims from entering the United States and deport millions of illegal immigrants, many of them Latin Americans long-settled in the country. His strident tone since winning election and the contrast with eight years of Obama's liberal agenda has given the country something akin to political whiplash. - Can't do it alone - Trump's supporters are euphoric that political business as usual may be over, while his detractors are fearful of a mercurial and untested leader. Against this backdrop, the traditionally mild-mannered ritual of a final presidential press conference was given added political weight. Obama was in turn resolute and reassuring. "I have offered my best advice," he said, describing his conversations with the president-elect. "I can tell you that -- this is something I have told him -- that this is a job of such magnitude that you can't do it by yourself. You are enormously reliant on a team." He also warned Trump to think through foreign policy decisions that may be domestically popular, like his vow to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. "It's a volatile environment. What we have seen in the past is when some unilateral moves are made that speak to some of the core issues and sensitivities of either side, that can be explosive." Asked about Trump's stated intention to seek a thaw with the Kremlin, Obama stopped short of criticising his successor -- but noted that his own overtures to Russia were frustrated by an "adversarial spirit" when Vladimir Putin regained the presidency. He also defended his decision -- slammed by Trump's Republicans -- to commute the sentence of transgender army private Chelsea Manning, jailed for 35 years for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks. "Let's be clear. Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence," Obama said. "I know I feel very comfortable that justice has been served and that a message has still been sent." - Going to be okay - Asked about how his daughters Sasha and Malia were taking Trump's election, he said he and First Lady Michelle Obama had "tried to teach them hope and that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world." "This is not just a matter of 'no-drama-Obama'," he said, joking about his reputation for a cerebral, even detached approach. "This is what I really believe." "It is true that behind closed doors I curse more than I do publicly, and sometimes I get mad and frustrated like everybody else does, but at my core, I think we're going to be okay." Given the rocky transition to Trump's presidency -- which has seen the 44th and 45th president trading barbs -- even the venue for Obama's press conference in the White House briefing room, took on political significance. Trump's team has floated the idea of evicting the White House press corps from the West Wing, ending daily on-camera briefings and handpicking who gets access, although some of those suggestions have since been rowed back. Obama hinted at the changes that may be afoot as he paid tribute to the reporters who covered his two terms in office. "You're not supposed to be sycophants, you're supposed to be skeptical," he said. "And having you in this building has made this work place better. It keeps us honest, makes us work harder." He has not always been so effusive. While defending the press, he has been a searing critic of shallow and flitting reporting. When he appeared on the national political stage a decade ago, Obama's oratory pulsed with vitality and hope. Today, the gray haired leader appeared like a man who was setting down a heavy burden and accepting of his place in history. He exits with approval ratings that stand at 60 percent -- according to a CNN/ORC poll -- the highest level since June 2009. On Tuesday, Trump dismissed the polls as "rigged" after a Washington Post-ABC News survey found his 40 percent approval rating was the lowest of any incoming president-elect since Jimmy Carter in 1977.
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today faced an united Opposition in parliament as they moved a privilege motion against his "untruthful" speech on the floor of the House on the Panamagate case.

The privilege motion, which was submitted by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, referred to a plea by the prime minister's counsel in the Supreme Court in the ongoing Panamagate case. "The plea taken by the prime minister's lawyer in Supreme Court on January 16, to do away with Prime Minister's speech delivered in the NA while explaining the trail of funds used to purchase properties in London and elsewhere as mentioned in Panama Papers, using Article 66 as a shield, are an admission that the Prime Minister did not tell the truth to the assembly," the motion signed by seven other lawmakers said.

The motion has been submitted over discrepancy in the premier's statement in the lower House of Parliament and his counsel's statement in the apex court. "The prime minister while speaking on the floor of National Assembly on May 16, 2016 had explained the trail of funds used to purchase property in one of the most expensive areas of London," it said and added that the details submitted by the prime minister's counsel in the top court were "in sheer contrast with the ones stated by the Prime Minister." It further said the discrepancy in the statements suggest that Prime Minister Nawaz willfully deceived the House on the issue which was a "clear case of contempt of the House". "As per Article 91(6) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, prime minister and cabinet are collectively responsible to Parliament and have to state the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," it said.

Claiming that Sharif's statement was a blatant breach of the privilege of the National Assembly, it demanded the matter to be immediately taken up for discussion and action. It said the assertion made in the speech were different from the case pleaded by Sharif's lawyer in the Supreme Court, which is hearing petitions by opposition against alleged illegal assets abroad by the prime minister's family. Sharif's lawyer has also asked the court not to consider the speech in the case. Shah said that it was an admission that the prime minister did not tell the truth to the National Assembly, which is breach of the privilege of the august house.

Meanwhile, a larger bench of the Supreme Court hearing the Panamagate case today reminded Sharif's counsel that the case concerns Sharif's qualification as Prime Minister. During the hearing, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed that the case challenges Sharif's claim to the PM office. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who heads the five-judge bench, pointed out that the time-frame in which the appointment of the Prime Minister can be challenged following the election through Article 225 is limited. Once this time period expires, however, the court can be asked to review the appointment under Articles 184/3 and Article 199, Justice Khosa said. Justice Khosa also stated that this case concerns the whole nation because the defendant is the prime minister.

ISLAMABAD: Embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today faced an united Opposition in parliament as they moved a privilege motion against his "untruthful" speech on the floor of the House on the Panamagate case. The privilege motion, which was submitted by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, referred to a plea by the prime minister's counsel in the Supreme Court in the ongoing Panamagate case. "The plea taken by the prime minister's lawyer in Supreme Court on January 16, to do away with Prime Minister's speech delivered in the NA while explaining the trail of funds used to purchase properties in London and elsewhere as mentioned in Panama Papers, using Article 66 as a shield, are an admission that the Prime Minister did not tell the truth to the assembly," the motion signed by seven other lawmakers said. The motion has been submitted over discrepancy in the premier's statement in the lower House of Parliament and his counsel's statement in the apex court. "The prime minister while speaking on the floor of National Assembly on May 16, 2016 had explained the trail of funds used to purchase property in one of the most expensive areas of London," it said and added that the details submitted by the prime minister's counsel in the top court were "in sheer contrast with the ones stated by the Prime Minister." It further said the discrepancy in the statements suggest that Prime Minister Nawaz willfully deceived the House on the issue which was a "clear case of contempt of the House". "As per Article 91(6) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, prime minister and cabinet are collectively responsible to Parliament and have to state the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," it said. Claiming that Sharif's statement was a blatant breach of the privilege of the National Assembly, it demanded the matter to be immediately taken up for discussion and action. It said the assertion made in the speech were different from the case pleaded by Sharif's lawyer in the Supreme Court, which is hearing petitions by opposition against alleged illegal assets abroad by the prime minister's family. Sharif's lawyer has also asked the court not to consider the speech in the case. Shah said that it was an admission that the prime minister did not tell the truth to the National Assembly, which is breach of the privilege of the august house. Meanwhile, a larger bench of the Supreme Court hearing the Panamagate case today reminded Sharif's counsel that the case concerns Sharif's qualification as Prime Minister. During the hearing, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed that the case challenges Sharif's claim to the PM office. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who heads the five-judge bench, pointed out that the time-frame in which the appointment of the Prime Minister can be challenged following the election through Article 225 is limited. Once this time period expires, however, the court can be asked to review the appointment under Articles 184/3 and Article 199, Justice Khosa said. Justice Khosa also stated that this case concerns the whole nation because the defendant is the prime minister.
Express News Service

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan Court of Appeal on Thursday dismissed the case relating to the assassination of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Nadarajah Raviraj on the grounds that the petitioner was not present in court.

M.A. Sumanthiran, Counsel for the petitioner (Mrs. Raviraj and family), told Express that he was not present in court because the Colombo High Court, where the case was originally conducted, had not given him certified copies of all the documents relating the case.

Without these documents he could not support his case. And among the missing documents was the most important one, which was related to the High Court judges refusal to accept his plea against a jury trial.

Anticipating the difficulty in getting certified copies of all documents within the stipulated two weeks, Sumanthiran had filed a motion saying that he would seek a date for supporting his case after he had secured copies of all the documents. But the judge fixed Thursday for hearing the case and put it on additional list, a fact Sumanthiran was not aware of.

However, the counsel for the defendant navy personnel was present, as was the counsel for the Attorney Generals Department. The judge dismissed the case saying that the petitioner was absent.

However, Sumanthiran immediately filed another motion seeking re-listing of the case saying that he is still to get all the relevant copies from the Colombo High Court and that he will support his case once he gets the documents. As per the rules, he has suggested three days in the coming week for re-listing the case.

Raviraj was shot dead in Colombo on November 10, 2016. Investigations revealed that some Sri Lanka navy intelligence personnel and some men of the breakaway Karuna group of the LTTE had carried out the assassination. But the Colombo High Court dismissed the case against all the arraigned men after an all-Sinhalese jury ruled that there was no proof of their involvement.

But Sumanthiran, Counsel for Ravirajs family, had earlier opposed trial by jury on the grounds that one of the charges against the accused was under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) which necessitates trial by a judge not a jury. He also pointed out that the PTA, being a Special Law, should override Ordinary Law. But the judge dismissed this argument and ordered trial by an all-Sinhalese jury as per the request of the accused.

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan Court of Appeal on Thursday dismissed the case relating to the assassination of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Nadarajah Raviraj on the grounds that the petitioner was not present in court. M.A. Sumanthiran, Counsel for the petitioner (Mrs. Raviraj and family), told Express that he was not present in court because the Colombo High Court, where the case was originally conducted, had not given him certified copies of all the documents relating the case. Without these documents he could not support his case. And among the missing documents was the most important one, which was related to the High Court judges refusal to accept his plea against a jury trial. Anticipating the difficulty in getting certified copies of all documents within the stipulated two weeks, Sumanthiran had filed a motion saying that he would seek a date for supporting his case after he had secured copies of all the documents. But the judge fixed Thursday for hearing the case and put it on additional list, a fact Sumanthiran was not aware of. However, the counsel for the defendant navy personnel was present, as was the counsel for the Attorney Generals Department. The judge dismissed the case saying that the petitioner was absent. However, Sumanthiran immediately filed another motion seeking re-listing of the case saying that he is still to get all the relevant copies from the Colombo High Court and that he will support his case once he gets the documents. As per the rules, he has suggested three days in the coming week for re-listing the case. Raviraj was shot dead in Colombo on November 10, 2016. Investigations revealed that some Sri Lanka navy intelligence personnel and some men of the breakaway Karuna group of the LTTE had carried out the assassination. But the Colombo High Court dismissed the case against all the arraigned men after an all-Sinhalese jury ruled that there was no proof of their involvement. But Sumanthiran, Counsel for Ravirajs family, had earlier opposed trial by jury on the grounds that one of the charges against the accused was under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) which necessitates trial by a judge not a jury. He also pointed out that the PTA, being a Special Law, should override Ordinary Law. But the judge dismissed this argument and ordered trial by an all-Sinhalese jury as per the request of the accused.
Express News Service

COLOMBO: Though there is no Jallikattu tradition in Sri Lankan Tamil villages, the Tamils of the island nation have enthusiastically joined the Jallikattu restoration movement now going on in Tamil Nadu by organizing demonstrations in support of it.

On Wednesday, a demonstration was held by Junior Rotarians opposite the Nallur Kandswamy temple in Jaffna. A call has been given to attend a similar demonstration in Chavakachcheri on Saturday.

According to reliable sources, some North Sri Lankan provincial ministers and members of the Northern Provincial Council are behind the demonstrations as they see them as a strategy to win over the Tamil Nadu Tamils to the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan Tamils believe that the rise of Tamil consciousness in Tamil Nadu as a result of the ban on Jallikattu, augurs well for them, as they are now in search of allies given the fact that the LTTE is no longer there to give them a feeling of strength.

Sri Lankan Tamils have adopted the strategy of taking an active interest in Tamil Nadus affairs after the decimation of the LTTE in Eelam War IV in 2009. Dependence on Tamil Nadu for political support was much less during the period when the supremely self confident LTTE was ruling the roost in the Tamil-speaking areas.

A section of local Tamil leaders told Express that Sri Lankan Tamils must take up the cause of the Tamil Nadu Tamils whenever possible, to express their gratitude for the support Sri Lankan Tamils have consistently received from the people of Tamil Nadu since 1983.

They point out that five doctors had gone to Chennai to treat people when the city was flooded. An all-party delegation had submitted a memorandum to the Indian Consulate General when Tamils were attacked in Karnataka over the Cauvery issue. When Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa passed away, the Northern Provincial Council passed a condolence resolution.

COLOMBO: Though there is no Jallikattu tradition in Sri Lankan Tamil villages, the Tamils of the island nation have enthusiastically joined the Jallikattu restoration movement now going on in Tamil Nadu by organizing demonstrations in support of it. On Wednesday, a demonstration was held by Junior Rotarians opposite the Nallur Kandswamy temple in Jaffna. A call has been given to attend a similar demonstration in Chavakachcheri on Saturday. According to reliable sources, some North Sri Lankan provincial ministers and members of the Northern Provincial Council are behind the demonstrations as they see them as a strategy to win over the Tamil Nadu Tamils to the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Tamils believe that the rise of Tamil consciousness in Tamil Nadu as a result of the ban on Jallikattu, augurs well for them, as they are now in search of allies given the fact that the LTTE is no longer there to give them a feeling of strength. Sri Lankan Tamils have adopted the strategy of taking an active interest in Tamil Nadus affairs after the decimation of the LTTE in Eelam War IV in 2009. Dependence on Tamil Nadu for political support was much less during the period when the supremely self confident LTTE was ruling the roost in the Tamil-speaking areas. A section of local Tamil leaders told Express that Sri Lankan Tamils must take up the cause of the Tamil Nadu Tamils whenever possible, to express their gratitude for the support Sri Lankan Tamils have consistently received from the people of Tamil Nadu since 1983. They point out that five doctors had gone to Chennai to treat people when the city was flooded. An all-party delegation had submitted a memorandum to the Indian Consulate General when Tamils were attacked in Karnataka over the Cauvery issue. When Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa passed away, the Northern Provincial Council passed a condolence resolution.
By Associated Press

WASHINGTON: In a last major act as president, Barack Obama cut short the sentences of 330 federal inmates convicted of drug crimes on Thursday, bringing his bid to correct what he's called a systematic injustice to a climactic close.

With his final offer of clemency, Obama brought his total number of commutations granted to 1,715, more than any other president in U.S. history, the White House said. During his presidency, Obama ordered free 568 inmates who had been sentenced to life in prison.

"He wanted to do it. He wanted the opportunity to look at as many as he could to provide relief," Neil Eggleston, Obama's White House counsel, said in an interview in his West Wing office. "He saw the injustice of the sentences that were imposed in many situations, and he has a strong view that people deserve as second chance."

For Obama, it was the last time he planned to exercise his presidential powers in any significant way. At noon on Friday, Obama will stand with President-elect Donald Trump as his successor is sworn in and Obama's chapter in history comes to an end.

Even as Obama issued the commutations, the White House had been mostly cleared out to make way for Trump. In between carrying out their last duties, the few remaining staffers were packing up belongings as photos of Obama were taken down from the walls of the West Wing corridors.

The final batch of commutations  more in a single day than on any other day in U.S. history  was the culmination of Obama's second-term effort to try to remedy the consequences of decades of onerous sentencing requirements that he said had imprisoned thousands of drug offenders for too long. Obama repeatedly called on Congress to pass a broader criminal justice fix, but lawmakers never acted.

For Bernard Smith, it's a long-awaited chance to start over after 13 years away from his wife and children.

Smith was working at a restaurant in Maryland in 2002 when his brother asked him to obtain marijuana for a drug deal. Though it was his brother who obtained the crack cocaine that the brothers then sold along with the marijuana to undercover officers, Smith was charged with the cocaine offense, too.

His 22-year sentence was far longer than his brother's, owing to what the court called Smith's "extensive criminal history" prior to the drug bust. Smith still had 10 years on his sentence when he was notified Thursday that the president, on his last day in office, was giving him another chance.

"He's looking to turn his life around," said Michelle Curth, his attorney. "He's a good person who, like so many people, got involved in something he's been punished for already."

Curth said that Smith had learned his lesson and owned up to his crime  he asked for a commutation, she noted, not a pardon, which would have erased the original conviction. She said Smith hopes to get licensed in heating and air conditioning maintenance and has lined up family members to help with his adjustment.

But freedom for Smith is still two years away. Rather than release him immediately, Obama directed that he be set free in January 2019  two years after Obama has left office  and only if Smith enrolls in a residential drug treatment program.

To be eligible for a commutation under Obama's initiative, inmates had to have behaved well in prison and already served 10 years, although some exceptions to the 10-year rule were granted. They also had to be considered non-violent offenders, although many were charged with firearms violations in relation to their drug crimes.

Obama personally reviewed the case of every inmate who received a commutation, often poring over case files in the evenings or calling his attorneys into his office to discuss specifics. Although a backlog of cases remains as Obama leaves office, his administration reviewed all applications that came in by an end-of-August deadline, officials said.

Eggleston said Obama had been particularly motivated to grant clemency to inmates who had turned themselves around in prison. He said one inmate had trained and obtained a commercial driver's license through a prison program, despite having a life sentence that all but assured he'd never get to use it.

"The ones who really stuck home for the president and me are the ones who got their GED, they worked, they took courses in anger management, they took courses in getting over drug abuse issues, they remained in contract with their families," Eggleston said.

Obama has long called for phasing out strict sentences for drug offenses, arguing they lead to excessive punishment and incarceration rates unseen in other developed countries. With Obama's support, the Justice Department in recent years directed prosecutors to rein in the use of harsh mandatory minimums.

Earlier in the week, Obama commuted most of the rest of convicted leaker Chelsea Manning's sentence, arguing the Army intelligence analyst had shown remorse and already served a long sentence.

Yet Obama will leave office without granting commutations or pardons to other prominent offenders who had sought clemency, including accused Army deserter Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He also declined to pardon former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

WASHINGTON: In a last major act as president, Barack Obama cut short the sentences of 330 federal inmates convicted of drug crimes on Thursday, bringing his bid to correct what he's called a systematic injustice to a climactic close. With his final offer of clemency, Obama brought his total number of commutations granted to 1,715, more than any other president in U.S. history, the White House said. During his presidency, Obama ordered free 568 inmates who had been sentenced to life in prison. "He wanted to do it. He wanted the opportunity to look at as many as he could to provide relief," Neil Eggleston, Obama's White House counsel, said in an interview in his West Wing office. "He saw the injustice of the sentences that were imposed in many situations, and he has a strong view that people deserve as second chance." For Obama, it was the last time he planned to exercise his presidential powers in any significant way. At noon on Friday, Obama will stand with President-elect Donald Trump as his successor is sworn in and Obama's chapter in history comes to an end. Even as Obama issued the commutations, the White House had been mostly cleared out to make way for Trump. In between carrying out their last duties, the few remaining staffers were packing up belongings as photos of Obama were taken down from the walls of the West Wing corridors. The final batch of commutations  more in a single day than on any other day in U.S. history  was the culmination of Obama's second-term effort to try to remedy the consequences of decades of onerous sentencing requirements that he said had imprisoned thousands of drug offenders for too long. Obama repeatedly called on Congress to pass a broader criminal justice fix, but lawmakers never acted. For Bernard Smith, it's a long-awaited chance to start over after 13 years away from his wife and children. Smith was working at a restaurant in Maryland in 2002 when his brother asked him to obtain marijuana for a drug deal. Though it was his brother who obtained the crack cocaine that the brothers then sold along with the marijuana to undercover officers, Smith was charged with the cocaine offense, too. His 22-year sentence was far longer than his brother's, owing to what the court called Smith's "extensive criminal history" prior to the drug bust. Smith still had 10 years on his sentence when he was notified Thursday that the president, on his last day in office, was giving him another chance. "He's looking to turn his life around," said Michelle Curth, his attorney. "He's a good person who, like so many people, got involved in something he's been punished for already." Curth said that Smith had learned his lesson and owned up to his crime  he asked for a commutation, she noted, not a pardon, which would have erased the original conviction. She said Smith hopes to get licensed in heating and air conditioning maintenance and has lined up family members to help with his adjustment. But freedom for Smith is still two years away. Rather than release him immediately, Obama directed that he be set free in January 2019  two years after Obama has left office  and only if Smith enrolls in a residential drug treatment program. To be eligible for a commutation under Obama's initiative, inmates had to have behaved well in prison and already served 10 years, although some exceptions to the 10-year rule were granted. They also had to be considered non-violent offenders, although many were charged with firearms violations in relation to their drug crimes. Obama personally reviewed the case of every inmate who received a commutation, often poring over case files in the evenings or calling his attorneys into his office to discuss specifics. Although a backlog of cases remains as Obama leaves office, his administration reviewed all applications that came in by an end-of-August deadline, officials said. Eggleston said Obama had been particularly motivated to grant clemency to inmates who had turned themselves around in prison. He said one inmate had trained and obtained a commercial driver's license through a prison program, despite having a life sentence that all but assured he'd never get to use it. "The ones who really stuck home for the president and me are the ones who got their GED, they worked, they took courses in anger management, they took courses in getting over drug abuse issues, they remained in contract with their families," Eggleston said. Obama has long called for phasing out strict sentences for drug offenses, arguing they lead to excessive punishment and incarceration rates unseen in other developed countries. With Obama's support, the Justice Department in recent years directed prosecutors to rein in the use of harsh mandatory minimums. Earlier in the week, Obama commuted most of the rest of convicted leaker Chelsea Manning's sentence, arguing the Army intelligence analyst had shown remorse and already served a long sentence. Yet Obama will leave office without granting commutations or pardons to other prominent offenders who had sought clemency, including accused Army deserter Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He also declined to pardon former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
Parliament committee's meeting with RBI Governor over demonetisation begins

New Delhi , Jan. 18 : The meeting of Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance with the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Urjit Patel over demonetisation and its aftermath began here this morning.





(Posted on 18 January 2017, 1667608383 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 18 January 2017, 1667608383 173O212O198O32)

The committe is led by Congress leader Veerappa Moily. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh is also a part of the committee.In the meeting, Patel is expected to face questions over the criticism that the RBI compromised its autonomy in order to toe the line of the government.Senior officers, including Banking Secretary Anjuly Chib Duggal, Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikant Das and Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia will also attend the meeting and brief the committee about demonetisation and its impact on the economy.The RBI has been criticised for relinquishing its autonomy as the central bank of India to head the cirulation of currency in the nation and blindly following the Union Government's diktat. The RBI is also said to have failed to carry out the necessary checks ahead of banning the high-end value currency notes.Throughout the demonetisation drive, rules for cash withdrawal from the bank ATMs were also changed frequently. There have also been demands to know how much of the 15.44 lakh crores in banned notes has returned to the banks.Patel will also be asked if the decision of demonetisation was legal and feasible enough.The RBI Governor will also appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament on January 20.
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SAO PAULO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The chairman of Brazilian builder and shopping mall operator JHSF Participacoes SA has agreed to collaborate with government officials as part of an investigation into illegal campaign donations in the state of Minas Gerais, the company said.

According to a securities filing by the company on Thursday, Chairman Jose Auriemo Neto was fully responsible for the donations, with neither JHSF nor its subsidiaries involved. Auriemo will make a 1 million reais ($312,871) donation to a cancer hospital as part of the plea deal.

($1 = 3.1962 reais) (Reporting by Bruno Federowski and Alberto Alerigi; Writing by Bruno Federowski; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)
Indus Net Technologies, E-Cube Energy come together for efficient management of energy data consumption

Kolkata, Jan 18 : Indus Net Technologies, an IT Service Company, and E-Cube Energy, a Kolkata-based energy data analytics solutions provider have set up a joint venture company, EnergyTech Ventures with a vision of helping economies double Energy/Resource Productivity.





(Posted on 18 January 2017, 1667608386 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/west-bengal-news.php  (Posted on 18 January 2017, 1667608386 173O212O198O32)

With the growing concerns on environment, climate change and acceptance of Paris Agreement, governments/businesses across the globe are focusing on increasing energy/resource productivity.Digitization and IoT are set to play a significant role going forward if economies/businesses are to look at doubling Energy/Resource Productivity.Lot of developments have taken place in respect to acquisition of data deploying it on cloud platforms, however the lack of ability/skill set to generate sector specific insights and call to actions has been restricting wide acceptance of BigData and IoT solutions. EnergyTech Ventures by operating in the Fog Layer developing sector specific algorithms aims to fill that void.EnergyTech Ventures would bring in the best of Energy and Technology, thereby changing the way businesses/industries look at Energy Data analytics and its usage in assessing, reporting and managing energy productivity. EnergyTechs business model innovation is going to help compliment each and every stakeholder in the #IoT landscape.{image_1}Addressing the media at the announcement of the joint venture company, Abhishek Rungta, CEO, Indus Net Technologies said, Improving Energy/Resource Productivity essentially means using less or same energy/resources to do produce more. EnergyTech Ventures is focused on creating products/solutions that help clients extract the maximum value out of their data assets and provide a support system that will enable them to make investments, take initiatives towards doubling their Energy/ Resource Productivity.Speaking at the occasion, Umesh Bhutoria, Founder CEO, Energy Tech Ventures commented, Digitization has had impacts on many sectors, Energy markets are set to see a significant change in the next decade. EnergyTech Ventures has the capacity to offer world class solutions to help businesses across the globe embrace BigData IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things). EnergyTech space is going to see amazing traction in times to come, this is a perfect opportunity for an Indian company working in a very niche space and focusing on B2B markets to make a global impact.
President urges students to attain education alongwith tolerance, determination and honesty

Jhalda, Purulia, West Bengal, Jan 18 : President Pranab Mukherjee urged the students to uplift, upgrade and maintain the values of our civilization through the attainment of education.





(Posted on 18 January 2017, 1667608387 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 18 January 2017, 1667608387 173O212O198O32)

Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Exhibition Hall and 100th Year celebration of Jhalda Satyabhama Vidyapith at Jhalda in Purulia district of West Bengal, the President appreciated the effort by the school to set-up a museum on the freedom struggle on the occasion of its centenary and said people of the country protested against the British rule as and when they found an opportunity.in this context the President paid homage to the five young men of this area who being inspired by a revolutionary, Satya Kinkar Dutta, led down their lives in the freedom struggle and said let us salute these martyrs who made supreme sacrifices for our independence, but only a few people outside this area know of them.Mukherjee also mentioned the Chuar Uprising which was a glorious chapter of early struggles in the freedom movement and reminded all that this area was the epi-centre of the Chuar Uprising.Coming back to the importance of education, the President said acquiring information is not all, the objective should be of becoming a real man. Quoting Swami Vivekananda, he said, the aim of education is to become a real man and we should always strive for it.Referring to the British period he mentioned that the for the British rulers, the aim of educating the Indians were limited but many a scholar, scientist, administrators and patriot etc. came out those days of Presidency College and Hindu School, the two glorious institutions completing their bi-centenaries.He urged the students of remote area to have a common goal of attaining education and also tolerance, determination, character and honesty to keep the flag of our great civilisation aloft.The Governor of West Bengal Keshari Nath Tripathi, the Headmaster of the school and also MLA of Baghmundi, Nepal Mahato were present on this occasion.
Chief Ministers of Manipur and Nagaland meet the Union Home Minister

New Delhi, Jan 18 : On request of the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the Chief Minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi Singh met him here today.





(Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667608388 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667608388 173O212O198O32)

The Home Minister expressed his grave concern over the continued blockade of National Highway-2 causing severe difficulties to the people of Manipur specially with regard to availability of essential commodities.Rajnath Singh further stated that continued blockade is likely to adversely affect democratic process in the forthcoming elections by hampering movement of people, including election officials.The Ministry of Home Affairs has been making repeated efforts to find a way to have the NH-2 opened.On Nov 15, 2016, tripartite talks with Government of Manipur and United Naga Council (UNC) were called at New Delhi to discuss the economic blockade, which were not attended by Government of Manipur.On Dec 22, the Union Home Minister wrote to the Chief Minister of Manipur to discharge his Constitutional obligations of keeping National Highways open and ensure supplies of essential commodities. 40 additional Coys. of Central Para-Military Forces have been made available to Manipur as asked for by them in the month of December, 2016, in addition to 135 Coys. of CAPFs already stationed there. Despite these repeated efforts of the Ministry, nothing substantive seems to have been done to remove the economic blockade.Rajnath Singh stated that it is the Constitutional obligation of Government of Manipur to maintain public order in the State including maintenance of essential supplies and conducive atmosphere for holding elections.He called upon the Chief Minister to discharge this obligation responsibly, in the interest of people of Manipur.If more forces are required for this, that would be made available by Government of India. But it is critical that Government of Manipur should not be lacking in its will to restore normalcy.The Union Home Minister made it clear that if Government of Manipur fails in its Constitutional duties, Government of India may have to explore other measures under the provisions of Constitution of India to ensure that difficulties of people of Manipur are alleviated.On request of Home Minister, the Chief Minister of Nagaland T. R. Zeliang also met the Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday.The Home Minister sought his cooperation in keeping the NH-2 open between Dimapur and Mao Gate and not to allow disturbance on this vital route.
Yemen: Ongoing humanitarian crisis adding to migrants woes, says UN migration agency

New York, Jan 18 : Highlighting the plight of migrants from the Horn of Africa arriving in Yemen - which itself has seen more than 2.1 million people internally displaced due to ongoing conflict and the resulting humanitarian crisis - the United Nations migration agency has called for additional support for the vulnerable.





(Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667608388 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/middle-east-news.php  (Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667608388 173O212O198O32)

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), up to 12,000 migrants, every month, are arriving onto the shores of the Gulf of Aden country with hopes of making their way to Saudi Arabia.Furthermore, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had reported that, as of mid-November 2016, some 105,971 people migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees had arrived in Yemen from the Horn of Africa. Most of those coming were from Ethiopia (88,667) and Somalia (17,293). Women and children were at particular risk of sexual violence and human trafficking.Among its efforts to support both the internally displaced as well as migrants in Yemen, IOM has been running direct assistance programmes for displaced children, providing them with psychosocial support to ease the stress and effects of the conflict.It has also been running health clinics as well as operating mobile health teams in various locations in the country to deliver primary health care and provide referrals. These clinics also provide psychosocial support to those suffering from displacement and war traumas.In the midst of the situation in the conflict-affected country, a high-ranking IOM delegation recent visited Yemen to take stock of the conditions on the country.Speaking on the significance of the visit, IOM Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa, Carmela Godeau, said: It is of utmost importance for IOM to understand the prevailing situation in the country, to help IOM at the global level to advocate for more assistance to the people suffering in Yemen.The delegation also visited a settlement of displaced Yemenis in the capital Sanaa and met with organizations working to support them as well as held meetings with authorities.The agency said that the meetings led to a broader understanding of the situation, which in turn will facilitate preparations of its action plan for 2017. The visit also came ahead of the official launch of the UN Humanitarian Response Plan for the country, on 8 February 2017 in Geneva.The delegations visit to Sanaa was followed by a visit to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where the head of IOMs operations in Yemen, Laurent de Boeck, briefed officials and the donor community on IOM activities in Yemen.Photo: UNICEF/Moohialdin FuadSource: www.justearthnews.com
CMs of Manipur, Nagaland meet Rajnath Singh

New Delhi , Jan. 19 : Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday.





(Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667608389 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667608389 173O212O198O32)

Rajnath expressed grave concern over the continued blockade of National Highway-2 causing severe difficulties to the people of Manipur especially with regard to availability of essential commodities.The Home Minister said that continued blockade is likely to adversely affect democratic process in the forthcoming elections by hampering movement of people, including election officials.The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been making repeated efforts to find a way to have the NH-2 opened.Tripartite talks with Government of Manipur and United Naga Council (UNC) were called on November 15, last year, at New Delhi to discuss the economic blockade, which was not attended by Government of Manipur.On December 22, last year, Rajnath wrote to the Manipur Chief Minister to discharge his constitutional obligations of keeping National Highways open and ensure supplies of essential commodities.40 additional Coys. of Central Para-Military Forces have been made available to Manipur as asked for by them in the month of December, last year, in addition to 135 Coys. of CAPFs already stationed there. Despite these repeated efforts of the Ministry, nothing substantive seems to have been done to remove the economic blockade.The Home Minister said that it is the constitutional obligation of Manipur Government to maintain public order in the state, including maintenance of essential supplies and conducive atmosphere for holding elections.He called upon the Chief Minister to discharge this obligation responsibly, in the interest of people of Manipur."If more forces are required for this, and that would be made available by Government of India. But it is critical that Government of Manipur should not be lacking in its will to restore normalcy," he said.Rajnath made it clear that if the Manipur Government fails in its constitutional duties, Centre may have to explore other measures under the provisions of constitution to ensure that difficulties of people of Manipur are alleviated.On request of the Home Minister, Chief Minister of Nagaland T. R. Zeliang also met the former on Wednesday.The Home Minister sought his cooperation in keeping the NH-2 open between Dimapur and Mao Gate and not to allow disturbance on this vital route.
United States, Cuba sign search and rescue agreement

Washington D.C. [United States], Jan. 19 : The United States and Cuba have signed a bilateral agreement to strengthen cooperation in the field of maritime and aeronautical search and rescue.





(Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667608389 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/us-news.php  (Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667608389 173O212O198O32)

The agreement aims to enhance effectiveness and efficiency in assisting persons in distress and to act in furtherance of obligations under international law.The agreement provides for cooperation and coordination between the two countries in assisting persons in distress at sea, subject to each country's respective domestic laws.The agreement was signed by Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Jeffrey DeLaurentis, on behalf of the United States, and Deputy Minister of Transportation Marta Oramas Rivero signed for Cuba.
Check Out! These education apps might help you score better

New Delhi , Jan. 19 : The examinations are getting yet more competitive and students are fighting to secure the top position with only minuscule difference of decimals.





(Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667608390 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/special-features.php  (Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667608390 173O212O198O32)

For a student, preparing to appear for 'All India' level competitive examinations, it is always wise to keep their grey cells active and exercise them on a regular basis.With the advent of the Ed-tech companies in India, which are creating a disruption in the e-learning space, we now have the availability of scores of smartphone apps for students that can help them revise the lessons and take online mock tests to sharpen their preparation level.Following are few of the top-rated and user-friendly M-Learning apps on Android and iOS:Toppr: An EdTech venture, it aims to help students in India crack medical and engineering entrance exams with unlimited practice tests, feedback reports, and benchmarking. The qualitative, effective yet affordable online portal boasts of one of the biggest online question banks and lets students chart their progress, which eliminates the need of tutors. USP Toppr claims to be the only test preparation platform where the practice content is customised through programming algorithms that work out areas of strength and weakness of the student.BYJU's: BYJU's Education Technology (Learning) company provides online courses for UPSC, CAT, GMAT, GRE, K10, K12, JEE, NEET through its portal and learning app. Since its launch last year, the learning app has already seen phenomenal engagement, with over 3.5 million students on its platform.BYJU's Learning App makes use of original content, watch-and-learn videos, rich animations and interactive simulations that, as opposed to rote memorization, make learning contextual and visual, not just theoretical.TopRankers: TopRankers, a Bangalore-based online test preparation portal that enables students to prepare for competitive exams through an innovative platform. Their 'offline-integrated' app makes it easier for students to save mobile data and access the app in the low-bandwidth area. The USP of the app is to provide - Exam analysis, 'All India Predictive Ranking', allowing students to prepare for exams in regional language and receive up-to-date information on the various competitive examinations. TopRankers has 1 lakh registered users on its platform and 75 B2B clients under its banner.Gyan Labs: Bengaluru-based Gyan Lab is addressing this critical need through its adaptive, mobile-friendly learning platform for K-10 students. It gamifies and personalises learning based on what a child already knows and how they learn best. It is a B2C (to parents) platform with a monthly fee of Rs 199-349 per student.It allows parents to assess students and the platform also suggests remedial action for learning gaps. Available in English and vernacular medium, Gyan Lab launched in April 2016 and has 250 student accounts created who have solved more than 3,000 questions.Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a supplementary app to the Khan Academy website. The app similar to its YouTube Channel has videos for engineering, history, mathematics, computer science, business, etc. The user can pick his/ her preference and then continue for lessons in that particular interest. The video library has more than 3,000 videos. The Khan Academy app also has their very own AppStore to view the videos from the repository. The user will have the option of logging into the app through a simple Khan Academy user account, Google, or Facebook which will also in turn keep a track of their viewer history and earn the users badges.
UN forum wraps up in South Africa with a call for better data to improve people's lives

New York, Jan 19 : The first-ever United Nations World Data Forum concluded on Wednesday with the launch of a global plan that outlines a vision and a to-do list for better data to improve people's lives, including through new ideas, solutions and strengthened collaboration in the field of statistics.





(Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667608390 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667608390 173O212O198O32)

The UN World Data Forum is the perfect place to launch the action plan and get all the major players behind it, said Wu Hongbo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, underlining the importance of accurate, reliable, timely and disaggregated data in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.Echoing Wus words on the significance of data, Pali Lehohla, head of Statistics South Africa, the countrys national statistics service added: We cannot achieve what we cannot measure.The plan, formally named Cape Town Global Action Plan for Sustainable Development Data, after the South African city in which the inaugural Forum was held, will be presented to the UN Statistical Commission at its upcoming session in March for adoption. It was prepared with inputs from the global statistical community and data experts from a wider range of stakeholders.The four-day UN World Data Forum, which started on 15 January, was organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), and hosted by Statistics South Africa.Significance of dataAccording to DESA, at present, there are large gaps in data. More than 100 countries do not keep accurate birth and death records, and only 41 per cent of countries regularly produce data on violence against women.These records and other such missing information are significant obstacles that hinder policy makers from making informed decisions.In such a context, the Global Action Plan highlights the need for action in six strategic areas, including: innovation and modernization of national statistical systems; dissemination of data on sustainable development; building partnerships; and mobilizing resources.It also notes that all data producers from civil society to private sector and academia need to work together to fully address the needs of the 2030 Agenda, and calls for the application of new technologies and new data sources into mainstream statistical activities, as well as integration of geospatial data.The Global Action Plan further underlines the need calls for data on all groups of the population to be expanded so that no one is left behind, a key principle of the 2030 Agenda.Convening the World Data ForumThe UN Statistical Commission, a Functional Commission of the UN Economic and Social Council and the highest body of the global statistical system had mandated the convening of the World Data Forum, based on a recommendation of the Secretary-Generals Independent Expert and Advisory Group on a Data Revolution for Sustainable Development.Also on Wednesday, it was announced that the United Arab Emirates will be hosting the next UN World Data Forum in Dubai, in late 2018 or early 2019.Photo: Mbongiseni MndebeleSource: www.justearthnews.com
At Security Council, top UN political official outlines status of resolution on Iran's nuclear programme

New York, Jan 19 : Briefing the United Nations Security Council on its resolution 2231, which endorsed a plan of action on Iran's nuclear programme, the top UN political official called on the international community for continued support and contribution to the implementation of the agreement.





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[The UN] has not received any report, nor is aware of any open source information regarding the supply, sale or transfer to Iran of nuclear-related items undertaken contrary to the provisions of the resolution, said Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman.On an encouraging note, [UN] Member States have made greater use of the procurement channel process through which the transfer of nuclear-related items is approved by the Council on the basis of recommendation provided by the Joint Commission, he added, noting that since July last year, five new requests were submitted through the channel, three of which were approved while two were under consideration.In his briefing, Feltman told the Council that the no information was received regarding Iranian ballistic missile activities or ballistic missile-related transfers to the country undertaken contrary to the relevant provisions of the resolution.On the third issue arms-related transfer the UN official pointed to the information, contained in the report, on the seizure of an arms shipment by the French Navy in the northern Indian Ocean in March last year, as well as another arms seizure off the coast of Oman, in February 2016, by the Royal Australian Navy. He noted that seizures bore strong similarities to a seizure reported in June 2016 (and contained in the previous report of the Secretary-General).[We] look forward to the opportunity to examine the arms seized in all three instances and obtain additional information in order to corroborate the information provided and independently ascertain the origin of these shipments, said Feltman.He also raised particular concern over a televised statement by a top Hizbollah official that it receives its salaries, expenses, weapons and missiles from Iran.Further, Feltman informed Council members of Irans participation in an arms exhibit in Iraqs capital, Baghdad, in March 2016, and that that all items exhibited were returned to Iran.Adopted unanimously in July 2015, resolution 2231 endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was signed earlier that month by the five permanent members of the Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States), plus Germany, the European Union (EU) and Iran.The agreement set out a rigorous monitoring mechanism and timetable for implementation, while paving the way for the lifting of UN sanctions against Iran.UN Photo/Manuel EliasSource: www.justearthnews.com
U.S. education secretary nominee says states should determine school gun policies

Washington [USA], Jan. 19 : Betsy DeVos, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's education secretary nominee, has said it should be up to the states to decide whether guns are allowed in schools.





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She cited grizzly bear protection as part of her answer, reports the CNN.DeVos said she would support Trump if he moved to ban gun-free schools zones, a position he advocated during the election campaign.Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, who represents Sandy Hook, the site of the 2012 school shooting, asked DeVos if she believes guns have "any place in and around schools."To this, she replied, "I think that is best left to locales and states to decide."After Murphy pressed DeVos about why she can't say definitively whether they belong, DeVos brought up a story Senator Mike Enzi told earlier about a school in Wyoming that has fences around it to protect against grizzly bears."I will refer back to Sen. Enzi and the school he is talking about in Wyoming. I think probably there, I would imagine there is probably a gun in a school to protect from potential grizzlies," she said."If the question is around gun violence and the results of that, please know that my heart bleeds and is broken for those families that have lost any individual due to gun violence," she said.Murphy, a gun control advocate, later tweeted: "Tonight #BetsyDeVos would not oppose putting guns in our schools. I was shaken to the core by her answer. So should every American parent."
China urges U.S. not to allow Taiwan delegation at Trump's inauguration

Beijing [China], Jan. 19 : China has urged the United States to not allow any Taiwanese delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and also opposed any official contact between the two sides.





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Responding to former chief of Taiwan's legislative body, You Xikun, attending the inauguration ceremony, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying yesterday said, "We once again urge relevant parties in the U.S. to allow no delegation sent by the Taiwan authority to attend the inauguration ceremony of the president, and not to have any official contact with Taiwan."She added that this message has also been delivered to the sitting U.S. administration and the Trump transition team.Chunying asserted that China opposes any move by the Taiwan authority to send people to the U.S. to conduct activities that "will disturb or undermine Sino-U.S. relations."Earlier, Trump broke with decades of precedent by taking a congratulatory telephone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, and also said that the one-China policy was up for negotiation, a position Beijing strongly rejected.Later in January, China was also infuriated by Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott, while passing through the state on her way to Nicaragua, Salvador and Guatemala.China has continually reiterated its firm opposition to the U.S-Taiwan diplomatic engagement.
What! George Clooney's wife Amal expecting twins

Washington D.C. [USA], Jan. 19 :Looks like the rumours are true! Hollywood actor George Clooney's wife Amal is pregnant with twins.





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According to the Daily Mail online, British-Lebanese lawyer is expecting twins-- a boy and a girl as she attends Davos.The 38-year-old got married to her 55-year-old Oscar-winning husband in 2014.They couple is very happy and excited with the news.This came to light when the human rights lawyer turned up with George to show off her bump in a floral dress at a screening for 'The White Helmets' in London on January 9.Then again on Tuesday Amal seemed to have a bit of a belly at the Credit Suisse Women of Impact dinner in Davos, Switzerland.
Nuclear disarmament will be Kazakhstan's top priority as UNSC member, says President Nazarbayev

New York [USA],Jan.19 : The Government of Kazakhstan and the country's President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has said that giving encouragement to steps for global nuclear disarmament will be their top priority as they take up a seat on the United Nations Security Council for the next two years.





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Setting down the country's priorities for global peace and security through a wide-ranging statement released this month and distributed in New York, President Nazarbayev said Kazakhstan as the UNSC's latest non-permanent member has called on all member states to set a goal of ridding the world of nuclear weapons by the time the United Nations observes its 100th anniversary in 2045.He drew particular attention to the urgent need to find a constructive solution to the issue of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula.was determined to support all efforts to improve trust and co-operation between countries and to work to create consensus on tackling global challenges.Turning to the threat of and from global extremism and terrorism, President Nazarbayev repeated his call for the creation and establishment of a global anti-terrorist coalition under the auspices of the United Nations. He also said that Kazakhstan would work tirelessly on the Security Council to tackle the threat from ISIL and Al-Qaida and to ease tensions in and around the Horn of Africa.The document, entitled Kazakhstan's Concept and Vision for Sustaining Global Partnerships for a Secure, Just and Prosperous World, was distributed as the country's Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov addressed the UN Security Council's High-Level Open Debate on "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Conflict Prevention and Sustaining Peace" last week.President Nazarbayev promised to support efforts to modernise U.N. structures so they reflected the realities of the 21st Century and to strengthen its peacekeeping efforts.Being the first Central Asian state to be elected to join the UN Security Council, he said, Kazakhstan would seek to promote the interests of all countries of the region to bolster its stability and security.Singling out Afghanistan as a particular priority, he called for "broad, balanced, meaningful and result-oriented discussions" to help the country return to lasting peace and security.President Nazarbayev said his country was committed to work in a balanced and unbiased manner on the Council's entire agenda to help shape a secure, just and prosperous word.Kazakhstan took up its non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council in January 2017, at the start of its two-year tenure.
Jammu Kashmir Assembly passes resolution for return of Kashmiri Pandits

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) , Jan. 19 : On the 27th anniversary of exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution for their return to the Valley.





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Former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah moved a resolution for return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley."Today it has been 27 years since they left the valley. The government should pass a resolution so that all those people will return to Kashmir," Omar told the assembly.He also said that all political parties should rise above politics and pass a resolution to create an atmosphere so that all those who have left Kashmir could return.Earlier in the day, Omar tweeted in support of the same."27 years is 27 too many #kashmiripandits," his tweet read.Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits was an event that occurred on January 19, 1990, when most of the Pandit families were forced to flee from Kashmir Valley due to outbreak of terrorism.The estimate of Pandits having fled from Kashmir ranges from approximately one lakh to as high as eight lakh.
Etihad Airways goes double daily to Dusseldorf

Abu Dhabi, Jan 19 : Airline major Etihad Airways on Thursday announced its Abu Dhabi - Dusseldorf route will be operated 14 times a week with the addition of a new daily service, effective from Mar 26.





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The double daily schedule will provide greater choice to local passengers travelling between Abu Dhabi and Dsseldorf, and further increase connectivity to and from Germany over the airlines Abu Dhabi hub. Etihad Airways will also increase international connections through codesharing with partner carrier airberlin via Dsseldorf.The new mid-morning departure from Abu Dhabi and return overnight service from Dsseldorf will offer two-way connectivity to additional markets across Asia and Australia, including Brisbane, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Phuket, Kathmandu and Seychelles. The extra daily frequency will provide further connections to popular destinations including Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Mumbai and Delhi.With the additional capacity, Etihad Airways frequency between Abu Dhabi and its three German gateways of Dsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich rises from 35 to 42 services a week, ensuring consistency of double daily flights to each city. Partner carrier airberlin also operates twice-daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Berlin.Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, said: Increased frequency to our key destinations globally is a focus for Etihad Airways as expansion ensures more travel options for guests looking for greater flexibility. We are therefore delighted to soon offer double daily options to all four German destinations on Etihad Airways and our strategic partner airberlin.Thomas Schnalke, Dsseldorf Airport CEO, added: Etihad Airways is one of the worlds highest quality airlines, and with its new twice-daily service between Dsseldorf and Abu Dhabi, this clearly shows that the airline recognises the great significance of the Rhine-Ruhr Region as an attractive destination with one of Europes strongest catchment areas.North Rhine-Westphalia is a key business region, home to many international companies, and it is hugely important to offer the best possible accessibility for business travellers from the Gulf. Abu Dhabi too is an excellent destination for both leisure and business, and promises to appeal even more for travellers from Dsseldorf and the neighbouring region with these new services.airberlin, which operates a daily service between Dsseldorf and Abu Dhabi, has notified Etihad Airways of its decision to discontinue the route and redeploy the aircraft onto other markets from the beginning of the 2017 summer schedule. airberlin will continue to offer its Dsseldorf-based customers access to Abu Dhabi and beyond through codesharing on Etihad Airways existing and new flights from the western German city.Passengers booked on airberlin flights from Dsseldorf to Abu Dhabi and beyond will be reprotected on services operated by Etihad Airways.
India's indigenous Aircrafts to make public appearance on Republic Day

New Delhi , Jan. 19 : India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Indigenous helicopters Rudra and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Dhruv will showcase a fly-past over Rajpath on the 67th Republic day of India.





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The last time any indigenous airfare flew was HAL Marut in 1960s.In June last year, the Indian Air Force acquired two Tejas LCA and one trainer aircraft which would be manufactured by the HAL in Bangalore.The Indian Air Force (IFA) has begun its practice of its aircrafts for the occasion.As many as 34 aircrafts of the IAF will perform various manoeuvres during the Republic Day celebrations to be attended by UAE crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the chief guest.The parade will witness MI 17 V5s flying in Ensign formation as soon as the Parade Commander reaches the saluting base in front of President Pranab Mukherjee.There will be 19 fighters, 11 helicopters and four transport aircrafts enthralling the public this year.As many as 12 aircraft will be kept on a stand-by. The aircrafts participating in flypast this year are Jaguars, C130J Hercules, C17 Globemaster, Su30, MI 17 V5s, ALH Dhruv, MI-35 (attack helicopters).The full dress rehearsal, exactly the way entire IAF team will function on Republic Day, will be done on January 23.There are special establishments of the IAF metrological officers, Air Traffic Controllers and specialists formed around the Republic route to keep the precision of the flypast. ANI)
Shraddha Kapoor stands up for Zaira Wasim

New Delhi , Jan. 19 : Following a social media post of the young 'Dangal' actress, Zaira Wasim, Shraddha Kapoor immediately took to Twitter to stand in support of the little one.





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She tweeted, "#ZairaWasim, I LOVED you & everything to do with Dangal. You worked hard, it showed & I look up to you. Keep shining, keep dreaming!"The 'Baaghi' star was the first actress among the few, who came in support of Zaira. She felt very strongly for her and so expressed her feelings.
India hits backs at China, says not seeking NSG membership as 'gift'

New Delhi , Jan. 19 : Hitting out at Beijing for its jibe that New Delhi was seeking its membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as a parting gift from outgoing US President Barack Obama, India on Thursday asserted that it was seeking the inclusion on its on-proliferation record.





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"Our views on India's membership of the NSG are clear and have been stated on many occasions before. India is not seeking NSG membership as a gift. India is seeking it on its non-proliferation record. I of course cannot speak for other applicants," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.India's rebuttal comes in the wake of China's statement that the NSG membership can't be the US's "parting gift" to India."Regarding India's application to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, regarding non-NPT countries admission to the NSG, we have made our position clear before so I will not repeat it. I just want to point out that NSG membership shall not be some kind of farewell gift for countries to give to each other," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a media briefing.China has been steadily objecting to India's inclusion in the elite group, citing India's non-signatory status to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, further arguing that if New Delhi can be allowed an exception why not its ally- Pakistan.
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Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Windy with periods of thunderstorms late. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Windy with periods of thunderstorms late. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible.
The loss of a baby through stillbirth or miscarriage is an emotionally traumatic event that no parent ever forgets. Parents who were expecting and anticipating a new life but instead find themselves grieving a death, find it immensely difficult to accept the loss of their baby as a reality.

This can be especially difficult when a mother has given birth to her baby, which was stillborn. She will still experience all of the usual post-natal reactions, which can be particularly distressing when trying to process the death of the baby.

Fathers often also have a lot to cope with. As well as grieving the loss of their child, their concern for the mother makes this an extremely difficult time. The focus among friends and family is often the mother, meaning that fathers are generally asked how the mother is, rather than how they are coping or feeling as fathers. Fathers also need support and ways to express grief after losing their baby.

Many people experience anxiety and guilt in the days following their loss and some individuals go on to develop depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These individuals may find it helpful to discuss their feelings with their doctor or midwife or with other individuals who have also lost their baby.

Stillbirth and miscarriage: support and life afterwards Play

Support Groups

In the UK, there are a number of support groups available to help people who have lost their baby through miscarriage or stillbirth. A stillbirth and neonatal death charity called Sands provides support for anyone who has experienced this loss and runs a telephone helpline people can use to access information and literature about support. The charity also funds research investigating the causes of stillbirth.

There is also a number of other support groups in the UK that provide help for bereaved parents and their family members. The groups are usually run by people who specialise in baby loss, parents who have lost their babies and specialist midwives. Support groups are also available for women who have lost their baby due to a specific cause such as pre-eclampsia, intrahepatic cholestasis (ICP) or group B streptococcus. Examples include ICP support, Action on Pre-eclampsia and Group B Strep Support.

Further Reading
When hospitalised, people can become acutely confused and disorientated. This condition, known as delirium, affects a quarter of older patients and new research by UCL and the University of Cambridge shows it may have long-lasting consequences, including accelerating the dementia process.

The study, published today in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, is the first to show the multiplying effects of delirium and dementia in these patients.

Episodes of delirium in people who are not known to have dementia, might also reveal dementia at its earliest stages, the research found.

While both delirium and dementia are important factors in cognitive decline among the elderly, delirium is preventable and treatable through dedicated geriatric care.

Further research is needed to understand exactly how delirium interacts with dementia, and how this could be blocked.

"If delirium is causing brain injury in the short and long-term, then we must increase our efforts to diagnose, prevent and treat delirium. Ultimately, targeting delirium could be a chance to delay or reduce dementia" said Dr. Daniel Davis (MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL), who led the research while at the University of Cambridge.

Scientists looked at three European populations - in Finland, Cambridge and UK-wide - and examined brain specimens in 987 people aged 65 and older. Each person's memory, thinking and experience of delirium had been recorded over 10 years towards the end of their life.

When these were linked with pathology abnormalities due to Alzheimer's and other dementias, those with both delirium and dementia-changes had the most severe change in memory.

Dr Davis added: "Unfortunately, most delirium goes unrecognised. In busy hospitals, a sudden change in confusion not be noticed by hospital staff. Patients can be transferred several times and staff often switch over - it requires everyone to 'think delirium' and identify that a patient's brain function has changed."
A multidisciplinary team of researchers at KU Leuven (University of Leuven, Belgium) has developed a dental implant that gradually releases drugs from a built-in reservoir. This helps prevent and fight infections.

Our mouth contains many micro-organisms, including bacterial and fungal pathogens. On traditional dental implants, these pathogens can quickly form a so-called biofilm, which is resistant to antimicrobial drugs like antibiotics. As a result, these implants come with a significant risk of infections that may be difficult to treat.

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KU Leuven researchers have now developed a new dental implant that reduces the risk of infections. "Our implant has a built-in reservoir underneath the crown of the tooth," explains lead author Kaat De Cremer. "A cover screw makes it easy to fill this reservoir with antimicrobial drugs (see image 1). The implant is made of a porous composite material, so that the drugs gradually diffuse from the reservoir to the outside of the implant, which is in direct contact with the bone cells (see image 2). As a result, the bacteria can no longer form a biofilm."

In the lab, the implant was subjected to various tests for use with chlorhexidine, a universal mouthwash with a powerful antimicrobial effect. The study shows that the Streptococcus mutans, a type of mouth bacteria that affect the teeth, can no longer form biofilms on the outside of the implant when the reservoir is filled with the mouthwash. Biofilms that were grown beforehand on the implant could be eliminated in the same way. This means that the implant is effective in terms of both preventing and curing infections.
Mandarin makes you more musical - and at a much earlier age than previously thought. That's the suggestion of a new study from the University of California San Diego. But hold on there, overachiever parents, don't' rush just yet to sign your kids up for Chinese lessons instead of piano.

In a paper published in Developmental Science, an international team of researchers shows that among the preschool set - or young children between the ages of 3 and 5 - native speakers of Mandarin Chinese are better than their English-speaking counterparts at processing musical pitch.

The implications of the findings go beyond determining who may have a head-start in music, the researchers say. The work shows that brain skills learned in one area affect learning in another.

"A big question in development, and also in cognition in general, is how separate our mental faculties actually are," said lead author Sarah Creel of the Department of Cognitive Science in UC San Diego's Division of Social Sciences. "For instance, are there specialized brain mechanisms that just do language? Our research suggests the opposite - that there's permeability and generalization across cognitive abilities.

The researchers conducted two separate experiments with similar groups of young Mandarin Chinese learners and English learners. They tested a total of 180 children on tasks involving pitch contour and timbre. Where the English and Mandarin speakers performed similarly on the timbre task, the Mandarin speakers significantly outperformed on pitch, aka tone.

Mandarin is a tone language. In a tone language, the tone in which a word is said not only conveys a different emphasis or emotional content, but an altogether different meaning. For instance, the syllable "ma" in Mandarin can mean "mother," "horse," "hemp" or "scold," depending on the pitch pattern of how it's spoken. Mandarin-language learners quickly learn to identify the subtle changes in pitch to convey the intended outcome, while "ma" in English can really only mean one thing: "mother." It's the linguistic attention to pitch that gives young Mandarin speakers an advantage in perceiving pitch in music, the authors conclude.

"Both language and music contain pitch changes, so if language is a separate mental faculty, then pitch processing in language should be separate from pitch processing in music," Creel said. "On the other hand, if these seemingly different abilities are carried out by overlapping cognitive mechanisms or brain areas, then experience with musical pitch processing should affect language pitch processing, and vice versa."

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Co-author Gail Heyman, of UC San Diego's Department of Psychology, who specializes in development, added: "Demonstrating that the language you speak affects how you perceive music -at such an early age and before formal training - supports the theory of cross-domain learning."

Tone languages are common in parts of Africa, East Asia and Central America, with estimates that as much as 70 percent of world languages may be considered tonal. Other tonal languages besides Mandarin include Thai, Yoruba and Xhosa.

Creel and Heyman's work follows on a hypothesis first put forth by Diana Deutsch, also of UC San Diego, that experience with a tonal language leads to enhanced pitch perception in music. Deutsch studied skilled adult students of music and tested them on absolute or "perfect" pitch. Absolute pitch is the relatively rare ability to recognize a musical note without reference to any other notes.

Relative pitch, or understanding the pitch relationships between notes, is the focus of the present study. Relative pitch allows you to sing in key and be in tune with other people around you.

"We show for the first time that tone-language experience is associated with advanced musical pitch processing in young children," the study co-authors write. "There are far-reaching theoretical implications for neuroscience and behavior, and our research has important practical implications for designing early intervention programs, or 'brain training' regimes.'"

But that said, don't ditch your child's music lessons for language, or language lessons for music, Heyman and Creel caution. It's still true that to succeed at music, you need to study music. And learning an additional language is a demonstrably good thing in itself, too - whether or not it makes you a better musician.

Source: University of California - San Diego
Oregon State University researchers have developed a new weapon in the battle against antibiotic-resistant germs - a molecule that neutralizes the bugs' ability to destroy the antibiotic.

Scientists at OSU were part of an international collaboration that demonstrated the molecule's ability to inhibit expression of an enzyme that makes bacteria resistant to a wide range of penicillins.

The molecule is a PPMO, short for peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer. The enzyme it combats is known as New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase, or NDM-1, and it's accompanied by additional genes that encode resistance to most if not all antibiotics.

"We're targeting a resistance mechanism that's shared by a whole bunch of pathogens," said Bruce Geller, professor of microbiology in OSU's College of Science and College of Agricultural Sciences, who's been researching molecular medicine for more than a decade. "It's the same gene in different types of bacteria, so you only have to have one PPMO that's effective for all of them, which is different than other PPMOs that are genus specific."

The Oregon State study showed that in vitro the new PPMO restored the ability of an antibiotic -- in this case meropenem, an ultra-broad-spectrum drug of the carbapenem class -- to fight three different genera of bacteria that express NDM-1. The research also demonstrated that a combination of the PPMO and meropenem was effective in treating mice infected with a pathogenic strain of E. coli that is NDM-1 positive.

Results of the study, supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, were recently published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

Geller says the PPMO will likely be ready for testing in humans in about three years.

"We've lost the ability to use many of our mainstream antibiotics," Geller said. "Everything's resistant to them now. That's left us to try to develop new drugs to stay one step ahead of the bacteria, but the more we look the more we don't find anything new. So that's left us with making modifications to existing antibiotics, but as soon as you make a chemical change, the bugs mutate and now they're resistant to the new, chemically modified antibiotic."

That progression, Geller explains, made the carbapenems, the most advanced penicillin-type antibiotic, the last line of defense against bacterial infection.

"The significance of NDM-1 is that it is destroys carbapenems, so doctors have had to pull out an antibiotic, colistin, that hadn't been used in decades because it's toxic to the kidneys," Geller said. "That is literally the last antibiotic that can be used on an NDM-1-expressing organism, and we now have bacteria that are completely resistant to all known antibiotics. But a PPMO can restore susceptibility to antibiotics that have already been approved, so we can get a PPMO approved and then go back and use these antibiotics that had become useless."
UNC clinical geneticists are part of a national consortium of researchers studying the ins and outs of genome sequencing for newborn health screenings and beyond.

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 babys 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 babys health? How would that work? What should parents learn about their babys genome? What shouldnt 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 Womens Hospital/ Boston Childrens Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine

UC-San Diego Rady Childrens Institute for Genomic Medicine and Children's Mercy Kansas City

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 childs 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 consortiums work, published today in the journal Pediatrics. This is one of the main bioethics questions of our time: how much should we protect a childs 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 childs autonomy or potentially even harm the child if parents learned or intervened too much.

One clear example is Huntingtons 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 saidBerg 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.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

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.

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 childs 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.

Were learning when the best time is to approach parents, Berg said. Clearly, immediately after birth we cant just say to a new mom and dad, wed like to talk to you for a few hours about your thoughts on sequencing your childs entire genome.

Were learning what kinds of decision aids and other resources parents need, such as genetic counseling. Were wrestling with how to implement this in practice when we already have a shortage of genetic counselors in the United States. We cant 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 Womens Hospital and Alan Beggs, PhD, of the Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research at Boston Childrens 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 todays 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.

Berg said the consortium is finding that while many parents simply arent interested in genomic sequencing for their newborns, theres 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.
A team of researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has helped uncover the elusive structure of a cancer cell receptor protein that can be leveraged to fight disease progression. Previous studies have showed blocking the receptor can slow tumor growth and metastasis in certain cases. However, the development of drugs (inhibitors) has been slowed by an absence of structural information on this highly unstable membrane protein. Armed with the new study, drug developers can now design molecules that nestle into the receptor's binding sites to modulate its function or outcompete native ligands.

The research team, including Mark Chance PhD, professor and vice dean for research at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, identified for the first time regions where the receptor interacts with other molecules, including investigational drugs. The findings, published in Nature Communications, provide the first complete structural model for an important class of proteins that sit in the membranes of several types of normal and cancer cells, and are critical mediators of cell-cell communication.

Lab Diagnostics & Automation eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

Chance and the team, including investigators at Case Western Reserve University and the University of San Diego, used multiple biochemical and bioinformatics approaches, including novel mass spectrometry techniques, to produce models of "atypical chemokine receptor 3," or ACKR3, alone and in complex with a drug currently in phase 2 trials for treatment of glioblastoma tumors. The researchers also created models of ACKR3 interacting with chemokines, small molecules naturally circulating in the body that control cell movement. The feat required mapping ACKR3 in multiple states, as it dramatically changes shape when bound by these molecular triggers of cell movement.

Said Chance, "ACKR3 is considered an important anti-cancer and immune system target for drug development. ACKR3 can signal cells to grow and move accelerating their cancer potential. By mapping the protein's interactions with known activators as well as drugs that can manipulate function, we can understand its mechanism of action including where the drugs bind and what changes occur in ACKR3 as a result of these interactions."

Chance and his research team used over 100 molecular probes to cover all the static and dynamic regions of ACKR3. The probes helped the team visualize ACKR3 in the laboratory and piece together its structure. "Drug binding results in a conformational change in ACKR3 similar to those of other proteins in its class," said Chance. "We were surprised that the mechanism is so consistent across many types of receptors."

The state-of-the-art techniques used by the team are helping to map other types of cancer-related cell proteins to guide drug development. Information from the study may also allow refinement of compounds currently under development to treat a multitude of cancers.
Scientists under the leadership of the University of Bonn have harnessed rabies viruses for assessing the connectivity of nerve cell transplants: coupled with a green fluorescent protein, the viruses show where replacement cells engrafted into mouse brains have connected to the host neural network. A clearing procedure which turns the brain into a 'glass-like state' and light sheet fluorescence microscopy are used to visualize host-graft connections in a whole-brain preparation. The approach opens exciting prospects for predicting and optimizing the ability of neural transplants to functionally integrate into a host nervous system. The results have now been published in the specialist journal "Nature Communications".

Many diseases and injuries result in a loss of nerve cells. Scientists are working on tackling this challenge by transplanting neurons. In Parkinson's disease, for instance, this is attempted with implanted dopamine-producing nerve cells. The key question for such techniques is whether the implanted cells actually connect with the existing neural network of the host brain and thus compensate the functional loss. "Previous methods only provided an incomplete or very small-scale insight into the functional integration of implanted neurons in the brain," says Prof. Oliver Brustle from the Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology at the University of Bonn and LIFE & BRAIN GmbH.

Exploiting viral spreading across neurons

Together with scientists of various disciplines at the University of Bonn and cooperation partners from Cologne and Chicago (USA), the team led by Prof. Brustle developed a new technique: "This enables the connection of implanted cells in the entire brain to be visualized in high resolution." The basis of this technology is provided by genetically altered rabies viruses. The researchers are exploiting the fact that these viruses spread backwards via nerve cell junctions - called synapses. The genetically altered rabies virus, which is no longer dangerous to humans, carries a fluorescent protein. Upon infection of the graft, the transplanted neurons turn green. At the same time, the 'green' virus spreads backwards across established synapses to connected host neurons, which are also turning green.

A three-dimensional nerve circuit diagram across a transparent brain

To visualize the labeled cells, the team first employed a special clearing procedure. "This technique makes it possible to turn the brains completely transparent - almost as glass," says Dr. Martin Schwarz from the Bonn Department of Epileptology, who perfected this technique. The transparent brain is then studied layer by layer, similar to computer tomography, using what is known as a light sheet fluorescence microscope, which Prof. Ulrich Kubitscheck and his team at the Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Bonn developed specifically for this purpose.

"With this technique, the brain is scanned in high resolution in over 1,000 virtual optical sections; the data is then reconstructed three-dimensionally," explains Prof. Kubitscheck. "As the implanted neurons and the recipient's nerve cells connected to them light up green, a three-dimensional brain map can be created that delineates all the recipient cells connected to the transplant - the graft connectome," says Dr. Jonas Doerr, who first-authored the study together with Martin Schwarz.

As the brain tissue itself becomes invisible after the clearing procedure, the researchers in a last step aligned the fluorescent maps with neuroanatomical data generated via magnetic resonance tomography of mouse brains. "Similar to cities on a globe, all of the cells marked in green can thus be allocated to distinct anatomical territories," says Prof. Mathias Hoehn from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne, whose group conducted these calculations.

Great potential for the development of nerve cell transplants

"Our findings show that the transplanted neurons integrate in a remarkably region-specific manner into the different transplant sites," reports Prof. Brustle. The researchers hope that the new approach will be particularly useful for studying and optimizing the ability of neuronal transplants to connect with the host brain before they are used for clinical therapy. As a next step, they plan to use the rabies system to investigate how human dopamine-producing cells can be best wired into the brain of mice with induced Parkinson-like symptoms.
Penne (Italy) (AFP) - At least 25 people, including several children, were feared dead Thursday after a devastating avalanche buried an Italian mountain hotel under snow and mud.

Rescue work continued into the night but the prospects of anyone being rescued alive from the ill-fated Hotel Rigopiano looked bleak, with rescue efforts hampered by heavy snow that had blocked access roads to the remote site.

The hotel was engulfed by a two-metre (six-feet) high wall of snow late on Wednesday afternoon with the impact powerful enough to rip the three-storey building from its foundations and move it ten metres (yards).

"We're holding on to hope that there are survivors inside," Deputy Interior Minister Filippo Bubbico told reporters in the town of Penne, where a camp for rescue workers has been set up.

"Firefighters and alpine rescuers are working tirelessly and now the army is doing everything to improve access to the route," he said.

Special army mountain rescue teams were seen riding in vehicles with caterpillar tracks.

"A small avalanche has created a wall of snow across the path to the hotel, we are heading up there now to knock it down," said army Major Nicola Cappozolo.

"We're preparing for another long night but as long as there is hope of finding survivors we'll be there."

The first rescue workers only reached the remote site in the early hours of Thursday and it was midday by the time a snow plough and the first mechanical excavation equipment got there.

Two bodies were extracted from the rubble and two survivors were taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia.

Italian broadcasters showed images of piles of masonry and rubble in the entrance area of what they dubbed a "coffin hotel".

- Wife and children missing -

The region was hit by four seismic shocks measuring above five magnitude in the space of four hours on Wednesday, when at least one person was confirmed to have died. Quake experts said the tremors almost certainly triggered the snowslide.

Story continues

The hotel's guests had been assembled on the ground floor awaiting an evacuation following the quakes that was delayed by snow-blocked roads when the avalanche struck.

Local officials confirmed two guests who were not inside when the avalanche struck had been rescued.

One of them, identified as Giampiero Parete, 38, was quoted by friends in Italian media as saying his wife and two children, a girl aged six and a boy aged eight, had been inside the hotel.

Officials said there had been between 20 and 22 guests staying and seven or eight staff on duty at the hotel on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain. It was unclear if there were any additional people in the hotel.

The first mountain police on the scene got there by helicopter around 0300 GMT with others following on skis.

They reported no signs of life inside the building and one of their commanding officers told reporters: "There are many dead."

Ambulances were blocked for hours by two metres of snow in the nearest village, Farindola, some nine kilometres (5.5 miles) away, according to the civil protection agency.

- Fears for some local families -

The hotel, a four-star establishment with its own spa and indoor pool, was located at an altitude of 1,200 metres (3,900 feet) around 90 kilometres (55 miles) east of the epicentres of Wednesday's earthquakes. They were also centred near Amatrice, the town devastated in an August quake in which nearly 300 people died.

A region dominated by Gran Sasso, a majestic 2,912 metres (9,554 feet) peak, has numerous small ski resorts popular with day-trippers from Rome and urban centres on Italy's east coast.

The one person confirmed dead Wednesday was a man found buried under the debris of a building in Castel Castagna, a small town to the north of Farindola.

The quakes affected an area that straddles the regions of Lazio, Marche and Abruzzo which is home to many remote mountain hamlets.

Although many residents had been evacuated from their homes after last year's quakes, there were fears for families who had decided to stay and are now cut off.

Guido Castelli, the mayor of the Marche town of Ascoli said his staff were trying to check on around 1,000 people in cut-off hamlets.

Schools in the affected region have been closed until next week to allow structural safety checks to be carried out.

Italy is prone to earthquakes but has rarely suffered so many in quick succession.

Since the Amatrice disaster, there have been nine shocks measuring more than a five magnitude and a total of 47,000 registered aftershocks.

Italy straddles the Eurasian and African tectonic plates, making it vulnerable to seismic activity when they move.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are tumors that arise is the wall of the digestive tract, and most often occur in the stomach or small intestine. Though more common in later in life, GISTs can occur in adolescents and young adults (AYA) under 40 years old as well.

Writing in the January 18, 2017 issue of JAMA Surgery, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine report findings from the first population-based analysis of AYA patients with GIST.

The retrospective cohort study, using the National Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database, looked at patients with recorded diagnoses of GIST between 2001 and 2013, with follow-up through 2015. Of the 5,765 patients with recorded cases of GIST, 392 were AYA between the ages of 13 and 39.

The researchers, headed by senior author Jason Sicklick, MD, associate professor of surgery and surgical oncologist at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, found that small intestine tumors in AYA patients were associated with improved survival compared to stomach tumors.

The opposite is true in older adult patients, according to Katherine Fero, lead author of the study. "Many earlier studies, including one from our group, have shown that stomach GISTs have a better prognosis when we look at all patients with GIST. Thus, there is likely something biologically unique about GISTs in younger people."

Perhaps not surprisingly, AYA patients are more likely to be treated surgically than older adults (84.7 percent vs. 78.4 percent), who may have additional confounding health factors. AYA patients whose tumors were managed non-operatively had a 2-fold increased risk of death from GIST. In a subset analysis of AYA patients with metastatic GIST, surgical management was also associated with improved survival: 69.5 percent compared to 53.7 percent five years after diagnosis.

"The study suggests that in AYA patients, surgical management of their GIST is associated with improved overall and GIST-specific survival, including among patients whose cancer has spread," said Sicklick.
General Motors Co on Tuesday confirmed it will invest an additional $1 billion 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.

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 Incs 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. American Axle did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Also read: General Motors Moving Forward on Sale of Gujarat Car Plant to Chinas SAIC

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.

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 GMs 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 GMs 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.

Also read: General Motors Gives Robust 2017 Profit Outlook, Boosting Shares

Trump has been inaccurate in describing some U.S. auto investments, wrongly saying last week that Fiat Chrysler 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 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 <005380.KS> and Kia Motors Corp <000270.KS>, 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.

GMs general plan is to build where we sell, and were focused on what were doing in the United States, Chief Executive Mary Barra said in an interview with Reuters on Monday.

Barra, who said she planned to attend Trumps inauguration, said GM wants to work with him, adding, I do believe we have more in common than we have areas that we arent aligned.
Mumbai: RBI Governor Urjit Patel has told colleagues that any effort to belittle the reputation of the central bank deserves "zero tolerance" and asked them to guard the integrity of the institution.



In his first address to the staff after taking over as the 24th Governor on September 4, 2016, Patel, in an email, said the RBI has achieved the excellence only because of the collective efforts of its employees.



Specifically talking about the withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes by the Centre on November 8, he said, "Let me emphasise that one thing we should all zealously guard is the integrity and reputation of our organisation and any act belittling the same should deserve zero tolerance from all of us."



It may be noted that during the demonetisation drive, a few senior RBI employees were held for alleged money laundering and illegal exchange of banned notes. Following this, the CBI had in December arrested a few RBI officials.



Post-note ban announcement, the RBI in general and Patel in particular, were also criticised by Opposition politicians as well as analysts over "abdication" of responsibility by the monetary authority.



Some of Patel's predecessors including D Subbarao, Y V Reddy, Bimal Jalan, and Manmohan Singh, criticised the apex bank for not doing enough to reassure the public in the wake of currency invalidation exercise.



During the 50-day demonetisation period, the RBI faced flak for numerous flip-flops over currency exchange norms.



"I am confident that all of us working together will rise to the occasion and face these challenges in a manner befitting the reputation of this esteemed organisation," Patel said in his email to the employees on the eve of the New Year.



Patel said that during the year gone-by, RBI continued its efforts at restoring macroeconomic stability to the economy.



"While the policy actions have already shown positive effects, nevertheless they are work in progress and need to be fine-tuned constantly to keep pace with the changing environment," he said.



RBI employees union, feeling "deeply humiliated" by the events since demonetisation, on January 13 wrote a letter to Patel protesting against operational mismanagement in the exercise and the government bid to impinge on its autonomy by appointing an official for currency coordination.



In the letter, they claimed this has "dented beyond repair" RBI's autonomy. They said appointment of a senior Finance Ministry official for currency coordination was a "blatant encroachment" on RBI's exclusive turf of currency management.


New Delhi: Amid widespread concerns over impending policies of Donald Trump, who is set to take charge as US President on Friday, Nasscom is planning a visit to the US in the next few weeks to reach out to American policymakers and lawmakers.



"We will be taking the earliest possible opportunity to meet lawmakers, policymakers and administration in the US.

While specific dates are yet to worked out, we are looking at February-March timeframe for the visit," Nasscom President R Chandrashekhar told PTI.



He said the IT industry body hopes to highlight and share information with the new US administration on direct jobs created by Indian IT companies in the US, and contribution of Indian IT firms in making the US economy competitive.



He said that according to data available, Indian IT companies have created 4.11 lakh jobs in the US of which 1.5 lakh are direct employment.



Besides job creation, Indian IT industry has also contributed to the US economy in terms of tax payment, social security outgo and CSR activities.



"It's a whole new administration. Many people coming in may not have had opportunity to look at different dimensions, and the contribution of Indian tech companies," Chandrashekhar said.



The industry has been arguing that corporate America also needs India's technology services, given the shortage of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills.



"The fact is that according to US' own statistics, over one million IT-related jobs will remain unfilled in 2018," he said.



Already battling headwinds of a slowing growth, the USD 150-billion Indian IT industry has been concerned about "creeping" protectionism and negative sentiments in its key markets including the US, which accounts for nearly 60 per cent of its export earnings.



Earlier this month, a Bill targeting H-1B visas was reintroduced in the US Congress, by two lawmakers who said it will help crack down on the work visa abuse.



Donald Trump, who is all set to take over as the 45th US President, is known for his hardline stance on protectionism and anti-immigration.



While the industry has tried putting up a brave front, there are deep concerns about tightening of visa norms that will push up the cost of doing business. They have also been bracing up to mitigate the impact and have ramped up local hiring even though the move will eat into their margins.
So proud of @POTUS and all that we've accomplished together. An incredible journey filled with remarkable people. I love you Barack. -mo pic.twitter.com/TFUN3GDLyz  The First Lady (@FLOTUS) January 11, 2017

In a recent post on The White House's official page, outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama wrote a touching post dedicated to husband and outgoing President of the United States of America Barack Obama. She wrote, "Being your First Lady has been the honor of a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."On Tuesday, Barack Obama addressed America and the world for the last time as US president in a speech that was both a tearful goodbye and a call to arms.Capping eight years in the White House, Obama returned to his adopted hometown of Chicago to recast his "yes we can" campaign credo as "yes we did."And all through these eight years the one person who's back Obama always had was none other than his wife Michelle. And in his farewell speech the outgoing President never forgot to thank his wife and his family for supporting him and doing extremely well even in difficult times.He said, "Michelle - for the past twenty-five years, you've been not only my wife and mother of my children, but my best friend. You took on a role you didn't ask for and made it your own with grace and grit and style and good humor. You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody. And a new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model. You've made me proud. You've made the country proud."Michelle too, time and again has displayed her love and support for her husband. On the day Barack was to deliver his farewell speech, Michelle took to Twitter and wrote, "So proud of @POTUS and all that we've accomplished together. An incredible journey filled with remarkable people. I love you Barack. -mo (sic)."The love, affection, support that the two show for each other, the sweet talks and little moments that they steal despite being in public glare, the care they express for one another is nothing less than magical. And it seems as if the two were always meant to be together.U.S. President Barack Obama embraces his wife Michelle Obama after his farewell address in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama cuddle together as they participate in the National Christmas Tree lighting in Washington.POTUS and FLOTUS react while waiting for the arrival of the Iceland Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson and his wife at a state dinner in the White House during the U.S.-Nordic Leaders Summit in Washington.In a cute moment, Michelle Obama touches the chin of Barack Obama before the arrival of Nordic leaders at the White House in Washington.First lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama perform a reading of the children's book "Where the Wild Things Are" for children gathered for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington.Barack Obama has his tie adjusted by Michelle Obama as they await the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan for a State Dinner at the White House in Washington.The couple toasts during an official dinner with South African President Jacob Zuma (unseen) at the presidential guest house in Pretoria.The two react in a similar manner as the car carrying Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, arrives at Winfield House in London.U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama make their way from the State Dining Room to the East Room to hear Earth Wind and Fire perform at the Governors dinner at the White House in Washington.President Barack Obama wipes raindrops off the shoulder of first lady Michelle Obama as they arrive at the Phipps Conservatory for an opening reception and working dinner for heads of delegation at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dance at the Home States Ball on the evening of the president's inauguration in Washington.The couple toast during the official dinner at the La Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago.U.S. President Barack Obama moves to kiss his wife, Michelle, during the inauguration ceremony in Washington, January 20, 2009. Obama became the first African-American president in U.S. history.(All images sourced from Reuters)
Crabe Royal, 19 Place de la Madeleine, Paris, France. (Photo courtesy: AFP Relaxnews/ Crabe Royal)

Saucette is revamping the image of the sausage in a new Paris eatery. (Photo courtesy: AFP Relaxnews)

The "Game of Thrones" theme bar in Scotland. (Photo courtesy: AFP Relaxnews/ Blood and wine bar Instagram)

What's new in the world of food for 2017? Here's a look at some of Europe's latest theme bars and restaurants.The Kaspia group, which renovated chic Parisian haunts Caviar Kaspia and La Maison de la Truffe, starts 2017 on a saltier note with a restaurant entirely dedicated to king crab. Located in the French capital's Place de la Madeleine, the eatery celebrates the flavors of this king-sized crustacean, which can measure up to two meters across. Rather than the Norwegian species, it is the red king crab (also known as the Kamchatka king crab), fished off the coast of Alaska, that inspires the menu. Echoing the current trend for lobster hot dogs -- now also embracing octopus -- the giant sea creature will be served in a burger bun, wrapped in a spring roll or accompanied by noodles. Crab fans with more classic tastes can enjoy the legs grilled, caramelized or served in a gratin 19, Place de la Madeleine, 75008 Paris, France.Sausages such as France's tripe-based andouillette and other specialties are back in vogue in the French capital. A new restaurant, opened at the beginning of January, hopes to bring a chic upmarket vibe to meaty treats in a menu where sausages take center stage. Saucette has sourced quality fare directly from regional producers to serve up a selection of "proper" sausages, with evocative names such as the "Louboudin," a black pudding ("boudin noir") sausage from Mortagne au Perche, and "Socis Reding," a marinated beef and sesame seed concoction. Seasonal dishes can be enjoyed at the restaurant or to take away.In Scotland, the latest tribute to the hit TV series "Game of Thrones" takes the form of a bar where customers can sample wines, of course, or cocktails with evocative names such as "Myrish Fire Wine." Everything here is reminiscent of Westeros, the world in which the historical fantasy series is set. The bar has the look of a tavern, adorned with shields, swords and the skins of various beasts. Fans may be disappointed to hear that this is only a temporary pop-up, open every Wednesday and Thursday in January and February. The team behind the project previously opened a "Breaking Bad" pop-up and could strike again with "Harry Potter" or "The Walking Dead" theme bars.Peanut butter brand Pip&Nut has opened an eatery dedicated to its star spread in a famous London department store. The pop-up, located in the Selfridges Foodhall, serves grilled toast-based concoctions featuring nut spreads. Open daily from 7:30am to 12:30pm until February 12, the bar serves recipes featured in the brand's recent cookbook, such as toast with grated apple, peanut butter and maple syrup.Whether fried, in a burger or smashed, avocado will be served in all kinds of creative ways at this eagerly awaited bar, set to open in Amsterdam this February. Guacamole will obviously be on the menu, and the superfood will also be whizzed up into smoothies. Fans of the fruit can enjoy avocado-based delights from dawn to dusk, as the bar will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner until midnight.
Tragic road accident in Aliganj Etah. Over 15 school kids feared dead. Rescue of injured ongoing.  Javeed (@javeeddgpup) January 19, 2017

Priority is to rescue trapped children. Rescue operation is underway. Strict action will be taken against the school: UP DGP Javeed Ahmad  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 19, 2017

I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest: PM Narendra Modi  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 19, 2017

More than 24 children dead. School was open against the order of district admin to close schools due to cold weather-UP DGP on Etah accident  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 19, 2017

At least 15 children were today killed and several others injured when their school bus collided with a lorry amid dense fog on Aliganj-Paliyali road.The bus was carrying students to J S Vidyaniketan school which had opened despite the district magistrate's orders to keep all schools closed in view of intense cold, officials said.The mishap occurred near Asadnagar village under Aliganj Kotwali police station area in Etah, which is four hours drive from the national capital.District Magistrate, Etah, Shambhu Nath put the toll at 15 and said eight of them died on the spot.Near 20 injured students were rushed to different hospitals, he said.The toll might increase, local officials feared.The District Magistrate said orders have been issued to cancel the recognition of the school.Twelve of those killed have been identified, he said, adding the deceased were in the 5-15 years age bracket.Soon after getting the news, senior officials rushed to the accident spot and supervised rescue and relief operations.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the death of children in the mishap."Anguished by the tragic accident in UP's Etah district. I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole passing away of young children," he said in a tweet."I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest," he said.Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav also condoled the death of the children in the mishap.The Chief Minister has asked the district officials to launch all out rescue operations and ensure proper treatment of the injured.
Agartala: Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar would jointly inaugurate a 44.76-km new railway line to connect Agartala with Udaipur, the district headquarters of Gomati, on January 24.



The Railway Minister said this to the chief minister when he called on him on Wednesday in Delhi, an official release said.



Prabhu also assured Sarkar that the Agartala-Udaipur railway track, which is being extended up to Sabroom, the southernmost town of the state near Bangladesh, would be completed by 2019.



Sabroom is just 75 kms from the Chittagong international sea port in Bangladesh.



The Railway Minister also informed that a nodal officer of the Railway Board would be appointed in Tripura for coordinating with the state government to expedite the ongoing projects.



Sources in the Northeast Frontier Railway said that the NFR had invested over Rs 1,000 crore to extend the 44.76-km railway line up to Udaipur.
New Delhi: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre for an explanation on the alleged exodus in the western Uttar Pradesh town of Kairana.



A bench, headed by Allahabad HC Chief Justice DP Bhosale, directed the state government to prepare a response by February 2, the date of the next hearing on the matter.



Lokesh Khurana, a Meerut-based activist, had filed a petition with the HC on January 12. Speaking to News 18, Khurana said, There were very disturbing reports about members of one community fleeing the town of Kairana. After that, similar reports started coming from other parts of western UP as well. This is an alarming situation and a complete breakdown of law and order in the state. A total of 346 families had fled from Kairana and Kandhla alone. I approached the HC and demanded that a CBI probe be conducted on the Kairana exodus and other such instances.



Rajesh Mishra, Khuranas lawyer, said, On Thursday, the court held the first hearing in the case. The HC took a very serious view of the matter and agreed that this was cause for concern. The bench directed the UP government, the Shamli district administration, UP Police and the Union Principal Secretary (Home) to prepare a response. The next hearing on the case has been scheduled for February 2. We are confident that the honorable High Court will take strict action in this case. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has already expressed concern over the exodus in Kairana.



Communal tensions in western UP were at a high in the months of June and July in 2016 after Kairanas BJP MP Hukum Singh alleged that 250 Hindu families had fled the town over the last few years in a mass exodus due to pressure from another community.



Singh had even claimed that Kairana was becoming another Kashmir with Hindu families fleeing. While the BJP leadership endorsed his claims, the district administration and the ruling Samajwadi Party vehemently denied them. According to the local administration, only three families had left Kairana due to worsening law and order. Singh, however, received a huge fillip after the NHRC vindicated his claims and held riot-refugees responsible for altering the demographics of the small town. This had led to a disagreement between the NHRC and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), which held that the reports of an exodus were exaggerated.



The BJP hailed the HC decision as a victory. Singh said, I am glad that this issue is coming out in the public eye. The law and order in UP has broken down. I hope that the state government takes the HC verdict as a wakeup call. Traders have been hounded out of Kairana because they could either not pay the extortion money or refused to do so. As a result, the economy of the town has also been hit. Our party has been raising this issue for quite some time now. I spoke to the lawyer who is fighting the case in the High Court and we assured him all possible help in the matter.




New Delhi: Delhi Police chief Alok Verma was on Thursday appointed the next director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).



The post of CBI director had been lying vacant for over one month following Anil Sinha's retirement on December 2. At present, Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana is the interim director of the investigating agency.



Vermas name was cleared by a three-member selection panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprising Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar and Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge as members.



Kharge is understood to have recorded his dissent note on Verma's name, during the meeting of the selection committee held on January 16, on the ground that the officer had never served in CBI.



Verma made it to the top post in the premier investigating agency pipping a number of contenders, including Director General of Indo Tibetan Border Police Krishna Choudhary and Maharashtra's Director General of Police SC Mathur.



As CBI chief, Verma will have a fixed two-year tenure.



The post of CBI director was lying vacant for over one month following Anil Sinha's retirement on December 2.



Verma, a 1979 batch IPS officer of Arunachal Pradesh- Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, took over as Delhi Police Commissioner on February 29, 2016.

Verma, 59, who belongs to Delhi, has worked in various positions in Delhi Police, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Mizoram and in the Intelligence Bureau.



Before being appointed as Delhi Police Commissioner, he was Director General of Tihar Prisons here.



Verma is the 27th Director (including two acting chief) of the CBI.



(With PTI inputs)


the kahuaina plantation is located on 357 acres of land in kilauea hawaii

Mark Zuckerberg paid close to $100 million for 700 acres of beachfront property on the island of Kauai in 2014.

Now the Facebook billionaire is suing a few hundred Hawaiians who still have legal-ownership claims to parts of his vacation estate through their ancestors, as first reported by the Honolulu Star Advertiser.

Three holding companies controlled by Zuckerberg filed eight lawsuits in local court on December 30 against families who collectively inherited 14 parcels of land through the Kuleana Act, a Hawaiian law established in 1850 that for the first time gave natives the right to own the land that they lived on.

The 14 parcels total just 8.04 of the 700 acres Zuckerberg owns, but the law gives any direct family member of a parcel's original owner the right to enter the otherwise private compound. Only one of the parcels is being used, by a retired professor named Carlos Andrade, who has joined Zuckerberg as a coplaintiff in the lawsuits.

The quiet-title suits filed are designed to identify all property owners and give them the ability to sell their ownership stakes at auction, according to Keoni Shultz, an attorney representing Zuckerberg. Because the ownership stakes are passed down and divided among family descendants by the state, many people don't realize they have a claim until action is taken against them in court.

It is common in Hawaii to have small parcels of land within the boundaries of a larger tract, and for the title to these smaller parcels to have become broken or clouded over time," Shultz told Business Insider in a statement. "In some cases, co-owners may not even be aware of their interests. Quiet title actions are the standard and prescribed process to identify all potential co-owners, determine ownership, and ensure that, if there are other co-owners, each receives appropriate value for their ownership share.

This isn't the first time that Zuckerberg has taken steps to fortify his Kauai property. Last year he angered neighbors by constructing a rock wall that blocked their views of the ocean.

Story continues

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

NOW WATCH: Something unprecedented is happening in the Pacific, and Hawaii could be in big trouble





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The Jallikattu Bill, tabled by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, has been passed unanimously by the Assembly on a day when protests took a violent turn.

After six days of peaceful protests, pro-Jallikattu demonstrations at Chennais Marina Beach turned violent when police tried to evict protesters from the area. Several vehicles and the citys Ice House Police Station were set on fire allegedly by protesters.

The protesters want a permanent change in law to replace the Ordinance promulgated by the Governor on Saturday and have refused to abandon post till then.

The Centre said it was monitoring the situation and that forces were on standby.

Stay tuned for live updates:

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here.
New Delhi: The Centre wants to catch the Jallikattu bull by the horns as BJP eyes a future in post-Jayalalithaa Tamil Nadu, but dissenting voices within led by Maneka Gandhi besides the law and environment ministries have got its hands tied.



As protests continue 48 hours after crowds started gathering in Chennai's Marina beach, the row reached New Delhi on Thursday with Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam personally calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into an urgent solution and Tamil super star Vishal Reddy beginning a fast in Jantar Mantar seeking a removal of the ban.



Top sources within the government told News18 that the PM has been closely monitoring the situation since Wednesday and had his paperwork ready when the CM met him Wednesday morning.



The PM has seen a note prepared by the Ministry for Environment and is studying the draft of an ordinance text (prepared earlier and modified recently) that would make the bull-taming sport legal again. The PM has also been briefed on the legal complexities in this regard, source said.



According to the tentative government plan, the Attorney General will tell the apex court that it has working on a new ordinance, which would address concerns of court.



But even within the government, there are dissenting voices mostly led by Women & Child Welfare Minister Maneka Gandhi. News18 learns that two crucial ministries, law and environment, has advised against any ordinance confronting the SC ruling.



It is learnt that CM Panneerselvam has demanded that the Centre promulgate an audience to circumvent the Supreme Court ban on the popular sport that has earned the wrath of animal rights activists.



But the PM is yet to take a decision, according to sources. For one, the Centre doesnt want to be seen as taking on the Supreme Court given the many run-ins during the tenure of former Chief Justice of India Justice TS Thakur.



But the BJP is hoping that Centre would weigh in favour of the sport as it eyes Tamil Nadu where the saffron camp sees an opportunity after the passing away of J Jayalalithaa last month.



The party doesnt want to antagonise Tamil sentiments and would want to give the impression that it is in sync with what Tamil Nadu thinks, a party leader told News18.




LeT commander Abu Musa was killed in an encounter with police and security forces in J&K's Bandipora (Hajin) today. pic.twitter.com/7CeQti0GRH  ANI (@ANI_news) January 19, 2017

Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvis nephew Abu Musaib was killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Parray Mohalla Hajin area under Bandipora district on Thursday morning.Based on intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists hiding in Parray Mohalla, a team of security forces rushed to the village and launched an anti-terror operation.During search operation, the terrorist hiding fire on them and in a retaliatory firing Musaib  a LeT commander - was killed.
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday raked up the Kashmir issue in his first meeting with the new UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres but got no positive response to his request for the world body's intervention in the issue.



Sharif, who met Guterres on the sidelines of World Economic Forum at Davos, said Kashmir needed attention of the UN, the Prime Minister's Office said here in a statement.



"A sustained dialogue process on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir is essential to make progress. It was in this spirit that we invited India for discussions on the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and aspirations of the Kashmiri people," Sharif to the UN chief.



The Pakistan Prime Minister claimed that India did not respond positively to his country's "invitation" for dialogue and adopted a "no-talks posture, vitiating the atmosphere through incendiary statements..."



According to the statement, Sharif also raised the issue of Indus Water Treaty with the UN Secretary General.



"We look forward to your leadership and good offices the United Nations has longstanding responsibility to play a role in the resolution of these issues," Sharif said.



Guterres gave no positive response to Sharif's demand.



He told Sharif that he was "fully cognizant of the sensitivity of the issues between India and Pakistan which has security consequences for the region," the statement said.



He praised Pakistan's contribution for the United Nations and Peace-keeping operations as well as hosting millions of Afghan refugees, the PMO said.



Sharif said his government's foremost priority was to build a peaceful neighbourhood.

"We are committed to lasting peace and security in our region and an environment conducive to economic cooperation; which is in the interest of all the people of South Asia," he said.



Sharif also praised the current Secretary General as the ideal candidate to take the UN forward into the 21st century and invited him to visit Pakistan at the earliest.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam may have pressed for an ordinance to revoke the Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu, but the Centre is unlikely to oblige when the matter is still sub-judice.



As much was conveyed to Panneerselvam when he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday. The Tamil Nadu CM said he was told by PM Modi that though his government backs the state's sentiment, nothing could be done as the matter is still in the apex court.



These are the reasons why a central ordinance looks unlikely at this point in time:



1) The Supreme Court is ready with the draft judgment on Jallikattu and it could deliver the verdict as early as Friday or in the coming week.



2) It makes political and legal sense for Centre to bring an ordinance, if needed, after an SC ruling and not before. The ordinance would be needed only if SC upholds ban on Jallikattu. It would make no sense if SC lifts the ban or permits it with strict regulations.



3) The ordinance route before a verdict is riddled with troubles. If an ordinance is promulgated before the SC verdict, it would amount to overriding the judicial route



4) If the ordinance is struck down by SC, it could prove to be an embarrassment for the Centre.




Lucknow: Going whole hog after Election Commission's nod to his coronation, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav revoked expulsion of nine MLCs and youth wing leaders, sacked for indiscipline earlier by his warring uncle Shivpal Yadav.



The decision to revoke their expulsion was a foregone conclusion though formal orders to this effect were issued late last night, taking them back in the party fold.



This is the first major decision taken by Akhilesh as the SP national President.



Nine leaders including MLCs Ananad Bhaduaria, Sunil Singh Sajan, Sanjay Lathar, Mulayam Singh Youth Brigade national and state president Gaurav Dubey and Mohammad Aibad were expelled in September last by then state president Shivpal after he replaced nephew Akhilesh on the post in a bitter power game.



Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha state chief Brajesh Yadav and his counterpart in Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha Digvijay Singh, who were also sacked on charges of indiscipline after they led an agitation demanding restatement of Akhilesh, are also back in the party.



MLC Udaiveer Singh, who was expelled for attacking Mulayam alleging he was under influence of "outsiders", too is back.



MLC Arvind Yadav, nephew of SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, against whom allegations of "land grabbing" was made by Shivpal while being sacked, has also been taken in.



Akhilesh also appointed Geeta Singh as the state president of SP Mahila Sabha and restored youth leaders back to their previous posts.



On Monday, Election Commission has settled the dispute over Samajwadi Party's name and symbol 'bicycle' in the UP CM Akhilesh's favour.



Taking full control of the ruling party after being crowned as its head at a disputed national convention here on January 1, Akhilesh has been going all out consolidating his grip over the organisation.



He has already made new appointments of district chiefs and also released list of candidates for the Legislative Council polls in his capacity as the SP chief.



Akhilesh appointed heads of 11 district party units in Mainpuri, Moradabad, Fatehpur, Etawah, Farukhabad, Hardoi, Firozabad, Deoria, Kushinagar, Azamgarh and Mirzapur.



The existing presidents of these district units were sacked with immediate effect to pave the way for new faces to demonstrate the chief minister's strengthening grip over the party.



Presidents in all these districts were dumped by Shivpal, who is state president of another faction of SP backed by Mulayam, his elder brother.



Apparently to send the message that he was in the driver's seat as 'president' of SP, Akhilesh has cleared the names of three candidates for the biennial elections to UP upper House for Kanpur-Unnao (Teachers constituency), Allahabad-Jhansi (Teachers constituency) and Bareilly-Moradabad (Graduates constituency).



These constituencies will go to polls on February 3.




Kannur: A BJP worker was allegedly hacked to death by activists linked to the ruling CPM in Kannur district of Kerala late on Wednesday.



Police said on Thursday that preliminary inquiry has revealed the suspects behind BJP worker Santosh's murder maybe affiliated with the CPM.



The incident happened around 11.30pm when Santosh was in his house.



A gang broke into his house and attacked him with swords. According to the police, Santosh sustained injuries to his leg and later died in the hospital.



BJP has called for a district level bandh in Kannur in protest against the worker.



The CPM has denied that it had any role in the murder. CPM district secretary P Jayarjan said that there is some case related to property dispute against santosh by his relatives, which should also be probed. He said that when he was arrested in this case, it was a CPM worker who bailed him out.



Jayarajan also said that the police dog brought to Santosh's house after murder followed a scent to the house of an RSS worker, Sudheesh.



He added that the murder cannot be blamed on the CPM and that police should bring out the real culprits.



Meanwhile, the school state youth festival is underway in Kannur which will be attended by hundreds of students and their parents.



Kannur is the ruling constituency of Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek promulgation of an ordinance to allow Jallikattu amid wide protests in his state against the ban on the annual bull taming sport.



Panneerselvam met with Modi at his residence soon after his arrival. The Chief Minister had last night said that all possible legal means would be explored to ensure justice for the state on the issue even as he maintained that it should not be construed that the Centre was "ignoring" the state on the matter.



Meanwhile, a group of youngsters protested outside the Tamil Nadu house here against the ban on Jallikattu.



Actor Vishal is also expected to hold a protest on the issue at Jantar Mantar.



Thousands of students had yesterday protested against the ban in Tamil Nadu.



Faced with mounting anger on the streets, the Chief Minister had decided to meet the Prime Minister.



AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala had also lent her support to the agitation and demanded that the Centre come out with an ordinance allowing the sport.








During an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, discussed the state of travel in 2017 as Donald Trump becomes the president of the United States.

There are a handful of things that could stir the pot, including the threat of global terrorism and the growth of the middle class around the world. But Sorenson highlighted the desire of some Americans  most notably reflected by Trumps election victory  to close off borders is one that requires his attention.

We had more than 75 million visitors from abroad to the US last year. That supported, we think, 2.5 million jobs. If you see all of that business disappear overnight that would be detrimental to our business, to our industry and to the economy as well, he said.

To keep that from happening, Sorenson is willing to venture into political territory. Thats the place where we will try to engage with the new Trump administration and make sure our voice is heard as an industry and for the economy.

Last September, Marriott International (MAR) acquired Starwood Hotels, forming the largest hotel company in the world. Nearly four months later, Marriott says theres still a lot of work to be done.

Sorenson told Yahoo Finance that the companys first priority was to make sure the transition went smoothly for customers. On the day we closed, we allowed SPG [Starwood Preferred Guest program] Members and Marriott Rewards members to link accounts, match status and transfer points from one program to the other, he said. That was very well received by customers.

According to Sorenson, that was just the tip of the iceberg, with the company now aiming to make each program work even better. I think we still have a lot of work to do to get to either one program or great alignment between the two programs as we go forward, he said. (The Marriott Rewards and SPG loyalty programs have about 85 million members combined.)

Story continues

Brittany is a writer at Yahoo Finance.

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New Delhi: The long-awaited alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress ahead of Uttar Pradesh elections may finally be struck on Friday.



A meeting of the Congress election committee is on and it could decide seats for the first phase of elections, for which nomination begins on January 21. This leaves little time for both the Samajwadi Party and the Congress. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and the partys state in-charge Raj Babbar could travel to Lucknow on Friday and officially announce the alliance.



The Congress is insisting on 100+ seats and wants to accommodate Ajit Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dal, which the SP is not so keen on. The Samajwadi Party SP, in fact, has officially conveyed that it wont align with the RLD.



This means the Congress will have to accommodate RLD from its kitty, posing a problem. The RLD has been insisting on 50 seats, while the Congress is keen on giving only 25+ seats. The RLD has a strong presence in western Uttar Pradesh and Congress feels the tie-up could be a winning combination.



In the 2012 Assembly polls, the SP had won 224 seats with a vote share of 29.3 percent, while the Congress had bagged 28 seats with an 11.7 percent vote share.



Efforts to cobble together a similar grand alliance in Bihar had come across a hurdle with the Samajwadi Party deciding to go it alone in the 2015 Assembly polls in that state.



The Bihar unit of the SP had demanded at least 27 seats, but later agreed to contest from 12.







When finally they were given only five seats, the party took it as a humiliation and decided to go solo.



Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in the country, will go to polls to elect 403-member House in seven phases between February 11 and March 8. Counting will be held on March 11.
Cities in India, China and Vietnam, along with several in the US, head the list of world's fastest changing cities in JLL's fourth annual City Momentum Index.





Other Indian cities in the list are Hyderabad at the 5th position, Pune (13), Chennai (18), Delhi (23) and Mumbai (25).





Six Indian cities have made it to the world's 30 most dynamic places that have the ability to embrace technological change, absorb rapid population growth and strengthen global connectivity, with Bengaluru topping the chart.Asia Pacific cities comprise half the top 30 fastest- changing cities."India has taken over from China as home to some of the world's most dynamic cities. Six Indian cities feature in the CMI Global Top 30, with the country's primary technology hub, Bangalore, moving into the top spot for the first time," JLL said.Top 10 cities in the JLL index are Bengaluru, Ho Chi Minh City, Silicon Valley, Shanghai, Hyderabad, London, Austin, Hanoi, Boston and Nairobi."With more than half the world's population currently living in cities, a proportion that is expected to grow substantially over the next few decades, the success of our cities takes on great importance," said Jeremy Kelly, JLL Director in Global Research.
Some Indian officials have baulked at Apple's (AAPL.O) demands for concessions before it assembles iPhones there, raising doubts about a spring deadline to launch a key project in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign to lure foreign investors.Read more: Panasonic P77 Review: Looks Good, But Offers Nothing Special The country is still keen for the U.S. tech giant to produce its signature smartphones there, and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that India would keep an "open mind" in negotiations."We will very much like Apple to come and have a base in India," he said.Read more: Reliance Jio Effect: Vodafone Offering 4GB Data for The Price of 1GB and More But Apple Inc's long list of demands, including tax concessions and several other policy exceptions, still faces resistance from officials who consider it excessive and unfair on foreign companies already operating in India.Their caution underlines how Modi's ambition to make India a global manufacturing hub, in order to drive the economy and create jobs for millions of people entering the workforce each year, will not be easy."We have not done this for anyone," said a senior government official whose department is one of several involved in evaluating the Apple proposal. "If we do this, we must see a lot of value addition."Another official involved in the review said the government should make policies for the industry, not individual companies."Apple is coming here because it sees a lucrative market, this is not a favour being done to India."Competitors such as South Korea's Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and China's Xiaomi have already set up manufacturing in the country.Apple did not respond to a request for comment.Modi met Apple CEO Tim Cook last May and discussed iPhone production in India.Where any plant would be located and how many people it might employ have yet to be finalised, although it would likely involve thousands of jobs.Attracting such a household name would be a valuable advertisement for a country shaking off a reputation for stifling bureaucracy, but officials are wary of tailoring rules to individual investors."What Apple is trying to do, if it happens, I think it will be available to everybody in the industry. I don't see the government of India making discriminatory policies," said Arvind Vohra, chief executive at Gionee India, part of Chinese smartphone maker Gionee.It is setting up a local manufacturing plant under India's existing rules.From Apple's point of view, the ambitious timeline agreed by Modi and Cook reflected its need to capture more of the fast-growing Indian market, where it has only about 2 percent share as iPhone sales in the United State and China have slowed.In a letter sent to the prime minister's office on Oct. 13 and seen by Reuters, it called on the government to "make the environment attractive" for it to make phones for the Indian market as well as for export.On the matter of duties, it said high import taxes on smartphones could lead to retaliation from trading blocs."This would increase the cost of India manufactured smartphones and in turn limit India's ambition of becoming a smartphone hub for the rest of the world."Despite the reluctance of some officials, Modi could intervene to get the Apple project back on schedule.In June, the government relaxed local sourcing rules for foreign retailers like Apple barely a month after the finance ministry turned down the company's request for a waiver.The company and its partners have reportedly won significant concessions before in other markets.On January 25, the departments of industry, information technology and electronics, and finance will meet Apple executives to consider the conditions set out by the firm in India, government officials said.In May, Modi and Cook agreed to work towards a "package" of four projects: assembling iPhones, opening Apple stores, importing certified pre-owned iPhones and refurbishing them in India, according to the letter.Apple said its initial focus was to set up manufacturing of iPhones in India over two phases, the first of which was to be introduced by spring this year.But after conducting due diligence on what it would take to get the project going, it determined its entry was "dependent on government support on a number of pre-requisites."The Cupertino, Calif.-based company listed a set of seven demands. Among them, it sought duty exemption on raw materials for manufacturing, components and capital equipment for 15 years for both domestic and export markets.Apple also sought a change in rules that would govern how it could import defective iPhones to repair and export them again, a move it said was crucial for it to keep supporting and repairing older models of the iPhone.Currently, Indian rules restrict such imports to phones that are no older than three years. Apple asked for the government's help in quickly processing a request for a ruling from Indian tax authorities on transfer pricing agreements between its affiliates.It also identified India's customs procedures as a hurdle to manufacturing and asked the government to make them less onerous."For trusted traders inspections need to be less intrusive - this means less boxes opened," Apple wrote. "The complete process should not require more than thirty minutes."
Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush has been moved to an intensive-care unit at a Houston hospital with pneumonia and was stable and resting comfortably after doctors performed a procedure to clear his airway, his office said on Wednesday.



His wife of 72 years, former first lady Barbara Bush, also was admitted to the same hospital on Wednesday as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing, the office said in a statement.



Bush, who at 92 is the nation's oldest living ex-president, has been at Houston Methodist Hospital since Saturday after experiencing shortness of breath, family spokesman Jim McGrath said on Wednesday.



Since then, Bush experienced an "acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia" and was sedated for the unspecified procedure, his office said.



He will remain in the hospital's intensive-care unit for observation, his office said.



Bush and the 91-year-old former first lady marked their 72nd anniversary on Jan. 6.



At a White House news conference, President Barack Obama said that the Bushes have been a constant source of friendship and good counsel to him and to first lady Michelle Obama.

"They are as fine a couple as we know, and so we want to send our prayers and our love to them," Obama said.



Bush is the father of former President George W. Bush and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who sought the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.



The eldest Bush, a Republican like his sons, was vice president during Ronald Reagan's two White House terms before being elected president in 1988. He lost his re-election bid to Bill Clinton, then the Democratic governor of Arkansas, in 1992.



A naval pilot during World War Two, Bush became an occasional skydiver after leaving the presidency and marked his 90th birthday by parachuting from a helicopter with jump partner.



He has used a wheelchair in recent years and was hospitalized twice in 2014, once for seven weeks with pneumonia and again for breathing difficulties. In July 2015, he broke a bone in his neck in a fall at the family home in Maine.



Bush and his wife were already planning to miss President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday due to health reasons.



"My doctor says if I sit outside in January, it likely will put me six feet under," Bush wrote to Trump on Jan. 10, according to a copy of the letter released on Wednesday. "Same for Barbara. So I guess we're stuck in Texas."



Trump was critical of George W. and Jeb during the 2016 presidential campaign, and their father did not endorse Trump in his race against Democrat Hillary Clinton.



But in his letter, Bush said he and his wife would be with Trump in spirit at the inauguration and wished him "the very best as you begin this incredible journey of leading our great country."



Republican Senator John McCain and the Carter Center, founded by former President Jimmy Carter, posted tweets wishing Bush a quick recovery.



In December Bush marked the 75th commemoration of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor by attending a ceremony at his library at Texas A&M University.




Madrid: A topless activist from the feminist group FEMEN attacked a life-size wax statue of US President-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 Trump's signature hair, Presa said.



FEMEN, an international group which began in Ukraine, is known for using nudity in protests over women's rights.
The 13th president of Sweet Briar College could be announced within the next 30 days.

Current Sweet Briar President Phillip Stone made the announcement during a town and gown meeting Tuesday between Lynchburg officials, Lynchburg City Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand and leaders of the Lynchburg areas higher education community.

The womens college in Amherst County came close to ending its existence when Sweet Briar announced in March 2015 it would shut its doors in August of that year owing to financial difficulties. After a court battle that year, a settlement agreement was reached that kept the school open under new leadership.

Stone, a former president of Bridgewater College, was hired in 2015.

He announced last year he planned to leave Sweet Briar sometime around July 1, 2017. A search for Stones replacement began last spring and is expected to be completed within the next 30 days, Stone said.

From all I hear, were going to have a really fabulous candidate, Stone said. And I think that bodes well for the college in terms of credibility.

Student enrollment is coming back quickly, Stone said. Sweet Briars student enrollment currently stands at about 380 students, which includes those on campus and students studying in France and Spain.

That number stands in comparison to the colleges enrollment in the fall of 2014, when there were about 560 undergraduates enrolled on campus.

Interim senior non-faculty staff has been replaced with permanent staff, and the schools audited financial statements ending June 30 showed a surplus  perhaps a first in the colleges history of $150,000, Stone said.

Through fundraising efforts and reductions in operating expenses, the college did not spend any of its endowment in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, which currently stands at about $70 million, Stone said.

That was really amazing because we had $5 million in severance to pay, a lot of costs in closing, obviously a very diminished student body  so we really do celebrate that, he said.

About 25 students are enrolled in Sweet Briars engineering program, Stone said after the lunch. Sweet Briar and Google are cosponsors for National Engineers Week, which is set to be held at the college in February. Stone said college staff have visited Silicon Valley and talked to representatives of Twitter, Facebook and Google, who were interested in Sweet Briar despite its small size because we do build women engineers.

Lynchburg College President Kenneth Garren said his institutions board of trustees will meet in February and a topic of discussion will be whether university will be in the colleges name. Including the word university has received consideration from Lynchburg College leaders since 2015.

Garren previously has said a name change would be in keeping with the size and quantity of graduate programs at the school and the way its classified in national rankings. Hes said a name change could help the school emphasize those programs and be more attractive to international students.

Alumni at town hall meetings last year mostly havent supported the idea of a name change.
A League of Women Voters of Virginia committee member from Williamsburg informed area residents on Tuesday of the basic, need-to-know information on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and proposed bills that would affect the procedure in Virginia.

About 50 people gathered at the Lynchburg Public Library to hear a presentation from Sue Delos, a retired professor and researcher with experience at the University of Virginia.

Delos is a member of the League of Women Voters of Virginias Natural Resources committee, which formed about two years ago.

Im a chemist; theres a lot of other stuff thats involved, she said.  Somebody [in the committee] used to work for a pipeline company, somebodys a social worker-type person.

As part of the committee, Delos has worked on gathering study materials, research and consensus questions for the committees hydraulic fracturing study. That material will be presented to League members, who will give feedback to form the Leagues official statement of position on the issue. Delos said the Lynchburg presentation was her first, but other committee members have spoken about the study to groups in Northern Virginia. Delos said she only had plans to present the information again back in Williamsburg.

Judy Lee, program vice president for League of Women Voters of Lynchburg, introduced Delos and her chemistry and biophysics background. She said Delos helped to develop the League of Women Voters of Virginias position on uranium mining in recent years and has led an environmental study group for the Williamsburg chapter of the League.

One of the things were exploring taking a position on is hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, she said before the presentation. So weve brought in a very dynamic expert to talk about it.

Delos presentation included the basics on what fracking is, the steps involved in the fracking process, where public issues crop up and existing regulations on the procedure.

At the end of the presentation, she listed six bills brought forth during the current General Assembly session that would affect different aspects of fracking in Virginia. For instance, one House bill would exclude information on chemicals used in fracking from the Freedom of Information Act, and a proposed Senate bill would require well operators to replace contaminated water supplies within a larger radius around their wells.

Fielding a question about the cost of Dominions proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Delos said the committees focus was not on any specific fracking effort.

 We knew these bills were going to come forth, so we focused on the fracking stuff, she said.  Thats not to say were not going to turn around as soon as consensus is made and delve into the pipelines but  if we had done that, wed have never got the study out.

Those with questions also discussed some fracking- or fuel-related topics among themselves. Rosemary Urban, an Amherst resident and member of anti-fracking group Friends of the George Washington National Forest Against Fracking, said the League sessions are typically useful, apolitical presentations of information.

Our biggest issue is the pipeline going through Nelson, and you cant really separate fracking from the pipeline, she said. And we have a lot of questions after this.

Both Urban and Mike Maggio, also a resident of Amherst, said they didnt know about the proposed fracking bills until the presentation, but Urban said that the bills she would support are mere crumbs that dont fully address concerned citizens issues with fracking.

Thats new to me, the laws, and we need to catch up with the laws, Maggio said.

Laura Henry-Stone, an assistant professor of environmental studies at Lynchburg College, also said the policy and bill information was news to her.

I came out because I teach about these issues, and Im personally and professionally passionate about staying informed about fracking, she said.

She said she could directly translate material from the presentation into her classes, especially into one class on sustainable living.
A Lynchburg man was arrested in connection with an incident Wednesday that left two people injured, police said.

Frank Edward Osborne, 32, is charged with two counts of malicious wounding, according to a Lynchburg Police Department news release.

Police received a call at about 8:38 p.m. that two people were stabbed at Brentwood Mobile Home Park at 2301 Lakeside Drive.

Gregory Graves Jr., 19, and Deondre Graves, 18, both of Lynchburg, suffered injuries described as severe but non-life-threatening.

Lt. Malcom Booker, of the Lynchburg Police Department, said Osbourne and both victims are residents of the mobile home park.

Osborne was taken into custody without incident early Thursday, the release stated.

Booker confirmed both victims were stabbed and were in stable condition Thursday morning.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Det. C.T. Davis at (434) 455-6166 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-798-5900.
BEDFORD  One person really can make a difference.

It took just one Bedford grandmother to inspire Bedfords Town Council to install a new playground specifically for children with disabilities.

The new playground, which complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, and allows children with disabilities to play alongside their peers, is being installed now at Liberty Lake Park in the town.

Bedford Town Council member Jim Vest said resident Teresa Widener contacted all members via email in August 2015 asking for a playground in the town that every child, even those with disabilities, could enjoy equally.

According to a Facebook page, which Widener provided town council members a link to in her request, her granddaughter has special needs. In her email Widener told council members that her granddaughters disability prevented her from playing on the old playground.

Widener could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Vest took the request to town staff and asked for it to be included in the current fiscal years budget.

Im delighted that we were able to do this, and what a wonderful thing it is for the community, he said.

As a result of the request, the beginnings of a bright green and tan playground now adorn the park on Burks Hill Road complete with a musical area where mallets are provided for children to play and make music on chimes. A cut-out alphabet also helps children learn their ABCs. It should be open to the public by February.

I think anything that will benefit any- and everybody is needed, council member Steve Rush said. It can be used for all children. Its designed so handicap children can play on it and is multi-use.

Town Director of Public Works D.W. Lawhorne said in July of 2015, $45,000 was set aside in the towns budget for the playground. Work on the playground began earlier this month.

It meets everyones needs, Lawhorne said. Another cool thing we did was put in a buddy bench. Its a regular park bench, but the idea behind it is if a kid is by himself and doesnt have anyone to play with, they can sit on the bench, and other kids will hopefully ask him to play.

Whitney Steele, a board member of The Arc of Central Virginia, a nonprofit that advocates for those with disabilities, is a parent of a 6-year-old with Joubert syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. Steele said she is glad Bedford has gotten behind the new playground and knows it will benefit many families.

Though her daughter can walk now, she still has many physical limitations and couldnt walk until after she was 2 years old.

I definitely think it will be beneficial, she said. I wouldnt say Ive heard complaints about it, but other families have expressed a need for more playgrounds like this in our community.

She said she hopes other localities get on board and add more ADA-compliant playground equipment.

At Edmund Street and Greenwood parks, there are also new ADA-compliant swings and buddy benches.

The swings make it easier for kids to get in and out of and look like big saucers, Lawhorne said. A child in a wheelchair is able to use the new swings.

Pat McNamara, with Max Play Fit LLC, which installed the park, said it is fun to sell something he can immediately see someone enjoy.

I enjoy the projects and working with people, he said. People are always excited at the very end of the project, and its fun to watch the kids play on the playground.

He said ADA is dictated by the government, but inclusiveness  which this park is focused on  goes a step further.

It says, I want kids to play together, he said. When people think of ADA, they think of someone in a wheelchair, and not everyone who has a disability is in a wheelchair. We want to have equipment that kids would play together on with different disabilities.

Although he said it would be difficult to make something that is accessible for everyone, McNamara said he still wants to provide a play experience for every child.
Combat violence, create jobs

Chicken or the egg, which came first question: Are there so few skilled craftsmen today because for decades theres been such an abundance of mentally ill and/or drug-addicted young men in America? In other words, has there been a dearth of young men smart enough, normal enough, just plain good enough to master skills like carpentry and plumbing?

Or is there such an abundance of mentally ill and/or drug-addicted young men because manual craftsmanship, by any definition, has not been taught, encouraged, or intellectually valued at any tier of society for decades now in America?

Since the 1970s, when trade unions began to collapse, for good or bad reasons, where have young, middle American men been seeking employment most heartily? The military.

Being part of an operation in Iraq or Afghanistan, or even just sitting in-wait for action at a remote outpost is more rewarding than, or at least mentally preferable to sitting around at home or even working part-time at a box store. Its a regular job with stimulation potential, if nothing else.

Acknowledge the unemployment rate among young men in America today and simultaneously consider the saga of Esteban Santiago.

This young man, who murdered five people in cold blood at a Florida airport, joined the Puerto Rico National Guard because he saw no other way out of the wasteland of joblessness in which he and his family were living.

In 2010, he was deployed to Iraq.

Like countless other veterans when they return from combat, Santiago was not the same man who enlisted, who was eager to serve and who did serve honorably, for as long as he was able.

Execute, without trial, if you wish, Santiago and all other young men, whether they are veterans or not, whether their heinous acts are motivated by voices of demons or not, who kill the innocent.

But as you do, remember two things: (1) For the vast majority of men suffering from this kind of mental affliction, therapy and medication are band-aid solutions that will forever be underfunded and which can never retrieve a mans sanity and soul. (2) There are, and have been for such a long time, so few  dangerously few jobs in America that pay well enough, that provide semi-sufficient benefits, that keep a young man physically active and intellectually challenged, that help a young man gain the experience and confidence which enable him to marry well and evolve into a proud and providing father, that suppress the thought of joining the military  because there are no other job options out there  from ever entering his mind.

Whether you are a spiritual person or not, if you condemn, with no hesitation, the depressed, drug-addicted young male murderer to death, at least give serious thought to the most meaningless two-word phase which has been most over-used in the last 10 years in this capitalistically anemic country: create jobs.

Until that heartless, stump-speech, please-elect-me phrase is obliterated and proudly and earnestly replaced with create manually skilled and confident young men ready and eager to work, no matter how many dollars the creating may cost, Fort Lauderdale-esque atrocities will keep happening out of the blue, the brick of our landscape will keep turning to vinyl, and our nationally pervasive mental illness and drug-addiction epidemic will not subside, no matter who our president is. It will only magnify.

Exponentially.

DOUGLAS THOM III

Lynchburg

The presidential blame game

President Obama seems very concerned with his legacy, yet he hasnt left office.

So, to assist him, I decided to investigate what characterizes a great leader. A great leader is one who refuses to blame others or make excuses; one who takes responsibility for failure. Former President Harry Truman had a desk sign that read, The Buck Stops Here! As president, Truman was known as a great leader partly because he refused to blame others or make excuses while under great responsibility.

So to help discover Obamas legacy, I did an internet search using the phrase, Obama blames. The results were enlightening: Obama blames George Bush; Obama blames Hillary Clinton; Obama blames James Comey; Obama blames Bernie Sanders, Obama blames Fox News; Obama blames Rush Limbaugh; Obama blames global warming for Syrian war; Obama blames climate change deniers; Obama blames the Russians; Obama blames racism. The list goes on.

Perhaps our presidents legacy could be summarized with his own desk sign that would read, The Blame Starts Here! It is going to be very difficult for our president to leave office having done nothing wrong. Perhaps that is his legacy.

ROBERT LUCAS

Forest
Chris Hurst is leaving WDBJ-TV (Channel 7) at the end of February.

Hurst, who personified the grief at the Roanoke television station after his girlfriend, reporter Alison Parker, was killed during an on-air shooting in 2015, announced at the end of Wednesdays newscast that he would be leaving the anchor chair he has occupied since 2011.

Hurst, 28, did not reveal his future plans during his farewell. He said that his life has changed since Parker and WDBJ cameraman Adam Ward were shot and killed on Aug. 26, 2015, by a former Channel 7 employee during a live broadcast at Smith Mountain Lake.

After loss of Alison Parker, WDBJ anchor lives in honor of her and himself In the nearly four months that WDBJ anchor Chris Hurst lost his girlfriend, Alison Parker, he's accomplished a variety of tasks to honor her.

Hurst and Parker lived together and had talked about a future together.

Southwest Virginia is now my home, Hurst said during the broadcast. I have no plans to leave the mountains, rivers and people Ive come to love.  I dont know what my future holds. I only know that I am being called to something greater, and that I need to move on to a new chapter, one that hasnt been written yet.

Hurst told his bosses on Tuesday of his decision to leave the anchor desk, said Joany DAgostino, a WDBJ spokeswoman. According to DAgostino, WDBJ Vice President and General Manager Matt Pumo said Hurst had multiple years left on his contract, but a clause within the agreement allowed him to leave the station before the contract expired.

Chris Hurst has conducted himself with professionalism well beyond his years at WDBJ7, especially after the profound tragedy that affected him so personally, Pumo said in a statement released by the station. No one should have to endure what he did, yet despite those painful circumstances, he always gave us his best, every day, on every newscast. Thats character. Although we are sad to lose Chris as a co-worker, we want him to be happy. And no matter where he goes, he will always be a member of the WDBJ7 family.

Hurst told The Roanoke Times on Wednesday evening that he had no further comment at this time.

DAgostino said that Hurst told WDBJ management that he did not plan to work in television after leaving Channel 7.

By staying through February, Hurst will still be doing the news during a ratings sweeps month, when audience viewership is measured by Nielsen. WDBJs 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts are the top-rated news programs in the Roanoke-Lynchburg market.
MEXICO CITY, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Mexico's peso could sink to a record low after Donald Trump assumes the U.S. presidency on Friday if he unveils any aggressive actions that could hammer the exports of Latin America's No. 2 economy, traders and analysts said.

Mexico's peso has sunk more than 16 percent since Trump won the election. Trump threatened to rip up or renegotiate the NAFTA free trade deal with Mexico and Canada and impose tariffs on Mexican exports.

The peso hit a record low in January and traded close to that low just above 22 per dollar on Thursday.

Traders and economists said the peso could shoot toward 23 per dollar or even 24 per dollar if Trump takes a harsh tone on trade in his inaugural address or announces any concrete measures, such as imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico.

"There is a lot of anxiety in the market," said Marco Oviedo, an economist at Barclays in Mexico City, who said the peso could hit 23 per dollar if Trump would take any bold action.

"We don't know what is the value of the peso because we don't know what is the final policy. It has been really, really exhausting to imagine what he could do."

Trump is expected to sign an executive order in his first few days to direct the building of a wall on the southern border with Mexico.

Mexico's peso dropped 2 percent on Wednesday after Trump's choice for commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, said renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement would likely be the incoming administration's first priority. Mexico sends nearly 80 percent of its exports to the United States.

Traders and analysts said the peso would likely trade around current levels if Trump only confirms that idea of renegotiating NAFTA on Friday.

"The peso could rally on anything that suggests a firmer outlook for U.S. growth with no significant trade restrictions," said Goldman Sachs economist Alberto Ramos.

Trump's nominee to run the Treasury Department, Steven Mnuchin, on Thursday said Washington can renegotiate NAFTA in a way that benefits both the United States and Mexico.

Story continues

Mexican authorities have said they are prepared to intervene in the market with dollar sales if peso movements becomes disordered. The central bank sold $2 billion in early January to support the currency.

Economists said the central bank would be unlikely to intervene if the peso was moving to adjust to concrete plans by Trump that would affect Mexico in a fundamental way.

"The preference of the authorities is well known and it is to not intervene too much in the exchange market," said Credit Suisse economist Alonso Cervera.

(Reporting by Michael O'Boyle, Roberto Aguilar, Noe Torres and Paulina Osorio; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)
GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Heres why you can trust us.
FILE PHOTO: Joaquin

The Mexican government said on Thursday evening that it had extradited Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, long considered one of the most powerful cartel bosses in Mexico and in the world.

Earlier on Thursday, the Mexican Supreme Court dismissed appeals filed by Guzman's lawyers in an attempt to halt the extradition.

"The judges decided not to hear the (appeal for) protection" from extradition, a source in the court told AFP.

That source said the court had passed the appeals to a different "collegiate" panel of judges for a ruling, and one of Guzman's lawyers said that the kingpin's legal team would look at the court's decision and decide whether to appeal to a regional human-rights court.

However, in a statement released hours after that decision was announced, the Mexican government said Guzman had been turned over to the US.

"The government of the republic today delivered Mr. Guzman to the authorities of the United States of America," the Mexican foreign ministry said in its statement.

"Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, known by various aliases including 'El Chapo,' has been extradited and is en route to the United States to face criminal charges in connection with his leadership of the Mexican organized crime syndicate known as the 'Sinaloa Cartel,'" the US Justice Department said in a statement issued on Thursday evening.

El Chapo Guzman fake escape story prison photo

After a July 2015 jailbreak, Guzman was recaptured not far from his birthplace in Sinaloa state in January 2016. He was at first rejailed in the prison from which he escaped, but in early May 2016 he was transferred to a prison outside Ciudad Juarez in northern Mexico.

Security around the prison, Cefereso No. 9, was heightened upon Guzman's arrival, with nearly 700 soldiers and guards in and around the prison. Many viewed the transfer as a prelude to extradition.

Story continues

Guzman  whose ill-gotten wealth earned him a place on Forbes' billionaires list and whose cartel once supplied "80% of the heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine  with a street value of $3 billion  that floods the Chicago region each year"  spent his time in solitude, reading "Don Quixote" and "The Purpose Driven Life."

Joaquin El Chapo Guzman Ciudad Juarez prison treatment extradition

The Mexican government has received several extradition requests for Guzman from several US District Courts.

In May 2016, the administration of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto accepted two of those bids, from the Southern District of California and the Western District of Texas, to try Guzman on charges including homicide, money laundering, and criminal association.

Guzman's lawyers have waged a months-long legal battle to thwart the extradition, citing purported violations of the kingpin's rights as reasons to quash the transfer.

While it has not yet been confirmed where Guzman will face trial in the US  should his case not be concluded with a plea or deal beforehand  the kingpin is reportedly headed to New York City. According to AFP's Laurent Thomet, the kingpin is slated to arrive at 10 p.m. ET.

The Eastern District of New York, based in Brooklyn, is one of the seven US District Courts with indictments pending against the Sinaloa cartel chief. The Eastern District's indictment charges Guzman with overseeing a trafficking cartel and accuses him and other Sinaloa cartel leaders of hiring hit men who conspired to committ murder, torture, and kidnapping.

Guzman is headed to New York because the city's federal courts have "a history of trying very complex conspiracy cases," Mike Vigil, a former chief of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told Business Insider on Thursday evening.

El Chapo Guzman capture

New York's history with high-profile defendants and complex cases was an important selling point, as "they want to make sure Guzman gets convicted, because it would be very embarrassing for the United States to solicit his extradition and not get a conviction," said Vigil, author of of "Metal Coffins: The Blood Alliance Cartel."

The US attorney in Miami, another District Court with an indictment against Guzman, joined the Eastern District's case as a special counsel in mid-2016. There is also a possibility the indictments issued by the courts in Texas and California will be consolidated with the New York case, Vigil said.

Guzman's extradition appears to have been deliberately timed.

obama pena mexico

Coming just hours before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office, the Mexican government sent the kingpin north "because they want to make sure President Obama gets credit for the extradition," Vigil told Business Insider, citing conversations he had with Mexican officials.

Trump, who dedicated much of his campaign to denouncing Mexico and Mexican immigrants, is not held in high regard among Mexican policymakers, Vigil said. "They didn't want Trump to get credit."

In the months prior to Guzman's extradition, other observers suggested the Pena Nieto administration may tried to time the transfer in order to ingratiate itself with the incoming Trump administration.

Whatever the motivation, the extradition comes just days before Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo and Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray travel to Washington to meet with Trump's chief of staff, Reince Priebus and other adivsers, including Jared Kushner and National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

Videgaray, recently appointed to the foreign ministry after stepping down from the finance ministry in September, has ties to Kushner and is viewed as a potential go-between with Washington for the Pena Nieto administration.

While the news of Guzman's extradition came as a surprise, it's likely US and Mexican authorities have been coordinating on the transfer, especially if it was meant to happen just before the end of Obama's term.

Donald Trump Enrique Pena Nieto Mexico meeting

"The US government at the highest levels is coordinating closely with the Mexican executive branch at the highest levels to make sure that if the judicial system in Mexico does ultimately approve of his extradition, that the United States has some slight advance notice and to where he will be sent," Peter Vincent, a former legal adviser at the US Department of Homeland Security, told Business Insider in September 2016.

Guzman was jailed twice in Mexico, escaping both times before his ultimate capture in January 2016. He has guided his cartel from the rugged hills of northwest Mexico to the top of Mexico's narco hierarchy, along the way waging bloody wars on rival cartels and against the Mexican government.

His transfer to the US is a "great moral victory," Vigil told Business Insider.

"His extradition to the United States will remove him from his criminal infrastructure, but it's not going to have any impact on drug trafficking, because the Sinaloa cartel"  still one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico and in the world  "will continue to function," Vigil said, citing the cartel's resilient leadership structure.

"They have a very strong bench."

NOW WATCH: Here's footage of 'El Chapo' arriving to the US





More From Business Insider


SECURITY OVERHAUL

After an opening statement by Minister Dillon, who reiterated Governments concern with high levels of crime in the country and its commitment to tackling the problem in a coordinated, multi-faceted approach involving all arms of National Security, it was the turn of AG Al-Rawi to take centre stage.

He said the Office of the Attorney General had taken a number of initiatives with the relevant stakeholders to overhaul the criminal justice system and deal with issues such as unclogging a massive backlog of cases (both at the High Court and Magistrates Court levels) some dating back to 17 and 20 years ago and the establishment of a Criminal DNA Register, to aid in crime detection and solving. One recalls the Piarco Airport preliminary inquiry (PI), which is the major case of fraud in Trinidad and Tobago. We are now in the 17th year in that PI, and we have not yet gone to the High Court, or the Court of Appeal, let alone the Privy Council, he said. A mapping exercise at the Judiciary on how to deal with the backlog of cases has been productive, Al Rawi said. We are nearly finished mapping the entire backlog of cases at the High Court which will be available by the end of this month.

DNA DATABASE According to Dillon, Government recently employed a DNA custodian who will be taking up his position at the end of this month. The custodian, he said, will be the prime mover at the DNA bank which is part of the detection pillar, one of four strategies in the fight to reduce the murder rate and serious crimes.

Al-Rawi, Dillon and Williams yesterday all signalled that this year, the aim is to reduce serious crimes, more particularly murders, through enhanced prediction, deterrents, detection, and prosecutions.

Al-Rawi said that the DNA register will start with taking the DNA samples and putting onto the data base the entire prison population, and also allowing for the DNA sampling of law for arrestees, so that forensic evidence from a DNA basis will be available. The recent strangulation of school girl Rachael Ramkissoon, he said, is at present confined to evidence which may perhaps best be led from a DNA basis. There will be traces. Having a proper DNA functioning register gives us a better chance at detection, prosecution and conviction, because the evidence will be available. See Page 5A Within the last 15 months, Al-Rawi said, his office was in a joint mapping exercise to determine the road blocks in the local criminal justice system, with teams from the Judiciary, criminal bar, law association, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Office of the Commissioner of Police, Office of the Commissioner of Prisons and the Legal Aid and Advisory Authority, a criminal justice advisor provided by the governments of which the United Kingdom and Canada to assist TT.

Coming out of this exercise are initiatives, he said, that will improve the management of prosecutions, clearing of backlog of cases for the Judiciary, the provision of manpower for agencies that have been understaffed such as the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the operation of the electronic monitoring system.

POLICE PLAY CRITICAL ROLE While some staffing has been identified for the office of the DPP by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, Al-Rawi said, they will only be able to improve on five percent of the prosecutions, as the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) plays a critical role in this drive and is responsible for 95 percent of all prosecutions. Prosecutions through the TTPS, he said, has been a significant area of concern and inspection. Government will take to the Parliament, hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, he said, legislation for the elimination of preliminary inquiries, for defendants to be tried by judges only, and for the improvements to the Legal Aid and Advisory Authority that will create a public defenders system.

The elimination of PIs will enable cases going directly to the High Court or the magistrates courts.

Provisions will also be made for amendments to the Evidence Act to allow for the provision of anonymous witness to give evidence and for the protection of witness at risk.

In other areas, he said, the AGs office will also be providing the TTPS with lawyers to work alongside investigators so that cases are ready at the beginning of the prosecution process and not later in the process.

This is earmarked to be implemented alongside the operationalising of the Criminal Procedure Rules, which he said, are due to come into effect in April.

That will mean that prisoners brought to the courts will not be sent back without matters being heard in any meaningful way. Instead there will sanctions applied by the Judiciary for failure by counsels to represent their clients.

The Judiciary is currently in a training exercise with the criminal bar to ensure this happens, he said. This model is what will lead to improvements in the Legal Aid and Advisory Authority creating the Public Defenders Department. Defendants, whose preferred lawyers do not turn up in court and having their matters adjourned for years, will be given the choice of having a counsel to represent them.

If your attorney is not available, on the occasions which the court has provided for your counsel to appear, you will be provided with a public defender. That means that trials move ahead, he said.
Trump: 'I'll Very, Very, Very

Probably Do It Again'
Teens in Iceland are a pretty clean-living bunch, especially when compared to their peers around the world. That wasn't always the case, but a clear shift has occurred over the last 20 years, explains a feature at Mosaic. Consider three stats: the percentage of 15- and 16-year-olds who have been drunk in the past month dropped from 42% in 1998 to 5% in 2016, while pot use fell from 17% to 7%, and cigarette use from 23% to 3%. Iceland's secret? An aggressive national program, built on the research of an American psychology professor, that would likely run into friction as government overreach in the US. One controversial part of Youth in Iceland, for example, is a national curfew that prohibits teens ages 13 to 16 from being outside after 10pm in winter and midnight in summer.

The bigger part of the program, however, involves a requirement that schools provide sports, music, art, and other rec programs after hours, and that low-income students get help in participating. In Reykjavik, for example, families get a "leisure card" of about $300 a year per child to help with the costs of recreational activities. New laws also required schools to create organizations for parents to get them more involved. The Icelandic model would surely run into challenges in the US and elsewhere, acknowledges Harvey Milkman, the American whose research into teen substance abuse is at the center of the program. "Is this too much of the government meddling? he says, summing up a common refrain of critics. Click for the full article, which describes the approach as "both radical and evidence-based," but one that relies "a lot on what might be termed enforced common sense." (Read more Longform stories.)
Sony currently holds the copyright to part of the Beatles catalog, including such hits as "Love Me Do" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand"but Paul McCartney is suing to get the songs back. Per TMZ, the songs in question are the ones Michael Jackson once held the rights to; his estate sold the rights to Sony last year for $750 million. McCartney has been trying to get Sony to transfer the rights to him by 2018; as ABC News explains, he's been notifying Sony and the prior rights holders of his intention to reclaim the rights since 2008. A McCartney rep explains, per Rolling Stone, that the suit is attempting "to confirm his ownership" of the songs "which are granted to him by US copyright law."

As Rolling Stone and Variety explain, the US Copyright Act says that for works in which creators transferred their interests before 1978, rights can be reclaimed by the creators 56 years after the original copyright date as long as termination notices are served to the current rights holder; next year will mark 56 years since McCartney started writing songs with John Lennon, and his suit notes that at the time the songs in question were created, he and Lennon typically transferred their rights to publishers in exchange for royalties. The Hollywood Reporter, which says the case "could become one of the most important legal battles in the music industry this decade," has more detail on the ins and outs of the law. (Read more Paul McCartney stories.)
An 11-year-old girl fired a borrowed gun at a Pennsylvania shooting range and the bullet ricocheted off the ground, striking her 12-year-old brother in the head and blinding him, state police said in court documents. The children's father, Anthony Vankirk II, was at the Halfmoon Township gun range when his son was shot Saturday, the AP reports. Authorities say he was banned from owning guns due to a 2004 drug conviction, but the weapon fired by his daughter wasn't his. No one has been charged in the shooting, but Vankirk, 32, of State College, was arrested on weapons charges after police searched two residences and seized seven weapons, including a shotgun, rifle, and pistols they say he owned.

Details emerged when search warrant affidavits became public Wednesday, WJAC-TV reported. According to the documents, the gun involved in the shooting, a Hi-Point 9 mm pistol, was loaned to Vankirk's brother by another person. The brother, the boy's uncle, also was at the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Scotia Shooting Range on Saturday. Police said the bullet ricocheted off the ground, but they provided no other detail on the circumstances. The boy underwent surgery and is recovering, but he is not expected to regain his eyesight, police said. Vankirk was jailed on five counts each of possessing firearms while prohibited and carrying firearms without a license. (Read more accidental discharge stories.)
How do you say "he stepped in it" in French? Though he leads an officially bilingual country, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was rapped for slipping into the language of Moliere instead of sticking to Shakespeare. No fewer than three official complaints were lodged with Canada's Commissioner of Official Languages after Trudeau decided to speak only in French, even when answering questions posed in English, Tuesday night at a town hall forum in Quebec's Eastern Townships, CBC News reports. One attendee tells CBC the move was "very insulting" to the anglophone minority there. Another huffed that Trudeau's words were "as if someone had just walked up to me and hit me in the stomach. I lost my breath."

If the PM thought he'd find solidarity among francophones, he was wrong. CBC says even they "appeared puzzled." As his political opponents complained about his "arrogance," Trudeau seemed to have second thoughts. While emphasizing "the importance of speaking French" in Quebec, he told reporters maybe he should've replied in English, per the Star. The youthful PM's gaffes have been a running meme on social media. Trudeau was ridiculed worldwide in November for his warm words after the death of Fidel Castro, with nary a mention of the dictator's abysmal human rights record. (Trudeau has also been a star of fake news.)
Protest takes many forms, and for some 54,000 followers on Instagram, that form is the nipple. Only female nipples are banned on Instagram, and critics who see that as a double-standard have launched the Genderless Nipples account to encourage people to post close-ups of their own. "You cant even tell the difference between male and female nipples," the founders write. "So why even bother banning female nipples if they can be so similar?" The Guardian reports the campaign is the brainchild of three advertising students in New York inspired to action by what they saw as the "horrible" tenor of discussions involving women during the presidential election.

"What better way to start spreading a message of gender equality than pointing out the rules of social networks?" the trio tell the Huffington Post. In six weeks, the account has racked up 70 posts showing nipples in various forms: red, brown, pierced, tattooed, even with a beetle perched on top. To make the cut, nipples should be hairless, with the photo taken from "Coke can" distance. The Verge notes that Instagram and Facebook have faced a wave of criticism for censoring female nudity, including historical images. Instagram, owned by Facebook, even once removed a shot of a cake because it thought its decorations resembled nipples, per the Daily Dot. In a previous protest, women posted selfies with male nipples Photoshopped over their own, notes Mashable. (Celebs such as Scout Willis are on board.)
Jewish centers across America were evacuated Wednesday after what security analysts say was an unprecedented number of threats. The FBI and the Justice Department say they're investigating the bomb threats phoned in to at least 27 Jewish community centers in 17 states, Reuters reports. Wednesday's threats follow a wave of bomb threats made to 16 Jewish centers in nine states on Jan. 9, and the FBI says that in both cases, the suspect or suspects disguised their voices and used an automated robo-call system for some, but not all, of the calls. Authorities say no bombs were found in any of the threatened locations.

Paul Goldenberg of Secure Community Network, which advises Jewish institutions in the US, tells the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that there were 30 threats and that in most cases, the caller was a woman who hung up after issuing a brief threat. Mark Freedman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, tells the JTA that the community won't be intimidated by "telephone terrorism." "Clearly it's a pattern of intimidation, and its likely to continue in the current atmosphere that we have in this country, where hate groups feel that they can come after good-standing members of the community," he says. (Last month, a white supremacist website called for action against Jews in a Montana town.)
The system is now divided into three integrated clusters.

The Ministry of Health will reorganise the public healthcare system into three integrated clusters to better meet Singaporeans future healthcare needs.

It reorganized the system intro three clusters: central region, where National Healthcare Group (NHG) and Alexandra Health System (AHS) will be merged; eastern region where Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) and Eastern Health Alliance (EHA) will be put into one; and western region, where National University Health System (NUHS) and Jurong Health Services (JurongHealth) will be merged.

The polyclinics will also be reorganised, in line with the three new clusters. The National University Polyclinics group will be formed under NUHS, joining SingHealth Polyclinics and NHG Polyclinics as Singapores third polyclinic group.

MOH said each new integrated cluster will have a fuller range of facilities, capabilities, services and networks across different care settings.

"They will be able to draw from the combined strengths and talents of their two original clusters to deliver more comprehensive and person-centred health promotion, disease prevention, curative and rehabilitative care for the population in their respective regions. MOH will also work with them to ensure cross-cluster information flow and coordinated services so that together, we can serve as one public healthcare system for Singaporeans," it said.

Commenting on the reorganisation efforts, Minister for Health Mr. Gan said the ministry has significantly improved the accessibility, affordability and quality of healthcare in Singapore under the Healthcare 2020 Masterplan.

"Nevertheless, we cannot afford to stay still as there remain many challenges ahead, such as our ageing population, increased chronic disease burden and the need to manage future growth in healthcare manpower and spending. This reorganisation of the public healthcare clusters will enable us to meet our future healthcare challenges. I am confident that we will be able to better optimise resources and capabilities, and provide more comprehensive and patient-centred care to meet Singaporeans evolving needs," he said.

Story continues

Meanwhile, the National Healthcare Group CEO Prof. Philip Choo said the reorganisation will provide more integrated care for patients, care providers and the community.

"There will also be more primary care networks and health promotion, wider career development opportunities for staff, cross-learning and dialogue across institutions and clusters, more knowledge sharing of new innovations, best practices, research and education," he said.

He furthered, "As with any reorganisation, change can understandably be uncomfortable and unsettling for some. That said, I strongly believe our patients will benefit, so will most of us, as we are served by a public healthcare system which cares enough to constantly revitalise itself to meet the healthcare needs of our population, now and in the future.







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If you live in one of 15 states and you buy milk, you could be entitled to some cash back. USA Today reports that some people who bought dairy products since 2003 are due refunds as part of a $52 million settlement spun out of the alleged mass slaughter of 500,000 cows. The class-action lawsuit filed in 2011 charged that Cooperatives Working Together paid its membersdairy farmers who produce 70% of the nation's milkinflated prices for their dairy cows, which were then prematurely killed, reports Bloomberg. The alleged goal was to reduce the supply and bump up prices. A University of Missouri professor tells USA Today the 2003-2010 "herd retirement program" did just that, cutting our milk supply by some 1.2 billion gallons while doubling the price of raw milk.

A lawyer for the plaintiffs called the program a "classic price-fixing scheme"; the milk producers denied the charges but said they settled to avoid expensive litigation. Milk products included in the deal are cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, half and half, cream cheese and sour cream. The states involved are Arizona, California, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, plus DC. Refunds will vary according to how many people apply, per Time. The deadline to apply is Jan. 31. See www.boughtmilk.com, which as of this writing projects individuals can get up to $20. (In other milk news, the FDA says camel milk is no miracle cure.)
The mother of a 3-year-old boy whose burned body was found in a wooded area in Indiana has been sentenced to 20 years in prisonthough not in relation to his death. Breanna Arnold, 22, was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison with 2.5 years suspended on Tuesday after pleading guilty to preparing meth in a home occupied by children, prosecutors tell People. Other charges against herincluding neglect, abuse of a corpse, and altering the scene of a deathwere dropped as part of a plea deal, reports WANE. The charges stemmed from January 2015, when authorities found the burned body of Arnold's son, Owen, in the woods after a family member told police that the boy was missing, reports the Journal Gazette. Police determined he died of blunt force trauma.

Police say Arnold wasn't involved in her son's death. Instead, they say her live-in boyfriend, Zachary Barnesnow serving 50 years in prison for Owen's murderfatally struck the boy inside their mobile home near Bluffton. However, authorities believe Arnold helped Barnes wrap his body in plastic and hid it in a dresser before Barnes and Zachary Barkera friend who also lived at the home and was 16 at the time of the crimeattempted to dismember the body and eventually set it on fire in the woods. Barker pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse and dealing meth in 2015 and was sentenced to 14.5 years in prison. In a statement, Arnold later said she and her other son, then 6, were afraid for their lives. (A boy allegedly died after years locked in closets.)
St. Jerome was said to have been painted by an Italian Renaissance master and was displayed at Vienna's national gallery before it was sold at auction in 2012 for $842,500. The buyer apparently overpaid. Sotheby's now says the artwork is a fake, not painted by Parmigianino in the 16th century but by a forger within the last 100 years, reports NPR. Before its sale, some had suspected St. Jerome was painted by an associate of Parmigianino, but all agreed it was 400 years old. When research lab Orion Analytical revealed a $10 million Dutch painting supposedly by Frans Hals to be a fake in October, however, it put all other artworks connected to the same dealer into question, including two others that turned out to be fakes, per ArtNet and the Art Newspaper.

The dealer, Giuliano Ruffini, had also owned St. Jerome. A technical analysis by Orion Analytical's researchers found 21 areas of the painting contained the synthetic green pigment phthalocyanine green. It was "first used in paints nearly four centuries after Parmigianino died" and was not the result of a restoration, according to Sotheby's complaint. Sotheby's is now demanding St. Jerome's consignor, Lionel de Saint Donat-Pourrieres, repay $672,000 he received from the 2012 sale. Meanwhile, Ruffiniwho is under investigation in France but has not been charged with a crime, per the New York Timessays he has his doubts about the St. Jerome analysis, citing "experts and curators from the Metropolitan Museum" who vouched for its age. (A work by Raphael may have been ignored for generations.)
Oracle provides contracting services for the feds via its cloud computing software, resulting in "hundreds of millions" of dollars in government contracts, per a Labor Department release. That means the tech company has to adhere to federal nondiscriminatory hiring practices, which a DOL lawsuit announced Wednesday says has not been the case, CNN reports. The complaint alleges Oracle has, in a "systemic practice," extended higher paychecks to white males over female, African-American, and Asian workers with the same job title. On the flip side, the company is also accused of having a bias toward Asian workers (specifically, Asian Indians, per BuzzFeed), with "targeted recruitment" and "referral bonuses" coaxing "its heavily Asian workforce to recruit other Asians."

The DOL has been trying to address complaints of a lack of diversity in Silicon Valley, and it has filed suit in recent months against other federal contractors, including Google to turn over compensation data, data software firm Palantir for discriminating against Asian applicants, and JPMorgan Chase for gender discrimination in a complaint also filed Wednesday, per Reuters. But here's where the politics supposedly come into play, which is what Oracle claims is the underlying impetus: Oracle CEO Safra Catz and Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir, are both members of President-elect Trump's transition team, with Catz saying last month she would "tell the president-elect that we are with him and will help in any way we can." An Oracle spokeswoman calls the suit "politically motivated" and "wholly without merit." (Read more lawsuit stories.)
New Delhi:

Apple manufacturing its signature smartphone in India has hit a roadblock as some officials have thwarted at Apple's demand of tax concession, calling it unfair for other companies who are already manufacturing their products in India.

As the spring deadline to launch the key project manufacturing is inching near, officials are mulling ways to keep the deal going amid Apple's long list of demands.

On Wednesday, Information and Technology Minister Ravi Shanker Prasad said that India would keep an 'open mind" in negotiations in the deal. The minister said that "We will very much like Apple to come and have a base in India".

There is a difference in the stand of officials, some faction of officials say that it would be unfair to those companies who are already working in India if Apple Inc's long list of demand is accepted by the Indian government.

Apple Inc demands include tax concession and several other policy exceptions. Reuters quoted some official saying the government should make policies for the industry, not individual companies.

"Apple is coming here because it sees a lucrative market, this is not a favour being done to India," quoted news agency Reuters as officials saying.

To solve the ongoing issues with demands of Apple Inch, the departments of industry, information technology and electronics, and finance will meet Apple executive on January 25 to consider the demands set out by the firm in India.

Apple Inc demand list



Here are few demands the smartphone maker have:

- Tax duty exemption on raw material and manufacturing, components, and capital for15 years for both domestic asnd export markets.

- It also demanded to import defective iPhones to repair and export them again. Currently, India allows phones to import phone that are not older than three years.

- It also wants some changes in India's Custom rules.
New Delhi:

The Delhi Police arrested two men for allegedly stabbing a 21-year-old woman in Najafgarh area of south-west Delhi on Wednesday.

Police said that one Amit (25) and his cousin Basant were held on charges of attempt to murder.

Initial reports suggest that Amit was in love with the complainant despite being married to another woman.

After the victim complained of his advances, he allegedly stabbed her multiple times with the Basant's help.

Following a complaint filed by the girl, the police formed four teams and began a manhunt to nab the accused.

The police claimed that the case was cracked within 24 hours with the arrest of both accused. The weapon used in the attack has also been recovered from them.
Noida:

Protesting party's decision to give tickets to "outsiders" and turncoats, some BJP workers on Wednesday burnt effigy of Union minister and local MP Mahesh Sharma at DND flyway in New Delhi disrupting traffic, before they left for Delhi.

They shouted slogans against Sharma and carried placards which read "bahari logon ke ticket vapas lo (take the tickets back from the outsiders)" Police reached the site and traffic movement on flyway was restored.

The BJP has decided to field Tejpal Nagar, 58, from Dadri who had quit BSP during 2014 Lok Sabha elections and joined BJP. Dhirendra Singh, who quit Congress and joined the BJP on January 8, has been named as party candidate from Jewar.

Sharma said, "I have not selected the two candidates. The central election committee decided to field them. I have nothing to do with it. They should protest in Delhi."
Mumbai:

Actor Irrfan Khan-starrer 'Hindi Medium' is all set to release on May 12. The announcement was made by the 'Madaari' actor on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Irrfan shared a teaser poster of 'Hindi Medium' which features a man's feet, with each leg set in two completely different worlds. While his one leg is wrapped in ripped jeans and tattered footwear, the man's other leg is draped in sharp trousers with spotless black shoes.

"Time to go back to school .. Teaser poster of #HindiMedium @maddockfilms @TSeries," tweeted Irrfan.

A

The poster offers a sneak peak into the plot of the film with its tagline, "Cheating, lying. The parents who will do anything to get their children into the right school."

Helmed by Saket Chaudhary, 'Hindi Medium' also features Pakistani actress Sama Qamar, alongside Irrfan and has been co-produced by Dinesh Vijan and Bhushan Kumar.A

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New Delhi:

It's been a year when Bollywood actress Asin got married with her long-time beau Rahul Sharma and the couple just can't stop gushing about each other since then.

And now as they completed a year of their wedding, lover boy Rahul went on to express his feelings for his lady love with a love filled message on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Rahul shared a picture of Asin from their wedding day, where the diva looked ravishing in her bridal wear. In the caption, he spoke his heart out and admits that he is quite lucky to have found 'Ghajini' actress as his life partner.

He even wrote a line from 'Ghajini' song.

Rahul tweeted, "'Kaise mujhe tum mil gayi...?' One year of being married to this angel & I still don't know how I got so lucky."

'Kaise mujhe tum mil gayi...?' One year of being married to this angel & I still don't know how I got so lucky. pic.twitter.com/A3txhaJa3d a Rahul Sharma (@rahulsharma) January 19, 2017

A

On the other hand, Asin too shared adorable message for her man on Instagram.

The diva posted a picture of herself with Rahul being hands in hand, and she captioned the image as "A year of togetherness #ARwedding #1stWeddingAnniversary".

A year of togetherness Y #ARwedding #1stWeddingAnniversary A photo posted by Asin Thottumkal (@simply.asin) on Jan 18, 2017 at 5:35pm PST

Besides, Asin also shared some more pictures of their D-Day.

Love, Laughter and Happily ever after! ai A photo posted by Asin Thottumkal (@simply.asin) on Jan 18, 2017 at 6:58pm PST

#MyFamilyMyStrength ai A photo posted by Asin Thottumkal (@simply.asin) on Jan 18, 2017 at 7:21pm PST

Asin and Rahul's wedding was one of the most talked about wedding in 2016. The two got married as per both Hindu and Christian wedding with actor Akshay Kumar playing the best man.

On the work front, Asin was last seen in Abhishek Bachchan starrer 2015 release 'All Is Well'.

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New Delhi:

Samajwadi Party politician Atique Ahmed on Thursday expressed his dissatisfaction over his coverage by media during UP Assembly elections so far.

Atique said that he was allotted Kanpur seat in first list released by SP but, in the CMs list, no one was allotted Kanpur seat. Atique mentioned that media ran this story that Atiques name was struck off from Kanpur seat.

There are many leaders in the party who have been accused of many criminal cases and riots but media is only targeting him. He said that if UP CM Akhilesh Yadav gives ticket to him, then media will start targeting him. I care for Akhileshs image and I will make every possible effort to protect it. I will be meeting CM at 6 in the evening, said SP leader Atique Ahmed.

Atique further said that when he will complete my meeting with Akhilesh, media will run stories that he has changed his stand on the SP faction. He said that even if he gets ticket now, he will not fight elections as he loves the image of Chief Minister.

Mulayam Singh Yadav was my leader and is also my leader at present but Akhilesh is my first choice for CM candidate. I am also convinced with CM that anybody can persuade Netaji to write anything, said Atique Ahmed.

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New Delhi:

Ahead of the visit of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, India and UAE will hold their first strategic dialogue on Friday to discuss cooperation in key areas including energy, trade and security.

Announcing Al Nahyans visit between January 24-26, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup on Thursday said the dignitary would call on the President and the Vice-President as well as hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral, regional and global issues of common interest.

The Strategic Dialogue, being held for the first time since the two sides have agreed to elevate the mutually beneficial relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership after Modis visit there in 2015, will be co-chaired by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs M J Akbar and his Saudi counterpart Anwar Mohammed Gargash.

According to officials, the Strategic Cooperation Agreement is expected to be finalised during Fridays meeting and is likely to be signed after the meeting between Modi and Al Nahyan, who is also Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of UAE.

This is the second visit of the Crown Prince to India who travelled here in February 2016. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers, senior officials and captains of industry.

During the visit, the two sides will explore ways to strengthen ties in key areas of energy and trade.

The two countries have been among each others top trading partners with a well-balanced bilateral trade of about USD 50 billion in 2015-16.

UAE is among the top investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments. It contributes significantly to Indias energy security and is the fifth largest supplier of crude oil to India in 2015-16, Swarup said.

Noting that there was about 2.6 million strong and vibrant Indian community forms the largest expatriate group in UAE, he said, Their positive and well-appreciated contribution in the development of their host country has been an important anchor of our excellent bilateral engagement.

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New Delhi:

Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik is likely to be questioned by National Investigation Agency (NIA) that is scanning his 78 bank accounts, and real estate investments worth at least Rs 100 crore in and around Mumbai by him and his associates.

Atleast Rs 100 crore have been allegedly invested in real estate by Naik and his associates in and around Mumbai.

The probe agency, which had in November last year registered a case against Naik and others under anti-terror law for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony. The probe agency has also found roles of 23 entities including individuals and corporates linked to the preacher, NIA sources said on Thursday.

The NIA has questioned around 20 associates of Naik, including his sister Nailah Naushad Noorani, in connection with its investigation, they said.

"We have sought certain documents including income tax returns and others. Besides this, 78 bank accounts in different banks of the country, are also being scanned. Once examination is done, we intend to summon Zakir Naik for questioning," a source said.

The sources said that the agency has written to the banks seeking details of these accounts including transactions.

The NIA officials have found a complicated movement of money in the financial transactions made by people involved in the case, they said, adding that the role of Mumbai-based Harmony Media Pvt Ltd--involved in production of religious and educative videos--is being looked into in this case.

Naik's Non-Government Organisation (NGO), Islamic ResearchFoundation (IRF), has been banned by the central governmentunder Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The speeches of Naik, who is currently out of the country apparently to evade arrest, are banned in the UK, Canada andin Malaysia. The Home Ministry has found that the NGO was allegedly having dubious links with Peace TV, an international Islamicchannel, accused of propagating terrorism. According to the Home Ministry, Naik, who heads the IRF, has allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged interror propaganda.

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New Delhi:

The National Investigation Agency on Thursday claimed that terror attacks at army installations in Uri and Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir were carried out by Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The Agency claimed that one of the four terrorists involved in the attack on army camp in Handwara managed to flee.

The terrorists had attacked the camp of 30 Rashtriya Rifles camp in Langate in Handwara in October last year. While three attackers were killed by the security forces, one is believed to have escaped, a senior official said.

The official also claimed that there is proof indicating role of LeT behind Uri and Handwara attacks.

Earlier, Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was also under scanner behind the attack. NIA is looking into both the possibilities. A team of officials is also likely to visit the area for further probe.

In the Handwara incident, NIA officials said they recovered cell phones of Samsung and Huawei companies. These phones worked without SIMs using latest technology and manipulating its configuration, he claimed.

The agency has written to both Samsung and Huawei seeking details of these cell phones including information on shipments. Huawei had informed back that the phone was shipped to Pakistan.

Moreover, there are other evidence and documents in possession of NIA that points towards LeT's involvement in the attack, he said.

A lot of social media involvement has also been traced on record, manifesting use of GPS, wireless system and misuse of Facebook and Twitter by terrorists for communication.

With PTI Inputs

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Itah:

At least 15 schoolA childrenA were feared dead while several others were seriously injured when school bus collided with a truck in Aliganj area of EtahA district, Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.A

The accident happened when the school bus collided with a lorry near Asadpur village on Thursday. The bus of J S Vidyaniketan was taking the students to school when it met with the accident, police said.

More than 50 school children wereA travelling when the bus met with an accident.

The victims were in the age group of 10-15 years.

Tragic road accident in Aliganj Etah. Over 15 school kids feared dead. Rescue of injured ongoing. a Javeed (@javeeddgpup) January 19, 2017

The cause of the accident is believed to be thick fog in the morning.A

"Tragic road accident in Aliganj Etah. Over 15 school kids feared dead. Rescue of injured ongoing," UP DGP Javed Ahmad informed through Twitter initially.A

Ahmad said, "School was open against the order of district admin to close schools due to cold. More than 2 dozen children died."

"Priority is to rescue trapped children. Rescue operation is underway. Strict action will be taken against the school," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the death of school children in the accident.

"Anguished by tragic accident in UPas Etah. I share the pain of the bereaved families and condole passing away of young children.A I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest," ANI quoted PM Modi as saying.

Anguished by tragic accident in UPas Etah . I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole passing away of young children: PM Modi a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 19, 2017

DM and SSP of EtahA have reached the spot.A

Many leaders expressedA condolences to those who lost their lives. A

Heartfelt condolences on loss of young lives in tragic bus accident in Etah; prayers for speedy recovery of the injured #PresidentMukherjee a President of India (@RashtrapatiBhvn) January 19, 2017

Deeply saddened by the news of tragic school bus accident in Etah(UP) Pray for speedy recovery of injured. a Sadananda Gowda (@DVSBJP) January 19, 2017

I pray for the speedy recovery of the children injured in the accident. (2/2) a Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) January 19, 2017

My thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost their kids in the tragic bus accident at #Etah. May the injured recover soon. a Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) January 19, 2017

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New Delhi:

National Investigative Agency on Thursday revealed that in 2016, the top security body arrested 112 people, out of which 64 arrests were in cases related to Jihadi terror.



The agency, incidentally, also registered 34 cases in 2016, which Is highest since its inception in 2009.



Government of India entrusted investigation of 12 ISIS related cases to NIA, 52 accused arrested and 35 accused absconding in these cases, NIA report said. In 6 cases charge sheets and supplementary charge sheets have been filed, 8 cases are under investigation, the report said.



NIA on Kanpur train tragedy investigation



According to reports, NIA has written to Ministry of Home Affairs to request transfer of the Kanpur train tragedy case to them. The government is likely to make the transfer on Thursday.



The request comes a day after the arrest of two ISI related people in Bihars Motihari who are believed to be conspirators in the train tragedy.

Read | ISI role in Indore-Patna Express train mishap? NIA team to probe claims of three arrested persons

NIA on Syed Ali shah Geelani



Two bank accounts of separatist Syed Ali shah Geelani under scanner, Investigation going on: NIA



NIA on Zakir Naik



78 bank accounts of Zakir Naik under scanner, all accounts in India. Investment in Real Estate of Zakir Naik NGO is around 100 crore: NIA

NIA on Uri attack



Investigation reveals that LeT was behind Uri and Handwara(J&K) attacks and not JeM: NIA sources



NIA on Nagrota attack



Nagrota attack primary investigation reveals that JeM was behind attack: NIA sources

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New Delhi:

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday approved the appointment of Alok Verma, IPS, as Director CBI, for a period of 2 years. Alok Verma was Delhi Police Commissioner.

Alok Verma took charge as the Delhi Police Commisioner in February last year. He was to hold the post till July 2017.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led three-member met in New Delhi to decide on the chief of the country's premier probe agency CBI. The post of CBI director was lying vacant for over one month following Anil Sinha's retirement on December 2.

At present, Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana is the interim director of the investigating agency.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met a delegation of Muslim Ulemas and intellectuals and hailed the Indian youth for resisting radicalization.

PM Modi asserted that the country's culture, traditions and social fabric will never allow the nefarious designs of the terrorists or their sponsors to succeed

He told the delegation that it was "our collective responsibility" to take this heritage forward, a PMO statement said here.

The delegation congratulated the Prime Minister on the steps taken by the Union government for inclusive growth, socio-economic and educational empowerment of all sections of the society including Minorities, the statement said.

The Prime Minister said that youth in India has successfully resisted radicalization, which has affected several parts of the world today, it said.

The delegation had an inclusion of Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, Chief Imam of All India Organisation of Imams of Mosques, AMU Vice Chancelleor Lt Gen (Retd) Zameeruddin Shah and Jamia Millia Vice Chancellor Talat Ahmed. PM Modi gave the credit to long, shared heritage of the people.

PM also stressed on importance of education and skill development, which is the key to gainful employment, and upliftment from poverty.

PTI Inputs

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Pune:

Pune police claimed on Thursday to have busted a prostitution racket by rescuing 26 girls and women from different lodges and arresting five people. According to police, the girls were brought from Kolkata, Jharkhand, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai and were forced into flesh trade in Pune.

"We had received a complaint from the programme head of 'The Freedom Project India', an organisation working against human trafficking and slavery. In its complaint, the organisation had said that the girls and women are being brought here from various states and forced into flesh trade," said a police officer.

Based on the complaint, decoy customers were sent to three particular lodges located on Pune-Satara road and raids were conducted, he said.

"We have booked over eight people, including the proprietors of the lodges and so far arrested five people under the relevant sections of Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA)," the officer said. He added that all the rescued girls and women have been sent to Rescue Foundation and other facilities in the city.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
AP17018720468089

President Barack Obama declined to comment on Wednesday when asked about congressional Democrats who have announced plans to boycott President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

"With respect to the inauguration, I am not going to comment on those issues," Obama said. "All I know is I'm going to be there. So is Michelle."

Fox News reporter Kevin Corke had asked the president, who has stressed he wants a peaceful transition of power, about Democrats declining to attend the inauguration.

Dozens of Democrats, including civil rights icon John Lewis, have said they won't participate in the festivities.

NOW WATCH: Trump answers reporters' questions in his longest news conference since winning the election





More From Business Insider


New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking recognition of divorce decrees in Ecclesiastical Courts.

The PIL filed by a lawyer, Clarence Pais was heard at length by the bench of Justices headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar.

Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar represented the Central government. Pais contended that marriage and its dissolution or annulment were governed by the Church, and if it remains unrecognized, the faithful Catholic population might be guilty of bigamy under the Indian Penal Code, even after a decree of divorce has been granted by the Court.

The petitioner also raised the issue that a multitude of catholic men had remarried after their divorce decrees were finalised by the Church clergy.

Pais, in his plea, had said, "It is reasonable that when the courts in India recognise dissolution of marriage (by pronouncing the word talaq three times) under Mohammedan Law which is Personal law of the Muslims, the courts should also recognise for the purpose of dissolution of marriage Canon Law as the personal law of the Indian Catholics."

The plea contended that Canon Law is the personal law of Catholics and has to be applied and enforced by a criminal court while deciding a case under section 494 (bigamy) of IPC.

With PTI Inputs

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Hyderabad:

BJP launched a scathing attack on Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on the issue of 12% reservations for Muslims, saying the proposal is unconstitutional minority vote bank politics.



"CM KCR's statement reiterating that his government will provide for 12% reservation to Muslims is not just a blatant lie, but also unconstitutional and uncouth minority vote bank politics", Telangana BJP's official spokesperson, Krishna Saagar Rao said.



The chief minister had told the state assembly that a bill providing 12% reservation to backward sections among Muslims would be introduced in the budget session of the House.

This quota was a key election promise of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). The chief minister had also said his government decided to implement this reservation for Muslims based on their social, economic and educational backwardness and not on religious basis.

Krishna Saagar Rao said BJP strongly disapproves "this open pandering for Muslim votes by CM KCR being in a constitutional position". "Knowing very well that the reservations limit set by the Supreme Court cannot be violated and very clear SC orders against religion-based reservations, CM KCR is still making this kind of deviant statements". "His (the chief minister's) designs only expose his pro-Muslim, anti-Hindu, anti BC/SC/ST mindset", Krishna Saagar Rao said.

"As any increased reservation has to be drawn from the quota assigned to BC/SC and STs, BJP considers this as unforgivable misadventure negatively affecting the economically backward classes, in pursuit of public pandering for Muslim votes".

He said BJP believes "100%" that the chief minister cannot deliver on this "illegal and unconstitutional false promise on 12% reservation to Muslims".

Rao had said on Wednesday that in order to provide 12% reservation to Muslims, a relaxation should be given to the stipulation that the reservations should not exceed 50%.

"The government of Tamil Nadu introduced Act 45/94 and with the consent of Indian Parliament, got incorporated the issue of enhancement of reservation in the 9th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. We will follow the same policy in our state also," Rao had said.

Expressing confidence the Centre would act favourably on the state's move to provide 12 per cent quota, he, however, said the state government would also take a legal recourse on the issue if the Centre does not respond positively.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The launch of Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO) GSLV Mk-III has been postponed to March-April this year, reports have said. GSLV Mk-III, the heaviest rocket belonging to ISRO, was scheduled to be launched on January 20.

According to report, the GSLV Mk-III launch has been postponed due to the pending tests that need to be conducted on the vehicle. The launch of GSLV Mk-III will now take place after completion of the pending tests either in March or April.

Some more tests are planned for the vehicle and the stage level tests also got delayed. Now, these tests will be conducted this month. If any issues arise during the tests we will correct them, K Sivan, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram told a leading national daily.

The GSLV Mk-III rocket will carry the 3.2 tonne GSAT-19 satellite.



In December 2016, the high altitude test for GSLV Mk-IIIs large cryogenic engine CE-20 was successfully carried out. Apart from GSLV Mk-III, ISRO also has plans to launch the SAARC satellite with GSLV Mk-II rocket in March-April.

We are planning to launch both the GSLV Mk-III and GSLV Mk-II rockets in March and April. Maybe one will be launched in March and another one in April depending on the availability of the launch pad, K Sivan added.

Also, ISRO will be launching a record number of 103 satellites using the PSLV rocket in February this year.

The PSLV-C37 rocket will launch 103 micro-small satellites during the second week of February, K Sivan told Deccan Chronicle.

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

After much hustle-bustle and extensive campaigning, 26 election debates and huge number of press conferences., Donald Trump is set to sworn-in as 45th President of United States of America.

On Friday January 20, Trump will officially become US President. Event planners are expecting around 900000 people to attend Trump swearing-in.

The celebrations around Trump's inauguration will begin today around the theme 'Make America Great Again' which not only caught the imagination of the Americans during the grilling election campaign, but also propelled Trump to victory.

An unprecedented security has been put in place to thwart any untoward incident. Outgoing US President Barack Obama on Wednesday reviewed the preparedness. "We are going to see a just unbelievable tremendous outpouring of support for him," the incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said.

"The president(-elect) has been just overwhelmed by the amount of support and outpouring of people that want to participate in some way with this 'historic inauguration," Spicer said in response to a question.

Here is the complete schedule of Donald Trump inaugural swearing in ceremony

Thursday, Jan 19

Wreath-Laying Ceremony Venue: Arlington National Cemetery

The incoming President and VP will lay a wreath in honor of armed forces.

Welcome Concert Celebration- Lincoln Memorial

Friday, Jan 20

Inaugural swearing-in ceremony Venue: West Front of the US Capitol Building

The ceremony kicks off at 9:30 a.m. EST (8:00 PM IST) with music and performances by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will perform along with Jackie Evancho and the Radio City Rockettes.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will swear in Donald Trump at noon; Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced that she will be in attendance alongside Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, as will members of Congress.

Inaugural Parade

At the conclusion of the swearing-in ceremony, President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and their families will walk up Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol Building to the White House. Thousands of high school band members, as well as motorcyclists and military members, will also march as part of the historic parade.

Inaugural Ball Venue: Walter E Washington Convention Center

This years ball theme is the Big Apple, an open homage to the Presidents hometown. It is a black tie event at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Beijing:

China on Thursday hailed the outgoing US President Barack Obama and said the bilateral ties made important progress during his tenure, as it braced for a likely showdown with America under the presidency of tough-talking Donald Trump.

"Like all you we are also paying close attention to the inauguration of the new US president tomorrow," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media briefing when asked how China views the relations with US under the Trump administration starting from Friday.

The stable development of China-US relations are in the interests of two peoples, Hua said, acknowledging that some specific problems and differences between the two sides remained and should be resolved through constructive dialogue.

"We look forward to working with the new US government to continue to uphold the principles of non-confrontation, mutual respect, cooperation and win-win situation, continue to expand bilateral, regional, global and cooperation in various fields," she said, skirting any references to tensions over Trump's assertions that he would negotiate on One-China policy, address trade imbalance, currency manipulation as well as disputed South China Sea issues.

Ahead of Trump inauguration on Friday, China has called on the US to bar a Taiwanese delegation from the swearing-in ceremony which would be also attend by Chinese envoy to US.

China and the US need to be "friends and partners rather than competitors and enemies," Hua said. However, she hit out at comments by Trump's pick for commerce secretary Wilbur Ross criticism that China is indulging for excess steel and aluminium production.

She said China is a defender of free trade and pointed to Chinese President Xi Jinping appeal at World Economic Forum in Switzerland to avoid protectionism.

"Who is sincerely pushing ahead with liberalisation of trade and investment and who is exercising trade protectionism should be clear for all to see," Hua asked.

Trump vowed during his campaign that he will respond to unfair Beijing trade tactics by raising tariffs on Chinese goods by possibly imposing other penalties.

Hua, however, spoke highly of Obama tenure saying that "important progress" has been in US China ties under Obama Presidency and the two countries should move forward as partners rather than competitors.

When asked to sum how China viewed ties under Obama who relinquishes office on Friday, she said both Obama and Chinese President Xi met eight times.

Besides improving Trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges which hit new records under Obama tenure, both countries signed climate change agreement, which Trump said he would discard.

She also spoke about investment agreement, building trust between their militaries, counter-terrorism and the Iranian nuclear issue. "Important progress has been made by the two countries.

This has shown that China-US relations have strategic and overarching significance and we have more common interests than differences and when China and the US work together we can achieve a lot," Hua said.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Kuala Lumpur:

Irans foreign minister said that his country isnt worried and has several options if US President-elect Donald Trump rejects a nuclear agreement reached between Iran and six world powers.

But Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran believes it is in the interest of everybody to stick to the deal.

He told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday that if Trumps government walks away from the deal, we will make him surprised. He declined to elaborate.

The deal was negotiated by Iran and the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, and was enshrined in a legally binding UN resolution.

It imposed limits on the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for lifting UN economic sanctions.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Paris:

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange retreated from his pledge to accept extradition to the US if Chelsea Manning was granted clemency, arguing via his lawyers that what he was really asking for was an immediate pardon for the ex-Army analyst.



It was only last week that Assange raised eyebrows across the internet when he appeared to offer himself up as a kind of swap for Manning, the former private convicted of leaking the hundreds of thousands of documents that made WikiLeaks a household name.



If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case, WikiLeaks said, apparently referring to the US Department of Justices continuing investigation into the radical transparency website.



But when Obama granted clemency to Manning on Tuesday, setting a May release date that lops almost 30 years off her sentence, Assanges lawyers said it wasnt enough.



Theres no question that what President Obama did is not what Assange was seeking, said Barry Pollack, who represents the WikiLeaks chief in the United States, yesterday. Mr Assange was saying that Chelsea should never have been prosecuted, never have been sentenced to decades in prison, and should have been released immediately.



Melinda Taylor, who also represents Assange, agreed, saying in an email that clemency was far short of what Mr. Assange asked for and what Ms. Manning deserved (which is to be pardoned and freed immediately).



Neither supplied any evidence that Assange had used the words immediate or pardon in relation to his extradition offer, but Pollack said it was clear that was what Assange meant, noting that the Australian computer expert had previously pushed for Mannings pardon.



Why would he be called for Mannings release in a few months from now? Pollack said. You can parse his tweets any way that you want to parse them. I think his position has been clear throughout.



Critics of Assange had a field day, accusing him of dishonesty or using Mannings case to win publicity. Julian Assange Backpedals on Extradition Promise in Record Time, read one headline in tech website Gizmodo.



Its not the first time Assanges pronouncements in relation to Manning havent quite worked out as advertised. In December 2010, journalists revealed that WikiLeaks had failed to honour a pledge to help support Mannings legal defence fund.



It was only after the story was aired in the media that WikiLeaks paid up, reducing its expected contribution from USD 50,000 to USD 20,000 and then finally to USD 15,100, according to press accounts at the time.



Even earlier, in June 2010, WikiLeaks said that claims that we have been sent 260,000 classified US embassy cables are, as far as we can tell, incorrect.Four months later, the site began publishing Mannings huge trove.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Lindsey Graham

Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has been one of the biggest critics of Russia's election-related cyberattacks during the 2016 presidential election conceded that Donald Trump will be the next US president.

"What Russia did in our election did not change the outcome. Donald Trump's the legitimate president," Graham said in an interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson on Wednesday night.

The South Carolina senator weeks ago said Russia should suffer "crippling sanctions" because of its election-related cyberattacks and accused the Kremlin of hacking his campaign accounts also. Graham was a contender in the Republican primary before dropping out in December 2015.

He asserted that Russia's cyberattacks should not be forgotten: "This is uniquely bad," Graham said, "if you give Putin a pass on [hacking], we'll pay a heavy price because the Iranians and the Chinese, they're sizing us up."

Multiple US intelligence agencies are investigating Russia's attempts to influence the election. Russia has denied the accusations.

Democrats and Republicans have both scolded Russia and President Vladimir Putin  but Trump, until recently, avoided acknowledging Russia's involvement. The president-elect has since conceded that Russia is behind the attacks, but also pointed to China and others.

President Barack Obama announced new sanctions against Russia last month that included the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats from the US. He also ordered the nation's spy agencies to investigate possible Russian interference in US presidential elections going back to 2008.

Sen. Graham suggested the Obama administration's actions are not enough: "[Obama] threw a pebble at Putin. I want to throw a rock." He also pointed to the incoming administration: "If Trump forgives Putin, it screams weakness."

Watch Lindsey Graham's interview below:

NOW WATCH: 'They don't go around announcing what they're doing'  Obama slams critics suggesting the US should publicly shame Russia for election interference





More From Business Insider


BETHEL - The school district is moving forward with plans to renovate the Rockwell and Johnson elementary schools, which officials say are cramped and outdated.

The town has selected the Perkins Eastman firm of Stamford to design the project and help the district submit a proposal to the state for partial reimbursement of renovation costs. The district will ask voters at an upcoming special town meeting for $150,000 to cover these initial costs.

Officials do not yet know the full cost of the project, but a 2010 study estimated it at $50 million to $60 million. The state could reimburse 47 percent of the total if the towns proposal is accepted. The town would then vote on the project in the fall.

Johnson, which houses fourth and fifth grades, was built in 1980, and Rockwell, which houses kindergarten through third grade, was built in 1971. Rockwell was renovated in 1977, but Johnson has never undergone a major upgrade.

Superintendent Christine Carver has said the schools are too small, too hot and have too few electrical outlets. Railings and bathrooms also do not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the tiles may have asbestos, officials have said.

They really don't...fit where we are today and where we expect to be in the future, said Board of Education Chairman Larry Craybas.

As part of the renovations, workers would add natural lighting, reconfigure classroom space, install energy-efficient windows and fix the heating system. The schools would also be modernized to fit the technological needs of todays students by, for example, adding electrical outlets.

Board members will also determine whether to reconfigure grade levels. The board could move third-graders into Johnson, move pre-kindergarten into Johnson or keep everything the same.

Construction would begin with Johnson in the summer of 2018, followed by Rockwell 18 months to two years later. Craybas said the board is considering various options, including portable classrooms, to house students during construction.

You dont want to do Rockwell first and have young kidskindergarten, first gradego through a year and a half of construction interruption and be ready to move into Johnson and have them go through that again, Craybas said.

Without renovations, the 2010 study found the district would have to spend $10 million over 10 years to maintain the buildings.

That's a $10 million bill and you end up with the same building, Craybas said. Its like if you own a house, you just can't ignore things like the roof and the heating system and how your family size changed. Its even more dramatic in a school setting.

But Craybas said his biggest concern is that the state will not have the money for the project.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in his 2017 State of the State Address that school construction accounts for about a quarter of Connecticuts bonded debt. Secretary of the Office of Policy Management Ben Barnes also told members of the school construction committee in a December letter that the state needs to control spending on those projects.

Craybas said a 2016 study projects steady enrollment growth in Bethel over the next 10 years, making the district more likely to qualify for reimbursement program.

There's money now for this project, he said. That's why were moving so rapidly to at least identify our need, but who knows what's going to happen?

If the state could not pay for the project, the district could drop it, he said.

We will continue to spend money maintaining old buildings...but that money is better spent to renovate that building to a condition that will allow us to [use it] for another 40 years without any big expenditures for repair, Craybas said.
You know you're no longer a really small business when it's time to hire a controller.

When you started up the company all of your accounting was done by you or your spouse on a spreadsheet. Then you grew and moved the numbers from a spreadsheet to a basic accounting system. You grew a little more. You hired an outside accountant to do your books and tax returns. But you needed someone around more often. So you brought on a bookkeeper.

So that's where you are. A couple of dozen employees. A bookkeeper. An outside accountant. But waityour company is still growing. It's getting close to the time where you need to hire a controller.

Hiring a controller is a big step. For starters, it won't be cheap. Back in 1994 I was hired as a controller for a 40 person publicly-held company in the Philadelphia area and my salary then was $75,000. You're going to pay at least that much for a competent controller, plus benefits. You might get away with something less if you're located in a smaller region with a lower cost of living. Just remember -- where you live, you'll get what you pay for. A good controller is a good negotiator. If you're out-negotiating a potential controller on her salary exactly how good will she be negotiating with suppliers on your company's behalf?

So what exactly does a competent controller do? She will literally change your business. She is not a bookkeeper and she is not an accounting manager. In fact, she's much more than just an accountant. For a business your size, she's your main financial go-to person. Here's what she'll do:

She'll take ownership of everything on her financial statements.

Again, it's her P&L. She owns the accounting system and is responsible for every data entry point. She knows every number going through it. She knows why expenses increased and why some fell. She knows if something's gone missing. She's familiar with your sales and your backlog. She doesn't fall into a stupor reading your general ledger -- in fact, she actually enjoys it. She will be part of every big decision -- the purchase of a new piece of equipment, the hiring of a manager, the investment in property, the changing of health insurance plans -- because these decisions affect her financial statements. She will be the primary person for your banking, insurance and legal relationships. She creates budgets and measures them against results. She's all about the numbers. She loves the numbers.

Related: How to Hire a Controller for Your Company

She will enjoy finding cost savings.

A sales manager's job is to increase sales. A controller looks to improve a company's profitability. Your controller will know if sales are satisfactory, but she will primarily be looking at expenses. She will ask herself, how can I shave another 5 percent from our insurance costs? How can I improve the margin on this product by a percentage point? Why are we spending so much on freight? Does this department really need all those people or can some be more productive somewhere else? Are we incurring too much overtime in this area? This is her job. She loves finding cost savings. She's all about growing profitability. You dont tell her to cut expenses. She tells you.

Related: 4 Ways to Cut Costs Using Technology

She will not do data entry, she will manage data entry.

This is an important lesson: if you're going to spend upwards of six figures on a controller then you will need to understand that this is not a bookkeeper or accounts payable staff person. You will need to make sure that this person has those people on her staff. She is not replacing them. You are adding to your overhead by hiring her.

A controller's job is not to do data entry. Her job is to supervise it and make sure it's done fast, accurately and securely. She's an enormous fan of technology and looks for new applications, services and tools to keep her department (and others) running productively and with minimal resources. She gets reports. She analyzes. She directs. She manages. She advises. She takes action. But she is not sitting in her office all day keying in data, other than the occasional update of a spreadsheet or email.

Related: 4 Ways for Control Freaks to Get Comfortable Delegating Tasks

Finally, she will be a pain-in-the-neck.

When I was hired as a controller, the CEO of the company told me that if he received a call every week from a supplier complaining about me then I was doing a good job. Maybe that's a little overboard, but you get the point. A controller should be a pain-in-the-neck to your suppliers -- professionally, of course.

She should also be a bit of a pain-in-the-neck to your other managers too -- professionally as well, of course. Most importantly, she should be a pain-in-the-neck to you, without any regard of professionalism whatsoever because you're a big person, have a thick skin and know that she's looking out for the best interests of your company. To that end, she should be the type of person who's not afraid to lecture you if she doesn't agree with how you're spending the company's money. You want her opinion. You want her to be your watchdog. You may not always listen to her. But you'll appreciate her point of view.

There's no golden rule for when you hire a controller. You'll know it. You'll know that your company's reached the size where a bookkeeper and a once-a-year tax accountant are no longer going to cut it. You'll know that you don't need another bean counter. You need a financial partner who's sitting in an office near you and looking after your company's money. Your money. When you find that right person, you'll happily pay her.

Related:

4 Ways a Good Controller Helps Grow Your Company

Debt Is the Tiger That Will Eat Your Company

Early Financial Mistakes By Start-ups



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education and the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents are very concerned about the mid-year cut of $20 million in education aid to municipalities announced by the state Office of Policy and Management recently. These cuts, which take effect immediately, will result in diminished educational opportunities for students.

What is particularly troubling is that the reductions will take place when just about all of the non-personnel budget items have already been spent. That means that any budget reduction will result in staff reductions and directly impact students.
Is This Plan to Shut Down the White House on Inauguration Day Legal?

Washington is bracing for a rash of marches and demonstrations protesting Fridays inauguration of Donald J. Trump as Americas 45th president.

Related: How Much Will Trump's Inauguration Cost? A Look at the Last 5 Presidents

Almost 1 million people are expected, and Reuters describes the nations capital as a fortress, with some 30 permits issued for groups looking to mount demonstrations both for and against Trump. Reuters says That number includes some 200,000 people who police say they expect to attend Saturday's Women's March on Washington, an anti-Trump protest.

But locking arms in protest isnt the only way anti-Trump activists are planning to make themselves heard. In fact, one group says it intends to lock up the White House website.

Protester.io, a platform created by San Francisco software engineer Juan Soberanis, is urging those who cant make it to Washington to oppose Trumps presidency by visiting the Whitehouse.gov site and overloading it with too much traffic, PCWorld says.

A release published by PRNewswire on Jan. 12 and since taken down called Protester.io an open platform for activists to create and run protests that operate similar to crowdfunding campaigns with a specific goal. But instead of raising money in a set period of time, the object is to mount a one-time protest.

Related: Trump Raises Record Amount for His Inauguration

However, PCWorld points out that a so-called distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attack aimed at taking down WhiteHouse.gov could be illegal under federal law.

Soberanis disagrees, describing his plan  having millions of people log into the White House website and keep refreshing the page -- as an act of civil disobedience no different than taking part in a march.

Illegal or not, there is a certain irony to mounting a digital protest against a man who tweeted his way to the Oval Office with the alleged help of Russian hackers.
Hubert recognized for her commitment to inclusion and governance

MONTREAL, Jan. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - EY is pleased to announce that Anne-Marie Hubert, the firm's Quebec Managing Partner, was named a Member of the Order of Canada, for her commitment to parity and inclusion in business and for her skill in corporate governance.

"I'm always filled with immense pride when a member of our EY family is recognized for their achievements, and it's particularly special when it's one of this country's highest civilian honours," says Trent Henry, EY's Canadian Chairman and CEO. "I've personally been privileged to know and work alongside Anne-Marie for many years. The passion and energy she brings to everything she does is inspiring  and her leadership, mentorship and commitment to inclusiveness have helped EY deliver on its purpose of building a better working world. This honour is truly well deserved."

About Anne-Marie Hubert

As a member of the EY Global Advisory Council from 2007 to 2009 and EY Canada's Executive Committee from 2009 to 2015, Hubert established a reputation for challenging the status quo to make it easier for all the firm's people to offer exceptional client service, positively impacting our economy and our communities. From 2002 to 2006, she led EY Canada's gender equity initiatives and served as the Canadian representative on the EY Americas Gender Equity Task Force. In December 2006, she received EY's Rosemary Meschi award, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the advancement of women in the Americas. In December 2011, she was recognized for the fourth time as one of Canada's 100 Top Most Powerful Women by the Women's Executive Network and in June 2012, she was selected as one of three Champions of Women in Business leaders chosen by Catalyst Canada. In June 2015, Hubert was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Concordia University in recognition of her exceptional contribution to the advancement of women in business.

Hubert chairs the Public Policy Forum and serves on the boards of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Institute of Corporate Directors, Quebec Chapter, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, and the Societe des celebrations du 375e anniversaire de Montreal.

After graduating from the University of Ottawa in 1985, Hubert earned her CA (now CPA) designation in 1987 and a fellowship from the Ordre des comptables professionnels du Quebec in 2004.

About the Order of Canada

Created in 1967, the Order of Canada, one of our country's highest civilian honours, recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Close to 7 000 people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order. Their contributions are varied, yet they have all enriched the lives of others and have taken to heart the motto of the Order: DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM ("They desire a better country"). Appointments are made by the governor general on the recommendation of the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada.

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

For more information, please visit ey.com/ca. Follow us on Twitter @EYCanada.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

SOURCE EY (Ernst & Young)

For further information: please contact: Sasha Anopina, [email protected], 416 943 2637; Julie Fournier, [email protected], 514 874 4308

Related Links

http://www.ey.com


Internationally versatile journalist to host Bloomberg Markets: Canada beginning January 23

TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - Bloomberg TV Canada, operated by Channel Zero, is pleased to announce the addition of financial journalist Lily Jamali to its team of on-air talent as the host of the new daily business news program Bloomberg Markets: Canada. The hour-long show will provide an in-depth look at the day's market action and the stories that matter to investors. Bloomberg Markets: Canada will debut on January 23, 2017 and will air weekdays at 4pm ET.

Lily Jamali, host of Bloomberg Markets: Canada (CNW Group/Bloomberg TV Canada)

"Lily provides a global perspective that reflects the first-class standard at Bloomberg TV Canada," said Michael Bancroft, Executive Producer, Bloomberg TV Canada. "The demand for worldwide market coverage is ever-increasing, and Lily delivers with the kind of expert analysis and news acumen our viewers have come to rely on."

"In addition to her extensive business expertise, Lily brings a wealth of television journalism experience," said Mike Katrycz, Vice President of News, Channel Zero. "Her skill set is characteristic of the global reach of Bloomberg, and we are thrilled to have her join our team."

Prior to joining Bloomberg TV Canada, Jamali covered the tech industry and the U.S. West Coast as a San Francisco-based financial journalist for Reuters TV. At Reuters, she was integral in providing coverage from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and the Aspen Ideas Festival, among others. Jamali's international experience is wide and diverse, from freelance reports in Brazil on the impact of the Eurozone crisis on immigration, to her fellowship role with the South Asian Journalist Association covering the impact of climate change on the Maldives. Jamali holds an M.B.A. in Finance from New York University's Stern School of Business, and is fluent in Farsi, Spanish and French.

Bloomberg Markets: Canada will be produced daily from Bloomberg TV Canada's high-definition studio at Brookfield Place, in the heart of Toronto's financial district. The show joins Bloomberg North as the second premiere Canadian financial news program produced and anchored locally. Bloomberg Markets: Canada speaks to CEOs, money managers, and top political figures to provide an inside perspective on the most important stories in financial markets.

Launched in November 2015, Bloomberg TV Canada is available to over 6 million Canadian households and offices, and distributed on all major Canadian cable, satellite and telco platforms except Bell TV.

About Bloomberg TV Canada

Bloomberg TV Canada delivers the best of Bloomberg's global markets information, essential Canadian business and financial news, and dynamic lifestyle programming to influential Canadian decision-makers. With input from 30 journalists in six news bureaus in major markets across Canada, and international access to 150 bureaus in 73 countries and 2,400 professionals worldwide  Bloomberg TV Canada becomes the first business and financial information source for Canadians, providing its audience with a critical edge by connecting them to a vital network of information, people and ideas. Bloomberg TV Canada is owned by Channel Zero in Toronto and operates from the heart of the financial district with studios at Brookfield Place and TSX. For more information, please visit bloombergtv.ca.

About Channel Zero

Channel Zero is an independent Canadian media company that owns over-the-air channel CHCH-TV and a growing bouquet of specialty channels including Rewind and Silver Screen Classics. Bloomberg TV Canada is the first of several platforms under Channel Zero's leadership that combines the best of Bloomberg's global branded content with Bloomberg original and local Canadian subject matter. Channel Zero's digital sales agency Junction Digital offers advertisers marketing solutions on CHCH.com, BloombergTV.ca, Andpop.com and ChartAttack.com, as well as the top ad exchanges. Other divisions of Channel Zero include Channel Zero World Media, which operates Halla Bol - Canada's first South Asian HD TV channel - and TV Asia; and Ouat Media, an Academy Award winning film sales and distribution company. For more information, please visit chz.com.

SOURCE Bloomberg TV Canada

For further information: please contact: Channel Zero/Bloomberg TV Canada: Nick Bannard, +1 416 492 1595 ext. 249, [email protected]
Canada-U.S. relationship is essential to our shared economic prosperity

TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) President and CEO, Allan O'Dette, sent a letter to the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs. In their message on the eve of the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America, the OCC brings attention to the vital importance of growing our relationship with our southern neighbor.

In recent decades, Canada and the United States have benefitted from strong cooperation on a wide range of issues including border management, trade, security, and regulatory harmonization. While full agreement has not always been achieved, both parties have managed to create an environment of mutually beneficial growth and prosperity for both Canadian and American citizens.

From the letter:

"International trade was a major focus of the 2016 presidential campaign, and in particular a focus on increasing benefits for the American worker. We believe that trade between Canada and many American states yields positive outcomes for workers on both sides of the border. Many of the employers that we represent rely on cross-border business relationships for their own success. When Canadian businesses purchase American products or participate in the supply chains of American companies, they are contributing to the growth and prosperity of American businesses - and vice-versa. This is an essential message to convey to our American counterparts."

To read the full letter, click here.

SOURCE Ontario Chamber of Commerce

For further information: Rachel Strong, Senior Communications Advisor, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, E: [email protected], T: 416.482.5222 ext. 2470

Related Links

http://www.occ.on.ca


Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A has more than 2,000 restaurants in 46 states.

(Video still)

Chick-fil-A has cleared its first hurdle on a long journey to Upstate New York.

The Democrat & Chronicle reports Greece Town Board members approved re-zoning two parcels of land and granted a special use permit for the fast food chain to open a restaurant in Greece, N.Y. Chick-fil-A plans to build a 5,000-square-foot eatery across from the Mall at Greece Ridge.

It would be the Georgia-based company's first location in the Rochester area and could open before a recently proposed restaurant in Albany.

Chick-fil-A, well-known for its chicken sandwich, has more than 2,000 restaurants in 46 states, but its only New York locations are currently in the NYC area. The company has reportedly been scouting expansion possibilities around Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany since last year.

In October, developer Scott Earl submitted a proposal for a Chick-fil-A as part of a 60,250-square-foot retail complex in the Capitol Region at the corner of Route 146 and Old Route 146 in Halfmoon. However, Earl hadn't yet signed a deal with the company at that time.

"While we hope to serve communities in the Albany area in the future, we do not currently have any locations to confirm," Rob Entsminger, a spokesman for the eatery, told the Buffalo News.

The company made similar statements about the possibility of a Chick-fil-A in Central New York and the Buffalo area.

But Greece is looking closer to being the first Upstate New York location where fried chicken fans can "eat mor chikin." According to the D&C, the town's Planning Board is expected to consider the proposed restaurant within the next few weeks.
Tri Alpha Energy, nuclear fusion startup, has raised $500 million. Tri Alphas setup borrows some of the principles of high-energy particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider, to fire beams of plasma into a central vessel where the fusion reaction takes place. Last August the company said it had succeeded in keeping a high-energy plasma stable in the vessel for five millisecondsan infinitesimal instant of time, but enough to show that it could be done indefinitely. Since then that time has been upped to 11.5 milliseconds.

The next challenge is to make the plasma hot enough for the fusion reaction to generate more energy than is needed to run it. How hot? Something like 3 billion C, or 200 times the temperature of the suns core. No metal on Earth could withstand such a temperature. But because the roiling ball of gas is confined by a powerful electromagnetic field, it doesnt touch the interior of the machine.

The photos seen here were taken a few days before Tri Alpha began dismantling the machine to build a much larger and more powerful version that will fully demonstrate the concept. That could lead to a prototype reactor sometime in the 2020s.

Tri-alpha energy was in stealth mode for many years but now has their own website.

Compact Toroidal injector test stand

The C2U is the worlds largest compact toroid device. 20 meters in length and 1.4 meters in diameter. Magnetic fields of 3.5 tesla deliver 1 megajoule in microseconds forming and accelerating compact toroids to 600,000 kilometers per hour.

Tri Alphas machine produces a doughnut of plasma, but in it the flow of particles in the plasma produces all of the magnetic field holding the plasma together. This approach, known as a field-reversed configuration (FRC), has been known since the 1960s. But despite decades of work, researchers could get the blobs of plasma to last only about 0.3 milliseconds before they broke up or melted away. In 1997, the Canadian-born physicist Norman Rostoker of the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues proposed a new approach. The following year, they set up Tri Alpha, now based in an unremarkableand unlabeledindustrial unit here. Building up from tabletop devices, by last year the company was employing 150 people and was working with C-2, a 23-meter-long tube ringed by magnets and bristling with control devices, diagnostic instruments, and particle beam generators. The machine forms two smoke rings of plasma, one near each end, by a proprietary process and fires them toward the middle at nearly a million kilometers per hour. At the center they merge into a bigger FRC, transforming their kinetic energy into heat.

Previous attempts to create long-lasting FRCs were plagued by the twin demons that torment all fusion reactor designers. The first is turbulence in the plasma that allows hot particles to reach the edge and so lets heat escape. Second is instability: the fact that hot plasma doesnt like being confined and so wriggles and bulges in attempts to get free, eventually breaking up altogether. Rostoker, a theorist who had worked in many branches of physics including particle physics, believed the solution lay in firing high-speed particles tangentially into the edge of the plasma. The fast-moving incomers would follow much wider orbits in the plasmas magnetic field than native particles do; those wide orbits would act as a protective shell, stiffening the plasma against both heat-leaking turbulence and instability.

SOURCES  Technology Review, Physics of Plasmas, Trialpha Energy, Youtube, Science
Russia is developing hypersonic weapons by using new materials, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said on Thursday.

Coming next are hypersonic weapons, which require the use of principally new materials and control systems that operate in a completely different medium, in plasma, the deputy defense minister said.

Today the Army is at the stage of a new scientific and technical revolution and principally new armament systems based on physical principles never used before in this field are coming to replace existing systems, the deputy defense minister said.

Russia expects a serious breakthrough in the field of laser and electromagnetic weapons.

The United States is currently leading in race to develop combat lasers and electromagnetic railguns.

The USA had a lead in developing hypersonic missiles but Russia and China may be closer to deploying weapons.

Interaction between the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Defense Ministry has specific goals, first of all, in developing the scientific and technical potential. We expect an especially serious breakthrough in the field of laser issues, electromagnetic weapons and so on, the deputy defense minister told journalists in the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Efforts should be sharply intensified to replenish the fundamental basis, which military science can use to create principally new examples of armaments, the deputy defense minister said.

We [the Defense Ministry and the Russian Academy of Sciences] have mapped out a plan of action On the one hand, our officers are learning in the direct meaning of this word -. Special courses are being organized for them On the other hand. , we have kindled academic institutes with our ideas to some extent and they are beginning to think about new approaches to modelling serious operations, the deputy defense minister said.

SOURCE  Tass
Jack Ma of Alibaba and many others have pointed out that the USA wasted over $14 trillion in fighting wars over the past 30 years rather than investing in infrastructure at home. Others point out that the US spends double the GDP of other developed countries on medical plans while having lower overall life expectancy.

Federal spending has increased on a % of GDP basis or on a per capita inflation adjusted basis but value has not increased.

Even cutting the $1.4 trillion F35 program is somehow controversial. 25 years and over $300 billion later the F35s are still years from being declared fully operational.

Russia is weak economically and other than nuclear weapons is 3 to 5 times weaker than the USA. China economy is coming up but is also far weaker than the US. China is 10-20 years from being remotely competitive with the US militarily.

Social security balancing could follow Canada with a slowly increasing age for government retirement benefits.

Medical programs could pick from any one of the models in other developed countries. Basic services fully covered with something like universal medicare (no age limit) but with various markets for medicare advantage like paid suppplements. Some studies estimate a 25-31% cost savings from universal medicare

Where could better investments be made that re-allocate some of the $1 trillion on military related spending and after savings adjusting social security and medical programs from the $4 trillion annual US federal budget ?

Rapid debt repayment is one option or at least balancing budgets.

Elon Musk has said his global Internet satellite project will take more than five years and $10 billion to complete. Some calculate it could cost twice as much. Analysts once forecast that Googles plans to build out fiber optics to U.S. cities could also cost $10 billion. Google wants to offer cheap access to support its ad-centric business, but has been scaling back its Fiber plans. Satellite Internet could offer a more cost-effective alternative.

The Elon Musk program could be subsidized to provide multi-gigabit internet across every inch of the planet.

This would provide a boost to economic growth.
Qualcomm Executive Chairman Paul Jacobs had some choice words on Thursday for the Federal Trade Commission, which filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing the semiconductor company of engaging in anticompetitive tactics.

We were in the process of discussing it with the FTC, Jacobs told Yahoo Finance anchor Alexis Christoforous during an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. They  rushed the complaint out.

The lawsuit accuses Qualcomm (QCOM), the dominant supplier of modem chips used by mobile phones, of maintaining a monopoly over those chips through a policy that imposed onerous supply and patent-licensing terms on phone partners, which include some of the largest handset makers in the world, such as Apple (AAPL) and Samsung.

In particular, the FTC said Qualcomm strong-armed Apple into using its modem chips in iPhones by lowering its patent-licensing fees. But if Apple purchased modem chips from another chip supplier, the FTC said Apple would face large penalties by losing out on Qualcomms rebate payments.

Jacobson contended the FTC rushed its lawsuit filing ahead of President-elect Donald Trumps Inauguration on Friday.

Thats certainly what did happen, and we really werent given the chance to have the same kind of back-and-forth that we would have expected to have, the Qualcomm executive said, adding the lawsuit had no legal backing or economic justification.

Qualcomm, for its part, has said it plans on fighting the FTC suit.



JP Mangalindan is a senior correspondent for Yahoo Finance covering the intersection of tech and business. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

More from Yahoo Finances coverage of Davos:

SAP CEO on Trump: You have to give people a chance

Salesforce CEO: Im not changing how I run my business under Trump

KPMG US CEO: Every single CEO I talk to is thinking about disruption

Lloyds CEO Inga Beale: We want a totally inclusive world

Why independent America is the No. 1 geopolitical threat of 2017
The new President of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo on Thursday blasted President Muhammadu Buhari over what he termed abysmal representation of Ndigbo in the current Federal Government.Nwodo, who delivered his inaugural press briefing at the Ohanaeze secretariat in Enugu said the on-going agitations for Biafra by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, were caused by the ceaseless marginalization of Ndigbo.This is also as he warmed journalists to ensure that he was not mis-quoted, vowing that as a lawyer, he would not hesitate to slug it out with them to any level should such situation occur.I know what will be in the papers tomorrow; dont use me for sensationalism, he cautioned journalists.While slamming Buhari for throwing the Nigeria constitution to the mud as it relates to the Federal Character principle, he said: Under the current Federal Government, Igbo representation is abysmal and fall extremely short of the constitutional provisions for the reflection of federal character in the appointment into important government positions.No arm of government namely, the Executive, the Judiciary or the Legislature is headed by an Igbo. No section of the Armed forces or parliamentary organization is headed by an Igbo.Neither the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal nor the Federal High Court is headed by an Igbo. We know in the history of this country when a lietenant colonel was appointed to the position of Chief of General Staff over and above his superiors just to ensure ethnic balance.We know when a Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation was appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria just to ensure ethnic balance. We know when a former military head of State was drafted to run for President just to douse ethnic tensions.What is very perturbing is the declaration of Mr. President that his appointment must favour the States that voted overwhelmingly for him and those he trusts even against the provisions of our constitution relating to federal character. No wonder he defied the zoning structure of his party and appointed a non-Igbo man as Secretary to Government of the Federation. No wonder the ministries with lean capital votes are the ones assigned to Ndigbo.No wonder he nominated Ambassadors for confirmation to the National Assembly, naming three ambassadors for some states and only one ambassador for each of the Igbo States. No wonder one year and eight months into his tenure as President, he has not visited any Igbo State.No railway construction is going on in Igbo land. The Enugu/Port Harcourt and Enugu/Onitsha Expressways have become national embarrassment. State Governors in Igbo States now rehabilitate federal roads in Igbo land from their lean budgets so as to keep alive mobility of factors of production.Whereas 70 percent of power generated in China is from coal and 40 percent of Americas power is from coal, the coal in Enugu, which is a federal resource continues to lie unexploited. Ebonyi State continues to bring up the rear in federally allocated resources in spite of its mineral endowments of salt and lead.To make matters worse, on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, the President presented a $29.9 billion 3 year External Borrowing Plan to the National Assembly, which will potentially raise our total external debt to $41 Billion in three years and raise our debt to GDP ratio from 13.3% to 20.7% without considering it fit to allocate a single project in this external borrowing plan to the South-East.Nwodo equally lamented that he had not been deemed fit to be given any federal appointment ever since he served as minister of information, stressing that he had such suffered such fate simply because he was an Igbo man, not because others had better intelligence capacity.On the Biafra struggle, he had this to said both organizations (the IPOB and the MASSOB), no matter how divided they appear in public are basically motivated by the same sense of outrage and bitterness. Our young men and women can no longer tolerate a second class status in their own country.They can no longer forgive the President for arguing before he came into office that Niger Delta militants were meekly treated and tolerated by President YarAdua while Boko Haram was harshly treated by President Jonathan, when his law enforcement agents literally open fire and maim and kill unarmed members MASSOB and IPOB members. This is a ticking time bomb.As President of Ohanaeze, I intend to extend my warm hand of paternity to IPOB and MASSOB. They are my children. I shall never desert them. Their struggle is my struggle, he further stated adding that this was an era of a sustained and active fight for the restructuring of our federation, an ear of a strong and all involving Ohanaeze.On my part, I promise that I shall stand up for you; I will fight for you; I am ready to sacrifice for you and if necessary die for you.
The Government of Botswana has officially denounced Yahya Jammeh, as President of The Gambia. A statement issued today, January 19, 2017 , said the country will cease to recognize him as President of Gambia with immediate effect.

According to Botswana government, the decision was because Yahya Jammeh has refused to hand power to President-elect Adama Barrow.





'Following Mr. Yahya Jammehs refusal to hand over power to the President-elect Adama Barrow, in accordance with the expressed will of the Gambian people, the Government of Botswana announces that it will no longer recognize Mr. Jammeh as the President of Gambia, together with his Government, the statement said.





Read the full statement below..





RE: THE GAMBIA  BOTSWANA NO LONGER RECOGNISES MR. JAMMEH





PRESS RELEASE Gaborone, 19th January 2017 : Following Mr. Yahya Jammehs refusal to hand over power to the President-elect Adama Barrow, in accordance with the expressed will of the Gambian people, the Government of Botswana announces that it will no longer recognise Mr. Jammeh as the President of Gambia, together with his Government. This decision which takes effect immediately is consistent with Botswanas position as articulated through the Press Release of 16th December 2016.





Mr. Jammehs decision not to respect the will of the Gambian people undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance in The Gambia and Africa as a whole. This is also in direct contravention of the spirit and aspirations of the African Union Constitutive Act.




Nigeria, Germany to Improve Trade Ties

Nigeria together with some African countries would seek to improve trade and investment ties with German at Germany-Africa Business Forum slated to hold at Frankfurt on March 23.This is contained in a statement posted on the Germany-Africa Business Forum website and accessed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.The statement said that the Nigerias Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Okechuckwu Enelamah, would be attending the forum.There is already a strong foundation of trade relations between Nigeria and Germany and an even stronger rationale to expand upon them.Nigeria is Africas largest economy, one of its most stable democracies and boast of a business-friendly climate.It is whether in construction, manufacturing or technology, German companies carry a legacy of innovation and know-how that can deliver tremendous value for both sides, the statement quoted Enelamah, as saying.According to the statement, Africa is a priority for the German Government in 2017 as it holds G-20 presidency.There is much consensus for building trade relations; Africa is worlds fastest growing region and German companies need to find new markets.This year, Germany will host the first ever privately held event exclusively dedicated to strengthening trade and investment ties between Germany and the African continent.It will capitalise on a wave of interest taken by the German government and companies to increase their engagement with African countries.Last October, the statement stated that German Chancellor made a three-day visit to Mali, Niger and Ethiopia, vowing that Africa would be a major focal point of its G-20 presidency, which began in December, 2016.It stated that even with annual trade with Africa of 60 billion dollars, Germany had lagged behind other countries that had done more to seize trade opportunities.The Germany-Africa Business Forum will seek to familiarise German companies with the continent and diversify their investment base.Out of more than 10 billion dollars in German investments on the continent each year, 90 per cent is with just three countries  South Africa, Nigeria and Algeria.According to the statement, there is a consensus that Africa remains ripe for German investment, from small-startups to industrial giants spanning the economic spectrum.German Mittelstand companies are already showing an interest in places where their skills and technology can bring value.Germany shows a strong need to expand to new markets, with companies doing just two per cent of their business in Africa.In addition, the statement said that the time to strengthen German-African trade and investment connections had never been greater.It stated that six of the worlds 10 fastest growing economies are in Africa and the continent is projected to be the worlds fastest growing region until 2040.NAN reports that the Germany-Africa Business Forum (GABF) seeks to bridge the gap by facilitating dialogue, business dealings and dynamic commercial and political interchange.The GABF brings together Africas foremost executives with German companies, policymakers and innovations with the aim of driving change.It draws together African Business, political and society leaders with Germanys pre-eminent companies and dynamic commercial and political interchange.
on Wednesday was arrested after handing himself over to the police in Pretoria. According to Buzz SA, Scott-Crossley escaped after the police declared him wanted in connection with the attempted murder of one Silence Mabunda. South Africas most wanted fugitive, Mark Scott-Crossleywas arrested after handing himself over to the police in Pretoria. According to Buzz SA, Scott-Crossley escaped after the police declared him wanted in connection with the attempted murder of one Silence Mabunda.

The 37-year-old victim, an employee at the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre was allegedly assaulted by the suspect at a shop in Hoedspruit while he was buying airtime there in December 2016. The suspect grabbed and smashed his cellphone, before driving over him in an apparent racist attack. The 37-year-old victim, an employee at the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre was allegedly assaulted by the suspect at a shop in Hoedspruit while he was buying airtime there in December 2016. The suspect grabbed and smashed his cellphone, before driving over him in an apparent racist attack.

After reporting the case to the police they initially thought it was a hit and run incident but after a thorough investigation, a case of attempted murder was opened against Mark Scott-Crossley.

Speaking after his arrest, Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, said the suspect will appear at the Hoedspruit Magistrates Court on Friday, January 20, 2017.

Mark Scott-Crossley will appear in the Hoedspruit Magistrates Court on Friday in connection with the attempted murder of Innocent Mabunda. The suspect is alleged to have knocked him over with his car in Hoedspruit. He then apparently reversed over Mabunda as well.

Mark Scott-Crossley, who is not new to committing crimes, had been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment after he and two of his farm employees hurled a former farm worker into a lion enclave in 2005. But after appealing his life sentence at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, his murder conviction was set aside and changed to five years imprisonment.

He was, however, released on parole in August 2008.
The Senate yesterday said severe starvation faced Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

The Senate yesterday said severe starvation faced Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.It said over 5.2 million IDPs were likely to suffer acute hunger by June if prompt action was not taken to avert the danger.The Senate added that about seven million people in the Northeast need humanitarian assistance, while 2.5 million children were malnourished.Former Senate Leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume, highlighted these in a motion, titled: The state of the humanitarian relief effort in the Northeast amid high level of funding so far.Ndume noted that despite the 73 per cent increase in donor funding, the situation was still bad.He lamented that although over N5.7 billion had been donated to help the region, health needs remained in disarray.He said There is gap between what is reported to be the level of funding response and the reality on the ground.The way things are going, even if N1 trillion is thrown into the mix without synergy, oversight, engagement, transparency and better coordination, the condition of the IDPs will not improve.Senator Shehu Sani said the crisis in the region had been turned into a money-making venture.Humanitarian crisis has now been turned into a humanitarian industry where people make profits. Contracts being awarded in the name of humanitarian crisis do not translate to affect the people. They tell us have built schools, but when we go there, we see a different story.The problem is not lack of money, but lack of sincerity on the part of the managers. We have done our best by coming out with an interim report. We will soon release the full report. Those who think they are above the law by virtue of the offices they occupy should wait and see, Sani said.Deputy Senate leader Bala NaAllah urged the Senate to put mechanisms in place to ensure relief materials sent to IDPs are well utilised.Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu insisted that funds and relief materials must be judiciously utilised in the interest of the IDPs.Ekweremadu said: I believe we are on the right path. We must show we are responsible as a country. We appreciate the donor agencies for assisting us and we must spend that what they give us well so they can give more.
Apparently irked by criticisms of its violations of its own constitutional timelines, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has final...

Apparently irked by criticisms of its violations of its own constitutional timelines, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has finally kowtowed to demands to convene a National Executive Council NEC meeting where the decision to hold the partys second national convention would be taken.National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi in a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja, said the decision to ensure that the convention holds not later than April was taken at a meeting of the National Working Committee NWC of the party held earlier in the week. The National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will hold not later than April 2017, Abdullahi declared. He said the meeting of the NWC which was chaired by the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has outlined the processes leading to the National Convention which will commence with the Congress to fill vacancies in the State Party structures across the country.The the party also described as regrettable, Tuesdays accidental bombing of an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Rann, Borno State. Party spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi in a statement offered deep condolences to the families of IDPs and humanitarian aid workers affected by the unfortunate accident. APC urged aid workers as well as the military not to be deterred by the incident.The party also sympathised with the Borno State government, praying God to grant the souls of the dead eternal rest and the injured speedy and full recovery.Although Tuesdays accident is regrettable, the Party urges humanitarian aid agencies not to be deterred in their noble and selfless mission to bring succour to the IDPs in the Northeast. We also urge the Nigerian military to remain focussed on its ongoing final mop-up operation of Boko Haram terrorists in the North East so that inhabitants of the insurgency-ravaged areas can quickly return safely to their normal and productive lives, APC advised.
The Government of Botswana has taken the lead among all African countries to declare it no longer recognises Yahaya Jammeh as the Gambian ...

The Government of Botswana has taken the lead among all African countries to declare it no longer recognises Yahaya Jammeh as the Gambian President.According to a statement on its twitter handle, @BWGovernment, it said it no longer recognises Jammeh as The Gambian President.In the statement, Botswana said its decision is sequel to the adamance of Jammeh to peacefully relinquish power even against the will of the Gambians.The statement read thus:RE: THE GAMBIA  BOTSWANA NO LONGER RECOGNISES MR. JAMMEHPRESS RELEASE Gaborone, 19th January 2017: Following Mr. Yahya Jammehs refusal to hand over power to the President-elect Adama Barrow, in accordance with the expressed will of the Gambian people, the Government of Botswana announces that it will no longer recognise Mr. Jammeh as the President of Gambia, together with his Government.This decision which takes effect immediately is consistent with Botswanas position as articulated through the Press Release of 16th December 2016. Mr. Jammehs decision not to respect the will of the Gambian people undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance in The Gambia and Africa as a whole. This is also in direct contravention of the spirit and aspirations of the African Union Constitutive Act.The Government of Botswana therefore continues to appeal to the international community to do all within its power to exert pressure on Mr. Jammeh to hand over power in order to ensure a smooth transition.
The Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said Nigerians dont need counselling to reject the ruling All Progressives Congress du...

The Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said Nigerians dont need counselling to reject the ruling All Progressives Congress during the 2019 general elections.According to him, the abysmal performance of the party has already made the people grow weary of it.This is just as the governor noted that there was a wide difference in the tolerance levels of former President Goodluck Jonathan and the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari.Fayose stated these in Ado Ekiti during an interactive session with some journalists.A press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, on Wednesday, regretted that under two years the APC and Buhari had made life worse for the people rather than improving their lots.Nigeria of our dream is not what we see now. What I said about President Buhari are coming to pass. Before the polls, I said people should not vote for him. Nigerians are hungry and they are regretting. If a nobody contests against Buhari in 2019, Buhari will lose. Nigerians dont need counselling to know that they should not vote Buhari in 2019. It is obvious.Majority of those who voted for him never really knew him as they were mostly in their 40s, people who were toddlers when he ruled Nigeria as a military man in the 80s. Also, he is vindictive and apart from military nature, he does not have what it takes to run Nigeria. His government then was run by (Tunde) Idiagbon.He is also not tolerant. You cant compare him with Dr Goodluck Jonathan. Jonathan accepted defeat in an election he conducted, he stated.
Raffles Hospital extension on track for completion this year

It is set to add 220,000 sf to the health facility.

Raffles Medical Group is ramping up well at the start of the year, with its hospital extension expected to fully materialize in 2H17.

According to UOB KayHian, the completed extension will contribute an additional 220,000 sf of GFA to Raffles Hospital.

"The integrated medical complex will provide support to the hospitals existing range of specialist services, healthcare training and clinical research as well as open opportunities for growth and expansion for future years," the brokerage firm noted.

Meanwhile, UOB pointed out that the medical group remains positive on the performance of Raffles Holland V Medical Centre.

"We believe Raffles Holland Village Medical Centre may achieve breakeven at a faster pace than Shaw Centre, potentially in a year," UOB said, noting its strategic location near residential areas and schools as well as easy access via proximity to the train station.

About 95% of space has been leased out to tenants as at the end of 2016.







More From Singapore Business Review


Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, says President Muhammadu Buhari ought to have sought the approval of the national assembly before ...
In what is clearly the biggest indication that the President of The Gambia, Yayha Jammeh, has lost control of his government, the countr...

In what is clearly the biggest indication that the President of The Gambia, Yayha Jammeh, has lost control of his government, the countrys Vice president, Isatou Njie-Saidy, on Wednesday resigned.She announced her resignation hours before official end of the tenure of Mr. Jammehs administration as the countrys political impasse gets worse over the refusal of Mr Jammeh to relinquish power to the President-elect Adama Barrow who was scheduled to be sworn in on Thursday.The countrys minister of higher education, Aboubacar Senghore, who was appointed to the position last July, also resigned on Wednesday saying he cannot serve in the post beyond the tenure of the outgoing president.Given my strong religious and legal background, I feel it is now ethically and legally speaking time to step down as minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and Religious Affairs as the constitutional mandate of the current government expires today, Wednesday 18th January 2017, he wrote in his resignation letter to Mr Jammeh.The resignation of Mr. Senghore, who was the countrys former foreign affairs minister, brings the number of minister that have resigned from Mr Jammehs cabinet since the political logjam to eight.A source who asked not to be named for fear of being arrested, told newsmen that the increasing resignation of ministers may have forced Mr. Jammeh to dissolve his cabinet.However we have not been able to verify the if Mr. Jammeh has indeed dissolved his cabinet.Having lost all legal avenue to stop the inauguration of Mr. Barrow, the Gambia president, relying on a motion by the parliament, controlled by his party, declared a 90-day state of emergency, which effectively extended his hold on power.The situation in the tiny West African country has become dire after the failure of a team of leaders from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, failed to convince Mr. Jammeh to allow for peaceful transition.ECOWAS has since prepared troops drawn from countries in the region including Nigeria to forcibly remove Mr. Jammeh from office.Reports indicated that a Nigerian warship was already sailing towards the country on Monday.On Wednesday, thousands of Western tourists trying to leave the country before the expected deployment of the regional force, gathered at Gambias international airport.The BBC also reported that Senegalese troops had moved closer to the Gambian border on Wednesday.
A group of Nigerians, under a group, Movement of the People Forum {MOP-F}, have staged a one million man walk round Abuja to support Buh...

A group of Nigerians, under a group, Movement of the People Forum {MOP-F}, have staged a one million man walk round Abuja to support Buharis administration The Nigerians drawn from all works of life early hours of Thursday converged in Abuja to hold a one million man march in support of President Muhammadu Buharis administration. The march that took off at the popular Wuse market took the protesters through the popular Berger roundabout to the Wuse 2 district and thereafter terminated at the Ascon filling station in Wuse 2.The Ascon filling station which used to be known as the Occupy Nigeria ground during the Goodluck Jonathan administration is now renamed after President Buhari as the Prosperity Ground where Nigerians are expected to gather to appraise the performance of the government from time to time. The Chairman of the group, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi who led the protest alongside with its other leaders spoke glowingly about the excellent performance of the present Buhari government.Okpokwu said, let me thank you for taking time off your busy schedule to attend this rally in support of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari today. Your willingness and sacrifice to enable you come here today speaks to the positive impact Mr Presidents government has had on our lives. But it is a sacrifice we must make. It is important that we come here to let President Buhari know that he is doing a good work while we also point out areas that can be better.This is because of a new trend where people try to make political gains out of the ongoing economic recession. A lot of them have been grumbling in the wings. They lament how they are no longer able to jet off to Dubai for shopping or London to attend orgies. They cry over their inability to gift cars like toys to their mistresses.They panic for not being able to continue being medical tourists. Imported goods are no longer available for them to buy. Private jets have become burdens. Impunity is becoming history. People now consider every naira before spending.They have an array of many other complaints about how things are no longer business as usual. They dare not show their faces to tell Nigerians, who are the true victims of the economic depression precipitated by their past administrations, about these things. So what did they do? They got consultants under the United Action for Democracy (UAD) and added other from smaller firms to stage protests that there is suffering in the land.It is a fact there is economic recession. When UAD and its partners take to the streets to sing about the recession, we should ask them what they contributed to creating the present situation.They should mention what they did to stop previous governments from plunging us into this mess.  When top shots speak about not having money, we should be bold to ask them what they do for their living  we must differentiate hangers-on that no longer have access to government patronage from long suffering Nigerians that were denied gainful employment by administrations that refused to diversify the economy. This is not denying the fact that there is economic resetting going on. It entails citizens no longer having access to slush funds.It entails hard work paying before cronyism. It entails people being ingenious in their thinking and becoming entrepreneurs as opposed to jingoist jobbers that were earlier promoted above competence. While UAD and the rest are crying hunger, Mr President has already commenced a Conditional Cash Transfer programme that is catering in part to the needs of the very poor through a monthly N5000 grant to each family. If these people are as hungry as they said, they can sign up in the next batch of the programme, it is open to all indigent Nigerians. They do not have to insist their children stay on in private schools.If the parents have decided to keep chasing life of luxury they can at least enrol their children in public schools where they are guaranteed a quality meal each day of school under the Home-grown School Feeding scheme. No one has to pay for that and if they have the requisite they can bid to become suppliers of food either as farmers or as bulk suppliers. These are opportunities that Mr President has created.By now, these protesters should be wondering why they struggled to find hungry youths to populate their protests. In case they do not know, it is because Mr Presidents N-Power programme is fixing young graduates with employers. They are also getting monthly stipend of N30,000 while getting work experience that will shape a better future for them. The money going into these projects would have been stolen in the past with the chant that government has no business being welfarists. What they will not tell you is that the funds for these projects were formerly pocketed by them. So, it is okay for Nigeria to be welfarist when they are beneficiary but wrong when the masses benefit.They are also unhappy that the portion their friends and family stole are being diligently pursued for recovery under the anti-graft war in which Mr President has done excellently well. He has similarly done well with caging Boko Haram, which is why Nigerians are again able to congregate in large numbers whether for carnivals, this rally or the UAD protest without the fear of being blown up by terrorists  the exception of course being the northeast where our gallant troops are mopping up the terrorist escaping from the capture of Sambisa Forest.Because we see things in the light of what benefits have come to the masses we dare to ask you to Believe Baba. Believe in Mr President even when scare mongers see doom. Instead of joining their ranks we suggest Nigerians should rather think in terms of tangibles  like designing self help projects and pressuring the government into counterpart funding them. Instead of protesting we should have clear requests on which we can hold the government accountable.As Nigerians we should not allow the toxic lies of unhappy yesterday men make us lose sight of the great things happening around us. Where they see hardship let us see opportunities that are up for grabs. Another speaker during the March, Solomon adodo who is the executive secretary of the empowerment for unemployed youths initiative eulogized the federal government on the payment of 5000 stipends to poor Nigerians. He advised the government to continue to embark on ventures that will improve the lives of Nigerians.
The House of Representatives in Nigeria is requesting for a thorough investigation into the Nigerian Air Forces accidental bombing of a s...

The House of Representatives in Nigeria is requesting for a thorough investigation into the Nigerian Air Forces accidental bombing of a settlement in Rann, a community in Borno State.In a debate that lasted for about an hour, lawmakers called for a probe of the incident which had caused the death of innocent Nigerians.At least 50 persons were killed when a military jet dropped a bomb on the settlement. The military said it had received reports that fleeing Boko Haram members were settling in the area.It was a solemn moment, as the sponsor of the motion, which came as a motion of urgent public importance, Representative Sani Zorro, appealed to the House to set up an ad-hoc committee to visit the scene and assess the situation on ground.Lawmakers, who contributed to the lengthy debate that followed, described the incident as a sad development that must be investigated.This resolution enjoyed the support of the House and was approved unanimously.It was an incident that Nigerians are still coming to terms with, even though the military has said that the incident was a regrettable one.Several of the injured persons are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital city, Maiduguri, with an official of the state government saying 54 of them are in stable condition.After the debate on the issue, the House resolved to send a 10-man committee to visit the scene and assess the situation on ground.A minute silence was also observed in honour of those who lost their lives in the incident.Earlier, President Muhammadu Buhari warned the military to ensure that such an incident would not occur again.The Chief of Staff to the president, Abba Kyari, conveyed the presidents message when he led a Federal Government delegation on a condolence visit to the Borno state government.Among the team were the Chief of Staff to the President, Ministers of Defence and Information, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Chief of Air Staff.Kyari said the visit was initiated by the President, who has condoled with families of victims of the airstrike.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRC) said yesterday no fewer than 76 people were killed in Tuesdays accidental ...

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRC) said yesterday no fewer than 76 people were killed in Tuesdays accidental Air Force strike on IDPs camp and more than 100 injured. This raised the death toll above the 52 announced by Aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), after the fatal strike.The ICRC said six Nigeria Red Cross members were killed and 13 injured. In addition to aid staff, it is estimated that 70 people have been killed and more than a hundred wounded, it said in a statement.Also about 46 severely injured people remained in the camp yesterday the ICRC said.Patients are attended to in an open-air space in a precarious environment, the aid groups statement said, raising the possibility that the death toll could significantly rise.The Red Cross statement said the aid group was shocked by the deaths of civilians and six aid workers with the Nigerian Red Cross. The group was part of a humanitarian effort to bring food to more than 25,000 displaced people, the statement said.At least 90 patients remained in Rann, Kala/Bage Local government area in the northern part of Borno.Human Rights Watch called on Nigerias government to compensate the victims of the bombing.Even if the camp was not bombed intentionally, which would be a war crime, the camp was bombed indiscriminately, violating international humanitarian law, Human Rights Watch researcher Mausi Segun said in a statement.Calling the bombing accidental doesnt mean victims should be denied compensation, Segun said.The United Nations expressed regrets over the accidental airstrike.The UN also called for greater measures to protect civilians in the areas of military operations against the destructive Boko Haram insurgents, according to a statement issued by the Office of the UN Secretary-General.UN humanitarian officials are also questioning how a military airstrike ended up striking the displacement camp.Intermingled with messages of sympathy and solidarity with the victims, UN agencies called for a full investigation and greater measures to protect civilians going forward.The Head of the UN Refugee Agency, Filippo Grandi, who met with Nigerian refugees in Borno in Dec. 2016, called the airstrike a truly catastrophic event.Grandi, therefore, called for a full accounting so that the causes are known and measures put in place to ensure this does not happen again.The Nigerian Government has announced that it would investigate the airstrike, it said.In its message, the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF),stressed the importance of protecting civilians in complex humanitarian emergencies.UNICEF stands in solidarity with our humanitarian colleagues, and the dangerous conditions they work in.The aid workers who lost their lives were working to save others, UNICEF Director for Emergency Programmes, Manuel Fontaine, said.Amid outpouring of sympathy, UN emergency responders have continued to aid the bombed Nigerian camp, it said.United Nations humanitarian helicopter and emergency medical personnel are in north-eastern Nigeria following a military airstrike that hit a displacement camp killing dozens of people, including aid workers, and wounding a reported 100 others.The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), airlifted eight Nigerian Red Cross workers from the camp in Rann as part of the emergency responses.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), also said the response included nearly 900 lbs of emergency medical supplies.The Nigerian army also deployed a medical team and is working with humanitarian partners to ensure maximum support to the affected people, OCHA reported.It said the camp was located in Rann, which had been under the control of the group Boko Haram for the past several years, and out of reach to aid workers.Around 43,000 people are estimated to be internally displaced and struggle with food shortages as a result of the fighting and bad roads.Edward Kallon, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, had called the airstrike an unfortunate tragedy that befell people already suffering.UN dispatches medics, airlifts aid officials injured in accidental airstrikeThe UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) says it has mobilised emergency response following the airstrike on an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Rann, a locality in Borno.The UN Resident andHumanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, said this in a statement issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA).Kallon described the accidental airstrike as an unfortunate tragedy that befell people already suffering the effects of violence.The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) today dispatched a helicopter with four medical personnel and 400 kg of emergency medical supplies.UNHAS also airlifted eight Nigeria Red Cross workers injured following a military airstrike that hit Rann locality of Nigerias north-eastern Borno state.This is an unfortunate tragedy that befell people already suffering the effects of violence, Kallon said.Kallon said the Army had also deployed a medical team and is working with humanitarian partners to ensure maximum support to the affected people.He said Rann is one of the localities in Northeast that have recently become accessible to humanitarian organisations.
The whereabouts of the outgoing President of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh was unknown as at Thursday.

The whereabouts of the outgoing President of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh was unknown as at Thursday.This was just as last-minute attempts by Mauritanian President, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, to convince Jammeh to give up the presidency, failed.There are indications he may have gone into hiding in a bid to escape being further persuaded into conceding defeat after he earlier devised a means of extending his stay, by declaring a 90-day State of Emergency.He has probably gone into hiding to stop further negotiation, A Gambian journalist who pleaded his identity be protected told newsmen.Recall that the embattled presidents tenure ended Wednesday midnight, although, he has insisted he wont step down, despite losing the December 1 election.But President-elect, Adama Barrow, had vowed to go ahead with his inauguration on Thursday, and ECOWAS, the regional bloc, had vowed to use military force if necessary to remove resolute Jammeh.Troops from Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana on Thursday remained in position in Senegal in case a military intervention becomes necessary.An ECOMOG military Commander, Maiga Mboro told AP, All the troops are already in place and some not far from the Gambian border.Already 11 pilots, 11 crew members and 80 supporting troops have been deployed close to the Gambian border.Meanwhile, the president-elect, who is awaiting his swearing-in today, affirmed that Jammehs tenure was officially over.
A man in Florida has been accused of posting online that he would kill US President-elect Donald Trump at his inauguration on Friday.

A man in Florida has been accused of posting online that he would kill US President-elect Donald Trump at his inauguration on Friday.This is January 6, 2017. I was requested to type this in and post it, Dominic Puopolo said in a video posted on Monday.Yes, I will be at the review stand, the inauguration and Im going to kill President Trump, President-elect Trump today.Puopolo, 51, was arrested on Tuesday and allegedly admitted to making the threat.He was ordered for a mental evaluation at a court hearing on Wednesday.The threat, which was directed at the Secret Service, came in the middle of a long string of incoherent video messages where he calls himself Jesus Christ and repeatedly talks about his father.Some of the messages are aimed at President Barack Obamas White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and model Adriana Lima, as well as a woman he refers to as his daughter.Puopolo, who said in one of the posts that he had had three wives and three children, is the son of American Airlines Flight 11 9/11 victim Sonia Morales Puopolo, the Miami Herald reported.The newspaper reported that then Hillary Clinton gave the eulogy for Morales Puopolo, a philanthropist from Massachusetts, who she knew from work with the Red Cross.Puopolo previously wrote for NBC Dateline that he traveled to Germany for the trial of Mounir el Motassadeq, convicted of the 9/11 attacks, because he was moved to protect our country and seek justice against our enemy.The Miami Beach arrest affidavit said that Puopolo is believed to be homeless.
Survivors of the recent attack of a Borno IDP camp by the Nigeria Air Force have recounted their ordeal.

Survivors of the recent attack of a Borno IDP camp by the Nigeria Air Force have recounted their ordeal.According to them, the military jet dropped bombs on the camp three separate times.Abdulwahab Adam, a survivor said: "the bombs were dropped on us thrice and there was no way a mistake could be made thrice. There was nothing accidental about the attack and it could not be referred to as a mistake."The federal government should stop telling Nigerians that it was a mistake; for this was not. It was nothing but an unprovoked attack on a civilian populace.""This was not a new camp and the attack happened when people queued up to receive humanitarian materials."Abba Yusuf said the Nigeria Air Force has a lot of explaining to do."This is the same force that told the world that they did not drop the bomb on insurgents in the Sambisa Forest because of human shield but weeks later, dropped bombs on unarmed civilians in an IDPs' camp.""Could they have been blindfolded to know that we were in a queue and we were unarmed or could they have mistaken the IDPs camp for the haven of insurgents?"
PRESIDENT-ELECT Adama Barrow has vowed that he will be sworn in on Gambian soil today despite efforts of incumbent Yahya Jammeh to pre...

PRESIDENT-ELECT Adama Barrow has vowed that he will be sworn in on Gambian soil today despite efforts of incumbent Yahya Jammeh to prevent it.Barrow, who defeated Jammeh at last years December 1 election said his inauguration would go ahead as planned in spite of attempts to thwart it.The election winner, who was believed to be in neighbouring Senegal, released a statement on Monday afternoon saying he would be sworn in on Gambian soil on Thursday. He will then get to work on reversing serious damage caused by 22 years of malgovernance, his spokesman added.Hours earlier, the countrys Chief Justice, Emmanuel Fagbenle, said he could not rule on an injunction filed by Jammeh to prevent Barrows inauguration from going ahead. The incumbent president had tried to prevent Barrow attending his own inauguration, along with many government officials.Barrow won last months presidential election, bringing an end to two decades of Jammehs rule. But after initially accepting the result, Jammeh went back on his decision. He said he would nullify the result because of what he claimed were errors made by the electoral commission and would remain in power until he could hold new elections.High-level diplomacy by West Africas most prominent presidents has failed to persuade him to cede power: two visits by Nigerias Muhammadu Buhari and Liberias Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who also chairs the regional body ECOWAS, have made Jammeh no less belligerent.On the last visit last week, Barrow left The Gambia with the presidential delegation and went to Mali for a France-Africa summit, at which Francois Hollande, the French president, voiced his support for the former estate agent who achieved his victory by running as the candidate of an eight-party coalition. Barrow later travelled to Senegal.It was unclear is Jammeh will try other means to prevent Barrows inauguration billed for the national stadium in the Gambian capital, Banjul.Many of the countrys military and security officers have been arrested in recent days, said Barrows spokesman.He condemned their detention as an egregious act, adding that the president-elect calls on Gambians not to respond to provocation and to maintain the peace.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,Wednesday, dismissed claims that it was planning to hike the price of Premium Motor Sp...

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,Wednesday, dismissed claims that it was planning to hike the price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol.The NNPC, in a statement in Abuja, also advised motorists to desist from panic buying of petroleum products as it has over 1.3 billion litres stock of PMS, which is sufficient to serve the nation for more than 38 days.It said: NNPC wishes to assure Nigerians that there is no iota of truth in the rumour that government is scheduled to adjust pump price of petrol. Indeed, with the resumption of production by the corporations three refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri, complemented by imports, there is enough stock of PMS, Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, diesel and kerosene.This much was explained on Tuesday by NNPC Chief Operating Officer of the Refineries, Mr. Anibor Kragha, while briefing the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream in a presentation on the current status of the refineries at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Energy Secretary nominee Rick Perry said Thursday he regrets his 2011 call for the elimination of the agency he has been tapped to lead.

During a Republican presidential debate that year, Perry famously could not recall one of the three agencies he said he would eliminate if elected president in 2012. It was the Energy Department. The others were the Commerce and Education departments.



"My past statements, made over five years ago, about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking," the former Texas governor told the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

"In fact, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination," he said. "If confirmed, I will enter this role excited and passionate about advocating and advancing the core missions of the DOE, drawing greater attention to the vital role played by the agency and the hard-working men and women who dedicate themselves in pursuit of these missions."



The Department of Energy maintains the nation's nuclear arsenal, manages cleanup related to nuclear energy and weapons testing, finances energy projects and conducts scientific research in strategic fields.

Perry vowed to advocate for and promote energy in all forms, including renewable energy, and said he supports conducting research that may not pay off for a generation.



He made his statements just hours after The Hill reported the Trump administration plans to drastically reduce funding for government agencies, including the Energy Department.

The Hill said the cuts at the DOE include scaling back funding for nuclear physics and advanced scientific computing research to pre-Obama era levels, as well as getting rid of the Office of Electricity, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Office of Fossil Energy, which aims to produce technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Story continues

The Trump transition team has already butted heads with the Energy Department. The agency refused the Trump team's request to provide a list of employees who worked on climate change initiatives.

That action raised concerns at the department among employees who feared they would be purged by Trump, who has called climate change a hoax. Perry said he had not yet been selected as Energy secretary when the inquiries contained in a questionnaire were sent.

"I didn't approve it. I don't approve of it. I don't need that information. I don't want that information. That is not how I manage," he said.



Perry sought to address his own past statements on climate change, including that the science on the issue is not settled and a "substantial number" of climate scientists have manipulated data to win funding for their projects.

"I believe the climate is changing. I believe some of it is naturally occurring, but some of it is caused by man-made activity. The question is how we address it in a thoughtful way that doesn't compromise economic growth" or affect "the affordability of energy or American jobs," he said.







More From CNBC


US President Barack Obama will give his final presidential press conference Wednesday, a traditionally mild-mannered ritual given fresh ...

US President Barack Obama will give his final presidential press conference Wednesday, a traditionally mild-mannered ritual given fresh political weight by the rocky handover to Donald Trump.Obama has given over 150 news conferences since becoming head of state eight years ago. His last takes place two days before he turns over the Oval Office.The outgoing Democratic leader had vowed a smooth transition of power to the Republican Trump, but the reality has been a little more tricky.The 44th and 45th presidents have traded barbs in public and the incoming administration has faced a momentous challenge to staff-in in time for Fridays first day at work.Trump spokesman Sean Spicer sought to play down any troubles, praising Obama and his staff and saying this transition may come to be seen as a gold standard.Still, Obamas words will be carefully scrutinized, no more so than by the 70-year-old president-elect, who has proven quick to retaliate at any slight.His words will also carry extra political weight thanks to his popularity: his approval rating stands at 60 percent  according to a CNN/ORC poll  the highest level since June 2009.On Tuesday, Trump dismissed the polls as rigged after a Washington Post-ABC News survey found his 40 percent approval rating was the lowest of any incoming president-elect since Jimmy Carter in 1977. Symbolism Even the venue for Obamas press conference  the White House briefing room, has taken on political significance.Trumps team has floated the idea of evicting the White House press corps from the West Wing, ending daily on-camera briefings and handpicking who gets access, although some of those suggestions have since been rowed back.Obamas outgoing press secretary, Josh Earnest, used his final briefing Tuesday to defend opening the White House doors to the press, saying harsh questioning had held the administration to account and made Obama a better president.Its uncomfortable to be in a position of authority, certainly a position of responsibility, and to be subjected to those kinds of questions, Earnest said.Thats true even when youre doing the right thing for the right reasons. But its a necessary part of our democracy.When president George W. Bush was on his way out the door he voiced a similar sentiment.Sometimes didnt like the stories that you wrote or reported on. Sometimes you misunderestimated me, he joked. But always the relationship I have felt has been professional. And I appreciate it.Obama may not be quite so effusive. While defending the press, he has been a searing critic of shallow and flitting reporting. News of the day Obama is likely to weigh in on his controversial decision to slash the sentence of transgender army private Chelsea Manning, who was jailed for 35 years for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks.On Wednesday, 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.Trumps spokesman Spicer joined fellow Republicans in condemning that move Wednesday, describing it as disappointing.It sends a very troubling message, he said, adding that the decision was a bit of irony and double standard given Democrats outcry over Russian election-related hacking.
Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari has warned the Army to ensure that an air strike which killed many civilians in Borno state on Tuesd...

Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari has warned the Army to ensure that an air strike which killed many civilians in Borno state on Tuesday does not happen again.The Chief of Staff to the president, Abba Kyari, conveyed the presidents message when he led a Federal Government delegation on a condolence visit to the Borno state government.Among the team are the Chief of Staff to the President, Ministers of Defence and Information, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Chief of Air Staff.Kyari said the visit was initiated by the President, who has condoled with families of victims of the airstrike.The president is distressed at the sad mishap and he regrets the incidence, the Chief of Staff noted.The president is saddened by the mishap coming at this stage of the post-insurgency war with the terrorists cowardly hiding in the midst of innocent civilians to attract casualties.According to Kyari,  the government will do all it can to treat the injured and the Army will do all they can to ensure it doesnt happen again.According to him, the Federal Government is committed to returning IDPs to their homes and ensuring the restoration of peace in Nigeria.Governor Kashim Shettima commended the Federal Government for its swift response to the Kalabalge disaster maintaining that the incidence of friendly fire is as old of history of mankind.We are not justifying the sad incidence of Kalabalge but we are only going down memory lane to understand that friendly fire is common during conflicts, accounting for 2-7% of deaths in war situations. Kashim stated.It is gratifying that nobody made efforts to sweep it, hide anything or play the blame game; we appreciate the Armys sincerity, the governor said.
After the initial shock over the accidental bombing of an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Rann, Borno State, it was time ye...

After the initial shock over the accidental bombing of an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Rann, Borno State, it was time yesterday for the big question  how did it all happen?The Air Forces bombing of the camp on Tuesday was based on an intelligence alert by a foreign country.It was also learnt that the Air Force was not aware of the existence of the IDPs camp due to lack of synergy among the military, the Emergency Management bodies and the Borno State Government.A military probe of the tragic incident in which the death toll was put at 76 yesterday it was initially said to be 52 has started.President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday sent a delegation to Rann for firsthand information on the accident, which the Air Force has deeply regretted.According to a source, who gave technical insights into how the error occurred, the incident was due to failure of intelligence.The source said: What happened was that a foreign nation, which had been assisting in the counter-insurgency, provided an intelligence alert on the regrouping of some insurgents in Rann.The foreign country based its alert on what its surveillance radar picked. The alert indicated that the insurgents must be smoked out as early as possible. It was on this basis that the Air Force deployed its jet.The error occurred because the IDPs camp was not among the list of camps made available to the Air Force. There is a strong suspicion that the camp was recently set up by emergency bodies and Borno State without updating the list given to the military.The source pleaded that the countrys name should not be revealed. He stressed that there was no coordination between the military and the emergency bodies on the camp in Rann.Yet, we cannot blame the foreign country because it had always given credible intelligence to the military, especially on Operation Lafiya Dole, the source said.Another source, who pleaded not to be named, spoke of a technical investigation of how the incident happened. The probe involves the military and security agencies. It is going to be a comprehensive audit of the information available to the Tactical Air Command, the directives given to the pilot and his crew, how the flight took off, why the plane could not distinguish a settlement from insurgents clusters and why the bombing was done, the source said, adding:It is going to be a classified investigation because a lot of international and national forces/ intelligence agencies are collaborating in the Northeast.The pilot and his crew have been grounded for interrogation as part of the preliminary investigation.I think we will all come out stronger after this investigation. This is an Air Force that has recorded 6,000 hours of counter-insurgency missions without hurting any civilian. Everyone is actually sad here, the source said.
A baby boy has been born in Ukraine to an infertile couple after the first ever use of a new technique using the DNA of three parents, t...

A baby boy has been born in Ukraine to an infertile couple after the first ever use of a new technique using the DNA of three parents, the head of a Kiev fertility clinic said Wednesday.The boy was conceived using DNA from his mother and father but also from an egg donor in a technique called pronuclear transfer, said Valeriy Zukin, director of the Nadiya private fertility clinic in Kiev.It is the first delivery (using) pronuclear transfer all over the world, Zukin told AFP.The clinic said in a statement that the 34-year-old mother gave birth to a healthy boy on January 5 after trying for a baby for more than 15 years and undergoing several failed rounds of IVFThis became possible after the womans eggs were fertilised with her partners sperm, but then their nuclei were transferred to a donors egg which had previously been stripped of its own nucleus.As a result of the procedure, the egg was almost entirely made up of genetic material from the couple, plus a very small amount (some 0.15 percent) of the female donors DNA.Zukin said he hopes the pronuclear transfer technique could help other women whose embryos stop developing at a very early stage of development during cycles of IVF.The boy is considered to be the second three-parent baby after a similar baby was born in Mexico in 2016 after the use of a different technique.Zukin said the pronuclear transfer method could be used to help women who suffer from a rare condition called embryo arrest.Zukin estimated that annually some two million women across the world try to have a baby using IVF and around 1 percent of these suffer embryo arrest.So I think approximately 10-20 thousand women per year could be potential candidates for using this method, Zukin said.Experts urged caution over using the method as a fertility treatment, however, stressing that it was intended for those at very high risk of passing on serious genetic disease.Caution and safety assessment is urged before widespread use of this technology, said Yacoub Khalaf, director of the Assisted Conception Unit at Guys and St Thomas Hospital in London, quoted by the Science Media Centre website.AFP
The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Thursday to back Gambias new President, Adama Barrow and called for a peaceful transition ...

The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Thursday to back Gambias new President, Adama Barrow and called for a peaceful transition of power.The resolution called on former president Yahya Jammeh to carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process, and to transfer power to Barrow in accordance with the Gambian constitution.The UN resolution called for support of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in its commitment to ensuring the respect of the will of the people as expressed in the results of the December 1, 2016, elections.Barrow is the 3rd President of The Gambia.He was sworn in as President of The Gambia at a ceremony in the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, today, having won the presidential election of December 1, 2016.
President Muhammadu Buhari is billed to leave Nigeria for the United Kingdom any moment today. A statement by his spokesman, Mr. Femi Ade...

President Muhammadu Buhari is billed to leave Nigeria for the United Kingdom any moment today.A statement by his spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina said the President is on a short leave which is part of his annual vacation.It added said that During the vacation, the President will also undergo routine medical check-ups.It has been observed that the President had since the week been performing the functions of his office mostly at his official residence located within the precinct of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, rarely spending dutiful hours in the office.For instance, it was at the residence that the president received Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State who visited the Presidential Villa about 1p.m on Tuesday.Clutching a file, the governor was ushered into the presidents office. Meeting his absence, Ayade was later taken to meet the President at his residence in a waiting SUV.Since then, the President had not been seen performing outdoor duties. President Buhari joined before departing Abuja for Berlin (file) The last he did was at the National Arcade, Abuja during the 2017 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebrations on Sunday.A source had told Vanguard on Thursday that the president had been performing the duties of his office though mostly private. Meanwhile, Adesinas statement added that In line with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President of the Senate, and Speaker, House of Representatives, have been duly communicated.While away, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, would perform the functions of the Office of the President. The President is expected to resume work on February 6, 2017.
Counsel to outgoing president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, Edu Gomez, has fled the country to neighbouring Senegal after asking the presid...

Counsel to outgoing president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, Edu Gomez, has fled the country to neighbouring Senegal after asking the president to step down in order to avoid a gruesome end to his tenure.Gomez, in a letter, he alleged that he was forced to represent the president and his party, Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction, APRC, under tremendous pressure and coercion.The lawyer represented Jammeh and the APRC, in their failed attempt to have the countrys Supreme Court overturn Adama Barrows victory and inauguration as President.Gomez said he and his family fled to Senegal having successfully eluded the 24 hour military surveillance he was placed on.He wrote: On Tuesday 17th January 2017, my son and I took a crucial decision to seek sanctuary in the sister Republic of Senegal. This was found necessary due to the mounting fear and rapidly increasing tension at every passing moment.The general perception is that after midnight on 18th January 2017, the mandate of President Yahya Jammeh would expire and President-elect Mr. Adama Barrow would be sworn-in as president, in line with the dictates of our constitution. Any attempt to interrupt this ceremony, it is clearly understood, opens the Gambia to attack from ECOWAS forces.As a legal practitioner representing President Jammeh and the APRC the party in the ongoing petition filed on his behalf at the Supreme Court of the Gambia, I have to admit that I was working under tremendous pressure and coercion. All the lawyers with established practices in the Gambia refused to be associated with the said petition. As a retainer for the ruling APRC party, I could not refuse the brief on professional grounds, despite my apprehension.Having fortunately eluded the 24 hour military security around me and my family, I managed to arrive in Senegal where I now gained safety, respite and mental stability. In my present situation, I humbly and respectfully advise president Jammeh as the champion of peace he has been known to be to peacefully step aside in the interest of peace and safety of the Gambian people.Everything, except Gods Kingdom, comes to an end. I advocate for a peaceful end rather than a violent and gruesome end. Please in the name of Most Merciful God do not allow your legacy to be described as one where pen of the sword dipped in innocent blood writes its history on the rough page of tyranny.Jammehs whose Presidency expired on Wednesday midnight, has insisted he wont step down, despite losing the December 1 election to Adama Barrow.
Tobacco giant, Reynolds American Inc. RAI has finally agreed to the merger proposal of British American Tobacco BTI, under which the latter will take over the remaining 57.8% of Reynolds for $49 billion. The deal comprises of $29.44 cash and a number of BAT American Depositary Shares representing 0.5260 of British American Tobaccos ordinary share. Investors were buoyed by the news, evident from the share rally of 3% on Jan 17, 2017 after Reynolds expressed its consent to the proposal. However, the deal, expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, is still subject to shareholder approval from the participating companies, as well as regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Nevertheless, we believe that the merger is not anticipated to face too many antitrust hurdles. While Reynolds has most of its operations in the U.S., British American Tobacco apart from its stake in Reynolds mostly operates outside the country.

Earlier in Oct 2016, British American Tobacco offered to buy the remaining part of Reynolds in order to expand in US. Reynolds board of directors formed a transaction committee to negotiate with BAT, given the latters existing ownership stake and representation on the board of directors. Reynolds shares have experienced an uptrend after British American Tobacco expressed its intention of a buyout in Oct 2016. The companys shares have gained 24.6% in the past three months, outperforming the Zacks categorized Tobacco industry, which has witnessed a gain of 5%.

The combined entity will truly own a global portfolio including next generation products and strong cigar brands including Newport, Kent from BAT and Camel and Pall Mall from Reynolds. Further, the combined company will benefit from Reynolds strong position in the alternative tobacco and next-generation product development, and R&D capabilities. Consequently, the new merged entity can develop an innovative pipeline of vapor and tobacco-heating products.

In 2003, U.S.'s RJ Reynolds Tobacco Holdings and British American Tobaccos Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. merged to create Reynolds American Inc., in which the latter maintained 42% share in the combined entity.

The tobacco industry has frequently undergone through massive restructuring with major players merging or spinning off part of their entity, resulting in market consolidation translating in to a very strong international presence by handful of companies. Notable mergers and spin-offs include that of British American Tobaccos and Rothmans in 1999, UK-based Imperial Tobacco's acquisition of Germany's Reemtsma in 2002 and Reynolds takeover of Newport owner Lorillard in 2014. Another major development worth mentioning includes that of Altria Group Inc.s MO spin off Philip Morris International Inc. PM in 2008 into a separate legal entity which was until then part of Altria Group.

Notably, the Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company has been experiencing lower-than-expected top-line and bottom-line results in the past few quarters, primarily due to general shift of consumption away from tobacco products. We expect the takeover to help the company turn around in the near future.

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(Recasts, adds details, background)

* Radev backs NATO membership and better ties with Russia

* Says Trump presidency can reopen east-west dialogue

* Bulgaria's parliamentary election likely on March 26

By Tsvetelia Tsolova

SOFIA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Former air force commander Rumen Radev was sworn in as Bulgaria's new president on Thursday and said he would dissolve the parliament in a week's time following the collapse of the centre-right government.

Radev, a political newcomer who ran as an independent with the backing of the opposition Socialists, takes up his largely ceremonial post on Sunday after pledging to maintain Bulgaria's position as a member of the European Union and NATO while also improving historically important ties with Russia.

Radev's decisive victory in November's presidential race prompted the government of Boiko Borisov to resign, raising the prospect of prolonged political uncertainty in the Balkan nation and making an early parliamentary election virtually inevitable.

"You have one more week (until dissolution)," Radev told lawmakers, meaning that under Bulgaria's constitutional rules the parliamentary election is likely to take place on March 26.

Political analysts say the parliamentary election, Bulgaria's third since 2013, is again unlikely to produce a strong majority government able to implement the judicial, economic and other reforms they say the country needs.

DIALOGUE WITH RUSSIA

Radev won the presidency on the back of voters' frustration with a corrupt political elite and concerns over the EU's migrant crisis, which is lapping at Bulgaria's southeastern border with Turkey.

Radev said membership of the EU and NATO was a strategic choice for Bulgaria that should not be questioned but said he hoped a dialogue between the West and Russia would be restored after Donald Trump takes over as U.S. president.

"Bulgaria's foreign policy should be open to the world and win friends and partners, not enemies," said Radev, who trained as a pilot in the United States and speaks fluent English as well as Russian and German.

Story continues

His stance on Russia contrasts with that of outgoing President Rosen Plevneliev, who was one of 17 east European leaders to sign a letter to Trump urging him not to ease sanctions on Moscow over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea.

Radev backs the lifting of the sanctions but did not mention them or Crimea on Thursday.

Bulgaria, a Black Sea nation of 7.2 million people, joined the EU in 2007 but still depends almost entirely on Russia for its energy supplies and military kit, while Russian tourists are an important source of revenue.

Radev also called on Thursday for tougher border controls to curb migrant inflows and an overhaul of the graft-prone judiciary.

While the prime minister and government hold most power in Bulgaria, the president can shape public opinion, appoints ambassadors and can veto legislation once.

(Editing by Gareth Jones)
DAKAR, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Senegalese troops entered neigbouring Gambia on Thursday, an army spokesman said, as part of regional effort to support its new President Adama Barrow in a showdown with longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh, who has refused to step down.

"We have entered Gambia," Colonel Abdou Ndiaye wrote in a text message to Reuters.

(Reporting by Diadie Ba; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Jonathan Wisbey, a New Orleans Police Department deputy chief of staff and former staffer in Mayor Mitch Landrieu's office, has resigned from the police department, an NOPD spokesman confirmed Wednesday (Jan. 18). (Ted Jackson)
This animation shows the potential height of storm surge above the ground at all locations along the coast that might result from a hurricane with a 1 percent chance of occurring in any year, a so-called 100-year storm. The first map shows what the water heights might be in 50 years if none of the projects included in the proposed 2017 rewrite of the state's coastal Master Plan aren't built. The second map shows the lower water levels that would result from a similar 100-year storm, if all projects are completed. The "high scenario" indicates the map assumes the highest rates of subsidence and sea level rise would occur, a worst-case scenario.
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.
Lt. Zachary Martin will be watching the 58th presidential inauguration in Washington on Friday, but its not Donald Trump who will occupy his attention.

Martin is part of a team of Iowa National Guard members charged with looking out for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons while crowds celebrate the inauguration of the 45th president.

Were there as an additional set of eyes on the ground, said Martin, 30, of the Des Moines-based 71st Civil Support Team. Maybe well be close enough to be part of the day, but our primary goal is to watch and to keep the public safe.

Martin is among about 7,500 soldiers and airmen representing the National Guards of 44 states, three territories and the District of Columbia who will be assisting during the inaugural festivities.

Its a tradition that dates to the first presidential inauguration on April 30, 1789, when local militia members joined with Revolutionary War veterans to escort George Washington from his home in Virginia to the events in New York City.

The National Guard contingent includes 30 members from Iowa and 10 from Nebraska.

Airmen from the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City and the 132nd Wing in Des Moines will join Martins team representing Iowa. All 10 of the Nebraska troops are from Lincoln, nine of them from the 155th Force Support Squadron.

This is the third straight inauguration in which the Iowa has sent forces, and the second for Nebraska.

Iowa and Nebraska are each contributing a special kitchen that can be folded away as a single unit on a pallet and popped up easily. The kitchens will be used to serve food to other Guard members who are there for the events, said Lt. Col. Kevin Hynes, a Nebraska National Guard spokesman.

Hynes said the unit was deployed to Washington four years ago, too, for President Barack Obamas second inauguration.

The Nebraska airmen flew to Washington with their kitchen Tuesday aboard a KC-135 jet from the 155th Air Refueling Wing in Lincoln.

Some Iowa Guard members will help with in-processing and out-processing of the National Guard force.

Whats pretty typical is, its just crazy busy, said Col. Greg Hapgood, an Iowa National Guard spokesman. You go out there for one mission, but youll end up helping with whatever youre qualified to do.

Martin said hes been busy with setup and training, so he hasnt yet had a chance to buy a souvenir for his wife, Meaghan. But the biggest thing is being part of such a historic event.

Its amazing to be able to support something like this, Martin said. Its one of the greatest things our nation does.
A man who came to the aid of a Council Bluffs couple at the deadly Florida airport shooting this month said he felt compelled to attend Wednesdays funeral service for the man who was killed.

Theres a lot of different reasons that Im here today, Mark Lea, of Elk River, Minnesota, said in an interview. I want to help the family get through this, but I am also looking for closure for myself.

Lea, 53, and his wife, Kari, arrived at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Jan. 6 to head out on a weeklong Caribbean cruise to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Mike and Kari Oehme of Council Bluffs also were going on a cruise and were waiting for their luggage to come off the plane.

Mike Oehme, 57, was one of five people killed in a baggage claim area when a gunman opened fire. Kari Oehme, 55, who was among six others who were injured, is recovering from her wounds.

I was probably 60 yards away when the first shots were fired, Lea said. Everyone started running and taking cover anywhere they could.

Lea, a financial adviser, said he helped his wife and about a half dozen other women get outside the terminal before circling back closer to the gunman.

Lea said he is licensed in 46 states to carry a concealed weapon, but he was unarmed.

I was watching him continue to walk down the aisle of baggage claim just randomly shooting here and there to anyone that was in his path, Lea said. I was able to stay out of his line of sight as he fired.

Then he stopped and I could see the slide lock on the (9 mm pistol) was empty. I was wondering how much ammunition he had and if he was going to reload or if there was a second shooter laying in the weeds.

Lea said the gunman put down the pistol, walked a few feet and then laid on the floor with his arms and legs spread out. A Broward County deputy arrived and pounced on the gunman.

Lea said he began checking on the dead and injured. He said he found Kari Oehme and began putting pressure on her shoulder wound while trying to assess who else needed help.

I think she could feel me rising up to look while I was still keeping pressure on the wound, he said. She said, Dont leave me; dont leave me. Stay with me, and I told her I would and kept talking to her.

Lea said his heart sank when Kari Oehme began asking about her husband and described him. He could see a white-haired man in a blue shirt just a few feet away who had a head wound and wasnt moving.

Kari had her left arm over her face, and that was good because it kept her from seeing Mike, Lea said. I didnt want her to know he was dead. I wanted to keep her from going into more shock.

Lea said he stayed with Kari Oehme until emergency medical personnel arrived.

Lea assured her that she was in good hands and began looking for his wife.

My wife was frantic, he said. She had been calling me, but I didnt hear my phone. When I found her, I had Karis blood on my hands, and she didnt know if it was my blood.

The Leas went on their cruise after he was interviewed by law enforcement officers, but it was not the celebration they envisioned.

Lea said he spent a couple hours a day talking by phone with counselors from law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.

A spokesman for the FBIs Miami office said officials werent in a position to comment on the matter.

It gave my wife and I challenges through the week, Lea said. We were replaying the sights, the sounds and smells of that morning. It was very hard on me. Its still hard.

When the Oehmes daughter, Andrea, called to thank Lea for helping her mother, he asked to be kept informed about her condition and funeral plans for Mike Oehme.

He was among the mourners Wednesday morning at Council Bluffs Bayliss Park Chapel.

While talking with Andrea Oehme, Lea learned her family has maintained a cabin near Brainerd, Minnesota, for the past 93 years. The Oehmes drive through Leas home of Elk River, a Minneapolis suburb, to get to the cabin.

There were a lot of little things that connect us, Lea said. My wife and Kari spell their names the same, and I used to come down to Omaha three or four times a year on business.

I feel like I was meant to be there, he said, doing what I could to help people.
NEOLA  A trio of crosses tower above Interstate 80 near Neola.

The town Lions Club chapter erected the crosses in June, inspired by a national organization.

And now theyre working to illuminate them for nighttime drivers.

Its a unique thing. Its not dedicated to anyone or a big donor, said Fred Rodenburg, president of the Neola Lions Club. We just wanted to do it.

The crosses stand 36 feet high and abut a fence on farmland just off Exit 23 off Interstate 80 on County Road L55.

When you come around the big curve on I-80 going east headed west, you can see them well, Rodenburg said.

The club was inspired when it learned about Crosses Across America, a nonprofit organization that has helped erected more than 2,000 clusters of crosses across the country. The organization was founded in 1984 by the Rev. Bernard Coffindaffer, a businessman-turned-preacher who put his first set of crosses up in Flatwoods, West Virginia, according to the Crosses Across America website.

Coffindaffer spent nearly $3 million erecting crosses in 29 states, Washington D.C., Zambia and the Philippines before his death in 1993.

Today the effort is refurbishing existing crosses and working to raise crosses at 50-mile intervals along more than 48,000 miles of the federal interstate highway system. Their Giant Crosses project started with 110-foot high crosses in Florence, Mississippi.

The cross is a popular symbol in Christianity, with the trio representing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and two criminals.

Rodenburg said after he learned about the Crosses Across America effort he presented the idea of the Neola crosses at a Lions Club meeting.

We voted to do this project, and, from there, it went on, he said. Its worked out well.

Local farmer Les Clark told the club it was OK to use his land, which overlooks the interstate. Over the course of a few hours on June 8, a group of volunteers teamed with Zimmerman Sales and Service to raise the crosses. The Neola business donated the use of equipment for the project.

Without Kevin (Zimmerman), wed still be digging the holes, Lions Club member Jerry Farley said while looking over the crosses on Wednesday afternoon.

The effort cost about $1,000, Rodenburg said, taken from the Lions Club coffers.

It was an all-volunteer effort, he said.

The stretch of Interstate 80 near Exit 23 and County Road L55 sees about 20,300 vehicles pass by daily on average, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation.

We thought it would be a good place to present a message, said Lions Club member Bill Ambrose.

Added Rodenburg: All the cars per day, times 365 days, plus however many are in the car  thats a lot of people.

And they want the crosses to be more visible to even more drivers.

The group is currently raising funds to light the crosses at night. Thatll cost another $1,000 or so, Rodenburg said, with the club looking at the options of solar lights or working with Mid-American Energy to get power to the crosses.

The club will host a fundraiser at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5, at the Phoenix Theater in Neola. The Ultimate Tailgate Party event will feature a variety of food, drinks and games. A free-will donation will be accepted.

Asked why they did it, Rodenburg said there was no overarching, grand theme.

Thats the uniqueness of this thing: Why not put up crosses? he said. We just wanted to do it and thought itd be a good thing for the community. And we had a perfect spot for it. Its a cool thing to do.
The Council Bluffs Community School District will host an open house Saturday to celebrate the 88 years of service of the now-demolished Walnut Grove Elementary School.

The school, 2920 Ave. J, first closed its doors after the district deemed the building no longer suitable at the end of the 2013-14 academic year.

The open house event will be held from 10:30 a.m. until noon at Thomas Jefferson High School on Saturday, Jan. 21.

Those who want to own a piece of the schools history will be given the chance to  200 bricks from the original elementary school structure will be available to own at the open house.

The district is asking for voluntary donations for the bricks. The money raised will go toward the Walnut Grove Elementary School Scholarship Fund for graduating seniors.

A scholarship for the students that attended Walnut Grove can make a huge difference to help them go to college, said Jerri Larson, who was principal when the building closed. A lot of our students were living in poverty.

Larson said that the students that attended the elementary school shouldnt have to miss out on a $500 scholarship opportunity just because the school closed. The district hopes to raise roughly $500  the amount needed to complete fundraising for the scholarships  on Saturday through donations.

If the district reaches its goal, the scholarship would continue through 2021, or until the current eighth-grade class with students from the elementary school graduates from high school.

District officials will also reveal the contents of a time capsule box after it was recovered when construction crews first started the demolition process last December.

The box is original to the building and was placed inside a cornerstone of the building on Aug. 17, 1926, according to Larson.

Anyone interested in being the first to get a glimpse at whats really in the box can expect the unveiling to start around 11 a.m.

Larson, now an assistant principal at Kirn Middle School, said theres been folklore about other time capsules on the property, but construction crews have yet to find them.

I am just super excited about it, Larson said. The student response Ive gotten has been overwhelming. We want to get a group of people together that havent had the opportunity to be together for awhile for a common cause.
It had been four days since anyone had seen Cari Farver.

Then her mother received text messages from Farvers phone number saying her daughter had sold her furniture to a woman named Shanna Golyar.

The texts asked the mother to let Golyar into Farvers home and turned angry when the mother refused.

Prosecutors argued Wednesday that Golyar  not Farver  had sent the text messages in an attempt to conceal that she had killed Farver days earlier. Detectives believe a possible motive was that Golyar grew jealous of Farver because they had dated the same man.

In a nearly four-hour preliminary hearing, three investigators unraveled a tangled web of texts and emails that they say can be traced to Golyar since Farvers disappearance on Nov. 13, 2012.

Not only did Golyar pose as Farver in the hours, months and years after her disappearance, Golyar continued to pose online as other people to cover up the apparent killing as late as last year, officials testified. Golyar sent 11 emails to authorities in February acting as another woman and confessing intimate details on Farvers slaying, a sergeant testified.

Golyars attorney, James Martin Davis, argued that there was no evidence of a murder. Police have not recovered Farvers body or a weapon.

Douglas County Judge Craig McDermott ruled that Golyar, 41, will stand trial on a first-degree murder charge. Golyar, who was arrested in December, is being held on $5 million bail.

Officials first investigated Golyar two days after Farvers disappearance, when her mother received a text and photo from her daughters phone. The photo showed a check to Farver and signed by Golyar for Farvers furniture, testified Sgt. Jim Doty of the Pottawattamie County Sheriffs office.

About a week before Farvers disappearance, Golyar had called Farvers home phone six times while deactivating the caller identification, according to cell phone records.

Farver, 37, had been dating Golyars ex-boyfriend for a couple weeks, Doty testified.

On Nov. 12, 2012, Farver stayed at the boyfriends apartment near her job at West Corporation because she left work late that evening, Omaha police detective Dave Schneider testified.

The boyfriend told authorities he said goodbye to Farver before he went to work on the morning of Nov. 13. That is the last day Farver was seen by anyone, officials said.

Midday, the boyfriend got a text from Farvers number saying the relationship was finished.

The boyfriend and Golyar started to date again a month later, he told law enforcement.

For the next three years, the man received about 10,000 emails purporting to be from Farver, Doty said.

Anthony Kava from the Pottawattamie County Sheriffs Office analyzed the mans email data and found that the emails purported to be from Farver would actually reply to a hidden email address that belonged to Golyar.

Kava showed the court a diagram of various email accounts, electronic devices, software and IP addresses that could all be linked to Golyar.

West Corporation considered Farver a stellar employee, but she was absent two days in November 2012 without any word, Schneider said.

A supervisor then received a text from Farvers number, two days after her disappearance, saying she had resigned and taken a job in Kansas.

Ive found a replacement for my position, her name is Shanna Golyar, Schneider testified the message said.

Sure enough, Golyar applied for Farvers position at West Corporation, according to human resource records.

Golyars listed referral? Farver.

Golyars listed email? The same address Kava said was hidden in emails sent to the boyfriend, purporting to be from Farver.

In a December 2015 interview with deputies, Golyar said she had only met Farver one time  briefly in the boyfriends apartment hallway when she went to pick up some items.

Farvers debit card was used twice after her disappearance  at Family Dollar and WalMart. The WalMart purchase included cleaning supplies, winter clothing, a shower liner and a black and white shower curtain, Doty testified.

The investigator testified he had seen that same shower curtain in photos retrieved from Golyars Persia, Iowa, home.

Police also found cameras at Golyars home they believe belonged to Farver.

Authorities have not found Farvers body, but say they have evidence of her blood in her vehicle.

Farvers 2002 Ford Explorer was located in her boyfriends apartment complex  but next to a different building  nearly two months after her disappearance. Golyars fingerprints were located on a tin of mints in a front cupholder of the SUV.

Davis, Golyars attorney, said the fingerprints could have been from when Golyar and the boyfriend were dating, and that Farver later took the tin from the boyfriend.

No other physical evidence was uncovered in the vehicle until law enforcement searched again in 2016. Doty removed the front passenger seats fabric to find blood stains on the padding.

Tests of the blood came back as a virtual match to Farver, the chances of it being anyone other than Farver were 1 in 100 billion.

Davis argued that the spot of blood didnt mean Farver had died from any injuries.

Theres no medical evidence saying that its not menstrual blood, Davis said.

From November 2012 to August 2013, Golyar reported a handful of incidents to authorities  criminal trespassing, destruction of property and arson  and named Farver as the suspect.

Even last year, Golyar continued the deception through electronic communication, Doty said.

Golyar forwarded 11 emails to the Pottawattamie County Sheriffs Office that she claimed to have received from another woman  the ex-wife of the boyfriend. But the author was Golyar all along, Doty testified.

Sent in February, the emails purported to give details of Farvers murder and resulting cover up  she was stabbed multiple times in the chest and stomach, her body was burned, her vehicle was cleaned and returned to the boyfriends apartment, the perpetrator posed as Farver in texts and emails and went to Farvers home to steal items.

Davis, Golyars lawyer, argued to Judge McDermott that prosecutors did not present enough evidence that a murder was committed or that there was premeditation.

Davis said there was no body, no crime scene, no murder weapon, little blood and no confession from Golyar directly.

You cant just connect all the dots from one if to the next, Davis said. Judge, theres just too many improbables here.

Douglas County deputy attorney Jim Masteller said Golyar benefited romantically and materially by killing Farver.

Theres a mountain of evidence showing this defendants consciousness of guilt, Masteller said.

McDermott reviewed the case in silence for two minutes before ruling that Golyar will stand trial.

Farvers relatives in the courtroom embraced each other and shook their heads in disbelief during the hearing. Afterward they declined to comment.

In Mastellers final line of questioning to Detective Schneider, he hammered home that Farver has not been seen since November 13, 2013.

Farver intended to go to her half-brothers wedding that weekend and it was even more special because her son was a part of the celebration.

She wasnt there.

Farver had been planning a baby shower for a friend.

She didnt go.

Farver was very close with her father, and often visited him in Iowa.

She didnt make it to his funeral, nearly a month after her disappearance.

The reason, prosecutors say, was that she was dead.
A Council Bluffs mother was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of abuse her 4-month-old baby received  joining the childs father in jail after he was arrested on Jan. 12, police said.

Council Bluffs police reported the infants mother, Jacqueline Short, 30, was arrested at about 10 a.m. Wednesday on warrants for her involvement in the Jan. 12 incident, where her son received life-threatening injuries from abuse.

The infants father, Jack Williams, 28, was arrested earlier.

Williams was charged with child endangerment resulting in serious injury, a Class C felony. Short has been charged with neglect or abandonment of a dependent person, a Class C felony, and child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor.

A class C felony carries a maximum of 10 years in prison upon conviction.

On Jan. 12, police were dispatched to American Inn, 2717 S. 24th St. to assist rescue personnel.

Responders learned the infant had stopped breathing, but his parents were able to resuscitate him. After the child was taken by rescue squad to Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital, medical staff discovered signs of physical injury to the child consistent with abuse.

The childs condition then deteriorated, and he was transferred to Childrens Hospital in Omaha. The child remains in critical condition.

Williams and Short are currently being held in the Pottawattamie County Jail. Williams bail has been set to $10,000 bond. Shorts bail is set at $30,000.

Father also arrested last week on felony charges
Jennifer Park Stout

Snap Inc. has hired Jennifer Park Stout, who is currently deputy chief of staff to the Secretary of State, to be its new head of global public policy. Stout's job change was noted on her LinkedIn. Snap confirmed to Business Insider that she will be joining the company.

The move comes as Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, looks to deepen its ties to Washington ahead of a hotly-anticipated initial public offering that could value its business at around $20 billion. Last week, the company said it had also recruited senior state department official, Rick Stengel, to be a senior adviser to the Venice, Calif.-based company.

Stout has spent most of her career in government, having started her career working as legislative aide for then-Senator Joseph Biden in 1998. She spent one year working for insurance company MetLife as its VP for International Government Affairs, before returning to work at the U.S. Department of State, most recently as its deputy chief of staff.

Now, Stout is going back to the private sector to lead Snap's global public policy initiatives. Ex-Googler Micah Shaffer will remain in his role as Snap's director of public policy, reporting to Stout.

Stout's hire makes her the latest government official to join the startup world, and one of the few female executives at the company. Airbnb's head of global public policy, Chris Lehane, previously served as a close aide to Bill Clinton. Obama's campaign mastermind, David Plouffe, also recently joined the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative after a short stint leading policy at Uber.

NOW WATCH: The fabulous and charmed life of 26-year-old self-made billionaire, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel





More From Business Insider


Hacking, hacks and more

Much has been made of Russias purported hacking of the Democratic National Committees in-house emails  emails that proved to be both embarrassing to the Democratic Party generally, as well as a contributing factor in former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons election defeat.

Its my considered opinion that President Vladimir Putin ordered the hacking  not for security reasons but rather for a personal one.

Its been reported that Secretary Clinton publicly criticized Russias 2011 presidential election as being corrupt, in essence undermining Putins legitimacy. This led to street protests in Moscow designed to further undermine Putins administration and creating a general strong motive for revenge against Secretary Clinton personally and President Barack Obama in general.

Then, in June 2013, Russias Duma voted overwhelmingly for a law banning open displays of support for LGBT issues. This led to international outrage in the West, especially among the Western media, which had the support of President Obama.

That December, the official U.S. delegation to Russias 2014 Sochi Olympics in a surprise announcement stated no member of President Obamas family or any active Cabinet secretaries would attend the event. Instead, the delegation included openly gay athletes  an obvious attempt to further discredit Putin.

This was reinforced when President Obama in February 2014 told NBCs Bob Costas that the inclusion of gay athletes in the U.S. delegation was intended to send a pointed message to Russia and Putin specifically that we would not tolerate discrimination in any form.

One must wonder if the Russian hacking was personal rather than from a security perspective. Republicans have historically supported a strong national defense as well as strong support for the military, yet the hacking appears to be directed exclusively at Democrats, whose policies have arguably been detrimental to the military.

Why? Is President-elect Donald Trump weak on national security issues? Very doubtful, considering the number of general officers tapped for his Cabinet. Therefore, I must surmise Russian hacking was more personal in nature than liberals seem to be reporting.

Consider a speech Putin gave before the Duma, which was met with a standing ovation: Russia does not need minorities. We will not tolerate disrespect of our Russian culture. We had better learn from the national suicide taking place in America ... if we are to survive as a nation.

Greg Casady, Council Bluffs

Dump Trump

Donald Trump presents himself as a man that in satisfaction of nothing more than whim will disrupt anything he cares to. And in the face of the cowardice of some congressional members of the Republican Party that Trump hijacked, an unfettered Trump is capable of making a total shambles of our democratic way of life.

If not now, when will members of the Congress of the United States of America join together in showing any courage to duty? At this moment, in service to his own pleasure, Trump declines to produce tax returns that may or may not reveal information cogent to the hostile actions of Russia interfering in the sovereign exercise of power of the American electorate.

Trump forthwith should be given notice by the leaders of Congress that his refusal to turn over his tax returns constitutes withholding of information of investigative concern in the matter of Russia having tampered in the American peoples election of their president  and that further withholding of potential evidence constitutes a high crime and misdemeanor for which he will be impeached and removed from office.

Neither he nor anyone else is above the law, and even the slightest cover-up in impediment to the establishment of fact is an egregious abuse of power.

Sam Osborne, West Branch
(Adds details of humanitarian situation, background)

GENEVA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura has been invited to peace talks convened by Russia, Turkey and Iran in the Kazakh capital Astana, his spokeswoman Yara Sharif said on Thursday.

A U.N. statement said de Mistura himself would lead the U.N. team in Astana because of the complexity and importance of the issues likely to be raised. The talks are expected to begin on Jan. 23.

De Mistura has said he hopes Astana will support the next round of U.N.-led talks he plans in Geneva from Feb. 8. Russia's foreign minister has previously dismissed the negotiations in Geneva as "fruitless sitting around."

De Mistura's humanitarian advisor Jan Egeland said Russia, Turkey and Iran had taken on an immense responsibility as guarantors of a process that aimed to enable a new beginning for the civilian population.

Despite a nationwide "cessation of hostilities", aid is still not getting to people who need it the most, and all warring sides routinely do all they can to stop aid getting to women, children and wounded on the other side, he said.

Even if Syria's government approves U.N. aid plans, humanitarian convoys get blocked by a "complete, hopeless, bureaucratic quagmire" of red tape, Egeland said.

Russia, Iran and Turkey had told a weekly humanitarian meeting in Geneva that they would push all sides, including Syria's government, to stop preventing humanitarian aid from getting through, he added.

The upcoming peace talks were also a chance to save the people of Idlib, a rebel-held town which received 36,000 people evacuated from eastern Aleppo, from another "big storm".

"Idlib would be the symbol of a place that can be saved if this becomes the year of diplomacy, 2017, after six years of failed diplomacy," he said.

The fighting was still "tremendous" in many places, including the Wadi Barada valley near Damascus, and around the desert town of Deir al-Zor, where about 93,000 civilians have been cut off since Sunday after Islamic State fighters captured the drop zone for humanitarian supplies.

Story continues

The town has food for a few weeks, and the hospital treating wounded came under fire and had to be moved, Egeland said.

The four besieged towns of Madaya, Zabadani, Foua and Kefraya were now a "disaster" and people were now dying routinely because of the lack of medical attention, he said.

More than 1 million people in Aleppo were without water because a damaged water station was in IS hands and inaccessible.

(Reporting by Tom Miles and Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
(Adds Iranian comment)

BEIRUT, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he believed peace talks in Kazakhstan would lead to local "reconciliation" deals with rebels, a sign of his confidence in a process launched by his Russian allies after the opposition's defeat in Aleppo.

Assad told a Japanese TV station he hoped the conference would be a platform to discuss "everything" but that it was unclear if there would be political dialogue "because it is not clear who will participate".

Russia set the new diplomatic process in motion after its air force helped the Syrian government and allied, Iran-backed militia defeat rebels in Aleppo city's east last month - the diverse opposition's biggest defeat of the war.

Rebels due to attend the talks say they will discuss only shoring up a ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia last month - and which the rebels say has been widely violated by the government and its allies - as well as humanitarian issues.

Local reconciliation agreements are the Damascus government's preferred method for pacifying rebellious areas. They amount to the effective surrender of rebels in a particular area, typically after years of government siege and bombardment.

Assad said insurgent groups would give up their weapons and receive a government pardon under such agreements.

"So far, we believe that Astana will be about talks with terrorist groups over a ceasefire" that would facilitate reconciliation deals, Assad said in excerpts from the interview published on Twitter by the presidency.

He said the conference's priority would be "reaching a ceasefire to protect lives, and to permit humanitarian aid to reach different areas of Syria". Moscow has also said the main purpose of the meeting is to consolidate the truce.

Russia, Assad's most powerful ally, has pushed the Astana talks with help from Iran and Turkey, which backs the opposition but has switched its priorities to fighting Kurdish groups and Islamic State militants.

Story continues

In a statement published by its embassy in Kazakhstan, Iran said it saw the Astana talks as "an opportunity to establish a dialogue between the government and the Syrian opposition that will end the war and humanitarian crisis in the country and help achieve stability and peace in the region".

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that the United States had been invited to the Astana talks. Iran has said it opposes any U.S. presence.

A number of Turkey-backed rebel groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner have agreed to attend.

(Reporting by Tom Perry in Beirut/Mohamed el Sherif in Cairo and Parisa Hafezi in Turkey; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
They all said she couldnt do it. No one from Nebraska had ever been Miss America, and no one so young (17 years old) had won in over 70 years. But Teresa Scanlan of Gering did what no one thought she would do. She won the Miss America 2011 pageant.

On Jan. 5, Hayes Center High School hosted Scanlan for an assembly about her experience as Miss America 2011. The message that Miss America presented to the students and staff members of Hayes Center Schools and Wallace Schools, as well as members of the community, revolved around the Miss America crown.

There are four points to the crown, and they stand for style, success, scholarship and service. Scanlan urged the students to live their life with these four characters as their foundation and to not let living in a small, rural community limit what they can accomplish.

Style is courage and confidence that you can overcome your fear of failure. Scholarship is doing well in school, and even more, it is learning from all of your experiences and using these experiences to your advantage.

One of the most profound events that Scanlan was involved in during her reign was her visit to wounded veterans. She compared their bravery in putting their life on the line for their country to her achievement as Miss America. She stated that their sacrifice, service to their country and strength in recovering from their injuries was true success. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. This defined the fourth S, service.

The biographical background of Scanlan was of particular interest to the audience. She is one of six children and was home-schooled until her last year of high school. She graduated early to begin preparing for college and a future career in politics and law.

At the age of 13, Scanlan entered her first pageant and in total was involved in 11 pageants. Her talent presentation was a piano solo and she enjoyed the interview portion of the contest best.

The scholarship awards that Scanlan received through her competitions were major incentives for her desire to compete in the pageants. She has just completed her undergraduate degree and is planning to attend law school.

As a young girl, Scanlan enjoyed creating fashions out of colored duct tape. This seemingly quirky interest led to an endorsement contract for her with the Duct Tape Co. She spends much of her time speaking to schools and other groups and inspiring students and adults to live their life to the fullest of their potential, no matter where they grew up.

When asked if she would do it all over again, Scanlan said she would not hesitate to do it again. She made good friends and learned so much about living her life based on style, success, scholarship and service.
The National Wildlife Federation brings nature to life in the pages of our publications, inspiring people of all ages and reading levels to develop a deeper relationship with our natural world.

To learn more about receiving magazines from the National Wildlife Federation, please visit our subscription page.

For information about rights and permissions, visit our Permissions page or contact permissions@nwf.org.
President Barack Obama set out to create 1 million manufacturing jobs, but the country ended up losing 575,000 factory jobs during his eight-year tenure, as the sector around which Northwest Indiana was built continued to erode.

In the previous administration of George W. Bush, manufacturing lost 4.3 million jobs and more than 30 steelmakers went bankrupt, some of which had been around for more than a century.

"As Barack Obamas presidency comes to a close, there is no doubt that his efforts shone a light on manufacturing and its value to the nation," said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a partnership between the USW and leading companies. "I still vividly recall his 2012 State of the Union address, which put manufacturing front and center."

The manufacturing sector has added 822,000 new jobs since the end of the Great Recession, and 315,000 jobs since Obama announced in 2012 that he intended to create a million new factory jobs. But that couldn't make up for the losses in the depths of the recession, when he took office.

Paul said those numbers show manufacturing job growth is possible with the right policies. He credited the Obama administration for establishing the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, investing in infrastructure, and enforcing trade laws, such as by slapping tariffs on illegally dumped steel.

The Obama administration laid a strong foundation for the future by creating a network of innovation and industrial apprenticeships, but more opportunities need be be created, Paul added.

President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to invest $1 trillion on infrastructure, call China to account on alleged currency manipulation, and impose 45 percent tariffs on goods shipped into America by companies that outsource jobs.

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to make manufacturing job creation a priority and he can do so through infrastructure investment that includes strong Buy America provisions, strict enforcement of U.S. trade laws, and tax reform that puts American jobs first," Paul said.
HAMMOND  Among the more than 100 residents at a South Shore Line open house on Wednesday at Washington Irving Elementary School were some looking forward to more convenient commutes to Chicago, and others hoping to conserve the character of their neighborhoods.

Chauncey Daspit, who lives near the state line, said he would welcome the increased service the West Lake Corridor, and the concurrent Double Track NWI project, would bring.

"Currently I drive to 115th in Chicago because they have more trains and it's cheaper," he said, "but if I were to use this, it might be more expensive, but I wouldn't be driving as far."

Daspit said he came Wednesday to learn more about the project, its impact on recreational trails and on other property owners.

"I worry about how it impacts others," he said.

The West Lake project would include a Gateway Station west of the current South Shore station. Some residential property acquisitions would be needed for it, and its parking lot.

And, the city has undertaken a roads project that will update major thoroughfares near the station, including Chicago Street work going on now, that also require property acquisitions.

"The link between Chicago Street and the Gateway Station is very key," City Engineer Dean Button said. He said the city has made several modifications to its plans to accomodate the railroad and development it could encourage.

"That's an economic game-changer for us," he said of the potential for transit-oriented development.

To the south, the West Lake Corridor would use the old Monon railroad line. The plan includes a station and parking lot stretching north of 173rd Street along Lyman Avenue.

Lifelong South Hammond resident Ruth Mores submitted a written comment at the hearing, which included: "South Hammond Station is in an area that is now a tranquil, tree-lined, bike-path accessible neighborhood  we'd like to keep as much 'green space' as possible."

"It's a very, very good area," Mores said after completing her comment card. "It's a very secure area."

She recommended a multistory parking facility, rather than a ground level parking lot, to reduce its footprint and make security easier, and is concerned about development that could follow the railroad.

"It's a tight area," she said. "From our perspective, we don't need a whole lot of new building."

Wednesday's hearing was the second of three on the draft environmental impact statement for the West Lake project. A final EIS will be prepared by summer.

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shore Line, intends to submit the project, and the related Double Track NWI upgrade to the existing South Shore Line, to the Federal Transit Administration in late summer, in hope of earning federal grants to pay half the construction cost of each.
PORTAGE  New Vistas High School has received a five-year reauthorization by Ball State University.

The action, said director Rebecca Reiner, basically gives the charter school the thumbs up to continue operating.

The reauthorization process looks at the school's governance, finances and student performance.

"We are held very accountable when we go through the renewal process," Reiner said.

New Vistas High is part of a comprehensive adult education program sponsored by the nonprofit Neighbors Educational Opportunities. The group was formed after Portage Township Schools stopped offering its adult education program, including adult high school.

The school recently moved into newly renovated facilities on U.S. 6.

"The renewal gives us a chance to blaze new trails in the way charter schools can relate with a community," Reiner said.

New Vistas serves students in grades nine through 12 who were not successful in traditional high school. It draws students from throughout the area.

Since its opening, Reiner said, the school has graduated 1,300 people with either a high school or equivalency diploma. It has tripled its graduation rate from its initial year, and student population has grown 80 percent since it first opened in 2011.
CROWN POINT  Lake Criminal Court Judge Clarence Murray declined Wednesday to dismiss the murder case against Stephen L. Henderson, one of three men charged in the 2012 robbery and killing of a 24-year-old Schererville woman.

Henderson, 30, of Gary, requested in November the judge dismiss the case on allegations the state violated the defendant's rights by failing to schedule a trial within one year of his arrest.

Prosecutors argued the defendant, who requested 11 hearings be continued before an initial trial date was scheduled, was responsible for delays in the case.

Murray ruled in favor of the state.

These delays were requested by the defendant, and benefited the defendant, Murray said.

A new trial date is scheduled for July 12.

Henderson and two co-defendants were charged with murder and murder in perpetration of a robbery in the killing on May 19, 2012, of Jacqueline Gardner at her apartment building in the 8000 block of Alpine Lane, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Gardner's boyfriend was home at the time of the incident and told police he witnessed Henderson strangling Gardner before she was shot in the back with a 12-gauge shotgun, the affidavit states.

Charges remain pending against the co-defendants, Michael A. Craig Jr., 27, of Merrillville, and William Blasingame III, 35, of East Hazelcrest, Illinois.
GARY  A Merrillville man has died, state police confirmed Thursday night, after an exchange of gunfire Wednesday with a Lake County sheriffs officer in Gary following a traffic stop.

Marquis Thomas, 19*, was a passenger in a car stopped by the sheriff's officer about 3 p.m. Wednesday in the 700 block of East 42nd Avenue in Gary, police said. Police have not yet released the reason for the traffic stop.

Thomas was transferred from Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus to Loyola University Medical Center, Indiana State Police said. He was pronounced dead at 5:14 p.m. Thursday, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Indiana State Police Sgt. Ann Wojas did not have any additional information about Thomas death Thursday night. The Cook County medical examiners office did not immediately have any information.

The exchange wounded the officers K-9, state police said. The K-9, Blade, was in stable condition Thursday, police said.

The sheriff's department was not releasing the identity of the officer, who was not injured, because the nature of his work and concerns for his privacy and safety, department spokesman Mark Back said. The officer and Blade work with the department's gang unit, he said.

Police say Thomas ran from the car, later identified as a 2007 Toyota Avalon, and the driver fled west on 42nd Avenue, police said. On Thursday, state police said the driver had been located, gave a statement and was not "considered a threat to this case."

The officer and his K-9 chased Thomas, who ran down an alley toward railroad tracks north of the traffic stop site, police said. At some point near the tracks, Thomas shot at the officer and the K-9 was wounded, police said.

The officer returned fire, striking Thomas one time, according to a state police news release.

Thomas was taken to a hospital, and the dog was taken by police car to the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital in West Lafayette.

Another county officer arrived and disarmed Thomas, police said.

The officer is currently with Blade, Back said. After that, he will not return to patrol for an undetermined amount of time per department policy, he said.

The gang unit has patrolled areas in Lake County where there is gang activity, including Gary's Glen Park section, in cooperation with local police for about five years, Back said.

"This case is complex and the investigation is continuing," state police said.

Times Staff Writer Lauren Cross contributed to this report.

*Editor's note: An earlier version of this story contained an inaccuracy due to incorrect information provided to The Times by Indiana State Police. Marquis Thomas is 19 years old.
CROWN POINT  Police allege a Hammond couple took a handyman hostage last week during negotiations with their landlord over an unpaid deposit.

Rashaun Coleman, 28, and Tina M. Williams, 26, were each charged Sunday in Lake Criminal Court with two counts of criminal confinement.

Williams is further charged with false informing.

Hammond police were dispatched Friday to 910 Morris St. in Hammond after receiving reports of a confined man, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The man told police he was at the couple's apartment to repair ceiling tiles when Coleman brought up a financial dispute he had with the building's landlord, the affidavit states.

The handyman told Coleman the dispute had nothing to do with him, the affidavit states.

Coleman then allegedly pulled out a laser-sighted black handgun and said, You got something to do with it today, according to the affidavit.

The man told police Coleman called the landlord and demanded his deposit, the affidavit states.

The landlord contacted police, who surrounded the couple's home, according to the affidavit.

Williams and Coleman were taken into custody after a brief standoff, the affidavit states. A black handgun with laser sights was discovered in a bedroom in a second-floor apartment.

Coleman was appointed a public defender Wednesday at an initial court appearance.

Williams is scheduled to make an initial appearance Friday.
PORTAGE  The second of three suspects in the shooting of a 20-year-old man Jan. 7 has been arrested.

Portage Police Chief Troy Williams said Thursday morning that Brandon Reynard Crenshaw was arrested Wednesday night by the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force in Gary.

Crenshaw, 20, of Gary, along with Jamel Donjuan Woodley, 19, of South Bend, were both charged with burglary and robbery Wednesday. Woodley is still at large.

Isaih Darnell-Lenburg, 19, of Portage, charged last week with aiding an aggravated battery, was arrested in Orland Park, Illinois, at his girlfriend's home. Williams said he was being held at the Cook County Jail awaiting extradition back to Porter County.

Police were called at 12:24 p.m. Jan. 7 to the 1700 block of Lincoln Street for a report of a gunshot in the area.

Police said the victim, who lives in the 1700 block of Lincoln Street, was apparently shot with some type of high-powered rifle. Police believe he was shot in the back and the bullet exited from his lower pelvic region.
GARY  A suspect suffered life-threatening injuries after exchanging gunfire with a Lake County sheriff's officer following a traffic stop Wednesday afternoon in Gary.

A Lake County officer was making a traffic stop shortly before 3 p.m. in the 700 block of 42nd Street when a passenger fled from the vehicle and the driver fled west in the vehicle, according to state police.

The officer and his K-9 partner pursued the passenger, who ran down an alley toward nearby railroad tracks north of the traffic stop, according to Indiana State Police. At some point, the passenger shot at the officer, striking his K-9 partner, Blade, police said.

Another Lake County officer arrived on scene after the exchange of gunfire and disarmed the suspect, state police said.

The suspect was taken to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus with injuries that were life threatening.

Blade, a K-9 Dutch Shepherd and four-year veteran of the department, was taken to a local animal hospital for treatment and then transported by police car to Purdue Veterinary Hospital in West Lafayette. The dog was in stable condition but still undergoing tests Wednesday night, said Mark Back, spokesman for the sheriff's department.

A second suspect was still at large Wednesday night, Back said the department does not believe there is a significant risk to public safety at this time.

State police are handing the officer-involved shooting investigation, per normal protocol, Back said.

Any inquiries regarding the investigation should be directed to the Indiana State Police's Lowell post, he said.
By Timothy Gardner and Valerie Volcovici

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rick Perry, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to run the U.S. Energy Department, said during a Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday that global warming caused by humans is real, but that efforts to combat it should not cost American jobs.

The comment marks a shift for the former Texas governor, who had previously called the science behind climate change "unsettled" and a "contrived, phony mess." It also clashes with Trump's statements during his campaign for the White House that global warming is a hoax meant to weaken U.S. business.

"I believe the climate is changing. I believe some of it is naturally occurring, but some of it is also caused by man-made activity. The question is how do we address it in a thoughtful way that doesnt compromise economic growth, the affordability of energy or American jobs," Perry said.

Perry's 3-1/2-hour hearing before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources was one of the shortest and least contentious in a long list of sessions to vet Trump Cabinet nominees since last week. The committee has not yet scheduled its vote on Perry's nomination.

As energy secretary, Perry, 66, would oversee a substantial chunk of Trump's energy portfolio. He would lead a vast scientific research operation credited with helping trigger a U.S. drilling boom and advancements in energy efficiency and renewable energy technology, and would also be in charge of maintaining the United States' nuclear weapons arsenal.

Trump, who will be sworn in as president on Friday, has promised to bolster the U.S. oil, gas and coal industries, in part by undoing federal regulations curbing carbon dioxide emissions. He has also suggested pulling America out of a global climate change pact signed in Paris in 2015, calling it expensive for U.S. industry.

He sees Perry, who was governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015 and whose nomination has the support of the energy sector, as someone who can help usher in jobs growth.

Story continues

Perry added during his hearing that he regrets having previously called for the department's elimination - a proposal he made during his failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

That proposal, which has become known as his "oops" moment, came during a presidential candidate debate when he could not initially remember all of the three Cabinet-level departments he wanted to eliminate: Commerce, Education and Energy.

"After being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination," he said in his opening remarks.

"PROTECT" THE SCIENTISTS

Democrats on the committee expressed worry that Perry would weaken the Energy Department's functions and potentially target its army of scientists focused on climate research.

Perry sought to assuage them.

"I am going to protect the men and women of the scientific community from anyone who would attack them, he said in response to a question from Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington state about whether he would cut the department's climate science budget.

When pressed on whether there would be budget or staff cuts to key research programs at the department, Perry said: "I will be an advocate (for the programs) ... but Im not sure Im going to be 1,000 percent successful."

He distanced himself from a questionnaire the Trump transition team sent to the department in December demanding names and publications of employees who had worked on climate issues. After an uproar by critics who said it amounted to a witch hunt, the team disavowed the survey.

"I didnt approve it. I dont approve of it. I dont need that information," Perry said.

Perry said much of his focus running the department would be on renewing the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal. More than half of the department's $32.5 billion budget goes to maintaining nuclear weapons and cleaning up nuclear waste.

"As a former Air Force pilot during the days of the Cold War, I understand the deterrent value of our nuclear weapons systems, and the vital role they play in keeping the peace, he said.

Perry said he was generally supportive of a state's right to block the siting of nuclear waste dumps, like Yucca Mountain in Nevada, but fell short of ruling out the federal government's power to impose them over state objections in some cases.

Nuclear waste disposal is one of the top hurdles to growth in the U.S. nuclear power industry.

Department leadership under Perry would represent a pivot from being run by learned scientists to a person who is known for close ties to energy interests.

The current energy secretary, Ernest Moniz, is a nuclear physicist who led technical negotiations in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, while the previous head, Steven Chu, is a Nobel Prize-winning physicist. Perry recently resigned from the board of directors of Energy Transfer Partners LP, the company building the Dakota Access Pipeline opposed by Native Americans and environmentalists.

(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Leslie Adler, Alistair Bell and Jonathan Oatis)
VALPARAISO  A state police investigation has cleared former Porter County Auditor Bob Wichlinski of any wrongdoing in connection with the $2,038 in missing computer equipment and a briefcase that was discovered after he left office two years ago.

Porter County Prosecutor Brian Gensel said police also found no chain of custody linking Wichlinski to the equipment

"The SBOAs (Indiana State Board of Accounts) assignment of liability to Wichlinski is based solely upon him being department head during the time it was purchased," Gensel said.

Wichlinski told The Times earlier this week he knows nothing about the missing equipment.

A recently released state audit reported that the items were purchased in 2014 using a county credit card that drew from an auditor's office fund.

The audit calls on Wichlinski to reimburse the county since the computer, memory card, software, three printers and briefcase cannot be located.

While the credit card was managed by the auditor's office, Wichlinski said it was in the hands of his chief financial person and was used by officials from various other departments in county government.

"Someone's name had to be on it," Wichlinski said of the credit card. "The auditor's name was on the credit card, but I was never the custodian of it."

Wichlinski said he returned all his computer equipment to the information technology department before leaving office at the end of his four-year term in 2014. He said the accusations don't make sense considering he has owned a computer company for nearly 24 years.

"I don't need to steal computers and printers," he said.

Wichlinski questioned why anyone would want to run for public office when two years after leaving they can be held responsible for something they know nothing about.

Porter County is already unique in the state, he said, in that it has been through five auditors in as many terms.
Joi Wilson, her son and mother boarded an Amtrak train Tuesday to Washington to join the thousands of spectators for Friday's inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Her son, Sam Wilson, 11, was invited to attend through the Pathways by STEM Young Delegates program. Wilson said she and her mother, Karin Wilson, of Schererville, decided to go with him.

All three are looking forward to watching Trump being sworn into office, she said, as well as watching the parade. Sam and the other children in his group also will attend a gala at one of the Washington museums.

Joi Wilson said she knows there will be protesters.

"It's really going to be something to see," she said.

She and her mother have traveled together many times having won trips through their insurance business, she said, but this trip will be special.

"My mother and I are both Trump supporters," she said, "and it's a big deal for us."

Debra Rasala, of Kouts, was flying out Wednesday to Washington, deciding last-minute to join the celebration.

A longtime Trump supporter, she decided to join her daughter and son-in-law to attend the parade, but was offered tickets to the inauguration by friends after posting on Facebook that she had decided to go.

"I'm going because I an avid Donald Trump supporter," Rasala said. "Im crazy about his ideas. Ive been watching him for 25 years."

She said she hopes to get a good look at Trump, his wife and children.

"I think he'll change the things that need to be changed," Rasala said. "I make no bones about it, I totally support him."

Bob Starkey, of Crown Point, said he met Vice President-elect Mike Pence when Pence ran for governor. Starkey said he was the director of the local victory center during his campaign.

Starkey received his ticket from a member of Pence's staff.

"I never thought I'd go to an inauguration," Starkey said. "It was never anything I was pushing for, but when the opportunity came it was something I was excited for."

He's not sure what to expect, but he knows there will be long lines and a lot of security.

"I think if I were to just assume how it will play out, I think it will be a great celebration of democracy," Starkey said.

Besides watching the inauguration, he plans to attend the concert Thursday night at the Lincoln Memorial.

Pence also is one of the reasons Joel Phelps, of Portage, is attending the inauguration.

Phelps, a Republican, ran for Congress in 2012.

He said two types of people run for office. One wants to do something; the other wants to be something.

Phelps, who works in the construction industry, said he ran because he wanted to do something. He believes Trump and Pence are the same kind of doers.

"I came out of nowhere," Phelps said of his campaign. "(Gov. Pence) and Mrs. Pence couldn't have been more inviting and supportive.

"Its my perception  having met Vice President-elect Pence  he has a good heart. He's a do-something kind of person, whether you like him or not."

Phelps said he has no further political aspiration, and he is happy to support other candidates now.

Phelps said he's looking forward to seeing the president-elect take the oath of office, and thinks attending one of the official balls will be fun.

He said he expects to see many protesters while in Washington.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the First Amendment at work. That's their right," he said of the protesters. "That's what democracy looks like, and that's OK."
EAST CHICAGO  Prior to leaving office, Gov. Mike Pence rejected the mayors request for an emergency declaration over lead contamination, saying, in part, the state of Indiana has provided adequate assistance to the financially strapped city since news first broke last summer that Calumet and West Calumet residents were living on highly contaminated soil.

Residents pushed the mayor late last year to request a declaration for the USS Lead Superfund site, saying it would bring additional dollars to East Chicago to deal with the ongoing lead and arsenic crisis and pave a path for additional federal resources, including Medicare for life for residents exposed to environmental toxins.

Given the level of coordination among federal, state and local agencies, the state resources provided to date, and the resources available under the federal Superfund program, the issues described within your letter are being addressed without the need for a disaster emergency declaration, the letter states.

City Attorney Carla Morgan on Wednesday released a copy of the letter following a records request from The Times. The letter from Pence is dated Dec. 14, but residents were not informed by the city of Pences decision until a meeting last Friday.

Morgan said Wednesday that Copeland is drafting a similar request to Gov. Eric Holcomb. Holcombs office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday afternoon.

East Chicago residents say they hope Holcomb considers the declaration, saying added resources could help, in part, with purchasing water filters.

Were going to keep pushing, said Sara Jimenez, a Superfund site homeowner.

Recent EPA results showed elevated lead levels in drinking water in 18 of 43 properties where soil was excavated within the USS Lead Superfund site, likely due to aging lead service lines. Those aging service lines are throughout the city, though the city maintains it provides clean drinking water.

In the letter, Pences general counsel Mark Ahearn outlines how Indiana released $200,000 to the citys housing authority and health department to aid with the relocation efforts and free lead testing of children and families.

The letter alleges the city, as of Dec. 14, had yet to hire or contract with a public health nurse and health educator using the $100,000 in state grant dollars.

Morgan did not immediately respond to questions about the allegation Wednesday afternoon.

The states health department has worked closely with the local health department to offer free lead testing to residents through mobile clinics and one-stop shops, Ahearn wrote, and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority worked with HUD to provide relocation services.

The East Chicago Housing Authority on Dec. 13 told the state those IHCDA services were no longer needed, according to Pences office.

Copeland in his Dec. 1 letter told Pence the East Chicago Housing Authority has depleted $1.1 million of its $1.6 million capital fund to assist residents with moving expenses and the East Chicago School District is facing cash shortfalls due to the closure of Carrie Gosch Elementary and declining enrollment.

Copeland in the Dec. 1 letter told Pence the local government response has "strained our local resources to the point of breaking."

Pence also told the city the West Calumet complex does not qualify for the federal Hardest Hit Blight Elimination program, meaning the city must pursue alternate funding to demolish the 346-unit neighborhood once the remaining families living there relocate. Copeland late last year requested up to $8 million in emergency demolition dollars to secure and demolish the complex.

Sheilah Garland, a member of a strategy group, said last week the city should do more to elevate the crisis as more than 1,000 individuals, including nearly 700 children, are being forced to relocate from the West Calumet Housing Complex and several of the more than 1,000 private properties are being cleaned by the EPA in the Calumet neighborhood.

Its important that (Copeland) make this a public fight, Garland said.
PORTAGE  A man wanted in connection with the shooting of a 20-year-old Portage man Jan. 7 at his home has been arrested.

Portage police on Wednesday also announced that arrest warrants were issued for two more men in connection with the shooting.

Brandon Raynard Crenshaw, 20, of Gary, and Jamel Donjuan Woodley, 19, of South Bend, both have been charged with burglary and robbery.

Portage Police Chief Troy Williams said the men are being sought and should be considered armed and dangerous. He said he does not believe they are in the Portage area.

Isaih Darnell-Lenburg, 19, of Portage, charged last week with aiding an aggravated battery, was arrested in Orland Park, Illinois, at his girlfriend's home. Williams said he was being held at the Cook County Jail awaiting extradition back to Porter County.

According to court documents, Darnell-Lenburg is believed to have driven the getaway car after the shooting.

Police said the victim, who lives in the 1700 block of Lincoln Street, was apparently shot with some type of high-powered rifle. Police believe he was shot in the back and the bullet exited from his lower pelvic region.

Police were called at 12:24 p.m. Jan. 7 to the 1700 block of Lincoln Street for a report of a gunshot in the area.

A witness told police she was inside her home, heard a loud noise outside, and went to her window, where she saw the victim lying on his back in the driveway. She said he struggled to get to his feet, and eventually crawled into his breezeway. She said she saw other men in the breezeway "acting frantic."

According to court documents, an SUV pulled up in front of the house and two of the men in the driveway left with the driver of the SUV. Police said another man at the scene tried to catch up with the vehicle but was left behind. He ran from the area, police said.

The victim told police the three "intruders" broke into his home while he was asleep and beat him up. He told police the driver of the SUV was Darnell-Lenburg, who was described as the victim's friend.

The victim told police the intruders were wearing all black and ski masks and that he did not recognize them.

According to court documents, detectives learned that Darnell-Lenburg's mother owned an SUV that matched the description given by witnesses.

Anyone with information regarding the suspects should contact Capt. Joe Reynolds at 219-764-5704, or leave a message at the Portage Police Department Facebook page.

30xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Arrest made in Portage shooting
Heavily Democratic New York is not Trump country, but protesters aren't the only ones heading to Washington for Friday's inauguration. Hundreds, if not thousands, of New Yorkers are traveling by bus, train and car to cheer Donald Trump on. NY1's Amanda Farinacci filed the following report.

Donna Fagan is taking the phrase "dress to impress" to a whole new level.

The lifelong Staten Islander plans on wearing a dress made from lawn signs to some of the events she'll attend in Washington celebrating Donald Trump's inauguration.

She packed her bags Wednesday, eager to join others in cheering a man she can't wait to call her president.

"I just think he's a go-to man. He's a guy that's going to get things done," Fagan said.

The number of New Yorkers heading to Washington is far less than eight years ago, when Barack Obama was first sworn in. But those who are going are just as eager to bear witness.

Anthony Accardo is one of them. The 21-year-old says it's a moment in history, and he's curious to hear firsthand what Trump will say in his first speech as president.

"He's said some ridiculous things. He really does. I mean, but he knows that," Accardo said. "That's actually I think one of the main reasons he won. Because he's vocal about what he feels."

For these Trump supporters, attending his inauguration is a chance to publicly support him, something they say they don't necessarily feel comfortable doing in the city, where Trump is not popular.

"I didn't want to put a sign outside, I didn't want to put a bumper sticker on my car, because I was afraid of confrontation or, you know, damage to my property," Fagan said.

Councilman Joe Borelli plans to attend Friday's swearing-in and several inauguration balls with his wife. He was a co-chairman of Trump's New York campaign and a surrogate who repeatedly talked up Trump on cable news programs.

"I'm excited to see some people I dealt with on the campaign, to meet people I only spoke to on the phone and through emails. And so it's fun," Borelli said.

On Staten Island, a hotbed of Trump support, interest in the inauguration is higher than elsewhere in the city. Congressman Dan Donovan gave out 200 tickets, more than his initial allotment - because in the other boroughs, not enough people wanted them.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras  When police officers arrived last week after the murder of Felipe Nery Aguilar and his daughter Gladys, they seized on what appeared to be a clue: a childish scribble on a broken television set. A message from local gangs, the officers figured, demanding protection money, known here as a war tax. Case closed.

But for the victims family, the explanation made no sense. A second daughter, Rosa Alba Aguilar, 35, agonized over why anybody would kill a 73-year-old fruit seller.

It was just pure evil, Ms. Aguilar said. Nobody was extorting her father. It was one of his grandchildren who had scrawled over the television screen.

The police come here asking stupidities, she said. What are the laws for?

That question is at the center of elections on Sunday, when Hondurans will choose a new president four years after a coup expelled a previous one. The rule of law, which was never sturdy to start with, has all but evaporated since then.
Scott Pruitt, Donald Trump's pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, on Wednesday said he did not agree with the president-elect's past suggestion that climate change is a hoax.



The Oklahoma attorney general was grilled over his views on climate change by Democrats on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee during his confirmation hearing.

Pruitt has faced stiff opposition from Democrats and environmentalists because he has raised doubts about humans' role in climate change and has been party to more than a dozen legal challenges to President Barack Obama 's climate change efforts.



In 2012, Trump suggested on Twitter that climate change was a hoax created by the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing less competitive. He later said the tweet was a joke, and during a debate with Hillary Clinton, denied ever having said it.

Asked by Sens. Edward Markey and Bernie Sanders about the tweet, Pruitt said he did not agree with the view Trump expressed at the time.

In his opening statement, Pruitt said, "Science tells us that the climate is changing and that human activity in some manner impacts that change."

"The ability to measure with precision the degree and extent of that impact and what to do about it are subject to continuing debate and dialogue, and well it should be," he added.

The overwhelming majority of the scientific community believes in global warming and that humans play a significant role.



Democratic Sen. Thomas Carper also asked Pruitt about Trump's assertion during the campaign that his administration would "get rid" of the EPA "in almost every form," and that only "tidbits" of the agency would survive.

Pruitt said he believes there is a very important role for the EPA, particularly in handling air and water quality issues across state lines.

Story continues

"The EPA has served a very valuable role historically," he said.

Pruitt is seen as an ideal candidate to carry out Trump's anti-regulation agenda. He describes himself as "a leading advocate against the EPA's activist agenda" and established a "federalism unit" in Oklahoma to "combat unwarranted regulation and overreach by the federal government."

On Wednesday, Pruitt laid out the principles that would guide him as EPA administrator. He stressed following the rule of law so companies know how they will be regulated and partnering with state regulators to set policy.

Pruitt said he believes it's necessary to restore confidence and certainty in those that are regulated by the EPA. He said it had become difficult for companies to predict what is expected of them under environmental laws.

In recent years, Pruitt took a leading role in coordinated efforts by Republican state attorneys general and energy companies to challenge Obama's initiatives to mitigate climate change and pollution through executive action.

If Pruitt is confirmed, he will be in the position of defending the agency against legal challenges that he himself helped bring.

On Wednesday, he declined to say he would recuse himself from handling these cases to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. Instead, he said he would consult the EPA's ethics counsel and distance himself from the cases if and when the agency's lawyers advise him to do so.

The Republican Attorneys General Association and energy companies contend the EPA, under Obama, is guilty of executive overreach and has hurt business.

Environmentalists counter that the Republican attorneys general are serving the energy industry's interests at the expense of public health and the environment. They point to the millions of dollars fossil fuel companies have contributed to the GOP attorneys general group, its nonprofit arm and individual members.

Energy companies that litigated against the EPA alongside Pruitt contributed nearly $240,000 to his campaign or political action committees that supported him between 2010 and 2016, according to the Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy nonprofit.

Grilled by Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island about such contributions, Pruitt acknowledged that his re-election committee had received contributions from energy interests such as Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN), Koch Industries and Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM).

However, he said he was unsure whether they gave the maximum contribution and was uncertain about energy company donations to his political action committees.

Correction: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse questioned Pruitt about energy company contributions. An earlier version misidentified the senator.









More From CNBC


* BlackRock, Dow Chemical praise Saudi at Davos forum

* BlackRock says Saudi is great investment opportunity

* Saudi Falih pledges more reform, diversification

By Dmitry Zhdannikov

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Asset management giant BlackRock and chemical major Dow Chemical praised Saudi Arabia on Thursday as the kingdom said it was pressing ahead with reforms and investments beyond oil.

"We are seeing astonishing transparency... It is as good as anywhere we invest, including the United States," Dow Chemical Chief Executive Andrew Liveris told a panel devoted to Saudi Arabia at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Dow Chemical has a joint chemical project in Saudi Arabia.

"It is a pleasure to watch (the Saudi government)," Laurence Fink, chief executive of BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager with $5 trillion in assets under management, said.

Saudi Arabia has announced a plan to reform and modernise its economy which foresees the world's largest oil exporter cutting its dependence on energy and developing private sectors.

"Large jumbo jets don't fly with one engine," Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told the same panel, adding that the kingdom will develop its mining and renewables sectors and invest actively abroad as it did recently with Uber.

It is also preparing to list state oil producer Saudi Aramco on a major exchange in the coming years, hoping to get a valuation of more than $1 trillion, which would be bigger than any existing listed firm.

Fink said Saudi Arabia's commitment to reform contrasted with many countries. Their reforms failed because they were not based on market dynamic and because they lacked proper government commitment, he said.

"I see that the Saudi government believes in itself. If you see such confidence, investors will believe in this too," Fink said adding he believed Saudi reforms were transformational.

"If we can find more opportunities like that (Saudi), we are building a safer world for our investments," said Fink, mentioning discussions with investors about Saudi Aramco.

(Reporting by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Alexander Smith)
LONDON  European Union leaders on Wednesday punctured U.K. optimism about a smooth and mutually beneficial divorce between Britain and the EU, declaring that, no matter what British Prime Theresa May thinks, Britain cant dictate the terms of the separation.

EU President Donald Tusk warned Britain that it will not be able to pick and choose the choicest bits of trade and immigration as both sides wade into the negotiations this spring. He said Mays Brexit speech on Tuesday, in which she outlined her plans for moving ahead with the divorce, was proof the EUs united stance was working.

May acknowledged she would not be able to break the EUs sacrosanct link between free movement of people and of goods, saying Britain would leave the blocs single market in order to regain control over immigration.

Tusk said the concession proves that the unified position of 27 member states on the indivisibility of the single market was finally understood and accepted by London even before the negotiations start.

Such statements poured cold water on buoyant British praise for Mays vision of flexible and swift negotiations to reach a bold and ambitious free trade agreement with the EU.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat of Malta, which holds the rotating EU presidency, insisted such a trade deal could only be negotiated after Britain leaves, which is expected in 2019.

EU Affairs Minister Ann Linde said May had made it very clear that she wants a very hard Brexit and anticipated difficult negotiations ahead.

And when British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson heard about a reported comment from an aide to French President Francois Hollande that Britain should not expect a better trading relationship once it is out of the bloc, he reached for a favorite analogy, World War II.

If Mr. Hollande wants to administer punishment beatings to anybody who chooses to escape, rather in the manner of some World War II movie, then I dont think that that is the way forward, Johnson said.

The comments raised hackles elsewhere. Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliaments lead negotiator on Brexit, tweeted that Johnsons words were abhorrent and deeply unhelpful and urged May to condemn them.

Mays spokeswoman, Helen Bower, defended Johnson, saying he was making a point. He was in no way suggesting that anyone was a Nazi.

Aiming to calm tempers, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker noted the EU was not in a hostile mood but added it will be tough to negotiate with a longtime EU member that now will be seen as a third country.

Uncertainty surrounded other aspects of Mays Brexit speech  including her promise of a vote for Britains Parliament on the deal struck with the EU.

May and Brexit Secretary David Davis both declined to answer outright when asked what would happen if lawmakers rejected it.

They wont vote it down, Davis told the BBC. This negotiation will succeed.

It remains unclear, though, whether May can formally begin the process of leaving the EU without Parliaments approval. Britains Supreme Court says it will give its highly anticipated judgment in a legal battle over Brexit on Jan 24.

Britains mostly Euroskeptic newspapers, meanwhile, seized on Mays suggestion Britain could hurt the EU economically if the bloc imposed a punitive deal.

The Times of London headline said Give us fair deal or youll be crushed, while the Daily Mirror summarized Mays message as Give us a deal  or well walk.

European newspapers saw the Conservative prime ministers speech as evidence that Britain was turning inwards.

Germanys Die Welt ran the front-page headline Little Britain. In a nod to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Italys La Repubblica said: London gets its wall.
It can be a long journey down to the warm lagoons in Mexico  especially for a youngster new to the world.

A captain aboard a Dana Wharf Whale Watching charter captured a moment fit for National Geographic, as a baby gray whale tried to get a ride on its mothers back while off the coast of Dana Point on Monday.

Of course, the water isnt the best place for a piggy-back ride and the calf kept slipping off his mommas back.

Todd Mansur said he got lucky capturing the moment, and that charter boats have encountered a lot of newborns lately. Over the last four days there have been four cow and calf sightings.

He speculated this calf clinging to its mom was just a day or two old. They were headed southbound on their migration.

Its not the only cute baby whale video to emerge recently. A few weeks ago, a curious calf swam under a small inflatable boat off Laguna Beach, its mother having to fetch it and steer it back on course.

The gray whales have the longest migration of any animal on the planet, traveling each year from the cold waters in Alaska to the warm lagoons in Baja California, where they typically give birth. Then, they turn around and start the trek back north around March, just in time for the annual Festival of the Whales in Dana Point.
SANTA ANA  The severance agreement between the city and now former City Manager David Cavazos and comments from City Council members suggest he initiated the separation realizing that circumstances were against him to continue serving as the top Santa Ana executive.

Cavazos signed the severance agreement Jan. 10  a week before the City Councils closed session deliberation Tuesday night, which involved his employment, evaluation of performance, discipline, or dismissal/release, as stated in the agenda.

According to the severance agreement  signed by Mayor Miguel Pulido on Wednesday and publicly released later in the day  Cavazos and the city had discussed his employment and both acknowledged controversy over whether he was entitled to a 12-month severance payment.

Each has denied, and continues to deny, any and all claims asserted by, or which might be asserted by, the other, but they desire to settle fully and finally any and all perceived or real disputes between them, states the agreement, which became effective at 7 p.m. Tuesday after the City Council agreed to its terms on a 4-2 vote.

The agreement, characterized as amicable by City Attorney Sonia Carvalho on Tuesday, seeks to protect both parties.

Severance pay to Cavazos is equal to 12 months compensation at his annual salary of $343,224, according to the agreement. It will be paid in a $223,224 installment by Jan. 24 and $120,000 on Jan. 5, 2018. The city will pay his unused accrued vacation and 15 percent of unused accrued sick leave by Jan. 24.

Cavazos, the highest-paid city manager in Santa Anas history, previously said his lifetime pension from Phoenix, where he also served as city manager, is the second-highest retirement benefit in the citys history. He added that his ex-wife receives 45 percent, while he gets 55 percent  or $125,000  annually.

The terms of his severance with Santa Ana include that Cavazos will not file any complaints, claims, charges, grievances or lawsuits at any time hereinafter with the city, with any governmental agency or with any court arising out of his employment with and release from the city.

In addition, the agreement shall not be construed in any way as an admission by the city of any liability whatsoever, or, that the city has acted wrongfully with respect to Cavazos, it states.

Councilman Jose Solorio, who voted to accept the agreement, said he was surprised that Cavazos was willing to have talks regarding a separation.

In a Dec. 28 phone interview with the Register hours after he was placed on paid administrative leave, Cavazos said, Im committed to Santa Ana.

I do think that City Manager Cavazos was very classy and fair in relation to the terms that he put forward for the City Councils consideration, Solorio said Wednesday. I think it was a very reasonable outcome.

Some council members said Cavazos initiated a separation agreement because support for him was waning.

While four council votes were needed to put Cavazos on administrative leave  which Pulido, Solorio, Juan Villegas and Michele Martinez provided  five were needed to fire him.

Council members Sal Tinajero, David Benavides and Vincent Sarmiento had long indicated strong support for Cavazos.

Sarmiento, who was absent from the agreement vote, on Wednesday declined to state his position on the city manager. But Sarmiento said he was not shocked that the City Council had deliberated on Cavazos separation agreement and not on terminating him.

I just thought on this one, its fairly easy to see that there was simple majority and it would make it difficult for the city manager to perform his scope of work, Sarmiento said.

Cavazos attorney saw the writing on the wall and advised him accordingly, said Benavides, who opposed the deal Tuesday.

Cavazos did not respond to requests for comment, and his attorney, Craig Scott of Executive Law Group in Newport Beach, did not return a call for comment Wednesday.

Despite the agreement terms, Tinajero said he thinks the city could still face liability because Cavazos work brought the city back from the brink of bankruptcy and his ouster was strictly political, a payback of a quid pro quo with the Santa Ana Police Officers Association.

Tinajero, who voted against the agreement, reiterated his theory that police union-endorsed candidates Pulido, Solorio and Villegas acted swiftly to remove Cavazos and have Police Chief Carlos Rojas up next on the chopping block.

Pulido has not admitted to an alliance with the police union and forwarded questions on the separation agreement to the city attorney.

There is risk because these council members have to try to justify why they did it, but they cant, Tinajero said. So what they are going to engage in, potentially, is a smear campaign, and that could have further ramifications down the road.

But Martinez on the dais Tuesday said her requests to Cavazos fell on deaf ears and she did not have a single meeting with him in 2016. Cavazos ignored me, because it was Michele Martinez asking, she said.

Cavazos alleged that Martinez had sexually harassed and made romantic advances toward him, allegations that a city-ordered external investigation found were without merit. He was criticized for having a personal relationship with a subordinate city employee, among other issues reviewed.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7762 or jkwong@ocregister.com or on Twitter: @JessicaGKwong
Costco Wholesale will pay $11.75 million to settle Department of Justice allegations that the chains pharmacies improperly filled prescriptions.

Investigations were conducted by federal authorities in Washington, Michigan and California.

Costco was accused of filling prescriptions that were incomplete, lacked valid DEA numbers and were for substances beyond doctors scope of practice.

The violations happened from 2012 to 2015. The investigations began in 2012 when the DEAs Los Angeles Field Division discovered that Los Angeles-area pharmacies had filled many prescriptions by individual practitioners who lacked valid DEA registration numbers.

The big-box retailer also allegedly failed to maintain accurate records of controlled substances.

These are not just administrative or paperwork violations  Costcos failure to have proper controls in place in its pharmacies likely played a role in prescription drugs reaching the black market, said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker, in a statement. Costco pharmacies in Southern California filled numerous prescriptions for drugs that should not have been sold to consumers because of its flawed system for validating DEA registration numbers.

Costco operates 725 warehouses, including 506 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Costco believes that at no time did its conduct put at risk the health or safety of our members or the public. Costco shares the DEAs commitment to prevent opioid drug abuse and continues to view the DEA, along with state and local law enforcement, as partners in promoting public health, the company said in a statement. Costco will continue its longstanding practice of providing our customers with high-quality pharmaceutical products at a competitive price, while working closely with these customers and their health-care providers to ensure their use of controlled substances is safely administered and medically necessary.

The DOJ would not disclose at which pharmacies the issues happened as part of the settlement agreement.

Pharmacies across this country are on the leading edge of the battle against our prescription drug abuse crisis, said United States Attorney Annette L. Hayes of the Western District of Washington, in a statement. A company such as Costco that distributes a significant volume of controlled substances has a responsibility to ensure it complies with regulations that help prevent opioids and other dangerous drugs from being misused or otherwise added to the illegal marketplace. I commend the Drug Enforcement Administration investigators for uncovering the violations at issue in this case, and working with Costco to ensure that systems are put in place to prevent controlled substances from ending up in the wrong hands.

Costco bought a new pharmacy management system, an expense that will cost the retailer roughly $127 million over five years, to resolve issues.

Costco also implemented an audit of its pharmacy locations.

Over the next three years, the DEA is allowed to conduct unannounced inspections of DEA registered locations without Administrative Inspection Warrants.

Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans
Think a play that features a dog and 19 cats is about pets? Think again.

True, Christian OReillys play Chapatti places its canine and feline characters front and center  but only to illustrate the personality traits of two people in particular and human nature in general.

Laguna Playhouse has essentially imported the entire production of the 2014 play from Solana Beachs North Coast Repertory Theatre, where it got its Southern California premiere last fall. And since Judith Ivey was unavailable to direct the show again, NCRs David Ellenstein has stepped in to re-stage it in Laguna.

Chapatti peers into the suburban Dublin homes of Dan (Mark Bramhall), a retired laborer, and Betty (Anabella Price), a widowed nurse who works as a caretaker for the elderly.

Earlier in life, while in London, Dan took a liking to Indian cuisine, so when a friendly terrier adopted him, he named it after a type of Indian flatbread and took it home. Self-described crazy cat-lady Betty has 19 kitties who function almost like her children.

From the experiences and emotions of these two people, playwright OReilly crafts an engaging, richly rewarding drama thats universal in its appeal even as its intensely personal.

Chapatti smartly avoids the kinds of cliches lesser writers would most surely apply, given the same premise. First would be making Betty a widow, Dan a widower. Another is creating a meet cute between them. A third would be to set up a cat versus dog adversity, then, through artifice, replacing that stance with something less extreme.

As distinctive is Dan and Bettys breaking the fourth wall, addressing us directly, letting us in on their most private thoughts and feelings  intimacy thats emphasized by Ellensteins fine staging.

A focal plot element is Dans emotional devastation since the death of his mistress, Martha, who couldnt bring herself to leave her husband. Now lacking a sense of purpose, Dan labors under the conviction that Martha is in heaven waiting for him to join her.

Those beliefs compel him to find a new home for Chapatti so he can take his own life. That aspect pulls Chapatti out of the realm of a simplistic, feel-good romantic comedy about stereotypically lonely, elderly adults; we instead have a theatrical property that respects the maturity, intelligence and sensitivity of its audience.

Nor is Chapatti cut-and-dried in terms of its two focal characters. Betty isnt simply a proverbial life-affirming soul nor Dan someone whose emotions have shut down. However unjudgmental, Betty gets in plenty of zingers, while Dan doesnt keep that tight a rein on his feelings.

Both characters are utterly candid with us, themselves and, on occasion, each other. Both have withdrawn from human contact and deeply appreciate their pets unconditional love. And though their connection is based in friendship, each confides to us that theyve secretly begun to take a shine to the other well beyond the platonic.

In Laguna, Chapatti becomes a meditation on aging, loss, romances run aground or cut short, and the kinds of complex bargaining we do with ourselves when life takes unexpected turns.

In the hands of its two stars, director Ellenstein and the North Coast production team, Chapatti is earthy and honest yet poetic in every regard  language, dialogue and style  and markedly Irish in its bent for detail and nuance, its penchant for irony, and its sentiment, which is unabashed but never excessive.

The stars heavy Irish dialects are accurate and lifelike, often with a lilting, singsong quality. Bramhall deftly paints a portrait of a noble man riddled with guilt and self-doubt. His Dan doesnt shy from candor about his shortcomings, and Dans anguish when describing his feelings for Martha is tangible and agonizingly real.

Price delivers Bettys dry sarcasm plus everything Dan finds appealing  namely, Bettys pragmatic smarts and the crazy-lady laughter he likens to an iceberg melting into warm sea water. Both actors benefit from OReillys playwriting prowess, which yields many a memorable line.

Marty Burnetts handsomely detailed scenic design ingeniously splits the stage between Dans dismal, ramshackle flat and Bettys more inviting home, all fronted by a width-of-the-stage greenbelt providing exteriors for Dan to walk Chapatti or visit his beloved Marthas gravesite.

Melanie Chens sound design incorporates Irish instrumentals (and some 70s American folk rock) that bolster the plays solidly Gaelic feel and sensibility.

Contact the writer: emarchesewriter@gmail.com
MONTERREY, Mexico  A 15-year-old student opened fire with a gun at a private school in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey on Wednesday, hitting a teacher and two other students in the head before killing himself. Another student suffered lesser injuries in the shootings, which were captured on a chilling video posted to social media.

Nuevo Leon state Gov. Jaime Rodriguez said the shooter died at a hospital and that the other three victims with head wounds were fighting between life and death. The boy wounded in the arm was out of danger.

A video, apparently from the schools surveillance camera, shows a female teacher handing out materials and students seated at their desks when a boy opens fire with a pistol from a sitting position, hitting a boy sitting in front of him, who immediately slumps to the ground.

He next shoots the teacher, who was looking in another direction, and she falls to the ground. The boy rises from his seat and walks around, firing shots at his classmates, before turning the gun on himself.

His first shot apparently misses his head, and then he runs out of bullets. The shooter runs to his backpack, apparently to reload, as his classmates cower at their desks. He appears to say something to the surviving students, who begin to rush for the door, and then he shoots himself in the head and falls to the ground.

The crowded classroom was left with a jumble of overturned chairs, blood and fallen students.

State security spokesman Aldo Fasci said four of the injured, including the shooter himself, had bullet wounds to the head and were in extremely serious condition. He said the student shot the 24-year-old teacher, a 14-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy in the head, and a 15-year-old classmate in the arm. He then pointed the gun at classmates before shooting himself in the head.

The classes were going perfectly well, the student stands up from his desk and pulls out a gun, Fasci said.

He noted that photographs of the shooting had been posted to social media and said the person responsible would be punished. He also appealed to the news media to avoid using the images, which show minors.

Fasci said the shooter had been under treatment for depression, but that the motive was under investigation.

The spokesman attributed it to the situation that is happening everywhere. The children have access to the internet. This has happened in other countries.

The website of the American School of the Northeast says it offers bilingual education for students from preschool through ninth grade.

Fasci said the boy brought the gun from home. It was unclear how he got the .22 caliber pistol into the school. Mexico had once had a program to checked book bags at school entrances, but in many places it has fallen into disuse.

There was a reason why book bags were checked. I think we are going to have to start doing it again, Fasci said.

Mexico had been largely spared the phenomenon of school shootings that has hit the United States. In one of the few previous incidents, a 13-year-old student shot a 12-year-old classmate in the head at a Mexico City middle school in 2004, seriously wounding her.

At the height of Mexicos drug war between 2008 and 2011, schools in northern Mexico were more concerned about the possibility that stray bullets from drug gang gun battles outside schools might enter classrooms. Some schools conducted duck and cover drills to combat that possibility.
Lots of Orange County kids are skipping school today and Friday  but not just for a trip to Disneyland or Mammoth.

Theyre flying to Washington, D.C. to witness a historic American tradition  the transfer of power from one president to the next.

The experience of being there and seeing it firsthand  thats something you cant learn in school, said North Tustin mom Maria Ferris.

Her 13-year-old daughter Isabella took it upon herself to secure a pair of tickets to the inauguration of Donald Trump. Isabella emailed a letter about her passion for politics to the office of U.S. Rep. Mimi Walters, R-Laguna Beach.

In December, the Hewes Middle School seventh-grader learned she was one of 177 applicants randomly chosen to receive tickets.

I feel so fortunate, Isabella said. Her mom will tag along as escort.

Another family duo jetting out to the nations capital are Huntington Beach City Councilman Erik Peterson and his son Dylan, 16, a junior at Marina High. They dont have tickets, so will join the masses on the National Mall.

Either way, if were up front or in the back, I thought it would be a really neat experience, Erik Peterson said.

However, the Petersons are hardly roughing it. That night, they will attend a dinner and ball with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Costa Mesa, at the Library of Congress.

Dylan picked out a gold vest to go with his rented tuxedo.

He said if he sees the president, he wants to rock the gold, his father said.

Noah Hill, 18, of Laguna Hills, likewise will take in the big moment  but hes an old pro at such pomp and circumstance. The Santa Margarita Catholic High senior was a spectator at President Barack Obamas second inauguration four years ago.

In both cases, Hill attended as part of a five-day youth leadership conference.

Its a really fun and life-changing experience, he said of the conference. It opens your horizons to different perspectives and how the politics of our society work.

Hill got the invitation almost a year ago, before the party nominees had even been decided. He said he is interested to see how people will come together during Trumps inauguration.

Nineteen Girl Scouts from 15 Orange County troops also began planning their inauguration adventure well before the actual election. They are on a mission to earn a Discover the Nations Capital patch.

Troop 939 leader Siobahn Hickey, of Lake Forest, will help chaperone the group of sixth- to 10th- graders. She said the trip will give the girls a chance to mingle with women in politics  starting with California Sen. Janet Nguyen, R-Fountain Valley, whom they met with last week.

I am hoping the girls see that we are in control of our future and our own actions, and how we direct the path we want to follow, Hickey said.

As well as watching the inauguration, the Girl Scouts will tour sites including the Pentagon, the Smithsonian museums, the Capitol, Mt. Vernon and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Julie Weeks, spokeswoman for Girl Scouts of Orange County, said the trip is a reflection of the organizations goal of building go-getters, innovators, risk-takers and leaders.

A trip like this helps our girls see women in leadership positions and learn about the democratic process and civic engagement, Weeks said.

Although Trump didnt score a lot of points nationally with youths, both Dylan Peterson and Isabella Ferris expressed their excitement about him  to the unenthusiastic as well as to fellow fans.

He even ended a paper with #makeamericagreatagain just to get to his teacher, Dylans dad chuckled.

The younger Peterson said he likes Trump because hes not like a normal politician.

Even her close buddies wondered why Isabella would bother to stand out in the frigid air for hours waiting for Trumps inauguration.

Some friends are like, Why would you go to that? she said with a laugh.

But she doesnt mind a good debate: I enjoy making my point of view and hearing theirs.

And shes ready for the cold.

We just bought some warm coats, Isabella said. Its going to be freezing  but great.
Much has been made of infrastructure in the recent presidential election. President-elect Donald Trumps proposed $1 trillion infrastructure plan aims to fix the nations roads, bridges, tunnels and airports. And here in California, Sen. Kamala Harris has stated that infrastructure is a top priority for her  and her constituents.

Indeed, a healthy network of trucks, trains and ships is crucial for our state and national economies. Goods movement is Southern Californias largest industry, employing 2.9 million people in the region. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the two largest port complexes in the country, and combined they rank tenth in the world.

But against the current landscape of crumbling infrastructure, one mode distinguishes itself. Americas 140,000-mile freight rail network is the most efficient and cost-effective in the world  and railroad companies privately fund it, with little help from taxpayers.

On average, freight railroads have spent a collective $26 billion each year for the last five years to build, maintain and enhance the rail network that connects businesses to markets across the country and across the world. Because this infrastructure is particularly capital intensive, this investment amounts to about 40 cents of every dollar railroads earn.

The average Californian probably doesnt think much about the logistics network that helps deliver their Amazon packages during the holiday season, let alone the ways in which they benefit when private companies pay for their own infrastructure. A recent study from Towson University found that freight rail spending created $274 billion in economic activity and generated nearly $33 billion in total tax revenues in 2014, the year examined by researchers.

Here in California, freight rail dollars help make goods movement ever more efficient, supporting our ports to meet increasing demand for trade. It is projected that the already massive amount of containerized cargo handled by the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will increase at least 5 percent each year through 2020, and rail, which hauls one-third of all U.S. exports, is key to handling this increase.

But for rail to continue to play its part in meeting our regions shipping needs, it is important that policies remain in place to keep this private investment flowing.

Prior to 1980, the federal government virtually ran the rail industry in the U.S. under a system of economic and service regulations and tight bureaucratic controls. It didnt work. Railroads were failing, with tracks falling into disrepair and many companies declaring bankruptcy. But the Staggers Rail Act of 1980 altered this path, partially deregulating the industry by allowing railroads to operate in the free market like other businesses.

While railroads today are still federally regulated like other industries, they are able to earn enough capital to reinvest into the rail network that contributes to the success of Californias goods movement industry.

As the new Congress convenes and begins to consider infrastructure plans, they should reflect on freight rails example of balanced regulations spurring success. One place to start would be to consider the collective impact of current regulations on the industry. Any new rules or regulations should be practical and supported by cost-benefit analysis so as not to create an undue regulatory burden that undercuts private investment.

With that in mind, lets focus on policies that encourage railroads to continue to spend more on their infrastructure each year, supporting the health and future growth of our ports, our regions goods movement industry and our economy as a whole.

Elizabeth Warren is the executive director of FuturePorts, a membership-based advocacy group that represents business interests at the San Pedro Bay Ports in Southern California.
SANTA ANA  Three Orange County men pleaded guilty on Wednesday to failing to disclose their foreign bank accounts in Switzerland and Israel, authorities said.

Dan Farhad Kalili, 55, of Irvine; his brother David Ramin Kalili, 52, of Newport Coast; and his brother-in-law David Shahrokh Azarian, 67, also of Newport Coast, stashed millions of dollars in offshore bank accounts that were not reported to the IRS, according to the U.S. Attorney Generals Office.

Prosecutors said the trio operated some of the accounts for more than a decade and took steps  including transferring funds from one account to another  to prevent their assets from being discovered.

The men each face up to five years in prison when they return to court for sentencing April 24.

As part of the plea agreement, Dan Kalili will pay a civil penalty of $2.6million; David Kalili will pay a penalty of $1.3million; and Azarian has agreed to pay $951,607, prosecutors said.

Foreign bank accounts are not a haven for hiding money from the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker said in a statement. These defendants took affirmative steps to hide income from federal authorities, but their efforts will now cost each of them hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties for violating U.S. laws.

Contact the writer: kpuente@scng.com
If youre missing KCBS on your television, blame the weather.

Last Thursday, the rainstorm damaged the stations antenna on Mount Wilson. Programming is being broadcast over-the-air at a reduced capacity while the antenna is repaired.

People watching KCBS over cable, satellite and subscription services have not been affected. Most people who watch KCBS over-the-air have a signal, but some customers do not, a KCBS representative said.

The antenna has been sealed to protect against water, snow and ice.

Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans
SAN DIEGO  The week-long manhunt for a man accused of a motel shooting death and the kidnapping of a woman ended in gunfire, the suspect hospitalized and the missing woman in her fathers arms Thursday morning, police said.

Detectives were tipped off by the kidnapped womans father that Brianne Deese had escaped her captor and was in Old Town San Diego late Wednesday. The suspect, identified by police as Luke Theodore Lampers, 35, was wanted in the Jan. 11 fatal shooting of 49-year-old Douglas Navarro at the Crystal Inn motel in Anaheim.

Detectives and investigators responded immediately and located the victim, said Sgt. Daron Wyatt of the Anaheim Police Department. The continuing investigation led them to a motel in the 4000 block of Taylor (Street) in San Diego where Lampers was believed to be.

At five minutes past midnight, Anaheim detectives were preparing to serve a search warrant at the motel room where they believed Lampers had been staying, Wyatt said. San Diego officers were poised there as well.

Then officers saw him getting out of a vehicle in the motels parking lot.

Undercover officers approached him (Lampers) in the lot and a brief foot pursuit ensued, and an officer-involved shooting occurred, Wyatt said.

Lampers suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was being treated at a San Diego-area hospital. What occurred just before the shooting was under investigation Thursday.

That investigation will be handled by the San Diego Police Department, Wyatt said, adding that Anaheim police would conduct a concurrent administration investigation.

Deese was worn out and shaken by her week-long ordeal, but medically OK, Wyatt said. She was being interviewed by detectives in Anaheim Thursday morning.

How she escaped was not being released until detectives concluded their investigation.

Lampers is suspected of gunning down Navarro on Jan. 11 a the motel, at 2123 W. Lincoln Ave.

Deese, who witnesses say may have arrived at the Crystal Inn with Lampers, was forced to leave with him  possibly at gunpoint  after the shooting of Navarro, police said.

Deeses family made public pleas to Lampers last week, asking him to turn himself in and let Deese go.

This is the outcome everyone wanted, Wyatt said. Shes home and hes in custody.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or jsudock@scng.com
The frequency with which allegations of misconduct are levied against the Orange County District Attorneys office remains worrisome.

Last week, Judge Thomas Goethals banned the original prosecutors from the retrial of Cole Wilkins, who had been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 26 years to life in prison following a fatal accident that claimed the life of an off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy.

In 2006, Wilkins stole a stove, and other items, from a home under construction in Riverside County. The stove fell out of his truck on the 91 Freeway in Anaheim. Los Angeles County Sheriffs Deputy David Piquette swerved to avoid the stove and struck another vehicle, killing him.

In the original report, the investigating California Highway Patrol officer attributed the accident to Piquettes speed. That report was ordered rewritten by a superior officer to better place the blame on Wilkins. According to the Register, That CHP finding beefed up the charge against Wilkins. But, the Register continues, The jury never found out that two reports, both by the CHP, reached differing opinions.

Goethals, the same judge that threw the entire OCDA off the case of the Seal Beach salon shooter after findings of misconduct, said that prosecutors in the Wilkins case should have done more to alert the defense that accident reports had been changed and, in at least one case, shredded, the Register noted.

To be sure, Wilkins is not the most sympathetic character. He is a thief. But if the justice system doesnt do its upmost to guarantee that the unsavory get a fair trial, what guarantee is there for anyone else? As Goethals wrote, If the justice system is to maintain its integrity, judicial transparency must be an essential part of the process.

Police officers altering reports to support the prosecution is in itself alarming. But not disclosing that fact, or not doing due diligence as to why more than one report existed, is sloppy at best  and a perversion of justice at the worst.

As for the original prosecutors, Larry Yellin and Michael Murray, who will be barred from the case, and who denied any wrongdoing, they are now judges themselves, which does not inspire a lot of confidence in the fairnes and impartiality of our criminal justice system.
LOS ANGELES  Legend vs. legend. The Huntington Beach Bad Boy vs. The Bad Guy.

The Bellator 170 light heavyweight main event between former UFC champion Tito Ortiz and three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen certainly isnt lacking for attention. Two of MMAs all-time greats will finally face off Saturday night at the Forum, the hype and the build-up running as deeply as the war of words between the two.

For Ortiz, who turns 42 on Monday, its the coda to an incredible career. With UFC 208 a few weeks away, consider that Ortiz was 21 when he made his MMA debut at UFC 13 in May 1997.

And he did so without pay because he was wrestling at Cal State Bakersfield and didnt want to lose his amateur status.

Just as when he began fighting after a tumultuous upbringing with drug-addicted parents in Huntington Beach, Ortiz is going out on his own terms.

I think Ill leave it in the cage. Its time to leave it in the cage and be the peoples champ, Ortiz said of his final fight. Ive heard Chael say hes the peoples champ. I think youve gotta be a champion to be called a champion, and hes never been a champion.

Ortiz certainly has the credentials. He reigned over the UFCs 205-pound division from April 14, 2000, to Sept. 26, 2003. And in 2012, he became the ninth inductee in the UFC Hall of Fame.

Yet here he is, five years later, stepping into the cage one last time. After 31 fights and eight major surgeries  several to his neck and back as well as an ACL replacement in each knee  Ortiz is aware his worst enemy has been his own body.

The biggest strength of my career has been my mind. Ive been able to push myself through these things. And after all these injuries and all these surgeries, Im still capable of doing it, said Ortiz (18-12-1), who is 2-1 in less than three years with Bellator.

And Im thankful. Im very thankful. It just shows the heart and determination I have and my own will to impose myself during training of pushing myself as hard as possible.

Running a close second for worst enemy could be Sonnen (28-14-1), a highly decorated wrestler who made his name in the UFC for his verbosity as much as his stunning come-from-ahead submission loss to middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 117 in 2010.

Sonnen, however, doesnt see Ortiz as anything more than a nuisance. Hes a button off my shirt. An everyday distraction, he said.

The 39-year-old West Linn, Oregon, resident signed with Bellator four months ago with the goal to finally get his hands on former Pride and UFC star Wanderlei Silva. But ruining Ortizs farewell fight is right up his alley.

I despise California. I despise what it stands for. I despise the smoke and the smog and the traffic, Sonnen said. I get to come here and beat up their hero in their backyard, leave them all speechless and crying in their beer.

The two do have a history. Shortly after Ortiz lost in the finals of the light heavyweight tournament at UFC 13, he met Sonnen in a wrestling tournament. Sonnen, an All-American and two-time Pac-10 runner-up at Oregon, got Ortiz in a front headlock and pinned him in the opening minute.

So Ortiz sees this as a redemption fight.

I started my career losing to him  not in MMA but in collegiate wrestling  and thats competition, Ortiz said. This is a fight. This is totally different. So I get to take all my hostility that Ive built up over the last 19 years and inflict it on his face.

For Sonnen, its his first fight in more than three years. And while he has lost three of his past four fights, coming up short against Anderson Silva in a rematch, Jon Jones and Rashad Evans is no shame.

Ortiz cautioned that returning after a lengthy layoff, against someone like him who has been fighting and training during that stretch, is not a wise career move for Sonnen.

Getting under the lights changes the whole world, when that cage gets really small super quick, Ortiz said. Like, its really lonely super quick. Youre looking across and you see Tito Ortiz from you.

Sonnen, however, isnt sure if he buys the ring rust argument.

Not that it matters to him.

You gotta understand, I was the best and I had no equal. There was nobody even close, he said before referencing his pair of fights with Anderson Silva. The guy they called the greatest fighter in the world, I got three 10-8 rounds against him. I have no equal in this sport. So, in fairness, if I took a step down or theres rust, Im still on top.

Ortiz not only disagrees, he doesnt see Sonnen as a true light heavyweight. Sonnen fought most of his career at 185 pounds, though his last three fights in 2013 were at 205 pounds.

Im the true 205-pounder. Im a Hall of Famer at 205. Im a former world champion, Ortiz said. He has no titles at light heavyweight. He has no titles at middleweight. Hes never been a champion. The only thing thats got him into big fights is his mouth, and Im gonna shut that big mouth up.

Sonnen credits Ortiz for his legacy. He takes nothing away from his achievements in the sport, though he does say their careers might have been different had Sonnen not stayed in school and got his sociology degree from Oregon.

Come Saturday, however, Sonnen says fights fans in Southern California should show up and witness history.

You can tell your kids kids kids, he was real. I saw him. Chael Sonnen existed, he said. Chael Sonnen walked into The Forum and I got to see him. My dad took me. I saw the greatest fighter of all time. The Bad Guy. He was here. And he retired Tito Ortiz.

Isnt that something? The Bad Boy vs. The Bad Guy. In a roomful of California cry babies. I cant think of anything Id like better.

Contact the writer: bmartin@scng.com
The Galaxy continued to strengthen its midfield Thursday, announcing the signing of 23-year Portuguese midfielder Joao Pedro.

Pedro, whose full name is Joao Pedro Almeida Machado, played with Vitoria Guimaraes of Portugals first division. He was added to the Galaxy as a Special Discovery Player through Target Allocation Money.

Pedro will occupy an international roster spot and will officially join the Galaxy pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P-1 Visa.

Hes an extremely talented midfielder who has experience playing at a high level in Portugal, Galaxy general manager Peter Vagenas said. He is only 23 years old and has the best years of his career front of him.

We identified him as a top target this offseason and we think he can immediately help strengthen our midfield.

Pedro has been with Vitoria Guimaraes since 2005 when he signed with their youth academy.

Contact the writer: dcalhoun@scng.com
Its got to be one of the great father-son vacations. Huntington Beach City Councilman Erik Peterson and his son Dylan, 16, are going to Washington, D.C.

They plan to take in the sights, such as the National Museum of the Marine Corps. And then there just happens to be a little matter of the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, not to mention a dinner and ball with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher at the Library of Congress.

Despite his tenure in politics, Peterson said, this is his first inauguration. Peterson decided to make the trip after Rohrabacher invited him to the dinner and ball. He said he was still scrounging for tickets to the inauguration, but would be happy to join the masses on the National Mall, expected to be well below the 1.8 million that attended Barack Obamas 2009 swearing in.

Either way, if were up front or in the back, I thought it would be a really neat experience, Peterson said.

Peterson said it wasnt often that  you get a chance like that, unless youre a big donor, which Im not.

Accompanying Peterson will be his younger son. He was a Trump supporter, Peterson said of Dylan.

He was a pretty vocal supporter.

In that way, Dylan and Petersons older son, Dane, 20, take after their dad. My wife is the more middle of the road type  left of middle, Peterson said.

Peterson laughs as he talks about Dylan, a junior at Marina High, sneaking in little political barbs at school.

He even ended a paper with #makeamericagreatagain just to get to his teacher, Peterson said.

Although Trump didnt score a lot of points nationally with youths, Dylan Peterson said he and most of his friends were Trump fans.

Hes not like a normal politician, Dylan Peterson said. Hes something you dont see that the country needs.

Erik Peterson said he would like to have brought his wife and older son along, but they already had commitments. Having the chance to dine at the Library of Congress sealed the deal for the older Peterson, who considers himself a history buff and book lover.

Erik Peterson said Dylan picked out a gold vest to go with his rented tuxedo.

He said if he sees the president, he wants to rock the gold, Peterson said.

Contact the writer: gmellen@ocregister.com
Robbie Robertson said he was absolutely thrilled to be a part of the annual NAMM kick-off Breakfast of Champions at the Anaheim Hilton early Thursday morning and that eying all the innovative wares inside the Anaheim Convention Center, he felt like a kid in a candy store.

The 73-year-old musician, songwriter, film composer, producer, author and actor, who is best known for his work with the Band and for writing songs such as The Weight, Up on Cripple Creek and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, was on hand to receive NAMMs highest honor, the Music for Life award. Presented by NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond, the award celebrated not only Robertsons work in the Band, but also for his contributions to cinema as he has scored and consulted on numerous feature films, most of which were directed by Martin Scorsese.

There was just something about Scorseses touch and instinct with music, Robertson explained. That led him to approaching Scorsese to direct the rockumentary for the Bands farewell concert dubbed The Last Waltz, which was filmed in 1976 at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. After that, Robertson went on to release solo albums and collaborate with Scorsese with the music for Raging Bull, The King of Comedy and Casino.

When Lamond asked Robertson about being afraid of pivoting directions in his career, Robertson said he simply went with his instinct when it came to going from live performances to more behind-the-scenes film scoring.

I didnt think about it at the time, he said. You try to be smart about things, but really your own path is just what you see in front of you and it will take you where you need to go.

When it came to writing his famous song, The Weight, Robertson said he was sitting at home and he told himself I need to write a song and God I need to write a good one.

As he sat there and messed around with his guitar and for an unknown reason he looked inside of it and saw the word Nazareth engraved in the wood and he came up with the lyric I pulled into Nazareth, I was feelin about half past dead.

What if I hadnt looked in the sound hole that day, he asked with a laugh. Theres a magic, a mystery and an unknown to all of that.

After the Breakfast of Champions, Robertson answered a few questions in an interview backstage, but he was excited to get out to test out some of the new technology at NAMM.

Ive never done this before, he said. Ive never been to NAMM or anything quite like this. Ive been to Disneyland, but they dont have cool instruments like they do here. They have some stuff set up for me to meet specific people who are doing extraordinary things in the advancement of music instruments, in music education for kids and right now Im in the middle of several projects. Today Im already seeing some shortcuts of things that people are working on here that are going to save me some time and its going to make me do some things better and quicker, so Im excited about this.

Robertson said he still gets a thrill out of watching films he has scored. More recently, he worked on Scorseses film Silence and before that, he did the music for The Wolf of Wall Street in 2013.

I had this idea of these guys walking on Wall Street and putting really raw, dirty blues against them and youd think, that doesnt go together, that shouldnt work, he said. But when you hear Howlin Wolf singing It could be a spoonful of diamonds/Could be a spoonful of gold and youre seeing this character on Wall Street who is ready to take on the world and not play fair at all, thats the thing that gives you chills. We love that stuff.

Last year Robertson released a memoir, Testimony, which also included a companion album of the same title featuring live versions and studio recordings of some of his most famous tracks. Putting the music together wasnt that difficult, he said, but writing the book was a new challenge.

It might be one of the most rewarding things Ive ever done, he said. Because of the dedication and time  it takes years and a focus and its a thing that tears your heart out and puts you through all kinds of stuff and also gives you such joy. There were times when I hated it, but mostly, I loved it.

He also felt like it was a good way to set the record straight since so much misinformation about the Band, himself, the Hawks, Bob Dylan and that entire music scene had been printed in the past.

Some of that stuff is not true at all, he said. I felt like there needed to be an authenticity. I was there, I wasnt writing and imagining being there, I was in the room and I saw it. I also have a really good memory, so writing the book was almost like a calling of some sort. I needed to do it and its such a good feeling to have it done.

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Contact the writer: 714-796-3570 or kfadroski@ocregister.com
SACRAMENTO  Gov. Jerry Browns administration miscalculated costs for the state Medi-Cal program by $1.9 billion last year, an oversight that contributed to Browns projection of a deficit in the upcoming budget, officials acknowledged this week.

The administration discovered accounting mistakes last fall but did not notify lawmakers until the administration included adjustments to make up for the errors in Browns budget proposal last week. The Democratic governor called for more than $3 billion in cuts due to a projected deficit he pegged at $1.6 billion.

Theres no other way to describe this other than a straight up error in accounting, which we deeply regret, said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the Department of Finance.

The agency followed its normal practice by waiting to report the errors in the governors next budget, he said.

Browns deficit projection was driven by more than just the accounting error, Palmer said, noting that California tax collections came in below expectations for most of the first half of the fiscal year.

The massive hole in the Medi-Cal budget surprised state lawmakers.

It makes you wonder what else is not right.  When something like this happens, the trust factor gets eroded and you lose confidence in whats being provided to you, said Sen. John Moorlach, a Republican from Costa Mesa who serves on the Senate budget committee.

Making up for the Medi-Cal shortfall will mean the state cant spend money on other priorities, such as college scholarships or paying down long-term pension liabilities, Moorlach said.

The Medi-Cal program, Californias version of Medicaid, is jointly funded by the state and federal governments to provide health coverage for people with low incomes.

It covers one in three Californians, at a total cost of more than $100 billion annually. About a sixth of the money comes from the state general fund and most of the rest from the federal government.

The Department of Finance said it did not account for $487 million in rebates from drugmakers that the state must pay the federal government to reimburse Washington for its share of Medi-Cal drug costs.

The state also miscalculated costs for the Coordinated Care Initiative, an experimental program in seven counties to improve care for a group of high-needs patients eligible for both Medi-Cal and Medicare, the federally funded health plan for seniors and people with disabilities.

Officials double-counted some of the expected savings, leading to a budget hole of $913 million, and undercounted the costs in San Mateo and Orange counties by $573 million.

In his spending plan, Brown proposed eliminating the Coordinated Care Initiative because he said the program was not cost effective, angering counties that said the change would shift $550 million in costs to them.

The initiatives accounting problems did not affect the administrations finding that the program should be eliminated, Palmer said.
TOKYO  The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to kill on his first day in office, is actually the best way to achieve the fair trade in Asia that he promised American voters, former Japanese economy minister Akira Amari said.

A ratified TPP would set fair and democratic ground rules for trade and investment in Asia Pacific while entrenching U.S. presence in a region that will drive global economic growth in coming decades, Amari said.

The TPP is Americas passport to Asia. The U.S. can credibly say that its part of Asia if its in the TPP, Amari said in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. Without the TPP its an outsider.

Amari said he remains optimistic that Trump, whose inauguration is on Friday, will come to see the merits of the agreement and that the U.S. will ratify the deal during his term.

The Trump camp probably misunderstood what is in the TPP, he said. The rules that would address the very issues theyre worried about are written in there. I would really like for them to understand this. The TPP is the vehicle to spread fair and democratic rules about trade and investment, which were crafted largely by the U.S. and Japan.

Amari joins a chorus of voices speaking up on behalf of the trade pact, an agreement reached between 12 countries that account for nearly 40 percent of the global economy. The prime ministers of Australia and Vietnam, both signatories to the deal, have expressed continued support for the deal over the past week.

Six departing U.S. ambassadors in Asia also urged Congress to pass the deal before Trump takes office, saying in a letter that abandoning TPP would undermine U.S. credibility and cede leadership in the region to China, which is not a signatory to the agreement. The deal was a cornerstone of the Obama administrations pivot to Asia.

Japan sees the TPP as key to helping revitalize stagnant industries such as agriculture. The pact lowers a large number of tariffs and sets rules on issues such as labor rights, environmental protection and intellectual property.

Trump has lambasted what he says were terrible trade deals for the U.S., particularly the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He has also targeted harsh words at China, vowing to label it a currency manipulator, and appointed China-critic Peter Navarro to head the newly established National Trade Council.

Trumps nominee for commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, told a Senate confirmation hearing that delving into the details of the agreement revealed things that were not consistent with what had been advertised. He singled out rules allowing 60 percent of a cars parts to come from outside the TPP nations, without affecting tariff benefits.

That didnt strike me as the worlds best idea, particularly from the point of view of protecting the automotive industry, he said. Ross also said he expected NAFTA to be first on the trade agenda for the new administration.

Isabel Reynolds contributed to this report.

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
Are vampires real? Well, some people seem to think so, and a few actually identify as real-life vampires, but the jury is still out on whether Dracula-like creatures actually exist. But even if youre skeptical about vampires, why not take every precaution to avoid becoming their dinner. After all, better safe then sorry, right? PoJos Pure Vermont Soaps, a small online shop specializing in handmade soaps, has just the thing to keep bloodsuckers away  a special bar of soap made with real holy water and garlic oil.

Garlic & Holy Water Vampire Repelling Soap contains the same luxurious honey and goat milk ingredients as the standard fragrances, but is specially formulated to repel even the most aggressive vampires, the product description states.  A potent blend of garlic oil and Holy Water allows you to simply wash away the danger of vampire attacks. 

Interestingly enough, PoJos Pure Vermont Soaps even has a FAQ section for the Garlic & Holy Water Vampire Repelling Soap, to convince people that this a real product, not a silly prank:

Q: Is this a real product? A: Yes, of course! Q: Does it really prevent physical vampire attacks? A: Nobody who has used this soap has ever been attacked by a vampire. Q: Does this soap actually smell like garlic? A: Yes, Garlic & Holy Water Vampire Repelling Soap contains garlic oil and no additional fragrances, so it does have a distinctive garlic odor.

A bar of Garlic & Holy Water Vampire Repelling Soap costs $10, which is not bad for a handmade soap, especially one that might actually save your life, but you can get a better deal by buying more than one piece. Two bars cost $16, and three just $21.

No, I know what youre thinking, novelty garlic-scented vampire repelling soaps are a dime a dozen, and there are indeed other similar soaps out there, but this is the real deal. While most just smell like garlic, this is made with actual garlic oil and holy water. If as soap really can keep vampires away, its definitely this one.

via Geekologie
Agricultural News

The Forecast for USDA Looks Sonny- Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue Named by Donald Trump to be His USDA Secretary

The next US Secretary of Agriculture will be Sonny Perdue III, former Governor of Georgia. While the official news release likely will not be released until early Thursday morning, multiple sources are saying he will be the nominee. Perdue's name had been mentioned early on- but apparently there were a lot of political ideas floated within the Trump Transition Team as this was a Cabinet level position that might a good one to offer to a female and/or someone with a Hispanic pedigree.





As the date nears for Donald Trump to take over the Oval Office- leaders in the agricultural arena have expressed frustration that USDA has become literally the last cabinet position to be filled. With the word that President Elect will advance the name of Sonny Perdue as USDA Secretary, several agricultural groups are gushing with praise for the former Georgia Governor.





One of the ag leaders most enthusiastic about Perdue is Zippy Duvall of American Farm Bureau, who has actually worked with Governor Perdue when both were on the ground in Georgia. Duvall writes in a statement released on Wednesday evening: "The nomination of former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue for Secretary of Agriculture is welcome news to the nation's farmers and ranchers. Gov. Perdue will provide the strong voice that agriculture needs in the new administration. He is an outstanding nominee.



"I have known Gov. Perdue for years. I've seen firsthand his commitment to the business of agriculture as we worked together on issues facing farmers and ranchers in our home state of Georgia. He understands the challenges facing rural America because that's where he was born and raised. He is a businessman who recognizes the impact immigration reform, trade agreements and regulation have on a farmer's bottom line and ability to stay in business from one season to the next.



"The American Farm Bureau looks forward to continuing our work with USDA under Gov. Perdue's leadership. When farmers and ranchers are free to access cutting-edge technologies, reach new markets and make decisions that protect their businesses and resources, we all are better off."





Also weighing in Governor Perdue is the American Soybean Association 's Ron Moore, who writes "Congratulations to Governor Perdue. USDA touches the lives of every American, and it is among the most crucial government functions for farmers across the United States. For soybean farmers, USDA serves us in so many ways. From working to implement a viable risk management framework to helping expand our markets overseas, to investing in agricultural research here at home, these are critical elements of the farm economy, and we look forward to working alongside USDA under Secretary Perdue to ensure that the department continues to serve American soybean farmers in the most effective manner possible."





And the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's National President Tracy Brunner of Kansas is high on this nominee to lead the EPA: "Governor Perdue's an excellent pick to head the Agriculture Department. As a lifelong agri-businessman and veterinarian, as well as the two-term governor of a state where agriculture's the largest industry, Gov. Perdue has a unique and expert understanding of both the business and scientific sides of agriculture. In a time of increasing regulations and a growing governmental footprint, we have no doubt that Gov. Perdue will step in and stand up for rural America so that we can continue to do what we do best provide the safest and most abundant food supply in the world."







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Top Agricultural News
Omahas food scene, a fairly diverse one, still lacks in certain areas. Until very recently, it lacked the classic, East Coast-style Jewish deli.

Enter Swartzs Delicatessen, with its bagel and schmear, pastrami and rye and case full of whitefish salad and potato knish.

Though it might be more Omaha than New Yorks Katzs, Swartzs is serving reliable versions of the classics that, until now, were tough to get your hands on regularly without a plane ticket.

I started where any good deli aficionado should: a cup of matzo ball soup. The soup arrived steaming hot with a mild but well-seasoned broth, one big bready matzo ball and two tender, inch-long pieces of carrot. Simple and warming  especially on a cold day  I slurped it down with gusto. Next time, Ill get a bowl.

Im a big fan of the classic bagel and lox combination when Im in New York, so I had to try Swartzs version. I went for a toasted sesame bagel and the house-made lox cream cheese. The bagel, toasted to crisp perfection, had a super-thick spread of the cream cheese with ample bits of pink fish. Together with a decent cup of deli coffee, I had little to complain about.

The bagels at Swartzs come from a bakery in New Jersey, owner Shervin Ansari said. Theyre prepared and boiled before theyre frozen and shipped, and when they arrive in Omaha, Swartzs bakes them fresh. Ansari encouraged me next time to try their everything cream cheese, which includes chive, caper, red onion, lox and dill.

Ansari, who moved to Omaha from Maryland 10 years ago, took inspiration from some of his favorite East Coast delis when he designed the Countryside Village space. Swartzs is his third restaurant and his second deli.

Inside, the deli has a retro-modern look in black and white with wicker bistro chairs and globe light fixtures. A counter at the front is where diners order, and there are a few bar seats there, too. Diners take a seat and a few minutes later, a kitchen employee calls their name. Food awaits atop the glass-fronted counter displaying meat, salads, spreads, pop and more for takeout. Though the deli does provide some kosher dishes, Ansari said its not entirely kosher.

Perhaps the dish I was most excited to try in that case was the whitefish salad. I had it on a slice of dark rye made locally at Le Quartier, topped with fresh lettuce and a slice of tomato. Smoky, creamy and pleasantly chunky, the whitefish salad is just what Id hoped for. Ansari said for now, the restaurant is using trout in the salad, but this spring he plans to get some Great Lakes whitefish for the dish.

Fish, which Ansari said he mostly gets locally from Absolutely Fresh Seafood, also shone through in the classic nicoise salad, which had a big pile of mixed greens topped with a nicely executed tuna salad, boiled red potatoes and eggs, tomatoes, olives and thin, briny anchovies. It comes with a balsamic dressing.

The pastrami, as well as the brisket and corned beef, are all made in-house over a days-long process of seasoning, smoking and resting. I tried all three.

I tried the pastrami twice: once on the Swartzs sandwich, which comes on light rye with the meat, a spread of chopped chicken liver and Swartz sauce, which is like a less punchy version of Thousand Island dressing; and again on top of the Swartzs burger, a take on a patty melt where a burger comes topped with pastrami or corned beef as well as caramelized onions, coleslaw and Swiss cheese. Diners can get their burger on rye or pretzel bread or latkes.

The highlights: the funky chopped chicken liver spread, a nicely cooked and seasoned burger and the mild but tangy Swartz sauce.

The light rye bread is spiked with plenty of whole fennel seeds and each time had a nice, soft texture with a chewy crust.

The pastrami, leaner than most, could come off a bit dry, though I liked its deeply seasoned flavor. Ansari said the leaner cut does mean that the meat is less moist.

Better was the corned beef, which I tried Reubenized. Here, a Reuben comes with tangy kraut, Swiss and Swartz sauce instead of Russian; I admittedly missed the stronger sauces pickled bite.

Youll pay a touch more for a sandwich at Swartzs, but theyre legitimately huge. The best I ever managed was to polish off one half: I saved the rest for later. The burger is especially gigantic.

Also massive, and not to be missed, is the carrot cake. Super moist, incredibly dense with lots of carrot shreds and nuts, the whole thing comes together with a thick layer of light but creamy cream cheese frosting. Its terrific.

Ansari has plans to make a few changes to the menu: The half roasted chicken, which I tried to order, is no longer on the menu because not enough diners ordered it. Hes planning to add a section of melts to the sandwich menu and, soon, a rotating monthly special dish from the Jewish heritage, he said. Think Persian meatballs or stuffed cabbage.

Ansari brought his deli knowledge and his heritage to Omaha diners because he, like many people, saw the need.

Really, no one was making their own pastrami and corned beef and lox in this region, he said.

Hes right. And for a food city like Omaha, its about time we did.

Swartzs Delicatessen

Address: 8718 Pacific St.

Phone: 402-905-2792

Hours: Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hits: A bready toasted bagel with a thick schmear of lox cream cheese, the whitefish salad on pumpernickel and matzo ball soup with clean-tasting broth and sweet cooked carrot chunks.

Misses: The pastrami and corned beef, both made in-house, are lean; that means theyre not as tender as a fattier cut would be.

Drinks: Coffee, tea, smoothies and Dr. Browns canned pop.

Prices: A bagel with lox cream cheese and a coffee set me back $5; sandwiches are between $10 and $12.

Other things to know: The restaurant offers takeout until 7 p.m. The dining room is relatively quiet, and service is quick and efficient.
Plattsmouth has re-hooked a big one that once got away.

The former Castaway Pointe development site along the Missouri River has evolved into plans for a riverfront campground for up to 150 recreational vehicles adjacent to Schilling Wildlife Management Area.

Plattsmouth City Administrator Erv Portis said a campground is an ideal use of the flood-plain site, would expand the tax base and job opportunities, and would fit well with the nearby historic downtown.

We think without doubt that commercial recreation is the best and highest use of that land, Portis said, and its a great opportunity to pump money into downtown.

The site is two blocks from the east end of Main Street.

The $2.57 million redevelopment plan goes to the City Planning Commission tonight and is expected to be recommended for City Council approval. The name of the developer has not been revealed because a contract has not yet been signed for conveying the 28.5-acre site, Portis said.

Castaway Pointe was originally planned in 2006 as a $45 million getaway resort 20 miles south of Omaha. The plan called for more than 90 house, cottage, villa and condominium lots. They were to be clustered near a marina with 200 boat slips, a floating restaurant, outdoor concert stage, swimming pools and convenience store for boaters. Developers said it would rival such destinations as Lake Okoboji in Iowa and Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.

Eight years of big plans ended with dashed dreams. One luxury home, three cottages and a villa were built before the Army Corps of Engineers concluded in 2010  after a series of public meetings  that the development was in a flood plain. Local ordinances banned new construction. Then the epic Missouri River flood of 2011 isolated the site and washed away roads and water and sewer lines.

Castaway Pointe was dead in the water.

Nearly three years ago, the City of Plattsmouth bought the site for $1.5 million to develop it as parkland. The site has been annexed by the city, but requires rezoning.

The proposed redevelopment calls for the use of tax-increment financing because of significant costs for acquisition, repair of existing flood-damaged infrastructure, site preparation and development of roads, trails, water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, electricity, natural gas and telecommunications.

Tax-increment financing is a method of financing private community and economic development projects. Essentially, the increase in tax revenues resulting from the development are used to repay the public infrastructure costs required by the project.

Construction is expected to begin this spring. The plan calls for building only structures necessary to support a commercial recreation campground and marina. These include a small bar and restaurant, limited liquor sales, and marina gas and pump facilities. About 32,000 cubic yards of silt deposited in the marina during the flood must be removed. No families will be displaced.

Development costs include $1.5 million for land acquisition from the city, $600,000 for construction, $275,000 for repairs of flood damage and $200,000 for trails.

Portis said revenue generated by leasing and, perhaps, selling RV lots could total $3.19 million over 15 years. That total doesnt include an estimated $90 campers spend daily in the local community for fuel, ice, groceries, meals and other things, Portis said.

The Missouri River provides a unique opportunity for economic development.

Sensitive development of lands along the river could provide Plattsmouth an advantage over other communities and create a new market for recreational tourism, the plan says.

The development would be one of a few of its kind along the river in Nebraska or Iowa.

And we think weve got another asset that no one else has, and thats a really cool, nice downtown, Portis said.

The plan says the park could be a boon to tourism both in the summer vacation months and potentially into the autumn as hunters descend on the wildlife management area.

The park will be designed for passive recreation and will be resilient to flooding.

Its exciting, but itll be more exciting when we can get it done, Portis said.
Union Pacific said Thursday fourth-quarter profit rose, even as shipping volumes fell for an eighth-straight quarter after declines in five of the six major cargo categories.

The Omaha-based employer of 8,000 in Nebraska said fourth-quarter volumes fell 3 percent across its 32,000 miles of track in 23 Western states. Ag shipments rose 8 percent on the nations bumper crop of corn and soybeans but fell everywhere else: vehicles and parts, coal, chemicals, industrial goods and shipments that also travel by ship and truck.

The nations second-largest railroad by ton-miles, trailing only Western states rival BNSF Railway, said net income rose 2 percent, to $1.14 billion, from $1.1 billion, a year earlier. Earnings per-share of $1.39, up from $1.31 a year earlier, beat the estimates of Wall Street analysts by 6 cents a share.

Some of the profit came at the cost of fewer to share in it. The company employed 7 percent fewer train, engine and yard workers during the quarter than a year earlier, about 14,000. Overall, there were 10 percent fewer employees of all stripes at the company at the end of December from a year earlier, about 43,000 total.

It might not be over. The company is aiming for $350 million to $400 million in savings from boosting productivity this year, Chief Financial Officer Rob Knight told analysts and investors Thursday.

Investors on Thursday approved of the measures the railroad took to increase profit amid a two-year slump in demand from shippers of the worlds material goods  lumber, machinery, food and beverages, minerals and steel are just some of the cargoes hauled by the nations seven Class I railroads. Shares of Union Pacific rose 2.4 percent, or $2.47, to close at $106.24 each Thursday in New York Stock Exchange trading.

The shares have climbed more than 43 percent in the past year as the company has cut costs and increased productivity via measures such as grouping railcars into longer trains and seeing that they complete their trips on time with one crew, eliminating the expense of sending in a second group because of delays.

With just a little bit of volume increase, 2017 could be a new dawn for the railroads, said Daniel Sherman, a transportation industry analyst with St. Louis-based wealth adviser Edward Jones who has a buy rating on Union Pacific shares. And when you have a management that is making constant improvements, you are going to win long-term.

Still, demand from shippers is moribund. Other than ag products, the brightest spot was intermodal, the word used to describe cargo containers that move by ship, truck and train. Volume there fell only 1 percent in the quarter. In other categories, fourth-quarter volumes declined more sharply:

 Vehicles and vehicle parts fell 3 percent.

 Chemicals such as fertilizer and plastics fell 5 percent. Crude oil shipments plummeted 71 percent.

 Industrial products such as construction materials dropped 5 percent.

 Coal declined 9 percent.

Coal, however, might be in for a bit of a comeback at the nations electric utilities, which can burn either it or natural gas to light, heat and cool the countrys homes and businesses. Natural gas prices have been rising, up 15 percent or so in the past year, to over $3 per million British thermal units, making coal more competitive. In addition, coal inventories stacked up at utilities are eroding.

Coal also seems to have bottomed, said Jim Corridore, analyst at CFRA Research, in an investor note Thursday. He has a hold rating on Union Pacific and expects shares to reach $112 within 12 months.

We see agriculture volumes as strong, and auto and industrial likely to see improvement, Corridore wrote.

U.P. isnt alone in its shipping straits. According to the Association of American Railroads, overall Class I cargo volumes fell 5 percent in 2016. Texas-based BNSF, owned by Omahas Berkshire Hathaway and Union Pacifics competitor in the western United States, is expected to report fourth-quarter and 2016 results in tandem with the parent company next month.

For the full year, U.P. said Thursday that profit fell 11 percent to $4.2 billion, or $5.07 a share. Operating revenue fell 9 percent to $19.9 billion.

Looking to 2017, we are fairly optimistic about some of the macro-economic indicators that drive our core business, Union Pacific Chief Executive Lance Fritz said in a statement. Higher energy prices, favorable agricultural markets and improving business and consumer confidence all support a return to positive volume growth this year.
LINCOLN  Nebraskas top judge warned lawmakers Thursday that budget cuts to the probation system could result in higher prison populations and costs in the long term.

During his annual State of the Judiciary address, Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Heavican criticized a budget proposal by Gov. Pete Ricketts that would cut $8.2 million from courts and probation. He urged senators to hold up their end of the agreement that was struck several years ago to divert low-level offenders from overcrowded prisons.

In response, the chairman of the Legislatures Appropriation Committee said the chief justices point is understood and will be considered as the committee works to hammer out a budget that addresses massive revenue shortfalls.

Well try to come together, said Sen. John Stinner of Gering.

Meanwhile, Taylor Gage, the governors spokesman, said Ricketts considers the Supreme Court a critical partner in accomplishing justice reform. The governors budget maintains their flexibility to continue to prioritize reform with the resources provided to them.

The chief justice said meeting the current proposed cuts would prevent the Administrative Office of Probation from filling vacancies within the ranks of probation officers. That, in turn, would prompt judges to send more offenders to prison, which is counter to the Justice Reinvestment initiative adopted by the Legislature to avoid having to build a new prison.

Our judges are not stupid, Heavican said during his speech on the floor of the Legislature.

If they cannot be assured that probation is able to adequately supervise and rehabilitate adult offenders  that probation cant protect the abused spouses, the abused children, and Nebraskas homeowners and merchants  they will choose their other sentencing option, the sentencing option they have always had, the sentencing option they have traditionally used. They will incarcerate.

He said it costs $35,000 to house a prisoner, compared with $3,000 to $10,000 to supervise an offender through probation.

You do the math, he said.

Heavican was surrounded by five of the courts seven judges as he delivered his speech to polite applause from lawmakers. Judge Stephanie Stacy of Lincoln was not in attendance.

The chief justice gave a preview to his speech earlier in the week when he appeared before the Appropriations Committee.

Gage, the governors spokesman, said almost every agency, the Governors Office and the Supreme Court are being asked to demonstrate fiscal restraint in this budget cycle.

The state faces a nearly $900 million budget shortfall for the period ending June 30, 2019. The projected shortfall equals about 6.3 percent of the budgeted and projected state spending during that same period.

The governors proposed budget provides for more spending in the Department of Correctional Services, the Department of Health and Human Services and state aid to schools.

Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha, who worked on the Justice Reinvestment effort, said he doesnt want to see lawmakers abandon the commitment they made to address the prison overpopulation crisis. The state has already invested millions of dollars in the effort.

Sen. Laura Ebke of Crete, chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee, said collaboration will be the key during the budget crunch.

I think most Nebraskans see public safety and corrections as an appropriate state function and a priority, she said.

Saying his message included good news as well, Heavican said court employees have made strides in improving juvenile justice delivery, court interpretation services, assisting those who choose to represent themselves, and a public guardian system for those mentally unable to handle their affairs.
The Physician-Led Conference Presented by Compassionate Certification Centers Grants Attendees a 12-month Subscription to TheAnswerPage.com and Up to 22.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credits

PITTSBURGH, PA / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2017 / The World Medical Marijuana Business Conference & Expo (WMMBCExpo) invites healthcare providers to gain a comprehensive introduction to medical marijuana and earn up to 22.5 continuing medical education (CME) credits.

Attendees will receive a 12-month subscription to TheAnswerPage.com, a user-friendly online database, and the potential to earn 22.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credits, including risk management.

Presented by Compassionate Certification Centers (CCC), the physician-led conference will take place Friday and Saturday, April 21-22, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Boulevard, in Pittsburgh.

Tickets for the Medical Marijuana CME Course start at $399 and include an all-day Saturday conference pass, three-hour educational seminar, and TheAnswerPage.com subscription.

To purchase tickets or for more information, call 1-888-316-9085, or visit compassionatecertificationcenters.com.

The management team behind the conference aims to establish a more inclusive and progressive healthcare dialogue by incorporating medical marijuana resources and patient care into mainstream medicine.

"This conference is applicable to anyone who is involved in patient care. It was designed by physicians for healthcare professionals to educate all providers," said Dr. Bryan Doner, CEO and co-founder.

The CME Course begins with an "Introduction to Medical Cannabis and the Endocannabinoid System," from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Saturday, April 22.

The seminar will be led by Dr. Stephen Corn, board certified physician of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Children's Hospital in Boston, and faculty member at Harvard Medical School.

Healthcare providers will have the opportunity to network with other clinical professionals during the event and have access to the medical marijuana library at TheAnswerPage.com for a full year.

Story continues

Providers have the freedom to choose CME credit syllabi specific to their field of interest. Topics vary from broad overviews of the endocannabinoid system to specific diseases such as, "The Medical Use of Marijuana in Huntington's Disease," and the "Medicolegal: New York State Medical Marijuana Legal Course Series."

TheAnswerPage.com is an innovative resource platform accessed in 120 countries with more than 20,000 registered users.

"We are proud to offer healthcare professionals a convenient and innovative opportunity to earn CME credits while introducing them to the medical marijuana industry," stated Melonie Kotchey, COO and co-founder.

The WMMBCExpo is the first large-scale medical marijuana conference led by physicians for the health care industry. Nearly 8,000 general attendees and 170 exhibitors are expected to attend, including industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and patients from throughout the country.





About Compassionate Certification Centers

The World Medical Marijuana Business Conference & Expo is presented by Pittsburgh-based Compassionate Certification CentersTM, a Syndikos Investments, LLC portfolio brand based in Middleton, Delaware. Compassionate Certification CentersTM implements the first of its kind membership program for all types of healthcare providers to access medical cannabis research and patients throughout the U.S. states, district, and territories. For information, visit compassionatecertificationcenters.com, or join the discussion at Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google+.

PRESS CONTACTS:

Proven Media:

Neko Catanzaro, 401-484-4980, neko@provenmediaservices.com or Kim Prince, 480-221-7995, kim@provenmediaservices.com

Compassionate Certification Centers:

Melonie Kotchey, info@compassionatecertificationcenters.com, 888-316-9085 ext.101

LEGAL DISCLOSURE:

Compassionate Certification Centers does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act (US.CSA).

SOURCE: Compassionate Certification Centers
A 34-year-old Norfolk, Nebraska, man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a DUI case after allegedly huffing in front of officers.

Norfolk police said he was arrested around 11:10 a.m. after a pickup truck crashed into a building on Norfolk Avenue. Witnesses told police that the driver was incoherent and possibly had huffed from an air can.

Officers at the crash scene said the motorists head was resting against the drivers-door window of the pickup, which still was running. An air duster can was on the drivers lap, police said. The driver appeared to be high, police said, and he failed to understand the officers requests.

Officers said the man attempted to hide the air can after inhaling from it while police were present. The man then was removed from the truck and handcuffed, police said. He was arrested on suspicion of tampering with physical evidence, driving under the influence of drugs  third offense, obstructing an officer and inhaling an intoxicating substance.
The white pickup truck pulled up to the convenience store shortly after midnight on Jan. 7, after the clerk, Seth Hansen, had closed for the night.

Dirk Blume pleaded with Hansen to let him buy a can of chewing tobacco, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation, who spoke to The World-Herald on condition of anonymity. Hansen refused  it was after hours.

Blume allegedly grew enraged. The two men exchanged words. Someone mentioned a gun.

Blume drove off. But as Hansen walked outside to take the garbage out, the source said, the pickup truck circled the parking lot and ran over the 40-year-old clerk.

Blume, 45, was booked Tuesday on suspicion of second-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit murder. Police said Hansen was killed in an intentional act.

Rachel Tiller, who worked with Blume for two years at NP Dodge Real Estate, said she was surprised to hear about Blumes arrest.

She described him as confident and focused on getting his work done.

He definitely did not seem like someone who would ever murder another person, she said.

But Blume had been involved in at least one previous altercation that ended with security guards intervening.

Nick Rose said he was trying to sell a boat last year, and Blume took it for a test drive that lasted five hours.

He brought liquor and got really drunk and was acting obnoxious, being really degrading to the (women) I had with me, Rose said. He called them awful names  saying he was rude is an understatement.

The next day, Rose said Blume called him again for another test drive on the Missouri River. Rose reluctantly agreed. Again, Blume brought his alcohol.

They were at Cottonwood Marina north of Blair when Rose and several friends took the boat back out for a short ride without Blume. The real estate agent blew up, Rose said.

He came running down the dock, ranting about how it was his boat already and swearing, Rose said. He said he had a pistol and all the cash in the boat.

Thats when security officers at the marina got involved, Rose said. Rose did not end up selling the boat to Blume.

Lisa Victoria said she has known Blume for more than 20 years and considered him an acquaintance. He was nice, she said, but often arrogant.

Several months ago, she ran into him in the late afternoon at a department store.

He reeked of booze, she told The World-Herald via email. (He was) a troubled soul.

Blume had worked in real estate for 16 years, according to the bio on his personal website, which has been taken down since Tuesday. His Facebook page is still active and shows a post from Jan. 8  a day after Hansens death  advertising his work.

He often used his Facebook page for real estate listings  sharing photos of homes with asking prices topping half a million dollars. His bio describes him as representing a premiere custom home builder. On LinkedIn, Blume said he is someone who wants to teach his two daughters that there is no reward without risk.

I also want to help people understand that there may be a down, but dont ever count yourself out! he wrote.

Blume is a defendant in three other recent court cases:

On Nov. 29, a Douglas County District Court judge ordered garnishment of wages Blume had earned as a real estate agent for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate. The court issued the order after Blume failed to pay $42,412 to his ex-wife for spousal and child support.

The Blumes were married in 1993 and divorced in 2015 and have two children.

According to a response from Blumes employer in the court file, he wasnt due any wages because he worked as an independent contractor, receiving pay upon the closing of real estate transactions.

Three weeks later, an Omaha attorney filed a lawsuit seeking $1,008 in legal fees.

Both Blume and his ex-wife, Sheri, were named in a lawsuit filed Dec. 15 by First National Bank. The bank is seeking nearly $91,000 for repayment of a $100,000 equity loan the couple obtained in April 2003.

Blume also had a DUI in 1991.

Vince Leisey, a spokesman for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, said Wednesday that the company is stunned by the arrest of Blume  who was taken into custody Tuesday at the office. We will fully cooperate with the authorities, he said.

Blumes ex-wife declined to comment beyond saying he is a good man.

Other attempts to reach Blumes family were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Deb Nelson, the manager of the Speedee Mart where Hansen worked, said the arrest comes as a relief.

But it cant bring Seth back, she said.

World-Herald staff writers Kevin Cole and Andrew J. Nelson contributed to this report.
SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.  A Scottsbluff, Nebraska, business will give warm shelters to area pets left out in the cold.

As temperatures dipped again last week, Becky Hale, co-owner of Skippers Cupboard  a pet food pantry serving western Nebraska  began receiving phone calls about what to do to assist pets who are out in the cold all day. She gave out Skippers Cupboard's remaining dog houses, but knew another day of building was needed.

Now in its second year, Give Them Shelter was an idea Hale made a reality. Hale was inspired to create the event last year after reading Facebook groups she belongs to and discovered some people cant afford dog houses or dont have room inside for their pets.

Co-owners Hale and Steve Morgheim rely on the generosity of others to help make the event a success. Scottsbluff resident Larry Schanaman is building small doghouses for Skippers Cupboard. Paul Reed Construction volunteered to pre-cut the wood for the large doghouses. The local Home Depot donated wood, nails and paint, and a place for volunteers to assemble the large doghouses.

Kevin Grow, project manager at Paul Reed Construction, said the company is community-minded and enjoys giving back in any way they can.

This is a good cause and we all love dogs, Grow said.

Although they have a lot of supplies, Skippers Cupboard is seeking volunteers. Volunteers can be individuals and groups, such as shop teachers, Scout leaders, 4-H members, dog clubs, church groups, parents and children and anyone else who wants a fun project that will benefit dog owners and dogs in the community.

They are also seeking anyone who can donate lumber so they have enough year round and wont have to turn anyone away.

If people have dog houses they no longer use, we will pick them up, Morgheim said. They can be wood or igloo.

Any gently used donated doghouses will be cleaned before distribution.

Although Skippers Cupboard is focused on feeding animals, they have already helped people this winter with the few remaining doghouses volunteers built last year.

We still have some styrofoam to build cat enclosures, too, Morgheim said. We arent just for the dogs.

Morgheim hopes to build enough houses to be able to meet demand year-round.

We often think of animals in the cold in the winter, but in the summer, they have to deal with hail and rain as well, Morgheim said.

One of the best parts of the event for Morgheim is the people who show up to help.

Last year, we had the most wonderful response, he said. People we didnt even know just showed up on that day to help.

A retired teacher from Bridgeport brought his grandson last year and the pair had a lot of fun.

Thats what we get out of it. We get to inspire the community, Morgheim said. Im the luckiest guy in the world to do what I like to and see people inspired to do more.
Latoyce Wesley didnt know what she and her family were going to do after her Omaha home was destroyed by fire just four days before Christmas.

It was devastating, because we lost everything, Wesley said. Then some firefighters called and came over to our motel room to make sure the kids all had gifts for Christmas. They also gave me a (gift) card for groceries.

Seven Omaha firefighters were at her new home Thursday, hauling four twin beds, a full-size bed and a crib into the house north of Miller Park. The firefighters, all members of Station 34 at 956 S. 48th St., werent even the same ones who battled the fire at Wesleys former home near 43rd and Erskine Streets.

They are colleagues of Drew Gerken, who heard about the troubles of the seven-member Wesley family through other connections in the Omaha Fire Department. Gerken, 38, serves as something of an informal charity agency, storing donated items and distributing them as needed.

The fire union knows we do this, and we get a lot of help and requests through them, Gerken said. Its just something I do with my (five) kids and my colleagues. Basically, I ask anyone with a truck and strong back for help.

Gerken stopped to visit with Wesley on Wednesday to get an idea of what was needed and hang out with her four children and two grandchildren. He came back the next day with three pickup truck loads of furniture.

Firefighters Jeff Lampe, Matt Patterson, Brian Mead, Josh Jensen, Nick Winey and Frank Corcoran charged into action. They distributed the items in the two-story house and put them together.

Wesley was overwhelmed by the generosity of the donations and the spirit of the volunteers. She expressed surprise that so many people she never had met were willing to come to the familys aid.

I love them for doing this and all theyve already done, she said. Theyve been a big help to me, and we really appreciate everything theyve done for me and my kids.

Other groups also have helped the Wesley family get back on their feet, including Juanita Janie Pinon Fierro of Unique Ones Inc. The group identified some immediate needs, such as new keys for the family car when the old ones were lost.

Janie was there right away, Wesley said. The firefighters, too. I have helped people in the past myself, but here are people I never even met in my life coming to me.

Gerken credited his parents and training at Creighton Prep for his penchant for helping others. The 1997 Prep grad said the schools Operation Others program made a big impact upon him.

I got started as a junior at Prep working with refugee families from Burma and Africa, he said. Im sad and disappointed that the Wesley family had to go through this situation but theyre strong and theyll be fine after we get out of their hair.
The Omaha Jaycees next month will honor its 84th class of Ten Outstanding Young Omahans. The junior chamber leadership training and civic organization each year honors 10 Omahans between the ages of 21 and 40 who demonstrate a commitment to community service and personal and professional development.

The Omaha Jaycees will host its TOYO Awards dinner at 7 p.m. on Feb. 8 at the CenturyLink Center. Tickets are $65 per person and can be purchased online at eventbrite.com or email TOYO@omahajaycees.org.

The honorees:

Chinh Doan, KETV-Channel 7

At age 4, Doan and her father, a former South Vietnamese officer and prisoner of war, moved from Vietnam to Oklahoma after receiving refugee status. Her mother stayed behind due to paperwork complications. After 18 years, Doans mother arrive in America, and the family was reunited. Doan studied journalism, Spanish and international studies at the University of Oklahoma and moved to Omaha in August 2013 for a job with KETV-Channel 7. She is Omaha Tri Delta Alumnae president, Young Catholic Professionals Parish Ambassadors coordinator and inventory manager for the Junior League of Omahas Project Hope Pack committee. Doan is also a member of Vietnamese Friendship Association of Omaha and Asian American Journalists Association and participates in the Omaha Press Club Show and Omaha Fashion Week.

Ryan Ellis, P.J. Morgan Real Estate

Ellis began his career at P.J. Morgan Real Estate as an intern while attending Creighton University. He graduated from Creighton with a bachelors degree in finance and became a property manager, then head of the property management department and vice president and chief operating officer. In 2009, Ellis became president of P.J. Morgan Real Estate and continues to work on high-profile projects in both commercial and residential real estate and in property management. Ellis serves on the boards for Family Housing Advisory Services, Omaha Conservatory of Music and Fashion Institute Guild. He is a 2014 Leadership Omaha graduate and was awarded the Midlands Business Journal 40 Under 40 award in the same year.

Leslie Fischer, Together A Greater Good

Fischer graduated from Millard North High School in 1995 and received her degree in business administration with a minor in marketing from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1999. She received UNOs Young Alumni Achievement Award in 2015. She is the co-founder of TAGG, a social good app that allows anyone with a smartphone to give back to a favorite cause just by supporting local businesses. TAGG received the Excellence in Business Award-Community from the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce in 2016. Fischer also co-founded Ladies Who Launch Omaha, a womens entrepreneur group, in 2013 and serves on the board of Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue and B4B Society.

Kasey Hesse, Gallup

Hesse is a technology manager at Gallup where she leads the .com team. Her international studies and Portuguese major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln led her to the PayPal call center, where she became a patent inventor and corporate environmental innovator for eBay. Hesse earned her masters degree in mental health counseling from the University of Nebrask at Omaha. She is a board member at Bluebarn Theatre and Omaha Friends of Planned Parenthood, a past member of Womens Fund Circles and on the Kent Bellows Mentoring Program education committee. She is a 2016 New Leaders Council fellow and a member of Leadership Omaha Class 34.

Megan Hunt, Hello Holiday

Hunt began her career as a bridal designer as a home-based business. She currently focuses on Hello Holiday, an e-commerce startup to support independent fashion designers. Hunt is also the founder of Safe Space Nebraska, a non-proft working to fight harassment and assault in nightlife culture. Shes a civic activist and nonprofit volunteer, a speaker, blogger and writer. In 2010, Hunt received Shout Magazines 30 Under 30 honor. In 2011, she was recognized as one of Midlands Business Journals 40 Under 40. Hunt serves on the boards of Omaha Area Youth Orchestras, Friends of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, CHEER Nebraska and Friends of the Nebraska AIDS Project.

Sheena Kennedy Helgenberger, Live Well Omaha Kids

Helgenberger is the coalition director for Live Well Omaha Kids, a childhood obesity prevention coalition with multi-sector community partners. Helgenberger is an active volunteer with many organizations in the Omaha community, passionate about empowering and protecting youth. Helgenberger earned a masters degree in educational administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2010. She wrote her thesis under the direction of Dr. Rachelle Winkle-Wagner about African American womens experiences transitioning to college. The two published an article in 2014 in the NASPA Journal about Women in Higher on research stemming from her thesis.

Emiliano Lerda, Justice For Our Neighbors of Omaha

Originally from Argentina, Lerda attended the University of Northern Iowa, where he received a bachelor of arts in communication studies and became the first international student elected student body president. Lerda earned a juris doctorate from Drake University Law School in Des Moines and a master of law from the University of Arkansas School of Law. He later worked as government relations manager for the Iowa Corn Growers Association. He has worked with nonprofit organizations both as a staff and board member. He joined Justice For Our Neighbors-Nebraska as executive director in January 2011 and participated in the Nonprofit Executive Institute and Leadership Omaha. He is currently enrolled in the Harvard Business Schools Executive Education Program, studying strategic perspectives in nonprofit management.

Clifton McEvoy, The Buford Foundation

McEvoy graduated from St. Louis University and was commissioned as an Air Force captain and awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal. McEvoy also earned a masters of public administration in 2012 from the University of Akron with Pi Alpha Alpha honors and a masters of science in leadership in 2016 from Creighton University with Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society honors. He was an AmeriCorps service member, graduate of Leadership Omaha and sits on the board of directors for Nebraskans for Civic Reform, is a member of the Greater Omaha Young Professionals Council, committee vice chairman for the Greater Omaha Young Nonprofit Professionals Network and president of Omaha Professionals United in Service. He is the executive director of the Buford Foundation.

Emily Poeschl, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Poeschl is the director of marketing at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Poeschl previously worked at First National Bank of Omaha and Mutual of Omaha, and as an adjunct professor of marketing at UNO. She has a bachelor of science in business administration degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a masters in business administration from UNO. Poeschl is a member of the Susan G Komen Nebraska Board of Directors and serves in two national volunteer roles: the Komen Advocacy Advisory Taskforce and Komen Advocates in Science. Poeschl is a Womens Fund of Omaha Circles Group member, a Girls Inc. Pathfinders mentor, a United Way Community Investment Review Team member, a Delta Gamma Omaha Alumnae Chapter past president, and is a founding board member of Mutual of Omahas Emerging Leaders Network.

Tony Vargas, Nebraska State Legislature and Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance

Vargas is the son of Peruvian immigrants in New York City. He began his career as a public school teacher in New York with Teach for America, where he received the Most Outstanding Teacher award. Since then, he has worked across the country in non-profit and education sectors, advocating on behalf of families in lower-income communities. Currently the state senator for District 7, he also serves on the advisory board for New Leaders Council-Omaha and previously was a member of the Omaha Public Schools Board of Education. Vargas is director of marketing and communications for Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance. He earned his bachelors degree at the University of Rochester and masters at Pace University.
LINCOLN  Douglas County finally may get another juvenile court judge, long a top priority of a state judicial commission.

In fact, the county might even get two new judges.

State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha announced Wednesday that he will drop his longtime opposition to funding for a sixth judge for the states most overworked juvenile court. Chambers blocked previous bills to pressure court officials to remove Judge Elizabeth Crnkovich, who the senator said has generated multiple complaints of rude, demeaning and threatening behavior during her more than 20 years as a judge.

Chambers said Wednesday it would be irrational to allow his objections to one judge continue to increase caseloads and lengthen pretrial detention for children waiting to appear in court.

We have to do what can be done, because we cannot always do what we think ought to be done, he said.

A message left for the judge late Wednesday afternoon was not immediately returned.

In a past interview, she said shes the target of a personal vendetta. She acknowledged being stern and demanding and holding children accountable, which she suggested makes her unpopular.

Chambers said he has reported Crnkovichs behavior to the Nebraska Supreme Court, which has the authority to remove a judge. The court has taken no public action against her.

Crnkovich also has received among the lowest rankings in a judicial evaluation survey conducted once every two years by the Nebraska State Bar Association. In 2014, more than half of the attorneys who responded said she should not be retained in office.

Nonetheless, 63 percent of voters cast ballots in favor of retaining Crnkovich in the November election.

The controversy came up Wednesday in the Legislatures Judiciary Committee, which held a public hearing on a bill that would provide funding for a juvenile court judge. Legislative Bill 10 was introduced by Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha.

Among those to testify in support of the bill was Joy Suder, an Omaha lawyer who practices juvenile law and represented the Nebraska State Bar Association. She said in 2016, Douglas County juvenile judges handled 426 filings each, compared with 307 per judge in Sarpy County and 266 in Lancaster.

The higher caseloads lead to hearing delays that can drag out for weeks, she said. She said a review found 10 cases of children who were held in detention for days or weeks only to be released when they finally were seen by a judge.

These delays have real-life consequences for children and families, she said.

Vaughn Crowell of Omaha testified against the bill, mostly on the basis of cost. He urged senators to seek other ways to lighten the caseloads other than adding another judge.

The fiscal note attached to the bill estimated the states cost at $290,000 starting in fiscal year 2019, which includes salaries and benefits for a judge and court reporter.

Douglas County officials have not provided yet their own cost estimate to the Legislature. Last year, however, the county estimated it would cost $1.9 million over two years to add a judge. The figure included salaries for support staff, an additional prosecutor and public defender and a minimum of $850,000 in remodeling expenses for more court space.

Chambers said based on the caseload statistics, he thinks the county needs two additional judges. He will attempt to amend Krists bill to add the second judge.
People with outstanding civil penalties from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission would be ineligible to run for elected office if a new bill in the Nebraska Legislature is passed.

Introduced by Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, Legislative Bill 85 also would prohibit anyone from being appointed to an elective office until the civil penalties and interest are paid.

The commission administers and enforces the states campaign finance laws, lobbying laws and conflict of interest laws.

Currently there are six people and one organization with outstanding civil penalties totaling $42,550.

The penalties are for different things and such fines are rare, said Frank Daley, executive director of the commission.

He said most civil penalties are paid pretty quickly.

Bellevue City Councilman Pat Shannon, elected in November, owes the largest outstanding fine at $16,832.88, plus interest. It stems from a fine levied after a violation of campaign laws in 2004.

Shannons name was never mentioned during Wednesdays committee hearing on the bill, but he holds the at-large seat on the Bellevue City Council that Blood left to run for the Legislature.

Blood said the bill was not influenced by Shannon but it was an issue mentioned to her by constituents when she campaigned door to door.

Were not out to hunt anybody, Blood said. This isnt about any one person. This is about whats right and whats wrong.

After Shannon was elected, the commission sought to revive the judgment against him so it could garnish his $11,000 a year City Council salary. After hearing arguments last week, a Sarpy County District Court judge took the matter under advisement.

Shannon said Wednesday that he has problems with how the commission handles cases like his and that soon the truth about what happened to him and why the fine was never paid will be publicized.

During Shannons 2004 race for the Legislature, an anonymous flier titled Domestic Abuse is on the Ballot was sent to voters in Bellevue. It alleged domestic abuse by Shannons opponent.

Shannon said his business was hired to do the work, but he has long denied authoring the letter, which was signed Nebraskans for Decency.

A former judge presided over a hearing on the matter and determined Shannon acted alone.

After the hearing, the commission voted 8-0 to fine Shannon for eight campaign disclosure violations.

No one testified against the bill on Wednesday, but four people spoke in favor of it.

Daley told the committee there were two main reasons to support the bill.

First, it gives the commission another tool to collect civil penalties as anyone wishing to have a political career would have to pay before filing for office.

And second, it answers the question of how someone who owes a civil penalty to the commission can run for office, which Daley said hes been asked frequently over the past several months.

My response over the last few months has been well, they can do it because theres nothing that prohibits it, Daley said. It would seem to me that LB 85 would be a better response to that question.

Bill ODonnell of Bellevue supported the bill, telling the committee that voters may consider an elected official a wise leader or an idiot, but they should not have reason to question a candidates ethics, willingness to obey the law or honorable intent.

If youre going to be responsible for making laws and ordinances, its hypocritical to selectively thumb your nose at a law or ruling because you dont like it or agree with it, ODonnell said.

The committee did not vote on the bill on Wednesday. Committee Chair Sen. John Murante said there was broad support for the bills concept, but there were still some things that needed to be worked out.

Before the hearing, Shannon said the bill was political.

Carol Blood is a coward, afraid that I will run against her next election, he said. Because if I did decide to run against her, I would win big-time.

Blood said she didnt care to respond to Shannons false accusations.

I think its curious that he feels he has to comment on it at all, Blood said. My grandmother used to say usually the person who speaks the loudest is the person who has the most to hide. I prefer to speak softly and carry my big stick. Or in this instance my big bill.
LINCOLN  Three years ago, veteran North Platte physical education teacher Mark Woodhead nearly lost his job over how he handled a disruptive third-grader.

He kept his position only through strong community support and a 4-2 vote by the North Platte school board.

But State Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte doesnt believe Woodhead or other teachers should be threatened with firing for trying to maintain discipline in their classrooms.

He introduced a proposal Wednesday that seeks to protect teachers and school administrators who are dealing with violent or unruly students.

Weve got to support the teachers so they can have control of the classroom, Groene said. I hear from teachers all the time now that students have no boundaries.

Legislative Bill 595 would allow teachers or administrators to use physical force or physical restraint to subdue violent students. Teachers or administrators could use physical restraint on students who are damaging school property.

Neither action would be considered corporal punishment under the bill. Current state law prohibits corporal punishment in Nebraska schools.

In addition, the bill would bar any type of legal action or administrative discipline against teachers using physical means to deal with students.

LB 595 would make clear that teachers can remove from their classrooms students who have been repeatedly or seriously unruly, disruptive or abusive.

Under the bill, school principals could not return the student to class without the teachers consent.

Groene said he introduced the measure in response to the student discipline problems reported at Omahas Nathan Hale Magnet Middle School this year, as well as the North Platte case.

Parents and staff complained to Omaha Public Schools officials this fall about out-of-control students at Nathan Hale, where enrollment nearly doubled after sixth-grade students were added to the building this school year.

In November, teachers from across the district raised concerns to the Omaha school board about students who threaten teachers and disrupt the learning environment.

They told of teachers being stabbed in the hand with a pencil, slugged in the face and knocked down in the hallway.

Groene said he thinks school discipline has suffered because teachers are restricted in how they can deal with misbehaving students.

In the North Platte situation, Woodhead was threatened with termination over how he dealt with a third-grader who had been misbehaving in gym class, including throwing balls at the other students.

Woodhead told the boy to go to the schools timeout room. The boy, who was sitting on the floor, refused to move. Woodhead grabbed his ankle and the boy started kicking.

Woodhead then grabbed both ankles and dragged the boy 93 feet down the hall, past other students, across the carpeted teachers lounge and into the timeout room.

Mike Dulaney, executive director of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, said he had not read the bill and couldnt comment on its specifics.

He said he wants to talk with school attorneys and learn more about case law before taking a position.

I think there are some challenges to teachers and administrators touching students, Dulaney said.

But he said the bill raises an important issue that needs discussion. The state last overhauled its student discipline laws in 1994.

Im anxious to see who comes to the table and has something to say, he said.

Neither the State Department of Education nor OPS offered comment on the bill.

The State Board of Education is slated to review bills on Monday, according to spokesman David Jespersen.

Monique Farmer, an OPS spokeswoman, said the school board also will meet and review legislative proposals on Monday. But she noted that school discipline matters have been a national topic of discussion.

OPS, like other urban school districts, has come under fire for suspending and expelling black students at higher rates than their white and Latino counterparts.

In 2015, state education officials sanctioned the district for suspending a disproportionately high number of black special education students in 2011 and 2012.

Two new school choice bills introduced in Legislature



LINCOLN  Nebraska lawmakers will have a buffet of school choice ideas to consider this year, with two new proposals introduced Wednesday.

Both proposals are aimed at allowing children in low-performing school districts to get an education outside of traditional public schools. Legislative Bill 608, introduced by State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha, would create a voucher-like system.

It would allow students living in school districts with low-performing schools to get funding from those districts to pay for a private or parochial school.

The funding would be equal to 75 percent of the per-student funding in the public school district. The other 25 percent would go into a local property tax relief fund.

LB 630, introduced by Sen. Tyson Larson of ONeill, would allow the creation of publicly funded charter schools in school districts with low-performing schools.

The charter schools would be called independent public schools. They would operate under separate boards from the public school district and would not be subject to most state education rules and regulations.

Both bills would make the public school districts responsible for transporting students.
HONOLULU  Its been 20 years since Ive been in Hawaii, but the moment I arrived back in Honolulu last week, it felt like I had never left.

My connection with the Aloha State goes back a long way. Not only did my wife and I honeymoon here, but we lived on Oahu for three years in the mid-90s when I was executive editor of Honolulus morning newspaper back when newspapers still mattered.

I learned many lessons while living here in one of the most remote cities in the world, but one of the biggest and most long lasting was about the strong, positive impact HR can have on a business and the workforce.

Work, and managing a workforce, is different here because Hawaii is different. Yes, it has many of the trappings of America, but its really more Asian than American, more a mix of a great many different cultures than probably anywhere else in the U.S.

Caring for our workplace ohana

Ohana, which means family in Hawaiian, especially the good and supportive things that family members should be doing for each other, is at the core of life in Hawaii. And, ohana recognizes the importance of extended family, including your workplace family.

Talent managers and human resource professionals out here need to understand the importance of the workplace ohana and deal with those in it the way they would with actual members of their families.

And, no one made me understand this better than my HR leader in Hawaii.

When I was executive editor of The Honolulu Advertiser back in the mid-90s, the HR Vice President at the Hawaii Newspaper Agency was a wonderfully sweet and caring woman by the name of Carole Medeiros. Everyone in the building knew Carole, and everyone knew that she was someone who always offered a kind ear and a comforting shoulder to cry on.

More importantly, the employees all knew Carole had enough clout in the organization to resolve whatever issue you had, but that she was also discreet and would use whatever you told her carefully in her dealings with other managers.

Yes, she had a seat at the table long before people even talked about that, and she used that seat to make sure the organizations people policies put ohana before anything else. Carole could make the tough HR decisions when need be, but she did it with the care and grace you would if the person was related to you  someone who was in your own personal ohana.

Lessons for anyone managing a workforce

Sadly, Carole died in 1996 from cancer at a far-too-young age. But, she taught me a great lesson  HR leaders need to care for their workforce as well as serve the company as the senior executive in charge of talent. And, you could only pull this off if you treat your employees as part of your own ohana.

All this resonates with me because I remember when HR leaders used to take their role as an advocate for the employee very seriously. Yes, there are HR directors who still try, but now its more of a balancing act and HR leaders will probably tell you, somewhere along the way, that in the end they are management and that they always need to do what is best for management and the larger organization.

Much has been written about how HR isnt taken very seriously today, and how human resources people struggle to be accepted as real business leaders the way other managers are throughout the organization. And, much has been written about how HR struggles to get more credit for their business success.

For my money, the perception that HR doesnt have business credibility started to grow when HR stopped being a strong advocate for workers and began acting like they were just another manager on the org chart. It diluted what HR always did best, and instead, magnified the image of HR leaders as glorified paper pushers who were overly focused on rules and compliance.

My friend Carole Medeiros was never too worried about compliance, but she was always concerned about the lives of the many employees in the building. She cared for her ohana and wanted the best for all of them, through good times and bad.

I was reminded of this again while visiting Hawaii again this week, and although I wouldnt hold out the Aloha State as a paragon of great workplace management, the ongoing focus on taking care of your own ohana is something we could all use a little more of back here on the Mainland.

Its a great lesson for everyone, and one you dont need to fly halfway across the Pacific to appreciate.
The getaway resort on the bank of the Missouri River near Plattsmouth has gone away.

The City of Plattsmouth plans to acquire the former Castaway Pointe development for $1.5 million next month and develop the 30-acre site as parkland.

What else do you do with land in a flood plain? You use it for recreational purposes, and you dont ever develop it, said City Administrator Erv Portis.

The Plattsmouth City Councils unanimous approval this week of the purchase ends an eight-year saga of big plans and dashed dreams. The developers original concept called for a $45 million riverfront development 20 miles south of Omaha for more than 90 house, cottage, villa and condominium lots. They were to be clustered near a marina with 200 boat slips, a floating restaurant, outdoor concert stage, swimming pools and convenience store for boaters.

Developers said it would rival such destinations as Lake Okoboji in Iowa and Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.

One luxury home, three cottages and a villa were built before the Army Corps of Engineers concluded in 2010  after a series of public meetings  that the development was in a flood plain. Local ordinances banned any new construction. Then the epic Missouri River flood of 2011 isolated the site and washed away roads and water and sewer lines.

Castaway Pointe was dead in the water.

Portis said the purchase agreement is a good deal for both the city and the sites owners: Bob Brau, Jeff Rensch and Mike Sortino of Omaha and Mark Morehead of Plattsmouth.

Plattsmouth faced the cost of defending a federal civil lawsuit filed by the owners against the city. The trial was scheduled for July, and the citys liability insurance would not cover city costs, Portis said.

Castaway Pointes owners filed the lawsuit in 2012. They said they had no notice of a city ordinance that changed the floodway map. City officials said the investors didnt attend meetings about the mapping.

The sale solution not only settles the lawsuit but sets up a plan to remove damaged property and restore infrastructure, Portis said.

The city will buy the site with funds from $2.195 million in economic development fund bonds. The bonds will be funded as part of an existing half-cent city sales tax on the books since 2003, Portis said. Leftover money will be used for repairs, cleanup, restoration of the marina and the development of a recreational vehicle park.

The agreement allows time for the sale and removal of the uninhabited dwellings by the current owners, Portis said. The estate home built and occupied by Brad and Tami Sorensen is not part of Plattsmouths takeover of the site.

Castaway Pointe is two blocks from the east end of Main Street in Plattsmouth and adjacent to Schilling Wildlife Management Area.

Portis said he is optimistic that the new parks proximity to restaurants, bars, a grocery store, a gas station and other services will make it popular with people looking for a place to get away for a day, a weekend or a week to relax.

Renovation of the site will begin after the city takes possession in June. Portis said the marina, which has been silted closed since 2011, is unlikely to open this summer.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1127, david.hendee@owh.com

Correction: Tami Sorensen's name was misspelled in a previous version of this story.
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 (expletive deleted) 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 last 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-added tax. 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 of dollars 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 also 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 value-added tax 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?
Liberal lawmakers and others who find the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency untenable are busy making plans to be anywhere but Washington come Friday, when Chief Justice John Roberts asks one of the biggest purveyors of falsehoods in modern memory to swear on a Bible to uphold the Constitution.

The latest count has about 45 House Democrats pledging to boycott the new presidents inauguration.

I share their dismay, but I wont be joining them.

Trump is going to be our president, everyones president, including Rep. John Lewis and everyone on Twitter who keeps using the #notmypresident. Sure, he might eventually be impeached; he might resign; or he might win a second term and be our president until early 2025.

No matter what happens, the worst thing his opponents can do is pretend his presidency is unreal.

For Democrats and the fast-dwindling number of Never-Trump Republicans and others, the best way to stand against the Trump administration is to fight against it.

That means hanging tough as a principled minority in Congress and trying to block, delay or improve the worst of the bills set to come rushing out of the GOP-dominated chambers.

For some, it might also mean protesting in the streets  thats part of our system, too.

But failing to acknowledge the Trump presidencys legitimacy right from the start is a faulty first step.

I come to this view honestly, and for that I can thank Rick Perry.

In 2009, after many months of negotiating, his staff agreed to permit an hourlong sit-down with the then-governor of Texas. I was the transportation writer for the Dallas Morning News, and Perry had been the chief architect of a consequential policy to build billions of dollars of infrastructure without raising anyones taxes.

It had remade the states infrastructure landscape and was chiefly responsible for some billions of dollars in new roads in North Texas.

It also, of course, had imposed hefty tolls on commuters, some of whom were soon paying hundreds of dollars a month, and added enormous debt to public toll agencies like the North Texas Tollway Authority. It was a conversation worth having.

But when the final OK for the interview came, Perrys people scheduled it for 11 a.m., Jan. 20, 2009. That was noon, of course, on the East Coast, and coincided with the swearing-in of Barack Obama as the 44th president.

It seemed no coincidence that the governor would agree to what was the only policy-oriented, sit-down interview he granted that year at a time when the rest of the country was watching the inauguration.

I was eager for the interview but was frankly appalled at the timing. I remember walking into the governors suite of offices in the Capitol feeling as if I might be in the office of the only elected official in the country who had turned his back on the ceremonies in Washington.

It felt deeply unpatriotic. America had finally elected its first black president, a moment it felt important for all of us to acknowledge  a feeling made more pronounced as I walked past the imposing monument to the Confederate dead on the Capitol grounds.

Sure, Obama was a Democrat. But for that matter Perry had been one, too, years ago. I was especially surprised that Perry would avoid the inauguration, because he was a former Air Force officer, not to mention governor of the one of Americas most important states.

For me, the effort to undermine the legitimacy of Obama as president didnt begin with Rep. Joe Wilsons outrageous and shameful shout from the House floor. Nor with Donald Trumps pathetic embrace of the birther nonsense.

It began, for me, in Austin in the Texas governors anteroom.

So when I see the names of Democratic congressmen who wont attend the Trump inaugural, I grimace.

Fit or not, he will be president beginning Friday and will be until he resigns or Congress decides to remove him  still, a highly unlikely event. Thats our law.

Democrats can shout about that all day long, and there is plenty of room in our system and in our laws alike for vigorous protest on Friday or any other day.

But they shouldnt do what Rick Perry did and pretend its not happening and turn their backs on the transfer of power from one political team to another.

Whether one respects Trump or not, its time to acknowledge that his ascension to the highest office in the land is a reality.

Wishful thinking wont undo that fact. It was tacky in 2009 and its tacky in 2017.
A slick preparation for the ice storm

A big thank you to the Omaha Public Works Department and its workers for their excellent work dealing with the ice storm.

Al Koenig, Omaha

Keep doing things the Nebraska Way

Im proud of Nebraskas nonpartisan Legislature and brag about it to people from other states. Its been the Nebraska Way for more than 80 years and serves us well. I wish more states would follow our example.

Alas, Gov. Pete Ricketts seems to want his way so much that hes trying to destroy the Nebraska Way to get it. He helped elect senators who would be loyal to him, and senators he supports were trying to undo legislative rules that protect nonpartisanship.

Thankfully, they failed (Nebraska Legislature Rules Committee votes against changing filibuster rules and ending the secret ballot for leadership positions, Jan. 14 World-Herald).

Unlike the governor, I want more funding for child protection, health insurance, education and support for people with disabilities. Instead of more prisons, I want more people who arent a danger to society freed and helped to become productive citizens.

A higher top income tax rate would help pay for it all.

Id be proud to pay more income tax for this because it would help make Nebraska safer, healthier, freer and more equal and prosperous while honoring the Nebraska Way and checks and balances.

Curtis Bryant, Omaha

Current gun laws are adequate

I am not a gun owner, but I know many. And not one of them has complained about Nebraska limiting gun rights. However, many of them are concerned, like all citizens, about guns getting into the hands of individuals who shouldnt have them.

There is a bill that should concern all citizens. Legislative Bill 68 would end the ability of local governments to enact gun regulation, putting Omahas ordinance that prohibits those under 21 from possessing a handgun in jeopardy (Chambers objects, but gun bill goes to Government Committee, Jan. 14 World-Herald).

Omaha should have the freedom to pass regulations that address issues unique to its population.

I know that these regulations will not eliminate gun violence or the tragic results for the innocent completely, but if they prevent even one incident then all Nebraskans will have benefited.

Marcia Anderson, Omaha

Brix owner should honor gift cards

I am one of the unfortunate individuals holding more than one Brix card that enabled access to Brixs wine dispensing machines.

Over the years, several close friends and I became regular customers, purchasing gift cards, wine machine cards, multiple bottles of wine, gifts and countless meals. Like others, I have spent big dollars supporting a business that became family.

Closing the doors on an unsuspecting public who purchased gift cards as late as this past Christmas without warning or any opportunity to redeem our investment seems brutal.

For the owner to not find some way to compensate his loyal following comes across as careless and irresponsible.

I would happily trade in my cards for an equal trade in wine or wine glasses. Frankly, Id be consoled if the restaurant offered half-redemption. Going forward, this is not good business practice by the owner of Brix. The public is smart enough to connect the dots to his other business.

Yes, I realize a past employee allegedly cheated Brix.

I also realize this is a First World problem. But still a problem, nevertheless.

Avis Pruitt, Bellevue

Your bad break could be their good fortune

While visiting my former city last week, I was sad to hear that Brix has closed (Wine and spirits stores will close; many wonder about their gift cards, Jan. 13 World-Herald).

More disappointing was the uproar by gift-card holders complaining they cannot redeem their gift cards for another glass of merlot or chardonnay and an appetizer.

I have a solution that is a win-win for them and the less fortunate in Omaha. Take the value of that Brix gift card and donate the money to the Food Bank of the Heartland in Omaha.

There are hundreds of people in Omaha who go hungry every day. They would love to have food to cook. They are not worried about a glass of wine and appetizer.

Go to the Foodbankheartland.org website and make a donation. You will soon realize that you just helped a lot of people in your hometown and that the Brix gift card was not so important after all.

Jeff Andreasen, Phoenix

A little sampling of Sees isnt enough

Pass it on: We need a stand-alone Sees Candies store in Omaha (Sees the day: Buffett on Apprentice,  Jan. 14 World-Herald).

The little kiosk at Nebraska Furniture Mart is so inadequate. After shopping at Sees in Chicago, I believe our community would be thrilled with the variety this company offers.

Diana Vodnik, Omaha
In Pics: Ban PETA, Save Jallikattu chants at Bengaluru's Town Hall

Bengaluru

oi-Anusha

By Anusha Ravi

Bengaluru, Jan 19: Close to 600 people from various walks of life gathered in support of Jallikattu in Bengaluru on Thursday evening. Taking a cue from the Marina Beach protests in Chennai, Tamilians in Bengaluru used social media to promote the protest. Men, women and children alike gathered at Town Hall in Bengaluru to show their solidarity to the people protesting in Chennai as well as fight for 'Tamil Pride'.

"We have been living in Bengaluru for more than three decades now. We were born and raised here but we support Jallikattu and our brothers in Tamil Nadu. Jallikattu is our tradition and we want to preserve it", said Ramesh, one of the protesters.

Protests were not just in support of Jallikattu but against PETA and Subramanian Swamy for his comments over protests in Tamil Nadu. "Why should the PETA not be banned? They have produced exaggerated, manipulated and fake evidences to get this ban. Bulls are not performing animals. We worship them and treat them like a part of our family. Who is PETA to take our rights away?" asked Karthik, a techie who came to protest.

"Blanket ban is not the solution. Regulations are already in place and they only need to be implemented. The Bulls and the players are tested before the sport and it starts under the supervision of the district Collector. Cattle here help a community unlike in other countries. Taking them away is like taking away wealth," said another techie Prashanth.

While the protesters were forced to disperse after the one hour spot given to them came to an end, announcement of another protest on Sunday morning was made. Bengaluru will see more pro-Jallikattu protests near Thiruvalluvar statue in Ulsoor on Sunday.

Here are some images from the Bengaluru venue:

Hundreds gather at Town Hall to protest over Jallikattu Hundreds gathered at Bengaluru's Town Hall on Thursday to protest against the ban on Jallikattu. IT employees, children participate in protest Several children, IT officials were seen protesting against the ban on Jallikattu. More protests to take place on Sunday Protestors announce that agitation will take place in Ulsoor on Sunday. Police asked people to leave as they were protesting beyond the time granted. People were seen raising slogans While thousands gathered at Marina Beach in TN, many protested against Jallikattu at Town Hall. People were asked to leave from the venue Police officials were seen asking the protestors to leave the venue. Pro-tamil and Pro-kannada organisations had participated in the protest. Protests were against PETA as well Not just against the ban, but people were also seen protesting against PETA.

OneIndia News
HDFC Bank to train 25,000 people in cashless transactions

Bhopal

oi-PTI

Indore, Jan 19: Private sector HDFC Bank has set a target to provide training to 25,000 people, including businessmen, in Madhya Pradesh in carrying out cashless transactions at special camps.

"We will train 15,000 customers and 10,000 businessmen about the use and benefits of cashless transactions," HDFC Madhya Pradesh Unit's Zonal Head Sudesh Jaisinghani told reporters here today. For this purpose, "Digital Literacy Camps" will be organised at 275 different places in the State.

Jaisinghani informed that at present there are 130 branches of HDFC Bank in the State and 50 per cent of them are in semi urban and rural areas. The leading private lender will open five new branches in the State in near future, he added.

PTI
290 seats non-negotiable, rest is your call: SP tells Congress

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Congress and the Samajwadi Party may have made it official in Uttar Pradesh, but irritants on the seat sharing still remain. The Congress is bargaining for 100 seats where as the SP is trying to strike the deal by giving only 85. The SP says in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, 290 seats are non-negotiable.

A Congress leader informed that there are discussions that are still on. "These are minor irritants. The deal is done and there is no going back on that. Our party is hoping that it would get to contest at least 100 seats," he says.

The SP on the other hand wants to give out just 85 seats to the Congress. However sources say that the final deal would be struck with the Congress getting 90 seats. The Congress would look to contest in those belts where the minority population is higher. Both the SP and Congress feel that breaking into the minority vote bank of the BSP would be key. If the minority votes are split, it could hurt the BJP, the SP and Congress feel.

When asked how long it would take to have a final number on the seat sharing, he says that it may take at least another two days. "While the final count is not known yet, the two parties have come to an agreement where 40 Congress candidates would contest the first and second phase of the elections," the source adds.

Oneindia News

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Story first published: Thursday, January 19, 2017, 15:04 [IST]




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Abu Dhabi Crown Prince to be R-Day chief guest

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 19: Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be visiting India from January 24 to 26 during which he will attend the Republic Day celebrations as chief guest, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.

He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers, senior officials and captains of industry, the ministry said in a statement.

During the course of the visit, Sheikh Mohamed will hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral, regional and global issues of common interest. The visiting dignitary will also call on President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari. This is the second visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to India since February 2016.

"Following the landmark visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE in August 2015, the two countries have agreed to elevate the mutually beneficial relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership," the ministry statement said.

Bilateral trade between India and the UAE stood at about $50 billion in 2015-16. The Gulf nation is among the top investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments and was the fifth largest supplier of crude oil to India in 2015-16. At 2.6 million, Indians form the largest expatriate group in the UAE.

IANS
Delhi LG asks to remove squatters, illegal parking under flyovers

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 19: Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday ordered the removal of encroachments and unauthorised parking under flyovers and near U-turns on Delhi roads to ensure smooth traffic in the city.

"Critical bottlenecks and congestion points (should) be identified by the Traffic Police and measures (should be) taken to remove them. Unauthorised parkings and encroachments under flyovers and U-turns be removed and the area be fenced and beautified," the Lt. Governor's Office said in a statement.

He also ordered the Delhi Traffic Police to set up a traffic management task force in coordination with other agencies concerned for uniformity in decision-making and focused efforts on the ground. Baijal's directions came during a high-level meeting on traffic management with senior officials of the Delhi Police, Delhi Development Authority, the three Delhi Municipal Corporations, the Delhi government's Transport Department and others at Raj Nivas here.

He expressed serious concern over reports of regular traffic congestions at various points in Delhi. The Lt. Governor directed all agencies concerned "to work in tandem to resolve traffic management issues and to make Delhi roads safe for all". Baijal also directed the Traffic Police to procure red-light violation detection cameras and automatic number plate reader cameras and install them at identified locations at the earliest.

"Strict action (should) be taken against overspeeding vehicles and persons using mobile phones while driving. No offenders to be spared," he said. He reiterated the need for a uniform parking policy for Delhi and said it needs to be prepared by tghe civic corporations and the Transport Department at the earliest. Baijal also directed for strict implementation of pedestrian safety measures.

IANS
I-T dept files prosecution against TRS MLA for tax evasion

India

oi-PTI

Hyderabad, Jan 19: The Income Tax department has launched prosecution in court against a Telangana MLA for allegedly amassing undisclosed income worth Rs 500 crore in a case of tax evasion.

The I-T department, officials said, has initiated action against Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) MLA S Rajender Reddy and has charged him under "sections 276 (1) and 277 of the I-T Act" pertaining to offences of wilful attempt to evade taxes and false statement in verification.

When contacted by PTI, Reddy's gunman said the "legislator is in a meeting and cannot take calls right now". Reddy is an MLA from the Narayanpet Assembly constituency in Mahbubnagar district of Telangana. He had last year switched sides from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and had joined the party in power in the state.

The I-T action came after the Bengaluru investigation wing of the department had carried out searches against Reddy and his educational trusts in December, 2015 and the operation led the taxman to seize "cash of about Rs 20 crore, seizure of highly incriminating documents and detection of undisclosed income of more than Rs 500 crore".

After the prosecution was filed by the tax department in a court in Raichur in Karnataka in November last, the MLA had last month filed an anticipatory bail before the Principal Sessions Court which allowed his plea but not before asking the lawmaker to furnish a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh and surety bonds of equal sums from two other people before the Investigating Officer (IO) of the case.

The MLA, they said, appeared before the IO on January 5 and furnished the bonds as directed by the Court. The I-T probe found that the MLA was allegedly indulging in large-scale evasion through his educational trusts and a medical college and a report prepared in this regard said this act was leading to "substantial loss of revenue to the government".

The tax report said that Reddy has been charged under the stringent provisions of the I-T Act, 1961 which entail a rigorous imprisonment of up to seven years along with a fine. The case will now be taken up for regular hearing by the competent court, they said.

PTI
PM Modi to chair meet with India Inc on 'Ease of Doing Biz'

India can boost exports by $5.5 bn by cutting trade costs: CII

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 19: Industry chamber CII on Thursday said that its recent survey reveals that reducing costs of trade through digitisation, inland infrastructure development and an efficient regulatory environment across four high-growth trade sectors can boost exports by 5-8 per cent.

"A first-of-its-kind study by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Maersk reveals that reducing the costs of trade across four high-growth trade sectors by prioritising digitisation, inland infrastructure development, an efficient regulatory environment and developmental training, can boost exports by 5-8 per cent," CII said in a release here.

"A 10 per cent reduction can boost India's competitiveness and contribute additional revenues of up to $5.5 billion annually," it said.

"The study called 'Stimulating India's EXIM growth' reports that indirect/hidden costs of trade in textiles, pharmaceuticals, electronics and auto components accrued from unreliable transport services and regulatory/bureaucratic delays are as high as 38 - 47 per cent of the total logistics cost," it added.

The survey findings revealed that while 54 per cent respondents ranked both regulatory documentation and terminal handling as serious challenges, between 51-60 per cent of them considered inland transportation a serious challenge.

"While we need timely and cost-effective transportation to support trade expansion along with a robust policy, it is also critical to address challenges like inadequate inland infrastructure and indirect and hidden costs", Rajeev Sinha, Co-Chair, CII National Committee on Ports and Shipping, said.

Noting that outlook for global trade in 2017 remains weak, the report said India has the opportunity to improve its share of global trade and be the only country to deliver nearly double-digit growth in container trade this year. "Reducing costs by a fourth can substantially boost exports in just these sectors," Maersk Line MD Franck Dedenis said.

"APM Terminals (India's largest container terminal) in Nhava Sheva (India's largest container port, near Mumbai) has consistently increased its container throughout and productivity since 2006 and as a result has improved India's liner shipping connectivity delivering an additional 9 per cent in trade for the country since," said Maersk Senior Director (South Asia) Julian Bevis.

Meanwhile, signalling a definitive reversal of the continuous decline in Indian merchandise exports through most of last year, official data last week showed these grew for the fourth month in a row at $23.89 billion in December 2016, an uptick of an impressive 5.72 per cent over the $22.59 billion in December 2015.

IANS
Inside scoop: What is the Yeddyurappa, Eshwarappa battle really about

India

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, Jan 19: We will not rest until BS Yeddyurappa mends his ways, was the cry at a meeting of BJP dissidents held at Tumkuru, about 70 km away from Bengaluru, on Wednesday. The meeting led by KS Eshwarappa sent out a message to their party state president, Yeddyurappa, to mend his ways, failing which they would not rest. Following their meet in Tumkur on Wednesday, 24 dissidents have been called for a meeting with B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday. In this meeting, the party hopes to address their concerns, however, K S Eshwarappa is not on the list of invitees.

[Also Read: Karnataka BJP rift out in open; leaders oppose Yeddyurappa]

Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa have been at loggerheads for a long time now. For the public consumption, it appears as though trouble broke out after Eshwarappa announced the Sangoli Rayanna Brigade. He claims that this group has the backing of religious heads.

Is it just about control over the party or is there more than what meets the eye? Is Eshwarappa signaling to the party leadership that he wants a change in constituency?

Yeddyurappa is the tallest leader among the Lingayat community, which forms a chunk of the vote bank in Karnataka. He enjoys the support of the national leadership 'today' as it is felt that he alone can bring the party back to power.

Going by Eshwarappa's statements it is clear that he is trying to send out a message to the leadership in Delhi that he too has the backing of religious leaders and also a good number of people on his side.

Will a change in constituency calm Eshwarappa?

In the 2013 Karnataka assembly elections, Eshwarappa's lost the Shivamogga constituency, then known as Shimoga, a prestigious seat. He was a minister both in the Yeddyurappa and Jagadish Shettar governments, apart from being the party's state president.

During the 2013 polls, Yeddyurappa had floated his own party, Karnataka Janata Paksha. This had a disastrous effect on the BJP which lost the elections badly. At that time, the Eshwarappa camp accused Yeddyurappa of ensuring that the former was defeated.

Yeddyurappa, who hails from Shivamogga as well, has a lot of control over the voters. Eshwarappa's faction felt that Yeddyurappa ensured that he was defeated.

The Karnataka Assembly elections to be held in 2018 would be a prestigious one for Yeddyurappa. He returned to the BJP and there is a lot that is riding on him. With acquittals in several cases up his sleeve, he is being seen as the only ray of hope for the party.

However, Eshwarappa, according to party insiders is uncomfortable. During the ticket distribution process, Yeddyurappa is likely to allocate Shivamogga again to him. The Eshwarappa camp feels that Yeddyurappa may ensure his defeat yet again this time.

Party insiders add that this is one of the main reasons why Eshwarappa may have floated the brigade. He wants to impress upon the leadership in Delhi that not just Yeddyurappa, but he too has a clout and religious backing of his own.

Putting out the numbers before the leadership would give him the bargaining power to select his own constituency. He feels that he has a fair chance of winning, if he is given a constituency other than Shivamogga.

He also realises that if he loses the polls in 2018, his career would be pretty much over as none would want to touch him even with a barge poll.

OneIndia News
ISI's train terror: Probe leads are positive, say R&AW, NIA

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Jan 19: A team of the Research and Analysis Wing which along with the National Investigation Agency questioned three suspected Inter-Services Intelligence agents, in connection with a train mishap case, have got some positive leads. The trio were questioned after the Bihar police revealed that the November 20, Bihar-Patna Express mishap was possibly an ISI sponsored operation.

[Also Read: Terror on the tracks: ISI plotted big attacks on vulnerable Indian Railways]

The police had arrested Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar Patel and Mukesh Yadav on the suspicion that they were responsible for the train accident. It was further revealed that they were acting at the behest of Brajesh Giri, an ISI stooge based out of Nepal.

An official with the NIA informed OneIndia that the leads are positive. There appears to be some connection between these persons and the train accident. We also questioned them if they had a role to play in other train accidents too.

The trio during the questioning provided information about two other persons-- Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadav believed to be hiding in East Champaran. However, for the police to crack this case, they would need to find and arrest Giri.

Indian agencies are already in touch with authorities in Nepal to help find this man.

It is suspected that the ISI had hatched a plan to trigger-off train accidents in India. The recent train accidents at Bihar or Kanpur have been major ones.

Despite months of investigation, no concrete reason has been ascertained as to why these accidents took place.

Investigators say that they are trying to check if any of these persons had carried out an explosion on the tracks so that it led to a derailment. Further the probe agencies are also checking if the tracks were meddled with to cause the train accident.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, January 19, 2017, 7:49 [IST]
IT raids at Ktaka Mahila Cong chief, cabinet ministers houses

India

oi-Anusha

Officials from the Income Tax Department carried out raids on properties belonging to a Karnataka minister as well as Karnataka Congress' women's wing president in various locations across the state. Officials attached to the Karnataka-Goa directorate of the IT department carried out raids in Bengaluru, Gokak and Belagavi.

In Belagavi, the residence of Laxmi Hebbalkar, the president of Congress' women's wing in Karnataka was raided. Karnataka Minister for Small Scale Industries, Ramesh Jarkiholi's properties in Gokak and Bengaluru were also raided. Apart from him, properties of the minister's brother, Lakhan, as well as his associate Ali, were also searched.

Officials scrutinised documents pertaining to tax remittance over suspicion of tax evasion. Apart from his Gokak residence, Ramesh's apartment in Bengaluru was also raided. Officials are yet to complete scrutiny of documents.

The raids come on a day when the Congress in Karnataka has taken to the streets to protest against RBI losing its autonomy to the union government as part of AICC's nationwide protest.

OneIndia News
Jallikattu flashpoint: Cruelty, say PETA supporters; protesters claim sabotage

India

oi-Anusha

Jallikattu has become a flashpoint in Tamil Nadu with thousands of protesters coming together to support the sport. Chorus is also growing to ban the animal rights organisation the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals from Tamil Nadu. While people's anger is evident on the streets of Tamil Nadu, PETA and activists associated with it claim that the anger against the organisation is unfair.

Commenting on the argument that is was a traditional sport and hence should be allowed to continue, Vinay Kulkarni, an animal rights activist who supports PETA said, "Jallikattu was earlier sportive but now it is sheer cruelty. I oppose it and so does PETA because we are fighting for animal rights, for animal welfare. The anger is unjustified and unfair. We did not ban it but the Supreme Court did."

Many protesters agitating in support of Jallikattu have said that a total ban was unnecessary and putting regulations in place will ensure the safety of bulls as well as continuity of tradition. Countering this argument, activists asked who will monitor the sport? The event is organised on a large scale annually across the state and having regulations will create a new problem of implementing it, he added.

Meanwhile, PETA India has been responding to the criticism it has been receiving over the Jallikattu issue. "Jallikattu exploits bulls' natural nervousness as prey animals by deliberately placing them in a terrifying situation in which they are forced to run away from those they perceive as predators. Cruelty is inherent in these events, as bulls are not anatomically suited to them. It is observed that forcing bulls to participate, subjects them to unnecessary pain and suffering, so it ruled that such races are not permitted by law," PETA said in a statement.

Rubbishing allegations of PETA having vested interests in taking on such issues, it said, "Jallikattu, bull races and other similar events also violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. This means the causing of unnecessary suffering to bulls which are inherent in these events has been illegal for 56 years."

PETA, a mafia, claim protesters

The protests at Chennai's Marina Beach have no precedent in recent vintage. Politicians who attempted to be part of the marina protests were booed away, including Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam working president M K Stalin. The people's agitation is only gaining momentum. Protesters have been demanding a ban on PETA for peddling the 'wrong image' of Jallikattu and Tamil Nadu.

"PETA is a marketing company. Their job is to pick on issues, show them in a bad light and get foreign funding. They work like a mafia, organised in their endeavour to please their foreign bosses. Their lobby starts from here till the Supreme Court and their fight is against poor farmers who can't fight legal battles. It is atrocious to say that Jallikattu is cruelty. I am an animal lover and I have been the sport. Yes there may have been instances of animals being ill-treated but generalising it is unfair," said Muralidharan who runs a shelter for abandoned animals in Chennai but believes that ban on Jallikattu is unfair.

Protesters have refused to give in to the government's pleas. they refused to leave the venue despite AIADMK general secretary assuring to explore legal measures to ban PETA on Wednesday. "For me, this protest is a revolution. Last year 24 people protested in support of Jallikattu and this year there are 25,000 of us and I assure you that there will be 2.5 lakh of us if the ban is not revoked", Muralidharan added.

Protesters believe they do not need any political party or leader to lead them in this protest. They hope that their protest makes an impact on the Supreme Court that is yet to pass a judgement on the Jallikattu issue. With the central government refusing to pass an ordinance, the SC order is what everyone is waiting for.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Thursday, January 19, 2017, 12:48 [IST]
Row over Islamic verses during all-faith prayers, Kanpur school backs down

Man kills self due to 'harassment' by cop

UP: Kanpur airport to get World-Class facilities by year end

Kanpur train derailment likely to be transferred to NIA

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 19: The Home Ministry is likely to hand over the Kanpur train derailment case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday, sources said.

The move follows the NIA's request to the ministry to transfer the case.

On Wednesday, an NIA team reached Bihar's Motihari district to investigate the alleged role of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence behind last November's Indore-Patna Express train derailment near Kanpur that claimed over 100 lives.

IANS


Should Kashmir be given to Pakistan: Row erupts after this question appears in MP civil service exam

Kashmiri Pandit exodus: Convert, leave or be killed, the dreaded sermon haunts 26 years later

India

oi-Vicky

Jammu, Jan 19: It has been 26 years since the Kashmiri Pandits living in Jammu and Kashmir faced one of their worst nightmares. January 19, 1990, changed everything for them.

On that day, mosques issued declarations that the Kashmiri Pandits were kafirs. The males in particular were given a directive, 'either convert, leave or get killed'. That sermon changed everything.

There were sermons issued to identify the homes of Kashmiri Pandits, so that they could either be converted or killed. Scores of Kashmiri Pandits left in large numbers. There have been varying figures on the number of them who had left.

An estimated figure suggests that over 1,00,000 Pandits left their homes. Not much has changed today. Although there have been several calls made for the Pandits to return to their homes, many fear doing do as the Valley still remains unstable.

Some statistics indicate that as of October 2015, only one family had returned to the Valley. In 2016, it was reported that a total of 1,800 youth returned to the valley after a Rs 1,168 crore package was announced in 2008.

For many the situation has not changed much. The government continues to report threats to Kashmiri Pandits from terrorist groups. Several families continue to live in abject conditions at refugee camps in Jammu.

Recently, the Hizbul Mujahideen had put out a video calling up the Pandits to return to the valley. "We have nothing against you," Burhan Wani the slain commander of the outfit had said in a video. However, the Pandits find it hard to believe and ask if it is some sort of a joke.

If looked into carefully, Wani's statement suggest that the Pandits must return home and not be part of a colony which the government is trying to set up. Most of the Kashmiri Pandits had sold their homes at throw away prices before leaving the Valley.

The prices have gone up three times in the past 26 years. Even if they wish to return, their homes and lands do not exist as they have been purchased or sold multiple times in the past.

OneIndia
Katni hawala case: ED registers PMLA case

India

oi-PTI

Bhopal, Jan 19: The Enforcement Directorate today registered a money laundering case in the Katni district hawala racket to probe allegations that stash funds to the tune of Rs 500 crore were illegally routed by operatives using fake bank accounts post demonetisation.

Officials said the agency booked a criminal case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) taking cognisance of four FIRs registered by Madhya Pradesh Police and a recommendation sent in this regard by the state government to the ED headquarters in Delhi earlier.

The agency, they said, will soon send a team of officials from its offices in Indore and Mumbai to liaise with Katni Police who had registered the first case based on the complaints. The case had assumed political overtones after Katni Superintendent of Police Gaurav Tiwari, considered to be instrumental in taking the probe into the case forward, was transferred on January 9 to Chhindwara by the government. Under the said hawala racket, fake accounts were allegedly opened in a private bank branch under which scrapped old notes were deposited in Katni district.

A state government spokesperson had earlier said: "Some elements have exchanged currency (old notes) through fake bank accounts at a bank at Katni by forging the documents. The state government has decided that the ED should be urged to look into all these cases." Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said the police have limited powers to probe such matters, but their investigation would continue.

"So, we are informing the ED about these cases," Chouhan had told reporters last week here. Though the state government had termed Tiwari's transfer as a "routine" administrative affair, the development triggered a series of protests in Katni, located about 365 km from here. Congress had alleged that the SP's was transfered to "hush up the scam".

"The name of a cabinet colleague of the chief minister also figured along with other influential people in this money laundering scam exposed by Tiwari," state Congress chief Arun Yadav had alleged. "In a bid to cover up the matter, the state government removed Tiwari from Katni SP's post within six months of this posting," he had charged. A Congress spokesperson had also said that this alleged money laundering "scam" is worth over Rs 500 crore.

PTI
I will break your legs: SFI issues threat to principal in presence of cops in Kerala

'If I have nominated even one person using authority, I'll resign': Kerala governor on VC row

Kerala: Kannur bandh after BJP leader is hacked to death

India

oi-Vicky

Kannur, Jan 19: The Bharatiya Janata Party has called for a strike at Kannur in Kerala after one of its workers was hacked to death. The BJP alleges that the CPM was behind the murder.

On Wednesday, MC Santhosh was hacked to death at 11pm at Dharmadom. His wife and children were away when the incident took place. It is alleged that the assailants reached his home at 11pm and attacked him. Santhosh was rushed to hospital by his friends, but died of excessive bleeding.

The BJP has cried foul and accused the CPM for the murder. Rajesh Padmar, coordinator, RSS media centre and chief editor of Samvada.org tweeted, "RSS swaaymsevak, BJP activist Santhosh, 52, hacked to death near his house by Left goons at Dharmadom, Kerala CM's own constituency."

As per preliminary investigations, the murder could have been a result of a clash between ABVP and SFI workers at Brennan College in Thalassery, in connection with the Vivekananda Jayanthi celebrations held recently.

In protest the BJP has called for a dawn to dusk hartal on Thursday. The BJP has, however, exempted the state school youth festival. Essential services too have been exempted.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Thursday, January 19, 2017, 8:38 [IST]
Media needs to be more alert in news presentation: Pranab Mukherjee

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Kolkata, Jan 19: President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday cautioned the media to be more alert in presentation of news taking into account differences of opinion. The President iterated there was no place for intolerance in democracy, whether in the fourth estate or elsewhere.

Speaking at the 35th anniversary of Bengali daily "Aajkal", Mukherjee said the three elements of parliamentary democracy -- debate, discussion and dissention -- should be dealt with utmost care to avoid any turmoil. "The media needs to be more alert in presentation of news taking into account differences of opinion," he said.

Averring that running a newspaper was a difficult task, he said handsome investment, as well as a modern mindset open to technological evolutions was needed to make it more modern. A pictorial album and book on the president, published by "Aajkal", with another book titled "Saint Teresa", a booklet on 35 years of the daily and a book of poetry by West Bengal Governor K.N. Tripathy titled "I am the Love" were presented to Mukherjee.

IANS
Nagaland CM urges Centre to stop fence construction

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 19: Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang on Thursday urged the central government to intervene and get halted the ongoing construction by Myanmar of a fence along the India-Myanmar border in Nagaland.

The fence, once constructed, may cut off 3,500 acres of arable land in Naga villages. Zeliang, who met Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday also said that the movement of Nagas along both sides of the border would get adversely affected and harm their living.

"Border fencing is also not in tune with the Free Movement Regime shared by both India and Myanmar," Zeliang told Singh. He also said that "unlike India's borders with Pakistan, people along India-Myanmar borders have been living peacefully together since time immemorial and there is no need for border fencing as far as these areas are concerned".

"The communities living on both sides of the border in these areas have very close cultural and social affinities and there are instances where people hold land on both sides of the border," Zeliang said. According to a statement by the Nagaland government, Zeliang also told the Home Minister that the fencing would also affect the Act East policy -- which intends to improve trade and communications across the India-Myanmar border.

The statement also said that Zeliang was told the Union Home Ministry has already written to the External Affairs Ministry to take up with the Myanmar government not to proceed with border fencing on their side.

The construction of border fencing from border pillar number 139 to 146 along the India-Myanmar border would affect mostly the Khiamniungan Naga tribe -- numbering over 3,000 -- and their 3,500 acres of cultivable land. Earlier, a delegation from the Eastern Naga People's Organisation (ENPO) and the India-Myanmar border village council approached the home and defence ministries to halt the fence construction.

IANS
No room for third party role on J&K issue: India to Britain

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Jan 19: India today reacted strongly to reports that British Parliament may debate on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, saying there is no room for a third party role in the matter.

Noting that the government was aware of the development, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "Our position on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is very clear that all issues between India and Pakistan are to be resolved bilaterally and peacefully in accordance with Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration. There is no room for third party."

According to reports, UK's House of Commons was likely to debate on J&K issue which was proposed by the Backbench Business Committee following an application from British MP David Nuttall.

The motion to be debated said, "That this House notes the escalation in violence and breaches of international human rights on the Indian side of the LoC in Kashmir; calls on the Government to raise the matter at the UN Nations; "And further calls on the Government to encourage Pakistan and India to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution on the future governance of Kashmir based on the right of the Kashmiri people to determine their own future in accordance with the provisions of UN Security Council resolutions," as per the reports.

PTI
7 Reasons Why You Have To Visit Malaysia/Kuala Lumpur In 2017 India oi-Staff

"Malaysia, truly Asia."

This aptly sums up the noveltyand diversity this South Eastern country has to offer

This beautiful nation nestled between Thailand and Indonesia is a melting pot of different cultures, cuisines and experiences. This enchanting paradise has everything that a traveller looks for.

For those looking for a laid-back holiday,Malaysia is endowed with numerous pristine beaches andgorgeous sea-side resorts, perfect for relaxing with your loved ones. For history and architecture aficionados, the country is home to some of the most beautiful buildings in the world, like the KL Towerand Istana Negara Malaysia, with its exotic wildlife, rich heritage and unique culture has something to offer to any kind of traveller.

With its perfect equatorial climate with high temperatures (21-35 degree Celsius), Malaysia is undoubtedly one of the best holiday destinations for a visit any time of the year.

So, here are 7 reasons why visiting Malaysia/Kuala Lumpur should be on your must-see list in 2017.

The Batu Caves

The Batu caves is the home of the cave temples, located specifically in Gombak, Selangor. This iconic hill gets its name from the Sungai Batu river which flows near it. This shrine is dedicated to lord Murugan and is one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations for Hindus. It's also a treasure trove for history and architecture buffs.

Fraser's Hills

Fraser's Hill is a scenic resort ensconced in the mountains of Pahang, which is about a 2hour drive from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Popularly known as Bukit Fraser in Malaysia, this hill station is a great place for Malaysians and international travellers alike. Fraser's Hill dates back to the year 1800, when the area was famous for tin and ore trading. Again, a great place for nature lovers.

Thean Hou Temple

One of the oldest temples in Southeast Asia, Thean Hou Temple is dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess, Mazu. This architectural wonder is located atop a hill, overlooking the Jalan Syed Putra in Kuala Lumpur.

Penang Beach

If you are looking for stretches of white sand and pristine blue water, then look no further than Penang. Beaches located in Penang, a state located on the Northwest coast of Malaysia, are known for their scenic views and a plethora of dining options. Haven't you put this on your bucket list already?

Petronas Tower

The Petronas towers, aka the Petronas twin towers, are two of the tallest buildings in the world. Designed by Cesar Pelli & associates, this architectural wonder is a site to behold. Standing 452 meters tall, Petronas Towers also has a gorgeous jogging track, walking pathways and a swimming pool for all to enjoy.

Gondola Lift

The Genting Skyway in Malaysia is one of the fastest and longest gondola lifts in Asia. It connects the Gohtong Jaya and Resort Hotel in Pahang, Malaysia. This lift ferry's almost 2000 travellers per hour! This amazingly engineered marvel is a must-visit site in Malaysia.

Amazing Deals by AirAsia

Another perfect reason for wanderlusts to visit Malaysia/Kuala Lumpur in 2017 is the amazing fares offered by AirAsia. You can explore this beautiful destination for as low as Rs 999 with AirAsia. Doesn't that sound like a good-enough reason to pack your bags and fly to Malaysia for the long weekend?

What are you waiting for? Book NOW with AirAsia.
Talk to AK irregularities: What is the enquiry against Sisodia all about

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Jan 19: On Wednesday, the Central Bureau of Investigation registered a preliminary enquiry against Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, for alleged irregularities in the Talk to AK, a social media campaign.

[Also Read: CBI registers inquiry against Manish Sisodia for irregularities in Talk to AK campaign]

The complaint was filed by the Vigilance Department of the Delhi government. What is the complaint about and why has the CBI registered a PE in this case? It is alleged in the complaint that a consultant of a public relations company was hired by the Delhi government to promote the Talk to AK campaign.

A proposal of Rs 1.5 crore was prepared. However, the Principal Secretary objected to this. The complaint further alleged that despite the objections the Delhi government went ahead with this. This created a liability for the government, the complainant further alleged.

A CBI official informed OneIndia that it wants to look into allegations. We need to look into the alleged role of Sisodia in capacity of Delhi's Dy CM. We are trying to find out why the Delhi government went ahead with the proposal despite the Principal Secretary objecting to the same.

When the CBI official was asked if there were any kickbacks involved in this case, he said that it was too early to comment. The PE has been launched to find out what exactly happened prima facie, the officer added.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Thursday, January 19, 2017, 7:01 [IST]
So what does OPS need to pull the rug from under Sasikala?

Appreciate cultural significance but matter sub-judice, PM Modi tells OPS

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Even as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Paneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Jallikattu issue on Thursday, the Centre is unlikely to promulgate an ordinance in the event of the issue pending before the Supreme Court.

After the meeting, the prime minister said the issue of Jallikattu was discussed. While appreciating the significance of the bull-taming festival, the PM observed that the matter is sub-judice as it is seized off by the Supreme Court.

A delegation of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MPs will on Saturday call on President Pranab Mukherjee to demand lifting ban on Jallikattu.

Amidst protests in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu over the ban on the bull taming sport, Paneerselvam dashed off to New Delhi to urge Modi to promulgate an ordinance allowing the sport to be played. The PM has assured to look into the issue.

Sources in the government however say while they understand the sentiments of the people ODFof the Tamil Nadu, they are unlikely to take any decision as of now. The matter is seized off before the SC. In this event it would amount to interference if an ordinance is promulgated, an officer in the know of things said.

The official also added that it was a notification of the centre that was challenged in the Supreme Court. The SC had stayed the notification and after hearing arguments at length had reserved orders. The SC has not given any indication as to when it would deliver the verdict.

SC shoots down petition

The Supreme Court has shot down another petition that sought its intervention in the matter in the wake of the ongoing protests at Chennai. The court said that it will not interfere in the matter and directed the petitioner to approach the concerned or appropriate court. The bench directed the petitioner to take the matter to the Madras high court instead.

The petitioner sought before the court its urgent intervention in the matter. The petitioner told the court that a decision would need to be taken as the protesters are swelling at the Marina Beach in Chennai and it is becoming a public movement.

The court however refused to take up the matter stating that it should be taken up by the Madras high court instead. A matter pertaining to Jallikattu is also pending in the Supreme Court. In fact while staying a notification issued by the Union government, the court reserved orders on the matter after hearing arguments at length.

One India News
Students protest to lift the ban on the traditional sport:

Youngsters and students during a protest to lift the ban on Jallikattu and impose ban on PETA, at Kamarajar Salai, Marina Beach in Chennai on January 18.

Thousands gather in support of Jallikattu:

Protestors gathered at Chennai's Marina beach on January 19, demanding the ban to be lifted on the traditional sport.

Police lathi charge protestors:

Despite a police lathi charge, protesters stay put and close to 3,000 people staged an overnight protest at the beach. This, even as protests in various districts including the hotbed of Jallikattu protests, Alanganallur are seeing massive protests.

Jallikattu as usual, despite Supreme Court's orders

Despite Supreme Court ban people release the Jallikattu bull at Alanganallur in Madurai on January 19.

Colleges declare holiday in TN:

The Annamalai University has declared holiday until Sunday given the uncertainty and has asked all hostel inmates to vacate. Thirty-one colleges in Chennai alone have declared holiday on Thursday.

What is Jallikattu:

Jallikattu is a bull taming sport played in Tamil Nadu as part of Pongal celebrations. The Supreme Court banned this sport in 2014 citing animal welfare issues.
TRS, BJP are two sides of same coin: Rahul Gandhi in Telangana

Congress will bring back old pension scheme in Gujarat, if voted to power: Rahul Gandhi

Torn kurta, no problem: BJP youth wing in K'taka couriers new shirt to Rahul Gandhi

India

oi-Anusha

Bengaluru, Jan 19: Days after All India Congress Committee vice president Rahul Gandhi displayed his torn kurta at a public gathering, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing in Karnataka have couriered him a brand new shirt.

Members of the Ranebennur unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha sent Rahul Gandhi a shirt in response to the Congress leader's jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They even went on Facebook live to telecast the couriering of the shirt.

"Rahul said his Kurta was torn. We are sure he didn't have any more after withdrawing only Rs 4,000 during demonetisation drive. We couriered him a new white shirt so he doesn't have to wear torn ones," said Uday, a member of the organisation.

Rahul Gandhi had, at a meeting in Uttarakhand, claimed that his Kurta was torn but one could never find the prime minister wearing a torn kurta.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Thursday, January 19, 2017, 20:10 [IST]
Women seek help to bring their mother back from Oman

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Jan 18: Two sisters on Wednesday sought help from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in bringing back their mother who is stuck in Oman after being allegedly ill-treated by recruitment agents.

The women from Haryana sought her help through twitter. Swaraj responding to their complaint asked Indian Embassy in Muscat to "file a case against the persons who indulged in human trafficking and ill-treated our national."

"@ProtectorGenGOI Pl take stringent action against this agent. We must take this to the logical conclusion./3 @Indemb_Muscat," Swaraj tweeted."The lady is in our shelter home. If possible please repatriate her," she asked Indian Ambassador in Oman.

PTI
Three years ago, on this day Narendra Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister

Adama Barrow sworn in as Gambian president in Senegal

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Dakar, Jan 20 Adama Barrow was sworn as Gambian President on Thursday at the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, capital of Senegal.

Barrow, who officially became the third head of state of his country, after Dawda Jawara (1970-1994), and Yahya Jammah, in power since 1994 through a coup d'etat, was sworn in in front of Sheriff Tambedou, President of the Gambia Bar, Xinhua news agency reported.

Senegalese Prime Minister Mahammed Dionne, foreign ambassadors to Senegal and officials from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) attended the ceremony.

A candidate of the coalition of seven opposition parties, Barrow, staying in Dakar since Saturday, was declared the winner of the presidential election on December 2, 2016 by the Independent Electoral Commission.

But he was unable to take over the presidential power in Banjul because his election win was recognised and then challenged by then President Yahya Jammeh, who refused to cede power to him despite the steps taken by the heads of state of the ECOWAS.

On Wednesday, a few hours before the end of Jammeh's official mandate, the National Assembly of The Gambia passed a resolution to extend his mandate by three months, exactly the period of time of a state of emergency declared by Jammeh on January 17.

The armies of Senegal and ECOWAS are positioned along the Gambian border for a possible military intervention.

IANS
Chinese man begs to be hit to raise money for son's operation

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Beijing, Jan 19: A Chinese man begged strangers to hit him for a fee in order to raise money to treat his son who is going blind, media reports said. Fan Fugui, from south-west China's Chongqing, knelt on a street in Beijing last week and charged passers-by 10 yuan ($1.5) per hit, the Daily Mail reported.

Fan's one-year-old child was born with serious eye diseases and needs an operation which will cost 100,000 yuan. Pictures show Fan, begging on a busy street of the capital city, wearing nothing but his underpants in the freezing weather as he presented a wooden rod with both hands, inviting pedestrians to beat him.

A signboard next to him explained about his son's condition and asked 'kind-hearted people' to help him. Due to the child's complicated conditions, doctors couldn't guarantee that he would gain full eyesight after the operation.

Fan said wouldn't give up. "I don't want my child to go blind. I want him to be able to look after himself when he grows up."

IANS


Donald Trump waxwork replaces Obama at Madame Tussauds

International

oi-PTI

London, Jan 19: A Donald Trump waxwork has been unveiled at Madame Tussauds museum in London, complete with his signature suntan -- and yak hair. Dressed in a navy suit, white shirt and red tie, the wax figure of Trump was placed on Wednesday in a mock-up of the White House's Oval Office.

With a United States flag lapel pinned to his suit jacket, the model stands with his hands to his waist and a sombre look on his lined face. Specialists were brought in to weave yak hair into Trump's scalp, while makeup artists went about creating his suntanned look.

"Since Mr Trump was announced as the victorious candidate in what was a nail-biting and hard-fought campaign for both parties, our studio team have been frantically busy matching his infamous glowing tan and trademark hairstyle in time for the start of his presidential reign," said museum manager Edward Fuller.

Trump is due to be inaugurated as US president on Friday, after his surprise victory in the November election. His arrival at Madame Tussauds's version of the Oval Office saw the outgoing president Barack Obama moved out of the museum display.

Along with Trump, the museum hosts waxworks of other politicians including Russian leader Vladimir Putin and British Foreign minister Boris Johnson. The Trump model is due to open to the public on Friday and remain in the museum until the end of the real-life American's presidency.

PTI
President's final press address: Barack Obama 'warned' Donald Trump

International

oi-PTI

Washington, Jan 19: President Barack Obama on Wednesday warned his successor Donald Trump against any "sudden, unilateral moves" on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in an apparent reference to his plan to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"The president-elect will have his own policy," Obama told his final news conference, two days before leaving office.

"But obviously it's a volatile environment. What we have seen in the past is when some unilateral moves are made that speak to some of the core issues and sensitivities of either side, that can be explosive."

Obama also talked about democracy, once again.

"Yes, democracy is messy," he said.

"But there are more good people than bad and things will turn out just fine. We just have to fight for it. We have to work for it and we have to not take it for granted," Obama added.

PTI
The Obama family

In this file picture President Barack Obama waves as he walks on stage with first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha at his election night party Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Chicago. President Obama on Tuesday made his farewell speech in Chicago as he closes the book on his presidency. Image courtesy: PTI.

Former President Jimmy Carter

Former President Jimmy Carter works at a Habitat for Humanity building site Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, in Memphis, Tenn. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have volunteered a week of their time annually to Habitat for Humanity since 1984, events dubbed "Carter work projects" that draw thousands of volunteers and take months of planning. Image courtesy: PTI.

Former president George W Bush

Republican presidential candidate and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, accompanied by his brother former President George W. Bush and George's wife Laura Bush, takes the stage during a campaign stop Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, in North Charleston, S.C. Image courtesy: PTI.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney

TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 14, 2007) - Vice President Dick Cheney speaks to members of Central Command, Special Operations Command and 6th Air Mobility Wing at the MacDill Air Force Base theater. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alisha M. Frederick. Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Former president Bill Clinton and 2016 presidential election nominee Hillary Clinton

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton hugs her husband, former President Bill Clinton as their daughter Chelsea Clinton looks on during a campaign rally in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016. Image courtesy: PTI.

Prominent faith leaders like Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the Reverend Franklin Graham

From left, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, right, greet guests at the end of the 71st annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, a charity gala organized by the Archdiocese of New York, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016, at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York. Image courtesy: PTI.

Americas Got Talent runner-up Jackie Evancho will sing the national anthem

Photo of Jackie Evancho in concert on November 8, 2013. Photograph by: Joan Hall. Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Pakistans former President Asif Ali Zardari will attend the inauguration of Donald Trump

Former Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari, waves as he leaves a court in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014. Zardari has appeared before accountability court to defend National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) references on corruption charges. Image courtesy: PTI.

National Security Adviser Ajit Kumar Doval is expected to attend the inauguration as a special invitee

Secretary of State John Kerry, right, meets with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, at the Department of State, Wednesday, March 30, 2016, in Washington. Image courtesy: PTI.
Obama hopes America will elect more racially diverse leaders

International

pti-PTI

Washington, Jan 19: Pitching for racial diversity in the US, outgoing President Barack Obama has hoped to see a woman, a Hindu, a Jewish or a Latino president in the future, asserting that deserving people rising up from race and faith define America's strength.

"If, in fact, we continue to keep the opportunity open to everybody, then yes, we're going to have a woman president, we're going to have a Latino president, and we'll have a Jewish president, a Hindu president," Obama told mediapersons at a crowded White House in his final press conference as the President of the United States. "Who knows who we're going to have. I suspect we'll have a whole bunch of mixed-up presidents at some point that nobody really knows what to call them. And that's fine," he said in an apparent reference to the racial, ethnic and religious mix of people in America. He was responding to a question if he expects another black president. In 2008, Obama created history after being elected as the first black president of the United States in a landslide victory. He was re-elected for second term in 2012.

Obama will be succeeded by Donald Trump of the Republican Party at the inauguration tomorrow. "I think we're going to see people of merit rise up from every race, faith, corner of this country, because that's America's strength. When we have everybody getting a chance and everybody is on the field, we end up being better,"Obama said.

"I think I've used this analogy before. We killed it in the Olympics in Brazil. And Michelle and I, we always have the Olympic team here. And it's a lot of fun, first of all, just because anytime you're meeting somebody who is the best at anything, it's impressive," he said. "But they are of all shapes, sizes, colors, the genetic diversity that is on display is remarkable.

And if you look at a Simone Biles, and then you look at a Michael Phelps, they're completely different. And it's precisely because of those differences that we've got people here who can excel at any sport," he added. Referring to the fact that more than half of American medals at Olympics came from women, Obama said the reason is because the US had the foresight several decades ago, with something called Title 9, to make sure that women get opportunities in sports. This is why women compete better, because they have more opportunities than folks in other countries, he said.

PTI
Pak needs peace but core issue is Kashmir: Raheel Sharif

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Davos, Jan 19: Describing Kashmir as the unfinished agenda of Partition, Pakistan's ex-army chief General Raheel Sharif on Thursday said normalcy will return to the region only after the long-standing dispute is resolved.

The former army chief made these remarks while addressing the "Pakistan Breakfast" event on the sidelines of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in this Swiss mountaintop city. The session was arranged by the Pathfinder Group of Pakistan in its efforts to promote the country at the forum which is attended by the world's leading political and business personalities.

Raheel Sharif stressed that the Kashmir issue should be resolved according to the aspirations of the people and resolutions of the United Nations to achieve durable peace in South Asia. "Pakistan needs peace but the core issue is Kashmir, which has to be resolved first," he said.

The restive Himalayan region suffered a rise in violence last year after the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani on July 8. Jammu and Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but both claim it in full.

In reply to a question whether peace and economic prosperity could be achieved in South Asia without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, the former chief of the Pakistan Army said: "There are three words to explain how to move forward and these are Kashmir, Kashmir and Kashmir."

IANS

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Story first published: Thursday, January 19, 2017, 18:28 [IST]
PM Modis message to Obama: Best wishes for your future endeavours

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, Jan 19: It is well-known to us that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama share a 'very warm relationship'. Whenever they met, they met like friends. Now, when Obama is all set to leave the White House on Friday, PM Modi has a special message for his 'American friend'.

[Also Read: Parting message: Obama calls Modi, thanks PM for strengthening Indo-US ties]

"Best wishes for your future endeavours," Modi told Obama over phone on Wednesday. The PM also thanked the outgoing President for providing strong US support to India, which in turn contributed in strengthening strategic partnership between the two nations.

On Wednesday, Obama telephoned Modi to thank him for his partnership that enhanced the relations between India and America. In fact, Obama was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Modi after he won the Lok Sabha polls in May 2014 and immediately invited him to visit the White House.

The two leaders met at the White House in September 2014. Since then they have met each other for eight times. This is a record for leaders between India and America. According to Assistant Secretary of State for South and central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal, the two leaders share a very warm relationship.

"They have a great deal of personal camaraderie. But they also have a great deal of respect for each other for the leadership and the values and the integrity of each other's approach," Biswal told PTI.

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Story first published: Thursday, January 19, 2017, 10:49 [IST]
UK Parliament to debate on Kashmir today

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

London, Jan 19: Britain's House of Commons on Thursday will hold a special debate on the state of human rights violations in Kashmir. The British MPs will raise the issue on killing of civilians and genocide of Kashmiris with the United Nations. It will also urge the government to encourage India and Pakistan to commence peace talks in order to resolve the longstanding Kashmir issue.

Around 100,000 civilians residing in Kashmir have been killed by the Indian forces for demanding freedom from India. Also, the use of pellet guns have injured hundreds of people in the Valley and has resulted in a huge outcry and severe criticism.

On 8 July 2016, Burhan Wani, a 22 year-old leader of the armed group Hizbul Mujahedin, was killed by the security forces in Kashmir. In the aftermath of Burhan Wani's death, there has been widespread violence between the security forces and protestors. In order to contain the volatile situation the security forces started firing, killing several people. Also, the authorities have declared a succession of curfews and also stopped internet services and the media since then. The viloence in the Kashmir valley have led to serious tension between India and Pakistan, with regular exchanges between their forces along the Line of Control.

The British Parliament's Backbench Business Committee meets weekly to consider requests for debates from any backbench MP on any subject, including those raised in e-petitions or national campaigns.

Earlier, member of British Parliament Mirza Khalid Mahmood has pledged to raise Kashmir issue on every world forum on behalf of innocent Kashmiris.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Thursday, January 19, 2017, 15:50 [IST]
US condemns Mali car bomb attack

International

oi-PTI

Washington, Jan 19: The United States has condemned the car bombing that killed 50 people in the northern Mali city of Gao. The attack in the region's biggest city targeted a camp housing former rebels and pro-government militia who were signatories to a 2015 peace accord struck with the government.

"The United States strongly condemns the cowardly attack on a military camp in Gao that houses government forces and members of the primary armed groups that signed the Malian peace accord," State Department Spokesman Peter Kirby said.

"We are aware of reports that the attack was engineered by a suicide bomber using a truck filled with explosives," his statement said. "We offer our condolences to the victims and their families. We also denounce in the strongest terms all efforts to derail implementation of the peace agreement in Mali."

The United Nations has deployed 13,000 peacekeeping troops to Mali, but they have repeatedly been targeted in attacks.

PTI
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All rights reserved.

One News is a registered trademark

of One News Page Ltd.
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Bookies Don't Like Trump's Chances of Surviving His Presidential Term

Big bookies aren't offering great odds for punters looking to bet against Donald Trump making it to the end of his term in the Oval Office.

While Donald Trump's victory may have some significant political and other big-scale implications, the entire presidential campaign gave betting fans a lot to work with. Some of those who backed Trump early on ended up with a tidy profit as his win surprised many bookmakers who gave generous odds, thinking it'd never happen. Now that Trump is about to officially take over the Oval Office tomorrow on January 20, bookies have come out with odds on the new president actually completing his terms.

Conservative Predictions

Although Trump managed to outrun Hillary Clinton in the last moments of the presidential race, it seems that many experts don't see him holding the position for too long. The controversial businessman has always been seen as somewhat of a wild card, and it's almost impossible to predict his moves. For all we know, he might not be able to predict them himself.

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power is one of those who had to pay a significant amount after the shocking revelation on the morning of November 9. Now, they are being very cautious with their predictions about him holding down the office. The odds on Trump being impeached before the natural end of his terms stand at 4-1, which is much lower than the odds the bookie offered for Obama (8-1). If you'd like to bet that the new president will not make it to the end of his term for whatever reason (including his resignations), the odds are just 7-4.

Experts Agree

Allan Lichtman, a history professor who's correctly predicted presidential winners in the States for the past 32 years, seems to be in agreement with the bookies. Lichtman stated that his intuition is telling him Trump will not make it to the end and he will be impeached. The professor bases his prediction on the fact that Trump is a president who won't be controlled, and no one wants that.

Historically speaking, only two presidents were impeached (Johnson and Clinton), and Nixon was the only one who resigned (after the Watergate). These facts suggest that betting against Trump might not be such a good idea. On the other hand, the Land of the Brave never had such a controversial and unorthodox leader, so everything's in the cards.

Now that he's won, perhaps Trump decides he doesn't even like being the president after all.
From The Guardian

With a stroke of his pen, the president made up for his draconian record -- and, quite literally, saved this heroic whistleblower's life

There is no one who has suffered more under the US government's crackdown on leakers and whistleblowers than Chelsea Manning. But now, after President Obama commuted her unjust 35-year jail sentence on Tuesday, she will, amazingly, soon be able to walk free.

Manning, who provided journalists a historic treasure trove of documents and the public an unparalleled window into world diplomacy, will no longer have to spend the rest of her life behind bars. She will be released from prison on 17 May instead of the unconscionable 2045. It's a cause for celebration, but also a time for reflection -- not just about what she has gone through but what her case represents.

At the time of her revelations, she was the most important whistleblower since Daniel Ellsberg. Upon hearing the news today, Ellsberg said this: "Once in a while, someone does what they ought to do. Some go to prison for it, for seven years; some accept exile for life. But sometimes even a president does it. And today, it was Obama."

Many publications have tried to list the many stories her revelations have contributed to over the years, but almost all have fallen short. The State and Defense documents that were leaked by Manning -- originally to Wikileaks and published by the Guardian, New York Times and others -- are to this day cited regularly in the nation's largest newspapers. They provided historians and the public a view inside the US government's machinations that we've never seen before. They even helped end the Iraq war.

In response, the government quite literally tried to destroy her. Although the government admitted that no one was harmed because of her disclosures, Chelsea suffered beyond what is imaginable for most people.

She was held incommunicado during pre-trial confinement, so that the American people could not hear her voice and the explanation for what she did. She was then, according to the UN special rapporteur on torture, treated in a "cruel, inhumane and degrading way" before her trial by the US military.

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From WSWS

President Obama commuted the 35-year prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the military intelligence analyst who made public evidence of US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, allowing Manning to go free on May 17, after completing over seven years in prison.

Army Pfc Bradley Manning was arrested by the Army in 2010 after he turned over military and State Department files to WikiLeaks. Manning had copied hundreds of thousands of internal Army "incident logs" describing US soldiers' experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, which proved that civilian deaths were far higher than reported. This material included the video of an American helicopter attack on civilians in Baghdad in which 16 people were gunned down, including two Reuters journalists. WikiLeaks published the video on the Internet with the title "Collateral Murder."

Manning also provided WikiLeaks with some 250,000 diplomatic cables from American embassies around the world, which exposed official US lying, efforts to subvert governments, and dossiers on the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, showing most of them had no significant role in terrorist operations.

Manning always maintained that her goal was to inform the American public about the criminal actions being carried out by US military forces in their name. She pleaded guilty to 20 of 22 charges in August 2013 and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. After the trial, Manning announced that she was transgendered and took the name Chelsea Manning. She said she was seeking hormone therapy and requesting gender reassignment surgery, which the Army has repeatedly denied.

The prosecution and horrific treatment of Manning is itself a crime, for which the US military and the Obama administration are responsible. The commutation of her sentence raises the obvious issue of why the media and the entire political establishment, including the Obama administration, continue to witch-hunt and persecute Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, and Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower now in forced exile in Russia.

While Manning has spent seven years in prison for her courageous anti-war action, not a single person has been arrested, charged or jailed for any of the crimes documented in the material published by WikiLeaks, let alone any of the higher-ranking war criminals, right up to George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Manning's treatment since her arrest, in both military detention cells and in Leavenworth Prison, has been nothing short of torture. After her initial arrest, Manning was held in solitary confinement for nearly a year and a half, 23 hours a day, and for much of that time stripped naked as a "security" measure.

Her 35-year sentence is 10 times the longest previous punishment imposed on any federal employee, military or civilian, for leaking classified information. It is in line with the Obama administration's crackdown on whistleblowers, including the prosecution of more individuals under the Espionage Act than all previous administrations combined.

After conviction and sentencing, Manning was sent to the men's prison where she was repeatedly targeted for brutal treatment because of her actions as a whistleblower and her status as transgendered. Manning has been experiencing extreme psychological and mental stress because of the Army's continued refusal to provide for surgery to complete her transition to female, and she attempted suicide on two occasions in 2016.

Last Friday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest sent a signal of the possible commutation, telling a press briefing that there was a sharp distinction between the cases of Chelsea Manning and Snowden (more than 1 million people have signed a petition seeking a full pardon for the former NSA contractor, who exposed massive illegal spying by the US agency in 2013, and is now in exile in Russia).

Earnest said that since Manning had been convicted and sentenced in a legal proceeding, and had formally petitioned for clemency, she could be considered for clemency. There had been no judicial process for Snowden, who "should return to the United States and face the serious crimes that with which he's been charged," he said.

There are likely several considerations in Obama's decision to commute Manning's sentence, none of them having to do with humanitarian feelings about her torture in prison and suicide attempts. First and foremost, the commutation will be used for cynical political purposes to boost the standing of the Democratic Party -- and refurbish Obama's image -- among young people, the LGBT community, and those opposed to the ongoing US wars in the Middle East.

The commutation will be used for that purpose by liberal and pseudo-left apologists for Obama, although the action only puts an end to one of the many crimes of which the Obama administration is guilty, and only after it has gone on for more than seven years. Moreover, by commuting Manning's sentence rather than granting a full pardon, the precedent of her conviction remains on the books, as well as the savage sentence of a nearly lifetime term.

There was undoubtedly also concern in the military over the likelihood of Manning's death, either by suicide or brutal mistreatment at Leavenworth, and the public scandal that would result. There has also been disquiet in the ranks over the double standard as it applies to high-ranking officers, like General David Petraeus, in contrast to privates like Manning. Petraeus received a slap on the wrist for deliberately conveying top secret information to his mistress and biographer, while rank-and-file soldiers have received sentences of several years in prison for less severe breaches of security rules.

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Why did I Vote for Trump?!?

(Image by Akemi Ohira) Details DMCA



If on Wednesday January 11, 2017, when the person of 2016 again demonstrated his lack of 1st-Amendment knowledge -- deserters from The Fourth Estate, instead of leaping to their feet to curry favor with a boorish pretender to The Crown -- had in protest, walked out on the Goliath du jour -- that would have been America great again.

Greatness and character are lost on those for whom Ratings is definition and heroism: I like people who weren't captured -- for few rise to the courage of an American nearly beaten to death for the dream of democracy, justice and equality.

People like John Lewis deserve more than a tinge of color-blindness in February or a January federal holiday. There are millions of Americans of every hue, territory, creed and persuasion, challenged with invisibility, who now have used our political process to grasp at a mirage hoping to be seen -- Black-ish or not.

Since the Military-Industrial Complex merged with Trickle-Down Economics, vision for millions of good, well-meaning patriotic Americans has narrowed to short-sighted absolutes:

1) What's good for my family is best for every American family.

2) No issue, not even affordable healthcare for my children in a life-threatening environment, is more important than jobs.

3) The only solution to America's problems is, something different.

In 2016 media-fed oversimplification turned America hard right, and on Friday January 20, 2017, a 140-character wall will be ensconced to hide an American president from Americans.

Because we've allowed elected officials to believe that Rules Don't Apply to them, America is at the intersection where dismay and defeat can T-bone peaceful assembly to protest foreign and domestic Corporatism.

Long before the war on women was waged by male conservative War Dogs, conservative women, insisting 20th-Century Women were the pillar of family values, indiscriminately opposed abortion, the Equal Rights Amendment and LGBT & income equality.

With the Arrival of The Lobster with no morals, elected by women with no color, America's gender parity cracks anew amidst malice aforethought, and Fences rise, like temperatures and sea levels, to wall out the mutual justice of I Have a Dream.

Through the lens of our 2016 elections, it may seem America was a perfect La La Land, but that would be one of the many half-truths our parents continually tell our children -- for American exceptionalism has rarely embraced Loving in black and white.

Shaking off the extremes of an electoral college and an unethical 115th Congress abandoning America with attempts to banish humanitarian ethics eliminates any need to re-learn past lessons in right-wing red ink, wading us through the Dead Pool of Bush/Cheney.

Let's cast off leadership incapable of intellectual curiosity, and instead emulate Americans progressively committed to carry Our Lady's torch, Come Hell or High Water.

Like a Lion, roar no more Hidden Figures calculating in Moonlight, being A Raisin in the Sun of Too Big to Jail indiscriminately controlling white & blue collars, the disadvantaged poor and working middle class, with marketed misinformation keeping consumers and stockholders blinded by financial fears and, like Nocturnal Animals, desperate to keep America in darkness.

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Robert Kennedy Jr.: "If Monsanto gets its way, the American people will pay a high price for corporate greed."

Randall Wilkins wrote in a Natural News story published today by the Health Ranger, Mike Adams:

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 isn't the company's genetically modified farming that is drawing legal backlash, although the foundation could be laid for larger future accountability.

Monsanto's current legal problems revolve around PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyls), which lawsuits allege that the company knew were toxic and dangerous as far back as 1937.

Portland, Oregon is City #8 to sue Monsanto over contaminated waterways, after recently passing a resolution directing city attorney Tracy Reeve to take the biotech company to federal court over its dumping of PCB's over the past 40 years. After spending more than $1 billion cleaning up PCB pollution in the Willamette River, Portland now seeks a judgment from Federal Court against Monsanto for the company to pay for the damages from its decades of contamination.

PCBs were used widely in industrial applications like paint and rubber products as "plasticizers" and insulation for heat transfer and electrical uses, like transformers, and have been causally linked to cancer, damaged immune systems no long able to resist viruses, plus developmental damages to children. The manufacture of PCBs has been banned since 1979, but it was produced in enormous amounts by Monsanto for 40 years before that banning.

Since 1937 until the 1970's, this toxic group of chemicals, PCB's, was used to insulate electronics, as well as in paint, transformers, caulk, and other items. Monsanto was the sole manufacturer of the chemical compound, producing 500,000 tons of PCBs, now spread widely all through our environment, and in the air, rivers, and landfills. The lawsuit posits that Monsanto knew in 1937 that its product (used in paint, transformers, caulk and many other items) was disastrously harmful to humans and wildlife, yet did nothing except reap the profits.

The port has not yet named a specific amount of money in their the lawsuit, but rather formulates their request as unspecified compensatory and punitive damages ranging from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars for the cost of "past, present and future" cleanup costs. City of Portland officials documented PCBs on Swan Island Lagoon, in the heart of the Superfund site, as recently as 2012, according to the lawsuit.

In a statement, Portland's lawyer Reeve stated:

"Portland's elected officials are committed to holding Monsanto accountable for its apparent decision to favor profits over ecological and human health. Monsanto profited from selling PCBs for decades and needs to take responsibility for cleaning up after the mess it created."

Monsanto's lame defense thus far is that it stopped producing PCBs when they were discovered the government to be toxic and banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1979. However, Portland's lawsuit includes documents that prove that the company knew "as far back as 1969 that PCBs led to contamination of fish, oysters and birds" and that "global contamination" posed a risk to human health. Portland's lawsuit contends that the company actually knew as far back as 1937 that its product was hazardous to human health.

Monsanto denies having prior knowledge of PCB health risks. The St. Louis-based corporation responded to Portland's lawsuit and denied all wrongdoing. Scott Partridge, the company's vice president of global strategy, Scott Partridge wrote:

"PCBs have not been produced in the U.S. for four decades, and the Port is now pursuing an experimental case on grounds never recognized in Oregon history."

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From Consortium News



President Barack Obama signing the Affordable Care Act

(Image by The White House) Details DMCA



All eyes are on the Republicans and Obamacare, as the dominant GOP now proceeds toward dismantling President Barack Obama's signature healthcare policy plan, formally known as the Affordable Care Act. What they plan to replace it with is still anybody's guess.

I spoke recently to public healthcare expert and single-payer advocate Dr. Don McCain about the debate, the negatives and positives of Obamacare, and what kind of healthcare system we need in the U.S. to really attend to the medical needs of all people.

McCain, a senior health policy fellow with the group Physicians for a National Health Program, said recently about the current debate, "President Obama meeting with the Congressional Democrats, and Vice President-elect Pence meeting with the Republicans are being touted as a strategy efforts on the two opposite sides of the healthcare reform debate. But are they really opposites?"

Dennis Bernstein: What do you mean by that? Aren't they opposites? It does seem like the Democrats are on one side, and the Republicans are on the other.

Dr. Don McCain: That's certainly the way they framed it. Of course, they passed Obamacare. The Democrats passed that even though it was a Republican plan. And now the Republicans claim it's a Democrat plan that has to be repealed. Yet, what are they talking about, as far as reform is concerned? They are talking about tweaking our current system. Well, that's all that Obamacare did.

We have a highly dysfunctional system, fragmented, with extreme administrative excesses. And a system that doesn't function very well because it leaves people with insurance in debt. It leaves too many people uninsured and takes away choices for our healthcare providers, through these narrow networks that are increasing in prevalence.

The Democrats did improve that, but the improvements were very small compared to what needs to be done. The Republicans would turn around, and maybe repeal some of those things, and then introduce their own tweaks. But these are all only tweaks to our current, highly dysfunctional, wasteful, fragmented system.

So the opposite would be an integrated, universal system that provides healthcare to everyone, and eliminates this profound administrative waste. And gives people their choice again. Of course, that's a single payer, national health program commonly known as an improved Medicare For All -- fixing Medicare, and providing it to everyone.

DB: Well... the Republicans would say that's a budget buster, that's a big government program, that's socialism, and ultimately it will be a disaster.

DM: Of course, it is paid through taxes but we already... two-thirds of our healthcare is already paid for through the tax system. In fact, we pay more in taxes for healthcare in the United States than other nations pay for their entire healthcare system.

So tax isn't the problem. Getting the tax right is the problem, and we've got to make it much more equitable through progressive taxes where everyone can afford to pay the taxes that we would need to run the system. But it doesn't bust budgets.

In fact, the efficiencies of a single payer system actually slow down the increases in healthcare costs. So we would not be having these high increases every year. Yeah, there's been slowing for a couple of years, but they haven't really fixed the fundamental defects, whereas through a Medicare-like system, they do control healthcare costs, much more effectively. So we would all be ahead and we would all have health care.

DB: ... Let's do a compare and contrast: Under Obamacare, how does the U.S. system compare to, say, Europe?

DM: It is much less efficient [with] extreme administrative waste. We pay about a trillion dollars a year in just administration of our system. It's because it's this fragmented system of multiple programs, and other reasons, for the excesses. We could recover about one-half of that trillion dollars, and redirect it into health care. They don't have that in the European systems. They have much more efficient financing systems. None of them pay near what we do, in administration.

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From Alon Ben Meir Website

The conference for peace between Israel and the Palestinians initiated by the French government that took place on January 15 in Paris was positive in many ways. The concluding declaration that collectively emerged pointed out the need to establish a Palestinian state as a prerequisite to peace and stability, urged the two sides to recommit themselves to a two-state solution, and emphasized the urgent need for both to take action to reverse the current trends of Palestinian incitement and Israel's expansion of the settlements.

Furthermore, it called for ending the occupation and accentuated the importance of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative (API) to provide the framework for a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace. The resolution also stressed the importance of public debate, strengthening the role of civil society, and addressing the humanitarian and security situation in Gaza.

Perhaps one of the most important reasons, however, for holding the conference only a few days before the inauguration of President-elect Trump was to send a message to the new administration about the international consensus regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, hoping to prevent Trump from taking any measure that might threaten the prospect of a two-state solution.

Of main concern to the conferees was Trump's campaign promise to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and give Netanyahu a free hand to expand the settlements, which could torpedo the prospect of peace and provoke the Arab states at a time when they are needed to support any new peace initiative.

Although the resolution was largely on target, it lacked specific suggestions that could be embraced by the Trump administration to help advance the peace process in a tangible way.

I was directly involved in an effort to shed new light on the core issues that have and continue to separate the two sides, and I suggested specific measures to mitigate them -- issues which I considered critical to the resumption of the negotiations that would substantially improve the prospect of reaching a durable peace.

To that end, I wrote a major proposal which I discussed with top French Foreign Ministry officials. Subsequently, Pierre Vimont (France's Middle East Special Envoy), EU Special Representative for the Middle East Process Fernando Gentilini, and I addressed the EU Foreign Relations Committee in November 2016, where I emphasized the need for a new approach.

There were many areas in the conflict over which Mr. Vimont and I fully agreed--and were reflected in the final declaration of the conference -- and other issues which were not spelled out. In my view, had such issues been clearly stated, they would have revealed the real causes behind the stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and offered ways to mitigate them.

The first issue is the psychological dimension of the conflict and its impact on every conflicting issue. Unless major efforts are made to change the public narrative on both sides to reflect the truth from historical and religious perspectives, neither side can make the far-reaching concessions necessary to forge a peace agreement.

The need to mitigate that through a process of reconciliation -- people-to-people and government-to-government -- is central to constructive negotiations. Such a process would allow both sides to nurture mutual trust, which is totally lacking, and allay concerns over national security, while also disabusing strong Israeli and Palestinian constituencies that still want to have it all.

The second issue is Hamas and its political stance, which has and continues to impede any progress. The conference's resolution stipulates the "importance of addressing the humanitarian and security situation in Gaza and called for swift steps to improve the situation." Although this is necessary, as long as Hamas calls for the destruction of Israel and is not a signatory to the API, it plays into the hand of the hard-core Israelis who claim that the Palestinians simply want to eradicate rather than peacefully coexist with Israel.

The conference should have called on Hamas to accept in principle Israel's right to exist and beseeched countries like Turkey and Qatar, who enjoy substantial influence on Hamas, to embrace the API. This is necessary particularly because Hamas must be part and parcel of any final resolution to the conflict.

Third, although the participants "expressed their readiness to exert necessary efforts toward the achievement of the two-state solution..." who will exert such efforts -- economic and other incentives? I took the position that the conferees should have established a commission composed of representatives from an Arab state, the EU, and the US to encourage the parties to take certain steps, review progress, and pin down the sources that impede it. Otherwise, the recommendation will be just words.

Fourth, the conferees call for "ending the occupation...satisfy Israel's security need, and resolve all permanent status issues on the basis of [UNSC] Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973)..." This appeal is certainly valid and no solution is possible unless these requirements are met. Here again, though, there is nothing new.

The participants should have also recommended the establishment of another commission to work closely with both Israel and the Palestinians to begin modifying their public position on several of the major conflicting issues.

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From Buzzflash

Buckle up, friends. Most Americans are about to be detoured onto a rough and rocky back road called "Trump Way." The autocratic tycoon was unabashed on the campaign trail in promising his victory would ensure millions of people a dire future, including mass deportations of immigrants, refugee bans and frontal assaults on women. But they're not the only ominous prospects. It will surprise many of the working stiffs who voted for the blustery billionaire to learn something he didn't communicate in his hectoring, "truth-telling" speeches: His little-discussed economic agenda is filled with provisions that would permit 1-percenters to travel more luxuriously than ever in the smooth, fast lanes of life, while the middle class and the poor are flagged onto Trump Way for a hairy, four-year ride of even more downward mobility. The proposed package includes:

--Immediately seizing control of the National Labor Relations Board, turning it into a corporate bulldozer to destroy workers' rights, particularly the right to organize unions

--"Yuuuuge" new tax cuts for corporations and the super rich, busting the budget for addressing human needs

--Privatization of such basics as public education, Medicare and Social Security

--Deregulation of corporate profiteers -- from Wall Street banksters to Big Oil polluters

--Eliminating the federal minimum wage

--Freeing corporations from rules that prohibit discrimination in hiring, paying, promoting and firing workers

Why were voters not aware of Trump's little secret agenda? Not only because he wasn't about to boast about such unpopular policies, but also because the mass media were so dazzled by the bawdy spectacle of Trump's tweets, spats and onstage tirades that they ignored fundamentally important aspects of his presidential intentions. In fact, his entire career as a luxury property developer and brand-name marketer of himself has been built on broken promises to workers, routine scamming of suppliers and partners, blatant self-dealing, crony capitalism and lies. That con game alone tells us who our new president really is: an incorrigible swindler.

At 70 years old, his nuclear-level of narcissism and gluttonous sense of entitlement are ingrained. Throughout his presidential run, we saw his pleasure in singling out and demeaning people as "losers," including: "nasty" women, black protesters, disabled people, unionists, Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, Muslims, the poor, environmental activists and anyone who criticized him. How he treats us commoners won't change because he's President Trump. [Gosh, it's gonna take a long time before I can say that with a straight face.]

So, yes, buckle up. But more importantly, buck up!

Naturally, a triumphant Trump has left many of us baffled, disgusted and terrified. But, please, we have to shake off these immobilizing emotions ASAP -- because progressives everywhere have important work to do. The forces of oligarchy and repression are hoping we'll surrender to despair, withdraw in fear or even flee to Canada. But come on, the fiery democratic spirit of grassroots Americans has sustained and advanced our nation's fundamental ideals of fairness and justice in even darker times.

It's time for us to double down on what can be seen as the progressive community's shared campaign for populist justice. Essentially, it's the integrative struggle for human dignity, combining our many separate fights for justice into a powerful and righteous whole, an all-for-one/one-for-all effort against the economic and political elites who are determined to subjugate us.

We can beat back the brutishness the Reign of Trump promises -- if we seriously unite. That means acting on the reality that our various groups really are in this together. When the Muslim community is attacked, for example, all of us non-Muslims need to recognize that's an attack on all of us, from union members to climate change activists.

We need to recognize that racial and economic injustice are inseparable. Making this connection is especially important now, for the corporate media are simplistically declaring that Trump won because white working-class men rebelled against the rising swirl of multiculturalism.

Of course, the corporate powers (and those who prosper by serving them) have long divided working people by pitting the less powerful groups against each other. So it's up to us to stop playing along. We now have an urgent need to organize and harmonize as one progressive family that can and will mobilize as a whole to defend and advance the interests of each and every part, rallying around respect for human dignity and the common good.
By Dave Lindorff



Imagine a Sanders inauguration on Jan. 20

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Washington, DC -- Standing before a sea of humanity -- people of all ages and races, stretching out from the Lincoln Monument back as far as the Capitol building-- a sea vaster than any demonstration in the history of the nation's capital, the unkempt white-haired senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, a self-described independent socialist maverick who decided to take his oath of office on the steps where Martin Luther King once spoke, instead of the traditional spot at the Capitol building, called out to the American people to join him in "taking back our country from the smug, self-satisfied rich and the corporations that have been pretending to be persons!"

"We are engaged in a struggle to undo decades of government policies that were designed to benefit the one percent," said the man who has upended centuries of two-party duopoly by winning the presidency in a landslide on the Green Party ticket in a sweep that handed control of both House and Senate to a Democratic Party that was at the same time relegated to a humiliating third place finish in the presidential race.

"The election is over," President Sanders declared. "But the American people's fight is just beginning! I call on all those who voted for my opponents, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, to join with the 75 million who elected me in taking back this country from the special interests, from the wealthy for whom nothing is ever enough, from the corporations that see themselves as global enterprises, not as part of the fabric of this nation and its society, and from those who would trample on the weak in order to raise themselves a notch above the rest."

Sanders went on to announce a list of priority measures he intends to present to the new Congress on this, his first day in office, the first being a bill to establish a new Department of Peace, whose secretary, he said, would henceforth sit in on all discussions of foreign affairs in order to "insure that peaceful options for resolving differences will always be put on the table." Other measures going to Congress on day one of Sanders' presidency, he said, would include:

* Establishment of a commission, headed up by his nominee for Secretary of Health and Welfare Jill Stein, charged with drawing up, over the next six months, a plan for replacing the costly and complex Affordable Care Act with an expanded and enhanced Medicare program that would cover all Americans, not just the elderly. The new president, a long-time advocate of a national single-payer health care system similar to Canada's, said his plan would cost less than health care does now because it would do away with the need for Medicaid for the poor, with the need for employer-funded insurance plans and their huge premiums, and with the Veterans administration hospital system, since everyone would be receiving Medicare. He promised that such a system would allow the federal government to bargain for lower prices for all health care and medicines. "We are declaring that as of today, health care in America is a right of citizenship, and we are saying if every other developed country in the world can deliver affordable healthcare to all its citizens, then so can America!" said the new president to thunderous applause.

* Establishment of a $15/hr federal minimum wage, linked to the consumer price index, to become effective as soon as a bill reaches his desk, and a "card-check" measure giving unions the right to demand recognition by an employer after simply turning in to the National Labor Relations Board cards signed by a majority of workers, without having to go through a lengthy and endlessly delayed formal election process. Sanders said that bill would also make labor law violations by employers subject to triple damages, similar to insider trading violations, instead of simply requiring payment of back wages. Said Sanders, "A person who works full-time at a job should be able to earn enough to support a family. It's that simple," he said. "Companies should not be subsidizing their payroll costs by forcing their workers to rely on taxpayer-funded assistance programs like welfare and food stamps! No more!"

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The UN envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has said that the death toll in the Yemeni war had reached 10,000, up from the previous figure of 7,000.

The UN envoy's statement came after his talks in Aden with the Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Hadi who rejected the UN peace plan.

"A peace agreement, including a well-articulated security plan and the formation of an inclusive government, is the only way to end the war that has fuelled the development of terrorism in Yemen and the region," Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement.

Under the proposal, Hadi's powers would be dramatically diminished in favor of a new vice president who would oversee the formation of the interim government that will lead a transition to elections.

Houthi rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who control the capital, Sanaa, have faced a military campaign by the Saudi-led coalition to restore President Hadi as the recognized government.

Indiscriminate air strikes have been unable to dislodge the Houthis from the capital and their strongholds in the north of the country. The airstrikes have been criticized for causing widespread civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure.

An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition on a primary school in militant controlled northern Yemen on January 10, killed five people including two children, according to medical source.

The headmaster and two other staff members were among those killed in the air raid in the district of Nihm, northeast of the capital Sanaa, which also left 13 wounded. A medical source at Kuwait Hospital in Sanaa confirmed the casualty toll.

Human Right groups have repeatedly criticized the coalition over the civilian casualties inflicted by its air strikes on 'rebel'-held regions.

In August last, an air strike on a Quranic school in the northern Saada province killed 10 children and wounded 28 others, prompting a UN call for a swift investigation.

A Saudi strike in October last on a funeral in Sanaa killed some 140 people and wounded over 600.

The higher toll "underscores the need to resolve the situation in Yemen without any further delay", said UN spokesman Farhan Haq in New York. "There is a huge humanitarian cost."

Jamie McGoldrick, humanitarian coordinator of the UN Development Program, said the latest death toll is based on lists of victims gathered by hospitals and the true figure could be higher. McGoldrick said up to 10 million Yemenis were also in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

"This is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. People's access to food is rapidly worsening and urgent action is needed," said Salah Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Yemen.

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Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Rob Kall has been the center of a vast, decentralized conversation for years, letting us hear in interviewees' own words the power of connection in every realm. His new book brings it all together, showing us that the old order is broken and fast being replaced from the bottom up. The old power elite may not know it yet, but millions of us -- organizers, artists, thinkers and doers -- have gotten the message. So should you, by reading Bottom-Up."



Arlene Goldbard, author of The Culture of Possibility: Art, Artists & The Future
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"In his new book, Bottom-Up, Rob Kall's exploration of top-down and bottom-up forces in our culture, our brains, and our planet provides a deep insight into the challenges we face. He offers pathways we can use to create the changes we need to break free of the war economy and build local peace economies."



Jodie Evans, cofounder of Code Pink and Chair of the Women's Media Center
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This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.



Asma al Assad Videos at ABC News Video Archive at abcnews.com

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In its publicly announced regime change war against Syria, Canada is a strong supporter of externally supported and orchestrated terrorism and destabilization on the non-belligerent, pluralist country led by President al Assad's secular, democratically elected government.

Destabilization, as defined by former CIA agent John Stockwell, looks like this:

"They pick a government. They target them.

They send the CIA in with its resources and its activists: hiring people, hiring agents to tear apart the social and economic fabric of the country.

It's a technique for putting pressure on the government, hoping they can make the government come to the U.S.'s terms, or that the government will collapse altogether and they can engineer a coup d'etat, and have the thing wind up with their own choice of people in power.

Now ripping apart the economic and social fabric is fairly textbookish. What we're talking about is going in and deliberately creating conditions where the farmer can't get his produce to market; where children can't go to school; where women are terrified inside their homes as well as outside; where government administered programs grind to a complete halt; where the hospitals are treating wounded people instead of sick people; where international capital is scared away and the country goes bankrupt."

The illegal sanctions that Canada, the West, apartheid Israel, and their Wahhabi allies are imposing on Syria and Syrians serve to "destabilize" the country and to foster the growth of the West's allies who are not subject to sanctions and who benefit from destabilization. The West's allies in Syria include all of the terrorists, regardless of their nom du jour. Destabilization is terrorism.

Attacking infrastructure is also a Western specialty in the West's illegal war against Syria, and it is part of the destabilization program. For years now, the West and its allies have been criminally attacking bridges, schools, hospitals, thermal plants, factories, water plants, public utilities, civilians, and soldiers.

Targeted killings are another specialty of the West. For example, when Syria's Minister of National Reconciliation, Dr. Ali Haidar, refused Qatar's bribes, terrorists murdered his son. Likewise, terrorists murdered the Grand Mufti's, (Dr. Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun) son.

Needless to say, war crimes are the unstated policies of the West.

Now that Aleppo has been liberated, horror stories are unfolding regularly. Syrian Afraa Dagher reported this testimony from a recently freed citizen of East Aleppo:

They imposed al sharia on us. They were starving us, and if one stole a loaf of bread to eat, his hand was cut off. For women, we were not allowed to marry from our own men, from our own people, our own choices. We were told we had to marry them. They said it is not allowed to let women to marry those who are pro-government, because they let women put on make up and work, and let women outside without covering faces. And this is taboo! Such women should be beheaded. And what kind of marriage to such terrorists would this be? It is just to please the man for one hour. They will leave and send you to 'sex jihad'! This happened to my friends. And they took our kids to join them, too. It has been two years I have not seen my son. They stole him. Al Nusra Front did that. Women who refused to obey them were tortured, beheaded and put into cars carrying their severed heads, driving around the city as lessons to other women. They starved us and stole our homes and stole everything in our homes.

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- The Great American Perpetual Motion War Machine -

Of all the major actions taken by presidents since 1945, it is surely President Harry Truman's decision to sign off on the 1947 National Security Act (NSA)--thereby 'nodding' the National Security State, the so-called 'military-industrial complex' (MIC)--that has triggered the most unremitting, far-reaching and profound blowback for America, its allies and the rest of the world.

Few would argue that in order to expand and perpetuate its monolithic existence, there's much to show for the investment of blood and treasure the "complex" has extracted from the rest of humanity. This to say little of the propaganda, lies, corruption, debasement of the public good, and 'divide, conquer 'n rule' abuse of power and privilege that have long sustained it, or the social, cultural, environmental and economic destruction, geopolitical instability, abject futility and all too human suffering, tragedy and farce that's been its hallmark. As an exemplar for the Law of Unintended Consequences hard at work, this decision doesn't simply tick all the boxes; seventy years later, the 'gift' keeps on giving.

The inescapable reality from all this is that there are some extraordinarily powerful folks the like of which insist to this day this is the way it should be, with some doubtless seeing it very much how it was always meant to be. Barack Obama's tenure was ample evidence of this prevailing, depressing reality. They will resist by any and all means open to them, attempts by anyone to question or challenge the status quo, much less any serious efforts to reverse the course. Which is to say, no one should expect any divestment by the power elites in the machinery of war after January 20, 2017.

Notwithstanding what freshly minted POTUS Donald Trump said on the campaign trail about scaling back America's commitment to foreign wars, defusing the tensions between Moscow and Washington, developing better relations with key international partners, and curbing the 'coups and colour revolutions' crowd, there is much to be concerned at how foreign and national security policy and military doctrine will play out under his administration. Regardless of what Trump does or says from this point onwards, such is the collective 'psychopathology' of the Great American War Machine, it retains a perpetual momentum all of its own that will proceed inexorably with or without his cooperation, and/or he and/or any of his team even knowing about it. We might even say, with or without him at all!

For William Engdahl, there's "no good side" to what we will experience under Trump, and he seems to take this view not necessarily because of who Trump is, what his intentions are, and/or what he might or might not do. Engdahl isn't buying the feverish talk of elements of the national security state pulling out all stops to thwart his presidency or even prevent his inauguration. Even if he doesn't know it himself, 'Trump was put into office to prepare America for war', albeit one he says, 'Wall Street and the military industrial complex' aren't presently in a position to win. For Engdahl,

'[T]rump's job will be to reposition the U.S....[so as] to reverse the trend to disintegration of American global hegemony, to, as the Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz Project for the New American Century (PNAC) put it in their 2000 report, "rebuild America's defenses."'

Seemingly pursuing like themes, Finian Cunningham suggests Trump is being (White?) 'house-trained' as it were . His view is that the ruling elite is using 'media orchestration and dirty tricks' to ensure its desired election result prevails, which is 'a hostile policy toward Russia, China and the rest of the world', serving of course U.S. corporate interests.

After observing the 'shift' by Trump and his people toward a 'more frosty stance' on all things Russia, Iran and China (clear in secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson's confirmation hearing testimony and that of his fellow nominee for defense James "Mad Dog" Mattis), Cunningham suggests a 'coercive taming process' is in play within the Beltway, with, he notes unnervingly, 'sinister implications for...U.S. democracy'. He had this to say:

'[I]t's a truism US presidents are determined by elite corporate power, the Deep State military-intelligence apparatus, and their controlled news media...In Trump's case, the outcome appeared to be an exception. So now [he's] being ''processed'' to produce the desired 'result.''

From Harry Truman to Donald Trump at least then, if not before, well might we say, [that] falling into line with the powers that be whilst preparing America for war has been part of the presidential job description. No sooner for example had Truman stopped one war with two very large bombs, he then set in motion another that went on for 45 years, the very one for which the national security state was ostensibly established to fight. The rest we might say is "history" except it is not, with most presidents viewing their lasting legacy through the prism of warlike enterprise.

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The movie Snowden by Oliver Stone performs a masterful job in depicting efforts by the National Security Agency (NSA) in comprehensively gathering up electronic communications between people and organizations in the U.S. and all over the world. Stone correctly displays the routine violation of U.S. constitutional rights such practices entail, and why Edward Snowden was motivated to become a whistleblower and leak official state secrets to journalists in order to reveal what was happening.

The movie frames the core issue raised by Snowden as personal privacy being a right protected by the US Constitution, except in cases where courts grant exceptions due to criminal activities or national security. In the case of the NSA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) had become a judicial rubber stamp for NSA spying. Snowden, however, revealed that personal privacy is routinely violated without any FISA court rulings, and with no transparency and accountability in the process used by the NSA and the intelligence community more generally.

Subsequently, journalists such as Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras have seen their careers skyrocket as a result of their coverage of Snowden's releases, and the need to curtail state-sanctioned violations of personal privacy on spurious national security grounds. In short, the NSA and intelligence community should not be allowed to spy on private citizens without solid legal justification.

This raises the question of why is the NSA and the intelligence community spying on private citizens, and violating U.S. constitutional norms in the process? What Snowden the movie suggests is that the "war on terror", which is used to justify individual surveillance, is a mere figleaf for more long-term cyber threats posed by China and Russia, and the need to give U.S. corporations a competitive edge against international rivals.

This is where Snowden and the journalists covering his revelations fail to see the big picture emerging from deeper forces at play when it comes to NSA spying on private citizens. First, we need to separate the military- intelligence community comprising the NSA, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), etc., from civilian-controlled organizations such as the Central Intelligence Agency.

While the chief purpose of the NSA, DIA and other military-intelligence organizations is to conduct intelligence and counter-intelligence operations, it is the CIA that is uniquely tasked by the U.S. Congress to conduct covert operations. This is where the CIA will send its operatives into countries and organizations not merely to gather intelligence or perform counter-intelligence, but to conduct covert operations including sabotage, blackmail, coups, false-flag operations, assassination, etc.

What further needs to be considered is that the CIA, since its inception in 1947 under President Harry Truman, has conducted its covert operations without genuine oversight or transparency. There is literally no mechanism within the U.S. bureaucracy by which CIA covert operations can be understood, let alone accounted for. This led to Truman famously regretting his decision to enable the CIA to go beyond mere "human intelligence" gathering. Coming one month after President Kennedy's assassination, Truman was ominously hinting at a CIA link to the national tragedy.

In contrast to the CIA, military-intelligence operations are conducted in conformity with the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and run according to a strict chain of command. Basically, at the apex of the NSA, and other military-intelligence organizations, the officials running these agencies can be held accountable for their actions.

What further compounds the problem with CIA covert operations is who does the CIA work for? On the surface, the CIA works for the U.S. Congress and executive branch of government including the U.S. President. That is largely correct when it comes to the CIA analytical division, what Truman pointed to as its "original assignment", but what about its covert-operations division, which has been known over the years by a number of names, the current one being the "National Clandestine Service"?

There is abundant evidence that CIA covert operations are controlled by a "shadow government," which has its own agenda, entirely separate to the "representative government," periodically elected. This "shadow government" involves elite groups and other mysterious forces who are presently accountable to no one, and want to keep things that way.

Consequently, when it comes to answering the question, "why is the NSA spying on private citizens", the answer is more complex than the NSA simply wanting to know about citizens' private affairs in order to more effectively deal with global terrorism. The NSA and the military-intelligence community are more interested in learning about covert CIA activities, and how this impacts U.S. national security.

This then adds a new layer of complexity to the Snowden movie. Prior to becoming an NSA operative, Snowden was a CIA analyst who allegedly became disenchanted with its covert operations, and resigned. After resuming his work with the CIA, Snowden was transferred to the Hawaii branch of Booz Allen Hamilton, an NSA contractor, ostensibly for healthier working conditions.

This raises the questions, was Snowden a CIA mole whose job was to expose NSA spying, or was he alternatively set up by the CIA so that he would eventually reveal the truth about the NSA data-collection operations as a whistleblower?

The true goal of such a CIA covert operation then was not to reveal the NSA's spying activities in order to protect American civil liberties, but to curtail the effectiveness of the NSA's intelligence gathering on CIA covert operations. This was done in order to keep hidden not just CIA operatives, but the puppet masters behind the CIA covert operations whose power and influence extends to sitting U.S. presidents. This was a lesson President Kennedy learned the hard way, and President-Elect Trump is already learning with the CIA's covert operations to undermine his incoming administration.

If the above analysis is correct, what this suggests is that Snowden is at best an unwitting dupe manipulated by the CIA, or at worst a CIA mole whose real mission was to impact NSA intelligence-gathering operations that pose a threat to CIA covert operations.

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Many Americans find themselves caught up in a troubled state of mind, possessing a great degree of uncertainty as to what is going to happen when this next administration and its leaders takes charge of this government; and how their lives are going to be affected.

This feeling of great concern and even dread of what may happen is intensified as they watch the current turmoil going on in our nation's capital, even before the new administration takes over the reins of government. They have, for some time, been hoping for a government that exemplifies leadership, resolve, and a vision for the future, but what they see is one that is plagued by controversy, political turmoil, and mistrust between major elements.

Americans are watching the struggle between the CIA, FBI and various U.S. intelligence agencies on the one hand and the incoming Trump administration on the other. At a time when these elements should be closely working together they are, quite visibly, pulling in different directions.

On the surface the struggle seems to be directly involved with the accusations by these agencies against Russia; that it, and its leader Putin, interfered with America's election process in order to try to influence the outcome; namely, to help to get Trump elected. But looking below the surface it appears to be one e involving control over the direction of America's foreign policy, specifically related to Russia; and if it will be a cooperative or an adversarial relationship.

While we all can speculate as to what's really going on and what the specific motives of each side may be we really don't know; it is far too complex to determine at this time and so we can't predict how the situation will be resolved.

Let's talk about the current state of mind of the American people and the emotions that are triggered by what they see going on in Washington DC.

Apprehension and Uncertainty: for some time many Americans have been extremely displeased with the direction into which this current government has been taking their country. They are more than concerned that things could grow even worse as they listen to Trump and the Republican leadership outlining the plans by which they intend to govern this nation.

What exactly is Mr. Trump going to do, will he make rational-minded, carefully thought-out decisions or is he going to "shoot from the hip" as many expect him to do? They have never seen an incoming president that is surrounded by so much controversy. And the greatest apprehension about what he is going to do has to exist among this country's minorities, African Americans, Hispanic immigrants and, especially, within the Muslim community.

Muslims, no doubt, are fearful about what Trump might do to them and how will adversely affect their lives. Are they going to find themselves under continuous government surveillance, is Trump actually going to make good on his promise to create a Muslim registry?

Fear: instead of seeing the House and the Senate Republican leadership in the process of developing a plan with specific objectives and key priorities to solve this country's many problems we hear them stating that they fully intend to repeal Obamacare even though they have no plan to replace it. Millions of Americans fear that this will happen and then the next targets of the GOP will be Social Security and Medicare.

Distrust: Americans have little to no trust in the U.S. Congress or most of the members of both parties that refuse to work together for the good of this country and its people. They have watched in frustration as the Republican Party has used tactics of obstruction, including the continuous use of Senate vetoes, to try to control the legislative agenda. They are also very disillusioned when they see weak-kneed Democrats cave in to these tactics and refuse to stand up and fight for what is right.

Controversy and Confusion: When in its history has this nation seen this government in such a state of turmoil and confusion? What has happened since this presidential election ended is absolutely incomprehensible.

The Congress, Republicans in particular, clearly have a lot of contrasting opinions about whether or not the Russians directly interfered in the election. Significant doubts exist about the evidence presented by U.S. intelligence agencies, together with great concerns over the possibility of collusive activities between the Trump and his advisers and Russia. Many Americans want to be supportive of Trump but they are troubled by his staunch support of Russia and Putin who they consider to be highly dangerous to America.

In this question of possible Russian involvement James Comey, head of the FBI, could be exposed as having deliberately taken misguided actions that placed him in the center of the election process when he, once again, brought up the issue of the Clinton emails at the last minute. To think that someone with his highly important responsibilities could possibly do this to pave the way for Trump's election is hard to believe but is not inconceivable.

Frustration, Disillusionment:

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THE DESIRE NOT TO KNOW

"The crimes of the United States have been systematic, constant, vicious, remorseless, but very few people have actually talked about them ".. You have to hand it to America. It has exercised a quite clinical manipulation of power worldwide while masquerading as a force for universal good. -- Harold Pinter, in his 2005 Nobel acceptance speech

Hillary Clinton, the Deep State's chosen candidate, was trounced, Donald Trump is to be President, and streets are filling with people waving signs such as "Say No to Fascism". Where have these people been these past few decades? Would any be able to mount a credible argument that we have not long been a textbook example of fascism? The corporate sector plus government, within a framework of militant nationalism, is what the US has been for at least a couple of generations, but with a corporate media reporting that the world depends on us to spread freedom and democracy, too many have wrapped themselves in the myth of American "exceptionalism".

Pundits and politicians insist that Russia is an "existential threat". So are Iran, Venezuela and a host of others. What are they implying? Basically this says the US Government dislikes that certain countries exist, but the usage insinuates underlying philosophical problems too opaque, to esoteric, for the masses to comprehend. Just accept that it's "existential".

Russia has no military bases near the U.S, but despite the fact that the Reagan Administration promised Russia's Mikhail Gorbachev the U.S./NATO would not move "one inch" eastward if Russia would allow German reunification, we are presently placing military forces in Baltic and other NATO countries smack up against Russia. How many Americans consider how they might read the world's only "superpower" setting up military bases along US the border?

As for the unrelenting insistence that Russia meddled in the presidential election, William Binney, former Technical Director for World Geopolitical & Military Analysis for the NSA, exposed the lie it when he referred to the touted 25-page Intelligence Report: "They say that with 'high confidence'. Now that's the first clue that they don't have a shred of evidence that it's true. Because if they claim some 'confidence level', that means they don't have the evidence."

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Leonard Peltier, indian activist and political prisoner for 40 years

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If, as reported in the Washington Post , President Obama decided to grant clemency to military whistleblower Chelsea Manning because he felt that the 35-year sentence handed down by a military judge was "nuts," then what does he think of the life sentence that Native American activist Leonard Peltier is serving?

Yesterday evening, the US Justice Department announced that a clemency petition from Peltier's attorney Martin Garbus addressed to the president had been denied. In cold language, the letter read: "The application for commutation of sentence of your client, Mr. Leonard Peltier, was carefully considered in this Department and the White House, and the decision was reached that favorable action is not warranted."

Peltier, an American Indian Movement activist, is serving two life terms after having been convicted in 1977 at a trial that critics say included false statements by federal witnesses, false affidavits, coerced testimony and the withholding of ballistics evidence that could have thrown doubt on the prosecution's case.

For a good account of the history of his case, and an explanation for why he should unquestionably be released by the president, read this article by Native American writer Kelly Hayes.

Federal prosecutors at trial conceded that they could not prove who shot two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975 during a shoot-out that also left a native American dead, but they insisted that Peltier had "aided and abetted" their shootings.

Now one of the senior federal prosecutors in that case, James Reynolds, in a letter to the outgoing president calling for him to grant clemency to release Peltier, who has already been in jail for 40 years following since his conviction, says, clemency for Peltier, who is sick and 72, would be "in the best interest of justice in considering the totality of all matters involved."

Reynolds was appointed US attorney in 1976 and in that position supervised the government's defense of the sentence during Peltier's long and unsuccessful effort to appeal his conviction, when defense efforts uncovered much of the evidence that showed government misconduct during the original trial.

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From The Hill

America has come a long way from the inaugurations of George Washington, who warned of the danger of our democracy being corrupted by foreign interests, and Thomas Jefferson, who warned of the danger from those who would attack and undermine our free press.

Today large numbers of Americans are disapproving and fearful about the consequences of inaugurating Donald Trump as our next president. They deplore his contempt for core notions of our democracy, his praise for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and other dictators who would destroy democracy, and his intolerance, contempt and threats against Americans who disagree with him. They abhor his demeaning of large segments of the diverse American family, his claim that the alliance that defends democracy is obsolete, his relative lack of interest in receiving intelligence briefings to learn facts about global security, his comparison of our intelligence services to Nazi Germany, and his disrespect for the views of every intelligence service and future members of his Cabinet who warn against Russian attacks against democracy in America and Europe.

While Jefferson brilliantly argued that a free press is a vital guarantor of all other freedoms, Trump, like Putin, treats the free press with scorn, derision and contempt. Jefferson was right and Trump is wrong. The free press is not an enemy of the state that should be delegitimized and destroyed. It is the essential ingredient to inform the citizens of free nations.

Barely a day goes by without Trump attacking, threatening or seeking to delegitimize or intimidate someone in the press. Even the best journalist can get a story wrong but the sheer magnitude and intensity of Trump's attacks against the press are extraordinary and dangerous to democracy.

With the free press under attack there are two speeches every journalism student and journalist should pay close attention to today.

The first was by Edward R. Murrow, the CBS correspondent and a profoundly important figure in the history of broadcast journalism, addressing the Radio-Television News Directors Association in 1958. Murrow had courageously stood up to Joseph McCarthy and spent his career elevating the standards of radio and television news.

Murrow warned that while television news has the unlimited capability of informing citizens about matters vital to democracy, when broadcast journalists fall short the television is nothing more than wires and lights in a box.

The second speech was given last November by Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron, accepting the Hitchens Prize for quality journalism.

Baron warned about the challenge to a free press during the Trump years. He noted that Trump "was elected after waging an outright assault on the press. Animosity toward the media was a centerpiece of his campaign. He described the press as 'disgusting,' 'scum,' 'lowlifes.' He called journalists the 'lowest form of humanity.' That apparently wasn't enough. So he called us 'the lowest form of life.' In the final weeks of the campaign he labeled us 'the enemies.'"

Marty Baron's call to journalistic conscience, courage and professionalism, reported in detail by Vanity Fair on Nov. 30, is as important in our times as Murrow's speech was important in his.

I do not agree with everything that runs in the Post, but under the leadership of Baron, and with the support of Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, the Post has distinguished itself by increasing resources devoted to reporting and offering clarity from diverse voices on its editorial pages. They are joined by other journalists, on a list too long to detail here, who remain fearless defending the integrity of a free press.

If the media gods would grant me one wish it would be for Bezos to call CNN founder Ted Turner, another great hero in the history of television news, and discuss a way to put Murrow-like quality news on American television 24/7.

Perhaps Trump will abandon his war against a free press. If not, America will need our free press to rise to its finest hour.
Bush inherited a large budget surplus and a national debt of over 5 trillion. On the date his first budget took effect,the debt was 5.8 trillion. On the last day of his 8th budget, the debt was 12.8 trillion, a rise of about 110%, exceeded only by Reagan, who had tripled the debt.



When the first Obama budget took effect, therefore,the debt was 12.8 trillion,and today it is about 20. trillion,a rise of about 60% The essential figure is not the size of the debt but its ratio to the GDP. A person who makes 20K a yr with a 20K debt is heavily burdened. A millionaire with a 20K debt feels nothing.

Some argue the last Bush budgets were controlled by the Democratic Congress, but this is not true. In 2008, Bush asked for 3.1 trillion to spend and he was granted exactly 3.1 trillion. His rosy predictions of government revenue and underestimation of the cost in both lost revenue and increased govt welfare overhead led to the largest deficit in US history.





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Growth of UV Disinfection Equipment Market Attributed to Scarcity of Safe Drinking Water

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http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ultraviolet-disinfection-equipment.html

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UV disinfection equipment, as a means of treating and purifying air, water, and surfaces, is rapidly replacing chlorine and other conventional chemical-based disinfectants. The market for UV disinfection equipment has witnessed strong demand in recent years owing to the many benefits it presents over conventional treatment systems.Get Sample Report Copy :UV disinfection equipment has low installation and operational cost, is easy to use, and is residue-free while functioning. Cost-effectiveness is the primary force driving consumer demand. Apart from this, factors such as rising toxicity of industrial water wastes, growing awareness among consumers regarding environment-friendly and energy-efficient disinfection systems, shrinking sources of fresh water, increasing need of developing countries to provide safe drinking water, and favorable government initiatives have also contributed to the growth of the global UV disinfection equipment market.On the downside, the widespread use of low-cost chlorine-based disinfectants and the diminishing share of surface and food and beverages disinfection applications are expected to restrain the growth of the global UV disinfection equipment market in the coming years.Water Treatment most Common Application of UV Disinfection EquipmentThe application areas of UV disinfection equipment include water treatment, air treatment, surface disinfection, wastewater treatment, and process water treatment. UV disinfection equipment also finds application in industries such as food and beverages, healthcare, chemicals, and electronics. UV disinfection equipment is most commonly used in water and wastewater treatment and these segments hold the largest share of the UV disinfection equipment market. The availability of fresh and safe drinking water is a global concern, which has resulted in the growing need for treatment of wastewater. The increasing prevalence of chlorine-susceptible microorganisms such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia has spiked the incidence of gastrointestinal illnesses, diarrhea, and giardiasis across the globe. International regulatory bodies have encouraged the development of new and advanced water purification and disinfection technologies to battle the spread of waterborne diseases, thereby boosting the demand for UV disinfection equipment.The use of UV disinfection equipment in the air and surface application segments is expected to grow in the coming years, with demand stemming from the healthcare and chemical industries.Global UV Disinfection Equipment Market Poised for Strong GrowthThe worldwide market for UV disinfection equipment is slated to witness impressive growth in the coming years, according to a report published by leading market intelligence firm Transparency Market Research. The report shows that the global UV disinfection equipment market, which was worth US$993.4 million in 2012, stands to grow to US$2.5 billion by 2019. The global market is estimated to register a CAGR of 14.1% from 2013 to 2019, signifying healthy development.Geographically, the global market for UV disinfection equipment is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. North America dominates the overall market, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The North American market for UV disinfection equipment is estimated to retain its lead over the next four years owing to ongoing growth in the water, food and beverages, and wastewater segments in the region. Moreover, early adoption of technology and favorable government initiatives supporting the use of UV disinfection equipment have also added to the growth of the regional market. Growing acceptance of UV disinfection technology in developing economies of Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa is also projected to boost demand by 2019.Browse Market Research Report with ToC & Free Analysis :There are numerous leading players operating in the UV disinfection equipment market. These include Xylem Inc., Advanced UV, Inc., Trojan Technologies, Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation, Green Water Technologies, Hydro-Photon, Calgon Carbon Corporation, Enaqua, Severn Trent Services, First Light Technologies Inc., Atlantium Technologies Ltd., General Electric Lighting, Aquionics, and Evoqua Water Technologies.Players have been resorting to product launches and contract acquisitions in order to stay alive in the competitive UV disinfection equipment market and this trend is expected to continue in the next few years.About Us :Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us :-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
High Class Commercial Interiors Sydney - A Promise from Bijl Architecture

http://www.bijlarchitecture.com.au/

http://www.bijlarchitecture.com.au/

Among the reliable businesses that have gained prominence like a reliable interior organization in Australia is Bijl Architecture. Actually, since its start, the organization is just about the most popular service provider for customers who search for deadline focused and tailor-made interior designing options. Bijl Architecture is thus measured among the pioneer providers of top quality interior designers in Australia. There isn't any second opinion of it there was practically no looking back for that company post its start in 2012.The vital elements which makes the clients keep their loyalty toward Bijl Architecture are many services which it offers and also the client friendly mindset. The commercial interiors designers at Bijl Architecture make sure that whether it's repairs, or full renovation, or even provision of additional work place, or office designing discussion, or new building fit outs, the actual clients can get everything in one place. Much more appreciable would be that the company prioritizes customer care above anything else. Thus, individual attention is offered to each from the clients to be able to understand their own specific needs. Bijl Architecture also helps to ensure that the whole interior designing project that varies from the initial designing phase as well as ends using the final stage of project completion is going to be effectively handled by its group of experts.The happy clients claim that they like a tension free service once they select Bijl Architecture over other challengers. Besides top quality services, the organization also ensures dedicated help every client. It's welcoming to clients the highly competent in-house staffs manage issues efficiently that arise through landlords, contractors as well as suppliers once they approach Bijl Architecture for commercial interior designing services.To understand more, kindly look into the official link of Bijl ArchitectureFounded in 2012, Bijl Architecture has been offering the corporate clients with more customized interior designing options for offices. The organization heavily banks upon quality of service, aggressive rates, deadline focused service and customer friendly atmosphere which have worked for making it the one stop solution for various corporate clients throughout Australia.Contact Name : Melonie Bayl-SmithCompany Name : Bijl ArchitectureContact Email : office@bijlarchitecture.com.auContact Phone : 02 9958 7950Website :Address : 7/100 Penshurst Street, Willoughby, New South Wales, Australia 2068
Innovations in Technology and Cloud Computing Market Trends to Experience Sustainable growth until 2018

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http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/strategic-focus-report-cloud-computing-technology-and-market-trends-report.html

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/market-research-hub

Albany, New York, January 19, 2017: In todays business environment, cloud computing has helped many enterprises transform themselves over the past few years. Several companies in a broad range of industries are utilizing cloud-based software and platforms to streamline processes, lower complexity and better visibility. Currently, with the growing utilization, the market and new improved technologies in coup computing is also accelerating its demand rapidly. This has been studied by a new study of Kable Market Research entitled as Strategic Focus Report- Cloud Computing Market, that has been added to the report database of Market Research Hub (MRH). The report offers Kable's viewpoint on the revenue prospects in the market until 2018, underlining the market size and growth by technology, geography, sector and size band.Request for Sample Report:This report is aiming towards the evolution of cloud computing solution in recent years with its key market drivers and inhibitors. Enterprises with big budgets, data centers and complex applications are now looking at cloud as a sustainable place to run core business applications due to its wide reputation. It can be defined as, cloud computing brings software, platform and IT infrastructure services by a shared network. In this model, businesses access resources such as hosted software and applications remotely, i.e., via the internet.According to the key findings, hybrid cloud services have been pitched as the best way for an organization to meet regulatory compliance while benefiting from the scalability of the cloud. Thus, adoption of hybrid cloud is gradually gaining impetus among enterprises. Also, surging demand by the mobile workforce is one of the key reasons cloud computing is on the rise. Additionally, the report also discusses the biggest challenge for the growth in the adoption rate of the cloud computing technology i.e. to increase awareness about its security aspects.Moving further, the report also describes that the retail sector accounted for roughly 13.5 % of the cloud's market share in 2013, while the health care and government fields were responsible for 10.8% and 10.4% percent, respectively. Large organizations make use of private clouds with the aim of ensuring dependability & security, while the smaller organizations require public cloud services as they are cost efficient in nature. The use of cloud computing technology not only gives cost benefits but also make applications reachable to all devices in the network from any location at any time.Browse Full Report with TOC:Furthermore, the report also identifies and assesses the top five best-performing vendors in the market.About Market Research HubMarket 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.Contact Us90 State StreetAlbany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel : +1-518-621-2074Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :Follow Us on LinkedIn-
GTF Neman Tobacco Company Comprehensive Analysis Reveals Key Highlights

Tobacco Company Market Report

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A new report focusing on a leading company profile from the tobacco industry has been published to the online portfolio of Market Research Hub (MRH). The report is titled as, Tobacco Company Profile- GTF Neman Market Analysis that provides detailed insights into the companys business activity and products. This report also assesses market size and structure along with per capita and total consumption. Additionally, it focuses on brand data, retail pricing, prospects and forecasts for sales and consumption.Request For Sample Report:Initially, the report introduces the largest cigarette manufacturer company founded in 1861 and currently based in Grodno, Belarus, i.e. GTF Neman. It is state owned and controlled by the state food industry holding organization. Grodno Tobacco factory Neman highly maintains the trademark and presently occupies 73% of the market dealing of tobacco production in the Republic of Belarus. GTF Neman has customarily remained focused on its domestic market but has also begun to export more cigarettes in the past few years.According to the key findings, the exports surged to 8.50 billion pieces in 2014, when the company was the principal exporter of cigarettes from Belarus. As consumer product demand evolves, tobacco companies also change their strategy and placing to tap new opportunities.Consequently, understanding the shifting market dynamics is the key to ensuring maximum sales in the future. In 2015, the exports were dropped to 3.43 billion pieces, but still, the overall sales excluding contract production accounted to around 16.28 billion pieces in the same year. King Size cigarettes produced at JSC Grodno Tobacco Factory NEMAN eventually gained fame within the native population.Further, the report highlights the financial points of the cigarette market including Belarus as well as international markets during 2005-2012. In Belarus, the government effectively restricts imports to those brands which cannot be manufactured. As a result, GTF Neman has established licensed contract manufacturing arrangements with Tobacco International Enterprises Ltd., BAT, and JTI. The foreign company British American Tobacco Trading Company is seeing the possibility of placing the facilities to make additional resources for cigarette production in Grodno. Also, Grodno factory is about to finish the joint project connecting BAT Trading Company to install two lines to produce and package cigarettes with a total cost of 11 million. Currently, on a contractual basis with BAT Grodno tobacco factory, the company produces five international brands of cigarettes such as Alliance, Viceroy, Kent, Pall Mall and Lucky Strike.Read Full Report with TOC:Through this report, buyers will get a detailed understanding of consumption to align their sales and marketing efforts with the latest trends in the market. Also, they can identify the areas of growth and opportunities, which will aid effective marketing planning.About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Follow Us on:Twitter:LinkedIn:Facebook:
Tomato Paste Market- to Grow in the Coming Years, New Research explores Factors Responsible

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Research Beam added a report Global Tomato Paste Market Research Report 2016Description:Global Tomato Paste Market Research Report 2016:The Global Tomato Paste Market 2016 Industry Research Report is a comprehensive study of the recent market trends and consumption analysis in the global industry. The report provides an in-depth analysis for the historic period, 20112016 and the forecast period, 20162021. Market overview is offered on the basis of product overview and scope of Global Tomato Paste Market Research Report 2016 Research in the Food and Beverage. Furthermore, the study covers a detailed segmentation in terms of types, applications, and regions.Download Sample Report @:Regional analysis for the Global Tomato Paste Market Research Report 2016 in the Food and Beverage Sector is provided based on revenue, sales, and growth rate. In addition, sales and market share for each segment are included for each region.Following regions are analyzed: North America Global China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaMajor manufacturers are analyzed in the report in terms of basic information, manufacturing base, product specifications, and business overview. Furthermore, comprehensive analysis of sales, revenue, price, and gross margin of each manufacturer is covered.Following manufacturers are analyzed: Heinz McCormick Del Monte Alce Nero ConAgra MARS Annalisa Simplot Australia Cerebos Limited Renfros. Barilla UTOPIAGet Enquire @Manufacturing cost analysis is offered based on raw material analysis and cost structure along with manufacturing process analysis. The research offers industry chain analysis in terms of upstream raw material sourcing and downstream buyers. Moreover, an extensive analysis of production, consumption, and revenue for each segment is offered for the forecast period.Data & statistics are provided with the help of tables and figures to help manufacturers, investors, and shareholders gain comprehensive understanding. Research conclusions are offered at the end of the report.Table of Contents:1 Tomato Paste Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Tomato Paste1.2 Tomato Paste Segment by Type2 Global Tomato Paste Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Tomato Paste Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)3 Global Tomato Paste Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2011-2016)4 Global Tomato Paste Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.1 Global Tomato Paste Consumption by Regions (2011-2016)5 Global Tomato Paste Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Tomato Paste Market Analysis by Application7 Global Tomato Paste Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Tomato Paste Manufacturing Cost Analysis8.1 Tomato Paste Key Raw Materials Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis11.1 Technology Progress/Risk12 Global Tomato Paste Market Forecast (2016-2021)13 Research Findings and ConclusionAbout Us:With the arsenal of different search reports, Research Beam helps you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Severs Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesU.S. & Canada Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452International: + 1-503-894-6022UK: + 44-845-528-1300India: +91 20 66346070Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975Email: help@researchbeam.comWeb:
How to solve the shell expansion defects on stainless steel castings

www.casting-forgings.com

During production of stainless steel castings, we often encounter the quality problems of the shell expansion defects. Such defects are caused by crystal expansion happened during the volume solidification and eutectic transformation process of the stainless steel.Below, let PARFECT talking about the solutions to solve such problems,1. Strict control on pre-processes, such as wax ingredients, shell pressuring, location of the ingot welding, coating hardening and drying the wax tree. New and used wax material rate to be controlled within 50%:50%. Wax shell pressed by pneumatic press. The wax injection gun should be electrical temperature controlled and temperature of the wax material controlled between 42 - 50C. Place of gate welding should be at the biggest hot tear areas on the investment castings, thus to solve the shrinkage problems and control solidification processes. The coating material should be with high strength. The surface coating contains silica powder, silica sand, and the reinforcement layer includes high aluminum powder, high aluminum sand. All coatings liquid are mixed with rate of 1:1. To increase the coating property and strength of the shells, we usually add 0.05% surface activator.The viscosity of the coating: surface layer of 10-15s, reinforcement layer of 18-25s (using funnel viscometer IOOmL/6mm). The hardening agent is ammonium chloride with concentration range of 22% to 25%. The temperature controlled within 30  50% with the hardening time within 5 -15min. The drying equipment use warm wind kiln with drying time between 15-30 rain.The above technical process will control the shell dried sufficiently, baking appropriately, no layers, solid and tight enough.2. Modify the shell expansions problems during de-wax process. To solve the expansion defects caused by de-wax, we made the below modification on technical process: removing the wax bars before de-wax, using joint melting processes. Melt the wax material or draw out the wax bars by using vapor, then melt the wax shell in hot water. This will help to melt all the wax materials at one time, thus ensure the channels unblocked. We do according to the above principles, changing the sequence from digging the shells completely with wax bars up to digging the wax bars down first partially. The good thermal conductivity allows the aluminum wax bars to separate from the wax tree rapidly. We take the wax bar out and dig the shells in the water to melt the wax materials and overflow uniformly.3. Strictly control the temperature, speed and height of steel liquid during casting. We should achieve Medium temperature, stable flow and low press, thus to reduce the destruction to the shells during casting.if you want to know more information , welcome to visit our website at :to know more .Ningbo Parfect machnery Co.,Ltd starting since 2001, is a casting factory, specialized in manufacturing all kinds of steel casting,carbon steel casting, alloy steel casting,ductile iron casting ,gray iron casting and so on, which are used in the field of transportation equipment(train parts/vessel parts), agricultural machinery, mining machinery, rubber machinery, some other heavy machineries, etc. Such goods are exported mainly to the North America, Europe, Australia amp South Africa market. Our factory is located in Ningbo city, which is one of the largest port cities in China and also the China lost wax casting process and Sand casting process production base. If you have any other question, please feel free to contact us.Room 1009, Minghui Building, Siming Zhong Road, Yin zhou district, Ningbo 315100,
What is difference between steel casting vs cast iron

www.casting-forgings.com

Ningbo parfect casting factory is a professional production of various types of cast steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, cast steel, alloy castings export-oriented enterprises. Let us talk about the difference between steel casting vs cast iron as follows:Although the two are the same as the iron-carbon alloy, but because of carbon, silicon, manganese, phosphorus, sulfur and other chemical elements in different percentages, crystallization has a different microstructure, and mechanical properties and process performance shows many different .For example, in the casting state, cast iron elongation, area shrinkage, impact toughness lower than cast steel; cast iron compressive strength and shock absorption performance better than cast steel; gray cast iron liquid flow better than cast steel, more suitable for Casting in the complex structure of the thin-walled castings; bending test, the brittle fracture of cast iron, cast steel for the bending deformation. And so on Therefore, they are suitable for casting different requirements of the parts.if you want to know more information , welcome to visit our website at to know more .Ningbo Parfect machnery Co.,Ltd starting since 2001, is a casting factory, specialized in manufacturing all kinds of steel casting,carbon steel casting, alloy steel casting,ductile iron casting ,gray iron casting and so on, which are used in the field of transportation equipment(train parts/vessel parts), agricultural machinery, mining machinery, rubber machinery, some other heavy machineries, etc. Such goods are exported mainly to the North America, Europe, Australia amp South Africa market. Our factory is located in Ningbo city, which is one of the largest port cities in China and also the China lost wax casting process and Sand casting process production base. If you have any other question, please feel free to contact us.Room 1009, Minghui Building, Siming Zhong Road, Yin zhou district, Ningbo 315100,
OKLAHOMA CITY ELECTRICIAN: A NAME OF TRUST

http://oklahomacityelectrician.com/

Midwest City, OK, USA - January 19, 2017: Oklahoma City Electrician has announced the launch of their company`s website.Oklahoma City Electrician is a company that provides services for electrical contractors in Oklahoma and surrounding areas.Oklahoma City Electrician caters residential as well as commercial work. Oklahoma City Electrician is a licensed and insured company whose aim is to provide its services with ease and comfort of its users at reasonable cost. Oklahoma City Electrician has already been making its mark and people are already fond of the results of their services.Oklahoma City Electrician has expert professionals committed and dedicated to quality work, they are capable of managing and handling all sorts of electrical jobs. The dedicated professionals make sure to complete their work in time with safe and sound environment. Oklahoma City Electrician prime motive is customer satisfaction and no job is left until and unless the customer is happy and satisfied with the results. The company understands that every job is unique and different and hence requires different methods and alternatives accordingly.We have gathered latest technology along with experience of our professionals which resulted into Oklahoma City Electrician, where customer satisfaction comes first and thus guaranteed results are inevitable Says one of the founders of Oklahoma City Electrician. The founders of the company are confident about the success of their company and have strong faith in their dedicated professionals. The customer reviews regarding the results and work of Oklahoma City Electrician has been phenomenal and exceptional. Oklahoma City Electrician is definitely going to be one of the famous electrical service providers in the coming years.Oklahoma City Electrician works for residential as well as commercial areas moreover an emergency situation with electrical problem is handled immediately 24/7 by the company and their dedicated professionals. Every job is important for Oklahoma City Electrician either it is an outlet installation, a ceiling fan repair or industrial inspections and wiring and other electrical jobs. Oklahoma City Electrician has full and wide range of electrical services. The company also provides guidelines and consultation that works in the best interest of their customers free of cost.24/7 ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS AT DOORSTEP2217 S Highland Rd Midwest City, OK 73110 United States
Fiberglass Flooring Market Is Expected To Witness Significant Growth On Account Of Its Rising Usage In Residential Sector Till 2025

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/fiberglass-flooring-market

The global fiberglass flooring market() is expected to reach USD 987 million by 2025, according to a new report conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. The growing application in industrial, residential and commercial buildings owing to the longer lifespan of floors coupled with better aesthetics will drive growth over the upcoming years. Moreover, the rising demand for residential buildings in light of population growth, increasing income levels, and favorable government initiatives will aid in the industry development.The usage of these products in the industrial sector will witness substantial revenue rise at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2016 to 2025. Factors such as low maintenance and anti-allergen are expected to spur the demand for these products over the upcoming years. Strong growth of the construction industry in emerging countries such as China, India, Singapore, Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, UAE, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and South Korea will create growth opportunities for the market in the future.Further key findings from the report suggest: The global fiberglass flooring market demand was 107,793.2 thousand square feet in 2015 and is expected to grow significantly owing to growing demand for residential buildings in countries such as Germany, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, and India The Middle East & Africa accounted for 16.5% of the global volume share in 2015 and is anticipated to witness growth on account of rapid infrastructural development in the region over the upcoming years. The presence of large construction companies such as Murray & Roberts, Fluor, Trencon Construction, Esor, Arabtec Construction LLC, Al Habtoor Group LLC, and Dutco Construction LLC will spur the demand for the product. The industrial construction sector is expected to witness substantial gains on account of increasing facility expansion by manufacturing companies. Moreover, the shifting of the major automotive manufacturers including Volkswagen, Audi, Toyota, Nissan, Chevrolet, BMW, and Fiat to China and India is expected to fuel the demand for fiberglass floorings in the industrial construction sector over the forecast period. The industry is dominated by key participants including IVC Group (Mohawk Industries), Mannington Mills, Inc., Shaw Floors, NOX Corporation, Milliken, Armstrong World Industries, Gerflor, and Tarkett Companies are focusing on strategic partnerships and alliances for strengthening their positions in the global market. In January 2013, the IVC Group announced the acquisition of Trinterio, which led to the introduction of two new subdivisions to the IVC Group, Spanolux, and Balterio.Grand View Research has segmented the global fiberglass flooring market on the basis of application and region:Fiberglass Flooring Application Outlook (Volume, Thousand Square Feet; Revenue, USD Million; 2014-2025) Residential Commercial IndustrialFiberglass Flooring Market Regional Outlook (Volume, Thousand Square Feet; Revenue, USD Million; 2014-2025) North Americao U.S. Europeo Germanyo UKo Franceo Italy Asia Pacifico Chinao India Central & South Americao Brazil Middle East & Africao South AfricaAbout Grand View ResearchGrand 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.Press ContactSherry James - Corporate Relations Specialist28 2nd Street, Suite 3036San Francisco, CA 94105United StatesPhone: 1-415-349-0058Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com
Mobile Satellite Services Market Research Report 2025 -Market Size and Forecast |The Insight Partners

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Telecommunication services that deliver through satellite to mobile users are termed as mobile satellite services. The terminals through which communications take place is either handheld or mounted on the top of a mobile car or a ship. MSS allows worldwide coverage exploring communication beyond traditional cellular wireless systems. The technology uses M-band and L-band frequencies of radio spectrum.Browse market data tables and in-depth TOC of the Mobile Satellite Services Market to 2025 @The report aims to provide an overview of Global Mobile Satellite Services Market along with detailed segmentation of market by application, access type, end-users and five major geographical regions. Global mobile satellite services market is expected to witness rapid growth during the forecast period due to increasing demand of portable communication services.Request Sample Copy @The objectives of Mobile Satellite Services Market report are as follows: To provide overview of the global mobile satellite services market To analyze and forecast the global mobile satellite services market on the basis of application, access type, end-user To provide market size and forecast till 2025 for overall mobile satellite services market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA), and South America (SAM), which are later sub-segmented across respective major countries To evaluate market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend To provide exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions To profiles key mobile satellite services players influencing the market along with their SWOT analysis and market strategiesInquire about discount on this report @Some of the important players in mobile satellite services market are Intesat General Corporation, Globalstar USA, LLC, Inmarsat, Irdium Communications Inc., Singtel, Telstra, Skyvision Ltd., New York Mobile Satellite, LLC, Viasat and Orbcomm.About The Insight Partners:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comThe Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Medical Electronics Market Research Report 2025 -Market Size and Forecast |The Insight Partners

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Medical electronics is measured as a specialized discipline, which incorporates engineering with fields including clinical practice and biomedical sciences. Medical electronics offers more benefits over paper records and enables tracking of individual's information thus, helps in enhancing the quality of patient care.Browse market data tables and in-depth TOC of the Medical Electronics Market to 2025 @The report aims to provide an overview of Global Medical Electronics Market along with detailed segmentation of market by segment type, application and five major geographical regions. Global Medical Electronics market is expected to witness growth during the forecast period due to rising lifestyle diseases and requirement of better healthcare facilities.Request Sample Copy @The objectives of Medical Electronics Market report are as follows: To provide overview of the global Medical Electronics market To analyze and forecast the global Medical Electronics market on the basis of type and application. To provide market size and forecast till 2025 for overall Medical Electronics market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA), and South America (SAM), which are later sub-segmented across respective major countries To evaluate market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend To provide exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions To profiles key Medical Electronics players influencing the market along with their SWOT analysis and market strategiesInquire about discount on this report @Some of the important players in Medical Electronics market are Siemens AG, ON Semiconductor Corporation, Renesas Electronics Corporation, GE Healthcare, Texas Instruments Incorporated, Freescale Semiconductor Inc., STMicroelectronics N.V., Analog Devices, Inc., Philips Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. and Cypress Semiconductor Corporation.About The Insight Partners:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comThe Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Playout Automation Market: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast to 2025 |The Insight Partners

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An industry term playout systems is used describe the tools and software used in media broadcasting environment, these systems help in playing and converting source media into form they can be used to broadcast. Functionality of playout automation includes playing simultaneous videos or single video simultaneously without any gaps, comprehensive scheduling of programs, easy and quick media storage and accessing, etc. Playout automation not only renders high density data but also but also supports secondary media and metadata.Browse market data tables and in-depth TOC of the Playout Automation Market to 2025 @The report aims to provide an overview of Global Playout Automation Market along with detailed segmentation of market by components, transmission, applications, and five major geographical regions. Global Playout Automation market is expected to witness steady growth during the forecast period due to increasing automation in digital media broadcasting.Request Sample Copy @The objectives of Playout Automation Market report are as follows: To provide overview of the global Playout Automation market To analyze and forecast the global Playout Automation market on the basis of components, transmission, and applications To provide market size and forecast till 2025 for overall Playout Automation market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA), and South America (SAM), which are later sub-segmented across respective major countries To evaluate market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend To provide exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions To profiles key Playout Automation players influencing the market along with their SWOT analysis and market strategiesInquire about discount on this report @Some of the important players in Playout Automation market are Miranda Technologies, Inc., Hardata, Grass Valley, Harmonic, Cinegy, ENCO Systems, Inc., Deyan Automation Systems, Itochu Cable Systems, Amagi Corporation, Pebble Beach Systems.About The Insight Partners:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comThe Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Lucintels PESTLE Analysis of the Peru 2017

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The Peru economy is dominated by the service sector, which contributed approximately 50% followed by Industrial sector contributing 45% to the total GDP in 2016. The mining and fuel industry contributes 11.9% to the GDP. The mining industry has proved to be vital to Perus recent economic growth. Currently Peru is a global leader in the production of gold, copper, zinc and lead. The Peru government is expected to start a number of projects that will help further develop on various sectors such as infrastructure, health, and education. The Peru has Vision 2016-2021 which focuses on infrastructure investment, a modern and sustainable mining sector, improved health and education services, reduced corruption, a professional police and judiciary, reducing the informal economy, less red tape, and increased government efficiency.Lucintel, a leading global management consulting and market research firm, has analysed the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors of the Perus and has come up with a comprehensive research report, PESTLE Analysis of the Peru 2017. This report provides an analysis of the Peru economy from historical, current, and future perspectives. SWOT analysis, scenario analysis, and risk analysis of the Peru is also included in the report. The report also includes forecast for the Peru economic growth through 2022.The report highlights various drivers and challenges which have influence on investment decisions in the economy. The Peru economy is a politically stable country, which presidential system with a representative government. Peru has extension of Ports which makes it as regional hub for Asia and North America. The country faces challenges such has high corruption rate, the country has very low R&D spending and it lags behind American, Europe and ROW countries in terms of R&D spending. The Peru government has vision to increase investment in large infrastructure projects, including the building of roads, trade and industrial centres, and hospitals. This investment will boost the economic development of the country.This 84-page research report will enable you to make confident business decisions in this globally competitive marketplace. For a detailed table of contents and pricing information on this timely, insightful report, contact Lucintel at +1-972-636-5056 or via email at helpdesk@lucintel.com. Lucintel provides cutting-edge decision support services that facilitate critical decisions with greater speed, market insight, and cost efficiency. To learn more, visit. You can also contact us through Live Chat in its website to answer your questions in real time. Lucintel offerings include SWOT Matrix, Due Diligence, Mergers & Acquisitions, Industry/Market Analysis and Strategic Growth Consulting.About LucintelLucintel, the premier global management consulting and market research firm, creates winning strategies for growthwhether you need to understand market dynamics, identify new opportunities, or increase your profitability. It offers market assessments, competitive analysis, opportunity analysis, growth consulting, M&A, and due diligence services to executives and key decision-makers in a variety of industries. Over the last 15 years, Lucintel has served over 1,000 corporations in 70 countries. For further information, visitLucintel, the premier global management consulting and market research firm, creates winning strategies for growthwhether you need to understand market dynamics, identify new opportunities, or increase your profitability. It offers market assessments, competitive analysis, opportunity analysis, growth consulting, M&A, and due diligence services to executives and key decision-makers in a variety of industries. Over the last 15 years, Lucintel has served over 1,000 corporations in 70 countries. For further information, visitLucintel222 Las Colinas Blvd West, Suite 1650, Irving, TX 75039, USAPh: +1-972-636-5056 Fax: +1-877-883-5140marketing@lucintel.com
Digital Photography Market - Analysis, Growth, Trends And Market Outlook 2024

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Global Digital Photography Market: OverviewDigital photography refers to a form of photography that uses devices containing arrays of light sensitive sensors to capture pictures focused by a lens. The captured pictures are in digital format and are stored as a computer file, which can be further processed for color corrections and resizing for viewing, publishing, or printing. Professional photographer apart, digital photography has been adopted by many amateur snapshot photographers in the recent times as it helps them with the convenience of sending images by email or uploading them on the World Wide Web. This extended demand from amateur photographers in the past decade is reflecting on the global digital photography market, which was estimated at US$82.6 bn in 2016, is projected for a healthy growth rate during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.Get Sample Report Copy :The digital photography market includes complimentary products such as cameras, interchangeable lenses, storage cards, printers, photo editing software, camera cell phones, and digital photo frames. Collectively, the market for these complimentary products was valued at US$ 68.5bn, which makes it a highly lucrative opportunities for the players. This report on global digital photography market is comprehensive study of the market in its current scenario and based on prominent factors that are expected to influence the growth rate, figurative future has been evaluated. Another key aspect of the report is its section on company profiles which includes data on manufacturing base, capacity, product portfolio, marketing strategies, and other key developments.Global Digital Photography Market: Trends and OpportunitiesIn the recent past, digital media has revolutionized the face of digital photography with the emergence of photo sharing sites, networking sites, and blogging sites. This incremented participation of vast populations on the Internet is rated as the primary factor that is extending the demand in the global market for digital photography. Moreover, the key players in this market are constantly innovating and introducing new products to catch the attention of the consumers. For example, wireless cameras are expected to witness a surge in demand in the mature markets of the U.S., Japan, Europe, and other emerging economies in Asia Pacific. Digital and video cameras are expected to soon evolve into network devices, which will create new opportunities for the wireless operators and film suppliers. With digital cameras accessing personal computers and the Internet via wireless data connection, new levels of convenience for the consumers.The report observes that networking sites are constantly innovating their photo sharing section, which gives their consumers a rich and enhanced visual experience. This factor is expected to prompt a surge in demand for digital photography products, especially in the urban population across the globe. Additionally, digital photography finds applications in several industries such as medical, surgeries, automobiles, and manufacturing. Conversely, these digital photography complimentary products are expensive, sophisticated, and requires professional knowledge to operate. This factor is anticipated to hinder the growth rate of the market during the forecast period.The global market for digital photography can be segmented on the basis of products, application and geography. By products, the market can be divided into processing equipment, interchangeable lenses, and camera smartphones. By application, the market can be divided into photography software and photo processing.Global Digital Photography Market: Region-wise OutlookGeographically, North America and Europe contribute to the maximum demand in the global market, which is a reflection of high purchasing potential of the populations in those region, particularly in the countries of the U.S., the U.K., Canada, France, and Germany. However, with the exponential rise of the social media in the emerging economies in Asia Pacific, which has vastly populated countries such as India and India, are projected for a robust growth rate during the forecast period.Browse Market Research Report with ToC & Free Analysis :Companies mentioned in the research reportSome of the key players currently operational in the global market for digital photography are Nikon, Sony, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Canon, and Samsung.About Us :Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us :-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
High Pressure Processing (HPP) Market - Global Industry Analysis 2024

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A research report, titled High Pressure Processing (HPP) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016  2024, by Transparency Market Research (TMR) offers an in-depth analysis of the market. The research study presents insights into the major growth factors that are estimated to encourage the growth of the overall market in the next few years. Additionally, the product segmentation, latest trends, technological advancements, primary applications, and the regional segmentation of the global high pressure processing market have been included in the scope of the study.View exclusive Global strategic Business report:High pressure processing reduces the need for chemical additives, owing to its efficiency in eradicating most of the pathogens. This is considered as one of the vital factors that are estimated to fuel the growth of the global high pressure processing market in the forecast period. The significant growth of this market can be attributed to the increasing awareness among consumers towards chemical additives as they are essentially unsafe. As a result, food products that are offered without chemical additives are gaining immense popularity, which is anticipated to encourage the growth of the global high pressure processing market in the coming years.Furthermore, as high pressure processing can be carried out after the final food product has been positioned in the final package is another major factor that to expected to supplement the growth of the overall market in the next few years. This helps the players in reducing the possibility of post-processing contamination of food products, resulting in a high demand for high pressure processing products in the next few years. In addition, the technological development and innovations in this field are anticipated to supplement the growth of the market in the next few years.The global market for high pressure processing can be classified on the basis of orientation into vertical and horizontal high pressure processing equipment. The key applications of high pressure processing include fruits and vegetables, meat, seafood, and juice and beverages. Furthermore, the key geographical segments of the global market have also been provided in the scope of the study. To offer a strong understanding, the market share and the estimated growth rate of the leading segments have been provided in the research study.The prominent companies operating in the high pressure processing market across the globe include Multivac Sepp Haggenmuller GmbH, Hiperbaric Espana, Stansted Fluid Power Ltd., Chic Freshertech, Motivatit Seafoods L.L.C., Avure Technologies Inc., Kobe Steel Ltd., Baotou Kefa High Pressure Technology, Millard Refrigerated Services, Beskyd Frycovice A.S., and Thyssenkrupp Ag. With the rising number of companies entering the global market, the competitive is expected to get intense throughout the forecast period.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:
VR Content Creation Market - Global Industry, Analysis, Growth And Market Demand Upto 2024

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Global VR Content Creation Market: OverviewContent creation in virtual reality is relatively similar to the formation of video sharing and creation platforms that simply allow users to view the said content through VR devices. The VR content can therefore be created by a device user as well as enterprises that aim to provide quality VR content to users at a price. The global VR content creation market also focuses on the provision of video sharing platforms that incorporate tools that may allow a user to generate as well as distribute their own brand of VR content over proprietary channels. The speed at which VR devices are being accepted and used across the world is definitely a positive sign for the global VR content creation market as it allows for a very high demand volume for content that is specifically available for VR devices. This is expected to bloom into the development and availability of 3D VR content generation software that will be increasingly available across all usage types and platforms, from common consumers to large-scale movie makers.Get Sample Report Copy :The report on the global VR content creation market provides a descriptive projection of the facts and figures that govern the player behavior in it. It achieves this through an in-depth and qualitative analysis that involves key expert insights, historical data, and verifiable projections regarding the size of the market. These projections have been obtained through tried and tested research methodologies and core assumptions. The research report thus serves as a valuable pool of information and analysis for every facet of the global VR content creation market, including its several key regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Global VR Content Creation Market: Key Trends and OpportunitiesThe sheer scope of usage that consumers can generate from the currently budding virtual reality devices, along with the highly diverse costs of these devices are the leading factors that are augmenting the global VR content creation market. VR tech can be accessible to a very wide demographic that can procure devices from the latest innovations in high-end VR content to simple cardboard-based designs that make use of a users smartphone. This allows the global VR content creation market to create a massive volume of marketing strategies and attract a great number of consumers. Additionally, several of the leading VR device manufacturers are creating devices that are increasingly advanced as well as accessible to users in terms of initial cost. The low cost of VR devices is also attracting a large volume of players into the global VR content creation market, thereby increasing its competitive index and further lowering device prices.Current innovations and intentions of leading players in the global VR content creation market point towards several innovations such as a 360 degree VR experience and the seamless integration of VR into online gaming.Global VR Content Creation Market: Region-wise OutlookThe geographical segmentation of the global VR content creation market allows users to look at a zoomed in version of each of its key regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, The Middle East and Africa, and South America. North America and Europe both possess the technological upper hand over other regions and have therefore housed several pioneering players in the global VR content creation market. Both regions are expected to continue providing satisfactory demand from consumers over the consistently improving technology stirred regularly with key innovations. At the same time, globally prominent players as well as new entrants are well-aware of the golden opportunities that Asia Pacific countries will come to represent over the coming years. Nations such as China and India hold incredibly densely populated urban areas where growing knowledge of VR technology and increasing disposable incomes are allowing them to put forward a massive rate of increase in demand for them.Browse Market Research Report with ToC & Free Analysis :Regardless of the size of each player, the global VR content creation market is largely governed by the rate of innovation that each player can bring to the table. That said, the global VR content creation market has been dominated so far by players such as VOXELUS, Cisco Meraki, SubVRsive, Koncept VR, Visionary VR, MATTERVR, WEMAKEVR, IAM-Media (IAM-360), and Panedia Pty Ltd.About Us :Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us :-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
India Construction Chemical Market Revenues to Exceed US$ 1,890 Mn by 2020

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Future Market Insights (FMI), in its recent report titled, Construction Chemical Market: India Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 - 2020, projects that the India construction chemical market will exhibit a CAGR of 17.2% during 2014 to 2020. The market is projected to reach US$ 1,890 million by 2020.Construction chemicals are added to construction materials in order to improve their workability, performance, functionality, chemical resistance and durability. Utilisation of construction chemicals has witnessed significant growth over the past decade due to increasing infrastructure development activities in developing economies.The report analyses the India construction chemicals market in terms of market value (US$ Mn), segment, end user, and regions, providing information regarding market dynamics, competitive landscape, current trends, market estimations and forecast.Government regulations based on the concept of Green Revolution, increase in foreign investment activities, urbanisation, and growing preference for utilisation of ready-mix concrete (RMC) are some of the prominent factors that are driving the growth of the construction chemicals market in India. A few challenges faced by this market are low availability of skilled manpower, volatility in raw material prices, and lack of interest for implementation of quality standards by infrastructure developers.Request For Report Sample:Some major trends in India construction chemical market are increase in investment in R&D, entry of new players, adoption of sustainable products and technological advancements. Asian region is turning out to be focus point for most of the major construction chemicals companies for investment in R&D. Rising construction of new buildings and renovation activities across India is expected to boost the overall demand for construction chemicals in the near future.India construction chemicals market on the basis of types is segmented as admixtures, flooring chemicals, water proofing compounds, adhesives & sealants, repair and rehabilitation & others. Adhesives & sealants and admixtures segment is expected to collectively account for 61.2% share of the India construction chemicals market by 2020. It is anticipated that there will be a decline in the growth of the repair, rehabilitation & others segment from 12.7% in 2014 to 11.9% in 2020, indicating a lack of inspection and maintenance in the construction industry in India.On the basis of end use sectors, India construction chemical market is segmented as infrastructure sector and residential & commercial sector. Infrastructure sector is likely to grow at a CAGR of 18.3%. The residential and commercial segment has a share of 34% in overall Indian construction chemical market with a steady Y-o-Y growth of 16% in 2020.Send An Enquiry:From regional perspective, India construction chemical market is segmented into northern region, eastern region, western region and southern region. Currently, northern region is expected to experience highest CAGR of 17.8% as compared to other regions. Southern region is likely to create an opportunity which is three times the value in 2013. The southern region comprises the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. This region realises the potential of IT services and hence are able to attract significant investment from these service and manufacturing companies. Chemical and engineering industries are the main drivers of growth in western region particularly in Maharashtra and Gujarat.Key market participants covered in the report include BASF India, Pidilite, Sika India Pvt. Ltd., Forsoc Chemicals (India) Ltd., Chembond Chemicals and CICO TechnologiesABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Force Sensor Market : New Business Opportunities & Investment Research Report 2016 - 2022

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Force sensors are also known as force transducers that converts an input mechanical force into an electrical output signal. It act as a force sensing resistor in an electric circuit. It has various benefits such as flexibility and ultra-thin sensor construction which leads to minimal interference in normal action of device and precise response. Depending upon the working and sensing method, variety of force sensors are available in the market.A sample of this report is available upon request @The global force sensor market is expected to witness substantial growth over the period of forecast. Technological advancement, low manufacturing cost, increasing product demand, rise in the demand of industrial robots, advancement of medical devices with force sensing technology, innovations and development in the manufacturing are the few factors encouraging the growth of global force sensor market.On the other hand, factors which are restraining the global force sensor market are instability in the demand across various end-user industry and underdeveloped aftermarket sales channels.The global force sensor market can be segmented into type, application and region. On the basis of type, the global force sensor market can be segmented into, optical force sensor, piezoresistive force sensor, capacitive force sensor, magnetic force sensor, ultrasonic force sensor, strain gauges, and electrochemical force sensorsSensors has become an essential part of any measurement and automation applications. Overall global sensor market is witnessing a trend of increasing sensor accuracy, reliability, response time, efficiency, communication capability and robustness encourages the demand for sensors across various applications. On the basis of application, the global force sensor market can be segmented into, medical & pharmaceutical sector, automotive, printing & packaging, consumer electronics, industrial (robotic & manufacturing), and aerospace & defence. Key developments in the prominent industries such as medical & pharmaceuticals, robotics, aerospace & defence, manufacturing and others is expected to encourage the growth of global force sensor market by 2025. Force sensors are used in manufacturing tools, transportation equipment, microelectronic packaging, transportation equipment etc. Force sensors can also be used in wireless inventory management system to improve order scheduling which helps in avoiding inventory stock-out issue.On the basis of region, the global force sensor market can be seven regions which include  North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan and Middle East & Africa. North America is dominating the global force sensor market due to high technological advancement and increasing adoption among various end-user applications. However, revenue contribution from Asia Pacific excluding Japan is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period.A TOC of this report is available upon request @Key players in the global force sensor market are FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc., OMRON Corporation, Texas Instruments Incorporated are the top players are global force sensor market. Apart from them, various other players are existing in market such as TE Connectivity Ltd., Tekscan, Inc., ATI Industrial Automation, and Sensata Technologies, Inc. Key players are focusing on development of new technologies and new product launch. Merger and acquisition is another activity observed in the market by the market participants to increase their product portfolio and to grow the business. The growth in global force sensor market is also due to growing awareness about the potential use of force sensors in different electronic devices by the original equipment manufacturers. For example, in August 2015, Apple, Inc. posted a patent report, An Advanced Force Touch Patent for the iPad Surfaces in Europe to develop techniques to integrate the force sensors into the iPhone and iPad.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each PMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With a wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports strive to serve clients and satisfy their overall research requirement.For information regarding permissions, contact:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway,7th FloorNew York City, NY 10007United StatesTel: +1 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWebsite:media@persistencemarketresearch.com
India Gin Market Revenues to Exceed 5.36 Mn Cases Over 2015 - 2025

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Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the India gin market in its latest report titled Gin Market: India Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2015 - 2025. Revenue from the India gin market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 2.8% during the forecast period due to various factors, regarding which FMI offers fundamental insights in detail in this report.On the basis of product type, the market has been segmented into economy and premium and luxury segment. The economy segment is expected to account for 98.8% share of the India gin market by 2015. In terms of revenue, the premium and luxury segment is expected to account for INR 2,157 Mn (US $ 425.2 MN) by 2025.The India gin market has been segmented on the basis of regions into North, East, West and South. Of all the regions, Southern India is expected to account for highest share of 34.8% of the India gin market (volume terms) by 2015 end, followed by the Western region with 28.2%. Contribution from the eastern region is anticipated to increase from 12.4% in 2015 to 12.9% in terms of volume share in 2025. Gin manufacturers are expected to expand their business in the Eastern region through tie-ups with regional distributors in the next few years.Request For Report Sample:Growth of the Indian gin market is majorly driven by growth of the overall IMFL segment, coupled with robust demand for white spirits. Increasing disposable income has transformed consumers buying and spending trend majorly in urban areas. Consumption of gin amongst the youth population across the country along with change in spending pattern has provided robust stimulus for growth of the market. Besides, the trends that follow with growth of the gin market include rise in mergers and acquisitions, emphasis on promotional expenses, and premiumisation of products in the country.This report covers trends driving growth of the India gin market currently and offers analysis and insights of the potential of the market in specific regions. By region, the south zone dominated the gin market with 34.8% share in terms of volume in 2014, and is anticipated to remain dominant till the end of 2025. This is attributed to the large consumer base in the region. North and East zone collectively currently account for over 52.9% volume share of the overall gin market in 2015. Among all the regions, market in east zone is anticipated to expand at the highest CAGR in terms of volume between 2015 and 2025, followed by west and south zones.Send An Enquiry:Key players in the India gin market include United Spirits Limited, Tilaknagar Industries Limited, Jagatjit Industries Limited, Radico Khaitan Limited, Mohan Meakin Limited, Globus Spirits Ltd., Deejay Distilleries Pvt Limited and SNHL India Pvt Limited. Geographical expansion, innovations and investment in research and development as well as mergers and acquisitions are some of the major strategies followed by key players operating in the India gin market to outperform competitors.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Laboratory Information Systems Market Poised for Steady Growth in the Future

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Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the global laboratory information systems market in its latest report titled, Laboratory Information Systems Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2015 - 2025. In terms of revenue, the global laboratory information systems market is projected to register a healthy CAGR of 9.0% over the forecast period owing to various factors, regarding which, FMI offers detailed insights and forecasts.The market has been segmented on the basis of end user, component, mode of delivery and regions. On the basis of end user, the market has been segmented into hospitals, clinics, independent laboratories and others. Clinics are usually installed with well-supported laboratory information systems for better information about both patients and indications at hand. The segment has been estimated to account for maximum revenue share in the global laboratory information systems market in 2015. Revenue contribution of the clinics segment is expected to increase at a CAGR of 10.0% during the forecast period. Hospitals segment is expected to be the second largest revenue contributor to the global market accounting for US$ 824.9 Mn by 2025 increasing at a CAGR of 8.5% over the forecast period.The report further segments the market on the basis of components into software, hardware and services. Services segment is expected to account for largest market share over the forecast period due to adoption of new pricing model strategies by major players in the market. However, software segment is projected to account for significant absolute $ opportunity during 20152025, owing to rise in product enhancements and advent of innovative LIS systems over the forecast period.Request For Report Sample:In terms of mode of delivery, the laboratory information systems market is expected to witness substantial growth in the next few years. Executing database maintenance, back-up and retention services through cloud-based delivery mode and increasing customisation and standardisation of data by way of dedicated IT skilled persons in on premise delivery mode are major factors expected to drive revenue growth of the cloud-based and on-premise segments respectively over the forecast period. Currently, cloud-based delivery mode segment accounts for major share of the global laboratory information systems market.The primary barriers in the market include high costs related to LIS software and services and lack of skilled labour, for day-to-day operations and maintenance of information. In spite of substantial investments in the field of laboratory information systems, lack of qualified professionals is expected to slow down growth of the LIS market during the forecast period. Moreover design flaws in software can tamper test results generated through LIS and is expected to adversely affect the global laboratory information systems market to a certain extent. These factors are expected to affect adoption of laboratory information systems (LIS) over the forecast.The primary trend in the laboratory information systems market is an increase in development of healthcare information systems, rising healthcare per capita spending and increasing demand for integrated medical systems and precise handling of patient data. Other trends include increasing demand for LIS from smaller hospitals with less than 100 beds in developed nations for faster market capitalization and to provide quality care for patients. This is mainly attributed to LIS enabling systematic documentation, eliminating paper work and chance of errors associated with clinical tests report writing, and thereby enables a streamlined workflow.Send An Enquiry:This report assesses trends driving growth of each segment on global as well as regional levels. North America has been estimated to dominate the laboratory information systems market with maximum market share in 2015. Among emerging markets, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and Eastern Europe are estimated to witness high CAGRs over the forecast period.Some key players identified in the global laboratory information systems market are CompuGroup Medical, Cerner Corp, McKesson, Evident, Medical Information Technology, LabWare, Sunquest Information Systems Inc., SCC Soft Computer, Epic Systems Corporation, etc. The report also provides individual strategies followed by these companies in terms of enhancing software products portfolios, market consolidation and software innovations. The report concludes with strategic recommendations for players in the market and also new players planning to enter the market, which could help them in the long run.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
INV Home: Hub For Luxury Home Decor!

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19th January 2016, New Delhi: Luxury home decor is hard to find in India. Unique patterns and design are not found in every home in the country. People prefer keeping basic pieces so they can clean it easily surpassing the fact that it might not fit into the whole vibe of the house. While you can stick to basic furnishing, when it comes to home decor, it is always great to go a step forward. These days, people are enjoying luxurious and classy decor pieces around their home. The perfect place to get all such things like luxury lighting, lamps, home linen, candle ware, dining, etc. is from INV Home.Founders Nitin and Ritika Jain spoke to the press recently about their rising success. The two are nothing but thankful to the customers who made them such a popular name. Mr. Jain stated, We are glad that people love the style of decorative pieces we have in our store. We are always looking for opportunities to bring something vibrant, diverse, and unique for the people. We want everyone to enjoy the nicer things in life and what better than having cutlery from brands like Versace in your kitchen! We have luxurious lighting from lamps to pendants. There is everything that a house needs when it comes to luxurious lighting on our portal. INV Home is soon waiting to bring more brands and a larger catalogue for our customers.A journalist questioned them about why they only have distinct home decor products and not the basic ones that people would often buy. To this, Ritika Jain replied, The whole point is to have distinctive items that are hard to find in the regular market. Why have the same variety that probably 100 other stores will sell? The fact that we are all about uniqueness, classiness and elegance is what makes us stand out from the crowd. Our gaining popularity is due to the fact that we are so different from the basic in the industry. We want to continue to bring the most exceptional and lavish home decorative products as possible.If you have been planning to re-decorate your home or need a luxurious lighting set up in your rooms, turn to INV home now!INV Home is created by Nitin and Ritika Jain who are passionate about home decor plus the finer things in life. You can find products like lighting, consoles, home linen, dinnerware, brands like Versace, Bianco, Alex Clark, and many more on the website at the best rates. Check out their elite collection on,Ph: 9213336060Email: we@invhome.inGurgaon, Haryana, 122001 India
Iron Oxide Market Revenues to Exceed US$ 2.8 Bn by 2025

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Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the global iron oxide market in its latest report titled, Iron Oxide Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2015-2025. In terms of value, the global iron oxide market is projected to increase at a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period, owing to various factors, regarding which FMI offers vital insights in detail in this report.Iron oxides are chemical compounds that, apart from iron ores, find wide application as pigments, catalysts, etc. Construction and paints & coatings are the major end-use industries for iron oxides.Growth in construction industry, supported by rising urbanization, is expected to be among the major drivers for global iron oxide market. Major application of iron oxides in the construction industry is to colour concrete blocks and pavement bricks. Iron oxide pigments are being widely used in paints and coatings industry for their use as primers for automobiles and steel structures.Stringent government regulations are expected to adversely impact global iron oxide market significantly. This is especially the case in China, where, over the last two years, various small- and medium-scale companies have exited the iron oxide market due to high costs involved in ensuring regulatory compliance. The same trend is expected to continue over the near future.Request For Report Sample:The iron oxide market is segmented on the basis of product type, application and region. On the basis of product type, the global iron oxide market is segmented into red iron oxide, yellow iron oxide, black iron oxide, orange iron oxide, brown iron oxide, green iron oxide and other blends. On the basis of application, the global iron oxide market is segmented into construction, paints & coatings, plastics, chemicals, paper & pulp manufacturing, textile, ceramics, leather and others (fertilizers, cosmetics and rubber). Regionally, the global iron oxide market is segmented into Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa and Japan.Among product types, red iron oxide was the largest revenue contributor to the global iron oxide market in 2014. Wide application of red iron oxide across various industries is expected to support growth of the segment over the forecast period.In 2014, the construction industry segment dominated the global market, accounting for around 50% revenue share. Growth of the construction industry is in turn expected to drive growth of the iron oxide market over forecast period. In order to enhance their market share, iron oxide producers are focusing on development of new applications for iron oxides.Send An Enquiry:In 2014, Asia pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) was the largest market for iron oxide, both in terms of production and consumption. In terms of consumption, APEJ was followed by Western Europe and North America, respectively.Key players profiled in this study of the global iron oxide market include LANXESS AG, Huntsman International Inc. Cathay Industries, Alabama Pigments Company LLC, Shenghua Group Deqing Huayuan Pigment Co LTD, TODA KOGYO CORPORATION, Jiangsu Yuxing Industry and Trade Co., Ltd., Hunan Three-ring Pigments Co., Ltd., Yaroslavsky Pigment Company and Tata Pigments Company. LANXESS AG has been estimated to account for the largest share in the global iron oxide market in 2015.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Wi-Fi as a Service (WaaS) Market - Key Projections about the Future State of the Global Industry.

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Global Wi-Fi as a Service (WaaS) Market: OverviewIn the recent past, mobile phones and other electronic devices have quickly became ubiquitous objects, which has led to an exponential increase in the demand for data connectivity. Nowadays, high-speed data connectivity is almost mandatory for any workplace to function efficiently and as a result, the demand for advanced Wi-Fi technology is surging. Wi-Fi technology allows electronic devices within range to connect with wireless LAN networks (WLAN), which may be password protected or open. Devices such as personal computers, smartphones, tablets, modern printers, and digital cameras are compatible to connect to the internet via wireless access point and WLAN network.Get Sample Report Copy :Wi-Fi as a service (WaaS) is a fully cloud-based management system, which allows organizations with limited IT resources to provide secure, reliable, and fast WLAN access across various locations. Since the deployment of WaaS is easy and time-efficient as no installation of cable is required, it can be managed via network operating center (NOC), and consequently allows smaller business organizations to attain fast and reliable data network. WaaS is ideal for temporary locations, heritage buildings, and office relocations. Moreover, advanced analytic tools are provided with WaaS, which help in analyzing customers and staff behavior. WaaS is also equipped with automatic system upgrades and allow safe guest access.Gaining from this increasing dependency on the internet and advancements in cloud-based services, the global Wi-Fi as a service (Waas) market is estimated for a robust growth rate during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.Global Wi-Fi as a Service (WaaS) Market: Trends and OpportunitiesNumerous factors are driving the global market for WaaS in the positive direction, including the increasing demand for centralized management, remote troubleshooting, reduced cost of ownership, and low capital expenditure. Also, factors such as strong emphasis on employee empowerment and the ensuing need to deliver digital mobility tools, globalization of businesses are further augmenting the demand. Increasing number of medium-sized organizations are adopting WaaS because of its end-to-end visibility, improved agility and efficiency, fast deployment, cost-effectiveness, and labor management. In addition to all of it, WaaS is also primed to revolutionize the transportation and logistics sector, particularly in mass transits.The global market for WaaS can be bifurcated on the basis of type of service, user location, enterprise size, end-use industry, and geography. By service, the global WaaS market can be segmented into network designing and planning, maintenance and support, cloud access point, and others. By user location, the market can be segmented into indoor or outdoor. By end-use industry, the market can be divided into banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI), retail, education, public sector and government, healthcare, logistics and transportations, IT and telecommunications, manufacturing, and hospitality and travel.Global Wi-Fi as a Service (WaaS) Market: Region-wise OutlookGeographically, the global WaaS market can be divided into North America, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. Currently, North America contributes to the most prominent market for WaaS due to robust infrastructure and favorable governmental policies. However, Asia Pacific is projected for the most significant growth rate during the forecast period due to boom in enterprise networking, strong economic growth, development in enterprise IT infrastructure, mushrooming SMBs and increase in the number of cloud ready Asian countries, and large scale outsourcing of BPO/KPO operations to countries such as India, China, and Malaysia.Companies mentioned in the research reportSome of the prominent players in the global Wi-Fi as a service market include Cisco Systems Inc., Singapore Telecommunications Limited, Rogers Communications, Inc., BigAir Group Limited, Mojo Networks, Inc., Telstra Corporation Limited, ViaSat Inc., Aerohive Networks, Inc., ADTRAN, Inc., Fujitsu Limited, Zebra Technologies Corporation, iPass, Inc., and Ruckus Wireless, Inc. The report observes that the outlook of the the global market is highly competitive and the providers of WaaS solutions and services are focusing on consolidating their grounds through new product developments and build feature-rich solutions and attain better market visibility. Companies in the WaaS market are also strategically partnering with domestic players to enhance individual offerings into a multi-faceted solution in order to suite for the expanding customer bases.Browse Market Research Report with ToC & Free Analysis :The report on Global WaaS Market is an in-depth analysis with 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.About Us :Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us :-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Smart Motor Market : New Business Opportunities & Investment Research Report 2016 - 2022

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Smart motor is a highly programmable digital motor which can be programmed and work accordingly as per requirement of application. It can easily store the information related to its speed and can change it immediately with the single pressing of a button or after a particular given time. These smart motor is integrated with an encoder, an amplifier, motor driver, communication buses, dual port Ethernet port, and USB interface for programming, remote terminal unit (RTU), half duplex communication port and IOs. The microcontroller integrated with smart motor detects the presence of load on the shaft and correspondingly adjust the power extraction to the load. The main specialty of the smart motor is its ability to produce highest torque at lowest speed. The technological advancement and innovation brings the smart motor to completely new stage, now smart motors can support industrial Ethernet protocol including Ether CAT and PROFINET. The main applications of this smart motor is in industrial automation and robotics applications, which are undoubtedly the emerging sectors across the globe and hence the demand of smart motor is also rising up in global market.A sample of this report is available upon request @The key trend of global smart motor market is the tremendous increment in the demand of smart motor for the application in the industrial automation.There are various factors driving the growth of global smart motor market such as the advantages provided by smart motors over the traditional AC motors as it requires less wiring and onsite space, cost reduction, increased effectiveness of equipment, less power consumption are some of the global smart motor market drivers driving this market. On the other side there are some factors which are responsible to hinder the growth of global smart motor market, which are; lower rate of implementation and additional consideration for variable frequency drive are some of restraints of smart motor market.Global Smart Motor market is segmented by component types, applications and by regionSmart Motor Market by component typesVariable Speed DriveIntelligent Motor Control CenterMotorSmart Motor Market by applicationsIndustrial SectorAutomotive SectorAerospace and Defense SectorCommercial SectorConsumer Electronics SectorSmart Motor Market By Region:Asia PacificEuropeNorth AmericaLatin AmericaThe Middle East & AfricaAmong all the regions North America is the highest contributor in term of revenue in global smart motor market followed by Asia Pacific & it is expected that in near future Asia Pacific is going to lead this market.A TOC of this report is available upon request @The key players of global smart motor market are Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) Ltd., Rockwell Automation, Inc., Moog Animatics, General Electric Co. Ltd., FUJI Electric Co. Ltd., Siemens AG, Technosoft S.A., Schneider Electric SE, Robotshop, Inc., Roboteq, Inc. and others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each PMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With a wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports strive to serve clients and satisfy their overall research requirement.For information regarding permissions, contact:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway,7th FloorNew York City, NY 10007United StatesTel: +1 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWebsite:media@persistencemarketresearch.com
Wood and Laminate Flooring Market - Global Industry Analysis 2023

Global Wood Laminate Flooring Market

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Wood and laminates hold a crucial place in the building and construction industry. Wood in general is obtained from the forestry companies, which are mostly regulated by government entities. Laminates on the other hand are manufactured using thermosetting resins, which are cured by chemicals such as acetaldehyde. Some of the most common thermosetting resins used in the manufacturing of laminates are vinyl ester, polyester, epoxy resins, and acrylic.The report provides a detailed outlook into the growth drivers and restraints having an impact on the global wood and laminate flooring market between 2015 and 2023. Compiled with exhaustive information, the report provides insights into the present and future market scenario by analyzing the prevailing market trends. Besides this, the impact of various micro and macro-economic factors on the market is determined using industry-leading tool to help readers get a better perspective on the global wood and laminate flooring market.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:Global Wood and Laminate Flooring Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe increasing demand for laminate and wood flooring in the building and construction industry is the key factor driving the market. The expansion of the home improvement sector and novel construction segments around the world is especially contributing to the demand for laminate and wood flooring. With the latest technological developments and several innovations on cards, the market will witness a string of product innovations over the forecast period. TMR foretells the application of wood and laminate flooring to increase in the residential sector on account of the aforementioned developments.On the downside, factors such as price volatility of raw materials and their availability are posing challenge to the market. Wood is a major raw material used in flooring, the availability of which is immensely affected by the prevailing environmental laws related to deforestation in wood-producing regions. In addition, the spiking raw materials costs have led to the reduction in profit margins, which pose significant threat to the enterprises operating in the global wood and laminate flooring market.Global Wood and Laminate Flooring Market: Regional OutlookRegionally, the global wood and laminate flooring market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. On account of the increasing consumption and revenue, Asia Pacific managed emerging dominant in the global wood and laminate flooring market. The strong growth witnessed in the building and construction industry also contributes to the high revenue generation by the wood and laminate flooring market in Asia Pacific. Coupled with this, the rising disposable income and changing lifestyle of consumers will have considerable impact on the Asia Pacific market for wood and laminate flooring.In terms of the demand, Brazil, Russia, and South Africa will also prove lucrative for the market. In North America and Europe as well the market will continue witnessing robust growth.Global Wood and Laminate Flooring Market: Vendor LandscapeIn order to study the competition prevailing in the global wood and laminate flooring market, the report profiles a few of the companies operating therein. It conducts SWOT analysis on companies such as Home Legend, Fausfloor, Pergo, Millstead, and Wickes to gauge strengths and weaknesses. The analysis also provides insights into the opportunities and threats that these companies could witness over the course of the reports forecast period.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Green and Bio-Solvents Industry Report in 2016 Set to Grow According to Forecast 2020

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This market analysis includes a detailed segmentation of the Global Green and Bio-Solvents Industry by development trend and by application.The report covers the present year 2017 scenario and the growth prospects of the Global Green and Bio-Solvents Market for 2016-2020.The report Global Green and Bio-Solvents Market has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. The report also covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years.The Green and Bio-Solvents Market By Geography North America Asia-Pacific EuropeRequest a sample of Global Green and Bio-Solvents Market Research Report @The Global Green and Bio-Solvents Industry research 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. 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.Global Green and Bio-Solvents Market key players are: Company A Company B Company C Company DBrowse the full report @The report provides an extensive analysis of current and future market status of the world Green and Bio-Solvents Industry.Some of the points from table of content of Global Green and Bio-Solvents Market Research Report :Industry Overview Definition Classification Share Analysis Application AnalysisMarket Analysis Product Development History Process Development History Competitive Landscape AnalysisIndustry Development Trend Capacity Production Overview Production Market Share Analysis Demand OverviewMarket Status and Forecast Supply Demand and Shortage Import Export Consumption Cost Price Production Value Gross MarginReasons for Buying this Global Green and Bio-Solvents Market Research Report This report helps to analyzed the world's main region market conditions It provides product manufacturing processes It provides industry policies and plans It provides overview of product specification It provides cost structures & so on.The Report Contains: 158 Pages.Price of the report: 2850$ (single user license)Check discount @About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Us:Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas - 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019Follow Us on LinkedIn:Follow us on Twitter:Follow us on G+ :
Biochips Industry :- Market Size, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies Future Key Trends, Opportunities, Key Players & Global Forecasts 2022

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Research Beam added a report Biochips - Global Market Outlook (2015-2022)According to Research Beam MRC, the Bio Chip Market accounted for $7.35 billion in 2015 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.6% to reach $25.8 billion by 2022. Increasing number of applications in drug discovery equipments, high precision of diagnosis treatments, growing number of cancer treatments leads to the usage of personalized medicine and high advancements in technology are some of the factors driving the market growth. However, unclear guiding principles, lack of awareness of biochips among rural communities and high cost of products are the restraints hampering the market growth during the forecast period. Considerable growth prediction in emerging countries such as China and India act as an opportunity for the biochip market.Download Sample Report @DNA biochips segment is expected to witness the highest CAGR across the globe due to its growing applications in biotechnology and drug discovery. North America region is estimated to have largest share across globe, attributed to its factors such as growing aging population and growing incidence of diseases. On the other hand, Asia-Pacific is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecast period.Some of the key players in global Bio Chip market include Abbott Laboratories, Agilent TechnologiesInc., Perkinelmer, Inc., Fluidigm Corporation, Roche Diagnostics, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Cepheid Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., GE Healthcare, Illumina Inc., Affymetrix Inc., Beckman Coulter Inc., Life Technologies Corp, Roche, Life Technologies Corp and Biomerieux SA.Request for Discount @Products Covered: Micro array Lab-On-A-Chip microarray Protein Microarray Other Protein Microarray DNA Microarray Other Microarray Types Tissue Biochips Carbohydrate Biochips Microfluidics Analysis Software Biochip instruments Biochip reagentsEnd Users Covered: Academic & Research Institute Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Companies Hospitals and Diagnostics Centres Other End UsersApplications Covered: Diagnostic Applications Immune disease diagnostic Neurological diagnostic Cardiac diagnostic Other Applications Drug Discovery Structural Biology Lead Optimization Preclinical and Clinical Trial Process R&D Genomics Proteomics Other ApplicationscxFunctions Covered: Micro-RNA Gene Expression Epigenetic Genotyping Sequence CaptureEnquire about Report @What our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments Market share analysis of the top industry players Strategic recommendations for the new entrants Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations) Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsTable of Content1 Executive Summary2 Preface3 Market Trend Analysis4 Porters Five Force Analysis5 Global BioChips Market, By Product6 Global BioChips Market, By End User7 Global BioChips Market, By Application8 Global BioChips Market, By Function9 Global BioChips Market, By Geography10 Key Developments11 Company ProfilingAbout Us:-With the arsenal of different search reports, Research Beam helps you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly.Contact Us:-5933 NE Win Severs Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesU.S. & Canada Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452International: + 1-503-894-6022UK: + 44-845-528-1300India: +91 20 66346070Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975Email: help@researchbeam.comWeb:
High Temperature Grease & Lubricants Market - Global Industry Analysis 2024

High Temperature Grease Lubricants Market

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High temperature grease & lubricants are substances employed in industrial bearing applications running at extreme temperatures ranging from 100oC to 1800oC. They are used to reduce the friction between two moving surfaces, causing reduced levels of wear and tear. The bearings therefore become equipped with better longevity, reduced downtime, energy conservation, and extended lubrication cycles. High temperature grease and lubricants provide their metal surfaces with maximum protection in severe operating conditions such as high shock loading, vibration, and extreme pressure.Furthermore, these lubricants possess excellent rust and oxidation inhibiting properties, good water resistance, and high thermal & mechanical stability, besides adhesive properties which prevent them from pounding out, washing out, or splattering out in stark operating circumstances. High temperature grease and lubricants are utilized in various industries such as steel, mining, and marine, as well as in commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles in the automotive sector.In terms of thickener formulation, the high temperature grease & lubricants market could be divided into the soap-based and non-soap-based categories. The former is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period primarily due to their high operational temperature range, improved oxidative stability, and extensive usage in the industrial and automotive sectors. Soap-based high temperature grease and lubricants are further classified into the lithium complex, aluminum complex, and calcium sulfonate varieties.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:Lithium complex-based grease and lubricants, widely used in steel plants and in the mining and engineering industries, are manufactured from extremely refined base oils with a high viscosity index. They offer advanced thermal degradation limits and exhibit excellent water tolerance and mechanical stability. Non-soap-based high temperature grease and lubricants are split into the polyurea, clay, and silica segments. They are prepared from either inorganic or organic thickeners.The rising demand for automobiles in emerging economies is one of the major factors driving the high temperature grease & lubricants market. The increasing requirement for soap-based lithium complex as well as production of machines and equipment in end-use industries also contributes to this markets expansion, while fuelling the need for these lubricants. Rapid industrialization and growth in trade provide immense opportunities for industries manufacturing them.Based on region, the global high temperature grease & lubricants market is distributed over Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the market leader during the forecast period, followed by Europe and North America. This is primarily ascribed to the speedy industrialization in countries such as China and India, which propels the demand for high quality grease and lubricants. The increasing amount of disposable income of citizens of Asia Pacific boosting the demand for automobiles is another instrumental cause. North America and Europe are projected to be dominant regions in terms of car manufacturing which leads to a surge in the number of commercial and passenger vehicles in these regions. Furthermore, the automobile market in Europe is progressing quickly toward the adoption of high temperature grease and lubricants. Manufacturers are entering into partnerships to develop products that meet the specific needs of various industrial applications.Key players operating in the global high temperature grease & lubricants market include Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Sinopec Limited, Total S.A., BP Plc, Chevron Corporation, and Fuchs Petrolub AG.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Medical Grade Silicone Market - Global Industry Analysis 2016 - 2024

Global Medical Grade Silicone Market

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Medical grade silicone is used in implantable and disposable medical devices which require high performance and safety standards when in contact with the human body. Medical Grade Silicone include instruments with critical functions such as defibrillators, heart pumps, and surgical reconstructive components which employ the biocompatible and hydrophobic properties of silicone. It has gained widespread acceptance because of its negligible levels of toxicity and low risk of unfavorable biological reactions. Liquid silicone rubber is a highly common variety owing to its high bacterial and chemical resistance, excellent transparency, gas permeability, clarity, elongation feature, superior dielectric strength, high tensile strength, and ability to function in extreme temperatures.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the global medical grade silicone 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 global medical grade silicone market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:Global Medical Grade Silicone Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe growing need for disposable devices has led to an increased demand for medical grade silicone. Liquid rubber silicone, for instance, is utilized in sealing membranes, electric connectors, seals, and infant care products such as bottle nipples, besides several other medical applications. Lifestyle shifts and changing concepts of beauty resulting in the rising incidence of cosmetic and plastic surgeries are considered to be significant drivers of the global medical grade silicone market. Modern food habits often associated with cardiovascular diseases play a role as well in the growth of the global medical grade silicone market.Global Medical Grade Silicone Market: Key SegmentsIn terms of products, medical grade silicone is divided into four categories: gels, medical adhesives, medical coatings (hydrophilic or hydrophobic), and liquid silicone rubbers. Based on application, the four segments of the medical grade silicone market are: prosthetics, orthopedic components, medical devices, and medical tapes. The former two are major applications, whereas the latter two could be further distributed into the following sub-segments: medical electronics and device assemblies, medical tubes, catheters, medical rings and gaskets, and miscellaneous accessories such as drugs, gels, and oral care products; and wound care, drug delivery, personal hygiene, and component joining, respectively. In terms of molding processes, the segments are liquid injection molding, transfer molding, compression molding, micro-molding, silicone to metal bonding, and silicone infused with desiccant molding.Global Medical Grade Silicone Market: Regional AnalysisThe global medical grade silicone market has shown a significant growth in 2015 and is expected to exhibit the same trend during the forecast period. Asia Pacific is projected to be a rapidly expanding market of medical grade silicone due to applications such as prefilled syringes, prosthetics, surgical implants, catheters, and medical tapes. North America and Europe are major consumers thanks to the technological advancements and mounting health concerns in these regions. The developmental activities in Latin America and Middle East & Africa make them emerging regions in the global medical grade silicone market.Global Medical Grade Silicone Market: Companies Mentioned in the ReportKey players in the global medical grade silicone market include Dow Corning, Wacker Chemie AG, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., Bluestar Silicones, 3M Company, Nusil Technology Llc, and Applied Silicone Corporation.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Logistics Outsourcing Market Size, Analysis, and Forecast Report 2014-2020

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Logistics outsourcing, most commonly known as third-party logistics is a process or operation of sub-contracting industrial functions like cross-docking, inventory keeping, warehousing and transportation to a third party or supply chain management provider. Third party logistics providers include raw material suppliers, distributors and other value-added service providers. These services are generally integrated and used together to provide end-user convenience. The decision for outsourcing logistics by a parent company is generally dependent on company size, complication of logistics and relative economic benefits of outsourcing.Logistics outsourcing includes contracting of material management, supply chain management, distribution management, shipment packaging and channel management. E-business web portals and stores are in extensive need of on-clock dispatch and delivery services offered by outsourced logistics providers. The advantages associated with the logistics outsourcing market are  improvement of suppliers capability due to the use of information technology, specialization of operation, focus on core competencies and uniform growth. However, lack of monitoring control over logistics and risks associated with vendor reliability are some of the drawbacks of this market.Request Free Report Sample@Regions across the globe with an attractive logistics outsourcing market, in terms of contract logistics, include North America and Southeast Asia. RoW (Rest of the World) is showing growth in inter-regional logistics. Major factors driving the development of logistics outsourcing market are globalization, time-proportional economy, presence of virtual organizations, improved customer awareness, strategic concerns to achieve more flexibility and better IT infrastructural support. On the other hand, loss of logistics, poor transportation, local protection regulations and lack of post-outsourcing measurements are some of the factors hampering growth of this market.The global logistics outsourcing market is segmented on the basis of service type, transport media used and geography. The market can vary in service type as simple service, combined service, consulting service and value-added service. On the basis of transport media used to handle logistics, it can be classified into air freight, ocean carriers, railways and trucking. The market can be categorised on the basis of geography into North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Middle East & Africa.Globalized product availability, demand for product individualization in terms of logistics, on-time delivery, just-in-time inventory, agility in time response transport, big data analytics and atomization of shipment are some of the global market trends guided by technological innovations like remote tracking and monitoring using RFID tags and EDI-based location of the shipment. Analytics based on big data is providing better accuracy of frequency of tasks and decision-making capabilities. There is a continuous insourcing trend by online retailers (like Amazon.com) for inventory so as to be more cost-effective and unified in terms of operations, and to emphasize on outsourcing for end-product transportation services only. These technological up gradations continuously enhance services provided by outsourced logistics providers.Send An Enquiry@Exel Logistics (U.K.), Menlo Worldwide Logistics (U.S.), FedEx (U.S.), Ryder Logistics (U.S.) and Tibbett and Britten (U.K.) are some of the key outsourced logistics providers. These companies have a wide global presence and provide multi-sector services. They are continuously trying to reach influential market and customers by means of removing bottlenecks related to international shipments and reducing cost through geographical spread of inventory. The market in Asia-Pacific region shows a steady and consistent growth through service innovations by companies, so as to attract economic customers. The companies need to shift their focus from integrated services to offering broad range of products & services portfolio. With more focus on growing B2C sector, the scope for logistics outsourcing will extend towards value-added and specialized services.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:
Luxury Products for Kids Market Global Industry Analysis, size, share and Forecast 2014-2020

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Luxury goods comprises of products such as accessories, footwear, apparel, watches and others which are quite expensive and target those consumers who belongs to premium class. The market for luxury goods consist of three types of end consumers, which includes kids lying between the age of 0-12 years, teenagers belonging to the age group of 13 to 19 years and the rest lies in adult group.Whereaskidsare concerned they are the smallest consumer group. Although being a smaller consumer group, the luxury products market for kids is experiencing tremendous growth in recent years due to changing consumer lifestyle and availability of the product. It is expected that spend on luxury shopping by consumers will grow by 25% in 2015. Luxury products for kids market is associated with higher margin as compared to adults luxury products segment. It has been found that babysluxury product accounted for more than 7.2% market share of luxury market in 2014. Luxury product market highly depends upon thefactors such as attractivemarketing, promotion techniques and proper distribution channel.Luxury products market for kids can be broadly segmented on the basis of product type, distribution channel and geographies. On the basis of product types it can be subsegmented into accessories, apparels and footwear. Among all these sub segments apparel market is expected to account for highest market share followed by footwear sub segment. The growth of apparel segment is fuelled by the frequently changing fashion and continuous need for new clothing for growing children. In 2014, U.S. and European market account for the most dominating market for apparel.Request Free Report Sample@The market for luxury baby product also depends upon the mode of distribution channel used for offering products to the consumers. The mode of Distribution channel is segmented into retail outlets, sell out through internet, companys brand outlet and others. Among all these distribution channel online retailing is expected to be most preferred mode for distribution in the forecasted period. This ishis is due to consumer convenience preferences and availability of the products at lower price. Furthermore, the second most preferred mode is expected to be the companys brand retail outlets as they provide better offerings at less price.Furthermore, the luxury products market for kids inAsia pacific is expected to account for fastest CAGR in the forecasted period as compared to other regions. This is because the growth in luxury expenditure is expected to increase by 40% by 2020.In addition, countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore and are expected to contribute a significant share to overall Asia Pacific luxury products market for kids. Whereas, spending from China is expected to witness a fastest growth in Asia Pacific.It is predicted to boost the customer base and prominent contributor in the revenue of global luxury products market for kids.Moreover, presently North America and Western Europe dominate the total luxury products market for kids due to high purchasing power of consumers. These regions are expected to witness a slow growth as compared to the growth exhibited by countries in Asia Pacific.The key factors driving the growth of luxury products market for kids includes continuous innovation in products sub segments, rising disposable income, changing consumer lifestyle, awareness of products through internet and social media, improving countries economy, influence of the consumers through their peers, friends or neighbours, and others .However, there are some restraining factors which are affecting the growth for luxury products market for kids which include the expensive price range for consumers in emerging markets and less product variants availability across the distribution channel. Moreover, internet being a prominent medium for distribution of the luxury goods is expected to witness low adoption among the consumers in emerging markets. Thisis due to less internet penetration in these markets.Visit For TOC@Initially the market for luxury baby products was dominated by specialty retailers such as Childrens Place The Walt Disney Company, Mothercare plc, The Gymboree Corporation and others. However, with the increase in premium consumers leading to a shift in consumer buying behavior, due to this various companies have entered the market which includes GAPInc, J Crew Group, Inc, DKNY, Gucci Group, Diesel,Dolce &Gabbana, United Colors of Benetton, Jack & Jill clothing Inc,Giorgio Armani S.p.A, BLOCH, Burberry Group plc, Converse, Christian Dior S.A, FENDI and others.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:
Frozen Food Packaging Market Globally Expected to Drive Growth through 2027

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Introduction:The growing urbanization and fast paced lifestyle means less time for cooking a traditional home cooked meal. In addition, the number of females going out for jobs has increased the dependency on readymade and convenience food. All these factors have led to the rise in demand for frozen food which further accelerated the growth in frozen food packaging market.Frozen foods are preferred over fresh foods, as it can be stored for longer periods and also can be prepared in very less time. The packaging for frozen food also increases the shelf life of the product and maintains the nutrition value for the food items. One of the reasons for the growth in the frozen food packaging market is that the packaging has become an important factor in the food industry and the continuous innovation and development in the packaging of food items attracts the customer and hence drives the overall growth in the frozen food market.Request Free Report Sample@Frozen Food Packaging Market Dynamics:The most important factor which has accelerated the growth of frozen food packaging market is the growth in the demand for frozen food. The global frozen food market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 4% during the forecast period of 2016- 2024. Some of the factors which have fueled this growth are dynamic lifestyle, urbanization, changing food habits, increasing disposable income, increase interest in international foods, increase in number of nuclear families and easy availability of products due to rise in number of retail chains. Furthermore, the increase in investments for innovative packaging and development of new features in the existing products by the vendors drives the growth in the frozen food packaging market. Some of the innovating packaging trends like tear notch, hanging holes, sealable zippers, single serve packaging further drives the demand for frozen food packaging market.Even though the frozen food packaging market looks attractive, there are certain factors that can offset this growth. One of the factor that acts as a restraint in the frozen food packaging market is that, there is a section of population that remain resistant to the use frozen food as they believe it is unhealthy and less tasty.Frozen Food Packaging Market Segmentation:On the basis of food type, the global frozen food packaging market is segmented into:Frozen Meat, poultry, and seafoodBaked goodsFrozen specialties (pizza, side dishes, breakfast food etc)Frozen Fruits and vegetablesFrozen potatoesFrozen SoupIce creamOn the basis of product type, the global frozen food packaging market is segmented into:BagsBoxesPouchesFilmsTraysTubs and cupsWrapsCansCartonsOn the basis of material, the global frozen food packaging market is segmented into:PlasticAluminumCardboardGlassWoodFrozen Food Packaging Market- Regional Outlook:Geographically, the frozen food packaging market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & Africa (MEA). The global frozen food packaging market is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 5% during the forecast period (2016 -2024). North America and Europe are expected to witness a healthy growth in the frozen food packaging market due to high demand in packaged food and frozen food market. However, Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest rate, largely due to the developing economies like India and China where the demand for frozen food is on rise as more hypermarkets and supermarkets are coming up and also due to rising urbanization in these regions. Additionally, MEA is also expected to witness an above average growth in frozen food packaging market due growing retail network in the region.Request For TOC@Frozen Food Packaging Market- Key Players:Some of the leading players identified across the globe in the frozen food packaging market are: Printpack, Inc., Amcor Ltd, Crown Holdings, Inc., Ball Corporation, Pactiv LLC, Bemis Company, Inc., Sealed Air Corporation, WestRock Company, Graphic Packaging International, Inc, FLAIR Flexible Packaging Corporation, International Paper Company and Huhtamaki N.A.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Fracking Fluids Market - Global Industry Analysis 2016 - 2024

Global Fracking Fluids Market

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Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a well-stimulation technique in which rock is fractured by a pressurized liquid called fracking fluid. Fluids used in the process are foam-based, water-based, and gelled-oil-based products. Fracking fluids can be classified based on the type of well they are used in, into horizontal and vertical wells. Owing to the development of unconventional reserves, drilling technology has been changing from predominantly vertical to predominantly horizontal. Horizontal drilling is used to extract oil & gas resources by covering a large surface area and increasing the rate of production of gas. This trend, in turn, would increase the consumption of fracking fluids, as horizontal fracking requires greater amounts of the material. The rising demand for fuel and electricity is the driving force behind the fracking fluids market.Global Fracking Fluids Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe demand for fuel from the domestic and industrial fronts to cover the increased population across the globe would result in the growth of the fracking fluid market. Continuous efforts have been taken by all the nations to achieve energy independence and security. All countries are keen on shifting to natural gas and are calling for a wide-ranging shift from imported fuels to domestic natural gas. However, fracking has been facing a lot of opposition due to the environmental hazards caused by the process, which in turn is expected to hamper the growth of the market.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:Also a large amount of water is required in the fracking process; hence, concerns regarding the use of fracking techniques are rising in regions with limited water supply. This problem is being addressed by capitalizing and using foam-based fluids, which utilize less water and are less harmful to the environment than water-based fluids in fracking. Extensive research and development is being carried out to find eco-friendly fracking fluids; this is expected to act as an opportunity for the growth of the fracking fluid market.Global Fracking Fluids Market: Geographical DynamicsIn 2014, North America has accounted for the largest share of fracking fluids, followed by Asia Pacific. Modern fracking techniques used to obtain oil and gas from abundant reserves are driving the fracking fluid market in North America. Other regions such as Latin America, Middle East and Africa, and Europe account for less than one-third of the total fracking fluid market. Asia Pacific is expected to contribute to the significant growth of the fracking fluid market due to increasing consumption of fuels in the region in domestic and industrial activities.Also, new reserves of shale gas have been found in China, leading to increased consumption of fracking fluids. In order to meet increasing energy demand, oil & gas companies are working to develop these shale reserves of oil and gas for extraction through hydraulic fracturing. Efforts are being taken to find more economical and environmentally safer ways of extracting oil using fracking fluids and increase production rate of oils from wells.Global Fracking Fluids Market: Competitive LandscapeSome of the key players in the fracking fluid market are Baker Hughes, Calfrac Well Services Ltd., Chevron Phillips Chemical, Halliburton, BASF, The Linde Group, Trican Well Services, Schlumberger Ltd., Akzo Nobel, Weatherford International, DuPont, FTS International, Solvay S.A, Dow Chemical Company, Albemarle Corporation, Clariant, and Ashland 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 Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Portable Charging Units Market 10-Year Market Forecast and Trends Analysis Research Report

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The increased gadgets usage for gaming, surfing the internet, camera, etc. drain out the battery charge swiftly. To combat the unexpected and frequent battery death while travelling or in office, a reliable portable charger is necessary. Portable charging units are commonly called as power banks. Portable charging unit is essentially an external battery in a sealed case. Portable charging units are manufactured in various capacities depending upon the applications of the units. The capacity of portable charging units refers to the maximum charge the battery can hold inside it. The capacity of portable charging units are measured in terms of milliampere-hour (mAh), the higher mAh indicates higher capacity of the power bank. Generally, lithium ion batteries are utilized in the design of power bank for their compactness, affordability and varied market reach. Further, lithium is a highly reactive element that can handle and store energy more efficiently and recharge cycles properly. The most important part of portable charging units are the PCB board and batteries. Currently, portable charging unit batteries are categorized as cylindrical battery, square aluminium case and polymer battery. Portable charging units are available with different number of ports in the market such as one port, two port, three port and four port. Currently, two USB port charging unit holds major market share and this trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. Portable charging units are utilized to charge various products, which include laptops, mobile devices, tablets, digital cameras and others.Request Free Report Sample@Global Portable Charging Units Market: SegmentationThe global portable charging units market can be segmented on the basis of capacity range, application, technology and number of ports.Based on the capacity range, the global portable charging units market can be segmented into,1,000 mAh-3,000 mAh3,000 mAh-6,000 mAh6,000 mAh-10,000 mAhAbove 10,000 mAhBased on the application, the global portable charging units market can be segmented into,SmartphonesMusic PlayersTabletsOthers (microelectronic device, etc.)Based on the technology, the global portable charging units market can be segmented into,Li-ionLi PolymerOthers (nickel cadmium, etc.)Based on the number of ports, the global portable charging units market can be segmented into,OneTwoThreeFourBased on the technology, it is expected that lithium ion battery would lead the portable charging units market as compared to lithium polymer and other batteries owing to the great cost to energy ratio and high energy density. However, lithium polymer batteries are expected to grow at a higher CAGR than lithium ion batteries owing to the light weight and better safety.Global Portable Charging Units Market: DynamicsEnhanced consumer purchasing power, better living standard and quick economic development have impacted the electronics market well. Some devices are available with lower battery capacity and thus the demand for portable charging units have been rising simultaneously with the rise in number of devices. Moreover, spread of smartphone technology promoted the growth of the portable charging units globally. Rising demands for tablets, smartphones, and other digital gadgets have fuelled the expansion of portable charging units market till date.A key trend identified in the global portable charging units market is the introduction of sleek power banks in the market.Global Portable Charging Units Market: Region-wise OutlookConsidering regions, Asia Pacific accounts for the major market share followed by other regions. The region accounts for more than 1/3rd share of the global portable charging units market and is expected to maintain the same trend over the forecast period. China is the most prominent regional market and increased demand for the portable charging units has created significant growth opportunities on a global level as well.Request For TOC@Global Portable Charging Units Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants in the portable charging units market identified across the value chain include Platinet S.A., BIC Graphic, Samsung Sdi Co. Ltd., Sony Corporation, mophie, inc., Panasonic Corporation, SIMPLO TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD., GP Batteries, Xiaomi Technology Co., Ltd. and Microsoft Corporation, among others.Owing to the intense competition in the industry, manufactures are focusing on research & development activities.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
eTMF Market Volume Forecast and Value Chain Analysis 2016-2026

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Rise in advanced technologies and rapid innovations in clinical trial data management enables create opportunities for the companies which are striving to plunge into eTMF market. Electronic Trial Master File (eTMF) specialized enterprise content management system, which enables maintain clinical trial content. Pharmaceutical and Biopharma companies are inclined towards eTMF from paper based document management system. The organizations which are adopted to eTMF can achieve higher clinical trial productivity along with cost saving methods and shorten the time line. However, eTMF offers operational efficiency, there is no standard method for storage, classification and exchange of eTMF documents in clinical trials. eTMF electronic documents archives offers exchange of electronic documents among the industry stakeholders. eTMF enables to eliminate the manual paper handling tasks such as classification, acquisition of data, index, and archiving of documents & mails. The eTMF ensures quality along with lower cost. The global eTMF market anticipated to exhibit a significant CAGR as well as annual growth rate over the forecast period.eTMF Market: Drivers and restraintsThe eTMF market can be driven by the following factors, the regulatory bodies of U.S, European Union and Japan along with International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) published a minimum set of documents for TMF. The documents are mandatory for the registration of any pharmaceutical products which are designed for human use. Regulatory bodies has a great impact on eTMF market. The regulatory bodies made it mandatory to submit eTMF may propels global eTMF market. Pharmaceutical companies are inclined towards contract research organizations (CRO) to conduct the clinical trials. Rise in the adoption CROS towards innovative technologies to conduct clinical trials enables to offers lucrative opportunities for the global eTMF market.Request Free Report Sample@However, lack of skilled professionals is the major bottleneck for the market and moreover eTMF is costlier, which may hamper the global eTMF market.eTMF Market: SegmentationGlobal Market can be segmented as following typesBy Product TypeSoftwareTrial PlatformWorkflowE-SignQualityImagingMailboxHardwareBy End UserPharmaceutical IndustryContract Research OrganizationsBiopharmaceutical IndustryResearch InstituteseTMF Market: OverviewGlobal eTMF market is gaining importance across the globe due to increased awareness among pharma and biopharma industry in order to conduct the clinical trials effectively. The eTMF has many advantages such as eliminate the manual work and enhances the quality of work. The global eTMF market expected to witness a significant CAGR as well as annual growth rates over the forecast period.Request For TOC@eTMF Market: Region-Wise OutlookGlobal market is segmented into seven key regions, those are North America (N.A), Western Europe (W.EU), Latin America (L.A), Eastern Europe (E.EU), Asia-Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, and Middle East and Africa (MEA).North America is anticipated to have a maximum market share in global market due to increased awareness among the CROs as well as pharmaceutical companies in US and Canada. Asia-Pacific follows North America in terms of market share in global eTMF market owing to the drastic change in Asian countries economy as well as pharma industries in India and china. Multi-National companies are entered into strategic collocations in asia region in order to gain economic advantage. Europe is having a considerable contribution in global eTMF market due to stringent regulations in the region. The global eTMF market is anticipated to unlock the potential of market over the forecast periodeTMF Market: Key playersSome of the key players areSure Clinical, Inc.Montrium, Inc.OASISTransperfectVeeva SystemsVertmarkets, Inc.Paragon SolutionsMastercontrol, Inc.Advanstar Communications, Inc.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Silicon Anode Battery Market to Exceed to US$ 484.9 Million by end of 2024

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North America is estimated to account for a market value share of 35.4% in the global silicon anode battery market by 2016 end, and is anticipated to remain dominant throughout the forecast period.Environmental regulations pertaining to CO2 emissions are expected to boost the use of alternative modes of transport in the transportation sector. Thus, electric vehicles are a good alternative for the reduction of CO2 emissions. Government promotion for adoption of electric vehicles and incentives regarding low emission of CO2 is expected to increase electric vehicles sales over the forecast period. Therefore, demand of next generation batteries such as silicon anode is expected to increase over the forecast period. Moreover, high performance of silicon as an anode material is expected to increase its consumption in smartphone batteries over the forecast period.However, silicon has a property of soaking large amount of lithium-ions. Therefore, volume of silicon anode increases when lithium ions bind with silicon. Hence, repeated expansion and contraction of silicon anode while charging and discharging decreases the performance of battery. This in turn, is expected to be a major challenge to the growth of the global silicon anode battery market.On the basis of application, the global silicon anode battery market is segmented into consumer electronics, automotive, industrial and grid & renewable energy. Consumer electronics segment is further sub-segmented into 3G/4G cellphones, laptops, tablets, MP4, digital cameras, and other electronic devices.Consumer electronics segment dominated the global silicon anode battery market and accounted for 43.7% value share and is estimated to remain dominant throughout the forecast period. This segment is projected to grow 5.1X over the forecast period. Increasing demand for high performance of batteries in smartphones is expected to witness a significant growth of the 3G/4G cellphones sub-segment in consumer electronics segment over the forecast period. Therefore, this sub-segment accounted for a major value share and is estimated to remain dominant throughout the forecast period. Moreover, automotive segment is sub-segmented into plug in HEV, HEVs, EVs and electric bicycles. EVs sub-segment in automotive segment is expected to witness significant growth and projected to grow 5.3X over the forecast period.For More Information Request TOC (desk of content material), Figures and Tables of the report @On the basis of key regions, the global silicon anode battery market has been segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. North America dominated the market with over 35% of the overall silicon anode battery market share in 2015. This is mainly attributed to product innovation in silicon using nano-technology. Asia Pacific market accounted for over 30% of the overall silicon anode battery market share in 2015. This is mainly attributed to major manufacturing companies of consumer electronics in countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea among others. This in turn, is expected to increase the demand for silicon anode batteries over the forecast period. Moreover, increasing adoption of electric vehicles in Europe is estimated to be one of the major reason for the sales of the silicon anode batteries and this region is anticipated to witness a significant CAGR of 22.0% over the forecast period.Request Report Sample @Some of the key players identified in the global silicon anode battery market are Amprius Inc., Nexeon Limited, Enevate Corporation, XG Sciences Inc., CONNEXX SYSTEM Corporation and OneD Material among others.To Buy Full Report for a Single User @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Polyamide Intermediate Chemicals Market Revenue, Opportunity, Forecast and Value Chain 2016-2026

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Polyamide intermediates are thermoplastic silky material, which is also known as nylon. It is available in fibrous state as well as in plastics. The polyamide intermediates are used for an array of applications, which includes fabrics, tires, and carpets among others. The consumption of polyamide intermediate chemicals in the automotive sector is expected to be the highest over the forecast period. Polyamide intermediate chemicals possess special characteristics, which includes high abrasion resistance, high elongation, and chemical resistance among others. Many manufacturers are engaged in developing bio-based methods for developing the polyamide intermediates. With introduction of bio-based polyamide intermediates, the global polyamide intermediates market is expected to foster a healthy growth rate, as it is recyclable and being adopted by the various end use industries from automotive to consumer goods. The consumption of polyamide intermediate chemicals in the automotive sector is expected to be the highest over the forecast period.Global Polyamide Intermediate Chemicals Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe global polyamide intermediate chemicals market is primarily driven by the demand for environmental friendly consumer products and stringent regulations for ecofriendly products. With a wide range of application of polyamide intermediates chemicals in various end use industries such as automotive, electronics, textiles and consumer goods among others is attributed with the growth of global polyamide intermediate chemicals globally. The use of polyamide intermediate chemicals in the automotive sector to replace some of the alloy parts such as nuts and bolts to reduce the weight of vehicles are increasing the adoption of polyamide intermediates chemicals in the automotive industry. Thus, this demand is fostering the growth of polyamide intermediate chemicals market. However, the moisture absorption properties of the polyamide intermediates chemicals decreases the tensile strength of the material which might pose as a restraint to its adaptability also the molded polyamide intermediates are subjected to shrinkage which might restrain the growth of polyamide intermediate chemicals market.Request Free Report Sample@Global Polyamide Intermediate Chemicals Market: Market SegmentationBased on the type of polyamide intermediate chemicals, the global polyamide intermediate chemicals market can be segmented into:Synthetic Polyamide Intermediate ChemicalsBio-Based Polyamide Intermediate ChemicalsBased on applications, the global polyamide intermediate chemicals market can be segmented into:TiresMusical StringsBagsConveyor BeltsOthersBased on the end use industries, the global polyamide intermediate chemicals market can be segmented into:AutomotiveTextileElectronicsConsumer GoodsGlobal Polyamide Intermediate Chemicals Market: Regional OutlookBased on the geographic regions, global polyamide intermediate chemicals market is segmented into seven key market segments namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Among the aforementioned regions, Asia-Pacific market for polyamide intermediate chemicals holds the largest market. In the Asia-Pacific market, China holds the largest share followed by India, the growth of polyamide intermediate chemicals in these countries are attributed with the growth of automotive, chemicals and textile industries in these regions. The demand for bio-based polyamide intermediates chemicals in the North America and the European market to cope up with stringent environmental regulations in the region is fostering the growth of polyamide intermediate chemicals but in a moderate speed. Overall, the market is expected to show a significant growth rate by the end of forecast period.Request For TOC@Global Polyamide Intermediate Chemicals Market: Key PlayersSome of the major players identified in the global polyamide intermediate chemicals market includes, BASF SE, DuPont, DSM, Segetis, Inc., Solvay, Arizona Chemical Company, LLC., and Genomatica, Inc. among others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Digital PCR (dPCR) and qPCR Market worth 4.94 Billion USD by 2021

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The report "Digital PCR (dPCR) and qPCR Market by Technology (Quantitative, Digital), Product (Instrument, Reagent, Software), Application (Clinical, Research, Forensic), End User (Hospital, Diagnostic Center, Academia, Pharma-Biotech Co) - Global Forecasts to 2021", analyzes and studies the major market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World (RoW).The global qPCR and dPCR market is expected to reach USD 4.94 Billion by 2021 from USD 3.28 Billion in 2016, growing at a CAGR of 8.5% from 2016 to 2021.Download PDF Brochure @On the basis of technology, the qPCR and dPCR market is categorized into digital PCR (dPCR) and quantitative PCR (qPCR). The qPCR technology segment is expected to account for the larger share of the global qPCR and dPCR market in 2016; whereas, the dPCR segment is expected to grow faster as compared to qPCR during the forecast period. Factors such as ongoing technological developments in dPCR, continued expansion in distribution networks of emerging dPCR product manufacturers in global markets (the U.S., Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East), and growing private funding to develop and commercialize innovative dPCR instruments are contributing to the growth of this market segment.On the basis of application, the qPCR and dPCR market is categorized into clinical applications, research applications, and forensic applications. The clinical applications segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR in the dPCR market owing to the technological benefits offered by dPCR over qPCR and traditional PCR, growing adoption of dPCR among hospitals and diagnostic centers, increasing global burden for cancer and AIDS, and expansion in distribution networks of emerging dPCR product manufacturers.Factors such as rising incidences of infectious diseases and genetic disorders (coupled with growing geriatric population that is at greater risk of target diseases as compared to adults); technological advancements; increasing publicprivate investments, funds, and grants; successful completion of the Human Genome Project; and growth in the number of hospitals and diagnostic centers are driving the qPCR and dPCR market.North America is expected to account for the largest share of the global qPCR and dPCR market in 2016, followed by Europe. The strong position of North America in the qPCR and dPCR market can be attributed to factors such as increase in public and private funding and growing number of research grants to support gene-based research (such as qPCR and dPCR). However, Asia-Pacific (comprising China, India, Japan, and the Rest of Asia-Pacific) is projected to be the fastest-growing region in the qPCR and dPCR market owing to increasing focus of global life sciences market players on this region, burgeoning efforts to increase awareness related to gene-based disease diagnosis and treatment, growing public and private support to develop novel qPCR and dPCR technologies, growth in the Indian genomics market, and growing cancer research in Japan. Due to the significant growth opportunities offered by emerging countries, a number of players operating in the market are focusing on expanding their product distribution networks across emerging countries.Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (U.S.), Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. (U.S.), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (Switzerland), QIAGEN N.V. (The Netherlands), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), BioMerieux S.A. (France), Fluidigm Corporation (U.S.), Takara Bio Inc. (Japan), Affymetrix Inc. (U.S.), and RainDance Technologies, Inc. (U.S.) were some of the key players in the global qPCR and dPCR market in 2015.About MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets is the worlds No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.Contact:Mr. RohanMarkets and MarketsUNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZMagarpatta city, HadapsarPune, Maharashtra 411013, India1-888-600-6441Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com
B2B Middleware Market Global Industry Analysis and Forecast Till 2027

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B2B middleware is a Business to Business software that resides above the network and below the business-aware application software. In simple words B2B, is an e-commerce gateway, which is responsible for the transaction of goods & services between the businesses or it can be between the business & individual customer or between the enterprises and trading partners. E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods, products or services through the internet. With the help of B2B concept, an enterprise can expand its business over the internet to different trading partners without any regional restrictions. Which requires a trustworthy business process platform, transparency and end to end tracking process and service governance & centralized security.Middleware is the platform which is needed to make e-commerce more efficient. Middleware is a set of common business services which enable the business processes and end users to interact directly with each other across the network, for example: an end user can track his/her product himself with the help of software instead of contacting enterprise. B2B middleware market is still an emerging market and having the fair growth chances in the forecasting period.Request Free Report Sample@Global Business to Business middleware Market: Market DynamicsThe key trend responsible for the growth of global Business to Business middleware market is increasing use of APIs among the enterprises to connect with their trading partners. The key drivers which are driving the global B2B middleware market are; Continuous investment made by different enterprises in modernizing B2B infrastructure with software or middleware in order to stay competitive in this digital economy, The flexibility, scalability and cost-efficiency promised by cloud computing has been increasing the adoption rate of cloud based B2B middleware by various enterprises around the globe, emergence of mobile business user workforce, which is responsible to drive the market of mobile middleware market & also the lower deployment cost and increased visibility in the processes, which supports in attracting enterprises to adopt B2B middleware. On the flip side the key restraint which is acting as a hurdle in the growth of global B2B middleware market is security concern in integrating and deploying B2B middleware on cloud.Global Business to Business middleware Market: SegmentationSegmentation of global Business to Business middleware market is done on the basis of deployment type, organization size, verticals & Geography. On the basis of deployment type, global B2B middleware market is segmented into the following segments; Cloud based, Web based & hybrid type (which has the mix of on cloud, on premises & Business to business integration).On the basis of organizations size, global B2B middleware market is segmented as; SMB (Small & Medium Businesses) & Large Enterprises.Segmentation of global B2B middleware market on the basis of verticals is given as; Banking sector, Financial Service, and Insurance (BFSI), healthcare sector, government enterprises, telecom, retail enterprises, energy and utilities, travel & hospitality, education, manufacturing, aerospace and defense & others.On the basis of Geography, global Business to Business middleware market is segmented into seven reason which are given below; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan), Japan as a separate region and Middle East & Africa. Presently among all the regions, APAC is having the maximum market share of global Business to Business middleware market.Request For TOC@Global Business to Business middleware Market: Key PlayersThe key players of global Business to Business middleware market are Microsoft, Information Builders, Oracle Corporation, SAP SE, FUJITSU, Unisys Global Technologies, TIBCO Software Inc., Unisys, Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P, OpenText Corp., Software AG & others.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Baby Food Market in Malaysia is Expected to Grow at 5% during Forecast Period 2016-2022

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In Malaysia, the sales of Baby Food have increased annually in terms of both volume and value except in 2012. The total volume sold in 2016 was 12% higher than in 2010 and value in 2016 was 96.5% higher than in 2010, equivalent to an increase of 71% at constant 2010 prices. Malaysia's strong economic performance has made commercial baby food accessible to an increasing number of parents. The rising number of births has further stimulated sales. The Baby Food Market is dominated by baby milks, which account for 90% of retail sales. Cereals represented 6.4%, Wet meals accounted for just 1.2% of market value. Other baby food, now consisting of rusks and snacks, took 2.6% of market value.Download PDF Sample of Baby Food Market@Key Findings Malaysia has a well-developed food production industry but its baby food industry is very small. Consumption of baby food in Malaysia increased by 12% since 2010 in terms of volume. Market value reached 96.5% more than in 2010, and equivalent to growth of 71% at constant prices. Growing-up milk has been the major growth area, and now accounts for over half of market value. Nestle is the only one among main manufacturers produces cereals locally. Three companies dominate the market: Danone (including Dumex), Nestle (including Wyeth), and Dutch Lady (FrieslandCampina). Consumption of baby food between 2016 and 2022 will grow by only 5%, but value sales will rise by 31.5% at current prices.Browse Full Report with TOC:SynopsisBaby Food in Malaysia is an analytical report which provides extensive and highly detailed current and future market trends in the Malaysia market.What else does this report offer? Consumption data based upon a unique combination of industry research, fieldwork, market sizing work and our in-house expertise to offer extensive data about the trends and dynamics affecting the industry. Detailed profile of the companies operating and new companies considering entry in the industry along with their key focus product sectors. Market profile of the various product sectors with the key features and developments, segmentation, per capita trends and the various manufacturers and brands. Overview of baby food retailing with a mention of the major retailers in the country along with the distribution channel. Future projections considering various trends which are likely to affect the industry.Check Discount on Baby Food Market Report:Reasons to Buy Evaluate important changes in consumer behavior and identify profitable markets and areas for product innovation. Analyse current and forecast behavior trends in each category to identify the best opportunities to exploit. Detailed understanding of consumption by individual product categories in order to align your sales and marketing efforts with the latest trends in the market. Investigates which categories are performing the best and how this is changing market dynamics.Report Details:No. of Report Pages: 137Single User Price: $3275Place Purchase Order for this Report@Companies Mentioned Danone Dumex (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd (FrieslandCampina) Mead Johnson Nutrition (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd Fonterra Brands Malaysia Sdn Bhd Heinz Malaysia Snow Foods Sdn Bhd Abbott (M) Sdn Bhd PT Kalbe FarmaTable of Content:1. Introduction2. Background to the Market3. Market Overview4. Sector Analysis5. Production and trade6. Company profiles7. Distribution8. Economic background9. Prospects and forecasts10. AppendixList of Tables and Figures:Table 1: Birth and Population Trends, 2006-2016Table 2: Live Births by State, 2012 and 2015Table 3: Live Births by Ethnic Group, 2012 and 2015Table 4: Mean Monthly Household Income by Income Group and Ethnic Group, 2009-2014Table 5: Trends in Marriages and Divorces, 2008-2012Table 6: Number of Women of Childbearing Age by Age Group, 2014Table 7: Live Births by Age Group of Mother, 2012 and 2015Table 8: Female Employment Trends, 2010-2015Table 9: Female Employment by Age, 2015Table 10: Breastfeeding Habits, 2006Table 11: Market Size, 2016 and Growth Rates, 2010-2016Table 12: Baby Food: Manufacturer Shares, Value %, 2010-2016Table 13: Baby Food: Manufacturer Shares by Sector, %, 2016Table 14: Projected Market Size, 2022, and Growth Rates, 2016-2022Table 15: Baby Milks: Brand Price Positioning Analysis, 2016Table 16: Baby Milks: Facings Allocation by Type of PackagingTable 17: Baby Milks: Facings Allocation by Pack SizeTable 18: Baby Milks: Manufacturer Shares, Value and Volume, %, 2010-2016Table 19: Baby Cereals: Price Positioning, 2016Table 20: Baby Cereals: Facings Allocation by Type of PackagingOrbis Research is a single point aid for all your Market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customised reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialisation. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required Market research study for our clients.Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas - 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019Email ID: sales@orbisresearch.comFollow Us on LinkedIn:
N-Hexane Market to Reach Will Hit at a CAGR of 5% by 2024  PMR Report

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According to the latest report published by Persistence Market Research titled, Global Market Study on n-Hexane: Oil Extraction End-Use Segment to Dominate Consumption over the Forecast Period , the global n-Hexane Market is anticipated to witness a Y-o-Y growth of more than 3% in 2016. Increasing population coupled along with shooting refined oil demand is expected to propel the demand for n-Hexane. As a special-purpose solvent, n-Hexane has applications across a diverse set of industries which is expected to boost demand of n-hexane.A sample of this report is available upon request @Demand for n-Hexane, especially in developing region such Asia Pacific, is expected to boost the demand of the global n-Hexane market over the forecast period. Excellent properties of n-Hexane to remove odor and unwanted taste are expected to propel the demand of n-Hexane from the edible oil industry. n-Hexane has the ability to remove unwanted taste and odor and this is the precise reason that the demand for n-Hexane has increased in edible oil industry. However, the consumers from developed regions are shifting from refined oil to cold-pressed oil owing to its superior health benefits. Cold pressing is a natural way to produce oil which does not contain solvent residues, no preservatives with natural antioxidants. In addition, Isohexane, a hexane isomer is used as a substitute of n-Hexane in few oilseed extraction applications. Due to toxic nature of n-Hexane, it has been substituted by n-heptane in some pharmaceutical applications. This may retard the growth of the n-Hexane market.Based on application, oil extraction will continue to lead the market share, representing nearly 57% of total revenues in 2016. High demand for n-Hexane in oil extraction owing to its effectiveness and high yield is expected to propel the global n-Hexane Market. Polymerization is expected to reach more than 200KT in 2016. Oil Extraction, Pharmaceutical, and Polymerization will remain top 3 end-users in global n-Hexane Market.Grade wise, oil extraction followed by industrial will dominate the Global n-Hexane Market in 2016 and is anticipated to reach more than US$ 600 Mn in 2016. Demand for industrial grade n-Hexane is expected to reach closed to 560 KT in 2016.On the basis of the region, APAC has the largest market in n-Hexane market across the world. China recorded a dominant market share of more than 40% in 2015. Asia-Pacific is estimated to lead the market in 2016, followed by Europe and North America. Moderate growth is expected from the mature markets such as North America and Europe. Europe will witness sluggish growth owing to the gradual economic recovery. In addition, important players in the market have been shifting their production bases to Asia Pacific region in order to capitalize on scale economies. Rising environmental concerns in developed regions over the use of n-Hexane and its adverse impact on health and environment may inhibit the growth of the n-Hexane market. APAC is expected to drive the global n-Hexane market and is expected to register closed to 5% of volume CAGR over the forecast period 2016-2024.Request to view Table of content @Key participant of global n-Hexane market are Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd., Sak Chaisidhi Company Limited, Liangxin petrochemical company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Chevron Philips Chemicals LLC, Indian Oil Corp. Ltd., , Royal Dutch Shell plc., Rompetrol Rafinare S.A, DHC Solvent Chemie GmbH, Dongying Liaoning Yufeng Chemical Co., Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd.To Buy Full Report for a Single User @About Persistence Market Research (PMR)Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market researchmethodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact Us:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Ferns N Petals is the Reputed Name to Emphasize the Celebrations

Cake Delivery in Sydney

http://www.fnp.com/australia/cakes

Cakes are the hearts of every celebration. Be it a birthday, wedding, anniversary, corporate event or any other celebrations, without a cake nothing can be on its full of excitement. Ferns N Petals understands this. Besides being the largest retailer of flowers in India, they are successfully delivering varieties of cakes not only in India but also across the world. Whether it is about doing cake delivery in Sydney, New York, Melbourne, New South Wales, or anywhere else across the globe, Ferns N Petals has established its name in offering the best quality cakes to its clients.People can get their cakes in their desired flavours from Ferns N Petals. They just need to log in to its renowned portal, make their decisions for purchasing cakes and place their orders using a few clicks. The numerous flavours of delicious cakes include chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, pineapple, strawberry, mango and black current. All these flavours are sure to rock any parties and make the people happy. Ferns N Petals delivers different varieties of cakes including a cream cake, fondant cake, layered cake, fruitcake, plum cake and dry cake. Just order to make the cake delivery in Melbourne, New York, Pennsylvania or Sydney, it will surely satisfy you with its expert services.Ferns N Petals has started with their single store in 1994 in New Delhi, India by the enterprising Mr Vikaas Gutgutia. This brand operates more than 240+ outlets today at different geographies in the country. It provides different varieties of fresh cut flowers and exclusive flower arrangements, artificial flowers, candles, designer cakes, imported glass vases, designer gift items, exquisite potpourris, photo frames, and many other products according to the tastes of their customers. This is just a glance of what it is doing in the market to serve the population. As the CEO, Mr Pawan Gadia says, "We understand your needs and so we will always house the best gifts for you. Enrich your special days with our products as we try hard to uncover you the best findings every day."Ferns N Petals Pvt.LtdFNP Estate, Ashram Marg, Mandi Road, Gadaipur, New Delhi - 110030Conatct : +91 92124 22000Web Address:
TAHA to promote horticulture value chain in Tanzania at Agritech Expo in Arusha

Thousands expected in Arusha

http://www.agritechexpotanzania.com/

The horticulture value chain in Tanzania has a number of opportunities that ranges from manufacturers, processors input dealers, packaging industry and exporters. It is a sector that needs to be promoted to solve the unemployment crisis in our country, youth and women should consider this industry if they want to make a contribution. This is according to Jacqueline Mkindi, Chief Executive Officer of TAHA, the Tanzania Horticultural Association. TAHA is an official host partner of the upcoming Agritech Expo Tanzania in Arusha from 26-27 January.The Tanzania Horticultural Association advocates for the growth and competitiveness of the horticultural industry in Tanzania and operates in seven regions: Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Morogoro, Iringa, Njombe, Pwani, Dar es Salaam, Unguja and Pemba in Zanzibar and during 2017, will expand to Tanga, Mwanza, Manyara, Dodoma, Mbeya and Lindi.Agri to become major contributor to economyThe TAHA CEO says the main challenges facing the agri sector in Tanzania and the region include a long list of regulatory bodies, unfriendly taxes and levies, unavailability of modern laboratories, extension services and infrastructures i.e. availability of cold storage facilities (to reduce post-harvest loss), market information systems, finances and insurance schemes.Her vision for the agri industry is to become the highest employed sector as the majority will shift from subsistence farming to commercial farming, for the sector to become a major contributor to the national economy and stimulate growth of value added products in the local and international markets.Thousands expected in ArushaThe inaugural farming B2B platform is expected to gather thousands of visitors in Arusha, from commercial to emerging and small scale; but also key officials from regional governments, agro associations, NGOs, aid, development and research agencies; agro dealers, traders and retailers; suppliers, consultants and technical experts as well as venture capitalists, investors and bankers.Agritech Expo Tanzania will bring together different horticulture actors and I am looking forward to increase the linkages between farmers and investors, says TAHAs Jacqueline Mkindi.Other host partners for Agritech Expo Tanzania are the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in Tanzania, the Agriculture Council of Tanzania (ACT) and the Selian Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) in Arusha.Agri suppliers supporting Agritech ExpoThe industry has responded with great enthusiasm to the first Agritech Expo in Tanzania. Global farming equipment leader John Deere and its distributor in the country, LonAgro Tanzania Ltd, are gold sponsors for the event.Other leading agri suppliers that have confirmed their presence at the event include Afrivet, Ford, CMC Automobiles, CWI, GSI, Hughes Motors, Maji, Metl Agro Tanzania, HortiPro, Irrico, Rivulis, AMDT, FNB, Lindsay Africa, Balton, Kibo Seed, Neptun Boot, Rijk Zwaan, TFSC and Yara.Event dates and location:Exhibition: 26-27 January 2017Commercial Farmers Focus Day: 26 January 2017Venue: Selian Agricultural Research Institute, Arusha/Dodoma Main Road, ArushaAgritech Expo Tanzania is organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and part of the Clarion Events Group, based in the UK.Senior communications manager: Annemarie RoodbolTelephone: +27 21 700 3558Mobile: +27 82 562 7844Email: annemarie.roodbol@spintelligent.comWebsite:Postal address: PO Box 321, Steenberg, 7947, South Africa
Global Driver Safety Market 2016: Company Profiles, Market Segments, Landscape, Demand and Forecast  2022

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Market Research Future published a half-cooked research report on Global Driver Safety Market.Market HighlightsStringent regulations from government regarding drivers safety and growing concerns regarding road accidents have surge the demand for the driver safety technologies. Increasing road accident have made the manufacturer to work on the automotive safety & technologies to prevent the accidents. With the introduction of new technologies such as driver alertness detection system, electronic stability control (ESC), and others has contributed in the growth of the driver safety market. These technologies tackle the safety issues and various causes such as drivers distraction caused by tiredness and drowsiness and have helped to lower down the road accidents in the recent times.Moreover, Truck drivers who are only permitted to drive in the dark night and involves dangerous route. These factors significantly contribute to driver fatigue and distraction which can result in accidents hence in turn is expected to increase the demand for driver fatigue and distraction monitoring systems amongst the commercial vehicles.Regional Analysis:Asia-Pacific is the major regions for the Driver Safety Market. Asia-Pacific is expected to show significant growth in driver safety market. Government regulations regarding safety, increasing competition in the automotive industries have led manufacturers to adopt the safety technologies which in turn will boost the driver safety market. North America and Europe will show the static growth for the driver safety market as the driver safety market is already established in the region due to safety awareness and concerns for the road safety.Request a Sample Report @Key Players Denso Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH, Continental AG, Magna International Inc., Valeo S.A., Tobii AB, Seeing Machines, Infineon Technologies AG, Optalert PTY Ltd, Smart Eye ABTaste the market data and market information presented through more than 85 market data tables and figures spread in more than 100 Pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Driver safety Market Information from 2016 to 2022"Access Report Details @Scope of the reportThis study provides an overview of the Global Driver Safety Industry, tracking market segments across the categorized four geographic regions. The report provides a five-year forecast for the market size in terms of value for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the world. The scope of the study segments the Global Driver Safety Market based on type, and vehicle type.Make an Enquiry for Report @Brief TOC of Global Driver Safety Market1. Report Prologue2. Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations2.3 Market Structure2.4 Market Segmentation3 Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation3.5 Forecast Model4. Market DynamicsContinued..About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.ContactAkash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Future of Global Cosmetic Threads Market : 2016 - 2024

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Cosmetic threads are defined as medical sutures that are injected into the skin with the help of needles beneath the skin in order to rejuvenate and lift the skin. It is a recent technology which was launched and tested in Europe. The first generation cosmetic threads were not very successful due to several reasons like improper product positioning, lack of marketing strategy and many others. There are few types of cosmetic threads like suspension threads and rejuvenating threads. The Suspension threads is a type of cosmetic threads that has barbs and cones on it. These barbs and cones help to pull the sagging kin backward. These are intended to be injected in to the target area on the face. Rejuvenating threads are a type of cosmetic thread which does not have the tendency to lift the skin, instead production of natural collagen when injected beneath the skin. These product do not bring about permanent change in the skin of the patient. Regular and repetitive procedures like derma fillers and botox treatment are required to maintain the effectiveness of cosmetic threads. Cosmetic threads procedure is one of the minimally invasive alternate procedure to surgical procedure for facelift.A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @One of the unique characteristic of cosmetic threads is that it is approved in more than one indication as compared to traditional facial injectable. For an instance, other than facial skin, the cosmetic threads are also approved in correction of ptosis that occurs anywhere on the body. The probable prone areas for ptosis are neck, stomach, thighs and arms.Although the idea of inserting the threads is not a new idea for the cosmetic industry as gold threads were used as a treatment in ancient Egypt to inject into the skin for the natural collagen production in the skin. Since then, modern generations are developed in Europe and Asia. However, cosmetic threads were banned in US by the FDA for use due to complications in the procedures, which was backed by physicians who were performing the procedures in a wrong way.The global cosmetic threads market is segmented, by product type and indication type. Based on the product type the global Cosmetic threads market is segmented into suspension threads and rejuvenating threads. Suspension threads are used in order to lift the sagging skin as it has barbs and cones that pulls the skin. The other type of cosmetic thread called as rejuvenating thread does not have the ability to pull the skin as it does not have any burbs and cones. Instead it has the property of natural collagen production once it is inserted in to the skin. By Indication type the global cosmetic thread is segmented into facelift, skin rejuvenation and ptosis. Depending upon the indication appropriate type of cosmetic thread is used for the procedure.On the basis of regional presence, global Cosmetic threads market is segmented into five broad regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. Europe is leading the global Cosmetic threads market due to increased awareness about cosmetic threads and associated benefits. Asia Pacific market is also projected to experience growth in the near future. Asia Pacific market is estimated to grow at faster growth rate during the forecast period, owing to factors such as growing demand for aesthetic procedures, adoption of effective new therapies and raising aesthetic expenditure. The North American market is not supporting this therapy as the FDA did not approve the therapy for any of the indication. But recently in 2015To View TOC of this Report is Available Upon Request @Some of the major players in global Cosmetic threads market are Aptos Technology Inc., Gold Thread LLC, Healux, Metro Korea Co.,Ltd, Coron Exclusiv AG, BS Medical Tech Industry, N Finders Co.,Ltd., SJ Medics Ltd, and many othersAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated re-search, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Con-sumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs en-gagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global Frozen Food Packaging Market 2016 to 2021  Production, Size, Sales, Market Share, Growth, Trends and Forecasts

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https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/frozen-food-packaging-market

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Market ScenarioFrozen Food Packaging Market has been growing rapidly due to increased demand for packaged food, and a strong retail network in growing economies of APAC. There is a high dependency on the packaged ready to eat convenience products to save time. This is backed by the increasing urbanization, increased shelf-life of otherwise perishable products and increase in investments by packaging companies in advanced freezing techniques which has led to the growth of the frozen food packaging market.Regional AnalysisAPAC dominates the Frozen Food Packaging Market with its fast growing market worldwide. The rapidly growing economies in APAC along with expanding food & beverage sector are the key drivers of fast growing market for frozen food packaging in APAC.Request Sample Report @Key Players Amcor Ltd., WestRock Company, Sealed Air Corporation, Packaging Corporation of America, Ball Corporation, Graphic Packaging International Inc., Anchor Packaging, Graham Packaging Company Printpack Inc., Leucadia National,Taste the market data and information presented through data tables and figures spread 115 pages of the project report. Avail in-depth table of content (TOC) & market synopsis on Frozen Food Packaging Market Research Report - Forecast to 2021SegmentsFrozen Food Packaging Market is segmented, On the basis Packaging product type it is segmented as Meat, Poultry & Seafood; fruits & vegetables; baked products and others. On the basis of Application it is segmented as Boxes, bags, tubs & cups and others. Additionally On the basis of Region, it is segmented as North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.Access Report Details @Study Objectives of Frozen Food Packaging Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of various segments and sub-segments of the Frozen Food Packaging Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To Analyze the Frozen Food Packaging Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, APAC, and Rest of the World (RoW)Make an Enquiry for 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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Market Analysis, Size, Outlook, Landscape, Forecast Report 2017

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Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Market Report 2017" globally.Sales, means the sales volume of Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal StorageRevenue, means the sales value of Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal StorageThis report studies sales (consumption) of Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage in United States market, focuses on the top players, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player, coveringBrightSource EnergySolar Millennium AGAbengoaArevaSiemensAccionaESolarSolarReserveSchottWilson SolarpowerCool EarthNovatecLointekAcciona EnergyShams PowerZED SolarAbsoliconRioglass SolarGreenera Energy India PvtFocus solarBrightSource EnergyNRELEvergreen Solar ServicesSuntechThai Solar EnergyBP SolarTrina Solar EnergySunhomeMarket Segment by States, coveringCaliforniaTexasNew YorkFloridaIllinoisSplit by product types, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoTrench concentrating solar power systemsTower-type solar power tower systemDish concentrating solar power systemsSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage in each application, can be divided intoCSP systemGenerate electricityIndustrial heatingOtherGet The Sample Copy Of This Report:Table of ContentsUnited States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Market Report 20171 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage1.2 Classification of Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage1.2.1 Trench concentrating solar power systems1.2.2 Tower-type solar power tower system1.2.3 Dish concentrating solar power systems1.3 Application of Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage1.3.1 CSP system1.3.2 Generate electricity1.3.3 Industrial heating1.3.4 Other1.4 United States Market Size Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) of Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage (2011-2021)1.4.1 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.4.2 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)2 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Competition by Manufacturers2.1 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Revenue and Share by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.3 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Average Price by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.4 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by States (2011-2016)3.1 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales and Market Share by States (2011-2016)3.2 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Revenue and Market Share by States (2011-2016)3.3 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Price by States (2011-2016)4 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (2011-2016)4.1 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)4.2 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)4.3 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Price by Type (2011-2016)4.4 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales Growth Rate by Type (2011-2016)5 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales (Volume) by Application (2011-2016)5.1 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales and Market Share by Application (2011-2016)5.2 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales Growth Rate by Application (2011-2016)5.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6 United States Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis6.1 BrightSource Energy6.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.1.2 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Product Type, Application and Specification6.1.2.1 Trench concentrating solar power systems6.1.2.2 Tower-type solar power tower system6.1.3 BrightSource Energy Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.2 Solar Millennium AG6.2.2 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Product Type, Application and Specification6.2.2.1 Trench concentrating solar power systems6.2.2.2 Tower-type solar power tower system6.2.3 Solar Millennium AG Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.3 Abengoa6.3.2 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Product Type, Application and Specification6.3.2.1 Trench concentrating solar power systems6.3.2.2 Tower-type solar power tower system6.3.3 Abengoa Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.4 Areva6.4.2 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Product Type, Application and Specification6.4.2.1 Trench concentrating solar power systems6.4.2.2 Tower-type solar power tower system6.4.3 Areva Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.5 Siemens6.5.2 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Product Type, Application and Specification6.5.2.1 Trench concentrating solar power systems6.5.2.2 Tower-type solar power tower system6.5.3 Siemens Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.6 Acciona6.6.2 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Product Type, Application and Specification6.6.2.1 Trench concentrating solar power systems6.6.2.2 Tower-type solar power tower system6.6.3 Acciona Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.7 ESolar6.7.2 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Product Type, Application and Specification6.7.2.1 Trench concentrating solar power systems6.7.2.2 Tower-type solar power tower system6.7.3 ESolar Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.8 SolarReserve6.8.2 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Product Type, Application and Specification6.8.2.1 Trench concentrating solar power systems6.8.2.2 Tower-type solar power tower system6.8.3 SolarReserve Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.9 Schott6.9.2 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Product Type, Application and Specification6.9.2.1 Trench concentrating solar power systems6.9.2.2 Tower-type solar power tower system6.9.3 Schott Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.10 Wilson Solarpower6.10.2 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Product Type, Application and Specification6.10.2.1 Trench concentrating solar power systems6.10.2.2 Tower-type solar power tower system6.10.3 Wilson Solarpower Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.10.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.11 Cool Earth6.12 Novatec6.13 Lointek6.14 Acciona Energy6.15 Shams Power6.16 ZED Solar6.17 Absolicon6.18 Rioglass Solar6.19 Greenera Energy India Pvt6.20 Focus solar6.21 BrightSource Energy6.22 NREL6.23 Evergreen Solar Services6.24 Suntech6.25 Thai Solar Energy6.26 BP Solar6.27 Trina Solar Energy6.28 Sunhome7 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Manufacturing Cost Analysis7.1 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Key Raw Materials Analysis7.1.1 Key Raw Materials7.1.2 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials7.1.3 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials7.1.4 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials7.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure7.2.1 Raw Materials7.2.2 Labor Cost7.2.3 Manufacturing Expenses7.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage8 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers8.1 Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Industrial Chain Analysis8.2 Upstream Raw Materials Sourcing8.3 Raw Materials Sources of Molten Salt Solar Energy Thermal Storage Major Manufacturers in 20158.4 Downstream BuyersAbout 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
Telepresence Robots Market Size achieve significant growth, Shares, Strategy, And Forecasts, Worldwide, 2016 To 2022

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Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Telepresence Robots: Market Shares, Strategy, And Forecasts, Worldwide, 2016 To 2022" globally.Worldwide Telepresence Robots markets are poised to achieve significant growth. People like mobility, they like remote communication and telepresence robots add a new dimension to remote communication.The quality of remote communication is uplifted by the robotic platform approach to connecting people located in different places. The visualization provided by the telepresence robot is not reproducible by the smartphone and large telepresence systems are not mobile. So ultimately all people will want access to telepresence robots in order to move around and see for themselves what is going on in another place.Clearly terrorism is here to stay. As nationalistic wars decline as a way to settle disputes, terrorism has emerged in spades. The recent terrorist attacks in Boston, Paris, and Belgium illustrate the risk that civilian populations are exposed to. Telepresence robots represent the best and perhaps last line of defense against terrorists. Telepresence robots can go where no man or woman can go, they can go safer, they can go faster, they can provide a presence that might not be achieved in any other way.There are more civil uses for telepresence robots: in education, healthcare, business, and manufacturing. People can drive a telepresence robot around a work environment, around a school, around a hospital to reach people that they night otherwise have a difficult time contacting.Remote telepresence healthcare diagnosis and treatment market is especially important for the treatment of stroke. Stroke damage can be mitigated if symptoms are treated within 4 hours of the onset of symptoms, otherwise the stroke damage is likely permanent. Global telehealth partnerships. The aim is to integrate diagnostic tools into tele-stroke solutions.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:Stroke occurs when a vessel in the brain ruptures or is blocked by a blood clot. There are two types of strokes: hemorrhagic and ischemic. An ischemic stroke occurs as a result of an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain, which accounts for 87% of all stroke cases. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a weakened blood vessel ruptures and spills blood into brain tissue. 800,000 people in the U.S. and 15 million people worldwide suffer a stroke each year.These markets portend to be very large worldwide and represent good uses of telepresence. The ability of a clinician specialist to diagnose and initiate immediate treatment of a stroke from a gold course or other location is lifesaving.Manufacturing and engineering telepresence robot uses are expected to proliferate. Monitoring and telepresence are being combined to achieve remote repairs that provide better customer services at lower cost. Manufacturing and engineering resources for companies frequently are in different places. The same is true for IT, the software developer engineers and the software IT users are frequently located in different places. It is useful to have a mobile device that can be controlled by the engineer to go have a look around when a trouble call comes in from a site.A remote telepresence device can use monitoring and telepresence to achieve remote repairs. The ability to integrate the remote physical location with the engineer who knows the system often involves travel, sometimes long arduous travel. Telepresence and mobile video telecommunications technologies can be very useful in postponing or eliminating the travel.A mobile, real-time, 3D-hybrid telepresence system permits the user to go and have a look around and talk to different people about the problem without actually being there. Integration of telepresence images with computer generated virtual environments can be superimposed over the remote real worldview. This integrated system incorporates emerging mobile telecommunications technologies to give rapid and easy access to the real and virtual construction sites from arbitrary locations. This system allows remote surveillance of the construction site, and integration of real world images of the site with virtual reality representations, derived from planning models, for progress monitoring.Use of the telepresence robot with the video and microphone capability to achieve remote presence is a vital aspect of personal mobility devices. Telepresence robots are poised to achieve a vital extension of electronic communication in ways that will become indispensable to everyone soon.Telepresence robot device markets at $825 million in 2015 are anticipated to reach $7 billion by 2022 as next generation robotic devices, systems, and instruments are introduced to manage remote presence. The robotic platform will be extended to include grippers and cameras of all types, sensors and sophisticated navigation software.The complete report provides a comprehensive analysis including units sold, market value, forecasts, as well as a detailed competitive market shares and analysis of major players success, challenges, and strategies in each segment and sub-segment. The report covers markets for security, law enforcement, manufacturing, healthcare, education, and business telepresence.Companies ProfiledMarket LeadersInTouchDouble RoboticsMantaroVgoGeneral DynamicsNorthrop GrummanQuinetiQLockheed MartinSDRiRobotKongsbergTelerobRecanRoboticsMarket ParticipantsAnybotsDimaa Network Services LTD (DNS)DJIDouble RoboticsGlobalMediRobotInbot Technology PadBotIntouchMantaroOrbis RoboticsQinetiQRbotReconRoboticsRevolve RoboticsRobosoftRobotexSuitable TechnologiesTechnoRobotVGoVseeAbout 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
Global In-Memory OLAP Database Market grow at a CAGR of 24.95% Over Period 2016-2020

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Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Global In-Memory OLAP Database Market 2016-2020" globally.The in-memory database is one of the subcomponents of IMDM, the other subcomponent being in-memory data grid (IMDG). IMDM and in-memory application platform (IMAP) are the components of in-memory computing (IMC), which form the base of this technology. The primary purpose of in-memory processing technology is to enable real-time analyses and allow organizations to store data in RAM rather than in traditional disk storages, which reduces their operational costs.The global in-memory OLAP database market to grow at a CAGR of 24.95% during the period 2016-2020.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global in-memory OLAP database market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the market value of in-memory computing in 2015.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEuropeMEATechnavio's report, Global In-Memory OLAP Database Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:Key vendorsAltibaseIBMMicrosoftOracleSAP SEOther prominent vendorsExasolJedox AGKognitioMcobjectMemSQLMicroStrategySAS InstituteTeradataTerracottaVoltDBMarket driverIncreased adoption among SMEsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeHardware specification requirementsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendParallel processing of columnar databaseFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?You can request one free hour of our analysts time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.About 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
Cerium Market Estimated to Grow Strongly by 2021

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Caprylic alcohol also known as octanol is a colorless liquid with penetrating odor. Caprylic alcohol is insoluble in water and its vapors are heavier than air. Caprylic acid is a fatty acid alcohol mainly used as intermediate in chemicals and pharmaceutical industry. Caprylic alcohol is used as raw materials in manufacturing of surfactants, conditioners and disinfectants among others. It is also used as an intermediate in manufacturing of plasticizers. Caprylic alcohol also finds application in synthetic resins lubricants as an oil base and as emulsifiers in emulsion polymerization. Caprylic alcohol also finds applications in personal care and cosmetic products such as personal creams and ointments. Caprylic alcohol is used as a lubricant in metal rolling market.A sample of this report is available upon request @The market for caprylic alcohol was driven by chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Huge demand from chemical industry for caprylic alcohol as an intermediate is driving the market in past few years. Caprylic alcohol is used in anti-oxidants, detergents and plasticizers market. Cosmetics industry is another major outlet for caprylic alcohol where it is used as an ingredient in creams and ointments. Increasing demand from end-user industries such as plastics and disinfectants from emerging countries has been one of the major factors for the growth of demand for caprylic alcohol. Another, major factor driving the caprylic alcohol market is increasing demand for synthetic resin lubricants from developing countries. Increasing demand for caprylic alcohol from perfume industry is likely to offer major opportunity for the caprylic alcohol market in next few years. However, environmental regulations related to caprylic alcohol industry are anticipated to hider the growth of the market in next few years.In terms of demand, Asia Pacific was the leading region in caprylic alcohol market in 2013. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing markets for caprylic alcohol due to increasing demand for detergents and cosmetics in this region. The market for caprylic alcohol in Asia Pacific was led by China. However, other Asian countries such as India, Japan and South Korea are likely to provide better opportunity for caprylic alcohol market owing to increasing consumption from pharmaceutical and chemical end-user industries. Asia Pacific was followed by Europe. Increasing demand for caprylic alcohol from personal care industry coupled with chemical industry has been driving the market for caprylic alcohol in Europe. Germany is the largest consumer of caprylic alcohol in this region. Other countries such as the UK, France and Italy are likely to exhibit stable demand for caprylic alcohol in next few years. In terms of consumption, North America had the third-largest share in the caprylic alcohol market in 2013. Increasing demand from pharmaceutical industry is driving the demand for caprylic alcohol in this region. The U.S. had the largest demand for caprylic alcohol owing to huge demand from end-user industries such as personal care, chemicals and pharmaceuticals among others. Rest of the World market is anticipated to show positive outlook for the caprylic alcohol market in near future. Latin America is anticipated to show fastest growth for the caprylic alcohol market in this region. The demand is huge owing to increasing applications in personal care and detergent applications.Request to view Table of content @Some of the key manufacturers in the caprylic alcohol market are Azelis UK Life Sciences, Charkit Chemical Corp., Creasyn Finechem (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., Kao Corp., Sasol Germany GmbH and TCI (Shanghai) Development Co., Ltd. among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global Embedded Processors Market 2017 : Texas Instruments, International Rectifier, AAEON Technology, NEC & Intel Corporation

Embedded Processors

https://goo.gl/QCpb63

https://goo.gl/MiV78O

The survey report by Market Research Store is an overview of the global Embedded Processors market. It covers all the recent trends including key developments in the global market in present and in future. Analyses of the global Embedded Processors 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 Embedded Processors 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 Embedded Processors 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 Embedded Processors 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 Embedded Processors 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
Outlook of SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Market: Premium Analysis, Global Growth, Research and Analysis for 2017-2021

SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software

http://www.researchbeam.com/global-saas-based-web-20-software-research-report-2017-market/request-sample

http://www.researchbeam.com/global-saas-based-web-20-software-research-report-2017-market

http://www.researchbeam.com/global-saas-based-web-20-software-research-report-2017-market/purchase-enquiry

http://www.researchbeam.com

Research Beam Added a Report on Global SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Market Research Report 2017SUMMARYThis report studies SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering Salesforce, Oracle, Aplicor, SAP, Microsoft, NetSuite, IBM, Zoho, SugarCRM, Software AG, 800APPsMarket Segment by Regions, this SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Market report splits Global into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), like North America, Europe, China, Japan, Korea, TaiwanGet Sample Copy of Report:Split by product type, with production, revenue, price, and market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided into Non free software Free softwareSplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software in each application, can be divided into Mac PCFor More Information about This Report:Table of Contents:1 SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software1.2 SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Segment by Type1.3 SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Segment by Application2 Global SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2011-2016)4 Global SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)5 Global SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Market Analysis by Application7 Global SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Salesforce7.2 Oracle7.3 Aplicor7.4 SAP7.5 Microsoft7.6 NetSuite7.7 IBM7.8 Zoho7.9 SugarCRM7.10 Software AG8 SaaS-Based Web 2.0 Software Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersGet Discount on Report Purchase:About 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:
Long Term Car Rentals Occupy a Share of 50% in the Overall Car Rental Market in Saudi Arabia

https://www.kenresearch.com/automotive-transportation-and-warehousing/automotive-and-automotive-components/saudi-arabia-vehicle-leasing-market/42896-100.html

According to a Market Research Report titled "Saudi Arabia Car Rental and Leasing Market Projections to 2020 - Religious Tourism and Short Term Car Rental to Stimulate Growth" by Ken ResearchSaudi Arabia car rental market has accounted for a significant share in the Middle East car rental service. It has one of the most highly developed car rental service that involves substantial amount of consumer spending on car rental services. Saudi Arabia has large geographical area and is well connected by roads, thus car rental services are considered reasonable options for travelling purposes in Saudi Arabia. Majority of the population in Saudi Arabia has a higher car ownership and has majorly been driven by leisure tourism services that are inclusive of religious tourism.Car sharing on the other hand majorly comprises of carpooling services that involves pooling a car with customers that travel through the same route or have the same destination. Car sharing is a niche market and has not witnessed preponderance in the past few years on account of higher car ownership in the country.The car rental market is largely dependent on vehicle manufacturing and overall economic conditions in the new and used vehicle market, since these factors directly impact the cost of acquiring vehicles and the disposition value of vehicles.The tourism industry in Saudi Arabia had witnessed an inclination in 2010. It has been noticed that the number of car rental fleets in the rental service has inclined over the years from 2010-2015. The number of rented passenger cars for longer duration has enhanced in the past few years due to which the car rental brands in the country have been forced to enhance its fleet size in the country.Saudi Arabia car rental market has been broadly segmented on the basis of car leasing, short term car rental and Chauffeur driven car segment. Despite the growing demand on car rentals, it still remains highly vulnerable to risks where more than 20% individual customers do not abide by rental conditions, whether in terms of handing over cars at the deadline and payment or parking of cars at different locations. Thereby, the regulations have increased and this calls the corporate to demand cars from organized car rental companies.The on-airport rental service commonly charges high rates as compared to the off airport segment. On-airport car rentals subjected to daily fees and taxes as opposed to off-airport car rental. Therefore, on-airport car rentals generate higher revenue as opposed to off-airport car rentals.For more information on the market research report please refer to the below link:Contact Us:Ken ResearchAnkur Gupta, Head Marketing & CommunicationsAnkur@kenresearch.com+91-9015378249Ken Research is a Global aggregator and publisher of Market intelligence research reports, equity reports, data base directories and economy reports.27A, TOWER B-2, SPAZE I TECH BUSINESS PARK, SOHNA ROAD, SECTOR 49GURGAON, HARYANA - 122001, INDIA
Future Trends and Competitive Landscape of Chromatography Resins Market, 2021

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4408

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4408

Chromatography resins are used in the purification and separation of proteins and other bio-molecules in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, food manufacturing, and environmental analysis.Chromatography resins are of three types: Synthetic, natural and inorganic media. Natural polymers include agarose, cellulose and dextran, among others, while synthetic resins include ion exchange resins. The natural and synthetic typesare the more preferred chromatography resins as compared to inorganic media. Chromatography resins are used in affinity, mixed-mode, ion-exchange,hydrophobic interaction and size exclusion techniques.In terms of revenues,Protein A resins accounted for the highest share of the market.In technology terms, ion-exchange chromatography witnessed the highest consumption in the past few years. On the other hand, affinity chromatography resins held the key share by revenue largely due to the higher selling costsassociated with affinity resinsA sample of this report is available upon request @The main driver for the chromatography resinsis huge demand for monoclonal antibodies.There has been a huge demand for monoclonal bodies owing to a growing number of critical diseases resulting in thesetypes of therapeutics to swiftly gain significance.Food analytics is also one of the major drivers for the chromatography resins market. Chromatography resins are used in nutraceuticals and nutritional chemistry. Chromatography resins are used to detect food additives (adulteration) which has been major issue in the food industry. Biotechnology & pharmaceuticals are the leading end-users for chromatography resins and are likely to gain more importance in the near future.Chromatography resins are also used in industrial applications such as water treatment and environmental analysis. Some of the academic uses of chromatography resins are in genetic engineering and drug recovery which can provide various opportunities for the chromatography resins market. In spite of numerous applications, regulations associated with these applications can act as a major restraint for the chromatography resins market in the coming years.In terms of demand, North Americawas the leading region for the chromatography resinsmarket. The demand in this region was mainly driven by biotechnology and pharmaceutical applications. The U.S. exhibited a major demand for chromatography resins and this regions increasing health expense trendshave been indirectly driving the market for chromatography resins.Europe was the other leading market for chromatography resins in the past few years and is expected to show good growth numbers over the near future. Pharmaceuticals and food analytics were the major applications for the chromatography resins in this region. The major European countries such as Germany, UK, France and Italy were the major consumers of chromatography resins in the past decade. There is currently a huge demand for chromatography resins in Asia Pacific, particularly from China, South Korea and India due to the growing pharmaceutical industry in these countries.Additionally, the emergence of CMOs and CROs is further driving the chromatography resins market in the Asia Pacific region. The Rest of the World is likely to exhibit stable demand for chromatography resins market over the forecast period. South America and The Middle East region are anticipated to be the potential markets for chromatography resins.Request to view Table of content @Some of the key players in the chromatography resins market are Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Tosoh Corporation, Merck KGaA, Life Technologies Corporation, Repligen Corporation, and Pall Corporationamong others.Lower prices with higher productivity and new innovative products had been the key strategies for the manufacturers to gain the competitive advantage in the market. Life Technologies is expected to unveil POROS chromatography resins in Biopharmaceutical Development & Production Week Conference (BPD) to be held in California. Purolite International Ltd. announced its plans to develop bio-separation chromatography resins based on the agarose media. The new product line is likely to meet growing demand of the biomolecules market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global Hemophilia Market Report: 2016 Edition

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http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/category/37

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases

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Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Global Hemophilia Market Report: 2016 Edition" globally.Hemophilia refers to a set of hereditary genetic disorders that impairs the body's ability to control blood clotting, which controls bleeding when a blood vessel is broken. People with hemophilia lack, either partially or completely, an essential clotting factor needed to form stable blood clots. In the absence of a treatment, uncontrolled internal bleeding can occur, causing stiffness, pain, severe joint damage and even death. Depending upon the coagulation factor deficiency, there are different types of hemophilia such as Hemophilia A, Hemophilia B, Hemophilia C, Von Willebrand disease and Hemophilia with Inhibitors.Even though Hemophilia is rare bleeding disorder, the number of people affected by it has been increasing with time. While mild hemophilia is easy to diagnose especially in kids, when they learn to move and walk, and get large bruises from minute falls, severe hemophilia patients need to go for periodic transfusion of the respective factors so as to avoid the event of life-threatening bleeding episodes. Such a periodic transfusion is done through what is commonly known as the replacement therapy. With increasing sophistication and modernization of technology, demand for advanced treatment options increases, thereby making the entire market grow.The key factors which are anticipated to drive this market include increasing penetration of recombinant factor VIII, increasing healthcare expenditure, emerging use of treatments in low income countries and increasing diagnosis rates. Some of the noteworthy progresses of this industry include the increasing adoption of prophylaxis therapy, introduction of extended half-life products and gene therapy. However, the growth of respective industry is challenged by the high cost of treatments and high reluctance by patients to switch to new treatments/products.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:The report provides a comprehensive study of global hemophilia market and also major regional markets. Furthermore, market dynamics such as key trends and development; and challenges are analyzed in depth. The global hemophilia industry is highly competitive consisting of several large companies including the Shire Plc, Bayer Group, Pfizer Inc, Novo Nordisk etc. The competitive landscape of the respective market, along with the company profiles of the leading players are also discussed in detail.Table of Content1. Overview1.1 Types of Hemophilia1.1.1 Hemophilia A1.1.2 Hemophilia B1.1.3 Hemophilia C1.1.4 Hemophilia with Inhibitors1.1.5 Von Willebrands Disease1.2 Signs and Symptoms1.3 Treatments of Hemophilia1.3.1 Replacement Therapy2. Market Analysis2.1 Global Hemophilia Market2.1.1 Global Hemophilia Prevalence2.1.2 Global Hemophilia Diagnosis and Treatment2.1.3 Global Hemophilia Market Revenue2.1.4 Global Demand for FVIII for Hemophilia A2.1.5 Global Supply Capacity of Recombinant FVIII for Hemophilia A2.1.6 Global Hemophilia A Market Revenue2.1.7 Global Hemophilia B Market Revenue2.1.8 Global Hemophilia with Inhibitors Market Revenue2.2 The US Hemophilia Market2.2.1The US Hemophilia Patients Treated per Year2.2.2 The US Hemophilia Market Revenue2.2.3 The US Hemophilia A Patients Treated per Year2.2.4 The US Hemophilia A Market Revenue2.2.5 The US Hemophilia B Patients Treated per Year2.2.6 The US Hemophilia B Market Revenue2.2.7 The US Hemophilia with Inhibitors Patients Treated per Year2.2.8 The US Hemophilia with Inhibitors Market Revenue2.2.9 The US Von Willebrand Factor Market Revenue2.3 Europe Hemophilia Market2.3.1 Europe Hemophilia Patients2.3.2 Europe Hemophilia A Patients2.3.3 Europe Hemophilia A Therapy by Severity2.3.4 Europe Hemophilia B Patients2.3.5 Europe Hemophilia B Therapy by SeverityBrowse More Published Reports By Therapeutic Area Market Research:3. Market Dynamics3.1 Growth Drivers3.1.1 Increasing Penetration of Recombinant FVIII3.1.2 Increasing Healthcare Expenditures3.1.3 Emerging Use of Treatments in Low Income Countries3.1.4 Increasing Diagnosis Rate3.2 Key Trends3.2.1 Increasing adoption of Prophylaxis3.2.2 Gene Therapy3.2.3 Introduction of Extended Half-Life Products3.3 Challenges3.3.1 High Cost of Treatment3.3.2 Reluctance to Switch to New Treatments/Products4. Competitive Landscape4.1 Competition by Market Share4.1.1 Hemophilia Market Share4.1.2 Hemophilia A Market Share4.2 Competition by Financials4.2.1 Competition by Market Cap4.2.2 Competition by Profit Margin5. Company Profiles5.1 Shire PLC5.1.1 Business Overview5.1.2 Financial Overview5.1.3 Business Strategies5.2 Bayer Group5.2.1 Business Overview5.2.2 Financial Overview5.2.3 Business Strategies5.3 Novo Nordisk5.3.1 Business Overview5.3.2 Financial Overview5.3.3 Business Strategies5.4 Pfizer Inc.5.4.1 Business Overview5.4.2 Financial Overview5.4.3 Business StrategiesAbout 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
Global Difenoconazole Azole Market 2017 : Syngenta, Zhejiang Heben,DBN, Udrangon & Albaugh

Difenoconazole Azole

https://goo.gl/koYIuh

https://goo.gl/Rz1UQY

The survey report by Market Research Store is an overview of the global Difenoconazole Azole market. It covers all the recent trends including key developments in the global market in present and in future. Analyses of the global Difenoconazole Azole 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 Difenoconazole Azole 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 Difenoconazole Azole 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 Difenoconazole Azole 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 Difenoconazole Azole 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
Despite Brexit worries a positive finish for UK True Fleet Market

www.dataforce.de

Overall the UK Total Market finished with 2,692,786 registrations generating a +2.3% for its year on year comparison but as we know from previous releases it was clear to see the market endured a turbulent 2016. True Fleet for the most part remained positive and while the market stumbled slightly in the months preceding the Brexit vote it finished well and delivered a + 2.9% for the full year.Within the Top 10 brands of 2016 BMW, Mercedes, Kia and Audi were the only manufacturers to improve in the year-on-year comparison. Kia had the largest growth with + 39.0%, followed by BMW with a + 22.3%, Mercedes with + 17.9% and Audi on + 12.8%. It was interesting to see that while the German manufacturers predominately achieved this through registration of Compact or Middle Class cars, Kia delivered with an SUV. The Sportage once again dominated the Korean manufacturers volume for the year providing 66.4% of all registrations for the brand with an amazing increase of 15.0% over the 2015 percentage total.In the vehicle segment, SUVs dominance continues un-abated increasing its market share by 2.9% for 2016. In the SUV model Top 5 the Nissan Qashqai retained its #1 position followed by the Kia Sportage (moving up from 5th), the Opel Mokka (dropping from 2nd), the Ford Kuga (remaining in 4th), with the Hyundai Tucson rounding out the 5 with the largest lift in rank (moving up from 19th). Notable mentions within the Top 20 must also go to the Renault Kadjar which had a stellar year registering a + 655.3% growth (moving from 33rd to 7th) and also the Jeep Renegade delivering a + 170.0% (moving from 30th to 18th).Rounding out our UK press release we looked at Top 10 manufacturers for December. While the VW group is still mired in controversy surrounding the emissions scandal there was at least some good news from the UK. 3 out of the 4 double digit growth brands were part of the group, VW produced + 17.0, Audi delivered a + 27.9% with Skoda registering + 39.0%. After looking deeper into the Skoda numbers it was refreshing to see that the growth was spread across 5 of the 7 current market models and with the recent addition of the Kodiaq SUV to the line-up Skodas 2017 should be even better.DATAFORCE  Focus on FleetsDataforce is the leading provider of fleet market data and automotive intelligence solutions in Europe. In addition, the company also provides detailed information on sales opportunities for the automotive industry, together with a wide portfolio of information based on primary market research and consulting services. The company is based in Frankfurt, Germany.Contact: Gabriel JuhasDataforce Verlagsgesellschaft fur Business Informationen mbHHamburger Allee 1460486 Frankfurt am MainPhone: +49 69 95930-250Fax: +49 69 95930-333E-Mail: gabriel.juhas@dataforce.de
Global Opioids Market to Reach a Valuation of US$ 34.8 Bn in 2015

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3066

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/opioids-market/toc

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/3066

Persistence Market Research (PMR) delivers key insights on the Global Opioids Market in its latest report titled Global Market Study on Opioids: Widespread Usage in Treatment of Cancer to Drive the Growth of Opioids Market During the Forecast Period .The global opioids market is anticipated to exhibit a stable CAGR during the forecast period (2015-2021).By product type, the global opioids market is segmented into morphine, codeine, fentanyl, meperidine and methadone. Morphine segment was the largest contributor in overall opioids market, accounting for around 36% share in 2014. However, fentanyl segment is expected to register fastest CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period. Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, meperidine and methadone have lucrative growth opportunities in opioids market, owing to their potential application in opioid substitution treatment and fewer side effects as compared to natural opioids. By application, the global opioids market is segmented into analgesia, cough suppression, and diarrhea suppression. Analgesia segment comprises numerous conditions namely, anesthesia, surgical pain, injury or trauma, cancer pain and pain arising from diseases. The analgesia segment accounted for around 67% share in overall opioids market in 2014 and is expected to register fastest CAGR of 3.3% during the forecast period.A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @Global opioids market growth is mainly driven by increasing demand for opioids in non-cancer pain management, rising geriatric populations suffering from terminal conditions, uncontrolled prescription of opioids especially in North America, and increasing healthcare expenditure for post-surgical care. Moreover, increasing the incidence of trauma injuries, raising awareness about palliative care, higher efficacy of synthetic opioids and favorable reimbursement policies for post-operative care are fueling the growth of opioids market, globally. However, chronic side effects associated with long-term consumption, limited availability of opioids in Asia Pacific, Africa and certain countries in Europe, high level of abusive consumption and growing adoption for pain-free surgeries are likely to impede the growth of global opioids market to a certain extent. Also, the over-regulated environment for the commercial use of opioids especially in developing countries such as India and China and lack of awareness for palliative care in these countries is projected to hamper the growth of the opioids market to a large extent.North America and Europe have been estimated to collectively account for over 85% revenue share of the total opioids market in 2015. Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing market, owing to increasing awareness for cancer pain management, a presence of large patient pool suffering from terminal conditions and reformed regulatory guidelines for the prescription of opioids.Global opioids market report begins with an overview of the global opioids market in terms of value. This section includes the detailed analysis of key trends, drivers and restraints, and opportunities, which are the main factors impelling growth of the opioids market. Impact analysis of key growth drivers and restraints based on the weighted average of each one of these factors in model-based approach is included in the opioids market report. The report provides a scrutinized information on the potential scope of Abuse Deterrent Formulations (ADF) with the help of pipeline analysis to better equip clients with crystal clear decision-making insights.Request to View Tables of Content @Key players operating in the global opioid market include Pfizer Inc., Purdue Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Actavis Plc., Sanofi, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Egalet. Companies are majorly focusing on the development of abuse-deterrent formulations, owing to increased abusive consumption of opioids. Companies are also collaborating with local manufacturers to gain maximum market share from their generic products.To Buy Full Report for a Single User @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated re-search, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Con-sumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs en-gagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Crohns Disease Treatment Market will Reach US$ 4,474.8 Million By 2024-End

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http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/crohns-disease-treatment-market/toc

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The Crohns & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) stated that over 1 Million Americans were diagnosed with Crohn's & ulcerative colitis disorders, with most of them aged above 30. Growing occurrence of Crohn's disease has triggered a robust demand for its therapeutics. A survey conducted by the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) has revealed that the incidence rate of Crohn's disease in the country is 3.1 to 14.6 new cases per 100,000 population annually. The disease is highly prevalent in developed countries, especially in individuals who smoke. According to a study conducted by Persistence Market Research (PMR), demand for anti-inflammatory drugs and biologics for treating Crohn's disease will gain traction in the near future. PMR forecasts that the global market for Crohn's disease is set to reach US$ 4,474.8 Million by 2024-end, growing at a CAGR of 3% during the assessment period.Increasing demand for biologics for treating bowel disorders such as ulcerative collates and Crohn's disease is propelling the overall growth of Crohn's disease market. Moreover, drug manufacturers are actively focusing on advanced products having higher efficiency. The growing patient population is an additional factor expected to influence the market growth between 2016 and 2024. Therefore, higher utilization and preference for biologics and anti-inflammatory drug therapies coupled with the surging popularity of biosimilars is expected to play an important role in shaping the market for the future.A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @The high cost of treatment will remain as a major impediment for the market. Further, the patient expiry of blockbuster drugs and lack of early diagnosis particularly in third world countries are some of the other hindrances that are likely to inhibit the market growth during the forecast period.Higher preference for symptomatic therapeutic and drugs over surgeries, better treatment management of inflammatory bowel diseases, the arrival of enhanced drugs in the market owing to healthier investments in R&D programs are some of the key trends governing the market.While biologics will continue to remain the most preferred drug type amongst both healthcare professionals and patients, the demand for anti-inflammatory drugs will also witness a rampant acceleration during the forecast period. Based on drug type, the anti-inflammatory drug segment is projected to reach a market valuation of US$ 1,095.9 Million by end of the assessment period.Based on distribution channel, the hospital pharmacies will continue to be the leading segment of the market over the forecast period. Whereas, the retail pharmacies segment is projected to exhibit the highest growth, reaching a market valuation of US$ 1,470.2 Million by 2024.PMRs findings based on regional assessment suggest that the Crohn's disease market in North America will continue to lead the pack during the forecast period. The regions market is expected to value US$ 3,149.8 Million over 2014. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest CAGR over the forecast period. The APAC market is projected to create an absolute $ opportunity of US$ 13.2 Million in 2017 over 2016.Request to View Tables of Content @Key participants functioning in the global Crohn's disease market include UCB S.A., Perrigo Company plc, Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., Ferring B.V., Allergan, Inc., AbbVie Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, and Bayer AG. Most of these companies are greatly emphasizing on augmenting product offerings, developing novel therapies by taking joint initiatives and improving supply chain management in order to consolidate their global market presence.To Buy Full Report for a Single User @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated re-search, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Con-sumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs en-gagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
With hearing impairment emerging as one of the most prevalent chronic conditions worldwide, hence sale of hearing aids market is expected to increase in the forthcoming years

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hearing-aid-market.html

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The global hearing aids market is highly consolidated with only six players holding a high share in the revenue pie. As per a new analysis by Transparency Market Research, a whopping 98% of the global hearing aids market was held by the leading six companies in 2015. Among these, Sonava accounted for the 25% of the market in the same year. Due to the high expenditure incurred on the initial production set-up and research and development, new entrants find it difficult to cut through the competition. Despite the absence of direct competition, the increasing interest in prosthetic implants could adversely impact the demand for hearing aids.Nevertheless, companies manufacturing hearing aids and amplification products are poised to witness incredible growth opportunities in the near future. Although the market has been growing at a modest pace since the last few years, the increasing geriatric population will fuel demand for hearing loss support in the near future, says an analyst at TMR. Furthermore, with hearing impairment emerging as one of the most prevalent chronic conditions worldwide, the sale of hearing aids is expected to increase in the forthcoming years, he added.Read Full Report:High Price of Hearing Aids to Limit Adoption across Low-income CountriesDeveloping and underdeveloped countries have been witnessing a higher prevalence of hearing loss among their citizens. Governments across these countries are thus compelled to adopt various awareness initiatives aimed at curbing the incidence of hearing loss. Such initiatives are expected to positively influence sale of hearing aid products across developing and underdeveloped economies.On the flip side, the high price of hearing aids and cost incurred on maintaining them limit their purchase among low-income people. Furthermore, the device requires periodic replacements, which might not be feasible for a sizeable population across underdeveloped countries, thus restricting the markets trajectory. The lack of timely diagnosis of hearing impairment is another factor limiting growth of the hearing aids market across developing and underdeveloped nations.Nevertheless, these countries will continue exhibiting attractive opportunities for manufacturers of hearing aids. With government of these countries proactively involved to up the health status of the community, the favorable policies they draft are expected to give significant impetus to the hearing aid sales.Presence of Unmet Medical Needs to Propel Hearing Aids Sales in Asia PacificRegionally, the prospects for hearing aid products are seen to be the most lucrative in Europe. The region, TMR says, held approximately 39% of the global market in 2015. The robust demand for hearing aids in this region is mainly attributed to the high pool of aged population, especially in Western Europe, and the increasing willingness among consumers to pay for advanced medical devices.Download exclusive Sample of this report:In the same year, North America followed Europe in the global hearing aids market. Asia Pacific is poised to exhibit the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The prevalence of a high degree of unmet medical needs is expected to boost the Asia Pacific market for hearing aids at a CAGR of 5.2% between 2015 and 2024.High Prevalence of Hearing Impairment among Adults Fuels Demand for Hearing AidsBy end user, the hearing aids market has been bifurcated into adult and pediatric in the TMR analysis. Of these, since the incidence of hearing impairment is exceptionally high among adults, the segment held approximately 95% of the market in 2015. However, experts forecast the incidence of hearing loss to rise among children at a considerable rate in the near future, thus boosting the pediatric hearing aids segment at a high CAGR.Transparency Market Research projects the global hearing aids market to exhibit a CAGR of 4.5% between 2016 and 2024. The market is expected to be worth US$7.01 bn by the end of 2024, rising from US$4.7 bn in 2015.This review is based on a report published by Transparency Market Research. It is titled Hearing Aids Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024.The global hearing aids market has been segmented as follows:Global Hearing Aids Market, by ProductHearing AidsBehind the Ear (BTE)Receiver in the Ear (RITE)In the Ear (ITE)Canal Hearing Aids (ITC),(CIC), & (IIC)Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA)Global Hearing Aids Market, by End-userPediatricAdultGlobal Hearing Aids Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeU.K.GermanyFranceRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapanRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilRest of Latin AmericaRest of the WorldSouth AfricaRussiaRest of Rest of the WorldTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
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Taipei, Jan. 19 (CNA) As a minority in the Legislative Yuan, lawmakers of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) have few resources to get what they want, which has been illustrated after at least three budget cut proposals they proposed were rejected Thursday.
Cyclohexane Market is Expected to Witness a Steady Growth by 2021

www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4424

www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4424

Cyclohexane is manufactured by catalytic hydrogenation of benzene. Cyclohexane is insoluble in water and colorless in nature. Cyclohexane is key element in manufacturing of caprolactum and adipic acid which are intermediates for manufacturing nylon. Cyclohexane is used to produce cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol for nonprecursor use. There are two processes through which cyclohexane can be manufactured, viz., hydrogenation of benzene and cracking of natural gasoline. Cyclohexane can also be used as a solvent, in chemical synthesis and reaction diluents. Cyclohexane is also used as a starting material for KA Oil and can be used as a substitute for benzene in some end-user applications.Request to View Sample Report @The market for cyclohexane was mainly driven by increasing demand for adipic acid and caprolactum which are key elements for manufacturing Nylon-6,6 and nylon 6 respectively. These fibers are mainly used in automotive and textile industry. The major opportunity for cyclohexane is huge demand and investments for nylon-6,6 in developing and emerging countries such as Saudi Arabia, India and China. However, volatile raw material prices may hamper the growth of the market as most of these materials are downstream products of petrochemicals.In terms of demand, North America and European countries were leading regions for cyclohexane. However, due to financial downturn and euro zone crisis the market in the European region has suffered. China holds the largest market share for cyclohexane in Asia Pacific region. The demand is large owing to increasing demand for nylon 6, nylon-6,6 which is manufactured from caprolactum and adipic acid. The demand for cyclohexane is likely to grow from the Middle East region due to rising number of nylon polymer facilities. Regions such as Latin America, South America and Central Europe are expected to exhibit lower demand for cyclohexane.Request to view Table of content @Some of the key manufacturers in the cyclohexane market are Sunoco Chemicals, BASF SE, ExxonMobil Chemical, Cheveron Philips Chemical Company and Huntsman Corporation among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
UK Protection Insurance: Critical Illness & Income Protection

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SummaryIndividual product performance in the protection market is a turbulent and confusing picture, with erratic premium behavior across the board. While term (and specifically non-mortgage term) products are still the dominant force with over 70% of protection share, there has been downward pressure on every product line in recent times, reflecting the uncertain, fragile national macroeconomic picture. Indeed, in the absence of major market-driven change it is the macro-environment that dictates performance.Key Findings-Although the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) was aimed at the retail investment market, and commission-based business is still permitted for protection products, the net effect has been that advisors offering a range of services have had to adapt their models. In addition to RDR, a new emphasis on conduct has been ushered in with the Financial Conduct Authority, and key protagonists in the financial services markets have been overwhelmed with the volume of regulatory change in the last few years.-Individual product performance in the protection market is a turbulent and confusing picture, with erratic premium behavior across the board. While term (and specifically non-mortgage term) products are still the dominant force with over 70% of protection share, there has been downward pressure on every product line in recent times, reflecting the uncertain, fragile national macroeconomic picture.SynopsisVerdict Financials UK Protection Insurance: Critical Illness & Income Protection examines the protection market, focusing on two products: critical illness and income protection. It examines how the market has performed and explores the key drivers shaping the market going forward. It also highlights the impact of RDR and provides a forecast for the next five years.ReasonsToBuy-Review your strategy against both existing and new challenges regarding the critical illness and income protection markets.-See where the opportunities are for digital disruption and how insurers need to respond.Download Sample copy of Report atTable of ContentsEXECUTIVE SUMMARYProtection has reached a new normal and needs to be reinvigoratedKey findingsCritical success factorsMARKET DYNAMICSIntroductionThe protection market has seen major changesProtection is sold not bought, making advisors gatekeepers to the marketContract levels have reduced due to the RDRBanks have retrenched to core business and reduced their advisory capabilitiesProtection products are exhibiting varying performance levelsIP and CII account for a mere 7.2% of the total protection marketPrices rises have sustained the marketThe IP sector has struggled to recover its 2012 market positionThe product offers significant benefits, but awareness and engagement is lowConfusion exists about the types of coverThe application process is longLittle is done to spread the word on policy benefitsCII penetration is very low, and has been decliningIssues affecting IP also impact CII take-upThe impact of ill health is well publicizedCII is more likely to be added to another protection productThe product has received negative press regarding claimsLike IP, the CII sales process is longWith-rider products significantly expand the CII marketHalf of mortgage-related term assurance has CII addedThe group life market can detract from individual protectionMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Europes ICT Spends In Telecommunications Sector - Future Perspective To 2019

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SummaryEurope's ICT Spends in Telecommunications Sector - Future Perspective to 2019; report is a comprehensive outlook built using Kables extensive market research covering spends across ICT markets in Europe. The statistics within the report provides a top-level overview and detailed insights into the operating environment of the Technology and Telecommunications sector in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom).Kable has considered buying behavior / ICT spends across hardware, software, services, communications and staff. It acts as an essential tool for companies active across the ICT market and for new players considering entering the market; ensuring right business decision making.Download Sample Copy of Report atKey Findings"Europe's ICT Spends in Telecommunications Sector - Future Perspective to 2019" provides the readers with potential spends value on ICT within Telecommunications sector of Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom) during the period 2016 through to 2019In particular, it provides information of potential spends by individual countries for the following categories at segment level:BPO ServicesCloud ServicesEnterprise Communications ServicesIT HardwareIT ServicesSoftwareSynopsisEurope's ICT Spends in Telecommunications Sector - Future Perspective to 2019; is an exhaustive research report outlaying future perspectives of ICT project spends in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom). The report provides year on year opportunity spends value within the Telecommunications sector; split across BPO Services, Cloud Services, Enterprise Communications Services, IT Hardware, IT Services, and Software categories and further at segment levels for the period 2016 to 2019.ReasonsToBuyUnderstand the opportunities for ICT market in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom) Telecommunications sector and how it is set to change in future.Make effective business decisions by recognizing the opportunities within each of the core areas of ICT sectorRealign your sales initiatives by understanding the current strategic objectives of the Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom) ICT Sector.Enhance your market segmentation with detailed breakdown of opportunities within selected technology categories.MarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Glycol Ether Market Will Continue to Grow by 2026

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4429

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4429

Global paint and coating industry has recovered firmly from 2008-09 recession and growing with brisk rate. Paint and coating industries are major consumers of glycol ether. Glycol ether group is one of the most versatile industry solvent, which based on alkyl ether of ethylene glycol commonly used in paints and cleaner. Glycol ethers also found its use in ink, varnishes, mainly water based coating, chemical intermediates, hydraulic brake fluid, Anti icing agents, cosmetic and drugs. Glycol ether is result of reaction between ethylene oxide (EO)/propylene oxide (PO) with alcohol, which is classified as E-series and P-series respectively. Methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol and hexanol these are the most commonly used alcohols in the manufacturing of glycol ether. .A sample of this report is available upon request @As report published by World Painting and Coating Association (WPCIA) in 2015, there is increase in global sale of paints by 3.9%. Again same report states that paints and coating industry sectors recovered firmly from 2008-09 recession, so mainly paints and coating industry drives global market for glycol ether. Global market for chemical is growing and continue to grow in future this will help the global glycol market. Asia pacific and Middle East & North Africa are bigger market for infrastructure due to this there will be demand for paint and coating materials. Printing ink market is growing due to technology advancement such as new digital imaging devices and which will help the glycol ether market. Automobile market in the region of North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific region is growing which will also going to fuel paint and coating market in respective region. Residential and commercial building growth in world is strong for last few years, which is fueling paint and coating industry globally.Country wise policies in health care has huge impact on global chemical market. North America and Europe has a strict policies for the use of methy glycol ether which can also become restraint in global ether market.From the last few years there is increase in awareness of paint use in residential sector in Asia Pacific region and which will help glycol ether market to grow in Asia Pacific region. Apart from that, improve in painting technology and availability of alternative are fueling global glycol ether market Improve in printing technique also contributing in global ether market. Global sales of chemical companies is doubled over last decade and growth rate is in double digit for next decade. In terms of geography, Asia pacific is biggest market for glycol ether and it will remain the biggest market for next decade.Glycol ether market segmented on the basis of geography, chemical isomers, applications, end users.On the basis of geography global Glycol Ether market segmented in to North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.On the basis of types global Glycol Ether market can be segmented into E-series glycol ether and P-series glycol ether.On the basis of application Glycol Ether can be segmented into paints & coating, printing ink, cleaner, cosmetic & personal care, pharmaceuticals, chemical intermediates.Some of the key manufacturers in the glycol ethers market are The Dow Chemical Company BASF SE, LyondellBasell Industries, Royal Dutch Shell, Eastman Chemical Company, INEOS, among others.Request to view Table of content @The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Automotive Lighting Market Aims Bigger with Technological Innovations, 2020

Automotive Lighting Market, Automotive Lighting, Car Lighting Market, Car Lighting, Car Lightings, Bike Lighting

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3314

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3314

www.persistencemarketresearch.com

Automobile manufacturers have significantly minimized the energy consumption by using LED and adaptive lighting technologies. There are mainly three types of technologies used in automotive lighting such as xenon, halogen and LED. Among these, halogen is most widely used automotive lighting.TOC of this report is available upon request @Automotive lighting is the used for illumination purpose in automobile vehicles. The lighting system of automobile vehicle consists of various lighting and signaling devices, which is integrated with various parts of a motor vehicle. Automobile lighting is used in the front, back, sides and top portion of the vehicle. Automotive lighting indicates vehicle's presence, size, position, direction of travel, and the driver's intentions regarding direction and speed of travel. Various components of automotive lighting includes auxiliary lights, headlights, taillights, sidelights, interior light, compact lights, off road lights, fog lights, dome light, key light, instrument displays light and other light accessories. These lights are used for many purposes in vehicles such as to drive the vehicle safely in dark, enhance the visibility and act as the warning signals.Some factors that drive the automotive lighting market are growing concern of road safety, increasing use of higher efficiency of LED automotive lighting technology and lighting legislations by governments. Increase in purchasing power of individual helps to increase the demand for sophisticated and advance technologies such as advance front lighting system (AFS) and daylight running lights (DRLs). Growing total number of vehicle in the BRIC nations further creates large opportunity for the growth of automotive lighting market in the coming years.Asia Pacific is the largest automotive lighting market across the world. India, China, Japan and South Korea are some of the prominent countries, which accounts majority of the vehicle production thus offering growth opportunity for automotive lighting market. Asia Pacific is followed by Europe and North America. High vehicle production volume, growing economy, rising population and changing consumer lifestyles are some of the reason which drive the automotive lighting market.Sample of this report is available upon request @Some of the major companies operating in global automotive lighting market are includes, General Electric (GE), Hella Kgaa Hueck & Co., Hyundai Mobis, Ichikoh Industries Ltd, Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Magneti Marelli S.P.A, Osram GMBH, Royal Philips Electronics, Stanley Electric Co. Ltd, Valeo S.A and Zizala Lichtsysteme GMBH (ZKW).Key points covered in the report Report segments the market on the basis of types, application, products, technology, etc (as applicable) The report covers geographic segmentationo North Americao Europeo Asiao RoW The report provides the market size and forecast for the different segments and geographies for the period of 2010 to 2020 The report provides company profiles of some of the leading companies operating in the market The report also provides porters five forces analysis of the market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global 3PL Market Professional Survey Report 2016

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This report studies 3PL in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2011 to 2015, and forecast to 2021.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringTNTFedExUPSDHLMaerskAPLNippon ExpressExelNOLCOSCO LogisticsSinotransCMSTDChina ShippingCNPLP.G. LogisticsChina Merchants LogisticsSouth Logistics GroupZtkyZJS ExpressKerry LogisticsBy types, the market can be split intoType IType IIType IIIBy Application, the market can be split intoApplication 1Application 2Application 3By Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaDownload Sample Copy of Report atMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Automotive Magnesium Alloy Market Adopts Innovation to Stay Competitive, 2020

Automotive Magnesium Alloy Market, Automotive Magnesium Alloy, Magnesium Alloy, Magnesium Alloy market

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3315

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Automotive Magnesium Alloy is light metal alloys use extensively in automobiles original equipment manufacturing (OEM). Magnesium alloys offers higher strength, high thermal stability, rigidity, higher specific strength, ductility and it is light in weight compare to aluminium and steel.TOC of this report is available upon request @Automotive magnesium alloy are used in various vehicles interior parts, body parts, and chassis such as in crank shaft, oil pumps, mounts, brackets, housings, cylinder crankcase, and radiator support or carrier magnesium alloys also improves the aero dynamic performance of the vehicle by reducing overall weight on the front of vehicles.On the basis of various applications, the global magnesium alloy market is categorize in four different segment namely, Chassis: brake bracket and bracket assembly, clutch pedal bracket, air bag housing, engine cradle or sub frame. Interior: seat base, console bracket, instrument panel, reinforcement, console support bracket, (anti breaking system) ABS Housing, steering wheel armature, lock housing, and actuator housing and retainer Exterior: sun roof cover, outside mirror armature, roof and frame, and wheel frame Powertrain: alternator bracket, valve cover, cam cover, and transfer caseIn past few years there has been a trend towards reducing the weight of the vehicles to enhance vehicle performance such as reduces acceleration or deceleration time. Magnesium alloys also reduce front weight of the vehicle which helps in better design specification such as centre of gravity and aero dynamics of the vehicle. Automobiles parts made of magnesium alloys offers reduce noise, reduce vibration and better scratch resistance properties compare to aluminium and steel.Inconsistent properties of magnesium alloys in High Pressure Die Cast (HPDC) parts, poor corrosion resistance properties of magnesium and the consumer perception that magnesium is a flammable is acting as the major challenge for the industries.Asia Pacific is the largest market of the magnesium alloys followed by Europe and North America China and Japan are the some of the leading market in the Asia Pacific. Germany and Italy are the largest automotive magnesium alloys market in Europe. The U.S. accounts for the largest market share in North America. Asia Pacific is the fasted growing market of automotive magnesium alloys attributed to the increasing annual vehicle production and increasing demand of luxury vehicle from class A consumers in this region.Sample of this report is available upon request @Some of the leading companies operating in global automotive magnesium alloy market include, Beijing Guangling Jinghua Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (Gonleer), Nanjing Yunhai Special Metals Co., Ltd., Meridian, STOLFIG, TAKATA, and Autoliv.Key points covered in the report Report segments the market on the basis of types, application, products, technology, etc (as applicable) The report covers geographic segmentationo North Americao Europeo Asiao RoW The report provides the market size and forecast for the different segments and geographies for the period of 2010 to 2020 The report provides company profiles of some of the leading companies operating in the market The report also provides porters five forces analysis of the market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Edtech: Successful 1st year for e-learning website for African students

www.apps-for-learning.com

www.apps-for-learning.com

www.apps-for-learning.com

http://www.apps-for-learning.com

The renowned education technology website apps-for-learning.com was founded in January 2016 in order to present available global and regional e-learning providers to interested parties. It has proved to be a crucial piece of the puzzle which can successfully boost development in Sub-Sahara Africa. The slogan is Online courses guide Africa!Neuried, Germany, January 2017  This is to announce the first year since the inauguration of the edtech website. The overwhelming success of the websiteis due to its winning strategy to help e-learners attain an online course to empower them with the necessary qualifications for a career, as well as to benefit the nation's economy and level of professionals in the workforce.The winning strategy used by apps-for-learning.com involves Africans benefiting from the leapfrogging effect of jumping directly to mobile applications and m-learning to solve their needs. As Bill Gates has stated: in the case of developing countries, better network coverage and cutting-edge technology will revolutionise e-learning. And this is already starting to come into fruition.Apps-for-learning.com carried out substantial research in Africa prior to launching their website 12 months ago. They found a huge market for e-learning and m-learning, and saw that it is possible for enterprising individuals who would like to learn from a top college even if they live thousands of miles from where it actually is, and even though it would be an impossibility for them to physically go there and infeasible for them to pay the high tuition fees.The website's target audience are African students and lecturers who live in Africa, or the African diaspora. Its main goal is to answer two questions: a) which providers are available to give online courses, and b) what are the differences between them. It is set up in an informative and well-structured manner, and includes a blog about exciting new edtech developments for Africa.For any further information on e-learning and online courses in Sub-Sahara Africa, please visit:Apps-for.com is a publisher of an e-learning website especially for the African edtech market. On the website we present the different global and regional / African e-learning providers and compare their products. So, visitors from all over Africa can find out which are the most suitable apps for them, e.g. to take online courses for all kind of topics or to benefit of exam preparation apps.Website:Apps-for.comSpitalstrae 4677971 KippenheimGermany
Current-Carrying Wiring Devices Market - ABB Incorporated (US), Anchor Electricals Pvt., Ltd. (India), Eaton Corporation (US) And Hubbell, Inc. (US)

Current-Carrying Wiring Devices

https://goo.gl/a7RBmQ

https://goo.gl/g0Vrov

The Market Research report "Global Current-Carrying Wiring Devices Market 2016" by QY Research Group is a market-oriented, technical, and commercial research analysis of the Current-Carrying Wiring Devices market. The analysis is completed using a wide range of secondary sources, databases and directories in order to identify and assemble market data. Primary sources included for the analysis include preferred suppliers, industry experts from core and associated industries, manufacturers, service providers, distributors, and organizations allied to the entire segments of the industry supply chain.Browse Complete Report with TOC @To estimate the overall market size of Current-Carrying Wiring Devices, its application, and regionsin terms of value and volumethe bottom-up approach is followed. On the other hand, to corroborate the overall Current-Carrying Wiring Devices market sizeagain in terms of value and volumethe top-down approach is followed. Following the method of data triangulation and data validation via primaries, the precise values of the parent market and individual market in terms of size are calculated and established in the report.This market research report provides the client with comprehensive market analysis of the Current-Carrying Wiring Devices market over the forecast period. In addition, it also furnishes a general idea of the challenges, drivers, and restraints that have direct or indirect impact on the industry. It further highlights the market, the industry, and latest technology trends currently existing in the Current-Carrying Wiring Devices market. All this precise, accurate and comprehensive data will help the clients to make appropriate and practical decisions so as to gain maximum profit in the global market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research report analyzes, tracks, and presents the global market size of the major players in every region around the world. Furthermore, the report provides data of the leading market players in the Current-Carrying Wiring Devices market.Overall, the report is a one-stop destination and a valuation report to grab all the necessary information regarding the global Current-Carrying Wiring Devices market.About US:QY Research Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. QY Research Group also carries the capability to assist you with your customized market research requirements including in-depth market surveys, primary interviews, competitive landscaping, and company profiles. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics. QY Research Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651Email: sales (@) qyresearchgroup (dot) com
Asia Pacific Endoscopy Devices Market: Of the key types of endoscopy visualization systems available in the market, the segment of high definition (HD) visualization systems is the leading product variety

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/asia-pacific-endoscopy-devices-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=488

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

The Asia Pacific endoscopy devices market features a moderate level of consolidation, with the top four vendors collectively accounting for over 60% of the overall market in 2015, states Transparency Market Research in a recent report. These companies, including Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Boston Scientific Corporation, Olympus Corporation, and Stryker Corporation, compete with a large number of small- and medium-sized companies operating across specialty segments, giving rise to an intense level of price competition.The rising demand for technologically advanced products across developing economies in Asia Pacific could further fuel rivalry among key vendors in the market. So as to stay ahead of the competition in the market, key vendors are adopting the course of innovation and introduction of technologically advanced products. Most of countries in the region being developing economies and having a large base of cost-conscious consumers, focusing on ways of reducing product costs could also enable vendors to reach-out to a larger consumer base.Transparency Market Research states that the endoscopy devices market in Asia Pacific will expand at a healthy pace of 7.6% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. The market, which had a valuation of US$7.76 bn in 2015, is expected to rise to US$14.8 bn by 2024.Read Full Report:Rise in Investments and Mergers and Acquisitions to Have Far-reaching Impact on Markets TrajectoryOn a global scale, the endoscopy devices market has witnessed a vast rise in investment in companies already operating in the endoscopy devices business and acquisition of a large number of specialty medical device makers by many global medical device giants. A recent instance is the April 2016 acquisition of Stanmore Implants Worldwide Limited by Stryker Corporation. The vast numbers of mergers and acquisitions have helped the market gain notable level of maturation. This has also allowed global players to increase their scope for market expansion and pay more focus on lucrative regional markets such as Asia Pacific.The Asia Pacific endoscopy devices market is also driven by the vast rise in the regions geriatric population, rising disposable incomes, increased emphasis on minimally invasive surgeries, increased healthcare expenditures. With the vast rise in geriatric population, especially in countries such as Japan and China, the number of surgeries employing a variety of endoscopy devices has also skyrocketed.High Costs of Treatment and Dearth of Trained Surgeons Still Key Challenges for MarketA vast share of population in Asia Pacific still belong to middle class or lower middle class income group. The relatively higher costs of endoscopy devices and inevitably the surgeries and diagnostic methods involving these devices is a huge setback when it comes to serving this demographic. The factor is a key restraint to the overall development of the Asia Pacific endoscopy devices market presently and is expected to remain a key-impact factor for the market for the next few years as well.Along with this, the factor of lack of adequate specialist surgeons and physicians trained and qualified for using complex medical devices such as endoscopes is also a prominent restraint for the Asia Pacific endoscopy devices market. According to the World Bank, China, India, and Indonesia had 1.8, 0.6, and 0.3 physicians per 1,000 people, including general and specialist medical practitioners.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Nevertheless, factors such as the rising awareness regarding the availability of effective medical devices for treating complex health conditions and rising prevalence of a number of chronic conditions will continue to drive the increased demand for endoscopy devices in Asia Pacific in the next few years. On the basis of geography, Japan led the market in 2015, accounting for a 35% share in markets overall revenues. The product segment of endoscopy visualization systems dominated, accounting for over 46% of markets overall revenues in 2015.This review of the Asia Pacific endoscopy devices market is based on a recent report published by Transparency Market Research, titled Endoscopy Devices Market - Asia Pacific Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20162024.For this study, the market has been segmented as follows:Asia Pacific Endoscopy Devices Market, by DevicesEndoscopic DevicesRigid EndoscopeFlexible EndoscopeCapsule EndoscopeRobot Assisted EndoscopeEndoscopic Operative DevicesEnergy SystemsSuction/Irrigation SystemsAccess DevicesOperative Hand InstrumentsOther Endoscopic Operative DevicesVisualization SystemsEndoscopic Ultrasound DevicesStandard Definition (SD) Visualization SystemsStandard Definition (SD) Two Dimensional (2D) Visualization SystemsStandard Definition (SD) Three Dimensional (3D) Visualization SystemsHigh Definition (HD) Visualization SystemsHigh Definition (HD) Two Dimensional (2D) Visualization SystemsHigh Definition (HD) Three Dimensional (3D) Visualization SystemsAsia Pacific Endoscopy Devices Market, by ApplicationUrology/Gynecology SurgeriesENT SurgeriesNeuro/Spinal SurgeriesLaparoscopy SurgeriesOthersAsia Pacific Endoscopy Devices Market, by GeographyAustraliaChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaNew ZealandSingaporeRest of Asia PacificTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
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Global Organic Compound Fertilizer Market 2017 : Hanfeng, Kingenta, LUXI, STANLEY, WengFu Group, Yara, Sinochem

Organic Compound Fertilizer

http://bit.ly/2iVunZm

http://bit.ly/2jr9T9q

A market study based on the "Organic Compound Fertilizer Market" across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Organic Compound Fertilizer Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Organic Compound Fertilizer industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Organic Compound Fertilizer market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research ReportHanfengKingentaLUXISTANLEYWengFu GroupHubei XinyangfengEcoChemNICHIRYUNAGASEHaifa ChemicalsYaraSinochemThe report studies the industry for Organic Compound Fertilizer across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Organic Compound Fertilizer market & dynamics of demand and supply of Organic Compound Fertilizer into consideration. The 'Organic Compound Fertilizer' research study covers each and every aspect of the Organic Compound Fertilizer market globally, which starts from the definition of the Organic Compound Fertilizer industry and develops towards Organic Compound Fertilizer market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Organic Compound Fertilizer market is classified and analysed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Organic Compound Fertilizer market. The geographical segmentation of the Organic Compound Fertilizer industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Organic Compound Fertilizer is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Organic Compound Fertilizer market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Organic Compound Fertilizer market worldwide.Enquire Here :The global Organic Compound Fertilizer market 2017 is also analysed on the basis of product pricing, Organic Compound Fertilizer production volume, data regarding demand and Organic Compound Fertilizer 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 Organic Compound Fertilizer 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
Healthcare BI Platform Market to Reach USD$ 3.9 Billion By 2023

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/healthcare-bi-platform-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/healthcare-bi-platform-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/

New York, January 19: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Healthcare BI Platform Market (By Function - Clinical Analytics, Financial Analytics, Operational Analytics, and Others; By Deployment Type - On-premise and Cloud; By Model Type -Self-service BI and Corporate BI) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023The healthcare BI platform market is expected to exceed more than USD$3.9 Billion by 2023 growing at a CAGR of more than 11% in the given forecast period 2015 to 2023.You Can Browse Full Report Here:Business intelligence consists of different tools and techniques which gain and transform the row information into useful and valuable data for business purpose. It provides present, past and future view of business processes. In health care the meaning of executive performance is varying as rapidly as the requirement for it is increasing. Healthcare BI contains business oriented actions includes decision support and reporting all technical data warehouse content. Healthcare associations such as HMOs, clinics and hospital gather and study patients sensitive data and patients financial data. Healthcare BI industry provide security model so that only authorized peoples are see the patients private data and no lack of clinical, financial and operational data in healthcare. These organizations contains digitizing medical data for over many years and can search, access and use all type of public and government sector data.The major driving factors of healthcare BI platform market are as follows: Increasing requirement for reduction in healthcare costs Centralized healthcare permission increase the Uptake of BI Solutions increasing in data availability Requirement to develop healthcare result and improve patient fulfillmentThe restraints factors of healthcare BI platform market are as follows: Need of resources with cross functional ability Healthcare BI platform system complexityDownload Free Sample Report:The healthcare BI platform market is segmented on the lines of its product, deployment and model. The healthcare BI platform market is segmented on the lines of its product like clinical analytics, financial analytics and operational analytics. Under deployment segmentation it covers on-premise and cloud deployment. The healthcare BI platform market is segmented on the lines of its model like self-service and corporate model. The healthcare BI platform market is geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geography market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for healthcare BI platform and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2020.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for healthcare BI platform4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for various types of coatings with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include SAP SE, Oracle Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, SAS Institute, Inc., IBM Corporation, OpenText Corporation, and Information Builders .Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The Healthcare BI platform Market has been segmented as below:by Product Segment AnalysisGlobal Healthcare BI Platform Market, by Function Clinical Analytics Financial Analytics Operational Analytics Others (Regulatory Reporting, etc.)by Deployment Analysis On-premise Cloudby Model Analysis Self-service Corporateby Regional Analysis North America Europe Asia-Pacific Rest of the WorldAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
33rd Nursing and Healthcare Congress

33rd Nursing and Healthcare Congress is unique forum to bring together worldwide distinguished academics in the field of nursing and healthcare, public health professionals, nurse educators, researchers, nurse managers, physicians, paediatricians and healthcare professionals provides the ideal environment to disseminate and gain current knowledge in the area of Nursing and Healthcare. Nurses and other healthcare professionals will have the opportunity to network with colleagues and exhibitors; discuss best practice research, safety-related outcomes, competencies, and challenges.This is an excellent opportunity to share your best practice initiative, research project, or provide continuing education as it relates current issues. The conference offers participants breakout sessions highlighting clinical projects, education and research studies. Nursing is among the fastest-growing fields, and it has a robust job market, which makes it very attractive to people in search of a new or first career.Conference Series LLC extends its welcome to 33rd Nursing and Healthcare Congress during October 23-25, 2017 at Toronto, Canada with a theme Improving the Art and Science in the field of Nursing and Healthcare.Conference Series LLC Organizes 1000+ Conferences Every Year across USA, Europe & Asia with support from 1000 more scientific societies and Publishes 700+ Open access journals which contains over 100000 eminent personalities, reputed scientists as editorial board members.Max WellProgram ManagerNursing Congress 20175716 Corsa Ave., Suite 110West Lake, Los AngelesCA 91362-7354, USAP: +1-650-268-9744
EffectiveSoft Launches OroCRM Services

http://www.effectivesoft.com/orocrm_customization.html

http://www.effectivesoft.com/enterprise_software_development.html

http://www.effectivesoft.com

EffectiveSoft has added a new service to its list of enterprise software services.EffectiveSoft specialists boast many years of experience in helping customers to rise to the challenge of dealing with CRM solutions. Now they can help organizations in the adapting OroCRM to their needs.OroCRM provides a technology-driven avenue through which an organization can manage and analyze customer interactions. It gives an organization full control over the way it manages the customers. Being a flexible open-source CRM solution, OroCRM can be customized and/or integrated with other software platforms.What Services Does EffectiveSoft Offer?Consulting. EffectiveSoft experts will take a deep look at business process and workflows of the organization in order to find out its inner needs and determine which features and tools OroCRM should include.Integration. The system can be integrated with software that the company already uses and/or any other third-party solutions.Customization. IT specialists can add any custom features and tools to this solution, thus satisfying needs of a business and improving the quality of business operations.For more information, please, visitOther enterprise software services can be found atEffectiveSoft is a custom software development company headquartered in the U.S. It unites more than 250 savvy specialists: software developers, engineers, scientists, and more. The company develops solutions for different domains: document management, finance, time management, e-commerce, etc.EffectiveSoftTel.: +375 29 6558117E-mail: info@effectivesoft.comWebsite:Ya.Kolasa St., 3Minsk, 220013Belarus
Personal Protective Equipment Market - Global Analysis, Size, Share Forecast up to 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=842

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The global market for personal protective equipment has been witnessing notable growth in recent years, primarily due to the growing awareness regarding the importance of employee and workplace safety across the globe. Rigid regulations about workplace safety that are overseen by organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the U.S. are further expected to boost the demand for personal protective equipment in the next few years.Download Sample PDF Brochure atThe key applications of personal protective equipment include construction, food, manufacturing, transportation, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and others. Technological advancements and untapped industrial segments are expected to contribute extensively towards the growth of the global personal protective equipment market in the near future.The research study analyzes the leading type, application, and geographical segments in the global market for personal protective equipment. Key dynamics that are estimated to influence the growth of the overall market have also been included in the research study to offer a clear picture of the market. Moreover, the key growth drivers, barriers, potential opportunities, and the current trends in the market have been highlighted in the study. A detailed vendor analysis of the market has also been covered in the scope of the report.Overview of the Global Personal Protective Equipment MarketAs per the study, in 2013, the global market for personal protective equipment was worth US$33.9 bn. This market is projected to register a 7.30% CAGR between 2014 and 2020, reaching a value of US$55.5 bn by the end of 2020. Among the key types of personal protective equipment, the professional footwear segment is anticipated to grow at a fast pace in the coming years. Nevertheless, the fall protection and head, eye, and face protection segments are projected to witness substantial growth in the next few years.The rigid regulatory framework and multiple uses of equipment are the key factors projected to fuel the growth of the overall market in the coming years. The increasing foreign investments and the healthy pace of industrialization are further predicted to encourage the growth of the market in the near future. Furthermore, the rising number of workplace fatalities is boosting the employees to make use of personal protective equipment, thus fueling the growth of the market.On the other hand, the availability of low quality and inexpensive products and complete automation of the manufacturing processes are the primary factors projected to curtail the growth of the market in the next few years. In addition, the high cost of raw materials required to manufacture personal protective equipment is estimated to impede the growth of the market in the near future. Nonetheless, the potential opportunities in the emerging countries of Asia Pacific are expected to contribute significantly towards the growth of the market.Key Players Mentioned in the ReportJAL Group, Uvex Safety Group, Alpha Pro Tech, Ltd., Ansell Ltd., COFRA Holding AG, Honeywell Safety Products, 3M Co., Avon Rubber p.l.c., Oftenrich Holdings Company Limited, and Rock Fall Ltd. are some of the prominent players operating in the personal protective equipment market across the globe.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.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Research Study on Global Post-operative Shoes Market 2017 Identifies Foot Health, Injury Solutions and Healthcare Supplies

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=910816&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-post-operative-shoes-market-research-report-2017.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/press-releases.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/press-releases.htm

Global Post-operative Shoes Industry 2016 Market Overview, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Technology, Applications, Growth, Market Status, Demands, Insights, Development, Research and Forecast 2016-2020.This report on the global Post-operative Shoes market is a rich data repository assembled with the aim of presenting before the reader a new viewpoint on the marketas present state and estimated future growth. The report compiles vast data quantitative as well as qualitative insights into the key elements of the market. The report is intended to impart decisive data on the global Post-operative Shoes market so as to enable the reader formulate effective growth strategies, take informed decisions, and stay ahead of the competition.The report includes a discussion of the key market trends of the past and present times affecting consumer choices and having a significant influence on the overall development of the Post-operative Shoes marketas growth. A detailed analysis of the key drivers and restraints is also included in the report, along with an analytical overview of the prospective impact of these factors on the future growth prospects of the market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Through detailed analysis of historical data pertaining to current market trends and the key market elements, the report presents an accuracy-driven forecast for the Post-operative Shoes market. This forecast on the Post-operative Shoes market also includes all factors that could influence it in the near future.The report also gives a thorough overview of all the key factors that are a part of the structural foundation of the market. An overview of the regulatory scenario of the global Post-operative Shoes market has also been included in the report, wherein details pertaining to key rules, policies, regulations, and plans are discussed.The report also gives an insight into the competitive landscape of the market by providing detailed business profiles of some of the key vendors operating in the global Post-operative Shoes market and other relevant business details pertaining to the key players in the market.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of Contents1 Post-operative Shoes Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Post-operative Shoes1.2 Post-operative Shoes Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Post-operative Shoes by Type in 20151.2.2 Soft bottom1.2.3 Semi-soft bottom1.2.4 Hard bottom1.3 Post-operative Shoes Segment by Application1.3.1 Post-operative Shoes Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 Children1.3.3 Adult1.4 Post-operative Shoes Market by Region1.4.1 North America Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Post-operative Shoes (2011-2021)2 Global Post-operative Shoes Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Post-operative Shoes Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Global Post-operative Shoes Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.3 Global Post-operative Shoes Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.4 Manufacturers Post-operative Shoes Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Post-operative Shoes Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Post-operative Shoes Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Post-operative Shoes Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, ExpansionFor 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 @
Automotive Air Filters Market Revenue Predicted To Go Up by 2020

Automotive Air Filters Market, Automotive Air Filters, Air Filters Market, Air Filters, Air Filter

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3478

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3478

www.persistencemarketresearch.com

Automotive air filters have both OEM as well as replacement markets wherein the latter dominates the global sales. The automotive air filter market is driven by increasing demand for automobiles, strict emission norms and changing lifestyles. The increasing number of vehicles with air-conditioned cabins is boosting the market for cabin air filters. The increasing health consciousness of people wherein they require resistance from dust, pollution, harmful exhaust gases and other contaminants while driving is attracting the car users for the cars with cabin air filter. According to The World Health Organization (WHO), the urban outdoor air pollution causes about 1.3 million deaths every year worldwide. Apart from the developed countries, the developing countries are also becoming conscious about their safety from outdoor pollution which is a positive sign for the growth of cabin air filters market in the long term.TOC of this report is available upon request @Air filters are essential component of an automotive which serves basically two purposes based on its type. There are two types of automotive air filters namely intake air filters and cabin air filters. Where the former acts as a barrier against foreign particles such as dust to enter engines combustion chamber, the latter restricts the entry of dust in the cabin of the vehicle through the vent of HVAC system. Non-performance of intake air filters may lead to inefficiency of engine and increase in its emission levels. Therefore, it becomes necessary for the vehicle user to clean it at regular intervals and replace it with new once it completes its lifetime.Based on vehicle type, automotive air filter market can be segmented under passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles. However, there exist certain restraints for automotive air filters market including large interval of their replacement in the developing countries and increasing market for duplicate automotive air filters.Growing per capita income in other Asian countries such as India is propelling the demand for passenger cars. On the other hand, the increasing industrialization and commerce in Asian countries are boosting the market for commercial vehicles which is driving the automotive air filters market in the region. Commercial vehicles in the developing countries need more care and maintenance as the quality of parts used in them is low as compared to the commercial vehicles manufactured in the developed countries. Moreover, due to less developed infrastructure the chances of entry of dust and dirt in the combustion compartment are high. Due to these factors, the replacement market in the developing markets including Asia Pacific is high as compared the developed countries. However, cabin air filters finds very less usage in commercial vehicles as the requirement for cabin convenience is very less in their case.Sample of this report is available upon request @Among the regions, Asia Pacific dominated the global sales of automotive air filters followed by North America. China surpassed U.S. in 2010 to become the country with largest automotive population. Some of the key companies operating in automotive air filter market include AC Delco Inc., Affinia Group, Denso Corporation, Hengst GmbH and Company KG, Cummins Inc, Toyota Boshoku Corporation and Hollingsworth & Vose Company Inc.Key points covered in the report Report segments the market on the basis of types, application, products, technology, etc (as applicable) The report covers geographic segmentationo North Americao Europeo Asiao RoW The report provides the market size and forecast for the different segments and geographies for the period of 2010 to 2020 The report provides company profiles of some of the leading companies operating in the market The report also provides porters five forces analysis of the market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Future of 3D Printing in Aerospace: Market Analysis, Share, Outlook, Players 2016 - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18407

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The aerospace sector recognizes the unique competence of 3D printing and is pursuing ways to exploit these competences. For example, Boeing is utilizing 3D printing to manufacture plastic interior parts out of nylon and polyetherimide for their test evaluation and prototype units. Boeing is utilizing 3D printing technology to swiftly manufacture tools for making composite parts. Additionally Pratt & Whitney aerospace company is investing extensively in a state-of-the-art 3D manufacturing center in association with the University of Connecticut. The 3D printing technology in the aerospace sector, generally in plastic, has developed into a mainstream prototype fabrication practice of aerospace parts. This technology empowers designers to skip the fabrication of tools and go straight to finished parts. Although printing a prototype component may consume several hours, it is still considerably faster than manufacturing tools that are then used to manufacture prototype parts. This capability to swiftly manufacture prototypes allows engineers to authenticate design concepts much faster, thus speeding up the overall improvement process.The major drivers driving the aerospace 3D printing market are factors such as efficient use of raw materials, accuracy, customizable product creation and reduction of errors while manufacturing of parts. The above mentioned factors are going to push the 3D printing market towards its growth during the forecasted period from 2016  2024.Request a Sample Brochure atThe aerospace 3D printing market can be segmented into six broad categories. By material type, by form, by process, by technology, by software, and by application. By material the aerospace 3D printing market can be further segmented into plastics, metals, ceramics, and others. By form, the market is segmented into filament, powder, and liquid. By process, the market has been segmented into binder jetting, material extrusion, direct energy deposition, powder bed fusion, sheet lamination, material jetting, and vat photo-polymerization. By technology the market has been further divided into stereo lithography, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Fuse Deposition Modeling, Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), polyjet printing, inkjet printing, Laminated Object Manufacturing, Digital Light Processing (DLLP), Electron Beam Melting (EBM), and Laser Metal Deposition (LMD). Additionally the global aerospace 3D printing market has been further divided into five regions; they are North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Europe, and Africa and Latin America.North America was the market leader in the aerospace 3D printing market in the year 2015. 3D printing is generally used in major industrial manufacturing sectors such as aerospace & defense, and healthcare companies. For example, GE utilizes laser-powered 3D printers to make products and parts for the aerospace industry. Continuous technological developments and monetary support from the government is also propelling the market for aerospace 3D printing in the North America region. The market for aerospace 3D printing in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a prime rate during the forecast period from 2016  2024. This tremendous growth can be attributed to government funding and initiatives in research and development in the Asia Pacific region.Major players in this industry are EOS GmbH (Germany), Organovo Holdings Inc (U.S.)., 3D Systems Corporation, Stratasys Ltd (U.S.), Solvay S.A.(Belgium), Sandvik (Sweden) and Hoganas AB (Sweden) 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.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Air Handling Unit Market Report - Latest Release By DecisionDatabases

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DecisionDatabases.com offers Air Handling Unit Market Research Report. This Report covers the complete Industry Outlook, Growth, Size, Share and Forecast Till 2022.Get FREE Sample Report @The report on global air handling unit market evaluates the growth trends of the industry through historical study and estimates future prospects based on comprehensive research. The report extensively provides the market share, growth, trends and forecasts for the period 2015-2022. The market size in terms of revenue (USD MN) is calculated for the study period along with the details of the factors affecting the market growth (drivers and restraints).Highlighted below are some prominent market drivers and restraints:A. Market Drivers> Rising demand from various industries like pharmaceuticalsB. Market Restraints> Slow growth in Europe and North AmericaThe comprehensive value chain analysis of the market will assist in attaining better product differentiation, along with detailed understanding of the core competency of each activity involved. The market attractiveness analysis provided in the report aptly measures the potential value of the market providing business strategists with the latest growth opportunities.The report classifies the market into different segments based on type, capacity and application. These segments are studied in detail incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country level. The segment analysis is useful in understanding the growth areas and probable opportunities of the market.The report covers following company profiles (can be customized as per requirement):> Carrier Corporation> Ciat Group> Daikin Industries, Ltd.> Flakt Woods Group> GEA Group AG> Johnson Controls, Inc.> Lennox International Inc.> Systemair AB> Trane Inc.> Trox GmbHSee the complete TOC and segmentations @Table Of Contents - Overview1. INTRODUCTION2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY3. MARKET ANALYSIS4. AIR HANDLING UNIT MARKET ANALYSIS BY TYPE5. AIR HANDLING UNIT MARKET ANALYSIS BY CAPACITY6. AIR HANDLING UNIT MARKET ANALYSIS BY APPLICATION7. AIR HANDLING UNIT MARKET ANALYSIS BY GEOGRAPHY8. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE OF THE AIR HANDLING UNIT COMPANIES9. COMPANY PROFILES OF THE AIR HANDLING UNIT INDUSTRYPurchase Complete Global Air Handling Unit Market Research Report At:DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.3rd Floor,Fountain chambers,Nanabhai Lane,Fort, Mumbai - 1E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.comPhone: +91 99 28 237112Web:
AFTAB INTERNATIONAL IS LAUNCHING ITS BRAND NEW WEBSITE

www.Aftabholdings.com

www.Aftabir.com

www.Aftabir.com

www.Aftabir.com

www.Aftabholdings.com

18th January, Limassol, Cyprus - Online commerce company AFTAB International launched its new corporate website atas part of its ongoing business expansion. The new website provides information on its businesses, newsfeed from the markets where the company operates and other smart information.AFTAB International is mainly active in online commerce business in emerging markets, with the business focus on Iran. Iranian market is exciting for online businesses, because of its young and tech savvy population. There are more than 135 million Farsi speaker in the world from which more than 80 million are Iranian citizens. It is effectively the largest untapped emerging market today, explains Yosef Yekta, founder and CEO of AFTAB International.The corporate portal is inter alia an important junction point for businessmen searching for new opportunities in emerging markets and offers insights to businesses operated by AFTAB International. It also offers important business related news from markets where the company operates.The company flagship venture is the largest independent online portal for Farsi speakers with its 3.5 million monthly unique users and which was visited by 18 million users representing 40 % of internet users in Iran in 2015.AFTAB International is integrating new services around its online portal, which is currently providing its users News, Articles, Lifestyle information, Classified Services and other online services for daily life in Farsi.The company also provides travel services nationally and internationally including Visa services for international clients and Cyprus immigration services for Iranians.AFTAB International is a gateway for international businesses seeking expansion into Iran and other emerging markets as well as help for Iranian businesses to find its international business partners.New corporate web is a part of our expansion to monetize our portal position in the Farsi speaking market as well as to provide wider range of services to international clients, explicates Yosef Yekta.AFTAB International is an associated branding of different businesses grouped within Aftabint Holdings LTD and the right gateway to potential and lucrative Farsi business.About AFTAB InternationalAFTAB International is an integrated online commerce business operating in emerging markets with several ventures in Iran serving not only domestic but world-wide Farsi speaking population. The company operates leading independent portal for Farsi speakers, which is being used by 3.5 million unique users every month.The company is incorporated as Cyprus Limited Liability enterprise Aftabint Holdings LTD. Its headquarter is in Limassol, Cyprus and the company has operating entities in Cyprus and Iran.More information can be found atAFTAB INTERNATIONAL21 Vasili Michailidi Street, 3026 Limassol, Cypruspress@aftabint.org
Clinical Laboratory Services Market to Surpass US$ 315 Million by 2024

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/87

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https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/clinical-laboratory-services-market-87

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http://globalresearchtrends.blogspot.in/

The Global Clinical Laboratory Services Market was valued US$ 168.9 million in 2015 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period: 2016-2024, as analyzed by Coherent Market Insights in a detailed report about the same. Increasing health awareness among the general population is in turn fueling uptake of routine health check-ups. This is also being supported by growing incidence of diseases in turn driving the demand for clinical laboratory services globally. In order to capitalized on this highly lucrative opportunity, clinical laboratory service providers such as Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (Labcorp), Quest Diagnostics, Inc., Spectra Laboratories, Sonic Healthcare Limited, and Charles River Laboratories are offering additional services such as web-based booking of test/service and free home pick-up of test samples, complementing regular packages for health check-ups.Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:Increasing competition among clinical laboratory service providers in turn is leading to rampant increase in corporate cannibalization. Most major players are acquiring smaller player in order to enhance their position in the market and leading to consolidation in the market. For instance, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp) acquired Sequenom, Inc. in July 2016, subsequently becoming the leader in non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for reproductive health. The company continues along this inorganic growth roadmap and in October 2016, the company acquired ClearPath Diagnostics, a leading clinical laboratory service provider in the Northeastern region of the U.S.Clinical laboratory service providers are also focusing on vertical integration in the ecosystem. For example, in November 2016, Sonic Healthcare Limited increased its ownership stake in GLP Systems from 25% to 80%. GLP Systems, a Germany-based company, developed an innovative laboratory automation technology that enables seamless and automated transportation of specimen tubes between storage, work areas, and diagnostic machines. Sonic Healthcare Limited also expanded its presence in Germany by acquiring Staber Laboratory Group based in Munich, Germany, in November 2016. The Staber Group has three hub laboratories and 14 regional, specialty and hospital labs in Germany, making it one of the leading players in the country.Request For Customization:Increasing incidence of infectious diseases and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases is in turn driving demand for clinical tests. This is influencing clinical laboratory service providers to increase their functional capabilities to cater to the growing needs of patients. As revealed by stats released by Quest Diagnostics, Inc., around 70% of the medical decision are based on lab results. This is expected to proliferate demand for clinical laboratory services in the emerging economies including China and India.Key takeaways of the market:-The global market for clinical laboratory services is estimated to be valued at US$ 192.3 million in 2017. Growing aging population and increasing incidence of infectious diseases, cardiac disorders, stroke, and liver disorders are factors attributed to growing number of patients visiting clinical laboratories for tests.-Clinical chemistry test was the dominant segment in the market, accounting around 45% of total revenue share in 2015. Clinical chemistry test includes testing of blood and urine samples in the patients as an initial step to diagnose a disease or preexisting health condition.Among service providers, the hospital-based clinical laboratories segment was valued at US$ 96.4 million in 2015. This is owing to availability of better diagnostic devices and services in hospitals as compared to other healthcare service providers.-However, the services offered by standalone clinical laboratories are improving rapidly, wherein accessibility to patients has increasedThe clinical laboratory services market is expected to gain significant growth traction in Asia Pacific and Latin America, mainly attributed to high prevalence of infectious and non-communicable diseases, increasing health concerns, and new diagnostic laboratories being established to cater to the growing needs of patient for health check-upsTo know the latest trends and insights of this market, click the link below:-Consolidation is the key trend observed in order to cement the market presence and sustain the customer base - LabCorp acquired Sequenom, Inc in July 2016, and ClearPath Diagnostics in October 2016ABOUT 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, IndiaTel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite:Visit Blog :
MEDraysintell releases its first Nuclear Medicine Market Essentials report

Strategic intelligence for the radiation healthcare

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MEDraysintell publishes its new Nuclear Medicine Market Essentials report providing key facts and figures on Nuclear Medicine to advice non-industry insiders on the potential for investments, merger and acquisitions (M&A), technology and market development existing in this healthcare technology.This Nuclear Medicine Market Essentials report will be a real asset for the healthcare industry or for the financial community (investors, investment bankers and M&A professionals) to support their audit and to make informed decisions with unbiased and factual intelligence from experts.This condensed report, with over 40 tables and figures, provides the most accurate and up-to-date information (status by end of 2016) related to the nuclear medicine industry. It includes important insights on the market, key drivers, vendors, products (radiodiagnostics and radiotherapeutics) of interest for the coming decade, as well as companies to monitor, mostly in tabulated forms with the most recent and precise figures and names. It covers not only radiopharmaceuticals, but also equipment (cyclotrons and cameras), as well as some aspects of the brachytherapy market sometimes overlapping with the nuclear medicine specialty (microspheres and seeds).The report is available at the price of EUR 850.Contact Paul-Emmanuel Goethals for information and to order:peg@medraysintell.com or +32 491 080 968MEDraysintell believes it is the right moment to publish such a Market Essentials report as nuclear medicine has entered an era of high potential for growth, involving new technologies and a high number of products close to being marketed or under advanced stage development. This business will trigger the interest of new investors as well as the conventional pharmaceutical industry to support these markets which are rising up to three times faster than the global healthcare market.MEDraysintell has already supported numerous companies globally helping them to better understand these markets, and welcomes your requests for specific intelligence needs in these areas.About MEDraysintellStrategic intelligence for the radiation healthcareBringing value to Businesses and Investors!MEDraysintell is a team of international experts providing first-rate strategic intelligence in nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, proton therapy and brachytherapy.We offer the most comprehensive set of reports and directories, with over 1,900 pages of unrivaled intelligence covering some of the most exciting healthcare technologies using radiation for diagnosis and treatment. We offer client-specific intelligence in the field of radiation healthcare, with the upmost knowledge leveraging our extended network of worldwide contacts. We are proud to support numerous companies globally, helping them better understand the markets, competitive environment as well as the potential of merger and acquisitions (M&A) and technology development. We have repeat satisfied clients operating in the field of medical radiation, investment banks and institutional investors, large international consulting firms and universities research laboratories.MEDraysintell was created in 2013 by Paul-Emmanuel Goethals and Richard Zimmermann. It combines over 40 years of experience in radiation healthcare.Paul-Emmanuel Goethals, MBALouvain-la-Neuve, Belgiumpeg@medraysintell.comMobile: +32 491 080 968Richard Zimmermann, PhDLalaye, Francerz@medraysintell.comMobile: +33 6 82 80 06 00
Global Corrugated Fiberboards Market 2017 : Durham Box, Georgia-Pacific, ABBE CORRUGATED, Boxmaster, Board24, Fencor Packaging, Nuttall Packaging

Corrugated Fiberboards

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A market study based on the "Corrugated Fiberboards Market" across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Corrugated Fiberboards Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Corrugated Fiberboards industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Corrugated Fiberboards market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research ReportGeorgia-PacificCorrugated Packaging AllianceW.E. RobertsFencor PackagingNuttall PackagingGreat Little Box CompanyDurham BoxABBE CORRUGATEDBoxmasterBoard24The report studies the industry for Corrugated Fiberboards across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Corrugated Fiberboards market & dynamics of demand and supply of Corrugated Fiberboards into consideration. The 'Corrugated Fiberboards' research study covers each and every aspect of the Corrugated Fiberboards market globally, which starts from the definition of the Corrugated Fiberboards industry and develops towards Corrugated Fiberboards market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Corrugated Fiberboards market is classified and analysed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Corrugated Fiberboards market. The geographical segmentation of the Corrugated Fiberboards industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Corrugated Fiberboards is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Corrugated Fiberboards market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Corrugated Fiberboards market worldwide.Enquire Here :The global Corrugated Fiberboards market 2017 is also analysed on the basis of product pricing, Corrugated Fiberboards production volume, data regarding demand and Corrugated Fiberboards 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 Corrugated Fiberboards 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
Global Blood Processing Devices and Consumables Market Size to surpass US$ 49.3 Billion by 2024

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The Global Blood Processing Devices and Consumables Market was valued at US$ 27.8 billion in 2015, according to a new report by published by Coherent Market Insights. Increasing geriatric population and rising emphasis of leading companies on long-term partnerships with end users is expected to boost demand for blood processing devices and consumables over the forecast period (20162024).Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:Blood processing devices and consumables market size has grown manifold over the last decade. Much of its growth was attributed to government initiatives in setting up of blood screening center, especially in developing countries. The trend is especially prevalent in China, India, and Russia, with rampant increase in number of blood centers in these countries in the recent past. As a result of this, lucrative growth opportunities have emerged for industry players to expand their business reach across developing regions and enhance ROI over the forecast period.There has been an increase in incidence rate of infectious diseases and chronic disorders such as cancer, especially among the geriatric population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2015, over 150 million people suffered from chronic hepatitis C virus, of which 700 thousand die each year owing to lack of suitable healthcare infrastructure and diagnosis centers. Technological advancements in the healthcare industry is expected to bridge the gap between patients expectation and healthcare delivery system. While the market for blood processing devices and consumables is highly saturated in developed regions, the developing regions, especially Asia Pacific is largely untapped and offers lucrative growth opportunities for market players.Request For Customization:Key takeaways of the marketGovernment has a critical role in creating national platforms for blood screening and blood bank centers. Increasing geriatric population along with rise in incidence rate of blood-related disorders is expected to create lucrative market opportunities for industry playersCell processors device segment is expected to dominate the global blood processing devices market (in terms of revenue) throughout the forecast period. While, blood bags device segment is expected to lead the consumables market throughout the forecast period.Asia Pacific dominated the global blood processing devices and consumables market, with a revenue share of around 17% of the total market in 2015. Growth of the regional market is mainly propelled by increasing demand from China, which accounted for 39% revenue share of the market in the region. The blood processing devices and consumables market in India is expected to expand at the highest CAGR in Asia Pacific during the forecast period.North America and Europe are highly matured market. Leading players such as Abbott Laboratories, Roche Holdings AG, and Terumo Corporation are emphasizing on establishing a direct distribution channel to retain their dominance in these regional markets. Setting up of cord blood bank center in these region is expected to create substantial market opportunity for industry players. Over 23 million blood components are transfused each year in North America.There are over 13 thousand blood bank centers worldwide. The number is especially high in low to middle income countries, particularly India, Indonesia and Vietnam. Establishment of blood bank centers is expected to boost overall demand for blood bank refrigerators worldwide. The blood bank market is highly consolidated, with leading players accounting for around 80% of the global market. New entrants are expected to provide bank refrigerators during the forecast period.To know the latest trends and insights prevalent in this market, click the link below:While the overall blood processing device segment is consolidated, it is highly fragmented in consumables segment with large presence of regional players, especially in China and India.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, IndiaTel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite:Visit Blog :
United States Outdoor Jackets Market Report 2017

https://goo.gl/hr8DMW

https://goo.gl/1x9MBN

http://www.bigmarketresearch.com

http://www.bigmarketresearch.blogspot.com

Big Market Research adds a new study " United States Outdoor Jackets Market  Size, Share, Trends, Forecast, Growth, Opportunities"This report studies sales (consumption) of Outdoor Jackets in United States market, focuses on the top players, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player, coveringArcteryxThe North FaceSalewaBLACK YAKMarmotMountain HardwearGet Sample Copy of this report @MammutVAUDEColumbiaLafumaAIGLELowe AlpineKailasSkogstadJack WolfskinFjallravenNORTHLANDAtunasOzarkSheheMarket Segment by States, coveringCaliforniaTexasNew YorkFloridaIllinoisCheck Discount on this report @Split by product types, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoCold weather jacketsLeather jacketsLight jacketsOthersSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Outdoor Jackets in each application, can be divided intoMenWomenAbout UsWith the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.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.Our research services ranges into different domains and penetrates in different verticals so that we can carter to diverse needs of various organization. Not wrong to quote that this is the hotspot for research needs of yours.Contact us:5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesDirect: + 1-503-894-6022Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452Fax: +1 (855) 5505975Email: help@bigmarketresearch.comWeb:Blog:
Global Deep Brain Stimulation Market to Surpass US$ 1.4 Billion by 2024

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/84

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/84

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/deep-brain-stimulation-devices-market-84

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/

http://globalresearchtrends.blogspot.in/

The Global Deep Brain Stimulation Market was valued at US$ 720.9 Million in 2016, according to a new report by published by Coherent Market Insights. Increasing Parkinsons disease prevalence rate along with product innovation is expected to boost overall demand for deep brain stimulation systems across the globe in the near future.Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:Deep brain stimulation market has gained traction owing to technological advancements and high prevalence rate of Parkinsons disease and dystonia disease. Most of the device sales are concentrated in developed regions namely North America and Europe. Emergence of deep brain stimulation market has revolutionized the overall treatment approach to mental health care. These devices are can improve motor functions by 70% in Parkinsons patients.The economic impact of mental illness is long lasting. As per Coherent Market Insights, there are over 7 million people suffering from Parkinsons disease as of 2015, with around 1.7 million and 60,000 cases diagnosed each year in China and the U.S., respectively. Over half of the deep brain stimulation market share is currently captured by the U.S. Industry players are expected to establish their footprint in emerging markets by creating awareness among patients and healthcare providers. This would help them expand their business presence and generate high return on investment (ROI). Some of the ongoing clinical research suggests deep brain stimulators to be highly effective in treatment approach towards Alzheimer patients. Positive FDA nod for Alzheimer treatment could further commercialize the deep brain stimulation market size. Many more players are expected to enter the market in near future.Request For Customization:Key takeaways of the market are:North America was estimated to account for around 53% of overall deep brain stimulation market revenue in 2015. However, the market in the region is expected to lose considerable market share to emerging regions  Asia Pacific and Latin America. There is high market opportunity and large un-met need for brain aneurysm treatment in Asia Pacific.Asia Pacific is the only market projected to register a double-digit growth rate of 13% over the forecast period. Prevalence of Parkinsons disease is relatively low compared to Europe however, patient count suffering from Parkinsons disease in the region is expected to reach around 5.1 million by 2024. Sales of brain stimulators is expected to witness steep rise over the forecast period. Most of the demand is expected to be generated from China, followed closely by Japan.Deep brain stimulators finds application widely in treatment of Parkinsons disease. This application segment is expected to dominate the market throughout the forecast period. However, other application segments such as essential tremor and dystonia are also expected to gain significant market share over the forecast period.Medtronic Inc, St. Jude Medical, Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation are the leading deep brain stimulation market players. Medtronic Inc., dominated the deep brain stimulation market size (in terms of revenue) in 2015. According to statistics released by the company in 2016, over 140,000 patients has received Medtronic deep brain stimulator for Parkinsons disease and dystonia. All leading players are focusing on introducing product innovations in order to differentiate their offerings to remain competitive in this industry. Also, leading players are focusing on obtaining certifications and accreditations in order to build brand value among their customers. This is projected to help these companies capture a greater chunk of deep brain stimulation market in the long run. In 2015, while Boston Scientific received CE mark for Vercise Primary Cell (PC), Medtornic Inc. received FDA approval for its full body MR conditional deep brain stimulation systems.To know the latest trends and insights prevalent in this market, click the link below:New entrants are expected to intensify the industry rivalry in near future. NeuroPace, Inc., Adaptive Neuromodulation GmbH (ANM), NeuroSigma, Inc., and Aleva Neurotherapeutics SA are few of the key players that are expected to commercialize their deep brain stimulators in the near future.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, IndiaTel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite:Visit Blog :
Elderly and Disabled Assistive Devices Market to surpass US$ 26.0 Billion by 2024

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The Global Elderly and Disabled Assistive Devices Market was valued at US$ 14,109.1 million in 2015 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period (20162024), according to a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Rapidly aging population in Asia and Latin America is a major factor propelling demand for elderly and disabled assist devices.Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:Asia and Latin America are expected to witness rapid growth in population aged 65 years and above through 2030. The share of elderly population in Asia is expected to increase form 7.9% in 2015 to 12.1% in 2030, as per the report An Aging World: 2015 by the U.S. Census Bureau. Also, increasing prevalence of chronic and acute diseases adds to the growing demand for technologically-advanced assistive devices for elderly and disabled population. Assistive devices such as wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walkers and rollators, and hearing and vision aids reduces dependence on others to carry out daily activities and improves quality of life of elderly and disabled patients.The World Health Organization (WHO) has prepared a comprehensive global disability action plan for 2014  2021. As per this plan, WHO intends to improve access to health services and programs, extend rehabilitation, assistive technology, assistance and support services, and support research on disability and related services. Assistive device manufacturers in the elderly and disabled assist devices market, especially in emerging economies are expected to benefit considerably through this plan.Manufacturers in the elderly and disabled assist devices market are reaching out directly to consumers to increase their sales. Sonova Holding AG follows vertically-integrated business, wherein it also markets products through its retail stores, thus reaching out to customers and offering them customized solutions. The company acquired AudioNova in September 2016a Netherlands-based hearing aid manufacturerwith an aim to double its presence in Europe in terms of retail stores.Melvin ApS launched a robot called Melvin, which aids elderly and disabled people in the toilet. The robot was launched at the RoboBusiness Europe 2016 exhibition. Similarly, Vital Connect, Inc.is developing wearable health sensors that can detect body temperature, heart rate, detect falls and other such incidents in elderly and disabled patients. Such technological developments to increase individual independence and convenience is projected to lead to manifold growth of elderly and disabled assistive devices market in the near future.Request For Customization:Key takeaways of the market:The global elderly and disabled assist devices market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period. Increasing demand for elderly and disabled assist devices is mainly attributed to the factors such as convenience provided by automotive assistive devices to the growing elderly and disabled populationDemand for vision and reading aids is analyzed to increase rapidly during the forecast period, owing to increasing incidence of vision impairment among the geriatric populaceHearing aids segment dominates the global elderly and disabled assist devices market (in terms of revenue) and is expected to reach US$ 7,083.5 million by 2017 end. Increasing market penetration, growing average discretionary income, and improved access to hearing aids is driving revenue growth of this segment. Furthermore, baby boomers population is expected to drive growth for hearing aids over the following decade, according to William Demant Holding Group.North America dominated the global elderly and disabled assist devices market in 2015. However, the market for elderly and disabled assistive devices in Asia Pacific is projected to expand significantly at a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period (20162024)To know the latest trends and insights prevalent in the elderly and disabled assist devices market, click the link below:Intense competition is witnessed among the leading players including Sunrise Medical LLC, GN ReSound Group, Sonova Holding AG, Starkey Hearing Technologies, and William Demant Holding A/S.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, IndiaTel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite:Visit Blog :
Oil Spill Management Market to Exceed US$ 120 Billion by 2021

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/oil-spill-management-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/oil-spill-management-market

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New York, January 19: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Oil Spill Management Market by Technology (Post Oil Spill and Pre Oil Spill) and by Types (Onshore and Offshore) - Global Industry Analysis, Trends, and Forecast Up to 2021The oil spill management market is expected to reach US$ 120 billion by 2021.Download Free Sample Report:Once oil is spilled by sea this oil will naturally disperse, spread and fragment under the control of waves, currents and wind. In coastal waters when oil is spills then it will frequently waft towards the beach and turn into stranded because of the action of tides and waves. Increase in drilling action worldwide will increase demand for energy for business development. This is a main feature for enhancing the requirement for pressure control tools includes preventers and blowout. The oil spill management will mainly classify into two types such as pre oil spill management and post oil management.The major driving factors of oil spill management market are as follows:Strict rules and regulations mandate high investments to oil spill managementIncreasing quantity of seaborne deal is projected to outcome in high expenditures on offshore oil spill managementThe restraining factors of oil spill management market are as follows:Reducing oil costs will slowdown the offshore exploration activities.The oil spill management market is segmented on the lines of its technology and types. Based on technology segmentation it covers post oil spill and pre oil spill. The post oil spill is further segmented into physical, chemical and biological and mechanical methods. Under pre oil spill segmentation the oil spill management covers pipeline leak detection, double hulling and blowout preventers. The oil spill management market is segmented on the lines of its type like offshore and onshore. The oil spill management market is geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geography market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.Browse Full Report:This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for oil spill management and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2020.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for oil spill management4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for various types of coatings with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include National Oilwell Varco, Cameron International Corporation, Control Flow Inc., Northern Tanker Company Oy, Fender & Spill Response Services L.L.C., SkimOil, Inc., GE Oil & Gas, COSCO Shipyard Group Co., Ltd., Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., Ecolab Inc., and CURA Emergency Services Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The Oil spill management Market has been segmented as below:By Technology AnalysisPost oil spillPhysicalChemical and biologicalMechanical methodsPre-Oil SpillPipeline leak detectionDouble hullingBlowout preventersBy Type AnalysisOffshoreOnshoreBy Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the WorldAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Cryogenic Vacuum Pumps Market - Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc. (USA), SIEMENS AG (Germany), GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft (Germany) And Huayi Compressor Co., Ltd. (China)

Cryogenic Vacuum Pumps

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http://bit.ly/2jrgUa2

The Market Research report "Global Cryogenic Vacuum Pumps Market 2016" by QY Research Group is a market-oriented, technical, and commercial research analysis of the Cryogenic Vacuum Pumps market. The analysis is completed using a wide range of secondary sources, databases and directories in order to identify and assemble market data. Primary sources included for the analysis include preferred suppliers, industry experts from core and associated industries, manufacturers, service providers, distributors, and organizations allied to the entire segments of the industry supply chain.Browse Complete Report with TOC @To estimate the overall market size of Cryogenic Vacuum Pumps, its application, and regionsin terms of value and volumethe bottom-up approach is followed. On the other hand, to corroborate the overall Cryogenic Vacuum Pumps market sizeagain in terms of value and volumethe top-down approach is followed. Following the method of data triangulation and data validation via primaries, the precise values of the parent market and individual market in terms of size are calculated and established in the report.This market research report provides the client with comprehensive market analysis of the Cryogenic Vacuum Pumps market over the forecast period. In addition, it also furnishes a general idea of the challenges, drivers, and restraints that have direct or indirect impact on the industry. It further highlights the market, the industry, and latest technology trends currently existing in the Cryogenic Vacuum Pumps market. All this precise, accurate and comprehensive data will help the clients to make appropriate and practical decisions so as to gain maximum profit in the global market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research report analyzes, tracks, and presents the global market size of the major players in every region around the world. Furthermore, the report provides data of the leading market players in the Cryogenic Vacuum Pumps market.Overall, the report is a one-stop destination and a valuation report to grab all the necessary information regarding the global Cryogenic Vacuum Pumps market.About US:QY Research Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. QY Research Group also carries the capability to assist you with your customized market research requirements including in-depth market surveys, primary interviews, competitive landscaping, and company profiles. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics. QY Research Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651Email: sales (@) qyresearchgroup (dot) com
Global Aseptic Packaging Market reach CAGR of 10.1% and USD 67.47 Billion in 2021

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http://atozresearch.com/global-aseptic-packaging-market-research-report/

http://atozresearch.com/

Global Aseptic Packaging (Bags & Pouches, Cartons, Vials & Ampoules, Pre-filled Syringes and Bottles & Cans) Market by Materials Used (Glass, Plastic, Paperboard and Metal) for Pharmaceutical, Food, Medical Applications, Beverages and other applications: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2015  2021.The report covers forecast and analysis for the aseptic packaging market on a global and regional level. According to the report, global demand for aseptic packaging market was valued at over USD 38.25 billion in 2015, is expected to reach above USD 67.47 Billion in 2021 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of above 10.1% between 2016 and 2021. The study includes drivers and restraints for the market along with the impact they have on the demand over the forecast period. Additionally, the report includes study of opportunities available in the aseptic packaging market on a global level.Request Free Sample copy of Report @Aseptic packaging market is driven by expanding dairy industry in the Asia Pacific and Brazil. As dairy products are prone to spoilage, and posses low shelf life, highly aseptic environment is required to maintain. Growing demand from the pharmaceutical sector stimulates the growth of aseptic packaging market. Surging beverage industry in the developing countries results in increase demand for aseptic packaging triggers the demand for the market. However, high initial cost with low packaging equipments may impede the penetration of aseptic packaging market. Nonetheless, ongoing research for technological advancement and rising demand from the emerging economies is likely to open new avenue for the aseptic packaging market in the near future.Based on type the aseptic packaging market can be segmented as bags & pouches, cartons, vials & ampoules, pre-filled syringes and bottles & cans. Bottle, cans, bags and pouches are the leading type segment due to easy handling, and availability with consumer preference towards cans and pouches. For the packaging, various materials are utilized some of those are glass, plastic, paperboard and metal. Mainly plastic and paperboard are used for packing of food and beverages. Increasing environmental concern the use of plastics and paper are restricted in some regions. Growing use of aseptic packaging in various end user industries is due to its numerous applications such as pharmaceutical, food, medical applications, beverages and other applications. Pharmaceutical is the dominating application segment owing to high aseptic conditions required for packaging of drugs and chemicals. Food and beverage emerged as the potential segment due to high demand for safe and healthy processed and packed food.Browse detail report with in-depth TOC @Asia Pacific is considered to be the most prominent market for aseptic packaging owing to rising consumer preference for processed food. Factors such as growing beverage and dairy industry across India and China and increased spending capacity over fast and junk food contributes to the high growth of market. Escalating pharmaceutical sector in U.S. is expected to show sharp rise in aseptic packaging in North America. Europe is likely to witness faster growth in the estimated period due to stern rules led by European government over the packaging and high demand for packed food. Latin America is anticipated to show sustainable growth owing to expanding dairy industry in Brazil. Middle East and Africa is projected to experience decent growth over the period due to change in lifestyle and increasing demand for processed and packed food.In order to give the users of this report a comprehensive view on the aseptic packaging market, we have included a detailed competitive scenario, strategic development and patent analysis and material portfolio of key vendors are included. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters five forces model for the aseptic packaging market has also been included, strategic development along with patents analysis is included in this report. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, whereintype segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness.The aseptic packaging market can be segmented on the basis of types, materials used, applications and region. Types of aseptic packaging market are bags & pouches, cartons, vials & ampoules, pre-filled syringes and bottles & cans. Some of the materials used for packaging are glass, plastic, paperboard and metal. Aseptic packaging possess numerous applications that are used in the end user industries for several purpose are pharmaceutical, food, medical applications, beverages and other applications. All the segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends and the market is estimated from 2015 to 2021.The regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa with its further bifurcation into major countries including U.S. Germany, France, UK, China, Japan, India and Brazil.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Dickinson & Company, Robert Bosch GmBH, Ecolean Packaging, Schott AG, Parish Manufacturing, Greatview Aseptic Packaging Co Ltd., Becton, Printpack, Tetra Laval, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Scholle Packaging, Amcor Limited and Reynolds Group Holdings among others.This report segments the aseptic packaging market as follows:Aseptic Packaging Market: Type Segment AnalysisBags & pouchesCartonsVials & ampoulesPre-filled syringesBottles & cansAseptic Packaging Market: Material used Segment AnalysisGlassPlasticPaperboardMetalAseptic Packaging Market: Application Segment AnalysisPharmaceuticalFoodMedical applicationsBeveragesOtherAseptic Packaging Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaUSEuropeGermanyFranceUKAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East and AfricaAbout A to Z ResearchA to Z Research is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations. A to Z Research is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. We have market research reports from number of leading publishers and update our collection daily to provide our clients with the instant online access to our database. With access to this database, our clients will be able to benefit from expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends.Contact US3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442, USATel: +1-386-310-3803GMTTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-465Email: martin@atozresearch.comWebsite:
Cosmetic Procedures and Products Market Analysis, Demand, Share, Upcoming Advancements

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2376

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Cosmetic procedures include elective surgical as well as nonsurgical procedures performed to reshape normal structures of the body. These procedures and cosmetic products are carried out to improve appearance of an individual thereby boosting self-confidence and self-esteem. The global market for cosmetic procedures and products is expanding both in terms of value and number of procedures performed annually. Several industry experts quote that ageing population, growing acceptance of cosmetic surgery, and interest of people for aesthetic reasons are the prime factors responsible for the market growth.Request a Sample PDF Brochure atThe global cosmetic procedures and products market is segmented into two major segments, namely, surgical procedures and nonsurgical procedures. Major surgical cosmetic procedures include breast augmentation, lipoplasty (liposuction), blepharoplasty (cosmetic eyelid surgery), abdominoplasty, (tummy tuck), breast lift, gynecomastia treatment, otoplasty (cosmetic ear surgery) and breast reduction. Breast augmentation and the lipoplasty (liposuction) have been the top two popular cosmetic surgical procedures. The FDAs decision in 2006 to reintroduce silicone gel breast implants in the market has improved the number of breast augmentation procedures over the years. These procedures are comparatively costlier than the nonsurgical cosmetic procedures and therefore rely on the insurance coverage. Hence, the market was affected to some extent due to financial uncertainty during economic crisis of 2009. However, the resurging economy is expected to the market again and will help in growth of overall cosmetic procedures and products market.Non surgical cosmetic procedures include cosmetic injectables, skin rejuvenation and other procedures such as laser hair removal, sclerotherapy, and laser treatment of leg veins. Globally, the injectable cosmetics constitute major share in the nonsurgical segment and include botulinum toxin type A (Botox and Dysport), calcium hydroxyapetite (Radiesse), collagen, hyaluronic acid (Hylaform, Juvederm, Perlane/Restylane) and poly-l-lactic acid (Sculptra). Skin rejuvenation procedures include chemical peel, dermabrasion, fraxel, intense pulsed light (IPL) laser treatment, and noninvasive tightening.The Americas and Europe have always been the main market for these cosmetic procedures and products over the years. These two geographies are youth-focused and more emphasis is on aesthetic looks of an individual. Additionally, the technological advancements in the medicine and surgery field are enabling surgeries to be non-invasive and less painful which is driving the market to further level. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported that in 2010 Americans spent approximately USD 10.7 billion on cosmetic procedures of which more than 60 percent was contributed by surgical procedures. However, it is imperative to mention here that number nonsurgical procedures carried out annually are far more than the surgical procedures, but are less in terms of value (money spent). Furthermore, the number of women who opt for cosmetic procedures, have always outnumbered the number of men who choose these procedures. However, the dynamics of the market are changing these days with more men adopting cosmetic treatments for reasons such as high degree of competition at workplace, and growing awareness about obesity. The cosmetic surgical procedures for men include gynecomastia treatments, breast reduction, male facelifts, male brow lifts, and male tummy tucks.Some of the major companies in the global cosmetic procedures and products market are Allergan, Inc., DermaMed USA, Fascia Biosystems, LLC, Genzyme Corporation, ExcellaDerm Corporation, Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation, Suneva Medical Inc., BioForm Medical, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Cutera, Inc., Q-Med AB, Dermik Laboratories, Genesis Biosystems, Inc., IRIDEX Corporation, Lumenis Ltd., Candela Corporation, Anika Therapeutics, Inc., Mentor Corporation, Palomar Medical Technologies, Inc., Cynosure, Inc., Solta Medical, Inc., among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Baking Powder Market - Global Industry Size 2019

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http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Global Baking Powder Market: OverviewBaking powder is primarily used to for making different types of breads and bakery products such as pancakes, muffins, waffles, and cakes. It helps in holding the raised batter till it is set during the baking process. Baking powder is a mixture of cornstarch, dry acid, and baking soda. The sales of baking powder have witnessed a significant surge over the last couple of years owing to the growing demand for fast food products, bakery items such as pastries and cakes, and quick instant mixes. These items have gain popularity across caterers, bakeries, households, and restaurants. This trend is spreading significantly across the globe owing to the burgeoning urbanization.Over the last few years, consumers have shifted towards a more lavish lifestyle and are keen on spending on luxurious items. Furthermore, they are increasingly relying on traditional tasting food items rather than convenience foods. Baking powder is becoming a crucial ingredient across several segments, thus exhibiting strong growth. The flourishing food markets worldwide are likely to bode well for the growth of the global baking products market. However, manufacturers are likely to face challenges from the repercussions that baking powder has on health from its prolonged consumption.Download exclusive Sample of this report:The global baking powder market is expected to exhibit a 5.3% CAGR between 2013 and 2019. The market is projected to reach US$3.4 bn by the end of 2019 from a valuation of US$2.3 bn in 2012.Tartar-based Baking Powder to Gain Preference across ConsumersThe global market for baking powder was dominated by tartar based baking powder or tartaric acid with a share of 30.4% in 2012. This growth can be attributed to the growing demand for tartaric acid based baking powder owing to the rising awareness among people regarding the health benefits associated with the consumption of bakery products made using it. Phosphate-based baking powder closely trailed tartar based baking powder with a share of 24.5% in 2012. However, its demand is expected to stay persistent owing to sales of various innovative baking powder items such as phosphate free and aluminum free baking powder. In terms of revenue, in 2012, other different baking powder items such as sodium aluminum phosphate and anhydrous phosphate collectively accounted for a share of 28.6% in the global baking powder market.Asia Pacific to Hold Leading Position in terms of ConsumptionWith the involvement of several countries in the manufacturing of and trade of baking powder, the global market for baking powder is expected to expand at significant rate. Based on revenue, at present Europe and Asia Pacific together account a share of 64.8%. However, Asia Pacific emerged dominant in 2012. The baking powder market in Asia Pacific witnessed promising over the last few years owing to the rising urban population and increasing consumption of fast food across the region. In countries such as Brazil and the U.S., and parts of Europe, the market for baking powder has reached a saturation point due to the stable economic development and extreme urbanization. Thus, manufacturers can focus on regions countries such as China and India for capitalizing on the opportunities arising from the untapped markets of these countries.The leading manufacturers in the global baking powder market are Weikfield Products Private Limited, ACH Food Companies Inc., Caravan Ingredients Inc., Clabber Girl Corporation, Davis, and Rumford.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:
Smartphone Display Market Production, Share, Demand, Applications and Opportunities Market Research Report 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1172

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/request-toc/1172

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/control-valve-market

Market ScenarioMobile phone display market has been growing significantly from the last decade but with the introduction of smartphone, this market has outburst all the previous figures and currently growing with the rapid speed. As the demand for the smartphones are increasing, the market for the displays is also increasing simultaneously. Samsung is leading in the supply of smartphone display around the world with the market share of XX%.Industry News In May 2016, Tianma Microelectronics announced the launch of 5.5-inch TFT-HD (720 x 1280) with On-Cell Touch AMOLED display which will be used in mobile phones as well as other consumer electronic products. In March 2016, Samsung launched the new smartphone with curved OLED displays.Request a Sample Copy @Key playersThe prominent players in the market of smartphone display are- Samsung (South Korea), Japan Display (Japan), Toshiba (Japan), LG (South Korea), Sharp corporation (Japan), Chi Mei Corporation (Taiwan), Auo (Taiwan), Apple (U.S.), Motorola (U.S.), Tianma Microelectronics (China).Analysis also includes consumption. Import and export data for Regions North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India.Market SegmentationSegmentation by Technology: LCD (TFT and IPS) OLED AMOLED & Smart AMOLED Retina displays.Segmentation by Type: Capacitive Resistive.Study Objective of Smartphone Display Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Smartphone Display Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the Smartphone Display Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by technology, by type and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Smartphone Display MarketRequest Table of Content, Figure, and Tables @The reports also covers brief analysis of Geographical Region includes:Americas North America US CanadaEurope Western Europe Germany France Italy Spain U.K Rest of Western Europe Eastern EuropeAsia Pacific Asia China India Japan South Korea Rest of AsiaPacificThe Middle East & AfricaKey questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2022 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 Control Valves Market, by Type (Ball Valve, Butterfly Valve, Globe Valve, Cryogenic Valve), by End-User (Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Automotive, Oil & Gas, Metal & Mining), by Components (Switches, Actuator, Transducer) - Forecast 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
Diaphragm Vacuum Pump Market - Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc. (USA), SIEMENS AG (Germany), GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft (Germany) And Agilent Technologies Inc. (USA)

Diaphragm Vacuum Pump

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http://bit.ly/2jOSwii

The Market Research report "Global Diaphragm Vacuum Pump Market 2016" by QY Research Group is a market-oriented, technical, and commercial research analysis of the Diaphragm Vacuum Pump market. The analysis is completed using a wide range of secondary sources, databases and directories in order to identify and assemble market data. Primary sources included for the analysis include preferred suppliers, industry experts from core and associated industries, manufacturers, service providers, distributors, and organizations allied to the entire segments of the industry supply chain.Browse Complete Report with TOC @To estimate the overall market size of Diaphragm Vacuum Pump, its application, and regionsin terms of value and volumethe bottom-up approach is followed. On the other hand, to corroborate the overall Diaphragm Vacuum Pump market sizeagain in terms of value and volumethe top-down approach is followed. Following the method of data triangulation and data validation via primaries, the precise values of the parent market and individual market in terms of size are calculated and established in the report.This market research report provides the client with comprehensive market analysis of the Diaphragm Vacuum Pump market over the forecast period. In addition, it also furnishes a general idea of the challenges, drivers, and restraints that have direct or indirect impact on the industry. It further highlights the market, the industry, and latest technology trends currently existing in the Diaphragm Vacuum Pump market. All this precise, accurate and comprehensive data will help the clients to make appropriate and practical decisions so as to gain maximum profit in the global market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research report analyzes, tracks, and presents the global market size of the major players in every region around the world. Furthermore, the report provides data of the leading market players in the Diaphragm Vacuum Pump market.Overall, the report is a one-stop destination and a valuation report to grab all the necessary information regarding the global Diaphragm Vacuum Pump market.About US:QY Research Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. QY Research Group also carries the capability to assist you with your customized market research requirements including in-depth market surveys, primary interviews, competitive landscaping, and company profiles. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics. QY Research Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651Email: sales (@) qyresearchgroup (dot) com
Packing and Moving Service - Santosh Packers and Movers

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Santosh Household Packers & Movers are today highly reputed name for Packing and Moving Services of both industrial and household goods. Our Goods Transportation Services are widely acclaimed for its efficiency, reliability and timely execution. Our professionals ensure that all the goods are properly and safely packed such that they do not get damaged during transportation. Our team also ensures that only high quality packing materials are used to pack the products such that they can reach our clients in a flawless condition. Moreover, we ensure to our clients a peace of mind service at affordable prices.With extremely committed, efficient and dedicated human labor back up right from acceptance until actual delivery, Santosh Packers and Movers can maintain the chain and thus ensures quality service. Over and above, our office functions round the clock.We operate as a trusted interface in packing services for expatriate Indians living overseas especially in Gulf countries. Our international tie-ups provide you with value added services. The fact that our customers have long-term business relationship with us demonstrates best that the service provided is good.Our friendly staff will be continuously in contact with the customers the moment a customer calls for household good transfer to give service with care and perfection. On confirmation our trained supervisor with our team of experts gets the goods packed. Packing is carried out by professional experts to move customers valuables safely.Our organization offers a superior quality range of Packing & Moving Services of office as well as household products. We offer these services as per the international quality standard and these services are offered in a protective manner. Our company offers these services with various processing steps and these services are offered at competitive prices to our clients. We offer these services for packing and moving the goods in a reliable and secure manner.Santosh Household Carrier , an ISO 9001:2008 Certified company is established in the year 2001, and now we are about to complete our 16th anniversary.1409/197A, Rajiv Nagar, Khadan, Pandharabodi, Near Ram Nagar, Nagpur - 440 010
Contemporaryand sustainable art!

New Entrance of Centro Pecci. Photo by Lineashow

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Luigi Pecci CentreMitsubishi Electric Hydronics & IT Cooling Systems, through its brand Climaveneta, supplied the air conditioning system for the rebirth of the Luigi Pecci Centre, in Florence.After 6 years of construction and being closed for 3 years, The Luigi Pecci Centre for Contemporary Art has once again reopened in Autumn 2016. It is the first institution in Italy to be built from scratch with the specific intent to exhibit, collect, preserve, document, and distribute the most advanced artistic research.Renovation and extension workTo ensure sufficient appreciation of this heritage, at the beginning of the twenty-first Century, the Pecci Centre decided to double its exhibition space and, at the same time, to restructure the original building of Italo Gamberini.The extension was designed by Maurice Nio, one the most original interpreters of the architectural culture of our time. The extension work began in 2006 and focused on building a new wing with a strong architectural impact which is linked to the original structure, which has undergone a full renovation during this time.Furthermore, in addition to more than doubling the size of the exhibition space, the new centre also has an archive and specialised library which will include over 50,000 volumes, an outdoor theatre, a cinema/auditorium, a performance space in the galleries, a bookshop, a restaurant, and a pub/bistro.Focus on sustainabilityThe new Pecci centre is innovative not only from an architectural point of view, but also in terms of its state-of-the-art and sustainable mechanical systems.The lighting and air conditioning systems, that are the main energy expenditure in every kind of building, have been designed to offer the best internal comfort for the vistitors of the Centre, while guarantying minimal impact both on the running costs and on the environment.The HVAC systemFrom the plant engineering point of view, the operation is characterized by the unique shape of the building, the large presence of windows for the contribution of natural light and the functional continuity with the existing structure. The intensive preparatory work carried out by the experts involved in the project, made it possible to optimize the position of the plant room to combine the needs of the air conditioning and lighting systems.The heart of the plant room is composed of 2 Climaveneta NECS-WQ 0512 water cooled multi-purpose heat pumps, controlled by MANAGER 3000.The multi-purpose heat pumps can work in cooling only, heating only, and simultaneous heating and cooling mode, to satisfy the buildings needs, all year round.By choosing multi-purpose heat pumps for the production of both hot and cold water, the HVAC plant designers have selected a fully electric solution, turning down any non-renewable, fossil fuel based system. This kind of choice has been possible thanks to the availability, on the market, of reliable heat pumps, that can work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even without a traditional boiler as back-up.Mr. Dante di Carlo, HVAC plant designer at Pecci Centre, says: The multi-purpose heat pumps allow a simpler plant design, as they go beyond the traditional complexity of seasonal settings, heat pump-chiller, and when they produce simultaneous heating and cooling, they exploit the waste energy (both heating and cooling), maximizing the buildings energy efficiency. This led to an advantage in terms of energy efficiency and then in savings on running costs. At Pecci Centre we were able to use water-source units, the most efficient from an energy point of view, thanks to an artesian well, thus exploiting the brim water, fully available on site.Thanks to the positive result obtained from the first installation, the same team of designers also planned a substitution of all the old heating system in the original building of Italo Gamberini, with multi-purpose heat pumps. The first step in this direction has been done with the refurbishment of the cinema/auditorium, where the autonomous HVAC system is based on a Climaveneta NECS-Q-0262 unit. In this case the designers have selected an air source multi-purpose unit, to get a simpler system in terms of maintenance, that has to be managed by the user of the cinema/auditorium.Climaveneta for the artsThe experience gained in over 45 years experience in the professional air conditioning market and in several museums projects worldwide, allows Climaveneta to offer the Pecci Centre, the most suitable HVAC solution in terms of comfort, efficiency, and sustainability. Furthermore, in museums it is also fundamental to address noise, humidity, and temperature levels, to protect the exhibited artwork. It is not by chance that relevant institutions like Museo del Bicentenario in Argentina, The City Arts Centre in UK, The Triana Museum of ceramic in Spain, The Natural History Museum in France and The Prada Foundation, Muse and Alfa Romeo Museum have chosen Climaveneta as partner for their sustainable and efficient HVAC systems.Follow Climaveneta:youtube.com/user/climavenetaweb, @ClimavenetaHVAC, linkedin.com/company/climaveneta, facebook.com/climavenetahvac/Media RelationsSara Di Clementesara.diclemente@melcohit.comClimaveneta, a leading brand in HVAC and HPAC with more than 40 yearss experience provides energy efficient heating, air conditioning and data center cooling solutions that enhance everyones comfort, improve the profitability of a building and do not contribute to an increase in CO2 levels.ClimavenetaPlant of via Sarson, 57/c36061 Bassano del Grappa (VI)Italy+390424509500
Servowatch to supply two more Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels with its most advanced Integrated Platform Management System

As military vessels become even more complex it becomes critical that integrated systems work under the strictest of conditions and are proven and extremely reliable. Servowatch, a leading UK supplier of advanced integrated ship control systems, is supplying its Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) to the initial three River-class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) built by BAE Systems Naval Ships for the UK Royal Navy. It has also secured a second contract for the supply of its IPMS systems to TAMAR and SPEY, a further two vessels announced by the Government in the Strategic Defence and Security Review in November 2015.Servowatch Systems scope of supply comprises an IPMS control and monitoring package for the vessels propulsion, power generation, Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning, fire-detection, tank gauging systems and auxiliaries services.With military vessels increasing in complexity, systems integration is key to ensuring the functionality of critical components. Servowatch has introduced its most powerful IPMS solution allowing more commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product integration. It reduces platform cost, integration time and commissioning, whilst retaining the survivability and power of the original Servowatch product, says Andrew Burns, Sales and Marketing Director, Servowatch.We are very much looking forward to continuing our work with BAE Systems Naval Ships own teams of experts to enhance the capability, service and support that the company delivers to the Royal Navys specified requirements, he adds.The UK-headquartered company has invested heavily in the design and development of the next generation IPMS systems. Designed to commercial or military standards, principally for naval or larger complex commercial vessels, Servowatch offers arange of bespoke solutions to provide propulsion, electrical and auxiliary plant management from multifunction workstations with automation programmed into the system.The vessels will be modified version of a proven OPV design already in service with the Brazilian Navy and Royal Thai Navy with more storage, accommodation facilities and a flight deck capable of operating the latest Merlin Helicopters. Manufacture of the first four ships is already underway at BAE Systems Glasgow facilities.Servowatch Systems is a recognised expert in marine automation systems with 40 years experience in supplying and integrating state-of-the-art technologies to the international merchant marine, naval, luxury yacht and pleasure craft markets.Originally established as Bond Instrumentation & Process Controls in 1975, the company evolved from its service and support roots with the UK Ministry of Defence into a major award-winning manufacturer of ship control and alarm monitoring systems for the global maritime industries, achieving a number of significant contracts.In 2012, India-based engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro completed a share sale agreement to acquire Thalest Ltd, the holding company of Servowatch Systems, Bond Instrumentation & Process Controls, and Servowatch (USA).Image Line Communications Ltd8 Skylines Business VillageLondon E14 9TS
Bearing Market Explores New Growth Opportunities By 2021

Bearing Market

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Bearing is an essential part of machinery which helps to reduce the friction of motion and increases the smoothness of machine. Bearings are widely use in automotive industry which helps to increase the speed of vehicle. Bearing reduces the friction between fixed and moving machine parts. However, it requires consistent maintenance to prevent early failure. The desperate need for energy-efficient vehicles and the expanding demand for bearings from the defense and aerospace industry increase the importance of bearing.Get a copy of free Sample Report @Bearing market is mainly driven by growing automotive market across the world. Strong growth of automotive sector in Asia Pacific region is expected to further drive the demand for bearing market through forecast period. The rising demand across various application sectors such as industrial, railways and aerospace sector is expected to witness a substantial growth during the forecast period. Development of seal technologies, light weight elements in high performance bearings and lubrication technologies gives some market growth opportunities.The report covers forecast and analysis for the bearing market on a global and regional level. The study provides historic data of 2014 along with a forecast from 2014 to 2020 based on revenue (USD Billion). The report also offers detailed competitive landscape of the global bearing market. It includes company market share analysis, product portfolio of the major industry participants. The report provides detailed segmentation of the bearing market based on product, application segment and region. On the basis of product, the global bearing market is segmented into ball bearing, plain bearing and roller bearing. The ball bearing product segment of bearing market is the fastest growing segment of bearing market through the forecast period due to its advantages like smaller surface contact and less friction.Request for TOC@Automotive, agriculture, electrical, mining & construction, railway & aerospace and other applications are the key applications involved in the bearing market. Bearing applications in motor vehicles that is automotive held the highest revenue share in 2014. Major regional segments analyzed in this study include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. This report also provides further bifurcation of region on the country level. Major countries analyzed in this reports are U.S., Germany, France, UK, China, Japan, India, and Brazil. Asia Pacific was the dominating region in the global market of bearing in 2014 due to booming automobile industry in this region. Asia Pacific is followed by Europe and North America.Browse detail report with in-depth TOC @The report covers detailed competitive outlook including company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Wafangdian Bearing Co. Ltd, Rexnord Corporation, NTN Corporation, C&U Group, The Timken Company Brammer PLC, Schaeffler Group, SKF Group, JTEKT Corporation, and The Timken Company NSK Ltd.This report segments the global bearing market as follows:Global Bearing Market: Product Segment AnalysisBall bearingPlain bearingRoller bearingGlobal Bearing Market: Application Segment AnalysisAutomotiveAgricultureElectricalMining & ConstructionRailway & AerospaceOthersGlobal Bearing Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East & AfricaAbout UsSyndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries includsing energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comWebsite:
Consumer and SMB NAS Global Market 2017 - 2020 | ResearchMoz

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Consumer and SMB NAS Global Market 2017 - 2020 | ResearchMoz" to its huge collection of research reports.Network- attached storage (NAS) is a low-maintenance, remotely manageable, server-based storage system that enables file sharing, multimedia streaming, and storing and sharing photos, music, and movies among users. It can also stream video content through smart TVs at home. It facilitates access to files through mobile devices that are connected to NAS appliances and offers high-performance storage compared to DAS (direct-attached storage) and external hard drives.These systems are being used by individual consumers, small office and home office (SOHO), SMBs, SMEs, and large enterprises. Exabyte of storage capacity is being shipped worldwide every year by vendors, that are being to be used in NAS systems. The NAS systems was introduced with advanced features and benefits and with high-capacity storage than personal DAS and external portable drives.Technavios analysts forecast the global consumer NAS market to grow at a CAGR of 11.01% during the period 2016-2020.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global consumer NAS market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, Technavio considers the revenue generated from the sales of NAS devices for individual consumers and retail sales revenue of individual consumer NAS storage devices.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATechnavio's report, Global Consumer and SMB NAS Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsAppleBuffalo TechnologyNETGEARQNAPSeagateSynologyWestern DigitalTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Other prominent vendorsAsustorDroboiomegaThecusTransporterZyxelMarket driverRequirement for personal data backupFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeConnectivity challengesFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendUse of NAS device as media serversFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Aviation Chemicals Market: Explores New Growth Opportunities By 2026

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The aviation industry is one of the major factors that supports commercial growth of any nation. The advance aviation research holds nerves of a nations transportation and defense system. The persistent developments in the aviation industry have turned it into a very reliable and fast medium of transport. Increasing safety and stability of airplanes is now attracting more number of commuters. The reliability of an aircraft depends on its manufacturing, design and regular maintenance. Both commercial and defense aircrafts have to pass through specific maintenance and safety checkpoints. The aircraft maintenance involves screening of parts, cockpit indicators, electronic systems, oiling and lubrications, corrosion check, hydraulic fluid level check, or replacement, exterior and interior cleaning, coating, etc. Most of the manufacturing and maintenance activities involve the use of various aviation chemicals.Aviation chemicals are specially designed and produced chemicals which are used while manufacturing, testing and maintenance of aircraft. The aircrafts are exposed to severe climatic conditions and temperature changes, which may lead to metal corrosion or malfunctioning of components. These chemicals are mainly used for coating, polishing, corrosion control, pest control, environmental maintaining, etc. in aircrafts, which help smooth functioning of aircrafts by increasing various physical and chemical characteristics of its components.Market DynamicsThe aviation chemicals market is majorly dependent on their demand from OEM and after service industry. Increasing aircraft manufacturing supported by high growth in aviation operations is expected to drive the global aviation chemicals market. Also, major investment in defense aircraft development is further expected to increase demand for aviation chemicals. Aviation chemicals must require to fulfil stringent safety standards for their effective use. Manufacturers ability to impart such characteristics to aviation chemicals provides significant opportunities for growth of global aviation chemicals market.Certain volatile aviation chemicals affect effective functioning of other parts and also produce undesirable effects on the environment, due to which various government and non-government organizations have created certain regulations and safety standards regarding the use such chemicals. The development of aviation chemicals meeting all regulatory guidelines along with maintaining their profitability is expected to remain a key challenge among aviation chemicals manufacturers.Market SegmentationThe global market for aviation chemicals can be segmented on the basis of nature of chemicals, product type, and end user. Based on nature of chemicals, the aviation chemicals market can be segmented into organic and inorganic chemicals. Demand for inorganic chemicals is estimated to remain high by the end of 2016.On the basis of end user, global aviation chemicals market can be segmented into business/ general aviation, commercial aviation, and defense/ government aviation.On the basis of product type, global aviation chemicals market can be segmented into additives, adhesives and sealants, cleaning products, paints and coatings, coolants, cutting fluids, deicers, oils, greases and lubricants, and others.Request for Sample Report and Table of content @:Region-wise OutlookThe global aviation chemicals market is segmented into five key regions, namely North America, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Europe and the United States, with developed aerospace industry, represent leading regional markets, capturing a substantial share in the global aviation chemicals market. While, developing infrastructure and generous strategies of governments in Asia-Pacific is expected to gain high growth rate over the coming years.Key PlayersSome of the key players identified across the value chain of global aviation chemicals market include BASF Corporation, 3M, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell plc., BP p.l.c., Chemetall GmbH, The Sherwin-Williams Company, Chemtura Corporation, Momentive Performance Materials Inc., Zip Chem Products, EIS Inc. ( Genuine Parts Company), etc.About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact Us:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Automotive Rain Sensor Market, Trends, Size, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast to 2020

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The increased demand for safety of drivers in automobiles and comfort features is driving the growth of the global automotive rain sensors market. The adoption of automotive rain sensors is driven by the growing use of advanced electrical features in vehicles. The increasing demand for convenience has forced the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to integrate their vehicles with rain sensing wiper technology. The increased vehicle electrification is a major factor, which is driving the growth of the global automotive rain sensor market. The implementation of advanced electrical systems in automotive is driving the demand for sensors. Moreover, the automotive rain sensor market is expected to grow at a remarkable rate due to the increasing vehicle production.Browse Report at:The light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment is expected to witness growth opportunities in automotive applications, due to the increasing vehicle production in regions such as North America. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has created large opportunities for the automobile industry in Mexico and manufacturers are exporting products in Mexico, which is giving a major boost to North America. The mergers between companies and the transfer of production centers to emerging economies have amplified the market potential in the country. For example, automobile manufacturers such as General Motors, Ford and many others have started to move their manufacturing plants from the U.S. to Mexico. Due to the availability of encouraging government policies and cheap labor, the automobile production in Mexico is anticipated to grow in the future.Browse Related Research:Once the vehicles are integrated with advanced electrification, the overall cost of the vehicle gets increased, thus making it difficult for the middle class people to purchase them. This is a major hindrance in the growth of the global automotive rain sensor market. The high cost of the aftermarket automotive rain sensor equipment and provision of rain sensor in expensive cars, which are not affordable by the middle class population, is another factor restraining the growth of the market. Robert Bosch GmbH, DENSO CORPORATION, BMW AG, HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co., General Motors are some of the major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers of the global automotive rain sensor market.About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:AbhishekExecutive  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)
Excellent Flexibility in Operations Makes Roadways the Dominant Segment in Logistics Market

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The growing GDPs indicate the rise of both imports and exports. It also points out the prolific growth in trade across the globe and the ways in which it has shaped the global logistics market. According to a research report published by Transparency Market Research, the opportunity in the global market is expected to be worth US$15.5 trillion by 2023 as compared to US$8.1 trillion in 2015. Analysts predict that overall market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% between the forecast period of 2015 and 2024 in terms of revenue.Q. What is driving the rapid progress of the overall logistics market?A. The remarkable growth of the global logistics market is attributable to the emergence of e-commerce. The growing online shopping industry has giving the logistics market tremendous impetus. The increasing access to efficient Internet has allowed consumers across to global to shop for various items online, which has augmented the demand for efficient logistics. Today, the various types of logistical solutions are being used by the manufacturing, retail, telecommunication, banking and financial services, and information technology sectors.Get More Information :Q. Which is the preferred mode of logistic transport?A. Roadways are the most popularly used mode of transport and are thus regarded as the backbone of economic development. In terms of both, revenue and volume the roadways held a dominant share in 2015. The other modes of transport under the global logistics market are waterways, railways, and airways. Analysts predict that the roadways segment will continue to enjoy popularity as it offers easy accessibility, flexibility, and provides a door-to-door service. The improving infrastructure of developing regions is anticipated to provide ample of growth opportunities to the global market in the coming few years.Q. Which region will witness the rise of logistics industry in the coming years?A. Geographically, the global logistics market is segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World. Of these, Asia Pacific is anticipated to lead the global market in the coming years by a significant margin. The developing economies of Japan, China, India, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia are anticipated to offer an outstanding scope for growth of the overall market. Of these, India and China are anticipated to be major contributors as both the countries are known to be key manufacturing hubs of the world. Furthermore, the growing investments by the governments to improve the infrastructure is also anticipated to play a key role in shaping the global logistics market in the near future.Read Full Press Release @Some of the leading players operating in the global logistics market are Americold Logistics, LLC., Ceva Holdings LLC, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, FedEx Corp., C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., United Parcel Service, Inc., and Deutsche Post DHL Group. Most of these companies are investing in tremendous production innovation, business expansions, and setting up newer facilities in order to expand their businesses and improve their revenues. For instance, FM Logistic is planning on setting up shop in India as the country plans to offer the company warehousing space. The French company services clients such as Nestle and LOreal and is looking forward to developing its business for automotive vendors. Thus, such strategic alliances are anticipated to help players retain their dominance in the global market in the coming 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. 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:
Agricultural Chelates Market revenue projected to go up by 2016-2024

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Global Agricultural Chelates Market: OverviewMetal ions are essential minerals required by the plants in small quantities; hence, it is also referred as micronutrients. Deficiency of minerals in the plants resulted into yellowing of leaves and retarded plant growth. Chelated compounds are more stable as compared to non-chelated compounds; therefore, they are widely preferred in the agricultural use. They act as micronutrient fertilizers and nourish plants with minerals such as zinc, iron, copper, and manganese. Some of the most popular chelates are EDDHA, EDTA, and DTPA. Agricultural industries, farmers, and crop producers are the major end-users of agricultural chelates.Request Free Sample Report @Global Agricultural Chelates Market: SegmentationThe global agricultural chelates market is classified based on the application, crop type, product type, and geography. The application segment includes foliar sprays, soil, hydroponics, seed dressing, and others. The crop type segment comprises oilseeds & pulses, fruits and vegetables, cereals & grains, and others. Moreover, the product type is categorized as EDDHA, IDHA, DTPA, EDTA, and others. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa are included in the geography segment of the global agricultural chelates market.Global Agricultural Chelates Market: Growth FactorsIncreasing use of agricultural chelates to enhance crop productivity is the major driver of the global market. Other factors responsible for the growth of the market are micronutrient deficiency, soil degradation, and shrinking of farmland. Product innovation may influence the global agricultural chelates market in the coming years, whereas high scope from developing regions may open up new growth opportunities. Rising government support for developing agricultural technology is projected to propel the global agricultural chelates market growth. The global market possesses moderate competition owing to the presence of a number of small- and large-scale firms. Companies adopting strategies for high market share through mergers and acquisitions, collaborations, partnerships, product launches may impact the global market in a positive way. Conversely, increasing concerns regarding non-biodegradable chelates and micronutrient toxicity may hinder the global agricultural chelates market growth.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Agricultural Chelates Market: Regional AnalysisEurope accounted for the largest share for agricultural chelates market. Growth in the market is due to soil degradation and micronutrient deficiency in the crop. North America ranks second owing to the adoption of the modern agricultural practices in this region, which may foster the global agricultural chelates market growth. Asia Pacific is emerging as a major contributor to the global economy. Major players across the world are focusing on establishing their base in this region. Furthermore, government support in Thailand, China, and India for improving agricultural technology is anticipated to contribute to the growth of the global market in future.Global Agricultural Chelates Market: Competitive PlayersMajor players dominating the global agricultural chelates market are BASF SE, Syngenta AG, Valagro SPA, Haifa Chemicals Ltd., and Nufarm Limited. Other players influencing the global market are Van Iperen International, Akzo Nobel N.V., Nutra-Flo Company, and Protex International.Browse detail report @Global Agricultural Chelates Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaWhat Report ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market.About Us:Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristically, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, a company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.Contact Us:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite:
Nylon12 Global Market - Forecasts from 2016 to 2021

Nylon12 Market

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SAMPLE REQUEST@The 'Global and Chinese Nylon12 Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Nylon12 industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Nylon12 manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology.Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2011-2016 market shares for each company. Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Nylon12 industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export. The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis.The report then estimates 2016-2021 market development trends of Nylon12 industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Nylon12 Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2011-2021 global and Chinese Nylon12 industry covering all important parameters.COMPLETE REPORT DETAILS @Table of ContentsChapter One Introduction of Nylon12 Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of Nylon121.2 Development of Nylon12 Industry1.3 Status of Nylon12 IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Nylon122.1 Development of Nylon12 Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of Nylon12 Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of Nylon12 Manufacturing TechnologyChapter Three Analysis of Global Key Manufacturers3.1 Company A3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Product Information3.1.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.1.4 Contact Information3.2 Company B3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Product Information3.2.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.2.4 Contact Information...Chapter Five Market Status of Nylon12 Industry5.1 Market Competition of Nylon12 Industry by Company5.2 Market Competition of Nylon12 Industry by Country (USA, EU, Japan, Chinese etc.)5.3 Market Analysis of Nylon12 Consumption by Application/TypeCONTINUEDBUY 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, India
Global Plasticisers Market: Estimates and Forecasts(2016 - 2026)

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A plasticiser is a chemical substance which is added to another material, usually a plastic, to make it flexible, resilient and easier to handle. There are more than 300 different types of plasticisers out of which around 50-100 are currently used commercially. The most common plasticisers are phthalates and adipates. Plasticisers are added to a polymer matrix to increase its flexibility and enhance its chemical properties in the final plastic product. Addition of a plasticizer can lower the glass transition temperature, melt viscosity and elastic modulus of the polymer. Plasticisers are additives which increase the plasticity or fluidity of a material. Plasticisers also enhance the properties of materials such as concrete, clays, and other related products.A sample of this report is available upon request:Plasticisers Market: Drivers & RestraintsBio-based plasticisers are produced from vegetable raw materials and are used as an alternative of petroleum based plasticisers. In order to assure sustainability, end users are looking for safe, bio-degradable and non-phthalate-based plasticisers. Decreasing supply of harmful phthalate and increasing consumer awareness are factors limiting growth of the global market. At the same time, ban on phthalate-based plasticizers in consumer goods, food packaging material and medical products have led to the development of eco-friendly bio-based plasticizers. Higher cost of bio-plasticizers as compared to phthalate-based plasticizers is a key challenge faced by the bio-plasticizers market players.Plasticisers Market: OverviewPlasticisers are the most commonly used additives in the global plastic market. The global plasticiser market exceeded 8 Mn metric tons by 2014 end. The most dominant application areas of plasticisers are plastics and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Efforts are in progress by different regulatory authorities to promote environmental friendly products which have led to an increase in the demand for bio-plasticizers in developed regions. Phthalate-based plasticizer was prominent and represented more than 75% share in the global plasticisers market. However, stringent government regulations and increasing health concerns of the consumers, stimulated the demand for bio-plasticisers which is currently a significant trend in the market.Plasticisers Market: Region wise OverviewGeographically, global plasticisers market is classified into regions viz. North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Middle East and Africa (MEA). By 2015 end, North America held the largest share in the global market due expanding application in flourishing industries of healthcare, chemicals and packaging. Europe all together is an established market due to stable growth in manufacturing and healthcare industry. In Western Europe countries, around 1 Mn tons of phthalates are produced annually, out of which approximately 0.9 Mn tons of phthalates are used to plasticize PVC. Overall, Western Europe, APEJ and North America are projected to hold more than 75% share in the global plasticiser market.Plasticisers Market: Key PlayersThe key research institutes in global plasticisers market are Eastman Chemical Company, BASF SE, Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC, Perstorp Holding AB, Exxon Mobil Corporation, PolyOne, Supreme Plasticizers, Vertellus Specialties Inc., KLJ Group to name a few.Request to view Table of Content:The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, accessories and applications.About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact Us:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Friction Modifier Additives Market: New Growth Opportunities, 2016-2026

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Global Friction Modifier Additives Market: OverviewFriction modifier additives are polar molecules added to lubricants for the purpose of minimizing light surface contacts such as sliding and rolling, which might occur in a given machine design. Friction modifiers are also known as boundary lubrication additives.A sample of this report is available upon request:Esters, fatty acids (natural and synthetic), as well as some solid materials such as graphite and molybdenum disulfide are used for the purpose of friction reduction. The molecules in these materials have a polar end (head) and an oil-soluble end (tail). Once placed into service, the polar end of the molecule finds a metal surface and attaches itself. If you could see the orientation of the molecules on the surface, it would appear something like the fibers of a carpet, with each molecule stacked vertically besides the other.These molecules provide a cushioning effect when one of the coated surfaces connects with another coated surface, as long as the frictional contact is light. If the contact is heavy, then the molecules are brushed off, eliminating any potential benefit of the friction modifier additive.All in all, friction modifier additives affect the frictional properties between two rubbing surfaces and thus preventing scoring, reduce wear and noise, and also helps in preventing micro pitting in industrial gear lubricants.Global Friction Modifier Additives Market: SegmentationThe global friction modifier additives market can be segmented on the basis of raw material, application, and region.On the basis of raw material, the global friction modifier additives market can be segmented into: esters, natural and synthetic fatty acids, graphite, and molybdenum disulfide, etc.On the basis of application, the global friction modifier additives market can be segmented as: gasoline engine oils, automatic & manual transmission, tractor hydraulic systems, power steering, shock absorbers, and metalworking applications, etc.On the basis of region, the global friction modifier additives market can be segmented into: North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, and Middle East and Africa (MEA).Global Friction Modifier Additives Market: Drivers and RestraintsRising consumer inclination towards enhancing fuel efficiency of vehicles, variations in transmission fluids and temperatures, continuing requirements for extended hardware durability, specification changes driven by OEMs are some of the key factors expected to drive the growth of the global friction modifier additives market over the forecast period.Rising raw material prices, reduction of drain intervals, and export/import laws and regulations are some of the factors restraining the growth of the global friction modifier additives marketGlobal Friction Modifier Additives Market: Region wise OutlookThe global friction modifier additives market is projected to witness a considerable growth in CAGR from 2016 to 2026. Currently, North America and Western Europe are the matured market for friction modifier additive suppliers. However, Asia-Pacific, and MEA are expected to become lucrative regional market for key players operating in the global friction modifier additives market. FMI forecast the market in Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at fastest CAGR over the forecast period.Request for Sample Report and Table of content @:Global Friction Modifier Additives Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players identified in the global friction modifier additives market are: BASF SE, AkzoNobel N.V., Afton Chemical Corporation, Chevron Oronite Company, LLC, Archoil, Vanderbilt Chemicals, LLC, Croda International Plc, and Evonik Industries, etc.About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact Us:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Bitcoin Technology Global Market Analysis, Size, Share, Trends, Growth And Forecast, 2014 - 2020 | Now Available at Researchmoz.us

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Bitcoin Technology Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends, Growth And Forecast, 2014 - 2020" to its huge collection of research reports.Bitcoin is peer-to-peer payment system that introduced as open source software. The payments in system are recorded in a public ledger by using its own unit of account that is called bitcoin. Bitcoins are developed as a reward for processing payment work, in that users provide their computing power to confirm and record payments into public ledger. In addition to this, bitcoins can also be obtained in exchange for fiat products, money and services. Electronically, users can also send and receive bitcoins for an optional transaction fee by using wallet software on a mobile device, personal computer or web application.Bitcoin as a form of payment for services and products has observed growth and merchants have an incentive to accept the digital currency since fees are lower than 23% normally forced by credit card processors. The European Banking Authority has informed that bitcoin lacks in consumer protections. Unlike credit cards, fees are paid by purchaser not the vendor. Bitcoins can also be stolen and charge backs are impossible. Commercial use of the bitcoin is presently small as compared to its use by speculators that has fueled price volatility.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @It is easy to observe a revolutionary change in finance system would impact the pensions industries and insurance and thus work carried out by actuaries. However, in the short term, impact of bitcoin is expected to be much less dramatic. It is feasible to be for small internet purchases, instead denominating investment and insurance contracts. In long term, its finite supply means currency would ultimately be seen as an alternative to gold as a safe investment. Bitcoin also offers several benefits to organization such as daily cash outs, low transaction fees, no payment reversals and merchant tools that exist to simplify experience.One of the greatest challenges to entry for consumers is difficulty related with spending and acquiring bitcoins. Mining is beyond the technical capabilities of average consumer, so the most accepted way to acquire currency is to buy existing bitcoins from the other users. This is done on a several websites, but the process is bulky and slow as compared to online virtual currency exchanges. However, owning to the regulatory ambiguity surrounding fledgling currency, banks are reluctant to do business with the companies that are involved in bitcoin exchange markets that has undersized the growth of these services.In addition to this, UK-based Company named Elliptic recently declared that bitcoin balances deposited with them would be insured by established London underwriter that should dispel some concerns around theft and loss that have deterred several potential investors. Growing adoption by merchants and recent steps taken by regulators to assist bitcoin start-ups to offer legal framework for the currency. For a technology that has reached its fifth birthday in January this year, Bitcoin has come a long way.The Prudential Regulation Authority is doubtful to advocate holding bitcoins to back insurance liabilities yet, but if technology continues to progress at its current rate, the finance industry would do good to keep an eye on developments to make sure it is not caught off-guard.This research report analyzes this market depending on its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report include- North America- Asia Pacific- Europe- Rest of the WorldThis report provides comprehensive analysis of- Market growth drivers- Factors limiting market growth- Current market trends- Market structure- Market projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this Report- This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics- It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth- It provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow- It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future- It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors- It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segments- It provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segments.Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Advanced Modern Wound Care Products Market Key Trends in terms of value Till 2020

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Traditional wound care products include dressings, gauze and cotton along with other absorbents and are popular even today. However, these devices fell short on controlling infections and exudates. Along with this, there was also a pressing need for treatment of chronic wounds such as venous ulcers, diabetic ulcers and pressure sores. Increasing cases of chemical and thermal burns also added to this necessity. The result of constant research and development by innovative companies resulted in advanced or modern wound care products. Governmental regulations have increased the urgency of hospitals to reduce hospital acquired conditions. Starting October 2014, hospitals with the lowest performing 25% in HACs will bear a 1% reduction in their DRG payment rate. This can be translated as a cut of over US$ 450,000 - US$ 650,000 for an average-size hospital. Pressure ulcers form a significant portion of HACs in hospitals across the world. The condition is difficult to treat in aging people and can become the cause of additional medical treatment and add to discomfort. The market for modern advanced wound care products includes hydrogel dressings, hydrocolloidal, foam, silver anti-microbial, calcium alginate, non-adherent absorbent dressings. Advanced wound care also includes electro-mechanic devices such as negative pressure wound therapy or NPWT. This segment has in recent years risen up due to an extensive demand from healthcare facilities to treat chronic wounds. Newer techniques such as Bolster dressings are using biophysics in order to combat wound treatment. Bolster dressings are used to cover contoured wounds and skin grafts. New techniques and products such as artificially engineered skin and skin substitutes are leading factors responsible for the growth of the market. Derma Sciences AmnioMatrix is one such product that is expected to create waves in this industry. Other drivers include the rising incidence of chronic wounds occurring from an explosion in the diabetic population. Another notable market segment, the NPWT is gaining high acceptance and almost every wound care player such as Coloplast, Molnlycke, DeRoyal, Medela, Acelity-KCI, Smith & Nephew are today competing in this segment.Free Sample Report@Although traditional wound care dressings and gauze account for a share of over 20%, the market has fallen greatly in the last 2 decades and is now a part of a very large, unregulated and commoditized industry. Foam and adhesive dressings are in high demand in majority hospitals over the world today and are routinely used even across developing countries. Currently however, North America and Europe still lead the market for advanced modern wound care products. In 2014, the global advanced modern wound care products market was valued at US$ 5.5 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2016 to 2020. Latin America, Middle-East, Asia-Pacific and Africa are large consumers of traditional wound care products, however, this trend has changed significantly in the last 2 decades and the traditional wound care products are observed to have been mostly phased out from healthcare facilities such as clinics and hospitals. In terms of market players, the industry is very fragmented and over 30 notable companies have been recorded across the world. Top players include BSN Medical, Derma Sciences, Smith & Nephew, Coloplast, 3M Healthcare, DeRoyal, Hartmann Group, ConvaTec, Kinetic Concepts, Molynlycke, Johnson & Johnson, Stryker Corp, Shire Plc, Lohmann and Rauscher GmbH, Hollister Wound Care llc, B. Braun Aesculap, Medline industries, Covidien PLC and Baxter International. This report is intended for wound care product manufacturers, medical professionals, analysts in the healthcare industry and other stake-holders such as venture capitalists and investors.Click For Request TOC@About UsSpearhead Acuity Business Research & Consulting Private Limited (SA-BRC) is a premium Life Science business intelligence and data analytics firm. SA-BRC team offers a wide range of business intelligence services to multiple stakeholders such as Medical Device Manufacturers, Service Providers (Hospitals, Payers, etc.), Suppliers, Group Purchase Organizations, Distributors and all other individuals in the entire value chain of healthcare industry. Our research and consulting capabilities extend across several sub-domains within the sphere of Life Sciences such as Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Medical Devices, Veterinary Sciences, Wellness Products and Pharmaceuticals.Contact UsJohn Whitmore10685-B Hazelhurst Drive,Suite 17411Houston, Texas 77043,United StatesPhone: +1(832)-426-3701Email: sales@sa-brc.comWebsite:
IT and Telecom in Healthcare Market Global Industry Volume and Region Analysis 2023

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As per the report, IT supports the healthcare industry by handling a number of peripheral and core operations of the industry. The functions of IT range from patient data storage to patient health monitoring to the presentation of optimal therapies for patients. Various cutting-edge technologies such as SaaS, telecom-centric solutions, and cloud computing have been specifically developed for the healthcare industry. The advent of telecom has also resulted in healthcare providers leveraging their conventional medical care resources such as clinics, hospitals, and equipment across a broader remote patient base. In addition, telecom providers have fulfilled the rising demand from the healthcare industry for greater bandwidth, mobility solutions, and high-performance technologies.Download Exclusive Global Strategic Business Report:A new market research report by Transparency Market Research, titled The Role of IT and Telecom in Healthcare Industry Analysis and Forecast 2015-2023, presents an extensive study on the key roles of telecom and IT within the healthcare industry. The growth trends seen in the healthcare industry owing to IT and telecom playing major roles have also been illustrated in this study. The numerous opportunities, drivers, and inhibitors experienced by the healthcare industry in the forecast horizon have also been presented in this report. The growth of the industry has been estimated on the basis of revenue across various geographical segments. The competitive profiling of the prime players operating in the telecom and IT sectors and the various technologies introduced by them for the development of the healthcare industry are also a part of this study. Thus, the report provides a closer look on the healthcare industry, particularly from the perspective of the telecom and IT industry.Moving further, the report states that the development in telecommunications has also enabled remote patient monitoring as well as accurate methodologies for the treatment and diagnosis of medical conditions. This is why the quality of medical care is predicted to immensely improve in emerging economies in the coming years. Further, the report states that 24/7 monitoring is made possible by the implementation of telecom and IT in the healthcare industry. This has resulted in an increasing demand for telecommunications and IT products within the healthcare industry and this demand is poised to increase in forthcoming years, as per this study.The report states that owing to rising usage of interconnected networks as well as electronic health records (EHR), collaboration will be seen amongst care teams, clinicians, and organizations for optimization of treatment resources in the healthcare industry. In the last section of the report, the healthcare industry has been segmented on the basis of geography into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Data regarding the performance of each regional segment is given in the report.Browse Full Research Report on IT and Telecom in Healthcare Market:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog:
Polyethylene Glycol Market: Set for Expansive Growth by 2026

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Polyethylene glycol (PEG): IntroductionPolyethylene glycol (PEG) is one of the most frequently used non-ionic polymers in polymer-based drug delivery and other bioactivities. Since polyethylene glycol has high aqueous solubility, it is considered for pro-drug conjugation. This appreciative status and use of PEGlycation technology in biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications has led to many progressive steps in the medical field. The existent scientific literature testifies for the various applications of polymers derived from polyethylene glycol (PEGs). The collective experience surrounding this material and relief provided by governing authorities around the world regarding its usage will lead to its increased usage in many medical device applications and drugs, which in turn will expand the market for polyethylene glycol in research and development areas. Better opportunities are predicted for the polyethylene glycol market in a range of applications such as diagnostics areas and drug development, drug delivery, cell culture models, tissue regeneration and wound healing over forecast period.A sample of this report is available upon request:Other significant characteristics of polyethylene glycol such as wear resistance and non-toxicity and solubility has benefited the polyethylene glycol market in case of various applications such as chemical intermediates, textiles, agriculture, ceramics, wood treatment, household products and others.Polyethylene Glycol: Drivers and RestraintsIncreased manufacturing of eye drops and laxatives coupled with the growth of pharmaceutical industry has increased the use of polyethylene glycol as a solvent which will drive the growth for polyethylene glycol market in future. Rising demand for water-based coatings and paints for application in automotive and construction industries has also increased the demand for polyethylene glycol as it has low volatile organic combustion (VOC). This will also affect the market positively. Also, since households and the construction industry are crucial consumers of ceramic tiles, any progress made in these sectors will expand the polyethylene glycol market over the coming decade.Increasing demand for skincare and cosmetic products will also cause the polyethylene glycol market to grow. Some of the new experiments being done in the field of research & development such as the development of polyethylene glycol hydrogels which are used as adhesives for wound healing, wound closure, regenerative medicine tool with dopamine, tissue models and cell cultures will lead to opportunities for the polyethylene glycol market.However, the presence of alternatives, for instance monoethylene glycol (MEG) and various other glycol ethers in the market, will pose a credible risk to the polyethylene glycol market and negatively impact its future. The stringent environmental protocols related to the manufacturing of personal care and pharmaceutical products may also impede the market growth for polyethylene glycol.Request to view Table of Content:Polyethylene Glycol: Region wise OutlookBased on geography, the Polyethylene glycol market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Japan, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Middle-East Asia and Africa. Among these, the Asia-Pacific is expected to become the largest market for polyethylene glycol. This will happen mostly due to the presence of large-scale automotive and pharmaceutical firms. In emerging economies such as India, Brazil and China, expenditure over pharmaceutical products has exhibited a rise, thus affecting the polyethylene glycol market positively. Growing production in automotive industry and the growth in the construction sector is also expected to boost the polyethylene glycol market mostly in Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East. Dominance of U.S.A. in the pharmaceutical industry will also affect the polyethylene glycol market in North America positively. Promotion of biopolymer industries by European Commission would result in new market opportunities for chemical manufacturers which are dedicated to developing bio-based polyethylene glycol.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, application, and industry.About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact Us:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Meanwhile, Theresa May's 12-point blueprint for Brexit is backed by a ratio of more than two to one, a poll revealed today.



Nearly half of voters also backed her threat to walk away from negotiations and her stance that no deal is better than a bad deal.





PM bangs the drum for post-Brexit Britain in speech to power elite in Davos but delivers stark warning that they MUST heed anger about immigration and inequality

HSBC has indicated 1,000 jobs from the bank's London business are on course to move to Paris, while Switzerland's UBS is also preparing to move posts from the UK to the continent.

But Mrs May has been boosted by the the boss of Barclays making clear it believes the City of London will remain the financial capital of Europe. And JP Morgan has said that investors are still 'upbeat' about the UK's prospects.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde has resumed her doom-mongering about Brexit by warning of years of 'pain' to come.

EU leaders have insisted Britain will have to settle a 'divorce' bill of up to 60billion before they even start talking about a trade deal.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has said the UK is already in disucssions with 12 countries over deals that could be sealed straight after we formally leave the EU.

UK ALREADY 'IN TALKS WITH 12 COUNTRIES' OVER POST-BREXIT TRADE DEALS





International Trade Secretary Liam Fox



Britain has already started trade talks with a dozen countries in preparation for Brexit, Liam Fox has said.



The International Trade Secretary is laying the groundwork for deals to be announced as soon as we leave the EU.



The prospective partners include China, India, Australia and South Korea, as well as Middle East states such as Saudi Arabia and Oman.



In an article for the Telegraph, Dr Fox said: When we leave we will want to develop new arrangements with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India.



We are conducting trade audits with a number of countries to see how we can remove barriers to trade and investment to our mutual benefit.



There is such a big world for us to do business with, and we intend to do just that. We should do so with considerable self-confidence.



The comments are likely to enrage EU leaders, as under the bloc's strict rules the UK is banned from entering formal trade talks before formally cutting ties.



US President-elect Donald Trump said this week that he wanted to do a 'great' trade deal with the UK as quickly as possible. Britain has already started trade talks with a dozen countries in preparation for Brexit, Liam Fox has said.The International Trade Secretary is laying the groundwork for deals to be announced as soon as we leave the EU.The prospective partners include China, India, Australia and South Korea, as well as Middle East states such as Saudi Arabia and Oman.In an article for the Telegraph, Dr Fox said: When we leave we will want to develop new arrangements with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India.We are conducting trade audits with a number of countries to see how we can remove barriers to trade and investment to our mutual benefit.There is such a big world for us to do business with, and we intend to do just that. We should do so with considerable self-confidence.The comments are likely to enrage EU leaders, as under the bloc's strict rules the UK is banned from entering formal trade talks before formally cutting ties.US President-elect Donald Trump said this week that he wanted to do a 'great' trade deal with the UK as quickly as possible.



PM's Brexit demands are BACKED by public but only one in five think the EU will agree



Theresa May's 12-point blueprint for Brexit is backed by a ratio of more than two to one, a poll revealed today.



Nearly half of voters also backed her threat to walk away from negotiations and her stance that no deal is better than a bad deal.



But only one in five believe EU leaders will agree to Mrs Mays demands.





Theresa May's 12-point blueprint for Brexit is backed by a ratio of more than two to one, a poll revealed today



More than half (56 per cent) think EU member states will reject her blueprint, while one in four are unsure.



In today's YouGov poll for The Times, all of Mrs May's key negotiating points were met with a majority of support.



A majority (57 per cent) support leaving Europe's single market, while 56 per cent back leaving the customs union, which allows tariff-free trade across the continent.



Nearly half of voters (47 per cent) are confident in Mrs May's negotiating skills, according to the poll, while 38 per cent are not.

Theresa May's 12-point blueprint for Brexit is backed by a ratio of more than two to one, a poll revealed today.Nearly half of voters also backed her threat to walk away from negotiations and her stance that no deal is better than a bad deal.But only one in five believe EU leaders will agree to Mrs Mays demands.More than half (56 per cent) think EU member states will reject her blueprint, while one in four are unsure.In today's YouGov poll for The Times, all of Mrs May's key negotiating points were met with a majority of support.A majority (57 per cent) support leaving Europe's single market, while 56 per cent back leaving the customs union, which allows tariff-free trade across the continent.Nearly half of voters (47 per cent) are confident in Mrs May's negotiating skills, according to the poll, while 38 per cent are not.



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By James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline and Matt Dathan, Political Correspondent For Mailonline 19 January 2017 Theresa May banged the drum for post-Brexit Britain in a speech to the power elite in Davos today - but also took them to task for failing to heed fears about immigration and inequality.In an outspoken ultimatum to corporate titans and politicians at the annual gathering, the Prime Minister said they had 'ignored the legitimate concerns' of the public for too long.The far left and far right were offering 'easy answers' and feeding off the sense that struggling families are being left behind while the wealthy thrive.Mrs May made clear the bosses had to pay their taxes - insisting they had to 'play by the same rules as everyone else'.But the premier also made a broad pitch to position the UK as a champion of free trade and commerce, saying the country now had a 'unique opportunity' to lead a new agenda for social justice.The speech appeared to get a lukewarm response from the hall at the World Economic Forum - where the big players are not used to being told they have failed.But the attitude of the corporate bosses and bankers at the annual World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort could be crucial to the UK's prospects.As the implications of the PM's bold Brexit speech this week continued to reverberate:In her address, Mrs May said the 'forces of liberalism, free trade and globalisation' had harnessed 'unprecedented levels of wealth and opportunity' and 'lifted millions out of poverty around the world'.But she warned: Forces that underpin the rules-based international system that is key to global prosperity and security are somehow at risk of being undermined.And as we meet here this morning, across Europe parties of the far left and the far right are seeking to exploit this opportunity, gathering support by feeding off an underlying and keenly-felt sense among some people  often those on modest-to-low incomes living in relatively rich countries around the West  that these forces are not working for them.Those parties who embrace the politics of division and despair, who offer easy answers, who claim to understand peoples problems and always know what and who to blame, feed off something else too  the sense among the public that mainstream political and business leaders have failed to comprehend their legitimate concerns for too long.In a particularly stern passage, the PM underlined her determination to lead an 'active' government that ensured wealth was shared more fairly.Swiping at companies who have been dodging taxes, she pointed out the public's faith in the behaviour of businesses was very low and they must do their bit.'It means playing by the same rules as everyone else when it comes to tax and behaviour, because in the UK trust in business runs at just 35 per cent among those in the lowest income brackets,' she said.'It means putting aside short-term considerations and investing in people and communities for the long-term.'The premier said Brexit was giving the UK a 'unique opportunity' to spearhead change.The country 'will step up to a new leadership role as the strongest and most forceful advocate for business, free markets and free trade anywhere in the world'.Dutch PM Mark Rutte warned that the UK would pay a 'huge price' for putting control of immigration above membership of the single market.'(The UK) is now making a choice to control migration, and they are paying a huge price because the economic growth rate of the UK will be impacted negatively by the fact that it will leave the biggest market in the world,' he said at a fringe event in Davos.'So they are willing to pay the price, but it has also a consequence for the rest of Europe but particularly for the UK.'Mrs May could bump into some ghosts from the past while in Davos, as both David Cameron and George Osborne are attending.Both men have had lucrative speaking engagements - with Mr Cameron lecturing at a private dinner held by accounting firm PwC last night and Mr Osborne starring at an exclusive HSBC event.Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne were also understood to be on the guest list for a party hosted by their old friend PR guru Matthew Freud at the mountain-top Schatzalp hotel last night.Mr Cameron, who used last year's stage to make the case for staying in the EU, is only speaking at events on the fringe this year and has embarrassingly become the butt of some jokes.Luiz Carlos Trabuco Cappi, the president of Brazilian bank Bradesco, said: 'A year ago, those who shone in the hallways here included the former British Prime Minister David Cameron. Who thought Brexit was going to happen?'The going rate for the pair's speaking engagements is likely to be up to 100,000.Both Remainers have raked in hundreds of thousands of pounds for corporate speeches since being brutally evicted from Downing Street in the wake of the historic EU referendum.Since being booted out of office, Mr Osborne has declared earning more than 600,000 on top of his 74,000 MP's salary.And Mr Cameron got 120,000 for a single speech to Wall Street financiers in November.Meanwhile, Mrs May has urged people to 'stop fighting the battles of the past' and accept the UK is going to leave the European Union.Saying the government will unveil a 'modern industrial strategy next week, she painted it as part of her plan to turn post-Brexit Britain into a 'great meritocracy' and create a 'more united nation'.She said her Brexit plan  leaving the single market but seeking a comprehensive free trade deal with Brussels  would result in a 'new and equal partnership between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU'.But the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt warned it was an 'illusion' to suggest the UK could leave the EU but retain the benefits of tariff-free trade.Mrs May, who is keen to ensure her administration is not dominated by Brexit, said her approach was part of a wider plan 'to shape the country we want to be when we have left the EU'.She said: 'Our modern industrial strategy, which we will publish next week, will lay the foundations to build a more prosperous and more equal Britain.'We will spread wealth and opportunity across every community. And we will help young people to develop the skills they need to do the high-paid, high-skilled jobs of the future.'We will create a fairer society by breaking down the barriers of privilege and making Britain a great meritocracy where success is defined by work and talent, not birth or circumstance.'This will include going further in reforming our schools and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive in a post-Brexit Britain.'A Downing Street spokeswoman said of the Davos speech: 'I think it will be an opportunity for her primarily to engage with a wide range of business leaders and inward investors from around the world, talking to them about the Government's plan for Brexit, the type of relationship we will be seeking with the EU moving forward, the opportunities of strengthening our trading relationships with other countries and the benefits that that can bring for business.'
Life Science Products Market Worth US$ 2,600.5 million by End of Assessment period

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According to a study conducted by Persistence Market Research (PMR) on the global market for life science products, incessant progress in the field of biotech science has led to the development of various new-age and consumer-friendly life science products in recent years. The PMR study reveals that the global life science products market is set to witness a CAGR of over 4% in terms of revenue between 2016 -2024. The market is expected to create an absolute $ opportunity of US$ 114.9 Million in 2017 over 2016.Availability of advanced technological support and a continuously expanding information database owing to intensive analysis and combined research expeditions on various life science topics has resulted in the development of novel therapeutics. Accordingly, the arrival of latest antibody manufacturing methods has greatly improved the overall propositions of scientific research and analysis activities. Likewise, the emergence of academia as the primary organization for conducting basic research is expected to accelerate the growth of the life science products market.A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @PMR indicates that low reproducibility of research and poor specificity of products coupled with high cost of technology restricting robust adoption are the major impediments of the market. Further, lengthy lead durations for custom research requirements may also inhibit the overall market growth.Based on product type, demand for antibodies is expected to remain high during the forecasted period. In 2015, the antibodies segment accounted for nearly 83% share of the market in terms value. This is primarily due to higher investment in R&D pipelines, especially in the region of Asia Pacific. The antibodies segment is followed by recombinant proteins segment, which is projected to surpass a market valuation of over US$ 470 Million by 2024-end.On the basis of application, basic research is the predominant segment of the market estimated to reach a market valuation of US$ 2,600.5 million by the end of the assessment period. Whereas, the drug discovery and development segment is projected to witness the highest growth rate, reflecting a CAGR of 4.7% over the period of forecast. In addition, the current market valuation of drug discovery & development is US$ 350.5 Million, which is estimated to surpass US$ 506 Million by the end of 2024.Based on end-user, academic and research institutes is the leading segment of the market. In 2015 the segment accounted for over 42% share of the market in 2015. In terms of growth, contract research organizations is anticipated to be the fastest growing segment, registering 5.3% CAGR over the assessment period.In 2016, the life science products market in Asia Pacific accounted for the maximum share in terms of value. The region is set to ride on a strong CAGR of over 5% during the evaluation period. Higher public and private R&D initiatives on life science research are lifting up the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals sector in Asia to a significant extent. This, in turn, is stimulating the market growth in the region.Request to View Tables of Content @Key players operating in the global market for life science products include Abcam Plc., A.M.S. Biotechnology Limited, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., BPS Bioscience Inc., Crown Bioscience Inc., Genscript Biotech Corporation, Merck Millipore Ltd., PerkinElmer, Inc., Sigma Aldrich Corporation, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Most of these companies are actively focusing on improving distribution channels and sales network in order to consolidate their market position. Moreover, companies are also emphasizing on enhancing their product offerings, making them more demand-specific to meet consumer expectation.To Buy Full Report for a Single User @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated re-search, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Con-sumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs en-gagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global (Us, Eu, Japan & China) Smart Coating Market Supply and Consumption Market Research Report 2017-2021

Smart Coating Industry

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On Global (Us, Eu, Japan & China) Smart Coating Market Supply and Consumption Market Research Report 2017-2021Report SummaryThe 'Global and Chinese Smart Coating Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Smart Coating industry with a focus on the Chinese market.The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Smart Coating 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 ManufacturersCompany ACompany BCompnay CCompany D..ContinuedTable of Contents Smart Coating IndustryChapter One Introduction of Smart Coating Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of Smart Coating1.2 Development of Smart Coating Industry1.3 Status of Smart Coating IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Smart Coating2.1 Development of Smart Coating Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of Smart Coating Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of Smart Coating Manufacturing Technology..Chapter Four 2011-2016 Global and Chinese Market of Smart Coating4.1 2011-2016 Global Capacity, Production and Production Value of Smart Coating Industry4.2 2011-2016 Global Cost and Profit of Smart Coating Industry4.3 Market Comparison of Global and Chinese Smart Coating Industry4.4 2011-2016 Global and Chinese Supply and Consumption of Smart Coating4.5 2011-2016 Chinese Import and Export of Smart CoatingChapter Five Market Status of Smart Coating Industry5.1 Market Competition of Smart Coating Industry by Company5.2 Market Competition of Smart Coating Industry by Country (USA, EU, Japan, Chinese etc.)5.3 Market Analysis of Smart Coating Consumption by Application/TypeChapter Six 2016-2021 Market Forecast of Global and Chinese Smart Coating Industry6.1 2016-2021 Global and Chinese Capacity, Production, and Production Value of Smart Coating6.2 2016-2021 Smart Coating Industry Cost and Profit Estimation6.3 2016-2021 Global and Chinese Market Share of Smart Coating6.4 2016-2021 Global and Chinese Supply and Consumption of Smart Coating6.5 2016-2021 Chinese Import and Export of Smart CoatingChapter Eight Global and Chinese Economic Impact on Smart Coating 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 Smart Coating IndustryContinued.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
International Conference on Cancer Biology and Therapeutics 2017

Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. The main theme of the conference is " Integrating and Innovating the Ideas of Cancer Therapeutics', its gonna held in Dallas, Texas, USA on September 21, 2017. So, lets join our hands together and fight gainst cancer.Allied Academies was founded by Jim and JoAnn Carland and the headquarters is located in North Carolina in United States of America. It conducts several academic conferences each year in different locations with internet participation possibilities for those who are physically unable to attend the conferences. Conference registrants are eligible for the Accelerated Journal Review. To provide you with maximum outlets for your research, Allied Business Academies holds joint meetings of all its member academies. In 1994 they launched the Journal of the International Academy of Case Studies, which has become a leader in publishing classroom teaching cases in business.P.O. Box 670, candler, NC 28715, USA
Equine Veterinary Services Market Global Industry Volume By Region 2023

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Equine Veterinary Services Market: OverviewGlobal equine veterinary market is observed to be a multi-billion dollar industry that consists of various equine activities such as horse racing, competitive riding and leisure. Thus, various veterinary services that supplement the growth of this market are vaccination, gynecological care, dental care, gastroscopy, lameness, respiratory care, colic assessment and treatment.The vaccination regime of horses is integral part of equine health against various clinical conditions like equine influenza, tetanus, strangles, ringworm, EHV (Equine Herpes Virus), EVA (Equine Viral Arteries) and West Nile Virus (WNV). Dental care services include the routine dental examinations and rasping service for horses, some of the complex problems are also diagnosed with an X-ray.Request a PDF Brochure with Report Analysis:The gynecological care comprises routine sampling of CEM (Contagious Equine Metritis) and EVA testing , fertility check accompanied with hysteroscopies, artificial insemination, pregnancy diagnosis, pregnancy follow-up, assistance during foal birth and umbilical scanning, bloodsampling for IgG estimation in newborn foal health management. Gastroscopy consists of use of 3 meter videoscope for diagnosis of gastric ulcers. Lameness is one of the most common cause that affects limbs of horses and is diagnosed with digital X-rays, ultrasound and thermal scans. Respiratory care includes services related with tracheal washing and broncho-alveolar-lavage.Equine Veterinary Services Market: Region-wise OutlookThe veterinary services provided in market by major breeding farms and equine veterinary hospitals. This is a very specialized sector and is limited to equine species healthcare management hence, overall its considered to be a premium sector because of the specific requirements. The major market shift is estimated to be observed in coming five years where due to economic downturn in Europe has forced the market to export the horses to slaughterhouses or to Asian countries as there is significant potential for horse racing and showcase in China. This is perceived to affect the North American and European global market share in equine veterinary market as the Asia-Pacific market is observed to be growing in case of horse population.As a constituent of Asia-Pacific, Australian equine market was observed to rank among the top three regional equestrian and equine veterinary services markets. After the European downturn and legal hindrances in North American market Australia turned out to be among the leading horse producing / breeding countries in the world. On the same basis, China was perceive to expand its investing and capacity in horse racing and betting by importing quality breeds from countries especially from European region.Thus, China intends to maintain particularly race-horse breeds; as race-horses require additional care and supervision thus equine veterinary services market is expected to grow significantly. According to a equine industry source, China is mounting the capacity and investing in horse racing and betting by importing quality breeds from North American and European countries. The equestrian racing infrastructure development comprises of horse race-tracks developed with an investment of approximately USD 2.0 billion with about 3,000 horses. Investment also comprises the cost of s developing trainers and riders in particular equine training schools.Equine Veterinary Services Market: Key Segments and PlayersThe major products observed in the industry are in-house diagnostics, reference laboratories, digital imaging and others. The in-house diagnostics segment is expected to account for the largest share in the global equine veterinary services market. Some of the key players having presence in the global equine veterinary services market are IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Medical Management International, National Veterinary Associates and VCA Antech, 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.Browse Full Research Report on Equine Veterinary Services Market:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog:
Global Metallic Gasket Industry, 2017 Market Research Report

Metallic Gasket Industry

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Metallic Gasket IndustrySummeryThe 'Global and Chinese Metallic Gasket Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Metallic Gasket industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Metallic Gasket manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.Request for Sample Report @Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2011-2016 market shares for each company. Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Metallic Gasket industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export.The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis. The report then estimates 2016-2021 market development trends of Metallic Gasket industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Metallic Gasket Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2011-2021 global and Chinese Metallic Gasket industry covering all important parameters.Complete Description of Report @Table of contentChapter One Introduction of Metallic Gasket Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of Metallic Gasket1.2 Development of Metallic Gasket Industry1.3 Status of Metallic Gasket IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Metallic Gasket2.1 Development of Metallic Gasket Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of Metallic Gasket Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of Metallic Gasket Manufacturing TechnologyChapter Three Analysis of Global Key Manufacturers3.1 Company A3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Product Information3.1.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.1.4 Contact Information3.2 Company B3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Product Information3.2.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.2.4 Contact Information3.3 Company C3.2.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Product Information3.3.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.3.4 Contact Information3.4 Company D3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Product Information3.4.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.4.4 Contact Information3.5 Company E3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.5.4 Contact Information3.6 Company F3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.6.4 Contact Information3.7 Company G3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Product Information3.7.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.7.4 Contact Information3.8 Company H3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Product Information3.8.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.8.4 Contact InformationChapter Four 2011-2016 Global and Chinese Metallic GasketChapter Five Market Status of Metallic Gasket IndustryChapter Six 2016-2021 Market Forecast of Global and Chinese Metallic Gasket IndustryChapter Seven Analysis of Metallic Gasket Industry ChainChapter Eight Global and Chinese Economic Impact on Metallic Gasket IndustryChapter Nine Market Dynamics of Metallic Gasket IndustryChapter Ten Proposals for New ProjectChapter Eleven Research Conclusions of Global and Chinese Metallic Gasket IndustryBuy now @Tables and FiguresFigure Metallic Gasket Product PictureTable Development of Metallic Gasket Manufacturing TechnologyFigure Manufacturing Process of Metallic GasketTable Trends of Metallic Gasket Manufacturing TechnologyFigure Company A Metallic Gasket Product and SpecificationsTable 2011-2016 Company A Metallic Gasket Product Capacity, Production, and Production Value etc. ListFigure 2011-2016 Company A Metallic Gasket Capacity Production and Growth RateFigure 2011-2016 Company A Metallic Gasket Production Global Market ShareFigure Company B Metallic Gasket Product and SpecificationsContinued...Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories. WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTD Pune - 411028 Maharashtra, India Ph: +91 841 198 5042
Space Heaters Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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Space heaters account for a large proportion of the energy consumption of residential consumers. Space heaters consume more energy than any other residential activity such as lighting, refrigeration, and cooking. People are increasingly investing on space heaters as they complement heating systems and can be utilized to heat small areas. The space heaters market is segmented into types and geography. On the basis of types, the market is segregated into ceramic heaters, fan heaters, convection heaters, and radiant heaters. The growing penetration of electronic devices in emerging countries is one of the key factors likely to propel the growth of the market during the forecast period. In addition, the recent increase in per capita income is expected to augment the adoption of electric and technologically upgraded products over the forecast period. Improvements in the capabilities of installers are expected to drive the growth of this market.Download Research Brochure PDF@Moreover, it has been observed that installers are maximizing their online presence and collaborating with vendors to capitalize on every possible means of increasing their visibility for consumers. They are also focusing on developing online portfolios to ensure that they are visible to potential consumers of smart space heaters. The procedure of installing smart space heaters and wall mounted heaters is different from that of traditional heaters. Thus, vendors are investing on training installers to improve their efficiency and provide improved services to customers. Due to increase in the number of working members of families, people are increasingly adopting electric home appliances. Increasing demand for high-priced space heaters is expected to create an area of opportunity for the growth of the market over the forecast period. Moreover, local manufacturers are introducing newer products to capitalize on the populaces increasing purchasing power.Geographically, the space heaters market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America. Europe dominated the global demand for space heaters in 2015 in terms of revenue. The U.K. and Germany are anticipated to experience rapid growth, propelling the usage of space heaters in Europe. Increasing spending on space heaters to complement centralized heating systems will result in this markets steady growth in Europe during the forecast period. Cold climatic conditions primarily influence the requirement for heating devices such as space heaters, which can provide thermal comfort to residential spaces. This requirement varies from region to region based on variations in climatic conditions, which primarily depends on precipitation and temperature. Furthermore, developing regions continue to command a considerable share of the global space heaters market that creates huge opportunities for market players. Asian countries like India, China, and Japan have witnessed an increase in the demand for space heaters. Moreover, Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar and Turkey, will contribute to the growth of the market owing to the growing demand for space heaters.The global space heaters market is highly competitive with the presence of large scale and small scale vendors. The market is mainly dominated by a few key players from the home appliance industry. The market is primarily driven by technological development of existing products and innovation in the product range of different vendors. To survive in this competitive market and to gain success, it is very important for manufacturers to distinguish their product and services through a unique and clear value proposition.Some of the key players operating in the space heaters market are De' Longhi Group, Honeywell International, Jarden Consumer Solutions, and Lasko Products Inc. among others. Other prominent vendors are Dyson, Optimus Enterprise Inc., Rinnai, Sunpentown, and Vornado among others.Browse Full Report@About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact Us:-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Global Metallic Soap Thickener Industry, 2017 Market Research Report

Metallic Soap Thickener Industry

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Metallic Soap Thickener IndustrySummeryThe 'Global and Chinese Metallic Soap Thickener Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Metallic Soap Thickener industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Metallic Soap Thickener manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.Request for Sample Report @Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2011-2016 market shares for each company. Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Metallic Soap Thickener industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export.The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis. The report then estimates 2016-2021 market development trends of Metallic Soap Thickener industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Metallic Soap Thickener Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2011-2021 global and Chinese Metallic Soap Thickener industry covering all important parameters.Complete Description of Report @Table of contentChapter One Introduction of Metallic Soap Thickener Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of Metallic Soap Thickener1.2 Development of Metallic Soap Thickener Industry1.3 Status of Metallic Soap Thickener IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Metallic Soap Thickener2.1 Development of Metallic Soap Thickener Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of Metallic Soap Thickener Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of Metallic Soap Thickener Manufacturing TechnologyChapter Three Analysis of Global Key Manufacturers3.1 Company A3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Product Information3.1.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.1.4 Contact Information3.2 Company B3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Product Information3.2.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.2.4 Contact Information3.3 Company C3.2.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Product Information3.3.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.3.4 Contact Information3.4 Company D3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Product Information3.4.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.4.4 Contact Information3.5 Company E3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.5.4 Contact Information3.6 Company F3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.6.4 Contact Information3.7 Company G3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Product Information3.7.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.7.4 Contact Information3.8 Company H3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Product Information3.8.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.8.4 Contact InformationChapter Four 2011-2016 Global and Chinese Metallic Soap ThickenerChapter Five Market Status of Metallic Soap Thickener IndustryChapter Six 2016-2021 Market Forecast of Global and Chinese Metallic Soap Thickener IndustryChapter Seven Analysis of Metallic Soap Thickener Industry ChainChapter Eight Global and Chinese Economic Impact on Metallic Soap Thickener IndustryChapter Nine Market Dynamics of Metallic Soap Thickener IndustryChapter Ten Proposals for New ProjectChapter Eleven Research Conclusions of Global and Chinese Metallic Soap Thickener IndustryBuy now @Tables and FiguresFigure Metallic Soap Thickener Product PictureTable Development of Metallic Soap Thickener Manufacturing TechnologyFigure Manufacturing Process of Metallic Soap ThickenerTable Trends of Metallic Soap Thickener Manufacturing TechnologyFigure Company A Metallic Soap Thickener Product and SpecificationsTable 2011-2016 Company A Metallic Soap Thickener Product Capacity, Production, and Production Value etc. ListFigure 2011-2016 Company A Metallic Soap Thickener Capacity Production and Growth RateFigure 2011-2016 Company A Metallic Soap Thickener Production Global Market ShareFigure Company B Metallic Soap Thickener Product and SpecificationsContinued...Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories. WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTD Pune - 411028 Maharashtra, India Ph: +91 841 198 5042
Call Center Software  A new milestone for Hueray Technology LLC

Hueray Technology the major System Integrator and Dubai based Software Company Hosted their new product launch event in Rigga, Dubai.The Public Relations department states that the product mainly focuses the medium and enterprise level call center solution. The product is capable of integrating with any existing pabx/telephone system and can handle predictive dialing, preview dialing, manual dialing, call pop ups, agent time management, list management call barging , call monitoring and all the necessary reports.Hueray technology claims that the call center solution Dubai can be installed in an SME with low budget also.Hueray technology was founded in 2009 by a team of technologists who foresaw the inevitable paradigm shift in the way businesses operated in an increasingly connected and global market, and the opportunity to create value by helping companies leverage information technology to beat competition and accelerate growth.Our unwavering focus on customer satisfaction is reflected in how we acts as a single window of responsibility when it comes to delivering IT solutions be it hardware, networking, security or software applications. To this end, we have an on-going program with our partners and suppliers that help to keep us abreast with changes in technology and products. This means that our customers are not locked into any particular vendor  we can integrate products from a variety of vendors into reliable, best-of-breed solutions.Hueray TechnologyOffc No 107,Aldar Building,Al murqabat, Al Rigga,DubaiP.O Box : 233896
Kuwait Diesel Gensets Market to Reach US$79.7 mn by 2023 owing to Shortage of Power Supply

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Transparency Market Research has published a new report on the Kuwait diesel gensets market. As per the report, the Kuwait diesel gensets market is expected to expand at a 5.0% CAGR during the period from 2014 to 2023. The report, titled Kuwait Diesel Gensets Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2014 - 2023, states that the Kuwait diesel gensets market is predicted to progress from a value of US$49.1 mn in 2013 to US$79.7 mn by 2023.The construction industry across Kuwait is developing fast, with a series of new development projects lined up in the coming few years. The added capacity of power generation and the augmented deployment of renewable energy across Kuwait is expected to curb the demand for diesel operated gensets and thus hamper the growth of the Kuwait diesel gensets market in the next five years. However, in recent times, Kuwait has faced several challenges in power supply, resulting in slow progress of construction projects in the country. Thus, the demand for diesel gensets is predicted to rise across Kuwait in the coming few years.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical industry insights :The Kuwait diesel gensets market is segmented on the basis of type and capacity. By type, the Kuwait diesel gensets market is classified into rented diesel gensets and new diesel gensets. At present, in Kuwait, rented diesel operated gensets are generating more revenue as compared to new diesel gensets. However, the rented diesel gensets segment is expected to dominate the Kuwait diesel gensets market in the years to come. Operators and contractors of infrastructure projects that are to be constructed across Kuwait are expected to be the lead consumer segment for rental diesel gensets.By capacity, the Kuwait diesel gensets market is classified into 0-75 kVA, 75-500 kVA, 500-2000 kVA, and 2000 kVA and above. In 2013, in terms of units installed, the 0-75 kVA capacity segment dominated the Kuwait diesel gensets market. However, in terms of revenue, in 2013, the Kuwait diesel gensets market was led by the 500-2000 kVA capacity segment.500-2000 kVA and 2000 kVA and higher capacity gensets are employed in bigger establishments as their primary source of standby power. Such high-capacity diesel gensets are deployed by large industrial users, including refinery complexes and airports. Some of the leading companies operating in the Kuwait diesel gensets market are Kohler Co., FG Wilson Ltd., MTU Onsite Energy GmbH., Aggreko Plc., Caterpillar, Inc., and Cummins, Inc. In the next few years, several new infrastructure projects for port construction and refineries are planned across Kuwait by the leading players. Also, the expansion of existing projects across Kuwait is predicted to propel the Kuwait diesel gensets market in the years to come.Browse the full Kuwait Diesel Gensets Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2014 - 2023 report atBy 2023, the Kuwait diesel gensets market will be focusing on the provision of power supply for the completion of projects such as the expansion of Kuwait International Airport, metro rail, and the silk city. The demand for small-capacity diesel gensets is expected to be higher in the domestic and commercial sectors, whereas high-capacity gensets are expected to be deployed for refinery operations.Key Segments of Kuwait Diesel Gensets MarketKuwait Diesel Gensets Market: Type AnalysisRental GensetsNew GensetsKuwait Diesel Gensets Market: Capacity Analysis075 kVA75500 kVA5002000 kVAOver 2000 kVAContactTransparency Market ResearchTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: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.90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207
Liquefied Natural Gas Market to Reach US$196.4 million by 2019 owing to Rise in Demand for Electricity

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A new report has been published by Transparency Market Research, titled Liquefied Natural Gas Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019. TMR, a market intelligence company based in the U.S., states that the global liquefied natural gas market was estimated at US$161.4 million in 2012. Growing at a CAGR of 2.8% between 2013 and 2019, it is anticipated to reach 196.4 million by 2019.As per the TMR report, based on end user analysis, the global liquefied natural gas market is segmented into electric power, industrial, and others. The industrial sector is predicted to dominate the market on the basis of demand for LNG.Numerous industries, namely fertilizers, chemicals, and steel, use high amounts of LNG in the form of operational fuel. Distillate fuels are consumed in huge amounts by industrial processes. Due to a rise in demand for electricity and rising awareness on global warming, LNGs demand in the electric power sector is increasing. LNGs usage for power generation is much more environment-friendly and economical as compared to traditional fossil fuels such as diesel and coal, which is leading to higher demand.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical industry insights :According to this TMR report, vehicle emission is the major factor that drives the usage of LNG in the sector of transportation. On combustion, petrol and diesel, which are the conventional fuels, release large quantities of carbon compounds. This raises the total carbon footprint. Countries such as Spain and France utilize LNG to lower the reliance on oil imports as well as to prevent pollution via combustion of fossil fuels. The TMR report states that LNG is highly in demand in the sector for electric power owing to the favorable heat rate and its cost friendly nature. Along with LNG being a preferred fuel, numerous policies implemented by the government make LNGs utilization compulsory in the industrial sector for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.High load is being supported by LNG-based electric power plants efficiently and effectively, amid peak hours. It is also a favored fuel in small-scale captive power plants specially designed for in-house power generation. Additionally, a load of about 100MW is easily supported by such small-scale power plants. Industries situated in remote areas are able to function easily through the installation of captive power plants, utilizing LNG as fuel.As per this TMR research report, this market is segmented into Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). The global LNG market has been governed by Asia Pacific on the basis of volume, owing to high demand from South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan.The developing economies of India and China both import huge amounts of LNG, since domestic production is not sufficient to meet the requirements of these dynamic countries. In addition, Europe is also predicted to be a dominant market for LNG, due to the high import of LNG by nations such as the U.K, France, and Spain. Rest of the World (RoW) is predicted to experience a growth rate moderate in amount due to the huge quantities of gas reserves prevalent in the Middle East.Key participants in the liquefied natural gas market include BG Group Plc, Apache Corporation, ConocoPhillips, Cheniere Energy Inc, Kinder Morgan Inc, Dominion Resources Inc, Qatar Petroleum, Veresen Inc, Woodside Petroleum Ltd, and Sempra Energy.Browse the full Liquefied Natural Gas Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019 report atKey Segments of the Liquefied Natural Gas MarketLiquefied Natural Gas Market: End-User AnalysisIndustrialElectric powerOthersLiquefied Natural Gas Market: Regional AnalysisEuropeAsia PacificRest of the World (RoW)ContactTransparency Market ResearchTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: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.90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207
Why Donald Trump looks like just the friend Britain needs

21 January 2017The SpectatorAs president, Barack Obama was too cool for the special relationship. The romantic bond between the United States and Great Britain, which always makes Churchill fans go all soggy-eyed, left him cold. Obama was more interested in globalism, pivoting to Asia and the European Union. Donald J. Trump is a very different creature. The new US President seems to cherish Great Britain, whereas the EU annoys him. Brexit is beautiful, he believes  and the EU is falling apart.Trump may or may not know the name of the British Prime Minister but, as he told Michael Gove this week, he is determined to strike a free trade agreement with Britain very quickly. Trump deals in deals, and he wants to deal with us. As for Angela Merkel and the EU, they can either fall in with Trumps new world order  or fall out with the worlds greatest superpower.His attitude to Europe is nothing short of revolutionary. With a few words in Trump Tower, he seems to have torn up decades of US State Department policy. He doesnt see much of a future in the whole EU project, effectively predicting its demise. People want their own identity, he says, so if you ask me, others, I believe others will leave. He believes in nation states, and he does not see the EU as representative of the continent. In fact, he says, it is basically a vehicle for Germany.Its hard to overstate the effect of these words on the EU, and its ambitions to be seen by Washington  and the world  as an economic and diplomatic counterweight to the United States. The whole project has always been nurtured with American backing: ever since the Marshall Plan, US policy has been to consolidate Europes strength and to promote what went on to become the European Union. America used trade and Nato to make the continent a bulwark against the East. That often meant sacrificing Americas short-term economic gains in the interests of security and world peace.Trump has no time for that. He believes that the world has changed, and he wants better deals for America now. He warns Germany that if it thinks it can build BMWs in Mexico and sell them cheaply to Americans, they can think again.He reckons that Europeans, like Americans, are suffering because multilateral trade alliances are corrupt, outmoded  and unfair to America. Everybody has a MercedesBenz in Fifth Avenue, he says, but how many Chevrolets do you see in Germany? Most disturbing of all for European security analysts, he promises to be as receptive to Vladimir Putin as he is to Angela Merkel: I start off trusting both  but lets see how long that lasts. It may not last long at all.This upends the American tradition of seeing Russia as a threat and Germany as an ally against the threat. Trumps critics see Putin as a Machiavellian kleptocrat who somehow has Trump in his pocket. To Trump, the real racket is the EU  which is why he thinks Britain was so smart in getting out.Trumps choice for commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, has made sceptical noises about Britains divorce from the EU  at least, he did before he was nominated to the new cabinet. But the rest of Team Trump seems to be champing at the Brexit bit. When Boris Johnson went to New York earlier this month, he met two of Trumps most trusted advisers: his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and his chief strategist Steve Bannon. Kushner, who seems to be the most influential figure in the Trump court, was keen to stress how quickly an agreement could be reached. He liked the idea of cracking on as soon as possible, and suggested it should only take days to sort out the principles.Kushner, a 36-year-old real-estate entrepreneur from New York, shares his father-in-laws love of deals. But its fair to say that he probably doesnt have deep feelings about the future of Britain and Europe. Bannon, on the other hand, is a true Brexit believer and an EU hater. He despises globalism and the so-called liberal elite  and argues, with evangelical fervour, that Britains decision to leave the European Union and Americas vote for Trump are glorious examples of the underlying desire for people to have control of their own lives.It is Bannon who brought Farage into Trumps orbit and who is pushing the president-elect away from multinational trade alliances and towards bilateral agreements, persuading him to see the EU as a scam and Brexit as the future. It is thought that he arranged for the Eurosceptic Marine Le Pen to visit Trump Tower last week.A thrice-divorced former Democrat, Bannon sees a great spiritual crisis in what he calls the Judeo-Christian West. He looks at the financial crash, Europes debt problems, the rise of crony capitalism, the refugee crisis, the growth of Islamism, and sees a new dark age. He regards the European Union as a decadent empire, and seems eager for its collapse. In the resurgence of populist nationalism, he spies salvation.It was Bannon and Kushner who put forward Ted Malloch, a descendant of Theodore Roosevelt, to be the American ambassador to Brussels under Trump. His appointment says much about the US approach to Europe  none of it very encouraging to Brussels.Malloch is a devout Christian who also believes that the godless West is running out of moral capital and therefore collapsing. Like many others, he feels that the European Unions reluctance in the early part of the 21st century to include any reference to its Christian heritage in its constitution was a sign of degradation. Europe, he has said, is adrift without a soul and evolving rapidly away from its moorings America is now alone in defending freedom and upholding the tradition of faith and reason.To sensitive British ears, such words may sound like the foaming of a loony American right-winger. But Malloch is no xenophobe. He is a Europhile, in fact, who has spent much of his life attending international political and economic summits. But, rather like Boris Johnson, he feels that Europe has overreached itself and needs to take a step back from full union. The US isnt part of Europe and doesnt really have a say in that matter, he told me when we spoke on Monday. But it does have a great interest, and its preference is moving towards an alliance for nation states in Europe rather than a transatlantic, multinational alliance. Malloch believes Brexit was a tipping point, and that upcoming elections in Europe  in Holland, Germany and France  will further show how out of touch the elites are.American policy towards Europe in the age of Trump, therefore, will be to push the continent away from ever closer union. The EU will resist and oppose Trump at every turn  look at the furious reaction across the continent this week to his criticisms of Angela Merkels refugee policy, and his threat about tariffs for imported German cars in America. Yet the looming tensions between the White House and the EU leadership will play to Britains advantage. With Europe uniting against his agenda, it may be in Trumps interest to give Britain as sweet a deal as possible in order to demonstrate what can happen if a country moves away from Brussels control.As one UK cabinet member puts it Trump has come along like the tooth fairy  this is one massive, magnificent gift. Its transformative. Of course free-trade agreements between countries are not easily struck, and Trump would have to get any Britain deal approved by Congress. Mutual trading standards between the two countries would need to be negotiated and all sorts of boring hurdles would have to be cleared.Its worth noting, however, that the American Senate and the House of Representatives, both of which have a Republican majority, are more receptive to a postBrexit US-UK trade than most British parliamentarians would be. Just days after the EU referendum, two Republican senators introduced a United Kingdom Trade Continuity Act to ensure the UK-US relationship remained special.According to Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform and a leading political operative in Washington DC, A deal with Britain, of all possible trade deals, is now the one which would have the most wind in its sails. It would have the most support from Trump, the most support from Republicans, and probably the least resistance from Democrats, assuming they dont just say to hell with everything Trump proposes. Norquist adds that, when it comes to the UK, American concerns about labour practices and standards would not be an issue. As he put it, If Britain outcompetes you, its safe to say its not because they are poisoning their child workers with polio.A bigger difficulty with any TrumpBrexit deal might be the Donald himself. Much of what Trump says rings a false note. Like any good salesman or con artist, or politician, he knows how to tell people what they want to hear. Patriotic Brits will feel a warm glow when the Donald describes how his Scottish mother loved the Queen, or the ceremonial and the beauty, cos nobody does that like the English. But does he really mean it?Trump also tells every country that he loves them: the Canadians, the Mexicans, the Israelis, the Chinese, the Pakistanis and, yes, the Germans. (Trumps grandfather Frederick was born in Bavaria. Donald recognises the influence of his German blood: I like order and I like strength, he says, which isnt scary at all.) Its worth noting too that, when pressed by Gove over whether the UK would be at the front of the queue for bilateral trade deals, he ducked the question.But Trumps sincerity is not necessarily what counts. For whatever reason, perhaps Steve Bannon whispering in his ear, he has begun his presidency with a pledge to reward Britain for having escaped the EU and thrown down a challenge to Angela Merkel and the European Union. Whatever his faults, he is now the most powerful man in the world. It is in Britains interest to take him seriously, even if many regard him as some giant cosmic joke.Lots of politicians will be horrified at the thought of Britain making friends with the dreaded Trump. This time last year, our MPs had that embarrassingly self-righteous debate as to whether to ban Trump from the UK because of his statements about Mexicans and Muslims.Trump has overlooked  or perhaps forgotten  that silly episode, and now offers Britain an invaluable friendship. Surely our government should offer America the same? Trump could indeed be, as Ted Malloch says, Brexits white knight. By some accident of history, Britain has begun disentangling itself from Europe at the very moment that the US has elected a president who couldnt care less about the EU. The special relationship, which looked finished, is suddenly alive with possibilities.
ENGLISH VAMPIRE STORY "THE DARK HERITAGE" AVAILABLE NOW!

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After the success of the German book from the author Bettina Muenster it was only a matter of time to publish "The Dark Heritage" in English!It is now available on Amazon as Ebook and Paperback.About the book:Emily Watson, an English woman living in New York, learns through a telephone call that her mother has passed away. She immediately returns home to Britain to organize the funeral and the sale of her parents house. But her mothers last letter raises questions she finds impossible to answer. A dark family secret emerges which beckons to be looked into. It apparently is the cause why over the past years all other relatives have met their mysterious ends. In her quest to find the truth behind the family drama Emily comes across the vampire people. Her fate takes an unexpected turn when she meets Roy, their leader. He forces her to help them against an organisation set on entirely eliminating all vampires. What starts like blackmailing finally ends in a turmoil of emotions, and all of a sudden Emily faces the most difficult decision of her life Download it now or order the Paperback and enjoy the story!Bettina Muenster writes short stories, poems and novels since over 20 years. After several publications of German books this is now her first English book.The author lives in Germany with her family and continues to enjoy writing.Bettina MuensterRosenstrasse 46a40882 RatingenGermanykontakt@bettina-muenster.de
Global Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Professional Survey Report 2017 (Hospitals, Clinics, Diagnostic Centers) Industry Size, Share, Growth and Forecast 2022

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This report studies Global Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market 2017, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2011 to 2015, and forecast to 2021.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringBoston ScientificGE HealthcareMedtronicPhilips HealthcareSt. Jude MedicalCook GroupSuzukenBiosense WebsterBy types, the market can be split intoAdultChildrenRequest more information atBy Application, the market can be split intoHospitalsClinicsDiagnostic CentersBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaView full report atTable of ContentsGlobal Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device1.1 Definition and Specifications of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device1.1.1 Definition of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device1.1.2 Specifications of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device1.2 Classification of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device1.2.1 Adult1.2.2 Children1.3 Applications of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device1.3.1 Hospitals1.3.2 Clinics1.3.3 Diagnostic Centers1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Major Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Major Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Major Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Major Manufacturers in 20154 Global Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Overall Market Overview4.1 2011-2016 Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2011-2016 Global Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2011-2016 Global Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2011-2016 Global Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales Price4.4.2 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Share Analysis5.2 China Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Analysis5.2.1 China Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Overview5.2.2 China 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Japan 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Share Analysis5.6 India Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Analysis5.6.1 India Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Overview5.6.2 India 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 India 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 India 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Share Analysis6 Global 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Segment Market Analysis (by Type)6.1 Global 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales by Type6.2 Different Types of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Product Interview Price Analysis6.3 Different Types of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Product Driving Factors Analysis6.3.1 Adult of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.2 Children of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Growth Driving Factor Analysis7 Global 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Segment Market Analysis (by Application)7.1 Global 2011-2016 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Consumption by Application7.2 Different Application of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Product Interview Price Analysis7.3 Different Application of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Product Driving Factors Analysis7.3.1 Hospitals of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.2 Clinics of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.3 Diagnostic Centers of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Growth Driving Factor Analysis8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device8.1 Boston Scientific8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Adult8.1.2.2 Children8.1.3 Boston Scientific 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Boston Scientific 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 GE Healthcare8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Adult8.2.2.2 Children8.2.3 GE Healthcare 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 GE Healthcare 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 Medtronic8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Adult8.3.2.2 Children8.3.3 Medtronic 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 Medtronic 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 Philips Healthcare8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Adult8.4.2.2 Children8.4.3 Philips Healthcare 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 Philips Healthcare 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Business Region Distribution Analysis8.5 St. Jude Medical8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Adult8.5.2.2 Children8.5.3 St. Jude Medical 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.5.4 St. Jude Medical 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Business Region Distribution Analysis8.6 Cook Group8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.2.1 Adult8.6.2.2 Children8.6.3 Cook Group 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.6.4 Cook Group 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Business Region Distribution Analysis8.7 Suzuken8.7.1 Company Profile8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.7.2.1 Adult8.7.2.2 Children8.7.3 Suzuken 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.7.4 Suzuken 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Business Region Distribution Analysis8.8 Biosense Webster8.8.1 Company Profile8.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.8.2.1 Adult8.8.2.2 Children8.8.3 Biosense Webster 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.8.4 Biosense Webster 2015 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Business Region Distribution Analysis9 Development Trend of Analysis of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market9.1 Global Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Trend Analysis9.1.1 Global 2016-2021 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Size (Volume and Value) Forecast9.1.2 Global 2016-2021 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Sales Price Forecast9.2 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Regional Market Trend9.2.1 North America 2016-2021 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Consumption Forecast9.2.2 China 2016-2021 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Consumption Forecast9.2.3 Europe 2016-2021 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Consumption Forecast9.2.4 Southeast Asia 2016-2021 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Consumption Forecast9.2.5 Japan 2016-2021 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Consumption Forecast9.2.6 India 2016-2021 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Consumption Forecast9.3 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Trend (Product Type)9.4 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Trend (Application)10 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Marketing Type Analysis10.1 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Regional Marketing Type Analysis10.2 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device International Trade Type Analysis10.3 Traders or Distributors with Contact Information of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device by Regions10.4 Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Supply Chain Analysis11 Consumers Analysis of Esophageal Electrophysiology Device11.1 Consumer 1 Analysis11.2 Consumer 2 Analysis11.3 Consumer 3 Analysis11.4 Consumer 4 Analysis12 Conclusion of the Global Esophageal Electrophysiology Device Market Professional Survey Report 2017To Purchase this premium Report With Complete TOC atAbout Us:Global 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The rising use of methanol ,Ethylene & Other in fuel mixtures has also provided a boost to the global petrochemicals market :2020

Petrochemicals Market

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Transparency Market Research (TMR) has announced the release of a new market study on the global petrochemicals market. The report examines the historical trajectory of the market up to 2013 and presents forecasts for the markets development from 2014 to 2020. According to the report, the global petrochemicals market is expected to exhibit a steady 6.8% CAGR from 2014 to 2020. The market will reach a valuation of US$885.1 bn by the end of the forecast period.The report is titled Petrochemicals Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 and is available for sale on the official website of TMR.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :Petrochemicals, as the name suggests, are a wide range of chemicals derived from petroleum feedstock. The global market for petrochemicals is a crucial part of the chemicals industry and has significant impact on various walks of human life, as ubiquitous materials such as plastics are derived from petrochemicals. Due to the rising demand for its various end-use segments, the global petrochemicals market is expected to exhibit steady growth in the coming years.The major product segments of the global petrochemicals market are ethylene, propylene, methanol, butadiene, xylene, benzene, styrene, vinyls, and toluene. Of these, ethylene was the major product type in the market in 2013. Ethylenes use in the manufacture of polyethylene  which, as the name suggests, consists of multiple polymers of ethylene  is a major driver for the global petrochemicals market.The rising use of methanol in fuel mixtures has also provided a boost to the global petrochemicals market.Browse the full Petrochemicals (Ethylene, Propylene, Butadiene, Benzene, Xylene, Toluene, Vinyls, Styrene and Methanol) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 report atAdding methanol allows for cleaner combustion of fuels, reducing the environmental damage caused by the combustion. According to TMR, methanol is expected to be the fastest growing product segment of the global petrochemicals market in the forecast period. The demand for styrene and butadiene is also expected to rise in the coming years, thanks to their growing application in styrene butadiene rubber and the rising demand for butadiene for the production of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.On the basis of geography, China emerged as the largest segment of the global market in 2013. China accounted for 25% of the demand from the global petrochemicals market, thanks in part to the countrys booming automotive and construction industries. China is also anticipated to remain in a dominant position in the global petrochemicals market in the coming years and is expected to be the fastest growing segment of the market in the forecast period.The rest of Asia Pacific followed China in the regional hierarchy of the global petrochemicals market in 2013. India is the leader in the rest of Asia Pacific, with the increasing demand for products containing petrochemicals and the countrys flourishing manufacturing sector expected to propel the regional market for petrochemicals.The Middle East and Africa also have an important role to play in the future of the global petrochemicals market. These two regions contain some of the largest petroleum producers in the world, with the easy availability of petroleum allowing petrochemical companies in the region to post strong growth figures.In competitive terms, the global petrochemicals market is highly fragmented and marked by constant efforts on the part of multinational giants to acquire smaller regional companies. Key players in the global petrochemicals market are BASF SE, Shell Chemical Company, Total S.A., E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil, Sinopec Ltd., The Dow Chemical Company, SABIC, LyondellBasell Industries, and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC.The global petrochemicals market is segmented as follows:Petrochemicals Market: Product Segment AnalysisEthylenePropyleneButadieneBenzeneXyleneTolueneVinylsStyreneMethanolPetrochemicals Market: Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeChinaRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaLatin 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.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/
The Acetochlor market is driven by rising food security concerns for the rapidly increasing global population and decreasing area of arable land :2024

Acetochlor Market

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Acetochlor is an organic herbicide belonging to the chloracetanilide group of chemicals. Acetochlor herbicide, also known as Azetochlor, is utilized as a pre-emergent selective herbicide employed against grasses, especially on corn crops. It is a systemic herbicide that acts as a protein synthesis inhibitor (inhibits elongase and geranyl geranyl pyrophosphate enzyme in the Gibberellin Pathway in grasses) and leads to metabolic dysfunction in the targeted weeds. Acetochlor herbicide is primarily absorbed by germinating stem shoots and secondarily through roots in weeds growing on the pre-planted arable crop land. Acetochlor herbicide is most used on maize (corn) crops across the world. It can also be used for controlling weeds in sunflower, soybean and sugarcane crops among others. Acetochlor herbicide is an amber colored odorless liquid with syrup like viscosity. It is soluble in water in low quantities and has low volatility. Acetochlor herbicide is toxic to aquatic life forms and has low bio-accumulation potential. It is a hazardous chemical and brief exposure may cause skin burns and irritation. It has been identified as a potent carcinogen and exposure may occur in the factory setting during manufacturing or during application on crop.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :Acetochlor herbicides are primarily used as selective herbicides against grasses sedges and some broadleaved weeds. They are extensively used by the U.S. corn farmers and sugarcane and soybean farmers in other parts of the world. Acetochlor herbicide has been recognized as a substitute for environmentally harmful herbicides by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) when used in regulated quantities. It is the key active ingredient in a variety of herbicide formulations.The acetochlor herbicide market is driven by rising food security concerns for the rapidly increasing global population and decreasing area of arable land. This is putting pressure on farmers to increase yields to meet the global demand. However, rising awareness about the harmful effects of herbicides and other toxic agrochemical products and strict environmental regulations, especially in the developed nations of North America and Western Europe is expected to be the major restraining factor for the acetochlor herbicide market.In terms of geography, Asia Pacific is the largest consumer of acetochlor herbicide riding on high sales of herbicide products to its large population base. Major agricultural economies including China, India and Indonesia are the major consumers of acetochlor herbicide for application in a variety of crops. Populous countries including China and India are growing rapidly and there is a general increase in prosperity of the resident population. This in turn is expected to drive demand for food grains and further for acetochlor herbicide. Major market players have established their production facilities in Asia owing to the availability of cheap labor and land and comparatively lenient norms and regulations against chemicals. Another key consumer for acetochlor herbicide is North America especially in the well irrigated southern land in the Mississippi, Missouri and other corn planting areas of the U.S. In Rest of the World, Brazil, South Africa and Central Africa contribute to major demand for the market. Brazil is one of the worlds largest suppliers of corn and sugarcane, which makes it an attractive market for acetochlor herbicide suppliers. Europe is expected grow comparatively slower than other parts of the world due to stern government control over potentially harmful agrochemicals and general tendency of farmers towards sustainable organic farming techniques.Some of the key market players include Monsanto, Syngenta AG, Dow AgroSciences, Bayer CropScience, Shanghai Mingdou Agrochemical Company Limited, and SinoHarvest Corporation 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.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 analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.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/
Orthopedic Software Market: Evolving Market Trends & Dynamics 2024

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Transparency Market Research presents this most up-to-date research on "Orthopedic Software Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024"The need for orthopedic software arises due to the increasing amount of time spent by the orthopedic physician or surgeon in maintaining critical patient paperwork and coordinating that information pertaining to the patient with other physicians. Orthopedic software aids in accurate delivery of patients information regarding medical parameters. Orthopedic software pertains to maintaining electronic health records (EHR) and also guides surgeons while operating the patients. It also helps them in preparing a pre-operative plan which can be used as guidance during surgery. This process, if carried out manually, is not only highly time consuming, but also increases chances of introducing an error. This issue is easily overcome by installing orthopedic software in the hospitals, surgery centers and orthopedic specialty clinics. The rise in population suffering from arthritis, especially osteoarthritis across the globe, coupled with upsurge in geriatric population is set to propel the market for orthopedic software worldwide. The escalation in sports-based injuries as well as injuries due to road accidents will lead to a rise in orthopedic procedures and thus impact the growth of orthopedic software market. For instance, as per statistics from the WHO, traffic accidents worldwide bring about nearly 1.24 million deaths a year.The global orthopedic software market is segmented by type of software, end-user and mode of delivery. Based on type of software, the market can been divided into pre-operative planning & templating software, orthopedic EMR & Medical Billing software, practice management (PM) software, orthopedic picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) software, and orthopedics revenue cycle management (RCM) software. Based on end-user, the market is divided into hospitals, independent orthopedic clinics, surgery centers and others. The others segment includes nursing homes and research centers. The market based on mode of delivery is segmented by three types, namely, web-based, cloud based, and on premises systems. The procedures that the software assists in include joint arthroplasty and revisions, orthopedic trauma, limb deformity correction, osteotomy and pediatric and spinal assessment and is chosen by end users widely to meet the specific needs of planning such as deformity corrections and joint alignment calculation before commencing the surgery process.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:Geographically, North America was observed to be the largest orthopedic software market due to extensive technological advancements in the region. Countries such as the U.S. and Canada have been successful in implementing eHealth and mHealth as well as advanced visualization systems in their healthcare system, which would in turn boost the orthopedic software market growth. The rising preference for minimally invasive procedures and constantly improving reimbursement scenario would further propel the market growth. Europe was observed to be the second largest market in the orthopedic software market owing to enhanced digitization of the healthcare processes and rise in geriatric population prone to knee ailments and falls. The major factor that would drive the market in Asia Pacific include the acceptance and demand for high end medical infrastructure in the region. China, Japan and India are the most developing countries in the region and hence would fuel the market growth for orthopedic software market. Also the Asia Pacific region is witnessing high incidence of bone disorders and lifestyle related knee, spine and cervical ailments, which would in turn boost the market for orthopedic software. However, the perceived lack of expertise by orthopedic physicians as well as medical staff regarding software usage and cost of installing the software for hospitals and clinics already operating on a conservative budget is likely to retrain the market in this region.The major players operating in this market include Exscribe Orthopedic Healthcare Solutions, Materialise NV, Merge Healthcare Incorporated, Brainlab AG, CureMD, Medstrat, Inc., HealthFusion Inc., McKesson Corporation, and Greenway Health among other significant players worldwide.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.The study is a source of reliable data on:Key market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)TMR estimates the market size of various sectors using a combination of available data on the number and revenue of companies within each sub-sector and tiers of companies. The basic components used to determine market size and forecast for a specific product area are not only limited to supply-side data, but are also related to demand, industry trends, and the economic outlook. All the above data points are utilized to generate a statistical model targeting the sector marketplace. More than 300 TMR analysts across the world integrate these elements into a framework to determine the subsector market size for a base year and then forecast growth within each market.TMR regularly interviews technology and business professionals as an ongoing effort to track the latest developments within each sector. These continuous surveys are stratified by company size and industry segment and weighted to reflect the global market place. All data are collected on an ongoing effort through a structured questionnaire rolled over the web or conducted via telephones. This provides the TMR team opportunities to request for detailed question sets, complex skip patterns, and real-time calculations, which assists respondents in answering questions involving numbers and percentages. Respondents, who are interviewed as experts, are screened and qualified based on certain criteria in addition to their decision-making authority and the scope of activity within their organizations.Download Exclusive Brochure of This Report :About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Nanotechnology in Dental Implants: Emerging Market

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Transparency Market Research presents this most up-to-date research on "Nanotechnology in Dental Implants Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024"Global Nanotechnology in Dental Implants Market: OverviewDental implants have been a part of healthcare industry since a long time, restoring or replacing the defective teeth, which may otherwise lead to infections in gingival tissue. The primary challenge for the dental surgeons has been to achieve osseointegration but now, with the introduction of nanotechnology, several branches of medicine has been revolutionized, including dentistry. In the recent times, nanotechnology has helped in creating nanomaterials that are now used to manufacture next-generation implants. Nanomaterials influence the osteointegration process and remarkably reduce the chances of infection. As per a report by the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, the country-wide market in the U.S. alone is witnessing 500,000 new cases of dental implants per year. Similar surge has been observed across the world and as a result, the global market for nanotechnology in dental implants is expected to expand at a healthy growth rate during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.Global Nanotechnology in Dental Implants Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe lower failure rate of dental implants is one of the primary reason that inspires consumers. With nanomaterials, the added advantages such as improved bone healing, improved osseointegration, and reduction in infections is expected to further augment the demand in the global market for nanotechnology in dental implants. It has been observed that dental surgeons and general practitioners are increasingly adopting the new technology over the other available alternatives. Moreover, high number of edentulous population in the western world and the increasing disposable income in Asia, Africa and other parts of the world is expected to propel the demand in near future. The awareness pertaining to dental care is also on the rise, which is opening an opportunity for the players in the market to invest proactively in order to gain shares.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:The field of dentistry procedures has also been benefitted by the introduction of technologies such as CAD/CAM, which offers wide range of options to the patients. For example, ceramic crowns offer better esthetics, while metal-fused ceramic crown offer greater strength. Conversely, high cost of procedure and the lack of reimbursement is expected to hinder the growth rate during the forecast period.Global Nanotechnology in Dental Implants Market: Region-wise OutlookGeographically, North America and Europe contributes to the most of the demand in the global market for nanotechnology, recovering after a considerable slump due to the economic crisis post 2009-2010. On the other hand, the market is expected for a significant growth in the region of Asia Pacific and South America during the forecast period, due to increasing purchasing power and consumer acceptance of advanced dental technologies.Companies mentioned in the research reportSome of the key players in the global nanotechnology in dental implants are Nobel Biocare Holdings AG (Switzerland), Nobel Biocare (Switzerland), Dentsply International (U.S.), 3M (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), Ivoclar (Liechtenstein), Sirona (U.S.), Heraeus Kulzer (Germany), Biomet/3i (U.S.), and Straumann Holding AG (Switzerland). These leading companies in this market are heavily investing in research and development to develop nanomaterials that are more biocompatible possessing qualities such as adsorption of proteins, higher osseointegration, and adhesion to cells and tissues. Innovative nanotechnology in dental implants is expected to help these companies to consolidate their position in the market.Major regions analyzed under this research report are:EuropeNorth AmericaAsia PacificRest of the WorldThis report gives you access to decisive data such as:Market growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for the coming yearsKey highlights of this reportOverview of key market forces propelling and restraining market growthUp-to-date analyses of market trends and technological improvementsPin-point analyses of market competition dynamics to offer you a competitive edgeAn analysis of strategies of major competitorsAn array of graphics and SWOT analysis of major industry segmentsDetailed analyses of industry trendsA well-defined technological growth map with an impact-analysisOffers a clear understanding of the competitive landscape and key product segmentsDownload Exclusive Brochure of This Report :TMR estimates the market size of various sectors using a combination of available data on the number and revenue of companies within each sub-sector and tiers of companies. The basic components used to determine market size and forecast for a specific product area are not only limited to supply-side data, but are also related to demand, industry trends, and the economic outlook. All the above data points are utilized to generate a statistical model targeting the sector marketplace. More than 300 TMR analysts across the world integrate these elements into a framework to determine the subsector market size for a base year and then forecast growth within each market.TMR regularly interviews technology and business professionals as an ongoing effort to track the latest developments within each sector. These continuous surveys are stratified by company size and industry segment and weighted to reflect the global market place. All data are collected on an ongoing effort through a structured questionnaire rolled over the web or conducted via telephones. This provides the TMR team opportunities to request for detailed question sets, complex skip patterns, and real-time calculations, which assists respondents in answering questions involving numbers and percentages. Respondents, who are interviewed as experts, are screened and qualified based on certain criteria in addition to their decision-making authority and the scope of activity within their organizations.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
North America is expected to dominates Automated CPR Devices Market in coming years

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Transparency Market Research presents this most up-to-date research on "Automated CPR Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency and lifesaving technique consists of chest compression and artificial ventilation. CPR is performed to maintain the blood flow and oxygenation to brain in case of cardiac arrest. CPR main function is to maintain partial flow of oxygenated blood to brain and heart. The main purpose is to delay tissue death to achieve successful resuscitation and protecting brain from permanent damage.Increasing number of incidences has shown that manual chest compression in CPR is not effective as compared to actual clinical setting. Recent clinical investigations have demonstrated that improved hemodynamic effect and better coronary perfusion and increase incidence of return of spontaneous circulation can be achieved by mechanical and automated compression devices.Classification of CPR devicesPneumatic drivenThumperLUCASBattery drivenAutoPulseEffective CPR can improve the survival rate of patients with cardiac arrest. It has been found that the quality of CPR performed by healthcare professionals in hospital and out of the hospital is poor. Assessment of CPR practices by medical professionals revealed that chest compressions are few and ineffective and have significant pauses during compression that results in decrease of survival rate. Automated CPR devices have overcome these drawbacks by the use of mechanical automated chest compression device, which may lead to improve perfusion pressures by overcoming the drawbacks of conventional manual CPR. Clinical and laboratory studies have shown, blood pressure level getting normal with automatic chest compression devices and enhanced neurological outcomes following extended cardiac arrest. According to American Heart Association, around 92 percent victims of sudden cardiac arrest die before reaching to hospital. According to statistics it has been proved if more people are aware of CPR, more lives could be saved.Application of CPR immediately can increase the survival rate of victims significantly. A study by American Heart Association states that 70% Americans feel helpless in case of cardiac emergency for the reason that they are not aware of how to administer CPR. The Automated CPR Devices market has been witnessing an increasing and continuous growth. Many factors are responsible for the growth such as increasing rate of heart diseases, trauma, respiratory illness, geriatric population, increased accessibility to healthcare, growing prevalence of lifestyle diseases.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:Geographically, the global automated CPR devices market is segmented into four major regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). In terms of geography, North America followed by Europe account for the largest market share of automated CPR devices market due to upcoming new technologies, high disposable income, growing geriatric population and favorable regulatory framework . However, Asia Pacific market is also witnessing a very positive growth due to the growing unmet medical and healthcare needs, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, encouraging reimbursement scenarios and high adoption rate of precise medical instruments.The automated CPR devices market is highly developing due to the participation of many new players in this market. New entrants are focusing on new technologies and introducing new product into the market. In addition, the market is expected to witness a high growth rate due to the growing demand for better products.Some of the major players in automated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) market are ZOLL Medical Corporation, Zhuhai Kindway Medical Science & Technology Co., Ltd, CPR Medical Devices, Inc., Medtronic, Inc.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 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 segmentsDownload Exclusive Brochure of This Report :About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Catalyst Regeneration Market is bifurcated into offshore and onshore regeneration:2019

Catalyst Regeneration Market

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Transparency Market Research, in a report titled Catalyst Regeneration Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019, states that the global catalyst regeneration market is anticipated to rise from a value of US$3.4 bn in 2012 to US$4.5 bn in 2019, expanding at a modest 4.08% CAGR from 2013 to 2019.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :The TMR report uses the latest research and analysis methodologies to give readers a clear understanding of the structure, elements, and workings of the catalyst regeneration market. With the help of the Porters five forces model, the report discusses the threat of new entrants and substitutes, the bargaining power of buyers and suppliers, and the ongoing rivalry among competitors. A SWOT analysis of the competitive landscape sheds light on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of individual companies operating in the catalyst regeneration market.The research report highlights the key factors driving and restraining the global catalyst regeneration market. The report states that the market is propelled by the high cost of fresh catalysts, the rising demand for offshore catalyst regeneration in emerging economies, the implementation of stringent environmental regulations, and the increase in cost optimization strategies adopted by refineries. In contrast, the rise in emissions during in-situ regeneration of catalysts is anticipated to hamper the expansion of the global market.On the basis of technology, the catalyst regeneration market is bifurcated into offshore and onshore regeneration. Accounting for a massive 62.32% share in 2012, offshore catalyst regeneration led the overall market as a result of the presence of strict environmental regulations restricting the emission of harmful elements during catalyst regeneration.Browse the full Catalyst Regeneration Market By Applications (Onshore and Offshore) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019 report atThe global catalyst regeneration market is segmented on the basis of geography into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World. Accounting for a 32.15% share in 2012, Asia Pacific emerged as the dominant regional segment of the catalyst regeneration market. With Japan and China as the main contributors to the growth of this region, Asia Pacific is being driven by the growing demand for catalyst regeneration, especially from offshore applications.Asia Pacific is also a highly lucrative market thanks to the constant expansion of several economies in the region. Europe and North America rank second, driven by the growing popularity of offshore populations and lower prices. Even though the Rest of the World region  comprising Latin America, Russia, and the Middle East  accounts for the smallest share in the global catalyst regeneration market, the region possesses possibilities for future growth.Some of the notable participants within the global catalyst regeneration market are STEAG Energy Services, LLC, Bayer Technology Services GmbH, Eurecat U.S. Inc., Axens S.A., BASF SE, Porocel Adsorbents, Catalysts & Services, CoaLogix, Inc., Haldor Topsoe, Albemarle Corporation, TriCAT GmbH Catalyst Services, and Johnson Matthey PLC.Catalyst Regeneration Market: Technology AnalysisOnshoreOffshoreCatalyst Regeneration Market: Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificRest of the World (RoW)Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.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/
Sustained Quality is Boosting the usage of Aseptic Packaging Market across industries such as food , beverages & dairy products:2024

Aseptic Packaging Market

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Rising Demand across Food and Beverages, Dairy Industries to Fuel GrowthThe rising consumer awareness about the benefits of aseptic packaging and its capability of keeping food products in their original form for a long duration, without the need for added preservatives to ensure longevity and sustained quality is boosting the usage of aseptic packaging across industries such as food and beverages and dairy products. The rising global consumption of ready-to-eat and packaged food products is also fueling the demand for aseptic packaging in these industries. In the next few years, ready-to-eat and packaged foods are expected to be the most preferred category of food products for busy urban dwellers, especially in emerging economies. The trend will substantially enhance the overall growth opportunities of the global aseptic packaging market.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :The market is also expected to benefit from the fact that aseptic packaging products such as cartons are environmentally safer when compared to glass bottles and PET products. Studies have demonstrated that manufacturing and disposal of aseptic packaging products results in the release of relatively lower amount of emissions considered harmful for the environment. Their manufacturing also consumes lesser fossil resources as compared to glass bottles and PET products. These factors are expected to have a massive impact on the future development of the global aseptic packaging market as the rising awareness regarding environment preservation among consumers will compel consumers to switch to eco-friendly products.Complex Manufacturing Process and Preference for Known Brands to Restrain GrowthThe highly complex process of manufacturing aseptic packaging and preference of consumers to products from renowned brands are two of the key challenges that the global aseptic packaging market presently faces. Owing to the complex manufacturing process and capital-intensive setup of manufacturing units, not many companies have ventured into the market, leading to a dearth of product varieties.With Tetra Pak alone accounting for a share of over 65%, the competitive landscape of the global aseptic packaging market features a markedly high level of consolidation and intense entry barriers for new vendors, reports Transparency Market Research in a recent report. The highly complex manufacturing process and requisition of high initial investments have also refrained many companies from venturing into the market for aseptic packaging so far.However, even though intense entry barriers exist on the global level, new vendors could make a mark by introducing cost-effective product varieties as their entry strategy, especially in the highly lucrative emerging markets. In the next few years, the vast growth opportunities in the global aseptic packaging market are likely to attract new companies. Low cost of raw material and relatively cheaper labor in developing regions will naturally be the most promising locations for establishing manufacturing units. Other key vendors operating in the global aseptic packaging market include SIG Combibloc, Schott AG, Greatview Aseptic Packaging Company, and Elopak.Also, the consumer has largely been biased towards the most prominent brands available in the market, leading to a highly polarized market. New vendors wishing to enter the market are required to focus on ways of value addition to their offering for product differentiation. These factors are collectively having a massive negative impact on the overall development of the global aseptic packaging market, limiting its expansion prospects across a larger consumer and application base.Asia Pacific to Retain Dominant PositionsThe global aseptic packaging market is expected expand at an excellent 9.9% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. Expanding at this pace, the market will rise from a valuation of US$34.42 bn in 2015 to US$80.49 bn by 2024. The pharmaceutical industry is presently the key end-use industry, accounting for a share of over 35% in the global market in 2015. Geography-wise, Asia Pacific accounted for a dominant share of 32% in the global market in the same year. Both these segments are expected to retain their dominance in their respective categories in the global aseptic packaging market over the forecast period as well.This review is based on a recent market research report published by Transparency Market research, titled Aseptic Packaging Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024.For this study, the market has been segmented as follows:Aseptic Packaging Market - Product AnalysisBottles (Glass, Plastic)CartonsVials, Prefilled Syringes & AmpoulesBags & PouchesOthers (Cups)Aseptic Packaging Market - End-user AnalysisFoodDairyBeveragesPharmaceuticalOthers (Personal Care, etc.)Aseptic Packaging Market - Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.MexicoCanadaEuropeFranceU.K.SpainGermanyItalyRussiaRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapanASEANIndiaRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilArgentinaRest of Latin 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/
on the Occasion of the 25th Anniversary of Establishment of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan Dear soldiers and sergeants, officers and generals, veterans of the Armed Forces! Esteemed compatriots! I sincerely and from the bottom of my heart congratulate you - the patriots, who have devoted themselves to the greatest and noblest cause of defending the Homeland, and all our compatriots on the landmark date in the life of 
we know who Trump isand anyway the birth cert thing originated with sydney blumenthal, and was started to help hillary beat obama in the primaries where both their supporters were CONVICTED for committing vote fraud ( the links to the convictions have been oft posted here) to get on the ballotWASHINGTONTwo supporters of Hillary Clintons 2008 presidential campaign reportedly shared the claim that then-rival Barack Obama was not born in the United States and thus was not eligible to be president.One was a volunteer in Iowa, who was fired, Clintons former campaign manager said Friday. The other was Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal, according to a former McClatchy Washington Bureau chief.
EffectiveSoft has added a new service to its list of enterprise software services. EffectiveSoft specialists boast many years of experience in helping customers to rise to the challenge of dealing with CRM solutions. Now they can help organizations in the adapting OroCRM to their needs. OroCRM provides a technology-driven avenue through which an organization can manage and analyze customer interactions. It gives an organization full control over the way it manages 
Bills release multiple artist renderings of new stadium The morning of Oct. 27 was a day Buffalo Bills fans have been patiently waiting for  a reveal of what the new stadium will potentially look like. The team...

County officials, law firm representatives host public hearing on new stadium SEQR Erie County officials, representatives from Phillips Lytle LLP, power players for a new stadium and interested Buffalo Bills fans packed into one of the community rooms of the Brush Mountain...
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SAIF Corp. is Oregon's dominant provider of workers' comp insurance.

Oregon's workers comp insurance agency must reinstate the chief executive it improperly fired in 2014, a judge has ruled.

The Tuesday ruling was a stunning victory for fired CEO John Plotkin and an embarrassing setback for SAIF Corp.

Marion County Judge Claudia Burton ruled the agency's board violated the state's open meetings law when it considered whether to oust John Plotkin in two private meetings.

She ordered to the agency to pay Plotkin more than 2.5 years of back pay, PERS benefits and legal fees - and to bring Plotkin back as the quasi-public agency's top executive.

That puts SAIF in the awkward position of having two chief executives. It hired Kerry Barnett in May 2015 to take the helm. Barnett did not work at SAIF during Plotkin's short tenure.

John Plotkin

The ruling is a substantial setback for the agency, by far and away the state's larger provider of workers comp insurance. The case, closely chronicled by The Oregonian/OregonLive, opened a rare and unflattering window into the organization. Legal documents and interviews with insiders revealed an operation rife with personal rivalries and power grabs. Within weeks of Plotkin's start at SAIF, bureaucrats uncomfortable with his approach schemed to get him fired with largely discredited claims that he made off-color jokes and insensitive remarks.

Plotkin, now practicing law in Arizona, said Wednesday he was grateful for the judge's ruling. He said his termination by the agency had made it difficult to find work.

"The SAIF board has to make a decision," he said. "It obviously would be a little bit awkward for Kerry and I to share that chair. If the board wants me to come back as CEO of SAIF, I remain available."

Agency officials said they're still digesting Burton's decision. "We recognize this ruling puts us in an unusual position, but we have confidence in our board's ability to make the best decision for SAIF," spokesman Mike Watters said. "Regardless, we will continue to focus on workplace health and safety, and our core mission of taking care of injured workers and helping them get back to work. In the past few years, we've welcomed new board members and executive leadership, who have reaffirmed SAIF's historic role as Oregon's leader in workers' compensation."

Plotkin took the job in February 2014, replacing longtime Chief Executive Brenda Rocklin.

Ryan Fleming, then human resources executive for the agency, quickly began compiling an internal report detailing Plotkin's alleged misbehavior. One of Plotkin's reported gaffes was his warning to an agency employee while both were walking their dogs that his bulldog was likely to try and mount her dog. Plotkin said his dog liked to "hump" other dogs, particularly black ones, documents said.

Fleming and some members of the SAIF board interpreted the remark as offensive to women and vaguely racist.

Afterward, the woman involved in the bulldog episode and three other agency employees named as witnesses to Plotkin's allegedly insensitive comments said the internal report had misquoted or misconstrued their accounts.

But by then, Plotkin was long gone. SAIF boardmembers informed Plotkin on May 3, 2014 they wanted him to resign. If he didn't go willingly, he would be fired.

It was the first Plotkin heard that anyone had any issues with his performance.He refused to quit and complained that he was being railroaded.

At a dramatic meeting of he board on May 9, Plotkin pleaded his case. About a hundred SAIF employees attended, some spoke on his behalf. Nevertheless, the board fired him -- after just three months on the job.

Plotkin lawyered up, hiring Dana Sullivan and Andrew Altschul, prominent Portland litigators specializing in employment cases. He sued claiming wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He also alleged that the SAIF board violated the state's open meetings law when the board decided Plotkin's fate on a private phone call and in executive session.

Plotkin named Fleming and and another agency executive Chris Davie, as individual defendants. He also named his agency predecessor, Brenda Rocklin, claiming Fleming and Davie spent hours conferring with Rocklin how best to oust Plotkin.

Fleming and Davie were dismissed from the case and Rocklin argued she too should be dropped. Sullivan, Plotkin's attorney, said the fight with Rocklin may be moot. It's unclear whether Plotkin will continue to pursue the case given Judge Burton's favorable ruling.

The case will cost SAIF more than $800,000 just to cover Plotkin's back salary. He was making $325,000 year. Add benefits and legal fees, both its own and Plotkin's, and SAIF's total payout will be considerably higher.

SAIF officials said it's too early to determine whether the insurance agency will appeal.

-- Jeff Manning

503-294-7606, jmanning@oregonian.com
TriMet is prepared to suspend service in downtown Portland on Friday afternoon during protests planned for Inauguration Day.

The transit agency said it will have a plan to reroute buses and trains to avoid the protests altogether, as it had done during some downtown Portland protests in the wake of the presidential election.

Harry Saporta, TriMet's executive director for safety and security, said the agency was coming up with a "contingency plan" that would be implemented if protests prove disruptive, softening an earlier message that it had definite plans to suspend service.

But it's not clear when the disruptions or if the service disruptions might begin, or how far from the heart of downtown they might extend.

Saporta said riders should make plans to leave downtown early or arrange alternative transportation. TriMet plans to post updates as service alerts, as well as on its Twitter account.

If service is interrupted in the central city, it would continue in other areas, Saporta said. He said the agency hadn't determined whether it will stage extra vehicles in those areas to avoid delays.

Saporta said the decision was made in response to protesters' behavior in earlier demonstrations, when protesters surrounded trains and buses and pounded on windows. He described the behavior as "harassing" transit operators and riders.

"We want to protect our employees and our customers," Saporta said Thursday, adding, "I respect the right of freedom of speech. We're asking protesters to be respectful."

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said on Twitter that the transit agency had made the decision to suspend service without his input. He added he had told TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane that police were "well-prepared to minimize disruptions and protect riders."

TriMet, an independent entity, makes their own decisions regarding their operations. They made this decision without my input. 3/4  Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) January 19, 2017

Wheeler said Wednesday that police would work to keep mass transit moving.

The city-owned Portland Streetcar said it would continue to operate "unless conditions are unsafe."

Protesters had previously blocked both MAX trains and buses while demonstrating against the approval of a new contract for Portland police officers, as well as after the election. It's the first time that TriMet has announced plans to suspend service ahead of planned protests.

Events planned Friday include a student walkout at Portland State University starting at noon and a "Rise up and Resist Fascism" rally at Pioneer Courthouse Square at 3:30 p.m.

TriMet says it hasn't yet developed its plan for Saturday, when a "Women's March on Portland," affiliated with a national march in Washington, D.C., is expected to draw thousands of people. The route will cross TriMet's Red and Blue MAX lines and several bus lines.

San Francisco's BART, meanwhile, announced Thursday it would add extra cars to trains Friday and Saturday to accommodate larger crowds headed to and from inauguration events. It said extra officers from its in-house police department would be on duty for crowd control.

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjus
Southeast Portland residents meet with environmental and health officials

Southeast Portland residents crammed into the Cleveland High auditorium last year over concerns about unregulated air pollution. In the year since, the agency has struggled to quickly disclose records about other polluters in the city.

(File/The Oregonian)

Transparency is a mess at the agency responsible for policing Oregon's air and water pollution, a new Portland State University study has found.

After interviewing more than 50 people inside and outside the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, researchers at the university's Center for Public Service concluded that the agency lags behind its peers and falls short on public disclosure.

Whenever a resident sends a request for public records to the agency, it gets routed into what a clean air activist told the study's authors is a "series of blockades, mazes and rabbit holes."

One of 13 rotating staffers receives the request, records it and assigns it to another agency employee to compile -- unless it's from the news media, which means it gets steered to someone else.

Along the way, no employee has both the responsibility and the authority to release the sought-after documents, except in rare instances where a top leader informally tells someone to make it happen.

The environmental regulator not only struggles to fulfill public records requests, the study found, but also does a poor job of engaging Oregonians and educating them about the issues on which it works.

"The path forward for DEQ will not be a simple or easy one," the study concludes. "The department has a long history of groundbreaking leadership in environmental matters that has been hampered in recent years by a lack of resources and a lack of focus."

The agency's handling of the report is emblematic. It spent $20,000 on the study but hasn't posted it online since it was delivered in October. (The study was released within 24 hours of The Oregonian/OregonLive submitting a request.)

The external review comes as internal instability lingers. The agency is still deciding on a permanent replacement to former director Dick Pedersen, who resigned last March amid a Portland toxic air scare marked by the slow disclosure of records. The department plans to hold a special meeting next week to interview finalists.

Richard Whitman

The agency is currently led by its third interim director, Richard Whitman, a former natural resources advisor to Govs. Kate Brown and John Kitzhaber. Whitman, who has indicated interest in the full-time role, said the agency has underinvested in the technology needed to make information widely available to the public.

Take air pollution permits. Other jurisdictions - Seattle, Eugene, Vancouver -- make it easy for neighbors to learn what the factory next door is spewing from its smokestacks. The Department of Environmental Quality doesn't.

Whitman said the agency needs to be more responsive to people seeking records. Employees need more training, he said, and more must be spent modernizing the agency's technology so public records requests aren't needed in the first place.

Being transparent and responsive to the public is a key part of reestablishing trust in the department, Whitman said. "I do think that's a fundamental priority for DEQ going forward in the coming years," he said.

Advocates say changes are overdue. Mary Peveto, president of Neighbors for Clean Air, a Portland nonprofit, said state lawmakers deliberately underinvest in the department to ensure less public scrutiny of polluting businesses.

Peveto recalled asking to see records about air pollution from Intel, one of the world's leading technology companies, and receiving printed documents in a box.

"There has been an intentional decision to not modernize that agency," she said.

The Oregonian/OregonLive learned last year that the environmental regulator pays a private contractor, Iron Mountain, to store thousands of inspections, annual reports and other vital records about Oregon's polluters. Until the department started using the private contractor, the records had been readily available to the public with no charges.

When the newsroom requested documents on two businesses that Hayden Island residents have blamed for ongoing health problems, officials said the state needed pay Iron Mountain a fee of $60 to retrieve the first box of records and $12 for each additional box.

Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum's office sided with The Oregonian/OregonLive and ordered the environmental agency to eat most of the cost. It took eight months and a total of two appeals to the attorney general for the department to provide all the records.

Whitman tempered expectations of rapid change. "We know it's not going to happen overnight," he said, "and we know people are going to continue to be frustrated in a number of circumstances."

The Portland State study recommended creating two new jobs - a public records overseer and a public engagement and communications manager. The agency is creating the communications job, using money from vacant positions, Whitman said. It will need legislative approval to become permanent.

The agency is not hiring a records officer, Whitman said, but will rewrite job duties for current staffers.

The department has begun making other changes. Whitman said it will not charge fees to media outlets requesting documents, a policy instituted by his predecessor, Pete Shepherd.

-- Rob Davis

rdavis@oregonian.com

503.294.7657
Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Scenes from the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex on the Oregon/California border (photos taken at Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges); March 3, 5, 2015. Terry Richard/Staff

(LC- Terry Richard/Staff)

Three conservation groups filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday alleging a management plan for five wildlife refuges in Southern Oregon and Northern California doesn't do enough to restore and protect key habitat for tens of thousands of migrating waterfowl.

The Audubon Society of Portland, Oregon Wild and WaterWatch filed suit in a federal court in Medford challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's comprehensive plan to protect the wetlands in the Klamath Basin.

The government leases some land on two of the five refuges to commercial agriculture companies in the area, and the lawsuit alleges the farmland carved out of the refuges contributes to drought conditions and poses significant issues for migratory birds.

"We are simply asking that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service obey the law," Sean Stevens, Executive Director of Oregon Wild said in a statement. "The agency is legally required to prevent commercial activities, like leasing refuge lands to private agribusiness, from harming fish and wildlife. We simply want them to do their job."

U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials declined to comment, citing the pending lawsuit.

The conservation groups won a court order in 2015 forcing the federal agency to produce a comprehensive plan.

According to the conservation group's statement, the Klamath Basin wetlands are "some of the most important waterfowl habitat in the United States." Roughly 80 percent of waterfowl along a north-south migratory stretch from Alaska to Patagonia stop in one of the five refuges, representing more than 260 bird species.

The wetlands are roughly 80,000-acres. Some 22,000-acres of the land are currently dedicated to commercial agriculture.

Jim McCarthy, spokesman for WaterWatch of Oregon, said the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge is one of the nation's most important waterfowl sanctuaries. "But this management plan would allow parched wetlands and massive disease outbreaks to remain the norm here," he said, "If the status quo continues, as largely proposed by this plan, we expect large bird kills will continue on this refuge and others. That is not acceptable."

The Lower Klamath dates to 1908 and is the first federally recognized waterfowl refuge in the country. Some 30,000 to 60,000 waterfowl land there each year.



-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen
The Rev. Richard Crooks didnt intend to be a pastor.

Not at first.

Hed considered becoming an engineer and had worked as a photographer.

But encouragement from a friend and some reflection would help start him on a path that now has led him to Fremont.

Last month, Crooks became senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Fremont. His official installation is set for Jan. 29. The morning worship service starts at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch at 11:30 a.m. The installation ceremony is planned from 1-1:30 p.m., followed by a cake reception. The public is invited.

The son of a photographer, Crooks faith journey actually began in Parsons, Kan., where he was born, grew up and attended an American Baptist Church.

Originally, Crooks wanted to be an engineer and went to Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., where he studied chemistry and metallurgy.

It was a good school, but while sitting in an organic chemistry lab, Crooks said he realized he didnt want to spend the rest of his life fiddling with bottles.

So he sat out a semester, then transferred to Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kan. There, he took speech, drama, psychology and religion classes and graduated with a degree in Christian principles in interpersonal communication.

He returned home to Parsons and worked as a professional portrait and wedding photographer with his father.

Also involved at First Baptist Church in Parsons, Crooks taught Bible studies and served on committees. Hed occasionally substitute in the pulpit.

Crooks still remembers a comment he got after speaking one Sunday.

One of my really good friends stopped me after church and told me that maybe I needed to think about what I was doing, because he thought that was a really good presentation, Crooks recalled.

Maybe theres some gifts there you should be pursuing, the friend said.

Crooks pondered that and visited Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Kan.

He thought he wouldnt like seminary.

I really wasnt interested in being a preacher, he said. I liked photography. I had a good business. I had clients, who liked what I did.

And he thought he had better influence as a layperson.

I think laypeople are important, he said.

Yet Crooks found that he really liked the seminary and did well.

Crooks would graduate from seminary and later also from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, with specialties in biblical languages, church history and the history of biblical interpretation.

Throughout the years, hed minister in various settings, including serving churches as a senior pastor, interim pastor and as Baptist Campus Minister at Kansas State University in Manhattan.

He also has taught college classes as an adjunct for Fort Scott Community College and for a year at Central Seminary.

During his years of ministry, he has served as a board member for the American Baptist Church Central Region and for Bethel Neighborhood Center, as a volunteer at church camps for youth and children, and as coordinator for the annual Junior High youth event for the Central Region.

Crooks served at First Baptist Church in Horton, Kan., for a few years. He and his wife, Nola, left there and went to Parsons, Kan., to help his parents after his mother had developed Alzheimers disease. They also helped other relatives.

While in Parsons, Crooks also spent time remodeling a Victorian-style home and writing books. Two of those books are daily devotionals to help people going through divorce. The third is a daily devotional for people involved in caregiving. He is working on a fourth daily devotional on the biblical book of Ruth for people going through a season of loss.

Crooks mother died about five years ago. His father died in 2014. Crooks would work as a childrens case manager at a local mental health agency.

Crooks started as senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Fremont in December.

He and Nola have a blended family of six adult children.

Nola Crooks is a graduate of Ottawa University and is a fourth-grade teacher in Parsons. She will move to Fremont after completing her year of teaching in the spring.

She just completed a term on the denominations National Womens Ministry board, during which she spoke at conferences throughout the Midwest and served as representative to the International Baptist Womens Conference in South Africa and attended the Baptist World Alliance.

The couple have served together in coordinating the Central Regions junior high youth event and led youth groups where he has been a pastor.

In recent years, theyve worked to help establish an outreach ministry for First Baptist Church of Parsons, called Connexions, which features informal worship gatherings and servant ministry outreaches.

The group has been involved in creative church activities that have included handing out hot dogs to people driving by on Halloween and hosting dinners for police officers. One time, they rented the local swimming pool and invited sanitation workers and a community ball team to enjoy the pool and some ice cream, Crooks said.

One Sunday, the group had a service in which everything was done visually or interactively without a sermon or singing. People were very touched by that service.

Looking ahead, Crooks said he likes the heart for helping people that he sees at First Baptist Church in Fremont.

Theres an openness to trying some creative ministries and missions to help better our community, he said.

He likes that the church has a 9 a.m. traditional Sunday worship service and a casual service at 11 a.m.

I like variety, he said.

Hes also impressed with senior care facilities and businesses in Fremont, with the diversity, with Midland University and the parks.

Theres so much here, he said.

He also likes the brick streets and Victorian-style houses.

Crooks looks forward to getting to know the congregants.

Ive met several already and really enjoy them, he said. Im looking forward to being involved in trying to help our church engage in making a difference in our community and exploring what that might mean.
Everyone who frequently crosses the Ross Island Bridge has spotted the beeswax yellow Queen Anne-style mansion with a corner turret, crowned by a conical roof, that rises 50 feet into the sky.

The three-story building, completed in 1892, has been used as an office for an architectural firm and other businesses. But today, as in the past, this imposing structure is a home.

Johan and Dora Poulsen were the first owners, but they were never occupants. Still, the property reflects their name and the heritage they bore it: The Johan Poulsen House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its architectural and historic significance.

The family earned its wealth through co-ownership of the Poulsen-Inman Lumber Co., then the largest lumber company in the state. Fellow timber baron Robert D. Inman erected a matching Queen Anne on the same east bluff overlooking the Willamette River. Inman, however, lived in his mansion.

The properties, once safe in the Brooklyn neighborhood, were separated first by streaming traffic on the highway after the Ross Island Bridge was opened and later by bulldozers.

In the 1950s, long after both men had died and their company sold to Georgia-Pacific, Inman's house was torn down to make way for a parking lot, according to the Cafe Unknown history blog.

The Poulsen mansion was bought in 1919 by A. A. Hoover, aka "The Doughnut King," and was known as the "King's Castle" or "The King's Palace." Luxury features include three carved oak fireplaces, crystal light fixtures and tooled brass doorknobs.

There was a ballroom on the top level and servant quarters tucked in the ground floor of the turret. The tower drew in natural light through a Palladian window, two lead glass oriel windows and beveled, lead glass windows.

Today, the 4,995-square-foot dwelling at 3040 SE McLoughlin Blvd., at the busy intersection of Highway 99E and SE Powell Boulevard, is for sale for $1.295 million. Listing agent Patty Hopkins of Premiere Property Group thinks the best buyer would turn it into a bed and breakfast.

- Janet Eastman



jeastman@oregonian.com

503-799-8739

@janeteastman
capitol.JPG

The sun sets on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol building ahead of inauguration ceremonies for President-elect Donald Trump on January 18, 2017 in Washington, DC. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th U.S, president on January 20.

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

First, I did not vote for Donald Trump, and certainly disagree with a lot of what he says and does.

However, I am deeply disturbed and embarrassed by those Oregon Democratic members of Congress, and also those members from other states, who are boycotting the inauguration. They are no class sore losers, and they are undermining the democratic process to a greater extent than Russia ever did. It's time for them to stop acting like children, grow up and get over it.

Gary Sharp, Lake Oswego
By Charles Krauthammer

WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama did not go out quietly. His unquiet final acts were, in part, overshadowed by a successor who refused to come in quietly and, in part, by Obama's own endless, sentimental farewell tour. But there was nothing nostalgic or sentimental about Obama's last acts. Two of them were simply shocking.

Perhaps we should have known. At the 2015 White House correspondents dinner, he joked about whether he had a bucket list: "Well, I have something that rhymes with bucket list."

Turns out, he wasn't kidding. Commuting the sentence of Chelsea Manning, one of the great traitors of our time, is finger-in-the-eye willfulness. Obama took 28 years off the sentence of a soldier who stole and then released through WikiLeaks almost half a million military reports plus another quarter-million State Department documents.

The cables were embarrassing; the military secrets were almost certainly deadly. They jeopardized the lives not just of American soldiers on two active fronts -- Iraq and Afghanistan -- but of locals who were, at great peril, secretly aiding and abetting us. After Manning's documents release, the Taliban "went on a killing spree" (according to intelligence sources quoted by Fox News) of those who fit the description of individuals working with the United States.

Moreover, we will be involved in many shadowy conflicts throughout the world. Locals will have to choose between us or our enemies. Would you choose a side that is so forgiving of a leaker who betrays her country -- and you?

Even the word "leaker" is misleading. Leak makes it sound like a piece of information a whistleblower gives Woodward and Bernstein to expose misdeeds in high office. This was nothing of the sort. It was the indiscriminate dumping of a mountain of national security secrets certain to bring harm to American troops, allies and interests.

Obama considered Manning's 35-year sentence excessive. On the contrary. It was lenient. Manning could have been -- and in previous ages, might well have been -- hanged for such treason. Now she walks after seven years.

What makes this commutation so spectacularly in-your-face is its hypocrisy. Here is a president who spent weeks banging the drums over the harm inflicted by WikiLeaks with its release of stolen materials and emails during the election campaign. He demanded a report immediately. He imposed sanctions on Russia. He preened about the sanctity of the American political process.

Over what? What exactly was released? A campaign chairman's private emails and Democratic National Committee chatter, i.e. campaign gossip, backbiting, indiscretions and cynicism. The usual stuff, embarrassing but not dangerous. No national security secrets, no classified material, no exposure of anyone to harm, just to ridicule and opprobrium.

The other last-minute Obama bombshell occurred four weeks earlier when, for the first time in nearly a half-century, the United States abandoned Israel on a crucial Security Council resolution, allowing the passage of a condemnation that will plague both Israel and its citizens for years to come. After eight years of reassurance, Obama seized the chance -- free of political accountability for himself and his potential Democratic successor -- to do permanent damage to Israel. (The U.S. has no power to reverse the Security Council resolution.)

Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. who went on to be a great Democratic senator, once argued passionately that in the anti-American, anti-democratic swamp of the U.N., America should act unwaveringly in opposition and never give in to the jackals. Obama joined the jackals.

Why? To curry favor with the international left? After all, Obama leaves office as a relatively young man of 55. His next chapter could very well be as a leader on the international stage, perhaps at the U.N. (secretary-general?) or some transnational (ostensibly) human rights organization. What better demonstration of bona fides than a gratuitous attack on Israel? Or the about-face on Manning and WikiLeaks? Or the freeing of a still unrepentant Puerto Rican terrorist, Oscar Lopez Rivera, also pulled off with three days remaining in his presidency.

A more likely explanation, however, is that these are acts not of calculation but of authenticity. This is Obama being Obama. He leaves office as he came in: a man of the left, but possessing the intelligence and discipline to suppress his more radical instincts. As of Nov. 9, 2016, suppression was no longer necessary.

We've just gotten a glimpse of his real self. From now on, we shall see much more of it.

Charles Krauthammer's email address is letterscharleskrauthammer.com.

(c) 2017, The Washington Post Writers Group
By David Ignatius

WASHINGTON -- Last February, a top Russian cyber official told a security conference in Moscow that Russia was working on new strategies for the "information arena" that would be equivalent to testing a nuclear bomb and would "allow us to talk to the Americans as equals."

Andrey Krutskikh, a senior Kremlin adviser, made the startling comments at the Russian National Information Security Forum, or "Infoforum 2016," held Feb. 4 and 5. His remarks were transcribed by a Russian who attended the gathering and translated for me by an independent European cyber expert.

Krutskikh's comments are important because they may help explain the radical strategic doctrine that underlies Russia's hacking and attempted manipulation of the 2016 presidential campaign in America, as well as Russian political subversion in Europe. His title is "special representative of the president for international cooperation in the field of information security."

A senior Obama administration official described Krutskikh as a "senior-level adviser" to President Vladimir Putin and "a longstanding player in cyber issues" at the foreign ministry. The official said he couldn't confirm the details of Krutskikh's remarks, but that "they sound like something Andrey would say."

According to notes of Krutskikh's speech, he told his Russian audience: "You think we are living in 2016. No, we are living in 1948. And do you know why? Because in 1949, the Soviet Union had its first atomic bomb test. And if until that moment, the Soviet Union was trying to reach agreement with [President Harry] Truman to ban nuclear weapons, and the Americans were not taking us seriously, in 1949 everything changed and they started talking to us on an equal footing."

Krutskikh continued, "I'm warning you: We are at the verge of having 'something' in the information arena, which will allow us to talk to the Americans as equals."

Putin's cyber adviser stressed to the Moscow audience the importance for Russia of having a strong hand in this new domain. If Russia is weak, he explained, "it must behave hypocritically and search for compromises. But once it becomes strong, it will dictate to the Western partners [the U.S. and its allies] from the position of power."

Krutskikh's comments may have been a precursor of a new doctrine for information operations announced publicly by the Kremlin in December. The senior administration official described the Russian strategy: "They think of information space as a domain of warfare. In the U.S, we tend to have a binary view of conflict -- we're at peace or at war. The Russian doctrine is more of a continuum. You can be at different levels of conflict, along a sliding scale."

Russian hacking during the 2016 presidential campaign, as outlined in the unclassified report released this month by U.S. intelligence agencies, is an example of Russia's use of new tools in this continuum of conflict, the U.S. official said. "Certainly, I believe the Russians are working to increase their capabilities in cyberspace, because they've realized they can use cyberspace to pursue their foreign policy goals," he said.

In Russia's view, America is pushing just as aggressively in the information space, but denies it. "Things we perceive as free speech, they perceive as aggressive behavior from the West," noted the senior U.S. official.

Putin, for example, saw Hillary Clinton's support for anti-Putin dissidents as an attempt to foment a "color revolution." Russians also claim (without public evidence) that the U.S. orchestrated last year's disclosure of the "Panama Papers," which included allegations of Russian money laundering, and last year's allegations by the World Anti-Doping Agency of drug use by Russian athletes.

In Putin's mind, the U.S attacked first in the information war. Russia is now strong enough to retaliate, as Krutskikh signaled in his February 2016 speech.

Krutskikh and other Russian cyber experts don't appear to have been deterred by public warnings or sanctions. Krutskikh was quoted by the Russian Information Agency Dec. 29 describing U.S. sanctions announced that day as "the agony of the ruling elite," reflecting "the personal hatred" of President Obama, and "an attempt to prevent future cooperation."

"We don't exclude the lifting of the sanctions after Trump enters office," Krutskikh said.

Krutskikh's comments highlight the emerging world of information warfare, where "fake news" and hacking are tools for covert warriors in many nations. The senior administration official warns: "The Russians are particularly advanced -- in technology, organization and doctrine. They're at the head of the pack. But there will be others."

David Ignatius' email address is davidignatiuswashpost.com.

(c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group
Glover.JPG

Thelma Glover, 90, holds an Emanuel Hospital poster that shows the first house she ever bought -- a three-bedroom on North Commercial that Emanuel tore down as part of its expansion. She winces when she thinks of the home she moved into, and lived in for the next 50 years, on 114th place because it's in a cul-de-sac, isolated from what was once a huge community.

(The Oregonian/file photo)

on Thelma Glover, the 98-year-old African American woman who was evicted from her home to make way for Emanuel Hospital was heart-breaking and infuriating. While we can't turn back the clock and make up for her exile during the past 45 years, the least Portland city housing officials could do is waive the income and sweat equity rules for their right to return program and give her a home in her old neighborhood.

Gail Streicker, Northeast Portland
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's top leaders will travel to 11 communities across the state Monday through Wednesday to engage with Nebraskans to inform the role and goals of the state's flagship land-grant university.

Chancellor Ronnie Green, Executive Vice Chancellor Donde Plowman and Mike Boehm, Harlan Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Nebraska, will discuss the university, its achievements and its strategic goals with stakeholders throughout Nebraska.

Fremont and West Point are cities included in the tour. Registration to attend a tour event is available at http://go.unl.edu/unl2017.

The tour echoes the aims of Blanket Nebraska, an August 2016 dash across more than 50 towns and cities by deans, vice chancellors and other top administrators at Nebraska. Green, Plowman and Boehm will attend a series of gatherings during the three-day tour, which are free and open to the public.

The Fremont tour stop will be a community lunch at noon Monday at Js Steakhouse, 406 N. Main St. It will be followed by a community gathering at 2 p.m. at Nielsen Community Center, 200 Anna Stalp Ave., in West Point.
Thursday 19 January 2017 3:42pm



Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan (centre) is joined by Associate Professor James Maclaurin (left) and Associate Professor Alistair Knott (right).

Artificial intelligence (AI) is coming at us before we fully understand what it might mean. Established ways of doing things in areas like transport regulation, crime prevention and legal practice are being challenged by new technologies such as driverless cars, crime prediction software and AI lawyers.

The possible implications of AI innovations for law and public policy in New Zealand will be teased out in a new, ground-breaking Law Foundation study. The three-year multi-disciplinary project, Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand, supported by a $400,000 Law Foundation grant, is being run out of the University of Otago, and is a collaboration between the Faculty of Law and the departments of Philosophy and Computer Science.

Project team leader Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan of the Faculty of Law says that AI technologies  essentially, technologies that can learn and adapt for themselves  pose fascinating legal, practical and ethical challenges. To tackle these challenges, an interdisciplinary team is essential. Associate Professor Gavaghan is joined by Associate Professor James Maclaurin from Philosophy, who brings expertise in ethics and the philosophy of science, and Associate Professor Alistair Knott, who brings expertise in Artificial Intelligence.

A current example is PredPol, the technology now widely used by Police in American cities to predict where and when crime is most likely to occur. PredPol has been accused of reinforcing bad practices such as racially-biased policing. Some US courts are also using predictive software when making judgments about likely reoffending.

Predictions about dangerousness and risk are important, and it makes sense that they are as accurate as possible, Associate Professor Gavaghan says. But there are possible downsides  AI technologies have a veneer of objectivity, because people think machines cant be biased, but their parameters are set by humans. This could result in biases being overlooked or even reinforced.

Also, because those parameters are often kept secret for commercial or other reasons, it can be hard to assess the basis for some AI-based decisions. This inscrutability might make it harder to challenge those decisions, in the way we might challenge a decision made by a judge or a police officer.

Another example is the debate over how driverless cars should make choices in life-threatening situations. Recently, Mercedes announced that it will programme its cars to prioritise car occupants over pedestrians when an accident is imminent.

Associate Professor Gavaghan says this a tough ethical question.

Mercedes has made a choice that is reassuring for its drivers and passengers, but are the rest of us OK with it? Human drivers faced with these situations have to make snap decisions, and we tend to cut them some slack as a result. But when programming driverless cars, we have the chance to set the rules calmly and in advance. The question is: what should those rules say?

Another set of questions flows from the employment implications of AI. At least one American law firm now claims to have hired its first AI lawyer to research precedents and make recommendations in a bankruptcy practice.

Is the replacement of a human lawyer by an AI lawyer more like making the lawyer redundant, or more like replacing one lawyer with another one? Some professions  lawyers, doctors, teachers  also have ethical and pastoral obligations. Are we confident that an AI worker will be able to perform those roles?

He says the research team will consider the implications of AI technologies under four broad headings: responsibility and culpability; transparency and scrutiny; employment displacement; and machine morality.

Associate Professors Gavaghan (Director of the New Zealand Law Foundation Centre for Emerging Technologies), Knott and Maclaurin will be assisted by two post-doctoral researchers. They will examine international literature on AI, consult with international experts and study the experience of other countries, the United States in particular.

The Law Foundation is an independent charitable trust that supports research and education on legal issues. Executive Director Lynda Hagen says the AI study will be funded under the Foundations Information Law and Policy project (ILAPP), a recently-established $2 million fund dedicated to developing law and policy in New Zealand around IT, data, information, artificial intelligence and cyber-security.

The AI study is among the first to be funded under our ILAPP project, Lynda says. New technologies are rapidly transforming the way we live and work, and ILAPP will help ensure that New Zealands law and policy keeps up with the pace of change.

The AI study is the fourth approved under ILAPP. The first is examining how to regulate digital or crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin that use blockchain technology  these are poised to disrupt the finance world and beyond, and regulators like our Reserve Bank are concerned about the implications for finance system stability. The other two projects will cover smart contracts and the digitisation of law, and how to regulate new technologies like driverless cars, drones, Uber and Airbnb. Visit the Law Foundation for more information on these projects.

For more information, contact:

Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan

Tel 03 479 8852

Email colin.gavaghan@otago.ac.nz

Associate Professor Alistair Knott

Tel 03 479 8299

Email alik@cs.otago.ac.nz

Associate Professor James Maclaurin

Tel 03 479 8719

Email james.maclaurin@otago.ac.nz

Lynda Hagen

Tel 04 499 1038

Email lynda@lawfoundation.org.nz

Richman Wee (ILAPP Project Manager)

Tel 04 5951123

Email richman@lawfoundation.org.nz
The Michigan Small Business Development Center will be hosting How to Buy or Sell a Small Business on Friday, Jan. 27, at 10 a.m. in S105 on Delta Colleges main campus.

Lunch will be served and check-in will begin at 9:30 a.m. This is a free event open to business owners and others who desire to learn about acquiring or selling a business, as well as accountants, attorneys, business brokers, financial planners, CEOs and CFOs.
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Musicians Mike OBrien of Midland and Steve Harnick of Sanford met in the 60s. A few years ago, their appreciation for local music history led them to start writing a book.

I used to watch Steve play bass in his band The Talismen before I started playing bass myself, OBrien said. In fact, Steve and I first met when I answered an ad in the Midland Daily News classifieds section for a bass guitar for $35. My dad drove me over to Steves house, I looked at the bass, and then handed Steve a 20, a 10 and a 5. That was May of 1966.

Their recently released book is called Midland Rock and Roll: 50 years, 1964-2014 and it chronicles the history of what the authors call local rock and roll garage bands. There are about 67 musicians featured, however several more are mentioned throughout the book.

I had been talking about it a few years ago with a musicologist friend with whom I went to high school here in Midland, OBrien said. It was our strong feeling that unless such an archive was created soon, it would never be. That is to say, many of the folks it documents would no longer be around to do it. So it was a now-or-never thing, I guess. But my friend and I decided it would require far more effort than either one of us wished to assume at the time.

So the idea was set aside for a while until OBrien, who was playing at a local library in 2013, reconnected with his other friend, Harnick.

Now I hadnt seen Mike since he was playing bass in Flood around August 1972, Harnick said. The suggestion to write a book documenting the very beginning of rock and roll in Midland came up and we both said we should do it We followed all the very early musicians who wanted to join the project, from the mid-60s until 2014 (50 years), plus we included a few present-day musicians who are keeping the music alive today.

Back in the day, both men said there was more than one reason they wanted to play music.

I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, OBrien said.

The reaction from the crowd was inspiring.

Yeah, we saw the girls screaming, Harnick said. Mike and I started playing music in the mid-60s and Mike continues to play around Midland. I quit playing in public around 1990 and built a recording studio. I make demo CDs for local musicians and have hundreds of photos of Midland musicians and bands posted on the walls.

OBrien also shared some about his music.

I play rock and roll mostly, but Ive also played jazz, lots of blues, lots of R&B, and some Latin and classical music with The Resonators Percussion Ensemble, he said. I played two seasons with The Organization, with Mike Brush, Jim Fulkerson and Bryan Rombalski, as well as with Michael and The Movers, the R. Peepers Band and Windsong, to name a few.

Harnick mentioned that some of the musicians in the book you might see playing around Midland today. These include Ike Behr, Randy Hill, Michael Robertson, Dave Kellan, Bruce Winslow, Brett Mitchell, Bobby Randall, Kimberly Megoran and Jerry Meier.

There are lots more who have moved away and are still playing, some almost 70 years old now, Harnick said. The book is a limited edition intended to be put into the hands of our friends, the musicians, who have entertained us for so many years.

However, more copies are available for the public to purchase.

Gary Skory, director of the Midland County Historical Society, met Harnick last year.

Hes a rock and roll enthusiast, but he really has the insight of a historian, Skory said.

Having read parts of Midland Rock and Roll, he called the book fascinating, especially since it is a local story which contains the human element.

The book covers Midland, Midland County, Skory said. Its about people  their accomplishments, their challenges, everything.

But he said the book is about more than just the past.

It is about the future  what those men and women created for the future, he said. They were making a culture, making a statement.

Skory also shared that the music scene in Midland was a sample of the music scene at-large.

What happened in Midland is what happened nationally, he said. There are so many stories in that book; stories that make the world go around It is a splendid book with tremendous photos and tremendous information.

While providing the history of local musicians, there is also mention of some of the places where they used to play in Midland. These places include Blue Light, Knights of Columbus Hall, Mr. Eds, The Elbow Room, The Outhouse, The Establishment, Rockin Roundup and the Sportsmans Club. Also, the musicians played at the band shell, Community Center dances and junior high schools.

But anymore, the number of local places for musicians to play has diminished a great deal the authors said. OBrien mentioned that one of the places in Midland that allows local musicians to play is Espresso Milano.

A Midland High School graduate, OBrien earned a bachelor of science degree in electronics engineering technology from Devry University and a master of arts degree in English language and rhetoric from the University of New Mexico. He has worked as a field service engineer for Perkin-Elmer and a technical writer and editor for Cisco Systems, both in San Jose, California. He also taught technical writing for UNM.

Through all this time I continued to play bass guitar in Arizona, California and New Mexico, and continue to do so to this day, he said.

Harnick, also a Midland High graduate, entered the Army in 1969 after spending a year attending Delta College. He later finished degrees in data processing and electronic technology at Delta.

He has worked at Alden B. Dow Associates as an electrical draftsman and Four-Phase Systems as a computer field engineer. He served as director of data processing at St. Lukes Hospital. After studying business administration at Northwood Institute, he started a consulting business called Computer Talk and then taught computer and journalism classes at Midland Christian School for eight years, until he retired.

Mike has been my co-author, editor, counselor, confidant and a good friend, Harnick said.

Midland Rock and Roll: 50 years, 1964-2014, which was printed locally at Quick Reliable Printing, is available for purchase at Camps Music and Meier Camera on Ashman and Little Forks Outfitters on Main.

The book can also be purchased through Paypal.com, to pure_unobtanium@yahoo.com. The cost on Paypal is $40 with free hand-delivery in Midland County and $45, postage included, outside of Midland County.
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Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Red Lobster  the wish list for Midland goes on.

Facebook users on Monday offered a flood of suggestions after the Daily News asked what new stores and restaurants theyd like in the city, some of which residents have wanted for years.

The Midland Business Alliance has hired Buxton, a Texas-based customer analytics company, to help Midland recruit new restaurants and retail businesses, Alliance CEO Bill Allen told city council at its annual retreat on Jan. 7.

We will get data that we never had before that will help discover whos looking for a community the size of Midland, Allen said. Buxton will begin its work in the next few weeks.

But big-box stores like Costco, Whole Foods and Trader Joes may not fit the Midland mold.

Thats according to City Manager Jon Lynch, who said hes heard from many in the community the same question: Why dont they put a (new store/restaurant) in Midland?

Per Lynch, its a matter of logistics. Businesses have data and metrics in mind before opening a store. For example, if Costco wanted to build a new site, Lynch said the targeted city would need to meet these criteria:

 Minimum $75,000 median income

 200,000 people within five miles of the site

 45 percent of the population with an associates degree or higher

 Half the population must be between ages 24 and 64

How Midland stacks up:

 $53,722: Median household income

 42,200: City population; 83,632: County population

 About 46 percent of Midlands population has an associates degree or higher

 55 percent of Midlands population is between 18 and 64

So unless the Midland area balloons to 200,000 residents and median income rises by $12,000, count Costco out.

What about Whole Foods?

Here are the retailers criteria, per Lynch:

 Minimum $60,000 median income

 55 percent or more with bachelors degree or higher

 60 percent or more owner-occupied houses

 250,000 people within three miles of the site

The only one Midland meets is owner-occupied houses  about 64 percent.

So for a Whole Foods to open in Midland, the city would need to gain a couple hundred thousand residents, boost median income by $7,000 and spend more time in college (42.6 percent of the population has a bachelors degree or higher).

Easy, right?

Joking aside, determining site selection is serious business  with myriad variables.

Take Dallas, Texas. The city fits (Costcos) criteria for opening a store, but the company feels no pressure to do it, the Dallas News reported in 2015. http://bit.ly/2jnK7Tv

The newspaper quoted Brian Whelan, senior vice president of Northwest Atlantic Partners, the firm Costco uses to help it locate new store sites in North America.

It doesnt matter that Dallas has the two groups he said Costco requires: an affluent customer base and lots of small businesses, the story states, noting small businesses represent 50 percent of Costcos sales. Costco believes it always has the option to wait for a good real estate deal, and, the newspaper reported, will walk away from land that its decided costs too much and did just that in Dallas.

Another variable: Cannibalization. A prime example: Red Lobster. There are locations in Bay City, Saginaw and Mount Pleasant. Why not Midland?

One of the Orlando-based seafood chains concerns, Lynch noted, is cannibalization  that by setting up in Midland, it would eat away profits and performance at other area sites.

Buxton notes finding retail sites that position stores in the market place to capture all available traffic, while minimizing the cannibalization from existing stores is a struggle, and that most site rejections at this stage focus on access, visibility, and real estate and energy costs, which are factors that a community has little, if any, control over.

Even if it werent an issue in Midland, there are still more factors, as Lynch outlined: market optimization, market penetration, market geography, competitive landscape, demographic information, proximity analysis and consumer distance.

Also: Competition, activity (parking, visibility, access), area hours of operation, curb appeal, consumer activity.

The list goes on.

However other retailers have lower thresholds. We do, after all, have a Starbucks and Kroger in Midland, criteria for which Lynch also cited:

For Starbucks:

 Minimum $50,000 median income

 High ratio of college education

 Minimum 40,000 vehicles per day with access to store

And Kroger:

 20,000 customers in trade area

 Minimum $40,000 median income

Kroger has put on hold plans to build a new and larger location at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Joe Mann Boulevard.

The bottom line: At least for now, it seems the beloved big-box retailers may not be in the cards for Midland.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department.

Tuesday, Jan. 17

10:56 a.m.  A deputy was sent to a Jerome Township business to assist Consumers Energy with reconnecting power.

4:03 p.m.  A deputy was sent to a Homer Township address to assist BAYANET. A 35-year-old man was arrested on two warrants.

6:10 p.m.  A $65 trash can was stolen from a Village of Sanford home.

7:13 p.m.  A deputy was called to a Larkin Township home for a report of a disorderly 10-year-old boy.

7:36 p.m.  A deputy was contacted after the person protected by a conditional bond in a domestic assault case contacted the suspect by text. The suspect did not respond to the text. The deputy found no violation occurred and instructed both parties not to contact each other.

8:06 p.m.  A deputy investigated a breaking and entering, and theft, that occurred at a Jerome Township home. A report is being sent to the prosecutor for review.

10:04 p.m.  Gasoline, valued at $25, was stolen from a Greendale Township gas station.

10:26 p.m.  A Homer Township woman, 46, lost $212 in a scam.
The suspects in an Isabella County theft case have been identified with help from tips received by investigators through the media and social media.

The Isabella County Sheriffs Office reports warrants are being requested for the two men who walked out of the Union Township Walmart with a shopping cart full of stolen merchandise.
President-elect Donald Trump won on a pledge to Make America Great Again. He has selected Michigans own Betsy DeVos to be his nominee for director of the U.S. Department of Education because he wants to make public schools great again. The pesident-elect has chosen wisely.

For 28 years, DeVos has made it her mission in life to help children  especially disadvantaged children  receive a quality education. Betsy did not need to devote decades of her life to this cause. She did it because it is a labor of love, based on her strong belief that every child deserves a good education, and that education is the key to success in life.

DeVos believes we should advance on all fronts: better quality in traditional public schools and better quality in charter public schools. Different children learn differently, and it makes perfect sense to offer a wide array of options for parents and children to choose from.

You would not know that from reading a recent column by Stephen Henderson. His column criticized the role charter schools (and, by extension DeVos) have played in making sure the children of Detroit have high quality education options.

DeVos believes the measuring stick is to do what is right for each child. She understands we can fix schools at the same time we give children and families choices to find the school that fits their needs. These are not mutually exclusive. Children and parents should be given options, choices and scholarships so they receive the education that is best for them. Empowering students and parents is the first step.

Second, DeVos understands that education needs to modernize. The educational highway should be a pathway to jobs. But even as business is moving at warp speed, too often the educational model looks like a horse and buggy system built on corduroy roads.

American innovation and ingenuity need to be tapped to transform our schools into real centers of learning and excellence.

Importantly, our teachers will benefit from modernization as well. No one doubts that teachers earn their pay every single day. Our schoolteachers deserve an education system that is upgraded and improved.

Third, there needs to be a laser focus on literacy. America has been described as a shining city on a hill, but if you cant spell opportunity and you cannot read the directions on a map, then you wont reach the city or the hill. This has to be the fundamental building block for educational reform.

My wife and I, and our two children, are proud graduates of public schools. All the Schuettes have fond memories of Carpenter Street Elementary School in Midland, and have great loyalty to Jefferson Middle School and the Dow High Chargers. Betsy DeVos shares that same love and passion for public education.

She will bring a fresh perspective, a new set of eyes and a reformers bent to her new job as Secretary of Education. Its a daunting task. But it may be the single most important cabinet position in the U.S. government, because it affects the future of our country.

Betsy DeVos is the right person at the right time in history to make this happen, because she will put children first, and make decisions based on what is right for the student. Theres not a moment to lose.
Approximately 30 members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ordnance school visited the 18th Munitions Squadron Jan. 11, gaining insight as to how U.S. ordnance units operate.



The visit allowed ordnance school students, who specialize in logistics and supply, to learn about the U.S. munitions functions and units on Okinawa, while strengthening the U.S.-Japan security alliance and to provide regional peace and stability



The students were able to learn about the latest equipment the United States uses, said JGSDF Col. Naoki Tomiyoshi, 1st Educational Department Ordnance School director. They also learned about the management of the different weapons and the important safety measures used.



These student officers are participating in a year-long course where, upon completion, they will go to command positions in JGSDF units all over Japan.



These exchanges really strengthen our relationship with the host nation, not just militarily but personally as well, said Master Sgt. Matthew Schley, 18th Munitions Squadron precision guided munitions section chief. It just goes to show how far weve come, working with the Japanese, especially in the munitions area where we work hand in hand with JASDF almost every day and we support them as much as we can and they support us as well.



The students spent the day touring U.S. bases around Okinawa learning about their operations and interacting with their American counterparts in an effort to increase bilateral interoperability and build friendships.



Upon arriving to Kadena, the JGSDF members were given a tour of Kadenas munitions storage area.



Along the way, U.S. Airmen gave them tours of buildings where munitions are stored and briefings about each places operations and equipment.



Schley expressed the importance of this work and cultural exchange.



This experience gave our Airmen a different insight into their job, said Schley. These guys are interested in what we do out here and theyre going to take some of what we talked about back to their force and use it in their day to day operations.



Afterward, Tomiyoshi expressed his gratitude to Kadena for hosting them on the base.



This experience will enhance the students knowledge and training, said Tomiyoshi. Experiencing the little things helps us to continue to learn from each other. This kind of interaction enhances our relationship.
Typhoons, tsunamis, floods and even mudslides, the Asia-Pacific Region is well-acquainted with the devastation wrought by natural disasters. As populations increase among many Pacific nations, the need for disaster preparedness and response continues to grow. The U.S. and its Pacific allies and partners frequently train together to address the growing need for readiness. When a disaster occurs, readiness can protect and restore the lives of millions of Pacific residents.



Readiness is the exact reason the 13th Expeditionary Air Squadron, a joint team of U.S. Airmen and Soldiers, traveled to Clark Air Base, Philippines. The team brought with them a ground-based satellite imagery system, called Eagle Vision, a collection manager from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii and geospatial and imagery anaylsts from Ft. Shafter, Hawaii. The unit deployed to conduct a Pacific Air Forces Subject Matter Expert Exchange mission together with Philippine Air Force members. The SMEEs will focus on using geospatial satellite imagery, acquired by Eagle Vision, to support Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief efforts.



"Eagle Vision can move all over the world, we can set up our system anywhere and start pulling down imagery from commercial satellites," said Chief Master Sgt. Reid Tsubota, Eagle Vision Superintendent with the Hawaii Air National Guard's 154th Wing from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.



"The HADR applications of this system are incredible. In fact, this is our fourth time here in the Philippines. In 2006 we were initially supporting exercise Balikatan when the Southern Leyte mudslides occurred here. Using Eagle Vision we were able to to provide the Marine Corps' first responders imagery that ultimately helped in the recovery and relief efforts," Tsubota said.



During this fourth visit, Tsubota and his team of 15 Guardsmen, assigned to the 154th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, will work alongside their Philippine counterparts during a series of exchanges focused on the HADR uses Eagle Vision offers. The two-week long Eagle Vision SMEE will culminate with a table-top exercise where Philippine and U.S. military members will simulate a HADR response to a typhoon, a disaster the Philippines experiences. A series of smaller engagements will take place leading up to the simulation. These events are meant to help the military members from both nations discover ways to work better together.



"The U.S. and Philippines have been allies for a long time. HADR is one of the cornerstones of our alliance. And as history has shown us, time and time again, natural disasters will occur in the Pacific. Lives will be impacted and the U.S. and Philippines will come together to bring life-saving aid to those in need," said Lt. Col. Peter Day, the 13th Expeditionary Air Squadron's commander, leading the Eagle Vision team.



"When we think about delivering aid, most of us think about medicine, food, water and so on. What we sometimes overlook is how aid gets to the people. There's a tremendous effort taking place behind-the-scenes. That's where Eagle Vision shines," Tsubota said.



According to Tsubota, Eagle Vision provides decision-quality infomation. Commanders and organizations providing HADR support can use Eagle Vision's imagery for a variety of purposes including: selecting ingress and egress routes for aid; predicting the air mobility requirements of an airfield, such as viability and capacity, for receiving relief; or ascertaining the extent and magnitude of damage caused by a disaster.



"Eagle Vision excels at providing accurate readings. During the Leyte mudslides we outlined before and after images of the affected area. The change detection helped direct resources to the hardest hit locations with the greatest need," said Master Sgt. Chad Tedrowe, an Eagle Vision Data Integration Segment engineer.



Eagle Vision uses commerically available satellites to capture scenes. Scenes are acquired from commercial satellites SPOT6 and SPOT7 and consist of 60 by 60 kilometer swathes where each pixel represents one and a half meters of ground area. Scenes are detailed and customizable to meet mission requirements. Additionally, scenes can include data integration such as geographic coordinates or elevation down to an individual pixel level of detail.



Sharing Eagle Vision's HADR applications is the main focus of the 13 EAS's mission while at Clark. Throughout the next two weeks, U.S. Airmen and Soldiers will exchange experiences for collecting, processing, and analyzing the satellite imagery Eagle Vision captures with their Philippine partners .



"Our ultimate goal is to build and leave our friends in the Philippine Air Force a collection of products and capabilities that will help them when responding to natural disasters. The PAF is already engaged and experienced at providing relief, Typhoon Nina is the latest example. When the next typhoon hits, the U.S. and Philippines will be comfortable using Eagle Vision together to get aid where is it needed the most," Day said.



The U.S. Air Force has five Eagle Vision systems. Eagle Vision is the Air Force's only releaseable unclassified, commercial deployable satellite imagery downlink ground-station. The system is operated and maintained by a variety of Air Force specialties, making it self-sustained capability with only the need to contract diesel fuel.



Eagle Vision has been deployed to support Pacific HADR operations in India, Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Dear Abby: I am an atheist. My parents, although raised Presbyterian, never to my knowledge participated in organized religion, so it was not part of my upbringing.

Last year my mom started going to church again, and my kids have been going with her. I've always said they can make their own choices and I'd support them.

Mom is about to go south for the rest of the winter and there's no obvious church member the kids can go with, but they'd like to keep attending. Would it be wrong for me to go with them on Sundays, even though I don't believe in the church doctrine and won't be otherwise involved in the organization?

I'm sure I could be unobtrusive, but I'm not sure what to say if someone asks why I'm there -- especially since I'll stop going once my mother returns to town. The kids are tweens and not old enough to go alone. What do you think? -- WHAT'S APPROPRIATE?

Dear What's: When people see one another in a house of worship, they usually assume that they are equally religious and that's why they're there. However, if you are asked why you're there, all you have to say is that your children enjoy being there and your mother is away, so you brought them. I don't think it's necessary to announce to anyone that you're an atheist.

Dear Abby: My husband is constantly complaining about the cost of groceries. He recently graduated from college and now works in the corporate world making substantially more than he did before. I'm 16 weeks pregnant, but before I quit my job I was working full time and would buy all the groceries. Now that my husband shares an account with me, he constantly makes me feel bad for buying food.

Abby, I'm not talking about $300 a week; it's more like $70 a week for food. Yet he spends twice that amount on beer, video games and lunches for himself. I have told him numerous times how horrible he makes me feel, and have even cried about it, but today he brought up the topic again. He is making me depressed and afraid of buying food for fear of being mocked and "guilted." What am I to do? -- THE COST OF GROCERIES

Dear Cost: Your husband should be ashamed of himself. The next time he complains, stand your ground and tell him in no uncertain terms it's time to grow up and cut it out. He's no longer a kid; he's a married man with responsibilities. Those groceries are feeding his wife and child, and you both need all the nourishment you can get right now.

Also, stress for a woman in your expectant condition isn't good for you or the baby. I think it's time the guilt trip worked both ways, don't you?
Question: True or false? From being a little known member of the Illinois Senate in 2004 to eight years in the White House by 2016, Barack Obama carved one of the most meteoric rises in American history and, in stepping away this week, can now go back to playing poker as one of the more conservative players at the table.
For many, the big bad Beatles news of '16 was the passing of Sir George Martin, the fabled producer and co-architect of the Beatles sound who was often labeled the "fifth Beatle."

For American English, headed back to the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts this weekend, there was a Beatles-infused passing even closer to home, and just as sorely felt: that of legendary concert promoter Sam Leach, who died Dec. 21 in Liverpool.

The man who first saw the Beatles in 1961 and began promoting them around Liverpudlian clubs and nightspots later became the manager of American English, sealing the band's Fab Four connection for all time.

It was Leach who took American English to Liverpool for their several appearances during Beatles Week, the UK's premier festival devoted to the band.

Leach's oft-quoted stamp of approval didn't hurt matters a bit: "American English is the best Beatle show on the planet ... they are the Beatles incarnate."

"I had just spoken with him on the phone a few weeks before he died," notes Eric Michaels, who has pulled Paul McCartney duty for longer now than McCartney himself was ever a Beatle.

Leach will be sorely missed as that band's living-breathing direct link, Michaels adds.

Indeed, the specter of mortality that hovered over pop-rock music in '16 is now manifest in the world of tribute bands, whose members are aging along with the real McCoys.

In addition to Leach's passing a month ago this weekend, serious illness has touched the band's membership, and been overcome.

"There's a whole history of Beatles tribute bands waiting to be written," observes Michaels of the phenomenon that has ballooned to epic proportions over the past several decades.

"And it would be about as interesting as any book about the Beatles themselves," he adds of the many comings and goings among the various bands and touring productions, which continue to multiply like Tribbles to this day.

When the Chicago-based American English first hit its stride as a tribute band several decades ago, "there really were not too many other bands like us around in the country ... just a few more on the West Coast. We were kind of relegated to the Midwest area, which was OK, because there was plenty to do."

The venue that first brought the band to Bloomington, Ju Ju's downtown, is long gone, but their fan base remains intact, with innumerable return trips made in the years since, to mainstream family arenas like the McLean County Fair grandstand to full-bore rock venues like the Castle Theatre.

At one point, around 10 years ago, Bloomington-Normal caught the band in the thick of its own Beatles-worthy personnel crisis: just a few months after one of their Ju-Ju's shows, another tribute band turned up at another downtown Bloomington venue.

The band: Liverpool Legends, featuring American English's former George Harrison, Marty Scott, and managed/endorsed by George's real-life sister, Louise Harrison, then famous for her Southern Illinois residency in Benton (several years ago, she pulled up stakes to join Scott and the band in Southern California, where Michaels says the association continues).

Noted Scott at the time: "It was just like the Beatles ... one of those bad band break-ups where all four go their separate ways."

Today, Michaels reflects on that period as just one of the many he's faced as American English's leader.

"We moved on, they moved on," he says, adding, with a chuckle, "I do kind of feel like Paul at times ..."

"Why wouldn't people love to be able to find out all about what it's like to be a fake Beatle, or Beatle impersonator, or whatever you want to call us?" muses Michaels of the assorted intrigues and adventures of bands and shows, from "Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles" to "Beatlemania" to "1964 the Tribute" to dozens more.

"We're turning on new generations ... we're the keepers of the flame," he says, noting that we've now reached the point where younger audiences may not even know who is being paid tribute.

"When we first started doing this in the '90s, there was one show, after which we met five teenage girls hanging around a back fence afterward.

"We've been following you around for weeks," they told the band, with no idea it was a Beatles tribute act.

"They just liked us," recalls Michaels, "which is so funny ... but also great."
Moments after he was elected as the countrys first black president in 2008, Barack Obama stepped on a Chicago stage and mingled poetry with optimism, praising Americans who were not afraid to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

Whether as candidate or president, Obama knew it came down to words, the way they spun and gathered, lifted and fell on precise beats with restrained flourish. From the moment he electrified the Democratic National Convention in 2004 until his farewell address last Tuesday, his speeches streamed from an eloquent inner voice that could lay bare the vestiges of racism and mourn with a nation stricken by gun violence and the graves of children.

Obamas legislative legacy may be in jeopardy from President-elect Donald Trump, but the grace of his prose will endure. A gifted writer, Obama understood the power of words to elicit images and rouse passions in settings like the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., and the banks of the Nile in Cairo. His sentences soothed and stung, coaxed and challenged, drawing fits from his critics while urging his supporters to seek moral and political transcendence.

His cadence and description created pictures. In his 2009 eulogy for Edward M. Kennedy, Obama seemed to channel F. Scott Fitzgerald, saying the enduring image left by the senator was of a man on a boat; white mane tousled; smiling broadly as he sails into the wind, ready for whatever storms may come.

Barack Obama is one of the great orators in American history, said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian and professor at Rice University in Houston. He thinks in constitutional-law terms that give him the spine for his speeches, his compass. More so than other presidents, he said, Obama consistently wanted to feel he was the author.

Obamas flowing discourse, which softened the dispassionate and cerebral view many had of him, stands in vivid contrast Trumps staccato clauses and Twitter bursts. The nations narrative in coming years will change not only politically, but also poetically in how our essences are framed and our meanings distilled. One need only compare Obamas lyrical memoir Dreams From My Father with Trumps How to Get Rich to know that a brash and bare-knuckled lexicon is rumbling up from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.

A countrys identity is the fusing of millions of disparate stories into a singular vision. Obama told many of those stories, as a young, lanky senator, and as a graying, embattled leader with a growing list of anecdotes gleaned from everyday Americans that were at once quiet in their humility and resounding in their resolve.

His mastery of syntax and delivery is reminiscent of Presidents John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bll Clinton. But the soul of his sentences  the resonance, depth and musicality  recall Abraham Lincoln and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., with a bit of Nelson Mandelas sparse stoicism stirred in. Those men and their voices played into Obamas deep sense of U.S. history and his belief in the promise of democracy, which he succinctly summed up in the phrase: In no other country on Earth is my story even possible.

Like Reagan and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Obama used his words and manner to calm the nation in tragedy, notably after the mass shootings that plagued his presidency. The day of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Conn., which killed 20 children and six adult staff members in 2012, he appeared on TV, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. At a prayer vigil with parents days later, Obama, the father of two daughters, spoke of how futile words were at fathoming grief and loss.

I come to offer the love and prayers of a nation, he said. I am very mindful that mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow, nor can they heal your wounded hearts. I can only hope it helps for you to know that youre not alone in your grief, that our world too has been torn apart, that all across this land of ours, we have wept with you. Weve pulled our children tight.

Obama entered talking. He skyrocketed to prominence after his keynote speech, titled The Audacity of Hope, upstaged both John Kerry, the presidential nominee, and Clinton, the consummate storyteller, at the National Democratic Convention in 2004.

Four years later, he was elected president. It was clear from the beginning that Obama, a meticulous rewriter and editor, was in control of his language even as he brought on talented speechwriters iwho could slip into and articulate his views.

(EDITORS: BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)

Ive never worked for a politician who values words as much as the president does, Obama senior adviser David Axelrod said in 2009. The speechwriter is an unusually important person in the operation. (Obamas) willingness to entrust his words to others is limited, and he wants to make sure the people who do write for him have an appreciation for how he thinks and how he wants to be presented.

(END OPTIONAL TRIM)

Obamas speeches were compelling and inspiring, said Robert Dallek, a presidential historian and author of An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963. Id rate him pretty high an as orator. Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln were very impressive, and so were Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy, who had a kind of literary flair. Obama stands in that tradition in using poetry, literature and phrasing that is artistic.

Dallek added, however, that I dont know if theres a single line in an Obama speech that will resonate through history. He was referring to Kennedys inaugural address in which he said, Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country, and Roosevelts words during the Great Depression: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Obamas most delicate use of language came when discussing race. As the nations first black president, the son of a white mother and an African father, he was sensitive (some would say too sensitive) about addressing the countrys persistent racial problems. But in a eulogy in Charleston, S.C., after a white gunman killed nine worshipers at a church in 2015, he spoke of renewal and redemption and, emulating the best African American preachers, sang Amazing Grace. In Selma months earlier, Obama commemorated the 1965 civil rights march over the Pettus bridge by exploring the sins of the past but also extolling the progress made since the Jim Crow era.

One of his most memorable speeches on race  A More Perfect Union  was given during his 2008 campaign after excerpts from sermons by his pastor and friend Jeremiah Wright were publicized. Wright, who is also black, blamed the U.S. for its racism, its treatment of Native Americans and, borrowing a quotation from Malcolm X, said that the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, were a sign that Americas chickens are coming home to roost.

Obama was urged to disavow Wright. He responded with comments only a man of his background could have uttered, words that encompassed not only America history but also his own life in that wider, often troubling, story:

I can no more disown him (Wright) than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can disown my white grandmother, a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed her by on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.

These people are part of me. And they are part of America, this country that I love.

There were times when his rhetorical gifts failed him, as E.J. Dionne Jr. and Joy-Ann Reid wrote in the introduction to We Are the Change We Seek, a collection of Obama speeches. He was remarkably (and, to his supporters, surprisingly) ineffective in making the case for two of his major achievements, the economic stimulus and the health care program that bears his name. These failures haunted him throughout the presidency.

But that was not the case during his farewell address in Chicago last week, when he called for unity and optimism to counter economic injustice, racism and our battered and divisive politics:

I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents; that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon; a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written: Yes, we can. Yes, we did.
BLOOMINGTON  Central Illinois supporters of Donald Trump are eager to attend Fridays inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C., and witness history.

Chuck Erickson, chairman of the McLean County Republican Party, is a history buff but has never attended an inauguration.

I want to see the whole inauguration process and, if I have the opportunity, Id like to see the parade and go to a few balls, said Erickson.

Erickson said those protesting Trumps induction have a right to protest, but are missing a point.

He is the president. It is what it is, he said. An inauguration is a celebration of the rule of law and that rule of law did survive the election. Its about the peaceful transition of power from one individual to another.

Erickson believes Trump has the potential to be a very good president.

He could be like Reagan if he does cut taxes and regulation. I think he could really give a strong boost to the economy if he does that, he said.

Erickson is looking forward to Trumps picks for Supreme Court, hoping to see an appointee similar to the late Antonin Scalia.

I think there is vast opportunity waiting. I hope he does everything right to secure it and get our country moving along, said Erickson.

Former state representative and U.S. congressman Thomas Ewing of Pontiac will travel to the capital with his son and two grandsons.

Politics is something I have been involved in for 30 or 40 years and I continue to be somewhat active in politics since I left Congress, said Ewing, who has attended several presidential inaugurations.

Ewing is eager for his grandsons to experience Washington as young adults.

I am supporting the Trump agenda and I think he will, hopefully, be a very good president and change the direction the country has been drifting over the last eight years, said Ewing.

His biggest hope for Trumps efforts in office, said Ewing, is that the president could help Illinois finances.

We are floundering in debt. Maybe a strong executive in Washington could help. Obama came out of the same political machine in Chicago that has been running Illinois for the last 30 years, said Ewing. We need a new, fresh look. Im hoping the Trump agenda can rub off on Illinois and its political leaders, support our governor and move us down the road.

Jim Woodward, vice chairman of the McLean County Republican Party, is already in Washington with his wife and 12-year-old son. On Wednesday, he attended a reception with Illinois congressmen at the Library of Congress.

Weve seen a great outpouring, said Woodward. There is no protesting whatsoever and everyone is being very positive and upbeat.

Woodward said the trip is a good lesson for his son and an opportunity to witness a historic occasion. He said that while everyone has a right to protest, Democrats boycotting the inauguration dont have much to gain through their actions.

Its like going to your job and not going to a meeting because you dont agree with something your boss said. He is the president, said Woodward. Im looking forward to a very positive inauguration.
Residential burglary  A Bloomington man faces residential burglary charges in connection with three break-ins in Towanda.

Nicholas Moreland, 25, of the 600 block of South Clayton Street, is charged with three counts of residential burglary involving one home on Jan. 9 and two homes on Jan. 12. He also is charged with the theft of jewelry valued at more than $500. Moreland was jailed in lieu of posting $5,035.

Residential burglary  A Bloomington man has been sentenced to six years in prison for residential burglary.

Micah Pacquette, 18, of the 300 block of South Evergreen Road, also received a concurrent six-year term for robbery. The judge recommended Pacquette for the state's impact incarceration, or boot camp, program. He was ordered to pay $2,550 restitution to the victim in the July 2016 incident.

Aggravated criminal sexual abuse  A 50-year-old Bloomington man has been sentenced to six years in prison for sexually abusing a minor.

James F. Connor, of Yew Court in Bloomington, sexually abused the victim between June and September 2014, according to charges.
BLOOMINGTON  The day after Donald Trumps inauguration as president, a group of nearly 200 women and men from the Twin Cities will travel to Washington, D.C., to support oppressed groups and march for equality.

Vikkie Cossio of Bloomington, an Illinois State University administrative assistant in the College of Fine Arts, helped organize a group taking three buses to join the Womens March on Washington.

Crowds will march along the National Mall to The Ellipse near the Washington Monument. The official rally will include speakers, musicians and celebrities like Katy Perry, Cher, America Ferrara and Uzo Aduba. More than 200,000 people are expected.

If anyone else felt like me after the election results, they felt helpless, said Cossio. Your voice matters, your opinion matters. With solidarity there will be strength and power. I think we can make a difference.

Cossios group will drive through the night Friday and return home after the march. A second group will return here Sunday.

There are so many groups that have been insulted and disrespected by the incoming administration, said Cossio. I want my voice heard; that this is not acceptable. I would like for all these groups to be respected and have the same rights.

Cossio said the intent of the march is to be peaceful and proactive, not aggressive and insulting in any way.

Stacey Hardin of Bloomington is a founder of BloNo AMA (activists mentoring activists). She organized a group from Normal whose bus will return Sunday after people march for the rights of women, LGBTQ individuals, immigrants and African Americans.

I want to make sure there is equality across the world, said Hardin. No matter what your background is and what community youre a part of, you should be treated with equality and respect.

Hardin said comments made by Trump throughout his campaign were concerning.

You cant just go around saying whatever you want about these subgroups. Thats the message we want highlighted; this is unacceptable, she said.

Hardin will be joined by her teenage daughter and Cossio by her niece. Cossio said there are many mother-daughter duos attending as well as high school and college students.

We have retirees, working women, 12-year-old girls and everyone in between. We also have a handful of men going to show support, said Cossio.

Lea Cline of Bloomington, who protested Trump's rally in Bloomington last year, will join be a bus captain for Cossio's group. She said 30 hours on a bus will not be fun, but the schedule allows the group to leave Friday and return by Monday.

We are normal people. We are not missing work for this and we are not crazy political activists. We feel strongly this is a chance to speak, said Cline. Were hoping for the best; that the reason were there will override the negativity that seems to be forming in reaction to the march.

Sara Keene of Bloomington, who has been an election judge, and her daughters Kira, 10, and Layla, 12, were among attendees who couldn't afford the trip, but whose costs have been sponsored by other attendees or community members.

Keene sees the march as a way for her children to voice their concerns.

I have been through some tough times in my life, but I cant imagine what my children will go through if they have to fight for their rights and legitimacy as women in this world, said Keene.

Keene said her daughters understand the trip isnt a vacation or sight-seeing trip.

Theyre excited to be a part of this and have a voice. This is their future, this is their fight, she said.
Stora Enso Reconsiders Plans to Build a Chemical Pulp Mill in Beihai, China Jan. 19, 2017 - Stora Enso has initiated a process with the Government of Guangxi with the target to remove the authorisation for the hardwood chemical pulp mill from its investment permit. Stora Enso has previously announced that it considers building a chemical pulp mill at its Beihai Mill site, once the consumer board machine is up and running. The final decision is still subject to the decision of Stora Enso's Board of Directors. Stora Enso's Beihai Mill in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Southern China. The market demand for high-quality food packaging board will continue to grow in China and neighbouring Asian markets. Our investment in a consumer board mill in Beihai is ideally placed to serve this market, said Stora Enso's CEO Karl-Henrik Sundstrom. Meanwhile, the supply-demand of the global pulp market has been negatively impacted by new investments in hardwood pulp production. At the same time, we consider the wood costs to supply the potential chemical pulp mill to be too high, which reduces the competitiveness of such a mill. Therefore, sourcing the chemical pulp to Beihai Mill from the market or utilising our current captive global hardwood supply is a viable option for us, Sundstrom said. This decision would not affect Stora Enso's operations at Beihai Mill, which cover the consumer board machine with an annual capacity of 450,000 tonnes, a polyethylene extrusion (PE) coating line and a bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) plant. Stora Enso's current investment permit also covers a second board machine at the site in Beihai, but the group has not made any decisions regarding it. As a consequence of the change in scope, Stora Enso would decrease the area of its leased forestlands in the Guangxi region. The scope and schedule for the reduction of fibre base will be decided later. The group will keep parts of the plantations to supply raw material for the BCTMP plant. Stora Enso currently leases some 84,000 hectares of forestland in the region. Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden constructions and paper on global markets. To learn more, please visit: www.storaenso.com SOURCE: Stora Enso
Rowdy behavior displayed by teenagers has lead to the decision of banning them from entering malls. This was followed by a recent scene caused outside the Westfield shopping mall in Culver City, which attracted quite a lot of attention.

The unpleasant scene unfolded as rumors spread like wildfire in the mall that there was a gunman. This created a great chaos and stirred a strong response from the nearby police as well. But upon the police's arrival, it was discovered there was no potential shooter inside the shopping center but a group of around 200 teens had gathered outside the mall and started a brawl, Los Angeles Times explained.

After hours of investigation by the authorities that resulted in a lockdown, it was found the teenagers had planned this activity to cause disturbance and had coordinated via social media. However, Culver City's mall was not the first shopping center to experience these kinds of troubles caused by teenagers.

It has been a norm for teenage boys to roam around the malls and no one seemed to mind their presence. But now it looks like the merchants and the shoppers are not that enthusiastic to have them in the malls.

According to ABC News, due to the reports of these incidents occurring in malls across the country, around 100 shopping centers have placed restrictions and instituted curfews on unaccompanied minors. These restrictions, as well as some new rules and regulations, are enacted on Friday and Saturday nights due to the influx of shoppers.

Meanwhile, many citizens have reacted against this supposedly unjustifiable ban. Critics argued the illicit behavior displayed by a small minority should not decide the fate of a large majority. In their perspective, it was largely unfair to ban all minors just because a few of them chose not to abide the laws.

What are your thoughts on the banning of unsupervised minors in the malls? Sound off below.
The mom of Angelina Jolie's adopted daughter Zahara has reached out to the Hollywood star. Mentewab Dawit Lebiso from Ethiopia gave up her child 12 years ago but now she wants to be reconnected with her.

Lebiso, 31, spoke with the Daily Mail about wanting to be in touch with Zahara. She made it clear, however, that she has no plans of taking her back from Jolie.

In fact, she would rather Zahara to remain with the actress because Lebiso has nothing to offer. She said that she understands that the famous actress "has been more of a mother" to Zahara yet she admitted that she misses her daughter "all the time."

The biological mom just wants the young girl to know that she still exists and if possible, Lebiso would like a chance to regularly talk to her. She also claimed she's not seeking money from Jolie.

The news outlet found Lebiso and took photos of her and her neighborhood in a far-flung town in Ethiopia. She rents out room in her small house for a living and she has no husband and children.

Back in the U.S., however, previous reports surfaced that Zahara's parents died because of AIDS. Lebiso said she was a victim of rape and was too weak to care for her baby girl so she had to give Zahara up fo adoption.

"By taking her, Angelina has saved my baby's life and she also saved my life," Lebiso said. "I will always be very grateful to her for that."

Jolie adopted a month-old Zahara in 2005 to become her third child after sons Maddox and Pax. Lebiso named her Yemsrach before the actress changed it, according to Reuters.

Now at 12-year-old, she is said to be closest to Jolie and ex-husband Brad Pitt's biological daughter, Shiloh, 11. According to Bossip, Zahara aspires to become a model when she's older and looks up to actress Lupita Nyong'o.
A mother of twins is grieving the loss of her daughter while the other continues to fight for her life at the hospital. Ziarye Freeman, 19, of Pennsylvania, suffered at the hands of an abusive boyfriend who punched her baby belly and repeatedly fought with her.

Their twins, Za'Riya Jhene and Ja'Kiya Renae, were born at 23 weeks on August 2016. Freeman, however, wasn't expecting them until December but she started dilating at 20 weeks.

Doctors confined her at the hospital to safely monitor her condition. Two weeks in, she started to experience sharp pains and thus was given an emergency C-section.

Daily Mirror reports that while there is no solid evidence that the abuse triggered her early labor, Freeman did frequently suffer physically. Her partner Jay Junior doesn't deny that he punched the mother of his kids.

Two weeks after the twins were born, Za'Riya Jhene died. The doctors told the mom her tiny daughter had a hole in her intestine. Ja'Kiya Renae, on the other hand, has had heart and gastric surgery in the last six months.

Freeman checks on her daughter every day while working as a waitress. She might, however, have to quit her job to take care of her ailing baby full time, especially since she and her daughter's father are no longer together.

Freeman's family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of Ja'Kiya Renae's medical expenses. They have raised $655 so far but the baby will need at least $30,000.

According to March of Dimes, being abused while pregnant can lead to early labor. It can also result in the baby's poor health as well as physical injuries.

Abuse should be reported to concerned agencies, whether it's physical or emotional. At least 1 in 6 women suffer from an abusive relationship while pregnant.
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Today the U.S. Patent Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to Dynamic Cinemagraph Presentations that could be used in documents, presentations and for publishers. Some embodiments of the invention provide novel methods for using cinemagraphs to produce visually stimulating document and/or document transitions. In some embodiments, cinemagraphs are defined as an animated GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) or in some other animated image format. In some embodiments, a cinemagraph can be a hybrid of a still image and a video. In one example, an iPhone user rotating the handset could start or modify the content on the display controlled by motion sensors.

Apple's Patent Background

Today, the competition between content publishers for the attention of the online viewers is quite aggressive. This is because there are many sources for the same type of content available through the Internet. In this competition, publishers need to differentiate their content from that of other publishers. Publishers also need to capture the viewers' attention to their content quickly. Otherwise, the viewers' attention may drift to the content of others.

Dynamic Cinemagraph Presentations

Apple's invention provides novel methods for using cinemagraphs to produce visually stimulating document and/or document transitions. In some embodiments, a cinemagraph includes several images that have (1) one or more identical portions and (2) one or more portions that change across the images in order to provide an illusion of an animation within a still image. In some cases, the animation can include moving objects, changing colors in a scene, and/or appearing/disappearing objects in the scene.

In some embodiments, the cinemagraph images loop iteratively or continuously. In some embodiments, cinemagraphs are defined as an animated GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) or in some other animated image format. Alternatively, or conjunctively, a cinemagraph in some embodiments can also be a video clip (i.e., a sequence of captured images) or an animated clip that is defined in a common video format. In some embodiments, a cinemagraph can be a hybrid of a still image and a video.

The documents on which the cinemagraph presentations of some embodiments are displayed can include articles, webpages, blog pages, audio/video content pages, etc. They can also include documents that provide summaries to other documents.

Examples of these include article summaries, webpage summaries, blog summaries, or other content summaries. The cinemagraph presentations of some embodiments can also appear on documents that identify several document sources, such as article publishers, webpage publishers, blog publishers, video publishers, or other content publishers. These presentations can also be part of transitions between any of these types of documents, which may be linked to each other (e.g., through hyperlinks).

In some embodiments, documents and document transitions are displayed by an application, such as a web browser, a document reader, a word processor, presentation application, etc. Such an application implements the method of some embodiments. In other cases, the method of some embodiments is implemented by another device (e.g., a server) that provides the documents and document transitions to the application that displays them.

Starting or Modifying a Cinemagraph presentation based on Motion





Apple's patent FIG. 8 noted above illustrates an example of starting or modifying a cinemagraph presentation based on motion sensor input. In this example, the motion sensor input detects rotational movements of the device and based on this movement, it can start or modify cinemagraph presentations.

The motion sensor input in some embodiments comes from an accelerometer and/or a gyroscope of the mobile device.

Apple's patent FIG. 8 illustrates its example in terms of three operational stages 802-806 of the content viewer of some embodiments. As shown, each of these stages corresponds to a particular rotational state 812-816 of the device. Also, each stage shows a displayed document feed page 800 for each of the rotational states.

The first stage 802 shows the feed page before the device starts to be rotates. At this stage, the content viewer is not playing any cinemagraph presentations. The second and third stages 804 and 806 show the feed page after the device starts to rotate. As shown, this rotation starts a cinemagraph presentation 820 for one document summary 840 on a feed page 800. This cinemagraph presentation shows a woman standing still and holding a bag that swings from side to side. Before the scroll operation, the document summary's image component 830 presents a still image of the woman and the bag. In this static image, the bag does not swing, as shown in the first stage 802.

In some embodiments, the cinemagraph presentation playback speed (e.g., frame rate) is directly or inversely proportional to the rotational velocity. When the device is rotating, the rotation can be captured as several discrete rotation operations with several discrete rotation velocities. Some embodiments define various discrete cinemagraph presentation playback speeds for the some or all of the discrete rotational velocities.

In some embodiments, a cinemagraph presentation is started or modified when a certain rotation movement (e.g., a movement that exceeds a threshold angle) of the device is detected based on the output of its motion sensor(s). In some embodiments, a cinemagraph presentation can also be started or modified based on input from other sensors of the mobile device. After starting or modifying a cinemagraph presentation in response to received sensor input, some embodiments terminate the cinemagraph presentation or stop modifying the cinemagraph presentation a time period after the received input ends.

Some embodiments provide novel methods for using cinemagraphs to produce visually stimulating document transitions. In some embodiments, an application (e.g., web browser, document reader, word processing application, presentation program, etc.) provides an animation to visually illustrate the transition from one document to another. When a cinemagraph is being presented on the first document and is part of the content displayed on the second document, some embodiments incorporate the cinemagraph presentation in the animated transition from the first document to the second document.

There are many, many examples to explore relating to this invention that you could review here. Apple's patent application 20170017616 was filed back in 14 2015. Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.

Patently Apple presents a detailed summary of patent applications with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent application should be read in its entirety for full and accurate details. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
As we await the news of whether the court will issue an arrest warrant for Samsung's Vice Chairman Lee, we learn today that the Special Prosecution was so afraid that Lee would flee the country before their judgement was rendered that they stopped him from flying to New York to meet with Donald Trump who was meeting with the top Silicon Valley giants on December 14. Samsung was the only Asian company that was invited to the meeting, according to a new Korean tech report.

According to a new Korea Times report, "The nation's prosecution blocked Samsung Group heir Lee Jae-yong's scheduled meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in December amid a widening investigation into the company over its involvement in the ongoing political scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye.

According to local media and industry sources here, Wednesday, the independent investigation team  led by special prosecutor Park Young-soo  prevented Lee's planned trip to the U.S. last month when Trump met with a group of technology leaders there  including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Alphabet CEO Larry Page.

The Samsung heir, serving as vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, was also known to have been invited to the meeting, in what critics say was a rare move as he was the sole Asian entrepreneur among the group of tycoons invited.

But with the prosecution imposing a ban on Lee's overseas travel, Lee failed to attend the special meeting.

This has raised concerns from the local economy that not a single Korean entrepreneur has had a meeting with the next U.S. president at a time when other Asian business tycoons  including Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son  made headlines for their partnerships with the Trump administration through exclusive meetings at Trump Tower.

Cisco Systems was one of the tech companies attending the meeting with Trump and earlier today, Cisco Systems Chairman John Chambers speaking at Davos stated that U.S. business leaders are optimistic that President-elect Donald Trump will boost economic and job growth.

Chambers told The Wall Street Journal that "one reason for optimism is the apparent focus of the new Trump administration on paring federal regulations, paired with the possibility of tax amnesty for companies to bring back more than $2 trillion in cash that they are holding overseas. Cisco's overseas cash pile is one of the biggest of any U.S. company, at more than $60 billion." For the record, Forbes noted last summer that Apple had more than $230 Billion parked overseas. So Apple is likely to be one of the biggest winners under Trump's tax amnesty program if it passes in the Senate later this year.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
Before Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube made their entry in the media market, the PatnaDaily had already registered its presence in...
Some years ago I embarked on a project of collecting screenshots and video clips of payphones as they appeared in movies, on television, and even in print. The task proved overwhelmingly prohibitive for what quickly became a very obvious reason: there are just too many appearances of payphones and phone booths in all forms of media throughout the twentieth century for one to assemble a meaningful yet reasonably concise collection. The quest was tantalizing, though. Once the hunt began it seemed as if every movie made from early days of cinema through recent times featured some kind of payphone moment, be it merely transactional or else central to the story itself.

For all its appearances in film and on television it is not especially common for critics or commentators to regard the payphone as anything but a prop, if even that. That is unfortunate. A lot of clues about the forgotten role payphones played in American culture and the reputation they had in everyday life throughout the 20th century can be gleaned from how they are represented in film and on television.

If that sounds like an introduction to a PhD thesis then perhaps it is true that the subject of payphones in cinema has already been repeatedly raked over the coals of academia. If so I would expect the focus to have gravitated toward the usual suspects: Hitchcocks The Birds (1963); Clark Kents inability to find a suitable phone booth in which to change in Superman (1978); Perhaps the academic canon of phone booths in film is even graced by a play-by-play account of my favorite mainstream cinema phone booth moment: Peter Sellers futile attempt to reach the White House to warn of the impending nuclear winter in Dr. Strangelove (1964) .

But would lesser-known films be subject to academic attention? What of Dont Talk To Strange Men, or Delivering Milo. These are not A-List titles but their storylines revolve in large part around the chase after wind of calls made to or from public pay telephones. I wrote about both those films (and others) some time ago but lost all of that work to a disk failure. I may try again to craft summaries of those and other lesser-known films where phone booths and public telephones are central to their stories.

My interest in the role phone booths and payphones in movies was recently rekindled. My discovery of the Plex media platform inspired my inner couch potato to wade through dozens of movies and televisions shows I had not seen in years. Sure enough, while watching one film after another it seemed two out of three movies made through the early 2000s included at least a passing encounter between one character and a phone booth or public pay payphone of some sort.

For now I will share one payphone scene I found particularly charming, and with which I drew something of a personal connection. The first-ever episode of the television series Taxi, which aired in 1978, revolves around a premise which, on its own, could set the stage for a full-length Broadway show. Randall Carver plays John Burns, the amiable but ritualistically disdained newcomer to New York. Burns discovers something amazing about a payphone hanging on the taxi garages wall: Coins deposited in to the phone come right back out. This meant anyone could call anywhere for free.

As soon as Burns makes this announcement a line of people starved for free phone calls assembles behind the payphone. First to the phone is wannabe actor (and part-time cabbie) Bobby Wheeler, played by the late Jeff Conaway. Next on the phone is Tony Banta, played by a then-unknown Tony Danza. Watch the three-minute clip below.

I especially love how Wheeler points at the payphone and declares That is a great phone, man!

Something that impresses me about this scene is its true to life depiction of how magical a free phone call to anywhere in the world could be. Bobby Wheeler is awe-struck at how tantalizingly close he came to connecting with his hero, Laurence Olivier. The connection with Olivier did not quite happen, but the call was close enough to inspire Mr. Wheeler.

I can almost relate to this. When I was a high school kid in Tampa I once spent part of an afternoon attempting to make a collect call to the Vatican. I wanted to talk to the Pope. The experience required that I dial only one number: Zero. An operator quickly answered, and I said I would like to make a collect call to The Vatican. From there one international operator after another cheerily made connection after connection for me. Languages changed but each individual in the relay of operators seemed to know the drill. Their chipper handling of what even I thought was an impossible request had me thinking that maybe this was not so crazy after all. Maybe this was an everyday occurrence, and the Pope would gladly accept the charges for this collect call. I felt my voice travel up and down the wires, burrowing through the globe toward the Pope from a common payphone on a hot sidewalk in Florida.

Alas, when a Vatican switchboard operator was finally reached she bluntly refused to accept the charges. In an instant the line went dead, the chain of operator connections lost. It was a relief, really. What did I have to say to the Pope, anyway? Nothing more articulate than what Bobby Wheeler had to say to Laurence Olivier, I imagine.

There is more payphone activity in the first episode of Taxi. I whittled the scene down to its essential inspiration, in which Bobby Wheeler makes a seemingly magical connection with Laurence Oliviers secretary, and Tony Banta fails to connect with the elusive Masseuse Number 12. One can only imagine what other stories the Taxi writers might have come up with if the dozen or so other characters in line got a crack at the amazing free payphone.

The free payphone in this episode of Taxi serves as a springboard for Alex Reiger (played by the star of the show, Judd Hirsch) to reconnect with his daughter. A call to his ex-wife inspires Reiger and four others from the garage to hijack a cab and drive it from New York to Miami International Airport, where they intercept Reigers daughter just as she is boarding a plane to Portugal.

Watch the full episode over at YouTubes Copyright Infringement Theater.

The first episode of Taxi ends with a technician fixing the payphone, thus exorcising its magical ability to call the world for free. Groans of disappointment from the crew greet this unwelcome development.

I will keep an eye out for what role (if any) the Taxi payphone plays in later episodes.
UN: Iran Nuclear Deal Working; Continued Commitment Required

01/19/17

By Margaret Besheer, VOA

UNITED NATIONS - A U.N. report says Iran has not received any unauthorized transfers of nuclear-related items since an international nuclear agreement was implemented a year ago, but Tehran may have violated some provisions on conventional arms transfers and travel restrictions.

"The secretary-general has not received any report, nor is aware of any open source information, regarding the supply, sale or transfer to Iran of nuclear-related items undertaken contrary to the provisions of the resolution," U.N. political chief Jeffrey Feltman told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Resolution 2231 was adopted in July 2015, endorsing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that aims to ensure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. The five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany negotiated the deal with Iran.







IAEA reported compliance

Feltman's briefing covered only Annex B of the resolution, including nuclear- and ballistic-missile-related transfers to or from Iran, as well as asset freezes and travel bans. He did not cover Annex A provisions - namely, implementation of Iran's nuclear-related commitments and sanctions. But in four prior reports, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has verified that Tehran is abiding by its nuclear-related commitments.

Feltman said the U.N. also had not received any information of Iranian violations of the provisions regulating ballistic-missile activities or related transfers. But he did express concern about "possible ongoing travel ban violations," including by two senior Iranian army generals.

The U.N. report expressed concern that Iran also might have attempted to send conventional weapons to Somalia or Yemen in the past year, and according to televised remarks by the leader of the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, Tehran supplies all of its weapons and missiles. If verified, these would be violations of Resolution 2231.

All of this information has been reported before, but the U.N. secretariat is required to brief the Security Council twice a year on implementation. Overall, Feltman concluded that his briefing to the council was taking place "against a backdrop of steady implementation, cooperation and progress."

Continued U.S. commitment?

In a possible reference to comments by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that he thought the Iran deal was "terrible" and should be torn up, Feltman reiterated the necessity of international support for the agreement's full implementation.

Several council members echoed that sentiment, calling the deal "historic" and one of the major diplomatic achievements of the last decade that requires a long-term commitment from all parties.

In Washington on Wednesday, Trump's nominee to become U.N. ambassador, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, took a less aggressive tone at her Senate confirmation hearing. When asked whether she supported the U.S. backing out of the nuclear deal, she said, "I think what would be more beneficial at this point is that we look at all the details of the Iran deal; we see if they are actually in compliance."

Haley said if Iran violated the agreement, then the U.S. should "act on those violations."

Diplomatic dividends

Some council members noted that since the deal's implementation, they had experienced a surge in trade with Iran.

The European Union said its trade with Tehran was up by 63 percent over the first three quarters of last year. Britain noted a 42 percent increase in its exports to the country, and France said bilateral trade was up 200 percent in overall value since the deal was implemented last January.

But while they touted the mutual economic benefits, they noted that progress had been tempered by Iran's negative behavior in the Middle East - specifically, its support of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria and its threats against Israel.
PHOTOS: 30 Firefighters Die, Over 100 People Missing As Tehran High-Rise Collapses After Fire

01/19/17

Report by Tehran Times; photos by Islamic Republic News Agency



TEHRAN - A massive fire erupted on Thursday in a mega mall in downtown Tehran, the city's most populous area, bringing the whole the 17-story building down. Thirty firefighters have lost their lives, according to IRIB. Death toll is expected to rise. More than 100 people are estimated to have been trapped under rubble.









Plasko Shopping Center in Tehran engulfed in fire

Watch Related Video





Other resources said one reporter and one photographer have lost their lives, as well.



Seventy people have been taken to hospital, according to the latest reports.



"Fire was under control until part of the building collapsed, injecting more oxygen into the space," a spokesman with Tehran firefighting organization said.







More than 2,000 firefighters have voluntarily announced preparation to join the mission.



Reportedly, a gas tanker has gotten fired, probably to increasing temperature in the area, according to Mizan new agency.



Crowds of people have made rescue operation difficult.













Firefighters in the building before it collapsed





The fire at Plasko Shopping Center, close to Ferdowsi Square, begun at 8th and 9th floors at 7:30 a.m. and quickly took other floors due to inflammatory material.



More than 200 firefighters were called in to battle the blaze, some trapped inside as the building collapsed.



Initial efforts failed to bring the blaze under control.



Ambulances were around and searches were going on for those trapped inside.



Police has cordoned off an area surrounding the site, warning that gas leak may cause more fire.









Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a potential presidential candidate for the 2017 election, has arrived at the site.



Embassies of Russia, England, Turkey, and Germany are within a close proximity of the inflicted area.



Embassy staff are safe and have been evacuated, according to a security official.



Army units have been dispatched to the area.



The 53-year-old building was one of the oldest shopping centers in Tehran, home to a hundreds of boutiques.










































































































































mSecure password manager review TechRadar Pro

Updated In our mSecure password manager review, we take an in-depth look at this password manager to help you decide if its the most secure way to handle your sensitive data.
Editors note: This article originally published on January 19, but was updated on January 22 after prices dropped even further on Amazon and Newegg replenished its stocks.

The long, confusing lifecycle of AMDs beastly Radeon Pro Duo is quietly entering its final days as retailers clear the deck for the forthcoming Radeon Vega graphics cards.

The $1,500 MSRP Radeon Pro Duo sits reigns as AMDs graphics champion with not one but two high-end Fiji graphics processors, exotic high-bandwidth memory, and integrated closed-loop water cooling that kept the board running at chilly temperatures. But the timing and messaging around the graphics card just felt wrong from day one.

Further reading: The best graphics cards for PC gaming

AMD first teased a then-unnamed dual-Fiji graphics card at E3 2015a decidedly consumer-focused gaming eventalongside the Fury, Fury X, and Radeon Nano. While those gamer-focused cards launched in relatively short order, the Radeon Pro Duo languished all the way until March of last year, when it released with a newfound focus on professional users and hellacious GPU compute chops.

That bummed out enthusiasts hoping to unleash the power of two Fury X GPUs in a single card, but it made sense for AMD to focus on development scenarios instead as the effective 4GB capacity of first-gen HBM memory would no doubt hinder gaming performance at the resolutions and detail settings that two Fiji GPUs could push. Plus, multi-GPU gaming has been punched in the gut over the past two years, with few major game releases supporting CrossFire or SLI setups, further diminishing the Radeon Pro Duos potential effectiveness.

Unfortunately the marketing for the Radeon Pro Duo was muddled and confusing right up until its launch, and once the ferocious GeForce GTX 1080 released a mere two months later there was little reason for many users to consider buying AMDs technological champion no matter how impressive it was on paper. AMD never even sent the Pro Duo to consumer publications for testing.

AMD The inside of AMDs Radeon Pro Duo.

Now that AMDs publicly showing off its high-end Radeon Vega graphics cards, which pack performance upgrades and second-gen HBM memory that ditches the limitations of the initial product, the Radeon Pros days are numbered, as TechPowerUp pointed out. While Amazons selling the XFX Radeon Pro Duo for $1150, a $350 discount, Neweggs selling the XFX Radeon Pro for $800, as is Japans PC4Unearly half off!

Or at least it was. The remaining stock sold out quickly at that price on Newegg, proving yet again that theres no such thing as bad hardware, only hardware at bad prices. UPDATE: The XFX Radeon Pro is available once again on Newegg, but for $820 now.

If youre curious about whats to come in Vega, Gordon Mah Ung and I recently chatted with Radeon SVP and chief architect Raja Koduri for more than 40 minutes at CES, drilling deep into the details of AMDs next-gen graphics cards. Check out the full interview below.
For the second time, a mistrial has been declared for a former Beaumont police officer who permanently blinded a woman by shooting her at close range with a pepper spray gun.

Six days after proceedings began, the judge declared a mistrial Wednesday, Jan. 18, for Enoch Clark, who is charged with felony battery causing serious bodily injury to Monique Hernandez. He could now face a third trial as soon as April.

The mistrial was due to discovery issues, Riverside County District Attorneys Office spokesman John Hall said via email. He would not go into further detail about the issues. Clarks defense attorney could not be reached Wednesday.

In court proceedings, discovery is the process by which the prosecution and defense collect and exchange evidence. When a jury is picked, jurors are told how long the trial is expected to last. The discovery issues in this trial could not be resolved in the time allotted for the case, Hall said.

In his first trial, Clark faced more serious charges: assault under the color of authority, assault with a less lethal weapon, use of force causing serious bodily injury and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. It ended in a hung jury in August 2014, with jurors split 10-2 in favor of convicting Clark.

On Feb. 21, 2012, Clark was called to a Beaumont home whose residents had reported a domestic dispute involving Hernandez. The residents told Clark that Hernandez may have been driving drunk, prosecutors said during the first trial.

Another officer waited at Hernandezs house until she came home about 9 p.m., then detained Hernandez and her sister while waiting for Clark to arrive.

When Clark got to the house, he gave Hernandez a roadside sobriety test, according to testimony in the first trial. Though he couldnt get his breathalyzer to function properly, he decided to arrest her based on probable cause.

Video recordings presented at the first trial showed Clark attempted to handcuff Hernandez as she faced a police car. Hernandez threw her right arm into the air and turned around, trying to ask what her blood-alcohol concentration level was. Clark ordered her to stop resisting.

Clark told investigators that he feared for his life, according to jury transcripts from the first trial.

Thats when Clark sprayed her with a JPX pepper-spray gun, a pistol-shaped device that uses gunpowder to shoot pepper spray at a muzzle velocity of 400 mph. The device was 10 inches from Hernandezs face, prosecutors say, despite the manufacturers suggestion  and Beaumont police training  to stay at least 5 feet back from a target.

In testimony this week, Hernandezs doctor said her right eye was ripped apart and her left eye was severely damaged. Now completely blind, she used a cane when walking to and from the witness stand Tuesday.

Hernandez has maintained that she cooperated with Clark and never intended to attack him.

Clark was indicted by a grand jury in April 2012.

Hernandez filed a lawsuit in 2013 against Clark and Beaumont that ended in 2014 with a $18.5 million settlement in her favor.

The trial process against Clark is now scheduled to begin again April 10 with a trial readiness conference, Hall said.
A call of possible shoplifting in Eastvale led to the arrest of three San Bernardino County residents for drug- and counterfeit currency-related counts.

Cherokee Marie Hicks, 39, of Chino, Iban Perez, 36, of Ontario and David Suarez, 36, of Ontario were arrested and booked into Robert Presley Detention Center, according to online jail records.

Hicks was arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance to sell it and possessing counterfeit currency; Perez on suspicion of being under the influence; and Suarez on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and possessing a controlled substance, according to a Riverside County sheriffs news release.

Deputies went to a store at 12315 Limonite Avenue in the city after receiving a report that people were shoplifting, according to officials.

Officials say Hicks and Perez were stopped as they came out of the store. Hicks, they said, was in possession of methamphetamine and Perez appeared to be under the influence.

Suarez was in Hicks vehicle in the parking lot. Sheriffs officials say he, too, appeared to be under the influence.

Inside Hicks vehicle deputies found counterfeit currency, according to the release.

All three were then taken into custody.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9693, agroves@scng.com or @AlexDGroveson Twitter.
Surveillance video has surfaced showing Fontana police officers surrounding and gunning down a legally blind and mentally ill man at a convenience store.

The video, first obtained by The Daily Mail, documented the fatal shooting of James Hall, 47, during the early-morning hours of Nov. 22, 2015, inside a Chevron gas station mini-mart.

Halls family, represented by Mark Geragos law firm, filed a state civil rights and wrongful-death lawsuit last month against Fontana and its police department, according to court records. The firm released the surveillance video Wednesday.

Police were called to the gas station after they received a 911 call from the clerk reporting a possible robbery in progress at the business, near Sierra and Slover avenues, according to a police statement.

SURVEILLANCE VIDEO: Fontana police fatally shoot legally blind, mentally ill man in convenience store

Authorities say Hall was armed with a rock and knife when they arrived. The surveillance footage does show Hall with an item that appears to be a rock in one hand, but it wasnt clear if he was also carrying a knife.

Initial reports said officers followed Hall into the store to protect the clerk and attempted to talk him into surrendering. Instead, the suspect advanced on officers and an officer-involved shooting occurred, the news release said.

The video footage however, shows the five officers  some armed with handguns and at least one holding what appears to be a less-than-lethal weapon and Taser  and a police dog at the door of the convenience store, which possibly sent Hall running for the back of the business.

Read the full lawsuit: James Halls family sues Fontana and the Fontana Police Department over his death in officer-involved shooting

Moments before being shot, Hall can be seen shuffling between a coffee counter and a self-serve soda fountain, but it does not appear that he lunged at officers.

It wasnt clear if any weapons were recovered following the shooting.

The incident was under investigation by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department.

In order to maintain the integrity of the investigation, review process, and pending litigation, the Fontana Police Department will not provide any additional details at this time, according to a statement released by the police department late Thursday morning.

Previously: Fontana police shoot, kill robbery suspect

With this said, we can all recognize this was a tragic and unfortunate event for everyone involved, the statement continued. As such, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and anyone impacted by this incident. We have every confidence in the investigative process and await the conclusion.

The lawsuit filed in San Bernardino Superior Court alleges Fontana police knew Hall suffered from schizoaffective disorder, a combination of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania. It also calls Hall a peaceful person, who had previously been awarded for his community service.

In 2010, Hall received a Citizen Citation from the Oakland County Sheriffs Office for assisting in the rescue of a 4-year-old autistic child, records show.

According to police, the case is currently being reviewed by the San Bernardino County District Attorneys Office.
One ugly byproduct of an improving job market can be an increase in workplace fatalities.

Recently released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the number of on-the-job deaths increased locally, statewide, and nationwide in 2015 as work opportunities grew especially in riskier industries, such as construction and transportation.

The local hiring burst translated, in part, to worker deaths growing at a faster pace that the state and nation. Bosses in the four-county area added 183,000 workers in 2015, a 25 percent increase. Heres what my trusty spreadsheet told me about the trends.

 In Riverside and San Bernardino counties: 50 workers died on the job in 2015, up 10 fatalities from 2014  an increase of 25 percent  and the highest since 2008. The Inland Empire ranked 11th nationwide. Note: 14 were killed in a terrorist shooting at a county-employee holiday party in San Bernardino in December 2015.

 In Los Angeles and Orange counties: 96 workers died on the job in 2015, up 19 fatalities from 2014  an increase of 25 percent but also the fourth lowest tally since 2005. The L.A.-O.C. area, the nations second-largest job market, ranked the region third highest for 2015 among metro areas behind New York and Chicago.

 Statewide: 388 workers died on the job in 2015. California, the nations largest job market, was second in worker deaths behind Texas. But on a per-worker basis, California was the fifth-safest state to work in. California fatalities were up 44 from 2014, an increase of 13 percent. But 2015 marked the fourth-lowest tally since 2005.

 Nationwide: 4,836 deaths, up 15. It was the highest count since 2007.

The state-level data is more detailed and gives us clues to the reason behind the uptick: higher fatalities at workplaces in building trades, agriculture, and government.

The good news is workplace deaths are down significantly from generations ago when more workers produced goods in dangerous settings and workplace safety wasnt as advanced or as widely practiced. That long-running pattern has helped employee deaths to trend lower, post-recession, despite the job markets rebound.

Taking the long-term view, you find deaths at work in Los Angeles and Orange counties in 2010 to 2015 ran 25 percent below the 2005-2009 average. In Riverside-San Bernardino, deaths were off 21 percent in the same period. Statewide, the dip was 21 percent. Nationally, it was a 13 percent drop.

The mix of jobs can change the patterns. Remember, many of the quickest-to-rehire industries in the economic recovery were indoors involving safer office or retail work. Meanwhile, hiring at more hazardous workplaces was mixed. Factory bosses struggled to keep staffing stable as construction sites only recently returned to growth mode.

Still, the 2015 upswing should be eyed carefully. Was it a statistical blip, due in part to the somewhat random nature of many workplace accidents? Was it simply more workers doing dangerous jobs? Or was it a signal of new, broader workplace-safety troubles?

Contact the writer: jlansner@scng.com
More than 50 House Democrats wont be going to Donald Trumps inauguration Friday, Jan. 20. But a number of Republican state lawmakers from California will be there.

They include Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, who is travelling to Washington, D.C. with her husband and their five children.

This is a fantastic opportunity, said Melendez, who is paying out of her own pocket to attend the inauguration. Its one of those profound, recurring historic events and Im just so excited to be able to go.

Melendez said shes never been to an inauguration before. And she criticized Democrats who arent going.

I remember during the campaign how the Democrats insisted that Donald Trump state for the record that he would accept the election results, she said.

Now we have those very same Democrats who are refusing to accept the results of the election. I think the hypocrisy is just hysterical. Its to the point now where its just absurd.

Reps. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, and Raul Ruiz, D-La Quinta, are among the Democrats who arent going. Many of them are upset with Trumps criticism of Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., as all talk, talk talk  no action or results, after Lewis, a hero of the civil rights movement, said he didnt think Trump was a legitimate president.

Reps. Norma Torres, D-Pomona and Pete Aguilar, D-Redlands, plan to attend. But they also plan to participate in the following days Womens March on Washington.

Melendez is a vocal Trump supporter who appeared on stage with him in San Diego during the campaign. She also allowed Trump staffers to use her campaign headquarters.

Besides Melendez, state Sen. Jeff Stone, R-Temecula, is going to the inauguration, as are Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley and Assemblyman Jay Obernolte, R-Big Bear Lake.
Sheriffs officials Thursday, Jan. 19 identified the man who died after engaging deputies with gunfire at a local motel Tuesday.

Dominic Hodges, 39, of Yucca Valley was pronounced dead at the scene Wednesday.

Shortly before 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, sheriffs deputies responded to Motel 6 at 72562 Twentynine Palms Highway to investigate a call about a man with a gun.

The person who called deputies was a guest at the motel, according to a sheriffs news release issued Wednesday.

After searching the area, deputies couldnt find the reported armed man so they went to the guests room and knocked on the door.

Thats when the situation completely changed.

A shot rang out from inside the motel room before someone inside the room flung the door open, exposing Hodges holding a gun, according to the release.

There was an exchange of gunfire with the suspect, sheriffs spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said in a phone interview Tuesday.

Hodges slammed the door shut and holed himself up inside the room.

Deputies ordered him to come out with his hands up, but Hodges didnt respond.

Sometime during negotiations, a woman identified as Tani Garcia, 39, of Yucca Valley exited the room and was immediately detained by deputies, the release said.

Garcia allegedly told deputies that she and Hodges had been awake for days after smoking methamphetamine before checking into the motel a few hours earlier.

The duo feared they were being followed by unknown persons who wanted to kill them. Hodges was wounded but still alive, she told deputies.

SWAT was on scene and sent a robot fitted with a camera into the room where he was holed up. Hodges was found inside the room dead, the dispatch said.

Deputies found a loaded Taurus 9 mm handgun near Hodges and two loaded magazines in his pants pocket.

Its unclear if Hodges took his own life or if he died after being struck by a deputys bullet.

The Riverside County Coroners Office will conduct an autopsy.

Garcia was booked into Morongo Basin Jail for suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance. She was given a citation and released from custody late Tuesday evening, jail records show.
Its just eight years away, but downtown Riverside may look quite different by 2025.

One big reason? Hundreds more homes are coming, which will bring more and different people than those who work in the government and business offices that long have dominated the neighborhood.

It already has come a long way since former Mayor Ron Loveridge became the downtown areas councilman in 1979.

It was bleak and there were a handful of restaurants, nothing happening on the (Main Street) mall, Loveridge said, recalling a past criticism that at times one could fire a cannon down the mall and not hit anyone.

Today, the renovated Fox theater and Riverside Convention Center are hubs of activity. A new nightclub opened last fall, and a brewpub is coming next month. And theres plenty of housing in the works.

Construction began in October on a project that includes 91 apartments and retail space where Imperial Hardware used to stand, and at least five other planned developments would add housing at a range of prices as well as stores, offices and a civil rights institute.

Before leaving office in 2012, Loveridge proposed a goal of 5,000 new housing units downtown by 2025. The Riverside City Council endorsed it.

Theres still a ways to go  nine projects that would add nearly 900 homes are being planned  but I do think that it is realistic, Riverside Community and Economic Development Director Rafael Guzman said.

We meet with several developers a week that are interested in developing in the downtown, and it is largely housing, he said.

A few factors that are helping, Guzman said, are the 2006 citywide public works investment known as the Riverside Renaissance, new zoning that allows taller buildings downtown and changes that make it faster and easier to get development plans approved.

Why push for more housing downtown, which already has more than 4,000 households?

Loveridge said cities including Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego and Denver are seeing new homes and residents revitalize their downtowns.

Successful cities have downtowns where people want to live, he said.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9461 orarobinson@scng.comTwitter: @arobinson_pe
Oops. Ow. In a shocking accident with a chainsaw, entertainer Kevin James chops in half one of his assistants.

But after those severed body parts chase each other around the stage without any blood spilled, James deftly staples them back together and on goes the show.

The self-anointed Inventor, James will dazzle audiences with his sleight of hand in The Illusionists  Live From Broadway Jan. 26-27 at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside and Jan. 28-29 at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert.

James, 54, tag teams with six other celebrated masters of deception in a touring show packed with macabre magic tricks, conjuring acts, escape artistry, thought reading and dangerous stunts executed with lightning-quick dexterity.

Wearing blue-tinted spectacles, James makes it snow on the audience, turns a doll into a living little person and changes crumpled paper into a fluttering, floating real flower.

The best kept secret is that there are no secrets, he said in a phone interview during a stop in Toronto. I can teach you how the trick works and can still fool you in the next moment.

Whats important is the performance, all the little decisions about music, lighting, costume, body language, the story, James said. The secret is about 1/10 of the act, the rest is artistic interpretation. The magic happens in the audiences mind.

Born Kevin James Lowery on an Air Force base in France to American parents, he made his last name disappear because it was too hard to pronounce and remember.

Growing up in Jonesville, Michigan, James found his calling after a magician performed at his elementary school. It was completely enthralling, he said. The tricks piqued his curiosity about how everything works, from flipping a light switch to calling on a phone to how an airplane stays in the sky.

Even after three decades of working as professional illusionist, James said he still lives with a curious air of expectation, finding something beautiful and interesting today to turn into some performance piece in the show.

After performing at nightclubs and corporate events, he had a breakthrough in Paris in 1992. Then, he moved to Las Vegas, landing a spot in The Worlds Greatest Magic Show in 2005 before making it to the semi-finals on reality competition Americas Got Talent two years later. The magic of marriage to his wife Claudia, whos part of his act, has produced three grown kids.

Since 2012, James has been starring inThe Illusionists, in which he appears four or five times a night in each show.

No spoilers, of course, but James said magicians rely on tools to pull off their acts, including attention control, sleight of hand, and understanding how people perceive things and make assumptions.

For me, doctors and scientists are the easiest to fool. They will assume, Thats a solid wall, he said. Children are the hardest to fool, because to them, maybe its not a solid wall. Their minds are open to other possibilities.

What drives his magic is emotion. When he picks a little girl from the audience to point to a piece of crumpled paper to make it dance, the look that comes over her face is electric, he said. Because thats the exact feeling I had at 10, that sense of wonder you have as a kid. When a floating flower levitates and changes into a real flower and I give it to her, its beautiful because of the emotion involved.

Contact the writer: features@pressenterprise.com
A woman was robbed of her purse at knife-point after she and her significant other stopped to take pictures of the mountains in Palm Springs on Wednesday, according to officials.

The robbery happened shortly before 3 p.m. near the intersection of Eastgate and Tramview roads in the city, according to a Palm Springs Police Department news release.

The release says a couple stopped their vehicle in the area to take pictures. A man got out of the vehicle to take the pictures as a woman stayed inside.

Police say thats when the woman was approached by another man.

The male stuck a knife up close to the victim and demanded the victims purse, the release reads. The victim was in fear for her life and gave up her purse to the suspect.

The suspect fled on foot and got away.

The Palm Springs Police Department is asking anyone with information about the robbery to call 760-327-1441.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9693, agroves@scng.com or @AlexDGroves on Twitter.
Bring oil jobs back

When I was a boy, Southern California supplied the petroleum oil needs for all of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii. My uncle ran the Union Oil Pump facility in Brea where oil wells dotted the hillside. Santa Fe Springs was a huge source of oil, as was Huntington (then called Tin Can Beach) and Sunset beaches. Signal Hill in Long Beach was covered with oil derricks, as were Wilmington and San Pedro. The Ventura Avenue wells (operated by Shell and Associated Oil Company) and those of Fillmore, where Union Oil Company was founded, were important sources, as was the shoreline below and above Santa Barbara, including Goleta, which was shelled by a Japanese submarine in 1942. Taft, Maricopa, Kettleman Hills and Lost Hills in Kern and Kings counties pumped oil to Avila Beach, where it was shipped out by ocean tanker.

Now it is all gone, killed off by environmental and climate change fanatics, government regulations and the not-in-my-backyard syndrome. Im counting on Donald Trump to bring it all back. Make Southern California Great Again. Bring back high-paying oil industry jobs  drillers, roustabouts, pipeline and tanker shipping jobs.

 Simon Chaffin, Riverside

History will be unkind to Obama

I couldnt disagree more with John F. McGrews analysis that history will be kind to Obama [Letters, Jan. 8]. History will remember him as an indecisive and deeply insecure person who lacked vision. Unable to come up with his own universal health care plan, he stole Gov. Mitt Romneys idea. Then he lied to our faces when he said, If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. He lied to us that insurance premiums will go down. Instead, in some places, premiums have gone up 116 percent.

The claim that he supposedly overcame terrible vilification from the right is nonsense. If any opponent dared to disagree with Obama, he simply branded them racists and bigots, placing a chilling effect on any further criticism. The claim that he provided executive leadership is totally laughable. He arrogantly refused to work with Congress, even those in his own party, and instead ruled by executive order. He demeaned the opposition every chance he got, telling them Elections have consequences. He denigrated House Speaker Paul Ryan publicly when he offered proposals.

The claim that Obama gained the respect of world leaders is a joke. Quite the opposite. Hes made enemies of our allies (particularly Israel), who see him as weak and ineffective. He gave away the store to our enemy, Iran. Nobody with a straight face can claim the world is a safer place since Obama became president. Just the opposite. There is no end to the domestic terrorist attacks killing innocent citizens on his watch.

The claim that Obama presided over a stable economy flies in the face of reality. More people are on food stamps and other assistance than ever before. More people have been out of work under this president than ever before. He ran up the national debt to $20 trillion, more than all the other 43 presidents combined.

History will remember that the racial divide and the economic inequality in the country got worse, not better, under Obamas failed leadership. History will not be kind to Obama.

 Lawrence Rookhuyzen, Corona

Bag ban hurts seniors

I found your story on the Shoppers adjusting to Californias grocery bag ban [News, Dec. 22] rather amusing after reading your reporters interview with one of the shoppers, Mr. Luis Jimenez, who stated that A plastic bag is a plastic bag, and that he isnt opposed to the law. He went on to tell your reporter that it was a shocker at first, but that he sees the law as something to adapt to.

Of course, he wouldnt oppose the law and the cost of plastic bags being charged by grocery stores; hes on public assistance, and is, thus, exempt from having to pay for the bags. I wouldnt be upset, either, if I didnt have to pay for the bags, like Mr. Jimenez. However, I have to pay for my bags, or, like others interviewed, bring along old, used bags from prior visits and present them to the bagger to use for packing my purchased food and products!

My opposition to, and frustration with, the bill was only heightened when I read that legislators had the foresight to give those on public assistance their bags for free, but in their haste to make California green and clean, they overlooked providing a similar exemption to senior citizens.

I can only hope that someone in the Assembly or state Senate reads this opinion and amends the law to include senior citizens in the group of those excluded from having to pay for the bags.

 Rev. Paul G. Zimmer II, San Jacinto

President Obamas last days of chaos

President Obama and his administration have made it painfully clear that his last days in office will be consumed by attacking President-elect Donald Trump and doing as much damage to America as he can  along with hateful liberal Democrats in Congress  leaving a legacy of social, political and economic division; anger and chaos with regard to our domestic and national security.

Indeed, Mr. Obamas legacy will be replete with an explosion of serious crimes committed by blacks and Hispanics and an enormous increase of blacks in movies, television series, commercials and the overall entertainment industry, with an emphasis on black lives and open borders as the only things that matter  regardless of the deaths and other damages inflicted on society.

Worse, the outgoing president will be responsible for the proliferation of ISIS and terrorism in America and throughout the world  the Florida airport ISIS assassinations, Orlando police officer assassination, the Chicago murder rate and the vicious racial hate crimes against a mentally disabled white male by four black males and females being the latest cases of hate and violence.

And he says he will remain in Washington to keep up what has become his reckless and ruinous work against America  with his former attorney general, Eric Holder, taking up the defense of Californias un-American activities  as the painful beat goes on and on, liberal press included. Thankfully, our new president, Twitter Trump, will be in office soon  hopefully, backed by a Republican Congress with guts!

 Daniel B. Jeffs, Apple Valley

Focus on things that matter

Re: Should Californians be opposing Trump even before he takes office? [Opinion, Jan. 10]: It seems to me that California has more to be concerned with than opposing President-elect Donald Trump. We have unemployment; problems with drought; needed repairs to roads, bridges and other infrastructure; imbalance of political representation; unfunded pensions; unions running the politicians; cities filing for bankruptcy and so on. More than enough to be concerned with.

The California Legislature cannot tell today what Trumps agenda will be, so they should be focusing on Californians. Whether they get on the good or bad side of Trump makes no difference. The people of California should be their major concern. Are they on our good or bad side? Californias progressive policies are making living in this state unaffordable and undesirable. These policies cost huge amounts of money and accomplish nothing, except for keeping the politicians in their positions.

As for Hollywood playing a role in politics, we must remember actors major purpose is to entertain, not to posit. I believe the individuals have a right to speak their mind, but not in a public venue, as if they are the absolute authorities on the issues. Their opinions are no more valid than the man on the street. They just have a venue to publicly state their minds  something the average Joe cannot do. As for Meryl Streep, I have always admired her acting and would attend movies because she was in them. I implicitly ascribed my feelings about her as a performer to her as an individual. But I can separate that now. Her comment about being the most vilified segment in American society is patently ridiculous. The media and Hollywood were very engaged in vilifying Trump at every turn during his campaign. And does she not recall Hillary Clinton calling Trump supporters a basket of deplorables? How very self-righteous! Hollywoods opinion of politics is of no consequence. They can sit down, shut up and count their money.

 Penny Beaulieu, Hemet
Drivers passing through western Menifee will confront major changes in traffic patterns in the near future as construction progresses in the Audie Murphy Ranch master-planned community.

As part of the plan for the 2,355-home development, a half-mile section of Normandy Road between La Ladera Road and Goetz Road is scheduled to shut down permanently Feb. 6.

The segment was once part of the old Newport Road before that thoroughfare was realigned in summer 2010. Newport is a major connection for traffic traveling between I-15 in Lake Elsinore and I-215 in Menifee.

Meanwhile, construction of Normandys replacement route, dubbed Audie Murphy Road, continues and is earmarked for completion in early summer.

http://cdn.thinglink.me/jse/embed.js

Regional Director David Seach of Brookfield Residential, Audie Murphy Ranchs developer, said work on the new road is about a month behind schedule because of the weather.

Wed like to open it up sooner if the weather cooperates, but Im not counting on that right now, said Seach, mentioning forecasts for storms rolling into Southern California this week.

The road would carry traffic between the old La Ladera and Normandy intersection and connect with Goetz across from the eastern entrance to the gated city of Canyon Lake.

Its a little bit of inconvenience for drivers that are used to going that way, said Adrian Peters, Brookfields vice president of forward planning, but the new streets going to be a much safer and much better connection for folks in that area.

Like Normandy, Audie Murphy Road will consist of one lane in each direction. Unlike Normandy, the new thoroughfare will be lined with curbs, gutters, sidewalks, landscaping and lights and will provide turn lanes at intersections.

It will be more beautiful and have a better flow, Seach said. It opens up everything to the community.

The development is named after World War II hero and Hollywood actor Audie Murphy, who raised quarter horses on a farm there.

Construction of the residential project began in 2005, three years before Menifee became a city, but building came to a standstill during the recession. Homebuilding activity and sales resumed several years ago, with about 620 homes now occupied and permits issued for more than 100 additional residences, Peters said.

Brookfield has completed two parks and a small aquatic-oriented recreation center. The company anticipates opening a large recreation center in June. An elementary campus and middle school are planned to serve the community.

Were extremely excited about Audie Murphy Ranch, Peters said. 

Home builders in five neighborhoods are marketing houses, and two more neighborhoods are scheduled to start selling over the next six months, Peters said.

He anticipates it could take about six years before Audie Murphy Ranch is completely built.

Sales are going good, Peters said. Its just that time of year that homes sales traditionally have been strong in southwest Riverside County. Were looking forward to a strong 2017.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9690 or michaelwilliams@scng.com
Def Leppard: Break out the Aqua Net and get ready top party like its 1988. The Pour Some Sugar on Me and Love Bites band will head to Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario on Wednesday, June 14. And if you are a loyal listener to Sirius XMs Hair Nation channel youre going to love the support acts  Poison and Tesla. Tickets are $29.50-$139.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 20, via ticketmaster.com.

Sammy Hagar: Hop in the Trans Am and head east on the 10 because Fontanas native rocking son is headed to Morongo Casino, Resort and Spa in Cabazon on Friday, Feb. 24.Tickets are $100-$125 go on sale at noon Friday, Jan. 20 via ticketmaster.com.

Brian Wilson: The Beach Boy responsible for the bands most interesting music brings the Pet Sounds 50th anniversray tour to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio on Saturday, March 18. Tickets are $49-$89 and available via fantasyspringsresort.com.

Rock icon Juanes will also perform at the casino on Saturday, April 1. Tickets are $59-$109.

Social Distortion: The SoCal rockers known for The Story of My Life, Mommys Little Monster and more will perform at the Fox Theater in Pomona on Saturday, March 11. Tickets are $34.50 and go on sale at 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 20, via axs.com.

Julianne and Derek Hough: The dancing siblings have added a second show at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside. In addition to the performance on the evening of Thursday, June 15, the pair has added a 3 p.m. matinee. Tickets are $39.50-$85 and on sale via 951-779-9800 and livenation.com.

Comedian Franco Escamilla has also booked a pair of shows at the Fox. He has 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. performances scheduled for Friday, March 3. Tickets are $39-$125.

U2: If you missed your chance to get tickets to see U2 perform The Joshua Tree at the Rose Bowl on May 20, dont fret  the Irish megaband has another date on Sunday, May 21. Tickets are $35-$280 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 23, via 800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

Contact the writer: vfranko@scng.com or @vanessafranko on Twitter
California water suppliers pleaded with state water officials on Wednesday to end a statewide emergency water conservation regulation.

Nearly half of the state is out of drought as much of Northern California has been socked with one of its wettest years in decades.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the Department of Water Resources announced plans to increase water deliveries from Northern California via the State Water Project from 45 percent to 60 percent of requests to 29 contractors from Plumas to San Diego counties.

The increase came following storms that flooded rivers, replenished some reservoirs and left the Sierra Nevada snowpack water content at 151 percent of normal for Jan. 18 and 75 percent of normal for April 1, according to data on the California Data Exchange Center.

Allocations may rise again this year following continued precipitation, Water Resources Department officials said in a news release.

Last fall, the Department of Water Resources estimated it would deliver 20 percent of the 4.1 million acre-feet of Northern California water requested this year.

Water suppliers from throughout the state traveled to Sacramento on Wednesday morning to address the State Water Resources Control Board at a public hearing on plans to extend the drinking water regulation through October.

Metropolitan Water District of Southern Californias Deven Upadhyay and Dave Bolland with the Ventura-based Association of California Water Agencies were among dozens asking the board to allow the regulation to expire Feb. 28.

It needs to be sunsetted at this point, said Bolland, the water associations director of state regulatory relations. We think if the skies do completely clear next week and we get no more rain, we still had one of the wettest years in California  almost statewide.

Though severe to extreme drought still grips most of Southern California, areas like the north Sierra and Tulare Basin in the southern San Joaquin Valley are experiencing some of the wettest conditions in decades  approaching records from the 1980s or 1960s, said Diane Riddle, an environmental program manager for the water control board.

Most of more than 400 urban water suppliers have not been operating under a state-mandated conservation target since June 1, after the state water agency allowed them to set their own targets based on whether they expect to meet demand for the next three years, even if drought continues  described as a stress test.

The State Water Resources Control Board urges the board to extend the emergency conservation regulation on Feb. 7 while giving 68 suppliers still under state-mandated savings targets a chance to update their stress tests to reflect current water supply conditions, said board Climate and Conservation Manager Max Gomberg.

Board members indicated theyd like to continue established prohibitions against wasteful water use and monthly water conservation data reports from suppliers.

Its empowered all of us to see where we are, board member Steven Moore said, referring to conservation data.

The board took no action on the regulation Wednesday.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9444 or shurt@scng.com
Joy Business has gathered from the Bank of Ghana that a new GH5 Ghana note with new security features and design would be in circulation from March this year.



The note is being introduced as part of the Central Banks 60th anniversary, which falls on March 4, this year.



The GH5 cedi denomination will be a legal tender as well as a collector's item.



The note will have additional security features, that are sensitive to touch to aid the blind and visually challenged in identifying the new notes.



The climax of the celebration will take place in August this year, which would mark 60 years since the Bank opened its doors to the public.

Source: Joy Business









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Government has explained that its one district, one factory policy is to ensure that Ghanas ongoing industrialization drive spreads to every part of the country.



Previously, the majority of manufacturing facilities were constructed in the five largest urban areas, namely Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale.



Documents sighted by BUISINESS GUIDE revealed that governments implementation plans as well the timelines for the implementation of the first phase of the policy.



Under the new policy, the establishment of factories is expected within the first 100 days of governments assumption of office.



President Akufo-Addo made the promise mid 2016 during his election campaign, but critics have cast doubts over its viability partly because of governments tight fiscal constraints and the lack of details on how the plan would be actually implemented.



The new administration has given the go ahead for the implementation of the one district one factory to be managed by the public and private sectors through an organization which will specifically be set up for that purpose.



This implementation body will only serve as promoter and facilitator of the key new policy for ensuring a nationwide spread of industrialization and will not be a direct investor in the resultant industrial projects. Rather, the private sector will provide the investment, although local governments could partner them in this regard if such an investment of public funds is deemed prudent and advantageous.



The organization will have three key objectives.



The new organization is expected to partner other institutions such as the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), providers of mobile money services, cooperatives, Town & Country Planning Department, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), National Board for Small Scale Industries, GRATIS Foundation, Venture Capital Trust Fund, commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, and of course District Assemblies themselves.



It will also partner the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) and its subsidiary Ghana Alternative Market, which will provide an exit channel for investors who want to cash in on their investments for hefty profits over time.



Instructively, several projects have already been identified by private sector investors who want to take advantage of the one district one factory policy, and some of them are actually have started securing the requisite equipment for production.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has expressed doubts about the ability of the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) to commence the scheduled amortisation of the approximately US$1billion China Development Bank (CDB) loan facility that was contracted by the Government for the construction of the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant.



PIAC said it arrived at this assessment based on the ever-growing indebtedness of state institutions to GNGC.



The fears were expressed in the first half of 2016 report of PIAC.



$340.49m owed Ghana Gas



According to PIAC, total payments owed Ghana Gas had hit $340.49million as at June 30, 2016 with the Volta River Authority (VRA) alone accounting for 89.9% representing $306.10 million of the outstanding balance.



It revealed that the total interest payable by VRA on its outstanding debts amounted to $2.86 million in the first half of 2016. Consequently, PIAC demanded that the VRA, as a matter of urgency, should be prevailed upon by the Ministries of Finance, Power and Petroleum to settle its indebtedness to the GNGC in order to prevent its debts from spiraling to unmanageable proportions, thereby compromising the financial integrity and viability of GNGC.



PIAC also wants the GNGC to fast-track 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 report reiterated its call on Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to desist from financing infrastructure projects with funds allocated to it from petroleum revenues.



It, therefore, proposed 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.



PIAC charged the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) should ensure that the outstanding surface rental invoice owed by Oranto Energy is paid with interest.



In order to help mitigate the impacts of the volatility of crude oil prices on the world market and following the successful hedging programmes being implemented by the other Jubilee partners, PIAC advised government to consider resuming its hedging programme on crude oil export.



The Committee expressed concern that some key recommendations made in some of its previous reports - such as the suggestion in its 2015 Annual Report urging GNPC to desist from spending portions of its (GNPCs) allocation on noncore business areas and the urgent need for Ghana to hedge its oil price - have not been implemented by the relevant state institutions.



The report revealed that revenue from the petroleum sector for the first half of last year dropped by 55%.



The figure declined from US$274.47 million in 2015 to US$126.41 million for the same period last year, it added.



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, it said.



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.



Key findings emerging from 2016 Semi-Annual Report



1. 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.



2. The 2016 half year production volumes are the lowest since 2011.



3. There was a 38% decline in the production of raw gas from 27,363 MMscf in the first half of 2015 to 16,904 MMscf during the period under review.



4. There was no production at the Saltpond Field following the suspension of operations in December 2015. The Saltpond Field is currently being decommissioned.



5. The Ghana Group lifted 1.95 million barrels of oil, representing 18.48% of total liftings from the Jubilee Field between January and June 2016.



6. Liftings carried out by the Ghana Group declined by 39% when compared to the liftings done during the same period in 2015.



7. A total of 9,349 MMscf of wet gas was exported to the Atuabo Gas Plant for processing into lean gas, LPG and condensates.



8. Average achieved price for the Jubilee Crude was US$40.21 per barrel compared to benchmark price of US$53.03, representing a negative variance of 24.21%.



9. The price obtained by the Ghana Group compares favourably with global benchmark prices prevailing at the time the cargoes were sold.



10. Although the average sale price achieved by the Ghana Group was similar to those of the other Jubilee Partners, the latter were able to achieve higher prices for their liftings because of successful hedging policies on their part.



11. Revenues from the petroleum sector during the first half of 2016 amounted to US$126.41 million, which 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.



12. Total half year receipts from the petroleum sector represent only 50.35% of the projected half year revenue of US$251.05 million.



13. Ghana Gas was able to collect only 16% (US$17.17million) of expected receivables of US$104.13 million during the period under review.



14. Total payment owed Ghana Gas had hit US$340.49 million as at June 30, 2016 with VRA alone accounting for 89.9% (US$306.10 million) of the outstanding balance.



15. Total interest payable by Volta River Authority (VRA) on its outstanding debts amounted to US$2.86 million in the first half of 2016.



16. Approximately 69% (US$87.15 million) of the total petroleum receipts of US$126.46 million was distributed during the period under review. The undistributed balance of US$48.47 million remains in the PHF awaiting distribution in the second half of the year.



17. Approximately 52% (US$45.07million) of the disbursements was allocated to the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA), 26% (US$22.77 million) to the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), 16% (US$13.52 million) was lodged in the Ghana Stabilisation Fund (GSF), with the remaining US$5.79 million (6%) going into the Ghana Heritage Fund (GHF).



18. Total allocation to GNPC was US$22.77 million while US$64.04 million was spent, representing a net deficit of US$41.27 million (181.9%).



19. For the first time since the allocation of petroleum revenues commenced, the disbursement to GNPC of US$22.77 million could only cover 77% of the Jubilee financing cost of US$29.51 million.



20. An amount of US$3.12 million was expended on the Western Corridor Roads while US$0.32 million was spent as GNPCs contribution to the decommissioning of the Saltpond Field.



21. An amount of GH172.9 million (US$45.07 million) was allocated to the ABFA during the period under review which translates to a 64% shortfall in the projected ABFA of US$126.13 million.



22. 71.29% (GH123.25 million) of the allocation to the ABFA went to the Roads and Other Infrastructure priority area, GH10.97 million (6.34%) went to Agricultural Modernisation, GH38.08 million (22.02%) went into Capacity Building, with 0.6 million (0.35%) going to PIAC.



23. Significantly, no allocation was made to the Expenditure and Amortisation of Loans for Oil and Gas Infrastructure because Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) has become fully operational and is expected to assume responsibility for the repayment of the China Development Bank (CDB) loan.



24. Approximately 23% (GH28.38 million) of the allocation to the Roads and Other Infrastructure priority area was spent on roads and highways, GH31.59 million (32%) on energy infrastructure, GH23.1 million (19%) on water infrastructure, GH2.00 million (2%) on transport infrastructure, with the remaining GH30.27 million (24%) going into the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund.



25. Amounts of US$13.52 million and US$5.79 million of the total half year petroleum revenue were transferred to the GSF and GHF respectively during the period under review.



26. No transfer was made from the GSF even though there was significant shortfall in the expected quarterly ABFA in view of the fact that, the balance in the GSF was lower than the US$200 million moving cap set in the 2016 Budget Statement.



27. The GPFs earned a combined return on investments of 5.26% (US$3.08 million) between January and June 2016, with GSF contributing US$ 0.438 million (0.33%), and GHF earning US$2.64 million (4.93%). 28. Outstanding balances on the GPFs stood at US$191.35 million for the GSF and US$267.81 for the GHF.





Source: The Finder









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Kwaku Asare, a US based Ghanaian legal luminary and constitutional scholar, has shredded claims by Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, that the nomination of Yaw Osafo Maafo as Senior Minister by the President is unconstitutional.



Mahama Ayariga has, in a letter addressed to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, asserted that the creation of the position of Senior Minster is an affront to the constitution. He has therefore called on the President to reconsider the nomination.



However, in a swift rebuttal posted on his Facebook page, Prof Asare insisted: there is no merit in Mahama Ayariga's contention that appointing a senior minister is a constitutional aberration.

He subsequently subdivided Mr Ayarigas argument into three shaky pillars and went ahead to dismantle them.



These are: first - "nowhere in the Constitution does the office of Senior Minister exist." Second -The Senior Minister post is "demonstrably analogous to the office of Prime Minister," a position the framers consciously avoided and third - the constitution frowns upon a ministerial hierarchy.



The law scholar dismissed the first pillar, insisting it was without basis: The first pillar fails because the only ministerial position required and mentioned by the Constitution is that of Attorney General, he pointed out.



The second pillar must also fall because even if it is demonstrably established that the framers rejected the notion of a Prime Minister, it will only mean that they rejected it as a 'constitutionally mandated office. It will not mean that a President, pursuant to his exercise of executive power, cannot appoint a Prime Minister or someone to exercise the functions of a Prime Minister, however the person is called, he continued.



My position is that all the former Presidents have appointed Prime Ministers, often occupying the position of Chief of Staff. P. V. Obeng, Kwadwo Mpiani et al come to mind. It is really up to the President to decide whether a minister will report directly to him or indirectly to him through the First Lady or the Chief of Staff, etc. There is no ministerial organization chart in the Constitution, he added.



The renowned law scholar further butchered the last pillar in a similar fashion. It also falls flat because we have deputy versus substantive ministers; cabinet versus non-cabinet ministers; small budget ministers versus big budget ministers; ministers at the Presidency versus those at the ministries; etc. Nothing in the Constitution ties the hands of the President in creating whatever hierarchy or structure that he wants for his ministers.



The MP had argued in his letter: The nomination of any person to be vetted for the post of a Senior Minister constitutes a constitutional aberration. The simple reason is that nowhere in the Constitution does the office of Senior Minister exist. The Senior Minister post which you have created is demonstrably analogous to the office of Prime Minister. I will show, from a review of the history of the enactment of the 1992 Constitution that there was a very conscious decision to avoid creating any office similar to that of a Prime Minister. The idea of having a Prime Minister was explicitly turned down.



Chapter 8 of the Constitution of Ghana 1992 establishes the Executive branch of government and spells out the offices, which shall constitute that branch. Articles 76, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 88 and 256 of the constitution deal with matters relating to the posts of a Minister of State and a Deputy Minister of State. Some of those provisions often refer to the term Minister or Deputy Minister when making references to the post of a Minister of State or a Deputy Minister of State respectively and omitting the expression: of State, he said



He further argued that  A Minister of State is not the same creature as a Senior Minister. A Senior Minister suggests the existence of a hierarchy among Ministers of State. There is no hierarchy among Ministers of State appointed under articles 58 and 256. At best, there could be informal seniority protocols within government once approval as Ministers of State is given by Parliament



The law maker opined Literally and ordinarily the word senior means higher in standing or rank relative to another Minister of State. But our constitutional governance architecture only recognizes a Minister of State who the Constitution sometimes refers to as a Minister. Ordinarily also, the word senior is used to show that one person is more advanced in age than another. The Constitution does not make that differentiation when it comes to ministerial appointments. Being advanced in age does not entitle you to be vetted by Parliament and given the accolade of Senior Minister.



Additionally he noted A proposal was made to the framers of our Constitution to create the post of a Prime Minister and it was rejected. The Consultative Assembly that drafted the final constitution rejected the creation of the office of Prime Minister or any post akin to it.

Source: Daily Statesman









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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Angry former Member of Parliaments (MPs) for Ashaiman Constituency and the traditional authorities have vented their spleen on some workers of Murphy Ghana Ltd, a real estate company who were allegedly demarcating lands at Community 21 for sale.



The chiefs, led by the Regent of the area, Nii Annan Adzor I and some youth of Ashaiman, chased out the workers who were clearing and demarcating the controversial lands located at Ashaiman.



They wondered why land ceded to government for the construction of bungalows for workers of the Ghana Free Zone Board (GFZB) could now be sold to individuals.



The about 152 acres of land at Community 21 forms part of those compulsorily acquired by the colonial government in 1952 for development by the Tema Development Corporation (TDC).



In 1972, the TDC failed to develop the lands and they were therefore leased to some farmers for about 21 years.



In 1997, the government of Ghana declared the said land a Free Zone residential enclave in accordance with Section 7(1) of the Free Zones Law, (Act 504, 1995).



The move by government was opposed by farmers operating on the land and some leaders in Ashaiman, who believed the land could have been developed to decongest Ashaiman.



However, the GFZB used the military in 2012 to demolish all structures on the land and ejected traders and artisans who had virtually turned the area into a market.



The chiefs, former MPs and youth of Ashaiman say they suspect foul play in the deal.



According to them, the land could be used by the current government which intends to implement the one factory-one district policy.



Clad in red arm bands, the angry chiefs, former MPs and youth invaded the land, chased the workers out of the land and pulled down billboards of the company and threatened to fight with their blood.



That is the only land left for Ashaiman to expand and construct developmental projects under the one-district-one-factory policy promised by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Nii Annan Adzor I declared.



He called on the President to investigate the Ghana Free Zones Board and the company over issues surrounding the acquisition of the said land.



Franklin Aheto, former MP of Ashaiman, said the Assembly could construct market, court complex and other developmental projects on the land to ease congestion.



When we got to TDC we realized that the land had been allocated to the Ghana Free Zone Board by a constitutional instrument in 1995. But the fact is that after our investigations Free Zone Board has never paid a dime for the land and in fact they never knew they even had land in the area, the former MP noted.



According to him, the land must be released to the assembly to enhance development in the area.



I know the Ghana Free Zones Board is not mandated to sell lands. We are not fighting any government, we are not fighting anybody but all that we are requesting is the land to be returned to the chiefs or Assembly for the development of Ashaiman, Mr. Franklin Aheto added.

Source: Daily Guide









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The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has moved into full gear, investigating the whereabouts of five (5) allegedly stolen vehicles belonging to the Upper East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS).



The Commission has in effect, written to the Regional Director, Ghana Health Service, Upper East Region, Bolgatanga, Dr. Kofi Issah, requesting him to assist investigate Dr. Kuoku Awonoor-Williams, whom he took over from as the Upper East Director of the Ghana Health Service and the Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira.



The duo, Dr. Awoonor-Williams and Dr. Appiah-Denkyira, are at the center of the alleged stolen five (5) vehicles belonging to the Upper East Directorate of the GHS.



Dr. Kuoku Awoonor-Williams, then Director of Health Services in the Upper East Region, was transferred to Accra in 2015 and was replaced by Dr. Kofi Issah.



At the end of 2015 when stock was taken of the vehicles available to the Service in the Upper East Region after Dr. Awoonor-Williams had left the Region, it was realized that five of the vehicles, namely a Mitsubishi Pajero, Landcruiser V8, VW Passat and two pickups could not be accounted for.



Dr. Awoonor-Williams, according to inside sources, secretly took the five (5) vehicles belonging to the Upper East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service without following laid down procedures for moving public property from one location to the other.



The Transport Unit of the Upper East Regional Health Directorate and the Director who took over from Dr. Awoonor-Williams had no prior knowledge of the movement of the five (5) vehicles from the Region.



Dr. Awoonor-Williams, according to sources familiar with the situation, has put some or all the five (5) vehicles to his private use and has since resisted efforts to retrieve those vehicles back to the Upper East Region.



The Commission in a letter dated November 16, 2016 and signed by D.C. Hammond, Deputy Chief Investigator, is demanding copies of the transfer letter of Dr. Kofi Issah to the Upper East Region as Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service as well as the handing over notes he received from Dr. Awoonor-Williams to assist in investigations.



The Commission also wants Dr. Issah to furnish it with the list of vehicles at the Regional Directorate at the time of his assumption of office at Bolgatanga, and indicating which of them were designated as project vehicles.



Your response, together with the documents should reach the offices of the Commission located at the Old Parliament House, High Street Accra, within twelve (12) days on receipt of this letter, the letter in part stated.



Persons familiar with the situation say the GHS Council has not been so helpful in resolving the situation.

Source: kasapafmonline.com









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Otumfuo's Suman-Brafuo, Baffour Bosompra Adukwa Boateng, has described as worrying the circulation of the pictures of the corpse of Asantehemaa Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II on social media.



According to him, such act had the tendency of denting the tradition of the Asante kingdom.



Although the Manhyia palace is yet to make an official comment on the issue, they have banned mourners from carrying mobile phones and any form of camera. Journalists have also been cordoned off the remains of the queen mother.



Baffour Boateng warned of consequences if the public does not desist from such acts.



The chiefs met and decided to enforce the ban on carrying mobile phones and any camera to where the queen mother lays. The picture of the Asantehemaa lying in state is worrying because in the Asante tradition, things like these are kept secret. You can take pictures of everything but not the corpse; that is what is against our culture and traditions. We dont want such things being public otherwise we would have allowed the television stations to record her and show on national TV for all to see. The same thing happened when Bantamahene died. The picture of the corpse was all over, it is worrying, Baffour Boateng told Class News Ashanti Regional correspondent Hafiz Tijani.



Late Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II has been lying in state for three days since Monday, 16 January. She will be laid to rest on Thursday.







Source: classfmonline.com









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Featured Video
Credible information reaching Kasapafmonline.com indicate that a final year male student has shot to death a female student whos believed to be his girlfriend.



According to impeccable sources within the school, the unfortunte incident happened days ago after the female student whose name is not immediately known reportedly visited the home of her student boyfriend at Tema.



The deceased, a resident of Cantonment in Accra, on that fateful day was said to have been sent by her parents to pay a bankers draft (School fees) ahead of school re-opening, but later traveled to Tema to meet her boy friend who happens to be her classmate.



The two according to reports are both Science students. It is unclear what led to the shooting of the deceased school girl by her boyfriend who allegedly used a gun belonging to the father in the bizarre incident.



Following the gruesome murder, the suspect (male student) was arrested by the police to assist with investigations. The suspect was arraigned before court after the police had completed their investigations.



He was subsequently remanded at the Osu Juvenile Correction Center, but was released because the facility was full.



The deceased has since been buried.



Video below-

Source: kasapafmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Kumasi, the seat of the Asante Royalty and the capital of Ashanti Region, will stand quiet and still from nighttime of the Thursday, the 19th to the dawn of the next day (Friday), as a sign of respect and obeisance when the mortal remains of Nana Afia Serwaa Kobi Ampem 11, would be conveyed to the Breman Royal Mausoleum for internment.



The mortal remains of the 111, year old Queen, the 13th in the succession Asante Queens and the biological mother of Otumfuo Osei-Tutu 11, the Asantehene, who reigned for 39 years, had been laid in state for the past three days for public viewing.



The royal palace, has been the venue for Thousands of mourners and sympathisers including Nana Addo-Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, the President of Ghana, Mr. John Agyekum Kuffour, former President of Ghana, Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria and other local as well as foreign dignitaries, who flocked the palace to pay last respect and commiserate with the bereaved King.



Mr Kofi Annan, the Chief justice Theodora Wood, Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli and the president of the national house of Chiefs and other members of the Diplomatic Corps, are others among the distinguished lot.



The Asantehene has since sat in state to receive homage as the mourners streamed in to also give donations.



Nana Afua Serwaa Kobi-Ampem, has been widely described as the mother of all and more than six hundred females have been named after her.



The programme released by Manhyia for Thursday, the climax of the four-day burial rites observation of the late Asantehemaa, says the body would be conveyed from the Manhyia Palace to the Saint Cyprians Anglican Church, where a requiem Mass would be held.



The mortal remains of the late Queen would then be carried to the Bantama Royal Mausoleum, for an elaborate wreath-laying ceremony and in the eerie quiet of night time, the final internment will follow at the final royal burial site at Breman.



The funeral committee has emphasized that there would be no human sacrifices, but has asked Kumasi residents to remain in-doors within that period so as not to fall victims to miscreants who may want to take advantage to carry out any mischievous activities.



As part of the arrangements, certain public places including the Kumasi Central Market, the Bantama Satelite market, the Central Business District of Adum, the hub of brisk business activities, as well as other areas like Asawasi, Akwatialine, would all not open for business.



Meanwhile, Manhyia has been the scene for superlative cultural displays portraying the beauty of Asante royal burial rites and how the regal clan demonstrate their moments of extreme grief.



Executioners, fetish priests and other dancers danced to traditional drumming and music, to both the stunning admiration of the crowd of mourners all clad in black and red.





Source: GNA









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POSTERS OF ex-Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur as presidential aspirant for electio 2020 on the ticket of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have emerged, sparking brouhaha in a section of the party.



The nicely-printed posters popped up barely 24 hours after news broke that former President John Dramani Mahama, who lost the 2016 poll to Nana Akufo-Addo (now president) with over one million votes, would not contest in the next election.



It has not been confirmed whether Mr. Amissah-Arthur has a hand in the manufacturing of the posters, which have gone viral on several social media platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp.



The posters have a big picture of smiling Amissah-Arthur, who is wearing a flashy black suit, matched with sea blue shirt and a tie.



It has the NDCs logo, the umbrella, at the right hand corner and a bold inscription which reads, Amissah-Arthur for 2020 at the bottom.



The sudden emergence of the posters is reported to have sparked instant confusion and uneasiness among some leading members of the largest opposition political party in the country today.



Sources in the party have hinted that some top members, especially those who are nursing presidential ambition, are not comfortable about the emergence of Mr. Amissah-Arthurs posters  with almost four years to the next general election.



Reports indicate that some NDC gurus are not handling the situation with kids gloves as they believe it is possible that the ex-vice president might have a hand in the manufacturing of the posters. But the manner in which the posters surfaced, according to the party activists, might not help Mr. Amissah-Arthur.



Some party members in Kumasi, who spoke to the paper on condition of anonymity, stated that if indeed, Mr. Amissah-Arthur is nursing the ambition of leading the NDC in the next polls, his performance as vice to President Mahama was so miserable that it would not augur well for the party.







Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Troops from several West African countries are ready to enter the Gambia following Jammehs refusal to step-down from power.



President Yahaya Jammeh has held power in the Gambia since a military coup in 1994. His opponent, Adama Barrow beat him in last years election by securing 45% of the vote.



The outgoing presidents refusal to step down to his rival has brought instability to the country forcing ECOWAS to prepare for a combat action.



205 troops have been deployed from Ghana and entered The Gambia at dawn, following failed talks between Mauritania President Mohamed Abdel Aziz and Mr. Jammeh.



Ghanas decision to join the ECOWAS team as contained in a release sent to Peacefmonline.com from the Flagstaff House, is to create an enabling environment for the effective enforcement of the rule of law, and, in accordance with the Constitution of The Gambia, facilitate the inauguration of the President-Elect, Adama Barrow, on Thursday, January 19, 2017.



Full statement below



Ghana Deploys Troops To Support ECOWAS Mission In The Gambia



The President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has approved and authorised the deployment of a combat team of two hundred and five (205) troops, backed with the appropriate logistical equipment, to the Islamic Republic of The Gambia as part of the ECOWAS Mission in that country.



ECOWAS has decided, as a result of the refusal of President Yahaya Jammeh to accept the verdict of the Gambian people in the elections of December 1, 2016, to deploy troops from its member States to The Gambia with immediate effect.



The objective is to create an enabling environment for the effective enforcement of the rule of law, and, in accordance with the Constitution of The Gambia, facilitate the inauguration of the President-Elect, Adama Barrow, on Thursday, January 19, 2017.







signed



Eugene Arhin



Ag. Communications Director











Source: Chris Joe Quaicoe/ email: [email protected]









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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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.

Source: The Al-Hajj









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You know we have those annoying gnat-like senators pissing about in Federal Parliament asserting that climate change isnt real because they havent seen the empirical evidence or some legit bullshit like that?

Not that we needed any, but heres more evidence. A lot more evidence.

2016, the bastard of a year that it was, was also officially the hottest year on record. Whats more, it ranks as the third year in a row where a new record has been set.

NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released their findings into global temperatures over the last calendar year, and it is a grim, grim picture.

Average surface temperatures over both sea and land was measured at 14.84 degrees Celsius, which rates as a full 0.94 of a degree *above* the average temperature recorded through the entire 20th century.

A video NASA released earlier this morning mapping warming and temperature trends globally over more than a century is some seriously scary shit.

But still, no empirical evidence, etc.

The rise in temperatures is a combination of both man-made factors and a global El Nino trend, resulting in a global average temperature 0.4 degrees above the one recorded in 2015.

This also makes it the fifth time in 12 years that the highest recorded average global temperature record was broken, following on from 2005, 2010, 2014, and 2015.

The temporary good news, however, is that experts believe that once the current El Nino conditions fade, the planet is unlikely to break the record again in 2017. But a new high mark is expected to be set sooner, rather than later, according to Piers Forster, climate expert at the University of Leeds:

Unless we have a major volcanic eruption, I expect the record to be broken again within a few years.

Now theres a sobering thought. How do we slow down the heating of the globe? Cross our fingers and hope a mountain explodes.

Among other events in 2016, the year saw mammoth wildfires in Alberta rank as the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history. Meanwhile North America achieved its hottest year ever recorded, and parts of India recorded a day of 51 degrees, topping previous single-day marks for the country.

Sea-ice in both the Arctic and in Antarctica are both at reported all-time lows for mid-January readings.

But, yknow, the empirical evidence.

Source: ABC News.
Ticket peeps moshtix are looking for a Junior Web Developer (SYD) to join them as they kick off a series of exciting projects. Do you love live music? If youre keen to get exposure to a variety of technologies that will transform the way an industry operates and be part of a team that consistently out-performs some of the biggest retail brands in the world, right this way. Its not absolutely necessary that you have a degree in software engineering, but if you are currently studying or have already graduated this will be highly regarded. What is important is that youre a personable, hardworking team player and that youre passionate about developing software and keeping up with current trends/technologies. If youre ready to learn and think youd be a ~perfect fit~, apply here.

Word nerd from way back? Hold onto your horses  Collective Hub are looking for a Sub-Editor (SYD) to join their team. This rewarding, full-time role is an opportunity for a passionate, organised and strategic-thinking sub to join a passionate, fun and professional team during an exciting time of growth for Collective Hub. This role will be responsible for the quality and accuracy of content across the company, will help drive continuous improvement on all products, be a leader in the content team and champion adherence to style and workflow systems for all staff. Theyll work across Collective Hub magazine, collectivehub.com, video scripts, PR and marketing collateral, commercial book clients and more, making it a varied and interesting role with the opportunity to diversify and upskill. In addition to sub-editing duties, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to the wider social media/digital content conversations and personally write articles for print and digital. Keen (and experienced) beans, apply here.

Wanna work for one of Australias leading and most respected fashion labels? Of course ya do. Luckily, Zimmerman are looking for a bright and talented Marketing Coordinator  Events, Shoots Campaigns (SYD) to to organise and execute marketing activities across local and international markets, including seasonal shows, events and campaign shoots. The role involves managing day-to-day relationships with key partners including local and international PR, showroom and VIP agencies. It will also see you working across a wide range of tasks, including creating and updating the annual marketing calendar, driving and monitoring the marketing agenda with the internal team and more. Keen? Apply here. Theyre also on the hunt for a gun Patternmaker (SYD) to join their innovative Design team. This role will work on their seasonal Ready-to-Wear clothing collections, including creating patterns from hand drawings, establishing and maintaining accurate specifications for manufacture and costing, alterations and grading and more. The successful candidate will be an experienced computer pattern maker, a keen eye for detail and a very good knowledge of high end garment finishes. If youve got the skillz, apply here.

From little things big things grow. Here are more of todays top job picks, shortnsweet.

Love all things small screen? If youre ready to get your head around the magazine industry, apply to be an Intern (SYD) at TV Week magazine over here.

Want to be a part of a kewl new co-working space? WOTSO WorkSpace are looking for a Community & Workspace Manager (HOB)  apply here.

Savvy and skilled storyteller with a soft spot for fashion & youth culture? You could be the Content Marketing Manager (QLD) that City Beach are looking for  apply here.

Live and breathe the textiles industry and got a knack for project management? Textile.training are looking for a Textiles Project Manager (MELB)  apply here.

Onwards and upwards, eh?

All deets courtesy of Pedestrian Jobs.

Dont let your dream job slip you by  Love your work!

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and get yourself signed up to our Daily Job Alerts.
Barack Obama has used the final day of his presidency of the United States to commute the sentences of 330 federal inmates convicted of drug crimes, attempting to address what he has described as a systematic injustice.

Obama had repeatedly implored Congress to reform sentencing laws, which often hand harsh and punitive sentences to those accused of drug offences. Thursdays batch of commutations is more than has ever been issued in a single day by any U.S. president.

He wanted to do it. He wanted the opportunity to look at as many as he could to provide relief, said Neil Eggleston, Obamas White House counsel. He saw the injustice of the sentences that were imposed in many situations, and he has a strong view that people deserve a second chance.

Proud to make this one of my final actions as President. America is a nation of second chances, and 1,715 people deserved that shot. https://t.co/4hPxG7hqHL  President Obama (@POTUS) January 19, 2017

To be eligible for Obamas initiative, inmates had to have demonstrated good behaviour in prison and already served 10 years. Some exceptions to the latter rule were granted.

This means that these sentences are reduced, but the crime remains on the individuals record. Some are being released sooner than others, and many have conditions placed on their release.

Obama has granted a total of 1,715 commutations during his term, more than any U.S. president in history. This includes the commutation of Chelsea Mannings sentence announced earlier this week. Manning thanked Obama in a tweet earlier today:

Thank you @BarackObama for giving me a chance. =,)  Chelsea Manning (@xychelsea) January 19, 2017

Obama defended his decision to commute Mannings sentence in a press conference.

President Obama defends decision to commute Chelsea Mannings prison sentence https://t.co/GPMDcwulnQ pic.twitter.com/rXhx83M7RL  Yahoo News (@YahooNews) January 19, 2017

Several high-profile inmates who applied for commutations or pardons were not quite so lucky. Obama did not grant commutations to Army deserter Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl and former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who is in prison for corruption.

Native American activist Leonard Peltier  who has long maintained his innocence in killing two FBI agents in a shooutout at South Dakotas Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975  was also not granted clemency.

Regardless, it is likely that Obamas last-minute actions towards mass clemency will be a remembered part of his presidency, especially given Trumps commitment to unwinding his other legislative achievements.

Source: AP.

Photo: Getty Images.
A grassfire burning in the Sunshine Coasts Coolum Beach has been declared an emergency situation. The fire has been burning since 1pm this afternoon, and is spreading rapidly.

15 emergency crews  including two water tankers and nine rural fire crews  are currently on scene battling the blaze in an attempt to keep it from spreading from the national park area to homes and businesses nearby.

Firies have asked local residents with bushfire plans to put them into action. Those without bushfire plans have been asked to evacuate.

UPDATE: Watch and Act for #Coolum Beach (#SunshineCoast) as at 6.20pm Thurs 19 Jan: https://t.co/fWo2YfjaoJ  Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) January 19, 2017

The fire jumped the highway this afternoon, and according to a Queensland Fire Service spokeswoman, is spreading in several directions. Drivers on the Sunshine Coast Highway are being redirected onto Yandina Coolum Road in order to keep them away from the heart of the fire.

WARNING: Fast-moving #fire expected to impact Doonan Bridge Rd, near Coolum, in about an hour https://t.co/nB8DbCyLpD pic.twitter.com/h6BtDrhNdz  The Courier-Mail (@couriermail) January 19, 2017

The current emergency area is bordered by David Low Way, Springfield Avenue, Cinnamon Avenue, Park Crescent and Coolum Yandina Road.

Source.

The ABC is reporting that the fire is likely to threaten local property, with local fire service Superintendent Mark Stuart saying:

Due to the dry fuel load and hot, dry conditions over the last two weeks, the fire has been moving extremely fast.

An emergency services spokesperson also told the ABC:

It will be very hot and windy and as the fire approaches it may become increasingly difficult to see, hear or breathe. Residents are strongly advised to leave now if their plan is to do so or if they dont have a plan. Leaving is the safest option for survival.

Friends on the Sunny Coast: keep the radio on, keep an eye on the Queensland Fire and Emergency Twitter feed, and if youre asked to evacuate, book it. We just want you to stay safe.

Source: Brisbane Times.

Image: @MattDaviesCamOp / Instagram.
Right, well, the BIG news this morning is that NSW Premier Mike Baird announced his shock resignation from politics. He released a statement on Twitter that said something about achieving his goals and all that. No mention of the lockouts, greyhound backflip, or that time he sacked mayors and councillors from 42 councils one Thursday morning. Weird!

But the other big news is that everybodys making the same joke: something something Casino Mike something lockouts something *hiccup* say hi to P-a-a-acker! [Burps, loudly.]

Sure, some reactions to his resignation have been nice  mostly from other politicians, and one or two in his mentions.

Best wishes for the future @mikebairdMP It was a pleasure working with you.  AnnastaciaPalaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) January 18, 2017

All the best to my good mate @mikebairdMP, it takes guts to walk away at the top of your game. You can truly say u did it your way. #nswpol  Tim Nicholls MP (@TimNichollsMP) January 18, 2017

@mikebairdMP A loss for NSW. Thank you for what youve done  Brooke Simmons (@BrookeESimmons) January 18, 2017

And more than a few have been salty as hell:

@samdastyari I am hoping that it is contagious and a few more manage to catch the disease  Kazza (@kazza264) January 18, 2017

@mikebairdMP pity about your #greyhoundracing backflip ?? have a nice time on your tax payer funded superannuation ??  SaxonTheHound (@SaxonTheHound) January 18, 2017

@mikebairdMP Well always remember you for the Greyhound stuff ups & the dictatorial administrators that replaced elected Local Councils  Paul Garrett (@PaulGarrettMUA) January 18, 2017

But mostly, everyones having a bloody great time with the gags this morning.

Baird might have been a popular premier in some parts of NSW, but Twitter wasnt one of them.

I hope Mike Baird realises that he cant leave the parliament for a cheeky dart and come back in  Luke Vespa (@lukevespa) January 18, 2017

Shocked to hear Mike Baird has extended the lockout to his own office.  Colley (@JamColley) January 18, 2017

*BLASTS TWITTER SATIRE HORN, ITS LIKE THE HORN OF GONDOR BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE FARTS*

Baird eh! Beard? Birds? Whatabout eh.coz Trump, ah  Ben Jenkins (@bencjenkins) January 18, 2017

Devastated that Mike Baird has retired before banning loud motorbikes, as I have requested on several occasions  Lane Sainty (@lanesainty) January 18, 2017

Source: Mike Baird to depart Macquarie Street on a chariot pulled by 15 greyhounds.  Matt Bevan (@MatthewBevan) January 18, 2017

WE NOW CROSS LIVE TO MIKE BAIRD pic.twitter.com/3uQfFdabY3  Gavin Fernando (@GavinDFernando) January 18, 2017

this happened because I tweeted mike baird retire bitch two years ago (deleted)  keen online poster (@jonathonio) January 18, 2017

Of course, some are asking why he resigned after barely two-and-a-half years in the job  and only halfway through his governments term. His predecessor Barry OFarrell famously resigned in 2014 after the Independent Commission Against Corruption proved he had indeed received a $3,000 bottle of Grange from Australian Water Holdings executive Nick Di Girolamo, a fact hed previously denied.

So naturally  what with the many, many divisive issues that have dominated headlines over the last 12 months  more than a few people out there are wondering what kind of scandal is about to drop.

I dealt with Bairds office yesterday and there was absolutely no inkling this was happening from people I spoke to  Andrew Clennell (@aclennell) January 18, 2017

@mikebairdMP Sooo, what news is about to drop that you dont want to be around for? Not that Im a cynic, but Im a little bit cynical.  vandenberglegs (@vandenberglegs) January 18, 2017

How much do you want to bet theres a massive scandal in the wings. Like hes spent 50k of taxpayer money on boat shoes.  AtticusThomas (@AtticusThomas) January 18, 2017

Shut up, Henno.

baird has killed someone. guaranteed. no one just resigns as New South Wales premier  j.r. hennessy (@jrhennessy) January 18, 2017

Photo: Instagram / Mike Baird.
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Central figures in the production of upcoming film A Dogs Purpose have spoken out following the leak of confronting on-set footage, which allegedly shows a stunt dog being forced into turbulent water against its will.

TMZ obtained and released the footage, which appears to show German Shepherd Hercules being pushed into the torrent for a shot. In another segment, a crew member appears to scramble for the dog after its head dips under the waters surface.

Lasse Hallstrom, the films director, has released a strong statement on the footage. In the statement, obtained by Variety, he says I am very disturbed by the video released today from the set of my film and I did not witness these actions, which are unacceptable and would never happen with my knowledge.

We were all committed to providing a loving, respectful and safe environment for all the animals in the film. I have been promised that a thorough investigation into this situation is underway and that any wrongdoing will be reported and punished.

Producer Gavin Polone echoed that sentiment, saying had I been on the set, this would have never happened, and that its unconscionable that someone waited a year and three months to call attention to this.



Josh Gad, who voices the dog in the film, issued his own statement on Twitter saying I am shaken and sad to see any animal put in a situation agains its will.

Amblin Partners and Universal Pictures, the companies behind the film, claim Hercules is happy and healthy, and that he was comfortable and capable of performing in the scene beforehand.

There were several days of rehearsal of the water scenes to ensure Hercules was comfortable with all of the stunts. On the day of the shoot, Hercules did not want to perform the stunt portrayed on the tape so the Amblin production team did not proceed with filming that shot.

The film releases in January 27 in the United States, with an opening date of April 6 slated for Australia.



Source: Variety / TMZ.

Photo: TMZ / Facebook.
Obesity is a hefty issue here and abroad, but lets be real; weve known that since Super Size Me.

While 63.4 percent of Aussies are currently overweight, theres a sneakier health issue experts reckon should be on our horizons. Its called overfat.

uh oh

According to experts, people who fall into this new category have too much excess body fat; enough to impair health. It differs to regular obesity, as overfat individuals can look relatively healthy, with many having regular BMIs (body mass index).

While it might remind you of the ubiquitous term skinny fat, its markedly different.

Skinny fat refers to folk who look lean, but have limited muscle mass and internal fat round their organs. Overfat individuals, on the other hand, can be relatively average sized but usually sport beer bellies and excess fat around their trunk.

A whopping 76 percent of the globe falls into this overfat category, which was first brought to public attention in an article in the Jan issue of the journal Frontiers in Public Health.

Worried this might apply to you?

The clearest way to determine if youre overweight is to go to a doctor and ask them to do some tests. These can include bioempedance analysis (also known as BIA, which determines your fat percentage by how easily electronic currents run through your rig) or a simple waist measurement.

People who fall into this category are most likely to experience health issues like wearing down of joints, infertility, cancer, diabetes and mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Theres also a fair whack of shame associated with weight issues that clearly takes its toll.

Source: Frontiers in Public Health.

Photo: White Chicks.
Who says just because summer ends that you cant turn the heat up for a hot night of party?

Melbourne fiesta-maestros Client Liaison have finally let slip a slew of Australian tour dates set for March and April as they continue the good times train thats been chugging along in the wake of their debut LP Diplomatic Immunity, which they lovingly birthed unto the world back in November.

After treading the boards all summer long on the rumbling and rolling Australian festival circuit, the leisurely lads are pressing their finest linen suits and hitting the road for headlining dates thatll not only take in a whole bunch of major cities but a few cheeky little stops in between too.

Whats more, synth lord Luke Million has been tapped by the corporately stylish band to serve as the main support on all dates of the tour, which kicks off in Perth on March 17th.

The band is promising the finest in casual Friday after-work drinks and synergistic style for the tour, with a live show reportedly sporting an updated office fit-out to complement their oversized water coolers, including reception desk and a Macintosh Power Mac 6100, all packed down to an efficient 34 road-cases. More than ever this is a show that reflects the identity of a band who is both international in flavour and cosmopolitan in style.

Tickets are already available for all dates via hypertext transfer protocol colon slash slash world wide wide dot Client Liaison dot com, so file that Anderson account and slide into your finest slip-ons. This is gonna be good.

Dates comin atcha.

CLIENT LIAISON  DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY AUSTRALIAN TOUR

all dates with Luke Million





Friday March 17  Jack Rabbit Slims, Perth WA

Saturday March 18  Mojos, Fremantle WA

Friday March 24  Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne VIC

Friday March 31  Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW

Saturday April 1  Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle NSW

Friday April 7  Academy, Canberra ACT

Saturday April 8  Uni Bar, Wollongong NSW

Thursday April 13  Republic Bar, Hobart TAS

Thursday April 20  Miami Marketta, Miami QLD

Friday April 21  The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD

Saturday April 22  Solbar, Maroochydore QLD

Friday April 28  The Wool Exchange, Geelong VIC

Saturday April 29  The Gov, Adelaide SA

Photo: Supplied.
If Purgatory is the perpetual traffic of Sydneys M5 motorway, then Hell is most certainly the never ending search for a parking space anywhere in or around the CBD.

You

But your favourite tech lords, Google, might just have a solution to your woes. In a current Android beta version of Google Maps, theyve included a feature that will not only guide you to your destination, it will find you the best places to park in the area.

When you search for a destination, a small P will appear at the bottom along with the probability of you finding a spot as either easy, medium or limited.

And look, its definitely not going to guide you to a singular open spot, as it likely relies solely on traffic data to give you an idea of how congested the general area is and the best places to try. Regardless, its a pretty bloody handy feature to have.

Granted many multi-story parking lots now have sensors that pick up on full or empty spots, it could come down to a simple integration that allows Google to take you straight to a free spot. You BEAUTY.

Until then, this will make your parking life feel just a little bit less like Satans toilet.

Source: Mashable.

Photo: The Simpsons.